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<channel>
	<title>Surface Earth &#187; Thoughts</title>
	<atom:link href="http://surfaceearth.com/category/opinion/thoughts/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://surfaceearth.com</link>
	<description>EXPANSION OF HUMANITY VIA THE VIRTUAL EARTH</description>
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		<title>The Hypocrisy that is Mexico&#8217;s Immigration Laws</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/09/01/the-hypocrisy-that-is-mexicos-immigration-laws/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/09/01/the-hypocrisy-that-is-mexicos-immigration-laws/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:43:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central America]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illegal immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illegal immigration to the United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration to the United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=113718</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mexico's Immigration Laws are draconian even by the standards of Arizona's New Immigration Law. Yet, the Obama Administration seeks to file human rights violations charges at the UN against Arizona - but not Mexico!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/470_1252088.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-113732 aligncenter" title="470_1252088" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/470_1252088.jpg" alt="Marginalized settlement &quot;Colinas del RÃ­o&quot;, in the municipality Benito JuÃ¡rez of the State of Nuevo LeÃ Credit: Benito JuÃ¡rez del Estado de Nuevo LeÃ Mexico" width="470" height="353" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Mexican President Felipe Calderon continues to demonize Arizona&#8217;s new <a class="zem_slink" title="Illegal immigration to the United States" rel="wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">immigration</a> <a class="zem_slink" title="Law" rel="wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">law</a> as he has since his official state visit to the <a class="zem_slink" title="United States" rel="geolocation" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667&amp;spn=10.0,10.0&amp;q=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667%20%28United%20States%29&amp;t=h" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','maps.google.com']);">U.S.</a> last May.  <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/09/01/the-hypocrisy-that-is-mexicos-immigration-laws/#more-113718"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Bay Citizen: In Mission, Aging Hospital Is Seen as a Bargaining Chip</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/30/the-bay-citizen-in-mission-aging-hospital-is-seen-as-a-bargaining-chip/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/30/the-bay-citizen-in-mission-aging-hospital-is-seen-as-a-bargaining-chip/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:50:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>News Sources</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breaking news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/30bcstlukes.html</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[St. Luke’s Hospital in the Mission district is essentially on life-support, with its future largely dependent on the fate of an expansion plan by its owner, California Pacific Medical Center.


]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>St. Luke’s Hospital in the Mission district is essentially on life-support, with its future largely dependent on the fate of an expansion plan by its owner, California Pacific Medical Center.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/><br />
<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/><br />
<a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=759421013e63870f125c6de69e376100&#038;p=1" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','ads.pheedo.com']);"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=759421013e63870f125c6de69e376100&#038;p=1"/></a><br />
<img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Health&#038;partnerID=167&#038;key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Health.18616,cat.Health.rss"/></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Bullfighting Coming To An End In Spain</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/28/bullfighting-coming-to-an-end-in-spain/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/28/bullfighting-coming-to-an-end-in-spain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:12:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breaking news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worldNews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=106275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Catalonia, a semi-autonomous area located in the north eastern part of Spain that includes Barcelona, the nation&#8217;s second largest city (and most interesting), has voted to ban bullfighting. Bullfighting and the Matador (translation: &#8220;the killer&#8221;), has been a fixture of traditional Spanish culture for centuries. At least for this part of Spain, bullfighting will come [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2279374134_317c13f6df.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2279374134_317c13f6df.jpg" alt="" title="Spanish Bullfighter" width="500" height="333" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-106276" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">Catalonia</a>,  a semi-autonomous area located in the north eastern part of Spain that includes <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Barcelona" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','wikitravel.org']);">Barcelona</a>, the nation&#8217;s second largest city (and most interesting), has voted to ban bullfighting.  Bullfighting and the Matador (translation: &#8220;the killer&#8221;), has been a fixture of traditional Spanish culture for centuries. At least for this part of Spain, bullfighting will come to an end in 2012 &#8211; coincidently, the same year that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">Mayans</a> told the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquistador" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">Spanish Conquistadors</a> a series of cataclysmic or transformative events will occur ending the world as they would know it. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/28/bullfighting-coming-to-an-end-in-spain/#more-106275"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dallas Reporter Goes Crazy On Air</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/25/dallas-reporter-goes-crazy-on-air/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/25/dallas-reporter-goes-crazy-on-air/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:34:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Satire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laughing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real people]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=105780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For every woman that is sick of references of grown women jumping on a chair and screaming like a little school girl at the sight of a little mice, this short video is for you!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object id="player" height="481" width="608" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.videobash.com/resources/flash/player.swf" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="flashvars" value="autoplay=true&#038;autoreplay=false&#038;video_url=http://media1.ord.videobash.com/mp4/000/000/858/858.mp4&#038;options=http://www.videobash.com/&#038;related_url=http://www.videobash.com/video/player_related?id=858&#038;link_url=http://www.videobash.com/video_show/news-reporter-goes-crazy-858&#038;video_title=News+Reporter+Goes+Crazy" /></object><br /><a href="http://www.videobash.com/video_show/news-reporter-goes-crazy-858" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.videobash.com']);"></a></p>
<p>For every woman that is sick of references of grown women jumping on a chair and screaming like a little school girl at the sight of a little mice, this short video is for you! <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/25/dallas-reporter-goes-crazy-on-air/#more-105780"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>America Has Abandoned Afghanistan&#8217;s Women</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/24/america-has-abandoned-afghanistans-women/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/24/america-has-abandoned-afghanistans-women/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:11:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DailyNews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politicsNews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worldNews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=105426</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The one year anniversary of the Afghanistan Shi&#8217;ite Personal Status Law passed without even a whisper from the U.S. media. Apparently, daily stories of oiled-soiled pelicans are vastly more important and newsworthy to CNN and FOX, as well for the alphabet soup of &#8220;news&#8221; of organizations vying for the attention of the coveted U.S. population.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/800px-Cadar_3.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/800px-Cadar_3.jpg" alt="" title="800px-Cadar_3" width="800" height="338" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-105631" /></a></p>
<p>The one year anniversary of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiite_Personal_Status_Law" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">Afghanistan Shi&#8217;ite Personal Status Law</a> passed without even a whisper from the U.S. media.  Apparently, daily stories of oiled-soiled pelicans are vastly more important and newsworthy to CNN and FOX, as well for the alphabet soup of &#8220;news&#8221; of organizations vying for the attention of the coveted U.S. population. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/07/24/america-has-abandoned-afghanistans-women/#more-105426"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oprah lied about poverty, sex abuse, tell-all book claims (Jeremy Olshan/New York Post)</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/04/13/oprah-lied-about-poverty-sex-abuse-tell-all-book-claims-jeremy-olshannew-york-post/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/04/13/oprah-lied-about-poverty-sex-abuse-tell-all-book-claims-jeremy-olshannew-york-post/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:05:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>News Sources</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breaking news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wesmirch.com/100413/p8#a100413p8</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<A HREF="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/oprah_lied_about_poverty_sex_abuse_KV46xkhYBn7wzMEZiXT5DI"><IMG VSPACE="4" HSPACE="4" BORDER="0" ALIGN="RIGHT" SRC="http://www.wesmirch.com/100413/i8.jpg"></A>
<P><A HREF="http://www.wesmirch.com/100413/p8#a100413p8" TITLE="WeSmirch permalink"><IMG WIDTH=11 HEIGHT=12 SRC="http://www.wesmirch.com/img/pml.png" STYLE="border:none;padding:0;margin:0;"></A> Jeremy Olshan / <A HREF="http://www.nypost.com/">New York Post</A>:<BR>
<SPAN STYLE="font-size:1.3em;"><B><A HREF="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/oprah_lied_about_poverty_sex_abuse_KV46xkhYBn7wzMEZiXT5DI">Oprah lied about poverty, sex abuse, tell-all book claims</A></B></SPAN>&#160; &#8212;&#160; Oprah Winfrey embellished her poor upbringing and made up stories about sexual abuse to boost her ratings, her relatives say in Kitty Kelley's new biography.&#160; &#8212;&#160; Although Winfrey claims she never had any new dresses or dolls &#8230; </P>
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/oprah_lied_about_poverty_sex_abuse_KV46xkhYBn7wzMEZiXT5DI" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nypost.com']);"><IMG VSPACE="4" HSPACE="4" BORDER="0" ALIGN="RIGHT" SRC="http://www.wesmirch.com/100413/i8.jpg"></a><br />
<P><a href="http://www.wesmirch.com/100413/p8#a100413p8" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.wesmirch.com']);" TITLE="WeSmirch permalink"><IMG WIDTH=11 HEIGHT=12 SRC="http://www.wesmirch.com/img/pml.png" STYLE="border:none;padding:0;margin:0;"></a> Jeremy Olshan / <a href="http://www.nypost.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nypost.com']);">New York Post</a>:<BR><br />
<SPAN STYLE="font-size:1.3em;"><B><a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/oprah_lied_about_poverty_sex_abuse_KV46xkhYBn7wzMEZiXT5DI" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nypost.com']);">Oprah lied about poverty, sex abuse, tell-all book claims</a></B></SPAN>&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; Oprah Winfrey embellished her poor upbringing and made up stories about sexual abuse to boost her ratings, her relatives say in Kitty Kelley&#8217;s new biography.&nbsp; &mdash;&nbsp; Although Winfrey claims she never had any new dresses or dolls &hellip; </P></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top This Tiger: Charlie Sheen Does Threesome With Wife Brooke Mueller</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/top-this-tiger-charlie-sheen-does-threesome-with-wife-brooke-mueller/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/top-this-tiger-charlie-sheen-does-threesome-with-wife-brooke-mueller/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:48:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Charlie Sheen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tiger Woods]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=14905</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Charlie Sheen’s complicated life is about to get even more complicated &#8230; more, dare I say, “Tiger-ish”.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/brooke-charlie.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/brooke-charlie.jpg" alt="Charlie-Sheen-Brooke-Mueller" title="brooke-charlie" width="415" height="311" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14908" /></a><br />
Charlie Sheen’s complicated life is about to get even more complicated &#8230; more, dare I say, “Tiger-ish”.   <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/top-this-tiger-charlie-sheen-does-threesome-with-wife-brooke-mueller/#more-14905"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Powerful Ways and Means Committee chairman, Charles Rangel is stepping down.</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/powerful-ways-and-means-committee-chairman-charles-rangel-is-stepping-down/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/powerful-ways-and-means-committee-chairman-charles-rangel-is-stepping-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:32:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=14787</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In yet another setback for President Obama and the majority Democrats in Congress, the 20 term congressman from Harlem New York says he will step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Rep_Charles_Rangel2.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Rep_Charles_Rangel2.jpg" alt="Rep Charles Rangel Dominican Republic" title="Rep_Charles_Rangel" width="575" height="305" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14803" /></a><br />
In yet another setback for President Obama and the majority Democrats in Congress, the 20 term congressman from Harlem New York says he will step down as chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/03/03/powerful-ways-and-means-committee-chairman-charles-rangel-is-stepping-down/#more-14787"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Pole Dancing an Olympic Sport?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/pole-dancing-an-olympic-sport/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/pole-dancing-an-olympic-sport/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:05:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Olympic Games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=13359</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thousands of members in the growing number of international and national organizations of pole dancers say there time has come (no bun intended).]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div id="attachment_13369" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 364px"><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pole_dancing1.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pole_dancing1.jpg" alt="" title="pole_dancing" width="354" height="288" class="size-full wp-image-13369" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">World Champion Pole Dancer Mai Sato, 29, of Tokyo, Japan.</p></div><br />
Thousands of members in the growing number of international and national organizations of pole dancers say their time has come (no pun intended).  <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/pole-dancing-an-olympic-sport/#more-13359"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Italian Court to Google: “GUILTY!”</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/italian-court-to-google-%e2%80%9cguilty%e2%80%9d/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/italian-court-to-google-%e2%80%9cguilty%e2%80%9d/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:24:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Tech/Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tech/Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=13248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Italian court convicts three Google executives for privacy violations.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/google_b.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/google_b.jpg" alt="Google Convicted" title="google_b" width="636" height="416" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13249" /></a><br />
Wednesday Feb. 24, 2010 Milan, Italy:<br />
In a criminal trail, Judge Oscar Magi delivered a guilty verdict and sentenced three Google executives <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/24/italian-court-to-google-%e2%80%9cguilty%e2%80%9d/#more-13248"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Marines Continue Needless Incursion Into Marjah</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/marines-continue-needless-incursion-into-marjah/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/marines-continue-needless-incursion-into-marjah/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:55:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=13151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over 11,000 U.S. and Afghan troops encircled an area in southern Afghanistan called Marjah to defeat a just few hundred Taliban fighters.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/USMC-Afgan-patrol.jpg" ><img src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/USMC-Afgan-patrol.jpg" alt="" title="USMC-Afgan-patrol" width="550" height="316" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13154" /></a>Over 11,000 U.S. and Afghan troops encircled an area in southern Afghanistan called Marjah to defeat a just few hundred Taliban fighters.  <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/marines-continue-needless-incursion-into-marjah/#more-13151"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Persian Gulf now in range of Israeli drone fleet</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/israel-drone-reaches-iran/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/israel-drone-reaches-iran/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:31:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle East]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Current Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://2010221181347325634</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Military unveils unmanned aircraft capable of reaching Gulf as pressure mounts on Iran.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/heron_tp_2.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13007" title="heron_tp_2" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/heron_tp_2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="342" /></a>Military in Israel unveils a fleet of huge unmanned aircraft capable of reaching the Persian Gulf. The announcement comes as pressure mounts on Iran over it&#8217;s nuclear ambitions. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/23/israel-drone-reaches-iran/#more-12995"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Bil&#8217;in demonstration reenacts the Avatar film</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/bilin-demonstration-reenacts-the-avatar-film/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/bilin-demonstration-reenacts-the-avatar-film/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:02:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=12336</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Palestinian village of Bil’in reenacts the James Cameron film Avatar in their demonstration against the Israeli security barrier.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_12337" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 618px"><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/bilin_avatar_protest.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-12337" title="bilin_avatar_protest" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/bilin_avatar_protest.jpg" alt="Bilin Village &quot;Advatar&quot; Protest" width="608" height="453" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Bilin Village &quot;Advatar&quot; Protest</p></div>
<p>The Palestinian village of Bil’in reenacts the James Cameron film Avatar in their demonstration against the Israeli security barrier. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/bilin-demonstration-reenacts-the-avatar-film/#more-12336"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Mossad Assassinates Hamas Commander in Dubai</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/mossad-assassinates-hamas-commander-in-dubai/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/mossad-assassinates-hamas-commander-in-dubai/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:16:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=11952</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[DUBAI Police "Mossad is involved in the murder of Hamas commander."]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="340" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QTPzBx1zIFQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="340" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QTPzBx1zIFQ&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (UAE): The National, a UAE daily, on Thursday quoted Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim saying a probe into the slaying &#8220;reveal(s) that Mossad is involved in the murder&#8221; of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh  <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/18/mossad-assassinates-hamas-commander-in-dubai/#more-11952"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>No one does Carnival (Mardi Gras) like Brazilians</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/17/no-one-does-carnival-mardi-gras-like-brazilians/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/17/no-one-does-carnival-mardi-gras-like-brazilians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:09:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Entertainment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=11942</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To parade in a beautiful exotic costume (or one just painted on you), to dance to the heart stumping beats of the Brazilian samba, and to do so on the biggest stage in the world is one unparalleled experience.  ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_11943" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/carnaval_2010_2.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-11943" title="carnaval_2010_2" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/carnaval_2010_2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="373" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Carnaval in Rio</p></div>
<p>To parade in a beautiful exotic costume (or one just painted on you), to dance to the heart stumping beats of the Brazilian samba, and to do so on the biggest stage in the world is one unparalleled experience.   <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/17/no-one-does-carnival-mardi-gras-like-brazilians/#more-11942"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Rep. Baron (I&#8217;m an Idiot) Hill To Constituents: &#8220;I Set the Rules&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/17/rep-baron-im-an-idiot-hill-to-constituents-i-set-the-rules/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/17/rep-baron-im-an-idiot-hill-to-constituents-i-set-the-rules/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:19:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=11736</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Democratic Congressman Baron Hill of Indiana scolds one of his own constituents at a town hall meeting.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/huwjTEWw2fs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/huwjTEWw2fs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></a></p>
<p>Democratic Congressman Baron Hill of Indiana scolds one of his own constituents at a town hall meeting.  What is it about elected officials that compels them to shove their own foot in their mouths, or another part of their anatomy into someone else&#8217;s mouth?</p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>JPMorgan Chase Bombing</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/16/jpmorgan-chase-bombing/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/16/jpmorgan-chase-bombing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:35:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=11443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Greek Police reports that a bomb has exploded at the Athens office of JPMorgan Chase &#038; Co.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/jp_morgan_chase1.jpg" ><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-11445" title="jp_morgan_chase" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/jp_morgan_chase1.jpg" alt="" width="673" height="176" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Germany to Greece: DROP DEAD</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/15/germany-to-greece-drop-dead/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/15/germany-to-greece-drop-dead/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:58:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=10932</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Germany Finance Ministry rejects the idea of setting up a special fund to bail out eurozone countries, like Greece, that run into fiscal trouble resulting from domestic budgetary problems that remain at the root of the problem.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_10933" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 370px"><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/greece_PM1.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-10933" title="greece_PM" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/greece_PM1.jpg" alt="" width="360" height="202" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">George Papandreou (Greece PM)</p></div>
<p>Germany Finance Ministry rejects the idea of setting up a special fund to bail out eurozone countries, like Greece, that run into fiscal trouble resulting from domestic budgetary problems that remain at the root of the problem. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/15/germany-to-greece-drop-dead/#more-10932"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Material Girl to appear on ‘The Marriage Ref’</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/14/madonna-on-%e2%80%98the-marriage-ref%e2%80%99/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/14/madonna-on-%e2%80%98the-marriage-ref%e2%80%99/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:55:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DailyNews-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=10603</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Madonna set to appear on ‘The Marriage Ref’. What advice would the material girl give on what not to do in a marriage?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hQx6OYHDmB4&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hQx6OYHDmB4&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong>What advice would the material girl give on what not to do in a marriage?</strong></p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Joy in the Face of Adversity</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/06/joy-in-the-face-of-adversity/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/02/06/joy-in-the-face-of-adversity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:35:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Courage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.com/?p=8778</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Conquer Adversity I have come to a conclusion. I want JOY even in the face of adversity. Adversity has it&#8217;s own demonic seduction, pulling the participant down, down, down, further, which can be a dramatic experience. To hold out for joy though, even while undergoing adversity, is to give adversity a kick in its backside, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/free_Carlos.jpg" ><img class="size-full wp-image-8788" title="free_Carlos" src="http://surfaceearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/free_Carlos.jpg" alt="" width="288" height="310" /></a></p>
<div class="mceTemp">
<dl id="attachment_8788" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 298px;">
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="text-align: center;">Conquer Adversity </dd>
</dl>
</div>
<p>I have come to a conclusion.</p>
<p>I want JOY even in the face of adversity.</p>
<p>Adversity has it&#8217;s own demonic seduction, pulling the participant down, down, down, further, which can be a dramatic experience.</p>
<p>To hold out for joy though, even while undergoing adversity, is to give adversity a kick in its backside, to say screw you, you don&#8217;t get to own all of me.</p>
<p>It is a commitment, a willingness, not to let the beautiful childlike parts of ourselves disappear.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a snow angel on a stormy day.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s popping soap bubbles floating and casting rainbows, not to destroy them, but to be a part of a larger imagining.</p>
<p>There is no reason to ever disown the primordial elements of me.</p>
<p>How about you?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>White House Deploys Top Guns to Lobby Bernanke</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/23/white-house-deploys-top-guns-to-lobby-bernanke/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/23/white-house-deploys-top-guns-to-lobby-bernanke/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:07:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AP-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/23/white-house-deploys-guns-lobby-bernanke</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The White House deploys its top guns to lobby on behalf of Ben Bernanke.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/foxnews/politics/~4/Ym4qXI6-tEs" height="1" width="1"/>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The White House deploys its top guns to lobby on behalf of Ben Bernanke.</p>
<p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/foxnews/politics/~4/Ym4qXI6-tEs" height="1" width="1"/></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>How Corporate Money Will Reshape Politics</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/22/how-corporate-money-will-reshape-politics/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/22/how-corporate-money-will-reshape-politics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:21:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AP-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/how-corporate-money-will-reshape-politics/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Will the Supreme Court's campaign finance decision damage democracy?<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/>
<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/>
<a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=949b8330b08b8f404add966fa80f9f2f&#038;p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=949b8330b08b8f404add966fa80f9f2f&#038;p=1"/></a>
<!-- foo --> ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Will the Supreme Court&#8217;s campaign finance decision damage democracy?<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/><br />
<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/><br />
<a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=949b8330b08b8f404add966fa80f9f2f&#038;p=1" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','ads.pheedo.com']);"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=949b8330b08b8f404add966fa80f9f2f&#038;p=1"/></a><br />
<!-- foo --> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>TSA nominee misled Congress about accessing confidential records</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/01/tsa-nominee-misled-congress-about-accessing-confidential-records/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/01/tsa-nominee-misled-congress-about-accessing-confidential-records/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[AP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AP-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123102257.html?wprss=rss_politics</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by The Washington Post show.
