If the richest men in the world can do it...

Perhaps it is old news by now that Bill Gates is relinquishing his duties at Microsoft to focus on his work with his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Now, following in his footsteps is the second-richest man in the world, Warren Buffett. He's giving most of his money to the Gates' foundation as well, and other fractions will go to other Buffett family foundations that support education, the environment, child protection, and the arts. Read more here

I hope our local and national politicians are taking note. It's time for the top 1% of this country to do some good for the people who need the money most.

Death of a Terrorist

Last week, I tried to post my thoughts about the big celebration that was the Death of al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda, but alas blogger was down and I have since forgotten all that I was going to say. So I'll just say that for some reason this huge celebration of someone's death seems just so creepy and morbid, and all it does is bring us down to the level of all those people who were dancing in the streets in the Middle East after the fall of the World Trade Center in 2001. Yes, I understand that al-Zarqawi was a horrible terrorist and allowed horrible things to happen. But he's still a human. In a recent video, he could barely figure out how to shoot a gun (which somehow reminds me of the Dick Cheney hunting incident a while ago). Al-Zarqawi is dead now, and perhaps the battle in life with his own demons is over, and perhaps he's fighting a different battle now in death. How does his murder validate all the wrongdoings this presidential administration has committed leading up to this point? What will they think of next?

Another Conservative who gets mad props for being Green

President Bush's pick for Treasury Secretary, Henry (Hank) Paulson, is an unabashed environmentalist and may actually bring some insight to this administration about how to support the economy and boost green initiatives throughout this country. The fact that he's a Republican proves that the environment isn't a liberal cause, it affects everyone all over the world, regardless of political leaning. I hope that he can make a difference and start revolutionizing the way people think about the economy and good business practices. Someday soon, people will realize that many green business practices aren't actually more expensive than their conventional counterparts, and shortly after that, the cost of being green will be the same or less all the way across the board.
In the meantime, read Grist Magazine's profile of Paulson.

Face to face with a real live journalist

Joel Achenbach, a journalist at the Washington Post, columnist for National Geographic magazine, and published author, is definitely one of my favorite journalists. His blog through Washington Post online has a regular following of people who chat through his comments section instead of doing work all day (no I'm not one of them). In any case, now you can watch him talk online at bloggingheads.tv. He's not a regular guest, he just agreed to appear and talk about his WP article about global warming skeptics. Achenbach regularly talks about environmental issues, and he does it in such a way that it's not preachy or intimidating and he encourages discussion from all viewpoints. He also teaches a journalism class at a university in the DC area (I don't remember which one--maybe GW?). What a cool class that would be. I'd much prefer him to the jerky guy I had for feature writing, who stole the best question I ever asked a magazine editor.

Cruellas DeVille

Maybe if someone fixed Social Security in this country, these women wouldn't be bilking the insurance companies out of thousands of dollars. Or maybe they just really hate homeless people. Either way, it's a sad story and a lesson about trusting people.

Two Elderly Women Jailed in Deadly Insurance Scam

The Greener Side of Prince Charles

I'll admit that I know very little about England. I know they have accents (which sometimes I mix up with Australian accents) and that they're generally more socially aware than Americans. I also know that their Parliament sessions are more like verbal rugby. One of the many things I didn't know is that Prince Charles is quite a progressive thinker when it comes to urban planning. Well, countryside-urban, anyway. Read this National Geographic magazine excerpt about his management of his hundreds-of-years-old estate, the Dutchy of Cornwall, that he hopes his sons will take on when he becomes king.

On a totally random side note, is that what "pass the dutchy" means? I didn't think so...

Athletes an embarrassment to rest of city

By now, we have all heard way too much about the Duke University Lacrosse players accused of raping a stripper during a house party. And now this:

The Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. - Top Tampa Devil Rays Bay prospect and Durham Bulls standout Delmon Young was suspended indefinitely by the International League on Thursday, a day after throwing a bat that hit a replacement umpire in the chest.
"The Devil Rays' organization supports the decision," said Andrew Friedman, Tampa Bay's team's executive vice president of baseball operations.

Young, 20, brother of Detroit star Dmitri Young, was ejected in the first inning following a called third strike in the Bulls' Triple-A game at Pawtucket, R.I.

When Young took his time leaving the batter's box, the umpire tossed him. Young then flipped his bat underhand, and it sailed end over end, striking the umpire. The umpire, whose name was not released, did not appear injured and remained in the game.

C'mon all you Durham athletes. Get it together. Learn some good sportsmanship and respect for your fellow citizens. Durham, NC, is known for a lot of great things. Don't overshadow them with your disgraceful behavior.

By the way, did I mention that in August, I'll be moving to the fine town of Durham? So I have a special investment in a positive public image of Duke University and the surrounding town.

Jose, can you see?

Urban Box Office, a New York-based record label and marketing company, is recording the United States' national anthem in Spanish as part of an album called "Somos Americanos" or "We are Americans." You can read more about it here.

Many people are really upset about this, and I just don't get it. America is the country of immigrants, and although English is the national language, I don't see why anyone who feels patriotic toward the U.S., whether they're from Mexico, Poland, Botswana, or Mars, shouldn't be able to sing the national anthem in their native language. There's no such thing as "American" culture really, because we're such a melting pot, and immigrants who become citizens are required to know the national anthem in English anyway. People don't give up everything they are when they become a citizen, they still retain and celebrate their heritage and culture. So why not open our minds and learn something about the artistic touch given to our national anthem from another culture? Heck, translate it into any of the hundreds of languages spoken by citizens of the United States. Add a funky beat, mix in some inspiring words that actually mean something to people (Do Mexicans really care so much about our WASPy war with England? They historically had their own problems with the Spanish, and most Mexicans are a mix of Native American, European, and possibly even African blood anyway). People emmigrate to the States because they have more economic and educational opportunities, more religious freedom, and/or because their families are already here. They're not looking to take over the country, they just want to make a living for themselves.

Some people might argue that it's wrong to change the national anthem, to add words or infuse artistic flair. Might I remind those people that it's just a song, not a church hymn or prayer. No one will get struck down for changing a song that was written in the 1700s and doesn't even apply to many of this country's citizens who don't have the same history with Imperialist England.

Happy Belated Earth Day, y'all!

Looks like environmentalism is becoming the latest fad--this month's issue of Vanity Fair magazine is the special Green Issue, with articles about the famous environmentalists we all know and love, as well as other tips and information about the environmental movement. Ironically, the magazine is printed on the usual glossy magazine stock, which probably contains little to no post-consumer (aka recycled) paper. Eh well, they do what they can, right? I mean, that photo of George Clooney in cargo pants has to look high quality, right? In any case, the magazine features Chicago's very own Ruler of the Universe...ahem...Mayor Richard Daley, who has been a leader in creating a greener city. Chicago's City Hall building was the first in the country to have a green roof, which includes rooftop gardens and other energy-saving building materials that keeps the building cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Prior to the green roof installation, the AC ran at 100% capacity all the time; with the green roof, the AC only has to run at 80% capacity because the roof helps keep the building cooler.
Obviously, you have to go buy the magazine to read all the articles (couldn't they have put all of this issue online, which reduces the paper waste of having to buy a thick magazine?!) But check out the preview here.

Say what you will about Utah...

...but they are surprisingly progressive when it comes to environmental issues. Kennecott Utah Copper Corp., a mining company, has supposedly converted to environmentalism and is planning an environmentally conscious megasuburb near Salt Lake City that will be twice the size of San Francisco when it's completed in 50 years. The true sustainability of this megasuburb remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it's creating some buzz and will perhaps encourage other mining companies to turn from their evil ways and give something back to the earth. Read more about the megasuburb here.

DeLay follow up

I have decided to join the masses and obsess about the whole DeLay-mission from God thing, mostly because my head is just spinning from trying to figure out how this guy thinks that he's God's messenger. This article from Washington Post highlight's DeLay's next mission to bring the United States together under a fundamentalist Christian agenda. To quote from the article, "...the Rev. Rick Scarborough, introduced DeLay to a Christian conference just last week, saying, "This is a man, I believe, God has appointed . . . to represent righteousness in government."
Besides the obvious fact that DeLay is the very opposite of righteousness, I'd like to point out that he is BFF with Jack Abramoff, who was just sentenced to 6 years in prison and whose downfall is just the first in a long line of dominoes destined to fall in the coming years. Abramoff is an "Orthodox Jew" which really is a joke because probably most Orthodox Jews could argue that his religious conviction is all a front, contrived to gain support from the religious right. So if DeLay wants this to be a fundamentalist Christian country, where does his buddy Abramoff (and all other Jews in this country) fit into the political, law, and business structures of this country? Or shall we all just convert now?
To quote DeLay, "People hate the messenger. That's why they killed Christ." I don't even know what to do with that.

