This week: Art has not only been in step with history, but has led the way!
There is a story we have been afraid to see and hear about ourselves- Jane Fonda
Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.
The Introspection Illusion What Do Women – Especially Black women — Bring to Public Safety? + History Repeats Itself…
“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose— with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” —Admiral James Stockdale
Norman Lear Receives the Carol Burnett Award – 2021 Golden Globes Norman Lear has always been an icon ahead of his time. Lear was among the first seven television pioneers inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. He received five Emmy Awards (two in 1971, one each in 1972 and 1973, and one in 2019)[39] and two Peabody Awards (a personal award in 1977 and an individual award in 2016). He received the Humanist Arts Award from the American Humanist Association in 1977. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1980, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, and in 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded the National Medal of Arts to Lear, noting, “Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it.” Norman Lear Receives the Carol Burnett Award – 2021 Golden Globes – YouTube
Understanding Ourselves Better-
The Introspection Illusion: It’s easy to spot bias in other people, especially those with whom we disagree. But it’s not so easy to recognize our own biases. Psychologist Emily Pronin says it’s partly because of our brain architecture. This week on Hidden Brain, we explore what Pronin calls the introspection illusion. The Double Standard – Hidden Brain – Omny.fm
Thanks this week go to Ron M, Larry H & All of you that read this far…
Please pay it forward! Love, Neville
“Lean out in your own way to make a difference in your community, so that others are inspired to stand up or go out on a limb for what matters”–Neville
This week: We are All in the Same Storm, but Not in the Same Boat
The Good: Let’s Do Science on Mars with Charles B Stories for Change- Fostering Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Claudette Colvin: The woman who refused to give up her bus seat – nine months before Rosa Parks The Women (Leaders) Are Coming (Here)!
The Bad: A Proclamation on Remembering the 500,000 Americans Lost to COVID-19 Trying to Honor the Loss Interactive Map Tracks COVID-19 total cases hardest hit areas in San Diego County
The Ugly: COVID-19 is affecting Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other People of Color the Most The Scars of Solitary
Getting Real-
A Proclamation on Remembering the 500,000 Americans Lost to COVID-19
As of this week during the dark winter of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 500,000 Americans have now died from the virus. That is more Americans who have died in a single year of this pandemic than in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined. On this solemn occasion, we reflect on their loss and on their loved ones left behind. We, as a Nation, must remember them so we can begin to heal, to unite, and find purpose as one Nation to defeat this pandemic.
In their memory, the First Lady and I will be joined by the Vice President and the Second Gentleman for a moment of silence at the White House this evening. I ask all Americans to join us as we remember the more than 500,000 of our fellow Americans lost to COVID-19 and to observe a moment of silence at sunset. I also hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset February 26, 2021. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth. -JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
Remembering 500,000 And Trying to Honor the Loss: More than 500,000 Americans dead from Covid. More than 500,000 lives cut short by a pandemic the rest of us will never forget. Journalists are stretching for words and illustrations and imagery to meet the magnitude of the moment. Why CNN aired a national memorial service for 500,000 lives lost from Covid-19 – CNN
COVID-19 is affecting Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other People of Color the Most: Nationwide, Black people have died at 1.4 times the rate of white people The COVID Racial Data Tracker is a collaboration between the Covid Tracking Project and the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research The COVID Racial Data Tracker | The COVID Tracking Project
Claudette Colvin: the woman who refused to give up her bus seat – nine months before Rosa Parks: It was 2 March 1955, and an unusually humid spring day when students at Booker T Washington high school, a segregated school in the heart of the Jim Crow south, had been let off early to make their way home. A group boarded a segregated public bus, which wound through segregated neighborhoods gradually filling up with passengers. A 15-year-old gifted Black student, with aspirations to become a civil rights attorney, took a window seat near the exit door. She gazed outdoors until the white driver instructed her to give up her seat for a white passenger standing nearby. Claudette Colvin refused… Claudette Colvin: the woman who refused to give up her bus seat – nine months before Rosa Parks | Society | The Guardian
Feeling Sequestered and Quarantined? Try 44 Years in a Concrete Cell- The Scars of Solitary: Woodfox was a member of the Angola 3, a group of men wrongfully accused of murder. Now he marks his 5th anniversary of his freedom. Five years on from his release, he might chuckle a little to himself at the irony of today. This may be his birthday and the anniversary of his freedom, but he will spend the day in physical isolation along with most Americans who, courtesy of Covid, have spent the past year getting a tiny taste of what life insolitary really means… The scars of solitary: Albert Woodfox on freedom after 44 years in a concrete cell | World news | The Guardian
Meanwhile, On a Positive Note and Tribute to Innovation & Teamwork- Let’s Do Science on Mars with Charles B.!
