UPDATES ARCHIVE FOR SEPTEMBER 2003
HOME PAGE	Kleiner's Korner for Week of September 29,2003 Kleiner's Korner, archived editions and links are now published on: link here Over the years, global warming has been a myth to some and a very real and credible threat to others. There were record warm temperatures all over the world this year and reports of escalating climatic changes. A study released this week says global warming is not some myth, after all. Warwick Vincent and Derek Mueller of Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, and Martin Jeffries of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, whose findings are scheduled to appear in an upcoming issue of Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union, state an ice shelf at Ellesmere Island in northern Canada is in breakup mode because warm conditions are pushing average temperatures above freezing. There have been several reports listed here in the past about the Antarctic ice shelf breakups. An Iraq war and the battle against terrorism notwithstanding, these conditions are indicative that the potential peril for humanity is more from Mother Nature and her fight to heal herself from the sores of an ignorant populace on her surface. link here Attention to climatic change is pertinent in Western Washington. Statewide, the summer of 2003 was officially recorded as the driest since 1895. link here And this week, France reported almost 15,000 heat related deaths from a just-competed summer tally: link here 1. YES! Finally, "scientists have uncovered yet another tiny piece of the puzzle of our origins. Findings published online this week by the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' describe a lower jawbone that they say is the earliest evidence of anatomically modern humans in Europe . . . and radiocarbon analysis dates the jawbone" to about, yes, 35,000 years ago. Click Here And: Click Here. 2. One of Europe's most respected stem cell researchers, Swedish Professor Olle Lindvall of Lund University, told a conference of stem cell experts in London earlier this month that stem cell transplants "could help halt physical decline." This leads scientists to "believe stem cell transplants offer a realistic hope of treating Parkinson's disease." Click Here Now, a new way to produce stem cells has been revealed in China: fusing human skin cells with rabbit eggs to produce early stage embryos, which in turn yield stem cells. [Ed. Note: Leave it to science to get around the restrictions of The Holy Mother Church and the Bush Administration and advance stem cell technologies anyway, leading toward a better and longer life for all humanity.] Click Here. 3. Several stories and books have been written claiming that 5 years ago the deaths of Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were planned murders. A new book, "Diana: Secrets & Lies" by Nicholas Davies, details a murder plot by M15, the British counterpart to the FBI. Davies is a New York Times best-selling author and has written ten previous books about Britain's royal family. Click Here. 4. I applaud CBS News "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney on his observations about the 10 Commandments that were removed from the courthouse in Alabama. To quote "Andy's Commandments": "The First Commandment says 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' That never sounded like anything God would say. It sounds as if he was admitting there were other Gods but he wanted to be first among them. God wouldn't say that." Now this may have been a "tongue in cheek" statement, however, these are my thoughts exactly about this commandment. For someone to dare say "he [God] was admitting there were other Gods but wanted to be the first among them" is an extremely brilliant observation and quite courageous. [Maybe there will be a whole re-examination of the context for the 10 Commandments in the first place!] Click Here. 5. "Karen Ross, president of the California Association of Wine Grape Growers, [has] said more wineries are discovering the economic benefits -- tax incentives, rebates and reimbursement for surplus energy -- of environmentally friendly vineyards and alternative energy" by using solar power to press wine grapes and cork bottles. Click Here. 6. The truth is starting to emerge about credit card issuing firms: they want their customers to carry a balance, not pay off their monthly balance. This leads many into huge debt loads. This "debt carrying" strategy is now aimed at college students, who often are not trained to handle their credit card balances properly. These credit card companies teach them early in life it pays to carry a credit card balance by enticing them with offers of a financial rebate NOT to pay off their balances. HUM! Click Here. 7. JetBlue, the darling of the U.S. airline world because of its impeccable low fare service, has revealed it violated its own privacy policy by giving a U.S. Dept. of Defense contractor 5 million itineraries of its passengers. The information was used as part of a study seeking ways to identify "high risk" airline customers. This is a huge "black-eye" for this airline as fesses up to violating customers' privacy. Click Here And this week, a group of JetBlue's passengers sued the carrier for breech of privacy. Click Here Further, a security aide is prodding all airlines to yield data on travelers and is appealing to the industry’s trade group, the Air Transport Association to get all airlines to agree: Click Here. 8. While on the airlines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has relaxed the rules banning steel knives on meal trays in airline cabins. Northwest Airlines was the first to replace the post-9/11 required plastic knife with a metal one in its First Class cabins. [Ed. Note: Looks like the ridiculous overreaction by government regulations in the wake of 9/11 may be creeping back into balance!] Click Here. 9. Two U.S. studies published last week show veterans of the 1991 Gulf War may have an unusually high risk of the deadly and incurable nerve disease ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. [Ed. Note: Several times over the last years I have posted articles showing there are way too many veterans of that war who are ill with mysterious diseases, some of which have been passed onto their families. Some have contended that the inoculations soldiers received may have been laced with all sorts of experimental items.] Click Here. 10. And you thought "slave trading" was from an epic time long ago? Not so. National Geographic Magazine's September issue says "there are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade." Their article even speaks of this existing right here in the USA with our produce picking industry. Here is an excerpt of this story. Click Here The worldwide "human rights" eye has been trained lately on the case of a Nigerian woman who had been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, a crime punishable by death for a woman, yet not for a man. A reading of all the intricacies involved in her victory in court points to just how complicated human rights issues become when rules of religion and rules of law collide. However, her victory is a tremendous achievement for equality for everyone on this planet. Click Here. 11. Love him or hate him, everyone has an opinion of President Ronald Reagan. Regardless of the countless views, this man has contributed something to American society no President has since Thomas Jefferson, over 10,000 handwritten letters. Collectively, his letters reveal a private side of his character and thinking like no other: an exceptionally passionate, caring, thoughtful and loving man. Now, some of his most astonishing letters are published in a book, "Reagan, A Portrait in Letters." Click Here Read his letters and you will see he often turned to “his God” for guidance. President Reagan was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine 39 times between 1966 and 1993. Here they are: Click Here. 12. CBS News "60 Minutes" reran their spring 2003 story last week on the links between government contracts awarded in Iraq and the connections those companies have to government officials, including Vice President Cheney and the Halliburton company. Defense Policy Board members' names such as Gerald Hillman, Richard Perle, and James Woolsey were listed on the piece. Entitled "All in the Family," the reason for the rerun was to update the story. "Halliburton has done extremely well. So far, the company has earned almost a billion dollars on the oil well fire contract, and could earn another billion providing logistical support for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq. As for Vice President Cheney, he says he had nothing to do with the Army Corp's decision to give the no bid contract to Halliburton. Cheney also insists he cut all financial ties to the company three years ago. But this week, Senate democrats challenged that assertion. They say the vice president still gets hundreds of thousands of dollars from his former company each year - and they called for congressional hearings on Halliburton's contract." Here is the full transcript. Click Here Another administration Cabinet member is under a little pressure to explain his actions. Attorney General John Ashcroft has released details on the FBI's collection of library data of U.S. citizens under a court challenge from the ACLU and the American Library Assn. Click Here President Bush's fate is perhaps, now sealed. He moves back to Texas in January 2005. His poll numbers are the worst ever and are following his father's similar popularity downslide. Remember the Clinton 1992 campaign slogan, "It's the economy, stupid?" Click Here However, this President Bush has an economy that is bordering on bankruptcy and most do NOT want to see that as a possibility. Click Here The American public is going to feel it in the pocket book this winter with this week's announced output cuts by OPEC and the winter's potential fuel price increases already placing a shock on the markets. Click Here The Administration is so nervous about the U.S. economy, it has engineered an "unexpected and dramatic shift in the global currency strategy." [Ed. Note: Too bad it will be too late when most Americans know what this truly means to their pocketbooks!] Click Here And Rumsfeld has the audacity to go to Congress and the American people saying we can afford the $87 billion requested for Iraq and Afghanistan. [Ed. Note: I have no isuue with him asking for more aid for rebuilding Iraq. No, my issue is telling Americans we can afford it.] Click Here The Pentagon is calling up more National Guard and Reserve Troops for fulltime duty in Iraq. [Ed. Note: How come nobody has raised a red flag and asked who is going to defend and/or aid our homeland in the event of some disaster??? We are leaving ourselves very vulnerable here because if something happens on the home front, bringing these troops home from Iraq would take weeks.] Click Here The National Guard call up effects us in Washington State as 5,000 Washington State National Guard troops have been advised they may be called up for Iraq duty within 90 days. Click Here While nobody was looking, the benchmark rate of an ounce of gold now crept above the $385 an ounce floor. [Ed. Note: $400 an ounce anyone?] Click "Live Quotes." Click Here America isn't the only country having war issues. This week 27 Israeli Air Force pilots refused to carry out bombing raids against Palestinian civilian targets. [Ed. Note: Some people ARE starting to wake-up!] Click Here The American way of life is now more severely threatened that at any time in its history. This fact came out of the closet this week with the just-released annual Census report showing America's poverty rates rose 2 years in a row, on the Bush Administration's watch. Click Here. 13. For years many gardeners in the Yelm area have used heirloom seeds from Abundant Life Seed Foundation in Port Townsend, WA. On August 14th, their business and much of their seed bank were destroyed by fire. Their website describes the type of help they are requesting from the public so they may rebuild their programs. Click Here. 14. Attention RSE students! The Mexico Beginner’s Retreat & Assay III dates for January, 2004 have now been posted, along with the Blue College Retreat February 13-22 and Primary Retreat March 6-14. Click the following link and scroll to “2004 Schedule”: Click Here. 15. Just in time for the start of the Christmas Season, it's a "no-brainer" that this is going to be the Neiman-Marcus catalog's top adult toy this year. Click Here. Quote of the Week: "It's like a book, I think, this bloomin, world, Which you can read and care for just so long, But presently you feel that you will die Unless you get the page you're readi'n' done, An' turn another -- likely not so good; But what you're after is to turn'em all." Rudyard Kipling. From "Sestina from the Tramp-Royal." Kleiner's Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2003. For archived issues of Kleiner's Korner, click on "Weekly Updates." on the website. www.kleinerskorner.com Send comments to srklein@ywave.com Kleiner's Korner for Week of September 22, 2003 "How does a promising young Seattle lawyer go from skyrocketing success to scandal and defeat? How does a well-meaning man trying to serve his country drag it down instead into crime and corruption? It's been 30 years since he was indicted for his role in burglarizing psychiatrist Lewis Fielding's office in a failed attempt to discredit the man whose Pentagon Papers embarrassed the White House. At the time, Krogh thought he was right. He was so loyal to President Nixon, so certain that the president's Vietnam peace strategy was at stake, that he blindly followed White House orders. That was then. Now, Krogh wants everyone to know he was wrong." With all of the deceptions, downright lies and evasions coming out of Washington, D.C.'s politicians and their cronies over the last years, my dream is that ALL politicians would pause and learn the from Egil Krogh's story. Read his story in the Seattle P-I. link here 1. Finally, a victory for the environment! On August 26th a federal judge ruled "that the Navy's plan to deploy a new high-intensity sonar system violates numerous federal environmental laws and could endanger whales, porpoises and fish." In an earlier Kleiner's Korner I noted that the Administration would go around such a ruling, if it were made. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) was the lead plaintiff in this case. Click Here. 2. Additionally the NRDC has posted a list of disastrous Bush Administration environmental policies that have reversed years of progress. Click Here In a speech September 15 at Detroit Edison's Monroe, Michigan power plant, President Bush showed just how out of touch he chooses to be on the environment. Click Here Last week I posted a picture of a Dall sheep in full Ram's Horn regalia from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This week, the Bush Administration renewed calls for oil drilling there. Click Here. 3. A study led by a University of California at Davis researcher released this past week followed on the heels of a government report that the White House directed the EPA to give New Yorkers misleading assurances about air quality around the World Trade Center ruins in the wake of 9/11. [Ed, Note: What nice and trusting entities are our Washington, D. C. officials! They need to read this week's intro article.] Click Here. 4. "Sticker shock" is the term describing reactions to Vice President Dick Cheney's statements on NBC's Meet the Press last week when he said the President's request for an additional $87 for military and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan may not be enough! Most of the money is earmarked for Iraq and follows the $79 billion Congress approved in April for the Iraq war. Polls are finding a skeptical public. Click Here Iraq has been likened to a Vietnam quagmire by Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Click Here. 5. One of the most forward thinking endeavors announced in recent days is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's $100 million donation to launch a private research organization to study and decode the links between human genes and the brain. The Allen Institute for Brain Science will be located in Seattle. Click Here. 6. This is one of the best editorials I have seen about how the thirst and lust for money by school boards across this nation contribute substantially to childhood obesity by selling junk food on our schools' campuses. The writer is the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), this nation's largest non-profit food advocate, and gives an example how schools can substitute juices for soft drinks in their vending machines. Last week I mentioned the huge vitamin D deficiency amongst our youth. This is a must-read for parents with children in any school, public or private. [Ed. Note: I have witnessed this issue right here in Yelm!] Click Here. 7. It's not an urban legend: to maintain control of your vehicle, don't use your car's cruise control on wet or icy roads. The cruise control does not recognize road conditions and will continue to accelerate on instead of slowing down as you would. Several websites have postings about this. Click Here The Urban Legends article: Click Here BreakTheChain.org's version: Click Here. 8. Follow-up: Earlier this summer I referenced a story about how the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is considering using "back-scatter" X-ray machines at this nation's airports. These machines can see through clothing, revealing everything underneath to a screener including a person's naked body. Here's an article that says the X-rays from these machines emit "ionizing radiation from the X-ray spectrum that damages and mutates both chromosomal DNA and structural proteins in human cells, which can lead to cancer." If approved, frequent fliers, airline personnel and airport staff would be exposed to these X-ray types many times a year. Be aware: these machines are being field tested at New York's JFK, Los Angeles (LAX) and Orlando's McCoy Jetport. [Note: The article contains information about other invasive x-ray screening devices under development.] Click Here. 9. An email photo has been circulating around the Web purportedly taken by from space during this summer's power blackout in the Northeast. It has been debunked as an urban legend. According to the Urban Legends and Folklore website, "The emailed photo is, in fact, a cropped, doctored version of a well-known composite image created from satellite photos taken between 1994 and 1995 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Click Here Here is the image as released by NASA in 2000 and published in Discover Magazine. Scroll down to July, 2003 and click "Turn Down the Lights." Click Here. 10. Follow-up: New research suggests that cell phones (called mobile phones in Europe) and the new wireless technology "could cause a 'whole generation' of today's teenagers to go senile in the prime of their lives." [Ed. Note: How many times have I mentioned this here? Only as recently as the last issue!] Click Here. 11. For cell phone users here's another bit of information from Scientific American Magazine's July 2003 article "Antennas Get Smart." Using adaptive arrays, cell phone antennas can create a virtual wire by linking all antennas together. The claim is this vastly improves wireless communications by sending signals more efficiently. The downside? Now a cell phone user's exact location can be pinpointed, eliminating another area of privacy. Of course, some will consider giving up this privacy for a little extra "transmission" security. But, remember what Ben Franklin said: "He who gives up liberty for security, has neither." [Ed. Note: A description of the article is published on Scientific American Digital. To read the complete article, one must have a subscription or purchase the print version.] Click Here. 12. Here is a non sequitur, if there ever was one: Royal Dutch Shell Oil has a division called Shell Renewables, "a renewable energy company developing commercial opportunities in Solar energy and Wind energy." [Ed. Note: I guess they don't want to be left behind as the shift occurs from fossil fuels to solar/wind power! "Ride the horse in the direction it's going!"] Click Here. 13. Yelm's own Danielle Brosco, founder of the dance troupe Blacken-Tan, has created a new set of dance pieces that celebrate the human female form. Her group has touched audiences wherever they go, from Vancouver, B.C. to Yelm, WA to San Francisco, CA. Blacken-Tan will be performing at the Seattle Fringe Festival at the Freehold Theater on Seattle's Capitol Hill, September 19, 20, 22, 25, & 26. For ticket prices and information, check out Blacken-Tan's website. Click Here. 14. Although summer will not officially end until September 23rd, this one is shaping up to be the driest and hottest on record in the Pacific Northwest, possibly the driest in 100 years. We will know at summer's end this week. Click Here. 15. Summer's official end, the fall equinox, will be at 3:47 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 in the Western USA. You can check the exact time in your time zone by clicking the link below. Have a wonderful and colorful autumn. And to those of you below the Equator, have a wonderful and colorful spring. Click Here. Quote of the Week: "Lying makes a problem part of the future; truth makes a problem part of the past." Rick Pitino, "Lead to Success," Broadway Books, Head Basketball Coach, Univ. of Louisville, KY. Kleiner's Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2003. All archived Updates now at www.kleinerskorner.com For archived issues of Kleiner's Korner, click on "Weekly Updates." Send comments to srklein@ywave.com Kleiner's Korner for Week of September 15, 2003 Clearly, President Bush's Iraqi War has taken a new turn with his September 7th speech to America when he switched tactics. Instead of the U.S. going forward without United Nations approval, now he's sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to appeal to the U.N. for assistance. The buzzword mentioned around Washington, D.C. these last weeks is "neo-cons" (neo-conservatives). The members of that group have ill-served the President with just plain wrong assessments on the planning before and results after the Iraqi invasion. Now President Bush is asking for an additional $87 billion. Who are the members of this "neo-cons" group, you might ask, and what is their intent. These are the same names you have heard me mention here repeatedly over the last year and a half: Dick Cheney, Gerald Hillman, Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and others. Delaware Senator Joseph Biden used the word "neo-cons" in his post-assessment of President Bush's speech with NBC's Tom Brokaw. In remarks entitled "Neo -- conned!" the Honorable Ron Paul, MD (R-TX) states in the July 10th, 2003 Congressional Record: "There is abundant evidence exposing those who drive our foreign policy justifying preemptive war. Those who scheme are proud of the achievements in usurping control over foreign policy. These are the neo-conservatives of recent fame. Granted, they are talented and achieved a political victory that all policymakers must admire. But can freedom and the republic survive this takeover? That question should concern us." The entire remarks made by this distinguished Member of Congress are well worth the read. He lays out the names and context of how our foreign policy got hijacked. link here The post-war conflict is not boding well for the President, as he acknowledged in his speech. [Ed. Note: Where is Perle now?] link here Most Americans think the U.S. administration's aggressive military pursuit of the war on terrorism has made further terrorist attacks more likely rather than less likely, according to polls released this week just before Thursday's second anniversary of 9-11. link here And Rep. Paul's remarks in the Congressional Record September 5th, "Paper Money and Tyranny," spell out the truth of what this country is in for with a whopping $600 billion debt in 2004. That's 5% of 2004's GNP. Want a clue? Watch bank interest rates and any expenses associated with borrowing money rise faster than gasoline on an August 2003 afternoon. With this much debt, the government has only two options: borrow the money or print it. Neither bode well for America. link here Here's a very insightful letter from financial advisor Richard Russell to his subscribers about the state of the economy, how it's on the brink of inflation and what those implications mean to you. [Ed. Note: Gold and silver have always been a safe haven in a storm when paper becomes worthless, as will happen when the government turns the money printing presses on full throttle.] link here 1. The National Guard and Army Reserve units are estimating difficulty retaining and recruiting members after President Bush ordered extending the tour of duty to one year for those already in Iraq, far longer than anticipated. These troops do not want their lives, families and jobs back home interrupted for that long. They were supposed to be on temporary duty, not full-time military deployment; so they may hesitate to rejoin later. [Ed. Note: How would you like to be told you will be in Iraq for 6 months and now have it be mandatory for one year? Not a good morale booster! And what do you tell your little son or daughter back home who was expecting mommy or daddy for Thanksgiving and now it may be Easter!]: Click Here And with President Bush keeping the National Guard in Iraq for a full year, his brother, Florida Governor Jeb Bush faces the hurricane season without National Guard troops at home to assist as they always do. They are deployed overseas. Florida will have to rely on thinly staffed Guard units from other states, and it could take days to mobilize them to an emergency area in Florida Click Here Florida's news is "chilling" with hurricane Isabel's course under watchful Floridians' eyes. Click Here. 2. Despite anti-U.S. rhetoric and product boycotts around the world during the Iraq war, American brands are getting stronger and stronger. Puget Sound's Microsoft is the 2nd top global brand. And 8 of the top 10 brands are American. Seattle's Starbucks has gained in value as a mega brand over the last year. Click Here. 3. The ancient labyrinth enjoys renewed popularity worldwide with corn mazes very prevalent here in the U.S. this time of year. Here is a site dedicated to labyrinths of all types around the world. Click Here. 4. I have mentioned here on several occasions the issues concerning certain seafood being contaminated by high levels of mercury and other toxins, thanks to humanity's disregard for the environment. Now another issue has come to the forefront: over fishing certain waters is causing some fish species to be endangered. The National Audubon Society has a neat little card you can carry with you so when you are eating out or shopping you can tell which fish to avoid endangering further by purchasing them [that boosts demand] and what species are abundant. Click Here. 5. Did you know that there was one survivor of the space shuttle Columbia's breakup on February 1st? Tiny worms from the species Caenorhabditis elegans were found in canisters among the shuttle's Texas debris field. According to Space.com, "The worms, which are about the size of the tip of a pencil, were part of an experiment testing a new synthetic nutrient solution. The worms, which have a life cycle of between seven and 10 days, were four or five generations removed from the original worms placed on Columbia in January." Click Here. 6. Drinking a lot of bottled water these days? "With American's spending more than $7 billion a year on it, paying 120 to 7,500 times as much per gallon for bottled water as for tap [water]," Michael Shermer's report about what's in those bottles, as reported in Scientific American, is something wise to check out. Click Here. 7. You want to see something eye-opening? Check-out this chart from Discover Magazine titled "Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S. by Age." Shocking are the 1st three leading causes of death among the 18-24 age group: accidents, homicide & suicide. That these are the leading cause of death for this age group tells us something is very wrong with the way we raise our children (i.e. technology is now the God, instead of the inner Spirit). Scroll to July, 2003, then look under Features and click "Top 10 Causes of Death" for the article. Click Here. 8. Check out a gorgeous picture of this Dall sheep with Ram's horns from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska, a 19.5 million-acre expanse of pristine mountains, glaciers, rivers, and forests. This is the area mentioned in Kleiner's Korner several times which oilmen Bush and Cheney are pushing to open to oil exploration and drilling. Scroll down to July, 2003; then scroll to "Departments" and click "Reviews" then scroll to "Books" for this picture. Click Here. 9. In addition to cigarette butts along our roads, plastic shopping bags are becoming a huge source of litter. This is not just a U.S. problem. Ireland has instituted a levy on plastic bags. Since the bags are now only offered for a fee, this environmental blight in Ireland has nearly been eradicated. Hopefully, this plan will be adopted in the U.S. Click Here And India's anti-plastic bag movement is even stricter than Ireland's. Click Here. 10. Ever hear the phrase, "Attitude is everything?" Now scientists have studied links between the psychological state and the immune system response, finding that depression weakens the immune system. Click Here. 11. Most Americans would agree that today's teens do not get much outdoor exercise, prefer movies and video games, overexpose their developing brains to cell phones or 2.4 ghz portable phones, and will not drink milk, preferring sodas. These habits contribute to a vitamin D deficiency that may be a potential problem for this nation's adolescents, according to doctors Click Here. 12. In other news from America's medical practitioners, according to USA Today, "doctors are giving fewer antibiotics to children than they did in the mid-1990's, a trend that might slow the increase in germs resistant to those drugs." Click Here. 13."The DaVinci Code" is a best selling thriller this summer. It speaks of many truths "The Holy Mother Church" has covered up for hundreds of years, the church that put millions to death in the Inquisition. It is written as a novel, a format that sometimes is the only way facts can get out in the public arena. It is a fascinating book and you will not want to put down, so put aside some hours. It is available at RSE at The Outback or online: Click Here Although this book will expose readers to many to truths they may not have heard before, the pre-eminent historian in this arena is Sir Laurence Gardner, whose official website lists his many books and distinguished experience in this field. If you hunger for more information such as that in The DaVinci Code, Sir Gardner's books are an outstanding resource: Click Here Current RSE students will recognize the background in Sir Gardner's picture. His books are available in the U.S. at RSE at The Outback or online Click Here. 14. One of the most delightful, educational and thought provoking films we have seen recently is "Whale Rider." Filmed entirely on location in New Zealand, it is about Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, who believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. She sets out to prove herself worthy of the post. The movie shows how the issue of equality for women is entering native tribal customs. Keisha Castle-Hughes did a remarkable job playing Pai. Check out your local listings for show times. [Ed. Note: You'll see a fine movie can be made without sex, violence, foul language and or a disregard for human life]: Click Here. 15. Someone had a lot of time on his/her hands to come up with this computer graphic, yet it is very cute. Click on each horse for a chorus. Click Here. Quote of the Week: "Since the mathematicians have invaded the theory of relativity, I do not understand it myself anymore." Albert Einstein Kleiner's Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2003. All archived Updates now at www.kleinerskorner.com After clicking "Weekly Updates," click on the month you desire. Send comments to srklein@ywave.com Kleiner's Korner for Week of September 8, 2003 In last week's Kleiner's Korner, Item #5 mentioned a Newsday story about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) being instructed by the White House to give misleading information to the NYC public just days after 9/11 that the air in neighborhoods around the 9/11 site was safe to breathe when in fact the EPA had no such knowledge. This week the EPA's top watchdog, Inspector General Nikki Tinsley, is directly pointing the finger at the White House saying the EPA's press release "was surely not telling all of the truth" because "the White House changed EPA press releases to 'add reassuring statements and delete cautionary ones.'” Tinsley also said the EPA simply did not have sufficient data to justify such a reassurance. link here NBC's Lisa Myers did an exclusive interview with Inspector General Tinsley which was aired on NBC's Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. The show's site carries the full transcript. link here 1. The National Catholic Reporter has published a story by Joan Chittister titled, "Is There Anything That Matters" about White House lies regarding the war in Iraq. Why is this worth mentioning? Sister Joan is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, Pa. and according to the Catholic Reporter's website she is "a best-selling author and well-known international lecturer. She is founder and executive director of Benetvision: A Resource and Research Center for Contemporary Spirituality, and past president of the Conference of American Benedictine Prioresses and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Sister Joan has been recognized by universities and national organizations for her work for justice, peace and equality for women in the Church and society. She is an active member of the International Peace Council." Here is her report. Click Here. 2. Follow-up: Attorney General John Ashcroft is facing harsh criticism from within his own party where a lot of people think he has gone too far and want to curb his anti-terrorism policies. Click Here. 3. Have you heard the latest story about a state intervening in parental decisions concerning medical treatment for their child? This time the state is Utah, which is attempting to force chemotherapy on the 12-year old son of Barbara & Daren Jensen while the parents are seeking a second opinion on his unconfirmed cancer. Click Here. 4. U.S. scientists have discovered substances in food and wine that may extend human life -- polyphenols, a group of chemicals produced by many plants. Researchers at Harvard University have discovered polyphenols can prolong the life of yeast by about 70%, and they seem to work inside human cells too. The best known polyphenol is resveratrol found in red wine. There are several spins on this story, all with wonderful information. The first is from the journal Nature. Click Here An article from the BBC: Click Here An MSNBC article: Click Here. 5. Warning: An enterprising but larcenous entity purchased the toll free number 1-800-Do-Not-Call and is charging callers $2.95 to put their name on an anti-telemarketing list. The official Do Not Call number is 1-888-382-1222 and is a free service managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Click Here You can register online for next year through the FTC's website. This year's registration period ended August 31st. Click Here. 6. Investigating the cause of the 2003 blackout, CorpWatch has reported that electric companies are placing responsibility for this spectacle on FirstEnergy, an Ohio-based energy conglomerate with strong ties to the Bush Administration. Their report states, "the Bush administration isn't taking notice [in FirstEnergy as a cause]....Top executives at FirstEnergy rank among the Bush campaign's top fundraisers." HUM! Here is their complete story. Click Here. 7. To curb identity theft, bank regulators want to require banks to notify customers when hackers invade financial institutions' computer systems. [Ed. Note: Full disclosure is a step in the right direction.] Click Here. 8. A Columbia University researcher has developed a new use for seismic reflection data: revealing locations and potentials for mega earthquakes, in particular hazards in the area of northwestern North America -- hazards which could be greater than previously thought. Click Here. 9. Check out your local airport for changes in airport security procedures. Now passengers traveling through Sea-Tac International Airport who have scissors, pocket knives, can openers, chain saws and other banned items can now have these mailed home, or stored for someone to pick them up, through Ken's Baggage Service on the lower level in the baggage claim area. Items confiscated at the security checkpoints are generally just thrown away. Note: Allow plenty of check-in time in case you need to be able to ship items. Click Here. 10. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE) issued a report last week giving the American infrastructure a D+ overall and saying that the condition of 12 categories they studied has not improved in 2 years. The worst grades were given to aviation, schools, drinking water, waste water, dams, energy transmission and roads. [Ed. Note: The report states that $100's of billions in repairs and upgrades are needed immediately; but with President Bush seeking Congressional approval for $60-$70 billion in Iraq reconstruction aid, money is also not likely to be funneled for similar projects at home, until a major catastrophe occurs.] Click Here Here is the full ACSE press release. Click Here. 11. Ever hear every autumn that "it's flu season again" and wonder just what "program" pharmaceuticals are conjuring up to get people to buy flu shots the next time around??? This fall instead of shots there is a nasal-spray flu vaccine, which in some cases can be purchased without a doctor's prescription. [Ed. Note: This will boost sales revenue!]: Click Here. 12. With the economy still in the slumps and high paying manufacturing jobs drying up, the U.S. is seeing a drastic rise in people living on emergency food assistance and standing in food lines. Bob Garbo of America's Second Harvest: "This is what it was during the Depression era. That people stood in line to get government commodities. We haven't come very far, have we?" Click Here And now, with an unexpectedly high unemployment report released this week, look for these lines to grow: Click Here. 13. "The Morning of the Magician, Mysteries of the Universe" was one of those rare books, a classic radical work of literature challenging our most basic assumptions. It's even rarer to find a copy of it. Kleiner's Korner readers are being given an opportunity to own a paperback edition thanks to Pavel Mikoloski who located some and makes them available on a first-come, first-served basis. Ordering information is available on Pavel's site. Click Here. 14. Two of the most groundbreaking books for anyone seeking truth about life on Terra are "A Master's Reflection of the History of Humanity: Parts I & II". An enlightened Master who has been a human and has been observing humanity for 35,000 years, Ramtha shares his views which make anyone stretch his/her mind. With outstanding insights and commentary on how these observations correlate to modern times, Jaime Leal-Anaya provides a context of each chapter for the reader to easily grasp the truths written within. Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE), an ancient, gnostic mystery school right here in 2003 and available to anyone, is offering a special package deal for these books, including the landmark "Ramtha, The White Book," all for $49.95. These should be in every home's library and are suggested reading for RSE students attending Legacy. Click Here If you would like to know more, here is the synopsis of each book from JZK Publishing, the books' publisher: A Master's Reflection of the History of Humanity, Part I Click Here A Master's Reflection of the History of Humanity, Part II Click Here Ramtha, The White Book Click Here. 15. This coming week on Wednesday, September 10th we are blessed with the Harvest Moon, the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. Enjoy! Click Here The Autumnal Equinox is at 3:47a.m.PDT on Tuesday, September 23rd here on the West Coast: Click Here More broken temperature records may be sounding like "broken records," however, September 3rd's 91 degrees tied the all time record high for that date. And September 4th's 92 degrees broke that date's all time high by 2 degrees, as reported at Olympia Regional Airport. And the 0.78 inch total precipitation since June 1st makes this one of the driest summers ever recorded. The longest string of 70+ degree days reported at Sea-Tac Airport is likely to be set at day 60 on Saturday, September 6th. Sunday a cold/rain front is moving into the area with temps reaching only into the mid-60's. Click Here. Quote of the Week: "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt in "Catholic Digest" August 1960. pg. 102. Kleiner's Korner is copyrighted by Stephen R. Klein, 2003. All archived Updates now at www.srklein.com After clicking "Weekly Updates," click on the month you desire. Send comments to srklein@ywave.com Note: Deadline to Block Telemarketing Calls This Year Nears Please be advised that if you desire to have your phone number blocked nationally in the USA to telemarketing calls this year, you must register by email or phone by this Sunday, August 31,2003: This from the Seattle P-I: Click Here.