The Daily Mantra has a new favorite chocolate. It's a delicious and nutritious gourmet confection that borrows its name from the Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo.
The region is known for its macadamia nuts, which have been cultivated by the indigenous people there for centuries. The Woolloomooloo chocolate bar combines roasted & salted macadamia nuts with Indonesian coconut, and yummy hemp seeds. The well-balanced, salty-sweet mix is submerged in what the manufacturer calls "deep milk chocolate," which has all the smoothness of milk chocolate and just enough of the bitterness of dark.
As the label says, the "hemp seeds are the true secret weapon in this scrumptious bar." They're packed with beneficial omega fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals, which are said to soften skin, strengthen nails, and add shine and thickness to hair. (With the state of our nails, we need to eat a lot of this stuff!)
Our new love is manufactured by a boutique company called Vosges Chocolate, which was founded by Chocolatier Katrina Markoff. The company manufactures an inspirational range of unusual premium bars and truffles. The exotic flavors, which feature rare spices and flowers, are inspired by Markoff's extensive travels.
Markoff believes in maximizing the green factor while minimizing the guilt. Her Chicago kitchen is a certified organic manufacturing facility. She uses organic ingredients where possible, packages her chocolates in boxes made of 100% recycled paperboard, and purchases renewable energy to offset the electricity used in the manufacturing process.
If that's not enough yin with chocolate's slightly wicked yang, Markoff is a strong believer in the healing power of the dark stuff. She runs yoga and chocolate retreats (which sound like our kind of Nirvana), and has a range of confections that are blended according to the ancient medicinal principles of Ayurveda.
One or more of three special truffles (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) are recommended according to the balance of your doshas. Click HERE to take a test to find out which type of truffle would best harmonize yours. You can order your prescribed dosha dose from the Vosges website. That's our kind of alternative medication.
These two brothers raised a lion from a baby at home in London. When it got too big they released it to an animal preserve in Africa. A year later they returned to try and find it to see how it was doing. They were told by authorities and the wildlife people the lion would not remember them. Happily for the brothers, the experts were wrong.
Be warned, this short video has no sound, but it's well worth watching.
Our clocks are adjusted, and we're enjoying the perfectly balanced day and night of the spring equinox. Total coincidence that Easter is just around the corner, right? Well, not entirely...
While to Christians this weekend is most closely associated with Jesus' resurrection (well, that and chocolate-bearing rabbits, but more on them in a couple days), Easter traditions, like many contemporary religious holidays, have a rich Pagan history. Specifically, the struggles of various figures to return from the Underworld, be they Greek Mythology's Orpheus or Persephone, the Norse Odin, or Jesus Christ, have long been intertwined with the seasonal rebirth of trees and flowers at the Vernal Equinox, known to Pagans as Ostara.
Ostara gets its name from "Oestre" (which also morphs into "Easter"), the Teutonic Goddess of spring and dawn. Within the Pagan Wheel of the Year, in which the Goddess and God figures transition through the stages of life with each holiday, Ostara marks the Goddess in her maiden bloom, as she's courted by the now virile young God.
In ancient Greece and Rome, where seasonal lilies adorned the Ostara altar, young men mirrored their lusty springtime God by presenting the lilies to young women in courtship, which served as a symbol of commitment tantamount to an engagement ring today. Even the Easter bonnet is steeped in Ostara lore, as ancient Pagans considered it bad luck to wear new clothes before the Equinox. They therefore worked secretly through the winter months on the elegant finery they could parade on Ostara day.
Ostara isn't purely a springtime holiday, however, it is also inextricably tied with the Equinox, as represented by the Sun Wheel in its perfect balance of a cross within a circle. Having trouble drawing a mental image? Just think of the pattern atop a traditional Anglo hot cross bun, long a symbol of the Easter holiday.
So now that you have a sense of Ostara's history, how best to honor this year's Equinox? One ritual is to burn a list of Ostara aspirations, hopes you wish to birth in the coming season, by the light of a purple candle. Then bury the ashes in the ground with the springtime seeds, so your dreams may bloom with the flowers. Too much effort for your liking? There's always that proud tradition about new clothes and hats...
It's often said that the ability to create art is what separates man from beast, but elephants around the globe are challenging that assumption. It now seems that the only thing that stopped these magnificent creatures from getting their creative groove on was access to decent art supplies. As this video shows, when given a canvas and paint, elephants can create work to rival that of the masters.
