Current Events - 2005
This page is dedicated to current events and issues of interest; the resources are internal and external, designed to educate and arouse discussion.
2005-12-31: Winter Solstice Celebrations Religious people worldwide celebrate during the month of December. Most celebrations are linked to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; a season when the daytime hours reach a minimum and night time is at a maximum. In pre-historic times, winter represented the end of the growing season as the life-giving sun sank lower in the sky each noon. They feared that the sun would eventually disappear and leave them in total darkness and freezing cold. After the winter solstice, they would celebrate the sun's rising in the sky. The concept of birth, death, and rebirth became associated with the winter solstice, see Religious Tolerance for a clear Overview of the Winter Solstice Celebrations. Or, for a scientific explaination of the earth's tilt during the winter, see Wikipedia's Winter Solstice.
2005-12-31: Now: Global Warming For any of you that missed it, NOW had a great program on Global Warming. The program regarded the sound science behind Global Warming, while covering the politics involved, where Mobil-Exxon and others, spend millions attempting to discredit the scientists. At stake? Major impacts throughout the planet or reduced profits for some corporations.
2005-12-31: Depression is bad for your heart According to a large-scale study in Sweden, people who have been diagnosed with depression, especially younger patients between 25 and 50 years of age, are at increased risk of developing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) later in life.
2005-12-25: Christmas Dinner at the UUUS: CHRISTMAS DINNER: Many joined us for a traditional Christmas feast on Christmas Day.
2005-12-23:: NSA Authorized to Eavesdrop on Americans Without Court Approval There has been a storm of protest from the right and left due to the President's decision to bypass FISA courts to spy on Americans. DN does an excellent job of explaining this case. Thanks to the ACLU and its series of Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, we now know the FBI has been spying on domestic groups involved in the peace movement (including the Catholic Worker), the environment, animal cruelty and poverty relief.
2005-12-23:: Study Links Length Of Chromosome Ends To A Rare Disease Of Stem Cells A Johns Hopkins geneticist and her team have discovered a critical link between the health of stem cells and the length of the chromosome ends (telomeres) within them.
2005-12-07:: Precise New Measurement Tests Key Physics Theory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have entered a new realm in the search for QED deviations by measuring light they generated in the extreme electric fields surrounding the nucleus of uranium.
2005-12-07:: Groundbreaking Guidelines Promote Early Detection
Tweleve million Americans suffer from peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Some of the guidelines include: questions & observations that can uncover hidden signs of peripheral arterial disease; a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidney—and a possible cause of poorly controlled high blood pressure or kidney failure; recommendations on when an aneurysm—a weakening and bulging of the arterial wall—should be treated with surgery or catheter-based therapy, as well as when “watchful waiting” is the best course.
2005-12-07:: Movie night, A Midnight Clear, is considered by many as one of the best WWII pics is showing this Wednesday. For more info, click on the banner at the right.
2005-12-05: UUA Alert: The House of Representatives reconvenes on Tuesday, December 6th; they'll be greeted by a massive mobilization in support of withdrawing US forces from Iraq. The Washington Office strongly encourages Advocacy-News subscribers to take two minutes on Tuesday, December 6, to call your Representative's Washington Office and share your opinion. In a letter to Representatives dated December 6, UUA President the Rev. William G. Sinkford gives his rationale for why such action is necessary: "I urge you to support legislation that would require the Administration to create and implement a plan to withdraw US forces from Iraq. I believe that continuing to pursue a military-based strategy that has failed to produce peace-a strategy that has tragic human consequences almost every day-is ethically and religiously bankrupt. The time for a change of course is long overdue." ACTION The Washington Office strongly encourages Advocacy-News subscribers to take two minutes on Tuesday, December 6, to call your Representative's Washington Office and share your opinion. You can reach the Capitol switchboard by dialing 202-224-3121 and asking for your Representative by name. You can also plug in your zip code at http://www.uua.org/uuawo/new/article.php?list=type&type=5 to find their direct number. For more on the Iraq occupation, see The Cost of the Iraq War.
2005-12-03: PARTY! PARTY! PARTY! Let's welcome the beginning of the winter holidays with a "1st Saturday Gathering" at the home of Allan and Janet March on Dec. 3rd at 6:30 pm. Instead of a sit-down dinner the meal fare will consist of light to heavy hors d'oeuvres and BYOB (bring your own booze/beverage). Dress will be casual. As usual, I'll post the sign-up list on the green clip board on the table at the back of the church hall. We will call you to discuss what you would like to bring and to give you directions to our home at that time. NEWCOMERS WELCOME! Here is another opportunity to enjoy each other's company in a casual setting! Janet March
2005-11-27: The Man Who Sold the Iraq War: John Rendon, Bush's General in the Propaganda War: Investigative journalist James Bamford examines how the Bush administration and the Iraqi National Congress used the PR firm Rendon Group to feed journalists fabricated stories in an effort to sell the Iraq war. From Vietnam to Iraq: Sen. George McGovern Discusses the Lies of War from the Gulf of Tonkin to Iraq's WMDs: Democracy Now covers new information regarding the U.S government's deceptions during the Vietnam War. For more info, see The Cost of the Iraq War.
