| Monday, April 30, 2007 |
| ROCK AND ROLL ROYALTY |
Whose listed in the Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (www.rockhall.com) began its yearly induction ceremony in 1986, and got many of the biggest, most onvious names out of the way pretty quickly. The first year's haul included Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly; by decades' end, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder had joined them.
These days, what drama there is surrounding the induction ritual concerns the hall's quarter century rule. According to its web site, "Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record." Fans can calculate the gap between the year their favorites became eligible and the year they were inducted.
1986
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Chuck Berry
James Brown
Ray Charles
Sam Cooke
Fats Domino
The Everly Brothers
Buddy Holly
Jerry Lee Lewis
Elvis Presley
Little Richard
Early Influences
Robert Johnson
Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmy Yancey
1987
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The Coasters
Eddic Cochran
Bo Diddley
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Gaye
Bill Haley
B.B. King
Clyde McPhatter
Ricky Nelson
Roy Orbison
Carl Perkins
Smokey Robinson
Big Joe Turner
Muddy Waters
Jackie Wilson
Early Influences
Louis Jordan
T-Bone Walker
Hank Williams
1988
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
The Drifters
Bob Dylan
The Supremes
Early Influences
Woody Guthrie
Lead Belly
Les Paul
1989
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Dion
Otis Redding
The Rolling Stones
The Temptations
Stevie Wonder
Early Influences
The Inkspots
Bessie Smith
The Soul Stirrers
1990
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Hank Ballard
Bobby Darin
The Four Seasons
The Four Tops
The Kinks
The Platters
Simon & Garfunkel
The Who
Early Influences
Louis Armstrong
Charlie Christian
Ma Rainey
1991
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La Vern Baker
The Byrds
John Lee Hooker
The Impressions
Wilson Pickett
Jimmy Reed
Ike and Tina Turner
Early Influence
Howlin Wolf
1992
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Bobby "Blue" Bland
Booker T. & the MG's
Johnny Cash
The Isley Brothers
The Jimi Hendrix Exprience
Sand And Dave
The Yardbirds
Early Influences
Elmore James
Professor Longhair
1993
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Ruth Brown
Cream
Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Doors
Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
Elita James
Van Morrison
Sly and the Family Stone
Early Influences
Dinah Washington
1994
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The Animals
The Band
The Greatful dead
Elton John
John Lennon
Bob Marley
Rod Stewart
Early Influences
Willie Dixon
1995
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The Allman Brothers Band
Al Green
Janis Joplin
Led Zeppelin
Martha & the Vandellas
Neil Young
Frank Zappa
Early Influences
The Orioles
1996
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David Bowie
Gladys Knights and the Pips
Jefferson Airplane
Little Willie John
Pink Floyed
The Shirelles
The Velvet Underground
Early Influences
Pete Seeger
1997
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The Young Rascals
The Bee Gees
Buffalo Springfield
Crosby, Still & Nash
The Jackson Five
Joni Mitchell
Parliament Funkadelic
Early Influences
Mahalia Jackson
Bill Monroe
1998
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The Eagles
Fleetwood Mac
The Mamas & the Papas
Lloyd Price
Santana
Gene Vincent
Early Influences
Jelly Roll Morton
1999
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Billy Joel
Curtis Mayfield
Paul McCartney
Del Shannon
Dusty Springfield
Bruce Springsteenm
The Staple Singers
Early Influences
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Charles Brown
2000
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Eric Clapton
Earth, Wind & Fire
Lovin Spoonful
The Moonglows
Bonnie Raitt
James Taylor
Early Influences
Nat "King" Cole
Billie Holiday
SIDEMEN
Hal Blaine
King Curtis
James Jamerson
Scotty Moore
Earl Palmer
2001
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Aerosmith
Solomon Burke
The Flamingos
Michael Jackson
Queen
Paul Simon
Steeley Dan
Ritchie Valens
SIDEMEN
James Burton
Johnnie Johnson
2002
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Isaac Hayes
Brenda Lee
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Gene Pitney
Ramones
Talking Heads
SIDEMEN
Chet Atkins
2003
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AC/DC
The Clash
Elvis Costello & the Attractions
The Police
Righteous Brothers
SIDEMEN
Benny Benjamin
Floyd Crammer
Steve Douglas
2004
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Jackson Browne
The Dells
George Harrison
Prince
Bob Seger
Traffic
ZZ Top
2005
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Buddy Guy
The O'Jays
The Pretenders
Percy Sledge
U2
2006
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Black Sabbath
Blondie
Miles Davis
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Sex Pistols
(Source: THE NEWYORKTIME Practical Guide to Practically Everything by: Amy D. Bernstein & Peter Bernstein by:Kelefa Sanneh)
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| posted by infraternam meam @ 10:18 PM |
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| FILMS FOR A VERY RAINY DAY |
SOME OF THE LONGEST MOVIES EVER MADE:
** GREED (1924, approximately 9 hours and 30 minutes) Director Erich von Stroheim's silent masterpiece.
** SHOAH (1985, 9 hours and thirty minutes) Thismay be the greatest film made about the Holocaust.
** WAR & PEACE (1968, 6 hours and 13 minutes) Won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1968.
** LITTLE DORRITT (1988, 6 hours) An overly long film of the Dicken's classic.
** SLEEP (1963, 6 hours) The film that brought Andy Warhol to prominence.
** THE MEMORY OF JUSTICE (1976, 4 hours, 38 minutes) From Marcel Ophuls, an exquisite social commentary about how countries judge their own morality.
** THE SORROW AND THE PITY (1976, 4 hours and 20 minutes) Ophuls' defining film about the French response during World War II.
** LUDWIG (1972, 4 hours, 6 minutes) The film focuses on the Mad King of Bavaria. Stay away.
(Source: THE NEW YORK TIMES :PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING by: Amy D. Bernstein and Peter W. Bernstein) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 12:21 AM |
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| Friday, April 27, 2007 |
| LET'S TALK HOLLYWOOD AND MOVIES |
THE VERY BEST "BEST MOVIES" LIST
The finest films of the last 30 years, as selected by three eminent authorities:
1. The National Film Registry
2. The Film Critics of the New York Times
3. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Who is OSCAR, Anyway?
We have all seen the ebullent Academy Award winners cluthching their gold-plated Oscars as they deliver breathless acceptance speeches. But who is OSCAR? The still figure of a man holding a sword and standing atop a reel of film was designed by famed production designer Cedric Gibbons (his credits include A Night at the Opera and An American in Paris). For many years after the 1927 inception of the awards ceremony, the statue was nameless.
Then, as Hollywood legend goes, a secretary working at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences noticed that the statue's face bore a resemblance to her uncle Oscar, and hence the 13 1/2-inc-tall figure was christened.
NOT TO BE MISSED FLICKS 1975 - 2005
1975
Alice Does'nt Live Here Anymore
Barry Lyndon
The Buffalo Creel Flood: An Act of Man
Distant Thunder
The Godfather, Part II
Hearts and Minds
Jaws
Love and Death
Nashville
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Shampoo
The Story of Adele H.
1976
All the President's Men
Chulas Fronteras
Face to Face
Harlan County, USA
The Memory of Justice
Network
The Outlaws Josey Wales
Seven Beauties
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
Taxi Driver
To Fly
1977
Annie Hall
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Effi Briest
The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick
Handle with Care
Killer of Sheep
The Late Show
The Man Who Loved Women
Rocky
Star Wars
Stroszek
That Obscure Object of Desire
1978
California Suite
Days of Heaven
The Deer Hunter
Eraserhead
A Geisha
Movie Movie
National Lampoon's Animal House
Perceval le Gallois
Pretty Baby
Powers of Ten
A Slave of Love
Straight Time
Violette
1979
Alien
All That Jazz
Apocalypse Now
The Black Stallion
Breaking Away
Escape from Alcatraz
Fedora
Hair
Kramer vs. Kramer
Love on the Run
Manhattan
The Marriage of Maria Braun
10
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
1980
Airplane
Atlantic City
Dressed to Kill
Every Man for Himself
Garlic as Good as Ten Mothers
Kramer vs. Kramer
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter
Melvin and Howard
Mon Oncle' d'Amerique
Ordinary People
Raging Bull
Return of Secaucus 7
Stardust Memories
The Third Generation
Wise Blood
1981
Arthur
Body Heat
Four Friends
Pixote
Raiders of Lost Ark
Reds
Stevie
True Confessions
The Woman Next Door
1982
Le Beau Mariage
Blade Runner
Chan Is Missing
Chariots of Fire
E.T. the Extra-Terrestial
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fitzcarraldo
Gregory's Girl
Lola
Missing
Smash Palace
Tootsie
Victor/Victoria
1983
Berlin Alexanderplatz
Betrayal
The Big Chill
El Norte
Fanny and Alexander
Gandhi
Heart Like a Wheel
The King of Comedy
Koyaanisqatsi
Local Hero
The Right Stuff
Tender Mercies
Zelig
1984
The Bostonians
Broadway Danny Rose
Entre Nous
The Family Game
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
A Love in Germany
A Passafe to India
Places in the Heart
Stranger Than Paradise
Terms of Endearment
This is Spinal Tap
1985
Amadeus
Desperately Seeking Susan
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Prizzi's Honor
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Ran
Secret Honor
7 Up/28 Up
Shoah
The Trip to Bountiful
1986
Blue Velvet
The Color of Money
Down by Law
Hannah and Her Sisters
Hoosiers
Menage
My Beautiful Laundrette
Out of Africa
Platoon
A Room with a View
Sherman's March
Smooth Talk
Summer
1987
Barfly
The Dead
Empire of the Sun
Full Metal Jacket
House of Games
Housekeeping
Radio Days
Tampopo
Tin Men
The Untouchable
1988
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Hotel Terminus: The LIfe and Times of Kalus Barbie
The Last Emperor
Married to the Mob
Missippi Burning
Patty Hearst
A Taxing Woman
The Thin Red Line
Things Change
Tin Toy
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Working Girls
1989
Chocolat
Crimes dn Misdemeanors
Do the Right Thing
Enemies, A Love Story
High Hopes
Little Vera
Mystery Train
Rain Man
Roger & Me
Sex, Lies and Videotape
True Love
1990
Akira Kurosawa's Dream
Alice
Dick Tracey
Driving Miss Daisy
Goodfellas
The Grifters
Metropolitan
Mr. and Mrs. Bridge
My 20the Century
Reversal of Fortune
Sweetie
1991
Barton Fink
Beauty and the Beast
Boyz in the Hood
Cape Fear
Dances with Wolves
Daughters of the Dust
The Fisher King
Life is Sweet
My Own Private Idaho
Silence of the Lambs
Thelma and Louise
1992
The Crying Game
A Few Good Men
Gas Food Lodging
Howards End
Malcolm X
The Match Factory Girl
One False Move
Reservoir Dogs
Savage Nights
The Silence of the Lambs
The Story of Qui Ju
Unforgiven
1993
Belle Epoque
Farewell My Concubine
The Joy Luck Club
Much Ado About Nothing
The Piano
Remains of the Day
Schindler's List
1994
Crumb
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Hoop Dreams
I Like It Like That
The Madness of King George
Nobody's Fool
Il Postino (The Postman)
Pulp Fiction
Red
Vanya on 42nd Street
1995
Apollo 13
Before the Rain
Dead Man Walking
Forrest Gump
Lamerica
Leaving Las Vegas
Living in Oblivion
Persuasion
To Die For
Toy Story
1996
Breaking the Waves
Braveheart
The Crucible
The English Patient
Fargo
Flirting with Disaster
Jerry Maguire
Lone Star
Looking for Richard
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Secrets and Lies
1997
The Apostle
Boogie Nights
Deconstructing Harry
In the Company of Men
L.A. Confidential
The Pillow Book
Ponetter
The Sweet Hereafter
Titanic
Ulee's Gold
1998
The Buthcer Boy
The Celebration
The General
Happiness
Henry Fool
Life is Beautiful
The Opposite of Sex
Saving Private Ryan
Shakespeare in Love
A Simple Plan
The Thin Red Line
1999
All About My Mother (Spain)
American Movie
Being John Malkovich
Boys Don't Cry
The Dreamlife of Angles (France)
Eyes Wide Shut
The Insider
the Straight Story
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Topsy-Turvy
2000
American Beauty
Beautiful People
Before Night Falls
Calle 54
Chicken Run
The Decalogeu 1987 (POland)
Hamlet
Traffic
Yi Yi: A One and a Two (China)
You Can Count on Me
2001
A.I.
Amores Perros (Mexico)
Gladiator
The Gleamers and I (France)
Gasford Park
In The Bedroom
The Man Who Wasn't There
Monsters, Inc.
Sexy Beast
Shrek
2002
A Beaufitul Mind
Chicago
Far From Heaven
The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)(Inuit)
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Pianist
Spirited Away (Japan)
Talk to Her (Spain)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico)
2003
American Splendor
Angels in America
The Barbarian Invasion
Bus 174
Capturing the Friedmans
Chicago
City of God
Elephant
Finding Nemo
The Fog of War
The Good,The Bad,The Ugly
House of Sand and Fog
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Lost in Translation
master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
A Mighty Wind
Mystic River
Pirates of the Caribbean
Raising Victor Vargas
Spellbound
Thirteen
The Triplets of Belleville
21 Grams
2004
Bad Education
Before Sunset
The Big Red One: The Restoration
Blind Shaft
Bright Leaves
Collaterl
The Door on the Floor
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fahrenheit 911
Ghost of the Shell 2: Innocence
Goodbye Dragon Inn
The Incredibles
Kill Bill Vol. 2
Kinsey
Maria Full of Grace
Million Dollar Baby
Moolaade
The Mother
Sideways
Tarnation
Tokyo Godfathers
Time of the Wolf
Vera Drake
2005
The Aristocrats
The Best of Youth
Borkeback Mountain
Cache'
Crash
Darwin's Nightmare
Downfall
Funny Ha-Ha
Grizzly Man
A History of Violence
The Holy Girl
unebug
Kings and Queens
Last Days
Look at Me
Match Point
Munich
Mysterious Skin
The New World
Nine Lives
Princess Raccoon
Regular Lovers
Saraband
The Squid and the Whale
2046
Wallace & Gromit:The Curse of the Were-Rabbitt
(Source: THENEWYORKTIME: PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING by: Amy D. Bernstein and Peter W. Bernstein) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 9:30 PM |
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| Wednesday, April 25, 2007 |
| GUNS: THE GLOBAL DEATH TOLL |
The United States sells more guns - and Americans own more - than anywhere else in the world. Not surprisingly, we also have the highest firearm death rate among industrialized nations. A closer look at how we stack up:
UNITED STATES
29,645 Deaths, 856 Unintentional/undetermined, 11,920 Homicides, 16,869 Suicides
10.08 Deaths per 100,000 people
SPAIN
309 Deaths,34 Unintentional/undetermined, 97 homicides, 178 Suicides
0.75 Deaths per 100,000 people
FRANCE
2,964 Deaths, 408 Unintentional/undetermined, 170 Homicides, 2,306 Suicides
4.93 Deaths per 100,000 people
BELGIUM
379 Deaths, 31 Unintentional/undetermined, 59 homicides, 289 Suicides
3.67 Deaths per 100,000 people
ENGLAND,WALES
159 Deaths, 21 Unintentional/undetermined, 23 Homicides, 119 Suicides
0.31 Deaths per 100,000 people
SWITZERLAND
459 Deaths, 7 Undetermine/unintentional, 40 Homicides, 412 Suicides
6.40 Deaths per 100,000 people
FINLAND
325 Deaths, 3 Undetermine/unintentional, 32 Homicides, 200 Suicides
4.51 Deaths per 100,000 people
POLAND
171 Deaths, 69 Undetermined/unintentional,79 Homicides, 23 Suicides
0.44 Deaths per 100,000 people
SOUTH KOREA
49 Deaths, 10 Undetermined/unintentional, 22 Homicides, 17 Suicides
0.10 Deaths per 100,000 people
JAPAN
96 Deaths, 14 Undetermined/unintentional, 35 Homicides, 47 Suicides
0.08 Deaths per 100,000 people
THE WORLD' S WEAPONS OF CHOICE
TOP 3 HANDGUNS AND TOP 3 ASSAULT RIFLES, ORIGINAL PRODUCER AND MINIMUM NUMBER PRODUCED TO DATE.
Makarov 9mm Izhmash (Russia) 20 million
Glock 9mm Glock (Austria) 2.5 million
FN 9mm Browning Series FN Herstal (Belgium) 1.3 million
Kalashnikov AK series Izhmash (Russia) 70 - 100 million
M16 Series Armalite/Colt (U.S.) 12 million
G3 Heckler & Koch (Germany) 7 million
UNDER THE LAW
A SAMPLING OF GUN LAWS, BY NATION
United States: Legislated at federal and state levels. Federal law restricts the purchase of fully automatic weapons. States vary on gun ownership restrictions.
Japan: Handgun are prohibited. Shotguns are very strictly regulated and riffle permits can be obtained only after owning a shotgun for 10 years.
France: Firearms must be registered, except for sporting rifles. A sports Federation license or hunting permit is required to request an ownership permit.
Brazil: Permits are issued only to police and others in high-risk professions. Anyone carrying a gun without a license is subject to four years in prison.
Russia: Handguns are banned. Citizens can purchase hunting rifles. To obtain a license several documents , inclduing a mental-health cerrificate, are required.
Britain: Banned semiautomatic and pump-action centerfire rifles in 1987 and handguns in 1997. There is strict licnesing and registration for all other firearms.
CIVILIAN ARSENALS
--------------------- TOTAL FIREARMS ---- FIREARMS PER 100 PERSONS
United States .......... 270,000,000 .......... 90
Yemen .................... 11,500,000 ............ 61
Finland .................... 2,900,000 ............ 56
Switzerland .............. 3,400,000 ............ 46
Iraq .......................... 9,750,000 ............ 39
Serbia ....................... 3,050,000 ............ 38
France ...................... 19,000,000 ........... 32
Canada ...................... 9,950,000 ............ 31
Sweden ...................... 2,800,000 ............ 31
Austria ....................... 2,500,000 ............ 31
Germany .................... 25,000,000 ........... 30
EXPORTING COUNTRIES
By SALES, IN MILLIONS FO U.S. DOLLARS
United States ..... $533
Italy .................. $250
Brazil ................. $164
Germany ............ $159
Belgium .............. $145
Russia ................ $130
China .................. $100
Austria ................ $86
U.K. ..................... $79
Japan ................... $65
Switzerland ........... $54
(Source:NEWSWEEKMAG by: Jessica Ramirez |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 6:42 AM |
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| Thursday, April 19, 2007 |
| VIRGINIA TECH TRAGEDY |
University mourns shooting victims
On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of people gathered in Virginia Tech's basketball arena for a memorial service for the victims, with an overflow crowd of thousands watching on a jumbo TV screen in the football stadium. Pres. Bush and the first lady attended.
'As you draw closer to your families in the coming days, I ask you to reach out to those who ache for sons and daughters who are never coming home', Bush said.
Virginia Tech Pres. Charles Steger received a 30-second standing ovation, despite bitter complaints from parents and students that the university should have locked down the campus immediately after the first burst of gunfire.
A computer list of victims who were killed Monday has not yet been released by school or law-enforcement officials. Here is a nearly complete list of victims, according to reports from family members and other officials.
This list includes 31 of the 32 victims and does not include the shooter. Cho Seung-Hui, 23, of Centerville, Va.
Ross Abdallah Alameddin, 20, Saugus, Mass. English Major
Christopher James Bishop, 35, German Instructor
Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez,Ga. Biology and Englisah Major.
Ausrin Cloyd, formerly of Champaign, Ill. freshman, International Studies.
Jocelyn Couture-Nowak, French Instructor.
Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, of Peru,French Student.
Kevin P. Granata, 45, Engineering Science and Mechanics professor.
Caitlin M. Hammaren, 19, NY, Sophomore, International Studies and French.
Jeremy M. Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., Civil Engineering Graduate.
Emily Jane Hilscher,19, of Woodville, Va.,Freshman, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Equine science.
Jarrett L. Lane, 25, of Narrows Va., Senior, Civil Engineering.
Matthew J. La Porte, 20, of Dumont, NJ.,Freshmen, University Studies.
Henry Lee, 20, Roanoke, Va., Freshman Computer Engineering.
Liviu Librescu, 76, Engineering Science and Mathematics.
G.V. Loganathan, 51, Civil and Engineering professor.
Lauren Ashley McCain, 20, International Studies
Daniel O'Neill, 22, of Lincoln, RI., Environmental Engineering.
Juan Ramon Ortiz, 26, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Civil Engineering graduate student.
Reema J. Samaha,18, of Centerville, Va., Freshman, Universities.
Maxine S. Turner, 22,Vienna, Va., Senior, Chemical Engineering.
Brian Bluhn, 25, Cedar Rapids, Iowa,Graduate student
Matthew Gwaltney, of Chester, Va., Environmental Engineering.
Rachel Hill,18, of Glen Allen, Va.
Partahi Lumbantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, 34, of Indonesia, Civil Engineering Doctoral student.
Minal Panchal of Mumbai, India.
Erin Peterson, 18, Centerville, Va, Freshman, International Relations.
Michael S. Pohle Jr.,Biological Sciences.
Julia Pryde, 23,, Middletwon, NJ., Graduate student.
Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va., Interdisciplinary Studies.
Leslie G. Sherman, 20, Sophomore History.
Nicole White, of Smithfield, Va., Junior, International Studies.
(Source:AP Tribune,NYT/Ryder)
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| posted by infraternam meam @ 1:11 AM |
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| Monday, April 16, 2007 |
| HOW TO LIVE A GREENER LIFE |
RESOURCES: A few ways to help reduce the billions of metric tons of greenhouse-gas emissions created yearly by the U.S.
AT HOME
Calculate your impact:
If knowledge is power, then take a minute to assess the damage. The U.S. Environm,ental Protection Agency's online calculator estimates' greenhouse gas emissions that result from your household energy use and was disposal. Get your number at epa.gov/climate.
Trade up:
Not ready to replace the roof with solar panels? Then start small. The average U.S. home has two Tv's, a VCR, a DVD player and three telephones. If everyone replaced these with Energy Star models, which meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines, it would be equivalent to aking more than 3 million car off the road. Learn more about Energy Star at energystar.gov.
Sweat the small stuff:
A faucet that leaks 60 drops per minute can add up to 192 gallons per month. You can find out how to leak-proof your home and even create a water budget at h2ouse.org.
Ramp up recycling:
Increasing the recycling rate in the United States from 30 percent to 60 percent would save the equivalent of 315 millino barrels of oild each year. Visit earth911.org for a rundown on how to properly recycle everything from aluminum to motor oil.
Do some green cleaning:
Natural cleaners like borax and lemon juice are ecofriendly alternatives to regular chemical based products. Check out eartheasy.co, for basic house hold cleaner recipes.
Power Property:
Using energy generated from renewable sources like wind helps recuce the burning of fossil fules such as coal. The Green Power Network at eere.energy.gov/green power will list what's available in your area.
ON THE ROAD
Drive in the green lane:
Compare fuel-efficiency rates and learn about green tax credits at fueleconomy.gov. Not looking to buy? The site also offers tips to help make your vehicale less of a gas guzzler. Properly inflated tires alone coild same Americans more than 4 million gallons of gas each day.
Go public:
You can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by about 1,590 pounds per year if you leave the car home two days a week and take public trasnportation instead. Find out about public-transportation options in your state at publictransportation.org.
Neutralize:
With some basic vehicle information, sites like terrapass.com and gocarbonzero.com will give you an estimate of the carbon dioxide your car produces. You can offset the damage by donating money to suggested ecofriendly projects.
AT WORK
Get rid of the excess:
Companies can stop receiving mails for former employees by visitingecologicalmail.org. For every former employee entered into the site's database, a company will avoid 100 pounds of waste in undeliverable mail. That's equivalent to one tree.
Pool your people:
Simple carpooling or ride-sharing can have a great impact when you consider that 78 percent of cars on the road carry only one person. Create a company car pool at erideshare.com.
E-cycle:
The EPA estimates that more than 2 million tons of electronic hardware ends up in landfills each year. Your company can recycle properly or donate old computers with the help of eiae.org and get information on ecofriendly replacements at epeat.net.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Be Cool:
Cities across the country are making a pact to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol targets through community efforts. Visit coolcities.us to see how you can get your city involved.
Pay it forward:
Want to teach your community more about climate change? Find lectures in your are or apply to become a presenter at the climateproject.org.
Keep it local:
Most food travels 1,200 miles or more from the pasture to your plate. Buying locally saves fuel and helps farmers in your communioty. Web sites like localharvest.org and usda.gov provide lists of local farmers markets.
Text the next generation:
E-mail your kids and their friends a link to mtv.com/thinkmtv and have them sign up for daily green tips via text message. Each text suggests a samll way to makle a big difference.
What's your global warming IQ?
Test your self at xtra.Newsweek.com
(Source:NEWSWEEKMAG Leadership and the Environment by Jessica Ramirez) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 10:20 PM |
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| Saturday, April 14, 2007 |
| TURNING DOWN THE HEAT OUT WEST |
HOW CALIFORNIA IS FACING THE FUTURE
By 2020, California wants to reduce emissions by 174 million meric tons - more than a third of its 2004 levels - from multiple areas. A breakdown of how state intends to do it:
Clean cars: 28 percent of the total reduction will come from a more efficient auto fleet. Beginning in '09, the state wants to improve fule economy by 33 percent.
Forestry: A rangte of programs aimed at sequesting carbon dioxide in forests will make up 20 percent ot California's targeted cuts.
Energy Efficiency: Initiatives such as frequent updates of efficiency standards for buildings will help lower emissions by nearly 30 million metric tons.
Smart Growth: 26 million tons willbe cut with condensed land use and growth in areas with public transportation, which allow residents to recuce car uasage.
Renewable Energy: California wants at least 20 percent of its electricity to come from renewable sources, making up 10 percent of the trageted reductions.
Power Plants: New gas-fired plants are cleaner than the old one. As California upgrades its stock, clean power will account for 9 percent of its cuts.
Other: 4 percent will come from other initiatives, such as capturing methane released from landfills and gas systems.
(Source:NEWSWEEKMAG/ Marc Bain) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 10:43 PM |
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| Thursday, April 12, 2007 |
| LET'S TALK ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING |
HISTORY OF A HOT TOPIC
In the relatively short span of the awareness of global warming, our role in causing it has gone from contested hypothesis to near certainty. How our knowledge has evolved - and how we've reacted.
1827 French mathematician Jean-Baptiste Fourier recognize that the Earth's atmosphere, like "glass vessel", traps heat from sunlight. The phenomenon later becomes known as the "greenhouse effect".
1896 While scientists are theorizing that industrial burning of fossil fuels could raise the Earth's temperature, Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius is the first to quantify how much dioxide emissions. "We are evaporating our coal mines into air", he writes.
