I'm sure we can get a feed from this: http://www.drbriffa.com/
John's world-class.
15 June 2007
Conscious Music
When considering how to ‘wiki-fy’ music, the most obvious option, is rational classification. Put it in boxes, ‘pigeon-hole’ it and alphabetical-ise artists and tracks within genres. Obvious and not world-changing.
Interestingly, artists hate to be pigeon-holed and most music-lovers claim to have eclectic, catholic or “I-like-what-I-like” tastes that defy this sort of rationalisation, resorting to it merely for convenience of research, purchase and storage.
If we want to do something different here, how about we look for a common, conscious thread that transcends physical and mental boundaries; how about we look for a certain level of awareness or consciousness in any music, and arrange our offering according to the amount of light - as well as sound - that it offers?
Each genre clearly has its flavour. Pop has a chewing gum immediacy; rap, an anger and harshness; country and western, a bitterness and sense of victimhood; soul, a yearning and unrest, reggae, an easy and sunny disposition. Yet within all the genres, as within all people, the potential exists to up the stakes by shedding more light, hope and positivity beyond the clichés, stereotypes and standing expectations.
Here’s an example:
“California Soul”, penned by the prolific Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in the late 60’s is clearly a soul tune, certainly when handled by those Motown lovelies Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Check out these lyrics and imagine those tragic – now departed - lovers singing this to each other as well as us…
They had the melody and the beat
But it still didn't seem complete
Until they saw two lovers kissin
They knew just what was missin
So happy they were rockin and reelin
Because that added that lovin feeling
To California soul, California soul
I’ve played this track hundreds of times and it still brings a tear to me eye – delving as it does into my archetypal understanding of love, lovers and my own yearning to feel that ‘lovin feelin’”.
Over ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to host a “Mind, Body, Spirit” breakfast radio show that was ‘programmed’ along these conscious lines, letting the music speak to the soul of the listener, as well as guests and news items with an uplifting and inspiring flavour.
Boy, I want that show back – perhaps the Copper Beech platform and the ease of web-broadcasting could enable its return?
But for now, please nominate more conscious music for the top ten I’ve started below…
Conscious Music Top Ten (in no particular order):
Born Free – Matt Monro (Easy Listening ballad)
California Soul – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Soul)
Human Nature – Michael Jackson (Pop)
Sweet Child o’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses (Rock)
One Love – Bob Marley (Reggae)
Interestingly, artists hate to be pigeon-holed and most music-lovers claim to have eclectic, catholic or “I-like-what-I-like” tastes that defy this sort of rationalisation, resorting to it merely for convenience of research, purchase and storage.
If we want to do something different here, how about we look for a common, conscious thread that transcends physical and mental boundaries; how about we look for a certain level of awareness or consciousness in any music, and arrange our offering according to the amount of light - as well as sound - that it offers?
Each genre clearly has its flavour. Pop has a chewing gum immediacy; rap, an anger and harshness; country and western, a bitterness and sense of victimhood; soul, a yearning and unrest, reggae, an easy and sunny disposition. Yet within all the genres, as within all people, the potential exists to up the stakes by shedding more light, hope and positivity beyond the clichés, stereotypes and standing expectations.
Here’s an example:
“California Soul”, penned by the prolific Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in the late 60’s is clearly a soul tune, certainly when handled by those Motown lovelies Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Check out these lyrics and imagine those tragic – now departed - lovers singing this to each other as well as us…
They had the melody and the beat
But it still didn't seem complete
Until they saw two lovers kissin
They knew just what was missin
So happy they were rockin and reelin
Because that added that lovin feeling
To California soul, California soul
I’ve played this track hundreds of times and it still brings a tear to me eye – delving as it does into my archetypal understanding of love, lovers and my own yearning to feel that ‘lovin feelin’”.
Over ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to host a “Mind, Body, Spirit” breakfast radio show that was ‘programmed’ along these conscious lines, letting the music speak to the soul of the listener, as well as guests and news items with an uplifting and inspiring flavour.
Boy, I want that show back – perhaps the Copper Beech platform and the ease of web-broadcasting could enable its return?
But for now, please nominate more conscious music for the top ten I’ve started below…
Conscious Music Top Ten (in no particular order):
Born Free – Matt Monro (Easy Listening ballad)
California Soul – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Soul)
Human Nature – Michael Jackson (Pop)
Sweet Child o’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses (Rock)
One Love – Bob Marley (Reggae)
Peter Pure - raw food presenter, well recommended
About Peter Pure "Peter Pure has spent 20 years studying and applying the fields of nutrition, cleansing, detoxification, natural healing methods, anti-aging therapies & health diagnostics. He is widely regarded as the most enthusiastic and fun presenter of these topics for lay audiences. He puts his health & performance tips accross in easy to understand and inspiring ways to his audiences"
Health & Raw Yummies
Peter Pure
Raw Food Party!
020 7624 4531
www.rawfoodparty.com
Health & Raw Yummies
Peter Pure
Raw Food Party!
020 7624 4531
www.rawfoodparty.com
It's a beautiful day at the beech - what are WE waiting for?
A beautiful day at the beech – the Copper Beech
Who doesn't want to live in a better world, in a better way and be a better person?
Who doesn't have dreams, schemes and ideas that will move them from where they are now, to where they'd rather be?
Sure, there are exceptions to prove every rule, but the key point is: if it IS true, that we do want these things - each in our own way - what are WE waiting for?
Here at the Beech, the Copper Beech, we figure it's the illusion of separation that stops our ideal world from just "rolling out". Alone, we get stuck, attached and can forget our dreams.
And sharing seems risky. We might give away that "big idea", get ripped off or get laughed at for having such ridiculous goals or aspirations. Better to stay small, right?
NO! I think not. I say it's time to share. It's time to get the support, skills and encouragement you need to get your better life, your big idea – out of your heart, out of your mind – and into the world.
Welcome to the Copper Beech.
Here at the Beech, we're growing a human asset bank of idea-istas with skills to share and passion-to-go.
So if you want to give birth to something, anything, that makes your heart sing and can open the minds of others – let us help
You've nothing to lose but your fear!
Name it!
"You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want," says motivational speaker, author and trainer Zig Ziglar.
If you have a dream bigger than you can hold in your own mind and your two hands share it here.
Help yourself, help others and help the world.
And if you're looking for a platform to make your ideas come to life, try copperstrings.com - see if it pulls your heart-strings...
Who doesn't want to live in a better world, in a better way and be a better person?
Who doesn't have dreams, schemes and ideas that will move them from where they are now, to where they'd rather be?
