Have you listened to or considered being a guest on the Cultural Fusion Experience radio show?

I decided to give this Twitter app a try and wondered how many of you have tried it?

I just found this site that shows you a way of getting 1000's of new followers
on twitter, I just started using it myself.

http://tweetergetter.com/ydubel

We'll give the 30 day test.  In other words, we''ll see how things are at that time.

"Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you — but do not think of that now it will come back multiplied a thousandfold , but the attention must not be on that. Yet have the power to give: there it ends. "

This show expands on the topic of breath as life force with special emphasis applications to real life issues (i.e. security & identity). The participants are Desmond Green, author of Eyeology and Max Rodriguez, Founder & Publisher of QBR The Black Book Review/Harlem Book Fair/HBF Publishers.
Join us on the First and Last Sunday at 2pm EST Cultural Fusion Experience Radio

Listen to the discussion here

Did you know happiness is contagious?

Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study

Objectives To evaluate whether happiness can spread from person to person and whether niches of happiness form within social networks.

Design Longitudinal social network analysis.

Setting Framingham Heart Study social network.

Participants 4739 individuals followed from 1983 to 2003.

Main outcome measures Happiness measured with validated four item scale; broad array of attributes of social networks and diverse social ties.

Results Clusters of happy and unhappy people are visible in the network, and the relationship between people’s happiness extends up to three degrees of separation (for example, to the friends of one’s friends’ friends). People who are surrounded by many happy people and those who are central in the network are more likely to become happy in the future. Longitudinal statistical models suggest that clusters of happiness result from the spread of happiness and not just a tendency for people to associate with similar individuals. A friend who lives within a mile (about 1.6 km) and who becomes happy increases the probability that a person is happy by 25% (95% confidence interval 1% to 57%). Similar effects are seen in coresident spouses (8%, 0.2% to 16%), siblings who live within a mile (14%, 1% to 28%), and next door neighbours (34%, 7% to 70%). Effects are not seen between coworkers. The effect decays with time and with geographical separation.

Conclusions People’s happiness depends on the happiness of others with whom they are connected. This provides further justification for seeing happiness, like health, as a collective phenomenon.

Source One
Source Two

Your are invited to spread some happiness

When I learned that a colleague of mine, Sherri Thompson of Viola's Babygirl's Ventures, LLC, had a project being released on December 11th I knew we had to celebrate! The fact that this project, a music CD distributed through children's hospitals, shared my birthday inspired me to share my Birthday Wish with anyone willing to accept a bit of magic birthday wishing dust. We'll also hear a few tracks from the Dream On! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute CD - which you may have heard discussed in the previous show. (If you haven't yet, do listen to that one) As the chance to have some other surprise call in guests took shape this show started to look more like an online party. Let's roll with that.....Join us for a Happy Birthday Celebration at 12pm EST

I wanted to share this with you as it is a way to participate in the Cultural Fusion Experience and help promote your project, organization, etc. Also because I am using this as a way to scout for collaborators for the Cultural Fusion Tour....we can discuss that later if that is of interest to you. Of course, anyone else that is interested is also welcomed to contact me.

See my latest blog post or post to the forum about inviting people to contribute for the next video.

After much discussion about the branding of Cultural Fusion, Cherrie of Global Gia Marketing had a brainstorm session this past weekend and she came up with the concept.

I point this out because it could be a great way to start promoting various artists, events, and communities/organizations that are or will be participating.

Could you help introduce this opportunity to the artist community where you are?
My thinking is you could have a few or several artist shoot their clips in your national art museum or similar with their work in the background (2D work, performances, etc) or as part of the reading itself.

What do you think?

If you are interested, or know anyone who is please join me at the Cultural Fusion Group Network because I will be using the group to coordinate this endeavor to make things easier (manageable).

All the best,
Yvette

See full post here

Currently I am inviting people, especially artists, to contribute to a new video that puts Cultural Fusion art sponsorships into context and helps define the project "brand"....where we move beyond selling people on an image of what a company/product/thing is and instead invite them to explore/help define what it is.

