Man, We LOVE This Ship!

If Batman joined Sea Shepherd, this is the boat he would bring...

Check out the updates being made to the Earthrace here.

Weekly RoundUp & Video Friday

Busy, busy week . . .

• Bad News: Season two of Animal Planet's Whale Wars ended last week. Good News: 3.2 million viewers tuned in to watch AND the network announced the third season. Read the LA Times article on the popularity of Captain Paul Watson and the crew.

And for VIDEO FRIDAY, check out all the highlights from Whale Wars Season 2 right here.

• What are you doing September 5? Well, as Robert Bullard reports, civil rights, faith based, environmental justice, and health leaders from around the country are planning a rally in Dickson, Tennessee on Labor Day weekend Saturday, September 5. The rally is intented to highlight the nation's continuing toxic dumping problem in African American communities. As Robert Bullard says in his article, "African Americans and other people of color, rich and poor, have a right to clean and healthy environments and the benefits of the 'green economy' as other Americans. The time for real change is now."

• With Steven Strogatz's new book "The Calculus of Friendship" creating such buzz, Inside Higher Ed magazine interviewed the professor/author. Strogatz explains why he decided to write the book, what he hopes readers will gain from the piece, and how his role changed as he went from student to professor. Read the article here.

And, on a personal note, everyone here at Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau is saddened by the loss of our state senator and inspirational leader, Ted Kennedy.

Welcome & Congratulations!

Jodi Solomon Speakers is excited to welcome a new speaker: NORMA RAMOS

Norma Ramos is a longstanding public interest attorney and social justice activist. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, which is the first organization to fight against human trafficking internationally, now in its twenty-first year.

PLUS, we're extremely proud to announce that Ramos has received the American Humanist Heroine Award 2009 from the American Humanist Association. This award recognizes Norma’s years of inspired and tireless advocacy against the sexual exploitation of women and girls.

Learn more about Norma Ramos at JodiSolomonSpeakers/NormaRamos and don't hesitate to contact Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau to inquire about bringing Ms. Ramos to your school, non-profit or organization!

Way Back Wednesday

Just a few quick notes . . .

• Recent economic stresses have been challenging some families’ ways of living together peacefully. Can unhappy couples afford the luxury to divorce? Stephanie Coontz, history and family professor at Evergreen State College talks to Marty Moss-Coane on WHYY about the economic effects on marriage. Listen to Stephanie Coontz on WHYY.
  

• And just when you thought it was in the past, Astronomy Magazine re-touches upon the de-classification of Pluto as a planet. Check it out.

• And just when you really thought it was in the past, "New claims, gun surface in Hoffa saga."

Piracy, Retirement and the Next Galileo

Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" may be drawing to an end soon, but that doesn't mean you can't get your fix of Captain Paul Watson and his whale saving work.

The new documentary "At the Edge of the World" chronicles the 2006-2007 campaign by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to prevent the annual harvest of whales in the waters near Antarctica. The film has been traveling the festival circuit (and receiving great reviews), and is premiering in New York on Friday at Cinema Village. If you live in NYC, be sure to check out this terrific new film.

Learn more about "At the Edge of the World" and Captain Paul Watson in today's New York Times or in today's Alternet. (Or this interesting article about the film crew behind "Whale Wars" in today's Daily Camera.)

And while we're talking about finishing projects, can we give a big Congratulations! to Charles Johnson who recently retired from University of Washington. Although he has enjoyed great success as a popular professor, Johnson now plans to do more the for the city he calls home. Learn more here.

And finally, here's an interesting question that Astronomy Magazine posed today . . . "Will we have another Galileo?" . . . And then they continue with "What about Neil deGrasse Tyson, the six-time guest on The Colbert Report?"

What are your thoughts on the next Galileo?

Weekly Roundup 8.21.09

Here's the weekly roundup of speaker's events, interviews, articles and even recipes!

Today, NYC radio institution “Health Styles” will be guest hosted by The Women’s Media Center! The show will focus on current women’s issues within health care, including health care reform and maternal health, whether abstinence-only education is a cause for rising teen pregnancy rates, and the pending rape case in the NFL. One of their guests is Jessica Valenti of Feministing and author of “The Purity Myth." The show airs from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST at 99.5 FM in New York, streams live at WBAI.org and will be archived at WBAI.org for download to your MP3 player as a podcast. Or tweet it!! Catch @womensmediacntr or @tristinaaron on WBAI!

Hungry? How about some fluffy vegan pancakes? Or chocolate banana cake? Sea Shepherd Chili? The LA Times recently interviewed Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Discovery Channel's "Whale Wars" about his vegan ship. "I run my ship as a vegan vessel. It’s not for animal rights reasons but to set an example and to try and get people to think about the connection between what they eat and what we’re doing to the oceans," says Watson. Learn more, and check out some recipes, here. And don't forget: these recipes make crew sized quantities!

Annie Leonard's film The Story of Stuff has been viewed by 7 million people! Not too bad, eh? Check out the article here.

What is the new normal in puberty? Why, over the last 100 years, has the average age of first menstruation for young white girls in the U.S. declined from 17 to 13 years old? Sandra Steingraber's meta-analysis "The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls" argues that recent trends in the falling age of the onset of puberty in the U.S. (which are similar to countries of comparable affluence or ethnic heritage) seem to be responding to stimuli beyond nutrition and general health. Read the entire article here.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. And don't forget to check out Captain Paul Watson on "Whale Wars" tonight! Should be an intense episode...

The Longest Ride EVER.

Guess what's happening as we speak?

The 2009 Space Elevator Conference!

This four-day long event features movies, presentations and workshops for engineers and entrepreneurs who want to build an elevator that actually goes to space.

Seriously.

Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson discuss the notion of a space elevator.

Summer Reading Idea: "Racial Justice in the Age of Obama"

Looking for a powerful new summer read?

"Racial Justice in the Age of Obama" by Roy Brooks critiques both liberals and conservatives, using data and analysis to discuss post-racial America.

Brooks highlights the continuing problems of racial disparity, while also encouraging debates and discussion on the issue of race in the twenty-first century Charles Ogletree, Jr. executive director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, called the book a "must read."

The book is being released on August 20 (TOMORROW!) and is available at Amazon. Check it out here. To learn more about Roy Brooks, please visit JodiSolomonSpeakers/RoyBrooks.

Firsthand Account of Global Warming in the Arctic

Our friend, environmentalist, and amazing speaker Bob Reiss is currently researching global warming in the Arctic. He sent us a quick note to let us know what he's up to, and we're super impressed.

Reiss has been flying with the Coast Guard to remote villages in the Arctic and SubArctic, meeting with elders, hunters and fishermen. They've been sharing personal stories about global warming: some have seen strange new insects fall from the sky while others are dealing with ice melting; most say that whale hunting is growing more and more difficult, and there have been far too many scary incidents of hunters falling through the ice.

Reiss is a pro at weaving statistics and research alongside personal stories, as proven in his hit book "The Coming Storm," which Bill McKibben called "the most readable and intelligent summary of global warming science and politics."

His work up in the Arctic will surely be an eye-opening account on the consequences and challenges of global warming up north. Stay tuned for more information and personal stories about Reiss' work in the Arctic. Click here to learn more about Bob Reiss and his amazing work.

Weekly Roundup: Watson, Tyson & Pond. Oh My!

How was your week? Ours here at Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau was pretty good. We read some interesting articles and watched a few funny (and a few inspirational) clips. Oh, and we worked. See what our speakers have to say:

- Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about his favorite NOVA episode here. And, since it's Tyson, it's hilarious. You gotta watch,

- Another book has been written about our inspirational speaker Arn Chorn Pond. "A Song for Cambodia," written by Michelle Lord, tells the true story of Arn Chorn Pond's survival of the Cambodian Killing Fields. The trick? It's a kids book. Learn more here.

- Captain Paul Watson sat down with Treehugger Radio for a no-holds barred interview. My favorite quote? "Well, we're really not too concerned about what people think about us because our clients happen to be whales and sharks and sea turtles and fish." - Captain Paul Watson

Read the entire interview here. Also: Captain Paul Watson was also a guest on Late Night With Carson Daly. Watch the interview below. (Trust me, it's a good one.)

That's all for now . . . Hope everyone has a great weekend! (Don't forget to watch Whale Wars tonight at 9PM on Animal Planet!)

Video Friday: "Tapped"

“Bottled water is the greatest advertising and marketing trick of all time” - Tapped

Tapped is a documentary about bottled water. And sure, that may sound simple. But the film goes deep into the core of bottled water, delving into issues like water privatization, environmental impacts, lax regulation, health concerns, and all that plastic.

The film is shot beautifully, the music plays its role perfectly, and some of the bureau's friends (like Robert Bullard) give great, insightful interviews.

Learn more about Tapped by visiting their website here. And if you're curious about the environment, then check out Robert Bullard: the Father of Environmental Justice at JodiSolomonSpeakers/RobertBullard.

Two for the Price of One

Looking to head to med school after undergrad? What if you could gain admission to both...At the same time?

Oh, and what if you could go for free?

Greg Pence of University of Alabama at Birmingham is the director of the school's Early Medical School Acceptance Program and says "That you can have a place reserved for you in medical school, and go to college free, is beyond the imagination of many parents."

Newsweek describes the program as follows: "The UAB program includes standard premed fare, with about 10 required courses in organic chemistry, biology, physics, math, statistics, and other premed classics. There are also required seminars in subjects such as bioethics. But the guarantee of admission to med school means students can choose courses, and even majors, that in regular undergrad programs might hurt their chances with the med-school admissions office. UAB's EMSAP students can major in music, Spanish, or anything else as long as they fit in the premed requirements."

To learn more about this innovative program, read Newsweek's article here. To learn more about Greg Pence's contemporary approach to education, check out his biography at JodiSolomonSpeakers/GregoryPence.

A Healing Hope

Lessons from a WWII ghetto resonate with doctors today by Judy Foreman

"In the Lodz ghetto in Poland, home to as many as 204,000 Jews during World War II, there were 170 doctors, as well as a few nurses and midwives, according to diaries and memoirs. Like all the others, the Jewish healers lived with the daily terror of being shipped off to a death camp.

Still, they tended to their fellow inmates. There was almost no food, no medication, and certainly no X-ray machines, laboratories, or any of the other accoutrements that we think of as essential to medicine today.

And yet, when there was nothing to give the sick, the Lodz doctors did find something.

“These doctors gave people hope,’’ said Dr. Harold Bursztajn, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center psychiatrist whose parents lived in the ghetto and who spoke about the Lodz experience at a recent meeting for colleagues."

Read the rest of this fascinating article in today's Boston Globe here.

Weekly Roundup

With Twitter and Facebook dysfunctioning this week, it's possible you may have missed some seriously interesting news stories. Check out our Weekly Roundup below!

• The highly anticipated film The Cove has been all over the place this week. Read what the LA Times says about the film here, listen to an interview with filmmaker Louie Psihoyos on NPR's Fresh Air here, and check out where The Cove is screening near you by following this link.

• Jessica Valenti, author of "The Purity Myth," writes that the "virginity movement" is seeking to roll back women's rights by using revamped and modernized definitions of purity, morality and sexuality. She explains more fully her thoughts in an interview in The Progressive this week. Check it out.

• Neil deGrasse Tyson's new radio show has only been around for a little while, but it's already attracting plenty of attention. Read an interview with Tyson here and learn why he thinks the show makes science accessible for the common man.

• EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is working to ensure minorities aren't left out of the burgeoning green economy. But part of the problem, says Robert D. Bullard, director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, is the paucity of minority college graduates for these organizations to recruit. Read more here.

Video Friday: Storm Chaser Warren Faidley

Imagine if your job required you to stand in the winds of a Category 5 hurricane.

That's just one of the adventures of Warren Faidley, the world's first full-time professional storm chaser. He regularly risks his life to capture some of the most breathtaking images of extreme weather and Warren's first-hand experiences of outwitting storms have made him one of the most sought-after experts on storm chasing and storm survival.

Watch this video from CTV News and learn about Faidley's adventures and how you can remain safe during extreme weather situations.

And be sure to check out the crazy lightning slideshow below. To see more videos of Faidley's extreme weather videos, please visit our YouTube page.

Friends of the Bureau Celebrate Mutual Birthday

Jodi Solomon Speakers Bureau would like to wish both President Obama and Helen Thomas a very happy (although slightly belated) birthday!

Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas turned 89 yesterday, while our current President celebrated his 48^th birthday.

Obama (a former speaker for Jodi Solomon) visited the White House Press room and brought cupcakes to Helen Thomas (a current speaker for Jodi Solomon) in celebration of their mutual birthday.

Besides sharing a birthday and a speaker’s bureau, Obama noted that the two also shared a birthday wish - a healthcare bill getting passed by Congress.

Helen Thomas was one of the first women to break into front-page journalism and is often called "The First Lady of the Press.” To learn more about this journalism legend, please visit JodiSolomonSpeakers/HelenThomas.

Summer Reading Idea: "Not Just a Pretty Face"

May we make a hot suggestion for your summer reading list?

"Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry, " the award-winning book by Stacy Malkan, is a light - yet thought-provoking - read. It's even better shared, which is why Stacy and the Campaign invite you, your book club and friends to the first-ever Safe Cosmetics Book Club webinar on Tuesday, August 25 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.

With a journalist's clear voice, "Not Just a Pretty Face" tells the story of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, including our discovery of toxic chemicals in personal care products, how the Campaign was founded, our efforts to clean up the U.S. cosmetics industry and company responses - both good and bad.

Stacy has traveled North America and shared her knowledge of safe cosmetics with thousands of people on her book tour - and her next stop is your living room. She'll walk participants through key chemicals to avoid, explain how you can make safer personal care purchases, answer your questions and reveal how you can help give the cosmetics industry a makeover.

Here's how to make "Not Just a Pretty Face" your summer book club selection:

1. First, RSVP for the call via ReadyTalk by August 18. Only the host will need to RSVP for the webinar.

2. Invite your book club to read the book by forwarding this e-mail to them. Don't have an organized book club? No problem! Forward this e-mail to friends, family or neighbors and ask them to join us, or simply join the webinar on your own and be a part of the virtual book club.

3. Purchase the book online through our Web site, and 15 percent of the sale will benefit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (please allow for 10 days for shipping). Or check your local independent bookstore or library.

4. If you plan to join our live webinar on August 25, make sure you and your book club members read the book in advance. Your book club host must have a computer (for the visual presentation that will accompany Stacy's talk) and a phone that you can put on speaker.

5. If August 25 doesn't work for your group you can still participate in this national book party. Register your event on our Web site, and we'll hook you up with discussion questions, the webinar recording and anything else you need.

RSVP to ReadyTalk and a reminder will be sent to you with call-in details. If you have further questions, please contact grassroots coordinator Genevieve Roja at groja@breastcancerfund.org.

For more information about Stacy and "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry," click here.