Global Warming

Please find below a remarkable image sequence, which captures a series of massive calving events at Columbia Glacier near Valdez, Alaska. Composed of 436 frames taken between May and September of 2007, it shows the glacier rapidly retreating by about 1.6 kilometre, a volume loss of some 1.67 cubic kilometres of ice or 1,500,000,000,000 litres of water or simply 1.5 trillion litres of water!

The time-lapse was taken as part of the ongoing Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), an ambitious project to capture global warming-induced glacial retreat in the act. Beginning in December 2006, photographer James Balog and his colleagues set up 26 solar-powered cameras at glaciers in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, the Alps, and the Rocky Mountains. Each unit will take a photograph every daylight hour until fall 2009.

In 2008, Balog's team began to return to each of the camera sites to collect images. In the end, they will have more than 300,000 images to analyse and stitch together to produce more dramatic videos like this one.

This kind of multi-year effort, says Balog, is necessary to radically alter public perception of the global warming issue.

You will need a high-speed internet connection to view this video!

Save the Olive Ridleys

Dear Reader,

Thanks for stopping by. You could be a part of the effort to bring about environmentally positive changes on the ground, day after day. This time we're asking you to do a little more. Not by pulling out your purse, but with a single mouse-click.

As you're aware, the highly-endangered Olive Ridley Turtles visit India's East Coast every year to mate and lay eggs, and six weeks later their newborn babies make their way back into the sea. Orissa is one of the last places left on the planet where these turtles come together after swimming thousands of miles, from places as far away as Australia and the Philippines.

The species is fragile, it needs protection, it has nowhere else to turn to. If it dies, it takes an entire fragile ecosystem along with it.

But someone's already involved in pushing the remaining Olive Ridleys into extinction. If you've ever taken a taxi, made a phone call, sipped a cup of tea, stayed in a five-star hotel, or worn a wristwatch, chances are you've already met the culprit.

It's the Tatas. They're about to build a huge port in Dhamra, (see map--click on the satellite option to locate the site) close to the turtles' sensitive breeding area, even though alternative sites exist. We believe they can be stopped. This is close to the Bhitarkanika National Park, which is a home to the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), white crocodile, Indian python, black ibis, and darters. Olive Ridley sea-turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) nest on Gahirmatha and other nearby beaches.

The port Tata is proposing to build in Dhamra will directly affect the Olive Ridley turtles. With 150,000 to 350,000 Olive Ridley turtles nesting in the vicinity, the average number of hatchlings is believed to range from 15,000,000 to 35,000,000.



View Larger Map

The great thing about the Tatas, you see, is that they listen to their customers (that's you) because you make them who they are. That's why we're not asking you to boycott them, we're asking you to make them better.

Ratan Tata has already promised that he won't build the port if there's any evidence of turtles in the area. Several Nature lovers have given him that proof, but he won't listen to them. There's a possibility that he'll listen to you. And turn the Tatas into the caring and nurturing corporate family that they profess to be.

When you supported an environmental in the past, the government has always heard you loud and clear. To make sure Ratan hears you loud and clear, simply click on the photo of the turtle here and join Greenpeace by sending him an email.

On behalf of the planet's last Olive Ridley Turtles,

ramjee

Children See, Children Do!

A brilliantly conceived, very powerful, poignant and thought provoking advertisement that a friend of mine sent me, about how children emulate adults. What is interesting is that children see and do what they often observe adults see and do. The issue is love and living love.

It's but also extremely frightening! I wish there'd been one or two more positive examples at the end to balance it up. Adults, like children, ALSO need to see lots of POSITIVE role models!

P.S
I really wonder, how much pshychological damage making this video would have been done to the kids who actually are a part of this video? Some of those scenes were very unpleasant and the children seemed too young to understand and yet old enough to maybe be affected by what they were pretending to take part in. I presume and hope the smoking child was a special effect?




Parents Let's Be Role Models For Our Children
Source: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Mental Health Information Center, USA.
Here is what we can all do to help keep our children “violence-free”

Helping children learn more about themselves and their environment can be a key step in preventing school and youth violence. Parents want children to be safe, and children want to feel and be safe.

The following information could be both helpful to us as a parent and caregiver, as well as to our children. So take time to read and make time to share this with your children. Violence prevention begins with US. Remember to make time to listen, take time to talk...these can be precious moments.

Nurture

Show love and concern

• Every day, tell your child you love him/her.
• Show affection daily with a hug, a kiss, and/or a touch.
• Make time for special family fun activities.
• Meet your child’s friends to ensure he/she has positive influences.

Emotions

Understand - don’t take a stand

Children who don’t know how to control their anger are more likely to fight. Teach children how to calm down and talk over their problems. Tips for keeping cool and solving a problem:

• Keep in mind that anger is real, but it usually goes away.
• To calm down, think about or do things you enjoy.
• Once you have calmed down, think about the problem with a clear head.
• Take steps to solve the problem.

Communication

Is a two-way street

Children who have good communication with their parents are more likely to ask for their advice than turn to peers. When talking to your child, always remember to:

• Listen to your child.
• Find out what your child knows about violence and how to prevent it before you start talking.
• Let your child know he/she can always talk to you about anything.
  

RESPECT

Find out what it means to me

Many youth fight because they feel disregarded and, as a result, feel angry, humiliated, or embarrassed. To stay violence-free, respect means:

• Give respect so you may get respect.
• Stand up for yourself without putting yourself in danger.
• Discuss ways to solve problems without fighting.
• Respect is not gained by physical force or intimidation, but by the quality of your character.
• Fighting doesn’t solve a problem or get you respect.
  

Education

Everyone benefits

Take interest in your child’s education and development:

• Read to your child and encourage your child to read.
• Meet with your child’s teachers often and learn about your child’s progress.
• Review homework and tests.
• Set short- and long-term educational goals together and help your children reach their goals.
• Encourage your child to participate in an after-school program.
• Give your child household responsibilities/chores.
• Children who aren’t interested in school, who have friends who use alcohol/drugs, and who are not bound by rules are more likely to use alcohol/drugs.
• Let your child know you disapprove of drug use, including alcohol, and WHY.
  

Peaceful solutions ...another way

How to get your way without fighting:

• Talk clearly and calmly. State the problem and your desire to solve it without fighting.
• Humor—Make fun of the problem.
• Compromise—Both give up something and get something.
• Avoid/ignore—Sometimes it’s not worth the bother.
• Remember, it takes more guts and self-respect to walk away from a fight than to fight.
  

Bullying... NO WAY

Prevent your child from becoming a VICTIM:

• Instill self-confidence in your child.
• Help your child establish good social skills.
• Teach your child to speak out for him or herself.
• Teach your child to seek, if harassed, help from you and other caring adults.
• Try to meet with the bully to work things out. If the problem continues,call for a meeting of all those involved.
  

Prevent your child from becoming a BULLY:

• Present yourself as a model of non-violent behaviour.
• Clearly state that violence is not acceptable.
• Assist your child in finding non-violent strategies for anger management and conflict resolution.
• Seek help from mental health/school counselors to help stop bullying and aggressive behaviour.
  

SEEING VIOLENCE...Through a Child’s Eyes

Children who have seen violence are more likely to become involved in violence as victims or perpetrators. You can:

• Minimize your child’s exposure to violence.
• Tell your child that media violence is not real - it is glamorized, misleading, and fails to depict the real pain and suffering of the victims.
• Talk to your child about the violence he or she witnessed.
• If you see changes in your child, after they’ve witnessed a violent act, talk to a mental health professional.
• Some warning signs of emotional distress related to witnessing violence include sleeplessness, lack of appetite, lack of attention, anxiety, and frequent thoughts or flashbacks of the event.
  

Rules for quality time together

TEENS

• Don’t insult, shout, walk out or away...SHOW RESPECT.

PARENTS

• Don’t boss, preach, judge, or criticize...SHOW RESPECT.

FOR BOTH

• Spend more than 15 minutes each day together listening and talking.
• Don’t have outside interruptions.
• Don’t blame or try to defend anyone.
• DO MAKE one-on-one time SPECIAL.
  

Be a role model

• Warm family relationships protect children FROM violence and many other risky behaviours.
• Be aware that everything you do, your children see and do.
• Talk to them and, most important, listen to them.
• Spend valuable time with them that includes fun activities.
• Find out who their friends are and if they are a positive influence.
• Find out where they hang out and make sure it’s safe.
• Let them know you disapprove of fighting.
• Keep your children “drug and violence-free."
  

Autistic basketball player causes mayhem

I recently had the chance to see an incredibly powerful story that brings you to your feet and just keeps on giving each and every minute into it. Jason McElway, an autistic high school basketball team member in Rochester NY, served as the team manager and spirit coach for several years. On the final game of the season the coach let him finally put on a uniform with the rest of the team. Watch what happens...

Please take time out to Watch this 2:44 sec CBS Evening News report on Jason McElwain, and if you do not weep a little, and feel better about the whole of humanity, you're simply a lost cause. It is about a wonderful boy and also about a coach who cares about what really matters!





What is Autism? An Overview
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. It is part of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. Autism impairs a person's ability to communicate and relate to others. It is also associated with rigid routines and repetitive behaviors, such as obsessively arranging objects or following very specific routines. Symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe.

Autism was first identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the same time, a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that is now known as Asperger Syndrome (read more). These two disorders are listed in the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as two of the five developmental disorders that fall under the autism spectrum disorders. The others are Rett Syndrome, PDD NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder), and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. All of these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social abilities, and also by repetitive behaviors. For more discussion on the range of diagnoses that comprise autism spectrum disorder, click here.

Autism spectrum disorders can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 3, although new research is pushing back the age of diagnosis to as early as 6 months. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then lost skills. Pediatricians may initially dismiss signs of autism, thinking a child will “catch up,” and may advise parents to “wait and see.” New research shows that when parents suspect something is wrong with their child, they are usually correct. If you have concerns about your child's development, don't wait: speak to your pediatrician about getting your child screened for autism.

If your child is diagnosed with autism, early intervention is critical to gain maximum benefit from existing therapies. Although parents may have concerns about labeling a toddler as “autistic,” the earlier the diagnosis is made, the earlier interventions can begin. Currently, there are no effective means to prevent autism, no fully effective treatments, and no cure. Research indicates, however, that early intervention in an appropriate educational setting for at least two years during the preschool years can result in significant improvements for many young children with autism spectrum disorders. As soon as autism is diagnosed, early intervention instruction should begin. Effective programs focus on developing communication, social, and cognitive skills.

West Side Story

This is a musical based loosely on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which was, in turn, based on a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke entitled The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562). Set on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the musical explores the rivalry between two teenage gangs of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The young protagonist, Anton, who belongs to the white gang, falls in love with Maria, the sister of the leader of the rival Puerto Rican gang. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in American musical theater. Bernstein's score for the musical has become extremely popular; it includes several interesting songs. One of them which I like a lot is, "I Feel Pretty" embedded below! I like this a lot more than the other ones in the movie, probably because it reminds me of the act that one my sisters performed a day before her wedding in one of her "high" moods in Alahabad!

The original 1957 Broadway production, was a skit directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins and produced by Robert E. Griffith and Harold Prince, marked Stephen Sondheim's Broadway debut. It ran for 732 performances (a successful run for the time), before going on tour. The production garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical in 1957, but the award ultimately went to Meredith Willson's The Music Man. The show has enjoyed an even longer-running London production, a number of revivals and international success, and spawned an innovative, award-winning 1961 musical film of the same name. West Side Story is produced frequently by local theaters and, occasionally, by opera companies. Clike on the image on the right and you'd be taken to the official website of the company that continues to run the sho!

MARIA

I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I feel pretty and witty and gay
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me today

I feel charming
Oh so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real

See the pretty girl in that mirror there?
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running
And dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy

GIRLS

Have you met my good friend Maria
The craziest girl on the block?
You'll know her the minute you see her
She's the one who is in an advanced state of shock

She thinks she's in love
She thinks she's in Spain
Lallala

She isn't in love
She's merely insane
It must be the heat
Or some rare disease
Lallala

Or too much to eat
Or maybe it's fleas
Keep away from her
Send for Chino
This is not the Maria we know
Modest and pure
Lallala

Polite and refined
Well-bred and mature
And out of her mind!

Miss America, Miss America, speech!
Miss America, bravo, speech!

MARIA

I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
That the city should give me its key
A committee
Should be organized to honour me
Lallalalallalalla

I feel dizzy
I feel sunny
I feel fizzy and funny and fine
And so pretty
Miss America can just resign
Lallalalallalalla

See the pretty girl in that mirror there
(What mirror, where?)
Who can that attractive girl be?
(Which, what, where, whom?)
Such a pretty face
Such a pretty dress
Such a pretty smile
Such a pretty me!

MARIA & GIRLS
I feel stunning
And entrancing
Feel like running and dancing for joy
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!