The NeverEndingSandStory

We did it. We did it. We did it. Sometimes 10 miles a year, sometimes 20 miles of good earth blowing away in South America, North America, North Africa, Western Russia, Australia, and China with a vengance. Why more sand? During the 1960s in Russia, China, India, and North America lands that were never farmed intensively were - now they are blowing in the wind.

clipped from solveclimate.com Desertification Threatens Food Security and Climate Desertification is the rapid, human-induced creation of deserts — the sudden, accelerated conversion of arid or semi-arid land, usually by over-grazing, deforestation, over-extraction of groundwater, drought, over-planting, or some nasty combination of the five.

Getting Greener - not so hard

Greening a roof - not so hard - even in NYC.

clipped from changents.com DVF's Green Roof Just a quick one today, check out Diane Von Furstenburg’s fantastic green roof on her apartment, and above her commercial building and flagship boutique. Now check out this guerilla style wanna be green roof perhaps starting from seedlings blowing over from DVF or the neighboring Highline. It won’t be too long until it’s a full fledged miniature version. Gotta love it.

Seeing the Afghan Forest Not the Trees

William Pfaff wrote on September 17, 2001: "Clearly, the United States needs to deal with Mr. bin Laden's terrorist organization, but that is essentially a police and intelligence problem.
Long-term United States interests cannot afford a "war" that risks toppling Saudi Arabia and other conservative Islamic regimes into alliance with the radical movements already powerful in Iran, Sudan, Algeria, and influential in Egypt, Pakistan, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. That, though, is the risk."

Now, Pakistan threatens to come unglued and the President is being advised to send in 40,000 troops.

What he needs to do is read this article below.

clipped from www.williampfaff.com Realism about Al Qaeda Paris, October 17, 2009 William Pfaff If the president and Congress were to follow the implied message of the Sageman presentation, the probability of Mr. Obama’s serving eight, rather than four, more years in the White House would greatly rise. Marc Sageman is a forensic and clinical psychiatrist who has served as a Naval flight surgeon, then as a CIA officer who between 1987 and 1991 was in Islamabad and New Delhi directing the U.S. multilateral program with the Afghan Mujahedin. He concludes that “effective counter-terrorism strategy [is] on the brink of completely eliminating al Qaeda.” There will be no organization to return. This is the result of effective international and domestic intelligence cooperation as well as good police work. So why, one asks, is the U.S. expanding its war in Afghanistan?

Back to the Future: Maldives Government Meets Under Sea

Not 20,000 leagues under the sea but perhaps a view of the future for a number of island nations, parts of US Gulf states, Down in the Florida Keys!

clipped from www.aliadham.com First ever underwater cabinet meeting World's first ever underwater cabinet meeting held in the island nation of the Maldives today. It was one of the many activities organized by Maldivian government in association with 350.org, a non-profit organization working against climate change and Divers Association of the Maldives. The president and his fellow ministers were 5meters underwater and meeting lasts for 30 minutes.

Go Deep! Not Schoolyard Football; Alternative for Afghanistan

Not 63 pages here but a good introduction and summary to a plan that would not further enrage Afghans waiting on sidelines deciding who to back or to sit on hands.

clipped from www.ipsnews.net U.S.: Veteran Army Officer Urges Afghan Troop Drawdown By Gareth Porter* In a 63-page paper representing his personal views, but reflecting conversations with other officers who have served in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis argues that it is already too late for U.S. forces to defeat the insurgency. The "Go Deep" strategy proposed by Davis would establish an 18-month time frame during which the bulk of U.S. and NATO combat forces would be withdrawn from the country. It would leave U.S. Special Forces and their supporting units, and enough conventional forces in Kabul to train Afghan troops and police and provide protection for U.S. personnel.

Think Youth Apathetic? Look Out of the Box!

The Student Safety Act would require that raw data about disciplinary action in schools be made accessible to the public and lawmakers. The Department of Education would be required to report on its tactics for enforcing discipline in schools, as well as numbers of suspensions, expulsions and arrests.

clipped from www.wiretapmag.org NY Students, Organizers Speak Out for Safety Act New York City students are tired of school feeling like prison -- and many young people are working to change this reality. The Student Safety Act is a bill that could play a vital role in the effort to end over-policing in schools and the school-to-prison pipeline. Many of the city's youth organizers hope that the Student Safety Act will prove that harsh disciplinary action and over-policing do not necessarily make schools safer and often disproportionately affect youth of color and youth with special needs.

The Afghan Killing Grounds Also Grow Dreams

Working for peace is, I believe the best way to prepare the ground for dreams of world we want. Meena's dream is too real, nearly, for reading but you will be thankful for reading it.

clipped from awwproject.wordpress.com Afghanistan, a Dream I wanted to step back and leave the suffering, but the portrait inside my heart was no different from that of the view. I finally pulled myself away and closed my eyes, trying to see deep inside and imagine a dream picture of Afghanistan.

Being Green Hanging Clean Laundry Out to Dry-Not As Easy as I Thought

Little would I have thought that home owner associations would be so snooty and ban hanging laundry. Pre-global warming but still pretty dumb. 35,000 in California alone. Governor Terminator - yo! take note and outlaw, outlawing outdoor laundry hanging!

Thanks for Amplifyier Maria Silveira for letting me know.

clipped from laundrylist.org Project Laundry List is making air-drying and cold-water washing laundry acceptable and desirable as simple and effective ways to save energy. Learn more about our Clotheslines Across America Tour and the movie being made at www.ClotheslinesAcrossAmerica.org Dryers use 10 to 15% of domestic energy in the United States!

Sometimes Being Green Is Easy - Grin

Not so easy in winter but an easy thing to do to save money and a bit of the planet! And the smell and feel of sun dried stuff - smile! Line dry, rack dry, and in Singapore pole dry out the window. Even guys can do it! Really!

clipped from www.cleveland.com Remember Mom hanging the laundry out to dry? It's environmentally friendly: Connie Schultz Twice a week, she'd grab her bucket full of clothespins and lug a wicker basket full of wet clothes up the basement stairs and out into the sunshine. Only on winter's coldest days would she use the electric dryer. Oh, the fragrance of those sun-dried clothes. Talk about a memory that hinges deep sighs to your smile.

United Nations of America to meet in Nov. 7th

Huh? You say - smile. Well not entirely accurate, I guess but what else would you call a meeting between the President and all the recognized Native American Tribes (Nations) on November 7th. At the very least, it's a good step forward in making up for 230 years plus of broken promises between our national government and the daughters and sons of the first inhabitants of this land.

Now that I think of it, we are all immigrants right?

clipped from www.indiancountrytoday.com White House announces nation-to-nation conference WASHINGTON – White House officials chose Columbus Day to announce a first-of-its-kind conference to be held with leaders from all federally recognized tribes. President Barack Obama will host a White House Tribal Nations Conference Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. “Indian country has been waiting for well over a decade for a meeting of this caliber with the President of the United States,” said Joe A. Garcia, National Congress of American Indians president.

Yipee! NYC gets new park - nice when things are done right!

Look at Andrea Bakacs photos and narration and put your feet up and enjoy. If there are some nice sunny days left and you re in New York City go visit!

clipped from changents.com Governor's Island-- Yay for More Green! A brand new park was unveiled this summer in NYC, or rather, a whole island. Governor’s Island, so under the radar that it was only added to Google Maps this summer as well, as the latest and greatest green space added to NYC’s plethora of urban oases. And not only is it an island off of our glorious island, but there's a ferry that takes you there for free! What could be better?! I mean, it's worth it just for the views. The old time feel of the place is eery but at the same time freeing.

Who, What, How of Pakistan's Taliban

Not the easiest read but a good introduction of how the Taliban in Pakistan extended and maintained control and a way to understand why many are eager to see them gone.

clipped from sahargul.blogspot.com Pakhtun Women’s Perceptions about Religious extremism/Talibanization & Military Operation: Case Study of Malakand Division Research and Renaissance 'Research and Renaissance' blog is the web-debut of The Regional Academy for Research and Renaissance- a non-profit organization, registered in Societies' Act for socio-politico-Economic research and global awareness. the Taliban used to wear masks; their hiding their faces doubled the terror the traditional religious leadership was killed to do away with the alternative interpretation of Jihad. The major finding of the research is that the social contagion of the Taliban began in the name of religion; people’s sensitivity for religion was used to win their support. Later on the contagion was carried on through perpetuation of fear through Fatwas, Shariah verdicts and beheading, flogging and shooting people publicly

Fox TV - No Shame for Beck Trivializing Holocaust

People have been making money by the sack full and gaining power and recognition for generations preaching about who listeners should hate, fear, outlaw, lynch, beat to death. Hitler and Stalin have been joined by Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs and many wannabe head haters - including an ex-governor.

In a market-driven economy what's one of the best ways to respond? For me it is to let Fox and CNN know, I am not watching until things change and and recommending the same to others.

No Fox, No CNN. No advertising on Fox or CNN. Will they miss me - grin? Only if several hundred thousand join with me in skipping their favorite shows on Fox and CNN. I managed to quit smoking after forty years - cold turkey - so I think I can manage without my local or national Fox, or even the shows I like on CNN until they change. How about you?

clipped from tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com Glenn Beck's Hate Speech: Likens Criticism of Fox News To Murder Of 6,000,000 Jews By M.J. Rosenberg The Obama administration offered some mild criticism of Fox News Glenn Beck has responded by likening this onslaught to the murder of Six Million Jews. My kids -- Americans in their early thirties -- are missing dozens if not hundreds of cousins because of the mass murder Beck trivializes And our family had it easy compared to most European Jews. It is, frankly, disgusting that Beck likens this slaughter -- including 1.5 million children -- to criticism of his rolling-in-dough network.

Making a rope

Making a rope,
originally uploaded by martien van asseldonk.

Wonderful photograph - what does it make you think about? Me? Getting lost in useful work can be a joy, as well as work.

US Energy and Natural Resouces Maze

Scan the more than 250 bills introduced this term in to the US House Natural Resources Committee and the 49 members of the committee and you begin to understand how difficult it is to enact large strategic changes in policy and why Congress might spend time building target shooting facilities on public lands or in wilderness sites. Consider what states have representatives on the committee and those that do not. Earmarking or "pork" then starts to become clear: "Give you a new energy policy? Sure - give me a new pier for Santa Monica." grin/groan.

clipped from www.govtrack.us House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee on Water and Power H.R. 21: Ocean Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act H.R. 3781: Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act H.R. 3697: To amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian tribes. H.R. 3448: Streamline America's Future Energy Nuclear Act H.R. 2091: Plastic Bag Reduction Act of 2009 H.R. 1841: Acid Rain and Mercury Control Act H.R. 1810: Fast Track Shale Act

Blessing/Curse of First People's Genetic Adaptation

People who live in harsh environments for more than 500 years, adapt genetically and culturally to that climate. Modern ways and diets are attractive but produce disease because of disconnect between how their bodies were adapted to a non-modern lifestyle. The epidemic of diabetes among first nation children and young adults has been accelerating as traditional ways of living fade. This is not limited ot First Americans but this article illustrates the problem well and how difficult it is to deal with.

clipped from www.canada.com Sandy Lake First Nation - epicentre of diabetes epidemic High prices are common in fly-in communities. But they are particularly hard to swallow here in Sandy Lake, where a quarter of the people have diabetes, the highest rate in Canada and third highest in the world. Until the 1950s, Oji-Cree lived a harsh and strenuous traditional life in the region's forests and maze of lakes and rivers. Fish, duck, rabbit and moose were mainstays. Blueberries and cranberries were picked by the basketful. They ran trap lines on snowshoes and dog sleds, often covering tens of kilometres a day.

Desk-Bound Journalists Blow Hopi and Navajo Green Stories

It is sad to see what damage can be done when some journalists take to rewriting company PR. The hard work of Hopi and Navajo people to save their land and heritage is easily overlooked and set back by those who have degrees in journalism process but no on-the-ground knowledge about anything or the gumption to get at all sides of a story.

clipped from bsnorrell.blogspot.com Absurd one-sided media coverage of the so-called ban The amazing part of the one-sided news coverage of the so-called Hopi Tribal Council ban on environmentalists, which the Navajo president supported, is how few news reporters were even aware of the large number of Hopi and Navajo environmental organizations and individual activists. If all the Hopi and Navajo people defending and honoring the land, air and water were banned, all of the traditional Hopi and Navajo would have to leave their lands. What the one-sided coverage by AP, Arizona Republic and the others reveals is that the reporters are not spending any time in Indian country. They continue to just rewrite the press releases of politicians and corporations. Even Mother Jones got duped.

Up Close and Personal: Peshawar, Pakistan

Friday, a friend told me that he was a meeting of journalists in Peshawar, Pakistan, when the room shook from the blast in the nearby market - 53 dead, 100+ injured. Then shortly after midnight, militants crept into the NATO depot in Peshawar, the northwestern Pakistani city near the Afghan border, and set fires.



His message today?
"Today again I am in a state of depression as today again I have seen death and destruction. I will request all the members to forget all the things in this world for a few moments and just pray in your hearts for peace. Without peace all the things are meaningless. Please pray for peace. May God the Great give you peace and happiness."
Muhammad K

Can you imagine? We are wondering if it will be a Dodgers-Yankees World Series. Muhammad is wondering from moment to moment if his wife and child are still safe and what will happen when he walks out the door.

World Economic Crisis = 30-50K more kids may die by 2010

I am worrying about paying property taxes, others are planning on buying less for Christmas, some are wondering what comes after unemployment runs out.

Thousands of thousands of women in Sub-Sahara Africa are wondering which babies, if their baby will survive.

If you knew one of the women, whose baby will probably die if nothing changes - what would you do?

Sorry, I had to ask but I have to.

clipped from econ.worldbank.org How many more infants are likely to die in Africa as a result of the global financial crisis ? At current growth projections, their estimates suggest there will be 30,000 - 50,000 excess infant deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these additional deaths are likely to be poorer children (born to women in rural areas and lower education levels) and are overwhelmingly female. If the crisis continues to worsen the number of deaths may grow much larger, especially those to girls

Mayo Clinic to Seniors: Show Us the Money!

Mayo Clinic has great reputation for its care, now it can add a reputation for being uncaring and being greedy if you are on Medicare and Social Security.

clipped from www.healthbeatblog.com Mayo Clinic Family Medicine in Arrowhead Arizona Will No Longer Take Medicare Patients The Mayo Clinic now has two family medicine clinics in Arizona. Beginning January 1, primary physicians at one of those clinics will no longer see Medicare patients unless they are able and willing to pay an annual $250 administrative fee, plus $175 to $400 per visit . They will also have to agree to “an appropriate number of visits each year, including physicals,:  The total annual costs for the physical and three office visits would be about $1500, according to  the letter that Mayo sent  to the 3,000 patients who receive care at the clinic. The letter also informs those patients that they will not be able to transfer their primary care to another Mayo facility.

Peace in the Congo - When?

The Congo is blessed with wonderful people and resources that ought to enrich them. Greed by corrupt corporations and individuals over those resources has driven political instability since the 1960's. That instability allowed terrorists from Rwanda and Uganda to fuel violence in the border areas.

Like Darfur in the Sudan, if we look aside, the violence picks up again. Please don't look away until the world agrees to stay the course and end the violence.

clipped from congoweek.org Why Congo Week? REGISTER NOW FOR CONGO WEEK The Congo is the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today where nearly 6 million people have died since 1996, half of them children under 5 yrs old and hundreds of thousands of women have been raped all as a result of the scramble for Congo's wealth. The United Nations said it is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War Two. However, hardly anything is said about it in the media. Can you imagine 45,000 people dying each month and hardly a peep from anyone in the age of the Internet? This is literally what has happened and continue to happen in the Congo. There is a media blackout about Congo and no worldwide resolution to end the conflict and carnage there.