PROMISE OF AMERICA

by Michael Douglas Carlin

The Promise of America is, that no matter what your current station, you can take advantage of the opportunities in front of you right now and make your life better through working hard and obtaining an education. Aaron Cohen is not only a believer in this promise but an achiever of this promise.

We celebrated Aaron as the 2010 Century City Citizen of the Year, an award given by the prestigious Century City Chamber of Commerce. Aaron is an unprecedented two time recipient of this award. The awards were twenty years apart, signifying that Aaron not only made it, but he maintained his position in life and within the Century City business community.

In any other country, this would be a story that would become a legend, myth or fable. In America, this is a common story about a man who began in the most humble of circumstances and rose to greatness. Common, because others have achieved the same result from their hard work and dedication, but uncommon, because, from a purely numbers standpoint, this story isn't repeated nearly enough in America or in the rest of the world. Aaron began life in Bulgaria and, at the age of ten, dealt with Nazi occupation for two years. He took advantage of an opportunity to leave for Palestine. At fifteen and a half, Aaron did time in a British jail for protesting against the policy of not letting Holocaust Survivors come to Palestine as outlined in the British White Paper of 1939.

Aaron joined the Israeli Underground, becoming one of their most elite commandos. They were known as "Palmach" (strike forces), and they fought against the armies opposed to the formation of Israel. They passed a single machine gun from village to village to give the appearance that their firepower was greater than it actually was. Aaron would volunteer for these dangerous night missions when failure meant certain death. Together with his Battle Buddies, the armies of Syria, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq were defeated to bring the dream of a sovereign nation of Israel into being against all odds. While in Israel, he was one of the founders of the Kibbutz Urim in the Negev desert. In Israel, he met a woman who would change his life forever. He married an American with the full intention of settling in Israel but was sent for when she visited home.

He arrived in New York not speaking the language, with no money, no education and no job. But what he did have was a willingness to work hard and to learn. Three days after his arrival, he was in school learning English. He worked a factory job during the week, went to school at nights, and worked a second job on the weekends to make ends meet. At the factory, he was named a management trainee just prior to the end of the Korean War. When the war was over, he was laid off.

He vowed that he would never be laid off again. He came to the West Coast, where he learned how to clean windows and floors.

Many people from that era would love to claim that Mary Pickford gave them their start, but Aaron was blessed to be able to work for Mary cleaning her house. This lead to other celebrities needing their homes cleaned and then to Mary's first commercial building. Aaron then landed a contract to clean all of the Hamburger Hamlets. According to his philosophy that all anybody wants to see is a hard working honest guy, he landed all of Buckeye Realty's buildings.

He sold his business and stayed on to manage it.

Now he hails from ABM, the largest building maintenance and facility services company in the business. ABM has expanded its offerings to include security, engineering, and parking to complement its monopoly in the maintenance business. Aaron's favorite claim to fame is that all three of his kids graduated from the same high school. Three years to the day after Aaron arrived in the United States, he was made a U.S. Citizen.

He credits his teachers. One teacher gave him a book he needed to complete the course at a time when Aaron couldn't afford the book on his own. All of his teachers, and he remembers every single one of them, instilled a deeper appreciation for our country. In Century City, Aaron is known for his patriotism. He regularly leads the Century City Chamber of Commerce meeting's Flag Salute. Then, at the end, he thunders: "AND GOD BLESS AMERICA, AND GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS." Every time that Aaron sees any uniformed soldier, he stops everything and politely addresses the soldier, expressing his thanks for the soldier's service. There isn't a single building in Century City in which his sweat hasn't been left. Aaron is living proof that the promise of America is still alive.

Michael Douglas Carlin is a filmmaker, author, and journalist. American Federale is available on iTunes, Amazon, and GooglePlay. Rise a Knight is available on Amazon. Peaceful Protests and A Prescription For Peace is available on iTunes.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

CHOOSE PEACE

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Peace on Earth? Good Will? Peace is a choice. Choose Peace! Ten thousand years of studying the "human condition" has led us to conclude that there is a path to the dream that so many have shed their blood attempting to build. Their sacrifice was NOT in vain. They believed that a time for peace would come. The Old Testament talks about there being a season for every purpose under heaven, and then, at the very end, comes a time for peace. We are at a crucial juncture where the choice is clear. We can choose destruction, or we can choose redemption. Humankind always rises to the challenges that are before us. We will no doubt rise to this challenge.

