Marco Visscher
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Donna Spector, a veterinary internist in New York, knows what creatures have the key to living the good life. Hint: They typically have four feet. Read more...
I just read the news about the third doping case at this year's Tour de France: Italian rider Riccardo Ricco has tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO. And of course, as it happens so often with sportsmen who are associated with artificial performance-enhancing measures, Ricco was "booed by spectators when he was taken off the Saunier-Duval team bus by police Thursday," the AP report said.
Poor Ricco! I don't think using drugs was such a great idea, but I do feel we need to ask ourselves some serious questions before we condemn him. After all, in the rest of society, performance-boosters have become increasingly commonplace. Read more...
Last night at Cafe Revolution in San Francisco I learned about a fantastic collaboration between artists and activists who oppose the increased militarization of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
On the walls were photos of the "No Borders Camp" that was set up in 2007 on both sides of the wall between Calexico and Mexicali. Participants camped there for five days "to create an autonomous and unified encampment of peoples from two countries despite the physical, political, and mental barriers that divided them." Read more...
Johnny Bunko trailer from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.
Ever since I read "A Whole New Mind" (see an article about it here: www.odemagazine.com/doc/23/revenge_of_the_right_brain), Daniel Pink has been one of my favorite writers. The good news is he has a new book out, titled "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko." I can't wait to get my hands on a copy, especially after seeing its trailer. (A trailer? For a book?! You bet.) Read more...
The coolest new book out there is "We Think: Mass Innovation Not Mass Production" by Charlie Leadbeater, a British consultant who's been working on the very cool topic of self-organization. I interviewed him a year ago for a cover story in the May 2006 issue of Ode.
He was summarizing the idea of the "new spirit of collaboration" this way: Read more...
For the past few years, Ode has been planting trees for new subscribers. Since we don't have someone in house with a degree in forestry management, we've been cooperating with Trees For the Future (www.treesftf.org). This nonprofit has been planting trees since the late 1980's long before the world learned about climate change.
We've been getting emails from our readers who were anxious to learn more about all those trees. Where are they? Can I see them? What is their impact? Read more...
Chris Kilham is not only the man who introduced me to sushi food, back in 2002, but also to the job title of "Medicine Hunter." He is one.
Kilham is an ethnobotanist who distrusts drugs companies and has more faith in plants and herbs. And so he travels remote jungles in search for plants that can heal. He must have one of the coolest jobs in the world. Read more...
While I have always liked giving the book "The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit" to my nieces and nephews and my friend's children, I now saw this little article on a couple of children's books that have stories around the theme of compassion. Nice theme, especially for the holiday season. Read more...
I always thought Europe would be by far the biggest market for homeopathy, but it seems that India is catching up pretty fast. A new study revealed that the Indian homeopathy market is expected to top $2.8 million by 2010 and outpace the growth of the pharmaceutical industry in the country.
Across the world the homeopathy market has expanded and is now worth close to $14.5 million, growing at the rate of 25 percent. France is leading the market, the study says. Read more...
Ever since I wrote a cover story for Ode on how computer and video games could improve our schools, I look at them in a different perspective. I now also see new games popping up that educates children about issues like war and peace, and now also fair trade.
"Choca Monkey" is the name for an award-winning game, designed by a 13-year old, that could be used in classrooms along with other information on fair (and unfair) trade. Read more...
