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| KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF MARCH 30, 2009
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This week's Korner focuses on environmental issues after NASA scientist James Hansen warned last week "Climate change policies failing"
link here
1. “SPACE STORM ALERT – 90 SECONDS FROM CATASTROPHE”
“IT IS midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power…
It sounds ridiculous. Surely the sun couldn't create so profound a disaster on Earth. Yet an extraordinary report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in January this year claims it could do just that,” quoting new Scientist Magazine.
link here
The report:
link here
More Ramtha predictions on this and other global issues:
link here .
2. “SYDNEY TO SAN FRAN: LIGHTS DIM AT EARTH HOUR”
“From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday for Earth Hour, a campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.
Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to dim nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. [Sat., March 28]. The campaign began in Australia in 2007 and last year grew to 400 cities worldwide,” quoting the AP.
link here .
3. “HOPE IN THE MOUNTAINS”
“Yesterday [March 24, 2009] was a great day for the people of Appalachia and for all of America. In a bold departure from Bush-era energy policy, the Obama administration suspended a coal company's permit to dump debris from its proposed mountaintop mining operation into a West Virginia valley and stream. In addition, the administration promised to carefully review upward of 200 such permits awaiting approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
With yesterday's action, President Obama has signaled his intention to save this region. His moratorium on these permits will allow the administration to develop a sensible long-term approach to dealing with this catastrophic method of coal extraction,” quoting RFK, Jr. in the Washington Post.
link here .
4. “MELTING SNOW FORCES ITALY AND SWITZERLAND TO REDRAW BORDERS”
“Italy and Switzerland have decided to redraw their border after global warming dissolved Alpine glaciers that marked out the frontier between the two countries, according to reports.
For the past 100 years, the surface area of the glaciers, which is crossed by the border, has been shrinking steadily. In the past five years the process speeded up.
The neighbours have now agreed to meet to work out a new border...
The border has been fixed since 1861, when Italy became a unified state,” quoting UK’s Telegraph.
link here .
5. “PHARMACEUTICALS FOUND IN FISH ACROSS THE U. S.”
“Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and depression, researchers reported Wednesday [March 25].
Findings from this first nationwide study of human drugs in fish tissue have prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to significantly expand similar ongoing research to more than 150 different locations,” quoting the AP.
link here .
6. “IS ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT?”
“A growing movement thinks so, saying it will guarantee that the poor have water. But at a water conference in Turkey, officials voice concern about implementing such a right,” quoting the Christian Science Monitor.
link here .
7. MEET JASMINE: A VERY UNUSUAL GREYHOUND
“In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished and had clearly been abused.
In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.
Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims..to restore the dog to full health and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.
They named her Jasmine and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.
But Jasmine had other ideas.. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary,”quoting The Pet Blog.
link here
And, the Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary site:
link here .
8. “SECRETS OF THE WIZARD OF OZ”
“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the world's best-loved fairytales. As Judy Garland's famous film nears its 70th birthday, how much do its followers know about the story's use as an economic parable?...
But the story has underlying economic and political references that make it a popular tool for teaching university and high school students - mainly in the United States but also in the UK - about the economic depression of the late 19th Century,” quoting the BBC.
link here .
9. U. S. DOLLAR IN TROUBLE ?
A. “U.N. PANEL SAYS WORLD SHOULD DITCH DOLLAR”
“A U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday [March 18], adding to pressure on the dollar.
Currency specialist Avinash Persaud, a member of the panel of experts, told a Reuters Funds Summit in Luxembourg that the proposal was to create something like the old Ecu, or European currency unit, that was a hard-traded, weighted basket,” quoting Reuters.
[Ed. Note: This would be devastating in the U.S.]
link here
B. "CHINA 'WORRIED' ABOUT U.S. TREASURY HOLDINGS"
"Premier Wen: U.S. must honor its words and ensure safety of China's assets"
From the AP:
link here
C. "COLLAPSE OF THE DOLLAR
"This is the Power Point presentation made by Dr. Larry Parks before the Montana State legislative committee on sound money. It is an excellent overview of the case against Federal Reserve System fiat money and for a return to gold or silver-backed money," from Montana Sound Money before the Montana Legislature March 12.
link here .
10. “BAN CLUSTER BOMBS? YES WE CAN!
“As a senator, President Obama supported restrictions on cluster bombs - in fact, he was the only Democratic senator running for president who supported Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-California) amendment restricting exports of cluster bombs in 2006. And the restrictions on exports that Obama supported as a senator are now US law. Now campaigners are asking: "If US allies should not use these weapons, then why should US troops?" quoting Truthout.
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Climate Change Myths and Facts”
From the Washington Post:
link here
B. “Stimulus Appears to Be Sparking Alt-Energy Revival”
From Scientific American:
link here
C. “Wilderness protection bill gets Congress' OK”
From the LA Times:
link here
D. “Leading climate scientist: 'democratic process isn't working'”
From UK’s Guardian.
link here
E. “Who owns Colorado's rainwater?
“Environmentalists and others like to gather it in containers for use in drier times. But state law says it belongs to those who bought the rights to waterways.”
From the LA Times:
link here
F. “Obama puts up $2.4 bln for electric vehicles”
From the AFP:
link here
G. “Low-level ozone exposure found to be lethal over time”
From the LA Times:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Women's land rights can help battle hunger in Africa’
From the Boston Globe:
link here
B. “Senate Bill Could Help Women Keep Homes”
From Women’s e-News:
link here
C. “Diebold admits voting system flaws”
[Ed. Note: FINALLY! After all of these years, denials and no need to put George W. Bush back into the White House for a third time under a Diebold vote-tally cloud:
“E-voting manufacturer says votes could be changed undetected” Duh!]
From Federal Computer Week:
link here
And:
“Is the e-voting honeymoon over?”
“Electronic Vote Rigging in Kentucky”
From Crypto:
link here
D. “Spain may open torture probe of six Bush officials”
From Reuters:
link here
E. “Do the Secret Bush Memos Amount to Treason? Top Constitutional Scholar Says Yes”
From AlterNet:
link here
F. “Q&A: Women Better, But Far From Equal”
“Miren Gutierrez interviews SAADIA ZAHIDI, head of the Women Leaders and Gender Parity Programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF),” quoting IPS News.
link here
G. “How to Destroy the Government in Three Easy Steps
From Truthout:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. Corrections to last week’s entry here:
1. Featured stories in the ASPIRING ART issue of SuperConsciousness Magazine omitted mention that Debra Bell from South Africa is also an RSE student.
link here
2. Also, access to stories in SuperConsciousness Magazine requires paid subscription. Won’t you sign-up here today for this outstanding resource:
link here
B. A heartfelt note from Anne Cassidy:
link here
C. Ramtha’s Return to the Campaign continues in Mexico in just over 2 weeks:
link here
D. RSE Auctions for a 1 on 1 session with Ramtha and other items of note – bidding ends April 6th:
link here
E. It's Time to Return!! | Advanced World Tour Retreats 2009
link here
F. RSE’s March Newsletter is just out & packed with great information:
link here
Featuring RSE Magic Number 4, Alluria Phoenix, who demonstrated her developed ability to read through cards.
link here
G. Dr. Louie Enos’s presentation at the Primary Retreat was based on this Scientific American Magazine article published February 24, 2009:
“How to Save New Brain Cells”
“Fresh neurons arise in the adult brain every day. New research suggests that the cells ultimately help with learning complex tasks—and the more they are challenged, the more they flourish”
link here
Also, an interesting Ramtha Teaching on the hypothalamus and the connection with the Pituitary, from Fireside 1.1 - Defining the Master.
See chapter: The Dreaming Brain and the Quantum Field of Potential
This chapter fills in some interesting information relating to the Baby Neurons of which Dr. Enos spoke. Ramtha also speaks about “States” in this 1998 teaching.
link here
Fireside 3.3 mentions "States", as well:
link here
Join Dr. Joe Dispenza on Neuro Genesis from VoiceAmerica Network every other Thursday at 5:00 pm Pacific Time on 7th Wave Network:
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. Introducing Yelm’s newest internet radio station & blog
B. A message from Dungeness Valley Creamery
C. City continues approving plat developments with insufficient water rights
D. Legislative update
E. Grand re-opening of Prairie Park Plaza
F. Introducing Yelm’s Allstate Insurance Agent
G. Area shows generosity with Schools Scholarships donations
link here
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I die the king's good servant, and God's first."
Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)
“English lawyer, author, and statesman... beheaded in 1535 when he refused to sign the Act of Supremacy that declared King Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England,” quoting Wikipedia.
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2009.
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 MARCH 23, 2009
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I was in the Miami area last week and met some readers of Kleiner’s Korner. Thank you for your interest & comments.
Your light switch is your vote. Turn it off for one hour for mother earth March 28:
“2,140 cities, towns and municipalities in 82 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming,” quoting Earth Hour.
link here
1. “IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER”
“Our frontal lobes perform the find function, retrieving saved files to embellish as needed. And though scientists used to believe that short- and long-term memories were stored in different parts of the brain, they have discovered that what really distinguishes the lasting from the transient is how strongly the memory is engraved in the brain, and the thickness and complexity of the connections linking large populations of brain cells. The deeper the memory, the more readily and robustly an ensemble of like-minded neurons will fire.
This process, of memory formation by neuronal entrainment, helps explain why some of life’s offerings weasel in easily and then refuse to be spiked. Music, for example. ‘The brain has a strong propensity to organize information and perception in patterns, and music plays into that inclination,’ said Michael Thaut, a professor of music and neuroscience at Colorado State University. ‘From an acoustical perspective, music is an overstructured language, which the brain invented and which the brain loves to hear,’” quoting the New York Times:
link here .
2. “SCIENCE MOVES CLOSER TO MIND READING”
“Scientists have shown for the first time that it may be possible to "read" a person's mind simply by looking at brain activity.
Using a modern scanner to measure blood flow, British researchers said on Thursday [March 12] they were able to tell where volunteers were located within a computer-generated virtual reality environment.
‘Surprisingly, just by looking at the brain data we could predict exactly where they were,’ Eleanor Maguire of the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at University College London told reporters,” quoting Reuters.
link here .
3. “PARAPLEGIC MAN SUFFERS SPIDER BITE, WALKS AGAIN”
“He has been confined to a wheelchair for 20 years. Now a paraplegic man is walking again, and his doctors call it a miracle. CBS13 went to Manteca to find out how a spider bite helped get him back on his feet.
‘I closed my eyes and then I was spinning like a flying saucer,’ explains David Blancarte,” quoting Sacramento’s CBS affiliate.
link here .
4. “HOW PEOPLE CAN THINK THEMSELVES SICK”
“Can people think themselves sick? This is what psychiatrist Simon Wessely explores. His research into the causes of conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and Gulf war syndrome has led to hate mail, yet far from dismissing these illnesses as imaginary, Wessely has spent his career developing treatments for them,” quoting Curious? Read.
link here .