If you'd like to get into the Elephant Art world, your can purchase paintings from the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project, a non-profit "dedicated to saving the diminishing number of Asian elephants left on our planet through its work with domesticated elephants." The Daily Mantra is a particular fan of Libby and Boombin's abstract florals, Yod Yeam's colorful pointelist works, and Duanpen's Monet-influenced, impressionist pieces. Prices range from $150.00 to $1,200. Click HERE for more info and a link to the online store.
Above art, from left to right, by Duanpen, Boombin, Duanpen, Libby, and Duanpen.
Papiroflexia may sound like a strange sexual practice, but it's actually the Spanish word for "origami." In this delightful animated short a skilled paper folder reshapes the world, fold by fold. If only....
Created by Joaquin Baldwin at the UCLA Animation Workshop, 2007. Original Score written by Nick Fevola
Rehabilitation in action. At least when these Filipino prisoners get out they'll be qualified to work as Britney Spear's back-up dancers. You gotta admire the creativity, and the damn fine moves. It'd be a crime for them to go back to crime after this.
The idea of The Generosity Game is to "make someone's day, and maybe even to restore their faith in humanity" by perpetrating anonymous random acts of kindness. The subversive nature of the goodness required by the game, makes generosity fun, cool, and even hip. Players are encouraged to be creative with their generosity, but to get you started the game's website offers suggestions such as paying the toll of the car behind you at a tollbooth, or going to a bakery and buying a treat for the next person who walks in the door after you leave. The idea is that the gifts are true gifts, with nothing required in return, not even a 'thank you.' Recipients are encouraged to pay it forward however, so along with their gift players leave a card behind which on one side says, "It's your turn," and on the other gives instructions for playing the game.
The game and website were started by John Stoner. He encourages players to swot up on their art by reading Louis Hyde's classic book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property. In it Hyde explores the transformative quality of gifts, and the theory of the gift economy, which says that wealth is actually decreased by hoarding. This philosophy is in tune with the beliefs of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest United States and Canada, who practiced potlatching, a ceremony in which goods were exchanged. Generosity was intrinsically encouraged in such cultures, since the status of a family was not judged by who had the most, but by who gave the most. Bizarrely potlatching was considered to be satanic by the church, and under pressure from missionaries both the U.S. and Canadian governments outlawed the non-capitalist practice.
Using the laws of memetics, Stoner hopes his game will spread the spirit of potlatch generosity in a viral fashion. Ultimately he envisions a time when a potlatch-like economy of generosity will run alongside our capitalist one. But, whether you're in for the ideals or for sport, The Generosity Game can be a blast. Those that want to join in can download printable cards for free or order 10 spiffy plastic ones for a suggested donation of $1.50. Perhaps your first act of guerrilla generosity should be ordering a set for a friend, anonymously of course.
The Hunger Site offers users one of the easiest ways to make a small difference each day. All they ask is that you click on the big yellow button on their homepage once a day. In return, for each click counted, the site's sponsors will donate enough money to give 1.1 cups of food to those in need. Since its launch in June 1999, more than 300 million visitors have given more than 500 million cups of food, with an average of more than 220,000 visitors clicking for a cause each day. All of the site's advertising fees go to charity, with food being distributed by the Mercy Corps and Second Harvest. One easy way to get yourself in the click a day way, is to make The Hunger Site your new homepage. For those that can manage more than one charitable click per day, the site also offers one-click options to support free mammograms, child health care, literacy, the rainforest, and animal rescue. The site also offers free pins and bracelets (for those who register), and ecards, including Valentine’s ones, to spread the one-click love.
Emile Hassan Dyer is a man on a musical mission of peace. As the founder of Los Angeles-based Voice Dance, he uses his extensive dance experience married with his love of rhythms, vocal percussion, song and storytelling to create a spiritual space of celebration that welcomes participation. The website explains, "In our present day culture, many believe they can not sing, or have been told not to sing. They leave that joy to others, to the performers, the entertainers, the media stars. If you have a voice, then singing is your birthright."
Their Rhythm Tribe Song Circle is described as "a traveling multicultural, non-auditioned community singing play-shop open to all ages. No experience is necessary, and all instruction is by imitation only. It's a wonderful vehicle with which to sing and discover one's voice in a fun, supportive, and stress free environment."
