America’s Devout Aren’t as Close-minded as Many Assume

Last year, The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life surveyed 35,000 Americans and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." This may surprise many who assume that religious Americans are intolerant of other religions, according to an article by David Van Biema on Time.com.

As most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me," it came as a surprise to discover that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation. Although many branches of Christianity have become increasingly tolerant, Evangelicals have long held the tenet that Christianity is only the path to heaven.

Peter Berger, University professor of Sociology and Theology at Boston University, says the poll confirms that cultural issues mainly lie between small groups and that the high levels of tolerance and religiosity "is distinctively American - and rather cheering. "

Although the results of the survey are good news for many denominations, it may not be good for the Evangelicals, as it may mean they are less willing to evangelize, preaching that the path to salvation is through the acceptance that Christ died for the sins of the world. The problem, says Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is that "the cultural context and the reality of pluralism has pulled many away from historic Christianity."

Only Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses who answered in the majority that their own faith was the only way to eternal life.

Apparently, the shift towards tolerance began in the 1960s, when immigration quotas were loosened. Rice University sociologist D. Michael Lindsay, the author of Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite says, "If you have a colleague who is Buddhist or your kid plays with a little boy who is Hindu, it changes your appreciation of the religious 'other.' "

It is unclear whether or not the religious tolerance is a good thing, which will open up religious barriers or whether it will cause groups to band together even tighter over issues that come up in political arenas. But it will be tough for preachers and pastors to reconcile the traditional view of one path to heaven with the multicultural view of their parishioners.

Eating Together Improves Overall Health

Throughout North America organizations are popping up to promote communal eating environments--and with the steady rise in obesity, it’s a good thing. The benefits of eating together around a table instead of being glued to the television, or one member of the family making sure they’re home in time to join in generate surprisingly effective results.

Organizations like Chicago’s Common Threads run by cook Art Smith instill the importance of nutrition and physical well being when it comes to home-cooked meals. This particular collective also encourages children to have an appreciation of foods from different cultures. Smith comments on his foundation, saying their motto is joining family and food by our ‘common threads.’

In British Columbia, a program funded by the Dietitians of Canada, promotes the education of healthy eating and encourages communal meals. Studies by Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation show that families who eat together tend to eat better, and one of their many suggestions for busy families is preparing meals in a slow cooker during the day so it’s done by the time everyone arrives home from work and school.

Studies by Science Daily surveyed over 1,500 students once in high school and once after they turned 20 years old to determine whether or not family meals have a long term effect on their eating habits. The results showed that the kids who’d eaten regularly with their family while living at home ate more fruit, dark green and orange vegetables and drank less soda.

Research conducted by Miriam Weinstein for her book, “The Surprising Power of Family Meals” includes facts like “Teenagers who eat with their family were twice as likely to get A’s” and “Family meals are 8 times more helpful in teaching children vocabulary than reading to children.” Also mentioned are the obvious results such as gaining better conversational skills, the ability to relate better and parents being allowed to monitor their growing children’s diet more closely.

Of course, there are challenges for families with busy lifestyles who work overtime, night shifts and odd hours. Also, children are normally involved in extracurricular activities that run late, or demand a lot of after school time. But with the embarrassing percentage of obesity in North America, making the effort could make all the difference to not only your (current or future) children’s overall health, but yours as well.

Organic Food Industry Booming Despite Recession

About 20% of the American public makes it a point to eat primarily organic food, and the numbers seem to be growing by a recent report despite higher gas prices and a looming recession.

Anyone who has desperately wandered the aisles of a Whole Foods store knows: eating healthy ain’t cheap. Americans who want to see an organic or “grass-fed” label on their food tend to spend 10% more for basics like peanut butter, jelly, bread, pasta, chicken, and beef. According to a report released to ENN, the smaller brands producing such foods are showing a considerable amount of economic growth. Ian’s Natural Food’s, for example, grows 45% annually while Nature’s Path Foods grew 30% in the first half of this year.

Overall, organic foods raked in “4.4 billion in sales for the 52 weeks ended April 19.” Sales are expected to grow to 6.8 billion by 2012 according to the latest economic models.

Is the end of preservative-loaded food nigh? Not a chance, but shoppers are well aware by now that organic foods are increasing in shelf-space at bigger supermarket chains. Interestingly, researchers are finding that while some loyalty for certain organic brand names exist, it’s “not as much as you would hope,” according to Pam Dietz, director of soy milk manufacturer Vita Soy. Rather than products like Annie’s natural macaroni and cheese completely replacing Kraft Velveta shells and cheese, the bigger companies like Kraft are offering their own organic line of foods.

Apparently fewer Americans are willing to put a price tag on their stomachs despite economic threats. Could it be a sign of more individual, self-empowerment?

Hindu Community Furious with 'Love Guru'

A group of artistically concerned Hindu leaders living in Los Angeles campaigned to screen a preview of Mike Myers’ new comedy The Love Guru this week and were flabbergasted by what they witnessed after Paramount Pictures granted their request.

The Hindu activist group, led by Rajan Zed, expressed interest in previewing the comedy after rumors of its offensive material towards Hindi religion and culture. After the screening those opinions were further validated by Zed and his fellow group members.

Not only did they find the film ‘disrespectful to Hindus and their beliefs’ but Zed is also urging the Hindu Community to boycott the film saying it “lampoons Hinduism and Hindu concepts and uses Hindu terms frivolously.” (WENN)

In an interview following the screening on Thursday, Zed expressed his disappointment further by saying it was even worse than what he’d gathered through the film’s trailer, websites and other media.

His further negative comments of the film included criticizing Myer’s character repeatedly narrating penis jokes, mocking yoga, mocking the concept of the third eye, inducing elephant copulation in front of the crowd, and “whose goal in life seems to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show.”

Okay so apparently it’s offensive. Somehow that’s not incredibly shocking considering it’s a HOLLYWOOD blockbuster. Nor should the Hindu community expect anything less. To cut the film some slack, its advertising reveals its slapstick Indian-slurring mockery so no one who pays to see Guru should expect otherwise. The problem lies in a mass audience’s desire to see it anyway and follow through on their temptation, even if some sense its derogatory tone.

Which is why I can understand and appreciate the concern spawning out of the Los Angeles Hindu community, but….they live there, it’s hard for me to believe they don’t know what to expect from what the city’s film industry creates by now.

Still, why make films like these that have no artistic or comedic value? Zed defends his public reaction by stating, “Today it is Hinduism, tomorrow Hollywood might attempt to denigrate another religion.” He also commented on the fueling of Indian stereotypes the film is determined to keep alive and well in the West.

Comedies have made fun of other religions in the past. Monty Python’s Life of Brian made a politically incorrect spoof on the story of Jesus. But the difference in tone is quite distinct.

First of all, Monty Python’s films were mainly funded in Great Britain, whose film industry is a far cry from Hollywood’s dumbed down sense of bathroom humor. Secondly, Brian’s witty, clever dialogue that references the bible and its primitive times is an unquestionably worthy effort in the name of intelligent and unique comedy.

But films like Myers’ Guru do nothing for the genre, nor does it do anything in helping western culture understand the mysteries of the east in a sensitive time in international history. And that is undoubtedly a subject Rajan Zed and I agree on.

Green Tips for a Cooler Summer

Trying to save energy this long, hot summer? Air conditioners run on electricity, which is the main contributor to global warming. Using “passive” cooling practices can cut down on the electricity you need to generate. With heat records being broken around the world, here are some tips to keep you cool, without having to use the air conditioner, courtesy of eartheasy.com:

• Insulation is the key to keeping cool air in and warm air out (and vice versa in the cold months). A lot heat is absorbed through the attic floor, so making sure that the attic floor is well insulated protects the rest of the house as well. Also, caulk doors and windows to keep additional heat leaks out.

• The color of your house does more than just infuriate neighbors. It also plays a role in how much heat your home absorbs. Dark-colored houses absorb more heat than light-colored houses. You can install a radiant barrier on the roof rafters to help offset excess absorption.

• Go green outdoors to stay cool indoors. Planting greenery can help provide shade and cool spaces around the house to keep heat out. Trees and plants also help the planet absorb excess carbon dioxide, so everybody wins.

• Windows let in a lot of heat. Heavy drapes or “black out” fabric can keep excess light and heat from leaking in. For a green air-conditioner, hang your wet laundry in front of an open window and let the breeze blow in. Air-drying your clothes also saves energy and emissions, so you’ll be killing two birds with one stone.

• Use ceiling fans on a room-by-room basis, rather than cooling a whole house with central air.

• Keep your chimney closed. You won’t need it in the summer and it lets cool air escape.

These tips will not only lower your greenhouse emissions, but your energy bills as well.

Save the Planet, Get a Little Green

The easiest way to recycle is to dump everything into your curbside bin and let the city cart it off. But you could be dumping some money into that bin along with your bottles and cans. Here are a couple ways to get some money back when you recycle:

Grocery Store:
Many grocery stores have recycling centers in their parking lots. Save your glass, plastic and aluminum up and then use the recycling center on your next shopping trip to the store. Depending on your items, you may make more money by recycling per item than by weight.

Also, save your grocery bags, some stores will give you 5cents for paper bags or a discount for each plastic bag you reuse. If you use reusable fabric bags, some stores discount for that too. It all depends on the store, so be sure to ask.

Trade it in:
Many stores where you will be making major purchases, like electronics and mattresses, will let you trade in your old stuff for a discount off your new stuff. Not only will you not have to worry about how to get rid of your old things, you’ll be saving some money.

Ladies, recently DailySugar.com posted an item saying that you can do the same thing with your empty fragrance bottles. Bond No. 9 or Saks Fifth Avenue stores will recycle and sanitize your bottles for reuse. In return for your good deed, you get a free refillable pocket spray ($40 value) with any new Bond No. 9 purchase. Just make sure you don’t go out of your way to make your donation, otherwise your car’s carbon output may outweigh the exchange.

Lots of stores and companies are going green and giving you green, so just ask what the business’s recycling policy is and you could start earning something back.

Americans Unite To Save Budweiser

Take away some of their civil liberties with the Patriot Act and they’ll turn a blind eye. Threaten them with an upgraded “Victory” Act and maybe a few will raise their hands in concern. But God help you if you take away their beer. Nearly 40,000 Americans joined recent petitions to keep Anheuser-Busch in business.

Savebudweiser.com is part of a new movement to keep Budweiser beer strictly American. The Missouri-based brewer was offered an unsolicited $46 billion bid from the Belgian company InBev, maker of Stella Artois and Becks.

The website speaks of a “hostile takeover” and reads, “Let’s band together as one voice and try to save more than just our beer. We don’t want another American icon turned over to a foreign company; we want the motto to remain…The Great American Lager.”

InBev promises to keep St. Louis, Anheuser’s hometown, as the company headquarters, but savebuddweiser.com doesn’t acknowledge it anywhere on the petition.

Missouri governor Matt Blunt also opposes the company sale, seeing it as a threat to local jobs, as well as an American tradition. His own website, SaveAB.com, currently holds a little under 7,000 signatures. According to the Guardian, he is currently working with the Missouri Department of Economic Development to see if anything can legally stop the sale.

“Shareholders should resist choosing dollars over American jobs,” Martin says. “Selling out to the Belgians is not worth it—because this is about more than beer: it’s about our jobs and our nation.”

InBev is attempting to fight back with their own website GlobalBeerLeader.com

Post Title: Fake Google News Page Offers A More Positive World

When the news seemed depressing, Ted and Andrea Lemon took a logical step: they re-wrote the news.

The couple’s fake Google News page is an increasing Internet curiosity racking up attention from other sites like BoingBoing, Treehugger, Digg, and Whedonesque. It looks like an exact replica of the Google News homepage, but features news stories we can only hope will be real one day.

Headlines like “China Withdraws From Tibet, with Apologies” and the more playfully hilarious “Lucas authorizes fan reworkings of episodes 1-3” offer a glimpse at the type of world many of us would like to say we live in. True to the Google News style, each major headline features the opening paragraph of a well-conceived piece of journalism. Beneath “Big Three Unveil Emissions-Free Lineup,” a story from Forbes reads:

DETROIT - In a joint announcement, Ford, GM and Chrysler revealed that all new 2008 models will feature emissions-free engines, with a minimum EPA rating of 75 MPG. "We are pleased to put an end to Detroit's decades-long effort to stifle innovation and instead reclaim our role as a leader in automotive technology ...

Beneath the main sintroduction are links to follow-up stories featuring equally enjoyable headlines like “Toyota responds with saltwater engine” and “$200 saltwater retrofit for older vehicles?” The convincing look of the page can easily make viewers forget what they’re looking at, causing them to click on a link that directs them to a page sadly explaining, “Sorry this article hasn’t been written yet!”

As the content of the page suggests, Ted and Andrea are Buddhists, but have no desire to make others see the world the same way they do. They embrace the fact that reactions to their work are interestingly diverse. “Some people are inspired and uplifted by it, and others are terribly depressed by how far off it is from the actual headlines,” Andrea told WeEarth in an e-mail. “I don't have any answer for those people, unfortunately -- I only hope that things can improve faster than appearances would suggest.”

They hope by living the change they want to see in the world, it may serve as inspiration for others to make basic human kindness the norm, as well as the predominant theme of the news. Andrea jokes that her website may already have an influence. “So far my only success with the web page was that George Lucas was spotted with a "Han Shot First" t-shirt, and that DRM music downloads are on the way out :-)”

Drilling Blamed For Displacement of 30,000 People

I know it’s hard to keep up with all the natural disasters that seem to be occurring across the globe lately (Myanmar, China, Iowa), but there’s at least one that critics are now saying the earth had nothing to do with—humans could be at fault.

A mud volcano in East Java, Indonesia that erupted over two years ago continues to spew hot black sludge at 3.5 million cubic feet a day. Over 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes, millions of dollars in damages have accrued, and the area’s ecosystems and landscape are altering in unforeseen ways. An earthquake was originally theorized as the cause for the mudflow, but a team of scientists now feels confident that an oil/gas company is the culprit.

Professor Richard Davies of Durham University, UK, argued in January of 2007 that a well being drilled in the region could have triggered Lusi, the mud volcano, to erupt on May 29, 2006. The company in question, Lapindo Brantas, denied the charges, insisting the Yogyakarta earthquake that occurred two days before hand caused the disaster.

Graduate student Maria Brumm and Prof Michael Manga of the University of California, Berkely recently took Davies’ research to task, finding that there was no way the earthquake could have played a role. Other scientists from America, Indonesia, Australia, and England aided in the report to be published later this week in the academic journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. It concludes that the effect of the earthquake was minimal because not only was it too far away (with the epicenter 250km from the volcano to be exact), but the change in pressure it formed underground would have been too small. The scientists say they are “99% certain” that drilling operations are to blame.

Prof. Davies was quoted in ENN:

“We show that the day before the mud volcano started there was a huge ‘kick’ in the well, which is an influx of fluid and gas into the wellbore. We show that after the kick the pressure in the well went beyond a critical level.”

“This resulted in the leakage of the fluid from the well and the rock formations to the surface — a so called ‘underground blowout’.”

Lapindo Brantas says it’s ready to debate the team’s scientific research, currently compiling evidence from other scientists arguing plate tectonics are the cause.

While the blame game lingers on, the government continues to find ways to cap off Lusi, and has already demanded Lapindo pay half of the estimated $844 million in damages.

Bilingual Honeybees

An experiment of mixing Asian and European bees in one hive has proven their ability to communicate with each other through a dance. The National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence in Vision Science funded the study.

The study was conducted to tell whether or not bees from different continents could communicate with each other, even though they didn’t speak the same language. There are only 9 known species of honeybees in the world and they communicate with each other by “dance languages,” discovered by scientist Karl von Frisch that could be up to 30 to 50 million years old.

There are 3 known classified forms of dance: a round dance signifies sources close to the colony, a sickle dance is performed for larger distances and a waggle dance is the most sophisticated of the three, encoding direction and distance of a given food source.

Honeybees use specific movements to let each other know, for example, where a certain flower nesting site is. “The coordinates of distant locations,” explains Shaowu Zhang of the Australian National University, “are encoded in the waggle phase of this ballet, with the direction and distance to the food source indicated by the orientation and duration of the dance.” Because of these differences, the scientists can pick out language and dance styles specific to a particular species.

During this instance, the Asian and European bees were trained by the scientists to fly to a feeder set at various distances from the hive. Once the European bees found the feeder successfully, the Asian bees quickly followed and were able to interpret where the feeder was and vice versa.

The ability of all species of bees being able to communicate in nature is unknown, however, as they don’t typically collide. The experiment established an artificially mixed colony for scientific purposes only. Check out PLoS ONE for a full report of the experiment’s data.

World Peace: Now and Then

Remember the 1960’s when the threat of communists and nuclear war was as feared as terrorists are today? When wholesome, Cadillac-owning Americans had bomb shelters in their basements stocked with canned tuna and Rice Krispies?

Well, maybe you don’t remember first hand, but I’m sure you caught some of it in history class or (better yet) period films. And yes, Hairspray counts…I guess. Where leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy outwardly spoke of peace and yet so much war and fear was brewing on a global scale.

I lingered on the subject since I was reading a speech I received in an email the other day that was given in June of 1963. John F. Kennedy was its presenter in his 3^rd year as president and soon after this speech was given (as some remember and others have read or seen) he was assassinated.

The topic was ‘world peace’ and while reading I couldn’t help by notice how much its words described our current world stage. It seems the history that isn’t too far behind us may already be repeating itself. And since Weearth prides itself on mass global communication, I found the topic all too appropriate.

In the speech, President Kennedy emphasizes the dangers of nuclear warfare and how it must be prevented at all costs. He also speaks in great length of the Soviet Union and how important it is for the 2 countries to stop fearing each other and come to a compromise through diplomacy.

He states, “Let us reexamine our attitude toward the Soviet Union. It is discouraging to think that their leaders may actually believe what their propagandists write.” If I’m not mistaken America, and the rest of the world for that matter, still has a growing fear of nuclear terror today, but not from Russia; from the Middle East and Korea. The only difference I’m afraid is there is little talk of peace today. Nor is the mention of possible bias towards foreign countries or “propaganda” called into question, at least in the United States.

In his plea for peace, Kennedy doesn’t attempt to proclaim America’s moral superiority, nor does he speak of America as a shining city upon a hill. Instead, he takes a realistic approach, saying, “let us examine our attitude toward peace itself…our problems are manmade—therefore, they can be solved by man.”

He goes on to plead for a “practical approach” for peace. But at the same time he never suggests that we do nothing, stating, “we can seek a relaxation of tensions without relaxing our guard.” He speaks of engaging with the Geneva Convention to secure arms control and mentions political allies as being a resource where ideas can converge.

Kennedy points out that “no government or social system is so evil that its people must be considered as lacking in virtue,” which is a sentiment we often forget and has been shared by important historical figures like Anne Frank, who wrote in her diary that “despite everything” she believed people were still “good at heart,” even as she was being persecuted by the Nazis.

While speaking on a topic that is poignant today, he points out that, “no treaty, however much it may be to the advantage of all, however tightly it may be worded, can provide absolute security against the risks of deception and evasion. But it can…offer far more security and far fewer risks than an unabated, uncontrolled, unpredictable arms race.” He even goes so far to state that America “will never start a war.” Too bad that didn’t stick.

Which leads me to this painfully philosophical question. Can world peace ever truly be achieved? Since the word ‘peace’ is so subjective in itself I find it hard to define the term. And I find myself questioning the question, as it sounds like something a candidate for Miss America would try to answer. Which is sad since peace is usually affiliated with lovey-dovey tree huggers who like to wear tie-dye in an age where it’s no longer appropriate.

However, there are times when this almost idealistic sentiment seems possible; when countries all over the world mourn and support a nation such as the United States after a terrorist attack, such as 9/11; or when summits are held by feuding countries like Israel and Palestine; or when an adolescent girl writes a passage in her diary about the goodness of human kind, although the world has been unjust to her; or when a man called Mahatma Gandhi manages to suspend violence in northern India by passive resistance and peaceful example.

But we tend to contradict ourselves when the very leaders who openly speak of peace are publicly killed. I believe in order to achieve peace we must be able to remember the good in people that is worth fighting for. Not with guns or nuclear weapons, but with acceptance, an open mind, understanding, the ability to forgive and most of all, as Kennedy said, to try and achieve “life on earth worth living…not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.”

Bonnaroo

Every year Coffe County, TN more than doubles in population from about 50,000 to 130,000 for one week. It is here in Manchester, TN where the title "Best Festival", given by Rolling Stone, has been bestowed on Bonnaroo. What can be said about one of 50 moments that has changed Rock and Roll History, that continually brings fans of all walks of life from all four corners of the United States and beyond, and for the past 6 years and counting? That it is the creation of a unique and diverse city that breeds unity.

You will here it over and over again from veterans and first timers to this festival, "It is the most amazing experience I have ever had". But how can the general consensus of 80,000 people be so similar when everyone is so different. Imagine a city where every corner has been strategically created for fun, where every block has something for everyone. Where the faces of people you pass don't look away with frowns but share knowing smiles of what surrounds them. This is Bonnaroo.

Bonnaroo has grown tremendously since its inception in 2002, to become one of the most over the top festivals anywhere in the states. With over 156 acts, with musical genres ranging from Americana, jazz, gospel, hip hop, world, electronica, reggae, bluegrass, indie rock, and the list goes on. And if the music isn't enough there is a comedy tent, an arcade, internet café, kidz zone, cinema tent, yoga classes, and a brewer's tent.

It is this variety of music and activities that draws such a varied crowd. Where else can fans of Metallica, Jurrassic 5, Willie Nelson, the Police, Jack Johnson, Sonic Youth, Trey Anastasio, Bob Dylan, and Beck all come together with the pure intention of enjoying the music, each other, and the experience for four blissful days on the middle of a farm?

This is where the beauty of such a festival comes from. That for a moment every year in the summer people from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, regions, ages, beliefs, and tastes hang out and have Bonnaroo, the Cajun slang word meaning "a really good time".

So many lives are touched by the creation of this event. And it is the great diversity inherent in this festival that has gained it such high accolades from everyone. The media, the artists, the fans, and everyone in between all speak of Bonnaroo with great regard. It's more than just a festival where cliché' hippies run around dancing. It is a place that connects people to other people they normally would not be exposed too, too nature, and to that in explainable thing that is greater than all of us.

Somewhere after the first day of running around, exploring, dancing, walking, and laying in the hot summer sun something amazing begins to ripple through the campsites and the crowds at the countless shows going on. Camaraderie is being built. Adventures are embarked upon with total strangers. Sounds that have never been heard echo. And new experiences beyond the imagination are reached. But what makes it so amazing is that amidst the 80,000 people there you know for sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not the only one.

And after the countless hours of waiting in traffic with the same caravan of cars, when you are standing in line at the restroom or waiting for a cold bag of ice, are in a dash to one of 5 main stages, are laughing in pure joy on the swing sets, bouncing from random 3am jamm session to 5 am dance party, or roaming through the 530 acres of farm you begin to see yourself in all the faces you pass. You begin to become apart of this large community that has been created. You become united to your fellow camping neighbors, concert buddies, and random people whose paths you cross. And somehow right there in the most diverse of all places in Manchester, TN a sense of unity is born.

Burning Man Brings Solar Power to Nevada Towns

Burning Man wants to improve the state it’s unique community celebrates in every year. The newly formed nonprofit Black Rock Solar plans to bring alternative energy to poverty-stricken communities in Nevada, and the reluctant older generations are willing to accept it.
CNET News writes:

The idea behind Black Rock Solar is to find worthy recipients for whom to donate fully installed solar arrays that can then provide a source of free power for years to come. Black Rock Solar is partnering with MMA Renewable Ventures and Nevada utility company Sierra Pacific Power to provide the labor, expertise, and equipment necessary to get the solar arrays on line.
MMA will donate the equipment, the costs of which will be largely offset by rebates available under Nevada law to public users of solar power.

So far Black Rock Solar has installed a 30-kilowatt array at a hospital in the town of Lovelock and just recently cut the ribbon on a 90-kilowatt system powering a Gerlach side-by-side elementary/middle/high school. The two communities neighbor the desert in which the annual Burning Man event is held every summer.

Burning Man committed to several activist causes over the years (including Hurricane Katrina relief effort) and has attempted to donate raised money to the communities of Nevada for some time now. Many of the weary-eyed townspeople were reluctant to align itself with Burning Man until now; however, perhaps only familiar with the rumors of drugged out, dance-prone, naked hippies stirring up loud electro-infused music through odd hours of the night.

“A lot of older people of our community…are real reticent about accepting (The Burning Man community)” Carol Kaufmann, principal of the school receiving solar power, tells CNET. “But as a whole, the community looks at it like, ‘Wow, this is a big change. You really are putting your money where your mouth is. You really do want to help the community.”

Burning Man members hope to spread the efforts to other small towns in similar financial depressions. Their commitment to clean, alternative energy has grown since last year’s festival theme—the “Green Man.”

Poetic Justice

When a bunch of youths threw a party in the former home of poet Robert Frost in Middlebury, Vermont, their punishment was made to fit the crime.

On Dec. 28, a 17-year-old former Middlebury College employee decided to hold a party and gave a friend $100 to buy beer. After word spread, around 50 people ended up at the farm; when the party was over, windows, antique furniture and china had been broken, fire extinguishers discharged, and the carpet ruined with urine and vomit. Drug paraphernalia and beer cans were also left behind. All in all, $10,600 in damage was done.

Twenty-eight people — all but two of them teenagers — were charged, mostly with trespassing. About 25 ultimately entered pleas — or were accepted into a program that allows them to wipe their records clean. Only the man who bought the beer was sent to jail, for 3 days.

Prosecutor John Quinn asked Frost biographer Jay Parini to teach the vandals a class on the esteemed poet as part of their punishment, “I guess I was thinking that if these teens had a better understanding of who Robert Frost was and his contribution to our society, that they would be more respectful of other people's property in the future and would also learn something from the experience.”

Parini donated his time for the two sessions that will focus on paralleling Frost’s poems, "The Road Not Taken" and "Out, Out-," with the actions of the young vandals.

"It's a lesson learned, that's for sure," said one of them, 22-year-old Ryan Kenyon, whose grandmother worked as hairdresser in the 1960s and knew Frost. "It did bring some insight. People do many things that they don't realize the consequences of. It shined a light, at least to me."

Frost spent more than 20 summers before his death in 1963 at the secluded farmhouse, now owned by Middlebury College.

Bo Diddley--Rock And Roll Prophet Dies At 79

Bo Diddley, one of the most iconic names associated with blues and rock and roll died at the age of 79 from heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida.

Diddley made a name for himself in the mid-1950s for pioneering what he called the “shave and a haircut, two bits” guitar playing style. Often mouthed like “bomp ba-bomp, bomp, bomp, bomp” it became the staple sound for rock and roll as we know it today. And like the best rock music, it didn’t immediately gain wide acceptance. Diddley said that prior to his premier on the now legendary Alan Freed radio show, his music was often dismissed with racist terms like “jungle music.” Freed introduced him with what many cite as the first use of the term “rock and roll,” saying, “Here is a man with an original sound, who is going to rock and roll you right out of your seat.”

With his box-shaped guitar and custom-made electronic effects, his sound resembled no one at the time, and later influenced every rock act from Jimi Hendrix to the Velvet Underground to The Jesus & Mary Chain to Nine Inch Nails. Diddley once remarked in his later years, “They copied everything I did, upgraded it, messed it up. It seems to me that nobody can come up with their own thing, they have to put a little bit of Bo Diddley there.” The Jesus & Mary Chain acknowledged him with the single, “Bo Diddley Is Jesus.” His songs “I’m a Man,” “Who Do You Love,” and “The Mule” have been covered endlessly by other rock bands throughout the decades.

While Diddley eventually received wide recognition for his pioneering efforts, earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an exhibit at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he never reached a plateau in which he chose to retire and celebrate his ego. Instead he continued to write new music and tour all the way up to the stroke he suffered last year. He appreciated the accolades, “but it didn’t put no figures in my checkbook,” he said.

I personally had the honor of seeing Diddley perform at Little Steven Van Zandt’s International Garage Rock Festival in New York City in 2004. His sound and personality held up and fitted in perfectly with contemporary acts like The Raveonettes, The Strokes, and the Stooges. Sitting on a stool and plucking away at the guitar in strange ways, he drove kids completely unfamiliar with him to start dancing. He even playfully teased some of the other acts, keeping true with the attitude that makes the music extra special.

Rest In Peace, Bo, you won’t be forgotten. Here are some of his famous quotes to make sure:

“If you ain’t got no money, ain’t nobody calls you honey.”

“Seventy ain’t nothing but a damn number. I’m writing and creating new stuff and putting together new different things. Trying to stay out there and roll with the punches. I ain’t quit yet.”

“I am owed. I’ve never got paid. A dude with a pencil is worse than a cat with a machine gun.”

On the Nike “Bo Knows” ad campaign in which he participated in 1989: “I never could figure out what it had to do with shoes, but it worked.”

“Elvis was not the first. I was the first son-of-a-gun out there. Me and Chuck Berry”

On the key to good songwriting: “A story with some funny lyrics, or some serious lyrics, or some love-type lyrics. But you gotta think in terms of what people’s lives is based on.”

Barak Obama Makes U.S. History

After what feels like years of debate and political squabble, the primary season is over and the Democratic Party has an official nominee: Barack Obama. Obama has become the first African American to ever win such a major party presidential nomination.

With last night’s 2 primary elections ending the race, Obama won Montana and rival Senator Hillary Clinton won South Dakota. After months of hardcore campaigning and split primary battles, Obama overreached the 2,118 delegates needed to become the nominee by 30 or 40 points with the help of pledged super delegates. Clinton has now started to court the idea of the vice presidency spot claiming she was open to that possibility.

Many political analysts believe this could be an opportune way to gain her supporters down the line since she had the majority of the popular vote during the election process. At this time “there is no deal in the works,” Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs announced on the subject.

The general fight has already begun, with republican nominee John McCain not wasting any time in taking every opportunity he can to lash out at the Chicago Senator and vice versa. After welcoming the young senator to the general election campaign, John McCain stated on a morning show that he thinks Obama has “exercised very bad judgment on national security issues and others.”

The two candidates have extremely different ideologies on the war in Iraq and what roles a president should play in international policy. While Obama argues that keeping U.S. combat troops in Iraq only strengthens Iran’s capabilities and is the wrong approach and wrong decision for the country, McCain believes that maintaining troops there will weaken Iran and allow U.S. troops to keep a watchful eye on the middle eastern country while they continue to establish their new democratic system. Obama has stated he believes the war in Iraq has also made American ally Israel less secure.

Obama believes that friendly diplomacy is key to strengthening America’s reputation overseas and has claimed he will ensure this by meeting with world leaders personally and speaking to them face to face. McCain criticizes this and believes it to be a dangerous and hasty approach.

The new presidential nominee will have to face serious critical charges against him concerning his religious past. He just recently left his church in Chicago due to unsettling comments made by his long time friend and Pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. He has also managed to dodge staunch rumors that involve him being a participant in the Muslim religion, but will most certainly have to avoid more of the same in the coming months leading up to the election in November.

Other challenges in order to clinch the oval office involve uniting the Democratic Party and winning an overwhelming number of Hillary Clinton supporters after a few hurtful incidents. In partially disenfranchised states such as Florida and Michigan, there are still many angry, unsatisfied democrats who aren’t happy with the final decisions made. He will have to be somewhat reliant on Clinton for her personal support and rallying in order to bridge the gap.

But if he succeeds, he will not only be making history as America’s youngest President since John F. Kennedy, but the first African American President of the United States of America.

Fruit Stickers Do Have a Purpose

You know when you shop at the supermarket and it seems like every fruit and vegetable has a little sticker on it with a seemingly random collection of letters and numbers? It turns out that those stickers do have a purpose (other than to annoy and confuse you).

Jay Weinstein cracks the produce code on his blog to help you identify the difference between organic an non-organic produce, just in case you were starting to wonder if fruits and vegetables are all the same. It turns out: they’re not.

Price look-up (PLU) codes are an international numbering standard that identifies each type of produce, so that computerized cash registers can ring up the cost of fruits and vegetables automatically. The code also lets consumers whether the item is a conventional, organic or genetically modified (GM) crop.

Conventional produce carries a 4-digit code. For organic or GM produce, an extra number is added to the beginning of the series, making it a 5-digit code. If the starting number of the 5-digit code is a 9, it is organic. If the starting number of the 5-digits begins with an 8, it is from a genetically modified crop.

The codes are on every item of produce, from lettuce to apples, but often get mixed together or placed in the wrong bins, so check the labels on your produce the same way you check labels on other products.

Aid in Myanmar Not Enough

Myanmar's ruling government will allow foreign aid into their country to
help the 2.5 million suffering from the recent cyclone on May 2nd and 3rd.
Though no aid will be accepted from U.S., French or British military ships
because Myanmar's junta fears political invasion or interference. Recent
criticism has surfaced in Myanmar of Western nations attempting to turn
their country into a neo-colony.

Most of the aid will come from Asian countries for now, including China and
India. The government has allowed medical teams from 10 neighboring
countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to
distribute supplies and survey the scene for what’s needed. According to the
Pentagon, planes carrying 480 tons of relief supplies were permitted into
Yangon but haven't been permitted directly to needed areas.

U.N. Spokeswoman in Bangkok said foreign aid seekers were seeing some
progress in terms of pipelines starting to come through but insists the aid
given so far isn't nearly enough. U.N.'s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met
Friday with the country's junta leader Senior General Than Shwe, attempting
to convince him of the pressing matter at hand. The United Nations and the
whole international community stand ready to help you overcome this
tragedy, Ban stated to the general.

But the junta leader did not respond kindly and simply reiterated he and his
army could handle it themselves. The government even went so far as to block
visas for foreign disaster management experts.

Because of the junta's resistance to aid, France has questioned labeling
their resistance as crimes of humanity and was ready to push for a U.N.
resolution that would authorize delivery by all means necessary.² Aid
agencies from western countries are preparing boats, vessels and supplies to
deliver as soon as they're able.

The death toll from the devastating natural disaster is now 78,000 with
another 56,000 still missing. The economic damage is estimated around 11
billion.

Salmon Skin Bikinis?

An elaborate example of waste not, want not goes into Chilean fashion designer Claudia Escobar’s exotic salmon skin bikinis.

Escobar saw not only a source of cheap raw material in the masses of salmon skin discarded worldwide every year, she also saw the opportunity a source for helping the poor, making money and giving life to her creative talents.

The Lycra-trimmed, ultra-mini salmon-skin bikini sells for about 250 pounds ($494.9) and a pair of trousers fetches around 750 pounds, with half of the sale value going to workers, after paying off the negligible amount of overhead.

The 37-year old innovative designer says she is using fashion as a tool to help women internationally overcome poverty by taking traditional, local materials and molding them into high-priced luxury items. She has worked with Mapuche Indians in South America and women in Senegal where she sent them a technique for using fish skins based on their own method of treating goatskins.

"Many people who lived near rivers and oceans have used fish throughout history. It's not my original idea," she said, speaking in Edinburgh's port area. "It's amazing, it's a used product and you transform it into a product with added value."

Escobar is planning to launch another line, also based on local materials, picking up wool shed by sheep in the Scottish islands and has already started to recruit people with knowledge of traditional knitting techniques.

Green Parking Lots

Parking lots are notorious environmental wastelands, with their seemingly endless miles of asphalt and lack of greenery. But there could be a way to help green parking lots as they don’t seem to be going anywhere as long as cars remain our main source of transportation.

"Solar Trees," named by San Diego-based company Envision Grove, not only provides shade for parking lots, like trees, it also provides a source of electricity, using solar power.

The solar grove provides not only energy, but shade, which reduces the need for air conditioning in cars as well as has the capacity to reduce light pollution by trapping light underneath the canopy while simultaneously lighting the parking lot.

Each canopy can be tilted to maximize the energy trapped and produced by the sun. Each tree is s 10 feet tall at the low end and 13 feet tall at the high end and together can shade 6 cars. By generating large amounts of energy, it saves the CO2 emissions that traditionally generated electricity creates.

Not only that, but they can be washed down when they accumulate dust and also can route rainwater into bio-swales: porous, organic material that filters pollutants from park lot run-off.

For more information on the environmental and economic benefits of the solar grove, visit http://www.envisionsolar.com/.

The Introduction of EvoLux R with EvoDim

The ability to dim your lights is an eco-conscious effort that we should all have installed. Now with EarthLED.com’s introduction of the EvoLux R with EvoDim, the dimming is all in the bulb, so there is no need to bother installing a dimmer switch.

The bulb has an innovative three stage dimming function called EvoDim, which allows for maximum energy conservation by letting you cycle the bulb through three different output settings simply by rapidly switching the bulb on and off. You can’t use it on wall mounted or touch sensitive lamps, but for all other purposes it’s great.

Like the rest of EvoLux family of bulbs, the new EvoDim bulbs come with the innovative features of their predecessors, including:

A lack of hazardous materials, including mercury and lead

It is cooler than traditional bulbs, meaning less energy output as well as being safer household appliance

Longer life than less expensive CFL bulbs and traditional bulbs

To learn more about EvoDim and other Evolux products, visit their website at www.earthled.com