Catalyst Magazine

by David Korten

We know about the “red” (Republican) states, and the “blue” (Democratic) states. The story of “purple” America is part of a yet larger human story. For all the cultural differences reflected in our richly varied customs, languages, religions, and political ideologies, psychologically healthy humans share a number of core values and aspirations. Although we may differ in our idea of the “how,” we want healthy, happy children, loving families, and a caring community with a beautiful, healthy natural environment. We want a world of cooperation, justice and peace, and a say in the decisions that affect our lives. The shared values of purple America manifest this shared human dream. It is the true American dream undistorted by corporate media, advertisers and political demagogues—the dream we must now actualize if there is to be a human future.

For the past 5,000 years, we hu?mans have devoted much creative energy to perfecting our capacity for greed and violence—a practice that has been enormously costly for our children, families, communities and nature. Now, on the verge of environmental and social collapse, we face an imperative to bring the world of our dreams into being by cultivating our long-suppressed, even denied, capacity for sharing and compassion.

Despite the constant mantra that “there is no alternative” to greed and competition, daily exper?ience and a growing body of scientific evidence support the thesis that we humans are born to connect, learn and serve and that it is indeed within our means to do these things:

• Create family-friendly communities in which we get our satisfaction from caring relationships rather than material consumption

• Achieve the ideal, which traces back to Aristotle, of creating democratic middle-class societies without extremes of wealth and poverty

• Form a global community of nations committed to restoring the health of the planet and sharing Earth’s bounty to the long-term benefit of all. 

The first step toward achieving the world we want is to acknowledge that there is an alternative to our current human course. We humans are not hopelessly divided and doomed to self-destruct by a genetic predisposition toward greed and violence.

Culture, the system of customary beliefs, values and perceptions that encodes our shared learning, gives humans an extraordinary capacity to choose our destiny. It does not assure that we will use this capacity wisely, but it does give us the means to change course by conscious collective choice.

The story in our heads

The primary barrier to achieving our common dream is in fact a story that endlessly loops in our heads telling us that a world of peace and sharing is contrary to our nature—a naïve fantasy forever beyond reach. There are many variations, but this is the essence: “It is our human nature to be competitive, individualistic, and materialistic. Our well-being depends on strong leaders with the will to use police and military powers to protect us from one another, and on the competitive forces of a free, unregulated market to channel our individual greed to constructive ends. The competition for survival and dominance—violent and destructive as it may be—is the driving force of evolution. It has been the key to human success since the beginning of time, assures that the most worthy rise to leadership, and ultimately works to the benefit of everyone.”

I call this our Empire story because it affirms the system of dominator hierarchy that has held sway for 5,000 years. Underlying the economic and scientific versions of this story is a religious story which promises that enduring violence and injustice in this life will be rewarded with eternal peace, harmony and bliss in the afterlife.

To reinforce the Empire myth, corporate media bombard us with reports of greed and violence, and celebrate as cultural heroes materially successful, but morally challenged, politicians and corporate CEOs  who disregard the human and environmental consequences of their actions.

Never mind the story’s moral contradictions and its conflict with our own experience with caring and trustworthy friends, family and strangers. It serves to keep us confused, uncertain and dependent on establishment-sanctioned moral authorities to tell us what is right and true. It also supports policies and institutions that actively undermine development of the caring, sharing relationships essential to responsible citizenship in a functioning democratic society.

Fortunately, there is a more positive story that can put us on the road to recovery. It is supported by recent scientific findings, our daily experience, and the ageless teachings of the great religious prophets.

Wired to connect

Scientists who use advanced imaging technology to study brain function report that the human brain is wired to reward caring, cooperation and service. According to this research, merely thinking about another person experiencing harm triggers the same reaction in our brain as when a mother sees distress in her baby’s face. Conversely, the act of helping another triggers the brain’s pleasure center and benefits our health by boosting our immune system, reducing our heart rate and preparing us to approach and soothe. Positive emotions like compassion produce similar benefits. By contrast, negative emotions suppress our immune system, increase heart rate and prepare us to fight or flee.

These findings are consistent with the pleasure most of us experience from being a member of an effective team or extending an uncompensated helping hand to another human. It is entirely logical. If our brains were not wired for life in community, our species would have expired long ago. We have an instinctual desire to protect the group, including its weakest and most vulnerable members—its children. Behavior contrary to this positive norm is an indicator of serious social and psychological dysfunction.

Happiness is a caring community

These neurological findings are corroborated by social science findings that, beyond the minimum level of income essential to meet basic needs, membership in a cooperative, caring community is a far better predictor of happiness and emotional health than the size of one’s paycheck or bank account. Perhaps the most impressive evidence of this comes from studies conducted by University of Illinois professor Ed Diener, and others, comparing the life-satisfaction scores of groups of people of radically different financial means. Four groups with almost identical scores on a seven-point scale were clustered at the top.

Consistent with the Empire story that material consumption is the key to happiness, those on Forbes magazine’s list of richest Americans had an average score of 5.8. They were in a statistical tie, however, with three groups known for their modest lifestyles and strength of community: the Pennsylvania Amish (5.8) who favor horses over cars and tractors; the Inuit of Northern Greenland (5.9), an indigenous hunting and fishing people; and the Masai (5.7), a traditional herding people in East Africa who live without electricity or running water in huts fashioned from dried cow dung. Apparently, it takes a very great deal of money to produce the happiness that comes with being a member of a caring community with a strong sense of place. The evidence suggests we could all be a lot healthier and happier if we put less emphasis on making money and more on cultivating caring community.

The purple American desire to create a society of healthy children, families, communities and natural systems is no fluke. It is an expression of our deepest and most positive human impulses, a sign that we may overall be a healthier and less divisive society than our dysfunctional politics suggest.

Beyond the minimum level of income essential to meet basic needs, membership in a cooperative, caring community is a far better predictor of happiness and emotional health than the size of one’s paycheck or bank account. 

Learning to be human

If the properly functioning human brain is wired for caring, cooperation and service, how do we account for the outrageous greed and violence that threaten our collective survival? Here we encounter our distinctive human capacity to suppress or facilitate the development of the higher order function of the human brain essential to responsible adult citizenship.

We humans have a complex three-part brain. The base is the “reptilian” brain that coordinates basic functions, such as breathing, hunting and eating, reproducing, protecting territory and engaging the fight-or-flight response. These functions are essential to survival and an authentic part of our hu?manity, but they express the most primitive and least-evolved part of our brain, which advertisers and political demagogues have learned to manipulate by playing to our basest fears and desires.

Layered on top of the reptilian brain is the limbic or “mammalian” brain, the center of the emotional intelligence that gives mammals their distinctive capacity to experience emotion, read the emotional state of other mammals, bond socially, care for their children, and form cooperative communities.

The third and, in humans, largest layer is the neocortical brain, the center of our capacity for cognitive reasoning, symbolic thought, aware?ness and self-aware volition. This layer distinguishes our species from other mammals. Its full, beneficial function depends, however, on the complementary functions of our reptilian and mammalian brains.

Most of the development of the limbic and neocortical brains essen?tial to actualizing the capacities that make us most distinctively human occurs after birth and depends on lifelong learning acquired through our interactions with family, community and nature. Developmental psychologists describe the healthy pathway to a fully formed human consciousness as a progression from the self-centered, undifferentiated magical consciousness of the newborn to the fully mature, inclusive and multidimensional spiritual consciousness of the wise elder.

Realizing the fullness of our humanity depends on the balanced development of the empathetic limbic and cognitive neocortical brains to establish their primacy over the primitive unsocialized instincts of the reptilian brain. Tragically, most modern societies neglect or even suppress this development.

A depersonalized economic system with no attachment to place disrupts the bonds of community and family and makes it nearly impossible for parents to provide their children with the nurturing attention essential to the healthy development of their limbic brains. Educational systems that focus on rote learning organized by fragmented disciplines fail to develop our potential for critical holistic thinking. Leaving social learning to peer groups lacking the benefit of adult mentors limits development of a mature, morally grounded social intelligence. We are conducting an unintended evolutionary experiment in producing a line of highly intelligent but emotionally challenged reptiles wielding technologies capable of disrupting or even terminating the entire evolutionary enterprise.

The power of conversation

Getting out of our current mess begins with a conversation to change the shared cultural story about our essential nature. The women’s movement offers an instructive lesson.

In little more than a decade, a few courageous women changed the cultural story that the key to a woman’s happiness is to find the right man, marry him and devote her life to his service. As Cecile Andrews, author of “Circles of Simplicity,” relates, the transition to a new gender story began with discussion circles in which women came together in their living rooms to share their stories. Until then, a woman whose experience failed to conform to the prevailing story assumed that the problem was a deficiency in herself. As women shared their own stories each realized that the flaw was in the story. Millions of women were soon spreading a new gender story that has unleashed the feminine as a powerful force for global transformation.

The voluntary simplicity movement organizes similar opportunities for people to share their stories about what makes them truly happy. The fallacy of the story that material consumption is the path to happiness is quickly exposed and replaced with the fact that we truly come alive as we reduce material consumption and gain control of our time to nurture the relationships that bring true happiness.

We must now begin a similar pro?cess to affirm that those of us who choose to cooperate rather than compete are not fighting human nature. We are, instead, developing the part of our humanity that gives us the best chance, not merely for survival, but for happiness.

The process of changing the powerful stories that limit our lives begins with conversation in our living room, library, church, mosque or synagogue. By speaking and listening to each other, we begin to discover the true potentials of our human nature and our common vision of the world. It is not a new conversation. Isolated groups of humans have engaged in it for millennia. What is new is the fact that the communications technologies now in place create the possibility of ending the isolation and melding our local conversations into a global one that can break the self-replicating spiral of competitive violence of 5000 years of Empire.

As this conversation brings a critical mass of people to the realization that the Empire story is both false and devastatingly destructive, we can turn as a species from perfecting our capacity for exclusionary competition to perfecting our capacity for inclusionary cooperation. We can create a cultural story that says competition and polarization, whether the red-blue political divide or the rich-poor economic one, is not the inevitable result of being human. It is the result of suppressing the healthiest part of our humanity.

There are no trade-offs here. The institutional and cultural transformation required to avert environmental and social collapse is the same as the transformation required to nurture the development of the empathetic limbic brain, unleash the creative potentials of the human consciousness, and create the world we want. It is an extraordinary convergence between our reptilian interest in survival, our mammalian interest in bonding, and our human interest in cultivating the potentials of our self-reflective consciousness. 

David Korten  is co-founder and board chair of YES! His latest book is “The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Commu?ni?ty.” He wrote this article as part of Purple America, the Fall 2008 issue of YES! Magazine. www.davidkorten.org.

by Amy Brunvand

"One anonymous woman said that she produces utility quilts as fast as she can so that her family won't freeze and beautiful quilts so her heart won't break."

-Marsha MacDowell in Encyclopedia of American Folklife.

In the basement of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) office, women have set up ironing boards. They are busy ripping unbleached muslin fabric into squares about the size of Tibetan prayer flags and ironing them onto waxed paper. The squares are going to be part of a Wilderness Quilt artwork, stitching together hundreds of quilt blocks, each one with a photo of a woman and a testimonial telling why she loves Utah's wild places.

The Wilderness Quilt is the inaugural project of Women Protecting Wilderness, which is a network of women that Deeda Seed, Grassroots Outreach Director at SUWA, describes as "a project that SUWA has given birth to." Women Protecting Wilderness was formed to give a feminine voice to wilderness activism by using stories, art and diverse talents to celebrate love of wild places and to call for their protection.

The germ of the idea was planted by Diane MacEachern (author of "Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World") when she suggested at a SUWA board meeting that the wilderness movement often speaks with a masculine voice and should do more to appeal to women. In response, the board convened a group of women and, indeed, the first thing they wanted to talk about was the communication style of SUWA. Seed says, "They felt we needed to do more listening, to engage people at the level of dialogue, not just tell people what to think." During the discussion, the idea of quilting arose as a way to get women talking about wilderness. Seed says, "Some of them knew of quilting circles that exist in communities across Utah and suggested it would be a good idea to talk to women while they quilt. Then the idea came, wouldn't it be cool to make a quilt."

For a while the idea of making a quilt lay dormant, but at the same time interest in the concept of Women Protecting Wilderness grew. Last spring they invited a group to talk about what they could do. From that came the idea to collect testimonials and pictures from women and put them together into a figurative quilt as a campaign to testify our love for Utah's wildlands." Seed laughs, "Now we've got irons and sewing supplies in our office."

The symbolism of a quilt is hard to miss. Like a bed quilt, the Wilderness Quilt is patched together from the diverse fabric of women's wilderness experiences into a lovingly created artwork that also has a utilitarian function - offering protection to a beloved landscape. Quilts are powerfully symbolic of women's lives. Traditionally, sewing is a basic survival skill, but women used their expertise to turn their quilts into deeply personal and beautiful artworks. In a sociological context, quilts are usually made to commemorate intimate events like births and marriages, but they also have a long history as political speech-women have stitched temperance quilts, women's suffrage quilts, Bicentennial quilts, AIDS quilts and nowadays even Obama quilts. 

Patti Pitts is a textile artist who helped design the Wilderness Quilt. She is the one who knew the technique to photocopy e-mailed images and text onto fabric, and now she's busy crinkling and dyeing silk, trying to invoke the colors and textures of Utah's redrock desert. "The testimonials will be sewn on the silk, dyed to imitate canyon walls so as you walk though you should feel a sense of walking in the canyon," she says. "We are hoping that we can get the right fabrics so you can see the blue sky like when you come out of the canyon."

Pitts is quick to point out that in the spirit of a quilting bee the Wilderness Quilt is not just her vision, but truly a community expression of love for wilderness. Her contribution is a knowledge of textile art, and other women contributed their talents. Artist Trent Alvey had a major role in designing the quilt; Kinde Nebecker helped with graphic design; University of Utah graduate students Eve Miller and McKenzie Carlisle breathed life into the project, English professor Kathryn Fitzgerald helped with the textural elements, not to mention more than 100 women who have contributed squares for the quilt and worked on putting it together. As wilderness testimonials come in over the Internet, work groups get together in quilting bees to cut fabric, transfer the images and stitch them onto silk panels. 

The Wilderness Quilt makes it's debut at the Salt Lake City Main Library this month, but the women creating the Wilderness Quilt hope the project will subsequently displayed in other public spaces and have an impact protecting wilderness. As Patti Pitts says, "I would love to see this go to the State legislature." 

Even while the Wilderness Quilt is under construction Deeda Seed thinks it has already succeeded in the goal of creating a new kind of wilderness dialog: "This is harnessing a different kind of energy," she says. "It's love. When it comes to protecting the land, the reason that we care is because we love it, and that's a very good reason to protect things."  

Keep the Wilderness Quilt going with your wilderness experience-:

Your name

A word or phrase that describes what you do in the world 

The city and state where you live

A photo of you alone or with family, friends, pets etc preferably in a wild place that you love.

And a 50 word or less statement about why wild places matter to you what they mean to you personally.

Send your testimony to: deeda@suwa.org

Women Protecting Wilderness:

www.suwa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WP

by Amie Tullius

When I sit down in the Art Center library with Heather Ferrell, the Salt Lake Art Center's new director, I am swept up by her energy and excitement. Ferrell wears a crisp business suit and a warm smile. She is young and articulate; she has the mental speed and charisma of a good politician; she is genuine and accessible. It's immediately apparent that she loves what she does and wants to share that passion. There's something else about her, though, that draws you in and makes you want to listen to what she has to say: She has a generous and probing curiosity about Utah arts and culture, and I sense her vision for the Salt Lake Art Center reaches into the whole Salt Lake arts community. Listening to her, I get the distinct feeling that Utah is on the brink of something wonderful, and that Ferrell wants give us a good nudge.

How will she do that?

By asking questions. 

But first it's our chance to ask.

What's here already? "It's a really dynamic, diverse cultural community, and you don't tend to hear that so much from the outside, coming in. We're kind of our own best-kept secret," Ferrell says. Salt Lake is bubbling with energetic non-profit visual art organizations, funky little galleries, tight-knit artist studios, and arts-loving cafes. "I have been a bit astonished," Ferrell says of coming back to Utah after 14 years, "it's very cultural, the growth here." There's a lot to discover about the artistic and cultural community of Salt Lake, not only because the community is in an exciting period of shift and growth, but also because Utah can be somewhat demure about its vibrant cultural life. 

Who are we now? Ferrell has been in Salt Lake for a couple months now, and I ask her if she's starting to get a sense of the conversation that's going on in the art scene here. 

"What I would say is that there are different kinds of conversations; conversations can start with statements, or they can start with questions that promote dialogue." In coming to Salt Lake, Ferrell says, "what I'm sensing is that there are a lot of questions being posed. Who are we as a community, now? We're really changing, we're kind of looking for our identity."

What if we were to own our distinctive Utah culture? Returning to Utah, Ferrell says she hears anew about the various groups and subcultures in the state. "Maybe it's having time outside of the state and coming back," she says, but she sees it as not a series of separate or competing groups, but rather as "really a Utah culture." Ferrell is doesn't try to explain the culture, though I can see her engaging the question and examining it from multiple angles. I get the sense that the challenge she gives herself is not so much to answer questions as to open up dialogue-in this case dialogue which will allow the culture to explain itself and to expand through self-reflection. 

What's next for the Art Center? Ferrell's vision for the Art Center is that it be a place that people really know. "I want it to be one of those centers of community where people feel welcome." She wants to keep working on the Art Center's wonderful tradition of exhibitions. And she wants local artists to feel really supported, so that "even if there isn't an exhibition, we're working with them in some way- that we're out doing studio visits, or pointing them on to other regional and national venues." 

How can we bring the greater Utah community into our arts community? It is when she talks about community involvement and partnership between artists and various arts organizations that Ferrell really lights up. "It's about having a conversation, and it's about being informed, and it's saying 'you're welcome here.'" She's excited to form a community advisory group on the exhibitions "to talk about what's going on in the world thematically, what relates to our community or to the national environment." 

What do the various arts organizations have to offer one another? "We've got the performing arts, we've got the U, we've got BYU... we're all supposed to be doing different things!" Ferrell says. "We all have different missions so we can augment each other. Then, when you have a strong cultural group, then you can really move forward." It's in the partnerships and the collaborations among the disparate organizations that magic happens.

And this: "Do you have a sense of what Utah's artistic community has to contribute to the national conversation?" She laughs, which seems a fair response. "Come back in three to five years," she says. Also fair. If we are on the brink of something wonderful, she is not going to limit whatever that is by defining it prematurely. 

Heather Ferrell smiles and says, "Maybe we pose more questions." 

Amie Tullius writes about the arts for CATALYST.

by Debbie Leaman

Light is essential for humans to function. A healthy dose of sunlight stimulates the body through the skin, producing vitamin D, crucial for bone, muscle, and immune function. Through the eyes, light regulates our daily functions, energy level and moods. As our lifestyles have evolved, we no longer adjust our daily routines to sunrise and sunset; we spend less time outside, live under artificial lights and push our bodies to work late and rise early. Our 24/7 world has seriously messed with our natural biological rhythms. 

We humans, like all natural organisms, have evolved to run on roughly a 24-hour schedule, relying on environmental cues for our sleep/wake cycle. But, thanks to Thomas Edison, that has changed. Before the invention of the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night; today Americans, during the week, average 6.9 hours of sleep.  

"Light is crucial for our functioning and survival, but it's so ubiquitous that it's unappreciated," says Howard Leaman M.D., a sleep specialist with the Intermountain Sleep Disorders Center (and, full disclosure, my husband). "Light is one of the most direct interactions between human biology and the environment." 

Like all of nature, human beings have innate rhythms which rely on the 24-hour rotation of the Earth. The field of chronobiology examines the cycles which occur in living organisms and their adaptation to solar and lunar rhythms. The most important rhythm is the circadian rhythm, the roughly 24-hour schedule of physiologic functions. (Circadian comes from the Latin circa, meaning "around" and dian, "day.") Literally meaning "around a day," our circadian clock is actually longer than 24 hours; if left without external prompts, our internal cycles would get out of sync. Nature has given us zeitgebers, German for "time-keepers," cueing us when to wake up, eat, wind down, and sleep. But, because we no longer wake with the sun, wind down at dusk and go to sleep at dark, our lifestyles have put us out of touch with our most essential zeitgeber-the sun. 

Sunlight, essential for human functioning, restores the body's circadian clock. "A number of different body functions are regulated through exposure to the sun everyday," says Bradley Katz M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of Ophthalmology at the Moran Eye Center. "This keeps us synchronized." When we awake in morning light, our bodies immediately suppress the production of melatonin, the "hibernation" hormone, and start producing serotonin, cortisol and other hormones and neurotransmitters, which activate us to get out of bed and kick into gear. As the sun sets, we receive another cue from nature to wind down. At dusk, our bodies start production of melatonin which helps us fall asleep. Our eye is the synchronizer, keeping the clock on time. 

There's a specific part of the eye "that is not meant for visual formation, but is instead dedicated to keeping our daily rhythm," says Katz. These particular ganglion cells connect to our internal master clock, inside the brain, called a Suprachais_matic nucleus (or SCN), which controls the rhythms of our bodies. Light, received through the eye, follows a pathway to this master clock, which helps regulate the ebb and flow of hormones which, in turn, governs our daily functioning and moods. 

"Our bodies have evolved to set our natural rhythms to light," says Dan Adams, research manager at Apollo Health, an affiliate of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, developer of therapeutic light products. "Humans are meant to be outdoor animals; we need light in the right sequence or it causes problems." Katz agrees, "We are fighting our natural day/night rhythms that our bodies have evolved to work under." 

Turning on a light in the darkness has an immediate suppression effect on melatonin production, as does returning emails or shopping online at midnight. At night, "a computer emits enough light to trick the body into thinking it's day," says Adams. "It's like reaching back into the clock and winding in backwards." You won't be able to fall back asleep easily. 

Is any type of light during the day helpful? Yes, and no. Artificial light, especially fluorescent light, doesn't stimulate the pathway. "Artificial light causes havoc with our sleep/wake cycles," says Adams. But, natural outdoor light, even on an overcast day, is good. According to Katz, "there's still enough light on a cloudy day to keep you in sync." Adams agrees, "Cloudy days are beneficial, brighter than indoor light. Our eyes adjust so we don't see the light. Even 15 minutes a day outside can be therapeutic." Wearing sunglasses (unless very dark) won't affect your circadian rhythm. Even catching some rays by sitting next to a window is a way to get sun exposure during the day. 

Light has the ability to heal and produce the neurotransmitter serotonin. Over 100 years ago, Florence Nightingale discovered that patients exposed to light recovered weeks earlier than those who didn't. Over the past 20 years, the study of light and its therapeutic effects has increased; hundreds of research studies have been conducted worldwide and the findings show a correlation that the right type of light in the proper sequence benefits our bodies and our mental health. "Light is as effective as anti-depressant medications are, perhaps more so," writes Anna Wirz-Justice, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the University of Basel in Switzerland. "Of course, if you are under a physician's care, consult him or her before exchanging your medication for a sun reflector," says Leaman. 

Another study shows that low serotonin levels are associated with winter blues and that exposure to bright light increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin helps regulate moods, appetite and other bodily functions. In other words, instead of reaching for another cup of Joe, get outside into the daylight to help stave off the blues. 

Over the last 50 years, the rate of winter blues and related energy and mood problems has doubled, and sleep problems have tripled during the same time. As the days grow shorter, the prevalence of winter blues increases. In fact, the National Institute of Health (NIH) estimates that 14% of Americans suffer from this disorder. 

The nasty symptoms of winter blues can include: weight gain, carbohydrate cravings, irritable mood, desire to sleep, and lethargy, "the same signs as insufficient total sleep time or sleep disruption," says Leaman. As the days grow short, "one hour of difference in the morning makes us want to hibernate," says Adams. "The most restorative, peaceful time of sleep is one hour before we wake, and when we wake up in the dark, we're not getting the light signal our body needs," he adds. 

 "If you struggle with winter blues, increase the ambient level of light in your home," says Adams. "But, to get your body clock working properly, you need the proper wavelength and intensity of light for a therapeutic effect." 

The specific frequency and intensity of light that targets our master clock is the blue part of the light spectrum (between 470-480 nanometers). Numerous studies have shown that our bodies respond two times faster to this wavelength. Blue light triggers the photoreceptors in the eye which are responsible for our circadian rhythms. Because of its effectiveness, it's called the action spectrum of light. 

We could just step outside everyday. Easier said than done. As a society we get less than an hour a day of sunlight. But, what has become a manmade problem can be fixed with a manmade device: a light box. Therapeutic light devices, or light boxes, have been around for years and there are many types available. If you start light therapy, make sure that your light device has a UV filter to screen out harmful rays. Katz says, "although blue light therapy may be more efficient, be judicious in how you use it." If the blue light is too intense, having a light that most closely replicates the sun might be less irritating. 

Says Katz: "The best light is sunlight. Period. But if you can't get into the sun, artificial lights, with special wavelengths, when used at the appropriate time of day, can work pretty well to stimulate the part of your brain which keeps you awake." He cautions, "some individuals should never use light therapy, such as those with bipolar disorders or migraines, or anyone taking medication which makes them photosensitive," And, "if your sleep is disturbed by a primary sleep disorder [such as sleep apnea, snoring, leg movements or restless legs], that must be treated first." Consult your physician before starting any type of light therapy program. 

Having researched this topic for weeks, I decided to take a free Circadian Rhythm Assessment. Logging onto www.lighttherapy.com I took a few minutes to answer some questions about my sleeping habits, mood and energy levels. I get tired in the late afternoon, but push through until my kids' homework, dishes and everything else gets done, morphing into the mom-from-hell by 9 p.m. According to my personal Circadian rhythm test results, I have "Circadian Amplitude Disorder." I thought I was just cranky. 

I was provided with three pages of information about my disorder and instructions on how to use a Bluewave technology light. Being that I'm married to a sleep specialist, we happened to have an Apollo goLite on our breakfast table. I was ready to start the next morning, but unfortunately I couldn't begin my light therapy program because the rest of my family fought to get in front of the device at breakfast. Finally I wrestled it away, explaining that my research took priority. The first day, as I ate my cereal, the azure blue LED lights shone in my face, reminiscent of a Lite-Brite childhood toy. I was supposed to sit there for a half-hour, but could only squeak in 15 minutes before it got snatched away. Call it the placebo effect, but I was actually cheerier that day, (dare I say it? I had a sunny disposition) not requiring additional caffeine. That night I was less tired than usual. Over the next few days, I was hooked, craving my time with the light at breakfast. With morning light therapy, I stayed up later, drank less caffeine and was less irritable at night (my family might disagree on that one). 

One evening, in late September, before I started my light therapy regimen, our power went out. By 9 p.m., it was pitch black. Neither computers nor TV beckoned. There was no hum of the printer or ambient noise from kitchen appliances; the crickets chirping outside in darkness was the only sound we heard. With our emergency flashlights low on batteries, we did something novel-went to sleep when the sun went down. And, as if we lived prior to 1879, (the year of the light bulb was invented) we slept 10 hours. We awoke in the morning, feeling great. 

Debbie Leaman is a freelance writer living in Salt Lake City.

by Paul Gahlinger

Peter Matthiessen is scheduled to give a public reading as part of the Authors Live series at the Salt Lake Public Library, November 13th. His work may no longer be widely familiar. His writings are a bit too mature for most of the younger generation. Certainly, he never really achieved the rock star public persona of some other writers.  But Matthiessen has had an extraordinary and perhaps greatly underestimated influence on American writing.  And his personal life is no less remarkable.

Like most of my generation, I first learned about him by reading "The Snow Leopard." Only later did I learn some of more impressive-and bizarre-things about him: that he had written serious books on nature (he was one of the first environmental writers), including some three dozen other books such as "At Play in the Fields of the Lord" (later made into a great movie). And that he cofounded the world's pre-eminent literary magazine, The Paris Review-at age 26. While he was a C.I.A. spy.  That was before he became an American Indian activist ("In the Spirit of Crazy Horse") and a Zen Buddhist priest. 

"The Snow Leopard" had a creeping influence on my life. Bookstores usually file it under travel writing, and like the best of that genre it goes far beyond the outward journey to inner transformation of the traveler. Which is, of course, the real trip. It sowed the seeds of my own travel writing. 

The snow leopard, prowling the borderland of Nepal and Tibet, is an icon, as powerful and as mysterious as the mountains themselves. In 1976, after the death of his wife and wracked in sorrow, Mat_thies_sen joined a biologist for a year in miserable cold and hunger to seek the elusive animal. I must say that what impressed me the most about his book is that he never even saw the damned critter. 

As it happened, I was also in Nepal in 1976, bumbling alone around the Khumbu region near Everest, with almost no money, crappy climbing gear, and a Nepali phrase-book to chat with the monks and villagers who were kind enough to give me shelter.  By coincidence, Salt Lake climber Al Burgess also arrived in Nepal around that time. He stayed, climbing and guiding over the next 20 years. I never made it to the Dolpo region described in "The Snow Leopard." It was forbidden to travelers then. Matthiessen was able to go only by tagging along with the biologist, who had spent years obtaining permission. Burgess, on the other hand, finagled it more cleverly. He had permission to lead a reconnaissance expedition to climb Mt. Kanjiroba. The expedition involved such a dangerous route that it was not difficult to convince the accompanying Nepali government agent to return on a safer route-which just happened to lead right through Dolpo.

The snow leopard feeds on the Tibetan blue sheep-a peculiar animal itself and weirdly symbiotic with its predator. Their other predators are humans. Al tells me of leading an exhausted group into a village where he sees a small shop with two hanging legs of a blue sheep. He arranges to buy one to feed his famished crew.  Before handing it to him, the shop-keeper takes a big bite from the thigh. "Hey, that's my meat!" Al exclaims, then stops when the man spits out a musket ball. He'll use it again on the next hunt.

As impressed as I was by "The Snow Leopard," I never really understood what Matthiessen had achieved until I talked to Al about it. Part of the Dolpo mystique is its proximity to Tibet. As Al explains, Dolpo is geologically, culturally, and in some sense spiritually part of Tibet. Nepal is predominantly Hindu, but Dolpo is Tibetan Buddhist. It is the intersection of these two intertwining religions that lends the local monasteries their esoteric legends. Lamas have such renown that they infuse an entire town with their psyche and the local residents live and die within their spiritual shadow. 

"The Snow Leopard" was about the quest for the elusive. In other words, life itself. I took from it a lot of questions. Are these pursuits worth it? Who really gives a damn anyway? Do you ever find what you are looking for? Then what do you do, look for the next animal or whatever?  And most of all, if you don't find it, does it matter?  Is the point of climbing to stand on the peak?  Is the point of trekking, or traveling at all, to go somewhere? 

Or is it, as Zen master Matthiessen may tell us, that there is no point and there never really was a point. And that's the point.

Paul Gahlinger is the author of "The Medical Tourism Travel Guide" (sunriseriverpress.com) and a regular contributor to CATALYST.

by Greta Belanger deJong

“You are the one that you want.”

I recently read that line in a cartoon. It stuck with me, for it rings true on several levels at once. I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘what do I want’ lately, in a dating/romantic/partnership way. I confess to not having come up with much. After years of marriage, to be exploring the world as a single woman again leaves me mostly bemused. Friends have taken good care of me, and I’m certainly not alone. (One guy from the old gang said, with great enthusiasm, “All the girls I had crushes on 20 years ago are available again!”) But so much has changed in those years. I’ve changed. 

“Don’t ever marry anyone you meet in a bar,” my mom counseled a few decades back. Wise advice, I’m sure, if you want a husband. Which is maybe why younger men seem more interested in older women than they used to be—a curious (but flattering) phenomenon. Perhaps because we are “safe,” in that sense. “Women my own age are crazy,” confided one 30-something fellow. “They just want to get married and have babies.” He’s a good guy—stable, interesting, attractive and handy (ah, men in toolbelts). I can imagine the havoc, the din of biological clocks going off all around him. If I didn’t think about the hole in the ozone layer every time I hear someone’s pregnant, I would encourage him to go marry one of those crazy women and make beautiful babies. (Okay, I thought about it. And I did tell him to do that.).

Will I curl up on the couch before the fire with an intelligent, witty, attractive edition of the New Yorker and await my consort? Nah, probably not. (Though that’s appealing and probably wise.) So I stumble into a few brick walls along the way; given time, I’ll figure it out.

One thing I’ve realized recently is that you can’t complain about not getting what you want if you don’t even know what you want. (And no, knowing what you don’t want doesn’t count.)

But what I originally meant to talk about was the presidential election.

You have no idea how awkward it is to write something intelligent just before the election that will be relevant just after the election. But here’s this:

You are the one that you want.

Make a list of characteristics you admire in your candidate. And then, win or lose, embody them. Live the life you would wish for your leaders. Because whoever wins, they’re going to need us. 

Four years ago I voted early, packed up the car, headed south and checked into the Boulder Mountain Lodge for a week. I watched the election returns on TV till I felt sick, switched to a late-night viewing of “Mystic Pizza” and never looked back. Heart?sick, I bailed on Washington for the duration. I became single, politically speaking.

In retrospect, it occurs to me that Bush had to get re-elected, by whatever means, cosmically speaking: The pendulum had to swing so far to the right that people were clear about what had gone wrong and could not participate in that any more. Even the king of dirty tricks, Reagan and Bush’s “happy hatchetman” (and Rove mentor) Lee Atwater, renounced his own tactics on his deathbed. (See “Boogie Man,” the documentary film about him; in the theatres now; also airs on KUED Nov 11th.) 

But I’m ready for a relationship again, with a president I can trust. Who sparks my imagination. Who is well-spoken, and knows how to listen. Who is whip-smart and brave. We will not marry, for that is not the nature of this relationship. But we can happily live together four or eight years.

Not forever. But long enough to be able to say, at the end, “That was good. That was worthwhile.” Long enough to feel the expansion of kindness and compassion, and the fruits of those virtues, in the world.

And to see that, of course, it was a real relationship. That I showed up, too. 

Greta Belanger deJong is editor and publisher of CATALYST. Comments welcome.

 greta@catalystmagazine.net.

by John deJong

Attending the local satellite Bioneers Conference at Westminster College last month, my mind and heart raced as I heard about the challenges we face as well as our efforts to surmount them. Sandra Steingraber, in more of a poem than a speech, wove her story of cancer survival and its impetus to her quest for its causes. Some speakers reeled off grim statistics and dire scenarios. Other speakers spoke of the nearly unlimited possibilities of conservation. As I sat watching the satellite link to San Rafael, I began to wonder what a major ecological bailout would look like.

To save America’s economy, we’ve been sold a $700 billion economic bailout. Let me clarify: We’ve bought a $700 billion 30-year mortgage that our children will have to pay off. What has it got us? Consolidation in the financial sector. Your friendly neighborhood teller will soon be replaced by a robo-teller with a high-speed link to the corporate database. To get a loan you’ll have to deal with an on-line robo-veep (no, not Dick Cheney in his best “We had to destroy the Constitution to save it” voice), which will be assessing your credit-worthiness as you grovel for your share of the bailout.

Trickle-down economics still works, doesn’t it? Or is that also considered wealth redistribution? 

The immediate economic problem is not tight credit, it’s no credit. Wall Street and Main Street have run up all the debt the casino, their friends and their enemies would lend. Our paychecks are spent by Tuesday. We’ve sub-mortgaged our sub-suburban homestead to buy matching His & Hers Hummers. We’ve pawned our children to pay for wars. And energywise, we’re running on fumes, even as we choke on them.

The U. S. economy would have been dead in the water for the last eight years if it weren’t for the spending spree financed by the real estate bubble. It’s a wonder that the cost of foreign oil didn’t catch up with us sooner. The only thing that saved us were the incredible amounts of arms the U.S. sold to the “oiligarchy.”

But a more fundamental problem is that we spent that money foolishly. We bought in-home theaters instead of insulation. Suburbans instead of Priuses. Coal instead of wind. Oil instead of efficiency.

What would a $700 billion ecological bailout look like? How far could an ecological bailout go toward solving our economic problems?

How many gas guzzlers could we replace with high efficiency vehicles? What if Detroit were forced to build automobiles (and trucks) that were twice as fuel-efficient?

There is talk about using some of the “economic” bailout to help the Big-but-getting-smaller-Three in Detroit. But why? Detroit is as guilty of irresponsible selling as the real estate industry. It lobbied Congress to keep its buggy whip business out of the red. Two and three ton SOVs (Single Occupancy Vehicles) are so pre-Chicxulub.  

With revised safety and insurance regulations to favor lighter cars, the average American family could get twice the car for half the price, How much of the cost of a current car is due to the requirement to withstand a head-on collision with a Hummer or Suburban? What if liability for an accident was determined by the ratio of the vehicle’s weights?

How many CO2- and mercury-belching coal-fired power plants could we replace with wind power? What if we used dirty coal as feedstock for a plastics industry to supply the “greened” auto industry?

How much house insulation could you buy for $700 billion?

What about mass transit?

What about a new CCC Civilian Conservation Corps?

What if every adult in the country got $2,000 to invest in energy conservation?

The biggest obstacle to achieving such a dream is the entrenched corporate lobbyists in Washington D.C. No small part of the mess we’re in is due to “non-market” meddling where government policies and regulations are hijacked to serve corporate interests. Brown industries have everything to lose and nothing to gain. Selling inefficient cars, oil  and coal to Americans is big business. The oil companies are coming off a string of record profits and they are going to spend a good bit of that trying to keep their monkey on our back.

The pay-off for an ecological bailout would be truly huge. And it would be a true investment rather than “specu-vestment” that has ruined Wall Street. Imagine eliminating our dependence on foreign oil and cutting your gas bill in half. Imagine being able to eat local fish again because they’re not contaminated with mercury from coal-fired power plants. Ironically the current economic crisis may very well be the meteor that ends the age of energy dinosaurs. 

John deJong is associate publisher of CATALYST

by Pax Rasmussen

UTA bus fares are already among the highest in the nation, and now with the recent fuel surcharges, they've gone up even higher. Fortunately for public transportation users, conversation is circulating about the possibility of state legislation in the upcoming session that would allow counties to slightly raise sales tax to reduce transit fares.

Rising fuel costs and decreased sales tax income due to the economic downturn has left UTA's revenues smarting. In May, the UTA board voted unanimously to implement a surcharge, assessed on a quarterly basis, to offset rising fuel costs. Since July 1st, UTA has already added two fuel surcharges to the base fare. This has increased the basic fare by $.50, and another hike is scheduled for January 1st, bringing the cost of a one-way trip to $2.50. Most of UTA's operating budget is covered by sales tax, so this legislation could significantly reduce fares. 

Organizations initially interested in being a part of this effort include Post Carbon Salt Lake, Crossroads Urban Center, Salt Lake Bicycle Collective, and Physicians for a Healthy Environment. 

For more information: Jean Arnold, 582-4148.

I first saw the Bike Bin at Wild Rose Mountain Sports, and immediately thought it was a pretty cool idea. I've been bike commuting all over town for about a year now, and by far the biggest challenges revolved around carrying stuff with me. The Bike Bin seemed like such a good idea because it promised to fix my two major concerns: 1) being able to leave things with the bike without worrying about them getting stolen and 2) the tendency for rain to seep through even the best bags, moistening my laptop, camera and books. I flinched at the $60 price tag, but after using it for a couple months now, I feel safe in saying it's undoubtedly worth that price. The Bike Bin is sturdy, strong and waterproof, and has a nifty little lock on the lid (I use a 1/8 inch braided steel cable to lock the bin itself to my bike).

 I'm in no way easy on my bike: I shred around, hopping curbs and periodically crashing (I still haven't figured out how to keep my toe clips from interacting with my fenders), and the Bike Bin has withstood everything I've thrown at it. It's well scratched and scuffed now, but hasn't cracked and still seems, structurally, as good as new. Their website claims the plastic retains strength to -22 degrees, which I've yet to test. It's good sized, too: To date, my biggest haul included six potatoes, two turnips, two onions, a pound of ground turkey, a head of cabbage, a two-liter bottle of ginger ale, a French baguette and a small jacket. The only drawback is also a benefit: It snaps on and off quickly and easily, and a couple of times the bin has come off the rack when I hit a particularly large bump. Just remember to make sure you push the clips all the way down when attaching it.

www.bikebins.com. Also available at Wild Rose Sports, 702 3rd Ave.

Idle Free Utah successfully launched Phase 1 of its anti-idling campaign in September, with 64 elementary schools and a number of other organizations asking parents to turn off their engines while waiting for their children. So far, 20,000 drivers in Salt Lake Valley have agreed to reduce their idling, and have placed "Turn your key, be idle free" decals on their windshields to remind themselves and others of this pledge. Signs and decals are springing up throughout the valley, from UTA buses to the Airport waiting areas. If you wish to commit to saving gas and money, protecting your health, and preserving our blue sky by reducing your idling, you can pick up a windshield decal at any City or County library information desk. Idle Free Utah has a deficit of $540 for their next order of decals, and any help would be much appreciated.

www.idlefree.utah.gov, Renee.zollinger@slcgov.com, 535-7215

The Green Building Center, long a friend of CATALYST, has won the Utah Society for Environmental Education's first Environmental Education Business Award. The Green Building Center (GBC) has an extensive product gallery that provides homeowners building materials that provide a safe, healthy, and environmentally sound home. GBC's expert staff takes the time to educate themselves and the public on the benefits of green products, the installation of these products, and how these products will impact the health of your home and the environment. GBC also hosts informational workshops that educate the general public on the installation and use of the products they carry. They also work with contractors, architects, and engineers to move forward their agenda of creating sustainable communities along the Wasatch Front.

GBC:_www.greenbuildingcenter.net, 484-6278, 1952 E 2700 S.

USEE: www.usee.org, 328-1549

by Amy Brunvand

Wild Bird photographs at UMNH

The Utah Museum of Natural History is currently showing photographs of wetland birds by Rosalie Winard. The show follows the release last April of “Wild Birds of the American Wetlands,” a book of Winard’s photos with an introduction by Terry Tempest Williams. Writing in Audubon magazine, Williams calls Winard’s work “a portfolio of hope” and says,“Only an artist who recognizes the redemption of the wild as it crosses and clashes with culture could create such an evocative and disturbing tension: absence and presence, at once.” 

Through February 22, 2009: Wild Birds of the American Wetlands. Utah Museum of Natural History. President’s Circle, U of U. (Stadium TRAX): www.umnh.utah.edu 

Sat., December 6, 2008, 9:30a-3:30p: Waterfoul field trip to Farmington Bay with Rosalie Winard and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologist John Luft. Register: www.umnh.utah.edu/fieldtrips

Tell the EPA to make U.S. Magnesium (former MagCorps) a Superfund site

If you have read “Canaries on the Rim” by Chip Ward you know all about the toxic pollution spewed by U.S. Magnesium. In the past, the company’s chlorine emissions were so bad the paint would strip off employees’ cars. A CATALYST magazine article from 1996 described how “‘the air is green today’ illustrated a day of moderate chlorine inundation, but ‘the bees are out’ meant that the air is so saturated that it stings the skin.” 

Citizen action led by Citizens Against Chlorine Contamination and Families Against Incinerator Risk (which became HEAL Utah) forced the company to reduce its chlorine emissions by 90%, but the pollution problem is still bad enough so that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with support from the Utah Depart?ment of Environmental Quality, is proposing to list U.S. Magnesium as a “Superfund site” on the National Priorities List.

An EPA analysis says U.S. Magnesium currently releases substances that pose cancerous and non-cancerous health risks to humans and wildlife: “Contaminants consist of: metals, including arsenic, chromium, mercury, copper, and zinc; acidic waste water; chlorinated organics; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); dioxins/ furans, hexachlorobenzene (HCB); and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These wastes are being released into the environment and are largely uncontrolled.”

U.S. Magnesium is located next to the Great Salt Lake just 40 miles west of Salt Lake City. The area is vital habitat for millions of migrating birds, and EPA reports that “many waterfowl die after coming into contact with the contamination.”

HEAL Utah encourages citizens to send comments to the EPA supporting Super?fund listing for the U.S. Magnesium site. Listing will enable the EPA to use the Superfund law to address contamination at the site and force the company to pay for its own clean up; it guarantees the public an opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions through the Superfund process; and it could finally lead to the protection of worker health and the Great Salt Lake environment from the company’s uncontrolled and unregulated toxic releases.

HEAL Utah: healutah.org; EPA proposal to list U.S. Magnesium as a Superfund site: www.epa.gov/ region8/superfund/ ut/usmagnesium/#1 Comments due by November 24.

Huntsman calls ORV damage an “abomination”

After taking a tour of the Moab area with SUWA member David Bonderman, Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. (who rides dirt bikes himself) finally gets it why there is so much fuss about off-road vehicle damage to Utah’s public lands. The Salt Lake Tribune quotes the Governor calling off-road impacts he saw as “an abomination” and “an embarrassment.” Governor Huntsman has a history of supporting off-road vehicle interests over conservation.

In 2005 he named anti-environmentalist San Juan County Commissioner Lynn Stevens as director of the Public Lands Policy Coordination Office (Stevens once led a jeep safari into Arch Canyon as an act of civil disobedience after the BLM denied a permit for the event); he opposed roadless protection for Utah’s National Forests; and he has spent hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on questionable lawsuits to claim dirt tracks as state-controlled highways.

After seeing what’s actually on the ground, the Governor is calling for increased enforcement of off-road vehicles on State lands. It is a step towards better State government policies to protect Utah’s public lands. 

Contact Governor Huntsman: www.utah.gov/governor/index.html Utah State Capitol Complex; 350 N. State St, #200; PO Box 142220, SLC, Utah 84114-2220 801-538-1000, 800-705-2464.

SUWA protests BLM plans

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance together with the Wilderness Society and other partners have filed comprehensive protests against six Resource Manage?ment Plans (RMPs) for Utah’s canyon country. The plans determine management priorities for 11 million acres of Utah’s canyon country, about half of which are proposed as Wilderness in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act. The finalized plans will be in effect an estimated 10 to 15 years and as currently written they would open 80% of Public Lands in Southern and Eastern Utah to drilling and turn over more than 20,000 miles of trails to off-road vehicles. The Bush Administration is pressing for the plans to be finalized and signed before Bush leaves office in January 2009, so it is urgent to prevent locking in policies that will be hard for the next administration to reverse. 

SUWA www.suwa.org

Airport TRAX begins construction

In October the Utah Transit Authority broke ground for construction of a new TRAX light rail line to the Salt Lake International Airport. When construction is complete, the light rail system will link the three largest traffic generators in the Salt Lake urban area: Downtown, the University of Utah and the Airport. The Airport TRAX line is scheduled to be finished by 2015.

by Steve Chambers

If you become a serious bicycle commuter, willing to ride on other than bluebird days, you’ll need some special equipment. A rear fender prevents the rear tire from drawing a nice, straight line of water, mud or other road gunk down your back. Front fenders keep your feet and the lower part of your bike clean.

A rear rack is nice, especially if you plan to do any shopping. These attach to the seat post and to eyelets on the rear hub. When buying a bicycle, if you plan to get a rack, make certain the bike will accommodate one; not all bicycles will. A rear rack also functions as a rear fender.

Panniers are saddlebags for bicycles. They fit over a rear rack, one on each side of the wheel. They’re useful for carrying heavier loads because they keep the center of gravity low, making a loaded bike more stable. If you use your bike for quick trips to the corner convenience store, a milk crate strapped to a rear rack works fine and is much cheaper.

When riding at night, you can’t possibly have too much illumination. The biggest danger of night riding is not being seen by drivers, so think about your back and sides as well as the front. Wear light-colored clothing and a reflective vest. If you wear a backpack or bike messenger bag, put the vest over the bag, or festoon your backpack with strips of adhesive reflective tape. Put more strips on your fenders. Get a flasher and attach it to your seat or fender. You can also put adhesive Velcro strips on the flasher and on your backpack so you have a second one on yourself.

Don’t skimp on headlights. Most bicycle headlamps are so weak that they can’t be distinguished from car headlights when a car is behind you. You might be 30 yards in front of a car, but anyone looking toward you and the car will see only the car’s headlights and might pull out in front of you, unaware of your presence. Ride defensively and never get complacent.

There is a wind-chill factor associated with biking. Over the years, I’ve developed some rules of thumb for dressing. Above 65 degrees, I’m usually good in shorts and short sleeves. About 65, I generally wear a long-sleeved shirt. When the temper?ature drops to the low-60s, I add full-fingered gloves and might add a second upper layer. At 55 degrees, I pull on tights. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees, I will definitely have at least two upper layers and possibly a wind shell. Below 35 degrees, booties over shoes and additional layers are necessary. 

Consider what conditions will be throughout your ride, not just at the start. If you ride in the morning, and the day is expected to warm up while you ride, it’s better to start a little cool and let the exercise and warming temperatures do their thing. Two of the neatest inventions for cyclists are arm and leg warmers. These are tubes of fabric that pull on over your arms or legs, converting short sleeves or shorts into long sleeves or tights. Knee warmers are shortened versions of leg warmers that turn your shorts into knickers. They are quick and easy to pull on or off and store in a backpack or the pockets of a cycling jersey. All bike stores sell them.

Fall is a great time to ride. It’s light enough at both ends of the day to commute, and temperatures are moderate. Go for a spin.

Steve Chambers is an attorney and outdoor enthusiast. He commutes in lycra because it makes him feel fast, though he says he is not, has never been and probably never will be fast.

Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (MBAC) meets monthly, the second Wednesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the City-County Building. The committee is an informal committee of residents and city employees dedicated to making Salt Lake City more bicycle-friendly. www.slcgov.com/Transportation/BicycleTraffic/MBAC.htm 

Salt Lake County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SLCBAC), the Salt Lake County committee, much like the MBAC, publishes Salt Lake County bike route maps, available at area bicycle shops, county libraries and county recreation centers. www.slcbac.org 

Cycling Utah is a free publication about cycling in and around Utah. It has a great link to bicycle commuting where you can download a pdf file about commuting in Utah. You can often find it next to Catalyst. www.cyclingutah.com

Local Bike Shops. Bicycle shops around the valley have a wealth of information about rides, classes to build skills and clubs you can join.

by Pax Rasmussen

Take a trip out to the shores of the Great Salt Lake now, and it’s hard to understand the beach appeal Saltair held a century ago. The coastline of the lake is a good half-mile or more from the pavilion, and salt flats stretch to the horizon in two directions. 

Although not the bathing phenomenon of the Mormons during the early 1900s, Saltair is now one of the more popular music and festival venues near Salt Lake City. Dave Matthews Band, The Cult and The Black Crows have played at the pavilion, and a number of rave-type parties take place there each year. In 1962, scenes for the cult horror film Carnival of Souls were shot at the second Saltair building. Numerous photographers have used the stylistic onion domed building to add an outlandish setting to their photos—they appeared in the background for a Beach Boys album in 1967. 

The current Saltair, like the two that preceded it, has a history of disaster and a general sense of things not going according to plan. It was built in 1981 from a salvaged Air Force aircraft hangar and, global warming be damned, flooded a year later. For nearly a decade, the pavilion was unusable, inundated by four feet of murky saltwater—the Great Salt Lake enjoying its highest water level in history. It’s sort of ironic that this Saltair’s troubles have all been water (or the lack thereof) related, as the two that preceded it burned to the ground.

The ride to Saltair is flat, fast and fun. If you don’t mind a little city traffic, start from downtown and take North Temple all the way to the airport. It looks like the road ends ahead, but just keep going until you reach the security gate. In the summer, the path through the airport is closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and from 7pm to 7 a.m. now to March 31st, so plan accordingly. There’s routes around the airport, but they’re not nearly as pleasant. 

Once through the gate, the ride follows a bike path through the airport complex. This part of the ride is fun and pretty: no traffic, as only bikes and walkers are allowed on the path, and huge stands of mustard yellow yarrow blossoms fill the air with a sweet, medicinal scent during the autumn months. 

After the airport path, just follow the bike route signs. You’ll stay on Wiley Post Way for quite a ways, making a right on Admiral Byrd road. After about a block, turn left on Amelia Earhart Drive, and stay on it until you reach the I-80 frontage road. Although the road you ride on is typically deserted, I-80 traffic can be loud and obnoxious on weekdays: The best time for this ride is Sunday afternoons.

 

Make sure to bring a spare inner tube for this trip, since much of the ride is far from telephones or bus stops and goat-head thorns can be present on the road. 

The frontage road will take you all the way to Saltair (where you can refill your water and get a candy bar during the warmer months). If you choose, the ride can be extended to the Great Salt Lake State Park and Marina, or even to Tooele. Round trip from downtown to Saltair is approximately 38 miles. 

An interactive map for this ride can be found here:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ut/salt-lake-city/468152871874

Pax Rasmussen is a full-time CATALYST staffer, Agent for Change and a lieutenant in the H.E.A.D. Revolution. When he’s not out agitatin’, you can usually find him bumming around a local coffee shop, most likely Nostalgia. Fnord. http://www.paxrasmussen.com.

by Steve Bhaerman

Ever since I first became acquainted with the work of Tom Atlee (author “The Tao of Democracy”) and Jim Rough, who first envisioned a Wisdom Council where ordinary Americans access extraordinary wisdom, I’ve had a dream: a new “moral authority” that transcends religion and secular humanism, and offers a healthy “central voice” of We the People.

I had been particularly intrigued by the work and insights of Joseph McCormick. A one-time right wing candidate for Congress from Georgia, Joseph went through a dark night of the soul after his defeat. This led to study and reflection of the Founding Fathers’ words and intentions. He emerged from this epiphany with the mission to bring Americans from across the political spectrum together in the spirit of E Pluribus Unum, out of many one. In finding common ground, he believed, conservatives and progressives could use their strengths to work together. Instead of the angry polarization we have today based on distortions and stereotypes, perhaps we could focus on the “higher octave” of progressive and conservative thought.

Perhaps, as a people, we could ask and answer two functional questions: How do we choose to progress? What do we wish to conserve?

Joseph’s first attempts to breach the partisan divide were bold. Through an organization called Reuniting America, he created several weekend retreats where he brought together organizations as diverse as the Christian Coalition and the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org and Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform. An early participant was former Republican Congressman (and now Libertarian candidate for President) Bob Barr. Out of this event, Barr teamed with former Vice President Al Gore to tour America warning about the Bush Administration’s abuses of power.

This past May, I had the privelege to meet Joseph McCormick, and we became instant friends and allies. He asked me to help plan, promote and to participate in a breakthough event happening to commemorate Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial this coming February—a transpartisan Citizens Summit.

This is the official announcement for this event, which the Swami has dubbed “A Function at the Junction.” In contrast to the dysfunction of unproductive polarization and focus on conflict, this event is designed to create respectful listening and breakthrough ideas, at a time when America needs all the cooperation and functionality we can find.

Here is the official call for delegates and participation in the event, scheduled in Denver, Colorado, February 11-15, 2009:

Isn’t it time for a national townhall meeting to heal political wounds and search for transpartisan strategies to address America’s deepening crisis?

Amidst the current financial and foreseeable political turmoil, it’s time responsible citizens from all points of view convened to reasonably assess where we are as a nation, where we want to go and most importantly, how we want to get there.

In honor of Abraham Lincoln’s Bicentennial, in February the Transpartisan Alliance—a network of networks building bridges among individuals and organizations from all political points of view —will convene the first ever Transpartisan National Convention. The theme of the event is “A house divided against itself cannot stand” (A. Lincoln, Springfield, IL,1858).

For four days, citizens, leaders and experts from all sides will come together in search of effective strategies for empowering a unified political voice that can restore a healthy balance of power in America. We will engage in a new type of political dialogue that respects and values all points of view. Together we will utilize dialogue, deliberation and conflict resolution tools that enable conservatives, liberals, independents and unaffiliated citizens to communicate respectfully and effectively, and to re-build trust. We will demonstrate that Americans can work together and cooperate for the good of us all.

On a first-come, first-served basis the conference can accommodate 1,500 delegates—500 affiliated as Democrats or progressives; 500 affiliated as Republicans or conservatives; 500 Independents or unaffiliated. Are you interested in participating in this potentially world-changing event? Please go to www.transpartisan.net (then click on events) to find out more and apply, and maybe we will see you there!

We will continue to give updates on this event, and the Department of Heartland Security gives its full endorsement and Official Seal of Approval.

Steve Bhaerman is the alter-ego of Swami Beyondananda, whose column usually appears in this space. www.wakeuplaughing.com

by Rebecca Brenner

Culturing and fermenting dairy products and vegetables is a weekly (sometimes daily) exercise in the Alchemical Kitchen. Kefir and yogurt starters abound and cultured vegetables line the back corners of the refrigerator. I depend on local sources of real foods to ensure the healthiest end product. Since moving to Utah a year and a half ago, finding local vegetables, fruits, honey and breads has been wonderfully easy at the farmer's market. However, finding high quality raw dairy products has been difficult - until I wandered into the Real Foods Market.

Rhett Roberts, owner of the Real Foods Market, in Orem, Heber, and soon to be Salt Lake, states that "if you cannot pick it, gather it, milk it, or hunt it, then it is not real food." 

Roberts established the Real Foods Market to share forgotten traditional nutrition principles and make easily available real foods. Real Foods Market is based on the philosophy that what we put into our bodies affects all aspects of our health.

So what exactly are real foods?

As food has become more industrialized, processed and packaged it has become more of a "food product." You can wander down the center aisles of any grocery store to find brightly packaged, nutritionally "enhanced" food products. Even our meats and dairy products have been greatly altered with pasteurization, antibiotics and stabilizers, making it "safer" to mass-produce and ship them.

Real Foods Market was created to offer foods the way Mother Nature intended. Roberts' examples of what constitute real foods are: organic fruits and vegetables; wild seafood; grassfed/anti_biotic/hormone/pesticide-free beef; raw dairy products from grass-fed cows; healthy oils such as coconut and extra-virgin olive oil; free range eggs; pasture fed poultry; raw nuts and seeds; and sea vegetables. I might add the ancient grains such as quinoa, amaranth and millet.

Roberts' own quest for better health led him to pursue a diet of real, unprocessed food. However, once making the decision to eat a better diet, he had trouble locating real "unadulterated" food. He explained, "There was very little real food in the common health food store; most of it was and is just as adulterated as the food in regular grocery stores." 

He created Redmond Heritage Farms six year ago to provide raw dairy products to family, friends and those interested. Ann King, manager of Real Foods Market, explains: "Previously in Utah, the law stated that you could purchase raw milk, but only at the dairy where it was produced. This worked well for many years until many dairies closed, making it difficult to find this life-giving product. Consumers who wanted our raw milk had to travel many miles to purchase it from the farm in Redmond, Utah." Roberts and King wondered if there might be a better way to sell raw milk.

They began to work with the government to create dairy-owned stores that could sell the raw milk to the public. Their philosophy has always been to work out the details in a win/win way for all concerned. King stressed, "Rather than fight against government involvement, we have chosen to work with the government to mitigate any risks to the public. A bill was passed several years ago which allows the transportation of raw milk to farm-owned stores to be sold to the public." Real Foods Market follows tight regulations. Their raw milk must meet the same testing requirements as milk that has already been pasteurized. They test at the farm and then again after the milk arrives at the stores. 

Pasteurization-Pros and Cons 

In 1862 Louis Pasteur created a process which heated consumable liquids to kill harmful mold, yeast and bacteria (pasteurization). As we began to mass produce milk and add pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics to our cows and cow feed, pasteurization assured the removal of salmonella and other harmful bacteria. Pasteurization also destroys and/or greatly alters the healthy fats, vitamin, minerals and digestive enzymes. The removal of the enzymes creates a longer shelf-life for conventional dairy products.

Domesticated animals were first used for milk 8-10,000 years ago. Most dairy farms that sell raw milk have grass-fed cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Because the milk is raw, the milk is handled much more carefully on smaller dairy farms. This careful handling of the milk makes infectious agents far less likely to be present in the first place. Raw milk is considered by many current holistic nutritionists and MD's to be a complete and properly balanced food. It has healthy, stable fats, vitamins, minerals, and digestive enzymes. Because raw milk contains lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugar), many with lactose intolerance can drink it without the uncomfortable side effects.  

The place of raw milk in the Alchemical Kitchen

As a nutritionist, I work with clients with chronic health challenges that include addiction, arthritis, diabetes and cancer. Each individual (and health challenge) requires a unique nutrition plan. However, I use a similar philosophy as Roberts and Real Foods-all health-promoting diets need a base of real, whole, organic and local foods. I also agree that some of the base foods can be difficult to find. 

Raw milk, when cultured or fermented, becomes one of the more healing foods in the Alchemical Kitchen. With the original enzymes and stable fats intact, raw milk can be made into kefir and yogurt which have natural sources of healthy probiotics and digestive enzymes. The milk is slightly mucus-forming which is good-the mucus lines the digestive tract, giving the healthy bacteria a place to "nest." Cultured foods are also said to keep the small and large intestine clean and free of parasites.

Homemade kefir with raw milk

Kefir is sometimes referred to as the "champagne of milk" because of the effervescent quality that is created by the fermenting process. Kefir is loaded with calcium and magnesium. Trypto_phan, an essential amino acid, combines with the calcium and magnesium to create a soothing effect for the nervous system. Kefir is also high in B vitamins which help to balance the nervous system and boost the immune system.

There are two basic ways to make kefir. You can use a starter culture. Or you can obtain live kefir grains that look somewhat like little cauliflowers. Some "mothers" (live grains) have been passed down through families and across nations. If done right, your kefir "mother" could be passed down to your great grandchildren. Kefir is slightly tart and has the consistency of a drinkable yogurt. It makes a great breakfast drink.

