UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR SEPTEMBER 2006
HOME PAGE	KLEINER'S KORNER FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25, 2006 Ah! Autumn. Nothing like it! 1. “MELTING ICE DILUTES NORTHERN SEAS” “Freshwater pouring into northern oceans is slowly turning high-latitude waters less salty. Shrinking ice sheets and melting glaciers are partly responsible for the freshening effect, a review in the journal Science has confirmed. If salinity levels continue to drop, dramatic changes to the North Atlantic currents could occur. .. If salt levels continue to decline, and currents change, the implications for aquatic ecosystems would be dramatic. ‘The organisms in the oceans are affected by the distribution of sea ice, and by temperatures and salinity fields, and all of these would change’" the author explained. ‘Changes in these currents would have tremendous impact for fisheries and other species important to man,’” quoting the BBC. [Ed. Note: What was not discussed in this article is the resultant weather changes to the European Continent discussed here previously – a deep freeze! link here ] link here . 2. GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE GETS HUGE PUBLICITY BOOST ”British business mogul Richard Branson on Thursday [Sept. 21] pledged to commit all profits from his transportation businesses over 10 years to combat global warming — profits that he estimated would reach $3 billion. Branson, the billionaire behind Virgin Atlantic Airlines and the multi-platform Virgin brand, announced the pledge at the Clinton Global Initiative, a conference being hosted by former President Clinton. ‘We are very pleased today to be making a commitment to invest 100 percent of all future proceeds to the Virgin Group from our transportation interest, both our trains and airline businesses, into tackling global warming,’ Branson told a news conference," quoting MSNBC. [Ed. Note: Of course Mr. Branson's aircraft spew tons of pollutants into the upper atmosphere each year. Force Boeing & Airbus to use engines that require no fossil fuels.] link here CALIFORNIA SUES AUTOMAKERS FOR POLLUTION “California on Wednesday [Sept. 20] sued six of the world's largest automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., over global warming, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have caused billions of dollars in damages. The lawsuit filed in US District Court in Northern California was the first of its kind to seek to hold manufacturers liable for the damages caused by their vehicles' emissions, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said. ‘(California) just passed a new law to cut global warming emissions by 25 percent and that's a good start, and this lawsuit is a good next step,’ said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming Program. Lockyer told Reuters he would seek "tens or hundreds of millions of dollars" from the automakers. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for past and ongoing contributions to global warming and asks that the companies be held liable for future monetary damages to California,” quoting Reuters. link here ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE “The hole over Antarctica's ozone layer is bigger than last year and is nearing the record 29-million-square-km (11-million-square-mile) hole seen in 2000, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Friday [Sept. 22]. Geir Braathen, the United Nations weather agency's top ozone expert, said ozone depletion had a late onset in this year's southern hemisphere winter, when low temperatures normally trigger chemical reactions that break down the atmospheric layer that filters dangerous solar radiation,” quoting Reuters. link here . 3. SEATTLE SCORES ANOTHER FIRST – NAKED BIKE RIDE PROTESTING OIL USE “On March 12th and June 10th, 2006 cities across the world will [DID] experience the naked joy of the worlds (sic) largest naked protest against oil dependency and car culture in the history of humanity. It is time to stop indecent exposure to automobile emissions and to celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies! Naked Bicycle People Power!...Seattle was the first city in the U. S. to organize a ride.” link here “On 10 March, 9 June and 30 June 2007, in cities around the world, people will be riding bikes naked in a demonstration against oil dependency, to celebrate cycling, and acceptance of the human body,” quoting the official World Naked Bike Ride site. [Ed. Note: These will be the most viewed sites on this KK. smile!] link here . 5. “A QUARTER OF A CENTURY OF DECEIT” “The U.S. would have imported about 20 percent less foreign oil in 2005 if automakers met federal fuel efficiency or miles per gallon (MPG) standards based on real world driving conditions. That reduction is equivalent to more than 1.3 times the amount of oil imported from Saudi Arabia in 2005, or about two million barrels of oil per day. For consumers this translates into 33 billion gallons of gasoline saved that year. Instead, over the past 20 years, car company lobbyists and their friends in Congress have dramatically increased US dependence on foreign oil by prohibiting the EPA from requiring MPG tests that reflect how people actually drive. In the car company test for compliance with corporate MPG requirements, cars never exceed 60 miles per hour, never have the air conditioning on, never go up hills, never accelerate rapidly and always drive in perfect weather. According to several EPA analyses, these test results exaggerate real world MPG by about 25 percent for city driving and 30 percent on the highway,” quoting the Environmental Working Group. link here . 5. ‘SILICON VALLEY EXPLORES SOLAR TECHNOLOGY” “Engineers and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley are taking advantage of their expertise in computer chips to design and manufacture electricity-generating solar cells that they hope will be increasingly competitive with traditional energy sources such as coal and natural gas. Most solar cells and chips are made from the same raw material from which the valley gets its name. ‘We're in the very early stages of a long build-out in solar technology,’ said Erik Straser, who heads the "cleantech" practice at the Menlo Park venture capital firm Mohr Davidow Ventures. ‘The potential is really enormous.’ Despite technological advances since the first photovoltaic cells were invented 50 years ago, solar is still two to three times more expensive than fossil fuels in the U.S. and relies on government subsidies to compete,” quoting the AP. link here . 6. “FISH USED TO DETECT TERROR ATTACKS” “A type of fish so common that practically every American kid who ever dropped a fishing line and a bobber into a pond has probably caught one is being enlisted in the fight against terrorism. San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities are using bluegills - also known as sunfish or bream - as a sort of canary in a coal mine to safeguard their drinking water. Small numbers of the fish are kept in tanks constantly replenished with water from the municipal supply, and sensors in each tank work around the clock to register changes in the breathing, heartbeat and swimming patterns of the bluegills that occur in the presence of toxins. ‘Nature's given us pretty much the most powerful and reliable early warning center out there,’ said Bill Lawler, co-founder of Intelligent Automation Corporation, a Southern California company that makes and sells the bluegill monitoring system. ‘There's no known manmade sensor that can do the same job as the bluegill,’” quoting the AP. link here . 7. “DO AS I SAY” “Read an Ian Fleming novel, and your brain may be preparing to pull the trigger every time James Bond has a villain in his sights. New research suggests that reading about actions activates the brain regions that plan those actions,” quoting Science Now. [Ed. Note: the secret of programming a society is revealed: commercials, movies, radio, TV, IPODS, etc.] link here “THE MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO SAYS A LOT ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE” “Ever wondered whether the classical music aficionado next door has had a bit more schooling than the guy blasting rap from his car? New research suggests you may be on to something. A lot of the stereotypes concerning musical taste and socioeconomic status appear to be true,” quoting ScienceNow. link here . 