July 19, 2019

Hey book lovers! Do you love building your own library? Does that mean you have dozens and dozens of books you just haven't gotten around to yet? Are they piled haphazardly in stacks in front of your bookcase? And does having those stacks give you a certain sense of comfort and peace? 

There's a word for that; tsundoku.

The Huffington Post gave a breakdown of the specifics of the term: 

Defined as the stockpiling of books that will never be consumed, the term is a Japanese portmanteau of sorts, combining the words “tsunde” (meaning “to stack things”), “oku” (meaning “to leave for a while”) and “doku” (meaning “to read”). 

The term tends toward the lighter side of hoarding stuff, and is evocative of being comfortable in your little book fort, merrily revisiting classics and making discoveries in the stacks that you find around you. 

For those of you who think you might be in the grips of full-on tsundoku syndrome, there is even a subreddit where you can chat with fellow bibliophiles about your collections. 

As for myself, my tsundoku stack is mostly horror novels, coffee table art books about 80s pulp, and the occasional dark history book.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016, the Lok Sabha, one of the two houses of Indian Congress, unanimously passed a bill to unlock over $6 billion dollars in accumulated funds that would go toward increasing the forest coverage in India. The bill, called the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF), aims to utilize a large sum of funds that have accumulated over the past ten years in a central, governmental body. 

The bill will go to the other house of congress, Rajya Sabha, in the coming weeks and is expected to pass there as well. 

Encouraged by the recent Paris meetings on climate change, the creation of this historic legislation will lead to necessary reforestation across the country and has the potential to create many jobs in the rural and tribal areas of India. As part of the Paris Agreement, India committed to creating 2.5 billion tons of additional carbon sink, i.e. creating more forest.

Furthermore, the bill aims to: 

• provide transparency for how the funds will be spent. 
• create a National Compensatory Afforestation Fund in the central government and the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund in respective states. 
• ensure the states will spend the funds for reforestation and related works, such as, forest regeneration and wildlife protection. 
• set up a national and state-level authority to monitor the utilization of the funds.

Ahead of the curve as usual, Tesla announced some very exciting news in the arena of solar energy. In its fourth-quarter investor letter, Tesla announced that it will begin selling and installing its solar roof later this year. 

In October 2016, Tesla unveiled its solar roof product, which was about a month before the company acquired SolarCity in a deal worth $2.1 billion. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said it looks "quite promising" that the solar roof could be cheaper than a normal roof, factoring in the price of labor. 

Here's everything we know about the new solar roof product: 

Tesla will offer four types of shingles to match different housing aesthetics in an effort to get homeowners to ditch clunky solar panel add-ons in favor of a beautiful roof.

"First of all, I’ve never seen a solar roof that I would actually want… they're weird," Musk said on a conference call Nov. 1. "Every one of them that I’ve seen is worse than a normal roof, without exception. So unless you’re going to beat a roof on aesthetics, why bother?"

Here you see Tesla's textured glass option.

Tesla tucked the solar cells behind the glass...

... And in doing so, you can't really tell the roof has solar cells. That's the crux of Tesla's solar roof vision: to create something that's both aesthetically appealing and efficient. 

Musk has been emphasizing the importance of competing on an aesthetic level when it comes to the new solar product offering.


Musk seemed most excited about Tesla's French slate tile offering, saying the style is "one of the hardest things to do." This photo gives you a nice look at the solar cell hidden in the tile.


"My roof is a French slate roof, that’s one of the tile styles I wanted to do," Musk said on the conference call. "And we were able to get that. Super hard.”


Musk said at the event that each French slate tile was made using a process known as hydrographic coloring, a process that uses water to apply printed designs.


"The production process itself makes each tile specially unique, it’s sort of a special snowflake tile," Musk said at the solar roof unveiling.

 

Tesla's hydrographic process is being overseen by a brand new Tesla glass tech division, Musk said on the Nov. 1 call. He said the process is "using a lot of techniques from the automotive glass business." 
Musk said the solar roof could cost less than an actual roof, but still hasn't given specific pricing information. However, Lyndon Rive, SolarCity's former CEO, said on the Nov. 1 call that "we think we can get to that price point of 40 cents a Watt over time in large scale" for the solar cells, which would put it in line with the competition.
"We’ll have the best cell at the lowest price. Just as we have the best battery cell at the lowest price," Musk said on the Nov. 1 call. "We have the highest energy density cell at the lowest price."

