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Live Earth : The concerts for a climate in crisis |
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Xidonie · Sun Jul 08, 2007 @ 05:19am · 0 Comments |
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^ Clickie ^
(To be edited & expanded when I have the time sweatdrop )
Xidonie · Sun Apr 22, 2007 @ 05:28am · 0 Comments |
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Oh yah,Shalott is meh,in case you're wondering..I was too lazy to make another one with a different name -_-Every February,in many places around the World,candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?
The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial -- which probably occurred around 270 A.D -- others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman 'lottery' system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed.
Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February -- Valentine's Day -- should be a day for romance.
The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415, is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England. Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common for friends and lovers in all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes. By the end of the century, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.
There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.
Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. as soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.
For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips on avoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.
Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.
Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid's arrow.Valentine's Day Inspiration - Celebrate Love, By Patricia Fason
Love is one of the things in this world that people so often take for granted, until we don't have it. We forget to look at love as a gift. When someone gives you their love, what are they really giving?
*A look at the part of themselves that most people never see.
*The ability to be hurt by you.
*Trust in you.
*Their confidence that you are special.
*Desire and passion.
*A belief that you are worthy of their love.
*Seeing something in YOU that makes you more special than any other person.
*Their desire to spend their time and sometimes, their life with you.
When looked at this way, there is no denying that love is a gift. It should be embraced and celebrated. Therefore, when I hear people say that Valentine's Day is nothing but a gimmick for people to spend money, I am saddened. If all they see in this special day is that they might have to shell out a few bucks to make the person they love happy, then they are missing the whole point. Money should not be the issue and doesn't have to be if you are creative. It's just easier than designing your own card, preparing a special meal, etc. etc. Valentine's Day SHOULD be the day you celebrate love and the person who has given you so much of themselves.
My challenge to you is this. Make this Valentine's Day different. Remind yourself how lucky you are. Celebrate that you have someone in your life who is willing to put up with you even on your bad days. Someone who believes you are the one that completes them. Be grateful that this emotion exists in our world so that we don't have to walk alone into hardship or the unknown. Don't let it be about money. Let it be about love.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!
Xidonie · Wed Feb 14, 2007 @ 09:52pm · 0 Comments |
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Season For Non-violence : changing the world one person at a timeInspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,the Season For Non-violence will take place around the world from January 30th to April 4th. It's a 64-day worldwide educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Throughout the 64-day campaign, events and activities for peace and nonviolence take place all around the world, highlighting existing peace building initiatives and inspiring new year-round activities for a more peaceful, nonviolent just and sustainable world. The first Season for Nonviolence, inaugurated in 1998 to honor the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired a grassroots campaign of unified activism. The inaugural event was held at the United Nations and brought forth substantive endorsements and commitments from the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, the U.S. Ambassador to India, the Director General of UNESCO on behalf of its Culture of Peace and nonviolence appeal by the Nobel Peace Laureates. Since then, four hundred major peace organizations, religious, business, arts and learning institutions became official co-sponsors of the Season which drew massive media coverage, proclamations by half of all U.S. Governors, more than 300 ongoing programs in nonviolence in communities across the USA and many other reactions throughout the world. Season co-founders are Arun and Sunanda Gandhi of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence.
The Season for Nonviolence honors Gandhi's and King's vision of a nonviolent world. Conceived by Gandhi's grandson Arun and his wife Sunanda, the worldwide, grassroots movement intends to demonstrate that every person can move the world in the direction of peace through daily choice and action based on compassion, respect and understanding.
"Our objective is to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform and empower our lives and communities. Through an educational and community action campaign, we honor those who are using nonviolence to build a community that honors the dignity and worth of every human being. By identifying what works in these new models for reconciliation and human harmony, we demonstrate that every person can move the world in the direction of peace through their daily nonviolent choice and action." heart heart heart heart I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. Mahatma Gandhi
You must be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Mahatma Gandhi
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Mahatma Gandhi, (attributed)
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Martin Luther King Jr.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King Jr.
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood. Martin Luther King Jr.
Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. Martin Luther King Jr.
We don't have to love nor like each other,but we share the same planet.Let's do it peacefully.
Xidonie · Mon Jan 22, 2007 @ 07:51am · 0 Comments |
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Have less,Live more : Buy Nothing Christmas |
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Reclaiming the season from adbusters.org
"Inspired by the international successes of Buy Nothing Day, and disgusted with the personal debt, spiritual emptiness, and ecological damage that the holiday season now entails, writers and activists began to heavily promote the idea of a downshifted Christmas in the late nineties. Since then, the idea has been taken up by individuals, community groups, churches, and schools in at least a dozen countries, with strongest support in Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Despite the name, the Buy Nothing Christmas campaign is not really about refusing to spend a dime over the holiday season. It’s about taking a deep breath and deciding to opt out of the hype, the overcrowded malls, and the stressful to-do lists. It’s about reminding ourselves to really think about what we are buying, why we are buying it, and whether we really need it at all.
