FRESH THINKING ABOUT THE TSUNAMI TRAGEDY

The sadness that has permeated the world due to the horrifying and unexpected Tsunami Disaster in the Indian Ocean (and U.S President Bush's Iraqi War, but that's another post) has uncovered a very interesting fact; not one animal was found dead amongst the hundreds of thousands of human beings who were killed in the disaster. Do animals have extrasensory abilities? Ed Stoddart writes about it for Reuters.

There's a dark side to the survival of animals in this catastrophe...if you have the stomach for this, visit Yahoo and read this news story.

Joe Shirley, Jr., President of the Navajo Nation, wrote a statement about the disaster at Indian Country Today. As a representative of his people, he writes in part,

"...We're told this is one of the worst underwater earthquakes in more than 40 years that led to this tsunami. It's being called the worst natural disaster in recent history. But we understand this is how nature has shaped our world since its beginning and is part of how things come into being.

When the forces of nature act, it impacts everything on the earth and in the earth, from the finned beings, the winged beings, the crawling beings to the five-fingered ones.

We can reshape the land and build on the earth but we remain no more than a part of it - small, humble and needing of protection and blessings from the Holy People...."...the rest can be read here.

I think its important that we take in Navajo Wisdom at a time like this and become grounded in what the present and the future holds for the planet and its inhabitants.

How Can I Help?
The death toll of the tsunami's victims at the time of this posting has now climbed above 100,000, and some pundits predict the final tally to be over 400,000 lost. Unfortunately, it hits close to home; a physician co-worker of mine was almost killed and lost his wife and daughter in the disaster and we on the job are praying for him on a daily basis.

“What else can we do besides pray? How can we reach out and send donations? What is needed? What can I DO?”

Answers to your questions can be found on the Internet (of course!). MSNBC's interactive website has a comprehensive listing of organizations who are accepting donations, and also includes contact information for those readers searching for missing U.S. Citizens in the area at the time of the disaster.

Amazon.com features an Honor System which allows you to donate to your favorite charities via the Web, such as the American Red Cross Disaster Relief. You can reach them thru Amazon.com or call 1‑800 HELP NOW or e-mail info@usa.redcross.org.

Robert over at Boiled Hot Dogs has also posted a wonderfully detailed listing of international relief organizations. More of the same can be found at USAID's website.

There's an interesting post at Blogueurs Sans Frontières. The article entitled Tsunami Outreach by Jonas M. Luster describes specific skill sets which are lacking in the Indian Ocean areas hardest hit by the tsunami to date. This blog is also running an ambitious donation program; check it out here.

Lost Remote points us towards a great interview at TVNewser about the media coverage of this disaster by CNNI Managing Director Chris Cramer. He says, ”Television can't begin to comprehend the suffering. The screen is not big enough." Read the balance of this insightful interview here.

For a unique, up-close viewpoint about the Tsunami Tragedy, pop over to Extra, Extra and take a look at Fred Robarts' posts from Jaffra, Sri Lanka. His writing is clear and true and his photos show Sri Lanka's present reality at its most jarring.

Last but most importantly, if you reside in the O.C. or the Southern California area, interested adults are encouraged to respectfully visit The Goddess Temple of Orange County for a Special Prayer Vigil and Ceremony for the Souls of South Asia. This event will take place on New Year's Eve, December 31st from 6 to 7:30pm. For more information, please call 949/ 651-0564.

Oh! What a way to begin the New Year...there is so much suffering at this time, with souls being wounded and losing their lives all around the world. I find it extremely painful to dwell on a HappyNew Year at the moment...all I can do is light a votive and be grateful for the safety of my co-workers, friends, loved ones and YOU!

LETTERS FROM EDINBURGH: A BULGARIAN RHAPSODY

'PREDICTA' by SweetKali

The Morning News is an online magazine which features intimate yet precise writing. One of their most popular features is a series entitled 'Letters from Edinburgh: A Bulgarian Rhapsody'.

Written by Claire Miccio, who is an expatriate in Edinburgh, Scotland, the series consists of her experiences in Bulgaria. If you'€™ve never visited that country, here'€™s your chance to immerse yourself in Miccio€'s intensely realistic writing.

Here's an example:

"From the airplane window I watch Bulgaria's hundreds of drab, Soviet-style tenements shrink into grids of computer chips. In a few hours it's nighttime and the plane passes over the Firth of Forth, descending into Edinburgh. Spangles of gold lights loop across the city like a necklace, and it is absolutely beautiful."

Visit The Morning News and Letters from Edinburgh: Bulgarian Rhapsody here.

THE SNOW SHOW OF 2004 – A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN ART HISTORY

SNOW AS ARTISTIC METAPHOR AND MEDIA

A historical event in the world of art occurred during the Winter of 2004 in Finland. In tandem with Curator Lance Fung, a whole host of international creative talents designed and exhibited works of snow and ice in the Lapland towns of Rovaniemi and Kemi in an exhibition entitled The Snow Show.

Light glows through an icy construction by the team of
Hollimen, Reuter, Sandman and Barry.

The various forms of frozen water became an avant-garde material for architects open to utilizing unusual building materials. It was discovered that snow lends itself to creative building blocks while ice serves as a long-lasting binder and slush provides a flowing element for sculptural aspects.

