UPDATE ON MISSING PHOTOS



It looks like Google is having problems with its photo storage system for Blogger. Unfortunately, there is no solution at the moment because they can't yet locate the problem. Evidently, it has been going on for several months. Hmmmmm!!!!!

The good news is that I have all the photos saved at Flickr and I'm in the process of replacing all of them. I don't know if this will trigger email alerts to those of you who have registered for the service. My apologies if it does. Please bear with it.

As you can see, there is now a new look to the home page. It will only present summaries and links to the full posts. (Just click where it says, "Read more!") This will end the long download time on the front home page and should be better for all.

I'm grateful to nitecruzr, panther and pesto who guided me in building the new page and eased me through the challenges of html code.

Debora took the great picture (above).

And thanks to all for your patience.

INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE OF SUFI POETRY

Did you ever wake up in the morning with a vague sense that this might be a day that brings you something new, a moment or more of discovery? I had that feeling when I visited the blog of Brazil's outstanding social photographer Tatiana Cardeal (always a satisfying experience in itself) and followed some links to the treasure of Abida Parveen's incredible performance of sufi poetry.

FUNNY POLITICS The world is a pretty serious place these days and, unfortunately, politics has a strong tendency to make a difficult situation worse. So, it was with great pleasure that I noticed that the political campaign videos of Clinton and Obama are at least flirting with the idea that they might compete with cleverness, creativity and (perhaps) humor.

The following are based on the famous 1984 Apple Computer ad:





It all makes me recall the wisdom of Wavy Gravy who famously ran "Nobody for President" campaigns because Nobody had brought us peace, prosperity and happiness and cautioned us to remember, "if you don't have a sense of humor, it's just not funny."

Blowin' in the Wind
(with Neil Young) On this day, the first Equinox of 2007, let us gather our prayers and resolve to keep that wind blowin' to bring us a better and more peaceful world.

VISUAL SEVENS
(and magical visionary art)



I would like to introduce you to my friend Juba (Luis Eduardo Pomar) who is shown below in a very happy mood because he is doing one of his favorite activities -- planting trees on land at Matutu.


It seems most appropriate to post it today which is the Equinox and first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. I wish you all "happy plantings".

Both Juba and I are "sevens" in the enneagram system of personality analysis. The particular "deadly sin" of a "seven" is gluttony and in our case it manifests primarily as an absolutely insatiable appetite for images. In appreciation of our "gluttony" we often refer to ourselves as "visual sevens". Juba has channeled his "gluttony" into being a marvelous photographer, videographer and all-around editor of visual materials. He presents much of his work and his ever-evolving collection of favorite visionary art at his site L.E. Pomar Visual Blog where you will find a treasure trove of magical images. Check it out.

GLOBAL WARMING.

With human induced global warming and climate change very much in the news, it seems timely to post some images that I made on the topic.


Here is the full set:

BACK WITH BAIANO

I recently returned to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais where I had a wonderful reunion with Baiano. Here is the full story...






I've been traveling recently with the Luiz Mendes family as they were presenting spiritual works in the State of Minas Gerais and in the greater São Paulo area during February and early March, 2007. There were many wonderful adventures which will I'll report in a series of upcoming posts.

Here, I'd like to begin by connecting with last year when I first visited the farm land of Débora and Eduardo Gabrish and their annual festival at the Santo Daime center of Flor do Ceu. At that time the biggest unexpected treat for me came not in the truly wonderful ceremonies but in the barnyard where I met Baiano early one morning, and every morning after that.