In the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Avatar State is a defense mechanism that only the Avatar can utilize.
As the primary and current incarnation of the Avatar in the series, Aang mainly assumes this state. It was the Avatar State that kept him alive within an iceberg for a century.
Background
Initially, Aang (or presumably any Avatar) triggers the Avatar State when he is in potentially fatal physical danger or under extreme emotional stress. Through this, the Avatar sends a psychic distress signal to the Avatar Spirit, to which all of the past Avatars respond by augmenting the current Avatar's strength and power. In the Avatar State, all the knowledge and experience of the former Avatars are channeled into the current one, providing him or her with untold potency. However, Aang was also warned by Avatar Roku that though seemingly near-invincible in this state, if he is killed while in it, the Avatar cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist.
Mastering the State
Aang travelled to the Eastern Air Temple to attempt to master the Avatar State under the guidance of Guru Pathik. He was to do this by opening the seven chakras, or pools of spiraling energy, within him. Once opened, not only would his judgment and disposition be clearer, but Aang would also gain complete control of the Avatar State, entering and exiting it at will and remaining conscious of his actions while in it. Guru Pathik warned, however, that to interrupt the process of purging his chakras before all seven have opened would mean that Aang would not be able to enter the Avatar State at all.
Despite Pathik's warnings, Aang refuses to unlock his final chakra, the Thought Chakra, because it would require spiritually letting go of Katara as an earthly attachment in light of the grand scheme of the cosmos. During his metaphoric journey to reach mastery of the Avatar State, Aang has a spiritual vision of Katara in danger, which prompts him to return from his meditative state and go rescue her. In "The Crossroads of Destiny," Aang attempts once more to master the Avatar State by sorrowfully letting go of Katara. Aang didn't succeed in controlling it completely, as Azula shot Aang down with a bolt of lightning just after he entered the state, almost killing him, thus the Avatar Spirit was almost destroyed in the process as well.
In the online game "Avatar: Escape from the Spirit World", Aang returned to the Spirit World and successfully managed to heal the Avatar Spirit by reconnecting with four of his previous incarnations: Avatar Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen. However, according to Avatar Yangchen, Aang's ability to enter the Avatar State has been disrupted, and for the time being he won't be able to call upon his past lives for guidance and strength aside from his immediate past life, Avatar Roku.
As the primary and current incarnation of the Avatar in the series, Aang mainly assumes this state. It was the Avatar State that kept him alive within an iceberg for a century.
Background
Initially, Aang (or presumably any Avatar) triggers the Avatar State when he is in potentially fatal physical danger or under extreme emotional stress. Through this, the Avatar sends a psychic distress signal to the Avatar Spirit, to which all of the past Avatars respond by augmenting the current Avatar's strength and power. In the Avatar State, all the knowledge and experience of the former Avatars are channeled into the current one, providing him or her with untold potency. However, Aang was also warned by Avatar Roku that though seemingly near-invincible in this state, if he is killed while in it, the Avatar cycle will be broken and the Avatar will cease to exist.
Mastering the State
Aang travelled to the Eastern Air Temple to attempt to master the Avatar State under the guidance of Guru Pathik. He was to do this by opening the seven chakras, or pools of spiraling energy, within him. Once opened, not only would his judgment and disposition be clearer, but Aang would also gain complete control of the Avatar State, entering and exiting it at will and remaining conscious of his actions while in it. Guru Pathik warned, however, that to interrupt the process of purging his chakras before all seven have opened would mean that Aang would not be able to enter the Avatar State at all.
Despite Pathik's warnings, Aang refuses to unlock his final chakra, the Thought Chakra, because it would require spiritually letting go of Katara as an earthly attachment in light of the grand scheme of the cosmos. During his metaphoric journey to reach mastery of the Avatar State, Aang has a spiritual vision of Katara in danger, which prompts him to return from his meditative state and go rescue her. In "The Crossroads of Destiny," Aang attempts once more to master the Avatar State by sorrowfully letting go of Katara. Aang didn't succeed in controlling it completely, as Azula shot Aang down with a bolt of lightning just after he entered the state, almost killing him, thus the Avatar Spirit was almost destroyed in the process as well.
