Jill Rayanne Karskaddon
I am the baby of a family of 8, was born in Sacramento, California, and was raised under the bellies of horses in a tiny town called Sweet, Idaho. Since 1989 I have been voraciously gulping down undigested experiences as quickly as I come across them, always curious and hungry for more. I have worn many masks; Biologist, Botanist, Plant Pathologist, Lab Technician, Bartender, Dancer, Ecology and Conservation Director for the Boy Scouts of America, Wrangler in the mountains of West Yellowstone, Backpacker in Europe, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Freelance Writer, State Champion Opera Soloist, Street Performer, Event Coordinator, Humanitarian, Shoulder to cry on, Listener, Mediator, Leader, Lover and Friend. I have also worn the mask of one who has lost a parent to violence, of the abused, the addicted, the aggravated, the hungry, the denied, the misunderstood, and the mistaken. These experiences, the good and the bad, have all been lessons that have helped me understand my true self and the world around me. The biggest lesson I have learned through all of this, is of my own humanity. No matter the struggles I have seen, the pain I have been through, the talents I was born with, the blessings that have been given me, or the wealth I have accrued, I am no more or less than my fellow brothers and sisters... human. It is that common denominator that inspires my passion for this project. We all have different stories that make up this beautiful tapestry of life. Some are more tragic, some are more inspiring, and some are a little boring, but the fact of the matter is, it isn't the story that makes us...we are already present. We are already human. We were born naked, we will die naked, and we will spend our entire lives telling and living stories. The story can be told seven billion different ways, but the goal is the same... Happiness. Call it Nirvana, Brahma, Tranquility, Heaven, Ascension, Enlightenment, or Zion, we are all looking to be free of hardship and pain. Since we all have the same goal in mind, I think that we can achieve it a little easier than we are making it on ourselves... by working together. Instead of competing with one another, and trying to "make it big" through capitalism and voluntary slavery, we can make resources and necessities more available simply by developing community. We have been tribal organisms throughout our evolution, and I think we are finding out that we are not very successful at the alternative. It is my hope, that in building communal relationships and developing open-source communication within localities, we can begin to replace our consumer driven economy with one that is driven by logic and love, instead of greed and want. Then, if our capitalistic economy does collapse, or the great governing bodies do fail, we will have some experience and knowledge in how to live with each other, while maintaining resources, knowledge, and peace.
I, like so many of my generation, dove into school with dreams of a shiny prize at the other end; money, prestige, and a shiny car. Now that I'm standing at the finish line, I'm realizing... I'm not done with the race. I accomplished what was "expected" of me, I got the degrees, (B.S. Biology & B.S. Botany)I tried out Grad school (2 terms in Plant Pathology), and I landed the career that would surely develop into something lifelong and worthwhile. Yet, shortly after entering the "real" world as a career woman, I began to question the trajectory I was on. I began to question.. "Is this it? Am I now supposed to dedicate the next 30 years of my life to 8 hour days of monotony so that I may one day retire and enjoy my time as I please on this earth? What about my passions? Are they supposed to become hobbies as my 9-5 slowly eats away my youth? How am I supposed to make a difference in the world if all of my energy is put into making money?" My answer is in my action. I am ridding myself of the things that make me a slave (like say, a house), living by my passions, and doing my best to improve as many lives as I can. I can't think of a better way to serve my fellow humans than by giving them more venues with which they can better serve themselves, which is why I am living by Mass Mosaic. We don't need money to exchange goods and talents, we just believe we do, thats why the system works so flawlessly. But, as soon as we start to believe that we can accomplish more without money and start putting value in each other instead of our bank accounts, we will live in abundance. With technology, education, and compassion, we have the resources to make resources unlimited.
I, like so many of my generation, dove into school with dreams of a shiny prize at the other end; money, prestige, and a shiny car. Now that I'm standing at the finish line, I'm realizing... I'm not done with the race. I accomplished what was "expected" of me, I got the degrees, (B.S. Biology & B.S. Botany)I tried out Grad school (2 terms in Plant Pathology), and I landed the career that would surely develop into something lifelong and worthwhile. Yet, shortly after entering the "real" world as a career woman, I began to question the trajectory I was on. I began to question.. "Is this it? Am I now supposed to dedicate the next 30 years of my life to 8 hour days of monotony so that I may one day retire and enjoy my time as I please on this earth? What about my passions? Are they supposed to become hobbies as my 9-5 slowly eats away my youth? How am I supposed to make a difference in the world if all of my energy is put into making money?" My answer is in my action. I am ridding myself of the things that make me a slave (like say, a house), living by my passions, and doing my best to improve as many lives as I can. I can't think of a better way to serve my fellow humans than by giving them more venues with which they can better serve themselves, which is why I am living by Mass Mosaic. We don't need money to exchange goods and talents, we just believe we do, thats why the system works so flawlessly. But, as soon as we start to believe that we can accomplish more without money and start putting value in each other instead of our bank accounts, we will live in abundance. With technology, education, and compassion, we have the resources to make resources unlimited.
Rusko Amadeus Kardashian-Lasher
Rusko is a ridiculously good-looking, oh-so-talented, and eternally lovable pound puppy I adopted in 2011. He loves ladies, long walks, and singing along with harmonicas. He has been my companion since the day he called me to the pound...
Doing yard work on a sunny spring Saturday with a dear friend, I got a wild hair and said we should go to the pound " Just to look around... but we won't bring anything home." It didn't take long to find Rusko. We fell in love immediately (of course) and I signed the papers that day. After signing, one of the sweet ladies who volunteered at the pound expressed her gratitude that we were taking him home. She told us that he was to be put to sleep the following week because he had spent the max amount of time there without adoption. What a different world I would live in if I hadn't followed my compulsion that day. He has been a loyal friend, a fierce protector, and sometimes the only pair of compassionate listening ears I have had. He is also excited to begin this adventure on the road, and show doggies everywhere how good life can really be (as if life isn't already good enough for a dog).
Doing yard work on a sunny spring Saturday with a dear friend, I got a wild hair and said we should go to the pound " Just to look around... but we won't bring anything home." It didn't take long to find Rusko. We fell in love immediately (of course) and I signed the papers that day. After signing, one of the sweet ladies who volunteered at the pound expressed her gratitude that we were taking him home. She told us that he was to be put to sleep the following week because he had spent the max amount of time there without adoption. What a different world I would live in if I hadn't followed my compulsion that day. He has been a loyal friend, a fierce protector, and sometimes the only pair of compassionate listening ears I have had. He is also excited to begin this adventure on the road, and show doggies everywhere how good life can really be (as if life isn't already good enough for a dog).