You can destroy buildings but you can't destroy L.O.V.E.

Ai Weiwei's studio before the destruction. photo (c) The Telegraph
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was featured here already as he is a true Soldier of L.O.V.E. fighting for the rights of the unheard voices of the lost children and as a peaceful activist for freedom and democracy in China and around the world.

He uses his phenomenal art to truely make a change and is therefore seriously and constantly under the attack of Chinese authorities, where he almost lost his life being beaten down so hard on the head.

Ai Weiwei never gives up and doesn't even turn his back on China.

On January 11th, 2011 Chinese authorities took another method to bring him down. They completely destroyed his studio building in Shanghai (worth about 1 million US-$). This was probably also a reaction to Ai Weiwei's support of Nobel Peace Price winner Liu Xiaobo.

The New York Times writes about the incident:

BEIJING — The studio would have stood at the heart of an embryonic arts cluster on the outskirts of Shanghai, a draw for luminaries from around the world.

It took two years to build, and one day to tear down. (...)

“Everything is gone,” he said. “It’s all black now. They finished the job at 9 o’clock last night.” (...)


Ai Weiwei standing in the rubble of his studio in Shanghai. photo (c) Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Ai has come to see his escalating conflict with government officials over the Communist Party’s authoritarian rule as performance art. (...)

Full article here.

Meanwhile Ai Weiwei's fantastic work of Art "Sunflower Seeds" is still shown in Tate Modern in London.


This outstanding piece of Art shows hundreds of millions of Sunflower Seeds that seem to be identical but are apparently unique and handmade porcelaine in China.

As we all know about Michael Jackson's love for Sunflowers, the Sunflower Seeds represent the "seeds of love" and a basis for love to grow...


Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern.
Watch the video about "Sunflower Seeds" here:


Let's show human rights activist Ai Weiwei and China our love and support!!! I guess you all saw what happened when the Michael Jackson bronze statue was unveiled in China recently...

Follow Ai Weiwei on Twitter: @aiww

Kids Take Action to Save Sharks

Every second, 3 sharks die at human hands. Many are "finned" so that their fins can be used for shark fin soup. Sharks are becoming extinct and it is affecting all ocean life.

Executive Producer/Director Gary Rose and fledgling group KISS (Kids Involved in Saving Sharks) have teamed up to create a PSA campaign aimed at halting the slaughter of sharks and preserving the ocean's ecosystem.







MJ Fam, please help those kids and spread their message to help the endangered species of sharks that are essential to our eco system!

Why?

Sharks have been around for nearly 400 million years: that makes them older than dinosaurs! There are about 375 different types of shark in the world.

The sea monster myth

Sharks rarely attack people. In fact, the chance of being attacked by a shark is less than the chance of being struck by lightning. The real dangers for people in the ocean are drowning, exposure and being struck by a boat. So no, sharks are not the sea monsters we hear about in stories.

Threat to survival

While sharks are not a threat to people, people are a very real threat to sharks. Each year, over 100 million sharks are killed, most of them for their fins. In fact, there are now 20 types of sharks that are in danger of disappearing because of overfishing.

One of the reasons the shark population is decreasing rapidly is that it takes a long time for sharks to become adults. When a young shark is caught they do not have the chance to grow up and produce baby sharks (pups).

When it comes to reproducing, sharks are more similar to mammals such as whales, dolphins and humans than to other fish. While most fish reach maturity in only a few years and produce thousands or millions of eggs per year, sharks take many years to reach maturity, with some species not reproducing until they are over 15 years old. So when sharks are overfished it may take them many years to recover and in some cases they may never recover.

Why care?

Sharks are crucial parts to the ocean ecosystem. They are at the top of the ocean food chain. They control populations in a beneficial way by eliminating diseased and genetically defective animals. Sharks are an important part of the Earth’s biodiversity.

YOU can help endangered sharks!

1. Educate yourself and others about their importance to our world.

2. Send letters to politicians and other influential people. Let others know how you feel about endangered sharks and how crucial they are to the environment.

3. Sign a petition or start a petition against shark finning and send it to representatives of China.

4. Avoid purchasing products made from sharks.

5. Organise a fundraising activity at your school or in your community and donate to a shark conservation program or organisation.

Together we can make a difference! Tell us how you’ve helped the sharks and inspire other to do the same.

(credits: Save the sharks! on www.ecokids.ca/blog/)

For more information on sharks, please check out and support these websites:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/theglobalsharkinitiative

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/StopSharkFinning

http://www.sharksavers.org

http://www.sharkwater.com

http://www.sharks.org

http://www.sharkalliance.org

MAKE THAT CHANGE!!!

June 13 - The truth runs marathons

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Michael Jackson's vindication from all charges...

We probably all remember that day more than vividly and thinking about it sends shivers down my spine. More than ever I was afraid of his life and the life of his family. The verdict made me cry of relief but all of this never stopped to crunch my stomach from pain.

When Jay-Z sang "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" it reminded me of the trial and I felt not even this applied for Michael.... WHY??!?

Now here we stand 5 years later still facing his legacy being smeared with lies and absurd accusations that those people don't even have to prove. They can just say it and make big money from it all around the world!

I'm really "tired of injustice, tired of these schemes" and I often feel hurt and helpless seeing it happen over and over again.

But then I remember what he tought me and the world and know that we cannot let this happen. We must raise our voice as one and bit by bit, piece by piece make that change.

I see so much love for Michael everywhere I go and I know millions around the world feel the same way. Let's bundle this energy and let the truth unfurl!!!

Michael deserves it.

His children deserve it.

His family deserves it.

We deserve it.


"The man's innocent. He always was."
Tom Mesereau, following the verdict, June 13, 2005
Watch:
- Tom Mesereau's tribute to Michael Jackson (slideshow)
- VICTORY short film

'They're killing a dance.'

Enough For Today

Dance rehearsals can go on past midnight, but this time I stopped at ten. "I hope you don't mind," I said, looking up into space, "but that's enough for today." A voice from the control room spoke. "You okay?"

"A little tired, I guess," I said.

I slipped on a windbreaker and headed down the hall. Running footsteps came up behind me. I was pretty sure who they belonged to. "I know you too well," she said, catching up with me. "What's really wrong?"

I hesitated. "Well, I don't know how this sounds, but I saw a picture today in the papers. A dolphin had drowned in a fishing net. From the way its body was tangled in the lines, you could read so much agony. Its eyes were vacant, yet there was still that smile, the one dolphins never lose, even when they die..." My voice trailed off.

She put her hand lightly in mine. "I know, I know."

"No, you don't know all of it yet. It's not just that I felt sad, or had to face the fact that an innocent being had died. Dolphins love to dance -- of all the creatures in the sea, that's their mark. Asking nothing from us, they cavort in the waves while we marvel. They race ahead of ships, not to get there first but to tell us, 'It's all meant to be play. Keep to your course, but dance while you do it.' "So there I was, in the middle of rehearsal, and I thought, 'They're killing a dance.' And then it seemed only right to stop. I can't keep the dance from being killed, but at least I can pause in memory, as one dancer to another. Does that make any sense?"

Her eyes were tender. "Sure, in its way. Probably we'll wait years before everyone agrees on how to solve this thing. So many interests are involved. But it's too frustrating waiting for improvements tomorrow. Your heart wanted to have its say now."

"Yes," I said, pushing the door open for her. "I just had this feeling, and that's enough for today."


Excerpt from "Dancing the Dream - Poems and Reflections" © 1992 by Michael Jackson
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As we all know Michael Jackson very much cared about the planet and all the animals that God created for it.

Be it coincidence or not this year when MJ was honored at the Oscar awards, a movie was winning "Best Feature Documentary" award that we all should acknowledge.

It is called "The Cove" and is about the killing of dolphins in a cove in Japan. I haven't yet seen the movie myself and it will take a lot of energy for me to do so as seeing pictures like these make me feel like watching someone killing a family member.

But nevertheless this cause is to be supported and on the movie website you can read how to take action. Please do!

http://www.thecovemovie.com/
http://www.takepart.com/thecove
http://www.facebook.com/TheCove

Please sign the petition "Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan" http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter/

"They who?? It starts with us. It's US! Or else it'll never be done... Let's take care of the planet!"

- Michael Jackson



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Addition 2010/04/01:

Please sign petion against killing of whales and dolphins here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-lethal-research-in-the-southern-oceans

Join FB group "I bet we can find 1,000,000 people who want Japan to stop killing whales" here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=291599004314&ref=ts
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Addition 2010/09/05

Please sign the petition "Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan" http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter/

Follow "The Cove" on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/TheCoveTaiji
http://twitter.com/thecovenews
http://twitter.com/TheCoveMovie
http://twitter.com/RichardOBarry

More information:

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
http://www.oceanicdefense.org/campaigns/taiji/index.html


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