5. “DOCTORS FIND THAT SURGICAL PATIENTS MAY STILL ‘HEAR’ DESPITE ANESTHESIA”
“To the dismay and disbelief of many surgeons and anesthesiologists, new studies have bolstered the idea that patients who are completely anesthetized can still register some of what goes on around them.
Although the patients who have been anesthetized do not remember the operation itself, the studies demonstrate that patients can comprehend enough of what is said during surgery to affect the course of recovery.
The studies are of special importance for the ambiance of the operating room. Typically, once a patient is ''asleep'' the staff feels free to comment, sometimes even making jokes or disparaging remarks. The new findings indicate that patients may respond to positive comments and suggest that negative remarks may upset patients long after the surgery,” quoting the New York Times.
link here .
6. “IRON-PUMPING GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SETS WORLD RECORD
Check-out Olympia, Washington’s 70 Year old Winifred Pristell on KING-5 TV Seattle:
link here .
7. INTRODUCING SMALL–MART!
“The Small-Mart Revolution aims to improve the prosperity of every community, in the U.S. and abroad, by maximizing local self-reliance and opportunities for locally owned businesses.
Small-Mart.org is a web resource for people interested in news, stories, people, innovations, and analysis concerning local business, social enterprise, self-reliant communities, and related policies. It grows out of the writings of Michael Shuman--The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition and Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age (Free Press, 1998),” quoting Small-Mart.
link here .
8. “THE 10 MAJOR NEWSPAPERS THAT WILL EITHER FOLD OR GO DIGITAL NEXT”
“Over the last few weeks, the newspaper industry has entered a new period of decline. The parent of the papers in Philadelphia declared bankruptcy as did the Journal Register chain. The Rocky Mountain News closed and the Seattle Post Intelligencer, owned by Hearst, will almost certainly close or only publish online. Hearst has said it will also close The San Francisco Chronicle if it cannot make massive cuts at the paper. The most recent rumor is that the company will fire half of the editorial staff. That action still may not be enough to make the property profitable.
24/7 Wall St. has created its list of the ten major daily papers that are most likely to fold or shut their print operations and only publish online. The properties were chosen based on the financial strength of their parent companies, the amount of direct competition that they face in their markets, and industry information on how much money they are losing. Based on this analysis, it is possible that eight of the fifty largest daily newspapers in the United States could cease publication in the next eighteen months,” quoting 24-7 Wall St.
[Ed. Note: This list of potential newspaper shutdowns is chilling!]
link here .
9. INTRODUCING FISHONLINE!
“If you are concerned about declining fish stocks and the welfare of our seas the Marine Conservation Society FISHONLINE website can help you identify which fish are from well managed sources and/or caught using methods that minimise damage to marine wildlife and habitats,” quoting FishOnline.
link here .
10. MORE CELL PHONE DANGERS!
“A study by a University of South Carolina psychology researcher featured in the journal, Experimental Psychology, found that planning to speak and speaking put far more demands on the brain’s resources than listening. Measurement of attention levels showed that subjects were four times more distracted while preparing to speak or speaking than when they were listening,” quoting Wikipedia.
link here
The study:
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “First lady breaks ground on 'kitchen garden'
Students will help plant fruits, vegetables to supply White House kitchen”
From MSNBC:
link here
B. “King County[Seattle] residents generating less garbage”
From KING-5 TV Seattle:
link here
C. “Organic Farmers Threatened by GE Crops”
From Pure Food:
link here
D. “Kiwis solve global warming riddle”
From the New Zealand Herald:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “A head with a heart”
“President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Paul Levy may have found an alternative to layoffs,” from the boston Globe.
link here
B. “Fed Says Americans Lost Wealth at Staggering Rate”
From the Washington Post:
link here
C. “President Barack Obama: Tougher Food Safety Measures”
The President’s transcript in Truthout:
link here
D. “Long-sought food labeling law takes effect today [March 16]
Consumers will now know more about where meat, produce came from”
From MSNBC:
link here
E. “Heavy? You may live three to 10 years less
Extra pounds as bad for health as lifetime of smoking, large study says”
From the AP:
link here
F. “The gold rush is on at a party near you
Neighbors gather for food, conversation and a little buying and selling”
From MSNBC:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. Join the Primary Extension & Continuation (BC & Primary students only)
link here
B. The Art of FOCUS...Great RSE Products for Your Evolution
link here
C. This Spring update from CSE is precious:
link here
D. Read the stories of & by these RSE students in SuperConsciousness Magazine:
Elizabeth Martin:
link here
Eugenio Abad:
link here
Miceal Ledwith:
link here
Jaime Leal-Anaya:
link here
&
Ramtha:
link here
Free Subscription required .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. Roy’s Wlicox Farms honored for 100 years of service
B. Support our locally owned businesses: PCI Pest Control
C. Seattle PI’s last print edition – Olympian & TNT make cuts
D. Has the time come to end Yelm’s moratorium on moratoriums?
E. Support our locally owned businesses: Yelm’s The Office
F. Chamber After-Hours hosted by Prairie Plaza
G. County Commissioner & State Rep, come to Yelm next week
H. Spring is here – officially!
I. Local seed-storage units for sale
J. Introducing Yelm’s newest blog & internet radio station
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Crisis according to Albert Einstein”
“Let's not pretend that things will change if we keep doing the same things. A crisis can be a real blessing to any person, to any nation. For all crises bring progress.
