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| KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 29, 2008
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN KLEINER’S KORNER IN 2008.
HAVE A GRAND 2009 !
A. The capstone of the year is the annual Kennedy Center Honors, an annual honor given to artists of the performing arts. The Gala will be broadcast on CBS December 30 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The 31st Kennedy Center Honorees include Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman and others. [Ed. Note: The honor bestowed by President Bush on his critic Streisand had to be an interesting moment.]
link here
B. Uncle Jay explains 2008 and welcomes in 2009 in song:
link here
1. “MORMONS PREPARED FOR HARD TIMES”
“Mormons may be among the country's best prepared to weather the current economic hard times. Since the Great Depression, church leaders have preached a doctrine of self-reliance and selflessness, calling on members to plan for their own future while tending to the needs of others.
‘It's a critical component of our theology,’ said Bishop David Burton, a senior church administrator who oversees the faith's worldwide welfare and humanitarian services programs,” quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: All should observe what/how the Mormons prepare.]
link here .
2. “BLIND MAN NAVIGATES MAZE”
“Scientists have discovered that a blind person can navigate through a maze of obstacles unaided using intuition alone.
The man, left blind by a stroke, was able to walk around chairs and boxes without bumping into them using hidden pathways in the brain.
The study suggests we all use subconscious brain resources and can do things we think we are unable to do.
The Harvard Medical School research is published in Current Biology,” quoting the BBC.
link here
From the New York Times:
link here
Current Biology:
link here .
3. 100 YEAR-OLD WATCH FOUND IN TOMB SEALED FOR 400 YEARS
“Archaeologists are stumped after finding a 100-year-old Swiss watch in an ancient tomb that was sealed more than 400 years ago.
They believed they were the first to visit the Ming dynasty grave in Shangsi, southern China, since its occupant's funeral.
But inside they uncovered a miniature watch in the shape of a ring marked 'Swiss' that is thought to be just a century old…
Watches were not around at the time of the Ming Dynasty and Switzerland did not even exist as a country, an expert pointed out,” quoting UK’s Daily Mail.
link here .
4. TIME TRAVELER CLAIMS TO GO TO THE FUTURE & FILMS HIMSELF THERE
“Guy travels to the future and takes a video of himself, with himself at 70 yrs. Old”
From YouTube:
link here .
5. “SPIRITUAL SPOT FOUND IN THE BRAIN”
“What makes us feel spiritual? It could be the quieting of a small area in our brains, a new study suggests.
The area in question - the right parietal lobe - is responsible for defining "Me," said researcher Brick Johnstone of Missouri University. It generates self-criticism, he said, and guides us through physical and social terrains by constantly updating our self-knowledge: my hand, my cocktail, my witty conversation skills, my new love interest ...
People with less active Me-Definers are more likely to lead spiritual lives, reports the study in the current issue of the journal Zygon.
Most previous research on neuro-spirituality has been based on brain scans of actively practicing adherents (i.e. meditating monks, praying nuns) and has resulted in broad and inconclusive findings. (Is the brain area lighting up in response to verse or spiritual experience?),” quoting LiveScience.
link here .
6. INTRODUCING ITN – DIGNIFIED TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIORS
“Independent Transportation Network (ITN) allows seniors to maintain their independence and their dignity. With safe transportation, older adults remain vital to the economic and social health of their communities. Mobility empowers them. They stay connected to family, friends and community. Businesses retain their valuable customers, and more importantly, adult children find relief from a daunting and complex problem.
ITN provides rides with door-to-door, arm-through-arm service to thousands of seniors nationwide. It's a truly innovative solution with unique programs that allow older people to trade their own cars to pay for rides, and enable volunteer drivers to store transportation credits for their own future transportation needs,” quoting ITN.
link here .
7. GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS: “...HALT THE GROWING THREAT”
This writer has not covered this topic in-depth, even though I get many requests to do so, because I felt the information I received was not sufficient -- until I read this thorough report from UK’s Ecologist:
link here .
8. “EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDS STRICTER SAFETY LIMITS FOR CELL PHONES”
“The European Parliament has voted 522 to 16 to recommend tighter safety standards for cell phones. In light of the growing body of scientific evidence implicating cell phone use with brain tumors, the Parliament says, ‘The limits on exposure to electromagnetic fields [EMFs] which have been set for the general public are obsolete.’...
BioInitiative author Dr. Martin Blank, Columbia University professor and researcher in bioelectromagnetics says, ‘Cells in the body react to EMFs as potentially harmful, just like to other environmental toxins such as heavy metals and toxic chemicals. The DNA in living cells recognizes EMFs at very low levels of exposure, and produces a biochemical stress response. The scientific evidence tells us that our safety standards are inadequate, and that we must protect ourselves from exposure to EMFs due to powerlines, cell phones and the like,’" quoting MarketWire.
link here .
9. WHOLE GRAINS IN DIET MAY LESSEN HEART FAILURE RISK AMONG MIDDLE-AGED
“Increasing the number of regular whole grain servings in your diet by just one may lessen heart failure risk by 7 percent among middle-aged African-American and white men and women, according to findings from a long-term study.
Conversely, an increase of one serving of high-fat dairy and egg appear to raise heart failure risk by 8 and 23 percent, respectively, Dr. Jennifer A. Nettleton, of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, and colleagues found,” quoting Reuters.
link here .
10. “POACHERS LEAVING ELEPHANT ORPHANS”
“Can you imagine an orphanage that's a happy place? 60 Minutes couldn't, but then we found one. The kids don't arrive here smiling. Like orphans all over the world, they've been abandoned. They're hungry, sad and desperate. But after a few years, they're healthy, well-fed and happy.
As correspondent Bob Simon reports, this orphanage is for elephants, located outside Nairobi, Kenya. They've been orphaned because their parents - their mothers mainly - have died, or more likely, been killed in the bush.
Poachers kill large elephants for their ivory. A young elephant can only survive a day or two without milk. So, the orphanage's first job is to find the orphans, fly them to the orphanage, and, before anything else, feed them,” quoting CBS News 60 Minutes.
[Ed. Note: A touching, must-see story!]
link here
“The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) was founded by Dr. Daphne Sheldrick in 1977, following the sudden death of her husband, the acclaimed naturalist and founder warden of Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park, David Sheldrick.”
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Mexico City cleans up its reputation for smog”
“Not long ago, air in this capital city was so bad birds fell dead in mid-flight”
From the AP:
link here
B. “Chesapeake Bay cleanup effort languishes”
“After 25 years and almost $6 billion spent, government misses deadlines”
From the Washington Post on MSNBC:
link here
And this from the Washington Post:
link here
C. “In Reversal, Court Allows a Bush Plan on Pollution”
From the New York Times:
link here
D. "Amazon pollution case could cost Chevron"
"Billions at stake as Ecuadorean judge weighs class-action lawsuit"
From the AP:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Christmas at Arlington Cemetary”
From Urban Legends:
link here
The Arlington Wreath Project:
link here
B. “Uncle Sam May Grab Your Gold if You're Not Careful”
From 321gold:
link here
C. “The Greatest Wealth Transfer Ever”
From GoldSilver.com:
link here
D. “Official Says California Could Be Broke in Two Months”
From the AP in Truthout:
link here
E. “Suffering Ohio begs for federal lifeline”
“State cuts and cuts while waiting for a possible stimulus package”
link here
F. “Housing Starts Fall Through the Floor”
“The sharp fall in construction means that builders can no longer get credit.”
From the Center for Economic and Policy Research:
link here
G. “What Is The #1 WRONG Question About the Real Estate Market?”
[Ed. Note: This is a very astute article.] From Elliott Wave:
link here
H. Screening the TSA”
Airport Security under review from CBS News 60 Minutes:
link here
I. “The Bailout That Won't”
“Would you buy a car from Congress?”
An astute report from the Wall Street Journal:
link here .
13. THE NATION
A. “Blagojevich lawyer: Subpoena Obama staff”
“Testimony by president-elect's inner circle sought in impeachment case”
“On Tuesday [Dec. 23], Obama revealed that he, Emanuel and Jarrett had met with federal investigators about Blagojevich. He also released an internal review that found no inappropriate contact with the governor's office by him or his staff,” quoting the AP.
[Ed. Note: OK, if the Obama team says no improper contact took place, where is the federal prosecutors’ case? I am not for trying a person via the media. A person is innocent until PROVEN guilty, according to the U. S. Constitution, if we still follow that in this country. Is the governor being framed? Will be interesting to see what is presented if this goes to trial.
link here ]
From the AP:
link here
B. “Cheney's Admissions to the CIA Leak Prosecutor and FBI”
From Murray Waas in Truthout:
link here
C. “Rove's IT Guru Warned of Sabotage Before Fatal Plane Crash; Was Set to Testify”
“A top Republican internet strategist who was set to testify in a case alleging election tampering in 2004 in Ohio has died in a plane crash,” quoting AlterNet. [Ed. Note: The usual, ho-hum CIA “knock-someone-off du jour” is ye ole aircraft crash!]
link here
D. “Seasonal forgiveness has a limit. Bush and his cronies must face a reckoning”
“Heinous crimes are now synonymous with this US administration. If it isn't held to account, what does that say about us? But Nixon was forced from office, his vision of an unrestrained presidency rejected. If Bush and Cheney are allowed to retire quietly, America will have failed to reassert that bedrock principle of the republic: the rule of law.
This is why there must be a reckoning. Bush will do all he can to avoid it: and it is wholly possible that one of his last acts as president will be to cover himself, his vice-president and all his henchmen with a blanket pardon,” quoting the Guardian:
link here
E. “My battle with the banks”
By Rep. Dennis Kucinich from Truthdig in Truthout:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. Open-to-the-public Create Your Year events come to the world in January, 2009:
link here
B. RSE student Barbara Morando suggested the idea that students from around the world send in ornaments for the Christmas Trees in the Great Hall. Barbara reports 800 ornaments/dreams from 18 countries (including the US) were received and placed on the trees by volunteer elves. Congratulations Barbara, for this fabulous idea and for all of those who contributed their time in creating these gorgeous trees. In case you missed it, be sure to see Ramtha’s Christmas Message from the RSE Newsletter:
link here
C. Rabbi Baruch Ha-Levi (grew up as Jason Perelman in Omaha) of Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, MA. has recommended the independent hit film What the Bleep Do We Know on his website:
link here
D. William Christenson's and Friends New Website
Be sure to watch all 3 videos.
link here
E. Patty Miller now has her own ReMax Real Estate agency in SE Thurston County:
link here
F. So many of you have requested the music list from Ramtha’s Australia Workshop Stream. Here you go:
link here
G. In the Australia Workshop, Ramtha said to go to your computer and type in "Visible Light Spectrum: and you will see the 7 levels.
This Wikipedia link gives a great description:
link here
And:
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog:
A. Last minute gift idea from locals- Wind chimes, wind socks
B. JeanMarie Christenson’s unique auction to retire campaign debt
C. Yelm Schools names new superintendent
D. Christmas Guest Entry from Guustaaf Damave
E. Olympia group paves way for electric future
F. NVN report on Thurston Highlands EIS is curious – in what was omitted
G. Yelm Library’s Adult Winter Reading Program begins
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The important thing is this:
to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are
for what we could become.”
Charles DuBos (1882-1939)
French critic of French and English literature.
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2008.
For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner,
click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives"
at
link here
Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .
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| KLEINER'S KORNER SPECIAL EDITION FOR CHRISTMAS, 2008
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO KLEINER'S KORNER READERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. MAY YOU & YOURS BE BLESSED WITH THE BOUNTY OF ALL LOVE OF YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!
MAKE YOURS SOMETHING SPECIAL. "...AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT"
1. WISDOM
This video’s name speak for itself:
link here
The book is from Amazon.com: Wisdom: 50 Unique and Original Portraits by Andrew Zuckerman:
link here .
2. SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS MAGAZINE EXPLORES ASPECTS OF PEACE
The current edition of SuperConsciousness Magazine explores aspects of PEACE from various viewpoints. This is a very inspiring look at this subject this holiday season (Free registration required).
link here
Purchase your gift subscription today!
link here .
3. “WORLD’S TALLEST SNOWMAN UNVEILED IN MAINE”
“The world's tallest snowman, which is actually a snowwoman, is being unveiled in the western Maine town of Bethel.
'Olympia,' named for Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, is said to be about 122 feet tall. That's 10 feet taller than "Angus, King of the Mountain," who has held the record as tallest snowman since 1999. He was named for Angus King, who was governor at the time.
Olympia's creators say she has eyelashes made from skis and bright red lips crafted from painted tires. She wears a giant pink hat and gets some bling from a snowflake pendant that's more than six feet in diameter. Her arms were created from pine trees,” quoting USA Today from March, 2008.
link here .
4. “SURVIVORS CELEBRATE LIFE AT ST. JUDE’S”
This is a touching story of the 55 year old iconic children’s research facility:
link here
“St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization,” quoting St. Jude’s.
link here .
5. “OLD FAT NAKED WOMEN FOR PEACE”
“Humorous music video by the Righteous Mothers”
[Ed. Note: I love this video. Think about it: If only mothers ran the world, would war be no more?]
link here
The Righteous Mothers website:
link here .
