Teachers—and the culture in which they work—have the most significant impact on student achievement. Teachers must have a deep understanding of instruction; that is, they must (1) understand the principles that govern how the human mind integrates, processes, stores and masters new skills and information, and (2) be skilled in implementing instructional strategies that capitalize on those learning principles.

It is my responsibility to put the most highly skilled teachers in front of my students; to engage teachers in continuous professional learning of effective instructional practices; and to orchestrate and invest in a collaborative adult learning environment that gets groups of teachers working together with purpose and persistence--an environment that respects the infinite intellectual capacity of teachers to identity problems and to work collaboratively to solve them.

At my current school we are in year three of a six-to-eight-year effort to completely transform teaching and learning through a combination of directed professional education, collaborative-teacher directed learning communities focused on problem solving, and the capacity building to bring it all together. Data has a place in our work, but it does not drive our efforts, it informs them. Our efforts are driven by our love for our students, our respect for our profession, and the sense of responsibility and purpose that each of us experiences as we work with our students.

After just two-and-a-half years, our results have been impressive. Some of our achievement information is illustrated below.

Unfortunately, our politicians and their education appointees do not always have an appreciation for--or understanding of--the systems and resources it takes to develop and maintain high performing schools and school systems. As a result, I have engaged in advocacy for our city's public schools

MARCO SONZINI

Born and raised in Italy, Marco is an Audio Engineer with a classical music background.

Having always been fascinated by sound, he grew up playing classical guitar at the Conservatory of Piacenza, his home town. Right before graduating from high school he was exposed to the technical side of the music world, working on some recordings with his band.

At the age of 16 he became a licensed glider pilot after winning a highschool competition published by the Italian Air Force. Two years later he obtained the skydiving license and he started volunteering for the Italian Red Cross as ambulance technician.

After graduating from University of Milan in Science and Technology of Music Communication, he moved to L.A. to attend the Los Angeles Recording School, completing with honors the Audio Recording Program, where he also became a Pro Tools 210M and 210P Certified Operator.

In his career in Los Angeles with Magelic Productions Inc. he has had the chance to collaborate with Simone Sello and work with some of the most important italian artists, such as Vasco Rossi, Eros Ramazzotti. He recorded and mixed songs for Vasco’s latest album ‘Sono Innocente’ which reached the 6 Platinum FIMI (Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana) certification. He also tracked the Club Dogo’s ‘Non Siamo Più Quelli Di MI Fist’ record which obtained the Gold FIMI Certification as well as Eros Ramazzotti’s ‘Perfetto’ currently holding the Platinum status.

He has also been part of numbers of successful international projects such as: The Lonely Island’s latest release ‘The Wack Album’ which reached number 10 on the US Billboard 200, and The Tenors ‘Lead With Your Heart’ record which went Platinum in Canada.

His experience in the studio includes recording and mixing sessions for, among others, Alejandra Guzmán, Kevin Bacon, Juan Darthés, Draco Rosa, Romina Power, Alessandra Amoroso and Disney.

Outside the studio he enjoys taking part of benefit events by non-profit organizations: he performed at the Open Floor Society event in San Diego in 2015 and he had the chance to substitute Andy Summers for the live performance of the David Lynch Foundation record release party in Hollywood with mezzosoprano Geeta Novotny.

In his spare time, with Marson Audio, he is involved in the building, assembling and customization of analog audio gear.

SIMONE SELLO

Simone Sello is an Italian born guitarist, music producer, songwriter and music journalist. He is known for his work with the San Remo Festival Orchestra, Chicanery, Billy Sheehan, Aaron Carter, Disney, Hannah Montana, Vasco Rossi, Amber Lily, and Warren Cuccurullo, both as a producer and guitarist; and as a journalist for the magazines Chitarre, Strumenti Musicali, Accordo and Ganzo. He is an owner of music production companies RedRum Productions, Session Recording and MusicDemoProducer.com, with each company oriented towards a distinct clientele. RedRum Productions is geared towards contemporary music production for artists, film and TV; Session Recording mostly caters to projects outside the Los Angeles area, and MusicDemoProducer.com aims to bring a simplified approach to professional music production to any user, over the web.

Quick facts: Simone Sello, Background information …
His musical upbringing is based on classical violin studies, as well as watching and hearing his father play guitar, but he never took a formal guitar lesson, in spite of his career as a guitar player. His influences include major classical and jazz composers and performers, (Bach, Ravel, Miles Davis, Weather Report), pop and rock acts (The Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Lucio Battisti), and experimental artists (Luciano Berio, Brian Eno, Terje Rypdal, Klaus Schulze).

Equally interested in performing, composing and producing music, Simone started getting hired to play guitar for recording sessions and live performances by artists in his hometown Rome when he was 17 years old, and eventually became known on a national level. While building a long list of musical collaborations, he started writing articles for magazines, thus achieving a different kind of exposure, still in the music field.

At the age of 29, he moved to Los Angeles to push his musician and journalist careers, by joining a big international scene.

JUSTIN BROWN

Justin Brown is co-founder of Ideapod, a social media platform for sharing and growing your ideas. On Ideapod, you share moments of inspiration in 1,000 characters or 40 second videos, and your ideas come to life with the help of our creative community.

Justin is a frequent speaker and writer on the topics of business, technology and global change, drawing on his entrepreneurial experience and previous doctoral research in international political economy. His writing appears in Forbes and Inc, and he has spoken publicly at TEDx and New York Ideas.

Justin believes passionately that sharing ideas has the power to change lives and indeed the world.

Debra Jo first saw a Pet Oxygen Mask at a Pet First Aid presentation given by Denise Fleck and did not know what it was.  When she realized that pet-specific masks existed and that Fire Departments didn't carry them, well she became a woman on a mission.  Her initial goal was to make sure her own dog would be safe if fire struck her community, but others wanted their dogs safe too, so Debra Jo jumped through hoops to find out the best ways to work with first responders, started her own non-profit, The Emma Zen Foundation with her 100 lbs Black Labrador/Great Dane as the name sake.  To date she has supplied thousands of Pet O2 Mask Kits to Fire Depts in California, Colorado and around the globe. 

Prior to this, Debra Jo was an instructor at the International Institute of Permanent Cosmetics, but EZF became a full time passion.  To complement her safety awareness mission, Debra Jo is now a Pet First-Aid & CPR instructor, teaching  the Sunny-dog Ink course under her own company banner. 

Cheril is a CMT-CHT-NLP and Ordained Minister. She is the developer of the Living Water frequencies. The purpose of Living Water is to help individuals shift their mind set from the flow coming off of the physical experiences, to the natural flow coming from spirit. This experiential shift begins the process of returning the unlimited creative potential to the individual.

Kelly is a developer of Connected Healing, a method of holistic healing that combines Western and Eastern practices, without the use of pharmaceuticals or invasive surgeries. She learned of the value and effectiveness through healing herself of nine different medical conditions. She facilitates wisdom, guided emotional releasing and instruction to teach others how to heal themselves as she did. 

Andrew Scheim has been working in the field of holistic medicine for over thirty years. He is a Certified Natural Therapeutic Specialist and Advanced BodyWorker (Lmt #4598). He has created innovations in the field of bodywork through a process of synergizing cranial sacral, polarity and acupuncture, with a new therapy called Rapid Release Therapy, an advanced technology for accelerating connective tissue release. Andrew is a long term Holistic Educator and Practitioner in the field of Nutrition. He creates cutting edge formulations and is owner of Andy’s Natural Formulas. His approach is powerful, comprehensive, flexible and factors in the unique challenges of our modern times. Along with hands on work, Andrew develops home programs for his clients which are simple to follow and easy to understand.

Rhonda Harrison is a gifted healer, teacher and guide. Rhonda's life is a demonstration of loving service. Her passion is to show others the way to health and well-being. Rhonda dreams of that special day, when as One, we all join in celebration of the Divine Infinite, expressed in these... our precious spirits and physical bodies. Having spent years in the company of Shamanic Healers, Indigenous herbalist and Energy workers, Rhonda created a line of therapeutic oils for her clients and retail customers. Hummingbird Healing Oils, her own brand of essential oils and remedies. Go a little "Wild" with wild-crafted, natural oils, infused with that most potent ingredient of all... Love! Using aromatic oils, Gems, massage and the ancient art and science of Tarot, Rhonda will help you see all that is right and good in your life as she guides you on the wisest path toward an ever brighter future!

Mark Levine is the CEO of Hillcrest Media Group, which he founded in 2006. Prior to founding Hillcrest, Mark was the founder and CEO of the online business filing company Click Industries, Ltd. Mark’s unique experience as both a published author himself and an executive in self-publishing gives him exceptional insight into what authors want and need, which translates directly into how he runs his author-centric publishing company. When he is not writing or working, Mark enjoys running, cooking, sushi, and investing in Internet domain names. Learn more about Hillcrest at HillcrestMedia.com.

The Seven Commandments for Happiness and Prosperity

by Shari Sharifi Brown

This book will take the reader on an enchanting journey through the history of religion to discover the seven key principles that can bring you happiness and riches.

The journey begins in prehistory when men worshipped multiple gods in forms of stone and wood. They sacrificed animals, humans, and even children to please these gods. The great Commandments of Moses were a revolutionary act of liberation. But as we shall see, the Israelites did not always follow them, and they suffered the consequences. Their story is indeed a testament to us today of what not to do if you want success in this life---and the next.

The simplified Commandments of Jesus made them easier to follow, and offered them to all people. But wickedness in the name of Christianity by church leaders and average Christians came after lip service to the Commandments. The Arab people were still worshipping idols of many gods when they came in contact with Jews and Christians. One of them learned of their God and brought Commandments to his people, but like Jews and Christians, many Muslims went astray.

The central theme of this book is to illustrate the fortunes and misfortunes of people who either decide to be inspired by grace to follow the Commandments, and achieve inner and outer peace, or to flout the Law and suffer the consequence.

Amy Novak is a college student living on the Jersey Shore with plans to transfer to pharmacy school. When she's not training or playing with her two Alaskan Malamutes, Layla and Enda, she loves hiking, camping, fishing, reading and traveling. Amy works full time in a pharmacy as a senior pharmacy technician and billing specialist.  She loves finding funding for specialty drugs with high co-pays; in April of 2016, she saved one single patient $12,000 on one medication. Amy lives with her boyfriend of nine years; they love to travel together, especially to Disney World.  In addition to the dogs, they share their home with a Lionhead rabbit named Leonidas whom Amy rescued after he'd been severely damaged from being kicked in the face and a rescue cat named Mia who is blind in one eye.

Christopher Bollyn was born in Chicago and grew up during the 1960's in suburban Schaumburg, Illinois. He was raised in an educated middle class family. He delivered newspapers before school and became an Eagle Scout at age 15. He served as an altar boy in the Episcopalian Church and earned the God and Country award.

His father, Albert, grew up in Chicago's Austin neighborhood and graduated with a degree in journalism from University of Illinois after serving the Army Corps of Engineers in Germany. Christopher's father was his first proofreader and editor. Albert Bollyn owned an interior decoration business and enjoyed acting in the theatre guild.

The Bollyn family is related to Sir Thomas Boleyn, the father of Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I.

His mother, Charlotte, grew up in southwestern North Dakota, the daughter of Scandinavian and Swiss homesteaders.  Charlotte was an educator and interior designer who held advanced degrees from Columbia University.  When she studied in New York, Charlotte worked as governess for the Farish family and took care of the young William S. Farish III, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom and friend of the Bush family.

Christopher's parents both served in World War II.

After graduating from high school, Christopher traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East.  For several winters he lived and studied in Oslo, Norway.  In spring he would cycle across Europe and the Near East.  In Norway, he lived with an erudite Swedish countess and studied Middle Eastern history and Semitic languages at the University of Oslo.

Christopher returned to the United States in the late 1970s and began studies at the University of California at Davis.  He has a degree in history from U.C. Santa Cruz.  His emphasis was on Palestine/Israel.  His last year of university was spent in Norway, Greece, and the newly liberated Baltic States where he researched the psychological effects of the Soviet occupation on the native population.

Christopher met his wife, Helje, in Oslo.  Helje is a Swedish citizen who was born and educated in Estonia. She has a degree in English Language and Literature from Tallinn University. They were married in the Chapel of Kalmar Castle, Sweden. After the birth of their second child, Christopher and Helje wrote a book ABC Zoo and dedicated it to the children who love to read.

