Influential Producers/Directors Weigh in on De-evolution
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Dear Friends,  
De-Evolution is getting top billing these days, and from none other than the great Steven Speilberg. Did you see Terra Nova this past Monday evening—his new TV drama series? It was fantastic. It is an important piece of work—extremely pertinent to our lives today. Check it out this evening (Monday night) on FOX at 8pm. What’s special about Terra Nova? Really glad you asked! To understand the underlying message and purpose in making Terra Nova one needs to understand the de-evolutionary worldview. De-evolution is the process we are now experiencing in the biosphere (life on earth) whereby the more complex, higher forms of life (amphibians, reptile and mammals) are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. But not so with the simpler forms of life (bacteria, slime, mold, algae and jellyfish)—they’re thriving. The world is sliding back into the direction of the primordial ooze. We are de-evolving. As Jane Goodall recently said, The world is in a horrible mess. Who else has hit the alarm bell regarding our polluting ways and ecologically destructive behavior? Dohrea in her doctorate studies combines the academic worlds of Social Justice, literature, film and television. She studies different social issues through the lens of our media or literature. She has discussed with me several films and TV shows that deal with the issues of sustainability. With this in mind think about the too short of a conversation (as I learned from Dohrea) that was stimulated by producer/director—Mike Cameron, through his film Avatar—the highest grossing film ever made. Avatar takes us into the magical world of the Na’vi, where nature and the Na’vi commune, behaving as one organism with many relating parts—like the experience of life for the indigenous peoples of earth, that is, before they were overrun by us. Avatar brings this sad story for our consideration, as we see, the Americans are engaged in raping and pillaging the Na’vi’s land for our own selfish needs. Are you familiar with Hayao Miyazaki and his amazing body of work—Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, to name a few? His 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy, Princess Mononoke became the highest grossing movie in Japan until Titanic took over the spot several months later. Mononoke is, in fact, the film that inspired Cameron to make Avatar. I am giving you a trailer for Princess Mononoke here. It is an absolutely amazing work of art and spirit. It presents the battle between nature and exploitive man. The wonderful thing about this movie is that Homo sapiens from all ages, 6 to 96, are delighted and inspired by this film, wanting to watch it many times. It points us so powerfully back into the direction of working with nature not against her. By the way, I learned about Miyazaki from my good friends Ron Mirzanagh,and his wife, Dr. Nazanine Kimiai. We watched the movies with their daughter Bahar at least twenty times each movie, and I am not exaggerating! So, what’s my point? Speilberg, Cameron and Miyazaki, three of the most powerful and influential producer/directors in the film industry, have given us films whose underlying message is that we are destroying life on earth. And, that we need to dramatically change our ways. What I have learned from Dohrea is very interesting—the mainstream cultural critics and commentators haven’t really got the message as their commentary on Avatar’s technological feat was positive, but according to them the message was too preachy! The critics of Terra Nova claim that “people will like it because they like dinosaurs.” Are we that dense? Yes we are!!! The media needs to come around these films and seize the opportunity to face the transnationals/governmental/military destruction of the biosphere. These three great artists are coming to the table. Are we? With the foregoing in mind watch Terra Nova tonight, and see what you think. How can you do more within your own practice to stop the process of de-evolution engulfing our planet? After all it is what’s killing us all. Sincerely yours, Seann Bardell Clinical Note: Probiotics are definately a growing focus for medicinal supplementation within the medical industry (both mainstream and integrative)—and rightly so. Within our own Therapeutic Foods Line seven out of our fifteen products have probiotic organisms within them. In next week’s Forward Thinking we will have an upfront conversation with you about supplementation with probiotics, helping you to separate fact from fiction, corporate self interest from real science. Stay tuned!!! The Last Quiz Answer: This magnificent creature is a Great White off the coast of New Zealand hunting seals not humans. Of the 100-plus annual shark attacks worldwide, fully one-third to one-half are attributable to great whites. However, most of these are not fatal, and new research finds that great whites, who are naturally curious, are “sample biting” then releasing their victims rather than preying on humans. It’s not a terribly comforting distinction, but it does indicate that humans are not actually on the great white’s menu.
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