Good morning!

The closet I ever came to doing any sort of trek climbing was in Pokhara, Nepal many years ago. Not a bad place to do ones first trek though. :) We were traveling for several months and during our trip to Nepal we planned to do a very simple climb.  We arrived during the monsoon season and the climb unfortunately never happened. However during our stay, I was informed that if I got up very early in the morning, I could go to the rooftop of the place we were staying, and if the clouds parted, I would be able to see the Himalayas.

A young Nepalese boy who worked at the hotel promised me that he would knock on my door and wake me up to see the beautiful mountains. And he kept his promise. Early in the morning, I heard his knock on my door and a little voice saying, “Miss Michelle, Miss Michelle…the mountains! You can see the mountains. Please wake up or you’ll miss them.” I jumped out of bed, followed my young friend to the rooftop and there they were. More big and beautiful than one can ever imagine them to be. Because no picture can capture the beauty of seeing the mountains live and in person. It was one of the highlights of my trip to Nepal –  a breathtaking, peaceful and majestic view that I will never forget. I gazed as long as I could till the clouds covered them once again.

My view of the Himalayas as spectacular as it was, pales in comparison to the total experience these girls that climbed Mount Kilimanjaro must’ve had. I got the view, and a wonderful memory. But they did the climb and reaped the benefits. I can only imagine the joy of success in climbing this great mountain that no doubt challenged them to their core, and changed their lives. Congratulations!

TANZANIA: Women bring climbing dreams to fruition at Mount Kilimanjaro

Sabine Clappaert – WNN Features

(WNN) Kilimanjaro Region, TANZANIA, AFRICA: Mountaineering is a largely male-dominated sport. Of the estimated 4,000 climbers who have made it to the top of Mount Everest since the first official summit of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953, only 80 were women. After the first successful summit in 1953, it would take more than twenty years before a woman – Japanese-born Junko Tabei, would reach the summit in May 1975.

When one considers the number of people who have climbed the ‘Seven Summits’ – the highest mountains on each of the seven continents – the figures are as dismal: by 2012 approximately 325 climbers had reached the top of all seven peaks. Of these, only 40 were women.

Yet as you read this, ten women are climbing Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Seven of them are young Nepalese women aged 17 – 30 who have already conquered Mount Everest and Mount Kosciusko and who have set themselves the challenge of climbing all ‘Seven Summits’.

Most come from humble backgrounds in rural Nepal. Each has her own story of challenge, struggle and ultimate success. One ran away from home at the age of fourteen to escape a forced marriage, another took a housekeeping job in her early teens to support her family.

Before their ascent of Mount Everest in 2008, many in the group had no previous climbing experience. Nepali society is divided on lines of caste, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds, and mountaineering is considered an inappropriate and impossible sport for women, which prompted the team to name itself the First Inclusive Women’s Sagarmatha Expedition.

“We want to show young women everywhere that anything is possible if you set your mind to it; that neither age, religion, caste or cultural background matters if you really want to achieve something,” 24-year old team member Shailee Basnett told WNN before her departure for Africa. As a result of that first climb in 2008, Mount Everest now sports the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) flag of Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, planted on it by the young women’s team.

The Kilimanjaro climb takes place between 27 February and 5 March in celebration of International Women’s Day. On this climb three African women will accompany the Nepalese climbers. The African women come from different backgrounds, each with her own unique story. One woman is an active youth activist that advocates against early marriage, the other a teacher from an almost extinct bushmen tribe, the Hadzabes. The third African climber is Hlubi Mboya, one of the most popular TV actresses in Southern Africa and World Food Programme (WFP) Ambassador Against Hunger in South Africa.

This time round, the young ‘Everest Women’ and WFP will aim to highlight the importance of women’s empowerment and girls education in Africa. After the expedition, the Nepali and Tanzanian climbers will visit schools in Arusha and Dar es Salaam to tell their stories and encourage students, especially girls, to believe in education as a tool that can help them achieve what may seem impossible.

Each year, more than 20,000 people try to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Basnet and her fellow Nepalese climbers are curious to see what the local environment and their adaption to it will mean to their climb. “Crossing seas and land and being in a foreign terrain is always a challenge. In climbing even the smallest glitch in your body can make a huge difference.”

Mount Kilimanjaro is a unique mountain: it is located in a continent that is almost entirely flat and is the world’s highest freestanding mountain. “This means that the altitude gain is much faster than on most other mountains – even in the great Himalayas. Coming back down, the descent is also quite steep, which will be particularly hard on the knees.”

Although climbing Kilimanjaro is easy and requires no technical climbing or mountaineering experience, the biggest challenge and danger lie in the high altitude. Climbers die from improper acclimatization and altitude sickness rather than falls

Early on the morning of March 5th, Shailee and her team  reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain.

“We are on the top! Nothing is impossible if we struggle to pursue our dreams,” said Nimdoma Sherpa, who was 17 when she first climbed Mount Everest in 2008, from Africa’s highest point.

Asked about the most important lesson of their Seven Summits projects, Basnet is quick to answer: “There are so many, I could write a book, and maybe one day I will. I find the biggest lesson in our team’s motto ‘together we reach higher’. We are not alone, nature did not make us to be alone. We are meant to work together – that is how we become bigger, better and scale mountains.”

Basnet’s advice to young girls who want to realize their dreams is simple: “Take the first step. Please go out and do it. Learn what you need to learn, get the basics and then keep the ball rolling. You will meet the people you need to meet to make your dream a reality, you’ll see. Just go out and take that first step.”

“Nimdoma is an example of what girls eduation can do,” said Shailee Basnet, the leader of the Nepali group.

“We know there are many more Nimdomas around the world and we hope we can motivate them to achieve their dreams.”  In the days after their ascent, Shailee and Nimdoma visited schools in Tanzania to promote the importance of education as a means to realise your dreams. “We ask students to climb their own mountains and education is their tool. It’s great to see young students raising their hands when asked who wants to be like Nimdoma,” smiles Shailee.

____________________________________________________________

In 2008 the push for the women moutaineering community in Nepal began to reach summits that brought a “nothing is impossible” reality to women in developing regions. The history of mountaineering includes women explorers who took a chance to enter territories that were only reserved previously for men.

Seven of the recent climbers with the Mt. Kilamijaro climb in Tanzania are from Nepal and three are Africans, two from Tanzania and one from South Africa. World Food Programme spokesperson, Jane Howard said the Nepali climbers have already made history because they have climbed Mount Everest.

This September 2012 Youtube release is video is a production of the United Nations in Nepal.

*****

Readers: Pretty awesome right? Blog me.

Social Butterfly: Thank you. And congrats to you for your job change. Wow, that is a huge, and very exciting. I know that you will do well!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

A dear friend of mine sent me this. It was posted for International Women’s Day, but hey….it’s good any day.

Every Woman is Divine

By MariaShriver.com

In 2010, Jesse Dylan and Maria Shriver collaborated on an original short film that premiered at The Women’s Conference that year.

The film, titled “Every Woman is Divine,” is a beautiful meditation on the power, progress and potential of women and girls around the world.

Since Friday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, we thought the time was right to share the film again.

Get ready for the goosebumps!

And after you watch it, be sure to share it with a woman you love.

I am sharing it with all of the women I love, right here, right now – Enjoy!

*****

Peace & Love: “Live, it, Give it” 

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Making of MAKERS: Stories of Women That Changed America

She had to do it! Kathrine Switzer is a marathon runner. In 1967, she joined hundreds of men in the 26-mile Boston marathon, proudly displaying number #261 on her chest. Participating in the marathon was her dream and she didn’t even give a second thought about what that would mean to the thousands of American women. She just wanted to run. And she did. But a simple act of running turned into something larger when a marathon host caught up with her, grabbed her arm and tried to yank her out of the race. “Get the hell out of my marathon,” he screamed, shocked and ashamed to see a woman in the runners’ midst. She kept running. And it dawned on her — this is more than just a marathon now, this is a statement. She remembers thinking: “I’m going to finish this race on my hands and knees if I have to… If I don’t, then everyone will think that women can’t do it.”

