Tuesday, July 31, 2012
TNS#81: The Transition Movement
TheNextStep show #81 was taped 8/25/2011 and featured Transition movement activist Julia Bystrova, who's been involved with transitionsebastopol.org. The Transition movement grew out of the ideas in the book The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience by Rob Hopkins, in which Rob does a great job documenting the activities of many 'transition towns' in the UK where he lives... chiefly Totnes UK (www.transitiontowntotnes.org). The Transition movement seeks to cultivate community resilience in response to the challenges of resource depletion, climate change, and economic instability. Rob's book starts out with a contemplation of what the future trends are in view of climate change and post-peak-oil, and manages to present an inspiring optimistic vision of how local communities can build resilience.
Julia's blog is at julfire.wordpress.com. Thanks for coming down for the show Julia!
The show is now posted online here:
blip.tv/the-next-step/thenextstep-81-the-transition-movement-6274379
From the transitionsebastopol.org website: (loved this disclaimer!)
About US - Cheerful Disclaimer:
Just in case you were under the impression that Transition is a process defined by people who have all the answers, you need to be aware of a key fact.
We truly don't know if this will work. Transition is a social experiment on a massive scale.
What we are convinced of is this:
* if we wait for the governments, it'll be too little, too late
* if we act as individuals, it'll be too little
* but if we act as communities, it might just be enough, just in time.
Everything that you read on the transition town http://transitiontowns.org site is the result of real work undertaken in the real world with community engagement at its heart. There's not an ivory tower in sight, no professors in musty oak-paneled studies churning out erudite papers, no slavish adherence to a model carved in stone.
This site, just like the transition model, is brought to you by people who are actively engaged in transition in a community. People who are learning by doing - and learning all the time. People who understand that we can't sit back and wait for someone else to do the work. People like you, perhaps...
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
TNS#80: The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide
TheNextStep show #80 was taped 7/19/2011 and featured local author James Fadiman PhD talking about his new book The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide. A very enjoyable conversation with a long-time consciousness pioneer! I was flattered that James asked for a copy of my show notes listing all the passages I liked in the book.
The show has been uploaded here:
http://blip.tv/the-next-step/thenextstep-80-psychedelic-explorer-s-guide-5605889
James' website: www.jamesfadiman.com... the book is www.psychedelicexplorersguide.com From the book's website:
"Jim Fadiman's manual offers helpful and well-informed guidance for those who seek 'the divine within' through sacred plants and psychedelic substances." - Daniel Pinchbeck, author of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl and Breaking Open the Head
"This is some of the most thoughtful, wise, heartfelt, and essential instruction for the use of sacred medicine." - Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
TNS#79: The Maker Faire & Maker Revolution
TheNextStep#79 was taped 6/23/11 and featured 4 guests all involved with the Maker movement in some way... the show was inspired by the highly successful 6th annual MakerFaire in San Mateo in May2011 (makerfaire.com). Joining the panel were Alex Peake founder of PrimerLabs.com and CodeHero.org, Joe Mathes co-founder of Hack the Future, Laurence Miotto Dir. of IT for the Museum of Art & Digital Entertainment (themade.org), and Antonio Gussenhoven of CodeHero.org. Lively show, thanks, guys!
At the 2011 Maker Faire I was particularly inspired by Nolan Bushnell's talk about his new online highschool initiative Speed-To-Learn, with curriculum to be provided via the Apple AppStore; and by Massimo Banzi's talk about how he was motivated to start the Arduino project. (The Arduino is a wildly successful open-source single-board microcontroller design that now has hundreds of compatible plug-in boards and thousands of shared code files; it's been especially popular with students and do-it-yourselfers.)
The show has been uploaded here:
http://blip.tv/the-next-step/thenextstep-79-the-maker-faire-and-maker-revolution-5993284
At the 2011 Maker Faire I was particularly inspired by Nolan Bushnell's talk about his new online highschool initiative Speed-To-Learn, with curriculum to be provided via the Apple AppStore; and by Massimo Banzi's talk about how he was motivated to start the Arduino project. (The Arduino is a wildly successful open-source single-board microcontroller design that now has hundreds of compatible plug-in boards and thousands of shared code files; it's been especially popular with students and do-it-yourselfers.)
The show has been uploaded here:
http://blip.tv/the-next-step/thenextstep-79-the-maker-faire-and-maker-revolution-5993284
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
TNS#78 - Men's Story Project
The Next Step #78 was taped 4/12/2011 and featured Josie Lehrer talking about her Men's Story Project (mensstoryproject.org) as well as multiple clips from the many dozens of short films on the site. The show has been posted here:
http://blip.tv/the-next-step/tns-78_mensstoryproject-5582992
What Josie has done is send out a call for submissions soliciting for men to share personal stories that address their issues/experiences with masculinity. This curated group of men was then coached on developing and sharing their stories for live audiences. The live Men's Story Project events are filmed, and video clips from these events are then posted on the mensstoryproject.org youtube channel (see link on the home page), as a means of crowdsourcing culture change on male gender norms and gender relations.
There are about 35 pieces posted to date - all of them poignant, many funny, some brilliant. She has done this in multiple cities now, and there are two feature films available which document the live events - one in English, and the other in Spanish. Very inspiring... thanks, Josie!
From her website: The Men's Story Project is a replicable community arts and dialog initiative in which local men explore social ideas about masculinity for the purpose of health and justice. The longterm goal is to help expand the presence of genuine personal expression of peace and social justice in communities.
“This program is about healing.”
Storytelling: For preserving and passing on traditions, for challenging and breaking traditions, and for the creation of new traditions.
Mission: To strengthen social norms that support healthy masculinities and gender equality, and to help eliminate gender-based violence, homophobia and other oppressions that are intertwined with masculinities, through ongoing events of men´s public story-sharing and community dialogue.
http://blip.tv/the-next-step/tns-78_mensstoryproject-5582992
What Josie has done is send out a call for submissions soliciting for men to share personal stories that address their issues/experiences with masculinity. This curated group of men was then coached on developing and sharing their stories for live audiences. The live Men's Story Project events are filmed, and video clips from these events are then posted on the mensstoryproject.org youtube channel (see link on the home page), as a means of crowdsourcing culture change on male gender norms and gender relations.
There are about 35 pieces posted to date - all of them poignant, many funny, some brilliant. She has done this in multiple cities now, and there are two feature films available which document the live events - one in English, and the other in Spanish. Very inspiring... thanks, Josie!
From her website: The Men's Story Project is a replicable community arts and dialog initiative in which local men explore social ideas about masculinity for the purpose of health and justice. The longterm goal is to help expand the presence of genuine personal expression of peace and social justice in communities.
“This program is about healing.”
Storytelling: For preserving and passing on traditions, for challenging and breaking traditions, and for the creation of new traditions.
Mission: To strengthen social norms that support healthy masculinities and gender equality, and to help eliminate gender-based violence, homophobia and other oppressions that are intertwined with masculinities, through ongoing events of men´s public story-sharing and community dialogue.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
TNS#77: Clearing The Air (Between the Sexes)
The Next Step #77 was taped 3/8/11 and featured Gordon Clay in a show titled Clearing The Air (Between Women & Men). Shauna Wilson Mora, Gordon's co-facilitator in their Clearing The Air workshops, was hoping to join us but didn't make it. Gordon and Shauna have run workshops together since 1993, under the names Healing The Father Wound, Healing The Mother Wound, and Family Reunion.
From their clearingtheair.net site:
"Turn what has impacted your life into the impact you can have in your life.
Transform: reaction into the power of choice, coping and settling into living with passion, numbness into clear, appropriate, emotional expression, fear of conflict into opportunities for positive change, blame and guilt into accountability, shame and/or resentment into forgiveness."
"The highly acclaimed Clearing the Air Workshop series features various interactive group experiences. It explores the wounds we hold around our family of origin, and how these initial wounds have continued to impact our adult lives. The series is designed to help men and women break through the unresolved issues that impede forgiveness and personal freedom.
The workshops are experiential in nature. There is very little lecture. The intention is to break through barriers and old patterns through movement, Tantrum Yoga® express and release work, breathwork, psychodrama, meditation, and processes that excavate wounds and ties that keep us stuck. It is an intense and transformational series.
Healing the Father Wound® and Healing the Mother Wound® workshops are four-night, three-day events offered for 12 men or 12 women. Clearing the Air™ Between Women & Men is a six-day, five-night event for 6 men and 6 women (not couples) who have completed both previous workshops."
Gordon Clay is also the creator of menstuff.org - the largest website in the world on men's issues, online since 1985. Our discussion was wide-ranging and highly enjoyable. Gordon lives in southern OR now so it was a treat to be able to catch him on the road. Gordon also spent years traveling the U.S. with his mobile Mens Resource Center library van. It was nice to see him participating in the recent (june'11) ultimatemenssummit.org online conference.
"Man's inherent nature is to be curious, gentle, intimate, responsible, enthusiastic, sensual, tolerant, courageous, honest, vulnerable, affectionate, proud, spiritual, committed, wild, nurturing, peaceful, helpful, intense, compassionate, happy, and to fully and safely express all emotions. When will we stop training him to be otherwise?"
-- Gordon Clay
From their clearingtheair.net site:
"Turn what has impacted your life into the impact you can have in your life.
Transform: reaction into the power of choice, coping and settling into living with passion, numbness into clear, appropriate, emotional expression, fear of conflict into opportunities for positive change, blame and guilt into accountability, shame and/or resentment into forgiveness."
"The highly acclaimed Clearing the Air Workshop series features various interactive group experiences. It explores the wounds we hold around our family of origin, and how these initial wounds have continued to impact our adult lives. The series is designed to help men and women break through the unresolved issues that impede forgiveness and personal freedom.
The workshops are experiential in nature. There is very little lecture. The intention is to break through barriers and old patterns through movement, Tantrum Yoga® express and release work, breathwork, psychodrama, meditation, and processes that excavate wounds and ties that keep us stuck. It is an intense and transformational series.
Healing the Father Wound® and Healing the Mother Wound® workshops are four-night, three-day events offered for 12 men or 12 women. Clearing the Air™ Between Women & Men is a six-day, five-night event for 6 men and 6 women (not couples) who have completed both previous workshops."
Gordon Clay is also the creator of menstuff.org - the largest website in the world on men's issues, online since 1985. Our discussion was wide-ranging and highly enjoyable. Gordon lives in southern OR now so it was a treat to be able to catch him on the road. Gordon also spent years traveling the U.S. with his mobile Mens Resource Center library van. It was nice to see him participating in the recent (june'11) ultimatemenssummit.org online conference.
"Man's inherent nature is to be curious, gentle, intimate, responsible, enthusiastic, sensual, tolerant, courageous, honest, vulnerable, affectionate, proud, spiritual, committed, wild, nurturing, peaceful, helpful, intense, compassionate, happy, and to fully and safely express all emotions. When will we stop training him to be otherwise?"
-- Gordon Clay
Monday, June 6, 2011
TNS#76: A Return to Healing
TheNextStep show #76 was taped 1/24/11, with Dr. Len Saputo about his book A Return to Healing: Radical Health Care Reform and the Future of Medicine (www.doctorsaputo.com, healthmedicinecenter.net). I heard Dr. Len on coasttocoastam.com last year, was very impressed and was delighted when a mutual friend introduced us and he was willing to come down to Palo Alto for a show.
Len founded the Health Medicine Forum in 1994 and subsequently founded the Health Medicine Center in Walnut Ck CA, one of the first clinics to bring the new model of integral-health medicine into practice. In addition to A Return to Healing, he is coauthor of Boosting Immunity and editor of six other books. Len and his wife Vicki produce a weekly radio show "Prescriptions for Health" Fri 9-11am on KEST 1450 AM.
From my show notes: Len's 4 principles of 'health medicine': integrated, holistic, person-centered, preventative. Conventional medicine focuses almost entirely on managing symptoms. New style of medicine needed: CAM (complementary and alternative medicine). The Orthomolecular premise: if all body cells were functioning perfectly, one would not be sick! The 4 factors of cellular health: nutrition, detox, genetic defects, psychospiritual factors. The 4 paths to cyto-pathology: genetics, toxins, nutritional deficiency, stress.
Reasons why a new approach is needed: US last place in preventable death among industrialized nations; cost of health care now causing a bankruptcy every 30 secs; premiums grown 4x faster than wages in last 8 yrs; 50% of all Amer. bankruptcy due to medical bills; obesity up to 33%/population now and #2 cause of preventable death; multiple chemical sensitivity now 30%/population; cancer up 85% since 1950, now 50%/population; "war on cancer" a failure: still #2 cause of death.
Len does a great job laying out the economic argument for universal health care. He supports 'healing circles'. He offers a 5-point plan for making America healthier:
1. Fund programs to make exercise universally available and attractive.
2. Tax junk food, subsidize sustainable farming and healthy foods.
3. Fund comparative assessment research for 'alternative' treatment regimes and require disclosure of all treatments supported by scientific evidence.
4. Provide broad support for preventive screenings.
5. Ban DTC (direct to consumer) drug ads, advertise healthy lifestyle.
I found Len personally charming and his book compelling, and hopeful. Check it out!
Great Albert Schweitzer quote: "It's supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you... We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within."
Len founded the Health Medicine Forum in 1994 and subsequently founded the Health Medicine Center in Walnut Ck CA, one of the first clinics to bring the new model of integral-health medicine into practice. In addition to A Return to Healing, he is coauthor of Boosting Immunity and editor of six other books. Len and his wife Vicki produce a weekly radio show "Prescriptions for Health" Fri 9-11am on KEST 1450 AM.
From my show notes: Len's 4 principles of 'health medicine': integrated, holistic, person-centered, preventative. Conventional medicine focuses almost entirely on managing symptoms. New style of medicine needed: CAM (complementary and alternative medicine). The Orthomolecular premise: if all body cells were functioning perfectly, one would not be sick! The 4 factors of cellular health: nutrition, detox, genetic defects, psychospiritual factors. The 4 paths to cyto-pathology: genetics, toxins, nutritional deficiency, stress.
Reasons why a new approach is needed: US last place in preventable death among industrialized nations; cost of health care now causing a bankruptcy every 30 secs; premiums grown 4x faster than wages in last 8 yrs; 50% of all Amer. bankruptcy due to medical bills; obesity up to 33%/population now and #2 cause of preventable death; multiple chemical sensitivity now 30%/population; cancer up 85% since 1950, now 50%/population; "war on cancer" a failure: still #2 cause of death.
Len does a great job laying out the economic argument for universal health care. He supports 'healing circles'. He offers a 5-point plan for making America healthier:
1. Fund programs to make exercise universally available and attractive.
2. Tax junk food, subsidize sustainable farming and healthy foods.
3. Fund comparative assessment research for 'alternative' treatment regimes and require disclosure of all treatments supported by scientific evidence.
4. Provide broad support for preventive screenings.
5. Ban DTC (direct to consumer) drug ads, advertise healthy lifestyle.
I found Len personally charming and his book compelling, and hopeful. Check it out!
Great Albert Schweitzer quote: "It's supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you... We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage the doctor within."
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
TNS#75: Burning Man 2010 Travelogue
TheNextStep show #75 was taped 10/28/10... the fifth annual MST3K-style Burning Man travelogue! Featuring guests Shibumi, from my Leopard Martini Lounge BurningMan camp, and the renowned Dr. Hal Robins. Dr. Hal is well known in the bay area for his long-running Ask Dr. Hal Q&A show (www.askdrhal.com). In recent years he has served as emcee for the Burning Man fashion show, and he's also known as an early Church of the SubGenius co-conspirator. Mark McGothigan (home.pacbell.net/mcgmgb) was nice enough to contribute his footage of the fashion show this year, so the first part of the show has several video clips from that; then there was a slide show of 100+ photos I took this year; then a long video segment also by Mark showing the fireworks display and the start of the Man burning. All interspersed with informative, amusing or perplexing running commentary by Dr. Hal, Shibumi and myself! Shibumi (studioreflex.com) is a designer and producer, and gets credit for inviting Dr. Hal onto the show. Thx Shibumi and Dr. Hal, that was great fun!
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