Geneva, May 21, 2010 - PR/2010/643

On the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on May 22, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry underlined the Organization’s commitment to ensuring that the intellectual property (IP) system plays a positive role in safeguarding biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. 

Geneva, May 10, 2010 - PR/2010/640

The critical role of intellectual property as a tool for enabling innovation, the practical transfer of technology and industrial competitiveness were the focus of the remarks of WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to a key meeting of member states of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Vienna today. 

I received a Facebook Group invitation from a computer programmer Facebook friend in town that led me to his Facebook account and the following message - "10 years in one job then one day, out of the blue, unemployed. What's a person to do? Easy, open a Head Shop in Cleveland's up & coming art district on Waterloo. Close to the Beachland, straight off the freeway. Opening day is June 6th."

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I was saddened to learn today one of the most powerful and exciting sculptors of my lifetime, Louise Bourgeios, passed away May 31, 2010, at age 98. Certainly best known in Cleveland for a series of massive spiders she had exhibited in Playhouse Square, in 2002, her influence on artists and contemporary art was felt worldwide, and her work shall be loved forever.

Drew Carey was in Cleveland today to discuss his series of documentaries "Reason Saves Cleveland" with Cleveland City Council - this is an interview he conducted with Cleveland.com, offering some of his personal perspectives on the economic situation here and his efforts to improve conditions here. Additional coverage of his interesting libertarian perspectives is found at Cleveland.com here... I can't say I agree with all that I have seen of these documentaries but I do intend to explore Carey's overall vision and his willingness to follow-through further.

Northeast Ohio - Today's high temperatures and lack of wind may result in exceedances today for both ground-level ozone and fine particles.  An Air Quality Advisory is in effect for today, May 27, only.  Fine particle concentrations will be highest in urban areas, while ozone may be more widespread.

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Tears for Fears performs EWTRW live at Knebworth 1990.

In order to start the process of integrating our property around treehouse into the street-scape and moving towards a green-scape down the main street of tremont; you're invited to walk, mingle, bring chairs to sit and converse with neighbors and friends and enjoy the day on the space on june 6th without vehicles impeding that enjoyment. We just ask that you pick up after yourself when you leave. There may be many residents and new friends to be made and exchanged.

Dine Out For Peace at Bac Asian-American - an asian american bistro & bar

A casual bistro with full bar & outdoor patio featuring authentic Asian & fusion cuisine, along with Asian-inspired drink specials. Say, "I'm with Dine Out for Peace!" and 20% of your purchase will benefit the peace groups. (Includes Dine-In and Take Out. Bar Not Included.)

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show of Depeche Mode in the station rose bowl-

THE HANDSHAKE SEALS THE CONTRACT
FROM THE CONTRACT THERE´S NO TURNING BACK
THE TURNING POINT OF A CAREER
IN KOREA BEING INSINCERE
THE HOLIDAY WAS FUN-PACKED
THE CONTRACT, STILL INTACT

The NYTimes reported today that "The Jamaican government declared a state of emergency in portions of Kingston, the capital, on Sunday after supporters of a gang leader who is wanted in the United States on gun and drug charges attacked three police stations in an attempt to pressure the government to let him remain free, officials said." The Jamaica Observer offers more local perspective: "The political fallout, however, appears to be of little consequence to the women of West Kingston who seem more concerned with the fact that Coke has been a benefactor for many years, a man who, they said, ensures their safety, is mainly responsible for sending their children to school and putting food on their tables."

I’m writing to invite you all to the opening of an exhibit by three Cleveland photographers about three refugee families from Burundi, Burma and Nepal/Bhutan who are living in our area. The same night, you can also enjoy the premiere of a video about the families.

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As recently as the 1990s, I subscribed to multiple newspapers and cable television for news reporting, costing perhaps $100 per month... filling my hallway with stacks of dead trees and pumping undesirable broadcast spam into my home by coax.  Over the past decade, new technologies have replaced for me all the functionality offered by copper cables, newsprint and mainstream media in the past, expanding the value of information, and what mainstream media I do access is on-line, real-time, and converged to free multimedia accessible by multiple wired and wireless platforms via open source technologies.

May 19, 2010

WASHINGTON — As part of its most comprehensive study of climate change to date, the National Research Council today issued three reports emphasizing why the U.S. should act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop a national strategy to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change.  The reports by the Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, are part of a congressionally requested suite of five studies known as America's Climate Choices.

"These reports show that the state of climate change science is strong," said Ralph J. Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences.  "But the nation also needs the scientific community to expand upon its understanding of why climate change is happening, and focus also on when and where the most severe impacts will occur and what we can do to respond."

I was flabbergasted to read an article in the Cleveland Plain Deal titled "Organic food benefits debated in wake of president's report on cancer, environment", about the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now, that has nothing to do with ORGANIC FOOD, is misleading, and seems intended to further dumb-down local citizens to the health hazards caused by excessive polluting and medical interventions here, preventing citizens from following one of the core Recommendations:

SELF-ADVOCACY

7. Each person can become an active voice in his or her community.  To a greater extent than many realize, individuals have the power to affect public policy by letting policymakers know that they strongly support environmental cancer research and measures that will reduce or remove from the environment toxics that are known or suspected carcinogens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.  Individuals also can influence industry by selecting non-toxic products and, where these do not exist, communicating with manufacturers and trade organizations about their desire for safer products.

Below is What Individuals Can Do: Recommendations: from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

Much remains to be learned about the effects of environmental exposures on cancer risk.  Based on what is known, however, there is much that government and industry can do now to address environmental cancer risk.  The Panel’s recommendations in this regard are detailed above.  At the same time, individuals can take important steps in their own lives to reduce their exposure to environmental elements that increase risk for cancer and other diseases.  And collectively, individual small actions can drastically reduce the number and levels of environmental contaminants.

CHILDREN

1. It is vitally important to recognize that children are far more susceptible to damage from environmental carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting compounds than adults.  To the extent possible, parents and child care providers should choose foods, house and garden products, play spaces, toys, medicines, and medical tests that will minimize children’s exposure to toxics.  Ideally, both mothers and fathers should avoid exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and known or suspected carcinogens prior to a child’s conception and throughout pregnancy and early life, when risk of damage is greatest.

Below is the Policy, Research, and Program Recommendations from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

Based on its conclusions, the Panel recommends:

1. A precautionary, prevention-oriented approach should replace current reactionary approaches to environmental contaminants in which human harm must be proven before action is taken to reduce or eliminate exposure. 

Below is the Executive Summary from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

Executive Summary

Despite overall decreases in incidence and mortality, cancer continues to shatter and steal the lives of Americans.  Approximately 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, and about 21 percent will die from cancer.  The incidence of some cancers, including some most common among children, is increasing for unexplained reasons.

Public and governmental awareness of environmental influences on cancer risk and other health issues has increased substantially in recent years as scientific and health care communities, policymakers, and individuals strive to understand and ameliorate the causes and toll of human disease.  A growing body of research documents myriad established and suspected environmental factors linked to genetic, immune, and endocrine dysfunction that can lead to cancer and other diseases.

Below is the cover letter to the President of the United States from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

The President
The White House
Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President:

Though overall cancer incidence and mortality have continued to decline in recent years, the disease continues to devastate the lives of far too many Americans.  In 2009 alone, approximately 1.5 million American men, women, and children were diagnosed with cancer, and 562,000 died from the disease.  With the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the unacceptable burden of cancer resulting from environmental and occupational exposures that could have been prevented through appropriate national action.  The Administration’s commitment to the cancer community and recent focus on critically needed reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act is praiseworthy.  However, our Nation still has much work ahead to identify the many existing but unrecognized environmental carcinogens and eliminate those that are known from our workplaces, schools, and homes.

                             Today I recieved a parking ticket for cleaning, and I live in a apartment building with no driveway. This building has been here for a long time in the Collinwood area, and I would think they already know poeple parked in from of the building live there. But instead I got a ticket.

I'm not a party politics guy, but I sure supported Obama from the first day I saw what he offered the world - and I well remember the awe of the moment I knew Obama was President. While I'm sure I could do much better, and so could you, I think he is doing an excellent job overall, and I am certain we want to stay the course with him and leaders who share his vision, through this administration and another - he is turning around a leaky rusting out of control supertanker here, hoping to get our economy back to safe harbour before we have another deepwater experience.... and this supertanker US Enterprise is running on empty.

To help the nation get and stay on course for the future, in the Blue state of Ohio, the Democratic party must be effective, and that means citizens need to get involved helping good candidates succeed... at least getting candidates engaged about what citizens believe and want from their leaders. That's one thing I feel realNEO enables well, and I know our core members make a point to get active in support for good in politics, to the core. Below is a message from Governor Strickland asking everyone to volunteer to " Fight for Ohio’s Future", and I look forward to dialog here on the candidates in the upcoming elections - there are certainly some big races being decided in November... best not sit this one out as a passive spectator in 2010, to find yourself a helpless victim in 2011!