“First and foremost, it’s about restoring authenticity to one the world’s great religious and secular traditions,” said Kalle Lasn, editor-in-chief of Adbusters magazine and long-time advocate of holiday restraint. “Christmas has been warped beyond recognition by commercial forces. It’s about time we took it back.”
Most participants will still exchange gifts, but will opt for recycled, homemade, locally produced, or fair-trade items. Some will excuse themselves from gift-giving altogether, and focus instead on valuable time with family and friends, on charitable works, and on rediscovering older, non-commercial holiday traditions as they also invent a few new ones. "
This may seem a bit radical and I know we all love to give and receive lots of gifts during the holidays.I know I do,nearly as much as I enjoy seeing all the holiday decorations and christmas lights. But I think they're right.
I seriously can't understand why more and more people start celebrating the festivities earlier every year and I'm amazed to see Christmas adds in November while watching TV.It's annoying! >.< stressed Apart from personal reasons,I feel the commercial pressure put into the holidays stresses me out more and more every year,preventing me from enjoying them as I used to.
Millions of trees are cut down for decorative purpouses,sold for about ten days' use before being unceremoniously tossed out onto the pavement.You can sing "O Christmas Tree" until you go hoarse, but that tree you just bought is dying before your eyes.A waste.
Lots of energy and money wasted by lots and lots of Christmas lights.The waste of electricity for amusement and nostalgia can't be justified only by the fact that it is beautiful. I never liked houses all lit up(and it's not traditional in my country),but I love how the towns look at this time of the year.However,it's irresponsible. I saw this on a discusion about the matter while browsing the Internet and I loved it! :
I take great pleasure in being the only house in my street that ISN’T lit up with ridiculous xmas lights. In fact, refusing to bow down to peer pressure and emotional blackmail, I have gone so far as to unscrew the streetlight directly out the front of my place to ensure it is extra dark in comparison to the rest of the street.
In place of energy wasting lights, I have installed a notice on my front gate stating “The money saved by not buying and running xmas lights this year has now restord the eyesight to 10 African children by way of a donation to the Fred Hollows foundation. Maybe you could suggest this to the rest of my neighbours as you wander down the street staring google-eyed at all the other lights”. XD 3nodding
Anyway,end of rant LOL ninja
However you celebrate,or even if you don't,may these days bring you joy and happiness 4laugh
Xidonie · Fri Dec 22, 2006 @ 06:47am · 0 Comments |
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What are you going to be for Halloween? |
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The state of our planet is a little spooky right now. Human activity and modern conveniences are taking a significant toll on the plants, animals, and natural resources we rely on. Climate change, species extinction, and other urgent environmental issues threaten all life on Earth, including us.
The scariest part of it all? We could witness waves of extinctions in as few as 50 years, and there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to prevent them.
Except …
If each of us -- billions of individuals worldwide -- made modest changes in our everyday lives, we could protect the planet and its resources for ourselves and for future generations.
Here’s some of the things you can do :
1.Be an Eco-warrior for Halloween this year. Visit www.conservation.org/ecofootprint to measure the size of your ecological footprint. It’s quick, easy, and educational. At the end, you’ll discover whether you’re and Eco-novice, -apprentice, -ally, or -warrior and get tips on how to be as light-footed as you can be. (About this quiz: 11 questions total,5 minutes long,receive score at the end,learn to improve your impact on biodiversity,e-mail your results to friends)
2.Take the Halloween Eco-pledge. Whether it’s being extra creative with your costume,changing your front porch light, using a canvas bag to capture your treats, or tricking others into carpooling that night, one small change can make all the difference. Take the Halloween Eco-Pledge now!
3.Don't Let your Treats be a Trick to Children in Africa! What's scarier than ghosts or goblins this Halloween? How about chocolate treats made from child labor?
Almost half of the world's cocoa is produced on West African plantations where widespread instances of child slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor have been reported.
Unless multi-billion dollar candy companies like Nestle and Mars take the lead, most of the chocolate in your local supermarket will continue to be made at the cost of human life.
This Halloween,call on Nestle and Mars to protect African children by using fair trade chocolate in their candy.
Find out where you can buy fair trade chocolate: 100% Fair Trade Companies
4.Save the Bats Several companies are catching bats in the wild and killing them for sale as "art" in glass frames. These bats are showing up for sale on eBay. One small bat, the Short-nosed fruit bat, is a major target of this cruel practice. The fruit bat is an important pollinator and seed dispenser, and is classified as vulnerable.
