The wakeup song has been a part of the space program since the days of the Apollo missions. The National Aeronautics and Space Program (NASA) has launched NASA’s Space Rock, a contest to help select the two wakeup songs to be played during the 133rd (and final) flight (STS-133) of the Space Shuttle Program! The two songs with the most votes will be played during the STS-133 mission. There are two ways to participate.
I’ve narrowed my choices to these songs:
Free Fallin
Good Day Sunshine
Here Comes The Sun
Learning to Fly
Magic Carpet Ride
Over the Rainbow
Rocket Man
Roll With It
Start Me Up
What a Wonderful World
The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace (中文) (Tiếng Việt) will be touring in Seattle August 21 – 29. The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace is the largest Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade. The Jade Buddha can be seen at the Vietnamese Co Lam Temple, 3503 S. Graham St, Seattle, 98118. (Map)
The goal of the tour is to promote interfaith harmony and universal peace for all beings. The organizers and sponsors of the tour hope that the Buddha’s presence will inspire everyone who sees it to find peace in their home, their school and work, their family, and in their own heart.
The Universal Peace Tour
The Jade Buddha is on a world tour which will take it to Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. The Universal Peace Tour commenced in 2009 in Vietnam and then traveled to Australia. The Buddha is currently on tour in the U.S., followed by tours in Canada, Germany, England, and other European cities before returning to Asia in 2012. Eventually the Jade Buddha will go to its home at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. There, the Jade Buddha will be a symbol of peace to inspire the world for millennia to come. (A Stupa is the most sacred type of monument in the Buddhist world.)
The Jade Buddha
The Jade Buddha is a great international achievement. The Buddha is carved from the largest boulder ever found of gem quality polar jade. The project became possible in 2000 with the discovery of the 19.8 ton boulder. The Jade Buddha project commenced in early 2003. The prototype for the Buddha, based on the famous Buddha from Bodh Gaya, India was designed by an Australian and a Thai sculptor, then carved by skilled craftsmen in Thailand. The face was painted by a master painter from Nepal. The Jade Buddha for Universal Peace was consecrated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on December 1, 2009 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia.
The Jade Buddha weighs about 4 tons and sits 8 feet high on an alabaster throne that is about 4-1/2 feet high. The Jade Buddha is currently valued at $5 million AUD (about $4.5 million USD).
In the late 1990s a remarkable new find of jade was discovered just south of the Yukon border in Canada. It contained stone so green, clear and vibrant that it was unlike any other jade ever found. Inspired by its surroundings it became known as “Polar Jade”, a translucent Nephrite jade. Polar Jade has been scientifically determined to be harder than any other variety of Nephrite jade. It shines to a brilliant polish and is prized as a gem for precious jewelry and for carving fine art. Polar Jade was always in very limited supply and is now considered to be unavailable.
The discovery of the immense jade boulder in 2000 was dubbed “the find of the millennium”. In the book “Jade” by Fred Ward, internationally known author and gemologist, he writes about Polar Jade:
“Without doubt, this is the largest piece of gem grade jade found in my lifetime and perhaps the millennium. Without going into too much in the geological formation, it is a very, very rare occurrence.”
Over 500 people, from more than 75 countries, will be sworn in by U.S. District Court Judge, as new citizens of the United States of America. 26th Naturalization Ceremony, Sunday, July 4, 2010 beginning at 11:00am.
This is by far one of the most meaningful and moving Fourth of July events in the region and arouses great interest among friends and families of the new citizens as well as within the general community. While this is an especially important day for the many new citizens, coming from a variety of nations and cultures, it also serves to reaffirm the deeper meaning of being a citizen of the United States of America. The public is encouraged to attend and admission is free.
Air National Guard Band of the Northwest will perform festive selections beginning at 11:00am. The Washington Army National Guard Honor Guard will present the colors. The formal program will begin at 12:00 noon, and will last one hour, beginning with a performance by Native American performers Gene Tagaban & Swil Kanim.
Did you know that you can walk from Seattle to Snoqualmie? Join artists for Susan Robb and Stokley Towles for “The Long Walk”–a two-day walk on the King County Regional Trail. Starting in Seattle on Friday July 23 and ending at Snoqualmie Falls on Sunday July 25, this is an opportunity for a 35+ mile adventure in “your big backyard.”
“An unscripted encounter with a place we think we already know,” as Susan describes, she and Stokley invite you to help form their band of “trail tramps,” a culture that will evolve as the group walks through urban and rural neighborhoods, camps in unlikely places, swims in the Tolt River and watches art films under the stars.
A support van will carry camping gear and related items, freeing the group to experience the trails and the art. Thanks to Caffe Vita, a generous sponsor of the event, some meals will be provided.
The 1962 World’s Fair launched Seattle’s future as one of the world’s most vibrant cities. In 2012 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fair and envision the next 50 years of innovation for our region.
You are The Next Fifty and your ideas can help shape this six-month celebration. Starting April 21, 2010 share your ideas for the 50th anniversary celebration and the future of our region and help turn ideas into reality for 2012.
What ideas do you have? Post them on the Brainstorm Wall! Your suggestions will guide the planning for The Next Fifty over the next year.
The idea for FiveMoreMinutesWith.com came about over a bottle of wine and dinner at Café Campagne. During dinner, Braiden Rex-Johnson and her husband Spencer, shared stories about recent significant losses in their lives. They kibbitzed about how to say goodbye. . .to make amends for. . .to bring closure to the deaths of dear departed loved ones.
What would you say to a departed loved one if you had five more minutes to spend with them?
Whether you have a story to share, or want to find solice in the stories of others, you may want to visit FiveMoreMinutesWith.com.
Since April is National Poetry Month, Foodista has launchd the Food Haiku Contest.
Tweet your best food-related haikus or post to Foodista’s Facebook wall.
At the end of April, Foodista will announce their favorite composition and the winner will be recognized with a Foodista apron and a copy of Dessert Haiku: Petite Desserts for the Sweet Tooth & Poetry for the Soul.
Visit the Foodista for contest details and start composing today!
In this 20-minute TED talk about finding happiness, Biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard says we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.
About Matthieu Ricard
Sometimes called the “happiest man in the world,” Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk, author and photographer.
