UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR MAY 2005
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner for Week of May 30, 2005 AMERICA'S MEMORIAL DAY While the last Monday in May in the USA marks the unofficial kickoff to the summer vacation season, this day also is Memorial Day, “originally called Decoration Day, [and] is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service… Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three-day weekend for Federal holidays)…,” quoting this site. link here Won’t you consider pausing this weekend to remember all of those who gave their life or limb in this nation’s wars, whether Congress righteously entered us into these conflicts or not? [Ed. Note: Oh, by the way, the U. S. Constitution says this nation can only enter war by an act of Congress, not by Presidential decree. Congress gave this President only the authority to send troops, so the USA is not officially at war with Iraq as no war has been declared by the U. S. Congress. "'It is an interesting fact that our country has won every declared war and lost every undeclared war,' said the president of the Conservative Caucus Research, Analysis, and Education Foundation Inc." link here ] See U. S. Constitution Section 8, clause 11. link here 1. SEE-THROUGH-CLOTHES SEARCHES AT AIRPORTS, MAIL BEING OPENED, PASSENGER LUGGAGE INSPECTED WITHOUT THE PASSENGER PRESENT, & ALL VISITORS FINGERPRINTED. IS THIS NEWS OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION? NO, THIS IS AMERICA TODAY! "The airport security systems of the future can see through clothes for weapons, sniff a person for explosives and determine what's in a bottle without opening it. At Orlando International Airport the future is now, as six prototype security systems will begin operation over the next few days [Mar., 2002]," quoting CBS News. link here From the BBC link here And this USA Today article from last week on the subject: link here "The F.B.I. would gain broad authority to track the mail of people in terror investigations under a Bush administration proposal, officials said Friday, but the Postal Service is already raising privacy concerns about the plan," quoting The New York Times. link here Read the whole New York Times story on this here: link here "A US requirement for visitors to be fingerprinted and photographed is being expanded to include citizens from America's closest allies, " quoting the BBC from last year. link here . 2. MARK OF THE BEAST RELENTLESSLY GETTING CLOSER "Paying by credit card is about to get a little bit easier. JPMorgan Chase & Co. on Thursday [May 19] said it plans to launch a new credit card that will allow users to pay for items by simply holding the card near a terminal instead of manually swiping it, in an effort to increase the speed and convenience of card purchases. The new card, being marketed under the name 'blink' on Chase credit cards, will come equipped with encrypted data readable by a point-of-sale terminal at the checkout counter. At the time of purchase, cardholders can place their card near the terminal, which will emit a tone confirming payment, the bank said," quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: Next, a subcutaneous chip placed under your skin that you place near the reader. ] link here Think this Editor's Note is too far-fetched? Read on: "Applied Digital Solutions is hoping that Americans can be persuaded to undergo a surgical procedure, which is performed with local anaesthetic and embeds a 12-by-2.1mm RFID tag in the flesh of a human arm," quoting Silicon.com link here . 3. AMAZON RIVER DEFORESTATION UP SIX PERCENT IN 2004 "Deforestation in the Amazon rain forest in 2004 was the second worst ever, figures released by the Brazilian government showed Wednesday. Satellite photos and data showed that ranchers, soybean farmers, and loggers burned and cut down a near-record area of 10,088 square miles of rain forest in the 12 months ending in August 2004, the Brazilian Environmental Ministry said," quoting the AP. link here . 4. NOAA PREDICTS ANOTHER ABOVE NORMAL HURRICANE SEASON -- HEAT RELEASE ”NOAA hurricane forecasters are predicting another above-normal hurricane season on the heels of last year's destructive and historic hurricane season. NOAA's prediction for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is for 12 to15 tropical storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator at a news conference today [May 16] in Bay St. Louis, Miss," quoting NOAA. link here And NOAA’s homepage: link here . 5. MORE KNOWLEDGE KNOWN ABOUT 2004’S TSUNAMI "Sumatra-Andaman earthquake that generated the devastating tsunami in December was so powerful that the ground shook everywhere on the Earth's surface and weeks later the planet still trembled. 'No point on Earth remained undisturbed,' said Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado. Ground movement of at least 0.4 inch occurred everywhere as a result of the strongest quake in more than 40 years, though the sensation was not noticed in many areas. The quake resulted from the longest fault rupture ever observed — 720 miles to 780 miles, which spread for 10 minutes. A typical earthquake lasts for 30 seconds," quoting the AP. link here . 6. CALIFORNIA NOW HAS ONLINE EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION MAP "The U.S. Geological Survey has published a map you can see online that will help you figure out how likely a strong earthquake is in your area. It's based on two factors we're all familiar with: earthquakes are territorial, so places that have seen them before are more likely to see them again; and aftershocks are likely to follow earthquakes. 'We can put the two together mathematically to predict where shaking is more likely or less likely to occur in the next 24-hour period,' said USGS Chief Scientist Bill Ellsworth said," quoting CBS News. link here And, the map: link here . 7. SHEEP-CLONING SCIENTIST ASKS WOMEN TO DONATE EGGS – HMMM! “The scientist who cloned Dolly the Sheep is to ask Scottish women to donate their eggs for groundbreaking research on stem cells from cloned human embryos,” quoting the Scotsman. [Ed. Note: This writer is not for cloning.] link here . 8. MORE ON NERVE CELL DAMAGE FROM EXPOSURE TO CELL PHONES "The possible risks of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields for the human body is a growing concern for our society. We have previously shown that weak pulsed microwaves give rise to a significant leakage of albumin through the blood-brain barrier. In this study we investigated whether a pathologic leakage across the blood-brain barrier might be combined with damage to the neurons. Three groups each of eight rats were exposed for 2 hr to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) mobile phone electromagnetic fields of different strengths. We found highly significant (/p/ < 0.002) evidence for neuronal damage in the cortex, hippocampus, and basal ganglia in the brains of exposed rats," quoting Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), which is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact of the environment on human health. EHP content is free online and available in print issues through paid subscription. link here . 9. "SCIENTISTS SAY SUNSHINE MAY PREVENT CANCER" "Scientists are excited about a vitamin again...The vitamin is D, nicknamed the "sunshine vitamin" because the skin makes it from ultraviolet rays. Sunscreen blocks its production, but dermatologists and health agencies have long preached that such lotions are needed to prevent skin cancer. Now some scientists are questioning that advice. The reason is that vitamin D increasingly seems important for preventing and even treating many types of cancer. In the last three months alone, four separate studies found it helped protect against lymphoma and cancers of the prostate, lung and, ironically, the skin. The strongest evidence is for colon cancer. Many people aren't getting enough vitamin D. It's hard to do from food and fortified milk alone, and supplements are problematic. So the thinking is this: Even if too much sun leads to skin cancer, which is rarely deadly, too little sun may be worse. No one is suggesting that people fry on a beach. But many scientists believe that "safe sun" - 15 minutes or so a few times a week without sunscreen - is not only possible but helpful to health," quoting the AP. link here . 10. SMOKING AMONG WOMEN IN U. S. DROPS TO 30 YEAR LOW “Smoking among women in the United States has dropped below one in five for the first time in nearly 30 years, the government said Thursday [May 26]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 21.6 percent of U.S. adults smoked in 2003, down slightly from 22.5 percent the year before. Smoking in the United States has generally declined year after year over the past two decades…The CDC also found that 2003 had the lowest proportion of smokers ages 18 to 24 (23.9 percent) since 1991,” quoting the AP. link here . 11. WARNING: AVIAN FLU COULD CAUSE HUMAN FLU PANDEMIC The Journal Nature says this month: “Welcome to this Web Focus on Avian Flu, containing news and scientific reports warning about the potential for a new human flu pandemic in the near future. All eyes are on the H5N1 virus which is endemic in both domestic and wild birds in Asia and has already infected and killed more than 50 people; the virus is becoming increasingly virulent, and has been detected in pigs - the ideal 'mixing vessel' for a potentially pandemic strain to evolve that spreads rapidly from person to person. WHO and collaborators are ramping up surveillance efforts and developing new vaccines, while investigations into other influenza virus strains and past pandemics are providing important clues to what it might take for a new pandemic to occur. Studies of the action and structure of influenza viruses, and immune responses against them, are helping to lay the foundations for the development of new drugs and vaccines. Produced in association with The Royal Institution World Science Assembly. link here And this from the Scotsman: link here . 12. LOCAL AREA TALENT MAKES HEALDINES IN THE NEWS Highlighting what our local friends in this community add to the world has always been of interest to this writer. This week, Susie Kyle's work was brought to the forefront of Western Washington thanks to this Olympian story: "There's a nasturtium in my salad and a vibrant orange calendula gracing the rim of my plate. Do I politely eat around these lovelies or stab them with my fork and pop them into my mouth? Edible flowers continue to gain popularity and are making their way to a meal near you!...Winlock Meadows Farm in southwest Washington, which has a booth at Olympia Farmers Market, can get you started on your foray into edible flowers. Start easy with a few additions to your leafy salad or toss a few with your fruit salad. The farm's spring edible flowers include arugula, borage, bachelor buttons, dianthus, pansies, and a few seasonal surprises. Susie Kyle, owner, founder and developer of Winlock Meadows, got an early start in her heated greenhouse, so summer flowers such as nasturtiums already are available. Her organic farm is a tangible result of her passion to provide customers with top quality, environmentally sustainable, farm-fresh veggies, small fruits, poultry, eggs, and seasonal delights." link here Ms. Kyle has a fabulous website filled with more recipes and ideas for those of you that do not live in the area and desire to take advantage of her extensive knowledge: link here Ms. Kyle’s Farm Bank Project is “a grassroots effort to preserve small family farms and farmland, to restore community based economics, and to do projects around small family farms that build and strengthen our community.” link here And, USA Today recently weighed in on Community-supported agriculture (CSA). link here . CLARIFICATION This writer has highlighted the movie What The Bleep for well over a year on these pages. While this movie has reached worldwide and well-deserved notoriety, I realized recently that since Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment (RSE) was the inspiration for this landmark film, the birthplace for this movie should not be overlooked. Therefore, this section will now feature Ramtha’s School news and include news of What the Bleep on occasion. What the Bleep is now showing in London: link here JZ Knight’s Outback Boutique will be hosting the Yelm Chamber of Commerce “After Hours” evening on Thursday, June 9th from 5:30pm – 7pm. To attend you must be a Chamber member. For questions, contact the Chamber: link here The Outback Boutique is just one of Ms. Knight’s local Yelm-based businesses. Turn up your volume and enjoy the music selection. link here JZ is a leading business woman here in her own right and a Chamber patron sponsor: link here Her other Yelm businesses include JZK Publishing: link here Elfin Magical Capes [Ed. Note: this writer bought one!] link here And the Quintessential School of the Mind: link here . OF LOCAL NOTE 2004 saw Puget Sound record a record 88 days above 80 degrees. While that may sound funny to those living elsewhere in the country, that is very unusual for the Northwest. Record heat again has poured into the area; “Edging past the old mark of 87 degrees for May 26 set in 1947, the thermometer offered an 88-degree reading for the books at 4 p.m. yesterday at Sea-Tac Airport,” quoting the Seattle PI. link here And the record high at Olympia Airport as well: link here The heat continued to break records on May 27. “The high of 92 degrees, recorded shortly before 5 p.m., broke the previous record high for May 27: 86 degrees set in 1972,” quoting The Olympian. link here “The National Weather Service issued its first-ever heat advisory for Seattle yesterday, prompted by a second day of record temperatures. Sea-Tac Airport reported 89 degrees, breaking the record of 86 set in 1972,” quoting the Seattle P-I. link here “More than 20 U.S. cities [including Seattle & Portland] are using a new forecasting system to predict extreme summer heat more accurately to warn residents sooner when conditions threaten to turn deadly,” quoting USA Today. link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Committee – a group of men who individually can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can be done.” Fred Allen (John Florence Sullivan) 1894-1956 American humorist to whom this is attributed . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of May 23, 2005 Dear Readers; “President Bush threatened on Friday [May 20] to veto legislation that would loosen restrictions on government funding of embryonic stem cell research, and expressed concern about human cloning research in South Korea…Bush, who has yet to veto a bill during his presidency, said the legislation would violate his principles…Bush expressed concern about a reported stem cell advance in South Korea. A South Korean scientist said on Friday a groundbreaking study on stem cell research was funded with less than $200,000 a year in largely government grants. Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University said they had successfully created batches of embryonic stem cells from patients,” quoting Reuters. [Ed. Note: Now this guy will send troops to Iraq to die as 1,600 soldiers have done, another 100,000 Iraqis also paid with their lives and 15,000 more have been wounded, yet he has an issue with “killing” embryonic stem cells for research that would help people. Hello?? Where is the connect here?] link here 1. JORDAN’S QUEEN NOOR SUPPLIES UNIQUE VIEW OF MIDDLE EAST This writer just completed a book that I found riveting in the knowledge represented of issues surrounding the Middle East from someone who has a broad perspective, Queen Noor of Jordan. Her Majesty Queen Noor's own official website: link here Former American born and raised Lisa Halaby became consort for a king, not just any king, rather one of the world's most beloved kings, King Hussein of Jordan. My truth is that if the world read and understood this lady's views, we would be a lot more enlightened on the state of affairs in the Middle East and see things more balanced, rather than always through the eyes of the Israeli or Arab lobbies about our county's affairs in dealings with Israel and its neighbors. This writer knew of the former Ms. Halaby when I was a student intern at Eastern Airlines and her father was the head of Pan Am. Her Majesty's book is titled "Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life" link here “U.S. First Lady Laura Bush started a goodwill tour of the Middle East on Friday [May 20] acknowledging America's image in the Muslim world was badly damaged by a prisoner abuse scandal and a retracted magazine report that U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran. Laura Bush said she hoped her five-day mission to Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt, on which she will stress the importance of giving more political freedom to women, will help repair that damage,” quoting Reuters. link here "Laura Bush on Saturday encouraged Middle Eastern leaders to expand women's participation in their societies as she herself took on a new role as an international goodwill ambassador..." quoting CBS News. link here . 2. BEST-KEPT SECRET OF IRAQ WAR: ILLEGAL DEPLETED URANIUM USED "'I'm horrified. The people out there - the Iraqis, the media, and the troops - risk the most appalling ill health. And the radiation from depleted uranium can travel literally anywhere. It's going to destroy the lives of thousands of children, all over the world. We all know how far radiation can travel. Radiation from Chernobyl reached Wales and in Britain you sometimes get red dust from the Sahara on your car.' The speaker is not some alarmist doomsayer. He is Dr. Chris Busby, the British radiation expert, Fellow of the University of Liverpool in the Faculty of Medicine and UK representative on the European Committee on Radiation Risk, talking about the best-kept secret of this war: the fact that by illegally using hundreds of tons of depleted uranium (DU) against Iraq, Britain and America have gravely endangered not only the Iraqis but the whole world," quoting Vive le Canada. link here . 3. MONKEYS FIGURE HOW TO UNDO CAGE LOCKS AND ESCAPE "Officials captured 47 monkeys that had escaped from the Tulane Primate Center, but six remained on the loose Tuesday and seemed to be hiding out in a heavily wooded area near the site. The monkeys escaped Monday [May 9] evening. Officials said the monkeys got loose because a cage was not locked properly. The monkeys had observed how the cage was opened and closed and apparently used that knowledge to their advantage," quoting the AP. link here . 4. SEATTLE MAKING INROADS ON IMMUNOLOGY MAPS "The Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), a nonprofit research institute dedicated to studying and applying systems biology, announced today that four scientists in disciplines ranging from immunology to proteomics have been named as faculty members. 'ISB has taken a significant step forward in its growth as a research institute, stated Dr. Leroy Hood,' ISB president. 'I know that these individuals will each play a significant role in fulfilling the institute's mission.' In June of 2004, ISB embarked on a recruitment effort to add additional faculty members to further build out its capabilities. The areas of emphasis in the search focused on the biology of model systems; biological systems involved in immune responses; the development of technologies required for systems analysis; and computational, mathematical and statistical tools to understand, model and analyze biological systems... The final faculty candidate appointed is Dr. Ilya Shmulevich, currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. 'Ilya brings a rare combination of talents to ISB -- as a mathematical scientist with a very deep interest and understanding of biology. I know he will contribute significantly to the computational and mathematical challenges we face in studying and applying systems biology,' stated Dr. Alan Aderem, ISB director," quoting their website. [Ed. Note: This writer recently learned that Dr. Shmulevich is related to a cousin of mine.] link here . 5. ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS 60 YEARS LATER MEET ANNUALLY IN SEATTLE "In August it will be 60 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Six decades later, we are still learning about the medical effects from the deadly blast. That's why for the past 30 years survivors come to Seattle to meet with Japanese and America doctors. Eighty-two-year-old Henry Taniguchi considers himself one of the lucky ones. He was 22 years old and was at his home in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb dropped... Thanks to his participation and hundreds of others, doctors from Japan and Seattle's Pacific Medical Center are able to follow his medical history and help him if anything comes up. The problem is aging. As the population of Japanese survivors gets older, the medical issues have changed," reports KING-5 TV Seattle. link here . 6. BUILDINGS DESIGNED TO GENERATE MORE ENERGY THAN THEY CONSUME "Imagine buildings that generate more energy than they consume and factories whose waste water is clean enough to drink. William McDonough has accomplished these tasks and more. Architect, industrial designer and founder of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry in Charlottesville, Va., he's not your traditional environmentalist. Others may expend their energy fighting for stricter environmental regulations and repeating the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle." McDonough's vision for the future includes factories so safe they /need/ no regulation, and novel, safe materials that can be totally reprocessed into new goods, so there's no reason to scale back consumption (or lose jobs). In short, he wants to overhaul the Industrial Revolution—which would sound crazy if he weren't working with Fortune 500 companies and the government of China to make it happen," quoting Newsweek. link here . 7. DISCOVER: “THE DOCTOR WHO DOESN’T CHECK HIS CHOLESTEROL" ‘Bypass surgery belongs in the medical archives . . . No Western European nation has as high a rate of bypass surgery and angioplasty as we do—and they live longer’ By Susan Dominus, DISCOVER Vol. 26 No. 06 | June 2005 | Biology & Medicine "For three decades Nortin Hadler, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been rigorously examining statistics generated by his medical colleagues’ practices and arriving at startling conclusions about their effectiveness. To take just one example, Hadler is credited with leading a complete rethinking about the treatment of back pain, which he finds excessive. He wrote the editorial accompanying a landmark study in The Journal of the American Medical Association two years ago suggesting that the benefits of surgery for back pain are overrated. He has also taken on heart treatment, testifying before Congress and the Social Security Advisory Board and publishing papers arguing that very little data back up the value of modern treatments like bypass surgery and angioplasty. He took his case about cardiac care and other health issues to the public in 'The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System' (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2004)." link here Of course, KK readers are well aware that Yelm’s own Dr. Elmer Cranton has said the same thing for years and thoroughly examines this concept in his landmark book titled “Bypassing Bypass Surgery” link here . 8. KNOW THERE ARE GROUPS OUT THERE TO ASSIST YOU -- "Consumer Action is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that was founded in San Francisco in 1971. Since then Consumer Action has continued to serve consumers nationwide by advancing consumer rights, referring consumers to complaint-handling agencies through our free hotline, publishing educational materials in Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages, advocating for consumers in the media and before lawmakers, and comparing prices on credit cards, bank accounts, and long distance services," quoting their website. [Ed. Note: Issues they deal with are credit cards, immigration, money management, privacy rights, et cetera.] link here . 9. SAVING WATER & MONEY BY COLLECTING RAINWATER IN NW “Talk about rain barrels. North End resident Tim Bennecker has taken the concept to the max with a 1,700-gallon cistern buried in his front yard…Bennecker doesn’t know how much water he’ll collect off the roofs of his 2,000-square-foot house and separate garage. He bought the biggest polyethylene cistern his front yard would hold, trucked from a Minnesota factory. He’ll continue buying drinking water from the city, but he expects his collection system will reduce his bill. Bennecker plans to keep a water tally and eventually ask city officials for credit against his $2.75 monthly stormwater fee. His utility account has already been flagged – “It’s that crazy guy in the North End with the tank in his front yard” – so officials know what’s up,” quoting the Tacoma News-Tribune. link here . 10. REPORT PROPOSES STRUCTURE FOR CORD BLOOD BANK NETWORK “To achieve a more cohesive national system for storing and distributing lifesaving stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should establish a new National Cord Blood Policy Board to set rules for the donation, collection, and use of this resource, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. In addition, the department's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) should call for proposals to identify an organization that can serve as a new Cord Blood Coordinating Center to manage daily operations of cord blood banking and allocation nationwide, says the congressionally requested report. Blood from umbilical cords -- a byproduct of normal childbirth -- is a good source of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), the type of stem cells also found in bone marrow that give rise to various kinds of blood cells. Transplants of these stem cells have saved the lives of roughly 20,000 Americans with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and several other illnesses in recent years, the report notes. But thousands of patients who might benefit from a transplant die every year waiting for a match. Although 22 public banks have been established in the United States to collect, store, and distribute donated cord blood containing these cells, these banks operate without any centralized coordination, noted the committee that wrote the report,” quoting The National Academies. link here . 11. STUDIES: BRAIN RESEARCH YIELDS SURPRISING RESULTS “Acupuncture has a measurable, if mysterious, effect on the brain, UK scientists have found. The study adds to evidence that patients benefit from acupuncture not simply because of their expectations. The research team used brain imaging to show that treatment with genuine needles activates brain areas beyond the ones that light up when trick needles are used. ‘This is the first brain-imaging study that has shown an effect beyond placebo,’ says George Lewith, an expert in complementary medicine at the University of Southampton who led the study,” quoting the journal Nature. [Ed. Note: Good news for all of us that a major science journal is formally acknowledging this research.] link here “If you want to stir up trouble at a party--or better still, a bar--try bringing up the question of whether homosexuality is something people are born with or something they choose. The issue has always been controversial, and it's currently at the center of a national political debate as well, thanks to the question of gay marriage...That's exactly what happened last week. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who had earlier shown that hormonelike pheromones stimulate the human hypothalamus--a part of the brain that governs sexual arousal--took the experiment one provocative step further. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they reported that gay men don't respond to the chemicals the same way that straight men do. ‘It clearly substantiates the idea that there's a biological substrate for sexual orientation,’ says Dean Hamer, a geneticist at the National Institutes of Health and the author of Science of Desire: The Gay Gene and the Biology of Behavior (Simon & Schuster; 272 pages). ‘This is a highly significant result,’” quoting TIME. link here “Women seem to suffer as much brain damage from booze as men after a shorter period of abuse, says a team of German scientists,” quoting the journal Nature. link here . 