What is involved?
Each person that is selected will contribute a video clip reading one to three slides from a power point presentation. If you are an artist, I'd love to see your work included in the background of your clip....each presenter will be credited in subtitle, as well as an article with links to Cultural Fusion member profiles. Contributors will also be featured in upcoming radio shows, interview or feature in Oci Novosti magazine - new project publication launching later this month. (let me know if you'd like to help with that I have a mock up I did when I first started working on the idea) Oci Novosti is good news with an artist perspective. We will be featuring the good work and issues being addressed by individuals and communities around the globe. Instead of highlighting the problems, we'll be paying attention to the people that are solving them.

If you are or know of anyone that would be interested in participating please connect with me at the Cultural Fusion group network or via the Prospous Play Pod here -  for next steps.

Thanks everyone for sharing and for the chance to share in return :-)

All the best!

To copy and post into your profile, blogs, etc. simply click the "share" link in the lower right hand corner. Then copy and paste the embed code into our website, blog, etc. Alternately, you can select one of the buttons showing the social network you wish to post the widget in and proceed as instructed.

Visit my blog post here to get the widget as this one doesn't support the embed code.

Recently, my friend Cherrie Richard Collazo of Gaia Global Marketing shared a documentary film treatment with me that warrents attention and discussion, but most importantly support for production. Because of this I wish to share excepts from it with you.

A Feature Length Documentary  

      It's easy to see that most Americans admire the idea of justice.  After all, we make our kids pledge "…with liberty and justice for all" every day in school.  Throw in equality and you've got three concepts that practically define our nation. 

      So what's going on with Leonard Peltier?  Where are his liberty, justice and equality?

      Leonard's a sixty-two year old Native American.  He's been in maximum security prisons for thirty-one years. The reason?  Two FBI agents died as a result of a fateful firefight on an Indian Reservation in June of 1975. Leonard was there. He's been convicted for alleged involvement in the agents' deaths. And he's been failed by the American Judicial system.  Not just once, but over and over again.  At least that's the hypothesis this documentary will seek to prove.  Or if we're wrong, disprove.

      There are a bunch of people who believe in Leonard's innocence so strongly that they've given up family, homes and jobs to fight for his freedom.  But this isn't a film about them. There are high profile celebrities and world leaders like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela and the entire Belgian Parliament who have made convincing and regular pleas for Leonard's freedom.  This isn't a film about them either.  Our film also isn't about Leonard's guilt or innocence.  In fact, it's not even exactly about Leonard.  It's about the American judicial system; whether or not it acted ethically, impartially and legally in the case of Leonard Peltier.  And it's about why we should care.

      There are reasons most of us haven't been paying attention to Leonard.  His prison story isn't the breezy water cooler conversation of Britney's 5150 hold or Paris' 45 day sentence. And even if we don't personally salivate over People Magazine articles, there are other causes that seduce us away from our own backyard:  Repression in Burma, persecution in Rwanda, torture and rape in Uzbekistan.  And if it's all too much to handle, we can switch to finding humor in the last through our clueless movie icon, Borat.  But what about our own government's missteps and abuses?  If only we were as obsessed with our U.S. Court judges as we are with Simon Cowell, well, we might just have less of those missteps and abuses. Most of us have grown up being fed whatever the media put in front of us, no questions asked.  And many of us know a guy who knows a guy who was audited by the IRS forty-nine years straight for asking a question they didn't like.  It's a shame -- our country wasn't founded on human rights complacency and it certainly wasn't founded on fear of the IRS.  (Wasn't' there something about a Boston Tea Party in history class?)

      Okay, we aren't completely oblivious as a nation.  We condemned the actions of our military at Abu Ghraib after seeing all those horrible pictures. But what about the wrong doings that aren't caught on camera?  What about all those small breakdowns, intentional and unintentional, of our Judicial System? If they go unchecked and unchallenged, doesn't that leave the door open for our daughters, our brothers, maybe even ourselves to fall victim to an imperfect system which acts and reacts with no fear of reprisal?

      We'd like to ignite some passion for justice again.  And maybe stir up a little enthusiasm for liberty and equality too. No sensationalizing, no propagandizing, no soapboxes needed.  The facts will speak for themselves. 

   Yes, Leonard is in prison for a conviction in the 1975 deaths of two FBI agents, but like almost everything about this case, the basis for his charges and conviction is also in dispute. Is he in prison for first degree murder or for aiding and abetting?  Either way, he's been incarcerated now about twice as long as the law requires for the most severe version.  The one area in this case that is undisputed is that the FBI and prosecutors behaved badly.  They withheld evidence, fabricated testimony and presented conflicting arguments.  Leonard maintains he's innocent of the charges against him and has done so consistently through times when a remorseful confession – even a fake one – might have gained him an early release, for which there are precedents in many less ambiguous cases. In fact, we came across unequivocal hands-on, first degree multiple murderers getting out in less time: Kenneth Allen McDuff received the death sentence in 1972 for a triple murder.  He was paroled in 1989.  Arthur Shawcross was convicted of strangling two kids. He was out in fifteen years.  In 1973, Daniel Joe Hittle was found guilty of murdering his adoptive parents because their dog scratched his truck.  He was paroled after 11 years.  And Leonard, who has not been proven to have killed anyone?  Well, he's still sits in prison after 31 years.

      We're working under an agreement with Leonard and his defense committee, the LPDC. We have access to all their documents and to breaking news, both public and private.  (Yes, there is still breaking news in the case).  Leonard is up for parole for the second time at the end of 2008.  A clemency petition was forwarded from President Clinton to President Bush, who will grant commutations before he leaves office in 2009. Our documentary can have a significant impact on these outcomes.

      Through use of the latest forensic technology, extensive interviews and a compilation of compelling archival footage, we'll take on the judicial system through Leonard's story.  We'll endeavor to answer objectively the myriad questions raised by the case, many of them a version of a recurrent theme: "How could a sane and just court have let this happen, reached that decision, or acted in that way?" 

      Based on Leonard's support roster, we'll also look to put together a powerful soundtrack for the movie.  We're requesting musical contributions from Ben Harper, Stevie VanZandt, Rage Against the Machine, Stephen Earle, Rita Coolidge, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Jackson Browne, Mos Def, Willie Nelson, Indigo Girls, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Kris Kristofferson, Dead Prez, Robbie Robertson and Bono....

    While America moved on with new interests since that devastating day on Pine Ridge, Leonard continued to fight the same seemingly endless legal battle.  We discoed on roller blades, mimicked Farrah's hairstyle and poked fun at Billy Beer as Leonard fought his extradition, was tried and convicted, then sought a retrial. We moonwalked with Michael Jackson, lip synched to Madonna and learned who shot JR as Leonard fought on to win an appeal.  And while Leonard was denied parole and his attorneys continued to fight to get access to FBI documents, America got absorbed with some other legal cases.  We rallied behind or railed against Heidi Fleiss, the Hollywood Madam.  Some say her jail sentence was unjust since her clients weren't prosecuted.  And fifty-seven million of us were glued to the OJ Simpson trial.  Of course, some say the system may have failed OJ in a different way. But those trials were a decade ago. 

      Let's get back to caring about the little guy whose plight could one day be close to home.  Let's stop shrugging off as "just the way it is" our government's blunders and dubious motivations.  Let's stop taking the media at face value. We may not have Judge Judy, but we do have a compelling opportunity to put our justice system on trial and see how it fares through the case of Leonard Peltier. 

If you can assist in getting this film made please conact:

R.J Joseph

www.moccasinpathproductions.com

Friday After Thanksgiving Will Now Be Designated as Day of Tribute

 

Washington, DC – Earlier this week President Bush signed into law legislation introduced by Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto), to designate the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.  The Native American Heritage Day Bill, H.J. Res. 62, is supported by the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and 184 federally recognized tribes, and designates Friday, November 28, 2008, as a day to pay tribute to Native Americans for their many contributions to the United States. 

 

"I am pleased the President took quick action on signing this legislation, which recognizes the importance of Native Americans to our history and culture," said Rep. Baca.   "It is critical we honor the contributions of Native Americans and ensure all Americans are properly educated on their heritage and many achievements."   

 

The Native American Heritage Day Bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe Friday, November 28, as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate ceremonies and activities.  It also encourages public elementary and secondary schools to enhance student understanding of Native Americans by providing classroom instruction focusing on their history, achievements, and contributions.  As a state Assemblyman, Rep. Baca introduced the legislation that established the fourth Friday of September as Native American Day in California – which became state law in 1998. 

 

H.J. Res. 62 was originally passed by the House of Representatives on November 13, 2007.  The bill was passed with technical adjustments by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on September 22, 2008.  Then, on September 26, 2008, the House of Representatives unanimously voted to pass the legislation again, this time including the adjustments from the Senate.  The legislation was signed into public law by the President on October 8, 2008.

 

"This law will help to preserve the great history and legacy of Native Americans," added Rep. Baca.  "Native Americans and their ancestors have played a vital role in the formation of our nation.  They have fought with valor and died in every American war dating back to the Revolutionary War, and deserve this special acknowledgement."

 

"Since my time in the California State Legislature, I have fought to ensure Native Americans receive the recognition they deserve," continued Rep. Baca.  "After introducing the legislation that established Native American Day in California, I am proud to have introduced and passed the legislation that creates a national day of recognition.  I thank my good friend James Ramos, now Chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, for standing with me from the beginning on this long journey to ensure the contributions of Native Americans are recognized and appreciated by all."

Official Level

This video is an introduction to Cultural Fusion Art as Philosophy origin, concepts, projects, etc with the two primary metaphors I have been using for the model- galaxy formation (inclusion) and recipes/cooking from the heart (integration of the intuitive and abundance). This is another step in the documentation of the creative process from hope to realization.

cfAaP is a flexible bridge between good will and economic opportunities through Art. And so this is another component to advance the dialogue with you who are engaged.  (To whom it may concern: new website, and cfAaPNetwork broadcasting are in pre-launch-let me know if you want to contribute)

Moving through this creates the context for developing cultures of peace and exploring alternatives to economies based on scarcity and instead invite you to join in creating an economy of abundance.

If you are interested in joining us to take this video or project series to the next level let's talk!

See CRM Strategy white paper for more information about social capital.
http://webantiphon.com/Knowledge-Bank...

Personal level

Originally, I had planned to only share these videos internally with the core team I have been working with, but I changed my mind. One of the reasons I decided to share them although it doesn't perfectly reflect my vision is that this series is largely inspired by my own issues with perfectionism....breaking an old pattern to learn about self-acceptance. This is major issue in creating peace, as the lack of it in the world is a reflection of the same lack in each of us as individuals.

If we can not accept ourselves then we can accept someone else and this leads to the need to be judgmental, blame, and even punish others.

The opportunity to be loss makes it worth the risk for my ego to share this imperfect video and I see that if I didn't I would miss the chance to be the first or one of the first to chart this new territory.

In addition, this is how space is made for other people to join in. This There has to be room for others to join and express the best of themselves and that means they need to see the change their contribution makes in really clear ways. If I waited until I covered all the pieces myself or just hired professional firms then the chance to engage people at the grassroots level in the most meaningful ways would be loss.

Creatively Social Level

That is fundamental to the concept, expressed ideally in "stone soup" story.

In this case, I show up with an idea and a pot--- Ron was the first to pay attention, which led to everyone else that followed having something to pay attention or contribute to - intangible assets (knowledge, talent, etc.) or physical resources (money, technology, etc.) expressed in the SoulFood model as the vegetables, meat, spices and that is how the meals (aka projects) come to be....we then can document with these videos and artworks that Cultural Fusion process and see how it take shape in a way that to me seems more honest than if it was just written as an article, paper, etc in retrospect.

As this was conceived as an alternative to Protest Art and I have been from the start interested in solutions and models that support transparency each part of the process is a revelation in how these intentions can be realized.