TED (another word for Hope)

So, I guess in today's modern world made smaller and more connected by technology and the internet, I shouldn't be too surprised to learn that there's a place where you can go to trade ideas and share knowledge with the likes of Al Gore, the founder of Google, Peter Gabriel (who founded a global program called "Witness" that helps draw attention to and thus reduce social injustice), Larry Brilliant (who rid the world of Small Pox), Tony Robbins, Julia Sweeney, Mena Trott (28-year-old founder of leading blog software company, Six Apart), Jane Goodall, along with the greatest names in Architecture, Nuclear Physics, Conservation, Art, and Science, in short--perhaps the greatest gathering of brilliant minds in Technology-Entertainment-Design (T.E.D. for short) anywhere and (if you're like me) you'll be relieved to know it happens annually.

Every February in Monterey, California, 1,000 of of the greatest minds from across the globe in the above mentioned fields gather for a four-day conference. Tickets go for a mere $4,400 but, according to the Netflix movie we viewed tonight called "TED: The Future We Will Create", the conference attendees say the experience is well worth the price of admission. Some conference goers have been forking over that kind of registration fee each year for well over a decade.

Once you see the film? You have no trouble understanding why.

The movie, which incidentally, we viewed straight from the Netflix site without the inconvenience of waiting for it in the mail, gives us just a small sampling of the mind-blowing, revolutionary ideas and concepts presented at the 2006 conference. Presenters are given a mere eighteen minutes in which to get their idea, concept, or technology across. Couple that kind of time restriction with brilliant thinkers at this level, and you have one hell of a compelling and intense four-day show.

As you might imagine, not only are the attendees brilliant, they are also well connected, influential and in many cases wealthy. This conference is the place where great ideas can get off the ground. In a big way.

The highlights of the event are three $100,000 awards given to people who have done especially outstanding work in their field of expertise. In 2005, Bono won the award for his humanitarian work.

More important than the cash prize, however, is another perk that goes along with winning. And that is this: Winners are allowed to make a wish. And all the considerable resources and talents of those assembled are brought to bear on those special wishes. Just learning about this incredible concept and seeing these talented doers and thinkers in action and learning their wonderful wishes for the world made my heart ache with pride to be on the planet with people such as this. And, I probably don't have to tell you that in this day and age, that is a rare feeling indeed.

If you don't see any other movie I recommend, see this one. It is absolutely magical.

And TED isn't keeping love to itself. TED has a blog. And a website. And all these fantastic thought provoking presentations at the TED conference on the latest and the greatest? Can be viewed online. By anybody anywhere anytime.

Lastly, a special Bizzyville SUPER SNAP to filmmaker and actress Daphne Zuniga who produced and co-directed the film (her first such endeavor!) Way to go, Daphne. Seriously.