Carma-heaven – Surviving 2011 has to be one of the most apocalyptic years known to date.

It’s only July, but, let’s take a brief look at some of the specatular events that we have survived so far.   Massive earthquakes, nuclear reactor meltdowns, tsunamis, overwhelming river bank flooding, the end of days in Harold Camping’s rapture and last but not least carmageddon on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles this last weekend.

For the last four weeks the Los Angeles media has blitzed the public with an endless assault of dire warnings of what was to come because of the closure of the 405 freeway.  Everyone was talking about it and many were scared to death to be on the roads and highways.  Saturday I was right in the middle of carmageddon as I had to go to an event that was planned long before carmageddon was announced.  I was absolutely amazed to see that no one was on the freeway.  It was like the twilight zone.  Actually, it was kinda scary!

It was inspiring to see that the great people of Los Angeles were able to get together and make this an incredible experience for everyone.  It’s also amazing that the Cal-Trans and construction workers finished well before the scheduled completion time.  It was a job well done by everyone in Los Angeles.

One could almost surmise that this should become an occurring event every so often to help reduce traffic, pollution, aid the environment and help people discover and support their local communities.  It was also amazing to see as I was driving home today on the 101 freeway a Cal-Trans sign that said, “Thank You Los Angeles.”

ORGANIC BLACKBERRY LOVE

Blackberry Heaven! Today is the first day of harvest!  Many of you know that I wrote a blog back on June 30th entitled The blackberries are coming! Well the good news is they have landed!  Wow! There are even more blackberries than I expected!  When I wrote the first blog I thought I might be exaggerating a little, but let me tell you there are a lot of them!  I feel very blessed and fortunate that My Organic Garden is so abundant!

Today I spent a couple hours picking blackberries for my family and friends.  Check out my blackberry hands LOL

BLACKBERRY HANDS

Oh! I almost forgot to mention that when I entered the yard I had to chase Larry The Squirrel and a pack of his swashbuckling organic marauders out of the garden.  Needless to say, I wasn’t too happy, but, on to brighter and better things.  The blackberries are amazing but what’s even better is sharing them with family and friends!

A big Thanks again to Steven Nahabedian and his company Fired Up Tiles (click to see his website) for providing us with all of the awesome themed tiles that you see in my garden.  Many of you are probably familiar with Fired Up Tiles as he is carried in a majority of health food stores and Whole Foods across America.

Larry The Squirrel eats Blackberries

Blackberry Heaven!

Stay Tuned for more adventures from My Organic Garden.

SACRED GIFT by Vladimir Kush

Sacred Gift – Last week my friend Skip and I were in Las Vegas.  We had an incredibly relaxing week thanks to the Qua Spa at Caesars Palace.  We were just getting ready to Leave Las Vegas, but, unlike Nicolas Cage in the film Leaving Las Vegas LOL, when Kush Fine Art Gallery consultant Karyn Anderson called.  “Vladimir Kush is painting down at the Caesars Palace Kush Fine Art Gallery, come on down.”

Many of you have seen my blog Meet the new Salvador Dali and were touched by the incredibly luminous and inspirational art of Vladimir Kush.  I figured I might not have another chance to meet this master fine artist.  So, I twisted Skip’s arm a little and said, “Hey we gotta go see my favorite artist!”  Talk about a golden opportunity!  Actually to me it was more like a Sacred Gift.

Sebastian St. George and Vladimir Kush

Sacred Gift – Vladimir’s art has truly inspired me, so much so that I have become an avid patron of his work.  I found him to be a delightful and playful person; just like his paintings.  One of the things I love most about Vladimir’s work is that it is intuitive, expansive and touches on many subjects much like Luminous ROC.  I love the fact that Vladimir likes to paint about anything, as I love to write about anything.

Vladimir and Sebastian in front of Awakenings

It’s funny one of Vladimir’s friends came up and mentioned that he thought Vladimir and I were brothers.  We bonded and had a great time talking allegory, hidden signs and symbols, Polynesian mythology and the metaphorical journey of his work.

