What language do oysters speak? Oyster, of course!

If you want to learn a real language, for example Frysian (yeah, I didn’t know that was a real language either–it’s the second language of the Netherlands, behind Dutch, and is spoken by some 500,000 people), eduFire is the place to learn it.

I’m one of the 419 tutors on the site teaching English, and the number is growing daily.

Head over there to pick up a new language or to brush up on that Spanish you studied 10 years ago in high school.

I’m studying Oyster, so if you can recommend a good tutor…

~Janelle Renée

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Green Map System energizes a diverse global movement of local mapmaking teams charting their community’s natural, cultural and green living resources with our award-winning universal icons and adaptable multi-lingual resources.

- greenmap.org

Via “Social mapping for green living” @ Yahoo: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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The picture above is a detail of the original 19" x 25" pastel drawing, shown left.  I’ve featured the detail because for some reason the small version always looks angry or sad… a strange phenomena. And it’s easier to see who he is in the detail. The original drawing, hanging in my living room, occasionally looks 3 dimensional and the eyes follow you around the room. When I really look at the drawing I get a sense of what it going on in Pierce’s life. Certainly not my intention, but something that can happen when an artist really connects with their subject. For example I knew when he was out of the country. To confirm I looked on his website I saw he was filming ‘Mama Mia’ overseas. Another time the portrait looked really frustrated and angry. Several days later I read an article on the internet that he punched a photographer in front of a Mexican restaurant in Malibu for bothering his family.  I think of the drawing a bit like the ‘portrait of Dorian Gray’. I chose to draw Pierce  because he is very recognizable and has an interesting face… you’d know if the drawing resembled the man. Everyone who has walks into my house has commented about ‘Pierce Brosnan’.

This is the second realistic portrait I did in 2007. I was inspired to try a slightly different style with this piece. The paper became an artistic element. The physical body is done in charcoal, white and pink pastel with blue highlights in the eyes and the energetic space is described in color.

 ~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

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Following up on my previous post about William Gibson’s comments regarding Canada (circa 2008), I’ve located some of his earlier thoughts on topic. In a 1993 interview, Mike Rogers asks:

“… Born in South Carolina, grew up in Virginia, living in Canada. Do you think that that dilutes your sense of nationhood? They were keen on it.”

Yeah. Oh, well. Hmmm. That’s a … Oh well, interestingly put … I think what it’s done is it’s made me … made me a globalist in some way that’s not entirely … isn’t entirely theoretical … Yeah, I mean, naturally it’s put … it’s putting it too dramatically, but you could say it was literally true that early on in life I had the experience of, of, of … exilehood, essentially for political reasons which kind of led into a permanent expatriate existence. Canada isn’t … it isn’t a country. One doesn’t … I don’t think one comes to feel Canadian. It sort of isn’t. It’s never really been …

… It’s never been a requirement of their culture with regard to … immigrants, you know? The American metaphor is the Melting Pot for a generation and then they’ll become … When they come out of the pots … they’ll be American and that really isn’t … That hasn’t been the Canadian experience. The fashionable government metaphor during the sixties was the … the Cultural Mosaic. That’s what they consciously took to be their version of the Melting Pot. Where people would immigrate, keep their cultures intact and just, you know, fit them into the grid of the country. I mean, you can’t, you know, the concept of becoming Canadian, it doesn’t you know, it doesn’t compute. It’s not … in a sense it’s an artificial construction. Really, I mean there’s a distinctive Canadian culture but you know … you’d almost have to, I think, have to be born right into it so I’ve never felt, living in Canada for twenty years … Well now I’m truly becoming more and more Canadian. I mean, I’m still a guy from Virginia and my wife is Canadian and I’ll never … I’ll never really be … I’ll never really be Canadian.

- William Gibson, interviewed by Mike Rogers: Oct. 1, 1993: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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A beautiful, powerful and masterful telling of  Biblical Creation by Wintley Phipps, ordained Seventh-day Adventist minister and  world-renowned vocal artist.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

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I had just finished posting a link to Music For A Found Harmonium by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra on my other site when I came across another wonderful ditty in Perpetuum Mobile.  Enjoy!

- Rudy Carrera.

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Well first off I want to say that I’m no expert. Just an average gal who cares, like I said before. But I’m learning, opening and grasping lots of new ideas. Then sharing with you all this great stuff I learnt and liked. So hope you don’t mind this blog being a sharing rather than a teaching.

That said, seems I’m suppose to continue with the transport subject again. ‘Cause all this week I’ve surfed and heard about more and more. So I stand corrected. Looks like there are lots of great minds worldwide thinking on this subject.

Here’s one great change making incentive… "Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize (PAXP), is a $10 million contest that wants to eliminate our oil addiction and stop global warming." Jay Leno did the opening to the event announcement that Progressive Insurance is the name sponsor of Automotive X PRIZE. Jay also took delivery of the the 1st production model Tesla Roadster July 2008 and he talks about it at Jay’s garage.

Watched Neil Young interviewed by Charlie Rose on Thursday 7-17. Seems Neil is working with Jonathan Goodwin, owner of H-Line conversions to turn his hotrod 1959 Lincoln Continental into a 100mpg green machine and more. And he plans to enter it in the PAXP. ‘Live to ride, ride my green machine!’ Neil’s dream is ridin’ green.

Heard a talk by Al Gore on Thursday 7-17 that was so motivating. About changing the way electricity is made with solar, wind, water, etc. instead of coal or fossil fuel. Gave us a goal of 10 years to make the change. Changes the scope, potential and feasibility of electric cars and their long term environmental impact. Timely… you’re blazing the trail Al… go, go, go!

Went to APS’ website, our local electric company. They offer Green Choice Rates, electricity made from wind, water and solar power. Maybe your electric company offers green rates too?

On 7-23 came across articles about a Minnesota dairy farmer who is using methane from his cows to power his car, farm and 70 homes in the area. And a California dairy farmer too. Dang! Phoot phoouel of the phoouture is a reality!

So here’s more cool green innovative transport ideas.

A few more electric cars…

Phoenix Motorcars, Inc. - electric SUV & SUT

Phoenix Motorcars, Inc, Ontario, CA is releasing 2 new all electric vehicles a truck and an SUV. 100% electric. 0-60 mph in less than 10 seconds. Top Speed 95mph. Range 130 miles. Charge time with on-Board Charger 5 to 6 hours. With off-Board High-Power Charger under 10 min. to 95% SOC. Base price: $45,000. Release date mid 2008. Later in 2008 will have extended-range battery option for 250 miles.

Aptera Motors - Super-MPG Electric Typ-1e

Aptera Motors, Carlsbad, CA initially sales of the Typ-1e will be limited to California residents only. 100% electric vehicle, 120 mile range. Top speed 85 mph. 0-60 in under 10 seconds. 3 wheels, 2 seats. Base price: $30,000 or less. Hybrid also available 600 mile range. Read more about it at Popular Mechanics.

Here’s a webpage that lists 30 electric cars available now.

And folks across the globe are getting on board too. Here’s one example: US-Based Company Helps Denmark and Israel Get Behind the Wheel of Electric Cars the idea is called Project Better Place introduction expected 2010.

Air powered car???

Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) - Air Car concept

First air powered car will be produced in the U.S. by Zero Pollution Motors New Paltz, NY. ZMP is the U.S. licensee for MDI France who developed the Air Car. The CityCat (model shown) hybrid can travel 1,000 miles on a fill up. Top speed 96 mph. Zero to low C02 emissions. Seats six. Base price $17,800. Introduction to U.S. expected in late 2009 or early 2010.  Read more about it at Popular Mechanics.

Engineair Pty Ltd, - rotary air engine

Angelo Di Pietro is the designer of a unique rotary piston engine that is powered by compressed air, called the Engineair. His company Engineair Pty Ltd is located in Brooklyn, Australia. He says it emits zero pollution, uses no petrol or batteries, takes minutes to recharge and has many applications like powering a car, boat, motor cycle and more.

Here’s a video about air powered cars talks about Air Car by MDI and Di Pietro’s unique engineair.

Water as a fuel continued???

HHO a new clean fuel alternative?

Water (H₂O) turned into HHO gas through low voltage, something scientists once thought impossible is safe, cost-effective, and eco-friendly according to Denny Klein owner of Hydrogen Technology Applications, Inc. Clearwater, Florida. Aquygen™ HTA’s name for HHO is a combustible gas made through their Aquygen generator. The internet is buzzing everywhere with talk of HHO, other inventors and applications like Hydrogen on Demand as a fuel for vehicles. Amazing concept!

So many cool and interesting new technologies. So much energy. So much happening. It’s just plain excitin’. Goin’ green and savin’ the planet. Yahoo!

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

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“Thousands of items have apparently gone missing from state-run museums and galleries, the authorities recently announced. Is it time to consider privatizing some of Russia’s great museums?”

Vladimir Kozlov of Moscow News writes:

The grave situation with Russia’s state-run museums and their storage facilities went public two years ago, when a large theft from the country’s main museum, the Hermitage, was discovered. Not much was done about that particular case, and the blame was put on underpaid low-level employees who allegedly lifted some lower-shelf items just to make ends meet.

However, as it turned out, the Hermitage case triggered a large-scale inspection of all of the country’s state-run museums. The preliminary results were recently announced and came as a shock to anybody who cares about Russian culture: some 50,000 items belonging to the country’s museums are unaccounted for.

Kozlov proposes to address the problem of looting by selling off lesser provincial museums. After some analysis of the issues, he concludes:

… It seems like there is no way out besides putting smaller museums and galleries on sale, while stipulating the new owner’s rights and obligation as clearly as possible. When presented with the two options — losing a museum’s collection under the present situation, or possibly preserving at least part of it for the future by transferring it into private hands — why not go for the latter option?

“Should State Museums be Put on the Block?”
by Vladimir Kozlov @ Moscow News — 24/07/2008 — Link.

See also:

“Survey shows Russian museums missing 50,000 items”
by David Nowak @ Associated Press — Jul 17, 2008 — Link.

The State Hermitage Museum — Saint Petersburg, Russia

~ Karl Jones

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The American Cancer Society co-sponsored the annual Du Page Men’s Health Fair:  Score 1 for Men’s Health at the Yorktown Center and the Shops on Butterfield Road in the Village of Lombard, with Illinois State representative Sandy Pihos, for the 42^nd Legislative House District, along with Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Central Du Page Hospital, as well as other community health providers.  Among the most recognized exhibitors and participants, Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians from the Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, Lombard Health Care Center, located at 130 S. Main Street, #206, are noted for the professional bright display of healthcare services and the motto, “Inspiring Wellness Promoting Choices” for sports injuries, nerve and muscle testing (EMG), comprehensive pain management, occupational injuries, and physical rehabilitation which encourages and maximizes “improved treatment and results to allow early return to sports or work”.

In 2008, Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, Lombard Health Care Center, and the American Cancer Society invite you to participate in “Relay for Life”, a community-based research program designed “to help you understand the factors that prevent cancer and save more lives”.  Voluntary enrollment for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3, (CPS-3) focuses on anyone between the ages of 30 and 64 years old, who will register as subjects in a long-term life study about medical history, lifestyles, and behaviors measured by periodic surveys, waist measurement, and blood-testing, collected by a certified, trained “phlebotomist”, lab technician.

Free health screenings for prostate cancer traces in blood samples brought a line of visitors to the certified lab technicians working for Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare.  In addition, Score 1 for Men’s Health featured blood pressure screenings by Good Samaritan Hospital, Nurse Terri, and body fat composition assessments by Diane.  The Visiting Nurse Association of Fox Valley (VNA) introduced a hand-held Body Fat Composition device operated by both hands upon pressure which, for instance, measured 18.4 percent of Body Mass Index (BMI) for a person weighing 100 lbs., at 11.6 percent of body fat, for ages 39-49, at 5’2” in height.  The blood pressure reading was 108/60 systolic/diastolic for the same person, read by Nurse Terri from Good Samaritan Hospital. 

The most recommended health screening tests include:  cholesterol checks, blood pressure readings, diabetes tests, prostate cancer screenings, colorectal cancer tests, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and depression evaluations according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, http://www.ahrq.gov – AHRQ Pub. No. APPIP 03-0022, Revised February 2004.

The American Cancer Society invites you to “Get Your Health Test Screenings!”  Women ages 21-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 years of age and older can ask the doctor or nurse about regular cancer screening tests for breast cancer or a PAP test for cervical cancer or colon cancer testing.  In addition, recommended preventive measures to lower your chances of getting cancer and other diseases include: 

• Don’t use tobacco.  If you do, ask your doctor or nurse about quitting smoking.
• Protect yourself from the sun to prevent skin lesions, sun burnt, and sun stroke, etc.
• Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains on a daily basis.
• Keep a health body weight.
• Do not drink alcohol in excess—if you drink alcohol, consume less.
• Exercise daily, at least 30 minutes during the week, five days or more.

Men at the age of 40 through 50 years or older, need to check health screenings for prostate cancer and/or colon cancer.  The American Cancer Society advises to get a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a rectal exam every year for family members with a medical history of prostate cancer before the age of 65.  Early detection and treatment of prostate cancer can save lives.  Call the American Cancer Society for free cancer test screenings at 1-800-227-2345 or visit http://www.cancer.org

Score 1 for Men’s Health in Du Page County is a Health Initiatives program organized by Joy Rosenberg, manager for the American Cancer Society for the Du Page Office, Illinois Division, Inc., located at 1801 S. Meyers Road, Suite 100, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois  60181, Tel. 630-932-1141.  To arrange for free health screenings sponsored by the American Cancer Society, please call toll-free at 1-800-322-6237 or Email:  joy.rosenberg@cancer.org.

Orthostatic screening by Advanced Physicians for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapy was conducted by Jesse Peery, in order to explain how a person’s feet imprints, scanned by digital media into a personal computer, assist in designing custom-made insoles (for walking) shoes and prevent foot aches, discomfort, and fatigue while walking.  Footprints on a digital scanner, color-coded by areas of pressure, map the feet’s arches for Orthostatic Foot Insoles, for standing upright or walking on foot.  I was the first visitor to try the Orthostatic Digital Scanner.  Some years ago, someone stumped my big toe to injure my right foot, causing a permanent foot injury.  Since then, my fractured right toe never healed properly and has developed into “a hammertoe”—which reclines upon other toes with discomfort and distress upon walking, jogging, or running exercise.

During Orthostatic Digital screening, the right foot imprint showed in color codes how a custom-designed foot insole would balance the foot pressure to ease walking discomfort.  In addition, Jesse Peery recommended to insert a big toe wedge to prevent continued degeneration of the hammertoe, reclining upon the other toes with undue pressure and discomfort, during excessive walking.  Advanced Physicians provided “Free” Health Consultation to seek medical help for foot pain.  Visit http://www.AdvancedPhysiciansGroup.com for additional information in Du Page County. 

Across from the Orthostatic exhibit table, Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians displayed medical services for the Lombard Health Care Center at 130 S. Main Street, #206.  Dr. Syed Zaffer, M.D. and his medical assistant handed out healthcare information describing programs for Occupational & Sports injury management, non-surgical spinal care, comprehensive pain management, Orthopedic Rehabilitation, muscle and nerve injury/disorder rehab., Geriatric rehabilitation for senior citizens, fitness and injury prevention, counseling, employment and sports physicals, disability evaluation, nerve and muscle testing (EMG). 

Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians give patients the advantage of providing Health Screening programs for timely intervention, better patient and family preparation for a speedy return to the community, improved treatment results for early return to work or sports, matching various healthcare resources to patients needs supported by a healthcare network.  If you suffer from symptoms related to “fibromyalgia”, such as muscle stiffness, headache, anxiety or depression, memory loss, muscle tingling and numbness, along with insomnia or chronic fatigue syndrome, Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians can help you with professional therapy and diagnostic services—EMG tests, manipulation, thermo-electric massage, acupuncture, naprapathy.  Evening and weekend hours are available for your convenience, call 630-873-5425 to make an appointment.  For persons who suffer from “neuropathy” due to chronic pain and muscle weakness under spinal vertebrae D12 and painful distension of the extremities, Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians provide healthcare with comprehensive management of Physical Injury & Pain Discomfort.  Dr. Syed Zaffer, M.D. is a certified physiatrist who specializes in

diagnosing problems and offering non-surgical management of pain and injury. “Physiatrists treat people, not just symptoms, by evaluating the impact of a condition on the person – medically, socially, emotionally and vocationally”—according to Physical Medicine & Pain Physicians.  Visit us and check our website for additional information at http://www.pmpphysicians.com/phisiatry.asp  There is a Free Complimentary Consultation available by selection.  You can also subscribe to the E-newsletter. Email: info@pmpphysicians.com

The American Cancer Society, with support from Du Page County healthcare providers, always excels in their efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat health issues through early screenings, provided “free” for the community-at-large during the year.  Score 1 for Men’s Health at the Du Page Men’s Health Fair is an annual, fun-filled event, planned for you with informative and useful health measures to fit your lifestyle and wellness practices, health eating habits, and exercise routines at the Yorktown Center, in Lombard, Illinois, USA.

 –G. Hung, M.A., B.A.

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A wonderful reminder of Europe’s lost Christian heritage can be found in Belgium beguinages.  Read more here, courtesy of the New York Times Travel Section.

- Rudy Carrera.

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Get your geek on at the Comic-Con if you’re in the San Diego area July 24-27.

- Rudy Carrera.

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How cool is that?  From Yahoo!:

Friar Cesare Bonizzi, also known as Fratello Metallo (Metal Friar) (C), poses with his band after a rehearsal session in downtown Milan July 10, 2008. Dressed in his traditional robe, sandals and twirling the rope around his waist, 62-year old Bonizzi is no ordinary heavy metal rocker. But as guitarists around him belt out heavy notes, the long-white-bearded Capuchin, a former missionary in Ivory Coast, has no qualms bobbing his head and shouting lyrics about alcohol, sex, tobacco and life in general into his microphone.

- Rudy Carrera.

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Web-crawling program ID’s disease outbreaks

Scientists are searching within the virtual world and finding real viruses. Every hour, HealthMap, an infectious disease-tracking Web site, culls through news Web sites, public health list servs, the World Health Organization’s online pages, and other Web sites in six different languages to pinpoint outbreaks of disease that real-world doctors can then act on.

- Eric Bland @ Discovery Channel: Link.

Via Slashdot: Link.

Online games as models of real-world epidemics

In an online game called World of Warcraft, an unexpected error in the software has provided a ready-made laboratory for studying the effects of an epidemic.

- via karljones.com: Link.

Translating genetic information into music to diagnose disease

Here’s an intriguing new way to examine data: turn it into music. Gil Alterovitz, a research fellow at Harvard Medical School, is developing a computer program that translates protein and gene expression into music: harmony represents good health, and discord indicates disease.

You can listen to some samples online. (Via KurzweilAI.net)

- Edward Willett @ Futurismic: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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A spoken word poem by Drew Dellinger. Is beautiful and awe filled. A lovely tribute to us and the universe.

Hope you enjoy it.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

Global Oneness Project.

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