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The White House nominee to lead the Transportation Security Administration gave Congress misleading information about incidents in which he inappropriately accessed a federal database, possibly in violation of privacy laws, documents obtained by The Washington Post show.<br />
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<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/><br />
<a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=147960389ac13ff7daeae4d95dd2dc91&#038;p=1" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','ads.pheedo.com']);"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=147960389ac13ff7daeae4d95dd2dc91&#038;p=1"/></a><br />
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2010/01/01/tsa-nominee-misled-congress-about-accessing-confidential-records/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Judgment</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/12/20/judgment-2/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/12/20/judgment-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:55:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1607</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To judge or not to judge? Is that even an appropriate question? To judge connotes disregarding the flaws, the weakness, the humanity in others. To not judge, may suggest, to those struggling to survive, allowing others to take advantage. Is there a bright line rule? Is it possible to live in the spirit of pure [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>To judge or not to judge?  Is that even an appropriate question?</p>
<p>To judge connotes disregarding the flaws, the weakness, the humanity in others.</p>
<p>To not judge, may suggest, to those struggling to survive, allowing others to take advantage.</p>
<p>Is there a bright line rule?</p>
<p>Is it possible to live in the spirit of pure love, whose necessary components are a lack of judgment and forgiveness?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Children</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/12/01/children/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/12/01/children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:45:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1601</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I think of the word, children, I feel a warmth of hope and love. My mind&#8217;s eye visualizes sunshine, light, meadows of flowers, playgrounds, health and wellness. Sadly, as we all know in so many different ways, the greatest treasure of this Earth, children, do not always get to enjoy what I have described. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I think of the word, children, I feel a warmth of hope and love.  My mind&#8217;s eye visualizes sunshine, light, meadows of flowers, playgrounds, health and wellness.  Sadly, as we all know in so many different ways, the greatest treasure of this Earth, children, do not always get to enjoy what I have described.</p>
<p>There are many, many organizations that help children.  Many people silently helping children, whether it is a kind smile, a laugh, anonymous donations.  The source of helping children is endless, and in so doing, we help ourselves.</p>
<p>Today, I want to feature one Organization, <a href="http://www.hagarusa.org/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.hagarusa.org']);">Hagar</a></p>
<p>Take some time and look at what they have achieved and the stories there are to be shared, through the misery came hope, courage and amazing, amazing heartfelt action.</p>
<p>Peace.</p>
<p>S.E.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Hot water from the well</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/11/21/hot-water-from-the-well/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/11/21/hot-water-from-the-well/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:04:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/girl-on-the-wall-words-5.jpg" alt="" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Precious</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/11/01/precious/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/11/01/precious/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:53:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Precious]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1561</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Precious, defined conventionally according to Urban Dictionary, in part, as follows: Something that means more to you than anyone could understand. It&#8217;s value and worth can&#8217;t be defined and you&#8217;d do anything to keep it. Beautiful and delicate. Now, I understand. Something, someone worth more than can be defined. And that is the courageous young [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Precious, defined conventionally according to <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=precious" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.urbandictionary.com']);">Urban Dictionary</a>, in part, as follows:</p>
<p>Something that means more to you than anyone could understand. It&#8217;s value and worth can&#8217;t be defined and you&#8217;d do anything to keep it. Beautiful and delicate.</p>
<p>Now, I understand.  Something, someone worth more than can be defined.  And that is the courageous young woman protrayed in Sapphire&#8217;s novel, <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_n6_v26/ai_18450196/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','findarticles.com']);">Push</a>, and now converted for a major motion picture, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_(film)" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">&#8220;Precious&#8221;</a>.  Not sure I like the entire definition linked hereto, we here at surface earth don&#8217;t like the word &#8220;obese&#8221;, it seems like a silly definition for those that weigh more than some others.</p>
<p>Regardless, I read the N.Y. Times Magazine article, &#8220;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nytimes.com']);">The Audacity of Precious</a>&#8220;.  The article asked if America was ready to hear this story, why, because it is true in many different ways and a large percentage of us walk by with eyes closed?  Also, to be noted, a play on President Obama&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Audacity_of_Hope" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','en.wikipedia.org']);">The Audacity of Hope</a>&#8220;.  (Don&#8217;t get us started, at least for the moment, when people, news organizations, refer to our President as &#8220;Mr&#8221;.  Come on, bitter grapes?  He holds the highest office, can&#8217;t be that hard to address the gentleman as President.).</p>
<p>Is America ready to wake up?  That&#8217;s what I wonder.  I also wonder at my own perpetual sleep.  Where was I, when Precious (fictional, but please, so many like her), was battling such odds?  Where am I today and where is she?</p>
<p>We can sit and blame, point fingers, watch Fox News and hear supposed intellectuals scream at each other, but what happens as a result?  Not much.</p>
<p>Aren&#8217;t we all part of the same web, the same consciousness, the same universal heart?</p>
<p>Should not my heart have broken when Precious or a young lady like her character lived through these moments?  Should I not have been unable to breath as I was otherwise engaged in my daily living?  If so, that would be conscious living, an inability to ignore when others suffer.</p>
<p>I am rambling my friends, but what are we doing?  As a society, we should be able to do better at the beginning levels, if we see a child on the outside, jump in.  Doesn&#8217;t mean we have to have an overreaching arm, it means in our moments involved, we don&#8217;t let a child sit in the back, we don&#8217;t let other kids in &#8220;our group&#8221; dis another, we don&#8217;t subscribe to it, we don&#8217;t breath it, we don&#8217;t allow it.  In doing so, can&#8217;t we weave a safety net and pick up more than we would if our eyes were closed and we sat on our hands?</p>
<p>I had a hard time reading this book, almost put it down several times, but you know what?  I struggled with reading the truth, the truth, I was not the one that had to endure living it.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t give me any gods, any religious institutions, any walls or parameters where I can sit and ignore this happens to children who become adults and are ignored by their fellow man.  Well not by all, read the book, there are those that ultimately, were not asleep at the wheel, and continue to be awake and pull the load for the rest of us.</p>
<p>May God bless them, and my I someday evolve to have 1/100 of the heart and courage of the young lady portrayed.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Shattered Glass</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/20/shattered-glass/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/20/shattered-glass/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:53:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am the glass shattered On a clear Winter day Appearing as ice On an otherwise Unbroken surface I am the dove Holding her sound Against The weight Of the gray sky I am the mountain Beneath the sun Holding the tendrils Of winter To not unleash My power Upon the plains I am the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am the glass shattered<br />
On a clear<br />
Winter day<br />
Appearing as ice<br />
On an otherwise<br />
Unbroken surface</p>
<p>I am the dove<br />
Holding her sound<br />
Against<br />
The weight<br />
Of the gray sky<br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/bird-ice-21.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>I am the mountain<br />
Beneath the sun<br />
Holding the tendrils<br />
Of winter<br />
To not unleash<br />
My power<br />
Upon the plains</p>
<p>I am the air<br />
You breath<br />
Whether or not<br />
You call me<br />
She<br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/icon1.jpg" alt="" /><br />
*image credit: Adobe</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reads&#8230;&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/13/reads/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/13/reads/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:24:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Clooney]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1543</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are two recommended &#8220;reads&#8221;. Obviously, the world is chockful of books recommend to read, but today, I want to share two: 1. Half the Sky Why? Because the book &#8220;is&#8221;. How many times do you spend a moment asking what can I do? This book is replete with organizations we can help. The book [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here are two recommended &#8220;reads&#8221;.</p>
<p>Obviously, the world is chockful of books recommend  to read, but today, I want to share two:</p>
<p>1.  <a href="http://www.halftheskymovement.org/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.halftheskymovement.org']);">Half the Sky</a></p>
<p>Why?  Because the book &#8220;is&#8221;.</p>
<p>How many times do you spend a moment asking what can I do?  This book is replete with organizations we can help.  The book is a must read, but as you go through, you can see what resonates, and choose what works for you.  The only thing we ask is that you don&#8217;t think too much and you do jump in and act.  Most of the time, we (me) are drawn to these stories because on some level, we know as we get ready for the day, wave at the yellow school bus, pack lunches, have meetings, have lunch, agree as to what is ever so important, there are things on invisible levels that are occurring and because we don&#8217;t see them does not mean they don&#8217;t exist.  Again, jump in, this book provides more than enough avenues for us to help each other.</p>
<p>I reviewed the site for &#8220;Half the Sky&#8221;, I tried to capture the endorsements, Angelina Jolie, because we like her, despite society&#8217;s attempt to bring her down, I mean really, what&#8217;s the point?  She&#8217;s real.  George Clooney, and more importantly, sorry George, Greg Mortensen, the author of Three Cups of Tea, the story, the book that has rocked this nation and has made it REQUIRED reading in high schools.  Short:  the endorsements bear witness to the enormity of what they speak:  EQUALITY, RESPECT, KINDNESS, COMPASSION, LOVE.</p>
<p>Is it really so hard to comprehend?</p>
<p>I throw down my hat, I am a litigation attorney in the U.S. that can only tell you this, aside from the ones we protect on humanitarian and civil liberty issues, the rest is garbage, the stuff we should be able to figure out ourselves, peaceably, without the use of middle-people.  The day may come though, when enough voices raise, when we don&#8217;t need attorneys (including me) and we trust and care for one another.</p>
<p>2.  Girl Mary, by Petru Popescu</p>
<p>&#8230;because he portrays Mary as a female, as a beating heart, as one heck of a contender.</p>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Choking the Matrix</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/07/choking-the-matrix/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/10/07/choking-the-matrix/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:49:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1528</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I think it&#8217;s time for a bit of a rambling post. Let&#8217;s take two different and yet somehow related issues: 1. Streaks of misfortune; and 2. Decision to maybe stop reading/watching any mainstream media. You may ask, as I did, what could these two things possibly have in common? Well, it&#8217;s a long meandering discussion, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I think it&#8217;s time for a bit of a rambling post.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take two different and yet somehow related issues:</p>
<p>1.  Streaks of misfortune; and<br />
2.  Decision to maybe stop reading/watching any mainstream media.</p>
<p>You may ask, as I did, what could these two things possibly have in common?  Well, it&#8217;s a long meandering discussion, not quite a conclusion.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say for instance you believe, on what basis doesn&#8217;t matter, that the space around us is becoming choked with negativity.  <img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/matrix_earth_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The TV signals, the cable signals, the phone signals, the texting, the twitting tweeters, the emails, the blogs, the constant pouring out of media, media, media and advertisement into the vortex which surrounds.  Do we really think it is invisible and without effect?</p>
<p>The signals pass by us when we are awake and asleep, passing geographical boundaries drawn on an ever changing map, passing gender boundaries, cultural and religious boundaries also.  Passing over, intersecting, overlapping belief systems centuries old.  Yet, we only think of it as communication.  (What we can&#8217;t see, can&#8217;t hurt us, right?)</p>
<p>Yet, as I drive down the street, how do I not know that someone&#8217;s email transmission is hurtling straight through me and altering my own energetic path?</p>
<p>Whether we agree or don&#8217;t agree as to the form of negative thought, emotions, intent, etc., the reality is, negativity exists.  If I hurt, I know it is true, because I feel it.  If I am angry, I know it is true, because I feel it.  If I am negative, I know it is true because I feel it.  Yet, I don&#8217;t look for proof of it, I don&#8217;t require a statistical analysis, I don&#8217;t require to hold it in my hand, because I know it to be true.</p>
<p>So also do I know that the information we send through invisible networks is true.  It appears on my t.v., it appears on my phone, it appears on my computer.  Where then, is the substance?</p>
<p>Where do the moments of grief, sadness, anger, frustration, loss, negativity, the sum total of the mass of those emotions, reside?  Do they all get delivered into the inbox?  Does only a fraction of the emotion get delivered and part remain with the sender and the other diffused particles scatter catching others unaware, an unintended and unexpected blue moment?  (p.s.  never understood why we insult the word blue in such a way).<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/matrix_earth1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>I think we are choking the air around us.  When CNN or FoxNews blares, Alert! Alert! Alert! and then you find it is just another piece on Dave Letterman, you have to wonder, what are we receiving?  1.  The intention to create sensation; and 2.  the hopes and dreams of the staff that created the piece, bringing in their own liFe stories, needs, desires and frustrations; and 3.  a willingness to disregard where else we maybe should be heading as society.  That is a short list, but I ask you, where does the essence, the energy, of numbers 1, 2 and 3 land?</p>
<p>If I have a day, when the oven starts to malfunction, the washer broke, the windows are leaking and walls disintegrating and then the microwave inexplicitaly begins to smoke, do I say:  1.  hmm, guess they are all at their life expectancy; or 2.  I&#8217;m receiving some bad energy and need to re-balance?  (Do we dare mention buying the microwave, bringing it home, only to find out it is defective?  No, let&#8217;s just skip that for now.)</p>
<p>At the expense of sounding mad, I&#8217;m going with #2.  There&#8217;s too much bad energy being drawn in.</p>
<p>I believe the air around us is becoming dense, the emotions we are flinging into the invisible realm are starting to reflect back, after all, even if we can&#8217;t see it, our words are going somewhere, they are disrupting and altering space on their travels, how can we possibly believe otherwise?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Zathura &amp; Me</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/20/1518/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/20/1518/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:18:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1518</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is a particular scene in the movie, Zathura, that came as close as anything has to my mental wanderings of what it would be like if my soul and my human self were to meet each other in the same moment. At the end of the film, the &#8220;older&#8221;, (I say that gently, older [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is a particular scene in the movie, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406375/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.imdb.com']);">Zathura</a>, that came as close as anything has to my mental wanderings of what it would be like if my soul and my human self were to meet each other in the same moment.</p>
<p>At the end of the film, the &#8220;older&#8221;, (I say that gently, older compared to an adolescent), male character that has been battling the forces with the children, reaches out and touches the one brother on the shoulder, his younger, shadow self.</p>
<p>I wonder, is that what it would be like?  A fun house mirror reflection looking upon itself?</p>
<p>I&#8217;m afraid you will have to watch it to see what I mean&#8230;.(actually, it is a wonderful film, so I take that back, I&#8217;m not afraid to recommend that at all.)</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Putting all that cash in perspective</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/20/putting-all-that-cash-in-perspective/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/20/putting-all-that-cash-in-perspective/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:26:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bailout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxpayer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1383</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[$500 billion: we thought it worthwhile to put all that cash in perspective.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With all the chatter in the media about Congress spending $500 Billion for this and $500 billion for that, we thought it worthwhile to put all that cash in perspective.  I have held a few $20 bills in my hand, so I can imagine what a few hundred dollars would look like, or perhaps even one thousand dollars. But a million dollars? A billion dollars?</p>
<p><strong>This is $10,000 in $100 bills.</strong><br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/10k.jpg" alt="" /><br />
 <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/20/putting-all-that-cash-in-perspective/#more-1383"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Do No Harm</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/02/do-no-harm/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/09/02/do-no-harm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:58:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1461</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I reflected today on that simple phrase: Do No Harm. I realized it would be a lottery ticket for the human race. If we were to all adopt that mantra, breath and live it, we could re-balance the world. I had been driving home from a meeting and was thinking of the state of the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I reflected today on that simple phrase:  Do No Harm.</p>
<p>I realized it would be a lottery ticket for the human race.</p>
<p>If we were to all adopt that mantra, breath and live it, we could re-balance the world.</p>
<p>I had been driving home from a meeting and was thinking of the state of the world.  Thinking about the fact that &#8216;griping&#8217; does little more than add more negativity (believe me, I can &#8216;gripe&#8217;) and I thought of the pure wisdom in the phrase &#8216;Do No Harm&#8217;.  Instant winnings.</p>
<p>I of course digressed, suppose we strove to do the right thing only it turned out to be the wrong thing?  Where would we go to find a point of reference?  Again my mind turned to the phrase:  &#8216;Do No Harm&#8217;.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not trying to be redundant, it is occurring naturally.  It is so very, very simple.  We don&#8217;t have to worry about right or wrong if we follow those three little words.</p>
<p>I sometimes am dragged down, beyond my own bent for believing in the positive, and become saddened at the horrendous things that occur against humans, against animals, against the planet.  How naive we can be to think we know much of anything.  This whole limitless; yet, maybe self-repeating universe beyond us, what is it that we think we know?  Can we truly believe we know anything as we sit and breath and live and laugh and love as even one human being, let alone, one child, goes harmed in the same moment?</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not much about division.  I think that as I lift the fork to my mouth in celebration of a good meal, there is someone, somewhere, that cannot do the same, and to me, it makes no sense.</p>
<p>I find my comfort today in the words:  Do No Harm.</p>
<p>If we all believed and lived this, I think, a lot of the &#8216;bad&#8217; would take care of itself.</p>
<p>Now there are so many ways we could distort this, I don&#8217;t think you have the time or the patience for me to go through the variations, so I leave us with the simple import.</p>
<p>Blessings.</p>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>On Pinky and Rubicon</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/30/on-pinky-and-rubicon/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/30/on-pinky-and-rubicon/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Courage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dignity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Truth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perception]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Can you choose your color today, or must others still do that for you? ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Can you choose your color today, or must others still do that for you? Can anyone of us with mixed heritage be predominantly called by just one name? What does that say about the heritage you choose (or is chosen for you), and the heritage not chosen? It appears to me that regardless of your standing in society, regardless of your accomplishments or natural talents, you must choose a color &#8211; or one will be chosen for you.</p>