2005-11-27: The Great Debate of Our Season: "God and Country: Where the Religious Right is leading us" is the December 2005 issue of Mother Jones. Thank you- Cathy Giordano.
2005-11-25: THANKSGIVING DINNER: JOIN US AT UUUS FOR A THANKSGIVING FEAST! There will be a turkey and everyone is asked to share a side dish. This is a wonderful way to partake in good food, good company and give thanks. The meal is usually eaten around 1 pm, but guests usually arrive earlier to have time for visiting. Please call Kathy Anderson, who is organizing the feast, to find out more about it: 407 425-1065.
2005-11-20: Bush's FDA Ideologues Stop Emergency Contraception: Professor Frederick Sweet's article concerns the recent FDA ruling that denies a safe emergency contraception for American women.
2005-11-20: Global Warming: 2005-11-20: Study Shows Climate Warming To Shrink Key Water Supplies Around The World In the looming future, global warming will reduce glaciers and storage packs of snow in regions around the world, causing water shortages and other problems that will impact millions of people, according to researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Washington in a review paper published in the November 17 issue of the journal Nature. 2005-10-24: Climate model predicts dramatic changes over next 100 years The most comprehensive climate model to date of the continental United States predicts more extreme temperatures throughout America. For more info, see GlobalWarming.
2005-11-16: Derrie Frost's Opening Words on Lydia Child: Derrie's opening words on 13 November concerned Lydia Child, the American abolitionist writer. For more info, see Lydia Child spoke against slavery.
2005-11-13: In Search of the Spiritual: Newsweek article finds that Americans are looking for personal, ecstatic experiences of God, and, according to our poll, they don't much care what the neighbors are doing.
2005-11-13: The Search for Justice: CLARENCE DARROW COMING TO FUCO… touring actor Gary Anderson is recreating the character of the famous lawyer for UU audiences throughout Florida. The show is titled: “The Search for Justice” and is based on highlights of Darrow’s greatest trials and legal arguments. The Board of Trustees of FUCO is sponsoring this event for the benefit of the Legal Aid Society, a non-profit United Way agency. Tickets are $20 each for the 7pm performance and are being sold on a first come, first served basis. Tickets are available in Gore Hall after services (at FUCO) or send a check to the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, the Darrow Event, 3563 Emerywood La., Orlando, FL 32812, to receive tickets by return mail. For information, call or email Joe DuRocher 407 859-0386; PDJWD@aol.com
2005-11-13: Once more on the Sony rootkit case- Can you say boycott? It is now known that thousands of titles (not just sales) of these CDs have been released on the market for the last year. Sony/BMG has not been open to what their software does or the damage inflicted (including a patch that didn't do what they claimed and denying that their software sent back personal information to Sony when this "feature," a.k.a.- spyware, was discovered). Now at least two viruses (Breplibot.c and Breplibot.b) are known to take advantage of their rootkit to infect PCs. If you run any Sony CD on your computer, you are taking a risk that it includes this rootkit. For more detailed info see Twit 29: Sony Baloney and Security Now! with Steve Gibson, Episode 12: Sony/BMG's Rootkit DRM. 2005-11-02: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far: Sony BMGs new CDs exposes users to threats from hackers and virus writers and other record companies are joining the frey. For a more basic overview, see this Washington Post article Study of Sony Anti-Piracy Software Triggers Uproar.
2005-11-13: Alzheimer's Disease Onset Tied To Lapses In Attention: Early stage Alzheimer's patients have greater difficulty shifting attention between competing sources of information, a finding that offers new support for theories that contend breakdowns in attention play an important role in the onset of the disease.
2005-11-13: Amnesty International Urges Americans to Support the Senate Anti-Torture Amendment: The amendment, offered by Senator McCain a former Prisoner of War in Vietnam, is consistent with long-standing U.S. military doctrine, U.S. constitutional standards and U.S. international commitments. Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colin Powell, along with 29 other retired generals, admirals and prisoners of war, support the amendment as providing much needed clarity to soldiers and personnel in the field.
2005-11-13: Research Finds Cigarette Manufacturers Target Youth Market With Candy Flavored Cigarette Brands: New research from the Harvard School of Public Health finds that cigarette makers are targeting young smokers with candy and liqueur-flavored brands that mask the harsh and toxic properties found in tobacco smoke, and in one case, embedding a flavor pellet within the filter.
2005-11-03: Debate on case for war in Iraq comes back to top of agenda: The Democrats have held a special secret session to discuss the Iraq Invasion and its causes. Two reports, a 511-page report of the Senate intelligence committee last year and a 618-page report of a White House-appointed team led by Laurence Silberman and Charles Robb this year, reached nearly identical conclusions: that President G.W. Bush was a blameless victim of faulty intelligence. And both concluded that the intelligence was skewed by poor trade craft and weak analysis. These conclusions have never been persuasive, in part because they conflict with recollections of former officials (Richard Clarke, the former terrorism tsar, and Paul O'Neill, former Treasury secretary), along with Downing Street Memo.
