On Common Grounds

Teenager’s Invention Revolutionizes Solar Power Technology

2011-10-09T10:01:00.002-04:00

TEN-HUT! 19-year-old Eden Full invented a rotating tracker that allows solar panels to move with the sun without the aid of a motor and won $275,000. Pretty cool huh?

Eden's pilot project in Kenya

You see, while most solar panels require electric motors to track the sun, Full’s invention uses something else. She discovered that by using different kinds of metals and bamboo her tracker would actually follow the sun’s movement without the use of a motor. How cool is that? And what’s the name of this awesome tracker? The SunSaluter, of course.

But wait there’s more. Her tracker doesn’t need a motor, which means it is cheaper to make and buy. 1/60^th of the cost of a traditional tracker to be exact. Think $10 instead of $600. That’s huge savings. Full’s tracker is also increasing the output of solar panels by 40%. Plus, her technology is easier and simpler to maintain than an electric motor. Did I mention it’s also recyclable?

Like most inventions, Eden saw a need and set out do something about it. And guess what: you can too. All it takes is imagination and innovation.

ACE helps thousands of students take on projects just like this one. We offers loads of resources to help your club take off — everything from cool project ideas like an Energy Audit to free leadership trainings to prepare for projects like converting vehicles to biodiesel. To get started, just check out our website www.acepsace.org.

ACE salutes Eden Full because she used her imagination and innovation to bring the world a cheaper, simpler, and greener solution – the SunSaluter.

How are you going to use your imagination and innovation to the change the world?

Check out Eden’s Story:

Square Peg in a Round Hole

2011-06-28T16:16:00.001-04:00

Refreshing, invigorating, and gratifying. These are words that capture how I felt today when I deleted my Idealist.org shortcut off my toolbar. In fact, I deleted all my job search links. I will no longer need these because I’m happily employed. After a long process (5 interviews), I got the job of Climate Educator in Colorado. With this job and location secured, I get to say Screw You DC Job Market!

Let me stop here and say if you’re looking for tact or, for those in DC, diplomacy it’s not contained in the following paragraphs. The following paragraphs are my thoughts on the Washington DC job market – for the good and the bad. Unlike Meg’s post, mine will not be so gracious to the pretentiousness and audacity surrounding the DC job market.

I thought it would be easy after college. I had been told that with a college degree and work experience I was all but guaranteed a job of my choice. Well, I had both. Before moving to DC, I had my college degree, plenty of work experience, a year of international experience (studying and working), and even some grad school hours. Surely, this would be enough experience to land me a job in DC.

When Meg and I arrived in DC we were so optimistic about the job market. We thought we would send out a couple of cover letters and resumes and POOF! jobs would be at our finger tips. I mean, come on, DC supposedly has the 5^th best job market in the country. At first, I conservatively sent out my resumes and cover letters. I would only send out a couple at a time, because I didn’t want to tell organizations that I had already taken another job. After several weeks of not hearing anything, I began to increase the amount I sent out. But . . . still . . . nothing. This went on for six months. My optimism slowly faded to doubt which made me cynical and hostile regarding all things employment.

Friends would tell me about their awesome job while I tried to sit calmly nodding with a half smile all the while controlling the emotions swelling up inside me. It didn’t matter how many jobs I applied for, because I realized that I’m not what DC is looking for. Not even for the bottom of the rung office jobs that I applied for. Believe me; I was well-qualified for 90% of them. A high school student could perform these job duties. So in an effort to conform myself to DC’s standards, I, 27 years-old with a college degree, plenty of work experience, and international experience, took an internship to gain DC Experience.

Now there is experience and then there is DC Experience. Experience is what I have. DC experience is what I have plus a completed Master’s degree, 2-4 years work experience, at least two quality internships, fluency in another language, applicable volunteer work, international experience, and connections - all for an entry-level $30,000/year job at a non-profit organization. If you don’t believe me then go to Idealist right now. The pretentiousness of this city is infuriating. Anyone with “DC experience” should be at a mid-level career making $60,000+/year not fighting for a mind-numbingly easy, entry-level position.

A few months into the internship, I contemplated the longevity of gaining DC Experience. I quickly put together a list of everything I needed to accomplish and how I was going to do it in order to “qualify” for the types of positions and fields I wanted to be working in. Dwelling upon this list for a couple of weeks, I came to the conclusion that I was on a path of conforming myself into someone who I didn’t want to become. I didn’t want to be someone who focused every aspect of their life on their career. I don’t want to have what it takes to be successful in DC. I just don’t fit that mold. For I am a square peg in a round hole.

Square Peg in a Round Hole

Apollo 13

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Night Time Goodies

2011-06-23T21:18:00.000-04:00

Fracking and Water: E.P.A. Zeroes In on 7 Sites
The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen seven natural gas drilling sites where it will conduct case studies to evaluate the impact of hydraulic fracturing on local drinking water. (New York Times)

Taking sides: Top 5 albums of 2011 — so far
As 2011 hits the halfway point it’s time to take stock of the year in music so far. Here are each of our five favorite albums of the year’s first six months. (Washington Post)

Nationals vs. Mariners: Washington moves above .500 with win in bottom of ninth inning
As the Nationals have become baseball’s hottest team and perhaps its best story, they have come not to believe, but to know, they will somehow win regardless of the circumstances. That’s how winning teams think, and the Nationals, officially, are now a winning team. (Washington Post)

Egypt's farmers ready for independent organizing
For the first time in Egypt's history, the last four months have seen tens of thousands of peasants and farmers formally establishing unions and federations to defend their rights. These associations have been established in 16 governorates from Aswan to Alexandria. But questions remain about whether these agrarian associations can make their presence felt. (Al Masry Al Youm)

Climate of Denial
The first time I remember hearing the question "is it real?" was when I went as a young boy to see a traveling show put on by "professional wrestlers" one summer evening in the gym of the Forks River Elementary School in Elmwood, Tennessee. The evidence that it was real was palpable: "They're really hurting each other! That's real blood! Look a'there! They can't fake that!" On the other hand, there was clearly a script (or in today's language, a "narrative"), with good guys to cheer and bad guys to boo. (Rolling Stone)

Teacher training bill would cause education revolution
An impassioned national debate has erupted around what were once considered arcane matters deep inside the education world: How teachers’ skills should be judged, how to help less-skilled teachers get better and what to do if they don’t. But there are two points where pretty much everyone agrees: quality of teaching matters more than anything else, and we need to do the work that can put a strong teacher in every classroom. (Politico)

State Department Error Dashes Hopes of Thousands Seeking to Live in U.S.
But Ms. Guniya never packed her bags. After the State Department posted notices in the first days of May advising more than 22,000 foreigners worldwide that they had won the chance to become permanent residents of the United States, the department posted another notice on May 13 canceling the lottery results and voiding the winners, citing a “computer programming problem.” (New York Times)

The Daily Show - Fox News False Statements

Coffee Coffee Good Smell: Papua New Guinea

2011-06-18T18:03:00.006-04:00

Waghi Valley is near the red dot of Goroka.

