Have You Fed the Fish Yet?

You can, you know...just point your curser and click to feed the good green stuff...they love it, and they'll follow you!

ENTERTAINING KIDS: 3 FUN IDEAS FOR A SMART SUMMER

Keeping kids entertained this summer can go far beyond camp, the beach or the playground. It's also about teaching them to make positive choices, with entertainment that will gently expand your children’s understanding of the world and develop good character in a truly memorable way. Young children are especially precocious and require all the skills of parenting to help them not just with normal fun activities, but by “edu-taining” them as well.

Start fresh this summer, scheduling an event each month to balance healthy activity with passive entertainment, building upon our top choices. For instance, you might hold a Sing Along Show & Dance with WO! for the younger ones, or, introduce the book club concept by reading the book “The Borrowers” before watching the “Arrietty” film adaptation on DVD. And, of course, Brave further fuels the archery trend that started with The Hunger Games, so the older kids might enjoy a local family archery class; they are offered for free in L.A.'s Balboa Park on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Read on for more about our top 3 choices to entertain and edutain your children of various ages in the summer of 2012:

WO!
That their names sound similar is pure coincidence, but Bobby Susser may well be the Dr. Seuss of children's songs. Bobby has just released his 25th album WO! and it's a sure to keep your children singing throughout the summer. With 12 songs, Bobby's new album demonstrates that "Any time of day, there is always a song to sing."

Award-winning Bobby Susser, a songwriter, record producer and singer has given us children's songs that are fun and easy-to-learn for children Pre-K and up, while also enjoyable to parents and grandparents! The songs -- especially The Wo Wo Song, Smiling Face, and Oooh Good Morning – gently introduce the foundations of rock ‘n’ roll, and will keep your children laughing, singing, dancing and, above, all, having fun. The Bobby Susser collection of albums teach children about exercise, good health habits, animals and changing seasons. They explain concepts about world peace, feelings and why we are “better together.” But, more than that, they also try to instill in children values about home and family, brotherhood, patriotism, respect and confidence. Find links to buy WO! and eleven other top kids albums on Bobby Susser's site, while also exploring lyrics and activities for parents and teachers. Access the lyrics and activities to produce your own family talent show, gently building your child's confidence.(www.BobbySusser.com)


The Secret World of Arrietty
Children love to watch DVDs over and over, and The Secret World of Arrietty is a sweet film for older children that is a step above the cookie-cutter storylines and visuals often released for children. A Japanese-animated fantasy film, this movie is based on English author Mary Norton’s novel “The Borrowers,” which (in 2007) was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years. The directorial debut of animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi, he is the youngest director of a Studio Ghibli film. Now available on DVD, the movie was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the USA in early 2012. The film, which grossed more than $145 million worldwide, has been praised by critics as “a gentle and entrancing tale” (Steve Rose of The Guardian), and “likely a perennial favorite among children” (Christoph Mark of The Daily Yomiuri). Parents will likely recognize the U.S.-dub version’s voices by Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett and David Hendrie among others.


Brave
This heavily-promoted 3-D animated movie produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures, promises to be a summer highlight, due for airing in June 2012. It is a fantasy-adventure film set in Scotland and is the first fairy tale by Pixar. It tells the story of a skilled archer, Merida, who asks a witch for help but is cursed instead. To lift the curse, she must learn what true bravery means. It is like to appeal to both boys and girls much like Tangled, with a balance of adventure and youthful romance. The movie is scheduled to make its European debut at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June. At that time, Disney Interactive Studios will release a video game based on the film for Play Station 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and Nintendo DS, offering additional summer entertainment options for older children.

A Whale of a Mother's Day

We enjoyed a chilly Mother's Day on the beach in Malibu, CA yesterday, with people huddled in their tents and blankets while my son and I built our sand castle and fortress. All of a sudden, everyone was up and running to the shoreline. pointing and yelling. I looked up and saw the dolphins, then the large shadow of a gray whale broke from beneath the water and "spyhopped" showing us her nose. They were all so close to shore, just beyond the breaking waves, that it only took a few moments for the crowd to begin murmuring their questions and concerns about the health and well being of the whale. And all of a sudden, there was not one, but two whale tails in the air almost simultaneously. Mother and calf, perhaps? We watched and waited; they seemed to be moving just fine when they wanted to, which put our minds at ease. They swam back and forth in the seaweed-heavy area for a half hour before moving north, rolling and diving, eating and playing. I alternated watching these majestic creatures while my son dashed among the shallow waves, and I felt that rare gift of being at one, not only with nature, but mothers of every kind.

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SPIRITUALITY

Spirituality has many facets. Organized religion has taught humanity for aeons to remember and honor the Divine. Many non-traditional spiritual practices have evolved in the last century. Spirituality is not necessarily synonomous with religion. NAU is a website that respects the truth that is the essence of all traditional and non traditional spiritual practices. Visit: New Age Universe

Volunteerism...Every Bit Counts

A Billion + Change supports the efforts of HavServe in Haiti, in conjuntion with the Millenium 8 Goals...

Meet Beth Ann Hilton – Contribution: Promoting Volunteerism and inspiring the largest commitment of pro bono service in the Reconstruction of Haiti.

Prior to founding The B Company Beth headed up the Strategic Promotions department for Warner Music Group, Inc., where she was responsible for creating corporate partnerships and integrated strategic promotions for the company’s Atlantic, Elektra,Lava, Maverick, Warner Bros./Reprise, Warner Nashville, WEA Latina, and Rhino Record labels, as well as, its AOLTW sister companies.

Click thru to read on...http://www.abillionpluschange.org/blogs/havserveorgs-havblog-qa-beth-ann-hilton-b-company

True Love Inspires Gifts of Valentine’s Day Love Songs by Danny Wright

Today is the day that we tend to ask, what is love, and how is it best expressed? Flowers? Poetry? Music? International concert pianist Danny Wright believes with all his heart in the latter.

This Valentine’s Day he offered lovers all over the world a unique way to express l’ amour to their loved ones by offering to compose original love songs in a customized keepsake package. Twenty-eight individuals embraced the opportunity to share their love stories with him, keeping him in the recording studio for months on end. The result is songs that he first intuits, then composes, performs, produces and ships out in a custom-designed gift package.

The resulting collection of love stories and songs, he says, are so moving that he plans to release a 2-CD set of the stories later this spring. The album, releasing via White Lyte Music LLC, will be Wright’s thirty-sixth album.

Wright says he is frequently asked what goes into creating a personal love song for two people he may never have met in person. He explains that the process begins with the giver of the gift writing a heartfelt paragraph to their loved one, which they initially share solely with Wright, alongside a list of the gift recipient’s favorite music. After absorbing all of this information, Wright says, the creative inspiration begins as he thinks about the appropriate mood and key for the musical love story. Once either a major or minor key is chosen, he waits for the melody or bridge to come through in such a way that befits the love story.

“I truly believe that the music is a gift from God,” Wright says, “and I am just here to deliver it. What I love about this process is that each piece becomes a work of art that captures the essence of someone who is deeply beloved to another.”

Each “giftee” receives five copies of their personal piano piece with their name on the cover, a Danny Wright performance video, a certificate of authenticity, and a note sharing all the wonderful things their loved one wrote on their behalf. Wright has proven particularly creative at designating a song title that captures both the recipient’s name and their special significance to their loved one. While certainly the ultimate romantic gift, his fans have also commissioned songs as gifts for mothers, mentors and community leaders. While there is a fee for each song, he says, it is well below what one might think from a pianist who has sold over 5 million albums. “I want to make this gift truly accessible to most people,” he says.

Today, ministry leader Sandy Walsh of Columbia, SC, received one of the special gift packages from her husband, author Chuck Walsh. “I opened the package and I just cried and laughed all at the same time. It’s the most incredible gift I’ve ever received; I can’t begin to tell you what it means to me.” Walsh, founder of the ministry A Child’s Answered Prayer, asked her husband how he’d found such an amazing gift. As it turns out, he had originally heard Wright’s music on Pandora.com, and loved it so much that he obtained the rights to Wright’s piece “Hayden’s Song” to use in the promotional video for his book titled “A Month of Tomorrows.”

Tara Watkins, a friend and longtime fan of Wright’s, chose to gift a personalized song to her husband, Brent, this Valentine’s Day, reciprocating the inspired gift he had given to her last year while their relationship seemed in jeopardy. “I truly believe that special song was a God-given gift that helped us to chart a new path in our lives,” said Watkins, a resident of Lufkin, TX. “When I tried to think of something special to give to Brent for Valentine’s Day this year, I realized that a heartfelt song would mean and say so much more than any material gift I could buy for him. It’s a simply timeless gift.”

Originally, Wright thought he would follow up his 2011 release, Soul 2 Soul, with another 12-song CD of the love songs, but he and his team couldn’t choose from among the 28 tracks. “They’re all so lovely,” co-producer Cheri White said of the new pieces, “It seemed a shame to pick just 12, so we’re opting for a double album of all 28 tracks, complete with liner notes about the story behind each love song.”

Wright has twice been named by Billboard Magazine as a Top 10 artist in his genre, with three of his albums ranking in Billboard's Top 10 New Age Albums for three consecutive years. His most recent release, Soul 2 Soul, spent several weeks on Amazon.com’s Easy Listening Bestseller’s list.

As a Steinway and PianoDisc artist, Wright celebrates the pure piano music, while steering close to fellow contemporaries Tom Barabas, George Winston, Dave Grusin, David Foster, Billy Joel, and Barbra Streisand. A native Texan based in Las Vegas, Wright’s command of musical textures and tones crosses the Contemporary, New Age and Christian genres.

Heart 2 Heart is slated for a late-May 2012 release; Soul 2 Soul is currently available for purchase via iTunes and Amazon, and at fine music stores everywhere via distribution by Inner Knot and E1 Entertainment. White Lyte Music plans to reissue several of Wright’s best-selling albums including An Intimate Christmas, Real Romance, Keys From My Heart, and Walking in Faith; all albums will be available both digitally and at brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Danny Wright can be reached for concert and custom music requests via the Contact page on his website at www.dannywright.com

Links:
Official Website
Video New Release

About Danny Wright
Danny Wright is an international concert pianist who has sold over 6 million albums since his debut in 1986. Wright’s talent stems from musical training from age 4, studying with some of the best piano instructors in the world. He has been named twice by Billboard Magazine as a Top 10 artist in his genre, with three of his albums in Billboard's Top 10 New Age Albums for three consecutive years. He is currently represented by White Lyte Music LLC in Las Vegas, NV, and is founder of the Danny Wright Foundation of Music. His music is distributed by Inner Knot / E1 Distribution.