UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR FEBRUARY 2006
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner for Week of February 26, 2006 1. POSSIBLE DELAY TO MUCH AWAITED DAVINCI CODE MOVIE "It’s the latest twist for the mega-selling conspiracy thriller "The Da Vinci Code": a lawsuit against the book’s publisher for breach of copyright that could taint the novel and delay the much-anticipated movie version. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, authors of the 1982 nonfiction book "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," are suing publisher Random House, Inc. over the allegation that parts of their work formed the basis of Dan Brown’s novel, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and remains high on best seller lists nearly three years after publication. If the writers succeed in securing an injunction to bar the use of their material, they could hold up the scheduled May 19 release of "The Da Vinci Code" film, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard," quoting the AP. link here This writer read The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail years ago and found it compelling. link here . 2. USA STEM CELL TRANSPLANT TRIAL NEAR READY "If paralyzed people are ever going to walk again, it might be because of the scientist in this story. His name is Dr. Hans Keirstead and he has made great strides using human embryonic stem cells. He is among the best and the brightest in his field — a field that shows enormous promise, but has been restricted by a ban on federal funding for research because it involves the destruction of human embryos. To move the science forward, California allocated its own money to pay for stem cell research, luring some of the top scientists in the nation, who are doing cutting edge work that could change the way we treat disease. No image says more about the remarkable results that have been achieved so far than this one: laboratory rats whose hind legs were completely paralyzed — until they were injected with human stem cells. Remarkably, afterwards, the rats were able to walk again. Now, Dr. Keirstead, a 38-year-old biologist, says he is ready to try the same thing in people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries. Pending FDA approval, correspondent Ed Bradley reports that would make him the first scientist in the United States to transplant embryonic stem cells into humans," quoting this CBS News 60 Minutes story which aired February 25. link here . 3. WHAT ARCTIC MELTING LOOKS LIKE FIRST-HAND "The North Pole has been frozen for 100,000 years. But according to scientists, that won't be true by the end of this century. The top of the world is melting. There's been a debate burning for years on the causes of global warming. But the scientists you're about to meet say the debate is over. New evidence shows man is contributing to the warming of the planet, pumping out greenhouse gases that trap solar heat. Much of this new data was compiled by American scientist Bob Corell, who led a study called the "Arctic Climate Impact Assessment." It's an awkward name — but consider the findings: the seas are rising, hurricanes will be more powerful, like Katrina, and polar bears may be headed toward extinction. What does the melting arctic look like? Correspondent Scott Pelley went north to see what Bob Corell calls a "global warning," quoting this CBS News 60 Minutes story which aired February 18. link here . 4. "FINDING 'SUPER EARTH’ IS A 'GOLDILOCKS' ERRAND" "Astronomers have detected more than 150 planets orbiting nearby stars, raising hopes of finding another Earth, not only for the Star Trek crowd but also among sober-minded scientists and NASA administrators. But there may be more to finding that "goldilocks" planet, just the right size and distance from its star to match Earth, warns one research team…A few earlier discoveries of similarly-sized "extra solar" planets had also occurred, but all those orbit very close to their stars. But the discoveries show that astronomers are closing in on a planet in the "habitable zone" where temperatures are neither too cold or too hot for life, suggest researchers like Princeton's Bohdan Paczynski, one of the discoverer's of the latest planet," quoting USA Today. link here . 5. MODERN FARMING THE CULPRIT FOR AVIAN FLU "Vested interests mean wild birds are being blamed for the spread of avian flu, argues Dr Leon Bennun in this week's Green Room, whereas responsibility really lies with modern farming. Demands for culling and the destruction of nesting sites threaten, he says, to bring rare species to extinction, but will do nothing to halt the disease…Much more likely is that before starting out, they picked up the virus from farms, either from infected poultry or their faeces. Mute swans often graze agricultural fields, and are likely to have come into contact with poultry manure spread as a fertiliser. If wild birds had been spreading the disease across continents there would have been trails of outbreaks following migration routes; but this hasn't happened. .. But in intensively farmed poultry, the high density of birds and constant exposure to faeces, saliva and other secretions provide ideal conditions for the replication, mutation, recombination and selection through which highly lethal forms can evolve. Add to this repeated misdiagnosis, industry and government cover-ups, and panic selling or processing of potentially infected birds, and we have the explanation for why H5N1 is now endemic in parts of South-East Asia," quoting the BBC. link here . 6. "WANT TO LIVE LONGER – THINK HAPPY" "Optimism is good for the heart, a study said on Monday [Feb 27]. The most optimistic among a group of 545 Dutch men age 64 to 84 had a roughly 50 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death over 15 years of follow-up, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Previous research has suggested being optimistic boosts overall physical health and lowers the risk of death from all causes. A positive attitude also has been shown to help patients who suffer from heart disease caused by narrowed arteries," quoting Reuters. link here To quote what this writer has heard Ramtha to say, "Attitude IS Everything.". 7. "RAY KURZWEIL AIMS TO LIVE FOREVER" "Ray Kurzweil doesn't tailgate. A man who plans to live forever doesn't take chances with his health on the highway, or anywhere else. As part of his daily routine, Kurzweil ingests 250 supplements, eight to 10 glasses of alkaline water and 10 cups of green tea. He also periodically tracks 40 to 50 fitness indicators, down to his "tactile sensitivity.'' Adjustments are made as needed. ‘I do actually fine-tune my programming,’ he said. The famed inventor and computer scientist is serious about his health because if it fails him he might not live long enough to see humanity achieve immortality, a seismic development he predicts in his new book is no more than 20 years away. It's a blink of an eye in history, but long enough for the 56-year-old Kurzweil to pay close heed to his fitness. He urges others to do the same in "Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever,''" quoting Live Science. link here Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever site: link here . 8. "WORLD POPULATION HITS 6.5 BILLION" "A population milestone has been set on this jam-packed planet. At 7:16 p.m. ET on Saturday [Feb. 25], the population here on this good Earth hit 6.5 billion people, according to projections. Along with this forecast, an analysis by the International Programs Center at the U.S. Census Bureau points to another factoid, Robert Bernstein of the Bureau's Public Information Center advised LiveScience. Mark this on your calendar: Some six years from now, on Oct. 18, 2012 at 4:36 p.m. ET, the Earth will be home to 7 billion folks," quoting Live Science. link here . 9. "BACTERIA TURNS STYROFOAM INTO BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC" "Bacteria are everywhere, silently going about their business of breaking down cellulose, fermenting foods or fixing nitrogen in the soil, among a host of other activities. Given their ubiquity and diversity of functions, biotechnologists have been searching for new uses for different strains of the microscopic organisms, such as consuming oil spills or even capturing images. Now biologists at the University College Dublin in Ireland have found that a strain of Pseudomonas putida can exist quite happily on a diet of pure styrene oil--the oil remnant of superheated Styrofoam--and, in the process, turn the environmental problem into a useful, biodegradable plastic," quoting Scientific American. link here . 