That's a HUGE bunny

Is this thing real? Holy crap.
Monster Rabbit Devours English Veggie Plot

Hot News Day

A few more things that might be below the radar:
Mass. Bill Requires Health Coverage

Agencies Not Protecting Privacy Rights, GAO Says

Hope Flows Anew for Troubled Klamath

Maybe he doesn't know about that infamous video

One down, how many more to go?

Tom DeLay is leaving politics. Well, at least he's resigning from his duties and not running for re-election. But he has so many connections in Washington that I would guess he will find other ways to get his grimy little hands into some more trouble.
He said he was in public service (a policitian as public servant?! Hah! Not these days!) to do God's work and bring Christianity to government. But he's leaving because his buddies are getting busted and the polls show he would have a very challenging re-election campaign. So does he think God really approved of the money laundering and the pandering and the work done on behalf of lobbyists to degrade the environment, reduce medical benefits for the poor, take resources away from those who need it most, and line the pockets of the ever-richer corporations to the detriment of individuals and small businesses? Just like athletes and musicians, politicians are very quick to praise God and Jesus when they're successful. Funny how God and Jesus don't seem to be nearby when scandal or misfortune hits, eh? I'm not against having faith and saying a little prayer once in a while if it helps people feel better and maintain confidence as they pursue their work. I'm just saying, was God on the side of those choosing to break laws or get involved with shady business deals or keep resources from the people who really need them? Most regular people who are in some way religious try to live up to the moral standards taught in church or synagogue or other places of worship or religious observance. It's the bad eggs who preach moral and religious superiority, yet blatantly harm others behind the scenes, who try to set the standard. Because all the best things in life are free, but money sure buys a whole lot more.

FYI for Women

I've been complaining lately that despite my years of training, with weights, cardio, and yoga, and my general improvement in fitness, I just can't break my threshold in speed and endurance when it comes to running. I've been blaming it on the boobs. I know many of my sister athletes have similar woes, especially we Jewish girls with hearty Eastern European blood. I think there's hope for us though, as evidenced by this article in Discover magazine. Breasts that can fill a D-cup bra can weigh 15 to 23 pounds. Try strapping that much sand to your chest, then running a few miles.

Maybe the next generation of sports bras will help not just 20- and 30-something women who are entering the athletic community after discovering the gym in college, but also girls in junior high and high school whose adolescent body issues (embarrassment over blossoming early and avoiding gym class) prevent them from feeling empowered through sports and general athletic activities. Think of how this could reduce obesity problems in kids and reduce cancer rates in adults.

A photo in life

I remember when the lightbulb went off, about a year ago. I was riding the CTA Green Line from Hyde Park to the Loop. I looked out the window as we approached the Indiana stop, when lo and behold, there it was.
During the summer before my junior year of high school, I took a mural art class. The plan was to have finished a mural by the end of the summer that would be hung in the wing where the school radio and closed-circuit television stations were produced. Since none of us had ever attempted such a task, our teacher brought us to the Elliott Donnelley Youth Center on the South Side of the city. I don't remember what the inside looked like; we spent a lot of time in the community art garden, an oasis among the dilapidated buildings. I took lots of photographs of the mural on the wall--the style reminded me of that of Thomas Hart Benton, an artist about whom I was writing a biography for this class, who painted flowing scenes on large canvases. I also photographed the sculptures from different angles, and with other students leaning against them or examining them. One cone-shaped sculpture was painted bright yellow with red dots. A stone gazebo was inlaid with polished stones and shining tiles. There were also large painted tiles and other things too, which I didn't photograph and can't remember. That was 1996. For 9 years, those photographs have been floating around in my drawers, mixed in with other photos from parties and such, hiding behind books. Until I looked out the train window, I had no recollection of where that mural and sculpture garden were located. (Until I moved to the city of Chicago, I had no idea there was anything else besides Michigan Ave. and Clark-and-Belmont.)
And when I saw the mural on that youth center wall, it was the weirdest thing, like spending 9 years looking at a photo of a person you met once, then walking past them on the street, looking exactly like the photo. It was like finding a long-lost friend. Only this friend's facade had faded. The mural seems to be in pretty good shape, at least from a distance. But the bright yellow cone-shaped sculpture is faded to a gritty pale tan, and the stone gazebo looks tired and worn. But it's all still there, just like I remembered it in the photo. Perhaps one day this summer, I'll stop onto the center, photos in hand, and offer to help out with something.
If you want to see a photo of the Elliott Donnelley Community Art Garden, go here
The mural on the taller building on the right is the one I have so many photographs of. You can see the yellow cone-shaped sculpture just in front of it, and the stone gazebo is in the middle, right in front of the train rail.
If you want to see what the area looked like before the restoration, go here

