"AT THE MOVIES" -- A TRIBUTE

Yesterday marked the end of an era. In 1975 movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert launched a television show which provided viewers with information on movies being shown in theaters (generally reviewing four to five films each show). The original PBS show, Sneak Previews, morphed into various iterations of At The Movies in 1986 when Siskel and Ebert moved to Disney/NBC. Their commentary was consistently fresh, informative and colorful. They never gave away critical plot points. What they did do, expertly, was talk about how well or poorly a film was crafted -- in direction, in acting, in screenwriting -- providing just enough plot background so that a viewer could make an informed decision whether or not a given film was worth seeing. Their trademark "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" became part of the culture.

I was a huge fan of the show from the beginning. Here were two intelligent, articulate and knowledgeable people who never condescended to their audience, who sometimes disagreed with each other (often with legendary verbal sparring), and who transformed the cinema landscape by democratizing the film experience -- informing audiences in cities, in small towns, in rural areas, about what movies were being made and how good those movies were. In places with only one or a few movie theaters, this window onto the larger film world was priceless.

In early 1999 Gene Siskel died from a brain tumor. Roger Ebert carried on, accompanied by a series of guest critics until settling into a new partnership with Richard Roeper in 2000. In 2006 Roger Ebert had to leave the show, due to difficulty speaking arising from tumors on his thyroid and salivary glands. Roeper in turn carried on, partnering with assorted guest hosts. During the past year, the show was hosted by the best pair since the original Siskel and Ebert -- Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott.

Yesterday, Phillips and Scott delivered a moving tribute to the thirty-five year run of the show. Why it has been discontinued, I do not know. The show's current website provides no clues. I've written to Buena Vista Entertainment via the website, protesting the cancellation, and ask that others do the same. Aside from a number of programs on PBS, At The Movies was one of the few shows on broadcast TV to give us intelligent, entertaining discourse. In a word, culture. Until (hopefully) a replacement show comes along, former viewers still have access to the online opinions and insights of Roger Ebert at his excellent critic's website. It's just not the same as a conversation between two critics whose disagreements, as much as their shared views, inform the viewer with added dimension and perspective.

At The Movies, with all your hosts over the years, but most especially with Siskel and Ebert, I salute you.

BACKBONE / GOOD GUYS

BACKBONE. At a dinner celebrating Ramadan (a White House tradition that dates as far back as President Thomas Jefferson President Obama has strongly defended a proposed mosque and Muslim community center near Ground Zero in Manhattan. Obama made reference to the freedom of religion upon which our nation was based, and noted further that "Al-Qaeda's cause is not Islam -- it is a gross distortion of Islam. In fact, Al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion, and that list includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11." To his credit, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has also forcefully supported the project.

Note: Forty religious leaders of all faiths have denounced Sarah Palin, Fox News and Newt Gingrich for their bigoted hate speeches against the mosque. I don't understand why anyone with functioning brain cells would pay attention to Palin, Fox or Gingrich. Calling them "airheads" is an insult to airheads.













I am among those who supported Obama's election, and also among those who think that he has been misguided in (a) prolonging and expanding the war in Afghanistan, and (b) being far too accomodating toward conservative obstructionists on controversial issues. Obama is known for being a mediator and bridge-builder, which is an admirable trait. But when the opposition rigidly and repeatedly opposes humane economic and social reforms, it's time to take a stand and let the voters see just who is responsible for our entry into quicksand. (Hint -- take note of who has opposed comprehensive health care reform, financial reform, environmental reform, et al.)

Mr. President, you may be on the right track, but if you proceed too slowly, someone may run over you from behind.

GOOD GUYS. One of my absolute favorite bloggers, The Angry Black Woman, relates with her usual clarity and take-no-prisoners prose how an encounter with a particularly loathsome, unreconstructed male chauvinist pig reminded her to notice and appreciate the good men who are among her circle of friends. As one of those men who has been a self-changer all his life, and who may at times appear clueless but still has good intentions, my heart was warmed by her thoughts. Too seldom we (I) pay attention to that which needs fixing, and forget to notice and enjoy that which is already fine. So to all my friends out there, male and especially female, who have put up with my missteps as I lurch toward being an evolved human being, my thanks and my love.

A LITTLE IRONY, A LITTLE LEVITY

It is remarkable to me how the most fervent, flag-waving patriots and the pushiest proscelityzing religious zealots are among the most intolerant people on earth. One of my favorite "a picture is better than a thousand words" websites, Morons with Signs, is quick to notice and portray this sad irony. How dare ANY believer think that he/she has a monopoly on righteousness and the only true faith? Fervent right wing Christian fundamentalists are just as annoying and dangerous as fervent right wing Muslim fundamentalists. One side claims "Islam is a lie," the other side claims "Christianity is a lie," and I'm frankly grateful to be an atheist. One hopes that neither extreme represents the majority of believers in their respective religions. But in these days of increasing polarization and animosity, you never know.















In the film Straw Dogs, Dustin Hoffman's character asserts during an argument with a priest that more wars have been fought, more human misery inflicted, and more ignorance perpetuated in the name of religion than for any other cause. Certainly religion has been in the forefront, serving as a convenient flag, behind which we indulge in colonialism, bigotry and sheer avarice. We as an intelligent species have a long, long way to go.

On a lighter note, the rapier wit of xkcd outdid itself today .... it took me a moment to catch on to the visual implication. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

And finally, a very short and utterly hilarious interview with a woman who speaks her mind in no uncertain terms. "I have no secrets" -- my knda girl.

MAPS / PCs

MAPS. I confess -- I am a cartophile. I dig maps. Two of my favorite online map websites are Google Maps (two dimensional) and Google Earth (simulated three dimensional). Each is packed with features, and Google Earth in particular is a fascinating way to tour any spot on Earth. Both are free downloads, and very responsive if you have a high speed Internet connection.
















Two of Google Earth's more ambitious features are described at Walking the Amazon. The first is an interactive climate map, allowing you to witness the effects of global temperature changes on sea levels and crop yields. The second depicts the height -- darker green indicates taller trees -- and density of the world's remaining forests. The images are both impressive and sobering, when you consider how much more of the planet's surface was forested a mere two hundred years ago. A sample of the map showing forests of the world appears above. A sample showing forests in the US appears below. If you already have Google Earth installed, links to both functions may be found in the Walking the Amazon article.
















For those who prefer their maps in hard copy, RavenMaps offers for sale a variety of large topological maps of the world, the US, and individual US states. You can order the maps plain, or laminated. They are color-coded by elevation, and the craftsmanship is superb. A sample Raven map of the US appears below.














PCs. On this day in 1981, IBM introduced its first personal computer to home users. There had been a smattering of other PC brands and models before IBM's, but this was the computer which standardized the medium by sheer volume of sales, thus setting the stage for the advent of the Internet ten years later. By today's standards, that first IBM model 5150 was a toy -- it boasted a single five inch floppy disk or cassette drives, serial connection ports, and a 10-20 MB hard drive. I have several generations of PCs in storage, the oldest being not much more advanced than that first IBM PC. They were bulky, slow, and now seem antiquated, but in their day they were the cutting edge.

U.S. FAIL / ABANDON SHIP

U.S. FAIL. It came to my attention yesterday that the United States is NOT a member of the International Criminal Court, a permanent tribunal which prosecutes individuals (including heads of state) for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression. The Court is located in The Hague, Netherlands, and currently has 111 member nations. A further 36 countries, including Russia and the U.S., have signed but not ratified the founding statute. (See map above -- green denontes member nations, orange denotes nations who have signed but not ratified.)

It is a grim testimonial to U.S. isolationism, as well as our inflated, sanctimonious view of our own self-importance, that we consistently refuse to join other nations in environmental and human rights endeavors. It is noteworthy that among the nations which are not ICC members are Iraq, China, North Korea, Indonesia, Israel, the Sudan, and India -- nations whose attitude toward human rights is at best negligent, and at worst homicidal. What is the U.S. afraid of? Perhaps our leaders fear that they will be held accountable for acts which violate our own founding principles, not to mention fundamental standards of decency and respect that transcend cultures. From Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan to both Bush presidents, as well as certain Secretaries of Defense, our leadership has made epic military and political decisions on the world stage which were morally bankrupt, and deserve to be held accountable. Why should we hold ourselves to a double standard? What are we afraid might be revealed? We talk the talk, it's long past time that we walk the walk.

ABANDON SHIP. In 1965, during my senior year in high school, I recall becoming involved in a debate over the future of humanity. Specifically, my position was that humans are quickly over-populating the planet, and must choose between drastically reducing our numbers, or finding other habitable planets to which to migrate. Even at the callow age of 18, I intuited a reality that has only become more urgent during the intervening years.

Consider -- in 1965 the world population was 3.35 billion people. In 2009 the world population had doubled to 6.79 billion people (see graph above, click to enlarge). Human overpopulation lies at the root of every social and environmental problem we face -- from economic recession to global starvation, from habitat destruction and species extinctions to global warming. The Earth could reasonably sustain about one tenth the number of people who are alive today -- if that smaller number were stable, not growing.

Forty-five years later, my adolescent conjectures have been vindicated by no less an eminence than Stephen Hawking, the theoretical physicist whose depth and breadth of thought have been compared to Albert Einstein. In a recent interview, Hawking observed that the exponential growth of human population, coupled with our effects on the planet, have crossed a threshold. The momentum of changes we have wrought has taken on a life of its own, and our survival as a species lies in peril. Hawking suggests that we can wait around and undergo a painful extinction, or we can face reality and seek to expand our home from this planet to many others.

My own view has evolved -- I do agree that we should be pouring more resources, creativity and planning into space exploration (and far less into military spending). But I also think that we should be doing everything humanly possible to rescue our garden planet, protecting all species and habitats and the environment which sustains us all. Only by becoming responsible stewards will we deserve to continue to exist. Anything less, and we are simply a cancer on the face of the Earth, and our demise would be a blessing for all other life forms.

CHIVALRY AND THE YOUNG. I happened upon this video taken at a baseball game. The guy does something which should make his girlfriend seriously question his integrity. Particularly revealing is his behavior while being interviewed (and skewered) by a sportscaster after the event. See what you think.

THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

BEAUTY. One of my favorite naturalists and writers, Natalie Angier, notes that we humans employ a curious set of standards when we view the animal world -- admiring some creatures for their graceful, swift or beautiful appearance, while abhoring other creatures for their ugliness. Angier notes that our criteria are highly subjective and rarely consistent, and discusses several possible explanations for our judgment. One explanation for finding a species attractive is neotony, in which an animal (especially a pre-adult) has large eyes relative to its size, a large head, and is given to playful behavior -- reminding us of our own young. Reasons for perceived ugliness include having features that are so disturbingly alien compared to our own, that we are instinctively repelled -- or, paradoxically, having features that in some degree mimic those of humans, but to a distorted degree. The full article is entertaining and illuminating.

MORALITY. What's there to do in Warsaw, Ohio? Well, for the past four years, the pastor and congregation of a local church have conducted weekly demonstrations outside a strip club, equipped with signs, bullhorns and video cameras which they use to record not only the faces of patrons, but also their car license numbers, which are posted online. This past Sunday, the owner and performers at the strip club held a counter-demonstration outside the church, clad in bikinis, grilling hamburgers and playing with super-soakers. I find the whole episode hilarious. In my book, you are free to believe what you wish, so long as you do not try to impose your beliefs upon others. The pastor learned that exercising his right to free speech, when carried too far, had unintended consequences. And I'm betting that church attendance next Sunday will be up dramatically.

HEALTH. Last night the CBS Evening News reported that children in the US are entering puberty at alarmingly young ages. At age 7, ten percent of white girls, fifteen percent of Latina girls, and 23 percent of black girls have started to develop breasts. Age 7. The percentages rise with each year of age. These numbers are up dramatically from just ten years ago, and even more so from my childhood (back during the Punic Wars), when boys and girls reached puberty at around age 12 or 13. Earlier onset of puberty is directly linked to an increased risk of cancer later in life, to problems with self-esteem, and to much earlier sexual activity (and exposure to STDs) and other risky behavior.

The cause? The most immediately apparent trigger appears to be fat. Fully one-third of both children and adults in the US and much of western Europe are clinically overweight, and another third are fully obese. Fat is associated with the production of estrogen, hence puberty. There are also substance in our environment which mimic estrogen and hasten the onset of puberty. Here is the video of Katie Curic's interview with Dr. Jennifer Ashton. Clearly, parents need to get a grip on both their own lives and the lives of their children, starting with a healthy diet, regular exercise and awareness of conditions in their environment.

Whatever happened to childhood?

THE INTERNET TRANSFORMATION

In the nineteen short years since Tim Berners-Lee first proposed a concept called the World Wide Web, the Internet has revolutionized nearly every aspect of our lives. It has become my personal library, a window onto the world, and a source for information and images beyond imagination. The exponential growth of online resources and activities is like watching bunnies have babies -- they breed so fast that they take your breath away.

In the world of literature, most of us are starting to realize that (a) many writers are forced to self-publish at their own expense (since the traditional big five book-publishing houses are swamped); and (b) many readers are switching from hard-copy books to electronic reading devices which can download from services such as Kindle, iPad or Nook. These services represent a flowering of the Internet model -- a growing network of communication that is user-driven and user-defined, further enhancing our connection to the rest of the world.

Now comes a report that one writer has discovered that (a) plus (b) can equal an unexpected (c). Boyd Morrison had no luck finding a publisher for his books, until he decided to upload his writing to Kindle. Within several months, he was selling 4000 copies a month. It's a whole new world for us aspiring writers. The traditional route of securing an agent, gaining the interest of a publishing editor, negotiating a contract, grinding out the rewrites, securing sales outlets, and going on promotional book-signing tours, has now been augmented in serious fashion by the ease and immediacy of electronic publishing.

Of course, with all that freedom comes responsibility, for both writer and reader. Who wants to spend money reading raw, unvetted tripe? There is virtue in the traditional publishing process, with its editorial review and endorsements by known book critics and authors. Still, as a foot in the door, a writer with talent and vision (otherwise lost in a sea of similar writers) now has an additional avenue for being read. And that can only be a good thing. Just ask my cats.

[Note: As a reader, I shall always prefer books, preferably hardbound. I like the weight, the texture, the smell, the lighting, the fonts. Call me old-fashioned. As a nascent writer, I'm happy for any and all means for getting published.]

In passing, I came across a very interesting article on multitasking -- does it exist, or is it an illusion? The article at Science 2.0 breaks down our mental processes into their components, and explains (using analogies from computer functioning) how the perception of multitasking is misleading -- and notes the potential downside of imagining that we are truly capable of tracking with full attention three, four or five tasks simultaneously. If you doubt this, take a look at the rise in traffic accidents involving drivers who were talking on their call phones (or even texting) while behind the wheel. Check out the article so see how it all works.

Lastly, for your musical pleasure and a tickle to your funny bone, here are links to a brief performance by guitarist and singer Javier Batiz (the teacher and mentor to guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana), and an even briefer blonde joke for intellectuals. I know too many brilliant blondes to place much faith in the dumb blonde stereotype, but this one slid in the zinger so adeptly that I had to laugh. Sorry. No I'm not.

r AND K SELECTION / MOSQUES

r AND K SELECTION. In ecology, r/K selection theory relates to the selection of combinations of traits in an organism that trade off between quantity or quality of offspring. The focus upon either increased quantity of offspring at the expense of individual parental investment, or upon reduced quantity of offspring with a correspondingly increased parental investment, is varied to promote success in particular environments (see graph below).

In unstable or unpredictable environments, r-selection predominates as the ability to reproduce quickly is crucial .... Traits that are thought to be characteristic of r-selection include high fecundity, small body size, early maturity onset, short generation time, and the ability to disperse offspring quickly. A few examples -- bacteria, diatoms, insects, coral, and small mammals.

In stable or predictable environments, K-selection predominates as the ability to compete successfully for limited resources is crucial, and populations of K-selected organisms typically are very constant and close to the maximum that the environment can bear. Traits that are thought to be characteristic of K-selection include large body size, long life expectancy, and the production of fewer offspring that require extensive parental care until they mature. A few examples -- elephants, trees, whales and humans.

Although some organisms are clearly r- or K-strategists, most organisms fall along a continuum between the two, exhibiting traits of both types of selection. Even within species, there can be variance. In humans, at times some populations reproduce copiously, others with greater restraint, depending on the environmental and cultural conditions within which they live.

MOSQUES. In a previous post, I commented upon the controversy surrounding the proposed building of a Muslim mosque a few blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City. It is deeply troubling, but not surprising, that we so readily set aside our nation's founding principles (including freedom of religion, which is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution). Today's NYTimes reports that our cultural and religious intolerance is spreading across the nation (more likely it has existed all along, and is now rearing its ugly head in direct proportion to our perception that a certain religion or skin color is associated with the enemy de jour).

Mind you, these are American Muslims and American houses of worship we're talking about. Can you imagine the cultural implosion if certain communities were protesting the building of a Catholic or Protestant church? Has everyone in this country lost their freaking minds? It is so easy (and so intellectually lazy and irresponsible) to generalize from a few extremists and brand an entire religion or culture as evil. Think about it -- there is no better way to alienate a group of decent people than to marginalize them, or to oppress them.

But then, marginalizing and oppressing people are behaviors at which we Americans excel. We love to glorify ourselves, pointing to our finer qualities (and we have many). But we also live in persistent denial of our more venal qualities -- racism, greed, xenophobia, hunger for power, egotism, an distorted sense of our own importance. With more tolerance and humility, we might actually discover that we have much to learn from those we purport to hate.

All you knee-jerk reactionaries out there, this is not about mosques, or terrorism, or undocumented workers, or any other issue which fractures people, divides people. It is about two things. The first is money and power -- those who have it manipulate the opinions of those who don't. Don't be manipulated. Use your K-selected intelligence, question the news you hear, THINK. The second is remembering to honor our nation's founding principles. When was the last time you actually read the US Constitution and its Amendments? An intimate familiarity with our ideals should be inherent in any political discussion -- especially any discussion which threatens the fundamental rights of any group of humans -- whether they are citizens or not. How can we expect the world to wish to accept our form of government and life, when we fail to practice what we preach? (Click on any image to enlarge.)

YEATS

To Some I Have Talked With By The Fire
by William Butler Yeats
from The Rose (1893)

While I wrought out these fitful Danaan rhymes,
My heart would brim with dreams about the times
When we bent down above the fading coals
And talked about the dark folk who live in souls
Of passionate men, like bats in the dead trees;
And of the wayward twilight companies
Who sigh with mingled sorrow and content,
Because their blossoming dreams have never bent
Under the fruit of evil, and of good:
And of the embattled flaming multitude
Who rise, wing above wing, flame above flame,
And, like a storm, cry the ineffable Name,
And with the clashing of their sword-blades make
A rapturous music, till the morning break
And the white hush end all but the loud beat
Of their long wings, the flash of their white feet.

GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS

GOOD NEWS. Aircraft manufacturer Icon has announced the newest entry into the rapidly-growing Light Sport Aircraft market, its amphibious A5, an extremely sleek and sexy plane (see photo below). As with all new models, I'll give it a year or two before outright endorsement, since some promising designs don't make it to production. But a fella can dream. Check the Icon website and click on all the photo galleries and videos under the "Experience Icon" header -- looks like a lot of fun.















This headline in today's Missoulian made my spirits soar -- "Molloy orders reinstatement of gray wolf protections in Montana, Idaho." US District Judge Donald Malloy ordered the gray wolf back on the endangered species list, noting that "populations in Idaho and Montana cannot be considered separately from Wyoming's wolves .... the Endangered Species Act does not allow only part of a species to be listed as endangered, nor does it allow a distinct population segment to be subdivided." This is only common sense. A biological population is distributed within entire ecosystems, limited by climate, habitat and prey populations. State or other political boundaries are not relevant to wild animals.

Last year, both Idaho and Montana held state-licensed wolf hunts. Idaho's official kill was 185 wolves, and Montana's was 73 wolves. Both states had planned another wolf season this fall, with substantially higher kill quotas. Those hunts are now on hold. (And I'm thinking, YES!!) At the end of 2009, there were 843 wolves in Idaho, 524 in Montana, and 320 in Wyoming. Which may sound like a lot, until you consider the thousands of square miles of habitat in these three western states alone.

The ruling also means that ranchers can no longer (legally) "haze, harrass or kill wolves that prey on their livestock." As I suggested in a previous post, control of problem wolves should be conducted on a case-by-case basis by trained and licensed wildlife agents. I do sympathize with ranchers who legitimately lose livestock to wolves, and (as a friend who does not share my views toward wolves noted recently) it is simple reality that some livestock owners will quietly take the law into their own hands. We need a better, more effective procedure for control, one which both protects these top predators, and also protects the interests of rural residents. Simple recompense for losses is not enough. Killing or relocating problem predators is not enough. I don't have a good solution yet, and am open to suggestions. In the meantime, I'm elated that the wholesale slaughter of wolves through state-licensed hunts has been put on hold. That solution was too random, and out of proportion to the scale of the problem.

BAD NEWS. Another headline, this one in the NYTimes: "Xenophobia -- Fear-mongering for American Votes." Do Republican conservatives know no shame? There is a move afoot to deny citizenship to children born in the United States, if their parents are not citizens. This flies directly in the face of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution -- "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." In the current racist atmosphere which spawned Arizona's hateful (and now eviscerated) immigration law, it is essential to remind ourselves that "citizenship is not a question of race, color, beliefs, wealth, political status or bloodline. It cannot fall prey to political whims or debates over who is worthy to be an American."

This exclusionary mindset is totally alien to me. Of all nations on the planet, the US is the most diverse -- culturally, ethnically, racially -- precisely because (ideally) we welcome immigrants of all backgrounds, from all nations. The mentality that says, "Okay, I've made it in, now let's slam the door on all those unkempt hordes still trying to find a better life" ... that mentality is selfish, myopic and witless.

A child born to American parents who happen to be living abroad, is automatically a US citizen, as well as a citizen of the country in which the child is born. A child born in the US, to parents who are not citizens, is still a citizen by birth. This is as it should be. The more welcoming and inclusive we are, the richer our lives, our economy and our national identity. Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Jeff Sessions, and John Kyl (among others), bow your heads in shame.

AN ANNIVERSARY. On this date in 1991, British computer programmer Tim Berners-Lee first posted files describing his ideas for a system of interlinked, hypertext documents accessible on the Internet, to be called a World Wide Web. Talk about your quiet revolutions. Talk about your paradigm shifts. The world has been completely transformed in less than two decades, in ways arguably far faster and more profound than the exploration of the New World, or the Industrial Revolution. A world library, communication beyond our wildest dreams, with no end in sight. Cheers to us all.

SB 1070 / THEISM / CARLIN

SB 1070. In a well-deserved blow to Arizona's racist immigration law, Judge Susan Bolton ordered injunctions on key elements of the law, including the provision that state troopers would assume the role of enforcing Federal Immigration laws -- based solely on reasonable suspicion (a legal standard of proof which carries less force than probable cause, the standard for arrests and warrants). Under SB 1070, reasonable suspicion criteria include demeanor, English skills, travelling companions, location and dress -- criteria subjective enough to allow broad latitude amounting to racial profiling, since the majority of US citizens could be considered "suspicious" at one time or another under these criteria. In the context of immigration in Arizona, the tacit deciding factor for suspicion is the color of a suspect's skin. Period.

Prize-winning journalist Terry Greene Sterling offers a calm and comprehensive assessment of the Arizona law, and the effects it has had on US citizens who happen to be Latino, as well as an analysis of the views and attitudes of Arizona voters, many of whom would not have supported the law if they had understood it sufficiently.

THEISM. According to a new psychological study, thinking about God reduces stress (but only for believers). The study's design is flawed on several levels, not least of which is the lack of a discernible control group, as well as the intentional skewing of the study toward one group (those who believe in God), and against another group (those who do not). One can substitute any belief system for "God", and arrive at the same conclusion. Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim, an animist, a Nazi, a Republican, a Democrat, or a Wiccan, the simple act of believing in something greater than oneself reduces stress, usually by simplifying the world down to a level of comprehensibility and comfort, disregarding equally true and relevant information which might be discomforting.

The ultimate effect is barely distinguishable from a placebo effect. This should demonstrate the importance of an informed, questioning attitude toward any study. Is the hypothesis clearly stated? Do the study methods meet quality standards? What statistical analysis was employed? Do the results truly support the hypothesis, and if so, to what extent? We all need to be thinking for ourselves at every moment, provisionally accepting a statement if it makes sense, and being prepared to reject a statement if it does not make sense -- even if it appears to prop up our cherished beliefs.

CARLIN. Comedian and social critic George Carlin was a deeply insightful and daring man who never met a prejudice too intimidating to shine a light on. His black humor masked a caring and sensitive soul -- too caring to stand idly by and allow ignorance or malice to pollute our world. Here is a portion of one of his final performances, The American Dream -- reiminscent of Dwight D. Eisenhower's parting Presidential address in which he warned of the dangers of the military-industrial complex -- though Carlin's choice of language is more direct and earthy.

AIRLINE FEES / WEB SLANG

AIRLINE FEES. My first flight on a major airline was from Tacoma, WA, to Tucson, AZ, in transit between Army training bases. At age 20 in 1967, it was a major adrenaline rush to feel myself pushed back into the seat as the plane accelerated for takeoff. Cruising at 31,000 feet above sea level was a revelation, a transcendent experience.

In those days, the airlines competed to provide the most congenial and economical service. Alas, how things have changed. Now you can fly the friendly skies only if you are willing to be packed in like a sardine, arrive at the airport two hours early to deal with the long lines at check-in and security, and happen to have a wad of cash on you to pay for services that once were free. The establishment of the hub and spoke system, which may be more logistically efficient for the airlines, but has created an unwieldy and costly experience for passengers, is largely to blame for this state of affairs -- along with corporate mismanagement, which has become a cancer in what passes for capitalism in the US. If you don't happen to live near an airline hub, or near a spoke terminus, you'd better hope your city is served by one of the regional airlines (which either contract with, or are subsidiaries of, the shrinking number of major airlines). The opportunities for anti-trust lawsuits are many and ripe.

An article by Susan Stellin describes this culture shock in detail. Baggage fees, reservation change fees, phone reservation fees, food and drink charges, a fee to use the dedicated headset if you want to hear the inflight movie, a few bucks to use a pillow or blanket, peak travel surcharges (the definition of "peak travel" is expanding continuously), even -- so help me -- standby travel fees. You have to PAY EXTRA to fly standby. What? Soon we'll have coin-operated rest rooms, and a surcharge to breath cabin air, 60% of which is recycled without filtration.

All this, as seating space shrinks, security lines grow, flight delays increase, and the airlines reserve the right to postpone or cancel flights without notice or recompense to passengers. Is there something wrong with this picture?

The airlines are gouging the flying public. They seem to have forgotten that they work for us. And we have meekly allowed this to happen. It is past time for a public protest. Email, phone or write to your elected representatives (they pay most attention to emails), and to the White House. Here is where to contact your US Senators and Representatives, and here is where to contact the White House, on this or any other issue that is important to you.

WEB SLANG. If you're like me, you resort to Wikipedia often, especially when you encounter an acronym or other form of web slang which you don't recognize. Good news -- here, at one handy website, Wiki has set up a dictionary of internet slang. Just browsing it is kinda fun. On the other hand, I enjoy language so much that I more often just spell things out. My way.

FILM / NATURE

FILM. Yesterday I watched a movie called Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust. It was both a harrowing and a redemptive experience. As the name implies, this documentary traces how the Holocaust has been portrayed over the years in movies -- portraying the histories of world events, politics, our culture, and ultimately every individual who has been touched by World War II and the genocide of six million Jews by Hitler's Nazis. Which is to say, everyone. It is not an easy film to watch, in part because of the starkly graphic subject matter, and in part because we are witness to our own years-long disbelief, denial and callous disregard of systematic and brutal oppression, abuse and mass murder. It shocks and grieves to learn that many lives could have been saved, if our leaders had decided to act upon intelligence they had as early as 1942, and probably much earlier. World War II in general, and the Holocaust in particular, were the defining moments of the twentieth century. And while we in the US like to congratulate ourselves on winning that war, in the end we only entered the war out of animal self-preservation. The isolationism practiced by the US prior to December 7, 1941 is a permanent stain on our national character.

I was reminded of another film that deals indirectly with genocide, politics and war -- Spaulding Gray's brilliant and chameleonic Swimming to Cambodia. Gray's monologue revolves around the filming of The Killing Fields, and includes the historic backdrop of the Vietnam War, social and political upheaval in the US, as well as Gray's own experiences while filming in Thailand. Shifting from biting satire to deep questions about the duality between integrity and expediency, the movie can be seen repeatedly, and still remain fresh and relevant.

In my post on 15 May, 2010, I described yet another film about cultural brutality, The Stoning of Soraya M. The movie's Iranian-born star, Shohreh Aghdashloo, today expresses her horror over Iran's decision to stone a woman to death for committing adultery. Her interview is passionate and eloquent, and includes a link to the trailer for her movie. Please take a moment to read her thoughts, out of compassion and in honor of bearing witness so that we may learn how to transcend our own visible and invisible violence. Thank you.

[Please note that I watch many genres of movies -- it is happenstance that the titles I've recommended today all deal with grim (and very real) topics.]

NATURE. Here is a link to the website for the Cheetah Conservation Fund. One of the founding themes of this blog is the reality that predators are in dire need of our protection and stewardship. They are an integral part of nature's balance, culling out the old, weak and ailing among prey species, leaving the strong to survive and reproduce. Unfortunately, predators are too often perceived as either a threat to humans, or as competitors for common prey species. The natural world exists in a state of dynamic equilibrium until we arrogant humans intrude ourselves and start to play god with the balance of things. We have managed to screw things up so badly that we may already have passed the threshold for recovery for many species, not to mention entire ecosystems.

In this context, the health of predators provides a gauge for the health of the biome as a whole. Human abuse of resources, and human pollution and habitat degradation, all filter up the food chain to where they are most visible -- to the top predators, who not only deserve to live freely in their own right, but also serve as the canary in the coal mine, signaling the prospects for human survival. It is in our own best interests, as well as theirs, to act as informed and responsible stewards for all nature's predators -- on land, in the world ocean, and in the air. All life forms are connected.

Speaking of in the air, I've discovered a wonderful website where you can hear the calls of every species of bird in North America. Individual species are arranged taxonomically into groups, so if you have a certain species in mind and are not a regular birder, the index of any popular bird guide will help you discover the group to look for. Mostly the search is easy, and it's fun just to randomly explore and see what you discover.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS

"Harry Crumpton, the ex-CIA operative who secretly ran the war against terror in Afghanistan after 9/11, describes using local might to oust al-Qaeda and their Taliban hosts, a strategy he says is needed in Pakistan now, where terrorist leaders are hiding." This is the summary of Lara Logan's interview with Crumpton on CBS' 60 Minutes yesterday. Regular readers know that I advocate peaceful education and empowering local communities, over military force. But if, as Crumpton suggests, terrorist forces are growing in numbers and sophistication, making another catastrophic strike within the US inevitable, then regular readers will also know that I advocate Crumpton's tactic -- using only a few dozen CIA operatives and Special Forces teams to train local (Afghan or Pakistani) forces to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda themselves. Again, local empowerment is key. It is misguided and counter-productive to go in with tens of thousands of US troops and technology. We are perceived by locals and by the rest of the world as invaders, rather than as catalysts for positive change. The entire thirteen-minute interview is illuminating, and well worth watching.

On a lighter note, in a previous post I described the tornadic phenomenon named Zenyatta, an undefeated thoroughbread mare whose athleticism and endearing personality captivate all who watch her. Here is a brief video of this magnificent animal doing her trademark exuberant pre-race dance during warmup.

And here is another short clip, which never fails to crack me up. Don't honk at old people!!

Finally, Hank Campbell offers a tongue-in-cheek discussion guide to the new biography on the life of Angelina Jolie. Enjoy your day.

SOCIAL TIES / LANGUAGES / THE WALL

SOCIAL TIES. This is not quite news to many of us, but the reminder is important. A new meta-study confirms that maintaining strong social ties improves our physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. The conclusion dovetails nicely with the observations of Eric Weiner in his book The Geography of Bliss. Weiner found among ten nations he visited, across economic, geographic and cultural differences, the common denominator for personal happiness is social bonding -- with family, with friends, with life partners or lovers. My own life experience aligns with this principle. The happiest passages saw me engaged in my community (in music, in peer counseling, in mediation, in book discussion groups), and sorrounded by friends and loved ones. For me, having direct access to the natural world counts for a lot, too. Alas, at the moment nearly all of my friends are scattered across the continent (indeed, around the world), and I feel their absence. It's time to "seek out new life forms and new civilizations .... ", or something like that.

LANGUAGES. As one who survived (and sometimes thrived in) two years of high school Latin, and a year each of college-level Spanish and French, plus twenty years of being enriched in the bilingual (Spanish and English) culture of southern Arizona, it seems clear to me that I learn most thoroughly through daily immersion in a language, rather than through reading and writing in a classroom. Today's NYTimes reports yet another way in which the Internet is broadening our horizons -- the existence of websites "devoted to helping people learn languages by swapping messages [with those who speak a different language] over the Internet and correcting each other's messages." Websites such as livemocha and mylanguageexchange offer varying degrees of structure, and an impressive array of language choices. Icing on the cake -- friendships often form between pairs of mutual tutors. Sounds like a win-win proposition.

THE WALL. I've visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, several times. As a veteran of that war, the feelings that surface are intense -- grief, fear, catharsis. Yet that intensity is no reason to avoid the experience. The Memorial is brilliantly designed, and a moving experience for nearly every visitor. One of my good friends sent me an email with a link to a service called virtualwall.org, which allows anyone to search for the names of service men and women listed on the Wall. If you are of the Vietnam generation, a veteran or family member or friend, or if you simply want to learn more about that experience, this service is one possible starting point.

MONOGAMY / INTERNET PRIVACY

MONOGAMY. Christopher Ryan poses an interesting hypothesis -- that monogamy is an unnatural state for our species. His take on shifting relationship codes over our evolutionary development, starting in prehistory, has some factual merit. Still, as one who is educated in ecology and evolutionary biology, it is not clear to me that his analysis stretches to lend support to humans being naturally polygamous (or polyandrous). Bottom line, whether or not we are hard-wired for certain social behaviors is emphatically secondary to our free will, set of ethics, or simple practicality.

In my hormone-driven youth, I went through passages of having one intimate partner, and also of having more than one partner (with one of those being primary). There was never any duplicity -- all parties knew and approved of whatever arrangement held sway at the moment. Ultimately, I found that paying adequate and deserved attention to just one partner (emotionally, sexually, intellectually) was not only more satisfying, but more realistic. Spreading onself around simply takes too much energy and attention, and doesn't do justice to the Quality of each relationship.

Perhaps that's just me. Perhaps others have discovered a capacity for multiplicity, at least for short periods. I doubt that it is workable as an established social norm, without risking the oppression of one gender or the other.

INTERNET PRIVACY. Ellen Nakashima -- "The Obama administration is seeking to make it easier for the FBI to compel companies to turn over records of an individual's Internet activity without a court order if agents deem the information relevant to a terrorism or intelligence investigation."

Over my dead body. Privacy is a sacrosanct civil liberty. I do not trust either the integrity or the judgment of ANY intelligence agent with the details of my personal life, as a matter of principle. We've seen far too many instances of abuse and neglect over the years, by the FBI, by the CIA, by the NSA, and by the Department of Homland Security. If the need is legitimate, then the agency must justify it by getting a court order. Period. The old joke runs that the term "military intelligence" is an oxymoron. A facile judgment, perhaps, but not without some foundation in truth. Far better to preserve judicial oversight in order to avoid intelligence excesses.

A BETTER WAR

In today's NYTimes, Nicholas Kristof notes that the ostensible "war on terror" has been the most costly war in American history, with the exception of World War II. This information comes from a new report by the Congressional Research Office, and measures only monetary costs. It does not include the costs in casualties or ruined lives, in troop morale, or in the credibility of the US among the world community. Kristof justifiably takes President Obama to task for his escalation of the war in Afghanistan (tripling the number of US troops in that country since he took office). The money and lives would be far better spent (as this writer has noted repeatedly) by shifting our attention to education in Afghanistant and other countries.

Greg Mortenson's inspiring book Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time is required reading at West Point, but its message has yet to penetrate the upper levels of policy making in the Obama Administration. Three Cups of Tea is set in Pakistan, while Mortenson's follow-up book Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs is set mostly in Afghanistan. Mortenson's non-profit Central Asia Institute is based in Bozeman, MT, and has built over 130 schools in the two countries -- not by barging into local communities and declaring "this is what you need", but rather by respectfully establishing relationships with community leaders and then asking "what do you most need?" Resoundingly, the answer is "We need schools." CAI's approach includes locals at all levels of decision-making and construction, which is key to allowing them to feel empowered, to take charge of their own lives. Incidentally, that taking charge includes rejecting any further support for the Taliban, in village after village. Military protection for these schools is not needed, as the experience of Mortenson and the relief organization CARE have demonstrated repeatedly.

Kristof's article mentions Three Cups of Tea as a model for a much more effective method of combatting terrorism than our costly and counterproductive military presence in southern Asia. The focus on schools for girls is especially important. "Teach a boy, and you educate an individual. Teach a girl, and you educate a community."

Kristof closes by noting that "We won our nation's independence for $2.4 billion in today's money ... That was good value, considering that we now fritter the same amount every nine days in Afghanistan." Time for a change in priorities, indeed. For the cost of just one soldier in Afghanistan for one year, we could start about twenty schools there.

On another Afghanistan front, the recent publication of thousands of documents by Wikileaks has been roundly (and predictably) criticized by Administration and Pentagon officials. For another viewpoint, please consider this brief essay by a soldier on the ground in Afghanistan. We need more transparency in government, not less. The US intelligence apparatus is so bloated that, according to the Washington Post, the number of people with Top Secret security clearances is 1.5 times the population of the District of Columbia. Fewer spies, more teachers?

BULLFIGHTING / SPACEQUAKES / VISUALS

BULLFIGHTING. Grand news !! CBS News reports that in the northeast of Spain, the parliament of Catalonia (whose capital is Barcelona) has voted to ban bull fighting. This is an unprecidented step forward, in my view. Consider that in a traditional bull fight, the animal is first pierced by the lances of mounted picadores, who aim to sever neck muscles and cause extensive bleeding. Next barbed sticks are used by banderilleros to further enrage, confuse and bleed out the bull. Finally, when the bull is exhausted and weakened from loss of blood, and after being taunted repeatedly by the motion (not the color) of a sweeping cape, the matador, if he is skilled, kills the bull with a well-aimed thrust of his sword to the spinal column. If the matador is not skilled or quick on his feet, he risks being gored by the bull. All for the blood sport of the cheering audience.

There are certain human forms of entertainment which can only be considered barbaric, cruel torture. Among them, bull fighting, dog fighting, cock fighting, and rodeos. The former three involve bloodshed and death. While rodeo usually does not, most events feature humans forcing animals into states of fear or anger, with a high risk of injury to man and beast. Once a redneck Texas cowboy challenged me on this, saying that the animals in events such as calf roping are not hurt. The biologist in me (not to mention the humanitarian) responded that for an animal to be running at full speed, then when a lariat settles around its neck and tightens, to be brought to an instant halt, so violently that the calf is jerked off its feet and somersaults to the ground, physical trauma is inevitable. I suggested that the cowboy try out the role of the calf for himself, to see what it felt like. He declined.

The last time I attended a rodeo was in my teens, at a local three day event celebrating Whoop Up Trail Days, or Whoop Up for short. The naivete of youth was shattered during a bronc riding event, along with one of the hind legs of the bucking horse -- the rear knee joint broke clean in two, leaving the lower half of his leg dangling and swinging bizarrely by only a shred of skin. The poor horse went wild with pain, careening out of control. It took event managers a full half hour to get the animal into a holding pen, contact its owner for instructions, and finally to end its misery with a gunshot to the head. During that entire time the arena air was pierced by the horse's screams. Never again.

So Parliamentarians of Catalonia, I salute you. Bullfighting is on the wane in Spain and Mexico. It cannot disappear too soon.

SPACEQUAKES. Scientists at NASA have discovered a phenomenon called spacequakes. Just as earthquakes are disturbances in the earth's crust, spacequakes are disturbances in the magnetosphere surrounding Earth (and presumably other celestial bodies). Here is a brief video illustrationg a spacequake's behavior. And here is a fuller description of the discovery.

VISUALS. Just for fun -- here is a high-speed (9000 frames per second) video of multiple lightning flashes. Slow motion takes on an entirely new meaning. And here is an article and graph on the mathematics of marriage. Analysis, far from deadening the mystery of music or poetry or literature or relationships, adds to the color and enjoyment.

BONUS. Robert Redford is more than an accomplished movie actor and director. He is also an intelligent and committed philanthropist and environmentalist, just as his close friend Paul Newman was a lifelong active humanitarian. Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival, the largest venue for independent filmmakers in the US. In a recent editorial on The Huffington Post, Redford eloquently and forcefully rebuts those Republican Senators whose cynical intransigence blocked passage of meaningful, comprehensive energy and climate legislation. Ever since the US failure to sign the Kyoto Accord in 1997, the US has been the sole developed nation to resist energy and climate reform. We are the laughing-stock of the world, due to our myopia, greed and stupidity. Obstructionist conservatives should be horsewhipped. Or perhaps be made to perform the calf's role at a rodeo.