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September 10, 2005
Thin and Rich
According to this interview in England's The Guardian, Rolling Stone Mick Jagger is 62 years old, has a 28 inch waistline, and 190 million pounds (of money).
The Guardian; 9 September 2005; "Rock of ages"
pdf
Posted by williamfrick at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
September 9, 2005
One brave Bunny
There’s a woman named Bunnantine Greenhouse, who is taking on the Halliburton Corporation - without asking for any thanks. (She’s also The Big E’s sister.)
Read her story. pdf
Seattle Times; 7 August 2005; Page A18; Unafraid to blow the whistle, Exec may lose job, Army Corps manager critical of contracts given to Halliburton
Posted by williamfrick at 2:07 PM | Comments (0)
September 6, 2005
"Hippies of the forest" in big trouble
Bonobos, the rarest of all the great apes, are being killed in large numbers by humans in Africa's Congo region. Experts warn that this species, known for its uniquely peaceful behavior, may well become extinct within 50 years.
"The bonobo's outlook is to search for peace. All their conflicts are resolved peacefully, often through sex. They are the hippies of the forest."
Claudine Andre, founder of the Lola ya Bonobo [Bonobo Paradise] sanctuary just outside Kinshasa, Congo.
CNN 0n-line; 6 September, 2005; "Expert: Congo's 'forest hippies' dying out"
Posted by williamfrick at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2005
fear and loathing in New Orleans
A writer named Stephen Elliot is authoring engrossing descriptions of the New Orleans that is emerging in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. You can read his dispatches here. My favorite, titled "A city in ruins" is in pdf form, here.
There have been epic floods on the mighty Mississippi River, before.
Randy Newman even wrote a song about the floods, way back in 1974. Have a listen to Louisiana 1927. Like most Randy Newman songs, it's excellent and intelligent.
update: 10 Sept. 2005 - another real-life New Orleans story is here
Salon.com; 10 September 2005; "When I was a Playboy Bunny in New Orleans" by Laura Misch
Posted by williamfrick at 6:49 PM | Comments (0)
forgetting to floss means it's already too late . . .
Scientists now link poor dental health with . . . what's that called? . . . oh . . . Alzheimer's disease.
Seattle Times; 7 August, 2005; page L7; "Alzheimer's disease: Poor dental health signals higher risk"
Posted by williamfrick at 8:28 AM | Comments (0)
September 4, 2005
Statistics
Sixty-four percent of Americans are "open to the idea" of teaching creationism alongside evolution in science class. Thirty-eight percent of Americans want to replace the teaching of evolution with the teaching of creationism.
Posted by williamfrick at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)
A Remarkable Friendship
A Japanese woman finds a U.S. solider nearly sixty years after the two of them exchanged smiles in a war-ravaged Japan.
The entire staff at KIW were touched and inspired by this real-life story.
The Oregonian; 19 August, 2005; page A1; "Remarkable friendship not lost in translation"
Posted by williamfrick at 8:29 PM | Comments (0)
thank god for religion (cont.)
"In my belief, God judged New Orleans for the sin of shedding innocent blood through abortion."
Steve Lefemine, a Columbia, S.C., anti-abortion activist, who found the image of an 8 week old fetus in a color satellite map of Hurricane Katrina and promptly notified the press.
"It is almost certain that this is a wind of torment and evil that Allah has sent to this American empire."
Muhammad Yousef Mlaifi, a Kuwaiti official, writing on August 31, 2005 in the Arabic daily Al-Siyassa under the headline "The Terrorist Katrina is One of the Soldiers of Allah ... "
Seattle Times; 4 September 2005; page A22; "Abortion foe sees wrath of God"
Posted by williamfrick at 7:08 PM | Comments (0)
Cindy Sheehan
Last week the staff of KIW trekked to Crawford, Texas, and beyond . . . where we were privileged to meet Ms. Cindy Sheehan. Ms. Sheehan gave us a hug and impressed us as a wonderful, positive, truth-telling, life force.
After our stay at Camp Casey we couldn’t help but observe that the people camped outside of Crawford, Texas might easily be compared with the followers of Jesus, who traveled with him when he was alive.
Maybe it was just the camping thing that made us think of Jesus and his disciples. Maybe it's the hypocrisy-puncturing truthfulness, or the simple message of love and peace that both Jesus and Cindy espouse. But maybe it’s the threat that their messages arouse in the respective governmental/religious establishments of their times. Maybe that's what really compels the comparison.
Unfortunately, some things just don’t seem to ever change.
For now, the staff of KIW just prays - every day - that The Most Reverend Pat Robertson doesn’t put a contract out on Cindy.
Posted by williamfrick at 6:16 PM | Comments (0)