Sure, there are exceptions to prove every rule, but the key point is: if it IS true, that we do want these things - each in our own way - what are WE waiting for?
Here at the Beech, the Copper Beech, we figure it's the illusion of separation that stops our ideal world from just "rolling out". Alone, we get stuck, attached and can forget our dreams.
And sharing seems risky. We might give away that "big idea", get ripped off or get laughed at for having such ridiculous goals or aspirations. Better to stay small, right?
NO! I think not. I say it's time to share. It's time to get the support, skills and encouragement you need to get your better life, your big idea – out of your heart, out of your mind – and into the world.
Welcome to the Copper Beech.
Here at the Beech, we're growing a human asset bank of idea-istas with skills to share and passion-to-go.
So if you want to give birth to something, anything, that makes your heart sing and can open the minds of others – let us help
You've nothing to lose but your fear!
Name it!
"You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want," says motivational speaker, author and trainer Zig Ziglar.
If you have a dream bigger than you can hold in your own mind and your two hands share it here.
Help yourself, help others and help the world.
And if you're looking for a platform to make your ideas come to life, try copperstrings.com - see if it pulls your heart-strings...
Nursing Times
From my newspaper column - Herald Express, Devon (due for publication 16-06-07):
This week, it’s all about breasts. Frankly, I’m sick of my man-boobs or “moobs” as popularised by celebs such as Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise and Prime Minister Blair in recent months, but I’ll get that off my chest later.
First up, it’s the controversial matter of breastfeeding in public, which looks to be almost compulsory now that the UK government has enabled nursing mothers to dispense to their babies wherever they like backed by new anti-discrimination laws.
Apparently, restaurants, cafes and shops that try to stop this wholesome and natural practice may face court action as well fines of up to £2,500.
Clearly, it’s a sad state of affairs when parliament feels the need to step in like this, but hearing of this move takes me back about 18 years, when – for the first and only time - I walked out of a restaurant without paying.
Tucking into lunch in a Manchester café with partner and nursing infant by my side, it soon became clear that we were the cause of some agitation. A rather terse waitress came to our table and asked my partner to refrain from breastfeeding our little treasure Ruby, as it was offending other customers.
“Could you do it in the toilet,” was her harassed request, to which mum Julia replied: “would you want to eat your lunch in there?”
Mission unaccomplished, the waitress lost her cool and told us that what was going on, albeit to our minds – discreetly, was to her, and those she spoke for, “disgusting”.
It was at this point that I lost my composure and, rising to my feet, told the woman it was her that was disgusting in her barbaric and backward views, whereupon we gathered our belongings and left.
I don’t often “lose my rag”, but that episode, really pushed my buttons, incredulous as I was, unable to comprehend such prudery and narrow-mindedness. Page 3 and lads’ mags that objectify women and their breasts are getting towards the disgusting end of the spectrum, but the feeding of an infant as nature intended? Come on!
So I welcome this development and hope it will give new mums some encouragement in doing what comes naturally and – to me – seems such an obvious way to feed a baby.
It seems the law will allow mothers of children up to a year old to feed 'discreetly' in public, regardless of the discomfort of restaurant staff or the potential embarrassment of fellow diners.
To the embarrassed, I say: “get over it”, to restaurateurs: “be nice to nursing mums”, and to the government: “whilst we’re legislating here, may I ask that the blowing of noses loudly into germ-infested handkerchiefs be outlawed near people who are eating, because this is far more irritating and unpleasant.”
Anyway, enough already on nature’s number one nutritional miracle, it’s time to talk about my “pecs” and the worrying phenomenon of men’s increasing cup sizes. For years, I’ve been embarrassed by having what my kids unkindly call “chicken breasts” on account of my explanation for the condition.
I’m convinced that the consumption of hormone-rich chicken throughout my childhood has given me, what are now – almost fashionably – known as “man boobs”.
As far as I‘m concerned, they are not, to coin a phrase – “a good look”, and just a week or two ago a mate of mine, who I’d not seen for a while, made it clear that I might be giving Jordan cause for concern in terms of competition.
I’ve decided to take action, and having done a bit of research, it seems oestrogen intake, via hormone-laden foods and water, can be a contributory factor, although excess body fat is the main culprit, gathering as it does, on the chest and gut of many a middle-aged man.
If you are a moobster and want to get some pectoral definition, join me as I plan to eat less fat-gaining food, do more cardio-based work at the gym as well as pump some iron, in order to chisel my chest to perfection.
I’ll keep you updated and please let me know if you have any top tips for getting flat-chested.
This week, it’s all about breasts. Frankly, I’m sick of my man-boobs or “moobs” as popularised by celebs such as Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise and Prime Minister Blair in recent months, but I’ll get that off my chest later.
First up, it’s the controversial matter of breastfeeding in public, which looks to be almost compulsory now that the UK government has enabled nursing mothers to dispense to their babies wherever they like backed by new anti-discrimination laws.
Apparently, restaurants, cafes and shops that try to stop this wholesome and natural practice may face court action as well fines of up to £2,500.
Clearly, it’s a sad state of affairs when parliament feels the need to step in like this, but hearing of this move takes me back about 18 years, when – for the first and only time - I walked out of a restaurant without paying.
Tucking into lunch in a Manchester café with partner and nursing infant by my side, it soon became clear that we were the cause of some agitation. A rather terse waitress came to our table and asked my partner to refrain from breastfeeding our little treasure Ruby, as it was offending other customers.
“Could you do it in the toilet,” was her harassed request, to which mum Julia replied: “would you want to eat your lunch in there?”
Mission unaccomplished, the waitress lost her cool and told us that what was going on, albeit to our minds – discreetly, was to her, and those she spoke for, “disgusting”.
It was at this point that I lost my composure and, rising to my feet, told the woman it was her that was disgusting in her barbaric and backward views, whereupon we gathered our belongings and left.
I don’t often “lose my rag”, but that episode, really pushed my buttons, incredulous as I was, unable to comprehend such prudery and narrow-mindedness. Page 3 and lads’ mags that objectify women and their breasts are getting towards the disgusting end of the spectrum, but the feeding of an infant as nature intended? Come on!
So I welcome this development and hope it will give new mums some encouragement in doing what comes naturally and – to me – seems such an obvious way to feed a baby.
It seems the law will allow mothers of children up to a year old to feed 'discreetly' in public, regardless of the discomfort of restaurant staff or the potential embarrassment of fellow diners.
To the embarrassed, I say: “get over it”, to restaurateurs: “be nice to nursing mums”, and to the government: “whilst we’re legislating here, may I ask that the blowing of noses loudly into germ-infested handkerchiefs be outlawed near people who are eating, because this is far more irritating and unpleasant.”
