Brandi Jasmine's Blog

Notice Your Words - Guest Blogger Danielle Daost of GlobalPsychics.com

2008-03-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

In Your Nots?
by Guest Blogger Danielle Daost of GlobalPsychics.com

Every once in awhile I run into a client who just doesn't want to believe that anything good could happen to them. They feel so victimized by the circumstances of their lives that they now believe that can't attract anything good to them. Whether in love, career or money they feel defeated, certain that the next disappointment is just around the corner.

When we get caught up in our "nots", life can be one long disappointment.

We get what we focus on. So when we focus on what is lacking, what we are not, life affirms our belief, that is the law of attraction in action.

The trouble is that life gets in the way of noticing when we are in our nots. We get so busy with so many activities that we are distracted from recognizing what we have really been thinking and feeling - and that we've been been thinking badly about ourselves.

One of the wonderful ways to tune into what is really driving us, to notice when we are stuck in our nots, is to begin paying attention to the words we use.

Words have power, so when we notice what is coming out of our mouths, and also what thoughts are flying through our minds, we can get a sense of where we have been tripping ourselves up, where our thoughts are in conflict with our goals. Then we can start reframing the "nots" into more positive life-affirming words… words that have the power to move us forward.

If you've been feeling stuck or in something of a slump, whether in romance or in business, do yourself a favour, keep a journal of your "not" thoughts for a week, and practice changing them. For example, note the times that you look in the mirror and the words "I’m too fat" or "my hair is a mess" fly through your mind. Then grab onto those thoughts and reframe them "I am getting better and better every day, in every way", or "I have a beautiful smile".

If you are diligent in this task, by the end of the week, you will find that you have a shockingly long list of "nots". You will probably be quite surprised that your thoughts are far more negative than you realized…. and what's more important, if you found uplifting language to replace your nots, chances are you've had a number of wonderful surprises as the week progresses.

Changing your thoughts, can change your life. Noticing your nots, replacing them with "yes" words can be a life-changing exercise. It is one of the first and most important steps in getting the Law of Attraction working for you.

More on the power of words here.

Bullying harms kids' mental health

2008-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, one of my personal causes is the bullying movement. I believe that bullying is a form of peer abuse, it is an epidemic, and we desperately need to start doing something about this scourage before we create another generation of ruined childhoods. So when an article entitled "Bullying harms kids' mental health" caught my attention, my first reaction was "Captain Obvious strikes again".

I mean ... who needs another study to prove that constant abuse isn't good for children?

"Among identical twin pairs in which one experienced bullying between the ages of 7 and 9 and the other did not, the bullied twin was significantly more likely to have symptoms of internalizing problems."

Okay. So the question becomes "What are we going to DO about it?" While we study the problem to death, children are literally dying in our school rooms. What we need is a concerted effort to address the problem.

Classes like The Virtues Project and Roots of Empathy are available and have shown some success at lowering the levels of bullying in schools, yet it seems scientists and educators still need convincing that bullying is a bad thing. Why is this? Can it be there is some greater force at work in our collective psyche than the well-being of our kids?

I have thought about this a lot, and I do believe there are forces of that sort in play. It comes down to tribal thinking. There is a pervasive and perniscious idea in our collective mind that still believes it is necessary to abuse any child who is different, to beat them into a model of conformity that suits the model of "normalcy" currently in vogue. Bullies are useful to teachers who lack the time, talent, or resources to guide children into that model.

Bullied children fit specific character patterns. There is the "fat/skinny kid", the "hyperactive kid", the "overly bright kid" and the "wounded kid", to name a few. Hyperactive and overly bright, sensitive children may face bullying not only from peers but from teachers and school administrators as well, as they are seen as a drain on school resources and are challenging for teachers to manage. They become the class "scapegoat". Children with health, weight and disability issues are also frequently abused by peers, often with the acceptance and tacit support of teachers and school administrators. It all comes down to conformity.

I don't know of any studies addressing the root causes of bullying, and while I would be glad to see that happen, I would much prefer we start to sink some money into addressing the problem where it grows. It's time we stopped tolerating peer abuse, at any age.

Reviews: XBox Demos

2008-01-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Is there no vision or creativity in gameland lately? I just finished playing these four demos in under a half an hour ... not one of them grabbed my attention. I really feel that too many of the game developers have run out of ideas, at least where it comes to the XBox 360. All the games I've found compelling the last while I got to play on my friend Darren's PlayStation III.

Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End

The demo for Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End for XBox 360 finally downloaded into my console and it was barely worth the wait. I have an old XBox Pirates game, Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat, which I used to think was fun but a bit kludgy ... until I tried the demo fro POTC/AWE.

The game is dreary, lacks color, and the character animation, while somewhat reminicent of the movie, lacks any sparkle whatsoever. The only playable character in the demo is Jack, whose sword moves can't hold a candle to Katarina in the Legend of Black Kat ... a much older game.

Seems to me whoever put together the game for Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End was under a tight deadline to slap something together that basically looks and plays like the movie, but wasn't given a budget or the creativity to make it come even close to the movie's entertainment value. The music is not faithful to the movie's pounding soundtrack, the character voices come off as cheap knock-offs and the animation is stilted and

Battlestar Galactica

I loved both versions of the television show, both the classic and the updated, darker, more realistic version. I have to say I am extremely disappointed by the recent "new" version of Battlestar Galactica for XBox 360. The gameplay I can best describe as a slightly updated version of "Galaga". There is no feeling of actually flying the viper (so far the best movie flying game I have ever played is the classic Star Wars X-Wing Versus Tie Fighter, which I dearly wish was updated for XBox, but I digress). You are stuck on a single plane of movement, which compeltely kills the sensation of flying. The only thing the demo had going for it were some moderately interesting backgrounds and the pounding soundtrack.

