For Serious...

 Mid-hike photo-op...

 More nature exploration... this time: tide pools in Dana Point, CA

 Junior Youth and animators in the park...

Thinking 'outside of the box' about the creation of a moral structure...

So I have been taking a small hiatus from 'sharing deep thoughts with the internets' as of late... but I have been roused from my figurative slumber.

You may wonder why I include pictures in which I am in full-swing field trip mode (errr... exploring nature!) and frolicking in the park. Well, that's because those are the pictures that tend to survive such things as children's classes and junior youth spiritual empowerment programs.... 

But I think the fact that they are not very remarkable at all, other than as mementos to those actually in the pictures, is what makes what I'm about to tell you all the more profound.

7 youth and young adults were arrested in Iran (at least one is being held in Evin Prison in Tehran) on Monday for doing the exact same thing you see my friends and I doing in the pictures above.

Again? Okay... 7 youth were arrested on Monday for such crimes against humanity as teaching children's classes and for empowering junior youth. They might also have had the crazy notion that they should go to university.

Service to one's community and seeking higher education are not the hallmarks of criminal activity... but those arrested happen to be Baha'i. Like me. If you, like me, recognize the injustice in this treatment of Iran's largest religious minority, I encourage you to speak out - city officials, congress persons and representatives, news sources, your FB wall (or twitter, tumblr, blogspot, wordpress site). Tell your friends and family!

The internet is a useful medium, and your voice is a powerful tool. To Justice!

May I Present....

So remember all of that exciting news I mentioned? This is a small part of it: the tip of the excitement iceberg? Okay. Weird analogies aside - I was in a play last weekend.

Set in 1912, the play chronicles the events surrounding Abdu'l-Baha's epic visit to the West and the profound impact that visit had on the early American Baha'i community. I had the opportunity to play Juliet Thompson - and had so much fun working with my new friends! [ps. we are none of us professional actors - but we had a GREAT time!]

 Backstage: finishing touches complete!

 This is one of my favorite photos!

Lua! (she seemed to say)

 Meeting the press...

 Candid shots (amidst the melee) are the best!

 With our director!

 Catching some pre-show vitamin D

 Last minute running of lines

"...I have a confession to make"

 The ladies

 Nancy, chilling in the green room

Painter's bag: check!

In case there was any confusion... my favorite part might be the dressing up part. Just saying.

Thank You For Taking Action...

Education Under Fire

Most of you who know me know that I am a member of the Baha'i Faith. It is, after all, the reason I spent 4 glorious years living in Haifa, Israel and the reason why I continue to incorporate service to my community in my daily life. If you check in here periodically, or if you read the news... you'll know that the Baha'i community in Iran is under intense scrutiny and that members of that community face persecution daily.

One of the most tragic ways that the Iranian government seeks to cripple the Baha'i community in their country is through the blatant denial of access to higher education. Yes, you heard me right. All Baha'is are summarily denied access to college or university education.

Ever resilient, Baha'i students have managed to matriculate remotely through accredited universities in the United States and elsewhere - clearly via distance learning. [Three cheers for technology].

Now the government of Iran is arresting these students, their mentors, and even their lawyer in further attempts to quash their spirit.

So I have joined thousands of people, including Nobel Laureates Desmond Tutu and Jose Ramos-Horta, in a call for change. A peaceful request that all students in Iran be treated with justice, equality and fairness.

What number will you be?

Like a Boss...!

Courtesy A Cup of Jo

So I just finished Tina Fey's classic rendition of her life until now: Bossy Pants. As she predicted, I borrowed it from "a woman at work"... and I loved it!

I particularly love the way that she talks about the women she has worked with: everyone from YMCA ticket takers to Amy Poehler. She's totally respectful of their work and talks of their contributions with a sort of dignity that more people should use. And her bold assertion of how we need to not tear each other down all of the time made me want to vote for her.

Another awesome woman on the topic of "why we don't ask Donald Trump what it feels like to be the boss of all those people" (that's me, paraphrasing Tina Fey) is Nicki Minaj. Whose body of work I honestly don't know that well. But I like what she has to say about the difference in attitudes about what happens when a man tells it how it is... and when a woman does it. You can watch the interview here.

#Baws.

Arts and Crafts...