Author’s note: I started the Qualcomm robotics program. Our goal was to use a cell phone chip for flight control in a commercial drone. JPL saw our drone demonstration at a CES trade show and asked if they could use our board for a helicopter on Mars. I thought it was a crank call – until they sent a link to a video of a test rotor lifting a weight in their vacuum chamber. A few years, and a bunch of testing later, that board is now on Mars. Neville asked me to share my thoughts on the landing
Let’s Do Science on Mars: Humans want to go to Mars and do incredible science, looking for signs of past life. So, we find a way to pack a lab full of scientific equipment into a one-ton rover. The trip to Mars is 480 million kilometers, and we only have enough fuel for small course corrections, so we find a way to measure the exact position of Mars for a precise launch. When we get to Mars, we are going twenty thousand kilometers per hour as we enter the atmosphere, and need to slow down while still guiding the vehicle, so we build a heat shield that can survive the intense temperatures of atmospheric braking while providing directional lift by changing its angle to the atmosphere, allowing us to control our entry path. Atmospheric braking will not slow us down enough, so we invent a parachute that can deploy at supersonic speeds in the Martian atmosphere. Communication from Earth to Mars takes 12 minutes, so the vehicle is on its own to find a place to land. We want to land near an ancient lake, but it has multiple treacherous obstacles, so we design a new guidance system that performs a “divert maneuver”, comparing camera images to preloaded maps and autonomously selecting a good place to land. We can’t afford the weight of landing gear and ramps, so invent a “jetpack” that hovers over the surface and lowers the rover gently to the ground via cables in a “skycrane maneuver”. We have a little unused space, so create a small, four-pound helicopter that can fly autonomously on Mars. It will spin its twin 1.2m blades at 2400 rpm to provide lift in a Martian atmosphere that is only 0.6% the density of that on Earth. It will be the first heavier-than-air flight on another planet, a “Kitty Hawk” moment. We need the lightest computer possible, so take a cell phone chip used in Earthbound drones and find a way to make it survive the trip and work on Mars. The helicopter is a marvel of engineering. We call the helicopter Ingenuity. The rover, a product of the human desire for exploration and scientific knowledge, is a testament to our ability to overcome problems when we work together. We call the rover Perseverance.
For more information about Perseverance and Ingenuity, please see: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ To see landing video from Perseverance which is time-aligned with NASA commentary see link For an article about the Qualcomm chip controlling Ingenuity, see link
The Women Are Coming! A great vid showing us all the amazing women leaders around the world The Women Are Coming – YouTube
Thanks this week go to Charles B, ABC 10 News, Larry H, Ron M & Ken D.
Please pay it forward this week Love, Neville
“Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it” – Rumi
Being the change we want to see- Healing the Political Divide- A Path Forward with Arthur C Brooks and the National Conflict Resolution Center If you are done with the partisan politics and polarization, and want to be part of a path forward for our community and nation, this is a must see, and super thoughtful approach to getting beyond our divisiveness and polarization! A Path Forward: Healing the Political Divide with Arthur Brooks – YouTube
Village Teacher Wins $1 Million Prize For World’s Most ‘Exceptional’ Educator Ranjitsinh Disale from India has been honored for finding ways to educate girls whose parents don’t want them to come to school. An amazing story, particularly with what he chooses to do with the prize money! What an example… World’s Most ‘Exceptional’ Teacher Gets $1 Million Prize : Goats and Soda : NPR
Hey 19!I was way too self-centered at 19 to even consider this Congrats Aysha and thanks for leading with your heart! So proud of you… Aysha invited you to her fundraiser
Aysha’s birthday fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Fundraiser by Aysha Billimoria for St. Jude Children’s Research HospitalAbout the Fundraiser For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I’ve chosen this nonprofit because their mission means a lot to me, and I hope you’ll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me. Every little bit will help me reach my goal. I’ve included information about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital below. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. #StJude 100% of your donation goes directly to the nonprofit. How much would you like to donate?$5$20$50$100OtherAbout the NonprofitSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospital EIN 62-0646012 Visit Guidestar Page Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to more than 80% since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90%, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. #StJude
The Yann Arthus-Bertrand Project: “Earth Seen from the Sky”: Amazing pictures from all over the world that make you go Aaaah…
Love is Love- What are Personal Pronouns and Why Do They Matter? Because mis-gendering hurts, and using them properly can literally reduce harm & save lives!
In English, whether we realize it or not, people frequently refer to us using pronouns when speaking about us. Often, when speaking of a singular human in the third person, these pronouns have a gender implied — such as “he” to refer to a man/boy or “she” to refer to a woman/girl. These associations are not always accurate or helpful.
Often, people make assumptions about the gender of another person based on the person’s appearance or name. These assumptions aren’t always correct, and the act of making an assumption (even if correct) sends a potentially harmful message — that people have to look a certain way to demonstrate the gender that they are or are not.
You can’t be hateful and grateful at the same time and judgement based on fear can often get in the way
Death as an Organizing Principle for Life: Dr. Danny and Chip help us make sense of the ineffable The questions we ask ourselves, “create worlds” of our making. Do the questions you ask yourself contribute to pain and suffering, or do they contribute to your flourishing abundance? Death as an Organizing Principle for Life. – YouTube
Love Your Enemies- How Decent People Can Save America From the Culture of Contempt: Brooks beholds America’s 21st-century tribal feuds — which on a national scale add up to nothing less than a religious war, a clash of faiths and value systems — with a clear, intelligent eye and a hospitable attitude that is rightly focused on the spiritual dimensions of the problem: Only transcendence can open the way to better solutions down the road. The real swamp just now is in the American mind. “My point is simple: Love and warm heartedness might not change every heart and mind, but they are always worth trying, and they will always make you better off.” Healing the Divisions in Our Country – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month: You are encouraged to take the Pledge and join a community of activists working to end human trafficking. Together we can stop the exploitation of our neighbors, our children, and our community.
Take the Pledge & Get a FREE Decal Sticker! “As we mark Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I am grateful to North County Lifeline’s Project LIFE Program and its indispensable partnership to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force…Project LIFE partners with our office, the FBI, the community, and all of law enforcement to fight this modern-day slavery all year long.” -San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan
As a pledge participant: 1. You will receive an “Ending Trafficking is Within Reach” Pledge Decal Sticker 2. You will be added to North County Lifeline’s website as part of the coalition committed to combatting human trafficking in San Diego County. 3. You will receive an email with resource links and action items to EDUCATE, EMPOWER, & SUPPORT the fight to combat human trafficking.
How did this Pledge come about? North County Lifeline and REACH Coalition partners launched an “Ending Human Trafficking is Within Reach” Pledge in an effort to increase human trafficking awareness and prevention efforts for January’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month by providing the local community an opportunity to commit to educate, empower, and support the fight to combat human trafficking in San Diego County. The REACH Coalition was created to help address the tragedy of human trafficking in a collaborative way. REACH stands for Recover, Empower, Advocate, Collaborate, and Heal. This task force works to identify and fill gaps in service provision throughout the County and increase the competency of service providers in the fight to combat human trafficking in our community. Watch NBC7 Episode Series “Stolen” Documentary Series on the sex trafficking of children in San Diego County Watch North County Lifeline Project LIFE video on Human Trafficking of Youth During COVID-19 Don’t Forget to Follow us on Social Media for the Latest Updates!
Our mailing address is: 3142 Vista Way, Suite 400 Oceanside, CA 92056
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“Go to nature with no parti pris. You should not know what your picture is to look like until it is done. Just see the picture that is coming.” —JoaquinSorolla
Happy Soul Food Friday,
This week: Reputation is What Others Think About You. Integrity is What You Think About Yourself!
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and this week marks his 92nd birthday. Each year, this day offers us a reminder to reflect on the important work to which Dr. King devoted his life. The dream of Martin Luther King Jr. was for the word “united” in United States to truly exist. Inclusion for all, showing compassion to our fellow neighbor, and appreciation of diversity and love are all ideologies behind his activism. Amidst the increased attention on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) this past year, this Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an opportunity to give thought to DEI progress in our country, our communities and our workplaces – and consider how far we have yet to go…
May the MLK holiday be an opportunity for all of us to remember and reaffirm the values Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived his life to inspire in all of us, and may they strengthen the moral framework in our personal lives and in our communities. Martin Luther King Jr. Day may only be one day in the year, however we should not forget to show our compassion and practice these values throughout the year.
Think about a way, no matter how small, to be kind to one another and help someone — make a friend laugh, show appreciation to a stranger, pick up trash on the street instead of ignoring it. As Martin Luther King Jr. represented, one person can make a difference.
What If, Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In? Professor Ross tells students when they enroll: “If you need a trigger warning or a safe space, I urge you to drop this class.” “I think we overuse that word ‘trigger’ when really we mean discomfort,” she said. “And we should be able to have uncomfortable conversations.” What if Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In? – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
I remember as a child, when my parents were having problems in their marriage, I asked my mom if they were getting divorced. She said, “No because we love each other and when there is love you find a way to work it out.”
Given the horrific events that have happened last week and especially over the last few years, it appears that our country could be headed for a great divorce. A division of irreconcilable differences based on opinions, political views, color, hate and anger.
But when my son asked me the other day if our country was going to fall apart I said no because I believe deep down love will find a way to overcome all this hate and division.
Sure, from all the hate spewing on television and social media you might think I’m just being idealistic. But actually it’s not idealism that guides me but truth. I admit that I’m a pessimistic optimist. At first I allow negative events to really affect me but then I have this eternal hope because I know deep down love is all that is, all that we are and all that remains in the end.
Everything else fades away but love endures.
If love is all that is and all that endures then why is there so much anger and hate? Why do things appear so hopeless?
Because we live in a world of duality. There is night and day, positive and negative, good and evil, and the ultimate battle between love and fear.
Right now fear is causing people to look OUTSIDE where they see political and ideological differences and “us” and “them.” This leads to a feeling of separateness which leads to division.
But if we look INSIDE to the soul we realize the truth that we are one. There’s no “us” and “them.” Love is all that is and this leads to a feeling of oneness which leads to healing and unity.
This is why teams and organizations that love each other also thrive. And teams and organization that are fueled by fear eventually crumble. Fear is draining and love is sustaining.
Fear divides and love unites.
The fear that is currently dividing our country is the same fear that sabotages marriages, careers, teams and organizations.
The antidote is the same for all of it and it is love.
Love is truth.
Fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) is an allusion, a big lie.
We can look outside and believe the lie or look inside and know the truth.
We can allow the lie to continue to divide us over time or we can let the truth inspire us to unite.
When my mom passed away 14 years ago at the age of 59 her last words were love, love, love. I think in the end we know it’s all that matters.
But let’s not wait until the end to say it or live it.
Jewish Music- The Genesis Prize Foundation produced “Jews in Music” to honor outstanding achievements by Jewish individuals in music throughout history:
Thanks this week go to Larry H, Louis L & Team Mission Fed Please pay it forward with civility! Love, Neville
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts.” — Marianne Williamson
1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. Take a daily “Thank You Walk.” You can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Feel blessed and you won’t be stressed.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less foods manufactured in plants.
4. Talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself. Instead of listening to your complaints, fears and doubts, talk to yourself with words of truth and encouragement.
5. Post a sign that says “No Energy Vampires Allowed.” Gandhi said, “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet,” and neither should you! Watch This.
6. Be a Positive Team Member. Being positive doesn’t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better.
7. Don’t chase success. Decide to make a difference and success will find you. [ Tweet This ]
8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.
9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control.
10. Look for opportunities to Love, Serve and Care. You don’t have to be great to serve but you have to serve to be great.
11. Live your purpose. Remember why you do what you do. We don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
12. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Love the process and you’ll love what the process produces.
13. Trust that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
15. Read more books than you did in 2020. I happen to know of a few good ones. : ) 16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead live with love, passion and purpose and happiness will find you.
17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. The next time you “fail” remember that it’s not meant to define you. It’s meant to refine you.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Boost your immune system and health. Eat wild salmon, turmeric, blueberries. Take vitamin C, D and zinc.
21. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.
The Mask of Character with Dr. Ed DeRoche: While our coping strategies are as varied as our personalities, here are ten of the typical masks we wear, with two more of consequence!
Thanks this week go to Jon G, Larry H, Ed DeR, Peter S, Chris B, Marcy M and Soul Foodies everywhere! Love, Neville
“At the heart of learning organization is a shift of mind – from seeing ourselves as separate from the world to connected to the world, from seeing problems as caused by someone or something ‘out there’ to seeing how our own actions create the problems we experience. A learning organization is a place where people are continually discovering how they create their reality. And how they can change it.” — Dr. Peter Senge
This week: The Power of Love and the Love of Music to Touch Your Soul & Launch You Into a New Era
Here is Some Serious Firepower to Welcome in the New Year- Barcelona with Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe’ If this doesn’t make the hair on your arms stand up, check your pulse! “I had this perfect dream, this dream was me and you, I want all the world to see, a miracle sensation, my guide and inspiration, now my dream is slowly coming true”… Barcelona (Live) – Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé – 1988 – YouTube
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital EIN 62-0646012 
Happy Soul Food Friday! 