2005-11-03: Grassley-Dorgan amendment to cap subsidy payments The U.S. senate passed this legislation to cap farm subsidy payments. Reaction from big farming was immediate and negative. The legislation is important because farmers in poor countries suffer under a flood of cheap US imports have been pushing for reform of US policies within international trade negotiations. It will also reduce pressure in America to cut funding for key anti-poverty programs such as food stamps and rural land conservation (one beneficial means of support for US family farmers). Oxfam America says it is a first step toward redirecting our farm support to the family farms that need it most, rather than to the largest producers who receive the majority of funding in the current system. This bill was supported by coalition including Oxfam America, US family farmers, poverty relief organizations, and environmental groups. See also Fairness for Family Farmers and Oxfam asked us to sign their petition to make trade fair, see Join the Big Noise.
2005-11-01: 40,000 file past casket of Rosa Parks: Congress broke with precedent and allowed Ms. Parks to lie in honor at the Capitol Rotanda for her act of civil disobedience. 2005-10-26: Rosa Parks Good article on Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat to a white man and ignited a successful black civil rights protests. Rosa died Monday at the age of 92. Hear a Rare 1956 Interview with Ms. Parks through Democracy Now. Thanks, Ms. Parks.
2005-11-01: Sharing Your Genius: Thanks- Nini Gaylon.
2005-11-01: Federal Judge Battle: 2005-11-01: Samuel Alito: Leading the Attack on Fundamental Legal Rights and Protections for All Americans People for the American Way cite the conservative judge's hostility to basic reproductive rights, rejection of protection for workers and his leadership against federal laws protecting individual. See also, The Next Antonin Scalia and Bush Picks Conservative Judge Samuel Alito Who Endorsed Abortion Restrictions for Supreme Court. 2005-10-27: Miers Supreme Court Nomination Withdrawn Under Conservatives' Fire. Want to Learn More? see- Federal Judge Battle.
2005-11-01: Religion: New ruling means lesbian pastor loses ordination
2005-11-01: PlameGate: 2005-11-01: Cheney Taps Torture Memo Author to Replace Scooter Libby Vice President Dick Cheney appointed David Addington to be his new chief of staff following the resignation of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Addington once wrote the war on terrorism has rendered the Geneva Conventions "obsolete," see also Addington's Role In Cheney's Office Draws Fresh Attention. 2005-11-01: Libby's Criminal Indictments 2005-10-29: NIGER URANIUM FORGERY MYSTERY SOLVED? Interesting story of how the false story was planted that Mr. Wilson debunked. The Importance of the Plame Affair Thank you, Dutton Ashcraft - Covers the basics of Plame case, being the outing of Valerie Plame, a CIA operative and wife of Joe Wilson, by high members of the current administration as revenge against Mr. Wilson for this essay- What I Didn't Find in Africa. Both the New York Times (NYT) and Time Magazine have defended not only the decision to publish Plame's name; not to mention the NYT's disastrous support of Judith Miller, whose un professionalism allowed her to be manipulated into passing on false information regarding Iraq's WMD, and who now claims the journalistic high ground. See Lies Judith Miller Told Us and also the letter from Bill Keller (Executive Editor- NYT) to his staff. (Arianna Huffington says on her site- "Check out this memo from Bill Keller at The NY Times to his staff in it's entirety that I have verified from three sources.) Plus, Secrets, Evasions and Classified Reports which discusses the White House's manipulation of the mainstream American press.
2005-10-29: High Military Expenditure in Some Places Did you know that the US military budget was almost as much as the rest of the world’s? The recent damage caused by inadequate infrastructure funding to protect from Hurricanes, not to mention social issues such as education, poverty and health insurance, begs each American to consider how his tax dollars are being spent.
2005-10-29: Kansas Denied Use of National Science Education Standards 2005-09-26: New Analyses Bolster Central Tenets of Evolution Theory In a courtroom in Harrisburg, Pa., a federal judge will begin to hear a case that asks whether ID or other alternative explanations deserve to be taught in a biology class. But new tests add new validity to evolution. 2005-05-19: Money Trial or Kangaroo Court? In three days of testimony in Kansas, witnesses painted a picture of evolutionary biology as a tyrannical discipline that can be salvaged only by admitting the bright light of the supernatural.....
2005-10-29: Science: 2005-10-29: Nasa's First Space Elevator Competition 2005-10-10: A Hoist to the Heavens The author proposes a space elevator that could get men and materials into earth orbit cheaper than existing rockets.
2005-10-29: Abortion Does Not Raise Risk Of Depression as reported in the British Medical Journal.
