…the almost right word

At only nine years old, she founded the Environmental Children’s Organization with her friends. Three years later, at age 12, Severn Suzuki stood at a podium and delivered one of the most memorable speeches at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This particular United Nations conference marked the beginning of the Kyoto Protocol and Suzuki’s speech has received more than a million views on YouTube today. Years later, in 2002, Severn co-founded The Skyfish Project (which subsequently disbanded in 2004), a discussion-based website established in the hopes of promoting environmental awareness. 

Originally born in Canada, to parents Tara Elizabeth Cullis, an established writer, and David Suzuki, a geneticist and environmental activist, Severn graduated from Yale in 2002. Before graduating, she had already arranged to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa as a member of Kofi Annan’s Special Advisory Panel. In anticipation of this event, The Skyfish Project drafted the Recognition of Responsibility, a letter that said, “Today I recognize that I am part of one of the most powerful countries in the world. My population is only a fraction of the globe’s population, yet we use far more resources. So today, I pledge to take responsibility for me lifestyle.” The main motivation behind this letter was Bush’ decision to abstain from attending the World Summit. In a 2003 interview, Severn said,

We were upset because George Bush wasn’t going to go–he was just starting to show the world that he didn’t care to be part of international negotiations. We wanted to show that he didn’t represent all Americans, and we came up with this idea of the Recognition of Responsibility.  

Five years later, as Americans look forward to the coming Bush-less years, Severn’s words remain intact, and even more necessary. Today, she travels the globe as an activist, speaker and author, continuing to promote sustainability and environmental activism. 

Check out the YouTube video and you’ll see Severn’s revolutionary ideals in action.

This post is the first of a new series in which I will be profiling various activists (Human Rights, Environmental, etc.).

Halloween, Alaska is yet another recent indie-type discovery from Minnesota (my first Minnesota discovery was Cloud Cult). This band, formed only five years ago and with a mere two albums under their belt, will be releasing their latest album sometime this year. Their website feels like a grassroots effort, but their sound is far from common. You can hear the Peter Gabriel influence, particularly in “All the Arms Around You” and “Des Moines,” two tracks from their debut, self-titled album. They’ve covered two popular songs, Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper” and LL Cool J’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” putting an electro-pop feel on songs you’d never expect to be electro-pop. James Diers is the wacky frontman who alludes to Cylons and Storm Troopers while describing the band’s sound in a 2005 interview. 

Check out their MySpace page to give them a listen.

We’re all familiar with the iconic Obama poster originally designed by Shepard Fairey (who was actually arrested at the DNC). There are now online tutorials to make-your-own “Hope” poster. Here are some of the endlessly entertaining results, courtesy of Mother Jones’ The Riff. 

To see more, click here. 

Apparently Google has a more energy-efficient counterpart known as Blackle. Created by Heap Media, this black search engine site boasts a decrease in energy usage due to the simple fact that it isn’t white:

Image displayed is primarily a function of the user’s color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen.

The inspiration to create Blackle came from a blog post at ecoIron which claimed that “the shift to a black background…will save a total of 15 (74-59) watts. That turns into a global savings of…$75,000, a goodly amount of energy and dollars for changing a few color codes.”

Despite skepticism, and the obvious fact that this “green” search engine has not yet surged in popularity, Heap Media continues to seek improvements for Blackle and encourages every user to make the switch. In addition, they display an Energy Saving Tips page to help promote this environmentally-friendly consciousness. 

I was only recently told about Blackle’s creation and I’m eager to see how user-friendly this search engine really is. Critics state the clarity provided on a white Google page is lost on Blackle’s black background. 

What do you think? Experiment with Blackle here.

Redbelt directed by David Mamet – Chiwetel Ejiofor steals every frame of this film as Mike Terry, a jujitsu teacher struggling to pay the bills and maintain his sense of honor. When an unexpected event takes place within his own studio (involving Emily Mortimor), Terry is forced to make a difficult decision — enter a fighting tournament with the hopes of winning a sizable prize or give up his life of jujitsu instruction (I’m simplifying). 

You’re probably familiar with Ejiofor, whether or not you realize it — he’s been in a series of memorable movies, none of which display his acting talent like Redbelt: Amistad, Love Actually, She Hate Me, Children of Men, American Gangster, Serenity. I remember seeing his face, but could never have placed him. Redbelt, however, deserves recognition mainly for Ejiofor’s performance. The character of Mike Terry represents the struggle of humankind, a decision which every adult faces — get a job and make a living or pursue a passion and, quite probably, struggle.

The best moments of this film take place at the end, which I will refrain from spoiling. Let me just say, if the Karate Kid ever inspired a tear to fall from your eye, then Redbelt is not only worth a view, but even two or three. The philosophy behind jujitsu is given proper attention, as a running theme throughout Terry’s personal struggles. It’s not to say the film doesn’t have its loose ends. Mamet’s story includes many strings which I expected to tie together throughout the climax. It was mildly disappointing to find the Tim Allen story line left out in the cold, with no true ending. Peter Travers, of Rolling Stone, put it perfectly in his review: 

At the center of this quiet storm of a movie, beautifully shot by There Will Be Blood Oscar winner Robert Elswit, Ejiofor confirms his status as one of the best actors anywhere. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ejiofor can do film drama (Dirty Pretty Things) and comedy (Kinky Boots) and win raves onstage (as Othello). The resonant stillness he brings to Redbelt pulls you in. Even allowing for a few slips in pacing and judgment, Mamet is on his game, and that is a sight to see. No con.

In addition to an amazing, and historical, redesign of the classic magazine that is the Rolling Stone, this issue also features some rather interesting letters in response to Matt Taibbi’s controversial article, “Mad Dog Palin.”

I’m a registered Republican, and I must say thanks for waking me the hell up! Matt Taibbi’s article “Mad Dog Palin” is appropriately angry, unflinchingly brutal and highly entertaining. I don’t know who I will vote for, but I damn sure know who I won’t be voting for.
– Joe Stubel, Marietta, GA                       

Taibbi’s article was a concise view of how the Palin candidacy is an outright insult to the intelligence of our country. With McCain inching past the average life expectancy, a Palin presidency is a real possibility. What could be worse than the past eight years? Thanks for showing us.
– Devin McMahon, Keene, NH 

As an Alaskan, I found Taibbi dead-on. If McCain-Palin prevail, we’d better brace ourselves, because we’re certain to get what we deserve.
– Frank Brown, Tucson, AZ 

Taibbi didn’t just hit the nail on the head, he pretty much obliterated the nail. It’s Palin’s lack of qualifications that makes her scary, and it’s Middle America’s response to her Christian-saturated rhetoric that makes her dangerous.
– Kumar Mann, Los Angeles 

Conclusion: Read It. And while you’re over there, read “Make-Believe Maverick” and learn more about the “real” John McCain than you ever expected.

From the sleeve notes to the Factory sampler Palatine.

On ‘Transmission’
I remember leaving a Secret Affair concert at the London Rainbow, oh, during some month or other in 1979, or was it ‘80? Anyway, I’d left early, being an NME critic and all that, and some skinheads attacked me, thinking for some crooked reasons that I was a ‘mod.’ They slashed my mouth with a Stanley knife. I remember crying out, ‘I am not a mod, I am a brave, rigorous and austerely clad fan of Joy Division,’ but they took no notice, and just kicked me a big in the ribs before smartly leaving me to feel sorry for myself. I really did struggle home, and as the blood poured out of me, I spent hours playing and replaying this track, taking it seriously, cursing every ignoramus and ass in the world that didn’t. By morning I’d played it, oh, 50 times, and found that I was writing about Joy Division using words a little like the following: ‘With instinctive unanimity, they hate all firmitas, because it bears witness to a healthiness quite different from theirs, and seek to throw suspicion on firmitas, on conciseness, whilst celebrating a fiery energy of movement, on abundant and delicate play of the muscles. Joy Division have agreed together to invert the nature and names of things and henceforth to speak of health when we see weakness, of sickness and tension when we encounter true health. Why the fuck aren’t they being played ten times a day on Radio One?’ I don’t know why, but people started to say that I took Joy Division just a little too seriously. So what! I had the scars, I felt the holy wrath, and even today when I play this track anywhere up to 50 times a day, I still feel, after everything and after all that, that any number of astonishing things are possible. The greatest song ever written.

– from Joy Division: Piece by Piece, Writing about Joy Division 1977-2007 by Paul Morley  

Since I have been recently awarded the Brilliante Weblog Premio by two very lovely bloggers (Knaphrodesiac and Half-Deserted Streets), I felt it was time to return the love (though clearly the award could use some design-tweaking). Below you’ll find the five bloggers to whom I’m passing this award, in addition to a few lines about their blogs, written by them. Enjoy!

• SoMi ¦¦ learning :: exposing :: sharing — Not only has Nilsa done an awesome “Issues” series in honor of the upcoming election (and allowed me to guest post as part of said series), but she also got married this past weekend! I figured this could be a wedding “gift.” And she certainly deserves it. Nilsa writes, “Learning about the world :: Exposing things previously unknown :: Sharing with blog- readers :: How a seemingly random set of experiences and observations thread themselves together.”

• Not a Girl, Not Yet a Wino – Kris offers her readers thought-provoking posts that are well-written and truly inspiring. She’s also got a sense of humor as snark is a regular feature. Kris writes, “I started this site three years ago as an outlet for pent-up creative energy. During that time, it’s become a good friend and a most attentive lover.”

• Cleveland’s a plum – Alexa’s Featured Blogger Friday series makes me laugh out loud every Friday morning. Alexa wrote, about her new series, “every friday i will be featuring a blog that i love by having the featured blogger fill out the survey below. it’s all sorts of wrong, potentially inappropriate, and i love it. i’m all up for making people uncomfortable! it’s still fun though. i hope you all enjoy the feature and learn a bit more about each other in the process.”

• Chelsea Talks Smack – Chelsea has recently wrapped up an extended journey through Europe. Her stories have been amazing — the kind that inspire you to pick up and go. Here is an excerpt from a recent post on her adventures: “Notes from the Road: People smoke, drink and guzzle caffeine like a motherfucker….we’re downing smoothies, vitamins, 8 gallons of water and staying “smoke free” and we’re still unhealthy. I wonder if our health has more to do with our minds than our bodies??“

• Nicopolitan — In addition being handy when it comes to tech-help (as I know, from personal experience), Nico’s blog is often laugh-inducing, particularly his latest post entitled “It’s Twitter, Bitch.” Nico writes, “I break and reconstruct this blog all the time.  Blogging is already a popular and practical publishing platform for what I do and for that in which I’m involved.  The only way to learn constructing and reconstructing is to dive headlong into it. And the personal stuff?  That’s just good fodder for practice.  After all, there is a real person behind this username.“

Each day wears me down until I can hardly desire to think. And yet, I try, so hard, to digest life.

The dogs aren’t going to stick around much longer and I need to prepare myself for the inevitable, the possibility that we will have to actually choose when they will go. They have been my sisters, the only sisters I have ever had, the only siblings I have ever had, the only stable and steady friends I have ever had. Sometimes I feel guilty — I have been so far away from both of them for so long. And I find myself, unexpectedly, returning to the desire to be in two places at once, the familiar feeling of my childhood, of growing up between two households. And then I find myself suffering from the deep, intense, indescribable fear of knowing that, eventually, inevitably, I will lose them all — my parents and my sisters.

Sometimes I feel so much fear and anxiety and sadness. I start to think, hesitantly, perhaps I do need something to help me just get through it all. But I’m stronger than that and I know it is best to feel, no matter how difficult it is.

I guess that is why I enjoy being busy — less time to think. Because the minute I step outside to get some space and break up my day, it gets difficult to bear the quiet, the lull. It is then that I really think. And I suffer. And I cry.

No matter what I convince myself, death is probably the thing I fear most. Not mine, but the death of those I love.

An excerpt from my personal journal.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

                    –George Bernard Shaw

Did you know that Ralph Nader is behind such significant acts like the 1970 Clean Air Act, the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, among many others? In addition to these monumental movements, Nader also helped establish PIRG (Public Interest Research Groups) and Public Citizen, the most well known of his efforts which aims to engage in consumer advocacy, government accountability, clean democracy and ethical government, access to the courts, global trade, and regulatory and science policy.

An Unreasonable Man is quite possibly the best documentary I have ever seen. First and foremost, you hardly realize that you’re watching a documentary! The story is compelling and surprising — I had little knowledge of Nader’s extensive background in political activism. I had heard the stories, like many others, but never the real facts. The documentary, in addition to providing a basis by which one can better understand the man behind the movement, also effortlessly convinces you that he is, indeed, the most forward thinking “politician” out there. 

When Nader was a child, his father would give his three children an assignment at the breakfast table — Each morning, he chose a topic that would later be the dinner discussion. The kids arrived at the dinner table prepared to literally debate politics, even at a young age. This obviously instilled a very serious sense of awareness and responsibility in Nader and his siblings. 

Since the 1950s, Nader has maintained an incomparable presence in the political realm, beginning with his automobile-safety activism. In fact, he is responsible for the things we now take for granted: seat belts, air bags, built-in safety precautions in our cars. Upon the success of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nader began to tackle issues across the board: the Federal Trade Commission (with the help of Nader’s Raiders), the National Air Pollution Control Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, in addition to many others. 

I encourage any person who is interested in rights, of any kind (civil, environmental, etc.) to view this film. It will give you a look at who this man is, not who the media has made him out to be. It will, quite possibly, lead you to question the current state of our government, the limits imposed by a two-party system, and the truth behind the politicians we all support.

Stop-Loss directed by Kimberly Peirce — Peirce makes a blunt departure from the dramatic effect of her previous project, “Boys Don’t Cry,” with this film about a group of United States soldiers returning from a tour in Iraq. In general, “Stop-Loss” is a mediocre attempt to address a grave issue. However, Ryan Phillippe’s performance is startling and the subject matter is one that deserves attention.

The term “stop-loss” refers to a military policy by which a service member’s active duty can be involuntarily extended. According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, 

The number of soldiers held in the Army under the stop-loss program reached a high in March 2005 of 15,758. That number steadily declined through May 2007, when it hit 8,540. But since then, the number of soldiers subjected to stop-loss orders began to increase again, reaching 12,235 in March 2008.

In Peirce’ story, Phillippe’s character has returned to his Texas home expecting to retire from active duty. His paperwork is ready, he has handed in his army-issued gear, and in the final step, he discovers that he has been stop-lossed. The film follows this character, in addition to his soldier-friends, as they re-enter into a “normal” sense of society — haunted by alcohol, nightmares, and vision-like day-dreams, they have become violent, poisoned versions of who they used to be, before Iraq.

The film reminds us that we are, in a sense, repeating history. It reminds us that young men are returning from Iraq as truly changed individuals who can no longer exist in the lives they once had. It reminds us that many of these soldiers are literally forced to return, over and over again. It reminds us that we have now occupied Iraq for five years with questionable progress. 

“Stop-Loss” is not Academy material, but it makes an inescapable, timely impact. 

Check out End Stop Loss Now for more information on anti-stop-loss movements, and Iraq Veterans Against the War for information on soldiers who are opposed to the Iraq occupation.

In 1995, an experimental indie rock group was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by the name of Cloud Cult. The band (consisting of a cellist, violinist, bassist, drummer and two visual artists who create paintings at live shows) was recruited by singer/songwriter Craig Minowa. Two years after the band formed, Minowa founded Earthology Records, a non-profit label that uses recycled materials for its albums, donates profits to charity and whose buildings are powered by geothermal energy and constructed with recycled materials. Minowa also runs an organic farm and Cloud Cult tours on a biodiesel van. In addition to the environmentally friendly reputation, Minowa is known for his emotion-packed lyrics. In 2002, he composed over a hundred songs to deal with the loss of his infant son. Minowa elaborated on the origin of the band’s name in a 2007 interview:

It’s a sect of ancient North American indigenous prophecies that have been eerily accurate so far. There’s an incredibly interesting analysis in the prophecies of the balance between technology and nature. In a nutshell, the prophecies indicate that human kind will go through a massive transition due to inability to control some of the unexpected aspects of technology. Those that survive will be those that know how to live off the land. I used it as a project name when I wrote the album “Who Killed Puck?” We weren’t a live band back then, it was just a studio project. Butas new albums came together and the project turned into live performance I decided to stick with it.

The band has been compared to Arcade Fire and Postal Service (though I would venture to add !!! Chk Chk Chk in that mix), but they have an edge that is all their own. “The Meaning of 8″ and “Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)” are two of their most recent albums, both of which are available online at their website. I’ve been listening to “The Meaning of 8″ nonstop for days now, indulging in a variety of strange noises and lyrics. The first few tracks on this album are inescapable, and it only gets better from there.

Couldn’t resist sharing this with the interwebs in lieu of a real post (which is coming soon — The GREs can take a lot out of a one’s desire to blog)…

Sarah Palin is a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern United States. As a representative of our political system, she’s a new low in reptilian villainy, the ultimate cynical masterwork of puppeteers like Karl Rove. But more than that, she is a horrifying symbol of how little we ask for in return for the total surrender of our political power. Not only is Sarah Palin a fraud, she’s the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV – And this country is going to eat her up, cheering every step of the way. All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation.

                                        – Matt Taibbi for Rolling Stone, “The Lies of Sarah Palin”