Creative Agents of Change

Pastafarians Unite!

When the events of the world become too horrific to contemplate, I find that if I surrender to pronoia  and have a good laugh, it becomes much easier to cope.

For those of you who wonder how we got here and who created us, here's the answer.

Flying over Africa

Last year, Wildlife Conservation Society biologist Mike Fay spent eight months flying over Africa in a Cessna 172, surveying the impact of human habitation on the wilderness.  His photographs and field reports are available through the National Geographic Society's web site.  They offer a fascinating picture of a continent's people, their struggles to survive, and the natural world threatened by agriculture, mining, logging, and other human development.

Dr. Fay's previous adventure, Megatransect, a 2000 mile hike through Central Africa in 2000, provided a wealth of data about rainforest species, and led to the development of a national park system in Gabon:

"At the turn of the last century, Mike Fay had a hunch that there were still interesting things be found deep in the forests of Central Africa. Planning a route through wildest areas that are still left, farthest from villages, roads and the rest of human civilization, Mike pioneered the Megatransect, a 2,000 mile walk, through the heart of wildest African rain forest.

'Scientists call standardized surveys along lines “transects”; the Megatransect was the longest, greatest transect of its kind ever attempted. Over a 456 day period, Mike discovered landscapes unknown to the outside world, mammals that did not know the fear of hunters, and new insights into what African wild places mean for people and vice versa. The conservation results from his journey are unprecedented: a new national park system for the country of Gabon (which had never before had even one national park) and a commitment of millions of dollars for Central African conservation."

Dr. Fay's Megaflyover research is still being processed, but will likely lead to renewed commitments to the people and wildlife of Africa.

It's great to see that the spirit of adventure lives on in today's aviators and that many of them are still committed to adding to our base of knowledge about the world.  Charles Lindbergh would be proud...

 

Celebrating Older Wiser Women

Are you an older, wiser woman?  Or, are you an older, wiser woman in training?  If you are, come join us as we celebrate Older Wiser Women's Day on August 21.  The festivities begin August 17, and run through September 18. 

This month-long celebration of the beautiful side of aging will feature teleclasses, seminars, prize drawings and lots of free gifts.  I'll be teaching a teleclass called The Journeys of Our Lives: Writing Our Own Stories. Through the centuries, women have used stories to bond with each other, to share our hopes and dreams, and to leave our legacies. In this one-hour workshop, you’ll learn what makes a good story, and how to write it in a way that compels others to read it. If you've ever dreamed of writing a personal essay and getting it published, this is the workshop for you!

Every person who registers for the celebration will receive a week of email consulting on any writing project she wants to pursue, and each person who visits my class can sign up for a free half-hour telephone consultation.  In addition, one lucky person will win three, one-hour mentoring sessions from yours truly.

In addition to my writing workshop, you'll find experts offering classes on everything from bio-identical hormones to mid-life dating, time management and Feng Shui.

The best part?  It's all free!  One you register, you can attend any or all of the classes, enter your name in the drawings, and gather up all the free goodies.  All without leaving your own comfy chair.

Visit the web site for details.  Registration opens today.