No Sweat! How One New-Paradigm Business is Out to Change the Lives of Garment Workers Everywhere By Christine Triano The next time you get dressed, take a moment to look at the label inside your shirt. It may say Made in China, or Made in the Philippines, or maybe Made in Mexico. If you happen to find Made in the USA, you may, like many shoppers, breathe a small sigh of relief. After all, that means you’re supporting U.S. workers, and if a job is done in the United States, you can rest assured that it was performed under safe conditions, and for a decent wage. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Made in the USA does mean the garment you are wearing was in fact sewn together by a worker in the United States. But as for the latter points, there are no guarantees in today’s competitive garment industry — even when the garment is manufactured within American borders. Could This "Conscious Congressman" Be Our Next President? An Interview with Dennis Kucinich by Paul Andrews "Spirit merges with matter to sanctify the universe. Matter transcends to return to spirit. The interchangeability of matter and spirit means the starlit magic of the outermost life of our universe becomes the soul-light magic of the innermost life of our self." You might guess that those words were uttered by a spiritual leader. Perhaps they were, but this leader is also a Democratic Congressman from Ohio named Dennis Kucinich, who sounds at times as much like a visionary as a politician. He has high hopes for humanity, and is outspoken in a way that few others in Congress are. He takes a progressive stand on a number of issues like the environment, world peace, corporate responsibility, arms reduction, world hunger, food modification, and spirituality. Kucinich is notable for his proposal to create a Department of Peace, his bill seeking to ban space based weapons, his stance on the abolition of nuclear weapons, and his position as Chairman of the Progressive Caucus. From Adversary to Advocate: Lawyers Who Heal by Ralph White A serious movement is afoot in the legal profession. Though the assumption among the general public is that lawyers are ruthless sharks and love it that way, a recent study shows that 65% of practicing lawyers are deeply unhappy with the state of their profession. Many lawyers, it seems, have had enough of the seedy and reptilian ethics so widespread in current American jurisprudence. It’s not clear when the turning point was reached. Perhaps a nadir occurred when O.J. Simpson’s trial revealed to the world that big money and fancy lawyers can buy almost anyone freedom today. Or perhaps it was the grotesque and hypocritical politicization of the law around the presidential impeachment farce. Or, maybe it was simply one final distasteful display of Judge Judy’s distinctly non-judicial rudeness and intemperance on national television. We may never know, as we could all offer our own examples of when the dismal state of law today was revealed in all its pathos and shame. But what we do know is that lawyers in increasing numbers are demanding changes in the way the law is both taught and practiced.   StarWatch by James Jarvis By adding the universal year 2003, (2+0+0+3) = 5, to the 4th month of April, we come up with the vibration of 9. The 9 month is a time to complete outstanding projects so you can free up extra energy to devote to your inner life. Take some time for reflection and self-renewal this month. As you take time to nurture the nurturer, you can dedicate yourself without reservation to serving others with your compassion and devotion. April 1: Be Authentic. The new moon in Aries asks us to speak out boldly about what we need for emotional fulfillment. Moon in Aries is calling you to bring full awareness to your needs so that you can be totally present and authentic with others. Only when you can truly nurture yourself and honor your own needs for independence, autonomy, and freedom can you truly be in relationship with others. What nurtures you this month is activating your will to initiate action in your life. If there are any projects you’ve been putting off, use the new moon energy to get yourself motivated and into action!   Intuitively Speaking by Deborah Koan April feels like a perfect month to create a new tool or two for your meditation. Bringing a tool into your meditation will help your mind focus and unwind. Meditation is simply being able to calm your mind. Your meditation time along with the tool(s) you choose can be fun, easy, and something you create all for yourself. We do so many things for others throughout our days — taking a moment or two just for yourself each day is nurturing. By doing this, you will actually be giving to others and to the planet as well. When you shift your energy, it benefits everyone around you (and even far away because energy travels). When choosing a meditation tool, I suggest choosing a tool that moves you, one that is fun, playful, and passionate. A meditation tool can take many forms, such as walking, singing, cooking, reading, writing, gardening, even listening to music or taking a bath. (And, of course, sitting and just breathing.) Even how you choreograph your meditation time can be up to you. When you create something for yourself that moves you to the depths of your soul, you will want to do it. It will have more meaning for you than something you have forced yourself to do. Your meditation time does not have to take hours out of your day; it can take just a few minutes, as long as you have the intent to calm your mind.