lots of great stuff

i have been cleaning out my google reader and wanted to share some great links:

first the charter for compassion. you have 35 hours to contribute your thoughts here.
this is a place to find common ground across ALL religion. from the website:

Compassion is a key and universal value in all faiths. The most urgent task of our time is to build a global community around this idea, where all peoples of the world can live together in harmony, appreciation and mutual respect. If we fail to achieve this, it is unlikely that we will have a viable world to hand on to the next generation. We believe that the religions of the world have a unique contribution to make and that is why we have issued this Charter for Compassion.

Second Authentic Happiness is a new movement happening in the psychology field. thank the gods someone finally figured out that depressing us with traditional psychology might not be the only option. anyway you can go participate in surveys and research studies online at Penn State University

and last but not least google earth and flicker have combined forces to bring you beautiful images from our magnificent planet. the images change with popularity and such so it's a site you can visit often.

Earthquake Safety Revision

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE' My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake. I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters. The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed... They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something. Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape you will see in a collapsed building. TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY 1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' when buildings collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed. 2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake.. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it. 3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs. 4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. 5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair. 6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the door jamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed! 7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. 8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked. 9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway.. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them. 10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper. In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe , and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

amy wants to save the planet

i have been working on my elevator pitch... man does writing something to speak in 15 seconds tweak my buttons. how can i possibly sum up my practice, all the services i provide, and a compelling hook to join me?

the worst part about playing with elevator pitches is the idea i have stuck in my brain that some how i have to capture your attention in this brief time and then once i have you hooked i then have to expand and real you in. it feels so inauthentic and sort of desperate and slimy (like a fish).

but maybe it feels that way because i am a bit desperate at this point in time.

somehow i have to change the paradigm stuck in my brain and create a story that invites future inquiry and inspires a person towards action.

very small changes... the essence is exactly the same but change the key words and suddenly you are acting in partnership with someone, instead of trying to up sell them so you can pay your mortgage.

so in essence i want to save the planet... not a small goal and one i am not really sure how to even set sustainable check points to see my accomplishments but see it's really, really important to me that we have a planet. because if we don't then i have no idea how any one will live.

and i think i can do it. ok obviously i can't save the whole planet all by myself but see that where what i do fits in. i teach people to take better care of themselves, which leads them to making more sustainable choices, create products and services that help in ways i can't even begin to imagine, and take personal responsibility for every choice and action they do.

so you see i get to be a catalyst. a small little person with a set of expert skills in a couple of key areas who connects with others skilled in other expert areas and so on and so on...

i am a vital strand in the web. and i will show you how you are as well. and together we will save the planet.

Propsition 8 in CA

ahem *steps up on soap box*

Today I was sent a wonderful article by Melissa Etheridge (you should go read it)

It lifted my heart and stepped on it a little bit too and made me angry as well. I cannot believe, cannot believe! that we are still playing this game of I am better than you or my life is so much more moral, honorable, whatever than you.

I cannot believe that a state like California has taken away so many citizens rights. And excuse me but you don't have to approve of gay lifestyle to allow others to co-exist besides you. It's call Tolerance and Compromise and we all have to fucking do it. Everyday people!

Peoples rights to health care, children, visitation in hospitals and after death arrangements have just been stripped. Think about this people... some parents cannot legally visit the children they helped raise, or stay besides a loved ones bedside when they are ill. And don't pull the "those people shouldn't have children" card because who else is gonna take care of all those amazing babies that need adopting.

But then I remember that there is a lot of fear and ignorance in this world, I think of my uncle and aunt who voted to deny gay rights last Tuesday and their callous comments about not only gays but that all the people in Iraq deserve to die. It makes my heart sick. And yet I still love them, I just don't understand them.

How can anyone look at anyone else and not see a small piece of themselves and wish for only happiness for that other. Because that other is not "other" it is just a small reflection of you and by hating "them" you are doing nothing but hating yourself. And that is a very sad thing to hate yourself so much that you are afraid of someone else just because they found love somewhere different, or are a different color or nationality.

I can feel the tides turning. The question is will enlightenment find us before we have destroyed the earth, waged more wars or taken away more rights. In the end I know that love will conquer all, for love is the universe in action. I would just really like to see it happen in my own time so my niece's and nephew can feel free to grow up and be whom ever and whatever they desire.

And just so you know, I wholly support Melissa and Ellen and everyone else living in the state of California to not pay state taxes... if they aren't real citizens there why should they be taxed. And you know what else I bet those amazing powerful people would do miraculous things with that extra money. Including funding charities that help take care of the people who hate them. Love people... it's all about love.

*and now i will step off my soap box* go forth talk amongst yourselves

And today, just because, smile at a perfect stranger. It will make you feel amazing, I guarantee it!

think about this today

"The challenge is to be yourself
in a world
that is trying to make you like
everyone else."

e.e. cummings

What's in the cards? VOTE!

I pulled a few cards for the election: here are the results and my interpretation.

The Magician: It is possible to create whatever you desire on the earth plane. In order to achieve this one must trust that the universe has all the elements available to harness if you reach outside yourself.

In regards to the election: The one who is elected will be a person whom can truly manifest greatness, who has the desire to mix elements and create a new way of being. Someone who utilizes all resources and strengths available.

In reverse this could mean slight of hand or pulling the wool over others eyes to gain power.


Strength or Luster: Love conquers all. In challenging times we must look within . We must stare deep into the beasts eyes lay down our weapons and live through honor and love. Only love can tame the beast, weapons or use of brute strength only annoys and makes stronger your enemy. Beware of the temptation to use force and force victory, for those acts will only cause temporary freedom, true freedom is won through love, agreements and spoken words. It takes more courage to stand and strive to understand your enemy than to blindly lash out and try to destroy it.

The pen is mightier than the sword. Only one willing to lay down the sword will succeed in today's world.


The Three of Pentacles can be summed up as a card that often comes up to mark the achievement of goals in your working area, and teaches attainment through effort. It advises you to keep the pressure up so that you maintain momentum, and to pay attention to detail. Through focus and determined effort victory will be achieve. Vision must be clean, clear and the apprentice must be willing to hold steady for extended periods of time, holding nothing but the detailed vision of his success. Only then will mastery be granted to him.

May the man with the clearest vision and supporters who help him hold that vision win.
Blessed be, I must say I am delighted this event is almost behind us. I can see the finish line and so I shall put on that extra bit of steam and put every last bit of effort I have into manifesting both a record breaking voter turn out and a glorious new shift of focus.

may it be so.

If you haven't yet voted it is your right and your responsibility and if you aren't registered then shame on you for missing out on one of the most unique days in the history of America, for I think it shall be unique and amazing. Also since you lack foresight and responsibility you cannot bitch, moan nor complain about what occurs. Maybe next time it will force you to get up off your ass and take a stand, and make a choice.

I have been dreaming. Weird sometimes violent dreams, all of them disturbing. To find meaning in the chaotic visions I have been reading and discovering that once again I am purging stories that keep me small.

Today I was wandering through Eckhart Tolle's New Earth and felt compelled to write about the Death card.

I believe we have very compelling stories about the lives we are all living and I believe those stories keep us safe and sane. But sometimes those stories are keeping us from our potential and they need to be re-written or die.


The death card symbolizes an ending. Transformation is occurring or is about to ride into town and shake things up. Death is usually never about a literal physical death but about a small Ego death.

The problem with Ego death is that it can often be worse than a literal death. After all you won't be around to have to clean up the messes involved in a actual death, you get to depart and therefore any risks you take or promises you break or vial words- well that won't catch up to you until the next incarnation. An Ego death can be messy, brutal and more frightening then jumping out of an airplane.

The joy of Ego death is that you are growing beyond the confines and limiting aspects of the story you have written yourself into. And from personal experience of at least 10 minor and major Ego deaths, most of them are quiet easy transitions once you decide to take the leap.

So when Death come knocking in a reading, you can bet I am eagerly scanning the cards around it for helpful suggestions, things to watch out for, and ways to make the ending and subsequent beginning more easy.

From New Earth:
"All it means is that sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on."
and
"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because it is the experience you are having at the moment."

And if nothing else can convince you to embrace the joys of death remember that the French call an orgasm "La petite mort" the little death. Here's to an abundance of little deaths!