Brummet's Conscious Blog

Events happening during the 1st week of December: 1st – World AIDS Day 2nd – Together We Can Change The World Day 3rd – International Day of Disabled Persons 4th – National Cookie Day (USA) 5th – Senior’s Day 5th – International Volunteer Day 7th – Teacher’s Appreciation Day Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at www.brummet.ca

-- Quote of the Day -- "Not everything that counts can be counted. And not everything that can be counted counts." Albert Einstein -- Wood Alternatives -- Some of you may remember that on Nov 20th I interviewed John Vere on the topic of wood stoves, burning responsibly, how to cure the wood, how to purchase wood from suppliers, and how to reduce contributions to global warming. During that interview we also discussed some amazing innovations for reusing things like fruit pits (cherry, apricot, etc) and other waste products (grain hulls, etc) to create pellets - an alternative burning resource for woodstove owners. I would like to mention today that there has also been a new innovation for wood alternatives, not for burning but for construction! Waste wood and recycled plastic fibers along with a few other patented additives – are now being used to create a product that has the appearance and workability of wood but is stronger, water proof, warp-free, and also mold, pest and ...

-- Authors Read -- Today's guest on Authors Read was unable to attend for some unforeseen reason. Instead, I read from my book - Towards Understanding - and played a song that was based on a poem from that book by the band - Grooveyard . The poems I read today depicted a nightmare I had about a child that was falling and crying out for rescue but no matter what I did I couldn't reach her... then as she faded from view I realized the child was me. Another poem I shared today was written at a time when I truly understood that the healing process had begun and I would one day be able to leave the pain of an abusive childhood behind. I also shared a poem about deciding to live; rather than waiting to die and feeling shame because I didn't have the guts to end my life. The final poem that I read today was written an attempt to express the feelings of being separated from life of feeling insignificant, that many people with inner issues experience when dealing with society. I...

-- Innovative Green Technology -- An article by Trey Granger at earth911.com site shared interesting recycling endeavors by the city of San Diego. Apparently they are offering free surfboard recycling to keep obsolete surf-boards out of landfills. The city will sort the surf-boards and any that are reusable are donated to various Los Angeles nonprofit organizations - while broken boards will be ground up and used in mixing concrete. According to the article: “ Over 750,000 surfboards are produced each year. Because modern surfboards are made of polystyrene (which you may know as #6 plastic), finding recycling options can be a challenge. ” Now of course there may be concerns with this new innovation such as the possibility of contaminating the concrete, a relatively benign material. Leaching pollutants into the air or water table could be another concern. However, I found this innovative approach to a growing landfill problem quite interesting and it is possible that these concerns hav...

-- Conscious Discussions -- We often see news reports and specials in other media for the success stories, or demands and stresses for Doctors, hospitals and Nurses – but we rarely see support and celebration of the amazing individuals involved in the field of paramedics. Today on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show we had that opportunity… I had a wonderful discussion with Morgan Lawrence - his tribute to paramedics is unique and we had the opportunity to find out more about the impact saving or losing lives has on the paramedic, the legacy these workers leave behind, acts of kindness and relationships gained or lost in this career. This is an insiders, behind the scenes in-depth interview into the life of the paramedic. Today’s guest is author Morgan Lawrence – his book – the Streets Ran Red – was also discussed. Find this interview by clicking on the hyperlinked show title here in the blog, click on the link for the Conscious Discussions show on the right side of this site...

-- Quote of the Day -- “(re: Making Peace Conference) I do remember that they were really interested in getting a youth organizer …so at the age of 16 I was given a lot of responsibility and freedom and got to set up a bunch of workshops for this conference. …this was a really interesting event because there is a big problem of racism …and this event culminated on a round dance with people of all different backgrounds and cultures …and I remember thinking that this just didn’t happen. …I think that people, even nonpolitical people, if you ask them what some of the pivotal moments in their lives have been, they’ll usually site a concert or something like that – that inspired them …gave them a sense of what is possible. … (re: We Are Many Festival) …I started to think about how frustrating it is that what makes sense for the individual is destructive for society. As an individual, we cannot clean the bubble of air above our own head; therefore we decide to keep driving and continue to h...

-- Quote of the Day -- “Beyond all the pain and tortures of love, a peaceful harmony rises above.. A song so soothing – yet vengeful alike; a song of such emotion can make it seem all right. When I’m feeling down – either high or out of control, I hide deep inside the songs and the music feeds my soul.” ~ Lillian Brummet – Towards Understanding -- Conscious Discussions -- Wendy Victor joined me today on Conscious Discussions talk radio to discuss her insights into seeking the inner voice, learning how to trust and listen to it, and how we can use this to forward our everyday life. Wendy is an educator, historian, preservationist and a certified Feng Shui ( pronounced "fung shwey" professional. In the past, she has also worked as a research associate and as a curator for various museums. Wendy is also the author of “The Luminous Heartbeat,” and we touch on this as well during our discussion. To access todays archived interview simply click on the link for Conscious Discussion...

-- Quote of the Day -- -- “…if you have a passion – you have a business. With today’s economy, with the layoffs and difficulties finding jobs… with technology, there is no reason why …you cannot start a business in the comfort of your home …combining the talents with the people in your household to generate the income that you need, not just to survive, but also to have the freedom in life that is just so valued and also to be able to help others at the same time.” ~ Donna-Maria Coles Johnson 12/18/07 I chose this quote for today because I think we all need that little reminder, letting us know that we can make a difference, that we don't have to conform to the limits we perceive in this society, that we can get out of the box we have put ourselves in and pursue a passion that can change the world. We've featured many experts in business development, and support for both "greening" a business and creating a business from a "green" idea. I encourage you to br...

-- Announcement -- Later today, - Nov 22nd - I'll be interviewed by the host of the Free 2 Live 2 radio ! Here's the details: @ 10:30 AM - (pacific) : Trevor Carter is a UK life Coach and Motivational speaker, with a passion to help disadvantaged individuals to take more control of their lives. Each week, he shares powerful testimonies, motivational sessions and special guests with you. Today's guest is Lillian Brummet - Topic: the business side of writing as a career. Location: www.blogtalkradio.com/free2live2 @ 10:30 AM-Pacific -- Quote of the Day -- Yesterday, I mentioned a quote from one of our guests on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. In keeping with the interview I'll be taking part of later this morning I'd like to share another quote from that same interview, where we were discussing predators in the publishing industry: “…if you are getting hounded by a sales person and that you are losing if you don’t do something now… or if it sounds too good...

-- Writer’s Resources -- Some of you may already be aware of this, but if you look to your right on this screen you'll notice that I have a number of links there for authors, poets and readers to enjoy under " Favorite Blogs ". You'll also find links to our radio shows which feature authors, storytellers, poets, playwrights, reviewers, publishers, publicity agents and more. “…Marketing fiction and marketing nonfiction, I think, require a lot of different things. Being self-published and hiring a book publicist for fiction is not a great of a way to spend money. I would use that money to create a viral buzz online. …Where as if you have a nonfiction book, and it is a reference book like mine, having a publicist may have some benefit to the author. …Online advertising does not work well for fiction; the conversion rates just don’t work...” ~ Mark Levine 10/2/08 That is the kind of information that you'll find in our interviews - realistic, effective advice that you ...

-- Conscious Discussions -- These days, with fossil fuel costs rising and alternative’s like solar and wind still beyond the average consumer’s budget, many are returning to wood to heat their homes. Often, this can be a huge benefit to the family budget – especially if they are able to get the wood themselves. Unfortunately, there are huge environmental costs if this heat source is not handled consciously. Today's guest, John Vere, is the Woodstove Exchange Program Coordinator, and we discussed the program, some of the behind-the-scenes activities in running the program and why it is so important to educate the public. Learn how to save money this winter and reduce contribution to global warming – at the same time, learn some tricks in starting fires and types of wood to use for specific situations. To find this interview on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show simply click on the hyper-linked show title, click on the link on the right, or click on the image below - either...

-- Quote of the Day -- "We cannot live through a day without impacting the world around us – and we have a choice: What sort of impact do we want to make?” ~ Dr. Jane Goodall Imagine what the world would be like if each of us looked for very small and seemingly pointless acts of kindness and selflessness that we could do every single day, with every interaction... imagine what that world would be like. We can start right here - right now; with ourselves. -- Green Holidays -- Many of you are already aware that throughout Nov & Dec I will be giving occasional green holiday and conscious family activities and gift ideas for you to consider over this upcoming holiday season… According to Home Home Magazine’s winter 2008 issue , it is as easy as switching to LED lights – they are very energy and cost efficient, have a long life and are “increasingly affordable. Many municipalities offer light exchange programs to encourage the switch to this more energy efficient holiday lighting” ...

-- Events this Week -- - Last night on Desert Rose radio I had some very unexpected support and was invited to join in the live discussion. It was a fun experience... The host and her crowd there was so excited about Dave's work as a percussionist & his band's CD - it was quite unexpected. They were looking up our main site and discussing it on air! It was really cool. This is a 2 hour radio show and I appear on it around 90 min into the live show... www.blogtalkradio.com/DesertRose - Nov 18th: Poetry Readings, airs live at 2:30 PM (Pacific), but will be archived for your convenience as well. Several poets (including me!) are joining to share their work based on the theme: Loneliness - www.internetvoicesradio.com - Nov 20-21st: Location: Brussles, Belgium Event: International Conference on Organic Waste in Urban Environments - www.acrplus.org - National Addiciton Awareness Week (Canada) - National Family Week (USA) -- Conscious Discussions talk radio show -- Renowned aut...

-- Quote of the Day -- “…This is one time that you can get involved… 37 years I wasn’t green, and now I am. …I feel like I am making a difference in my families life, other families’ lives through the book… it gives you a sense of accomplishment and a sense of being a part of trying to make a change. …Children are going to be the biggest force of changing the way we do things. …I created the book with my eldest son because of his love for garbage trucks – he used to sit there at the window and watch them; he was pretty much my focal group. …All the things I’ve done in life, I’m having the most enjoyment now. …It is a thrill. …I’ve had parents coming up to me saying ‘James, you are getting me in trouble – my son is giving me heck because we don’t recycle’…” ~ James Martin 08/03/08 The interview with children's author James Martin was one that most of us can relate to. Most adults today did not grow up with the recycling and reuse mentality that our children now experience. We began ...

-- Quote of the Day -- “…I think we all have a responsibility to the youth… and the youth understand that there are problems and that climate change is there… and a lot of times they feel helpless; this is a huge issue to them. And what we have to do is make sure the youth get inspired to each do something small – because if everyone can do something small and make one decision to help the environment, the synergy from that will just grow and grow. …They may be small, and they may be young, and they may not think they have any power – but we have to change that thinking because they DO!” ~ Laurie Shutt 07/27/08 I love this quote - it originated through a discussion with author Laurie Shutt on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show in July, 2008. It was prominent in my thoughts lately due to some discussions in our local newspapers in the Letters to the Editor sections where the issue of youth is raised. Often what happens is "children" get all the attention - meaning if y...

-- Authors Read Radio -- Our guest this morning (9 AM - PST) on the Authors Read radio is Joan Gelfand – and we had the pleasure of hearing Joan read an excerpt from the first of these books: Seeking Center. Now, I do want to let you know that Joan will be appearing on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show on Jan 6, 2009 – you can find out more about that radio show at www.brummet.ca To find this authors reading simply click on the hyper-linked show title here in the blog, click on the link on your right here on this screen for the Authors Read show or click on the image below: -- Holiday Tips -- We appreciate your support… if you feel you have enjoyed our radio shows ( Conscious Discussions & Authors Read ) our blog, newsletter or articles - please consider our books as a gift for those on your list over the holiday season and whenever gift giving holidays arise. By doing so, you are not only supporting the work we do - you are also helping us support some amazing charit...

Its a little strange to be here this morning in front of my monitor with a clear agenda for the day. Usually I can barely keep up to it all - today, I'm actually in a position to Choose what I'll do next. Hmmm.... Even with a fairly light schedule ahead of me, I find myself anxious to get started. My husband is often asking me things like "just how much time have you spent in there today?" - and sometimes... he's right. Still, I find myself so passionate about what I do and I often wake up thinking about how I can improve or enrich the radio shows, blog and so forth. This particular time in our lives is a very difficult time to hit that "off" switch since we have so much going on in regards to creating promo sound bites and getting the website finished in time so that we can dedicate our energies to the new edition of Purple Snowflake Marketing - coming out around Feb 2009. ...Dave, too, is very passionate about what we do... he just has an easier tim...

-- Greening the Publishing Industry -- Eliza beth Eagan Cox was featu red as the guest at Consc ious Discu ssion s radio today - Topic : the green aspec ts of today ’s publi shing indus try. Eliza beth has a passi on for anima ls and the envir onmen t - she has penne d dozen s of corpo rate histo ries for some of Ameri ca’s most prest igiou s compa nies, and she has been a colum nist for Old Calif ornia Gazet te and a schoo l libra rian. With all of this exper ience , Eliza beth certa inly knows her way aroun d the world of writi ng. Green Publi shing - what is that? Why is e- publi shing so incre dible ? What choic es are avail able and how can we as autho rs help influ ence the publi shing indus try? What quest ions shoul d we ask when looki ng into the publi shers green activ ities and choic es? How can we use this infor matio n to promo te our books ? Why is this chang e impor tant? Learn insid er’s insig hts in deali ng with publi shers , publi cists and m...

-- Events this Week -- * Remember: November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Month (USA) 11th – Remembrance Day (International) 12th-14th - Southeast Recycling Development Council Annual Meeting & Trade Show. Location: Point Clear, Alabama; www.serdc.org 15th - I Love To Write Day - Founded in 2002 by Delaware author John Riddle, I Love To Write Day is now celebrated in over 20,000 schools all across the United States. 16th – International Day of Tolerance -- Authors Read Radio -- It was a sincere pleasure to have children's author and substitute teacher Darcie Mae join me today to read from her book, Mother Mouse, on the Authors Read radio show. Darcie Mae has been writing children's stories since 2001. She has completed The Peablys series - which includes 6 books, and has recently released the first installments of 2 other children's series including Sammy & Robert, and Mother Mouse. Some of you may remember Darcie appearing on Authors Read on Oct 10 to read the f...

-- Quote of the Day -- “The earth is too small a planet - and we too brief visitors - for anything to matter more than the struggle for peace.” ~ Colman McCarthy -- Holiday Gift Ideas -- If you feel you have enjoyed our radio shows (Conscious Discussions & Authors Read) our blog, newsletter or articles - please consider our books as a gift for those on your list over the holiday season and whenever gift giving holidays arise. By doing so, you are not only supporting the work we do - you are also helping us support some amazing charities. Check out our site for more information: www.brummet.ca And on that same site we have several articles on green living including one that lists more than a dozen gift ideas to consider. Check that out on the Writing page – via the Media link where new articles and press releases are made available. Alternatively click on the “sample articles” link there at the media page for more articles. Some of you may recall a previous post where I ment...

-- Influencing through Education -- The Japan for Sustainablility Newsletter (www.japanfs.org) shared some interesting innovations being put forth by that region: The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced on May 29, 2008, its selection of the winning design for its Uniform Green Energy Mark. By affixing the logo to a product, manufacturers can advertise that their products are made using green energy under the green power certification system. The ministry aims to increase public awareness of its certification system and provide consumers with confidence when buying products made with green power. Isn't this a wonderful and supportive measure? It could really increase the effectiveness and growth of the green movement all over the planet, because it will educate and influence consumers around the globe. Education is so important and literacy is THE most important tool for an individual to increase knowledge and find empathy, sympathy... This is one of the main re...

--Cool Eco News-- Some of you may have already learned of the website I’m about to give you now, I saw it several times on TV commercials and finally I found the time to visit the site – I was so impressed. Take a drive smart quiz, learn how to save hundreds of dollars every month! Check out the amusing, yet educational, videos - I thought these were really well done. www.drivesmartsavegreen.com -- Authors Read radio show -- Our guest today on the Authors Read radio show we enjoyed Maria Andrada's presentation of an excerpted chapter from her children's book: Youngen Finds Her Song, An Inspiring Adventure from the Heart of Nature. Maria has written several other books, with new releases in the future, and tells me that her work focuses on respect for self, community and earth stewardship. Maria is a counselor by trade and her skills played an important role in conveying important issues through her writing for adults and children between ages 7-12. You can easily access today...

-- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio Show -- I am still all hepped up after speaking with Dan Noble today on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. Most of our readers and listeners are already aware of my passion for composting. Today, however, we learned about composting on a massive scale. What are municipalities doing to create compost? What about waste-to-energy plants? Why do we need to keep organics out of the landfill? How does municipal composting play a role in healthy soil and how does composted biosolids affect "organic certification"? Mr Dan Noble the executive director of the Association of Compost Producers (ACP) organization. He is also the owner of a consultation business called: Noble Resources Group. He is also associated with Inquiry Consulting and Ecobonds . According to the ACP website – www.healthysoil.org – they are “dedicated to increasing the quality, value and amount of compost being used”. I encourage everyone to visit Conscious Discussio...

Whew! This day has simply flown by. I found myself only able to spend a few hours in the office this morning. Appointments and engagements kept me out of the office until... well, here it is 4 in the afternoon already! -- Quote of the Day -- “…(re: illness) It is like the old story about the toy on the top of the stairs – if you know it is there, you can take the extra steps to avoid it. If you don’t know it is there, you are going to go down those stairs at a velocity you really don’t want!” ~ Richard Diaz 06/26/08 This couldn't be more true! I feel that though Richard Diaz was originally referring to the health of our bodies, that quote can easily be applied to the health of our planet as well. Consider the seemingly small and fairly harmless Battery... Electronic waste and batteries contain toxic substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium, yet are illegally dumped in landfills at an alarming rate. In 2005 in San Diego alone, 2,237,570 pounds of batteries were sold but only 790 p...

-- Quote of the Day -- -- “… success is from within. …It really is how we show up in this moment. …We are all ‘successful’ because we are here in this moment, the question is: are we successful in fear or in freedom? …What if there is no ‘failing’? Who determines ‘failing’? …” ~ Daved Beck 09/04/08 The interveiw with Daved Beck, that this quote was derived from, aired on Sept 4, 2008 on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. This was a wonderful discussion on what a legacy is, the meaning of "success" and insightful advice on how to clear the clutter in our minds. To access this interview simply click on the hyperlinked show title here in the blog or click on the image below: -- technical woes & radio changes -- What a stormy day it ended up being in our area - lots of rain and some strong winds. Unfortunately, this weather movement might have caused the technical issues we experienced to day on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. Unfortunately, our discussio...