Why Solving 9-11 is Our Most Urgent Task

December 11, 2014

Christopher Bollyn speaking to the Citizens' Grand Jury on 9/11
Los Angeles, October 2004 

What none of us (myself included) wish to accept is that the unsolved assassination is a symptom of something wrong today, not just in 1963, in the heart of the society in which we live. … Official investigations of the Kennedy assassination have failed, not because the case is inherently insoluble, but because both the case and the investigations have been governed by deeper political processes, which have not yet been discerned. These forces are still with us, and they are not benign.
- Peter Dale Scott, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK (1993)

I was recently asked why I persevere in my efforts to speak about the truth about what happened on 9-11 to the public. This is a good question that deserves a logical and sensible answer, which is what I will try to provide here.

Most Americans would readily agree that our nation seems to have lost its way and that the political leadership is not serving the best interests of the people or the republic.

So, what’s wrong with our country? If we want to rectify the problems and restore the integrity of our nation we need to have a very clear understanding of precisely what ails it.

One sure way to get a grasp of our political predicament is to logically analyze what the political leadership has done – and what it has failed to do – about the terror atrocity of 9-11. 

Since September 11, 2001, four successive administrations and fourteen Sessions of Congress have utterly failed to conduct a proper criminal investigation of 9-11, a criminal atrocity that profoundly affected the course of the nation. Rather than investigate the mass murder of 3,000 people on 9-11, successive U.S. administrations have engaged in a criminal deception, using lies to take us into foreign wars while imposing police state measures at home.

The government’s egregious failure to conduct a proper criminal investigation into the events of 9-11 is exactly like the failure by the newly-installed president, Lyndon B. Johnson, to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. In both cases, rather than conducting proper criminal investigations, the government appointed commissions that produced seriously flawed reports that were simply meant to support the official, but false, version of events.

So, let’s look at this logically. A government that willfully covers up the truth about an atrocity like 9-11 is clearly not serving the people or the republic. By failing to investigate the crime, the government (and the controlled media that supports it) is actually protecting the culprits of 9-11, which means that our government and media are serving the very people who carried out the false-flag terrorism that hijacked our nation. 

As Peter Dale Scott described the people who obstructed the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy:  “These forces are still with us, and they are not benign.”

Scott is absolutely right about the nature of these “deeper political” forces. The people who are behind the 9-11 cover-up and deception are certainly “not benign.” They are rather like a malignant cancer that has afflicted our American political system. Because America is a leading nation, its seriously diseased state affects the welfare of the whole world.

This is the simple logic that explains why solving 9-11 and exposing those behind the crime and the cover-up is absolutely essential to our personal and national well-being. It is, in fact, our most urgent task because it is the only way we can save our republic - and our sanity.

The Solving 9-11 books reveal the true culprits behind the false-flag terrorism of 9-11, knowledge which empowers us by freeing us from their evil deception. Understanding the nature of the deception is the real cure for pessimism and negativism because it enables us to grasp the essence of the problem we face as a nation.

This is why I persevere in my efforts to spread the truth about what happened on 9-11.  Your support is essential in this important endeavor - and greatly appreciated.

To donate by PayPal, send donation to: 
Bollyn@BollynBooks.com 

Bollyn speaking about 9-11 in Seattle
September 2014

March 23, 2015

Bollyn's one-man protest at the Oscars in Hollywood, February 22, 2015.
Photo: Mike Chickey

The “Solving 9-11 Ends the War” tour was a great success.  In February, I spoke at fourteen events from Austin and Seguin, deep in the heart of Texas, to Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City, and central Iowa.  The last leg of the tour was in central California, from Oakland and the Monterey Bay up to Santa Rosa with the final stop in Visalia – in the shadow of the giant Sequoias.

Walking among giants.
Photo: Mike Chickey

I met new people every place I went, starting with the person who arranged the venue and organized the event.  Videos were made of every event and these have already been viewed by tens of thousands of people.  The 58-minute video of the event in Santa Rosa, for example, has more than one thousand new viewers per day.

Video Link - youtu.be/SP_Ezjm7xDg

Besides giving presentations, I also made important new connections.  One supporter, for example, arranged an interview just before Christmas with a high-level person with the Nation of Islam.  I was, therefore, very pleased to see Rev. Louis Farrakhan mention my name and research in a lecture he gave on March 1 in Chicago.  Farrakhan is the first high-profile religious leader to address the evidence of Israeli involvement in the false-flag terror attacks of 9-11.  

Video Link - youtu.be/RXqTcw8Q4f0

On February 22, I held a one-man protest for 9-11 truth at the Oscars in Hollywood with signs that read “9-11 Truth Ends the War” and “Solving 9-11 Ends the War” in front of the VIP limousines waiting to pass through the security check outside the theatre.  The Hollywood moguls may want to ignore 9-11 truth but they will not be able to do so for much longer; the truth is coming out all over.   

You can run but you can't hide - the truth of 9-11 is out of the bag.
Photo: Mike Chickey

On the final day of the tour, March 10, I did a studio interview in Beverly Hills with Sean Stone, the son of Oliver Stone, for his “Buzzsaw” program.  Sean Stone’s interview and Farrakhan’s speech have opened the door to 9-11 truth for whole new segments of the public.  All in all, the success of my winter tour greatly exceeded my expectations, with many thanks to my friends and supporters of 9-11 truth. 

    REVEREND CHRISTOPHER ANTAL was born in New York and raised together with his sister Jill by their parents, Richard and Susan, on the southern coast of Maine. He attended public schools and received no formal religious education, but compassion and hospitality were family values instilled at a young age. His mom also taught him, "if you can't say something nice don't say it at all," but that was one lesson that never took root.

    Chris left Maine at the age of eighteen to enroll in a posh private art school in Rhode Island, but dropped out after two years, preferring instead a life of poverty and spiritual discipline within the Unification Church. It was in that community where Chris met and married his life partner, Mitsuko Ishikawa. A few significant life events led him to discern a call to ministry and reconsider his religious affiliation, so he returned to school in New York and got a couple of degrees that helped him navigate the way ahead.

    After graduating seminary, Chris followed his heart to Unitarian Universalism and found the community a good fit. So, at the age of thirty-five, he decided to pursue a career as an ordained minister. Chris made it through the hoops of the Unitarian Universalist Association and they actually granted him ministerial fellowship. He was ordained at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany a few months later.

    Since then, Rev. Chris has served the congregation at Rock Tavern, sans a stint as a military chaplain in Afghanistan which came to an abrupt end when the Army officially reprimanded and summarily banished him for preaching a "politically inflammatory" sermon. Undeterred, Rev. Chris kindles fires at Rock Tavern the first and fourth Sundays. He and Mitsuko live with their five children in the Hudson Valley.

    Rev. Antal’s Resignation Letter To President Obama

    (Editor’s Note: Rev. Antal’s resignation letter to President Obama follows.  Please also see, the President’s response to Rev. Antal’s letter him urging him to reject plans to produce the new air-dropped nuclear cruise missile.)

    April 12, 2016

    MEMORANDUM FOR Commander in Chief, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania

    Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500                                                                   '

    THRU U.S. Army Human Resources Command, ATTN: AHRC-OPL-P, 1600 Spearhead Division Ave, Ft Knox, KY 40122

    SUBJECT: Resignation in Protest

    Dear Mr. President:

      I hereby resign my commission as an Officer in the United States Army.

       I resign because I refuse to support U.S. armed drone policy. The Executive Branch continues to claim the right to kill anyone, anywhere on earth, at any time, for secret reasons, based on secret evidence, in a secret process, undertaken by unidentified officials. I refuse to support this policy of unaccountable killing.

       I resign because I refuse to support U.S. nuclear weapon policy. The Executive Branch continues to invest billions of dollars into nuclear weapons, which threaten the existence of humankind and the earth. I refuse to support this policy of terror and mutually assured destruction.

        I resign because I refuse to support U.S. policy of preventive war, permanent military supremacy, and global power projection. The Executive Branch continues to claim extraconstitutional authority and impunity from international law. I refuse to support this policy of imperial overstretch.

       I resign because I refuse to serve as an empire chaplain. I cannot reconcile these policies with either my sworn duty to protect and defend America and our constitutional democracy, or my covenantal commitment to the core principles of my religious faith.

       These principles include: justice, equity and compassion in human relations; a free and responsible search for truth; and the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

    Signed

    Christopher John Antal

    My View: In drone warfare we ought not trust

    (This is a My View column written by Rev. Chris and published in the Times Herald Record)

    By Rev. Chris J. Antal

    Less than a month after I deployed to Afghanistan, on Oct. 24, 2012, a grandmother who lived over the hill from our base camp was out gathering okra in a field when she was killed by a U.S. drone strike.

    Or was she?

    Official sources claimed they killed "militants" that day; I didn't see her, or anyone else, die. All I saw were the drones, taking off, landing, and circling around. I did not even hear the explosion.

    Months later I watched the testimony of 13-year-old Zubair Rehman, describing how he saw his grandmother blown to bits by two hellfire missiles on the day in question, asking his American audience: "Why?"

    They didn't have an answer.

    While deployed, I concluded our drone strikes disproportionately kill innocent people. As a military chaplain, I preached a sermon questioning the morality of such warfare. After my commander read it, he said "the message does not support the mission" and had me investigated, officially reprimanded and released from active duty for "retraining."

    The legal scholar and former Obama administration official Rosa Brooks spoke about the so-called Global War on Terror, "We have the Executive Branch making a claim it has the right to kill anyone anywhere on earth at any time for secret reasons based on secret evidence in a secret process undertaken by unidentified officials." In short, I do not know what mission I should be retrained to support – the very nature of that mission is secret. When I joined the Army, I did not swear an oath to defend secret and unaccountable killing. I took an oath to defend the Constitution – a set of laws that, I believe, this type of warfare significantly undermines.

    From the perspective of both religious wisdom and military values, drone warfare, as conducted by the United States today, is a betrayal of what is right. My faith affirms the inherent worth and dignity of all people, everywhere. I believe Americans who share that affirmation have a responsibility to advocate for a U.S. foreign policy that reflects our regard for human dignity. Military leadership also has a responsibility to advocate for a method of war-fighting consistent with military values like respect, integrity, and personal courage. Too often, I worry, our program of drone warfare falls short of these ideals.

    Two years after coming home, I finally got retrained. It came at the nation's first Interfaith Conference on Drone Warfare that was held at Princeton Theological Seminary in late January. More than 100 faith leaders gathered from across the country united in our moral anguish about drone warfare. I believe the only moral justification for killing is to protect the innocent from certain harm. Killing people we suspect might possibly harm us at some point in the unspecified future can never be morally justified. I fear what has been called "The Moral Hazard of Drones" - they make killing too easy; and just because we can, does not mean we ought.

    Out of the Princeton Conference came a call to action: We must call on the administration to immediately halt lethal drone strikes and be transparent and accountable for past harm; we must call on Congress to repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that serves as drone warfare's legal justification.

    We owe this to Zubair, and the thousands like him. We owe this to our service members who yearn to fight justly. We owe this to the many veterans like myself living in moral pain. Immediately halting lethal drone strikes would be the first step in healing moral injury, reclaiming national honor, and restoring the soul of America.

    The Rev. Chris J. Antal is a minister at Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Rock Tavern.

Ashley grew up in Montgomery Al. and started singing in the choir at the age of 4, her Dad and Mother are in bible based Christians who serve as deacon and deaconess of their church she began writing and playing the piano at age 12, shortly she began playing in local studios.

Mike Wolf is an international speaker, author and mentor. He has been investing in real estate for over 23 years and helps people realize their dreams of a lifestyle of freedom by teaching strategies to achieve passive income.

Mike has been featured in media such as TV, radio, and various print publications. He enjoys sharing his knowledge and is frequently invited to speak in both Canada and the U.S.

Mike believes that you should love what you do every day and enjoy life. He helps people build businesses that they want to have, along with lifestyles that they want to live.

Mike has been featured on a TV program with Bob Bare and Pat Dougher Called “Monetize Your Mind”

Stephen L. Kolb is an organizer, writer, photographer, videographer and actor. He is currently working on a documentary film on the movement for DC statehood.

Following the 2004 national election, Stephen teamed up with a small group highly motivated creatives and began producing a weekly, two-hour video magazine, MediaEdge, covering local political and cultural events airing on four Public Access stations in the Sacramento, CA market. WeTheMedia, the group’s mission has been to foster and encourage an informed and motivated electorate incapable of letting another 2000 or 2004 election happen by virtue of its education and civic involvement.

We the Media is an all-volunteer nonprofit group dedicated to bringing independent progressive video programming to community cable access channels.

While there, Stephen covered the American Friends’ Service Committee Eyes Wide Open “Boots Project” 60- city tour. During its three days in Sacramento, he produced an 8-minute piece for an upcoming broadcast. “Eyes Wide Open: a video tone poem,” was recognized with a WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Award
and two National Hometown Video Festival Awards for professional production. MediaEdge now airs on eight PEG channels from Eureka/Arcata, CA to Cambridge, MA.

Stephen is a General Member of the American Society of Media Photographers (film and video), the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Actors Equity Association. In late 2007, he moved with his wife of now 36 years to Washington, DC and has continued freelance photo and video production along with a part-time job working as a Trainer at an Apple Computer Store in Northern Virginia.

Stephen holds a Master of Public Administration/Health Services Administration from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from UCLA.

Tony Samara, author of ‘Shaman’s Wisdom,’ and ‘Shaman’s Wisdom Within,’ ‘Discover Your Inner Buddha,’ ‘Ancient Wisdom For Reality Creators,’ ‘The Simplicity Of Love Meditation,’ ‘Detox Body, Mind & Soul,’ ‘Karma, Mantra & Beyond,’ and ‘Be Free’ was born in England, grew up in Egypt, England, and also in Norway where he discovered the "Zen Buddhist philosophy".

This discovery eventually led him to the Mount Baldy Zen Center in California, USA, where he learned the spiritual teachings of Kyozan Joshu Sasaki. He had curiosity to explore further the essence of spirituality and thus went to live and learn with shamanic communities around the globe. By going on pilgrimage to various sacred sites in India, Tony was able to dwell deeply upon the ancient Vedic and Jain philosophies and work profoundly with the essence of these teachings.

At the age of 27 he experienced a dramatic moment of enlightenment.

Now people from all over the world visit Tony Samara to take spiritual guidance and experience being in his presence.

Tony Samara believes that "the vast majority of people go through life without directly experiencing the depths of their true self, or understanding their connection to life, or their relationship to others and to the world at large. We are often taught to only relate to he world through our senses. We think, we reason, we feel - but we do not know from our hearts what it means to be connected to what is beyond the senses."

He recognizes that direct experiences have the potential to radically transform an individual and his or her life, as well as promote a profound and effortless letting go of past emotional, mental and physical pain and suffering.

His main countries of activity are in Europe, yet with the assistance of the Internet he is attracting a Global audience through frequent online interviews and live satsangs. His function is as a Spiritual Master who encourages all to lead their lives actively in a noble way in order to realize the evolution of human consciousness.

Verbal dialogue is not the essence of his teachings, but he explains in a direct and simple way that everyone can understand how each individual can practically integrate greater acceptance, peace and joy into their daily lives.

Tony Samara teaches with humor, humility and with infinite patience, empowering the individual with courage, trust and inner strength to continue on this journey back into wholeness, a path that leads towards real freedom.

Aurora is a Galactic walk-in and visionary artist. She came into this physical body, and into this world, in 2001 via the Flying Rainbow Lasagne, a hyper-dimensional portal shape she spontaneously invented.

Since then, Aurora has spent her time expressing the concept of the Flying Rainbow Lasagne (FRL) in drawings, paintings, sculptures, animations, and in an online class called Lessons for Full Spectrum Humans. The FRL shape is like "open source code" for your DNA, and it is Aurora's continued intention to teach everyone how to embody it and become the artist of their own reality.

Aurora presently lives in Northern California, where she paints on a daily basis in her art studio, broadcasts her weekly radio show "Birth of a New Dimension", teaches her online class, and gives live performances about harmonics, the intersection of her visual art and overtones singing.  You can also find her uner Aurora, on Facebook!

Over fifty years ago, in Grand Junction, Tennessee, Dr. Cheairs and the Songbirds (formerly The Seven Star Juniors) began as a family-based "Quartet" group. The Songbirds have been blessed to share in ministry with Harvey Watkins & The Canton Spirituals, Lee Williams & The Spiritual QC’s, Rance Allen, Walter and Edwin Hawkins, Pastor Shirley Caesar, The Williams Brothers and many more world reknown gospel artists. The Songbirds are under the direction of acclaimed Gospel songwriter and producer Dr. Andrew Cheairs, Pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Byhalia, Mississippi.