Today’s tasty brew was purchased from Filtered Coffee House andEspresso Bar. The stock beans are roasted by Caffe Pronto, a craft roaster out of Annapolis. It’s worth mentioning that Pronto’s head roaster just won the 2011 U.S. Brewers Cup Championship. I purchased some beans from Papua New Guinea (PNG) because I remembered loving them in college. Specifically these beans came from the Waghi Valley of the Simbo (or Chimbo) province. The valley is located off the Western Highlands of the Bismarck Range near Mount Wilheim. Fun fact: explored by a German in 1888, the range is named after the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and the four highest peaks are named him and his three children: Ottoberg, Herbertsberg, Mariaberg and Wilhelmsberg.

Nearly all beans from PNG are wet-processed, which if you remember from last week means that beans will have a cleaner taste. Immediately after grinding the beans the smokey aromas of tobacco and fruit are present. The light roast produced a nice medium body with a bright acidity. On first drink the earthy tones overwhelmed the palette like you would expect from dry-processed beans, but surprisingly the flavor changes after sitting out for a minute. The second drink had milder earthy tones and was laced with fruity and nutty undertones leaving a sweet and clean finish. I recommend experiencing the unique qualities of PNG in your morning cup. While I think the beans are great, I'm still going to rank the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe higher.

Sipping away at that cup of deliciousness on a beautiful summer day, it’s easy to not even think about how those beans arrived here. And why should I care. After all, I’m just a caffeine junkie living from cup to cup. While this is true, I can still be an addict with a moral compass, right? I mean, I’m already a pretentious junkie so I might as well have some moral code guiding me to my next fix.

Lately, my compass has been pointing me to beans that produce some of the most flavorful and complex highs. Sorry Folgers fans but you will never truly understand the layers or the vibrancy of coffee. They just don’t make interesting coffee. It’s like thinking Hersey is excellent chocolate. There is a reason why Folders is so cheap – they usually buy low quality beans with no concept of freshness.

This made me think about the difference between people who purchase superior coffee beans and your average Folgers brand. I bet most people who purchase Folgers couldn’t even tell me about the beans. For example, what country, region, town, or village did they came from? How are the farmers treated? Are they paid fair wages? Questions like these never occur to them. In the end, the void between producers and consumers is growing at an unsettling rate.

There is a huge disconnect in America between the production and the consumption of goods. This includes a myriad of stuff like our coffee, vegetables, meat, and eggs. We no longer have that driving sense of connection to the land. There are two points I want to briefly make concerning this growing disconnection.

First, this disconnection may contribute to people’s understanding of climate change. It’s hard to understand climate change if it’s not directly affecting you - particularly your wallet. People who are tied to the land rely on consistent and predictable weather patterns in order to make a living. Sudden changes in weather patterns can have devastating consequences on crop production which hurts the farmer's livelihood. But what many of us don’t see is the link of how our livelihoods are tied to the farmers which are tied to the crops which are tied to weather patterns. If the climate become more unpredictable and farmers start losing crops then we, the consumers, don’t get our products. I know, as Americans, we have numerous options at the grocery store so if coffee doesn't get produced from Papua New Guinea then we just select coffee from Costa Rica. It’s all about the consumer getting what they want.

This brings me to my second point. I’m so happy to see this local/foodie movement sweeping across America, because it’s connecting consumers directly with the producers. While you might not have your own garden, buying from local farmers brings you closer to the crops/field and makes you more reliant on weather patterns. Buying straight from the farmer removes the mystery of where or how the produce got from the field to your plate. Plus, farm fresh produce taste better. Don’t believe me then head to our local market! My favorite example is eggs. Eat some fresh eggs and you will never again buy those old eggs from the grocery store again (chicken farms are a whole other blog). So support your local farmers and communities by opting for fresh, flavorful produce, and try to wean yourself off that cheap, tasteless stuff found in the grocery store.

Consumers need to start making conscience and informed decisions regarding the stuff they buy. People have told me that farmers markets are too expensive. In some cases, they may be a little bit more expensive, but I have found that they are usually around the same price as the grocery store. Even if they were more expensive, I would much rather pay my local farmer 20 cents/pound more for fresh vine-ripe tomatoes rather than putting more money in the pockets of CEOs who could care less about their products. At least I know farmers work hard to produce their tomatoes and are proud of what they sell. Their livelihoods depend on it! In return, you too should take pride knowing that you purchased a superior product that also supports your local farmers and communities for only a few pennies more.

Taking this a step further, this also includes visiting your local coffee shop. I can guarantee that their beans are fresher and better than Folders. While you're there take time to talk to the employees/owner about their variety of beans, the roasting process, and taste different beans until you find one you really like. I encourage and challenge you take your addiction to a new level, because the best part of wakin' up is NOT having Folgers in your cup.

These videos below highlight PNG organic coffee growers and illustrate how labor intensive the process truly is. Take a look and remember the incredibly hard work these natives perform just so we can enjoy that coffee coffee good smell. For more information of Fair Trade and organic coffee from PNG click here.

I apologize for the background music.

In Case You Missed It . . .

