Some news

EU to Block Free-trade Deal with Asean unless Burma Reform
The European parliament will oppose any free-trade deal between Europe and Southeast Asia unless Burma makes democratic reforms, visiting parliamentarians warned Friday.

"Without any change in Myanmar [Burma], there will be no agreement from the European parliament on the FTA" with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, German lawmaker Hartmut Nassauer told reporters.

Nassauer, head of a nine-member European parliament delegation visiting the Philippines, rejected suggestions by some Asean members that sanctions should not be imposed on the military-led country. Europe will maintain sanctions and isolate Burma as long as reforms are not put in place, he said.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9401

Apocalypse Naypyidaw!
After living for decades under a military-ruled Burma and witnessing the junta’s bloody crackdown on monks and innocent people on the streets in September, many Burmese have begun calling for, not diplomacy, but air strikes and international intervention.

No, it’s not a joke. And it’s not just the exiled Burmese who are saying this—it’s those inside Burma as well.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9395

Norwegian NGO Stops Funding Burmese Student Army
A Norwegian non-governmental organization that works exclusively with Burma has stopped its financial support to a Burmese students’ armed group this week, according to a leading member of the exiled students group.

According to a letter dated November 21 from the Norwegian Burma Committee sent to the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, the NBC is “disappointed and very concerned” to learn that the ABSDF released a statement on October 4, 2007, in which it declared its decision to conduct active military action against the military regime in Burma.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9405

Stay posted for Burma products

I will post design pictures of shirts, headbands, sweats, hoodies, caps, and other things we will be selling to raise money for Burma.

We're proud to present Dontforgetburma.org

www.dontforgetburma.org

Yeah, I look like poo there. So what? It's for a good cause.

Submit your picture with the words "don't forget Burma" and spread the word to everyone you know.

TODAY a new groundbreaking campaign will be launched to show the world that normal people have not forgotten Burma and to show the brave pro-democracy protestors who took to the streets a few weeks ago that the world has not forgotten them.

The media spotlight above Burma is dimming by the day, hundreds of the peaceful protestors that took to the streets not long ago are still under arrest and are being tortured daily - now more than ever Burma needs your support.

Go to www.dontforgetburma.org to see the messages of support that have been left so far and leave your own! Some of them are inspirational - many of them are quite funny - all of them show that we haven't forgotten Burma.

I love this...

Thanks to komyint74 for the video. It's beautiful.

Thanks to all those who fight for democracy and freedom for Burma.

What Have I been Up To?

Aside from work, school, and family, I've been going to weekly protests downtown.

We're selling Free Burma t-shirts and headbands as well. I will put up pictures of them soon. We talked about selling beanie caps and sweatshirts (and hoodies) too. All proceeds will go to the cause, of course.

Lots going on, can't talk about much of it. But I can say that we are not backing down. We're going to keep fighting.

Hopes

I hope Gambari has some true success

I hope no one is taken tonight

I hope the political prisoners are soon freed

I hope to see Burma thrive in my lifetime.

So busy

Sorry, been do busy. Work, school, kids, Burma. Not much time for here, all my time is going elsewhere. It'll pay off. I know it all will. Jeg- all my updates pretty much go up in the group. :| You;ll see them. BTW Tara is a friend of mine and she's really cool.

Mo- sorry, my time is being horded. Can't say no tho. Crazy stuff going on. So much!

Ack!

Mo- sorry I haven't been around, I am so busy. My weeks are drive/work/drive/clean/cook/school/news, weekends are clean/protest/cook/news/school.

GRRR. I will call you (i think u sent your number) and fill you in where I am vague (by design, have to be).

Judi- Keep on truckin, woman. We're making progress, no matter what anyone thinks.

Saffron Revolution

BTW: Saffron threads are red like the robes of the monks that many saw pictures/videos of in the streets of Burma.

Now... if you would like to help the Saffron Revolution, the first thing you can do is join Facebook and become part of the 'Support the Monks' Protest in Burma" group. There's lots of info there and people are organizing and posting events around the world. Please support democracy, freedom, and peace!

Please be constructive and remained focused if you join the site.

I've been reading here...

http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/

Keep the news about BURMA going

Don't forget about the Burmese people and the oppression of peace and the intolerable actions taken against them and the monks of Burma. Please, people, do not let this slip by- keep the news alive and going, even when news does not stream out each day and as newspapers downgrade it. It's still happening and will get worse if we start to turn away.

Do not forget these people as apathy and terror are diseases that spread like wildfire. The only way to fight them are to stay strong and let those who commit heinous crimes against humanity know that we are all watching.

I spent some time with a couple of heros, real ones- not like on TV or in comics. Real heroes who fight for justice. I will not go into detail about our conversations or who these people are for their own safety, but there's no denying the lifelong effects of what they have been through, yet they keep going. There's no turning my back on them. Any of them. Please stand with us and support freedom and democracy not only in Burma, but around the world. People need us.

All this violence has got to stop. We're destroying ourselves. It's got to stop.

FREE BURMA!!!

Free Burma! Petition Widget

Name: (required)

Email:

Web:

Country:

And sign this

If you feel powerless and would like to do at least something for the situation in Burma (Myanmar) sign this...

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/

You can also join efforts such as those being made by Amnesty International (Yes, I am a mamber!).

Give peace a chance.

Oct. 4, 2007"Free Burma", do this...

http://www2.free-burma.org/index.php

Don't blog... just post the banner. I'll be joining in.

Video Killed the Radio Star?

Nope. Not by a long shot.

Do I watch TV? Nope. Do I give a pooh about videos? Nada. What do I love for entertainment? NPR and OPB on the radio. 91.5, I love you. Fridays from 12 to 1 are my favorite. I love Science Talk Friday on Talk of the Nation. Today we kicked off lunch with talk of geology and climate change; note to self: find book called "Revenge of Gaia" and read it slowly.

Lunch ended with a talk about mammoths and learning about them and evolution of species and how long it takes to evolve and what caused their extinction, etc. There are breakthroughs in how to find mitochondrial genomes and such and I loved it all. And I finally found out which epachiderm mammoths were most closely related to... Asian elephants. Ok, the study was actually done using mastadon DNA, but I guess it relates to mammoths as well. There was also talk of wooly rhinos, how very interesting. These findings are currently published in The Journal Science. I need a subscription ot that and National Geographic (my favorite).

Much talked about today was the situation in Myanmar again, of course. My heart still breaks for all of those there being brutalized, oppressed, and otherwised damaged because of bad people. all our advances and we still can't be civil. What are we worth?

Well Frig Why Am I SO Lame?

The folks in Myanmar are fighting for freedom and I sit here freaking about homework. I suck big time. If only I could win the lottery and travel around spreading good will or fighting for it. I feel so lame.



Something about monks... they are so peaceful and set on courses and headed right... when they protest it is for a reason. Goddamn, can't we all support them? How!!!???

Fug it, I'd shave my head if my honey wouldn't leave me over it. Time to hit the lines and find out what I can do from my pathetic stance. Maybe I will write to China to urge them to urge Burma (formerly) to let peace prevail and have tolerance. Maybe I will urge the UN to take more severe action. But f*ck I wish I could just stand in the middle of it all and be the peacekeeper. It'll be the death of me. Like the dude in Stand By Me. Always the peacekeeper who dies in vain.

Predating Lucy

Lucy of Ethiopia was (is?) the oldest human remains discovered (http://www.warmafrica.com/index/geo/9/cat/1/a/a/artid/244). Thanks, Lucy! Lucy is much older than the Kennewick Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennewick_Man). But where was the gap between out ancestor (the primate ooh ooh ee ee monkey man) and ourselves bridged? Maybe here (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2493535.ece) discovered recently.

"While the bones, found in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, in some ways resemble those of Homo erectus, a species from which modern human beings are descended, they have a peculiar mix of phsyical features that could fill a gap in human evolution.

The partial skeletons and skulls appear to be well adapted for walking upright, a key characteristic of more sophisticated hominins or human relatives. Their relatively small brains and upper limbs, however, have more in common with more primitive hominins called Australopithocenes than with Homo erectus, although they clearly belong to the genus Homo.

The results, reported in the journal Nature by a team led by David Lord-kipanidze, of the Georgian National Museum, raise the possibility that the Homo species that first left Africa was anatomically less advanced than species that had already evolved in humanity’s mother continent.

The new fossils are examples of some of the first ancient human beings to leave Africa." (Henderson, M. (2007). Fossils offer fresh clues to missing link in evolution. Retrieved September 22, 2007 from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2493535.ece).

Looks like next to Science I will have to subscribe to Nature.