http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqTdQHpwfdA&feature=player_embedded#!

FIRST EARTH BATTALION:

http://www.firstearthbattalion.org/

Remote Viewing (one hell of an adjustment for EVERYBODY)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_viewing

http://davidmorehouse.com/

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=199001141803

Have faith/believe that somehow this is for the best of all humanity.  Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/symbols/red.htm

A Localized Approach on Social Activism:

http://www.lynnemctaggart.com/blog/158-10-ways-to-reinvent-your-world-my-new-years-resolutions-for-2012

Here are works I found interesting before:

Dr. Michio Kaku – The World in 2030 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=219YybX66MY

The Secret http://thesecret.tv/

Deepak Chopra – Seven Laws of Spiritual Success

 (book) http://www.chopra.com/sslos

(video) http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Spiritual-Laws-Success/dp/B000NO1XHW

Neale Donald Walsch – Conversations with God http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Conversations-Neale-Donald-Walsch/dp/0399153292/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326093602&sr=8-2

What the Bleep http://www.whatthebleep.com/

The Biology of Belief http://www.brucelipton.com/store/biology-of-belief

Louise Hay http://www.hayhouse.com/

http://www.amazon.com/You-Heal-Your-Life-Gift/dp/1561706280

Lisa Garr http://theawareshow.com/

This is my new task list:

Tom Shadyac – I Am http://www.amazon.com/I-AM-Tom-Shadyac/dp/B005U0ZP46/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_3

Something Unknown http://www.amazon.com/Something-Doing-Dont-Know-What/dp/B002XFDKUM/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl3

Dr Wayne Dyer – The Shift http://www.amazon.com/Shift-Wayne-W-Dyer/dp/B001S33QD6/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl2

Living Matrix http://www.amazon.com/Living-Matrix-Film-Science-Healing/dp/B002GZFG4W/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl1

The Quantum Activist http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Activist-Amit-Goswami/dp/B002I41LAY/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl5

The Field http://www.amazon.com/Field-Quest-Secret-Force-Universe/dp/006143518X/ref=pd_rhf_se_shvl4

Wake Up http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Up-Jonas-Elrod/dp/B003ZUTTDG/ref=pd_sim_mov_7

The above list should help guide us all towards greater self control. I do not fully understand what is happening but what I do know is that we must have full integrity of mind, actions and words! There can be no more incidents like these due to reckless behavior by some.

Rebecca Zahau (Jul 14, 2011)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/coronado-mansion-murder-police-investigate-14073670

http://abcnews.go.com/US/coronado-mansion-death-rebecca-zahau-knocked-unconscious/story?id=14955832

Kathleen Scharbath (Nov 23, 2011)

http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-family-of-carlsbad-murder-victim-speaks-out-20111129,0,5106071.story

http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-documents-show-carlsbad-murder-victim-begged-for-help-from-court-20111128,0,7811830.story

Coronado New Year’s Eve Massacre (Dec 31, 2011)

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57350929-504083/new-years-shooting-at-california-condo-leaves-4-dead/

I am 300% in support of an open military tribunal to examine this issue and administer justice.  

UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/l/blucmj.htm

If you have any information about military related crimes please call:’

NCIS Miramar Duty Agent: 619-618-8853

Coronado Base Security: 619-556-1246

For additional crime related issues call here or your local equivalent:

Coronado Police: 619-522-7350

San Diego Crime Stoppers: 888-580-8472

Crisis Hotline (24hr line for mental health emergencies and community resources): 800-479-3339 or 211 from cellphones

FOR PROBLEMS WITH HARRASING DEBT COLLECTORS, YOU CAN ACCESS RESOURCES HERE:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre18.shtm

Sample Issue: http://www.collection-calls.net/ApothakerandAssociates.html

PERSONAL REFLECTION ON POLICING OF THOUGHTS AND SPEECH:

The McChrystal incident triggered by a Rolling Stones’ reporter (not a war correspondent) triggered quite a number of firings:

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/m/stanley_a_mcchrystal/index.html

First of all, war correspondents know that any combat personnel having a rough day will vent. More importantly, if military personnel get fired for venting while having a rough day on duty, what happens to the rest of us if we vent while having a rough day anywhere?  There is a difference between inflammatory speech and expressing human frustration/emotion.  I’m not a constitutional scholar or lawyer but my understanding has always been there has to be an intent to cause harm or violence in order for a crime to exist.  In my opinion, such actions create the same slippery slope that others are fighting with the internet censorship proposals:

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/#utm_source=googlesem&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=signup

This statement is not a reflection of the statements or opinions of anyone at Coronado Jiu-Jitsu (including staff or owners).  These are my own statements and I have had to learn to find the courage to stand up for my own beliefs and make my statements publicly regardless of how intimidated I feel or the fear of retaliation or imprisonment.  It would be a sad day indeed if adverse consequences befall upon others because someone they know/have known makes a statement others do not agree with. I am also not defying because I love drama or the thought of imprisonment. The objective is to end speculation about what I may/may not believe and/or be saying on such issues.

FOR TRAINING ON HOW TO DEAL WITH BULLIES EVEN IN YOUR MOST VULNERABLE CONDITION:

http://www.coronadojiujitsu.com/aboutus.html

John Gianos and his team helped me survive!

Any questions about John Gianos or John Frank Gianos and/or his team should be directed to him personally/directly.  ”SEAL uniform” was in response to bullying and sarcasm from neighbors who were joking that I “must be a Navy Seal” and that I “always talk to him, text him and send him emails.” The rumors and gossip got pretty far out of hand so I turned it into a positive because the protection of a Navy Seal would help ANYONE survive anything!

Yes, there are domestic employment arguments to be made in favor of buying goods that are produced in-country. There are also numerous environmental arguments (esp. lower transportation emissions). On the flip side, a lot of countries that export manufactured goods do not have the in-country consumer demand to sustain global production levels.

However, a Taiwanese friend of mine gave me a wake up call this weekend. We were doing the chic thing – browsing through stores (both clothing and home furnishings) and I noticed she kept checking the labels on everything.  I finally had to ask why she was so interested in the labels. She said, because I’m frustrated that they all say “Made in China.”  I traveled all this way because I wanted to go back home with some authentic American products not Chinese products. I can’t find any!!

Needless to say she was not at all amused when I joked she might need to go to China to find Made in the USA….

Here is a link to a fascinating Charlie Rose interview of Siddhartha Mukherjee regarding his new book The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

Interview: http://www.charlierose.com/guest/view/7009

Book: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Emperor-of-All-Maladies/Siddhartha-Mukherjee/9781439181713

The irony of all of this, and the danger, is that it turns us into helpless victims when the reality is, power and money are neither good nor bad, it is the choices we make on how we use them that determine their impact.  Even more important is the need to recognize that, if we buy into this philosophy, we surrender the power over our daily lives, we surrender the ability to impact the world around us, not because we are acting, but rather because we are failing to act.

Ok Cecilia, what are you really talking about?  Right now, everything:

• surrendering our ability to create jobs for ourselves by saying it is only government or large businesses that can create jobs;
• surrendering our ability to help each other out financially by saying it is only banks who can lend money to people;
• surrendering our ability as adults to stop bulling in schools by hiring experts to solve the problem instead of telling our children AND children who are not our own that such behavior is 100% wrong and will not be tolerated;
• surrendering our ability to stop the media from the constant spew of negativity and vitriolic confrontation by tuning in to shows that are full of intrigue and people shouting at each other or people plotting against each other or denigrating each other (aka reality tv and talk shows and murder shows and gossip shows)  when the simple way to change this tide is to watch (or do) something different;
• surrendering our ability to uphold Constitutional rights on which the United States was formed by allowing extremists to call all Muslims terrorists or state than anyone who is in favor of upholding equality for ALL is a Nazi or a Facist, or failing to recognize that the Constitution calls for separation of Church and State so if homosexuals have a Civil Union (legal issue) it has no impact on whether they have a Religious Union (where each religion can impose it’s own moral bias while still allowing everyone else the freedom to have their own beliefs).

Yes, my list could go on forever and it is not limited to the US. Here are foreign examples:

• accepting that corruption is just the way things are and paying bribes which not only surrender ones power but, worse still, finance the oppressors so they can gain more power at one’s expense!
• electing politicians who are well known to take money from special interests (public or private) and spend all their time pandering to those special interests while ignoring requests tied to the one thing that enables them to hold elected office in the first place: your vote!
• supporting political regimes, anywhere in the wold, which maintain their dominance by banning opposition or worse still, torture, imprisonment, and other acts of hostility or violence for the simple reason that it is “personally or strategically convenient” to do so at this particular point in time!

Of course I could go on forever but my focus is now adequately clear. Little wonder the world is in a mess and yet we lament as if it takes power or money beyond what we have individually available to change this.

It is time to abandon the false notion and to reclaim our personal power.

First and foremost is the need to recognize that emotions cause the release of chemicals in our body and nervous system.  Prolonged exposure to the same type of emotion (positive or negative) is as addictive as taking drugs such as cocaine. In the same manner a drug addict gets accustomed to the chemical stimulus of a drug and needs more of the drug/stimulus, our bodies intuitively realize the connection between our behavior and the release of chemicals and start reacting in a way that will generate the type of chemicals that have accumulated in the system. Hence, if the stimulus is constantly negative, we will do increasingly negative things;  if the the stimulus is constantly positive, we will do increasingly positive things.  For those unfamiliar with literature on this concept, here are some references:

CharmingHealth.com “Negative Thought Patterns could Instigate Addiction Tendencies” http://www.charminghealth.com/negative-emotions/addiction.htm

The Economist (Feb 12, 2004) “I get a kick out of you: scientist are finding out that, after all, love really is down to a chemical addiction between people.” http://www.oxytocin.org/oxytoc/love-science.html

HealthMad.com (Aug 12, 2007) “The Physiology of Anger” http://healthmad.com/mental-health/physiology-of-anger/

Additionz.com (emotional checklist for addicts: hint, if you find you have a lot of these symptoms, you need to find ways to start managing your emotions) http://www.addictionz.com/feelings_and_emotions.htm

As with anything in life, the goal is to maintain a balance.

The second step is recognizing when one is having a reaction that is based on fear (fear that if I help someone else I will not have enough for me, fear of being ridiculed, fear that if I accept a different perspective/behavior I will become the same way, fear of being retaliated against…).  As Frankin D Roosevelt once so eloquently and succinctly stated:

“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself!”

You can read the full and inspiring speech here http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2007/apr/25/greatspeeches

With respect to what one can do, an easy first step is to alter our behavior.  If we accept the falsehood that only certain people such as Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt, Mayor Bloomberg…have the power/money/both to effect change in this world, we miss the golden opportunity to make the most radical change of all – change in the world immediately surrounding us.

The most recent example of an unsung hero I’ve seen is Shirley Sherrod. Who? The woman who works for the US Dept of Agriculture, got fired because an extremist deliberately misrepresented her speech and claimed she was racist so nobody bothered to verify the truth, and, was then hired back when the very people she was alleged to have harmed publicly stated she was the one person who did something to help them.

Nobody has given Ms Sherrod a plaque, nobody has given her a medal.  How she stays sane and positive through all of this is a mystery to me, especially after hearing the famous speech during which she shared pieces of her life story:

It is about 43min long and well worth listening to.  However, for those who prefer reading or the Cliff Notes version, here are the highlights:

Ms. Sherrod grew up in the South (Baker County, Georgia) dreaming of moving to the “freedom” of the North because African Americans who had gone North would come and visit relatives showing off fancy cars and clothes.  Unbeknown to their Southern relatives, many Northerners were pulling a Gatsby move (borrowing and renting clothes and cars in order to create the illusion of wealth).

She grew up in a family of of 5 sisters with a father who, despite loving his daughters dearly, wanted a son so badly he gave all the girls boys nicknames.  When she was 17yrs old and filled with excitement about going to college up North, her mother got pregnant for the sixth time and her father announced to everyone this was his son.  He was right but never got to see his son because 2mths before his son was born, he was murdered in June of 1965 by a white man and, despite there being 3 witnesses, there was no conviction.  Being the oldest, Ms Sherrod had to give up her dreams of going to college up North and stay in Georgia to help her mother raise her siblings while also going to college.

Prior to this, the county Sherriff lynched her uncle (Robert, aka Bobby, Hall) in the early 40′s and, much to everyone’s surprise, an all white federal jury convicted him of depriving her uncle of his civil rights (murder against a black man would not stick on those days).  The Sherriff appealed his conviction to the US Supreme Court and the Court overturned the conviction on the basis that the appropriate charge was murder; the Court also issued a statement saying that, in order to convict of murder, intent had to be proven thereby setting the Sherriff free.  Details of the case Screws vs United States can be found here http://supreme.justia.com/us/325/91/case.html There are some who are attacking Ms Sherrod by saying her statements are false because the court records state that her uncle was murdered and do not state that he was lynched.  To such people I would ask: is murder by any other name any less deadly?  You are missing the forest for the trees.  The important issue is not the word that she used to describe the act but the fact that it took place and was sanctioned by a man who took an oath “to protect and to serve”! Why is it those words (protect and serve) are very conveniently missing from your rhetoric? Yes, there are many outstanding law enforcement officials who deserve to be highly praised but Sherriff Screws was certainly not one of them nor is such a heinous act defensible or excusable in any way.

When Shirley Sherrod graduated from college she again had hopes to leave Georgia but, the mystery of fate, her job opportunity came up with the USDA in Georgia.  By now she is fed up of living in Georgia and, understandably fed up with those who were white.  Fate or hand of God, a white couple (Roger and Eloise Spooner) are assigned to her for assistance because they were in danger of loosing their farm.  She did her duties per her job description and put them in the hands of an attorney.  Much to her surprise, the couple came back to her office after some time in sheer desperation.  The attorney had done nothing and they were certainly going to lose everything if she did not help.

This was the transformational moment in her life.  She suddenly realized poor white people were not treated any better than poor black people. She remembered stories told by her parents and other older adults that  Jim Crow laws in the South had be instituted because it was necessary to keep people working at extremely low wages and in horrible conditions in order to make profits.  The “benefits” gained from indentured servitude and slavery had to be preserved in order for this to continue.  However, after slavery was abolished the poor were beginning to band together and it was necessary to drive a wedge between poor whites and poor blacks so Jim Crow laws were put in effect in order to create the illusion of preferential treatment but the truth is that poor whites were just as exploited and oppressed, just in different ways.  All this came rushing back to her in a single moment and a rage lit inside of her because she realized that this white couple begging for her help was no different from any member of her family who had been victimized.  Ms Sherrod decided she would do every thing in her power to ensure that their rights were preserved.  She succeeded and the couple was able to keep their farm!

You can hear their gratitude in their own words

It was also at this moment that Ms Sherrod realized the fight is not a fight about race but a fight against those who continually use their positions of influence, money and/or power to spread fear, false information, and, to oppress others.  She realized the importance of taking action to undo such misdeeds in one’s daily life, not just through legislation or demonstrations.

I will end by saying this should be a lesson to us all in how to do the right thing in our daily lives (even when we are filled with hurt and anger).  I find it often helps to have a mantra as a guide during difficult times.  For me, the Rotary 4 Way Test is always helpful:

4 Way Test of the things we think, say or do

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Let this be your guide the next time you have to Think, Say, or, Do anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/08/04/magazine/20100815-dump.html?th&emc=th

The last slide bears the following caption:

“The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary 
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, agreed to in 1989 and now adopted 
by a majority of nations, was meant to stop the dumping of toxic waste in poor 
countries. But rules get complicated when the waste arrives as a gift.”

The problem is also not limited to Ghana.  It affects all low-income countries in the same manner and goes beyond e-waste to include old refrigerators with freon and other waste contaminants that have been banned in high-income countries.

When it comes to hazardous waste, there is little benevolence involved (i.e. the problem is not rooted in charitable donations).  Developing countries have become a target dumping ground for hazardous waste dumping.

Wikipedia: Environmental Dumping http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_dumping

Encyclopedia of the Earth: Transboundary dumping of hazardous waste

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Transboundary_dumping_of_hazardous_waste

“While some transactions generated little or no controversies, two highly-publicized incidents of dumping of toxic waste which backfired were reported in June 1988. More than 15,000 tons of incinerator ash from the city of Philadelphia, U.S. was dumped on Kassa Island in Guinea by Bulkhandling, a Norwegian company. The dumping was reportedly carried out with the collaboration of a Guinean company, the complicity of four officials of Guinea’s Ministry of Trade, and the reported involvement of the Norwegian Consulate Office in Conakry, Guinea. The four Ministry of Trade officials each received a four-year jail term while the Guinean government ordered that the ash be removed.”

Attempts at Solutions:

Basel Action Network http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2009/090624_stop_dumping_on_developing_countries.html

Peacemeal recycling efforts

http://www.digital-links.org/news/new-scheme-stops-e-waste-being-dumped-on-developing-countries

http://www.talkgreen.ca/stop-e-waste-by-recycling/

The problem continues to grow

Feb 23, 2010 Science Daily: Hazardous E-Waste Surging in Developing Countries http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100222081911.htm

Jun 8, 2010 UN Radio Toxic Waste Dumping a Breach of Human Rights http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/96845.html

Despite those who assert that regulation causes problems and increases costs, it is clear that compliance cannot be achieved through voluntary measures.  Strict Toxicity Limit,  Recycling and Waste Management Regulations  need to be developed and implemented across the board (i.e. in all countries).  Hefty fines (as in fines that truly serve as a deterrent not those that can be written off as a cost-of-doing business) also need to be enforced.  For governments in desperate need of new revenue sources, this is a readily identifiable source of income.

Final thoughts:

“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers.”
Bible
1 Timothy 1. 8-9.

or for those who prefer non-religious quotations

“The good need fear no law; it is his safety, and the bad man’s awe.”
Ben Jonson

Kristof starts his commentary by discussing poverty in general terms.  Specifically, he focuses on the issue of spending choices.  He asserts:

“…[I]f the poorest families spent as much money educating their children as they do on wine, cigarettes and prostitutes, their children’s prospects would be transformed. Much suffering is caused not only by low incomes, but also by shortsighted private spending decisions by heads of households.”

This is not a new assertion. Others have said the same thing – the decision making habits of poor people tend to be focused on short-term gratification instead of long-term investment.

A more detailed elaboration of this point can be found in the work done by Dr. Ruby Payne through her Framework for Understanding Poverty.  Dr. Payne points out there are socio-economic biases in our “hidden rules of behavior.” Middle Class decision making is driven by work and achievement. Decision making by those living in generational poverty is driven by Survival, Relationships and Entertainment.

If I were to attempt to summarize Kristof’s argument, it would be as follows:

1. Spending habits of poor people need to be examined
2. Bad budgeting causes as much deficiencies as the lack of money
3. Mothers are more likely to invest in their kids than fathers
4. Microsavings programs should favor mothers over fathers

To substantiate this argument, Kristof cites a book he co-authored titled “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” There is also a website where people can get involved Half the Sky Movement.

Seems like a simple enough argument and not one you would think would draw a firestorm of controversy.  However, here is a sample of negative reactions:

“A blame-the-poor classic with particularly overt Calvinist moral messaging”

“This Week in Bad Advocacy”

“Are Poor Africans Bad Parents?”

The reason for all the anger???  Despite the fact that Kristof asserts he is talking about global poverty issues, he only gives one example in his commentary: a poor family in the Republic of Congo.  Most of the column’s real estate is dedicated to this one example which immediately begs the question, if one is trying to discuss global poverty, why is the only example mentioned one from Africa?

Western media in general (not just Kristof and NYT but other print and television media) seem to have only one depiction of Africa – its failures, corruption, starving children, irresponsible adults, ….Rod Chavis (UPENN African Studies Center) elaborates on these issues in his paper “Africa in the Media“ (1998).  Little attention is given to books such as Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think or movies such as Africa Open for Business.  On the count of negative portrayal of Africa when there are negative examples from other areas, Kristof is guilty as charged.

Unfortunately, the focus on this one issue detracts from the validity of an extremely important issue:

What can we do to find ways to encourage those faced with generational poverty to make financial decisions that benefit them (instead of spending their money on goods and or services that benefit others)?

Kristof recommends focusing on women/mothers. This strategy has been proven to be effective but, if one continues with the assertion that fathers invest less in their children, it still does not answer the question: how do we incentivize fathers? If both parents are responsible for the child, should it not also follow that both parents must be empowered to more beneficial behavior?

While I do not like the way in which Kristof illustrates his point, I do have to thank him for attempting to generate national dialog on the issue of behavioral incentives.  You can read my reactions to his post by viewing Comment #377.  As is pointed out by AID Watch “[t]he efficacy of aid interventions depends very much on understanding the behavior of the poor”

If there is any strong attack I would leverage on Kristof it is the focus on mothers and microsavings as a “silver bullet” solution.  Poverty is as complex of an issue as the human beings which are trapped by its grasp.  There is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, in order to succeed, we must start with what we have shown to be successful and build from there.  Mothers and microsavings are just a good a starting point as any other.

• Exxon Valdez 11million gallons
• Gulf Spill 19million to 39million gallons (and counting)

Exxon Valdez impact
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill#Cleanup_measures_and_environmental_consequences

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/04/eveningnews/main6461218.shtml

Dead animals: 100,000 to as many as 250,000 seabirds, at least 2,800 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles, and 22 orcas, as well as the destruction of billions of salmon and herring eggs

Slow system recovery: Almost 20 years after the spill, a team of scientists at the University of North Carolina found that the effects are lasting far longer than expected.[20] The team estimates some shoreline Arctic habitats may take up to 30 years to recover.

21 years later: Incomplete oil removal & devastation of herring fish stock (previously an economic staple for the area)

Total Impact of Gulf Spill (both short term and long term) = TBD.

The little we do know can be seen in this underwater video from ABC’s Good Morning America

Quote from Repower America: ABC News went underwater in the Gulf with Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of famous explorer Jacques Cousteau, and he described what he saw as “one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen underwater.”

We are resisting alternative energy sources and fuel efficiency mandates because….?????

Einstein’s definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!

Here is a resource if you want to be pro-active about preventing such problems in the future: http://www.climateprotect.org/

Despite all the talk about sustainability, one has seen very little Futurist proposals.  You can imagine my delight when I came across this concept of a future city in Busan Korea.

The concept: what would happen if we applied Moore’s Law to sustainable technology?  They started with existing materials and concepts.  One of the materials (still cutting edge) is ETFE foil.

I don’t know much about the material.  First learned about it in a vertical farming presentation. Prof. Despommier (Columbia Univ. microbiologist). Most of what he told us is contained here http://www.verticalfarm.com/presentations.html

I wrote down that it is as refractive as water, self cleaning, clear enough for astronomy observations without causing distortion, and insulating.

Here are applications

The Eden Project (southern England)

• http://www.edenproject.com/
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/conservationists/eden.htm

Eurofresh Farms (Wilcox, AZ)

• http://www.eurofresh.com/

ETFE specs http://www.k-mac-plastics.net/etfe-sheets-film.htm

The concept of movable buildings is not new. Tents are movable buildings. In a very different manner so are cruise ships. So why am I so excited? This concept proposal suggests we create buildings that move around in order to maximize solar energy during the day and conserve energy at night.

Yes there are practical reasons we don’t want our buildings moving about – mostly because we don’t want the pounds of stuff we keep in them moving about. However, what if the building could move without any internal vibration?

Also, we are currently obsessed with the equipment we use. We search for energy efficient light bulbs, low energy appliances, etc. What about thinking of a building like a mini-cell eco-system? An eco-system in which everything including the exterior membrane modulates and adjusts to conserve resources. Right now we use building exteriors as insulation but what if they could be generators as well?

As for The Jetsons, well, take a look at the video and perhaps your faith will be restored…

However, the details of the how always seem to be overlooked.  Close to nine years after  9/11, the war in Iraq draws to an end (we hope), the war in Afghanistan continues, skirmishes in Pakistan, conflict between Israel and Palestine, the threat of terrorist attacks continues and we are told WHY we must remain engaged.

Very little discussion is focused on how we are engaged; more importantly how we end this peacefully.  It is very hard to find balanced perspectives which illustrate what has been done right and what has been done wrong.

For this reason, I would like to give Kudos to STRATFOR on their analysis of the issues.  Here are three key reports which not only analyze competing interests but also the fallacy that systems which work well in one country can be readily transferred to other countries which do not share the same cultural beliefs, priorities, or modus operandi.

Baghdad Politics and the U.S.-Iranian Balance http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100419_baghdad_politics_and_usiranian_balance?fn=9216094818

Three Points of View: The United States, Pakistan and India http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20100427_three_points_view_united_states_pakistan_and_india?utm_source=GWeekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=100428&utm_content=readmore&elq=5ddd8ae7c9da4f5e8fce416543cdf229

(Forthcoming: Israeli-Arab Balance of Power)

These reports are republished with permission of STRATFOR

There is also an excellent framing of the terrorism debate which puts things in a much more appropriate context than the one offered by politicians.   The current anti-terrorism activity is not about U.S. versus Muslims or claiming that people hate us because we are American.

It is about understanding the Jihadist movement which represents various extreme and fragmented factions within Islam (just like we have extreme and fragmented factions within Christianity)  Lest anyone has forgotten what the terrorism in Northern Ireland was like or the Oklahoma City bombing, Wako, the KKK, neo Nazi groups, etc. here are some reminders of Christian terrorism:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_terrorism

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/religionandtheology/2432/the_return_of_christian_terrorism________/

http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/tergps/tgdom.htm

The current anti-terrorism debate  is also about recognizing that there are just as many Muslims opposed to Jihad as there are Christians and, instead of trying to lead the fight against Jihadist factions, the U.S. needs to take a secondary role and support the Muslims who are opposed to Jihadist extremists.

The Jihadist Strategic Dilemma http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20091207_jihadist_strategic_dilemma

This report is republished with permission of STRATFOR

We need to learn to see past the rhetoric and start to see the people.  One has to ask oneself, if the need to survive is the most basic of human instincts, what makes a person over ride this instinct to survive and become a terrorist or suicide bomber?  What could possibly be so wrong that death is considered to be a welcome alternative?

There are a multitude of reason but for now I will just point to two as they relate to the war in Afghanistan.

Poverty: When someone has nothing to loose including hope for the future,
radicalizing them is a piece of cake.

Experiencing Hatred from Others: Those who are not poor can be radicalized also. 60 Minutes interviewed a former radical this past Sunday.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/23/60minutes/main6425491.shtml?tag=currentVideoInfo;segmentTitle

He grew up in London’s middle class but saw how his white friends were
constantly attacked (beaten & stabbed) just because they would walk
with him in public. When Iraq was attacked, the agrument that the US
is at war because we hate Muslims seemed perfectly logical to him.

This is what is so worrisome about all the current anti-Muslim rhetoric – it
reinforces such beliefs.  To put things in a different perspective, as a Catholic, if suddenly news media and people were to start saying “wearing a crucifix around your neck is bad or should be banned,” or saying “all Catholics
are sex offenders just look at what their priests do,” I would become
radicalized too!  Needless to say when he witnessed tortures during
interrogations his beliefs became even more extreme.

Ironically, it was being thrown in prison with some notorious
extremists (e.g. Anwar Sadat) that changed his perspective. They
showed him he was wrong and the war is about power not hate.  He now
spends his time trying to convince other Muslims that it is not a war
about religion.  Uphill battle though. His wife left him calling him a
sellout.

The differentiation between power and hate may seem trivial.  However, for many, power/oppressive power is something you can bargain with and eventually overcome.  Hatred is a non-starter to which the only response is reacting with like violence.  Turn the other cheek is a lesson most of us have heard.  However, when it comes to how we behave, our instinct to defend ourselves and retaliate typically makes us forget this lesson.

The lesson from all this?

It is not just the actions of our politicians and soldiers which matter.  It is the actions, thoughts and words of each of us in our daily lives which also have an impact on this war.  What we say and do DOES matter, especially when others (i.e. the whole world) are watching!

Paid Volunteers is Cheaper than Re-Training
NaviStar Diesel (Huntsville, AL)

When faced with shortage of contracts, this company’s branch in Alabama kept employees on the payroll (with full benefits) and let them work as volunteers in the local community.

Navistar website http://www.navistar.com/Navistar/

ABC News story http://abcnews.go.com/WN/navistar-saves-jobs-50-employees-volunteering-program/story?id=10104687

I’ve seen comments that they are replicating a program Toyota used in 2009 but cannot find details on Toyota’s program. I did find an article on Toyota and Walgreen’s teaming up in Buffalo to operate a company sponsored health care clinic
http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-facilities-clinics/14211723-1.html

Rural Outsourcing in Economically Distressed Areas
NewBold Technologies (East Liverpool, OH)

When so many face the pressure of offshore IT outsourcing, this company is successfully using the same model to provide jobs for people in rural America. They focused on creating a 1yr training program for students who don’t necessarily want to go to college and job placement rates are 94%

NewBold website http://newboldtec.com/aboutus.aspx

Got the story from the Pittsburgh Technology Council http://www.pghtech.org/news-and-publications/teq/article.aspx?Article=2002

NewBold wants to expand their model to other economically distressed areas in the U.S.