by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

The artist, Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, believes the world needs more heroes, which is why he covered a Barcelona Beach with the likeness of Barack Obama. T.K.V. Krishnamacarya , the late Indian scholar and yoga teacher, also believes that you can overcome the obstacles in your own life by considering and modeling the lives of people you respect and admire.

Movie stars can be heroes, too. Always a slippery slope, the business of becoming, staying - and leaving -  stardom takes more than just talent. Yet, many have risen and are rising to the occassion, following not just fame, but their own hearts, heads and conscience.

Martial Artist and film action hero, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in the recent release of JCVD, portraying the rise and fall of his career. The movie was filmed in Bangkok, where Mr. Van Damme adopted seven stray dogs by the film’s completion - some of them disabled. In fact, he prolonged his stay when one of the dogs had a heart attack, sleeping with him in the clinic every night to help give him the will to live. For another, he built a “wheelchair”. The dogs have been sent to his home in Brussels.

The movie includes a 6-minute monologue in which he reflectives openly and emotionally about his life, career, dreams and failures.

He emphasizes the change in himself and the importance of personal stability. In his next film, will move on to writing, directing and producing, as well as acting. As he reclaims his career he wants to be seen as “an action character hero instead of an action star.”

Good enough for me. See you in the theatre.

By Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

From the looks of these images, much of the world loves Obama. It’s breathtakingly moving to see the joyous reaction of people from all over the planet. We are filled with more than admiration and hope. Many of us are filled with a need for heroes and a sense of “Expectation”, so confirms artist, Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada (as reported by Daniel E. Slotnik in the NY Times).

Last week, Mr. Rodriguez-Gerada, with the help of some 40 volunteers, completed artwork using hundreds of tons of gravel and sand and covering 2.5 acres of Barcelona beachfront - a portrait of Obama’s face. The Cuban-American from NYC, wanted to demonstrate not just support of the candidate (now Mr. President), but “to reflect on why the world needs heroes and show the nature of hope and heroism. You can see a rendition here on the artist’s site. The portrait will soon be visible on Google Earth.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

For the last seven days, people from all over the world have been casting an online vote for today’s election. Who does the world choose for the next president of the United States? So far, 87.2% of the voters from 212 countries, choose Barack Obama. Cast two votes today - one for your country and one for the world. iftheworldcouldvote.com.

There really are no coincidences. No mistakes, no accidents. This is how the journey happens, I promise. Just remember to keep your eyes, mind open.

There I was, in the woods with the dogs (again). We somehow disturbed a nest of yellowjackets - the dogs got the worst of it - those buggers burrow right into their fur. We got into a creek fairly quickly and I was pulling the stubborn bees off the dogs as fast as I could. I felt a few stings on my hands, but kept going until a bee found it’s way down the back of my jeans  - eek - sorry, girls, you’re on your own now! We finally outran the swarm and collapsed on the grass near the house.

BEE STING REMEDY: Within about 15 minutes, I was able to give the homeopathic remedy, Apis Mellifica, and a dose of baking soda dissolved in milk to all of us. (It works great if you can act fast!). Ayla’s eye swelled but went down again within 30 minutes of dosage and, as for me, I barely knew I was stung after an hour (I normally react to all bee stings with long-lasting pain and swelling). Moral of the story? Keep these remedies on hand, especially in the Fall, when some bees become more aggressive. But, the story has really only begun…

At this point, I realized I had thrown the leashes somewhere in the woods. I bravely returned to the scene of the crime that evening, but since the leashes were leather and the color of the ground, I couldn’t locate them. This is when the unfolding began. Need leashes…but I don’t want more toxic nylon or leather…time to search for more sustainable options. Of course, Hemp! I knew they were available, but I didn’t know how much I would learn and be inspired by the company which offered me the most simple, undyed version.

Rawganique made my day. Not just with the discovery of their many good for people and the planet products, but with their inspiring, hopeful and unambitious story of life and work. The founders of Rawganique, Touch Jamikorn and Klaus Wallner, former accomplished academics, set out to share information on sustainable living for humanity and the environment - and a way to live lightly and work mindfully. Living completely off-grid on Denman Island, BC, they co-founded a “human-scale” family business in 2000, replacing bad goods in the marketplace by offering products and clothing made of naturally organic and sustainable cotton, hemp and linen.

Their About Us page reads like a good book - one that leaves you hopeful and encouraged to find your own way to peace and balance in your life and in your work. They don’t take all the credit for finding their way to success, health and wholeness, but share the names and ideas of those who have guided and inspired them along the way. After all, this is how it works.

Watching. Listening. Sharing. Growing. Healing. All from a few bee stings~

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

It’s been raining - a lot - here in the Triangle area of NC. I’m deeply grateful to be officially out of the longstanding drought (for now). I hope the same for other areas still struggling by, but first, I’m going to simply enjoy getting wet! It’s been a long while since I’ve worried about raindrops falling on my head but it has brought my attention to umbrellas.

Have you ever had an umbrella that didn’t fall apart after a very short time? Me neither. Most rainy days in any city end with umbrella skeletons scattered in the streets. You could have caught me red-handed, throwing them in the trash when I lived in Seattle years ago, but I’m much more savvy about recycling and the whole trash/treasure thing now! Obviously, there are a lot of other broken umbrellas in the landfills (or on their way) and since they are made of polyester and plastic, doomed to stay there.

I’ve since given up on umbrellas and opted for a more permanent rain jacket and rain hat. But it’s understandable that umbrellas still serve a rightful purpose for city dwellers navigating a work day. So, buy to last and buy recycled. Here’s the scoop on an umbrella made from recycled materials from the online source, Eco-incentives:

The Eco-Brella is the first environmentally friendly umbrella! This 6-panel telescopic umbrella, when folded down, is just 15cm in length, and weighs a mere 181g.

- Frame made from Recycled Steel and Aluminium
- Canopy and Case made from 100% Recycled Polyester
- Notch/Runner/Ferrule made from 100% Recycled Nylon
- Handle made from 100% Recycled PET (plastic bottles)

Even a recycled umbrella may reach an early demise, so then what? Think fashion, function and fun! Dresses and skirts made from umbrellas made it onto the runway (and into a few stores) years ago, but you can also make your own by following these DIY instructions on ReadyMade. Here’s a young designer who constructed a dress and handbag. TreeHugger reported on an umbrella house. My own ideas include a sleeping bag cover, book bag, and covers for a bicycle seat and panniers - both things I’ve really needed as I continue to commute on two wheels, computer in tow.

IdealBite helped me find one resource for umbrella recycling - a fashion store in Brooklyn, NY, called Ai Ai Gasa, collecting umbrellas to recycle into designer clothing. I’m thinking of taking up a collection around my neighborhood and sending them a box full (maybe I’ll get a dress out of the deal). Melanie, from Ai Ai Gasa, responded to my inquiry and will happily accept umbrellas by mail. She says it’s easier and cheaper if you cut the fabric from the metal skeleton (including the spoke ends if you can) and recycle the metal (or they can). Send to:

ai ai gasa
c/o melanie mcclintock
59 4th ave, #4R
brooklyn, ny 11217

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

It’s a time of Heroes - courageous, creative and determined And, man, do we need them. Fortunately, they are stepping up come all walks of life artists, musicians, designers, writers, photographers, athletes, small farmers, business owners, students, you’ll even find them in Hollywood. Every one of them moves and inspires me. Some of them bring tears to my eyes.

That was the case when reading the story of Chad Pregracke, one dedicated river keeper dude. About 10 years back, as a skateboarding college student broken-hearted about the state of his beloved Mississippi River, he dropped out of school to spend his days in a flat-bottomed boat dragging out trash. He didn’t have a master plan or hoards of people to join him. “It was just something I knew should be done and needed to be done and nobody was doing it.” (That gave me the first gulp). It can be that simple, yes?

After being discovered by roving reporters and curious eyes, Pregracke himself discovered a wealth of enthusiasm from friends and strangers, some longing for a chance to get involved. “You gotta create an opportunity for people to do something.” he said.

True to his word, he soon founded Living Lands and Waters, a non-profit with 12 employees. With a fleet of barges, he and his crew travel down 6 rivers, including the Missippi, Missouri, Ohio, Anacostia, Potamac and the Illinois as part of the annual event, X-Stream Cleanup. The latest and 4th annual expedition covered 31 sites, involving over 1,500 volunteers. To date, they have hauled in over 4 million tons of garbage, recycled much of it and stirred up interest in concerned communities along the way. Rivers get a shot at restoration as they remove numbers of tires, metal scraps and barrels still partially filled with toxic chemicals.

Corporate sponsorship has helped grow the group’s budget, allowing them to extend their efforts and influence into educational workshops and other local programs. Yet, when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Chad dropped everything to be part of the relief efforts. Planning to stay 4 weeks, Chad and his crew stayed 10. To learn more and get involved, go to livinglandsandwater.org.

2008 UPDATE ON CHAD AND LL&W:

IN 2006, Chad and his crews executed 64 cleans ups and hosted the first Big River Workshop, on the Mississippi River.

In 2007, Chad and LL&W founded the Million Trees Project. With the help of communities collecting acorns, a nursery was established with the goal of planting a million trees within the following 5 - 10 years. Chad and National Geographic release, FROM THE BOTTOM UP, the story of the creation and evolution of his river passion and his non-profit organization.

Chad continues to write a weekly column in the Quad City Times in Iowa and has delivered over 300 presentations to corporate, public and student audiences worldwide.

The workshops expand to the Missouri and Illinois Rivers and the LL&W crew plants over 20,000 trees in a five-state area.

2005
LL&W keeps on doing what it does best until Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast.  Within days, LL&W cancels aall projects, doubles the crew size, unloads the barges of garbage and fills them up with building supplies.  The fleet and crew head to New Orleans to assist with the relief efforts.  Planning to stay for 4 weeks, the crew stays for nearly 10.

2006
LL&W continues to make an impact, hosting 64 community-based cleanups along seven of the nation’s largest rivers.  Working with over 30,000 volunteers to date, LL&W estimates total refuse collected to be over 3 million pounds!

LL&W’s Big River Workshops host their first excursions–taking 60 teachers on a 3 or 4-day voyage up the Mississippi River.

LL&W expands Adopt-A-River Mile program to include the Illinois River.

2007
Chad releases From the Bottom Up, with National Geographic–the story of the creation and evolution of LL&W, its successes and challenges.

LL&W launches its newest endeavor—The MillionTrees Project.  By starting its own nursery and soliciting the assistance from the community to collect acorns, this project aims to plant a million trees within the next 5 to 10 years.