Kefir from a starter

What you'll need:

1 quart of raw milk (you can also substitute homemade almond milk or coconut water for the raw milk)

1 packet of kefir starter

Pour milk (or almond milk or coconut water) and kefir starter into a 1 quart Mason jar and let sit at room temperature (72 degrees) for 24 hours. It helps if your milk is at skin temperature to begin. 

After 24 hours, chill and enjoy.

You can use 6 tablespoons of this kefir as a starter for your next batch. You can do this up to six more times before you'll need to begin again with a new starter packet.

Kefir from live grains

What you'll need:

1 quart of raw milk

3 tablespoons of live kefir grains

Place grains and raw milk into a 1 quart sized Mason jar.

Cover and keep at room temperature for 24 hours.

Gently stir by "swirling" the jar in your hands a few times over the 24 hour period.

Strain the kefir through a cheese cloth into a clean Mason jar and place kefir grains (with some kefir still attached to grains) in a small jar. 

Within a week create your next batch of kefir by using the grains in small jar and repeating the above steps. When the grains are removed and kept, you can use them indefinitely.

Homemade Raw Milk Yogurt

Yogurt has been eaten throughout many centuries in the Swiss villages, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southern Europe. Homemade yogurt, most times, may not be as thick as store bought yogurt. It will taste slightly less tart than the kefir. Homemade yogurt is useful in making dips, sauces, and smoothies.

What you'll need:

1 quart of raw milk

1/2 cup of a good quality yogurt or 1 packet of a yogurt starter

Pour milk into a double boiler and slowly heat to about 110 degrees.

Pour heated milk into a Mason jar and add yogurt or yogurt starter. Stir gently.

Wrap in a dish towel and place in an insulated cooler for 8 to 10 hours.

Rebecca Brenner is a nutritionist, yoga teacher and owner of Park City Holistic Health. 

Check out her website at 

www.parkcityholistichealth.com

To learn more about Real Foods Market: www.realfoodsmarket.com

by Merry Lycett Harrison

Six years ago, when I first took my handcrafted, herbal products to the Downtown Farmer's Market, people would glance into my booth and say, "Herbs, I love herbs" and walk on by. Aside from a few tiny pots of the familiar parsley, chives and oregano, I did not sell a thing. Salves and oils to heal injuries and ease pain, and tinctures of herbs to do everything from clear sinuses, relieve insomnia and anxiety and even cut the craving for cigarettes were not even lifted for perusal from the shelves of my little, wood display cabinet.

So certain am I of the therapeutic value and cost-effectiveness of herbal medicine, I decided to try the market again this summer, and the difference was remarkable. Every Saturday since June, people steered their way into my temporary, herb shop to show me or explain their health concerns. 

A man came in the first week and took off his shoe and asked, "Do you have anything for this?" His foot was covered in a rash and scabs. "What is it?" I asked. No answer. Trying again... "Is it athlete's foot?" He did not know. As so often happens, I said, "Well, if it were me, this is what I would use," and I handed him my Skin Toner with Echinacea and yarrow that is good for diminishing inflammations of the skin. The next week he came before the market opened to show me that his foot problem had completely cleared up. Did I have any saw palmetto for his minor prostate issues? No, but I can bring it next week, I told him. It became his habit to visit me every week and bring me a little treat before the market opened at 8 a.m.

The cab driver with hemorrhoids was satisfied with the relief he got from Vasosalve, as was the woman with varicose veins. A woman with an incessant, lingering cough from a cold was desperate for a good night's sleep. Cough Formula with osha, pleurisy root and elecampane did the trick. A stressed out insomniac wanting to avoid using Ambien was happy to try Rest Formula which has soothing muscle relaxers like passionflower and elephanthead and the stress-relieving herbs lemon balm and anemone. A woman with MS who loved to garden was covered in scratches. She went home with pinyon salve to heal them and use often. Women needing relief from hotflashes were happy to try Flashbegone with chaste tree berry and black cohosh. A man who had recently had a knee replaced complained of his limited range of motion. I suggested he rub on a combination of arnica and St. Johns Wort oils before and after physical therapy so he could work more deeply with a little less pain.

A young Hispanic woman bought arnica salve for her grandmother to use for the arthritis in her hands. People from her culture are so much more familiar with herbal medicine because it is an integral part of their healthcare. Just the sight of the label for Acid Reflux Tea sold that product to those who needed it. I was especially pleased that there was so much interest in the Thrive Tonic, a blend of 18 different herbs for nutrition and relief from stress to be taken daily. Herbal tonics fell out of favor in the 1940s when pharmaceuticals became popular. I hope their popularity will grow once again to help keep us healthy, as opposed to fixing us once we get sick.

Of course there were situations well beyond my scope of practice, qualifications or experience. I had only gentle lemon balm to recommend to the mother of a hyperactive three year old who did not speak, along with the name of the Children's Center as a resource. For the man newly diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer's I could only offer a conversation about the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and wished him well.

The Downtown Farmer's Market was a happy place to be this summer and my booth was, too. Two women, Shelly Braun and Sarah Sifers, chose to sit with me every Saturday, and I was happy to have their company, support and help for herb work I always brought with me like stripping lavender blossoms from their dried stems. I always had an extra folding chair for the friend who stopped by or the stranger who just wanted to tell me about their problem.

Certainly awareness about the benefits of botanical medicine has grown as has my skill and knowledge by being in practice for over a decade, but I really attribute the resurgence in interest to something else. Herbal medicine is only unfamiliar because of inaccessibility to the knowledge and experience of it, but our innate, human wisdom recognizes and is drawn to its healing potential. Nowadays, we need as much relief from financial strain as we do from health concerns, and botanical medicine certainly fits the bill. 

Merry currently offers free walk-in clinic times, Tuesdays from 4-7 p.m. Sign up for the Herb Tip of the Week: www.millcreekherbs.com.

by Dana Igo

compiled by Pax Rasmussen

by Mike Neill

From time to time in my life, I’ve gone on a “complaint fast”—that is, I go a day or a week or a month deliberately not complaining (out loud!) about anything. 

That’s not to say that if I order pizza for lunch and they bring me a hamburger I won’t send it back—I just don’t follow it up with a list of complaints to my waiter, friends, manager of the restaurant and the editorial page of the Times about what an awful place the world has become when decent, hard working folk can’t even get a slice of pizza without having to deal with gross incompetence and possibly criminal negligence.

Why I do complaint “fasts”

1. Complaining is the opposite of creating

When you think about it, a complaint is simply an observation with a judgment attached that whatever you’ve observed is a bad thing, or bad for you, or shouldn’t be the way it is. 

For example, when I first begin working with someone they’ll often begin with a series of complaints about some aspect of their life. 

“My wife,” one client told me, “is going to bankrupt us. However much we’ve got it’s never enough. Sometimes I wonder if she’ll ever be content!” I nodded, which he took as encouragement to go on with his litany.

“I just bought her a new car and now she wants to go to Hawaii on holiday. She doesn’t seem to understand that it takes money to live the way we live, and the more she wants the harder I have to work.”

While I didn’t actually agree with the “more money = harder work” equation, I decided to leave that for a while and I asked what I thought was the obvious question: “So what?”

He looked at me, nonplussed.

“What do you mean, ‘so what?’”

“Well, it seems to me you’ve made a few observations about your wife that I have no reason to question—that she doesn’t seem to be contented by having more stuff, and that she hasn’t yet really grasped the connection between your stress levels and the amount of money she spends.”

He was still looking at me, but his look had turned more curious.

“That’s just a statement of fact. It doesn’t have any positive or negative implications at that level. If you look at it in the context of “my wife should be the perfect woman and should be content and should understand all that,” it will seem pretty miserable. But if you look at it in the context of wanting to create a wonderful relationship with her, that’s just what is.”

I looked at him more directly now.

“Here’s my question: if you can see that she doesn’t get more content by you’re getting her more, nicer stuff, why would you keep doing it?” 

He looked confused, as though he couldn’t even comprehend the question. 

“Let’s think about it in another way,” I continued. “If you were eating cake in order to get thin but you noticed that the more cake you ate, the fatter you got, would you keep buying cake?” 

“Of course not.”

“So if you want to create more contentment in your marriage, why would you keep buying your wife more stuff when you’ve already established that doesn’t work for either of you?”

While all their marital difficulties were not instantly resolved in that moment, dropping the judgment from the observation turned it from a “complaint” into a piece of useful data for him. He was trying to create better feelings in his relationship through the acquisition of stuff, and perhaps unsurprisingly it wasn’t working very well.

By focusing on what he wanted to create—a happy, loving marriage—he was able to make changes in himself and the way he responded to his wife’s discontent that did over time lead to more of what he truly wanted in his life.

2. Complaining is addictive

When I was a kid, I noticed something odd about my relationship with chocolate. I could quite happily go without a Mars bar for months at a time, but if I had one on a Tuesday, I craved another one on Wednesday. While the links between chocolate and serotonin levels in the brain are well-established, I suspect that if a study were ever done scientists would find a similar link between complaining and some brain chemical that relieves stress. 

The problem, as with any addictive substance, is that the drug in question (in this case “complaining”) winds up creating more of the very stress it was originally designed to relieve, thus plunging its user into an ongoing cycle of stress and stress-relief that can only be interrupted by eliminating the drug from your system completely.

Here are some strategies I’ve found effective for those of you who’d like to live in a less toxic environment and are willing to begin by detoxifying yourself...

Experiment:

1. Create a “no-complaint fast” for yourself. The first time I did this, I decided I would go one week without complaining. If I complained at all, I would immediately begin again with day one. It took me the better part of a year to complete the experiment, but it was worthwhile.

2. The next time you notice yourself complaining, see if you can separate out the observation from the judgment. This can be subtle! For example, you might hear yourself say “I’m so busy today!”, which may well be an accurate observation. The judgment will be hidden in the angry or defeated voice-tone in which you say it, or in the heavy sigh that precedes or follows the statement. 

3. Turn your complaints into acts of creation. The next time you are tempted to complain about something, ask yourself what is it you want to create in this situation and then go about creating it.

4. If you like, visit www.acomplaintfreeworld.org and order some purple bracelets as reminders for yourself. They used to give them away free, but at last check they had gone up to about 37 cents apiece. I considered registering a complaint, but then I thought better of it... :-) 

Have fun, learn heaps, and use your observations about life to create a better world! ?

Michael Neill is a life coach and author. Hear him Thursdays at 11am on HayHouse Radio or visit his website, www.geniuscatalyst.com.

by Jeannette Maw

The 401k’s in the toilet, the house won’t sell even with a discount, roommate’s out of work, credit’s so tight the banks (that are still in business) won’t even loan to each other, and forget about a bonus at work this year!

What’s to be grateful for in these days of hard times with no relief in sight?

That’s the question many have in mind as we enter the holiday season in what’s perpetually reported as a particularly tumultuous time in U.S. history. Bombarded by news stories about the falling stock market, failing mortgage industry, and the domino effects on global markets, it would be easy to believe this is one of the worst periods Americans have faced since the Great Depression.

But is it true?

When you check in on the reality of it, you’ll likely notice that abundance, wealth and prosperity are still here in many ways. All we need to do is look for it to see and experience it. In fact, since we get whatever we look for, cultivating the habit of looking for what we want allows us to live it.

Not just positive thinking

This isn’t just a matter of looking at a discouraging reality and trying to find something to appreciate about it. It’s a matter of knowing your prosperity and well being cannot dissipate in the stock market or be squandered by decision-makers in power. The same way no one can create a “dream come true” life on your behalf, they also don’t have the power to spoil it. You are in charge of what unfolds in your life—at least when you deliberately manage your vibration. So no need to worry about someone else spoiling the party. Your good news is always available to you, simply by turning in that direction. All you have to do is pay attention to what you want and focus on what feels better.

That’s deliberate creation.

Since we get what we look for and focus on, it’s all the more important to purposely look for what’s going right especially when it would be easy to get sucked into negative commentary about what’s gone wrong.

No matter how distressing the reports and despite the “evidence” of troubles on Main Street and Wall Street, no one has more power over your life and how you experience it than you.

As you change your perspective from “the sky is falling” to one that reveals what’s going right, you become a vibrational match to more things going right.

Deliberately focusing your attention on what feels better, however, is not an excuse to ignore circumstances that call for attention. Taking responsible control of your life may mean making difficult decisions and then moving on. What’s important is that you listen for inner guidance and take action as inspired. Making choices in alignment with what feels better is a powerful step to enhancing your well being.

