King's Message Still Resonates

In August of 1963 The Atlantic published Martin Luther King's famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as "The Negro Is Your Brother." It was written in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. The Atlantic calls it "one of the classic documents of the civil-rights movement."

Excerpts of the letter:

-I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in."

-I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

-We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our God-given and constitutional rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say "wait."

-... when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society;

-when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people;

-when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you;

-when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments;...

-The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: there are just laws, and there are unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "An unjust law is no law at all."

-I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are presently misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom.

-Never before have I written a letter this long—or should I say a book?

-If I have said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me...

47 years later this letter still resonates. Martin Luther King Jr. was a visionary and prophet, a man who stood up against injustice and prejudice.

Wiki-omnipotence

Wikipedia celebrated its tenth birthday on January 15, one of the most popular destinations on the web with 400 million views a month. The site contains 17 million articles in 270 languages.

Jimmy Wales, co-founder, recently raised $16 million in 50 days to fill its coffers which relies on thousands of people editing entries or adding new ones in return for nothing more than the satisfaction of "contributing to the stock of human knowledge."

On the whole, Wikipedia’s system of peer reviewing does a reasonable job of policing facts; however, it is "vulnerable to vandalism."

Despite Wikipedia's amazing success, there is evidence of declining engagement. The number of regular contributors to Wikipedia’s English-language encyclopedia "dropped from around 54,000 at its peak in March 2007 to some 35,000 in September 2010. A similar trend has been visible in some foreign-language versions of the encyclopedia."

As a footnote The Economist holds a regular competition where they post a photo and invite readers to provide a caption. For the photo of Jimmy Wales and their article the winning caption reads 'And now they have bailed out Wales.'

On the tenth anniversary it's interesting to think about Wikipedia's immense influence in supplying information to the masses. This digital encyclopedia for the globe seems to have achieved widespread acceptance?

Via article from The Economist.

Judging each Day

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

- What did you harvest this past week?
- What seeds did you plant?
- What seeds can you plant next week to enrich your life and that of others?

This was one of the quotes for reflection at 365 Quote Quest this past week.

Stories with Impact

The Huffington Post organizes its online news into a convenient format of topics like World/Green/Tech/Health...

'Impact' involves stories about outreach and help in the community. It also features the 'Greatest Person of the Day' series.

For example, recent recipients include:

- Nadia Raymond has gone three times as a nurse to Haiti to help with disaster response efforts. "I think it just makes you more aware of yourself and how you live...you look at your family with new eyes, you look at what you have with new eyes."

- Sasha Kramer is a doctor who is also in Haiti helping them to find clean sanitation alternatives. She has developed SOIL, "Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods," with a mission to transform waste into resources in order to empower Haitian communities.

- Andrew Slack is founder of the Harry Potter Alliance who believes in the power of storytelling as a way to help alleviate the ills of the world. He was inspired by author J.K. Rowling in a 2008 commencement speech at Harvard--"We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."Rowling wanted her fans to funnel the inspiration of creativity into a pathway for better thinking about how to change this world.

- Joe Selvaggio responded to the needs he saw in his Minnesota community and started MicroGrants in 2006, the same year that Mohammed Yunus won the Nobel Prize for pioneering a system of micro loans to those in need with his Grameen Bank. "Assigned to a parish in an inner city in Minnesota, he could not ignore his desire to help the poor become more affluent, and so left priesthood to pursue his passion. After a few years working to sell mutual funds, he realized that there were enough people willing to give their money to the less-fortunate that he could focus solely on administrating the exchange between givers and receivers."

The 'greatest person of the day' series encourages one to think about people in our own communities who provide social assistance often in quiet, inconspicuous ways.

Annoying Buzzwords/Cliches

Bloggers are part of the "social media", "social networking" craze, and it's an important place to be for marketing professionals. But according to a recent survey business people are sick of hearing these terms.

What are the annoying buzzwords that should be used with caution if you are in business? They include the two above and synergy, innovation, value/value added, going green, free, ROI/return on investment, culture change, think out of the box, and integration. Also getting mention were proactive, multi-tasking, and end of the day.

On a similar note Lake Superior State University holds an annual invitation to recommend words which should be banished. Here are some from their 2011 Banished Words List:

viral - 'This linguistic disease of a term must be quarantined.'

epic- 'Over-use of the word 'epic' has reached epic proportions.'

wow factor- 'This buzzword is served up with a heaping of cliché factor and a side order of irritation.'

Facebook/Google as verbs- 'It's getting out of hand...I'm going to Twitter a few people, then Yahoo the movie listings and maybe Amazon a book or two.'

live life to the fullest- 'It's an absurdity followed by a redundancy.'

The university also has an archive of banished words back to 1976.

Image:

Greenhouse Gases at Highest Level

The Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700's and Our Home has seen a rise of greenhouse gases ever since. Recent statistics have shown that human activities are driving climate change.

