Norman Borlaug VS Albert Gore

At a time when doom-sayers were hopping around saying everyone was going to starve, Norman was working. He moved to Mexico and lived among the people there until he figured out how to improve the output of the farmers. So that saved a million lives.

The he packed up his family and moved to India, where in spite of a war with Pakistan, he managed to introduce new wheat strains that quadrupled their food output. So that saved another million.

You get it? But he wasn't done. He did the same thing with a new rice in China. He's doing the same thing in Africa -- as much of Africa as he's allowed to visit.

When he won the Nobel Prize in 1970, they said he had saved a billion people. That's BILLION! Carl Sagan BILLION with a B! And most of them were a different race from him.

Norman is the greatest human being, and you probably never heard of him.
-- Penn Jillette, of the comedy team Penn and Teller

If there's one thread running through Borlaug's life it's doing -- acting with fierce determination. Working on a problem as fundamental as world hunger is a complicated business, and Borlaug is a complicated man, somehow balancing contradictions.

He is the scientist and the dirt farmer; the advocate of common sense and the master of political subtleties; the humanitarian and the pugnacious fighter; the idealist and the consultant to governments of every political ideology. He has been called a peaceful revolutionary, and the tension in that term - between benevolence and aggressiveness - seems particularly apt.
- From the University of Minnesota College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science

Norman Borlaug is credited with actually saving a billion lives from starvation. He is an advocate of increasing crop yields to stop deforestation, has benefited many multiple nations, and has won the trifecta of the most prestigious awards for an American citizen: Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. There are only 4 others in history to have won this combination; Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Elie Wiesel. He just last week received the Congressional Gold Medal, at the age of 93, having likely benefited one out of every seven people on the earth.

Not bad for a guy who no one knows. He said this about lobbyists "some of the environmental lobbyists of the Western nations are the salt of the earth, but many of them are elitists. They've never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they'd be crying out for tractors and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things"

Now contrast this man with the current "leader" of the world's movement to protest climate change. Albert Gore, former Vice President and now spokesman for the environment has developed into a lobbyist. He has won an academy award for his documentary, "The Assault on Reason." He has authored multiple books on the subject, and is credited with the re-establishment of the environmental movement, launching his 7 step pledge to climate focused action.

Both men have received notoriety for their work, spread awareness, and possibly benefited people. Great. But you you honestly believe that the 11 live earth concerts held globally benefited the earth? The Live Nation group (based out of Beverly hills ca) has said that they took measures such as LED lighting, recycling, and urged people to used public transportation, and the rest of their environmental impact would be offset by purchasing Carbon Credits.

Where have all the hippies gone? Do they honestly believe that purchasing carbon credits will offset the impact of those 11 concerts? If Al Gore is the new activist, then hopefully we will find double the Norman Borlaugs in the future to offset their impact. Is this an effort to clear Gore's conscious from the lack of success in getting the US to adopt the Kyoto Protocol in the first place? Personally I would feel like a failure if during my vice presidency I was named the chair of an Earth Summit, and then I couldn't get my own government, and president to send it to the Congress, much less vote on it.

Its sad that a man can actually save lives, and yet in our contrived public view, its the man with the media backing that wins the popular promulgation.

Goofy, HP, Periwinkle, and Vera.

Stand out!!! above the crowd... even if you have to shout out loud... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcqCFva-Gc&mode=related&search==

So, I have spent a good portion of the weekend with this song stuck in my head. This may seem strange, but I watched my DVRed version of "A Goofy Movie" this weekend, and thinking back to childhood, I decided that this movie was a perfect introspective of my kiddie experience. Basically the whole plot is to reinforce that you can do anything you set your mind to, and that no matter what, if you stay true to yourself you will win in the end. I have to credit Disney on this movie. Not only does it finish with a Prince-esque singer rocking out to the two most confidence boosting songs ever... its a cute story.

Got myself a notion-And one I know that you'll understand-To set the world in
motion by reaching out for each other's hand-Maybe we'll discover-What we shoulda
known all along-One way or another, together's where we both belong-If we listen
to each other's heart-We'll find we're never too far apart-And maybe love is a
reason why-For the first time ever, we're seein' it I-2-I-If a wall should come
between us-Too high to climb, too hard to break through-I know that love'll lead
us-And find a way to bring me to you-So don't be in a hurry-Think before you count
us out-You don't have to worry-I won't ever let you drown(Nothing's gonna stop us
now)-If we listen to each other's heart-We'll find we're never too far apart-And
maybe love is a reason why-For the first time ever, we're seein' it I-2-I-Love is
why we're seein' it I-2-I(Yes, we are seein' it I-2-I)Seein' it I-2(Love is why
we're seein' it)I think we're seein' it I-2-I(I-2-I)2-IWe're seein' it
I-2-I(I-2-I!)

If you're ever lonely, then stop!You don't have to be-After all,
it's only a beat away from you to me(Take a look inside and see)If we listen to
each other's heart-We'll find we're never too far apart-And maybe love is a reason
why-For the first time ever, we're seein' it I-2-I-Seein' it I-2Seein' it
I-2-IWe're seein' it I-2-I, babyFor the first timeFor the first timeI-2-ISeein't
itSeein' it, babySeein' it I-2For the first time everHey yeahSeein' it,
babyWe're seein' it I-2-ISeein' it(C'mon, baby)I-2-II-2-II-2-II-2-IYeahI-2-I!