<p>I wonder at that. In some ways, our nation has come a long way since <strong>Patricia &#8216;Pinky&#8217; Johnson</strong>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041746/plotsummary" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.imdb.com']);">in its day a very controversial film about a young black woman who passes for white</a>.<br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/pinky.jpg" alt="Pinky" />&#8220;<em>Pinky</em>&#8221; was a slang term for light-skinned black Americans. We trust the term as used here is not offensive to anyone today as we are using same only as historical reference. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/30/on-pinky-and-rubicon/#more-1326"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Lion Passes</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/26/a-lion-passes/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/26/a-lion-passes/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:42:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[People]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1356</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Senator Edward Kennedy (1932-2009) [Photo Credit: AP] In regards to civil rights, health, and the economic well-being of the average American, few elected officials anywhere have accomplished as much.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Senator Edward Kennedy (1932-2009)</strong><br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/ted_kennedy.jpg" alt="" /><em>[Photo Credit: AP]</em></p>
<p>In regards to civil rights, health, and the economic well-being of the average American, few elected officials anywhere have accomplished as much. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/26/a-lion-passes/#more-1356"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Something is very wrong with this picture</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/23/something-is-very-wrong-with-this-picture/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/23/something-is-very-wrong-with-this-picture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:15:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Goldman Sachs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1247</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Throw in a few billion here and a few billion there, and before you know it, you are talking about real money&#8230;&#8221; . I don&#8217;t recall who first coined that phrase, (I think it was in the late &#8217;80s), but when I first heard it, it was Millions not Billions!]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;Throw in a few billion here and a few billion there, and before you know it, you are talking about real money&#8230;&#8221; .  I don&#8217;t recall who first coined that phrase, (I think it was in the late &#8217;80s), but when I first heard it, it was Millions not Billions! <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/23/something-is-very-wrong-with-this-picture/#more-1247"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
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		<title>It&#8217;s the law: For Afghanistan&#8217;s &#8220;women&#8221;, the word NO is NEVER an option.</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/18/its-the-law-for-afghanistans-women-the-word-no-is-never-an-option/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/18/its-the-law-for-afghanistans-women-the-word-no-is-never-an-option/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1232</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Without much of a fuss made by the media, if even reported at all, last month Afghanistan&#8217;s new Shiite Personal Status Law was put into effect. The law grants Shiite men the legal right to starve their wives if their sexual demands are not met. These sexual demands are not defined or limited by the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Without much of a fuss made by the media, if even reported at all, last month Afghanistan&#8217;s new Shiite Personal Status Law was put into effect. The law grants Shiite men the legal right to starve their wives if their sexual demands are not met. These sexual demands are not defined or limited by the law. The law also requires Shiite women to obtain permission from their husbands to even leave their home. Parental custody is solely the father&#8217;s or, in his absence, the paternal grandfather. Incredibly, the law also allows a rapist to avoid prosecution by paying &#8220;blood money&#8221; to a girl who was injured when he raped her. That payment, of course, is offered to the father, paternal grandfather or the brothers of the raped girl. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/18/its-the-law-for-afghanistans-women-the-word-no-is-never-an-option/#more-1232"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>20</slash:comments>
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		<title>What are words?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/12/1223/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/08/12/1223/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:59:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1223</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Words&#8230; What are words? I used to believe words were comprised of language, letters, consonants, vowels, pronunciations. Now I am not so sure. Are not words pre-formed images, that sometime before adopting, we agree are to be transmitted? Is not the unfinished painting above a compilation of words? &#8220;Before she became ill, David&#8217;s mother would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Words&#8230;</p>
<p><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/20090812-1923b-small.jpg" alt="moth.girl" /></p>
<p>What are words?</p>
<p>I used to believe words were comprised of language, letters, consonants, vowels, pronunciations.</p>
<p>Now I am not so sure.</p>
<p>Are not words pre-formed images, that sometime before adopting, we agree are to be transmitted?</p>
<p>Is not the unfinished painting above a compilation of words?</p>
<p>&#8220;<em>Before she became ill, David&#8217;s mother would often tell him that stories were alive.  They weren&#8217;t alive in the way that people were alive, or even dogs or cats.  People were alive whether you chose to notice them or not, while dogs tended to make you notice them if they decided that you weren&#8217;t paying them enough attention.  Cats, meanwhile, were very good at pretending people didn&#8217;t exist at all when it suited them, but that was another matter entirely.</p>
<p>       Stories were different, though:  they came alive in the telling.  Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no read existence in our world.  They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring their music into being.  They lay dormant, hoping for the chance to emerge.  Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change.  They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader.  Stories </em>wanted<em> to be read, David&#8217;s mother would whisper.  They needed it.  It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours.  They wanted us to give them life.&#8221;</p>
<p></em><a href="http://www.thebookoflostthings.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.thebookoflostthings.com']);">The Book of Lost Things</a>, John Connolly, copyright 2006, p. 3.</p>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>“She” can&#8217;t  have a beer with “the boys”, because &#8230;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/30/%e2%80%9cshe%e2%80%9d-cant-have-a-beer-with-%e2%80%9cthe-boys%e2%80%9d-because/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/30/%e2%80%9cshe%e2%80%9d-cant-have-a-beer-with-%e2%80%9cthe-boys%e2%80%9d-because/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:06:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NO GOOD DEED SHALL GO UNPUNISHED]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Whalen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer summit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teachable moment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Henry Louis Gates, James Crowley and Barack Obama (“the boys”) hoisted some cold suds on the South Lawn of the White House today in a carefully orchestrated event for the whole world to experience. This was, as the White House called it, a “teachable moment” on race in America. We couldn&#8217;t be happier for them, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Henry Louis Gates, James Crowley and Barack Obama (“the boys”) hoisted some cold suds on the South Lawn of the White House today in a carefully orchestrated event for the whole world to experience. This was, as the White House called it, a “teachable moment” on race in America.<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/credit_ap_news_beer-summit-small.jpg" alt="AP NEWS: Beer Sumit" /> We couldn&#8217;t be happier for them, you know, the boys – for they have suffered so much. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/30/%e2%80%9cshe%e2%80%9d-cant-have-a-beer-with-%e2%80%9cthe-boys%e2%80%9d-because/#more-1208"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Red or the Blue Pill</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/26/the-red-or-the-blue-pill/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/26/the-red-or-the-blue-pill/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:09:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1206</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Was it the case of all humanity being asleep when President Obama asked us: &#8230;.the red or the blue pill&#8230;? Read more: Some other site we never saw before worth reading *btw: don&#8217;t even get us going on those of you out there that call President Obama, &#8220;Mr. Obama&#8221;, he achieves the highest office of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Was it the case of all humanity being asleep when President Obama asked us:  &#8230;.the red or the blue pill&#8230;?</p>
<p>Read more:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.debajyotidas.com/celebrity/obama-talks-about-the-matrix-red-blue-pill-video/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.debajyotidas.com']);">Some other site we never saw before worth reading</a></p>
<p>*btw:  don&#8217;t even get us going on those of you out there that call President Obama, &#8220;Mr. Obama&#8221;, he achieves the highest office of the land and we can&#8217;t consistently give him the accolade of PRESIDENT?  Please, we are asking all of you, stop calling him Mr. and stop calling the beautiful Michelle Mrs., it is time, call them what they achived:  PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY.</p>
<p>NAMASTE.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
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		<title>Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole ‘IZ’ ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow&#8217;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/12/1204/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/12/1204/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:54:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/1204/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Israel Kamakawiwo&#8217;Ole &#8216;IZ&#8217; &#8216;Somewhere Over The Rainbow&#8217; HQ [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q]Take a moment. What absolute beauty.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Israel Kamakawiwo&#8217;Ole &#8216;IZ&#8217;  &#8216;Somewhere Over The Rainbow&#8217; HQ</b><br />
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q]<br />Take a moment.</p>
<p>What absolute beauty.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>sponsor a child</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/11/sponsor-a-child/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/11/sponsor-a-child/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:18:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1201</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[$1200 a year. It&#8217;s a lot for some of us. Suppose some of us could come together and sponsor a child? We owe it to each other and to the future, to help the young ones. $1200 a year is much too much for many of us, suppose we had a network where 12 of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>$1200 a year.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a lot for some of us.</p>
<p>Suppose some of us could come together and sponsor a child?</p>
<p>We owe it to each other and to the future, to help the young ones.  $1200 a year is much too much for many of us, suppose we had a network where 12 of us could come together and give $100 a year?  Is it possible?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.miraclefoundation.org/index.php?pid=333" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.miraclefoundation.org']);">Sponsor a child</a></p>
<p>Imagine how you, I, we, could feel waking up each day knowing we have helped a child that maybe believed they were beyond hope?</p>
<p>Please, leave your comments and thoughts to help the innocent.</p>
<p>Our blessings to you.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>Organic Fair Trade:  helping each other</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/11/organic-fair-trade-helping-each-other/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/11/organic-fair-trade-helping-each-other/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:07:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1198</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I call it Micro-Hope. It&#8217;s my word, I guess. What it encompasses is trying to find a way to buy what we need from each other. I have asked Shelley Seale, the author, for links to foundations/groups that we can help. She has supplied me with a link to her site: See Shelley&#8217;s Resources. I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I call it Micro-Hope.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s my word, I guess.</p>
<p>What it encompasses is trying to find a way to buy what we need from each other.</p>
<p>I have asked Shelley Seale, the author, for links to foundations/groups that we can help.  She has supplied me with a link to her site:  <a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/donatevolunteer/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">See Shelley&#8217;s Resources.</a></p>
<p>I am also attempting to amass links to individuals, women, families, children, trying to make a living.  I will start small but ask all of you to stop in, share some links, and we will update accordingly.</p>
<p>Blessings.</p>
<p>Start Small:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lwr.org/fairtrade/docs/womenandfairtrade.pdf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.lwr.org']);">Women and Fair Trade</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5316152" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.etsy.com']);">Etsy and Fair Trade</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/GLOBAL-GIRLFRIEND-Fair-Trade-Products/21805036350" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);">Global Girlfriend</a></p>
<p><a href="http://nonprofitshoppingmall.com/blog/2009/03/04/social-change-through-fair-trade/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','nonprofitshoppingmall.com']);">NonProfit Shopping</a></p>
<p><a href="http://crs-blog.org/microfinance-helping-women-fight-poverty-in-ghana/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','crs-blog.org']);">CRS Voices</a></p>
<p>We are at the beginning of amassing sites/references/resources to help one another.  Please help us.</p>
<p>Namaste.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>Racist remarks by adult club members bring tears to children</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/10/racist-remarks-by-adult-club-members-bring-tears-to-children/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/10/racist-remarks-by-adult-club-members-bring-tears-to-children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:35:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children need us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defamation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Creative Steps Day Care, a Philadelphia-area day care center, said Thursday, that members of a private swim club the organization had paid to attend, made racist comments about the center&#8217;s children to the point of bringing some of the young children to tears. Not to be outdone by its racist members, the swim club [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Creative Steps Day Care, a Philadelphia-area day care center, said Thursday, that members of a private swim club the organization had paid to attend, made racist comments about the center&#8217;s children to the point of bringing some of the young children to tears. Not to be outdone by its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/10/us/AP-US-Swim-Club-Minorities.html?_r=1" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nytimes.com']);">racist members</a>, the swim club then quickly canceled the swimming privileges of all the children &#8211; <strong>from the day care center!</strong> <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/10/racist-remarks-by-adult-club-members-bring-tears-to-children/#more-1168"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/10/racist-remarks-by-adult-club-members-bring-tears-to-children/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Real World Principle of Relativity</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/05/real-world-principle-of-relativity/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/05/real-world-principle-of-relativity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:17:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In physics, the principle of relativity is the requirement that the laws of physics in the observable world have the same form in all admissible frames of reference. Now observe this photo of two little girls standing on the balcony of their home in Rafah, Gaza Strip &#8211; their observable world.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In physics, the principle of relativity is the requirement that the laws of physics in the observable world have the same form in all admissible frames of reference.</p>
<p>Now observe this photo of two little girls standing on the balcony of their home in Rafah, Gaza Strip &#8211; their observable world.<br />
<a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/0702pod031.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1148" title="MIDEAST-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-GAZA-CONFLICT" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/0702pod031.jpg?w=300" alt="MIDEAST-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-GAZA-CONFLICT" width="300" height="197" /></a> <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/05/real-world-principle-of-relativity/#more-1134"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/05/real-world-principle-of-relativity/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<title>China&#8217;s Green Power</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/02/chinas-green-power/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/02/chinas-green-power/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:23:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Tech/Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1129</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New York Times: Green China Rising]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/green-china1.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/green-china1.jpg?w=300" alt="Green.China" title="Green.China" width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1131" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/02/business/0702-RENEW_index.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nytimes.com']);"><em>New York Times:  Green China Rising</em></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Hypocrisy, not infidelity, is the career killer for today&#8217;s politicians.</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/01/hypocrisy-not-infidelity-is-the-career-killer-for-todays-politicians/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/01/hypocrisy-not-infidelity-is-the-career-killer-for-todays-politicians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:19:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hypocrisy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infidelity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sex continues to unravel many political careers, so much so that I submit we are painfully bored by the news unless it details news &#8216;off the beaten trail&#8217;. For example, I submit for your consideration Larry Craig, the Idaho senator whose &#8220;wide stance&#8221; whilst using the public toilet led to what he characterizes as a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sex continues to unravel many political careers, so much so that I submit we are painfully bored by the news unless it details news &#8216;off the beaten trail&#8217;. For example, I submit for your consideration <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/larrycraig/story/143801.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.idahostatesman.com']);">Larry Craig</a>, the Idaho senator whose &#8220;wide stance&#8221; whilst using the public toilet led to what he characterizes as a &#8220;miss understanding&#8221; of his intentions to an undercover Idaho State Trooper. The latest tryst exposed for our entertainment is the republican governor from South Carolina, Mr Mark (don&#8217;t cry for me Argentina) Sanford. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/07/01/hypocrisy-not-infidelity-is-the-career-killer-for-todays-politicians/#more-1117"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<title>An interview with Shelley Seale on her new book &#8220;The Weight of Silence: Invisible Children of India!&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/22/an-interview-with-shelley-seale-on-her-new-book-the-weight-of-silence-invisible-children-of-india/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/22/an-interview-with-shelley-seale-on-her-new-book-the-weight-of-silence-invisible-children-of-india/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:21:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1079</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Surface Earth is pleased to be a stop along the way of Ms. Shelley Seale&#8217;s virtual book tour. Imagine for a moment, that you had a chance to be all who you are, not just all you could be and you seized that moment and never let it go. Perhaps then, you would know, what [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Surface Earth is pleased to be a stop along the way of <a href="http://www.shelleyseale.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.shelleyseale.com']);">Ms. Shelley Seale&#8217;s </a>virtual book tour.</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/shelleys-pics-sahiful.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/shelleys-pics-sahiful.jpg?w=150" alt="shelleys.pics.sahiful" title="shelleys.pics.sahiful" width="150" height="95" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1112" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ms-seale-children-1.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ms-seale-children-1.jpg?w=112" alt="Ms.Seale.children.1" title="Ms.Seale.children.1" width="112" height="150" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1092" /></a></p>
<p>Imagine for a moment, that you had a chance to be all who you are, not just all you could be and you seized that moment and never let it go.  Perhaps then, you would know, what it is to step into not just Ms. Seale&#8217;s shoes, but the children, who continue to benefit from her love.  Take a moment and reflect on this piece, a short quote from Ms. Seale&#8217;s book:</p>
<p>“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”<br />
–Martin Luther King, Jr.</p>
<p>When have you become silent?</p>
<p>Can you even recall?</p>
<p>I wish I could, I wish I knew that moment so I could reverse it, I just know now, that it did occur and it stayed within me, my human being, but not within my soul.  I read the words, the quote, Ms. Seale hand selected, Mr. King&#8217;s words:  &#8220;Our lives begin to end the day we become silent&#8230;&#8221;.</p>
<p>Begin to end?</p>