2011-06-15T20:43:00.001-04:00

For-Profit Colleges Prey On Low-Income & International Students
Thinkprogress sites a study by the Institute for Higher Education Policy “in the last 10 years, low-income students have increasingly being drawn to proprietary colleges and now attend at four times the rate of other students.” The study finds that students “whose total household income is near or below the federal poverty level are likely to be overrepresented at for-profit institutions and underrepresented at public and private nonprofit four-year institutions.” Many of these subprime schools make up to 90 percent of their revenue from the federal government, yet leave their students crippled with debt and with bleak job prospects. (ThinkProgress)

Higher Ed Watch adds that federal law prohibits colleges from compensating recruiters from providing “any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments” to admissions officers. In other words, it is perfectly legal for colleges to make commissioned payments to recruiters for each international student they enroll. (Higher Ed Watch)

Highlights from Conan's Commencements Speech at Darmouth

"For decades, in show business, the ultimate goal of every comedian was to host ‘The Tonight Show.’ It was the Holy Grail, and like many people I thought that achieving that goal would define me as successful. But that is not true. No specific job or career goal defines me, and it should not define you. In 2000—in 2000—I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality."

Smart Food with Oran Hesterman (Excellent Podcast)

Welcome to Smart Food, the Edible Radio podcast hosted by Jane Black. Jane's guest today is Oran Hesterman, CEO of the Fair Food Network and author of the book, Fair Food. If you're not a food policy geek, you may not have heard of Oran Hesterman. But you've surely heard of the people and projects that he's helped to launch: Alice Water's Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, Curt Ellis's documentary "King Corn" and the Sustainable Food Lab. As a director at the Kellogg Foundation for 15 years, he doled out about $200 million in seed money for local food systems advocates. (Edible Radio)

Afghanistan Beats Out Congo as the 'Most Dangerous Place for Women'
Afghanistan has been ranked as the world's most dangerous country for women, with Congo taking a close second position, a Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll has said. Violence, dismal healthcare and brutal poverty afflicts women in Afghanistan, while in Congo there are horrific levels of rape, the survey conducted by TrustLaw, an arm of Thomson Reuters, said on Wednesday. Pakistan, India and Somalia ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively in the global survey of perceptions of threats ranging from domestic abuse and economic discrimination to female foeticide, genital mutilation and acid attacks. (Al Jazeera)

Mubarak's Wealth on Display
The wealth of former President Hosni Mubarak amounts to slightly more than LE6 million, a Kuwaiti newspaper quoted his lawyer as saying. Meanwhile, the Swiss Foreign Ministry in May said it had tracked transactions linked to Mubarak amounting to 410 million Swiss francs, or about LE 2.86 billion. (Al Masry Al Youm)

Despite All the Buzz, Coca-Cola's Plant-based Bottles are Still Very Much Plastic.

And once the inputs become plastic, they carry all the same environmental impacts as plastic made from fossil fuels: They don't biodegrade, they pollute the world's oceans and soils, and still leach potentially harmful chemicals into our food. (Slate)

Solar Panels on the White House?
Nothing tests a relationship like home renovation. (Well, maybe the twittering of crotch shots, but I mean for ordinary folks.) Fixing the kitchen, putting in a new bathroom: “It can bring up core issues in communication and highlight power struggles and inherent weaknesses in the marriage,” Rick Heil, a marriage therapist, told the Chicago Tribune. One counselor in Palo Alto has an entire practice devoted to “providing individuals and couples the tools and skills they need to make home renovations a positive and rewarding experience for everyone involved.” (Grist)

Hot or Not? Why Women Shouldn't Pick Attractive Husbands
Watching the Anthony Weiner scandal unfold, it was hard not to wonder how a smart, accomplished, beautiful woman like Huma Abedin got herself involved with a guy like Weiner. (Huff Post)

I leave you with The Daily Show

The Daily Show - Indecision 2012 - Second Republican Debate Is a Success

I Don’t Want to Have What it Takes…

2011-06-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

I don’t want to have what it takes…

We moved to a beautiful city and we worked hard. Bicycle and coffee shop jobs were had and many rejection letters were received. And, all in all, it was a success….

When JD asked me where I wanted to move after we got married, I didn’t have to think twice. I knew where I had to be. I wanted to help people, and the only place to do that was in Washington, of course. So, we loaded up Yari the Yaris and watched as endless golden fields and vast orange skies faded to pink and yellow row houses and marble monuments. We were ecstatic. We were here. And it was…..imperfect.

When I arrived in DC, in June of 2009, I had never navigated a metro system, the concept of “happy hour” was something that only existed at the Chilies down the road, and brunch was when my college roommates and I decided to cook everything in our fridge, on Saturday mornings. How quickly things changed.

I knew what I wanted to do and I knew that DC was the only place that I could do it. I returned home for my last semester of college armed with the Huffington Post, a renewed dislike of boat shoes and the knowledge that I would return to DC after graduation.

I could spend these paragraphs talking about how hard the past year has been and how discouraged we have both felt. The truth is, I wouldn’t trade any of it. The truth is, we had things a lot easier than most people. The truth is, I look back on a year full of imperfections and find quite a lot of perfect moments. Our first year of marriage has not been easy, but it has been full of true appreciation. Appreciation for the person who has encouraged the other after yet another email saying, “qualified, but not referred." Appreciation for a family who heaped mounds of love and care on us. Appreciation for the one room that served as our home for our first nine months of marriage, and appreciation for the apartment that eventually became ours.

The truth is that I was given the opportunity to do exactly the kind of work I moved to DC to do. When I look into the faces of refugees every day, I do not see sadness or despair. I rejoice with them when they, former doctors and lawyers, get their first job in America, at McDonald’s. I have seen a young girl hear for the first time and an old man, finally able to discard the wooden legs that have been his for thirty years, in order to take his first steps on new prosthetics. I have seen families reunited and pride regained. I have seen survival turn to the ability to thrive.

It wasn’t until my boss finally said those four magic words…”We’ve found the funding”…or until, after nearly a year, I had four job interview requests waiting in my inbox, that I turned to JD and said, “I’m ready when you are."

I came to DC to be successful, and I found that I missed not having that feeling. A friend called a few weeks ago with an extra spot on a West Wing tour. I was thrilled, since you can only see this part of the West Wing if you know a staffer. As we left the great white building, my friend turned to me and said, “OH my god, I have to work for the National Security Council! This has been so inspiring.” This made me pause, because all I was thinking as we left was, “I can’t wait to give these presidential peanut M&M’s, with Obama’s signature under an M&M waving an American Flag, to JD.”

I miss open fields and pick-up trucks. I miss not being able to find a dish without meat on the menu. I miss the two-fingered wave on an unpaved back road. I miss cowboy hats and college football. I miss feeling like I can do the kind of work I love, anywhere I want.

A group of very talented, fellow Oklahomies, who make up the band Other Lives, came through DC for a show, recently. One of them came up to greet JD and after wrapping him in a hug, put his hand firmly on JD’s shoulder and asked how he was. Before JD could answer, he said, “I forget that this isn’t acceptable on the east coast. This is how I talk to people in the Midwest, this is how I connect."

We have spent many nights mulling over how long it has been since we have felt connected to a city and it’s inhabitants. We realize that we haven’t put in much effort to feel that connection with DC, we realize that it is completely our fault. We also realize that it’s because, right now, we don’t want to connect with it.

Which is why, in two weeks, we will pack up our life in DC and watch the pink and yellow row houses and marble monuments fade to gold painted fields and, this time, white capped mountains as we move to Denver, CO (yes, along with everyone else).

~ Guest Blogger Peg Leg Meg

Coffee Coffee Good Smell: Ethiopian Style

2011-06-12T20:17:00.001-04:00

As my quest for finding the most stimulating and quality brew continues, I'm going to be sipping on beans from Ethiopia over the next week. In fact, the history of the coffee bean can trace its roots all the way to Ethoipia. Many believe that "coffee bean" is an Anglicized version derived from "Kaffa", a forested region full of arabica coffee beans, and "Bun" the Ethiopian word for coffee. So coffee bean could be a poor interpretation of Kaffa Bun. Historians widely accept that Arabica beans were spread throughout the region as a result of the Arab slave trade. During this time, many of the East African slaves chewed the beans for their stimulating effects, and as they were shipped and traded around to other countries so were the coffee beans.

Specifically, these beans come from the Yirgacheffe area of the southern Sidamo region (see map). Until recently, all beans produced from this region were sold under the banner of Sidamo (check out DC's Sidamo coffee shop). Over time, the beans from Yirgacheffe eventually got their due recognition, because the coffee produced here was distinctly different from the others within the region. Konga refers to the co-operative that has 2,191 producer members cultivating 2,979 hectors and producing 1,862 tons of coffee. This coffee lot is certified organic and fair trade. They are also a member of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. This co-op has seen a huge spike in membership since Oxfam America announced it was "launching a project to support coffee quality improvement by funding the purchase of an eco-friendly coffee washing station . . . This is one component of our [Oxfam's] effort to help cooperatives produce quality coffee and generate additional premium by selling their beans on the international specialty coffee market."

The coffee washing station is a very important detail, because the wet-process produces a very different coffee profile than the original dry-process. Washed Yirgacheffe beans tend to have a cleaner, lighter body and less earthy / wild tastes in the cup compared to their dry-processed kinfolk. Dry-processed beans will result in more body and less acidity. So if you enjoy a fruity and acidic coffee you may want to opt for the wet-process and if you prefer rustic/earthy flavors go for the dry-process. Win-Win in my opinion.

Drying fresh coffee beans

With these beans, my addiction has reached a new level. I can’t get enough of Yirgacheffee coffee. The sweet aromatics of flowers and fruits waft through air as I ground the beans. As I took my first sip, a bright fruity flavor filled my mouth and followed with a bold nutty flavor. Lemony notes came out to play in the after taste. These wet-processed beans produced an elegant and rich bodied coffee. Overall, the super-clean citrus and balancing sweetness kept my taste buds busy. A most quaffable coffee to be enjoyed anytime of the day or year!

Coffee may not be a basic food crop, such as wheat, but it is arguably one of the most important agricultural products. Valued as high as $90 billion a year, coffee, which is grown in more than 70 countries, is one of the most heavily traded commodities in terms of monetary value. Seventy percent of the world’s coffee comes from small, family-owned farms and more than 100 million people are dependent on the crop for their livelihood. For more information watch the documentary Black Gold as it tells the story of Ethiopian coffee farmers fighting for a fair price.

Cloudy with a Chance of Climate Change

2011-06-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

The StarPhoenix published an article today entitled “Hard evidence needed on climate change” challenging the stance of some in the scientific community on climate change being an eminent threat to the world. Eyre flippantly dismisses recent hail storms in Ontario, and the string of tornadoes in the United States, as having any ties to climate change. In fact, those who do advocate that these unprecedented storms are related to climate change are written off as “extremeweathermeisters.” Furthermore, she disregards Professor Dave Sauchyn’s conclusion for linking these frequent weather incidents to climate change as sounding “a bit like witchcraft reasoning.” Eyre finally concludes; “There are many threats in this world. But climate change doesn't appear to be one of them.”

Here are just a few of the events happening here in the United States. A majority of the Southwest region is in a drought, and parts of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas are in extreme to exceptional drought conditions. These arid conditions helped fuel the flames that burnt over one million acres in Texas and the ones currently ravaging Arizona. On one hand, you may start wondering why there were record amounts of snowfall and rainfall across the Midwest, and how that correlates to the record levels of flooding caused by the Mississippi River. Then another connection has to be made to the most tornado activity in US history for the month of April. Yes, we have experienced the dust bowl, flooding and violent tornadoes before, but have we experienced all of them in such rapid succession?

12-week Animation of Drought in the USA

Countries around the world are also experiencing unusual and record breaking weather patterns. Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan have all experienced record flooding within the last year. A Russian heat wave resulted in failed grain harvests. France and Germany weathered a drought affecting their agricultural production. The Amazon has experienced its second 100-year drought in just five years. All of these weather patterns led to the record high food prices that the world is currently witnessing. Are these just isolated and unrelated events happening around the world?

The New York Times reported, “The great agricultural system that feeds the human race is in trouble. Many of the failed harvests of the past decade were a consequence of weather disasters, like floods in the United States, drought in Australia and blistering heat waves in Europe and Russia. Scientists believe some, though not all, of those events were caused or worsened by human-induced global warming.”

It appears that more droughts, more heat waves, and more flooding in the world are becoming legitimate threats. The frequency of unusual weather patterns may logically be attributed to human activities. The releasing of abundant amounts of CO2 by burning fossil fuels and exhausting our earth’s lungs with deforestation are just a few of these contributing activities. Eyre is in a dangerous position of denying and ignoring the scientific evidence for climate change. By surveying only one pattern in Canada, Eyre fails to make connections of all of the other unusual weather patterns happening throughout the world. By stepping back and conducting a thorough assessment, she might understand what scientists are seeing - evidence for climate change as a threat.

If The Climate Can Change Then So Can You

2011-06-08T20:52:00.003-04:00

I think it's time that we do something. Here are a few suggestions.

Oil is the lubricant of the global economy but we need to forgo fossil fuels for a more sustainable option. Ride a bike or walk distances less than 2 miles. if 1% of Americans replaced a two mile trip just once a week with a bike ride or walk, it would be like taking 34,000 cars off the road each year.
As Americans need to be more efficient with our usage.We need to do more with less. Consuming less stuff will cut down on greenhouse emissions needed to supply them or make them. Plus, buy some eco-friendly products that have a mission greater than profit and will problem last longer.
Buying local food will greatly reduce the carbon footprint needed to ship it. Let's say you live in Oklahoma. Why buy green house tomatoes from California (unless you live there) that will travel over 1000 miles to the grocery store when you can buy fresh tomatoes from your local farmer?
Believe it or not, U.S. citizens spend more money on electricity to power devices when off than when on. Televisions, stereo equipment, computers, battery chargers and a host of other gadgets and appliances consume more energy when seemingly switched off, so unplug them instead

Thought provoking commercial.

Last minute addition from Thomas Friedman of the New York Times. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Dinner Time Goodies to Nibble On

2011-06-06T19:49:00.003-04:00

Weiner Lets it All Hang Out - Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) insisted he’s staying in office Monday, even as a string of embarrassing new revelations and photos emerged that apparently reveal a hidden, lascivious online life. At first, Weiner vehemently denied that a photo of an underwear-clad erection, sent via Twitter to a 21-year-old woman, had come from him, insisting he’d been hacked. (Huff Post)

Sarah Palin’s midnight ride, twice over - “We saw where Paul Revere hung out as a teenager, which was something new to learn. He who warned, uh, the British that they weren’t going to be taking away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells and making sure as he’s riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be secure and we were going to be free and we were going to be armed.” (Washington Post)

Maybe Sarah Palin has been Taking History Lessons from Animal House

The Insane Interest Group Politics That Have America Subsidizing Brazilian Cotton Farmers - You probably know that the United States has some nutty agricultural policies. And you may also know that over the past couple of decades, the United States has increasingly used trade policy negotiations as a lever to coerce foreign countries into adopting intellectual property laws that are favorable to incumbent US producers. What you probably don’t know is that at the intersection of these policies, American taxpayers are making direct payments to Brazilian cotton farmers. Why? (Think Progress)

Baseball players have a special love for their gloves - There's nothing quite like the bond a major leaguer has with his mitt. Some give theirs a special name, some take extraordinary measures to extend its life . . . one even risked his own life to rescue his glove from harm. (LA Times)

Seeing Teenagers As We Wish They Were: The Debate Over YA Fiction - Over the weekend, The Wall Street Journal ran a piece claiming that fiction at least nominally aimed at readers under 18 — young adult or "YA" fiction, that is — is entirely too dark. Calling out the books about kids who cut themselves or suffer abuse right alongside the books with abundant profanity in them, it laments the fact that young readers will be "surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds." (NPR)

Orgasm Guaranteed: What I learned while freelancing at Cosmopolitan - As I walked into the elegant Hearst Tower, home to many of the country's top magazines, with gleaming white floors and a two-story waterfall, I was sure my life was about to change forever. I was 23, wearing a gray hand-me-down wool dress from Bergdorf Goodman that my mother's friend gave me, and I was reporting for duty for my first job in publishing: fact-checking at Cosmopolitan. (Slate)

White House Rebel - Michelle Obama refuses to be a political show pony or schmooze with Washington's elite. She has her own sense of where her energies should be deployed and has constructed a fruitful life inside the bubble. All that will have to change in the heat of Election 2012. Lois Romano on the first lady’s low-key tenure, in this week’s Newsweek. (The Daily Beast)

The Daily Show - The Big Wang Theory

Ride Sally Ride

2011-06-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

· Prep and clean bike. Check.

· Gather bike tools and accessories. Check.

· Lay out clothes. Check.

· Write down directions. Check.

· Set alarm clock for 6am. Check.

· Ready to race! Check!

This is my typical routine the night before an early race. I like to have everything ready so I’m not stressed out trying to track down everything in the morning. This allows me to gradually wake-up, drink my coffee, and eat a light breakfast. This is exactly what I did yesterday morning. Meg and I left the apartment at 7:15am and arrived at the race around 8:00. The race began at 8:45 so I quickly registered, pinned my number on, and warmed up.

This criterium (aka crit) was a 1km triangular course on smooth, wide streets (4 lanes) and sweeping turns closed to traffic. The second and third corners required moderate skill to navigate. Giving way to a slight downhill, the second corner required you hold your line to get through due to the high speed coming out of it. A gradual uphill led into the third corner, which then opened up to the finish line. A fun course!

Sizing up the competition.

At this point everything was going great. Low 60s with a slight breeze, I couldn’t ask for better weather. My legs were feeling good and my coffee buzz was kicking in. I pulled up to the line a little early, because I like to start toward the front. I’m trying to stay calm as I size up the competition. Looking around the pack, I recognized a few guys from previous races as well as two teams that had a strong showing of riders. I took mental note of the guys who I should closely watch. My heart rate fluttered as the official explained the rules for our race. Then he blew his whistle and we were off.

The first few laps were easy as everyone tried to get a feel for the course and the other riders. It didn’t take long, however, before the first wreck sent two guys down as we entered the second corner. Thankfully, the crash didn’t influence my positioning. The next 15 minutes consisted of two teams taking turns firing guys off the front only to be caught with in a lap.

Disorganized field of riders.

All of a sudden, I hear theses two guys on my left side yelling at each other, and before I knew it they crashed. In this case, the guy next to me got his handlebars tangled up with the guy on his left. I know we were riding three wide – dangerous! This crash occurred right before the second corner resulting in the guys in the front picking up their speed trying to split the pack. My legs strained to hug the wheel of the guy in front of me all the way up the hill. But we now had a slight gap with five laps left. I was hoping that we could take this group to the finish line. Our smaller group would not last long though. Apparently, one of the teams didn’t have a guy in the lead pack so they organized at the front of the second group and caught us with three laps to go.

At this point, I made my way to the front. I wanted to be able to attack if someone tried something in the final two laps. I rolled through the first corner just fine, and then it happened. This guy swung right into my front wheel and down I went. He had to be racing for the first time judging by the fact that he tucked his jersey into his shorts and the way he inefficiently hammered away like the energizer bunny all race.

Here is what I recall. As I hit the ground, my sunglasses flew off my head landing some 15 feet away. The bike slid out in front me on the non-drive side as I rolled once before coming to a skidding halt along the payment. I remember some guy yelling, “Oh Man! Not Again!” But with my adrenaline pumping, I snatched my sunglasses and hopped back on the bike. I vigorously tried to pedal my way back into the peloton, but it was no use. When he hit my front wheel it bent a spoke causing my wheel to go out of true. I finished the race almost dead last!

Where is everybody?

This is my first case of severe road rash. And yes, I now have baby skin! My right elbow and left knee got it pretty good and will need some time for the skin to heal up. My shoulder is sore from slamming against the pavement, my right hip has a golf ball sized strawberry on it, and I can’t figure out how I got this weird scratch on my left pec. In the mean time, I have Meg playing Miss Barkely in Hemingway’s Farwell to Arms by nursing me back to health, dressing my wounds, and bringing me beers. So at least I have that going for me.

Life's a Garden, Dig It!

2011-06-04T16:59:00.001-04:00

How old was I? I must have been at least in the third grade, but for sure by the fifth grade. I remember waking up early on Saturday mornings to make those last minute picks of the garden with my parents and riding in my dad's old squeaky pickup truck to the farmers market. The work I provided at the market was minimal. I mostly counted change and sacked produce for the customers. On the days when I didn’t get out bed at 6am, I rode my bike up to the market. It was crucial for me to work at the market, because if I worked "hard enough" my parents would reward me with a pepperoni pizza bagel and a Dr. Pepper from the “Bee Man.” That's all it took for me to get out of bed on those Saturday mornings. At that age nothing else matter.

The “Bee Man” sold his the jars of honey at the local farmers market and cared for several strategically placed beehives in the area. He even installed an observation hive in our window sill so we could watch the bees make honey comb. My sisters and I had a contest to see who could spot the Queen Bee first (note: she is bigger the rest). He was a kind man in his late 60s that really did have the most delicious honey! But, he also carried a cooler full of cans of Dr. Pepper and Coke that only vendors could purchase for $.35. I think he sold me more sugar in a can than in a jar. Go figure.

I’m sure I drove my parents crazy constantly running around the market, but in the midst of the mayhem some learning took place. I remember learning work ethic by picking the garden on Friday nights with the family. I remember learning marketing strategies by presenting the tomatoes and peppers in appealing ways to attract customers. As I mentioned earlier, counting change really helped my math skills, and interacting with adult customers made me more sociable. And there were other kinds of learning too. I remember when one of the older kids asked me if I wanted to ride bicycles with him. I felt sooo cool. I remember one time playing in the dirt under a big tree and finding a penny from 1897. Weird huh? These memories and many more formulate a significant part of my childhood.

I’m excited to see that buying produce from local farmers is becoming more popular throughout the U.S. A new crop of farmers is springing up through out America, which is even transcending the generation gap. The organization I work for sponsors a contest called America's Favorite Farmers Markets in which people can cast votes for their favorite market. All this is highlighting the growing local foodie culture and buying local movement.

I, for one, am a fan. I encourage everyone to visit their local farmers market to buy some fresh produce and know where your food is coming from. Also, take the time to get to know the farmers that wheel in their produce every weekend. Maybe even take the time to be nice the kids working behind the booth. And remember, Life’s a Garden, Dig It.

Anthony Bourdain: Farmers Market

A Few Goodies 6/2/2011

2011-06-02T20:06:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show

Globalization and Unemployment - the May employment report is expected to show slow jobs growth, renewing pessimism about the U.S. economy. Michael Spence, a Nobel Prize-winning economist writes that economic growth and employment in the United States have started to diverge, increasing income inequality and reducing jobs for less-educated workers. (Foreign Affairs)

Plate Pushing Vegetables, Fruit Ousts Food Pyramid - The government scrapped its food pyramid Thursday, replacing it with MyPlate, a campaign that encourages Americans to fill up half their diet with fruits and vegetables, and avoid sugary drinks and oversized portions. (PBS NewsHour)

How Roger Ailes Built the Fox News Fear Factory - The onetime Nixon operative has created the most profitable propaganda machine in history. Inside America's Unfair and Imbalanced Network. (Rolling Stone)

Jane Lynch: officially the host of the Emmy Awards - It’s official: Jane Lynch will host this year’s Emmy Awards. As previously reported, the actress known as Sue Sylvester on “Glee” had been in talks to tackle the gig. (Washington Post)

Next stop, the food desert: Fresh produce gets on the bus - The payoff scene in this video about a new mobile produce stand on Chicago's West Side comes about nine minutes in. A young boy is urged to eat an apple by the women staffing the Fresh Moves bus, which just launched with the mission of bringing fresh produce to an inner-city food desert. (Grist)

Hackers Disrupt PBS Web Site and Post a Fake Report About a Rap Artist - The PBS Web site briefly carried a fake article claiming that the famed rapper Tupac Shakur was alive and living in New Zealand after a group of hackers took over the organization’s computer systems on Saturday night. (NY Times)

The Weiner Talk Gets Weird - Let me say first I think Weiner has made things look much worse for himself in the last 24 hours, especially dodging Luke Russert's efforts to get him to state categorically that the package in question isn't his. (Salon)

For the 65-plus set and boomers back in the dating game, tips for meeting people online - “I had plenty of lemons before lemonade, believe me,” said Valentino, a furniture salesman in Long Branch, N.J. One prospect said he was too old. Another went out with him to win a bet with a co-worker. A third told him all about her two grown sons and “their careers in the penal system, only they weren’t guards.” (Washington Post)

Harry: I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this.
Lloyd: I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man.