Vladimir has fun embellishing "City by The Sea"

Vladimir and I are standing in front of his painting “City by the Sea.”  He called it “The Squid” as he was embellishing one of the 88 numbered giclee prints.  The inspiration for the painting came to him as he was flying into San Francisco.  The painting reminds me of James Cameron’s “The Abyss.”  It’s spectacular to me in every way.

I felt very fortunate for the opportunity to watch him paint the final details of his new huge panoramic painting “Awakenings.”  To be able to spend some time with Vladimir Kush and talk with him, to me, that was a Sacred Gift.

If you are interested in finding out more about Vladimir’s art work you can contact Karyn Anderson at the Las Vegas Kush Fine Art Gallery:  Karyn@vladimirkush.com  or cell 775-997-8700  Mention Sebastian, she’ll take care of you.  Karyn Rocks!

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind
is a faithful servant. We have created a society
that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
— Albert Einstein

The blackberries are coming!  Many of you know about My Organic Garden and have seen pictures of it or heard me tweet about it on Twitter or talk about it on Facebook.  If you read my blog (please see hyperlink above) you may remember my infamous gazania eating bandit: Larry The Squirrel.  What Larry doesn’t know about, and he’s not gonna find out anything about, is my incredible berry patch.

Over two years ago my friend Skip and I bought an Organic Duarte Blackberry starter.  It was one stem in a can about eight to twelve inches high.  We really weren’t sure it was going to take, but, what the heck.  We put it in the ground and watered it routinely.  Boy were we surprised!  This bush took off like a shot!  Now it’s over six feet high and about twenty feet long. We’ve had to cut it back about five or six times this year as it’s been in continual expansion mode.

The blackberries are coming!  The blackberries are coming! Wow look at them in these pictures!  There must be over a million of them!  OK maybe that’s exaggerating a tiny bit, but, there are a lot of berries!  Frankly, I’m very excited as this will be our second harvest.

I know what you’re thinking, why the hell is Sebastian blogging about Blackberries?  This is supposed to be a blog about Tech, Social Media, Branding and Marketing only. LOL Luminous ROC has become more about all things Luminous and especially topics and categories that I am passionate about.  I am especially passionate about health, diet, exercise, eating right and organic gardening.

To maintain top performance in the Marketing and Branding world one needs to be healthy. Blackberries are very high in antioxidants.  There have been many articles written about value of berries and their miraculous ability to aid in the prevention of disease and the effects of oxidative stress to the cells.

And they taste great!  Shhh just promise me you won’t tell Larry The Squirrel!

Somebody you don’t know but you should – The story of Harriet Quimby is an amazing story of one of the most courageous people I have ever known.  Harriet defines the word pioneer.  Harriet exemplifies courage in the face of uncertainty and the fear of unknowningness.  But honestly, what I find most impressive about her is that she was a woman who did the impossible in a time in which women didn’t do these things.

Harriet Quimby was a trailblazer in aviation and a trailblazer in Women’s Rights.  More importantly, she was woman of tremendous strength and courage.  Again, honestly, I’m very impressed with her and I can’t say this enough.  She is someone that is a treasure to me and a pleasure for me to share with you.  Let me begin.

We all remember Ameila Earhart and her courageous efforts that she made in flight.  Long before Amelia, there was a courageous woman by the name of Harriet Quimby.

Harriet Quimby was the first woman in this country to get a pilot’s license.  She is also the first woman to fly across the English Channel alone.  What is even more amazing is this happened in 1912!

Harriet was a beautiful and vivacious woman in her 30s.  She was a drama critique for a New York Magazine called, “Leslie’s Weekly.”  She met a pilot by the name of John Moisant who also owned a flying school.  Her words to this glamorous flyer were: “Teach me to fly.”  Mosiant’s reply was: “Anytime.”  Unfortunately Mosiant was killed in a tragic plane crash, but Harriet had befriended Matilde Mosiant, John Mosiant’s sister.  They became fast friends.  Matilde, by the way, was the second woman to earn a pilot’s license in the U.S.A.

Harriet spent four months and thirty-three lessons at the Moisant School.  She studied in a Bleriot monoplane.  This plane was designed by Louie Bleriot, who was the first pilot to fly across the English Channel in 1909.

Harriet would fly the reverse route in the same type of plane in 1912.  She would fly alone.  I know this might sound pedestrian to you.  Let’s consider this, Harriet flew without instruments, the only instrument she had was a hand-held compass she had in her lap.  She also took off in fog, flew much of the flight in fog and had no radio communication.  Talk about taking off into total uncertainty.  Actually, it sounds quite insane!  Especially in 1912!

Somebody you don’t know but you should – Harriet Quimby was successful against all odds in her endeavor.  Her success would be heralded throughout the U.S.A and Europe.  Along with her triumphs as an aviation “Femme Fatale” was her flying suit: a plum colored “satin backed by wool” with a monk’s cowl “that kept her hair in place and her ears warm” with “almond shaped goggles” – years ahead of their time.  This was her trailblazing and fashionable flying outfit.

There was one person who thought that Harriet could not accomplish the Channel flight.  He was certain, but he saw her off by giving her a hot water bottle to keep her warm.  He even offered to fly the Channel wearing her plum flying suit.  She laughed him off, ofcourse.

Sadly, Harriet had a tragic accident at an airshow in New York shortly after her Channel flight.  She and her co-pilot were pitched from her Bleriot during a dive.  This plane had a history of this.  At this time there were no harnesses in the plane to secure the pilot’s safely and so prevent this.  Today’s pilots owe a tremendous debt of respect and admiration to these early aviation pioneers.  Without their sacrifices and courageous willingness to adventure into flying’s vast uncertainty we would not have the safety that we all share today.

Harriet Quimby contributed significantly to this progress, so much so that a U.S. Postal Stamp was issued in her honor and memory.  The Stamp was issued in 1991 in Plymouth, Michigan.

In 2009 The Los Angeles Times ran a short piece on a French pilot, Edmond Salis, and his attempt to recreate the first flight of Louie Bleriot across the English Channel.  Sadly, Harriet was not mentioned at all.

Somebody you don’t know but you should – Harriet Quimby is a remarkable and inspiring American woman who helped paved the way for American aviation and Women’s Rights.  She is definitely someone you should know.

How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?  Still to this day I’m constantly asked this question.  I guess it’s because I still drive a 2011 squeeze green Fiesta.  I now drive the American version but I truly loved and miss the European version.  Honestly, I would love to have a Zetec!  If you have a chance, check them out, they really are amazing!

Exciting news!  I am very happy to say I just received along with my Executive Producer, Parris Harris, a 2011 Telly Award for our work in the Ford Fiesta Movement.  This award is for the video: How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?

This my second Telly Award for producing and directing a commercial style marketing and branding video / commercial.  My first Telly Award I won in 2009 for a Budweiser Spec Commercial.

What’s a Telly Award?  “The Telly Awards honor the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions, and work created for the Web” – Telly Award website.

How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?  I am very happy to say this video plays in every Ford dealership throughout North America.  Anytime you walk into a Ford dealership to check and/or purchase a Fiesta there is a kiosk that plays a few videos and one of them is: How much fits into a FORD FIESTA?

A big Thank You to the Brand Manager for the Ford Fiesta, Sam DeLaGarza and the Head of social media at Ford Motor Company, Scott Monty.  These gentlemen were very generous and dedicated to working with all of us Ford Fiesta Agents to make the Ford Fiesta Movement one of the most successful automotive marketing and branding campaigns ever!

A super big Thank You to my Executive Producer, Parris Harris.  Parris is the sole reason I got involved with the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Fiesta Movement.  I’ll never forget the morning of my birthday, a few years back, Parris woke me up at 7am on a Sunday morning.  He said that the Ford Motor Company has this amazing market campaign that they were asking him to be involved in and that he needed my marketing and branding skills.

Parris thought we could be an amazing team.  Parris’ vision couldn’t have been more right on.  Together we were one of the most successful Agent Teams in Chapter 1.  I gotta be honest with you, it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in the name of marketing and branding.  I think we helped to sell a lot of Ford Fiestas.  The amazing thing is Parris and I never once said buy a Ford Fiesta.  People just saw us having a good time with the Fiesta as we produced numerous Ford Fiesta Fashion Shows & Events.

Sebastian St. George and Parris Harris

Parris and I also created Ford Fiesta Fashion Week.  It was amazing experience and I will blog on that later.

I really appreciate being the only Agent to be involved in all aspects of the 14 month program from Chapter 1, Twitter Expert Program and Chapter 2.  It was a lot of hard work.  By the way, I really miss my European Fiesta.

My Organic Garden has played a major in my life.  Many of you know how I am very passionate about organic farming and food growing.  My family has had organic gardens for well over 40 years.  Gardening is an excellent way to de-stress after a long hectic and busy day.  It also helps in getting one’s self reconnected with the earth.  Overall, it has a deep calming effect on one’s soul and well-being.

My family and I have been very grateful for growing many incredible fruits and vegetables.  Below you will see the 13 lbs. organic beet that I picked today.  We have experienced many miracles in our gardens.

My 13 lbs. organic beet

It’s seems that my organic garden is very popular.  Especially with the local residents, Larry The Squirrel and his four buddies love to raid our garden.

Larry The Squirrel

Let’s take a look at the origins of organic gardening in this county and how it has played a major part in America’s history.  Our Founding Fathers considered themselves first and foremost famers before being politicians.  It was only the conditions they faced as subjects of the British Crown that caused them to change in order to seek colonial freedom.  They were self-reliant and lived off the earth.  They understood the basic principles of life, living and the pursuit of happiness, which today seem almost non-existent.  In today’s technological age, many have lost and forgotten what these great men stood for, fought for and in some instances died for.

Andrea Wulf spoke about this in a recent article in The Los Angeles Times and goes into further detail her recent book entitled “Founding Gardeners – The Revolutionary Generation, Nature and the Shaping of the American Nation.”  She spoke of how the influence of gardening and farming helped to craft the images used by The Founding Fathers to bring about understanding and development of this nation.  It continues to be an amazing process, one that we are all part of today.

Pathway to Organic Love

I am very grateful to Steven Nahabedian and his company Fired Up Tiles (click to see his website) for providing us with all of the awesome themed tiles that you see in my garden.  Many of you are probably familiar with Fired Up Tiles as he is carried in a majority of health food stores and Whole Foods across America.

Many of the tiles represent a variety of themes, religions and beliefs.  In my garden, they are all united in peace, harmony and life giving presence.  These tiles also add a sense of style, fashion and practicality to my garden.  They illuminate and provide a vibrant energy to the area and allow me to find my way.  In essence, they provide a pathway to organic love.

Take a look below at the beautiful fruits and veggies that we picked today from My Organic Garden!

Organic Fruits & Veggies from my Garden

Meet the new Salvador Dali – Vladimir Kush is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting painters in the art world today. His work is vibrant, vast, deep and overflows with a radiant abundance of colors, symbols and allegory. His imagery instills a wealth of dreamlike thoughts and visions. His craftsmanship while flawless and virtually seamless appears not to have any apparent brush strokes.

Vladimir refers to his art as metaphorical realism. In my opinion, he is the new Salvador Dali. He really has taken over where Dali left off.  It is surrealism at a whole new level.  I find that his work would best be described as a progenitor who dwells at the creative edge of our hearts and minds. (See his At the edge of the Earth painting below)

At the End of the Earth

Here are some highlights from Vladimir’s Bio courtesy of Kush Fine Art.

Born 1965 in Moscow, Vladimir’s parents learned that he at the early age of three or four had the “talent.” His father would start drawings and amazingly Vladimir would complete them.  Eventually, he would be formally trained at the Art Institute of Moscow under the Cezanne method, which he quickly mastered. After Kush’s first successful show in Germany in 1989 it brought him to Los Angeles and eventually Maui, his home today.

African Sonata

Vladimir sums it up for us: “Due to political and geographic restraints, I was forced to travel with my mind as a child, and it is this most of all that has shaped my artistic perception and voice, but I would likely never have painted the colors or clouds seen in my paintings if it hadn’t been for the sights of my tropical, second home.”

Fauna in La Mancha

Vladimir Kush explains further: “I want to touch my audience on a much deeper emotional or intellectual level than would be possible by painting a pretty landscape or still life where viewers are tempted to place themselves in the landscape, or consume the bowl of fruit—the goal of realism is also its limitation. I try to provide layers of meaning for viewers to explore and emotionally respond to the discoveries they find in my art.”

Take a Metaphorical Voyage into the World of Vladimir Kush.

Arrival of the Flower Ship

Sacred Bird of Yucatan

Horn of Babel

Divine Geometry

Don’t Stop Believing – with so many friends of mine going through rough financial times in today’s turbulent economy, I can’t help but think of the 80′s Pop hit, “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.

In times of adversity, Greatness stands up and out. Never give up or give in. #SSG

And now I give you with the Amazing Journey song that has inspired millions and hopefully inspires you to NEVER give up!

For the record – this blogger feels Frank McCourt is wrong.  Bud Selig, the Commissioner of the MLB is not Un-American.  A few days ago I wrote a blog on “Baseball Ownership”  In that writing I spoke about what I thought baseball teaches us.  This last week I read in a local paper how Frank McCourt is claiming “foul” and that Bud Selig is “Un-American” because he cares about the game of baseball, its fans, players and owners.

Frank, you are way out of line and I think you need to learn some lessons from this game.  Commitment, for one, is not about you are first and the team and fans are second and third.  No, the team and fans are first.   The owner is always last.  Ownership of  anything is a sacrifice.  It’s “a tough row to hoe.”  But, that is what ownership and commitment are all about.  When I was a kid I worked for a wonderful woman by the name of Daisy Coe and she taught me that the business always comes first; everything else comes second, third and fourth.  The owner comes last.  That is what commitment means.

Every player on any team has struggled, sacrificed and done without in order to be excellent! What you probably are gonna say is the players get paid millions.  Yes, they do today, but, that wasn’t always the case.  In the early days of Baseball a lot of the players struggled.  They just wanted to play ball.  It’s that spirit and work ethic: Practice, Sacrifice, Training, Failure, Humility and Development.  These things make good players and sometimes great human beings.  Owners need to honor them, acknowledge them and share them.  The Owners are the custodians and caretakers of the game.

Ownership is not an entitlement; nor a bragging point – “Oh, I own a baseball team” and it’s not a passive kind of property.  When there is any “doing without” it’s the owner who does without so that the team and the fans can have what they need and want.  If you don’t believe this, I don’t think you should be an owner.  It’s not cut-out for everyone.

Frank and Jaime – it’s tough.  Somewhere along the line you lost the focus and the team became secondary.  Look, the team and the fans are number #1.  That’s your responsibility.  If you are out spending 100 million dollars (for personal uses) and the team is in debt millions,  then you’ve lost sight of what baseball ownership is all about.

Warren Buffet has been in the same house for 40 years.  He’s worth billions but he truly understands his priorities and knows what comes first: his business.  It comes before vacations, petty arguments, divorces, six mansions etc. etc.  I know it’s tough Frank and Jaime, but, at some point you have to learn this.  That’s the ethic.

Baseball is a game.  In this country it’s an institution.  It represents a lot of the original ideals in which this country was founded.  The Commissioner, Bud Selig, is not un-American as Frank says.  Mr. Selig is the master custodian of the game and his sole job is to protect it’s authenticity and heritage.  If dog and pony shows take over, the MLB could go the way of the carnie – dare I say more.

If Mr. Selig feels he needs to take over the LA Dodgers and the franchise I’m sure he’s thought this over.  Has this happened before in baseball history?  It’s a serious decision and I’m sure he doesn’t take it lightly.

Frank McCourt said he is willing to be transparent.  Frank, if you are willing, then be fully transparent on everything.  Don’t  say that something is “not necessary”  Be transparent!

Mr. Selig is in charge with caring for the present while staying true to the past and looking forward to the future.  The McCourts simply need to grow up.  No amount of money can hold them back from doing that.