Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Benefits of Exercise -- You Name it-- Exercise Helps

Benefits of Exercise - Medicine and Health - Jane Brody - New York Times

Jane Brody makes the case for daily routine exercise-- go outside!

It helps with everything from obvious stuff like fitness to eaven managing heavy diseases like Parkinson's and MS.

Read on... and then go swim, hike, run, bike, skate, row, kayak or spin. But do it.

Talking Points Memo | Fed cuts key rate by a quarter-point

Talking Points Memo | Fed cuts key rate by a quarter-point

Another rate cut -- wow! that means we are going to be in deep sh*t years from now. Warren Buffet wasn't kidding when he forecast a long and deep "recession".

Two percent means things are worse than I imagined. And inflation is under reported. Something is fishy when the official report says 4% inflation when you and I see food and fuel prices taking more than ever.

How much more are we supposed to take befrore we say basta?

Enough! The last eight years weren't great -- and they were supposed to be.

I can't wait for a recession. to settle in.

On the other hand, why aren't we looking at changing the whole damn thing. Clearly the current economic syatem is not working for a lot of people.

Time of a change-- and movement to take us. What is going to really change if we don't get together after the election and insist on being heard?

Lots of work to do before we're dead.

Tim

World Food Program Sees "Major Crisis" In Haiti - New York Times

World Food Program Sees "Major Crisis" In Haiti - New York Times

YouTube - Dean Potter en solo integral en Yosemite

YouTube - Dean Potter en solo integral en Yosemite

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

82 Year Old Grandma Obama Offered Running mate



This woman energized Obama and fires up the crowd, too. Fun to see.

Tim

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

From there to here, from here to there ...Dr. Seus

From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere... If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good. - Dr. Seuss, One Fish Two Fish Red fish blue fish, 1960

Those Leaders Who Enable Torture - New York Times

Those Leaders Who Enable Torture - New York Times

Daily Kos: a message of hope

Daily Kos: a message of hope I think Kid Oakland's piece here sums up the challenge and opportunity for all of us supporting Obama for President. That is-- it isn't about Obama -- though I like the idea of a smart person who knows what it is like to be working class living in the White House. Oakland is arguing for the Obama movement here-- how we work to nominate him, win in November and move forward to solve problems like universal health care, getting out of Iraq, creating green jobs that pay a decent wage for working America.

We need to have a plan for the next four years so people are not walking away after the election -- back to the distractions of life that keep us working while corporate lobbyists raid the chicken coop.

Our problem, our opportunity to build a democracy that has muscle and spirit-- and government that listens to people of all classes.

Basta.

Timothy

Monday, April 21, 2008

Two mistakes on the road to truth

There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth -- not going all the way, and not starting. - Buddha

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Don’t Stress Over Stress -- Exercise, Meditate, Prepare, Breathe

Don’t Stress Over Stress - New York Times

Andrew Stock Fine artist


Andrew Stock S.W.L.A. R.E.

Wildlife Art News: Jonathon Latimer


Wildlife Art News This fellow is from England -- beautiful eye for still lifes in particular. Check out his butterflies, fish and wonderful natural history blog.

With Guns and Fines, Brazil Takes On Loggers - New York Times


With Guns and Fines, Brazil Takes On Loggers - New York Times

Goodbye world. When the Amazon forest is gone, game over. What I don't understand is why there isn't a Nature Conservancy group getting more media attention on Brazil and other parts of the forests-- buying them, or paying people to take care of them rather than cut them down.

After what we've done to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California forests, I imagine we'd learn something as a species.

Basta.

Timothy

Strategic Spending on Organic Foods - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog

Strategic Spending on Organic Foods - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog Includes a link to Environmental Working Group's List of Foods that have low pesticides and those that we should buy organic.

Ciao!

TSC

Friday, April 18, 2008

Obama set to music after PA Debate -- Funny



Why he's winning hearts and minds-- after a terrible debate (where's the first class debate coach Obama campaign) Obamarama rolls on.

TC

How to ease the squeeze on food access | csmonitor.com


How to ease the squeeze on food access | csmonitor.com

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Douglas Feith-- Bush's Iraq the Monster Creator -- Why Do Nutty People Look So Normal? From Talking Points Memo



Josh over at TPM has posted an editorial movie of one of America's masterminds of stupidity -- our urgent need to spend a trillion dollars, kill over 4000 Americans, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and get bogged down forever invading Iraq.

Our enemies rejoice when America's President Bush invaded Iraq.

Feith, Bush, Cheney: War over in 6 months they said. No one gets hurt they said. We'll pay for it with Iraqi oil receipts they said.

Why do the truly insane -- the Nazis in the 30's the Republican right that has hijacked our country today -- look so normal on the outside?

Creepy.

Basta.

Timothy

Bruce for Barack: Ohhhh Hes the One - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog




Bruce for Barack: Ohhhh Hes the One - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog

True or false: Greens can raise carbon taxes and be economically just? In three paragraphs


Best Post Ever? — Sightline Daily (formerly Tidepool)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Best of All Games -- On Baseball by John Rawls

Boston Review — rawls.php

February 2007 - Fine Duck Stamp Art


February 2007 - Duck Stamp Art Jeffrey Klinefelter won top honors for the Ohio Duck Stamp this year.

Check out the press release for his beautiful painting and those of Jeffrey Hoff and Jocelyn Beatty.

The world is richer with these artists in it. We need more art that helps connect people to their inner nature-- to God, to Nature, to the world in all its wonder.

Thankful.

best fishes,

Timothy

Monday, April 14, 2008

Road Ecology


EarthPortal Environment In Focus Wonder about road systems and the natural environment?

Here is a good essay from Ecostudies Institute's John Lloyd.

Timothy

Friday, April 11, 2008

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Annie Dillard from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

There are many things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises. The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside by a generous hand. But- and this is the point- who gets excited by a mere penny? If you follow one arrow, if you crouch motionless on a bank to watch a tremulous ripple thrill on the water and are rewarded by the sight of a muskrat paddling from its den, will you count that sight a chip of copper only, and go on your rueful way? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get.



Annie Dillard
from "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek."

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Grains Gone Wild - New York Times

Grains Gone Wild - New York Times

Hello Dalai! Seeds of Compassion : 5-Day Gathering in Seattle


Seeds of Compassion : 5-Day Gathering in Seattle

I am going to miss him -- I am at Greenfest 2008 at our Seattle Convention Center.

So hello Dalai Lama!

We could all use a few seeds of compassion planted every day.

Best fishes,

Timothy

SImilar solar systems found -- this does not surprise me

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar System's 'look-alike' found

Drawings pose mystery for CMU museum - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Drawings pose mystery for CMU museum - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

YouTube - Wilhelm Kempff plays Beethoven's Sonata 27, Op 90, mvt. 1

YouTube - Wilhelm Kempff plays Beethoven's Sonata 27, Op 90, mvt. 1

IHT-- Eeyore Boeing Says No-- basta!






“Over the longer term, solid oxide fuel cells could be applied to secondary power-generating systems, such as auxiliary power units for large commercial airplanes,” Boeing said, adding that it “does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternatives.”

This is typical American corporate thinking today-- by one of the biggest government subsidized companies in the world-- Boeing.

The message is clear -- from automakers to airplane companies-- we can't we can't we can't. God help us all. We are gassing ourselves to death with carbon dioxide and all we hear from the richest most powerful capitalists is "Not now-- no we can't for a very long time. "

In one paragraph you have them admitting they can do it -- make sustainable, carbon pollution reducing flights. And then the same Public Affairs person takes it away --saying it can't (more like WON'T) be done.

Working class America invested in this company -- billions in tax dollars for decades now-- for military industry and commercial airlines. And not just in Boeing, but all the colleges and universities that feed it's high tech soul a talented smart innovative worker.

And what we get for our massive investments? We get good paying jobs for a while. But stay tuned: Boeing is doing to Seattle what Ford and GM and Chrysler did to Detroit in the 1950's-- the company that is exporting jobs around the world. Detroit was the job center of the universe after WW II. And now it is a pitiful shadow economy-- used up, hollowed out and left for dead.

Whether or not Boeing succeeds in exporting all Seattle's jobs around the world - Boeing sounds like Eeyore telling people that greener brighter day of flight can't happen soon. I say it can't happen soon enough.

What I think they are saying is that the corporate world has been hijacked by the investment elite -- they won't make the big investments needed to bring tested green technology to large scale reality because they are beholden to a quarterly profit margin that won't allow it. ( For more on collapsing faith in market capitalism --see Economist editorial via Daily Kos )

The charade must continue -- more public funds --not just for a war machine but for the green machine. And once we have paid for all the research and brought the technology up to assembly line production, some kind old Republican or Democrat will tell us how it is in the public good for market efficiency to once again take over and make an all American profit from our subsidy of risk.

Amen! Amen!

The problem with our economy is not just the pirate ship financial sector leveraging assets to the nth degree. The problem is a company like Boeing-- one that has the best and brightest of our country's people working in it saying "we can't".

The auto industry can't create more efficient engines-- can't reduce emissions, the coal industry can't do anything about the pollution it causes. The oil industry can't either.

It is this Eeyore mentality that calls into question the premise of capitalism to bring the best to the top-- to take risks and grow stronger because we are growing jobs, too.

America the beautiful ought to be leading the charge on green energy and transportation. We should be sharing our optimism about this beautiful world's future and our stewardship of it.

Si se puede!

basta.

Timothy

Sequoiadendron giganteum -- Giant Sequoias Rule!


Sequoiadendron giganteum (Lindl Everything you wanted to know about Giant Sequoias -- a grand tree. See also Good Nature's newest poster Sequoias: Giants of Sierra Nevada with beautiful art by John C. Pitcher on front, and excellent interpretive material about the ancient trees on the back.

Now go outside, explore and find some!

The Already Big Thing on the Internet: Spying on Users - New York Times

The Already Big Thing on the Internet: Spying on Users - New York Times Big business is watching every click you take online.

You remember the 1st and 2nd Amendment? Well what about the 4th, Comcast? What about guaranteeing protection against illegal search and seizure, Google? Our homes, our bodies, our interests in searching ought to be left to ourselves -- and not gathered by our ISP and sold to the highest bidder.

Read the opinion piece above, and write Congress and your favorite Presidential candidate.

Let them know how you feel. Personally I have stopped taking polls on phone years ago-- people running them ought to pay me for sharing my opinion. They are making money on what I say. Why shouldn't I? And if Comcast (biggest cabe ISP in the country) and other providers are selling info on where I surf and what I look at online -- (how boring!) they shouldn't! The default setting on search and seizure for corporations should be the same as it is for government -- Not without a warrant.

IF you want to sell your information soul online-- then you opt in to sell it. But the companies have it backwards right now-- they are taking your monthly payment for internet services AND collecting, selling your online surfing history -- profiting without your consent or permission or profit.

Basta.

Timothy

Friday, April 04, 2008

After Success, Problems for Microfinancing in Mexico - New York Times

After Success, Problems for Microfinancing in Mexico - New York Times Micro finance can change the world-- but I doubt it will if the work involves Return On Investment. Markets are by definition win lose-- someone makes money at someone else's expense. With micro credit -- all the "profit" made from people who are so poor regular banks don't serve them - it seems to me the lender should always be non profit or credit union -- so money earned from investing in start ups gets re invested for other people who need it-- not siphoned off for profit.

Basta.

Tim