Hangover: What Happens in Tunisia Doesn't Stay in Tunisia

2011-06-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

Oh, that's where Syria is located.

Reuters reported yesterday that Syrian President Bashar Assad is granting amnesty to "all members of political movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood." This move comes after nearly ten weeks of fierce conflict between demonstrators and the military that have resulted in an estimated 1,000 civilian deaths and 10,000 arrests. Syria may be out of touch with reality if they keep blaming these uprisings on "armed groups, Islamists and foreign agitators." They need to recognize what these protestors are shouting day after day. It's not a religious movement, but rather a movement of people who are no longer wiling to live under a dictator. Yet, Assad claims that he should remain in power because only he can guarantee stability in an unstable region. But this guarantee is slowly deteriorating as the Arab Spring continues to gain momentum.


Hamza Ali al-Khateeb

In an effort to stay in power, Assad has now shown that he is willing to give in to some of the demands of the protestors. This willingness is only going to result in more demands until he is overthrown. "Khalaf Ali Khalaf, an organizer of a Syrian opposition conference taking place in Turkey, said the amnesty "comes too late to appease the street, like vague and halfhearted promises for reform that preceded it." These reforms will not be enough, particularly when they are followed with violent crackdowns. The timing of these reforms also comes in the wake of an 13 year-old boy, Hamza Ali al-Khateeb, being violently tortured to death. The New York Times reported that "the remains themselves testify all too clearly to ghastly torture. Video posted online shows his battered, purple face. His skin is scrawled with cuts, gashes, deep burns and bullet wounds that would probably have injured but not killed. His jaw and kneecaps are shattered, according to an unidentified narrator, and his penis chopped off. " What kind of reason could exist for torturing an 13 year-old boy to death? His death has emerged as the symbol of the Syrian Revolution. It has sent an angry surge of Assad's brutal oppression rippling through the streets as more protestors gather to demand human rights.

I think this call for reforms may also signal that Assad realizes that his legitimacy is buckling under the intensifying pressure from the protestors and the international community. The question he may want to start asking himself is: "Do I want to end up like Ben Ali (Tunisia), Muburak (Egypt), or Saleh (Yemen)?" Either way, it is only a matter of time before his 11-year reign will be toppled.

Watch it unfold:

Game Time Prediction

2011-05-31T21:06:00.002-04:00

Dirk. Lebron. Diggler vs. The King. Both are playing for that coveted ring. While I appreciate college basketball much more, I like this match-up for its experience vs. youth aspect. I never officially played organized basketball, unless you count playing 21 with a bunch of neighborhood kids, who only loved lowering the rim to 7 feet so we could all dunk, but I think the series will go deep into game 6 or 7. I'm predicting that we, as the fans, are going to be in for a treat over the next week as these two teams give it their all and prove to their owners why they are worth every million. I realize I don't have much insight or expertise to offer regarding the match-up, but I will say this: GO MAVS!

Coffee Coffee Good Smell: A Review

2011-05-30T11:53:00.001-04:00

The start of my addiction is hard to pinpoint. Do I start with those tiny sips of my dad's mug taken as a child? Was it those sips that eventually lead to my unshakeable addiction? Or, do I have some kind of genetic predisposition that has made me more vulnerable to becoming a coffeeholic. I know I started regularly drinking coffee (with a lot of milk and sugar) during my Junior year of high school. Within a year, I had weaned myself off the additives and was only partaking in "manly, black coffee." So when did it start? The answer is I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm loving the stimulation!

This brings me to today's review of the From Africa To Africa Red from Starbucks. I know what you're thinking but let me explain. My wife and I ducked into a Starbucks to escape a midafternoon rain shower. Upon entering, I mentioned that we were running low on beans so we perused their selection. My wife stumbled upon an East African blend for which Starbucks will donate $1 to fight AIDS in Africa for every pound purchased. Let me stop here and add that my wife my LOVES Africa (still an understatement). So being the good husband that I am, I snatched up that bag of beans and quickly paid for them. For all you naysayers, let it be noted that I frequent the local coffee shop, Peregrine Espresso, and they have some of the best baristas in the region. (Plus, their roaster was custom built in OKC). (Another cool local shop in the area Pound Coffee).

Moving along, here is what I gathered from the Starbucks website:

"Africa is the birthplace of coffee, and Starbucks has always cherished the amazing flavors and aromas of African coffees. And, with the opening of Farmer Support Center in Rwanda, we’re working directly with farmers to improve the quality and sustainability of their coffee for years to come. As part of our ongoing commitment to give back to the people and communities that grow our coffee, Starbucks has partnered with (PRODUCT) RED™ to give $1.00 to the Global Fund every time you buy a pound of (STARBUCKS)^RED coffee. This money will help to provide treatment for children and adults living with HIV, helping to fight AIDS in Africa. And that makes every sip better for all of us."

Let me start by saying that I grind my beans fresh every morning with a burr grinder (a very useful wedding present). The review: a floral aroma. Medium body in which bright citrus notes bounce off the tongue. Very smooth mouthfeel that showcases a great range of depth. Finishes with hints of spice and raw cocoa. A great morning coffee guaranteed to brighten your day. 4 Stars.

Coffee snobbery is a process. I remember in high school thinking that I had finally arrived when one of the baristas would give me or one of my friends a free cup coffee. That feeling of importance and belonging fueled my addiction and kept me coming back for years. I thank Aspen Coffee Co. for obsessing over their product and providing my palate with a quality foundation. Like any good addict, I will keep coming back for more. I'm constantly searching for the best source to get my fix, and I will continue to post reviews of the beans I'm grinding. If you have any suggestions please feel free to post them. I am always eager to try some new coffee coffee good smell.

For You Coffee Geeks:

A Few Goodies

2011-05-29T18:35:00.002-04:00

Happy Memorial Day or Is It?

"Sgt. Brian Keith boarded the plane home feeling a strange dread. His wife wanted a divorce and had moved away, taking their son and most of their bank account with her. At the end of his flight lay an empty apartment and the blank slate of a new life." (New York Times)

Sarah Palin Spotted on the Back of a Harley at the Pentagon
"Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin rides into a motorcycle rally at the Pentagon wearing black leather and declaring, 'I love that smell of the emissions!' It's an untraditional start for such an event, which is usually highly orchestrated." (LA Times)

Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?

"Q: Do you ever feel the urge to pull out your smartphone while someone else is making a point in a conversation?"
Q: Have you ever felt that something hasn’t really happened until you post it on Facebook?" (Washington Post)

A Cyclist's Post-Crash Reflection on What Really Matters

"I was badly injured in a bike accident on April 13. Eyewitness reports differ, but it's likely that a car ran over my head, and it's more than likely that the helmet clasped around my head saved my life." (Grist)

Iranian Diplomat Charged with Spying in Egypt
"Egypt is expelling an Iranian diplomat who was briefly detained and questioned on charges of illegally gathering intelligence for Tehran, security officials said. Qassem al Husseini, the diplomat, was arrested on Saturday in his Cairo home, after the Egyptian intelligence tracked his movements, Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin reported. Husseini was charged with attempting to set up spy rings in Egypt and other Arab countries." (Al Jazeera)

Only in Oklahoma
"A homeowner told Eyewitness News 5 that after he returned from taking shelter during a tornado outbreak, he found a horse that had landed in his swimming pool." (KOCO TV)

Bored This Weekend? Looking For Something To Do?
Here are the rules to the Gary England Drinking Game and a Video to Get You Started!

Share the Love

2011-05-28T20:42:00.004-04:00

Late one evening in a crowded apartment in Dokki (pronounced Do-ee), a group of us plotted our entrance into Gaza. "Is there going to be an adequate supply of drinking water or do we need to bring bottles?" Questions and concerns like this were uttered around the small, smoky room for over an hour. In the end, our plan went roughly like this. We would all meet in a discrete neighborhood at 11pm and travel through the night by bus from Cairo to Rafah, a town on the Egyptian-Israeli border. Under the guise of security, undercover police would trail us all the way there. (I think they wanted to make sure that we didn't try to smuggle any people or weapons in with us). All the logistics had been taken care of and all the right people (Embassies) had been contacted concerning our trip. All we had to do now was pack light, because the medical supplies were going to take up most of the bus luggage space.

As I left the meeting that night, I felt good. I felt that this trip would accomplish a higher purpose or attempt to show Gazans that some Americans do care about their injustice. I was also excited, because I had been taking a course on Palestinian refugees and another on Islamic political movements (i.e. Hamas). During our stay would be talking to actual members of Hamas and refugees so I thought my education was gaining "on the ground" experience.

Let me pause to explain a few things. Hamas had taken control on the Gaza Strip in June 2007. After winning the political elections in 2006, they entered into a brief clash with Fatah, a political faction that now governs the West Bank, and ended up gaining control of the Gaza Strip. In response, Muburak closed the Egyptian border which drastically cut the movement of people and goods into Egypt. This move left the people of Gaza trapped between the closed borders of Israel and Egypt in an open air prison. More than a year later, a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas expired that resulted in Israel raiding the Gaza Strip in Janunary 2010. Israel's superior military left the city of Gaza in rubble and around 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead. An equal fight, I think not. An abuse of military might, I think so.

This is where my group enters. In November 2009, our group was set to embark to deliver medical supplies when we received word that the Egyptian government had denied our access into Gaza. For some reason they changed their mind a few days before. Our trip didn't happen. My education didn't gain "on the ground" experience.

Why does any of this matter? Today, after four years of closure, Egypt permanently opened their border to Gaza. This incentive is what got Hamas to meet with Fatah in Cairo earlier this week to discuss Palestine's political future. This courageous and humanitarian action is a departure from the Muburak regime's alignment with Israel, and seen among many others as a starting point for Arab unity and solidarity and a calling for Palestine to participate in the Arab Spring.

I attended a discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace yesterday entitled Palestine and the Arab Spring. The speaker Dr. Hanan Ashrawi talked about redefining Arab nationalism in the context of of all the democratic changes happening around the region. Regarding Palestine, she said that the young are ready for change. She described the Arab Spring as sparking a feeling of determination and confidence among the Palestinians. Yet, she warned that if the Palestinians are going to emerge as a sovereign state they must do so quickly or else they will lose momentum.

Palestinian leaders are going before the UN to ask for recognition as State, because Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, has already called the 1967 borders "indefensible." The US, however, is vowing to veto their nomination.I hope for the sake of the Palestinians that the opening of the Egyptian border crossing will at least alleviate some their frustrations and facilitate their participation in the Arab Spring. Thank Egypt for sharing the love.

Free Your Mind and The Rest Will Follow

2011-05-28T08:31:00.002-04:00

This has been talked about for over a year, and I must be desperate if I'm finally doing this.

During those college years, thoughts could be expressed, expanded, argued, and changed all in one conversation. Since the first step is admitting you have a problem, here I go. I admit that I have become mentally lazy. As most of you know, working a full-time job doesn't always produce the liveliest of discussions. The reality is for most us going around the office asking people; "What implications do you think the Arab Spring will have on US foreign policy?" is not acceptable behavior or they don't care. (Unless, you have one those really cool jobs where this permissible, and if you do, know that I'm jealous and I hate you). This is not to say that I haven't learned anything new or broadened my horizons, because I have. What I'm getting at is that I yearn for those lively debates and the mental process of filing your thoughts into a logical conclusion. Thus, a blog.

My goal is to use this as an outlet to express some of my thoughts and get back into the habit of exercising the brain. As far as topics you can be expecting to see, I will be covering the Middle East, Arts & Culture, Politics, and Sports. FYI, these topics are broadly defined and by no means all encompassing. So don't be alarmed if I stray at times. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the ride and feel free to post comments. I do ask that you bare with me in the beginning as I try to find my niche and hone my acumen. In the mean time, I'm going to free my mind and hope the rest will follow.