local stuffs list

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94237882008-07-23T16:44:40.743-07:00local stuffs listgabrielle/gabe/gaby depending on who's yelling my namehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02942084877834897187noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9423788.post-82551195981390420392008-07-23T16:44:00.001-07:002008-07-23T16:44:40.784-07:00local stuffsDate: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:36:21 +1200 From: karaka <<a href="mailto:tepaatu@gmail.com">tepaatu@gmail.com</a>> CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: Global Health & Development ConferencePlease forward widely. First abstract deadline is August 15.Unite For Sight 6th Annual Global Health & Development Conference "Achieving Global Goals Through Innovation" <a href="http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference">http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference</a>When: April 18-19, 2009 Where: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA What: Join 2,500 conference participants for a stimulating international conference As Featured On CNN: The Unite For Sight Conference Is What CNN Calls "A Meeting Of Minds"NOW OPEN: Registration and Abstract Submission <a href="http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference">http://www.uniteforsight.org/conference</a> (First abstract deadline is August 15 (oral presentation deadline and early bird poster presentation deadline)200 Speakers, Including Keynote Addresses by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs and Dr. Sonia SachsRegister For Conference: REGISTER BY JULY 31 TO SECURE LOWEST RATE. Rate escalates each month.Who is eligible to submit an abstract? Anyone may submit an abstract. Abstract submitters range from students to professionals.Who should attend? Anyone interested in international health, public health, international development, medicine, nonprofits, eye care, philanthropy, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, bioethics, economics, anthropology, health policy, advocacy, environmental health, service-learning, medical education, and public service.Keynote AddressesA&#63743; Jeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki- moon A&#63743; Sonia Sachs, MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Villages200 Featured Speakers (Listed Below Are The Speakers Confirmed Thus Far)Sam Abbenyi, MD, MSc, Director, Programs and Logistics, International Trachoma InitiativeJane Aronson, MD, Director, International Pediatric Health Services; Founder and Executive Executive Officer, Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO); Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell UniversityThomas Baah, MD, MSc, Ophthalmologist, Our Lady of Grace Hospital, GhanaRichard Baraniuk, PhD, Founder, Connexions; Victor E. Cameron Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice UniversityPaul Berman, OD, FAAO, Senior Global Clinical Advisor and Founder, Special Olympics Lions Clubs, International Opening EyesDavid Bloom, Chair, Department of Global Health and Population; Clarence James Gamble Professor of Economics and Demography, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public HealthPeter Bourne, MA, MD, Visiting Scholar, Oxford University; Vice Chancellor Emeritus, St. George's University; Formerly Special Assistant to the President of the United States for Health Issues; Chair, Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba (MEDICC)Ronald Braswell, MD, MS, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alabama- BirminghamHarry Brown, MD, Founder, Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) InternationalRichard Bucala, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Pathology, and Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of MedicineJames Clarke, MD, Ophthalmologist and Medical Director, Crystal Eye Clinic, GhanaEmmanuel d'Harcourt, Senior Child Survival Technical Advisor, International Rescue CommitteeMargaret Duah-Mensah, RN, ON, Ophthalmic Nurse, Crystal Eye Clinic, GhanaDabney Evans, MPH, Executive Director, Emory University Institute of Human Rights; Lecturer, Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory UniversitySusan Forster, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Studies, Department of Ophthalmology, Yale School of Medicine; Chief, Ophthalmology, Yale University Health ServicesStanley O. Foster, MD, MPH, Professor, Hubert Department of Global Health Rollins School of Public Health, Emory UniversityJames Fraser, MA, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dignitas InternationalUlrick Gaillard, JD, CEO, The Batey Relief AllianceGannon Gillespie, Director of US Operations, TostanSusan Hayes, MD, President and CEO, InterplastScott Hillstrom, Chairman of the Board, CEO and Co-Founder, HealthStore FoundationSamuel Ho, MD, Lui Hac Minh Professor of Surgery; Director, Asian Liver Center; Director, Liver Cancer Program, Stanford University School of MedicineDebbie Humphries, MPH, PhD, Clinical Instructor, Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Sciences Program, Yale University School of MedicineMarcelo Jacobs-Lorena, PhD, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Public HealthKaveh Khoshnood, PhD, Assistant Professor in Public Health Practice, Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public HealthKaren King, MA, Elementary School Teacher, Reed Intermediate School; Unite For Sight Volunteer in Accra, GhanaLaura Murray-Kolb, PhD, Assistant Professor, Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public HealthJamie Lachman, Clowns Without BordersDoug Lawrence, Vice President/General Manager, BD Medical - Ophthalmic SystemsRobert Lawrence, MD, Center for A Livable future Professor; Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Health Policy & International Health; Director, Center for a Livable Future, Department of Environmental Health Sciences; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthRobert Malkin, PhD, Professor of Practice of Biomedical Engineering Director, Duke- Engineering World Health, Duke UniversityCharles MacCormack, PhD, President and CEO, Save The ChildrenJohn McGoldrick, JD, Senior Vice President, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)Michelle McMurry, Director, Health, Biomedical Science and Society Initiative, The Aspen InstituteBenjamin Mason Meier, JD, LLM, MPhil, Public Health Law Project Manager, Center for Health Policy, IGERT-International Development and Globalization Fellow, Columbia UniversityCarol McLaughlin, MD, MPH, Global Health, Center for High Impact Philanthropy, School of Social Policy and Practice, University of PennsylvaniaMini Murthy, MD, MPH, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health, Program Director Global Health, New York Medical College School of Public HealthNeal Nathanson, MD, Associate Dean, Global Health Programs, University of Pennsylvania School of MedicineEdward O'Neil, Jr, MD, Omni MedSanta Ono, PhD, Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives and Deputy Provost of Emory University; Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Emory Eye CenterRobin Paetzold, MBA, Director, Global Programs, University of Iowa Carver College of MedicineSteven C. Phillips, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Global Issues and Projects, Exxon Mobil CorporationSuzanne Rainey, Forum One CommunicationsSusan Reef, MD, CDCSteven Rothstein, President, Perkins School For The BlindLisa Russell, MPH, FilmmakerJinan Saaddine, MD, MPH, Medical Epidemiologist, Vision Health Initiative Team Leader, Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionJeffrey Sachs, PhD, Director of Earth Institute at Columbia University; Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development, Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University; Special Advisor to Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moonSonia Ehrlich Sachs, MD, MPH, Health Coordinator, Millennium Village ProjectSarwat Salim, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee- MemphisSarang Samal, Kalinga Eye Hospital, Orissa, IndiaShlomit Sandler, MD, New York Eye and Ear InfirmaryHarshad Sanghvi, MD, Medical Director, JHPIEGO, Johns Hopkins UniversityHoward Schiffer, President and Founder, Vitamin AngelsDaniel D. Sedmak, MD, Director, Office of Global Health Education; Executive Vice Dean, College of Medicine; Executive Director, Center for Personalized Health care; Senior Associate Vice President, Office of Health Sciences, The Ohio State UniversityBruce Shields, MD, Chair Emeritus, Yale Department of OphthalmologyKuldev Singh, MD, MPH, Professor of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of MedicineAjit Sinha, MBBS, Founder and Director, AB Eye Institute; Former President, All India Ophthalmological SocietyPooja Sinha, MBBS, Ophthalmologist, AB Eye Institute, Patna, IndiaSatyajit Sinha, MBBS, Ophthalmologist, AB Eye Institute, Patna, IndiaD. Scott Smith, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City HospitalJanice K. Smith, MD, MPH, PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Training in International Health at UTMBGeorgia Sambunaris, MA, Senior Financial Markets Specialist, USAIDChris Stout, PsyD, Founding Director, Center for Global Initiatives; Clinical Professor, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at ChicagoJames C. Tsai, MD, Robert R. Young Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine; Chief of Ophthalmology, Yale-New Haven HospitalPhilippe Van Denbossche, Executive Director, Raising MalawiHarold Varmus, MD, President and Chief Executive, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Former Director of the NIH; Nobel Prize RecipientSeth Wanye, MD, Ophthalmologist, Eye Clinic of Tamale Teaching Hospital, GhanaTanya Whitehead, PhD, Research Associate Professor, University of Missouri - Kansas CityDavid Zakus, BSc, MES, MSc, PhD, Director, Centre for International Health; Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences; Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation; Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, CanadaDebrework Zewdie, Director, Global HIV/AIDS Program of the World Bank Human Development Network World Bank ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:38:06 +1200 From: karaka <<a href="mailto:tepaatu@gmail.com">tepaatu@gmail.com</a>> Recharging Your BatteriesFrom: "Artemis Goldberg" <<a href="mailto:panthertracker@myself.com">panthertracker@myself.com</a>>Recharging Your Batteries Getting Run DownOur natural state of being is vibrant, happy to be alive. Yet, there can be times when we feel run down and worn out. This does not mean that we are lazy or unfit for the tasks in our lives; it means that we need to recharge our batteries and find a way of keeping them charged. Vitamins and extra rest can be very helpful in restoring our physical bodies. And if we are willing to delve deeper, we may discover that there is an underlying cause for our exhaustion.Whenever you are feeling run down, take an honest look at how you have been thinking, feeling and acting. You will likely find a belief, behavior pattern or even a relationship that is out of alignment with who you really are. Perhaps you believe you have to be perfect at everything or you have been bending over backwards to get people to like you. Maybe you are dealing with mild depression or simply have too much on your plate right now. There may also be people or situations in your life which are draining your energy. Once you get clear on the root cause, you can weed it out and better direct your flow of energy in the future.In time, you might notice that the reasons you feel run down have less to do with how much you are doing and more to do with the fact that in your heart, you would rather be doing something else entirely. From now on, try and listen to what your heart really wants. It may take meditation, or just a moment of silent tuning in to gain the clarity you need, but it is well worth the effort. When you know what you truly want to do, and honor that in all situations, you will find that getting run down is a thing of the past. ------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:21:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Dhira DiBiase <<a href="mailto:dhiradi@yahoo.com">dhiradi@yahoo.com</a>> Subject: Fw: "Soulebration " August 1st Land of Organica 5-9? pm first fridaypassing on the love.....--- On Wed, 7/16/08, cab spates <<a href="mailto:cabspates@aemail4u.com">cabspates@aemail4u.com</a>> wrote:Detox & liberate your mind, body, & spirit August 1st First Friday in Honolulu with Cabspates.com, seasonal organic food and refreshments, massage,African drumming,acoustic music,art, and more. Land of Organic 900 A Maunakea St. 5-9?pm for more info call 637-2117 All Ages ---------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:20:30 -0500 (CDT) From: ACLU Online <<a href="mailto:ACLUOnline@aclu.org">ACLUOnline@aclu.org</a>> Subject: ACLU sued over FISA, 2007 SCOTUS Wrap-up, Watch List Hits One Million and moreFederal Court Rules Strip Search of 13-Year-Old Student for Ibuprofen UnconstitutionalThe ACLU applauded a federal appellate court ruling that school officials violated the constitutional rights of a 13-year-old Arizona girl when they strip searched her based on a classmate's uncorroborated accusation that she possessed ibuprofen. The ruling reverses an earlier decision by a divided three-judge panel of the same court. Eight of the eleven judges held that the strip search violated Savana's constitutional rights, and a six-judge majority further held that the school official who ordered the search is not entitled to immunity as a result of his actions."Students and parents nationwide can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that adolescents cannot be strip searched based on the unsubstantiated accusation of a classmate trying to get out of trouble," said Adam Wolf, an attorney with the ACLU Drug Law Reform Project. "This ruling is a victory for our fundamental right to privacy, sending a clear signal that such traumatizing searches have no place in America's schools."After the school's vice principal, Kerry Wilson, discovered prescription-strength ibuprofen in the possession of Redding's classmate, she pulled Savana Redding, an eighth grade honor roll student at Safford Middle School in Safford, Arizona from class based on the classmate's accusation. Redding said she had never seen the pills before and agreed to a search of her possessions, wanting to prove she had nothing to hide. Joined by a female school administrative assistant, Wilson searched Redding's backpack and found nothing. Instructed by Wilson, the administrative assistant then took Redding to the school nurse's office in order to perform a strip search.In the school nurse's office, Redding was ordered to strip to her underwear. She was then commanded to pull her bra out and to the side, exposing her breasts, and to pull her underwear out at the crotch, exposing her pelvic area. The strip search failed to uncover any ibuprofen pills.In response to the court victory, Redding said, "I took my case to court because I wanted to make sure that school officials wouldn't be able to violate anyone else's rights like this again. This was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life, and I am relieved that a court has finally recognized that the Constitution protects students from being strip searched in schools on the basis of unreliable rumors." >> Read more. -----ACLU To Fight For Religious Freedom of American Indian Incarcerated In WyomingThe ACLU and the ACLU of Wyoming have agreed to represent a man whose rights to religious freedom are being violated by officials at the Wyoming State Penitentiary (WSP) who are not allowing him to practice his traditional Indian religion.Corrections officials are refusing to allow Andrew John Yellowbear, a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe incarcerated since 2006, to possess bald eagle feathers the single most sacred religious symbol to the tribe and most American Indians."Denying Mr. Yellowbear these highly spiritual feathers is akin to denying Catholics access to a rosary or crucifix," said Stephen Pevar, staff attorney with the ACLU Racial Justice Program who, along with Jennifer Horvath, staff attorney for the ACLU of Wyoming, will represent Yellowbear.Current policy at WSP permits American Indian prisoners to possess three feathers, but the prison administration has singled out Yellowbear and allowed him to have only one feather. That feather was confiscated after Yellowbear filed a federal lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming last January challenging the prison's policy and asking that he be allowed to possess 10 feathers the maximum number of loose feathers the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife will provide under federal regulations.The lawsuit raises claims under the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which bars states from imposing a substantial burden on a prisoner's exercise of religion unless it furthers a compelling interest and is the least restrictive means available. Other American Indian prisoners at WSP have in the past been permitted to possess entire eagle wings for religious purposes, and corrections officials have provided no evidence of security problems that have arisen as a result of the possession of multiple eagle feathers. >> Read more about the ACLU Racial Justice Program.Tell Your Friends Do you know somebody who would be interested in getting news about the ACLU and what we're doing to protect civil liberties? Help us spread the word about ACLU Online - forward this newsletter to a friend. ------July 19, 2008 FISA: Bush Signed. The ACLU sued. Democracy is about the government listening, not listening in. That's what our ad will say. Add your name if you agree.The ACLU filed a landmark lawsuit last week to stop the government from conducting surveillance under a new wiretapping law that gives the Bush administration virtually unchecked power to intercept Americans' international e-mails and telephone calls.The FISA Amendments Act of 2008, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush, not only legalizes the secret warrantless surveillance program the president approved in late 2001, it gives the government new spying powers, including the power to conduct dragnet surveillance of Americans' international communications. And, by granting telecoms immunity, it has greatly harmed the chances of ever learning the extent of the administration's lawless actions.Our lawsuit was filed on behalf of an impressive array of professionals -- journalists, human rights organizations and lawyers-- whose ability to perform their work will be greatly compromised by this new law.Our clients include The Nation magazine and two of its contributing journalists, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and more.Because of the nature of their calls and e-mails, our clients believe that their communications are likely to be monitored under the new law. Even the looming possibility of this surveillance disrupts their ability to talk with sources, locate witnesses, conduct scholarship, and engage in advocacy.The ACLU took out a full-page ad in the New York Times, with over 65,000 signatures, to expressing our outrage at this abandonment of Constitutional principles.We'll keep fighting with everything we've got until this serious violation of our constitutional rights is defeated once and for all. >> Stand with the thousands of others who have added their name to the ACLU's ad. ------Update from GuantánamoA federal district judge ruled Thursday that the military trial of Yemeni national Salim Hamdan can proceed, despite acknowledging questions about the constitutionality of the Guantánamo military commission system. The ACLU is at Guantánamo Bay this week in order to observe Hamdan's hearings."It is unfortunate that this trial will go forward. As Judge Robertson noted, there are serious questions about the constitutionality of the rules under which Mr. Hamdan will be tried. It doesn't make sense to conduct a trial under rules that are likely to be found unconstitutional later on. Proceeding with this trial now will only draw out a legal process that has taken far too long already, and further discredit a system that has been a disgrace from the start," said Jameel Jaffer, Director of the ACLU National Security Project.Following last month's Supreme Court decision ruling that the Constitution and habeas corpus apply at Guantánamo, news outlets have reported that the Bush administration is engaging in detailed planning for the closure of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. As the premise for the existence of the Guantánamo prison camp and the military commission system continues to crumble, the Bush administration is continuing to rush through proceedings of high profile detainees before the November election.As part of its John Adams Project, a partnership with the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the ACLU is sponsoring expert civilian counsel to assist the under-resourced military defense counsel of some detainees.The ACLU renews its call for the prison and the military commissions occurring there to be shut down once and for all. >> Take action: Call on America's leaders to shut down Guantánamo Bay and end the military commission system of injustice. -----Terrorist Watch List Hits One Million NamesThe nation's terrorist watch list has hit one million names, according to a tally maintained by the ACLU based upon the government's own reported numbers for the size of the list."America's new million record watch list is a perfect symbol for what's wrong with this administration's approach to security: it's unfair, out-of-control, a waste of resources, treats the rights of the innocent as an afterthought, and is a very real impediment in the lives of millions of travelers in this country," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU Technology and Liberty Program. "It must be fixed without delay."Controls on the watch lists called for by the ACLU included: * Due process. * A right to access and challenge data upon which listing is based. * Tight criteria for adding names to the lists. * Rigorous procedures for updating and cleansing names from the lists. The ACLU called on the House Homeland Security Committee, during Thursday's testimony of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff, to exercise vigorous oversight of the many DHS programs, including the terrorist watch list, that endanger U.S. citizens' privacy and civil liberties without increasing security. Tell Congress: Small, focused watch lists are better for civil liberties and for security.The ACLU is also calling for the president -- if not this one then the next -- to issue an executive order requiring the lists to be reviewed and limited to only those for whom there is credible evidence of terrorist ties or activities. The review should be concluded within 3 months.We have created an online form where victims of the watch list can tell us their stories, which will be collected and used -- with permission -- in various ways to advance our advocacy. >> Tell your own stories >> Learn more about the watch list. ------2007 Supreme Court Wrap-UpThe Supreme Court ended its 2007 Term by rejecting a centerpiece of the Bush administration's crumbling Guantánamo policy for the third time in four years while recognizing, for the first time in American history, an individual right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.Habeas Corpus At GuantánamoMost notably, Justice Kennedy both cast the deciding fifth vote and wrote the majority opinion in Boumediene v. Bush, which upheld the right of Guantánamo detainees, some of whom have been imprisoned for almost six years, to challenge the basis for their detention by filing habeas corpus petitions in a U.S. federal court.Second AmendmentThe Second Amendment has not been the subject of much Supreme Court discussion through the years. To the extent it has been discussed, the Court has described the Second Amendment as designed to protect the ability of the states to preserve their own sovereignty against a new and potentially overreaching national government. Based on that understanding, the Court has historically construed the Second Amendment as a collective right connected to the concept of a "well-regulated militia" rather than an individual right to possess guns for private purposes.In Heller, the Court reinterpreted the Second Amendment as a source of individual rights. Washington D.C.'s gun control law, which bans the private possession of handguns and was widely considered the most restrictive such law in the country, became a victim of that reinterpretation.Voting RightsIn Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, an ACLU case, the Court upheld the validity of an Indiana law that requires voters to produce a government-issued photo ID in order to vote, even if they have been voting for many years without incident. By conservative estimates, there are at least 43,000 voters in Indiana that lack the required ID, and likely many more. Those voters are disproportionately poor, minority, elderly, and persons with disabilities.The Death PenaltyThe Court heard two important death penalty cases. In Baze v. Rees, the court rejected a challenge to Kentucky's lethal injection in which prison officials first administer an anesthetic, then a paralytic and then a drug that causes cardiac arrest. Medical personnel doctors and nurses are prohibited from participating in the procedure by professional ethics. Not surprisingly given the lack of trained medical personnel, autopsy results show that some executions have been botched, which may cause excruciating pain. The Court did leave the door open and did not foreclose litigation against other states if death row inmates could show a documented history of mistakes or inadequately trained staff.Kennedy v. Louisiana was the other major death penalty decision this Term. Thirty years ago, the Court had ruled that a defendant could not be put to death for raping an adult woman but left open the question of child rape. In Kennedy, the Court answered that question by reaffirming that capital punishment is reserved for acts of murder. Once more, Justice Kennedy cast the deciding vote and wrote the majority opinion. After noting that no one has been executed for rape since 1964 and only two inmates on death row are now facing execution for raping a child (both in Louisiana), he observed that "[e]volving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society counsel us to be most hesitant before interpreting the Eighth Amendment to allow the extension of the death penalty..."Employee RightsIn perhaps the Term's most unexpected development, the Court issued a series of pro-employee decisions only one year after it was widely criticized for sharply curtailing the ability of women to recover for pay discrimination. In CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries, the Court ruled that an employee who protests racial discrimination on the job is protected against retaliation by a Civil Rights era statute that prohibits discrimination in the "mak[ing] and enforc[ing] of contracts." In Gomez-Perez v. Potter, the Court ruled that federal employees, like private employees, are protected against retaliation for filing age discrimination claim under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). And, in Meacham v. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, the Court ruled that an employer sued under the ADEA has the burden of proving that the challenged employment decision was based on "reasonable factors other than age."Campaign Finance ReformFinally, in Davis v. Federal Election Commission, the Roberts Court again showed its skepticism toward campaign finance regulation by striking down the so-called "Millionaire's Amendment" adopted by Congress in 2004. Under the provision, federal candidates facing a self-financed opponent who contributes more than $350,000 to his or her own campaign are permitted to raise funds at triple the normal contribution limits ($6,900 rather than $2,300). Congress viewed the amendment as an effort to level the playing field. The Court concluded it was an effort to discourage wealthy candidates from spending money on their own candidacy -- a right that the Court had previously said was protected by the Constitution -- and thus struck down the amendment as a violation of the First Amendment. >> Read a summary of all of the Court's civil liberties-related cases from this Term. ------Proposed Bush Regulations Jeopardize Women's HealthThe Bush administration has proposed outrageous regulations that could jeopardize access to basic health care for millions of American women, and possibly compel women's health clinics to hire individuals unwilling to perform everyday job duties.As currently drafted, the regulations could: * Allow federally funded healthcare professionals and institutions to refuse to provide reproductive health services, including some of the most common forms of birth control. * Undermine existing state laws that protect women's access to birth control. * Define abortion to include many of the most common forms of contraception. "It's deeply troubling and unfortunate that President Bush should fire this parting shot at women's access to basic health care in the waning days of his administration," said Caroline Fredrickson, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "The proposed Bush regulations put politics above the health care needs of Americans. At a time when more and more Americans are either uninsured or struggling with the soaring costs of health care the federal government should be expanding access to important health services, not interfering in programs that have successfully provided services for years."American Civil Liberties Union 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, New York 10004-2400 Geraldine Engel and Lisa Sock, Editors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:30:32 -0400 From: Senator Daniel Akaka <<a href="mailto:senator.akaka@address-verify.com">senator.akaka@address-verify.com</a>> Subject: News from U.S. Senator Daniel K. AkakaMedicare Bill Also Provides Much Needed Funds for Hawaii Hospitals[dka_arroyo_crop.jpg] On July 15, the Senate rejected President George W. Bush's veto of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, by a 70-26 margin. The legislation prevents cuts in Medicare reimbursements for physicians, and protects access to health care for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and members of our armed services and their families.I am pleased that the bill also contains a provision to provide $15 million in Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) resources to Hawaii hospitals. Medicaid DHS payments are designed to provide additional support to hospitals that treat large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients. To utilize the federal funding, the Hawaii State Legislature must provide required matching funds. The provision would provide $2.5 million in the 4th quarter of 2008, $10 million in 2009, and $2.5 million for the 1st quarter of 2010.New GI Bill Will Improve Educational Benefits and Enhance Recruitment and RetentionAfter months of bipartisan negotiations, Congress approved a much needed revision of veterans' GI Bill benefits as part of H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act. The GI Bill for the 21st Century recognizes that our post 9-11 wartime veterans deserve modernized benefits. I am thrilled to have played a part in this important effort and I commend all those who worked on its passage, especially Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). By passing this bill, we say thank you to our newest generation of citizen soldiers. We also recognize that the ability of our Armed Forces to recruit and retain quality personnel in the future - and consequently our national security - depends on how we meet the needs of those serving today. By supporting veterans, we strengthen our national security.As Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am committed to assisting DoD and VA as they get ready to provide this new educational benefit. In its oversight capacity, the Committee will work to resolve potential problems before the new benefits begin.Aloha pumehana,Daniel K. Akaka U.S Senator for Hawaii ---------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:51:25 -1000 From: UH Announce <<a href="mailto:announce@HAWAII.EDU">announce@HAWAII.EDU</a>> Subject: James Niino Honored with Kunimoto Award in News@UHHonolulu^Òs James Niino honored for contributions to vocational education with Kunimoto Award^×in the July 21 edition of News@UH now online at <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/newsatuh/2008/0721/index.php">http://www.hawaii.edu/newsatuh/2008/0721/index.php</a>More UH News^Õ Manoa researchers discover a new pathway for methane that could impact greenhouse gasses^Õ The Society of Professional Journalists honors Manoa^Òs Beverly Ann Deepe Keever^Õ West O^Ñahu offers healthcare administration degree via distance learning^Õ High school students learn about science and mechanics through GEAR UP summer program^Õ Kudos for Hilo^Òs Kanoe Wilson and Manoa^Òs Jane Freeman Moulin, Richard Ogoshi, Brian Turano and Goro Uehara^Õ In memoriam -- Manoa remembers Terence A. Rogers^Õ Russell and Aki Oda establish a scholarship to honor Keru Oda^Õ Association of Government Accountants of Hawai'i establishes a scholarship for future accountants and auditors^Õ Manoa's Heather Diamond publishes American Aloha: Cultural Tourism and the Negotiation of Tradition^Õ UH events include Hawai'i and Kapi'olani^Òs Abled Hawai'i Artists Festival, Manoa^Òs Hanauma Bay educational activities and other more^ÕAnnouncements -- Lyon Arboretum opens on Saturdays --------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:47:03 -1000 From: pilipo souza <<a href="mailto:pilipohale@hawaii.rr.com">pilipohale@hawaii.rr.com</a>> Hawaiians To Be Banned From `Iolani Palace? - commentEverything must be in position before the 50th Jubilee Celebration of Statehood. This a hana hou of the Overthrow Proclamation of January 17,1893. 'Io'lani Place is a vital "prop" and must be part of the show, with federalized native Hawaiian actors in pageantry but a'ole those Kanaka Maoli for they are of need of more cool-aid.Soon, Kanaka Maoli and Hawaiian Nationals will be a visa to visit Hawaii nei.pilipo -----------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:29:51 +0000 From: kat brady <<a href="mailto:katbrady@hotmail.com">katbrady@hotmail.com</a>> Why is HECO getting into algae power?re: <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/07/14/daily23.html">http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/07/14/daily23.html</a>these guys will do anything to avoid using solar, wind or our deep cold ocean to produce all the power we need. in our 2006 public utilities commission case objecting to heco's new power plant in campbell industrial park, life of the land showed how hawai`i could be 100% renewable in a few years.for years they have been whining at the legislature that 'it's really transportation that used a lot of fossil fuel, why is everyone picking on them?' so now they want to use a fuel (which researchers have said is 10+ years in the future) that could be used for transportation? i'll answer my own question: because they don't own the sun, they don't own the wind, and they don't own the ocean.here's a letter to the editor i wrote and published in the star bulletin this morning... ------- Why is HECO getting into algae power? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Is Hawaiian Electric suffering from cognitive dissonance?In 1996, when asked why HECO doesn't install more solar photovoltaic panels to meet its energy needs in 1996, a HECO vice president responded that it is not a research and development company. In 2006, HECO proposed a power plant that will run on 100 percent ethanol (at the urging of the consumer advocate) and then, a week before the Public Utilities Commission hearing, pulled a switcheroo to powering their centralized plant with biodiesel from palm oil. Now they are teaming up with Alexander & Baldwin Inc., HR BioPetroleum Inc. and Maui Electric Co. to build an algae plant on up to 1,000 acres of agricultural land on Maui. Despite many scientists saying that algae as a liquid fuel is a long way off, HECO is being praised as an "early adopter." With oil at more than $140 a barrel and a plethora of clean and renewable resources at hand to provide electricity, why in the world would HECO want to invest in a fuel - one that should be used for transportation - to power its aging dinosaur technology?Kat Brady Honolulu ________________________________________________________________________________Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:41:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Dhira DiBiase <<a href="mailto:dhiradi@yahoo.com">dhiradi@yahoo.com</a>> Subject: Fw: July 31 Creating Sustainable Food systems Oahu ConferencePurpose of the ConferenceLEAF Project Hawaii is assembling national and local experts to discuss the process of creating sustainable food systems in Hawaii. As well the conference will provide a forum where everyone with an interest in solving hunger and food insecurity can brainstorm and create long term partnerships that make a significant impact on fresh food availability to all. The daylong session on July 31 will focus on creating sustainable food systems that can help close the gap between the rich and the poor. Food projects are springing up across America in the form of urban farms and CSA¢s that support farmers, green roofs and greencarts and they are bringing hope to otherwise, crime-ridden, gang and drug-infested, low-income neighborhoods. Why should anyone in Hawaii go hungry and unable to afford themselves a healthy diet? It is time for Hawaii to take the lead in the nation in malama aina.Who should attend?The conference will be an opportunity to bring together social service agencies working with our at-risk ohana, Native Hawaiian practitioners and other local farmers, gardeners and landscapers, ethnobotanists and environmentalists. Also CTAHR and other research and outreach agencies, state and county governments, schools, nutritionists, health institutions, and any other organizations who want to make a difference in food sustainability for all. The next day August 1, will launch the establishment of a Food Policy Council who will help create community food projects to serve our community.Register now, limited seating! $50 Registration fee, includes Continental Breakfast and Sumptuous LunchFor full information go to <a href="http://www.leafhawaii.org">www.leafhawaii.org</a>Contact person,LEAF Hawaii <a href="http://www.leafhawaii.org">www.leafhawaii.org</a> David A. Santistevan, Executive Director (808) 389-1819 cell Laulima Eco-friendly Alliance of Farms "Solving hunger and poverty, one farm at a time" "Creating food systems in Hawaii, one ahupua'a at a time." [ Part 2, Application/PDF 185KB. ] -------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:47:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Dhira DiBiase <<a href="mailto:dhiradi@yahoo.com">dhiradi@yahoo.com</a>> Subject: RE/ Popcorn and Cell Phones---this is a crazy video!!!my ears have been doing this too. g MY EARS HAVE BEEN REACTING WITH A HOT PAINFUL BURNING SENSATION FOR TOO LONG NOW AND AFTER TALKING ABOUT AND REDUCING MY CELL PHONE USAGE i FORTUNATELY HAD MY PHONE STOLEN FROM ME BEFORE LEAVING FOR MY TRIP...UPON MY RETURN I WILL BE PRETTY MUCH OFF MY CELL PHONE AND WILL BE RETURNING TO THE OLD METHOD OF USING AN ANSWERING MACHINE AT HOME. IT IS EVEN WORSE FOR KIDS. AND IN PORTUGAL...I READ IN THE PAPER WHILE I WAS THERE ...THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO OUTLAW CELL PHONE USAGE BY KIDS UNDER 16 PEACE d ----- Fw: Popcorn and Cell Phones > This is really weird. > > Just think of what is happening to all those people who walk around with their cell phone stuck to their ear all day! This is really insane! Click on the link below to see something you've never seen before.... It just takes a minute and is definately worth watching! > <a href="http://www.koreus.com/video/telephone-portable-mais-popcorn.html">http://www.koreus.com/video/telephone-portable-mais-popcorn.html</a> ---------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, July 20, 2008 From: pilipo souza <<a href="mailto:pilipohale@hawaii.rr.com">pilipohale@hawaii.rr.com</a>> Subject: Fw: [kaleimailealii] Hawaiians To Be Banned From `Iolani Palace?Aloha kakou,While most of us are focused on fuel prices and food at our table, there are some who are federally subsidized and don't have a worry or care for they march to the right music.As noted in my original input, everything conducive to a peaceful overthrow must be in position prior to the 2009 50th Jubilee Celebration of Hawaii Statehood. The Commission of this celebration has hinted they will be avoiding conflicts with "Native Hawaiian" as that of what happened in 2006 at 'Io'lani Palace by a handful elected and appointed government officials. But 'Io'lani Palace is center stage.The Kanaka Maoli has failed to believe or accept their political status in the Rice/Cayetano They have failed to accept that OHA is not a "blood only" country club for Hawaiians. They have failed themselves by registering their names and vital data to forms of deceivement while parading with a T-shirt that promotes "I gave up my country."Now, the Kanaka Maoli must thank The Hawaiian Kingdom Government whom have been conducting "HKG" business on the sacred grounds of 'Io'lani Palace since April 2008 for forcing the exposure of a "fixed-card game" called Native Hawaiian. While this game may include Native Hawaiian "pit-bosses" it excludes Kanaka Maoli winners for only the House wins.Because of these Hawaiian Nationals of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government (HKG), new playing rules are being implemented. Maybe, finally, the Kanaka Maoli and other Hawaiian Nationals will lokahi.Lokahi can not be based upon genealogy or blood, nor the filing or proclamation of Constitutions or Con-Cons. Only by individual identity of what you are.Our first duty to this identity is knowing who we are. The second is to know you are not alone by attending 'so-called" public hearings whether you speak pro or con, attend.Check the scheduled times and places in your area. Attend at least two meetings to affirm you are more than one. No man is an Island, and to Lokahi, We are a Country.pilipo -------------------------------------------------------------------Everything must be in position before the 50th Jubilee Celebration of Statehood. This a hana hou of the Overthrow Proclamation of January 17,1893. 'Io'lani Place is a vital "prop" and must be part of the show, with federalized native Hawaiian actors in pageantry but a'ole those Kanaka Maoli for they are of need of more cool-aid.Soon, Kanaka Maoli and Hawaiian Nationals will be a visa to visit Hawaii nei.pilipo ----- Original Message ----- From: Dedibble DeKepalo Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 8:22 PMWhoa this is full blownOn 7/18/08, `Ehu Kekahu Cardwell <<a href="mailto:ehukekahu@koanifoundation.org">ehukekahu@koanifoundation.org</a>> wrote: NEW RULES PROPOSED FOR `IOLANI PALACE Show Your Outrage! - Attend Hearings & Tell Them "'A'OLE!" ("NO!") Department Of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold public hearings on proposed new rules for `Iolani Palace. The rules are an attempt to banish the Hawaiian Kingdom from the grounds and prevent anyone from claiming the Palace as an active seat of government in the future. If successful, DLNR would be able to assert force of law to ensure "museum" status for `Iolani Palace. It is vital for all concerned citizens of Hawai`i to attend one of the hearings. Let them know DLNR does not speak for you nor need to "protect" `Iolani Palace from Hawaiians. Hearings Schedule - o Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 6:30 PM, Kaunakakai Elementary School Cafeteria, 30 Ailoa Street, Kaunakakai o o Tuesday, August 12, 2008, 5 PM, Lana`i High and Elementary School, Room Ll6, 555 Fraser Ave., Lana`i City o o Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:30 PM, DLNR Boardroom 132, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu o o Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:30 PM, Events Pavilion, Old Kona Airport Park, 75-5480 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona o o Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 6:30 PM, Maui County Planning Department Conference Room, 1st floor, 250 South High Street, Wailuku o o Thursday, August 14, 2008, 6:30 PM, Conference Rooms A, B, & C, State Office Building, 75 Aupuni Street. Hilo o o Monday, August 18, 2008, 6:30 PM, State Office Building 2nd Floor Conference Room, 3060 Eiwa Street, Room 209, Lihu`e ------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:07:28 -0400 (EDT) From: <a href="mailto:HIAHAWAII@aol.com">HIAHAWAII@aol.com</a>ALOHA Kakou, The State of Hawaii and it's governmental entities do not have the laws on their side to control, alone deny Kanakamaolihawaii access to the grounds of Iolani Palace. The Stage is set. KU I KA PONO, o Pomaikaiokalani ________________________________________________________________________________From: <<a href="mailto:moderator@PORTSIDE.ORG">moderator@PORTSIDE.ORG</a>> Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:52 AM Subject: Nukes: An Uncomfortable Conversation> Dispatches From The Edge > July 19, 2008 > Nukes: An Uncomfortable Conversation > By Conn Hallinan > > Why are Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, William Perry and Sam Nunn > writing opinion pieces in the Wall Street Journal calling for the > abolition of nuclear weapons? It's a good question and the reasons are > worth thinking about. > > Keep in mind, these four people are not just major defense hawks. People > like Kissinger and Nunn helped push through the single most dangerous > and destabilizing innovation in nuclear weaponry, the arming of missiles > with multiple warheads. All four have supported every conflict the U.S. > has engaged in since World War II, all have enthusiastically supported > nuclear weapons, and none has suddenly gone kumbaya on us. > > But all have concluded that nuclear weapons no longer serve the > interests of the great powers. Why the change of mind? The answer has > some disquieting aspects. > > The sudden concern with nuclear weapons is, in large part, due to the > steady erosion of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPF) and the > real danger that the Big Five-China, Russia, the U.S., France and > Britain-may one day confront a host of nations so armed. Countries like > Brazil, Argentina, Syria, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South > Korea, Egypt, Taiwan, and South Africa could all produce nuclear weapons > in less than a decade if they wanted to. Several of these countries had > begun the process before mothballing their programs several decades ago. > > Israel, Pakistan and India, of course, already have nuclear weapons. > > In the past, wars with countries like Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq > involved loss of life and wealth-far greater for them than for us-but > the countries we attacked then never presented a serious obstacle to our > use of military power. We might not 'win' these wars in the conventional > sense of the word, but none of these nations could prevent the U.S. from > attacking them. > > Nuclear weapons change all that. > > The Bush Administration demonizes North Korea, but it has been careful > not to let things get out of hand. Of course there are numerous reasons > why White House rhetoric has not led to a war on the Korean peninsula, > some of which have nothing to do with the fact that the North Koreans > have nuclear weapons. But if North Korea (and any other nation) infers > that their nuclear weapons program plays a role in holding the U.S. > military at bay, it is hard to argue with that conclusion. > > The Bush Administration has invaded one member of its 'axis of evil' and > is threatening to attack a second, Iran. However, it is treading lightly > in North Asia. If small countries threatened by big countries conclude > that the key to avoiding an invasion is to acquire nuclear weapons, one > can hardly blame them. > > This is the proliferation conversation that few people are comfortable > with, partly because of the nature of the beast. > > It is a misnomer to talk about nuclear weapons as 'weapons' in any > meaningful sense. As John Hersey noted more than 60 years ago, the bomb > that flattened Hiroshima was not just a bigger bomb. What it inflicted > on that city and its residents is almost beyond human comprehension. > Throughout his Pulitzer Prize winning book he struggled with how to make > his readers understand what happened in Hiroshima, occasionally > resorting to the devices of fiction to get his point across. > > And that bomb was the equivalent of a firecracker compared to today's > nuclear weapons. 'Fat Boy,' the weapon that flattened an entire city in > a millisecond, was 15 kilotons. The average warhead today is between 150 > and 250 kilotons, and there are monsters out there whose power is > measured in megatons. > > A nuclear war between India and Pakistan-something both > countries came perilously close to at Kargil in > 1999-would do more than kill tens of millions of > people. According to the 'Proceedings of the National > Academy of Sciences, USA,' if both sides exchanged 50 > warheads the size of the Hiroshima bomb, it would > destroy 70 percent of the ozone in northern latitudes, > and 45 percent of the ozone in the mid-latitudes where > most of the world's population resides. The loss of the > earth's protective ozone would mean a sharp rise in > skin cancers and cataracts from massive increases in > ultraviolet radiation. > > One hundred Hiroshima bombs equal 0.03 percent of the > explosive power of the world's nuclear weapons > stockpiles. > > In short, a nuclear exchange between India and > Pakistan-two minor nuclear powers-could derail the > economies of nations across the globe, in particular > those in the U.S. and Europe, whose northern latitude > position would make particularly vulnerable to ozone > depletion. > > Enter Kissinger, Nunn, Perry and Schultz. Nuclear > weapons were fine with them when the Big Five and > Israel held a monopoly on the devices. But India and > Pakistan have joined the club, and several others are > waiting in the wings. However, if the Big Five plus > three' proliferation dam has cracks in it, they are > wholly self-inflicted. > > When 181 nations signed onto the 1968 NPT they thought > they were taking the first step toward the abolition of > nuclear weapons. In short, they took the Treaty > seriously, for example, Article VI of the NPT, which > states: 'Each of the parties to the treaty undertakes > to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective > measure relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race > at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a > treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict > and effective international controls.' > > The heart of the NPT is Article VI. The only reason why > smaller countries would forgo nuclear weapons is that > the nuclear powers would agree to scrap theirs and, > further, disarm their conventional forces. Instead, the > Big Five increased the number of warheads in their > arsenals and raised their military budgets. Finally, > they even began threatening non-nuclear countries with > nuclear weapons, a violation of a 1978 addendum to the > NPT (and reaffirmed in 1995). > > President George W. Bush used such threats against > Iraq, Syria and the Sudan, and in 2006, former French > President Jacques Chirac warned 'states that use > terrorists means against us' risk a 'conventional' > response, but 'it could also be a different kind.' > > As for the section of Article VI that requires > disarmament: the official U.S. military budget for > fiscal 2009 will be $522 billion, but that figure > doesn't include nuclear weapons, Homeland Security, > Veterans Affairs, and a host of military programs in > the State Department, Justice Department, and the > National Aeronautics and Space Administration. > Excluding the interest we pay on past military debts > ($207 billion), the real figure is $728 billion. > > Even using the faux $522 figure, however, U.S. military > spending makes up 47 percent of the world's total. If > one adds to that the military expenditures of our NATO > allies, that figure jumps to 70 percent. > > In comparison, our 'enemies'-Cuba, Syria, North Korea, > Iran and Sudan-make up 1 percent of the world's arms > spending. Iran, which President Bush calls the most > dangerous country in the world, spends $5 billion on > armaments, about what one could find rummaging through > couch pillows at the Pentagon. Teheran's entire budget > could buy 2 1/2 B-2 bombers. > > There is certainly a growing sentiment to get rid of > the world's nuclear weapons. > > In Germany, the increasingly popular Left Party is > pressing for the removal of U.S. nuclear weapons. 'If > the federal government has some spine, it would > immediately call on the U.S. to remove all nuclear > weapons,' Gregor Gysi, co-leader of the Left Party told > Der Spiegel, 'and preferably by destroying them.' > > Pressured by the Left Party, the Social Democratic > Party, a minority member of Germany's ruling coalition, > is moving in the same direction. Niels Annen, the > Party's foreign policy expert, told the Berliner > Zeitung that removing nuclear weapons from Europe > 'would be a huge step forward in terms of nuclear > disarmament.' > > The U.S. is estimated to have between 150 and 240 B-61 > warheads in Germany, Holland, Italy, Belgium, and > Turkey. > > Australia's Labor Party Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has > called for establishing an 'international commission on > nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament' to lay the > groundwork for reviewing the NPT in 2010 and begin the > process of abolishing nuclear weapons. > > In the U.S., 79 religious organizations, representing > Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims have demanded > that the Bush Administration end its plans to > reactivate U.S. nuclear weapons plants. 'We call on our > political leaders to show the moral and political > courage necessary to bring about a shift in our > nation's nuclear weapons posture,' the organizations > wrote in a letter to the Energy Department. 'Today we > have an historic opportunity to begin the journey out > from under the shadow of nuclear weapons.' > > Presidential candidate Barak Obama said in October > 'America seeks a world in which there are no nuclear > weapons.' > > But any successful movement to abolish nuclear weapons > will not only have to see that Article VI of the NPT is > carried out, it will also have to address the Treaty's > preamble: '...in accordance with the Charter of the > United Nations, States must refrain in their > international relations from the threat or use of force > against the territorial integrity or political > independence of any State ...' > > As long as the great powers maintain the ability to > invade countries, overthrow regimes, or bomb nations > into subservience, weaker countries will inevitably try > to offset those advantages. The quickest and cheapest > way to do that is to develop nuclear weapons. > > The threat of nuclear proliferation will not end until > all nations have given them up. And the danger of > nuclear weapons will not disappear until the weak need > no longer fear the strong. > _____________________________________________Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:49:37 -1000 From: penny levin <<a href="mailto:pennysfh@hawaii.rr.com">pennysfh@hawaii.rr.com</a>> Subject: Re: [evol-psych] First bees now batsi only just heard about this when i went back east last week to the heart of the area that is being affected (upstate new york) and it's going to be a bad hit for the ecosystem - like bee colony collapse. bat's do a lot of pollinating and like the article says, a whole lot of mosquito control.white-nose was only discovered this winter and scientists are scrambling to figure it out. so far, they think the fungus is a symptom and not a cause of what's going wrong. they are looking at viruses, bacteria, pesticides and other factors. it will take another six months before any real clues emerge. one thing that i haven't heard mentioned yet is the possibility that increased average temperatures and lighter moisture/rain regimes in the area may be changing the climate of the caves. there is a possibility that the fungus was always present but the climate of the caves kept its growth in check. the fact that the bats lost their bodyfat during the winter suggests, too, that they were infected prior to the winter season. the answer will be like finding a needle in the haystack.let's hope this doesn't reach hawaii. at least the native ope'ape'a sleeps mostly in trees and not so much in caves where it would be more susceptible to the disease. but, even more of a reason for us to use fewer pesticides, grow fewer altered foods and keep the aina healthy. ----- Original Message ----- From: Lc Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:57 PMyikes! penny, what's da scoops?----- Original Message ----- From: Edgar Owen Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2008 11:55 PMThe White-Nose Syndrome Mystery: Something Is Killing Our BatsTens of thousands of hibernating bats died this winter in the northeast, and we don't know why. In and around caves and mines in eastern and upstate New York, Vermont, western Massachusetts, and northwestern Connecticut, biologists found sick, dying and dead bats in unprecedented numbers. In just eight of the affected New York caves, mortality appears to range from 80 percent to 100 percent since WNS was first documented at each site, based on winter surveys.These bats often have a white fungus on their muzzles (hence the name "white-nose syndrome") and other parts of their bodies. Despite the continuing search to find the source of this condition by numerous laboratories and state and federal biologists, the cause of the bat deaths remains a mystery.Bats are an important part of our ecosystem. One bat eats as many as 3,000 flying insects a night during the summer months. Because females produce just one pup a year, the plunging number of bats ^× apparently as many as 90 percent loss in some hibernacula ^× translates into a crisis in bat populations in four states with no end in sight and potentially far-reaching effects, an ecological disaster in the making. This year we may notice an absence of bats from our summer night sky, and what will that mean for us?<a href="http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html">http://www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html</a> -----------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:09:11 -0700 (PDT) From: patricia blair <<a href="mailto:cris6369@yahoo.com">cris6369@yahoo.com</a>> Subject: Impeachment Begins July 25th If you care about this country and the Constitution of the United States then your MOST PATRIOTIC DUTY is to call your Congress person and demand that they vote for Impeachment of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. That is THEIR, CONGRESSES, responsibility. PB Members and friends of the Hawaii Impeachment coalition, Impeachment action is building to a critical point later this week! Your action, and your attention, is needed. Let your friends know, too! We need to show Washington that we do care, and that this is not just a partisan issue, but a basic issue of defending our Constitution. Here's the basic mechanics: The House Judiciary Committee decides whether or not to proceed with impeachment. If they do^Å The Chairman of the Judiciary Committee will propose a Resolution calling for the Judiciary Committee to begin a formal inquiry into the issue of impeachment. And that would then be your ^Óimpeachment investigation^Ô with the theoretically heightened powers. If the investigation then warrants, the HJC draws up Articles of Impeachment and sends them to the full house for a vote. Taken from here. <a href="http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/impeachment.htm">http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/impeachment.htm</a> [B]eing impeached is sort of like being indicted of a crime. There still has to be a trial, which is where the US Senate comes in. The struggle behind the scenes, and on camera, will be whether the upcoming hearing will merely be a showcase for much ado with little or no consequences, or will actually serve to launch true impeachment hearings with the full powers of an impeachment investigation. Such powers go beyond what Congress ordinarily has: there is less basis for the administration to continue to thumb their noses at subpoenas. Furthermore, such hearings will help establish a public record of impeachable offenses far exceeding what the public has been aware of to date. It will help overcome the resistance of the traditional media to covering this important crisis. Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:49:31 -0400 From: David Swanson <<a href="mailto:david@davidswanson.org">david@davidswanson.org</a>> Subject: [Activists] Impeachment Begins July 25thIMPEACHMENT BEGINS: BE ON CAPITOL HILL ON FRIDAY JULY 25TH <a href="http://afterdowningstreet.org/hearingday">http://afterdowningstreet.org/hearingday</a> At 10 a.m. on Friday July 25th, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a preliminary hearing on the topic of impeachment, with a presentation by Congressman Dennis Kucinich. This is not yet a true impeachment hearing, but it is our opportunity to push for one, and it represents a tremendous victory after years of effort by millions of Americans who want to keep the Constitution alive. This never would have happened without your hard work. And we can't let up now! The National Impeachment Network is organizing a rally and asking everyone who can to take a day off for justice and meet at 9 a.m. on Friday July 25th in front of the Rayburn House Office Building on the Independence Avenue side. Bring impeachment shirts and posters! For more information contact <a href="mailto:ningroup@gmail.com">ningroup@gmail.com</a> NOTE: The hearing has not been announced, but two members of Congress closely involved in this have told us it is at 10 a.m. on the 25th, and Chairman Conyers himself has so informed Veterans for Peace. Between now and Friday the 25th, please take these steps: Contact your member of Congress in support of impeachment. <a href="http://afterdowningstreet.org/bushaction">http://afterdowningstreet.org/bushaction</a> Ask the media to cover the hearing. <a href="http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/1084">http://afterdowningstreet.org/node/1084</a> Sign the petition at Congressman Kucinich's website. <a href="http://impeachment.kucinich.us/petition">http://impeachment.kucinich.us/petition</a> And this from Veterans for Peace (VFP): A CALL TO ACTION FOR IMPEACHMENT An intense 7-day VFP campaign of calls to congress for impeachment. Get everyone you know to call Congress before July 25 demanding for impeachment now! Lobbying Day for Impeachment - July 24th Wash, DC VFP attends Judiciary Committee Hearing - 10AM July 25th Wash, DC VFP meets with Chairman of Judiciary Committee, Rep. Conyers - 12 Noon July 25th Wash, DC Dear VFP Members Believe it or not, we finally had to threaten a sit-in. After more than two months of trying to schedule a brief meeting with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) to deliver VFP's 23,000 impeachment signatures, we politely informed the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, in writing, that we would drop by his Washington office with them. And we would sit there until he met with us or hauled us off in handcuffs. On June 10 VFP issued a news release explaining our intention to call on Conyers the following day. Coincidentally (!) the morning of the 11th, his scheduler called asking, "I hear you're in town today, would you like to meet with the Congressman?" ************* In the 1930's, who in Germany could correctly fix the day when fascism actually arrived? Today in the U.S., who knows for sure how close we've come to it? The human race learns slowly, but we do learn. For example, as VFP members we've learnedÂ that war is not the answer. And in these perilous times more of our fellow citizens are learning that the "Good German" excuse just doesn't get it. We know what our government is doing abroad. We know that our republic here at home has been beaten nearly unto death. We know we are the responsible parties who must set things right here at home - for our children, for the world. One important way to begin absolving our complicity and discharging our responsibilities is to hold our malfeasant misleaders in Washington accountable through the way the Constitution provides - impeachment. When we met with Congressman Conyers on June 11 (link to video 2 minute of that meeting) he said he had not yet read the 35 Articles of Impeachment Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) had introduced two days previously, but that he would do so and report back at a meeting in early July. A second meeting was held, with even more VFP members attending, on July 9th (link to 9 minute video of that meeting, and link to 45 minute video) at which Conyers said he was still trying to make up his mind whether to call impeachment hearings in his committee. He said he needs more support in Congress! Yet another meeting is scheduled with VFP for July 25th. The platoon of VFP members who attended the meeting say if he says he needs more support in Congress - we will give it to him. Then there will be no more excuses. We need your help to create this impeachment buzz on the Hill. The Army used to tell us that it took 21 soldiers to keep each one of us grunts fighting in the field - providing us with our life support, from ammunition, to fire support, to medevac. Today a platoon of us is working in Wash, DC on impeachment; we can do it together but we need your support - raise your voice until Congress hears you. JOIN THE ACTIONS: Let us know if you took action! Respond to this email at <a href="mailto:vfp@veteransforpeace.net">vfp@veteransforpeace.net</a> and let us know how your phone call went! FOR JUST NEXT 7 CRITICAL DAYS CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND DEMAND IMPEACHMENT.Â If they are for impeachment have them push the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Rep Conyers, to act now.Â We need as many calls, emails and letters as possible before July 25th. GET YOUR FRIENDS AND NEGHBORS TO CALL. If you are able come to Washington, DC, July 24th will be an impeachment lobbying day where we will personally visit Congressmen demanding impeachment. On July 25th we will attend a Judiciary Committee Hearing, and then meet with Rep. Conyers. CALL 202-224-3121 for the house switchboard and LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOUR OWN CONGRESSMAN TO IMPEACH. Find your Congressman by ZIP Code Call a member of the Judiciary Committee (202-225-3951) demand impeachment now. ( List of Judiciary Committee members) Maybe your Congressman is on the Judiciary Committee call him again. For our 4,118 KIA'S, and the more than one million Iraqis killed by the Administration's lying & murderous policies, GET UP, & CALL CONGRESS! Elliott Adams President PS: Here is a link to a memo I got from David Swanson, one of the most knowledgeable leaders of the impeachment movement, explaining what Congress members could do if they are seriously interested in preserving the rule of law and what is left of our republic. And this: July 17, 2008 ...Wm Crain was told by Pelosi's office and by Conyers' office that they were getting "only a handful" of calls for impeachment. WE MUST DO BETTER -- Make more calls -- lobby in D.C. THIS IS A PRELIMINARY HEARING ON THE TOPIC OF IMPEACHMENT -- TO PUSH IT OVER THE EDGE INTO FULL-BLOWN IMPEACHMENT, PLEASE -- -- we must do better at phone calls. It takes 30 seconds. PLEASE -- they need to hear from us. CALL NOW: House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr.: (202) 225-5126 (Thank you for scheduling the July 25th hearing) (ask how many calls he's getting) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: (202) 225-4965 (I support hearings on Dennis Kucinich's article of impeachment)(ask how many calls she's getting) Call Toll Free 800-828-0498 & ask for your Rep. (I support Dennis Kucinich's Article of Impeachment and ask that you do so as well.) Or see <a href="http://www.house.gov/house">http://www.house.gov/house</a> This is definitely where the rubber meets the road, friends! Let us LOBBY in peach! Tobi Dragert Let's do what we can! Bob Schacht Honolulu, HI Impeachment isn't a political tactic, it's a Constitutional duty. -------------------------------------------------------------------From: Kapono Ryan [mailto:<a href="mailto:kryan@chaminade.edu">kryan@chaminade.edu</a>] Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 4:34 PM Subject: Please send to Leimomi Kahn and other AHCC Mahalo! Importance: HighFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Kapono Ryan Office (808) 735-4797 Cell (808) 429-2972OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS SPONSORS EXHIBITION OF HISTORIC PHOTOS AND DIARY TRANSCRIPTION --BRO. BERTRAM BELLINGHAUSEN PHOTOS AND DIARY: HAWAI^ÒI FROM 1883 TO 1905 --HONOLULU^×July 22, 2008^× The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) will provide a sponsorship grant of $20,200 to Chaminade University to support the tour of an exhibition of photographs taken by Bro. Bertram Gabriel Bellinghausen, S.M. It will also provide an additional $13,000 grant, supporting the transcript of Bellinghausen^Òs diary which will accompany his photographs.^ÓWe are grateful for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs^Ò support,^Ô said Henry Gomes, Chaminade University associate provost. ^ÓIt will help us make available for public viewing photographs that were taken more than a hundred years ago, as well as share insights from Bro. Bellinghausen^Òs diary, which will give readers a sense of historical context to those photos.^ÔA Marianist educator and first head of Saint Louis College (predecessor to Saint Louis School), Bellinghausen arrived in Hawai'i in 1883 and left in 1905. During that period, he was an avid photographer who used a large, bulky camera holding glass photographic plates, which acted as negatives before photographic film. He had a passion for capturing the dignity of the common people and changing beauty of island landscapes. His photographs also documented the lives and special events of the monarchy, including King Kalâkaua occupying the newly build Iolani Palace and Saint Louis School's band leading the funeral processions of Princess Likelike, Princess Ka^Òiulani and King Kalâkaua. He also photographed the famous Chinatown fire of January 20, 1900. About 800 glass plates and his handwritten journals have been stored in the Marianist Archives, mostly archived in Dayton, Ohio, as well as a smaller portion at the State Archives.Celebrating more than 50 years of educating students for life, service and successful careers, Chaminade University is a Catholic/ Marianist university offering programs of study grounded in the liberal arts with day, evening, online and accelerated courses. Chaminade is also a Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander serving institution with its main campus located at 3140 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816, and 10 satellite locations around Oahu. For more information, visit the Chaminade Web site at <a href="http://www.chaminade.edu">www.chaminade.edu</a> or call (808) 735-4711. [ Part 1.2, Image/JPEG 8.4KB. ] ------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:26:19 -1000 From: Kyle Kajihiro <<a href="mailto:keboi@aol.com">keboi@aol.com</a>> Subject: [livingnation] What Palestinians and Hawaiians have in Common<a href="http://a-doctor-in-galilee.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-palestinians-and-hawaiians-have-in.html">http://a-doctor-in-galilee.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-palestinians-and-hawaiians-have-in.html</a> Friday, July 18, 2008 What Palestinians and Hawaiians Have in CommonMy wife and I have spent the better part of our lives accommodating the two sets of dissimilar realities of our roots in Palestine and Hawaii, our birthplaces being nearly a pair of antipodes on the globe. Yet every once in a while I come across a reminder of how similar certain socio-political aspects of our two backgrounds are.Spin-doctoring, as a journalistic art form and a political tool, came of age only in recent years with the advent of neo-conservative dominance in US politics. Neo-cons have used this tool masterfully in the promotion and justification of the war on Iraq. In the process they have also succeeded in demonizing Islam, Arabs, and Muslims in general, portraying them as the twenty first century enemies of humanity, rationality and God. The trend has been nurtured by the rising tide of born-again Christian Zionism and cynically manipulated by the pro-Israel lobby for its own gain. As a Palestinian citizen of Israel who is also familiar with the American scene, I couldn^Òt help but recognize these propaganda tactics as the very same ones that have been regularly practiced by my country against my minority community and against other Palestinians, especially those in the occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. The recipe is quite simple; it is comprised of two components: First you dehumanize the other; then you look in the mirror and ascribe all the negative attributes you see to that enemy. What remains is to keep hammering at it with all the media tools at your disposal till it sticks to the now clearly evil other as his innate nature. Especially if this other is handicapped by the lack of media access to your audience, then you have it made.That, at least, was what I had assumed until I read David E. Stannard^Òs book Honor Killing depicting race relations in Hawaii in the early part of the twentieth century. It turns out to be a tale of full-fledged spin-doctoring before I thought the genre had been discovered. A mentally unstable young navy wife invents a story about being abducted, beaten and raped by a gang of Hawaiian young men. A jury fails to find in her favor and her high-society mother arrives from the mainland USA. The outraged mother takes matters in her own hands and murders one of the accused. The cause of the two white women is championed by the interlinked triumvirate of military commanders, business moguls and media bosses, all of whom happen to be white newcomers to Hawaii. The meeting of their sick mindsets and political interests prompts the three circles of influence to act in unison in actively pursuing the elevation of this local vendetta to the level of a national emergency that invites the interference of the US congress and the president himself. Lurking in the background, there is always the less than godly legacy and influence of Christian missionaries to Hawaii. The sick accuser, her drunken navy husband and her manipulative mother become national heroes defending white women^Òs honor against the savages. Sympathy and generous donations enable them to secure the services of the most prominent US criminal defense lawyer, Clarence Darrow. He fails to secure them and their two navy accomplices in the murder of the young Hawaiian man a verdict of innocence. Still he manages to obtain a commutation of their sentence from ten years of imprisonment with hard labor to one hour in the custody of the Honolulu sheriff. In the process Hawaii^Òs native and immigrant oriental population is vilified beyond redemption.As I started reading this book it all seemed vaguely familiar. The more the author exposed the factual information with the benefit of some seven decades of hindsight the more I found its essence similar to the parallel narrative of what happened in Palestine, though without the intriguing plot surrounding a specific single event. Rather, it was the meeting of minds and interests of aggressive foreign forces and the circumstances that maximize the magical powers of spin doctoring that were similar in the two narratives.In Hawaii, even before WW II, and long before president Eisenhower coined the term, the military-industrial complex was in full swing, its leaders clamoring for imposing a military dictatorial system to govern the Islands. The media, at the time mainly the print form and the nascent radio and wire services, acting as hand in glove, picks up the banner of the national interest and runs with it. The white population of Hawaii has to be protected from the transgressions of the unruly savage natives and the oriental rabble before these bring ruination upon the nation^Òs moral fiber and endanger America^Òs military superiority in the Pacific. Newscasters and editorial writers across the nation fall in line and follow the chorus of bigoted and racist agitation, turning fables into facts and creating new ones at will.In Palestine too, there was and still is a meeting of military, business and media interests, to the detriment of the native population. And in Palestine too there is a strong negative role for religion, even a decisive one. A three thousand year old legend is revived by the master race, the Christian Zionists of Europe. It is brought to life as the absolute and holy truth. With that the natives are not only disenfranchised but also demonized as the aggressors against God^Òs chosen people. ["Talk about the 'promised land' and the 'chosen people' adds a religious dimension to racism which we did not have," declared a veteran South African human rights leader recently.] As the European self-soothing dream of ridding itself of Jews matures and is concretized with the Belfour declaration and a three decade-long colonial rule actively implementing it, the same dream starts to take hold across the oceans in the minds of evangelical Christians in American. This is no small matter: In America business is king and it has a massive vested interest in the Middle East; in America the media has been well honed as a mind-controlling tool serving and reinforcing business of which it is an integral part; and in America by now the military-industrial complex is an accepted fact of life and a central player in the ME which serves both as a laboratory for the testing of its ware and as a major consumer of its new products. And the circle is finally closed with the meeting of minds between the mighty American Christian right and the no-less-mighty Zionist pro-Israel lobby.The two histories, of the Hawaiians and of the Palestinians, are quite dissimilar in their details. Yet the basic operative mode and motivation of the aggressors are highly similar despite the disparity in the level of sophistication of the tools used. The Hawaiians were a demoralized and conquered native minority imposed upon by the openly racist, crudely oppressive self-serving haoles (Hawaiian for foreigner or white). The Palestinians face a much more refined and infinitely more powerful circle of interests with the added advantage and veneer of self-righteous liberal intellectualism. Yet, step by step and feature by feature the tale of demonization, land theft, and adding blame to injury is the same. In both cases facts are turned on their heads and the victim is fully guilty in the eyes of the wider world. And in both cases the local truth is of no significance; it is the media that has the voice to sound off its falsity to an attentive world that is not only happy to swallow the lies whole but is willing to give of its sympathy, energy and financial means to further establish it as the final operative reality.I should read about other indigenous peoples^Ò tales of dispossession: Native Americans, Native Canadians, Maoris, Aborigines and more. I bet you the story repeats itself.Posted by Hatim Kanaaneh, MD, MPH at 9:09 PM Labels: Apartheid, Israel, Media, Middle East Conflict, Military-industrial complex, Minorities, Palestine, Racial discrimination, Racil profiling, Spin-doctoring  ----------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:50:25 -0400 From: Harvey Arden <<a href="mailto:harveyarden@starpower.net">harveyarden@starpower.net</a>> Subject: ~**~ Seneca Wisdomkeeper Edna Gordon wins USA Book News First-Prize for Native American books~**~WOW! Grandma Edna won FIRST PLACE in the NATIVE AMERICAN BOOK category for 2007!! Send her congratulations at <a href="mailto:rdgordon@hotmail.com">rdgordon@hotmail.com</a> with a CC to me (please!) Get remaining first-printing copies on shelf NOW. Go to <a href="http://www.haveyouthought.com">www.haveyouthought.com</a> or contact Publisher George Blitch at <a href="mailto:george@haveyouthought.com">george@haveyouthought.com</a>. EDNA, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!! /Harvey Arden VOICE of the HAWK ELDER by Seneca Wisdomkeeper Edna Gordon BestBooks2007Winner First-Prize for Native American books Order at <a href="http://www.haveyouthought.com">www.haveyouthought.com</a> Wholesale orders contact <a href="mailto:george@haveyouthought.com">george@haveyouthought.com</a>From the desk of Harvey Arden, Founder: ~The Wisdomkeepers Collective ~ "Bringing the Elders to the World & the World to the Elders" Author: WISDOMKEEPERS: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders DREAMKEEPERS: A Spirit-Journey into Aboriginal Australia NOBLE RED MAN: Lakota Wisdomkeeper Mathew King TRAVELS IN A STONE CANOE: The Return to the Wisdomkeepers Editor: PRISON WRITINGS: MY LIFE IS MY SUN DANCE by Leonard Peltier WHITE BUFFALO TEACHINGS by Chief Arvol Looking Horse VOICE OF THE HAWK ELDER by Seneca Wisdomkeeper Edna Gordon ----- Excerpts from Seneca Wisdomkeeper Edna Gordon's VOICE OF THE HAWK ELDER:WE NEED CHANGES in this world, really big big changes. I'm prayin' they'll be peaceable changes, not violent and bloody ones. I'd like to see a peaceable revolution, a revolution of broomsticks instead of guns. Call it a Broomstick Revolution. That's right. The People pick up their broomsticks and march together and Sweep Injustice Out! Make a clean sweep, a big cleanin' like's never been seen before. Broomsticks against Injustice. Now that'll be the day! We'll take our broomsticks and we'll sweep Leonard Peltier right out o' prison, along with all the other innocents. Yep-a Broomstick Revolution! That's what we need!NOW: ORDER ONLINE AT <a href="http://www.haveyouthought.com">www.haveyouthought.com</a>This book is dedicated to my People, the Seneca Nation, to our kindred Peoples of the Haudenoshaunee, or Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, to all the Indian Nations of Great Turtle Island, and to all other Indigenous Peoples around this Mother Earth. I send it out like an arrow of love from my heart to YOUR hearts! If other folks want to read it too, why, that's fine by me. Might be you even learn something!This book is FULL of secrets for those who understand'm!But always remember, the BIGGEST secret is Creation itself!What I see I want you to see, so that what you see your children will be able to see. --Hawk ElderEdna Gordon EDITOR'S FOREWORD"WELCOME TO MY UMBRELLA TREE," says Hawk Elder Edna Gordon, seating herself opposite me at her well-weathered backyard picnic-table, gesturing with a wide sweep of her hand at the rich tapestry of overhanging branches arching all the way to the ground around us, creating a kind of natural gazebo. She nods at the tree as at a cherished old friend, and nods at me, her visitor. "This old tree's the whole of Creation, you know, if you got eyes to see...," she says, and her throaty voice trails away thoughtfully. I look upward into the drooping canopy of heavily leafed branches all but encasing us. "Like a house of leaves," I say. "More'n that," she says, "...the whole Creation's right here in this tree, if you can see it... You're sittin' right inside o' Creation itself! Don't you see it? Can't you feel it?" I put the palm of my hand on the rough bark of the trunk. "I ...I can feel it, I think," I say. "Your hand on the tree, that's Life on Life," Edna says. "This Umbrella tree here's at the center of the Universe! And so are we!"CERTAINLY, when you're with a visionary like Edna Gordon, the Universe, the Creation itself, occupies not the background of your consciousness but the foreground. She's continually reminding me-and all of us-of the oft-forgotten fact that We Exist! that the World, the Universe, the very Creation itself is here and now with us at every magical instant-and that it's our privilege, our joy, and our duty as living beings to realize this in every conscious moment, to see it, to appreciate it, to be ever-thankful and ever-marveling at all of this unthinkable vastness and infinite particularity around us and within us. She insists that we see-and, yes, feel--this miracle that we ourselves are an integral, even essential part of this Mystery beyond all mysteries. "Yep, it's all a Mystery. A Holy Mystery," Edna says, "No matter how far you look, that's all you're ever going to find at the end of your lookin'-a Holy Mystery." "But how are we individual human beings essential to that Mystery....? " I ask. Edna smiles that radiant smile of hers. With her bare toetip she lightly taps a tiny bloom in the grass at her foot. "Is a flower essential to the Universe?" she asks, "Some folks'll tell you, `Oh, no It's just a flower! It lives and dies in a day or two. What does Creation need that silly little flower for?' " "Well, I tell you, that little tiny flower...you see it there by my toe...that little white one, no bigger than an earring... That flower is essential-that's right, I'm telling you, essential-to the whole wide Universe, same as you and me and everybody else. We're ALL essential, each and every one of us! "Why, without that tiny little flower there it'd be a different Universe, a different Creation, not this one we have. D'you understand? So THAT's a mighty power, don't you think? One little flower can change the entire World! Just like one person can!" She chuckles, amused at her thought.SOME might see a `quaint little old lady' here. But of Edna Gordon I can tell you from years of personal observation: quaint she ain't. No, in this diminutive octogenarian-maybe 5'2 on her stretched-taut tiptoes-I see a fearless warrior against injustice, a bold partisan on behalf of Mother Earth, an implacable defender of her People and of ALL indigenous Peoples. I see her also as a natural-world philosopher, or Wisdomkeeper, a kind of aboriginal existentialist....but not the Sartrean Existentialist of the 1940's, whose tremulous confrontion with the naked Being of a tree's root (as in Jean-Paul Sartre's novel Nausea) elicited terror and spiritual nausea. No, in Edna's world, a tree's root or a tiny flower or a red-tailed hawk in flight or a sudden windstorm elicits not fear and angst but joy, celebration, total communion with and immersion in the wonder of being in this world-the wonder of Being itself, of the whole vast living Mystery of Creation. Edna radiates that wonder, that devout appreciation, that thankfulness, that celebration in every word of this little book.I FIRST MET EDNA GORDON some five or six years ago, when I was (alas, unsuccesfully) trying to create a website-dreamkeepers.net-that would be the digital portal to an ever-growing constellation of personal websites for and by indigenous Elders. It's motto was "Bringing the Elders to the World & the World to the Elders." Itself the successor to another (alas, equally unsucceful website named <a href="http://wisdomkeepers.com">wisdomkeepers.com</a>, <a href="http://dreamkeepers.net">dreamkeepers.net</a> was to be the cumination of more than a quarter-century traveling among and working with indigenous peoples, begun while a staff writer for 23 years at National Geographic magazine, and continuing after my 1991 `retirement' in such trade books as Wisdomkeepers: Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders and Dreamkeepers: A Spirit-Journey into Aboriginal Australia. One day I answered the phone. A rough-gravel woman's voice said:"You Harvey Arden? This is Edna Gordon. I got some books for you to publish..." "You do? Books you say? How many books?" "Oh, maybe ten, maybe thirty." "Hmmm... Really! Paper books? I'm trying to create a website for the Elders, but I've never published a book-though I've had half a dozen of my own books published. You're maybe talking about a digital online book?" "Nope, a paper book...a REAL book! I got thirty of'm. Maybe forty!" "Already published?" "Had'm printed myself. Got a few copies each. Whaddayou charge?" "We don't charge anything to Elders at <a href="http://dreamkeepers.net">dreamkeepers.net</a>, but we don't publish books-certainly not paper books." "Well, you WILL!"AND SO, against all odds I might have given at the time, here is Edna's book Voice of the Hawk Elder-to my mind, an incandescent torch to light our way in these dark times. --Harvey Arden June 1, 2006VOICE of the HAWK ELDERYES, THIS IS MY VOICE. These are my words. My good friend Harvey has helped me sort and arrange them, like he's done for lots of good people over the years, even back when he wrote for National Geographic. He fixes my spelling and spruces up my grammar here and there, though I tell him, not too much, Harvey! I want folks to know who I am and how I really talk and what I'm really like. Don't make me some saintly old lady come down from Heaven on a moonbeam spoutin' high-flown words. Me, I'm just me, Grandma Edna Gordon, Hawk Clan Elder of the Seneca Nation, Six Nations Iroquois. I just turned 85, and am tryin' my darndest to be a good person. Sometimes I succeed, but don't stay around me when I get mad! I'm a raging hawk!I'M HONORED Harvey's chosen me to work with. Or am I the one did the choosing? <smile> . Harvey's a helper, and that's a holy thing to be. People'mselves aren't holy. But what they do can be holy. Living a holy life, that's what life's for. Helping others, fighting injustice, standing up for the People, saving our Mother the Earth-those are holy things to do. But always be sure to remember, it ain't you yourself who's holy. People are just people. If God'd wanted'm to be holy, he'd have given'm wings and set'm up on a cloud somewhere playin' a big gold harp. Sounds pretty boring to me. Me, I'd rather just be a human being. I'm thankful that's all I am or need to be. Being human, that's a tough enough job for me.USED TO BE I KEPT QUIET. I let my husband Hannibal do most of the talking. He was a spiritual leader of the Seneca Nation, though he wasn't a chief, just an ordinary man, a Wolf Clan Elder. When Hannibal talked, folks listened. He spoke from the heart and they listened from the heart. He changed their lives, like he changed mine. Hannibal made this world a better place, and that ain't easy to do. Hannibal also wrote poems like me, and I include some of his poetry in these pages. To tell the truth, his thoughts and words are so mixed with mine I can hardly tell'm apart anymore. No matter. They're all one piece. Now Hannibal's gone on ahead and left me here awhile to carry on alone-though my son Richard's always here for me, like his Dad was. So I've raised four kids, and helped with more'n a few grandkids as well. I love every one of'm for their own selves. That's how we all need to be loved. That's how God, the Creator loves each of us. He created us and he loves us, each one of us for our own self.THESE WORDS, these poems, these thoughts come to me like falling leaves drifting into my lap. I study each leaf, each thought, then the autumn breeze carries them away. A few I write down, if I can remember'm. Others are gone forever. Once again, no matter. More'll be drifting down into my lap any time now. There's always another breeze, and there's always another poem. Here's a little leaf-poem that drifted into my lap one day not long ago when I was out walking in our meadow and a hawk flew out of the woods high over my head, making that high-pitched squealing sound they make. It's a just a little poem, a very simple poem, but I like it. Some other leaf-poems follow. IF I HAD NEVER BEEN BORNIf I had never been born, what would there be instead of me?A young girl? A yellow rose? A hawk?Oh, yes, a hawk! A hawk there'd be instead of me.SEEING WITH VISIONARY EYESTake my hand, this weathered branch, and walk with me along Life's Pathway in this, my land, my sacred land. I'll not lead... nor you. Creator shows the Way. Side-by-side we'll walk, just we two. Yes, you and me. You'll see. You'll see. With visionary eyes you'll see. So don't be shy, dear friend. Take my hand and let us make our visit. Even now the spirits come, Creator-sent. As we, too, are Creator-sent, if we but knew. Look there! A Hawk! She flies before our eyes, a red-tailed miracle. She flies within us, too, you know. Use your inner eyes to see how she flies. SPELLBOUNDI am spellbound when my eyes capture the height of a mountain. I wonder, would my dreams reach so high?If I could challenge the towering mountain and look down into the valley below, would I be satisfied with the green pastures?When I follow a cool, winding brook, I often ask, "Just where does it end?" And I wonder, "How far in life could I go?"I sit and listen to the lapping of the sea. now peaceful, now angry, like my heart within.On the beach I find a shell and put it to my ear, and within I hear roar of the whole ocean, the roar of my own heart. -------- "The more selfish you are the smaller your world becomes. *You make yourself smaller by being selfish." *ACCEPT THE SHADOW-SIDE WITHINDeep in the well of the Soul the shadow-side of yourself, cries out for release.Deep in the savage-side of the Soul, your darkest Self sings your Death Chant.Deep in the Soul's twilight, where clouds are passing by, and souls are marching on, you pray, one day you, too, will belong.Accept the shadow-side within; Accept your whole Self. Transform those inward demons into the Warriors they are meant to beFor you are made of dark and light, of sun and shadow, of good and, yes, of bad. You need them all. You are them all. ~A Child's PrayerNyah-weh, for the feast we share.Nyah-weh, for blessings great or small.Nyah-weh for the Great Spirit's tender care.Nyah-weh, for the love He gives us all.MUCH MORE TO COME! To pay by check, please make check for $20 (incs s/h) out to ' Have You Thought ' with 'Hawk Elder book' on the 'for' line, and send it to the following address: Have You Thought P.O. Box #841912 Houston, TX 77284 And PLEASE include your email address on your check! For more info contact <a href="mailto:george@haveyouthought.com">george@haveyouthought.com</a> To contact Edna directly: <a href="mailto:rdgordon@hotmail.com">rdgordon@hotmail.com</a> ********************************************************************************Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:22:15 -0700 From: `Ehu Kekahu Cardwell <<a href="mailto:ehukekahu@koanifoundation.org">ehukekahu@koanifoundation.org</a>> Subject: [livingnation] Stand Up & Be Counted On "Voices Of Truth"Aloha `aina,Want to know the real reason they want to keep Hawaiians from `Iolani Palace?Find the answer at our Free Hawai`i blog.HereÕs this weekÕs schedule for Voices Of Truth - One-On-One With Hawai`iÕs Future.MONDAY, July 21st At 6:30 PM - Maui - Akaku, Channel 53MONDAY, July 21st At 7:00 PM & FRIDAY, July 25th At 5:30 PM - Hawai`i Island - Na Leo, Channel 53THURSDAY, July 24th At 8:30 PM & FRIDAY, July 25th At 8:30 AM - Kaua` - Ho`ike, Channel 52SATURDAY, July 26th At 8:00 PM - O`ahu, `Olelo, Channel 53ÒEnough For Tomorrow - A Visit With Foster AmpongÓWhat do future economic realities say about Hawai`i? Will there be enough for everyone or will you be one of many left out? Hear what Foster says about creating a sustainable future in Hawai`i that includes everyone. Watch It Here.Voices Of Truth interview those creating a better future for Hawai`i to discover what made them go from armchair observers to active participants. We hope youÕll be inspired to do the same.If you support our issues on the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network, please email this to a friend to help us continue. A donation today helps further our work. Every single penny counts.Donating is easy on our Voices Of Truth website via PayPal.You can view Voices Of Truth on the web anytime.For news and issues that affect you, watch Free Hawai`i TV, both a part of the Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network.Ho`oku`oko`a,`Ehu Kekahu CardwellThe Koani FoundationVisit FreeHawaii.InfoWatch Free Hawai`i TVVoices Of Truth onlineThe Free Hawai`i Broadcasting Network ---------------------------------------------------------------From: mark swearingen Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 6:57 AM Subject: LA TIMES: Hawaii's tatoosHAWAII In Hawaii, tattoos are a mark of pride To native Hawaiians, tattoos are cultural. To visitors, they're cool. By Jay Jones, Special to The Los Angeles Times July 20, 2008 Wailuku, Hawaii'Mom, Dad, can I get a tattoo?"That's a hot-button issue for many parents. They panic at the thought of their teenager being inked -- scarred! -- for life at a still tender age.If, however, the question is posed in Hawaii, the parents' reaction may be quite different. In the 50th state, tattoos are part of the culture, having been introduced centuries ago by early voyagers from other Polynesian islands. Today, tattoo parlors are just about as prolific as souvenir shops. The number has increased 16% in just one year, state records show. Tourists, it seems, are returning home not only with the obligatory shell necklaces and pineapples but also with tattoos."People are saying, 'I want your culture, a part of it, tattooed on my body for the rest of my life,' " says David "Boze" Kapoi, a tattoo artist in Wailuku on Maui.Kapoi is a talented, in-demand artist. Earlier this year -- when Eli Kapilii wanted a meaningful design on his left leg -- he rejected the dozens of tattooists on the Big Island, where he lives. Instead, he forked out a couple hundred bucks for a plane ticket to Maui, where Kapoi runs the Pride Ink shop in Wailuku, just a few miles from the airport in Kahului.According to Kapilii, "Boze is the best in the state.""If you want a good Polynesian tattoo, you've got to book him," he says."I told Boze I wanted a tiki representing guidance. The tiki oversees everything. I wanted it on my leg, the lowest part of my body, as a foundation. It represents me, always looking forward."Kapoi does his designs freehand, combining modern and traditional elements from various Polynesian cultures. His clients include a father and son who got identical tattoos on their chests just before the dad, a soldier, left for Iraq. Kapoi has also tattooed members of a graduating class from a Maui high school.For several years, tattoos have been part of the graduation ritual for seniors in the Hawaiian immersion program at King Kekaulike High School in Pukalani."It's a rite of passage," says Pauahi Hookano, a teacher in the school's immersion program, in which all classes are taught in Hawaiian. Hookano created the design for the class of 2007."I put three years of thought into it," she says of the design, which consists of nine connected patterns, one for each graduate. Hookano and six of her students got the tattoo, which she named "maluoia," Hawaiian for "protected.""My hope for my students is that they're protected, that they're safe and they're sheltered in their lives," she says. "It's a responsibility to put your mark on somebody else."Hookano explains that, in Hawaii, tattoos often contain lizards, sea turtles, tropical flowers and other symbols of the ancient traditions she teaches. She tells her students that, for some Hawaiians, tattoos hold great spiritual significance."Once you put a mark on your skin, you've got to take into perspective that from that moment in time, your identity changes," cautions 45-year-old Keeaumoku Kapu, a taro farmer in the mountains above the town of Lahaina, in western Maui."The younger generation is so anxious to get a tattoo," he says. "In my family, the only way to get a tattoo is through [spiritual] rites of passage. And I tell my kids, 'Just because you get a diploma from high school, that's not a rite of passage.' "Kapu's three grown sons all bear the same hip-to-ankle tattoo as their father, a design that represents 27 generations of their family. Kapu did the work himself - as his father had done to him -- but not until he thought his sons were mature enough to articulate why they deserved the