Climate Campaign

Dear friends,

We've just watched a video stream from Davos, where Facebook's Marketing Director, Randi Zuckerberg, and our International Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo, were having a lively discussion on social media, climate change, and, well... you've got to see it yourself.



For months now we have been calling on Facebook to go green, and announce a plan to quit using energy from coal-fired power stations to run its data centres. Today we're launching a new multi-lingual Facebook Page for all the Facebook members who want to join in. Come see it, click the LIKE button, and share it with your friends.

We're super-excited about all the positive feedback already today about our campaign t-shirts (see the video), and we've ordered another print run. They're free for Facebook staff, by the way, so contact us from your @fb.com account or pass this on to any friends you have in the company (just email us).

Warm wishes,

The Cool IT team
Greenpeace International

P.S. Many thanks to all the great people who posted comments and coal-fired-data-centre-related questions during the live video discussion! We hope to see you on the new page!

the Public Eye Awards

January 2011

Don't miss your chance to vote in the Public Eye Awards - where the nominees are the companies who have committed the most evil corporate offenses of the year. The awards ceremony takes place each year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. While business and political leaders meet in Davos the Public Eye Awards remind the corporate world that there are consequences for their misdeeds. Whether that is exploitative working conditions, environmental destruction or other acts of disregard for society.

Help shine an international spotlight on corporate crime - Vote now!


The Rainbow Warrior defends our oceans in Taiwan

The Rainbow Warrior is on the Defending our Oceans tour of East Asia.
Earlier this month the ship arrived in Taiwan and our oceans campaign team have been working hard to highlight the urgent need to better regulate and monitor Taiwanese fishing fleets, both locally and in the Pacific Ocean where many vessels are involved in pirate fishing.
Recently our activists took direct action against a blacklisted tuna factory ship. Images and more from the action in Taiwan here.


Princes Tuna responds to your e-mails

We're still pushing Princes, one of the leading tinned tuna brands, to stop selling tuna that's caught using destructive methods - killing sharks, turtles, rays and baby tuna.

Over 75,000 of you have sent messages to Princes telling them you know their dirty secret. They are replying with impressive sounding statements but we can see right through their PR material and we're not willing to back down.

Join us - send your letter to Princes now!


Japan acts on corrupt whaling industry!

One of the keys to ending Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is revealing the ongoing scandal and international shame that it brings to a largely unaware Japanese public.

After two and a half years of hard work in Japan to expose corruption at the heart of the whaling industry - we have a significant victory! The Fisheries Agency of Japan (FAJ) admitted that their officials have received free whale meat at the expense of Japanese tax-payers and made a public apology. Read more.


BREAKING: Alone among scientists, Pat Michaels testified before the US Congress last year that there was no need to act against climate change. But it appears he didn't reveal a key fact: he gets major funding from the oil industry. Congressional inquiry being demanded for what's being called "Skepticgate."

Nominate Greenpeace USA for a Shorty Award in the green category!

For their online coverage of the ongoing consequences of BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico - they deserve your tweet:

I nominate @greenpeaceusa for a Shorty Award in #green because of their #oilspill coverage http://ht.ly/3K59f

Tweet your vote - or copy and paste the above text into your Twitter post.

Thanks!

...10 cool DIY with your favourite Coke!

Here's 10 things you can do with a can of coke ...and it works....

1. Remove grease from your soiled clothes with a can of coke and some detergent, through a regular wash cycle  

2. Make yummy barbecue sauce. Just mix the coke with your favourite Maggi ketchup

3. Prevent an asthma attack. If you feel the onset of an asthma attack, drink two cans of coke. The caffeine in coke usually does the job.

4. Relieve constipation. Drinking a can of the real thing can have a laxative result.

5. Prevent diarrhea. The acids in a can of coke helps reduce the amount of E.Coli bacteria in your intestines, inhibiting the production of toxins that would otherwise prevent your intestines from absorbing water.

6. Condition hair. To give your hair a great shine, pour a can of coke into your hair, working it in well, then rinse your hair with water.

7. Mousse hair. Mix equal parts coke and water in a trigger spray bottle and shake well. Spray a light coat of the diluted coke over your hair to give it the rebel boy look.

8. Soothe a jellyfish sting. Pouring the real thing over a jellyfish sting relieves the stinging pain. The acids in the coke seems to neutralize the venom.

9. Clean eyeglasses. The phosphoric acid cleans the grunge from eyeglasses, then rinse with water.

10. Soothe a sore throat. Gargle with coca-cola. The carbonation in the cola loosens phlegm. And lastly, if you still have an extra can, drink it and savor it.....

NASA Part 2

NASA Part 1

Two Suns in the sky by 2012....

Earth could be getting a second sun, at least temporarily.
Dr. Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland, outlined the scenario to news.com.au. Betelgeuse, one of the night sky's brightest stars, is losing mass, indicating it is collapsing. It could run out of fuel and go super-nova at any time.
When that happens, for at least a few weeks, we'd see a second sun, Carter says. There may also be no night during that timeframe.
The Star Wars-esque scenario could happen by 2012, Carter says... or it could take longer. The explosion could also cause a neutron star or result in the formation of a black hole 1300 light years from Earth, reports news.com.au.
But doomsday sayers should be careful about speculation on this one. If the star does go super-nova, Earth will be showered with harmless particles, according to Carter. "They will flood through the Earth and bizarrely enough, even though the supernova we see visually will light up the night sky, 99 per cent of the energy in the supernova is released in these particles that will come through our bodies and through the Earth with absolutely no harm whatsoever," he told news.com.au.
In fact, a neutrino shower could be beneficial to Earth. According to Carter this "star stuff" makes up the universe. "It literally makes things like gold, silver - all the heavy elements - even things like uranium....a star like Betelgeuse is instantly forming for us all sorts of heavy elements and atoms that our own Earth and our own bodies have from long past supernovi," said Carter.
UPDATE: To clarify, the news.com.au article does not say a neutrino shower could be beneficial to Earth, but implies a supernova could be beneficial, stating, "Far from being a sign of the apocalypse, according to Dr Carter the supernova will provide Earth with elements necessary for survival and continuity."     




Source : Huffingtonpost

.....from one of the HIVE! networks...

Is Winning Important?
I want to go on record as saying that in my forty years of involvement in sports and martial arts, I’ve had good
coaches, incredible coaches and bad coaches.

I’ve been trained by Olympic and world champions, national champions, masters and grand masters.

But the very best coaches never emphasized winning as the only thing. But they sure as hell were disappointed when I
didn’t win.

Some coaches handled failure poorly. And I did at times, as well.

The great coaches I’ve had though, taught me how to handle victory, which meant no resting on one’s laurels.

Yes, there have been moments when a coach said the wrong thing to me. Occasionally, they called me a name I didn’t like.
But of all the things said to me that I didn’t like, two things stand out.

The first was when a coach called me “champ” before a tournament began. In almost every case when I was called “champ”
before the competition had begun, I lost.

The second demotivator happened a second before I ran out on the mat to compete. The coach shook my hand, looked me in
the eye and said, “Go out there and have fun.”

I did anything but have fun in the match I was told to have fun in. And this second situation leads me to an important
point I would like to make today.

In youth sports today, many coaches are telling the athletes that they want them to have fun. And I agree with them. The
saddest sight in sports is watching young kids pouting and crying over a game that won’t mean much a week from now.

At the same time, however, I think it’s important to explain to an athlete what fun is. In my early twenties when a
coach told me to go out there and have fun, my mind drew a blank. I didn’t have the foggiest idea what he was talking
about. To me, fun is going out and giving it everything you’ve got to whoop your opponent.

Fun is executing the techniques you’ve practiced flawlessly. Fun is breaking records. Fun is giving more than you think
you’ve got. Fun is competing with enthusiasm, hustling and being courageous in the midst of fear, worry or self-doubt.

If the same coach who told me to go out and have fun had said, “ Stay loose and relax, give it everything you’ve got and
mop the floor with this guy” I would have been motivated, rather than demotivated.

So I’m concerned when I hear coaches telling athletes to “have fun” with no explanation of what that looks like. To a
kid, having fun could very well mean playing with his X-Box, watching tee-vee or running around in ADD mode. Right? So
fun needs to be explained.

Yesterday, when working with my son’s little league baseball team I explained to the kids what fun is. Fun is practicing
what you love. Fun is playing the game you love with a good attitude about making mistakes and how to correct them. Fun
is doing things fast. Fun is hustling. And fun is playing with enthusiasm.

The late John Wooden, never talked to his athletes at UCLA about winning. And he coached his team to 10 NCAA titles in
12 years.

On the other hand, Wooden never talked to his athletes about having fun. In fact, he created a Pyramid of Success, with
the building blocks of what it takes to succeed. And the two cornerstones on that Pyramid were hard work and enthusiasm.
Wooden said he never saw anyone succeed in anything who didn’t understand and employ those two cornerstones.

Unlike Wooden, I like to use the word “practice” instead of work. But ultimately, it doesn’t really matter because we’re
both saying the same thing. If you want to succeed you need to “work hard” or “practice more than anyone else.”

If you think what I’ve written here makes sense, then I absolutely know you’re going to love reading The Unbeatable Man.
In this book, there’s no talk about having fun, but there’s a lot of talk about what it really takes to succeed in anything. As
you read this book you’ll probably chuckle when you discover how “fun” is not the measuring stick of success.

