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• SteveBrant – December 21 2006

  I have attended four TED conferences in the past. So, when I received the invitation to this first-ever TED Holiday Salson - and realized I'd be giving someone an unexpected gift - I decided to make that gift as TED-appropriate as possible.
  
  
  In the spirit of "Technology, Entertainment and Design", I created a gift package that celebrated one of the most significant moments in American history when those three elements came together: the partnership between Walt Disney and Werhner von Braun which, in the 1950's, taught the America people that space travel was no longer a fantasy...that we now had the scientific capability to go into outer space, the capability to do what had only been a dream for literally thousands of years. (You can read the story of that partnership here.)
  
  
  But what makes this a great story is not really that I came up with this as the theme of my gift. What makes this a great story is that I wound up giving my gift to the PERFECT person to receive it: a woman named Tracy Day who is organizing the World Science Festival, which will celebrate the world of science and all it can give to humanity in much the same way that Walt Disney celebrated the science of space travel and the dreams that it could make come true...by presenting the world of science in ways that will appeal to the public at large.
  
  
  There are some people who say there are no accidents in life...that everything happens for a reason. Well, that was certainly the case for me and Tracy at the Holiday Salon. The perfect people wound up exchanging gifts.
  
  
  And what gift did I get in return? Well, without going into details, I will say that I met another remarkable person that night...a woman from The New York Times, which is a place where I have always wished one of my friends worked. So, without trying to predict the future, it may just be that I have been granted that wish, thanks to the magic that is TED.
  
  
  Thanks again, Chris and the TED staff, for a very memorable evening!
  
  
  Steve Brant

• PeaceProfit – December 20 2006

  please accept this humble*gift to the world, to share with all.
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  Project:
  
  World*Peace - No*Compromise
  
  
  
  A challenge to all musical artist, and every individual on the planet.
  
  
  
  Project World*Peace - No*Compromise is the concept of a globally recorded lyric, by an infinite number of artist and individuals of all genre, to include every language and culture of the world.
  
  
  
  Permission is granted under Common Creativity for everyone, to record the lyric “World*Peace - No*Compromise” in any style and genre, and then to post or publish your covered version to a web space, podcast, CD or DVD of your choosing.
  
  
  
  Let’s fill the air waves with vocals and music videos proclaiming:
  
  World*Peace - No*Compromise
  
  
  
  Your*Voice will make a Difference
  
  Your HE(ART) will change the World
  
  
  
  to
  
  
  
  Remember the Victims of Conflict
  
  
  
  with this lyric:
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  World*Peace - NO*Compromise
  
  
  
  Keep your eyes on the prize,
  
  Keep your heart in the ARC,
  
  
  
  Keep your soul in the fold,
  
  Raise the word, - World*Peace is foretold,
  
  
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong,
  
  
  
  Keep the message out in front,
  
  Rise above fear and junk,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your faith true and straight,
  
  Love the others, for the children's sake,
  
  
  
  Keep your reason and your truth,
  
  Close to home and in the voting booth,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your eyes on the prize,
  
  Keep your heart in the ARC,
  
  
  
  Keep your soul in the fold,
  
  Raise the word, - World*Peace is foretold,
  
  
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong,
  
  
  
  Keep the message out in front,
  
  Rise above fear and junk,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your life in the light,
  
  Walk the path of peaceful might,
  
  
  
  Keep your mind in the mix,
  
  Treat your body with respect,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your eyes on the prize,
  
  Keep your heart in the ARC,
  
  
  
  Keep your soul in the fold,
  
  Raise the word, - World*Peace is foretold,
  
  
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong,
  
  
  
  Keep the message out in front,
  
  Rise above fear and junk,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your family safe and strong,
  
  Build the future of this song,
  
  
  
  Keep your world free of gunk.
  
  Choose true leaders not just punks,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep your eyes on the prize,
  
  Keep your heart in the ARC,
  
  
  
  Keep your soul in the fold,
  
  Raise the word, - World*Peace is foretold,
  
  
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong,
  
  
  
  Keep the message out in front,
  
  Rise above fear and junk,
  
  * * *
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong,
  
  
  
  Keep the message out in front,
  
  Rise above fear and junk,
  
  
  
  Keep the song going strong, Hate and War don't belong.
  
  
  
  Keep your eyes on the prize,
  
  World*Peace - NO*Compromise.
  
  
  
  
  
  Lyric written by
  
  — Bruce Larson*Moore
  
  World*Peace - Profit
  
  
  
  
  
  PS - The reference to the "ARC", relates to the rainbow of diversity in humanity's divine image.
  
  
  
  Bee*Well
  
  
  
  No*Fear
  
  Rise*Above
  
  
  
  Change the image of the world to change the perception of the world.
  
  
  
  BL*M

• susarina – December 19 2006

  I knew, the moment I read the email, that I would be going to the NYC TED Holiday Salon, but who would be my guest? Who would make the time and take the energy to travel from Detroit to New York on such short notice?
  
  
  
  On a lark I invited Sandy Heng, a former news reporter and author, with whom I am acquainted, but don't know well. The first unexpected gift was that she rearranged her plans for a scheduled trip to Phoenix so that she could attend.
  
  
  
  The second unexpected gift was that her husband, another TEDster, contributed frequent flier miles for the two of us.
  
  
  
  The third unexpected gift was the opportunity to spend a great deal of time getting acquainted with Sandy. Sandy lives in a world of possibility where nothing is out of reach. This excursion reminded me of how important it is to surround ourselves with people who spur us to action, listen with rapt attention to our ideas and inspire us to step out because this is what they are doing as well.
  
  
  
  The fourth unexpected gift - well maybe not so unexpected given that this was a TED event - was the enthusiastic conversations to be had with other guests.
  
  
  
  There is an old saying that music is the spaces between the notes - and this is true of TED. The magic lies between the speakers.
  
  
  
  Thanks so much for creating the in-between for all of us. My only remaining wish is to be able to contact others in attendance. TED Conference attendees receive a printed list of other participants. Can those of us who were there get this for the NYC TED Holiday Salon?
  
  
  
  Sue McPhail

• Ebonfyre – December 16 2006

  I can truthfully say the first gift of the evening was the evening itself. I am a long time TED admirer but generally not endowed with the available funds to actually attend the traditional extravaganza - until now I have been vicariously appreciating the brilliance through a TEDster friend's DVD set. When he mentioned his invite for this salon I leapt at the chance to be his guest, so let me first thank him for his generosity in sharing his invitation and then thank all of the organizers and staff who made the affair both inspiring and accessible with this unique format.
  
  
  
  As the video apparently will be available online soon and this is long enough, I'll not devote much room here to praising the speakers - suffice to say their presence alone was a marvelous scene and all the gift I needed.
  
  
  
  I will, however, spin the tale of the unexpected gift I received during the exchange at the end as I think it may truly have been the most generous and potentially life altering of any given that evening.
  
  
  
  I had already been pleasantly chatting with the gentleman in back of me while we sat waiting for the presentations to begin, so it seemed natural to exchange gifts with him when the time came. He possessed zeal for TED that was tangible when he spoke, which had me intrigued about what gift he might have chosen. We started with my gifts, I themed three to match the TED acronym, and explained to him why they were important to me - I'll leave any further detail for him to post if he chooses.
  
  
  
  He then handed me a simple black envelope and said it would likely require some explanation. I puzzled at that comment, and fumbled with the brass fastener to gain access. Inside was a folded piece of paper with a typed message that struck me like a roc's feather. It began:
  
  
  
  "My gift to you is two round-trip first-class airline voyages for yourself from any American Airlines US hub airport to London, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Delhi, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, or Sao Paulo."
  
  
  
  I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming sensation such generosity generates. How does one reply to that? My internal monologue was colorful to say the least, but the best I could muster out loud was, "Wow... that is incredible". We discussed the finer details but my mind was so racing with the possibilities that I spoke little more than my thanks and my amazement - often back and forth.
  
  
  
  The average TEDster, I would surmise, is typically successful enough in life that they likely have or could embark upon such a journey if their mind became set on it. My friend who invited me along mirrored that sentiment in fact, saying he was truly glad I received it instead of him. I have a well paying job, but I can honestly say my resources would certainly not have been sufficient to allow such a grand adventure for many many years, if at all in my life.
  
  
  
  And an adventure it will be... to honor the spirit of this gift, and the source of its inspiration in TED, I will strive to make this not a simple vacation but a seed to plant in rich foreign soil and let grow what art may spring forth. I consider myself a bit of a modern day bard - skilled enough at many arts but adept at few. I'll let the muses guide me and share whatever media materializes in a dedicated blog with any here who care to view it. Please don't expect greatness, but hopefully a fragment of my experience with this unexpected gift can thus be shared with all. My life likely won't allow any trip to begin until this summer at the earliest, but any who wish to follow this grand experiment may email me at ebonfyre@poetic.com and I'll inform you of when the blog is up and the journey has begun.