<p>Did we always have ourselves slated to end, is that how we became numb?</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t be numb any longer.  I found Ms. Seale and her work by accident.  I then stopped onto her site and was gifted with such charity of spirit, I will remain a fan from that day on.<br />
Ms. Seale is a courageous humanitarian and author.  She maintains a website:  <a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">The Weight of Silence</a></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ms-seale-children-2.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/ms-seale-children-2.jpg?w=150" alt="Ms.Seale.children.2" title="Ms.Seale.children.2" width="150" height="100" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1093" /></a></p>
<p>She has been unrelenting in her efforts to spread the word on the plight of children in India who are homeless or orphaned for a variety of reasons.  Her efforts are not exclusive to the children in Indian, her <a href="http://www.shelleyseale.info/portfolio.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.shelleyseale.info']);">resume</a> details her vast experience and efforts advocating for children also in the United States.</p>
<p>While we could extol her virtues for countless pages, we instead invite you to click on some of the links, read her works, read her blog, see the comments that are posted as she travelled on her journey and continues her journey.</p>
<p>Without further ado, Ms. Seale:</p>
<p><em><br />
<strong>S.E.:</strong> How did you begin?</p>
<p><strong>Shelley:</strong> I got involved with The Miracle Foundation locally here in Austin in 2004, volunteering for them and sponsoring a child. The Miracle Foundation is a nonprofit that raises money to support children’s homes in India – currently they have 5 homes and are supporting about 700 kids.</p>
<p>After a while Caroline Boudreaux, the organization’s founder, invited me to go to India with her, to meet the kids and work in the orphanage for a week. In March 2005, she and I and a group of about 10 other volunteers arrived for the first time in Choudwar, Orissa. It was such an amazing experience – these children who were beautiful and joyful and gave me complete unconditional love, for nothing more than just showing up. They all had difficult pasts, painful and tragic stories behind their smiling faces, and yet they have developed such a community of peace and sharing and family there. I had never been a part of anything like that.</p>
<p><strong>S.E.:</strong> When did it become more than a thought and turn to action?</p>
<p><strong>Shelley:</strong> When I began to realize that most of the hundred-plus children living in the orphanage were not there because they were orphans in the true sense of the work, because their parents had died. They had been largely orphaned by poverty – abandoned there or on the streets because their parents were too poor to feed them. I had trouble wrapping my head around that. I started learning the individual stories behind the faces and names, the issues such as child labor, trafficking, disease, gender and caste discrimination that had affected all these kids in ways that interwove together. I saw there was a much bigger picture to this than simple orphaning – and found out that there were 25 million other kids just like them, in just the same circumstances, all over India. They are invisible children because they are largely ignored and don’t have a voice in society or to the world at all. I starting thinking about writing this book, and then began an outline and structure to the book, in the hopes that I could tell their stories and help to give them a strong and powerful voice with which to make themselves heard.</p>
<p><strong>S.E.:</strong> How could you tell others how to turn their thoughts to action?</p>
<p><strong>Shelley:</strong> I always say to start small, and just do something. I think that often times we all get overwhelmed by the enormity of issues and problems facing humanity as a whole. It’s easy to feel powerless and give up before we even begin. I think that the first step is to really think about, and discover, what it is you are passionate about. It’s hard to stay involved and committed to a cause if you don’t have a true passion for it. For me it’s these children of India, but it doesn’t have to be that for everyone. If I could inspire someone to find their own passion and cause, I would feel rewarded. Figure that out – and then just start small. Maybe make a small donation or do a tiny bit of volunteer work. Even just signing a petition or letting others know about a cause or issue can make a big step. I have been constantly amazed and inspired by how much of a huge impact can be made by enough individuals just taking their own small actions. As Mother Theresa said – If you can’t feed a hundred, then feed just one.</p>
<p><strong>S.E.:</strong> How, in these times, when we are all struggling, can we give back?</p>
<p><strong>Shelley:</strong> There are plenty of ways. We may not all be able to contribute financially, and at different times such as these difficult economic times, we may be able to donate much less than usual, if at all. But money isn’t the only thing nonprofit organizations need. There are plenty of ways you can give your time by getting involved in supporting a cause through volunteer work – even from your own home. Be creative, and just give of yourself. It doesn’t have to be money. I think you might be amazed at how much comes back to you when you give.</p>
<p><strong>S.E.:</strong> How do we not judge, but rather, contribute?</p>
<p><strong>Shelley:</strong> I don’t think it’s the role of anyone to tell others how they should solve their own problems. For example, I have been very aware of being a foreigner writing about India and its problems. But my own culture has plenty of its own on which to focus, and so how can judgment come into play, morally? Most of the western world’s knowledge of India’s shortcomings is derived from western media and foreign development agencies, whose goal is often to please donors or people in power – in a word, outsiders. Not Indians themselves. Us outsiders, the humanitarian agencies and foreign aid programs, will always fall short in one important way. We do not and cannot know what is best for India. It is not a matter for us to come and instruct or order; for efforts undertaken in that way, no matter how well intentioned, will always fail in their arrogance. Foreigners rarely fully understand the society they think to “improve,” and the potential for imposing their own cultural bias can result in negative consequences for those whose lives they seek to change. We should come to listen, to learn, to assist where and when asked; and so the goal of this book is simply to allow us to hear what those voices have to say.</p>
<p><strong>S.E.</strong>: All the best Shelley.</p>
<p></em><br />
<strong>READ AN EXCERPT OF MS. SHELLEY SEALE&#8217;S BOOK:  <a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/book-excerpt/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">EXCERPT</a></p>
<p>JOIN THE VIRTUAL TOUR AND PASS ON AND ON AND ON, LET&#8217;S KEEP THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN HOMELESS AND ORPHANED FROM GROWING:  <a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/tour-reviews/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">PASS ON THE LIGHT</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/chld21.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/chld21.jpg?w=150" alt="chld2" title="chld2" width="150" height="125" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1099" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Weight-of-Silence/167456745236?ref=mf" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.facebook.com']);">JOIN THE GROWING MOVEMENT, BE A PARTICIPANT WITH MS. SEALE ON FACEBOOK</a></p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/22/an-interview-with-shelley-seale-on-her-new-book-the-weight-of-silence-invisible-children-of-india/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Asking for Advice</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/11/asking-for-advice/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/11/asking-for-advice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:55:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1073</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many times when asking for advice, some of us start out, not realizing we want our own opinion or belief confirmed. Then, we become frustrated with the person speaking to us that we sought out to begin with, the unwitting victim. Next time you seek advice, seek counsel from yourself first, ask: what is it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many times when asking for advice, some of us start out, not realizing we want our own opinion or belief confirmed.</p>
<p>Then, we become frustrated with the person speaking to us that we sought out to begin with, the unwitting victim.</p>
<p>Next time you seek advice, seek counsel from yourself first, ask:</p>
<p>what is it I&#8217;m hoping to hear?<br />
what are the chances I will hear what it is I want?<br />
Would it be better if I just recorded my own voice to play back the  words as often as I desire?</p>
<p>-S.E.</p>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Chance to make a difference</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/10/a-chance-to-make-a-difference/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/10/a-chance-to-make-a-difference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:15:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1068</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Buy the book Stop in for the Q &#38; A with author and humanitarian Shelley Seale&#8230;..June 22nd; for further updates, check S.E. homepage &#38; humanitarian updates.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Buy the book</p>
<p>Stop in for the Q &amp; A with author and humanitarian Shelley Seale&#8230;..June 22nd; for further updates, check S.E. homepage &amp; <a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/humanitarian-news-updates/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);">humanitarian updates.</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Micro-Hope</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/10/micro-hope/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/06/10/micro-hope/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:06:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1060</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How do we move forward? Many of us don&#8217;t know where to turn. Where do we go with the degrees we have earned and are paying on still? How do we counsel children, turned teenagers, soon to be adults, to make a living in the future? The map is open. Today, we turn you toward [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/washerwoman1.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/washerwoman1.jpg?w=143" alt="washerwoman1" title="washerwoman1" width="143" height="150" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1063" /></a></p>
<p>How do we move forward?</p>
<p>Many of us don&#8217;t know where to turn.</p>
<p>Where do we go with the degrees we have earned and are paying on still?  How do we counsel children, turned teenagers, soon to be adults, to make a living in the future?</p>
<p>The map is open.</p>
<p>Today, we turn you toward micro-loans.  Many of you that often visit here are not immune to that term, it is people helping people, for instance:  <a href="http://kiva.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','kiva.org']);">Kiva</a></p>
<p>Here at SurfaceEarth, it is our goal, to start an exchange by country/state/zip codes where we can help each other, it may be slow, reminiscent of snail mail, but suppose, we could achieve a web to truly help each other and catch each other before we fall?</p>
<p>Stay tuned, we intend to start that web and ask you to be a part of same.</p>
<p>Blessings.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>UFO saves Earth</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/05/27/ufo-saves-earth/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/05/27/ufo-saves-earth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2009 01:31:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yawn. Why must we be surprised? Are we truly that narrow minded? Were we born with blinders? FoxNews: Russia says UFO saved Earth, ok, 100 years ago]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yawn.</p>
<p>Why must we be surprised?</p>
<p>Are we truly that narrow minded?</p>
<p>Were we born with blinders?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522217,00.html?test=latestnews" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.foxnews.com']);">FoxNews:  Russia says UFO saved Earth, ok, 100 years ago</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Love Miami Style</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/05/11/love-miami-style/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/05/11/love-miami-style/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2009 18:43:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[priest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1054</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Update: Churches and the love of God without walls In the news, at least for some of us that still troll negative publicity, is the story of a Florida priest, sharing love with a woman. Not a problem right? Except that he made a &#8216;promise&#8217; to not engage in certain types of love. I wish [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Update</em>:  <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/28/florida.priest/index.html">Churches and the love of God without walls<br />
</a></p>
<p>In the news, at least for some of us that still troll negative publicity, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/11/florida.priest.affair/index.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cnn.com']);">is the story of a Florida priest, sharing love with a woman.</a></p>
<p>Not a problem right?</p>
<p>Except that he made a &#8216;promise&#8217; to not engage in certain types of love.</p>
<p>I wish I could condemn him, or his partner, but I can&#8217;t.  I can say, it is easier that if you can&#8217;t uphold a promise you previously made that you graciously excuse yourself from same and explain accordingly.  But life as we know it is not conducive to forgiveness.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s pretend for a moment that this young priest came out, went public and said I&#8217;m struggling here, I took a vow of celibacy but I have found myself grappling with a whole different dimension of God&#8217;s love that I never knew I would need to grapple with, despite same, I&#8217;m grappling with it and ask your forgiveness, your understanding, your assistance to learn in which way to progress.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Not possible, because social media really doesn&#8217;t allow for this does it?</p>
<p>I could go on and on, but I won&#8217;t, I would rather hear from you and ask that you pray for the priest and his loved one to find their way.</p>
<p>Blessings,</p>
<p>S.E.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Britain&#8217;s Got Talent Strikes Again:  Singing Sensation:  Introducing the Illustrious Ms. Boyle</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/04/16/1045/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/04/16/1045/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:22:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2009/04/16/1045/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Susan Boyle &#8211; Singer &#8211; Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics). Watch this now! Bravo! I think we should all send her kisses! She has graced us. Blessings, S.E. *See also: CNN]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);">Susan Boyle</a> &#8211; Singer &#8211; Britains Got Talent 2009 (With Lyrics). Watch this now!</p>
<p>Bravo!  I think we should all send her kisses!  She has graced us.</p>
<p>Blessings,</p>
<p>S.E.</p>
<p>*See also:  <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/16/susan.boyle.simon.cowell/index.html?iref=mpstoryview" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cnn.com']);">CNN</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>The shopping cart &#8230;</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/04/09/the-shopping-cart/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/04/09/the-shopping-cart/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:50:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1036</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I went shopping for food. Attempted to pull into space but every time I did, another car pulled through the spot from the other side of the aisle. Ok I thought, let me back up and take another spot. Cars didn&#8217;t seem to wait so I gunned it and cut it quick. Got the shopping [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I went shopping for food. Attempted to pull into space but every time I did, another car pulled through the spot from the other side of the aisle. Ok I thought, let me back up and take another spot. Cars didn&#8217;t seem to wait so I gunned it and cut it quick.<br />
<a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/shoping_cart.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/shoping_cart.jpg?w=128" alt="shoping_cart" title="shoping_cart" width="128" height="96" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1038" /></a><br />
Got the shopping done. Very peaceful and went out to car.<br />
Woman starts to yell:  &#8220;you&#8217;re kidding me!”<br />
Cart was against her new or maybe just clean car, (no, not my cart!).<br />
Oooh &#8211; she looked like she wanted a fight. I ducked in my dirty car very quickly because you see &#8211; I normally park by those little cut outs in the lot where you can load up the car and ditch the shopping cart in a secure area so it won&#8217;t be running amok in the lot. Now that&#8217;s not to say I&#8217;ve never been desperate and haven&#8217;t propped the two front wheels into the worn down garden intersection, crossing my fingers, hoping for the best and leaving. But you see the lady that was mad didn&#8217;t wheel the cart anywhere secure. She pushed it away from her car and the next lady to pull in had to stop the car, get out and move the car to clear room.</p>
<p>I thought, this is it &#8211; its about what we do with the shopping cart and how it affects those that follow.</p>
<p>Life can be just one shopping cart passing hands in good moments or bad but effecting the whole.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Query:  perceived reality</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/03/17/query-perceived-reality/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/03/17/query-perceived-reality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:48:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1034</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If I were to dream but then awake yet hovered between the two would it be the time awake or time asleep that was more true?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If I were to dream but then awake<br />
yet hovered between the two<br />
would it be the time awake<br />
or time asleep<br />
that was more true?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The cost of justice</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/03/08/the-cost-of-justice/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/03/08/the-cost-of-justice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:34:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1029</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is justice? Justice, in simplistic terms, has been described as getting to the root of truth, both sides moving toward uncovering the light. Yet, that is not what occurs, rather, we have individuals, forgetting they have a shared mission, and we wind up with bi-partisan justice. We offer tonight a quote, and will give [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is justice?</p>
<p>Justice, in simplistic terms, has been described as getting to the root of truth, both sides moving toward uncovering the light.  Yet, that is not what occurs, rather, we have individuals, forgetting they have a shared mission, and we wind up with bi-partisan justice.</p>
<p>We offer tonight a quote, and will give you reference to the article, and invite you to not only share this with others, but to share with us your reactions.  We hesitate at this moment to pontificate as to our views on this quote, before we hear from you&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/us/08judge.html?_r=1&amp;ref=us" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nytimes.com']);">Justice Texas style:  make it end</a></p>
<p>We point you to a particular quote in the article, as follows:</p>
<p>&#8220;In 1998, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/us/20judge.html?_r=1&amp;scp=2&amp;sq=mckinley%20sharon%20keller&amp;st=cse" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.nytimes.com']);">Judge Keller</a> wrote the opinion rejecting a new trial for Roy Criner, a mentally retarded man convicted of rape and murder, even though DNA tests after his trial showed that it was not his semen in the victim.</p>
<p>“We can’t give new trials to everyone who establishes, after conviction, that they might be innocent,” she later told the television news program “Frontline.” “We would have no finality in the criminal justice system, and finality is important.”</p>
<p>Gov. George W. Bush eventually pardoned Mr. Criner.&#8221;</p>
<p>NO FINALITY.  I&#8217;M SORRY, I MAY JUST BE A BIT CONFUSED, WHY WOULD YOU WANT FALSE FINALITY OF ALLEGED GUILT?  DO WE NOT LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?  INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY?  HOW THEN DOES THE ABOVE QUOTE MAKE SENSE:</p>
<p>“We can’t give new trials to everyone who establishes, after conviction, that they might be innocent,”</p>
<p>No, of course not judge, we wouldn&#8217;t want to give the benefit of the doubt to innocence would we?  Much tidier to just lock up the might be guilty.</p>
<p>Additionally, the article notes the judge is a devout Roman Catholic.  Now I ask you, why not make some multi-level comments?  Does not the Catholic church decry the protection of innocence?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>On Life</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/22/on-life/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/22/on-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:34:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1018</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, like most days, I wonder at this matrix we casually refer to as the internet. It is the &#8220;net&#8221;, no? Nets contain, don&#8217;t they? I search for news and find myself circling myself. Whether by the words I use to start the queries or by my inept attempts to hunt, I find myself circular. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today, like most days, I wonder at this matrix we casually refer to as the internet.</p>
<p>It is the &#8220;net&#8221;, no?</p>
<p>Nets contain, don&#8217;t they?</p>
<p>I search for news and find myself circling myself.  Whether by the words I use to start the queries or by my inept attempts to hunt, I find myself circular.</p>
<p>The crazy thing about remaining circular is that you may not always realize you are hitting walls, because the walls are soft and bend and seemingly appear to give flexibility to movement.</p>
<p>With that said, I ask you, how often do you step out of the box, out of the circle?</p>
<p>Now I realize, I may not hit the right tags for this post, often I do not tag just to antagonize the Gods, but I may not hit the right ones to hear from a big enough cross-section of YOU.</p>
<p>I wonder how long we will remain as we are, willing participants in someone else&#8217;s mode of being?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>16</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Wild Pomegrante on Ellen, Jesus and Drinking</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/07/the-wild-pomegrante-on-ellen-jesus-and-drinking/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/07/the-wild-pomegrante-on-ellen-jesus-and-drinking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:20:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1016</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is nothing, nothing I can add to this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;enjoy, courtesies of The Wild Pomengrante]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is nothing, nothing I can add to this&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;enjoy, courtesies of <a href="http://thewildpomegranate.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/we-love-jesus/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','thewildpomegranate.wordpress.com']);">The Wild Pomengrante</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Grassroots Economics</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/05/grassroots-economics/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/05/grassroots-economics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:57:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=1009</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Grassroots economics. What does that mean to you? Suppose it was so simple, that we could help each other? Suppose you had a necklace for sale, and your blogging community joined around you, to get it sold? Suppose you had a business you wanted to start, a venture, and we all joined around you and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Grassroots economics.</p>
<p>What does that mean to you?</p>
<p>Suppose it was so simple, that we could help each other?</p>
<p>Suppose you had a necklace for sale, and your blogging community joined around you, to get it sold?</p>
<p>Suppose you had a business you wanted to start, a venture, and we all joined around you and passed the word on and so on and so on?</p>
<p>If I was the beggar on the street, and collected one dollar from 250,000 people in the space of three days, they would have saved me, no?</p>
<p>Why can&#8217;t we all be the beggars on the corner and the ones stopping to drop a dollar?  It starts now.</p>
<p>Suppose we picked up our own strength and helped one another?</p>
<p>What then?</p>
<p>Could it be the dawning of a new age?</p>
<p><b>AcrossThe Universe &#8211; I Want To Hold Your Hand</b><br />
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQfRdn8wqi4]</p>
<p><b>Across The Universe &#8211; Strawberry Fields Forever (Movie Ver)</b><br />
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziToC3371NE]</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Sunshine&#8230;Superman&#8230;..Green Lantern</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/04/1002/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/04/1002/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:12:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/1002/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Donovan &#8211; Sunshine Superman [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSLpX9Jlfnk]Sit back and listen. Enjoy. Peace]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Donovan &#8211; Sunshine Superman</b><br />
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSLpX9Jlfnk]<br />Sit back and listen.</p>
<p>Enjoy.</p>
<p>Peace</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Purity of Snow</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/03/the-purity-of-snow/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/02/03/the-purity-of-snow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:33:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How many times do we wish to reinvent ourselves? To start again? To be the master, or would it be, the mistress, of the past? How many times, do we long to stand atop the tallest point, and scream, from our hearts, I meant well? The snow allows us to begin again, in unexpected ways. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How many times do we wish to reinvent ourselves?</p>
<p>To start again?</p>
<p>To be the master, or would it be, the mistress, of the past?</p>
<p>How many times, do we long to stand atop the tallest point, and scream, from our hearts, I meant well?</p>
<p>The snow allows us to begin again,</p>
<p>in unexpected ways.</p>
<p>It blankets our paths,</p>
<p>daring us to set foot again,</p>
<p>and to watch also,</p>
<p>where we step.</p>
<p>Today, the snow has blessed us.</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/se020903.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/se020903.jpg?w=300" alt="se020903" title="se020903" width="300" height="225" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-998" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/sefeb0901.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/sefeb0901.jpg?w=300" alt="sefeb0901" title="sefeb0901" width="300" height="225" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-999" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The best complaint letter ever?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/31/the-best-complaint-letter-ever/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/31/the-best-complaint-letter-ever/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:39:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Guy Montag</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Richard Branson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virgin Atlantic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=941</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Could this be the best complaint letter ever? This letter recently received by the Virgin Atlantic customer complaints team is currently being hailed on news blogs everywhere. Surface Earth joins the fun to share with our friends and readers. This is the funniest customer complaint letter ever I have ever seen. How about you?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Could this be the best complaint letter ever? This letter recently received by the <a href="http://www.virgin-atlantic.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.virgin-atlantic.com']);">Virgin Atlantic</a> customer complaints team is currently being hailed on news blogs everywhere. <a href="http://surfaceearth.com" >Surface Earth</a> joins the fun to share with our friends and readers. This is the funniest customer complaint letter ever I have ever seen. How about you?<br />
<img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/va-image.jpg?w=128" alt="Virgin Atlantic" /> <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/31/the-best-complaint-letter-ever/#more-941"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Shelley helping the kids, the innocents, in India</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/25/shelley-helping-the-kids-the-innocents-in-india/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/25/shelley-helping-the-kids-the-innocents-in-india/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:48:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Impact Your World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children need us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hope]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=929</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many of you may have read Shelley Seale&#8217;s article, posted a few days ago here, The Weight of Silence&#8230;. Now maybe you may take a moment and watch her video on these utterly beautiful innocent souls, and if you do, maybe you will pass it on and on, and stop at her site and buy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many of you may have read <a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/the-weight-of-silenceinvisible-children-of-india/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);">Shelley Seale&#8217;s article, posted a few days ago here, The Weight of Silence&#8230;.</a></p>
<p>Now maybe you may take a moment and watch her video on these utterly beautiful innocent souls, and if you do, maybe you will pass it on and on, and stop at her site and buy her book.</p>
<p>It starts now.</p>
<p><a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/quicktime-movie/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">Shelly &amp; her kids</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>President Obama welcomed by &#8220;other life&#8221;?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/24/president-obama-welcomed-by-other-life/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/24/president-obama-welcomed-by-other-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:36:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Americans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=921</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fox News reports: CNN video cuts? Listen, I have always found it ludicrous that we are the only beings in the vast space of whatever we want to call it, the universe, the galactic collection of galaxies, etc. Really, if we are the only race here, and ha, we don&#8217;t even recognize ourselves as a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Fox News reports:  <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,482427,00.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.foxnews.com']);">CNN video cuts?</a></p>
<p>Listen,  I have always found it ludicrous that we are the only beings in the vast space of whatever we want to call it, the universe, the galactic collection of galaxies, etc.</p>
<p>Really, if we are the only race here, and ha, we don&#8217;t even recognize ourselves as a whole race, but fighting, disparate, screeching wolves in the night, then, isn&#8217;t that a sad state of affairs for the rest of the dark matter hanging out there?</p>
<p>I&#8217;m no scientist, in case you didn&#8217;t catch on yet, but what I know, or SUSPECT, is that it cannot be true.</p>
<p>Here are some facts hard to dispute about humans:</p>
<p>1.  we have enslaved our brothers and sisters<br />
2.  we continue to enslave our brothers and sisters<br />
3.  we believe one life is greater than another and excuse ourselves in the name of religion, security, politics, medical protocol, to sacrifice others<br />
4.  I&#8217;m sorry, I can&#8217;t continue, I suspect I&#8217;m on a rant.</p>
<p>Just tell me, in lots or little words, why is it that the idea of other life forms is something we don&#8217;t accept as probably more true than not?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Whose rainbow is it anyway?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/24/whose-rainbow-is-it-anyway/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/24/whose-rainbow-is-it-anyway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:45:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=919</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Can I hold The rainbow that I see Gather it In clumps Shoving down to Mix with the lint And remains of my day Within pockets? If I can&#8217;t do that Feel that Does it mean I or would it be, the Rainbow, have failed Or ceased to exist?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Can I hold<br />
The rainbow that I see<br />
Gather it<br />
In clumps<br />
Shoving down to<br />
Mix with the lint<br />
And remains of my day<br />
Within pockets?</p>
<p>If I can&#8217;t do that<br />
Feel that<br />
Does it mean<br />
I or would it be,<br />
the<br />
Rainbow,<br />
have failed<br />
Or ceased to exist?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/24/whose-rainbow-is-it-anyway/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Life Created By The Hands of Man vs. GOD. Is there a difference?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/23/life-created-by-the-hands-of-man-vs-god-is-there-a-difference/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/23/life-created-by-the-hands-of-man-vs-god-is-there-a-difference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:03:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Answer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Catholic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversations with God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[God]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Tech/Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spirituality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awareness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=859</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been giving this question some thought ever since my daughter shared with me an article describing the work of researchers at the Scripps Research Institute who created molecules that self-replicate, evolve and compete to win or loose.&#8221;]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have been giving this question some thought ever since my daughter shared with me an article describing the work of researchers at the <a href="http://www.scripps.edu/news/press/010809.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.scripps.edu']);">Scripps Research Institute</a> who created molecules that self-replicate, evolve and compete to win or loose.&#8221;  <a href="http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/23/life-created-by-the-hands-of-man-vs-god-is-there-a-difference/#more-859"  class="more-link">(more&#8230;)</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Obama!  Ordinary Americans Welcome you:  President Obama!</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/20/obama-ordinary-americans-welcome-you-president-obama/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/20/obama-ordinary-americans-welcome-you-president-obama/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:38:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=888</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today is a blessed day. It is a historic day. It is a day, when as those in my family say, we cry happy tears. Here, how we everyday Americans witness and welcome this most blessed day: PRESIDENT OBAMA, we salute you and send blessings to you and yours.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today is a blessed day.</p>
<p>It is a historic day.</p>
<p>It is a day, when as those in my family say,</p>
<p>we cry happy tears.</p>
<p>Here, how we everyday Americans witness and welcome this most blessed day:</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/obama14.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/obama14.jpg?w=300" alt="obama14" title="obama14" width="300" height="225" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-899" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/obama22.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/obama22.jpg?w=300" alt="obama22" title="obama22" width="300" height="225" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-900" /></a></p>
<p>PRESIDENT OBAMA, we salute you and send blessings to you and yours.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Weight of Silence:Invisible Children of India</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/13/the-weight-of-silenceinvisible-children-of-india/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2009/01/13/the-weight-of-silenceinvisible-children-of-india/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:59:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humanity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abducted children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awareness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=848</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ms. Shelley Seale, a humanitarian and now guest blogger, shares with us a moving piece on the price and plight of innocence. It is a piece born from the heart. As you approach the end of Ms. Seale&#8217;s narrative, she also graciously shares with us general statistics on the day to day societal warfare waged [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://weightofsilence.wordpress.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','weightofsilence.wordpress.com']);">Ms. Shelley Seale</a>, a humanitarian and now guest blogger, shares with us a moving piece on the price and plight of innocence.  It is a piece born from the heart.  As you approach the end of Ms. Seale&#8217;s narrative, she also graciously shares with us general statistics on the day to day societal warfare waged knowingly against children.  May peace be with you as you share your moments with Ms. Seale and pass on her moving piece, information and website to all that you know.</p>
<p>With no further introduction&#8230;</p>
<p><em>&#8220;The plane started its final descent, and my heart began to race. It was March of 2005, and I had been traveling halfway around the world for nearly two days to volunteer in an orphanage in northeast India, with the Austin-based nonprofit The Miracle Foundation. I had been sponsoring a child who lived there but had never visited the country before, and my stomach tightened as the plane touched down and I waited impatiently for the exit doors to open.</p>
<p>I had never expected to be in India. It wasn’t the exotic beauty that had drawn me. It wasn’t the storied, ancient history of the country or its rich and varied culture. It was not the colors or the spices or the sounds or the spirituality of the place. India is all of these things, to be sure; but they were not what pulled me close, made the place somehow a part of my soul before I had even arrived.<br />
It was the children.</p>
<p>They are everywhere. They fill the streets, the railway stations, the shanty villages. Some scrounge through trash for newspapers, rags or anything they can sell at traffic intersections. Others, often as young as two or three years old, beg. Many of them are homeless, overflowing the orphanages and other institutional homes to live on the streets. Amidst the growing prosperity of India, there is an entire generation of parentless children growing up, often forced into child labor and prostitution – more than twenty-five million in all. They are invisible children, their plight virtually unnoticed by the world, their voices silenced.</p>
<p>And in the small town outside Cuttack, a hundred miles south of Calcutta, one man named Damodar Sahoo had dedicated his life to providing some sort of family for one hundred of these children, assisted by donations and volunteers from the United States. I had no way of knowing just how much they would change my life.<br />
Eleven dazed Americans emerged into piercing sunlight and walked across the tarmac to the small terminal. As we entered Caroline Boudreaux, founder of The Miracle Foundation, was immediately spotted by Damodar – known to all simply as “Papa.” He pulled Caroline into a hug across the metal bars separating the passengers from those waiting for them. He lifted his large, thick 1980s style glasses from the bridge of his nose and dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief, overcome with joy at seeing his American “daughter” again and the group she had brought along to visit the children he cared for. Alongside him were his wife, two women who worked at the orphanage, and three of the children. As we showed our passports and entered the gate, one by one, the little girls handed us each a bouquet of flowers, kissing their fingers and bending down to touch our feet in a blessing.</p>
<p>The visitors and our luggage were crammed into vehicles and we zoomed down the main road, which was dirt peppered with potholes, narrowly missing bicycles, pedestrians, cows and rickshaws. India was everything I had imagined it would be – only more so. More colors, more noises, more smells, more people, more everything. It was an assault on all the senses at once: The throngs of people, the muddy dirt roads, the constant beep-beep of the horns. The deteriorating buildings, the ragged street vendors, the ramshackle homes for which hut was too grandiose a term. The wonderful and the abject co-existed side by side, for the most part peacefully. There was what everyone, myself included, expected – poverty, ugliness, despair, filth.</p>
<p>But there was also much beauty, in the midst of it all. The warmth and shyness of the people, the colorful saris, the upscale shops next to the vendors, the swaying trees surrounding it all. I was enchanted by a brief glimpse into an ornate Hindu temple, candles glowing and people bowing their heads to the ground in prayer. Beauty was not its own thing to be separated out, sanitized, and kept apart for its own sake. The true measure of beauty lay in its imperfections; to see it, one must embrace it all. India immediately wrapped itself around me and refused to let go.</p>
<p>And in the children beauty seemed to come alive, almost making me believe it was a living entity I could capture in my hands.<br />
Without warning, we lurched around a village corner and turned into the orphanage entrance. In a second the cars had stopped and a hundred children lined around in a semi-circle, waving and chanting &quot;welcome&quot; over and over. I opened the car door and they were all around me, touching my feet in blessing. The children were shy at first, obviously excited but reticent. One little girl, about seven years old, summoned her courage and touched my arm, then grasped my hand. &quot;Hello,&quot; she said softly, looking up at me and just as quickly dropping her eyes, giggling. As soon as she did this, the crowd of surrounding children shed their reserve and instantly moved in closer, putting their hands out for me to shake. There was a never-ending supply of hands raised in front of me and I shook them over and over.<br />
I was overwhelmed and unsure what to do, blindly following behind Papa and Caroline as they moved into the ashram. It was almost surreal, and happening so quickly. I didn&#8217;t have time to look around or get any sense of where I was in the darkness. There were just the children, all around, and my feet moving forward until we arrived in a courtyard. The children, as one, left our sides and began climbing a staircase in an orderly fashion. We followed with the dozen staff members, removing our shoes at the top of the stairs and entering the prayer room.</p>
<p>The children were already lined up and sitting on rugs on the floor, boys on one side and girls on the other, ages progressively going up toward the back with older kids sitting behind younger. I was handed a small bouquet of red roses and marigolds, and led to a spot on the mats. At the front of the room was an altar holding flowers, small trinkets of devotion, a picture of the guru Sai Baba and a statue of Vishnu, an ancient Hindu god. Tacked to the walls on all sides were pictures of other Hindu gods – Ganesh and Krishna – as well as Jesus, Mary, Mother Theresa and Mohammed. Ceiling fans whirred overhead to stir up the warm air. A staff member lit incense at the altar while another blew a horn softly. The children sat up straighter and ceased any fidgeting or whispering.</p>
<p>Then the prayers began. It started with a simple chant: &quot;Om&#8230;.om..,&quot; the small voices resonating deeply. The chanting gave way to a song, a hundred sweet voices dancing in the air and filling the room. Beside me on the rug sat one of the smallest girls, with glossy black curls and deep dimples. She was sitting lotus-style with her middle fingers and thumbs pressed together on the knees of her yellow and green flowered dress, eyes squinted tightly shut in concentration. Her strong, clear singing distinctly carried to my ears apart from the others. The voice of this three year old rising so pure and true was one of the most powerful sounds I had ever heard.</p>
<p>Soon the singing faded into silence and Papa prayed. He said there were many religions represented and respected in the ashram. “Here, there are Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and Muslims. We pray,” Papa said, “to God and Allah and Jesus and Mohammed. The meaning of life is to love all. The purpose of life is to serve all.”</p>
<p>It was a simple prayer, reminding me that life need not be complicated unless we made it so. A soothing peace palpable in the air filled me, and I breathed out deeply. The past forty hours of travel and little sleep fell away as if they were nothing. There seemed no other world outside this place. As Papa spoke my eyes traveled over the faces all around me. I wondered when each of them had stopped wanting to go home, or if they ever had. As much of a loving community as the ashram seemed, it was not the family that most of the children had once known, distant and ghostly memories for the most part.</p>
<p>Home is a fragile concept – far more delicate than those of us who have always had one can imagine. When a person no longer has a home, when his family is taken from him and he is deprived of everything that was home, then after a while wherever he is becomes home. Slowly, the pieces of memory fade, until this strange new place is not strange anymore; it becomes harder to recall the past life, a long ago family, until one day he realizes he is home.<br />
