UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR JUNE 2007
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner for Week of June 25, 2007 In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year (near June 22) is when the Sun is farthest north. In the southern hemisphere, winter and summer solstices are exchanged. The summer solstice marks the first day of the season of summer. June 21, 2007 at 11:06am in Yelm. link here HAPPY SUMMER! HAPPY WINTER for those of you south of the equator. 1. NEWS ON ALTERNATIVES TO FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES A. Rep. Ron "...Paul (R-TX) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act (Introduced in House) HR 2755 IH 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2755 To abolish the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks, to repeal the Federal Reserve Act, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 15, 2007," quoting The Library of Congress. [Ed. Note: Congratulations to Mr. Paul for his bravery, courage and vision!] link here B. “NEW AGE TOWN … EMBRACES DOLLAR ALTERNATIVE” “A walk down Main Street in this New England town calls to mind the pictures of Norman Rockwell, who lived nearby and chronicled small-town American life in the mid-20th Century. So it is fitting that the artist's face adorns the 50 BerkShares note, one of five denominations in a currency adopted by towns in western Massachusetts to support locally owned businesses over national chains…. There are about 844,000 BerkShares in circulation, worth $759,600 at the fixed exchange rate of 1 BerkShare to 90 U.S. cents, according to program organizers. The paper scrip is available in denominations of one, five, 10, 20, and 50. In their 10 months of circulation they've become a regular feature of the local economy. Businesses that accept BerkShares treat them interchangeably with dollars: a $1 cup of coffee sells for 1 BerkShare, a 10 percent discount for people paying in BerkShares. Named for the local Berkshire Hills, BerkShares are accepted in about 280 cafes, coffee shops, grocery stores, and other businesses in Great Barrington and neighboring towns, including Stockbridge, the town where Rockwell lived for a quarter century… U.S. law prevents states from issuing their own currency but allows private groups to print paper scrip, though not coins, said Lewis Solomon, a professor of law at George Washington University, who studies local currencies,” quoting Reuters. link here . 2. “CHEAP LAMPS MADE WITH ALUMINUM FOIL” “Cheap, skinny aluminum foil lamps may soon illuminate our lives instead of big, bulky light bulbs. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign made the low-cost lamps by treating aluminum foil bought at the grocery store with an acidic bath. The new light source, which is lighter, brighter, and more efficient than incandescent light, is described in the June issue of the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics,” quoting Live Science. link here . 3. NEW GLOBAL PEACE INDEX RANKS U. S. UNFAVORABLY “A study has ranked Norway as the most peaceful country and Iraq as the least in a survey of 121 countries. The Global Peace Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, looked at 24 factors to determine how peaceful each country was. It places the US at 96th on the list and the UK at 49th, while New Zealand ranks second and Japan fifth. The authors say it is the first attempt to produce such a wide-ranging league table of how peaceful countries are. Factors examined by the authors include levels of violence and organised crime within the country and military expenditure. The survey has been backed by the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter and US economist Joseph Stiglitz, who are all Nobel prize laureates. It is also supported by Queen Noor of Jordan,” quoting the BBC. link here . 4. ROLLING STONE: “AL GORE’S FIGHT AGAINST THE CLIMATE CRISIS” “As the world heats up, so does Al Gore. Every melting glacier, every catastrophic storm, every record-breaking hot spell is a planetary-scale endorsement of his belief that tackling global warming is the biggest challenge of our time. Gore may not have announced his candidacy for president - not yet, anyway - but he is already running one of the most aggressive campaigns in American history. His Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, brought the harsh facts of the climate crisis to millions of people around the world. He's in the midst of an intensive tour to promote his new book, The Assault on Reason, which savages the Bush administration for its deceitful war in Iraq, its illegal wiretapping and its reckless refusal to take action on climate change. And he's gearing up for Live Earth, the global rock concert he has orchestrated for July 7th. Gore understands that confronting the climate crisis will require not just new kinds of technology but a new kind of politics,” quoting Rolling Stone Magazine. link here . 5. “POPULATIONS OF 20 COMMON BIRDS DECLINING” “The populations of 20 common American birds - from the fence-sitting meadowlark to the whippoorwill with its haunting call - are half what they were 40 years ago, according to an analysis released Thursday. Suburban sprawl, climate change and other invasive species are largely to blame, said the study's author Greg Butcher of the National Audubon Society… Many of the species listed as declining in the new study depend on open grassy habitats that are disappearing, said Butcher, Audubon's bird conservation director,” quoting the AP in Forbes Magazine. link here Audubon in Washington State: link here And this from the Christian Science monitor: link here . 6. “PLANTS RECOGNIZE THEIR SIBLINGS, BOIOLOGISTS DISCOVER” “The next time you venture into your garden armed with plants, consider who you place next to whom. It turns out that the docile garden plant isn't as passive as widely assumed, at least not with strangers. Researchers at McMaster University have found that plants get fiercely competitive when forced to share their pot with strangers of the same species, but they're accommodating when potted with their siblings,” quoting Science Daily. link here . 7. “PLASTIC THAT GROWS ON TREES? …” “It has been an elusive goal for the legion of chemists trying to pull it off: Replace crude oil as the root source for plastic, fuels, and scores of other industrial and household chemicals with inexpensive, nonpolluting renewable plant matter. Scientists just took a giant step closer to the biorefinery, reporting in the June 15 issue of the journal Science that they have directly converted sugars ubiquitous in nature to an alternative source for those products that make oil so valuable, with very little of the residual impurities that have made the quest so daunting,” quoting Science Daily. link here . 