http://fourstory.org/weblog/ en donna@fourstory.org Copyright 2010 2010-03-18T16:10:37-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/some-thoughts-on-cuba/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/some-thoughts-on-cuba/#When:15:10:37Z I'm sitting (once again) in the Tecumseh, Oklahoma library using their WIFI connection.  Yes, my computer is down again.  The evil Hughesnet has left me stranded out in the boonies.  I only have a few minutes left on my computer battery so I'll make this snappy. Everyone from FourStory is in Cuba as I write this.  I imagine the balmy warm air, the colorful sights, the delicious smells of cuban food, the sound of magical music.  My sweet daughter, the renowned and highly sought after author, Rebecca Schoenkopf, has been given instructions by me to record her experiences indelibly somewhere -- mind, body, notebook --… Cuba, Justice For All, Government, The Media, The Arts, La Vie Quotidienne 2010-03-18T15:10:37-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/cuba-update-no-blogging/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/cuba-update-no-blogging/#When:02:08:31Z We’ve gotten the word that, because of political conditions at the moment (having to do with hunger strikers), we oughtn’t blog from Cuba. Bah! But starting on the 25th, we’ll be blogging away; and starting on the 29th, feature articles galore. In the meantime, we’ve got other content scheduled, so please continue tuning in. Cuba, Government, The Media 2010-03-18T02:08:31-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/a-battery-charge/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/a-battery-charge/#When:15:50:36Z Think about how each of us use batteries.  Most people use a battery up and then toss it once there is no more juice left.  This means that tons of batteries (and mercury from those batteries) are being wasted and dumped in to the landfills.  Another option for the more environmentally-conscious individuals out there is to use rechargeable batteries.  A recent technology was mentioned by Ibrahim Abou Hamad and his colleagues from Mississippi State University that injects lithium ions into lithium batteries, giving batteries a quick charge: … Sustainable Living, La Vie Quotidienne 2010-03-17T15:50:36-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/health-free-california/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/health-free-california/#When:18:42:07Z This Los Angeles Times article today says it all: About 1 in 4 in California lack health insurance, a UCLA study finds Nearly 1 in 4 Californians under age 65 had no health insurance last year, according to a new report, as soaring unemployment propelled vast numbers of once-covered workers into the ranks of the uninsured.The state's uninsured population jumped to 8.2 million in 2009, up from 6.4 million in 2007, marking the highest number over the last decade, investigators from… Sustainable Living, Justice For All, Government, The Economy, La Vie Quotidienne 2010-03-16T18:42:07-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/what-hasnt-obama-done-for-us-now/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/what-hasnt-obama-done-for-us-now/#When:00:59:09Z Slow news day, Fred Hiatt? The editorial page editor of the Washington Post, a reliably conservative voice in a media town where not a Sunday goes by without President John McCain on the talk shows, has penned some thoughts and then actually hit "send." And what is Fred Hiatt opining on today? Obama isn't acting happy enough. Take it away, Fred! I know, it's the world's hardest job, and between war and the world economy collapsing, he didn't have the first year he might have wished for. And, yes, he's damned either way: With thousands of… Government, The Media 2010-03-16T00:59:09-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/led-the-way/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/led-the-way/#When:16:21:53Z A recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburg talks about a type of light called the Light Emitting Diode (LED), and how amazing it would be to install it in every corner of each city.  What most cities have is High pressure sodium (HPS) lamps and metal halide lamps which are less energy efficient, last a shorter amount of time, and release toxins into the environment.  The advantages of installing LED throughout the city are ridiculous: 1)    LED’s last 5 times longer2)    They produce more light3)    They have less impact on the environment4)   … Sustainable Living, Justice For All, Government 2010-03-15T16:21:53-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/tea-party-to-nationalist-terrorism/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/tea-party-to-nationalist-terrorism/#When:20:31:45Z A KPBS segment yesterday entitled "Are Tea Partiers Hate Groups?" was interesting in a few ways.  Here's the intro, for reference: The murder-suicide of Andrew Joseph Stack, who flew a plane into IRS offices in Austin, Texas in February, drew praise from some in the Tea Party Movement, those who would have been considered fringe nutcases a year ago. Even some elected officials have seemed to endorse his action. Who are the Tea Partiers really? What do they believe, why does the movement attract the far-right fringe, and… Justice For All, Government 2010-03-12T20:31:45-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/hoochies-books/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/hoochies-books/#When:14:34:43Z Beginning yesterday, the latest Left Coast Crime mystery convention rolled into downtown Los Angeles. LCC is among several similar confabs of fans and writers that take place over a given year in various locals in the States as well as internationally. Yours truly and fourstory's EiC, Nathan Walpow, are doing a panel this morning sports fan subtly hawking Orange County Noir. The book published by the lovely folks at Akashic is a collection of original short stories of mayhem and desperation set behind the Orange Curtain edited by your humble… The Arts 2010-03-12T14:34:43-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/fourstory-gets-facebookized/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/fourstory-gets-facebookized/#When:17:13:14Z I've been designing for the Web for over a decade now, and I'm having a hard time accepting that the Web today isn't the Web of 2000. It's all this social networking stuff, the so-called Web 2.0, that I'm resisting. All this Facebook and MySpace and Twitter. I established a Facebook page some months ago, and haven't done anything with it until now, but with the big Cuba trip coming up next week I decided it was, now that a decade of it's gone by (no the-decade-actually-started-in-2001 crap, please), it's time to join up. So go visit our Facebook… Cuba, The Media, La Vie Quotidienne 2010-03-11T17:13:14-08:00 http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/transsexuals-in-cuba/ http://fourstory.org/weblog/post/transsexuals-in-cuba/#When:12:40:26Z I have a brother who was really my sister and I didn't know it until we were both middle-aged. She decided to have her body match her soul and had a complete sex change in Thailand. She is very, very happy after a lifetime of struggle with her identity. Since our illustrious crew from FourStory is going to Cuba, I decided to find out what the policy was in Cuba regarding transsexuals. I am happy to report that Cuba has a progressive and enlightened view on the subject. Bravo, Cuba! Cuba, Justice For All, Government, La Vie Quotidienne 2010-03-11T12:40:26-08:00