©1996-2009 Roedy Green, Canadian Mind Products
Woody Allen (born: 1935-12-01 age: 73) is a film-maker. My favourites are Sleeper, Hanna and Her Sisters and Radio Days. He makes me nostalgic for times I never experienced. Sleeper is up there with Some Like It Hot as one of the funniest movies ever made.
(born: 1935-10-01 age: 74) Her clear voice brings sunshine to even the darkest day. She is probably best known as Mary Poppins and as Maria in Sound of Music. Just thinking about her singing Edelveis brings tears to my eyes. People forget her role as Jerusha in Hawaii where she and the Alii Nui Queen Malama teach her Scrooge-like fundamentalist husband Abner the meaning of love and acceptance. She lost her voice following a botched throat operation, but gamely went on stage without it, discovering how much her fans still love her whether she can sing or not. I ask you to join with me in performing a minor quantum miracle for Julie — restoring her voice.
My personal connection? I touched someone who had touched the magic bag in Mary Poppins. I like to sing along.
David Attenborough (born: 1926-05-08 age: 83) makes nature documentaries that are completely fascinating.
Bach (born: 1685-03-31 died: 1750-07-28 at age: 65) was a baroque era composer. He is incomparable.
Joan Baez (born: 1941-01-09 age: 68) was one of the first people to protest the Vietnam War. She put up with huge amounts of abuse from the right to do it. Even after America woke up and saw the foolishness of the war, ordinary citizens continued to revile her. She came to speak at UBC. I went to see her. She wanted to talk politics. People wanted her to sing. She refused. I admired her gumption.
Gautama (born: 563 BC died: 483 BC at age: 80) founded a religion that has lasted thousands of years. What is more remarkable is that his followers have been remarkably tolerant of adherents of other religions. Thailand, the land of smiles, is a Buddhist country.
Dana Carvey (born: 1955-06-02 age: 54) is the funniest comedian alive today. His impersonations are so on, and so strange at the same time.
Noam Chomsky (born: 1927-12-07 age: 81) is an independent intelligent mind. You can get most of his audio works at OneBigTorrent in BitTorrent form. Just search for Chomksy.
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recommend DVD⇒Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media (1993) | ||||||||||||||||
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| by: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | |||||||||||||||||
| Classic documentary where Chomsky holds forth. | |||||||||||||||||
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recommend DVD⇒Noam Chomsky - Distorted Morality: America’s War on Terror? (2002) | ||||||||||||||||
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| by: Wea Corp | |||||||||||||||||
| Documentary where Chomsky holds forth. | |||||||||||||||||
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recommend DVD⇒Power and Terror - Noam Chomsky in Our Times (2002) | ||||||||||||||||
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| by: John Junkerman | |||||||||||||||||
| Documentary where Chomsky holds forth. | |||||||||||||||||
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recommend book⇒Hegemony or Survival : America’s Quest for Global Dominance | |||
| paperback | hardcover | kindle | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-8050-7688-2 | 978-0-8050-7400-0 | B000FC1AA2 | |
| publisher: | Holt Paperbacks | |||
| published: | 2004-08-12 | |||
| by: | Noam Chomsky | |||
| This is about hypocrisy, primarily American, over the decades, pretending to be acting out of humanitarian motives while mass butchering for relatively minor self interests. It is a bit a shock how the USA bullies the world quite shamelessly. It is also a bit of a shock how ridiculously paranoid the American administration is. The USA often retaliates, not out of threat, but merely to punish lack of sufficient subservience. It is a book you have to read in small bits so not to get too depressed. Consider though, that the world of international relations has always been thus. All you are doing is seeing it with the cloak of respectability removed. Nothing has actually changed — just your understanding. | ||||
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recommend book⇒Failed States : The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy | |||
| paperback | hardcover | kindle | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-8050-8284-5 | 978-0-8050-7912-8 | B000Q9IU7U | |
| publisher: | Metropolitan | |||
| published: | 2006-04-04 | |||
| by: | Noam Chomsky | |||
The three characteristics of a failed state are:
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recommend book⇒Ten Reasons Against War with Iraq | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-1-85984-501-1 | |
| publisher: | W. W. Norton | |
| published: | 2002-11 | |
| by: | Milan Rai, With Noam Chomsky | |
| War Plan Iraq brings together the arguments that can shake George W. Bush and Prime Minister Blair’s determination to start an illegal war with Iraq. Despite Washington’s claims that the only options are inaction or invasion and that "inaction is not an option," War Plan Iraq demonstrates that inspection is an option, and that inspection and monitoring are the only way to ensure real disarmament in Iraq. For the Bush Administration, UN weapons inspectors are an obstacle to war; they are part of the problem, not part of the solution. War Plan Iraq uncovers Washington’s hidden role in the collapse of the first UN weapons inspection agency, UNSCOM, and the paralysis of UNSCOM’s successor, UNMOVIC. Based on the popular ARROW Anti-War briefings, War Plan Iraq rigorously dissects official propaganda and exposes government lies. Milan Rai demonstrates that Bush’s claims to change the regime in Iraq, despite intentions to impose another Sunni general to replace Saddam Hussein, are not in fact a regime change, but a leadership change. He also shows that the war would be in violation of international law; that there is no hard evidence that Iraq possesses any weapons of mass destruction; that there is no substantiated connection between the government of Iraq, September 11th, and the al Qaeda network; that the proposed war carries a high risk of triggering a humanitarian disaster in Iraq, especially for the Kurds of northern Iraq; and that the war could precipitate a world recession with dire consequences for the world’s poor. Iraq’s neighbors, the ones most at risk from Iraq’s weapons, are against the proposed war, as are top military professionals in Britain and the US, many international organizations and countries around the world, and a great majority of people in the US and the UK. | ||
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recommend book⇒Imperial Ambitions : Conversations on the Post-9/11 World [American Empire Project] | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-8050-7967-8 | |
| publisher: | Metropolitan | |
| published: | 2005-09-15 | |
| by: | Noam Chomsky, David Barsamian | |
| As usual this book has the right spitting angry, spouting ad hominems, but not a word to counter a thing Chomsky says. It covers American imperialism from Kosovo to Iraq. | ||
(born: 1917-12-16 died: 2008-03-19 at age: 90) He wrote sci fi novels that describe, with wonder, beautiful possible futures. They don’t rely on cowboy soap opera plots to hold your attention.
Leonard (born: 1934-09-21 age: 75) is a poet and singer I have loved since my teens. His songs reflect the strangeness, beauty, torment and mystery of existence. Leonard sent my sister Daphne a card.
(born: 1939-05-01 age: 70) In 1970, she released Farewell to Tarwathie where she sang acapella with whales on the Whales and Nightingales album.
Cousteau’s (born: 1910-06-11 died: 1997-06-25 at age: 87) early movies of marine life set my life path wanting to protect it. He was no one-shot wonder. Year after year he did something amazing to astound the public with the beauty of the underwater world. One of the biggest disappointments of my life was finally getting to a coral reef, in Bali, but being too sick to go snorkeling.
Gwynne Dyer (born: 1943-04-17 age: 66) is a Canadian historian and filmmaker. He tackles grim subjects like war and terrorism with a dry humour that helps you think clearly about them.
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recommend book⇒War | ||
| paperback | hardcover | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7867-1771-2 | 978-0-517-55615-3 | |
| publisher: | Random House | ||
| published: | 1987-12-09 | ||
| by: | Gwynne Dyer | ||
| Also a miniseries documentary. | |||
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recommend book⇒Future: Tense, The Coming World Order | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7710-2978-3 | |
| publisher: | McClelland & Stewart | |
| published: | 2004-11-02 | |
| by: | Gwynne Dyer | |
| Understanding what Bush is up to with his Iraq war. Also an overwiew of the economic collapse of America. | ||
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recommend book⇒The Defence of Canada, Volume I | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7710-2975-2 | |
| publisher: | McClelland & Stewart | |
| published: | 1990 | |
| by: | Gwynne Dyer | |
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recommend book⇒Ignorant Armies : Sliding into War in Iraq | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7710-2977-6 | |
| publisher: | McClelland & Stewart | |
| published: | 2003-03-05 | |
| by: | Gwynne Dyer | |
And here we are as on a darkling plainWritten just prior to the Iraq war. He argues why the war is a foolish idea. He explains the motivations of the various players, Bush, Saddam, Israel, bin Laden. | ||
Robera Flack (born: 1937-02-10 age: 72) is a singer. I especially like her early work in First Take. I don’t let myself listen too often. Her voice makes my heart raw.
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recommend book⇒This Season’s People | |
| paperback | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-913990-05-6 | |
| publisher: | Book Publishing | |
| published: | 1976 | |
| by: | Stephen Gaskin | |
| My copy of this book has totally fallen to pieces I have read it so often. Stephen is a hippie guru. He argues strenously for both inner and outer honesty and taking responsibility for the care of the entire planet. I have read my copy of This Season’s People so many times it has literally fallen apart. He founded a community called The Farm in Tennessee. He ran for US president in 2000. I met him several times when he came to visit Vancouver. Reality bends a little in his presence. | ||
Gandhi (born: 1869-10-02 died: 1948-01-30 at age: 78) made non-violence work. Gandhi’s godson let me into his private museum of Gandhi memorabilia. Boy did that man write a lot of letters! See my collection of quotations.
The fact we are still here we owe primarily to Gorbachev (born: 1931-03-02 age: 78) whose loyalty to his planet was greater than his loyalty to his country. He swallowed his pride to end the cold war.
Al Gore (born: 1948-03-31 age: 61) Clinton’s Vice President, has made two enormous lifetime contributions to the planet:
Tenzin Gyatso (born: 1935-07-06 age: 74) is also known as the 14th Dalai Lama. I like him primarily because he fights fair. He has plenty of reason to be resentful about the Chinese takeover of Tibet, but he combats them gwith dignity, respect and non-violence. I’m not sure it would be Good Thing™ Tibet were a theocracy instead of a democracy, but I imagine if he ran for president, he would have no trouble winning.
I saw a documentary about the Dalai Lama. He was involved in a ceremony handing out bits of grass that as I recall symbolised the grass in the Buddha’s pillow. It was in some way supposed to aid the process of enlightenment. People were shoving, grabbing and hitting each other to get the strands of grass. Some of the Dalai Lama’s aids tried to persuade the cameramen to stop filming. They were so ashamed of this unenlightened behaviour in seeking enlightenment. However, he just laughed. "It takes eons, eons" he said.
I went to see him on two occasions when he came to Vancouver. The first time we had to sit through many windbags before he got to speak. He was patient, but through his body language let us know he sympathised with our boredom. We made eye contact for a short while, which felt significant, as if we were passing some secret acknowledgement to each other. At the time I was troubled that the goal of spiritual growth was callousness and high indifference. In his homily he assured us that good old-fashioned kindness was still important. I cried with relief.
The second time I went to see him was in a giant hall. He gave a very complicated lecture way over my head. I was amazed that anyone could understand it, but everyone at least appeared to be giving rapt attention. It was reassuring that the people in charge of spiritual matters likely knew more about what they were doing that I did.
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recommend book⇒The Universe in a Single Atom : The Convergence of Science and Spirituality | |||
| paperback | hardcover | kindle | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7679-2081-0 | 978-0-7679-2066-7 | B000FCKCZQ | |
| publisher: | Broadway | |||
| published: | 2005-09-13 | |||
| by: | Dalai Lama XIV | |||
| The Dalai Lama brings an very interesting perspective to the consciousness debate. He gets himself invited to all kinds of scientific conferences, and most of the great scientists of the world are happy to spend a few days acting as his tutor. At the same time he represents an ancient contemplative tradition. He is the exact opposite of dogmatic. Amusingly, he chides the religious fervour and certaintly often masqueranding as scientific objecitivity. He does not want debate prematurely closed on any issue. One of his most delightful characteristics is his complete honesty about what he knows and does not. It is so odd a person of his stature being so down to earth. | ||||
Jobs (born: 1955-02-24 age: 54), unlike his rival Gates, appreciates technical beauty. He is the genius behind three great machines:
Ken (born: 1921-01-19 died: 1995-12-20 at age: 74) helped me more than any other put my life back together. I went to see him every Christmas right up to his death.
(born: 1929-01-15 died: 1968-04-04 at age: 39) Not only could he speak in a way that still stirs hearts decades after his death, he was courageous. He did what had to be done even though it cost him his life.
Jack Lemmon (born: 1925-02-08 died: 2001-06-27 at age: 76) was an actor who died 2001-06. He did two roles that astound me. One was in Some Like It Hot. I laugh myself silly every time I see that movie. The other movie was The China Syndrome. He was so believable as the plant manager. That movie likely saved us from having to experience such a disaster in real life.
In the province of the mind what one believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits. These limits are to be found experimentally and experientially. When so found these limits turn out to be further beliefs to be transcended. In the province of the mind there are no limits.I read hundreds of books trying to make sense of my weird experiences. Dr. John Cunningham Lilly (born: 1915-01-06 died: 2001-09-30 at age: 86) seemed to have some understanding, though his experiences were mostly drug induced and he seemed to take as cosmic absolutes what appeared to me to be some very arbitrary classification schemes. We shared an interest in dolphins and floatation tanks. I went to see him and his wife Toni at Esalen and later went to work on his project Janus communication with dolphins project in 1979.
~ Dr. John Lilly (born: 1915-01-06 died: 2001-09-30 at age: 86)
Bill Maher (born: 1956-01-20 age: 53) was the host of Politically Incorrect. He is one of the few voices of common sense on television. He seem unafraid to offend advertisers, Christians, or Republicans. He is also wickedly funny. He has a new show Real Time with Bill Maher broadcast live every Friday night at 11:30 on HBO. I often disagree with him, but I admire his blunt honesty.
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recommend book⇒Spin This! | |||
| paperback | hardcover | kindle | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-7434-4268-8 | 978-0-7434-4267-1 | B000FC0UOY | |
| publisher: | Atria | |||
| published: | 2001-10-30 | |||
| by: | Bill Press and Bill Maher | |||
| How to translate the spin and bullshit politicians sling. | ||||
(born: 1918-07-18 age: 91) Even after years of imprisonment, he swallowed his bitterness, and avoided ping pong retribution against the Afrikaners who had oppressed the blacks of South Africa.
Meyer (born: 1950 age: 59) is the author of Design By Contract and Object-Oriented Software Construction. Meyer is to software what Dr. W. (William) Edwards Deming is to manufacturing. He has pressed the industry for decades to get serious about writing quality bug-free software, and he has shown them how to do it. You might say he in the antonym of Bill Gates, the guru of slovenly software. He invented Eiffel as a languge based on design-by-contract.
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recommend book⇒Object-Oriented Software Construction | ||
| paperback | hardcover | ||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-13-629155-8 | 978-0-13-629049-0 | |
| publisher: | Prentice Hall | ||
| published: | 2000-03-21 | ||
| by: | Bertrand Meyer | ||
| This is the classic text on object-oriented programming. This is the best-written computer textbook on any subject I have yet encountered. If you ever plan to write a book, look at this to see how it should be done. He uses the Eiffel language for his examples. This could be confusing if you don’t already have little Java under your belt. This is not a book on coding, but rather on the general object-oriented principles behind the languages. | |||
I have encountered Jonathan Miller (born: 1934-07-31 age: 75) in three contexts. He came to Vancouver when I was a teen as part of the British Comedy group, Beyond the Fringe. Later he hosted a documentary series on the body called The Body in Question. Most recently he hosted a documentary series called the History of Disbelief. He strikes me as one of the kindest, most civilised people that ever lived. He is a renaissance man with a rampant curiosity about everything. He is a voracious reader. Perhaps that what has made him so open-minded.
Edgar Mitchel (born: 1930-09-17 age: 79) was the sixth astronaut to walk on the moon. What makes him interesting is a cosmic consciousness experience he has on his return flight to earth. What also makes him interesting is he straddles the world between hard science and the flakes, irritating both sides. I figure the best research pickings have to be in places where people have been too embarrassed to look.
I saw him in 2001-08. I had a brief CC-like experience, or more accurately, a feeling of reaching out internally and touching something alien, distant and beautiful, as he described his experience in the spacecraft. I publicly asked him if his experience was a one shot thing and if there was any way to induce it other than becoming an astronaut. He said that he had learned to induce it pretty well at will using meditation. He also repeated the phrase: Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water, After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. which I think was his hint to me that he now considered himself enlightened and possibly a personal hint to me not to become too much of a space cadet. I caught him once deliberatly exaggerating the meaning of Bell’s theorem to some flakes claiming it would allow faster than light communications. Then I later caught him yarding some flakes back into hard science.
I like Chuck Moore (born: 1938 age: 71) because he invented Forth which let me both communicate with dolphins and create Abundance. I met him and his wife in 1991. I told people in my Computer Paper column that they should all turn out to see him, just so they could tell their grandkids they had seen Charles Moore. It was something they should not pass up, like getting so see Einstein, even if they thought they would not understand his lecture. I spent the weekend talking with him and his friends. It was an exhilarating time talking with someone with such an eye for Spartan beauty and totally new ways of looking at problems. I took notes and lost them. I never did write up my experiences with him and the guilt about it has nagged me to this day.
Moyers (born: 1934-06-05 age: 75) is a television journalist who has a mild manner. He speaks to middle America in a measured voice. He did a PBS documentary called Earth On Edge that in a quiet way makes the case for an ecologically sustainable future.
I could see the power of his understated approach. People are so used to hearing screams of alarm, they just feel overwhelmed and react the way ostriches do. They have to be coaxed to gently explore these global problems rationally.
Eddie (born: 1961-04-03 age: 48) is an under-rated comic genius. His Coming To America makes me laugh years after seeing it when I recall scenes like the waterlogged petal throwers in the barber shop.
Ralph Nader (born: 1934-01-27 age: 75) has been a tireless consumer and safety advocate since I was a kid. He tackles all manner of issues from Microsoft’s monopoly, to air pollution to world trade. When you feel discouraged and ask "What can one person do?" have a look at Ralph Nader.
Roy (born: 1962-09-19 age: 47) is an Indonesian singer now living in the Netherlands. His singing Wind Beneath My Wings is one of the high points of my life. He was my lover for about a year.
Briony Penn (born: 1960-10-16 age: 49) is a local Victoria resident, energetic environmentalist. She manages to put out a weekly newspaper column, a weekly TV show, Environmental, and raise two kids. She is funny and upbeat, not in the least fitting the stereotype of a tree hugger. She ran federally for the Liberals, but was sadly defeated by the arch-antienvironmentalist Gary Lunn.
Christopher Reeve (born: 1952-09-25 died: 2004-10-10 at age: 52) was the actor who played Superman. Later he broke his neck in a horse-riding accident and became paralysed from the neck down. His reputedly magnificent penis still worked, but he could not feel anything. He said that he still treated his penis kindly and allowed it to have sex with his wife. He did not treat it as an alien thing, just because he could no longer feel it or control it. He is an inspiration to everyone with some ghastly condition to bear because he both enjoys the present moment and hangs on to hopes for a brighter future. He needed medical research to allow him to walk again. I ask everyone to co-operate, blocking only those experiments which are excessively cruel.
What is my personal connection? When I was a little boy, my grandmother dyed me a red cape on her woodstove and I ran around her yard with it flowing out behind me. Chris signed an Ending Hunger declaration card when he was here in Canada. I touched it. Finally, when Jimmy dumped Leslie, I took her to see the first Superman movie. Neither of us had seen it before. We were so blown away. It took us out of our troubles on a wave of exhilaration. I watched the Barbara Walters interview where he was unusually candid about his predicament. He died 2004-10-04 just before the US presidential election.
One of the reasons I hate George Bush so much is that Bush, out of utter ignorance, blocked the stem cell research that might have saved Chris’s life.
(born: 1936-07-22 age: 73) bizarre sense of humour when my lover Donny gave me a copy of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. I later had great fun reading his Jitterbug Perfume but he really punched into my life in 2001-08 when I went to hear him speak. He valued my time. He told me things so succinctly. He told me only things that were very important, that I could not find out from others, and only things I did not know already. He reminds me of Matthew 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. He is deadly serious, so he plays the role of Coyote Trickster so as not to scare you.
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Svend (born: 1952-03-04 age: 57) was the gay member of parliament for Vancouver Burnaby for many years. He vigorously champions left-wing causes when everyone else seems to have lost their steam. I want him to become Prime Minister of Canada. He tabled a Humanist Association petition asking to have irrelevant references to God taken out of the Canadian constitution. That got him in a lot of hot water with the Christian loonies and, to my disgust, with the NDP party. My Mom and Svend talked often. He phoned me once. I am leaving my personal copy of A Guide to the Naive Homosexual to him in my will.
(born: 1921-08-19 died: 1991-10-14 at age: 70) His Star Trek Next Generation series has greatly helped liberalise the attitudes of the young by showing a utopian future world where the sexual equality is taken for granted, and money is no longer needed. Even the most scary monsters turn out to be much like us once we understand them.
(born: 1934-11-09 died: 1996-12-20 at age: 62) Astronomer who wrote books and created videos to introduce the public to the cosmos. The closest I ever feel to religious awe is listening to him. What an astounding universe we inhabit! I am overwhelmed with sadness every time I see him on video knowing he died so young, and there has been no one to step into his place advocating space exploration. His death affected me more than the death of any other person.
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recommend book⇒Love Medicine and Miracles: Surgeon’s Experience With Exceptional Patients | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ISBN13: | 978-0-06-091983-2 | 978-0-06-015496-7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| publisher: | Harper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| published: | 1990-05-04 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| by: | Bernie Segel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bernie has written numerous books especially this one. He demystifies and deterrifies the process of dying, at the same time showing you how to soldier through a major illness. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rick Steves (born: 1955 age: 54) is best known for his documentaries and books about travel, especially to Europe. The reason I include him as a planetary hero is he did a documentary on Iran at a time when American pro-war hysteria considered this treason. Very few Americans stood up to this McCarthy-esque pro-war insanity. His low key documentary will make it much harder to kill Iranians as if they were cockroaches.
Martha
Stewart
I admire Martha Stewart (born: 1941-08-03 age: 68) for many reasons. She amazes me because she gets more done per day than probably anyone else on earth. She exposes people to the beautiful domestic arts of our past and present. She does everything with such perfection and care. I have coined the term martha in her honour. I do find it funny how she is so like her namesake in the Bible. I think she was far too severely punished for selling shares after she heard they were about to lose value. Other white collar criminals committed crimes thousands of times more serious, and never saw a day of jail time.
David Suzuki (born: 1936-03-24 age: 73) has tirelessly and successfully presented the case for environmentalism for decades. He married Tara Cullis, a girl I palled around with in high school. He is Canada’s best known scientist from his years hosting the CBC’s The Nature of Things. He is the author of dozens of books. His latest is A Lifetime of Ideals only availble in a few stores yet though you could get it via The David Suzuki Foundation.
The government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation.My admiration for Trudeau is based on what he did as federal justice minister before he became the fifteenth Prime Minister of Canada. Long before gay people had even poked their noses above ground to protest, he made sexual acts between consenting adults in private legal. It was an extremely bold move for 1969. If he had not done that, I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to start my own gay lib activities in 1970. The other thing he did was effectively fight the petty-minded separatists who are foolishly intent in destroying our country.
~ Pierre Elliott Trudeau (born: 1919-10-18 died: 2000-09-28 at age: 80) Canada’s 15th Prime Minister
See his biography.
There are several reasons why I admire Vidal (born: 1925-10-03 age: 84) First, he was way ahead of his time tackling gay issues long before anyone else had the courage to tackle them. Second he writes so well and precisely. Third, he hates Bush with the same passion I do.
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recommend book⇒Dreaming War: Blood for Oil and the Cheney-Bush Junta | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ISBN13: | 978-1-56025-502-4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| publisher: | Nation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| published: | 2002-12-16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| by: | Gore Vidal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gore Vidal is a man of letters, historian and novelist. This is where Vidal alleges that Bush Inc. were planning to invade Afghanistan long before 9/11, to topple the Taliban and hence expedite the Unocal pipeline. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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recommend book⇒Imperial America : Reflections on the United States of Amnesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| paperback | hardcover | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ISBN13: | 978-1-56025-744-8 | 978-1-56025-585-7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| publisher: | Nation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| published: | 2004-05-10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| by: | Gore Vidal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A collection of essays about America’s various misadventures in imperialism. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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recommend book⇒Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace : How We Got To Be So Hated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| paperback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ISBN13: | 978-1-56025-405-8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| publisher: | Nation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| published: | 2002-03-10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| by: | Gore Vidal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gore Vidal is a man of letters, historian and novelist. Mostly about 9/11. Michael Moore recommends this book. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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François Marie d’Arouet Voltaire (born: 1694-11-21 died: 1778-05-30 at age: 83), better ranks among my heroes because he was brave enough to keep attacking the evils of the church even when he was repeatedly imprisoned and banished. He had such pluck.
Oprah (born: 1954-01-29 age: 55) has made a lot of money and has spent it to help blacks and women. I like her because of her warmth and common sense. Someone once said that if God decided to incarnate again, He would appear as a black woman. Oprah would not be that bad a model. She gets better looking with every year she ages. I want to emulate her. She has proved herself a skilled negotiator, leader and organiser. She would be great as president of the USA. The fact that she endorsed Barack Obama is cause for great optimism now he will be running the country.
"The Women in Black are clearly prepared not only to die for their cause, but also to make what Dostoevesky correctly identified as a far greater sacrifice: to live for their cause. They are ready to lose their homes, their comforts, their liberty, to be vilified, beaten up and imprisoned. Their accountable actions require a far greater courage than throwing bricks at the police.
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