Anyway, enough already on nature’s number one nutritional miracle, it’s time to talk about my “pecs” and the worrying phenomenon of men’s increasing cup sizes. For years, I’ve been embarrassed by having what my kids unkindly call “chicken breasts” on account of my explanation for the condition.
I’m convinced that the consumption of hormone-rich chicken throughout my childhood has given me, what are now – almost fashionably – known as “man boobs”.
As far as I‘m concerned, they are not, to coin a phrase – “a good look”, and just a week or two ago a mate of mine, who I’d not seen for a while, made it clear that I might be giving Jordan cause for concern in terms of competition.
I’ve decided to take action, and having done a bit of research, it seems oestrogen intake, via hormone-laden foods and water, can be a contributory factor, although excess body fat is the main culprit, gathering as it does, on the chest and gut of many a middle-aged man.
If you are a moobster and want to get some pectoral definition, join me as I plan to eat less fat-gaining food, do more cardio-based work at the gym as well as pump some iron, in order to chisel my chest to perfection.
I’ll keep you updated and please let me know if you have any top tips for getting flat-chested.
14 June 2007
A Lesson in Music
Play the tune again: but this time
with more regard for the movement at the source of it
and less attention to time.
Time falls curiously in the course of it.
Play the tune again: not watching your fingering,
but forgetting, letting flow the sound
till it surrounds you.
Do not count or even think. Let go.
Play the tune again: but try to be nobody, nothing,
as though the pace of the sound
were your heart beating,
as though the music were your face.
Play the tune again: It should be easier
to think less every time of the notes, of the measure.
It is all an arrangement of silence.
Be silent, and then play it for your pleasure.
Play the tune again: and this time when it ends,
do not ask me what I think.
Feel what is happening strangely in the room
as the sound glooms over you, me, everything.
Now, play the tune again.
From 'Weathering' by Alastair Reid
(Canongate Publishing, 17 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DR; 1978).
with more regard for the movement at the source of it
and less attention to time.
Time falls curiously in the course of it.
Play the tune again: not watching your fingering,
but forgetting, letting flow the sound
till it surrounds you.
Do not count or even think. Let go.
Play the tune again: but try to be nobody, nothing,
as though the pace of the sound
were your heart beating,
as though the music were your face.
Play the tune again: It should be easier
to think less every time of the notes, of the measure.
It is all an arrangement of silence.
Be silent, and then play it for your pleasure.
Play the tune again: and this time when it ends,
do not ask me what I think.
Feel what is happening strangely in the room
as the sound glooms over you, me, everything.
Now, play the tune again.
From 'Weathering' by Alastair Reid
(Canongate Publishing, 17 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DR; 1978).
Swap till you drop
It combines ethical shopping, bargain hunting and social networking - and it's the hottest fashion trend. Jess Cartner-Morley reports on the joys of swapping.Welcome to 2007's hottest fashion trend: swapping instead of shopping. Clothes-swapping parties, which have been bubbling away for several years, are set to leap on to the radar with this month's British launch of the first large-scale, user-friendly swapshop, Visa Swap. The credit card company Visa and British green organisation TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) have honed the woolly notion of swapping clothes with friends into a high-fashion swapping event.
This week, Visa's swapshop will open its doors to members who have already donated their own fashion swag to the store, so they can spend the points on their "credit card": the points awarded for the value of the clothes donated. Names such as Mischa Barton, Naomi Campbell, Peaches Geldof, Sadie Frost, Lily Cole and Kelly Osborne have donated clothes. Style advisers will be on hand to help with alterations and customisation.
This year there has been a surge of interest in ethical issues around shopping, particularly regarding landfill and the link to global warming. The negative impact of the 900,000 tonnes of shoes and clothes that are thrown away in Britain each year is beginning to filter into consumer consciousness. The $1.7 billion Australians spend on clothing and accessories each year is also turning into a landfill problem: just look at the bags bulging with discards dumped outside charity bins.
Until now, it has been assumed that eco-consciousness is at loggerheads with the passion for bargain-hunting and fast fashion that fuelled the continuing chain-store boom. But a swap event is an opportunity for guilt-free shopping.
Read more
13 June 2007
Lord knows
A piece in the UK Independent today reports that Prof. Lord Richard Layard thinks school children should be taught how to be happy.
According to the Indie, the Prof, director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE), "believes that the lessons should be compulsory and that teachers should be given special training in the art of making pupils happy."
It adds: "He cites evidence that shows the number of 16-year-olds with serious emotional problems has grown from 10 per cent to 17 percent between 1986 and 2000."
Seven years on, what might the stats say?
According to the Indie, the Prof, director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE), "believes that the lessons should be compulsory and that teachers should be given special training in the art of making pupils happy."
It adds: "He cites evidence that shows the number of 16-year-olds with serious emotional problems has grown from 10 per cent to 17 percent between 1986 and 2000."
Seven years on, what might the stats say?
New Magazine in Devon - The Source
I popped into the Riverford Fram Shop yesterday (Riverford are one of the UK's leading organic gowers and suppliers, more at: www.riverford.co.uk) and found a new magazine - The Source.
Claiming to be a "celebration of alternative and green lifestyle in the South West" (UK), it focuses on Earth, Spirit, Music and Art, and is a wonderful edition and addition to conscious publishing.
It's edited and - I think - created by Rachel Fleming, who can be found at: editor@thesourcesouthwest.co.uk
In their editorial intro they say:
About us
We try to do our bit
We use office stationery from 'The Green Stationery Company'
We print on on REVIVE recycled paper using an eco-accredited printer
We offset what we can't help with Climate Care
We don't commute to work
We have a compost heap or two
We are trying to do better
cool!
Claiming to be a "celebration of alternative and green lifestyle in the South West" (UK), it focuses on Earth, Spirit, Music and Art, and is a wonderful edition and addition to conscious publishing.
It's edited and - I think - created by Rachel Fleming, who can be found at: editor@thesourcesouthwest.co.uk
In their editorial intro they say:
About us
We try to do our bit
We use office stationery from 'The Green Stationery Company'
We print on on REVIVE recycled paper using an eco-accredited printer
We offset what we can't help with Climate Care
We don't commute to work
We have a compost heap or two
We are trying to do better
cool!
mighty collaborations
“What might WE do today?” This little phrase has been stuck in my head (along with a toothache) since yesterday.
What might WE do today?