An expert at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at London School of Economics and Political Science said recent U.S. data shows proof of climate change.

"These new figures show unequivocally that the Earth is warming and its temperature is at record levels," Ward said.

"The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 390 parts per million, its highest level for at least 800,000 years and almost 40 per cent higher than the level before the start of the Industrial Revolution when humans started to burn fossil fuels in increasing amounts."

"The evidence is overwhelming that human activities are driving climate change."

The findings encourage one to think about if all of the human activity is going to irrevocably change our planet.

Image: Painting by Jakob Loutherbourg, 1801 of blast furnaces

A Musical Potpourri

Perhaps there is no better goal than to keep a song in your heart. Those notes can cleanse, sooth, energize, inspire...

I thought I would do a little research about those tremulous clefts as a response to the Magpie prompt this week:

- The most expensive sheet music is a first edition copy of The Star Spangled Banner which sold for $506,500, double the expected amount in 2010. Only 11 are known to exist, one in private hands. It was printed in 1814 in Baltimore.
- The most expensive music video ever created is Michael and Janet Jackson's Scream made in 1995 for $7 million. Madonna's Die Another Day in 2002 was made for $6 million.
- The best-selling music albums of all time: Michael Jackson's Thriller over 70 million, AC/DC Back in Black 49 million, Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 45 million
- The best-selling singles worldwide Bing Crosby White Christmas 50 million, Elton John Candle in the Wind 33 million...
- The 50 most beloved hymns include Shall We Gather by the River, I Love to Tell the Story...
- The world's most loved opera Carmen. The essayist writes,

"In a letter dated October 1866, French composer George Bizet (1838 - 1875) went straight to the point of opera: "As a musician I tell you that if you were to suppress adultery, fanaticism, crime, evil, the supernatural, there would no longer be the means for writing one note."

The opera prodigy and gifted pianist sprinkled far more of the human experience into his much loved opera, Carmen. It is arguably still the world's most popular opera one hundred and thirty-five years after his death from a heart attack at just thirty-six years of age."

- The top current songs in the iTunes store in U. S.: Hold It Against Me Britney Spears, What the Hell Avril Lavigne, Grenade Bruno Mars, Firework Kate Perry
- Best movie soundtracks according to Moviefone: Pulp Fiction, Saturday Night Fever, Purple Rain...

He who hears music, feels his solitude peopled at once. ~ Robert Browning

Global Web 2.0 Science Fair

The most dynamic school projects inevitably revolve around those science fairs where students can test their hypotheses and their inquiry skills. Now Google has teamed up with National Geographic, CERN, Scientific America, and Lego to create the ultimate online global Science Fair.

It's open to full-time students ages 13 to 18, who are encouraged to use the broad range of Google products to record and share their work. "We want to let kids use our online tools so they can participate from anywhere in world," a spokesperson said. "They may be home schooled or live in a remote place or not have a physical science fair in their area." They do, however, need an Internet connection.

In launching the competition a self-taught scientist from Malawi, Africa, talked about the direct impact that science can have, not just on society at large, but on an individual community. "From reading a library book the son of a farmer and one of seven kids, learned how to build a wind mill, which powers his family's house and pumps water in an impoverished area. He taught his neighbors how to build wind mills, too, which have transformed schools and improved conditions in the village."

Another spokesperson was a 15-year-old dynamo from Portland, Oregon. She began programming computers at age 5, enrolled in community college at 12. One of the young budding scientist's experiments was using artificial intelligence to route robots and assist nurses in her local hospital.

"The goal of the Google Science Fair isn't just to give great prizes, including a trip to the Galapagos Islands and $110,000 in scholarships. It's to foster more interest in science worldwide and to come up with much-needed solutions to local and global problems."

"We want kids to make a difference in the world," says a Google spokesperson. "They can be agents of change."

An introductory, instruction video from Google provides an overview of how to handle all elements of the project online. Here is the logical extension of Web 2.0 in a perfect application! I can imagine that this competition will produce some exciting results.

From a report by Fast Company.

Inactivity is Harmful

People who sit in front of computer and TV screens all day and evening may not get a clean bill of health by squeezing some sporadic time in at the gym. A mounting body of evidence suggests that it's not "how much exercise people get, but how much of their time is spent in sedentary activity, and the harm that it does."

A recent study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicates "the amount of leisure time spent sitting in front of a screen can have such an overwhelming, seemingly irreparable impact on one’s health that physical activity doesn’t produce much benefit."

"The study followed 4,512 middle-aged Scottish men for a little more than four years on average. It found that those who said they spent two or more leisure hours a day sitting in front of a screen were at double the risk of a heart attack or other cardiac event compared with those who watched less. Those who spent four or more hours of recreational time in front of a screen were 50 percent more likely to die of any cause. It didn’t matter whether the men were physically active for several hours a week — exercise didn’t mitigate the risk associated with the high amount of sedentary screen time."

Even children have increased blood pressure and are more overweight with more sedentary lifestyles.

This study and several others emphasize the fact that it's important to get off the office chair and couch whenever possible and work those muscle groups. And when it comes to the discretionary time spent in front of the TV or computer, it may do your body a lot of good by seeking out alternative forms of recreation for yourself and your children.

From NYT article 'The Hazards of the Couch"

Image

The Power of Vulnerability

'Our lives are a collection of stories, truths about who we are, what we believe, what we came from, how we struggle and how we are strong. When we can let go of what people think, and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness - the feeling that we are ENOUGH just as we are, and that we are worthy of love and belonging.' ~ Brene Brown

Brene Brown gives a wonderful 20 minute TED talk on 'The Power of Vulnerability.' With a PhD in sociology, Brown was educated to believe that everything is measurable. However, in her talks with hundreds of people about connections she realized there was a lot of shame and fear.

In order to achieve a sense of worthiness one needs to accept one's vulnerabilities and move on with courage and compassion. That challenging process involves showing authenticity, gratitude, belonging, and love through connection.

Brown says that this process of healing is a difficult one in a society which puts a high value on perfection, where we make the uncertain, certain. Inherent in life is struggle and letting ourselves be seen despite our shortcomings.

Brown's insightful research encourages one to think about our own stories and how we can overcome our fears to live lives of authenticity and caring.

How to Change the World

It's hard to imagine that one quarter of the world's population or one and one half billion people still have no electricity. Bihar, India's poorest state, has over 60 million such disadvantaged people.

Now an enterprising young company, Husk Power Systems, has "created a system to turn rice husks into electricity that is reliable, eco-friendly and affordable for families that can spend only $2 a month for power. The company has 65 power units that serve a total of 30,000 households and is currently installing new systems at the rate of two to three per week."

David Bornstein's essay about this encouraging endeavor entitled 'A Light in India' was published in the NYT.

He has also written the book How to Change the World. "What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up–and remake the world for the better."

Bornstein is also founder of dowser.org 'who's solving what and how.'

It's interesting to think about how social entrepreneurs can help to facilitate positive social change.

Link provided by Good.is

Read Slowly for Pleasure/Understanding

In the early 70's I enjoyed a respected university professor of medieval history lecture about the importance of slowing down, being selective, and enjoying what you read. His words seem prophetic today when we consider what the Internet has done to our reading focus. We tend to flit from one site to the other, and scan for nuggets of information. There is no time to enjoy the slow dance with the words on the page.

Laura Casey in a perceptive article quotes an avid reader, "Deep or slow reading is a sophisticated process in which people can critically think, reflect, and understand the words they are looking at. With most, that means slowing down-even stopping and rereading a page or paragraph if it doesn't sink in- to really capture what the author is trying to say. Experts warn that without reading and really understanding what's being said, it is impossible to be an educated citizen of the world, a knowledgeable voter or even an imaginative thinker."

Casey cites Nicholas Carr of The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. He refers to Google CEO Eric Schmidt who said he was concerned about what he sees as a decline in slow reading. "Instant messages and 140 character tweets appear to be taking over our ability to concentrate on a single idea or theme in a book."

She also interviewed John Miedema of Slow Reading, "I can appreciate people's desire to read faster, but if you want to have a deep relationship with a text and understand a complex idea, then slow reading is a preferred style. It's good for pleasure, too. It's not a rushed experience and you can lose yourself in a text."

Moreover, she quotes, Cynthia Lee Katona of Book Savvy, "If you like beautiful things, authors put words together that are really beautiful and expressive. If you want to write well- and there are losts of reasons to be articulate and to express yourself clearly- you should read."

The article encourages one to think about our own reading habits and if we are reading too fast through those fluttering pages in the internet windstorm...........

Image:

A Vote for Freedom

Sudan is the largest country in Africa and one of the most plagued with ethnic, religious, and economic conflicts. This week a referendum was held to determine if the southern part wishes to form an independent country. Western observers like former U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Koffi Annan, former UN Secretary General, and celebrities like George Clooney attended the vote.

"Many people here spoke in almost biblical terms about lifting themselves out of bondage. Sudan is a deeply divided country, and for decades, the southern third, which is mostly Christian and animist, has been dominated by Arab rulers from the north.

The Arab government prosecuted a vicious war against southerners, who have been chafing for their own separate state even before Sudan’s independence in 1956. The government forces and their proxy militias burned down villages, slaughtered civilians and even kidnapped southern children in slave trade for a life of involuntary servitude in the north. More than two million people were killed and many of the tactics used to suppress the insurrection in the south would be repeated in Darfur, in Sudan’s west."

Most polling places were packed, with lines thousands of people long. Election officials said the turnout was enormous.

“Today will go down in history,” said one participant, who arrived before dawn decked out in a natty gray suit, bright green shirt and purple tie. “I didn’t want to be left out.”

Economic Irony

I live close to the Motor City, the automotive capital of the world a few decades ago. Now it is a shadow of its former splendour and bustling economic activity.

"Built in 1926 the 4,000-seat Michigan Theater in Detroit was one of the crown architectural jewels of the time. The auditorium featured 10-foot crystal chandeliers that hung eight floors above the seats, and the mezzanine was open to black-tie guests only. The building was a product of the boom created by Henry Ford and the Model T.

But by the mid-1960s, the Michigan Theater was among dozens in the city to close due to dwindling profits, and though it was saved from the wrecking ball in 1967, its glory days were over. "

Now the shell of the building has been transformed into the world's most opulent three level parking garage.

While ironies abound, perhaps the most interesting is that the site sits atop Henry Ford's first work shop.

Also today begins the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Jan. 10-23) amidst a revival in the North American auto industry and the fortunes of the original Big Three companies which were threatened with bankruptcy several years ago.

Via Jalopnik

The Day after Tomorrow

J. Henry Fair takes beautiful images of hazardous wastelands. A consummate environmentalist he discovered that the best vantage points can often come about 1,000 feet above sites often guarded from view on the ground.

He has flown over toxic hog waste, streams of paper mill runoff, remains of hollowed out mountains, oil slicks over blue seas, coal ash disposal sites, a string of factories along the lower Mississippi River known as “Cancer Alley....”

“To make an image that stops people it has to be something that tickles that beauty perception and makes people appreciate the aesthetics,” says Fair, who specialized in portraiture before taking to the skies.

"His goal is not to indict—he doesn’t identify the polluters by name—but to raise public awareness about the costs of our choices. Such advocacy groups as Greenpeace and Rainforest Alliance have used Fair’s work to advance their causes."

His book The Day After Tomorrow will be released soon.

"Fair’s images reveal the calamitous effects of our consumer culture’s insatiable appetite for natural resources. Forests are being wiped-out, water supplies polluted and/or drained, animals and humans are dying, but for what?"

Image taken at an aluminum smelting site

Here I Am

Here I am where I ought to be. ~ Louise Erdrich

- How happy are you with where you are?
- To what extent can you develop a mindset that you are in the right place?
- If not, what steps can you take to be where you ought to be?

This is one of the quotes from 365 Quote Quest this past week.

Fund and Follow Creativity

One of the most unique, innovative sites for funding creative projects is Kickstarter. Every month thousands of people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing, explorers... Their slogan is "Fund and follow creativity."

A new form of commerce and patronage, it's not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project. It's "all or nothing funding." Also a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. "Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk."

A founder of Kickstarter said, “It’s not an investment, lending or a charity. It’s something else in the middle: a sustainable marketplace where people exchange goods for services or some other benefit and receive some value.”

The site seems like the perfect place to market new ideas and projects to see if there is a groundswell of interest. Also it helps to get the word out on the nebulous web about artists and their work.

Image:

GPS Implications

GPS has infiltrated our lifestyle in many ways. The Garmin website reveals its latest products which extend the parameters into apps for your cell phone, the GTU10 webtracking service, the GPSMAP 700 series...

Foursquare is a location based social networking website which connects friends.

Now scientists are using GPS to track the migrations of animals including the endangered leather back sea turtle. 25 females were tracked from one of their main breeding colonies off Gabon in Central Africa. One route covers over 7,500 kilometers and extends to the coast of South America.

One scientist said, "All of the routes we've identified take the leatherbacks through areas of high risk from fisheries, so there's a very real danger to the Atlantic population. Knowing the routes has also helped us identify at least 11 nations who should be involved in conservation efforts."

The new GPS technology encourages one to think about its implications for society, science, and our lifestyle.

Via Treehugger

Struggling to the Light

This is one of my favourite quotes. It speaks volumes about the human condition and our efforts to live with optimism and hope.

The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever, but is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these the spirit blooms timidly and struggles to the light among thorns. ~ George Santayana

- In what ways is the world a mortal and tormented place?
- Where have you seen the beauty, the love, the courage and the laughter?
- How can you allow your spirit to bloom and cast a little light among the thorns?

In the Palm of your Hand

Everything in life is connected-
a stone thrown in a pond creates ripples
a butterfly attracts an admirer, or predator
a kind act, a smile
a bottle thrown on the road, urban blight;
our positive or negative actions affect our loved ones
our community
the collective unconscious;
North American excess
is imbalance abroad
environmental degradation;
Taking linear paths
narrow our periphery;
The winding ones
slow weave interdependency
In and through
Enriching connections.

Another Magpie submission: what is that thing?

Labels: quotations, reflection, meditation, social justice, life coaching

Highest Global Food Prices

Most people in middle class homes and developed countries don't worry too much about food prices. The neighborhood grocery store still gets our regular visits for those daily staple items. However, for people in developing and challenged households higher food prices signal alarm.

The Food and Agricultural Organization, an arm of the United Nations based in Rome, said its food price index climbed in December to its highest since it began collecting data in 1990. The measure, which tracks costs of items such as rice, wheat, corn, sugar meat, rose more than 4 per cent from a month earlier.

"That will raise fears over the possibility of another crisis like that of 2007-2008, when countries such as Bangladesh and Haiti were the scene of riots. The index has now topped those levels.

There are also fears that the flooding in north eastern Australia in Queensland, a key producing region for sugar, for example, will boost prices even more.

“Recent flooding in Australia’s northeast has added to supply concerns in a number of farm commodities, which began to emerge last summer with weather problems in key producing areas throughout the world."

With the seven billion people in the world, food commodities will increasingly be placed under pressure.

Most Beautiful Words

I was enthralled with alphadictionary's 100 most beautiful words. Dr. Beard's new book takes us through each one and provides some interesting perspectives about its word etymology and meanings. From his list of 100 I selected ten of my favourite. They all have alluring sounds and interesting connotations.

- bucolic- in a lovely rural setting
- diaphanous- filmy
- dulcet- sweet, sugary
- ebullience- bubbling enthusiasm
- elixer- a promising potion
- ephemeral- short lived
- evocative- suggestive
- gossamer- finest piece of thread
- harbinger- messenger with news of future
- mellifluous- sweet sounding

Do you have a favourite from his list?

I am going through the dictionary at 365 Word Quest and providing a word a day. I'm at #370: druid. You are welcome to subscribe and receive a daily word fix.

'Dig my Nails into the Earth'

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, savour you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it will not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky, and want , more than all the world, your return. ~ Mary Jean Irion

- To what extent do you treasure each normal, ordinary day?
- How much do you dream of perfect tomorrows?
- Why will a deep yearning for those perfectly normal days eventually come into a person's life?
- What can you do to enrich your daily life in 2011?

Albatross: In Current Events, Literature

A NYT article reveals that the endangered short tailed albatross is on the rebound and nesting pairs have been found thousands of kilometers from their usual habitat near Japan.

The article kindles thoughts for me of this majestic bird whose wing span can reach up to 11 feet. They have a very efficient glide ratio, soar in high altitudes among prevailing wind currents, and cover immense distances. There are 21 species, 19 threatened with extinction.

Of course, its main allusion in literature is in 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge written in 1798. A wedding guest is stopped by an old man who wants to tell him a story. At first the man is annoyed but eventually mesmerized by the sailor's tale. It's about a global sea voyage that turns disastrous when the mariner kills an albatross and suffers the consequences.

As a former English teacher, I enjoyed taking my students through this narrative poem 30 years ago. It may seem more dated now and rarely read. If you have some time and want to read this poem aloud to yourself, you may find your mind providing a graphic visual of events to fill you with wonder.

Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

Photo: Statue in Somerset

Carbon Footprint

Imagine lush trees growing in the most distant northern regions of the Arctic. The extensive oil and gas discoveries in the past few decades are an indication that a vast biomass once existed there.

Now a research team studying a melting glacier near Canada's northernmost point of land has discovered a "mummified" forest that's at least two million years old, with "perfectly preserved" tree trunks, branches and leaves."

"The present-day thaw at the north end of Ellesmere Island -- another sign of the widespread warming now taking hold of Canada's polar frontier -- has served up intact spruce and birch trees believed to have been buried in a landslide during the Neogene period of Earth history between two million and eight million years ago."

Moreover researchers say, "Because the trees' organic material is preserved, we can get a high-resolution view of how quickly the climate changed and how the plants responded to that change."

The same scientists also say that the latest warming trend will only intensify global warming with all the pent-up carbon released from such sites.

Today, Ellesmere Island is mainly a home for muskoxen and is one of the world's most inhospitable places, but melting glaciers are changing all that.

Cherish the Story

Most have heard about the story of Allied and German troops who laid down their arms on December 25, 1914, sung carols, played football, and exchanged gifts. (Friko has documented the event very well in her Advent series.)

Now a Canadian soldier's letter written at Vimy Ridge has been uncovered which describes a similar event in 1916.

"Here we are again as the song says," the young soldier wrote. "I had quite a good Xmas considering I was in the front line. Xmas eve was pretty stiff, sentry-go up to the hips in mud of course. ... We had a truce on Xmas Day and our German friends were quite friendly. They came over to see us and we traded bully beef for cigars."

The passage ends with Pte. MacKinnon noting that, "Xmas was 'tray bon,' which means very good."

Scholars have hailed the letter as a "fantastic find." The letter takes on added poignancy since the young soldier was killed on the infamous ridge in April, 1917.

"The letter clearly demonstrates that there was an attempt to downplay these small-scale Christmas truces when they happened," said Prof. Weber, noting that official military records make little or no mention of such events — largely because they could be interpreted by army commanders as a failure to maintain discipline and a fighting frame of mind among front-line soldiers."

This is the season to reflect and cherish stories like these which provide some inspiration for greater harmony and good will.

A Dietary Panacea?

Are you eating enough fish to reap the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids? Studies have shown that the nutrient helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, fight depression, and keep one young.

Linda Beck writes all three articles above for The Globe and Mail, "There are no official recommendations regarding how much omega-3 fat one should consume each day, but most experts agree that a daily intake of 500 milligrams of DHA and EPA (combined) helps to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. If you eat six ounces of salmon each week, you’re getting 500 milligrams of omega-3 fats.

If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends you consume 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fats a day. If you don’t like fish, fish-oil supplements are a good alternative. Fish-oil supplements are made from salmon, anchovies, sardines, herring and mackerel. If you opt for supplements, read labels before you buy. Fish-oil capsules vary in the amount of DHA and EPA they contain. Most capsules provide 300, 500 or 600 milligrams..."

I take a fish oil tablet daily with 900 milligrams of DHA and EPA. I also eat several cans of sardines a week and bake salmon several times a month. I don't have heart disease (fingers crossed) but the research suggests that for someone my age, who is soon to hit 60, it certainly can't hurt to focus on those fish oils.

Hopeless

In the pitch darkness she finished her shift
at the local fast food haven,
and threw up the hood of her light vinyl jacket;
the sidewalk was slippery with freshly fallen snow.
Too bad she didn't bring a scarf she thought
as the north wind assaulted her vulnerable neck.
It was the best job she could get-
A couple of $20's for five hours of work;
now 10 o'clock her kids would be fast asleep-
valuable family opportunities missed
like the warmth of a fireplace
they never enjoyed.
Her sitter, tied to her cellphone,
probably talked the evening away with her friends;
she hoped her boyfriend was not with her
keeping her "company."
Why did her husband leave her penniless and alone?
Swept her off her feet right out of high school
Promised to love and cherish...
The flakes seemed to get larger now
and the wind subsided;
the lights took on a warmer glow.
Ahead was the stone edifice of a vaulted church;
a choir was inside practicing for the big day.
Illuminated was the stained glass window with a child and adoring mother....
I wish I could feel as fresh and new she gasped
as her home came into view.
This is my submission to Magpie Tales with a weekly photo prompt.

Swirling Introspection

It happens every year at this time. I lie in bed and reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. Blame it on the long nights near the winter solstice and the meager UV rays. My mind turns with possibilities like a van Gogh starry night.

My post yesterday about #reverb10, a site which encourages one to reflect back and look ahead, stirred the star dust. It seems to me the first 15 excellent questions carry several themes:

Eliminating: What distracts you and causes you to become somewhat disjointed and frazzled? How can you eliminate them?

Enjoying: What can you do to cultivate life's riches? What is it that makes you feel alive?

Assessing: What are your strengths and passions and how can they be nurtured in your pursuits?

Creating: How can you channel more of your creative energies, experience the wonder, and avoid the tedium?

Focusing:What can you do to direct or channel your interests into something productive and meaningful?

Many readers know that I have directed quite a few energies into this blog over the last three years. It is a reflection of my interests, skills, and perspectives. It gives me great enjoyment and enrichment on most days. But I am open to some refinement in this pursuit. I also realize that life is multi layered; a balance is needed to accommodate those different dynamics. One idea I am playing with is Less is more....

How do the themes above resonate for you?

2010 Recap at #reverb10

#reverb10 is a site which encourages one to use the month of December to 'reflect on this year and manifest what's next.'

Every day a different writer poses a question to prompt reflection. Today I get up to speed on their questions through some journalling. You may want to benefit from all the introspection as well.

December 1: Gwen Bell- Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

2: Leo Babauta- What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

3: Ali Edwards- Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

4: Jeffrey Davis- How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

5: Alice Bradley- What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

6: Gretchen Rubin- What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

7: Caligater- Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

8:Karen Walrond- Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.

9: Shauna Reid- What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

10: Susannah Conway- What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

11: Sam Davidson- What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

12: Patrick Reynolds- This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

13: Scott Belsky- When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

I will be following this site for the rest of the month and following the hashtag #reverb10 on Twitter. I am sure to meet some interesting new perspectives.

Thanks to Ariwriter for the link.

Better Gift: iPad or Kindle?

Two of the hottest gifts this holiday season are the Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad. On one of them you can play the popular video game Angry Birds and subscribe to Netflix, and take your pick from thousands of movies, etc. On the other, you can simply read.

Dr. Nate Kornell in Psychology Today argues "the psychological differences may be just as important.""If you plop down on the couch and fire up your Kindle (or NOOK, etc), you have to make one decision: What should I read? You might choose a novel, a magazine, a newspaper, a textbook, a scholarly article, or what have you."

"If you plop down on the couch and fire up your iPad (or Galaxy Tab, etc.), you face a very different decision: Should I read? With the Kindle, you'll probably be reading within seconds. With the iPad you could be reading within seconds, but you could also jump on Angry Birds or Netflix. Or Hulu, Zappos, YouTube, Twitter, Farmville, or Gmail, ad infinitum."

"As a computer, the Kindle can't compete with the iPad. But from a psychological perspective, the Kindle makes actual reading much easier. Not because of the screen or the technology. Because reading's your only choice. We usually think of choice as good. But choice can be a problem when you're struggling with self control."

In our online world filled with infinite, diverse choices, isn't it comforting to know that one device focuses your options in a very specific direction?

Photo:

China: Exponential Tourist Market

Thirty years ago my first impression of the Canadian Rockies and places like Banff National Park, Alberta and Vancouver Island, British Columbia was awe. Pristine greenish blue lakes, snow capped mountains, invigorating hikes to alpine meadows, the roaring surf of the Pacific coastline left indelible impressions. At the time I remember many Asian travelers including the affluent Japanese who swept into these destinations in luxurious buses and stayed in the five star hotels.

Now the middle class of China's 1.3 billion citizens are poised to travel. Earlier this year China granted approved destination status to Canada and travel agencies are paving the way with group tours. On one of the first tours a Beijing student said, "Everything is so beautiful and fresh. I love it here." One travel company is expecting a 30 per cent annual jump, year after year, in Chinese travel here.

Canada's ambassador to China said, "With a growing middle class, a booming economy, and an increased outbound travel potential, the China market presents huge opportunities for the Canadian economy."

The United States is also becoming an increasingly popular destination for Chinese travelers. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding several years ago. "In 2007, China ranked as the 16th largest international market for the United States, with 397,405 Chinese visitors to the U.S. Chinese visitors spent a record $2.56 billion in the U.S. in 2007, with average expenditure of over $6,000 per person." There are expectations of dramatic growth.

In a country with crowded and frenetic cities and challenged environmental standards, one can imagine how their tourists will be entranced by the beautiful destinations of the world.

Photo:

Most Valuable Sports Memorabilia

Canadian born James Naismith, who invented the sport of basketball, had his original notes on the rules of the game auctioned off this last week for $4.4 million. That sale makes it the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever.

Naismith typed up the rules on two pages and used it at the Y.M.C.A. Training School in Springfield, Mass. in the winter of 1891. It was to be a gentlemanly game without “shouldering, holding, pushing or striking,” where the ball “may be batted in any direction” (but not with a fist), and a “player cannot run with the ball” but “must throw it from the spot on which he catches it.”

Rob Rains, the co-author with Hellen Carpenter of “James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball,” said that if the Naismith document was the original version of the rules, “it’s one of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction.” An extensive search into its provenance revealed it as undoubtedly original.

What were the other most expensive auctioned sport items?
- Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball- $3 million
- T206 Honus Wagner tobacco card $2.35 million
- Babe Ruth's bat used to hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium $1.26 million

As a Canadian, I find it interesting that this world class game was invented by a Canadian, as was the sport of hockey by the indigenous people of our far north. Of course, for both sports the rules of the game have evolved into quite intricate tomes.

Doing Without

How many things I can do without! ~ Socrates

-How does this quote contrast with dominant social values?
-To what extent do you pamper yourself and buy extravagant or peripheral items?
-How can you resolve to live with less? Think about several specific ways.
-How might more simplicity and minimalism enrich your life?

(As I near 365 posts at 365 Quote Quest, I am beginning to compile my top 5o favourite quotes for 2010. This quote may be one.)

If you have a favourite quote for 2010, I would love to read it as a comment. Better yet, if you blog about one, and link back to quoteflections I will link back to you in a future post. (Please e mail me or leave a comment if you have a post.)

Interesting Blogger Statistics

I am nearing my third anniversary as a blogger with over 1,100 posts. An infographic provides a look at some of the statistics about the blogging phenomenon:

-Bloggers worldwide: U. S. 33%, Canada, Mexico 5%, South America 2%, European Union 19%, Asia Pacific 8%....Africa?; that leaves about 30% unaccounted for...

-79% of bloggers have college degrees or higher.

-Interesting that in 2009 9% of bloggers were self employed; in 2010 it is 21%, a growing segment.

-Professional bloggers are "more sophisticated" in the use of Facebook and Twitter to drive readers.

-34% say that Twitter is a more effective driver than a year ago.

-51% say they receive a salary for their blogging.

Annual revenue generated from advertising on blogs:
All bloggers $42,000
Part-timers $14,000
Self employed $122,000

Conclusions: Most of the bloggers I read make little or nothing from blogging. There are a lot of bloggers out there who simply want to interact with like minded people and share perspectives.

The chart encourages one to think about why you blog, what is your long term plan for your blog, how important is Facebook and Twitter in your general strategy, do you intend to gain some revenue eventually? Finally do you see blogging as a fading genre or growing in 2011?

Enhanced chart at Holy Kaw. Via Grasshopper Group, 'Empowering Entrepeneurs'

Snow Palaces

Nightmare or fantasy?
100 centimeters of snow,
over one meter in two days,
three days of school closures-
mountains of snow
too deep even for sledding;
too bad there's no groomed ski hill close by.
Shovel that driveway
clear the sidewalk
what happened to our terrier?
From the north the winds came,
swirling counter clockwise currents
from a giant storm in the distant Maritimes,
picking up moisture over Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and
creating giant, pillow cases of snowflakes-
A record snowfall,
two weeks earlier than the usual beginning
of snow kingdoms
paralyzing traffic on Highway #401 for hours
and liberating childhood fantasies.

(Early this last week London, Ontario was buried as described in the poem.)

This is a Magpie Tale around a weekly photo prompt.

Raw or Cooked?

A steamer may be your most strategic piece of cookware in the kitchen. A leading nutritionist writes that certain vegetables are best if they are steamed rather than eaten raw.

"Cooking your vegetables can actually boost their antioxidant content. Heating vegetables releases antioxidants by breaking down cell walls. Studies have found that eating cooked spinach and carrots – versus raw – results in much higher blood levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant thought to guard against heart disease and lung cancer. You’ll also get more lutein, a phytochemical that helps prevent cataract and macular degeneration, if you eat your spinach cooked instead of raw."

"And when it comes to certain minerals, you’re also better off eating your spinach cooked. Green vegetables such as spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard are high in calcium, but their high levels of a compound called oxalic acid binds calcium and reduce its absorption. Cooking releases some of the calcium that’s bound to oxalic acid. Three cups of raw spinach, for example, have 90 milligrams of calcium, whereas one cup of cooked has nearly triple the amount (259 milligrams). Cooking vegetables also increases the amount of magnesium and iron that’s available to the body."

Moreover, some vegetables are healthier when eaten raw or lightly steamed. "Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and kale contain glucosinolates that are converted to anti-cancer compounds called isothiocyanates when they are chopped or chewed." Light steaming keeps many of the nutrients in tact.

I am reminded of Popeye, the sailor man who had the foresight of eating cases of cooked spinach!

Photo:

Marketing Niche Savvy

Have you ever marveled at how some people do so well in marketing their ideas, talents, or products on the Internet? No business is easy to begin with the expectation of an immediate avalanche of sales. It often takes a lot of work and time to build a following, get the message out, and encourage the consumer to use that credit card. There is also some savvy marketing going on in positioning the product, branding, and advertising, etc.

Here are several well positioned niche products. In the midst of the winter cold, Twittens are gloves which can allow you to expose those fingertips for handy texting. They are "gloves for the text generation." The name is a cross between Twitter and mittens, and you can follow them there and on Facebook. Who can be without a pair?

Talli Roland, whose blog I have followed for over a year, has marketed her young adult fiction very well. Her latest novel The Hating Game is on some bestseller lists as an e book, along with sales of a hard copy.

Or how about a microbrewery using all natural milled ingredients in your very own home with minimum fuss? The Brewer's Market offers several inexpensive kits with different flavours to enjoy. I have tasted The Crossroads Amber Ale and enjoyed its distinctive appeal very much. (Disclosure: one of the partners is a most likable and talented son in law.) They also are on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you know of any other well positioned products and appreciate their marketing or appeal?

Teens with Literary Leanings

What's the next big thing for teenagers on the Internet who like to read and write? According to a NYT's article Figment.com may be it.

I really went into it and thought, ‘We’ll be the social network for young-adult fiction,’ ” said Mr. Lewis, a former managing editor of The New Yorker. “But it became clear early on that people didn’t want a new Facebook.”

The young people on the site weren’t much interested in “friending” one another. What they did want, he said, “was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself.”

Figment was unveiled on Monday as an experiment in online literature, a free platform for young people to read and write fiction, both on their computers and on their cellphones. Users are invited to write novels, short stories and poems, collaborate with other writers and give and receive feedback on the work posted on the site.

“We wanted people to be able to write whatever they wanted in whatever form they wanted,” Mr. Lewis said. “We give them a piece of paper and say, ‘Go.’ ” He added that so far contributions had included fantasy, science fiction, biographical work and long serial novels. “There’s a very earnest and exacting quality to what they’re doing.”

Moreover, the site may be a convenient place for publishers to scout for talented young writers. One publisher said, “The teen culture is a constantly moving target. We’re looking for partners who are deeply embedded in the way teens interact.”

As a retired high school English teacher, I can appreciate what motivates teens to read and write. If they are like many adults, they may find a catalyst at sites like this. What figments of their imagination may be shared?

Photo: