Gaia Community: Robin's Blog

Web 2.0 video

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 19:26:03 -0000

This amazing youtube video recently came my way. If you haven't seen it yet and have any interest at all in the global social impact of the new web you will love it.

The History of Oil

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:31:39 -0000

A friend of mine sent me a link to this video lately. A very funny, inspiring, poignant, and serious look at american foreign policy and the state of world.

Amazing watch.

I wonder sometimes hearing stuff like this weighed against messages of the Law of Attraction in videos like this...

are the two philosophies contradictory?

and if not are we thinking the former so?

What tarot card are you

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 18:11:26 -0000

You are The Magician

Skill, wisdom, adaptation. Craft, cunning, depending on dignity.

Eleoquent and charismatic both verbally and in writing, you are clever, witty, inventive and persuasive.

The Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire. In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud. Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury. He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman. Also clever with the slight of hand and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

evo.net

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:08:44 -0000

My friend Katrina recently just sent me link to a project championed by her colleages at The Evolver Project

EVO is a new membership and loyalty card program supporting conscious commerce. EVO connects you to businesses with a green vision and social mission - and to other people who share your values.

sound familiar?

check it out!

back to bloggin

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 22:27:37 -0000

I've been really neglecting my blog lately despite my desire to keep into it.
an indication of one of my challenges on the path to nonduality.

just posting my intention to get back on it here and now!

if you ever see me slacking please feel encouraged to give me a nudge.

Photos on blogs are here!

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 22:18:18 -0000

Imageable Blogs are finally here

Now when you enter a new Blog post you can select a photo from your hard drive to upload as the official photo for that blog entry. Of course you can also still copy and paste images throughout your text as well.

This is just the beginning however, as the ultimate goal is to allow you to keep a media library here on Zaadz! You will then be able to draw on that (as well as uploading) to allow you a fully flexible blog edtting experience..

So hang on folks... as we boldly go where no man has gone before... ;-)

My WIE came today!

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:35:04 -0000

I got my subscription copy of WIE today and it looks great!

OoooOOoo.. and there's my picture on page 3 with all the other sexy zaadzsters...

and there's the Zaadz article on page 34!

I've always been impressed with WIE since I first subscribed in 2002.. but now I must say that I'm really stoked to be where I am.. working for a company that wants to advertise in WIE AND write an article on us! and there I am on page 3! what a trip! ;-)

Everyone who doesn't already subscribe to WIE should get on it now! So much great content.. Even the Ads are worth reading!

:-)

Ascension Day Superstitions

Thu, 25 May 2006 20:30:58 -0000

It's funny I could be raised in a home going to church almost every Sunday until I was 18 and not really notice Ascension Thursday before.

I just noticed it on my calendar today though and had to look it up on Wikipedia

As I would have guessed it's a day commemorating the day Jesus ascended into heaven on a Thursday much like this one 40 days after Easter Sunday. Sure they didn't follow the same calendar as we do back then.. details, details

What was more interesting than the origins of the day itself though were some of the superstitions that have come to surround it..

Here's the list from wikipedia I thought was great.

According to Welsh superstition, it is unlucky to do any work on Ascension Day.
In Devon, it was an ancient belief that the clouds always formed into the familiar Christian image of a lamb.
If the weather is sunny, the summer will be long and hot; but if it rains, crops will do badly and livestock, especially cattle, will suffer from disease.
Eggs laid on this day will never go bad and will guarantee good luck for a household if placed in the roof.
Rain collected on Ascension Day is said to be good for inflamed or diseased eyes.
Those suffering from goitre should bite into the bark of a peach tree at midnight on Ascension Day, so that the disease passes to the tree and the sufferer is cured.
Gifts to the blind or lame made on this day are sure to be rewarded with great wealth within the following twelve months.

be aware!

:-)

Did someone say messaging?

