R Rangarajan speaks at Progress on Thursday, Jan. 21, 7pm

Talk title:

“The Fall of the Human Intellect”

Synopsis:

Humanity has stopped thinking. The paucity of thought, reason and judgement has left the human intellect emaciated. Educational institutions focus on providing only knowledge, intelligence with no plan or program to develop the intellect (reasoning ability).

This loss of intellectual development has left humans with stress, depression, disease, etc. and the world with militancy and privation. More deeply, this fall has deprived us of our original, spiritual stature. Humanity now faces an urgent need to rehabilitate, reconstruct the fallen intellect.

With the re-development of the human intellect, called ‘buddhi’ in Sanskrit, humanity can recover peace and productivity both individually and on the societal level. Ultimately, a strong intellect can take one to the highest state of consciousness known as Self-Realization.

Rangarajan will introduce the Vedanta philosophy as a means for strengthening the intellect, reducing stress and strain and leading us to the spiritual awakening we are heir to.

R Rangarajan is originally from Chennai, India and is a senior disciple of Swami Parthasarathy. After a brief stint as a consultant in the management services industry, he took to full time study and research on Vedanta (Indian philosophy) at the Vedanta Academy in Malavli Hills, near Pune, in India. After completing 6 years of full time research and practice at the Academy, Rangarajan served as its resident representative and faculty in various cities throughout India. For the past 5 years, he has been assigned to the United Arab Emirates.
He offers weekly study sessions on Vedanta, utilizing various Vedantic texts including the Bhagavad Gita. He also conducts Vedanta retreats for all age groups. He has been a guest faculty at colleges and various private companies, corporations and institutes.
Ranga will arrive in the US next week and will be based in Houston. He will serve the non-profit Vedanta Cultural Foundation, USA (www.vedantausa.org) in a full-time capacity. Ranga will spend equal time in Austin and Houston, offering donation-based classes for the public, in-house retreats for companies and other groups and will help arrange Swami Parthasarathy’s upcoming US tours.
This will be Ranga’s first talk in America.

Latina Youth Organization Selling Photo Art at PROGRESS!

Latina Youth Organization Selling Photo Art in Time for the Holidays
Latinitas' Elementary, Middle and High School Photo Artists Show and Sell Work

AUSTIN, TX - Give a child or a teen a camera and she'll give you perspective you never considered, says Latinitas' Program Coordinator Brooke Maudlin.

Maudlin is one of many program facilitators for Latinitas' (www.latinitasmagazine.org), the first digital magazines made for and by young Latinas, outreach programs in Austin .

Latinitas is hosting a Fiesta Photo Show at Progress Coffee ( 500 San Marcos Street ) at 5pm on Sat., Dec 5th. Student photography generated in Latinitas' dozens of after school clubs will be on display for sale at $5-$10 a pop.

"This is not just a great resource for holiday gifts, but the Hispanic girls and teens in our programs will see their work appreciated by others than themselves," said Maudlin. "The resulting confidence boost is what we aim for in these clubs."

Started over six years ago in a University of Texas media class then-students, now founders Alicia Rascon and Laura Donnelly Gonzalez publish the work of Latina girls, teens and college students online every month on Latinitasmagazine.org and TeenLatinitas.org. They launched their first print edition of the magazine in 2009 and plan a second in 2010. Latinitas has served nearly 10,000 girls with its esteem-boosting after school programming, camps, workshops, media conference, service learning opportunities and a teen reporter internship - outreach models Latinitas are positioning for national expansion. Latinitas magazines' bilingual content is read by girls and teens all over the country as well as in Spain , Mexico and other parts of Latin America .

Latinitas also expanded its program model to El Paso , Texas and Las Cruces , New Mexico for the first time last year.


About Latinitas
Latinitas (www.latinitasmagazine.org) is a non-profit publication with outreach programs dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of Latina youth through media and technology. Its vision is that all young Latinas are strong and confident in their own image.

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SOUTHERLY

George Bird O'Dwyer George Bird O'Dwyer of Austin entered the presence of his Savior and Lord on Oct. 4, 2009. He was born Feb. 6, 1954, in Dallas to Biddy and Tom O'Dwyer. George and Ann's faithful walk and contagious serenity, touched many lives. George approached the challenge of his illness with the same dignity, courage and tenacity with which he approached life. He will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted son, brother, uncle, stepfather and friend. He was passionate, generous, thoughtful, funny, sentimental, full of life, and always fun to be around. He was a caregiver, an entertainer, a cowboy, a music lover and a sports enthusiast. He loved Austin and loved sharing it with friends and family. He had style - his own style - that only he could pull off. He was phenomenally creative, evidenced in all facets of his life. George was a 1973 graduate of Highland Park High School and a 1977 graduate of Texas Tech University where in 2006 he was named an Outstanding Alumnus by the College of Mass Communications. At Tech, George was a cheerleader and was president of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, where he was the personification of a True Gentleman. He was an Eagle Scout, a member of the U.S. Marshall's posse in Dallas and a board member of the Walt Garrison MS Rodeo. In Austin, he was a board member of Texas Pacific Film and Video and Friends of Texas Public Schools. He was a 30-year veteran of the television, film and the recording industry and exhibited an undying passion for this industry. He left his most recent mark with 501 Post in Austin, where he served as executive producer and partner. He received many prestigious industry awards, including two Clio's, two Cannes Lions and numerous Telly's and Addy's. George was preceded in death by his father, Thomas A. O'Dwyer, and brother-in-law, John Franklin Miller III. In addition to his wife, Ann, and her daughter, Hannah, he is survived by his mother, Jeanne Bird (Biddy) O'Dwyer, his siblings and their spouses Ann and Hugh Blackwell, Kay Miller, Mary and Tom O'Dwyer, and Lisa and Bill O'Dwyer. He is also survived by his 15 nieces and nephews, Tod, Peter, Michael, Bridget, John, Julia, Spence, Liza, Trevor, Patrick, Corey, Shay, Ryan, Elli and Billy. The family wishes to offer special thanks to Cindy Lawther Custer, Dr. Morris Groves, Kathleen Grigsdale, Be Pei, and all the staff at MD Anderson. Pallbearers are Kirk Dooley, Mark Dunlap, Charlie Jones, Lynn Lawther, Joe Meredith Skeeter Miller, Martin Peck, and Patrick Tourville. A visitation will be held on Thursday evening October 8th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Calvary Hill North Mausoleum Chapel, 3235 Lombardy Lane, Dallas, TX. 75220. A funeral mass will be held on Friday morning October 9th at 10:00 a.m., October 9th at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8017 Preston Road. Private internment following the Mass. Memorials may be made to: Brain research being conducted by Dr. Morris Groves at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center - PO Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210, St. Edwards University Campus Ministry -Box 1028 3001 South Congress Austin, Tx. 78704, Texas Tech Foundation, Inc. in memory of George O'Dwyer for Mass Communications. Please send contributions to Texas Tech Foundation, Inc., Box 45025, Lubbock, TX 79409-5025. As George always said - and is still saying - "Don't worry about anything, everything's fine here". Hallelujah! To leave condolences for the family visit www.allenfamilyfuneraloptions.com