If we focus on the positive, then good cannot fail to persevere and win out in the end. Use this process on the smallest episodes of evil in your life all the way up to the largest we face and our global, national and local communities as well as our own lives will be all the better for it. Everyone who does this is a hero of their own making, even if they don't get a sound bite on CNN…

There are very good people and very bad people in all walks of life. Whether it be in our own family, our own towns, our own neighborhoods, our own industry, our own race, our own religion, or our own chosen life's work. Even when someone appears as an easy enemy or as a trusted ally, it is important to use calm judgment, human intuition and a strong grasp of the facts at hand before leaping to easy conclusions. Evil of this magnitude can come from anywhere, and so can heroism and kindness. I have to keep telling
myself this and keep putting it all into that perspective or I would let the irrationalities of anger and hurt destroy not my enemies, real or perceived, but my own heart…

In the wake of the events this week, I am asking you a question:
Will you choose to turn on your TV and sit mesmerized for hours wringing your hands in fear or worry, or will you choose to respond differently? Will we choose instead to find the calm within, to go within ourselves and find our strength, then spend our energy sending out a wave of calm serenity in the face of these acts of terror to soothe the wounded, to help those who have crossed over to adjust to their transition, and to bring an air of calm deliberation to the inevitable retaliation that will ensue?

Let us not descend to the level of these attackers by blindly responding with vengeance. Let us take a moment to visualize a blanket of white light over the world, and ask the beings of light to support us in protecting every nation from further attacks and returning stability and calm deliberation to the process of recovery. Take time to envision the light of love surrounding our planet as well…

Yes the helicopters and F16's are flying overhead. Yes the waters are filled with ships, I see them from my window. Yes the smoke still
billows through our skies, and yes while the smell is growing more acrid right now the wind has changed. We are at the whim of the wind. At night the smoke is lit up from the searchlights, while the rest of downtown is dark. Everyone is jumpy, the slightest unusual sound makes for unrest. Yet last night at the Union Square vigil the entire park was lit up not only by the candles, endless candles, there was a huge peace sign made with candles, but by the presence of so many people…

The easiest way to react to such a monstrous catastrophe would be out of anger, to cry for revenge, to want to see someone else hurt as much as you are hurting right now. I must warn you, friends; such feelings are exactly what caused the terrorist attacks in the first place. Evil begets evil. All we can ask for is that the leaders of our world not make important decisions out of fear or anger…

If I were given the chance to do absolutely everything I could to help avert a global catastrophe as a result of today's events, I certainly would, and this is the most powerful medium I know of to communicate my message. I ask you now to forward this e-mail to as many people as you can, in the hopes that somehow love and light may spread more powerfully and quickly than the hurt and fear that is being experienced across the continent. An avalanche begins with a single stone, friend; you alone can make a difference…

I just want to give you a smile
It should never go out of style
‘cause sometimes the world gets cold outside, and a smile can warm you up
So wherever you go, the people will know
It’s time for universal...universal love

I just want to send you a kiss
I hope it brings you some happiness
‘cause sometimes the world gets cold outside, and a kiss can really warm you up
So wherever you go, the people will know
It’s time for universal...universal love

I just want to send you some peace
And put an end to all of your grief
‘cause sometimes the world gets cold outside, and love can only can warm it up
So wherever you go, the people will know
It’s time for universal...universal love

The donations are getting to the relief workers, rest assured! There
have been countless trips, day and night, between the warehouse, the
supply stations, and the impromptu restaurant (run by Bouley) across
from Ground Zero. And the supplies keep coming in at Spring Street,
thank you and keep spreading the word!

Two nights ago an 18 wheeler arrived at Spring Street from Tucson
Arizona, filled with not only supplies but 5,000 stuffed teddy bears,
all sizes and colours, and a hand made 7' cross decorated with red,
white and blue lightblubs - and yes it lights up when you plug it in. we
all gasped when we uppacked it. London Allen brought it to the site
yesterday and the cross is being set up on a building right down there.
The cross was made by a volunteer firefighting dept in Patagonia, AZ.
The teddy bears, some handmade, were each tagged "With Love, from Tucson
AZ". Crawling around in an 8' box of stuffed animals as we sorted them
into sizes brought more joy (although still a bit bittersweet in kind),
than I can describe. A lot of the bears will be set aside for local
displaced children (many downtown schools have been merged, some classes
have 90 kids each), still others saved for Christmas time for the widows
and childrens' fund, and some of them have made their way downtown where
they are hugged a lot by everyone, even some uniformed army folks let
down their usual distance and hugged a few (now that's a sight to see!).

UPDATED HOT LIST:

The hot list hasn't changed much, but there are a few important new
items which I've put at the top, the others you probably read here
before:

1. *** long underwear

2. *** knit stocking hats in dark colours - the pull down kind (you
can buy 12 for $12 anywhere in the garment district)

3. *** windbreakers, jackets and coats

4. *** chocolate bars, individual hot chocolate powder packages,

5. *** soda, in cans - Coke, Pepsi especially!

6. Steel Toe construction boots men's sizes 8-13 (they need thousands!)
7. Dark coloured sweatshirts and sweatpants L, XL, 1X, 2X only please
8. Hard hats
9. Miner lights for hardhats
10. AAA/AA batteries
11. Cigars and cigarettes
12. rain suits, rain coats XL, 1X, 2X sizes only
13. pad locks with keys, not combination locks (to secure gear and
equipment)
14. tinted safety goggles and glasses
15. boot laces
16. tylenol and other cold rememdy caplets in individual packets please
17. waterless hand wash in small bottles (like Purell)
18. rice, vegetables, meat in large quantities

Anyone with corporate connections who can enable a larger donation
please work them!

Good volunteers are still in demand, you can go directly to 304 Spring
Street and talk with Rhonda.

SHIPPING INFORMATION:
Supplies can be brought in person or shipped directly to:
Art Science Research Laboratory
304 Spring Street
NYC NY 10013

or call 212.925.8812 or 212.966.9628

CONTACT INFORMATION:
London Allen, project coordinator cell phone 917.412.4905
main number: 212.925.8812/966-7628
Rhonda Roland Shearer cell phone: 917.379.4250
email: sgturbo@aol.com


OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION:
Art Science Research Lab, not-for-profit 501(c)(3)
Directors: Rhonda Roland Shearer & Stephen Jay Gould (Harvard
University, New York University)

Rhonda Roland Shearer, her husband Stephen Jay Gould and her daughter,
London Allen, are the people who spearheaded this civilian effort, they
have a not-for-profit company and are able to take donations,
deliveries, supplies and get them directly to Ground Zero with their own
trucks. You may have read about this in last Wednesday's NY Times
(9/26/01), in an Op-Ed article by Stephen Jay Gould, where he wrote
about this effort you can read the article at this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/26/opinion/26GOUL.html?searchpv=past7days