Brummet's Conscious Blog

Well, the Brummet's Muse bi-weekly newsletter just went out this morning. I hope you all enjoy the information we have in this issue. :) For those of you not already on our list, simply add your name via the widget here on this site or on our Brummet.ca site. -- Quote of the Day -- “ (For e-books you need to) convert it for the right format, sign up to the right retailers and you are set to go. Most of the retailers are non-exclusive, and there are a lot of easy ways to get your e-book available. …The biggest formats are MobiPocket and Epub… E-books give people much more capability than ever before… and are a very good way of getting your content out there with out spending a lot of money. ” ~ Jan 19th – Joshua Tallent You can access the full archived interview with Joshua Tallent that aired on Jan 19th on the Conscious Discussions talk radio by clicking on the show title here: All About E-books -- Recommended Resources -- Earth Zone , home of Planet Pals is an interactive web s...

-- Quote of the Day -- This one's for the writers out there: “… writers are always wishing they had more time to write. …What I have learned to do is to set aside my writing time at the beginning of my day, because if I don’t set aside that 2 or 3 hours then with all the other activities in my writing life I wouldn’t have the time. …The rest of my day is sending stories out to publications, sending out copies of my books to magazines or other outlets I think might be interested in them - and I do at least a couple hours a day reading other young writers submissions or talking to schools or literature groups. I definitely spend some time each day reading – recharging my imagination. I have a submissions log where I keep track of what I send out, I go to the post office at least once a week with packages to mail, …I’ve learned that there are always other things to do . ” ~ Jan 12th - Dallas Woodburn Today's quote was excerpted from the WriteOn Literacy Foundation interview that...

-- Quote of the Day -- "There is no failure, only feedback" ~ NLP presupposition -- Sunday Gardening -- Today on Conscious Discussions Talk Radio , we are featuring #23 of the Sunday Gardening episodes offering seed suppliers, compost and watering tips for conscious gardeners. Some of the resources offered in today's episode were: Seeds of diversity’s ( www.seeds.ca ) site offers many lists of seed suppliers and organizations that offer organically produced open-pollinated varieties and responsible farming that provides gene-pool security. Today I will share a few of my favorites: Rare Breeds Canada – Conserving Heritage Livestock… Join this org. to help conserve the genetic diversity of Canada’s poultry and livestock. www.rarebreedscanada.ca Seed Savers Exchange: www.seedsavers.org Organic Seed Alliance: www.seedalliance.org High Mowing Seeds: www.highmowingseeds.com Eagle Creek Seed Potatoes: www.seedpotatoes.ca Salt Spring Seeds – www.saltspringseeds.com And the Seed ...

-- Quote of the Day -- " The temperature of the Earth's inner core is about 6,000 degrees Celsius (C) -- almost the same as the surface of the Sun -- and it is estimated that 99 percent of Earth's volume is at a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees. Thus, there is an enormous amount of geothermal energy in the planet's interior that could potentially be tapped " ~ * a direct quote from: japanfs.org -- Taking Action -- People can make a huge difference in so many areas in their lives, and may not realize the impact they can have with simple actions. For instance, did you know that by refraining from driving 2 family cars, and sharing one instead –along with public transit or cycling options – just by doing that one thing a family can reduce CO2 emissions by 6.4 tons? Try going camping or vacationing locally instead of booking a flight to another country – and save 2.4 tons of greenhouse gas emissions this year. Consider eating less red meet – cutting out beef fro...

-- Earth Hour -- Earth Hour is an initiative that anyone can participate in - All we need to do is turn off all our lights for one hour at 8:30 PM - (pacific) - on March 27th . Earth Hour is a global event that is organized by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF: http://earthhourcanada.org/earthhour ) and is held on the last Saturday of March. According to earthhour2008.com , " the first Earth Hour took place in Sydney, Australia in 2007 ...more than 2 million residents switched off their light s." By 2008 more than 50 million people across the planet took the time to participate in this amazing event. Today, there are hundreds of millions of participants. So why is it so popular? - This initiative not only increases awareness about the issue, but measures the results and allows people to see the direct result of their action. Shaw Cable sent out an email notice celebrating this opportunity for the average individual to make a huge difference on the planet, and in this noti...

-- Quote of the Day -- “Green burial is when a person is buried in a biodegradable container, or nothing at all, and being returned to earth’s soil. …Being buried without metals, plastics, chemicals or concrete …without toxic glues and varnishes. The main way people choose to do this is through an earth friendly casket crafted out of wood, or bamboo, banana leaves or willow.” ~ Feb 4th – Elizabeth Fournier Check out the interview, where this quote came from, by clicking on the show title: Green Funerals , which aired on Conscious Discussions Talk Radio back on Feb 4th, 2010. -- Curbing Rising Temperatures -- If we as humans want to have a fair chance at curbing the current trend of rising temperatures across the globe we must reduce our emissions by 80%. Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption, yet building efficiency can be improved by 80% with cost-effective energy savings improvements, such as new insulation. The Canadian province – Ontario has been recognize...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ …You’ve got to take care of yourself. There is a lot of talk about boundaries and I’m not a big fan of that word because I believe that if we are taking care of ourselves we don’t need these boundaries. We don’t have this impenetrable border going up, but we are really protected – and we are making decisions that are more uplifting for ourselves and other people. …we can take a breath and stop the resistance to who they are or what they are doing. If we are not strong enough we don’t have to put ourselves in harms way. ” ~ Feb 18th – Sarah Anma This quote originated from an archived interview with Sarah, that aired on Feb 18, 2010. Check i out by following the hyperlinked show title - Art of Relationships -- Clean the World -- By joining Clean the World organization’s Hospitality Recycling Program spas, hotels and resorts can now recycle unused portions of personal products like soap and shampoo – these products are sterilized and redistributed to the indivi...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Failure is not falling down, It is remaining where you have fallen." ~ Author Unknown -- Recommended Resources -- The Canadian Environmental Network facilitates cooperation and networking among non-profit, non-governmental environmental organizations internationally: http://cen-rce.org Eco-Equity focuses on developing and promoting climate solutions: www.ecoequity.org -- World Water Day, today! April 22nd -- Check out the many interviews with water experts on Conscious Discussions archived episodes: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions -- Businesses Creating Sustainable Communities -- We love to celebrate businesses that take on initiatives to make their service or product a more environmentally friendly one. Just recently I stumbled on an article that spoke of 39 local businesses and organizations that were recognized this year with awards from Fortis-BC for their leadership in completing energy efficiency projects. In total, their effo...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today's episode of Positive Eco-News will discuss issues with packaging and poltstyrene foam (a.k.a styrofoam); we'll also discuss alternatives for the food and packaging industry to consider, information on experiements with compostable food and drink containers... and more! As always, the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio Show airs at 10 AM - Pacific Time. Every single episode is archived as an audio file for anyone to access at their convenience with a click of their mouse they can choose whatever show they are interested in, or subscribe via itunes, or download the files to their portable listening device of choice, and other options as well. To subscribe via itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id262138144 -- Announcement -- Regular listeners already know that Conscious Discussions airs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 AM (pacific) - however I'd like to forewarn our listeners that over the Spring/Summer seasons, we wil...

-- Tired Tires???--- Apologies to all our readers - I've just been so inundated with to-do's that this blog was neglected for a few days. I am sooooo tired today... may even lie down for a while. :) According to the Recycling Product News (www.baumpub.com) article titled Green is for Retreads: “Retreaded tires are one of the most environmentally friendly of all recycled products. They contain one of the highest post consumer contents, since the actual tire itself is being recycled. In fact, according to Harvey Brodskey, managing director of the California-based Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau (TRIB), retreading was "green" before the word was ever used for recycling, and the retread industry has been green for nearly 100 years! When a tire is retreaded, the worn tire – with the exception of a very small amount of old tread that is removed – is reused in the retread process. And even the small amount of old tread that is removed (referred to as buffings) i...

-- Recommended Resource -- Today's recommended resource is an inspiring example of seeing a genuine need in society, finding a way to fill that need, developing the funding for the project and helping the planet be greener at the same time. * I received this information recently from a fellow member of the SanDiego Waste Management Group: " Green Beach America http://www.greenbea chamerica.org/green-beach-exchange is a non-profit, 501(c)3 dedicated to providing barrier-free homes for disabled Veterans. Green Beach homes use energy efficient methods and sustainable building materials to maximize energy conservation and provide a clean environment. The exchange is an outlet store that sells donated goods for resale. Local contractors, retailers, and private individuals have donated a variety of home improvement items (new as well as used) such as furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the exchange. The exchange sells these donated goods to the ge...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain!" - Vivian Greene -- Conscious Living Event -- March 21-23 Location: Las Vegas, NV – National Demolition Association Convention @ Mirage Hotel Info: www.demolitionassociation.com -- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Mark Romero, known for his beautiful music and the therapeutic benefits of the frequencies within his work, was our guest of the day on Conscious Discussions radio. With the completed studies by one of NASA's former top consultants, Dr. Ronald Jones PhD, it was proven that Mark's music carries frequencies that actually put listeners into a higher state of consciousness and helped them to live healthier, stronger and more vital lives. Drop in to the Musical Therapy interview to learn about the benefits of music on our mental and physical health. -- Did You Know?? -- In Cairo, Egypt up to 80% of the garbage gets reclaimed and recycled… That...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ Children are bombarded by movies and television about the terrible stresses on the world. They hear that the polar bears are disappearing or the ice shelf is melting… and there is a lot of fear around sustainability. It is really important that children feel empowered, rather than threatened. We need to help them realize that change can happen, that they can do it on their level, with their resources. …The earth is healthy in many ways and can be healthier and we can all be a part of that, no matter how young we are .” ~ Therese Tappouni Today's quote was excerpted from the Teaching Green to Children interview that aired on Conscious Discussions talk radio show on Feb 9, 2010 -- Authors Read Radio -- Today I read an excerpt from Trash Talk , our book on saving time and money through looking at "waste" as a "resource". In this section, I read from pages 48-49 from the chapter: Glass . Click on the show title: Glass - to access today...

-- Authors Read -- Today's featured guest on Authors Read Radio was Gumersindo Vidot and his book: You Only Live Twice about his days growing up in the Spanish Harlem and South Bronx; the racism, violence and poverty he endured – This is a real survival story. Gumersindo was born in Puerto Rico to a poor family, who later became a boxer and moved on to a great many other things including armored car driver, police investigator, school police officer, citizen safety awareness instructor, security site coordinator and private investigator. This author is a proud father of 3 and grandfather to 2. Sadly Gumersindo has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, however this has strengthened his resolve to leave a lasting, positive legacy with a young adult organization that helps youth survive today’s world: Youth Survival Project . Check out today's reading by clicking on the book title: You Only Live Twice . -- E-Waste -- Electronic waste contains valuable resources such as metals ...

-- Quote of the Day -- " The more confident you are in your own truth, the less it matters whether or not anyone agrees with you ." ~ Anonymous -- Recommended Resources -- Canadian Association for Renewable Energies was federally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in March '98, with a mandate to promote feasible applications of renewable energies. Info: www.renewables.ca Earth Energy Society of Canada represents the domestic earth energy industry (ground-source / geothermal heat pump) and promotes quality installations of earth energy technology as a viable economic alternative for Canadians. Info: http://imby.org Find Dave & Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio shows & free resources & articles at w ww.brummet.ca

-- Quote of the Day -- “The impact of suicide is that people are haunted by the question of Why. Even though you can say there is a big connection to mental illness, addictions, depression and hopelessness leading to suicide. Still survivors are left wondering “what if…” There are a whole host of questions that can preoccupy the survivors. In the case of adults, usually the intense anguish gets better after a 2 year period. However there can be physical symptoms, where you can have trouble sleeping or concentrating, a feeling numb, a sense of wondering about the meaning of your own life - and it is so incredibly important to be gentle with yourself and to reach out for help from others. …Often when you say someone committed suicide, people will migrate to how or why it happened – but what can be very helpful is to ask the grieving individual to tell you about the person and have them come alive across time and not have the event being the definition of who that person was. …We all have...

-- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Today on Conscious Discussions we are speaking about everyday pets becoming volunteers and therapists for humans - Barbara Techel, our guest of the day, is the award-winning author of the Frankie children’s book series based on a real-life story of the author's dog who had a spinal injury. This courageous little dog of hers ended up enabling the author to encourage children to be the best they can be while learning that no matter what life challenges we face, we can still give back to the world. Today we will talk all about this, and Barbara’s experiences in working with Frankie as a volunteer therapy team at hospitals, nursing homes, hospice centers and the occasional visit to children’s classrooms as well. Drop in to hear this fascinating interview on Animal Therapists by clicking on the hyperlinks here - or look to the right for recently aired episodes. -- Conscious Living Event -- March 10-12: Waste & Recycling Expo Location: CIEC World...

-- Quote of the Day -- "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men." ~ Herman Melville -- Interview -- Drop by for the Affordable Landscape Makeover interview with hosts Douglas & Annette Johnson, while they ask Lillian Brummet how to build healthy soil, get seeds and plants, water and maintain a garden on a strict budget and very little time. Find resources & more gardening info on our site: www.brummet.ca www.blogtalkradio.com/allwrite -- Conscious Living Events -- March 8-9 : Gatineau, QC. – Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety Forum – Leading Workplace Change @ Hilton Lac-Leamy www.ccohs.ca March 7-13: E-book week is just around the corner @ http://www.ebookweek.com -- Even A Font Can Make A Difference! -- *Source: Japanfs.org Nis Co., a Japanese firm which develops character fonts for PCs, started selling its Ecofont series in August 2008. The Ecofont , named for ecology and economy, has been a major hi...

-- Quote of the Day -- “ Some kids find it very hard to read and write – if you can read and write you can teach yourself and do anything you want to do. Literacy is extremely important… and kids won’t learn unless they want to, and it is my job (as a teacher) to make them want to. I am a catalyst. …(as a young person) my husband had a passion for falconry but was failing high school English and a very wise teacher had him write about falconry – Now he’s a writer himself, and more than that he is a publisher. …I had to bring 4 cougar cubs to school one day (no one was at home to look after them) and it was just a wonderful reaction. The cougars were particularly what turned more students on. …There was none little boy who was put into my class (because no one wanted him) and he just sat in the back of the class room and he just would not do anything, he just defied me to teach him. But after school I noticed that he talked to dogs and cats in people’s yards on his way home so I gave hi...

-- Quote of the Day -- " If we are flexible and pragmatic, if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: a world that is safer, cleaner and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children " ~ Barack Obama -- Conscious Discussions Radio -- Cheryl Kerr has published columns, essays and articles in newspapers and periodicals. She has also published a book on employment law. To access today's broadcast of The World of Writing with Cheryl Kerr , click on the show title here or look to the right to find recently aired episodes of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. -- Thoughtful Consumerism -- Last Xmas my sister-in-law handed me a xmas card that was made in such a way that at the end of the season the recipient could tear it into two bookmarks and reuse the card for many more months as bookmarks. It was also printed with soy inks and on FSC paper. I still remember that card several months l...

-- Interesting Eco-Interview -- The Greenhouse Neutral Foundation (based in Australia) sent me a link for an interview they did with Joanne Luke - host of the Healthy Planet Healthy People Show. In this interview they talked about the seemingly unending consumption in a finite world of resources. Location: http://bit.ly/bgxVNc -- Bike Sharing -- *Source: www.japanfs.org Japan's first full-scale bicycle-sharing service, billed as a novel eco-friendly form of public transportation, is set to start on March 20, 2010, in downtown Toyama City – operated by Cyclocity , Inc . While bike-sharing services are becoming more common in major cities in Europe and the U.S., Toyama will be the first to introduce such a full-scale system in Japan. A total of 150 bicycles will be installed at 15 self-service stations in the central part of the city. Pre-registration is required to use the service, and registered users can pick up and return bicycles at any time at any rental station. -- Conscious...

-- Quote of the Day -- "Only those who will risk going too far Can possibly find out how far one can go." ~ T S Eliot -- Conscious Living Events -- March 3-5 - International Automobile Recycling Congress Location: Basel, Switzerland Info: www.icm.ch March 3 - Guest Post! Tony Eldridge's Marketing Tips for Authors blog features our article on book reviews. Location: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com -- Positive Eco-News -- According to a press release by Tom Fudge, San Diego's Miramar Landfill is now experimenting with compostable cups, plates, stir-sticks and cutlery in their composting program. Apparently these items, depending on their composition, can break down in as little as one week. These items can be made from bamboo, corn, potato, wood and other renewable resources. -- Authors Read Radio -- Poet, writer and artist April Chartrand dropped into Authors Read radio today to share an excerpt from her debut poetry collection titled: Angel’s Destiny . In t...