</em><br />
<strong><em>Post Script: Excerpts provided by Ms. Seal</em><br />
</strong><br />
What to know:<br />
More than 25 million Indian children currently live without homes or families – in orphanages or on the streets, where they are extremely vulnerable to abuse, disease, and being trafficked into labor or the sex trade.<br />
Another 4 million children join their ranks each year.<br />
India is home to the most AIDS orphans of any country in the world &#8211; approaching 2 million, and expected to double over the next five years.<br />
By some estimates, as many as 100 million child laborers work in India.<br />
Hundreds of thousands of Indian children go missing each year, kidnapped or trafficked – and three out of four of those are never found.<br />
A poor child in India is three times as likely to die before his fifth birthday as a rich child.<br />
More than two million children themselves die every year from preventable infections for which education and medicine are lacking.<br />
One of every three of the world’s malnourished children lives in India.<br />
Fifty percent of childhood deaths there are attributable to malnutrition or starvation.</p>
<p>How you can help:<br />
The first step is awareness – thank you for reading this article and for caring. You can sponsor a child at <a href="http://www.miraclefoundation.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.miraclefoundation.org']);">Miracle Foundation</a>.<br />
You can make a donation at <a href="http://www.unicef.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.unicef.org']);">UNICEF</a>, the leading champion for children worldwide. Be a conscious shopper. Is it really worth getting something a few dollars cheaper if it is made by slave labor or children? Check out <a href="http://www.betterworldshopper.com" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.betterworldshopper.com']);">The Better World Shopping Guide</a>. You can take action by signing petitions and/or financially supporting organizations that are working worldwide to end child labor. Some of them are: <a href="http://globalmarch.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','globalmarch.org']);">globalmarch.org</a> | <a href="http://endchildlabor.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','endchildlabor.org']);">endchildlabor.org</a> | <a href="http://earthaction.org" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','earthaction.org']);">earthaction.org</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Forgive</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/forgive/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/forgive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:59:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Forgive me in advance I know not what I do at least in the moment before doing. I stumble on this path sometimes realizing after what it is what I have said what I have done to hurt you. i think sometimes out loud but on paper or would that be the blank canvas of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Forgive me<br />
in advance<br />
I know not what I do<br />
at least<br />
in the moment before doing.</p>
<p>I stumble on this path<br />
sometimes realizing<br />
after<br />
what it is<br />
what I have said<br />
what I have done<br />
to hurt you.</p>
<p>i think sometimes<br />
out loud<br />
but on paper<br />
or would that be<br />
the blank canvas of this page?</p>
<p>So often<br />
i let the words<br />
dribble<br />
and run<br />
into my<br />
my moments<br />
not seizing them<br />
not taking them hostage<br />
making them<br />
account for themselves.</p>
<p>Then,<br />
without reason,<br />
i grab a pen<br />
or a keyboard<br />
and make them<br />
make themselves known<br />
to stop<br />
the cycle of words<br />
without<br />
known<br />
consequence.</p>
<p>they now<br />
commit<br />
to ask,<br />
why would I want<br />
to be them?<br />
Heads bowed<br />
backs bent,<br />
against and under<br />
the weight<br />
of<br />
stares<br />
arms draped down<br />
in<br />
anguished leather<br />
of fingers pricked<br />
and worn<br />
under a machine<br />
within dark enclosed space<br />
the only sky<br />
the sound<br />
of<br />
someone counting,<br />
again<br />
and again,<br />
the worth<br />
of<br />
their<br />
breath.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/forgive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Soap Bubbles</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/soap-bubbles/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/soap-bubbles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:32:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=835</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To open to live to breath the kiss of the immortal As I sell myself against time not as nice as I used to be half as nice as I may be tomorrow I kick at the confines soap bubbles dispersing in the water leaving film my fingernail scratches the outer edges beginning to claw [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>To open<br />
to live<br />
to breath<br />
the kiss of the immortal<br />
As I sell myself<br />
against time<br />
not as nice as I used to be<br />
half as nice<br />
as I may be tomorrow<br />
I kick at the confines<br />
soap bubbles dispersing<br />
in the water<br />
leaving film<br />
my fingernail scratches<br />
the outer edges<br />
beginning to claw<br />
the blue<br />
at the edge<br />
of vision<br />
pulling back<br />
light from beneath<br />
shudder<br />
now silent<br />
resting on the counter<br />
dishes pulled from the washer<br />
a cycle complete</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Against the sky</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/against-the-sky/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/28/against-the-sky/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:52:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=832</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Against the sky I breath watching you take flight I don&#8217;t count how many you are I see only one until later, much later, when I print you, against, time.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/birdsagainstthesky.jpg" alt="birdsagainstthesky" title="birdsagainstthesky" width="500" height="375" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-833" /></p>
<p>Against the sky<br />
I breath<br />
watching you take flight<br />
I don&#8217;t count<br />
how many you are<br />
I see only<br />
one<br />
until later,<br />
much later,<br />
when I print you,<br />
against,<br />
time.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Secrets</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/18/secrets-2/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/18/secrets-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:33:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2008/12/18/secrets-2/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When do secrets stop being secrets? Is it when we speak them out out loud? Does it require a certain number to hear or see them to remove the status of secret? Highlight: postsecrets]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When do secrets stop being secrets?</p>
<p>Is it when we speak them out out loud?</p>
<p>Does it require a certain number to hear or see them to remove the status of secret?</p>
<p>Highlight:  <a href="http://postsecret.blogspot.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','postsecret.blogspot.com']);">postsecrets</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sit down and shut up:  alleged ex-&#8221;porn&#8221; star forced out of school job</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/13/sit-down-and-shut-up-alleged-ex-porn-star-forced-out-of-school-job/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/13/sit-down-and-shut-up-alleged-ex-porn-star-forced-out-of-school-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:07:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dignity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Majority's voice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defamation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[perception]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the nonsense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pornography]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=822</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fox News Reports: Ex-Porn Star Quits School Cafeteria Job After Uproar Let me ask a question. Actually, I am not asking permission. I am here to say, what is wrong with us? Let&#8217;s pretend for a moment, there is a lovely woman. The woman has made her living for some years as an &#8220;adult entertainer&#8221;. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Fox News Reports:  <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,466684,00.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.foxnews.com']);">Ex-Porn Star Quits School Cafeteria Job After Uproar</a></p>
<p>Let me ask a question.</p>
<p>Actually, I am not asking permission.</p>
<p>I am here to say, what is wrong with us?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s pretend for a moment, there is a lovely woman.</p>
<p>The woman has made her living for some years as an &#8220;adult entertainer&#8221;.  Whatever that means.  If she is over 18 and TRULY exercises free will, economy, or pimps or whatever, have not forced her in the role, then&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</p>
<p>So let&#8217;s pretend, one of the three:</p>
<p>a)  she did so with free will; or<br />
b) she did so without choice; or<br />
c) she was forced into same.</p>
<p>Ok.</p>
<p>Now, we meet a woman, a woman, wanting to be who she is in this moment, someone who wants to work at a school, for, forgive me, less than $5,800.00 a year, and now, parents want her out?</p>
<p>Did I miss something?</p>
<p>Is she accused, convicted beyond a reasonable doubt of doing something to innocent children?  (btw: all children are innocent).</p>
<p>Is there anyone out here that has spent a moment in Suburbia? How it is always others and not the inhabitants, that have skeletons?</p>
<p>I fear a projection of misconceived issues may be afoot.</p>
<p>I don&#8217;t know this woman portrayed in this Fox News article and now being publicly lambasted, but what I don&#8217;t see is any allegations as to how this woman treated children.</p>
<p>Really people, can we grow up and give our children a better model for the future?</p>
<p>This is a witch hunt, Salem circa 2008.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t be a part of it.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>12</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Hello NJ?  Equality?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/11/hello-nj-equality/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/11/hello-nj-equality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:19:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gay marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=812</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Well hello NJ. Looks like we aren&#8217;t sitting quiet with the peace offering of civil unions. Check it out, there may be movement afoot, allowing others to love as others love. (yes, I meant to say it that way.  why are only alleged heterosexuals &#8220;us&#8221; and a-hem, &#8220;gays&#8221;, &#8220;homosexuals&#8221; or &#8220;those that love others of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well hello NJ.</p>
<p>Looks like we aren&#8217;t sitting quiet with the peace offering of civil unions.</p>
<p>Check it out, there may be movement afoot, allowing others to love as others love.</p>
<p>(yes, I meant to say it that way.  why are only alleged heterosexuals &#8220;us&#8221; and a-hem, &#8220;gays&#8221;, &#8220;homosexuals&#8221; or &#8220;those that love others of the same &#8216;sex&#8217;&#8221;, others?)</p>
<p>Can we just evolve?</p>
<p>Check it out:  <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE4B96KJ20081211" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.reuters.com']);">Reuters&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</a></p>
<p>EXCERPT&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>&#8220;Full marriage is the only way to meet a state constitutional requirement for equality, said the 13-member panel of public officials, clergy, lawyers and same-sex marriage advocates.&#8221;</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>THE EXTORTION OF US TAX PAYERS (a.k.a., the Detroit Bailout)</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/09/first-time-shame-on-you-second-time-shame-on-me-the-extortion-us-tax-payers-aka-the-detroit-bailout/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/09/first-time-shame-on-you-second-time-shame-on-me-the-extortion-us-tax-payers-aka-the-detroit-bailout/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:20:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Grego</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Americans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bailout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxpayer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[THE EXTORTION OF US TAX PAYERS (a.k.a., the Detroit Bailout) Let&#8217;s do the math and perhaps put it out to a poll. I&#8217;ll focus on GM, you can do the same for Ford and Chrysler. GM employs about 252,000 people globally. The company website totals its US work force at 97,624 across some 87 US [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>THE EXTORTION OF US TAX PAYERS (a.k.a., the Detroit Bailout)</strong></em></p>
<p>Let&#8217;s do the math and perhaps put it out to a poll. I&#8217;ll focus on GM, you can do the same for Ford and Chrysler. GM employs about 252,000 people globally. The company website totals its US work force at  97,624 across some 87 US zip codes.</p>
<p>The pitch made by the Big Three last week puts the GM term loan &#8220;request&#8221; at least $12 billion they said was needed to bridge a funding gap in their global operations through just 2009. Unless you think that by the end of 2009 mobs of Americans will be buying enough GM cars to make a difference, by this time next year these same three will be asking for more tax payer money. They will site then, as they do now, a vast US unemployment amongst a plethora of other dire consequences should they be &#8220;allowed&#8221; to fail.</p>
<p>Now here is the math: if we consider only the US based employees of GM, that &#8220;term loan&#8221; works out to over $122,920 per current employee &#8211; including the over two dozen lucky top earners at the company that make well over $1 million per year. If we were to poll those same US employees of GM, asking simply, should GM management be handed $12 Billion IN CASH or instead should each US based employee given a severance package that includes nearly $123,000 IN CASH and then seek employment at the several other US based (but foreign) car manufacturers who for some reason are NOT asking for a bailout. By the way, these other car companies will most assuredly be delighted to increase their own US car production output to make up for the void should the &#8220;big three&#8221; go under. Now back to the math, what would those tax paying US based employees choose? Would they trust $12 Billion in the hands of a few pigeon headed multi-millionaires that drove their company, an icon of American manufacturing competence and power the world over, into total obsolescence or would they take a chance on themselves with that $122,920?</p>
<p>Now that $122,920 may seem  like a paltry amount for some, and certainly that is so for the GM CEO who earns over $10 MILLION IN ADDITION TO his annual salary of $1.5 million (source <a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/us" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','online.wsj.com']);">WSJ</a>) that he is now willing to &#8220;sacrifice&#8221;, for one year, for the sake of getting this bailout&#8230;presumingly because its good for the nation. What a patriot. Take note however, he is offering to giving up just over one tenth of his total compensation and this &#8220;sacrifice&#8221; does not include his use of the company&#8217;s air force (yes, we talking about a car company), fleet of chauffeured cars, personnel/family allowances and that all important multi-million dollar corporate expense account amongst the plethora of other perks.</p>
<p>Do we really need to debate this?</p>
<p><strong><em></em><em>See also:</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em></em><em>CNN: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/11/congress.auto.bailout/index.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cnn.com']);"> auto plea passes the House</a><br />
</em></strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Faeries</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/05/the-faeries/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/05/the-faeries/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:42:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[words]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=739</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The trees began to curl into themselves but first color themselves in the light of Fall colors. The edges began to creep, creep, and creep further in, and every time they did, the Faeries, would curl up their toes, closer to their immortal legs, and hide. The ledges of time became smaller, the space to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The trees began to curl into themselves</p>
<p>but first</p>
<p>color themselves in the light</p>
<p>of Fall colors.</p>
<p>The edges began to creep,</p>
<p>creep,</p>
<p>and creep further in,</p>
<p>and every time they did,</p>
<p>the Faeries,</p>
<p>would curl up their toes,</p>
<p>closer to their immortal legs,</p>
<p>and hide.</p>
<p>The ledges of time</p>
<p>became smaller,</p>
<p>the space</p>
<p>to hide,</p>
<p>smaller yet,</p>
<p>and the Faeries knew,</p>
<p>there were not too many daylight hours</p>
<p>left to hide.</p>
<p>They unfurled in the night,</p>
<p>becoming themselves,</p>
<p>unbent from the leaves,</p>
<p>from human eyes.</p>
<p>Oh,</p>
<p>how they thanked the darkness for the need</p>
<p>of most,</p>
<p>humans,</p>
<p>to sleep.</p>
<p>They slipped from the leaves,</p>
<p>stretching their limbs,</p>
<p>nimbly alighting hundreds of feet to the ground,</p>
<p>to start the next day&#8217;s work</p>
<p>on the century&#8217;s task.</p>
<p>they had agreed to.</p>
<p>(<em>more later) (copyright, The Faeries, S.E.)</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Many Faces of One</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/05/the-many-faces-of-one/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/05/the-many-faces-of-one/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:44:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blogroll]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=576</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are we ever just this one thing? I think not. Unless we only evaluate in the space of frozen time. My girl, my prior header on my previous design blog, she shines; yet, I changed her time and time again. I have photos of her change, all of which I have not posted.  it was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are we ever just this one thing?</p>
<p>I think not.</p>
<p>Unless we only evaluate in the space of frozen time.</p>
<p>My girl, my prior header on my previous design blog, she shines; yet, I changed her time and time again.  I have photos of her change, all of which I have not posted.  it was an expose of moments and I dared to paint and repaint the canvas.</p>
<p>The point is, none of us are ever just one thing, and when we judge others, we freeze them in time.  We see an encapsulated moment, while still, perhaps, allowing ourselves evolution.</p>
<p>Ah, so now what, my friends, now what?  Shall we move on?</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/she.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-577" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/she.jpg?w=214" alt="" width="214" height="300" /></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Today is a handful, or slightly less, of seeds</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/04/today-is-a-handful-or-slightly-less-of-seeds/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/04/today-is-a-handful-or-slightly-less-of-seeds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:50:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=793</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today the Earth fell from beneath my feet but it was not an unusual occurrence because yesterday the same occurred. I woke, I stood, I put my feet upon the ground, I lifted my arms, stretched, and looked to the windows, where recently, i hung scraps of cloth, to obscure the view. of them, or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today</p>
<p>the Earth fell from beneath my feet</p>
<p>but it was not</p>
<p>an unusual occurrence</p>
<p>because yesterday</p>
<p>the same occurred.</p>
<p>I woke,</p>
<p>I stood,</p>
<p>I put my feet upon the ground,</p>
<p>I lifted my arms,</p>
<p>stretched,</p>
<p>and looked to the windows,</p>
<p>where recently,</p>
<p>i hung scraps of cloth,</p>
<p>to obscure the view.</p>
<p>of them,</p>
<p>or me?</p>
<p>It does not matter.</p>
<p>I know there are times,</p>
<p>we belong to no one</p>
<p>but ourselves and God in our heart,</p>
<p>and those moments are</p>
<p>simple</p>
<p>pure</p>
<p>real.</p>
<p>they are the moments,</p>
<p>God willing,</p>
<p>when the rest of the world</p>
<p>stands back</p>
<p>and does</p>
<p>not come through our door uninvited</p>
<p>and we have moments</p>
<p>just for thanks and gratitude</p>
<p>that we are</p>
<p>in those moments ok.</p>
<p>It will be the harrowing moments after</p>
<p>of self realization</p>
<p>CNN or Fox News</p>
<p>where we may doubt our own</p>
<p>definition.</p>
<p>So long as we hold</p>
<p>strong</p>
<p>in the moments in between</p>
<p>we can gather courage</p>
<p>like beans</p>
<p>or seeds</p>
<p>kernals</p>
<p>in a pocket</p>
<p>promising a different now.</p>
<p>Peace to you. We send such loving thoughts your way.</p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/04/today-is-a-handful-or-slightly-less-of-seeds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>why?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/03/why/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/03/why/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:41:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=791</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why must people be cruel? Silly, innocent question, but it begs an answer.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Why must people be cruel?</p>
<p>Silly,</p>
<p>innocent question,</p>
<p>but it begs an answer.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/12/03/why/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Continued blessings on this Thanksgiving Weekend</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/28/continued-blessings-on-this-thanksgiving-weekend/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/28/continued-blessings-on-this-thanksgiving-weekend/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:14:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[All of you who spend time here, bless you, you grant us miracles, by your existence and your courage in stopping in, to say hello, and give strength. Welcome CNN Hereos&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.I cannot begin to give words to what you do&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;for now, I start with this John Legend video.&#8230;&#8230;..spectacular.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>All of you who spend time here,</p>
<p>bless you,</p>
<p>you grant us miracles,</p>
<p>by your existence and your courage in stopping in,</p>
<p>to say hello,</p>
<p>and give strength.</p>