12. FOLLOW-UP: HYDROGEN CAR STORY FROM LAST WEEK “While Micah Hinton does deserve some credit as a student with an inquiring mind, he doesn't quite rise to the prodigy engineer level ascribed to him in a story circulating about his allegedly original Solar Hydrogen car that runs on water and needs no replenishment. His instructor, Colin Baird, clarifies that Micah did not build the model car from scratch as the story implies, but bought it as a kit from Kelvin.com, which supplies science kits for students. link here . RAMTHA'S SCHOOL NEWS "'Assay VI is the quintessential summer event of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment where concepts of the mind meet form and matter. Students of the world, it's time to make your pilgrimage to attend the Assay VI experience. You'll be exceedingly glad you did. – JZ Knight,'" from the RSE website. Assay VI is held on the Yelm campus June 17-26. View the fabulous mailer JZ sent to her current students worldwide. link here Further, JZ will be speaking at the Miami Prophets Conference being held June 3-5 at the Biscayne Bay Marriott. Ms. Knight's session is from 4-5:30pm with her "sending and receiving" demonstration from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. link here This weekend is open to the public. Register here: link here “For those current students who cannot attend Assay VI, you can sign up to watch Ramtha live on your computer via streaming video as he speaks with the Assay VI students who are attending the event in Yelm, WA. June 17 & 24. You will be sent instructions on how to access the streaming video after you sign up.” link here . OF LOCAL NOTE “Longtime Yelm residents remember when their only traffic signal was a caution sign. A few decades ago, Yelm was a little rural town, more like an extended family than an urban center, say those who were born and raised there. Nowadays, the fastest-growing city in Thurston County is preparing for a highway bypass, building urban centers amid farmland and negotiating for a proposed Wal-Mart...This kind of population explosion typically challenges social services and changes the face of city government, said Yonn Dierwechter, an urban studies professor at the University of Washington Tacoma. It’s a little easier here because the state requires planning for growth through the Growth Management Act, he said. Dierwechter predicts the biggest shift for Yelm probably will be in its identity and culture. The master plan community might attract a different crowd and newcomers might want more say in their government,” quoting the Tacoma News Tribune. link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid." Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) 34th President of the USA a Republican (same as Bush) in a letter written to his brother on November 8, 1954 link here . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com. Kleiner's Korner For Week of May 16, 2005 Dear Readers; As I have been hearing for quite some time now from other sources, super volcanoes are a major threat in the USA and for the world. "The Yellowstone caldera has been classified a high threat for volcanic eruption, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey. Yellowstone ranks 21st most dangerous of the 169 volcano centers in the United States, according to the Geological Survey's first-ever comprehensive review of the nation's volcanoes... Recurring earthquake swarms, swelling and falling ground, and changes in hydrothermal features are cited in the report as evidence of unrest at Yellowstone," quoting the AP on MSNBC. [Ed. Note: What is always omitted is the Long Valley Caldera of California, which is of a similar nature to Yellowstone. Here is the USGS link to the Long Valley Caldera. [ link here ] The full U. S. Geological Survey Report of April 25, 2005: link here 1. MORE BLACKOUTS PREDICTED THIS SUMMER FOR USA & EUROPE "Europe and North America face the risk of renewed power blackouts this summer because utility groups have failed to invest enough in electricity generation and transmission capacity, the International Energy Agency, the developed world's energy monitor, has warned. Over the past three years, London, New York, and several cities across southern Europe have been hit by big power failures during the summer because the growing use of air-conditioners has driven demand to peak levels," quoting London's Financial Times. link here . 2. HYDROGEN CAR PRODUCED BY HIGH-SCHOOLER-- NOW IS HIS TEST; CAN HE STAY ALIVE IF HE PRODUCES A FULL-SCALE MODEL? "While Micah Hinton aspires to be a heavy-metal drummer, his real talent may be for engineering. The sophomore at Southwest Open School in Cortez [CO.] demonstrated this recently when he built a model car powered by hydrogen and placed it on display in a gallery at the school. Hinton first suggested the idea while studying renewable energy in a class combining science and math taught by Colin Biard. The notion baffled the teacher. 'I never knew they existed,' Biard said. Hinton's car - about the size of a football - runs on distilled water. A solar panel provides energy to begin the reaction that splits hydrogen from water. The car is so efficient it can even motor and create hydrogen at the same time," quoting this Cortez Journal story in the Durango [CO.] Herald. link here . 3. LOCAL ORDINANCES AGAINST VIDEO GAMES FOR MINORS GAINING STEAM "When a rash of car thefts hit Washington DC recently, a city council member proposed a solution that did not require more police officers. 'Lots of people who know what they're talking about say that young people are playing and emulating games like Grand Theft Auto,' says Adrian Fenty, a Democrat. In February, Mr Fenty introduced a bill that would restrict minors' access to violent video games. The bill is making its way through the council. Mr Fenty's idea is part of a growing movement among US states and municipalities - including Illinois, Michigan, Washington State, and California - that are considering enacting similar laws. The video games industry, which sold $7.3bn (€5.7bn, £3.8bn) worth of software in 2004 in the US, views such efforts as unconstitutional, and is devoting time, money and resources to kill these bills before they become law," quoting the Financial Times. link here . 4. FOLLOW-UP: “US TOURISM ‘LOSING BILLIONS BECAUSE OF IMAGE’" "The US is losing billions of dollars as international tourists are deterred from visiting the US because of a tarnished image overseas and more bureaucratic visa policies, travel industry leaders have warned. 'It's an economic imperative to address these problems,' said Roger Dow, chief executive of the Travel Industry Association of America, tourism's main trade body, which concluded its annual convention this weekend in New York. Mr Dow stressed that tourism contributed to a positive perception of the US, which spread across to business. 'If we don't address these issues in tourism, the long-term impact for American brands Coca-Cola, General Motors, McDonald's could be very damaging,' he said. The plea echoed that of other industry trade organisations which say bureaucratic visa procedures and stringent security after the September 11 terrorist attacks have deterred business travellers and foreign students. 'The idea has gotten out that we've pulled in the welcome mat,' said Rick Webster, the association's director of government affairs," quoting the FT. link here . 5. WOMEN MOVED TO FOREFRONT IN DEVELOPING WORLD "Wealthy and developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America on Tuesday [May 10] at the Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on the Advancement of Women in Putrajaya, Malaysia, pledged to "rescue women" from poverty, disease and war, as well as ensure "greater political voice" for women, the... AP/Yahoo! News reports. Government ministers and representatives from 84 of the 116 NAM member nations issued a declaration calling for extensive measures to increase women's participation in government and business and protect them from war, physical and sexual assault and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, according to the AP/Yahoo! News. link here . 6. UN'S MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT PROVIDES SOBERING VIEW Quoting The Ecologist May, 2005 issue, "If you read the right page of the right newspaper on the right day last month you might have noticed the findings of the UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. In case you didn't, or you think they might be worth a second look, here they are again": link here Checkout this book: "For decades our political leaders have touted higher incomes as the way to better lives for us all. But after years of sustained economic growth, we must confront an awful fact: we aren’t any happier. Clive Hamilton’s bestselling book 'Growth Fetish' is the first serious attempt at a politics of change for rich countries dominated by the sickness of affluence, where the real yearning is not for more money, but for authentic identity, and where the future lies in creating a society that promotes the things that really do improve our well-being," from this website. link here [Ed. Note: How well said!] . 7. “FOSTER KIDS USED TO TEST HIV DRUGS” “To gain access to hundreds of HIV-infected foster children, federally funded researchers promised in writing to provide an independent advocate to safeguard the kids' well being as they tested potent AIDS drugs. But most of the time, that special protection never materialized, an Associated Press review has found. The research funded by the National Institutes of Health spanned the country. It was most widespread in the 1990s as foster care agencies sought treatments for their HIV-infected children that weren't yet available in the marketplace. The practice ensured that foster children, mostly poor or minority, received care from world-class researchers at government expense, slowing their rate of death and extending their lives. But it also exposed a vulnerable population to the risks of medical research and drugs that were known to have serious side effects in adults and for which the safety for children was unknown. The research was conducted in at least seven states Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Colorado and Texas and involved more than four dozen different studies. The foster children ranged from infants to late teens, according to interviews and government records,” quoting ABC News. link here "In the wake of the recent cancellation of the CHEERS study in which parents were to be paid to expose their infant children to pesticides, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing a new policy that encourages the same type of human dosing studies by industry. Today [May 9] EPA closes public comment on its "no safeguards" policy of accepting all human subject experiments submitted by industry, according to a filing today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)," quoting Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. link here . 8. READ THIS & YOU’LL NEVER SEE A CHIQUITA THE SAME WAY AGAIN “In the ’70s and ’80s, the banana companies Dole, Del Monte, and Chiquita used a carcinogenic pesticide Nemagon to protect their crops in Nicaragua. Today, the men and women who worked on those plantations suffer from incurable illnesses. Their children are deformed. The companies feign innocence,” quoting In These Times. link here Further, The Ecologist this month had a story how the banana industry is wiping out whole Caribbean economies titled “Bent bananas: “Who’s Dying To Bring You Yours.” link here . 9. IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENT STORIES LAST WEEK ''NATURE AT BAY" DESCRIBES BUSH ENVIRONMENT POLICIES "On Thursday [May 5], the administration repealed one of President Bill Clinton's proudest and most popular environmental initiatives, a rule that placed nearly 60 million acres, or roughly one-third, of the national forests off limits to new road building and development. The Clinton rule gave protection to some of the last truly wild places in America and the fish and wildlife that live there...Meanwhile, the Interior Department continues to move at warp speed to lease ever-larger chunks of the Rocky Mountains to oil and gas companies. At least one governor has had enough. Last month, Bill Richardson of New Mexico filed a suit against a Bureau of Land Management leasing plan that he says would leave 95 percent of the 1.8 million-acre Otero Mesa open to drilling...Mr. Bush's environmental agenda in the 2000 campaign consisted of three promises, none realized. One was to regulate global warming emissions. Another was to eliminate the maintenance backlog in the national parks. And the third was to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the government's main program for creating and preserving parks and wildlife refuges. The program's authorized level is $900 million, half for federal open space purchases, half for state acquisitions. Mr. Bush hasn't come close," quoting The New York Times. link here STUDY: UK, NW EUROPE HEADED FOR SHARP DROP IN TEMPS--GLOBAL WARMING! "Climate change researchers have detected the first signs of a slowdown in the Gulf Stream - the mighty ocean current that keeps Ireland and Europe from freezing. They have found that one of the "engines" driving the Gulf Stream - the sinking of supercooled water in the Greenland Sea - has weakened to less than a quarter of its former strength. The weakening, apparently caused by global warming, could herald big changes in the current over the next few years or decades. Paradoxically, it could lead to Ireland, Britain and northwestern Europe undergoing a sharp drop in temperatures. Such a change has long been predicted by scientists but the new research is among the first to show clear experimental evidence of the phenomenon," quoting the Sunday Times (UK). link here AND: Earthweek's report on this: link here . 10. INTERSPECIES TELEPATHY EXPERIMENTS BY SHELDRAKE "The N'kisi Project is a series of controlled experiments and ongoing research in interspecies communication and telepathy conducted by Aimee Morgana and her language-using parrot N'kisi. The images shown above are stills from the video document 'Initial Interspecies Telepathy Experiments,' a research project with the collaboration and support of Dr. Rupert Sheldrake... N'kisi is a captive-bred, hand-raised Congo African Gray Parrot. He is 4-1/2 years old, and his species has a life span similar to humans. He has received teaching in the use of language for 4 years. He is now one of the world's top 'language-using' animals, with an apparent understanding and appropriate usage of over 700 words," quoting the Sheldrake site.' link here . 11. PACIFIC NORTHWEST SALMON “FLIRTING WITH EXTINCTION" News about "record" salmon and steelhead returns to Pacific Northwest rivers and streams has become commonplace in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho over the past three years. The reality is different. For most of the last two and a half decades the last of the Northwest's once-prolific salmon populations have been flirting with extinction. Recent salmon returns have been a godsend for the struggling northwest economy, providing a much-needed economic influx from increased recreational and commercial salmon fishing and reminding the Pacific Northwest that salmon mean business. Still Northwest salmon continue to be in trouble. Most wild salmon runs in the Columbia Basin are still under three percent of historic numbers and are not yet on the road to recovery. link here [Ed. Note: As Alaska Airlines chartered freighter planeloads are soon to bring salmon from the cold waters of the northern rivers, we would be well-advised to remember the decimation to Northwest salmon runs.] . 12. ORDERING A PIZZA DELIVERY SOON TO BE A CHALLENGE Repeating this fabulous virtual reality phone call coming to a pizza store near you soon. Be sure to turn up your volume. link here . FOLLOW-UP John Perkins of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" fame was interviewed by Yelm’s own Beyond the Ordinary and that session can be found here: link here . WHAT THE BLEEP - THE MOVIE NEWS This writer sent a memo to the Bleep staff that Drew Barrymore was speaking to Jay Leno on the Tonight Show on April 14 about how she creates her day as learned from watching the movie What The Bleep. Now you can view that clip for yourself: link here then scroll to "Watch the interview" and click your appropriate speed. Dr. Ledwith’s website "The Hamburger Universe" is now active. Please check it out and order your DVD from my good friend. DR. Ledwith did his own artwork: link here And: link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "What we're saying today is that you're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem." Eldridge Cleaver (1935- ) American Political Activist Speech in San Francisco, 1968, in R. Scheer "Eldridge Cleaver, Post Prison Writings and Speeches" (1969) p. 32 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of May 9, 2005 Dear Readers; “The REAL ID Act [H. R. 418] establishes a national ID card by mandating that states include certain minimum identification standards on driver’s licenses. It contains no limits on the government’s power to impose additional standards. Indeed, it gives authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security to unilaterally add requirements as he sees fit,” quoting the Hon. Ron Paul of Texas before the US House of Representatives February 9, 2005. This echoes this writer’s views: link here Rep. Paul was quoted in the May 2005 edition of The Costco Connection saying, “History shows that governments invariably use the power to monitor the actions of people in harmful ways. Claims that the government will protect the privacy of Americans when implementing a national ID card ring hollow. We would do well to remember what happened with the Social Security number. It was introduced with solemn restrictions on how it could be used, but it has become a de facto identifier.” More on this issue form this TIME Magazine article from 2002: link here "The federal government plans to begin collecting the full names and birth dates of air travelers this summer in its latest effort to screen passengers for possible links to terrorism. In a few weeks, the Transportation Security Administration will notify airlines, travel agents and online reservation systems that they will be required to ask travelers for their legal names and birth dates when booking domestic flights," quoting USA Today. link here 1. TWO MAJOR ISSUES RELATING TO FOOD OUT LAST WEEK -- "University of Minnesota researchers A. Saari Csallany, a professor of food chemistry and nutritional biochemistry, and graduate student Christine Seppanen have shown that when highly unsaturated vegetable oils are heated at frying temperature (365 F) for extended periods--or even for half an hour--a highly toxic compound, HNE (4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal) forms in the oil. Previously, vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower and corn were regarded as heart-healthy because of their high levels of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid. HNE is incorporated into fried food in the same concentration as it forms in the heated oil. Also, Csallany and her colleagues have found three toxic HNE-related compounds (known as HHE, HOE and HDE) in heated soybean oil. They will present their work at a poster session from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at the 96th annual meeting of the American Oil Chemists Society in the Salt Lake City Convention Center," quoting Science Daily. link here [Ed. Note: KK readers knew this years ago from Dr. Elmer Cranton's book Bypassing Bypass Surgery where he explains how the oils change when exposed to high heat. See chapters 14 7 15. link here ] -- "On Monday [May 2], a study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association found the more affluent are getting fatter faster than the less affluent. The poor, who had a big head start, remain more likely to be obese than the rich, but the gap is closing. Obesity is growing fastest among Americans who make more than $60,000 a year, researchers reported. Dr. Jennifer Robinson of the University of Iowa, who led the study, told The Associated Press this "surprising" finding "underlines the whole complexity" of the obesity epidemic," quoting Forbes. link here . 