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.