Reno Balloon Race 2006

Evo Morales on John Stewart

Check out this interview with Bolivia's first Indigenous President who is trying to make all kinds of changes in his country. He has some things to say that we should all consider and think about. Morales was interviewed on Comedy Central's John Stewart's Daily Show on Wednesday, September 29, 2007. He talks of the need to think in terms of humanity in efforts to bring equity to people around the globe and perhaps even save the planet.

Hugo Chavez in NY

Venezuelan President Chavez is coming to NYC this week, Wednesday, September 26 for the UN
Summit.
People are organizing a demonstration of
SUPPORT FOR CHAVEZ
IN FRONT OF THE UN
WEDNESDAY 3-5:30PM, specifically for:

1. HUMANITARIAN ACTS
2. PEACE PROCESS IN COLOMBIA

If you're in NY this week, go show your support for this unique leader...

....our lives....

happiness...
sadness...
energy
will
manifest
that
which
we
wish...

Mos Def on 9/11 and the U.S. system

well... just when we thought it was all over, the 9/11 memorials come around, reminding us to be scared. Then the new Mos Def video starts making the rounds, which just lays all the crap on the table. Mos Def is a Muslim rapper from NYC who has been outspoken politically in the past on issues such as the fucked up Katrina response and other poverty related issues. Check out his thoughts on 9/11 in this new video with Eminem:

can we see anything?

these days i'm at a loss...
we live in a world
with so much regulation.
to do something
anything
out of the ordinary...
is
a risk.

a risk...

to lose
your life
of
complacency
and
apathy
and
indecision...

lose
your
life...

EAT LOCAL!!

Check out this short video that will explain the importance of eating locally. As a researcher of food choices and gardening, I have come to realize how choosing to eat foods that are grown or produced closer to home can be one of the most important decisions we make in regards to the health of the environment and the planet. As an added bonus, by supporting and engaging in the local food movement, an increased sense of community and support can be a nice byproduct.

"Urban tumbleweed"

Here is an interesting article from Alternet about the consequences of paper and plastic bags. Apparently, neither compostable plastic bags nor recycled paper bags are viable options.
They are merely "alternatives" that don't address the real issue: our throwaway culture. So...a question still remains for me. We have trash. And if you live in the suburbs or a city or a small town, chances are your waste removal services require your trash to be bagged in some way. Composting is not always an option if you're a renter or otherwise have no land and/or usable space. In the interest of taking steps in a positive direction, I would like to know how to "bag" my trash. Any suggestions??

Radiohead done by Marching Band

Here's something a bit different - especially for fans of Radiohead. Check out this clip of a marching band from Arizona performing a few songs - a really cool performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIBEZYQAPEE

Labor Day Theory....

In keeping with the previous post that mentioned Eisenhower, I present a short book description today. The author is theorist and U.S. cultural critic Henry A. Giroux, and his latest book is titled The University in Chains: Confronting the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex, published by Paradigm Publishers in 2007. From the publisher:

President Eisenhower originally included "academic" in the draft of his landmark, oft-quoted speech on the military-industrial-complex. Giroux tells why Eisenhower saw the academy as part of the famous complex--and how his warning was vitally prescient for 21st-century America. His newest book details the sweeping post-9/11 assault being waged on the academy by militarization, corporatization, and right-wing fundamentalists who increasingly view critical thought itself as a threat to the dominant political order. Giroux argues that the university has become a handmaiden of the Pentagon and corporate interests, it has lost its claim to independence and critical learning and has compromised its role as a democratic public sphere. And yet, in spite of its present embattled status and the inroads made by corporate power, the defense industries, and the right wing extremists, Giroux defends the university as one of the few public spaces left capable of raising important questions and educating students to be critical and engaged agents. He concludes by making a strong case for reclaiming it as a democratic public sphere.

Giroux seemingly hits on some interesting points here concerning the transformation of the university from a place of critical thinking and exploration to an entity that pumps out 'good' citizens.
I might argue for virtual space to be taken over as the truly democratic public sphere. While computers are not available to everyone, they are becoming more and more common not only in the U.S., but even in resource poor areas of the world. In short, access is greater than ever, and only improving. I wonder what potential the blog has - perhaps something like community blogs or topical blogs that are open to public input and discussion. There are of course versions of these ideas already out there - but we have once again seemingly hit a plateau. Could a combination of the idea behind social networking sites with the blog and chat-room type space for discussion and distribution of news and ideas work? Of course the most difficult part would be to then re-transfer out of the virtual world and into our everyday realities with steps taken toward action, activism, and movement toward real change.

Some words from Fidel....

I just came across a statement released a few days ago by Fidel Castro, and really it just drives home what an interesting man he really is. He talks of playing golf with Che in an effort to mock Eisenhower. He mentions Jimmy Carter as the only president with a conscience. He wonders about the authenticity of the U.S. electoral system, and notes how Florida plays an important and questionable role therein. You can check out the article here, but here are a few excerpts:

One day, Che [Guevara] and I went to play golf. He had been a caddie once to earn some money in his spare time; I, on the other hand, knew absolutely nothing about this expensive sport. The United States government had already decreed the suspension and the redistribution of Cuba’s sugar quota, after the Revolution had passed the Agrarian Reform Law. The golf game was a photo opportunity. The real purpose was to make fun of Eisenhower.

In the United States, you can have a minimum of votes and still become President. That is what happened to Bush. Having a majority of electoral votes and losing the Presidency is what happened to Gore. For that reason, the State of Florida is the prize everyone aspires to, because of the presidential votes it provides. In the case of Bush, an electoral fraud was also needed; for this, the first Cuban emigrants, who were the Batista supporters and the bourgeois, were best masters.

Today, talk is about the seemingly invincible ticket that might be created with Hillary for President and Obama for Vice President. Both of them feel the sacred duty of demanding “a democratic government in Cuba”. They are not making politics: they are playing a game of cards on a Sunday afternoon.