She finished the race in 4 hours and 20 minutes. “I started the Boston marathon as a girl and I finished Boston marathon as a woman,” Switzer says.

That is the opening story of MAKERS: Women That Made America, a three-part documentary about courageous women like Switzer who redefined the image and the purpose of an American woman from a homemaker into a decision-maker of her own life, tracking 50 years of change and celebrating that change. Narrated by three-time Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep, Makers: Women Who Make America takes its cue from the movement’s motto, “The personal is political,” delving into the personal lives of its subjects.

For the first time ever, the documentary will air on PBS at 8 p.m. on February 26 (check local listings).

I was a fan of the online video experience MAKERS for a long time, religiously following their tweets from @MAKERSwomen and the watching new episodes of women (both known and unknown) who influenced the way women are viewed in the American society. The film, and online experience, is built from first-person, intimate accounts of women who experienced this time of change, including movement leaders such as author and feminist activist Gloria Steinem and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; opponents such as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly; celebrities including media leader Oprah Winfrey and journalist Katie Couric; political figures such as former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; business leaders such as Linda Alvarado, president and CEO of Alvarado Construction, Inc., and a co-owner of The Colorado Rockies; and many “ordinary” women who confronted the dramatic social upheaval in their own lives.

These are stories never before told. When I found out about the premiere, I was so excited I reached out to the two brilliant women who founded MAKERS, Dyllan McGee and Betsy West, to talk to them about the story behind the initiative. They were kind enough to send me the documentary prior to the interview and I watched it with my breath held.

I watched the story of women who got higher education just to stay at home and raise kids. A noble role. I am a mother myself, and I know how important that role is. But a lot of women wanted more, they wanted a voice. Author Judy Bloom remembers: “When I started to write [women in my neighborhood] laughed at me. ‘What makes you think you can do this?’ they said.”

“Career woman” was a dirty word. And as women rose around America to speak the truth and to ask for more, “freedom trash cans” started to fill up with the “objects of women’s oppression”: high-heel shoes, brooms, dust pans, curlers, bras, girdles. “Women, use your brains, not your bodies!” the feminist movement asked. Diane Nash, the Civil Rights activist, says with a smile: “I remember the day that I realized that I could be the principle in my own life. And that was really a revolutionary thought.”

I watched in awe the footage of women across the country marching for their rights. The women’s movement was like a tsunami, there was no stopping it. Gloria Steinem was in the center of the movement when she started her own magazine, Ms. Magazine. Male news anchors laughed, they didn’t expect it to survive. But the women across the country were starved to know that they were not alone in their secret desires of wanting to be something more than just a wife and a mother. They devoured the brutally honest content and felt its power. “It is comforting to know one is not alone” one of the letters to Ms. Magazine said.

Patricia Schroeder, a former congresswoman and the 14th woman to become one, remembers people asking her this question: “How can you be a mother and a congresswoman?” Her answer: “I have a brain and I have a uterus and they both work.”

The movie closes with this: “The women’s movement is the biggest social movement in the history of the planet earth, because it affected everybody: women, men and children.” The stories of courage, confidence and empowerment deeply touched me and reminded me of why I have the privileges I now have. I finished the movie, gently tucked it into its cover and put it into the stack of my favorite movies promising myself that when my 4-year-old daughter becomes a teenager, I will take it back out and watch it again, together with her, start to finish.

In 2005, Dyllan McGee went to Gloria Steinem and asked her to tell the story of her life. Steinem, in her typical Gloria egoless way, said no. She suggested there was a bigger story that needed to be told and she wanted to tell collective stories, not just one. And so McGee went back to the drawing board and what she shockingly discovered was that the story of the women’s movement has never been told before. She saw the opportunity, but wanted to do it right. And to do it right, she knew that the film wasn’t going to be enough and that she needed a robust digital platform and pivotal partners in this. McGee and Betsy West joined a cast of partners: PBS, AOL and Simple ® facial skincare. Both McGee and West hope that MAKERS serve as an educational platform for girls and women out there.