1970 First Earth Day. Environmental awareness grows and green movements gain ground.
1985 British and American scientists discover a hole in the layer of ozone over the Antartic. Famine in Africa and other environments disasters capture public attention in the mind - '80's as global warming becomes more prominent in mainstream politics.
1988 The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is created by the United Nations Rep. Claudine Schneider introduces the Global Warming Prevention Act, the first significant U.S. legislation aimed at mitigating global warming; Congress passes half of the bill.
1990 First IPCC report finds Earth has warmed 0.5 degrees Celsius in the past century. Though it remians uncertain over whether warming is due to human acitivity, the report leads to negotiations toward an international agreement on climate change.
1992 The first global-warming treaty, the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), calls for reversing warming and sets the goal of cutting emissions to 1990 levels by 2000.
1997 The Kyoto Protocol is proposed. Pres. Bill Clinton signs the treaty but never submits it to the Senate, which says it must first see "meaningful participation" from developing nations before ratifying.
2005 Without U.S. participation, Kyoto takes effect in August, Hurricane Katrina prompts debate over whether the unusually severe hurricane season is the result of global warming.
2006 "An Inconvenient Truth", a documentary on Al Gore's campaing to draw awareness to climate change, is released.
2007 IPCC report says, with at least 90 percent certainly, global warming is man-made and will "continue for centuries". A second report predicts that, in the coming decades rising temperatures and sea levels will cause foods and mass famine.
(Source NEWSWEEK MAG on GLOBAL WARMING by: Marc Bain) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 10:29 PM |
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| Sunday, April 08, 2007 |
| EASTER SUNDAY |
EASTER
The feast of resurrection of Christ derives its name from Eastre, the goddess of Spring, according to St. Bede the Venerable, but others think that the term comes from a misunderstanding of Hebdomada Alba , when alba ("white") was mistranslated into the High German word for dawn, when the Risen Lord was seen by the holy women. In any event, this festival is the high point of the Christian Year, as it celebrates the central mystery of Christ, His triumph over death and the cross in His resurrection, which in the synoptic Gospels is associated with the Jewish Passover.
In celebrating the Pasch, the early Christians no longer focused so much on the exodus from Egypt, but on the new exoducs from the slavery of sin into new life in the Risen Lord wrought by Christ. This new focus was central to each Sunday's celebration of the Eucharist, but the natural tendecny was to historicize it by celebrating it yearly on the first Sunday after the fourteenth of Nisan (the date of the Jewish Passover). Not all accepted this way of computing the Easter date, but eventually the Council of Nicaea furthered uniformity by fixing it on the Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox. There are still difficulties between those who follow the Gregorian (Western) and Julian (Russian Orthodoc) calendars.
The fest itslef was considered the time to welcome new catechumens into the Chuirch by Baptism at the Great Vigil, where the whole salvation history was read. After Baptsim, the catechumens were sealed by Confirmation and them made their First Communion at the Easter Eucharist. They had a long catechumenate with special preparation for the Easter feast. Lent developed. Yhe vigil itself was kept in the night in the East, but in the West in the tenth century it was moved to the afternoon, and in the fourteenth century to the morning. Pope Pius XII permitted the Vigil Mass to be celebrated as such in the evening as an option in 1951 and made this practice obligatory in 1956. At this time, he restored the Holy Week rites, especially those of the Triduum, which were further revised after Vatican II.
The spirit of the feast of Easter begins with the vigil and its festival of lights, symbolizing the Light of the Resurrection seen in the new fire, the Easter Candle,and the Exsultet. The liturgy of the Word commences with the whole history of salvation commemorated in the readings from the Old and the New testaments. The Liturgy of Baptism takes place for those to be initiated, and the faithful renew their baptismal promises. All of this leads to the celebration of the Easter Eucharist in the middle of the night, which makes this night different from all other nights and the "moter of all vigils", in the words of St. Augustine. The next day at the Festive Easter Masses the baptismal promises are renewed by all the faithful who did not attend the vigil. The Easter Season lasts until Pentecost, with the Pachal Candle lit at Mass, Lauds and Vespers until then.
HAPPY EASTER TO ALL AND MAY THE RISEN LORD BE UPON YOU ALL AND YOUR FAMILY!!!
(Source: Abstracted from the readings of CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA by Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskad, PhD)
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| posted by infraternam meam @ 1:16 PM |
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| Saturday, April 07, 2007 |
| TOP TEN MYTHS ABOUT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION |
The U.S. has a severe organ shortage in this country. Despite continuing efforts at public education, mysths about organ and tissue donation persists. It's a tragedy if even one person decides against donation because of a myth. Here is a list of the more common myths along with the facts:
Myth 1: If I am in an accident and the hospital knows that I want to be a donor, the doctors will not try to save my life.
Fact: Organ recovery takes place only after all efforts to save the patient's life have been exhausted and death has been legally declared. The medical team treating the patient is completely separate from the transplant team. The organ procurement organization is not notified untill all lifesaving efforts have failed and death has been determined.
Myth 2: Donation will mutilate the body.
Fact: Donated organs are removed surgically, in a routine operation similar to gallbladder or appendix removal. Donations does'nt disfigure the body or change the way it looks in a casket.
Myth 3: My family will be charged for donating my organs.
Fact: Donation costs nothing to the donor's family or estate.
Myth 4: I've already signed my driver's license. I don't need to do anything else.
Fact: Even if you have a signed donor card, or any other document, you must inform your family of your wishes because they are the ones who will make the final decision. It is easier for them to make that decision if they know you wanted to be a donor.