8. “…POWER BEAMED THROUGH AIR?” “Power cables and even batteries might become a thing of the past using a new technique that can transmit power wirelessly to cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, household robots and other electronics. Scientists lit a 60-watt light bulb from a power source 7 feet (2 meters) away with their new technique, with no physical connection between the source and the appliance. The researchers have dubbed their concept "WiTricity," as in "wireless electricity." MIT physicist Marin Soljacic began thinking years ago about how to transmit power wirelessly so his cell phone could recharge without ever being plugged in. Scientists have pursued wireless power transmission for years — notably, eccentric genius Nikola Tesla, who devoted much energy toward it roughly a century ago,” quoting Live Science. link here And this report from the Christian Science Monitor: link here From MIT: link here . 9. “TWO MORE ACTIVE MOONS AROUND SATURN” “Saturn’s moons Tethys and Dione are flinging great streams of particles into space, according to data from the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini mission to Saturn. The discovery suggests the possibility of some sort of geological activity, perhaps even volcanic, on these icy worlds,” quoting Science Daily. link here . 10. “PLUTO ISN’T EVEN LARGEST DWARF PLANET” “Planetary astronomy professor Michael E. Brown and graduate student Schaller found otherwise while studying Dysnomia, the moon of Eris, another dwarf planet. Using the Keck Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope they were able to calculate the movement of Dysnomia and, with that information, calculate the mass of Eris at 27 percent more than Pluto. But even though Eris tops Pluto, Earth is still 360 times more massive. ‘Pluto and Eris are essentially twins - except that Eris is slightly the pudgier of the two,’ Brown said,” quoting the AP. link here . 11. “THE CASE OF THE DISAPPPEARING GREAT LAKE” “…Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake, has dropped to its lowest level in 81 years. The water is 20 inches below average and a foot lower than just a year ago. The dropping levels have had serious environmental and economic consequences. Wetlands have dried up. Power plants run at half capacity. Cargo ships carry partial loads. Boaters struggle to find a place to dock,” quoting USA Today. link here . 12. “EXPANDING CHINA DESERTS SEND SANDSTORMS ACROSS PACIFIC” "Half a century after Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward" brought irrigation to the arid grasslands in this remote corner of northwest China, the government is giving up on its attempt to make a breadbasket out of what has increasingly become a stretch of scrub and sand dunes. In a problem that's pervasive in much of China, over-farming has drawn down the water table so low that desert is overtaking farmland. Authorities have ordered farmers here in Gansu province to vacate their properties over the next 3-1/2 years, and will replace 20 villages with newly planted grass in a final effort to halt the advance of the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts.... The shifting sands have swallowed thousands of Chinese villages along the fabled Silk Road and sparked a sharp increase in sandstorms; dust from China clouds the skies of South Korea and has been linked to respiratory problems in California," quoting King 5 News. link here . RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS A. RSE student Jair Robles, is proud to announce the launch of the new international publication, SuperConsciousness Magazine, exploring human potential. SuperConsciousness successfully captures the excitement of these evolving times through knowledge, information, and a continued focus on what is possible. An introductory interview with Jair about SuperConsciousness Magazine, can be found at (Masters Connection website). link here To take advantage of the subscription promotion, click here: link here B. To celebrate Cartier's second annual LOVEDAY scheduled for June 8, 2007 and a new collection of LOVE jewelry, the international luxury goods company will announce its newest celebrity ambassadors for the Cartier LOVECHARITY bracelet and ring the ceremonial Opening Bell at NASDAQ…. In addition, all celebrities who participated in last year's LOVECHARITY bracelet initiative will continue their involvement, with their bracelets available for purchase until the end of the year. They include: …Salma Hayek for the Salma Hayek Foundation (white bracelet),” quoting Forbes Magazine. link here The Salma Hayek Foundation website [focuses on violence against women]: link here C. Miceal Ledwith’s June installment in the Bleeping Herald has now been published: link here Further, Miceal’s The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe & How Jesus Became the Christ, The Great Deception, Series Volume 2, are reviewed in Australia’s Living Traditions Magazine. link here , then click “Feature Reviews” & scroll down. D. Ramtha's Christmas, 2007 Event information is now available: link here . LOCAL NOTES Covered last week on Yelm’s first community blog: A. Yelm Prairie Days sign-up B. Support local businesses: Prairie Hotel C. Support local businesses: Abe Clary Portraits D. Library’s Summer Reading Program E. Happy Summer Solstice. F. Guest Entry: what to expect once Wal-Mart opens link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th President of the USA Only President born in Kentucky . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2007. 