Creating the economy

In a recent article on current economic challenges, freelance expert Ed Gandia quotes Earl Nightingale in saying, “We become what we think about.” Gandia explains if we dwell on economic panic and financial strife, we get more of it. Conversely, if we choose to approach each day with confident expectation and a joyful attitude, we attract more positive outcomes in life.

Can improving our personal economy be as simple as changing our point of focus?

“The economy is an expression of the consciousness of those who create it—all of us. We vitalize the economy with expansive thinking and action, and we deaden it with fear and contraction,” writes Alan Cohen. He argues the economy is not a fixed entity, but rather constantly changes with our thoughts and emotions: “The economy you see today is a result of the attitudes and actions that sourced it yesterday. The economy you will see tomorrow is a result of the attitudes and actions you think and do today.”

Realizing we aren’t victims of failed regulations or bursting mortgage bubbles, but rather powerful creators in control of what unfolds in our future gives us the opportunity to create what we want rather than what we fear.

Esther Hicks shares from Abraham this advice about the economy: “There are enough [of you] involved in the economics of this time-space reality that it is certain that balance will come back. And all you have to do is sort of settle yourself in, and ride it out.” The sooner we accept that things are better than we thought and getting better all the time, the sooner we experience our personal prosperity. 

Even mainstream experts tout this perspective. Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute (and Bloomberg News columnist), says it’s our choice whether we believe the current market system fundamentally doesn’t work or whether we restore our faith in the markets. He says the belief that the system doesn’t work would be self-fulfilling.

Bright side of the recession?

Is it possible this “financial crisis” is a gift in disguise? A bit of reflection shows how the current financial downturn might actually serve us. For example, perhaps we could leverage this experience to better align our money with our values; to realize what’s truly important and allow evolutionary outcomes (in ourselves and businesses) from these current challenges. 

So what if our net worth takes a hit? We’re still alive and well with lots of choices before us. What if our job is eliminated? It might be the kick in the pants we need to make changes we’ve dreamed of. Or even just to learn that we are not our job and embrace the opportunity to redefine our personal identity.

There are other ways these economic challenges could benefit us: skyrocketing oil prices inspire stronger investment and support for alternative fuels. Layoffs across struggling industries historically fuels higher educational enrollments, not to mention better appreciation in those who still have jobs to go to. 

Maybe we also rethink the wisdom of indulging in gas-guzzling vehicles and feel new inspiration for growing community gardens. Perhaps questioning what’s happening in the world leads us to a closer relationship to our spiritual truth.

The point is there’s always a perspective that feels better. As you look for ways to appreciate what’s happening in the world right now, it not only feels better but it creates a better tomorrow.

In fact, this Thanksgiving holiday, instead of reserving just this day for formal appreciation, consider making every day an occasion for gratitude. Skip the fear trend and remember that all is well and getting better every day. The viewpoint of appreciation lines you up with happy experiences and outcomes, regardless of what the rest of the world is up to.  

Jeannette Maw is a Law of Attraction coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City. www.goodvibecoach.com

by Kindra Fehr

Fifty million diapers per day—18 billion per year—enter U.S. landfills. The average baby goes through 5,000 diapers before being potty-trained. Ten years ago the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that diapers made up 3.4 million tons of waste—2.1 % of U.S. landfills.

Using cloth diapers doesn’t necessarily eliminate the impact on our planet. Laundering diapers creates equally harmful effects on air and water from the energy and chemicals used. One study concluded that cloth diapers used twice as much energy and four times as much water as disposables, and create greater air and water pollution than disposables. The debate continues. 

Five years ago when my husband and I did this same research, there were only two options; cloth and disposable. As we researched the impact on the planet, it was a no-win situation. The consensus was (according to most references we found online) to use disposable if you lived where there was a lot of land and little water and to use cloth if you lived where there was little room for landfill and abundant water. Neither was ideal. Even the chlorine-free brands like Seventh Generation make no claims to be biodegradable or compostable.

As we embark down the same path again with our second child, we have discovered two more options. I never thought I could get so excited about diapers! 

First are the “g diapers.” Two friends and I have been experimenting with them over the past couple of months. What’s so great about these? They are completely biodegradable and flushable. The g system is made up of an outer pant made of cotton, a snap-in insert of polyester, and the flushable pad which is made of cellulose fibers from sustainably harvested trees. The outer pant can last throughout the day or for a few days with only the snap-in portion needing to be changed if it becomes soiled. The insert can be either flushed or tossed. Wet ones can be composted and are completely disintegrated in 50-150 days.

The things we love about these are that they leave no mark on the planet. Also, they are really cute on our little lovey’s bottoms. The challenges are that it is a little more difficult to flush as you have to beat it with the swish stick (which comes with the starter kit) and in older plumbing, it may not go down at all. The other inconvenience is having to change the snap-in liner often if your little one is a big pooper. Both of these issues wax small in the comparison to sending that many more plastic filled diapers to the landfill. Every?thing that goes into a “flushable” gets re-absorbed by the eco-system in a neutral or beneficial way.

The second option I’ve found is Nature Babycare eco-friendly baby diapers. “I don’t believe in compromises or shortcuts,” says inventor Marlene Sandberg, a Swedish mom and former law firm partner. “If you want an eco-friendly diaper to be successful, it must perform at least as well or better than the best ‘traditional’ diapers.”

What’s great about Nature Babycare? There are no oil-based plastics against your baby’s skin. The diaper is made of chlorine-free, absorbent materials that do not contribute to dioxin pollution. The components of the diaper are made of a 100% natural based back sheet, 100% natural distribution layer, and are packaged in 100% compostable consumer packaging of natural renewable material—no plastics and consequently fewer greenhouse gases. There is no latex, fragrance or TBT (tributyl tin). My experience of this diaper is that it is very similar to a traditional diaper although not quite as absorbent so I tend to change it more often. Again, this is a small cost for the benefits.

Speaking of “costs,” the first question anyone asks when considering switching to either of these earth-friendly options is, “How much do they cost?” Diapers.com has an easy price breakdown as well as information about each brand. Larger sizes cost more and style choice such as “baby dry,” overnight, swim, “snug fit” and “easy ups” influence the price as well. These price comparisons are based on the lowest and highest price per diaper of each of the brands. The average price is determined between the two, not factoring in all of the variable prices in between. The total price is based on the average of 5,000 diapers by the time a child is potty-trained. This is a general price comparison and could be explored more extensively. 

The choice is yours and it’s nice to have new options. One small effort repeated over and over by many people can make big differences. 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindra Fehr is an artist, children’s art instructor and the mother of two young children.

 

 

by Ralfee Finn

Only one word can describe November 2008—intense. For the first four days it’s as if no one is even breathing, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself gasping for air or feeling as if you are moving through molasses at the speed of light. We are in a hugely liminal state that for some is simply overwhelming. No matter who wins (and it’s impossible to predict the outcome despite Obama’s many point lead), the days before and after the election are going to be among the most passionate you have ever experienced. Just about everyone recognizes or has a sense of how significant the consequences of this election will be. It carries a multidimensional time signature that merges past, present and future, for as individual choices coalesce into collective intention through the fulcrum of the voting booth, we not only choose the next President, we also set the course for Planet Earth. 

The days following the election are equally intense, with emotions running high on either side. Which is why for those of us committed to consciousness, November is likely to be spent reaching out to others. We are deeply divided, and that divide isn’t likely to mend without a sincere desire to bridge the chasms by transforming our differences. 

Also keep in mind, November’s days are the last days of Pluto in Sagittarius. Pluto enters Capricorn on November 26th, where it will stay until 2023. Philosophy, religion and classical traditions are the fabric of the Sagittarian domain, which provides an expansive view that is curious about all cultural traditions. In a word, Pluto’s journey through Sagittarius was about knowledge. The shadow of that journey is ignorance, particularly the type that fuels religious fundamen?talism. Fundamentalist movements have always existed—Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, to name just a few—but Pluto’s journey through Sagittarius, which began in 1995, allowed the world to not only see, but also to experience the consequences of rigid intolerance. 

The last degree of any sign distills the essence of that sign. So it will be interesting to notice how the final days of this Plutonian journey play out. Are we in for another encounter with dogma? Or will polarization be replaced with synthesis?

The source of this month’s intensity is the Saturn/Uranus opposition, a stressful interaction that’s been building since the beginning of October and is exact and separating on the morning of Election Day. This opposition symbolizes a powerful challenge to the status quo. And given our candidates, their ages, styles of campaigning, and most importantly their individual vision of the future and the policies they would put their vision in place, defining the status quo seems to be unmistakably clear. In many ways, this challenge mirrors the last series of Saturn/Uranus oppositions, which took place between 1965-1967, a time of tremendous cultural upheaval, and a time when young people defied the existing structural paradigm.

Notably, Mars plays an important role in the days leading up to and following the election. Mars symbol?izes physical energy Uranus, radioactive energy. When they unite, they produce extraordinary supplies of energy that amplify the need for personal freedom. They same holds true collectively, and could provide the stamina to obliterate the power of political patterns based on misinformation, lies, fear and mendacious tactics aimed only at the goal of winning at any cost. [Ed.’s note: See “Bogeyman: The Lee Atwater Story,” on Ch. 7, KUED, 9 p.m., Tues., November 11.] 

And while that is my strong personal hope, it needs to be remembered that Mars is also the archetype of the Warrior and its presence signals the very real potential for disappointment, especially over the election, to morph into violence. Fortunately, Mars also sextiles Saturn, which could provide a grounding rod capable of tethering the emotional intensity. But—and this is a big but—as the tension generated by the Saturn/Uranus opposition is directed through a Martian filter, a high degree of volatility is probable. Expect irritation and exasperation on both sides, and also be prepared for a high degree of impatience and intolerance. And expect this intensity to linger.

From the 15-26, Mars also conjuncts the Sun, striking yet another chord for personal freedom as it simultaneously engenders a hot-blooded, hotheaded attitude that’s ready to fight to get the point across. 

Fortunately, for those of us interested in finding thoughtful, peaceful ways of handling the fallout after the election, Jupiter, the planet of good fortune and good humor, lends its support in the form a positive relationship to both Uranus and Saturn. All month long, a Jupiter/Uranus sextile supplies far-sightedness, as well as surprising yet helpful twists of fate.

That’s not all. A Jupiter/Sa?turn trine supports the tenacious but diplomatic pursuit of goals. All of which translates into much needed support for handling the first of several transitions that begin on November 5.

One last bit: As mentioned above, Pluto moves into Capricorn on November 26. On the 27th, Thanksgiving Day, Uranus goes direct. Expect everyone to have a lot to say about everything, and also anticipate those conversations being more than a little spirited. I’m not predicting food fights, but because Thanksgiving tends to be prickly in any year, be prepared for unusually animated dinner conversation.

As the month unfolds, try to keep in mind, there are no easy answers to the problems we are facing and neither candidate has a magic wand. But all of us have the potential to be kind, as well as generous of spirit, a generosity we will need in order to help each other cope with the intensity, especially as the post-election tension releases and the reality of what needs to be done becomes painfully clear.

So as you move through November’s days and nights, remember, the Saturn/Uranus challenge to the status quo is also about an unstoppable creative urge to break free from whatever enslaves, confines or restricts. Use its power wisely. And when possible, respect the needs of others to be as absolutely free as thee.  

Aries March 21-April l9 

The key to maintaining mental health is finding a way to balance a strong personal need for freedom with an equally strong desire to be of service. While harmonizing these desires will take hard work, if you commit to the process, you’ll experience increasing calm and clarity.

Taurus April 20-May 20

You’re aware that certain areas of your life have to change, but you’re not exactly clear about what, where and who. As you search for those answers, listen closely to the friends who know you and love you. Their insights could deliver valuable information.

Gemini May 21-June 21

Even though your personal circumstances continue to frame the question as an either/or, the situation isn’t as simple as that. Before you make the “right” decision, you have to resolve your internal conflict about creating a win/win compromise for everyone.

Cancer June 22-July 22

Yes, it is a crisis between what is and what you wish would be, but that doesn’t mean that’s no reason to devolve into disappointment or despair. There are plenty of chances for you to improve the situation, but you won’t be able to use those opportunities unless you develop a creative attitude and approach.

Leo July 23-August 22

Read Aquarius below and add this: Your personal financial crisis continues, but although you are in a predicament, that doesn’t necessary mean you are adrift on a sea of negative outcomes. Quite the contrary—there is lots of potential for viable solutions, but in order to see them clearly, you have to be in a positive frame of mind.

Virgo August 23-September 22

Make a commitment to telling the truth, and then filter your honesty through an open heart capable of compassion for opposing opinions. Yes, I’m suggesting kindness will work better than anger, so rather than succumb to the temptation to rant, make love.