Though he's been part of many groups and events that support world peace and celebrate life's diversity, it was Dyer's training from the Getting' Higher Choir in Canada that helped him take on a leadership role. As part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, a growing choral community that is founded under the belief that the joy of singing is a universal birthright, Dyer hopes that together, regardless of musical background, his choir of happy voices can help improve the world by uniting it in song.
"I am, because you are. I need you to be you so that I can be me. A choir is a choir only because its different parts work together harmoniously. Yes, a person truly is a person only through other persons. God bless you in your noble endeavor."
- Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, regarding the Ubuntu Choirs Network
There are choirs all over North America, but if you'd like to start one in your area, you can take their leadership training course. Dyer and his partner Maggie Wheeler (which might have you saying "Oh...my...gawd" when you recognize her as Janice from Friends) are featured on the page explaining the network's inclusive teaching model.
Emile's efforts for peace and unity were aided when his song "Happy People" won a contest for a "Dance for World Peace" (see video). Winning the contest is just another facet to the musical journey begun long ago, and plans are in the works for Voice Dance to build upon the opportunities it created. Joining with TrueNica Music, the organization that held the contest, he says, "We may be doing something in LA to get children from different countries together to do a musical show. The idea is that they don't speak each other's language, but they all speak the international language of the arts and music."
Daily Mantra received an email in its inbox this morning alerting it to the beginning of the 2008 Season of Nonviolence. This annual 64 day event, which begins on January 30 and runs through April 4, was started in 1997 on the occasion of the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., respectively.
Daily Mantra couldn't agree more with the stated goals of this commemoration:
Honor the dignity and inherent worth of every human being.
Understand that all of our words and all of our actions have impact.
Choose to practice compassion with apparent adversaries.
Become stewards for the rights of individuals and the environment.
Use our talents to empower rather than to exert power.
Engage in constructive dialogue with one another to solve conflicts.
While we love these objectives, our acute consciousness of the ever-present, unyielding Law of Attraction that brings about whatever is focused upon leads us to suggest a change. Why not rename this event in a way that frees it altogether from any connotation of violence? After all, the term "nonviolence" carries at its root the very phenomenon it wishes to negate. Instead of the Season of Nonviolence, therefore, we suggest practicing a Season of Kindness for All or, if you prefer, a Season of Universal Compassion.
In any case, we send love and gratitude both to the organizers of this worldwide series of interrelated happenings and to the two spirits, one an Indian Hindu and one an American Christian, whose profound commitment to spiritual truth and positive change continues to transform our world.
If you thought Amelia Earhart broke all gender barriers in the flight industry in the 1930's, think again. Recently I picked up an issue of Flight International, which featured an article about female airline pilots in the Middle East. What struck me first about the photo of the two trailblazing female cadets profiled, Aisha Al Mansoori and Salma Al Balooshi, was that their heads were covered by veils worn beneath their pilot caps, which made my feminist-senses tingle.
These women are the first female cadet pilots to be recruited by Etihad (which means "unity"), the national airline of the United Arab Emirates. Based in very westernized Dubai, the airlines flight attendant's uniform also includes loose head scarves attached to pillbox-ish hats as a reflection of the culture. Though on the up side, rather than oppressive, it looks quite Jackie O actually.
My second feminist jolt happened when I read about the first accredited female pilot in Saudi Arabia, Capt. Hanadi Zakariya Hinda, who flies private jets that belong to a prince. Because women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, she still needs to be driven by a male chauffeur to the airport. That seems a bit backwards, but apparently it's not about her competency behind the wheel. It is my understanding that the reason women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia is to minimize their exposure to strange men, but still...
According to Air Odyssey.net, Helen Ritchey, the first "documented and verified" female pilot flying for a scheduled airline in the U.S. was hired in December 1934 by Central Airlines. She left less than a year later, falling victim to all-male pilot union discrimination. Check out the above Candid Camera clip to see where American's heads were at in the early 1960's (if player fails to load click HERE to view).
We've flown a long way since then, but not far enough. By 1973 four different airlines in America had woman pilots in their cockpits. Today the International Society of Women Airline Pilots says that there are around 4,000 female commercial airline pilots worldwide, with the majority of them being in the U.S. But when you consider that's out of a total of 80,000, females still only account for a pitiful 5%. Is it too silly to suggest that we rename the cockpit something less gender specific? Certainly if women who face such extreme gender challenges in the Middle East are making such headway in that area, shouldn't we be looking to make a little more progress in redressing the balance here in America.
