what small part...

“We recognize our own mortality, and we are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this Earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in making the lives of other people better.” – Barack Obama, speaking in Tucson

I wish this was...

Iwishthiswas.com is the creation of Candy Chang. She made these fill-in-the-blank stickers to provide an easy tool to voice what you want, where you want it.

Fill out a sticker and put them on abandoned buildings... and beyond.

The stickers are custom vinyl and can be easily removed without damaging property. It's a fun, low-barrier tool for citizens to provide civic input on-site. The responses reflect the hopes, dreams, and colorful imaginations of different neighborhoods.

email Candy (candy@candychang.com) if you want to know when more stickers will be available.

Wisconsin

a prayer for workers everywhere....

"We wish, not only that suffering will decrease, but also that all of us could stop acting and thinking in ways that escalate ignorance and confusion." -- Pema Chodron

Robyn O'Brien

I just watched Robyn O'Brien on TEDxAustin (TEDxAustin is live here).
Robyn uncovers on how eating food sold in the US can be hazardous to your health.
Her research sheds light on policy, financial incentives, and the rising rates of cancer, autism, obesity and allergies.


Check out her book, The Unhealthy Truth

Madeleine Albright

Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about women, diplomacy and politics.

Jacqueline Novogratz

I do love Jacqueline Novogratz.

I cherish my autographed copy of The Blue Sweater.

Inspiring a life of immersion...

poems of war, peace, women...

joy in Egypt

Today, after three weeks of intense civilian protest, Egypt's president Hosni Murbarak has resigned.

Where were you when Murbarak resigned?

In the day/weeks/months to come, people will reflect on the role of twitter and facebook and blogs... and the use of online tools to mobilize people, to organize protest plans, and to show the struggles in Egypt to the world.

Was this a facebook revolution... a twitter revolution... or an Al Jazeera revolution?

What I think really matters is that we are living in a world where change is possible... where collective dreams are doable.

civility please

Civility Please Launch from Civility Please on Vimeo.


check out civilityplease.org

best day ever...

"With the smallest investments in the right places, you can radically transform the quality of your relationships and the quality of your life."

world reader

In November 2010, Worldreader.org began the first-ever pilot program to bring e-readers to the developing world. They put 500 Kindles into the hands of teachers and students.

Just as mobile phones leapfrogged landlines in developing countries, e-readers can deliver books instantly and for less.
If you're inspired, be sure to Donate Here.

Cosmic

everyone's feeling a bit under the weather here this weekend...
so I've spent my afternoon reading aloud.
Our book of choice: Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce.


It's a painfully sweet, funny, lovely book about childhood - and a beautiful portrait of the relationship between fathers and sons.

“The best novel about fathers ever is To Kill a Mockingbird,” Cottrell Boyce says. “You think your father is some bumbling old man, and you discover he's Atticus, he's the hero-dad. Liam knows his dad will bail him out. You never feel like you're doing a great job, you think you've got to be flawless, but the most you can do is to be generous and loving and just there.” -- Cottrell Boyce