These are my friends and the people whose lives have touched mine. I offer up here my intellectual, artistic, and spiritual community.

TED -- Ideas Worth Spreading: http://www.ted.com/, Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers.

Adyashanti: http://www.adyashanti.org/, Two rich and wonderful books that I can't recommend highly enough are "Emptiness Dancing"and "The Impact of Awakening." I've never met Adyashanti but from his writings I can tell he's what happens when religion gets out of organizations with their calcified belief systems and into the living human heart where it belongs and where it can work its real wondor.

Markku Siivola: http://www.saunalahti.fi/msiivola/, (In Finnish), http://www.saunalahti.fi/msiivola/uni (Some of his writings in English), and http://www.siivola.org/ (Family site, mostly the work of his son). This man is doing amazing work with dreams in Finland using the Montague Ullman experiential dream group method. His take on dreams and dream work is rich and deep. He constructed and maintains the Montague Ullman website, http://siivola.org/monte

Montague Ullman: http://siivola.org/monte, The greatest dream worker alive today.

Derrick Jensen: http://derrickjensen.org/index.html, I am currently finding his "A Language Older Than Words" to be quite an incredible book.

Al Gore: If you haven't yet seen Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," please go out right now and rent the DVD. Also, keep up with the lastest developments on the global warming website.

OpenNet Initiative: http://opennet.net/, Internet censorship and surveillance are growing global phenomena. ONI’s mission is to identify and document Internet filtering and surveillance, and to promote and inform wider public dialogue about such practices..

Transparency International: http://www.transparency.org/, The global coalition against corruption. Transparency International challenges the inevitability of corruption, and offers hope to its victims. TI plays a lead role in improving the lives of millions around the world, by building momentum for the anti-corruption movement, raising awareness and diminishing apathy and tolerance of corruption, as well as devising and implementing practical actions to address it.

The Wahid Institute: http://www.wahidinstitute.org/, works to promote democratic reform, religious pluralism, multiculturalism and tolerance amongst Muslims and an Islam that desires justice and prosperity for all.

Global Voices Online: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/, Speech need no longer be controlled by those who own the means of publishing and distribution, or by governments that would restrict thought and communication. Now, anyone can wield the power of the press. Everyone can tell their stories to the world.

International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX): http://www.ifex.org/en/, Monitors free expression violations around the world.

The Committee to Protect Journalists: http://www.cpj.org/, is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the global defense of press freedom.

Scientists and Engineers for America : http://www.sefora.org/, Because America’s current leaders systematically ignore scientific evidence, put ideological interest ahead of scientific truths, suppress valid scientific evidence and harass and threaten scientists for speaking honestly about their research, this group has formed. It is dedicated to electing public officials who respect science.

The Simple Living Network: http://www.simpleliving.net/main/custom.asp?recid=1, provides resources, tools, examples and contacts for conscious, simple, healthy and restorative living.

Ode: http://www.odemagazine.com/, Ode is a print and online publication about positive news, about the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better.

OneWorld South Asia: http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/frontpage/158/1792, is an international non-profit network that aims to use the Internet for poverty alleviation and promoting sustainable development.

Steven's Portal: http://www.stevensportal.com/, is an innovative online resource offering web links for everyone concerned about humanity and the world we live in. Independent of any particular philosophy, tradition or school of thought.

Watershed Online: http://www.watershedonline.ca/index.html, is a site about integrating spirit and learning. It is the work of a creative non-profit community in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that meets weekly in what they call "a school of formation" to consider and apply the insights of literature, spirituality and culture.

Bartleby.com: http://www.bartleby.com/, A huge library of classical books, totally free of charge.

Center for Sustainable Transport: http://embarq.wri.org/en/Index.aspx, environmentally sound solutions to the problems of urban transport.

Don't throw your coffee grounds in the garbage: http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm, Coffee grounds make excellent fertilizer for plants. Don't waste them.

Hybrid cars: http://www.hybridcars.com/index.html, an environment-friendly alternative to help curb dependence on Mid-east oil which funds terrorist attacks.

Renewable Energy: http://www.german-renewable-energy.com/Renewables/Navigation/Englisch/root.html, What the Germans are doing with solar energy, wind energy, water power, geothermal energy and biomass.

Birds Korea: http://www.birdskorea.org/index.asp, In Korea -- conserving birds, conserving habitats.

Birdforum: http://www.birdforum.net/, The net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds.

Greenpeace International: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/, has launched a campaign to save ancient forests, being cut down at an alarming rate around the world today.

Taiwan Foundation for Democracy: http://www.tfd.org.tw/english/HTML/0100.html, Striving to create a fertile international environment that nurtures the spread of both democracy and human rights.

Taiwan Communiqué: http://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/, supports human rights and political freedom for the 23 million people on the island, and campaigns for full and equal membership of Taiwan in the international community, including the United Nations.

Taiwan Peace Foundation: http://www.twpeace.org.tw/eng/eng.htm. Surrounded by water, Taiwan is located between the world's largest ocean and its largest continent. In a pivotal position among the island chains of the Asia-Pacific region, it is a strategic hub under the gaze of America, China, and Japan. It provides an amazing study of how a small nation can survive and even thrive in the cracks between major powers.

Taiwan Environmental Action Network (TEAN): http://tean.formosa.org/. TEAN strives to increase Taiwan's involvement in environmental issues and move Taiwanese society towards sustainable development.

World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI): http://www.wufi.org/english.html. WUFI is dedicated to a free, democratic and independent Republic of Taiwan in accordance with the principle of self-determination of peoples. It is committed to fundamental freedom and human rights and therefore repudiates all foreign domination and intervention that runs counter to the interests of the 23-million Taiwanese people.

Taiwanese Collegian: http://tc.formosa.org/aboutTC/index.html, believes that the future of Taiwan should be determined by the people of Taiwan, not some outside entity.

Wild at Heart: http://en.wildatheart.org.tw/, a legal defense organization dedicated to the restoration, conservation and preservation of Taiwan's environment.

The Fight to Stop the Hushan Dam: (http://antihushandam.blogspot.com/) The forest that will be destroyed by this dam is the world's most densely populated habitat of the migratory Fairy Pitta, and has been identified by the Wild Bird Federation Taiwan and BirdLife International as one of Taiwan's "Important Bird Areas." The area is permanent home to three other threatened bird species — the Taiwan Partridge, Swinhoe's Pheasant, and the Maroon Oriole. 21 of Taiwan's 31 known frog species, and innumerable mammals, fish, reptiles and insects are also found there. It must be saved from destruction.

The Fight to Save the Taiwan Pink Dolphin: (http://taiwansousa.blogspot.com/) There is a high likelihood that Taiwan's entire population of pink dolphins will become extinct within the next few years unless something is done now.

Society of Wilderness, Taiwan: http://www.sow.org.tw/english/, an organization devoted to setting aside wild lands and preserving nature in its original state for present and future generations.

Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU): http://tepu.yam.org.tw/, In Taiwan, the birding organisations are largely ineffective in environmental issues. Their leadership is made up mostly of teachers and civil servants -- government employees that don't like to take on the government over issues because they are worried of jeopardising their career prospects. In Taiwan, the TEPU is the effective environmental advocate.

Birding in Taiwan: http://www.birdingintaiwan.com/index.htm, Taiwan has some amazing birds but the habitats of some of these are threatened by overdevelopment. Most notably this is the case with the Fairy Pitta (http://en.wildatheart.org.tw/). You can sign a petition to save this bird's habitat from destruction at http://en.wildatheart.org.tw/archives/hushan_dam_petition_your_help_is_needed.html.

Black-Faced Spoonbill Conservation Association: http://mail.tnssh.tn.edu.tw/~bfsa/en/ep01.htm, Their mission is to keep Taiwan's black-faced spoonbill from going extinct.

Taiwan's Forestry Bureau: http://www.forest.gov.tw/autumn.htm, Works to protect forests in Taiwan.

Wetlands Taiwan: http://www.wetland.org.tw/english/about/about.htm, Works to protect wetlands in Taiwan.

Good Things Happening in Cuba …

Carmen Pelaez: http://www.carmenpelaez.com/default.php, A Cuban writer who lives in New York City.

Generation Y: http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/, Yoani Sánchez, in Havana, writes a blog about daily life that gently critiques Cuba’s government.

Cuba Study Group: Cubans who share a common vison of a free and democratic Cuba.

Cubatradition.com: Jose Reyes, a Cuban in New York, has created this website for art, literature, and film about the Cuban people.

Religions …

Little Green Footballs: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/, Blogger Charles Johnson casts a wary eye on Muslim violence.

Divine Discussions: A site for the discussion of religious beliefs and non-beliefs.

Birmingham Words: http://www.birminghamwords.co.uk/, an online community for writers designed by Will Buckingham of Birmingham, England, http://www.willbuckingham.com/.

Taichung Writers Association: http://www.twras.com/, a way for creative writers in Taiwan to connect with each other and share their work.

Literary Journals …

Kyoto Journal: http://www.kyotojournal.org/, is a gem of a publication featuring writers in Asia.

The Gettysburg Review : http://public.gettysburg.edu/academics/gettysburg_review/, The Gettysburg Review is, as one reader put it, “Pure delight, every time.”

Snowy Egret: http://www.snowyegret.net/, is the oldest independent U.S. journal of nature writing.

On-line Journals …

Terrain.org: http://www.terrain.org/, is an on-line journal about the integration of built and natural environments.

Taiwan

Taiwan's 400 Years of History, http://www.taiwandc.org/hst-1624.htm. Taiwan does have a history and Taiwan has never been an integral part of China.

New Taiwan: Ilha Formosa, http://www.taiwandc.org/. The website for Taiwan's history, present and future.

Taiwan Perspective, http://www.tp.org.tw/. Taiwan news update.

Taiwan Ho: http://www.taiwanho.com/, is an all-purpose Taiwan site, with articles, photos and links.

Tibet

The Times of Tibet: http://www.timesoftibet.com/, is a Tibetan site, with articles, photos, blogs and links.

Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy: http://www.tchrd.org/ The site provides an accurate, up-to-date picture of life in occupied Tibet based on first hand testimonies by Tibetan refugees escaping via Nepal to Dharamsala, India.

Free Tibet Campaign: http://www.freetibet.org/, Free Tibet Campaign's official site. Campaigning for an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for the Tibetans' fundamental human rights to be respected.

Voice of Tibet: http://www.vot.org/index.html, A short wave radio station making Tibetan language broadcasts into Tibet with the aim of preserving the Tibetan culture and language and countering the disinformation campaign of the Chinese.

China

The Peking Duck, http://www.pekingduck.org/, gives a peek into China and lists many blogs by Westerners there.

Wikipedia, Unlike Google and Yahoo, Wikipedia refused to bow to China's demand for censorship and so was banned there. If you're not in China, you can access it here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page.

Burma

Burma Project: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/bpsai, focuses on open society issues in Burma where essential freedoms are threatened.

Mizzima News: http://www.mizzima.com/, specializing in Burma-related news and multimedia.

U.S. Campaign for Burma: http://uscampaignforburma.org/index.php, dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma. .

The View From Taiwan : http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/, Commentary from Michael Turton in Taichung, Taiwan. Comprehensive listing of Taiwan blogs.

Shuyuan Wang: http://blog.yam.com/sywang/, snippets from the life of a native Taiwanese university professor (in Chinese).

David on Formosa: http://blog.taiwan-guide.org/, Commentary on all things Taiwanese. His photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidonformosa/

Ahmad in Taiwan: http://ahmadintaiwan.blogspot.com/, mumblings of a Singaporean in Taiwan. His photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kphua/

Camereye: http://camereye.com/index.php, The photographs and journal of Leslie Chambers, a Canadian photographer who lived two years in Yuanlin.

Taiwan Tiger: http://jackson.typepad.com/taiwantiger/, Photographs and journal entries.

Dreams …

Montague Ullman: http://siivola.org/monte, The greatest dream worker alive today.

Dream Network Journal: http://DreamNetwork.net/, has evolved into a magazine serving the lay network of people interested in dreams and mythology.

ASD: http://www.asdreams.org/, is the career organization structured around the needs of people who work professionally with dreams.

Awaken in the Dream: http://www.awakeninthedream.com/html/, Paul Levy's site.

Ch'an Meditation Center's website: http://www.chancenter.org/

The World's Healthiest Foods: http://whfoods.org/, Cutting-edge information about the world's healthiest foods.

Fishing Hurts: http://www.fishinghurts.com/index.asp, These people care about fish. They present an interesting case.