LIVING AWARE WITH OPEN EYES

2010 United States Budget

2010-02-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

The transparency of this administration as well as the previous few is exemplary. For the first time, all of the visitors that step into the White House are recorded on the White House Website.
Recently, the new budget for the upcoming Fiscal Year was published. Needless to say, one needs a degree in Economics to make sense of the daunting number of figures posted as debits and credits. I do think it interesting to go through the document and read the Highlights before each of the Department Budgets. I have included the Highlights for Energy, Education, and Defense. As one looks through these figures, compare the hundreds of billions of dollars that the Department of Defense is allocated to the tens of billions that Energy and Education receive. It's not hard to understand why such a large deficit is being accrued with two wars going on simultaneously.

Funding Highlights for Department of Energy:
• Supports high-risk, high-payoff transformational research and development projects with $300 million for the recently established Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E).
• Supports and encourages the early commercial deployment of innovative energy technologies with an additional $36 billion in guaranteed loan volume authority for advanced nuclear power plants and an additional $500 million in credit subsidy to support $3 to $5 billion in loan guarantees for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
• Provides a 4.6 percent, or $226 million, increase in funding at the Office of Science for basic research and world-leading laboratories to support transformational scientific discoveries and accelerate solutions to our Nation’s most pressing challenges.
• Invests $2.3 billion in applied energy research and development to position the United States as the world leader in energy technology that will address climate change, develop new industries, and create new jobs.

Funding Highlights for Department of Defense:
• Provides $548.9 billion for the Department of Defense base budget in 2011, a 3.4 percent increase over the 2010 enacted level.
• Includes $33.0 billion for a 2010 supplemental request and $159.3 billion for 2011 to support ongoing overseas contingency operations, including funds to execute the President’s new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Maintains ready forces and continues efforts to rebalance military forces to focus more on today’s wars, and provides capabilities to deter or if necessary engage in future conflicts.
• Continues strong support for our men and women in uniform through a robust benefits package including pay increases that keep pace with the private sector.
• Supports access to medical care to the more than 9.5 million beneficiaries: active military members and their families, military retirees and their families, dependent survivors, and eligible Reserve Component members and families.
• Supports wounded warrior transition units and centers of excellence in vision, hearing, traumatic brain injury, and other areas to continuously improve the care provided to wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers.
• Continues to reform defense acquisition, reducing its use of high-risk contracts related to time-and-materials and labor-hours by 17 percent through the end of 2011, while modernizing key weapons systems to provide our troops with the best technology to meet battlefield needs, and eliminating or reconfiguring lower-priority acquisitions.
• Prioritizes resources by ending or reducing several programs, including the C-17 aircraft, the Joint Strike Fighter Alternate Engine program, the Third Generation Infrared Surveillance program, and the Net-Enabled Command Capability program.
• Supports a reconfigured ballistic missile defense strategy, in line with the President’s policy, to better address current threats.
• Accelerates the transition to a low-carbon economy through support of development and deployment of clean energy technologies such as solar, biomass, geothermal, wind, nuclear, and low-carbon emission coal power.
• Reduces security risks through major increases in funding for the detection, elimination, and securing of nuclear material and radiological sources worldwide and the maintenance of a safe, secure, and effective nuclear weapons stockpile.
• Continues the Nation’s efforts to reduce environmental risks and safely manage nuclear materials.

Funding Highlights for Department of Education:
• Provides a $3 billion increase in K-12 education programs, plus up to $1 billion in additional funding if Congress successfully completes a fundamental overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Together, these measures would represent the largest funding increase for ESEA programs ever requested.
• Supports needed reforms of Federal K-12 programs to promote college- and career- readiness, enhance teacher and principal effectiveness, deliver a rigorous and complete education, improve educational options, and prepare our children for the jobs of the future.
• Provides $1.35 billion to expand Race to the Top for school districts as well as States to carry out systemic reform, and $500 million to continue the Investing in Innovation program to test, validate, and scales up effective approaches to student learning.
• Increases the number, and improves the distribution of, effective teachers and principals, by investing $950 million in competitive grants to States and school districts that build comprehensive systems to recruit, prepare, retain, and reward effective teachers and principals.
• Invests $210 million in Promise Neighborhoods, an initiative that integrates school reform with strong family supports and effective community services across an entire neighborhood, so that youth successfully complete high school and continue on to college.
• Expands educational options and increases access to high-quality schools by investing $490 million to grow effective charter schools and other effective, autonomous public schools that achieve results, develop new approaches, and give parents more choices.
• Consolidates 38 K-12 programs into 11 new programs that emphasize competitive funding, accountability for outcomes and flexibility in approaches, and use of evidence to get results.
• Supports the next generation of scientists and engineers by helping States develop and implement math and science instructional practices that are aligned to rigorous college- and career-ready standards and by supporting districts and nonprofit organizations that develop, implement, and evaluate promising and effective programs.
• Increases aid for needy students, reforms Federal student aid programs, and simplifies the financial aid application process.
• Funds new reforms across the Nation’s early learning programs for children birth through age five, so they’re prepared to enter kindergarten ready for success.
• Creates a Workforce Innovation Partnership with the Department of Labor to test and validate effective strategies to improve services under the Workforce Investment Act.

Note: All of the information above is taken directly from the Budget and the Source for all above-stated information is Budget of the United States Government

Please watch this immediately!

2010-02-05T16:35:00.001-08:00

http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/02/conan-visits-a-vineyard-in-napa-valley-classic-late-night-with-conan-obrien-video/

Conan O'Brian's last episode

2010-01-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

So this video is being posted for two reasons:
1) It's absolutely hilarious and amazingly sincere
2) His comment about disliking cynicism over anything else in the world is something that should be echoed across the world.

What if there was no "Rush" to guide the GOP?