8. SKINNY MODELS SEND WRONG MESSAGE “MILAN Mayor Letizia Moratti of Milan wants designers to do a little math before the coming fashion week: calculate the body-mass index of their catwalk models to be sure they meet healthy standards. Like the Spanish organizers who recently banned overly thin models from the shows at Madrid fashion week, which begins Monday, Moratti echoed that it was time to stop "offering the public an unhealthy model" of the female form and urged designers to adopt less preternatural standards. Unless a "mature solution to the problem" is found, Moratti told the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, City Hall will come up with its own. 'We care about the health of our teenagers, and there is a problem of imitation and anorexia,' Tiziana Maiolo, the city councilor responsible for fashion, said in a telephone interview from China. In today's society, young women are being raised to think that being an American size 10 is obese, she said. 'That means something isn't working.' The regional government of Madrid, which subsidizes the seasonal fashion show, called Pasarela Cibeles, decided that it would monitor the body mass of models after a particularly spindly group strutted down the runway during the last shows,” quoting the International Herald Tribune. link here . 9. THEORETICAL PARTICLE PHYSICIST PLACES THIRD IN WORLD SERIES OF POKER “’Since middle school, I've always had plans to get rich,’ says Michael Binger, a theoretical particle physicist at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). Last week, his dream came true. On Aug. 11, Binger placed third at the World Series of Poker Championships in Las Vegas and walked away with $4,123,310,” quoting the Stanford Report. link here [Ed. Note: Yelm’s own James Flick placed 70 out of 8,800 entrants. link here ] . 10. FABULOUS CLOSE-UP PICTURE OF THE “FACE ON MARS” “ESA's Mars Express has obtained images of the Cydonia region, site of the famous 'Face on Mars.' The High Resolution Stereo Camera photos include some of the most spectacular views of the Red Planet ever,” quoting the European Space Agency (ESA). link here . 11. MUST SEE 9/11 VIDEO FROM DEMOLITIONS EXPERT [Ed. Note: This writer will let this video speak for itself. I learned things I never knew that make the WTC Towers collapse even more convincing of an inside job.] link here MORE 9/11 NEWS last week: Federal health officials have drawn up a plan for autopsies of Sept. 11 workers when they die, to determine whether they were slowly killed by their exposure to World Trade Center dust. New York lawmakers said Wednesday [9/27] they fear rising numbers of early deaths among ground zero workers. They called for hearings and a new, nearly $2 billion treatment program for sick workers and lower Manhattan residents. link here . 12. "WILL THE NEXT ELECTION BE HACKED?” “The debacle of the 2000 presidential election made it all too apparent to most Americans that our electoral system is broken. And private-sector entrepreneurs were quick to offer a fix: Touch-screen voting machines, promised the industry and its lobbyists, would make voting as easy and reliable as withdrawing cash from an ATM. Congress, always ready with funds for needy industries, swiftly authorized $3.9 billion to upgrade the nation's election systems - with much of the money devoted to installing electronic voting machines in each of America's 180,000 precincts. But as midterm elections approach this November, electronic voting machines are making things worse instead of better. Studies have demonstrated that hackers can easily rig the technology to fix an election - and across the country this year, faulty equipment and lax security have repeatedly undermined election primaries,” quoting RFK, Jr. in Rolling Stone Magazine. link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS The Beginning Retreat Schedule for Yelm events for the remainder of 2006 and 2007 has been announced: link here Yelm’s Spring, 2007 required event dates have now been posted: link here . LOCAL NOTE “An Inconvenient Truth" is still playing in Seattle theaters, and now Seattleites can see the star — former Vice President Al Gore — in person. He'll give a presentation and discussion of the film and best-selling book at 8 p.m. Oct. 23 at KeyArena. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday [Sep. 19]; $25-$45 (206-628-0888 or www.ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster locations). link here Stories you may have missed on the Yelm Community blog: A. Area resident Danielle McCarter receives honor at employer Northwest Airlines B. Nisqually Tribe’s Billy Frank’s red flags C. Jean Marie Christenson garnering more total votes from her party than the incumbent did in his party in the September 19th Primary D. KING 5 TV’s Jean Enerson interview with former area resident Sam George link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.” Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) American Novelist Coined the phrase “The Beat Generation” Playboy, June, 1959, p. 32. . 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 SPECIAL EDITION FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 2006 Dear Readers; While this KK Special Edition may seem to be about a local happening, this kind of community interaction and cooperation is an example of what is possible where you live. These are 2 important films to view where you live, as well. 1. WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? OPENS THIS WEEKEND IN YELM Due to your requests, Yelm Cinemas Manager Howard Christian has announced that the independent hit film "Who Killed The Electric Car?" is coming to Yelm Cinemas and opens with five showings daily beginning on September 22. Let's see this film here so our local cinema will see the revenue potential with these kind of titles and be able to show the distributors there is a market here, allowing them access to more indy films! Spread the word. Bring you family and friends. link here "It was among the fastest, most efficient production cars ever built. It ran on electricity, produced no emissions and catapulted American technology to the forefront of the automotive industry. The lucky few who drove it never wanted to give it up. So why did General Motors crush its fleet of EV1 electric vehicles in the Arizona desert? WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? chronicles the life and mysterious death of the GM EV1, examining its cultural and economic ripple effects and how they reverberated through the halls of government and big business," quoting the Sony Pictures Classics synopsis. link here . 2. FREEDOM TO FASCISM COMES TO YELM IN OCTOBER Further, Mr. Christian has gone to extensive efforts to get the proper equipment to present a quality in-theater presentation of Aaron Russo's DVD "Freedom to Fascism." Quoting the synopsis from the film's website: "Determined to find the law that requires Americans to pay income tax, Aaron Russo (THE ROSE, TRADING PLACES) sets out on a journey. Neither left- nor right-wing, this startling examination exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America. Through interviews with US Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (becoming law in May 2008) and the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. A striking case about the evolving police state in America." link here Look for the film to open at Yelm Cinemas October 6, so check the website for updates/showtimes. The film is scheduled to run "for at least a week." link here According to the movie's website, there is no theater in Washington State showing this film, another plus for Yelm Cinemas! link here Please be sure to let Mr. Christian, Yelm Cinema's Manager know how much you appreciate his efforts to get different films locally. link here . 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 September 18, 2006 No question this writer has a soft spot in his soul for autumn and officially, this beautiful season arrives in the Yelm area Friday, September 22 at 9:02pm. For those of you south of the Equator, Happy Spring! link here Although the leading stories on Kleiner’s Korner this week may seem negative to some of you, these are studies from some of the world's leading scientists (see QUOTE OF THE WEEK below), did not get much press last week and are important for all to note and to be aware. 1. KLEINER’S KORNER TOP STORY – A MUST-READ FOR THE WORLD! “A leading U.S. climate researcher said on Wednesday [Sep. 13] the world has a 10-year window of opportunity to take decisive action on global warming and avert a weather catastrophe. NASA scientist James Hansen, widely considered the doyen of American climate researchers, said governments must adopt an alternative scenario to keep carbon dioxide emission growth in check and limit the increase in global temperatures to 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). ‘I think we have a very brief window of opportunity to deal with climate change ... no longer than a decade, at the most,’ Hansen said at the Climate Change Research Conference in California's state capital. If the world continues with a "business as usual" scenario, Hansen said temperatures will rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 degrees F) and ‘we will be producing a different planet,’" quoting MSNBC. [Ed. Note: This writer sees no major reduction in use of fossil fuels and subsequent pollutants in the next 10 years. There has been little or no will by the U. S. and many others to reduce carbon-based fuels to significantly make a difference. "Governments deny global warming is happening," quoting Mother Jones. Scroll to #3. link here ] link here NOTE: James Hansen is the same man that has been reportedly harassed by the Bush Administration for saying such and his story has been covered here many times. In case you missed it, hear Mr. Hansen in his own words in this report from CBS News’ 60 Minutes: link here . 2. ARCTIC SEA ICE MELTING FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY NOTED ‘"Arctic sea ice in winter is melting far faster than before, two new NASA studies reported Wednesday [Sep. 13], a new and alarming trend that researchers say threatens the ocean's delicate ecosystem. Scientists point to the sudden and rapid melting as a sure sign of man-made global warming. 'It has never occurred before in the past,' said NASA senior research scientist Josefino Comiso in a phone interview. 'It is alarming... This winter ice provides the kind of evidence that it is indeed associated with the greenhouse effect.'... The latest findings are "coming more in line with what we expected to find," said Mark Serreze, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. ‘We're starting to see a much more coherent and firm picture occurring.’... The latest findings are ‘coming more in line with what we expected to find,’ said Mark Serreze, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo. ‘We're starting to see a much more coherent and firm picture occurring.’” quoting the AP. link here CBS News filed this report on this subject: link here And the sobering NASA report: link here . 3. “SPEED OF THE SPREAD OF FLU IS LINKED TO AIRLINE TRAVEL” “Airline travel has a significant effect on the spread of influenza, a new study reports, raising the question of whether flight restrictions may be helpful in controlling a pandemic. Although computer simulations have already suggested a link, this study, published online yesterday in PLoS Medicine, offers the first observations of the phenomenon. The researchers compared the timing and number of influenza deaths in 122 American cities with the volume of airline travel during the same period for each of nine flu seasons, 1996 to 2005. They found that changes in the rate of spread and the timing of peak mortality each year correlated with yearly fluctuations in monthly airline passenger volume,” quoting the New York Times. link here . 4. SCIENTISTS: HUMANS RESPONSIBLE FOR STRONGER HURRICANES “Since last year's devastating hurricane season, few issues have been more contentious than whether human-driven global warming is responsible for the increased intensity and frequency of these storms. Research reported online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points the finger pretty directly, showing that human activities have warmed the oceans and thus helped breed stronger hurricanes,” quoting ScienceNow. link here . 5. WASHINGTON STATE SEES FIRST WEST NILE VIRUS CASE “Just as the seasonal risk from mosquito-borne West Nile virus was starting to decline, public health officials on Wednesday [Sep. 13] said they had confirmed a mild case of the potentially deadly infection in a Pierce County man -- the first known human case in Washington…Until Wednesday's announcement of the Pierce County case, Washington and Maine were the only states in the contiguous U.S. that had not reported a human case of West Nile virus. Oregon has had a few cases, but nothing like Idaho's explosion this year. Nationally, 1,634 cases of human West Nile infections in 37 states and the District of Columbia had been reported to the CDC as of Sept. 12. Those cases included 52 deaths. In 2005, there were 3,000 cases and 119 deaths, according to the CDC,” quoting the Seattle P-I. link here More Washington State news last week: WARMER & DRIER WINTER FORECAST FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST “Expect to see warmer-than-average and possibly drier conditions this winter, due to an El Niño pattern that has developed in the Pacific. Scientists at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center said the conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific and are likely to continue into early 2007. For the Northwest this means overall warmer temperatures this winter, but they may be too slight to be noticed, said KING 5 meteorologist Rich Marriott. However, there’s potential concern for not enough snow pack, which could affect the water supply later, Marriott said... Bond is an expert on how ocean temperature changes can affect our weather, and said so far it's not anywhere near the strength of the severe 1997-98 El Nino," quoting KING-5 TV. link here The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center on El Nino: link here And NOAA's El Nono page: link here RECORD DRY SUMMER NOTED IN PUGET SOUND “In a letter to Jay Manning, director of the Washington State Department of Ecology, Gregoire said the National Weather Service has confirmed that this summer's dry conditions might persist for another month or more, “ quoting the Seattle P-I. link here . 6. “2006 HOTTER THAN EVER SO FAR IN U. S.” “The first eight months of 2006 was the warmest in the continental United States since record-keeping began in 1895, NOAA officials said today [Sep. 14]. The period of June through August was the second warmest on record…The average June-August 2006 temperature for the contiguous United States, based on preliminary data, was 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 72.1 degrees. This summer, at an average of 74.5 degrees, was slightly cooler than the record of 74.7 degrees set in 1936 during the Dust Bowl era. Eight of the past 10 summers have been warmer than the U.S. average for the same period going back to 1895,” quoting LiveScience. link here . 7. “HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS INCREASING IN UNITED STATES” “As hunger and homelessness rise in the United States, the Bush administration plans to get rid of a data source that supports this embarrassing reality, a survey that's been used to improve state and federal programs for retired and low-income Americans. In 2003, the Bush Administration tried to whack the Bureau of Labor Statistics report on mass layoffs and in 2004 and 2005 attempted to drop the bureau's questions on the hiring and firing of women from its employment data. Sources: "New Report Shows Increase in Urban Hunger, Homelessness," Brendan Coyne, New Standard, December 2005; "U.S. Plan to Eliminate Survey of Needy Families Draws Fire," Abid Aslam, OneWorld.net, March 2006,” quoting Marketwatch. Scroll down to item #4. link here . 8. “OREGON COMMUNITY OPTS OFF GRID” “Behind the manned gate of the Three Rivers Recreation Area lie 4,000 acres of property and 450 homes, but not a single phone or power line. Residents in this subdivision of full- and part-time homeowners are entirely off the electrical and telephone grid, proud of it and wanting it to stay that way. They rely on solar power to provide houses with electricity… For the people who live here, the lack of utilities is a charm, not a drawback… The lack of electricity hasn't discouraged people from building large, elaborate homes. Houses valued at more than $2.5 million sit next to shacks,” quoting The [Bend, OR] Bulletin. link here . 9. “GM: HYDROGEN CARS WILL RE-ESTABLISH COMPANY” “Hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles could hit showrooms as early as 2011 and the technology will revitalize General Motors, GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said as he delivered a hydrogen concept car to be test driven by Camp Pendleton Marines over the next few months. Calling the effort a "moon shot," Lutz said it is vital the world's largest automaker commits to the new technology, so it can win back its reputation as an innovator and design leader. ‘This is to re-establish our technological credentials with the American public and the American media,’ Lutz said Thursday. ‘And it has a huge re-moralizing effect in the company as our people see how serious we are.’” quoting the AP. link here Here is a fabulous video from the BBC on this vehicle: link here . 10. “DOUBLE AMPUTEE USES THOUGHT-CONTROLLED ARM” “Jesse Sullivan has two prosthetic arms, but he can climb a ladder at his house and roll on a fresh coat of paint. He’s also good with a weed-whacker, bending his elbow and rotating his forearm to guide the machine. He’s even mastered a more sensitive maneuver — hugging his grandchildren. The motions are coordinated and smooth because his left arm is a bionic device controlled by his brain. He thinks, “Close hand,” and electrical signals sent through surgically re-routed nerves make it happen. Doctors describe Sullivan as the first amputee with a thought-controlled artificial arm,” quoting the AP. link here . 11. “WOMAN IN VEGETATIVE STATE COMMUNICATED HER THOUGHTS” “A woman who had suffered severe brain injury in a car accident and was in a vegetative state managed to communicate just by using her thoughts, say scientists from the UK and Belgium. They scanned her brain and discovered that she was able to understand verbal commands - she could even visualize herself playing tennis when verbally triggered to do so by the scientists. You can read about this discovery in the journal Science,” quoting Medical News today. link here . 12. ONE URBAN LEGEND STORY THAT IS TRUE A white-haired black bear is a rarity, but as the photographs displayed above attest, an infant bear of that uncommon variety is what people started spotting near the Chemawawin Cree Nation in Manitoba (about 250 miles northwest of Winnipeg) around May 2004,” quoting Urban Legends. link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS JZ Knight made news this week with the opening of a second JZ Rose store in Bellevue Square. "JZ Rose [Yelm], formerly The Outback Boutique, opened in 1990 and has proven to be a unique and innovative store located in a small community in Washington State. “Our exclusive and exquisite inventory has continued to draw people from all over our state. We went online in 1997 and, due to the welcoming response we have received over the years, are continually expanding our unique collections available on the web. Our intent is to make available in one place products that add beauty and quality to our ever so busy lives," quoting the JZ Rose site. [Ed. Note: Congratulations to JZ and the JZ Rose staff for a new creation in fashionable Bellevue, out to make a mark in the retail world!] link here The King County Journal had this to say about JZ Rose’s Bellevue location in the edition the day prior to the new store’s September 15th opening, “Fashion: It's a girl thing. Seventy percent of shoppers at Bellevue Square, Lincoln Square, and Bellevue Place are women, most of whom choose a shopping center based on the clothes it sells. From this decision flows all sorts of retail activity, from seeing a movie to sipping a matcha latte. And retail is a Kemper Freeman Jr. thing. With today's launch of an annual downtown Bellevue Fashion Week, Freeman, who owns and operates all three malls, is appealing to his existing market of affluent women while simultaneously putting on a show for an even tougher customer: the East Coast retail executives who have repeatedly dismissed his entreaties to locate their stores here.” link here Two Ramtha School students [Dr. Miceal Ledwith & award-winning author Bettye Johnson] will be featured in Philippe Matthews' "The Spiritual Literacy Series ... an intense six month; telephonic subscription dedicated to teaching spiritual seekers and students the process of Radical Self/Spiritual Evolution with access to the latest information in the spiritual sciences. If you ever wanted to learn the secrets of the Mary Magdalene Scrolls; unlock the mystery of the Da Vinci code; learn the truth about the corruption of scripture; what Jesus studied during the missing years; find out about the Seven Initiation Temples; and learn the latest theological sciences... Then you simply MUST attend a special, SHOCKteleconference and TeleCourse Series beginning September 19, 2006,” quoting the site. 1. Tuesday, September 19, 2006 Dr. Miceal Ledwith Religion as the Main Block to Spiritual Evolution: the Ultimate Paradox. 3. Tuesday, November 21, 2006) Bettye Johnson Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, revealing her life, her love, and her ministry. For more information and to sign-up: link here . LOCAL NOTES Covered in last week’s Yelm Community Blog: A. Wilcox Farms dairy products served on Seattle originating Alaska Air flights. B. Yelm Cinemas to show indy hit film Who Killed Electric Car C. Bleep film producer Betsy Chasse opens children’s books site. Local artist extraordinaire Gary Craig illustrated three of the titles. D. Linda Evans on Larry King Live. E. JZ Knight opens 2nd JZ Rose store in Bellevue, supplementing the Yelm location. F. Yelm Real Estate Network’s Military Outreach Project link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environemtally, how can the human race survive another 100 years?" Professor Stephen Hawking (1942- ) on the internet, which a month later he naswered himself, saying, "I don't know," Printed in The Ecologist, October, 2006, pg 11. [Ed. Note: This writer had the wonderful experience of hearing a speech by Prof. Hawkings and was invited to a backstage gathering with him in Seattle just after he was honored for his award-winning book "A Brief History of Time".] Read Prof. Hawkings blog on this subject: link here . 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 SPECIAL EDITION FOR SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 Dear Readers; The previously taped LEGENDS! interview with Joan Collins and Linda Evans will air TONIGHT on LARRY KING LIVE at 6:00pm PDT and 9:00pm PDT and Midnight PDT on CNN. link here "'Larry King Live' is CNN's longest-running interview program. Premiering in June 1985 with its now-famous mix of interviews and topical discussions, the show features guests from across the gamut of business, entertainment and politics. Across the nation and around the world, viewers have made "Larry King Live" a part of their nightly television routine. Telecast each weeknight at 9 p.m. ET, the program also features phone calls from viewers around the globe. CNN's "Larry King Weekend" airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9 p.m. ET," quoting CNN. LEGENDS opened in Toronto on September 12th. link here If you are going to be in Toronto, get your tickets here: link here The official LEGENDS! website: link here 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 September 11, 2006 Dear Readers; As this date marks the 5th anniversary of 9/11 and the origination of Kleiner’s Korner, this writer pauses to remember that day, all of the lives that were lost and those that were forever changed. This day will always be entangled in American history. These stories highlight and update several 9/11 reports here: A. “The 9/11 attack killed 2,973 people, including Americans and foreign nationals but excluding the terrorists. The 9/11 death toll was calculated by CNN," quoting CNN. link here B. 9/11 Press for Truth: link here C. Scholars for 9/11 Truth: link here D. “’Loose Change 2nd Edition’ is the follow-up to the most provocative 9-11 documentary on the market today. This film shows direct connection between the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the United States government. Evidence is derived from news footage, scientific fact, and most important, Americans who suffered through that tragic day. IT IS EVERYONE'S DUTY TO VIEW THIS FILM!” quoting this site. [Ed. Note: this writer agrees.] link here E. What this writer has said from Day One: How can TWA 800 nosedive into the water and all engines, tail, and fuselage be recovered yet none of UAL 93's are located, and its descent was from a lower altitude? "Yet my own exhaustive investigations have led me to conclude that the story of Flight 93 is far from being the straightforward account of supreme courage that the authorities would have us believe...But let us examine the evidence — so that you can come to your own conclusion. The massive impact caused the entire plane to disappear 30ft deep into the earth, telescoping down on itself and crushing everyone and everything inside the fuselage beyond recognition. However, the absence of any significant debris — including tail, plane and wings — bewildered witnesses, relatives and, more importantly, some crash experts. They found it hard to believe that an airliner up to 155 ft long, with two engines each weighing more than six tons, could have penetrated the ground so completely as to utterly disappear. Had it, in reality, been blown to pieces in mid-air? Certainly it is unclear how a single piece of fuselage the size of a dining room table could have been recovered from a marina in Indian Lake, a couple of miles away from the crash site — unless it fell from the sky during an aerial break-up," quoting the UK's Daily Mail.[Ed. Note: Come on people, reason this one?!] link here F. And this from the venerable San Francisco Chronicle: "According to a poll by Ohio University and Scripps Howard News Service, 36 percent of Americans believe that government officials "either assisted in the 9/ 11 attacks or took no action to stop the attacks because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." Twelve percent of Americans believe a cruise missile fired by the U.S. military -- not an American Airlines jet hijacked by Arab terrorists -- slammed into the Pentagon. Sixteen percent of Americans, the survey indicates, believe that "secret explosives" -- not two planes and the resulting damage -- brought down the World Trade Center towers." link here G. “Nearly 70 percent of recovery workers who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center have suffered lung problems, and high rates of lung “abnormalities” continue, a new health study released Tuesday [Sep. 5] shows. Doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which conducted the study, said the results prove that working in the toxic gray dust at ground zero made many people sick, and some will likely suffer the effects for the rest of their lives. ‘There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center. Our patients are sick,’ said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the group that investigated the long-term effects from exposure to dust at the site. link here H. And finally, this pertinent speech delivered by then President John F. Kennedy: [Ed. Note: Our leaders never learn from predecessor’s wisdom, constantly repeating history!] “This speech (April 27, 1961) took place about two weeks after the Bay of Pigs (April 15, 1961). It was, in fact, a reaction to the uproar about the US sponsoring a covert operation against Cuba.” link here 1. TELEPATHY GIVEN PLATFORM AT BRITISH SCIENCE FESTIVAL "Leading scientists have criticised Britain's premier public forum on science for hosting a series of lectures on controversial research into the paranormal that suggests the possibility of mental telepathy and the existence of consciousness after death. The British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) was sharply rebuked yesterday for allowing paranormal researchers to have a public platform at its annual Science Festival, held at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Mainstream scientists expressed surprise that the BA had invited Rupert Sheldrake, who investigates paranormal experiences, and Peter Fenwick, a retired neuropsychiatrist who investigates near-death experiences, to its annual meeting... Dr Sheldrake presented details of an experiment that purported to demonstrate a scientific basis for believing that telephone telepathy - when someone is alerted subconsciously about a telephone call before it is made - really does exist," quoting UK's Independent. link here And: ‘The hit rate was 45 percent, well above the 25 percent you would have expected,’ he [Dr. Sheldrake] told the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. ‘The odds against this being a chance effect are 1,000 billion to one.’” quoting Reuters. link here And, Dr. Sheldrake’s site: link here . 2. PRINCETON STUDIES CONSCIOUSNESS & ITS ROLE IN CREATING REALITY “The Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research (PEAR) program was established at Princeton University in 1979 by Robert G. Jahn, then Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, to pursue rigorous scientific study of the interaction of human consciousness with sensitive physical devices, systems, and processes common to contemporary engineering practice. Since that time, an interdisciplinary staff of engineers, physicists, psychologists, and humanists has been conducting a comprehensive agenda of experiments and developing complementary theoretical models to enable better understanding of the role of consciousness in the establishment of physical reality,” quoting the PEAR website. link here . 3. DREAMHEALER ADAM & BRUCE LIPTON IN IONS HOSTED CLASS “Dean Radin’s Institute of Noetic Sciences [IONS] is hosting Bruce Lipton and Edgar Mitchell will be joining Dreamhealer Adam in a special two day class On September 16th and 17th in Oakland California. link here . 4. "PLUTO'S DEMOTION DIVIDES ASTROLOGERS, TROUBLES SCORPIOS" "The ruling by the world's top astronomers to boot Pluto from the planet category is sending shock waves through another set of dedicated stargazers: the world of astrologers, who are already mulling how this turn of events will affect our moods, our lucky numbers and our chances of getting a date on Saturday night. For weeks, astrologers have been buzzing about the proposal approved Thursday [Aug. 24] at the International Astronomical Union general assembly in Prague that will recast the map of the solar system for the first time since 1930. After days of impassioned debate, the astronomers voted to demote Pluto, the smallest of the nine planets, to a new class of solar-system bodies called dwarf planets. Astrologers believe that the positions of the moon, sun, and stars affect human affairs and that people born under the 12 signs of the Zodiac tend to pick up qualities of the planets associated with those signs," quoting the Wall St. Journal. [Ed. Note: My heavens, imagine thinking one's life is ruled by the stars, planets, and everything in between. Is humanity nothing but controlled robots with no free will? Between astrology and most religions, one would think so, however most thinking people know such is not the case.] link here . 5. “SCIENTISTS DISCOVER MEMORY MOLECULE” “Scientists at SUNY Downstate Medical Center have discovered a molecular mechanism that maintains memories in the brain. In an article in Science magazine, they demonstrate that by inhibiting the molecule they can erase long-term memories, much as you might erase a computer disc,” quoting ScienceDaily. link here . 6. “CAN YOU RAISE YOUR SOCIAL IQ?” “For the first time, scientists are able to map the invisible web between us and the people we are with. The “social brain,” as this system is called, engages whenever two people connect, creating a back-and-forth chatter that keeps our encounters on track and makes emotions contagious. Al- though we’re usually unaware of its operation, this brain-to-brain link coordinates the tiniest detail of a social moment—from the precise timing of two people’s laughter to the velocity at which lovers’ lips touch on their first kiss. Among the more startling details from this new science,” quoting Parade Magazine. link here . 7. “DEVALUING THE RACE CARD” “The life of African-American middle-school students can be pretty stressful. From the moment they step into the classroom, some must contend with not only coursework but also the anxiety that performing badly might confirm negative stereotypes. That fear can itself lead to poor performance, researchers have known for a while; now they've come up with a simple antidote: getting students to reflect on their sense of self-worth by writing a personal essay about what they value…At the end of the term, the researchers found that African-American students in the treatment group got significantly better grades than same-race students in the control group. Low-performing African Americans seemed to have benefited the most,” quoting Science Now. link here . 8. “OIL COMPANIES SEE BIG GULF OF MEXICO DISCOVERY” “Tests of a deep-water well in the Gulf of Mexico could indicate a significant oil discovery, three companies announced Tuesday [Sep. 5], in the first project to tap into a region that reportedly could boost U.S. oil and gas reserves by as much as 50 percent. The Jack 2 well was drilled about 5.3 miles deep by U.S. oil company Chevron Corp., with partners Statoil ASA of Norway and Devon Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City,” quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: Just one tanker spill or wild oil rig and the pristine beaches and wildlife of Florida are history! And all because of oil? This writer hopes for $5 a gallon gas, because that will force change to public habit and cause innovation away from fossil fuels. This writer and his wife are totally off of the grid and generate much of the power for our modern home from the sun.] link here . 9. “NEW ENERGY SOLUTIONS…” “The ultimate national security issue is intimately linked to the pressing environmental crisis facing the world today: The question of whether humanity can continue as a technologically advanced civilization. Fossil fuels and the internal combustion engine are non-sustainable both environmentally and economically - and a replacement for both already exists. The question is not whether we will transition to a new post-fossil fuel economy, but when and how. The environmental, economic, geopolitical, national security and military issues related to this matter are profound and inextricably linked to one another. The disclosure of such new energy technologies will have far-reaching implications for every aspect of human society and the time has come to prepare for such an event,” quoting Dr. Steven Greer in his “brief overview for the US Senate”. link here . 10. “GLOBAL WARMING A BOON FOR GREENLAND’S FARMERS” “Known for its massive ice sheets, Greenland is feeling the effects of global warming as rising temperatures have expanded the island's growing season and crops are flourishing. For the first time in hundreds of years it has become possible to raise cattle and start dairy farms,” quoting Spiegel Magazine [Der Spiegel of Germany]. link here . 11. “SCIENTISTS SEE NEW GLOBAL WARMING THREAT” “New research is raising concerns that global warming may be triggering a self-perpetuating climate time bomb trapped in once-frozen permafrost. As the Earth warms, greenhouse gases once stuck in the long-frozen soil are bubbling into the atmosphere in much larger amounts than previously anticipated, according to a study in Thursday's journal Nature [Sep. 7]. Methane trapped in a special type of permafrost is bubbling up at a rate five times faster than originally measured, the journal said. Scientists are fretting about a global warming vicious cycle that had not been part of their already gloomy climate forecasts: Warming already under way thaws permafrost, soil that had been continuously frozen for thousands of years. Thawed permafrost releases methane and carbon dioxide. Those gases reach the atmosphere and help trap heat on Earth in the greenhouse effect. The trapped heat thaws more permafrost, and so on,” quoting the AP. link here And: Nature.com: link here . 12. GEORGE CARLIN: "WHO REALLY CONTROLS AMERICA" A very frank assessment of why America is where we find ourselves today. This is not about what you may think -- this is about you and I. If you are offended by a few four letter words, please do not listen to this. If you embrace truth, this IS for you! "They call it the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS “Life is an awesome journey, and 2004 was the beginning of new adventures for me. In 2004 I gave birth to two babies. In February, What the BLEEP Do We Know!?, a film I co-created, opened in a west coast movie theater and began its three-year national and international release. In April, I gave birth to my most precious gift – my daughter Elorathea… As a result, I now have a third baby! Elora Media is taking its first steps into the world this year, presenting three delightful and inspiring new books. Soon we will be offering spiritually oriented, motivational books, videos, and music for children of all ages – adults included! Children’s minds are open and imaginative. If we journey together as unlimited creators the gateways of possibility will never close for them or us,” quoting Betsy Chase on new her site: link here And Betsy’s latest Bleeping Herald: link here B. Working as a journalist with the filmmakers of the movie What the BLEEP Do We Know!? I have had the great good fortune to talk with many leaders in the Global Transformation Movement like Deepak Chopra and David Simon, John Hagelin, Neale Donald Walsch, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and many others. As I reported on different organizations’ efforts, I was surprised how little information sharing there was even between groups with a similar focus…The Global Intelligencer is one small piece of the puzzle. Its mission is to serve as an information clearinghouse for topics concerning individual, social and global transformation, making it available on a monthly basis to a maximum number of people worldwide. If this appeals to you, please subscribe. It’s free,” quoting Cate Montana’s site. link here . LOCAL NOTE Covered last week in Yelm’s first community blog: A. This writer and his wife will hereby donate $1,000 to the City of Yelm with "the idea of generating new transportation ideas from the public for a contest" to solicit enthusiasm, ideas, and input from our local citizens, following the lead of State Secretary of Transportation MacDonald. B. Local pianist and composer Joe Bongiorno to perform in concert in Bellevue. C. Record dry summer. D. Letter to the Editor to Planning Commission Public Hearing E. “YCOM Networks are becoming known as FairPoint Communications!... Stop by and see us at 106 2nd Street, behind our main building, in Yelm, from 12pm-4pm on Friday, September 15th. We will have FREE hot dogs and pop, fun and prizes! The first 50 people get a free tree sapling,” quoting their mailer. [Ed. Note: Say goodbye to the local telephone company and hello to the large eastern conglomerate.] F. Guustaaf Damave's touching Patriot Day story titled "Late Delivery." link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "...a date which will live in infamy" Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) 32nd President of the United States in his request to Congress for a declaration of war against Japan, about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. Appropriate now to 9/11. . 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 September 4, 2006 HAPPY LABOR DAY! "The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker,” quoting the U. S. Department of Labor website. “’Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country,’ said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. ‘All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.’ Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.” link here 1. “DOES THE UNITED STATES HONOR CHILDREN” "‘I met Raffi, who since 1976, has been praised by parents and kids the world over for his children's songs and performances. But even if you've never heard of him, but like reading autobiographies, you'll enjoy reading, "Raffi: The Life of a Children's Troubadour (1999, Homeland Press).’ … What the world needs now, he said, is a "child-honoring society," which shouldn't be confused with a "child-obsessed society."… So I ask myself, can I identify one of these "global power" centers as it relates to kids? Reflecting on Raffi led me to research Madison Avenue - the symbolic Mecca of the advertising industry, where the American "dream" is packaged for sale. I found that, in eyes of ad execs, children are viewed as a trifecta of profitability - as buyers, as influences of their parents spending and as future adult consumers. And because of that, ad execs aggressively clamor for the attention of children. With access to $15 billion to spend on toys, clothes, candy and snacks, studies estimate that children influence another $160 billion in parental purchases. You should check out some of the literature on this stuff. AdRelevance, for example, in a report called "The ABC's of Advertising to Kids Online," says this: ‘What do you call a consumer who wants to buy everything you have, doesn't care what it costs and is less than five feet tall? A marketer's dream? Nope. You call them kids...Why create ads for kids? They possess a currency more powerful than cash: influence,’” quoting the Cape Cod Times. link here . 2. “POVERTY & STRESS MAY NOT JUST BE SYMPTOMS OF SOCIETY, BUT BOUND TO OUR ANATOMY” “Elizabeth Gould overturned one of the central tenets of neuroscience. Now she’s building on her discovery to show that poverty and stress may not just be symptoms of society, but bound to our anatomy. Eight years after Gould defied the entrenched dogma of her science and proved that the primate brain is always creating new neurons, she has gone on to demonstrate an even more startling fact: The structure of our brain, from the details of our dendrites to the density of our hippocampus, is incredibly influenced by our surroundings. Put a primate under stressful conditions, and its brain begins to starve. It stops creating new cells. The cells it already has retreat inwards. The mind is disfigured. ‘Poverty is stress,’ she says, with more than a little passion in her voice. ‘One thing that always strikes me is that when you ask Americans why the poor are poor, they always say it’s because they don’t work hard enough, or don’t want to do better. They act like poverty is a character issue’” Gould’s work implies that the symptoms of poverty are not simply states of mind; they actually warp the mind. Because neurons are designed to reflect their circumstances, not to rise above them, the monotonous stress of living in a slum literally limits the brain,” quoting SEED Magazine. link here Further, “In the world's biggest economy one in eight Americans and almost one in four blacks lived in poverty last year, the US Census Bureau said on Tuesday, releasing a figure virtually unchanged from 2004,” quoting Reuters. link here . 3. "HEALING POTENTIAL DISCOVERED IN EVERYDAY HUMAN BRAIN CELLS” “University of Florida researchers have shown ordinary human brain cells may share the prized qualities of self-renewal and adaptability normally associated with stem cells. Writing online today (Aug. 16) in Development, scientists from UF's McKnight Brain Institute describe how they used mature human brain cells taken from epilepsy patients to generate new brain tissue in mice. Furthermore, they can coax these pedestrian human cells to produce large amounts of new brain cells in culture, with one cell theoretically able to begin a cycle of cell division that does not stop until the cells number about 10 to the 16th power… The findings document for the first time the ability of common human brain cells to morph into different cell types, a previously unknown characteristic, and are the result of the research team's long-term investigations of adult human stem cells and rodent embryonic stem cells,” quoting the University of Florida. link here Further: “A study of the "miraculous" recovery of a man who spent 19 years in a minimally conscious state has revealed the likely cause of his regained consciousness. The findings suggest the human brain shows far greater potential for recovery and regeneration then ever suspected. It may also help doctors predict their patients’ chances of improvement. But the studies also highlight gross inadequacies in the system for diagnosing and caring for patients in vegetative or minimally conscious states,” quoting New Scientist. link here . 4. “NEW COMPOUND CAUSES CANCER CELL SUICIDE” “Suicide is the regular mode of cell death. When cells reach the end of their useful life, internal mechanisms kick in and the cell automatically perishes, a process known as apoptosis. But in cancer cells this mechanism has often been genetically disabled or otherwise broken, allowing tumors to proliferate. Now researchers have found a way to reactivate programmed cell death and thereby treat cancer. In preparation for apoptosis, a chain of chemical events takes place in the cell. Near the end, the chemical procaspase-3 is activated. This chemical then transforms into caspase-3--an executioner enzyme that terminates the cell. Chemist Paul Hergenrother of the University of Illinois and an international team of colleagues realized that a compound that activated procaspase-3 might be effective in killing cancer, because many tumors show elevated levels of procaspase despite their inability to complete apoptosis. After screening 20,500 related molecules for this activation ability, the researchers narrowed it down to four likely candidates. Of these, only one showed an increasingly strong effect with increased doses: newly named procaspase activating compound, or PAC-1. "We have identified a small, synthetic compound that directly activates procaspase-3 and induces apoptosis," Hergenrother says. ‘By bypassing the broken pathway, we can use the cells' own machinery to destroy them.’” quoting Scientific American. link here . 5. “STAYING SHARP: THE SLEEP-MEMORY CONNECTION” Now science is telling us what’s behind the lessons we’ve learned in life: According to researchers, sleep is necessary for the brain to process and consolidate knowledge and for memories to form. During sleep, researchers say, the hippocampus (where memory is stored) becomes highly active and moves knowledge from short-term memory to long-term memory. In a study published in the April 2001 issue of Neuron, Marcos Frank, PhD, a neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed brain plasticity, that is, the brain’s ability to form new synapses and connections between brain cells…This article originally appeared in NRTA Live & Learn, Summer 2006.” quoting AARP. link here . 6. ‘MAN LIVES TO 112 DESPITE JUNK-FOOD DIET” “George Johnson, considered California's oldest living person at 112 and the state's last surviving World War I veteran, had experts shaking their heads over his junk food diet. He had terrible bad habits. He had a diet largely of sausages and waffles," Dr. L. Stephen Coles, founder of the Gerontology Research Group at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Friday [Sep. 1]. The 5-foot-7, 140-pound Johnson died of pneumonia Wednesday at his Richmond home in Northern California. ‘A lot of people think or imagine that your good habits and bad habits contribute to your lifestyle.’ ‘All of his organs were extremely youthful. They could have been the organs of someone who was 50 or 60, not 112. Clearly his genes had some secrets,’ Coles said. ‘Everything in his body that we looked at was clean as a whistle, except for his lungs with the pneumonia,’ Coles said. ‘He had no heart disease, he had no cancer, no diabetes and no Alzheimer's. ‘This is a mysterious case that someone could be so healthy from a pathology point of view and that there is no obvious cause of death,’” quoting Yahoo.com. link here . 7. WASHINGTON STATE “BELLWETHER FOR GLOBAL WARMING” “With more glaciers than any state in the Lower 48, Washington has emerged as a bellwether for global warming. The signs are not encouraging. A national environmental group recently reported North Cascades and Mount Rainier are among the dozen national parks most susceptible to climate change. At Mount Rainier, which has more glacial ice than the rest of the Cascades combined and is among the best-studied in the nation, the National Park Service said the area covered by glaciers shrank by more than a fifth between 1913 and 1994, and the volume of the glaciers by almost a fourth. Between 1912 and 2001, the Nisqually Glacier on Mount Rainier retreated nearly a mile. Since the first stirrings of the Industrial Revolution 150 years ago, glaciers in the northern Cascades have shrunk by 40 percent, and the pace is accelerating. The South Cascades Glacier has lost roughly half of its mass since 1928,” quoting the Tacoma News Tribune. link here And: "Signs that our local forests are stressed by global warming recently struck me while traveling over North Cascades passes in Washington state...The forest is dying near the top on both east and west sides; trees are still partially green but turning red -- old trees, young trees, the forest itself. Tents, and campers, in the Lone Fir Campground were surrounded by these dying trees…Forests have an upper heating limit that they can tolerate. When heating goes beyond that limit, trees and other plants go into a rest state, a kind of hibernation, where they rest until conditions might improve. In that state they do not convert carbon to oxygen. Further stressed, they die. Forests created and maintain the planetary atmosphere. They are having a difficult time maintaining the conditions for life as it is known because humans have removed so many of them,” quoting the Seattle P-I. link here . 8. “THE RISE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY” “No plan to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions can succeed through increases in energy efficiency alone. Because economic growth continues to boost the demand for energy--more coal for powering new factories, more oil for fueling new cars, more natural gas for heating new homes--carbon emissions will keep climbing despite the introduction of more energy-efficient vehicles, buildings and appliances. To counter the alarming trend of global warming, the U.S. and other countries must make a major commitment to developing renewable energy sources that generate little or no carbon. Renewable energy technologies were suddenly and briefly fashionable three decades ago in response to the oil embargoes of the 1970s, but the interest and support were not sustained. In recent years, however, dramatic improvements in the performance and affordability of solar cells, wind turbines and biofuels--ethanol and other fuels derived from plants--have paved the way for mass commercialization. In addition to their environmental benefits, renewable sources promise to enhance America's energy security by reducing the country's reliance on fossil fuels from other nations. What is more, high and wildly fluctuating prices for oil and natural gas have made renewable alternatives more appealing,” quoting Scientific American. link here And this from the UK’s Guardian: “A new generation of small green companies is emerging with radical but proven ideas to revolutionise engineering and create anything from intelligent fridges to colossal wind turbines moored at sea. The designers hope their projects will transform energy supplies and cut carbon emissions in the next 20 years. They include huge wind turbines, more powerful than any seen before, anchored to the seabed 20 miles off the coast; fridges that monitor the national grid to use less power; a desalination plant that is also a theatre; and a tidal lagoon that protects the coast while generating electricity.” link here . 9. FABULOUS PICTURES OF THE WORLD OF THE VERY TINY “The Biomedical Image Awards 2006 is a striking display of shapes and patterns, and illustrates the microscopic structures of living organisms in a spectacular variety of ways. Selected by a team of expert judges from recent acquisitions by the Medical Photographic Library of the Wellcome Library, the winning images show a wide variety of subjects, most invisible to the naked eye, revealing new layers of complexity,” quoting the Biomedical Image Awards 2006 of the Wellcome Trust Medical Photographic Library. link here . 10. “NEW DINOSAUR TYPE UNEARTHED IN BRAZIL” “Brazilian paleontologists have discovered a new giant dinosaur species based on fossilized fragments of the herbivorous reptile that lived 80 million years ago. The Maxakalisaurus topai, of the Titanosauria group, was 13 yards (meters) long and weighed about 9 tons. It had a large body and a long tail and neck with a relatively small head. Some of the bones found had the marks of teeth on them, which led scientists to believe that the specimen was devoured by carnivorous dinosaurs after its death," quoting Reuters. link here . 11. “…LIVE SURGICAL VIDEO ON THE INTERNET” “The information provided on this site is presented for educational purposes. It is intended to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her existing physician. This website is owned and operated by slp3D. slp3D is not a health care provider and does not provide medical diagnosis or treatment. slp3D only provides visitors to the site with referrals to medical facilities and health care providers that may be able to assist them in their medical needs. slp3D has not conducted an independent investigation or performed other due diligence functions with regard to the health care providers or medical facilities to which the referrals are made. OR-Live™ is a trademark of slp3D, Inc.” link here . 12. NEW BOMBSHELL BOOK REVEALS JFK ASSASSINATION DETAILS “The book reveals for the first time John and Robert Kennedy's top-secret plan to stage a coup against Castro and invade Cuba on Decmber 1, 1963. But the Kennedy coup plan was infiltrated by three Mafia bosses—of Chicago, Tampa, and Louisiana/Texas—who were under intense pressure from Attorney General Robert Kennedy. The mob bosses used parts of the Kennedy coup plan to kill JFK—first trying in Chicago, then Tampa, and finally Dallas—in a way that forced key officials to cover up crucial information to protect national security. Marcello, Trafficante, and Rosselli had several things in common, in addition to confessing their roles in JFK’s assassination in later years. The three were close associates who met at least once or twice a year, sometimes at a secluded location free from FBI surveillance revealed in this book for the first time,” quoting the Ultimate Sacrifice: The Book website. [Ed. Note: This writer has never read a more thorough and researched account of the JFK assassination and could not put this book down!] link here Here are just a few of the hundreds of documents cited and quoted in Ultimate Sacrifice. Most are available from the National Archives in Washington, DC. link here . RAMTHA SCHOOL NEWS Miceal Ledwith’s Deep Deceptions, Volume II titled “How Jesus Became A Christ” is now available for purchase at JZ Rose, formerly the Outback Boutique in Yelm, WA. link here Miceal's site: link here The All-Group Follow-ups, Blue College Follow-up and the 5 World Tour Follow-up dates are all posted: link here JZ Knight’s fabulous emailers are archived here: link here . LOCAL NOTE Covered this week on the first and only Yelm Community Blog hosted by Steve Klein: A. Puget Sound print media consolidation a sad affair. B. Guest Blog Entry why Yelm quality of life is important consideration regarding growth, too. C. Introducing the Thurston County Progressive Network & Yelm Chapter. link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.” Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Anglo-Irish playwright and poet . 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 .