Katrina

Hurricane Katrina hit land on August 29th, 2005.
For the 5 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, check out Telling Their Stories.
Telling Their Stories is a juried exhibit of Katrina imagery - 53 photographs from 35 photographers.

Also, there's this amazing photography from Boston.com

What do you remember most about August 29, 2005?

I remember feeling helpless and frustrated and angry and overwhelmingly sad. I always thought that the gulf coast would forever after be thought of twice: before Katrina or after Katrina. Who could ever have imagined that the BP oil spill may change all that...

I'll get the ice cream

poor dad...  on duty at the playground.

street art

The truth in simplicity...

forget-me-not

lovely...

Forget Me Not - Air Scheme Channel 4 from Mew Lab on Vimeo.

Stand with Pakistan

Pakistan needs the world's help.
There has been unimaginable devastation brought on by weeks of flooding.
Pakistan is in crisis and needs all of us to extend a hand.

Check out: On the Ground in Pakistan

Text "FLOOD" to 27722 to donate $10 to the State Department Pakistan Relief Fund

Donate to those who are out doing the work: the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation, Rural Support Programmes Network, the Kashf Foundation, or the International Rescue Committee.

nothing to envy

I know very little about North Korea... and that became even more obvious as I read the book, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. It's a wonderful combination of narrative nonfiction and history lesson. It's an inspiring read of a long-suffering people.

Listen to Barbara Demick on NPR's All Things Considered

mind training

Matthieu Ricard is a  french Buddhist monk :)
He is often called the "happiest person in the world".

I just ordered his newest book, Why Meditate: Working with Thoughts and Emotions.

the measure

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit, and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." -- Susan B Anthony

alone... how to be

"You could be in an instant surrounded if you needed it. If your heart is bleeding, make the best of it. There is heat in freezing; be a testament."

21st Century Enlightenment

Matthew Taylor's lecture on the meaning of 21st Century Enlightenment is a wonderful RSA video.

I love the reference to Jonathan Haidt's excellent book the Happiness Hypothesis (elephant and the rider).

Noah Wild

Have you met Noah Wild yet?

"Noah Wild is a movement dedicated to the idea that kids can truly make a difference by saving animals and the places they live."

The web site noahwild.com offers animal info for kids and links to other great animal sites. It has videos and cartoons and merchandise. Buying Noah Wild products gives money back to 5 animal non-profits... and your child gets to decide which non-profit gets his/her donation.

sergey larenkov

Sergey Larenkov has merged historic photos with contemporary pictures to create amazing images.
to me, they are images of healing and resilience.

check out his site featuring Berlin, Prague, & Vienna 65 years later

And, if you've read City of Thieves... you'll want to check out his collection of merged photos of The Siege of Leningrad . Amazing and chilling... during the 900 days, many thousands died.

Sharpie Liquid Pencil

Say "hello" to my new best friend:

available September 2010 :)

The Sign

A couple of weeks ago, my sister told me about a sign she saw in someone's yard... the sign calls the President a Marxist and a traitor.
She has to pass this sign every day on her way to work, and it was infuriating her.

I kept thinking about it...
part of me wanted to convince the person(s) who put up the sign of how wrong they were...
part of me was infuriated too.

Then it dawned on me that no one experiences freedom until they stop pushing against others. The only thing that ever binds you is the pushing against that which is unwanted. And so I can go about my day pushing against that sign, or I can go about my day with appreciation about what is.

It is with great appreciation that I present the sign which for me is a lesson and a blessing in disguise.
:)

Thank You

I'm thankful for free music in a beautiful setting.

Check out the wonderful work of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony
The largest privately funded free-admission symphony in America.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.

Read more about Proposition 8 Overturned

My favorite tweet Wednesday was from Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (@villaraigosa) Prop 8 wasn't just unconstitutional, it was un-Californian

...my thoughts exactly :)