2009-12-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

In no way is this blog post a secret hope or desire for the demise of any human being; however, it is speculative based on the hypothetic demise of a human being: Rush Limbaugh. As a sidenote before this entry begins, it should be known also that after the demise of any strong, powerful leader not much really changes. Someone else steps into his/her place, usually doing a better job than their predecesor.
The BBC just posted that Mr. Limbaugh was taken to the hospital in Hawaii recently. What would happen if the millions of people that listen to his Extreme Right Talk Show everyday were to not be able to listen any more? What would happen if the de facto voice of the Grand Ol' Party were to not be around any more?
Would Glenn Beck take his place? Do they both rule the same political kingdom?
There is something deeper here and it is the age-old extreme right vs. extreme left debate, a debate that never really has been and never really will be a debate for the simple reason that it lacks basic verities that guide a true debate. People seeking a balanced vision should read the BBC News or CS Monitor as well as listen to both Beck and Limbaugh as well as Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann. The balance that comes from a distillation of these sources of news/politics/entertainment should give the average thinking person a well-grounded point of view on any one issue. I cannot help, though, but wonder how the more left-leaning and right-leaning news sources contort truth so masterfully well?! Pretty well done, I might say.
(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8435727.stm)

Virginia and North Carolina Ignorance

2009-08-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Some unbelievable results came out of a recent poll taken by the Public Policy Polling, a non-partisan polling group based in Raleigh, N.C. The Washington Post and Newsobserver.com both covered the poll shedding light on some numbers that some might find shocking.

The lie:

A poll done in Virginia showed that "of 579 likely voters queried between July 31 and Aug. 3, showed that 74 percent of those people who identified themselves as Democrats thought Mr. Obama was born in the United States, while 41 percent of those who said they did not think he was born in the United States were Republicans." -Source: Washington Times

A poll done in North Carolina showed that "Barely half of N.C. voters believe President Obama was born in the United States, according to a poll released Tuesday. Public Policy Polling surveyed 749 North Carolina voters Aug. 4-10, and found that 54 percent believe that Obama was born in the United States. Twenty-six percent of those surveyed said they do not believe Obama was born in the U.S., and 20 percent said they were not sure. The survey found that only 24 percent of Republican voters in North Carolina believe Obama was born in the U.S." Source- NewsObserver.com

The truth:

President Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 at the Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, to Stanley Ann Dunham, an American of mainly English descent from Wichita, Kansas, and Barack Obama, Sr., a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Source- Wikipedia.org and Biography.com and Biography.com Video and WhiteHouse.gov

Let's spread the truth and not lies. Do your part.

"A Debate"- We can do better

2009-08-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

From the Dictionary on my MacBookPro the word "debate" is defined as follows:

debate |diˈbāt|
noun
a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward.
• an argument about a particular subject, esp. one in which many people are involved : the national debate on abortion | there has been much debate about prices.
verb [ trans. ]
argue about (a subject), esp. in a formal manner : the board debated his proposal | the date when people first entered America is hotly debated.
• [with clause ] consider a possible course of action in one's mind before reaching a decision : he debated whether he should leave the matter alone or speak to her.

The word "formal" is essential here in order for a debate to be properly called a debate, (if this definition is the one being used). I have been watching the amount of informalities and uncourteous and outright rude people standing up at these "meetings" and proposing their ideas. I have seen proper debates and do not remember any yelling. I do not remember any violent behavior. I do not remember the other side making T-shirts and signs with the opponent's face contorted to resemble Adolf Hitler. Let's do a little better.

You may be wondering why I am posting a definition of debate at this juncture of time; the reason is wrapped around our country's current "health care debate".

It has been quite eye opening how much people are fighting this reform bill. Personally, I am quite excited that people are coming out and questioning what is being proposed. What I am not excited about is the lack of "true debate." The false allegations-- euthanasia, death panels, having the government choose your health care/doctor for you, and the list goes on and on--are jaw dropping to anyone who is not being fed fear-based lies.

For anyone who is looking for an article that enumerates what this bill is really about, see Robert Pear's recent article from the 10th of August found in the New York Times. (There are some that discredit the NYTimes automatically due to the growing allegedly-biased reporting going on; however, this article has been referenced by many critics as a solid and unbiased perusal and explanation of the plan the Obama Administration is presenting). Click here to link to the article.

Another thing that is quite eye opening is the amount of people that are being fed overly-nationalistic lies from the FAR right. You just have to listen to this guy for a little while to realize this. Click here for Glenn Beck's argument against Obama.

Anyone looking for a wonderful "Special Comment" about the Health Care Debate, please tune into the following video.

From Republicans to "Blue Dog Democrats", this is a great argument against our "leaders" serving the corporations and not the people.

Ok, enough said. Enjoy and keep on questioning.

Must needed diplomacy at its best!

2009-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

President Obama speaks in Cairo, Egypt, June 4, 2009.

Please watch this and comment as you see fit.

Jobs That Affect Needed Change

2009-05-15T10:36:00.001-07:00

Look at these job postings on the amazing website Change.org. It is impressive the amount of opportunities waiting for willing workers to take advantage of them.
This country is calling on everyone to give of themselves as much as they possibly can. It will only be together that we successfully come out on top from our financial, social, and political issues that are currently being dealt with.

nonprofit and social enterprise jobs

New Music Website Up

2009-04-06T13:10:00.001-07:00

I would like you to check out my new website that just became public today!