Unless eBay can verify that bats sold on the eBay website are not imperiled in the wild, and have been collected after they have died naturally, eBay should protect bats by prohibiting the sale of their bodies.
Take action now by signing this petition.
5.Spread the word Each of your small actions can spark a chain of other actions. Tell just two of your friends or family members to take any of these measures along with you, and you’ve multiplied your impact. It’s that easy.
Xidonie · Tue Oct 31, 2006 @ 04:08am · 0 Comments |
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Decade for the Eradication of Poverty |
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October 16 ~ End Hunger Day
There is more than enough food in the world so that no one need ever go hungry. Those who wish for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world are helping to make ending world hunger a major priority. In fact, all of the world's leaders agreed to cut the number of starving people in half by the year 2015 as the first priority of the Millennium Development Goals.
World Food Day / End Hunger Day is an opportunity for the global community to unite in an effort to help raise awareness about the global problem of hunger. World Food Day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1980 to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945 (resolution 35/70). The official goal of the day is to "heighten public awareness of the world food problem and strengthen solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty."
Read the FREE online Book : WE CAN END HUNGER!
WORLD FOOD DAY World Food Day More links and info
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October 17 ~ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Decade for the Eradication of Poverty In December 1995, the General Assembly proclaimed the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006). In December 1996, the General Assembly declared the theme for the Decade as a whole to be "Eradicating poverty is an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind."
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October 17 The theme for the International day for poverty eradication in 2006 is "Working Together out of Poverty "
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International Forum on the Eradication of Poverty The Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing this Forum on 15-16 November at United Nations Headquarters New York to mark the end of the First UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006).Visit the event website to obtain more information about the Forum and to pre-register online.
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Stand Up Launched by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, STAND UP is an exciting challenge to set an official Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people ever to Stand Up Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals.
On October 15&16, the world will come together and STAND UP and remind their governments that promises to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and help the billions living in extreme poverty, must be kept. The purpose of the action is to raise awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to publicly demonstrate to policy makers the growing global support for the eradication of poverty.
STAND UP is an initiative designed to coincide with Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) month of global mobilizations (www.whiteband.org ) around the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. We need everyone to take part to ensure governments listen and take action.
Find out how you can Join an existing event in your area or Organize your own STAND UP events.
Stand Up because:
- Every day 24,000 people die from hunger - Every day more than 100 million children are denied the chance to go to school - Every day 1.1 billion people have to drink polluted water - Every day 8,200 people die due to HIV/AIDS
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You can also take a look at these other past events: International Day of Peace World Day against the Death Penalty
And even at this: Colours are Brighter.Children's songs to Save the Children
Peace heart
Xidonie · Tue Oct 17, 2006 @ 04:29am · 0 Comments |
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Bugs attack and other stories |
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Well,here I am again.
I should say that today I'm feeling quite happy..and pretty dumb too xp
But let's start explaining why I label this entry "bugs attack",shall we?
First of all,I still have that little message about the newbie gaia tour at the top of my screen.I know I could easily get rid of it,but it says when you finish you receive some gold,so I'm letting it rot for now,hoping it will eventually work. It says I still haven't created a journal(you can bet that's not true razz ) and it says I still haven't played games,while I remember I wasted several minutes on that word bump one for the amazing fortune of..1 gold!..yeah,I got bored after that and decided it wasn't worth it.
I've also tried fishing.I thought it was quite tricky at first,but soon got the hang of it and started getting fish.I couldn't save my game though.It crashed and all I did was wasting my bait.After 2 or 3 attempts with identical result,I decided it wasn't worth it either.
Towns are cute.It's lovely how you can go around cathing little bugs,picking flowers and rubish and seeing all those beatiful houses ^^. It's a pity there are so many of them that give errors,altough I know they're trying to fix it.
I would also love to see the casino games working,as I haven't had the chance to try them yet.
Enough about that.I said I was happy ans that's because I revamped my avi today and I'm pretty happy with the result.It's the first time I had some gold to spend and it felt good smile The other reason is that I finally understood how donation items and their variations work.I thought they were different items and couldn't understand why I couldn't find the ones I wanted on the marketplace.I felt so confused,I didn't know they were all variations of the same item! (yeah,that's why I feel a bit dumb too lol sweatdrop )
I've made two more dream avis and I feel like posting them here :
Aparently,you can't get the shadow spirit with the reaper one,but oh well..
Xidonie · Tue Oct 17, 2006 @ 04:10am · 0 Comments |
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