U.N. Conference on Climate Change

Check out this blog by activists at the U.N.Conference on Climate Change in Montreal.

Cali Supreme Court No Help to Williams

California's Supreme Court refused to reopen Tookie's case. The only remaining hope for his life is Schwarzenegger or a federal court.

The Last Best Kiss

My favorite Hollywood kiss is Adrien Brody and Halle Berry at the Oscars. It was spontaneous and passionate and seemingly authentic.

As little girls we are weaned on the notion that a true love's kiss will wake us from eternal slumber and begin the happy ending. At 27, I realize the absurdity of this yet in the deepest recesses of my imagination, there is a little bit of hope for just that. It's not the myth of a man with solutions for my every problem that I seek. Even in my fantasies I can't imagine someone with the solutions to all my problems or that I would implement their advice blindly in all facets of my life.

I still believe in the kiss. One kiss can reveal everything. It articulates what words cannot. Reviewing your inventory of kisses there are no doubt those that are incomparable. Each kisser has their trademark. But certain kisses stand apart intrinsically for how they made you feel and what they made you believe.

There is always one kiss that stands apart in our memory. In my lifetime, I've kissed more than my share, but can only describe two as utterly remarkable. One in 1996 and the other in 2005. The only common denominator in both scenarios is that I felt the magic and I believed it.

What made it your last best kiss?

Girl with Peanut Allergy Dies from Kiss

Above is Gustav Klimt's, 1908 masterpiece, Der Kuss (The Kiss).

Christina Deforges, a 15-year old Canadian girl with a peanut allergy, died after kissing her boyfriend who had recently eaten a peanut laden snack. I can relate as I suffer from the same extreme peanut allergy.

When I was in college, I kissed a boy around 7pm who had eaten cashews at noon. My lip swelled like Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor. I broke out in hives, started coughing, my throat began itching and I had difficulty breathing. It was a horrible experience.

Experts are unsure what causes a peanut allergy but there has been some correlation with the use of creams containing a protein found in peanuts and/or mothers who ingest nuts while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Global Impact of China's Polluted Songhua River

The lack of drinking water may be the focus in the short term but there are many other issues looming in the background. As dead fish begin to wash ashore from the Songhua River, we must wonder what isn't being addressed, what questions aren't being asked or answered.

It is encouraging to see the questions being posed by China's newspapers: How polluted was the drinking water before it was shut off? How will the Songhua pollution impact local food such as vegetables and livestock?

Our country's environmental situation remains grim.. As the economy has expanded, waste of resources and energy has continued growing, and the pressures on environmental protection are increasingly heavy."says the State Council according to China's Xinhua news agency.



Fifty miles of toxic slick will head downstream (North) from Jilin, the site of the original explosion, to Harpin, a city of nine million people. No doubt it will pass many rural villages that didn't make the BBC map or have officials cutting the water supply even under false pretenses. Benzene is colorless and reports show that you cannot tell the water is polluted by appearance. It will cross from China into Russia and empty into the Amur River which provides drinking water for Russians in the Khabarovsk region.

Russian officials have expressed concern that the benzene polluted river could affect their drinking water. The Natural Resources Minister has said they are taking ever precaution to protect the health of residents but will need China's full disclosure of what pollutants are in the Songhua so ensure they are taking appropriate measures. This has all the makings of a foreign policy nightmare.

China routinely shrouds certain issues in secrecy (ie: AIDS, SARS, Avian Flu, etc..) as they discern how they will handle those challenges within their borders. China must realize that their response, or lack thereof, impacts not only China but the rest of the globe. This is a lesson best taught by example, something both Russia and the U.S. should consider before their criticisms in the days to come.

Drinking Supply for 3 Million Polluted in China

Harbin Water Company executive, "We hope citizens can take time to hoard as much water as possible." Water has been sold out of most stores as is transportation out of Harbin via air or rail. More than 16,000 tons of drinking water are being provided but that is less than the impacted area uses in one day.

The November 13th explosion released high levels of Benzene into the Songhua River which supplies drinking water for 3 million in Harbin, one of the largest cities in China. Water was turned off on November 21st due to "water main repairs". On November 22, the media reported that the water may have been shut off due to fears of contamination from the explosio. The following day officials confirmed that the Songhua river was polluted with Benzene.

The nine million residents of Harbin have been warned to avoid so as to limit exposure to possible airborne contaminants. Benzene is distilled from petroleum, is colorless, non-water soluble, flammable and a known carcinogen. It is linked to health problems ranging from oral festering to the degeneration of bone marrow and leukemia.

Yangcheng Wangbao, a Chinese newspaper, worries that if the residents of Harbin question officials it will lead to "enormous hidden dangers in the subsequent handling of this case."

Explosion in China Pollutes Songhua River with Benzene

After much delay on November 23, China has confirmed that their decision to cut off the water supply to Harbin City on November 21st was not related to water main maintenance but an explosion at a Jilin Petrochemical plant on November 13th. The explosion has polluted the drinking water of 3 million people with Benzene, an industrial solvent and known carcinogen.

A nitration tower in the benzene production facility was blocked and a plant worker 'bungled' his efforts to fix it. Five were confirmed dead, one missing and 70 wounded in the chemical blast.

After the explosion Benzene levels in the Songhua River were 108 times the national safety level and but have since lowered to 29.

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror

Picasso, one of my favorite artists, Jeune Fille Devan un Miroir (Girl Before a Mirror), one of my favorite paintings. Completed in 1932, it is at once a woman reaching through time to embrace both a former and future self, a woman in the present reconciling the differences between reality and fantasy.

It is in this mirror that I see not only myself but those that have shaped me and those whose light and warmth and achievement I hope to somehow reflect. I see teachers, athletes, writers, artists, colleagues, cultural icons, family and those that I am privileged to call friends. My friendships, built on an intimacy that is both thorough and immediate. Friendships that are discovered rather than created. A love at first sight. A recognition, as if looking in a mirror at a former/future self.

Thank you to my beautiful friends who complete my life. Whose very presence reminds me that there is a kind and benevolent rhythm to life that follows divine order. I know, without exaggeration, that I couldn't exist as I am without you. Your generous hearts and brilliant minds are the maps that guide me to the summit.

Virgin Jets to Run on Cellulosic Ethanol

In September, Sir Richard Branson, entrepreneur extraordinaire and Chairman of Virgin Group announced that he would build his own oil refinery to mitigate the rising cost of oil. Clearly this was not an idea of great ingenuity. An oil refinery takes at least 4-5 years to build and that's if you can find a location to build one. Most locales would be less than enthusiastic about an oil refinery going up in their backyard. A refinery hasn't been built on U.S. soil inside the past 29 years.

In Dubai for the Abu Dhabi World Leadership Summit and to promote Virgin's new daily service from London to Dubai, Branson announced a vastly superior solution, building cellulose ethanol plants. The Virgin Group has four airlines: Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Cargo, Virgin Nigeria and Virgin Blue (located in the Down Under). The four airlines collectively use 700 gallons of fuel to fly their 100 aircraft per annum.

His intention is to use cellulose ethanol which is comprised of organic waste (grass, straw, etc..) as opposed to traditional ethanol that is created from corn or sugar cane. Cellulose ethanol is preferred to traditional ethanol as it is created from agricultural residues (corn stalks, straw, fiber rich grasses like switch grass) and not product that can be sold for other uses like corn or sugar cane. Branson estimates that it will take at least 5-6 years to switch from traditional jet fuel to biomass. So, the daily flights from London to Dubai launching in March 2006 will not be fueled by biomass.

It's curious that he chose Dubai as the location to announce his switch from oil to cellulosic ethanol. Dubai is a new market for Virgin and a city whose prosperity was created through the rising cost of oil.

If only the rest of the world could conceive exchanging oil for biomass inside of three months. Branson provided few details on plant construction. It is my hope that if further research shows it prohibitively expensive for Virgin to build their own plants they will support existing makers of cellulose ethanol like Iogen Corporation.

HIV Infection Rates Down in Blacks

A recent report by the CDC shows that HIV infection rates in Blacks have decreased by approximately 5% per annum since 2001. But don't let the headlines fool you. Blacks, both men and women are 8.4x more likely to contract HIV then Whites. 69% of all new HIV/AIDS cases are Black. The rate of infection amoung gay and bisexual men rose 8% in the past year, disappointing since the rate had remained constant over the past three years.

The highly publicized decline in new cases is highly correlated with the declining rate of new infections in intravenous drug users. The drop among intravenous drug users can be attributed to the success of needle exchange programs. These programs remain controversial as many detractors of the programs (ie: The Family Research Council) feel they weaken efforts to contain drug abuse.

Don't be placated by the cheery headlines. HIV/AIDS is still a major threat to the Black community. Clearly needle exchange programs have impeded the spread of HIV and AIDS in all communities, Blacks being the majority of that community. Since the lack of sterile needles doesn't discourage drug use and providing them is saving lives, I feel it is a practice worth continuing and promoting.

Snoop Rallies to Save Tookie

Snoop lends his weight and inflence to a peaceful rally outside of San Quentin State Prison urging Governor Schwarzenegger to grant clemency to Tookie Williams. Schwarzenegger said earlier in the week that he hadn't reached a decision yet but was approaching it with dread.

Not since four decades ago when Governor Ronald Reagan granted clemency to a brain damaged death row inmate has a death sentence been waived in the state of California.

We'll need to do more than cross our fingers.

Protecting the Grizzly

The number of Grizzlies has doubled since they were added to the endangered species list in 1975. The Department of the Interior has recommended removing them from the list which would give management of the grizzlies back to the states. It is almost guaranteed that Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana would allow for them to be hunted.

Republicans feel the Endangered Species list is a nuisance unto itself, it hinders the rights of landowners particularly since most animals are not recovered. On the issue of the Grizzly, activists are split. Some say take them off the list because it shows the list works and endangered species can be recovered. Others argue that the Grizzlies should stay because there are too many other threats to their existence.

I'm never excited about hunting as a sport. Between the hunter and the bear - My vote goes to the bear.

Crude Oil at 5 Month Low

Well, it seems we will have ample oil for the winter after all.
Crude oil prices dropped on the reported rise in inventory.

A Mexican Perspective on Paris

I thought the entire article was interesting. In particular, his closing remarks.

"Considering Europe’s crises, it should be clear to Americans that multiculturalism will lead to a weak and divided nation. Furthermore, most Latin American immigrants represent a valuable resource of moral and ethical persons, and the U.S. should not cast them aside."

I'm not quite sure what he meant by multiculturalism, as it tends to be a loaded word. America is multicultural and it is one of our greatest strengths. Integration of all cultures into the capitalist brouhaha is necessary but forced and complete assimilation will destroy us.

Our society is obsessed with "tolerance". If that is the most we dare to strive for - we've already lost.

Riots in Paris

The world looks on in horror at the riots in the suburbs of Paris - but most residents are unsurprised. It wasn't uncommon for 40-50 cars to be torched prior to the globally publicized riots. The catalyst was the unintentional electrouction of two young North African boys aged 15 & 17 - chased into an electrical sub-station in Clichy-sous-Bois by overzealous police.

Those familiar with the conditions in the Paris suburbs have been expecting this for some time. Blacks and Arabs have been segregated to the Parisian suburbs with a 40% unemployment, predatory police, sub-standard schools, inadequate housing (in 2004, 100,000+ people applied for 12,000 subsidized housing slots in Paris). A suburban zip code, a Muslim name, a dark face on a resume (In the EU, it is not uncommon for pictures to accompany a resume) preclude any opportunities for even an interview.

Just as it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in the U.S., it is the same in France. It occurs regardless. The discrimination in France is palpable on many levels. There are no non-white faces on French tv, in the shops, hotels, or nightclubs. Blacks and Arabs face a disproportionate It is disgusting. It is tolerated. I wonder if France is not humiliated by these riots of their own making.

an e.e. cummings moment

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Red Linens

So, my birthday is on the horizon. I might have to treat myself to bright red linens from Charles P. Rogers.

Bill Clinton's Dinner Remarks

I took a few notes at the dinner on things Bill Clinton had to say that I found interesting:

The main point of his prepared remarks was that there has never been a better time for private citizens to work for the public good. The three main vehicles that have enabled this: 1. The Power of Public Opinion 2. The Internet 3. Non-Governmental Organizations

He told a story of how a woman once asked, "When is all the meanness going to stop?" He told her, "When it doesn't work anymore."

He believes that repairing global relationships should be a priority on our national agenda.

If he were in office, the three domestic issues that would be a priority: 1. Eliminating the deficit, balancing the budget, inacting a conservative fiscal policy ("We shouldn't be borrowing money from the Chinese to pay for Bill Clinton's tax cuts") 2. Radically changing energy policy - Alleviating dependence on foreign oil, Investing in alternative energies will also create new jobs that this country desperately needs. 3. Redoing healthcare - Malpractice is too expensive, doctors are forced to practice defensive medicine, last two months of life are the most expensive ("The U.S. is one of the most religious countries but we're also the most reluctant to go to heaven")

He mentioned a radical shift in energy policy at several different points during the evening. Once he mentioned it and referenced ANWR. He said the drilling ANWR was not a viable solution to our energy crisis - "We'll get about six months worth of gas from ANWR"

Someone asked if Iraq was really artificial construct and if it would most likely separate and become three countries one Sunni, one Kurdish and one Shiite. Clinton said it was a very intelligent question and I was unable to discern his opinion on what he thought would happen from his answer.

He said it was very important that the U.S. create new jobs. "We have no right to ask the Indians and Chinese to be poor."

If Women, Blacks and Latinos would enter careers in the life sciences at the same rate as White Men, not Asians who enter them at a higher rate, we would greatly improve our future. Historically we have imported our math and science brains. Post 9/11 we have made it too difficult for foreigners to come here to learn. "For every one bomb, we keep out ten brains." Those that are coming are returning home after school because the situations in their home countries have improved to the point where they are now more attractive then they were in the past.

He said it was very important to make Lebanon a free country again.
For Palestinians to have their own country, transportation, and a way to do business with the Israelis.
Need to heal the Israeli public that has been traumatized.
Increased concern about Syria and the assasination. Was it ordered by their president or was it a rogue assasination?

Dinner with Bill.

Bill Clinton was the dinner speaker for Golden Tree's Second Annual Investor Conference. Doesn't he look angelic in this picture?

I was on my cell in a corridor of the Essex House, it was empty except for me and one other guy who was on his cell. Bill Clinton arrived escorted by two or three secret service men. He shook both of our hands as he walked down the hallway. It was pretty cool. I'll never forget it. The funny thing is this is the second time I've seen Bill in person this year. In the second week of February I saw him at Zaytinya in Washington, DC.

My Hotel in NYC

This is where I stayed overnight in NYC. I booked online. It was a great little boutique hotel on the Upper West side. I didn't spend much time there but my room was incredibly comfortable. I enjoyed the flat screen for a few minutes when I watched the horror of the terrorist attacks in Jordan.

Definitely Experience Acela

I love trains. Love them. The rhythm - the gentle soothing motion. They're relaxing. I love to ride. When I was a baby, my mother would sometimes drive me around just to put me to sleep. Trains also give you the opportunity to take in the view. The trees falling through cardinal red and speckled gold to winter.

At my mother's insistence, I booked the Acela for my trip to NYC.

To me it was well worth the additional $60. True the Acela is impressively fast and smooth. I reached NYC approximately 25 minutes faster than had I taken another Amtrak service. Acela business class (Acela coach) is quiet, clean and roomy. That alone made it worth the additional cost.

A Bit More

A Bit of British Humor

I thought this was pretty funny.

Palestinian Hip Hop

I just discovered this! You've got to give it a listen...
It's relevant and inspired. Ok, you already knew all about it and are holding your breath for the documentary.

Should the Terminator Save Big Took?

The execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, co-founder of the west coast gang the Crips, has been set for December 13, 2005 at one minute past midnight.

At the center of most argments supporting capital punishment is the premise that the guity cannot be rehabilitated. Big Took - as he is known in some circles, for obvious reasons (see above picture) - has become a global voice for peace since his incarceration. Two Newark gangs, collectively responsible for 34 homocides in four months, signed a peace treaty based on an initiative from Took's website. In London, he is featured in anti-gang advertising in print magazines and in two different public service announcements in the states. He has authored nine children's books discouraging violence and gang activity and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times.

If ever there were a poster child for rehabilitated death row inmates it is Tookie Williams.

Arnold is not going to pardon Big Took. I'd love to see it, but I just don't think it's going to happen. His approval ratings are in line with our president, so he can't really afford to appear soft on crime. Clemency for Williams would only alienate his base. Yet can he risk L.A. burning like Paris?

News from Hospice

The moment that I have been fighting all week has arrived. The sun is peeking through my blinds, tapping me to wakefulness and I should be off to work to finish reports before interviewing applicants for my undergraduate university. But no, I am immobilized by the fear of death, it's certainty, and I erupt into tears. I have a day, commitments, promises to be kept with grace and enthusiasm - but how? Where does that come from?

My grandmother who has been sick most of her life was diagnosed with cancer five years ago to the season. My beautiful, beautiful, grandmother, her body riddled with tumors, the very act of breathing painful. Sometimes she greets me at the door, shuffling around the kitchen in pink socks and slippers, oatmeal cookies in the oven, a freshly baked cake on the table. Other days, the house is motionless, she is in bed cozied up with her oxygen, death waiting silently in the darkness.

My mother's parents moved in with her shortly after her divorce and have lived with her ever since. Until I left for college, we all lived together. I go back home almost every weekend.

Hospice has been coming for a while now. This week, the nurse came and then called for backup. Two more officious women came and spoke to my grandmother about wrapping things up. Told my mother, "You do realize she may not rally again." Like she's the stock market. The thing is no matter what they say it's off color. There is no nice way to tell someone that death is gaining on the person they love.

I didn't want to tell my sister this because I didn't want to upset her. Each of us are barely clinging to sanity. The thing is, we already know this, it's not breaking news, we are witnessing her transition. We are consistently present. I told her anyway, because I would want to know. Of course, she put her world on pause and drove up. Last night, we talked into the wee hours of the morning outside the house in my car. It was a good chat. I think I needed it more than her.

A "Frothy" Market - Another Recession

"In the United States, signs of froth have clearly emerged in some local markets where home prices seem to have risen to unsustainable levels." Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve

Froth? I love it. A housing bubble but not.

When higher interest rates begin to discourage first time home buyers, increased regulation decreases lenders capability of offering creative financing options (ie: interest-only loans) and investors intuit the cessation of windfall opportunities housing prices will level or drop.This inevitably translates into a weakening economy as home equity extraction decreases so will consumer spending. Home refinancing wasn't to add money to the bank but to spend, spend, spend.

"The apparent froth in housing markets may have spilled over into mortgage markets. The dramatic increase in the prevalence of interest-only loans, as well as the introduction of other, more-exotic forms of adjustable-rate mortgages, are developments that bear close scrutiny. To be sure, these financing vehicles have their appropriate uses. But to the extent that some households may be employing these instruments to purchase a home that would otherwise be unaffordable, their use is adding to the pressures in the marketplace."

If the past offers any guidance, housing prices tend to peak four to six quarters after the central bank first raises interest rates. The Fed has now raised rates for about five quarters. Short rates are preventing some first time buyers from entering the market and lenders are beginning to feel regulatory pressure about creative financing.

This may be the perfect storm leading to an inevitable recession.

Drilling the North American Serengeti

"Using backdoor tactics to destroy America's last great wild frontier will not solve our nation's energy problems and will do nothing to lower skyrocketing gas prices," Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), set aside for environmental protection in 1961, was opened up to oil development by our Senate. Past measures to lift the ban have been defeated because supporters were unable to coerce the 60 votes necessary to break the filibuster. So, they added the article in a budget measure that was impervious to filibuster. Apparently, the oil leases are expected to generate 2.4 billion in revenue by 2010. None of the oil from ANWR is available for export.

Supporters claim that this is key to overcoming our energy crisis. There is an estimated 10.5 billion barrels to be gained by drilling the coastal plain of ANWR. The US uses about 7.3 billion barrels a year. So, we compromise the North American Serengeti for a year and a quarter's worth of oil.

Once development begins, it will take 10 years for the first drop of oil. Production will not peak until at least 2025 and then it may generate up to 20 million barrels of oil a day.

Toothpaste Packaging

Is it really necessary to package toothpaste in a cardboard box? Think of how many trees that could be saved if companies ditched the box. Yeah, it's easier to stock on the shelves, increases brand recognition and arguably insures product integrity. But it is so wasteful. The box is presumably trashed once the consumer chooses to use the product and is superfluous prior to that point. I mean, do you know anyone who actually reuses the toothpaste box once it's been opened?

Green Mortgages

There is renewed interest in Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) as home heating costs are expected to increase by 30% this winter and the "frothy" real estate environment has priced some buyers out of the market. Green mortgages have been available since the 70's but few lenders were willing to offer them because of the red tape involved. Prior to 2003 lenders had to underwrite them individually and it wasn't worth the inconvenience.

A new home will qualify if the builder has certified that it was designed and built to energy efficient standards. Or, for both new and existing homes a home energy rater can issue a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) report that estimates both the energy savings and/or suggests improvements. A HERS report costs between $150 - $400.

Having an energy efficient home will lower your utility bill, increase the resale value of your home, and earn you tax credits through the new Energy Policy Act.

Fannie Mae is currently the largest provider of EEMs.

Honoring the Parks Legacy

What are we doing with the hard won dividends of the civil rights era? What return will our grandchildren see on the investments of our grandparents?

Are we continuing the good fight? Are we maximizing our opportunities?

Would you rally behind the Rosa Parks of our generation?