welcome 2011

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been" - Rilke.

Imagine the possibilities!


What do you want to create this new year?
What do you want to let go of?

Collaborative Consumption

 I am loving the idea of collaborative consumption.

also check out:

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Rush in, fools do.

My son's new favorite book, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, is a wonderful read for late elementary school and early middle-schoolers... and a 'must read' for young Star Wars fans.
It's good hearted, funny, and insightful.

Make your own origami Yoda - and don't be surprised when he begins to give out good advice!


Much to learn, you still have.

an idea whose time has come

"No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come." 
-Victor Hugo

By a vote of 65-31, the Senate sent the bill to repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' to President Obama. The President is expected to sign the bill next week.


Merry Christmas to me!

hundreds of paths

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain,

all leading in the same direction,

so it doesn't matter which path you take.

The only one wasting time is the one

who runs around and around the mountain,

telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

-- Hindu teaching

the good you do

No lost hope, no violent point of view

Can erase the good you do

No fast pace, no jaded attitude

Can erase the good you do

No dark place, no debt, and no abuse

Can erase the good you do

Thank you

Today is a great day to say, "Thank you".

thought of you

...this piece allows for each individual who views it to  to experience something unique and personal that touches their own sensibilities. - Ryan Woodward


Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

"world spins madly on" performed by the weepies
check out the making of Thought of You:

Thought of You - Behind the Scenes Preview - ROUGH CUT from Cambell Christensen on Vimeo.

Mockingbird

"In hopes that we may all understand each other better." - Kathryn Erskine

This weekend I read the book 'Mockingbird' by Kathryn Erskine.
Its audience is late-elementary and early middle-school children, but I'd recommend it for everyone to read.

It's the story of a 10 year old girl, Caitlin, with Asperger's. Her brother was recently killed in a senseless school shooting. He was her protector, her only friend - she played Scout to his Jem (To Kill a Mockingbird).

Caitlin struggles to understand the emotions and feelings of the people around her. The book beautifully portrays how a person with Asperger's syndrome doesn't see some things that we think are obvious - such as voice inflection, sarcasm, literal and figurative meanings of words, and empathy.

It is a genuinely touching book (National Book Award winner for Young People's Literature) with a great afterword by the author.

Students First

And now a message from Michelle Rhee...

America's children have been left waiting long enough.

In a country as great as ours, there is no excuse for even one child to be denied the opportunity to get a great education. And yet millions are robbed of the chance at a better future every day.

The wait is over. The time to achieve comprehensive education reform in America is now.

Teachers, parents, concerned citizens, and students have known for years that access to great teachers should not be left to luck. Every child in America deserves an excellent teacher, and every teacher deserves the resources they need to succeed.

For the first time, we have all the pieces we need to make a lasting change to our education system: proven models of successful reform and a nation outraged over the conditions of our schools.

Now it's time we turn our outrage into action. Get started right now: 

Sign the Pledge to reform America's schools now.

Join the Movement and get involved.

Spread the Word tell everyone you know about this exciting movement to put students first.

Check out Students First and Ms. Rhee's article in Newsweek.

Pearl Harbor

We were just at Pearl Harbor; the National Park Service and US Navy hosted a joint memorial commemorating the 69th anniversary of the attack. The USS Arizona Memorial is now known as The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.
To learn more, check out PearlHarbor.org

To help support the monument, text PH to 20222 to make a $10 donation.

the secret of happiness...

... as told through TED talk sound bites (genius).

The Secret of Happiness from Maria Popova on Vimeo.

How Good Grows

Yahoo launched a How Good Grows project.
The program hopes to create a ripple of kindness around the world.

Your single good deed, big or small, can inspire others and cause a ripple effect of kindness that continues to grow as others join in. Start something today — the more people who take action, the larger your ripple will become.

Dragonfly Holiday

I just got the book, The Dragonfly Effect by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith (an amazing husband and wife team). The book looks at ways to use social media to drive change, but it is also so much more.

When asked by the Pink Blog: What are three ways people can use the remaining six weeks of the year to both spread their idea and boost their satisfaction?” They gave three amazing tips.

1. People overestimate the buzz they get from doing something nice for themselves — and underestimate the benefit they get by doing good for others. 


2. ... if you want to make a change this holiday season, consider not just who you are spending time with -– but also what activities you do with your time.  One simple way to guide your decision about how to spend your time  is to ask yourself the question, “Is what I’m doing right now going to be of lasting value to me or to others?”


3. In the lead-up to the holidays we often find ourselves caught up in buying gifts and finding the best sales; but consider going into this holiday season with an eye towards systematically giving back. As Khalil Gibran said, “You give but little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”  


Have a Dragonfly Holiday this season and be empowered not by your purchases, but by the value you give back to the people and causes that matter most.

Happy Anniversary Montgomery

55 years ago... December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery public bus. In so doing, Rosa Parks was arrested, ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ushered in the civil rights movement.

But, make no mistake, change rarely comes from a single isolated event.

The year before Rosa Parks' arrest, Aurelia Browder, Susie McDonald, Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith each made a similar stand against the unfair laws.

By the afternoon of December 1, 1955... the collective consciousness was ready. Rosa Parks was ready. The community leaders and pastors were ready. Enough was finally enough.

"It always seems impossible until its done." - Nelson Mandela