Go to theunbeatableman.com

...Make the connection.....

Make the Connection. EARTHLINGS.com

...'O'...Possum..!...

...first musings from one of the naked_possums gang, yours truly, Possum Senior......

After less than a week and a half of postings, possum senior am ready for the moonlight. 
Before I begin, initially, me possum senior didn't know the difference between a blog and a flog....though now, as your weenie eyes slog through these lines of me beautiful plog (Personalized bLOG)....go ahead...google it....you should know that opossums has more letters than possums, not to mention one more extra syllable.
Now, some might believe that possums and opossums are both the same but that is not the case.
Possums belong to the family Phalangeridae and order Marsupialia, while opossums belong to the order Didelphimorphia....see...we possums are of a noble stock with noble sounding names.
Despite this newfound knowledge and confidence, you do not have bragging rights. For your ludicrous species seen through our benign possumic vision, are definitely monstrous in your presumptiveness of higher intellect with your violent and uncouth mannerisms and customs....plenty of our dear cousins have ended up in your stew pot together with the vegetables....
But we harbor no ill feelings...our next postings will be of video clips of those of you who at the very least, find it in their hearts to co-exist harmoniously with us....
The humanism they've shown does indeed touched the very core of our possumic hearts.....

...Bon Jovi - Right side of wrong (San Jose 2003).....

...who the f*** is A.L.I.C.E...?

....another HIVE! article culled....

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful.

“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.

“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.”

Zuckerberg said that the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.

“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”

Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.

“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”

However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.

“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”

Those in the financial circuit are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 7.9 billion.

But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He says he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.

“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”

The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before March 15th. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.

courtesy of gummybear @ http://www.usj.com.my/bulletin/upload/showthread.php?threadid=32335

...dilemma...??...love or just romantic fling???...which is more sufferable?...

...dilemma...the movie....

.....in this drama and comedy flick..,......two college best of mates, Ronny and Nick, your proverbial pair of pods, with an appearance by Queen latifah, would definitely spice up a rather dull couples evening in.....

Nick's married to Geneva (Winona Ryder), and one day one of the mates catches Geneva in the arms of another man which then puts him in a spot'...should he tell his best mate which will complicate things up or just keep mum...

But as the film progresses, the whole messy scenes are dotted with a few lite jest which does help to make the film as a whole more palatable...if you can still remember the film Catch-22, well, it's definitely not an approximation but a good effort at exploration of what happens when your best mate snitches on you....

Towards the end of the film, you just can't quite shake the feeling that Geneva is the one that walks away as the winner... moral of the story, sometimes the truth sure just ain't the best option....

...from North Korea with Luv......

It’s incredible to think that seven years ago North Korea was a crisis that few had heard of, but a small group of college students were finally exposed to the atrocities and reacted the only way they could – with heavy hearted conviction to do whatever was necessary to tell the stories of the North Korean people – and it sparked a movement. What began with bake sales and benefit concerts on college campuses across the US would eventually become the only grassroots organization in North America fully dedicated and working full-time on this issue. So as we find ourselves at the beginning of a brand new year, we are filled with overwhelming gratitude and joyful hearts as we marvel at the year that has just passed and all of the extraordinary things we did together along the way.

In 2010 we found ourselves in the midst of amazingly creative partnerships with Ford Motors, Cinnabun, Giant Robot, Full Circle Exchange, and others, that brought impact to this issue in unique ways. We were excited to launch 3 national tours traveling 4 routes across the US, and even into parts of Canada, where we met over 47,000 of you at 700 different events. We shared the stories of our North Korean friends and you also shared your homes, your schools, and your stories with us. We were continuously inspired, humbled and overwhelmed by your response and the sacrifices you hardly hesitated to make – birthday gifts, vacation savings, monthly outings, selling possessions and even collecting cans!

We worked swiftly to turn your gifts into action, eager to bring refugees out of hiding and to send your support where it was most needed. Over 80 stateless children were supported through our programs in China offering education, transportation, food and even shelter to a small group who had been abandoned or did not have families to care for them– one being a young girl whose father had tried to sell her.

Through TheHundred campaign, we were able to rescue 22 North Korean refugees out of hiding in China last year, bringing them safely to our shelter in Southeast Asia where they were assisted by our Protection Officers in processing to a third country. We provided direct care, assistance, education and cultural preparation for 13 refugees in our Southeast Asia shelter. And by the end of the year, we had helped to bring 23 refugees safely to resettlement in South Korea and the US. Among that group 3 were able to reunite with their families. Although another year has come and gone, 2010 will be an unforgettable year for those who were finally brought to freedom and began their new lives.

We are still here and able to do this work only because you have stood alongside us and supported our efforts, encouraged and believed in our mission, and helped us in unimaginable ways. So as we celebrate 2010, we also look forward to even bigger milestones this year in 2011. We will expand our awareness efforts so that we can reach the entire US and most of Canada, we will implement the $80,000 that was raised last year to rescue 32 more North Korean refugees, and we will spread out our reach in China so that we can impact more children without homes, families and a future. We hope to do all of this and more with your continued support in 2011. Happy new year friends! LiNK

WWW.LINKGLOBAL.ORG  |  INFO@LINKGLOBAL.ORG  |  310.212.7190 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              310.212.7190      end_of_the_skype_highlighting  |

ASIAN DEFENCE: Israel in Talks to Buy 6th Dolphin Class Submarine from Germany

ASIAN DEFENCE: Israel in Talks to Buy 6th Dolphin Class Submarine from Germany

...give me a cuppa....

https://www.devere-group-careers.com/page/home.aspx

https://www.devere-group-careers.com/page/home.aspx

BUMP!!

BUMP!! ...your vehicle...cool new way to network

Ever heard of vehicle license plate been used to networked socially or if you like....
use it as a trendy new way of messaging on the go....

BUMP.com is a "safety, marketing, and communications platform" that allows users to network online or offline via their vehicle license plate identifier....just connect your ubiquitous mobile phone to your BUMP account and start messaging away...though you might need at least a 3g enabled phone to fully enjoy this cool new way of communicating.....

...one of the plus points for BUMP is that you can also be BUMPed through social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Never again you'll be left in a lurch when that someone got into their vehicle and goes off into the sunset while you've just realized that you have forgotten something and worst of all, that someone is a total stranger....
and there is no other way of getting their attention....
just take a picture of their license plate and presto!...you've just open up a new communication avenue with that person... 

http://www.bump.com/howto

NHL Red Wings Tribute.....

..latest ramblings from one of the hive.....

One of the most disturbing elements of professional football isn’t the players celebrating after a victory. I enjoy watching a good celebration as much as almost anybody. But whenever I see an NFL star celebrating before there’s anything to celebrate about, I shake my head from side to side.

Let me give a couple of examples:

A year ago I watched former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb make pistol gestures with his hands after getting a first down in a playoff game. In the first quarter. In another playoff game, I saw him run for a first down in the fourth quarter, go out of bounds and pick up the phone on the opponent’s sideline.

Bad moves in my book.

But the thing I disliked about McNabb the most was when the cameras showed him coming out of the tunnel prior to a championship game, playing an air guitar and celebrating before the game had even started.

Maybe it’s my Midwestern upbringing, but whenever I see these types of antics, I cringe.

Those of you who have been long-term Nebraska football fans may appreciate this one. I went to a Nebraska versus Iowa game in 1980 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Cornhuskers won 57 – 0, if I remember correctly. On the third play from scrimmage, Jarvis Redwine took a handoff and ran 70 yards for a touchdown.

While running back to the sidelines he looked at the crowd and waived his hands over his head celebrating along with their cheers.

Two days later while listening to the radio I distinctly recalled the announcers saying that head coach Tom Osborne had given Mr. Redwine extra sprints at the end of every practice for the entire week. Why? Because Tom Osborne believed that sort of celebration before victory has no place on his team.

So last night I was excited to watch the Eagles play the Packers. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the resurgence of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. I believe he’s a top candidate for MVP of the league. And I wanted to see him have a big game last night. He didn’t. And perhaps it had a little something to do with his pre-game celebration while coming out of the tunnel.

So last night, “Damn, I thought. He’s doing another McNabb.”

Contrast all of the above with a pitcher in Major League Baseball. A big league pitcher does not celebrate when he runs onto the field prior to throwing the first pitch. And if he strikes out the side in the first inning he doesn’t celebrate on the way to the dugout. If he’s throwing a no-hitter through five innings you wouldn’t know it by the expression on his face. He walks back to the dugout with the stoicism of a Zen monk.

Not only that, but if the pitcher is doing really well, throwing a no-hitter or even tossing a perfect game, no one on the team even talks to him. Everyone stays away. No one even sits near him.

If the pitcher is fortunate enough to throw a no-hitter or have a perfect game, no one on the team celebrates until the last out is counted.

I think football can learn a lot from baseball. I’d much rather watch a game in which my favorite players, one of them being Michael Vick, hold off on the celebrating until it really counts.

At the same time I love watching athletes who, regardless of the score never stop giving it everything they have until the final buzzer sounds. Even if they’re behind and there appears to be no chance to win, it’s a great thing when the athlete continues to give it everything he has.

No pouting. No whining. No defeated facial expressions.

If you agree with this type of philosophy, then I think you’ll love reading The Unbeatable Man. It takes the advice in this message and places it in your heart, mind and soul.   Wanna have this book..?....stay tuned...... 

(culled from one of the hive networks.......)