“I am inspired by watching the underdogs succeed and I love telling those amazing stories,” says McGee. “MAKERS is a perfect example, it is a story of how trailblazing women transformed American society. My passion is connecting the next generation to these stories we are telling in MAKERS so we can have 50 more years of change.”

And you think that this platform is for women only, think again. 48% of the traffic to the MAKERS.com is male. This is the story that touches everyone. McGee says: “When my boys and I are watching a TV, they say ‘Why isn’t there a woman there, mom? You got to get a Maker up there.’ I think it’s equally important for boys to know the story as it is for girls.”

When I asked what women featured in MAKERS videos have in common, McGee said: “These women are all driven by passion. Money is never the biggest driver; it’s doing something with their lives.” Betsy West, a winner of multiple Emmy awards, elaborates: “”Will back bone and a passion for what they do, they pushed forward to pursue their dreams.”

West talks about the times when she was at ABC news and that many women worked as associate producers on the night time news. These women were in their late twenties and worked so much that that didn’t leave much time for anything else in their lives and they started calling themselves the News Nuns. She fondly remembers how women supported each other and worked together to help each other succeed.

For Kathrine Switzer, those 26 miles of Boston marathon was a defining moment. I asked Dyllan McGee what is her defining moment. “If MAKERS can inspire the next generation to be makers in their own right, I’ll call that a victory. I will feel like I’ve completed my marathon.” West’s 18-year old daughter is a young generation maker in her own right. She has applied for an all-men program. “I want to be a pioneer, do something challenging, and make a difference,” she told her mother.

The advice the producers would give to women?

Dyllan McGee: “Go for your dreams! You can do it! You don’t have to be famous to achieve your dreams.”

Betsy West:

“Find what inspires and excites you and go after what you are passionate about. Don’t be discouraged by failure. Everybody stumbles, especially when you are starting out. It’s hard to recognize. You see all those accomplished women who seem so confident and then you hear about the struggles that they had in the beginning. The lesson here is: don’t be discouraged.”

Letty Cottin Pogrebin, co-founder of Ms. Magazine, said: “I read my way into feminism.” Well, the next generation will watch and listen their way into the movement. And that is what MAKERS is trying to accomplish with the robust video platform that they’ve built: they want to give courage and inspiration to the generations of women that follow.

Here’s a clip:

Watch MAKERS: Women Who Make America Trailer on PBS. See more from Makers: Women Who Make America.

I’m looking forward to watching this. You?

Lea: I remember blogging about the brown tree snake problem in Guam years ago. This is just way out of control. I HOPE that whatever is done to resolve it works, and ends this long nightmare.  Hafa Adai.

Howie:  Happy Birthday!!  I HOPE your day is whatever you wish it to be. Have fun!

Blog me. Peace & Love…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

I’m keeping it short and sweet this morning. There were many wonderful moments from yesterday. Two that I want to share that really touched me.

This is one…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Call me a sucker for romance, one who enjoyes PDA (Public Display of Affection), a champion for love...I am all of the above and more when it comes to love. And yes, I’ll admit at this time in my life I am missing that sharing of my life with someone that I care deeply about who feels the same same for me. So, when I see two people who are so obviously in love, it brings tears to my eyes, warms my heart and shows me once again that a love like that is possible.

And doesn’t Michelle Obama look simply stunning with her new stylish bangs, donning her Jason Wu dress and Jimmy Choo’s! President Obama isn’t bad on the eyes either. :)

And this is the other one…

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Talk about being present and in the moment. I watched with joy as I saw President Obama turn around and take a moment – just for himself. To see him take it all in…taking a moment to take one more look.

This moment brought tears to my eyes too because we all have moments like this that we don’t want to forget…moments where we’ve done something amazing or are recognized for something incredible that we’ve accomplished…or simply just taking a look knowing that you will never be in that exact position again, and the importance of where you are now.

And like the challenging times that we struggle to get through – we want the moment to pass, these moments of grandness we want to capture and grasp for just a moment more…because as in both moments we must also acknowledge that “this too will pass.”

