Regional Gathering 2010
StaRGazing 2010 Speakers
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Note: this information is subject to change
Newest speakers, added 16 Nov 2009: Shicana Lynn Allen, Karla Kerlin, and Penelope Salinger
“Mindfulness, Leadership and Creativity” by Ronald Alexander
Pioneering psychotherapist and teacher Ronald Alexander uses ancient Buddhist mindfulness practices and tools from positive psychology to show how you can tap into your core creativity to improve your communication and leadership skills. Based on his new bestselling book, Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss and Change, Dr. Alexander will explore how you can become a more effective leader both in your personal and professional life settings. The major areas of focus will be: resolving conflict, developing trust with those who feel threatened, addressing blind spots in self-esteem, healing blocks in creativity, and building support for transforming vision into reality. Individuals will leave with tools to activate and utilize their inner core resources of the creative unconscious as well as being able to utilize their Wise Open Mind through a three-step process for transformational change.
Ronald A. Alexander, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist, leadership consultant and clinical trainer and the author of Wise Mind, Open Mind: Finding Purpose and Meaning in Times of Crisis, Loss and Change (New Harbinger Publications 2009). He is also the director of the OpenMind Training® Institute in Santa Monica, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in integrative mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness. His unique method combines the wisdom teachings of the east with positive psychology and creative thinking into a comprehensive integrated, behaviorally effective mind-body program. This system combines techniques that support strategies of personal, clinical, and corporate excellence including leadership skills, creativity, communication, and conflict resolution. Dr. Alexander teaches workshops and training programs at major teaching centers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He has been a consultant and leadership coach working with the entertainment industry for over 30 years. Visit RonaldAlexander.com or OpenMindTraining.com.
“Overpopulation and the Environment” by Shicana Lynn Allen
Shicana Lynn Allen has been a writer, educator, public speaker, and grassroots organizer on many important global and consumer issues for the last twenty years. Dedicated to providing information and encouraging awareness on a wide variety of health, food safety, alternative medicine, and environmental issues, she has coordinated campaigns and public outreach for many grassroots organizations. Shicana recently founded the non-profit organization Wild Blue Planet in order to educate and empower youth in the areas of reversing global warming and learning to create a sustainable future. Committed to fostering a transformation in public awareness on health and ecological issues, she strives to inspire individuals toward greater personal responsibility in addressing the global problems we face today.
“Mentoring” by Ricky Brava
Ricky Brava will be telling us how, as an Ecuadorian immigrant raised in a poor New York neighborhood, he found a mentor who helped him decide to live his life in a manner that would fulfill his dreams. He wants to pass on the lessons he learned to become a mentor to others.
Ricky Brava is a very motivated young man who was raised in Queens, New York. An outstanding amateur boxer in his teens, he later turned himself into one of the top personal trainers in NYC. During six great years in that profession, he was always learning and staying motivated, picking up a wealth of knowledge from his high-ranking clients. He later decided it was time to broaden his horizons, and moved to Hollywood to make his mark in the entertainment industry. He is responsible for starting two successful internet businesses, Wagaami and Anti-Age Labs. He also opened his own music management company, Brava Entertainment Inc., managing two outstanding new talents, Bomb Town Sound and Aztoria. He currently resides in the heart of Hollywood.
“Improv Workshop” by Angela Bullock
Improvisational theatre is the art of telling stories by acting them out based on audience suggestions. Angela Bullock, a professional actress in New York, then Los Angeles, and now a play producer, will tell you about the centuries-old history of improvisational comedy acting, explore with you the techniques for learning improv, and lead you in a workshop of games designed to entertain while teaching you to lose your inhibitions with hilarious results. You will love learning to feel comfortable in a room full of people. Come have fun and let your inner actor shine.
Angela Bullock is a professional actor currently living in Los Angeles and has performed in theaters throughout the U.S., including The Public in NYC, The Guthrie in Minneapolis, Yale Repertory Theater in New Haven, Actors Theater of Louisville and Arizona Theater Company in Phoenix and Tucson. Her television credits include Law & Order, OZ, Third Watch, Judging Amy, Medium, The Sopranos, and most recently, Hawthorne. She has served as a National Board Member of the Screen Actors Guild and is currently rehearsing “Stray”, a play by Ruth McKee. “Stray” will open on October 17th at the Black Dahlia Theater in Los Angeles.
“Forensic Linguistics: Real-Life ‘CSI’ with Word People” by Joe Devney
Ransom notes, terrorist threats, stalker letters … the language used in these documents can give clues about their authors. Forensic linguists apply linguistic analysis to legal documents of all types, and work both with lawyers and law enforcement. This presentation will focus specifically on analysis of written evidence – criminal or potentially criminal communications – using real-life examples. Learn about what the language used in the document can tell us about its author, and the techniques used to find those clues.
Joe Devney is a “word person” himself. After working for many years as a professional writer and editor, he returned to school and then embarked on a new career as a linguist. He has a Master's degree in Linguistics from Georgetown University and a certificate in Forensic Linguistics from Hofstra University. (One of his Forensic Linguistic teachers was the FBI's first linguistic profiler.) He is also a long-time Mensa member.
“Serious Games” by Dr. Christopher R. Harz
“Creating Music through Animal Communicators”, a combination lecture and music session by Skip Haynes and Dana Walden
Skip Haynes is a Chicago native and attended Southern Illinois University and the Art Institute and American Academy of Art in Chicago. An art director as well as a musician, Skip was the lead vocalist/frontman and songwriter for Chicago folk rock band Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah from 1970-1982. He wrote the hit song “Lake Shore Drive.” He has been an Associate Art Director for NARAS and The Grammy Awards. He has written two books, the first being a drug rehabilitation self-help book called “How To Straighten Up Your Act and Keep The Money In The Country”, and “Road Stories, or How Did A Nice Guy Like Me End Up In A Band Like This?” A pet lover and animal rights advocate, he is also actively involved in numerous animal rehabilitation, rescue and educational organizations.
“Sexuality 101 – What They Didn't Teach You In High School” by Maurice Kaehler
Yes, our brains are the biggest sex organ in our body. Yes, our body can be one large erogenous zone. And yes, ecstatic sex is everyone's birthright. Learn some of the internal/external sexual “hot” spots of the male and female body. Learn two ways that increase your body's ability to feel pleasure and maintain pleasurable states of being. Awaken your brain to its own sexual potential. Erotic is Probiotic! Loving Smart is Loving Well!
Maurice Kaehler, yoga teacher and pure food advocate, dedicated himself to promoting alternative healing therapies in 1988 following a bicycling accident that resulted in life-threatening injuries. In 1993, after years of intensive yoga study and practice, he began to teach, and is the founder of Swami O'Bryan's Yoga Studio specializing in Portal yoga. Clients have included many celebrities, such as Madonna and Tim Daly, and several large corporations. He co-founded CReMA – California Raw Milk Association – a consumer group that supports California pro-raw dairy legislation and raw dairy producers.
“Thoughts from the Bench: The Observations & Experiences of a New Trial Judge” by Karla Kerlin
After having worked for 18 years as a Deputy District Attorney assigned to prosecute sex crimes and homicide cases, Judge Kerlin was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court. Her first assignment was the high volume Metropolitan Courthouse where she presided over a caseload which included all criminal misdemeanors from the City of Huntington Park. The cases included domestic violence, driving under the influence, petty theft, resisting arrest, gang injunction violations, and many other misdemeanor offenses. Judge Kerlin recently began a new assignment in the main Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles where she presides over 80 to 120 cases each day. This assignment is an exciting but stressful place to work with the courtroom filled with hundreds of people. Come join Judge Kerlin as she shares her observations and experiences as a new judge.
Karla Kerlin is a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger on October 30, 2008. She is currently assigned to the main Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles. Judge Kerlin runs Department 40 which has approximately 100 criminal misdemeanor cases on calendar each day. Prior to the bench, Kerlin was a Deputy District Attorney for 18 years assigned to the Sex Crimes and Major Crimes Divisions among other assignments. She regularly trained social workers, law enforcement, health professionals, victim advocates and prosecutors across the country with a specialization in sex crimes, domestic violence and child abuse. Judge Kerlin was a founding commissioner on the Glendale Commission on the Status of Women and served as the Chair for four years.
“Acoustical mysteries of ancient Maya pyramids and ballcourts revealed” by David Lubman
The acoustical secrets of ancient Maya builders are only now becoming recognized. At Chichen Itza, Mexico, a World Heritage site, the pyramid of Kukulkan, chirps like the quetzal – a bird venerated by the ancient Maya as the “messenger of the gods”. Ornithologists have termed the quetzal “the most magnificent bird in the Americas”. If the chirp is intentionally designed, it is the world's earliest-known sound recording. The Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza is a versatile theater of the auditory senses. Its sonic features include a unique whispering gallery that allows spoken communication from distances of 500 feet. It can evoke such hallucinatory experiences as the fearful sounds of growling jaguars, menacing rattlesnakes, choruses of dead ancestors, and whooping flying ghosts.
David Lubman is an independent acoustical consultant/scientist who frequently lectures at universities and scientific conferences. Lubman's startling discoveries of ancient uses of sound engineering enliven the pages of dozens of magazines, journals, newspapers, and web sites including Scientific American. He is featured on History Channel and Discovery Channel DVDs. He was interviewed on Science Friday, PRI International, NPR, BBC, and German National Radio. Lubman is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). Lubman was awarded ASA's Helmholtz-Rayleigh Interdisciplinary Medal in Acoustics (2004). He lives in Orange County, California.
“George Washington: Entrepreneur” by Dennis Lynch
An exploration of Mt. Vernon in relation to George Washington's successful business enterprises there.
Dennis Lynch is a veteran Advanced Placement History teacher, Academic Decathlon coach, and 2002 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year.
“Metabolic Typing” by Anju Mathur, M.D.
Vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants and other nutrients have often been removed from our food by the effects of modern agricultural methods and food processing. Hence, their adequate supplementation in a nutrient-depleted body will greatly enhance the chance for a successful, long life. Metabolic typing is a system to evaluate a patient's highly individualized dietary requirements to know how the body is processing food, and then to provide customized nutritional dietary programs for one's metabolic type. Dr. Mathur will discuss the basic metabolic types and the nutrients that can assist in making your body run more efficiently.
Anju Mathur, M.D. – Diplomate of American Board of Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine. After practicing traditional/conventional medicine with disappointing results, Dr. Mathur felt that many standard drug treatments cause untold side effects and help only to suppress symptoms of disease. During a personal health crisis she began to explore nutrition as a method of restoring wellness. She looked to the realms of so-called alternative medicine, including bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, to help herself and her patients. She opened Angel Longevity Medical Clinic, a Los Angeles anti-aging practice that focuses on customized nutrition, natural hormone balancing and fitness to discover the root cause of health problems, using pharmacological means only when necessary.
Visit her website at http://www.angelmedcenter.com/.
“Anti-Aging Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy” by Anju Mathur, M.D.
Hormones are powerful substances that control multiple functions throughout the body. Hormone levels should be sufficient and balanced. Too little or too much of them is not conducive to long-term emotional, mental and bodily health. Bioidentical hormones are exactly the same hormones, molecule by molecule that your body produces. Derived mostly from plant sources, your body does not consider them a foreign substance and so does not cause any adverse reactions. Dr. Mathur will discuss how a balance of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid, Cortisol, DHEA, melatonin, and growth hormone can boost energy, vitality, and libido, as well as lower risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and many other degenerative diseases in men and women.
Anju Mathur, M.D., Diplomate of American Board of Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine; residency in PGY1- OB/GYN and internship in internal medicine, Martin Luther King Hospital, Los Angeles; Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
Visit her website at http://www.angelmedcenter.com/.
“The Human Comedy” by Vanda Mikoloski
Mensans had such a ball “contributing” to Vanda's show at the Pittsburgh AG that she's back to be with her favorite audience! Mensans' favorite stand-up comic will be riffing about the “Ridiculous Reality of Being a Human Being”. Intimate, hysterical, philosophical, irreverent reverence … referencing wisdom and nonsense from “What the Bleep”, “The Secret”, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Das, Alan Watts, Byron Katie, Robert Anton Wilson, Tom Robbins, Ramana Maharshi, Werner Erhardt, Socrates, AA, yoga, “channels”, and L.A. traffic. Vanda brings both ahas and hahas to the stage – questioning our P.O.V. about our P.O.V. and marveling at the human predicament … illuminating spiritual principles and transformational distinctions like fireworks.
Topics include: quantum physics, voices in our heads, alcoholism/addiction, what a jerk she can be, being a bad yoga teacher, relationships (or lack thereof), depression, and enlightenment.
Vanda Mikoloski was a runaway from prep school, a stripper, an initiate of an esoteric mystery school, a drug addict, a successful comic (Showtime, Lifetime), and a yoga teacher for the Dixie Chicks. She left show biz at 33 to follow her spiritual path and “check in rather than check out”. After the success of “What the Bleep Do We Know?”, Vanda loaded her home into her Honda and drove to L.A. She is single, living six blocks from Venice Beach. Check out a video demo on her web site, Enlighten Up! with Vanda Mikoloski.
“Forces of our Subconscious” by Mario Mónico
HypnoTherapy is an area of the Mental Health Counseling that is growing. Deep inside the subconscious areas of our minds lies 88% of the cause or root of our behaviors that create our reality in all areas of our lives. Our conscious area is only 12% and with that, we try to fight the 88% that rules our lives. In our mind we possess an area called Primitive mind and this area is where we have the reactive areas of fight or flight. Hypnosis has gradually been accepted in areas like: dental work, chiropractic work and some surgeries. More people are choosing Clinical Hypnosis for procedures that are leaving behind some side effects of traditional anesthesia procedures.
Mario Mónico is a professional Certified HypnoTherapist trained at Hypnosis Motivational Institute in Tarzana, California. Mario is equipped to offer clinical hypnosis for clients who want to work on behavior modification and change their habits. He possesses certifications to perform Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss Programs among others. Contact information: mario@yourdaybreakhypnosis.com.
“UFO's – Ours or Theirs?” by Steve R. Murillo
Whether you believe that UFO's are terrestrial or extraterrestrial, you will be intrigued by the best photographic evidence that the Mutual UFO Network has in its collection. Officially formed in 1969, Mufon investigates sightings, promotes research, and educates the public on the UFO phenomenon and its impact on society. Steve Murillo, Mufon Section Director for Los Angeles, invites both believers and skeptics to challenge the conventional view and decide for yourselves.
Steve R. Murillo is a southern California native and graduate of the US Naval Academy, 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering. He is owner and broker of First Manhattan Mortgage & Realtors, 1992 to present.
Steve holds a Black Belt and is an instructor in Kyokushin Karate. He's also a hang glider pilot and an active member of the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association.
He is a Past-President Manhattan Beach Rotary Club 2007-2008, District 5280 Membership Chairman 2008-2009, and State Section Director, MUFON LA, year 2000 to present.
“What Really Drives the Non-Profit Economy?” by Marilyn Neece
Passion, funding, volunteers, organization – what really makes a non-profit successful? In this economy more people need help but increasing donations is a challenge. Find out how business principles applied to the non-profit world of grants, volunteers, and boards of directors can give your favorite charity the boost it needs.
Marilyn Neece, MBA, Management Consultant, helps non-profit organizations develop and implement their growth strategy. She has years of hands-on experience as Manager of two Chambers of Commerce, fundraiser for Whittier College and The Claremont Colleges, Non-Profit Instructor at Cal Poly Pomona Pomona College, and was the Whittier Woman of the Year for organizing the Whittier Narrows earthquake recovery.
“An Englishman and His Goats” by Julian Pearce
Arriving in the high desert of California in the summer of 2006, award-winning cheese producers Julian and Carol Pearce of Soledad Goats sought refuge from the cold, cloud covered skies of England where they had previously spent 10 years gaining knowledge and experience in the cheese-making business.
Bringing years of experience to their new California home, a variety of goat breeds are now thriving in their desert home in Mojave which is located at the base of the prominent local butte called Soledad Mountain. The goats include La Manchas (goats with attitude), Nubians (the talkers of the bunch), and Alpines (the sweet-natured ones). It is this combination of milks and personalities from the diversity of breeds that gives the cheese its unique flavor.
A customer favorite is the lavender and lemon flavored fresh cheese produced with locally harvested lavender. This unique cheese won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London out of 1,800 cheeses.
“Now Flying Through a Solar System Near You: The Dawn Mission to the Asteroid Belt” by Marc Rayman
The ambitious and exciting Dawn mission, launched in September 2007, is NASA's latest venture into the solar system. The spacecraft will orbit both Ceres and Vesta, which are among the last unexplored worlds in the inner solar system. They are the two largest residents of the asteroid belt, that vast collection of bodies between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is so large that it is included in the category of dwarf planets, along with Pluto. The alien landscapes Dawn will reveal should provide humankind with a new perspective on the solar system. Such a mission would be impossible without the use of ion propulsion, a technology that has mostly been in the domain of science fiction, but which was tested extensively on the Deep Space 1 mission, paving the way for Dawn.
Marc will describe the Dawn mission and its use of ion propulsion as well as its two exotic destinations. He also will share the excitement of controlling a spacecraft in deep space.
Marc has a Ph.D. in physics and is chief engineer and mission manager for Dawn at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. A lifelong space enthusiast, he has played key roles in a wide variety of space projects. He is very active in communicating the thrill of exploring the cosmos, and his Dawn blog is popular in many galaxies. He also enjoys dancing, hiking, and skiing.
“Los Angeles History and Religion – Sex, Sin, Salvation!” by Richard Rossi
Sister Aimee Semple McPherson was a fabled female faith healer, the most famous evangelist in the world in the 1920's, and front page news, especially when she vanished at Venice Beach in 1927 and was put on trial on morals charges. The Los Angeles District Attorney accused Aimee of an alleged affair with her married radio engineer. Richard Rossi wrote and directed two films about her, most recently “Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story”. Richard knew the world of Pentecostalism first-hand, having worked as a healing evangelist before questioning religion and leaving scripture for script, heading to Hollywood to explore his creative inclinations. You will learn about the inside world of fundamentalism, filmmaking, and more.
Recent acting roles for Richard Rossi include: the husband of a female faith-healer in Sister Aimee (finalist for best feature in Milan), and an A-list director in the Hollywood tale Live Fast, Die Young, which led the Laemmle in receipts. Richard will be directing and acting in his next film which starts shooting in Fall, 2010 and is titled Baseball's Last Hero: The Roberto Clemente Story, a baseball biopic. Richard also teaches guitar privately and at Los Angeles Valley College. Richard's first novel, “Stick Man”, will be released April 2009. Visit AimeeSempleMcPhersonMovie.com.
“Men & Women: Vive la difference!” by Penelope Salinger, LCSW
Men are not just “hairy women who know what they're supposed to do but choose not to.” And women are not just “smaller, weaker men who let their emotions run away with them.” Is it possible to bring about peace between the sexes? Yes! When we understand how specialization provided for the survival of our species, we can stop expecting each other to behave as members of our own gender might. I will share research-based tips on how to listen and talk more effectively with members of the complementary sex and the importance of respecting and even celebrating our differences.
Penelope Salinger, LCSW, is passionate about creating peace between men and women. She draws from her participation in the year-long PAX Mastery and Leadership program created by Alison Armstrong (www.understandmen.com), as well as material from Deborah Tannen, John Gray, and brain chemistry researchers such as Louann Brizendine. Other influences include the work of couples therapists such as Barry and Joyce Vissell and Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks. Penelope is also a singer/songwriter with a new CD of original music entitled “I'm Here to Love”. Visit www.pensongs.com.
“Discover Wellness and Hope Through Upper Cervical Care” by Johnny Truong, D.C
Upper Cervical Care is a unique form of healthcare that focuses on the intimate relationship between the first two bones in the neck and the brain stem. This relationship is essential to the body's ability to preserve and restore health. The brain stem works like a telephone cable with thousands of individual wires or nerve fibers sending signals back and forth between the brain and spinal cord to every cell, organ and system in the body. Interference to the normal flow of communication between the brain and body can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration and chronic ill health.
Dr. Johnny Truong is a brainstem specialist. It is estimated that there are only 70 doctors with his specialized training in the entire country. His primary focus is the accurate detection and correction of the devastating effects of vertebral interference at the upper neck area. He is a board certified Blair Upper Cervical Technique Instructor. He has a successful practice in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles and has helped thousands of patients find hope through this unique form of healthcare. Visit DoctorTruong.com.
“Hot Topics in Economics” by Benjamin Zycher
Dr. Zycher will attack and analyze from an economics view the most controversial topic of the day, bringing you insight into complex issue. The topic will hinge on what the front pages are screaming about at the time.
Benjamin Zycher is the President of Benjamin Zycher Economics Associates, a senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, and an adjunct Professor of Economics and Business at the Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics, California State University, Channel Islands. In addition, he is a member of the advisory board of the quarterly journal Regulation, of the advisory council of USA for Innovation, and the advisory council of Consumer Alert.