By KATHERINE HARDING
Thursday, September 29, 2005 Posted at 4:41 AM EDT
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
Edmonton — Andy Carpenter has only to walk out his front door to see that the Arctic's thick blanket of snow and ice is melting, drip by drip.
"It's impossible not to notice this," said the mayor of Sachs Harbour, a remote hamlet of 120 on the shore of Banks Island in Canada's Western Arctic. "What worries me is that people are starting to get used to it."
An alarming study released yesterday shows that the rapid decline of the floating ice cap covering the Arctic Ocean is showing no signs of reversing.
The U.S.-based National Snow and Ice Data Center presented data showing that the dramatic decay has continued for the fourth consecutive year, with 2005 being a record year for sea-ice shrinkage.
The researchers, who used satellite images and were assisted by NASA and the University of Washington, also predicted that if the current rates of decline in sea ice continue, the summertime Arctic could be ice-free before the end of this century.
A thawed Arctic region would have massive implications for Canada's economy and sovereignty claims.
Mark Serreze, a researcher at the Colorado-based centre, said it's been so warm in the region this year that the legendary Northwest Passage was largely open during the summer.
"It's certainly a rare event. . . . It's becoming easier to get through," he said. "Could this become one of the positive impacts of global warming? It all depends on your perspective."
In recent years, some have predicted that the treacherous waterway, which is normally clogged with ice, could become the much sought-after shortened trade link between Europe and Asia.
Mr. Serreze said he is worried that the decline of sea ice can never be reversed.
He said that historically, the ice cap recuperates during the winter, but that isn't happening any more.
Instead, because large, dark sections of the Arctic Ocean are exposed, the energy from the sun is being sucked into its waters instead of being bounced back into space by the ice cap.
"That is warming the water up," Mr. Serreze explained.
The centre's study concluded that human-induced global warming is at least partly to blame.
"It's still a controversial issue . . . but we've got to be considering greenhouse gases as part of this whole event," Mr. Serreze said.
Many scientists argue that the Arctic is widely considered a regulator of climate around the world. When its weather shifts dramatically, changes elsewhere are bound to take place.
Last year, a landmark environmental study by the Arctic Council, which is made up of representatives from several northern countries, found that temperatures in the Canadian Arctic have risen by three to four degrees over the past 50 years.
It also announced that sea-ice cover has declined 10 per cent over the past 30 years.
Federal Environment Minister Stéphane Dion told reporters in Ottawa that the mounting research about the melting ice cap is a "terrible concern."
He said it could raise water levels in the world's oceans, causing massive problems for countries such as Bangladesh.
He expects the topic to be discussed at a United Nations climate-change conference in Montreal this fall.
Mr. Carpenter, who was born and raised in Sachs Harbour, just hopes the "the rest of the world finally wakes up to what's going on."
As a boy during the 1950s, the large harbour in front of his home used to freeze up every September.
"You used to have to break the ice just to get in," he said. "Now it's just open water until winter hits.
"It's been gradual, but our world is definitely changing," he added.
Lately, all I've been seeing in the media related to this story are articles with titles like "Melting ice revives polar dreams" and "The Golden Age of Northern shipping routes". I can't fathom how people can't see alarm in this prospect. So shortsighted and money-grubbing. The Arctic sea ice is a major climate moderator for the entire globe, and has existed in some form or other for ONE MILLION YEARS. Once it is gone, as predicted, the heat absorption in the Arctic Ocean will throw things topsy-turvy all over the globe. 10% of it has disappeared in THIRTY YEARS. It may already be affecting weather patterns and be partially responsible for the crazy weather we've had this year. If we are able to survive the post oil age, then this phenomenon will certainly finish off whoever is left.
11 October 2005
American urban critic slags 'beige' Calgary
Critique called 'drive-by shooting'
Charles Mandel and Emma Poole
For CanWest News Service and Calgary Herald
Friday, October 07, 2005
With new subdivisions of half-million-dollar houses opening every month, Calgary "is the North American tragedy in microcosm."
That's the opinion of James Howard Kunstler, an outspoken urban affairs writer who recently visited the city and posted his less-than-flattering impressions on his highly regarded web blog.
Calgary is "an archetypal city of immense glass boxes in a sterilized centre surrounded by an asteroid belt of beige residential subdivisions," Kunstler wrote.
"The vast suburbs ooze out onto the prairie to the east, along with their complements of strip malls, power centres, car dealerships and fry pits," writes the acerbic and acclaimed author of several books on suburban sprawl and New Urbanist development.
Kunstler was even less charitable when reached by phone at his home Thursday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
"I thought it represented pretty much all the banality of bad choices that we continue to make in this part of the world."
Some Calgarians believe Kunstler's description is unjust and spiteful.
A recent survey by the Economist on global quality of life placed Calgary third in a tie with Toronto, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Zurich.
It left some professional planners wondering: How could a city so great to live in, allegedly be so ugly?
"I would say he hasn't been in Calgary long enough. He's sort of done a drive-by shooting here," said local architect Wade Gibbs of Gibbs Gage Architects. "There's more attention to design in Calgary than in most other North American cities. It's unfair to summarize Calgary . . . in just eight lines (in the blog)."
Kunstler said he doesn't mean to single out Calgary, only that the Western metropolis is typical in its poor urban design, featuring a core of uninteresting glass towers from which radiate districts comprising cookie-cutter homes and big box stores.
In his most recent book, The Long Emergency, Kunstler argues the depletion of fossil fuels will cause cities to become denser in the core while the suburbs collapse.
Gibbs said Calgary's downtown core is built using "corporate-driven architecture."
Behind every tower design is a client, a budget and a vision, said Gibbs.
Just because Kunstler doesn't like the look of the area, doesn't make it a bad design, he said.
While it might seem Kunstler has it in for Calgary, the former writer for Rolling Stone isn't any more forgiving of other Canadian cities. The only thing he noticed on his last visit to Vancouver was that the downtown apartment towers tended to sit on podium-like structures with blank walls at their base.
Ottawa, he said, was overburdened with experimental modernist buildings that sit in the city like objects lost in space, and Windsor is "banal and boring."
Edmontonians shouldn't get too smug about Kunstler's description of Calgary. While he enjoyed the northern Alberta city more, Kunstler said: "It was interesting to be in such a substantial town so far away from anything."
It's that antagonistic attitude that has Calgary city planners scoffing at Kunstler's radical views.
"He uses the same language when he describes any city in North America," said Brent Toderian, manager of city-centre planning and design for the city.
"In many cases I agree with him, but sometimes he goes too far," he said. "He's not totally off, but he's not aware of the strides we've made."
Toderian said Calgary is doing better at creating centres of activities within communities.
As well, he said, local architects and planners have designed top-quality projects Kunstler wouldn't have seen from the highway.
Communities such as McKenzie Towne, Garrison Woods and The Bridges are examples of thriving urban and suburban planning.
"There's been a lot of beige in the past. We realize that the centre city architecture could be improved," said Toderian. "We're an extremely successful and exciting city and our architecture should reflect that. We have to avoid cheesy theming."
Is there any place the author likes?
"I don't think North America is in very good shape now anywhere," Kunstler groused, but added, "Some places are not as bad as others."
He cited Toronto and Montreal as two of the better cities because they have lively downtowns and strong public transit systems.
But overall, Kunstler has little good to say about the state of North American cities. He said no quick fix exists for poorly designed urban centres.
epoole@theherald.canwest.com
Charles Mandel and Emma Poole
For CanWest News Service and Calgary Herald
Friday, October 07, 2005
With new subdivisions of half-million-dollar houses opening every month, Calgary "is the North American tragedy in microcosm."
That's the opinion of James Howard Kunstler, an outspoken urban affairs writer who recently visited the city and posted his less-than-flattering impressions on his highly regarded web blog.
Calgary is "an archetypal city of immense glass boxes in a sterilized centre surrounded by an asteroid belt of beige residential subdivisions," Kunstler wrote.
"The vast suburbs ooze out onto the prairie to the east, along with their complements of strip malls, power centres, car dealerships and fry pits," writes the acerbic and acclaimed author of several books on suburban sprawl and New Urbanist development.
Kunstler was even less charitable when reached by phone at his home Thursday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
"I thought it represented pretty much all the banality of bad choices that we continue to make in this part of the world."
Some Calgarians believe Kunstler's description is unjust and spiteful.
A recent survey by the Economist on global quality of life placed Calgary third in a tie with Toronto, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Zurich.
It left some professional planners wondering: How could a city so great to live in, allegedly be so ugly?
"I would say he hasn't been in Calgary long enough. He's sort of done a drive-by shooting here," said local architect Wade Gibbs of Gibbs Gage Architects. "There's more attention to design in Calgary than in most other North American cities. It's unfair to summarize Calgary . . . in just eight lines (in the blog)."
Kunstler said he doesn't mean to single out Calgary, only that the Western metropolis is typical in its poor urban design, featuring a core of uninteresting glass towers from which radiate districts comprising cookie-cutter homes and big box stores.
In his most recent book, The Long Emergency, Kunstler argues the depletion of fossil fuels will cause cities to become denser in the core while the suburbs collapse.
Gibbs said Calgary's downtown core is built using "corporate-driven architecture."
Behind every tower design is a client, a budget and a vision, said Gibbs.
Just because Kunstler doesn't like the look of the area, doesn't make it a bad design, he said.
While it might seem Kunstler has it in for Calgary, the former writer for Rolling Stone isn't any more forgiving of other Canadian cities. The only thing he noticed on his last visit to Vancouver was that the downtown apartment towers tended to sit on podium-like structures with blank walls at their base.
Ottawa, he said, was overburdened with experimental modernist buildings that sit in the city like objects lost in space, and Windsor is "banal and boring."
Edmontonians shouldn't get too smug about Kunstler's description of Calgary. While he enjoyed the northern Alberta city more, Kunstler said: "It was interesting to be in such a substantial town so far away from anything."
It's that antagonistic attitude that has Calgary city planners scoffing at Kunstler's radical views.
"He uses the same language when he describes any city in North America," said Brent Toderian, manager of city-centre planning and design for the city.
"In many cases I agree with him, but sometimes he goes too far," he said. "He's not totally off, but he's not aware of the strides we've made."
Toderian said Calgary is doing better at creating centres of activities within communities.
As well, he said, local architects and planners have designed top-quality projects Kunstler wouldn't have seen from the highway.
Communities such as McKenzie Towne, Garrison Woods and The Bridges are examples of thriving urban and suburban planning.
"There's been a lot of beige in the past. We realize that the centre city architecture could be improved," said Toderian. "We're an extremely successful and exciting city and our architecture should reflect that. We have to avoid cheesy theming."
Is there any place the author likes?
"I don't think North America is in very good shape now anywhere," Kunstler groused, but added, "Some places are not as bad as others."
He cited Toronto and Montreal as two of the better cities because they have lively downtowns and strong public transit systems.
But overall, Kunstler has little good to say about the state of North American cities. He said no quick fix exists for poorly designed urban centres.
epoole@theherald.canwest.com
07 October 2005
Doing everything at 85% is good enough
This one came in my Inbox from Calvin. It speaks volumes of truth!
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you! should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and enjoying your friends."
And the moral is:
Know where you're going in life...you may already be there!
A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs...I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you! should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my Friend, That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" said the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings doing what you like and enjoying your friends."
And the moral is:
Know where you're going in life...you may already be there!
06 October 2005
Gasoline surge leads to pedal power
Group expects sale of 20 million bicycles this year, approaching record years set in early 1970s.
October 6, 2005: 6:32 AM EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A spike in gasoline prices is fueling what could be the biggest year for U.S. bicycle sales since the Arab oil embargoes more than three decades ago, a leading bike association says.
"For bicycles, high gasoline prices are a good thing," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers.
U.S. gasoline prices struck an all-time record above $3 a gallon after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, shutting several oil refineries, though prices have eased slightly since then, according to government surveys.
"People's eyeballs pop out when they see the gas pumps and they say they need to do something. One of the options is biking," Blumenthal said Wednesday.
"Independent dealers, specialty sporting stores and big-box stores have told us that since Aug. 1, bicycle sales have jumped dramatically," he said.
Gasoline prices have been on the rise for months due to high crude prices and a crunch on global refining capacity, and higher summer demand along with the recent hurricanes have pushed them to new peaks.
Close to 20 million bicycles are likely to be sold this year, approaching the record hit after a cut-off of Arab oil triggered gasoline lines in the United States.
"It should be close to 20 million units. If you look back historically, the three best years for bike sales were 1972, 1973, and 1974," Blumenthal said.
Last year's U.S. bicycle sales were just under 19 million.
Travel and motorist group AAA said it has noticed Americans are looking for ways to cut their fuel consumption by using more fuel-efficient vehicles, or by using public transportation and bicycles.
"AAA is beginning to think that consumers may finally have tired of expensive gasoline," said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom.
U.S. fuel demand over the past four weeks has fallen nearly 3 percent below last year's levels, the U.S. government said Wednesday.
Demand for gasoline averaged 8.8 million bpd, or 2.6 percent below last year, while distillate demand averaged 3.9 million bpd, or 3.8 percent below last year, the Energy Information Administration said.
Wouldn't it be great if everyone would ride a bike and our cities were infrastructurally supportive of this (fantastic) alternative form of transportation?
October 6, 2005: 6:32 AM EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A spike in gasoline prices is fueling what could be the biggest year for U.S. bicycle sales since the Arab oil embargoes more than three decades ago, a leading bike association says.
"For bicycles, high gasoline prices are a good thing," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, a national coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers.
U.S. gasoline prices struck an all-time record above $3 a gallon after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, shutting several oil refineries, though prices have eased slightly since then, according to government surveys.
"People's eyeballs pop out when they see the gas pumps and they say they need to do something. One of the options is biking," Blumenthal said Wednesday.
"Independent dealers, specialty sporting stores and big-box stores have told us that since Aug. 1, bicycle sales have jumped dramatically," he said.
Gasoline prices have been on the rise for months due to high crude prices and a crunch on global refining capacity, and higher summer demand along with the recent hurricanes have pushed them to new peaks.
Close to 20 million bicycles are likely to be sold this year, approaching the record hit after a cut-off of Arab oil triggered gasoline lines in the United States.
"It should be close to 20 million units. If you look back historically, the three best years for bike sales were 1972, 1973, and 1974," Blumenthal said.
Last year's U.S. bicycle sales were just under 19 million.
Travel and motorist group AAA said it has noticed Americans are looking for ways to cut their fuel consumption by using more fuel-efficient vehicles, or by using public transportation and bicycles.
"AAA is beginning to think that consumers may finally have tired of expensive gasoline," said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom.
U.S. fuel demand over the past four weeks has fallen nearly 3 percent below last year's levels, the U.S. government said Wednesday.
Demand for gasoline averaged 8.8 million bpd, or 2.6 percent below last year, while distillate demand averaged 3.9 million bpd, or 3.8 percent below last year, the Energy Information Administration said.
Wouldn't it be great if everyone would ride a bike and our cities were infrastructurally supportive of this (fantastic) alternative form of transportation?
05 October 2005
Online Petition Against CITT Recommendations
As many of you already know, On September 1st, 2005, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal ("CITT") recommended that the Government of Canada impose a 30% surtax on certain bicycles primarily imported from developing countries.
We believe that this recommendation should be rejected because it is not in the public interest. Please go HERE and sign the petition.
Thank you
We believe that this recommendation should be rejected because it is not in the public interest. Please go HERE and sign the petition.
Thank you
Growing Gulf Between Rich and Rest of US
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
Published on Monday, October 3, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
by Holly Sklar
Guess which country the CIA World Factbook describes when it says, "Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20 percent of households."
If you guessed the United States, you're right.
The United States has rising levels of poverty and inequality not found in other rich democracies. It also has less mobility out of poverty.
Since 2000, America's billionaire club has gained 76 more members while the typical household has lost income and the poverty count has grown by more than 5 million people.
Poverty and inequality take a daily toll seldom seen on television. "The infant mortality rate in the United States compares with that in Malaysia -- a country with a quarter the income." says the 2005 Human Development Report. "Infant death rates are higher for [black] children in Washington, D.C., than for children in Kerala, India."
Income and wealth in America are increasingly concentrated at the very top -- the realm of the Forbes 400.
You could have banked $1 million a day every day for the last two years and still have far to go to make the new Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
It took a minimum of $900 million to get on the Forbes 400 this year. That's up $150 million from 2004.
"Surging real estate and oil prices drove up several fortunes and helped pave the way for 33 new members," Forbes notes.
Middle-class households, meanwhile, are a medical crisis or outsourced job away from bankruptcy.
With 374 billionaires, the Forbes 400 will soon be billionaires only.
Bill Gates remains No. 1 on the Forbes 400 with $51 billion. Low-paid Wal-Mart workers can find Walton family heirs in five of the top 10 spots; another Wal-Mart heir ranks No. 116.
Former Bechtel president Stephen Bechtel Jr. and his son, CEO Riley Bechtel, tie for No. 109 on the Forbes 400 with $2.4 billion apiece. The politically powerful Bechtel has gotten a no-bid contract for hurricane reconstruction despite a pattern of cost overruns and shoddy work from Iraq to Boston's leaky "Big Dig" tunnel/highway project.
The Forbes 400 is a group so small they could have watched this year's Sugar Bowl from the private boxes of the Superdome.
Yet combined Forbes 400 wealth totals more than $1.1 trillion -- an amount greater than the gross domestic product of Spain or Canada, the world's eighth- and ninth-largest economies.
The number of Americans in poverty is a group so large it would take the combined populations of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, plus Arkansas to match it. That's according to the Census Bureau's latest count of 37 million people below the poverty line.
Millions more Americans can't afford adequate health care, housing, child care, food, transportation and other basic expenses above the official poverty thresholds, which are set too low. The poverty threshold for a single person under age 65 was just $9,827 in 2004. For a two-adult, two-child family, it was just $19,157.
By contrast, the Economic Policy Institute's Basic Family Budget Calculator says the national median basic needs budget (including taxes and tax credits) for a two-parent, two-child family was $39,984 in 2004. It was $38,136 in New Orleans and $33,636 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
America is becoming a downwardly mobile society instead of an upwardly mobile society. Median household income fell for the fifth year in a row to $44,389 in 2004 -- down from $46,129 in 1999, adjusting for inflation. vThe Bush administration is using hurricane "recovery" to camouflage policies that will deepen inequality and poverty. They are bringing windfall profits to companies like Bechtel while suspending regulations that shore up wages for workers.
More tax cuts are in the pipeline for wealthy Americans who can afford the $17,000 watch, $160,000 coat and $10 million helicopter on the Forbes Cost of Living Extremely Well Index.
More budget cuts are in the pipeline for Medicaid, Food Stamps and other safety nets for Americans whose wages don't even cover the cost of necessities.
Without a change in course, the gulf between the rich and the rest of America will continue to widen, weakening our economy and our democracy. The American Dream will be history instead of poverty.
Published on Monday, October 3, 2005 by CommonDreams.org
by Holly Sklar
Guess which country the CIA World Factbook describes when it says, "Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20 percent of households."
If you guessed the United States, you're right.
The United States has rising levels of poverty and inequality not found in other rich democracies. It also has less mobility out of poverty.
Since 2000, America's billionaire club has gained 76 more members while the typical household has lost income and the poverty count has grown by more than 5 million people.
Poverty and inequality take a daily toll seldom seen on television. "The infant mortality rate in the United States compares with that in Malaysia -- a country with a quarter the income." says the 2005 Human Development Report. "Infant death rates are higher for [black] children in Washington, D.C., than for children in Kerala, India."
Income and wealth in America are increasingly concentrated at the very top -- the realm of the Forbes 400.
You could have banked $1 million a day every day for the last two years and still have far to go to make the new Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
It took a minimum of $900 million to get on the Forbes 400 this year. That's up $150 million from 2004.
"Surging real estate and oil prices drove up several fortunes and helped pave the way for 33 new members," Forbes notes.
Middle-class households, meanwhile, are a medical crisis or outsourced job away from bankruptcy.
With 374 billionaires, the Forbes 400 will soon be billionaires only.
Bill Gates remains No. 1 on the Forbes 400 with $51 billion. Low-paid Wal-Mart workers can find Walton family heirs in five of the top 10 spots; another Wal-Mart heir ranks No. 116.
Former Bechtel president Stephen Bechtel Jr. and his son, CEO Riley Bechtel, tie for No. 109 on the Forbes 400 with $2.4 billion apiece. The politically powerful Bechtel has gotten a no-bid contract for hurricane reconstruction despite a pattern of cost overruns and shoddy work from Iraq to Boston's leaky "Big Dig" tunnel/highway project.
The Forbes 400 is a group so small they could have watched this year's Sugar Bowl from the private boxes of the Superdome.
Yet combined Forbes 400 wealth totals more than $1.1 trillion -- an amount greater than the gross domestic product of Spain or Canada, the world's eighth- and ninth-largest economies.
The number of Americans in poverty is a group so large it would take the combined populations of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas, plus Arkansas to match it. That's according to the Census Bureau's latest count of 37 million people below the poverty line.
Millions more Americans can't afford adequate health care, housing, child care, food, transportation and other basic expenses above the official poverty thresholds, which are set too low. The poverty threshold for a single person under age 65 was just $9,827 in 2004. For a two-adult, two-child family, it was just $19,157.
By contrast, the Economic Policy Institute's Basic Family Budget Calculator says the national median basic needs budget (including taxes and tax credits) for a two-parent, two-child family was $39,984 in 2004. It was $38,136 in New Orleans and $33,636 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
America is becoming a downwardly mobile society instead of an upwardly mobile society. Median household income fell for the fifth year in a row to $44,389 in 2004 -- down from $46,129 in 1999, adjusting for inflation. vThe Bush administration is using hurricane "recovery" to camouflage policies that will deepen inequality and poverty. They are bringing windfall profits to companies like Bechtel while suspending regulations that shore up wages for workers.
More tax cuts are in the pipeline for wealthy Americans who can afford the $17,000 watch, $160,000 coat and $10 million helicopter on the Forbes Cost of Living Extremely Well Index.
More budget cuts are in the pipeline for Medicaid, Food Stamps and other safety nets for Americans whose wages don't even cover the cost of necessities.
Without a change in course, the gulf between the rich and the rest of America will continue to widen, weakening our economy and our democracy. The American Dream will be history instead of poverty.
Ahhh....more propaganda for you!
The brilliant government that recently had lucrative tax breaks for new SUV and Hummer purchases now unveils...
http://www.energyhog.org/
(And no, we're not talking about Karl Rove's conservation of mass.)
http://www.energyhog.org/
(And no, we're not talking about Karl Rove's conservation of mass.)
We really need another Colorado Springs...
New Orleans Must Clean Up Its Gay Image Evangelist Says
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: October 4, 2005 5:00 pm ET
(New Orleans, Louisiana) Evangelist Franklin Graham said Tuesday that Hurricane Katrina could lead to a spiritual rebirth of a sinful New Orleans.
Graham, the son and designated successor of the Rev. Billy Graham, said the city's Mardi Gras revelry and ties to voodoo were adverse to Christian beliefs.
"New Orleans has been known for years as a party town," Graham said in an interview with The Associated Press from his office in Boone, N.C. "It is a city that has strong ties to the gay and lesbian movement, and these types of things."
On Monday, Graham delivered a similar message in an appearance in Lynchburg: "There's been satanic worship. There's been sexual perversion. God is going to use that storm to bring revival. God has a plan. God has a purpose."
Graham's comments, reported by The News & Advance of Lynchburg, were made at Thomas Road Baptist Church's Super Conference 2005 at Liberty University. Both the church and the university were founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
But Graham said he doesn't believe the devastating storm was a punishment from God.
"I'm not saying that God used this storm as a judgment," he said.
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: October 4, 2005 5:00 pm ET
(New Orleans, Louisiana) Evangelist Franklin Graham said Tuesday that Hurricane Katrina could lead to a spiritual rebirth of a sinful New Orleans.
Graham, the son and designated successor of the Rev. Billy Graham, said the city's Mardi Gras revelry and ties to voodoo were adverse to Christian beliefs.
"New Orleans has been known for years as a party town," Graham said in an interview with The Associated Press from his office in Boone, N.C. "It is a city that has strong ties to the gay and lesbian movement, and these types of things."
On Monday, Graham delivered a similar message in an appearance in Lynchburg: "There's been satanic worship. There's been sexual perversion. God is going to use that storm to bring revival. God has a plan. God has a purpose."
Graham's comments, reported by The News & Advance of Lynchburg, were made at Thomas Road Baptist Church's Super Conference 2005 at Liberty University. Both the church and the university were founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
But Graham said he doesn't believe the devastating storm was a punishment from God.
"I'm not saying that God used this storm as a judgment," he said.
Do you think they get it yet?
I think we're seeing the beginning of the end of the North American car manufacturers as a dominant force in the global car market. Amazing what 30 years of obliviousness will do to you, right Rick Wagoner? Bill Ford?
Are Ford, GM fit to survive post-SUV world?
The good news is that big summer discounts helped ailing North American auto makers clear out most of their sport utility vehicles. The bad news is that their factories are still geared toward cranking out hulking autos that buyers no longer want. September's auto sales figures confirmed the end of a 15-year North American love affair with the SUV. Sales of the oversized autos plunged last month as car buyers reacted to the sudden spike in gasoline prices that followed hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The challenge now for US auto makers - most notably Ford and General Motors - is to retool for the new market reality: Gas miserly is in and the behemoth is out. "US companies have never been good at making small cars," said Susan Helper, an auto industry expert and economics professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "So it's an adjustment in mindset as well as technology." And the industry has to undergo this transformation at a time of extreme financial stress.
One option for Ford and GM is to curtail production of its SUVs, while adding extra shifts at plants that make more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as the Ford Focus or Saturn Ion, Prof. Helper said. And to some extent, that's what they are doing already. Ford has just halted production of the Excursion, the 6-metre-long king of the company's SUV line. But that isn't a long-term solution, she said. Ultimately, the auto makers will have to revamp their entire marketing mix, and move aggressively into production of more fuel-efficient, but high-margin vehicles. That transformation could take as long as five to 10 years, Prof. Helper warned. Meanwhile, Asian and European brands - sedans and SUVs alike - continue to gain market share at the expense of domestic brands. SUV sales at Nissan were up in September. SUV sales at Toyota and Honda were down, but not nearly as precipitously as at Ford and GM. "The market may still be underestimating the implications of deteriorating market share and mix for US auto makers," DeutscheBank analyst Rod Lache said in a report to clients. “US auto makers have limited ability to mitigate these declines through the use of incentives. We do not see the discounting strategy as being a viable option.”
(Globe and Mail 051005)
Are Ford, GM fit to survive post-SUV world?
The good news is that big summer discounts helped ailing North American auto makers clear out most of their sport utility vehicles. The bad news is that their factories are still geared toward cranking out hulking autos that buyers no longer want. September's auto sales figures confirmed the end of a 15-year North American love affair with the SUV. Sales of the oversized autos plunged last month as car buyers reacted to the sudden spike in gasoline prices that followed hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The challenge now for US auto makers - most notably Ford and General Motors - is to retool for the new market reality: Gas miserly is in and the behemoth is out. "US companies have never been good at making small cars," said Susan Helper, an auto industry expert and economics professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "So it's an adjustment in mindset as well as technology." And the industry has to undergo this transformation at a time of extreme financial stress.
One option for Ford and GM is to curtail production of its SUVs, while adding extra shifts at plants that make more fuel-efficient vehicles, such as the Ford Focus or Saturn Ion, Prof. Helper said. And to some extent, that's what they are doing already. Ford has just halted production of the Excursion, the 6-metre-long king of the company's SUV line. But that isn't a long-term solution, she said. Ultimately, the auto makers will have to revamp their entire marketing mix, and move aggressively into production of more fuel-efficient, but high-margin vehicles. That transformation could take as long as five to 10 years, Prof. Helper warned. Meanwhile, Asian and European brands - sedans and SUVs alike - continue to gain market share at the expense of domestic brands. SUV sales at Nissan were up in September. SUV sales at Toyota and Honda were down, but not nearly as precipitously as at Ford and GM. "The market may still be underestimating the implications of deteriorating market share and mix for US auto makers," DeutscheBank analyst Rod Lache said in a report to clients. “US auto makers have limited ability to mitigate these declines through the use of incentives. We do not see the discounting strategy as being a viable option.”
(Globe and Mail 051005)
The world has gone freakin' insane!
Indiana Considers Ban On Lesbian Pregnancies
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: October 4, 2005 7:00 pm ET
(Indianapolis, Indiana) Legislation has been introduced in the Indiana legislature that would prohibit gays, lesbians and single people in Indiana from using medical science to assist them in having a child.
The bill has the support of Senator Patricia Miller, the chair of the Health Finance Commission where the legislation is currently being considered.
Miller says that assisted pregnancy is totally unregulated. The bill would bar any doctor from assisting in a pregnancy through intrauterine insemination, donation of an egg, donation of an embryo, in vitro fertilization and transfer of an embryo, and sperm injection without making a number of "determinations" about the "suitability of the candidate.
Women seeking treatment would have to provide a certificate of satisfactory completion of an assessment required under the bill.
Among the determining factors is a requirement that the women be married to a person of the opposite sex. The assessment would contain a description of the family lifestyle and automatically exclude lesbians. Women would also have to provide proof that they have participated in faith-based or church activities.
A judge could not establish parentage of a child born through assisted reproduction without the assessment certificate and a separate certificate from the physician involved.
Courts would be prohibited from granting a petition to establish parentage if the parents have been convicted of crimes such as murder, reckless homicide neglect of a dependent felony battery, or have a drug conviction.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana president Betty Cockrum calls it chilling and government intrusion on a person's private life.
The Health Finance Commission will vote October 20th on whether to recommend the legislation to the full General Assembly.
Why do you think the determinant factors are what they are? Is this an implication that athiests or agnostics, single or common-law, gay or straight are unfit for assisted pregnancy and by extension, parenthood? Fuck them! Is someone at the top trying to push an agenda? Methinks so. Remember that the next time you hear such a phrase as, "the gay agenda" -- as if the religious right doesn't have a larger, better-funded one. What a bunch of narrow-minded, arrogant hypocrites.
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: October 4, 2005 7:00 pm ET
(Indianapolis, Indiana) Legislation has been introduced in the Indiana legislature that would prohibit gays, lesbians and single people in Indiana from using medical science to assist them in having a child.
The bill has the support of Senator Patricia Miller, the chair of the Health Finance Commission where the legislation is currently being considered.
Miller says that assisted pregnancy is totally unregulated. The bill would bar any doctor from assisting in a pregnancy through intrauterine insemination, donation of an egg, donation of an embryo, in vitro fertilization and transfer of an embryo, and sperm injection without making a number of "determinations" about the "suitability of the candidate.
Women seeking treatment would have to provide a certificate of satisfactory completion of an assessment required under the bill.
Among the determining factors is a requirement that the women be married to a person of the opposite sex. The assessment would contain a description of the family lifestyle and automatically exclude lesbians. Women would also have to provide proof that they have participated in faith-based or church activities.
A judge could not establish parentage of a child born through assisted reproduction without the assessment certificate and a separate certificate from the physician involved.
Courts would be prohibited from granting a petition to establish parentage if the parents have been convicted of crimes such as murder, reckless homicide neglect of a dependent felony battery, or have a drug conviction.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana president Betty Cockrum calls it chilling and government intrusion on a person's private life.
The Health Finance Commission will vote October 20th on whether to recommend the legislation to the full General Assembly.
Why do you think the determinant factors are what they are? Is this an implication that athiests or agnostics, single or common-law, gay or straight are unfit for assisted pregnancy and by extension, parenthood? Fuck them! Is someone at the top trying to push an agenda? Methinks so. Remember that the next time you hear such a phrase as, "the gay agenda" -- as if the religious right doesn't have a larger, better-funded one. What a bunch of narrow-minded, arrogant hypocrites.
This makes me feel so much better....
Scientists re-create deadly pandemic virus
Last Updated Wed, 05 Oct 2005 14:46:14 EDT
CBC News
Scientists in the United States say they have re-created the lethal influenza virus that killed 50 million people in 1918 and 1919. And they have concluded that the bug probably originated as an avian bug and then spread to people.
The researchers from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Mount Sinai School of Medicine reported their findings Wednesday in the Journals "Nature" and "Science".
The findings may suggest that the threat of an avian flu pandemic is even greater than previously thought.
At least 66 deaths already have been attributed to the so-called "bird flu", a fierce virus that is widespread in poultry and has been turning up in humans in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia since late 2003.
The growing fear of a flu pandemic led U.S. President George Bush to speculate Tuesday on possible American reactions to such a crisis, including quarantines of infected groups of people.
Jeffrey Taubenberger, the Armed Forces Institute researcher who led one the studies, told The Wall Street Journal that getting to the bottom of the 1918 influenza catastrophe is no longer an academic or historical exercise.
The historical virus, created in a secure CDC lab by one of the research teams, was called "exceptionally virulent".
According to Terence Tumpey, a senior scientist at CDC who led that research team, it quickly killed embryonated chicken eggs and mice.
The team also discovered that the 1918 bug had an unusual ability to penetrate cells deep in the lungs that flu bugs don't normally reach, providing a clue as to why its symptoms were so severe.
Dr. Tumpey said the virus experiments were approved by two CDC committees and conducted under strict safety and security standards.
Last Updated Wed, 05 Oct 2005 14:46:14 EDT
CBC News
Scientists in the United States say they have re-created the lethal influenza virus that killed 50 million people in 1918 and 1919. And they have concluded that the bug probably originated as an avian bug and then spread to people.
The researchers from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Mount Sinai School of Medicine reported their findings Wednesday in the Journals "Nature" and "Science".
The findings may suggest that the threat of an avian flu pandemic is even greater than previously thought.
At least 66 deaths already have been attributed to the so-called "bird flu", a fierce virus that is widespread in poultry and has been turning up in humans in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia since late 2003.
The growing fear of a flu pandemic led U.S. President George Bush to speculate Tuesday on possible American reactions to such a crisis, including quarantines of infected groups of people.
Jeffrey Taubenberger, the Armed Forces Institute researcher who led one the studies, told The Wall Street Journal that getting to the bottom of the 1918 influenza catastrophe is no longer an academic or historical exercise.
The historical virus, created in a secure CDC lab by one of the research teams, was called "exceptionally virulent".
According to Terence Tumpey, a senior scientist at CDC who led that research team, it quickly killed embryonated chicken eggs and mice.
The team also discovered that the 1918 bug had an unusual ability to penetrate cells deep in the lungs that flu bugs don't normally reach, providing a clue as to why its symptoms were so severe.
Dr. Tumpey said the virus experiments were approved by two CDC committees and conducted under strict safety and security standards.
04 October 2005
Death to the Big Three!
SUV sales tank as gas soars
Soaring gas prices sent sales of sport utility vehicles into the tank in North America last month. Sales of the biggest SUVs tumbled as hurricanes Katrina and Rita and fears of gas shortages sent fuel prices soaring to well above $1 a litre across most of Canada and US$3 a gallon south of the border. “These ultra high gas prices are taking a toll on the larger, less fuel-efficient light trucks,” said industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, who heads DesRosiers Automotive Consultants in Richmond Hill, ON. The slide hit large SUVs in particular. Sales in that category, which includes such behemoths as Dodge Durango, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon and Nissan Armada, slumped 50% last month in Canada from year-earlier levels, according to data released by the auto makers yesterday. That compares with an overall decline of just 2.4% in the Canadian vehicle market last month. The market also suffered from the end of discount programs at some auto makers that allowed consumers to pay the same price as employees for their new vehicles. Overall, sales in Canada fell to 124,175 vehicles, from 127,233 in September of 2004. Each of the Big Three reported a drop, with Ford and GM noting large declines in truck sales. At DaimlerChrysler Canada, car sales fell, while truck sales rose, sparked by a big jump in sales of minivans.
(Globe and Mail, National Post 051004)
I swear the automotive companies are handi-tarded. Or at least their Marketing departments are. Are they seriously still intent on focusing on the SUV market after seeing how fickle the buyers are?
Ford, GM placed on credit watch by ratings firm
Citing falling sales of sport utility vehicles, ratings firm Standard & Poor's placed both General Motors and Ford on credit watch, saying that the ratings of both of the two companies could be lowered by mid-January. S&P credit analyst Scott Sprinzen said the decision stems from the fact that the 2007 vehicle lineups for both Ford and GM are heavily dependent on SUVs and trucks amid high gasoline prices and cooling demand for big, gas-guzzling vehicles. Sprinzen cited the sales performance of the two companies in September as "the immediately precipitating factor," combined with GM and Ford's already weak financial performance. Sprinzen said the firm will decide to lower or affirm the ratings on GM and Ford after the two companies report their fourth-quarter earnings. "We'll be looking closely at the third quarter numbers and sales performance over the next couple of months," Sprinzen said.
(Wall Street Journal 051004)
Soaring gas prices sent sales of sport utility vehicles into the tank in North America last month. Sales of the biggest SUVs tumbled as hurricanes Katrina and Rita and fears of gas shortages sent fuel prices soaring to well above $1 a litre across most of Canada and US$3 a gallon south of the border. “These ultra high gas prices are taking a toll on the larger, less fuel-efficient light trucks,” said industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, who heads DesRosiers Automotive Consultants in Richmond Hill, ON. The slide hit large SUVs in particular. Sales in that category, which includes such behemoths as Dodge Durango, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon and Nissan Armada, slumped 50% last month in Canada from year-earlier levels, according to data released by the auto makers yesterday. That compares with an overall decline of just 2.4% in the Canadian vehicle market last month. The market also suffered from the end of discount programs at some auto makers that allowed consumers to pay the same price as employees for their new vehicles. Overall, sales in Canada fell to 124,175 vehicles, from 127,233 in September of 2004. Each of the Big Three reported a drop, with Ford and GM noting large declines in truck sales. At DaimlerChrysler Canada, car sales fell, while truck sales rose, sparked by a big jump in sales of minivans.
(Globe and Mail, National Post 051004)
I swear the automotive companies are handi-tarded. Or at least their Marketing departments are. Are they seriously still intent on focusing on the SUV market after seeing how fickle the buyers are?
Ford, GM placed on credit watch by ratings firm
Citing falling sales of sport utility vehicles, ratings firm Standard & Poor's placed both General Motors and Ford on credit watch, saying that the ratings of both of the two companies could be lowered by mid-January. S&P credit analyst Scott Sprinzen said the decision stems from the fact that the 2007 vehicle lineups for both Ford and GM are heavily dependent on SUVs and trucks amid high gasoline prices and cooling demand for big, gas-guzzling vehicles. Sprinzen cited the sales performance of the two companies in September as "the immediately precipitating factor," combined with GM and Ford's already weak financial performance. Sprinzen said the firm will decide to lower or affirm the ratings on GM and Ford after the two companies report their fourth-quarter earnings. "We'll be looking closely at the third quarter numbers and sales performance over the next couple of months," Sprinzen said.
(Wall Street Journal 051004)
Temporary blip in the evolutionary process...
90%? Yipe. This is obviously a very disturbing trend, but it's certainly not the 'shape' of things to come. Human physiology is still meant to eat nuts and berries and made to move. Obesity is directly linked to our oil-consuming society and car culture which immobilizes us and makes us ridiculously lazy. Once this mess is cleaned up or at least realized, this trend will end. It's unfortunate for those who are already caught in the trap -- they will be the ones who have to endure the problems associated with obesity for a lifetime.
Most Americans risk obesity
Last Updated Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:42:34 EDT
CBC News
U.S. researchers said Monday unless something drastic changes, 90 per cent of American men and 70 per cent of American women will eventually become overweight.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which paid for the study, said the older they get, the more likely Americans are to put on the extra pounds that take them out of the healthy weight class and make them overweight or obese.
"National surveys and other studies have told us that the U.S. has a major weight problem, but this study suggests that we could have an even more serious degress of overweight and obesity over the next few decades," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the institute.
The report which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that over 30 years, nine out of ten men and seven out of ten women taking part in the Massachussetts-based study became or stayed overweight. More than a third were obese or became obese.
Dr. Ramachandran Vasan who led the study at the Boston University School of Medicine said the results are worrisome. "If the trend continues, our country will continue to face substantial health problems related to excess weight," he said.
Nabel said she hopes the study will serve as a wakeup call to Americans of all ages. "Taking simple steps to make sure that overall the number of calories you consume do not exceed the amount you burn can play a major role in lowering your risk for many chronic condititions.
Most Americans risk obesity
Last Updated Mon, 03 Oct 2005 21:42:34 EDT
CBC News
U.S. researchers said Monday unless something drastic changes, 90 per cent of American men and 70 per cent of American women will eventually become overweight.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which paid for the study, said the older they get, the more likely Americans are to put on the extra pounds that take them out of the healthy weight class and make them overweight or obese.
"National surveys and other studies have told us that the U.S. has a major weight problem, but this study suggests that we could have an even more serious degress of overweight and obesity over the next few decades," said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the institute.
The report which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that over 30 years, nine out of ten men and seven out of ten women taking part in the Massachussetts-based study became or stayed overweight. More than a third were obese or became obese.
Dr. Ramachandran Vasan who led the study at the Boston University School of Medicine said the results are worrisome. "If the trend continues, our country will continue to face substantial health problems related to excess weight," he said.
Nabel said she hopes the study will serve as a wakeup call to Americans of all ages. "Taking simple steps to make sure that overall the number of calories you consume do not exceed the amount you burn can play a major role in lowering your risk for many chronic condititions.
03 October 2005
Weekend (Party) report
The weekend was a write-off weatherwise, but we heated up the best part of it with a wicked party on Saturday night. It was for Joe's birthday, but generally everyone was there because it seemed like nothing else was going on and people had nothing better to do but get out for a good time!
Some people I don't know...
Poor Jeff...too much time in the Prayer Room...???
A gaggle of gays
I got Joe a Spongebob Squarepants ice cream cake from DQ, but we didn't bring it out until the party had already peaked and there were only enough people left (the best people, of course) so that there was enough cake for everyone!
Sunday was the Bow Fietscross Cyclocross race at SAIT. Here are some pics from the race:
Bow Fietscross '05 - the beginning...
Long hard slog up the hill...
And last but definitely not least, Jeanette and Sean finally had their baby girl, Rhylee Grace on Saturday night. Congrats guys and welcome to this crazy place, Rhylee!
Some people I don't know...
Poor Jeff...too much time in the Prayer Room...???
A gaggle of gays
I got Joe a Spongebob Squarepants ice cream cake from DQ, but we didn't bring it out until the party had already peaked and there were only enough people left (the best people, of course) so that there was enough cake for everyone!
Sunday was the Bow Fietscross Cyclocross race at SAIT. Here are some pics from the race:
Bow Fietscross '05 - the beginning...
Long hard slog up the hill...
And last but definitely not least, Jeanette and Sean finally had their baby girl, Rhylee Grace on Saturday night. Congrats guys and welcome to this crazy place, Rhylee!
COAD Update
Official (British) album cover
Here is the track listing for the new album, to be release on November 15:
1. Hung Up
2. Get Together
3. Sorry
4. Future Lovers
5. I Love New York
6. Let It Will Be
7. Forbidden Love
8. Jump
9. How High
10. Isaac
11. Push
12. Like It Or Not
I can't wait!
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