 

There will always be the naysayers who claim that peace is simply not attainable. I would join them except that I have seen bitter prejudice turn into deep and abiding love. I have witnessed hatred give way to tolerance, then to understanding, then to true love. I have seen a single man travel down this path through his choices of education over ignorance. If it is possible for a single man to make this journey, then it is possible for a family, then a village, a province, a nation and then the world also to travel this path.

 

Every year during the holiday season, countless songs are sung about attaining peace on earth. Would these songs have been written if there weren't faith that this is attainable? Would so many embrace these songs if they didn't believe? Would so many fight and die if they didn't believe that a time for peace will come to the world? Today, I ask you to make a choice. Choose peace! I ask you to quell the naysayers and make a conscious decision to move toward world peace. We who want and work toward peace are not "whack jobs" who want to hold hands and sing songs to bring about peace. We are people who have developed a clear path that will lead step-by-step toward world peace.

 

Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and Jews are united in their belief that peace is attainable. I recently published a book called A Prescription for Peace, which is a series of essays documenting the philosophy behind a group of relief workers led by Sir Edward. They all believe that peace can be attained through following a series of steps to give prosperity to the entire world. The basic building blocks of society are the foundation for realizing world peace.

 

Excluding any group of people from economic prosperity is a recipe for retaliation, terrorism and war. Drawing a circle that includes every man, woman and child alive is not only the path for peace, but it is the right thing to do. The Army calls this "SWEAT MS," which means "Sewage, Water, Electricity, Academics, Trash, Medical and Security." In the book, I outline my conclusion: Food (including clean water), Shelter, Health Care, Personal Security, Education, Rule of Law, Forgiveness, Empowerment of Women and Jobs are the elements that will lead to peace. We can all discuss the details of the peace and arrive at our own conclusions, but the fact that the discussion continues means that we are close to a practical path to making the dream a reality.

 

If every person alive took the Hippocratic Oath to "first do no harm," the world would be a much better place. If we all applied it to our business and family lives, we would prosper. If we all applied it to the environment and ecology, we would develop business models that are sustainable, renewable, and replicable.

 

The book has drawn some strong comments. One reader wrote in reference to a section that discusses the Israel/Palestine situation: "Bulldozing houses is a punishment for blowing up buses. Every homicide bomber knows that, if they go through with their evil plan, their family will lose their home. If they make the choice that killing fifty Jewish children on a bus is worth their family losing their home…yeah, I can't really feel too bad for them."

 

I responded to the comment with the following: "The point that I was attempting to make is that individual rights are the key to lasting peace. When the families of Palestinians are given money because one of their offspring detonated a suicide bomb in a crowded marketplace, that money needs to be intercepted and the incentive removed through due process of law. Conversely, when a family has been located in a home for over fifty years, and the home is bulldozed without a trial, they need to be compensated through due process of law."

 

Sweeping statements about what the Jews have done to the Palestinians or what the Palestinians have done to the Jews as justification for further wrongs move both sides away from peace and proliferate the hatreds that are already inbred. Jewish World Watch has the goal of eliminating "genocide" from the earth. I applaud that mission and hope that we can all work to see hatred replaced with not only tolerance but also understanding; that we can see a "rush to judgment" replaced with due process of law.

 

A "World Court" with teeth is one of the foundations to eliminating genocide, as the court brings men and women who commit atrocities to justice. That court needs to serve all people of all races and all religions. Attempting to justify wrongdoing through the interpretation of history is just what this court needs to discourage. History is a great teacher and should be studied at length. All of humanity should be educated, as education is a very basic key to eliminating prejudice and hatred.

 

Every man, woman and child alive have certain inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The rule of law, which was really promulgated by the Jews many centuries ago and is the foundation of our laws today, must protect one person's right to the pursuit of happiness from interfering with another's. Everyone deserves personal security, because that is the foundation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Food, shelter, health care, education, and a job are also the foundations of peace, and every person who is living today should have all of these elements that provide them the opportunity to have a good life.

 

Humanity must unite as we all think and dream about world peace. When governments deem the "iron mace" necessary, they also need to prepare the "velvet mace" of civil affairs to restore basic needs to people who are affected by war or catastrophe. People who have their needs met are less likely to become insurgents, because they have something to lose. Those that have something to lose and still choose to fight need to be incarcerated or eliminated.

 

Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, agnostics, and atheists all get along on the Westside of Los Angeles, because there is an environment of abundance. By helping all of humanity have abundance, we cannot only hope and dream about world peace, we can make it a reality.

 

I spoke recently in Century City at the Rotary Club's event to honor Sherry Lansing. I summed up my talk by stating: "Our work will not be done until every man, woman and child alive has three square meals a day, a roof over their heads, access to quality health care, personal security, an education and a job."

 

This is A Prescription for Peace. I hope that we can partner with you in areas like Burma to bring this from the theory stage to the elimination of atrocities and the establishment of a lasting and abiding peace.

 

I really do appreciate anyone taking time out of their day to write to me. I know that time is precious and that we can all learn from each other. I found the aforementioned comments enlightening and hope that this is only the beginning of a dialogue that will bring lasting peace to one country at a time and one person at a time. We need every man, woman and child to embrace the concept of peace–to choose peace--for it to become a reality. I want you to know that I am your partner in peace and that I know Sir Edward is also your partner. He is the servant of humanity. If there is a project that we can collaborate on, I would be honored to help and I know he would too. His thirty-five years of working in the trenches can be a tremendous asset to any organization, and it is available for the asking. Throughout those years, funding has come through nonreligious sources and many faith based organizations, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. I invite you to begin a meaningful dialogue with Sir Edward and to discuss Burma if that is an area you intend to elevate. There are some opportunities there that can be leveraged with a proper strategy. I invite you to begin discussions with Sir Edward to develop that strategy.

 

The United States of America is the first nation in the history of the world to forgive at the end of a war and then to appeal to economic "best interests" to heal relations and to trade with our former enemy. We did this at the end of the American Revolution, the Civil War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. Forgiveness leads to rebuilding our enemy and stronger productive relations.

 

My oldest son is a warrior and has served two tours in Iraq. When he returned from his second tour, he ended every telephone conversation with "peace" instead of saying "goodbye." I found it remarkable that a warrior would take up the cause of peace in such an everyday way. I found that the discipline of ending every conversation with peace keeps this on my mind. If all of humanity valued world peace in everyday lives by ending every conversation with the word "peace," it would keep the concept on everybody's mind and move humanity closer every day, as people everywhere are constantly thinking about and discussing world peace. I invite you all to begin ending your telephone conversations with the word "peace." The more we talk about it, the more we are going to move toward it. I have asked you to make a conscious choice for peace. You can manifest that choice in your everyday life by ending your telephone conversations with peace.

 

You can also invest in peace. I invite you to make a $25 donation to charities that hit the mark. Sit down, write out a check, pop it in the mail, and ask all of your friends to do the same. In these tough economic times, a $25 donation and investment in peace will not affect anyone's lifestyle, but it will add up as tens of thousands of people join in the metaphorical march toward peace.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

OJINAGA

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Lobo, my Federale friend, was responsible for killing Pablo Acosta. Since Pablo's body had more than one bullet, it is possible that others also can claim that they had a hand in his death. The word came down from the top that he was to be put down–not arrested. I think we all know why. Dead men don't talk. When the corruption is inherent in the system, people tend to want to protect themselves. Taking care of loose ends keeps the people in power happy and productive.

Pablo Acosta used to frequent Ojinaga. He was the head of the Juarez Cartel and chose to run the operation from the middle of nowhere, where it was easy to get drugs into the United States. Ojinaga sits on the Texas border across from Presidio. I needed footage for a documentary that I am working on. So, I thought I would travel to Presidio and find someone to take me on a tour.