Rive said on the call that the solar roof would most likely not fall under a lease or power purchase agreement, but instead as a straightforward loan. "In that case, there is no asset ownership challenge. We would just transfer the ownership to the new homeowner," he said.

Tesla's smooth glass tile is meant to offer "more of a modern look," Musk said at the event.
Unlike the textured glass tile and French slate offering, the smooth glass tile seen here was purposefully designed so you could see the solar cells from certain angles.

"From the vantage point of the street or anywhere near the house it looks completely opaque, but to the sun it’s transparent," Musk said. Although, it's hard to imagine why a feature you can only see from an aerial vantage point would be a huge selling point.
Lastly, Tesla's Tuscan glass tile offering. The roof shown at the event wasn't exclusively made up of Tesla's Tuscan tile. Instead, only the darker tiles seen here come with the solar cells.
Like the smooth glass tile, Musk made a point of showing how looking at the Tuscan tile from different angles will determine whether you can see the solar cell.

Here's a better shot of how the Tuscan glass tiles look once they're installed.

Musk also made a point of showing the durability of Tesla's glass tiles with a weight taste. He also wrote in an Oct. 28 tweet that you can walk on the tiles like you would with regular asphalt shingles.

Musk also tweeted that the solar glass tiles can incorporate heating elements to clear snow while generating energy. He said it wouldn't be energy intensive to melt the snow, but "strongly net positive" in an Oct. 28 tweet. 

The solar cells will be produced at a plant in Buffalo, New York. Tesla and Panasonic will produce the solar cells at the Buffalo manufacturing facility in mid-2017. Tesla is referring to the Buffalo plant as Gigafactory 2. 

Musk's solar roof product is one of several energy products Tesla is offering now that it's merged with SolarCity.

 

Award winning photographer, editor and artist Karsten Thormaehlen based in Frankfurt, Germany has captured gorgeous photos all over the globe of architecture, high-end luxury goods, and fashion models. For his most recent collection of published photos, he's chosen to focus on what he thinks is his most beautiful subject yet: centenarians- or people who have lived at least 100 years of life. 

In his book: "Aging Gracefully: Portraits of People over 100," Thormaehlen traveled from New York, to Japan, to Peru, to the Netherlands, and everywhere in between to take portraits of 52 centenarians. Each photograph in the collection is accompanied by insightful and engaging text about each subject that captures their essence, their insight and their wisdom that only comes from living over 100 years on this Earth. 

When asked about this project, Thormaehlen is quoted saying: 

“Since I’ve worked for many years in the beauty industry as an art director for luxury goods and cosmetic brands, I know what it takes to achieve ‘perfect beauty.’ It’s almost impossible! Like reaching ‘absolute zero’ or ‘squaring the circle.’ I’m convinced true beauty comes from self-awareness.”

                                      Tonaki Tsuru from Japan (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

 

While selfies seem to have taken over the internet in recent years, Thormaehlen says very old people look at photography in a completely different way than most: 

“Being photographed is and has been something special in the past, only performed on special events, and on certain stages of one’s life: baptism, wedding, first child, all generations together, anniversaries etc. Back then, photographing was a complicated issue, it was expensive — and always very sad if the photo, which you saw days or weeks later for the first time, didn’t come out properly. ... They give me, the photographer, the impression that they enjoy the attention, being photographed. It’s fun for them.”

      Secundo Timoteo Arboleda Hurtado from Ecuador (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

In order to find his subjects, Thormaehlen searched via many avenues: some he discovered through people who had seen his work, some through their grandchildren and some through advertisements or by talking to managers of resident homes. Some he found through online searches.

          Olivia Hooker from White Plains, New York (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

Dr. Olivia Hooker of White Plains, New York, (pictured above) was one of the first African American women to join the U.S. Army. As a child, the Ku Klux Klan ransacked her home during the 1921 riots in Tulsa. "I still don't know why they bothered to burn up a little girl's doll clothes, but they did," she told the Wall Street Journal. When Thormaehlen photographed Hooker, he noted that the walls in her home are filled with diplomas and greetings from the Clintons, the Bushes and the Obamas.

                   Sigurgeir Jonsson from Iceland (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

When speaking about the project, Thormaehlen spoke about how the main theme that continued to show up again and again was a shared love of life. Thormaehlen is quoted as saying: "I learned from almost everybody that they love living, 100 percent. They don’t think about dying, but if it happens it won’t be a problem."

                                      Maria Luisa Medina from Ecuador (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)


When visiting one of his subjects at her home in Ecuador, Thormaehlen had to clime a short but steep path to get to her. When Luz met him at the door and saw how hard the photographer was breathing from the climb, she smiled and said, "Hope this answers your question how to become 100!"

                                      Gaspare Mele from Italy (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

One question Thormaehlen asked all of his subjects was: "What's the secret to your longevity?" 

In response to his question, Gaspare Mele from Italy shared: "Live and work in peace and harmony with yourself and with others. Always try and distinguish good from evil." 

Most days Gaspare can be found sitting at his kitchen table composing poetry on his timeworn typewriter.

Zoila Donatila Aliaga Melendez vda de Roman from Peru (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)

Zoila Donatila Aliaga Melendez vda de Roman from Peru believes that it's her faith that has allowed her to live so long. She gathers with friends at least twice a day to pray. Zoila has lived a full life - she married at 19 years of age and has 8 children, 21 grand children and 23 great-grandchildren. In addition to praying, she love to spend her time playing cards, knitting and reading.

Gerardus Jacobus Johannes Keizen from the Netherlands (Photo: 'Aging Gracefully' by Karsten Thormaehlen/Chronicle Books 2017)
 

When asked what his secret was, Gerardus Jacobus Johannes Keizen, a centenarian from the Netherlands, said: "A routine life of moderation. Go to bed early, don't smoke, don't drink — although you can always make an exception now and then for a whisky. And for gin, too." 

So there you have it - some helpful tools for living a long and vibrant life include: living in harmony with yourself and others, living a life of faith and everything in moderation. 

This book is a beautiful contribution to the world.

To find it, you can follow this link: http://amzn.to/2kMpC3g
 

Photo: Charles O'Rear via wikipedia; a plane dispensing pesticides.
 

In the current world, pesticides pervade our homes, schools, parks, and public lands. You name it - pesticides are there. 54 years after Rachel Carson published "Silent Spring", raising public awareness about the danger of pesticides in our environment and on human health, the use of pesticides has only increased. Pesticides have been linked to a wide array of negative health problems ranging from headaches to nausea to reproductive issues to cancer. Pesticides are toxic and harmful to all life, and the continued use of pesticides is not sustainable. 

In the field of agriculture, there has been a resurgence of people looking for alternative means of pest management. Beyond organic options, a growing number of farmers are looking to biodynamic methods of farming that are not only a chemical-free approach to farming, but also produce healthier food and soil.

Photo: Dusty Yao-Stamets via Wikipedia; Paul Stamets holding an Agarikon Mushroom.
 

In the field of mycology, the study of fungi, there have been several exciting advancements that offer another, chemical-free method of pest management. Ten years ago, Paul Stamets patented 200,000 entomopathogenic fungi, a type of fungi that destroys insects. In a talk he gave in 2008, Stamets shared that several executives from the pesticide industry told him that that his work with fungi is the "most disruptive technology" the industry had ever witnessed. The fungi that Stamets developed and patented is able to attract different pests to it and, upon eating it, the pests eventually turn into fungi from the inside out. 

Paul's work with fungi presents a very exciting new avenue for pest management - a method that works with nature to fight off unwanted pests. 

To learn more about Paul Stamet's work, check out his website here: http://www.fungi.com/ 

And be sure to watch his TED talk from 2008 below:



Article by: Rajmani Sinclair, September 27, 2016

 

No, it's not a state in the United States, nor is it in the Western Hemisphere for that matter. The first 100% organic certified state is in India. Sikkim, located in Northeastern Indian, between Bhutan and Nepal, received this certification back on January 18, 2016, during the Sikkim Organic Festival.

Out of all the countries in the world, India has the most organic farmers, and now it can claim that it has the first, fully organic state. Sikkim is home to 66,000 farmers, all of whom have sworn off GMOs, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. This comes as a significant achievement of the Sikkim Organic Mission Plan, which, in 2003, set a goal for the state to become 100% certified organic. 

India has a long standing tradition of growing products with little to no input and saving seeds that date back centuries. Thus, the idea of organic farming is nothing new to India. However, the concept of "certified organic" is new and has yet to gain much consumer support in the country. Thus, Sikkim, and the rest of India, is in the process of learning how to market organic produce domestically to consumers.

Photo: Anja Disseldorp - Flickr: India Sikkim - view of rice fields

 

Sikkim's organic farming serves as a case study for the Indian government, who is exploring whether statewide organic production is reproducible on a larger scale. In Sikkim, the government worked from 2003 onwards to support farmers in becoming 100% organic by gradually removing subsidies for pesticides and fertilizers, purchasing organic certification for Sikkim farmers, and increasing the integration of organic farming techniques across that state. 

The landscape in Sikkim is not ideal for conventional farming. Most farmers in the state own 4 hectares or less of land, which they cultivate using terraced farming methods due to the hilly features of the land. Thus, the monocultures that dominate nonorganic, conventional farming wouldn't work in the region anyway. 

At the moment, Sikkim, a land-locked state, does not have the infrastructure that would make transportation and export of its organic produce possible. In addition, the mechanisms for marketing and selling organic produce in India are not fully established either. Therefore, this milestone, while significant, marks only the beginning of a long road for organic farming in India.

Photo: Kaushik Das; A view of the winding, switchback roads in Sikkim.
 

As other agricultural products in India also switch to non-GMO and organic, such as cotton, the Indian government will need to look at how it can best support all of its farmers in making the shift to organic while ensuring that the farmer's livelihood is not overlooked; especially since India has a difficult history of farmer suicides. 

While Sikkim presents unique conditions that have supported it in becoming a 100% certified organic state, it does serve as inspiration for the rest of the world. Might India lead the way in creating a 100% certified organic country? We will have to wait and see. 

Article by: Rajmani Sinclair, September 20, 2016
 

 

Wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places, even in an imaginary land called the Hundred Acre Wood. Many of us grew up watching and reading the misadventures of Winnie the Pooh and his colorful friends, but perhaps we've forgotten the qualities that these lovable characters possessed and tried to pass on to us bright-eyed wee ones. Here are some timeless quotes from that cuddly yellow bear, reminding us that wisdom can be cultivated at any age.
 

1. "You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." 

2. "People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day."

3. "Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day." 

4. "Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That's the problem." 

5. "What day is it?"
    "It's today," squeaked Piglet!
    "My favorite day," said Pooh.           

6. "You're braver than you believe and stronger and smarter than you think." 

7. "Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more… to give way to the happiness of the person you love." 

8. "A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference."

9. "Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering." 

10. "If there ever comes a day we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever." 

11. "The things that make me different are the things that make me."

Compiled by Rajmani Sinclair

                                                                   

Nestled in the scenic slopes of Ashland, Oregon, there sits a house that looks like it materialized right out of a fantasy story book. This unique homestead is truly fit for a king, queen, wizard, hobbit, fairy, unicorn... You get the idea. It's magical, to say the least. 

Surrounded by hills, mountains and rivers, this custom-designed residence features an impressive 700 acres of land, sweeping views, hand-carved Brazillian Mahogany detailing, and a structure that mimics the graceful forms found within nature. Just take a look:


You'll have plenty of room to conjure spells or what have you in this 8,880 sq. ft work of art. Completed in 2016, the house features rounded edges and broad curves that resemble its organic surroundings. Behold the foyer! (Above) Lovely granite floors welcome you into the space, and the giant mahogany door depicts the local fauna (eagles, salmon and coyotes) in traditional Native American style.

                                             The hardwood floor sweeps you into the interior with its river-like aesthetic.

                                              This gorgeous curved staircase features hand-carved bannisters that resemble young trees growing side by side.

                                              Natural light floods through a glass segment as you ascend.

                                        The hearth boasts a beautiful mosaic of two dragons intertwined, forming the shape of a heart with their glistening bodies.

                                              Manzanita tree trunks support a huge granite island underneath bright, floral lights.

                                              Many of the windows have unconventional shapes, giving the house a unique, whimsical vibe.


                                              Just look at those views!
                                              The sloped cedar ceiling makes this giant room feel even more spacious.

                                Ready for the damage? As of now, this real estate gem will cost you 8.2 million buckaroos. If we had that kind of money, we'd be sold! 

                                What do you think? Is it worth all that money, and would you live here? Let us know in the comment section below!



Article by Nate Morgan

As Gandhi so eloquently put it: Be the change you want to see in the world. 

Balbir Singh Seechewal, fondly known as Eco Baba, is a living example of Gandhi's quote. In recent days, Eco Baba has been getting a significant amount of press for the work he started in 2000 to clean up a 160 kilometer stretch of the Kali Bein river in the Punjab region of India. 

When speaking about his project, Seechewal quoted a verse from the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book) saying: "The wind is our Guru, the water our Father, the earth our Mother."  This verse calls upon people to treat the earth, wind, and water with respect, but since the Green Revolution four decades ago, increased agricultural production has lead to more pollution of the earth, water and air. Several villages and towns dumped their waste into the river, and this led to parts of the river drying up, which had significant repercussions for neighboring farmland. Runoff from the waste in the river also seeped into the groundwater, causing many people to contract lethal diseases. The health of local communities started to reflect the poor health of nature as a  result of their polluting practices.

Seechewal saw this and decided that he wanted to break the cycle of pollution and destruction. Drawing upon the Sikh tradition of kar sewa, or selfless service, he inspired many locals to get involved in helping clean up the river. In an attempt to get the local and municipal governments to support his efforts, Seechewal started a public awareness campaign in the region and together, with the help of several people giving hours of selfless service, they cleaned 99 miles of riverbed, built new river banks, and revived traditional methods of waste disposal and treatment. Since cleaning up the main part of the river, Seechewal has set his sights on cleaning up rivers and creeks across the Punjab in a more systematic way. 

Seechewal's efforts show how the efforts of one person can have a ripple effect - inspiring and benefitting the community in a very meaningful way. 

Written by: Rajmani Sinclair, April 13, 2016

Everywhere you look these days, people seem to be professing the benefits of mindfulness. Yogis have been talking about it for thousands of years, and now Western science is finally starting to catch up with what some sages have known for ages. But what is mindfulness anyway? And why should you care? 

To put it succinctly, Ronald Siegel, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, states that mindfulness is: "awareness of present experience with acceptance." 

Sounds simple enough, but it can be trickier than you think. 

How often are you really present and aware? 

In this age of social media, cell phones, computers, tablets and smart watches, how often do you pause, disconnect from the media-saturated digital world and connect with the world around you? How often do you wait in line or for the train or bus, for example, and really just wait? Can you do it without listening to music on your iPhone or checking the latest snapchats or emails? 

The iPhone was released when I was in college, and I remember vividly the day when I looked around campus as I was walking to class and thought - Does anyone just walk anymore? I looked around and saw that nearly everyone had headphones on or was talking on the phone. Not many people were simply walking and interacting with the environment around them. With time, I started to get uncomfortable walking across campus without talking on the phone or listening to something on my phone. I noticed that it took a lot of energy and discipline to go against the sudden social tendency to never be fully present and aware. 

After I graduated I got a job, and before I knew it I was attached at the hip to my iPhone and all my work emails and texts. I was never alone - someone could always reach me. I started to resent my phone. I yearned for a simpler time when people had to pick up the phone to reach people, or had to type things on a typewriter rather than answer hundreds of emails and update several spreadsheets a day. 

Did that idyllic time ever exist? 

Probably not.

Regardless of the current technology, humans will always find ways to not be present. We are so often lost in our own thoughts about the future or past, and rarely are we fully aware and present. So I can blame technology if I want, but ultimately, as I realized, the choice to be present is mine and mine alone. 

If any of what you've read so far resonates with you, you might be wondering, "okay, so why should I care? What can a mindfulness practice offer me?" 

While it won't make all your troubles away - it will help change how you respond to daily life and ultimately live in a way that reduces anxiety and worry. 

In simple terms, here are 5 basic principles of mindfulness that, when understood and put into practice, can take you a long way: 

• Recognize that you are not your thoughts. 
• Observe your thoughts, but do not judge them. Don't try and suppress them or get rid of them. Just notice your thoughts and allow them to float by without engaging with them. 
• Practice becoming immersed in the environment around you. Take off your headphones. Turn off your smartphone. Look at the world around you. 
• Take note of patterns of thoughts that occur often and label them so that when they come up again, you can say, "Oh, there's that thought pattern again..." Acknowledge it, and move on. 
• Return to your breath - be in your body, and take in the world as it presently is around you.

What's even more important than all of these tips is actually making time for them! We often get wrapped up in the runaway train of our thoughts because we think we don't have enough time. Don't get on that train. Pause. Breathe. Take time for yourself, even if it's just a minute, and see what happens. 

Written by Rajmani Sinclair, 05/17/2016