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Foreword 2008 what a year! It certainly was like the 1968 of our generation.

. Not in a bad way (like all the chaos they had back then or young people being sent to war) but in a good way (political progress). The over-adecade-old conservative government in Australia had just been replaced at the end of last year, and another country was thus soon to withdraw from Iraq. Barack Obama was on the verge of being the first black US president just as the year started, and he ran on a platform of change hows that for a change. Not long after, the courts in California ruled that separate but equal was unconstitutional, and Norway also joined the marriage equality bandwagon. Rudd led the stream of apologies that year by apologising to the indigenous Australians at the beginning of the year, and a stream of apologies from all over the world followed suit. People became passionate for causes ranging from marriage equality to refugee rights, from tacking racism to citizen journalism. And then the party sort of ended. The economy went into crisis and Prop 8 passed in California. Not long after, the Tea Party was born. But the legacy of 2008 will

not be wasted. The passion for change will be revived again. Here is a selection of articles I wrote during 2008. I hope I captured some of the progressive spirit and legacy of that period, and that this spirit can guide us moving forward. Obama Girl in Action Hillary Clinton has won Pennsylvania, with an estimated margin of about 10%. Barack Obama lost despite the Obama Girl Amber Lee Ettinger actually voting in this poll. Yes, this was the girl who came to fame doing the "I Got a Crush... on Obama" thing. Although her candidate did not win, we think it is still good to see people who express their opinions also doing what matters in the end themselves, showing by example that it is cool to participate in electoral politics. Too many

young people are tuning out today - and I think that cannot be healthy for us. Politics is can often be quite frustrating business but it is important business. Thanks for the Memoir! It has been reported that Miley Cyrus is being paid a "seven-figure" deal to write her memoirs. This has led to people all over the internet elsewhere screaming that she can't be paid that much for recounting 15 years of life at most. Okay, it is commerce, and maybe it is overhyped. But there is nothing wrong with a 15 year old's memoir being published - except that it is not done often enough! Here we believe that everyone is entitled to a voice in life, we encourage our people, young and old, to talk about and publish their experiences. That's why we have a culture of experience, of stars who have something to say, of people being able to find help from the more experienced whoever they are. I don't

know why the US papparazi prefer reporting on drunken episodes than to encourage more people to listen to people who have got something to say, because if they did, popular culture would just become more meaningful. The other message that should come out of this is that, kids around the world, cherish your diaries and write in them, because they can be worth quite a lot! Hate Propaganda Doesn't Work on Loving Hearts Apparently Oprah is an agent of Satan, according to a far-right US Church Group. They have even made a video all about it. They want people to 'spread the word and tell others to open their eyes'. Well, I have tried to open my eyes and look at the video, and I have concluded that Oprah is very logical and applies her faith to her life well, and I think a lot of truly loving people will have found that out

by watching her show anyway. We here in The Heart Land always stand up for people who are keen to do Brave acts of Justice, and Oprah being one of them, we are rallying people to come to her defense. If we assert our feelings over matters, and if everyone of us really felt love, the right wing hate groups can never win, not even with their fear tactics. A Way Back to Democracy According to a survey to be published tomorrow, only 60 percent of Germans have faith in democracy in their own country. The studypaints an even grimmer picture for the formerEast Germany, where only 44 percent believing in democracy. In former West Germany, 64 percent said they did. We in THL have been served by a movement of love in recent years, and everyone has been

keen on helping implement agenda that will help everybody live better. I think it really is time to bring back the movement on a worldwide scale, where everyone just wanted a better world for everyone else and everyone just cared about not only themselves but everyone else too. United we stand, divided we fall. Democracy requires participation, and unfortunately a climate of personal satisfaction, media consolidation and fractured interest groups do not serve that. Why Sensationalise the Vulnerable? Celebs doing drugs are everyday occurences on the pop goss scene. Just in the past few days, Amy Winehouse and Lindsay Lohan have both been accused of using drugs of some kind. Of course stars have used drugs, of course these people are troubled, they have been troubled for as long as I can remember. But why is the media so obsessed with people who

are troubled and can't get their act together, when they are the most vulnerable? Why not leave these people alone to heal, why not instead focus on the people who have come through their troubles and are ready to help others do so too? The unwell people need their space to heal, and when they have fought their battle they will be stronger for it and will be of encouragement value for everyone else. Until now, I think we should give them some privacy. Unnecessary Toilet Trouble UK Popstar Lily Allen confessed to leaving a nightclub because she was refused entry into the mens' toilets. "Yes I was in the men's toilets, but I always go to the men's toilets when there's a huge queue in the ladies. I did go in there and asked the attendant if I could go and he said, 'No you can't' and I walked out."

Why can't everyone have unisex toilets instead? We use cubicles anyway! It isn't like you can peep/assault people easily. And I'm all for people like Allen who are breaking down the barriers to a more common, convienient life for all. After all, it will even out the toilet waiting times for all of us, bringing in more gender equality. Being Consistent with the Love Message: Good on Oprah! ...Thomas says different is normal. "Love makes a family," he says. "And that's all that matters." The Oprah Winfrey Show did a show on Thomas Beatie and his pregnancy yesterday. Here's the background: News is popping up all over the internet about Mr Thomas Beatie, the pregnant man in Oregon, specifically a female-to-male transgender who had been

masculinised with testosterone but has kept his reproductive organs and is now carrying a child for his wife, who can't do so because of a hysterectomy. It is all out of love. As he states: "Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire." "To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child," he wrote, explaning that his wife is unable to conceive. "I will be my daughter's father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family." While people in THL would mostly find this story a beautiful one, not surprisingly, some of the media in places where they don't always share the loving-for-all way has been making fun of this 'sensation'. I think such reports derserve condemnation, and they have our full condemnation. As for those reports which have been positive, thank you for your part in

building a community where real, loving values rule. You are a legend. One such show was Oprah. Unlike some of the more sensationalist and irresponsible media outlets who claim to be of a loving nature when it is not controversial to do so, Oprah was consistent with her professionalism and her way of supporting everyone, telling everyone's story in a fair way and treating everything with ample empathy and support. The message of love being the supreme thing is really felt on her show consistently, unlike in some other ones which only pays lip service to the idea when it is warm and fuzzy, and abandon it when it has to be applied to situations which are not that easy. So kudos to Oprah, and we endorse your show for being consistent on LOVE no matter if it is easy or not.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover This is what Rick Hilton had to say about his daughter's new boyfriend: "He's the perfect example of 'don't judge a book by its cover'. He's polite, well-manneredeven calls me sir! We love him like family already. Benji doesn't drink, doesn't smoke and is a healthy vegan!" Paris's mom Kathy Hilton added: "He's changed her lifeand I really think she's genuinely in love for the first time. He's so good to her and for her. We couldn't be happier for them. This has honestly become the real thing." I think that this proves you can be cool and still live a healthy life, even in Hollywood. Speedminton is Coming Your Way People are still inventing new sports nowadays, and it's good news that we keep moving forward, I think. Speedminton is a variant of badminton played without a net and was

invented by German Bill Brandes in the late 1990s. Blackminton is the same sport played in the dark with a fluorescent speeder. The key to this sport is the speeder. The speeder, a heavier version of a badminton shuttlecock, allows the sport to be played outside whether it be on a beach, a mountain top or simply a garden. Instead of a net each player stands in a square and must hit the speeder into their opponent's area. Go the Values Voters! US Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's remarks about certain 'values voters' voting their values being a sign of economic frustration is really stirring waves everywhere. "It's not surprising," he said, "then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or antiimmigrant

sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." And he is refusing to back down. Whilst I don't think the statement is completely true, I believe that there is some substance to it. First of all, I am a values voter - I vote for the values that represent love to all and justice to all. Whilst I am not very rich when I vote for a party that is based on these values I am voting for my economic benefit too. But if I become very rich one day, I will still vote that way because my vote is fundamentally values rather than economy based, and it's a responsible thing to do, I think. But I also think that it is out of frustration (not necessarily only economic) that people vote for values that are AGAINST universal love and acceptance of people, which is what the people Obama is

referring to are doing. I think that frustration really need to look in to, so that those people can connect up with their loving compassionate hearts again. A Case of Alias The four people behind Green Day are putting together a new album, but under the alias of Basket Case. "We think that the only similarity is that we are the same band. That is basically the only similarity... We are four guys who love to play music and be spontaneous, (and) after a few late night jams and a few too many bottles of wine, we were inspired to record some rockin' eight-track recordings," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong told MTV. We think that it is good that people (even bands) can have different identities at different times. Humans are not singledimensionally personalitied, and we think their lives/work

should be unafraid to show that. Good on you for trying that, Green Day! Ashton's Advice In the May 2008 version of Details, Ashton Kutcher has revealed that it wasn't until he was 25 that he plugged into the idea that "we all come here to earn it". He says: "Because if we don't earn it, we don't appreciate any of it. You know what I mean? Gravity is pushing us down. We wake up every f---ing morning and gravity is pushing us down. When a kid stands up for the first time we all f---ing cheer, and the kid feels good about standing, and for the rest of his life he is going to be standing up. The reason he feels good about it is because he fought against gravity and he stood up. Miss USA Has Something to Say Indeed So much for the image of pageant girls as