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 JUNE 18, 2007 One thing I always heard my Teacher Ramtha to say was that all DNA carried information and the term “junk DNA” was used only because science did not know much about segments of the DNA strands. Now science is catching up with classic Ramtha teachings - yet again: “RESEARCHERS BELIEVE EVEN USELESS-LOOKING DNA MAY CARRY INFORMATION” "An in-depth examination of the human DNA map has turned basic biology concepts upside-down and may even rewrite the book on evolution and some causes of disease, researchers said Wednesday [June 13]. They found there was far more to genetics than the genes themselves and determined there was no such thing as "junk DNA" but that some of the most useless-looking stretches of DNA may carry important information. Thirty-five teams of researchers from 80 different organizations in 11 countries teamed up to share notes on just 1 percent of the human genome," quoting Reuters. link here 1. “ADULTS’ NEW BRAIN CELLS MAY REVIVE OLD NEURONS” "The brains of adult mammals are slowly, constantly churning out new brain cells. Previously scientists assumed the fresh neurons acted simply as replacements for old and dying cells. But recent research suggests that these new adult neurons may help old cells adapt to new experiences and could someday be used to rejuvenate aging brains. The study, detailed in the May 24 issue of the journal Neuron, shows new brain cells act just as youthful in adult mammals as those generated in young ones. Hongjun Song at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and colleagues tagged cells in the brains of mice so that brand new nerve cells glowed green and were easy to track. At 1 to 2 months old, the cells showed the ability to alter chemical inputs from nerves nearby, an indicator of youthfulness in cells that is often referred to as plasticity. Not only were the novel cells acting young and agile, they were able to reinvigorate their elderly neighbors too," quoting Live Science. link here And, the report in Neuron: A Critical Period for Enhanced Synaptic Plasticity in Newly Generated Neurons of the Adult Brain. link here . 2. “BRAIN HEALING BRIDGES” “Two MIT scientists nanotechnologically reconnect brain cells,” as described in this Live Science Video. link here . 3. ARE PESTICIDES TO BLAME FOR VANISHING BEES? “A number of the pollen samples went to Maryann Frazier, a honeybee specialist at Penn State who has been coordinating the pesticide investigation. Her group has been testing for 106 chemicals used to kill mites, funguses, or other pests. Scientists have focused on a new group of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, which have spiked in popularity because they are safe for people, Frazier said. Studies have shown that these pesticides can kill bees and throw off their ability to learn and navigate, she said. Researchers have yet to collect enough data to come to any conclusions, but the experience of French beekeepers casts doubt on the theory. France banned the most commonly used neonicotinoid in 1999 after complaints from beekeepers that it was killing their colonies. French hives, however, are doing no better now, experts said. Entomologist Jerry J. Bromenshenk of the University of Montana launched his own search for poisons, relying on the enhanced odor sensitivity of bees - about 40 times better than that of humans. When a colony is exposed to a new chemical odor, he said, its sound changes in volume and frequency, producing a unique audio signature. Bromenshenk has been visiting beekeepers across the country, recording hive sounds and taking them back to his lab for analysis. To date, no good candidates have surfaced,” quoting the LA Times. link here . 4. “MYSTERY SOLVED: MARS HAD LARGE OCEANS” "Since 1991, planetary scientists have floated the idea that Mars once harbored vast oceans that covered roughly one-third of the planet. Two long shore-like lips of rock in the planet's northern hemisphere were thought to be the best evidence, but experts argued that they were too "hilly" to describe the smooth edges of ancient oceans. The view just changed dramatically with a surprisingly simple breakthrough. The once-flat shorelines were disfigured by a massive toppling over of the planet, scientists announced today. The warping of the Martian rock has hidden clear evidence of the oceans, which in any case have been gone for at least 2 billion years," quoting Space.com. link here . 5. “A DROUGHT FOR THE AGES” “Drought, a fixture in much of the West for nearly a decade, now covers more than one-third of the continental USA. And it's spreading. As summer starts, half the nation is either abnormally dry or in outright drought from prolonged lack of rain that could lead to water shortages, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly index of conditions. Welcome rainfall last weekend from Tropical Storm Barry brought short-term relief to parts of the fire-scorched Southeast. But up to 50 inches of rain is needed to end the drought there, and this is the driest spring in the Southeast since record-keeping began in 1895, according to the National Climatic Data Center,” quoting USA Today. link here . 6. “LOS ANGELES TO HOST JULES VERNE FILM FESTIVAL” “Paris's longstanding Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival will shift to Los Angeles this December, with sponsors hoping to make the US celebration of the early French science fiction writer an annual event, they said Friday [June 8]. Set for December 10-15, the festival, themed "From the Abyss to the Stars," is an extension of the festival of films based on or in the spirit of Verne's novels, like "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea" and "Around the World in Eighty Days," that has been held in Paris for 15 years,” quoting the AFP. link here . 7. “SMALL-FARM FRESH: CONSUMERS REAP REWARDS OF LOCAL PRODUCE” “Broccoli from China and strawberries from California are not what food-lovers have in mind when they advise, "Think globally, eat locally." "For the first time, the United States is importing more food than we’re exporting," said Susie Kyle, owner of Winlock Meadows Farm and an activist for preserving small farms. Kyle worries that agricultural regions, such as the Puyallup Valley, will go the way of Gresham, Ore., a berry-growing stronghold that got sold out for suburbia. "Once the small farmer is put out of business by industrial farming, the only thing you can grow is houses," said Kyle, who farms 15 acres in Winlock, with two acres under production. Kyle regularly supplies fresh produce to about 30 members who have purchased "shares" in her farms, and also sells at the Cowlitz Community Farmers Market on Saturdays. The movement to support local farms, sometimes called "farm to table," is growing faster than a row of lettuce, generating increased numbers of customers for farmers markets, direct buying from small farms and efforts to get the word out about fresh food,” quoting the Longview Daily News. link here LOOK AT THE HUGE MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS THAT OWN YOUR ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCERS: link here . 