Artist: Tevin Campbell Song: Stand Out
Open up your eyes take a look at me-If the picture fits in your memory-I've been dreamin by the rythym like the beat of a heart-And i won't stop until I start to stand out-Some people settle for the typical thing-Livin' all their lives waitin' in the wings-It ain't a question of 'if', just a matter of time-Before I move to the front of the line-And once you're watchin' ev'ry move that I make-Ya gotta believe that I got what it takes(Chorus)-To stand out Above the crowd-Even if I gotta shout out loud-'Til mine is the only face you see-Gonna stand out 'til you notice me-If the squeaky wheels always gettin the greese-I'm totally devoted to disturbin the peace-And I'll do it all again, when I get it done-Until I become your number one-No method to the madness and means of escape-Gonna break every rule I'll bend them all out of shape-It ain't a question of 'how' just a matter of when-You get the message that I'm tryin to send-I'm under a spell, I'm in over my head-And you kno I'm going all of the way, till the end-To stand out Above the crowd-Even if I gotta shout out loud'Til mine is the only face you see-Gonna stand out 'til you notice me, yeah-If I could make you stop and take a look at me instead of just-Walkin' byThere's nothin' that I wouldn't do-If it was gettin' you to noticeI'm alive-All I need is half a chance, a second thought, a second glance'll proveI got whatever it takes-It's a piece of cake-To stand out-Above the crowd-Even if I gotta shout out loud-'Til mine is the only face you see-Gonna stand out-Stand out, heyStand out!(Yeah, yeah, yeah!)Stand out!(Hmph!)'Til mine's the only face you seeGonna stand out'Til you notice me

With that little promo out of the way, I got HP on sat morning at Target. You see, I'm a nerd, but I'm not going to stand in line and make my own costume or anything absurd like that. I think the key to dealing with intense nerdiness on a daily basis is ... balance. It was a beautiful weekend, I did not spend the whole thing reading. I enjoyed regular life, then got my geek on at night. Granted, I'm not finished with the book yet, but I am about half-way through, and I still made it into work on time. :)

Friday, I went to Ill's house to hang out with his boys and wife-e. She is super cute, and an awesome mom. She is my age, and I never would have imagined that someone could be that great at parenting at such a young age. Although technically I'm not 12, I still feel like it... and I could certainly never imagine to birth and care for two little boys with out killing myself. LOL I'm all honesty, I'm sure I could, but I would love not to. (ya hear that Brez?:) right. so back to the story. She is amazing. I felt like no matter what I could ever do to right the world, to benefit society, I would never be responsible for the establishment and growth of a human being. I think that's crazy cool. I don't think its something I want, but it's neat to see that it happens. I sat there on fri, with three couples and myself, playing cards and wishing that Brez was around so I wouldn't have to do it all alone. I still had a blast, but the nagging feeling remained. LOL and she (wife-e) thinks I look like Julia Styles. Which is cool.

My uncle had a heart attack, which stinks. However since this is the 4th round, at least we know the drill (sad but true). So, I spent most of the weekend with my mom distracting her from the fact that her bro was in bad shape. She requires retail therapy, so shopping we went.

Sat while she bought the entire homegoods store, and I lamented over weather 130 bucks was too much to spend on a summer dress. Even if it was Vera Wang and on sale, and a size 10, and it looked super cute on me... it's the end of july, and I rarely wear lavender. I called brez for advice... no answer. I paced the front of the store with the dress hanging around my neck. I texted. I calculated. I pictured myself wearing it. Wondered what I could wear it to. Finally I read the return policy, then decided that if I was later faced with an extreme case a VERA remorse, I could always bring it back. (knowing of course, that i never would.) I bought the dress, and I think I'm bringing it to MI this week. It might be a craptastic place that MI... (j/k) but I think everyone deserves a little Wang in their lives. (pardon the pun) :)

I brought the dress home, and told my father I wanted his opinion on it. I said, its lavender. He said... is that the same as periwinkle? (the only weird color name he knows I have a penchant for...) I laughed.

I took my mom for our monthly day of spa on sunday, and I bought a suit, and basic black pumps. I didn't even try the suit on. I have reached the point where I know which designers i can wear, and I can now just pick by color. It's kinda sad honestly. It made me feel like an old woman. Then as the girl was doing my hair, she abruptly stops and asks me if I'm rich. I laugh, (although I'm thinking riiiight... obviously this girl doesn't know me...) and reply, well no, I just happen to work hard for the money. She doesn't laugh, rather critically watches my expression... (and I'm still not sure if she just didn't believe me, or if she didn't get the joke).

This isn't the first time in recent memory that someone has been under that impression. Apparently I am often regarded as either rich or a snob. (actually, likely both) It is a little distressing for me because I came from the opposite; people who reverse-discriminate against the rich, and a stint during childhood on food stamps. I think I actually understand what it is going to be like in the future, what politicians go through, trying to explain how a person's past colors their interpretation of the future. I read an article in Newsweek discussing the new biography of Dick Cheney, and it seems that one cannot avoid becoming their job. It's a bit depressing, but realistic. Once you jump into the dark world of the future, there is no justification for you based on your past. You are only the present, and however you react is based on innate reaction to broad-spectrum analysis of the problem at hand. Therefore, once you become vice-president, it doesn't matter where you worked in Wy as a teenager. All that matters is what you do when you step into the new role. I think Cheney is as cold as he seems. He might be scary, impenetrable, and vehement, but he is clearly concerned. All the time. I don't necessarily agree with decisions he has made, but I still think credit is due. I may still think I came from the anti-richies, but in reality, I can continually protest those who believe certain things about me, but it wouldn't ever matter.