Click here to go to the Official Website of Jon Hinthorne

Michelle + Barack = Two World Leaders

2009-04-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

Not many people can doubt the exciting nature of the recent G-20 Summit of which Barack Obama was such a huge part. After watching all of the television debates and coverage of the events as well as reading article after article, it is hard to deny that the world has been waiting for a leader like President Obama for a long time now.
To judge a person's sincerity is near-impossible; however, the facial looks and body language on each of the worlds' leaders were quite obviously full of hope, sincerity and positivity. Their comments also were filled with a genuine sense of gratitude and appreciation for Obama's policies and actions thus far in his first 70 days in office.
What was most impressive to a lot of the people was the role that Obama's wonderful wife played in this trip to Europe. Michelle Obama has and most certainly will continue to grace the world with her sincere and unconditional sense of love and respect for everyone she encounters. Along side of her husband, they rival the best of the worlds' most prominent statesmen and stateswomen. Her emotional and eloquent speech that she gave at the girl's school that she visited in England is proof that she is not trying to win political points, but rather trying to live the egalitarianism and compassion that she preaches.
Lastly, in this blog entry, there will be a short discussion of Obama's character. If we look at what is going on in the world--a horrific and down-sliding world economy, a handful of full scale and guerrilla wars, and a few resilient and longstanding religious fights/problems just to name a few--it is quite amazing how calm and collected President Obama always is. Each time Obama is on television, on the radio, or delivering weekly addressed at www.whitehouse.gov, Obama proves time and time again that he will help lead our country and the rest of the world in transcending the issues it is powerful dealing with. He has plenty of people that believe he is doing the absolute wrong things and quite frankly a group of people that hate everything about him; hence, he has reason enough to throw a few bones of his own. The GOP has gotten close to not voting for a single one of his proposed policies. That is just enough to maybe getting a bit worked up; however, Obama continues to transcend that pithy game called politics and will continue to work day after day, hour after hour, at digging us out of our economic, social, and political holes that we have dug ourselves into.
The world has been in great need of a resilient, graceful, compassionate, and diplomatic world leader. We now have one for the next four years; better yet, this leader has come with one of the most incredible woman in the world: his wife, Michelle.

Will and Deni McIntyre Use My Music

2009-03-12T22:57:00.001-07:00

The world renowned photographers, Will and Deni McIntyre recently used my song "Hoping" from my second CD called "Elation" for a Montage video they were doing for a project for a professional group in Raleigh, NC. Enjoy!

Click here to watch the video.

Patience

2009-02-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a little while since I have last written. My topic for this post is patience.
The news has been filled with critics and outright disagreeances (both from "Blue Dog" Democrats and Republicans alike) of the approach President Obama is taking in tackling our massive economic problems.
My answer to their concerns is: Be patient.
Our problems in the economic sector are so multi-faceted that they will probably not see a huge turn around for a year, or possibly two years. I am no economist, but I do understand our economic issues to be not only multi-faceted, but also global problems. Our world is often in much more harsh recessions and depressions than we are here in the United States. Why is this important to note?
We must look at the US's connection to the world at all times and under all circumstances because of our "flat" our world is now (to borrow T. Freidman's term). The financial systems around the globe are so interconnected and interacting that this problem is just as a domestic one as a global one. With that being said, we must support the global markets and countries in their own efforts to pick up the pieces and dynamically regroup just as much as we are supporting our domestic efforts at home.
Patience, please. It is a virtue that people will find comforting in times of high stress levels and strong distastes for our government and/or financial system. Huge problems call for huge solutions. Furthermore, huge problems sometimes take a large amount of time to turn the problem around. We must look for opportunities amidst our tumultuous times.
Patience.

Bush's Sec. of Energy vs. Obama's Sec. of Energy: Oh, how different they are

2009-01-28T12:21:00.000-08:00

Something prompted me to compare President George W. Bush's Secretary of Energy to our current one under President Barack Obama. The differences in their credentials are staggering.

Serving for President Bush's second term in office, Samuel W. Bodman appears to be more of a money man and less of an energy man. Graduating in 1961 from Cornell University with a B.S. in chemical engineering and then receiving his ScD from MIT in 1965, it looked like Bodman was on track to work in the chemical engineering sector. Plans changed as, after 6 years of teaching as an Associate Prof. at MIT, he became the "Technical Director of the American Research and Development Corporation, a pioneer venture capital firm. He and his colleagues provided financial and managerial support to scores of new business enterprises located throughout the United States." (Source-http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/bios/bodman.htm). From there, he started working for another financial firm, Fidelity Venture Associates, for which he later became the Chief Operating Officer.

Then, he was understandably asked to be the Secretary of Commerce for Bush's cabinet in 2001 and late the Deputy Secretary of Treasury in 2004. A money man it appears. Then, for the second term of President Bush, Bodman was appointed and unanimously confirmed as Secretary of Energy. History shows us that the alternative energy research and institutions were not at the top of the Bush Agenda in either his first of second terms in office. Maybe his appointments had something to do with this resistance to change; the leader of the Department of Energy was a financial giant not an energy giant.

Now, let's look at our current Secretary of Energy under President Obama: Steven Chu, the first Chinese-American to hold this position. Besides, Dr. Chu's degrees from University of Rochester and UC Berkeley, he is currently one of the leading, vocal scientific experts on moving our coal and oil world to alternative fuels and energies in an effort to combat Global Climate Change. I strongly recommend you read his autobiography on the Nobel Price website as it gives you a clear and profound understanding of where this extraordinary man comes from. Link to Autobiography

Among his accomplishments and prolific scholarly published articles are: founder of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University, member of the Copenhagen Climate Council which helped create momentum for the upcoming 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 for his development of methods to cool and trap atoms using a laser's light.
Sources: http://www.good.is/?p=14784; http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1997/chu-autobio.html; http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/; http://chineseculture.about.com/od/thechinesediaspora/p/Stevenchu.htm

It was strange to me that the previous Secretary Bodman did so much less than Secretary Chu to lead the field of energy, but rather much to help the financial sector in his careers before becoming Sec. of Energy.

Many millions of people are elated about Obama's choices for his cabinet. Time will demonstrate how Dr. Steven Chu does in his newly appointed position. An educated thinking-person might surmise that our nation will finally become a leader in clean, 21st century, alternative, and sustainable energy! How delightful and comforting that the new Secretary of Energy is at the forefront of the science and technology sector working tirelessly to champion the fight against Global Climate Change.

Bookmark this new website!

2009-01-25T17:39:00.001-08:00

Five minutes after President Obama was inaugurated into the Presidency of the United States of America, his old website of www.change.gov instantly became www.whitehouse.gov

Please put this new website as a bookmark that you check often and with a skeptical eye. He is calling for every citizen to stay informed and making it easier than ever to do so.