Fri, 12 May 2006 00:24:18 -0000

Wow. I can't believe so much time has passed since my last blog. If this was confessional I'd be in trouble. jk.

Well not blogging for so long does not mean nothing is happening. I still have this habit of spending way more time on the development side than on the front end.

So what's new? Most importantly my birthday came and went on the 8th of this week leaving me another year older. This came with the startling discovery that I am actually the oldest developer on the Zaadz team!    the oldest at 34! what does that tell me? Best not think about it too much.

So what's this aging developer been up to? Messaging!

New to the messages has come the ability to tag your messages the same way you tag blogs.   This is going in the direction of Web 2.0 folksonomy and gmail. all new messages are automagically tagged "inbox". to take messages out of your inbox without deleting "archive" them. But tag them first! otherwise the only way to find them is by way of the seach function..

Like the way the new view on the sent invitations work? i just spruced that up as well and much happier with it now.   send reminders. is coming soon.

Also new is the recycler. Accidentally delete a message before it's time? not to worry, you now have a last chance to find it before it's gone forever.   you can can now restore message from the recycler or send them to the ether to rejoin with the force.

Enjoy!

We have a straight coming up!!

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:51:24 -0000

On wednesday at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning the time and date will be

01:02:03 04/05/06

That won't ever happen again!!

unless of course you go day month year in which case it will happen on May 4th ;-)

Happy Spring!!

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:59:26 -0000

O thou with dewy locks, who lookest down
Thro' the clear windows of the morning, turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!

The hills tell each other, and the listening
Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turned
Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth,
And let thy holy feet visit our clime.

Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds
Kiss thy perfumed garments; let us taste
Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls
Upon our love-sick land that mourns for thee.

O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour
Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put
Thy golden crown upon her languished head,
Whose modest tresses were bound up for thee.

- William Blake (1757-1827)

Mercury Retrograde

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 23:43:59 -0000

Has anyone else been noticing more computer, internet, travel, or general communication issues of late?

Mercury Retrograde refers to the 3 or 4 times of a year the planet Mercury appears to stop it's regular path of motion across our sky to turn around and move backward for aproximately 3 weeks.   Of course Mercury isn't actually changing it's orbit at all for that period of time but only appears to in our sky.    A little lesson in perspective perhaps.

The Mercury retrograde we are currently in started March 2nd and will go till March 25th.. But we aren't said to be completely out of it until April 15th when Mercury will actually pass the point where it was before it turned around to go retro. Next one is July 4th - 29th.

So what does this mean to the astrologically alligned?

Because Mercury is said to govern communications and travel typically these are the areas where you can expect to see trouble with it goes retrograde.

Another factor in this equation is the astrological sign that Mercury goes retrograde in.. This time it's Pisces so if you have alot of Pisces in your chart you'll likely be feeling it more than most.    I'm pisces moon which is perhaps why i've been noticing this as a particularily strong introspective time.   The next one will be in Cancer.

I find generally the key to getting through is patience.

Here's a link with some nice information..

http://www.astrologycom.com/mercret.html

Give your mailbox a trim!

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 23:19:07 -0000

For those of you who have been watching your Zaadz mailboxes grow and grow, waiting patiently for the ability to delete..

Your day has come!!

Yes, thats right!   You can now use the checkboxes in your inbox to delete those old messages that have no doubt been piling up.

play with the little "toggle checked" link too!

To delete all but a few first select the ones you want to keep and "toggle all" to then select all except those.

enjoy!

Long time no blog

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:31:18 -0000

Well well.. how time flies huh?
I haven't much felt the call to blog lately for some reason. Still haven't got my blog chops down perhaps.

Also, I've been busy behind the scenes spending more time on my Zaadz development box than here on the actual site.

Recently, I helpe Obi out with the mass message call for ambassadors. You know that message that you received and then perhaps followed the link only to find the server down and the link to the application pointing to the wrong place?   That was me! :-P

So that pretty much launched me into the next order of priority which was building a more robust messaging system which I am happy to say seems to be working much better now.

Still so much to do though before we go fully and officially Beta on the 20th though.. Only 12 more sleeps!   Better get back at it.

I'll do my best to not forget about spending more time with the product of what we are building while I am down in the trenches..

Peace

The Mean Green Meme

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 21:25:39 -0000

Another SD related post..

I was thinking recenly about how it seems so easy for an ideology that otherwise stands for very positive things can often be so challenging to work with.   things like equality, inclusion, freedom of expression. things we all can agree are good. but how often do we find people who otherwise seems to stand for these things to be able to get aggressive or show disrespect towards others while standing up for compassion, respect, free expression and equality?

In the Spiral Dynamics theory of psychology/anthropology this egalitarian level of the spiral is said to be GREEN.   Most all civil liberties and anti-establishment movements tend to have what they call a GREEN center of gravity.

But if this ideology is all about standing up for human rights and wanting every voice to be heard how does it begin to go wrong?

this is lifted from the Spiral Dynamics article that was published in wie.

What this negative version of GREEN does is destroy the capacity of ORANGE and BLUE social and economic systems to actually address the gaps that GREEN itself has identified. It destroys ORANGE economic structures. And it also destroys BLUE authoritarian systems, which are necessary to control RED… It therefore becomes counterproductive. It makes things worse. It relieves RED of the responsibility to learn discipline and purpose in BLUE-ORANGE… And in destroying the authoritarian, purifying systems in BLUE and ORANGE, there’s the flooding of RED undisciplined, egocentric, impulsive behavior into the GREEN zone, both in one’s self and in societies. And it is this unhealthy meshing of RED and GREEN, in which strong egocentric narcissism combines with pontification about humanity and equality that becomes the breeding ground for what some are beginning to call the “Mean Green Meme”…

whoa. seems kind of harsh.

i think that's kind of the point though. they say later in the article (which is really more of an interview) that this concept is meant to "uncap" GREEN. to encourage it to rise above what is described in order to release the block from second tier YELLOW. I feel many times i've seen this "mean green" rear it's head in my life and those around me.

Just thought I'd share this as the analysis does pose a challenge to keep the ego in check while trying to hold true to what we value.

Recognizing the 2nd Tier

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 04:22:08 -0000

Sometimes it's a tricky thing to know what level of consciousness myself or someone I am dealing with is coming from. Try as we might to act from our highest truth we are complex beings with so many variables and natural tendencies towards previous levels of the spiral when triggered.

For anyone that doesn't know what I am talking about check out the theory of Spiral Dynamics and how it describes the evolution of human consciousness.

To help in recognizing the 2nd tier I decided to transcribe what is for me a highlight from the Spiral Dynamics book by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. According to them (and they are the experts) these are the characteristics that someone operating from a 2nd tier center of gravity wiill likely display.

It's essientially what I like to use as a checklist to see how 2nd tier "Yellow" any given decision or tendency is. here goes...

-----

When it is in charge, the person/group:

is disinclined to spend much energy on perfunctory niceties unless they are important to others present
will not waste time on interpersonal gamesmanship or pointless interpretations or contrived layers of meaning or semantic trivia
values good content, clean information, open channels for finding out more on their own terms, and an attitude of open questioning and discovery
favors appropriate technology, minimal consumption, and a deliberate effort to avoid waste and clutter
Has no need for status, exhibitionism, or displays of power unless power is demanded by the Life Conditions
enjoys human appetites but does not become a compulsive slave to any of them
is concerned with the long run of time rather than his or her own life or those of other humans
fully expresses anger, or even hostility, but the emotions are intellectually used rather than emotionally driven or manipulatively applied
sees life as an up-and-down journey from problem to solution, so both chaos and order are accepted as normal
replaces anything artificial or contrived with spontaneity, simplicity, and ethics that “make sense”
seeks after a variety of interests and will elect to do what he or she likes whether or not it is trendy, popular, or valued by others
cannot be coerced, bribed, or intimidated since there is no compulsion to control or desire to be controlled by others
will run the gamut of being gentle or ruthless, a conformist or nonconformist, based on the factors involved in a circumstance and the overall interests of life itself
locates his or her core motivation and evaluative systems within his- or herself, thus becoming relatively immune to external pressure or judgment.

----

how did you do? ;-)

The Zaadz code of Mutual Respect

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 21:43:07 -0000

Recently on Zaadz we've been having some discussions regarding our vision and how it relates to Radical Free Expression the way many of the Burning Man community define it..

The discussions with certain members center around whether or not we support freedom of expression and to what limit is this freedom allowed to be exercised through member profiles and comment posting. The tricky part seems to be discovering the balance between celebrating the diversity of humanity and staying true to the values and intentions we are trying to build as a community and a company.

What seems to be the case here as in life is that there is such a thing as degrees of diversity that work well together and others that do not. If we want to empower people to their highest potential through encouraging positive open expression it's difficult to do this with "radical free expressionists" posting images of decomposing carasses or mocking what some might consider a "fluffy/flakey" but sincerely heart felt expression of another.

At a place like Burning Man there is room on the Esplanade for the Lumerian Temple of Enlightening and the Death Guild Thunderdome. This model only works as long as each respects what the other is doing. It doesn't work though if the death guild decided to rip shit up in the temple or if the Lumerians decide that the fighting at the Thunderdome must end.

To me it's about allowing people to express themselves freely to the point where it does not take away from what others are trying to create.

There is room in the world for all of us to find our home and respect what each are doing in it. To this end Zaadz does have an intention and an objective and only asks that those who choose to engage the site respect that.

If there is somebody who, knowing what Zaadz is all about, doesn't resonate with what we are trying to do and chooses to refrain from contributing to it that is certainly their perogative.

Just some thoughts on this.

welcome to blogging

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 21:41:35 -0000

this is the first blog post i have ever made.

i probably would not have started if not for it becoming a "job requirement" of my new employer Zaadz Inc. Altho I start this hesitantly it is not disgruntedly. If left to my own devices i am usually kind of introverted by default without having something to respond to. So now I am going to experience blogging because I "have to". And for that I am grateful.

i'm really stoked to be working here at Zaadz. in many ways it feels like somehow i was able to put in an order for exactly the kind of company i wanted to work for with the kind of people i would most want to work with using the tools i most wanted to use.

i've been getting more and more excited about the Zaadz intention and the direction we are going with it. This has been mostly from reading all Brians writing on it in either his blogs are responses to the questions of others.

Some of my favorites excerpts from all over (sorry they aren't cited):

I believe that the best businesses are those that are built from a personal passion and a desire to create and serve.

"we’ll create value as a company to the extent we create value for the people we serve."

I personally believe that if I can do a little to help change the world then I can do a lot.
it fires me up to create a company that can, with authenticity and embodying the highest ideals, create the most significant positive effect in the world.

Imagine a local, “Conscious” Yellow Pages—a place where you can find all
the individuals in the business of helping you optimize your life (from
life coaches to acupuncturists to therapists) as well as general businesses
that share your values (from a plumber who goes to your yoga studio or the
accountant who eats at your favorite vegan restaurant). The idea is to combine
social networking and online yellow pages to help our members more consciously
circulate wealth through their community, embracing the idea that we vote with
every dollar we spend.

The bottom line (from our vantage point) is that capitalism is not going anywhere
in the near term and unless you pay your rent with conch shells, then money is
important and we need to quit rejecting capitalism outright and see how we can
engage in it constructively. I like to say that capitalism is NOT inherently
evil and being poor is not cool.

Let's create something worth creating and show what's possible.

Great stuff, Brian!

Overjoyed to be on the team!