I arrived In Presidio at about 10 pm. There are only two motels in town. I chose to stay at the one with a restaurant next door. I checked into my room and walked into the restaurant. I ordered food and sat for a few minutes at a table by myself. There was a long table along the wall. The Mexican Nationals were at one end, the Mexican Americans were in the middle and the Americans were at the other end.

A few minutes after I arrived, I was asked to join the Americans, and they bought me a beer. They asked what I was doing in Ojinaga—I guess not too many tourists wander in. I told them I was going to attempt to shoot some video and asked them if they knew someone who could take me on the Pablo Acosta Tour. At the mere mention of his name, the entire restaurant was suddenly silent, and all eyes were on me.

I shrunk inside. I felt like the biggest dumbass in the world. How could I be so careless? The Mexican-Americans immediately came down and told me that I should not travel to Ojinaga, because it was far too dangerous.

Rudolfo, who was born in Juarez but lives now in Houston, gave me a stern warning. "Mister, I don't know why you are here but do not go into Ojinaga. There is no reason that is worth losing your life."

Others especially warned me about ever mentioning the name of Pablo Acosta in these parts. I took their advice seriously and told them that I would not venture over the border. I thanked them for looking out for me. Soon, the restaurant was back to normal activity, and I turned to one of the Americans who was there as a construction worker helping to build a new school. I quietly asked him how he would go about finding someone to take him over the border if I theoretically wanted to go there. He told me to go to the El Patio Restaurant and ask to speak with the owner. The owner would make the arrangements.

In the morning, I did just that. I got the camera ready early in the morning, and I loaded four duffle bags of medical supplies into the car. The Knights of the Order of Humanity collect single-use medical supplies from hospitals in the United States and take them to war-torn countries.

I arrived at the restaurant to order food and to make my inquiry. The call was made and my driver was on the way. I excused myself, because I wanted to retrieve my camera from the car. When I walked in with the high-definition camera, the owner looked slightly surprised.

The driver was a thirty-something-year-old woman driving an unmarked Suburban. She didn't bat an eye at the camera. I asked her in my broken Spanish if we could also take in some medical relief to a local clinic, and she looked confused.

I took her to my car and opened up the hatch. I unzipped a duffle bag and showed her the contents. She agreed that we could take them with us to Ojinaga. On the way, she began making calls to find the right place for the supplies.

Mexican Customs was so preoccupied with the video camera that they paid little attention to the bags in the back. As soon as we cleared customs, I asked if she knew any of the history of Ojinaga and Pablo Acosta. She immediately made the Catholic sign of the cross and pretended not to know anything about this person, "whoever he is." I saw immediately that I had hit a nerve, and she was now uncomfortable with the trip. Her imagination was swimming, and I could see her thinking, "Who is this, and what am I involved in now?"

We got to the clinic. We waited for at least twenty minutes. Out came two women, a nurse and a doctor. They looked really confused as we began to explain to them what we wanted to do. They were also distracted by the video camera. These two beautiful women struggled to understand why an American with a video camera and a driver had arrived with medical relief. We took them out to the car and showed them the duffle bags. They got it, and immediately welled up inside.

Then doubt took over. "What do you want for these supplies? How much?"

I told them that they were a gift from America to the people of Mexico, and tears began streaming down their faces. As we carried the bags from the Suburban to the clinic, I'll bet they said "Thank you" a thousand times.

When we got back in the car, my driver turned to me and told me what a great thing I had done for these women. She told me that we had made their day. A few minutes later, she brought up Pablo Acosta, Amado Carillo Fuentes, and El Chapa Guzman. She agreed to take me on my tour. She also explained to me that these men were heroes in this community and had provided jobs and money to the inhabitants. They had built clinics, schools and churches and had fed the people of Ojinaga. She warned me that I was not allowed to get out of the car where she was taking me. Her warning continued by telling me never to mention these names in this community if I wanted to live. People here would kill me to protect the memory of these sacred drug lords.

