Living In My Own World

Jerusalem Hug Second Time Around: June 24, 2008

When I wrote about last year’s Jerusalem Hug and posted a video about about it, little did I expect the Hug organizers to approach me about making a video promo for tomorrow’s upcoming Hug.

What an honor!

It was such an amazing experience last year that I was excited about having an opportunity to spread the word out to more people. I even volunteered to open a MySpace page for the Hug… (Add us as a friend!!)

So, yes, this amazing event will take place tomorrow, June 24, in Jerusalem. Join thousands of Jews, Muslems, Christians.. (wait, f*ck labels).. PEOPLE.. as we hold hands around the Old City.

It is an event you will never forget, that I can guarantee.

As for the video promo I made, check it out below and let me know what you think:

If You Think Vegetarians are Fanatic, Watch This

Ever since I decided to go vegetarian, I find myself constantly defending my decision to others. The most ridiculous accusation I have gotten are comments like “Just dont become fanatic about it”.

As I mentioned in one of my posts on DareToWish.com, the award-winning documentary “Earthlings” was the inspiration behind my “If Slaughterhouses had Walls” t-shirt.

The following video is a must-see for those people out there who think that the vegetarians among us are the “fanatics”..

Tel Aviv Turns Off the Lights for Earth Hour 2008

For the first time in history, Tel-Aviv will be representing Israel in the global Earth Hour 2008 and turning off the lights for one hour of energy-free bliss.

Unfortunately, as we have yet to hear about separation of church and state, let alone separation of church and globe, due to the Jewish Sabbath, Tel Aviv will kicking off the project one day earlier than the rest of the world: tomorrow, Thursday March 27, between 8pm to 9pm.

(Note to self: focus on the positive side…)

So yes, Israel is taking action, action long overdue, but action nonetheless.

Bottom line is, I dont care who you are, where you will be, what important things you’ll need to be doing.. tomorrow night please, please, please do us all a favor and:

TURN OFF THE GODDAMN LIGHTS!!!!

Thank you.

Stroke of Insight: Neuroanatomist Finds Heaven on Earth (VIDEO)

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists could wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke.

As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment.

This is one of the most powerful stories I have ever heard of recovery and awareness — of how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

A mind-blowing story of a scientist who breaks down the barriers of science and discovers our immediate access to Heaven on Earth:

(Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:44.)

SOURCE

UPDATE:

Check out Jill Bolte Taylor’s book about her experiences below:

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey

***

Fuck Hate

Introducing my new online shop inspired by one simple message that has the power to change the world:

Fuck Hate. (How’s that for a conversation starter?)

From organic t-shirts, to hooded sweat shirts, to 100% cotton tank tops, there is something here for everyone.

But the message is clear: This is not about spiritual “mumbo jumbo”… It’s about raising awareness to the problem and promoting positive change.

Click here to check out the shirts and start wearing the change you want to see in the world.

60 Years Since Gandhi’s Death and Where Are We Today?

January 30th marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of one the most influential heroes in human history.

One of Gandhi’s most famous quotes is “be the change you want to see in the world”.

Because Ghandi knew that the only way to make a true difference in this world is first by changing yourself. He understood that every thought we have and every action we take instantly affects others; whether its the people closest to us or a random person on the other side of the planet (aka the Butterfly Effect). He knew and understood that we are part of ONE collective consciousness.

So as the 60 year anniversary of this great man stands before us, let us think about this list of people we are influencing. Is our life showing them the change we want to see in the world? Will their lives reflect the lessons they learned from watching us?

If not, that is ok. Because it’s not too late.

You and I can start today. Right now. This second.

And may peace, love and compassion prevail on planet Earth.

North American Union and Vchip Truth (Video)

This is the picture that is painted for the future, if you open your eyes to see it: a centralized, one word economy where everyone’s moves and everyones transactions are tracked and monitored, all rights removed.

The most incredible aspect of all: these totalitarian elements will not be forced upon the people; the people will demand them.. For the social manipulation of society and through the generation of fear and division has completely detached humans from their sense of power and reality in a process which has been going on for centuries, if not millenniums. Religion, patriotism, race, wealth, class and every other form of arbitrary, separatist identification thus can see has served to create a controlled population utterly malleable in the hands of the few.

“Divide and Conquer” is the motto. And as long as people continue to see themselves as separate from everything else, they lend themselves to being completely enslaved.

The men behind the curtain know this and they also know that if people ever realized the truth of their relationship to nature and the truth of their personal power, the entire manufactured Zeitgeist they prey upon would collapse like a house of cards.

Watch the movie Zeitgeist for free at:
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Why The Rest of the World Hates America

Well there’s at least one thing I LOVE about America, and that is FREEDOM OF SPEECH:

So, how do YOU feel about America???

Diamonds are Forever, But Lives Are Not

I was born with a mission: a strong, inner sense of knowing that something about the world as we know it was just not right. And that my mission, if I so choose to accept it, is to make a difference.

I know that I’m not alone in this, so anyone out there who has felt the same way knows what a screwed up, fucked up, emotionally and mentally exhausting job that is. It’s not easy, I can tell you that.

But what’s ultimately most frustrating is this:

The more we open our eyes to the truth of how things currently are, the more we see.

And the more we see, the more we want/need/desire/hope/pray/fight to change.

And people, it never ends.

So its no surprise that a girl like myself starts her night with some casual surfing the net and suddenly finds herself signing online petitions, shocked and dismayed, in yet another desperate attempt to make a change.

“The time has come to stop supporting tribal warfare, genocide, and acts of terror.

The time has come to end the manipulation and brainwashing that the corrupt De Beers company has enacted these last eighty years.

The time has come to stop buying diamonds.

Completely.

No diamond rings. No diamond earrings. No diamond necklaces or bracelets or watches.

When we wanted to stop elephants from being poached, the world had to stop buying ivory.

If we want to end the wholesale slaughter and exploitation of Africans, we must stop buying diamonds.

And, we must do it now.”

Read about the consequences of the diamond trade in Africa

You are welcome to join this mission (if you so choose to accept it)…

But then again, if not you, then who?

God is a Label (Live on Air)

This is a really interesting discussion going on LIVE right now. A MUST-SEE!!!! Click the video to view.

UPDATE: This show is no longer live, so I am adding a recording of it:

What do you think?

How to Live Greener Without Really Trying

Not all of us can throw our bodies in front of tractors that are about to cut down trees or walk around naked in a protest against fur… And you know what? That’s okay! Not all of us have to!

But its pretty naive to assume that if you cant join in on the bigger causes then any other effort is worthless. Ironically enough, getting more people to make smaller changes in their lifestyle can ultimately have a much bigger impact on the planet than joining in on the current minority of “tree hugging fanatics” as I have heard them been called.

Having said that, I am currently working on a new blog called Green Your Day which I hope will focus exactly on this: on the small, seemingly insignificant things we can all start doing TODAY for greener living.

Think of it as “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Greener Living”. Ideal for all those out there who think: “Yeah, but what could I possibly do about it?”

So anyway, check it out as I get this blog rolling and even more importantly: If you have any easy and/or fun environmental tips which you think might be a match for the site, please send them to me at livinginmyownworld@gmail.com and I promise you will get the credit you deserve.

Once again, thanks for helping me change the world one post at a time…

The Most Important Movie You Will Ever See

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view.

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.

It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

Please, please, please put aside 20 minutes to watch this movie:

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Thank you.

Random Blog Post Causes Stir in Israeli Media

The other day I posted an article about the animal cruelty that took place on the premiere episode of “Survivor: Israel”.

The next day I was shocked and appalled that nowhere in the news headlines did anyone mention the abuse that took place on the show. Even animal rights groups seemed to have let it pass by quietly.

So in an effort to let out my frustration (and not necessarily receive a reply), I contacted Ynet, a major news website in Israel, with a link to my post. The letter read the following:

Hi,

I was wondering why this issue was completely ignored in the Israeli media:

(link to my original post)

Maybe you have some answers…

Thanks,

Shira

Within minutes I was contacted by a reporter from Ynet who asked to interview me about the issue and said that she would contact animal rights groups and Channel 10 (the channel that aired the show) for an official reaction.

Next thing I knew, this article was published on the homepage of Ynet, stating that the animal rights group “Anonymous” was filing a police complaint against Channel 10 and the article even linked to my original post!

Their article drew in over 150 comments, finally raising awareness to the mistreatment that had taken place on the show.

While some comments were negative as expected, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many people felt exactly the way I did about the issue and had supported the cause.

***

My point is that sometimes we feel that we are only one person, and “how much of a difference can one person make…”

The answer, as I have just learned from my own personal experience, is that the change really does begin in each and every one of us, and that the least any of us can do… IS TRY.

What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

OK…

So…uh…what exactly are you waiting for?

This isn’t a dress rehearsal…

Wake up!

Here’s the deal: What we can be, we MUST be.

Period.

There’s no getting around that one.

So, turn off your TV. Put down your drink. Get off the medication.

Quit numbing yourself. The pain’s not going away.

Not until you thinkarete.

More »

A Christmas Wish List for a Better World

With Christmas right around the corner, kids the world over have been hard at work making their wish lists for Santa. In this vodcast, John W. Whitehead shares his own Christmas wish list for a better world and suggestions for what you can do to make that dream come true.