United States and the environment

[11/29/06] WHEN the subject is global warming, America is usually cast as the villain. Although it produces a quarter of the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, it refuses to regulate them. When many other countries agreed on an international treaty to do so—the Kyoto Protocol—America failed to ratify it. But not all American officialdom is happy with the federal government’s stance. A dozen states disagree so fiercely they are suing to force it to impose rules on emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas.

[11/14/06] Sweden, Britain and Denmark are doing the most to protect against climate change, but their efforts are not nearly enough, according to a report released Monday by environmental groups.

The United States the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases ranked at 53, with only China, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia doing worse.

free movies

OK, maybe not all of these movies are so great, but they're available for free.

For Three Stooges fans available are Disorder in the Court and Africa Screams (an Abbott and Costello movie which also features Shemp and Joe Besser). Some famous titles I see are It's A Wonderful Life, Star Wars, Battle Royale, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Some of these probably won't stick around since they're likely unauthorized.

Frankly, you'd be better off watching these movies on DVD on your TV (if available).

[via frwr-news, 11/21/06]

garden sends a message

Kailua artists Gaye Chan and Nandita Sharma were jogging near their rented flat in Enchanted Lake three years ago when Chan, a photography professor at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, remarked that it was a shame the weedy land around the lake was not better used.

World Map of Happiness

... Analysis showed that a nation’s level of happiness was most closely associated with health levels, followed by wealth, and then provision of education.

“The three predictor variables of health, wealth and education were also very closely associated with each other, illustrating the interdependence of these factors.

“There is a belief that capitalism leads to unhappy people. However, when people are asked if they are happy with their lives, people in countries with good healthcare, a higher GDP per captia, and access to education were much more likely to report being happy.

“We were surprised to see countries in Asia scoring so low, with China 82nd, Japan 90th and India 125th. These are countries that are thought as having a strong sense of collective identity which other researchers have associated with well-being.

“It is also notable that many of the largest countries in terms of population do quite badly. With China 82nd, India 125th and Russia 167th it is interesting to note that larger populations are not associated with happy countries.”

The 10 Happiest Nations in the World are:

1 - Denmark
2 - Switzerland
3 - Austria
4 - Iceland
5 - The Bahamas
6 - Finland
7 - Sweden
8 - Bhutan
9 - Brunei
10 - Canada

[via L Maxwell Wheeler, TheGreatSecret, 11/17/06]

Three Paths

One day while we were taking a break from pruning the avocado trees, B.J. said if I wanted to disentangle myself from the mainstream matrix, I could begin by seeking a higher truth, a truth which he said could be accessed by walking one of three paths: 1.) the path of imitation; 2.) the path of meditation; and/or 3.) the path of experience.

-- The Bridge ~ Step 32 ~ The Second Intent ~ Seek Truth

The Two Minute Rule

David Allen explains the two-minute rule,

Ah, the magic of the two-minute rule. The two-minute rule says if you are processing your in-basket ... then you process it by picking the stuff up and going, "Hmmm, what is the very next action on this, if it is an actionable item at all?" Once you decide, "OK, this is an actionable thing," and the very next action is actually something you could finish right there in less than two minutes, do it right then.

If it takes less than two minutes to do it, it takes longer to stack it, track it, and look at it again than it does to handle it when it is in your face. I guarantee you ... it will feel like you get an extra six months to your life.

The Secret (positive thinking)

[8/11/13] The Secret behind the Secret (I think that's Esther Hicks talking) [via Roy]

The Secret on youtube (uploaded 4/4/13, we'll see how long it stays up)

It's also on Netflix.

[9/13/11] I have the opportunity to get The Secret DVD (the original version with Esther Hicks). Should I get it?

Some say that the Abraham that Esther Hicks is a demon. And that Oprah has lost her soul. Well, I still believe Oprah is a good person. But I have no idea about this Abraham entity. So maybe I should shy away from this one. This Abraham does sound kind of weird. Well, I think I'll cancel for now. I'm busy enough as it is.

Then again, I'm looking over some of the reviews on Amazon and they say the one to get is the Esther Hicks. If it's positive thinking, then how can it be demonic? (You shall know them by their fruits. -- man, that link led to unexpected results) I'm trying to keep an open mind..

[4/12/07] The Law of Vibration and Attraction by Bob Proctor: part 1, part 2

[4/3/07] If The Secret can get any hotter, no one's telling.

It's selling like an elixir that promises everything but eternal life. Rhonda Byrne's book tops USA TODAY's best-seller list for the seventh consecutive week, and the companion DVD is No. 1 on Amazon's sales chart. It has captured wallets and water coolers like nothing else since Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown suggested Jesus was a daddy.

Oprah dedicated two shows to The Secret; Australian video producer Byrne has a roundup on how the mind can deliver a laundry list of goodies, from health to a helicopter. Saturday Night Live was quick to lampoon the book, while Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist Maureen Dowd invoked it while wondering if wishful thinking could lead to a change in the White House.

But such pop culture fascination leaves actress and minister Della Reese Lett laughing.

[3/10/07] Follow-up Larry King show (transcript)

[3/9/07] The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles (pdf document)

[2/26/06] behind the success of “The Secret” is a seamier story about the origins of the film. It involves big money and what some participants say are the broken promises of Ms. Byrne. The star of the first version of the movie, released in March last year, demanded to be cut out of the current version, which has been on the market since Oct. 1.

[2/24/07] Newsweek article on The Secret:

Oprah lives by it. Millions are reading it. The latest self-help sensation claims we can change our lives by thinking. But this 'new thought' may just be new marketing.

Watch The Secret extended editon [from TheGreatSecret, 3/3/07]

The Secret (original version) [via joanie@TheGreatSecret, 11/30/06]

ABC News report on The Secret [from Linda Miller, 11/27/06]

Larry King: Beyond The Power of Positive Thinking: part 1 (transcript), part 2 (right-click to open in new window)

[3/8/07] watch the Larry King shows at the James Ray site

100 quotes from The Secret [from Iscarcello, 11/17/06]

Dr. Wayne Dyer's Power of Intention (2 hours and 15 minutes, via begumibrahim@TheGreatSecret, 11/18/06)

Blogging the Bible

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters Life!) - If pious Muslims follow the Koran, might Christians and Jews benefit from a closer read of their scriptures too? Can Biblical verses help make them better people, better parents, or even get along better with their in-laws?

People interested by such questions who haven't got much beyond the Adam and Eve story can join a man reading the Bible at slate.com, an online daily magazine.

In "Blogging the Bible," a vaguely religious man plods gamely through scripture, asking down-to-earth or occasionally irreverent questions, and getting thousands of emails in response.

"Any parent knows you have to follow through on your threats, or your children will take advantage of you," notes its author David Plotz, as he wonders why God let Adam and Eve off despite warning that "as soon as you eat of (the fruit of the tree of knowledge), you shall die."

"You can call this 'original sin', but maybe it's just lax parenting."

Plotz is Jewish, and calls himself a lax but well-educated ignoramus. And he finds so much sex, rape, incest, murder and gore in the 'Good Book' that parts of it remind him of 'Desperate Housewives' or 'The Godfather'.

He came up with the project on a rare visit to the synagogue, when he picked up the Torah during a tedious ceremony and chanced upon a rape scene.

"I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based," he writes. "I think I'm in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus)."

Most Inspiring Movies

AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers revealed the most inspiring films of all time in a three-hour special television event which aired June 14, 2006 on CBS with commentary from many of Hollywood's most celebrated actors and filmmakers, including Jessica Alba, Don Cheadle, Melissa Etheridge, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, Mickey Rooney and Steven Spielberg.

resolving conflict starts with talk

The October meeting of Open Table, an interfaith gathering that welcomes the perspectives of all spiritual traditions, featured the thoughts of a visiting Islamic scholar and imam from Australia. It was the kind of stimulating and inspiring exchange that I wish everyone in the world could experience.

Mohamad Abdalla articulated the progressive views of a 21st-century Muslim intellectual and exhibited the compassionate values of a thoughtful humanitarian. Rabbi Peter Schaktman and Sister Joan Chatfield responded with equally thoughtful, insightful comments. Others joined the conversation; everyone left wishing for more time. We sensed a renewed feeling of hopefulness for the resolution of the misunderstandings and conflicts that cause so much unnecessary suffering around the world.

It reminded me of past efforts to bring disparate minds together for some personal, in-depth talking. In the 1980s, Protestant and Catholic youths from Northern Ireland were brought together in a neutral space where they became acquainted and returned home as neighbors rather than enemies. Former President Jimmy Carter initiated similar conversations with world leaders who harbored serious disagreements with each other. If these efforts had been sustained, there might have been some actual resolution.

Continuing conflict should not determine the cessation of talking. We all know from personal experience the importance of talking through our disagreements. When we keep communication open, the problems are solved, and when we stop talking with each other, the problems become worse. It seems like common sense.

-- The Rev. John Heidel is a United Church of Christ minister and a founding member of the Interfaith Alliance of Hawaii.

feng shui

[11/2/06] Amy Scott Grant and Karrie King speak on how using feng shui can lead to prosperity

[via Linda Miller@TheGreatSecret]