We drove past homes that had belonged to the men. We also drove around the downtown area. I was allowed to get out briefly in the town center. It didn't take long to shoot video of the entire village. On our way back, the driver asked me if I minded her stopping at the market for a few groceries. Now my imagination raced. I did mind but trusted my instincts not to let it show. She pulled up to the grocery store and exited the vehicle, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running. She disappeared around the corner and I sat in the idling vehicle. My senses were heightened for those fifteen or twenty minutes. I watched every mirror with great interest. I was prepared to jump over the hump and get into the driver's seat to battle my way back to the border. I tried to be calm, but my heart was racing.

My driver emerged from around the corner carrying a couple of bags of groceries. She jumped into the vehicle, and off we drove to the border and safety…or so I thought. She took me back to the El Patio Restaurant and dropped me off at my car. She told me that I had done a great thing for those women but that it was now time for me to leave, because my life was in danger. From the way that she said it I knew she was telling me the truth. I wasn't going to wait to find out. I got in my car and headed straight for El Paso.

I was followed the entire way from Presidio to El Paso by an unmarked blue van. When I got to the Lomaland exit, I got off and pulled into the Whataburger parking lot. I took a bunch of papers with me and my cell phone and started making calls and conducting business like I had not noticed the man following me. He was shorter than me, with a long ponytail, tattoos, and a pock-marked face. I pretended not to notice, and when he went to refill his drink I was out the door in a flash. I jumped in my car and disappeared down an alley. I had lost him, and I hope that I never see him again.

           Border Mexico is dangerous enough right now without mentioning the wrong names. We may have freedom of speech here, but that doesn't mean that saying the wrong thing might not carry with it consequences–severe consequences.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

Juarez

by Michael Douglas Carlin

Many years back, I met a former Federale who worked for ten years in Mexico.

He is the only known American ever to have served as a Federale. Over the years, he has told me stories about his time across the border. I have often thought that his story would make a great feature film. Earlier this year, I started calling him for an hour at a time and writing an assemblage of short stories. I also traveled to meet him and video him telling this amazing slice of life history in the trenches in the American/Mexican War on Drugs.

He spent most of his time in Juarez, which is the most dangerous city in the world. Interview footage can be boring, so I thought that I would add production value by shooting some video in the old places that he used to frequent in and around Juarez.

When I told him my plan, he quickly agreed. "You know me, I am down for whatever." Many times during our conversations he told me that he said these words before engaging in a firefight (he was in over twenty-two of them) or apprehending some dangerous suspect. The meaning of those words was lost on me until now.

The specific plan was to enter Juarez on a Sunday morning to capture that footage. Lobo was going to take me on a tour. I intended to document the trip on video. The night before, I received a telephone call that Lobo was in the emergency room and was expected to undergo emergency surgery. I was left with a big decision: cancel or go it alone.

I prepared the camera and loaded four duffle bags of medical supplies to donate to the local clinic as a side trip. I woke up Sunday and decided that I would attempt to make the trip alone. I drove to a parking lot next to the Santa Fe Bridge located at the dead end of Stanton. Years ago, a line of taxicabs would be waiting for me. However, on this particular morning, none were present. I asked the parking lot attendant why there were no cabs, and she told me that there haven't been any for a while. I asked her how could I find someone to take me to Juarez?

She cautioned me about going. "This isn't like you might remember it."

When I pressed her, she pointed to a gentleman that might help. As soon as I asked him about getting a cab, he drove off to bring me someone to take me across. He returned with a cabdriver in tow.

I asked the cabdriver to take me over the bridge to Juarez. He told me that he had no intention of getting killed and refused to take me. He did offer to find someone who would embark on this adventure. I told him that I had medical relief to take over, and he asked to see it. I opened my car and unzipped one of the duffle bags. He told me that no one would agree to take this relief in. But the conversation changed from that point. He didn't mind the video camera, but the medical relief was something he couldn't comprehend. Why would an American bring relief to Juarez?

He didn't want to be involved in it, but he couldn't stop attempting to understand it. Clearly, he wasn't American, and he wasn't Mexican. I asked him if he was Muslim. He told me that he was from Jordan and that he had strayed from his religion. I asked him if he thought about going back to it. This led to a most interesting conversation. He told me that he had not done anything for humanity recently. After thinking back to his youth and his roots, he decided to take me to Juarez. Then reality set in. He started second guessing himself. I met his doubt with dollars. We agreed on a price, and the adventure was on.

Immediately upon crossing the border, I knew that this was very different from the many times I had been there before. There were barricades and bunkers with machine gun turrets. There were Federal Police, State Police, Municipal Police, and soldiers. The streets that used to be populated with hundreds of thousands of people were virtually empty. Storefronts were boarded up, and "For Rent" signs were everywhere. We drove through the various parts of the city. Everyone looked as I held the video camera—wondering what I was doing there shooting video. We attracted a lot of attention.

When we got out by the airport, we discussed coming back through the heart of the city. They were probably waiting for us. That wasn't very comforting.

I suggested that we cut through the Barrio to the border highway. He cautioned that this was perhaps the most dangerous Barrio in the world. I agreed, but I said that, for that very reason, nobody would expect us to go through this area. He agreed, and we cut through. I was able to capture tremendous footage overlooking the El Paso side from the Juarez side. We got onto the border highway and, after about five hours in what could have been harm's way, we made a turn onto the Santa Fe Bridge and back to safety in the United States of America.

The very next day, nineteen people were murdered in Juarez, many of whom were killed in the parking lot of the clinic where we would have delivered our medical relief. I had time to digest the trip and contemplate how this would have happened if I had gone in with Lobo. I called him and discussed it with him.

I said, "You were there for ten years."

He said, "Yeah."

I said, "What are the odds someone would have recognized you if we went to all of the places you used to hang out?"

He replied, "One hundred percent."

I asked, "What would have happened to us if they had recognized you?"

He said, "Oh, we would have been killed." I thought that was a pretty important detail to have had in the planning process. He told me, "Mike, I told you then and I'll tell you now, I am down for whatever."

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Send us your news story by putting the Headline in the Subject and the Article in the Body of the email by clicking on this link.

© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

ICYMI: California Alliance for Retired Americans and Social Security Works Jointly-Release New Report on Social Security’s Impact on California

 

ICYMI: California Alliance for Retired Americans and Social Security Works Jointly-Release New Report on Social Security’s Impact on California

 

 

San Francisco, CA — To mark the 79th anniversary of Social Security, area retirees with the California Alliance for Retired Americans (CARA) celebrated this important birthday by holding a telephone press conference Thursday, August 14, 2014. The call included Eric Kingson, Co-chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition, Jodi Reid, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Retired Americans, andPauline Brooks and Andrea Gorman, vice-presidents on the CARA board.

Our nation faces an impending retirement income crisis. More than half of today’s working Americans are not expected to have sufficient resources to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Social Security, which provided benefits to 5,414,499 Californians in 2013 is essential in addressing this issue.

“Social Security is a family program,” Reid said on the call. “Although the bulk of beneficiaries are over age 65, there are children who received benefits, people with disabilities who receive benefits, widows and widowers who receive benefits, and of course the family members of all of these people who depend on Social Security to provide support and independence.” 

 “Today, it is time to expand the Social Security system,” said Kingson. “Its modest benefits are just $14,006 a year. The reality is that for young and middle aged people working today, two thirds are moving towards retirements where they will not be able to sustain their standard of living. We’re a rich nation and we can afford to join the other industrialized nations in providing an even more secure foundation for our older people, for our children, and for all of us who face risks in the workforce.” 

