“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.”

-Shakespeare

Anyone remotely familiar with Shakespeare knows that he sometimes employed the use of a commentator or “observer” in his plays, who periodically remarked, often satirically, on the action. Unlike a mere narrator, however, this type of character speaks essentially as a member of the audience, openly acknowledging that, yes, this is a play. In theater, this device is called “breaking the fourth wall,” with the idea that the stage has three walls (two sides, one back), with the fourth being the imaginary wall between the players and the audience. Wikipedia describes it as follows:

“The fourth wall is the imaginary ‘wall’ at the front of the stage… through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play…. Speaking directly to or otherwise acknowledging the audience through a camera in a film or television program, or through this imaginary wall in a play, is referred to as ‘breaking the fourth wall’ and is considered a technique of meta-fiction, as it penetrates the boundaries normally set up by works of fiction.”

For most people, emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than IQ when it comes to achieving success in their lives and careers.

Our career success depends on our ability to read other people’s signals and react to them accordingly. Therefore, each of us needs to develop the skills of emotional intelligence for better understanding and negotiating with other people.

“Your emotional intelligence is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work with them,” says Howard Gardner, a Harvard theorist.

Researchers recognize five categories of emotional intelligence...

Source: www.preventdisease.com | Original Post Date: May 17, 2013 –

Hemp is a tall, beautiful and gracious looking annual plant that can reach heights over twelve feet. Although hemp (cannabis sativa) and marijuana (cannabis sativa var. indica) come from a similar species of plant, they are very different and confusion has been caused by deliberate misinformation with far reaching effects on socioeconomics as well as on environmental matters. The reason hemp is illegal is not because of any negative impact to the environment or human health, but exactly the opposite. It is so environmentally friendly, nutritionally and medicinally beneficial, that it provides too many abundant resources which would make it impossible for powerful corporations to compete.

Sayer Ji, Green Med Info
Waking Times

While any discussion of the “chemtrail” phenomenon today is immediately labeled conspiracy theory, a new study provides evidence that a global covert program is underway, made possible through political, commercial, and government interests working in collusion to release extremely toxic material into the atmosphere ostensibly to “combat global warming.”

Admittedly, when the topic of “chemtrails” comes up, I get a bit uneasy.  Like connecting vaccines with autism, certain topics have been so loaded with misinformation for so long that writing about them automatically invokes the specter of controversy, and not open discussion, as would be expected if discovering the truth were a priority.

“Sound when stretched is music. Movement when stretched is dance. Mind when stretched is meditation. Life when stretched is celebration.” ~ Ravi Shankar

The concept of stretching comfort zones is fast becoming a cultural cliché. And it’s typically just something people say to placate themselves from actually doing any real stretching. But it’s still vitally important that we do so. Stretching comfort zones isn’t supposed to be comfortable. It’s supposed to be challenging. There is pain involved, but it’s more like eustress, a beneficial stress.

If you’re not being challenged, then you’re probably not stretching yourself enough. If you’re nice and cozy in the kingdom of your ideals, surrounded by the moat of your precious worldview, then chances are your comfort zone is more akin to a boundary than a horizon. Time to do some stretching. Perhaps some traveling is in order. Or maybe find a giant’s shoulder to stand on.

By Ansel Oommen
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Insects and other invertebrates account for over 90% of all living species, building the basis for most ecosystems. In fact, they often dominate their landscapes through both sheer number and volume, providing many key services, either directly or obliquely, as pollinators, recyclers, pest control and as food for a host of animals.

Due to the effects of dramatic changes in climate, habitat loss, and pesticides, insect populations are declining worldwide. Honeybees, for example, have attracted media attention since 2006, with their death tolls linked to neonicotinoids and a lack of supportive flora. The monarch butterfly, whose population once reached 900 million in 1995, now sits precariously at a meager 56.5 million- a 95% drop, placing it within risk of extinction.

Keeping this in mind, the role of the urban gardener is now more important than ever before.