PARTICIPATE IN THE BIG READ!

The Big Read, an annual initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture, is coming to your community!

Aimed at addressing the steep decline in literary reading among Americans, this national, community-centered event will take place in cities and towns across the United States. Each community chooses one book as their "Big Read," promoting the novel city-wide with book readings, discussions, film viewings, and festivals.

Currently, 208 communities are encouraging literary reading through The Big Read programming from September 2008 through June 2009. To find out what city or town near you is participating, visit The Big Read's web site.

If you're in the New Jersey/NYC area, consider attending Jersey City's Big Read kickoff for Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 on September 13. Visit http://www.imagineatrium.com/ for more info.

The Lost Tribe Discovered...Again

The Observer in London revealed today that the "undiscovered" tribe, located in the Amazon near the Brazilian and Peruvian borders and whose pictures were blasted across major news bureaus all around the world a few weeks ago, aren't so recently discovered after all.

Carlos Meirelles, a "sertanista," or expert on indigenous tribes, working for the Brazilian Indian Protection Agency, apparently had knowledge of this particular tribe for over 20 years and also admitted that the tribe was first known almost a century ago. Meirelles actually sought out the tribe's location and took pictures as a publicity stunt in order to draw public attention to the threat of the logging industry in the Amazon and its impact on indigeneous populations.

Even though it turns out the tribe was not just discovered, it is still quite fascinating for those of us who had previously not been aware that there are many tribes of people living in various parts of the world who have never had direct contact with "modern" civilization and who possibly live as humans did thousands of years ago. To us, the "newly discovered" tag does still apply.

Meirelles says that one reason why he took the pictures and passed them off as an undiscovered tribe was to prove to naysayers (including the president of Peru) who did not believe the claims of the Indian Protection Agency that isolated tribes still exist!

More from The Observer....

Attention Female Filmmakers!

In 2006, women comprised only 15 percent of all directors, executive producers, writers, cinematographers and editors working on the top 25 domestic-grossing films. Lifetime Movie Network is working to change those statistics by offering you, the next generation of female filmmakers, the chance to be discovered. Enter their Every Woman's Film Competition for the chance to have your short film shown on the channel and receive a cash prize of $5,000 plus the opportunity to attend networking events and festivals. Hurry, the deadline is July 8.

Bugs Passing Gas Might Help Us Live Better

Silicon Valley hopes that bug poo is the future of gas. Bacteria could be the answer to the oil crisis, aming other things. Check out this very interesting article from the Times of London.

Medical Theatre of the Absurd: 25 Years of AIDS...

...and It Still Boggles the Mind

This past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted that there is no longer a "heterosexual" AIDS pandemic threat (Wow, really?). Yet "AIDS still remains the leading infectious disease challenge in public health."

Sound bizarre? You bet. Read on...

NOTE: Mainstream media outlets barely covered this announcement.



A Book for the Mind:
Science Sold Out by Rebecca Culshaw

Lost Tribes Discovered in Brazil

The BBC has just reported that an "uncontacted tribe" was recently discovered in the Brazilian Amazon, near the Peruvian border.

More than half the world's 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru according to Survival International, a worldwide organization supporting tribal peoples and their human rights.

Photos taken by the Brazilian government during a flight over the area showed "strong and healthy warriors, women and children, six huts and a large planted area." The first flight seemed to shake the group on the ground. By the time the plane returned, most of the women and children had fled and those who remained had painted their bodies in red and black and broke out with arrows, which they launched at the plane.

More amazing photographs here and an interesting analysis here

"Telectroscope" Connects London, NYC

Hello, London! Jolly good show, New York!
read on...