having nothing much to say, the new Miss USA Crystle Stewart seems to really have something to give to popular culture. "I just want to instill character and determination in young women," the tall, 26-year-old motivational speaker from Texas told TODAYs Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira Monday on Rockefeller Plaza. She is also unafraid to share her views on things and to thus start a debate potentially: "I don't know, we'll see. Fundamentally, I'm a Democrat," she answered in response to the question of her favourite presidential contender. Some Sad Things A US Poll published today has shown that a growing majority say they won't buy a home anytime soon, the latest sign of increasing pessimism about the nation's housing crisis. We think that this is ridiculous indeed, and sad. Having a home should be almost a basic

human right, yet it is now becoming something of a luxury. This isn't right really, don't you think so? We really need to tell more people about how this isn't right, so maybe a movement can arise to challenge this 'inevitable'. This is how movements start, by whispering, and by realisation. We may not be able to help much right now, but one day we will be able to press the right people into action. Olympics Should Survive A Gawker Op-Ed has called for the destruction of the Olympics, because they have been associated with a lot of trouble and not very amazing performances in the past 40 years. It's a shame, we think. It is especially in times like this that we need the Olympics. While it really hasn't lived up to its ideals recently, do you axe

a historical events based on multiple virtues just for the 'performace' of the few rounds? Sounds too much like corporate results-basedtyranny to me, which there is definitely too much of around right now. We must be careful not to be consumed by this culture. Hated? I'm Proud! 'Infamous' tabloid-mag Star Magazine's editor Julia Allison has responded to allegations that she is well hated by saying that she is proud to be 'on top'. "Actually, I found that really amusing. I actually ranked above the Marine who through the puppy off the cliff. That's quite an accomplishment. I mean, you know, I said to 'Radar' (the mag that rated her 3rd most hated person on the net)I said, 'Thank you very much for hating me more than Rachael

Ray, more than Tony Kornheiser.' I mean, how is that possible? I was impressed with that, yes. My parents were very proud.'" Whilst we really can't agree with the tatics of Star Mag in reporting, it is great to see somebody respond to hate creatively. There's just too much hate and judgementalism being thrown around nowadays, don't you agree? Hip Hop Trouble UK Tabloid The Sun reported yesterday Alicia Keys claiming that the US government invented 'gangsta rap' to convince black people to kill each other. Apparently Alicia said that the violent hip-hop style was an anti-black conspiracy. She also believes the American government encouraged the murders of rappers Tupac and Notorious B.I.G in the 1990s. "The murders were fuelled to stop a great black leader from existing," she is reported to have

said. We doubt the validity of this report personally, but I do think the violent music is not doing anyone good, least of all the African American community. I would be concerned if I lived in a community where production and consumption of such violent, misogynic music were everyday occurences. Note that whilst many people focus on the fact that conservative Geoge Bush's types are quite against this type of 'entertainment', it is probably more appaling to somebody like me, who live and breathe loving, 'progressive' values. For us, any expression of hate is horrible, as are expressions of misogyny, homophobia, racism (in any way) and the glorification of violence. You won't find such music being played in my house, and certainly I would appreciate if less of it was in our public space. It's a shame that the music itself is actually alright, but the lyrics are disgusting. Clearly, we

need something better. Where has the 'real' black music gone, by the way? Loving Family Culture in the World: Maintaining Ties Kevin Feferline has said that Britney Spears will always be important to him as the mother of his children. While just saying that is not much, we believe such a statement is an important one for a society where too many ex-husbands sever all ties with their ex-wives to the detriment of their children, just so they can 'move on' to establish another 'typical nuclear family' without the 'baggage'. Good on you Kevin! So this is fame? This is fame according to Leona Lewis, whose Bleeding Love has topped charts in almost every country around the world: "I'm still trying to get my head around it (fame). I can't really grasp it..."

The trouble with the current 'system' is that, famous people don't have an everyday life, and those who do have an everyday life don't have fame. And it's not just stressful for the famous - it's also not good that those making our popular culture do not have a real life, we think. That's why we are all for newcomers that come from outside the 'machine', and to move gradually to a culture where the 'celebs' are actually everyday life people too, with technologies like the internet making that increasingly possible. Upcoming Singer Liv Tyler Actress Liv Tyler has spoken about her wish to be a singer. "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a singer, but never pursued it. My mom was a singer in a band, as was my dad and my step dad Todd - I loved watching them

perform. I can sing, but I don't know how good I am." We support everyone to pursue their dreams so let's support this one too! Giving It Up for a New Life It has been revealed that The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards only gave up cocaine after suffering a head injury requiring head surgery when he fell out of a tree in 2006. "I've found myself sleeping better since the bang on the head. I had to give up the bump (cocaine). How do you stay up for so many days? By the time that happened, it was really just once after meals anyway. Thank God I've got a reason to give it up," he is reported to have said. While we don't want any judgementalism being put on people who use drugs (the judgemental people themselves are the mean ones, remember) we really want to highlight the great things about coming off drugs and

waking up to beautiful life again. Thanks Mr Richards, for giving us yet another example. We aren't opposing drugs for 'moral' reasons we are simply doing so because drugs effectively turn people off life and put them out of action, wasting many passionate hearts that would otherwise have a lot to contribute. Simple as that. We Should Defend... The Right to Help Make Popular Culture According to Jason Colodne, who appeared in "The Real Housewives of New York City", a Wall Street management company, Patriarch Partners, has fired him. He claimed that he was wrongfully fired because he appeared on the TV show, and is suing for $55 mil. According to the suit, he appeared on an episode to promote a charity that raises money

for neurofibromatosis. Now he is unemployed. While I am not saying anything against the company itself, I think this kind of practice should stop. If people are not free to appear in the media for their causes without fear of being fired, there is no future for this society. So while I am not judging whether the $55 mil should be payed or not, I hope that the courts will uphold the freedom to participate in the making of popular culture, especially for good causes like this. Anything less would be a shame. Let's Inspire our Next Generation Let's think of ways to inspire our next generation (and generations beyond that) to think of a better world for all and help achieve that dream. If our dream is going to have any way of succeeding, there must be people coming up who are equally as passionate about the dream who we can pass our torch onto. When,

for example, my generation reaches middle age two decades later, today's little children will be where we are now, and they will define youth culture. If they are educated from when young about diversity, the importance of equal opportunity, and the world as a family for all, then they would easily integrate these values with everyday life and the culture that they help create. Having this dream in their heads when the are growing up will also shield them from the harm of being 'mugged by reality', something that has been quite a problem for many generations. Educating Britney Britney Spears has been offered a job working as a real receptionist for animal rights group People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA). "After seeing your excellent

performance on How I Met Your Mother, PETA would like to offer you a real job as a receptionist. It could be for as little as an hour, and you would see - from the inside - why we are so concerned about issues like fur and homeless dogs and cats. As a 'thank you' for your willingness to learn and help, we would donate $1,000 to a children's charity," wrote PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. They are doing this because Britney previously wore furs. It is quite a good way to raise awareness about the cause, I think. There was nothing punitive and critical in this, just educational, and I think that's the way to go to bring more people to be aware of causes. Even if Britney does not take up that offer, many who read this may get thinking. More Conversation, Less Judgementalism

Puritanism in America is weakening again once again, according to a Salon analysis of the Eliot Spitzer affair. "Only 10 years ago, former President Bill Clinton was almost removed from office because he fooled around with a White House intern," the report highlighted. And it appears that the internet has something to do with it: "The Internet, too, has undermined American Puritanism... The majority of Internet posters and bloggers are simply not particularly exercised about the flesh-is-weak sins committed by public figures... And because the Internet functions as a giant national feedback loop, in which the opinions of countless people are thrown out into the world and then recirculated through the body politic, changes in the Internet zeitgeist become self-reinforcing." We here are quite happy for the fall of

judgementalism. We do not believe that Spitzer did nothing wrong (he himself admitted wrongdoing, actually), but we do not need a public trial of wrongdoers that includes a public hanging. Any such behaviour will lead to a rise in the level of judgementalism in society overall, causing it to affect not just wrongdoers but misunderstood minority groups. Moreover, forgivefulness is a very important virtue for every healthy society to develop because nobody is immune from wrongdoing and rehabilitation is the key to future good behaviour. Forgivefulness just cannot be cultivated in a climate of high levels of judgementalism. Equal Opportunity to do right by your parents Superstar Fergie is giving a special gift to her mom. "I'm actually retiring my mom this year, so next year she doesn't have to go to work. I

wanted to give back because she took me to all those auditions for all of those years. It's the least I could do." And she has been rightly praised for that. But seriously, this opportunity should be extended to more of us out there. As reported earlier on this mag, going the other way are people aged in their 30s-50s, back to living as dependents on their parents. Maybe if we, rather than just basking in the glory of Fergie et al, start raising awareness about the lack of equality of opportunity (to do right by your parents in this case) then things may just 'change a little'? Liberal Like A Fox? So what? Since its 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann' success (a news program with an alledgedly anti-Bush stance), MSNBC is increasingly making its nighttime lineup more appealing to viewers who like that show. It's generally

common for news outlets to develop niches, but for this reason, it has been called 'Liberal like a Fox' (i.e. as biased as Fox News is, but liberal). One good example is former host Rosie O'Donnell, whose show was popular talking about the unabated casualties of the Iraq war, the right to gay marriage, and etc. Personally, I can't see anything wrong with this, really. News outlets should be diverse, and just as we have Fox for some people, we need other outlets for other audiences. And the values being promoted here are actually good for society - peace, equality and all the good foundations for society. So apart from a bit of anti-Bush bias, and the 'liberal' label (there are too many labels in the world, isn't it), they ARE actually serving some public good. So celebrate this and stop fussing!

Stand Against Negativity like LC today! US TV star Lauren Conrad is frustrated over this week's US Weekly headline, which state that she was "Betrayed by Brody and Audrina." "Unfortunately it was turned into yet another "poor me" story. The article itself is a nice one but it follows headlines that, in no way, represent my words or feelings. I do not feel betrayed by Audrina or Brody," Lauren stated on her MySpace Blog. When can we stop being fascinated by negativity, so the press can stop dishing out so much of it, I wonder? We are proud of LC's statement to tell the truth and her part in combating the culture of 'making everything negative' by ensuring the beat-up-people can't get away with it so easily this time. We believe that there is indeed something to

be learnt from LC here. The next time someone tries to distort your story negatively, even when you stand to gain (LC most probably did - in commissions for the interview), don't hesitate to stand up for the true version - you are doing yourself, and the wider culture, some justice. Movement Replace: More of Hathaway, Less of Dupre Let's start here to help create a meaningful culture by replacing the useless stuff with the helpful. This is milestone number one in this movement... Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the 22 year old callgirl who brought down the governor Spitzer of New York, has received a $1 million offer to appear in Hustler and Girls Gone Wild respectively. Meanwhile, Paris Hilton will star seductively with people dressed up as wild animals for an

upcoming four-page spread of Harvard University's Lampoon magazine. Why are so many people, and so much of the media, obsessed with sex? Human nature, you may say. But I have to disagree. Human nature is also interested in other things, helping change the world for example. But why so much sex? It's easy. It's not controversial like refugee rights and gay rights. And while it does nothing to change the world, you can produce heaps of news about it (it happens every day) without being controversial. But then, a life like this is BORING, because we keep talking about the same stuff all the time. Let's report on some positive things instead. Like... Anne Hathaway was recently honored with an award from the Human Rights Campaign for

her support of the LGBT community. In her acceptance speech she talks about her gay brother. We are proud that she is making another step towards building equality for everyone in the world. We believe that, while this is not particularly big news, people who should be honoured should be hounoured in more places. Hell Week? The Drudge Report reckons that it is 'hell week', and the people at Gawker can find plenty of evidence for it, apparently. There's the political rows, the collapsing economy, and sex scandels, it appears. I can add one more piece of evidence. A lot of my friends, from internet connections all around the world, are saying that life this week is crap. It appears that everyone actually feels crap in one way or another. Should we just celebrate it

or should we just change it? Well, here's my take. Crap is, by definition, crap. So if we stick with it, we will feel crap for a long, long time. So I say: GET OUT THERE AND CHANGE IT NOW! Forget about Subprime, this is the Real Crisis The Florida Post reported today that more and more people are moving back home to live with their parents in the bad economy and not just people in their 20s. "This is not like, 'OK, my son just graduated from college and needs to move back in' type of thing," said a financial planner helping clients in such situations. "These are 40- and 50-year-old children of my clients that they're helping out." And it's not always just extra groceries either. Some of these 'children' have been costing their parents anywhere

between $1000-50000 to 'raise'. Some will be quick to blame these 'parasites'. But wait - what else can you do if you were in their situation - no job, no finances, no hope of ever owning a home in the present climate? Stop blaming people for their 'personal responsibility' and wake up to the national crisis! We should all pull together and think about this crisis. Bottom line is that, if people go through 12 years of school and 4 years of college and still end up like this, our society is wasting a lot of brilliant minds. And whilst some may blame the 'inevitability' of this as part of the economy, is that true? Common sense tells me it is NOT! Forget the 'subprime' and all that. The fact that so many people are going to waste is the real crisis.

What we need to do is to start helping people go along more smoothly in life so that their potential can be realised. Governments have their part to play, so do everyday people. The first thing is to realise that it is unfair that some people are being wasted like this. The next is to do something about it. The latter won't be easy, but it's essential that we realise and start. Standing up to the Big Bullies We should try to educate everyone about issues they don't understand. But faced with offensive behaviour, I think we should stare it down. Recently, Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern said that 'the gay agenda is worse than terrorism'. To say anything is worse than terrorism is almost always disrespect, but I believe many of my readers

would find that it is really offensive to say that those brave individuals fighting for equal rights that don't benefit them (most people who fight for these kinds of civil rights are indeed straight) are worse than the Bin Ladens of this world. I believe we need to show our displeasure collectively to make sure this behaviour is well condemned. An 18 year old from OK, a victim of the 1995 OKC bombings, has written in response to Rep Kern about her insensitive remarks, and the letter can be read here. What we need to do is to make a big issue of this, maybe starting from cyberspace. I am doing my part here right now, and I hope you are too. NOTE: Although we generally feature high-profile people here, we are just looking for stars who can be inspiring in our journey to be

stars in life - so if you qualify for this, we promise to try our best to make you high profile. All you need is to let us know you are there - by replying to our posts in your blog, and linking back to us so we can track you on Technorati ReOpening the Case on Human Rights This is some news that will surely get us moving further along in the idea and probably the definition of human rights. Who deserves life? Everyone. And how are we supposed to protect this right? Here are a few examples that have got us thinking. An Iranian lesbian whose girlfriend was hanged, has come to seek refuge in the UK. Since she faces the same horrible fate, her case should well be accepted, to the level that political prisoners' cases are accepted, right? In fact, her case has been REJECTED once again. She was instead told to STAY DISCREET,

according to the board it was something she could do. However, this case has got many of us thinking and making our point (including what I am doing here). And this is a good thing - even though we still have to make that board (and boards like that) hear our voice to save the girl's life. Bottom line: The human right of 'The Right to Live' include the right to be yourself! On the other end of the spectrum, The Swedish Government is going to do something about suicide, it seems. Dubbed "zero-vision", the plan calls for creating conditions whereby no one finds themselves in a such a vulnerable position that they see suicide as the only way out. Bottom line: This is clearly part of 'the right to live' and it is great that a government is finally listening!

Urban Update: Moving forward into a New Era It appears that 80s = Oldies Now! A NYC Oldies station is changing its description to 'classic hits' and featuring materials from the 1980s. They are doing so in the belief that adding '80s would be a good way to maintain their audience. When Super Gets the Crunch Despite promises of us getting wealthier by politicians all the time, we are in fact going in the opposite direction. Today, news emerged of more and more Americans cashing in on their super and cutting their retirement savings in half just to make ends meet. This clearly violates the intention of having supers, and makes sure that for the unlucky, the weight of the crunch will continue to be felt after retirement. With just about every philosophy on economics and productivity, self responsibility of individuals

is seen as an important factor that needs to be there for success. However, clearly it is not the only factor, and if other conditions are too bad self responsibility alone will not lead to individual or community success. At this point, to blame people's failures on self responsibility becomes meaningless. I believe in many areas we have already reached this point, that is, the system is failing the people. If you can't even live in a decent home or start up something without substantial capital, then isn't that oppression? If you can't even have a decent education without either a well off family or concurrently working 20 hours a week, isn't that a bit too hard for a lot of people? When a good community designs a system, it must be to empower individuals so that their self responsibility, what they put in as

work, will come out as rewards. Clearly this often isn't the case today. And this is an important action we must take now. Urban Update Disney World Florida is going to create a live performance attraction based on American Idol. "Our goal is to try to recreate the excitement of those 24 people who show up on that 'American Idol' stage," Disney Parks chairman Jay Rasulo said. "We believe many, many viewers want to know exactly how that feels, and we're going to try to reproduce that feeling for them." Opening in late 2008, this attraction will allow guests to audition then perform before a live studio audience inside the theater space. Meanwhile, even though it may be part of the incentive to go on idol, money doesn't mean everything. Not even $24.2 Million of it, according to one Canadian family. In fact, the

media who were filming the family asked them to do a "second take" because no one was smiling when the cheque was presented. They blamed it on the winnings having not settled in, and that the family was not prone to showing emotions openly. In further support of this, online dating service Lavalife has recently observed that sometimes green credentials need to match for a couple to be together nowadays, and the less green partner will have to change their lifestyle for the relationship to survive. It seems that the 'save the world together' mantle is indeed well and alive! What's Wrong with Family Day? We believe a 'family day' is a day for everyone to take time out from work and cherish our familial ties, enjoy quality time together. But apparently not everyone thinks so. A recently added holiday in Ontario, Canada

with this name has sparked concerns about the name promoting 'social conservatism'. Which I find sad, really. Spending quality time with your family is social conservatism? Is the world mad? This is positive family values in action, the perfect anti-dote to bigoted arguments on 'the family'! Leadership is for Everyone Indeed It seems that corporate thinkers are beginning to realise that one of the best ways to engage young workers is to cut the hierarchy and create leaders at every level. It is what we have been doing and advocating here for some time. Indeed, to help everyone be some sort of leader on what they are strong at is our goal. More people will get engaged to work their best for the world, and we will all benefit.

It is also good for everyone's health. Self actualisation is good for health, science has shown, a position that is also endorsed by the UN. Blaming it Ad Hominem Should Stop! Recently, Andrea Peyser from New York Post, wrote she was disgusted at Health Ledger's choice to "self-destruct" with prescription drugs, on the day of his scheduled funeral. She alleged that Heath had paid little regard for his daughter, Matilda, ex-fiancee Michelle Williams or his parents. "There is nothing noble or beautiful about the so-called accidental death of Heath Ledger, a man with everything to live for - a beautiful daughter, a blossoming career, and a Victoria's Secret catalogue-full of willing babes," she wrote. "He threw it away, as gamely as if he had put a gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger. He was reckless and greedy. He was

fundamentally selfish. Now his daughter will grow up never knowing the man she worshipped from birth; his parents must bury a son they cherished." She also suggested people should not cry for Ledger. "Cry for Heath's daughter, Cry for his parents. Cry for Michelle Williams. But don't cry for Heath." Shock jocks (or ladies) are popular with the crowd who'd like to believe tragedy is moral failure and thus won't happen to them. However, we should always counter attack the attitude of these people with what are actually facts. Self responsibility of individuals is often seen as an important factor that needs to be there for success. However, clearly it is not the only factor, and if other conditions are too bad self responsibility alone will not lead to individual or

community success. At this point, to blame people's failures on self responsibility becomes meaningless. I believe in many areas we have already reached this point, that is, the system is failing the people. If you can't even live in a decent home or start up something without substantial capital, then isn't that oppression? If you can't even have a decent education without either a well off family or concurrently working 20 hours a week, isn't that a bit too hard for a lot of people? When a good community designs a system, it must be to empower individuals so that their self responsibility, what they put in as work, will come out as rewards. Clearly this often isn't the case today. And this is an important action we must take now. The Way out of Oblivion In Australia, the fact that the 'no to drugs' message is not doing anything has come up

again, in the wake of a tragic death and a sporting star's revelation. "First, if illicit drugs are evil then why would so many intelligent people across all strata of society take them? ...This weekend, famous actors, writers, lawyers and doctors will use illicit drugs. They'll do so in spite of well-known and long-standing official attitudes against drugs. More campaigns, more warnings and more panicked hand-wringing won't make any difference." said one newspaper in that country. Clearly there is something wrong if so many people are choosing this lifestyle, something that s very simple message won't address. People don't choose 'decadent' lifestyles for no reason, we all want to be useful, we all want to make a difference. But it is what happens along the way that can potentially turn us down paths of decadence, like repeatedly getting drunk, having no motivation to change

things for the better etc. This is because we are hurt along the way - by pointless arguments, personal attacks from people who don't understand what life is really about, by the 'harsh realities' of life and people telling us these can't be combated or viewed in an alternative manner, and by the confusion of which is really the better way. It is often seen that people who believe in a better way and live for it, which was probably easier to do in simpler, more historical times (and thus is where most of these examples were seen) indeed had a better time here on Earth. No only that, they have more energy in life and end up making the difference that they were destined to make. So it is good for the individual concerned and good for other people who may benefit from their work too. By knowing

that there are ideals to live for and work for, we are motivated to care for ourselves, use our time well, because every minute (well not literally but close) should be put to the service of those ideals. These ideals should serve the world, and not just be selfish - self serving ideals (like becoming rich for its own sake) cannot even come close to making somebody fulfilled and moral, because we often have to work within the confines of pragmatism for that, and we get corrupted by the cynics soon. We all need to develop our ideals, and a society that is conducive to this will see much healthier lifestyles. No amount of dry talk will replace this. In praise of Al Gore Al Gore has, this week, confirmed his support for same-sex couples' equality in getting legal marriage as part of his human rights campaign.

This is a brave decision indeed, but one that must be taken by somebody, hopefully many more people. Like Brad Pitt's 2006 vow to not legally marry Ange until it is also possible for all loving couples to do so. We know that there is unfairness out there in the world. We know that people are being hurt every day. Yet we are often too afraid to take a stance for it. But our guilty conscience knows that if we don't do so, people will continue to hurt. To make matters worse, to help people in itself is often controversial, the controversy is brought on by the fact that some people don't want the world to change, and has used justification to make necessary change look bad. You know their sense of right and wrong is misinformed, by looking to the examples in history, and by looking to how good usually

prevails in the end. You know that, from history, if you delay your actions and take more discussions with these people, it will be many lives wasted in the years in between. Yet it is easier just to debate than to act in ways which will upset some people. Yet your moral conscience is right. To uphold universal love and compassion is the highest goal, and to defer standing up for what we need to do is to defer our responsibilities. We need to be strong. And in the end, the reward of seeing people getting the treatment they deserve is more than worth all the hard work. Village in the Modern World From teenagers getting out of control to tragic deaths maybe involving drugs, the recent news all make us long for a world where there is more

support for individuals in need. What we need is a new sense of village, I think. What I mean by village is a group of people who care about the wellbeing of each other. It is a spirit that should exist in the family, in the community and among the whole world. It takes a village to raise a child, so goes the saying, and it also takes a village to do a lot of other things to support a whole person to lead a fulfilling, useful life too. There are periods in history that this has worked (e.g. the community cohesion in middle of the 20th century in the west, leading to a period during the 60s70s when reforms for a better world went ahead not blocked by cynicism like many projects today), and periods where this hasn't worked (e.g. when generation after generation grow up in war) , and the results speak for themselves.

In fact, the breakdown of this 'village' in the west since the 1980s is what I believe to be causing a generally high level of cynicism and anxiety out there. Since the 1980s there were many alternatives to the universally loving and caring village, as the result of earlier revelation that the mid 20th century community, while fitting the majority of people, failed many outsiders. This revelation led to developments which have destroyed the village, unfortunately. Some have adopted the outsiders' lifestyles and given up on what they have seen as an old and patriarchal institution that offered no flexibility, only to find themselves still sad, and gradually these people have turned cynical. Others have maintained that the 1950s version was the only 'successful'

village and sought to maintain the whole model, alienating those it marginalised, only that this time they have been empowered and instead of silent submission there is open conflict, resulting in 'cultural wars' that have destroyed this village. What we need to do now is to rebuild this village, and with the realisation of where it has failed minorities before or was limiting to personal development before, and address these to build an even better village. This will show both the cynics and the arch-conservatives they are wrong by finding the life that I believe they want to find too but were led on the wrong path to. Everything from how we live our everyday lives (in how we associate with others - with open arms not cynicism) to the policies we support out there should be affected by this thought. Build that Family Around You

If you take time out from life and try to build a little 'family' of friends around you, one that holds true to the 'we are family' spirit and support each other well, you will be well rewarded in life. When you get into desperate situations and you need someone to talk to, you will have plenty of people available to you. When you want to enjoy a special occasion in your life with people, that stranger on the street just won't understand you the way your little family will. It takes the right attitude to build this family. Accepting everyone (well, except for the bigots - racist, sexist and homophobic etc., you know what I mean, because letting them in is going to destroy it for everyone else) is a good starting point. Never mind if somebody is popular or deemed capable or not, because

that is not a good marker of a good friend, and if you resist pressures from the 'in-crowd' to favour them only, people will end up looking up to you. Always stand by a friend who has been injured by the insults from the mindless out there - one day we will defeat all these mindless people who don't know what they have been doing, but for now we need to stand by each other and be strong through the rain. And most of all, make time for special moments that celebrate the bonds between everyone of you - these will keep everyone through the rough times, which will come inevitably. Bit by Bit, we are Building the Vision Here In the past 2 weeks, there has been a lot of work here at Empowerment Now HQ. We have just launched our 'lite-tech' projects for 2008,

which include making widgets and themes for the internet as well as customizable onestop webpages linking up free resources out there, aka FreeDesks. If you go to the studio, you will be able to check out our new themes as well as the first two FreeDesks. Our vision here is to ultimately help build a network of dedicated culture producers who will try to change the world for better through their work (which will probably mainly involve writing but may also involve multimedia), and providing some valuable resources for them to use. Stay tuned for more important developments over the next few months. Who Said? Miss Empowerah 20,000 plastic surgeons from around the world have concluded that the perfect woman has

the lips and eyes of Angelina Jolie, the nose of Nicole Kidman, breasts like Pamela Anderson's, Jennifer Lopez's bottom and the legsof either Tina Turner, Sharon Stone or Cameron Diaz. Who said, really? Isn't beauty in the eyes of the beholder, and isn't that why the world is a wonderful place? I certainly, for one, don't believe what described above is the perfect woman, far from it. Don't treat the old and unhealthy? We don't think so... In the UK, doctors are calling for government funded treatment to be withheld from patients who are too old or who lead unhealthy lives. Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly are the ones targeted, the reason being that the health service cannot afford to provide free care to everyone. But many

believe that the 'serve them right' attitude may be behind some of this. If this is in fact the case, this is an attitude we really can't endorse. People should be taking responsibility for their own lives, but people make mistakes too, and smoking and addictive drinking are not ones that can be corrected overnight. They are also often socially induced behaviours, and punishing individuals for them is unfair. Wouldn't it be better if more attention was focused on health promotion than these quabbles? Even if this is not the case, we should not be dropping our compassion in the name of finance. Starting from obvious points like this, we may be able to turn the tide of the acceptability of placing more importance on money than people. The New Story of the Three Little Pigs

Apparently, the classic story of the three little pigs, one of my favourite childhood stories, is ineligible for a British school children's readers award, because it may offend Muslims. This has created outrage in the community at 'political correctness'. But really, I don't believe that PC is all to blame for instances like that. For it would only be a good act to provide an alternative version, like the three little dogs for example, for people who can't read the original so they can enjoy the story. It is the handling of such matters that is to blame. For example, they could give the award to three little pigs provided that 'translated version' that doesn't use pigs and is of comparable quality is available. I am sure that can only create goodwill.

Position Statement: Zero Tolerance for Hate-based Indecency Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a Kansas-based congregation infamous for its demonstrations outside funerals for US soldiers killed in Iraq, has promised to do the same for US memorial services for the late actor Heath Ledger. This group apparently doesn't know or care how inappropriate it is, and how much grief it is causing. In our opinion, these people are dishonoring their religion in the same way Al Qaeda is dishonoring Islam. Our position is that, indecency to this level, especially in the name of a hate-based cause, receive our full and unconditional condemnation. Ledger is a hero for being brave enough to take part in a meaningful production, and these discriminatory bastards should be ashamed for themselves. We would full-heartedly support criminalisation of such

indecent behaviour, just as we support laws against people to call for terror attacks or to be sexually offensive in public. After all, civilised society should be a safe and fulfilling place for everyone. Meanwhile, Fox News host John Gibson, who reportedly called Brokeback Mountain a gay agenda movie in 2006, has mocked Ledger's death. We think this is unacceptable disrespect to a recently passed person and this remains no matter what you believe in. (Plus, I can guarantee you that there is no 'gayagenda', there is only a human rights agenda, and this is coming from someone who is of professed family values.) Opening Borders for Love In recent years, in the wake of terrorism, there has been talk of tough immigration laws to

keep people up, often to the extent they semi promote xenophobia. This is, I think, really shameful for multicultural societies which pride themselves on being compassionate and accepting of all people who come in seek of a great community for all. Isn't this what separates us from those people who want to destroy us, isn't this what they want to destroy, and isn't it scary that so many of our politicians are helping these evil forces destroy such a great social concept? Rather than being a coward and shying away from the great values of being a welcoming and accepting society, we should celebrate them more. We should really allow more good people in and help them integrate, rather than make more rules to block people out. We should, however, back that up by making sure immigrants learn the values that make it possible for them to come to live as a part of

such a great society, like tolerance, peace, respect in diversity and so on, and make sure that they know that if they choose to stay and be citizens they need to accept these values by heart. And I think, in the end, we should be open to accepting anyone who is a good citizen and holds and lives these values, because that can only enhance a community that is already great! Some Innocent Advice At a recently appearance, this is what Miley Cyrus (i.e. Hannah Montana) had to say about Britney Spears: "I think that she needs help. If I didn't have [my family], I'd probably be in the same position. You just got to know who your true friends are, and I think, for me, [that] is my mom." Simple advice, isn't it? But why can't Britney

take it now, even though she herself may have had the same advice for others when she was a teenager? Put it more simply, why is it that often when people are younger simple things made sense, but not when they are older? Maybe this world really is too limiting, maybe it really becomes too hard for some people. When you are young and fresh-faced, under 20 and the whole world is waiting for you, it is easy to be friendly to everyone. But then, when you get hurt from life, sometimes there is nobody to support you. When you want to speak out about something but the noise just prevents you from cutting through, what can you do? I think, rather than looking at how 'sane' Miley is and how 'insane' Britney has become, the world should learn a lesson here, and make sure that as life gets harder, the simple things

that people count on, like supportive people, a good family and the possibility of better dreams, are still well within reach. The Celebs are Everyday People Too Yahoo has published a list of celebs-without-makeup. You can find the pics online. While we want to criticise them for their apparent intentions to embarass people rather than do good, we applaud everyone who tries to show us what beauty standards are actually realistic. Death to unrealistic standards that enslave people! In other news, Lindsay Lohan has been ordered to work in a morgue for 2x4 hours to see the consequences of drink driving. Celebs are just everyday people after all, and often not the best role models out there. The dream that this

people inspire is that, we can do better when we get our voice out there, can't we? All for Peace Apparently, Omar bin Laden, the son of that terrible terrorist, is all for peace. After marrying a 52 year old British woman, now they will together campaign for peace between Islam and the west. What a great idea! Why does Anyone want to be in Corey's Position? The Corey Delaney phenomenon has been attracting media attention across the world in the past few days. But why the hell would anyone want to be in Corey's position? First, an intro to the Corey case for anyone who isn't familiar: In Melbourne, Australia a 16-year-old named Corey invited 500 friends to his house to party through MySpace and the party got out of control. The police were required on the scene and now they are

charging the parents, who had to cut short a holiday to come back, a bill of A$20000. A lot of the 'sick and tired of bad behaviour people' said it served the kid right, but some other fun-seekers billed him as a phenomenon and some sort of hero. The Australian media has also caught onto the sensation, with a men's magazine and Big Brother as well as events organisers rumoured to be offering deals, more than enough to cover the fine. However, he still doesn't have the guts to return home to his angry parents. "It's fun, it's awesome. I'm famous, I like being famous," he is reported to have said in a recent interview, still not thinking there is anything wrong with his 500 people party. Wake up! It's more like being a sensation for a few weeks than being famous, really.

There are heaps of people out there wanting to get their chance to give him a good chiding, but while I am really against alcohol fuelled bad behaviour, I am a lot more for those who say we need to understand the situation and learn the lesson rather than blame a helpless 16-year-old who probably didn't know the consequences. More importantly, as everyone is focussing on this teen's bizarre behaviour, I rather want to ask the question has anyone thought about why somebody needs to go to such extremes to feel at home and with friends? Maybe the rest of society has really turned too cold. The saga of the $20000 party In Melbourne, Australia a 16-year-old invited 500 friends to his house to party through MySpace. The party got out of control and the

police were required on the scene. Now they are charging the parents a bill of A$20000. Day one that the news was out, a lot of the 'sick and tired of bad behaviour people' said it served the kid right, but while I am really against alcohol fuelled bad behaviour, I am a lot more for those who say we need to understand the situation and learn the lesson rather than blame a helpless 16-year-old who probably didn't know the consequences, and that the police cannot charge people money for doing what taxpayers have already paid for. If the news on day one was bizarre, this kid's attitude on day two was even more so. He has fled from home, unwilling to face his parent's wrath. In fact, he has said that he is unrepentent, and plans to hold another party in the same suburb because he is happy with his

mates. Everyone is now focussing on this teen's seemingly arrogant behaviour, and the 'sick and tired of bad behaviour people' are truly kicking and screaming by now. But has anyone thought about why somebody needs to go to such extremes to feel at home and with friends? Maybe the rest of society has really turned too cold. Rekindling that Family and Village Again The continue decline of family and village spirit has been damaging to our society, a lot of us would concede. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and the harmful effects of this decline are already being seen. And despite a knowledge of that, it seems not much would work. Why? Here's one theory I can propose: That families and communities have been torn apart by

difference of opinion. In days when the world was much simpler, these places were built on compassion, caring for each other. But now that the world is a place full of ideas from everywhere, those different ideas cause tension, dislike of certain ideas or ways of living have led to dislike of certain family members or community neighbours, and when this phenomenon becomes common, the whole institution falls apart. So where did it go wrong, why can't we just talk about things with each other and accomodate each others' needs, understand each others' ideas and enrich each other, like we have always had? My guess is that it started with 'reactionaries' - those who didn't like certain new ideas or ways of living and decided to declare war on them as if they were rouge regimes. They have always been around but since the great progress of the 1960s-70s they have especially been present, to

the amount that is enough to bring down communities. If you were 'infected' by this kind of thought, then it is not hard to imagine your 'opponent' as evil worthy of Hitler. And you wouldn't be able to live with a Nazi. So how can this be fixed? Reactionaries demand that their 'opponent thought or lifestyle' be shut down so that peace can be restored. But isn't that just like Islamofacists demanding that we all convert to fundamentalist Islam before terrorism will stop? The fact is that, your loved family is just driven into misunderstanding each other, once this misunderstanding subsides you will find that you are still each other, that you still love each other. Just like if we defeat terrorism both by security and aiding progressive-liberal ideology, the world will become safe again, we don't need to convert to fundamentalist Islam to be safe,

we don't need to give up on societal progress for families to prevail again, for that, just like yielding to terrorists, would defeat our purpose in protecting what we have already. Take the first step by shutting out 'the arguments out there' and focusing for caring for each other - for politics is meaningless without loving communities, and politics without love is only that close to Facism anyway. Immerse yourself in your family relationships and try to listen to each other compassionately, as if there were no movements out there, as if there is only you and your sometimes troubled family members, and their solutions to life. The family will return soon. And back 'home' you are now, you will also find that reactionaries don't really represent their religion they are talking about,

possibly don't even know what they are talking about, and are just acting on old prejudices. Unite the Dream Forces Again What we have today - a basic level of social security, basic decency towards minorities, gender near-equality in some situations didn't come by easily, though we often take that for granted. And they weren't gained by each minority arguing for their own, in some 'I need to be just like you too' way. It was through the shared values of a large group of society that these things came by. Minorities are very outnumbered and poor people have a lack of resources and power, by definition. So if everyone only cared about themselves, these people will definitely suffer, things like civil rights and social justice wouldn't have even taken off. Even with gender equality, on face value it represents only 50% of the

population's interests, so again if everyone only cared for themselves the feminist movement would only have made this a divided world in constant civil war. But back in the 1950s-70s history wasn't that way, or otherwise we wouldn't be here. Instead, everyone also fought for the rights of each other to a certain extent, with allies of every side joining in, so that the peace, social justice, womens rights and civil rights movements were really one - the movement to allow people an equal participation in life, the movement to let everyone be friends, the movement to make dreams come true for more. This is the spirit we must rekindle. For only by working this spirit for all groups and issues, all the way to the end to the point when the dream

has come true, to the point when we have reached the light, will everyone be able to live in a happy, satisfying world, and nobody will go to waste or suffer at the hands of society. Today some of the major focus is on immigrants, gay rights and religious people who don't believe in the past, who struggle against a conservative religious majority in order for real good way to prevail (count me in on this one). We must unite all these groups - atheists who want equality should not attack the 'religious left', and we must think of policy in terms of 'if I were gay then...' or 'if I were an illegal immigrant then...'. It is also important to teach these lessons to those who have benefited - so that the failure of the 60s, where those helped by civil rights then have turned to side with the majority in

prejudicing against today's disadvantaged, will not happen again. And finally, please don't make it academic. This is a movement about compassion, love and dreams. We appeal to hearts not analysts. 'Academic progressivism' turns people away in droves and should only be allowed to play second fiddle to my great movement here. Advice on 'Peer Pressure' "Help! My friends think it is okay to laugh at an overweight girl just because this will help her slim down, but I think it is actually mean to do this. A lot of science has shown that being overweight is somehow to do with internal control, plus there are just too many factors in life that one can't control really." Isn't that a familiar story? And isn't there just too many justifications for creulty out there? The truth is that, cruelty isn't something that should

be tolerated at all, end of story. Advice to keep fit combined with compassionate and sincere help is not the same as teasing people, and the latter has an effect of undermining our compassionate society, a value that we must ALWAYS cherish deeply or hence we will lose. So, no, it's not okay to bully people, and I don't want to hear anybody's excuses anyway. What Politics can do, What it Cannot Politics can do some things, but not everything. We need to pay attention to politics and make our vote count. This is because we don't want a government that only favours one group (e.g. big business or people of particular beliefs). Government is also essential to help 'adjust' the balance of the forces out there when the market forces fail to, so that everyone can have a fair go at things, so that everyone can

have the maximum amount of freedom to do what is right by them. Once upon a time, some people thought a good government was the solution to everything. But can a government, a bunch of 100-200 people, solve the problems of a whole nation, sometimes problems that they haven't even heard of before? Probably not. Thus we need a government that makes it possible for people to have the resources to solve the problems, a government that is non-judgemental and treat everyone with equality and respect, but this in itself will not solve all the problems. Voting at an election to make sure we get this kind of government is a must for every eligible citizen. But then we must move forward to do the next step. That is, to actively make the communities we associate with get a good deal out of this world, because we know them

better than the rest of the world, and we can help make things better within these communities and make the bridges out better too. We also need to help everyone else out there who is disadvantaged too, so they can have basic human dignity, to have the space to do what is right by them, and to have a fair go at life. This is the dream, and if we all work on our part, we will get there. On the Britney Comeback There is recently news of a Britney Spears comeback. This isn't exactly news probably, as there have been so many of these comeback attempts already, the last being just over a year ago with that Gimme More song. When I was younger and she was younger too, I used to be somewhat a fan of her. I considered

her music to be happy, and what she did to be more appropriate and relatable to me than some other popular culture figures in the late 1990s / early 2000s. Okay, excuse the oversexualised teenage girl image (which is inappropriate indeed - and there are worrying signs of it becoming standard fare nowadays, something that I will address in another post), but at least she wasn't involved in promoting drugs or gangsterism. Nowadays she seems to stand for nothing really, so what's the comeback all about again? And that 'womanizer' song - what is it supposed to mean really? It sounds like she is celebrating a womanizer indeed! However, there are some thing that I really have to say I like about Britney though. She has a resilience to come back, time after time. And

this is in the face of some of the harshest media judgment that has been thrown at a celebrity in recent years. For starters, I really can't believe that she is as mad as they portray her to be. And her marriage - the media had a big role in the sabotage too. For all the money she has made through the years she could just disappear forever now. However, she is still not giving up. The other thing I like about her is that she is open with her emotions. She cries on TV, she tells her stories. She is in a sense a mirror for the ruthless media. Her 'craziness' is probably not real craziness - it is what happens to people who get treated this way, who get bullied so much. The modern paparazzi is the antithesis of

a loving culture, and there must be feedback about how terrible it has been treating people, and in turn, encouraging similar behaviour in everyday society, especially amongst teenagers. Rather than being weak, I think Britney has been brave and has done something important in showing us publicly her pain. Appeal to the Heart "Elite" now implies stuffy, superior, arrogant -and, most importantly, not one of us, wrote author Terrence McNally of AlterNet recently. It is a sad sentiment that is being repeated by 'intellectuals' around the world again and again. And yet they have no way around the 'problem'. Well, here's my take. People don't like elites talking down to them using ideas that don't stem from their own life experiences. As I said here before, "when I was younger, I used to

hate those people with all those 'quirky ideas' that pretend they can change the world, those people who would not like to listen to the music we love or watch the TV that we watch, or even dress the way we dress". I suspect that many people hate 'elites' for the same reason. What would change that? If the 'elites' actually spoke to them in ways that they can connect with. We who spend time to study about the world and learn about why the 'elites' actually do what they do end up appreciating them, but face it, 90% of the population will never do that, and so they continue to despise 'elites'. Everyone needs to be able to talk to people without using theory other's can't understand unless they study for years on the topic, and are not remotely interested in, and adding that

with a quirky presentation doesn't help either. Instead we should put the 'theory stuff' in the back library, to be used when we need it, and appeal to the heart, to everyday lived experience instead. You don't need to be poor to know why welfare is required. All you need to do is to feel those moments when you were helped along the way and were grateful for it. You don't need to be a refugee or illegal immigrant to know how unfair the system is. All you need to do is to feel those moments when you were excluded by more powerful groups from a proper life, that would have happened even in schoolyards everywhere. You don't need to be gay to appreciate equal rights, you just need to think about the time when you were misunderstood and excluded from a fair treatment just because of who you are, when the whole world refused to listen and the misjustice carried on. The examples are

numerous. And when the counter argument comes, just make these points stronger, and make more parallels with life until the audiences finally hear which is the way to go. Don't argue with fundamentalist interpretations of religious texts or the 'merits' of each policy. Don't deal with flimsy arguments that only serve to mask racism, sexism or homophobia, for you won't cure the disease. The heart way is the way to go! Madonna Can't Face 50? Celebrating a 50th birthday is an important milestone in life, and that's why we have 50 cards, mugs and gift packs in gift stores everywhere. But it seems that 'eternally young' Madonna really cannot face being 50. She had banned the number 50 from her recent birthday celebrations with her wedded partner Guy Ritchie, and had a Kaballah crew

determined that, spiritually, she's 36. Why would she need to do this? Because she doesn't want to live like the average 50 year old. She already doesn't (what 50 year old is that unsettled in life?) but she still isn't insecure. She, in short, is buying into the culture of your age determining your actions. Which we don't have to. I mean, you can act however you want to without being ashamed of your age. Kylie Minogue, who turned 40 earlier this year, certainly doesn't act or look 40, but she didn't have to ban the number from her party either. Because people like her know that they are not the stereotypical type of their age, and a number won't change that. Isn't it a much better way to live? I Kissed A Girl - Sometimes you can't just Listen to your Parents

If you haven't head Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, you must have been under a rock. The song, about a bi-curious pash that happened when the singer was supposedly drunk, just went to #1 in 7 countries, including the USA, UK, Australia and Canada (where it was #1 for 9 weeks). However her mom isn't entirely happy. "It clearly promotes homosexuality and its message is shameful and disgusting," Katy's mother, a fundamentalist evangelical Christian preacher, says. "Katy knows how I feel. We are a very outspoken family and she knows how disappointed her father and I are. I can't even listen to that song. The first time I heard it I was in total shock. When it comes on the radio I bow my head and pray." It kind of reminds me of Penny from Hairspray.

She too had a fundamentalist mom who wanted to enforce segregationist values in her. But in the end she found her love in a black boyfriend, and was able to publicly proclaim their love on TV. Sometimes we just need to go for it, not go for what our parents tell us to do. We may love them, but sometimes we need to agree to differ. Otherwise there would be no progress between generations. Maybe they are Just Afraid of the Light? Recently, Malaysia's Islamic opposition party has urged the government to cancel a concert by Avril Lavigne, saying her on-stage moves are "too sexy". Avril Lavigne, out of all people, is too sexy? I mean, I am one that doesn't really like to see too much sex on show, and yet Avril Lavigne just dresses like a normal human being. To be

afraid of seeing people in that form and to demand everyone cover up all over (which is what they want to achieve, isn't it) is just a fear of human nature and freedom, something that has nothing to do with oversexualisation. I mean she isn't dancing around in G-strings! Such attacks on a natural human being just being herself is uncalled for, and we should stand against that, really! We Need to Move Beyond This Actress Scarlett Johansson, who is a vocal supporter of presidential hopeful Barack Obama, paid a price for it, it seems. She was alleged to have an 'e-mail relationship' with Obama earlier this year, something that has been cleared now, but she has this to say: "It seemed to me to be like a product of extreme sexism, and I kept thinking to myself, 'God, if this was just, like, Kal Penn or George Clooney or any of the other (Obama) surrogates or supporters ... there wouldn't be (any) question about it. Nobody would even

talk about it," she said. When did two heterosexual individuals of opposite sexes always = love? We really need to move beyond incidents like this if we really believe in gender equality. People who make their voices heard should be respected no matter if we agree with what they have to say or not, and sticking them with sexist rumours isn't a healthy thing for us to do. Sadly, one (unnamed) website on the net actually had Johansson's photo with the words 'date me' on it next to an article related to this. Don't they understand the seriousness of this matter? Progressive Without Being Irrelevant Here's something that I hate to share, but I must: when I was younger, I used to hate those people with all those 'quirky ideas' that pretend they can change the world, those people who

would not like to listen to the music we love or watch the TV that we watch, or even dress the way we dress. I thought of them with high suspicion: they were weirdos who were out to destroy the world. Looking back, it was actually these people who started to champion for the most important issues that are otherwise overlooked, including equal marriage rights, environmental protection, consumer rights, equal rights for ethnic minorities and refugee rights etc. So why did I dislike them, and why do so many still dislike them? May it be because they have lost the common touch? You see, for example while I report on ending racism, bringing about peace and gay rights in extensive ways here, more than half of what is here is popular culture, and popular culture is almost always portrayed in a

respectful light, as it should being the common discourse of people around the world. However, some reporters and commentators who carry the same topic will just rubbish news about celebrities and TV shows that people love, as if they are worth nothing. No wonder they have earned the title 'liberal elite'. It is a title that I never want to have, and I make sure that I do not earn it. Therefore, I have made attempts to make sure what I say is relevant to the worlds of average people, rather than being hard to understand, quirky, or worse, condescending. Non Formal Qualifications This is what Kiera Knightly had to say recently to the media, re. her education. "I am completely uneducated. Not going to university did give

me an incredible driving force because it leaves you with a slight chip on your shoulder. It makes me feel I am going to read absolutely everything so I can prove I am not stupid." Somehow I think that it is very positive, given that we are becoming too absorbed in formal qualifications these days. People all around us are trying to tell us that only black and white figures (and letters in this case) count, but we all know to the contrary. Thanks for speaking up, Kiera. Why Not Let the World Invent Itself? Swedish authorities are considering requiring castration for legal gender reassignment to prevent having a 'legal man' becoming pregnant, as Beattie from Oregon, USA has recent done. Why do we need to make such interventions all the time? Do we want to pretend to know what

nature has in store for us? Do we really think we should restrict people's freedoms and dreams just because they offend our sensibilities? That is really just a lot of hubris, as though we have a right to dictate how the world should run. As a project that aims at helping more people achieve their dreams, we are opposed to such a proposal. Why else shouldn't we be? What Else Can We Do to Make Dreams Come True As the common saying goes, you can't please everyone. There is also the 'economic reality' that there is only so much of the pie of resources available. However, there are many dreams that we can still satisfy without needing to bend these around. There are many dreams out there that require only a change of the dogma to satisfy. Girls

who want to play sports with the boys, for example. Gay and lesbian couples who want to get married. War-torn countries who just want the fighting to stop. Hurt people who are desperate for decent people to pop up and give them some love. None of these dreams cannot be satisfied without economic resources. They are all just a matter of heart. My heart is all for making dreams come true, and this goes to the very values I hold dear and affect the decisions I make in everyday life. How about you? Fairness Regardless of Sex In Australia, a 14-year-old girl has won the right to play football with the boys. Evelyn Rannstrom has previously been granted special permission to play as one year below her age due to an age exemption to help with low numbers, but

since turning 14 this year she came under rules stating a girl who turns 14 during the season must only play in a female competition. Evelyn had said the women's competition wasn't good enough and she wanted to play with her mates, as much as they wanted her in the side. Evelyn's father Matt said Friday's decision changed restored his faith in the justice system. "I'm reassured that in Australia you can have a crack and if you've got a case and it's worthwhile then it will be upheld," he said. I say, we should abolish all this sex boundaries thing. The grouping of people in sport is by ability, and sex is only one variant in the equation. By the current system, many more bodily-abled girls and less bodily-abled boys are missing out. I think we should just have a system that measures body-ableness, and include sex as one component of the equation.

Can we Inject a bit of Love into Traditions? An Italian bishop has reportedly told a young paraplegic he cannot have a church wedding because he is impotent. Salvatore de Ciuco, spokesman for Bishop Lorenzo Chiarinelli of Viterbo in central Italy, told SkyTG24 television that "no bishop, no priest can celebrate a wedding when he knows of admitted impotence as it is a motive for annulment" of the marriage. If this is for church formality - then I cannot say anything about it. However, we must uphold equal love and equal celebration of love, and I am worried that actions like these, although deeply steeped in tradition, are actually undermining the idea of equal love. Maybe it is time we had a re-think of tradition instead of blindly following it, and make adjustments to

bring in some equality even when the tradition itself cannot be changed? Camapaign Against Racism Now Britain's News Of The World has recently released a video of singer Amy Winehouse singing a racist song recorded on a home camera. The song is set to the tune of the children's song "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", substituting body parts for racial slurs. Why would anybody want to do that, really. I think that people take racism too lightly nowadays. Do you know how many people suffer because of racism? I think we need a public campaign to rid this world of racism now! Plenty of Love for Clinton: Everyone has Somewhere Hillary Clinton may have lost her chance to re-enter the White House forever, but it seems that she is still the US President, somewhere. It has been reported that, in her recent trip to Puerto Rico, where she won a primary by a

landslide, she was treated like one. "At a stop at a hospital in Caguas, the first questioner addressed her as "President Clinton." Listening to the announcer on the caravana, you might not even realize there was another candidate on the ballot. "Puerto Ricans, this is your next and certain president!" the loudspeakers insisted, as if repeating it often enough -- and loudly enough -- might make it true. "This is the president for all Puerto Ricans!" In her brief speeches Friday night and Saturday, Clinton duly recited promises to decide Puerto Rico's status by the end of her (by now probably imaginary) first term in the Oval Office, and her supporters duly cheered them." Salon's Mike Madden reported from Puerto Rico. Everyone needs to have their dreams realised in some ways, and Mrs Clinton has her own

place too, it seems. This story reminds us that everyone has their own place where they are self actualised and their dreams have come true, even if their usual reality shows them otherwise. If people don't necessary love you here, they might love you elsewhere - you just need to find and connect with that love. Maybe Clinton should actually run for President of Puerto Rico? She probably can't unfortunately, but if you find yourself in a similar situation, maybe you can consider moving on and into an area that will love and value you more? Most areas of life are not guarded by national borders, after all. Injecting Love into RTV: A Better Use of Tokens In UK Big Brother this year, it has been reported that housemates will need to use the tokens just for hot showers and hot running water for a set