Creativity is born from anguish, just like the day is born form the dark night. It's in crisis that inventive is born, as well as discoveries, and big strategies. Who overcomes crisis, overcomes himself, without getting overcome. Who blames his failure to a crisis neglects his own talent, and is more respectful to problems than to solutions. Incompetence is the true crisis.
The greatest inconvenience of people and nations is the laziness with which they attempt to find the solutions to their problems. There's no challenge without a crisis.
Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony.
There’s no merit without crisis.
It's in the crisis where we can show the very best in us.
Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch.
To speak about a crisis is to promote it.
Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism.
Let us work hard instead.
Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.”
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
German-born theoretical physicist
link here
From The World As I See it
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2009.
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 MARCH 16, 2009
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Spring returns to the Northwest on Friday, March 20 as Earth experiences the Equinox HAPPY SPRING!
“The date (near March 21 in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are nearly the same length and Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) moving northward. In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator moving southward and occurs on the date of the northern autumnal equinox. The vernal equinox marks the first day of the season of spring,” quoting Science World.
link here
Spring begins at 4:46am on March 20 in Yelm & the West Coast.
1. WASHINGTON STATE SENATE PASSES BILL TO CHANGE CITY COUNCIL'S MAKE-UP TO A DISTRICT CONCEPT
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill (ESSB) 5716 passed in the State Legislature yesterday (March 12) that would allow citizens to elect City Councils by district.
"Sponsor Bob McCaslin of Spokane Valley says it would spread out a city's elected representatives to bring geographic diversity. He says it would prevent everyone on a city council from coming from the same apartment complex."
"The election could be initiated either by resolution of the council or by a petition signed by 10 percent or more of the voters," quoting the AP from The Olympian.
[Ed. Note: This is a huge victory for Yelm area residents not located within the city limits, taxpayers & voters who have had little consideration in Yelm City Hall.]
link here .
2. “LOOP QUANTUM GRAVITY: GETTING CLOSER TO REALITY"
“Among the many contenders for combining gravity and quantum mechanics is loop quantum gravity. As with all proposals of this sort, this one has its detractors. One of the most serious failings of the theory is that it was thought that it might not be possible to perform what are called gauge transformations using it… A recent publication, by scientists at the University of Rome, shows that gauge transformations generally do work in loop quantum gravity.
Loop quantum gravity might be thought of as the dark horse in the race for a quantum gravity. Nevertheless, it has some remarkable features. For instance, gravity becomes repulsive at high densities, preventing the formation of singularities. This naturally prevents black holes from collapsing to a point-like object. Similarly, the big bang becomes a big bounce, and questions like "what happened before the big bang?" become physically meaningful. Importantly, space and time quantization occurs naturally with loop quantum gravity,” quoting ars technica.
link here .
3. THE BEAUTIFUL MIND PHOTO EXHIBITION
Featured as port of Brain Awareness Week, you must see some of the spectacular pictures, from Enception.org.
link here .
4. CHECK-OUT AN ARTICULATE 13 YEAR OLD’S MIND!
Jonathan Krohn Addresses CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) on YouTube:
link here
More on Jonathan Krohn from Wikipedia:
link here
Mr. Krohn’s book Define Conservatism:
link here .
5. AMAZING! ANTS’ SUBTERRANEAN STRUCTURE
“A research that finds out how one of the subterranean ants structures looks like by pouring cement through the ant tunnels,” posted on YouTube:
link here .
6. INSPIRATIONAL TEACHER!
“The only conductor to ever lead the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Zander is a prophet of human potential and an unrivaled champion of joie de vivre. Watch as he helps unlock the boundless potential of a 15 year old cellist and teaches the entire Pop!Tech audience what it means to live in a world of possibility,” quoting PopTech.
link here .
7. “WADE DAVIS: CULTURES AT THE FAR EDGE OF THE WORLD”
“With stunning photos and stories, National Geographic Explorer Wade Davis celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the world's indigenous cultures, which are disappearing from the planet at an alarming rate,” quoting TED.
link here .
8. “ZOO CHIMP ‘PLANNED’ STONE ATTACK”
“A male chimpanzee in a Swedish zoo planned hundreds of stone-throwing attacks on zoo visitors, according to researchers.
Keepers at Furuvik Zoo found that the chimp collected and stored stones that he would later use as missiles.
Further, the chimp learned to recognise how and when parts of his concrete enclosure could be pulled apart to fashion further projectiles.
The findings are reported in the journal Current Biology,” quoting the BBC. [Ed. Note: Will the U. S. CIA use chimps as future terrorists to coerce the public to go to war? Smile.]
link here .
9. “...GREEN ROOFS ARE SPROUTING UP FROM COAST TO COAST”
“Green roofs suddenly are the buzz, as a proliferation of planted rooftops is taking root across the United States. It’s an important trend both aesthetically and environmentally. How do green roofs help the environment? They reduce storm water runoff and airborne pollutants, and lower energy costs by insulating against the cold and shielding against the sun’s heat. Most are made using low-maintenance, lightweight vegetation — native grasses, flowers, mosses, and succulents — and, of course, that adds compelling visual appeal,” quoting the March, 2009 Continental Airlines Magazine.
link here .
10. GREEN FESTIVAL COMING TO SEATTLE MARCH 28-29
“Welcome to Green Festival™, a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America. We’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—for people, business and the environment. Join us in Seattle for 2 days filled with the best in green!
At Green Festivals™, a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America, we’re celebrating what’s working in our communities—for people, business and the environment. Here, green means safe, healthy communities and a strong local economy. Join us at the nation’s premier sustainability events, where you will see the best in green. Enjoy more than 125 authors, leaders and educators; great how-to workshops; cutting-edge films; fun activities for kids; organic beer and wine; delicious vegetarian cuisine and diverse live music.”
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Israelis develop 'safe' plutonium: good for power, bad for weapons”
“Nuke waste could be used as fuel - even by Arabs”
From UK’s The Register:
link here
B. “Scientists to issue stark warning over dramatic new sea level figures”
“Rising sea levels pose a far bigger eco threat than previously thought. This week's climate change conference in Copenhagen will sound an alarm over new floodings - enough to swamp Bangladesh, Florida, the Norfolk Broads and the Thames estuary”
From UK’s Guardian:
link here
C. “Six Firms Stop Sales of Hard-Plastic Baby Bottles”
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
link here
D. “Some fear Navy sonar may harm Fla.'s right whales”
From the AP:
link here
E. “Dry start to 2009 sets U.S. record”
From USA Today:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Catastrophic Fall in 2009 Global Food Production”
From Global Research:
link here
B. “High-speed rail on faster track”
From McClatchy Newspapers:
link here
The Olympian reports on potential of improved service on the Northwest Rail Corridor:
link here
C. “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative”
“Canadian banks are typically leveraged at 18 to 1--compared with U.S. banks at 26 to 1.”
From Newsweek:
link here
D. “More Americans say they have no religion”
“Study finds percentage of Christians in the nation has declined”
From the AP:
link here
E. “Buffett: The economy has ‘fallen off a cliff’”
“Investor tells CNBC economic turmoil has followed his worst-case scenario”
From the AP:
link here
F. “U.S. downturn dragging world into recession”
“Report says global economy will shrink for first time since 1940s”
From the Washington Post:
link here
G. “Financial Reports Show Five Biggest Banks Face Huge Loss Risk”
From McClatchy Newspapers:
link here
H. “Women can lead the way to recovery”
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
link here .
THE NATION
A. “Treasury Official Quits Amidst Fraud Scandal”
From ABC News:
link here
B. “Obama's Next Gauntlet: Reviving the Middle Class”
From Our Future.com:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. RV Electrical Hookups at RSE!
link here
B. All Things Beautiful at JZ Rose!
link here
C. New Event! Primary Retreat Optional extension - Join in the Magic!
link here
D. Come for the Magic! | Beginning Retreats April 2009
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. Sebastian’s offers his famous breads for sale
B. Yelm applies to National Geographic’s Cascade Geotourism Project
C. Yelm Library offers Meet the Author night
D. Yelm’s 2009 Master Beekeeper’s Message
E. Local newspaper’s report on Public Records Requests unmasked
F. Earthquake hits Yelm government – State Bill passes, opening city government to area beyond city
G. New wine store opens in Yelm
H. Public Hearing on Yelm’s Comp. Plan Updates
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A sedentary life is the real sin against the Holy Spirit.
Only those thoughts that come by walking have any value.”
Freidrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
German philosopher and classical philologist
From Wikipedia:
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2009.
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 MARCH 9, 2009
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Daylight Savings Time began in the USA on March 8th:
link here
1. “SCIENTISTS CELEBRATE DAWN OF BARACK OBAMA’S AGE OF REASON”
“Opening on the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, the 175th conference of the world's largest science society was always likely to have a celebratory feel to it.
There was indeed a palpable buzz yesterday in the subterranean conference rooms of the two downtown Chicago hotels where the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is holding its annual meeting…
This AAAS meeting has been a coming-out party for American scientists after eight years in which they have felt marginalised and ignored. Few sections of American society found George W. Bush's presidency quite as dispiriting as its scientists,” quoting the UK’s Times.
link here .
2. “OBAMA TO REVERSE RESTRICTIONS TO STEM CELL WORK”
“Reversing an eight-year-old limit on potentially life-saving science, President Barack Obama plans to lift restrictions Monday on taxpayer-funded research using embryonic stem cells.
The long-promised move will allow a rush of research aimed at one day better treating, if not curing, ailments from diabetes to paralysis — research that crosses partisan lines, backed by such notables as Nancy Reagan and the late Christopher Reeve,” quoting the AP.
link here .
3. “MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE DREAMS ARE MEANINGFUL”
“People in at least three countries, including the United States, believe dreams contain important hidden truths, said researcher Carey Morewedge, an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
In six different studies, Morewedge and his colleagues surveyed nearly 1,100 people about their dreams. The results are detailed in the February issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,” quoting LiveScience.
link here .
4. “’MIND MACHINE’ MAY BE KEY TO CURING BRAIN DISORDERS”
“It's called the mind machine. You could say it can read your thoughts, and what scientists learn could be a key in curing brain disorders…
"This machine lets us measure those very weak magnetic signals generated by the brain's electrical activity," said [Dr. Jeffrey Lewine, neuroscientist] Lewine,” quoting KING-5 TV in Seattle.
link here .
5. ARE WE BEING PROGRAMMED?
A. “’DEGRADING’ LYRICS LINKED TO TEEN SEX”
“There's still no firm proof that raunchy music makes kids have sex, but a new study provides another suggestion that there's at least some kind of link between "degrading" songs and teenage sexual activity.
The findings indicate that "people who are exposed to certain messages in music are more likely to copy or emulate what they hear," said Dr. Brian A. Primack, a pediatrician and lead author of the study released Tuesday [Feb. 24],” quoting HealthDailyNews.
link here
B. “VIOLENT MEDIA NUMB MEDIA TO THE PAIN OF OTHERS”
“Violent video games and movies make people numb to the pain and suffering of others, according to a research report published in the March 2009 issue of Psychological Science.
The report details the findings of two studies conducted by University of Michigan professor Brad Bushman and Iowa State University professor Craig Anderson.
The studies fill an important research gap in the literature on the impact of violent media,” quoting LiveScience.
link here
C. “KIDS PREFER VEGGIES WITH COOL NAMES”
“In a new study, 186 four-year-olds were given regular carrots and, on other lunch days, they were given the same vegetables renamed X-ray Vision Carrots. On the latter days, they ate nearly twice as many.
The study suggests the influence of these names might persist...
The research, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was presented today at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association in Washington, DC,” quoting LiveScience.
link here .
6. NASA LAUNCHED PLANET-HUNTING TELESCOPE
“NASA's planet-hunting spacecraft, Kepler, rocketed into space Friday night [Mar. 6] on a historic voyage to track down other Earths in a faraway patch of the Milky Way galaxy.
It's the first mission capable of answering the age-old question: Are other worlds like ours out there?
Kepler, named after the German 17th-century astrophysicist Johannes Kepler, set off on its unprecedented mission at 10:49 p.m. ET, thundering into a clear sky embellished by a waxing moon,” quoting the AP.
link here .
7. INTRODUCING TEXT-TO-SPEECH TECHNOLOGY
“Turn up the volume.
She will say anything you type. When you move the mouse around, her eyes follow the pointer.
When you write something in the left space and then click on 'Say it', she says it!
You can also change persons doing the talking and the language that they speak.”
From Oddcast TTS Demo:
link here .
8. INTRODUCING THE GIGAPAN EPIC
“...this Gigapan image from the north press platform during President Obama's inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009. It's made up of 220 images and the final image size is 59,783 X 24,658 pixels or 1,474 megapixels.
Click to zoom in our out, then pick your own site on Earth to do the same.
link here .
9. TESLA MOTORS COULD GET FEDERAL LOAN BY SUMMER
“Tesla Motors said its long-awaited $450 million loan from the federal government could come as soon as this summer, a crucial factor in its plans to build an electric-car factory in California…
Still, Tesla is optimistic the department will approve its request for money from the $25 billion loan program to retool U.S. factories to make more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, said Diarmuid O'Connell, the company's director of corporate development. Tesla has asked for $350 million to retrofit a factory to assemble its Model S electric sedan and $100 million for its battery-supply business...
the Tesla factory now will likely end up in an existing building that can be retrofitted for electric-auto production. The company has said it's looking at locations in both Northern and Southern California,” quoting the San Jose Mercury News.
link here .
10. NEW SUPER BATTERY TECHNOLOGY
“New battery breakthrough leverages nanotechnology and microstructures... The nanotubes are a hybrid consisting of a carbon nanotube core and a metal oxide outer coating. In essence they've created the nanoscale version of the coaxial cable,” quoting Daily Tech.
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Scientists: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates”
From the Washington Post:
link here
B. “The California Water Wars: Not a Conflict Between Fish and People”
From Truthout:
link here
C. “Sources: Obama Cuts Funds for Nevada Nuclear Dump”
From the AP:
link here
D. “Obama Restoring Endangered Species Act Provision”
From the Washington Post:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “FDIC warns US bank deposit insurance fund could tank”
From Yahoo:
link here
B. “Massive unemployment could lead to riots says Dr. Brzezinski”
From Morning Joe on YourTube:
link here
And: “Brzezinskis Fear: Class Warfare and Destruction of the New World Order”
link here
C. “The Crisis of Credit Visualized”
From Vimeo:
link here
D. “Foreclosures Now Affecting 1 in 8 American Homeowners”
From the AP in Truthout:
link here
E. “At Last, Accepting Some Clues From Across the Pond”
From Truthdig:
link here
F. “The Costs of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
[Ed. Note: Wow! 13,000 discharged because of this policy? Yikes!]
From American Progress:
link here .
THE NATION
A. “Viewpoint: A word of caution to Obama”
From the BBC:
link here
B. “The President Who Told The TRUTH”
JFK’s terrific speech on YouTube:
link here
C. “Just Wild: The American Form of Government”
Terrific video on YouTube that all Americans should see:
link here
D. “The Man Who Figured Out Madoff's Scheme"
"Tells 60 Minutes Many Suspected Madoff Fraud; Says SEC Is Incapable Of Finding Fraud”
[Ed. Note: This is a fantastic look at so many people buying into greed and turning their heads and not listening to the warning signs!]
From CBS News 60 Minutes:
link here
E. “Ben Bernanke shows up for another Ron Paul beatdown”
[Ed. Note: When will the public wake-up to the Federal Reserve's ruse?]
From Blogging Stocks:
link here
F. “Bush memos on presidential power shock legal experts”
“Administration sought unchecked wartime authority”
From the Chicago Tribune:
link here
&
“Memos Provide Blueprint for Police State”
From Truthout:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. RSE-Reserved Seating Program 2009 - Reserve Yours March 16!
link here
B. Here is information about alchemy & artifacts at the British Museum mentioned at BC:
“Even Martin Luther is quoted for praising Alchemy, "not only for its practicle ... Why are there artifacts of gold in the British Museum…,” quoting The Alchemy Web Site:
link here
C. Thought this interesting in light of Ramtha's Obama & the Black Pope Prophecy:
link here
“Hans Küng says Obama would make a better Pope”
From Catholic Culture:
link here
D. March events at RSE:
link here
E. Chocolate Bunnies and eggs at JZ Rose!
link here
F. Join In the Magic of Primary Retreat 2009 | Knowledge.Experience.Truth
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. Support our locally owned businesses: Yelm True Value
B. Yelm short on revenue – eyes cuts. Thurston County cuts
C. Yelm Blog 3 years old; local newspaper revamps website for third time in as many years – all archived stories gone.
D. Dollars for Scholars Auction
E. Yelm holds Water System Plan update
F. Olympia Film Society holds benefit
G. Daylight Savings Time returns tonight
H. Permaculture Class offered
I. Nancy Hillman returns to Yelm in Seasoned Readings
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every other species, even the earth itself, has cause to fear our power to exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it chooses to do so, will go to great effort to save what it might destroy."
Wallace Stegner (1909-1993)
American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist, often called "The Dean of Western Writers"
From Wikipedia:
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2009.
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 MARCH 2, 2009
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Dear Readers;
Since beginning the Korner in September, 2001, I have answered every e-mail I receive. I appreciate all of you who have written, however my e-mail volume is such that I am no longer able to respond to every e-mail. Please know I appreciate the links you send if you get no response.
Follow-up to recent story:
“‘Record’ Atlantic swim raises more questions”
“Spokesman admits Figge probably only swam 250 of 2,500-mile journey”
From the AP:
link here
Steve Klein
1. “IS QUANTUM MECHANICS CONTROLLING YOUR THOUGHTS?”
“Remarkably, photosynthesis appears to derive its ferocious efficiency not from the familiar physical laws that govern the visible world but from the seemingly exotic rules of quantum mechanics, the physics of the subatomic world. Somehow, in every green plant or photosynthetic bacterium, the two disparate realms of physics not only meet but mesh harmoniously. Welcome to the strange new world of quantum biology.
On the face of things, quantum mechanics and the biological sciences do not mix. Biology focuses on larger-scale processes, from molecular interactions between proteins and DNA up to the behavior of organisms as a whole; quantum mechanics describes the often-strange nature of electrons, protons, muons, and quarks—the smallest of the small. Many events in biology are considered straightforward, with one reaction begetting another in a linear, predictable way. By contrast, quantum mechanics is fuzzy because when the world is observed at the subatomic scale, it is apparent that particles are also waves: A dancing electron is both a tangible nugget and an oscillation of energy. (Larger objects also exist in particle and wave form, but the effect is not noticeable in the macroscopic world.),” quoting Discover Magazine.
link here .
2. “NEW DEVICE READS MINDS PRETTY WELL”
“Canadian researchers say they can glean simple preferences from a person's brain by shining near-infrared light into the noggin.
The study, reported in the Journal of Neural Engineering, demonstrated the ability to decode a person's preference for one of two drinks with 80 percent accuracy by measuring the intensity of near-infrared light absorbed in brain tissue, the scientists said in a statement today...
Near-infrared light has a longer wavelength than visible light,” quoting LiveScience.
link here .
3. “BIRD BRAIN? ANIMAL SMARTS SURPRISE EXPERTS”
“Monkeys perform mental math, pigeons can select the picture that doesn't belong. Humans may not be the only animals that plan for the future, say researchers reporting on the latest studies of animal mental ability.
"I suggest we humans should keep our egos in check," Edward A. Wasserman of the University of Iowa said Thursday [Feb. 12] at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Wasserman, a professor of experimental psychology, said that, like people, pigeons and baboons were able to tell which pictures showed similar items, like triangles or dots, and which showed different items,” quoting the AP:
link here .
4. “BOY WITH THE INCREDIBLE BRAIN”
“This is an in-depth look at the astonishing mental capabilities of Daniel Tammet, born in Britain, and from a young age able to do extraordinary calculations in his head. Skeptics have thrown a number of challenges at him, for instance testing his ability to recite to 22,500 decimal points the calculation of Pi, as well as learning a language in a week. Tammet, in his gentle unassuming way, has passed all the tests and offers this concluding statement about the phenomenon of savants: ‘The line between profound talent and profound disability is a surprisingly thin one,’" quoting KarmaTube.
link here .
5. “WIRELESS ELECTRICITY IS HERE (SERIOUSLY)”
“Tesla's dream has come true. After more than 100 years of dashed hopes, several companies are coming to market with technologies that can safely transmit power through the air -- a breakthrough that portends the literal and figurative untethering of our electronic age. Until this development, after all, the phrase "mobile electronics" has been a lie: How portable is your laptop if it has to feed every four hours, like an embryo, through a cord? How mobile is your phone if it shuts down after too long away from a plug? And how flexible is your business if your production area can't shift because you can't move the ceiling lights?
The world is about to be cured of its attachment disorder,” quoting MSN.
link here .
6. “HUMAN EVOLUTION KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR”
“For decades the consensus view — among the public as well as the world’s preeminent biologists—has been that human evolution is over…
So to suggest that humans have undergone an evolutionary makeover from Stone Age times to the present is nothing short of blasphemous. Yet a team of researchers has done just that.
They find an abundance of recent adaptive mutations etched in the human genome; even more shocking, these mutations seem to be piling up faster and ever faster, like an avalanche. Over the past 10,000 years, their data show, human evolution has occurred a hundred times more quickly than in any other period in our species’ history,” quoting Discover.
link here .
7. “FORGET DENTURES: WHY NOT GROW NEW TEETH?"
“Ever wonder why sharks get several rows of teeth and people only get one? Some geneticists did, and their discovery could spur work to help adults one day grow new teeth when their own wear out.
A single gene appears to be in charge, preventing additional tooth formation in species destined for a limited set. When the scientists bred mice that lacked that gene, the rodents developed extra teeth next to their first molars — backups like sharks and other non-mammals grow, University of Rochester scientists reported Thursday [Feb. 26],” quoting the AP.
link here .
8. “LIVING (MOSTLY) OFF THE GRID”
“The Dervaes are living the green life in Pasadena, Calif.,” quoting the New York Times Magazine.
link here .
9. “POWERFUL SOLAR STORM COULD SHUT DOWN U. S. FOR MONTHS”
“A new study from the National Academy of Sciences outlines grim possibilities on Earth for a worst-case scenario solar storm.
Damage to power grids and other communications systems could be catastrophic, the scientists conclude, with effects leading to a potential loss of governmental control of the situation.
The prediction is based in part on a major solar storm in 1859 that caused telegraph wires to short out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires...
The race is on for better forecasting abilities, as the next peak in solar activity is expected to come around 2012,” quoting FOX News.
link here .
10. “NAVY WANTS TO EMPLOY DOLPHINS AND SEA LIONS AS SECURITY GUARDS”
“The U.S. Navy may be nearing completion on plans to use sea lions and dolphins to catch underwater trespassers along the Hood Canal [Outside Seattle]…
Trained dolphins would be used at night and would be accompanied by handlers in small boats. The dolphins would alert the handler if they noticed an intruder. The handler would then place a strobe light on a dolphin's nose, and the creature would return and bump the intruder, causing the light to come free and float to the surface. Guards would then find and subdue the intruder.
Sea lions would be trained to carry in their mouths a special cuff attached to a long rope and clamp the cuff around the leg of a suspicious swimmer, who then could be reeled in for questioning,” quoting Seattle’s KING-5 TV.
link here .
11. ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
A. “Farmers returning to witchcraft to find water”
From Fox:
link here
B. “Global warming changing birds' habits”
“Study: Many North American species spending winters farther north”
From the AP:
link here
And:
“Study: Warming climate to hurt Calif bird species”
From the Contra Costa (CA.) Times:
link here
C. “Blowin' in the Wind: Turbines Take Off”
From ANC News:
link here
D. “China's artificially induced snow closes 12 highways”
From Reuters:
link here
E. “New Yorkers Try Composting With Worms
From the NYTimes.com:
link here .
12. SOCIO-ECONOMIC NEWS
A. “Let's Talk About Sex”
Sexuality education program in church from the Boston Globe:
link here
B. “Autoworker families see end of the line”
“Way of life for several generations is vanishing”
From the Chicago Tribune:
link here
C. “How to Save Your Newspaper”
From TIME Magazine:
link here
And: “San Francisco Chronicle may shut down”
From Reuters:
link here
D. “Pa. judges accused of jailing kids for cash”
“Judges allegedly took $2.6 million in payoffs to put juveniles in lockups”
From the AP:
link here
E. “Senate to investigate CIA's actions under Bush”
From the LA Times:
link here
F. “After the Financial Crisis, Civil War?..."
From France’s LeMonde translated in Truthout:
link here
And: “A Planet at the Brink: Will Economic Brushfires Prove Too Virulent to Contain?”
From TomDispatch in Truthout:
link here
G. “Buffett: Economy will remain in 'shambles'”
“Annual letter to shareholders says crisis has led to 'paralyzing fear”
From MSNBC:
link here
H. “Gold coin shortage as demand soars”
From the Financial Times:
link here .
RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS
A. Yelm Mayor Harding tells the NVN JZ Knight may have influenced State Bill 5867.
Read JZ’s statement regarding the Mayor’s comments to the NVN and misrepresentations about her case before a WA. State Senate Committee:
link here
B. Home Study Program is now available to order Online! Register Today.
link here
C. RSE-Auctions Has New Items For Bid - Come Bid March 4th!
link here
D. RSE "Tank Days" 2009 Events - Come Join Us!
link here
E. NEW Easter Arrivals! JZ Rose Online Easter Gifts & Decor SALE!
link here
F. 20% off Diane James at JZ Rose!
link here
G. From the February RSE newsletter:
1. Ramtha on President Obama and the Black Pope Prophecy
link here
2. Ramtha's School of Enlightenment Montage
link here
3. Three RSE students’ accomplishments:
link here
4. JZ Knight in the media:
link here .
LOCAL NOTES
Covered last week of the Yelm Community Blog
A. Mayor misrepresents case against city to State Senate
B. Trader Joe’s coming to Olympia
C. Yelm Bypass nixed in Federal Stimulus Package
D. Now Yelm Chamber spins retail sales data inaccurately
E. Mayor places ‘foot in mouth’ on Yelm Library funding
F. Yelm animal rescue robbery
G. Nisqually Land Trust offers volunteer plantings in watershed
link here .
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Nothing we achieve in this world is achieved alone.
It is always achieved with others teaching us along the way.”
Lee J. Colan
Leadership expert, advisor
From his book "INSPIRE!"
link here .
Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2009.
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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