I am including this video as a reminder of the confidence and good hands that we now have as our nation's leader. He will not be perfect for everyone, but the fact that 100's of millions of people were watching him on Inauguration across the globe means that Obama and his administration must be doing quite a bit in the right direction. A direction leading the nation and the world closer to hope, peace, civil rights for all, cleaner and sustainable environment, and real economic growth.

January 24, 2009 Weekly Video Address by President Obama

2009-01-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

थिस इस अमज़िंग ठाट इ कैन राइट इन हिन्दी विथौत क्नोविंग हिन्दी. This simply means: "This is amazing that I can write in Hindi without knowing Hindi."
A bit of amazement of the modern translating and language tools/technologies our friends at Google have come up with.
Could we have gone too far down the "technology rabbit hole"?

A speech for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

2009-01-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have included the speech for anyone's interest in watching again and/or locating parts they want to review. If you have not seen it yet, you are lightly scorned, and then politely urged to watch it right now. :)

Perfectly Said and Worth Repeating Regarding Human Rights (Prop 8)

2009-01-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

OnBeing (Washington Post Special Project)

2008-12-24T14:02:00.001-08:00

Simply go to this website and watch a few of these. They are positive, real, really helpful, and all-around good people talking about good things.
It's perfect for the theme of this blog.

Washington Post Special "On Being"

Enjoy and Happy Christmas Eve Day and Christmas!

UN Milennium Project and Jeffrey Sachs

2008-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

I was reading through the January/February issue of "The Good Magazine" and was wonderfully struck by the opening article by Jeffrey Sachs, entitled: "The Obama Generation Takes the Helm."
I researched who Professor Sachs is and have to invite everyone to research this man and what he is doing. According to the article in Good, Prof. Sachs is the director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and a special advisor to the UN's secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. Wow.
I researched a bit his work as the director of the UN Millennium Project.
I have to say, the 8 goals listed are an idealist's greatest dream. I can see parallels to these goals as the same "goals" listed as Universal Human Rights in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In the case that you did not or cannot link to the UN Millennium Project page, I have copied in the 8 goals of the Project here:

What they are

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000 the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals and the introduction to the goals (MDGs) Source: UN Millennium Project Webpage.

"The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the world's time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclusion-while promoting gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights-the rights of each person on the planet to health, education, shelter, and security.

Goal 1: Eradicate Extreme Hunger and Poverty
Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development"

The organization of the Project is broken up into 10 "thematic Task Forces" with a work force of more than 250 experts from around the world. Their goal is to dramatically reduce extreme poverty by 2015.
Spread the word and educate yourself.

Happy holidays to all as science refreshingly bounces to top priority.

2008-12-21T22:50:00.001-08:00

Yet again, the upcoming Obama administration grows in astounding ways and by extraordinary means. If you are not already watching the weekly addresses at Change.gov I lovingly encourage you to do so. You will join the other million individuals doing the same. So, for those people following my blog, whether silently or otherwise, I will continue to include those videos and links in hopes that we will become an educated public.
The founders and shaping forces of democracy from its earliest years have written that democracy only works when the public for which it stands is an educated one. Aristotle and Montesquieu wrote much in line with these ethics, these morals, these fundamentals for all mankind. (I stress the reader to focus their attention on Montesquieu's Book 4 of his "The Spirit of Laws"- especially #5)
Today, December 22, 2008, we stand not just as a nation, but rather as a world on the brink of realizing these fundamentals as something possible. Hope rules today and together we shall watch it grow; we will come together to cultivate the peace and love needed to appreciate our differences and relish our likenesses.
Most importantly, I hope, much like President-elect Obama does with his appointments in the Science and Technology faction of his administration that Facts are what we should base our decisions on--not mere politics or ideology.
Here is the weekly address for 12-20-08. Enjoy and happy holidays to all.

Transhumanism

2008-12-18T10:57:00.001-08:00

As I spent some time watching the fantastic videos posted daily on www.good.is/video I stumbled on one in particular that raised an interesting question: "Transhumanism." The question is simple: Due to the military development and deployment of autonomous, killing drones and aircrafts, will those machines eventually turn to kill us all?
This is the question coming from the transhumanist theory that suggest that if we continue to develop and use robotic, remote-control killing devices that they will, eventually, turn around and point the guns at the people that created them (and anyone else for that matter that they come into contact with).
Please watch this video and make any comments on this intriguing idea.

Source- www.good.is/?p=13263
For a great definition of Transhumanism, click on this link to Transhumanism.org

Hope, Energy, Meaningful Change, and now Education

2008-12-16T23:06:00.001-08:00

How happy is makes me and I am sure the rest of the nation that our new President will look at education in the way that it should be looked at. As you watch this video, I would like to highlight my favorite part of President-elect Obama's educational philosophy-a philosophy that I believe he lives and does not just speak. To quote this speech:
"Well, I think it’s time we raised expectations for our kids all across this country and built schools that meet – and exceed – those expectations. As the husband and brother of educators, the Vice President-Elect and I know this won’t be easy – we’ve seen how hard Jill and Maya work every day. And we know it’s going to take all of us, working together. Because in the end, responsibility for our children’s success doesn’t start in Washington. It starts in our homes and our families. No education policy can replace a parent who makes sure a child gets to school on time, or helps with homework and attends those parent-teacher conferences. No government program can turn off the TV, or put away the video games and read to a child at night."
What will it look like if we can get just a quarter of the parents that were not focusing on their child's education to now turn a focused eye and demand a certain academic integrity that has been dwindling in our nation over the past few decades.
As an educator myself I see daily the importance of the parent in the education adventure/journey that each child takes. Without the sincere support of a parent, it is extremely challenging and sometimes impossible for a child to value his/her education to the extent that it should be valued. With that being said, please enjoy the announcement of the Secretary of Education in the upcoming administration: Arne Duncan.
Link to Obama announcing Arne Duncan as Secretary of Education at Change.gov

A perfect explination of happiness and rights for ALL

2008-12-15T23:48:00.000-08:00

Please, follow this link to my friend's blog. Watch the comments made by Keith Olbermann because I think he perfectly and eloquently hit the crux of the gay rights issue that Proposition 8 in California did to force our nation's progress into a terrible regression.
Follow this link to Rapture of Clamour

A new energy plan...finally!