A new movie MacHeads explores the cult of the Apple MacIntosh. It's a cult that, for the sake of full disclosure, I'm a proud (stock-owning) member of. In the trailer (if player fails to load click HERE to view) one woman states she has "never knowingly slept with a Windows user." This may seem extreme, but I'm right there with her. My husband (a fellow Mac believer) and I often joke that we would never have got past the first date if one of us has been a PC user. We bonded over arcane Mac keystrokes back when Apple seemed like a lost cause. We loved our Macs in the face of adversity, and brought them with us to our union, having a burgeoning family of eight assorted towers, iMacs and laptops after a decade together. We reveled in the David and Goliath fight of Mac vs. PC, and were proud to be amongst those who "think different." Strangely, though we didn't seek out fellow Mac addicts, as we looked around, more and more of our friends became users too. It warmed the cockles of our heart to see new converts, excited by the mysterious working of an iPod or iPhone, or by the promised beauty of the new MacBook Air. And as Bill Gates prepares to retire while Steve Jobs and his band of merry men and women surge forward with energy and invention, it's good to know that every underdog has the potential to change and inspire the world, and can do so without requiring conformity or ubiquitous domination. Hallelujah and amen to that.
Guerilla anti-advertising. These New Yorkers were sick of the ubiquitous slogans and images assaulting them everywhere they looked. Considering it corporate graffiti, they decided to do what most local councils do with such unwanted artwork, namely cover it up, but these guys did it in a far more creative and unique way. (If player fails to load click HERE.)
Are you feeling abundant? If the answer's no, try viewing this "visualization tool" which is a gift from the folks that brought you The Secret. (If player doesn't load click HERE to view.)
When we think about the necessities of life, we think about food, shelter, companionship or clean water. But when these basic needs are met, what else is necessary to provide meaning and value in our lives?
Creative expression is often seen in our commercialized culture to be unimportant, simply a luxury to be enjoyed only after your 40+ hours have been logged in a bland, featureless cubicle. But without creativity, life itself begins to fade out into an endless stream of neutral people and vacant places. By allowing ourselves the space, time and energy to tap into the unknown, and play around with the inspiration we find there, we can recharge our zest for life.
If you're not used to getting creative by yourself, try joining a class or workshop to help you get started. Unleash your true physical self by trying Nia (www.nia-nia.com), a hybrid dance technique which combines dance, yoga and martial arts. Nia focuses on the joy of movement by encouraging you to move as you feel inspired to, providing the space and time during the structure of the class for free-form movement. Another possible outlet for developing your creative expression is writing, with the National Novel Writing Year website being a great place to start if you're intimidated by a blank page. Inspired by the annual National Novel Writing Month each November, NaNoWriYe supports aspiring novelists by providing a structure, goal and regular deadlines, which can all keep your writing moving forward instead of stagnating for months or years at a time. The site's word count clubs and forums are great places to find camaraderie among your fellow writers.
Finding the time and space to be creative often means simply living in the moment. Try imitating young children: play with paints, sing and dance, and look at the world with fresh eyes and naive enthusiasm. Even if your creative efforts are never put on display in a gallery or concert hall, the benefits of creative activity will manifest themselves in your mind, body and soul.
Where do folks with screen names like "releaserina" and "misnomers" express their deepest desires, both light and dark? Well 43 of their wants are listed in order of priority on the website 43Things.com, and yours can be too!
For no more than a few minutes sign up time, you can join a large community of goal-setters, 78 members of which wish to "attain enlightenment." (Maybe they need to spend more time reading Daily Mantra?) By comparison, a full 27,584 wish to "lose weight." So, yes, the flesh does seem to be beating out the spirit on this network of goal setters by at least a small margin. But we won't be haters; people should want what they want. And, anyway, one thing that makes 43Things.com so fun and fascinating is the wide range of interests and values represented.
Since the site is as anonymous as its participants wish it to be, there is a nakedness to many of the desires listed as well. Anyone who has seen The Secret (4 members wish to "do" it) or in any way dabbled in The Law of Attraction (183 wish to "master" it) knows the importance of goal setting. 43things.com makes this process fun. Even folks who always feel stumped and blank when asked what they want will become inspired as they start poking around and reading through the many, many goals on view. Some of these are whimsical ("memorize an ironic poem of appropriate length so that the memorization can be used as a party trick, of course only at low-key, intellectualish parties"-13 people, "learn to whistle with my fingers"-42 people) and others deadly serious ("overcome cancer"-6 people, "accept that I have HIV"-1 person).