<p>Welcome CNN Hereos&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.I cannot begin to give words to what you do&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;for now, I start with this <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/11/25/anderson.heroes.john.legend.cnn" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cnn.com']);">John Legend video.</a>&#8230;&#8230;..spectacular.</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/sta_1126.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/28/continued-blessings-on-this-thanksgiving-weekend/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Mumbai:  Attack of Innocents</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/mumbai-attack-of-innocents/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/mumbai-attack-of-innocents/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:34:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=782</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CNN reports on the attacks on innocents in India.  What would Ghandi say now?  I am not making light, I am serious, very, very serious, how can this be true? It starts, I believe, with the ability to see others as less than ourselves and it morphs to such grand proportions that it becomes something [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/26/india.attacks/index.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cnn.com']);">CNN reports</a> on the attacks on innocents in India.  What would Ghandi say now?  I am not making light, I am serious, very, very serious, how can this be true?</p>
<p>It starts, I believe, with the ability to see others as less than ourselves and it morphs to such grand proportions that it becomes something that hits the news and strikes us again and again, in headlines.</p>
<p>None of this should be true, but I have always been one to not spend a lot of time on should, or at least try not to, because should connotes lost time in the past.</p>
<p>I ask tonight for the only thing I can think of:  prayer.  Ask everyone you know to pray and pray and pray&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;at least until we can figure out something more swift.</p>
<p>I am probably not unlike you, I see this and say, where is God?  where is love?</p>
<p>I could struggle with an intellectual debate on the issues, but that is not helping all of those hurting, shocked, damaged people.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/mumbai-attack-of-innocents/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Adoption:  The Best Interest of the Child</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/adoption-the-best-interest-of-the-child/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/adoption-the-best-interest-of-the-child/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:54:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gay marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently, many issues have come to light with the rights of our fellow human beings. Rights, I want to say, trampled, but how can they be trampled when such rights have not yet arisen? There is a lot of coverage as to &#8220;equal&#8221; marriage or &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage.  I&#8217;m not sure the word matters, I know [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Recently, many issues have come to light with the rights of our fellow human beings.</p>
<p>Rights, I want to say, trampled, but how can they be trampled when such rights have not yet arisen?</p>
<p>There is a lot of coverage as to &#8220;equal&#8221; marriage or &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage.  I&#8217;m not sure the word matters, I know as a lover of words it should, but I find the essence of the issue is one more pure, it is the right to love, so I don&#8217;t know what to call the right to love and marry, regardless of sexual orientation.</p>
<p>On a related note, from <a href="http://vanessaleighsblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/20/my-thoughts-on-equal-marriage/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','vanessaleighsblog.wordpress.com']);">Vannessa&#8217;s corner of the world</a>, she brought up the issue of the right to adopt and how it is curtailed due to sexual orientation.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.workcoachcafe.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.workcoachcafe.com']);">Dear Ronnie, from Work Coach Cafe</a>, just left an inspiring comment in regard to same and the illustrious words of at least one judge in Florida!  <a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/hello-is-this-2008-are-we-human-stop-florida-from-committing-transgression/#comments" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);"><em>See Ronnie&#8217;s comment and prior thread.</em></a></p>
<p>Onward!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/26/adoption-the-best-interest-of-the-child/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Edge of the Rainbow</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/the-edge-of-the-rainbow/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/the-edge-of-the-rainbow/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:06:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=773</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you live on the edge of the rainbow, hanging on to the hue, of purple, or blue, the gradation, may not matter. When you live on the edge of the rainbow, it is moments, seconds, that define, you, your life. When you live on the edge of the rainbow, you hold on, by nail, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you live on the edge of the rainbow,</p>
<p>hanging on to the hue,</p>
<p>of purple,</p>
<p>or blue,</p>
<p>the gradation,</p>
<p>may not matter.</p>
<p>When you live on the edge of the rainbow,</p>
<p>it is moments,</p>
<p>seconds,</p>
<p>that define,</p>
<p>you,</p>
<p>your life.</p>
<p>When you live on the edge of the rainbow,</p>
<p>you hold on,</p>
<p>by nail,</p>
<p>by a thread,</p>
<p>by a handful,</p>
<p>if you like the color,</p>
<p>you have grasped.</p>
<p>When you live on the edge of the rainbow,</p>
<p>yours,</p>
<p>hang with you.</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/img_1071.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/the-edge-of-the-rainbow/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In my hands</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/in-my-hands/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/in-my-hands/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:12:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In my hand I hold the promise of today which was the breath, the blink, of yesterday, unrealized. In my hand, I hold, the courage, of a moment, fingers curled, ready, palms warm. In my hands, I hold, the tempo, of a new tomorrow, watch my fingers spread, reaching to the horizon, refusing to meet, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In my hand </p>
<p>I hold</p>
<p>the promise of today</p>
<p>which was the breath,</p>
<p>the blink,</p>
<p>of yesterday,</p>
<p>unrealized.</p>
<p>In my hand,</p>
<p>I hold,</p>
<p>the courage,</p>
<p>of a moment,</p>
<p>fingers curled,</p>
<p>ready,</p>
<p>palms warm.</p>
<p>In my hands,</p>
<p>I hold,</p>
<p>the tempo,</p>
<p>of a new tomorrow,</p>
<p>watch my fingers spread,</p>
<p>reaching to the horizon,</p>
<p>refusing to meet,</p>
<p>a dividing line.</p>
<p>In my hands,</p>
<p>I hold,</p>
<p>the spark of hope,</p>
<p>so tiny,</p>
<p>I dare not look,</p>
<p>to see,</p>
<p>if it exists,</p>
<p>but close my eyes,</p>
<p>against the </p>
<p>sand of time,</p>
<p>willing granules</p>
<p>to become affixed,</p>
<p>within my eyelashes,</p>
<p>so short these days.</p>
<p>I will,</p>
<p>the space of time,</p>
<p>to exist,</p>
<p>as I hold it,</p>
<p>in my heart,</p>
<p>and send to you.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Peace.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/24/in-my-hands/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When a heart breaks, does it have a sound?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/23/when-a-heart-breaks-does-it-have-a-sound/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/23/when-a-heart-breaks-does-it-have-a-sound/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:36:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is the sound, of one heart, sighing? One heart, crying, ripping, tearing? What is the sound, can there be, when no one outside of yourself can hear it? Or is sound, an image, something transfixed, transported, into gesture and face? Can we hear the sound of a heart breaking in visual imagery? Imagine this, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is the sound,</p>
<p>of one heart,</p>
<p>sighing?</p>
<p>One heart,</p>
<p>crying,</p>
<p>ripping,</p>
<p>tearing?</p>
<p>What is the sound,</p>
<p>can there be,</p>
<p>when no one outside of yourself</p>
<p>can hear it?</p>
<p>Or is sound,</p>
<p>an image,</p>
<p>something transfixed,</p>
<p>transported,</p>
<p>into gesture and face?</p>
<p>Can we hear the sound</p>
<p>of a heart breaking</p>
<p>in visual imagery?</p>
<p>Imagine this,</p>
<p>if you will,</p>
<p>falling,</p>
<p>through a moment in time,</p>
<p>when life becomes reversed,</p>
<p>when the difference,</p>
<p>between what is and what isn&#8217;t,</p>
<p>is no difference at all,</p>
<p>where there are no lines.</p>
<p>Imagine if you will,</p>
<p>having,</p>
<p>in fact,</p>
<p>the wrong look,</p>
<p>the wrong intonation,</p>
<p>the wrong laugh,</p>
<p>and imagine,</p>
<p>that is all it takes</p>
<p>to make you into</p>
<p>the other.</p>
<p>What is the sound,</p>
<p>of a heart breaking?</p>
<p>What does it mean,</p>
<p>to be the other?</p>
<p>Who must you be first,</p>
<p>where must you stand,</p>
<p>to call</p>
<p>another</p>
<p>of your brothers</p>
<p>or sisters,</p>
<p>the other?</p>
<p>May peace be with you.</p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/23/when-a-heart-breaks-does-it-have-a-sound/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Easy steps to make the world a better place</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/21/easy-steps-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/21/easy-steps-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:54:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=756</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Amber Moon writes of how we can make the world a better place. She illustrates how we are graced enough to be able to grasp a moment, or what we might conceive as a small thought or gesture, which can have ripple effects.  I imagine the ideas she gives us to help are fibers which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ambermoon.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/change-starts-with-one-person-and-that-might-just-be-you/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','ambermoon.wordpress.com']);">Amber Moon writes of how we can make the world a better place.</a> She illustrates how we are graced enough to be able to grasp a moment, or what we might conceive as a small thought or gesture, which can have ripple effects.  I imagine the ideas she gives us to help are fibers which eventually weave together with enough action to create a blanket to cover the world in kindness.  I am inspired by what she has written.</p>
<p>It just so happens that after reading Amber&#8217;s post, I stopped in at the land of <a href="http://island11.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/art-shows-and-ringo/#comment-1793" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','island11.wordpress.com']);">Gyspsy Heart, and found a piece on tactile art that she had done and the photos of the children</a> that were blessed by her art.  Absolutely amazing.  If that is not kindness, than I don&#8217;t know how to define the word.</p>
<p>I feel blessed today to have read these posts, to turn around my direction of thinking.  Often, as Amber said, the sheer enormity of the things to fix in the world could make us feel there is nothing we can do&#8230;.ah, how misdirected that is and how empowering to hold on to the belief, that change can be made with each small moment.</p>
<p>Peace &amp; blessings.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/21/easy-steps-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>I&#8217;m Alive</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/16/im-alive/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/16/im-alive/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:43:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=753</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m Alive, and I know this, because I think, I breath, I feel. I feel. What is feeling? What is it to walk through life, wondering if anyone else knows what you and yours are going through? Does it matter to daily existence? I think not, because if it did, there could never be human [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m Alive,</p>
<p>and I know this,</p>
<p>because I think, I breath, I feel.</p>
<p>I feel.</p>
<p>What is feeling?</p>
<p>What is it to walk through life,</p>
<p>wondering if anyone else knows what you and yours are going through?</p>
<p>Does it matter to daily existence?</p>
<p>I think not, because if it did, there could never be human unkindness.</p>
<p>Peace.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMsSKKsLak8" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.youtube.com']);">The Resolution, Jack&#8217;s Mannequin</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/16/im-alive/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Selling on line?</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/11/selling-on-line/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/11/selling-on-line/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:22:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=750</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hi there regular readers &#38; friends.  For any of you that have any online stores, would you mind jumping over to the Surface Earth Store and giving me your thoughts on design?  It&#8217;s still in the process of being put together, but would love to hear back from a few or many! Surface Earth store [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hi there regular readers &amp; friends.  For any of you that have any online stores, would you mind jumping over to the Surface Earth Store and giving me your thoughts on design?  It&#8217;s still in the process of being put together, but would love to hear back from a few or many!</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/store/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);">Surface Earth store</a></p>
<p>Peace, light &amp; blessings.</p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/11/selling-on-line/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A new book?!!!</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/11/a-new-book/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/11/a-new-book/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:06:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=746</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To me, short of love and children, there is nothing sweeter than a book. I was over wandering at Sanity&#8217;s Place and aside from artful conversation I found a lead on a new, fresh author! Go check out this book Peace, blessings &#38; light to you.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>To me, short of love and children, there is nothing sweeter than a book.</p>
<p>I was over wandering at <a href="http://sanityfound.wordpress.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','sanityfound.wordpress.com']);">Sanity&#8217;s Place</a> and aside from artful conversation I found a lead on a new, fresh author!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/lindseywrites.328022686" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.cafepress.com']);">Go check out this book</a></p>
<p>Peace, blessings &amp; light to you.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Obama, Obama, Obama, a Day of Tribulation and also of shame</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/06/obama-obama-obama-a-day-of-tribulation-and-also-of-shame/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/06/obama-obama-obama-a-day-of-tribulation-and-also-of-shame/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:37:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[President Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=741</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I write with mixed emotions. I personally am ecstatic with America and the world&#8217;s choice for Obama. Yes, we have woken up from this deep sleep. Yet, in many states in this country, we have been awake and still asleep, voting to ban &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage.  What is &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage? Marriage is a willing union of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I write with mixed emotions.</p>
<p>I personally am ecstatic with America and the world&#8217;s choice for Obama.</p>
<p>Yes, we have woken up from this deep sleep.</p>
<p>Yet, in many states in this country, we have been awake and still asleep, voting to ban &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage.  What is &#8220;gay&#8221; marriage?</p>
<p>Marriage is a willing union of hearts.  It must not be defined by gender or sexual orientation.</p>
<p>I am sorry, I cannot write more as I am deeply saddened by this, this seemingly ignorant action on the behalf of human beings in 2008.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hope&#8221; is a universal word.  It is not intended and not defined for the few.  How dare we, how dare we, crush good people&#8217;s dreams?  Is it easier to do so when it is not black and white?  Is it easier to do so when it is approved unions vs. those that are not?</p>
<p>By whose laws do we take such actions to deprive our brothers and sisters of what we so willingly take as ours?</p>
<p>Raise Up!  Vote to ban hetersexual marriage, let&#8217;s see what kind of reaction that gets.</p>
<p>Again, I&#8217;m sorry, but this is a sad, sad state of affairs that we would, as enlightened human beings, vote down love.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/11/06/obama-obama-obama-a-day-of-tribulation-and-also-of-shame/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Star</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/12/the-star/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/12/the-star/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 01:51:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=734</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I stood outside and looked up, I could make out one star that seemed to glow, shine, more brightly, to me than any other. I wondered at its size. Then I thought, can it see me? I consider it a far off pinpoint of light, yet, it is a light that I can see. Can [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I stood outside and looked up,</p>
<p>I could make out one star that seemed to glow, shine,</p>
<p>more brightly,</p>
<p>to me than any other.</p>
<p>I wondered at its size.</p>
<p>Then I thought,</p>
<p>can it see me?</p>
<p>I consider it a far off pinpoint of light,</p>
<p>yet,</p>
<p>it is a light that I can see.</p>
<p>Can it see me?</p>
<p>A piece of a pinpoint,</p>
<p>on this planet we call Earth,</p>
<p>not shining,</p>
<p>not giving any glow,</p>
<p>to light the vision of the night,</p>
<p>can it see me?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>Moments of Ubuntu</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/06/moments-of-ubuntu/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/06/moments-of-ubuntu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:54:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=731</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are times, most times, between the spaces, when we have, I believe, moments of gratitude, singing, in the open spaces of amphitheaters designed and built both long before and after our time. There are times, I think, perhaps, within the moments, yes, not in the spaces in between, when our hearts swell, and we [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are times,</p>
<p>most times,</p>
<p>between the spaces,</p>
<p>when we have,</p>
<p>I believe,</p>
<p>moments of gratitude,</p>
<p>singing,</p>
<p>in the open spaces</p>
<p>of amphitheaters</p>
<p>designed and built</p>
<p>both long before and after our time.</p>
<p>There are times,</p>
<p>I think,</p>
<p>perhaps,</p>
<p>within the moments,</p>
<p>yes, not in the spaces in between,</p>
<p>when our hearts swell,</p>
<p>and we know,</p>
<p>if we could only bag up and box,</p>
<p>the love before us,</p>
<p>there would not be one more thing we need to accomplish.</p>
<p>Have I shared with you,</p>
<p>the smile,</p>
<p>on a child&#8217;s face,</p>
<p>when they turn at you,</p>
<p>unexpectedly?</p>
<p>Have I shared with you,</p>
<p>the millions of times,</p>
<p>within my home,</p>
<p>we say,</p>
<p>I love you?</p>
<p>not to get something back,</p>
<p>but because it is.</p>
<p>Have I shared with you,</p>
<p>my mortal fears?</p>
<p>the understanding,</p>
<p>that our rights to love,</p>
<p>as humans</p>
<p>are fragile.</p>
<p>They are&#8230;..</p>
<p>parceled,</p>
<p>not by our decree, but by,</p>
<p>the whims,</p>
<p>ambitions,</p>
<p>egos of others.</p>
<p>I do not blame them.</p>
<p>Because to do so,</p>
<p>is to blame them,</p>
<p>for not having been loved,</p>
<p>this way,</p>
<p>the way that is beyond denial,</p>
<p>for those within its circle of warmth.</p>
<p>I wish for you today,</p>
<p>a better moment,</p>
<p>a better today, to build,</p>
<p>an even better tomorrow.</p>
<p>I wish that we,</p>
<p>as humanity,</p>
<p>would not let,</p>
<p>our brothers and sisters fail,</p>
<p>not now,</p>
<p>not ever,</p>
<p>but lift them up,</p>
<p>within our arms of collective consciousness.</p>
<p>Every child gone wrong,</p>
<p>every adult,</p>
<p>with a finger pointed at him or her,</p>
<p>is still the child,</p>
<p>no I don&#8217;t mean,</p>
<p>we excuse behavior that hurts one another,</p>
<p>i mean,</p>
<p>we raise a village,</p>
<p>we stop it before it begins,</p>
<p>Ubuntu.</p>
<p>Peace to you today.</p>
<p>let us know what we can do,</p>
<p>if you don&#8217;t,</p>
<p>well,</p>
<p>we will wish you had.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
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		<title>Ubuntu, in a can, if you will</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/05/ubuntu-in-a-can-if-you-will/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/05/ubuntu-in-a-can-if-you-will/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:53:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=727</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How to begin? Sanity Found gave us a remarkable tribute, and within same, Amber Moon, made reference to the guide written on her blog, simple thoughts on Ubuntu. Perhaps the only fair way to begin is to show you, our introduction to the word Ubuntu did not begin that  long ago.  In June of 2007, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How to begin?</p>
<p><a href="http://sanityfound.com/2008/10/05/weekly-fruit-salad-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%96%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B9/#comment-7688" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','sanityfound.com']);">Sanity Found</a> gave us a remarkable tribute, and within same, <a href="http://ambermoon.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/for-robert-a-guide-to-ubuntuin-easy-language/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','ambermoon.wordpress.com']);">Amber Moon</a>, made reference to the guide written on her blog, simple thoughts on Ubuntu.</p>
<p>Perhaps the only fair way to begin is to show you, our introduction to the word Ubuntu did not begin that  long ago.  <a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/ubuntu-desmond-tuto-brad-pitt/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);">In June of 2007, Surface Earth posted a piece on Ubuntu.</a> It was an introduction, a recognition, that this word was new to us.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Back to the present, we were asked to share our vision, our experience of Ubuntu:</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">
<p><em>We would like to extend our congratulations to <a href="../" target="_blank">Surface Earth</a>.  Thank you for your beautiful words and spirit.  You will be a fine addition to our Ubuntu team.  With this nomination you can choose or not to post our Ubuntu badge on your blog, but we do ask that you post a blog post article about what Ubuntu means to you in return.</em></p>
<p>First, Ubuntu to us means an all encompassing love.  It means love which has no division, no boundaries, it is the recognition that as the water feeds through the channels of the land, it is not divided, but of the same whole.</p>
<p>Stop.</p>
<p>Ubuntu means exactly what what was given and shared today, an expression of humanity, a lack of being afraid to stand on Humanity&#8217;s Team, to recognize ourselves in another or others.  And that is what occurred today.  I stand now, in the distant light, rays, of pure love that have come from people I don&#8217;t know, people that have no agenda other than to raise up their fellow man or woman or human or whatever we want to call ourselves.  This purity of spirit reached into my day, humbling me, asking, what more, what more, what more can be done?  Done, I mean, to keep this up, to keep up this compassionate web of caring, for all of you to feel as I do right now, full of belief in the love and goodness of my fellow people.</p>
<p><em>This is first draft gang, i&#8217;m sure I&#8217;ll be back to write some more, but I can only write from the heart, the editing skills come from my very loud ego, and I&#8217;m ok with silencing that loud partner.</em></p>
<p>Namaste.  May you be good to others.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Changeling and Flash of Genius</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/the-changling-and-flash-of-genius/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/the-changling-and-flash-of-genius/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:07:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[justice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=710</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bizzare, right? How could they possibly be related? Well, maybe falling through the Rabbit Hole. For now, I say, because I saw Flash of Genius today and cried.  I cried for so many reasons.  I cried because I am an attorney and I know I have advocated to settle because litigation costs would be insurmountable [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bizzare, right?</p>
<p>How could they possibly be related?</p>
<p>Well, maybe falling through the Rabbit Hole.</p>
<p>For now, I say, because I saw Flash of Genius today and cried.  I cried for so many reasons.  I cried because I am an attorney and I know I have advocated to settle because litigation costs would be insurmountable for my client.  I cry because i witnessed how a good man, watched his marriage and family get destroyed, because others refused to acknowledge truth.</p>
<p>But before I cried watching Flash of Genius i cried because I saw previews for The Changeling.  Am I confused?  Because I posted some time ago about a book, <a href="http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/379/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.wordpress.com']);">The Stolen Child</a>, and because of my love for Irish history, my love of the lore of the Faeries, I felt The Stolen Child was important.  But the book itself humbled me to believe I knew what was important and what was not.</p>
<p>So I sat, waiting for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054588/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.imdb.com']);">Flash of Genius </a>to begin, and had a preview to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.imdb.com']);">The Changeling </a>which, if you have read, the Stolen Child, or perhaps other works, it would not be a bizarre topic for you.  If you have lived untruths forced upon you by what you believed to be law abiding, good people of society, and have been harmed because of it, then you also know what i mean.</p>
<p>What it means is the disillusion of truth.  Those in power preying over the good that live in truth.  And it bothers me on deeper levels because my Grandfather was an executive of Ford.  But i can only pray, he would not have done this to that man and his family. He is passed now, so I may have to wait to ask.  On another level it bothered me deeply because I am an attorney and was disgusted by what I saw in regard to the attorneys on behalf of Ford.  I spoke to Mary during that film and said please, please don&#8217;t let me be them.  But I&#8217;m judging now, aren&#8217;t I?  Ugh.</p>
<p>I cried. Just in the previews, I cried.  And they also had to slam us with The Soloist, let&#8217;s save that discussion for another day.</p>
<p>All I can say is, truth resides within, if you cannot follow your own good heart, there is no sense looking to others.</p>
<p>Man is distorted, I don&#8217;t know why, it makes no sense to me individually, I&#8217;d rather let the guy who cuts me of pass safely than curse him out.  But, I&#8217;m going to suffer myself, and watch The Changeling, knowing it is true and it exists today, knowing that to speak out, is often to condemn ourselves and those we love.</p>
<p>But, what, I ask you, because I no longer know, is,what is the point of silence?</p>
<p>May God and your heart guide you.  May God not be what institutions teach you, rather, may God only be what resonates when the soul and heart meet.</p>
<p>I pray for you.</p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/the-changling-and-flash-of-genius/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Hello?  Is this 2008?  Are we &#8220;human&#8221;?  Stop Florida from committing transgression</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/hello-is-this-2008-are-we-human-stop-florida-from-committing-transgression/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/hello-is-this-2008-are-we-human-stop-florida-from-committing-transgression/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:07:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gay rights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=697</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I can&#8217;t decide on the title, I could write three thousand more headings. Here it is, I need to share this with you, we live in the year, 2008. (You sure this is not 1978????) Did you know that? And in 2008 it sometimes seems we have learned nothing. We have become the arbiter of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I can&#8217;t decide on the title, I could write three thousand more headings.</p>
<p>Here it is, I need to share this with you,</p>
<p>we live in the year,</p>
<p>2008.</p>
<p>(You sure this is not <a href="http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0522278/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','us.imdb.com']);">1978</a>????)</p>
<p>Did you know that?</p>
<p>And in 2008 it sometimes seems we have learned nothing.</p>
<p>We have become the arbiter of what is acceptable within the beds of consenting adults.  We have chosen to focus on a very small area:  whether people of the same sex are allowed to love each other.</p>
<p>Yes, you heard that right.  What we are talking about is ability of people to be allowed to FREELY EXPRESS LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s repeat that:  FREEDOM TO LOVE.</p>
<p>Now I&#8217;m not patronizing you, I repeat this to drill it into my own head that it could actually be true that God loving heterosexual human beings think they have the right to determine the course of love for the rest of the world.  (Oh, did I mention?  I&#8217;m God Loving and a monogamous, loving heterosexual.  Aren&#8217;t I lucky?  Arent&#8217; I special?  Guess God must have chosen me.)</p>
<p>The point is, educated, allegedly loving individuals, citizens of the most free of societies, or so they herald, are actually, yes, seriously, contemplating to amend the Florida constitution to tell people, to mandate, to enact into law a prohibition against love.</p>
<p>Yes, that is what we are talking about, prohibiting love.</p>
<p>No God I have ever believed in ever considered that a possibility, two rules, remember, the essence?  Love God and Love your neighbor.</p>
<p>Whew.  Sorry, I&#8217;m pretty upset.</p>
<p>I want to know where the exit door is from this Society gone mad.  No, I don&#8217;t mean checking out, I mean escaping from the collective illusion.</p>
<p>Here, let me tell you what&#8217;s going on.  Received, via another, yes, my allowed and legal love, an email, copied below for you to read and digest:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !mso]&gt;--><em>&#8220;Dear all &#8211; yes this is a direct appeal for money to help a worthy cause.  It is sad that we have to spend good resources to fight for basic human rights in the US in 2008. </em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em> </em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>A worthy cause &#8211; run by a good friend I&#8217;ve known for several years.  Please help!</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em> </em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Kind regards,&#8221;</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal">*****</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal"><em>Begin forwarded message:</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em></em></p>
<p><em></em> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">From: </span></strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">******</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">Date: </span></strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">1 October 2008 9:15:31 AM</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">To: </span></strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">********</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><strong><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:Helvetica;">Subject: Hello from Florida</span></strong></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em> </em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Dear Friends,</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">I&#8217;ll be right up-front about this - this is an appeal for $$$.  (No, not for me.)</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">I hope you know I wouldn&#8217;t be asking if it wasn&#8217;t important.  Please read on and I will explain why.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">There is a poisonous amendment to the Florida Constitution on the ballot this November known as Amendment 2 &#8211; the so-called &#8220;Marriage Protection&#8221; Amendment.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Yes, they&#8217;re at it again.  The right wing is using fear of gay people to try to win another election.  But they may have over reached this time.  They claim it&#8217;s about &#8220;gay marriage&#8221; but Florida already has multiple laws banning same-sex marriage.  What they&#8217;re really after is engraving discrimination into the Florida Constitution and the elimination of domestic partnership rights and benefits which are offered by several counties (e.g. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach), municipalities and employers (think Disney) here in Florida. </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The good news is that to amend the Florida Constitution the proponents need a vote of 60% + 1 to win and we need 40% +1 to send it to the trash bin where it belongs.  Polls show both sides are within 2% of the magic number.  We have seen that once we explain the negative consequences to all Florida unmarried couples, especially seniors who would be forced to choose between sharing health care and receiving government benefits, our numbers go up.  The key to our victory will be in getting the word out to as many people as possible.  That&#8217;s where you come in.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Florida Red and Blue, the group I have been working for since July, was formed solely to defeat this amendment.  As many of you know I have worked on a few campaigns in the past and I must say I am impressed with the sophistication of Florida Red and Blue.  We are using all the latest tools to fight this battle.  Included in our arsenal are TV ads which are already &#8220;in the can&#8221; and have been tested with focus groups with off-the-charts positive results.  The reason the ads are so effective is they tell real stories of real people and how they would be affected if Amendment 2 passes.  The TV time has been booked and all that remains is the money to run the ads.  All our other expenses and overhead are covered from now until Nov. 4 so every dime we raise from now on will go directly to getting these ads on the air. </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Please help with a contribution of whatever you can afford,  It&#8217;s easy; just go to our web site <a href="http://www.sayno2.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.sayno2.com']);">www.SayNo2.com</a> or send a check to Florida Red and Blue  12864 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 314 North Miami, FL  33181.  There are just 5 weeks left until the election so the need is urgent and immediate.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">If this amendment is defeated here in Florida it will send shock waves across the country.  The Republicans have used this tool in the past (remember Ohio 2004) and they will keep using it until it no longer works.  If we can stop them here it will be a real turning point.  But most importantly we will preserve the limited rights and benefits available under domestic partnerships for all unmarried Florida couples and keep the government out of the private lives of individuals and families.  When government tries to make these kinds of decisions we end up with travesties like the Terry Schiavo case. </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Thanks for your help.  I know there are many demands on us all these days so it&#8217;s important to choose where our dollars will have the most impact and do the most good.  Beating Amendment 2 in Florida is one of those places.  [-------] And for more information on the amendment, go to www.SayNo2.com. There you can read articles,view videos, make a contribution and find a list of our supporters like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Patricia Ireland, NOW, the NAACP, AFL-CIO, etc.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Thank you most sincerely for your support,</span></em></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">******</span></p>
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</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">PS &#8211; if you have any friends in Florida make sure they know to vote No on Amendment 2.  You&#8217;d be surprised how many people don&#8217;t know about this with all the attention going to the presidential race.&#8221;</span></em></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>UPDATE:  WE HAVE RECEIVD PERMISSION TO POST THE AUTHOR&#8217;S CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE ABOVE QUOTED EMAIL:</strong></p>
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</strong>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:small;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"><a title="mailto:dougsternyc@netscape.com" href="mailto:dougsternyc@netscape.com">dougsternyc@netscape.com</a></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong>(954) 734-0171</strong></p>
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</strong>
</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">SO THAT&#8217;S IT FOLKS.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">A CHANCE TO ACT FROM THE SOUL, TO ACT FROM OUR HEARTS.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">DOESN&#8217;T SEEM THAT DIFFICULT, DOES IT?</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">PEACE AND NAMASTE.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/rose.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-701" title="rose" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/rose.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal">surface earth photos, copyright &#8211; 2008</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/305250.html" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.phrases.org.uk']);"><em>A rose by any other name&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;</em></a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/g-is-for-goddess2.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-310" title="G is for Goddess.2" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/g-is-for-goddess2.jpg" alt="" width="206" height="324" /></a>-surface earth, copyright 2008</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">GRRRRR, OUR SURFACE EARTH DESIGN, SHE IS READY, BOOTS ON&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">YOURS,</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">SURFACE EARTH</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/04/hello-is-this-2008-are-we-human-stop-florida-from-committing-transgression/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>So It Is</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/03/so-it-is/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/03/so-it-is/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:36:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=687</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[my night ended, looking at flowers still opened, just one above, how funny, it looks of the day. My day started, early, and in one point of that early transition, i had a moment of grace, i saw for some reason, a small fleck of color, perhaps, i would have thought a weed, in another [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/soitis1.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img src="../files/2008/10/soitis1.jpg?w=300" alt="" title="soitis1" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-690" width="300" height="227"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>my night ended, looking at flowers still opened,</p>
<p>just one above,</p>
<p>how funny,</p>
<p>it looks of the day.</p>
<p>My day started,</p>
<p>early,</p>
<p>and in one point</p>
<p>of that early transition,</p>
<p>i had a moment of grace,</p>
<p>i saw for some reason,</p>
<p>a small fleck of color,</p>
<p>perhaps,</p>
<p>i would have thought a weed,</p>
<p>in another given moment,</p>
<p>but i stopped,</p>
<p>crouched down and looked</p>
<p>at the color curled into itself,</p>
<p>i asked my child,</p>
<p>with me,</p>
<p>at the time,</p>
<p>come here,</p>
<p>see this color,</p>
<p>and the flower opened,</p>
<p>seen as I did,</p>
<p>below,</p>
<p>perhaps the camera quality cannot give you the sensation,</p>
<p>we saw,</p>
<p>in the early hours.</p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/morningsuprise.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-688" title="morningsuprise" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/morningsuprise.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="227"/></a></p>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Mother Mary</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/02/676/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/10/02/676/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2008 23:37:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Humanities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=676</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Boston Herald presents on the sighting of the image of Mother Mary Seems like she made a stop in Springfield. M.A. ****Hey CordieB&#8217;s comment just made me update this, almost included it to begin with but didn&#8217;t, Mother Mary Come to Me&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQNpEET9WqQ&#38;rel=0&#38;color1=0x2b405b&#38;color2=0x6b8ab6&#38;border=0]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_10_02_Virgin_Mary_story/srvc=home&amp;position=also" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','news.bostonherald.com']);">Boston Herald presents on the sighting of the image of Mother Mary</a></p>
<p><em>Seems like she made a stop in Springfield. M.A.</em></p>
<p>****Hey CordieB&#8217;s comment just made me update this, almost included it to begin with but didn&#8217;t, Mother Mary Come to Me&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..</p>
<p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQNpEET9WqQ&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x2b405b&amp;color2=0x6b8ab6&amp;border=0]</p>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Give:  The Labyrinth Shop</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/09/28/give-the-labyrinth-shop/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/09/28/give-the-labyrinth-shop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:35:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-Entertainment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[sorrow11 The Labryrinth Shop Is it my camera or is it my hand? takes blurry photos&#8230;.but I needed to share, this is a woman, an artist, that shares and shares and shares. The above is a one of a kind begging bowl.  You must see it to believe it.  You must feel it to sense [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p><a href="http://sorrow11.wordpress.com/" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','sorrow11.wordpress.com']);">sorrow11</a></p>
<p><a href="http://http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5577190" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.etsy.com']);">The Labryrinth Shop</a></p>
<p>Is it my camera or is it my hand? takes blurry photos&#8230;.but I needed to share, this is a woman, an artist, that shares and shares and shares.</p>
<p>The above is a one of a kind begging bowl.  You must see it to believe it.  You must feel it to sense the energetic love.  The card in the photo reads:</p>
<p>&#8220;The begging bowl is a visual reminder, it can be worn, hung on a {rearview} mirror, or anywhere it can be seen to remind you.  Remind you that every day Life brings things to you, it places these moments in the bowl of your day.  It is up to You to use these moments to nourish your heart, your mind, your spirit.&#8221;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not sure how to convince you to jump to her shop, but please do, she gives back, constantly, without a thought.  Pass this on.  Let&#8217;s show what the power of kindness can do&#8230;.pass it on, to ten, then ten more then ten more again.  Let&#8217;s do it, let&#8217;s see if we can pass this on to at least hit the million mark.</p>
<p>And Sorrow, when you stop in, feel free to tell us more, and please, do not be  humble, share with us the stories of the works on your site, the homeless that have been given a space to try to earn money, the free gifts you send your fellow bloggers, shout it from the mountain girl, I know you will only take the profits and give them away, even though I pray you keep a tiny bit for yourself.</p>
<p>Peace.  I never tell you to do anything, I am telling you now, pass this on to as many as you can, link it to your blogs, go to the shop, you will be rewarding the kind and gentle and unselfish heart of the artist, Sorrow11.</p>
<p>Surface Earth</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Nature&#8217;s signs</title>
		<link>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/09/28/natures-signs/</link>
		<comments>http://surfaceearth.com/2008/09/28/natures-signs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:08:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Surface Earth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion-World]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://surfaceearth.wordpress.com/?p=662</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is he thinking?  Saying?  Rather unnerving, when I go outside he (she?) turns her head and watches my movement. Photos are a bit blurry&#8230;but you get the picture.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug1.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-663" title="bug1" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug1.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="227" /></a><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug2.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-664" title="bug2" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug2.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="227" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug3.jpg" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com']);"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-665" title="bug3" src="http://surfaceearth.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/bug3.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="227" /></a></p>
<p>What is he thinking?  Saying?  Rather unnerving, when I go outside he (she?) turns her head and watches my movement.</p>
<p>Photos are a bit blurry&#8230;but you get the picture.</p>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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