Why rockers rock (and not just because of their music)

I heart Guster. Their music is great, they're nice Jewish boys who sing about latkes during Chanukah, and they're also environmental activists. While on their Campus Consciousness tour, they will drive a van that runs on B20, a 20 percent biodiesel blend. According to the news article on Environmental News Network today, this "Campus Consciousness Tour, www.campusconsciousness.org, aims to educate, inspire, and activate students, and above all, leave a positive impact on each community and college/university that the tour reaches, according to the band." The tour is sponsored by Reverb, an organization that is a project of the non-profit organization ARIA Foundation (Artistic Resources In Action). If you want more information about the tour or anything else mentioned here, click on the above link to the ENN news article, which has more info and links to the websites of the other organizations above.

Crunchy Cons

No, I'm not talking about the negative aspects of being an environmentalist (because really there aren't any). I'm talking about political conservatives who are embracing the environmental movement along with their liberal cohorts. Clean air and water, natural resource conservation, and wildlife protection aren't issues that only affect political liberals. When the environment suffers, we all suffer. More people on both sides of the aisle are stepping up to join conversations about conservation and to take action to clean up our land, air, and water. Check out this article on Environmental News Network as evidence that the environmental movement is growing everywhere, whether we want access to more organic food, to save the arctic seals, or to just reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Speaking of oil, there's an article in the April issue of Discover magazine about the growing success of the the plant in Carthage, Missouri that turns the Butterball plant offal and other refuse like rubber tires and plastic into bio-oil, which can be used as-is or combined with some other oil to make gasoline. Sadly, Discover strikes again--since I'm a subscriber, I get the issues long before they hit the news stand or the online files, but in the meantime, read Discover's first article from May 2003 about the plant. I may be a vegetarian (and looking at the pile of dead turkey parts only reinforces it) but I would use the oil from this plant for everything possible. Hey, I don't have to eat it, it just has to power my car and electricity (with little or no pollution).

Roe v. Wade, Red v. Blue, Men v. Women

I find it a bit interesting that right around the time that South Dakota Governor Michael Rounds signed into law a bill banning abortion in his state, tourism ads began airing on television boasting of all the wonderful things to do in South Dakota. But this issue has brought up another interesting point. The general grief people have with outlawing abortion is that women should have the right to decide what to do with their own bodies, and it's no business of anyone's besides hers and her doctor's. I agree. But what about the fetus' father? Does he have a right to decide whether or not to have the baby? Some men are now speaking out, saying that they have been unfairly duped into paying child support for a child they didn't want. Do they have an equal say in this matter? I'm still undecided. But I will say this: There are ways to prevent a pregnancy, such as the many forms of over-the-counter and prescription contraceptives, as well as just plain not having sex. I understand that accidents happen, but if a guy is that adamant about not having children, put on a damn condom, even if the woman claims to be on birth control. Eighteen years of child support is a big price to pay for not using common sense. Maybe these guys have a case, maybe they don't. But they better base it on something besides their own regret if they want to gain any ground on the matter.

The Wet Blanket

At first I was hesitant to post this article up here because it's so long and so accusatory, and I don't want to seem preachy. Well, not too preachy, anyway. But it has haunted me since Monday, and so I post it here. The article is critical of Republicans in politics, and although some Democrats are just as guilty, the issue goes beyond party politics. The problem is corruption, which must be eliminated no matter where it comes from. So regardless of your political affiliation, please read this and understand that something needs to be done.

Saving Our Democracy