In the online game "Avatar: Escape from the Spirit World", Aang returned to the Spirit World and successfully managed to heal the Avatar Spirit by reconnecting with four of his previous incarnations: Avatar Roku, Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Yangchen. However, according to Avatar Yangchen, Aang's ability to enter the Avatar State has been disrupted, and for the time being he won't be able to call upon his past lives for guidance and strength aside from his immediate past life, Avatar Roku.
Surrogate mothers have become common and are now popular throughout much of the world. In Anand, India, women are taking the term to a whole new level. The women of Anand have traded in their working clothes to become surrogate mothers to infertile couples all around the world. These women routinely live together in houses that contain anywhere from ten to fifteen expecting mothers. This process has grown rapidly over the years.
Process
The process starts out willing and able Anand women signing up to become surrogate mothers. They are then placed on a waiting list, that can at times become quite lengthy. In order to be eligible to be a surrogate mother, the woman must meet the following requirements; she must be between the ages of 18 and 45, she must have at least one child of her own, and she must be in good physical health. After being selected to be a surrogate mother, the woman undergoes extensive medical exams and tests to ensure her ability to bear the burden of carrying a child. Women are impregnated in-vitro with the egg and sperm of couples who are unable to conceive a baby on their own. For the next nine months these women receive better medical care than most receive in a lifetime. From here, a large group of these surrogate mothers usually live together in a large house, where they can be closely monitored. These women all rely on each other to get through the process. Visitors are allowed during the day. Usually during this time, the woman's natural family will visit her daily. The women undergo counselling and are reminded before, during, and after the pregnancy that when the child is born, they must give it up to the infertile couple that she is conceiving it for. Upon birth, these surrogate mothers give up the child and usually return home to their families with more cash than they could have made in years working their regular jobs. Most of these surrogate mothers will return and start the whole process over again within a year or two.
Medical Care
The companies that sponsor these surrogate mothers take the health of the surrogate mothers very seriously. The mothers are subject to extensive testing before, during, and after the pregnancy to ensure the health of both the baby and the mother. In fact, these mothers sometimes receive better care than expecting mothers in other more developed countries.
Cost
The cost for most couples is around $10,000. Extremely cheap, when compared to the the cost of between $80,000 and $100,000 that it will cost in the United States for the same process.
Changes in Lifestyle
Many women in Anand are making the lives of their families much better by being surrogate mothers. The mothers usually get to keep around $5000 from the total cost of $10,000 for the the process. This money is much better than the $25 per month they would normally be making as a maid. Many surrogate mothers use this money to send their own kids off to other countries to attend college.
Process
The process starts out willing and able Anand women signing up to become surrogate mothers. They are then placed on a waiting list, that can at times become quite lengthy. In order to be eligible to be a surrogate mother, the woman must meet the following requirements; she must be between the ages of 18 and 45, she must have at least one child of her own, and she must be in good physical health. After being selected to be a surrogate mother, the woman undergoes extensive medical exams and tests to ensure her ability to bear the burden of carrying a child. Women are impregnated in-vitro with the egg and sperm of couples who are unable to conceive a baby on their own. For the next nine months these women receive better medical care than most receive in a lifetime. From here, a large group of these surrogate mothers usually live together in a large house, where they can be closely monitored. These women all rely on each other to get through the process. Visitors are allowed during the day. Usually during this time, the woman's natural family will visit her daily. The women undergo counselling and are reminded before, during, and after the pregnancy that when the child is born, they must give it up to the infertile couple that she is conceiving it for. Upon birth, these surrogate mothers give up the child and usually return home to their families with more cash than they could have made in years working their regular jobs. Most of these surrogate mothers will return and start the whole process over again within a year or two.
Medical Care
The companies that sponsor these surrogate mothers take the health of the surrogate mothers very seriously. The mothers are subject to extensive testing before, during, and after the pregnancy to ensure the health of both the baby and the mother. In fact, these mothers sometimes receive better care than expecting mothers in other more developed countries.
Cost
The cost for most couples is around $10,000. Extremely cheap, when compared to the the cost of between $80,000 and $100,000 that it will cost in the United States for the same process.
Changes in Lifestyle
Many women in Anand are making the lives of their families much better by being surrogate mothers. The mothers usually get to keep around $5000 from the total cost of $10,000 for the the process. This money is much better than the $25 per month they would normally be making as a maid. Many surrogate mothers use this money to send their own kids off to other countries to attend college.
Jason Brown (born October 16th, 1978) better known by his stage name Jacewon (pronounced "jeys-wun"), is an american born hip-hop lyricist. Former member of The Def Poets Society, Jace is best known for his storytelling and soulful rap flow. Born in Cook County Illinois and residing in Orange County California, Jace has built a strong following with his "Indie"-minded Hip-Hop music. Inspired by a wide spectrum of artists which include artists such as Grand Puba, Nas, Common, Slug and many others; Jace is bridging the gap through his music and paying his respect to those that paved the way. Breathing life into a genre he considers to be "on the ropes", showing you the roots of the tree as he plants his own seeds. More than a "rapper", he is an artist who is truly being real: not the glamorized, MTV/BET vision of "real" that you see in many acts today, which is more glitz, bells and whistles than anything tangible. As he said in one of his old tracks, "it's hard to find somebody who cares", but in Jacewon, we have a man who truly cares not only about what his listeners are being fed, but also cares about the music that moves him.
Lyrical Themes
The most obvious recurring themes in Jace's music would be his relationships with women and his love for the Hip-Hop culture. Both which seem to have meshed together in songs such as Shelly, Searching for Amy and I Still Love H.E.R..
Discography
Studio Albums
* 2007: Evolution
* 2008: Self Titled EP
Releases Featured
* DJ Rylo & Plann.B - Another Night in the Dub Cove #010, Jace performs vocals on Freestyle (Sebadukes, 2007)
* Freddie Joachim - In With Time, Jace performs vocals on Hear It From You and Refined Devine Remix (Subcontact, 2008)
Unreleased Albums
* 2005: Platter Control
* 2006: The Loose-leaf EP
Lyrical Themes
The most obvious recurring themes in Jace's music would be his relationships with women and his love for the Hip-Hop culture. Both which seem to have meshed together in songs such as Shelly, Searching for Amy and I Still Love H.E.R..
Discography
Studio Albums
* 2007: Evolution
* 2008: Self Titled EP
Releases Featured
* DJ Rylo & Plann.B - Another Night in the Dub Cove #010, Jace performs vocals on Freestyle (Sebadukes, 2007)
* Freddie Joachim - In With Time, Jace performs vocals on Hear It From You and Refined Devine Remix (Subcontact, 2008)
Unreleased Albums
* 2005: Platter Control
* 2006: The Loose-leaf EP
Ninni Morgia (b. in Catania, Italy) is a guitar player. He is most well known for playing in the New York City improv and experimental music scenes.
He has played in the noise-rock band White Tornado with whom he recorded Leg (mini CD, Lollypop rec., 1996), From hand to mouth (CD Freeland rec.1997) produced by Don Zientara, Contrived (7' split with Colossamite, Skin Graft Records, 1998) and Oxbow meet White Tornado (CD split with Oxbow, Wallace Records,1999).
He also played in the Italian free jazz band Conjura with Roy Paci, Fred Casadei, Francesco Cusa, with whom he recorded Conjura (CD Etnagigante rec., 1999).
In 1999 he recorded a solo guitar CD I am two (Etnagigante rec.).
He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has played with Daniel Carter, Kevin Shea, Peter Evans, Blaise Siwula, Bonnie Kane, Tim Garrigan, Ed Chang. He currently is a member of Quivers, Wizard Trio, La Otracina, Trauma Unit.
He has played in the noise-rock band White Tornado with whom he recorded Leg (mini CD, Lollypop rec., 1996), From hand to mouth (CD Freeland rec.1997) produced by Don Zientara, Contrived (7' split with Colossamite, Skin Graft Records, 1998) and Oxbow meet White Tornado (CD split with Oxbow, Wallace Records,1999).
He also played in the Italian free jazz band Conjura with Roy Paci, Fred Casadei, Francesco Cusa, with whom he recorded Conjura (CD Etnagigante rec., 1999).
In 1999 he recorded a solo guitar CD I am two (Etnagigante rec.).
He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has played with Daniel Carter, Kevin Shea, Peter Evans, Blaise Siwula, Bonnie Kane, Tim Garrigan, Ed Chang. He currently is a member of Quivers, Wizard Trio, La Otracina, Trauma Unit.