Myth 5: I am too old (or too young) to donate.
Fact: There are no age restrictions for becoming a donor. The organ bank will evaluate patients on an individual basis. At the time of death, medical professionals will determine if a person's organs can be transplanted.
Myth 6: My religion does not support donation.
Fact: All mainstream organized reglioins approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity.
Myth 7: Wealthy people and celebrities are moved to the top of the list faster than "regular" people.
Fact: The organ allocation and distribution system is blind to wealth or social status. The legnth of time it takes to receive a transplant is governed by many factors, incouding blood tupe, severity of illness, length of time on the waiting list, and other medical criteria. Factors such as race, gender, age, income or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ.
Myth 8: Only heart, liver and kidneys can be transplanted.
Fact: Needed organs include the heart, kidney, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestine. Tissue that can be donated includes the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.
Myth 9: I have a history of medical illness. You would not want my organs and tissues.
Fact: At the time of death, the appropriate medical professionals will review your medical and social histories to determine whether or not you can be a donor. Withe recent advances in transplantation, many more people than ever before can be donors. It's best to sign a donor card and tell your family your wishes.
Myth 10: I've heard about a business traveler who is heavily drugged, then awakens to find he has one kidney (or sometimes both) removed for a black market transplant.
Fact: This tale has been widely circulated over the internet. There is absolutely no evidence of such acitivity ever occuring in the United States or any other industrialized country. While the tale may sound credible, ti has no basis in the reality of organ transplantation.
(Source: TEXAS ORGAN SHARING ALLIANCE & FILIPINASMAG) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 11:43 PM |
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| Tuesday, April 03, 2007 |
| POP QUIZ ABOUT CAR...DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?? |
Baby, You Can Drive My Car
What could inspire more trivia than movies and baseball? CARS, of course.
1. Which of the two following cars was introduced first?
a. Chevrolet Corvette
b. Ford Thunderbird
2. Which song is not about a car?
a. "Pink Cadillac"
b. "Little Deuce Coupe"
c. "Little Honda"
d. "409"
3. When did cupholders first arrive in U. S. cars?
a. 1979
b. 1982
c. 1985
d. 1989
4. Steve McQueen drove a Ford Mustang in the famous chase scene in "Bullitt." What was the other car?
a. Dodge Charger
b. Pontiac GTO
c. Plymouth Barracuda
d. Chevy Impala
5. Which car was on the cover of both NEWSWEEK nad TIME on April 20, 1964?
a. Corvette
b. GTO
c. Mustang
d. Toyota
6. When was the VW Microbus introduced in the United States?
a. 1945
b. 1950
c. 1956
d. 1960
7. Which of these was never a production model car?
a. Tarpon
b. Superbird
c. Hornet
d. Marlin
8. Which car did James Bond first drive in "Goldfinger"?
a. Rover
b. Maserti
c. Volvo
d. Aston Martin
9. Which auto executive was the driving force behind the Pontiac GTO?
a. Lee Iacocca
b. Harley Earl
c. Alfred P. Sloan
d. John De Lorean
10. When was seat belts made mandatory?
a. 1949
b. 1955
c. 1958
d. 1963
11. What was the longest sedan made between 1953 and 1960?
a. 1959 Cadillac sedan DeVille
b. 1956 Chrysler New Yorker
c. 1960 Lincoln Continental
d. 1952 Oldsmobile 88
12. What did Wayne drive in "Wayne's World"?
a. Ford Pinto
b. AMC Pacer
c. AMC Gremlin
d. Chevy Nova
14. What was the first BMW to gain wide popularity in the United States?
a. 5 Series
b. 325
c. 2002
d. 636Csi
15. Which car did Ricardo Montalban promote for its "fine Corinthian leather" seats?
a. Cadilla El Dorado
b. Plymouth Belverdere
c. Chevy Caprice
d. Chrysler Cordoba
16. Which car was Ralph Nader's "Unsafe at Any Speed" written about?
a. Ford Pinto
b. Chevy Corvair
c. VW Beetle
d. Plymouth Valiant
17. What were Nissans called before they were Nissans?
a. Ambers
b. Datsuns
c. Ramblers
d. Fujis
18. Which year saw the first major nationwide smog controls?
a. 1961
b. 1966
c. 1970
d. 1973
19. Which car did Dustin Hoffman drive in "The Graduate"?
a. MGB-GT
b. Porsche Carrera
c. Alfa Romeo Spider
d. Jaguar XKE
20. Where does the name "Chevrolet" come from?
a. Louis Chevrolet, a famous car driver
b. Fracois Chevrolet, a French car designer
c. Jacques Chevrolet, a New Orleans car collector
d. Its' a made up word
21. Who made the 1970s car called "The Thing"?
a. Plymouth
b. AMC
c. Rover
d. Volkswagen
22. When did Chrysler introduce the Hemi engine?
a. 1949
b. 1951
c. 1955
d. 1960
23. How many meals a year does the typical persons eat in a car?
a. 10
b. 20
c. 33
d. 50
24. Who made the Avanti
a. Studebaker
b. Ford
c. Ferrari
d. AMC
25. Match the car with the television show:
a. Howard Cynningham's car on "Happy Days" .... 1. Dodge Charger
b. The Ricardos road trip on "I Love Lucy" ..........2. 1946 DeSoto
c. Bo and Luke's Gen. Lee on "Dukes of Hazard" ....3. Mercury Marquis
d. Starsky's car on "Starsky and Hutch" ................4. Ford Torino
e. Michael Kanight's KITT on "KNight Rider"......... 5. Ford Thunderbird
f. McGarrett's vehicle on "Hawaii Five-O" ..............6. 1955 Pontiac
g. Tod Stile's car on "Route 66" ..............................7. Corvette
h. Featured car on "77 Sunset Strip" ......................8. Pontiac Trans Am
26. Complete these advertising campaign slogans:
a. Put your hands on a __________________ You'll never let go.
b. See the U.S.A. in your _________________
c. Standing on the corner watching all the __________________ go by.
d. It's not your father's __________________.