10 "A PSHYCHIC FOUNDATION WITH A VISION" "When Lisette Coly tells people what she does for a living, they either take three steps forward - or three steps back. After all, running a foundation that tries to explain the unexplainable isn't the most traditional career choice. ‘It always elicits a very strong response,’ said Coly, executive director of the Parapsychology Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit that supports scientific and academic research into psychic phenomena and maintains one of the world's largest libraries on the paranormal. ‘It's either positive or negative.’ The foundation, created 55 years ago to support investigation of psychic phenomena, is on the move - from its Manhattan home of the past 55 years to Greenport. Coly said she chose the new location when she saw an available building for rent in the village, a growing tourist destination. Coly has a home there in addition to her residence in Manhattan… ‘This is an area that almost nobody funds,’ said Stanley Krippner, past president of the Parapsychological Association and a professor of psychology at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco, a private institution specializing in psychology. ‘The foundation plays an important role in this controversial yet critical field," quoting Newsday. link here [Ed. Note: This is the same Stanley Krippner that has investigated Ramtha Channel JZ Knight. link here And, the research papers about Krippner's findings when he studied JZ Knight & Ramtha: link here ]. 11. DRMATIC INCREASE IN SALMONELLA IN 2005 "USDA test results announced today [Feb. 23] show that Salmonella rates in chicken increased almost 80 percent since 2000. In 2000, about 9 percent of chickens tested by USDA were positive for Salmonella but the new data show more than 16 percent testing positive. Steady increases in Salmonella, including a 2.8 percent jump in 2005, mean that more chickens contaminated with Salmonella are going home with consumers than at any time since the mid 1990s. USDA is belatedly stepping up oversight of the poultry industry to try to reverse this trend, but it has stood idly by while processors have challenged the agency's authority in court," quoting Center For Science in the Public Interest. link here Further, "The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this Thursday [Mar. 2] on a bill that would eliminate nearly 200 state and local food safety laws. Send a message right now urging your representative to vote No on this dangerous bill," quoting the NRDC. link here . 12. TEACH KIDS TO PROTECT THE PLANET NRDC has a fabulous link to teach children about planet protection. link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS Do you recognize the hands on this Scientific American cover and what they mean? link here Ramtha School's students making national news last week: A. Salma Hayek "Salma Hayek, the Academy Award-nominated star of “Frida,” will be honored at this Saturday’s [Feb. 25] Cultural Rhythms show in Sanders Theatre, making her the latest Oscar-caliber celebrity to hit Harvard’s campus this month. The show, which showcases the artistic and culinary offerings of a number of Harvard’s student cultural groups, is organized by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. The Foundation annually spotlights an “Artist of the Year” to recognize humanitarian efforts and achievements in the arts. 'I think [Hayek] has a lot to say to us about what we can do to improve intercultural relations at Harvard,' said Teddy L. Styles ’07, co-director of Cultural Rhythms. 'I think she’ll be a great person to really generate enthusiasm about race relations on Harvard’s campus.' Hayek was chosen in part for her humanitarian work in addressing problems of domestic violence in the United States and Mexico. She currently acts as a spokesperson for the Avon Foundation’s “Speak Out Against Domestic Violence” campaign and testified before Congress last July in support of the federal Violence Against Women Act. In her native Mexico, Hayek has worked to address the problem of women who vanish at the hands of murderers and rapists, said Diana C. Montoya-Fontalvo ’07, the president of Fuerza Latina. 'She’s using her high profile career and financial resources to bring to light a problem that has historically been ignored by high profile people,' Montoya-Fontalvo said," quoting the Harvard Crimson of February 21, 2006. link here "Actress Salma Hayek graced the Harvard Foundation’s Cultural Rhythms festival yesterday [Feb. 25] as this year’s honored guest at the daylong party celebrating the storied college’s ethnic and cultural richness. Sexy Salma served as a bright exclamation point to a tumultuous week that saw actor Richard Gere come - to accept a Hasty Pudding Award - and president Larry Summers say he’s going. The foundation nominates an outstanding American artist to honor as the Cultural Artist of the Year," quoting the Boston Herald. link here B. Danielle Graham "Danielle Graham of the Northwest Frontier Research Institute [a Yelm, Washington based foundation] presents a demonstration of her research into an apparent phenomenon of ambient gravitational field augmentation at STAIF 2006. Her research, accepted for publication by the AIP, focuses on the measurement of a phenomenon in which a test-subject appears to lose mass through meditation. In this demonstration, a trained test-subject meditates in a trancelike state on a digital scale while a recording system monitors the scale for apparent changes in rest-mass. This 13-minute video clearly shows the results of this meditative technique as the subject appears to lose nearly 1 full pound of weight while remaining completely motionless during the meditation exercise. A panel of experts in physics and medical instrumentation technology debate possible sources for experimental error and recommend possible refinements for future investigation, but the experimental results seem to indicate the presence of a real - albeit unexplained - phenomenon. The primary potential for experimental error has been regarded as tilt-sensitivity on the scale apparatus, which was a suggested focus area for future refinement in experimental measurements. Graham's results are scheduled for publication by the AIP in a paper entitled, "Experimental Data Demonstrating Augmentation of Ambient Gravitational and Geomagnetic Fields", which documents a series of experiments in which she collected & cross-collated data from a number of test subjects over a 1-year test-period," quoting Tim Ventura's American Antigravity website. link here Danielle Graham's Field-Augmentation Presentation (STAIF 2006) Video with Ramtha School student and Teacher Greg Simmons demonstrating: link here And, Danielle Graham's Northwest Frontier Research Institute website: link here Danielle Graham's Abstract Augmentation of Gravitational and Geomagnetic Fields: link here C. Dennis Weaver “The lanky, Missouri-born Weaver, who died Friday [Feb. 24] of cancer at the age of 81, was introduced to us in the most popular Western of all time, Gunsmoke, which still airs on TV Land. He would go on to play many, varied roles in a string of successful series and movies. But as befitted a dedicated environmentalist, he would always be most identified with the outdoors — and most often, with horses,” quoting USA Today. link here [Ed. Note: This writer had the pleasure of personally meeting Mr. Weaver and his wife at a Ramtha Retreat at Snow Mountain, Co. in the late 1980’s. I thoroughly enjoyed his wit and guitar playing.] . OF LOCAL NOTE The BLEEP Extended Director's Cut "What the BLEEP - Down the Rabbit Hole" opens Monday, February 27 in Yelm. The movie will be in the theaters until Thursday, March 2nd, possibly longer if well-attended. link here Yelm Cinema’s movie showtimes: link here Yes, Thurston County experienced record low temperatures on February 19th at 13 degrees, breaking the former record by 6 degrees: link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English Playwright From Hamlet (1601) act 1, sc. 5, 1. 166 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2006. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives" at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com. Kleiner's Korner for Week of February 20, 2006 President's Day Honors USA Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln this week. Due to this writer being away next week, the February 20th edition is coming to you early. 1. "MARK OF THE BEAST" MAKES USA DEBUT - ARE YOU NEXT? "An Ohio company has embedded silicon chips in two of its employees - the first known case in which US workers have been “tagged” electronically as a way of identifying them. CityWatcher.com, a private video surveillance company, said it was testing the technology as a way of controlling access to a room where it holds security video footage for government agencies and the police. Embedding slivers of silicon in workers is likely to add to the controversy over RFID technology, widely seen as one of the next big growth industries. RFID chips – inexpensive radio transmitters that give off a unique identifying signal – have been implanted in pets or attached to goods so they can be tracked in transit. 'There are very serious privacy and civil liberty issues of having people permanently numbered,' said Liz McIntyre, who campaigns against the use of identification technology,’" quoting London's FT. link here And what the USA media is saying about this story, quoting the AP, “Tiny silicon chips were embedded into two workers who volunteered to help test the tagging technology at a surveillance equipment company, an official said Monday [Feb. 13]. The Mexico attorney general's office implanted the so-called RFIDs — for radio frequency identification chips — in some employees in 2004 to restrict access to secure areas. Implanting them in the workers at CityWatcher.com is believed to be the first use of the technology in living humans in the United States. Sean Darks, chief executive of the company, also had one of the chips embedded. link here "British legislators approved the introduction of national identity cards on Monday [Feb. 13], in a vote that was seen as a key test of Prime Minister Tony Blair's power. The House of Commons voted 310-279 to pass the controversial bill, which would make it mandatory by 2008 for people to pay for identity cards when they apply for passports. It must still be approved by the upper house to become law. The biometric cards will store information that identifies fingerprints, irises and faces. Blair's government argues that the card will help it fight terrorism, organized crime, identity theft, illegal immigration and other problems. But some legislators in Blair's own Labour party joined opposition politicians and rights activists in condemning the bill. They say the costly measure will erode civil liberties without improving national security," quoting CBC News. [Ed.Note: Surely the USA will have this by the end of President Bush's term, with the way he is eroding civil liberties.] link here . 2. MORMON CHURCH’S BYU PROF BLOWS LID OFF WTC COLLAPSE “Dr. Steven Jones, this pious professor from the Mormon Church-owned Brigham Young University, calmly, gently, gave a simple physics lesson on the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings, the implications of which awed the audience with a sense of world-historical significance, and implied an indictment of the present administration so utterly devastating that it made Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 look like a Bush apologia. Dr. Jones argues that the physics behind the government’s explanation of the collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11 do not make sense, and that a better (and perhaps only) explanation for their collapse was that they were demolished, exactly the way structural engineers bring down large buildings, by pre-positioned explosive devices set off in precise sequences. He argues that the 650 degree Celsius temperature of burning jet fuel would not have been hot enough to even bend the steel girders of the WTC Towers, let alone to melt or evaporate them, as recovered beams indicate. And even if it was hot enough to evaporate the steel, the towers should not have collapsed as they did, pancaking so perfectly into their own footprints. On the rare times when such structures have failed (always due to earthquakes), they have toppled over sideways,” quoting Looking Glass News, one of the few media sources that ran this important story. link here . 3. HUMAN REMAINS THOUGHT TO BE JOAN OF ARC’S TO BE TESTED "A team of scientists hopes to crack one of the many layers of mystery surrounding 15th-century French heroine Joan of Arc: Are the rib and other fragments purportedly recovered after she was burned at the stake for heresy really hers? The woman warrior-turned-saint remains omnipresent in the French imagination, nearly 600 years after her ashes were thought to have been thrown into the Seine River. A few remains were reportedly recovered from the pyre where the 19-year-old was burned alive. A team of 18 experts now plans a battery of tests to determine whether the remains — including a rib bone and some skin — indeed belonged to her," quoting the AP. link here . 4. FIRST TOMB DISCOVERED IN VALLEY OF KINGS SINCE KING TUT’S IN 1922 "The first tomb to be discovered in the Valley of the Kings since King Tut’s in 1922 contains five sarcophagi with mummies, breaking the nearly century-long belief that there’s nothing more to find in the valley where some of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs were buried. The tomb’s spare appearance suggests it was not dug for a pharaoh, said U.S. archaeologist Kent Weeks, who was not involved in the University of Memphis team’s find but has seen photographs of the site. 'It could be the tomb of a king’s wife or son, or of a priest or court official,' he told The Associated Press on Thursday [Feb. 9]," quoting the AP. link here . 5. BLINDERS DOWN! NYC DINERS ROMANTIC DINNER - BLINDFOLDED "Dark dining, which literally consists of eating a meal you can't see, makes its Valentine’s Day debut this Tuesday at downtown New York City's CamaJe Bistro. 'Our special plan is to show diners romantic new ways of communicating and connecting with their lovers using senses most of us are barely aware of,' said CamaJe's dark dining director Dana Salisbury. At the dinner table, no less? In fact, it's the inclusion of senses other than simply taste that sets New York City’s program apart. Dark dining at CamaJe involves wearing a blindfold and listening to a variety of performances — and eating, of course. Dining in the dark itself is not a new concept. It has been available in Europe for the last decade, where the servers also happen to be blind. One of the most popular European restaurants that does this is the Blind Cow in Zurich, Switzerland," quoting Fox News. link here . 6. PILL COULD MAKE PAINFUL MEMORIES A THING OF THE PAST "Imagine being plagued with bad memories, images of such terrible trauma - an accident or an instance of abuse - that they produce an uncontrollable emotional reaction. Now imagine being able to wipe away the pain of those memories. Scientists are working on a way to do just that. By studying how we lay down our memories, research shows that it is possible to select and alter the way memories are stored in our minds. Roger Pitman, a psychiatrist at Harvard University, has already shown that giving certain drugs to victims of trauma when they were brought in to hospital meant that they were less likely to develop conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now he believes he can even cure PTSD sufferers years after the event," quoting The Guardian. link here . 7. DRIVING THE CAR OF THE FUTURE "The Honda FCX isn't much to look at, but it's the closest thing to a genuine car of the future you can drive on public roads. Underneath the bonnet - and under the passenger seats as well - is a revolutionary fuel-cell engine that produces no pollution and, in effect, runs on nothing more than the enormous amounts of rain that fall on Yakushima. Which is why Honda has chosen to test it on this remote southern island - a Unesco World Heritage Site better known for its sheer mountains and ancient forests," quoting the BBC. link here . 8. WIND AIDS REMOTE COMMUNITIES' POWER NEEDS "Wind energy is the most widespread renewable energy source in Argentina - and Patagonia in particular has extraordinary potential due to its strong and constant winds. As part of the BBC's Fuelling The Future series, Max Seitz went to southern Chubut province, where wind energy is making life easier for a number of isolated communities, many of them home to indigenous peoples," quoting the BBC. link here . 9. "MARS ROVER REACHES ‘HOME PLATE’" "The Mars rover Spirit reached a rugged plateau dubbed "Home Plate," but scientists are still trying to decipher its geology. The six-wheeled Spirit reached the northern edge of the broad mesa last week about four months after climbing down from a Martian hill as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Scientists believe "Home Plate" -- which stands about 6 feet (1.80 meters) high -- holds important geologic clues to the Red Planet's past. So far, scientists say they are puzzled by what they have seen. Unlike other areas of Gusev Crater that Spirit has analyzed, "Home Plate" is made of a highly layered rocks that are coarse at the bottom and fine at the top," quoting the AP. link here . 10. MIAMI SEAQUARIUM REOPENS 3 MONTHS AFTER WILMA’S DAMAGE "The bottom line has probably never mattered more to the Seaquarium, which plans to reopen Saturday after a 16-week closure brought on by Wilma's Oct. 24 assault. Attendance still hasn't recovered from the post-9/11 downturn and the park has fallen almost $2 million behind in rent payments on its county-owned site while funding a costly three-year renovation effort," quoting the Miami Herald. link here The Orca Network is still fighting for Lolita to be returned to her pod in Washington’s Puget Sound, "The park has now cleaned up the muck, captured another thousand fish, birds, and reptiles and repainted the walls. So it's back to business as usual. But now we know that this marine park, build on a man-made island at sea level in Biscayne Bay in south Florida, is even more dangerous than we thought. Considering that global warming will intensify hurricanes well into the foreseeable future, it's clear that the USDA's APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) must immediately require the Seaquarium to relocate all marine mammals from the Florida coastline to a safer place. For Lolita the only safe place is her actual home and family, which is L pod of the Southern Resident orca community found along the coast of Washington State. Please consider writing a letter to the director of APHIS to strongly request that federal action be taken to remove Lolita from the dangers she faces each day at the Seaquarium. You can find a sample letter with address and email address at:" link here Orca Network’s homepage: link here "We don't have direct reports to know how Lolita has fared during this long hiatus, or whether caretakers have been working with her or keeping her company, but Miami TV news shows her apparently performing as usual yesterday. You can see the video at:" link here [Ed. Note: This writer has been a member of the Orca Network for years and strongly supports the efforts to bring Lolita home. I lived in Miami, knew some of the owners of the park personally from Wometco Enterprises, and visited Lolita and now have lived in Puget Sound for 18 years. I now believe Lolita needs to be home and not in some pen for profit. She is an intelligent mammal and deserves better. Read this and you will wish to join me in this effort: link here ]. 11. FOR YOUR EARS ONLY AT NIGHT, WITHOUT DISTURBING OTHERS New, unique product introduction: "Sleepsonic™ is a special mini-pillow with built-in set of dynamic digital stereo speaker-phones made to our specifications. Sleepsonic™ is a free-standing personal stereo sound solution in a mini-pillow design, created for your ears only. It is a great item to take when traveling. Perfect for those who prefer freedom from regular stereo headphones, Sleepsonic™ speaker pillow enhances stereo listening by bringing high fidelity sound from your portable CD/tape player, stereo system, PC or home system, closer to your ears and without disturbing anyone around you." link here . 12. WATER VS. COKE – READ THIS AND SODA WILL LOOK UNAPPEALING "• The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis. • To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials. • The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years! Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or coke?" quoting this site: link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS "The STAIF Conference is an annual conference event allowing inventors, engineers, and scientists the opportunity to publish theoretical & experimental papers in a formal, peer-review setting. The STAIF acronym stands for "Space Technology & Applications International Forum", and is traditionally hosted as a 4-day event in mid-February. This forum promotes international participation and provides for a timely exchange of information among technologists, academicians, industrialists, and program managers on technical and programmatic issues related to inexpensive access to space and space commercialization, exploration, and the potential for performing scientific research and developing new technologies. STAIF is highly attended by high-level representatives from industry, government agencies, and institutes of higher education, both nationally and internationally, and co-sponsored by several professional engineering societies," quoting American Antigravity. link here Ramtha School of Enlightenment student Danielle Graham presented her paper at this conference along with demonstrations of her research with Ramtha teachers Greg Simmons & Mike Wright. The official site of STAIF: link here The program with Danielle’s paper listed: link here CONGRATULATIONS to Danielle! . OF LOCAL NOTE Beyond The Ordinary (KRSE) has posted the 2-page advertisement with our plan were I to have been elected Mayor of Yelm that was in the local newspaper December 9, 2005. There have been many requests for copies and thanks to BTO posting this on their website, you now have full accessibility: link here The Beyond The Ordinary- KRSE homepage: link here Mayor Ron Harding gave his State of the City address before the Yelm Chamber of Commerce members on February 14, 2006. This writer heard him to say the following: He is for continued high-density growth in Yelm because it is more cost effective to provide services and disburses the tax burden. While he listed the road improvements the city has on tap, none add any capacity to Yelm Ave. from Edwards Road westward, except a center turn lane. In fact a new five-lane intersection will be added next to the Golden Dragon that will give the new 1,200 home Tahoma Terra residents access to Yelm Ave West there, adding 5,000 + car trips a day from that subdivision alone to Yelm Ave. FINALLY, for the very first time, the Mayor listed his plan for the city: 1. Continue pushing for growth 2. Stimulate the local economy 3. Be fiscally responsible 4. Address transportation issues in all forms 5. Be forward thinking 6. Reach out to the community When taking questions, the one asked of former Drew Harvey Theater Director Nancy Hillman if his plan calls for any city participation in cultural arts, he said, "NO!" . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other." Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) 1694-1778 French writer & philospher. Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2006. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives" at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com. Kleiner's Korner For Week of February 13, 2006 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO YOU AND YOUR SWEETIE! INTRO CBS News program's 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl explores the debate on embryonic stem-cell research this Sunday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. [KIRO-Channel 7 in Seattle at 7pm]. "The White House prohibits federally funded research on stem cells derived from embryos after 2001, because extracting stem cells from embryos kills the embryo, which President Bush opposes. But bio-ethicist Art Caplan says that policy makes no sense. Since thousands of the embryos get discarded each year anyway, why not put them to use in stem cell research that could help people someday, asks Caplan. But Robert George of the president's bioethics council says the embryos, often discarded when no longer used to create families, shouldn’t be destroyed for any reason because they represent human life at its earliest stage." link here 1. UN PROCLAIMS 2008 ‘INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET EARTH’ From Year of Planet Earth.org, "The United Nations General Assembly, meeting in New York, has proclaimed the year 2008 to be the United Nations International Year of Planet Earth. The Year's activities will span the three years 2007-2009. The International Year of Planet Earth was approved (Note 1) by general acclamation of the General Assembly, and no vote was taken. The Year's purpose, encapsulated in it strapline Earth sciences for society, is to: a. Reduce risks for society caused by natural and human-induced hazards Reduce health problems by improving understanding of the medical aspects of Earth science b. Discover new natural resources and make them available in a sustainable manner Build safer structures and expand urban areas, utilizing natural subsurface conditions c. Determine the non-human factor in climatic change d. Enhance understanding of the occurrence of natural resources so as to contribute to efforts to reduce political tension e. Detect deep and poorly accessible groundwater resources f. Improve understanding of the evolution of life g. Increase interest in the Earth sciences in society at large h. Encourage more young people to study Earth science in university The Year aims to raise $20 million from industry and governments and will spend half on co-funding research, and half on Outreach activities. It will be the biggest ever international effort to promote the Earth sciences." link here . 2. GREAT OP-ED ABOUT CHANGING OIL POLICY AND WHY "What's so disturbing about President Bush and Dick Cheney is that they talk tough about the necessity of invading Iraq, torturing terror suspects and engaging in domestic spying - all to defend our way of life and promote democracy around the globe. But when it comes to what is actually the most important issue in U.S. foreign and domestic policy today - making ourselves energy efficient and independent, and environmentally green - they ridicule it as something only liberals, tree-huggers and sissies believe is possible or necessary. Sorry, but being green, focusing the nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most tough-minded, geostrategic, pro-growth and patriotic thing we can do. Living green is not for sissies. Sticking with oil, and basically saying that a country that can double the speed of microchips every 18 months is somehow incapable of innovating its way to energy independence - that is for sissies, defeatists and people who are ready to see American values eroded at home and abroad. Living green is not just a "personal virtue," as Mr. Cheney says. It's a national security imperative," quoting Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. link here . 3. ONE CITY LEADS WAY TO HELP MOTHER EARTH IN THEIR HOMETOWN "Fed up with burger wrappers, french fry containers and paper cups, Oakland officials have decided to force fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and other businesses to help pay for cleaning up street trash. Under a tax approved Tuesday [Feb. 7] night by the City Council, businesses will be assessed between $230 and $3,815 annually, depending on their size. More than three-quarters of the affected businesses would only pay the minimum fee, which amounts to 63 cents a day," quoting the AP. link here [Ed. Note: Former California Governor Jerry Brown is Oakland’s Mayor. link here ]. 4. EARTH’S WARMING REVEALED LAST WEEK - WHILE WORLD FOCUSED ON SUPERBOWL A. JANUARY, 2006 WAS WARMEST MONTH ON RECORD IN USA "The country's average temperature for the month was 39.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 8.5 degrees above average for January, the National Climatic Data Center said Tuesday [Feb. 7]. The old record for January warmth was 37.3 degrees set in 1953," quoting the Washington Post. link here B. ALASKA FORUM ON THE ENVIRONMENT -- 'THERE'S NOT UNCERTAINTY’ (ABOUT WARMING) "Scientists on Monday [Feb. 6] painted a gloomy picture of the effects of global warming on the Arctic, warning of melting ocean ice, rising oceans, thawed permafrost and forests susceptible to bugs and fire. 'A lot of the stories you read make it sound like there's uncertainty,' said Jonathan Overpeck, a professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona. 'There's not uncertainty.' The questions scientists continue to address, he said after his presentation at the Alaska Forum on the Environment, are how much of the warming is caused by humans and how drastic long-term effects will be. Deborah Williams, a conference organizer and former director of the Alaska Conservation Foundation, said Alaska is Ground Zero for observing the effects of global warming because so many natural phenomena are tied to ice and the repercussions of it melting," quoting the AP. link here C. BUSH ADMINISTRATION REVIEWING ADDING POLAR BEARS TO ENDANGERED LIST DUE TO WARMING "In a move hailed by environmentalists, the Bush administration announced it will review whether polar bears should be considered a threatened species given indicators that their icy habitats are melting away due to global warming. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday [Feb. 7] that protection may be warranted under the Endangered Species Act, and began a review process to consider if the bears should be listed. link here . 5. NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED- A. NEW SPECIES FOUND IN INDONESIA -- FEARS AREA WILL BE LOGGED "Describing it as the discovery of a "Lost World," conservation groups and Indonesia on Tuesday [Feb. 7] said an expedition to one of Asia’s most isolated jungles had found several dozen new species of frogs, butterflies, flowers and birds. 'It’s as close to the Garden of Eden as you’re going to find on Earth,' Bruce Beehler, a Conservation International scientist who led the expedition, said in a statement... 'But clearly with time everything is a threat. In the next few decades there will be strong demands, especially if you think of the timber needs of nearby countries like China and Japan. They will be very hungry for logs,'" quoting MSNBC. link here B. ANCESTOR TO T-REX FAMILY UNEARTHED "Paleontologists have unearthed two fossilized dinosaurs believed to be the oldest ancestors of the tyrannosaur family, researchers announced Wednesday Feb. 8]. The new species had cranial crests and were likely covered in feathers, but were only a third the size of their famous cousin, Tyrannosaurus rex. Still, the discovery sets back the clock on the tyrannosaur family by at least 30 million years. This study is detailed in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature," quoting LiveScience. link here . 6. UN’S WHO ISSUES HANDBOOK FOR JOURNALISTS: INFLUENZA PANDEMIC "The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new resource to help journalists demystify the science behind avian influenza and other flu outbreaks. The WHO Handbook for Journalists: Influenza Pandemic is newly updated with information on bird flu. Megge Miller, a scientist with the WHO office in Cambodia, told the Phnom Penh Post that the idea is to help journalists understand influenza terminology, so they are accurate and avoid causing panic. The guide should also help to standardise the language of journalists covering influenza outbreaks around the world. The handbook explains flu basics, such as: the difference between bird flu and the feared pandemic influenza; the history of past flu pandemics; information on drug and vaccine treatments; the phases of a pandemic; and how a community can prepare for one. The handbook is available free online," quoting Science & Development Network. link here And the WHO Handbook: link here And: The first cases of Bird Flu have now been reported in the EU: "Greece and Italy said on Saturday [Feb. 11] they had found swans with the H5N1 bird flu virus, the first known cases in the European Union of wild birds with the deadly strain of the disease," quoting Reuters. link here . 7. NEW ORLEANS MAYOR LOOKING FOR FOREIGN AID SINCE BUSH SENDING BILLIONS TO IRAQ "Shortcomings in aid from the U.S. government are making New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin look to other nations for help in rebuilding his hurricane-damaged city. Nagin, who has hosted a steady stream of foreign dignitaries since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August, says he may seek international assistance because U.S. aid has not been sufficient to get the city back on its feet. ‘`I know we had a little disappointment earlier with some signals we're getting from Washington but the international community may be able to fill the gap,’' Nagin said when a delegation of French government and business officials passed through on Friday to explore potential business partnerships. Jordan's King Abdullah also visited New Orleans on Friday and Nagin said he would encourage foreign interests to help redevelop some of the areas hardest hit by the storm. ‘`France can take Treme. The king of Jordan can take the Lower Ninth Ward,’' he said, referring to two of the city's neighborhoods," quoting Reuters. [Ed. Note: Billions from Bush for Afghanistan, Iraq, and possible military action with Iran, and this country has to look to foreign aid for its own people. What is wrong with this picture? What will the President Bush do if Cuba’s Castro sends aid and Mayor Nagin accepts?] link here . 8. HOME CONSTRUCTION THAT SURVIVED KATRINA AND OTHER STORMS "In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, cities like New Orleans -- much of which is still without power today -- face a housing crisis that's only exacerbated by uncertainty about what types of structures can withstand the next disaster…But not all buildings are equally helpless against natural disasters, and people who live in precarious locales are seeking new types of homes, able to protect occupants even in the worst storms…The hurricane and storm surge caused no major damage to the Monolithic dome. Experts say this type of reinforced cement dome is particularly strong, able to withstand hurricane winds and the "missile" forces of flying objects in tornado winds. With no separate roof to fly off, the dome exceeds FEMA recommendations for storm-resistant architecture. The dome was cited in Mississippi's renewal plan as the second-highest remaining building in Biloxi following Katrina. The plan says such domes will maintain "a high degree of survivability in future hurricanes," and recommends that vital "life support" such as water treatment and power plants be protected by buildings like the church," quoting Wired.com. link here [Ed. Note: This writer and his wife built a Monolithic Dome home outside Yelm, WA. and endorse this fine product.] Monolithic Domes website: link here . 9. MOZART’S 250 BIRTHDAY BRINGS REFLECTION OF EINSTEIN’S COMMENTS ON HIS MUSIC "Last year, the 100th anniversary of E=mc2 inspired an outburst of symposiums, concerts, essays, and merchandise featuring Albert Einstein. This year, the same treatment is being given to another genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on Jan. 27, 250 years ago. There is more to the dovetailing of these anniversaries than one might think. Einstein once said that while Beethoven created his music, Mozart's "was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master." Einstein believed much the same of physics, that beyond observations and theory lay the music of the spheres — which, he wrote, revealed a "pre-established harmony" exhibiting stunning symmetries. The laws of nature, such as those of relativity theory, were waiting to be plucked out of the cosmos by someone with a sympathetic ear. Thus it was less laborious calculation, but "pure thought" to which Einstein attributed his theories. Einstein was fascinated by Mozart and sensed an affinity between their creative processes, as well as their histories," quoting the New York Times. link here . 10. "NEW DNA SANDWICH DETECTS GENETIC DAMAGE" "Human DNA wrapped around fabricated microscopic structures can detect genetic damage and potential disease inside living cells. Picture a phone cord wrapped around a pencil. The carbon nanotube and DNA sandwich might one day join a growing list of tiny probes that could be launched into the human body to monitor health. Nanodevices are constructed with individual molecules. In the new device, DNA wraps around the nanotube with a certain shape defined by the negative charges along its backbone, researchers explain. When exposed to ions of calcium, mercury, sodium or other targeted substances, the negative charges are neutralized and the DNA changes shape. This causes it to glow, or fluoresce, at different wavelengths of infrared light. "The nanotube surface acts as the sensor by detecting the shape change of the DNA as it responds to the presence of target ions," said University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate student Daniel Heller, lead author of a paper on the work in the Jan. 27 issue of the journal Science," quoting LiveScience. link here . 11. DISCOVER WHAT DOLLAR IS REALLY WORTH An astute KK reader sent the following link from the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis which shows the value of a dollar compared to another year via a comparison with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). "The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a market basket of goods and services," quoting the FRB of Minneapolis. As an example, the $475 this writer paid in 1986 for a one-ounce gold coin would cost $878 today in 1986 dollars. Bottom line, although gold has risen continually during President Bush’s term, the $800+ all time high reached for one ounce of gold in 1980 would be worth $2,027 today in adjusted figures. Do your own math here. link here . 12. THIS WRITER HAS ALWAYS SAID STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING FOR A SHOWDOWN IN 2006 Those who call this writer a doom and gloomer should see that storm clouds are gathering on the horizon for a 2006 showdown affecting the value of the American Dollar, the price of oil and an upward trend for precious metals regardless of last week's dip in prices. A. The US trade deficit was reported at an all-time-high last week: "American appetites for all things foreign, from oil to cars to clothing, pushed the trade deficit to yet another record in 2005. And the year's $201.6 billion deficit with China, the largest ever recorded with a single country, brought demands for a crackdown on what the U.S. sees as unfair trade practices. The Commerce Department reported Friday [Feb. 10] that the overall trade gap climbed to an all-time high of $725.8 billion last year. The deficit was up 17.5 percent from 2004, marking the fourth straight record...Analysts predicted that the 2006 trade gap will be even worse, with Global Insight forecasting it could hit $810 billion, reflecting lagging economic growth overseas that could hold back U.S. exports," quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: Oil prices are not trending down, so look for more of these trade gaps. How long can the financiers hold this "house of cards" together before the balloon of American debt bursts?] link here B. And, the war drums are beating louder. Forget our troops, friends and neighbors coming home from Iraq anytime soon as the second of Bush's "Axis of Evil" will be attacked based on the nuclear WMD card, yet will be for the SAME actual reason as Iraq was attacked. Quoting John Pilger in Truthout. (John Pilger's new book, Freedom Next Time, will be published by Bantam Press in June, 2006.) "That oil is traded in dollars is critical in maintaining the dollar as the world's reserve currency. What the Bush regime fears is not Iran's nuclear ambitions but the effect of the world's fourth-biggest oil producer and trader breaking the dollar monopoly. Will the world's central banks then begin to shift their reserve holdings and, in effect, dump the dollar? Saddam Hussein was threatening to do the same when he was attacked. While the Pentagon has no plans to occupy all of Iran, it has in its sights a strip of land that runs along the border with Iraq. This is Khuzestan, home to 90 per cent of Iran's oil. 'The first step taken by an invading force,' reported Beirut's Daily Star, 'would be to occupy Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan Province, securing the sensitive Straits of Hormuz and cutting off the Iranian military's oil supply.' On 28 January the Iranian government said that it had evidence of British undercover attacks in Khuzestan, including bombings, over the past year. Will the newly emboldened Labor MPs pursue this? Will they ask what the British army based in nearby Basra - notably the SAS - will do if or when Bush begins bombing Iran? With control of the oil of Khuzestan and Iraq and, by proxy, Saudi Arabia, the US will have what Richard Nixon called 'the greatest prize of all.'" link here This is a good time to buy gold! . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS JZ Knight will be the closing featured speaker at the Eighth International Conference on Science and Consciousness for 2006 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, April 21-26, 2006. Her talk titled "Self as Mind, Matter as Mind, Human as Architect, Divine as Experience" will be on Wednesday, April 26th from 1:30pm until 5:30pm. link here And the weekend prior to that, Ms. Knight will be speaking in Miami & Ramtha returns to Florida for the first time in almost 20 years with his presentation open to the public on Saturday April 22. Register here: link here Further, JZ Knight was the guest on X-Zone Radio, scroll down to "February 7, 2006", then click "Play Now" on the right for her interview. link here . OF LOCAL NOTE "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to open more than 1,500 stores in the United States in the coming years, on top of nearly 3,200 it already operates, the world's largest retailer said Tuesday [Feb. 7]. [Ed. Note: Yelm is to be one of those sites, with their store construction plan moving right along.] link here The best editorial this writer has seen on Wal-Mart is here: link here then click "Big-Box Mart" . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Did you ever notice, when you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together it spells "THEIRS"?" Submitted by a KK reader . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2006. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives" at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com . Kleiner's Korner For Week of February 6, 2006 Making progress as we make history. The daughter of the American South, Georgia, steeped in a culture of segregation between blacks and whites has finally broken through all of that trash and honored a truly remarkable human being; a woman, a mother, a widow carring the torch for her slain husband's dream for 38 years, a respected national figure in her own right and a lady who happened to be black. "Thousands of mourners poured into the Georgia Capitol Rotunda on Saturday [Feb. 4] to pay tribute to Coretta Scott King, the first woman and the first black person to lie in honor in what once was once a seat of segregation. The bronze casket carrying the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was carried through the streets of Atlanta on a horse-drawn carriage before being ushered into the Capitol by an honor guard of the Georgia State Patrol. The crowd outside cheered and threw roses as the casket went by," quoting the AP. link here Regarding the following stories, this writer is not anti-government, rather I am against a government circumnavigating the U. S. Constitution guarantees of "checks and balances" with an Executive Branch having unchecked power over its peoples. This is a Constitutional Republic where the people rule, not a King over his subjects, that is, if any elected official values their word in the oath they gave in taking office to uphold the tenets of one of the greatest documents ever written for the people to rule since Solon's Republic... 1. HISTORY AS PROLOGUE! – IS THE U. S. GOVERNMENT FOR YOU? [Ed. Note: On May 1, 1933, FDR nationalized the banks and gave the public one year to sell all gold back to the government except heirloom jewelry, antiques, dental fillings, and numismatic coins. If one did not do that, they were subject to HUGE fines and/or jail. Think that can’t happen again? Think again!] "The U.S. Government has the authority to prohibit the private possession of gold and silver coin and bullion by U.S. citizens during wartime and, during wartime and declared emergencies, to freeze their ownership of shares of mining companies, the Treasury Department has told the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee. But gold and silver advocates shouldn't feel too picked on. For the U.S. Government claims the authority in declared emergencies to seize or freeze just about everything else that might be considered a financial instrument. The Treasury Department's assertions came in a letter dated August 12 [2005] and written by Sean M. Thornton, chief counsel for the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, who replied to questions GATA posed to the department in January. It took GATA six months and a little prodding to get answers from the Treasury, but the Treasury's reply, when it came, was remarkably comprehensive and candid. The government's authority to interfere with the ownership of gold, silver, and mining shares arises, Thornton wrote, from the Trading With the Enemy Act, which became law in 1917 during World War I and applies during declared wars, and from 1977's International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which can be applied without declared wars," quoting this link. link here . 2. CBS NEWS EVEN ASKS THE SAME QUESTION – IS THE U. S. GOVERNMENT FOR YOU? "The Worst-Case Scenario [AND THE U. S. GOVERNMENT IS LEAVING YOU BEHIND] 'We can no longer ignore the worst-case scenario of a nuclear terrorist attack on an American city. Osama bin Laden has made it clear he wants to obtain nuclear weapons and use them against us. The 9/11 Commission considers such an attack the No. 1 threat today, not because it’s the most likely disaster scenario but because it would be the most devastating. The chairman of the 9/11 Commission even says he expects to see such an attack on an American city in his lifetime. Hundreds of thousand of people could die in a nuclear attack, but hundreds of thousands of others could be saved. That’s because the Pentagon — after decades of searching — believes it has found a drug to treat radiation exposure. Why isn’t that drug available? Correspondent Ed Bradley reports,'" quoting CBS New’ 60 Minutes. link here . 3. U. S. PLANS TO "FIGHT THE NET" REVEALED "A newly declassified document gives a fascinating glimpse into the US military's plans for "information operations" - from psychological operations, to attacks on hostile computer networks. Bloggers beware. As the world turns networked, the Pentagon is calculating the military opportunities that computer networks, wireless technologies, and the modern media offer. From influencing public opinion through new media to designing "computer network attack" weapons, the US military is learning to fight an electronic war. The declassified document is called "Information Operations Roadmap". It was obtained by the National Security Archive at George Washington University using the Freedom of Information Act," quoting the BBC. link here Further: "The nation's largest telephone and cable companies are crafting an alarming set of strategies that would transform the free, open and nondiscriminatory Internet of today to a privately run and branded service that would charge a fee for virtually everything we do online. Verizon, Comcast, Bell South and other communications giants are developing strategies that would track and store information on our every move in cyberspace in a vast data-collection and marketing system, the scope of which could rival the National Security Agency," quoting The Nation. link here And: "NSA LISTENING FROM YAKIMA [WA.] POST" "Just a few miles north of town, the National Security Agency (NSA) is eavesdropping on the world with satellite dishes that pick up satellite and microwave signals from cell phones, e-mails and home phones. The listening post has a view of Interstate 82 from its location on the Army's gigantic Yakima Training Center, but it may be one of the best-kept secrets in the Pacific Northwest. That could change during the debate over Bush administration surveillance of domestic communications with parties overseas," quoting the AP. link here . 4. "FUTURE AMERCIAN LAWYERS TO BE PROUD OF" "Alberto Gonzales spoke before law students at Georgetown today [Jan. 24], justifying illegal, unauthorized surveilance of US citizens, but during the course of his speech the students in class did something pretty ballsy and brave. They got up from their seats and turned their backs to him..." Said David Cole, Georgetown University Law Professor, "When you're a law student, they tell you if say that if you can't argue the law, argue the facts. They also tell you if you can't argue the facts, argue the law. If you can't argue either, apparently, the solution is to go on a public relations offensive and make it a political issue... to say over and over again 'it's lawful', and to think that the American people will somehow come to believe this if we say it often enough. In light of this, I'm proud of the very civil civil disobedience that was shown here today." link here . 5. "GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE NOW REACHING NEW LEVELS "WARMING DEBATE SHIFTS TO ‘TIPPING POINT’" "Now that most scientists agree human activity is causing Earth to warm, the central debate has shifted to whether climate change is progressing so rapidly that, within decades, humans may be helpless to slow or reverse the trend. This ‘tipping point’ scenario has begun to consume many prominent researchers in the United States and abroad, because the answer could determine how drastically countries need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. While scientists remain uncertain when such a point might occur, many say it is urgent that policymakers cut global carbon dioxide emissions in half over the next 50 years or risk the triggering of changes that would be irreversible," quoting the Washington Post. link here AND: "TOP NASA SCIENTIST SAYS HE’S BEING SILENCED ON GLOBAL WARMING" "A top government scientist is speaking out about what he says is an effort to keep him quiet about global warming. NASA's chief climate scientist James Hansen says the space agency's backlash is part of a Bush administration effort aimed at those trying to sound the alarm on climate change. He says the administration tried to silence him after he gave a speech last month [Dec. 2005] with this warning: ‘We're getting very close to a tipping point in the climate system. If we don't get off our 'business as usual' scenario and begin to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we're going to get big climate changes,’" quoting ABC News. link here . 6. "’TENTH PLANET’ BIGGER THAN PLUTO" "It's official — the so-called "10th planet" discovered last year is bigger than Pluto…The discoverers of the "planet," a Kuiper Belt object semi-officially known as 2003 UB313, gave only a rough estimate of its size, based on its brightness, when they reported their findings in July 2005. That team — Michael Brown and Chad Trujillo of the California Institute of Technology and David Rabinowitz of Yale University — found the object, and its moon, by analyzing photographs taken by a telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory in California in 2003. A German group of researchers has now used a different form of analysis to more accurately gauge 2003 UB313's diameter. By measuring how much heat the planetoid radiates, the scientists led by Frank Bertoldi of the University of Bonn estimated that 2003 UB313 is about 1,864 miles across," quoting Fox News. link here . 7. "BLACK HOLE PUTS DENT IN SPACE-TIME" "A spinning black hole in the constellation Scorpius has created a stable dent in the fabric of space-time, scientists say. The dent is the sort of thing predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity. It affects the movement of matter falling into the black hole. The space-time dent is invisible, but scientists deduced its existence after detecting two X-ray frequencies from the black hole that were identical to emissions noted nine years ago. The finding will allow scientists to calculate the black hole’s spin, a crucial measurement necessary for describing the object’s behavior," link here . 8. "DNA TESTING: IN OUR BLOOD" "Our blood holds the secrets to who we are and, increasingly, individuals, families, and research scientists are using genetic testing to tell us what we don't already know. Human genomes are 99.9 percent identical; we are far more similar than diverse. But that tiny 0.1 percent difference holds clues to our ancestries, the roots of all human migration, and even our propensity for disease. Tens of thousands of Americans have swabbed their cheeks and mailed in their DNA to companies nationwide for testing. Far-flung cousins are finding each other; family legends are being overturned. Six years ago the term genetic genealogy was meaningless, says Bennett Greenspan, head of Family Tree DNA, which has 52,000 customers. ‘Now the interest is huge.’ So huge that celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg and Quincy Jones are signing on," quoting Newsweek Magazine in this cover story. link here . 9. "WOMEN ARE SAID TO FACE HIDDEN HEART DISEASE RISK" "Women are more likely than men to have a hidden type of coronary disease in which their heart muscle is starved for oxygen even though their coronary arteries look clear and free of blockages on X-rays, doctors are reporting. The condition, which may affect three million American women, greatly increases the risk of a heart attack. Its main symptom is chest pain or discomfort. In many women, the pain occurs but nothing shows up on an angiogram, a test in which dye is injected into the coronary arteries and they are X-rayed in a search for blockages, so doctors conclude that no treatment is needed…The best way for a woman to find out whether she has the artery disease is to undergo tests, including certain type of stress tests, that measure blood flow to the heart. But not everyone needs to be tested; women with symptoms, a family history of heart disease or severe risk factors may be candidates. The findings are among those in a series of articles to be published today in two medical journals - the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and Circulation - exploring the differences in heart disease between men and women. The subject has drawn increasing interest in recent decades, as scientists began to realize that the results of previous studies, done mostly in men, did not always apply to women," quoting the New York Times. link here . 10. "NATIONS BACK ELEPHANT ACTION PLAN" "All nations with wild populations of Asian elephants have met as a group for the first time to discuss the species' future survival. The aim of the meeting in Kuala Lumpur was to reach a consensus on the best way to tackle threats facing the continent's largest mammal," quoting the BBC. link here . 11. FOLLOW-UP: A NEW WAY TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THE TV PROGRAMMING IN YOUR LIFE "Been in a restaurant restroom and the TV’s are blaring, in the gatehouse at airports, etc? Now, you CAN turn them off. Your TV-B-Gone® universal remote control resembles other TV remote controls, but is different in two important ways. First, it only has a power button that allows you to switch a TV on or off. You control when you see, rather than what you see. Second, the device is so small that it easily fits in your pocket, so that you have it handy whenever you need it wherever you go: airports, bars, restaurants, Laundromats, etc.," quoting TV B Gone. link here [Ed. Note: Even if you turn off the tube, most TV’s are still on so they will be available instantly.]. 12. TWO NEW FILMS WORTH CONSIDERATION BLEEP II OPENS "What The Bleep II – Down The Rabbit Hole opened this past weekend in limited release. Check show times in your area. Several more interview segments with Dr. Ledwith, Dr. Dispenza & Ramtha plus 2 added scinetists. link here "NEW FILM: A WAKE-UP CALL FOR HUMANITY – ‘ONE’" "ONE... The Movie brings to light the essence of our common search for meaning. This documentary asks life's great questions: What happens when we die? What is the meaning of life? What is everyone so afraid of? ONE's filmmakers interviewed spiritual leaders from diverse traditions, well-known authors and professors, and ordinary folks in the marketplace. Their responses are illuminating, inviting all viewers to enter into this dialogue. Visit the website, www.OneTheMovie.org, to see the full list of questions, articles and interviews, and movie trailers," quoting their emailer. link here Now playing in Yelm Cinemas: link here Movie review from the Seattle Times: link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS JZ Knight completed a whirlwind 4 day speaking tour of California last week with a rousing crowd of almost 600 persons assembled in Santa Cruz. CA. the last night to hear her 2 1/2 hour talk titled How to Develop Extraordinary Mind. She was the featured cover story in the local weekly news and entertainment publication for the area. RIGHT-ON Knight Fever! link here And: link here And the Rio Theatre's page on JZ & Ramtha: link here then scroll down to February 2nd. Check out where Ms. Knight will be speaking this year, as her talk is life-changing and well-worth you attending with your friends and family: link here . OF LOCAL NOTE "South Sound Seed Stewards, Encouraging Community Independence and Self-Reliance through Producing and Sharing Locally Adapted Heirloom Seeds Meeting Feb. 13, 2006 Gordon's Grange Hall (located next to Gordon's Patio Shop) doors open at 6:30pm" "Several places in South Sound accept Styrofoam peanuts and bubble wrap for reuse, as long as the materials are clean, dry, and delivered in plastic bags...Here are several places that accept packing materials," quoting The Olympian. link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Let the body think of the Spirit as streaming, pouring,rushing and shining into it from all sides." Plotinus Neo-Platonic philosopher . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2006. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives" at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .