Remembering Poppa

Last Thursday we lost one of the kindest men I have ever met. He was famous and yet never showed it. He was brilliant and always down to earth.

Ben Viccari was Tracey's grandfather and my kids' great-grandfather. I only met him twice -- once in 1998 and once when we visited him two years ago to celebrate his 90th birthday. Poppa had a warm, friendly smile that set you at ease, and a sparkle in his eye that told you he was full of life. He was kind to the kids and made everyone around him feel important. We will miss Poppa.

Here is a link to his obituary.

Here is a link to his Wikipedia page.

Brilliant!

Asereje - opera singers version :) - watch in high quality

From the Heart

My friend and Yoga teacher Juliet wrote this great insight for our internal newsletter:

Happy 2010 everyone!  As we move through the early part of the year, passing Valentine’s Day and the SCANA promoted events for the Heart Association, I have been contemplating the symbolism of the heart and the unlimited nature of love.  Although Valentine’s Day typically is associated with “romantic love”, this is only one of the many types of love that we experience.  Other types of love are:

·         Loving Kindness – sending out love and happiness to all beings.  Including loving ourselves.

·         Compassion – wishing love and happiness to others through the end of all suffering.

·         Sympathetic Joy – feeling love and happiness for the good luck and success of others.

·         Equanimity – Loving others because you see their qualities in yourself and your qualities in them.

The beauty of love is that the more generous we are in giving it, the more we are able to receive it.  Perhaps the most important type of love we must cultivate is self love.  It is difficult to give and receive love if we don’t feel worthy of it.

Most dogs have the concept of love down pat.  They approach their owners expecting affection, and in receiving it, give it back unconditionally.  They don’t question if they are lovable or not.  They know that they are, just as we should know that each of us is lovable and worthy of love.

This year, let’s exercise our heart by building loving relationships with ourselves and others.  It is through relationships that we experience the greatest joy.

Movement Against Unsolicited Phone Book Delivery

The EPA estimates that 650,000 tons of phonebooks are delivered annually to 100 million households in the United States. Producing those 650,000 tons of phone books uses 11.6 billion gallons of water and sends 1,650,880 tons of Carbon Dioxide into the air (CO2 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming). The EPA estimates that only 18% of the phone books that are discarded in the United States each year are recycled. That leaves 533,000 tons to take up 1,758,900 cubic yards of landfill space.

Opt Out
If you are among the 54% of Americans that use the internet or a cell phone to search for phone numbers, you can opt out of receiving your annual phone book (or books).

I think this is the only responsible thing to do — if you do not want a phone book next time around, then please opt out at this web page:

YellowPageGoesGreen.org

There is no need to be a PC victim!

The Thin Line Between "Victim" and "Idiot"

From outer space and from beautiful Earth

It's amazing what we learn about cosmical bodies: APOD: 2010 January 4 - Comet Halleys Nucleus: An Orbiting Iceberg

And yet there is so much wonder right here in our own planet: APOD: 2010 January 5 - A Roll Cloud Over Uruguay

The future of computers?

Here is a neat look at what is coming:

I cannot wait for these to come out (at a reasonable price, of course!).

Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Andy Dooley not only creates amazing artwork, he is a great teacher and a fantastic speaker. I think you will definitely enjoy and benefit from this very short but very powerful lesson:

Andy Dooley ART - Think, Focus, Feel, Attract

Interestingly, something similar happened to me last night. I could not find the dog's leash anywhere. I stopped and focused, felt as I had found it, and within seconds knew where to look for it. My intention was clear (to have the leash in my hand). And it happened. The leash was outside on our BBQ cart -- a place I would have never thought of looking. But the location came to me easily as soon as I allowed the feeling of finding to happen.

Enjoy!