2. ELIMINATE PLASTIC BAG DEBRIS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT "Jutexpo [sic] are a forward-thinking, environmentally, conscious company dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution from our environment. We are committed to the development of products, services, and educational information that ultimately work to further the creation of an ecologically sustainable culture. With this in mind we have pioneered the development of a totally eco-friendly range of jute bags primarily as a natural substitute for the toxic plastic bag. Produced in India under strictly ethical working conditions and made from jute - a natural bast fibre - our bags are stylish, extremely well-made, and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colours and perform many different users. Above all they are biodegradable, exceptionally durable and last for many years," from their website. [Ed. Note: This writer does not use graphics, however seeing a seabird with a plastic bag over his body made me remember this site.] link here . 3. MICE PLACED IN SUSPENDED ANIMATION—ARE HUMANS FAR BEHIND? “Mice have been placed in a state of near-suspended animation, raising the possibility that hibernation could one day be induced in humans. If so, it might be possible to put astronauts into hibernation-like states for long-haul space flights - as often depicted in science fiction films. A US team from Seattle reports its findings in Science magazine,” quoting the BBC. link here . 4. STUDIES SHOWS GLOBAL WARMING CAUSE OF MAJOR EARTH CHANGES ”The first comprehensive survey of glaciers on the Antarctic peninsula has shown that the rivers of ice are shrinking, mostly because of warming of the local climate. It is unclear, however, whether the increased temperature causing the shrinkage is a natural regional effect or a result of human-influenced global warming, said the scientists who conducted the study, published this week in the journal Science. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey analyzed more than 2,000 aerial photographs dating from 1940 and over 100 satellite images from the 1960s onwards. They calculated that 87 percent of the 244 glaciers going out to sea from the peninsula have retreated over the last 50 years and that the pace of shrinkage has accelerated over the last decade. Until now, scientists were uncertain whether the glaciers were growing or melting," quoting the AP. link here Further, “Global warming is influencing the genetics of fruit fly populations, according to a study carried out in Australia. Warming over the past two decades has encouraged genes to spread from insects at tropical latitudes into flies in more temperate areas. The research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that living things, from insects to plants and other animals, are responding to the planet's shifting climate. A second study this week emphasizes that the warming is unlikely to end soon, thanks to a steady heating of the world's oceans that will keep air temperatures on the rise long after the release of greenhouse gases is curbed,” quoting NATURE. link here Further, “New temperature readings from the deep ocean trace a clear warming trend that seems impossible to turn around any time soon, scientists reported Thursday [Apr. 28], promising a steadily warming world and raising the odds of a catastrophic sudden change marked by rising seas and melting icecaps. Researchers led by James Hansen, one of NASA's top climatologists, looked at the planet's 'energy imbalance' -- the difference between the amount of heat absorbed by Earth and the amount radiated out into space -- and compared those results with predictions of leading climate models,” quoting the San Francisco Chronicle, sent in by a KK reader. link here . 5. TASER'S VALUE QUESTIONED FROM MANY DISTURBING DEATHS "Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) released today a document announcing that TASER-related deaths in the United States and Canada have hit triple digits growing from 74 in November 2004 to 103. The new number covers June 2001 to March 2005. Additionally, AIUSA presented evidence proving that Taser International, Inc., has been misleading the public and law enforcement about the number of lives allegedly saved by TASERs. AIUSA admits that lives have undoubtedly been saved by TASERs and welcomes any news that there has been a decrease in fatal shootings by law enforcement, but a review of the cases on Taser's Web site actually provided more evidence to support Amnesty International's conclusion that there is widespread abuse of TASERs that, in some cases, constitutes ill-treatment and torture," quoting Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). link here . 6. RFID TRACKING PROPOSED FOR TEXAS VEHICLES – YOURS NEXT? “With the help of a dime-size adhesive tag on a vehicle's windshield and cutting-edge technology that detractors equate with Big Brother, police soon could track Texas cars and trucks — if a legislator's bill makes it into law. Though the bill hasn't made it out of the Texas House of Representatives' Transportation Committee, it already has generated outrage among technophiles and privacy advocates who believe the technology, once introduced, will creep into other law enforcement areas. 'Why don't they just tag us like cattle and be done with it?' said Scott Henson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Texas police accountability project in Austin. House Bill 2893 calls for the state to use radio frequency identification devices, or RFID, for auto-insurance enforcement,” quoting the San Antonio Express News. link here . 7. SCIENTISTS CREATE NUCLEAR FUSION IN LAB EXPERIMENT “A tabletop experiment created nuclear fusion -- long seen as a possible clean-energy solution -- under lab conditions, scientists reported. However, the amount of energy produced was too little to be seen as a breakthrough in solving the world's energy needs. For years scientists have sought to harness controllable nuclear fusion, the same power that lights the sun and stars. This latest experiment relied on a tiny crystal to generate a strong electric field. While falling short as a way to produce energy, the method could have potential uses in the oil-drilling industry and homeland security, said Seth Putterman, one of the physicists who did the experiment at the University of California, Los Angeles. The experiment's results appear in today's [Apr. 28] issue of the journal Nature,” quoting the Seattle Times. link here . 8. FABULOUS ARTICLE ON YOUR LUNGS SUBMITTED BY KK READER “Every day, most of us get in a car and drive. We adjust the temperature, maybe turn on the radio, and flip on the fan, never considering that the “fresh air” coming from outside is afloat with fine particles: combustion products, sulfates, nitrates, metal dust, and microscopic bits of ground-up concrete and rubber tire. Some of it comes from vehicle exhaust and some is stirred up and resuspended by passing cars and trucks. This fine-particle cloud, say scientists who have measured it, hangs like an invisible dome over busy highways… At the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), epidemiologists, economists, engineers, aerosol physicists, veterinarians, and physiologists are working together to understand human influences on the air we breathe,” quoting this month’s cover story from Harvard Magazine. link here . 9. LAUGHTER ASSISTS IMMUNE SYSTEM “Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being. Following is a summary of his research, taken from an interview published in the September/October 1996 issue of the Humor and Health Journal,” quoting this 1996 report -- worth a repeat. link here One of the grand dame’s of comediennes is Phyllis Diller, who was interviewed about laughter for The Costco Connection , March, 2005 edition on the heels of her new book release: link here then click "21-Fun with Phyllis" . 10. STUDY: TEENS SHOULD STAY OFF TANNING BEDS "The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a report warning people younger than 18 to stay away from tanning beds because they can raise the risk of skin cancer. The global health agency issued the advisory because many teens, especially girls, like to use the beds to get a tan before summer starts. "There has been mounting concern over the past several years that people, and in particular teenagers, are using sunbeds excessively to acquire tans which are seen as socially desirable," according to Kerstin Leitner, PhD, the WHO assistant director-general for environmental health. 'However, the consequence of this sunbed usage has been a precipitous rise in the number of skin cancer cases,'" quoting the American Cancer Society. link here And: link here . 11. FIREFIGHTER AWAKES AFTER LEFT BRAIN WAS DAMAGED – 10 YEARS AGO Ten years after a firefighter was left brain-damaged and mostly mute during a 1995 roof collapse, he did something that shocked his family and doctors: He perked up. “I want to talk to my wife,” Donald Herbert said out of the blue Saturday. Staff members of the nursing home where he has lived for more than seven years raced to get Linda Herbert on the telephone. It was the first of many conversations the 44-year-old patient had with his wife, four sons and other family and friends during a 14-hour stretch, Herbert’s uncle, Simon Manka said. “How long have I been away?” Herbert asked. “We told him almost 10 years,” the uncle said. “He thought it was only three months.” quoting the AP. link here . 12. INTERNATIONAL ORCA FEST OF THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS COMING May 20-23, 2005 marks the weekend celebrating the waters and wildlife that make our islands unique! link here Our state’s orcas need help with all of the pollution in their environment. Here are two sites providing more information for you: “Help us help the whales by treading lightly on this earth, working to restore and preserve our salmon runs, watersheds, and marine ecosystems.” link here Ten simple things you can do to help protect and improve the quality of water and marine life in Puget Sound. Choose at least one and start making a difference today! link here . WHAT THE BLEEP –THE MOVIE NEWS “What the Bleep Do We Know!? Discovering the endless possibilities for altering your everyday reality: Authors William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, and Mark Vicente transformed the movie world with their independent smash hit What the Bleep Do We Know?! Now they've brought their intelligent mix of science, spirituality, and incredible graphics and storytelling to the printed page. The book features all new interviews with experts, relevant issues cut from the movie, deeper explanations of some of the more complex, and important theories, and commentary from the authors about how these concepts transformed their personal lives for the better,” quoting the Bleep site. link here What The Bleep is still in the Top 5 of Amazon's Best Selllers. link here Also, "The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe, Vol. 1 of Deep Deceptions by Miceal Ledwith featured in What The BLEEP Do We Know!?" is moving up on Amazon's list thanks to your buying this landmark DVD. This film was directed by JZ Knight. Order your here: link here . OF LOCAL NOTE -- "This year the Yelm Prairie Arts Association (YPAA,) a ten-year old non-profit organization whose members work largely behind the scenes, is helping kick off the annual Yelm Art Walk with a theme of magic and imagination...Yelm Prairie Arts Association..., along with the Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) and the Yelm Timberland Library, are the principal sponsors of the Yelm Art Walk," quoting their site. link here And: link here -- The Yelm Commerce Group is a collection of concerned citizens who view the addition of a big box store, such as Wal Mart, and large residential developments, to be an infringement upon our local population and a diminishment of our small town values. We are concerned about their impact for two major reasons. link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir (1838-1914) Scottish-born farmer, inventor, sheepherder, naturalist, explorer, writer, and conservationist noted for his inspriational views of California’s mountains . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of May 2, 2005 This writer and his wife were riveted in reading John Perkin’s “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” last week, that should be required reading for EVERY American citizen. Quoting the RSE Online Store: “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man reveals a game that, according to John Perkins, is "as old as Empire" but has taken on new and terrifying dimensions in an era of globalization. And Perkins should know. For many years he worked for an international consulting firm where his main job was to convince LDCs (less developed countries) around the world to accept multibillion-dollar loans for infrastructure projects and to see to it that most of this money ended up at Halliburton, Bechtel, Brown and Root, and other United States engineering and construction companies. This book, which many people warned Perkins not to write, is a blistering attack on a little-known phenomenon that has had dire consequences on both the victimized countries and the U.S”. [Ed. Note: The dire consequences are that corporations “own” our government and we are not a sovereign nation, as Perkins so aptly describes how countries like Saudi Arabia and China own so many U.S. IOU’s (debt) that they could call the notes at any time and place this country in a depression that makes the 30s look like folly. And this from an insider, like Perkins, who knows!] link here “ Environmental activists will descend on ChevronTexaco's annual shareholders' meeting in San Ramon today [Apr. 27], pushing two resolutions they hope will force the global oil giant to re-examine its ways. One asks the company to consider spending more time and money cleaning up a corner of the Ecuadorian Amazon where Texaco once pumped oil. The other seeks a written report on the environmental damage that could be caused by drilling in sensitive areas, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. [Ed. Note: Readers of Perkins' book know all about the Texaco/Ecuador story and the deaths of anyone getting in their way.] link here Further, if you are interested in Perkins work, you must check out these: A. The I Hate Corporate America Reader: How big companies from McDonald’s to Microsoft are destroying our way of life. link here B. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power "Over the last 150 years the corporation has risen from relative obscurity to become the world's dominant economic institution..." link here 1. ECONOMIC HIT MAN BUSH SEEKS MORE NUKES, REFINERIES, & DRILLING "Confronting growing concerns over high energy prices, President Bush on Wednesday [Apr. 27] unveiled controversial plans to spur construction of new nuclear power plants, provide incentives to buy diesel vehicles and most novel of all: use some old military bases for oil refineries... Confronting growing concerns over high energy prices, President Bush on Wednesday unveiled controversial plans to spur construction of new nuclear power plants, provide incentives to buy diesel vehicles, and most novel of all: use some old military bases for oil refineries," quoting MSNBC. [Ed. Note: Read the aforementioned book and one will see this is all about control, power, and greed. The technology President Bush mentions can also make solar power economical and cheap and bring on clean hydrogen power.] link here HOWEVER, OTHERS SHOW US ANOTHER WAY: “In 1998 Iceland announced plans to create a hydrogen economy in cooperation with German car maker Daimler Benz and Canadian fuel cell developer Ballard Power Systems. The 10-year plan would convert all transportation vehicles, including Iceland's fishing fleet, over to fuel-cell-powered vehicles. In March, 1999, Iceland, Shell Oil, Daimler Chrysler, and Norsk Hydro formed a company to further develop Iceland's hydrogen economy. link here And a hydrogen site: link here And this quote on Earth Day from the U. S. Secretary of Energy, just days before Bush seeks more drilling: “Every year Earth Day reminds us of our responsibility to the land – to care for it, preserve its beauty and treat all of nature with respect. But this year, I’d like to steer our Earth Day thoughts toward thoughts of America’s energy future… Hydrogen would help lessen America’s dependence on oil from foreign countries, help lessen the effects of global politics on the energy markets, significantly reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and help create new jobs in a hydrogen economy.” [These guys say one thing on Earth Day and trash their words days later going for more drilling, filling (nuclear wastes into Yucca Mt.), and billing (the American citizen)!] link here . 2. KEEP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS, DEPLETE OZONE, CANCER RISES “Fears over increase in skin cancer as scientists report that climate change continues to destroy the earth's protection. The protective ozone layer over the Arctic has thinned this winter to the lowest levels since records began, alarming scientists who believed it had begun to heal. The increased loss of ozone allows more harmful ultraviolet light to reach the earth's surface, making children and outdoor enthusiasts such as skiers more vulnerable to skin cancer - a disease which is already dramatically increasing. Scientists yesterday reinforced the warning that people going out in the sun this summer should protect themselves with creams and hats,” quoting UK’s Guardian. link here AND YOU THOUGHT OIL SUPPLY WAS A WORRY "Oil prices are through the roof. OPEC is sitting pretty. Could things get any worse for energy buyers? You bet. There are troubling signs that natural gas producers are moving toward forming their own version of OPEC. While not an immediate threat, such a move could eventually drive up prices for an indispensable element of the U.S. long-term energy supply: In January, the Energy Dept. predicted that gas imports from outside North America will increase more than 700% and account for a quarter of U.S. consumption by 2025," quoting BusinessWeek online. link here . 3. NEW DOUBLE-HULLED TANKER MAKES SHIPPING CRUDE SAFER "National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has delivered the Alaskan Explorer, the second of four Alaska-class double-hull oil tankers being built for BP Oil Shipping Company, USA...These state-of-the-art ships are the most environmentally friendly oil tankers ever built. Their double hull construction has been designed for a life of 35 years and their deck structure has a life of 50 years, a robust configuration that will perform at peak efficiency for decades in the rigors of the Gulf of Alaska’s waters. The diesel-electric propulsion system, with redundant engines, shafts and screws, significantly increases reliability and reduces air emissions and maintenance downtime. The ships use seawater instead of oil to cool and lubricate their propeller shafts, eliminating the possibility of accidental oil leaks. Their cargo piping, normally installed on the deck, is run inside the cargo tanks, to reduce the risk of small spills," quoting NASSCO's news releases. link here . 4. WORLD'S LARGEST PASSENGER AIRLINER DEBUTS – AND NOT A BOEING! "The world's largest passenger plane has made its maiden flight in an aviation milestone that Europe's jetliner maker hopes will give it a boost in its battle with American rival Boeing...Made by European company Airbus, the A380 is set to challenge the Boeing 747's long dominance of the jumbo jet market...In a typical passenger layout, the jet has 555 seats and four aisles, with a range of up to 15,000 kilometers (8,000 nautical miles)," quoting CNN. link here "About $20 million in short-term improvements will be made at Los Angeles International Airport to prepare for the double-deck, 555-passenger Airbus A380...Commissioners approved spending up to $8.3 million to rebuild five intersections on the south airfield so they can handle the enormous wheelbase of the plane, which dwarfs the Boeing 747. Eleven more intersections will be reconfigured in a second phase of the project. LAX is expected to serve the most A380 flights of any airport when the plane begins commercial operations in late 2006," quoting the LA Daily News. link here [Ed. Note: Those double-hulled tankers will be needed to ship the A380 fuel load until our airplanes run on hydrogen or we develop a "Star-Trek-like transporter."] . 5. SCIENTISTS: CLIMATE CHANGE POSES FOOD SUPPLY THREAT “Worldwide production of essential crops such as wheat, rice, maize and soya beans is likely to be hit much harder by global warming than previously predicted, an international conference in London has heard," quoting UK’s The Independent. link here . 6. DON'T TRASH YOUR CELL PHONE -- RECYCLE IT! MORE ON CELL PHONE DANGERS Did you know that: • More than 500 million used cell phones are lying around in people's drawers, or worse, the trash? • Cell phones contain toxics like lead, mercury and arsenic that can leach out of landfills, or pollute the air if incinerated? • Today less than 2% of cell phones are being recycled? The solution is easy, free, and tax-deductible...recycle your old cell phone with the Recycle My Cell Phone campaign!” link here If you have a cell-phone you wish to still keep, do NOT read these two links on cell phones and frequency's affects on human tissue: link here And: link here . 7. HUGE SUNSPOT STILL GROWING "More than four years after solar maximum, the sun continues to produce big sunspots. There's one transiting the solar disk now. It's about five times wider than our entire planet Earth--in other words, big enough to see with the unaided eye. But please do not stare at the blinding sun. Visit link here for safe solar observing tips, plus a movie of the growing 'spot and photos taken by amateur astronomers around the world," quoting Spaceweather.com.. 8. “HUMAN CELLS FILMED INSTANTLY MESSAGING FOR FIRST TIME” “Researchers at UCSD and UC Irvine have captured on video for the first time chemical signals that traverse human cells in response to tiny mechanical jabs, like waves spreading from pebbles tossed into a pond. The scientists released the videos and technical details that explain how the visualization effect was created as part of a paper published in the April 21 issue of Nature,” quoting the UCSD News Release. See the narrated videos. link here . 9. SCIENTISTS SAY EVERYONE CAN READ MINDS “Empathy allows us to feel the emotions of others, to identify and understand their feelings and motives, and see things from their perspective. How we generate empathy remains a subject of intense debate in cognitive science. Some scientists now believe they may have finally discovered its root. We're all essentially mind readers, they say. The idea has been slow to gain acceptance, but evidence is mounting,” quoting Live Science. link here AND: “Reading people's minds with brain scanners is the stuff of science fiction. But two teams of scientists have brought that prospect a step closer by deciphering aspects of images people see – even ones that enter the brain unconsciously. Exactly how the brain stores information in its vast, complex wiring is still a mystery. But researchers have made headway with a posterior part of the brain called the visual cortex. Groups of neurons in this region process some of the basic aspects of what we see, such as color, motion, and location. Studying this neural wiring in humans is difficult because the only technique available to track brain activity in real time, called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), does not yet have the resolution to watch individual neurons at work,” quoting Science Now. link here . 10. SPEAKING OF THE BRAIN - SONY GRANTED PATENT TO BEAM DIRECTLY INTO YOURS! If you think video games are engrossing now, just wait: PlayStation maker Sony Corp. has been granted a patent for beaming sensory information directly into the brain. The technique could one day be used to create videogames in which you can smell, taste, and touch, or to help people who are blind or deaf. The U.S. patent, granted to Sony researcher Thomas Dawson, describes a technique for aiming ultrasonic pulses at specific areas of the brain to induce "sensory experiences" such as smells, sounds and images. link here . 11. RARE CONDOR CHICKS HATCHED AT OREGON ZOO "The first breeding season produced two condor eggs. The first condor chick in Oregon in more than 100 years, known as condor 340, hatched on May 9, 2004! A second egg was sent to the Los Angeles Zoo because of egg health concerns. This egg hatched and the chick is doing great! n March 2, 2005, another milestone was reached when condor 340, weighing 25 pounds, traveled to a California prerelease site to prepare for life in the wild. The nine-month-old chick attends "condor prep school" with six other juvenile condors to learn the intricacies of condor social hierarchy and survival skills from mentor birds before being released into the wild later this year," quoting the Oregon Zoo. link here . 12. PBS SHOW “IS WAL-MART GOOD FOR AMERICA” NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD “FRONTLINE explores the relationship between U.S. job losses and the American consumer's insatiable desire for bargains in "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" Through interviews with retail executives, product manufacturers, economists, and trade experts, correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the growing controversy over the Wal-Mart way of doing business and asks whether a single retail giant has changed the American economy,” quoting PBS. link here . WHAT THE BLEEP – THE MOVIE NEWS “Fox's DVD release of "What the Bleep Do We Know?" seems to be benefiting from the same kind of intense interest among a small group of fans that kept the movie in theaters for more than a year. Those rabid followers appear to be spreading the word about the hybrid pic, which features mystical, philosophical, theoretical, physics-related, and documentary elements and stars Marlee Matlin, by buying multiple copies of the DVD and giving it to friends and family. A Fox spokeswoman says 11% of the online consumer pre-orders for "Bleep" at Foxstore.com have been for multiple copies. That's far more than the 3% for "The Passion of the Christ," which was considered unusually high. Fox has shipped 1 million copies of "Bleep" to retailers,” quoting Variety.com. link here Bleep is the number one film in Australia now and last week "had the highest screen average in the entire country," quoting Perth Films: link here And, the Bleep website: link here Dr. Miceal Ledwith from What The Bleep now has a new DVD titled Deep Deceptions, The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe. Check out the DVD cover artwork: link here And order here: link here “Dr. Miceal Ledwith was Professor of Systematic Theology for sixteen years at Maynooth College in Ireland and subsequently served for ten years as President of the University. He was a member of the International Theological Commission, a small group of theologians of international standing, charged with advising the Holy See on theological matters. He also served as Chairman of the Committee of Heads of the Irish Universities and as a member of the governing Bureau of the Conference of European University Presidents (CRE). He has lectured extensively throughout Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Ecuador, and all over North America,” quoting Phillipe Matthews website, who had Dr. Ledwith as his guest last week on his radio show. link here Dr. Ledwith’s website will be operational in 2 weeks. Bookmark his link: link here . OF LOCAL NOTE “A decade-old highway project to ease gridlock through Yelm moved from concept to reality after state lawmakers approved $33 million to complete its design and acquire needed property,” quoting The Olympian. link here And the official Washington State DOT site on the 510 Loop: link here The City of Yelm received the 9th Year Award as Tree City, USA and was honored April 29th in an Arbor Day Celebration at Yelm City Park. Vicki Christiansen made the presentation in her role as Upland Regions Ops. Mgr. for the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources. link here then scroll to "Arbor Day Celebration" . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "The people's government, made for the people, made by the people, made answerable to the people." Daniel Webster (1782-1852) American Politician Second speech in the Senate on Foote's Resolution, 26 January 1830, in Writings and Speeches vol. 6 (1903). Cf. Lincoln 422:10 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2005. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .