Please note: I find the death photos of Neda too sad, thus there are no violent images in this video. In fact, there is only one image: an original piece by me based on a photo harvested from the Internet.

God works in mysterious ways. Some say Neda wasn't directly involved in Iran's protest movement. She was a beautiful young Iranian woman who loved philosophy, music and poetry by Rumi and Robert Frost. Neda dreamed of a peace-filled world where all people would live in freedom, without fear. A bullet fired on a Tehran street instantaneously created an international symbol for justice and human rights -- Neda. Be the change you wish to see in the world. I am Neda. Are you?

Music: The Day After ©2006 on the album From the Yellow Room by Yiruma. Available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

Art: K.M. Hannon ©2009. You are free to share the image under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Send me an email for details and a copy of the image.

Fair Use Notice This video contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This video is made to advance the understanding of issues of humanitarian and political significance using criticism and commentary. The creator of this video believes this constitutes a "Fair Use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 of that section this video is distributed without profit to those with an expressed interest in its content. Items that may be under copyright are used under Title 17, Chapter 1, § 107, Fair Use of the United States Code.

Acceptance: Robert Frost

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud
And goes down burning into the gulf below,
No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud
At what has happened. Birds, at least, must know
It is the change to darkness in the sky.
Murmuring something quiet in her breast,
One bird begins to close a faded eye;
Or overtaken too far from his nest,
Hurrying low above the grove, some waif
Swoops just in time to his remembered tree.
At most he thinks or twitters softly, "Safe!
Now let the night be dark for all of me.
Let the night be too dark for me to see
Into the future. Let what will be, be."

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"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurptions, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security." ~~From the U.S. Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." ~~Mahatma Gandhi.

Nearly 6,000 miles separates me from the events taking place in Iran. Events that have awakened my creative impulse to create a video encouraging people around the world to "be the change." Even if you cannot physically be in Iran helping its citizens exercise their right to establish a free and just society, you can pray that their protests remain as peaceful as possible until their demands for a new, just election succeeds. When was the last time you reached out and lent a hand to those less fortunate than you? When was the last time you put on someone else's shoes and walked a mile? There's a lot of work to be done in places near and far from simply lending a hand to an elderly neighbor or making a bigger commitment to world human rights issues. Maybe it's time you became the change you want to see in the world. There's a lot of work yet to be done. Be the hope to people's lives that are far from easy.

Music: From the 2003 album, Undertones, Be the Change by Corey Smith. Available for purchase on iTunes.

Fair Use Notice This video contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This video is made to advance the understanding of issues of humanitarian and political significance using criticism and commentary. The creator of this video believes this constitutes a "fair Use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 of that section this video is distributed without profit to those with an expressed interest in its content. Items which may be under copyright are used under Title 17, Chapter 1, § 107, Fair Use of the United States Code.

P.S. If you watched the earlier version, thank you. It has been replaced because I'm somewhat of a perfectionist and there was a typo. Tsk. Tsk.

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Joseph Campbell once said that human beings change profoundly when we think of creatures in the natural world as us, not them. I believe him. One very cold Sunday afternoon in January, I accompanied some friends to the seawall in the Brant Rock section of Marshfield, Massachusetts. Each weekend they enjoying feeding the gulls who eagerly welcome their human friends. The gulls are unafraid and fly right up to grab their morsels. The Gulls of Winter are a series of unedited, uncropped photos. I hope you enjoy them.

Fair Use Notice
This video contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This video is made to advance the understanding of issues of humanitarian and political significance using criticism and commentary. The creator of this video believes this constitutes a "fair use" pf any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 of that section this video is distributed without profit to those with an expressed interest in its content.

Items which may be under copyright are used under Title 17, Chapter 1, § 107, Fair Use of the United States Code.

Photographs ©2009 Kate Hannon All rights reserved.
Music by Jason Castro. ©2008 19 Recordings Limited. All rights reserved.

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WELCOME, BARACK

Ye ma wo akwaaba, Okunini Barack
Ewiase nyinaa eshwe wo, Obama ba
Kenya ni ba a wabeye ewiase anidasuo


I stand with open arms, with open heart
In the openness of my joy
And I welcome back home the dream,
The dream that left the shores of Africa
The dream that made America
The dream that is within us all
The dream of possibility

With that dream, he comes to Ghana
Barack Obama, son of the motherland
Drink and taste and indulge yourself
In delicacies of our brotherhood

Be not a stranger to our struggles
Be not a friend to our falling tears

From the shores to the Sahara
African souls rejoice and dance
Because you embody what can be done
What has been done
And what is about to be done

So welcome home, Kofi Barack
Born on Friday, destined to be
The destroyer of myths, the conqueror
Of impossibility, an explorer of hope.

I welcome you, my tribe welcomes you
Ghana welcomes you, Mother Africa
Is proud of what you have done
With whatever life gave you
With the wit and wisdom of your fathers,
With the kindness and knowledge of your mother
We are proud to call you brother
Be a king like no other.

Prince Mensah 2009. Do not use poem without explicit permission of the poet.

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In which John discusses Alaska governor Sarah Palin and her unexpected resignation announcement. Did she quit because not quitting would be quitting? Or to run for President? Or to make money? Or because of some brewing ethics scandal? I'm sure you'll let me know your opinions in comments.

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My take on the whole affair...What do you guys think?

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My girlfriend and I have just got together and now I am making a feature film entirely on my own, from acting to best-boy, and this is the first time you will be able to witness the struggles and set backs, highs and lows of one man fighting to make a feature film entirely on his own!

I am a filmmaker and so this is my passion, but this project will require me to leave home and venture out into the wilderness.

My girlfriend has agreed to film the whole process - and this is the beginning.... Blog one.

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My girlfriend is NOT helping me make the film by filming me. She is filming these video blogs - if she was, then I wouldn't be making a feature film entirely on my own. :-)

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oscars cannes filmmaking sundance raindance best film crazy man

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SF TV came all the way from Switzerland to Film Agency films train hopping from Chattanooga to Denver to go see the Thermals. This is the end result. Of course we were filming along the way so check out some of Agency films behind the scenes footage.

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There is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America." Barack Obama, 2004 Democratic Convention.

Veridicus Films is excited to announce that our new documentary, Barack Obama: Who Is This Guy? is now available exclusively at Blockbuster Video to purchase, rent or download via blockbuster.com.

A truly compelling American story of promise and change, narrated by the acclaimed actor, Blair Underwood, and featuring exclusive interviews with some of our most prominent and recognizable personalities in Politics, Academics, Entertainment, Religion and Business. Also featuring Bergevin Brothers Music and their hit song "Fired Up, Ready To Go" from the new album "Seven Songs For America And One for The World".

Blockbuster is the leading movie rental retailer in the United States, with literally millions of movie fans walking through their doors through Election Day.
We are asking for your support in building excitement for the film, and encouraging everyone you know to purchase or rent this movie and share this powerful message.

DVD cover for messaging & for what youll see at Blockbuster:

Thank you for your support and for helping to spread the word about this incredible film!

Thomas Howard, COO/EP: tehoward23@aol.com
Maria Arita-Howard, Creator/EP: aritatv@aol.com
Media Inquiries: Angela Blair, angela@angelablair.com, 214.208.6761
Veridicus Films, LLC: www.veridicusfilms.com
Bergevin Brothers Music: www.BergevinBrothersMusic.com


Note: If forwarding or using this note for other communications, please use the wording in this message, as it has been approved by Blockbuster for public viewing.

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