Libra September 23-October 22

Make every effort to create an internal comfort zone and you’ll feel as if you have the necessary support to create an external environment that feels equally secure. Remember, safety isn’t only about money; it’s also about attitude.

Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21

It won’t do any good to withdraw, so rather than hide away, step into the spotlight and share your ideas with confidence and vitality. Not every insight will be brilliant, but no one is expecting perfection but you. Speak your mind—you might be surprised at just how well your wisdom is received.

Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21

The Wheel focuses on the tension between your professional and personal responsibilities, and invites you to synthesize rather than polarize. That may seem impossible, but if you discard outdated attitudes, you’ll create the potential for a new perspective.

Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19

Disturbing conversations with friends could challenge your confidence. And while self-reflection is always a good idea, you don’t want that internal inventory to develop into a cycle of harsh self-criticism. As much as I always advise kindness to others, it is equally important to treat one’s self with tenderness.

Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18

Read Leo above, and add this: While you may be facing an erratic and unpredictable financial situation, it is still possible to build a bridge over these troubled waters. So take a deep breath, and then see what practical steps you can take to improve the situation.

Pisces February 19-March 20

While you may think the seemingly endless partnership issue will finally be resolved, think again. You still have to be clear about boundaries with significant others, personal and professional. The good news is that you have the strength to be clear and kind. Wear this power well —it suits you. 

© 2008 by Ralfee Finn

Visit Ralfee’s website at www.aquariumage.com or email her at ralfee@aquariumage.com

by Suzanne Wagner

Arthurian Tarot: Mordred, Wayland

Mayan Oracle: Etznab, Imix, New Myth

Aleister Crowley: The Sun, Ace of Cups, Wealth

Medicine Cards: Hawk, Wolf

Osho Zen Tarot: Sharing, Miser, Completion

Healing Earth Tarot: Five of Feathers, Two of Feathers, Four of Wands

Ancient Egyptian Tarot: Queen of Wands, Three of Cups

Words of Truth:  Creativity, Blessing, Form, Dreams

By the time you read this, we’ll likely have elected a new president. There are doomsayers no matter who gets elected. The trend is towards monumental change and a shift out of the old guard. 

The next president will be someone who can implement change and keep a commanding presence during this transformative time. The people will have decided who holds the energetic pattern that will assist the United States to get to the next level of growth and prosperity.

It is going to be a difficult six months for all of us, in the way of gloom and doom; we must actively move in new and uncomfortable directions. Complacency no longer works.

Some will want to totally contract into fear and dread. But it is really not that bad. We all will have to look at things differently and learn new methods of conservation and balance. The trend of excess is finally over. Such patterns cannot last forever. They are out of balance with the reality of human existence. 

We will learn new ways of sharing and connecting with others. We will finally step out of being so self-absorbed. As a country we are also growing up. We have adolescent for so long, full of energy and innovation. Now we need more maturity and responsibility in our interaction with other countries. We are realizing that we need each other.

New creative projects and environmentally friendly products will put us back on our feet financially if we are ready to really embrace this potential. This will allow our economy to recover. 

After all, we are the country of innovation and invention. Let’s get back to that. We are great at coming up with ideas whose time has come. If we allow all of those fertile ideas to be looked at seriously and applied, we can economically recover faster. 

We all need to support companies who are attempting to make energy friendly systems become the norm. That will allow the costs to go down and then everyone wins. 

Nothing that is happening right now is terrible. It is just change. And we are the country that has always been on the cutting edge of change. We are birthing something new and wonderful. We have the potential to see clearly by going higher and gaining perspective.

But first we must begin here with our fellow countrymen. If we can make it work here then we can show those systems to others and teach self-reliance. 

We need to dream and we need to share. 

We need to love others and we need to reflect on what has not been working. 

We can do all of these at the same time. It is time to expand the love bubble to include more than just yourself and your family. We are a global family and we can and do have an impact on each other. 

So, do not contract in fear. Do not close down. Take a deep breath and open to the new. Let in the exhilarating energy of the new possibilities. This could be a ride that you really enjoy. Just get in the car and know that together we can really go somewhere. 

No matter who has been elected, let us all come together and figure out a new way. Let’s listen to all the options no matter whom they come from. Stay open and you just might find something that can change your perspective and allow you to embrace your life in more complete and fulfilling ways. 

Suzanne Wagner is the author of numerous books and CDs on the tarot. She lives in Salt Lake City. www.suzwagner.com

Accessories are the ornaments of the style Christmas tree. Handbags, sunglasses, scarves, belts, eyeglass frames and watches co-habitate with jewelry and shoes, the other kingpins of detail.

This is my favorite part.This is where you get to define the essence of who you are and explore endless variations of style elements. Maybe your style is American Classic with tweed jackets, plain jeans, white shirts, flat leather boots and Avia_tors. Your bag would be a traditional shape and leather or a classic designer fabric.

You might be Modern and love black and white with stand-out eyeglasses that are strongly shaped and colorful.

You might be a Missoni design freak like me and love their particular vintage patterns and funky colors in textiles.Your sunglasses are Aviators or Sporty or Vintage or Mod. Everything has a mix of the flavor of You, like all the elements that make a great wine. The accessories you choose will determine your flavor of the day.

Some people confuse accessories with excessories... having too much of a lot of things that aren't really their style. If you are a wine or chocolate connoisseur, I'm sure you have discovered your preferences.

I'm a spicy chocolate white tequila girl and I love my feminine accessories without a hint of a hard line. My jewelry, purses, scarves, sunglasses, belts-all reflect that same principle. Organic flowy lines with feminine detail.

What is important about accessories is that you don't mix styles at the same time. Wine and whiskey, anyone? That feels crazy. One to three accessories of the same style is fine. Purses are important to your unique style. Change your purse with your style. I have about seven purses and use three of them most regularly. Check my website in December for an inner purse liner that goes from bag to bag easily. (www.intuitionstyling.com)

If you're lazy about changing your accessories, then one or two styles might be best for you. If you get bored easily, experiment with inexpensive sunglasses and accessories until you figure out your style and then pick your favorites in a higher quality. 

Belts are tricky but worth the investment if you find something amazing. You need to find your natural waist. For some women who put on weight in their midsection, just under the breast is their natural waist and that waist can be highlighted with a wrap or fabric belt. This is really pretty with a just-above-the-knee length dress. Most people don't need to use a belt with their jeans unless they are tucking their shirts in, which is uncommon these days. If your pants are loose, get them altered to fit you or buy the right size in the first place. It looks better than a chunky belt with a heavy belt buckle.

One of the best belts for all women is the chain belt in silver, gold or pewter. It falls lightly on our curves or creates curves as needed, expanding in lengths to the necessary place on our bodies where it creates the best flowing line. Chain belts are a great investment as long as they aren't too heavy, too long or cheap looking. I keep all my belts if they are in good shape and just pull out the ones in style right now. Scarves are another thing to keep forever if they are in good shape and in your best colors and fabrics.

Accessories are the variety of the spice of your life. And most accessories, like belts and scarves, take little space to store, so there's no need to worry about messing up your feng shui. 

Auretha Callison is an image and essence consultant in Salt Lake City. www.IntuitionStyling.com

by Diane Olson

NOVEMBER 1 Today the Sun rises at 6:57 a.m., and sets at 5:23 p.m. November's average maximum temperature is 50°, the minimum is 30°. It typically snows an average of 6.5 inches. Look for the crescent Moon floating alongside Venus as the evening twilight fades.

NOVEMBER 2 Daylight Savings Time ends today. It's time to finish cleaning up the garden. (Sigh.) Pull up all of this year's annuals and compost them far away from where you intend to plant next spring. 

NOVEMBER 3 If you have a lawn (weather permitting), mow one last time and over-seed, using annual or perennial rye or white clover. Drain the gas and oil from mowers and tillers before storing.

NOVEMBER 4 Leeks are among the most venerable of vegetables, dating back to the Bronze Age. They were used as rations for the pyramid builders. In AD 640, the Welsh wore leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from their enemies, the Saxons. 

NOVEMBER 5 FIRST QUARTER MOON If you haven't already, drain and store garden hoses and turn off the sprinkler system. Move outdoor furniture into the garage or shed, or cover with a tarp. 

NOVEMBER 6 Death goes green: You can now get a biodegradable casket, crafted from bamboo, willow, or banana.

NOVEMBER 7 Mottephobia is the persistent, abnormal and unwarranted fear of moths. 

NOVEMBER 8 Late fall, after a few hard freezes, is the best time to prune English ivy, Boston ivy, Virginia creeper and other vines, as wells as summer-flowering shrubs and hardy deciduous trees. Never prune spring-flowering shrubs in the fall or winter, or you won't get blooms the following spring.

NOVEMBER 9 It's not too late to get your hands dirty with planting. You can plant spring bulbs, rose bushes, deciduous trees and shrubs until the ground freezes hard. 

NOVEMBER 10 Use high-efficiency pleated furnace filters and replace every three months. You'll breathe better, and you won't have to dust as often.

NOVEMBER 11 A handful of spider webs, rolled into a ball and eaten, is said to soothe asthma. 

NOVEMBER 12 FULL FROST MOON. The Full Moon always rises at sunset, the Last Quarter at midnight, the First Quarter at noon, and the New Moon at sunrise. 

NOVEMBER 13 Move sensitive houseplants away from windows and cut back on watering. Mist regularly. Hold the fertilizer until spring.

NOVEMBER 14 If you still have spinach, chard or kale growing, cover it with an insulating layer of straw or leaves.

NOVEMBER 15 This is the best time of year to plant trees and shrubs. Plan your plantings to save energy: Plant shade trees on the south and west sides of your house to block hot sun, plant evergreens to the north to block cold winds. 

NOVEMBER 16 Having trouble cutting up those winter squash? Soften them up by cooking on high in the microwave for two minutes.

NOVEMBER 17 If you're up with the dawn, look to the southeast, halfway to the zenith, for Saturn. 

NOVEMBER 18  The "feed a cold; starve a fever" concept first appeared around A.D. 50 in the works of a Roman medical writer. Actually, you shouldn't do either.

NOVEMBER 19 LAST QUARTER MOON. When the jet stream is blowing over Utah, it generally takes about 24 hours for a storm to travel from the west coast to the Wasatch Front. 

NOVEMBER 20 Immaculate conception: Some parasitic wasps reproduce without engaging in sex. The perpetual-virgin females produce and deposit viable eggs in or on the bodies of their hosts, giving rise to a new generation of wasps, all of which are female. 

NOVEMBER 21 On this day in 1977, winds gusting to more than 100 mph ripped through Little Cottonwood Canyon, and sustained winds of 75 mph were reported at the Snowbird weather station.

NOVEMBER 22 Wrap tender shrubs and trees with burlap to protect against desiccating winds and cold, or make a windbreak from bamboo or fiber matting, boards, or chicken wire covered with heavy paper.

NOVEMBER 23 Make sure that garden beds are settled in with winter mulch. Use three to four inches of straw, leaves or compost.

NOVEMBER 24 Choline, a nutrient in the B family found in beef, eggs, tofu, almonds, navy beans, cauliflower and peanut butter, is essential to brain development, protects and heals the liver, and may help lower cholesterol and homocysteine levels. Eat some.

NOVEMBER 25 Just to see if they could: In 1921 a consulting firm turned 100 pounds of sow ears into silk-like purses, through a long and laborious process. 

NOVEMBER 26 The sweet potato, a member of the morning glory family, is the single most nutritious vegetable in the world. (And is not actually a potato.) It provides twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and almost half of required vitamin C. It contains calcium, thiamin and iron, more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal, is one of the top four cancer-fighting foods, and boosts your serotonin levels as much as chocolate and sex. Not just for Thanksgiving!

NOVEMBER 27 NEW MOON. Proportionally, the stomach of a pig is much smaller than that of a cow or sheep, so overeating would more appropriately be called "cowing out" or "sheeping out." Happy Thanksgiving.

NOVEMBER 28 Vertical farming could be the wave of the future. Using greenhouse methods and recycled resources, urban high rises, called farmscrapers, could produce fruit, vegetables, fish and livestock year-round. The technology exists and is being promoted by professor Dickson Despommier, Columbia University. 

NOVEMBER 29 Look for the trio of Venus, Jupiter and the Moon together in tonight's deepening twilight. 

NOVEMBER 30 The Sun rises at 7:30 a.m. this morning and sets at 5:01 p.m. 

 "November always seemed to me the Norway of the year."

-Emily Dickinson

Diane Olson is a writer, gardener and bug hugger.