27. What did Suzanne Somers drive in "American Graffitti?
a. Corvette
b. Thunderbird
c. GTO
d. Mercedes
28. Which kind of car brought Micahel J. Fox "Back to the Future"?
a. DeLorean
b. BMW
c. Mazda
d. Honda
29. When was the Interstate Highway System born?
a. 1945
b. 1950
c. 1953
d. 1956
30.How many cars and trucks were on the road in 1962, and how many are there today?
a. 50 million/101 million
b. 72 million/205 million
c. 78 million/237 million
d. 145 million/147 million
31. What was the No. 1 passenger car brand in the U.S. in 1962, and what is the No. 1 brand today?
a.. Chevrolet/Toyota
b. Chevrolet/Plymouth
c. Ford/Honda
d. Pontiac/Ford
32. What was the No. 1 car line in the disco era (circa 1978)?
a. Olds Cutlass Supreme
b. Pontiac GTO
c. Cadillac Seville
d. Honda Accord
33. Which car chassis were early Zamboni ice-resurfacing machines built on?
a. Chevy
b. Ford
c. Jeep
d. Volkswagen
ANSWERS
1. a
2. c
3. b
4. a
5. c
6. b
7. a
8. d
9. d
10. d
11. c
12. b
13.
14. c
15.d
16. b
17. b
18. d
19. c
20. a
21. d
22. b
23. c
24. a
25. a:2
b: 6
c: 1
d: 4
e: 8
f: 3
g: 7
h: 5
26. a: Toyota
b: Chevrolet
c. Fords
d. Oldsmobile
27. b
28. a
29. d
30. c
31. a
32. a
33. c
(Source:NEWSWEEKMAG Pop Quiz Section)
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| posted by infraternam meam @ 11:06 PM |
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| Sunday, April 01, 2007 |
| GLOBAL WARMING |
Fifty One Things We Can Do
Can one person shlow global warming? Sure! You - along with scientists, busnesses and governments - can create paths to cut carbon emissions. Here is our guide to some of the planets's best ideas.
1. TURN FOOD INTO FUEL
2. GET BLUEPRINT FOR A GREEN HOUSE
3. CHANGE YOUR LIGHTBULBS AND (CFL) Compact Flourescent Lightbulb.
4. LIGHT UP YOUR CITY BY ILLUMINATING PUBLIC SPACE WITH LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes.
5. PAY THE CARBON TAX
6. DITCH THE McMANSION (Oversize Houses)
7. HANG UP A CLOTHESLINE
8. GIVE NEW LIFE TO YOUR OLD FLEECE
9. BUILD A SKYSCRAPER
10. TURN UP THE GEOTHERMAL HEAT
11. TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT VINTAGE CLOTHES
12. CAPTURE THE CARBON
13. LET EMPLOYEES WORK CLOSE TO HOME
14. RIDE THE BUS
15. MOVE TO A HIGH-RISE
16. PAY YOUR BILLS ON LINE
17. OPEN A WINDOW
18. ASK THE EXPERTS FOR AN ENERGY AUDIT OF YOUR HOME
19. BUY GREEN POWER AT HOME OR AWAY
20. CHECK THE LABEL FOR ENERGY STAR LABEL
21. COZY UP TO YOUR WATER HEATER
22. SKIP THE STEAK
23. COPY CALIFORNIA
24. JUST SAY NO TO PLASTIC BAGS
25. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FARMERS
26. PLANT A BAMBOO FENCE
27. STRAIGTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT
28. HAVE A GREEN WEDDING
29. REMOVE THE TIE
30. SHUT OFF YOUR COMPUTER
31. WEAR GREEN EYE SHADOW
32. KILL THE LIGHTS AT QUITTING TIME
33. REARRANGE THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH
34. RAKE IN THE FALL COLORS
35. END THE PAPER CHASE
36. PLAY THE MARKET
37. THINK OUTSIDE THE PACKAGING
38. TRADE CARBON FOR CAPITAL
39. MAKE YOUR GARDEN GROW
40. GET A CARBON BUDGET
41. FILLER UP WITH PASSENGERS
42. PLAY FOR YOUR CARBON SINS
43. MOVE TO LONDON'S NEW GREEN ZONE
44. CHECK YOUR TIRES
45. MAKE ONE RIGHT TURN AFTER ANOTHER
46. PLANT A TREE IN THE TROPICS
47. IF YOU MUST BURN COAL, DO IT RIGHT
48. DRIVE GREEN ON THE SCENIC ROUTE
49. SET A HIHGHER STANDARD
50. BE AGRESSIVE ABOUT PASSIVE
51. CONSUME LESS, SHARE MORE, LIVE SIMPLY
For more explanation visit time.com
(Source: TIMEMAG : GLOBAL WARMING ISSUE) |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 8:49 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: infraternam meam
Home: Chicago, United States
About Me: I am now at the prime of my life
and have been married for the past 25 years.
Sickly at times, but wants to see the elixir vita,
so that I will be able to see my grandchildren from my two boys.
See my complete profile
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