6. AMAZING GRACE
Check out this beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace by Il Divo:
link here
“The original and most popular operatic quartet return in November with their richest, most dynamic and diverse album, The Promise...
Il Divo were initially brought together by pop impresario Simon Cowell in 2004, following an extensive worldwide audition process. The virtuoso blending of operatic technique with romantic and popular song took the world by storm, with sales of over 22 million. Their first three albums, 'Il Divo', 'Ancora' and 'Siempre' scored 36 number 1 chart positions across 26 countries. But success was hard earned,” quoting the Il Divo website:
link here .
7. INTRODUCING CHILD SINGING SENSATION COMMIE TALBOT
“Connie Talbot is a phenomenon, and much beloved around the world for her peerless vocal talent and her heart-warming persona. A normal lovely little girl from the West Midlands [UK], she melts the hardest souls with her angelic voice…As a finalist on ITV's 2007 Britain's Got Talent show, Connie was a revelation. At only six years old she conquered the hearts of the nation and wowed the notoriously tough talent spotter Simon Cowell with her wonderful vocal performances,” quoting Miss Talbot’s website.
link here
Connie singing White Christmas:
link here .
8. SEND A FREE, PRINTED POSTCARD TO MILITARY PERSONNEL OVERSEAS
Thanks to the Xerox Corporation, you can go to this site to send a free, printed postcard to military personnel serving overseas via the Let’s Say Thanks program:
link here
“Xerox has partnered with Give2TheTroops, the Boys and Girls Clubs, print shops and corporations that have all greatly contributed to the success of Let’s Say Thanks.
Below are details about our partners, and we encourage you to check out their organizations!"
link here .
9. FROM THE YELM FOOD CO-OP
From the Board of Directors and all of our Working Members, we want to wish all of our Member/Owners the very best for this Holiday season and the most marvelous of new year!!
2008 in review
Although we are not quite to the end of the year yet, we can already say that this year has been an active one. We consistently increased our sales through the first half of the year, we did a major remodeling of the store this summer, we have added lots of new products, seen working members come and go, lost our Back Office manager, but we seem to be making our customers happy!
The second half of the year has seen us be impacted by the normal downturn in sales in the summer months and, unfortunately, also impacted by the general downturn in the economy.
In spite of this, we will break $400,000 in total sales for 2008 which was the low end of our forecast back in January. As a comparison, although we were not open all year in 2007, we would have probably reached $180,000 in annual sales. That means we have more than doubled sales in 2008, which ain't bad, baby!
We should have an annual report available for our member/owners by February 2009.
The outlook for 2009
As always we will be looking for more working members to come on board to help relieve the pressure on the very few people we have now...
We also will be looking to our members for financial support in 2009 to help us grow the store to the next level. As with most co-ops, a large part of the funding for things like a new and larger location, new equipment and other operational costs, comes from the member/owners.
Tom Dewell
link here .
10. “ONE PRESENT – THE CHRISTMAS TOP"
"As people all over the country consider the implications of scaling back their holiday shopping this year, they might be interested to learn about a little boy, born during the civil war, whose love for one simple present carried through more than a century and is still being celebrated today," made by RSE student Lucy Jeanne’s brother Mark, for a project on which Lucy has been corroborating for almost a year. “Spread the Christmas Spirit...”
link here
From the Spokane Spokesman-Review:
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2008.
For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner,
click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives"
at
link here
Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .
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| KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 22, 2008
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO KLEINER'S KORNER READERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. MAY YOU & YOURS BE BLESSED WITH THE BOUNTY OF ALL OF YOUR DREAMS!
STEVE KLEIN
1. NEWS ON FIGHTING ALZHEIMER’S
A. “HOW RED WINE COMPOUNDS FIGHT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE”
“Now, Alzheimer's researchers at UCLA, in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York, have discovered how red wine may reduce the incidence of the disease. Reporting in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues show how naturally occurring compounds in red wine called polyphenols block the formation of proteins that build the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells, and further, how they reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing cognitive deterioration” quoting ScienceDaily.
link here
B. “POT JOINS THE FIGHT AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S, MEMORY LOSS”
“Scientists from Ohio State University report that marijuana, contrary to the conventional wisdom, may help ward off Alzheimer's and keep recall sharp. Their findings, released today (Nov. 19) at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Washington D.C.: chemical components of marijuana reduce inflammation and stimulate the production of new brain cells, thereby enhancing memory,” quoting Scientific American.
link here .
2. “NO GENE IS AN ISLAND”
“’The community has produced a lot of information on the parts list, with sequenced genomes, proteomics, metabolics,' says Ilya Shmulevich, a systems biologist at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle. “There’s so much data that is produced, and right now what needs to happen is all of this needs to come together.’
By looking at how all the parts of a cell are networked, researchers are finding subnetworks that behave much like basic components of electronic circuits, such as switches, blinkers and buzzers.
Other recent work suggests that entire cell networks balance themselves at the threshold separating order from chaos.
When applied to an organism’s inner workings, a network perspective can solve problems that a gene-centric approach can’t—such as understanding the growth of a sea urchin embryo or how the segmentation of insect bodies is encoded.
Many scientists also think that understanding human cells at the network level is essential for developing drugs to treat complex diseases such as diabetes and cancer,” quoting Science News. [Ed. Note: Major work in this fireld is happening right here in Puget Sound!]
link here .
3. “TOP 20 MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS FOR WOMEN”
“From cancer to sex, Health magazine highlights the year’s best discoveries,” quoting MSNBC.
link here
See this video touting dark chocolate, red wine & grapes:
link here .
4. “YOUR HAPPINESS COULD BE CONTAGIOUS”
“New research shows that happiness isn’t just an individual phenomenon; we can catch happiness from friends and family members like an emotional virus. When just one person in a group becomes happy, researchers were able to measure a three-degree spread of that person’s cheer. In other words, our moods can brighten thanks to someone we haven’t even met,” quoting MSNBC.
link here .
5. “THE SCIENCE OF FORGIVENESS”
“Scientific research clearly shows that learning to forgive is good for one's health and well-being - good for mental health and good for physical health as well. A number of conclusive scientific studies attest to the healing power of forgiveness [Excerpt from Forgive for Good: A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness by Dr. Fred Luskin. Copyright © 2002 by HarperCollins San Francisco. Reprinted by permission of the author.],” quoting a story in this month’s SuperConsciousness Magazine (free registration required).
link here .
6. “WEIRD SCIENCE: TEN MYSTERIES OF THE MIND”
“From sweet dreams to phantom pains, the brain is a befuddling place,” quoting LiveScience.
link here .
