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Friday Five on Film

Posted on Jun 5th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello Gaians :)

It's Jessica.

I've been thinking about the impact of film lately and looking around in the Gaia Film section. Also, I just joined Spiritual Cinema Circle! I love movies. I live in Los Angeles so I tend to be inundated with Hollywood-culture. We have so many billboards and celebrities here and so many people work in the film industry. Sometimes I think it's a bit ostentatious and funny ;) but, it is entertaining. So this week's Friday Five is about movies.

Let us know...

1) What is the last movie you saw and did you like it?

2) What was one of your favorite films as a child?

3) Do you like scary movies?

4) What type(s) of films do you like best? (comedy, documentary, history)

5) What film(s) have inspired you?

Here's what I like.

If you want to share more about your favorites films, please come hang out in the Gaia Films section ;) You can also see trailers for our featured films there.

Did you know our favorite Gaia Community film is The Matrix, that's based on everyone who has listed it and put it on their bookshelf :) I love it too.
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Tagged with: Friday Five, Film, movies

Gaia Developer Update and Downtime

Posted on Jun 9th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello all!

It's Chris, reporting from the Gaia Dev Trenches. 

Remember us? It's been a while since we've posted a developer update, and we've got big news. We've been working under the hood, getting ready to move the Gaia website to a new set of servers.

No small task, that. :)

We'll explain more, but before we get to that, the Official Notice: 



Gaia will be down on the night of Tuesday June 9th, 11:59pm US MST (-6 GMT) for a period of (hopefully!) no longer than two hours. 



If you check in during that time and find no Gaia, don't worry! We'll have the site up and running again by the morning, with everything just as you left it.  (However, if you jump right back on in the early hours, immediately after the site is restored, you may see that not all of your images are on the new server.  Those will all be back within 12 hours--promise.) All of your blog posts, discussions, comments, photos, profile text, everything will be in place the next day like nothing ever happened.

We're excited about the move, too, as we've got an incredible new technology partner, Blue Box Group, out of Tacoma, WA.  Jesse and Stephen and the crew have taken such good care of us, and they will continue to do so.

We do hope that the site will feel less bumpy, and as we achieve a few more goals this summer, the site should feel faster, too.  (Our load times are almost the exact same as Facebook, but we want to do so much better.)

This transition has been a huge project, and we've taken care of literally hundreds of taks over the past month to help make sure it goes smoothly.  If it goes off without a hitch, then we've just done our jobs.  If it doesn't and there are hiccups, please accept our apologies, and let us know right away in the Support Group.

Onwards and upwards we go... 

Love,
ChrisRyanFranc, and the whole Gaia team
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Friday Five of Stars

Posted on Jun 12th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello lovely Gaians :)

It's Jodi.

Jessica asked me to post a Friday Five all about the stars. Living in the Southern Hemisphere we have great stargazing experiences here in South Africa. I love stargazing and all the mythology surrounding the stars and planets. Here are five questions about our heavens.

Let us know...

1) Do you wish on shooting stars?
2) Would you like to travel to outer space?
3) Do you like astrology?
4) If you could name a new planet, what would you call it?
5) Do you enjoy star-gazing?

 

Here's what I said.

Can't wait to hear all about your astral experiences. :)
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Gaia's Weekend Hiccups

Posted on Jun 13th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team

Weekend visitors to Gaia...

Siona here.

I know a few of you have been experiencing intermittent errors over the past day or so, especially in the Group / discussion areas. They're merely the result of Gaia getting settled into her new servers (it takes a bit for the 6 million pages or so that make up the site to each get comfy), and we expect our Team'll have them all sorted out by Monday.  Until then, it's a good idea to compose any posts in a separate file before pasting them into a response, just to be on the safe side. 

We're also working on a smaller glitchy issue with the notifications you're used to getting about comments and messages, which Ryan's needing to push out manually. I apologize if you're needing to wait for those alerts; it's not nice to keep responses waiting. Again, though, this too should be fixed by Monday. 

With that, I hope you've each got beautiful Sundays ahead of you. And please don't hesitate to contact support if something other than the known troubles above come up. :)
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Tagged with: update, site, move, servers, gaia

Another update on Gaia's recent move

Posted on Jun 16th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Lovely inhabitants of Gaia...

It's Siona agian. :)

As you've likely noticed, our site has settled comfortably in her new home--and is responding and loading more rapidly than ever. (See Chris'blog for a little visual. Wow, no? Six times faster?) We've taken care of a few of the problems that were troubling our IE8 users, too, on the discussions and in the comments area. So things are moving along nicely. 

Unfortunately, we're still having trouble with the notifications about new messages and comments and digests and the like. For the time being, we're continuing to send them manually (thank you Ryan!), which means some of you will receive them in fits and starts. I expect we'll get the problem sorted out in the next day or so, and I do apologize, again, for the delay. 

(We're also working to ensure that there are no missing pictures; though everything has been fed over and updated, there might still be a few broken image links over the next few days, due to the site "looking" for photos in the wrong place.  It's a temporary thing, though, and will improve as the site keeps being used. So keep hitting the reload button. ;)

Finally, please please don't hesitate to get in touch with support if you discover any other troubles. And as always, you can also email us in a pinch. 

Thank you all for your patience through the move, and, even more, for your love and energy and vibrance and hearts. I feel so fortunate to be among you. 


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Tagged with: gaia, servers, move

Friday Five of Magic

Posted on Jun 19th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Helloooo Lovely People!

It's Jessica :)

I hope you're having a beautiful week of wonder. I've been thinking about magical beings lately and fantastical creatures. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of a sparkling world of the unexpected and beautiful. So this week is about magic and the unseen wonder of life.

Please share the magic with us...

1) Do you believe in angels?
2) What is your favorite magical creature? (unicorn, phoenix, gnomes, pegasus)
3) Did you believe in the tooth fairy, Santa or the Easter Bunny as a child?
4) Do you believe in fairies? (clap your hands ;)
5) Do you like fairy tales or fantasy stories?

As for me...
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Come to our Café :)

Posted on Jun 23rd, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello Lovely People,

It's Jessica.

It's my pleasure to offer you all an invitation to our Café Counter conversations in the Lounge. We've been posting topics to spur discussion and debate about ourselves and the world around us. We believe these kinds of conversations help us understand what it means to be alive on Earth today and how to make the world a better place. This week we're talking about modernity and simplicity. Here's our question:

Is modern life too stressful? If so, how can we create simplicity and strengthen supportive connections and community?

Come read more and share your view with us in the Lounge!

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Wendesday Welcome

Posted on Jun 24th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello wonderful people!

It's Jessica.

I'm happy to be here Wednesday welcoming our new Gaia members to this beautiful community. This week we're going to be welcoming two lovely ladies and asking a few simple questions about joy, learning and life.

Please give a warm round of welcome hugs to le soleil. She is a gorgeous soul who loves nature and beauty. Check out her stunning and artistic blogs! And, here is what she had to share with us :)

Gaia: What in your life gives you the most joy?  
le soleil: Being in the wilderness farrrr from “civilization” :)
What called you to Gaia? What were you seeking? 

I was looking for an online oasis in the midst of all the noisy,
controversial, superficial social sites where you have to have 100s of
“friends” to be “worthy.”  I prefer a smaller, authentic group of
friends both on- and off-line.  Gaia offers a wide variety of groups
and discussions, allowing one to interact at their own pace; I like
that.


What would you most like to learn, or what would you most like help with? 
My spirituality is sourced from nature and creating, but I enjoy learning
about others' spiritual sources and exploring together without anyone
imposing their “right way” on others.  This kind of environment creates
a safe, free space to share and explore…and undoubtedly, triggers new
ideas, thoughts…  :)


What is your favorite animal?
 
I simply adore (big) dogs (like huskies, wolf hounds, German shepherds, Great Danes…)

Now say hello and give some love to Flowering. She's a deep thinker, like so many of you and loves exploring spirituality and doing yoga. Her answers are simple and lovely:

Gaia: What in your life gives you the most joy?
Flowering: My children and husband, Colorado mountains, sunshine, fresh air, meditation.

What called you to Gaia? What were you seeking?
Like-minded friends and a place to express myself and read others' genuine expressions.

What would you most like to learn, or what would you most like help with?
I would most like to just be my genuine self, thereby giving others permission or example to also be that!

What is your favorite animal?
Cats.

Let's spread some kindness and love and send our hellos to these fresh faces ;)
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Indistinguishable from magic.

Posted on Jun 26th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello everyone!

Though many of you saw this newsletter from earlier in the week, I'm posting it here, too, as there's still plenty of time to sign up, and because the line-up (and offer) is fabulous. (And who can argue with free? :)


----

Indistinguishable from magic.


Beautiful people of Gaia...

One of my favorite "laws" comes from Arthur C. Clarke. "Any sufficiently advanced technology," he wrote, "is indistinguishable from magic."

It's true, no? I'm amazed by the amount of magic I've witnessed in my own life so far... and I'm delighted to invite you to come experience a new variety of magic this July.

In a few days, MaestroConference will unveil the beta version of a new telegathering technology. As part of their launch, they're offering over 60 free trainings with luminaries such as Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and Gregg Braden. (The full calendar is here.)

My personal not-to-be-missed is Patty and Paul Richard's free Wild Attraction: The Energetics of Extraordinary Relationship, which will take place on July 9th. Patty and Paul are two undiscovered teachers with amazing heart and integrity, and I've found their work magical in its own right. But there are dozens of others to choose from, and I'm sure no matter which you attend you'll be impressed.

Also, I just want to say that I'm happy the launch is finally here. :) I was lucky enough to preview an earlier version of Maestro a few weeks ago. I found it more interactive and participatory and vivid and fun than any other online or virtual training I've tried--so much so that It was hard not to chirp about the news to others. Because of this, I understand why their crew is sponsoring this event. If you enjoy the experience as much as I did, you'll be bound to tell others, and so there's no need for any "catch" when you register--just a full month of free programs and calls.

Again, you can register (and find out more about MaestroConference) by following this link. Have a click, and have a look, and mark your calendars... July is going to be wonderful. :)

To love and learning and the crazy wonderful miracles we so often and so easily and so innocently take for granted,

Siona.


--

I've heard Gregg Braden and Marianne Williamson's calls are already full, but there are still plenty open. And again, the Maestro technology is FUN. (Coaches, interviewers, workshop-leaders... do take note. It definitely makes the classroom experience more real.) 

Posted by: Siona
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Friday Five of Soothing

Posted on Jun 26th, 2009 by Gaia Team : Gaia Team Gaia Team
Hello Beautifuls!

This is Jessica.

This week we're celebrating the simple and peaceful things that make our busy lives more beautiful and relaxing. We need to take care of ourselves so we can care for others, after all! So, please join me in answering the questions for this Friday Five. It's my hope that we can share ideas and help each other take better care of ourselves and, as a result, the world around us.

1) What music soothes you? (an artist, genre, song, etc.)

2) Do you use scents for relaxation, if so which ones? (essential oils, bath salts, food, candles)

3) Do you ever get massage, acupuncture or do yoga?

4) Which friend(s) or family members do you go to for support and love?

5) If you could go anywhere to relax where would it be?

As for mine :)

Now, we have a little present for you! We're going to take you on a journey with the video below. It shows a single photo of a beautiful sunset over the water and has affirmations we've created for Gaia and Gaia Soulmates. It is intended for Soulmates users, so it's focus is on bringing forth healthy and loving relationships, but don't we all need that?

Seriously, this was recorded by our very own Jodi - with her lovely South African accent no less - and is so deeply relaxing. The first time I listened I felt calm and hopeful. I felt like I was remembering what was important and who I can be in the world. So please...take a deep breath, click play, close your eyes and enjoy.

Gaia Soulmates Affirmations


I hope you are all feeling warm and inspired. May you have gorgeous, peaceful and warm weekends of goodness. 

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