Another example of myopic corporate behavior: Number-two national drug store chain CVS is closing around 200 stores in various markets. This comes after the company (along with Walgreens and Rite Aid) went on a building rampage, often tearing down historic buildings in order to construct their plain vanilla, anti-contextual monuments to banality. The situation is a good illustration of dumb capitalism. Not only did they forgo their market research (the stores don’t have enough customers to support them), they also often enraged the communities in which they began operations. Now, that’s a sure way to win over a customer.

On Christmas, my sister gave me a CD by the group Si-Se. Inside the jewel case was a small product catalog from the label, Luaka Bop, with the note "Listen globally, buy locally." After doing much of my Christmas shopping online, it was a pleasant reminder to pay my local music and book shops a visit soon.

Happy Holidays!

Well, we hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday so far. We’re going to be taking a break from our daily commentary on OS for a couple of days. Enjoy the break, use it to rejuvenate, enjoy your time with family and loved ones, and give your mousing hand a rest! We’ll talk to you again shortly!

Do you know the meaning behind the song The 12 Days of Christmas? I didn't, before I read these pages. The 12 Days are the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6), not the 12 days before Christmas as I had previously thought. The song was a mnemonic device used to help children remember the tenets of the Catholic faith. Interesting.

The long-awaited details for Opensewer 11 have been posted. Ponder the subject, won't you?

There are a lot of innocent people being killed by American bombs in Afghanistan, people are noticing, but America still doesn't want to hear about it.

“Activists have long complained that poor communities bear a disproportionately large share of the pollution burden.” The California Air Resources Board recently approved a policy that could help change that. How is your state enforcing environmental justice?

Color has taken possession of me; no longer do I have to chase after it, I know that it has hold of me forever. That is the significance of this blessed moment. Color and I are one. I am a painter.

Today is 20th C. artist Paul Klee's birthday, a painter whose childlike works seemed inspired by dreams and music. Reflecting upon his art, one is reminded that being curious and wide-eyed is perhaps not such a bad way to exist in this world.

Wonderfully deranged photographer Lori Nix constructs miniature worlds--insidious landscapes of quiet turmoil--and then photographs them for us. Beautiful and unsettling, her images illustrate the anxieties and absurdity of modern life.

Lori was one of the very first artists to exhibit on Opensewer back in 1999. We are proud to continue to represent her by publishing her most recent series of images, “Ill Winds And Sour Waters.” Her earlier work, “Accidentally Kansas,” is also still available on Opensewer. We hope that you enjoy Lori’s work as much as we do.

After 12 years of engineering work and careful construction, La Torre di Pisa has once again opened for visitors. I'm very happy about this, because it was still closed the last time I was in Italy. Unfortunately, however, this very likely means that we'll all have to endure more of these kinds of cheesy photos than ever. Why don't more people pay attention to the amazing Duomo and Baptistry? The leaning tower is merely one part of the wonderful Campo dei Miracoli (Quicktime VR link).

Special for the holidays: Flrt offers a PSA 01 about the christmas tree industry - What Do Trees Want? Flash required.

Tip of the hat to Get Crafty for the link.

People in those old times had convictions; we moderns have only opinions. And it needs more than a mere opinion to erect a Gothic cathedral.

--Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)

Lance Arthur, a pioneer of the personal Web, has inspired tons of independent content and design producers worldwide, including Opensewer. This month marks the end of an era for his site, Glassdog. At the beginning of December, he said that he would write something new on Glassdog everyday this month – quite industrious for Lance. The occasion? He claims that he will be rebuilding Glassdog from scratch at the beginning of next year. So take this opportunity to check out Glassdog, read some classic Lance and remember why we do what we do. Thanks Lance, for continuing to be an inspiration to all of us.

I know that I'm not digging very deeply for this, but how can I not link to this great article on Alternet about the manipulation of public opinion in times of crisis. Alternet is a great resource that must continue. Give them some money--we did.

Well, weather-wise today should be a fairly mild day for most of us in America—temperatures somewhere in the 40s or 50s, with little or no precipitation. Today would be a good day to read this funny article about art, and then maybe go take a walk outside. Be sure to wear you big comfy sweater. (NYT article; username: opensewer; password: iswatching.)

According to yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, sub-prime or “predatory” lenders are encouraging low-income households to refinance their homes in order to consolidate debts. These companies, including Countrywide, Citigroup, Ameriquest and H&R Block, are promising borrowers that they will finally be able to pay off their mounting credit card debt, get some cash, and maybe, just maybe, buy some Christmas presents for the kiddies this year.

While these types of home equity loans can, in theory, help individuals consolidate their debts and pay off credit cards at a lower interest rate, they often end up costing borrowers tens of thousands of dollars over the course of the new loan—which is always longer and at a much less favorable rate than the original. Many borrowers are replacing loans originally issued by Habitat for Humanity, with interest rates as low as 1 or 2% over 20 years. The new loans are often issued at 12% or higher, with terms of 30 years. As a result of a recent swell in this activity, many low-income borrowers cannot meet their new debt service and face the risk of losing their homes to foreclosure.

Why are lenders doing this? Because they have developed sophisticated algorithms that accurately predict the default rates of “sub-prime” borrowers. Since the companies know the probability of their financial loss, they can hedge against it and continue to make money by exploiting the least affluent (and often least financially sophisticated) members of our society. Hence the term “predatory lending.”

The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a non-profit citizen group, is fighting this trend, and the Federal Reserve Board is currently examining various courses of action to cure the problem. So, next time you see that television commercial urging you to consolidate your debts, think twice.

As we all know, stem cell research has been very controversial, especially as it relates to cloning. Since so much has happened over the past two weeks I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the instant replay. A little over a week ago Advanced Cell Technologies announced that it had cloned a human embryo. Bush calls it “morally wrong”, calls for a ban and then three days later creates the White House Council on Bioethics. On Monday, the Senate voted on an amendment to impose a 6-month moratorium on human embryo cloning. It was defeated 1-94, mostly because it was bundled with another controversial measure that would have allowed oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. It’s scary how fast obviously beneficial research can be banned without much discussion beforehand. Just a reminder that it's never too late to let your elected officials know how you feel about this research.

What can be said that hasn’t been said already? Today is World AIDS Day, and it is being observed by concerned citizens all over the world (including artists and webloggers). Forty million people currently have HIV, and the disease is spreading at an alarming rate in many places—most notably Sub-Saharan Africa (BBC stats page). The search for a vaccine continues, as human rights groups and drug companies argue over the definition of fair access to AIDS treatment drugs.

To me, the most frightening aspect of all of this is that while AIDS has been transformed from a death-sentence to a potentially survivable illness by expensive treatments, the availability of such treatments seems to have placated the Western World’s concerns about the spread of the disease. The epidemic has not been turned back. Focus on prevention should take priority above all other efforts.

Update: Opensewer artist Robert Banks has a few events coming up that may be of interest to you.

Update: The deadline for entries in the 4th Annual CAi Photography Competition has been extended to January 18, 2002.

According to the Environment and Energy Daily (November 16, 2001), the EPA will propose a new rule in 2002 and a final rule in April of 2003 that may allow pollution trading, a practice that would enable companies in some cases to purchase permits to pollute rather than further limiting their water pollution emissions. I know that the world is a complicated place and that tough decisions must be made all the time, but why must we so often act in ways that are completely contrary to common sense?

Today is the anniversary of the first handwritten publication of Alice in Wonderland (originally titled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground). Lewis Carroll has been accused, by a number of conservative entities and individuals, of being under the influence on drugs while writing this story. Eighty-nine years after Carroll’s handwritten manuscript was given to little Alice Liddel, Disney produced an animated version of the story. Disney likes it when you buy stuff from them. Conservatives also want us to buy stuff, because it’s morally proper and it helps us recover from September 11 and the current economic slowdown. So, should I buy a copy of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland to support the cause, or will this be too ethically confusing for everyone?

Don't forget, Buy Nothing Day is this Friday, November 23rd.

Artist Wyeth Koppenhaver uses digital collage to transpose his grandfather's observations from World War II into the visual and social context of the present.

The Harry Potter movie is opening this weekend! Are you excited? Have you been waiting for this? Are your kids excited? Coca-cola is excited, they are reaching a young audience which is smitten with the world of Harry Potter, a world in which there is Coca-cola, so it must be good right? You want some right now don't you? Some people aren't too excited about it - Save Harry is trying to teach people about just how bad liquid candy is and what it is doing to our kids.

I'm linking to this a couple of days late, but... Well put, Scott.

The economists as good guys and the humanists as bad guys? Whaaat?

These aren’t all future Susan Sontags. Carrying tattered copies of ‘in’ books is a fashion statement for some.

In the Wall Street Journal this past Friday (11/9/01, page W-1), an article entitled Look Who’s Reading by Pooja Bhatia calls attention to the fact that reading has suddenly become hip in the under-25 set—the post-Gen-X generation. “It’s a backlash against MTV culture,” according to sociologist William Strauss, author of Millennials Rising: The Next Great American Generation. Well, a backlash against MTV culture is fine with me, but what’s not good is that this movement seems to be based more on image than anything else. I quote from the article:

No one would accuse Kathleen Dodge of being a slacker. The Berkeley, Calif., 25-year-old showed up three hours early just to get a seat at a local reading by [Dave] Eggers last summer. She wore a carefully chosen outfit—green cashmere sweater, long black shirt—that she felt connoted just the right mix of intellect and style.

Mmm-hmm.

Speak from your heart, even if your voice shakes.

oh that is so sad

I actually find myself surprised these aren't real.

Hmmm...

Bush reversed a decision made in the Clinton years about mining restrictions on public lands making it easier for a Nevada company to dig an open-pit gold mine in a part of the California desert considered sacred by a local Indian tribe. As always and still, making life easier for industry. (NYTimes; username: opensewer; password: iswatching.)

Artist Sean Hopp has strange dreams. Fortunately, because he's a painter, we have a chance to see them. In his words, "a complete visual world philosophy is possible through the use of introspection and personal symbols."

Indeed, the gender gap in support for this U.S. military effort is unusually small. Historically, female support for war has lagged between 10 and 15 percent behind men's, according to Joshua Goldstein, author of War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa. But in a recent survey released by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 79 percent of women, compared to 86 percent of men, said they support the ongoing military intervention, a near parity Goldstein believes may be explained by the fact that the Taliban is anathema to women.

Thank you, Joshua Glenn, for this very good piece of writing.

In America, if you stand out, you may be rewarded. But if you stand up, you may be punished. (Username: opensewer; password: iswatching.)

Happy All-Hallows Eve! And, with no intent of irony I'm sure, today is also the day that Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, ensuring that the long-standing tradition of religious conflict in the world would continue for years to come. Shudder to think, what would the world be like without religious conflict?

After years of fairies, little girls and sleeping babies the most vapid Ashton Drake collectable doll company presents the ever-so-cute Semper Fi Marine toddler doll just $80 in four easy payments! Despicable.

The Crusaders' Giant Footprints, an article in the Washington Post last Tuesday, provides some insight into the mindset of Islamic culture as it relates to current events. Sometimes we seem to forget that the Earth has been patiently rotating for thousands of years, and not all of the most important things in history happened during the 20th Century. (Via Arts & Letters Daily.)

Well, it's about time! No less than a full 19 days after the actual event, we now present to you full summaries and photographs of all seven Opensewer 10 Gatherings. Enjoy! We'll be posting information on Opensewer 11 sometime in the first half of November.

This week's On The Media reported about Viacom's president Mel Karmazin finding a silver lining in the current war. As if Viacom isn't controlling most of our entertainment already, they plan to use the current unrest to build an even bigger empire. Listen here.

To artist Carol Es, painting is an independent entity that both guides and humbles her. Difficult to fit into any particular genre, her mixed-media paintings represent a simple, powerful release of the generator inside.

The question is, can you destroy destruction? Dropping more bombs on Afghanistan will only shuffle the rubble, scramble some old graves and disturb the dead.

Not very comforting, but insightful in many ways, The Algebra Of Infinite Justice examines U.S. retaliation for 9/11 from an Indian perspective.

Yesterday's Working Assets Radio focused on what this story in the New York Times didn't say, including what stakes the Bush family has in Saudi oil. When Bush Sr. left office he took a bunch of advisors and officials with him and joined a company called the Carlyle Group which has interests in foreign oil. As someone in the show said - no one is going to refuse a meeting with the former head of state from the US. Read the recap of the show here, and read about the Carlyle Group on Bloomberg here (a story cited in the show). For each show Working Assets Radio offers a great toolbox, I copied yesterday's:

Project Underground helps environmental, human rights and indigenous- rights movements carry out focused campaigns to counter abusive oil and mining activities. The organization seeks to systematically deal with problems the oil and mining industries create by exposing environmental and human-rights abuses and empowering communities facing mineral and energy development to achieve economic and environmental justice.

Corp Watch counters corporate-led globalization through education and activism. CorpWatch works to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization - a diverse movement for human rights, labor rights and environmental justice. Find out how you can support CorpWatch online.

TomPaine.com. The online journalism site funded by the Florence Fund seeds the national public policy debate with the common sense ideas, opinions, and analyses the mainstream media usually misses. Heck, the site even offers essays on history!

The RND# Project is currently a collection of six short films which explore our "increasingly bizarre dependence on and relationship with technology." Richard Fenwick conceived this idea and it is being sponsored by IDEO. Fenwick's intentions are that the project will eventually consist of 100 films. (Link via Memepool.)

Sometimes Sunday is a good day to turn off your computer and go outside if you can. Other days are good for this, too, but Sunday particularly so.

Two weeks ago we attended a wedding of two close friends. At the reception afterward, a friend of the bride requested to sing a song with the band. The band approved, but I’m sure thought to themselves, “Oh, boy, this should be a sight.” Well, it was a sight—the woman delivered the most rip-roaring, heart-warming version Janis Joplin’s “Me & Bobby McGee” the crowd had ever heard. This earned her the nickname “Little Janice” for the rest of the evening.

September 11 was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and the song resonated with the crowd. Thinking back now, one line from the song (though a bit out of context) stands out as particularly sobering:

Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose…

Opensewer 10 is over! Judging by the Ithaca gathering and the reports we've received so far from other cities, it was a great success! I always feel buzzed for days after these meetings, and no, it wasn't what I had to drink. Please be patient as all of us coordinators write our summaries and develop our film--we'll post the complete story as soon as we can. In the meantime, email us if you'd like to be on the mailing list for the next gathering.

Opensewer 10 is meeting tonight! The gatherings are occurring in 7 cities, so there's likely one near you. Come and join us--share your thoughts about life in America after September 11, and the current threats to peace in the world.

Today is when Columbus Day is observed, and also the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Today, like yesterday and tomorrow, is a good day to live on the Earth.

Artist update: The irresistible call of art, nature and Southern Culture convinced artist and former graphic designer Anthony DiFatta to leave the corporate world and pursue his true love.

All seven venues for Opensewer 10 have been confirmed. Contact the local coordinator to let them know you're coming!

Five of the seven cities hosting Opensewer 10 gatherings have confirmed their venues.

It is Banned Books Week. In this time where willingness to give up liberties some Americans don't realize they are entitled to and don't appreciate, let's hope this will stay alive.

Let me apologize in advance for this--no, wait, I take back my apology. I decided long ago that I wasn't going to be ashamed for having an opinion, however unpopular. We tend to make a habit of saying unpopular things here. On September 17, Scott Lepera, a good friend of ours and someone who has given us invaluable assistance with Opensewer, said,

Thank God for the Internet, which not only allowed for normal folk like you and I to scoop the traditional media, but also provide an arena for those same people to express their ideas to the world.

Well, to that statement, all I can say is: I’m not sure the benefits are so clear. There is a lot of noise out there, but few signals. Opinions are a dime a dozen, but underlying truth is difficult to discern. Freedom of speech is a wonderful right--its benefits outweigh its drawbacks--but an overflow of information can do more harm than good. “Thoughtful” essays about the Tragedy become too numerous to be meaningful or even comprehend. Reading this opinion won’t make your vision any clearer, so please discard it when you’re done.

The worst offender in this mess is The Fray. Almost immediately after the Tragedy, Fray posted a group of personal stories called “Missing Pieces.” The tag line reads:

Holes in our lives, holes in the skyline, holes in our spirit.

This gooey, over-emotional sentimentality only disrespects the truth of the events and those who died. The thirteen or so stories offered generally display the same sort of extra-dramatic expositions of “deeply personal” experiences. I realize now that The Fray is not a community. It is a place for people who want visibility. There is some “truth” there, but it’s hidden behind ego.

Please listen, I want to make it clear once again that you should disregard this opinion as soon as you’re done reading it. I just wanted to jolt you a bit.

Today is Sunday! Why don't you turn your computer off for the day?

We have changed the topic for Opensewer Gathering #10 to "America: Life After September 11." The "bioethics" topic will be reserved for Opensewer #11. When the world changes in the blink of an eye, how could we ever justify ignoring it? As humans, we bond through our humanity, our intellect, our emotions...

re:constructions is a site focusing on the part the media plays in the current situation.

The worst is not,
So long as we can say, 'This is the worst'

-- Lines from King Lear, quoted by Robert McCrum in an absolutely wonderful article where he encourages all of us, during these trying times, to find solace in the arms of literature.

Avoid war.

The highest priority of America should be the avoidance of war.

The highest priority of every world leader should be the avoidance of war.

The highest priority of every world citizen should be the avoidance of war.

Even as Americans pull together and show their resolve and love for one another in this terrible situation, they also talk of being willing to go to war. Let us allow justice and reason to dominate our actions, and be careful who we blame before real evidence is discovered. If we rush into a misdirected witch-hunt, we'll not only disrespect the victims of this attack, we'll also lose the trust and respect of much of the civilized world.

Some useful information:

• Emergency contact phone numbers for relatives concerned about airline passengers and Morgan Stanley employees, information on giving blood
• If you are in New York you can check in here
• 1-800-GIVE-LIFE for infomation on donating blood
• Bay Area blood donation centers
• Blood donation centers - Pacific and NY listings

We hope that you and your loved ones are well.

We reel in pain together, and try to understand why hatred and violence continue to permeate human culture.

"Redefining Progress is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization that seeks to ensure a more sustainable and socially equitable world for our children and our children's children." You can determine your Ecological Footprint - according to the quiz, the average American uses 30 acres to support his or her current lifestyle. You can get results for your own in both metric and those measurements Americans continue to insist upon.

In his incredibly rich paintings, new artist Vince Torano attempts to probe the attitudes and behavior of society by exploring the grotesque, the absurd, and our deep-seated preoccupation with affluence and physical beauty.

Now this is interesting..."Christianity has been 'almost vanquished' in the UK says the Archbishop of Westminster." Read yesterday's BBC email debate on this topic between Madeleine Pym from the British Humanist Association and Steve Tomkins, a writer on church history and religious satire.

I just purchased a textbook and it has advertisements all over it. This bothers me. (More on this subject later.)

Rose pointed out this Alternet article to me when it first appeared in the editorially weak Ithaca Times a few weeks ago. It's a die-hard lefty writing about feeling guilty for shopping at Wal-Mart (because he knows better). Gee, I thought that if you knew something was wrong, or that it had an adverse affect on society, the correct thing to do was pretty clear: DON'T DO IT. Did I miss the part where things got more complicated than that?

Sell out? I think definitely so. Ashamed? Of course not! In 2001, selling out is a virtue! To wit, Fay Weldon has written "the first novel commissioned to advertise a particular product." (NYT article; username: "opensewer"; password: "iswatching".)

The decline of the brainless-men's-magazine era (i.e., FHM, Maxim, Loaded). Thank GOD! From the article: "As economic times harden...so male angst returns. Or perhaps laddishness was really about male anxiety all along."

Alternet's critical review of the PBS series PlanetWork contained a reference to a somewhat frightening global corporate practice that I first learned about from Franklin Becker at Cornell: Multinational companies are farming many tasks, including telephone customer service, to countries like India where wages are much lower. "Visit your doctor and there's a chance your file, dictated over the phone, will be typed up in India and shot back overnight into the physician's computer." But that's not really the scary part. The scary part is that the Indian workers might speak to you with a perfectly practiced Southern accent, just to make you feel comfortable.

Miriam Carey has mentioned Opensewer as one of the 365 Ways To Meet People In Cleveland (her latest book). It's available on Amazon, if you are interested.

"The commander of the International Space Station (ISS) has expressed his concern to the BBC at the impact mankind is having on the Earth's environment." You can listen to the real audio of this story as well. Also to take a look at a map of early warning signs of global warming. Note how many are clustered over North America. (Via Metafilter.)

Pictures like this of the earth at night do not make me feel inspired, rather, they remind me about the need for more things like dark sky preserves.

How horrible can we possibly be to each other? This story makes me sick.

A burning question for UNESCO from Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, the Italian Minister of Agriculture: Should pizza be immortalized as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity?"

First, the Boy Scouts got in serious trouble with Conservative America for not being "straight" enough. Now, the Girl Scouts are in hot water for being tolerant. So let me see if I get this straight (no pun intended): being tolerant is a sin, but being judgmental is not. Hmmm, interesting.

How sad, our navy is installing sonar despite that it may hurt sea mammals. Anything for a stronger military.
via Rebecca's Pocket

New artist Jee Won Yang presents seven simple, beautiful paintings that abstract her personal impressions of Italy.

An interesting article in The Atlantic dated August 8, 1901 takes the position that sculpture depicting nude figures should be isolated from the general public. I went to a Christian high school, and took nearly all of the classes offered by our school’s limited (because is wasn’t a priority) art program. I had to do my figure drawing in secret, because the unclothed human form wasn’t allowed in visible sight. Most of the adults at that school had a mentality kind of like this guy from British Columbia. What is the state of art in America? Is it strong, or is it weak? As much as we deal with artists here at Opensewer, I’m not even sure. How large of a role does art play in American culture? Has anyone tried to quantify this? Apparently, art has enough teeth to get editorials like this one from conservative groups. I’ll get back to you on this topic.

If I was online more I probably would have found this a long time ago. Which leads me to this, a wonderful parody. Bow down to Metafilter--the website that will always know about everything before you do.

Details for the next Opensewer Gathering (OS10) are now available. The topic: Bioethics: Human Cloning and the Stem Cell Controversy. So far, six seven cities are participating.

The ultimate copyright protection.

Time for a sing along! "Ding dong the witch is dead!..."

And you thought the fries were good...

Another interesting development in the human cloning saga: A genetic characteristic that sets apart primates from other mammals makes humans technically easier to clone than sheep, cows, pigs and mice...or does it?

Yes yes yes yes YES…another excellent article on Alternet about the myth of race, color, crime and suburbia. White upper-middle class suburbanites are again surprised when one of their young turns out to be a cold-blooded criminal. From the article:

“…although underreported, drug data has long confirmed that the stereotypes of users and dealers (poor, black or Latino, and urban-dwelling) are not only racist, but also wrong. According to the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Department of Health and Human Services, whites are equally or more likely to use drugs than their African American counterparts, despite common misperceptions to the contrary.”

Ever wonder what impact you, personally, have on the environment? AirHead has a quick little emissions calculator so you can find out - it might be shocking, the national average is around 1600 pounds. Listen to that: 1600 pounds of pollution per household per month, a household being an average of 2.64 people. Air Head also keeps together environmental information about news, laws, products and what to buy and what to avoid, many many statistics, tips on how to cut down on polluting on a personal level, and community bulletin boards. A great way to scare yourself into treading a little more carefully.

Friday entertainment: Dialtones: A Telesymphony A concert performed entirely through the ringing of the audience's mobile phones.

Tolerance.org has a US map of hate groups - you may be surprised to find one right in your own town. They talk about what you can do to fight hate, what communities and groups are doing, and offer tests for hidden biases. [In the test section they do ask you to fill in information about your age and where you live - you can leave it all blank.] via dollarshort

The photographs and summaries of all Opensewer 9 Gatherings are now available.

Using children to do their marketing for them, at the NY Times (username: opensewer; password: iswatching). Thanks to Rebecca.

NPR this weekend had some good stories on the recent Federal funding for stem cell research. The one that caught my attention was by Weekend All Things considered ("Stem Cell" and "Ethicist," listen here) about the decision affecting which stem cells can be studied. Most of the existing stem cell lines, which Bush has allowed federal funding for research on, are owned by private corporations. They are trying to get permission to patent any treatments developed by the research which is paid in tax dollars. This would allow them to sell those treatments back to us at whatever price they would like. By limiting funding in this way Bush is allowing businesses, not researchers, great benefit. We don't hear the private biotech corporations complaining do we?

They also talk about the fact that while people who oppose stem cell research on lines originating from human embryos on moral grounds are focusing on protesting the federal funding, there are no rules in place to stop private corporations from doing whatever type of research they would like. Private corporations are even starting to approach couples with extra embryos from fertility trials to purchase the embryos in order to develop stem cell lines. These are things we will need to address soon, and shouting about funding money isn't helping.

NPR has put together a special reports page collecting stories here.

New artist Jason Goad illustrates a world of fallen angels, unfortunate events and bad girls.

“As wise men have noted from Aristotle onward, compassion depends both on a recognition of likeness and then on an awareness of the suffering of the being experienced as like.” – Clifford Orwin in Canada’s National Post discussing the so-called inevitability of stem cell research and human cloning.

The Car: Mercedes SLK 320. The Address: Atherton, CA 94027. The Obligatory Proto-Capitalist Worldview: Ayn Rand.

Awww…collective ironic sigh…The Gap, that popular proprietor of preppy palliaments for the proletariat, saw its sales decrease 12% last month—and that’s not the end of the company’s worries. Of course, I won’t really be dancing in the streets until the pinnacle of annoying teen clothiers goes under…of course I’m talking about Abercrombie & Fitch (New York Times article; user name: opensewer; password: iswatching).

I find it incredibly sad that certain types of shows are doing well enough to inspire the Miss America Pageant (insipid and offensive to start with) to include reality television and game show tactics in the pageant this year. I suppose next year they'll include mud wrestling and beer chugging.

Are low and middle-income countries making greater progress in the period of globalization than in the prior era? According to this recent study by the Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR), the answer is a resounding “no.” (If you can’t bear to read the entire somewhat dry report, then just read the executive summary, introduction, conclusion and some of the charts at the end.) The study makes a strong (although sweeping) argument that the policy changes implemented by countries around the world during the era of globalization (1980-2000) have actually slowed economic growth, reduced progress in life expectancy increases, slowed the rate of reduction of infant mortality and slowed world progress in education. This is quite contrary to the daily overzealous praise we are fed about the benefits and joys of an unrestricted global economy. It’s not so bad to be skeptical.

Uh, oh...

Bad news—due to a death in the family of our New York City coordinator, Opensewer 9 NYC has been cancelled. Our hearts and minds are with you, Tiona.

Look for photographs and summaries of all the Opensewer 9 gatherings soon.

Yum, yum…more goodness from Alternet. First, Davey D asks the eternal question, “If I'm a Nigga Is J-Lo a Spic?”—an interesting look at the development of the N-word over time, and the hot racial issues associated with it. Second, Wiretap, the youth-run information source backed by Alternet, reports some interesting statistics that may surprise many who like to make sweeping generalizations about contemporary youth culture (the stats are in the yellow page inset).

Overgrown suburbs—and my guess is that most people don’t even see this as a problem. According to recent census data, suburban areas are outgrowing center cities all around the country. It’s a “lifestyle choice,” and what right do snooty urban planners, environmentalists and liberal politicians have to tell people how to live? (Did you detect my sarcastic voice?) I hate to sound like a broken record, but we all know that this is not sustainable behavior. This kind of selfish growth will, in the long run, weaken America in relation to the rest of the world. Many parts of the world already resent us for our rampant growth and conspicuous consumption of resources. If only everyone in the world had the privilege of our excessively comfortable lifestyle choices…

The president is taking a vacation twice as long as most Americans get in a year after only six months in office. Truly a people's president (via Metafilter).

Quite a buzz is beginning to form about the decade-old cafés philo movement, in which Opensewer has been rabid participant for nearly three years now. Even young hip (?) lawyers in Washington, D. C. are starting to get involved. Oh, my…could it be that…no, it can’t be true…could it be that this could become…popular?

People are starting to catch on that we are over fishing our waters. Some responsible markets and restaurants have stopped offering endangered fish, for the rest of us there is the Seafood Choices Alliance. They track species and what various organizations feel about them, and let you know if it is safe to eat the fish in their SeaSense database. Chilean Sea Bass for example might be delicious and trendy but the National Audubon Society, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Environmental Defense recommend you avoid it. They even offer an alternative, and if the fish is ok to eat, recipes. A good resource to check before you head to the market.

We knew it was coming but it is still bad news.

I can’t believe people are falling for this. Disguised as fun, “Human for Sale” is collecting detailed demographic information about you, and associating it with your email and IP address! If this website were purely recreational, they wouldn’t request your email address before giving you the results. Read their privacy statement—they actually tell you what they will do with the information! Do you really want someone to know your breast/penis size and how often you visit adult web sites? Come on! Very misleading…I’m amazed more people haven’t seen through this scam yet.

Opensewer 9 Cleveland is tonight!

Instant gratification. Give me a body that will make people look at me, and give it to me now. Will somebody please remind me, when did we start believing that children knew what was best for them? Because, uh, they don’t. That’s why parents used to say things like, “You don’t understand now, but you will when you’re older.” I don’t think many parents use that phrase anymore.

Recycled link of the day: The Olive Garden, a restaurant we like to refer to as the “Ford Escort of Italian food,” is implementing a program called “H2NO” in an effort to discourage customers from drinking water at dinner. They claim that the goal of this effort is “increasing overall guest satisfaction”—oh, and by the way, it also might increase revenues. Duh. First, they broadcast the most insulting television advertising campaign in history. Then, they create embarrassingly stupid faux-Italian words like “Hospitaliano.” Now this. Ah, bourgeoisie marketing (via Metafilter).

Late last week there was a lot of talk on Metafilter (via Megnut) about Bush's tax rebate not really being a rebate at all, but rather an advance payment on next year's refund. We told you about this back in June.

A majority of Canadians support restricting car use on smoggy days. Would we ever see support like this in America?

Opensewer 9: Two gatherings done, and two to go!

Location for Opensewer 9 Cleveland has been announced. Go >>

Good news NYC people! Tiona has just confirmed the New York Opensewer date: Wednesday, August 8. More details >>

Opensewer 9 starts tonight in Columbus. Wes has provided even more reading material with which to arm yourself before the meeting. Pick and choose as you please--there's too much there to read it all!

Corporate sponsorship of cities.

Senator John Edwards, a Democrat from North Carolina, has introduced to the Senate a bill called the “Location Privacy Protection Act.” This bill, if it were to become law would prevent any entity that gathers location information about you (via cell phone, PDA, vehicle navigation system, etc.) from using it beyond the purposes of the transaction for which it was generated. However, it doesn’t prevent the government from using the information as it pleases.

I can't resist posting this link to an interview with a fascinating man.

Another update: Thanks to Josh for some additional reading material on the American Dream topic for Opensewer 9. Good stuff!

This week there is an excellent article by Nancy Updike in the LA Weekly about the state of artist’s rights in America. Since we at OS deal with indy artists on a regular basis, we see many of these issues in action. According to Updike, many Americans view artists as “…weird, potentially dangerous people who often care less about money than is acceptable…”—and our national policy on copyright reflects this (via Metafilter).

Christopher Phillips has been promoting Socratic thought and organizing informal gatherings of philosophical inquiry for some time now. He first started gaining recognition back in 1998, before Opensewer even started, and since then has toured the country promoting “philosophy for the common man,” and written a book. His cause is similar to (though not exactly the same as) ours, and we greatly admire his efforts. You really must respect someone who decides to uproot himself and do this kind of thing full-time. Opensewer still operates “in the margins”—in the stolen moments that aren’t dedicated to life’s other necessary and unnecessary endeavors.

Whether you join an OS gathering, a Socrates Café, or delve into the meaning of things on your own, time spent looking inward is time well spent. Take a long, hard look at Christopher’s very well put together website, Philosopher.org.

The G8 underwear ban in Genoa--no wonder there was so much turmoil.

Trust no one.

Today in Salon: The Napster diaspora. "...the crackdown on Napster is now leading directly to the widespread adoption of alternatives that are less legally and technically vulnerable to the kind of attack that has hamstrung Napster." Grassroots--in action. Most of these alternatives have been out there for a while, and are already in use by people who spend a large percentage of their time on the internet. But now, with Napster down, everyone's learning to exploit peer-to-peer file sharing.

NBC executives defend reality TV shows. Can you say the lowest common denominator?

In other news, after Chris and Luke were derided by the likes of us last year, someone on Metafilter today is actually, in a sense, congratulating them on their first sponsor. Yipes!

They Rule "aims to make some of the relationships of the elite of the US ruling- class visible". Track from a corporation to its board member and on out, to see who is actually ruling the world. Incredibly useful and done with a fabulous interface. And you can add notes and maps of your own. Gotta have flash, sorry. Very worth checking out.

For a quick example of how it works, click on "load map" and then click on the first one, the most popular, "pepsi vs. coke" to see just how snuggly close they are.

Since the Webby awards will be celebrating the internet today with uproarious glee, it’s probably a good day to remind ourselves of the digital divide:

Contrary to the utopic [sic] vision of the Internet creating markets without barriers, the bite of reality left fairly deep marks this weekend when the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the consulting group Accenture presented their report to world leaders, revealing that that the vast majority of the world's population remain cut off from the economic benefits rendered by the Internet (Markets and Exchanges).

In another interesting wrinkle, it seems that the digital divide in America is not so much purely defined in terms of race and privilege—but also by differing levels of physical ability. For example, 74% of people with a walking problem have never used a computer. Sixty-four percent of people with hearing problems have never used a computer. Our spin on this: the internet does not accurately represent America, or the world—and we shouldn’t pretend that it does (because we do). Read the report >>>

Yes yes yes yes yes. My hope for humanity restored! Has the revolt against reality television begun?

This is utterly ridiculous.

I agree, Megan. And, if you’ll pardon me for blogging out of turn, I just want to give a little dose of flaming derision to Big Brother 2, the latest infection from the plague of reality television. This People-magazine Weekly-World-News rotten-cotton-candy shallow gossipy-blue-haired-old-lady National-Enquirer Entertainment-Tonight-style crap has—not zero—but negative socially redeeming value. Watching this stuff is like eating your own excrement. It’s like drinking a twelve pack of Colt 45 malt liquor in 10 minutes—ultimate brain cell destruction. It may be time to wage war against reality television. Of course, we’ll lose. In the long run, we’re all just animals. The tawdry, the mindless, the sensational—this stuff always wins. From dust we came and to dust we return. Why bother aspiring to anything great in between?

I am ashamed to live in a country where this just isn't a surprise.

New sculptor Seth Augustine explores the relationship between industrial materials and natural forms.

Did you see this article about traffic in USNews back in May? It’s pretty interesting. So is the New York Times forum where I found it. Username: opensewer. Password: iswatching.

We're talking about banning soft money and we'll continue to talk about it until it's done... a long time from now.

Today is a day for art.

Here’s something nice: Inspired by this morning’s sale (for around $8.4 million) at Sotheby’s of a recently discovered Michelangelo sketch, the Guardian has produced a yummy bite-sized history of the highlights of the artist’s life, supported by oodles of interesting links. Spend half an hour there, if you can spare it.

FYI: We will be publishing a new artist on Opensewer this coming weekend.

More details for Opensewer 9 have been posted. Mark your calendars!

A study finds that votes of the poor are less likely to be counted. Sigh. (NY Times; Username: opensewer; Password: iswatching)

Um...sorry about the down time. We had some DNS problems on Wednesday and Thursday, but now everything is back to normal and happy. Additional details for Opensewer 9 will be posted this weekend, thank-you.

In a recent poll taken by Gallup, one in four Americans couldn’t correctly identify the country from which we declared our independence 225 years ago. One in six of our citizenry did not recognize the connection between July 4th and the birth of the United States. (Source: The Gallup Organization.)

In the first quarter of 2001, the Home Shopping Network offered an attractively-priced digital camera. They sold more than 20,000 in one day. A few days later, ten percent of these customers returned the camera dissatisfied, saying that they couldn’t find anywhere to load the film. (Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.)

Conclusion? We can rest, assured that Americans are smarter about their shopping habits than their history.

I am so glad that my television is watching me, that companies will know so much about me that they can give me only the advertising I need. Such a relief.

It's almost like they're playing a big joke on these wealthy patrons of the arts...and someday the artists are just going to yell, "Gotcha!" and walk away happily with all that cash (via Metafilter).

The AFL-CIO presents Executive Pay Watch - "your online center for learning about the excessive salaries, bonuses and perks of the CEOs of major corporations." Look up the company you work for today!

Hmmm...a recent study reports that land developers aren’t adequately replacing the wetlands they destroy to make way for new construction projects. The new wetlands they do construct fail to function as they’re supposed to. Is this news supposed to come as a surprise? I mean, when no one's watching the cookie jar...

Oppose the erasure of our collective memory: If you aren't yet aware of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, then make yourself aware.

If you don't find your own life boring enough, here's yet another way to peek into the boring lives of other people.

PBS -- Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes To Town. See here for broadcasting times.

Tonight is Roll Your Own Blackout night to protest Bush's inaction. Turn off everything electrical, hang out outside looking at stars, tell stories by candlelight, read more here. Seems like it is a good idea anyway!

Is this the stupidest thing ever? Could be. Lame lame lame lame sad sad sad sad.

There are many good people in this world. There are many people in this world with cruel intentions. There are a lot of people that lie somewhere in between. The internet connects them all.

A good take on Bush's visit last week.

Hey everybody, look, it's Opensewer 9!

Arrgh! And I just bought a new toaster! Design and engineering at its best.

"The Senate voted narrowly Thursday to withhold federal funds from school districts that deny use of their facilities to the Boy Scouts because of the organization's exclusion of homosexuals." Read.

"Where yesterday flew the Stars-and-Stripes, today will fly the Brands-and-Bands." Adbusters Independence Day Flag Jam.

I can't wait for this! It's got dreams mixed in with fun! We must bring to America! We must bring to America!

The 13 Scariest White Guys in America (at Alternet).

Hmmm…TaxRebatePledge.org is asking Americans to pledge their upcoming +/-$300 tax rebate to fund the fight against the Bush agenda. Well, as I understand it, it’s not really a rebate, it’s an advance payment against our full tax refund (according to www.ustreas.gov). We’re not getting any additional money back—our tax refund next April will be reduced. The only thing the government is giving up is interest they could have earned on the money they give out before next April. I think I’ll spend mine on bills & salty snacks.

There is already a book out on so-called Bush Speak. It is not about how Bush mangles words, but is "meant to shed some light on the propaganda of our time." The author, Mark Crispin Miller, on the biggest misconception people have about Bush: "That he's a moron -- and a benign moron at that. Although Bush is indeed illiterate, bone-ignorant and generally illogical, he's not a cretin. At the nastier kind of politics, he is extraordinarily shrewd." We should pay attention. Read here, from our friends at AlterNet.

Customer: Yeah, I'll have a double-cheese burger, pickles on the side and hey, can you toast the bun a little more than usual? Fast-food worker: Sure, here's your burger.

They are reimaging, repackaging and rewriting the Narnia tales to catch some of the current money in children's literature. What a shame.
username: opensewer
password: iswatching

Are Nike’s tennis shoes back in style? Didn’t they go out of style for a while? Are they still called “tennis” shoes? What kind of shoes is it cool to wear right now? I’ve been wearing the same black kickers since ’94, and I don’t think most people think they’re very cool. We all wanna be cool.

In her paintings and prints, new artist Mirjana Ugrinov communicates in a unique language of expression: the language of light, texture, movement, geometry and their opposites.

(Just for the record, this is Megan’s blog, but she’s trapped behind her firewall at work today…)

In a startling show of corporate predictability (I mean, these guys just make our job so easy sometimes), Exxon Mobil Corp. shareholders sided overwhelmingly with management in rejecting proposals on the environment and gay rights. The story >>

Sorry for the lag. We’ve been on vacation. I think my brain is still on vacation—that’s the only explanation I can give for linking to this and this.

Did you carry your towel yesterday?

This is very good news indeed.

I think the comparison that many people are making between the Taliban and the Nazis is right on the money. Can I throw the KKK in there as well? Let’s hold up these groups as poster-children illustrating how not to live in the world. They’re a bunch of violent, isolated, dangerous, misled and spoiled children. More…

Unbelievable.

Just a quick thought on yesterday's Kaycee comments: Have these liars now ruined the opportunity for someone who is really dying to publish an online journal?

The story of "Kaycee Nicole Swenson," fictitious cancer victim. Amazing--an illustration of the "power" of using the internet to mislead thousands. All your common sense are belong to us.

Darwin racist? The Louisiana Legislature seems to think so. Geesh.

Ford is at it again. This is the second recall since the whole Firestone thing. Ford loves us, yes they do.

Oh, yeah: Molly Ivins on Working for Change discusses yet another type of corporate propaganda: Hard core pharma-porn.

Do we really need something like this? No, we don't.

Energy crisis? Not outside of California. Confidence crisis? Yup: "the energy plan Bush will release Thursday, crafted in near secrecy by a task force dominated by power-industry execs, with no environmentalists or consumer advocates, is likely to worsen that political crisis."

Wednesday is the day to ask fun questions: Where are we now? Is there anything that means anything? Cynicism is the order of the day. Morality is relative. Truth changes from person to person. Money is abstract. There cannot be any sweeping social movements anymore. When did it happen? Vietnam? The atomic bomb? Modernism? Can anyone say anything decisively about anything?

Gary Kamiya today in Salon.com: Modernism was the product of a uniquely cataclysmic change in society…Charles Peguy…said in 1913 "the world has changed less since the time of Jesus Christ than it has in the last 30 years." This accelerated change in all areas of society -- Einstein's rewriting of the laws of nature…the invention of the car, the plane, the phonograph, the triumph of industrialization, the city, bureaucracies and rationalized capitalism -- was unprecedented, and it will never happen again.

What a great article. It gets you thinking: what is “meaning?”

I promised, so I'm proud to report that I saw an SF Car Share car on the road yesterday. The program appears to be working out, inspiring!

Statement of corporate philanthropy, fiction?

It's time for another childish question: Why can't people just let other people be happy and do what they want, as long as they don't hurt anybody else? (link via Metafilter)

I'm sure this is the way to win back our seat on the Human Right's Commission and respect from other nations.

The term “working poor” shouldn’t be in our collective vocabulary. But it is.

"Scientists at the country's national laboratories have projected enormous energy savings if the government takes aggressive steps to encourage energy conservation in homes, factories, offices, appliances, cars and power plants." Wouldn't you listen to your own scientists?

“I have concluded that the whole misfortune of men comes from a single thing, and that is their inability to remain at rest in a room.” –Blaise Pascal

You know how we here at OS are always ranting and raving about how the United States has misplaced priorities and really doesn’t comprehend the big picture (i.e. the state of rest of the world)? Well, we’ll take this as evidence that we’re not crazy.

Rising Waters: Global Warming and the Fate of the Pacific Islands is a film produced by the Independant Television Service which explores the the effect that global warming is having on Pacific Islands right now. Here are schedules for local public broadcast stations and links to great resources on global warming.

"Dick Cheney warned on Monday that the whole nation could face California-style blackouts as he outlined a national energy strategy relying heavily on oil, natural gas and nuclear power development -- saying we cannot 'simply conserve or ration our way out of the situation we're in.'" Not if we continue to encourage consumers and businesses to continue energy consumption of non-renewable energy sources instead of setting up encouragement for alternate energy sources. I miss Gore.

Here we go, looks like the Bush administration may be dropping the lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Are we surprised?

The TV Turn Off Network presents Facts and Figures (warning: PDF) about the television viewing habits of Americans. Some of my favorites: 25% of teens can name the city where the US Constitution was written, 75% know the city with the zip code 90210; 41% of households have three or more television sets; there is a 1 in 4 chance that one will fall asleep with the television on; students spend more hours in a year watching television than they do in school; 54% of 4 to 6 year-olds said they would rather watch television then spend time with thier fathers.

Here's another good quote from the Atlantic article that Rosie linked to earlier:

"Walk through any mall in America. Browse through the racks at Old Navy and Abercrombie & Fitch and the Gap. The colors are bright and chipper. The sales staff is peppy. The look is vaguely retro—upbeat 1962 pre-assassination innocence. The Gap's television ads don't show edgy individualists; they show perky conformists, a bunch of happy kids all wearing the same clothes and all swing-dancing the same moves."

Egads, yes. And Yikes, too.

Great photograph

Bravo!

Opensewer artist and filmmaker Robert Banks has a retrospective show coming up next weekend (April 21-22) at the Cleveland Cinemateque. You've seen his films on Opensewer, but the only medium that truly does them justice is the big screen--take time to check it out if you're in the area.

Photographs and summaries of the discussions at all three recent Opensewer 8 gatherings have been posted. This was a good one, and a topic that we may have to revisit in the future!

Bush no like Kyoto. Bush think Kyoto too hard and cost too much money. Bush no understand what big deal is. Tarzan kick Bush ass.

Rebecca's Pocket points us to a disturbing article in the Washington Post about slaughter houses. Rebecca's Pocket right now has some great links to stories on Americans and our food, take a look.

I am embarrassed to be a part of the country that thinks of things like this.

In our commercial culture, advertising and religion are part of the same meaning-making process (Twitchell 1999). While you are between the ages of 18 and 35, every bit of advertising on television is geared toward you. By the time you reach your late 30s, you will have set your brands of choice—you will be beyond “their” reach. One of the greatest freedoms you have as an individual is to not subject yourself to this attempt by others to define meaning for you. TV-Turnoff week is fast approaching. Why not start not-watching today? I think this guy is going to. (Here is a review of the aforementioned book by Twitchell.)

Wondering how Europe feels about Bush? the Guardian has quite a collection: on the Kyoto Agreement (check out the last section where they juxtapose how Europe and America see the world), Quiz on Bushisms, and The world: a primer.

Hmmm... This seems like a good idea. I wonder if it will be as popular as Survivor.

I don't know if the commercial is playing everywhere, but here in California there is a commercial running for a telecommunications company which portrays Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. standing alone reciting his I Have A Dream speech to a completely deserted mall, created using digital effects altering the actual film. "Before you can inspire, before you can touch, you must connect", the commercial declares. People I've spoken with are outraged by such a misuse of what should be sacred. How can the company get away with using that? The answer surprised me. You can view the commercial here.

Well, Opensewer 8 is officially over. Here at HQ, we're still waiting for the reports from Columbus and Cleveland chapters. As for Ithaca, we had a pretty diverse crowd last night--and a bit wilder than the last go 'round. People were coming and going all night. Collectively, we identified no less than three over-arching concepts of "god." Very interesting. More later--with pictures!

Opensewer Ithaca and Columbus are tonight! Be there!

Of course Americans are OK with beef despite the threat of livestock diseases. That's because nothing bad ever affects us here in America!

The private high school that is best identified as the one Bill Gates attended is making it mandatory that all students have and use laptops. Hear that sound? That is the divide of the class system growing a little wider. Apparantly the president of the board of trustees told the parents "sometimes a school community must accept decisions made by people in charge, just as customers accept decisions made by people who run a business."

Cars vs. pedestrians -- nice juxtaposition.

More oil spilling into our waters.

Voter.com is closing down. It was a site I liked a lot, kept me informed. I am disappointed but not surprised to find they are selling their registrant and subscriber lists.

The effect of Bush's announcement on his turnback on emissions policies may reach much further than the US.

I am very very depressed by this news.

Universal truths, trivialized: Did you know that today is Pi Day?

Ha ha ha! Here's something funny: Several people have arrived at this site by searching for "temptation island megan." I love seeing irony in action. I don't think they'll find what they're looking for here. We do indeed have a Megan, and we do talk about Tempation Island ... uh, but not in a good way. Sorry.

In the latest issue of Adbusters there is an update on a long-running story about two reporters who were fired from a Florida Fox television station when they refused to cover up a story about Monsanto and bovine growth hormone in milk.

Have you been to Not-Here lately? If not, check it out. We've added several interesting, useful links that are helpful for the cause.

America's report card.

If you can't get your mits on a WSJ, here's a story from The Washington Post about AIDS in Africa and drug companies.

Follow-up to Megan's post on March 5: Merck & Co. is feeling the pressure of a tainted corporate image as well as competition from generic drug companies. Yesterday the company announced that it is slashing the prices for two of its important AIDS-fighting drugs in Africa by 40% to 50%. An act of good conscience? Probably not. Afraid of losing market share? Probably. Pick up a copy of today's Wall Street Journal for the front page.

IT, Ginger, is out, officially. While "emission-free" hydrogen is wonderful, somehow I don't see Americans giving up their monster vehicles for a scooter, or a personal mobility vehicle. Step in the right direction, not a big enough step?

This is frightening.

The topic for Opensewer Gathering 8 has been announced: How does spirituality fit into the current American condition?

In Africa, one in ten people are HIV positive and drug companies are willing to let them die of AIDS to protect patents. What's worse, nearly every major pharmaceutical company in the world is suing the government of South Africa because they dared to try to pass a law allowing for the manufacturing of inexpensive versions of the drugs. This fight has been going on for three years. Activists were able to influence the government to agree to support South Africa at the start of Al Gore's run for election, but I can't imagine having Bush around will help matters.

So many problems in this world stem from the fact that everybody thinks that they are right, and everyone else is wrong. The recent destruction of Buddhist statues by the Afghan Taliban is a perfect example of this. At what point does believing in something become oppression? To add even more shades of gray to the issue, here’s another spin on the story.

Here's some good news. The next Opensewer Gathering (No. 8) will be held at not three, but four locations! The latest addition: Columbus, Ohio. So, if you're a mid-Ohioan with a hankering for a little philosophical inquiry on a Friday night, now you have a chance. More information on this and all three other gatherings will be posted this weekend. Email us if you simply can't wait!

Public radio show I recommend - On The Media. It takes a close look at current and past events and how what the media and entertainment feeds us affects our lives. You can listen to current and archived shows here, and check to see when it is on in your town here.

Branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS. Same old story. Get 'em while they're young. Branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS branding BS.

Frontline is airing a report on PBS about the business of marketing to American teens called "The Merchants of Cool." If you missed it last week (like I did) you can catch it tomorrow, Feb. 27th. They have transcripts and RealPlayer footage up online, and you can also listen to a Fresh Air interview with the reporter, Douglas Rushkoff. Interestingly, Rushkoff expresses dismay about his findings that what is "cool" to the marjority of today's teens is to be used by a company for viral marketing and product placement, not to rebel against what corporations are pushing at them. He also discusses a marketing feedback loop wherein MTV goes to a teenager's home to find out what he thinks is cool, while the teenager is surrounding himself with stuff he sees on MTV. Douglas Rushkoff's work is worth keeping an eye on.

Opensewer 8 dates announced for Cleveland, OH and Ithaca, NY. Go>>

I can't help but link to this.

Aaarrrgh! Derf's vision is coming true!

Ah! While it seems mother nature helped lessen the immediate impact of our horrible crime, should we really insult her by leaving the weapon at the scene?

So we sit here in America, watching Temptation Island, while Iraq gets bombed again. It’s amazing. I mean, could we be more removed? How many of us even understand what’s going on over there—maybe ten percent? The roots of the instability and conflict go back so far they’re almost impossible to comprehend, but here is a good place to start, if you’re interested. (Make sure you get to the end. That's where current events start to make more sense.)

Today, the headlines just couldn't be more interesting: Anna Nicole Smith, Alan Greenspan, Salmon Rushdie and a topless British soldier. Now, if that line-up isn't enough to get you interested in world events, I don't know what will.

The United States is a great country, but some people in this world think it’s a big bully. Among the many reasons for this is the fact that the English language now dominates the world, especially when it comes to financial and academic environments. (And no, we can’t blame the U.K. for this…) Well, according to this article in Utne, English-language domination may not last forever. But, in true American style, as our language is usurped by others I’m sure we’ll find a way to make some money from the situation.

Ann Mitchell's gallery has been updated with price information for all photographs.

Salon just makes my job so easy sometimes. I love 'em. Today, on the cover, a great interview with Eric Schlosser, author of the book, "Fast Food Nation." My kind of guy.

It's good to know that the Human Genome Project is providing us with valuable research like this...

What-EVER! As a nation we have the intellectual curiosity of a 12-year old. No, wait, that's actually optimistic...

As the dot-com shakeout continues, almost everyone is reeling from the shockwave – from MBA’s with sensible business models and venture capital, to indy startups that rely on fierce customer (and employee) loyalty and good ideas to survive. One of the most visible shocks to the weblogging community recently is Evan Williams’ announcement about the troubled state of his company, Pyra. (Opensewer uses Blogger, which is a product of Pyra.) Pyra is one of the little guys – one of the underdogs that we all really wanted to “win.”

There seems to be a great collective sense of anxiety and disappointment that “our world” – the world of the web – hasn’t turned out the way we wanted it to. It was going to be our generation’s thing, and we were going to show all those boomers that you could succeed simply by having great ideas, giving them away for free, being fearless, and not selling out.

All of this is now tainted by the “real” world – the recognition of the (unfortunate) fact that good ideas cannot survive by their brilliance alone. They must sustain themselves economically. So many great concepts fail because their creators weren’t able to properly position them in the market. Perhaps it’s a fault of the paradigm under which most of us are compelled to operate (which includes the “live a creative life OR put food on the table” paradox), perhaps it’s the fault of people who are afraid … perhaps it’s no one’s fault at all. Maybe it’s survival of the fittest, or capitalism at its finest. Whatever.

As hard as things are right now for many people in the industry, we must realize that the dream is not dead. The web is the greatest tool for free expression to come along ever – and that must never change. We, the independent, powerful voices of the web must make sure of that. We must never quit doing what we love just because we’re not making any money doing it.