I love this new photo gallery-thingy they have on the lower right hand corner of my home page! Even though I don't see or speak to many of you that often (rarely at best) I really like seeing everyone's new posted photos each time I log on. It makes me smile and think damn!.. we're all too cute! It makes feel connected to all of you in some very impersonal cyber-way, but nonetheless, it makes me grateful to have all of you in my life in one way or another- if only briefly - I love seeing that everybody is doing their thing... spreading their light... much love to you all..
~j

Did you know...

...Out of one barrel of crude oil, only 15-20% can be used as gasoline, the rest is byproduct that is turned into petrochemical products (that are destroying humans and planet earth) such as plastics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and chemical preservatives that have found there way into food and household products. In a society where practically nothing is produced and consumed locally, and nearly everything is out sourced and mass produced, we have become dependent on using petroleum in its many forms to preserve, and to ship goods from around the globe to a store near you.

Over the last 50 years, there has been a tremendous rise in the use of petrochemicals in the products you use daily (and a tremendous rise in cancer rates)- primarily because these chemicals are much cheaper, increase the shelf life and are far more convenient for manufacturers to use.
These chemicals saturate your environment from the food you eat, to the air you breathe, and the water you drink to the personal products you use daily for your body.

Most people don’t realize that up to 60% of what you put on your skin can be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Carbon-based sunscreen chemicals are now associated with a variety of health and environmental problems. Most of the synthetic, hard-to-pronounce petrochemicals found in sunscreens and moisturizers are benzene derivatives that are toxic in themselves, have been demonstrated to act as estrogen analogs that interfere with normal hormonal function, do not degrade in the environment, and have been observed to upset ecosystems by feminizing male fish and preventing proper reproduction in oceans and fresh-watersheds. These chemicals are illegal to use in many of the tropical marine parks worldwide because of the known detrimental effects they have on the environment. These chemicals have never been studied in humans over the decades of chronic exposure regular users experience, however recent studies have found high levels of parabens (a petrochemical commonly found in creams and moisturizers) in breast tissue removed from cancer patients, as well as in the linings of uterus’ of deformed and improperly developed fetuses. They have even been measured in ground water wells that supply various municipalities and coastal sediments off California. Why take any risks when there are viable alternatives on the market??

There are plenty of products that now exist that do not contain these chemicals. (companies like Mychelle, Bendetta, Dr. Haushka, Astara, Jason, just to name a few) When purchasing products, don't be fooled by companies that say “natural” or “pure” on the packaging. Always read the ingredients and decide for yourself. I’ve seen pricey products with the word “organic” in the brand name, that are using the same toxic ingredients as cheaper, more commercial brands.

**Please take a moment to go through your products at home and compare the ingredients with the list on the following page, and pass the info along!!!


INGREDIENTS TO AVOID:

*** PETROCHEMICALS- Any petroleum derived compound, usually identified on labels by the prefixes or suffixes propyl-, methyl-, eth-, or -ene. Two petrochemical ingredients commonly found in skin-care products are:
-Isopropyl Alcohol: A petroleum-derived solvent found in hair rinses, hand lotions and shaving products
-Mineral oil: A petroleum-derived oil, sometimes marketed as baby oil

**PARABEN PRESERVATIVES- These preservatives were developed in the 1930’s to stabilize creams and are now used in nearly all skin-care products. Recently researchers have found connections between paraben preservatives and
both breast and skin cancer,as well as male reproductive problems. They are often listen as propylparaben, methylparaben,etc.

**PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG)- An alcohol that can be derived naturally from corn but is most often manufactured synthetically from petroleum. Synthetically derived, it is used as a surfactant or wetting agent. An active ingredient in industrial antifreeze, propylene glycol may cause kidney and liver abnormalities and damage cell membranes.

*IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA
& DMDM HYDANTOIN- These preservatives are known to cause contact dermatitis according to the American Academy of Dermatology.These preservatives also release formaldehyde, a chemical that can cause skin irritations as well as migraines, allergies, and asthma.

*FD & C COLOR PIGMENTS- Often made from coal tar, these artificial colorings can cause skin sensitivity and are said to be carcinogenic.

*DIETHANOLAMINE (DEA)
MOMOETHANOLAMINE (MEA)
TRIETHANOLAMINE (MEA)- Often listed on labels as Cocamide DEA, these chemicals are commonly used in cleansers, shampoos, and body washes as an emulsifier and foaming agent. According to a recent study, these chemicals affect hormone function and can have other harmful side effects.

*POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL (PEG)- Used to help thicken products, this ethoxylated wetting agent for detergents, foaming agents, emulsifiers, and solvents has been found to be contaminated with 1.4 dioxane, a carcinogen that easily penetrates the skin.

*CARBOMER- A petroleum-derived thickening and stabilizing agent that is possibly carcinogenic.

*SODIUM LAUREL SULFATE (SLS)
& SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE- These chemicals are used as surfactants to remove dirt from the skin and hair. SLS is very irritating to the skin and can be toxic to eyes.

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.

So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

 Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody

You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day"

Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars become out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."

Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

snoedel.punt.nl/script/rss.php

When I was very young I was extremely slow in learning how to speak. It took me so long to speak that my parents thought I had some kind of a disability until I started talking in full sentences. I skipped the phase in which most begin by saying words- mommy, daddy, light, poopy- nothing. Before I started speaking I only said one isolated word which gave birth to my nickname- "Bunja". The way my parents remember it, is when I was drawing or using my imagination or completely engaged in an activity and "lost in thought", I would eerily chant this word over and over again- "Bunja"

So I did some research on primitive language. Its fascinating. I learned that, naturally, the further you go back into primitive language, the less words there are and you'll have one word that has the same meaning as many different modern day words. You can even find this in latin derived language like Spanish which is why it is sometimes impossible to translate certain sentiments because the understanding is different- especially sentiments of love. In Spanish it is more simple and direct. Thats why there can be
no direct translation for alot of words- just the sentiments or feelings. What I found interesting is what modern words were grouped together to have one meaning or feeling- because thats all that words are- a way of
communicating and collectively understanding or agreeing thoughts and feelings that we all share. But words do very little justice to describe feelings in the grand scheme of things. The classic example would be- How does a bananna taste? I know how it tastes to me- mushy, sweet- but how do we know mushy and sweet feel and taste the same as to the next person? We don't- it's all relative. This is where art is an effective tool that predates language- using the senses to communicate an experience is a much more accurate way than words because that is how we experience this physical reality- through use of our five senses.

But the more complex we get, or the more "intelligent" we are, the more words we accumulate, the more confusion there is on if we are all feeling experiencing or living the same thing. There is truth in simplicity because life is so simple. The more we consume the further away we are from the universal truth. For example- one word meant the same thing in some aborighinal dialect for do or doing (you, I, he she, them, us) and happen or happening to (you, I, he, she, them, us). So in subscribing to this idea, you are truly accepting the fact that everyhting is happening/doing for a reason because it is meant to- yes- fate, faith, destiny, whichever term you prefer. Meaning it is happening to me, I am doing it- its the same in their world. The same was true for the word bunja- which in the same aborighinal dialect means "to kill/to die" - again the action is the same as the passive word- it is the same understanding of doing/happening.

Primitive language such as this is based on sounds that preceeded vocabulary and construction of language. I was also reading about Carl Jung's map of the mind and how he believes that beneath the different states of conciousness, lies the collective conscious- which we all share- and need no creation of language or art to express to one another. This is believed to be the soul.

Then I was reading about hinduism and the belief that dying is just giving birth to new life- in death comes rebirth. You can see this in nature. I was hiking with my friend the other day who is an agricultural studies major. She was showing me how in nature and the ecosystem of the forest we were in how nothing truly dies. It just creates new ecosystems. She was also telling me how its funny that the common thought of forest fires is that they must be prevented when in fact it is necessary somehow for our ecosystem to keep regenerating- I dont remeber the exact theory behind this but she knows her shit- it is her life's work. Anyway- so in Hinduism there is the diety, Shiva which is the human incarnation of god- which we all are. Shiva's power (the power of human beings)- or "the dance of Shiva" is the power to destroy and create simultaneousely. (the physical depiction of this dance and of the god
of Shiva is that picture of the god with all of the arms that move in a CIRCLE) And in going back to the word "bunja" - to kill- is actually creating (which is
funny because I used to chant it while I was being creative).

How I understand it right now is that in being truly present, or being conscious- is to be open. In being open we are doing what we truly feel or what is truly happening. In doing this we are learning and growing every moment which is living every moment. In doing this we are constantly in a state of death/rebirth because we are open to the change that is happening, within us and around us or one in the same thing. We are destroying or killing the person we were, free of attachment, and embracing the new person which is born every moment- the person we are becoming. It is beautiful. It is life. It is simple yet so powerful. Life is a series of circles. Out of darkness comes light. But until we embrace the darkness we cannot truly embrace the light. You get what you give. The greater you love the greater you'll feel sorrow. The more pain you've felt the more joy you'll feel. I've just completed a full circle in my life to realize I'm still here! The same as I ever was. Just better. I embrace the past present and future because it is all one. Thats what I think right now anyway. But thats always changing :0)