Plane speaking: Ken Livingstone supports carbon tax on frequent flyers
Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, is on a mission to tackle climate change - and that includes challenging the aviation industry head on, he tells John Vidal.
As mayor, he has one arm tied behind his back, he says. If it were up to him, he says he would legislate against almost anything that adds to the problem. He would ban inefficient light bulbs, bang on carbon taxes, and massively increase the cost of air fares. "I think that every city is doing something quite well," he says. "We should take the best from around the world. We could take the plastic bag tax from Ireland, the packaging laws of Germany. We should put them together. "But the one big thing that no one is tackling is aviation. Emissions are completely undermining the reductions achieved elsewhere," Livingstone says.
While Livingstone has no direct power over future developments at Gatwick or Stansted, observers say the significance of his withdrawal of support for the growth of these two airports - he has always been against the expansion of Heathrow - is that he is now challenging the aviation industry head on, as no other major politician has been prepared to do. His target is not business travellers, he says, who would need tickets to be massively more expensive to reduce the number of flights they take, but the frequent leisure fliers. "All tickets should reflect the impact of carbon emissions of that journey," he insists. "Instead of £12 or £15 for a ticket, it should be five or six times that. A lot of Labour party people say that the dramatic growth in air traffic is the poor getting on the plane for the first time, but it's not that at all. Half the population never gets on a plane. What's happening is that relatively few people, instead of going away once a year on holiday, are going three or four times a year to Barcelona or Prague or wherever. That's all very nice, but not at the cost of the continuation of life on planet Earth."
London is the first city in Britain to set itself statutory carbon dioxide emission reduction targets. They are roughly on a par with the government's - 20% cuts by 2015, 60% by 2050. They are not as much as Livingstone would like, or thinks possible, but they are as far as he thinks they can be pushed for the time being. London's particular problem is that, unlike most local authorities, aviation represents 30% of the city's emissions. To get them down means he absolutely must tackle flying as well as transport and housing.
Read full article at: http://environment.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,,1935908,00.html
As mayor, he has one arm tied behind his back, he says. If it were up to him, he says he would legislate against almost anything that adds to the problem. He would ban inefficient light bulbs, bang on carbon taxes, and massively increase the cost of air fares. "I think that every city is doing something quite well," he says. "We should take the best from around the world. We could take the plastic bag tax from Ireland, the packaging laws of Germany. We should put them together. "But the one big thing that no one is tackling is aviation. Emissions are completely undermining the reductions achieved elsewhere," Livingstone says.
While Livingstone has no direct power over future developments at Gatwick or Stansted, observers say the significance of his withdrawal of support for the growth of these two airports - he has always been against the expansion of Heathrow - is that he is now challenging the aviation industry head on, as no other major politician has been prepared to do. His target is not business travellers, he says, who would need tickets to be massively more expensive to reduce the number of flights they take, but the frequent leisure fliers. "All tickets should reflect the impact of carbon emissions of that journey," he insists. "Instead of £12 or £15 for a ticket, it should be five or six times that. A lot of Labour party people say that the dramatic growth in air traffic is the poor getting on the plane for the first time, but it's not that at all. Half the population never gets on a plane. What's happening is that relatively few people, instead of going away once a year on holiday, are going three or four times a year to Barcelona or Prague or wherever. That's all very nice, but not at the cost of the continuation of life on planet Earth."
London is the first city in Britain to set itself statutory carbon dioxide emission reduction targets. They are roughly on a par with the government's - 20% cuts by 2015, 60% by 2050. They are not as much as Livingstone would like, or thinks possible, but they are as far as he thinks they can be pushed for the time being. London's particular problem is that, unlike most local authorities, aviation represents 30% of the city's emissions. To get them down means he absolutely must tackle flying as well as transport and housing.
Read full article at: http://environment.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,,1935908,00.html
What did you see?
Alok sent this to me, first thing in the morning. It's quite beautiful!
Father you’re home what did you see what did you see?
The face in the clouds, or the honey bee?
Did you see the sunset sun?
The birds fly or the squirrel run?
I have been waiting the whole day
Look at those toys I kept out to play
Son, I know I’m late, forgive me for that
Let’s go out and we’ll walk a chat
I’ll show you what I saw on my daily trip
So when you grow you’ll come to a grip
There was glass, the stairs, the lonely stares
There was the class, the chairs, the unkempt hair
The screens were shining brand anew
The faces newer moved as if stuck with a glue
And like clockwork together they arose
Over their own telephones, just moved in a row
Then the parade of cars put on their lights
I could see a thousand fireflies jostling into the night
On my walk back home amidst the plastic piles
The use and throws, were giggles and smiles
There were friends, the dreams, and the innocent fun
Laugh a laugh, before the next day begun
The streets moved in trying to come still
I was thinking of you through the misty chill
Papa, our teacher said we should care
Plant trees and the animals spare
Papa have you heard the new consciousness song?
Son, we have been doing it all along
The foods we eat are no sauces or tart
It is a sumptuous serving of your mother’s heart
She washes our dirt in the clothes and in the thought
She tells you it’s ok, when you’re disillusioned or distraught
The bedtimes stories endless come by
And in your stomach ache the turmeric apply
Every single thing just handpicked for you
Your lunch box, your craft books and the dreams few
She helps you spot a tree from its leaves or its stem
For how can you plant if you’ve not lived amongst them?
Son, if everything was done with motherly care
There were no desert storms no fighting, no hatred to spare
No jargons of globalization coined for personal gains
No nukes, no weapons of mind, only humanity remain
Papa, my friend told me everybody dies
And to the God in Heaven he files
Papa, I want to meet Him, can we meet God?
Can we make a holiday trip to His heavenly abode?
Son, I do not know the address, but they say he lives down the lane
Down the other one, the one after, and the further again
A rickshaw puller once said, I can prove to you the God exists
Love, Care, Happiness, you can prove me wrong, if you have nothing of it
Son, life is a holiday trip to Him alone
As ever said by every learned one
For how to live, if you ask them, they’ll come
Life is bigger, we are not the learned ones
Life is an experience you have to walk it yourself
You just have to be conscious you’re not walking over someone else
Father you’re home what did you see what did you see?
The face in the clouds, or the honey bee?
Did you see the sunset sun?
The birds fly or the squirrel run?
I have been waiting the whole day
Look at those toys I kept out to play
Son, I know I’m late, forgive me for that
Let’s go out and we’ll walk a chat
I’ll show you what I saw on my daily trip
So when you grow you’ll come to a grip
There was glass, the stairs, the lonely stares
There was the class, the chairs, the unkempt hair
The screens were shining brand anew
The faces newer moved as if stuck with a glue
And like clockwork together they arose
Over their own telephones, just moved in a row
Then the parade of cars put on their lights
I could see a thousand fireflies jostling into the night
On my walk back home amidst the plastic piles
The use and throws, were giggles and smiles
There were friends, the dreams, and the innocent fun
Laugh a laugh, before the next day begun
The streets moved in trying to come still
I was thinking of you through the misty chill
Papa, our teacher said we should care
Plant trees and the animals spare
Papa have you heard the new consciousness song?
Son, we have been doing it all along
The foods we eat are no sauces or tart
It is a sumptuous serving of your mother’s heart
She washes our dirt in the clothes and in the thought
She tells you it’s ok, when you’re disillusioned or distraught
The bedtimes stories endless come by
And in your stomach ache the turmeric apply
Every single thing just handpicked for you
Your lunch box, your craft books and the dreams few
She helps you spot a tree from its leaves or its stem
For how can you plant if you’ve not lived amongst them?
Son, if everything was done with motherly care
There were no desert storms no fighting, no hatred to spare
No jargons of globalization coined for personal gains
No nukes, no weapons of mind, only humanity remain
Papa, my friend told me everybody dies
And to the God in Heaven he files
Papa, I want to meet Him, can we meet God?
Can we make a holiday trip to His heavenly abode?
Son, I do not know the address, but they say he lives down the lane
Down the other one, the one after, and the further again
A rickshaw puller once said, I can prove to you the God exists
Love, Care, Happiness, you can prove me wrong, if you have nothing of it
Son, life is a holiday trip to Him alone
As ever said by every learned one
For how to live, if you ask them, they’ll come
Life is bigger, we are not the learned ones
Life is an experience you have to walk it yourself
You just have to be conscious you’re not walking over someone else
12 June 2007
Smokey The Bear Sutra by Gary Snyder
Gary Snyder was a beat affiliate of Jack Kerouac, his poetry was often informed by his pervading interest in eastern philosophies. His views on nature show concretely the impact of these teachings on the enviromentalists of the west. Conscious living requires inspiration from within and without. Gary Snyder found it during his stays in the monerstaries of Japan and in the wilderness of North America. In this poem he shows us his enviromental concerns in the form of a Buddhist Sutra.
For my friends unfamiliar with Smokey The Bear, he is a fictional character created by the US Forest Service to raise awareness about forest fires.
He is used here by Gary to evoke a protector of nature and all beings.
He is used here by Gary to evoke a protector of nature and all beings.
Smokey the Bear Sutra
Once in the Jurassic about 150 million ylears ago,
the Great Sun Buddha in this corner of the Infinite
Void gave a Discourse to all the assembled elements
and energies: to the standing beings, the walking beings,
the flying beings, and the sitting beings -- even grasses,
to the number of thirteen billion, each one born from a
seed, assembled there: a Discourse concerning
Enlightenment on the planet Earth.
"In some future time, there will be a continent called
America. It will have great centers of power called
such as Pyramid Lake, Walden Pond, Mt. Rainier, Big Sur,
Everglades, and so forth; and powerful nerves and channels
such as Columbia River, Mississippi River, and Grand Canyon
The human race in that era will get into troubles all over
its head, and practically wreck everything in spite of
its own strong intelligent Buddha-nature."
"The twisting strata of the great mountains and the pulsings
of volcanoes are my love burning deep in the earth.
My obstinate compassion is schist and basalt and
granite, to be mountains, to bring down the rain. In that
future American Era I shall enter a new form; to cure
the world of loveless knowledge that seeks with blind hunger:
and mindless rage eating food that will not fill it."
And he showed himself in his true form of
SMOKEY THE BEAR
A handsome smokey-colored brown bear standing on his hind legs, showing that he is aroused and
watchful.
Bearing in his right paw the Shovel that digs to the truth beneath appearances; cuts the roots of useless
attachments, and flings damp sand on the fires of greed and war;
His left paw in the Mudra of Comradely Display -- indicating that all creatures have the full right to live to their limits and that deer, rabbits, chipmunks, snakes, dandelions, and lizards all grow in the realm of the Dharma;
Wearing the blue work overalls symbolic of slaves and laborers, the countless men oppressed by a
civilization that claims to save but often destroys;
Wearing the broad-brimmed hat of the West, symbolic of the forces that guard the Wilderness, which is the Natural State of the Dharma and the True Path of man on earth: all true paths lead through mountains --
With a halo of smoke and flame behind, the forest fires of the kali-yuga, fires caused by the stupidity of
those who think things can be gained and lost whereas in truth all is contained vast and free in the Blue Sky and Green Earth of One Mind;
Round-bellied to show his kind nature and that the great earth has food enough for everyone who loves her and trusts her;
Trampling underfoot wasteful freeways and needless suburbs; smashing the worms of capitalism and
totalitarianism;
Indicating the Task: his followers, becoming free of cars, houses, canned foods, universities, and shoes;
master the Three Mysteries of their own Body, Speech, and Mind; and fearlessly chop down the rotten
trees and prune out the sick limbs of this country America and then burn the leftover trash.
Wrathful but Calm. Austere but Comic. Smokey the Bear will
Illuminate those who would help him; but for those who would hinder or
slander him,
HE WILL PUT THEM OUT.
Thus his great Mantra:
Namah samanta vajranam chanda maharoshana
Sphataya hum traka ham nam
"I DEDICATE MYSELF TO THE UNIVERSAL DIAMOND
BE THIS RAGING FURY DESTROYED"
And he will protect those who love woods and rivers,
Gods and animals, hobos and madmen, prisoners and sick
people, musicians, playful women, and hopeful children:
And if anyone is threatened by advertising, air pollution, television,
or the police, they should chant SMOKEY THE BEAR'S WAR SPELL:
DROWN THEIR BUTTS
CRUSH THEIR BUTTS
DROWN THEIR BUTTS
CRUSH THEIR BUTTS
And SMOKEY THE BEAR will surely appear to put the enemy out
with his vajra-shovel.
Now those who recite this Sutra and then try to put it in practice will accumulate merit as countless as the sands of Arizona and Nevada.
Will help save the planet Earth from total oil slick.
Will enter the age of harmony of man and nature.
Will win the tender love and caresses of men, women, and beasts.
Will always have ripe blackberries to eat and a sunny spot under a pine tree to sit at.
AND IN THE END WILL WIN HIGHEST PERFECT ENLIGHTENMENT.
thus have we heard.
(may be reproduced free forever)
***
"It might take this kind of a Buddha to quell the fires of greed and war and to help us head off the biological holocaust that the twenty first century may turn out to be"
More offerings
I've got some more possible collaborations here:
1. www.naturalnews.co.uk - started this with the help of Andy Metcalfe (www.holisticlocal.co.uk). If you listen closely, you can hear the tumbleweed blowing through. It's a good idea, but needs a team - have a look; please get involved...
2. www.loliboom.co.uk - featured on BBC, caused quite a stir and got good PR, but guess what? "It's a good idea, but needs a team - have a look; please get involved..."
3. www.hedolistic.com - another co-created with Andy Metcalfe. Check out the manifesto - it's turbo-charged conscious living; replacing conspicuous consumption with conscious consumption - we all gotta eat (and have fun).
I'm not precious about these - I offer them to the CB team with complete faith - go ahead "knock yourselves out..."
1. www.naturalnews.co.uk - started this with the help of Andy Metcalfe (www.holisticlocal.co.uk). If you listen closely, you can hear the tumbleweed blowing through. It's a good idea, but needs a team - have a look; please get involved...
2. www.loliboom.co.uk - featured on BBC, caused quite a stir and got good PR, but guess what? "It's a good idea, but needs a team - have a look; please get involved..."
3. www.hedolistic.com - another co-created with Andy Metcalfe. Check out the manifesto - it's turbo-charged conscious living; replacing conspicuous consumption with conscious consumption - we all gotta eat (and have fun).
I'm not precious about these - I offer them to the CB team with complete faith - go ahead "knock yourselves out..."
Self-help?
"Many believe that self-help and self-improvement is about rags to riches, failure to success, and so forth, when indeed it is the beginning of a journey into self-discovery. Inside every human being is an eternal truth and a life purpose. Using our mind power is simply starting the engine on that journey of self-discovery and highest self-actualization" – Eldon Taylor, author of "Choices and Illusions,"
11 June 2007
A call to the holistically-minded...
Here's an opportunity to make a stand for the real principles of holistic healing and conscious living...
This is a possible prototype collaboration for CB as the following personnel are needed for this project:
FIT … A modern way forward for the ancient ways of health and wellbeing
Recent attempts to regulate complementary, holistic and alternative therapies (and to integrate them into conventional healthcare) are causing unnecessary confusion and difficulty.
At the Federation of Independent Therapists we want to re-connect with the exciting and fulfilling process of becoming and staying well, and bring a lighter touch to what has become an unfortunate climate of fear, misinformation and bureaucracy - in the quest for human wellbeing and vitality.
As a new organisation, FIT is committed to two primary aims:
1. The education of the public / non-practitioners in natural approaches to health and human potential
2. The support, protection and encouragement of naturally-oriented therapists and practitioners
Our endeavours are underpinned by timeless, holistic health principles (for the individual, humanity and the whole planet). We believe that:
This is a possible prototype collaboration for CB as the following personnel are needed for this project:
- Website designer
- Copy writer
- Designer
- Project Manager
- Business Development/sales
- Interviewers and researchers
FIT … A modern way forward for the ancient ways of health and wellbeing
Recent attempts to regulate complementary, holistic and alternative therapies (and to integrate them into conventional healthcare) are causing unnecessary confusion and difficulty.
At the Federation of Independent Therapists we want to re-connect with the exciting and fulfilling process of becoming and staying well, and bring a lighter touch to what has become an unfortunate climate of fear, misinformation and bureaucracy - in the quest for human wellbeing and vitality.
As a new organisation, FIT is committed to two primary aims:
1. The education of the public / non-practitioners in natural approaches to health and human potential
2. The support, protection and encouragement of naturally-oriented therapists and practitioners
Our endeavours are underpinned by timeless, holistic health principles (for the individual, humanity and the whole planet). We believe that:
- The whole person, physically, mentally and spiritually, should be considered in matters of health and wellbeing
- True health should place emphasis on the causes of disease as well as the effects or symptoms
- 'Alternative' and 'complementary' healthcare is very often the original approach and not the newcomer that it is often portrayed to be
- Healing is an art, as well as a science, that embraces wisdom beyond the limited view of contemporary, rationalising science
- Our bodies have an innate intelligence that works and heals – if we simply assist and empower it
The Holistic Awakening
OK, I admit it: I'm the weird guy at most dinner parties, weddings, in fact - most social gatherings. I'm the one living "out of the box" (not literally, of course).
Sure, my views on complementary therapies and holistic living don't cause too much trouble these days; if anything, they might stir up a whiff of disbelief and cynicism. But at the other end of the scale – when I speak of energy work, hands-on healing and esoteric spirituality – I suspect, for some, that's all just a bridge too far.
But what, I wonder, is that far bridge taking me to? And where is it coming from? After a few weeks working with the CB team, as well as operating in the alternative, complementary and holistic world for over fifteen years, I feel it's time for a bit of reflection and soul-searching to address these fundamental questions. Please bear with me while I ponder what it's all about.
Don't worry - I'm not anxious or depressed and it's (no longer) an existential crisis that I'm dragginging you through here; quite the opposite in fact. I love my work, and in taking many of its joys for granted, am just wondering what the central force is that compels me – and increasing numbers of other alternatively-minded individuals - to see the world from a more holistic point of view.
Now this is where it might get a bit tricky for the more reasonable and rationally-minded reader. I warn you now, if you think that all you see is all there is and that everything can be explained using reason, that I shall be using words like "positivity", "consciousness" and "joy" freely and with little regard for the consequences!
You see, in recent weeks I've been meeting more and more people who know that there's more to life than what we have been conditioned to believe; much more than people tend to talk about in everyday conversation and much, much more than is represented through the mass media, mainstream education, the conventional world of work and modern medicine.
Take the nutritional therapist who left school at sixteen and had her world blown apart by the power of nutrition and holistic health aged thirty. She went "back to school" inspired to change career path and help others with her new-found knowledge. Then there's my mate Nick the plasterer whose cancer diagnosis set him on a new path of positivity and potential. And, only yesterday, the financial consultant I met, who plans to leave a job that doesn't meet with her personal ethics to practice as a holistic stress management consultant. She had her consciousness blown open at a natural health and healing festival.
For my part, many years ago, I sought a solution to what could be called mental ill-health – at best a background anxiety that knew there must be more to life; at worst, mild bouts of depression and dysfunctional behaviour. Through counselling, and an impassioned concern for the environment brought about by my now eighteen-year-old daughter, I discovered that there was indeed more to life and that everything was in some way connected – a new way of life, living and loving.
Now certain that I, and the aforementioned holistic converts, are just the tip of a massive iceberg of more conscious living, I invite you too to honour any uncertainty and difficulty in your life as a sign that there might be more going on than a pain, pang or situation that can be merely rationalised away or brushed under the carpet. It might just be the wake-up call for a more fulfilling life.
Through my holistic awareness I now know – at the deepest and most re-assuring level – that though the world is sometimes challenging and cruel, the life behind, within and beyond it, is absolutely beautiful. Only through what I call a spiritual awakening, a magical holistic moment and the subsequent holistic worldview left in its wake, can I claim to know this deep joy. For some, the holistic awakening is sudden, for others, more gradual.
For all, there's no turning back.
Sure, my views on complementary therapies and holistic living don't cause too much trouble these days; if anything, they might stir up a whiff of disbelief and cynicism. But at the other end of the scale – when I speak of energy work, hands-on healing and esoteric spirituality – I suspect, for some, that's all just a bridge too far.
But what, I wonder, is that far bridge taking me to? And where is it coming from? After a few weeks working with the CB team, as well as operating in the alternative, complementary and holistic world for over fifteen years, I feel it's time for a bit of reflection and soul-searching to address these fundamental questions. Please bear with me while I ponder what it's all about.
Don't worry - I'm not anxious or depressed and it's (no longer) an existential crisis that I'm dragginging you through here; quite the opposite in fact. I love my work, and in taking many of its joys for granted, am just wondering what the central force is that compels me – and increasing numbers of other alternatively-minded individuals - to see the world from a more holistic point of view.
Now this is where it might get a bit tricky for the more reasonable and rationally-minded reader. I warn you now, if you think that all you see is all there is and that everything can be explained using reason, that I shall be using words like "positivity", "consciousness" and "joy" freely and with little regard for the consequences!
You see, in recent weeks I've been meeting more and more people who know that there's more to life than what we have been conditioned to believe; much more than people tend to talk about in everyday conversation and much, much more than is represented through the mass media, mainstream education, the conventional world of work and modern medicine.
Take the nutritional therapist who left school at sixteen and had her world blown apart by the power of nutrition and holistic health aged thirty. She went "back to school" inspired to change career path and help others with her new-found knowledge. Then there's my mate Nick the plasterer whose cancer diagnosis set him on a new path of positivity and potential. And, only yesterday, the financial consultant I met, who plans to leave a job that doesn't meet with her personal ethics to practice as a holistic stress management consultant. She had her consciousness blown open at a natural health and healing festival.
For my part, many years ago, I sought a solution to what could be called mental ill-health – at best a background anxiety that knew there must be more to life; at worst, mild bouts of depression and dysfunctional behaviour. Through counselling, and an impassioned concern for the environment brought about by my now eighteen-year-old daughter, I discovered that there was indeed more to life and that everything was in some way connected – a new way of life, living and loving.
Now certain that I, and the aforementioned holistic converts, are just the tip of a massive iceberg of more conscious living, I invite you too to honour any uncertainty and difficulty in your life as a sign that there might be more going on than a pain, pang or situation that can be merely rationalised away or brushed under the carpet. It might just be the wake-up call for a more fulfilling life.
Through my holistic awareness I now know – at the deepest and most re-assuring level – that though the world is sometimes challenging and cruel, the life behind, within and beyond it, is absolutely beautiful. Only through what I call a spiritual awakening, a magical holistic moment and the subsequent holistic worldview left in its wake, can I claim to know this deep joy. For some, the holistic awakening is sudden, for others, more gradual.
For all, there's no turning back.
McDonald's Recruits Mom to Be Ultimate Influencer
Gatekeepers to Go on 'Field Trips' and Hopefully Return as Brand Evangelists
By Kate MacArthur
Published: June 08, 2007
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- It may be the mother of all influencer-marketing efforts.
Battered by attacks blaming the fast-food industry for making children fat, McDonald's Corp. is recruiting the gatekeeper for its side. The Golden Arches has been quietly amassing an army of moms -- often its toughest critics -- as "quality correspondents" to act as citizen consumer reporters. The idea is to spread the message -- which it hopes to craft into a positive one -- about McDonaldland and its products.
Going 'behind the counter'
It's opening its kimono to these moms, offering them "behind-the-scenes access to the farms [where] our fresh ingredients are grown, to our world-class suppliers and to our restaurants," according to an open-call letter sent to prospects through mother-oriented social networks and freebie product sites. "These moms will go behind the counter and beyond the kitchen to see what we're made of. Plus, this will be a unique opportunity to see for yourself and get to share what you learn about food quality, nutrition, and preparation with other moms across the country," said the letter, signed by Susan Forsell, U.S. VP-McDonald's Quality Systems.
McDonald's declined to divulge details of the plan, other than to say it will soon announce the winning moms. But a spokesman did say, "We'll provide them with avenues to be able to share their findings." Presumably that includes blogs, chat rooms and public forums to spread brand evangelism from a group known to be skeptical, protective -- and, with $2 trillion in buying power, the keeper of the lunch money.
Selected moms are expected to participate in as many as three "field trips" lasting two to three days, and receive payment for "reasonable travel expenses." The concept is slightly different from McDonald's "Global Moms Panel," where women receive a stipend for advising the fast-food giant on its products, and marketing and representing the motherly point-of-view at press and other official company events. Instead of commenting on the process, these moms will shape public perception of it.
'A person like yourself'
"That's a hell of a good idea," said Richard Edelman, CEO of PR agency Edelman, noting that "a person like yourself" was rated the most credible spokesperson in its annual "Trust Barometer" survey for the past two years. "This is a very healthy development for McDonald's and for corporate America in general to facilitate that kind of dialogue. It's a good way for McDonald's to listen."
According to the eighth annual survey conducted by StrategyOne for the public-relations giant, "a person like you" is seen as twice as credible as a CEO and just slight better than an academic or doctor. (McDonald's is not an Edelman client.)And in a world dominated by reality TV, consumer-generated content and bloggers, the mom team is the natural evolution from the over-the-backyard-fence communications of years past.
"Moms are the ultimate internet networkers," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst at eMarketer.com in an earlier interview. "They seek out other moms' advice for what they're looking for." According to Ms. Williamson, 18.4% of U.S. internet users were females with children under 18 in the house, a number predicted to rise to 36.6 million by 2010. Blog-ad firm Blogads in March reported that the average mom-blog reader is a 29-year-old female with annual income of $70,000.
Interestingly, McDonald's trust scores among college-educated, informed domestic opinion leaders ages 35 to 64 are at their highest levels in eight years, according to the Edelman survey. But McDonald's has admitted that its brand trust scores among moms aren't in line with its sales run.
The idea is similar to what Microsoft has begun with bloggers on its Xbox forum in what Mr. Edelman calls the "horizontal access of communications." He said the comments on GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's Fastlane blog are read at executive committee meetings. "Consumers are holding companies accountable," said Mr. Edelman. "If they're going to talk, they want to be listened to."
More than just a mouthpiece
And they want to be more than just a mouthpiece. "If it's an honest two-way dialogue everybody benefits," said Isabel Kallman, CEO of Alpha Mom. According to Ms. Kallman, Alpha Moms are 18 to 39 with household incomes above $75,000; 81% log on to the internet for advice. "McDonald's has a real opportunity to learn from the most powerful purse-string holders of all. It's kind of like the village concept. That's why I think this could be very, very powerful." But she warned that McDonald's must be authentic and sincere in reflecting mother opinions, or suffer the backlash.
"They will tell their friends if they like something if they think it's of value, but if they think it's harmful they'll tell even more people," she said.
To be sure, news travels fast in the "momosphere," and mothers are quick to offer their often-skeptical opinions. On FatWallet.com, comments bounced from "Could be a plot to supersize your children" to "Now, they're grabbing mothers with this 'friendly' program. What's next, football tickets for the dads? McMommys, watch out!!"
By Kate MacArthur
Published: June 08, 2007
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- It may be the mother of all influencer-marketing efforts.
Battered by attacks blaming the fast-food industry for making children fat, McDonald's Corp. is recruiting the gatekeeper for its side. The Golden Arches has been quietly amassing an army of moms -- often its toughest critics -- as "quality correspondents" to act as citizen consumer reporters. The idea is to spread the message -- which it hopes to craft into a positive one -- about McDonaldland and its products.
Going 'behind the counter'
It's opening its kimono to these moms, offering them "behind-the-scenes access to the farms [where] our fresh ingredients are grown, to our world-class suppliers and to our restaurants," according to an open-call letter sent to prospects through mother-oriented social networks and freebie product sites. "These moms will go behind the counter and beyond the kitchen to see what we're made of. Plus, this will be a unique opportunity to see for yourself and get to share what you learn about food quality, nutrition, and preparation with other moms across the country," said the letter, signed by Susan Forsell, U.S. VP-McDonald's Quality Systems.
McDonald's declined to divulge details of the plan, other than to say it will soon announce the winning moms. But a spokesman did say, "We'll provide them with avenues to be able to share their findings." Presumably that includes blogs, chat rooms and public forums to spread brand evangelism from a group known to be skeptical, protective -- and, with $2 trillion in buying power, the keeper of the lunch money.
Selected moms are expected to participate in as many as three "field trips" lasting two to three days, and receive payment for "reasonable travel expenses." The concept is slightly different from McDonald's "Global Moms Panel," where women receive a stipend for advising the fast-food giant on its products, and marketing and representing the motherly point-of-view at press and other official company events. Instead of commenting on the process, these moms will shape public perception of it.
'A person like yourself'
"That's a hell of a good idea," said Richard Edelman, CEO of PR agency Edelman, noting that "a person like yourself" was rated the most credible spokesperson in its annual "Trust Barometer" survey for the past two years. "This is a very healthy development for McDonald's and for corporate America in general to facilitate that kind of dialogue. It's a good way for McDonald's to listen."
According to the eighth annual survey conducted by StrategyOne for the public-relations giant, "a person like you" is seen as twice as credible as a CEO and just slight better than an academic or doctor. (McDonald's is not an Edelman client.)And in a world dominated by reality TV, consumer-generated content and bloggers, the mom team is the natural evolution from the over-the-backyard-fence communications of years past.
"Moms are the ultimate internet networkers," said Debra Aho Williamson, senior analyst at eMarketer.com in an earlier interview. "They seek out other moms' advice for what they're looking for." According to Ms. Williamson, 18.4% of U.S. internet users were females with children under 18 in the house, a number predicted to rise to 36.6 million by 2010. Blog-ad firm Blogads in March reported that the average mom-blog reader is a 29-year-old female with annual income of $70,000.
Interestingly, McDonald's trust scores among college-educated, informed domestic opinion leaders ages 35 to 64 are at their highest levels in eight years, according to the Edelman survey. But McDonald's has admitted that its brand trust scores among moms aren't in line with its sales run.
The idea is similar to what Microsoft has begun with bloggers on its Xbox forum in what Mr. Edelman calls the "horizontal access of communications." He said the comments on GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz's Fastlane blog are read at executive committee meetings. "Consumers are holding companies accountable," said Mr. Edelman. "If they're going to talk, they want to be listened to."
More than just a mouthpiece
And they want to be more than just a mouthpiece. "If it's an honest two-way dialogue everybody benefits," said Isabel Kallman, CEO of Alpha Mom. According to Ms. Kallman, Alpha Moms are 18 to 39 with household incomes above $75,000; 81% log on to the internet for advice. "McDonald's has a real opportunity to learn from the most powerful purse-string holders of all. It's kind of like the village concept. That's why I think this could be very, very powerful." But she warned that McDonald's must be authentic and sincere in reflecting mother opinions, or suffer the backlash.
"They will tell their friends if they like something if they think it's of value, but if they think it's harmful they'll tell even more people," she said.
To be sure, news travels fast in the "momosphere," and mothers are quick to offer their often-skeptical opinions. On FatWallet.com, comments bounced from "Could be a plot to supersize your children" to "Now, they're grabbing mothers with this 'friendly' program. What's next, football tickets for the dads? McMommys, watch out!!"
passion for the planet - a conscious online radio station
passion for the planet on DAB digital radio and streaming on the web, powered by RawFlow
NO programmes.
NO DJs.
Just the planet's biggest issues
and the planet's best music.
Choose passion for the planet
when you're in the mood to be
intrigued and inspired.
NO programmes.
NO DJs.
Just the planet's biggest issues
and the planet's best music.
Choose passion for the planet
when you're in the mood to be
intrigued and inspired.
here's what you won't get Basically, interesting stuff in 3-5 minute bursts surrounded by the planet’s best music.
here's what you will get
10 June 2007
Mie n Yu
Restaurant with interesting decor, probably not quite what we want for the project, but it has unique touches.
Mie n Yu
AND!
NYC Restaurants 2009
Bembe NYC
Mie n Yu
AND!
NYC Restaurants 2009
Bembe NYC
Smiths of Smithfield
Angela found an interesting site in terms of a restaurant that uses multilevel space :
Smiths of Smithfield
Smiths of Smithfield
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