UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR JULY 2004
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner for Week of July 26, 2004 I have been waiting for the day I could announce to KK readers that the movie "What the Bleep Do We Know" debuts in Florida. I am very pleased to say it's opening September 10th in Orlando at this venue: link here (this is the website for the Loews theatre where the "What the Bleep" will be playing, although the movie is not yet listed on this site.) "What the Bleep" will be opening in Ohio, Pennsylvania & New Jersey on September 17th. Kentucky, stay tuned, it's coming! link here You people in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa areas hold on. It WILL be in your area soon. Don't want to wait until it hits Dade/Broward theaters? Make it a day and take a Southwest Airlines flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando for only $85.20 roundtrip, plus the cost of movie! link here 1. "The West Nile virus has infected and killed horses in Southern California along areas of the Santa Ana River where mosquitoes carrying the disease thrive, officials said," according to this July 19th LA Times AP news story. link here Washington Sate is on a vigilant lookout for cases moving north and hence, into this state: "Welcome to the Washington State Department of Health's West Nile Virus Web page." link here The CDC West Nile Virus homepage: link here A county-by-county map of the progression of this disease in humans: link here . 2. "After 29 years of thinking about it, Stephen Hawking says he was wrong about black holes. The renowned Cambridge University physicist formally presented a paper Wednesday [July 21 at the 17th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation] arguing that black holes, the celestial vortexes formed from collapsed stars, preserve traces of objects swallowed up and eventually could spit bits out 'in a mangled form.' Last week, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp., he revealed he had changed his long-held thinking on black holes," according to the AP. link here Professor Stephen Hawking's website: link here . 3. Follow-up : Mentioned here several times is what wind-power could do for the Northeast. "Make it [a modern windmill] giant-sized – specifically 425 feet tall, equal to a 40-story building and taller than the Statue of Liberty. Now picture 35 to 40 such windmills, all standing in the Atlantic Ocean, clustered near Jones Beach. The Long Island Power Authority says it will soon start turning that imaginary scene into reality, to harvest electricity from the steady sea breezes that have drawn people, from ancient Indians to modern suburbanites, to the shoreline," according to this Cape Cod Times report. link here "Sea Wind Europe is a vision for offshore wind energy, commissioned by Greenpeace from UK wind energy consultants Garrad Hassan. It assesses whether it would be possible to supply 30% of current EU (European Union) electricity demand – 720TWh/year – by 2020 using offshore wind," from Sea Wind Europe's site. link here . 4. "Earlier this month, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., joined New York in requiring drivers to use headsets or other hands-free devices when they talk on cell phones. But new research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and others suggests that hands-free devices may actually add to the overall risk. The growing evidence could put safety regulators on a collision course with the nation's wireless business. American drivers spend roughly a billion minutes a day talking on their cell phones, an estimated 40 percent of all cellular minutes," according to the St. Paul [MN.]Pioneer Press story. link here . 5. Hear the name Armstrong today and most people will instantly think of Lance, the US champion cyclist. However, 35 years ago there was another American named Armstrong who captured the world's attention. National Geographic put into context beautifully the 35th Anniversary of the first supposed landing and human footstep on the Moon in this story. link here "Published next year by Simon and Schuster, which, like CBSNews.com, is a part of Viacom," is Neil Armstrong's biography written with Armstrong biographer James Hansen. link here . 6. This writer moved from the San Francisco Bay area to the Great Pacific Northwest 16 years ago next week. In that short time, I have experienced the all time coldest and all time hottest EVER recorded temperatures for this area. Since weather temperature records have been kept, going back over 125 years, the all-time-ever-recorded high temperature was on July 20, 1994 at Sea-Tac Airport of 100 degrees (38 C). link here That record was almost broken again this week, just 10 years later, as the temperature at Sea-Tac hit 96. High temperature records have been broken all over Western Washington this last week on July 22 and 23, as this area has seen continual weather liken unto Southern California, featuring no cloud cover for days, with Friday having the second-warmest nighttime hours in history. link here And the records fell here in the South Sound, too: link here The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued its first smog watch of the season last week: link here This unusual situation was all caused by what is called a Thermal Trough, detailed here: link here The other issue not covered in these prior stories is that Puget Sound is on track for its driest July in history, which is starting to have effects on water supplies. [Ed. Note: And some people say this is all a fluke! The “Greenhouse Warming” effects are showing signs here too, I say!] link here “. . . our area is still the champ when it comes to number of cloudy days. Seattle ranks in the top 5 nationally 226 cloudy days per year behind Anchorage, Forks, Astoria and Olympia. We’re in the top 20 with 140 days of measurable rain,” according to ABC affiliate KOMO TV. [Ed. Note: not likely so far for this year!] link here And, other great weather facts: link here . 7. The town that I was born and raised in, Louisville, Ky. has become the focal point toward bringing awareness of animal abuse to the forefront, in particular with the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) release of film footage of Pilgrim’s Pride abuse of chickens, one of KFC’s top suppliers. link here And, KFC’s Press Statement about the Pilgrim’s Pride incident: link here You would be sad to know how the chicken farmer is treated as well, yet truth is freedom: link here Further, announced last week, “More than 18 tons of cooked chicken prepared a little over a week ago are being recalled by a Georgia company because they may be contaminated with listeria, the Agriculture Department said. . . . The chicken was produced on July 13 and distributed to warehouses in Georgia and Arkansas, the statement said,” according to this Newsday story. Yikes! link here And, the official USDA site on said subject: link here I had the best chicken of my life to date last week with chickens purchased from Forever Farms. No abused birds in my body. You locals, check out this site! link here . 8. These stories out recently about how our environment is toxic to children: A. CommonDreams.org has a story titled "Sugar Wars: Taking it to the Peddlers of Diabetes and Osteoporosis" about soda pop sold in schools and the effects on our children. • One can of coke contains nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar or the entire daily recommended amount of calories from sugar; • One of five American children is now considered obese. Americans consume nearly 53 teaspoons of sugar daily; • Sugar in soda makes blood acidic robbing the body of calcium and which can lead to osteoporosis; • The “quick energy” from soda is followed by “lows”, ask any teacher who has to deal with students loaded with sugar; • The sugar in soda helps to whither crucial bacteria in our intestines, reducing vitamin B which inhibits thinking, making children sleepy; • Studies have shown that girls who play sports and consumed soda daily experienced 3x the risk of bone fractures. Fantastic information of which to be aware: link here B. Did you know that diabetes is curable? Read this from Nexus Magazine: link here C. Yikes! Here's more proof that what we expose our children to is unhealthy, from the BBC: "Children should watch no more than two hours of TV a day to protect their future health, scientists have warned. A Lancet study found adults who had been avid TV watchers as children were more likely be overweight, to smoke and to have high cholesterol. Researchers from the University of Otago, New Zealand, said parents should 'lead by example'and turn the TV off." link here D. Further from the BBC, "Watching too much television and spending too long in front of a computer is behind rising rates of short-sightedness, say scientists. Australian researchers examined rising rates of short-sightedness in Asia. Countries like Japan and Singapore have seen a sharp increase in cases in recent years. Some experts say genes are behind the rise. But the researchers found people's lifestyle was to blame, according to a report in New Scientist magazine." "As kids spend more time indoors, on computers or watching telly, we are going to become just as myopic," says Ian Morgan. He and colleagues at the Australian National University in Canberra reviewed 40 studies. link here . 9. Follow-up: Discussed many times here in the last three years is the power transmission line debate. Now comes word that areas of California are having this same discussion that areas north of Seattle had last year. From Reuters, "California’s push to build more transmission lines to satisfy growing demand for electricity is stirring concern over possible health effects from electric and magnetic fields – EMFs – created by electricity lines. Angry homeowners in the paths of big transmission projects near San Francisco and in Southern California have bombarded state utility regulators with pleas to detour the lines away from homes, schools and offices." link here . 10. This is a story you just gotta see, "Kohei Minato and the Japan Magnetic Fan Company: a maverick inventor's breakthrough electric motor uses permanent magnets to make power -- and has investors salivating.” According to one colleague, this is "the most amazing invention – a magnetic motor that consumed almost no electricity . . . " and is discussed in this story. link here And: link here . 11. A lot more details on the Water Car Project: link here "Yes we are really going to build a water-fuelled car! In this section we will tell you all about the project." Project Overview: link here "You may wonder 'how can a car run on water?' In this section we will explain how this is possible." How the Engine Works: link here "We can only make this happen with your help. There are two things you can do to help." How You Can Help: link here . 12. Here is a fascinating story from IBM titled "Quantum Teleportation" that really will stretch your "box": link here . Quote of the Week: "Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity." Friedrich Nietzsche German Philospher and writer 1844-1900 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2004. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner Special Edition for July 21, 2004 This is the letter I submitted the local bank President and community leaders concerning their support of a NASCAR track proposal for Yelm: July 21, 2004 Mr. Jon Jones, President Venture Bank P.O. Box 3800 Lacey, WA 98509-3800 Dear Mr. Jones, After considerable thought and contemplation, I have decided to terminate my relationship with Venture Bank, as soon as my outstanding checks clear, because of the stand taken by you and Mr. Schorno, one of your Directors, in support of a NASCAR track for Yelm. I have been a customer of your bank for well over 10 years, with a checking account average daily balance in the $5,000 range. Since you are a Finish Line Committee member in support of this and the Mayor of the City of Yelm, Thurston County’s EDC and other organizations with economic interests here are the entities pushing for a NASCAR track, I feel the only way I can make my voice heard is to withdraw my economic support of Finish Line Committee members’ companies and their products/services. Mr. Jones, the public of this great community has been totally omitted from having any discourse and inclusion in this project. This is a glaring example of how you, your fellow committee members and corporate interests have all colluded to form opinion for what you believe is best for our town. This is in total disregard for the public’s right under a Constitutional Republic form of government to have a voice in such matters. A debate held in a local newspaper is no way for this to be decided. The Yelm City Council has held no public forum or invited any debate. The proposal to ISC with your name on it states in its opening sentence, “The community of Yelm, Washington located in Thurston County is pleased to submit this proposal for your consideration.” No sir! There has been NO community of Yelm discussion on this, except for letters to the newspaper editor, follow-up articles in the newspaper and a huge campaign by the Mayor and Ms. Clapp saying they have the community’s support. The truth is that there is not one Finish Line Committee member that is a private citizen, rather all of you represent some corporate or special interest group with perceived money to be made off of such a project going into local coffers. The very reason I became a customer of your bank a decade ago was that my then local bank, Puget Sound Bank was bought out by the big Eastern conglomerate. In my view, the personal touch and community interests which were a hallmark of P. S. Bank slowly diminished and I observed and experienced a deteriorating level of service. So, I closed out my account and moved to your fine corporation. The service by your bank has been exceptional throughout and I will indeed miss the working relationship I have with all of your Yelm Financial Center personnel, including Michelle, Sue, Barbara, Stephanie, Tess and Norm, with whom I worked co-signing a note for a dear friend. However, I can no longer do business with a company that does not take into account the interests of all constituents in the community it serves yet moves forward under the auspices of local economic benefits, when all along the area’s corporations have dollar signs dancing around in their heads, without a care as to the long term costs on this tranquil area. And all of this is in total disregard for the directive that the pristine character of this community be maintained as outlined in a Yelm Chamber of Commerce fundraiser effort in 1994 that created the Yelm Vision Statement of January 5, 1995. Bottom line: sadly, the cavalier manner in which this whole affair has been broached has become the foundation for me again, to move my account to another Washington based financial institution, this time outside of Yelm. I am most sincerely, Stephen R. Klein P. O. Box 201 McKenna, WA. 98558 cc: Mr. Larry Schorno, Venture Bank Board of Directors Ms. Michelle Lawson, Yelm Branch Manager Ms. Margaret Clapp, Finish Line Committee Mr. Adam Rivas, Mayor of Yelm, WA. Yelm, WA. Chamber of Commerce . Kleiner's Korner for Week of July 19. 