By Mitch Dillman

http://mitchelldillman.com/partner-with-mitchell/

Reprinted with Permission from

http://bit.ly/8MlOQj

This is my favorite re-work of the old classic this year.  Mitch put in a lot of thought when he updated this for his LinkedIn friends. If you have seen any different versions, please let us know.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even the Logitech mouse.
My headset was hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

My links were all posted to my site they all lead,
While visions of visitors danced in my head.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief and me in my cap,
I just kept a prayin for no Google Slap.

When up on that screen there was a big flash,
I thought my hard-drive had just proceeded to crash.
Through the glow of the monitor I now could see,
It was brand new laptop sitting there just for me.

Since it was still early I thought I would surf,
when out of know where came some spam….

While it was Christmas I gave it no worry,
jumped over to facebook to post in a hurry.
Must share my good news with all I had met, 
Maybe blast out a broadcast from Aweber, you bet.

Then there was myspace, oh, I guess,
Just takes a minute, no more, no less.
 
In no time at all I was headed to Tweet
So many new Twitters over there to meet.
Now finally tonight, one more thing to do,
Post up a video, you know, youtube.

The night wore on with morning soon to be,
Typing away so easy, my new laptop and me.

As the dawn broke I continued to blog,
inserting keywords despite my brain fog.
Now it is Christmas, no time to waste,
Must spin some new articles, copy and paste.

The Internet Marketers Holidays are here,
So no worries my friends soon a New Year.

 
Happy Holidays Gang,

May 2010 Bring More Happiness and Freedom than ever before.

By Amy Cook-Porter

Until recently there have been the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.  After last fall’s economic collapse, most of us learned how to reduce – we bought less; we reused instead of throwing away; and, we recycled – whether we gave it to someone or some store or we “end used it” (took it to a recycling place). 

Now they (I always wonder who they are) ask us to take it to the next level:  The 6 Step Program.

• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
• Restore (Refurbish)
• Resist

Refusing is more than “Just Say No!”  It’s demonstrating that “No means No!” 

• That means telling people like Qwest, “Please don’t print a phone book for me.  I get my information online.”
• That means telling the clothing stores, “Please use metal hangers.  Those plastic ones that you throw away are filling up the landfill.”
• And, telling the big bookstores to quit shredding their dated materials (calendars and day planners).  Give them to a nonprofit.”

Reducing is using less.
• Take shorter showers.  Feel the need to be immersed in water, take a long bath.  It uses less water and heat.
• Reduce the amount of grass in a yard.  There are so many choices – xeriscape, plant a garden, put in a labyrinth.
• Buy food, dirt and anything else possible in bulk.  Bulk food uses less cardboard; dirt and landscaping materials can be bought in yardage and tonnage.
• Drive fewer miles.  Parking the car one day a week can open up can open up so many choices – walking, biking, mass transit.

Reuse is easy.  It translates into thinking long term usage when shopping. 
• Use glass containers instead of plastic.  Glass lasts longer.
• Choose clothes and shoes that will be worn longer than one season.
• Use wash rags, dish towels and other cloth goods in place of sponges, paper towels and Kleenex.  Throw them in the wash and they are as good as new.
Recycle now has 2 destination points. 
The first is for those items that still have a life.  Those can be sold, given to thrift stores, or placed on ebay and/or Craig’s list. 
The second is for those that are at the end of their use-cycle.  I’ve discovered a local electronic recycling group that breaks down most electronics from phones to refrigerators and toasters to computer parts.  They salvage the metals; the glass, toxins and plastics are sent out of state to be processed. 
Ask where the recycling is going.  Is it going to be handled in country or in China or India?

Restoring used to be called refurbishing. 
• Refurbishing is taking items that look tired and giving them a face-lift.  This could be tired furniture, kitchen cabinets or a car.
•Repairing is the opposite of replacing.  It may take time and money to restore something.  That’s called commitment.

Resist means putting an ethical component into what we do and what we buy.  How is this resisting? The word Resist comes from its usage in the 1960s – Resist the Establishment.  The sad part is that in the past 40 years we have become the Establish; so the change we seek is from what we have created – the pollution, the climate changes, fast, inefficient cars.  We must become the change we seek in others.  We must resist the allure big business has created.  We must reassess is “New always better.”  In our personal resistance comes the strength to change our buying and living habits.  And from the strength comes clarity of what we want.  Once we are sure, we can talk with others about the change that is coming.

So it is okay to have 6 Rs, in our change process.  Before long we will be adding Re-Assessing  and a few more. For some reason, we seem to like 12 steps in our staircase.  If you have more Rs to add, let us know.

Photo By Flaivoloka

By Ahriana Platten
www.ecospiritual.com
This week, as we celebrate “Earth Day” in the United States (Wednesday, April 22nd), it is a good time to reflect on the concept of Ecospirituality and the mission of the Colorado Ecospiritual Center.
I often refer to the Earth as “the original Holy Book,”  and suggest that it was written in a language called ‘Nature.’   We must be careful that this ancient language is not lost.  It is the work of Colorado Ecospiritual Center to connect people with Nature in a variety of ways and to teach people how to understand the messages Nature offers.

Nature provides us with an opportunity to understand the complexity and magnificence of life.  We encounter, when we immerse ourselves in Nature, the miraculous wonder of Diversity, the depth and breadth of Creativity, and our amazing interconnectedness with All That Is.
                                                                                                    
Ecospirituality is the practice of interacting with Nature as a doorway to connection with the Divine.   It is a way of life – a way of being – that invites us into the very heart of the Creator, through the understanding of all that has been created. 

When we spend time in Nature, we find peace, beauty and love.  These qualities open us to a soul-level sense of connection and belonging.   We also find violence, destruction and sorrow, qualities that open us to a deeper understanding of our base humanity and all that separates us, from each other, and from the Great Mystery.   

Nature offers wisdom for every situation and circumstance.    By observing and interacting with the Seasons and Cycles of Nature, we come to understand the seasons and cycles of our own human lives. 

Interaction with Nature often leads us to compassionate involvement in the ecological health of our planet, where spiritual wholeness is found through acts of love and caring for all beings.  She provides simple values we can observe and live by, if we so choose, and She expresses the present moment.    In her magnificence, Nature calls us into the fragrance of “Now,” which is the only moment in which we can actually affect change.

At Colorado Ecospiritual Center, we do not worship Nature. We embrace Nature as a holy Teacher. We immerse ourselves in Nature as an experiential school of profound importance, and we explore ways of living that are both as ancient as the soil we walk on, and as new as the first blossoms of spring.

Colorado EcoSpiritual Center is a safe gathering place for people of all walks and religious traditions who are interested in embracing all aspect of Nature as a guiding force.

Collaboratively founded upon concepts adapted from the “EarthLight Principles,”  we practice:

    * Willing Evolution: We explore,actively, how we, as individuals and as a global community, can move toward living our lives in a way that enhances our relationships with all Earth’s life forms and natural systems. In so doing, we strive to live connected to, and with respect for, all of life, which we view as an expression of the Divine.

    * Collective Wisdom: We honor the world’s wisdom traditions as important sources for learning the values of compassion, reverence and gratitude. By learning about these traditions, we, ourselves, awaken to a deeper wisdom.

    * Mutual Learning: As we create a community, listening and speaking from the heart, we engage in a mutual learning experience, thus being informed by one another’s various talents, gifts and life experiences.

    * Conscious Choice: We know that our daily choices have an impact on all living things in both beneficial and destructive ways. We seek to promote lifestyles leading to spiritual connectedness, sustainability and ecological security for all life on Earth. We live with conscious intent.

    * Inclusivity: In order to more fully understand the depth of each other’s experience, we embrace the challenges of truly diverse viewpoints and life values. We invite and encourage the participation of all people sincerely seeking authentic interaction and we maintain a safe and compassionate environment for such interaction.

    * Reverence: We live in wonder at the mystery of the living Universe and remain open and receptive to the Divine voice within and without, which guides us in all we do.

Pikes Peak  Library District

Seek ~  Engage ~ Transform

Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 13, 2009) – Pikes Peak Library District is inviting El Paso County residents to cast their vote now through April 1 for the 2009 All Pikes Peak Reads (APPR) project. Vote online at ppld.org by clicking on the APPR 2009 logo. Titles include:

·       Rocket Boys (October Sky) by Homer Hickam, Jr. (Fiction) – A boy’s pursuit of rocketry in a company mining town. For young adult and adult readers, by an award-winning author.

·       Have Space Suit Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (Fiction) – One of the original space travel thrillers. For all ages, by an acclaimed science fiction writer.

·       Community: The Structure of Belonging (Nonfiction) by Peter Block – A practical community-building read. Written for adults, but great for intergenerational learning.

·       The Space Tourist’s Handbook by Eric Anderson (Nonfiction) – A unique look at the realities of space. For adults/families, an entertaining read for all space buffs.

The book announcement will be Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic concert at the Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave.

All Pikes Peak Reads is a community-wide effort to improve literacy and foster dialogue across social, cultural, and generational lines. The program, now in its 8^th year, includes book discussions, children’s events, theater presentations, school curriculum, free community programs, and more. Past projects include The Grapes of Wrath (2008), Zorro (2007), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2006), Tales from the Arabian Nights (2005), Treasure Island (2004), Frankenstein (2003), and To Kill a Mockingbird (2002).

All Pikes Peak Reads 2009 is held in partnership with Dream City: Vision 2020. Dream City is a new approach to charting our community’s future. Dream City partners include The Gazette, Leadership Pikes Peak, Pikes Peak Library District and COPPeR (Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region). Visit the Dream City web site at www.dreamcity2020.com.

For information about the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Concert on April 4, A Space Odyssey, please visit www.csphilharmonic.org.

Pikes Peak Library District was founded in 1903. It serves a population of 530,000 with two main libraries, 10 branches and mobile library service. PPLD has 425 employees and a collection of 1.3 million items. PPLD was ranked 9^th in the nation among libraries of its size by HAPLR (Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings).