Advice For Office Romances
I guess I'm skeptical because I've found myself burnt more than once. I try to avoid making FRIENDS at work, much less lovers.

Oil Exploration Put Great Barrier Reef At Risk
Say it isn't so! It seems that for 20 years, some companies have been doing oil explorations in the Great Barrier Reef under the cover of "scientific exploration." What a terrible risk to take with a natural wonder, and by the group supposedly charged with protecting the reef, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Field of Dreams
This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I was thrilled to find this article about W.P. Kinsella.

Sir Macfarlane Burnet
In papers recently made public, Sir Macfarlane Burnet urged the Australian government to develop biological weapons in 1947, thirteen years before he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on how the immune system works. Do physicians in Australia take the Hippocratic Oath? Maybe he just forgot the part that says "I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm."

McDonalds Pays For Beef Flavored Fries
I didn't realize that there was more going on with this issue until I read this from Australia. What I remember most about McDonald's fries is the story that they are soaked in sugar water before freezing to improve the taste. That was in the years when they kept winning the best tasting fries competitions with the other fast food chains. I've completely lost touch since then. Odd, but there is no mention of this outcome in the press releases on the McDonalds corporate site, and nothing in the Australia site, either.

Chicken Russia
Did you know that half og the chicken exported from the US goes to Russia? Well, at least it used to.

Anna Nicole Smith Gets Paid
It's not as much as she wanted, but its a huge chunk of change. And this made the front page of the BBC News site -- apparently they were surprised by this outcome!

Rat Problem Fighters
One of Phoenix's poshest neighborhoods has a rat problem... caused by the amount of oranges that fall from the trees and lay on the ground to rot. Find out what one neighbor is doing to curb this unbelievable problem.

Clinton Cut A Deal To Avoid Criminal Charges
It's no wonder Clinton was in the mood to grant so many presidential pardons his last day in office ... he had cut a deal to avoid facing criminal charges himself just the day before. It's curious to learn that he surrendered his law license for 5 years. I can't wait to see what is in the Whitewater report.

Bhutan's Bordered Digitized
By the end of March, customs stations at the border of Bhutan will be automated. That is so inconsistent with my view of this lovely country that I might have to go just to see this for myself.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
I've been reading about this in papers all over the world, especially about the possible action to be taken against Zimbabwe. It's being held in Australia, and attended by Commonwealth heads of state like Tony Blair (UK Prime Minister), Begum Khaleda Zia (Bangladesh Prime Minister), and the tiny Pacific Island country of Tuvalu. Even the Queen herself attended the meeting as the head of the Commonwealth. Instead of ejecting Zimbabwe, the group decided to send delegates to see if the elections this weekend are fair. In addition, they have taken steps to ensure that future conflicts between members can be resolved by the group in light of the Zimbabwe conflict.

The Scoop on Ashcroft
Like I've always said, if you want to know what's really going on in America, read the international press.

Lonely Prince William
I have an 18-year-old nephew who is having a tough time adjusting to college life, so I feel tuned into the plight of Prince William in a general sense. St. Andrews sounds like a lovely setting for serious academic studies, but without any of the distractions that make life interesting for the young.

Mighty Creosote!
One of the things I love about my home is the abundance of creosote plants, and that wonderful "rain" smell they give off when wet. Now, it turns out that they might be the oldest plants on the planet! Bravo!

Sarah Jessica Parker
I'm addicted to Inside The Actor's Studio. I started watching it a few years ago because I have this dream of writing screenplays, and it occured to me that I needed to learn something about the acting process so I could write parts that actors would love to play. Tonight was wonderful with Sarah Jessica, so I've decided to cover her.

Sarah Jessica was born in Nelsonville, Ohio, a small town outside of Athens, the home of Ohio University, which in general terms is northeast of Cincinnati. I first became aware of her when she was playing Annie on Broadway. I was also aware of her when she dated Robert Downey, Jr. who is one of my favorite actors. I loved her in L.A. Story. Now, I never miss an episode of Sex And The City, in part because I find the character Carrie Bradshawso intriguing. Here is a woman who makes her living as a writer, and has created this wonderful lifestyle. The Internet is full of coverage, but what I found most interesting: an article about how to achieve her hair, what's wrong with her look at the Emmy's, and a profile from Salon.com that compares her to Carole Lombard. Here's a complete filmography. Of course, I can't omit her marriage to Matthew Broderick.

"...An Author By Any Other Name Would Write As Sweet..."
Is it possible that Shakespeare didn't write the works attributed to him? Is this just a conspiracy-mindset look back into history? This article is triggered by the recent showing of the new documentary, "Much Ado About Something"by Michael Rubbo that poses that theory for your consideration. The film has been covered in papers all over the world, including Sydney, Toronto (where the film was shown as part of the Toronto Film Festival 2001), London, and New York. I couldn't find anything like a distribution calendar, sorry!

Governor Arpaio?
The colorful and often controversial Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, is being pushed as a candidate for governor of Arizona. Sheriff Joe, known as the "Toughest Sheriff in America" from the title of his book, is known for several things: reinstating chain gangs, tent city jails, jail cams, and pink boxer shorts. Hmmm.... I wonder what fun the Phoenix New Times will have this this? They are not the only people to mock him.

Hear Joe speak about his policies, read the press release about the jail cams, check out his plan to use howitzers on drug dens, his plan to introduce pets to the prision system, and the history of the pink boxers. He's been covered by Time, CNN, the Helskinki newspaper, and is the subject of his own documentary, "A Day With Sheriff Joe."

They Paved Paradise To Put Up A... Tourist Sign?
The irony of parks. Paved roads in previously untouched settings so people can drive through and feel they have "gotten in touch" with nature. Only thing is, the huge number of instructional signs that are required often block the best of views...

String of Pearls
In honor of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, many locations throughout London are offering special tours, exhibits or services on selected dates thorughout the year. If you are planning a trip to London this year, consider these destinations: Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, Tower of London, Royal Military School of Music, Wellington Arch, Battersea Park, Victoria and Albert Museum, Royal Observatory, Armourers and Brasiers' Company, and the Houses of Parliment.

Traveling Over the Top of the World
Recent studies indicate the the melting of the Arctic ice cap means that during the summers it will be possible for commercial shipping and tourism to travel over the top of the world between Canada, Iceland, northern Europe and Russia. Some believe this will happen during the next decade, and others are a bit skeptical.

The Glory of Soviet Architecture
Architecture always reflects the deepest aspirations of mankind, often influenced by the politics of the time. This is an interesting article about Soviet architecture under communism, including the work of Dmitry Chechulin.

Investingating the Beer Cartel
Just when you thought that Europe was distracted by the Euro conversion... It seems that two breweries, Heineken and Carlsberg, are under special scrutiny, accused of splitting up the Dutch and Danish beer markets with non-compete agreements. I guess that would be like Anheuser-Busch and Sam Adams agreeing to market to their own side of the Mississippi. That would make me very unhappy, being the fan of Sam that I am.

Will Czech Republic Make It Into The European Union?
Controversies continue as the Czech Prime Minister makes statements supporting "ethinic cleansing" -- a shocking position to most of the Western world.

Growing Spiritual Interest on Internet
As someone who operates a spiritually inclined website, I was not surprised to see this report about the growing interest in spiritual web site. The traffic to my site has grown over the last year, and I'm glad to be out there providing this service. I think lots of people are re-evaluating their values after the events of 11 September 01, and I think that is a good response.

Workers In Trouble Over Sending Porn
It seems that in Australia, things are treated more lightly than here. I've known people fired on the spot for such things in America.

Hungarian Prime Minister Criticized
I didn't even hear that the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, was in the US last week. Now, he is under attack for spending taxpayer funds to travel here. Here is the text of the speech he gave at Tufts after receiving an honorary doctorate. I can't find a mention of his visit in our newspapers!

What's Up With Russia?
They are really upset about the anti-Russian attitude at the Olympics. I didn't see any, but then, I didn't watch that much. They are protesting at the US and Canadian embassies, and threatening to not complete in Athens. According to Alex Gubbay, these are being called the Protest Games, and here is a list of the battles. I'm not a huge sports fan, but come on, bad calls are part of all sports. If the people want better judging at the Olympics, then the international sports organizations need to do a better job of policing their own, and setting higher standards.

Danish Cult Leader Arrested in US
This is an interesting story. Apparently, this guy has been on the run for a long time, and was spotted just recently in Miami. He's making news in Los Angeles, where he was arrested and has engaged the services of Robert L. Shapiro for his defense. He has also requested citizenship in two countries that do not have extradition agreements with Netherlands. Hmmmm....

40th Anniversary of Space Flights
The remaining four Gemini astronauts, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra and Gordon Cooper were at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to celebrate this event.

Something Rotten In The State Of Denmark
I haven't found this in the US press yet. In Denmark, they have had IBM consultants working on their DeMars project, a huge government IT project for Danish military and support resources. And they didn't get security clearances on the the consultants. Now, they are worried about the impact of security breaches to Denmark and her allies.

Erma Bombeck
I had a pretty interesting childhood. I grew up in the same town as Erma Bombeck and Phil Donahue, and was surprised to see both of them go from local celebrities to nationally known names. My mom loved Erma, and her newspaper column was required reading in our local paper. When she started writing books, my mom seemed to have them all. She is an American icon, a journalist who set aside career to raise her family, only to use it as fodder for her wacky take on the world, a perspective that fits in the same way that Roseanne's show fits real life living. She survived breast cancer, and went through liver dialysis for year before dying shortly after a liver transplant in 1996.

She is remembered in her home town, Dayton, Ohio, in many ways. The University of Dayton holds a writing conference every year in her honor, sponsored in part by the local library, one of the finest in the country. Her quips are her trademarks, and capture stark truths in a way that you can realize them and smile at the same time. Erma was inducted into Ohio's Senior Citizen Hall of Fame in 2001, and her work to raise awareness for organ donor programs has resulted in the Arizona Kidney Foundation's Erma Bombeck Donor Awareness Program. She is missed in her new hometown, Phoenix, Arizona, where her columns were published in the local paper. Her body rests in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, but her thoughts and words live on in her books:
Forever, Erma : Best-Loved Writing from America's Favorite Humorist
All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room
The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
At Wit's End
Four of a Kind : A Suburban Field Guide
If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries What Am I Doing in the Pits
Just Wait Till You Have Children of Your Own
When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home
I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression
Motherhood : The Second Oldest Profession.

Freedom Of Speech Includes Lies
I'm furious about this news article. Intending to provide false news stories to the foreign press amounts to slapping the !st amendment rights in the face, and undermines the legitimacy of the media. Read the article if you want to know what has me so hot.

Preparing For The Wright Brothers Flight Centennial
Next year is the 100th anniversary of the first manned flight, accomplished by Wilbur and Orville Wright. I grew up nnext door to their home town, Dayton. I've seen the local museum with the replica of their airplane, the Wright Flyer, visited the Air Force Museum's exhibit about them, and graduated from the university named in their honor, Wright State University, which has a special collection of memorabilia. I've also seen the location of their cycle shop on Hawthorne Street, and the replica at the Henry Ford Museum.

Everyone is busy with preparations for the big celebration, including the FAA. People are trying to get replicas of their plane to fly. Ohio is very proud of the Wright Brothers, even though the flight itself took place on the sands of the coastal plane in North Carolina at a spot called Kill Devil Hill. Hey, in Ohio in December, the ground is usually frozen, so the beach was a great solution, not to mention a lot softer for those crash landings! Check out the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company & Museum of Pioneer Aviation site and Surfing The Web With Kids site for more info. They have been honored by Time magazine as one of the 100 people of the century.

Writer's Digest Hotlist
Looking for the best places to sell your articles and become published? Check out this list, which includes some of my favorite reading: Arizona Highways, Ohio Magazine, Air & Space(Smithsonian), and Phoenix Magazine.

Military Exercise Gone Aground
It seems that the UK did not intend to invade Spain over the weekend. The location isn't the only thing off in this story. The timing was also miserable, as the UK and Spain are currently in negotiations about the future of the British colony at Gibraltar, which Spain ceded to Britian under the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht. The exercise, launched from the HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy's biggest warship, involved approximately 20 Royal Marines and lasted 5 minutes.

The Great One Rants on Hockey
Wayne Gretzky is mad as hell. One of the greatest hockey players ever, he spoke out against the anti-Canada sentiment surrounding the Team Canada efforts at the Olympics. Now the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes, TGO is well known in my home town.

Dangers Of Spring Training
The death last week of Mike Darr, outfielder for the San Diego Padres, underscores the temptations of spring training.

Another 11 September Demonstration at the Olympics
Enough already! If you are an Olympic athlete from any country, and you want to dedicate your underwear or your equipment to a cause, any cause, then do so privately. And enough of the 11 September stunts, even if you were involved with rescue and recovery. Life goes on.

Cuba's View on Bush, Florida Mafia
It's always fascinating to see what the Cubans think of our politics. And they are no friend to Dubya, either.

Miss Cleo Stopped
After receiving over 2000 complaints, the FTC has determined that Miss Cleo and her psychic network use deceptive trade practices. And they want her to prove that she is a Jamaican-born shaman, too.

Listening To Bad Karaoke Dangerous To Your Health
Just make sure you don't indulge in any "sarcastic applause."

New Blogging Articles
I have four blogs, and one gets over a hundred visitors a day. Unfortunately, its not this one, because this is my favorite one to write. The busy one now has its own weekly newsletter, also. I'm thinking about switching to Radio UserLand for all of my blogs because it seems to have more features. But I honestly don't know the full range of what is available to me here at Blogger.com. Here are more blogging articles, one from Business 2.0 and the other from Wired.

Hairy Potter News
It seems the head lice are uninvited extras on the set of the second Harry Potter film, and causing quite a stir.

Race Not A Factor
One of the outgrowths of the Human Genome Project research into human genetics is the discovery that race is not a significant biological factor. It seems that our differences are really only skin deep, and beneath that, we are truly the same. In fact, racial differences account for less than one percent of the genetic information inside our bodies.

The Pot Calling The Kettle Black
I almost fell of my chair laughing at this one. In the Toronto Star, there is an article about how angry the Russians are that Canadians David Pelletier and Jamie Sale were awarded gold medals after the judging controversy. This event happened while the Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, is visiting Russia, so he is being dogged by the media about it. The Russians claim that awarding the second gold medals was a political decision, and that the Canadians are sore losers. Oh, and they happened to mention that it tarnishes the Russian domination of figure skating where they have been undefeated since 1964. Who is the sore loser?

-- Updated 18 Feb -- The words of the judge who was pressured to vote for the Russians. Translated by Google from French.

Arizona's Economy and the C's
Historically, Arizona's economy has been driving by the five C's: cotton, cattle, copper, citrus and climate. Today, things are a bit different, but these five remain dominant in the economy, along with three other C's: computers, communications and the consumer. An interesting overview.

No More Olypmics on US Soil?
It seems that some are offended by the largely American spectators with their enthusiastic shouting about having the home court advantage. In a country where professional athletes are worshipped, no one should be surprised at this. I agree that the World Trade Center flag did NOT belong at the Olympics.

Cactus League, Padres Tragedy
Near the San Diego Padres spring training stadium in Peoria this morning, outfielder Mike Darr was killed in a car crash. Another unidentified man was also killed. Minor league pitcher, Ben Howard, the only person in the car wearing a seat belt, was treated at the scene and released.

Fife Marching To A New Drum
The scandal-ridder former governor of Arizona, Fife Symington, is exploring new options after receiving a presidental pardon for his federal fraud charges, facing prostate cancer, and ongoing skin cancer bouts.

Anita Roddick
Anita and her husband are no longer running The Body Shop, the company they started about 25 years ago. She's been a hero of mine, a woman with opinions, taking risks to run a business with integrity and helping others along the way. In researching her departure, I found her personal site, more of a blog than anything else. Wonderful stuff. I wish her well in her next adventure.

Theoretical No More
Brian Greene has set a goal -- to prove the superstring theory which is one of the favorite theories of brilliant theoretical physicists. Greene, somewhat of a scientific celebrity with an appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, a small part in the movie, Frequency, and a best selling book, The Elegant Universe, is out to change the world, even if other string theorists, like my personal favorite, Michio Kaku, don't agree with him.

America's Theocracy
Coming from a small town with a huge Mormon enclave, and moving to a city founded by Mormons and with a suburb with a Mormon Temple, I've been quite aware of this group all of my adult life. I've never been interested in joining, but when my nephew joined last year, the family took it worse than if he had been sent to prison. They offer a safe world where people take care of each other, and that fact alone will drawn in converts by the truckload. In my opinion, their theology is a strange blend of Christianity, Native America spirituality, and some very New Age alien/UFO stuff (like the Mormon planet, Kolob). I remember when Donny & Marie Osmond were popular, and they were criticized because the Mormons discriminate against blacks, and suddenly, the church changed its position, saying that now blacks can become priests. But what I was told, "priest" is the term for full male membership, something denied to all women as well. I've read the Book of Mormon, but none of the anti-Mormon publications.

Scottish Foxes Are Free
Mounted hunting with hounds has been banned in Scotland, and the controversy continues.

Smoking Ban in Childcare Facilities?
In the UK, there is interest in making it illegal to smoke while taking care of children, while care providers can still legally use corporal punishment with the parent's consent.

Love Potion #9
Researchers have successfully recreated the love potion used by Puck in Shakespeare's wonderful play, Midsummer Night's Dream, but don't plan to market it. And on the day before Valentine's, its appropriate to consider the ancient wisdom of aphrodisiac foods... there is still time to raid the local market for the foods of love before dinner tomorrow night. Or, perhaps pick up some products from Kama Sutra -- honey dust, anyone?

American Free Speech and Foreign Sovereignty
A thoughtful and thought provoking article about the ongoing lawsuits surronding Yahoo, the auction of Nazi items, and the French laws. Can France legally require content providers in other countries to prevent illegal viewing of objectional content by people in France? Who is responsible for the viewing, the viewer or the content provider? And since American freedom of speech is not shared around the world, will the free-for-all in content we enjoy be available to the world? It's an interesting age to be alive.

The End Of Phone Tag
Thanks to technology, phone tag may become a thing of the past. But I'm not sure I want everyone to know my availability... so maybe I'll find ways to cloak myself, just like I did with IM.

Inexpensive And Meaningful
I've always thought that Valentines Day is a dopey holiday, created only as an excuse to sell greeting cards. But Cheryl Richardson has a great idea for sharing your love and appreciation for your partner that works at any time of the year, and costs very little. Check it out. And while you are there, look at her Life Makeover newsletter. It's one my favorite pieces of email each week.

New Digital Camera Better Than Film?
That's the claim. Not only that, but it could allow one camera to take video and still pictures. Let's see what happens. My opinion, it is only a matter of time until someone does create a camera better than film. It's all in the sensors, and these are made by Foveon.

Good Luck Charm From Chimney Sweeps
An interesting career article about a chimney sweep in Moscow.

Fabulous Charlotte Interview
If you want to know more about Kristin Davis, Charlotte on "Sex and the City" then this is the interview for you!

Pashto As A Second Language
Now our military is preparing soldiers to speak and listen to other languages. About time. I wonder when modern languages will be reviatlized in our colleges and universities? Research shows that second languages can be taught very early in life.

Margaret Thatcher's Letter To America
With all of the negative press the USA is getting these days, it was a breath of fresh air to read this article. I have my own opinions about what is going on with America, and I see a country struggling to redefine itself. With the new self image, I trust will come different policies and focused actions, new agendas for existing leaders and new people rising to power to do things that can contribute to the wellness of the people everywhere. I'm a dreamer, I know, but it is a lovely dream, and a world that I would chose to live in.

Britney's Brain Power
I ignore her for the most part, but I couldn't pass this one up. Britney Spears is going to speak at MIT, an organization that I respect, full of people with brains. I wonder how she got the invitation? She will look good, whatever comes out of her lip-synching mouth.

i heart ny
This was the finest episode yet of "Sex and the City." Big leaves town, but leaves Carrie a record of Henry Mancini playing Moon River and a ticket to Napa Valley. Miranda has her baby and changes the name to Brady. Charlotte sees Trey and Bunnie while working at the Museum of Modern Art, accepts a date from a person on the tour, and then asks him to leave when he freaks out about the size of her apartment. Samantha suspects that Richard is cheating on her, and follows him at lunch, proving that she was right. It is a good season finale. But Carrie's situation has me feeling a bit raw, that sense of starting over. To be honest, I sobbed through the show.

-- Updated 11 February. Here is an interesting piece about the show, and the odds of various outcomes.

Setting Your Circadian Clock
One of the previously unknown functions of the eye involves setting your circadian clock, the mechanism responsible for jet lag and sleeping during the night. Now that we know this, science can figure out how to fix these things.

Links & Copyrights
The slippery slope of the Internet and fair use has just given us a small foothold. Now it seems that other can provide a thumbnail of a copyrighted photograph without violating the fair use provisions. Good news, indeed.

Olympic Hopefuls
In each country, you can find news about their Olympic team and its hopes for gold medals at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Check out the following: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Hungary, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

Arizona Turns 90
It's hard to believe that Arizona has only been a state for 90 years. The Arizona Republic has a wonderful special section covering this milestone. (Heck, I've got grandparents older than AZ!)