Monday, October 27, 2008

reduce, reuse, recycle

While it’s great that an institution like UCLA boasts a wide array of recycling centers for paper, plastic and other materials, the big first step in eliminating unnecessary waste and pollution is preventing it.

“I believe we should reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order specifically,” said Robert Gilbert, the sustainability coordinator for UCLA housing and hospitality. “The less stuff you use, the less energy it consumes.”

Saturday, October 18, 2008

A Liberal Supermajority

If the current polls hold, Barack Obama will win the White House on November 4 and Democrats will consolidate their Congressional majorities, probably with a filibuster-proof Senate or very close to it. Without the ability to filibuster, the Senate would become like the House, able to pass whatever the majority wants.

Though we doubt most Americans realize it, this would be one of the most profound political and ideological shifts in U.S. history. Liberals would dominate the entire government in a way they haven't since 1965, or 1933. In other words, the election would mark the restoration of the activist government that fell out of public favor in the 1970s. If the U.S. really is entering a period of unchecked left-wing ascendancy, Americans at least ought to understand what they will be getting, especially with the media cheering it all on.

Feldenkrais

During a Feldenkrais Method group class, you won't see much resembling "exercise." There is no repetition of movements, no competition or emphasis on "fitness" at all.

Rarely will anyone break a sweat. "Do it in a lazy way," instructed Eve Strauss during an Awareness Through Movement class last week at the Manoa Dance Studio, "Let it be easy."

While "lazy" and "easy" are rarely heard in other movement classes, they are near and dear to the Feldenkrais Method. "We are investigating options for moving, like a baby does. We are watching the effects of each movement on the whole organism. How do you breathe when you're in this position? Is it the same on the right and left side of your body?"

A concern with symmetry is integral to Feldenkrais. Special attention is paid to the diagonals of the body. Many lessons involve movements that clarify a connection between the right shoulder and left hip, and vice versa. Likewise with the right side of the ribcage and the left ankle.

Improvements are said to come from clarifying these subtle but important correspondences, what Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais called "the elusive obvious."

Friday, October 17, 2008

Slacker Uprising

[9/22/08] Michael Moore, the political provocateur behind the films “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Sicko,” is releasing a new film Tuesday. But you will not be able to find “Slacker Uprising” at any theater.

Instead he is placing the film on the Internet for free viewing, at SlackerUprising.com. Mr. Moore said the unorthodox rollout is a gift to his fans and a rallying cry for the coming election.

“At times there’s nothing wrong with preaching to the choir,” he said in a telephone interview from his office in Traverse City, Mich.

[5/29/12] You can now watch Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sicko online.  Linked above.

Michael Moore documentaries at topdocumentaryfilms.com.

Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
Slacker Uprising (2008) 
Sicko (2007)
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) [see above links for full movie]
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Roger and Me (1989)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Soul masters

Filmmaker Sande Zeig wasn't interested in healing. And she definitely wasn't seeking enlightenment. But somehow she was compelled to direct and produce "Soul Masters," a film to be screened in the islands next week.

"Soul Masters" follows the work of two Chinese healers, Zhi Gang Sha and Zhi Chen Guo.

Guo, as a researcher, developed an herbal formula that helped contain the SARS outbreak in China. He has also contributed to the understanding of diseases including diabetes and cancer. At his clinic in China, some people claim he can cure the incurable.

Sha has integrated ancient healing traditions of the East with scientific principles from the West to establish a healing system known as Power Healing and Soul Mind Body Medicine. A New York Times best-selling author, his most recent book is "Soul Wisdom: Practical Soul Treasures to Transform Your Life" (Heaven's Library, 2007, $16).

For Zeig, it all began when Sha treated her father. "He had gangrene. Five doctors told him that if he didn't amputate his leg, he'd have three months to live. He refused to have the operation," she said.

Zeig's brother, Jeffrey Zeig, a psychologist, met with Sha during a visit to Phoenix, Ariz. "Master Sha came into our lives and did this healing for my dad," she said. "He didn't seem to do anything, but he was doing a spiritual healing for my father. We taught him how to chant and it was like a miracle. He was in hospice care but lived for another year and a half."

Zeig decided she needed to make a film about Sha. "Literally 10 days later, I was in China with him and a group of 60 students. I just knew that this was something that I had to do. ... It was so clear that there was a movie here."

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Cyril Raffaeli

Kari sent me a video clip of this guy. He's kind of like a young Jackie Chan (or a stuntman for Jackie Chan). Turns out he's a stunt and fight choreographer too and was involved in the Transporter and Transporter 2.

Links also led me to David Belle and Parkour as well as Free Running.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Phiten

Phiten Hawaii Co. has seen a surge in demand for its titanium products in the last few years, due largely to word-of-mouth advertising and celebrity endorsements, including star pitcher Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Paula Radcliffe, the 2007 New York Marathon women's winner.

"Phild Processing," Phiten's patented process for using titanium in items such as fabric and liquids, is a closely guarded secret, which can raise red flags for naysayers. But Paul Vaughn, general manager for Phiten Hawaii, says the proof is in the results.

Vaughn says he invites customers to try a bit of titanium tape on a sore spot. "We'll tell them to shrug their shoulders and say, 'Do you feel that knot?' and they'll say, 'Yes, I've had that for years.'"

After applying a titanium patch, he says, many people can instantly feel the difference.

The "try it" approach and low-pressure sales strategy, combined with the relatively low prices of their best-selling bracelets and necklaces ($6 to $60) make Phiten a low-investment option for those investigating healing alternatives.