"To agitate the sleep of mankind"

When I adopted those words from Freud as my company's vision statement years ago, I could have never guessed what incredible adventures it would lead to down the road. But as rewarding and fruitful as the work has been, the need for an awakening has gone unchanged.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many of us experienced an awakening of sorts - our distractions became not so distracting all of a sudden, and our problems became small in comparison. The media was flooded with stories of the earthquake's devastation and the dire need of aid to Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. I felt as though everyone around me struggled with what to do about our inaction. Many of us chose to donate and others even joined the relief effort. In fact, our very own Greg Bennick (see below) and a group of beautifully courageous individuals are en route to deliver food and medical supplies.

But now the tweets, Facebook postings, and conversations are thinning, and our attempts to rally the troops are growing more desperate. The world is falling back into its sleep state while the need for aid is still just as necessary today as it was on January 12. In our effort to encourage us all to resist falling back to "sleep", we've devoted a large portion of this newsletter to providing suggestions on how we can all take action and continue helping the people of Haiti. In addition, you'll find more updates on Josue, his daughter's return back to the U.S., and Greg's trip to Haiti.

Talk soon,

Patrick Shen
Founder

Update on Josue's family
by Brooke Gramer



Many of you are probably wondering what the update is on Josue Lajeunesse, "The Philosopher Kings" cast member and Haitian, especially in light of the recent events. Luckily, Josue was not in Haiti when the earthquake occurred. Josue's daughter Danielle however, who now lives in the United States with him, was in Haiti visiting her mother when the earthquake hit.

Fans of "The Philosopher Kings" aided, through donations, Josue's efforts to bring his daughter back home to the U.S. Danielle, who had been wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince after the quake, thankfully made her way to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where she found a flight home on Jan. 31. Unfortunately, Josue's sister was injured and some other members of Josue's extended family did not survive the earthquake. The latest update from Lasource, Josue's village, is that approximately 50% of the structures have been destroyed. Fortunately though, as far we know, all 3,000 people there are safe.

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One of Our Own, Greg Bennick, Goes to Haiti
by Mary Mathias



Greg Bennick, co-producer of Flight from Death: The Quest For Immortality and The Philosopher Kings, recently set sail to Haiti aboard the Liberty Schooner. Liberty Schooner has partnered with the organization Haiti Aid and is transporting 10,000 pounds of cargo, including clothes and medical supplies, to the Port of Jacmel, Haiti. The Liberty Schooner set sail on the afternoon of January 30 with a full load of volunteers. The crew is sending news from their trip through the Liberty Schooner blog, which can be found at www.sailblogs.com. More information about Haiti Aid can be found at www.haitiaid.org. Listen to an interview with Greg on the Peter Greenberg Worldwide radio show.

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Unique Ways to Help Haiti
by Michael Tsao

Donate your airline sky miles or reward points:
Wall Street Journal

Foot Solutions stores worldwide, on behalf of Soles4Souls, are collecting gently used shoes for those in Haiti. They have a goal of receiving 25,000 pairs of shoes by March 2010. To find out more: Footsolutions.com

AARP is matching donations to its foundation HelpAgeUSA.com which is directing funds to older residents of Haiti. AARP promises that 100% of contributions will go directly to people in need.
AARPcares.org
AARP double donations

There are many organizations to choose when donating to Haiti. How do you know which one to donate to and if your money will end up in the right place? Which is better to donate money or supplies? Should I text my donation or mail it? Here is an extensive article by Charity Navigator that answers all these questions and more. charitynavigator.org

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World Water Day, March 22
by Brooke Gramer

In 1992, the UN General Assembly designated March 22 as "World Water Day", an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of the more than 1 billion people that lack access to clean, safe drinking water.

Last year, Transcendental Media partnered with non-profit Generosity Water to help bring Josue's vision, of constructing a complete fresh water system for all 3,000 people of Lasource, to reality. To date, a total of $5,353.53 has been raised for Lasource. If you are interested in learning more about this project click here. To make an online donation directly towards building cisterns in Lasource, choose "Lasource, Haiti Project (The Philosopher Kings)". We would like to thank PortionPac Chemical Corporation for their generous donation of $1,500!

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Flight From Death Screening 2/21 in Old Town Pasadena
by Brooke Gramer



Flight From Death: The Quest for Immortality, Transcendental Media's first feature-length, award winning documentary, will be screening on Sunday, Feb 21, at 7 p.m. The screening will take place at the Pasadena Hub community center, located at 233 East Colorado Boulevard, 2nd floor in Pasadena, CA. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Hosted by Second Sunday, proceeds will go to a well and an orphanage in Zambia. The Hub is a community center nestled in the heart of Old Town Pasadena, and is known as the town's best kept secret because it is in a 2nd floor loft space not easily seen from the street. Director Patrick Shen will be in attendance for a Q&A.

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Mary Mathias Joins TM
by Brooke Gramer



Mary Mathias recently joined the Transcendental Media team as an intern. Originally from Gettysburg, Penn., Mary went to Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in aerospace engineering. After graduating, she decided to pursue her passion for film instead of engineering. Mary packed up her car and, after a long drive across the country, she is happy to be working with Transcendental Media! Welcome to the team!

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You're a Film Critic Too!
by Eileen Street

If you have seen "The Philosopher Kings" we would appreciate your review of the film. Please post your comments at www.philosopherkingsmovie.com. Your review will then be posted on the Web site!

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