Gotham Chopra - Author, Producer, Youth Advocate
 Gotham Chopra is a multi-media voice on issues of spirituality, culture, and news. As an anchor for Channel One News, an educational news broadcast seen daily by more than 8 million American students, Gotham reported from Israel, Gaza, Egypt, China, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Colombia, Russia, Chechnya, Mexico, Honduras, and all across Europe and the United States. He has interviewed a wide range of Global leaders -- from President Bush to the Dalai Lama to foot soldiers of Osama Bin Laden. Gotham's global assignments have sent him on patrol with anti-militant commando units in war torn Kashmir and had him detained by secret police in China, Iran, and Pakistan. Gotham is the author of Familiar Strangers, a non-fiction and spiritual chronicle of his travels and encounters at the frontlines of areas in conflict and transition. He served as Story Editor on Bulletproof Monk -- a comic book about bullets, monks, gangs, and seekers, and was Executive Producer of the 2003 film version with John Woo. Gotham also wrote Child of the Dawn, a novel published in 1996 and translated into 13 languages internationally, and recorded The Mythical Lover on A Gift of Love -- a recording of sensual poetry by the 13th Century poet Rumi. As co-founder of 5K Entertainment, Gotham wrote, is producing, and will direct the indy feature Swindle. He is also co-creator of K Lounge -- a Kama Sutra bar and lounge in New York City. As co-founder of Chopra Media and a partner in Intent Media (with his father Deepak and Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur), Gotham is involved in a wide-array of creative media ventures. He is the President of development for Gotham Studios Asia, the largest comic book studio in India, and creative consultant to Current TV, a television network co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore. In 2004, Newsweek called Gotham one of the "most powerful and influential" South Asians worth watching. He continues to speak nationally on issues of youth, spirituality, and conflict resolution, and develops workshops to create a language for young people to bring out the internal and external issues that are important to them.
What was the purpose of creating Intent Media and what are its plans for the future?
Entertainment is moving east. Not just because of the huge population booms and surging middle class in countries like India and China but also because the global market is increasingly finding more familiarity in the types of Asian content coming from the East. Intent was created as a platform to really ride that wave and see if we could be part of its initial emergence. Our goal with Intent has really been to focus in specific sectors and partner with groups to build dynamic opportunities. Hence the birth of Virgin Comics and Animation, which we think, can play a very prominent role in the emergence of India in the character property space.
How do storylines in Indian comic books differ from their American counterparts?
I think Indian and Asian story templates and structures in general are very different than what we are accostommed to in the west. For years, the western hero has been modeled after the man that charts his own destiny, the John Wayne archetype of the guy who forges ahead indiscriminently and carves out his own destiny. In the east our heroes often operate from a place where their fates have been foretold in prophecy. The story then becomes the journey to achievement, the struggle against fate, or the deliverance of it. I think this is increasingly a template that great contemporary films are following: we like to call the Matrix, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter "Asia's greatest films" as they all follow this template.
How did you get involved with Bulletproof Monk, and what surprised you most about working on a mainstream feature film?
I was actually making documentaries for a company called Channel One, traveling around the world to places like Chechnya and Pakistan when I met some guys at a small comic book publishing company in Los Angeles. They already had the title Bulletproof Monk but were really missing the story. They brought me on to help think it out and it just sort of took off. Watching the genesis from comic to big budget film was very educational. Working alongside talents like John Woo and his producing partner Terence Chang was an awesome learning experience. Often the more money that goes into a film, the less creative control there is. So if I would say there was one lesson learned, it'd probably be to keep things tight, emphasize the story and not get too tempted by the promise of big budgets.
Are you still involved with Current TV?
I am. I remain an advisor and on-air contributor to the network and have learned so much from working alongside former Vice President Gore and his partner and co-founder Joel Hyatt. I think what they are doing on television and media in general is revolutionary and I am thrilled to be a part of it.
When does production on Swindle begin and what is the story about?
We're aiming toward the middle of this year but with so much going on, it's definitely a challenge! The story is based around a New York City cab driver who happens to be Indian and finds himself the centerpiece of a heist gone wrong. It's also a portrait of the colorful and cultureful landscape of New York City where the last loyalty left is probably just money. It's the one God every race seems to believe in.
What is the biggest risk you've taken?
That's a tough question. I've tried to stay off the conventional path I suppose. Tried to be more entrepreneurial in some of my work and stayed away from big titles, big salaries, and little freedom. That does create a lot of uncertainty but I've grown comfortable with it and no longer consider it much of a risk. Now i just trust in my own instinct and rely on the Universe to handle the details. For 5 years I served as a war correspondent and reported from places like Chechnya, Gaza, Pakistan, Kashmir, Colombia and other conflicted areas. That was always risky but worth it in terms of what I learned.
Where do you turn for inspiration and to "refuel?"
I am very close with my family - my wife, my parents, sister and her husband and kids. We find great comfort and friendship with each other and have a lot of fun together. In general I try not to take things or life too seriously. That to me is living an inspired life.
How did you find your dharma?
It'd be presumptuous to say that I have. I wake up dissatisfied all the time, frustrated by the way things are going. If I were in my dharma all the time or had found some enlightenment, I suppose there'd be little point to still being around.
Is there a particular book that has had a significant impact on your life?
Probably a few: Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, Rushdie's Midnight's Children, and James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I respect great writers above all else and those are probably amongst my favorites in terms of inspiring me to pursue the arts, and take the chance at failure, perhaps hoping it'd give me more to write about one day!
What role does spirituality play in your life?
I suppose I consider myself a spiritual person though I'd never really qualify myself as religious. To me, spirituality is a state of being, a domain of awareness that brings some definition to the existential questions that we all ask about our meaning, purpose, adn significance on the planet. I think about these things so guess that makes me spiritual!
What are your favorite technologies or gadgets?
I love my cell phone, my blackberry, my ipods, and lap top. I am behind in terms of not mastering a personal mobile gaming system or some of the other awesome gadgets out there. It's definitely an area I need to catch up to.
Which websites do you visit the most?
I'm a sports and news junkie. So various news sources from ESPN to CNN, Drudge Report, and assorted news blogs like Huffington Post and rediff.com. And most importantly my own Intent Blog!
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
Probably the sports addiction. I am a diehard Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. I live and die by my teams and can go into an emotional tailspin when they lose. It's definitely an area where I could use some spiritual detachment.
What's your preferred method of getting the daily news?
I'm online constantly - checking newsites and blogs, surfing international sites, and even wire service sites pretty regularly.
What dream for the world do you think can be achieved in our lifetime?
Perhaps hitting some critical mass that tells us that if we continue upon our current path -- with our ancient instincts and modern means -- that we will exterminate ourselves. There's too much suffering in the world, too much poverty, inequity, and ecological devastation -- mostly perpetrated by powerful nations that know better. I hope we can realize that collectively and turn that tide. Otherwise maybe our ecosystem will evolve and rid itself of this human experiment gone awry.
(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)
Chris Anderson, Curator of the TED Conference
 Chris Anderson is the curator for TED, an extraordinary Technology, Entertainment, and Design conference held every year in Monterey, California. The first TED in 1984 included the public unveiling of the Macintosh computer and the Sony compact disc, while mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated how to map coastlines with his newly discovered fractals and AI guru Marvin Minsky outlined his powerful new model of the mind. The roster of speakers now includes scientists, philosophers, musicians, religious leaders, environmentalists and many others. Those who have spoken at TED include Bill Gates, Frank Gehry, Jane Goodall, Billy Graham, Herbie Hancock, Murray Gell-Mann, and Larry Ellison. Yet often the real stars have been the unexpected: Li Lu, a key organizer of the Tiananmen Square student protest, Aimee Mullins, a Paralympics competitor who tried out a new pair of artificial legs on-stage, or Nathan Myrrhvold speaking not about Microsoft platforms, but about dinosaur sex. Even with a steep price tag and no advertising or PR, an invite-only TED conference pass is one of the hottest tickets around. Anderson calls TED "the official, pre-release version of Heaven," and we wanted to find out why.
How did you become involved with the TED conference?
I bought it from the founder Richard Saul Wurman. I fell in love with TED from the first day I went, back in 1998. Had never before met so many cool people in one place at one time... nor got so excited at the ideas they were sharing.
What kind of people attend, and what does it take to get invited?
It's a really varied crowd. The founders of most of the leading dot-coms, leaders of all kinds of technology and creative businesses, film stars, movie producers, architects, scientists, authors, musicians. You name it. But pretty much everyone is remarkable in some way... and yes, that's what it takes to be invited. You have to prove that you're remarkable in some way. Oh, and it costs $4400.
This year's conference is sold out -- do you plan to increase the size of next year's conference, or are you trying to maintain a certain number of attendees?
We don't want to increase it beyond 1000 people. But we're working on lots of other ways of sharing the ideas that spring out of TED. There's the TED Prize, the TED Blog, the TED Global Conference held every two years... and stand by for Podcasts and other fantastic highlights from TED soon to be made available online.
What have been a few of your favorite moments or speakers at past conferences?
So many. Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google spoke a few months before their IPO, and were followed by Craig Venter announcing the discovery of millions of new genes contained in droplets of ocean water. The two talks symbolized the way that biology and information were merging and changing the world. Less cerebrally was the way 14-year-old pianist Jennifer Lynn improvised a piece on stage and triggered an outbreak of tears and rapturous cheers in the audience. Or Bono's remarkable talk last year on Africa, which you can still see on the website.
Is the conference filmed, and are there any plans to make it available on DVD?
It is filmed, but the DVDs are currently only for conference participants. Look out, though... We're releasing some of the material on the web this year.
What is your dream vision for TED?
It's no longer just a conference. It's becoming a global community of remarkable people who believe in the power of ideas to change the world.
What is the Sapling Foundation?
I founded it 10 years ago to look for smart solutions to tough global problems. It's the foundation that owns TED.
Is there a particular book that has had a significant impact on your life?
So many books... Sir Harold Evans' books on journalism persuaded me to enter that as a career. I love books that offer a profound new lens on the world: Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, Edward O. Wilson's Consilience, Steve Pinker's How the Mind Works and Lee Smolin's The Life of the Cosmos. One more recent book that's stayed with me is Robert Wright's Non-Zero. It's shocking to me that the ideas these books contain aren't understood by that many people.
Does spirituality play a role in your life?
I'm an idealist. I really think people can change the world... and I'm awed, beyond awed, at nature's scale, grandeur, and ingenuity. I love life's mystery. Science doesn't deliver all the answers... it still has no compelling language to begin to address sentience, for example. But the truths we're discovering about nature seem to me infinitely more inspiring than anything offered by the traditional religious myths. Alas, as a society, we haven't yet figured out a good way to celebrate these truths... or even communicate them broadly. I think that will change.
What's your favorite technology or gadget, and why?
Verizon's EVDO network card is pretty damn cool... Broadband to your laptop most wherever you are in the U.S. Will always revere Tivo and the satellite radio stations for freeing us from the tyranny of too many damn ads. Intuit's online shared database, Quickbase, is an underused treasure. It just keeps getting better and better. But I'm mainly shocked at how unnecessarily complex most technologies are. Everyone seems to develop them based on the assumption that users will base their lives around them and have the time to work out every detail. Time is the one thing we don't have, and the result is confusion, incompatibility and frustration.
What dream for the world do you think can be achieved in our lifetime?
I buy the theory that a combination of media, technology, economic growth and connectivity are creating the background forces that promote greater empathy among different people. It's a long-term thing, and the noise of the daily news hides it. Over a 50-year time horizon there will be a better understanding that the world's biggest problems and opportunities are shared among all of us. Life will be a great deal better for a great deal more people... but knowing our psychology, we may not even appreciate it.
(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)
Ben Patrick Johnson - actor, author, activist
Ben Patrick Johnson grew up with a keen interest in broadcasting and writing. At the age of 18, after a childhood of obesity and depression, Johnson decided to make radical changes in his life, and started weight training and dieting. Over the next decade, as Johnson's career in radio and writing grew, so did his knowledge of nutrition. By the turn of the millennium, Johnson was the number one voice-over narrator in Hollywood, had secured a deal for what would lead to several bestselling books, and had become a marathon runner and expert in sports nutrition and supplementation. He put into practice what he learned, and the results were seen on magazine spreads and calendar covers. Further pursuit of fitness ideals led Johnson to launch The Fitness Kitchen, a Los Angeles based food preparation and delivery service, providing clients with balanced, organic meals for fitness enthusiasts, Hollywood celebrities, as well as clinical nutrition patients dealing with diabetes, heart disease, AIDS, and other degenerative disorders. In 2006, Johnson accepted an invitation to join Sir Elton John and Rep. Barney Frank as an official Ambassador to the Gay Games, extending his advocacy of health and fitness regardless of people's age, gender, race or sexual orientation.
What difficulties have you had to overcome to get to the top of your field as a voiceover actor?
Most of the difficulties I've encountered have come from within my own self; the business has been very kind to me. I struggle with feelings of worth (and lack thereof), with staying focused, with being patient and gracious in a variety of work settings, and trying to balance all the disparate elements of my life.
How do you balance your dual actor and author careers?
It's a challenge. I think it's useful that in my voice-over work I have windows of time during the day when I'm not occupied and I can turn my attentions to writing -- or at least to the business of writing: I find it difficult to switch my brain from one mode to another when I have fifteen or thirty minutes to spare. The best is when I can get up early in the morning and have a dedicated writing session for an hour or two. The real difficulty comes when it's time to promote the books I've written. This requires me to be on the road, and scheduling interviews, etc., all of which takes me away physically from being available for the voice-overs. One of the things that's helped me achieve the degree of success I have as a voice-over artist is being virtually always available for clients. When I'm on a plane to Chicago to make a bookstore appearance, I'm not so available.
What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
I love it when I feel as though I've nailed a given voice-over read on the first take and the producer agrees with me. I enjoy coming to the end of a section of writing and feeling as though I've told a scene, or anecdote, or section as well as I possibly can.
Where do you turn for inspiration and to "refuel?"
As far as literary inspiration, there is more than I could ever get to in a lifetime on the shelves of the local bookstores and library. One of the great things about books is that they're permanent -- we can still look at Balzac just as readily as Baldwin, John Donne as readily as John Grisham. In my voice-overs, I just turn on the television or radio and experience the excellent work of my colleagues. And in bodybuilding, my "third" passion, there are magazines on any newsstand with pictures of splendid achievement, plus I've risen to a stature where I am fortunate enough to have access to some of the greats of the sport, both young and old.
Who are some of the most inspiring groups/people you're working with now?
As trite as it may sound, I've had really good luck with book editors. Each of the several I've been assigned, including my current editor at Alyson Books, is very, very smart and inspiring. For bodybuilding, I've just started a dialogue with IFBB bodybuilding pro Jamo Nezzar to help him put together a program to bring an increased level of fitness to all people regardless of age, sex, orientation, or location. He especially wants to work with kids to get them off to a good start and disabled people to help them achieve a high degree of fitness despite their impediments.
How did you find your purpose?
In a fortune cookie several years ago. It said, "Give up now while you're still ahead." But seriously, my purpose has sort of always been there -- to excel at what I endeavor, and do it in a way that leaves the world a better place for my having been here, on both a large and small scale. It's a lofty goal, but if we don't shoot high, what's the point?
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I'm proudest of coming out as gay at a young age and being steadfast in my refusal to subvert my identity under any circumstances, even when it might have been lucrative or professionally advantageous to do so.
Is there a particular book that has had a significant impact on your life and business?
There are many ... most significant in recent years would be The Four Agreements and the writings of (Buddhist nun) Pema Chodron.
Does spirituality play a role in your life?
Absolutely. I'm what I like to refer to as a "quiet Christian." Evangelism is the furthest thing from my mind. I feel that if one lives one's life according to a personal code of ethics, or in this case one dictated by a spiritual icon, others will see the goodness therein and evangelism will not be required. I find it's often those most ready to crow their religious or spiritual achievements whose very achievements are the most dubious and suspect. It's the quiet heroes that I seek to follow, and perhaps someday I will be regarded as one of those quiet heroes. Nothing would please me more.
What's your preferred method of getting your daily news?
Honestly? I watch two shows on Comedy Central -- The Daily Show and The Colbert Report -- and read headlines online. CThings makes a wonderful counterpoint and addition to these sources.
What dream for the world would you like to see achieved in our lifetime?
I'd like to see pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment unleash their genius upon the task of ridding us of both degenerative and contagious diseases. I'd like to see color blindness prevail. I'd like to see an end to the need (in everyone's mind) for preferential hiring and academic admissions. I'd like to see people no longer tortured, ostracized, hung in public squares, or strapped to fences for who they love.
I read a statistic just this morning that there are now more women news anchors in America than men. This is great! One more field in which the white male (a group of which I am inextricably a part) corners the market. One of the fundamentals of free market capitalism and democracy is that, when properly exercised, the best man (or woman, or computer, or corporation) for a given job wins out. Again and again, despite cronyism, nepotism and generations-old prejudice, I see the expression of these democratic ideals coming to fruition. It's a great time to be alive.
(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)
Debbie Tenzer, Founder - DoOneNiceThing.com
 Debbie Tenzer, a marketing strategist in California, found a way to actively spread kindness by creating the website DoOneNiceThing.com -- a site that encourages people to do at least one nice thing for someone else every Monday. Site features include a blog, people profiles, and weekly kindness ideas for inspiration.
What inspired you to start DoOneNiceThing.com?
I wanted to be a better person, and help people more, but my follow-through didn't always live up to my intentions. So I decided to think small. I promised myself that I'd do one nice thing for someone every Monday. It was such a small commitment that I thought I'd be able to fulfill it. And I have.
Why Monday?
Originally I thought it was the day that people needed help the most, so it would be a good day to help THEM. But the result was it helped ME and made my Mondays better.
What are some of the cool acts of kindness you've seen people do on your site?
Maurice Stein, who won an Academy Award for creating the makeup for the original Planet of the Apes film, retired and now gives free makeup and makeup lessons to burn victims. Dori Kenneally, a former Los Angeles prosecutor, volunteers as a children's advocate for some of the 25,000 foster children lost in the social services system in LA County. Janie Culos is a teacher near Washington, DC who specializes in teaching English to immigrant children. Each week she drives with a friend to a local orphanage and cuddles the abandoned newborns. Darren Erman quit his job with a big Chicago law firm to teach science and coach basketball at a very rough inner-city school in New Jersey. With his help, all the seniors earned scholarships to college. I could go on and on. I love these people.
Who are some of the most inspiring groups you're working with now?
We hear about new amazing people almost everyday. This week we're honoring a group of students from James Madison University in Virginia. Instead of going home for Thanksgiving break, each student spent $325 and 15 hours on a bus to go to Biloxi, Mississippi to help with the hurricane clean-up. For the whole week they slept in a church, removed garbage, served meals at a shelter - how great are these kids! Next week we're honoring Vince Staskel, a paralegal and advocate for people with disabilities. When he was in college he wanted to be a performer, but as he uses a wheelchair, everyone discouraged him. But he held onto his dream, and now he and some his friends are starting a cable TV channel for and by creative people with disabilities. Imagine the determination that takes. He's fantastic.
What dream for the world would you like to see achieved in our lifetime?
End hunger. I know that's a big one. And end AIDS. We can do it. It's a preventable disease.
(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)
Chris Markl: Pedaling for the Millennium Development Goals
Chris Markl, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Colorado in Bolder is organizing a bicycle ride across the entire continental United States to raise money and awareness for organizations that support the millennium Development Goals. Following is our interview with Chris.
What inspired you to create this ride?
One night I was thinking about the largest thing that I could do now to help people in the developing world and the idea of an insanely large bike ride developed. I asked my girlfriend Kelley and friend Eamon what they thought of the idea and they are amazing enough to believe in and help plan this ride. This event will show the world that a small group of young men and women have the ability to effectively tackle global poverty.
Why the name The Yes Ride?
We are asking people to say yes to humanity. We are asking people to say yes to the forgotten poor of the world. We are asking people to say yes to helping the over 1.1 billion people who live on less than one dollar a day. By supporting this event, children in Kenya will receive free secondary education; families in Russia, Rwanda, and Haiti will receive the same level of health care that is available in the first world; families in Sub Sahara Africa will receive income generating renewable assets such as animals and seedlings and because of this ride a vaccine will be found for malaria and AIDS, diseases that claim over 4 million lives each year.
What websites, magazines, books, etc. do you look to for inspiration?
Danpallotta.com, The End of Poverty by Jeffery Sachs, Robert Muller's daily emails. Most importantly I look for my every day surroundings for inspiration.
How has your advanced degree impacted your life?
One of the largest influences on my life was my undergraduate degree in philosophy. Studying philosophy forced me to reevaluate my entire belief system and it reminded me the importance of compassion, virtue, peace, humility, and justice.
What was your last book read?
Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis by Jimmy Carter
Favorite music you've been listening to recently?
Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann, Indigo Girls, Jennifer Knapp, Nicole Nordeman.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Teaching political science at a small college while working on policy in the developing world. Or working for cool organization like the Carter Center in Atlanta. Honestly there are so many amazing things to accomplish in this world, I have no idea where I will be led.
What one thing do you wish the whole world would know?
The importance of our actions is not defined by their magnitude. An individual who cheers for a rider on this event is just as influential as an individual who writes a 10,000 dollar check to our organization. Without both of these individuals this event would not be possible. My father always reminded me about the quote from mother Teresa that "We can't do great things, but only small things with great love." I hope we remember that even if we are not recognized by Time magazine, our actions are still truly remarkable.
(Interview by CThings Editor, Paul Horne)
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