Virtual camaraderie abounds on 43things.com where participants cheer one another on, make themselves available to give advice regarding goals they've already reached, and write brief entries regarding their own progress or lack thereof on particular goals. So, if you are ready for a more focused year ahead, if you want to try something new, achieve something meaningful, or simply have more fun, check out the aspirations of your fellow websurfers on 43Things.com. Then take a moment to write out your own goals for 2008 and beyond. Whether you realize it or not, doing so and then revisiting, rereading and occasionally amending your list will make all the difference.
One day, a few weeks into a class I’ve been taking on Financial Freedom, I found myself idly surfing the web engaging in behavior that I deemed “unspiritual” and wasteful of my time. Then I turned my attention to that week’s homework and read the following: “God is Abundance.” Remembering another teaching of the class, that each of us is God individualized, I made a simple substitution. “I am Abundance,” I said once and continued saying over and over again as I got up from my studies and headed out to the library in order to return a book.
I often resort to mantras (short one line prayers repeated over and over) when I feel in need of a spiritual and emotional shift. That day’s ad hoc mantra identifying me 100% with the quality of abundance proved highly and delightfully effective. On my way over to the library, I came across some clothing that a neighbor had put out for anyone to take. This is a common practice where I live, and in a neighborhood where many are quite wealthy, it behooves a passerby to check out the cast offs. This is exactly what I did. Among other items, I found some especially lovely cashmere sweaters. I decided to pick up a plastic sac at the library and retrieve the sweaters in on my way home.
While at the library, I perused the twenty- five cent shelf where patrons can support the library by plunking down a mere quarter each for donated books. What should I see among the battered, older volumes but one shiny brand new paperback entitled: Achieving Abundance: A Guide to Getting It. All this time, I’d been repeatedly declaring inwardly: “I am Abundance.” But only at this moment did I realize that first my used clothing find and now this timely book find were expressions and verifications of that statement. With this amazed realization, my mood shifted entirely. All feeling of self-judgment and remorse for “wasting” the earlier part of the morning completely evaporated, and I was booted over into a zone of bliss and even greater receptivity.
Want Art’s Christine and Justin are a couple of artists from New York who have given creative visualization a whole new, and rather literal meaning. They paint the things they want, and then sell their acrylic on canvas artworks for exactly the price the item depicted would cost.
Their current list of wants ranges from a modest $3 for “A Slice of Pepperoni” pizza, to $100 “To Help Kids in New Orleans” and $ 432.42 for "An iPhone." Some of the more bizarre items on their list include $27.09 for "A Tan," $100 for "A Night We Won't Remember," $1,056.07 for "One Month's Rent," and $1,000,000.00 for "Financial Security." Once a painting is sold, the duo promise to use the money to buy the item depicted. One item they'd like to have which money can't buy however is "Sleep," a painting which the duo are offering for free (though the buyer must pay for shipping).
An episode of The Sundance Channel’s series Iconoclasts paired comedian Mike Myers with spiritual author Deepak Chopra. Actor Robert Redford, the visionary behind the Sundance Channel, explained the concept behind the series this way: “Iconoclasts can be a beautiful clashing – a collision of high profile types- that’s stimulating and entertaining for audiences.” Regarding this particular pairing he said, “Obviously there’s admiration going both ways, and the connection between the two of them becomes straight out entertainment, because it’s just different.”
Myers and Deepak spent the day together in preparation for a symposium on comedy and spirituality that evening, held in a small theater in New York. “I don’t think that a having a sense of spirituality and a sense of humor are mutually exclusive,” Myers explains. “One of the things I love about Deepak is that he has a sense of humor about what he does.”
Myers attributes his perspective to what he learned from his own “comedy guru,” Del Close (who also worked with John Belushi, Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd), who connected comedy with the profound and profane. Myers explained it in this way, “Ha Ha and A-Ha are connected – they’re related industries.”
At the theater later that day, the discussion seemed surprisingly to circle around a central theme. “Lenny Bruce defined comedy as pain plus time; Bergson described comedy as the realization of one’s own mortality,” Myers begins. “The laughter is just an involuntary response of the recognition of your own mortality.”
Chopra initially responded by explaining, “When your soul responds to the paradox of our existence, to the contradictions of our existence, to the fact that wherever there is joy there is suffering, when your soul recognizes this, it can do nothing except laugh.” Later, Chopra returned to the theme of mortality. “We’re all on death row and the only uncertainty is the method of execution and the length of reprieve.” Myers followed this rather gloomy thought with a hearty “Goodnight!” Over the laughter Chopra continued, “Do you realize that I’ve been talking about the most morbid thing in existence…and you are laughing? Do you see that? Confronting our mortality makes us laugh.”
Overall the pairing was refreshing, both because it elucidated how well-versed and educated Myers is, despite the silliness of his work; and how down-to-earth and light-hearted Chopra is, despite the seriousness of spirituality. Myers closed the show with the following quote: “Everything that I’ve read suggests that enlightenment is lightening up”. We at the Daily Mantra wholeheartedly agree with that.
"We're more popular than Jesus now," quipped John Lennon in 1966, roguishly referring to his band the Beatles. While I wouldn't have put even money on the accuracy of this statement, Lennon's off-the-cuff remark to a reporter at the London Evening Standard does point to the god-like status of rock stars amongst their fans. Given famous rockers' simultaneous all-too-human frailty, it's no wonder that these larger-than-life figures have often sought spiritual guidance themselves.
Most famous was the Beatles trip to India to sit at the feet of and merrily make music with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Also along for this particular ride was Mia Farrow and her sister Prudence, who was immortalized in the song "Dear Prudence." For anyone who'd like to travel down memory lane, a nostalgic look back is provided by filmmaker and photographer Paul Saltzman's website and book of photographs documenting this 1968 pilgrimage. You may also want to watch film footage (click HERE to view) of this spiritual interlude that led Lennon to his new, arguably more profound insight: "If the Beatles or the sixties had a message, it was learn to swim. Period. And once you learn to swim, swim. You make your own dream. That's the Beatles' story, isn't it?"
The Beatles were certainly not the only British rockers to consider ultimate questions and otherworldly matters under the tutelage of a South Asian mystic. The wise words and inspiring presence of the avatar Meher Baba captivated members of The Who. As much is discussed in this excerpt from a BBC documentary on the late Ronnie Lane (click HERE to view). Fascinatingly, in the clip's final moments, Pete Townsend contrasts his teacher, Baba, with the Beatles' spiritual guide. Awareness of the spiritual aspect of these performers' lives enriches our experience of the music they gave us. We begin to hear, for instance, how much The Who's eponymous and most famous lyrics, "Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?" resemble the mind-blowing interrogations of a particularly relentless guru. Indeed according to the song's writer, Pete Townsend, "Who Are You" was composed in the context of Eastern mysticism and poses a central question addressed to the divine, with "Who" suggesting "Hu," an ancient name for God.
A pair of intrepid geeks, Dan Egnor and Heath Hunnicutt of 8ball.ofb.net, have tempted fate and performed an autopsy on a Magic 8-Ball in an attempt to uncover its great mysteries. With power tool in hand they began with some exploratory drilling. After failing in their initial attempt to drain the ball of its murky blue liquid prior to opening, they switched to a rotary tool to split the shiny black outer case.
Inside they discovered an inner-white chamber which houses the heart of the sacred Mattel oracle. At this point the duo sought one final prophecy from the core of the 8-Ball before completely deconstructing it. It said, "Outlook not so good," which, under the circumstances, was pretty accurate. After draining the blue fluid from the inner sanctum, using two drilled drain holes, a final incision was made into the cylinder and the answer device was extracted.
Further examination of the fortune-telling icosahedron revealed that 50% of the planes carried positive messages, 25% carried negative messages, with the remaining 25% carrying vague non-answers such as "Better not tell you now." Further investigation into the fluid revealed that out of a test group of two, 100% reported it had a "hideous taste" and experienced "numbness on the application area" when a small amount was applied to the testers tongues, and 50% experienced side effects including "blue fingers" and a "headache." Click HERE to view detailed notes and photos of the procedure.
The Daily Mantra would urge its readers not to try this at home. Research such as this should be left strictly in the hands of professionals. Though the mechanics of the Magic 8-Ball may have been revealed, the mystery still lies in the eye of the beholder. For those in immediate need of answers, click HERE to consult Mattel's virtual online 8-Ball oracle.
