This song has been in my head lately. In celebration and anticipation for more change... It was written in 1964 by Sam Cooke. We've come a long way and I know we'll keep going.

Tomorrow is election day.




I'm voting and I live in California, the land of many Propositions. There are so many important ones on the ballot, gay marriage, high-speed trains, hospitals, etc., but the one that is closest to my heart is Proposition 2.

This Proposition will ensure that farm animals are given enough space to lay down and extend their limbs. It will protect calves bred for veal (which is an incredibly cruel parctice), chickens pigs and has provisions for pregnant pigs. Right now,  "calves are tethered by the neck and can barely move, pigs in severe confinement bite the metal bars of their crates, and hens get trapped and even impaled in their wire cages. We wouldn’t force our pets to live in filthy, cramped cages for their whole lives, and we shouldn’t force farm animals to endure such misery. All animals, including those raised for food, deserve humane treatment."

This Act is relatively weak, but it is a step in the right direction if we want to be a more humane society. Farmers will be given until 2015 to comply with the Act. Also, this Proposition can help small family farmers because many of them already have more humane practices than large factory farms.

Please check out the info here and read the Myth vs. Fact section.

So, I am voting Yes on Prop 2 and I'm asking my fellow Californians to reach out and do the same. Your vote can prevent unnecessary suffering and help increase health standards for humans too. 

And a bit more...

So cute. Two versions of similar cuteness.

I just posted our Team blog and was thinking about smiles. I love this song and I think it has a great message.



Did you know Charlie Chaplin wrote this song? Nat King Cole is famous for it, but Chaplin wrote it for his classic film Modern Times. It's perfect for the Tramp because he's always having a difficult time, but still manages to bring humor, joy and love into the world. Something to admire.

It reminds me of Maitreya Buddha actually. He's the big fat happy Buddha. He's the future Buddha of love (meaning he wasn't a person). He's not Siddhartha who was skinny and is famous for all those sutras and sayings. What most people might not know is that Maitreya is so fat because he carries the weight of the world. He often has a big sack at his shoulder too. But, even with this weight, he always smiles joyfully because he know the Truth and sees the True nature of all beings and of all suffering. He's my greatest role-model.

Hello!

I posted this in a Group recently, but thought to add it here for good measure ;)

I just wanted to share some tips for those of you new to the site. This really is a magical place and a community rich with extraordinary people and ideas.

So, here are some links to help you navigate and explore and learn more about the site :)

Need a little help setting things up?

• Support Page: Learn how to set up your profile, invite friends, blog & more.
  
• Gaia FAQ: Get your basics covered!
• Support Pod: Get support from the Team or offer help & advice to other members.
• Gaia Lounge: This is an excellent place for new members, meet others, ask questions & find answers.
  

Wanna discover cool content on Gaia and explore?

• Think Tank: A place for new ideas to help the site & community.
• Gaia Community Groups: Connect with people & share your dreams. Search  through hundreds of Groups to find others who share you interests. You can also start your own Group!
• Team Blog: Find updates from the Team and get the latest Gaia news.
• Questions and Reflections: Share your ideas and respond to our daily community question. It's designed to inspire and help us explore what it means to be alive :)
• Community Picks: See what's hot and popular on Gaia.
  
• Quotes: We have an amazing database of quotes, perhaps the largest online ;) Find your favorites, add your own, learn and grow.
  
• Books: Find others who share your favorite books, add them to the shelf in your profile, add reviews and quotes and let people know why it inspired you!

And, what else can you do here on Gaia?

• Share ideas with your fellow scholarship applicants right here in this pod.
• Meet new people. Reach out. I think you'll find Gaia members are kind, interesting and unique.
  
• Blog: What do you want to say to the community?
  
• Comment on the blogs of other members. Just browsing these can be inspiring. You can search the Members list by latest blog entry to find current ones. You can use the global search box (just to the right of the Gaia logo on the top-left of each page) and type in a keyword to find blogs covering your interests and passions.
  
• Send a message on the Grapevine to your friends at Gaia. You'll find this shout out section on the left hand side on their profiles. If they send you a message back, you'll see it on the left hand side of your profile.
  
• Post videos and photos.
  
• Spread the love :) A kind word from you can make someone's day!

Thank you so much for being here.

Hey All,

SoI just stopped over to C4Chaos' blog and was impressed, as usual, by his crazy blogging skills. He's a man of reason and insight so I hope you'll visit his Top 25 Things I’ve Learned From the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election. It's good for you.

C4C has articulated many of the thoughts I've been having over the past few weeks. I don't know why I am surprised that people respond so quickly to drama and choose such drama over reason and rationality. It's so tantalizing and energetically exciting to get caught up in all the buzz. But, there is little that's more rewarding than true understanding and being able to see a situation with lucidity.

I used to think logic and reason were inferior to the heart and feeling. And, of course it isn't good to be without heart, but I've come to value the ability to think and truly understand over anything else, perhaps. It's all about Truth really. It's about wisdom. And Truth and Wisdom don't often find a place on network television. I am really valuing my education at the moment and grace that gave me the gift of reason. I'm not perfect or all-seeing by any means, but I appreciate having the foundation. If I have wish for everyone, it would be for clarity and wisdom.

I think facts, though helpful, are about the material world and they do not necessarily reflect Truth, on the highest level. Truth has to do with universal principles and why things are the way they are, the whole picture.

An understanding of Truth signifies a deep comprehension whereas understanding a fact may be rote or unimportant in relation to the Truth. It is like the old "forest for the trees" adage. Understanding fact might mean you know one or two trees, but understanding Truth means you know the forest, the trees, how they got there and why. There's a great depth to Truth, I don't claim to know it yet, but I think its pursuit is perhaps the greatest cause in the World.
Knowing Truth leads to wisdom, knowing facts may or may not lead to anything particularly useful. And, I think it can be said, if you know the Truth, you understand the facts. If you know facts, you may or may not know anything about Truth.

Do you like delicious food? Do you want to learn more about vegetarian cooking and being vegetarian? Do you simply want to improve your health and learn about different foods?

Well, then you should come to a cooking class at my house. That's right! I'm inviting you to my house in sunny Santa Monica. I thought to myself "I'll post this on Gaia! Why not?! I'll invite everybody."

I'm a chef, and so are many of my friends. We've come together to create a series of vegetarian cooking classes featuring a different chef and different styles of food each week.

It's pretty awesome!

This week will feature Young Suen, who was my qi gong teacher and is an incredible chef and used to own his own restaurant. He'll be making authentic Chinese food including his famous dumplings. Wow!

When: Friday, August 8th from 6pm - 9pm
Where: Santa Monica, CA (RSVP and I will send my addy)
Cost: $15-$20 Food included! (Wow! what a deal! Kinda like a sliding scale on the honor system, you can pay more if you like)
Who: You and other cool people.
Please RSVP

I am so excited and you should be too.