I've sat here with three poems (for a contest) ready to go in the mail for better than three weeks now and this afternoon, one day before the deadline - the puppies actually made it in the mail. One of the poems I intermittently reworked - but settled upon the draft that I had once before concluded was a wrap. Oh well... what is done is done.
poetry
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
A child in Africa dies every 30 seconds...
The African continent will be the focus of a great deal of attention during the G8 summit. We've all heard Africa referred to over the years as an emerging continent. Yet all that we have really seen is a continent with unresolved issues and people with dimming hope.
The leaders of the G8 countries have an opportunity to take a bold position that can go a long way towards eradicating poverty in African countries but they will not likely take bold steps without knowing the world is watching and expecting more than token efforts.
Africa needs more than money. For one thing, it needs debt forgiveness. Many nations are unable to move forward because they continue to struggle under the burden of simply repaying interest on money given them years ago from the world bank. Between 1970 and 2002 Africa received $540 billion in loans. Over that same period, African countries paid back $550 or $10 billion more than the original loans--today they still owe another $293 billion. Most African nations spend more repaying these debts then they spend on education and health care. Read more about the issues here
Food and water are in short supply. Much of Africa is in extreme poverty. People living on less than $1 a day.
Every day:
The leaders of the G8 countries have an opportunity to take a bold position that can go a long way towards eradicating poverty in African countries but they will not likely take bold steps without knowing the world is watching and expecting more than token efforts.
Africa needs more than money. For one thing, it needs debt forgiveness. Many nations are unable to move forward because they continue to struggle under the burden of simply repaying interest on money given them years ago from the world bank. Between 1970 and 2002 Africa received $540 billion in loans. Over that same period, African countries paid back $550 or $10 billion more than the original loans--today they still owe another $293 billion. Most African nations spend more repaying these debts then they spend on education and health care. Read more about the issues here
Food and water are in short supply. Much of Africa is in extreme poverty. People living on less than $1 a day.
Every day:
- HIV/AIDS kills 6,300 people
- 8,500 people are infected with the HIV virus
- 1,400 newborn babies are infected during childbirth or by their mothers' milk.
[source]
Corruption in government is always harmful to those under its rule, but those in poverty suffer the most in such situations and are perhaps the least able to do anything about it directly. The issue of government accountability is critical to Africa.
All of these factors are critical to ending extreme poverty in Africa. They are what The One Campaign is about.
The One Campaign isn't asking you for money... it is asking you to stand up and say to our leaders that the time to act ins NOW. The G8 summit offers the perfect opportunity to address Africa's POVERTY and we are watching. We support action and We are watching. We are asking you to become part of the solution and We are watching.
WHAT YOU CAN DO....
STEP ONE:
Sign the ONE Declaration and encourage others to do so too! [sign here]
Wear the white band and learn more about world poverty [here]
STEP TWO:
Raise your voices... Encourage Congress and the president to make overcoming hunger, poverty and decease a priority. Urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Millennium Development Goals Resolution (H. Con. Res 172) for a sample letter click here .
STEP THREE:
Engage others in discussing these issues. Ideas and resources of sharing ONE with others here
I challenge everyone, but especially poets and writers to get involved. Sign the declaration & encourage others via your blogs your conversations, etc. Link the resources I have provided her or link this post if you wish. I have this belief that poets and writers tend to be more in tune with our world as a whole and those about us. I hope that is not a misconception on my part.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Crack me up...
Shamefully, I admit I have not been over to 32 poems blog for a while. See what happens when you neglect to read a truly worthwhile blog for a few days.... you risk missing good stuff.
Good stuff in this case is Deborah Ager's link to Charles Jensen's Definitive List of Problems with American Poetry. Well, be warned. This is "to-bust-a-gut" material.
Gee, where would I start with the best of this piece. I do like the decoder rings... but you gotta love the Poetry created outside of academia fitting into one of two new genres of writing: greeting cards or word noise.
Follow the link and read the whole thing for yourself. (Did I just encourage people to leave my site?) OK, go read it, but come right back.
poetry
Good stuff in this case is Deborah Ager's link to Charles Jensen's Definitive List of Problems with American Poetry. Well, be warned. This is "to-bust-a-gut" material.
Gee, where would I start with the best of this piece. I do like the decoder rings... but you gotta love the Poetry created outside of academia fitting into one of two new genres of writing: greeting cards or word noise.
Follow the link and read the whole thing for yourself. (Did I just encourage people to leave my site?) OK, go read it, but come right back.
poetry
Live 8 Full Coverage on Yahoo! News
Live 8 Full Coverage on Yahoo! News
Moscow has been added to the LIVE8 concert list which kicks off Saturday the efforts to build support to put pressure on world leaders meeting the following week to do more to alleviate extreme poverty.
live8
Moscow has been added to the LIVE8 concert list which kicks off Saturday the efforts to build support to put pressure on world leaders meeting the following week to do more to alleviate extreme poverty.
live8
News of U2: Live 8: U2 and Paul McCartney (Sgt. Pepper's)
Paul McCartney and U2 will be preforming the Beatles Song "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" on Sarurday to open the live8 Concert in London - according to the u2fanlife blog
live8
live8
Last night's reading
Writers Place Open MIC last night was a light turnout - 10 people but it was a warmly supportive group as there were a couple of new readers and I thought although it was perhaps a little less formal ( around tables rather than theater style) it was an enjoyable atmosphere.
I read three poems of mine...
I read three poems of mine...
- Beautiful Music
- Freedom Summer Redux
- Doing Circles
Speaking of readings.... I see Christine Hamm is doing one at the Bowery Poetry Club in NYC. Yes, this is me all impressed.
Beyond poetry, (but maybe not) I have been enjoying a good deal of 60's music on my new satellite radio. It has really hit me how much I miss the music of the 60's and 70's for that matter. I am sure this says a lot about me besides age.
The 60's were such a turbulent age and it is quizzical how it seemed to amalgamate both social conscience and at the same time lead so many to sort of drop out of institutional society for a while. There are many differences between the 60's and the past five years, I do feel some of the same undercurrents developing around me. Just an observation.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Pentagon Is Hoping No Child Is Left Behind
It should come as no surprise that the military is finding it more difficult to recruit young people these days. I think it was just Friday that I blogged on the poll showing declining numbers of parents who would encourage their sons and daughters to enlist.
Part of that "wonderful BUSH law called the NO CHILD LET BEHIND ACT requires schools to provide information on students be given to the military. This information includes names, phone numbers, address, gender, ethnicity, Social Security numbers, academic achievement data and age for students as young as 16 along with e-mail addresses and other personal information. Hey, and you thought No Child Left Behind was an education Act not a military recruiters Act.
But wait, this gets better.... the Pentagon has hired a private marketing firm to keep files on millions of young people. WOW this deserves the Earnie Grahan Award for innovation in trashing privacy rights.
The Pentagon contract for this data is with BeNow - 500 Edgewater Drive Suite 525 Wakefield, MA 01880 781-246-0040.
It seems that there is an "opt-out" option - which few are told of. School districts have reportedly discussed providing such information to parents on cards - but have been pressure from federal education authorities who warned they'd pull funding from their districts. Which again begs to ask the question what exactly are we trying to prevent the "Child" from missing out on?
Two things are running through my head here...
1. Sixteen year olds do not need to be hounded by military recruiters.
2. Private vendors do NOT need involuntary access to social security numbers of anyone, much less minors.
sources:
Washington Post
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Tags: Privacy No Child Left Behind Pentagon
Part of that "wonderful BUSH law called the NO CHILD LET BEHIND ACT requires schools to provide information on students be given to the military. This information includes names, phone numbers, address, gender, ethnicity, Social Security numbers, academic achievement data and age for students as young as 16 along with e-mail addresses and other personal information. Hey, and you thought No Child Left Behind was an education Act not a military recruiters Act.
But wait, this gets better.... the Pentagon has hired a private marketing firm to keep files on millions of young people. WOW this deserves the Earnie Grahan Award for innovation in trashing privacy rights.
The Pentagon contract for this data is with BeNow - 500 Edgewater Drive Suite 525 Wakefield, MA 01880 781-246-0040.
It seems that there is an "opt-out" option - which few are told of. School districts have reportedly discussed providing such information to parents on cards - but have been pressure from federal education authorities who warned they'd pull funding from their districts. Which again begs to ask the question what exactly are we trying to prevent the "Child" from missing out on?
Two things are running through my head here...
1. Sixteen year olds do not need to be hounded by military recruiters.
2. Private vendors do NOT need involuntary access to social security numbers of anyone, much less minors.
sources:
Washington Post
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Tags: Privacy No Child Left Behind Pentagon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)