7. “WORLD’S FIRST COMPUTER REBUILT, REBOOTED AFTER 2,000 YEARS”
“A British museum curator has built a working replica of a 2,000-year-old Greek machine that has been called the world's first computer…
The original 81 shards of the Antikythera were recovered from under the sea (near the Greek island of Antikythera) in 1902, rusted and clumped together in a nearly indecipherable mass. Scientists dated it to 150 B.C. Such craftsmanship wouldn't be seen for another 1,000 years — but its purpose was a mystery for decades…
Now, though, it has been rebuilt. As is almost always the way with these things, it was an amateur who cracked it. Michael Wright, a former curator at the Science Museum in London, has built a replica of the Antikythera, which works perfectly,” quoting Wired.com.
link here .
8. “TURNING AIR INTO DRINKING WATER. GADGET DOES JUST THAT”
“Remember those sweltering summer days when the air was so muggy you could practically drink it? A new home appliance is promising to make that possible by converting outdoor air into nearly 13 quarts of fresh water every day.
Originally envisioned as an antidote to the shortage of clean drinking water in the world, the WaterMill has the look of a futuristic air conditioner and the ability to condense, filter and sterilize water for about 3 cents per quart,” quoting MSNBC.
link here .
9. “U. S. HOPES TO DEVELOP BUG-SIZED FLYING SPIED”
“U.S. military engineers are trying to design flying robots disguised as insects that could one day spy on enemies and conduct dangerous missions without risking lives,” quoting MSNBC.
[Ed. Note: Usually when the public is finally informed, something like this has existed for quite some time! Has this been in use for years?]
link here .
10. NEW ON THE ROAD
A. “MICHELIN UNVEILS ACTIVEWHEEL IN AFFORDABLE ELECTRIC CAR”
“Michelin's Active Wheel system is the holy grail of wheel technology: a wheel with an integrated drive motor that has succeeded to meet unsprung weight limitations.
The Active Wheel frees automobile designers from the restrictions posed by the need for engine, transmission, drive shaft, differential and exhaust systems. Imagine the possibilities,” quoting Tree Hugger.
link here
B. “THE ROAD THAT GENERATES ELECTRICITY FRO MOVING CARS”
“But scientists now claim they have developed a way to use the movement of cars along a street to generate electricity.
And, to prove it, they will be opening the world's first road of its kind next month.
The scientists in Israel say that cars travelling along a mile length of asphalt could generate more than 640 kilowatts - enough power to run 12 small cars,” from UK’s Mail.
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “EPA, Interior Chiefs Will Be Busy Erasing Bush's Mark”
From The Washington Post:
link here
B. Unbridled development put in perspective in Robert Redford’s film The Unforeseen
link here
C. “Acorn watchers wonder what happened to crop”
From the Washington Post:
link here
D. “Australia Braces for Locust Plague
From National Geographic:
link here
E. “Impact of Tar Sands Oil Development in Canada’s Boreal on Birds”
From NRDC:
link here
Story referred by Jay Holcomb, Executive Director, International Bird Rescue Research Center, IBRRC:
link here
F. “Super ants 'on way to Britain' warns study”
From UK’s Independent:
link here
G. “Mt. Rainier puts on a show!”
From Seattle’s ABC affiliate KOMO-TV 4 on December 5th:
link here
H. “Hawaii Endorses Plan for Electric Cars”
From the New York Times:
link here
I. “Obama science choices show break from Bush”
From the AP:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Bush administration ignored clear warnings
Under pressure from banking industry, U.S. government eased lending rules”
From the AP:
link here
B. “Economic rescue could cost $8.5 trillion”
From the LA Times:
link here
C. “Welcome to Free Lakota Bank”
“The Free Lakota Bank is the world's first non-reserve, non-fractional bank that issues, accepts for deposit, and circulates REAL money...silver and gold. All of our deposits are liquid, meaning they can be withdrawn at any time in minted rounds,” quoting their website:
link here
D. “Bottom drops out of recycling industry” [Ed. Note: Oh my Gawd! Are we all so fickle as to change on a dime and go back to the old ways against Mother Nature when oil drops in price?]
From the AP:
link here
E. Sea level rise map
Here is London with a 14m rise:
link here
Click up top and check out your city of interest
F. “World Bank’s ‘Wrong Advice’ Left Silos Empty in Poor Countries
From Bloomberg:
link here
G. “Homelessness, hunger on rise in US cities: report”
From France’s AFP:
link here .
13. THE NATION
A. “Adam Kokesh's speech at the revolution march”
This is a very speech on YouTube & worth the 8 minutes of viewing:
link here
B. “Unembedded Poetry” from Iraq
“From Truthout:
link here
C. “Pentagon to Detail Troops to Bolster Domestic Security”
“The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.”
From The Washington post:
link here
D. “And now for a world government’
From the Financial Times of London:
link here
E. “Senate to Middle Class: Drop Dead”
A message from Michael Moore:
link here
F. “Bush sneaks through host of laws to undermine Obama”
From UK’s Guardian:
link here
G. “Bush says he didn't compromise soul to be popular”
From the AP:
link here
H. “Cheney was key in clearing CIA interrogation tactics”
“The vice president says that the use of waterboarding was appropriate and that the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should stay open until 'the end of the war on terror.'”
[Ed. Note: As if this news is a revelation! Everyone knew Bush & Cheney approved torture.]
From the LA Times:
link here
I. “What Blagojevich was doing right before he was indicted”
[Ed. Note: HMMM! And former NY Governor Eliott Spitzer was going to reveal information about the Federal Reserve just before the media released his call-girl contact.
link here ]
From Brasscheck:
link here
J. “Businessman in Asia asks, ‘So, just how corrupt is America?’”
From Thomas Friedman:
link here
K. “”Deep Throat’ Mark Felt Dies
From the Washington Post:
link here
L. “Obama named TIME’s 2008 Person of the Year
First black U.S. president trumps Clinton, Palin, Paulson, Phelps and other”
From NBC’s Today Show:
link here
M. “Robin Williams on Obama’s Election”
From Political Irony [Ed. Note: I loved this piece!]:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. This writer and his wife were so deeply moved & touched by the outpouring of love and support from our fellow Aussies & Kiwis at the Ramtha Workshop on our first visit to Oz. Thank you to each and every one of you for making our trip so memorable!
And, Australia’s Workshop Ramtha named: The Return to the Campaign - You Are The Mystery will be available on Ramtha.tv beginning next weekend for all current students worldwide:
link here
B. Please enter RSE’s Campus for the rescheduled Christmas with Ramtha via the 89th Ave. gate, due to road conditions:
link here
C. The Children’s School of Excellence is seeking a full-time Head of School, a visionary and dedicated leader who has previous experience serving as the Head of a Pre-K through Eighth grade school and who will embrace the mission and vision of CSE. Candidates may apply until January 8th, 2009.
link here
D. Student authors Margot Losa and Jean Isaacs “Green” Book & Game project has been published by FocusBloom Publishing. I Cherish Planet Earth is all about appreciating and preserving nature and our planet. It has beautiful water color illustrations by Jean Isaacs.
link here
E. Be sure to see the RSE site for Ireland, hosted by coordinator Breege Walsh:
link here
F. Learn even more about bees from Thomas Mani’s terrific KRSE-Beyond the ordinary interview earlier this month:
link here Check-out MastersConnection’s Business Directory:
link here
I. Truette Tidwell & her colleagues from Dallas TV stations wrote and recorded a Christmas Song with the intention of raising money for troubled kids with proceeds going to Happy Hill Farm in Granbury, Texas.
Listen here:
link here
Congratulations, to Truette & her band!
More on Happy Hill Farm:
link here
J. Classy Custom Pet Décor on sale this week at JZ Rose:
link here
K. Will Arntz says “Hello / Goodbye / Hello” in this month’s Bleeping Herald:
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered the last 2 weeks on the Yelm Community Blog
A. Introducing Yelm’s Parrotique
B. Yelm Council Meeting Start Time Changes to 7pm in January
C. Body alignment seminar in Yelm Dec. 13
D. Debuting Rainier’s Center for Creative Arts
E. Would Nisqually Valley create its own currency?
F. “Students help reclaim stretch of Tanwax Creek”
G. “Theater arts finding new life in community”
H. Tenino’s Wolf Haven featured in AAA magazine
I. Library’s future is NVN’s Question of the Week
J. Movie FUEL extended at Yelm Cinemas
K. Robert Redford’s “The Unforeseen” puts Yelm development in perspective
L. Yelm addresses lack of Wal-Mart connector to 103rd
M. Sebastian’s Best European Baker offerings through January
N. national Weather Service snow alert for Yelm
O. Winter officially begins
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"The greatest prayer you could ever say would be to laugh every day."
Ramtha®
Copyright © 2008 JZ Knight.
Ramtha is a trademark of JZ Knight, used with permission.
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2008.
For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner,
click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives"
at
link here
Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .
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| KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 8, 2008
|
Dear Readers;
This edition of Kleiner’s Korner is coming early so this writer can take a holiday. Look for your next edition of the Korner December 22nd.
Thank you for your interest.
No truer words were spoken about the economic meltdown than this November 20th
"Statement of Congressman Ron Paul, United States House of Representatives"
"Madame Speaker, many Americans are hoping the new administration will solve the economic problems we face. That’s not likely to happen, because the economic advisors to the new President have no more understanding of how to get us out of this mess than previous administrations and Congresses understood how the crisis was brought about in the first place...
At least 90% of the cause for the financial crisis can be laid at the doorstep of the Federal Reserve. It is the manipulation of credit, the money supply, and interest rates that caused the various bubbles to form. Congress added fuel to the fire by various programs and institutions like the Community Reinvestment Act, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, FDIC, and HUD mandates, which were all backed up by aggressive court rulings.
The Fed has now doled out close to $2 trillion in subsidized loans to troubled banks and other financial institutions. The Federal Reserve and Treasury constantly brag about the need for “transparency” and “oversight,” but it’s all just talk — they want none of it. They want secrecy while the privileged are rescued at the expense of the middle class.
It is unimaginable that Congress could be so derelict in its duty. It does nothing but condone the arrogance of the Fed in its refusal to tell us where the $2 trillion has gone. All Members of Congress and all Americans should be outraged that conditions could deteriorate to this degree. It’s no wonder that a large and growing number of Americans are now demanding an end to the Fed.
The Federal Reserve created our problem, yet it manages to gain even more power in the socialization of the entire financial system. The whole bailout process this past year was characterized by no oversight, no limits, no concerns, no understanding, and no common sense," quoting the US House of Representatives.
link here
1. “IT’S CONFIRMED: MATTER IS MERELY VACUUM FLUCTUATIONS”
“Matter is built on flaky foundations. Physicists have now confirmed that the apparently substantial stuff is actually no more than fluctuations in the quantum vacuum.
The researchers simulated the frantic activity that goes on inside protons and neutrons. These particles provide almost all the mass of ordinary matter,” quoting New Scientist.
link here .
2. "AARP’S 2008 INSPIRE AWARDS NOMINEES”
“AARP The Magazine’s Annual Inspire Awards (formerly known as Impact Awards) pay tribute to ten extraordinary people age 50 and over who have made the world a better place through their innovative thinking, passion, and perseverance. Meet the winners here:
link here .
3. “WHEN ROBOTS WIELD THE INSTRUMENTS”
“In the past three years, the number of robotic surgeries in the U.S. has climbed from 6,000 per year to more than 650,000 — and the field is poised to continue to grow exponentially as advances continue. NBC's Robert Bazell reports,” quoting NBC News.
link here .
4. DISCOVERIES ON TERRA
A. “ARCHAEOLOGIST FINDS 3,000 YEAR-OLD HEBREW TEXT”
“An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he says is the earliest-known Hebrew text, found on a shard of pottery that dates to the time of King David from the Old Testament, about 3,000 years ago.
Professor Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says the inscribed pottery shard -- known as an ostracon -- was found during excavations of a fortress from the 10th century BC.
Carbon dating of the ostracon, along with pottery analysis, dates the inscription to time of King David, about a millennium earlier than the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, the university said,” quoting CNN.
link here
B. “RARE PREHISTORIC-AGE REPTILE FOUND NESTING IN NEW ZEALAND”
“Officials say a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found nesting on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years.
Four leathery, white eggs from an indigenous tuatara were found by staff at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, during routine maintenance work Friday [Oct. 31],” quoting the AP:
link here .
5. NEWS FROM BEYOND TERRA
A. “HUBBLE CAPTURES IMAGES OF RARE MAMMOTH STARS”
“The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed two of the most massive stars in our galaxy as never before. Located 7,500 light years away from Earth in the Carina Nebula, these stars are rare ultra-hot, super-bright stars that emit primarily ultraviolet radiation, that gives them a blue hue,” quoting Wired. [Ed. Note: be sure to see the pictures on this link!]
link here
B. EVIDENCE FOUND OF SOLAR SYSTEM AROUND NEARBY STAR”
“For the first time, astronomers think that they've found evidence of an alien solar system around a star close enough to Earth to be visible to the naked eye.
They say that at least one and probably three or more planets are orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light-years — about 63 trillion miles — from Earth. Only eight stars are closer.
The host star, slightly smaller and cooler than our sun, is in the constellation Eridanus — the name of a mythological river — near Orion in the northern sky…
‘This really is a system like our solar system was when it was five times younger than it is now,’ said one of the discoverers, Massimo Marengo , an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass. ‘It's like a time machine for our solar system,’" quoting McClatchy Newspapers.
link here
C. “INDIA SENDS PROBE ON TO THE MOON”
“India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft, Chandrayaan 1, has sent a probe on to the surface of the Moon.
The probe, painted with the Indian flag, crashed into the Moon's surface at 2034 (1504 GMT), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said,” quoting the BBC form November 14th.
link here
D. A RAILROAD-TIE SHAPED LOG FOUND ON MARS
“Someone at NASA released a photo that they shouldn’t have, a picture of a piece of timber the size of a railroad tie, a photo that could get someone killed. There is no mistaking that the object in the print below is a piece of wood. NASA claims that Mars is a desert planet with no life at all. NASA lies, repeatedly,” quoting The Crit.
link here
The photo from NASA’s own website:
link here .
6. “ARTIST TURNS S. F. STUDENTS INTO GIANT BUTTERFLY”
“Conceptual artist Daniel Dancer surveyed the auditorium full of 200 or so fidgety and giggling Presidio Middle School students and grabbed the microphone.
The task laid out before Dancer on Thursday [Nov. 6] was this: Transform those same self-obsessed preteens into a living and unified piece of art, their black and blue clothes becoming his paint on a San Francisco public school playground.
All within 90 minutes,” quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. [Ed. Note” See the video.]
link here .
7. “ART IN THE EYE OF A NEEDLE”
“This man can't read or write but he can carve out the Statue of Liberty inside the eye of a needle. His sculptures are so small that he even thought he may have accidently (sic) inhaled his Alice in Wonderland piece,” quoting ABC News:
link here .
8. “4 SURPRISING SIGNS YOU’LL LIVE A LONG TIME”
“We all know the obvious ways to add years to your life: Don't smoke, eat your veggies, wear a seat belt (even in the backseat). But there are other, lesser-known habits and attributes that can help you live to a ripe old age,” quoting Prevention.
link here .
9. AMERICA’S EATING HABITS EXAMINED
A. “WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR FAST FOOD?”
“You may want to reconsider getting that double cheeseburger with fries.
A study released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences contains controversial claims about menu items served at McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King.
Using a technique that identifies carbon and nitrogen isotopes in meat, co-authors A. Hope Jahren and Rebecca Kraft tried to determine the animals' diets and in what conditions they were raised. Based on the high levels of carbon and nitrogen isotopes found in the meat products, the authors claim that the cattle and poultry were predominantly fed corn, which makes them as fat as possible in as short a time as possible, and were raised in extreme confinement,” quoting Forbes.
link here
B. “Philadelphia Passes Strongest Nutrition Labeling Requirements for Chain Restaurant Menus”
From CSPI:
link here
C. Louisville, KY. based “Yum! Brands Praised for Adding Calorie Counts to KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell Menu Boards”
From CSPI:
link here
D. “America's Changing Eating Habits”
“Your Mouth May Water Over Fine Food, But Your Next Meal's More Likely A Ham Sandwich”
From CBS News:
link here .
10. EARTH AS A GARBAGE CAN?
A. “THE EARTH IS NOT A TRASH CAN”
“Every day at home and work, each of us creates 4.5 pounds of waste (up 2 pounds since 1960). Today’s 70-year-old has generated 50 tons of trash in his lifetime. There’s some good news: A third of that waste is now recycled, compared with just 6 percent in 1960. The rest still goes to landfills or incinerators. From your home, what goes into that 50 tons [generated by that 70-year-old]?” quoting AARP’s Bulletin.
link here
B . “HELL ON EARTH: ECOLOGICAL DISASTER TOURISM”
“Don’t have a guilt trip for your next holiday! Become an eco-tourist. Better yet, turn eco-tourism on its ear and witness some of the world’s worst man-made disasters for yourself.
Eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. What better way to bear witness for our planet than to travel to some of the atrocities we have visited upon it?
The number of polluted and contaminated sites world-wide is mind-boggling, so Sympatico/MSN Green has put together a short list of some of the worst ones for you,”
quoting Sympatico/MSN.
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Record-Size Chinook Salmon Found in California”
From Truthout:
link here
B. Guide: Saving electricity in your home
From Michael Blue Jay:
link here
C. “David Gallo: The deep oceans: a ribbon of life”
From TED:
link here
D. “The Insight Concept made its North American debut at the 2008 L.A. Auto Show”
From Honda:
link here
E. “Nevado del Huila volcano erupts; thousands evacuated”
From Colombia reports:
link here
F. “Is Natural Gas Drilling Endangering US Water Supplies?”
From ProRepublica:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Moore: Automakers never listened to workers, consumers”
From CNN:
link here
B. “Surprise: Cops Who Get Tasered Really Don't Like It”
From AlterNet:
link here
C. “Down on the farm, a frenzy over free food”
“In a sign of bad economic times, more than 40,000 show up when a Weld family invites people to gather surplus produce,” form the Denver Post.
link here
D. “Top Scientist Rails Against Hirings”
“Bush Appointees Land Career Jobs Without Technical Backgrounds”
From the Washington Post:
link here
E. “US right stymie sensitive medical research
From the Financial Times:
link here
F. Peter Schiff predictions on the economic collapse
[Ed. Note: The writer agrees with Mr. Schiff’s views.]
From YouTube:
link here
G. “Three Big Pieces of News for Gold Investors”
From the Casey Report:
link here
H.“Housing is bad enough, but wait — it'll get worse”
From McClatchy Newspapers:
link here
I. "FDA Draws Fire Over Chemicals In Baby Formula"
From the Washington post:
link here .
THE NATION
A. “Why Obama's Futurama Can Wait”
From TomDispatch:
link here
B. “After the Torture Era”
From the Washington Post:
link here
C. “FDA Scientists Revolt Against Corrupt Food and Drug Administration Officials”
From Natural News:
link here
D. “The Third Clinton Administration”
By Ralph Nader:
link here
And: “This Is Change?”
From Alternet:
link here
E. Is there another False Flag incident coming before President Bush is supposed to leave???
From Four Winds:
link here
F. “The Price of Our Good Name”
From the New York Times:
link here
G. “Inside the Wall Street Meltdown”
“What role did the credit rating agencies play in the current economic crisis? On Friday, November 21, at 8:30 p.m., a former managing director at Standard & Poor's speaks out on US television for the first time about how he was pressured to compromise standards in a push for profits," quoting NOW on PBS.
link here
H. "Citigroup says gold could rise above $2,000 next year as world unravels"
From UK's Telegraph:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. RSE’s Beginning Retreat Home Study Program unveiled:
link here
B. Christmas Live Stream with Ramtha December 20th:
link here
C. Christmas One-on-One session with Ramtha auction is open through December 15th:
link here
D. Remember the joy of giving this holiday season!
link here
E. “Ramtha: What is the Spiritual Journey?”
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week on the Yelm Community Blog:
A. Yelm Cinemas & Casa Mia offer winter gift certificate combo
B. City of Yelm drops dog license fee
C. Landmark film FUEL opens in Yelm
D. Tenino’s Earth Artisan’s 1 year anniversary gala
E. Introducing Yelm’s All-Green Carpet Cleaners
F. Olympian reader speaks out on Yelm issues
G. Introducing Puget Sound Partnership
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Always vote for principle,
though you may vote alone,
and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)
6th President of the USA
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2008.
For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner,
click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives"
at
link here
Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .
|
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| KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF DECEMBER 1, 2008
|
Dear Readers;
"Morales is the first indigenous president of Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. He was inaugurated in January 2006. Against tremendous internal opposition, he nationalized Bolivia's natural-gas fields, transforming the country's economic stability and, interestingly, enriching the very elite that originally criticized the move," quoting syndicated columnist Amy Goodman.
link here
"Bolivian President Evo Morales, on his first visit to Washington, addressed the Organization of American States (OAS) and a standing-room only audience of diplomats, scholars and students at the American University. Explaining the extraordinary transformations taking place in Bolivia in the past few years, his overall theme, as he himself defined, was visible change," quoting the Real News Network. [Ed. Note: President Morales specch is a compelling "must-see"!]
link here
This is the same Amy Goodman the Republicans had arrested at the Republican Convention in St. Paul, MN.
link here
1. EXPANDED LONGEVITY OF HUMANS IN THE NEWS
A. “WE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE TO 1,000”
“Life expectancy is increasing in the developed world. But Cambridge University geneticist Aubrey de Grey believes it will soon extend dramatically to 1,000. Here, he explains why.
Ageing is a physical phenomenon happening to our bodies, so at some point in the future, as medicine becomes more and more powerful, we will inevitably be able to address ageing just as effectively as we address many diseases today,” quoting this 2004 BBC story, which is still relevant today.
link here
“The Man Who Would Murder Death”
From the October 28, 2005 edition of the Chronicle of higher Education:
link here
More on de Grey from Wikipedia:
link here
B. “ELIXIR OF YOUTH DRUG COULD FIGHT HIV AND AGEING”
“A drug extracted from a plant used in Chinese medicine has helped immune cells fight HIV and raises the possibility of slowing the ageing process in other parts of our bodies.
The method hinges upon telomeres - caps of repetitive DNA found at the ends of chromosomes. These get shorter as cells age and are thought to affect the cell's lifespan.
The caps can be rebuilt with an enzyme called telomerase, and some people have suggested it might be possible to extend human life by boosting telomerase production - though this has never been tested.
Now Rita Effros at the University of California in Los Angeles has used a drug that boosts telomerase to enhance the immune response to viruses,” quoting New Scientist.
link here
C. “WORLD’S OLDEST PERSON DIES AT 115”
“Edna Parker, who became the world's oldest person more than a year ago, has died at age 115.
UCLA gerontologist Dr. Stephen Coles said Parker's great-nephew notified him that Parker died Wednesday at a nursing home in Shelbyville. She was 115 years, 220 days old, said Robert Young, a senior consultant for gerontology for Guinness World Records.
Parker was born April 20, 1893, in central Indiana's Morgan County and had been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person since the 2007 death in Japan of Yone Minagawa, who was four months her senior,” quoting the AP.
link here .
2. NEW DISCOVERIES FROM ANCIENT WORLDS
A. “NEW PYRAMID FOUND IN EGYPT: 4,300 YEAR-OLD QUEEN’S TOMB”
A new pyramid has been discovered deep beneath Egyptian sands, archaeologists announced today [Nov. 11].
The 4,300-year-old monument is believed to be the tomb of Queen Sesheshet, the mother of Pharaoh Teti, the founder ancient Egypt's 6th dynasty,” quoting National Geographic.
link here
B. “6,500-YEAR-OLD VILLAGE FOUND IN GREECE”
“Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a 6,500-year-old farming settlement in an antiquities-rich area of central Greece.
The finds include remains of houses built of wood and unbaked clay bricks, together with pottery vases, ovens and stone tools, the Culture Ministry announced Thursday.
The Neolithic-era remains were discovered during work to lay a gas pipe near the village of Vassili in Thessaly, some 170 miles (280 kilometers) north of Athens,” quoting the AP.
link here
C. “1,800-YEAR-OLD CHARIOT UNEARTHED”
“Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday [Nov. 21]," quoting the AP.
link here
D. "4,600-YEAR-OLD GRAVE UNEARTHED REVEALING FAMILY”
“A Stone Age burial in central Germany has yielded the earliest evidence of people living together as a family.
The 4,600-year-old grave contained the remains of a man, woman and two youngsters, and DNA analysis shows they were a mother, father and their children.
"Their unity in death suggests unity in life," researchers said in Tuesday's [Nov. 18] edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” quoting the AP.
link here .
3. “BEHIND THE SCENES: BRAIN POWER”
“It is hard to imagine being completely paralyzed but fully conscious; able to see, hear, smell and sense pain, but unable to communicate with the world. That's what it means to be "locked in." And it was amazing to learn in the course of reporting for our story on Brain Computer Interface technology that a 2002 survey found that the mental health of people in this condition was not significantly lower than that of the general population. What was not surprising to learn is that what is paramount to everyone is finding a way to communicate, and that is precisely the hope for this exciting branch of neuroscience,” quoting CBS 60 Minutes.
link here
“HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE BRAIN”
“Once in a while, we run across a science story that is hard to believe until you see it. That's how we felt about this story when we first saw human beings operating computers, writing e-mails, and driving wheelchairs with nothing but their thoughts.
Quietly in a number of laboratories, an astounding technology is developing that directly connects the human brain to a computer. It's like a sudden leap in human evolution - a leap that could one day help paralyzed people to walk again and amputees to move bionic limbs. As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, the connection has already been made for a few people, and for them it has been life changing,” from CBS 60 Minutes.
link here .
4. “ROBERT BUNSEN’S BURNING DRIVE”
“He's known for the Bunsen burner, whose steady flame produced more precision in lab experiments.
But 19th-century German chemist Robert Bunsen's broader legacy was lighting up the scientific community with ideas, and handing it better measurement methods.
He inspired the careers of many budding scientists as a highly regarded professor.
As a lauded chemist, he co-developed spectroscopy, and with it co-discovered the elements cesium and rubidium. He found an arsenic antidote, and improved batteries.
Bunsen achieved by sticking to what he loved: science and learning,” quoting Investor’s Business Daily.
link here .
5. “REX – A MUSCIAL SAVANT’S REMARKABLE STRIDES”
“Five years ago, 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl met an 8-year-old boy named Rex, who seemed to embody in one small person some of the most intriguing mysteries of the human mind - how it is that stunning ability and profound disability can coexist within the same person.
Rex was born blind, with brain damage so severe his mother Cathleen was told he might never walk or talk or do much of anything, and yet he has talent beyond anything most of us can imagine.
60 Minutes was so captivated by Rex that we decided to follow him, to keep coming back to see what the years would bring. The last time Stahl visited Rex and his mom, he was 10. Today he's 13 and he's as joyful as ever,” quoting CBS 60 Minutes.
link here
Rex: A Mother, Her Autistic Child, and the Music That Transformed Their Lives
The book Rex’s mother wrote:
link here .
6. “AUTISM LINKED TO RAINFALL IN STUDY”
“Children who live in the U.S. Northwest's wettest counties are more likely to have autism, but it is unclear why, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday [Nov. 4].
Michael Waldman of Cornell University and colleagues were searching for an environmental link with autism, a condition characterized by learning and social disabilities.
They got autism rates from state and county agencies for children born in California, Oregon and Washington between 1987 and 1999 and plotted them against daily precipitation reports,” quoting Reuters.
link here .
7. “PROXIMITY TO POWER LINES LINKED TO ALZHEIMER’S”
“Researchers in Switzerland have found a link between electromagnetic field exposure from power lines and certain neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Doctors at the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at Bern University used census and mortality data from 4.7 million Swiss to investigate all deaths between the years 2000 and 2005,” quoting Swiss info news.
link here .
8. “WARM HANDS LEAD TO WARM HEART”
“Time to update that old saying "cold hands, warm heart." New research shows touching something warm can make you feel and act more warmly toward others.
Whether someone is deemed to have a "warm" or "cold" personality makes a powerful first impression. That led Yale University scientists to wonder if physical warmth could promote psychological warmth, by subconsciously priming people to think better of others,” quoting the AP.
link here .
9. NEWS FROM BEYOND TERRA
A. “STRANGE PORTAL CONNECTS EARTH TO SUN”
“Like giant, cosmic chutes between the Earth and sun, magnetic portals open up every eight minutes or so to connect our planet with its host star.
Once the portals open, loads of high-energy particles can travel the 93 million miles (150 million km) through the conduit during its brief opening, space scientists say.
Called a flux transfer event, or FTE, such cosmic connections not only exist but are possibly twice as common as anyone ever imagined, according to space scientists who attended the 2008 Plasma Workshop in Huntsville, Ala., last week.
‘Ten years ago I was pretty sure they didn't exist, but now the evidence is incontrovertible,’ said David Sibeck, an astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland,” quoting LiveScience.
link here
And, from NASA:
link here
B. “BURIED GLACIER FOUND ON MARS”
“Ice exists at much lower latitudes than any ice previously found on planet”
From Space.com:
link here .
10. UPDATE ON NEWLY INTRODUCED ALTERNATIVELY-FUELED CARS
A. “WATER-FUELED CAR UNVEILED IN JAPAN”
“Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.
The car has an energy generator that extracts hydrogen from water that is poured into the car's tank. The generator then releases electrons that produce electric power to run the car. Genepax, the company that invented the technology, aims to collaborate with Japanese manufacturers to mass produce it,” quoting Reuters UK.
link here
B. “AIR CARS: A NEW WIND FOR AMERICA’S ROADS”
“An air-powered car? It may be available sooner than you think at a price tag that will hardly be a budget buster. The vehicle may not run like a speed racer on back road highways, but developer Zero Pollution Motors is betting consumers will be willing to fork over $20,000 for a vehicle that can motor around all day on nothing but air and a splash of salad oil, alcohol or possibly a pint of gasoline,” quoting Yahoo Finance.
link here
Zero Pollution Motors website:
link here
C. “ZERO EMISSION FLEET VEHICLES”
From the Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV) website:
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “A bright way to be good to the Earth”
From Think-Geek:
link here
B. “The Green RV”
From The New York Times:
link here
C. Help free killer whale Lolita
From the Orca Network:
link here
D. Recycling NYC Subway cars
From NBC News:
link here
E. Travel through the NW Passage – possible due to climate change
From NBC News:
link here
F. Landmark Yelm water case to affect water issues throughout state
From The Olympian:
link here
G. “Bush Tearing Apart Protection for America's Wilderness”
From UK’s Guardian:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Beginning of Hyperinflation”
From The Epoch Times:
link here
B. Britons to be fingerprinted for new ID cards
[Ed. Note: Is the USA next?]
From UK’s Daily Mail:
link here
C. “The Five Stages of Collapse”
From Four Winds:
link here
D. “New Cases of Cancer Decline in the United States”
From The New York Times:
link here
E. “Disposable Youth in a Suspect Society: A Challenge for the Obama Administration”
From Truthout:
link here
F. “Carter warns of dire situation in Zimbabwe”
“Former president: Crisis 'much worse than anything we ever imagined'”
From the AP:
link here
G. “Bernanke: I underestimated housing problem”
“Tells magazine that he was wrong in forecasting subprime mortgage issues”
[Ed. Note: This writer is not impressed with the Fed Chief’s late mea-culpa!]
From the AP:
link here
H. “Shoppers leaving the plastic in their wallets”
“Cash purchases are on the rise as consumers try to manage debt”
From the AP:
link here
I. Gotta have humor about our government
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. Steve Bartlett & Cara Powers sang at Karyn Griffin’s life celebration at Liquid Soul Café in McKenna recently:
link here
B. The directions to RSE page has been updated:
link here
C. Elizabeth Diane "bring[s] your dreams to livable form, whether you want to remodel to an existing structure or build new. I listen to your ideas and needs and add my passion for inspiring, functional architecture to create the right design." Visit Elizabeth's site Lucid9Design:
link here
D. Bettye Johnson invites you to become a Shift-Changer with her new project as For Freedom Now:
link here
D. All students are invited to send in an ornament for the Christmas Tree in the Great Hall for the Christmas with Ramtha event on December 20th:
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. The Olympian publishes investigative report on Yelm water case
B. City Council raises taxes and makes adjustments to balance 2008 budget
C. Yelm Library future questioned
D. Happy Thanksgiving
E. Bald Hills Fire Dept. in the news
F. Mayor Harding – please come clean with the public
G. Yelm’s November weather records
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
3rd President of the USA
in a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802) .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2008.
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