8. “A DRINK A DAY DELAYS DEMENTIA, STUDY FINDS” A new study, conducted by scientists from the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Bari, in Bari, Italy, found that a drink or two per day may help slow the development of dementia. The research, published in the May 22 issue of the journal /Neurology/, may provide hope for those at risk of dementia and diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the transitional stage between normal brain function and full-blown, irreversible cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer's. Dementia is a medical term used to describe one's progressive rate of cognitive decline. link here This is the most detailed video I have seen about resveritrol in red wine: “Antioxidant in red wine protects against Alzheimer's disease,” quoting Live Science link here . 9. "COURT INVESTIGATES VACCINE LINK TO AUTISM" "In excruciating detail, an Arizona mother on Monday [June 11] described severe autism and devastating health problems that plague her 12-year-old daughter and asked a court to find common childhood vaccines were the cause. The test case is being closely watched by nearly 5,000 families of autistic children who have lodged similar claims for compensation from a federal fund. The case of Michelle Cedillo, of Yuma, Ariz., is the first alleging a vaccine-autism link to be heard in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. It and eight other test cases are important because they will guide the handling of the other pending claims. Most contend that a mercury-rich preservative called thimerosal is to blame for the impaired social interaction typical of the disorder... Large scientific studies have found no association between autism and vaccines containing thimerosal," quoting the AP. link here . 10. “GLOBAL WARMING IS SPEEDING UP OCEAN WAVES” “Gigantic ocean waves, spanning hundreds of kilometres from crest to crest, have been speeding up thanks to global warming, a new model suggests. Geophysicists predict that as the ocean surface warms, these so-called planetary waves should speed up. To test this idea, John Fyfe and Oleg Saenko at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, modelled the changes to ocean wave patterns over the 20th and 21st centuries. "We were really surprised at how quickly the ocean responded to temperature change," Fyfe says. According to the model, global warming has already increased the speed of the waves, but no one noticed because satellites have not been monitoring their speeds for long enough, he says. The model also shows that by the end of the 21st century, the waves will be a further 20 to 40 per cent faster compared with pre-industrial speeds (Geophysical Research Letters, vol 34, p L10706). "We knew we'd see an effect, but we didn't think it would be significant for at least another two centuries," Fyfe says. The faster planetary waves will have an effect on global weather, he adds. From issue 2607 of New Scientist magazine, 12 June 2007, page 23: link here . 11. “HURRIQUAKE NAILS” This is an impressive video on a new type of nail that protects homes from the ravages of more powerful natural occurrences. link here . 12. LET’S PLAY” BYPASS THE U. S. CONSTITUTION” You know that the U. S. Constitution protects every citizen from double jeopardy- being tried for the same crime twice - right? Wrongo in the Congo! "A retired soldier should face a general court martial where the death penalty could be ordered for a 1985 triple slaying, according to an investigating officer's recommendation released late Saturday [June 9]. Army Master Sgt. Timothy B. Hennis, of Lakewood, Wash., was acquitted in a civilian court nearly two decades ago in the rape and killing of an Air Force captain's wife and the slayings of two of their daughters. Hennis was recalled to active duty last year so the Army could pursue new charges. Hennis faces charges including murder and premeditated murder. The report recommending the court martial was issued Monday by Col. William L. Deneke, the investigating officer, according to a news release issued Saturday by Fort Bragg... Local prosecutors said the results warranted reopening the case, but civilian authorities couldn't charge Hennis because of the constitutional protection against double jeopardy. The military can pursue charges because its court system is a different jurisdiction," quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: Bottom line: If you are in the military, you are theirs for life and civilian law does not apply to the military-- so the U. S. Constitution does not apply to those in the military -- discharged or not. They can reactive you at any time to get you on their terms! Those of you thinking I want clemency for this man, please do not write. That is not the issue. The issue is fairness and equal application to all citizens.] link here . RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS A. Days of the Ram on YOUTUBE link here B. Climate Change by the Ram on YOU TUBE: link here C. The June Newsletter is out & loaded with fabulous news from your School: link here . LOCAL NOTES Covered last week on Yelm’s first Community blog: A. Tenino’s Farmers Market & Yelm’s Gordon’s Garden Center offerings B. Louise Oliverio new Democratic Precinct Officer (PCO) for Yelm C. Business Examiner covers Yelm – quotes this writer D. Yelm jeweler Margarette Elie wins top award E. Latest Yelm City Council news F. Introducing Babes in Belts G. Spirit of WA. Dinner Train moving to Tacoma link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK "A visionary analysis of how the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, & blind faith has combined with degradation of the public sphere to create an environment dangerously hostile to reason.” Publisher Comments for Al Gore’s new book “The Assault on Reason”. Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2007. 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 JUNE 11, 2007 Dear Readers; Buried by the media blitz of the Los Angeles judicial system vs. the Sheriff in the case of Paris Hilton (the meddling of the judge in how the Sheriff runs the jail is THE story there and not Ms. Hilton), was this news item that hopefully will put asunder President Bush's ridiculous capping of stem cell research funding: "In a leap forward for stem cell research, three independent teams of scientists reported Wednesday [June 6] that they have produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells in mice using skin cells without the controversial destruction of embryos. If the same could be done with human skin cells — a big if — the procedure could lead to breakthrough medical treatments without the contentious ethical and political debates surrounding the use of embryos. Experts were impressed by the achievement. 