When most people think of South Central Los Angeles, they think of gangs, drugs, drive-by shootings, and riots. I know those thoughts traveled through my mind as I got off the bus at 41st and Compton Ave., on my way to visit the South Central Farmers. Although I was not the most relaxed or comfortable walking the two blocks to the farm, I felt 100% safe once within its confines; a place that Tom Morello guitarist of rock band Audioslave and founder of Axis of Justice called an “embodiment of the American Dream;” What Mike Farrell, actor turned activist called an “oasis of life.” By now you may be asking what Tom Morello, Mike Farrell, a farm, and I were doing in the middle of South Central Los Angeles. Click here to read my article in Car Free LA. {more}

Join cyclists all over the state during the week of May 15-19 as they don their bikes and become part of the solution in the biggest bicycle commute to hit California. This is the 12th straight year that record number of cyclists are expected to join in the Annual California Commute Week. If you cannot bike to work for the whole week, considering joining in on Bike to Work Day in Los Angeles County, which is Thursday, May 18th. If you are considering taking part in this event, visit the Bike to Work web site as it has many links to help you plan. There is even a list of pit stops where cyclists are invited to stop by for refreshments and free give-aways! It is really simple to get started, simply visit their web site and check out their online pledge. This event is also being sponsored by REI, 7/11, Ocean Potion, Costco, BikeStation, LACDC, LADOT, the California Bicycle Coailtion, Caltrans and Clif Bar. {more}

This year the UCLA extension is hosting the 3rd Annual ArtsDay LA - a free, festive, and unique educational event that brings together a vibrant community of artists, writers, designers, architects, and landscape architects. Each spring, ArtsDay LA features a day of free mini-lectures and panels on a wide variety of arts topics for you to explore. {more}

On Saturday May 6th from 9am to 12 noon people will be gathering at over 15 locations from Tujunga to Long Beach to take place in the largest urban river cleanup in the nation. For more information, visit their web site, where you can find a location near you by either doing your search by region, by body of water, or by searching locations via alphabetical order. Free tote bags will be given to the first 100 volunteers at each site. If you have children with you and are up for a party with your cleanup, visit the River School Day on Friday May 5th, at Fletcher Drive in Atwater Village, and enjoy the music, refreshments and prizes. More information, including sponsors, what to wear, volunteering, membership and more, visit their web site. {more}

While surfing the web to find some local film festivals to attend, I found this great one that merges two great ideas, addressing social issues and making great films. ARTIVIST is the 1st international activist film festival dedicated to addressing Human Rights, Children's Advocacy, Animal Rights and Environmental Preservation through film, visual arts and music. {more}

America. What a great country. Sometimes I am absolutely amazed at what goes on and the strength people demonstrate while standing up for what they believe in. Even new entrants to the country learn fast and sometimes have a thing or two to teach us about Democracy and how to fight for it. The Great American Boycott of 2006, or its more popular name “A day without an Immigrant,” is scheduled to take place on May 1, 2006 and is drawing support from immigrant groups across the country. Contrary to popular belief this is not a Mexican or Hispanic thing, it is an Immigrant thing. Whether you come from Africa, Argentina, Britain, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain or any other country for that matter, whether it was you, your parents or your grandparents that sacrificed everything they had and came here in search of a better life, whether you feel the pain of immigrants today or not, the Immigrant Solidarity Network is asking you for your support. {more}

Don't forget, today is Arbor Day and it's still not to late to get your 10 FREE flowering trees or even plant some yourself! The Arbor Day Foundation is helping to commemorate Arbor Day on this day and will send you 10 FREE flowering trees just for joining in. Don't forget that you can also join the Arbor Day Foundation and Home Depot on their campaign to restore urban and rural forests. Here in Los Angeles, an event is taking place on May 7th. For more information about this, Arbor Day, or the foundation, visit the Arbor Day web site at http://www.arborday.org. {more}

Since it is Earth Day today, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to talk about Arbor Day, which is celebrated nationwide on April 28 and encourages tree planting and care. The Arbor Day Foundation is a great organization that helps people all over the country commemorate this day. If you would like to join, they will even send you 10 FREE flowering trees just for joining. And if you would like to get even more involved, Join the Arbor Day Foundation and Home Depot on their campaign to restore urban and rural forests. Here in Los Angeles, an event is taking place on May 7th. For more information about this, Arbor Day, or the foundation, visit the Arbor Day web site at http://www.arborday.org. {more}

Whole Children Whole Planet Expo is the first natural parenting and family expo of its kind designed to help create empowered parents, balanced families and a healthier planet for our future. The Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo 2006 is designed to provide the answers that this fast-growing group of socially and environmentally conscious parents are looking for. The expo was featured in the April 2006 edition of Los Angeles magazine as one of the top 10 things to do while visiting LA this month and in the February 2006 edition of Los Angeles Family Magazine in an article entitled “Could Our Children Hold the Answer to a Greener Tomorrow?" It is to take place on Earth Day weekend, April 22-23 2006, from 10a.m.-6p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center. And, if you ride the Metro, you get 50% off your ticket price! In addition, the first 200 people to purchase tickets by phone with a credit card receive a Free Gift and children under the age of 14 get in free. Highlights include... {more}

On July 21-23, the Elevate Film Festival will hold its second screening at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. The Elevate film festival is a really exciting project as it produces films in 48 hours that are positive, raise awareness and are conscious raising. If you are intersted in attending, or submitting your work for inclusion in the festival, visit http://festival.elevatefilms.com They are currently looking for 10 page scripts, documentary subjects, musicians for the new 48 hour music video category, directors, crew and volunteers. {more}

Well, it is that time of year again. As Spring rolls in more and more events are starting to take place. There are plenty that I plan to attend and even more that I would like to help spread the word about, so I decided to add this section to my blog to help do so. I hope you find some of these interesting. If you know of an events that you would like to share with the rest of us, please let me know. {more}

Those of you who have read my blog may already be familiar with Robert Muller. Many of his quotes can be found throughout my site and I have written a few entries about him in the past. For those of you who are not yet familiar with him, here is your chance. On Friday April 14th at 8 pm, Frank K. Kelly and Douglas Gillies will present the 1st Annual Glorious Beings Award at the the Music Academy of the West in honor of the significant and visionary contributions to peace made by Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Chancellor Emeritus of the University for Peace and his wife Barbara Muller, international spokesperson, educator, and peacemaker. The event, entitled Rhapsodies for Humanity & the Glorious Beings Award, which is a benefit for Sonneblauma Danscz Theatre, begins with "a musical journey delving into the rich roots of classical music, as Stephen Kelly leads the audience into the passionate visions of Brahms, Chopin, and Beethoven... {more}