Courtesy Luckybeans

So now that I'm back in the States, one of my favorite things to do is to work with the children and youth in my area - learning cool things and making new friendships. Accordingly, I'm always on the lookout for cool arts and craft ideas or science experiments to try.

And one of the best sources I've found is Luckybeans.

You know... just paying it forward: one creative person to another!

P.S. Children's Class is totally making these stars this week: for my shining stars!

On A Moment of Silence...

What does a bill like PIPA/SOPA mean to our shareable world? At the TED offices, Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume.

Freedom of speech is something that I sincerely hold dear... I don't sneak around whispering at home, and I won't sneak around whispering on the internet, either.

Also, for those of you not in the States: look alive. They're the world wide interwebs....

On Fashion Cues...

Courtesy Lili & Mae

Me.

So I was poking around the interwebs today and spotted an ode to my favorite color (orange!) on Lili & Mae and I was quite tickled to learn that I was so fashion forward in my dress today.

But here's where I'm really going with this. Ladies, do you ever take fashion ques from men? On the street, in your life, at the office? There are a quite a few men's fashion blogs out there that I think, while definitely geared towards men, address a pretty universal aesthetic. Naturally, The Sartorialist is at the top of this list... but check out what James Nord is doing, or the ever dapper curators of Street Etiquette. Watch for things like incorporating color, accessories, and textures.

You can thank me later.

...Let There Be Light

Maybe it's because these photos from NASA (courtesy A Cup Of Jo) are so lovely and serene, or maybe it's because our days will start to get longer and warmer (crosses fingers...) - but I feel a little reflection is in order.

East

West

So the biggest change in my life this year is the cross-globe move I made from Israel to the States at the beginning of August. I tell you that there was not a small amount of nervous excitement in that move. But I'm finding that the smaller ripple changes that resulted from that move have been correspondingly profound.

One of my biggest challenges has been holding on to the lessons of material detachment I learned (emphasis on earned) in Israel, particularly now that I'm living in a capitalistic society again. Being able to put that lesson to the test, so to speak, really makes me proud of myself. I also find that I'm thinking about and appreciating the idea of capitalism in a much different way... mostly by reevaluating what it is that I'd like to foster and invest in.

Which brings me to the true joy I've found in my new "extra-curricular" activities. At least once a week (but now that school is done, I aim to spend more time), I work some of the smartest, coolest, and kindest people I've ever met. As a team, we're learning how change our culture and society in positive ways: we examine things like the effects of unity and friendship versus the destructive effects of gossip and "cliques". We think about our impact on the world socially, materially, and spiritually and really think long and hard about the kind of people we want to be: how to be a true friend; how to be wise stewards of our environment.

I am learning so much from these people, who, by the by, are between the ages of 9 and 11.

Spend some quality learning time with children and youth, yourselves - it's the best investment I've ever made!

Happy...!

Source: garancedore.fr via Aimee on Pinterest

So my Papa Jim just sent me an email wishing me a Merry Christmas, and I thought I'd pay it forward in a "may your days be merry and bright kind of way"... particularly as the shortest day of the year is upon us.

What's your share the light in your heart strategy? [wow... that sounds really "my blog is my full time job/hipster about town" to me, too.] But seriously? I'm making pasta with friends tonight and couldn't be more stoked!

Nobel Peace Ladies...

Via Bitte Ein Kuss

(L-R)

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia

Leymah Gbowee, Champion of Women's Rights (Liberia)

Tawakkul Karman, Icon of the Arab Spring Protest (Yemen)

[2011 Nobel Peace Prize recipients]

"The woman is indeed of the greater importance to the race. She has the greater burden and the greater work. Look at the vegetable and the animal worlds. The palm which carries the fruit is the tree most prized by the date grower. The Arab knows that for a long journey the mare has the longest wind. For her greater strength and fierceness, the lioness is more feared by the hunter than the lion.

The woman has greater moral courage than the man; she has also special gifts which enable her to govern in moments of danger and crisis…." - 'Abdu'l-Baha, from an address given in London.

I don't mean this to sound like man-bashing... because it is not. But it is nice to see the contributions and achievements of women recognized, particularly in the field of peace building and community development.

...Magnificent

This (Holocene) has been my favorite song since BBC started streaming Bon Iver's new album - so, like, 6 months or so.

I'm so happy that they've finally done a video for it!

Shout out to Tralalere! for the head's up. In somewhat related news, if you're looking for some way to help society and further universal education, check out how the Tralere! family became involved: Capucine's Library. So sweet!

Peace.

Via Le Love.

"Ten years ago today, the world did not change. We just got a glimpse of the appalling state we've been in for quite a while now and a heads-up of how much worse it'll get [unless and] until we accept and embrace the essential organic unity of mankind and overcome the barriers of prejudice... from both sides."

This tiny and poignant slice of awesome is courtesy of my good friend John.

Don't allow the sacrifice of so many to become a tool of hate and greed and disunity. Remember that love and peace are not only possible, they're essential.

Listen Up...

This speech is excerpted from the closing scene of the Charlie Chaplin classic "The Great Dictator". Filmed at the beginning of WWII, it parodies Hitler and the Nazi regime.

Nearly 71 years since the film's initial release, and this impassioned speech retains its relevance. For this reason, I think it profoundly important to really listen to the words here - three and a half minutes is really nothing - because the call to universal peace and brotherly love is more necessary than ever!

Shout out to Sina A. for the head's up. I appreciate you.

Further To...

Very first Seder Pesach dinner? It was awesome! I love meeting other people's families. Especially when you realize that even though the language, culture and cuisine may be different - we're all the same.

On Community...

BBC One is killing it! I just peeped the trailer for Human Planet on Melody's blog - and I'm so glad. This looks amazing! Besides the obvious (and cool) physical/survival elements to human existence, I'm really hoping that this documentary touches on those variables that make us human - that make us, to quote the fine folks at BBC "the most remarkable species of all" - the human spirit and the human community.

Community is the topic up for discussion over at Nineteen Months this month; there are some really lovely articles up - I suggest that you check them out! And don't forget the fine photography - the theme this month is Glory.

In related news... I'm going to my first ever Seder Pesach (the traditional Jewish Passover dinner). I am really excited. I'll keep you all posted - but I'm really looking forward to a night with friends and family: to celebrating community!

Help Japan...

Reposted from Vahid's blog: Apple Versus the World.

...by which I mean that I couldn't have said it better myself.

...I See You

“Why should there be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?… There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will. The well-off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. The poor in our countries have been shut out of our minds, and driven from the mainstream of our societies, because we have allowed them to become invisible… No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for “the least of these”.

-Martin Luther King, Jr. (Nobel Prize Lecture, 11 December 1964)

So Baha'is the world over are Fasting right now. The Baha'i Fast lasts 19 days, and we do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. As it is in most religious traditions the Fast, physically speaking, is largely symbolic. And it's probably neither enlightened or particularly spiritual of me... but I don't mind sharing with you that it's not easy for me. I'm kind of like a hobbit in that I eat at least 5 times a day. But I always think, in the middle of the day when my attention is waning, and my throat is a little dry, and I'm dreaming about how satisfying even a tiny bite of anything would be... there are people whose daily reality is this.

And they're not dramatic [a la aimee piper].

And they might even live next door or go to your school.

How can we, as the world's privileged few [don't kid yourself; if you're reading this - even if you're using dial-up, you've got it made.] learn to share the world's resources in a way that is just and dignified?

I think it starts with, as Dr. King suggests, not allowing people to become invisible.

We can not continue to establish and create cognitive dissonance from our fellow humans. There should be no such thing as disposable people.

Apple of Their Eye...

Mona and Vahid: my neighbors.

So in the midst of making a new kind of scone (off-handedly mentioned yesterday... didn't want to ruin the surprise for the recipients!) flavor last night, I helped M&V with a little Valentine's Day project of their own.

Okay, I make it sound like I'm some kind of high-tech street-fashion photoblogger. We all know that the opposite of this is true. I basically just used the camera option on Vahid's iPhone and then they did some kind of fancy-shmancy editing on the computer and BAM!

Photobooth-esque Valentine's Day e-card.

I'd like to credit my steady hands, good eye, and engaging personality for the lovely card above, but it's really down to the fact that the Yamartino's are incredibly photogenic and that Vahid knows almost everything there is to know about Apple. I know, I'm practically begging you to make him prove it!

Brotherly Love...

First seen on Bitte Ein Kuss.

Original source here.

This is awesome and beautiful and amazing. Unity in diversity at work!

It's True...

Courtesy A Softer World.
One of my favorite online "comics".