2004 1. Did you ever hear just why all of those trans-Atlantic flights were canceled last winter? No, neither did I! Now comes word from this lady's harrowing tale on Northwest Airlines flight 327 from Detroit to LAX just 3 weeks ago. This article is well worth the read assisting you in being observant on your flights. link here And, we must go overseas for another side of this type story, from Britain's OBSERVER, "Islamic militants have conducted dry runs of a devastating new style of bombing on aircraft flying to Europe, intelligence sources believe. The tactics, which aim to evade aviation security systems by placing only components of explosive devices on passenger jets, allowing militants to assemble them in the air, have been tried out on planes flying between the Middle East, North Africa and Western Europe, security sources say. Concerns that militants might assemble a bomb or another weapon on board were a key factor in the series of recent cancellations of transatlantic flights." link here . 2. "Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha said this week that he and an undisclosed number of officials on his staff had chips the size of rice grains implanted in their arms to give them exclusive and secure access to a national, computerized database for crime investigators that went live Monday [July 12]," quoting Newsday. [Ed. Note: Welcome to "1984"] link here Follow-up: Reported here many times is Wal-Mart's use of RFID technology on its products. "At its supplier meeting last month, Wal-Mart outlined its next set of deadlines. By June 2005, Wal-Mart will be live with RFID-tagged goods in six new distribution centers as well as 250 stores and Sam's Club outlets. By October 2005, Wal-Mart will install the technology in up to 13 distribution centers and 600 stores. By January 2006, Wal-Mart's next 200 top suppliers will begin tagging cases and pallets," from eWeek! YIKES! link here . 3. "No newspaper has yet secured the truth behind the operation known as ALTERNATIVE 3. Investigations by journalists have been blocked – by governments on both sides of the Iron Curtain. America and Russia are ruthlessly obsessed with guarding their shared secret and this obsession . . . . However, despite this intensive security, fragments of information have been made public," quoting this site which lists the text of the book ALTERNATIVE 3, for those of you interested in this story. The book, copyrighted by Sphere Books, Ltd. in 1978, is an intriguing story yet is currently unavailable, other than as posted on this website. link here link here link here link here This is the ALTERNATIVE 3 story line from the Museum of Hoaxes website for those of you aware of ALTERNATIVE 3 and do NOT consider it a hoax: link here "The Museum of Hoaxes was established in 1997 in order to promote knowledge about the phenomenon of hoaxes." link here [Ed. Note: Many so-called hoaxes are called just that to keep the public in the dark!] . 4. Follow-up: Ronald Reagan, Jr. addresses the "Demo-publican" National Convention this weekend with a speech on stem cells, since the Republican Party – of which his dad was a member – will not permit this discussion. link here The official National Institutes of Health (NIH) ( link here ) resource for stem cell research has a fabulous site ( link here ) even though "the NIH, as the Federal government's leading biomedical research organization, is implementing the President's policy," as listed here: link here Restricting stem cell lines and research in this country has caused much debate and fall-out, with many scientists looking to research overseas or private funding. You may ask, "Private funding? How?" The CBS News 60 Minutes program reran on July 18 a terrific story on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which is endowed with over $12 billion and is doing reseach in a whole host of areas that science would not have the ability to explore in this country otherwise. link here . 5. Follow-up: "The collapse of the Earth's magnetic field, which both guards the planet and guides many of its creatures, appears to have started in earnest about 150 years ago. The field's strength has waned 10 to 15 percent, and the deterioration has accelerated of late, increasing debate over whether it portends a reversal of the lines of magnetic force that normally envelop the Earth. . . . A reversal could knock out power grids, hurt astronauts and satellites, widen atmospheric ozone holes, send polar auroras flashing to the equator and confuse birds, fish and migratory animals that rely on the steadiness of the magnetic field as a navigation aid," according to this New York Times story. link here Look here for more stories that bring this situation and potential effects to light. link here And this from the PBS Nova TV series [previously mentioned in the May 24th Kleiner’s Korner]: link here . 6. Are you aware that Kleenex maker Kimberly-Clark is adding Anti-Viral Tissues to its line-up that "will kill 99.9 percent of cold and flu viruses in the tissues within 15 minutes," according to this Newsday story? "The product is expected to be in stores by early October, before the flu season," announced by K-C last week. [Ed. Note: Make sure you distinguish between regular and anti-viral tissues when purchasing. No tellin' what the long-term effects are that consumers may inhale in the latter formula!] link here And, K-C's Press Release on this story: link here Further, K-C is the maker of Kotex Brand Feminine hygiene pads, which are disposable and fill garbage dumps. You can be sure you are ordering a quality product when you order pure, organic cotton pads! I would like to take this opportunity to bring your attention to my wife’s product, “E-MA PADS [which] are reusable, washable, menstrual cloth pads made from 100% unbleached undyed certified organically grown cotton fabric . . . . These menstrual washable cloth pads have been created to provide women a long lasting, comfortable, and economical alternative hygiene product while helping mother Earth by reducing waste generated by today’s commercial feminine products,” quoting Yael Klein’s site. [Ed. Note: Some KK readers may think that listing a family member's business could be perceived as biased. OK then - yes, I am! However, I have previously listed local internet purveyors, as well. I happen to subscribe to reducing land fill wastes and know this is one way to assist in that endeavor.] link here . 7. From the Independent.co.uk website, comes this story, "The Prince of Wales warns today [July 11] that thalidomide-style disasters could result from a startling new technology about to revolutionise industrial and everyday life. Writing exclusively in today's Independent on Sunday, the Prince sounds the alarm on the little-known science of nanotechnology, which manipulates materials one-millionth the size of a pinhead. Already a $10bn (£5.4bn) business, it is expected to provoke the next big scientific controversy after genetic modification....Prince Charles calls the technology 'a triumph of human ingenuity' but adds: 'Discovering the secrets of the Universe is one thing: ensuring that those secrets are used wisely and appropriately is quite another.' " link here For information on thalidomide: link here . 8. Also from Great Britain comes this story from The Guardian, "A hi-tech device that can bring speeding cars to a halt at the flick of a switch is set to become the latest weapon in the fight against crime. Police forces in Britain and the US have ordered tests of the new system that delivers a blast of radio waves powerful enough to knock out vital engine electronics, making the targeted vehicle stall and slowly come to a stop." [Ed. Note: this is pure speculation on my part: if they can do this from a police car, they can widen the net and do this to most cars in any city from a satellite mount! Warning: better be prepared to have a pack in your car and walk home if this should happen. We are!] link here Here is a site that lists many ideas for what to incorporate into a car pack: link here . 9. As KK readers know, I am a huge supporter of the work of the NRDC. Here are follow-ups on two stories covered in prior KK’s on their efforts: A. "Actor, director and conservationist Robert Redford has been a member of NRDC's board of trustees for three decades. Recently, he sent out the email message below urging concerned Americans to protest the Bush administration's plan for opening the Western Arctic Reserve to oil development. He urges you to contact the Bureau of Land Management, via this website, and call on the agency to withdraw its destructive proposal and to protect the reserve's world-class wildlife habitats." link here B. "A coalition of conservation and animal welfare groups yesterday threatened to take formal action against the U.S. Navy unless it agrees to adopt common sense measures to mitigate harm to marine mammals and fish caused by the Navy's use of mid-frequency, high intensity active sonar. The coalition includes NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), The Humane Society of the United States (The HSUS) and Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society." link here . 10. Further on the harmful effects of carbon dioxide (CO2), this copyrighted story from the San Jose (CA) Mercury News last week highlights the effects humanity is having on sea-life: "Nearly half of the carbon dioxide released by human activity since the start of the Industrial Revolution has wound up in the oceans, changing the chemistry of the water on a vast scale and possibly endangering sea life. That's the conclusion of two studies, released Thursday, that attempt to document this change for the first time. They are based on more than 72,000 measurements of carbon in the oceans taken during two international surveys from 1989-1998. If the trend continues -- and scientists have every reason to think it will, with fossil-fuel emissions growing exponentially -- ocean waters will become ever more acidic, compromising the ability of organisms to make the protective shells they need to survive, researchers say." link here (free registry is required to access stories on this site) . 11. Here is a little help in reducing CO2 and another way in which Puget Sound is leading the nation in environmental pursuits, “In May 2004, Metro began taking delivery of 235 hybrid diesel-electric buses...These are the first hybrid articulated buses in North America. They were made for Metro by New Flyer Industries, with a hybrid electric drive supplied by Allison Transmission, a division of General Motors. The Allison parallel system provides both a mechanical and an electrical path through the drive unit. As the bus accelerates from a stop, electric drive predominates. Mechanical gradually blends with electric until at highway speeds, the drive is purely mechanical," from this Seattle Metro site. link here "GM's new road-ready hybrid electric technology will start saving the Seattle area 750,000 gallons of fuel per year. If nine other major metropolitan cities adopted this technology for its buses, it could mean saving more than 40 million gallons of fuel a year," according to this General Motors (GM) promotional piece on the endeavor: [Ed. Note: this will reduced air pollution, as well as save fuel.] link here And, Puget Sound's own MSN (MSN is based here) website report on this issue, link here I say hydrogen cars are NOT 10 years off. Inventive folk will tap into the demand and not wait for corporate America: link here Another Puget Sound first: “Day in and day out, some 700,000 people send 86 million gallons of sewage, mostly toilet and kitchen waste, to the King County treatment plant in Renton, a Seattle suburb. Little do they know that 30 million of those gallons are producing enough methane gas to run the 1 megawatt, fuel-cell power plant that was built here this year. The system can power 1,000 homes, but in this case all the electricity is going to help run the treatment plant, which needs about 7.5 MW a day on average, “ from MSNBC. link here . 12. "Wine appears to be a growing business in north-central Washington. Six new wineries have been proposed for the region, on top of five new wineries that opened in the past year. Another eight are still in the planning stages or under construction, which would bring the number of wineries in Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan and Grant Counties to three dozen. In 1999, there was just one winery in the region: White Heron Cellars in Trinidad,” quoting the Seattle P-I. [Ed. Note: Washington Wines are also receiving wide acclaim for their quality.] link here . Of Local Note: Uh-Huh: and now, "As Wal-Mart confirmed this week that it is eyeing Yelm for a store, 43 acres on the east side of town are being proposed for annexation into the city, opening the door to the retail giant. . . . Yelm Mayor Adam Rivas said that, even if the property is annexed into the city, the city council still must designate the zoning for the area, and it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be zoned to accommodate a store such a Wal-Mart," quoting this NVN story. NVN stories are only available for one week. link here The citizens and leaders of Yelm would be well-advised to learn from their neighbor to the north, Gig Harbor. From this area Association article: "On August 13, 1996, it was reported that WalMart was giving up its plans to build a huge, 133,000 square foot store on a 20-acre site near the small fishing village of Gig Harbor, Washington. The news culminated a 2-year ‘David and Goliath’ struggle between the small town and the world's biggest retailer. . . . The WalMart store encountered strong opposition from the start, with over 14,000 residents signing a petition against the proposal. There were numerous concerns with the proposal . . . . In the end, WalMart executives never publicly conceded defeat." link here . Correction to last week's item regarding the timing for Fieldwork™: "The Children's School of Excellence (CSE) would like thank the community that has supported them by opening up their field for Fieldwork™ (Fieldwork is a registered trademark of JZK, Inc. and is used with permission) every Wednesday evening . . . “ The correct time their field is open is from 5-7 pm! The CSE website is listed here for informational purposes only. link here . Quote of the Week: "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg." Thomas Jefferson Third President of the United States 1743-July 4,1826 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2004. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner for Week of July 12, 2004 While Americans are enjoying those "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer", as that "oldies but goodies" song goes (by Nat King Cole in 1963), the following headline is screaming for attention: Just released numbers show the "2003 AIDS death toll worst since 1981" [Ed. Note: when figures were first compiled!] reports CNN: link here Further, from the Washington Post: "The global AIDS epidemic spread at an alarming pace last year with a record 4.8 million new infections, according to a U.N. report released Tuesday [July 6], which expressed concern that the virus is spreading quickly in Eastern Europe and Asia. Issued in advance of the 15th International AIDS Conference, which opens Sunday in Bangkok, the report said that governments were not doing enough to prevent the spread of AIDS.” link here U.N. chief Kofi Annan opens global AIDS conference in Thailand ". . . challenging world leaders to do more to combat the raging global epidemic and warning that women are increasingly the unwitting victims of the disease," from MSNBC. link here From Newsweek: "In Africa, just 2 percent of people with AIDS get the treatment they need. But drugs are cheap, access to them is improving and a new grass-roots effort gives reason to hope." link here From Reuters: “Just one dose of a generic AIDS drug can help prevent the spread of the disease from mother to baby in four out of five cases, a remarkable finding that could have wide impact in the developing world, doctors said Friday [July 9].” link here "Abstinence, condoms debated at AIDS meeting . . . Bush administration prevention policies come under fire," from MSNBC. link here "Learning about HIV in a positive environment with their peers could be life-saving for sexually active African-American teenage girls who are at a high risk for the virus that causes AIDS, according to a study published in the upcoming Journal of the American Medical Association," from CNN. link here And the official 15th International AIDS Conference website with all of the latest information: link here 1. Mentioned here recently was the potential that Nancy Reagan would be an outspoken advocate for stem cell research in the wake of her husband's (President Ronald Reagan) death from Alzheimer's disease. Now comes this from MSNBC: "David Wade, a spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, said Monday [7/12] that Reagan [Ron Reagan Jr.] will have a ‘prime time’ speaking slot during the July 26-29 convention [in Boston]. 'Ron Reagan’s courageous pleas for stem cell research add a powerful voice to the millions of Americans hoping for cures for their children, for their parents and for their grandparents,' Wade said." The Reagans are staunch Republicans, however, Mr. Reagan is taking the opportunity to share his views on stem cell research on a national platform, which is so restricted by the Republican Bush Administration. link here And this from CNN: link here . 2. Follow-up: With the Broadway premier of the much heralded movie "What the Bleep Do We Know" scheduled for September 10th, the theater hosting the film, Loews Cineplex, now has a synopsis of the movie posted on their website: link here Documentary type films usually have about a 3 weeks run. A six week run is considered fabulous. This movie, however, is smashing records everywhere for longevity: HELD OVER PHENOMENON CONTINUES: Portland, OR at the Bagdad Theater Showed for an 18 week record!!! Eugene, OR - Held Over 12 weeks Tempe, AZ - Held Over 11 weeks Ashland, OR - Held Over 9 weeks Seattle, WA - Held Over 8 weeks Tucson, AZ - Held Over 7 weeks Spokane, WA - Held Over 4 weeks Los Angeles, CA - Held Over 3 weeks WHAT THE BLEEP IS GOING ON??? And the movie's homepage: link here ("What the Bleep Do We Know" is a registered trademark of Captured Light Industries and all information about this film is used with permission) Oh, and Micheal Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" movie homepage with all of the latest information: link here . 3. This report from India and Asia by Reuters states, "Overflowing rivers, snakebites and landslides have killed dozens of people in South Asia and forced millions from their homes in the worst monsoon flooding in years, officials said on Monday [July 12]. Over five million people were marooned or left homeless in low-lying parts of eastern India, Bangladesh and Nepal as river waters flooded huge swathes of land. link here And this report from MSNBC: link here . 4. Monsoons, drought and ozone depletion are just some of the potential effects of man made global warming. To that end are several reports of how ozone depletion is causing more UV radiation to hit the Earth's surface with disastrous effects on the food chain: A. Krill, the bottom of the chain food source for sea life, are being killed by UV radiation: link here B. What are Krill?: link here C. How are Krill so integral to the food chain?: link here D. And a fabulous discussion on the ozone layer and UV radiation: link here Further, increased UVB radiation causes skin cancer, cataracts and immune suppression in both animals and humans. * Skin Cancer Is Increasing. * There has been an 1,800 percent rise in malignant melanoma since 1930. * One American dies of skin cancer every hour. * One in five Americans develops skin cancer. * People get 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure by age 18. link here And this from the American Cancer Society, "Most of the more than one million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the U.S. are considered to be sun-related.": link here Sunlight – UV exposure and its risks: link here And the UV index information page from the National Weather Service: link here . 5. "Koalas, Australia's iconic symbol, face extinction as rapid urbanization along the eastern seaboard destroys their fragile habitat, the Australian Koala Foundation is warning," quoting MSNBC. link here "The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is constantly working to educate the world’s people about the koala’s needs and to turn this trend around [extinction]," from the AKF website: link here The previous quote taken from the last line under "How the AKF Was Formed" at: link here . 6. Nice Bush! "Governors would have to petition the federal government to block road-building in remote areas of national forests under a Bush administration proposal to boost logging. Environmentalists say the proposed rule change, outlined this week in the Federal Register, would signal the end of the so-called roadless rule, which blocks road construction in nearly one-third of national forests as a way to prevent logging and other commercial activity in backcountry woods," from the A-P. link here [free registration is required to access stories] And, in breaking news from the A-P, “The Bush administration on Monday [July 12th] proposed a new plan to open up national forests to more logging, confirming a draft plan published two weeks ago.” [Ed. Note: Thanks a lot, George!] link here "A visit to Seattle by many of the nation's governors this weekend will be just one of many factors to make getting around the city a challenge. The gathering of the National Governor's Association is expected to attract 36 of the nation's governors, their families and a variety of corporate representatives, totaling about 1,100 people," quoting the KING-5 TV website. [Ed. Note: Free registration may be required to access this story. You can visit the governors at The Westin Hotel in Seattle should you desire to advise them of your views on this issue or others!] link here . 7. The A-P is reporting that McDonald’s has been hit with a french fries lawsuit, which states the fast-food giant is accused of failing to reduce fat in cooking oil. [Ed. Note: McDonald's is NOT responsible for my fat! If I choose to eat there, I know what I am getting and that is MY choice. These lawsuits are more and more frivolous and work to remove the customers from being responsible for their choices. Groups like CSPI are doing a lot to educate the public on these issues and drive change in the fast-food industry. CSPI's site: link here ]. The A-P story here: link here . 8. "A prehistoric human skull discovered at an archaeological site in Kenya has bridged a 400,000-year gap in the East African region's human fossil record, scientists said Friday [July 2]. The tiny incomplete skull found at the Olorgesailie site is between 900,000 and 970,000 years old. It is the first find in the region that falls within the 600,000 and one million years range, said Washington-based Richard Potts of the Smithsonian Institution," according to this Reuters report. link here . 9. The Washington Post is reporting "the Agriculture Department's inspector general has significantly expanded its probe into the agency's handling of mad cow disease, agreeing to examine the USDA's unannounced decision last year to relax restrictions on trade in Canadian beef." HUM! link here To learn about mad cow disease, visit the Food and Drug Administration's Web site at link here CSPI has issued a terse statement on the Bush Administration's "about-face" on animal feed protections: "Last January, FDA announced that it would issue an interim final rule to ban cow blood, poultry litter, and plate waste from being used in animal feed. This would have offered immediate protection. But instead of delivering these promised reforms that have been under consideration since 2002, today [July 9, 2004] FDA announced another formal study of these issues, which delays a final rule by a year or more." link here . 10. The Mobile Detection and Response System, or MDARS, launches a mini-robot called Matilda during a demonstration Tuesday [June 28] at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, as it tests whether a robotic vehicle can take the place of humans in guarding air bases and troops. link here . 11. Current and former members of law enforcement who support drug regulation and distribution rather than prohibition have formed an organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L. E. A. P.). This writer heard LEAP's representative recently talking about this organization for the first time in late June on Seattle's CBS Radio affiliate, KIRO-710's Dave Ross Show: HUM! [Ed. Note: This really sounded like a terrific idea to me!] Check out their site and mission. link here And, the Dave Ross KIRO-710 Website. Puget Sound's own Dave Ross was nominated as News/Talk Local Personality of the Year for the 2004 R & R News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards. link here Mr. Ross is running for a seat in Washington's 8th Congressional District encompassing Seattle - from Dave's own website: link here . 12. Follow-up: Cassini arrives at Saturn! "When the Cassini spacecraft launched into space nearly seven years ago, its destination - Saturn - appeared as a speck in a sea of stars. More than a billion miles later, Cassini has at last arrived at the ringed planet and discovered a dynamic world full of surprises," from tthe official Cassini-Huygens site. link here And, the latest Press Images: link here Key dates in the future of the cassini mission: link here . Of Local Note: This writer was quoted in The Olympian, along with James Flick, chairman and Diane D'Acuti, co-chairperson of www.protectyelm.org, last week about the proposed NASCAR track in Yelm, WA: link here The Children's School of Excellence (CSE) would like thank the community that has supported them by opening up their field for Fieldwork (Fieldwork is a registered trademark of JZK, Inc. and is used with permission) every Wednesday evening from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. The Children's School is located between Yelm and Rainier. Please bring your own cards. Call 446-1100 for directions. Additionally, CSE is having a Garden Party & Fund Raising Auction Saturday, July 31, 2004 from 5 PM TO 9 PM at the School 13411 Cedar Grove Lane SE Rainier, Washington This event is Co-Chaired by Actress Linda Evans with Larry Schorno serving as the Auctioneer. Auction items include Vacation and Spa Packages, Home and Garden, Fine Jewelry and Clothing, Gourmet Catering, Massages, Chiropractic, and more... A complete list of items posted on CSE's web site at link here . Quote of the Week: "Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all - the apathy of human beings." Helen Keller 1880-1968 American author who was blind and deaf from age of 2 in her book "My Religion" written in 1927 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2004. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner Special Edition for July 7, 2004 Dear Kleiner's Korner Readers: Harboring an Independence Day Weekend smack in its middle, this last week has seen one of the most phenomenal events in this country's history, in this writer's view, as the American public has responded to 2 documentary films that were produced independently from Hollywood, and which Hollywood financiers said would never get off the ground. These films portray the producers' discoveries from simple observation and are causing America to think "outside of the box" of normal TV & movie fare about today's major issues, whether the viewer agrees with these movies as their truth, or not. Remember, truth is subjective to each individual based on their own experience. For example, my truth is only a philosophy to you until you experience it for yourself. Only then is it truth to you through the wisdom garnered from that experience. Shaking the foundations of the American political landscape in a way no other film has done previously, is Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." Just look at these statistics for a film Hollywood said would go nowhere, from Mr. Moore's site: ** "Fahrenheit 9/11," [is] the #1 movie in the country, the largest grossing documentary ever..."Didn't we just lose our distributor 8 weeks ago?" ** More people saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" in one weekend than all the people who saw "Bowling for Columbine" [one of Mr. Moore's other movies that brought him notoriety] in 9 months. ** "Fahrenheit 9/11" broke "Rocky III’s" record for the biggest box office opening weekend ever for any film that opened in less than a thousand theaters. ** "Fahrenheit 9/11" beat the opening weekend of "Return of the Jedi." ** "Fahrenheit 9/11" instantly went to #2 on the all-time list for largest per-theater average ever for a film that opened in wide-release. "They have sent shock waves through Hollywood – and, more importantly, through the White House. From Michael Moore's own message board with his views of the opening numbers: link here Micheal Moore's Time Magazine Cover story and this quote: "There's lots of disagreement with my analysis of these facts or my opinion based on the facts. But," he insists, "there is not a single factual error in the movie. I'm thinking of offering a $ 10,000 reward for anyone that can find a single fact that's wrong." link here Moore's official website homepage: link here . In many previous Kleiner's Korner s, this writer has mentioned the movie "What the Bleep", which is taking the West by storm. Further, this writer predicted this landmark film would be on both coasts by Autumn. That has now been moved up as "What the Bleep Do We Know" turns up in the Big Apple with its Broadway debut, taking to the great White Way in Manhattan with its September 10th opening. Additional showings are scheduled in Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, the metro D. C. area (Arlington ,Va.), the Twin Cities (Edina), Milwaukee, St. Louis (University City), Detroit (Royal Oak), Augusta, Me.(Waterville), Atlanta & New Orleans. link here Remember, this was the film Hollywood said would never succeed outside of its Pacific Northwest shooting location, because Hollywood financiers stated there was no market for this kind of movie. Oh, and what kind of movie is it, you may ask? Quoting from the movie's own website main page: What the Bleep Do We Know? Are you ready for a spiritual film that combines quantum physics, multi-dimensional visual effects and animation, a dramatic story and interviews with leading scientists and mystics? What Happens When You Combine Today's Cutting Edge Scientists & Mystics? Can Science And Religion Really Be On The Same Path? On The Same Planet? In The Same Movie? link here From the film's homepage: "Science, Spirituality, Humor and a New Paradigm: “What the #$BLEEP*! Do We Know!?” is a wake-up call to the hundreds of thousands of people who are searching for a voice somewhere in this fragmented culture who have been awaiting a catalyst. *It has arrived!* This bold, funny, unique work goes to the heart of the human dilemma. It challenges and lays waste the old Paradigms of thought and places responsibility squarely where it belongs – on individual human consciousness." link here "What The Bleep" has won FIVE recent film festival awards including "Audience Award for Best Hybrid Documentary." at the Maui, HA. Film Festival [Ed. Note: Hollywood does not know how to classify this film: drama, documentary or both!]. Additionally, the Sedona [AZ.] International Film Festival Awarded the Audience Choice Award for Most Thought-Provoking Film. Quoting the "What The Bleep" website "Film Festivals and Film Festival coordinators dream of finding that 'diamone in the rough' ... that one film that will make it big and make a difference. 'What the Bleep' is that film! It is a must-see and will change the way you look at things.' Patrick Schweiss, Executive Director, Sedona International Film Festival and Workshop." link here . Quote of the Week: "An election is coming. Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry." T. S. Eliot 1888-1965 Anglo-American poet, critic, playwright . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2004. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner for Week of July 5, 2004 July 4th , 2004 Independence Day in the USA The Constitution of the United States is one of the most precious documents ever penned. America's freedom and independence have been assured because people of vision and enlightened beings created a charter of such caliber. Although much has been done since to erode or circumnavigate the rights established therein, it still stands as a shining beacon to all humanity, in particular, to those who live in countries where no constitution exists and those constituents are subjects to the whims of those in power. This Independence Day would be a wonderful time to pause and reflect on the courage and long-sight had by this country's fore bearers. The Preamble to The Constitution of the United States: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." link here Follow-up to last week’s story about Andrew Carlssin, the enigmatic Wall Street whiz arrested in 2003 on insider-trading charges. Mr. Carlssin claimed to be a time-traveler from the year 2256 and offered this bizarre explanation for his uncanny success in the stock market after being led off in handcuffs on January 28 [2003]! From Yahoo news, “Self-proclaimed time traveler Andrew Carlssin—the enigmatic Wall Street whiz jailed on insider-trading charges—has vanished without a trace! The mystery man, who claimed to be a visitor from the year 2256, jumped bail before a scheduled court hearing on April 3 and hasn’t been seen since, officials say, despite an intense manhunt by federal lawmen. ‘It’s like he disappeared off the face of the Earth,’ declares a law-enforcement source.” link here Follow-up to the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft approach to Saturn, which returned the most spectacular views of Saturn's rings to date. These pictures are a must-see: link here 1. Information out last week shows science and doctors are very concerned that the bird flu cases reported in the last year could threaten humans worldwide. "A strain of bird flu that scientists fear could lead to a worldwide pandemic in humans is becoming more infectious to mammals. . . . Viruses constantly mutate and this one could accumulate enough genetic changes to become good at passing between humans. So far the human cases have derived from birds and there is no evidence of the bird flu being passed from person to person. More scary, the experts say, would be a sudden change caused by combining with a human flu in someone's body. The two viruses could swap genes and create a potent hybrid with the deadliness of the bird strain and the contagiousness of a regular human strain," quoting the AP. link here Here is a site that puts this in perspective, from earlier this year. link here . 2. "Black men have a high level of ‘irreversible gum disease’ and ‘serious dental decay,’ according a report released last week [June 7] by the Health Policy Institute of the Washington-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (JCPES)," according to this USA Today story. [Ed Note: The report links poor job stability with poor mouth care, which has been correlated with poor artery disease, because the same plaque forming in the mouth is related to arterial plaque.] link here This briefing was held on June 10, 2004, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. link here . 3. The Gannett news Service title says it all, "Hunt for healthy diet spurs new direction in ice cream industry," which boils down to less fat, sugar and calories in ice cream, as ice cream sales have melted with consumers low-carb desires. link here Even Seattle's own Starbucks is getting into the low-calorie game. Quoting their press release, "Starbucks Coffee Company will premiere its new Frappuccino® /Light/ blended coffee with the company’s first ever North America sampling day. On June 30, 2004, customers are invited to visit any U.S. or Canadian company-operated retail store to indulge in a complimentary sample of Starbucks latest innovation in handcrafted blended beverages." [Ed. Note: Quoting last week's Ed. Note of number 12, "Hello people! Quantum physics...should help get it across to everyone that their thoughts create reality."] link here . 4. "A Chicago-area zoo's Mexican wolf facility is the latest effort to reintroduce an endangered species into the wild. Five wolf brothers will take up residence Friday [June 18] at Brookfield Zoo's ''Wolf Woods,'' which has a 2.1-acre viewing area where visitors can observe the wolves through one-way glass. . . . In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroducing the Mexican wolf into the wild. The Brookfield Zoo wolves, like others in zoos nationwide, will help in that effort by either someday joining the reintroduction or siring pups that take part in it, says the zoo's wolf expert, Joan Daniels," from this USA Today article. link here "On June 18, 2004, the renovated Regenstein Wolf Woods exhibit will open [did open] its doors to zoo guests. This exhibit will house Mexican Gray Wolves, the most endangered wolves in North America. They would be extinct in the wild if not for the help of zoos and other conservation organizations. Brookfield Zoo joined the international recovery program in 2003," quoting the terrific Brookfield Zoo site. link here Further, "Increasingly in California and elsewhere in the West, development has pushed into wildlife habitat. In the case of mountain lions, which range over 150-square-mile territories, that means their hunting grounds. . . . The lion controversy in one of the San Francisco Bay Area's most affluent enclaves [Palo Alto] underscores the problem authorities often face when wild animals and people collide," according to this USA Today story. [Ed Note: Local police do not know how to deal with wild animals entering neighborhoods, so they kill them first and ask questions later. Many residents are asking if tranquilizers could have been used to safely relocate the animals.] link here . 5. Follow-up on a 2003 story reported here: "In the May 2003 issue of Discover, an article titled ‘Anything Into Oil’ drew a phenomenal reader response. The process described—transforming turkey guts, old tires, used plastic bottles, and municipal sewage into fuel oil—struck some readers as more like alchemy than chemistry and struck others as the answer to energy shortages, not to mention the solution to some of America’s worst waste problems. Readers have been asking for an update on how the idea is progressing because our article left the story before the first full-scale industrial plant had been opened. We’ve been waiting for that plant to start up before writing an update, but because it has been delayed, we asked the author of the original article to give us a midterm report. After the plant is up and running long enough to be reviewed, we’ll publish a further evaluation,” from the Editors of Discover Magazine. link here . 6. "The Bush administration's recent grave warnings that terrorists may attack on American soil this summer came amidst mounting criticism that the President [is] doing little or nothing to protect Americans from potential chemical threats," quoting Greenwatch Today. link here CBS News was so concerned about this issue that it reran its November 2003 “60 Minutes” story on June 13, 2004 about how lax chemical plant access can be. link here And another site called Working Group on Community Right to Know with details of this story. link here . 7. "California will issue proposed regulations Monday [June 14] that would force automakers to reduce tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases, which are tied to global warming, by 30% in the next decade, " quoting this USA Today story. [Ed. Note: California has always led the nation in higher standards for auto exhausts. Of course, they have a higher percentage of autos than any other state, as well.] link here . 8. Another California-watched topic: "His batting average is pretty good ---- 1.000, in fact. But he has been to the plate only twice. Consequently, scientists and disaster response officials, while excited that the elusive dream of predicting earthquakes may be within reach, are not exactly sounding the alarm about the shaker UCLA Professor Vladimir Keilis-Borok says will rattle Southern California by summer's end," quoting FreeRepublic. [Ed. Note: Prof Keilis-Borok is the man that has predicted a +6.5 quake sometime this September in California.] link here . 9. "A team of astronomers have found a colossal black hole so ancient, they're not sure how it had enough time to grow to its current size, about 10 billion times the mass of the Sun. Sitting at the heart of a distant galaxy, the black hole appears to be about 12.7 billion years old, which means it formed just one billion years after the universe began and is one of the oldest supermassive black holes ever known. The black hole, researchers said, is big enough to hold 1,000 of our own Solar Systems and weighs about as much as all the stars in the Milky Way," quoting a fascinating Space.com story. link here . 10. "It will certainly be some time before we see fuel cells used in digital cameras but it's worth noting that development fuel cells is accelerating. Toshiba today [June 24] announced a small methanol fuel cell which weighs just 8.5 g (0.3 oz) and can produce 100 mW of power. Toshiba describe this new unit as ‘small enough for integration into a wireless headset for mobile phones, but still efficient enough to power an MP3 music player for as long as 20 hours on a single 2cc charge of highly concentrated methanol. The new fuel cell outputs 100 milliwatts of power, and can continue to do so, non-stop, for as long as users top up its integrated fuel tank—a process that is as simple as it is safe,’" reporting from the Toshiba press release. link here "General Motors has announced its first commercial application of fuel cell technology: a GM minivan that's being leased to the U.S. Postal Service for mail deliveries. Used Tuesday [June 15] for a test run in the Washington, D.C., area, the van will be in regular use starting in September, when the nation's first hydrogen pump at a retail gas station is set to open in the capital. That station is part of a GM and Shell Hydrogen partnership to provide hydrogen for a GM fleet of fuel cell vehicles operating around Washington," quoting MSNBC. link here Here is the GM announcement: link here . 11. "This is an atlas of maps and graphic representations of the geographies of the new electronic territories of the Internet, the World-Wide Web and other emerging Cyberspaces," from this Atlas of Cyberspaces website. [Ed. Note: A most interesting compendium to assist in understanding cyberspace!] link here . 12. Happy July 4th! Click with your mouse to launch virtual fireworks over New York harbor. link here . Of Local Note: Follow-up: Work is under way to convert the former Olympia brewery into a water bottling plant, and its new owners expect to begin bottling water there in the first quarter of 2005, according to the company's president. link here Ed. Note: I find Yelm Mayor Adam Rivas' assertion that Thurston County residents who live outside the Yelm city limits have no say in the NASCAR race track [sources are Kleiner's Korner readers who have reported they have spoken directly to the Mayor and this was his response] issue to be in direct conflict with the City’s policy as stated on the City of Yelm website: "If you live outside the City Limits, but still have 'Yelm' as your mailing address, you are part of Yelm’s outlying area. You are governed by the rules and regulations of Thurston County, and possibly your individual Home Owners Association for things such as your water/well system, sewer/septic system, land use/building permits, business licensing, etc. However, you are still a part of the spirit and heart of Yelm, and we value your input, ideas and contributions. You do not have to live within the City Limits to be a member of a citizen committee, or to get involved in community events. You do not have to live within the City Limits to be a valuable part of Yelm." HUM! link here then click on "About Yelm" and then "Map of Yelm" for this exact wording . Quote of the Week: "The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duties and its interests.” George Washington First President of the United States From his Presidential Address 17 September, 1796 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2004. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on “Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives” at www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .