In Step two of the 12 Steps of recovery, we're asked to Come to Believe that a Power Greater than Ourselves Could Restore Us to Sanity. What 12-Steppers tell you in the beginning is that you can choose your own concept of what that Higher Power is, as long as you choose something. That said, one big criticism of 12-Step programs is that even though they say you can choose your own HP, they really mean God when they say God. The subtext: if you don't believe in God, you're not going to make it. And if you argue about it, you're not willing. And you have to be willing to make it. And if you don't believe now, you'll come around eventually. This leaves some people feeling like they can't do 12-Step recovery.  read more »

For nearly two years now we have waited for a speech. We need a simple speech and a direct speech -- most of all a political speech -- about what exactly happened to our financial system, and therefore to our economy, and what we must do to make sure it can never happen again.

President George W. Bush apparently did not consider giving such a speech, and Secretary Paulson could never talk in this way. President Obama seemed, at some moments, close to making things clear -- when he talked on Wall Street in September and, most notably, when he launched the Volcker Rules in January. But President Obama has always come up short on the prescriptive part -- i.e., what we need to do -- and his implementation people still move as if there were lead weights in their shoes.  read more »

PORT MATILDA, Pa. – The walk down a hill at the St. Joseph Institute ends at the Forest Chapel, nestled in the woods between two streams. Only the sounds of chirping birds and a breeze blowing through leaves pierce the silence.

It's a serene setting where co-owner Michael Campbell hopes visitors experience a spiritual reawakening — regardless of whether one is seeking a religious retreat or a personal wellness break.

Frazzled Americans look to such destinations increasingly to decompress from their mile-a-minute lifestyles, redefining the concept of "spiritual travel." State tourism gurus in Pennsylvania in recent years have produced literature promoting what they called "growing interest in spiritually based retreat destinations."  read more »

The Costa Verde International School 3rd annual fundraiser was a great success raising $140,560 pesos for the scholarship program. Don Pedros hosted the event at their Brisa del Mar event center which packed in at least 150 people for the event. Culinary delights were prepared by St. Regis, Don Pedro's, Naef Cuisine, Cafe Des Artistes and Sayulita Cafe. The silent auction items were abundant and amazing, thanks to the many local artisans, stores and restaurants that donated.  read more »

It’s over for another year. The town has settled back into its normal routine and collection of sounds, and I am reflecting on this raucous, spirited, holiday, which means so much here.

In the days that lead up to February 24th, there is an energy and excitement that builds, as does the noise level, especially at night. The carnival is setting up with its rides, and try-your-luck games. The array of street food and its tempting aromas are everywhere. The cock fights are on, and the town fills with people.

The battling bands challenge our sleep, although I don’t think they all play until 5:00a.m. as in the past.  read more »

March 1 (Bloomberg) -- The earthquake that killed more than 700 people in Chile on Feb. 27 probably shifted the Earth’s axis and shortened the day, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist said.

Earthquakes can involve shifting hundreds of kilometers of rock by several meters, changing the distribution of mass on the planet. This affects the Earth’s rotation, said Richard Gross, a geophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who uses a computer model to calculate the effects.  read more »