'I think it’s one of the most exciting things that has come out about embryonic stem cells, period,' said researcher Dr. Asa Abeliovich of Columbia University in New York, who didn’t participate in the work. 'It’s very convincing that it’s real,'" quoting the AP. [Ed. Note: Reason this: President Bush orders our fellow soldiers into harms way to die in Iraq, while restricting stem cell research to heal people using embryos that would be discarded anyway saying that is ethically immoral, because life is being destoyed? Someone please explain the logic of that to me?] link here Of course, President Bush will veto a stem cell funding bill yet again. link here 1. “THE BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER” “A study done at the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that a good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at stressful situations helps mitigate the damaging physical effects of distressing emotions. The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease. When we laugh we lower our blood pressure, it increases the blood flow to the heart and pumps more oxygen into the blood. It also strengthens artery walls. This is good news for those wishing to prevent high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis, heart disease, and ulcers. A good laugh or a joke also helps remove stress and tension -- not only removing it from the body but also diffusing awkward social situations. Telling a joke and laughing together is a way of connecting with others and feeling relaxed -- which also leads to improve mental as well as physical health. American College of Cardiology has found that the positive effects of laughing last for up to 45 minutes, while in contrast, the effects of stress decrease the blood flow by 35 per cent. Their researchers recommend 15 minutes of laughter a day as well as regular exercise to promote cardiovascular health,” quoting CNN. link here . 2. “WHY CUBA IS EXPORTING HEALTH CARE TO THE U. S. “Cubans say they offer health care to the world's poor because they have big hearts. But what do they get in return? They live longer than almost anyone in Latin America. Far fewer babies die. Almost everyone has been vaccinated, and such scourges of the poor as parasites, TB, malaria, even HIV/AIDS are rare or non-existent. Anyone can see a doctor, at low cost, right in the neighborhood. The Cuban health care system is producing a population that is as healthy as those of the world's wealthiest countries at a fraction of the cost. And now Cuba has begun exporting its system to under-served communities around the world - including in the US. The story of Cuba's health care ambitions is largely hidden from the people of the United States, where politics left over from the Cold War maintain an embargo on information and understanding. But it is increasingly well-known in the poorest communities of Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Africa where Cuban and Cuban-trained doctors are practicing,” quoting YES! Magazine. link here . 3. “A WORLD OF THIRST” “Poor sanitation. Pollution. Wasteful irrigation. The planet's freshwater supply is terribly managed” “In a report issued in November, the United Nations declared water "a global crisis," announcing that 55 member nations are failing to meet their water-related Millennium Development Goal target, agreed upon in 2000, of halving the proportion of people without clean water and sanitation by 2015. The real crisis, experts say, is not a lack of water but a lack of water management. Water doesn't always appear in the right places, or at the right times. And it has to be cared for. ‘It's a terrible situation around the world,’ says Peter Rogers, a Harvard environmental engineering professor,’"but it doesn't have to be,’” quoting US News. link here . 4. “75 YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR SKIS TO NORTH POLE” “…But Barbara Hillary took it all in stride, completing the trek to the world's northernmost point last month [April] at the age of 75. She is one of the oldest people to reach the North Pole, and is believed to be the first black woman to accomplish the feat. Hillary, of Averne, N.Y., grew up in Harlem and devoted herself to a nursing career and community activism. At 67, she battled lung cancer. Five years later, she went dog sledding in Quebec and photographed polar bears in Manitoba. Then she heard that a black woman had never made it to the North Pole. "I said, 'What's wrong with this picture?"' she said. "So I sort of rolled into this, shall we say." In 1909, Matthew Henson made history as the first black man to reach the Pole, though his accomplishment was not officially recognized for decades -- it was overshadowed by the presence of his white colleague, Robert Peary. Ann Bancroft, a physical-education teacher from Minnesota, was the North Pole's first female visitor in 1986 as a member of the Steger Polar Expedition…,” quoting the Seattle Times. link here . 5. “PALM OIL PUTS SQUEEZE ON ENDANGERED ORANGUTAN” “Bound hand and foot, dishevelled orangutans caught raiding Borneo's oil palm crops silently await their fate as a small crowd of plantation workers gather to watch. Lacking only handcuffs and fingerprinting to complete the atmosphere of a criminal bust, such "ape evictions" have become part of life for Asia's endangered red apes. Thousands have strayed into the path of international commerce as Indonesia and Malaysia, their last remaining habitats, race to convert their forests to profitable palm crops. Branded pests for venturing out from their diminishing forest habitats into plantations where they eat young palm shoots, orangutans could be extinct in the wild in ten years time, the United Nations said in March,” quoting Environmental News Network. link here . 6. “GRIM WARNING FOR AMERICA’S FAST FOOD CONSUMERS BY ‘SUPERSIZE ME’ MICE RESEARCH” “It's research that may have you thinking twice before upgrading to the large size at your favorite fast food joint. Saint Louis University research presented in Washington, D.C., shows the dangers of high-fat food combined with high fructose corn syrup and a sedentary lifestyle - in other words, what may be becoming commonplace among Americans. Brent Tetri, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Liver Center, and colleagues studied the effects of a diet that was 40 percent fat and replete with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener common in soda and some fruit juices. The research was presented at the Digestive Diseases Week meeting. "We wanted to mirror the kind of diet many Americans subsist on, so the high fat content is about the same you'd find in a typical McDonald's meal, and the high fructose corn syrup translates to about eight cans of soda a day in a human diet, which is not far off with what some people consume," says Tetri, a leading researcher in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to cirrhosis and, ultimately, death. "But we were also keeping the mice sedentary, with a very limited amount of activity." The study, which lasted for 16 weeks, had some curious results, says Tetri. "We had a feeling we'd see evidence of fatty liver disease by the end of the study," he says. "But we were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance - the beginning of type II diabetes - to begin." And unlike other studies, the mice were not forced to eat; rather, they were able to eat whenever they wanted - and eat they did. Tetri says there's evidence that suggests fructose actually suppresses your fullness, unlike fiber-rich foods, which make you feel full quickly. The take-home message for humans is obvious, he says,” quoting Medical News Today. link here . 7. BUTTERFLY SPOTTED IN NEW PLACES “A species of butterfly has been spotted in areas of Scotland where it has not been previously recorded. Butterfly Conservation Scotland is leading a survey of the orange tip. New sightings of it have come in from Dingwall, Iona, and Mull so far. The group hopes to improve records of the species, but also gauge the impact warmer weather is having on it," quoting the BBC. link here . 8. HARVARD STUDY: AFTERNOON NAPS GOOD FOR YOUR HEART “…Here is one we've all been waiting for: A Harvard study has found that a regular afternoon nap could reduce the risk of cardiac death by 37 percent. First we learned that a glass of red wine is good for the heart, and now so is the midday snooze. For the wine, we have the French to thank. For the nap, we can thank the Greeks. Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, an epidemiologist with the Harvard School of Public Health, uncovered the protective effect of siestas in a detailed study of 23,681 Greek men and women whose health and habits were followed for a minimum of six years. The benefit was most pronounced among working men who napped regularly, for at least 30 minutes a day, at least three days a week. Their risk of cardiac death was 64 percent lower than their peers who did not nap. Even the occasional nap was beneficial. A five-minute siesta a couple of times a week offered men and women a 12 percent reduction in heart risk… “Thirty-seven percent? That's huge,’' said Dr. Matthew DeVane, a Walnut Creek cardiologist and board member of the American Heart Association. ‘The numbers are comparable to what aspirin and statin drugs can do,’” quoting the San Francisco Chronicle. link here The Harvard University site for Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos: link here . 9. MAN IN COMA 19 YEARS AWAKES TO A CHANGED POLAND "A railway worker who emerged from a 19-year coma woke to a radically altered Poland and thinks "the world is prettier now" than it was under communism, his wife said Sunday [June 3]. Gertruda Grzebska, 63, said that for years she fed her husband Jan carefully with a spoon and moved his body to prevent bed sores. "For 19 years he did not move or say anything," Grzebska told The Associated Press by phone. "He tried to say things, but it couldn't be understood. Sometimes we pretended we understood." … "He was so amazed to see the colorful streets, the goods," she said. "He says the world is prettier now" than it was 19 years ago, when Poland was still under communist rule,” quoting the AP. link here . 10. "50 WAYS TO SPACE OUT" "The launch of Sputnik blazed an orbital trail for hundreds of communications, remote sensing, weather, and spy satellites. Fifty years later, the little sphere’s impact on science, politics, and culture is still evident around the world. This list of activities should help you prepare for Sputnik’s half-century anniversary this October," quoting Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine. link here . 11. ORGANIC FOOD NEWS IN RECENT WEEKS “ORGANICS: A POOR HARVEST FOR WAL-MART” “A number of organic farmers across the country say that Wal-Mart has backed off of aggressive plans to offer more organic foods. After placing large orders for organic apples and juices last year, the retailer is cutting back or stopping orders altogether. A year ago last March Wal-Mart grabbed headlines by announcing its organic push. Stephen Quinn, a top marketing executive, told investors at a Bear Stearns conference that the company would double the number of organic food items in its stores to 400 and offer them "at the Wal-Mart price" (see BusinessWeek.com, 3/29/06),” quoting Business Week. link here “HAS BIG BUSINESS TURNED ORGANICS INTO ‘YUPPY CHOW’?" “Organic food is being taken over by big business, marketed as ‘yuppy chow’ for the privileged, and increasingly packaged with as little concern for the environment as conventional food production, says a York University academic researcher. In a paper to be presented on Friday [June 1] at Canada's largest gathering of social sciences scholars, Irena Knezevic says that most of the major organic brands on the North American market are now owned by large corporations such as ConAgra, Cargill, Kraft, Coca Cola and Pepsi. She says their products - along with those sold by retail giants such as Loblaws and Wal-Mart - are turning organic agriculture into product brands that are becoming ‘a marketing tool more so than an assurance of quality, let alone an assurance of a fair and sustainable production process,’" quoting Canada’s Globe & Mail. link here . 12. COMMON BARN OWLS NOW ENDANGERED SPECIES IN ILLINOIS “Barn owls are an endangered species in Illinois. Possible reasons include; the use of pesticides to control rodents, loss of nesting and foraging habitat, shooting and road kills,” quoting the Illinois Raptor center. link here “Carol Freeman of Glenview, Ill….focuses her photography on the barn owl & 477 other threatened and endangered species in Illinois, quoting Costco Connection magazine. See page 68 link here Ms. Freeman’s site: link here . RAMTHA STUDENT NEWS A. "For the first time in many years, Ramtha is speaking to the public on Earth Changes, how to prepare, and how to thrive. Join us in Miami June 17th, as Ramtha rolls out his unique and powerful teachings." link here And: link here {turn up volume) B. JZ Knight’s fabulous interview with Barry Eaton of Radio Out There (Nexus Magazine) is posted at: link here And linked from link here C. Introductory Information on Ramtha’s School is now available in Spanish: link here D. Greg Simmons June Newsletter is out: link here E. RSE students John Savage, his son Chase, and Michael Knight have made a documentary film on James Gilliland and his contact with ET’s & UFO’s. link here James Gilliland and the ECETI project: link here F. Massive rains have returned to drought stricken Australia, just ahead of a visit by Ramtha there next month. link here And, about Ramtha's three events in Australia: 1. Beginning Retreat: link here 2. Advanced Retreat: link here 3. One on One Q + A with Ramtha: link here . LOCAL NOTES Covered last week on Yelm's Community Blog: A. A reader's observations on the Yelm building boom B. Local geotechnical expert gives public talk on Climate change C. World focus - "One Minute Each Night" D. Citizens for Fire Protection introduced E. Thurston County Commissioner candidate Romero comes to Yelm F. 8th grade CSE graduates mark third graduation for this private school G. Introducing Rainier kids daycamp link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." Charles Darwin (1809-1882) English natural historian. in 1871 . Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2007. 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 JUNE 4, 2007 "JUNE IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER!" 1. “DO YOU BELIEVE? ROSWELL WANTS UFO THEME PARK" "Businesses here have been cashing in on the UFO craze for years — paintings and replicas of UFOs and space aliens adorn downtown buildings, and even the McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are UFO- and space-themed. Now city officials want to take it to another level with a UFO-themed amusement park, complete with an indoor roller coaster that would take passengers on a simulated alien abduction. ‘Nobody will be harmed and everybody will be returned, hopefully, in the same shape,’ concept designer Bryan Temmer said Friday [May 25],” quoting the AP. link here . 2. “CATALOGUING EVERY SPECIES ON EARTH” “Spurred by fears that thousands of animals, plants, and microbes will disappear from the planet before scientists can properly study them, a consortium of world-famous research institutions and funding foundations tomorrow will launch an effort to compile an enormous, computer-based "Encyclopedia of Life" to catalog every species known or found. ‘For biologists, this is equivalent to the moon shot or mapping the human genome in terms of complexity and scope,’ said Gary Borisy, director of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, which along with Harvard University is among the top players in a project that will be overseen by biologists but undertaken mainly by software designers and computer engineers. The aim of a project expected to take a decade at a cost of $100 million is to create a gigantic computer data base containing detailed descriptions of each of 1.8 million "named" species -- that is, forms of life that have been identified by scientists,” quoting The Boston Globe. link here . 3. “DOES YOUR BABY KNOW FRENCH? MAYBE” “Psychologists at the University of British Columbia in Canada have found that babies -- just 4 to 6 months old -- seem already able to tell the difference between different languages. If a baby girl lives in an English-speaking household, she'll react differently to a video clip in English than, say, one in French. Some of this has been known for years. But the Canadian researchers found that young babies could even tell the difference between languages if they couldn't hear the words. They could pick up the subtle differences in the movements of an adult's face,” quoting ABC News. link here . 4. “MEMORIZING IN YOUR SLEEP” “Where does the mind go when we sleep? As dreamers, we have long suspected this mysteriously sealed condition leads a purposeful life of its own. Science, however, has only lately supported a specific role for brain activity during sleep: cementing the memories we acquire while awake. In the October issue of Learning & Memory, Sidarta Ribeiro, Constantine Pavlides, and colleagues (Rockefeller University) show that exposure to a "memorable" environment causes the brain to turn on a gene called zif-268 during subsequent sleep. Because activation of zif-268 can alter nerve cell behavior, this discovery offers an intriguing glimpse of how the sleeping brain could consolidate recently formed memories,” quoting Science Daily. link here Source: Cold Harbor Spring Laboratory: link here . 5. UNIQUE WIND TURBINE GATHERS WIND FROM ALL DIRECTIONS “The quiet revolution wind turbine has been designed for use on or near buildings and the 6kW model will generate 10,000kWhrs a year on a site with an average wind speed of 5.8m/s,” quoting UK’s Quiet Revolution. link here . 6. “CHI-CHI RESTAURANTS ARE NOW BANNING BOTTLED WATER” “When Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., in 1971, it was at the vanguard of a "think globally, eat locally" gastronomic uprising. Now, in banning bottled water, the restaurant is at the forefront of another insurgency. Finally cluing in to the fact that importing bottled water from Italy is a flagrant violation of its mantra, Chez Panisse stopped serving Fiuggi still water last summer. It now serves free, filtered tap water. When it gets a carbonator up and running in the next week that will add fizz to tap water, the restaurant will stop selling sparkling Acqua Minerale San Benedetto. The culinary mecca joins a growing number of restaurants willing to forgo 300 per cent-plus markups on bottled water in return for increased customer loyalty,” quoting Macleans.ca. link here . 7. ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR PUGET SOUND “MC Electric Vehicles (MCEV) operates in Washington and Oregon with retail locations in Seattle, Spokane and Portland and wholesale vehicle distribution throughout North America. We provide sales, service and repair of electric vehicles. We are proud members of the Puget Sound Clean Air Coalition, The Seattle Electric Vehicle Association, the Electric Drive Transportation Association and the Washington State China Relations Council,” quoting MC Electric vehicles. link here And: link here . 8. “NEW PROCESS GENERATES HYDROGEN…TO RUN ENGINES” “A Purdue University engineer has developed a method that uses an aluminum alloy to extract hydrogen from water for running fuel cells or internal combustion engines, and the technique could be used to replace gasoline. The method makes it unnecessary to store or transport hydrogen - two major challenges in creating a hydrogen economy, said Jerry Woodall, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue who invented the process. "The hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it," said Woodall, who presented research findings detailing how the system works during a recent energy symposium at Purdue. The technology could be used to drive small internal combustion engines in various applications, including portable emergency generators, lawn mowers and chain saws. The process could, in theory, also be used to replace gasoline for cars and trucks, he said,” quoting Purdue University. link here . 9. TIME MAGAZINE EXAMINES: “FORGET ORGANIC, EAT LOCAL” “Nearly a quarter of American shoppers now buy organic products once a week, up from 17% in 2000. But for food purists, "local" is the new "organic," the new ideal that promises healthier bodies and a healthier planet. Many chefs, food writers, and politically minded eaters are outraged that "Big Organic" firms now use the same industrial-size farming and long-distance-shipping methods as conventional agribusiness. link here . 10. BE PREPARED WITH THESE NEW MRE’S “The government and the American Red Cross urge every family to be prepared to care for themselves for the first 72 hours after a natural disaster or emergency situation. Get your daily nourishment from APack™ Ready Meals. They are compact, durable, nutritious, self-heating, and shelf-stable,” quoting ReadyMeal. link here And: “Build a ten day survival pack for $25 or less” link here . 11. “ONE IN 10 AMERICANS MAY GET SICK FROM SWIMMING…AT THE BEACH” “Across the country, millions of Americans are heading to the beach this Memorial Day weekend for the start of the summer beach season. What they may not realize is that as many as one in 10 beachgoers may get sick from swimming in polluted water, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Experts estimate that as many as 7 million Americans get sick every year from drinking or swimming in water contaminated with bacteria, viruses or parasites. Illnesses include a wide range of diseases, such as ear, nose and eye infections; gastroenteritis; hepatitis; encephalitis; skin rashes; respiratory illnesses; fever; chills; and nausea. “A day at the beach shouldn’t have to turn into a night in the bathroom,” said Nancy Stoner, director of NRDC’s clean water project. NRDC offers Americans five simple steps for safe summer fun this Memorial Day weekend [and all Summer!],” quoting the NRDC. link here Print this wallet card to keep handy: link here . 12. IRAQ: SOME UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES A. "A LONG TIME GONE" "By the time winter gave way to spring, the Minnesota National Guard was supposed to be back from war. But guard members from small towns such as Crookston, Goodridge, and Fergus Falls are still patrolling Iraq, their tour extended by President Bush's troop buildup. When they finally return this summer, they will have been gone nearly two years, one of the longest stints of any guard unit since September 11, 2001," quoting the Washington Post. [Ed. Note: After reading this story, think about having your loved ones' tour of duty extended in this manner.] link here B. "WHAT IS A FATHER'S DUTY WHEN HIS SON IS SENT INTO HARM'S WAY" "What exactly is a father's duty when his son is sent into harm's way? Among the many ways to answer that question, mine was this one: As my son was doing his utmost to be a good soldier, I strove to be a good citizen. I know that my son did his best to serve our country. Through my own opposition to a profoundly misguided war, I thought I was doing the same. In fact, while he was giving his all, I was doing nothing. In this way, I failed him," writes Andrew J. Bacevich.... Andrew J. Bacevich teaches history and international relations at Boston University. His son died May 13 after a suicide bomb explosion in Salah al-Din province," quoting the Washington Post. link here C. "MEDIA PREVENTED FROM COVERING THE REALITY OF WAR" "Since last year, the military's embedding rules require that journalists obtain a signed consent from a wounded soldier before his or her image can be published. Images that put a face on the dead - that make them identifiable - are simply prohibited. Journalists say they are not allowed to cover the reality of war, and that 'this has got little to do with the families or the soldiers, and everything to do with politics,'" quoting the New York Times in Truthout. link here D. BILL MAHER SAYS: "AMERICANS HAVE MADE SACRIFICES" [IN IRAQ WAR] This is a "must-see 3.52 minutes worth of frank talk! link here . RAMTHA STUDENTS NEWS 1. Danielle Graham will be Elaine Smitha's guest on the Progressive News Network Show "Evolving Ideas." Tuesday, June 5, 11am PDT, 2pm EDT. The interview is live streamed at: link here 2. Ed Wiltsie's talk "Climate Change & Your Community" will be this Thursday, June 7 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm at Yelm's Middle School Commons. His talk is open to the public for a $10 admission at the door: link here 3. Ramtha’s Beginning Retreat comes to Los Angeles, CA next week! link here 4. Ramtha’s Beginning Retreat comes to Denver in mid-July: link here 5. Ramtha’s Beginning Retreat comes to Toronto, ON for the very first time this July! link here This event is convenient for attendees from Pittsburgh, western New York State, Pennsylvania, and the US Northeast. 6. The latest edition of the Global Intelligencer is now available: link here . LOCAL NEWS Covered last week on Yelm’s Community Blog: A. Tacoma Power's Nisqually River Project offers tours B. HMMM! Yelm Planning Commission appointment porcess C. Thurston County Commissioner candidate meet & greet in Yelm D. Yelm Mayor: Yelm's Adult Community Center needs your help E. Bar Cinco one year anniversary link here . QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not over nature but of ourselves." Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964) Author of Silent Spring documenting the impacts of pesticides on ecology & often credited with reviving the environmentalist movement . © Kleiner’s Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2007. For archived issues of Kleiner’s Korner, click on "Current Kleiner’s Korner and Archives" at link here Send comments to steve@kleinerskorner.com .