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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Looking for a place to vacation?  Here are a few places that might be worth your time!

- Rudy Carrera.

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Those of you into bizarre plants (and I think this post might be of particular interest to Neal), check out some of the bizarre examples of flora here, courtesy of DivineCaroline.com.

- Rudy Carrera.

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“The first attempts are now being made to find some of those who were buried in mass graves in the 1960s and 70s.”

An hour or so north of Acapulco lies the town of Atoyac …. We had come to find its former army base.

… Up to 470 people are thought to have been tortured and killed at this one location, we were told. And there were many other camps.

It had taken years to persuade the government to allow this dig to take place, Mexico’s first.

… There are documented cases of up to 2,000 people who are known to have disappeared during this period.

- Duncan Kennedy @ BBC News: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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The latest Worth 1000 Photoshop contest features mashups of Star Wars and fine art.

Shown here: Girl With R2D2 Earring.

(See Wikipedia for the original painting.)

View all entries.

Via Boing Boing: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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My brother and I got matching tattoos when I was 30 and he was 18. It was a coming of age experience for us both–his first year in college and I had finally finished my PhD and gotten a  tenure track position.

That year we were both living in the Bay Area–he had insisted on UC Berkeley so he could experience living in the SF Bay Area, which he’d heard about all his life from his older sister, but which he’d left when our parents moved to Washington State when he was 6 (the year I left for college in Connecticut). My brother was born in San Francisco but didn’t feel like a native because he’d spent his formative years in suburban Washington

Despite my mother’s anger at me as the eldest–leading her baby astray into tattooed thug-dom, the tattoos were actually–strangely–a mutual idea. My brother called and said, “Hey, do you want to get tattoos?” Just at the same time as I had been thinking about getting one myself.

Agreeing to do it was easy, deciding on a design was not. We easily ruled out the obvious (our Chinese family name) and the derivative (symbols or designs from other cultures, like the Polynesian and tribal designs that are so popular). We realized we’d have to design it ourselves, and that we wanted to be more or less matching.

The idea of matching was important because he and I don’t match up as brother and sister. It goes beyond him being tall and slender, and me being relatively shorter and definitely curvy. We have different fathers. I still remember the day when he was about 5 years old and he asked me who was the man who sometimes came to visit with me. “That’s my father,” I told him. My brother’s question caught me off guard–it had never occurred to me to tell him–my father wasn’t around much so it didn’t seem significant. My brother, at 5, was understandably confused. We had never used terms like “half-sister”–and his father, my step-father, always referred to me as his daughter.

Our physical difference goes beyond the shape of our bodies or faces–we look different “racially,” because my father is European American and his is Chinese American. This is the difference that makes it most difficult for people to see us as related. His friends are always confused when they first meet his sister, “Wei Ming.” Expecting a fully Chinese woman, they instead meet me. I look Latina to many eyes. I am, thus, literally his “half” sister.

When my brother was 18, during his first year of college, he spent at least one or two weekends each month with me in San Francisco. When he graduated he lived with me for 6 months. When he studied for the LSAT and later for the California Bar exam he lived with me. I, recently divorced, will be living with him for awhile until I find my feet again.

We branded ourselves with a visible sign of the connection we have deeply known between us. Maybe the sign is for others to see, but the experience itself–designing the tattoo, holding each other’s hands through the pain, showing it to other people to “prove” that we are related–this is apart of the evolving relationship that I–who had been the only child in my family on both sides in my entire generation until I was 10 years old–had never imagined I would have. My brother has always had me in his life, so perhaps he can’t imagine it, but I know what it was like to be alone in a profound way.

My gratitude for his presence in my life cannot be measured.

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at your back the tall mountain your deep research what is it you want to know by asking evaluate who is asking whom about what and why are you asking the question does the identity of the asker matter a question is a power relationship what are you he asks me he asks and where are you really from block the direct energy flooding into your front door by planting a tree a tree of heaven indigenous to china and spread all over California what island are you from you must be this isn’t a question so much as a declaration by someone else proclaiming knowledge of your identity will a mirror on my forehead deflect it

why
who
what?

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Allan - Portrait of a Friend   18" x 24" Pastel on paper

This is a drawing I did in 2007 of a friend of mine. The swirling colors are representative of self expression and artistic vision.

Most of my art is esoteric. I hadn’t drawn a realistic portrait since college. Kept saying I could. Right! My friends would nod their heads and smile. One day Allan challenged me to stop saying and do.  So I drew a portrait of him… this is the result.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

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“A love of Jute has had Sandra Thompson developing new ways of using the material. Her latest innovation is in the funeral business.”

Three years ago, she unexpectedly veered in a different direction: funerals. “I went into the office and said, ‘Why don’t we try a jute shroud?’ ” she says. “Everybody thought, ‘What’s she talking about now?’ ”

Thomson’s timing was impeccable. Jute is 100% biodegradable and her jute shrouds complemented the growing market for green funerals. Soon Thomson’s repertoire included coffins, urns for the ashes of loved ones, caskets, and books of remembrance.

Jute coffins are proving popular. Several layers of the plant fibre are compressed tightly together to make the jute boards that are used to build the coffins. They look wooden, and feel wooden, but they break down quicker in the soil than hardwood coffins and produce lower emissions when used for cremations, Thomson says.

- Richard Wilson @ Times Online: Link.

[Article uses both "Thompson" and "Thomson". I don't know which is correct. ~KGJ]

(...)
Read the rest of Jute Funerals (144 words)

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I’ve seen lots of good Los Angeles bands in my heyday, but I don’t recall any group that has floored me so heavily in the past 10 years as the Secret Society of the Sonic Six have. This three-piece group headlined a show a good friend of mine, Biff of Tunnelmental, put together for his return. They were in wonderful form after shaking off a bit of rust from a very long hiatus, but after they performed, I was warned by another mate, Tommy Grenas of Pressurehed, Farflung and a host of other remarkable bands that I was going to be floored. Normally, I’d brush off a statement like that, but Grenas has impeccable taste, and I figured I’d give them a listen. After about a minute of watching them perform, I was indeed leveled. They had the stage presence of bands like Tuxedomoon in their early days, Yello, Kraftwek, Neu, and they added a very Los Angelino dimension with a sort of hazy psychedelic sound that would sound perfectly in place with a Mexican horror film (you know, the ones that feature a masked super hero like El Santo or Mil Mascaras)! They are the most unique and interesting band performing in Los Angeles, and it’s high time the rest of the world hear them.

- Rudy Carrera.

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I was encouraged to make my first post to the Tower of Babel blog an introduction, so here’s a little bit about me.  My name is Jim Rovira.  I’m currently an Assistant Professor of English at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.  My dissertation, which I successfully defended last April (graduated with my Ph.D. last May), is about William Blake and Soren Kierkegaard.  I am actively publishing in my field.  My most recent publication is a book review of a recent Blake study for undergraduates for College Literature, and I’m currently reading two books on reception studies of Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott for my next review.  I will be presenting on William Blake at the upcoming International Conference on Romanticism this coming November.

I live here in Tiffin with my wife Sheridan and two youngest children, Penn and Grace, but have four older children from a previous marriage in the Central Florida area. They are almost all grown; my youngest from my first marriage is going to be a senior in High School this coming academic year.

I’m a displaced Californian.  I lived the first seventeen years of my life in Southern California (I have an essay published on the Tower of Babel website about growing up in So. Cal.), the next seventeen in Florida, the next five around the New Jersey/Pennsylvania area for graduate school, then back to Florida for four years to teach college in a full time, non-tenured position while I worked on my dissertation, and now to Ohio for my first Assistant Professor level job. You can get more details about me on LinkedIn.com and connect with me through jamesrovira (at) gmail (dot) com.

I hope to be posting here about the upcoming elections as I observe them happening in and around Ohio.  This, to me, involves writing a bit about Ohio –  I don’t think we can fully understand people’s attitudes without understanding the place where they live.  But the person writing needs to be understood as well: not just where that person lives, but where that person has lived.  What you need to understand about me is that until this last June I’ve lived 38 of my 43 years of life within twenty miles of either Disneyland or DisneyWorld.  So when my wife and I were driving from Tiffin to Fremont, watching mile after mile of corn, wheat, and soy fields, it made perfect sense that my wife would turn to me and say, “You’re going to lose your mind before I do.”

Maybe I already have!

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the word angel could be revised as “a woman with wings.” you seduced me with the intensity of your dream a woman whose wings were broken she needed all of us to lift her body with the breath of our song I took water and pigment applied to paper the woman’s face her eye like a world clouds ocean and the earth beneath you told me Egyptians with green eyes are a legacy of French colonialism everyone knows this but no one denies them their authenticity as Egyptians there is a space for them in society like the space between the water of the river and its banks

Bersennbrugge writes of durations the space between the beginning of something and its end is a duration invokes the strength of to endure the hardness of durability but duration is nothing it is no thing just a space between like the sight-lines from one to another who are carefully not looking too closely the mirror they see there the open desire my instructions for the painting were exact the color of blue at the horizon half an hour before sunset there might be a name for this I know it matters to you the exact translation of a word

for me it is color it is light it is reaching into the space and touching the heat around your body inhaling the scent of flowers blooming at night scenting the island I live on it is only at night I wish to inhale deeply carry it with me into the daylight like you that scent is already gone

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I’ve been thinking long and hard in the past few months about the Music Genome Project, debating the pros and cons (as all things have) to being manipulated by one group’s opinion of how and what music should appeal to you. Part of me loved the idea of having pre-tuned stations meant to fit my taste; but, as an audiophile, most of me knew that the thrill of the pursuit was getting corrupted through manipulation of how a group of scientists saw music.

For me, part of the magic of music has always been in the pursuit of the next thing that is going to absolutely move me. This has meant stalking racks of new CDs and old vinyls, weaving in and out of garages to see if the undiscovered have a demo, and networking relentlessly with everyone from the recording studio owners to the construction worker with a guitar to get the most amazing music I can find. It’s always been my choice, my decision as to whether I wanted it or not (which I usually did), and whether I liked it or not (which I usually do). So, at first, I got excited when I heard about a project meant to study, analyze, and categorize music on over 400 levels. It would make the hunt that much more interesting. But as I started to look at these categories, I began to remember that music was more than just the sounds, which is all they were looking at. This project couldn’t measure the amount of passion that was behind each note, or the story of amazing struggle and circumstance that brought the band to where they are from the very pits of despair that makes the music that much more meaningful.

I suppose, on the other side, that for those who don’t have the means and/or know-how to hunt music down, this offers exposure the likes of which they have never had before. Still, on the whole, I don’t see too many pros to the project. Music is meant to be explored, discovered, taken in; not passed out person to person based on the qualifications that one group came up with. Beyond that, as a dependent source, people are getting robbed of music not logged into their database (I spent hours searching for my favorite bands only to discover most of them were unheard of to the project).

I’m not downing their efforts. I actually believe that the classification system their establishing is rather amazing, and I respect the massive amounts of work put into it; I just believe that their method of bringing it to the public is an assault to traditions of the music lover. Keep your vinyl stores in business, people - remember the thrill of the chase.

-Chelsea Leroux

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Gas just keeps going up and up. It’s crazy! What can we do? Grin and bear it? Eat less food to fill the tank? Not bloody likely. Won’t go hungry to feed that monster. Go to town less. Cut trips to once a month. Do everythin’ at once. A Band-Aid is all. Sure it’ll cut costs some. And cut pollution a little. But it’s short term. My little car already gets about 40mpg. Gotta find a better way to this Gas Guzzling Gaffe!

All of it got me thinkin’. I’ve heard folks say, ‘That’s a scary thought… she’s been thinkin’ again, ah oh!’ Well, pppffffttt and raspberries to ya. Anyway we got a crisis as I see it. Ya’d think the great minds of the world who can split atoms, create starwars, go to the moon and back… for cripes sakes… could come up with an efficient, clean runnin’ engin’. That doesn’t use fossil fuels in any part of the process.

Just read ’bout hydrogen fuel cells. Sure sounds good. Till ya find out that fossil fuels are used to make hydrogen, mostly. So we use fossil fuels (which we’re trying to moving away from) to make another potentially skyhigh fuel which runs clean. Got pollution in the makin’ and maybe a higher cost to boot. Don’t see a fix there. But fuel cells can run on any fuel even methane. There’s an idea! Refine and bottle cattle phoots. Recycle and reduce pollution too. Imagine the commercials for a new phootmobile. MG’s new FART - Fast Affordable Reliable Transportation. Runs on Phoots, the clean burning, recycled phoouel of the phoouture.

Sure it’s funny but most methane is obtained from fossil fuel not cattle. So don’t think that’s a solution. Sigh! If there’s pollutin’ anywhere in the process it won’t work. Can’t use it to power anythin’. Or if there’s a limited amount and it’s not renewable or adds pollution. Can’t use it. Like oil, coal, natural gas. What if it takes land to produce that could grow food to help feed the hungry around the world. Is that a solution? It’s a quandary. We gotta think of all consequences…. long term.

But what about right now? Been doin’ some surfing on transport. Found some interesting stuff. Short term… better fuel economy is a start. Small gasoline or hybrids for better gas mileage. But GAWD why isn’t the mpg higher. Here’s the top two fuel savers…

smart  

smart, a member of Mercedes-Benz Cars is produced in France. smart ForTwo, 3-cylinder, 1-liter gasoline powered engine is currently rated as the highest mileage car in the US. It is classified as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV). Ratings: top speed 90mph, 33-40 mpg city, 41-45 mpg highway. Base Price: $12,235. A 100% electric smart is currently being tested in the UK.

Toyota Motors Hybrid

Toyota Prius (hybrid-electric) is currently rated as the highest mileage gasoline/electric hybrid. It is classified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (ATPZEV). Ratings: 48 mpg highway, 45 mpg city. Base Price: $21,500.

Just heard that Toyota is having trouble keeping up with demand for their hybrid. Well that good, but it still pollutes and uses fossil fuel so how about a more eco-friendly solution?

Maybe electric? There are some in the works. Here are two…

Tesla Motors Electric car

Now in production in USA at Tesla motors a 100% electric sports car. Fast 0-60 in 3.9 seconds,  Zero emissions, 220 miles per charge, 2-3.5 hour charge. Base price: $109,000. There is a waiting list for this car.

Just read in the July 21 issue of Newsweek that Elon Musk cofounder of Tesla Motors said "Our second product is a sedan that is about half the price and will be produced in late 2010. We think we could either directly or in partnership with a major auto company actually get to a car that is under $30,000 in four years."

Th!nk Global Electric Car - a green machine

Now in production in Norway and coming to the US. The Th!nk City is a 100% electric vehicle, designed for city driving. Zero emissions, 95% recyclable, made of recycled materials. It can travel up to 110 miles in city driving, top speed 65mph. Th!nk City will be sold in Europe in late 2008 and in US 2009. US price expected to be sub $25,000.

If we go all electric it’s good. But how is that electricity produced at the plant? Does it burn fossil fuel or coal? Even atomic power plants have serious long term pollution issues. If all transportation is plug in (electric) it means higher electric demand. Many power plants can’t keep up with demand now. With brown or black outs happenin’ on real hot or cold days… all over. What happens if we add transportation to the mix? Seems this mode of electric power transportation is only a short term solution at best… with lots of limitations.

Unless perhaps the electricity to power the vehicle is self generated somehow. Through solar or water or something other. Here is a water powered concept car with interesting potential…

Genepax Co, Ltd.  Water Energy System (WES) concept vehicle.

Genpax a Japanese firm has developed a system that extracts electricity from water, Zero emissions. The H2O Power concept car (WES in Reva, shown) runs on water. Genepax hopes to partner with an automaker to produce WES powered vehicles. If interested here is a website on how it works.

Pie in the sky or the next motorized carriage???

How about a magnetic motor? Two Australian Inventors have developed a generator which they claim will run for years on it’s own power and make 5 times the energy it uses.  Can even power a car they say with zero pollution. The video is amazing and interesting. Such potential.

There are a lot of ideas for free energy or zero point energy machines on the Living Web. Are they true? Don’t know, but sure are interesting and have great potential.

The sky’s the limit… it’s only limited now by what we can imagine. Let’s do great things, ask lots of questions and make this happen for the betterment of ourselves, our children and the planet!!!

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

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“Nia’s Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.”

He is an Iranian Muslim who looks so much like a Hollywood or Renaissance image of Jesus Christ that the faithful sometimes make the sign of the cross when they see him.

Ahmad Soleimani-Nia has been playing Jesus for seven years, keeping his hair long and lightly dyed, his beard knotty and vibrant.

He is the star of “Jesus, the Spirit of God,” a new film from Iran that depicts the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet heralding the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith. Nia’s Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.

- Jeffrey Fleishman in Tehran, via LA Times: Link.

Jesus, the Spirit of God (aka The Messiah) @ IMDB.com: Link.

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“Nia’s Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.”

He is an Iranian Muslim who looks so much like a Hollywood or Renaissance image of Jesus Christ that the faithful sometimes make the sign of the cross when they see him.

Ahmad Soleimani-Nia has been playing Jesus for seven years, keeping his hair long and lightly dyed, his beard knotty and vibrant.

He is the star of “Jesus, the Spirit of God,” a new film from Iran that depicts the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet heralding the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith. Nia’s Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.

- Jeffrey Fleishman in Tehran, via LA Times: Link.

Jesus, the Spirit of God (aka The Messiah) @ IMDB.com: Link.

~ Karl Jones

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Mad King 3
Sketch, digital editing
2008

Full size image

My latest creation.

For more of my work, see Wallpaper.

~ Karl Jones

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I always sit and wonder why the world is just an unfair place…then something hit me…we were all born on a different day, time and way.

Some were born in the rural areas where even the talk of a dispensary is like a dream hence it is never mentioned, others while their mothers struggled to rush to the hospitals only to realize that the baby was to anxious to stay in the womb rather than wait for the doctor…hence born somewhere maybe along the road, near a forest or maybe just outside the hospital gate, many were born in the hands of careful midwives either in the village, estate or hospital while those who were lucky even got a gynecologist, a pediatrician, a nurse and better still their husband to be with them when they went through the not so easy to describe moment.

All in all even in real life we have got classes of people those who are poor poor meaning that no matter what they do they will still end up sleeping under some cold, unhealthy conditions that are only a sorry state to the ears of many, others make do with perhaps one unhealthy just a survival meal, others take two while others have all three square meals maybe with a struggle but they still do. The irony I when some are having this kind of life there is somebody somewhere either trying to lose some weight due to overfeeding and taking plenty of junk food and stuffing that could help a needy family somewhere for a whole week! It is amazing how they will even refuse to eat and not willing to share that meal with someone who may have slept hungry all in the name of keeping in shape or losing some weight.

Imagine this scenario, if there are some people trying to cut some weight by refusing to eat and all this people decided that that food will be shared to those that sleep hungry? If all those people who built big houses enough to host a whole village back at home would build s house enough for just them and perhaps if touched built some houses for those that sleep out in the cold? If those that buy expensive cars could perhaps buy a cheaper more environmental friendly vehicle so that perhaps the money could be used to subsidize transport for the poor poor people?

I know some of us reading these are thinking she is crazy but just try to imagine? The problem with us is that we are so full of ourselves that we cannot even almost think of helping that person who is our neighbor and we have no idea of what his/ her name is? We cannot at any one point imagine how on earth we are going to share our hard earned wealth with those we think do not deserve? We know that we have to use money to get money these days and that is not the case when we share knowing there is nothing in there for us?

As much as we would like to reduce poverty, it may be just a waste of time if it does not start with us as individuals. We should be able to accommodate the people who cannot afford to make ends meet, those that live from hand to mouth……..Can anyone out there hear me?

Terri

http://www.te-cs.com

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A gift awaits you at my site: an annotated page containing Ezra Pound’s Canto LXXXI.

- Rudy Carrera.

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My take on Obama as a multi-racial candidate (this was written in response to a reporter’s questions to me on this topic):

So far, Obama has mainly been seen as a “Black candidate”–but as one whose “Blackness” is problematic because his father is not African American but Kenyan, and his mother is White. What is the difference between seeing Obama as a Black man with a White mother vs. as a person of mixed African and European heritage? To me, as a mixed Asian American, it is a question of the difference between identity and heritage. Heritage is your ancestry–it is what you inherit–but it may have little to do with how you identify yourself. Identity is not just about your personal identity–and I don’t pretend to know how Obama truly identifies himself for himself–identity is also about the communities with which you identify. In that sense, identity–particularly for a mixed race/mixed heritage person like Obama–is also very contextual and situational. This doesn’t mean that mixed people can’t be loyal or “authentic” in their identities–it just means that loyalty and authenticity are more complex that one might imagine, and also that they must be much more consciously constructed than we generally realize.

Obama cannot afford, politically, to identify himself explicitly as “mixed race” rather than as “Black” or “African American,” however, having seen headlines like “Is Obama Black Enough?”–as though there were a kind of Platonic Ideal of Blackness against which his “Blackness” could be measured, I created a poster reading “Is Obama Mixed Enough?” to advertise Variations, the Mixed Heritage Student Club at SFSU. Critical Mixed Race Studies scholars are looking closely at how the dialogue and journalism around Obama seems to be flirting with the idea of mixed race, though it does so mostly in terms of questions of his authenticity or his position as a kind of global citizen or “New American.”

You may have noticed that I identify myself as a mixed Asian American–there are two main communities with which I identify: 1. the pan-ethnic Asian American community (as opposed to a specific ethnic community, like Chinese, though I have strong ties to Chinese American communities and strongly identify with my Chinese American heritage), and 2. the general mixed race/mixed heritage community. Of course, there is also an overlap of these two specifically in the mixed Asian American community (which, for a while, had been known as the “Hapa” community).

~Wei Ming Dariotis

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This week I’ve had a series of thoughts and concepts present for a revisit. A friend mentioned Tolle’s book ‘A New Earth’ and said I might want to watch the review at Oprah.com. While there I surfed around a bit and came upon Dr. Wayne Dyer on Oprah’s Soul Series. Then one day on Twitter Paulo Coelho tweeted the quote below so I visited his blog. All week I’ve been pondering the concepts of ego, personality, pain body and now. And working  with present moment. It has been an interesting week. Thought I’d share with you some of my outer and inner workings.

 So I begin… When asked who are you? We often reply with a series of socially acceptable identifiers like, "I am ‘name’, I work for ‘employer’, I live in ‘town’, I am ‘relationship status’." Are we that? A name? A job? A town? A relationship?

No of course not. These are identifiers…. name, job, location, relationship. They are current points in time which can change. We get married/divorced, move, change our name and jobs all the time these days.  But if we aren’t these… what are we? 

We also say, ‘I am a ‘man or woman’, ‘I’m ‘age’,’I'm ’sexual preference’ . We look in the mirror and see ourselves. We think, "That’s me." But we can alter our body too. Change hair color, lose or gain weight, have plastic surgery and not look the same at all. We can even change our sex. If we make any or all of these changes are we still the same? We look different. No one may recognize us. But are we still the same?

We describe ourselves as, "I’m ‘outgoing or introverted or other’. I’m a ‘habit (smoker, drinker, etc.)’. I’m ‘emotional state (happy, sad, thankful, etc.)’. " And other descriptive phases which talk about our emotional state or ego/personality. Are we how we feel or even what we think?

Dr. Wayne Dyer gives this collection of ideas about ego…

I am what I do

I am what I have

I am what others think of me

I am separate from you

I am separate from what is missing in my life

I am separate from God

"We are not our ego. When we see ourselves and the world from these ideas we are ‘Edging God Out’ (EGO).  We are already connected to all… have all, we just need to align and surrender. Become empty."

"Oh Krishna, The stillness of divine union which you describe is beyond my comprehension. How can the mind, which is so restless, attain lasting peace? " ~Bhagavad Gita

If not egoic thought, who are we? What is at the core? How can we know who we are? Where do we begin?

"Not as I will, but as thou wilt." ~2 Corinthians 3:4,5

"We need to forget what we think we are, so that we can really become what we are." ~ Paulo Coelho

So ‘I will’ is akin to ego. Forget or surrender ‘I will’ or ‘what we think we are’. Give up beliefs about self which come from ego or personality. The concept is clear enough but how?

"Be still, and know that I am God." ~Psalms 46:10

"True self essence comes out of stillness. Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the I Am that is deeper than name and form.

To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe. I call it stillness, but it is a jewel with many facets: that stillness is also joy, and it is love."~Eckhart Tolle

‘Be still’. In the stillness we begin to understand ‘what we are’.  But we have a life to live, things to accomplish. How can we become still or empty and have a life?

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ~Buddha

"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life." ~Eckhart Tolle

Life can only be experienced Now. Not in past or future. Aligning self with the present moment aligns self with Life (God). But then how do we know our purpose? What we are to do?

"At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." ~Lao Tzu

Being is focusing self on something other then brain grinding or mindless doing. It is Life. Breathe. Follow the breath. Still self inward by following stillness into through and around a flower, tree, plant. Becoming that stillness, quiet, peace. It enlivens. Follow it into the body, feel the buzz, hum or vibration of Life within you. Feel the Peace. Stillness. Joy. Bliss. Then you are fully present… NOW.  The fullness of Life can truly only be experienced now… end.

The photo above of the glorious rose was taken by my beloved friend Light who made his transition. Now he works in Spirit.

Hope you enjoyed my pondering.

~Bonnee Klein Gilligan

For more on Eckhart Tolle see eckharttolle.com or oprah.com  to watch ‘A New Earth’ book review with he and Oprah.

For more on Paulo Coelho see paulocoelho.com.br or read his blog.

For more on Dr. Wayne Dyer see drwaynedyer.com

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Titanohyrax is a genus of hyraxes that lived during the Eocene. They were considerably larger than hyraxes of today. Matsumoto named the genus in 1922.

Heterohyrax brucei is a living hyrax species. It is native to Ethiopia, Somalia, Algeria, Israel, Syria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Sudan, Burundi, Angola,

These links have fossil photos of Heterohyrax brucei. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24020777@N08/2279346226/

Ruling finds Japanese man died from overwork TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota's top car engineers died from working

Greetings all, There are currently 72 registered subscribers to the Babel English blog so if anyone else would like to join, come on in, the water's fine.

This link has photos of a Fanti statuette from Ghana.

Oh I love these exposed videos. I find them hilarious. http://www.youtube.com?watch?v-jK4p432u8Ls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgMn2OJmx3w Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas.

I had seen an earlier edition of this hilarious exercise... thanks for posting it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas.

... wrote: Link: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-guaicura.html Tim Gunter

This link has a fossil photo of Chilotherium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chilotherium.jpg Neal Robbins

Chilotherium was a rhinoceros genus that lived in the Miocene and Pliocene. Ringstrom named it in 1924. It was an extremely wide ranging rhino. Fossils of it

This link has photos of an Akan/Ashante female statuette from Ghana. There is also an essay about the figurine.

... wrote: "The Pot Mystery," a Guaicura Legend from Baja California The tribe left from hunting. They went hunting for deer and waited until

This African folk tale is one told by the Bura people. The name of it is "The Cleverness of the Squirrel". A terrible famine occurred one year. When the next

Agama agama is a lizard species of the family Agamidae. It is native to Africa and is found in many countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Cameroon, Ethiopia,

The Agama genus has a long fossil history. Some tentative evidence indicates a possible Asian origin of it. A. Averianov and I. Danilov discuss this point in

These links have photos of Agama agama. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Red-headed_Rock_Agama.jpg http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.agama.html

Timothy Gunter (guntersdx@...) has sent you a news article ... Personal message: Employers use federal law to deny benefits: Financial News - Yahoo!

The Enhydra genus has been around for a fairly long time. Fossil remains of Enhydra sp. have been found in the Port Orford Formation at Cape Blanco in Curry

These links have photos of Enhydra lutris. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sea_otter_cropped.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbouton/2352953257/ Neal

Enhydra lutris is a sea otter species. It is native to the Pacific and is found along the coasts of eastern Russia, Alaska, western Canada, and California.

This is a story from Native American folklore. It is a tale told by the Pawnee tribe. Tirawa Atius is the Pawnee name for the eternal God who has created all

... wrote: The Watchtower published by the Jehovah's Witnesses prints out editions of their magazine in Tshiluba and so many other languages.

... wrote: The Luba people are one of the four largest ethnic groups living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). THere are over 200

This link has photos of a Kuba Pwoom Itok mask from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. http://www.randtribal.com/Kuba_mask_2.html Neal Robbins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEXgNM9MAMY Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas.

This link has an article about a cave being opened under a pyramid in Mexico. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/mexico_pyramid_dc Neal Robbins

Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas. http://towerofbabel.com ... Subject: The House I Live

Timothy Gunter (guntersdx@...) has sent you a news article ... Personal message: Happy Fourth! Inoa becomes a sign of the times - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

This link has several photos of a sandstone pipe cat. It was made by the Fort Ancient Mound Builder culture.

It 's big news. it's one of the top stories of the past two days. MM ... From: Marie Claude Rideau To: Babel@yahoogroups.com

How fascinating. But maybe not, considering the rates of autism these days. Carry on. Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal

You may not know about Ingrid Bétancourt, but this is huge news here in France. Colombia hostage Betancourt freed Ingrid Betancourt's joy at freedom

This link has photos of a Hongwe/Mahongwe Bwete reliquary figure from Gabon. http://www.discoverafricanart.com/Hongwe_bwete_figure.html Neal Robbins

Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas. http://towerofbabel.com ... From: "NATIONAL TABBOULEH

Our hits seem to be going through the roof today, apparently thanks to a link on this page: http://www.limk.com/ Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual,

I always enjoy the videos you post. MM ... From: Malcolm Lawrence To: Babel@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 1:12:47 AM

These links have photos of Spilogale gracilis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SPILOGALE_GRACILIS.jpg

Spilogale gracilis is often called the Western Spotted Skunk. It lives in the western part of the U.S., northern Mexico, and the southwest portion of British

Martinogale was an early skunk. Xiaoming Wang, David P. Whistler, and Gary T. Takeuchi wrote an article about it. The title is A new basal skunk Martinogale

Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas. http://towerofbabel.com ... From: Jon Letman To:

Astounding work on this, Tim! Rudy On Sat, Jun 28, 2008 at 11:53 AM, Timothy B.Gunter ... -- Regards, Rudy Carrera http://clcx.org/

June 29, 2008 E. Coli and You By PETER DIZIKES Review of: MICROCOSM E. Coli and the New Science of Life. By Carl Zimmer. 243 pp. Pantheon Books. $25.95. From

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KhMOuNGGrrQ Malcolm Lawrence Babel: The multilingual, multicultural online journal and community of arts and ideas.