Boom Boom Rockets

What the heck? A fireworks version of Guitar Hero? I guess if you like Guitar Hero and its ilk, you may find this game slightly diverting, but I hit the "stop" button within the first 30 seconds. Not even worth downloading the demo, especially not for the computerised, MIDI-like music tracks. Ick.

Crystal Quest

This game might be good for distracting the kids ... or to play when you are to tired, stoned or drunk to play a game that requires thinking. It might be good to play with grandma, to give her something simple to play so she can figure out the controller. It sort of reminds me a bit of Geometry Wars though it doesn't have the high energy and challenge, at least not in what they make available in the demo.

Make Your Own UFO

2007-12-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a skeptic or a believer in flying saucer technology the Potter ufo glider is a fun flying model that is more than just a toy. Take the next step in paper airplane technology! Visit this page: http://ufos.coolmaxhot.com/flying-saucer-toy-glider.htm to download the instructions. The glider takes some practice to fly, I'm told, but this will be a cool project to share with your family over the holidays.

More evidence the USA is losing its mind

2007-11-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Girl, 13, gets detention for hugging two friends
Illinois middle school bans public displays of affection; parents urge change

Kids are getting bullied to the point where they kill themselves and others, and there is huge resistance to the idea of doing anything about it. But a girl gives a friend an over the shoulder hug and she's given detention. This is the second or third such story I've heard. I know of one case where a bullied child was allowed to suffer daily torture (including having pencils jabbed in his neck) at one school, but when he hugged his girlfriend, he was suspended.

There is absolutely no justification for banning HUGGING. We should be encouraging affection, not banning it. There are studies that show that human beings who get five hugs or more a day are healthier and happier than people who are not touched. Babies who are denied physical touch actually die at frightening rates. Our society is falling apart from the middle out, and I truly believe it is because there is a disconnect in our attitudes towards touching. Sex and affection are confused ... and since sex is seen as "bad", all affection is banned or taboo. Violence on the other hand is glorified. It's no wonder we have epidemics of violence. We need touch - and a slap or a punch is better than not being able to touch at all.

... I need a hug.

Bloggers Against Abuse

2007-09-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late for the Bloggers Against Abuse Campaign, but as many of you know, I have done some work in the anti-bullying field, so when BlogCatalog brought this campaign to my attention, I had to jump in. They are encouraging bloggers to talk about any kind of abuse. My pet peeve is bullying, and bullying is peer abuse. See www.peerabuse.info for more
information about peer abuse and how it can affect targets, bystanders, parents
and survivors.

We need more education for targets and younger students. One of my favorite efforts is The Virtues Project. Another is Roots of Empathy - an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression and violence among school children while raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. Rachel Scott was one of the students killed at Columbine High School. Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her 6 diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America. Rachel's Challenge is a program that inspires students to bring positive change to your school atmosphere. The QuinnTessential Experience - Teen Basic - While not specifically an anti-bullying program, TQE is one of the most powerful confidence and empathy building programs available.

None of these programs will be that effective in a social atmosphere that tolerates peer abuse, or worse yet, encourages it as a sick sort of "rite of passage". It is time that bullies and their supporters were held accountable for the crimes they commit. It is time schools ended bullying before it starts. We need tougher laws and segregated schools where bullies can be separated from the rest of the school community until they learn to behave in a socially acceptable way.

Twitter.com

2007-08-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Okay ... so I am on this discussion group called Great Gear, which is a discussion group of artists and t-shirt entrepreneurs (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GreatGear) and they are all ... uhm ... "a-twitter" about this new site called (wait for it) ... Twitter.com. They say Google really loves it. Everyone should "twitter" because it will drive traffic to your site. It's the latest thing in social networking. It's like a blog, but you can only post one sentence at a time. Sort of like a "text message diary" for voyeurs who want to peep into each other's lives. It's an answer to the old question, "Do you know where your children are?" ... well if they Twitter, it's not hard to find out.

Okay, all that's great, except for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would want to know that right now I am playing Kameo for the 800th time and watching my cat sleep. Still, the more I poked around Twitter and argued with the Great Gearians about how silly I thought this idea was, the more it began to appeal to me. Except I don't think I'll "tweet" about my personal life so much. I am going to find cool quotes, think up inspirational things to say, and post links to my latest creations in Twitter: http://twitter.com/bjasmine. I have added a Twitter box here to the blog as well, so you can check on my "tweets" right here.

Drop by and tweat me :-)

On Display at Sips and Suds Laundromat Cafe

2007-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Through the month of July, several pieces of my artwork will be on display at the Sips and Suds Laundromat Cafe at 365 Vine Street, St. Catharines Ontario. The included pieces will be available for sale. To purchase a painting, or to view them online, click here.

Someone on the Great Gear discussion group told me that today is "Today is National Tell an Old Joke but Keep It Clean Day", so here is my contribution:

Two old guys are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart when they collide. The first old guy says to the second guy, "Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife, and I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The second old guy says, "That's OK, it's a coincidence. I'm looking for my wife, too. I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate."

"Well, maybe I can help you find her. What does she look like?"

"Well, she is 27 years old, tall, with red hair, blue eyes, long legs, big busted, and she's wearing a see-thru blouse and really short shorts. What does your wife look like?"

"Doesn't matter, let's look for yours".

The world needs more hugs

2007-06-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

I was watching Glenn Beck on CNN tonight and he interviewed some educator whose school has a complete ban on touching. This includes hugging. The sad part was when Beck said he was afraid his kids might hug other kids ... as if there was something wrong with the idea of hugging! I just pray he was joking (but it didn't look like it). Such a shame. Glenn Beck is eminently huggable.

When I was in Bully Police, the mother of one bullied child told the story of how her child had been complaining about being stuck in the neck with pencils repeatedly ... but he was punished and slapped with an accusation when he innocently hugged his girlfriend one afternoon between classes.

This bizarre sexualization of innocent touching is one more symptom of how twisted and disconnected Western culture has become.

VideoJug: How To Give A Great Man To Man Hug

The world needs MORE hugging, not less. Here is another challenge for the hug-phobic: Free Hugs.

My contribution is the Hug Bug. Pass these around. The world needs more hugs!

Reviews

This time around, I have two short movie reviews, Shrek III and Pirates of The Caribbean III. Why so short? Well because after POTC, I am too tired to write much, honestly. Memo to Hollywood: If you are gonna make movies this long, for the love of Blackbeard, bring back the intermission.

I loved every installment of Pirates of The Caribbean, and I think this one is my favorite, despite the length of the film. It was exactly what I expected, a roller coaster fun house ride, with lots of action, humor and adventure. I just think they could have cut a plot twist or two, and they could have carved 30 minutes from the fight scenes without hurting the movie at all.

Shrek III likewise performed exactly as expected, fun, funny, with great characters and a solid message about what really matters in life. Larry King steals every scene that the Ugly Stepsister appears in. Not much hugging though ...

Brandi

Bullying Advice

2007-05-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

Even though I am no longer with Bully Police, the topic of bullying is still important to me. I decided to Leave Staci's Place up online, and I will continue to add to it. I am still considering writing a book on cyberbullying. Every now and then I still get letters about bullying and I decided from time to time I will share some of them with you here on this blog, instead of having a separate blog for that topic alone. If I pick your letter to respond to keep in mind I will always keep your identity and email address private, unless you specify otherwise.

Recently I received this letter:

I'm needing an opinion/s on something regarding emotional/psychological bullying. After years of suffering with that non-stop from age 5 to late teens and constant rejection, do you believe an adult can still suffer with/by it and it can still affect them? I still go through an awful lot of manipulation and shunning. I also still get judged by an awful lot of people especially by women, and I'm 33 years old. Do you believe if an adult gets enough of that and they recieve a lot of disrespect that it can greatly effect them also?

C

Dear C:

Absolutely. It wasn't until just about four years ago now that I realized how much it was affecting me and began to learn how to put a stop to it. And I am ten years older than you.

And it does not have to continue! I learned how to stop the cycle. The thing that helped me most was a class I took, called The QuinnTessential Experience. A similar class is taught in the US, in Rochester and in Florida, called either LifeSpring or LifeStream. One of the facilitators of this class has become a friend of mine, I helped him edit his book "Controlling Others for Love and Profit" http://www.globalkeynote.com ("If you believe that, then you better wake up. Controlling others is not the solution - It is the problem."). Don't be thrown off by the title ... it was originally going to be called "The Love-Based Leader".

None of what they teach is specifically about bullying. It's all pretty basic "personal growth" stuff. But they put it all together in such a way that I could clearly see how I needed to change, and for me it was important to deal with the legacy of bullying. Not only am I free of depression ... I hardly ever get shunned or bullied anymore. For the first time in my life I am a happy person. If I had not taken this class, I don't know if I'd have ever gotten free.

Have you seen the movie "The Secret"? There is a scene I really identified with in that movie, of a young man who was being bullied at work. I could totally identify with his feelings. I also saw my own progression in his story. It really is true, I also just changed my attitude, I started liking myself, and people started to be drawn to me. Animals too, it's very strange ... in the last while I have had animals come up and want to be with me to the complete shock of their pet people who swear they don't like strangers. I think they, even more than people, know when someone is happy and full of love, and they want to be part of that. Not everybody loves me ... but the difference is amazing. It was all about me getting over myself, it was really that simple.

At the same time, I have to admit that I have been blessed to be able to take those classes, to have the support of the facilitators, leadership and grads. That may not be possible for you, I don't know. If you can't get to one of the QuinnTessential classes, the first step is to start working on accepting yourself, in counting your blessings every day. Find people online who will encourage you to bring out your joy. You have gifts to share with the world, that's your destiny, if you will only reach for it.

Brandi

C Responds:

I appreciate your reply thank you. I do have a question in response to it though. Are you saying it's ok for peaple to literally mock, shun, etc, someone who is motionally vulnerable and/or who doesn't like themselves? In my eyes it's not ok at all. Just because a person is deeply hurting doesn't give others the right to manipulate, mock them, shun them, judge them, etc. It hasn't and doesn't matter how much I have liked myself people still do this to me. If and when I stick up for myself it makes it worse and if I lose my temper I'm judged as some kind of freak. I've tried to create an antibullying forum to help myself and others, but no one seems interested at all. I'm at my wits end actually, as most people continue to mistreat me, and it hasn't mattered how well I like or love myself, it still takes place. I thought I had gotten past a lot of what happened to me as a child, but it's still taking place. Where is the justice for emotional abuse?

Dear C:

I'm not saying it's okay. It's evil. It's wrong in every sense of the word.

The thing is, are you going to wait to be happy until everyone starts treating you as you deserve to be treated? If you do that, you will never be happy. "They" are never going to change. That's the reason for the title of Ross's book, "Controlling Others for Love and Profit" - it is really a play on words. Controlling others ("justice") is not the solution - it is the problem. Think about that for a few moments, especially if the idea makes you angry.

5 years ago I would have written what you wrote ... virtually verbatim. I had convinced myself that I was okay ... but the legacy of bullying was deep under my skin, and I truly hated myself. This was brought home to me just after my first class with Ross. I thought I had "it" all fixed ... for me, one big problem was that I hate the way I look. I still do, in all honesty. I don't think I have completely healed that wound. When someone looks at me funny I assume they are judging my appearance, even when they are not. Days after the first class, I was getting on the bus, literally thinking about how happy I was and how far I'd come ... and this guy gave me a really rotten look. He was a total stranger, literally no one to me ... but at that moment, everything crashed in on me. I heard "fatty" and "cow" in my head. I must have shrunk six inches. I just knew he was thinking "What a fat cow" ... and just as he passed me ... he passed wind!

He wasn't thinking about me at all! He was thinking "I gotta fart really bad, let me off this bus!"

I don't think I ever laughed so hard in my life. The poor man ... God bless him. He taught me a major lesson that day. I looked back over my life and I saw how, time and time again, I assumed people disliked me, because I found myself to be so unlikable. And so many times, their reactions to me were not about me, but about something going on in them that had nothing to do with me.

See "The Secret" if you haven't already, they totally nail this in that movie. The survivors of bullying I have talked to all seem to have this going on. In the end what happens is we end up bullying ourselves in our imagination. The bullies no longer have to lift a finger, we do most of the work for them. Worse, because this cloud of self-abuse hangs over us, it acts like a magnet for abusers, it draws them to us, as a wounded zebra draws lions.

That's not our "fault". We were literally trained how to be victims! We don't know any other way to be, until someone shows us how. The first step is self-acceptance. When I truly got to that, everything changed for me, overnight. Bullies don't even start with me, for the most part. Occasionally one blunders across my path, and I truly pity them, for bullies are cowards, and they no longer have any hold over me. If I can achieve this, I believe you can too. I use a statement that Ross taught me, The Trust Formula:

I love myself and I accept myself, even when I don't understand myself

Whenever I am beating on myself, I repeat this in my head. What a huge impact it has had on my life!

There is little justice, if any, in reality. Our culture is set up to foster abuse. One big reason people abuse others is because it is the most effective way they know under the status quo to get ahead, and there is precious little consequence for it. In fact there is not only no justice ... but people like Simon Cowell and Donald Trump make a really good living from being jerks.

The reality is that it is not going to change just because it's not fair. It's up to people like you and me to find our leadership, to step forward in love, and step one is love thyself. Step two ... that is in figuring out how to react when you face people who are truly bullying you. You said:

If and when I stick up for myself it makes it worse and if I lose my temper I'm judged as some kind of freak.

Yes. And that will happen every time you lose your temper. I used to think I had to do battle with abusers because they need justice. But it never worked. They were always better and stronger at being jerks than I was at being an avenger (laugh). Scott Adams (the genius behind Dilbert) once said (paraphrasing), "You can argue all day with an idiot and all that will happen at the end of the day is you will be exhausted, and he will still be an idiot". Boy did I ever prove that to myself, over and over again!

I can already hear the next question ... "So you mean I should just take it?"

No. "Taking it" doesn't work either. In fact that only makes you feel more like a victim. There is a third path. What I do, first and foremost, is take a deep breath (because yes, it still hurts to face abuse, and it is not fair). Then I remind myself about the "farting guy". Whatever going on is about something that is wrong with them, most of the time it is not about me. If I can, I show them love. If not, I at least try to show them respect. I walk away if I can. And if I absolutely must speak up, I do so with my truth while having as much empathy for them as I can.

When I achieved this for the first time, encountered a bully who took out his own personal frustrations on me, calling me every horrible name you can imagine. But when I got home, I realized how pitiful he had to be to think and say such things. Because I knew none of it was true. In his mind, he turned me into something evil ... and in my heart I believe that was because he believed he did not deserve a friend like me. All my childhood people had been telling me "It's about them, not about you", and I never got the truth of that until that moment. When I did, the sense of self-empowerment was beyond my ability to describe fully. I was literally high on life for days. It was a wonderful feeling.

I still get angry sometimes, but I choose not to let bullies control me anymore. Hurt and anger are what they are after, it's like food for them. We have to starve them of it. I know right now that this may seem unfair to you ... but the payoff is amazing. It is so worth working for! When I first walked away from a bully without getting hurt or angry, I felt a joy I can only describe as transcendent. I wish that for you, for all survivors.

Brandi

Honeybee Mystery

2007-04-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am a big Coast to Coast AM fan ... recently there has been a lot of comment there on the missing honeybees. I think I finally figured out what happened! A vision popped into my head this morning, perfect for a cartoon, and I could not resist adding it to my "Messages" section on the CafePress shop.

Being allergic to stinging insects, but being fond of honey (and food that comes from pollination), I have real mixed feelings about this one ... but I could not resist this tongue in cheek idea.

Cool movie ... www.MakeADifferenceMovie.com

2007-03-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me a link to an amazing online movie. One of those inspirational things I am so fond of ... I just had to share it here. The message of this story goes beyond educators, helping professionals, mentors and volunteers. It's message has meaning for everyone in some special way: www.MakeADifferenceMovie.com

This simple but eloquent story not only brings memories to mind, it reminds us all to realize what really can happen when we decide to allow a simple "shift in perception" in how we are treat people in our world.

Turn on your speakers ... get yourself a cup of tea, sit back, relax and while you are at it ... grab a box of Kleenex.

"Make a Difference" is not a hot new buzz theme ... it's still the most important thing we are all here to be and do.

(Edited from an original email by Mary Robinson Reynolds). If you like this movie, and would like to be on Mary Robinson Reynolds' movies list, you can receive announcements of her new movies, upcoming events and offerings as they are scheduled.

The Affiliate Flap at CafePress

2007-03-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week it has been for Cafepress Shop owners. CP just rolled out a new policy statement called the "S.M.A.R.T." Initiative. Most CP shopw owners agree it is anything but ("S.M.A.R.T." that is).

The worst part from my perspective is that CafePress is insisting we sign up with Commission Junction in order to continue to participate in the affiliate program.

I'm sticking with CafePress as a shop owner for now, but from previous experience with Commission Junction, plus the near-universal negative reaction from other shop owners and affiliate program experts, I don't feel that I can support their affiliate program any longer. So, unfortunately, I have had to pull my shop out of the affiliate program, starting immediately. I apologize to any affiliates this may affect. I just can't in good conscience recommend that you switch your links to Commission Junction. It has been a week since this flap started up and I still haven't figured out how it's supposed to be done. I figure anything that complicated for me will be a non-starter for anyone who wants to affiliate to me. You would think a company would not deliberately make its sign-up process confusing, but that is just what it looks like.

If you are a CafePress shop owner, and you have a particular design of mine that you want to use on your shop, email me and let's talk about licensing my images on a royalty-free basis. I charge as little as $20 per image, and I am in the process of setting up a self-serve shop that will let you buy individual images. I was planning to offer CD's of royalty-free images via CafePress at some point ... right now that is on hold until I see how things go over the summer. I am also available for exclusive and non-exclusive custom design work, at rates that start as low as $100 per image.

While I am sticking with my CafePress shops for now, that will be dependent on how adversely I am effected. If orders drop below a certain rate, I may drop out altogether. As long as they pay for themselves, I’ll stay there.

Do I still recommend you try CafePress out for your own artwork? Honestly, I am not sure anymore. I had high hopes, business was improving, product quality has always been excellent. But customer service in email isn't great. This "S.M.A.R.T." program really punishes the little guys, and I am not happy to learn I have encouraged people to sign up, now all of a sudden the rules change and we all get a pile of extra work plus a price cut. I'm not happy about it. If you are driving your own traffic, have brandable merchandise, then yeah, I still think it is a good idea. For artists like me? Time will tell.

New Discussion Forums on BrandiJasmine.com

2007-02-27T22:53:00.000-08:00

I know that a lot of you share my many interests and I have been asked several times if/when I am going to bring back my discussion groups.

As of now, we have a number of new discussion boards available on BrandiJasmine.com - Art, Astrology, Tarot, Numerology, Psychic Protection, networking, creative marketing, Niagara local chat, and Niagara Spirit are among the topics I have set up.

The boards will be moderated. We want to keep it positive, with good people supporting one another in their mutual growth and understanding. Post unto others as you would have them post unto you. It's okay to disagree ... but please participate only if you can disagree with mutual respect. For now there is no pre-screening, but posts will be edited and removed if they are found to be hostile, or contain any form of spam.

Click here to enter the boards and to sign up.

Hand-Batiked Sarongs and Clothing Coming Soon!

2007-02-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

I have recently entered a special agreement with Beyond Batik Canada to produce a series of hand-batiked sarongs and other clothing items based on a set of unique astrological sun-sign designs. Whether you are looking for a special gift for that hard to buy for friend, or want to make your own personal astrological statement, these gorgeous hand-panted items are one of a kind. If your sun sign is not posted yet, contact Beyond Batik Canada and they will notify you when the design is available. Other designs are in the works too ... subscribe to this blog to be notified of new designs.

Beyond Batik Canada, Astrology Series

New Designs on the Gallery Shop

There are going to be more designs added soon to the Gallery Gift Shop. I'm working on more designs for the politics, Pop Culture and Slogans sections. As I add them I’m going to make comments on them here on the blog. I welcome your feedback! Here are some of the recent designs I have added.

Money Trumps Peace

I could not believe it when I saw a video clip of this quote on the Glenn Beck show the other day. George W. Bush acknowledging that "Money trumps peace". When I saw that, I figured it would make an awesome t-shirt statement.

My feeling is that throughout history, war has always had greed at the heart of things. This war is no different. I don’t have a personal "policy" on what we must do to end it, others in the peace movement are wiser than I am ... what I do know is why it really started, what it is really about.

Lust in Space

Like everyone, I was shocked when I heard the Lisa Nowak Love Triangle Astronaut story. As a student of human nature I know how easily we can get carried away by our reactions, especially when romance goes wrong. But watching the story of this ill-fated lover triangle go wrong, I had to wonder why in heaven's name NASA didn’t have a clue this problem was coming? Then I learned that astronauts are only psychologically screened on sign up, then maybe ten years later, and only if they come forward looking for help. Since admitting you are losing emotional control is a career-killer, nobody in the military is going to look for help. And the military knows this, has known it for decades, yet they continue to keep their heads in the sands ... with predictable results. "Houston, we have a problem", and "Lust in Space" will only get worse as long as we have men and women going into space without the acknowledgement that they too are human beings with all too human weaknesses.

What Chat Room

I recently left my post at Bully Police for personal reasons, but I still try to follow the news, and I am hearing a lot of stories about kids being bullied, harassed and stalked by predators online. I honestly think a good 90% of these stories are over-hyped. If parents only kept the computer in the living room, where they could easily spy on their kids without it looking too intrusive, they would catch on to most of what is wrong online before it got too far. And whatever happened to actually talking to your children? Back in the 70's there was this ad that said "It's 10:00, do you know where your children are?" ... I decided it was time for an update. "It's the New Millennium, do you know what chat room your kids are on?"

Guest Column - 3 Powerful Tips for Making 2007 Your Best Year Ever

2006-12-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

3 Powerful Tips for Making 2007 Your Best Year Ever

- by Tony Mase

© Tony Mase - All Rights Reserved
http://www.constructivescience.com

As 2006 draws to a close and 2007 is about to begin, I'd like to share with you three simple, yet powerful things you can do over the next couple of weeks that'll help make the coming new year your best year ever...

Here they are:

Tip #1 - Spend some time in gratitude.

Whatever you focus on expands in your life.

If you focus on lack...

That's *exactly* what will expand in your life...

Lack.

If you focus on abundance...

That's *exactly* what will expand in your life...

Abundance.

The practice of gratitude keeps you focused on the abundance you *already* have in your life and thus opens the door for *more* abundance to flow into your life.

Here's what I suggest you do...

Take out a pad of paper and a pen or pencil and make a list of everything you're grateful for...

And I do mean everything - absolutely *everything*!

As you make your list, keep this in mind...

If your life isn't all you'd like it to be right now...

There are a whole lot of people out there who'd gladly trade places with you!

So...

Be grateful for what you *already* have and have *faith* that that which you need and/or want will come to you when the time is right.

And...

While you're at it...

Don't forget to acknowledge the *source* of your *many* blessings.

Tip #2 - Spend some time on your "vision".

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are out there practically killing themselves trying to be "successful", who, when asked, can't even define what "success" is - to *them*.

In other words...

They don't know what they want.

These very same people can usually tell you everything they don't want, but they haven't a clue as to what they do want - what they *really* want.

Don't let that be you!

If you haven't already done so...

Take the time to form a "clear and definite mental picture" of what you want to be, do, and/or have in your life *next*.

If you've already done this...

Now's a real good time to review your vision and revise it if necessary.

Tip #3 - Spend some serious, quality time with your loved
ones.

In his book "The Personal Power Course", Wallace D. Wattles, best known for his classic masterpiece "The Science of Getting Rich", wrote:

"Just as it is true that it does not profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his own soul, so it is true that good health, wealth, talent and success become valueless to the person who fails to attain happiness and satisfaction in the love-relations of the home. To live in happy love-relationships with those near to us is the one thing needful; failing to accomplish this, we fail in all. Health, wealth, talent and success are, to a very great extent at least, without value to a person whom nobody loves."

How true!

People tell me all the time they're working hard now so that "someday" they'll be able to spend more time with their loved ones.

My question to them is always the same...

Why not spend more time with your loved ones *now*?

Here's a question for you to ponder...

What if you got what you thought was so important for you to get, only to discover after you got it that because you neglected them in the process of getting it, there weren't any loved ones there to share it with?

Wouldn't that be sad.

Here's the deal...

Money and things are easy to create and/or replace.

People are not!

So...

This holiday season...

I *highly* encourage you to take stock of what's *truly* important to *you* and spend your time accordingly.

With that...

I wish you and your loved ones the very best of holiday seasons and a wealthy, healthy, successful, and happy New Year!

-----

Tony Mase is a serious student of the works of Wallace D. Wattles and the publisher of the "The Personal Power Course: Ten Lessons in Constructive Science, Teaching You How to Use Your Own Subconscious Energies for Health, Prosperity and Personal Achievement" ebook by Wallace D. Wattles...

"The Personal Power Course" by Wallace D. Wattles Ten lessons in constructive science, teaching you how to use your own subconscious energies for health, prosperity and personal achievement.
Click Here =>

My Art as Tattoos

2006-09-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

From time to time I get people asking to use my art as reference material or patterns for tattoos. I don't have any tattoos myself, but as an artist I consider a this a tremendous honor. I have always been fascinated with tattoo art.

If you are considering getting something done with one of my pieces, all I ask is you send me a photo and an email with something about yourself, so I can share it here on my blog. This particular piece was something that matched a dream vision John had.
My original concept was changed a little, but I think you can see the resemblance. This design is featured on my CafePress Shop and is available on t-shirts, mugs, prints and gift items.

Brandi

My story: I am a nurse and always wanted to have something that celebrated my accomplishment in becoming a RN. One morning I woke from a dream, it was an image of two intertwined Dragons forming a Caduceus.. I tried to draw it a few times but never could come up with what my dream had shown me... two years later I saw Brandi's illustration.. that was IT.. two Celtic dragons intertwined, I wanted the serpents to "evolve" from a single strand of DNA (that was my addition) I took a greeting card with the illustration and a sketch of the alterations I made to a well known Atlanta Tattoo artist.. 2 hours later I walked out happier than I have been in many many years... It is a celebration of Life, Self and Knowledge.

Thanks to your illustration, you helped make a dream come true. So far everyone likes it. Most everyone can identify the Caduceus, then they notice the DNA helix. I just had my head to toe physical exam and my doctor flipped ... he loved it.

John

You are most welcome, it looks awesome and I love the changes you made. It's a powerful symbol and I feel it will add only good things to your healing intentions.

Brandi

Review: Kameo for X-Box 360

A few weeks ago, my good buddy Darren invited me to play with his new toy - the XBox 360. He was especially excited about this game called Kameo. I fell in love with it on first sight, and purchased a used 360 just for this game. I am so addicted to Kameo that I am still playing it weeks later. I can't get any work done. I have even had dreams that I was the Pummel Weed character! That's how I knew I was playing too much. If you have noticed my web sites need some work, blame it on Kameo.

What I love about this game is you don't have to be a gamer to appreciate it. Both my cat and my roommate love watching it as much as I love playing it. It plays a bit like a roleplaying game, cutting between action fight scenes, treasure-hunting and cut-scenes that explain the story and give it a movie-like feel. I love the art, the backgrounds, and the fantasy world of Kameo.

I hope I won't ruin the story for anyone who is playing, but my main beef with Kameo is the fact that they leave the player with a major hair-pulling cliff-hanger at the end. Their site kind of throws cold water on the idea of a sequel though the game's ending leaves a lot of loose ends to be tied up. There is supposed to be a movie coming out soon, where I hope the mysteries of Kameo's origins will be uncovered. I also found it a little short, but that being said it still takes me ten hours to play it through.

Kameo is violent, points are made for killing trolls as you collect the elemental warriors whose skills move you to the next level of the game. It may not work well for little kids. But the violence is "fantasy-style", not overly realistic, or hyper-gory like some other titles I have tried recently. It is challenging, but if you find yourself stuck, there are lots of friendly folks willing to help on the Kameo online community, including yours truly on occasion!

June Check In

2006-06-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

Howdy all ... over the next few weeks you are going to see some changes on Jasmine's Gallery. I am in the process of tweaking the site, and hope to have some new content online for you soon. You may have noticed that the main page has already changed. Please let me know if you like it, or especially if there is something I am doing you don't like. I aim to please. Last time I mentioned that I would be writing the odd review here ... this time, I have two new reviews, and I hope you enjoy them!

Review: Disney Pixar's Cars

I'm not a movie junkie. I hate the whole "theatre experience". But recently some friends asked me to join them to watch Disney/Pixar's Cars. I decided to go mainly because I was intrigued by the casting. Any animated feature with Larry the Cable Guy as a redneck tow truck, George Carlin as a hippy-dippy VW van and Paul Neuman as an aging race car would have to be funny, even if the whole idea of car racing was a mystery to me (the mystery being why people would pay so much money to watch roaring billboard, but I digress).

Cars is an all-round great family adventure movie, with something for everyone. A great message, lots of action, and delightful characters that will really get under your skin. It's so good to be able to take the whole family for a movie that makes a positive statement about friendship and sportsmanship.

At the end of "Cars" I noticed a touching tribute to Joe Ranft. When I was telling my friends that they have to go to this movie, I learned that Joe was a friend of my good friend and mentor, Ross Quinn. Read his tribute here.

Review: The Thane FlavorWave

This little toy came to my awareness when I went to visit some friends recently. It was witting quietly in a corner of their kitchen. I'd been using an indoor grill and was tired of the smoke and cleaning hassles. So when my friends explained that this lovely little toy cooked from the top down using halogen lights, I was intrigued.

I ordered my FlavorWave as soon as I got home. When it arrived I ripped apart the packaging and threw in the first available piece of meat I could get my hands on, a cheap cut of roast. I put it in one of those oven-ready plastic bags, tossed in a few potatoes and veggies, and cooked it for a mere 45 minutes ... and it came out beautifully.

I have cooked salmon, steak, and hamburgers in my FlavorWave and I love it. The clean up is so easy ... in the case of my roast, virtually no washing. There is never any smoke. Meat cooks almost twice as fast as other methods. And all the fat from steaks, hamburgers, even bacon, drips off the grill into the glass bottom, and stays out of my diet.

News on the Gallery: I have added a couple new designs in the Slogans/Messages section, and there will soon be a section of content for Adults Only. I have included a Listing by Product section, and there is now a "CoupleWear" section of products designed for two!

Hey there! Long time no ASCII.

2006-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

I have been busy working behind the scenes on a new project I am planning, but I was recently featured on Starting an Online Store Called givitup , a daily blog about the adventures and learning experiences of starting an online store. So I thought I would pop in and let you all know about that.

The big project is a new store I am adding to Jasmine's Gallery. It will be a clip-art and stock photo shop, featuring many of my photos, designs and illustrations, available for licensing as high resolution images. I am aiming at a royalty-free licence of between $25-50 US per image. Other CafePress shop owners who are not interested in becoming affiliates can purchase these graphics and use them for creating CP shops. I am still fiddling with the backend, but when I have at least a few images available I will let you know the final URL.

As for this blog ... I am considering expanding it to more than just comments on the gallery. As some of you know I used to be a prolific freelance writer. I got tired of playing the "submissions" game though. Too many magazines want to you work for nothing these days (and kiss their behinds for the priviledge). Now I figure with the traffic I have on the gallery why not do an online magazine of my own? But I have so many interests I could not think of a way to "niche" it . So for now, I am just going to write about whatever hits my attention-deficit-disordered brain, and hope you like some of what I have to say. It will sort of be like "Coast to Coast" meets "Debbie Travis" crossed with "Wired Magazine" ... tech stuff, lifestyles stuff, the odd review, craft and hobby tips, with the occasional political/social/consumer rant (I mean editorial) tossed in for good measure. I may even feature articles from guest bloggers, if they have some helpful or interesting content that relates to any of the sites I am managing or creating. If something emerges as a distinct theme (that is not suited for my other sites or blogs), maybe I'll split that off into another blog or web project. Yeah, it's a little eccentric right now, but what the heck, artists are supposed to be a little wacky, right?

I'm looking forward to your feedback. Let me know if there is a story or project you'd like me to tackle.

Brandi

New Friend on BrandiJasmine.com

2006-02-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

I have a new fur-person in my life! Little Sawyer is 8 weeks old. In 2 short weeks, this fuzzy little kitty has completely changed the energy in my life and home. I am still missing Punkin ... but then I still miss Minou. I guess our loved ones never really leave our hearts.

Sawyer is named after a character in one of my favorite movies, Cats Don't Dance. I love the character because she reminds me of myself in many ways. She has lost faith in her dreams until Danny the dancing cat comes into her life and shakes everything up for her and her friends. I can relate to that, because there was a long, long time where I had lost faith in my dreams, until some special people put me in touch with them again. If you love animated movies, and are looking for an inspiring, fun, and funny movie with some awesome music in it, get a copy! Bit of trivia: Features Scott Bakula (Captain Archer from "Enterprise") as the voice of Danny. Who knew the guy could sing?

New Astrology CP Shop

I have added a new shop at CafePress, exclusively devoted to Zodiac and horoscope gifts and artwork. The latest new art is a set of Zodiac Horoscope Glyphs in a stunning 3D Silver design. They look stunning on CafePress's new black shirts. I will be working on more glyphs, as well as a series of art themes for the new year.

Affiliate Program on CafePress

CafePress now allows shop owners to offer the ability to others to sell our products. If you have a web site that has faux stained glass (or real stained glass), astrological content, horoscopes, fantasy or animal themes on it and would like to sell t-shirts, gifts, hats, mugs, and more with my artwork, Just go here to sign up, and follow their instructions (please remember to enter "bjasmine" where it asks for "Referral Store ID"). Click here for tips and suggestions of how to link to my CafePress Products.

Update to Nature's Eye section - sun flare or ghost photo?

2006-01-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Flowerpot Island - Tobermory Ontario

This is truly freaky. The only touch-up to this was a manipulation of the color levels to make it darker, as the original image was over-exposed. The strange colors I believe are flares from the sun - but the face of a young man clearly popped out at me when I was trying to make the picture more usable. This rock formation is widely reputed to be haunted by the spirit of a Native man in one of those "romantic tragedy" stories. I don't know if the story is true or not, but the area does have a lot of spiritual energy.

Can you see him now?

I have amended this photo due to feedback from a visitor who pointed out that he found another First Nations face in the image. When I boosted the size and traced the features, it was remarkable how strong the features were. This is one of the few "Nature's Eye" images that I believe truly may have captured a ghost or spiritual energy of some kind. At the time I took it, I was practically buzzing with psychic energy. I was prepared to dismiss one face as some kind of photographic oddity ... but two? I have a strange feeling other faces may eventually be found in this photograph, and I welcome your feedback on it.

"When I read about the young Native man in this picture I didn't scroll down or notice the figure you outlined at first. I saw an actual Native American looking face in the picture." - Spencer Gray

Punkin is Gone ...

2005-11-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

Not long ago, Punkin developed Feline Leukemia and we had to help her cross the Rainbow Bridge to be with Minou. She is still with me in spirit though, and while I feel her presence, there is definitely a big empty space here. She was very young when she died, just a year old. But in that time she taught me more about life and love than I can say.

Needless to say, I haven't been feeling too creative the last little while. But I have added the new square magnets to the CafePress shop, and I am working on some designs for their new Black T-Shirts ... and hope to have some new designs soon.

New Cats & Cross Stitch Design

2005-03-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

I have just added 3 new designs to my CafePress shop, including a portrait of a calico cat done in real cross stitch. The cross stitch portait is of my own kitty, Pun'kin, who is now 6 months old. The original cross stitch (which is not for sale) took over 100 hours to complete. I'm so happy with the look of this piece that I think I'll be doing a lot more of these kinds of designs over the next few months. There are two new cat paintings as well, in bright acrylic colors.

I'm planning on adding some cross stitch patterns to the How to Craft section of Jasmine's Gallery over the next few weeks. Some of these cross stitch patterns will be free, others will have a small fee - and I am planning to offer a large collection on CD through the CafePress shop.

Nifty jacket

2005-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have been working on updating the CafePress Shop recently, adding the new pillows and some of the other new products to the older sections. I am happy to report that sales are increasing, and I
definitely appreciate your support!

Recently, while updating my reciprocal links, one of the applicants, Paramount Services, offered to send me a sample of one of their products, and a
few days later this gorgeous jacket arrived! The print area is large, and the quality excellent. I have worn it every day since I got it, over top of a simple fleece jacket, and together they kept me perfectly warm, even though this winter in Niagara has been brutal!

I can't currently offer single-print jackets on Jasmine's Gallery, but will take bulk orders from
interested retailers. Email me for a quote. If you are an artist who does your own dye sublimation, you want to check this company out! I hope one day CafePress might get a few of their products. They will be appearing at the Image Wear Show in Orlando Florida this month.

Other News ... Living With Your Psychic Gifts will be moving to its own domain, www.psychicprotection.net, so I can focus on art, photography and writing on Jasmine's Gallery.

I have added several new kitties to JasmineCats, and will soon add some more. We now have Bengals and Maine Coon Cats, and two new acrylic paintings in wild colors will soon be added.

I'm thinking about going digital again with my photography section and have decided to sell my Nikon F3 Camera. For details, please click here.

See you soon!

Brandi

New image added to the Nature's Eye Section

2004-11-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

A new image has been added to the Nature's Eye Section ... can you find the Phoenix in the Clouds?

Click on the image to see the outline

I have also been adding several new paintings to the carousel section in the CafePress Store this week, including this beautiful white jumper and Celtic stander ...