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Our typical sources are, e.g., The New York Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Nature Briefing and NAS, the National Academies of Sciences. To access some of the articles we recommend here, you may be asked to open a free account or to agree to a small fee supporting the journalism. Consider to do so, it's well worth it.
Links are sorted by date of addition to this page, newest on top.
August 2021 (sort of on vacation)
Social media, or antisocial media as I tend to call them, admittedly is one of those phenomena that all too often get me to the brink of trust that we will get our acts together for the complex mix of crises we are facing: pandemic outbreaks, climate change, loss of biodiversity, threats to the stability of democracy … you name it. Of course, as with most technology, most people use them wisely and peacefully, with the intended benefit. The Atlantic sheds light onto the dark side and the flood gates of aggression and destruction these tools open for those with bad intentions: read "Mob Justice Is Trampling Democratic Discourse". The examples make us aware of a social "pandemic" that has long since "infected" people, organizations and global relations exposing the worst of human behavior, repealing even constitutional rights, and penetrating the daily social and professional life even where the mobile phones are off! What can we do to push the genie back into the bottle?
Its most likely true that most of us haven't been to war. So The Atlantic story "Eavesdropping on the Taliban" is a rare piece of insight into the experiences of a soldier, and even more so into the minds of the opponents. Who believes they can just return to normal as if twenty years hadn't happened?
Compare our science of biotherapeutics and vaccines as high paced as it has displayed itself in Corona times with science in extreme slow motion: you get to paleontology. "The Day the Earth Died" is a fascinating story of the last day of the Cretaceous (the age of the dinosaur). Robert DePalma who found the excavation site described here says: "When you go one layer up—the very next day—that's the Paleocene, that's the age of mammals, that's our age." Of course you are aware of the asteroid impact that caused the extinction, but I doubt you have had a chance to get a grip on it in such a lively way and so full of scientific excitement. Enjoy!
Ed Yong covers the pandemic for The Atlantic. His is among the best journalism about it that one can find! It's a US perspective he takes, but we all have the same soup of tiredness of social life restriction, mask hatred, vaccination skepticism, virus denialism and other conspiracies at home too … He writes: "If no other precautions are taken, Delta can spread through a half-vaccinated country more quickly than the original virus could in a completely unvaccinated country." Read "How The Pandemic Now Ends" and embrace the thought that we will have to live with a new much more severe "common cold" all around us.
There is a place where you can watch live, though in slow motion, how our water supply is vanishing, literally evaporating: Lake Powell. Read Elizabeth Kolbert's "The lost canyon…" story in The NewYorker. She weaves the scary water & power supply outlook into a fascinating tour of Glen Canyon, resurfacing with the most beautiful scenery the planet has to offer.
July 2021 (please sign up and become a member)
This link here is for those of you who read German! Der Spiegel has a very well written story titled "Die große Impflücke" (the wide vaccination gap), which I recommend not the least because it explains so many aspects of it so well…why should we get prepared for really hard controversies in our societies once the next waves arrive.
Nearly all covid-19 deaths in the United States are now avoidable. Today's coronavirus deaths are senseless. The New Yorker story leads you right into the maze of human decision making…and it's not an encouraging learning experience!
Why do we care about wet bulb temperature? First Dog on the Moon explains this complicated term (it can kill us) and shows an easy way around it (I still had to smile…)
Health care workers are putting themselves in harm's way for people who've chosen not to protect themselves. The Atlantic report "Delta Is Driving a Wedge Through Missouri" sheds light on what is becoming the pandemic of the unvaccinated, increasingly the younger part of the population, and the communities/countries who can't wait to move back to the old normal. I'm afraid that does not exist any more…
June 2021 (after a few weeks of absence from the blog)
Assume you have taken a look at the article linked right below and now you got curious about those Scandinavian countries that always seem to rank as happiest … before you get on your way for a visit or while you're on your way you might want to read "The Almost Nearly Perfect People" by Michael Booth. Dissecting one after the other Scandinavian country and culture with deep local insights and a pinch of British humor … fun to read!
Who doesn't want to be happy? Can we learn from others who are ranking as the happiest in the annual "World Happiness Report"? It's not as easy as copying some elements of lifestyle and "Hygge alone will not save us" says Joe Pinsker in The Atlantic. They live with a different priority list of values and with that comes a different set of fundamental benefits, not so much lifestyle related.
The Pacific Northwest is melting now, but all across America the infrastructure we have was built for the wrong century. Seattle and Vancouver heat records look much like those of Dallas and Las Vegas … The Atlantic writes "Nowhere Is Ready for This Heat" and suggests that the short-term responses we are going to see will have to trigger a much more fundamental rethinking of how we engineer our infrastructure.
Cybersecurity begins with everyone of us. Do you follow the basic rules? Do you want a fun booster for your awareness? Listen to "The Ransomware Song" and "The Sea Shanty". Enjoy!
May 2021 (I look forward to your feedback)
Covid Killed His Father. Then Came $1 Million in Medical Bills. I've been thinking what to write here, but this New York Times story just leaves me speechless.
In my previous life travel was the way I spent my time. All of that came to a screeching halt with retirement and with the pandemic. The memories of a boat trip on the Mekong in Laos got me to pause this morning and read the WWF article "Resilient Rivers". It describes a wonderful world on the brink of disappearing with major dam projects and rapidly growing economies on its shores. It's like time travel back to the days when "we in the West" did the same to Rhine, Rhone, Danube, Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado etc. Can humans somehow navigate the narrow path of supporting progress for people while avoiding our old mistakes and preserving nature and biodiversity?
Millions are saying no to the vaccines - what are they thinking? This article in The Atlantic has some very good insight from interviews with people who say no. Confrontational attitude against them won't work!
When the sky turned orange. If you haven't been in the Bay Area yourself in September last year when the wildfires were hitting the US West Coast you should watch this video … for people who live there it must have been a scary wake up call!
The paper "Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere" was linked on the Nobel Prize Summit website introduced below. It walks you through the complexity of the challenge ahead of us: maintaining a future on this planet in an intact and beautiful natural environment.
'Our Planet, our Future' was the headline for the 2021 Nobel Prize Summit, held on April 26-28 as a virtual event. After the meeting, organisers and participants issued an urgent call for action and state: "this summit comes amid a global pandemic, amid a crisis of inequality, amid an ecological crisis, amid a climate crisis, and amid an information crisis ... but we are waking up!" I wish we all do.
CRISPR, "a way to rewrite the very molecules of life any way we wish" (Jennifer Doudna, Nobel prize laureate). Using it "we can save species from extinction, or eliminate them" writes Elizabeth Kolbert. I picked another of her articles from The New Yorker to give you more from the author of "The Sixth Extinction", the book I am recommending you to read (GeminiReads). Follow the story of her personal journey into CRISPR as she learns about it, the opportunity and the challenge.
One hundred and twenty terawatt-hours per year: the annual domestic electricity consumption of the entire nation of Sweden, my home country during a large part of my professional career. That is the amount of energy bitcoin-mining operations worldwide now use. Elizabeth Kolbert at The New Yorker gives us another estimate: "A single bitcoin transaction uses the same amount of power that the average American household consumes in a month." And she goes on asking: "At a time when the world desperately needs to cut carbon emissions, does it make sense to be devoting a Sweden's worth of electricity to a virtual currency? The answer would seem, pretty clearly, to be no. And, yet, here we are." I had this topic up in an earlier link, but I guess it is worth reminding us all again and again where the path of greediness might take us.
On another note: checking the links below I realize that you may only be able to read a limited number of articles in a given newspaper for free, e.g. only five before you are asked to create an account, subscribe or donate. Here are two links to do so at favorable conditions, they come up regularly: The New York Times and The New Yorker. If you like what I find and link on this page, please consider to support the journalism, it's small money and it's needed!
Isn't the pandemic complex enough? The archaic threat of a deadly disease, the prevailing uncertainty of science in the face of this little virus with it's potential mutations and the vast variety of sequelae people experience, and then us humans who are not equipped well for uncertainty paired with an invisible unforgiving predator…Well, no it's not complex enough! While our single-lane minds were occupied with Corona, climate continued to change: the good news here is the Biden administration is committed. But that is not likely to cut it…see the NYT "Debatable" on "Why should anyone in the Global South accept this?''
The morning of May 1 made me wonder: have we still not reached the bottom of the pit? Check this report by the New York Times to see what I mean…
How do Pfizer and BioNTech produce their COVID-19 mRNA vaccine? Check out the New York Times "inside the facility" story.
The BBC brought us "How do pandemics end?" A story linking the history of pandemics to your family tree.
What do Swiss cheese and Corona have in common? Well, most of you are familiar with risk mitigation strategies? The BBC has an infographic based on the "Swiss cheese respiratory pandemic defence model" first created by Ian M Mackay, a virologist at the University of Queensland, Australia. It is based on a concept originated by James T Reason, a cognitive psychologist, now a professor emeritus at the University of Manchester, UK. It is used in scientific circles when discussing mitigating risk. Just swipe up to see the texts and explain to your kids why they should do all those things they need to do right now...
"All afternoon and evening, church bells rang out across America. People flooded into the streets, kissing and embracing". The man who's invention people celebrated was Jonas Salk, we are talking about the first Polio vaccine approval and the year 1955. That was The Last Time a Vaccine Saved America as The New Yorker titles the story about why we don't seem to appreciate the wonders of science and vaccine development nearly as much now when we get five vaccines in one year instead of one in fifteen years.
Do you know who Katalin Kariko is? Read about the scientist who suggested mRNA as a route to novel therapies, just to be ignored and un(der)funded for most of her career in the lab. Is this New York Times biography written for one of the next Nobel laureates?
Among all the alarming news about Corona, so many inefficient approaches and quite some uncertainty what might work, The Atlantic tells us about the World's Unlikeliest Pandemic Success Story. Test yourself first to see whether you know where Bhutan is. Then learn from them...also available in Swedish.
March 2021 (the website is finally active)
Are you rolling your eyes inwards whenever the next announcement about Corona and your local vaccination campaign comes up in the news? SMILE instead! Neither are you alone, nor do you know how complicated things are. First Dog on the Moon has all you need to understand in simple text and images! This one has a small Australian touch, but I'm sure you will feel at home...
"You have arrived - your destination is on the left!" We need satellites in space and gadgets on the ground to find our way despite of the fact that we have built the road network ourselves and have put any number of signs there to guide us...maybe all the natural GPSs were gone when it was our turn? The New Yorker has a fascinating story on "Why Animals don't get lost" that gives many amazing examples of the solutions invented by nature and refers you to a few books for the curious among us. Who can find a place they have never been to before from five thousand kilometres away, at night, under water, underground too, or who can get home after being dropped hundreds of miles away without a hint where that is?
I like to think that a good laugh or even just a regular smile gets you through your day with more energy and less frustration. That's why I love cartoons. First Dog on the Moon is an Australian series brought to us by The Guardian. Today it has a first hand analysis of what can happen when a big boat gets stuck in a very long and very narrow human-made lake. Enjoy!
Since quite some time now I have deleted my FaceBook account, a revolting business concept not to speak about the leader's business ethics, is my humble view (try Signal or iMessage). Twitter has always been an alien concept to someone who loves complexity ... The Guardian has a paper titled 'Climate fight 'is undermined by social media's toxic reports'. It seems that more and more people realise that social media, a fantastic invention in many ways, is being turned against us and is poisoning democratic processes and valuable initiatives. Facts versus Fake! Read and test your own view!
The coronavirus is here to stay — here's what that means - this Nature survey shows many scientists expect the virus that causes COVID-19 to become endemic. The hope is that it will be less dangerous over time.
The next / third wave of the Corona pandemic will not mark the end even if vaccination campaigns accelerate. Next will be the challenge of a yet unknown number of virus mutations. All indicators suggest that we will need a next generation of vaccines, and soon! Nature describes how Innovators target vaccines for variants and shortages in global South. Get to know the next wave of vaccine concepts intended not only to win the fight against mutations but also against supply and affordability issues in low and middle income countries.
Vaccine development normally takes at least a decade, often longer! The COVID-19 vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, and Johnson & Johnson were approved for emergency use within a year of the Corona pandemic onset: a revolutionary achievement enabled by a combination of some of the most recent scientific discoveries, their application in multi-billion patient scale of manufacturing, and partnering between small(er) organisations with the novel concepts, e.g., in this case Oxford University, UK and BioNTech, Germany, and large biopharma players like Pfizer and Astra Zeneca with financial muscle and the experience to turn the concept into a global product. Mission possible: the race for a vaccine is a National Geographic/Pfizer YouTube video that tells the story with an obvious Pfizer perspective. Nevertheless, a worthwhile watch giving insights into the enormous complexity that was successfully attacked at Pfizer with a relentless commitment through all levels of the organization. Thanks so much to all teams at all these companies and others who are still marching towards an approval, and yet others who support with manufacturing capacity globally...!!!
I knew about money laundering, but fish laundering...? If you enjoy a meal of fish on a regular basis, you may not like this: The Guardian reveals that seafood fraud is happening on a vast global scale. Nearly 40% of 9000 tested products from restaurants, markets and fishmongers were mislabelled. Some were found to be a different fish species, typically of lower value, some with known health risks, and a few did not even contain fish at all ... bon appétit! The seafood supply chain seems to be as murky as some of the waters...
"When the President of the United States places an order for millions of doses of a covid-19 vaccine, they do not simply appear, like Amazon packages, two days later." The New Yorker has a backgrounder on Why COVID-19 Vaccines Aren't Yet Available To Everyone. Interesting reading a little beyond the horizon for us drug product focused folks.
Our industry is consuming a lot of water and so do we as individuals. You may want to get to know the work of Peter Gleick and his team at the Pacific Institute, e.g., the "World's Water" report. Among many current facts and aspects of this field, the report lists almost 500 water related conflicts since the beginning of time...an outlook of what the future may hold for our children?
It was nice to receive the first link recommendation within minutes after the website launch earlier in the week: here is now a recent Nature Briefings discussion of pros and cons of virtual meetings. It confirms that with a year of experience and being more familiar with ever improving tools, people indeed want virtual components in conferences to stay (74%). Not surprisingly, people miss the "networking" most (69%). Or in plain language: meeting with friends and making new friends.
We can't really kick this off without taking a look at coronavirus and the vaccines that have become available in recent months. The New York Times, as it has frequently done during the pandemic, brings well explained facts to the comparison between vaccines: What Do Vaccine Efficacy Numbers Actually Mean? There is a very interesting "comments section" accessible via a button at the end of the article. It illustrates how confused and suspicious people get when they are asked to digest trial results.
One of the many routes to become a millionaire may be an investment in bitcoin paired with a big chunk of luck. Even if the concept of this "currency" is alien to you and you stay away from it, you may still be interested in knowing this: the electricity needed to mine bitcoin is more than used by 'entire countries'. Check out The Guardian reviewing the arguments around this ambiguous opportunity.
When I was still living in Sweden, I sometimes teased my Swedish colleagues about the weather up there and said "Just wait until someone switches off the Gulf Stream and you will be under three kilometres of ice again!"... I am no longer so sure whether this was something to laugh about: check this article in The Guardian explaining how a decline in the system underpinning the Gulf Stream could lead to more extreme weather in Europe and higher sea levels on US east coast. The article has links to the scientific work reported in it.
Here is an article related to our first Gemini Reads recommendation (Ian Urbina, The Outlaw Ocean): to many it may seem a good idea to farm fish instead of overfishing the ocean. I would be in the group, but...farmed fish needs to be fed. The New Yorker has a very illustrative story describing the dilemma when the scale of fish farming operations and their environmental and socioeconomic standards are not sustainable.
June 2020 (we are taking a break for developing the website)
I used to go to between 10 and 12 conferences each year, all around the globe. In 2020 the number has been zero and I have been part of discussions to delay or cancel conference events. Will the conference experience and the business with them ever be the same? How scientific conferences will survive the coronavirus shock discusses virtual conferencing and has an informal survey where 80% of respondents said they would favour remote participation to become a regular option.
We all know and respect "Nature", the journal. They have a very convenient newsletter "Nature Briefing", where I found "The race for coronavirus vaccines: a graphical guide", a fascinating, quick to read overview of the current developments. At the end of the paper, you will also find the option to subscribe to the roundup of science news, opinion and analysis the newsletter offers every weekday.
Here's a link you should consider for your "Favourites" collection: the Seattle based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is offering a web based visualisation tool where you can find answers to many questions you may have around health and disease and the mechanisms at work, e.g., on "GBD Compare". The founder of the institute Christopher Murray is a pioneer of fact based healthcare priority setting. He has a fascinating biography ("Epic Measures" by JN Smith) with many insights into what it takes to put life and not mortality in focus of healthcare policy.
Biopharmaceutical Processing is a comprehensive textbook on development, design, and implementation of manufacturing processes for scientists and managers in industry or students and teachers in academia. Request your table of content and a pre-read for download. To order your print copy or e-Book directly from the publisher Elsevier click here! Apologies for self-promoting my book.
© Gemini BioProcessing 2023
Gemini BioProcessing is a private consulting business dedicated to development, manufacturing and economics of biopharmaceuticals.


When I wrote this for GoodHousekeeping.com two years ago, I didn't think it would actually take me two years to get to Flûte, the Manhattan Champagne bar, but it did. Today, the original article. Tomorrow, the long-awaited visit to the alternate world where people with French accents tell you about the Champagne you're sipping and the salmon you're tasting.
When I get e-mails from Fabien, it feels like I'm hearing from an alternate world where the Champagne flows, knowledge of the French language is helpful and the people seem to be unaware that there's a big recession going on. Oh, how I want to go there.
My brother, Scott, wants to go there, too. In fact, he's the one who introduced me to Flûte, where Fabien is the Director of Operations. Described on its Facebook page as "the chic bar-lounge specializing in Champagne, with two locations in New York City and one in Paris," Flûte sounds to me like the antidote to suburban parenting. And sometimes, I need that.
"They opened 10 bottles of bubbly and then educated us about them," he recalled. I pictured a group of grown-ups in smudge-free, fine clothing, sitting in a room with mahogany walls and Parisian artwork, discussing the Champagne's "bouquets" – as though somebody, somewhere hadn't just lost their shin guards 20 minutes before game time.
But that was a long time ago – or at least before the economy collapsed – and, though New York is just 30 miles from here, it seems so far away when it comes to visiting Flûte.
Sometimes, Scott and I talk about going there like people in old movies discuss Hollywood: "Someday we'll get there," we sigh. But getting there requires orchestration that neither of us is willing to attempt to undergo these days. For one thing, we'd have to brave rush hour, as neither one of us works in the city. And I'd have to get someone to take my kids to and from choir/soccer/piano/baseball until my husband gets home at dinnertime.
"Doctor's appointment?" the kindly, helpful neighbor would ask as my kids pile into her car and I gear up for my trip into the big city.
Then there's the cost – not just to get into the city and back – but the fees for the classes, if we take one, or simply the, what? Ten bucks a glass for the bubbly? In this economy, that seems hard to swallow, especially when we're paying for choir/soccer/piano/baseball or whatever.
I forgot for a moment that my fourth grade charges were taking turns standing in front of a giant blue plastic mouth, which "sneezed" on them every 20 seconds or so.
Maybe this summer, when the kids are visiting their grandparents for the night, and Scott and I have stashed away some cash for a real treat, we'll go to Flûte. Until then, I'll look forward to my e-mails from Fabien while I'm waiting for choir practice to let out.


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Hi all I'm in the process of trying to write my first book. I was wondering if you get people to read as you go? Obviously being my first I've no idea if it's any good not. Suggestions or advice?
Hi Jason, I am currently training as a professional Beta Reader. I'm quite busy at the moment but later down the line if you're interested, I can be of service to you. Feel free to connect with me if you'd like to know more/ask questions.
Congrats on starting your first book!!
How are you going to explain the past? I hope by using a scene, or scenes involving existing characters. If, however, you intend to introduce new, rounded-characters then they will need fleshing out. You need to introduce and define them to the reader to bring them to life. For example: what are the functions of these newly introduced characters. What roles do they play in your novel? Are they minor players, flat-characters, or well-rounded - main characters?
Hi Jason. Well done on beginning your story. The way most people work is probably posting several paragraphs at a time, usually they will get read and then someone will comment on them. Then you could post a few more etc. If it's a short story or poem they are usually posted in full. It's up to you how much you post. If you get stuck with something or not sure how to do something then you will always get help and advice from other writers on this 'ask a question' page. Hope this helps. Keep going.
Thank you that's great. I must admit at the minute I have no ending. I sit down and I know where I want the story to go next then I fill in the bit between.
I have 3 main characters and have got to a point where a point in the past needs explaining that doesn't involve these characters. Do you think it's ok to leave the main characters to fill in this bit of the story?
I cannot possibly cover all the aspects of a novel in one post.
I assume by a first book, you mean a novel.
Good luck if you have the beginning, middle and end to your novel. Yet evidence has shown that most would-be authors are pantsers - not planners. They start somewhere in the middle of their story, then add the beginning, back-story and ending, much later.
That is no bad thing, because the more you write, the more your ideas and your characters will evolve, and the more your novel will take shape.
Keep your plot and storyline as simple and straightforward as you can make it.
In what time and place is your novel set?
What is the theme of your novel.?
What does your protagonist hope to achieve, partially achieve, or fail to achieve at the end of your novel?
Make a list of rounded-characters including the protagonist. Don't have to many - 5 or 6 is best. Write down what identifies and individualises each of your characteristic from each other.
For example: Is a character greedy, generous, cold hearted, loving, hard working, lazy, peace-loving, violent, good natured, bad tempered, rich, poor. I could go on.
Make a list of 30 working chapter titles, each based around a single idea. Don't worry if you cannot think of that many. Go with what you have got. Ideas for more chapters will come to you the more your storyline progresses.
Dialogue - Can I say it. Does it make sense when spoken aloud.
Dialogue should not be used to explain to the reader what is obvious to the characters. That is a lazy way to convey information. Dialogue should be used to drip-feed information to the reader. Perhaps, give them a puzzle to solve.


Mini Raspberry Tarts? Yes please! Have you ever had a mini raspberry tart? For some reason, raspberry desserts are hard to come by. Not on my blog! Raspberry desserts in abundance please! These mini raspberry tarts are light, fluffy, delicious, and EASY!
I'm a sucker for tarts and raspberries. I love the Key Lime and Berry tarts from Kneaders, but honestly, I've never had many other kinds. Thus, the mini raspberry tart had to be born. I had been DYING to make one so, of course, I scoured Pinterest to find a recipe. Alas, I came up with nothing substantial, so I was disappointed and on my own. Why are raspberry desserts so hard to come by?
These mini raspberry tarts took a few tries to get just right – I was one of the happy taste testers – and I'm pleased with the end result. It was worth it. Light, fluffy, tart-tastic.
Plus! I was super excited to try out Xylitol Sweetener. What's that you say? It's a natural sweetener that is super easy to use and cook with because it's a 1:1 ratio. Are you ready for this? I'm not.
Studies show that consuming products rich in xylitol, like XyloBurst products, may reduce the occurrence of tooth decay and improve oral health as well – So its great for your kiddos too! Are you sold yet? It's awesome. On a total side note, they have a ton of other rad products too – I'm a huge fan of the gum and mints. Perfect for an after dinner sweet!
Combine flour and salt in a bowl - stir with a fork.
Add oil and cold water - continue to stir with the fork, but don't over-handle the mix.
Divide into balls and spread into 6 Wilton pans.
Make pudding as directed - set aside.
In another bowl, whip whipping cream and add Xylitol - set aside.
In a third bowl, whip cream cheese until soft and fluffy.
Combine all three (pudding, whipped cream, and cream cheese) until smooth.
Spoon plentiful amounts in each tart pan - be generous.
So, do you want to try this fabulous Xylitol sweetener yet? What if I told you that you could WIN some? Oh YES! Xylitol has been SO generous and is offering $50 to their website so you can PICK what you want! They'll send you a code, and free shipping is included. You'd be silly not to enter. GO!
If you're a raspberry aficionado like me, be sure to check out my other delicious raspberry recipes!
Ohh I love fruit tarts, and raspberries may just be my favorite fruit ever. This looks divine, can't wait to try!
Love you Aimee – let me know what you think and if you make any changes!!
Oh man Marissa – let's make a trade. I'll bake desserts and you'll sew for me. Ready – go!
I am interested in trying this because it says it's all natural.
This tart looks absolutely delicious! Yum!
I saw a tart at One Sweet Slice the other day… would you believe that i have NEVER tried one?? Maybe I'll give in and finally make yours. It looks so yummy!
NEVER?! Oh my dear friend – you truly are missing out. Please let me know when you remedy this situation!! I can't wait to hear all about it!
I too am a HUGE fan of the gum and mints! I recently (the beginning of this year) started phazing out white refined sugar. I use stevia but I really want to try Xylitol – so I'm really excited about this giveaway! I wish I loved raspberries.. but sadly I don't – so I will have to try this with a different berry. I'm still pinning because either way it looks beautiful AND delicious!
Yes! I'm a strawberry girl 🙂 I have a thing with raspberry seeds that I just can't get past.. so blackberries are out too 🙁 I'll try it with strawberries!
Kaylynn this looks so yummy! Love your pics!
I'll have to try this recipe. Looks delicious. I have a fruit tart recipe you should try sometime. It's fantastic.
Oh I'd love to try it!! Pass that on sister!!


text:
Harsh survival stories from the 19th century
Sep 1, 2016 Doug Williams
Humans have attained the survival skills over many centuries, and every tale of survival contains in itself a story of resilience and humans' ability to overcome obstacles one faces with their worst nightmares. Following is a list of some of the most amazing and daring survivals from the 19th century.
Sergeant James Landon
Those familiar with the American Civil War definitely know about the infamous confederacy prison Andersonville: notoriously horrible, overcrowded to the neck, no sanitation whatsoever, Andersonville became the graveyard of some 13,000 prisoners during the war. After the civil war had ended camp's commander, Captain Henry Wirz was tried over war crimes and was eventually hanged. One Union soldier from Iowa Sergeant James Landon ended up in the prison after losing a battle with the Confederacy.
Sergeant Landon tried to escape and was shot in the thigh; he escaped nevertheless after taking out the bullet with his knife. He ran for five days but was eventually captured and was forced to walk back to prison. His seeping wound and Andersonville's unsanitary conditions meant that Landon did not stand a chance in the camp. Sergeant Landon miraculously survived the camp for six long weeks before he was transferred to another prison where he stayed for two months. When confederacy started crumbling after losing battles Landon was released along with many other prisoners, he came back to the North and finally received some medical attention. Sergeant Landon not only survived the wound he lived till he was 83: a healthy and rather athletic life.
Judah Paddock
After a bunch of American and British sailors on board Oswego faced a shipwreck off the Barbary coast in 1800, they had to weigh their option: either to drown with the ship or make to a friendly Kingdom of Morocco. Despite the fact that Morocco was friendly to both British and Americans, their nomad tribes were not friends of anyone; they would just enslave whoever they found wondering in their territory. After the crew had decided to take the risk of treading the land on foot, Captain Judah Paddock had an argument with the rest of the crew, and he left alone with few of his men. They were later captured by tribesmen and sold into slavery.
They were treated horribly and had to work days and nights for their survival. Paddock then convinced his captor named Ahamed to take him to Morocco where according to Paddock a British official will pay his ransom. Paddock was told that if that was not the case, he would be killed in the city. Paddock took the risk, and a British official in the city decided to pay the ransom and rescue him; Paddock's men however did not make it and died in the slavery.
Robert Jaffrey
After being pressed into joining Royal Navy, a British Seaman Robert Jaffrey did not feel much amused in his job and almost resented being on Royal Navy Sloop the Recruit which was commanded by Captain Lake. On one journey Jaffrey was caught stealing liquor and Captain Lake took a hard tone on the matter and decided to drop Jaffrey on a desert island as a punishment.
When the news reached the higher command Lake was ordered to go back and retrieve the stranded man from the island; however, he could not find him on the island. Captain Lake was found guilty of unjust behavior and was later dismissed. However, Jaffrey survived the dessert for nine long days by living on limpets and drinking rainwater from small holes. He was then rescued by a passing American ship that took him to Massachusetts where he lived for many years.
Dr. William Brydon
After taking the control of the capital Kabul in Afghanistan in 1839 British soldiers continuously had to struggle against the warring tribes to maintain their hold on Kabul. However, just after two years, British soldiers had to retreat as the situation worsened for their presence in the capital; a total of 4,500 soldiers and some 12,000 civilians left Kabul and started their journey to a much stable British Colony i.e. India.
However, attacks from the Ghilzai tribe and the forces of Muhammad Akbar resulted in 12,000 massacred while others dispersed in various directions. A British Surgeon Dr. William Brydon was one of the few survivors who decided to go towards Jalalabad with some other men and had to fight a number of Ghilzai swordsmen before arriving under the safe watch of sentries in Jalalabad.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Wings of Death is a 1990 vertically scrolling shooter developed by Eclipse Software and published by Thalion Software for the Atari ST, then ported to the Amiga. In Wings of Death, the player controls a mage turned into a winged creature on a quest to defeat a wicked witch. The game was well received and was followed by the science fiction-themed sequel Lethal Xcess in 1991.

Gameplay

Despite its fantasy setting, Wings of Death is a standard vertically scrolling shooter in which multiple enemies in formation enter the screen from above and can either be avoided or destroyed to release power-ups. Each weapon can be upgraded several times, yielding generally more powerful versions. Changing to another weapon resets the player's upgrades. The player may transform into several forms, including a giant eagle, a griffon, and a dragon.

Plot
A spell of the evil witch queen Xandrilia transformed her hated rival, the magician Sagyr, into a winged creature. Now the player's role is to guide Sagyr in his quest to defeat the witch for once and for all, and revert into a human being. His quest takes place through seven levels, from Sagyr's castle to Xandrilia's domain.

Reception
Trenton Webb of Amiga Format, who gave the Amiga version a review rating of 76%, wrote Wings of Death is "chaotic fun, but relies too heavily on luck." Paul Roundell of Amiga Computing later opined the game was "underrated on its release."

Legacy

A sequel to Wings of Death was released in 1991 for the same platforms. In it, the returning Sagyr fights on against Xandrilia's descendants after being transported into a distant future.

References

External links
Official website
Wings of Death at Lemon Amiga
Wings of Death at Atari Mania
 Blazing Wings (Windows remake)

1990 video games
Amiga games
Atari ST games
Video games about dragons
Eclipse Software Design games
Fantasy video games
Vertically scrolling shooters
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Germany
Video games scored by Jochen Hippel
Video games about witchcraft
Video games about curses
Thalion Software games

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Stunning and Ever Lasting Walls!
Wall Masters delivered me the best flooring and wooden tiles solution for my home. I was looking for the same for quite a while but was not able to find a suitable one. All thanks to the assortment of options available at Wall Masters. Thumbs Up to Wall Masters!
I was amazed at the quality of leather wall panels provided by Wall Masters. The comprehensive range of panels available confused me and the sales person helped me to choose one according to my requirements. Prices??? Yeah! Those were competitively priced too. Thanks, Wall masters!
Wall Masters was established back in 2013 as a partnership firm in Ludhiana with an aim to offer comprehensive services with utmost proficiency. The exclusive blend of the contemporary technology we use and our vast infrastructure contribute significantly to fulfil the needs of every client resourcefully and effortlessly.


The Pandanus Tree is synonymous with our region's waterways and beaches. We are proud to help Coolum & North Shore Coast Care restore the Pandanus species in our community through 'Win'nam' Caring for Country with Community – Pandanus Recovery Kickstart Project.
The Art Action 4 Oceans education program will help to inspire students to reduce their plastic waste through art. Our sponsorship means almost 1000 students from nine different schools across the Moreton Bay, Noosa and Sunshine Coast regions will participate in the program.
The Bunya Community Environmental Association's Kumbartcho Festival is one of Moreton Bay's favourite environmental events. We are thrilled to play our part in the event, helping to provide fun, free environmental education for the community.
Ecollaboration works to inspire and educate the future custodians of our waterways. Our sponsorship will make possible a series of catchment education tours for students and teachers across the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay.
Each year, the Noosa Festival of Water attracts hundreds of families and festival goers to celebrate Noosa's waterways and increase awareness of the Mary River Catchment. The event will be held on Sunday 25 June 2017 at the Noosa Botanic Gardens.
The World Environment Day Festival is a signature environmental event for our region. We are proud to support this free family friendly festival, helping to inspire and educate our community!
Through the Adopt-A-Beach Project, nine schools will be invited to work in partnership team at Tangaroa Blue to protect their own local beach from the impact of plastic waste and change behaviours in their school community.


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Largest ever release of UK government UFO files – Rendlesham Forest files 'lost'
3 March 2011, JellyBean @ 7:49 am
The UK National Archives have released the single largest collection of UFO files to date with over 8 500 documents released.
The documents released are policy and intelligence documents covering a 60 year span from the 1950s almost to the present day. The 35 files include papers produced by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office and United Nations.
Although insightful, this release will also prompt furious discussion and accusations due to what was left out or were 'lost'.
It is revealed that in April 1979 the Home Office issued guidance to all police forces, fire services and councils about what to do in the event of a 'nuclear satellite crash'. 'Nuclear satellite crash'was their special code for UFO wreckage from space that could be radioactive.
Another revealing document talks about how in November 1978, the House of Lords held a three-hour debate on UFOs – the only full debate on UFO's ever held in Parliament.
One of the highlights from the UFO reports released today are two striking colour photographs of a strange "atmospheric occurrence" taken by a member of the RAF in 2004.
The photographer was on holiday in Sri Lanka when he heard a clap of thunder. Then he saw a doughnut-shaped cloud in the sky that "did not rise but headed from the high atmosphere towards the earth."
The document most likely to prompt conspiracy theories aout UFO's details the now famous Rendlesham Forest incident.
It emerged that when the MoD (Ministry of Defence) trawled its records in 2000, the Defence Intelligence files for 1980-82 that would have covered the incident were found to have been inexplicably destroyed. Files from the years directly before and afterwards survive.
Did someone purposefully remove these documents? Does the government feel that the revelations of this incident would be too much for the public?
More recently, 15 unidentified aircraft were detected on radar approaching the UK in the months before 9/11.
On September 11 itself just one UFO report was received.
You can read / download these documents for yourself at The National Archives
Aliens spoke to us in a 'cat-like language' claim Russian flight controllers
2 March 2011, JellyBean @ 10:09 am
Have you noticed that recently there have been an increase in the number of UFO sightings/interactions? I wonder if we are close to a time when aliens will contact us in a way that everyone will believe.
This incident is a little difficult to believe … but who knows?!
Air traffic controllers in Siberia claim they were buzzed by a high-speed UFO with a female sounding alien who spoke in an unintelligible cat-like language.
The mystery object suddenly burst onto flight monitors over the remote Russian diamond capital of Yakutsk.
It was shown flying at a speed of slightly over 6000 mph, and rapidly changing direction in the early morning sky, it is claimed.
The UFO was logged at a height of 64, 895 feet above sea level and appeared to interfere with aviation frequencies.
On footage posted on You Tube, an air traffic controller made clear he sought to make contact with the UFO.
Read more of the article on The Daily Mail
"Radar system has demonstrated the speed of the object 9800 km / h, and the height of 19,780 meters. He changed direction? instantly and did not send any indefikatsionnyh no signals, and a secondary radar pointed object by default as the number 00000. Aviabort also stated that the object interfered with aviation frequencies, complicating the work of pilots and air traffic controllers. "
Edgar Mitchell: Military Industrial Complex 'cabal' controls alien technology and information
23 February 2011, JellyBean @ 10:01 am
Former astronaut, Dr Edgar Mitchell recently revealed on the podcast 'The Unexplained with Howard Hughes' that a 'cabal' of people from the military industrial complex hold definitive proof of aliens and UFO's.
"It is a matter of power and control – who controls the most powerful technology in and out of this world that can get us somewhere else and who can make the most money out of it," Dr Mitchell said.
The leadership of this cabal in not strictly government, although some government officials are involved, he told Howard Hughes.
He said that he believes that many alien species have interacted with humans. Some of these he believes have been involved over several hundred years.
"There are those (Aliens) who are trying to help us, but it is also up to us to help ourselves," he said.
Mitchell went on to say that he doesn't have any definitive, hard proof of aliens, but bases his opinion on accounts and information given to him by people in positions of power.
The interview also covered his career as an astronaut, our planet and moon-landing skeptics.
You can hear the entire interview on the 'The Unexplained with Howard Hughes' podcast.
Filed under: Conspiracies,Extraterrestrials and UFO's,Science & Tech | Comments (1)
Chinese TV reporting impending UFO disclosure by Obama – is it true?
24 January 2011, JellyBean @ 11:36 am
I have had a number of people writing to me asking about the recent article doing the rounds on the web concerning the Chinese TV report on an impending UFO disclosure by Obama. Take a look at the CCTV report here:
As you can see, Chinese TV did indeed report on disclosure. A closer look at their source reveals a problem. Xinhua is quoting an article that was put up on Allnewsweb in December, and then made popular on January 21 by Alfred Lambremont Webre on the Examiner website.
All News Web and it's author Michael Cohen are known to release articles which are questionable at best and downright fake at worst. Articles are often written without any references or verifiable sources. Articles appearing on the Examiner are also pretty 'iffy'.
When translating the TV news report, the anchor clearly says in Chinese:
"A US tabloid site reveals Obama will acknowledge UFO visitations…"
The question then comes up: Why would Chinese TV report on what a U.S. tabloid says?
At present the Chinese premier, Hu Jintao is in the US to hold various talks. It is my opinion that the Chinese are using this story to poke fun at the US which in turn makes China look better – particularly in the eyes of the Chinese people.
The TV report was not meant to be taken seriously by the Chinese viewers, and it should not be taken seriously by anyone with an interest in UFO subjects.
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The members have been busy with their gardening and now is the time to share their beautiful flowers/vegetables with their friends and the community.
The exhibitors bring the best their garden offers.Specimen exhibits are named if possible. One secret to success is picking your flowers in time to let them harden.The goal is to absorb water after cutting and thus have fresher, longer lasting specimens or arrangements.The best time to cut your flowers and foliage is in the cool of the day –either early morning when dew is still present or late in the day after dew has formed.
Winning exhibitors are recognized for Best Cultivar, Best Houseplant, Best Roses, Best Hydrangea, and Best Vegetable Exhibit.
Members are always happy to answer your questions about the exhibits. After viewing the show enjoy tasty scones and a cup of tea served by ladies wearing beautiful hats.These ladies do an amazing job of creating an environment reminding us of the afternoon teas of years gone by.What a great way to end the afternoon relaxing with friends and fellow gardeners.
Thank you to Margaret McIsaac for contributing this blog to our website.
The 17th Annual Garden Tour was another successful adventure that could not have been such a wonderful event had it not been for all the businesses in Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls who sold tour passes, all of the garden lovers (adult and youth) who attended the tour, the weather that was superb, our Society members who acted as greeters or served refreshments at KSV, and lastly to those members and the local businesses who donated food and refreshments to support our pre-tour and the tour itself. None of our success would have happened without you!
The following list shows those businesses who generously donated food and refreshments to this event.We truly thank you all for your support and kindness.
The following list shows those businesses who kindly sold tour passes for this event.Our Society thanks you for your continued support and patience in promoting the garden tour.


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Many Countries, Many Voices
Air Date: Week of December 18, 2009
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, address the conference of parties in Copenhagen. (Photo: Courtesy of COP15)
Leaders and delegates from vulnerable islands and low-lying countries urge action to save their lands from disaster, but it often seems that self-interest is more powerful. Yet there have been some progress on ways to curb emissions from deforestation and protect the rain-forest. Host Steve Curwood samples opinions from experts in the environmental movement.
CURWOOD: It's Living on Earth. I'm Steve Curwood at the U.N. climate summit negotiations in Copenhagen.
Coming up, analysis and some of the speeches from the 130 heads of state or government, who came to the Danish capital to hammer out a climate deal.
But first, for two weeks 18 thousand people, representing more than 190 nations, came together to work, eat, and basically live in the vast Bella Conference Center on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Here are some of their voices:
FUENTES: Me llama Carolina Fuentes, de la nacion de Mexicana. The single most important point, in order to have a strong agreement, we would say financing.
ÅARMARK: My name is Ernst Erich Åarmark from Sweden. The very most important thing is of course to have very stable agreement.
XIAO-YE: My name is Jiang Xiao-Ye with the Chinese delegation.
[XIAO-YE SPEAKING CHINESE]
TRANSLATOR: I think the most important thing is that we hope that every party comes here to achieve an agreement to contribute to the efforts of tackling climate change.
[GUILLAUNE SPEAKING FRENCH]
TRANSLATOR: All states must talk about the future of the world, and not each state and position.
[WOMAN SPEAKING XHOSA]
TRANSLATOR: I think the most important thing is for countries, especially rich countries, to realize and acknowledge the need to support the second world countries.
CURWOOD: Now government climate change experts have been working on an agreement for years. But midway through this historic meeting the cabinet secretaries and ministers took over. And for the last three days the V-V-I-P's showed up: the presidents, and prime ministers and princes -- each given a few minutes to address the world. Among the first, Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Prince Charles (Photo: Courtesy of COP15)
PRINCE OF WALES: We cannot have capitalism without nature's capital. We cannot sustain our human economy without sustaining nature's economy.
CURWOOD: Prince Charles tapped into what was perhaps the most successful part of these negotiations: what's called REDD, a new U.N. plan that would reduce CO2 emissions from the destruction of the world's tropical forests.
PRINCE OF WALES: These ecosystems have been described as the planet's lifebelt and with good reason. Not only do they harbor about half of our terrestrial biodiversity and generate much of the rainfall that is vital for farming, they also absorb and hold vast quantities of carbon that would otherwise be in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the forests are being cleared at a terrifying rate. The simple truth is that without a solution to tropical deforestation there is no solution to climate change. As it turns out, it seems that the quickest and most cost effective way to buy time in the battle against catastrophic climate change is to find a way to make the trees worth more alive than dead.
CURWOOD: Tony Juniper helped write Prince Charles' speech and works for the Prince's Rainforest Project.
JUNIPER: Prince Charles has been campaigning on these issues for forty years, and the thing that really got him determined to do something about rainforests was meetings he was having with climate scientists in 2007, who said to him that it's not going to be possible to do a two degree target unless we do something about deforestation.
He looked at the science, he looked at the implications for rainfall for food security – never mind all the issues we know about for wildlife and biodiversity – and also his great respect for the world's indigenous communities encouraged him to act. And so, he brought together his Rainforest Project, which I've been lucky enough to work with these last couple of years, and we've been crafting, in hopefully a constructive way, the opportunities for people to come together and form a consensus about how we might proceed, and they're talking about it here in Copenhagen, and that's fantastic.
CURWOOD: So, REDD made a lot of advances during the Copenhagen conference of the parties on climate. Why so?
JUNIPER: I think it was one of the things that was inadvertently left out at the time of the Kyoto Summit, when it was decided that avoided deforestation wouldn't be a part of the process, and there were many different reasons for that. Not least the idea that the industrialized countries should go first in terms of cutting emissions and the tropical countries should be left out of the framework. But I think people have reflected long and hard on this particular subject over those years. And a lot of tropical countries – they actually would like to keep their rainforests and they would like to have that resource there. They're not clearing them away for reasons that are frivolous, they're doing it because of the economics of their country's development pathways, and so they're having to do it.
They'd rather not do it, and in many cases they thought it was about having a different pathway that could keep one of the principle assets that they have. Namely, these incredible ecosystems that generate rainfall, that harbor biodiversity, that are a potential source of renewable income for centuries into the future. And also, of course, you know, that the western countries are looking for ways in which global emissions could be reduced, without too much pressure on their industrial emissions, it looked like a good deal for them, too.
CURWOOD: President Lulu DeSilva of Brazil spoke to this issue and he put some numbers on the table:
[DESLIVA SPEAKING PORTUGUESE]
TRANSLATOR: The Amazon is a great heritage of the people that live here, and that's why our commit to reduce its deforestation 80 percent until the year 2020. The Brazilian national congress has just passed my draft bill that has a scent of action that involves fighting deforestation, agriculture, energy, and steel industry. These measures will reduce the growth of Brazilian emissions of greenhouse gas effect between 36 point one percent to 38 point nine percent until the year 2020. This effort will cost us 160 billion dollars, that is to say, 16 billion dollars per year until the year 2020. But this is not a proposal that we're putting on the bargaining table, this is a commitment that we are taking as a Brazilian nation, and with the world.
CURWOOD: Those numbers you just heard, is that adequate for the job you think that needs to be done?
JUNIPER: We're certainly getting into the kind of numbers that could make a difference and I think one of the things that has dogged global attempts to slow down deforestation over the years has been the insufficient resources to match the economics that are causing the destruction. This is where the Brazilians have now gone. If you want to match the economic force of the timber demand, soya bean demand, leather and beef demand, you've got to match it with and equal and opposite economic force. And that's why these numbers now are being talked about. I think we are getting into the right kind of ballpark. Whether it's exactly what the president said, I don't know, but certainly we're talking tens of billions rather than handfuls of millions, which is where the world has hitherto been on this subject with project financing, not attacking the strategic underlying economic problems.
So, the fact that the Brazilians are saying this is amazing news for the world, and actually, it sounds like a lot, but it's possibly the biggest bargain in history, in terms of what we get back for relatively small amounts of money. You know, that's not even a fraction of what the British government's just paid to bail out the banking system. This could bailout the entire planet.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the president of Indonesia. (Photo: Courtesy of COP15)
CURWOOD: Now, the president of Indonesia put some numbers on the table in terms of reducing emissions. Let's listen:
PRESIDENT: In the spirit of thinking outside the box, in September of this year, Indonesia declare emissions reduction target of 26 percent from business as usual, by 2020.
This can be increased to 41 percent with enhanced international assistance. As a non-annexed one country we did not have to do this, but we read the scientific warning of the IPCC. So, we set out new reduction target because we wanted to part of the global solution.
CURWOOD: 26 percent reduction in emissions, he says on his own dime, maybe as much as 41 percent if the rest of the world pitches in. How adequate is that compared to the need?
JUNIPER: Again, an amazing offer from a country that's suffering very high levels of deforestation. And if one looks at the map of global deforestation right now, those two countries in the tropics account for most of it – Brazil and Indonesia. And indeed they're right up there with the top of the league table of global emitters because of this clearance of land.
So again this is another amazing offer that the world would be foolish to let slip through our fingers at this meeting. If we can find the right kind of mechanism to bring these countries into an agreement. So, we need money now, and it was wonderful yesterday to see a group of countries coming together and saying that they would be prepared to pay in the next few years a substantial sum to countries that are embarking on reversing the deforestation pathways they've been on.
CURWOOD: President Obama says that he'll put up a billion dollars of the three point five billion for this.
JUNIPER: The offer's been put on the table been helpful. I think they're still probably at the low end of what's needed in this next period. There was an informal working group that was convened following a meeting hosted by the Prince of Wales in London in April to look at these very matters of how much money over what time scales – and they came with an estimate that between 15 and 25 billion euros, so more or less dollars the same kind of sums, would be needed between 2010, 2015 to cut down deforestation in the tropics by a quarter.
And so, you know, three and a half billion over the first bit of that five years sounds a little bit on the low side, but it's good that people are now talking. At least we've got a discussion going with the right principles there, i.e., that the West will pay the southern countries for slowing down their deforestation as a matter of principle in terms of keeping those ecological services in tact. It's not going to be linked to a carbon market, at least not now; it's not going to be linked to any other conditionalities, it's a way of helping the world cope with this big problem, and being done in a way that hopefully could deliver some quite big benefits.
CURWOOD: Now, what about the indigenous people? In Brazil, for example, some three percent of the population – indigenistas – are responsible for 25 percent of the land, and they've perhaps taken the best care of the land.
JUNIPER: The indigenous people are absolutely crucial to this in so many respects. And I think, you know, respect's number one is the fact that history shows they are the best custodians of the land. If you look at a map of Brazil and the areas of deforestation that have occurred over the last fifty years or so, and look at where the intact forest remains – there is almost a 100 percent correlation to where the indigenous reserves are and where the rainforest is.
These people have managed to maintain the forest, not only because they have an indigenous title there that's in a legal deed. These people have a very different view of the world; they see the forest as a scared presence that's sustaining their culture in a very fundamental and spiritual way.
They don't see the forest as a source of natural resources, which is just about how everybody else sees it. Looking at it from a more kind of human rights point of view, these people have to be part of the process, because like everybody else they have to have a voice in something that fundamentally affects them.
And so, that then is where it gets very complicated because lots of countries have different relationships with their indigenous people. In New Guinea, perhaps you have one of the best examples of where the indigenous people still control the forest. In other countries the indigenous people, you know, are not legally recognized. And I've heard Malaysian ministers saying that over the years, for example.
So I think the indigenous thing will probably have to be on a case-by-case, country-by-country approach, but I think if the donor community is having a conversation with the individual rainforest countries this is one of the things they really must bring to the table.
CURWOOD: Tony Juniper, with the Prince's Rainforest Project, thank you so much.
JUNIPER: Thank you very much, indeed.
CURWOOD: Many leaders made impassioned speeches in Copenhagen. Here's one from the President of the Republic of Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed.
The prime minister of Denmark, Lars Lokke Rasmussen greets Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives. (Photo: Courtesy of COP15)
NASHEED: Climate change negotiations have nothing – nothing at all to do with money. Maldives is a very small state. We have never received aid from European Union countries. Whatever we've been able to do we have been able to do with our friends and neighbors, and we have been able to fend for ourselves. Climate change negotiations have for me and for our country everything to do with our grandchildren. I have two daughters – I want to see grandchildren. If we continue business as usual we will not be able to see our grandchildren. To assume that climate change has anything to do with money is in my mind the height of arrogance.
CURWOOD: I discussed President Nasheed's remarks with Stephanie Tunmore. She's an organizer with Greenpeace International.
TUNMORE: I think that the president from the Maldives gave, as usual, a very emotional speech. And it's a very emotional issue for small island states, and for low-lying delta areas. Because basically, they're negotiating their survival, this is not just an exercise in moving chess pieces around a board for them. And as one of the island representatives said, they could become stateless by the middle of this century. That's something that I think that people in the industrialized world can't even contemplate, that they would lose their home, the land, have nothing and nowhere to go.
CURWOOD: The Prime Minister of Marshall Islands is feeling a lot of frustration that this process has not yielded enough to really protect the Marshall Islands. He's talking about going to the international court of justice; he says, now, that his country is the subject of environmental crimes.
The low lying atoll nation of Maldives is immediately threatened by sea level rise. (Photo: Wikipedia)
TUNMORE: I feel his pain. I really do. I think it's an indictment of the industrialized world that he feels compelled to do that, to seek justice through the courts. And it is criminal, the way that the rich countries are behaving. They created the problem, we've had negotiations now since Kyoto, since 1997, we've had a four-year process followed by a two-year process where countries have constantly committed to doing things that they end up not doing. And I think we're seeing desperation now from those countries that they're fighting for their survival – there's no question.
CURWOOD: At the end of this process we don't have the United States, China, all the nations of the world bound to a legally obligating instrument. How does this play for the small island states?
TUNMORE: I think you have to look at, for instance, the Bali Action Plan. That was a political agreement, and what happened? Pretty much nothing. There's no trust left in this process, and the only way to make sure what is promised is delivered is to have something that's legally binding. We need a treaty. We need an agreement where promises made are promises kept.
CURWOOD: Stephanie Tunmore with Greenpeace. Thank you so much.
TUNMORE: Thank you very much.
CURWOOD: Promises made, promises broken. That was the message from the president of the West African nation of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade.
[WADE SPEAKING FRENCH]
TRANSLATOR: When I talk about promises I can say that I've attended many G8 meetings. If I count up all the sums promised it's at least 200 billion dollars. Where are they? And when have they been implemented? That's why I'd like to say that it's all very well to have discussions, but I'd like to come down to our experience in Senegal. I don't want to wait for promises any longer, I want to seek original solutions and as the great Greek philosopher said, I want to prove movement by actually walking. That is to get down to business.
SECK: I think that he's right. It was a real speech. He say what coming from his soul.
CURWOOD: Emmanuel Seck is with Environmental Development Action in the Third World. He's based in Dakar, Senegal. I asked him what he thought of President Wade's speech.
SECK: He said that he will not talk about money. He will talk about what we can do, and what we are doing. We'll not wait; we'll do our development ourself. If they want to come and join us, we will walk together with them, and I think that it is the sense of his message. People are talking about the many promises, we'll do that, we'll put this on the table. So, all developed countries, many of them have promised to give a lot of money, but we are a little bit tired with these promises.
And then, we set up African local communities, let's go together, let's build on what we know and what we have, and then if someone want to join us, that will be a good thing.
CURWOOD: The president of Senegal says he's starting an organization called Science Without Borders. What do you know about this, and what do you think it will try to do?
SECK: You know, we have, we are stricken by arid land degradation, we stricken by droughts. And then there are many scientists, for example, from Australia, some scientists from Israel, also who have made a lot of research in the desert. And if these people are ever able to join the process in Africa, they are welcome.
I think that it is this to get together all people are leading volunteer and who will – who are willing to work with Africa without any penny. We have many scientists in Africa, we have many engineer in Africa, we have also only to organize them and have good politics, good politics to bring them together, and to give them confidence that they could work for the countries and for their continent.
CURWOOD: Thank you so much, Emmanuel Seck is with Environment and Development in the third world, from Senegal.
SECK: It's my pleasure.
United Nations REDD Program
The Prince's Rainforest Project
Environmental Development Action in the Third World


The family of a Des Moines man killed in a motorcycle accident last fall is working to raise awareness about the dangers motorcyclists face on Iowa roads and are encouraging drivers to watch out for the presence of motorcycles so another tragedy can be avoided.
The 57-year-old victim collided with a car last year while trying to stop when a passing motorist cut him off. The driver who is believed to have caused the fatal accident has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide by reckless driving, vehicular homicide by operating while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Some believe his impairment resulted in him not seeing the motorcycle in his path or contributed to his reckless driving.
Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents caused by a drunk driver often result in catastrophic or fatal injuries. When motorcyclists are involved in an accident at the hands of a negligent driver, many families are left to deal with serious injuries or the loss of a loved one.
When a drunk driver causes an accident with a motorcyclist, he or she will likely face criminal charges for drunk driving. In addition to a criminal action, a civil case for injuries or death resulting from a drunk driver related crash may be brought to seek compensation for the injured or their families.
An experienced Iowa motorcycle accident injury lawyer or an Iowa wrongful death attorney will use as proof the fact that criminal charges have been assessed against the driver to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim and will use as evidence the police records of the blood alcohol content (BAC) of the drunk driver and witness testimony obtained independently or through the criminal complaint to pursue damages against the negligent driver.
If your family member has been hurt in a car accident involving a motorcycle, pedestrian or another vehicle, it can be very difficult to navigate the emotional and financial impact of such a catastrophic event.
Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to file for compensation relating to medical costs, rehabilitation costs, loss of wages including future wages, inhibited earning capacity, pain and suffering and punitive damages. In the tragic event that your loved one has been killed in an Iowa car accident, a family may want to seek compensation for funerary costs, loss of income, and loss of consortium as you continue the grieving process.
Contact the Des Moines motorcycle accident lawyers of Stoltze & Stoltze PLC for experienced personal injury or wrongful death representation if you or a loved one has been injured in an Iowa motor vehicle accident. Call 515-244-1473 for a free consultation of your case or email us through our website today.


A litle something about money: As we know from history, money was invented from a practical reason, because it was easier to carry around a bag of coins that you could trade for anything you wanted, instead of carrying around 10 bags of potatoes, if you were a farmer, and then hoping that the seller of a product you want will by chance agree to trade it with you for your potatoes. So, money in itself is just a great tool that makes buying things easy, if it is used the right way. Definitely much easier than trying to figure out how to pay for products with raw things that are first of all, hard to carry around with you.
The resource based economy is an economy where any kind of money/credit is a no-no and all the products and goods would simply (?) be distributed to everyone and mostly produced by machines. The problem with this is that a resource based economy still considers our planet and nature as a resource for humans to exploit and deplete, as if the human is the most important thing. You see, trying to solve the problem with technology alone isn't going to solve anything, because technology has never been the real problem. But the human on the other hand... Now we're getting really close to the core of the problem. We need a big slap in the face, time to wake up and stop dreaming! Now, why is technology not a problem? We can go to the Moon but not take care of the 1 billion starving? Time for humanity to redefine advancement... Realize that within an Equal Money System we look at and work with redefining ourselves to be one and equal with nature and all that is here and to consider everyone equally, where we work in accordance to what is Best for All, not just humans. Give what you would like to receive. This is a process of realigning self that every one of us will go through as we gradually transform the world system of abuse into a system of support that is Best for All Life.
Many that suggest the resource based economy will try to argue that money is the root of the problem, the root of all evil and that whenever money will be used, it will lead us back to the same point of greed. This only shows that one does not understand and realize that money in itself is just a tool and that we as human beings are the root of all evil. Therefore, as we humans has shown to ourselves, we need extensive support in self-honesty, education and self-correction, so that we will realign self according to what is Best for All. This means that we will gradually have to implement a system that will offer such support to all and that will transform the capitalistic, profit-driven system of abuse into a Life supporting system, where all live equally and according to what is Best for All. The first necessary step for this is an introduction of a Basic Income Grant that will still work according to the rules of capitalism, but will at the same time allow people to stop worrying about survival, so that we can start educating ourselves and working toward the solution that is Best for All. We will get money for the BIG from the corporations and any other resources that generate high profits and give it back to the people where it actually belongs in the first place. But this is just a temporary solution that will enable us to do the next thing, the real thing that's even bigger: to implement an Equal Money System.
All we have to do to make the EMS work is to realize that equality and practical common sense is what is Best for All and to transcend our fears that are based on our ideas and beliefs about ourselves. This will enable every one of us to make the necessary practical self-correction, meaning, every one of us will start practically living the solution that is Besto for All. With this we will remove all the accepted and allowed preprogrammed patterns and self-limitations and reeducate ourselves to live here in this moment, to consider practicality and create self-certainty that we will always do what is practically Best for All Life. For this to happen, we have to get self-honest and apply self-correction and forgive ourselves for all the abuse that we accepted and allowed as ourselves and as our world. Humans are the core of the problem and no one can correct you, you can only correct yourself with self-direction.
Our goal is to make sure that everyone is treated equally and with dignity, not just human beings (!), and to prevent all abuse. Thus we have to make sure that the basic necessities for a dignified life - like food, shelter, cloths, water, electricity etc. - are distributed and available to everyone equally. The easiest and the most practical way to do this in the current reality (capitalism) is to implement BIG, where all will get an equal amount of money for the basic needs. This will diminish the pure fight for survival which will give us time to implement an actual all-new system that is Best for All: the Equal Money System. You have to realize that money in an Equal Money System will work very differently, because all money will be digital and there will be no profit/trade. The system will work according to the information you provide for the system and will mostly work automatically, thus eliminating the chance of someone abusing it. And as everyone will get equal money, any even slightest anomalies will be immediately recognized and taken care of, so no one will be able to abuse through money.
I suggest everyone to consider what is already here and how we can use what is already here in a way that is Best for All. There is no point in having an idea that sounds great, if there is no practical way to implement it and if it would never work anyway, because it doesn't recognize the real problem, which is us, human beings with our preprogrammed self-limitations and self-dishonesty. We firstly have to consider what is HERE and implement practical solutions that are Best for All Life in a way that is practically achievable and in a way where every individual can help by becoming a living example of the practical solutions. This is what we learn through the Desteni'I'Process, how to firstly help self to become a practical example of the solutions that are Best for All. So, realize, we have to firstly correct ourselves and apply our self-correction in our everyday life in order to bring about a permanent change that is Best for All, because all our actions accumulate. Thus every one of us has to get self-honest and go through one's individual process of self-forgiveness and practical self-correction. And at the same time, everyone has to learn how to work in a group of equals, where all work together to bring about the change and the system that is Best for All Life - the Equal Money System. And this is what Desteni group is. And know this: even the Equal Money System is not our final goal, but it is the most important step in creating Heaven on Earth for Everyone Equally. Get involved, become self-directive and stand as an equal. Be equal to Life in Oneness and Equality and stand with the group as an example of what Life really is and what it actually means to care about Life and what is Best for All. No one can do it for you.
2011 - Wise or full of delusion?