Full audio of the call here: California Alliance for Retired Americans Social Security Birthday Call

 

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This Light Bulb is Great News for the Planet, but Bad News For Dimmer Switches

This Light Bulb is Great News for the Planet, but Bad News For Dimmer Switches

Nanoleaf Bloom is the first dimmable light bulb that doesn't need a dimmer

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. JULY 31, 2014 - In a world of apps and startups, Nanoleaf is one that is fully dedicated to energy efficiency and innovations for our planet. The three tree-huggers who invented the world's most energy efficient light bulb have done it again. On Monday (7/14), they announced their latest breakthrough invention, a clever new way to save even more energy. They are running a Kickstarter campaign to garner support and to raise awareness on this new invention for sustainability:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nanoleaf/nanoleaf-bloom-the-first-bulb-that-dims-without-a

Within the first 24 hours of launch, they were already well over 200% of their initial goal.

While dimming a light bulb can significantly cut down on energy consumption, the problem is that there are far more regular light switches than dimmable ones. The Nanoleaf Bloom is the perfect solution. It has the dimming function built directly inside the light bulb, allowing it to be dimmed in any regular light fixture, using just a regular on/off light switch.

"We want to inspire people to adopt more energy efficient technology into their everyday lives," says Christian Yan, co-founder. "The best way to do that is by making products that are simple and convenient to use."

For more information, please visit the Nanoleaf Bloom Kickstarter project:http://kck.st/1zBHVKt

High Resolution Photos: Press kit - https://app.box.com/s/w605l5gmwdxhxljry08m

About Nanoleaf

Founded in 2012, Nanoleaf is a green technology company with a mission to create a greener and more sustainable future through continued innovations of highly energy efficient products.

Nanoleaf's trio of "passionate tree huggers" met while working on University of Toronto's solar car team in 2005. Their interest in developing sustainable products resulted in a partnership that's spanned years and continents and countless hours of hard work. The company debuted with the world's most energy efficient light bulb in January 2013 on Kickstarter. Learn more at http://www.nanoleaf.me.

Another Major Endorsement for Swearengin

 

Breaking News:

Another Major Endorsement for Swearengin:

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer

  

(San Diego, CA) – Today San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer endorsed fellow Mayor Ashley Swearengin for State Controller, saying she has “the vision to help California rebuild its economy.”  Mayor Faulconer joins Democratic San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed in supporting Swearengin, and he adds a major Southern California presence to Mayor Swearengin’s campaign.

 

“Mayor Swearengin understands what strong executive leadership requires, and she’s proven her willingness to make tough decisions for the greater good,” said Mayor Faulconer.  “Her strong background in job creation has given her the vision to help California rebuild its economy, and she will transform the Controller’s office into an economic planning hub for the State.  I’m excited about the changes she’ll bring to State Government, and I’m proud to support her.”

 

Kevin Faulconer has joined the ranks of reformers, where since taking office in San Diego, he has worked to guide the City from financial trouble by reforming economic planning and budget practices.

 

“Mayor Faulconer and Mayor Reed give the Swearengin campaign influential voices in areas rich with independent and swing-voters,” said Swearengin spokesman Tim Clark. 

 

Recent polling shows Ashley Swearengin even or ahead of her Democratic opponent as the campaign gears up for the final 3 months.  Swearengin is particularly strong among independent voters.

The Century is America’s Version of The David

(This article originally appeared in the October 19, 2010 edition of the Century City News)

By Michael Douglas Carlin

It was a banking crisis at a time when art had reached new heights. A new priest, Savoronola, has arrived in Florence. He preaches that notes of protestation should be placed upon any art that is offensive. His sermons rise in popularity as the banks of Lorenzo Medici (known as Lorenzo the Magnificent) are failing around the world. Lorenzo’s financial upheaval causes his physical health to wan. Soon he is on his deathbed and he sends for Savoronala for a final confession.

Emboldened by the death of Lorenzo, Savoronola preaches that the art with the notes is to be destroyed. The Bonfire of the Vanities ensues. Paintings, books, cosmetics, statues and other representations of the times were piled high and burned with militant youths cheering at the urging of Guilermo Savaronola. Much of the wealth of Renaissance Florence is destroyed before Savaronla, himself, is burned at the stake for heresy. In the aftermath Florence lay in ruins.

A young artist carves away at a thirteen foot block of marble that other sculptors have rejected as flawed. We can all imagine the number of people that advised against this. He completes his statue a short time after the bonfires have consumed some of the most valuable art ever created. The process of moving the heavy statue takes many hours…lingering into the late night. Vandals come and attempt to destroy the statue by throwing rocks while it is being moved. The young artist fears that this statue and three years of hard work will be immediately destroyed.

Once the statue of David (who in bible times had battled the giant Goliath) reaches its final resting place, Michelangelo is so fatigued that he heads home and collapses sleeping until late afternoon the next day. When Michelangelo arrives in the town square his heart, already distraught over the attempted vandalism, sinks from the thousands of notes attached to the statue. He assumes that these notes are of protestation like the ones Savoronola incited. When he arrives at the statue he begins reading. To his astonishment they are notes of praise. They are thanking him for redeeming Florence. The David inspired hope for a brighter future. The David symbolized independence, and triumph over a giant by a small boy. The David was the greatest work of art ever achieved.

Now, five hundred years later, we have a similar banking crisis that has left much of the American economy in ruins. In the midst of this upheaval an entrepreneur, Stephen Ross, has been busy carving a statue in Century City. In this era of trillions of dollars, a single piece of property has elevated bedrock to a new height.

I have been writing about the impossible situation that The Century occupies: luxury condominiums at a time when real estate is sketchy. I have been saying that you should delay your purchase because you might get a better deal later. That was before architect, Phoebe Yee, gave me a tour of the property. What I expected to find was a builder that cut corners at a time when money supplies tightened and credit was frozen. I expected a building. What I discovered is a work of art. No expense was spared in creating the ultimate living experience.

I have been in every building in Century City. I have been on the roofs of several. There is a feel when you get up on the higher floors. Many of the buildings in Century City feel vibrations and swaying. The Century has a much different feel. It is as if somehow the architect and builder were able to rise up the bedrock to the top floors. It literally feels as if it is a statue carved out of solid marble.

Every detail has been anticipated to create the ultimate living experience. Balconies to entertain, separate entrances for services, layers of security built in, landscaping to provide an oasis feel in the midst of busy Century City, downstairs rooms for dinner parties, downstairs offices and maids quarters, guest suites for visitors, as well as all of the amenities you would expect like exercise facilities, valet parking, twenty-four hour security, and a dog park.

If there was an offering for a share of the statue of David there would, no doubt, be a flurry of bidding for this one of a kind work of art. I believe that The Century is so uniquely situated that there will never be a duplicate or an equal. The Westfield project on the corner of Avenue of the Stars, The JMB property on the corner of Constellation and Avenue of the Stars, the Century Plaza Hotel property, and the property at 10000 Santa Monica Boulevard will all be successful projects but the limited supply of units in The Century will always be thought of as a work of art.

Like all fine art, there is a limited supply. When I look at The Century now, I don’t see a building I see the statue of David that has classed up the Century City skyline. The David stands there and taunts the other developers that are working on their projects to “one up” it. The nature of development, that is usually handled by awarding contracts to the low cost bidder, will always keep this work of art above the others as clearly this was built in a manner where every element was seen as an opportunity to ascend at a time when conventional wisdom saw this as folly. Now this decadence and opulence taken to new heights serves to elevate humankind into a type of living that may never again be attained.

The big question has always been, if Candy Spelling is moving in and when. Now that I have experienced The Century, I no longer ask that question. I am confident that with all of the billionaires vying for a safe place to command their fortunes that The Century provides an unprecedented opportunity and very soon you might be wishing you had not waited to make your move.

When you look at the Century City skyline from now on, I would bet that you would see a daring gamble that was just like Michelangelo’s gamble five hundred years ago. Each of them took about three years to construct and each of them seemed foolish, given the times, but each of them are an inspiration to remind us that creativity attains new heights in some of the most challenging of times.

Stephen Ross, I was one who formerly threw rocks at the unveiled new statue in Century City, now I congratulate you on your vision in creating a tremendous work of art that I may never live in but I will always appreciate as a one of a kind legacy that will outlive us all.