2008-12-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

This blog entry is mostly informative. I have included the energy plan that is included on www.change.gov
So, please enjoy these ideas and at the end I have included a few ideas of my own.

Energy Plan Overview

* Provide Short-term Relief to American Families Crack Down on Excessive Energy Speculation.
* Swap Oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Cut Prices.

Eliminate Our Current Imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 Years

* Increase Fuel Economy Standards.
* Get 1 Million Plug-In Hybrid Cars on the Road by 2015.
* Create a New $7,000 Tax Credit for Purchasing Advanced Vehicles.
* Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
* A “Use it or Lose It” Approach to Existing Oil and Gas Leases.
* Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas.

Create Millions of New Green Jobs

* Ensure 10 percent of Our Electricity Comes from Renewable Sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
* Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source – Energy Efficiency.
* Weatherize One Million Homes Annually.
* Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology.
* Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline.

Reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 Percent by 2050

* Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
* Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change.

Now for some ideas of my own. Nothing too profound of course.
I could not be more ecstatic to have a President that is finally pushing our country to be more responsible in our energy consumption (both usage and types of energy). My only concern is that he is continuing our off-shore drilling of oil. Anyone can understand that no "energy snap of the fingers" will suddenly and without-consequence drag our oil addicted nation away from using such an unhealthy amount of petroleum. However, I think we can move our country to try. I thoroughly enjoy the plan to reduce our Greenhouse Gas Emissions 80 percent by 2050. This is unprecedented in our country, but what most excites me is the next point: "Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change."
If we take a leadership role, the world will finally feel able, supported, and willing to take environmentally responsible action in their own country-specific ways.
Do I believe we will accomplish these environmental and energy goals by the proposed dates? Yes. Yes, I do. It all starts with our own lives, our own conversations, and our own hope. Like most things in life, not much actually gets done when the people have no desire to get it done.

Paradigm Shift Needed

2008-11-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

It appears our world and most countries on it are ready for a massive shift in the way things are done. We have moved from simply desiring to desperately needing changes in energy sources, conflict resolutions,and communication. The majority of newspapers all across the world are currently publishing pieces focusing on the wonderful hope that the grave economic, social, and political problems might be solved soon. Hope. Could hope be the word the world has been needing in order to adequately transition from the war trodden 20th century to the unknowns that will manifest themselves in the 21st century?
I would agree with the new President-elect, Barack Obama, as he spent over 20 months on the campaign trail passionately professing that hope was and is what the United States of America as well as the world needs and needs now.
Our world is in need of a massive change. Whether in the macro or micro areas of our world, a shift in the way things are done appears necessary. If you run into a wall once, why would you ever continue to repeat your mistake? Obama strongly agrees with this idea that we must be able and willing to admit our mistakes and be able and willing to listen to those around us for a possible solution to the problem.
Underneath the surface of every major historical and contemporary problem there lies a more fundamental problem. Fear, hate, and lack of communication are three that come to mind initially. I would like to add a fourth one that is especially existent in the US: irresponsibility.
This notion that everything is always someone else's fault and never our own is simply ridiculous. I can count on one hand the amount of people that I know that consistently take ownership and responsibility for their actions. One example of the way our American society lacks responsibility is seen in the huge number of lawsuits against anyone for any thinkable reason. After all, blaming another person or group is so much easier than blaming ourselves. Another example is seen in education when students are tending to blame anything other than themselves for late or inadequate work. When are we going to start teaching students and world citizens that this world best functions when people take responsibility for their actions and thoughts.
My favorite example of taking more responsibility exists in the current "Green Craze" spreading like wildfire across most developed and some developing countries. Exponential increases in alternative energies, recycling, conscious eating, and organic farming are all positive proofs that we are making progress in being more environmentally aware. If we just mix in the recent cry for hope with a stronger and more consistent responsibility for our thoughts and actions, this massive paradigm shift will be easier.
I do not want this blog to be my personal rant, but rather ideas that plant seeds to later grow when appropriate for each individual reading this.
We find ourselves on the brink of a massive paradigm shift, a change we have desperately been needing after the bloodiest century in our nation as well as world's history. The hope and unity that is currently of paramount interest in the world are the catalysts we have been needing for becoming a world filled with responsibility, compassion, peace, and grace rather than fear, war, hate, and inadequate communication.

Change.gov

2008-11-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

America and the world are ready for and deserve more transparency in our government. www.change.gov is the answer. The President-elect Barack Obama is breaking new ground by replicating a similar weekly "Fireside Chat" that FDR calmed the troubled nation of the early 1930s with. He is doing the same thing, but with a weekly video update on his website called Change.gov. My hope is that you all watch this video and then go to the website and look around. We might as well take advantage of this opportunity to be in a more "personal touch" with our new president. We have a civic duty to stay informed and now it could not be easier to do so with this new website. Log on. Sign up for updates and stay informed.

Being not just Doing

2008-11-21T10:35:00.000-08:00

I recently set a goal for myself: I want to BE and not just DO.
I am going to talk about my own life very briefly but hopefully emphasize this new idea that I have been working with so that you can adopt it into your own life.
I looked at myself recently, (one of those self-aware moments), and realized I was completely exhausted. 36 Final Exams were graded, homework for 2 Masters level classes was lurking, and I was moving houses all at the same time. I have rarely ever had a time in my life when I was so busy as recently.
I felt uncomfortable and unsure that this was the ONLY way to live. There had to be a different way to deal with these "lists" of things I had on my "plate".
As life tends to do when we are living happily and doing good, someone came into my life and enlightened my thought. They made me aware. They opened my eyes.
They said to me, "Jon, try to not just do. Don't be just a doer. Try more BEing."
So, there you have it. Is it easy to do this? It has its hard points; however, I can assure you that things are much less stressful and more more happy and harmonious.
I don't usually write about my personal life in this blog, but maybe one time in a long time is ok. I'd love to hear from people what they think about this idea. It changed my life.