period of time, and also to purchase time with hair clippers and curling or straighteners. Tokens can be purchased as well as won in tasks. I don't know why all this hardship is necessary at all. Wasn't it all about having a group of people together under one roof and seeing how they would cope together, what friendships and alliances would form? I really don't like the thought of making life tough for people, especially forcing them to take cold showers when they don't like it. Couldn't there be more positivity instead? Like having them using the tokens to buy gifts for each other, and seeing what friendships can come out of this, for example? A Mandate for Change Barack Obama has finally won the Democratic Party nomination. Whilst we send our condolences to Hillary Clinton, who we believe

would also have made a great president, we here send our congratulations to a candidate who has campaigned on the promise of a better future, rather than fear of the economy collapsing or society running amok. We hope that you will carry out your promises for a better world both during your campaign and as president. The most important lesson that we can learn from this can be summed up in one word: change. For too long people have thought that they'd better stay with the same tried ways. The 2004 US elections were all about conserving what was already there for both sides, for Kerry it was what Clinton had built in the 1990s, which in turned relied on the order and language that was built in the preceding decades. For Bush it

was a return to the 1950s and earlier times. In short it became a contest of conservatisms. This meant that, while the world was changing and new ideas were forming, ideas that potentially could have changed people's lives for the better, these ideas were not listened to or put into action, which is really sad. Whilst being conservative may be the safe thing to do, it is not the best thing for somebody who has heart, who is frustrated by the things they see around them, and who want the world to be a better place for all. In the end, at least in this Democratic campaign, it was the heart which wishes to see a better way for all that touched people, and won out. We hope that Obama's win will inspire generations of 'changers' around the world to come forth and offer their vision.

A Storm in a City of Sex I am sure you would have heard of the new movie of Sex and the City, unless you live under a rock. However, here is an incident that you may not have heard of. Opinionists have been recently having fury overthe movie's fictional and expensively shod sex columnist heroine, Carrie Bradshaw, and real life blogger Emily Gould, who, whilst a critic of the show, recently appeared on the cover of the NY Times Magazine in a sexually provoking way, and who now has a book deal and TV show. Salon columnist Rebecca Traister has said that "in a media landscape in which there are a severely limited number of spaces for women's writing voices, the ones that get tapped become necessarily, and deeply inaccurately, emblematic -- of their gender, their generation, their profession. More annoying -- and twisted --

is that those meager spots for women are consistently filled by those willing to expose themselves, visually and emotionally. And not accidentally, by those willing to expose themselves in a way that is comfortable, and often alluring, to many of the men who control the media, and to many of the women who consume it." Which is sad but true sometimes. But just like everything else in the world, we should try to change it rather than just complain about it. And talking tough in a New York Times editorial, while it may sell papers, really doesn't change the world much on its own. This is a hard problem to tackle, and the image-based culture around us, where if you don't have a photo you aren't trusted, doesn't help either I think a good solution would be to help promote

and support people who have got interesting things to say, things which really contribute to everyday life, things that may change the world a bit more than just providing a pretty image. Give them equal voice, even if they do not have a photo to show you - you are not starting an intimate relationship with them anyway. We can thus show that the visual image, or even the absense of one (e.g. substituted by a cartoon), is really a minor point compared to what someone really has to say. We want Appreciation, not Competition A television series is being produced in the UK for ITV1, where famous show hosts Trinny and Susannah tour the UK to investigate the British bodies and persuade people the lose their inhibitions, and reveal what they love and what they hate about themselves. There will be a

specially commissioned survey for the series, and body audits at three roadshows across the UK. They will be finding two extraordinary people, a man and a woman, to represent Britain's finest be immortalised in a giant naked sculpture on the Sussex downs. While it may be good to find out how people actually look like and counter media-driven perceptions of what is 'perfect', why do we need to find something perfect and define it as such in the end? Everyone is perfect and imperfect in some ways of their own, and we are the way we are for a good reason. It is essential that we start learning to realise and love the good things about ourselves, but the competition is really unncessary. Sexism = Bullying! Pretty girls are more likely to be the victims of psychological bullying when in high school,, according to a University of Alberta researcher.

"For girls it acted as a risk factor, but for boys it was a protective factor," Dr Leenarrs said, blaming it in part on the teenage dating game. Attractiveness is something that boys notice, so it's an easy way to pinpoint those girls that might be more likely to get dates, or might be more popular. So by using this type of aggression - by spreading a nasty rumour you can basically eliminate that person as a rival or a threat." This is all, unfortunately, the result of some sexism that girls are defined by their looks. Come on, everybody, and help overturn this kind of culture! Love, Actually The NY Times has noted that, in a world of declining interest in soaps, "As the World Turns" has actually gained audience since its introduction of a gay romance between college-age Luke and Noah. The relationship,

first introduced last summer, gained further clout as the conservative American 'Family' Association made futile protests against the "promotion of the gay lifestyle". In almost every way, however, Luke and Noah have been written as a normal couple, doing just what other couples of their age do. I just think that people actually do want a dose of reality in their television, and therefore love of every kind that we see in everyday life just needs to be there. Surely most of the people who write the scripts are straight, but the fact that they have mindfully included an important group that others have missed is certainly some advantage. And once again, thanks to the American 'Family' Association for providing some entertainment in the form of absurd comments in an otherwise dull piece of news. All You Need is Love

Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages. The study was conducted by Georgia State University economist Ben Scafidi, and sponsored by the Institute for American Values, the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Families, and the Georgia Family Council, an ally of the conservative ministry Focus on the Family. Let the them say anything, but a government document just doesn't prove anything. What we need is LOVE, and a culture of LOVE. Marriages are just a symbol of love anyway, and why should we get the government involved so much? All you need is LOVE. Over the counter Paternity Testing is going to be available in the USA. Why has their society

come to this - widespread need for such tests? Why aren't babies being made by people who love them? Poor child, born to unloving parents who don't even want them! When you want to 'do that thing', think about the child that's going to result, and their whole life, for heaven's sake! They need more FAMILY CULTURE, less sex culture, really. For one thing, I know gay parents generally don't need the same thing - every kid made is wanted. It kind of proves that they are indeed superior at least in this way. Straight parents will have to raise their game really! Let's Welcome the Walkman Family! The Swedish government has recently approved road signs at pedestrian crossings that portray a women rather than a man. By

the end of this year, signs showing Fru Garman, or Mrs Walkman, will be erected either beside or instead of the current ones featuring her husband Herr Garman, or 'Mr Walkman'. We like inclusiveness here, we really do. That's why we have even more proposals that the Swedes: Maybe we should have thin figures and fat figures too, like Thin Mrs Walkman and Fat Mrs Walkman? Or even Old Mrs Walkman and Young Mrs Walkman? At big crossings,we should have the whole family there, the grannies and the babies included, and the sign should be big enough to see from a street away. Isn't that a lovely, friendly world then? (p.s. This is actually a serious idea that we want to see happen, don't let the light hearted nature of this report make you think otherwise). What is the Clinton Conspiracy? The Obama-Clinton Campaign is getting so

drawn out these days that conspiracy theories are starting to float around. A Canadian columnist recently suggested that maybe Clinton is trying to aid McCain just so that she can get a second shot in 2012. It doesn't really help to diffuse these rumours that Clinton herself is becoming more and more 'Republican-like' by the day. In fact, some may already be thinking that Clinton is a Republican, and you may be forgiven for that. Given how she seems to hate Obama the progressive more than any other candidate (including Huckabee), and that the Obama campaign actually had ads featuring Obama with a blue background and Clinton with a red one. I have my own conspiracy theory too: maybe the Republicans actually own the Democrats nowadays. They own giants like Halliburton, so why not their rival party too? Maybe this is just a big ploy, a show to sidestep the important

political arguments so as to convert unsuspecting Democrats to Republicans? If you pay attention to or support Clinton, she will take you to the other side while you are too busily thinking about if her attacks on Obama are justified, and if you support Obama, he is just set up to lose it and the pain that results will convince you to choose a more 'moderate' or Republican like candidate next time. I don't actually believe in this theory myself, but it is an attractive one, and Mrs Clinton, you will have to help disprove it by your actions. We believe in your liberal credentials at heart, and we are supporters of the ideals that you espoused during your husband's term as president. Please do't let an election campaign destroy you, or the ideals you are supposed to stand up for, forever. What Lesson Are You Teaching, Principal?

An Australian primary school teacher has been suspended from her job for appearing in nude (but not rudely nude) photos in a recent issue of Cleo, a popular young womens' magazine. She has insisted that the pictures were 'tasteful', and that she is not a high school teacher and therefore her students will not see the pictures anyway. She has since launched a court challenge at the school. The parents at that school have also signed a petition to support the teacher. We support her too, over here. What lessons are you trying to teach the kids, principal? What's wrong with exercising one's choice when it doesn't really hurt others? Besides, it isn't like she is getting a second job as a porn star. What are they doing here - trying to limit somebody's freedom of expression even when things are

really inconsequential? Trying to make sure all teachers live 1950s-esque lives? We don't support those 'ideals' unfortunately, because they are not what a free and fair society are built on. Suspending somebody's job suddenly is also not a very loving thing to do, and this may be the only the kids are going to hear from this saga. And the most important thing to teach kids about is love, we believe.

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