Blog Action Day..."Water" theme! Participate on October 15th!

Today, organizers for Block Action Day - not only launched their web site - but also unveiled the topic for discussion this year on October 15th.

Water!

"You don't have to be a water expert to participate," underscored a spokesperson in a press release that was ceremoniously e-mailed out early this afternoon.

You just have to be interested in joining thousands of  bloggers collectively to raise the consciousness about one of the most important issues facing the global community in recent years.

Clean water is essential for survival.

Unfortunately, thousands of North Americans take the resource for granted, and are unaware of its scarcity in impoverished regions of the world.

In fact,  nearly one billion people don't have access to clean water.

Sadly, 42,000 people die each week from water-borne diseases, as well.

And, the lack of water negatively impacts facets of modern-day society - from the environment to women's rights - to technology and fashion.

Bloggers who are stumped for ideas are encouraged to check out the Blog Action web site for inspiration.

Last year, voices from all stratas of society particpated, including former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

To get the momentum flowing, register today!

http://www.blogactionday.org

http://www.thetattler.biz

Denny's...value meal priced @ $4.00!

Occasionally, I get an urge for an old-fashioned breakfast consisting of - eggs, pancakes, bacon - to start the day off right.

But, in Las Vegas, you’ll be hard-pressed to zero in on a local eatery that not only serves up a mouth-watering filling meal at an affordable price, but cooked to delicious perfection as well.

Since I was advised to cut back on salt, and be more selective in my diet choices for the sake of my overall health, I generally tend to by-pass Denny’s which is famous for its grand slam which would normally cost a hungry dude about $5.50 tops (unless he  went hog-wild with selection of tasty extras a-la-carte).

What the heck!

Once I spotted Denny’s logo screaming out at me on Vegas Boulevard, I roared in to make a P-I-G of myself yesterday at the crack of dawn.

What a pleasant surprise.

Denny’s is now offering up a value meal - consisting of eggs (how would you like 'em?), bacon (or sausage), pancakes (or toast) - for the princely sum of 4 bucks!

Gosh, did that hit the spot.

And, if you cut back on the syrup and butter and seasoning, you might just stroll out of there without suffering a heart attack from all the heart-clogging cholesterol and fat.

Pass on the coffee - a diuretic, by the way - and slurp down a hydrating ice-cold glass of water instead.

Your skin will be blemish free, because of it.

http://www.julianayrs.com

Yoko Ono...urges the gift of water! Conceptual artist twitters...

I recall the day this photo was taken many moons ago!

Imagine Peace Tower

Today I was flattered to learn that Yoko Ono is following my blog posts on twitter!

If you're out there, Ms. Plastic Ono Band, welcome aboard my wacky POP CULTURE world.

After I received an e-mail informing me of the fact, I clicked on a link to determine what the celebrated Ms. Ono is up to these days.

Her last big media event involved the "Light Sculpture" in Iceland in the honor of the memory of her former husband, John Lennon, which I always report on at this site each year.

Once again, Yoko touched us with a shining idea that was way beyond the realm of most artists' fundamental creative vision!

Actually, Yoko and I came up with a similar conceptual idea years ago - while thousands of miles apart and strangers to each other - which still astounds me today when I reflect on it.

It was during my struggling lettuce & salad artist days, when I was prone to dabble with off-the-wall far-flung artsy-fartsy ideas.

One day, for instance, I constructed a small wooden box with a mirror inside it.

When a curiosity-seeker opened up the innocuous-looking package, they'd end up gazing into their own reflection, unexpectedly.

Did the interactive piece of conceptual art touch them in anyway?

Were they pleased with the image before them?

Shortly after I unveiled that piece in one of my first art exhibitions, I was watching television one day - and nearly fell out of my chair onto the floor - when Yoko appeared on a talk show and withdrew a small box out of her bag.

Without explanation, she handed it over to the host to peer into.

The former Mrs. Lennon had created a box of "smile" along the lines of my own creation, around the same time frame, and without the two of us ever having been in touch!

Of course, it verified my long-held belief that artists are visionaries capable of tapping into a "creative bank of ideas" from the very cosmos, to make an artistic statement about society, love, life, whatever.

Some artists are more tuned in than others, though.

That is where the old expression - "he was ahead of his time" - comes into play.

No, not ahead of time, just tapped into the idea bank sooner than everyone else!

I also believe there is a brotherhood of artists who travel throughout time.

The spirit of a "dead" painter or composer, for example, can imbue a living artist with their creative energy and influence their work in the current realm of existence on the Earth plane.

Ultimately, the visionaries and the artists are meant to shape man's destiny.

Artists envision a futuristic society, for instance, and the scientists make the visions a reality.

Don't you agree, Yoko?

Funny Ms. Yoko should be in touch, today.

In a post about the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, I noted that I won a battle against Uncle Sam, at long last.

At that time, I was inclined to chuckle in that post, that John Lennon must be smiling from his grave (since he had a much-publicized bitter fight with the U.S. Government to get into the United States decades ago).

But, I begged off.

Meanwhile, as I now pen a post about artists and visionaries, Yoko is engaged in more practical matters at hand.

In her latest post, Ms. Ono is urging that people give the gift of water this Valentine's Day.

Why water?

Right now, according to research online at a link she provided, 1.1 billion people on the planet don't have access to safe, clean drinking water.

That's one in six of us.

Charity: water is trying to solve that problem.

They are a non-profit organization bringing nourishing water (a commodity North Americans often take for granted) to the unfortunate in developing nations.

100% of the money raised goes directly to project costs and - likewise - funds sustainable clean water solutions in areas of the greatest need.

And, concerned citizens without a lot of moolah, can get involved, too.

After all, a $20 donation translates to a supply of clean water for one individual for the next twenty years.

Info: http://www.charitywater.org/getinvolved/index.htm

Yoko Ono's "Sky TV"


http://www.julianayrs.com

AFI FEST..."The World We Want" an inspiring documentary about children effecting positive change in the world!

If given the golden opportunity, can mere children rise up and tackle social and political issues - that have challenged their parents for decades - and effect real change?

After screening "The World We Want" - an uplifting documentary which premiered at the AFI Fest this afternoon - I wholeheartedly assert that the answer is a resounding "yes".

The well-crafted doc focuses on an organization - Project Citizen - which gives children from a handful of participating Nations around the globe an opportunity to launch a project that addresses the needs of a particular community.

The ones that show promise from the get-go ranged from one that focused on the need for clean drinking water in an African Village, to a call for stringent controls on underage gambling in Russian, and an altruistic goal to create a constitution in a war-torn town crying out for a healing solution.

The inspirational log follows the students as they struggle to convince local and national leaders to implement their proposed ideas for the good of all in the community.

Like their parents before them, the "dreamers" run smack dab into red tape - and the tangles of bureaucracy that threaten to thwart their unselfish plans - before they get out of the starter's gate.

In the final analysis - after marvelling at their bold-faced efforts for a call to action - it becomes quite evident that children from races of all persuasion (as one astute young lady pointed out) are the same at the "core".

And - of course - each is just as enthusiastic, emotional, passionate, articulate, engaging, and determined - as the other in pursuit of a vision for a future they recognize they must seize as their own.

After reviewing hundreds of the programs - and taking stock of the issues that were tackled - producer Patrick Davidson selected eight stories to feature in the upbeat "World We Want".

The tales are all heartwarming and inspiring.

"We the People - Project Citizen" is an international program for young people funded by the U.S. Department of Education, by an act of Congress (1995).

The program is administered and implemented in the U. S. and abroad by the Center for Civic Education (CCE) which is a National and International leader in Civic Education.

It's important to note that the documentary, on the other hand, was financed entirely through private investments.

"The World We Want" screens: November 8th / 7:00 pm (MANN)

Ticket Info: http://www.afi.com/

In closing, I would like to point out that the project from Senegal for "clean water" was honored as the most worthy "Project Citizen" entry in a recent round of competitions.

Although the project to guarantee water to the town is underway - and should be operating in the near future - funds are still needed for basic parts essential to the proper function of the water tower.

"Angels" out there are kindly asked to consider making a contribution to "Project Citizen" so that the dream to provide a clean water facility may be fully realized by the children of this humble African Village.

Info: http://www.civiced.org/