Michelle Obama and Family

2008-11-05T11:41:00.001-08:00

Anyone that watched Obama with his family instantly feels chills down his/her spine. Their pure genuineness and overt love could not be a better example to those people struggling with what a happy family looks like.
I have hardly ever heard a man talk about his wife as Obama talks about Michelle Obama. His speech last night was testimony of this point. He introduced his wife as: "I would not be standing here without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama."
This video shows the sincere love amongst their family.

Obama's Perfect and Graceful Acceptance

2008-11-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Please take 17:25 and watch this video whether you are black, white, purple, pink, red, or blue. This speech is truly history, not in the making, but history MADE.
God bless America and the horse it rode in on.
The next two videos are the speeches by McCain and Bush. Both of these videos are worth watching as they are, on the whole, unifying and positive speeches. Enjoy.

It is time to actually unify as a nation and as a world

2008-11-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

For those who love the election turn out, I offer my happiest hugs. For those who are frustrated and upset, I offer something a bit different.
We MUST as a nation lift our thoughts higher now. We must hold ourselves more responsible for our actions and thoughts. We must actually live in a post-racist nation. We must not fear. "The only thing to fear is fear itself." A wonderful man once said that who understood, just as President Obama does, that the only way for our nation to continue its road to success and prosperity is not through fear but through responsibility, integrity, and a sincere and practiced equality.
These are my thoughts to those struggling right now. I struggled to elect another war hawk into the presidency 4 years ago. It has been hard for me to watch my two cousins and friends go into a war we should have never been in in the first place. I have had to swallow my disagreements and support them though. They risked their lives (4 tours for one of my cousins) because some men thought stepping into a 1400 year old sectarian conflict was the right choice.
Now, we live in a new world. I speak to all humans all across the globe. Black, brown, white, purple, and pink in skin color. Now is the time that we can actually do anything.
What will we do now?

This is simply embarrassing! Palin is in no question NOT READY

2008-11-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

I got the opportunity to go canvassing for Barack Obama last Sunday with a good friend. We talked extensively about the important issues we are going to have to vote on TOMORROW!
If you are voting for McCain/Palin, you need follow this link and listen to this "Interview with Sarah Palin" by the President of France, "Sarkozy".
Here are the facts about this interview according to the BBC.
"Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been taken in by a prank call from a Canadian comedian posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy." It turns out that a Canadian comedian actually was able to get on the phone with Gov. Palin and convince her that he was the President of France?!?! Don't you think that her advisors would be a little bit more cautious than to automatically hand her the phone when the person says they are "Sarkozy, President of France"??!??!
This is simply amazing to me. Please do me a favor and listen to this prank call and then ask this question to you self in an honest and urgent manor: Is Palin really ready to be Vice-President of the United States of America?
Link to the Prank Call from Canadian Comedian

Changeling

2008-11-03T06:05:00.001-08:00

I strongly recommend you to go out and see the new Clint Eastwood film, “Changeling”. There is no question in my mind that Eastwood is "on fire" when it comes to directing and producing films lately, (to use the common speech of the basketball world). If you saw his other masterpiece movie, “Mystic River”, starring Sean Penn, you will remember feeling quite uncomfortable during much of the movie. I hope that this next comment will not move people reading this to not see the movie; however, I will say it nonetheless. I am predicting that if you see this film, “Changeling”, you will feel 10 times more uncomfortable than you felt when watching Sean Penn screaming to see his murdered daughter in “Mystic River”. That made the movie, however, that much better for me! It was so real and heart-wrenching.

So discomfort aside, I would love to share why I loved this film. For the sake of taking too much away from this movie and ruining it, I will keep my excitement about this movie brief. I loved the film because of its masterfully crafted script, its downright beautiful score, and its perfectly acted characters. John Malkovich’s character is nothing short of an exact personification of the true definition of moral courage. The character who plays the LAPD corrupt police Captain makes you want to jump into the movie and yell straight in his face to wake up. And then, there is Angelina Jolie. If she does not win Best Actress for her role in this film, then something has seriously gone wrong in this world and/or the entire Earth moved off of its axis just a bit.

You probably had thought about going to see this film already, but hopefully after reading this you are now going to see it with more urgency and desire.

Go to their website to watch a trailer if you still are not convinced.

3 Trillion Dollar War

2008-10-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

I found this video from the recent issue of "Good" to be absolutely amazing. For me it clarifies how much the US is actually paying and how much we will owe (interest included) in the war we are fighting in Iraq.
It is a must see!
"The Hidden Cost of War."

US Electoral System: Undemocratic and Flawed?

2008-10-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

I love checking the world and her opinion. So often we just look for our US news tycoons for advice and information and forget that there is a whole world out there doing similar journalistic activities as our own journalists in the US. This blog will be short as I just want to share one idea and in no way does this show me as a supporter of what is going in Iran right now!!! I am strictly talking about a more worldly perspective when it comes to news and where we get it.
So here it is. www.presstv.ir is Iran's "the first Iranian international news network, broadcasting in English on a round-the-clock basis." It "aims to offer expansive news coverage, specifically delving into Middle Eastern current affairs." Source. Why I am citing this is because of the poll that it was taking on the homepage. The questions was: "In your opinion why is it that apart from Republican and Democratic candidates, the nominees of other parties are marginalized in the US presidential race? Because: 1) Only these two parties are qualified to run the country 2) The Dems and Reps have better financial resources 3) The US electoral system is undemocratic and flawed.
I chose an answer to the question and was struck by the response to the poll! A staggering 79% thought that answer three was correct: "The US electoral system is undemocratic and flawed", 19% chose answer 2 and 7% chose answer 1.
I am in no way sure about the people contributing to this poll, who they are, where they live, or how educated they are of the US electoral system in the first place. However, the numbers are quite telling nontheless.
I recently heard a poll taken across Europe telling that about 8 out of every 10 people want Obama to win the election. 80%?!?!? That is amazingly high and something I believe is quite important. Yes, our country first. But I say the other countries a close second, third, fourth...194th. (The US State Department recognizes 194 countries in the world).
We must begin to actually think globally for both our sake and the sake of others. We must start eating with the planet in mind. We must start thinking about our carbon footprint with our neighbors and children (present or those to come in the future) in mind.
I finished with a mini soap box. Not too bad for being the 8th blog post so far.

Unprecedented Donations

2008-10-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

I continue to say, "Wow!", to Senator Obama's unprecedented amount of money raised during this campaign. Anyone that can rake in over $600,000,000 for a single campaign must be doing something right.
To anyone, that number is staggering, but to me the number of people donating to the campaign is even more mind-blowing! According to a recent article citing Sen. Obama's campaign contributions of $150 million just in the month of September, David Plouffe (Obama's campaign manager) contributed an email that said, "the campaign had added 632,000 new donors in September, for a total of 3.1 million contributors to the campaign."
WHAT?! 3.1 million contributors in this campaign alone? In my meager knowledge of the history of our country, that number of donors to a single, presidential campaign is impressively unprecedented and impressive.
I love figuring out the percentages of people that constitute a group. For example, I just was watching the wacky network called FoxNews and the anchor cited how many viewers they have watch their broadcasts: "over a million viewers", she said. That means that one-third of 1% of the American population watches the outwardly conservative network called FoxNews. So what percentage of the American population has donated to Obama's campaign? If I do my math right with the US's population being about 300 million people, about 1% of the entire country has financially invested in the "Obama movement".
I make the comparison to FoxNews not to bash the network or say that we should stay away from the network. I, personally, watch the channel every once in a while to gather information from the more conservative opinion-slanted news anchors. We must be constantly looking at all sides of the issue before professing that our opinion is the best.
In short, Obama has a lot of money. Yes, his $600 million in campaign donations seems excessive; however, when you realize that 3.1 million people have donated to his campaign, tha makes the average donation to be a roughly $200.
To finish, I will make a comparison to the sources that Senator McCain gets his campaign money. According to another article from the International Herald Tribune, "But an examination by The New York Times of a list of 106 elite fund-raisers who have brought in more than $100,000 each for McCain found that about a sixth of his money collectors are lobbyists." That's roughly 17% of all his donations that have come from lobbyists. Could this be why his message has stayed with "Drill Baby Drill" and "Win the War"? He might have a few people "in his back pocket paying him to say a few things that makes their own pocketbooks considerably thicker.
In conclusion, money is a big deal in a campaign. Obama has a heck of a lot of it from a heck of a lot of average, wealthy, and even poor Americans wishing to be a part of history in the making.

A Must See Program Breaking All Journalism Boundaries

2008-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching my usual CNN, Fox News, CNN, Fox News, with a little Baseball World Series mixed in between commercial breaks. Larry King was decked out in his matching suspenders and tie, this time a sparkling silver. He had a few panelists on talking about the usual political talking points, and strangely enough ALL ENDORSING OBAMA. The last panel was three men, comedians to be exact. A hispanic comedian, an African-American comedian, and another man I did not recognize. Their wispy jokes and light-hearted comments cast such a wonderful and positive flare on a seemingly-negative election. Then it began...
D.L. Hughley Breaks the News, a program filled with equal parts comedy as substantial reporting, rewired my way of looking at a nightly news show. So long America has enjoyed the wonderful talking heads like CNN's Larry King and NBC's Brian Williams, but never in my short history have I seen something like this show, D.L. Hughley Breaks the News.
Airing at 10PM Eastern Standard Time, the very funny and very intelligent African-American comedian, D.L. Hughley takes us into a whole new world of political, domestic, and international news reporting. My suggestion: Watch an episode next Saturday. Can't make it on Saturday? Try Sunday when it re-aires at the same time, 10PM ET.
I guarentee you that with a light-hearted and open-minded attitude, you will enjoy yourself thoroughly. One of my suggestions of how a talented, intelligent African-American comedian as D.L. Hughley can gain a nighttime slot on CNN is the idea of post-racism. That is another blog entry, but please watch this man and let me know what you think as I thoroughly enjoyed it!

A Magazine Called GOOD? Genius!

2008-10-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

A great friend of mine recently wrote me with a suggestion that I look at this new publication he had recently found called "Good Magazine". I went to their website www.good.is and immediately fell in love with everything the publication was about. I sprinted around the website looking at the out-of-the-box posts, videos, articles, and comments people had contributed to the organization with the goal to "Doing Well and Doing Good" for "People Who Give A Damn".
Now for their publication--an outright needed magazine that comes every two months like clockwork. Each issue is centered around a central theme. The first one I received was about responsible, perspective-opening travel; the second one was all about moving towards a sound, successful education system, and the most recent one blew me out of the water: the "Election Issue(s)".
This post is simple, yet extremely to-the-point. Go out and check this publication out. Yes, I have had people say, "Jon, this is outright liberal BS." But, the majority of people I have showed the publication to have been equally enthralled with its out-of-the-box, progressive, positive thinking. Why? Because I sincerely believe with the fact that those three things are what we need in the world as well as in our country.
How do I sign up? It's simple. Go to Join Good and if you are not excited about the Magazine than at least you were part of a noble and needed donation. Yes, a donation. By now going to the last link you have now realized by going to the website that the company is a non-profit and the magazine payment goes to a Charity of your choice?!?! AMAZING!

Department of Peace

2008-10-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

As I admit that the ideas in this post are in no way original, I find them extremely pertinent to a world and country so focused on war and struggle.
I recently attended a conference at Webster University led by a man who possibly no better embodies a sustainable, peaceful, pragmatic lifestyle: Satish Kumar. (Please follow this link to one of the most eloquent publications which Kumar is and has been the editor for the past 30 years called Resurgence.) During this conference, the speakers stood in front of us and talked very clearly and passionately about Kumar's three word mantra: Soil, Society, and Soul. In short, he and his movement towards a more equal, sustainable, peaceful world supports a sustainable earth, an equal society, and a spiritual faith no matter what particular religious faith. One man particularly impressed the crowd and gave the final speech: Dennis Kucinich. I had heard a little bit about this humanitarian, environmental politician running for the Democratic Presidential Nomination; however, I knew very little about him. Then my ears perked up as he introduced an idea to me that I believe is worthy of discussion.
Kucinich and many others in this country and around the world are in favor of introducing a Department of Peace. The argument is that the U.S. has a Department of Defense (aka Department of War and Defense of the State). I urge you all to go read the bill that he has attempted to introduce into Congress multiple times. Here is the meet of the issue.

"The United States was founded on hope, optimism, and a commitment to freedom. We can once again become a beacon of hope for the world. To do that, we must reject the current administration's policies of fear, suspicion, and preemptive war. It is time to jettison our illusions and fears and to transform age-old challenges with new thinking. This is the idea behind my proposal to establish a Department of Peace. This is the idea to make nonviolence an organizing principle at home and abroad and dedicate ourselves to peaceful coexistence, consensus building, disarmament, and respect for international treaties. Violence and war are not inevitable. Nonviolence and peace are inevitable." (Source: K ucinich.us )

What would happen if we as a nation were to move this idea from an ideal to a reality? I end this blog post with one more idea to answer the aforementioned question: WE WILL NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE NEVER TRY.

I do want to add that I believe Kucinich would have been too idealistic to be President of the United States; however, his ideas have the possibility of being revolutionary for the greater good of humanity.

Political Politics???

2008-10-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely amazing that our country will finally come out and vote in unprecedented numbers in a few weeks! I have a sense of national pride for the first time in at least 8 years and really appreciate the fact that my national pride is back. How is it back? The answer is one word: Obama.
Over the past few years I have had the chance to hear Senator Barack Obama three times in a live setting and each time was similarly life changing! Each time Obama spoke "to me" I received a distinct feeling up my spine that I get right after I write a new piano song. This kind of inspiration has driven me to never doubt the sincere hope and unwaivering integrity that I believe this unique man to possess.
You will hopefully not hear me (or read me haha) saying that John McCain is a terrible man. In fact, I believe that he is inherently a wonderful person; except for the fact that he is a puppet for a mudslinging campaign that makes him look like a poor individual when he really is not. In short, I agree with a friend who recently said that McCain's campaign ruined the image that their candidate had made for himself by the desperate, erradic measures they have taken recently.
Mudslinging....hmmm mudslinging. I do not agree with the fashion in which McCain and Palin do it. Nor do I agree with the ways Obama retaliates at times. PICK UP THE OVERALL INTEGRITY OF POLITICS PEOPLE!
I do not and will never accept the stupid excuse: "It's politics. It's ok to do that. After all, it works, sadly." I believe human beings to be inherently good until they are shaped by their surroundings to be otherwise. The social pressures to adopt a specific doctrine whether it is from your parents or from "your political party" can be things we do not have to take so seriously. Have opinions but never lose a sense of perspective.
Which leads me to my last point this morning: having a world perspective. Having traveled to the 11 countries I have been to so far in my short life, I have realized how impressively important it is to understand other countries. Not only should we be traveling to other countries, but I sincerely believe we should be participating in the societies and cultures on a more personal level. Speak to those people reading in a plaza. Smile at others when they smile. Eat on the streets with the locals.
This is the way my thought expands from one idea to another. This blog post went from politics to traveling. There you have it.

हप्पिनेस Happiness

2008-10-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

How do we stay consistently happy every day and every moment?
I have recently been thinking a lot about happiness. To simplify a complex issue, I have realized that being happy is a decision that we make everyday.
Is it a decision that we make every moment? If we make the decision to be happy in the beginning of the day do we stay happy throughout the day? Or do we need to make the decision every few hours?
I love other languages so sometimes my titles will be in other languages. This one is in Hindi in honor of one man from whom I get most of my inspiration to live a more loving, tolerant, respectful life.

An introduction of sorts

2008-10-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

As there is something innately egotistical about the new era of blogging that our flat and ever-so-flattening world has emerged into, I find a desire and need to share my own thoughts with those people who may be interested. I only ask that you enjoy and question what I say as I sincerely believe in what Socrates said: "There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance."
It is our moral responsibility to all mankind to always be seeking knowledge and consequently diminish our ignorance.
This first blog post introduces my thoughts and hopefully sets the stage for my following posts. Living aware is an idea I got from studying Buddhism for a short amount of time. A paramount ideal for Buddhists is to always be increasingly aware of things around you both physically and spiritually. "The greatest precept is continual awareness."
Being a man trying to realize a clearer faith in God every day, I am always struggling to gain a broader sense of awareness, a "continual awareness." One of my greatest goals is that those reading this will attempt in their own lives to continually strive to be aware on a deeper level than simply noticing the happenings around you.
I perceive it as quite ironic that some of my most lucid moments have occurred when I was dreaming. Hence, the other half of the title of this blog, Open Eyes, relates to much more than simply having ones' eyes physically open. I am referring to keeping our perspectives open to differences that might make us want to close our eyes. Obviously I am speaking metaphorically here and referring to closing our eyes as shutting off the uncomfortable or unfamiliar instead of trying to understand it more clearly.
In an attempt to maintain the reader's attention here, I will pause my thoughts (which is not possible actually), and leave these little "thought seeds" to germinate and grow.
Feel free to become a "Follower" of this blog as I am not writing this for only myself but for the possibility that others might find it helpful as well.
I will leave this post with a quote from a wonderful collections of books which I read often yet do not take literally 100% of the time, The Bible. Jesus is quoted in the book of Mark as saying, "And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened."
So I pass on this revolutionary idea to you: Ephphatha.