Large free-standing “archetonic” forms were built by over 60 architects, designers and artists from around the world, who worked jointly as paired partners, such as Arata Isozaki and Yoko Ono, to design and create structures of environmental art.

Ice and snow is transformed into mystical geometry in the
work of Arata Isozaki and Yoko Ono.

Although the main elements of these structure-sculptures were ice and snow, many of the designs included mixed media, video, light, sound and other building materials as well. The end result demonstrated the ephemeral and ethereal nature of working with the elements of frozen water.

The chill of an Finlandic sky is highlighted against an
opaque structure built by Zaha Hadid and Cai Guo-Qiang.

Sponsored by New York’s Scandinavian-American Foundation, this unique historical exhibition of 2004 demonstrated how collaborative art can evolve in a natural but magical and creative direction which serves to fire the imagination and heart in a completely unique way.

Curator Fung is now in the process of organizing a new Snow Show for the Winter of 2006 in Turin, Italy.

All copyrighted images this page courtesy The Snow Show©

THE SWEET BLISS THAT IS ORIGINS

ORIGINS™ . Just the sight and sound of the word 'Origins' conjures up images of succulent lip tints and blushes, Zen-like scents and blissed-out soaps and scrubs; all focusing on the natural serenity of beauty. Today, there's even newer items making it on the beauty scene.

How many of us, male AND female alike have been soothed and conforted by Origins' wonderful product line? I mean, just the very names of the products send your imagination into Kundalini overdrive, such as ' Beautiful Skin', 'Peace Of Mind', 'Warm Reception', 'Calming Nature', and 'A Perfect World'. Sigh. White Tea, Lemon, Ginger, Bergamont and Tangerine are a few of the rich sensory ingredients found under the bumbershoot* of Origins.

For those who have not tried Origins' product line; a good way to begin is with 'A Perfect World', which is Origins' White Tea Skin Guardian. It has no harsh ingredients to inflame or stress my skin, but leaves it smooth, glowing, and protected from L.A.'s warm climate; garnering me regular compliments from people who want to know how I keep my skin so beautiful.

Now we can truly rejoice because Origins has a new line of Cocoa Therapy products! Oh yes, chocoholics can now indulge their skin with Cocoa-scented creams, cleansers, buffing scrubs and, in the near future, treat their tummies with Origins' new line of Sensory Therapy Chocolate Bars!

These bars possess herbal ingredients to soothe what ails ya....Chamomile for sleep, Black Pepper for energy or even Basil for a restful and blessed stomach. Until then, there's always Cocoa Therapy, Origins' "chocolate fix"!

Is not the world a better place because of Origins™ ?

*"Bumbershoot," is a fancy, whimsical, and seriously antiquated term for an umbrella.

DARING DRAPERIES - Wear edgy, riveting couture that reeks of good design.

ROMERO BRYAN

Fashion Designer Romero Bryan at work.
(photo copyright BBC)

R & B star Usher was too clean at the recent 2004 American Music Awards, in a black suede jacket detailed with white satin-stitched words and symbols created by London designer Romero Bryan (see another version of the jacket at the Usher link above).

In 2002, the then 17 year old Bryan designed a revealing plunge-fronted dress for pop star Samantha Mumba which gained the attention of taut-bodied stylers all over the world.

Singer Samantha Mumba in THE striking Bryan gown.
(photo copyright BBC)

Since then, Bryan, considered one of Britain’s future young millionaires, has become THE fashion designer of today’s hiphop and R&B superstars, such as Mis-teeq, Louise Adams, Mya, Destiny’s Child, Honeyz, Mel B, June Sarpong, and Usher, as well as juggling courses at the London College of Fashion, working as a roving reporter during London’s Fashion Week and completing his Winter Collection 2005.

Check out Romero Bryan's rags at London’s The Closet. Tel: 01707 876 995 or Malapa, 41 Clerkenwell Road, London. Tel: 020-7490-5229, and get dressed!

YUKO YOSHITAKE

Yuko Yoshitake's Bubble and Squeak menswear design.
(photo copyright FutureMap)

Menswear fashionistas on all continents have their eyes trained on London College of Fashion’s Graduate Fashion Week’s participant and graduate Yuko Yoshitake, hoping to get their deliciously manicured hands on her graduate collection which has garnered much press and media attention.

Yuko Yoshitake won the LCF Gala Show 2004 Designer of The Year Award and the Menswear Award for her “collection that recycled second-hand fabrics for a 'directional' African -farm- worker- inspired look. This included sleeves striped with faded suede on a black wool duffel coat.”

Yoshitake’s designs will be manufactured by Topman Menswear Collection under her own name and will be available for purchase October 2005.

Contact Yuko Yoshitake at 39 Parnell Avenue, Streatham Street, London, UK WC1A 13B. Phone: 07984 434 641 or 020 7636 2955. Email: mailto:yoshitakeyuko@hotmail.com

SPARKLE QUEEN’S UNATTAINABLE ATTAINABLE

The fresh scent of winter air after a new snowfall. Close your eyes, imagine and breathe it in!