toyus interruptus

A Long Time Coming

2011-07-12T13:12:00.003-05:00

It's been almost 4 years since I've posted on my blog, and it seems I've been negligent of an outlet I used to really enjoy.

With the advent of Facebook and the like, I won't list them all even though I have a page on all of them, it felt redundant to post on a blog. But now that I have a large circle of people on those sites of varying degrees of friendship, it seems wrong to place personal opinion of a venting nature on there unless it is something that should reach a mass audience.

This left a gap, a place where I had the ability to be myself with no mask and say what I wanted to say.

My dear friend Carrie has inspired me to return.

See her blog here: The Gay Mom.

Like the heading says:

What can I say, I have a lot to say.

And I've been holding back too long.

There's Somethin' Happenin' Here

2007-10-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

Joliet--State Budget Hearing--Please Attend and Voice Your Support for the Arts!

2007-09-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Governor Rod Blagojevich's vetoed budget calls for a dramatic 30% cut (over $7 million) to the Illinois Arts Council (IAC) budget from what was approved by the General Assembly on August 10, 2007 – this will reduce IAC's overall budget by more than $5 million from last year's level and will significantly reduce the funds available for IAC grant programs.

We must act now to send a powerful message that support for the arts is essential! The Illinois House of Representatives will hold veto budget hearings across the state. Please attend and voice your support for the arts!

STATE BUDGET HEARING - JOLIET, IL
Monday, September 24, 2007
6:00 p.m.
Joliet Township High School - West Campus
401 North Larkin
Joliet, IL 60435

To better coordinate the efforts for the hearing in Joliet and the surrounding areas please contact Ylda Pineyro, Public Policy Director, Illinois Arts Alliance at (312) 855-3105, ext. 11 or pineyro@artsalliance.org and let them know if you plan to speak at the hearing.

Zen Reminder

2007-09-04T09:39:00.000-05:00

In this world, in order to enable society to develop, all its members have to assume responsibilites and make their contribution. If we do not make collective contributions then there will be no development.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Cutting My Hair

2007-08-25T11:20:00.000-05:00

The day after my cat died, I cut all my hair off. I vaguely remembered something about different cultures who do this for mourning purposes. I wasn't thinking, I just knew I needed to do it. Interesting...

Other particularly female rituals concerning burial were things like self-mutilation and hair cutting. Some critics have argued a parallel between mourners cutting their hair and a similar action during ritual sacrifices, in which the priest cuts a lock from the sacrificial animal to demonstrate its willingness to die. The cutting of a mourner’s hair indicates either a willingness to allow the dead to rest in the underworld or a resemblance of female self-mutilation as a way to lesson emotional anguish by conversion into physical pain.
-Rehm, Rush. Marriage to Death: The Conflation of Wedding and Runeral Rituals in Greek Tragedy,p. 26.

Iago 1989-2007

2007-08-21T17:43:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to put down my closest companion. And after 18 years and 8 months of being blessed with his presence, I am sad tonight at the loss his passing causes.

You can never underestimate the value of unconditional love. Of a pet that knows when you need them to be by your side. Of the trust that builds over years of taking care of each other. Of the moment you come home from a long day at work and his eyes can take all your cares away. How even just petting the softness of his fur can lower your blood pressure. And how hearing him purr clears the clutter in your mind.

I feel lonesome without him. And although mentally I know this was the correct and only choice, the tactile remembrance of cuddling with my boy is hard to stop grieving over. So, I face my life without a cat for the first time in 21 years with courage.

Jim sent this note from Dear Abby that even he admits is a bit cheesy, but I really appreciated it for the hope it gives you that after this life we will be reunited with every human or animal that we have loved. Thanks Jim, and thank you to all of those who have e-mailed me with your remembrances of not only Iago, but of the animals that were close to you.

The Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

My Map

2007-08-02T00:04:00.001-05:00

White Space

2007-08-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

Your advocacy is needed to ensure that the use of wireless microphones and wireless audio equipment remains unencumbered and interference-free. Over the past 35 years, users of wireless microphones , including thousands of performing arts organizations nationwide, have operated on radio frequencies between the television broadcast channels, on the so-called "white spaces" in the TV band (from 54 MHz to 698 MHz). In an effort to more efficiently manage the remaining "white spaces," the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has initiated proceedings to consider how, and under what circumstances, to authorize millions of new electronic gadgets (referred to as "unlicensed devices") to operate simultaneously on these very same frequencies.

As you can imagine, this authorization by the FCC would have a grave impact on the performing arts community. Wireless microphones and equipment are utilized to facilitate communication between theatre staff members and performers. Directors, managers, crew members and many others rely upon such equipment to communicate performance and lighting cues, staging movement and other vital directions. Additionally, wireless microphones are utilized in conjunction with infra red technology to provide listening systems for hearing impaired performing arts patrons. Without these microphones, the infra-red system would pick up music only, not dialogue or lyrics.

Please take a moment to write to the FCC and explain the potential negative impact that the introduction of these new devices in radio frequencies will have on the performing arts community!

Click here to be part of the campaign!

Transparency

2007-07-30T13:06:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for transparency in where our tax dollars go, I have found a wonderful site that is trying desparately to end earmarks. Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) is an independent voice for American taxpayers. TCS is dedicated to cutting wasteful government spending and subsidies in order to achieve a responsible and efficient government that lives within its means.

TCS works extensively with elected officials from both political parties. TCS positions are often cited during floor debates and TCS testifies frequently before congressional committees. TCS’s 501(c)(4) affiliate organization, TCS Action, holds Members of Congress accountable by tracking their votes through the acclaimed, non-partisan Common Sense Taxpayer Scorecard.

Since 1995, TCS has saved federal taxpayers more than $5 billion by playing a key role in stopping these and other boondoggles:

Auburn Dam (SAVINGS: $711 million)
Northern California water projects (SAVINGS: $300 million)
Red Rock Crossing bridge, AZ (SAVINGS: $30 million)
Underpayment of royalties for oil drilled on federal lands (SAVINGS: $660 million)
NASA Russian space monkey program (SAVINGS: $4 million)
Forest Service Purchaser Road Credit Program (SAVINGS: $1 billion)
Forest Service highway bill road slush fund (SAVINGS: $1 billion)
Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (SAVINGS: $200 million)
US 161 road expansion, MI (SAVINGS: $400 million)
US 23 road extension, MI (SAVINGS: $400 million)
Juneau Access Road, AK (SAVINGS: $232 million)

I found out about them on Bill Moyers' Investigations on PBS. Most of the earmarks are for political or personal gain. That means our hard-earned money is making corporations and our elected officials richer. It's still difficult for full disclosure to be ensured, there are many rules about how you (as a constituent) can view these records. But I am so happy to have found a group that is willing to do the work to bring democracy back to the people.

Rob's Commercial

2007-07-12T23:03:00.000-05:00

My ex-husband has a national spot out for Mitsubishi Outlander. He's the only one who speaks in the ad. Check it out. It's called 2007 Outlander - House.

Happy Independence Day

2007-07-04T00:55:00.000-05:00

It is now the 4th of July. Independence Day. Independence from a monarchy. Independence from a king's rule vs. a country of laws. The state of this country's government has gone so far from where it began, it is unrecognizable. And, frankly, it saddens me. With every illegality that has not been held accountable, we are all guilty of collusion.

I was under the belief that once a party had a president in power, that the good of the country outweighed the good of the party. This is the most corrupt government that has been. And sadly, if I don't speak up now, I will be blamed by future generations for letting this continue without opposition. I urge everyone to look into their hearts and remember honor, honesty, integrity, and truth as virtues on this independence day.

Last night's Special Comment by Keith Olbermann:

Daily Buddhist Wisdom

2007-06-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

On the basis of the belief that all human beings share the same divine nature, we have a very strong ground, a very powerful reason, to believe that it is possible for each of us to develop a genuine sense of equanimity toward all beings.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "The Good Heart"

Green News

2007-05-29T14:45:00.000-05:00

New York City will convert entire taxi fleet to hybrids

The big yellow taxis of the Big Apple will all be hybrids by 2012 under a plan announced last week by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The city has been testing 375 hybrid cabs for 18 months, and will soon begin converting its 13,000-vehicle fleet. "It will be the largest, cleanest fleet of taxis anywhere on the planet," Bloomberg said, adding that the switch would be the equivalent of taking 30,000 individually owned, gasoline-powered vehicles off the streets. "These [cabs] just sit there in traffic sometimes, belching fumes," he said. "This does a lot less. It's a lot better for all of us." Louise Vetter, president of the American Lung Association of the City of New York, agreed: "New Yorkers are exposed to some of the dirtiest air in the nation. Putting more clean cabs on New York City streets is an important step in our fight to improve air quality." The move, hailed by the New York Federation of Taxi Drivers too, is part of Bloomberg's plan to cut the city's carbon emissions 30 percent by 2030.

Some car seats leach toxic chemicals, says new report

Car seats have joined baby bottles and bath toys on the ever-growing list of Evil Things You're Subjecting Your Child To. The Michigan-based Ecology Center tested 62 models of tot-toters, finding that about a third can leach chemicals such as chlorine, bromine, and lead. The center, which released a study on the toxicity of car interiors in March, obviously doesn't advocate that you bear your babes on your lap, Britney-style. "Car seats save lives. It's absolutely essential that parents put their children in them while driving," says the group's Jeff Gearhart, but "some car seats are safer than others when it comes to chemical composition." So go for a seat found to be less likely to afflict your child, like the Graco SnugRide Emerson or EvenFlo Discovery Churchill. To reduce degradation, the report suggests parking out of direct sunlight, opening car windows, cleaning regularly, and limiting your child's time in the seat.

Workaholics, especially American ones, are ruining the planet

Now here's a theory we can get behind: workaholism is ruining the earth. "We are proudly breaking our backs to decrease the carrying capacity of the planet," says Conrad Schmidt, proponent of the 32-hour work week, who declares that overwork leads to overconsumption, pollution, and less fulfilling life experience. If there's anyone who needs to take the message to heart, it's Americans, who work more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world -- a full 500 hours more per year than Germans. Not coincidentally, the U.S. is also the world's largest polluter and produces half the world's solid waste, and a paper issued by the Center for Economic and Policy Research finds that Europeans would consume up to 30 percent more energy by 2050 if they worked like Americans. Says CEPR co-director Mark Weisbrot, "Because there's no limit to what we can consume, a change of values has to take place if the planet stands a chance of survival."

Memorial Day

2007-05-28T11:13:00.000-05:00

I was wished to have a good holiday today. This is Memorial Day, the day to remember the brave soldiers who have given their lives in past wars. As the number of fallen soldiers in our present war is reaching 3500, and the death sentence of more brave soldiers was just signed into law this week, I have a hard time having a good "holiday" today. I will not be bar-b-queing. I will not be celebrating anything.

Does anyone realize that close to 3/4 of million Iraqis have died at the hands of a flawed ideal? That the cost of this war will reach the trillian dollar amount? (Imagine what the money could have done for us here at home.) Staying in this war is making the world even less safe.

I'm tired of the slogans: war on terror, when they stand up - we'll stand down, they'll follow us home. Over 50% of the Iraqi parliament voted this week for a deadline to troop withdawal by the Americans. Can't our administration see that not only the American people want this to end, but no one wants us there anymore?

I love my country, and it's falling apart because of this situation. It is not unpatritotic to want to have peace, diplomacy, and an army that is safe. Support of the troops is bringing them home safely. And I have to question myself, will we get our dignity back in my lifetime? Or will the ignorance of the true problems of our world, lead to its demise?

This memorial day I remember all the deaths, not just the soldiers, that come from war. I really wish for a day when the people in charge realize that war is not the solution to our problems. I wish safety for those fighting today and for however long this administration deems it necessary to continue this travesty. I don't want to celebrate death this "holiday," I want more life.

Green Talk

2007-05-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Chemicals play a big role in breast-cancer cases, says report

A new report finds a potential link between breast cancer and 216 chemicals, including 35 common air pollutants and 73 food or consumer-product ingredients. Racking up evidence from hundreds of existing lab tests, researchers concluded that environmental factors play a much larger role in breast-cancer likelihood than family history and genes. "Overall, exposure to mammary gland carcinogens is widespread," says the report, noting that 29 of the identified toxics are produced in volumes of more than 1 million pounds each year in the U.S. Here's what's scarier: only 1,000 of the 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the U.S. have been tested for carcinogenic properties. As breast cancer is the leading killer of middle-aged American women, we advise avoiding pesticides, dyes, cosmetics, diesel exhaust, pharmaceuticals, food flavorings, and chlorinated drinking water.

States sue over fuel standards, Bush announces emissions baby steps

California Attorney General Jerry Brown held forth on the steps of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week, leading a group of 11 states suing the feds over "dangerously weak" fuel-efficiency standards. "The Bush administration has its head in the sand, and we hope the court wakes them," he said. The suit, filed in November, says the proposed efficiency increase for light trucks and SUVs in model years 2008 to 2011 is "trivial" and should be recalculated. The feds contend that they had to juggle environmental protection with economic stability and "the safety of the driving public." Because getting good mileage is super dangerous. Meanwhile, President Bush said he's asked the U.S. EPA and other agencies to think of some kinda plan for cutting vehicle emissions by the time he leaves office, to "make our economy stronger, our environment cleaner, and our nation more secure." While the phrasing is correct, critics point out that Bush actually has the authority to improve fuel economy immediately.

Democratic presidential candidate unveils ambitious energy plan

Last week, saying the country needs something as bold as JFK's "man-on-the-moon" program, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said he is "calling for a new American revolution -- an energy and climate revolution." Richardson outlined his plan, which includes increasing fuel economy to 50 miles per gallon by 2020, slashing greenhouse-gas emissions by about 80 percent, significantly cutting foreign-oil imports, and "a massive public and private investment -- yes, tax dollars -- in promoting renewable technologies." The press rushed to point out that the former U.S. Energy secretary has six-figure stock holdings in a Texas-based oil refining company, holdings Richardson would rid himself of if elected.

The Mother's Day Proclamation

2007-05-19T00:42:00.000-05:00

This is a week late, but thank you to Lindsay for sending it my way. This is by Julia Ward Howe - founder of the Mother's Day holiday in America, and author of the The Battle Hymn of the Republic. It was written in 1870, in response to the American Civil War, and the Franco-Prussian War:

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

Green Stuff

2007-05-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

Study says ethanol fuel could cause more health problems than gasoline

A study from Stanford University says widespread use of ethanol in vehicles could have serious health effects. Atmospheric scientist Mark Jacobson ran computer models comparing air quality in 2020 based on use of both gasoline and E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline currently seeing a big old political and industrial push. He found that the ethanol blend would produce more ground-level ozone than gasoline, estimating that it could lead to a 4 percent increase in ozone-related deaths nationwide by 2020. The study, published in the online edition of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, also says hospitalizations for respiratory issues could increase and fuel-related cancer rates would likely remain the same. "We found that using E85 will cause at least as much health damage as gasoline," says Jacobson. "The question is, if we're not getting any health benefits, then why continue to promote ethanol?"

U.S. negotiators edit climate out of G8 climate draft

Here's a comforting thought: your future is being played like a poker hand. Next month, the leaders of the G8 nations will meet in Germany along with the heads of China, India, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil. With hopes of agreeing on climate-change action, Germany has circulated a draft of a declaration that the U.S. is editing all to hell. According to press reports, U.S. negotiators have suggested cutting a pledge to limit global temperature rise; excising a promise to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; axing an acknowledgment that the U.N. is the place to negotiate future climate action; and slashing statements that express concern about the latest IPCC report, say action is urgently needed, and say climate change will cause damage. On a brighter note, they did leave the word "the." Said one anonymous source, "There is a very serious game of poker being played, which is very disappointing at this late stage and given the scale of the problem."