2005-10-29: Vision Input: On Saturday, October 29th, the church will have three separate meetings on Vision Input. If you are not presently scheduled, please contact Kathy Anderson, (407)425-1065 or e-mail Dayle Peabody, E-mail: Vision Input Workshop, for information.
2005-10-27: State of the University Address Cornell's Interim President, Hunter R. Rawlings III, writes a good essay on intelligent design and its cultural, not scientific basis.
2005-10-27: White House Caves on Davis Bacon President Bush suspended the Davis Bacon provisions that guarantee prevailing wages on federal contracts in the aftermath of Katrina but has changed his mind.
2005-10-27: Preparing for a Pandemic Scientific American's new issue considers a highly contagious and lethal strain of influenza which will sweep across all humanity, claiming millions of lives. It may arrive in months or not for years--but the next pandemic is inevitable.
2005-10-27: Natural carbohydrate helps cut blood sugar Scientists have found a messenger inside cells which switch on enzymes that regulate blood sugar; these findings could lead to new drugs to treat type 2 diabetes.
2005-10-26: American Fascism I have received several e-mails concerning an article in Harper's called "We Now Live in a Fascist State." I cannot verify the Harper's story but the web site I've listed covers fourteen points of American fascism, based on "Fascism Anyone?" by Laurence W. Brittand, and is worth taking a look, including the numerous photos and links (including one at the bottom concerning the Harper's article).
2005-10-26: More Than 470 Physicists Sign Petition To Oppose U.S. Policy On Nuclear Attack The petition was signed to oppose a new U.S. Defense Department proposal that allows the United States to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. 2005-09-17: Pentagon draft plan calls for preemptive use of nukes The Christian Science Monitor reports that the Pentagon has drafted a revised plan to allow use of preemptive nuclear bombs against other nations or groups. Critics say plan is designed for possible attack against Iran.
2005-10-26: National Debt Tops $8,011,000,000,000 Thanks, Deborah Helle
2005-10-26: A Question for Journalists: How Do We Cover Penguins and the Politics of Denial? Bill Moyers speech worth reading about the environment and politics.
2005-10-23: Something Fun: Jib Jab Cartoons that will make you laugh. Thanks, Deborah Helle.
2005-10-22: Hurricane Wilma: Hurricane Wilma Get the latest news from the NOAA.
2005-10-22: Health Science: 2005-10-22: Questions linger in U.S. CJD cases More unanswered questions about the safety of American beef. Consuming fish at least once a 2005-10-11: Eating Fish Associated With Slower Cognitive Decline Consuming fish at least once a week was associated with a 10 percent per year slower rate of cognitive decline in elderly people. 2005-10-10: A glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away Cabernet Sauvignon, followed closely by Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir, reduces production of LDL cholesterol (also know as the "bad" cholesterol), boosts high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and reduces blood clotting. Grape juice has similar benefits but does little to lower LDL cholesterol. 2005-10-06: Even Moderate Caloric Restriction Lowers Cancer Risk In Mice A study by the National Cancer Institute dated April 23 that moderate caloric restriction reduced by 60 percent the number of pre cancerous intestinal polyps in mice at high risk of gastrointestinal cancers. Animals eating as much as they wanted of a diet high in olive oil, fruits and vegetables had a third fewer polyps than control mice. For more info, see Health Science.
2005-10-18: UUA Action Alert: Call Congress to abandon cuts in services and "sapping revenues through misdirected tax cuts" Conservatives in Congress renew their demands for cuts in social programs--including Medicaid, Food Stamps, TANF and other vital services--despite the dramatic increase in need generated by Hurricane Katrina.
2005-10-18: American Experience: Two Days in October Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning book, this PBS program examines two days in October 1967. The first incident regards a U.S. battalion unwittingly marched into a Viet Cong ambush. The government covered up the incident making it seem like a victory (includes actual misinformation from ABC evening news). Sixty-one young men were killed and as many wounded. The second incident occurred on the University of Wisconsin when students peacefully protested Dow Chemical recruiters on campus. Police were called in and attacked students and teachers alike with clubs. The film tells the story using the people who took part in the harrowing events of those two days -- American soldiers, police officers, relatives of men killed in battle, protesting students, university administrators and Viet Cong fighters. The film is haunting and shows the depth of damage caused by the Vietnam War while unwittingly reminding of current events: the recent staged photo op, Staged Photo Op and the Pentagon's claiming that "insurgents" were killed when many civilians died, see Dozens of Iraqis die in US air strikes.
2005-10-17: OWL Program: OWL Program The University Unitarian Universalist Society offers a twenty six week program starting in January, 2006, geared toward junior high school is part of a series of sexuality education curricula jointly developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. Our Whole Lives (OWL) helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, society and culture
2005-10-17: Noah's Flood?: Did Noah really build an ark? This BBC story explores the flood story. Scientists know that a world wide flood did not occur but the origins of the story are quite interesting. See also The Truth Behind Noah's Flood This PBS article explores the flooding of the Red Sea as the reason behind the story.
2005-10-13: Societal Health: 2005-10-13: Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies A must read first look at the correlation between societal health and religiosity.
2005-10-10: Who is He?: 2005-10-10: Read or listen to President Hugo Chavez's Extended Interview Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 on Democracy Now. Televangelist Pat Robertson recently called for Chavez's assassination. After a failed coup attempt in 2002, it was revealed that OPEC chief warned Chavez about coup and CIA Documents Show Bush Knew of 2002 Coup in Venezuela. See also Hugo Chavez is Crazy! by Greg Palast that discusses American propaganda.
2005-10-10: Natural Disasters: 2005-10-10: Quake toll soars above 30,000
2005-10-10: Social Studies: 2005-10-10: Junking Science From Terry Schiavo to global warming, Chris Mooney explains how conservatives undermine science by whipping up controversy and manipulating the media. See also Teach Science, Not "Intelligent Design" a petition to the Governor of your state to teach science to children, not religious creationism disguised as science, which is being pushed by conservative Christians into public school classrooms throughout the country.
2005-10-08: Did You Know?: 2005-10-08: The Israeli government and military receive fifteen million dollars from the U.S. every day; Palestinian NGO’s receive two hundred thirty thousand from the U.S. each day.
2005-10-04: Wildlife: 2005-10-04 Photos Reveal First Tool Usage In Wild Gorillas According to a study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), scientists have observed and photographed wild gorillas using tools (for the first time), in one instance employing a stick to test the depth of a pool before wading into it.
2005-10-04: Propaganda 2005-10-04: Bush administration found involved in illegal 'covert propaganda' The GAO found the Bush administration broke the law by resorting to illegal "covert propaganda" to sell its 'No Child Left Behind' program. 2005-06-16: Psychological warfare effort to be outsourced: The U.S. Special Operations Command has hired three firms to produce newspaper stories, television broadcasts and Web sites to spread American propaganda overseas. The Tampa-based military headquarters, which oversees commandos and psychological warfare, may spend up to $100 million for the media campaign in the next five years. Thanks, Deborah Helle. Also, here is a link concerning fake letters from soldiers supporting President Bush.
2005-09-17: No Place for a Poet at a Banquet of Shame For reasons spelled out in the letter in the Nation, the poet Sharon Olds declined to attend the National Book Festival in Washington. Olds, winner of a National Book Critics Circle Award and professor of creative writing at New York University, was invited along with some other writers by First Lady Laura Bush to read from their works. Three years ago artist Jules Feiffer declined to attend the festival's White House breakfast as a protest against the Iraq War, see "Mr. Feiffer Regrets," November 11, 2002).
2005-09-14: Study of faulty fingerprints debunks forensic science 'zero error' claim Forensic scientists have long claimed that fingerprint evidence is infallible. However, a widely publicized error landed an innocent American behind bars as a suspect in the Madrid train bombing alerted people to the flaws in the system. UC Irvine criminologist Simon Cole has shown that not only do errors occur, but as many as a thousand incorrect fingerprint “matches” could be made each year in the U.S. despite safeguards intended to prevent errors.
2005-09-11: FDA halts expansion of network to monitor medical device safety The FDA has decided to hold on its system, known as MedSun, which allows doctors nationwide to directly report to the FDA problems with pacemakers, stents, and defibrillators. Aiming to connect 500 of the nation's hospitals, the FDA has halted at 350 and won't fund further expansion for years, although their own estimates are that medical device problems cause 300,000 deaths and injuries annually. Hospital administrators, doctors, and the FDA hoped MedSun would alert them more quickly to problems and uncover patterns that might otherwise take longer to discover.
2005-09-08: This is an urgent request for support to stop a bill which complicates the post conviction process. The bill Streamlines Injustice by depriving prisoners of the means to enforce their substantive constitutional rights - both fed and state. This activist - Stefanie Faucher - is asking for the names of religious leaders she can use in a letter opposing the bill. I added my minister, Abhi Janamanchi, to her list. The bill, if approved, would limit appeals, especially important in death penalty and three-strikes convictions. Much more info at http://www.nacdl.org/savethewrit. Thanks- John Chase
2005-09-07: Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn includes recent multi-media images from NASA's spacecraft showing previously unknown details about Saturn's moons, rings and clouds, includes links about the mission background.
2005-09-05: Frontline Reports offers transcripts and online multi-media of an excellent series of shows from "Drug Wars" to Burden of Innocence" (about prisoners exonerated by DNA and the hurdles of returning to normal life) to "A Company of Soldiers" (about American soldiers in Iraq).
2005-09-05: Can Extreme Poverty Be Eliminated? is a Scientific American article by Jeffrey D. Sachs about special measures to help the poorest of the poor.
2005-09-05: Memories of: is a web site that specializes in cyber-space memorials of loved ones. Kathy Parry (see Audio page 08-28-05 talk) mentioned these types of memorials as be one of the ways that families and friends will remember love ones, here is an example site: http://www.christy-meister.memory-of.com/about.aspx.
2005-09-04: Katrina News & Donations: On the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: a talk (text or MP3) given by our President on 2005-09-04. The UUA has established the UUA Gulf Coast Relief Fund; details on making on-line donations are available at above link or make checks payable to the "UUA Gulf Coast Relief Fund" at:
Larry Stritof
UUA Stewardship and Development
UUA Gulf Coast Relief Fund
25 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108-2800
Also, visit http://www.hurricanehousing.org to provide or request temporary housing up to 300 miles from New Orleans. 2005-09-03: New Orleans crisis shames Americans and CBS News Katrina Disaster, good news coverage along with Extended interview with Nagin (WARNING: this MP3 includes swear words), the heroic mayor of New Orleans, who ordered an evacuation before Katrina hit. Thanks John Chase. 2005-09-02: NY Times reprinted without contradiction false claim. 2005-09-01: Why the Levee Broke: Funding for projects to protect the citizens of New Orleans from a disaster like Katrina was cut due to funding for the Iraq war and Homeland Security.
2005-09-01: Climate Model Links Higher Temperatures To Prehistoric Extinction: The work gives support to a theory that an abrupt and dramatic rise in atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide triggered the massive die-off 251 million years ago. The research appears in the September issue of Geology.
2005-09-01: Groundbreaking Research on Easter Island: A researcher at Rochester Institute of Technology is unraveling a mystery surrounding Easter Island. William Basener, assistant professor of mathematics, has created the first mathematical formula to accurately model the island’s monumental societal collapse.
2005-08-30: You may wish to check out the web site Talk Reason which is listed under the resources page and does a good job of refuting the claims of modern creationists. Thank you Cathy G.
2005-08-28: Never Enough: In his book American Mania, a psychiatrist urges us to stop our endless quest of accumulation -- unless we want to witness a mass psychological and economic meltdown.
2005-08-21: Stanford Images Offer Unprecedented View Inside Mummy: Stanford hospital technicians used the Siemens AXIOM scanner for the amazing images of a 2000 year old girl.
2005-08-11: Vote Fraud in Florida and Ohio Votes: Many Americans are aware of the November 2004 voting irregularities where exit polling did not match the voting computer results. The above link shows computer programmer Clinton Curtis testifying on 2004-12-13 at the Congressional hearing in Columbus. In this twelve minute video, Curtis testifies that he designed and built a "vote rigging" software program at the behest of then Florida Congressman, now U.S. Congressman, Republican Tom Feeney of Florida's 24th Congressional District while working for Yang Enterprises, Inc. (YEI) in Oviedo, Florida (Feeney's home district). To see the whole transcript, see Ohio Election Fraud Transcript and click on the transcript. Thank you Frances.
2005-08-07: Safety Net for the Homeless?: Bill Owen from the coalition for the homeless gave a talk at the Triple-U on this important subject. If you would like to hear the talk, click on the Audio Page. Mr. Owen recommends that anyone interested in sharing their time to call 407-426-1250.
2005-08-03: What Happened to the Marlboro Man?: Phillip Morris ran ads showing the actor Wayne McLaren promoting the "independent lifestyle." Wayne developed lung cancer at 49, which spread to his brain, killing him in two years after his initial diagnosis. Near his death, Wayne actively campaigned against the cigarette industry.
2005-08-03: War on Pain Patients: John Chase just sent us Richard Paey Postcard and urges us to sign it and send it off to Governor Bush; there will also be a few printed versions at the back table. John Chase suspects that the June 30th interview with John Tierney (New York Times) that justified transferring wheelchair bound Richard Paey from Florida's Prison's medical facility at Zephyrhills to the Lake Butler Prison general prison population for the stated purpose to let his morphine pump run dry. Please contact the Governor and other officials to let them aware of this cruel and unusual punishment. Thank you, UU John Chase. 2005-05-12: Richard Paey's tragic story shown on ABC Nightline was quite good, according to Vicki Kirkland. ABC News spent the week with a focus on pain, see http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/, thanks Eileen Aist. We'd like to thank John Chase and Linda Paey for joining us on May 6th for the film and talk on "The Chilling Effect: Pain Patients in the War on Drugs," concerning how the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) policy is interfering with the doctor-patient relationship, and denying chronic pain patients adequate treatment, see The Chilling Effect.
2005-07-31: EXPERIENCE THE 2005 GA ONLINE Read articles, watch video clips and look at the photo galleries from the Fort Worth 2005 General Assembly, by going to: http://www.uua.org/ga/ga2005
2005-07-26: Inspiring Speech You've got to find what you love is a commencement speech by Steve Jobs delivered on June 12, 2005 to Stanford University. Thank you, Dutton Ashcraft.
2005-07-23: Canada wins for dumbest government On the lighter side, the annual contest was created in 2003 as a lighter version of the morbid Darwin awards. Winners are picked by internet voters. For more information, see the World Stupidity Awards, hosted by Lewis Black of The Daily Show.
2005-07-23: Frontline, Karl Rove, the Architect: Frontline covers the life of Karl Rove, President G.W. Bush's chief political operative. Mr. Rove (the subject of Bush's Brain) gained more notoriety, see Serious Trouble, for disclosing Valerie Plame as a CIA agent, a federally punishable offense, which the Wall Street Journal believes Rove "deserves a prize."
2005-06-29: Supreme Court Upholds Taking Property for Private Development: As Michael Michael Barr pointed out, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of corporate interests in regards to private property seizure. The link above includes a discussion of the rulling from both sides as covered by DemocracyNow.org. The Supreme Court also ruled in favor of large cable internet services, not requiring them to Share Broadband lines, essentially denying the linkage between the service and telephone communications. The decision is expected to raise rates for consumers by reducing competition. "Protecting Whistleblowers or Shielding Government Wrongdoing?" is a good piece related to the court's decision rejecting the appeals of Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper. Finally, Supreme Court Rules to Hold Internet File-Sharing Companies Liable, covers the court's ruling against file sharing companies.
2005-06-29: PBS, going the way of Fox News? 2005-06-29 Bill Moyers responds in CPB's Tomlinsons charge of Liberal Bias on Democracy Now (transcript and MP3 download available), http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/16/1329245. As many of you are aware, President Bush placed Republican Ken Tomlinson in as Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, who has instituted a series of measures designed to make PBS conservative. Tomlinson wrote in an op-ed piece, "To me and many other supporters of public broadcasting the image of the left-wing bias of "NOW" -- unchallenged by a balancing point of view on public broadcasting’s Friday evening lineup -- was unhealthy. Indeed, it jeopardized essential support for public TV." In an article in the Washington Post, an anonymous senior FCC official was quoted as saying that the CPB, "is engaged in a systematic effort not just to sanitize the truth, but to impose a right-wing agenda on PBS. It’s almost like a right-wing coup. It appears to be orchestrated." Is the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 being violated? The act prohibits interference by Federal officials over the content and distribution of public programming, and forbids "political or other tests" from being used in CPB hiring decisions. Democracy Now has a good article (text and audio) concerning this at: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/12/1426203. There is even a pledge to save PBS at http://www.freepress.net/action/pbs.
2005-06-29: Reincarnation: ABC's "Primetime Thursday" Special on Reincarnation Back From the Dead. Paul Kurtz, chairman of the Center for Inquiry and CSICOP, will appear on ABC's Primetime Thursday, airing Thursday, June 30 at 10 p.m. EST, to discuss reincarnation and the case of a six-year-old boy whose parents say he is the reincarnation of a World War II pilot. See the Primetime Thursday Web page at http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/ or check your local listings. Thank you, Cathy Giordano.
2005-06-24: Privacy: Targeting U.S. High School and College Students: The Defense department began working with BeNow, a private marketing firm, to create a database of all U.S. college students as well as high-school students between ages 16 and 18. The program is provoking a furor among privacy advocates. The new database will include an array of personal information including birth dates, Social Security numbers, e-mail addresses, grade-point averages, ethnicity and what subjects the students are studying. Thank you, Deborah Helle.
2005-06-16: UUA Advocacy News: Tax Fairness, Sex Ed, Public Television: UUA urges UUs to Take Action as Congress considers a number of tax proposals that would deepen our federal deficit by trillions of dollars and reward only the wealthiest members of our society. Second, PBS will air "The Education of Shelby Knox" on June 21. The film tells the story of her fight to get more responsible sex education in Lubbock, Texas. Congress is involved in cutting all public funding for NPR and PBS. UUA President Sinkford joins a march on Global Warming. The UUA Commends Amnesty International for 2005 Report on Human Rights.
2005-06-13: Kindermusik: Each Kindermusik class is a world of discovery and adventure. In every class, you'll witness your child's developmental evolution in language skills, literacy, listening, problem solving, social skills, self-esteem, and musicality. And it happens within a nurturing environment-full of energy, imagination, music, dancing, and playful delight.The first session is June 23, 2005. There will be 5 sessions, one per week. There will not be a session July 7th so the last session is the 28th. For more information, click on the link at the left.
2005-06-03: UUA Advocacy UpdatesUUA Advocacy Updates latest mailing bring the attention to U.S. government funding for new nuclear weapons while using such development as reason for invasion of other countries. Also, Head Start is being restarted but with an ammendment allowing descrimination in religious organizations that administer the program. The Leave No Child Behind Act has a provision forcing high schools to turn over student information to military recruiters. Unfortunately, the push for more right-wing judges continues. Finally, some good news- the court upholds Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
2005-05-28: Air Force Academy Religious Intolerance?: The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is under fire for alleged religious bias against Jews and where "born again" Christians are shown preferential treatment, see Air Force Academy wrestles with alleged religious bias and Air Force Removes Chaplain from Post. Bob Flick pointed out May 1st that the May 2005 issue of Harper's Magazine has some articles on the Christian Right. One of the articles, "Soldiers of Christ," is particularly revealing concerning the Christian Evangelicals in Colorado Springs, see http://www.harpers.org/.
2005-05-28 Paganism ruling stirs outcry The chief judge of Marion County Superior Court, Indiana, issued a court order prohibiting a father and his ex-wife from exposing their son to "non-mainstream religious beliefs." The parents are practicing Wiccans. The ruling is expected to be reversed but is yet another example of the crumbling separation of church and state. Thank you, Deborah Helle.
2005-05-26 Voyager I reaches the edge of the solar system
2005-05-25: Stem Cell Bipartisan Victory In a rare show of strong, bipartisan support, members of the House of Representatives voted for a bill to allow scientists to use stem cells derived from embryos created for in vitro fertilization which otherwise would be destroyed as medical waste; President Bush has vowed to veto the bill. Embryonic stem cells carry patients's DNA: Made-to-order stem cells that genetically match a patient's own tissues could provide a perfect patch for replacing cells damaged by injury or disease... .Avoid immune rejection.
2005-05-22: Oscar Wilde: Today, Mark Spivey gave an excellent talk concerning Oscar Wilde. To find out more about Oscar Wilde, see the Resources page under Movies, or Oscar Wilde.
Spy vs. Spy Proposed legislation would compel people to spy on their family members and neighbors, forcing all Americans to become foot soldiers in the war on drugs. Updated 2005-05-19
2005-05-11: Making Yourself Heard: At the showing of the "Chilling Effect," John Chase recommends the following if you're interested in reaching others with social concerns:
www.mapinc.org The Media Awareness Project
http://www.mapinc.org/find to search
http://www.mapinc.org/resource/ for writers' resources.
2005-05-10: Frontline, Memory of the Camps: For more than thirty years this film of the Nazi death camps had been stored in a vault in the London's Imperial War Museum. Today it is recognized as one of the most definitive and unforgettable record of the horror. Also, I would also suggest the 2003 film , Bonhoeffer, listed under Resources.
2005-05-08: Mythology, After-Death Communication and the Soul, June 17-20, at La Quinta Inn & Suites, Orlando Airport North. More info- http://www.lightlink.com/arpr/ Thank you, Steve Hall.
2005-05: The Awesome Universe:The Universe, from 10+23 to 10-16, see it from the large to the small. Thanks- Julius.http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/
2005-05-03: Supreme Court Refuses Digital Copyright Appeal: Michael Jay Rossi's legal challenge to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) ended Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, rejected his appeal of the 2001 "wrongful shutdown" of his Internetmovies.com site by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).That year, MPAA issued a cease and desist order to the site's Internet service provider (ISP). Based on information obtained through the MPAA's software (spyware?), MPAA claimed the site was offering an illegal download of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The ISP complied with the MPAA order and shut down the site. The problem?- the subpoena was issued nine months before the movie was even completed. The MPAA admits it was mistaken. Such subpoenas are issued from the corporations, bypassing the judicial system (no judges required). http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3502271
NOW did an interesting show on where corporations have successfully sued or threatened to sue cities which attempt to block their excursions into their municipalities, see http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/corprights.html.
2005-05: Darfur: Lives Destroyed: A film from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) available as a download here--> http://www.phrusa.org/sudan/flash/ Note, this requires flash. Thank you, Beda. Also, see 2005-05-02: Darfur Notebook: Death in the Desert, http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Nightline/story?id=722709
2005-05: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker is Not Extinct: As mentioned in church on May 1st, a group of wildlife scientists believe the ivory-billed woodpecker is not extinct. They say they have made seven firm sightings of the bird in central Arkansas. The landmark find caps a search that began more than 60 years ago, after biologists said North America’s largest woodpecker had become extinct in the United States. For more, see 2005-04-28 article, Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Rediscovered in Arkansas.
US geologists press for volcano early warning plan Reuters - Mon May 2,12:19 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 13 U.S. volcanoes could erupt with short notice and little warning to people living nearby or aircraft flying overhead, the U.S. Geological Survey reported on Monday.
On Sunday, May 22nd, from noon to 4pm walk thru gardens in Seminole County-- Thanks Richard Brown.
NASA's Exploration Focus Blamed for Earth Science Cuts House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) expressed alarm over recent budget cuts and delays in NASA's Earth science program that a recent National Research Council report attributed to the U.S. space agency's shift in focus toward lunar and Mars exploration.
2005-01: News Documentaries: Many of you saw Fahrenheit 9-11, but many of you are unaware of many other excellent documentaries available. Please see the following article in the Washington Post: Liberal Documentarians Are the Reel Majority. You may also want to checkout our resources page for other suggested documentaries.
If you have any questions, or suggestions email the webmaster at the bottom of this page; the purpose of this page is to cover a wide range of topics that would be useful to UUs.