Ben Underwood is an inspirational teen, who despite losing his sight to retinal cancer when he was just two years old, has never chosen to see the limitations his blindness might impose. As a toddler, Ben taught himself to use echolocation instead of a cane. Making clicks with his mouth and fingers, he can detect the size, shape, composition and distance of objects. The technique works a little like sonar, and is similar to that used by animals such as dolphins and bats. Ben has become so adept at using echolocation to navigate his way through life, that he can now rollerblade and skateboard with confidence, and plays basketball and foosball - to win - with his friends and siblings. As this CBS News video clip (click HERE to view if player doesn't load) shows, he also has an unfailingly accurate aim when it comes to pillow fights.
41-year old British humorist Andre Jordan explores his journey through depression in his unique blog, A Beautiful Revolution. His self-deprecating musings, which are sometimes poignant and other times brutal, take the form of short essays, poems and doodles. A collection of his work has also been compiled into a new book entitled If You're Happy And You Know It..., which comes out in the US next year.
In an interview on the BBC's Ouch disability website, to which he contributes weekly doodles, Jordan describes depression as, "All-consuming and exhausting. But at the same time, it does give you empathy for other people. Depression helps you to look at people and understand that nothing is black and white. It also makes you appreciate the really tiny things that are quite amazing."
Turning his black thoughts into dark humor, Jordan turned depression on its head, transforming a major negative into inspirational art. "Getting up every day and being able to draw and paint and write, and people around you encouraging you to do it. That's success, because I'm happy."
Barbie 2007 Holiday Collector Doll: $37.88, 8 GB iPhone: $399.00, 60 GB PlayStation 3: $ 584.99, a debt-free life and peace of mind: priceless.
In their spirited new documentary producer Morgan Spurlock and director Rob VanAlkemade follow the self-proclaimed Reverend Billy as he takes his Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and his Not Buying It Band on a cross-country crusade against the commercial supersizing of Christmas. A street performer with a mission, Rev Billy (aka Bill Talen) takes his mobile ministry from its humble roots on the streets of New York's Times Square to the ultimate temple of corporate America, The Mall of America, his journey culminating on Christmas Day at the street of false dreams where the Devil with big ears lives in Disneyland.
The Church of Stop Shopping's vocation is to get us to question our buy-now-pay-later society that damns most of us to a future of eternal debt. We spend about one hour per week doing spiritual activities and an average of 5 hours a week shopping. Our nation now has a savings deficit, meaning we're walking through life in the red. The mostly unnecessary stuff we buy takes us further into the darkness of debt, the momentary pleasure of acquisition often being at the cost of abusive labor practices in far off lands - and jobs at home.
Of course we can't completely cease to shop, we even see Rev. Billy sheepishly buying gas after his vegetable oil bio-fuel freezes overnight at a particularly cold stop on his tour, he's just asking us to pause before we purchase. And through the subjects interviewed in What Would Jesus Buy? we begin to understand why. We see a generation who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing: a young male who's feelin' the Christmas spirit by buying a brand new set of rims, and a teenage girl who dreams of living in a mall.
By the end of the film Rev. Billy's crazy evangelical antics start to look sane against our own frenzied consumerism. You won't find peace of earth in a shopping mall, so take a break from buying, avoid the shopocalypse and give the gift of your time and your love this holiday season. Hallelujah, or change-a-lujah as the good Reverand would proclaim.
Michael Moore's documentary Sicko, about the unhealthy state of healthcare in the United States, has made the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' shortlist for an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. Also on the list is another Daily Mantra favorite, The Price of Sugar, about the scandal that lies behind almost every spoonful of sugar. The final five nominations from this shortlist of fifteen will be announced on Jan 22nd, with the 80th annual Oscar ceremony taking place on February 24th.
Sicko was released on DVD earlier this month, with the Special Edition (available at Amazon.com and Blockbuster) featuring over 80 minutes of additional footage. Even if you've already seen the movie, it's well worth getting your hands on the DVD just for the extras.
One of the choice clips (click HERE to view) from Moore's excellent bonus material covers a foray to Norway, which Moore deemed to "scary" to include in his original film. The Daily Mantra has visited Norway, and can understand why; In Norway 97% of the wealth generated from the country's state controlled oil reserves goes into a fund for the welfare and betterment the people. The revenue pays for arts programs, a years-worth of maternity leave for mothers, and two week tropical vacations for those whose health is compromised by the country's long winters.
Rather than being (mis) managed by greedy corporate moneymen or corrupt politicians, this fund is looked after by a state appointed philosopher whom Moore interviews. "The idea is we don't spend this money now, we can spent the surplus, but the capital itself should be kept for future generations, because basically this has been built up over two to three million years, and we shouldn't spend it in fifty years," explains State Philosopher Hynrik Syse. "This is something I see cutting across the political spectrum, in that all emphasize this need to pull together, to take care of those that are weakest, and at the same time preserving a tolerance and respect for difference."
Wow. Imagine if America's oil wealth was used to fund our education, health, and social services. Imagine if our politicians planned for the future good of the people, rather than merely for short term political gain. Imagine if the ill could concentrate on getting better rather than how they're going to bear the financial burden of their sickness, and the old could look forward to a worry-free retirement after a lifetime in the workforce. Sicko shows it's possible. There are alternatives, if we could only stop fearing the unknown -- and two simple but scary words -- universal healthcare. An Oscar-worthy endeavor indeed.
Many of us wouldn't think of plunking down ten dollars of our money and two hours of our time to see a movie without first checking in with the critics. Given the amount of time, energy and, yes, even money that some spiritual teachers require, mightn't checking them out in advance be a good idea as well? Websites like RottenTomatoes.com make it easy for moviegoers to hedge their bets before heading out to the multiplex. Now, spiritual seekers can also benefit from a bit of outside input. Sarlo's Guru Rating Service provides a would-be devotee with fair warning or heartening encouragement - depending upon the reputation of the prospective master.
The often humorous, sometimes sardonic site does a wonderful job of bringing the lofty and exalted back down to earth. Ratings range from three Buddhas ("the greats, helping many") to half of one Buddha ("bogus, may have some value, who knows") to even, for the likes of Jim Jones, an empty set symbol ("worse than bogus, no redeeming value").
If one popular instruction for how to achieve enlightenment, "lighten the &%$# up," is valid, then the wisecracking Sarlo might even be considered a spiritual teacher of sorts. Or perhaps instead (especially if we take his many disclaimers at their word) we should liken him to a guidance counselor doing his best to steer readers in useful directions. (Of course - as Sarlo himself might caution - ideally, your inner guidance will serve as your ultimate authority regarding all your choices, spiritual and otherwise.)
The Daily Mantra has a new favorite chocolate. It's a delicious and nutritious gourmet confection that borrows its name from the Sydney suburb of 
Our clocks are adjusted, and we're enjoying the perfectly balanced day and night of the 
The idea of 
. In it Hyde explores the transformative quality of gifts, and the theory of the gift economy, which says that wealth is actually decreased by hoarding. This philosophy is in tune with the beliefs of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest United States and Canada, who practiced 
Daily Mantra received an email in its inbox this morning alerting it to the beginning of the 2008 
These women are the first female cadet pilots to be recruited by 
When we think about the necessities of life, we think about food, shelter, companionship or clean water. But when these basic needs are met, what else is necessary to provide meaning and value in our lives? 
Where do folks with screen names like "releaserina" and "misnomers" express their deepest desires, both light and dark? Well 43 of their wants are listed in order of priority on the website 
One day, a few weeks into a class I’ve been taking on Financial Freedom, I found myself idly surfing the web engaging in behavior that I deemed “unspiritual” and wasteful of my time. Then I turned my attention to that week’s homework and read the following: “God is Abundance.” Remembering another teaching of the class, that each of us is God individualized, I made a simple substitution. “I am Abundance,” I said once and continued saying over and over again as I got up from my studies and headed out to the library in order to return a book. 
An episode of 
A pair of intrepid geeks, Dan Egnor and Heath Hunnicutt of 
Further examination of the fortune-telling icosahedron revealed that 50% of the planes carried positive messages, 25% carried negative messages, with the remaining 25% carrying vague non-answers such as "Better not tell you now." Further investigation into the fluid revealed that out of a test group of two, 100% reported it had a "hideous taste" and experienced "numbness on the application area" when a small amount was applied to the testers tongues, and 50% experienced side effects including "blue fingers" and a "headache." Click 
41-year old British humorist 
Michael Moore's documentary 
Many of us wouldn't think of plunking down ten dollars of our money and two hours of our time to see a movie without first checking in with the critics. Given the amount of time, energy and, yes, even money that some spiritual teachers require, mightn't checking them out in advance be a good idea as well? Websites like