Bush administration raises park fees, advocates cry foul

The Bush administration is consistent-izing rates at 135 national parks, a move that will see some fees double. It will also tie future rates to inflation, raising them every three years. A National Park Service spokesperson says the shift is an attempt to simplify the current rate structure, bringing the types of fees from 17 to four, but parks advocates spy something sinister. "This absolutely is excluding Americans from visiting their public lands," said Robert Funkhouser, president of the Western Slope No-Fee Coalition. "The more you force the public away, the more you lose support for the parks." Visits to the country's 390 national parks and monuments fell from 287 million in 1999 to 273 million in 2006; attendance at Yosemite has fallen 20 percent since a 1997 fee increase. With hotel and food costs inside parks also rising, it's getting tougher to get outside. "It just makes no sense," says a Yosemite-area visitors' bureau rep. "Poor families are going to be priced out of the market."

Bush administration wants to drill here, there, and everywhere

Last week, the Interior Department announced a five-year plan that would open 48 million acres of ocean to oil and gas leases off the shores of Alaska and Virginia and in the Gulf of Mexico. Alaska's Bristol Bay is ready to be defiled, as President Bush yanked a drilling ban there by executive order in January, but the acreage off of Virginia would require lifting a long-standing drilling moratorium -- unlikely in a Dem-controlled Congress. The new plan is no aberration: drilling in five Western states has doubled in the last decade, to the detriment of hunting grounds, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group and National Wildlife Federation. Sportsfolk and others are up in arms about the Bush administration's energy policies, which prioritize resource extraction over just about everything else. Declared Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), "President Bush and Vice President Cheney are definitely addicted to oil, and it's up to Congress to enter them into rehab."

Neglect, underfunding cause Superfund cleanups to dwindle

Twenty-seven years ago, Love Canal prompted the feds to invest resources in cleaning up America's most toxic sites and start shaking down the polluters responsible for creating them. But a new study from the Center for Public Integrity finds that underfunding of Superfund in recent years has severely disabled the program, and government inaction has slowed cleanup efforts to a near stop. This leaves the estimated one in five Americans who live within 10 miles of the 1,000-plus Superfund sites to deal with the health and environmental consequences of living downstream and downwind of major polluted sites -- and lets many polluters off the hook.

PepsiCo buys a lotta renewable-energy credits, tops EPA green power list

The U.S. EPA released its quarterly list of the top 25 buyers of green power last week, with the No. 1 slot filled by a new kid in the renewable-energy biz. That would be PepsiCo, which vaulted to the top of the list by announcing plans to purchase 1 beeellion kilowatt-hours of renewable-energy credits. In partnership with REC provider Sterling Planet, the fizzy-drink maker (and owner of Frito-Lay) will spend $2 million funding wind, biomass, and hydroelectric power to "offset" the power used by its U.S. manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers, and regional offices. Pepsi's renewable-energy buy is twice the amount purchased by previous list-topper Wells Fargo in October; Whole Foods Market, bumped to third on the list, was the first company to offset all of its energy use, in January 2006. "By switching to alternative, renewable power sources, PepsiCo is proving that going green can be the choice of every generation," says EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.

My New Obsession

2007-05-05T11:35:00.000-05:00

Finally, something new and different to my ears. Check them out their youtube video of their upcoming album or at their website.

Emergency Rally Tomorrow

2007-05-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow there's been a call to rally against Mr. Bush's proposed Veto of the Senate bill. If you want more information go to MoveOn.org, put in your zipcode, and see where the closest one to you is taking place.

This is an important moment to step out and show our strength in numbers -- we have to swiftly prove that the majority of the people aren't with the president. We want Congress to stand firm and end this war.

Here are the Chicago area locations:
-4:45 PM
-Federal Plaza 230 South Dearborn, Chicago IL
-Directions: We will be rendezvous-ing with Citizens Action and other progressinve groups at Federal Plaza in the Loop, at South Dearborn Street between W. Adams and W. Jackson streets
-Description This is a public rally to make it clear to our representatives, to the President, and to the public, that Mr. Bush simply cannot continue to ignore 70% of the American people, and do "business as usual", and needs to establish an end to this dark chapter in American history - by ending our disastrous involvement in the civil war in Iraq!

6:45 PM Emergency Veto Rally
-Scoville Park 800 Lake St., Oak Park, IL
-Directions: At the intersection of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street, just east of the public library.
-Description This rally will express Americans' disappointment and opposition to the President's refusal to listen to the majority voice that it is time to begin the process of ending our failed occupation of Iraq.

Earth Day

2007-04-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Do something today (and every day) to help the earth. Recycle, change lightbulbs to save energy, turn off any appliance that has a light on it in "standby mode," turn off lights you aren't using, walk or bicycle instead of drive, don't overflush or overuse water, and use your cellphone less.

Earthday Network
Enviro Link
Environmental Protection Agency
Natural Resources Defense Council
Environmental News Network

Greeen News

2007-04-11T18:45:00.000-05:00

Cape Wind gets state OK, boosting chances it will get built

If you're not up on the history of the controversial Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound - The new news: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick's (D) administration declared Friday that the proposed 130-turbine offshore-wind project would do more environmental good than harm; this will allow the project's developers to pursue other state permits. The decision is sure to fire up more bitterness between Cape Wind's advocates, anxious to see movement on a large-scale renewable-energy project, and its opponents, worried about birds, recreation, tourism, and views from oceanfront homes. If all goes well, Cape Wind could start producing as much as 79 percent of the surrounding area's electricity by 2010. But plenty of potential roadblocks remain, the largest being a comprehensive federal review that's expected to take much of this year.

San Francisco approves first-in-nation ban on plastic bags

San Francisco is the first U.S. city to pass a ban on non-recyclable plastic bags at major supermarkets and drugstores. Once it's signed into law, the stores will have six months to a year to sack the sacks, switching to compostable, recyclable ones made from corn or potato starch -- or reverting to recyclable paper. "We can take steps to make our economy a little more soulful," said lawmaker and ban author Ross Mirkarimi. "Hopefully, other cities and other states will follow suit." Similar bans are in place in South Africa, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and Paris. Noting that his city's businesses hand out 180 million plastic bags a year, Mirkarimi asked, "Why did we have to obligate [stores] to do this? Why didn't they do it voluntarily? It's like waiting for the auto manufacturers to increase gas efficiency."

Global Days for Darfur

2007-04-11T18:23:00.000-05:00

Events from April 23rd-30th

Time is running out for the people of Darfur. Four years of genocidal violence has left over 400,000 dead, 2.5 million innocent civilians displaced, and 4 million men, women, and children completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

To call attention to the escalating violence and the continued failure of the international community to adequately respond to this crisis, activists across the world have come together to plan "Global Days for Darfur". This week of rallies, marches and vigils will run from April 23rd to April 30th and will highlight that "time is running out" for the people of Darfur.

Please support your fellow activists in speaking out for the people of Darfur by joining an event in your area. If there are currently no activities planned in your community, we hope you will consider starting your own event during this important week.

Take a Stand for Wolves

2007-04-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

The Bush Administration wants to strip Greater Yellowstone's wolves of federal protection, paving the way for the mass killing of wolves in the northern Rockies.

The administration is accepting public comments on this disastrous proposal only until May 9. Please register your opposition right now by clicking here to submit an Official Citizen Comment.

Removing wolves from the endangered species list would put them at the mercy of Wyoming and Idaho, which are already plotting to kill off half their wolves. The governor of Idaho himself has pledged to be one of the first to shoot a wolf!

Wyoming is seeking federal approval for a plan that would classify wolves as "predators." Predator status would allow anyone to shoot a wolf anywhere at anytime, virtually ensuring that the wolf population dwindles to the absolute minimum number allowed by law.

Rampant oil and gas development, logging and other threats are taking a mounting toll on the western wildlands that wolves depend on for survival. More than ever, wolves need tough federal safeguards against hunting and habitat loss.

The wolf's remarkable comeback from the brink of extinction in Greater Yellowstone is one of America's greatest environmental success stories. Don't let the Bush Administration destroy that success!

The i-Rack

2007-03-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Elizabeth for sending this my way.

Dating Myself

2007-03-23T01:03:00.000-05:00

Recently, this song pops into my head from my past. Now, there is something silly about this song's chorus, and I have thought that all along. But add to it, the nostalgia of a different era mixed with the naivete of youth...
And you have something that later in life you find a bit queer (in an odd sense, not a homosexual sense...but then again, who knows... you don't think of those things when you're younger).
Check the video out. Here it is:

Priests to purify site after Bush visit

2007-03-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Lindsay Jones for bringing this to my attention.

Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate "bad spirits" after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.

Lie by Lie

2007-03-07T18:25:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Beth Zogby for sending this my way. Mother Jones has compiled a timeline (8/1/90 - 6/21/03 of such detail, it can make your head spin. It is all the details of this war we are in. What intel is true, what intel is false; what contractors are profiteering; the fear and distraction tactics; the torture; as well as the dates of events vs. when the public knew about them.

Lie by Lie: The Mother Jones Iraq War Timeline

Breaking the Fast

2007-03-06T00:31:00.000-06:00

Today, I finished my fast. And boy is soup good food. You might even say it's Mmm, Mmm, Good! I did the salt flush, had the last of lemonade for breakfast and lunch, and then introduced chicken soup with pastina and some parmigiano in it. Yum.

I had the first rehearsal of workshop of a new play at The Next in Evanston, and there were snacks there. So, I had a couple strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and one baby carrot. Oh, did it taste good. I even indulged and had a cookie. Oh my, that was heaven. Then I came home to some more soup.

The fast was fine, it did what I wanted. I wanted to clear my bowels and start fresh. I have to say that being off the fast now, I realize that the fast is based in sugar. Raw, organic, maple syrup sugar, but sugar nonetheless. So, of course, you feel great. You're riding on sugar all day. It was interesting getting real sugar from fruit tonight. I liked it. I'm not much of a fruit eater, but now I want it. If that result comes of this fast, it was well worth it.

So, overall... not bad. I'm much more mindful of eating out of boredom or habit. And, I want real food; good food. Definitely, not bad. Though I'm not sure if I'll do it again. We'll see...

Arts in Education

2007-03-05T14:16:00.000-06:00

As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand ourselves and our world. But if we are prevented from using our creative potential, we are deprived of one of the basic characteristics of a human being.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

For more information about the government's idea of the arts in education click here.

Basically, it is up to the state and local government to appropriate funding for the arts. I want to know why the federal government doesn't impose it's own funding in the arts. If you would like to read what the federal government does for education, and the history of the changes in legislature click here. If you would like to read the Statement by Secretary Spellings Regarding Report on States' Educational Effectiveness click here.

In a nutshell this is what he says:

Bottom line: we need to pick up the pace. We have a lot of work to do. The report underscores what we already know—student achievement is not where it should be.

Now let's go look at the budget. Here is the budget for the US Fiscal Year 2007. President Bush Requests $54.4 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Education for FY 2007.

If you would like to know your state's table click here.

Funds included in the State tables are for programs that allocate funds to States using statutory formulas. The totals do not reflect all Department of Education funds that a State receives. States and other entities may also receive Department funds awarded on a competitive basis. These tables also include, for each State, financial support from selected student aid programs that provide funds to the postsecondary institutions that students attend. Also shown for each State is the dollar amount of new federally supported loans made to students attending postsecondary institutions located in the State.

Each of the State tables by State shows subtotals for:

No Child Left Behind Act programs;
All elementary and secondary education programs;
Postsecondary education programs;
Rehabilitative services and disability research programs; and
Student loan volume.

And so you don't get confused:

The data on these tables are for information purposes only and do not constitute any binding agreement on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education.

These are interesting, you can see where funding has just stopped. But nowhere in these reports is any funding for the arts.

I have been teaching theatre arts in a special education class and a kindergarten class through Lifeline Theatre's education outreach program. And the response has been incredible. Writing and reading skills have gone up since we began this term. The children are more apt to use their imaginations, which leads to bigger vocabulary.

Music is mathematical in nature. If a student learns music, it helps with math. I understand that our government wants to focus on math, science, and language. Well, music and drama actually make comprehension of math and language easier and faster. And what would science do without the artwork to represent its many faceted studies?

I used to say when I was young, and a ballet dancer, that I would defect to Russia. People would ask me why; I would say, "because they have funding for the arts." I was at Joffrey Ballet, with Ronald Reagan's son, when his father cut funding for the arts. It was remarkable to us that a president would not support his child. But then again, that's happening all over again with the vice president now. Things never change.

Hopefully, one little post on a blog might make someone at least think about this. I live the life of the "artist in America" every day. And I have to say; it is a poverty level profession. And I am made out to be a luxury by the government that reigns over me.

Master Cleanse Day 3

2007-03-05T00:45:00.000-06:00

That is not what you think it is. It's pure, melted, yummy chocolate!

Ok, today was hard. Not at first, but by evening time. I feel great, I feel my body being cleansed. But, I truly miss aroma and taste. And being out in the world doesn't help. I went downtown to visit my cousin in the lobby of the Marriott since we weren't going to get any food. And I step out of my car, and Blommer's chocolate has cooked up a fresh batch of wonderful, creamy, aroma of melted chocolate. I nearly went weak. This is at least 4 hours after I thought enough was enough today.

I'm not hungry. I sleep really well. I get up early and easily. I'm passing toxins (no need for details there). I have a lot of energy. My senses are extremely heightened. I feel no need or desire for specific food. I've never been one to consume the same food daily anyway. So, having only this yummy lemonade, which now I crave, is too boring for me.

Anyway, I said I'd go until my lemons were out. I just squeezed the last ones into the pitcher that should get me through tomorrow. By tomorrow night, I'm going to start introducing clear soup. Tuesday more veggies and fruit, so that by Wednesday, I'm eating normally again. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. One more salt flush to go tomorrow morning.

Master Cleanse Day 2

2007-03-03T23:21:00.000-06:00

Day two has come and gone. Hungry is not the correct word for how I feel right now. Yes, I'm empty. But mostly, I want to smell the food in front of me and then eat it. I realize that I miss the smell of cooked food.

The salt flush was easier today. Still hard to get down, but satisfying in a cleansing way. I told my mom today that I was doing this and it was interesting to have her doubt it and then turn around after I told her all the details. There is nothing bad with cleaning toxins out of your system.

Speaking of, I had a few headaches and joint aches today. They seem to come and go, apparently this is normal. You can actually feel your body getting cleaner.

The one drawback to the day was that my cousin Ben is in town until Tuesday. He called to see if I wanted to go out to dinner. Oh, that nearly killed me. A meal, served up hot with great conversation; what more could you ask for? So unfortunately, I had to decline. He understood, but man, that was hard.

He asked if I was fasting in protest to the war. Funny, that didn't cross my mind. So, then I thought, yes. Yes, I am fasting in protest for the war. Not for the release of toxins from my body. Couldn't hurt, right?

Watch Out World!

2007-03-02T19:41:00.000-06:00

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Master Cleanse Day 1

2007-03-02T19:19:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day of my master cleanse fast. This is a fast in which you drink 6-12 glasses of organic lemon juice, organic Grade B maple syrup, organic cayenne pepper, and water. Every night you drink a tea of herbal laxatives so that the next morning you can do a salt water flush to cleanse your system.

I have to say: so far... so good. Yes, I'm hungry. Yes, I seriously want to eat. But it feels good, invigorating in fact.

It's quite difficult to drink 32oz of salt water first thing in the morning, but it works like a charm - and within an hour!

I am losing patience with my howling cat who thinks there's no food in his bowl, when there clearly is. Doesn't he understand how lucky he is right now? He just wants more food in his bowl. I can sympathize cat, but geez, give me a break.

Apparently, tomorrow is the toughest day. I was told to keep myself busy.

My friends Stephen and Jane are doing this with me. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this.

Obama's Response

2007-03-02T11:30:00.000-06:00

This is a letter I received today from my Senator, Barack Obama:

Dear Victoria:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the President's use of "signing statements" and your support for the Presidential Signing Statements Act, introduced last year by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT and Arlen Specter (R-PA). I appreciate hearing from you.

Signing statements have been used in the past to provide Presidents’ interpretations of laws, but legal scholars and historians have agreed that President Bush’s claims of “override authority” are unprecedented. The Constitution is clear about the roles of the Legislative and Executive Branches. As most elementary school students could explain, Congress writes the laws and the Executive Branch must “faithfully execute” them. The President can veto a bill or sign it into law, but the Constitution does not grant him authority to determine when he can ignore those he signs.

Like you, I am concerned by the President’s continued insistence on his authority to ignore the law. This issue was first raised when President Bush’s signing statement for the “torture ban” claimed that he could bypass the law if national security was at stake. Soon after, there was controversy over the signing statement for the PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill, which included a claim that the President can ignore new safeguards requiring him to report to Congress on the FBI's compliance with search and seizure safeguards.

The Leahy/Specter bill introduced last year would prohibit any state or federal court from relying on or deferring to a presidential signing statement when determining the intent or meaning of the law. It would also provide both chambers of Congress with legal standing to challenge a Presidential signing statement and authorizes the courts to hear those cases.

This legislation has yet to be reintroduced in the new Congress that convened in January. While there is no indication that the Senate will be taking up signing statements in the near future, presidential power is sure to be an issue in a number of policy debates in this Congress. For example, Congressional leaders have expressed their intention to revisit issues such as the President’s domestic surveillance program and the military commission bill passed by Congress late last year. I assure you I will be involved in those debates when they begin in the Senate.

No American wants to deprive the President or law enforcement officials of the tools they need to fight terrorism and keep the country safe. But fundamental rights need not be sacrificed in pursuit of that goal. In the current climate, it is critical that Congress exercises its constitutional role as a check on the Executive branch.

Thank you again for writing. This is an issue the Congress should not allow to go unchallenged.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

Taking on Fox

2007-03-02T11:03:00.000-06:00

Fox News convinced the Democratic Party to let Fox host a nationally-televised Democratic presidential primary debate this summer in Nevada!

There's a growing backlash of people demanding that Democrats drop Fox. Can you help out by signing this petition to the Democratic Party of Nevada? It's really easy—just click this link.

My Crazy Life

2007-02-21T10:11:00.000-06:00

So, I've been directing this kid's show at Lifeline Theatre titled The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and it's been consuming my life. As always, theatre is an all-encompassing adventure. You work ungodly amounts of hours towards a fleeting moment of escape which plunges you into a different reality. I usually am the objective viewer, who comes in during tech to meld my art with the rest of the crew. This time, I am not objective at all. As the director, I am privy to all the workings of how it came to this place.

I am happy to say that at last night's dress rehearsal, I was able to sit back and enjoy the show for what it is. It's an incredibly intricate, rock and roll musical, courtroom dram-edy for kids. It's Shakespeare meets the Looney Toons.

I have been blessed with a fantastic cast and crew, and it's been a wonderful experience being at the helm of such great artistic minds. And as we come to the opening this weekend, I am sad to have to leave behind what has given me such joy for the past month. I don't think I have laughed as hard, or as much, in a long time.

But I will be happy to get to the things in my life that have been set aside. I am having a play reading of a script I wrote, and I have sound designs piling up that I need to get to soon. Oh, and then there's taxes and bills, and cleaning my (almost a year old) home. And, of course, blogging.

The show opens on Sunday, February 25th. Tickets are seriously going fast. Most of the shows are sold out already. If you would like to go, visit Lifeline Theatre, or call (773) 761-4477.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T23:36:00.000-06:00

This goes out to my special valentine because of the lyrics....
Actually, this is yet another video of my dear friend Jimmy Hurley doing his one man thang!
Enjoy!

French Mask Video

2007-02-13T16:31:00.000-06:00

Gotta love the European idea of art.

Bush Directive Increases Sway on Regulation

2007-01-31T21:59:00.000-06:00

In the NYTimes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 — President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy.

This strengthens the hand of the White House in shaping rules that have, in the past, often been generated by civil servants and scientific experts. It suggests that the administration still has ways to exert its power after the takeover of Congress by the Democrats.

The White House said the executive order was not meant to rein in any one agency. But business executives and consumer advocates said the administration was particularly concerned about rules and guidance issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Consumer, labor and environmental groups denounced the executive order, saying it gave too much control to the White House and would hinder agencies’ efforts to protect the public.

Peter L. Strauss, a professor at Columbia Law School, said the executive order “achieves a major increase in White House control over domestic government.”

“Having lost control of Congress,” Mr. Strauss said, “the president is doing what he can to increase his control of the executive branch.”

Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California and chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said: “The executive order allows the political staff at the White House to dictate decisions on health and safety issues, even if the government’s own impartial experts disagree. This is a terrible way to govern, but great news for special interests.”

Business groups hailed the initiative.

John McCain vs. John McCain

2007-01-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

Kiwi!

2007-01-28T20:43:00.000-06:00

For those who fulfill their dreams...

The Titanic Comes to Visit

2007-01-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

This is a story written by my 10 year old niece, Alessandra DeIorio. Or, Alexa, as she has penned it. (actually she penciled it)

I wish that I could show you the drawings in this, but she has made it into a book and nearly impossible to scan. Here is the text, with no corrections, to The Titanic Comes to Visit.

There Lizzy was, sitting on her porch chair thinking about ways she could improve her life. She had curly red hair and green eyes covered by asparagus green glasses. She was tall with millions of freckles. She talked to herself about how her life could get any worse.

All of a sudden the sky got gray and clouds filled it's darkness. A green figure showed up out of nowhere. It got closer, and closer. The streets were empty and she was the only person outside...... or was she?

Suddenly, the figure stopped. A drawbridge looking thing, as Lizzy described it, came flying down from the side of it. Greenish figures came out and covered her yard. They were chanting something, but she couldn't tell what. She turned around to go inside, but something stopped her. A greenish form had grabbed her shoulder and was looking at her. She ran to the door, but it was locked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maid with a greedy look on her face.

She listened closer to the chanting. It sounded like it was Keen Izzy, no wait, Queen Lizzy. Lizzy quickly grabbed the family tree pictures from under the porch chair, and looked at her great grandma. She looked just like her! She was like a goddess to the people on the Titanic. She had rescued a decent amount of people in the disaster of 1912. She was only 12.

The picture of Lizzy's Great Grandma was practically a mirror image of Lizzy. She had figured it out. Her great grandma Lizzy looked exactly like her and they thought that Lizzy was the queen. "Ooh!" she said, "Bow down to your queen!" Nothing happened. Again she yelled. Still, nothing happened. "Fine!" she whispered, sighing. "Please!" They all bowed.

Suddenly, they all got up. They showed her books with glowing figures, like them, and the moon. "You want me to do this?" she questioned. They nodded. She had them go into a certain spot where the moon would show.

Tonight, and only tonight, would the moon be in a perfect position, shining on them, to bounce them to heaven! They only had a certain amount of time. They had to hurry!

Everything was in position. All they had to do was wait for the moon. All of a sudden it appeared! They disolved into skeletons as their souls rose up to heaven!

Suddenly, one of the spirit's with a teddy-bear turned around to say one last word. "Goodbye!" And Lizzy said in return, "Goodbye, Great-Grandma."

Politics in Theatre, Theatre in Politics

2007-01-26T01:16:00.000-06:00

Why is it when 70% of the people disapprove of a man, he gets treated like a celebrity at his yearly speech about how grave the state of the union is?

And why is it that this same said man, who has held extremely conservative views his entire life, steals a speech from the back pocket of an aspiring democrat to air to anyone who will listen?

Of course, we all know the answers to this, it's politics. But, I thought the bravado Tuesday night was not appropriate to the situation at hand. I was disgusted.

And now, away from the theatre in politics to the politics in theatre...

I am happy to be directing a play that deals with political corruption. Perhaps because I have some control of the situation. And plus, there are musical numbers that emulate James Brown, Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, and Elvis. It's a mood elevator every rehearsal.

I have to tech a show next week while directing...oh, and I start teaching next week as well. Oh and then there's the 365 Play thing...and another show...oh, and another show...and another...

Never a dull moment.

Tell Bush: Darfur MUST Be a Top Priority

2007-01-19T16:32:00.000-06:00

Please urge President Bush to make ending the crisis in Darfur a main point in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 23rd and one of his top priorities in 2007.

There is no time to waste! President Bush must act NOW to prevent infamous Sudanese President Bashir from seizing control of the African Union.

European Storm Update

2007-01-19T13:25:00.000-06:00

Europeans labored Friday to restore services across the continent after hurricane-force winds toppled trees, brought down power lines and damaged buildings, killing at least 46 people and disrupting travel for tens of thousands.

More than 1 million homes had no electricity in the Czech Republic, which was hit by winds of up to 112 mph, another 1 million households in Germany suffered power losses, while tens of thousands in Poland and Austria also were hit with outages.

The flow of Russian oil through a Ukrainian pipeline to other parts of Europe was restored Friday after a temporary shutdown caused when the storm knocked out power to a pumping station. The interruption occurred Thursday night on a section of the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline from the city of Brody in western Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary, but Oleksandr Dikusarov, a spokesman for the Ukrtransnafta pipeline company, said the flow of oil was fully restored Friday afternoon.

The storm led to the deaths of at least three people in the Czech Republic, 12 in Germany, 14 in Britain, 6 in the Netherlands, 3 in France, 2 in Belgium and 6 in Poland.

It was the highest death toll from a storm in Europe since 1999, when gales downed trees and driving snow brought on avalanches, killing more than 120 in three days.

Read full story here.

Washington 'snubbed Iran offer'

2007-01-19T12:38:00.000-06:00

Interesting read from the BBC.

Tehran proposed ending support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups and helping to stabilise Iraq following the US-led invasion.

Offers, including making its nuclear programme more transparent, were conditional on the US ending hostility.

But Vice-President Dick Cheney's office rejected the plan, the official said.

One of the then Secretary of State Colin Powell's top aides told the BBC the state department was keen on the plan - but was over-ruled.

"We thought it was a very propitious moment to do that," Lawrence Wilkerson told Newsnight.

"But as soon as it got to the White House, and as soon as it got to the Vice-President's office, the old mantra of 'We don't talk to evil'... reasserted itself."

Keep in mind, 2003 was when the likable Khatami was President of Iran (before Ahmadinejad took over in '05). Khatami had the support of the women and youth; he was a West-leaning kind of guy and has continued to be so out of office.

Huge storms sweep northern Europe

2007-01-18T21:26:00.000-06:00

From the BBC

At least 25 people have been killed as violent storms lashed northern Europe, causing travel chaos across the region.

Meteorologists at London's Met Office said the winds reached "severe gale force" as they crossed Britain and were the highest recorded since January 1990.

They warned the weather system would intensify as it moved east across the continent - with Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany expected to be worst hit overnight.

Tens of thousands of homes are reported to be without power.

Austria has forecast winds of up to 105mph (170km/h) at higher altitudes in the Alps, and officials warned skiers to get off the mountains and seek shelter before nightfall.

In other developments:

A British container ship is listing in the English Channel almost 50 miles (80km) off Cornwall - all 26 crew of the MSC Napoli abandoned ship

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cuts short her visit to Berlin in order to leave for London before weather worsened

London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, cancels 130 flights. Other major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna report delays and cancellations

The Eurostar train service between Paris, Brussels and London is briefly suspended

Ferries are cancelled or delayed in Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland

Residents along the North Sea coast are warned to expect storm swells up to 3.5m (11.5ft) higher than normal

Storm Deaths
Britain: 9
Germany: 7
The Netherlands: 4
Czech Republic: 3
France: 2

100 hours in 42!

2007-01-18T19:47:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Democrats brought their "100-hour" legislative agenda to a successful close Thursday evening with passage of legislation designed to force oil and gas companies to pay more royalties on some offshore leases and end subsidies and tax deductions they have been receiving amid record prices for crude.

The final vote on the bill -- the sixth of six items Democrats had vowed to pass in 100 hours of legislative action -- was 264 to 163, with 36 Republicans crossing the aisle to support the Democrat-sponsored bill.

The House finished work on all six measures in about 42 hours of floor time, less than half the limit set on their self-imposed clock. However, the legislation must still navigate the Senate, which tends to operate at a more leisurely pace, and could also face President Bush's veto pen.

Green News

2007-01-17T12:16:00.000-06:00

Schwarzenegger, E.U. unveil new carbon-cutting schemes

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), in his State of the State address last week, the green-leaning Governator announced a plan to cut carbon in transportation fuel 10 percent by 2020. "Our cars have been running on dirty fuel too long. Our country has been dependent on foreign oil for too long. I ask you to set in motion the means to free ourselves from oil and from OPEC," he said. "California has the muscle to bring about such change. I say use it." The effort, hailed as an "innovative and exciting" world first, will likely mean ramping up ethanol and other renewables, and could cause a transitional increase in gasoline prices. Across the pond, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso unveiled a plan that would require member states to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 20 percent from 1990 levels by 2020

Washington school board puts a moratorium on An Inconvenient Truth

The parents of a high-schooler in Federal Way, Wash., have complained to the district's school board about a teacher's plan to screen Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, and the board has put a moratorium on the film. "Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore," said irked father Frosty Hardison. "The Bible says that in the end times everything will burn up, but that perspective isn't in the DVD." While the moratorium allows teachers to show the film if they present an opposing view, co-producer Laurie David expressed frustration with the first-in-the-nation Truth scuffle: "There is no opposing view to science ... and the facts are clear that global warming is here, now." What do the students think? "I think that a movie like that is a really great way to open people's eyes up about what you can do and what you are doing to the planet and how that's going to affect the human race," said one.

Gates Foundation invests in polluting companies that undermine its health goals

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spends more than a billion dollars a year on promoting global health -- but it invests billions more in polluting companies that cause health problems around the globe. About 5 percent of the foundation's assets are dispersed in do-gooding grants each year, and the other 95 percent are invested; a Los Angeles Times series suggests that at least 41 percent of those investments are in companies that work counter to the foundation's charitable goals. For example, the foundation has invested $423 million into five petroleum megacorporations, leading to a variety of catch-22s: As the foundation fights malaria, water stagnates in oil drilling holes, attracting disease-carrying mosquitoes. As the foundation fights cholera, oil spills clog rivers and contribute to waterborne diseases. As the foundation fights polio and measles, pollution from oil plants weakens children's immune systems, making them more susceptible to those very maladies. A number of other foundations have started trying to align their investments with their missions, but so far the Gates Foundation hasn't.

PC honcho Michael Dell announces new green initiatives

Amidst the energy-sucking glitz of Las Vegas, PC magnate Michael Dell announced that his eponymous company is greening up, and encouraged others to follow suit. Dell addressed two green-itiatives at an International Consumer Electronics Show speech last week. The first, a new partnership with carbon-offset provider Carbonfund, will let customers opt to have a tree planted when they buy a Dell PC. "This groundbreaking program encourages participation by inviting customers in the effort to address climate change," said Conservation Fund President Larry Selzer. "No other company in the technology space is doing something [this] extraordinary." Dell has also set the bar high with its end-of-life equipment recycling programs. "Today, I challenge every PC maker to join us in providing free recycling for every customer in every country you do business, all the time -- no exceptions," Dell said. "It's the right thing to do for our customers. It's the right thing to do for our earth."

North Sea fish population declines as water warms, says new study

For the first time, those meddling scientists have found a direct link between warming seas and dying fish. A heated habitat leads to rapid population decline for the eelpout, a shallow bottom-dweller in the North Sea, according to a decade-long German study recently published in Science. Warm water contains less oxygen, a gas that is helpful for such fish-friendly tasks as "being ready to prey, grow, move, and reproduce," says researcher Hans Pörtner. Eelpouts have relatively few young and generally do not migrate, even to seek cooler waters; soon, though, they may need to relocate or die, scientists say. Temperatures in the area of the North Sea that was studied have risen by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 40 years, and some estimates predict a further rise of 7.2 degrees in the coming century. Zoarces viviparus is an indicator species for the general health of cold-water seas

After years of controversy, India completes massive dam project

One of the world's longest-running social and environmental campaigns is sleeping with the fishes as of Sunday, when the last bucket of concrete was poured on the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the Indian state of Gujarat. The project, initiated nearly 20 years ago, diverts India's fifth-largest river, the Narmada; authorities say it will provide drinking water, irrigation, and power to millions in Gujarat and neighboring areas. "India has taken a leap ahead," proclaimed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "The dam will change the future of the country." Indeed it will, says green group Save the Narmada Movement, which spent at least five years in a legal battle to stop the project. The group predicts that the dam will displace 320,000 people, many of them poor tribal farmers, and disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands more. "The Sardar Sarovar dam is a classic case of cheating the poor," says Save the Narmada's Medha Patkar. "It has been built to destroy the economy of rural India."

Groundwork begins for Ivory Coast toxic-dumping lawsuit

It's been almost five months since a cargo ship dumped over 400 tons of toxic "slops" in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, leaving at least 10 people dead and more than 40,000 ill. At the time, residents of the African nation responded by blockading streets, burning stuff, and collapsing their government. Now that's direct action! As the $30 million cleanup of 18 local sites continues, British legal eagles are stepping in, suing Trafigura, the company whose London-based arm chartered the ship. On Monday the Brits began talking to thousands of witnesses, aiming to build one of the U.K.'s largest-ever class action suits. Meanwhile, the U.N. Environment Program is appealing to rich nations for help with cleanup costs. "One of the world's poorest countries is having to pay for the recovery, shipment, and decontamination of toxic waste [produced] in the industrialized world," said UNEP's Nick Nuttall. "The Ivorian government is being forced to choose between paying hospital bills and the costs of decontamination."

U.S. DOE backs off plan to sell neurotoxin to rest of world

Caving in to critics and maybe, just maybe, its own conscience, the U.S. Department of Energy has decided against selling off nearly 1,300 tons of mercury left from pre-1960s weapons production. Though the neurotoxin brings a quick buck on the world market -- it's popular with developing countries that use it for mining gold -- DOE will follow the restrained lead of the Defense Department, which has opted to store 4,400 tons of the stuff instead of selling it, due to health and ecological concerns. "The U.S. government's actions not to sell mercury on the open market sends a positive message to both private and state domestic mercury holders, as well as to global environmental policymakers," says a recent federal policy statement. Aw, it's like a kid congratulating himself for not poking his brother in the eye. Meanwhile, the E.U. has already moved to ban mercury exports, and next month the U.N. Environment Program will discuss a worldwide phaseout of the metal's use.

March on Washington Jan 27-29

2007-01-15T16:42:00.000-06:00

Momentum is beginning to build for the politically urgent mobilization on Washington, in order to show opposition to the war in Iraq, on Saturday, Jan. 27th. There are already more than 500 endorsements for the demonstration and they are hearing from groups around the country that are organizing to get people to Washington, DC. In order to send the strongest, clearest message to the new Congress they are working hard to have the largest turnout possible.

Click here for more information.

Ah, actors in LA

2007-01-15T16:39:00.001-06:00

Back in Chicago

2007-01-12T11:44:00.000-06:00

The best perspective to have on something is to leave it and look back. Today, I woke up to a dreary, grey Chicago morning. Although, I'm ecstatic to be in my beautiful home, with my cuddly cat, and jumping back into my hectic work schedule; I miss the sunshine of LA. And especially, my friend Meighan, who sent this link to me today. I think, just to rub it in... Thanks Meig.

Los Angeles

2007-01-10T01:38:00.000-06:00

As I sit in tech, very early in the morning, in Los Angeles, I have time to reflect on this experience of the city that I have always wanted to avoid. I have had the ingrained feeling that I would not like it here. I don’t like the superficiality that permeates the people that have to always look pretty and young.

I came here for the first time in March of last year for one day. It was a whirlwind and not very representative of what Los Angeles has to offer. So, this time, being here for a week, I felt that I will finally get the feel of the place.

If Lindsay Jones has taught me anything, it would be to always say the good first.

What I love about LA:

The only spot I can actually picture to live in LA is the Venice Canals. I spent about an hour walking around there. It’s nowhere near the true Venice, but it was peaceful and calm.

I also love the open-minded, very kind people that live here. Everyone seems at ease to talk about anything at any time.

I haven’t gone to the true foodie restaurants, but what I’ve eaten so far has been full of fresh produce and seafood.

It’s always sunny.

Now that being said:

What I felt about LA is still true. Nothing has truly changed my mind about how this city is based on appearance. On one hand, you can truly reinvent yourself to whatever you think you want to be. On the other hand, it has made me love wearing my sunglasses at all times.

Everyone is always looking at everyone else. You are always being watched. For someone as shy as me, sunglasses are a must. It also makes me appear more important. And if they’re looking, I might as well make them wonder, right?

With this entire commentary aside, the show I’m working on has been fantastic. I am working on a national tour of Noel Coward’s Private Lives with LA Theatre Works. Brendon Fox, the director, is a joy to watch, and the cast and crew are not only fantastically talented, but lovely people as well. Rob and Diane have made my stay especially easy. They are fantastic.

I really can’t complain at all. I’ve been spending time with good friends, had a very pleasant dinner with my ex-husband last night, saw two movies at the Arclight, and I’m getting paid to do what I love in a beautiful setting.

Thanks Linz for not being able to do this show. Wish you were here to show me your LA. Maybe next time…

Bush's New Strategy

2007-01-02T22:22:00.000-06:00

Once again, the special comment tonight on Keith Olbermann's Countdown hits hard. Next week, Bush is planning to unveil his new "strategery" in Iraq. And yes, it involves more troops. When we esculated troops last spring it resulted in more American deaths. What is there to prove that this will not esculate more? Mr. Bush's strategy is under the new moniker of "sacrifice." What is there to sacrifice? More lives? And for what? Someone please tell me. When 2/3 of your constituents believe that there should be less troops in harms way, when the Iraq Study Group says that adding more troops will not accomplish anything close to "victory," what is the purpose? This is already being described as a political solution, for the troops will not be there to train Iraquis, they will be there for security. Our president is ignoring everybody involved, including his generals fighting this war, which he said last year he listens closely to. In fact, they will now become the scapegoats for the failure of the war. Mr. Bush surely cannot be held accountable for anything. My outrage is due to this president acting solely on his own accord and as Keith Olbermann said tonight, "for his ego." This goes against every grain of democracy. And if this is to truly come to pass, as it has been leaked the day before the democratic Senate starts its work, it's yet a sadder day for the country that I believed to have higher ideals than this.

The transcript of tonight's Special Comment.

Green News

2007-01-02T20:35:00.000-06:00

How the energy industry spent its holiday vacation

While you were whooping over your Wii, the energy industry exulted in a few holiday gifts of its own. Just before Christmas, a federal appeals court gave ExxonMobil a $2.5 billion break, slashing in half the $5 billion in damages that had been awarded to thousands of Alaskans affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The (ridiculously profitable) corporation has appealed the size of the award several times since it was first handed down in 1994, and this cut is the largest yet. Renewable-energy operations, for their part, were showered with gifts from a Southern California utility, which signed the biggest wind-power contract in U.S. history, and the state of New York, which put $15 million toward construction of the country's first cellulosic ethanol plant. And finally, in a classic case of re-gifting, Royal Dutch Shell announced that former U.S. Interior Department Secretary and industry-lover Gale Norton would join the company as general counsel.
Cellulosic ethanol may be coming sooner than you think.

Louisiana sliding into the Gulf of Mexico

Talk about kicking a state while it's down. A new report says swampy southeastern Louisiana isn't just sinking -- it's sliding sideways into the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists say Mississippi River sediments are causing Cajun country bedrock to shift. While those rebuilding the hurricane-ravaged area ponder this fact, the authors of the report, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, offer reassurance. "People should not be afraid that we're going to fall into the gulf," said lead researcher Roy Dokka of Louisiana State University, adding that last year, movement was equal to roughly the width of two credit cards. Insurers may be thinking the same: a post-Katrina emergency rule that kept local insurance policies in place ended as 2006 gave way to the new year, meaning many will not be renewed. And with insurance companies limiting coastal coverage from the gulf to the mid-Atlantic, "we're sliding into the sea" might not be the best way to woo them back.

Loss of wayward ice shelf linked to climate change, scientists say

Scientists poring over satellite images realized that an ice shelf bigger than Manhattan had disappeared from its usual spot. Turns out it broke off from Canada's remote Ellesmere Island, about 500 miles south of the North Pole, in August 2005. The rupture, which took only an hour, created a vast "ice island" that is now frozen into surrounding seas, but could menace shipping and oil-drilling areas next summer. Researchers say climate change is a major factor in the unusual break. "This is a dramatic and disturbing event," said Warwick Vincent of Laval University. "We are crossing climate thresholds, and these may signal the onset of accelerated change ahead.

Number-crunchers say 2006 is the sixth-hottest on record

2006 is measuring in as the world's sixth-hottest year on record. It's the warmest Britain has seen since since records began in 1659, and the third-warmest in the U.S.'s Lower 48 since 1880. Weird weather has gripped the globe this year, from rainy Africa to droughty Australia and China. According to the U.K. Meteorological Office, the 10 hottest years on record have been in the last 12 years, and scientists say it ain't no coincidence. Yes, the globe has warmed and cooled over time, but the last 50 years don't fit natural patterns, and most say human behavior is to blame. "I cannot see how else this can be explained," said U.K. climate researcher Phil Jones, who noted that changing weather patterns fit climate-model forecasts. Adding to the grim vibe, a study published in Science says sea level rise due to global warming could be 59 percent higher than previously thought.

Victoria's Secret pledges to end use of endangered-forest paper in catalogs

The parent company of sexed-up retailer Victoria's Secret announced last week that it will nip a bad trend in the bud: sourcing its catalog paper from endangered forests. Succumbing to two years of pestering from ForestEthics and other green groups, U.S.-based Limited Brands agreed to stop supporting suppliers who log in at-risk boreal forest and rainforest in Alberta and British Columbia, unless the paper is Forest Stewardship Council-certified. To fill the void, the company will aim to use at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled waste in the more than 360 million soft-pornalogs Victoria's Secret sends out yearly. Limited Brands has "set a new standard, one that we expect other major catalog companies to meet or exceed," says Todd Paglia, ForestEthics executive director.

Which Super Villain Are You?

2007-01-01T12:24:00.000-06:00

My results:

Mystique

Click photo for more info on Mystique.

Sometimes motherly, sometimes a beautiful companion, but most of the time a deceiving vixen.

Mystique

80%
Apocalypse

79%
Poison Ivy

77%
Dr. Doom

71%
Catwoman

67%
Juggernaut

64%
Dark Phoenix

63%
Magneto

59%
Mr. Freeze

53%
Venom

51%
Lex Luthor

48%
Kingpin

42%
The Joker

29%
Riddler

29%
Green Goblin

28%
Two-Face

24%

Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test

New Year

2007-01-01T09:54:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a bit "bah humbug" still about this holiday and what the new year will bring. So here are some lists.

Popularity
Lindsay Lohan Boyfriend Breakdown
Wall Street Journal's Best Ads
Political Blunders
The Year of YouTube

But in a reality check:
latest death toll in Iraq
Top 10 Green Stories

And here's a mention of me look at the sound design catagory:
Windy City 2006 Best Theatre in Chicago

Videos from Iraq

2006-12-30T01:20:00.000-06:00

These are not for the faint of heart. I recently found out that soldiers have been filming their work and posting it on YouTube. So, all those censored images that the administration won't allow the press to take, are being shown by our own soldiers. I post these here in support of our troops. Mainly, however, because I want to bring them home. If you want to see others go to YouTube.

More money for Iraq?

2006-12-30T00:42:00.000-06:00

So this morning, before the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha, Sadaam Hussein was executed. Half of the Iraqis are happy and half are not. The reason why, is because there is a civil war going on that has nothing to do with us. Even his conviction was for a minimal crime in comparison to all the horrors he has done. Instead of concentrating on this issue, because honestly, it has no bearing on why we're really there fighting a war that isn't our's, I present the following.

In the NYTimes:

The Pentagon is seeking nearly $100 billion for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, a request that, if approved by Congress, would set an annual record for war-related spending.

The $99.7 billion request, detailed in a 17-page internal Defense Department memorandum dated Dec. 7, would be in addition to $70 billion appropriated in September. The request would push the total for the 2007 fiscal year to nearly $170 billion, 45 percent more than Congress provided for 2006.

“There is a real question about how much of this is really related to the war,” said Steve Kosiak, a defense budget expert with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington policy analysis group.

The Pentagon is also seeking $9.7 billion for training Iraqi and Afghan security forces, almost as much as has been spent in total since 2001, according to a study by the Congressional Research Service. In a reflection of the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, more than half of the requested money would go to training the country’s army and police forces.

Since 2001, Congress has approved $507 billion for Afghanistan, Iraq and other operations deemed part of combating terrorism. Even with the Democrats in control, there is unlikely to be much appetite for cutting the war-related spending requests, Mr. Kosiak said.

Someone tell me why we are spending more money when the people whose hard-earned tax dollars are supporting this war do not want it to continue much longer?

Oh right, big business is still making tons of money.
Please, EVERYONE, see Iraq for Sale.

Agency Proposes to List Polar Bears as Threatened

2006-12-28T09:54:00.000-06:00

In the NYTimestoday:

The Interior Department proposed Wednesday to designate polar bears as a threatened species, saying that the accelerating loss of the Arctic ice that is the bears’ hunting platform has led biologists to believe that bear populations will decline, perhaps sharply, in the coming decades.

Many experts on the Arctic say that global warming is causing the ice to melt and that the warming is at least partly the result of the atmospheric buildup of heat-trapping gases from tailpipes and smokestacks. The plight of the polar bear has been held up by environmentalists as a symbol of global warming caused by humans.

They have survived previous Arctic warming periods, including the last warm stretch between ice ages some 130,000 years ago, but some climate experts project that nothing in the species’ history is likely to match the pace and extent of warming and ice retreats projected in this century and beyond, should emissions of heat-trapping gases continue unabated.

Scott Schliebe, a federal biologist and the polar bear project leader for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the basic connection between shrinking ice and greater distress for the bears was well established. This is shown clearly in areas where ice has retreated progressively in summers — including the Beaufort Sea off the North Slope and Hudson Bay in Canada. In such places, Mr. Schliebe said, “we know today that they’re facing a situation of distress and nutritional stress.”

The department’s proposal said that “at this time” the lands and waters most critical to the bears’ protection, called critical habitat in the law, were “not determinable.”

Critical-habitat designations ensure that federal agencies must study the impact that any activities they conduct or approve in that area might have on the species at risk.

Gerald R. Ford, 93, Dies

2006-12-27T00:45:00.000-06:00

Ford was the only occupant of the White House never elected either to the presidency or the vice presidency. He was sworn in as president Aug. 9, 1974, when Richard M. Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate scandal.

"The long national nightmare is over," Ford said in his inaugural address. "I believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, not only our government, but civilization itself. That bond, though strained, is unbroken at home and abroad."

Ford had become vice president Dec. 6, 1973, two months after Spiro T. Agnew pleaded no contest to a tax evasion charge and resigned from the nation's second-highest office. The former Maryland governor was under investigation for accepting bribes and kickbacks.

In the 2 1/2 years of his presidency, Ford ended the U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam, helped mediate a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Egypt, signed the Helsinki human rights convention with the Soviet Union and traveled to Vladivostok in the Soviet Far East to sign an arms limitation agreement with Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet president.

When he assumed office, Ford immediately made clear his intention to change what historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. called "the imperial presidency."

ATC - 365 Days, 365 Plays

2006-12-25T23:27:00.000-06:00

So, American Theatre Company is podcasting a couple of their shows this week. And the first one features me as the elf. It was recorded by my pal, Lindsay Jones who is an ensemble member with them. He plays Santa, and Jamie Pachino (his wife) plays the mother.

Listen Here.

Enjoy!

Very Sad Day

2006-12-25T11:15:00.002-06:00

James Brown dies at 73.

Here is the yahoo site with a lot of stuff on him.

I don't even know how to react. It feels odd to not have a world which contains James Brown. He's such a huge part of my past. I even used one of his songs in my wedding. I'm sure Lindsay will have more to say on the subject once he gets around to blogging today.

My friend Jimmy Hurley!

2006-12-23T15:24:00.000-06:00

Here's Jimmy doing a bit of his cabaret act titled Alumigami. This is where he uses the medium of Aluminum Foil to transform himself.

HO HO HO

2006-12-23T11:48:00.000-06:00

Okay, Lindsay Jones is blogging again. (Thank God!)

Thanks to him, I loved this clip.
Enjoy!

Grizzlies of Glacier National Park

2006-12-22T10:25:00.000-06:00

Last week, a federal court rejected a plan to expand destructive road-building in the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk wildlands that span Montana, Idaho and Washington. They are home to two of America's most imperiled grizzly bear populations.

But elsewhere in the vast, snow-covered ranges of the Rockies, a new threat to endangered grizzlies is looming. And immediate online action is needed to block it!

A major railroad company is plotting to use powerful military artillery to control avalanches along its railway in Glacier National Park. The deadline for public comments on this disastrous plan is December 29th, so please act quickly.

Tell Glacier officials that you support their preferred alternative, which would protect human safety, while safeguarding the park's magnificent wildlife and winter tranquility.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has proposed firing explosives and dropping bombs from helicopters at Glacier's southern boundary, even though scientific research has shown that such earth-shattering explosions are likely to disturb grizzly bear denning.

Instead, the company should upgrade its neglected, century-old system of snow sheds to include overpasses for wildlife. Over the past 30 years, trains traveling along the borders of the park have killed at least 42 grizzlies, which are attracted to the vegetation growing in avalanche chutes by the tracks, as well as grain spilled by railway cars.

Click map to enlarge.

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-21T13:32:00.000-06:00

May your days be merry and bright
And may all your Christmases be toyus.

White Christmas
from the Christmas Song Generator.

A New Year, A New Resolve for Darfur

2006-12-21T11:34:00.000-06:00

Please join me in increasing pressure on world leaders to take immediate action in Darfur by bringing many more concerned citizens into the efforts to Save Darfur in 2007.

Sign the petition today asking the President and the UN Secretary-General to take immediate steps to stop the violence. It only takes a second.

Congress must act to solve the climate crisis now

2006-12-20T02:23:00.000-06:00

The amazing response to An Inconvenient Truth shows how many Americans are concerned about about global warming. This could be the tipping point moment for the climate crisis. Help convince Congress by signing a petition to stop Global Warming now.

Chicago Theatre - White?

2006-12-19T11:45:00.000-06:00

An article was written in Timeout in July that came across my desk this morning. The title of this piece is Why is Chicago Theatre so WHITE, and How Can We Fix It?

I wish that when this issue is written about, that the writers look at a longer history than just 20 years. The history of theatre has little diversity, so the majority of anything older than 40 years, before the civil rights movement, is going to be white. And the big theatres' seasons contain older works. Someone has to do our history. A lot of the smaller diverse theatres have been popping up in the past decade. I know, I've been working with them.

The majority of theatre is male-based as well. Why aren't there more roles for women then? That's the same, if not much older, question. If you are doing new work, you have to have playwrights that are writing those stories.

I'm glad that we, as a theatre community, are discussing this, because theatre is becoming diverse and less dominated by the white male. But it's not a problem, it's a change in the artform due to the change in American society. And I wish people would see it as an exciting change during our lifetime, instead of an entitled problem that needs to be fixed.

True Story of the Three Little Pigs

2006-12-18T15:12:00.000-06:00

I'm directing a show for Lifeline Theatre in February titled The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and one of my cast members, Alanda Coon, has a blog that I didn't know about! She has even uploaded a picture of the both of us from the photo shoot. Go take a look!

Sudan agrees to mixed UN-African Union

2006-12-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

Today Kofi Annan remarks at a Press Conference:

All the participants came with the right spirit, the right mood and a determination to find a solution, realizing that we cannot maintain the current impasse and that we were running out of time, and needed to take concrete steps to ensure that, come 31 December, we have a follow-on mechanism that is preparing the ground for the protection of the civilians, for the reintegrated peace process and for us to... sit down with the parties and get them to implement the ceasefire agreement effectively.

Reported by the AFP today:

Annan made the offer to send the Mauritanian UN official in a phone call Sunday to Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, it added.

Sudan accepted a three-phase plan in Abuja late last month whereby the UN would offer assistance to the under-funded 7,000-strong AU contingent currently struggling to contain the four-year-old violence in Darfur.

The UN support package's first two stages consist of technical and logistical assistance but the third aims at turning the African contingent into a "hybrid" AU-UN force and has yet to be approved by Beshir.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in August calling for the deployment of up to 20,000 peacekeepers, but Beshir has vehemently opposed such a move, accusing the West of seeking to turn his country into a "second Iraq".

The African troops, sent to Darfur two years ago on the AU's first ever peacekeeping mission, have failed to curb relentless fighting that has left at least 200,000 people dead, according to UN figures.

Washington, which accuses Beshir's regime of genocide in the western Sudanese region, and Britain have threatened to impose a no-fly zone over Darfur if Khartoum continues to reject the deployment of UN peacekeepers.

You can read of recent developments on Sudan through the UN Website.

On a side note, a delegation consisting of George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Joey Cheek just spoke to the UN on Dec. 15th. For more information on that go to www.savedarfur.org. It helps to have name recognition fighting this.

Save Darfur

2006-12-08T23:04:00.000-06:00

Darfur has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years. At least 400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes and now live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad; and more than 3.5 million men, women, and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

To find out more about recent legislation and past history of the genocide go to www.savedarfur.org

Light to Unite

2006-12-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

This is the 3rd annual Light to Unite Website. For every candle lit, Bristol Meyer Squibb will donate $1 up to $100,000 to the National Aids Fund. You can find out more information and light a candle at www.lighttounite.com.

You can light as many as you like, just return to the site. When I lit mine, I was #705465. They have far surpassed their goal, but awareness is always a good incentive to do something as easy as this.

Homemade Memorial Is Stirring Passions on Iraq

2006-12-03T10:55:00.000-06:00

In the NYTimes today:

Over the last few weeks, it is Lafayette — an affluent bedroom community 20 miles east of downtown San Francisco —that has become the scene of a passionate debate over the place of political speech in suburbia.

At issue is a hillside memorial, made up of some 450 small white crosses and a 5-by-16-foot sign that reads: “In Memory of 2,867 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq.” The memorial was created by Jeff Heaton, a building contractor and antiwar activist, who said it was meant “to get people involved on a local level” and talking about Iraq.

Veterans for Peace, a nonprofit antiwar group based in St. Louis, has regularly planted similar arrays of crosses on beaches in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. Since 2004, the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker group based in Philadelphia, has sponsored a traveling exhibit called Eyes Wide Open, which features a pair of empty boots for every American solider killed in Iraq.

“It’s overwhelming just looking at that small number, and that’s nowhere near the number of the ones we lost,” said Louise Clark, who owns the property the memorial sits on, speaking of the dead in Iraq. “When we get all those crosses up there, everybody will gasp.”

And the Winner Is...

2006-11-06T22:00:00.000-06:00

On the eve of the midterm elections, the first winner is in.

And it's Lindsay Jones with a Joseph Jefferson Award for Outstanding Sound Design for Henry IV at Chicago Shakespeare.

Congratulations to someone who always gets my vote!

Once the site is updated with acceptance speeches, I'll update this post.

My Off-Broadway Debut

2006-11-05T00:51:00.000-06:00

Last night marked my Off-Broadway debut as a composer and sound designer. The show is The Bluest Eye, which is being produced by Steppenwolf Theatre at the Duke Theatre on 42nd St. in NY. Having been an associate designer to Lindsay Jones for at least 3-5 shows a year in NY, it didn't seem to affect me too much during the week.

We teched the show in a day, and I was mired down in trying to get my back-up computer to work. Thanks to the hours that I and Christopher Young, my sound engineer spent, it was finally up and running before people showed up. I was so caught up in the task at hand, I didn't take the time to reflect on the moment. I just wanted it to sound great, and by the way... (if I do say so myself) it does!

But watching the cast of Chicago actors arrive wide-eyed and ready; and feeling the pride of such a beautiful show, presented with artistic integrity to a NY audience, got to me last night. As the show came to a close, with many audience members on their feet, the gratification of having been part of a show that consisted of complete dedication from all, I was filled with the satisfaction of true collaboration in theatre. These shows are rare and should be cherished.

I'm proud of this show, I'm proud of everyone who worked on it. I wish everyone could see it.

Unfortunately for those who do not have tickets already, the run is already sold out. Perhaps it will live again, who knows?

By the way, the program does not mention that I composed the music, and spelled my name wrong. It's my Off-Broadway debut and some girl named Victoria DeLorio will get the credit for the sound design. And apparently no-one wrote the music.

Ah well... There is always good and bad with every moment.

Like Lindsay Jones always says, give me the good first!

2006 Midterm Elections

2006-10-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

With not too long to go, I want to make sure people have some facts. Here is a great site the Washington Post has set up to see voting records across the nation.

Use your voice, your will, and your power...vote!

Complete List of 2006 Races

Sen. Obama Will Consider 2008 White House Run

2006-10-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

Well, it seems Barack Obama is thinking about the white house. Finally, an honest-speaking man with good intentions is a possibility for becoming the president of the United States. Lord knows, no one wants to inherit the job after this administration. And everyone knows that he will be raked through the mud in order to get there. We can only hope that a good man could make it through the process.

Clips from The Chicago Tribune article:

Obama (D-Ill.) has been having quiet conversations with colleagues and friends about a prospective White House run, but a key concern is whether his wife, Michelle, would support it and whether he could manage the time away from their two young daughters.

David Axelrod, Obama's political consultant, said people should not read too much into a publicity tour crafted by the senator's publisher. "He is not initiating calls on this," Axelrod said. "People call him all the time and he gives them a respectful hearing. I really don't think he's going to focus on this question at all until after Nov. 7."

Clips from the AOL article:

Sen. Barack Obama acknowledged Sunday he was considering a run for president in 2008, backing off previous statements that he would not do so.

The Illinois Democrat said he could no longer stand by the statements he made after his 2004 election and earlier this year that he would serve a full six-year term in Congress. He said he would not make a decision until after the Nov. 7 elections.

On Sunday, Obama dismissed notions that he might not be ready to run for president because of his limited experience in national politics. He agreed the job requires a "certain soberness and seriousness" and "can't be something you pursue on the basis of vanity and ambition."

"I'm not sure anyone is ready to be president before they're president," Obama said. "I trust the judgment of the American people.

"We have a long and vigorous process. Should I decide to run, if I ever decide to, I'll be confident that I'll be run through the pages pretty well," Obama said.

For more information: Obama's Website

Green Talk

2006-10-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

A special series on God & the Environment

A surge of ecological concern among evangelical Christians could invigorate the fight against climate change, and even the environmental movement as a whole. Renowned journalist Bill Moyers investigates this trend in the PBS special "Is God Green?," which airs on Oct. 11; watch an exclusive preview on the Grist website.

Debt-for-nature swap will protect rainforests in Guatemala

About 20 percent of Guatemala's debt to the United States will be forgiven in exchange for forest conservation efforts in the Central American nation, officials announced last week. It's the largest debt-for-nature swap carried out under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998, which allows debt owed to the U.S. to be invested in environmental protection. The U.S. government will donate about $15 million toward cancelling the debt, and The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International are each contributing $1 million; that money, along with interest it generates, will erase more than $20 million in debt and interest. Guatemala's newly available funds will then be dedicated over the next 15 years to protecting threatened plants and wildlife in Guatemala's rainforests, mangrove reserves, and mountains. "The areas protected in this agreement lie in the heart of Mayan civilization, and they are home to jaguars, scarlet macaws, harpy eagles, and countless other species," said TNC President Steven J. McCormick.

Extreme drought will spread widely over coming century, report predicts

Millions of lives will be endangered by droughts affecting half of the planet's land surface by 2100, top British climate scientists predict in a study to be published in the Journal of Hydrometeorology. And on nearly a third of the land surface, that drought could be extreme, rendering agriculture virtually impossible. That's compared to only 1 to 3 percent of the earth's landmass that is currently under extreme drought. "This is genuinely terrifying," says Andrew Pendleton of Christian Aid. Even more terrifying: the researchers say their predictions may be an underestimate, as they don't take into account the effects of global warming on the earth's carbon cycle. "There's almost no aspect of life in the developing countries that these predictions don't undermine -- the ability to grow food, the ability to have a safe sanitation system, the availability of water," says Andrew Simms, an expert on the effects of climate change on developing countries.

FBI raids companies linked to E. coli-tainted spinach

Federal agents raided two produce plants in Salinas Valley, Calif., last week, as part of a criminal investigation into whether they violated food-safety and environmental laws in distributing E. coli-tainted spinach. The FBI and the Food and Drug Administration executed search warrants for the plants operated by Natural Selection Foods and Growers Express. "We are investigating allegations that certain spinach growers and distributors may not have taken all necessary or appropriate steps to ensure that their spinach was safe before they were placed into interstate commerce," said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan. The investigators do not believe the contamination was deliberate, but the companies could be criminally penalized if found to have been negligent. Said Natural Selection CEO Charles Sweat, "We continue to believe that the source of the contamination was in the fields from which we buy our spinach." Eight samples of cow poop near two Salinas Valley spinach fields tested positive for E. coli last Tuesday, but it is yet to be determined whether it matches the strain that killed one person and sickened nearly 200 across the U.S. and Canada.

Faulty natural-gas well drowns Indonesian villages in mud and water

An Indonesian natural-gas well drilled using faulty practices has become a huge human-made disaster. In May, mud began seeping through the unprotected walls of the well at a depth of about 6,000 feet; drillers plugged the well hole, but the pressure of the mud eventually broke through the earth. Geysers of mud and water have flooded eight villages, forcing some 13,000 people to evacuate. The glurp has completely or partially submerged more than 20 factories and cut off a railroad, a four-lane highway, and, essentially, the local economy -- and it continues to spew forth at a rate of about 170,000 cubic yards per day. The best of the various bad solutions may be to pump the mud into a nearby river, smothering its ecosystem. Cleanup costs could reach $1 billion, but apparently there have been no government investigations into liability. Many fear the drilling company -- which is owned by a major contributor to the Indonesian president's campaign -- will declare bankruptcy, leaving the government to foot the cleanup bill.

Richard Pombo in danger of losing House seat to Jerry McNerney

Rep. Richard Pombo (R), chair of the House Resources Committee and bugbear of the environmental community, is in a knock-down, drag-out fight to win an eighth term representing California's 11th congressional district. Pombo has far more money than his Democratic challenger, Jerry McNerney, but the race is hardly in the bag. President Bush showed up at a Pombo fundraiser last week, indicating that rampant phoning, door-knocking, and blogging by various environmental groups on behalf of McNerney may be making the Republicans nervous. McNerney's platform focuses on making the 11th district a renewable-energy hub; Pombo has spent much of his congressional career fighting to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and outer continental shelf, scale back the Endangered Species Act, and steer public lands and resources into private hands. A poll released last Monday had McNerney up by two points, but that spread was within the margin of error. Pombo campaign manager Carl Fogliani sniffed, "They're either polling in fantasy land or in Berkeley."

Wells Fargo becomes biggest corporate buyer of clean energy

Banking giant Wells Fargo announced last week that it has bought renewable-energy certificates to offset 40 percent of its current electricity usage over the next three years. Amounting to 550 million kilowatt hours of wind power a year, it is the largest-ever corporate purchase of renewable energy in the U.S., beating out previous record-holder Whole Foods Market's purchase of 458 million kilowatt-hours earlier this year. The country's fifth-largest bank estimates that it will be preventing 380,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year. "The more you can help produce renewable energy sources, the less dependent we will be on oil and natural gas, which could in turn lower energy prices," says a Wells Fargo corporate properties director.

Green News

2006-10-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

Border-fence plan could wreak havoc on environment

Congress approved a plan late last week to build a 700-mile-long, two-layer fence along the U.S.- Mexico border in an attempt to keep out illegal immigrants, eliciting an overwhelmingly negative reaction from environmentalists and, well, folks with a firm grasp on reality. "The fence is a knee-jerk reaction by Congress. No one really studied the economic impacts, the environmental impacts," says Eddie Aldrete of the Laredo, Texas-based International Bank of Commerce. The fence would disrupt the fragile desert ecosystem, as well as migration routes for scores of species, from snakes to jaguars, critics say. Others worry about private-property and water rights: "A wall is just going to stand between farmers and ranchers and others who need legitimate access to water," says Republican activist Mike Vickers. Still others find the plan insulting to Mexicans, who share a strong social bond with South Texans and significantly boost the economies of Texas border towns.

Northern forests worth up to $250 billion a year, research says

You thought they were just standing there, but forests in Russia, Canada, and other northern nations provide services worth up to $250 billion a year, say Canadian researchers. Water filtration, erosion control, habitat provision, greenhouse-gas absorption, and tourist attraction are highly lucrative pursuits that should be valued by governments, says lead researcher Mark Anielski. The ecological economist calculates that the benefits provided by forests in Canada -- home to one-quarter of the world's forests -- would amount to about $83 billion, roughly 9 percent of the nation's annual gross domestic product. While logging, mining, and other industrial activities lead to short-term economic growth, the long-term risks and problems they pose often go unaccounted for. Anielski, who presented at the just-concluded National Forest Congress in Quebec, hopes his findings will "change the way decisions are made."

German Chancellor will focus on climate as she leads G8 and E.U.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel intends to make climate change top priority when her country takes the reins of both the European Union and the G8 at the beginning of next year. Enviros are likely to welcome the leadership of Merkel, a former environment minister, after Russia downplayed global warming during its 2006 G8 presidency. For one thing, Merkel is unafraid to call out U.S. slackerness; her goal, she says, is to "convert the big emitters" of carbon dioxide. "China, India, and other countries are now much more aware of the risks" of climate change, says Merkel, but without the cooperation of "our American partners," efforts to curb greenhouse gases will surely fail. Will the U.S. -- which, need we remind you, is responsible for 25 percent of the world's GHGs and is the only G8 nation not to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol -- be convinced? "[W]e've certainly got our work cut out for us," Merkel said.

Judge puts Clinton's roadless policy back in action

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Laporte reinstated a Clinton-era ban on road construction, logging, mining, and other development in roadless national forest areas. In May 2005, Bush replaced Clinton's "roadless rule" -- which applied to 58.5 million acres, or nearly a third of national forest land -- with a process that required governors to petition the feds if they wanted to protect national forests in their states. Siding with 20 green groups and four states that had sued the U.S. Forest Service, Laporte ruled that the admin did not conduct necessary environmental studies before yanking the Clinton policy. ''This is fantastic news for millions of Americans who have consistently told the Forest Service that they wanted these last wild areas of public land protected,'' said Kristen Boyles of Earthjustice. The timber industry denounced the ruling -- not because they want to log, but because they're worried that roadless areas are vulnerable to wildfire.

California sues automakers over greenhouse-gas emissions

California sued the six largest auto manufacturers last week, saying that vehicle greenhouse-gas emissions are a public nuisance and seeking compensation for damage to the state's air, water supplies, coast, forests, wildlife, and people. "Basically, what we are saying is, it's old-fashioned economics. You should pay for the damage you cause," said State Attorney General Bill Lockyer, pointing a finger at DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota. The companies' vehicles are responsible for 30 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in California. The automakers argue that they're already working on clean cars, and say all things climate change should be left to the feds. They also argue that the litigation has no legal merit, but environmental law expert Sean Hecht disagrees: "It's novel, but based on standard nuisance law, [California] certainly [has] a shot at convincing a judge that the burdens this industry imposes on society are too great."

World Health Organization endorses controlled use of DDT to fight malaria

Reversing a 30-year-old policy, the World Health Organization on Friday announced that the pesticide DDT, used indoors in moderation, is critical to fighting malaria, and argued that such use won't harm people or the environment. Applied to the inside walls of dwellings once or twice a year, DDT will join with medications and pesticide-treated bed nets in what officials hope will be an effective malaria-fighting trifecta, particularly in Africa. Widely sprayed on farm fields in the mid-20th century, DDT was banned in much of the world starting in the 1970s after it was found to enter the food chain, killing birds and wildlife and posing a cancer threat to humans. Environmental groups are conflicted about the WHO's announcement -- the Sierra Club voiced "reluctant" support, the Pesticide Action Network expressed concern but said it wouldn't try to block the move, and Beyond Pesticides said it was opposed. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) had no such reservations: "Finally ... we can put to rest the junk science and myths that have provided aid and comfort to the real enemy -- mosquitoes."

Texas may approve 16 new coal-fired power plants

The state of Texas, which spews more greenhouse gases than Canada or the U.K., is set to reduce its emissions. And by "reduce" I mean "massively increase." Texas may soon approve construction of 16 new coal-fired power plants. And not the fancy new "clean coal" kind, either -- the old-school dirty kind, which would add an estimated 117 million tons of carbon dioxide a year to the atmosphere, more than the individual emissions of 33 states and 177 countries. Yikes. Texas has no formal global-warming strategy or plans to reduce CO2, having decided to leave global-warming mitigation in the capable hands of the feds. Cuts in greenhouse gases, says Gov. Rick Perry's (R) press secretary, could "dramatically harm our economy." The mayors of Dallas, Houston, and 15 other cities, representing nearly one-third of the state's population, disagree. They plan to mess with Texas, vowing to take legal action to fight the plants.

Enviros give thumbs-up to Bush's pick for National Park Service director

President Bush last week nominated Mary Bomar to serve as director of the National Park Service, and conservationists let out a sigh of relief. Whereas outgoing director Fran Mainella had been accused of being too cozy with commercial interests, Bomar has built up a good rep as the Park Service's Northeast regional director and in other NPS positions. "It's good to see a career Park Service professional nominated," said Amy McNamara of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. "As a career professional, she'll have an understanding of the daily challenges park managers face." Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, predicted Bomar "will be a strong and effective director." Said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, whose department includes the NPS, "I greatly admire the passion that Mary brings to her work."

The Best Man

2006-10-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

I've been working with Remy Bumppo Theatre Company for the past three years and was shocked to hear that 2 days ago Gene Janson, who plays the president in Gore Vidal's The Best Man, collapsed on stage. He was rushed to the hospital and unfortunately died before his family could arrive. He was surrounded by his other family, the cast and crew of the show.

Lindsay Jones remarks on his blog about how it is to be part of this world of ours where we become friends and family with each show we work on. He has been affiliated with Remy Bumppo for 10 years now and designed the sound for The Best Man.

As the show continues with the understudy in place, my heart goes out to the cast, crew, and family of Gene Janson.

Enable Society

2006-09-11T10:28:00.000-05:00

In this world, in order to enable society to develop, all its members have to assume responsibilites and make their contribution. If we do not make collective contributions then there will be no development.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, speaking to the Tibetan National Assembly in Dharamsala, May 1989

On this anniversary of Sept. 11th, now that fear is not a factor, I want to give you resources to get the information collected about what happened 5 years ago. I do not believe it is wrong for us to have questions. I do not believe questions equate conspiracy. You can do your own research.

911truth.org

scholarsfor911truth.org

mujca.com (Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance for 9/11 Truth)

Suggested Reading

• The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions, by David Ray Griffin (Olive Branch Press, Interlink)

• 9/11 & American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out, Edited by David Ray Griffin and Peter Dale Scott (Olive Branch Press, Interlink)

• 9/11 and American Empire—Christians, Jews and Muslims Speak Out, Edited by Kevin Barrett, John B. Cobb Jr. and Sandra Lubarasky (Olive Branch Press, Interlink)

• Towers of Deception: the Media Cover-up of 9/11, by Barrie Zwicker (New Society)

• NATO’s Secret Armies, by Daniele Ganser (Frank Cass)

• Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder, by Richard A. Horsley (Augsburg Fortress)

• Waking Up from Our Nightmare: The 9/11/01 Crimes in New York City, by Don Paul and Jim Hoffman (Harts Spring Works)

• Painful Questions: An Analysis of the September 11th Attack, by Eric Hufschmid (Endpoint Software)

Iceland Spring Water

2006-09-02T10:57:00.000-05:00

You may remember when I went to Iceland last October, I couldn't stop remarking on how amazing the water was. Spring water directly from the tap was my addiction when I was there. And by far the thing I miss the most. In the US, I am not a water drinker, but there, I was craving my next glass. That's when I realized that it wasn't water I disliked, I just disliked treated water.

Well a couple days ago, I was in Cost Plus World Market, and in the front cooler was bottled Icelandic Water! They are exporting their water!!!

I immediately bought 4 little bottles - unsure if my addiction was still strong. And, yes, I found out, it is still strong. But getting to Cost Plus World Market to buy little bottles was going to be a hard thing to keep up.

Well, yesterday, I was in Whole Foods Market, and there it was on sale. 3 BIG bottles for $5! I almost did a jig on the spot. I truly recommend this water to anyone who wants to know what water is supposed to taste like - nothing, just water.

This is the BEST water on the planet. And if you want to know why, on Iceland Spring's website they give you all the details.

Introducing...

2006-09-01T02:32:00.000-05:00

Introducing Sadie Lillian Jones, born 8/31/06 to the proud parents of Lindsay Jones and Jamie Pachino. What a beautiful baby!

For more information, like size or weight, visit Lindsay's blog. You can leave a comment there as well.

On further consideration

2006-08-30T12:24:00.000-05:00

I thought I had just captured and set free a Brown Recluse Spider who was hanging out in my bathtub. These are highly poisonous spiders. But after searching around the web. I believe what I had in my bathtub was a Wolf Spider. Wolf Spiders, who are predominately outdoor spiders, are found inside homes during the fall trying to find a warm place to live. They are not poisonous. Finding a Wolf Spider, and not a Brown Recluse Spider, would make sense since the Brown Recluse should not be found in Illinois. I hope that this is the case, otherwise I'd be much more freaked out right now. Although, I'm still a little scared to take a shower at the moment.

Green Scene

2006-08-30T01:35:00.000-05:00

Federal judge rejects Forest Service plan to log in national monument

A federal judge put the smackdown last week on a U.S. Forest Service plan to allow increased logging in California's Giant Sequoia National Monument, home to about two-thirds of the world's largest trees. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said the USFS forest management plan lacked "coherent or clear guidance" and "trampled the applicable environmental laws"; he called for the USFS to write a new plan and conduct further environmental review. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who brought the suit, called Breyer's ruling "a resounding victory for the giant sequoias" and "a resounding defeat for the Bush administration, which aggressively sought to unravel the protections." In a separate ruling, Breyer halted further logging in four areas in and around the monument, pending further study of the effects on the rare Pacific fisher, a member of the weasel family. A USFS spokesflack said the agency was "very disappointed" with the rulings and may appeal.

Spring is springing earlier in Europe, study finds

Across Europe, spring is arriving an average of six to eight days earlier than it did 30 years ago, according to new research published in the journal Global Change Biology. Scientists studied 125,000 sets of observations of 542 plant and 19 animal species in 21 European countries, and found that nearly 80 percent of all leafing, flowering, and fruiting is now happening earlier in the year. "Not only do we clearly demonstrate change in the timing of the seasons, but that change is much stronger in countries that have experienced more warming," said Tim Sparks, one of the report's authors. In Spain, which is heating up more quickly than any other nation in Europe, trees are leafing a full 14 days early. Animals are also adjusting to shifts in climate, but, said Sparks, "If you have species that are dependent on each other changing at different rates, that could just break down the food web."

China considers fining media outlets for disaster reporting

Advancing their reputation as fun-loving goofballs, Chinese officials are considering a new law that would allow local governments to fine media outlets up to $12,500 for reporting on environmental disasters and other emergencies without permission or in a way that "causes serious consequences." Officials have been embarrassed by a string of disaster reports in the media; most have concerned coal-mining accidents, of which there were 3,341 last year, and some have inspired legal action. In the past few years, under President Hu Jintao's goal to "build a harmonious society," officials have clamped down on the press, refusing to talk about a factory explosion that dumped 100 tons of toxic chemicals into the Songhua River, keeping media from the site of a gas explosion in a coal mine, banning respected journalists from their posts, and jailing two reporters. Despite the most recent threat, local journalists were not cowed. "Local government and those engaged in cover-ups should fine the media?" read one editorial. "Is this or is this not absurd?"

Warmer climate could lead to increased bubonic plague

Apparently, in coming years we can expect more bubonic plague. Researchers publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that a rise of just 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the springtime temperature led to a 59 percent increase in plague prevalence (currently, up to 3,000 cases are reported each year around the world). The researchers focused their study in Kazakhstan, where the primary host of the plague is the great gerbil. The gerbils carry fleas, which carry the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague, which gets transmitted to humans by the fleas. Yersinia likely triggered both the Black Death, which killed more than 20 million people in the Middle Ages, and a 19th century pandemic in Asia that killed tens of millions.

FBI investigates Illinois environmental activist

Add Jim Bensman of Alton, Ill., to your ever-growing list of People the Feds Think You Should Fear. Mild-mannered Bensman is a coordinator with an environmental group. In late July, he attended an Army Corps of Engineers public meeting on the proposed construction of a fish-bypass channel for a Mississippi River dam. At the meeting, Bensman proposed that the Corps destroy the dam -- an idea the Corps had already considered. A newspaper reported that Bensman "would like to see the dam blown up". A week later, Bensman received a call from an FBI agent, who wanted to visit him at home, accused him of not cooperating, and told him that someone from the Corps had asked that he be investigated -- a claim disputed by the Corps official who moderated the meeting, who said Bensman is a familiar, if irritating, face at many Corps public meetings. Bensman has since been informed that he is not suspected of anything.

Water crisis doesn't care if countries are rich or poor

Water crisis: not just for poor countries anymore. Industrialized nations must make drastic policy changes if they wish to maintain water supplies, warned the World Wildlife Fund last week. In cities from Seville to Sydney to Sacramento, water has become a hot political issue as supply declines thanks to everything from global warming to wetlands loss. A report by the International Water Management Institute, also published last week, said that a third of the world faces water shortages; water use has increased by six times in the last century and will double again by 2050, mostly from agricultural use. WWF suggests a combination of solutions -- conserving, repairing infrastructure, reducing pollution, and requiring agriculture interests in rich countries to pay more for water and be held accountable for efficient use -- but noted that implementing common-sense measures "in the face of habitual practices and intense lobbying by vested interests has been very difficult."

Court rules with EPA on power-plant pollution controls

In 1999, the U.S. EPA sued Cinergy Corp. for modifying several coal-fueled power plants without following Clean Air Act pollution-control requirements. One month before President Clinton left office, Cinergy agreed to settle. Then, when the Bush administration said it would review Clinton-era enforcement cases, the company backed out, prompting a follow-up suit from three Eastern states. Cinergy (since acquired by Duke Energy) argued that hourly emissions rates had not risen in the modified plants, which exempted them from stricter pollution controls. But last week, a federal appeals court ruled that emissions must be measured by yearly total instead of hourly rate -- so plants can't emit more by operating longer hours. The case will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court, where a decision could apply to 17,000 industrial plants across the nation.

More Alaska drilling proposed as DOT considers new pipeline regulations

Spurred by oil giant BP's many Alaska leaks, the Department of Transportation will soon propose tighter rules for minor petroleum pipelines. BP's North Slope lines were exempt from certain federal regulations because they operated at low pressure in a rural area, and weren't near commercially navigable waters. Thus, despite as much as 14 years of neglect, BP may not have violated any federal regs. The new rules could make life easier for DOT's fewer than 100 inspectors, who are responsible for 200,000 miles of pipeline. Low-pressure lines account for half the oil spilled nationwide, by volume, so the rule expansion will come none too soon: the Interior Department is set to open tens of thousands of acres of environmentally sensitive North Slope wetlands to new oil drilling. Now, when the inevitable spills send oil all over that land, we'll all have the comfort of knowing that federal regulations were violated and oil companies will get a stern talking-to.

California will create nation's most ambitious marine-protection program

California wildlife officials voted last week to create 15 distinct marine reserves from Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara, making about 110 square miles of ocean off-limits to most human activity and giving another 94 square miles or so protection of varying degrees. Backers hope the plan will provide important habitat protection for marine life. The proposal, an attempt to placate both environmentalists and fisherfolk, took seven years to hash out. And, of course, few are completely pleased -- anglers feel shut out of some prime fishing grounds, while some greens argue that the protected area should be extended and include a ban on squid and salmon fishing. Wildlife commissioner Bob Hattoy called the proposal "a compromise of a compromise," saying, "We had a chance to be historic tonight, and all we were was adequate." Depressingly, the "adequate" proposal is the most ambitious marine-conservation program in the nation.

Va. governor asks climate skeptic to avoid state climatologist title

Patrick Michaels is a noted skeptic about global warming, cited frequently in the mainstream press and funded amply by fossil-fuel interests. He goes by the title of "Virginia state climatologist." That makes the commonwealth of Virginia uncomfortable, apparently, and it seems determined to distance itself from the increasingly skeptical position. The governor's office has said that Michaels does not represent the state; in fact he belongs to the University of Virginia, where he oversees the local office of the American Association of State Climatologists. The university responded that, Gov. John Dalton appointed the guy in 1980. The governor's office responded that the state code "does not provide for the governor to appoint a state climatologist," and please, could he at least refer to himself as the "AASC-designated state climatologist"? The university then replied, "no."

Arctic Refuge Bill

2006-08-25T11:33:00.000-05:00

The House recently passed the so-called "American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act" (H.R. 5429), which would stuff the oil companies' already bloated coffers with billions more in profits.

And it would destroy the Arctic Refuge for the sake of oil that won't make a dent in gas prices or wean us off Persian Gulf oil.

A version of this Arctic wildlife destruction bill is now headed for a vote in the U.S. Senate sometime in September. Please help us mobilize one million Americans to stop this bill in its tracks.

You can visit the NRDC Action Fund for more information.

When Jane Becomes Jack

2006-08-23T11:52:00.000-05:00

I recently read the article in the NYTimes The Trouble When Jane Becomes Jack and I wanted to post something about it. However, I have a transgendered friend who I would prefer to comment on this.

Here is my dear friend Ethan Brewer:

The recent article in the NY Times, "The Trouble When Jane Becomes Jack" is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the social issues of a trans person. As a transsexual male myself, the article reads as if it were a page from my own life.

I am fortunate to have had a truly wonderful transition. Friends, family and work have all been extremely supportive, which is not common. However, as the article alludes, the one great struggle has been dealing with individuals who used to be my lesbian peers. I am now disliked in certain circles, I am avoided and even made to be a horrible person... all because I chose to be myself. There is no greater truth in that, for a majority of lesbians, there is no greater offense than being transsexual. The "trader".

One of the most absurd things I have ever heard is that the lesbian community is "losing" women to transsexualism. If society needs to know one thing about trans folks, it is this: BEING GAY AND BEING TRANSSEXUAL ARE NOT THE SAME THING. Transsexualism is about the sex of your body, homosexuality is about your sexuality. Two completely different issues and neither is a choice. Ironically, being a transsexual is no different a process than the realization that you are homosexual. It just IS. Butch lesbians do not change sex because it's hard to be a butch woman. Effeminate men do not become women because it's easier to be women. Seriously?! The argument is nothing short of weak. Further, I am no less female-attentive in my political views. Even as a man, I am aware, and experience firsthand, the bias women experience. Now, however, I simply have a different perspective. The "inside edge", you could say. An accidental infiltration of patriarchal society. To me, because I've been discriminated against as a female and as a lesbian, to know that I am standing among the wolves gives me great pleasure. I feel as though I can do women a great service politically and socially from where I sit. As far as I'm concerned, I have a huge advantage over even the most feminist biological male because when I say I understand the issues women face, I REALLY understand. I have had the luxury of living as both sexes. I think it's a gift.

Finally, to address the prejudice and exclusion from Michigan Womyn's Festival and the like, I say this... if you don't want me there, I'm okay with that because I am not a woman. But, know this: you are embarrassing and fighting against the very community to which you pledge allegience. Your simultaneous messages of being included while excluding destroy any attempt to be accepted in this world as a simple human being. If you are so proud to be women, then call yourself WOMEN, not WOMYN, and celebrate all women... whether they are white, black, rich, poor, fat, thin, gay, straight, bi-sexual, born with a vagina or had to have one made.

We could all take a lesson from the attitudes of the "new youth" being that of "transgendered" (and it isn't because I'm trans). It's nice to know there's a group of people coming up that seem to understand that a person is more than just male or female and that, whatever they call themselves, they have hearts and minds like anyone else. Who says there's no hope for the future? I don't.

Peace One Day

2006-08-22T10:40:00.000-05:00

I just watched a fabulous documentary titled Peace One Day.

The Peace One Day film project began as the vision of one man, British filmmaker, Jeremy Gilley. Launched in September 1999, it gained active support from all sectors of society, from governments through to individuals. In September 2001, Peace One Day achieved its primary objective. A United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/Res/55/282), put forward by the UK and Costa Rican governments, was unanimously adopted by all UN member states, formally establishing an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on the UN International Day of Peace, fixed in the global calendar on 21 September - Peace Day. All sectors of society are being asked to honour and celebrate the Day on 21 September. The vision of the Day extends far beyond the cessation of violent conflict and represents an opportunity for individuals to join in a moment of global unity.

When I watched this documentary, my thought was "He'll never achiever this, it's impossible." It's amazing to see what an individual can do when they put their mind to it. It is a day of global peace recognition, but now it must become a reality of a Cease Fire Day so that supplies can be mobilized to conflicted areas without the fear of being killed.

Please find this movie and watch it. And celebrate the Cease Fire/Peace Day September 21st.

Quick Change

2006-08-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

My mom sent this to me and it's incredible. I've witnessed some pretty quick changes in theatre, but this is incredible.

Another Openin'

2006-08-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

Today is my opening of 110 in the Shade with Light Opera Works in Evanston. And today marks a remarkable day. There is no longer a delay in the wireless set-up.

Let me explain:

Actors act/sing, the microphone element picks it up, sends it via a transmitter on their body through antennae into a receiver, which then gets cabled into a console, sent to the amps which power the speakers, the signal is then wiretapped by the NSA for any subversive messages and sent back through the speakers to the audience's ears.

Thanks to U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs, who points out that the executive branch is not allowed to have "inherent power," it is now possible to get the signal from the actor to the audience without the frustration of the conductor's timing.

The conductor was quoted as saying, "the delay was just something we had to deal with, just so long as we all remain safe. But this is so much better."

I've Been Published

2006-08-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

SFX is a show program from Stage Research that runs sound for theatre through the use of a computer program. It makes it very easy to keep the intergrity of a sound design consistent throughout a run of a show. SFX has a newsletter that they send out every month and this month the feature story is about my installation of SFX at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago. Click on the photo above for the full article.

Interesting Timing

2006-08-14T13:41:00.000-05:00

I was reserved in saying my feelings about the recent heightened terror alert. I did make one comment about the timing of it in an earlier post. I know you all say, "oh, toy, you and your conspiracy theories." But what it comes down to, is the lack of trust of the current state or our union mixed with the repetition of distraction tactics.

Gay marriage and immigration aside, I'm not sure terror will actually work for the upcoming elections, because we supposedly have this administration in power to make the US safer since 9/11. And quite honestly, we're far worse. So the tactic that "there's still terror out there" doesn't really make them look like they are doing their job.

On MSNBC today there's an interesting article I'd like to draw your attention to. It deals with the US pressuring Britain with the timing of their arrests.

Here are some snippits from it:

British officials knowledgeable about the case said British police were planning to continue to run surveillance for at least another week to try to obtain more evidence, while American officials pressured them to arrest the suspects sooner.

In contrast to previous reports, one senior British official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports.

One senior British official said the Americans also argued over the timing of the arrest of suspected ringleader Rashid Rauf in Pakistan, warning that if he was not taken into custody immediately, the United States would "render" him or pressure the Pakistani government to arrest him. Ultimately, this official says, Rauf was arrested over the objections of the British.

The official shed light on other aspects of the case, saying that while the investigation into the bombing plot began "months ago," some suspects were known to the security services even before the London subway bombings last year.

Green Scene

2006-08-11T13:16:00.000-05:00

BP shuts down major Alaskan oil field

Oil giant BP will temporarily shut down production at its Prudhoe Bay oil field, after "unexpectedly severe corrosion" and a small spill were discovered in an oil transit line on Sunday. That could mean trouble: the Prudhoe field represents nearly half the production from Alaska's North Slope, some 400,000 barrels a day, about 8 percent of total U.S. production. It will take a few days to shut things down, but once the oil is offline, the impact on prices could be substantial -- a bump of up to $10 a barrel, according to one analyst. Alaska could suffer up to $4.6 million a day in lost revenues. Though BP may win some points for its better-safe-than-sorry approach, the shutdown represents unwelcome attention for a company that has faced a series of PR disasters, from a massive oil spill in March, to an explosion at a Texas refinery in March 2005, to propane market price-manipulation charges in early 2004.

China plans massive diversion of Tibetan river water

The Chinese never met a problem they couldn't solve with a few billion dollars and a massive engineering project out of scale with anything ever attempted before by humanity. The latest is a $37 billion undertaking which would divert water from rivers in the high reaches of Tibet through an elaborate, 190-mile series of canals and tunnels to the western reaches of the over-tapped Yellow River, which feeds the water-parched northern regions of China. The diversion would initially carry about 1 trillion gallons a year, rising to 4.5 trillion gallons over time. Construction could start as soon as 2010. The technical challenges are formidable: for one, the proposed route would divert water from an altitude of 13,600 feet, where it's usually frozen. Much of Tibet's water comes from glaciers that are in the midst of melting, so, as Tibet expert Tashi Tsering understates it, "This project is definitely not meant to develop Tibet."

Chicago Tribune series traces a gasoline fill-up to its source

Told that tracking gasoline from a single gas station back to its sources was impossible, reporter Paul Salopek did it anyway. In compiling a multimedia series for the Chicago Tribune, Salopek sourced gas dispensed at a Marathon station in South Elgin, Ill., to the Gulf Coast, Venezuela, Nigeria, and Iraq. He then interviewed the varied cast whose lives were affected along the way, from the gas station manager who spends a third of her paycheck fueling her SUV to Nigeria's Ibibio people and their love-hate relationship with infrastructure-building, oil-spilling ExxonMobil. Salopek visited Iraq, noting that the oil-addicted U.S. buys 15 to 20 percent of its imported crude from the Middle East. He traveled to Venezuela, where gasoline costs 14 cents a gallon. And he talked to economist Milton Copulos, who calculates the true cost of U.S. gasoline made from imported oil -- factoring in defense spending and jobs lost to steep prices -- at $8 a gallon. Conclusion? The petroleum economy is "beholden to hostile powers and ... clearly unsustainable."

Vail Resorts to be second-biggest corporate wind-power buyer in U.S.

Colorado-based ski-resort company (and one-time eco-vandal target) Vail Resorts announced last week that it will buy enough wind power to offset all of the electricity it uses at its five ski areas, as well as in its corporate offices and stores. The company's promise to purchase about 152,000 megawatt-hours of wind-power credits a year makes it the second-largest corporate buyer of wind power in the U.S., behind 458,000-MWh-a-year natural grocer Whole Foods, which went wind-powered earlier this year, and just ahead of 150,000-MWh-a-year Starbucks, now pushed to No. 3. To encourage average citizens to make the conversion too, Vail is offering a free or discounted lift ticket to electricity consumers who offset their own power use for one year through Renewable Choice Energy, via the Vail website.

Blair and Schwarzenegger joining forces to fight climate change

Perhaps finally sensing he's been poodling to the wrong pseudo-manly Republican, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair has decided to wag his tail for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: The two leaders teamed up to tackle climate change, announcing an agreement to cooperate on research into cleaner fuels and technologies and explore the possibility of a trans-Atlantic cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide emissions. Schwarzenegger, who's trying to play up his green credentials during a tough reelection campaign, distanced himself from President Bush: "We see there is not great leadership by the federal government when it comes to protecting the environment. So that is why as a state, we will move forward because we know it is the right thing to do.'' The announcement followed a meeting attended by some 25 major corporate CEOs, who gathered to discuss means of moving toward cleaner technologies.

Obama leads bipartisan effort to raise fuel-economy standards

Is the sting of $75-a-barrel oil and the threat of World War III exploding in the Middle East enough to convince Congress to finally boost auto fuel economy? Probably not, but a bipartisan coalition of senators led by Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is launching an admirable new effort anyway -- the Fuel Economy Reform Act. Muckraker looks into this novel approach to raising gas-mileage standards and susses out its chances.

New Arctic Refuge drilling bill would spend proceeds on alt-energy

The recurring nightmare of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is back, but with a new twist: proceeds would support alternative energy. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) introduced a bill to open 2,000 acres of the refuge to oil drilling. Backers of the legislation estimate that in coming decades, refuge development could bring in up to $40 billion in revenue -- all of which would go toward providing tax credits for solar power, cellulosic (not corn) ethanol, and coal-to-liquid fuel technologies. The legislation is co-sponsored by drill-obsessed Rep. Richard Pombo (R-Calif.), and also has support from two of California's Democratic representatives. Historically, Arctic Refuge drilling bills have passed the House and been shot down in the Senate. Nunes thinks his new bill has a better chance -- "There are a lot of Democratic senators over there that have a lot of ethanol interests in their state," he said -- but it's still considered a long shot.

Oil spill and power-plant fire wreak havoc in already-havoc-stricken Lebanon

Bombed by Israel over two weeks ago, a storage fuel tank of a power plant in Beirut, Lebanon, is still burning, filling the air with dangerous fumes; another exploded, sending at least 10,000 tons of oil into the Mediterranean Sea. Particulate pollution could waft as far as Europe, and winds have pushed the oil spill dozens of miles up the coast, blackening beaches and threatening marine life like the endangered green turtle and the commercially important blue fin tuna. Lebanon lacks the resources to extinguish the oil fire; if the second tank collapses, up to 15,000 more tons of fuel could seep into the sea. Lebanon has begged assistance from Kuwait, but the spill will take months and tens of millions of dollars to clean up. "This is a catastrophe I wouldn't wish on any country in the world," said Lebanese Environment Minister Yacoub Sarraf. Meanwhile, Israeli-blocked ports are leaving Lebanon mere days from running out of fuel for power plants.

House approves new wilderness areas in California, Oregon, and Idaho

The U.S. House last week unanimously approved bills that would create over 1,000 square miles of new wilderness areas and protect 47 miles of rivers in California, Oregon, and Idaho. A bill to ban drilling in New Mexico's Valle Vidal also passed. All of the bills are compromises hammered out over several years, involving the disparate interests of business owners, ranchers, local governments, recreationists, conservationists, and Indian tribes. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Act would protect more than 277,000 acres as wilderness, and designate about 79,000 acres as a recreation area for off-road vehicles and mountain bikes. The Oregon bill would establish 77,200 acres of wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest, and the Idaho legislation would create three new wilderness areas in the mountainous portions of the Sawtooth and Challis national forests, protecting a total of 315,215 acres. The bills now go to the Senate.

Small automakers roll out electric cars

The climate is right for electric cars, and several automakers are rolling out new models. It's "an untapped market that is phenomenal," says the CEO of Zap, which introduced the three-wheel electric Xebra in June (yes, it comes zebra-striped). While low-speed, relatively low-price vehicles like Miles Automotive's ZX40 and the Tomberlin Group's E-Merge E-2 are hitting the road, it's the sports cars that are getting the most attention. The swanky Tesla Roadster is only the start: Wrightspeed Inc. is developing a $100,000 sports car that could go up to 120 mph and run for 200 miles between charges, and Phoenix Motorcars will sell two 85-mph, 120-miles-per-charge cars. Companies estimate that charging an electric car costs a mere one to three cents per mile. Actress and electric-car plugger Alexandra Paul says the new models will defy the idea "that an electric car is pokey or doesn't have range."

Shows in NY

2006-08-11T12:47:00.000-05:00

I just flew to NYC and back to tech a show in 4 hours (a la Lindsay Jones style), nad luckily was not hassled too much by the recent heightened security. (which I have trouble believing due to the timing of democrats winning primaries...)

However,

My show in the NY Fringe Festival is Ophelia.

Friday, August 11—9:30 PM
Thursday, August 17—3 PM
Sunday, August 20—9:15 PM
Thursday, August 24—5:15 PM
Saturday, August 26—12 PM

THE CONNELLY THEATER
220 EAST 4th Street
between Avenues A & B

This is a beautiful play, directed by a dear friend of mine, Ilo Orleans. We connected again after 20 years to work together on this, and it has been a fantastic experience.

My next show in NY will be Steppenwolf's Bluest Eye, at the Duke Theatre, opening November 3rd. I'll keep you posted.

Green News

2006-07-29T00:43:00.000-05:00

Scientists, worried about mass extinction, call for international biodiversity panel

The planet faces a "major biodiversity crisis" that could lead to mass extinction of species, warn 19 of the world's leading biodiversity specialists in Nature. Stating that "biodiversity is still consistently undervalued and given inadequate weight in both private and public decisions," the specialists urge the creation of an Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity to offer advice on government policies. Human-caused habitat destruction and climate change are causing species to die out 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural rate; nearly a quarter of mammals, a third of amphibians, and 12 percent of birds are in danger of extinction, and climate change alone could push a further 15 to 37 percent of species to near-extinction in the next 50 years. "Because biodiversity loss is essentially irreversible, it poses serious threats to sustainable development and the quality of life of future generations," the specialists say.

Average fuel economy of U.S. vehicles no better than last year

The average fuel economy of 2006 model-year vehicles in the U.S. is 21 miles per gallon, the U.S. EPA announced last week -- the same as in 2005. (And 1994. And 1982.) SUV fuel economy rose from 18.3 to 18.5 mpg from model year 2005 to 2006, a benefit canceled out by a passenger-car fuel-economy decline from 25 to 24.6 mpg. Honda had the highest average fuel-economy rating of automakers at 24.2 mpg; the American Big Three had some of the worst ratings, with General Motors at 20.5 mpg, Ford at 19.7 mpg, and DaimlerChrysler bottoming out at 19.1 mpg. The EPA said 2006 models were the heaviest, fastest, and most powerful vehicles. "The more things seem to change in the world in terms [of] gas prices and energy crises, the more things seem to stay the same in the auto industry," said David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. The Toyota Prius hybrid, by the way, had an estimated fuel economy of 55.3 mpg.

Toyota considering plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles for U.S.

Toyota plans to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle, the company announced last week. Rechargeable via any typical electrical outlet, a plug-in would be able to "travel greater distances without using its gas engine, ... conserve more oil, and slice smog and greenhouse gases to nearly imperceptible levels," said Jim Press, president of Toyota's North American subsidiary. The technology is far from ready, and the automaker has no timeline for offering the cars for sale, but they are pressing forward with the R&D while other companies dawdle. Toyota is also taking a serious look at bringing flex-fuel cars capable of running on an E85 ethanol blend to the U.S. market, putting pressure on America's beleaguered Big Three automakers, who recently announced that they will double production of flex-fuel vehicles. Toyota already produces E85-capable vehicles in Brazil. Toyota, which dominates the regular hybrid market, also plans to introduce hybrid versions of all its current vehicle models.

Use the dishwasher if you want to save water, U.K. study concludes

We know your type: Your dirty dishes are piling up as you sit immobilized by the question of whether it's more enviro-friendly to use the dishwasher or wash them by hand. But live in squalor no more -- a study by U.K. nonprofit Waterwise found that the average dishwasher uses between 3 and 4.5 gallons of water per load, while hand dishwashing can use over 16 gallons. Less than 30 percent of households in the U.K. have a dishwasher, a smaller percentage than in many other countries in Europe. If U.K. dishwasher ownership rose to 40 percent, says the study, the country would save up to 20 million gallons of water every day. Waterwise Director Jacob Tompkins sums up: "The study shows that increased dishwasher ownership will have a positive impact on the environment."

Sundance Channel Green (pdf - press release)

Sundance founder, Robert Redford announced today that Sundance Channel will launch SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN, a weekly primetime destination block focusing on environmental topics, in early 2007. Consisting of three hours of hosted programming, SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN will present original series and documentary premieres about the earth's ecology and concepts of "green" living that balance human needs with responsible environmental stewardship. With SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN, Sundance Channel becomes the first television network in the United States to establish a significant, regularly-scheduled programming destination dedicated entirely to the environment.

SUNDANCE CHANNEL GREEN will consist of the following program elements:

1. Original Series: Change Agents: a high energy, story and character-driven documentary series about the people and projects that are on the front lines of environmental sustainability and innovation.

2. Interstitial Series: Sundance Channel will launch several interstitial series that will highlight a range of environmental issues and offer viewers innovative suggestions to effect change in their own lives.

3. Documentaries: The block will feature compelling feature-length documentary premieres and news specials on environmental subjects.

My Travel Day

2006-07-26T17:02:00.000-05:00

I was to fly on United Airlines to Albany from Chicago and I’m flying stand-by on a ticket bought with miles. So, to begin with I’m a little nervous, I like to plan things out ahead of time and get a little rattled if I’m not on schedule.

I’m going to Albany for a workshop with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble who was accepted to Voice and Vision’s Envision program at Bard College. And I’m already a day late because of a gig I had on Navy Pier, hence the stand-by situation.

I get to the airport with plenty of time, but it doesn’t look good for getting on the plane. Every hour, United pushes the departure time back one hour. We were supposed to leave at 9:01pm. Finally at 11pm we start boarding and, good news, I get on the plane. But, bad news, we can’t leave yet.

See, the plane had mechanical problems; this is why it couldn’t get out of the hangar originally to get to our gate - making us late. And now, in order to leave the gate, we need another inspection from a more specific mechanic. But this particular mechanic was no longer at O’Hare. It’s midnight by now. So, the pilot, with complete frustration in his voice, apologizes for the “post-bankruptcy administration” and says they will deplane us while they wait to call a mechanic to come from home.

And we wait… They can’t find anyone to get the jetway to the plane because everyone has gone home, and we sit even longer waiting to deplane. We do after another 1/2 hour, and we are told to not leave the gate area of the now abandoned airport.

Finally, the flight is cancelled and we are told to go to the baggage claim to be rebooked and given hotel vouchers. It’s now 1am.

We wait in line at baggage claim for an eternity, it seems. I’m 3rd in line. I get up to the counter and there are no flights tomorrow until 3:55pm and it connects through Washington Dulles and will not arrive into Albany until 11pm. So I immediately call Lindsay Jones who says there are seats on the 1:10pm direct. I tell the woman behind the counter and she says it’s not coming up on her screen, “sorry.”

So I call 1-800-United1 and get a woman who says there are NO flights for me tomorrow because my ticket was paid for with miles. I promptly hang up on her, and go back to the woman behind the counter. She books me on that 3:35pm flight, and then tells me that since my flight originated in Chicago, I cannot have a voucher for a hotel room or food.

Can you believe that????

I now thank God for Lindsay Jones who kept me sane and feeling safe at this moment. I walked out of the airport, realized that if I spent the money (which I didn’t have) to take a cab back home and back again to the airport by 6:30pm, I would only get about 2 hours of sleep.

I hadn’t eaten since Navy Pier at 4pm and it’s now about 2am. I think my blood sugar levels were off. That’s the only explanation I have for my complete brain meltdown.

I decide to call Lindsay back but as I’m talking to him, I completely lose my mind and start sobbing uncontrollably. I hate when I turn out to be a girl sometimes. “Please, big strong man, can you help me, because I have no power anymore.” Ugh.

So I say, I’ll eat the money and go home for 2 hours, and he says, “hold on, I’ll call you right back.”

And what does he do?

He books me a hotel room, gets them to send a shuttle to me to take me there, and pays for it! At that point I didn’t argue, there’s no point when Mr. Jones makes up his mind. But in the morning, after my 3-hour nap, I was furious when I saw the bill that was slipped under my door. I vowed to pay him back and was very mad that he spent money on me. If it had been one of his “deals” he gets when he works his hotel/flight magic, I would have been ok with it.

By the way, he denies me the right to pay him back.

But now it’s time to go back to the to fly stand-by all day. I get to the first gate and they are asking passengers to give up their seats and get free-ticket vouchers…completely overbooked.

On I go to the next gate with 2 hours to spare. There’s a phantom flight at 12:10pm that’s not on any schedule that the passengers from my flight, who arrived to the airport this morning later than I, had confirmed seats on. The woman behind the counter tells me to go to Gate C18 (I’m at C2), and I’ll be helped there. I go there, and it’s a flight to Tokyo and the woman there cannot help me. I back in time to see them close off the flight and not call one stand-by passenger.

I go up to this same sad woman behind the counter and ask if I can now be confirmed on the next (12:10pm) flight? She types something and says flatly, “no.” I then turn to the woman next to me and say, “my original flight was at 6:20am yesterday morning, I didn’t even get a voucher for a hotel, did you?”

And FINALLY, a kind soul (I wish I could remember her name – all I can remember is the angel pin on her vest) took pity on me and issued me a seat. Hurray!!! Right?

Not yet…

I go to the next gate in the F terminal (where I started this morning – I got a lot of exercise) to wait for a flight that was…

Delayed. And then for the first time ever I see on the board that our flight is now “Closed.” Someone asks a pilot what that means, and it’s basically just for us, they’re not selling tickets to it. THANK GOD.

So we wait… The flight was supposed to leave at 12:10pm, we start boarding to leave by 2:10pm. After we have all boarded the flight, the co-pilot comes on the intercom and says, “sorry folks, we just have to wait for a mechanic to okay us out of the gate, it’s gonna be awhile.” We all start laughing. Not again…

But eventually we’re okayed for take-off at 3:10pm and have a very bumpy flight to NY. I know that there’s going to be the kamikaze, dive-bomb, speed up to land thing in NY – there always is. I just don’t like it. But I land safely and get to Bard College by 6:30pm, 20 minutes ahead of Eric, who left the night before driving. He got caught in Indiana behind an accident for 2 hours as well.

All is fine in the end, but honestly when United claims that they have had their biggest profit in 6 years since the bankruptcy, I can tell you why. There was not one person at any customer service counter. The people working the counters only showed up for specific flights. There are fewer planes and pilots to fly them. They overbook every flight and constantly have a thread of people on stand-by. On top of it all almost every plane in five was in the hanger for mechanical problems.

What a long, arduous, journey…what did I get for it?
Well this story I suppose.
Thank you for sharing in my misery.

Heat wave leads to record power use in U.S.

2006-07-21T14:04:00.000-05:00

Many areas of the U.S. broke record highs for power use yesterday, as a coast-to-coast heat wave caused citizens to crank up the AC. Power grid operators are calling for conservation, and the utility industry is declaring a national need for more power plants and transmission lines. California used 46,561 megawatts of power yesterday, breaking last year's one-day record high of 45,431 MW. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) ordered state offices to reduce power use during peak hours for the rest of the week by turning off unneeded lights, adjusting thermostats downward, and taking other steps. But Californians asked to keep the AC down as temperatures rise as high as 112 degrees are unlikely to be sympathetic. The 13-state mid-Atlantic region shattered its one-day record high of 133,763 MW, consuming 139,746 MW. Meanwhile, across the pond, British forecasters are giving a 30 percent chance that tomorrow could be the hottest day ever recorded in the country, hitting 102 degrees in the southeast.

Green News

2006-07-19T18:44:00.000-05:00

2006 is already setting heat records

January to June 2006 was the warmest first half of the year in the continental U.S. since record-keeping began in 1895, and the sixth-warmest in the world as a whole, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Alaska, far eastern Europe, and parts of Russia posted cooler-than-average temperatures, but the rest of the Northern Hemisphere was right toasty. The U.S. average temperature in the first half of 2006 was 51.8 degrees, 3.4 degrees above the 20th-century average. And here's summer: Excessive heat warnings have been issued in many cities across the country as temperatures are hitting three digits; nearly half of the contiguous U.S. was in moderate-to-extreme drought as of June. "It's not supposed to be hot like this," says Connie Clayton, a longtime resident of Frazier, Colo., the nation's self-proclaimed icebox at an elevation of 8,550 feet. "Lately there have been evenings when you could sit outside at 10 p.m. without a coat. All my life I couldn't do that."

Britain's new energy policy calls for more nukes as well as renewables

Surprising no one, the British government last week unveiled a pro-nuclear energy policy. Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling defensively told Parliament that the challenges of global warming and energy self-sufficiency "are so great that we cannot afford to rule out any low-carbon energy source that could help." All but one of Britain's 23 nuclear plants will be shuttered by 2023; Darling suggested building up to six new plants, though without government subsidies. He claimed Britain could reduce annual carbon emissions by up to 27 million tons by 2020 with a combination of nuclear technology, renewables (pledged to provide 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2020), carbon-captured coal, biofuels, and conservation measures. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both bashed Prime Minister Tony Blair's administration for producing such a nuke-friendly plan. Conservative Party spokesperson Alan Duncan derided it as "not carbon-free" but "content-free."

Schwarzenegger asks feds to protect roadless national forests in California

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last week asked the feds to keep all 4.4 million roadless acres of national forest in his state off-limits to logging, road-building, and other development. President Bush in 2004 canceled President Clinton's rule protecting roadless national-forest areas; now it's up to governors to request protection for roadless parcels in their states. If approved as expected, Schwarzenegger's petition will protect more than one-fifth of California's forested public land. Virginia and both Carolinas have had similar petitions approved without major changes; New Mexico has also filed for roadless protection. "Having a Republican governor of a Western state, with a large amount of roadless areas, stand up to protect all the areas sends an important signal to the rest of the country," said Sara Barth of The Wilderness Society.

G8 leaders dither on energy issues

The G8 industrial nations met in St. Petersburg this weekend, focusing on energy security. They agreed to nothing. Said the group statement: "We recognize that G8 members pursue different ways to achieve energy security and the goals of climate protection." The U.S. and U.K. are strongly pro-nuclear power, and Germany is strongly anti, leading to this bizarre formulation: "We are committed to further reduce the risks associated with the safe use of nuclear energy." On climate change, the nations will pursue "our shared ... objectives of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions," but, "those of us committed to making the Kyoto Protocol a success underline the importance we attach to it." The group noted that the transportation sector consumes two-thirds of the world's oil, but didn't go so far as to call for increases in fuel-efficiency standards (Bush put the kibosh on that). On the topic of climate change, French President Jacques Chirac said, "Mankind is dancing on the edge of a volcano." Others disagreed.

The happiest nations are not the high-consuming ones, survey says

The New Economics Foundation, a British think tank, looked at 178 countries' consumption levels, life expectancy, and happiness, and concluded that people can live long, happy lives without sucking up large quantities of the planet's resources. In its ranking of happiest nations, the South Pacific island of Vanuatu earned the top slot. Vanuatu, population 209,000, runs its economy mainly on small-scale agriculture and tourism; its GDP has been ranked 207th out of 233. Latin American countries dominate the top 10 happiest nations, with Colombia in second place. Many African and Eastern European nations are near the bottom, with Zimbabwe the official unhappiest nation. The U.S., with the world's second-largest ecological footprint (after oil-rich United Arab Emirates), ranked an unhappy 150th. Report co-author Nic Marks says the report reveals "patterns that show how we might better achieve long and happy lives for all while living within our environmental means."