Readers: What were some of your fave moments from yesterday’s Presidential Inauguration? Blog me.

I just want to end with “Welcome back Al!”  I’ll check in with the rest of you tomorrow.

Peace & Love…

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

Jessie,  Sam: Is this the video you were referring to?

The Beautiful and Efficient Anatomy of Pregnancy

I have spent most of the last decade focusing on the marvels of developmental biology — “the study of how multicellular organisms develop from immature forms into an adult.” I study this using scientific visualization technologies that my team at TheVisualMD have developed. It’s almost impossible to express how privileged I’ve felt to watch the process of conception to birth, as genetic mechanisms dynamically instruct each fetal cell of where to go and what to become.

In the 7th, 8th, and 9th weeks, a baby’s lungs develop. In this finely tuned and choreographed fetal development process, the right lung grows longer and separates into three lobes while the left lung forms only two because the heart needs to grow; this protrusion, these heart cells, actually “talk” to the developing cells of the lung, saying, “Hey, I need some room here”. These lungs’ asymmetry accommodates the architecture and design of the cardiovascular system. Our beautiful and efficient anatomy is truly awesome and endlessly fascinating.

When I began to review the scans of babies that captured each micrometer of developing tissue, my son was in utero. There were so many revelations that surprised and deeply affected me. Suddenly, my work on development was very personal… my son can be seen at the tail end of this film, “From a Cell to a Baby“! This early work has been recently updated in a new interactive iBook “Conception to Birth“.

My goal is to visualize life in all its glory. And to see how daily lifestyle decisions affect the choreography of all of our cellular activity, causing disturbances stored in trillions of X, Y, Z coordinates.- Alexander Tsiaras

My decade-long focus on embryonic and fetal development began to connect to another set of imaging data we had been assembling. These scans of adults represented the toll that genetics and lifestyle could have on the adult human organism. I began to focus on the biological processes of illness — most often illnesses that were lifestyle-related and not nearly as viscerally uplifting as the marvels of conception, fetal development and birth.

I became all too familiar with a condition known as Metabolic Syndrome. This syndrome is a combination of medical symptoms — obesity, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, glucose abnormalities — that put people at risk for stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease. As I began to witness the ravages of this syndrome on a younger and younger segment of the population, it struck me that I needed to circle back to the embryo in the womb to fully understand this disturbing trend.

Seeing overweight pregnant women with metabolic syndrome is not uncommon. Suddenly, our cherished image of the untainted and pristine embryo in the womb has to be redefined. More and more research is pointing to the fact that embryos are responding to the higher levels of sugars and insulin in the fetal environment; fetal beta cells are respond, making these babies more prone to metabolic disorders themselves as they grow up.

In my earlier days, I marveled at the symbiotic relationship that the developing child and mother shared. I saw only unbridled potential… the mother as a magnificent mobile heart/lung/immunology protector. Now I view pregnancy not as a perfectly loving mobile spa, but rather, as a fragile environment, one that must be kept healthy at all costs if a developing fetus is ever to be allowed to experience the delicate imperative of each of its genes.

Through our technologies, we can actually visualize lifestyle culprits such a metabolic syndrome, and work to take action on taming them. In visualizing these culprits, our research has led us to point the finger at refined nutrients — particularly refined sugars and refined starches. These toxins — coupled with chronic stress, chronic sleeplessness and inactivity — are defying all of the medical strides that we’ve made in the last few decades.

My goal is to visualize life in all its glory. And to see how daily lifestyle decisions affect the choreography of all of our cellular activity, causing disturbances stored in trillions of X, Y, Z coordinates. I believe that through this visual understanding of our metabolic processes, we can set ourselves on a path of limitless potential. We will once more be able to marvel at that pristine embryo and think only positive, exquisite thoughts!

All photo credits: TheVisualMD.com

Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TEDWeekends will highlight some of today’s most intriguing ideas and allow them to develop in real time through your voice! Tweet #TEDWeekends to share your perspective or emailtedweekends@huffingtonpost.com to learn about future weekend’s ideas to contribute as a writer.

*********

Blog Me. Happy Sunday!

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2012

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"