Ragga Muffins Festival 2011 Converges on Long Beach February 19-20

The Ragga Muffins Festival is happening this weekend in Long Beach. That means about 25,000 people will cruise over to the Long Beach Arena at 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach and listen to Reggae all day long in the spirit of One Love. The event also features food and vendor booths. Doors open 2:30 PM - Show starts at 3:00 PM. The Ragga Muffins Festival is recognized as the premiere Reggae Festival in the US. This two-day Music and Arts Festival continues the tradition of honoring Bob Marley, one of the greatest champions of human rights and world peace, by spreading his vision of One World, One Love through music and community. Here's a photo gallery from last year's Ragga Muffins Festival. All photos by Michael Zampelli. Here's the line up for the weekend: Saturday, February 19: • Bunny Wailer • Rebelution • Gyptian • Half Pint • Horace Andy • Leroy Sibbles featuring The Lions • Etana • New Kingston • The Green • Quinto Sol Sunday, February 20: • Israel Vibration • Gentleman • I-Octane • Marcia Griffiths • Freddie McGregor • Richie Spice • Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus • Don Carlos • Cornel Campbell • Tosh 1 This family-friendly event offers free admission to children 12 years and under when accompanied by a paid adult. The Children’s Activity Space, provided by the “What About the Children? Foundation” is another annual tradition at the Festival, providing entertainment to kids with storytellers, face painting and other enriching activities.

Chase and Status – ‘No More Idols’ Release Evokes a Warrior Mindset

I am infatuated with the new Chase and Status CD and have been listening to it in my car daily. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available on US iTunes at this time. Today I was driving down Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach and I drove right past the exact spot where I do warrior workouts on the Bluff with Your Next Victory. Listening to 'Fire In Your Eyes' Ft. Maverick Sabre by Chase & Status while working out is a great way to feel powerful and strong. I decided to capture the drive on video. Here it is. I highly recommend that you buy this new release, go for a road trip and crank it up. Unleash your inner warrior. Here's the link to the album on iTunes UK: No More Idols - Chase & Status

Family-Friendly Improv Comedy – Tonight in Long Beach

Four Score & First Fridays Friday, February 4, 2011 7:00 p.m. Elise's Tea Room 3924 Atlantic, Long Beach Family-friendly improv comedy based entirely on your suggestions at First Fridays Bixby Knolls! Find out more about Held2gether Improv on the web.

How to Galvanize Your Mind at Jury Duty

On Friday, I blogged about my experience at jury duty and how I was able to transform it from dreadful to adventurous with the help of an iPod, a book, a paper, a pen and the willingness to open my mind. I was reading my book, Cash in a Flash and decided to do one of the exercises from the book right there in the jury duty waiting room. Part of what that entailed was to open my mind to my surroundings rather than continue listening to the stories my mind likes to repeat. I did it and amazingly, on the spot, my experience of jury duty shifted and I felt like I was in an airport terminal or bus station. I listed all the things I knew I had in common with at least one person in the room. I decided to use jury duty as a way to wake up and get connected to a bigger picture. Here's my list: 1. I am an author. 2. I've been a squatter. 3. I am a daughter. 4. I am a woman. 5. I am part of the gene pool. 6. I am a niece. 7. I have a story. 8. I am a step-daughter. 9. I am an aunt. 10. I am a teacher. 11. I am a member of the human race. 12. I am serving jury duty. 13. I don't get to do what I usually do. 14. I usually work, stay home, listen to music, work on the computer, drive, eat, sleep, etc. 15. I am a college instructor. 16. I read A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle. 17. I have a cell phone. 18. I read books and magazines and newspapers. 19. I have a mobile device. 20. I surf the web. 21. I listen to music. 22. I hang out with musicians. 23. I like the DIY (Do It Yourself) movement. 24. I talk to punkers. 25. I fidget. 26. I get bored. 27. I doze in and out of consciousness. 28. Sometimes I don't get a lot of sleep. 29. I have a lot on my mind. 30. I like to write. 31. I like to read. 32. I am a resident of Los Angeles County. 33. I like to talk to other people. 34. I like to stay to myself. 35. I am an artist. 36. I've been to a Tuesday night 12-step group. 37. I'm not comfortable with the sun in my eyes. 38. I'm sensitive to temperature. 39. I am a sports fan. 40. I've had people judge me based on how I look. 41. I've smoked cigarettes. 42. I've quit smoking cigarettes. 43. I like reggae. 44. I'd like to see things change in this world but I don't think violence is the answer. There are 44 items on this list. How many of the items on this list apply to you? Leave a comment below and let me know you're there. By the way, if you want a REAL mind shift, check out the free CD with the Holosych method. You'll see the world in a whole new, peaceful way.

Galvanized Facebook Friday 01-07-11 – Change Your Vantage Point

I'm clearing a lot of junk out of my life and that is creating this vortex of good things coming to me. Sometimes it's so fast I can't keep up with it but I do my best to stay reminded by posting links on my Facebook wall to review more than once. Probably the thing I did this week that was the most unusual was Jury Duty. Not that doing jury duty is weird, it's just totally out of the norm. I served my duty on Tuesday in Long Beach. I began my morning by meeting with Jaiya and a few Your Next Victory members to make vision boards. We started at 6:00 a.m. and I left at about 7:15. The weather was great and the skies were clear which is worth noting because it made for a beautiful view out the 6th story windows of the Long Beach Court house. I was already in a pretty good zone from my morning meeting plus I brought my iPod, a notebook and my Cash in a Flash book. I decided to do one of the exercises from the book right there in the jury waiting room and part of what that entailed was to open my mind to my surroundings rather than continue listening to the stories my mind likes to repeat. I did it and amazingly, on the spot, my experience of jury duty shifted and I felt like I was in an airport terminal or bus station. Everyone in the room had something in common: they were serving jury duty on Tuesday like it or not. I went on a rampage in my journal to list as many things as possible that I knew I had in common with one or more of the people in the room. It was pretty long so I'm gonna post it on Wednesday as part of Galvanize Your Mind Wednesday. I think the best way to get galvanized is to be fully in tune and positive about what is around you and of course it's a crucial part of understanding the Master Mind principle.  You just never know what is going to happen where or when, so it's important to be alert and purposeful wherever you are and continually making yourself a match for what you want. Case in point, I decided to take a risk and ask Martin about his punk rock t-shirt and as a result, I enjoyed a long conversation about the punk rock music scene, the good old days, the disappointments with the scene and more. Some of the things I talked about with Martin are very important to me and I almost NEVER get to talk about them. We all know how good it can feel to share a story or to listen to a good story. I feel like a lot of my punk rock stories went untold and even when I wanted to tell them, there was no one that wanted to listen. I enjoyed listening to Martin's perspective and getting a small glimpse into the life of a young punk rocker in 2011.  It's interesting to hear about what has changed and also what has stayed the same. What I like about the internet is that I know there are people like me and Martin all over the world. I used to meet a lot of cool people at gigs in the 80's and I corresponded with many people via fanzines and pen pal relationships. So Martin, if you're reading, thanks for listening to my punk rock reminiscing and to you old punkers out there who don't "look" punk, but feel punk, reach out to a fellow punk and say hey. We've gotta stick together. I told Martin to check out Punkrockers.com so I'll tell you the same. Here's a link to my profile. I'm beginning to think it might be a good idea to have a Facebook page for iamgalvanized.com that's separate from my Sheri Zampelli page on Facebook. If you'd like to follow my activity on Facebook, and stay galvanized all week long, go to the new page I created and click "like."

Urban Voodoo: Hip-Hop and Spoken Word to Maximize Your Resources

UrbanVoodooQuantcast UrbanVoodoo strikes a blow at the core of the social order with his dope beats and hard hitting lyrics. He's currently working on a new album called Mercury Reign and has four tracks ready to go. Maximize your Resources is a gritty album filled with conscious messages that will convince you that it's best to follow your first mind. UrbanVoodoo's roots were established in Inglewood, California and New Orleans, Louisiana "where the cultural norms are as different as Denmark and Hamburg are to each other, even though the two countries are both European". He currently resides in Long Beach, California and actively helps students at Long Beach City College to find their voice through spoken word. UrbanVoodoo combines two distinct ideas: Urban in terms of the inner city which bred his style and Magic which the sound is designed to create. Donna Robinson at The Examiner says "Urban Voodoo's Creole culture still permeates in his performance…that of Spicy truth that burns in gestation. His distinct vibe can be felt due to being raised in the inner-city where he shows his urban nature." To hear some of Voodoo's tunes, click on the player below or go to Reverbnation. You can also get downloads and hear samples of Urban Voodoo on Bandcamp.com or, you can Buy UrbanVoodoo on iTunes. UrbanVoodoo

The Serious Side of Antoine Dodson and His Family

If you spend more time on the internet than you do watching T.V.; if you get a major chunk of your media input from YouTube, you have no doubt heard of Internet sensation Antoine Dodson. Dodson (up until recently) lived in the projects in Huntsville, Alabama called Lincoln Park. One night, while he was minding his own business hanging out on Facebook, he heard his sister scream. He ran to her room and saw her struggling with a bed intruder, a man who was trying to rape her. The rapist was scared away before he was able to carry out his sexual assault. When news cameras arrived at Dodson's doorstep, he was still angry, scared and worked up over the ordeal. He was very animated on camera and it was entertaining to watch. So entertaining that the Gregory Brothers, who are known for auto-tuning the news made a song of it and took it viral. At this point in time the Antoine Dodson Bed Intruder song has about 14.5 million views on YouTube. At one point, it was #3 on the iTunes popularity list. Bed Intruder Song (Remix) (feat. Kelly Dodson) - Antoine Dodson Bed Today I heard a little bit of the story that put a twist on things for me. Dodson's sister has a 2-year old daughter. The daughter is aware of the trauma and tragedy and she is scared. She is scared for herself and she's scared for her mom. I am currently teaching a class about Victimology at Long Beach City College and we talked about sexual abuse just last Thursday. We watched a video by Marilyn Van Derbur called "Once Can Hurt a Lifetime" and we talked about all the ways sexual abuse impacts the survivor. Here's what we came up with (click on image to enlarge): Despite all these known consequences for sexual assault survivors, resources to help people are a very low priority on our list at voting time. The impact of lack of funding is evidenced by the closure of Sexual Assault Crisis Agency in Long Beach. For those who need support with overcoming the impact of sexual assault, a good place to start is RAINN (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network). In class we also talked about some of the ways abusers wield power and control over others. Here's our list (click on image to enlarge): We discussed how gaining personal power was a positive step to avoid falling prey to victimizers. If you want help to strengthen your mind, visit icreatehabits.com for a free hypnosis MP3 titled Create The Life You Want. Or, visit Start a Master Mind Group.com to find out how to use group energy to strengthen and improve yourself as a person.

Hip Hop Violin – Paul Dateh and inka one Live in Long Beach

Paul Dateh and inka one are famous on YouTube for Hip Hop Violin. Their video has had 4,535,195 views to date. Michael Zampelli and I went down with cameras in hand and captured some of the action live. The Kogi catering truck, an L.A. favorite amongst the crowd at LAist was also on the scene. The line was consistently an hour long and it stayed there even after most of the crowd left. Here's the YouTube video that has over four and a half million views on YouTube: Visit Michael Zampelli's photo gallery from the Summer and Music Festival, including photos of Paul Dateh, inka one, the Greenmeme art installation, "Urban Lab: Chantilly Clad" and the Kogi catering truck. Here's the video of Hip Hop Violin - Paul Dateh and inka one Live in Long Beach: