The Infinite Web of Health & Wellness

I've made and consumed a gargantuan smoothie everyday since High School (1995-1999). Sometimes two. Each year, with each non-passing health fadIt's a long held fantasy of mine to have a smoothie/juice/organic vegan cookie shop on Pearl Street (or, in North Boulder, next to a book store and a yarn shop). But I don't want to run it forever; I just want to start it and watch it keep going, like the energizer bunny. I've had friends ask me why I'm not a lifestyle coach / nutrition consultant because of my innate ability to be a health-nut with out being an extreme nut (though, that is up for debate in certain circles). I simply tell them: "Would I have to go back to school for that? I mean, I'd rather learn something I did't know..." [long] Sigh. Oh, the problems that arise when you feel healthy and buzzing and ...omnipotent. (j/k)

So anyway, Here are some sites that are good for you, or spread the good-for-you-news:

When Kris Carr found out she had a rare form of liver cancer, she upped the ante on her life and charged ahead with her alterntative ways to maintain and achieve superior health and wellness, and well, to just get out and live, dammit. Her site http://www.crazysexycancer.com/ is the online spotlight for her documentary of her journey that has inspired and amassed a community of other canser babes and boys, as well as non-cancer folks. Her blog is another blog that I check daily: http://crazysexycancer.blogspot.com/ and was the original informal forum for her buzzing readers. NOW, the blog community has moved into another space in the ethers of the web called http://www.my.crazysexylife.com/ -- the official forum for Crazy Sexy Canser followers. It's a place for tips and tricks for thriving in this round of life, and to be inspired by all of the fabulous contributors.

I learned of the following two sites from the CSL blog. The first is called the Urban Zen Initiative, started by Donna Karan (of DKNY), who's mission is multi-fold: to enhance well-being, empower children and preserve cultures. You can explore the sites many amenites here: http://www.urbanzen.org/our_initiatives.php?animate=1

Animal Lovers and Veggies Unite!: The Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary's website is so fun and furry and fresh and fabulous, and serves a good cause that protects those among us from being, well, served: http://www.woodstockfas.org/index.shtml.

A Good Mix: Music & Colorado

As spring is springing this time of year, the hills are alive with the sound of music (from the birds, mostly). And so are the blogs and the concert venues and the myspace music pages. Music festivals are being launched, the Red Rocks line-up is in queue and tickets sought after. It's only a short road until summer's melodic hum quenches the winter silence along the front range.

As a guide to all things musical, magical and rad (for Coloradoans and those across the globe), I must start this post by introducing y'all to the Fuel Friends blog and it's accomplished, smart and stunning Blogess, Heather Brown. http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/ Because of this wonderful blog, which is usually the first thing I check every day, my ipod has never been more sated with such a wide range of rockin & mellow music, all equally fabulous and ahead of any trends.

One of the fellows on the local Boulder scene has become a fast favorite of mine: Gregory Alan Isakov. I refer to him as The Gregory. He is at once folky and a medley of other fabulous sounds. Together with his band, The Freight, they make the most beautiful music that stir the soul in the most pleasantly surprising and placating ways. And, I give equally high praises to his website: http://www.gregoryalanisakov.com/ Creative and intimate, with a touch of whimsy and nostalgia and memories of memories. If you're around the Boulder bubble on April 17th, check out his show at the Boulder Theater.

I became been a fan of Denver's own Stuart Davis via his episodes on YouTube, and recently, from his latest album, Something Simple (which has been featured on the new movie Drillbit Taylor (with my personal favorite: Owen Wilson)). All this recent emergence of newness and growth from this artist has also resulted in a new website, that truly rocks visually and functionally (be sure to scroll down below the foundation). http://www.stuartdavis.com/

One of the most adorable band websites that I've ever seen (and wish I had, honestly) belongs to the 'Lucky' band Nada Surf, who's latest CD is as rockin as their star-struck, cricket chirping website. This makes them popular in my book: http://www.nadasurf.com/

Variation on a theme of pirates

So this Pirate walks into a bar...

And, well, I forget the rest of it, but the punchline had something to do with it's 'driving me nuts,' and I must confess that pirates, in all their inherent sovereignty and dazzling sea legs and their love of rum (all good things come from rum, including, but not limited to, Dark and Stormy's and White Russians, and the best: the non-alcoholic (but, inspired by rum, indeed) the Calm before the storm: Ginger beer and lime juice) and their confidence in the rough and untelling waters of the ocean, [ insert other pirate myths and occasional lingo here ] really drive me nuts. As in, I, like, love them. Especially Captain Jack Sparrow, but that is another blog for another Depp, I mean, Day.

So, one night a couple weeks ago, my special K (who is not a pirate, unfortunately, but I don't hold that against him) was watching this Documentary on the TED conference -- an invitation only type of thing for presenters of all levels of superior-smartypants, and $$pendy tickets only for audience members who don't live month to month -- that celebrates ideas worth spreading. Now, while we normally watch such conspiratorial and expose films, such as "Who Killed the Electric Car?," that all too often bring me to tears of frustration and upset my stomach in regards to many governing bodies which shall remain unnamed in this post, this film filled me up with hope and a momentary feeling of inner calm, knowing that if all else went to crap due to the aforementioned governing bodies, and Canada refused to take us all in, all the smart people in Berkeley, CA, have enough smarts and imagination to save us. AND -- the best part is, esp. for those of us who live month-to-month but can still afford high-speed internet -- all of the TED Conference talks are online! (long live the beauty of the interwebs!) You can check them out here when you need a new way of looking at things, a new perspective, a paradigm shift, a sense of hope, a heartwarming cry, a little 20 minutes of roaring brilliance to light up your life or day: http://www.ted.com/

So, one of the first talks I watched was Dave Eggers TED Wish speach from the '06 conference(?). It was fabulous, as was he, and he looks a bit like a pirate. His exuberance and passion bubbled through him and all through his speach about his pirate shop/tutorial center in SanFran. I highly recommend watching the vid, but moving on to point of this blog entry, the website for this pirate shop is stupendous, and well, it shivered me timbers: http://www.826valencia.org/store/

Overall, the site is the epitome of the modern day buccaneer, who's deck shines with the elbow grease of stunning rambunctious creativity. Here, you can buy t-shirts that warn others of the perils of scurvy, or purchase books written by the students that have finished their homework early and contributed to the center's collected works, or read the FAQ's, laugh through the gallery of signs and view with wonder on the world of Karl, the blowfish. But perhaps the BEST part of this site, is the store log. Go there. Be Brave. You won't regret it matey.

To top off the trifecta of sites that celebrate the sailors of the seven seas, and especially for a pirate stamp for your toast (but not available on the inflatable toast, yet), check out Archie McPhee's online wonder emporium ('toys, gifts and novelties made by magic pixies'): http://www.mcphee.com/categories/pirate.html. It's a good place to spend any spare pieces of eight.

Now, Where's me Ayepod?

Site of the Week (or, SOTW)

First, a brief history of the SOTW:

The SOTW started during our weekly project meetings, where we all get together for a company wide pow-wow around our massive conference table in a room pimped out with mellow colored walls and a projector, projecting the world-wide innertubes onto the white board like a message from the future.

Jeff, the big kahuna of the C. Paradigm, would call the meeting to order by asking us if we had seen any notable sites from the past week that would be worth checking out and stealing ideas from, I mean, marveling at. The cheeky and effervescently witty Ali, who obviously isn't as busy as the rest of the company, or is a much superior & efficient worker-bee than the rest of 'em thus resulting in more "free time" during the day for such activities like surfing the series of
tubes we all know as the 'net, always had a random & fabulous site to share. Her offerings to the meetings are so handpicked, and rare in their brilliance, form and function, that they are met with tense expectation at each meeting: "What will she think of next?" "Can anything top the Crumpler website?" " OMG"

The SOTW celebrates creativity (including, but not limited to those endeavors that walk the fine line of that which is creative and also a wee bit nutty) as the highest art and, at times, a flirtation with the divine (as all great art truly is), and, of course, technological execution. The flashing of the glimpse of genius is not the same as Adobe Flash, per se, though, sometimes it's a close call. (But, these 'flashings' certainly have nothing to do with flashing someone out your car window
while heading East on I-70, because who knows -- you might know those being flashed, and what then? Oh, the shock & embarrassment...). It takes mad-skills to wow our socks off, and thanks be to the man beind the curtain that flip-flop weather is just around the corner.

Here at CP, it's our sole or soul duty, depending on the day, to make the web a safer and more beautiful place to surf. The SOTW is our way of handing out Gold Stars to those interconnected citizens who have used the web for its greater good, have taken the Oath to Only Support Un-canned Ham Acts(or become veg if that suits them (xtra gold stars)), and who have figured out how to mesh art and smarts with all things online & virtual, so as to carry web 2.0 and beyond into a beautiful and sustainable community of highest inspiration and service, and furthermore, so as to unite the global (and interplanetary??? who knows...) sphere by sharing music, story, art, information, services, skillz, colored pencils, and truly rad ideas to the wired, global populace.

So, via the www and the sanctity of the blogosphere (located just past Pluto, in case you were wondering), the site of the week, as choosen and discussed by the C(p) Team (not to be confused with the 'A' Team, although that sometimes happens, and that's OK) will be broadcast on this here URL each week, same bat time, same bat channel.