i heart bolivia

WATER FIGHT: BOLIVIA vs. BECHTEL
Last week brought an end to one of the greatest water battles in history. The people of Bolivia have successfully reclaimed ownership of their water from the Bechtel Corporation. In 1999, Bechtel made an arrangement with the Bolivian government totake ownership of the water supply and charge citizens for its use. [...]

I blame the Christians

Literacy level of U.S. college graduates declines
Educators are stunned by 10-percent drop
By Lois Romano, Washington Post
Literacy experts and educators say they are stunned by the results of a recent adult literacy assessment, which shows that the reading proficiency of college graduates has declined in the past decade, with no obvious explanation. “It’s appalling—it’s really astounding,” [...]

lest we forget

“I don’t think it’s right that you take our properties. Over my dead body. I didn’t die with Katrina.” – Lower [...]

"A beautiful day in San Francisco is the most beautiful day on earth."

–Walter Mosley, Cinnamon Kiss

I used to hate San Francisco. Back in the early ’80s, when my sister was in college at Berkeley, I loved coming up to visit her but I only loved Berkeley; San Francisco was too East-Coast and thus uninviting and distant in a way that California never was for me. I [...]

"Given just a little chance, and given a little help, this is going to be a great country."

–Angelina Jolie, on Haiti, and in Haiti, above.
Don’t even get me started.
Check out http://www.haitiaction.net/ instead.