NUKUS, Uzbekistan -- The drying up of the Aral Sea is one of the planet's most shocking disasters, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Sunday, as he urged Central Asian leaders to step up efforts to solve the problem.

Once the world's fourth-largest lake, the sea has shrunk by 90 percent since the rivers that feed it were largely diverted in a Soviet project to boost cotton production in the arid region.

The shrunken sea has ruined the once-robust fishing economy and left fishing trawlers stranded in sandy wastelands, leaning over as if they dropped from the air. The sea's evaporation has left layers of highly salted sand, which winds can carry as far away as Scandinavia and Japan, and which plague local people with health troubles.

Ban toured the sea by helicopter as part of a visit to the five countries of former Soviet Central Asia. His trip included a touchdown in Muynak, Uzbekistan, a town once on the shore where a pier stretches eerily over gray desert and camels stand near the hulks of stranded ships.

"On the pier, I wasn't seeing anything, I could see only a graveyard of ships," Ban told reporters after arriving in Nukus, the nearest sizable city and capital of the autonomous Karakalpak region.

"It is clearly one of the worst disasters, environmental disasters of the world. I was so shocked," he said.

The Aral Sea catastrophe is one of Ban's top concerns on his six-day trip through the region and he is calling on the countries' leaders to set aside rivalries to cooperate on repairing some of the damage.

"I urge all the leaders ... to sit down together and try to find the solutions," he said, promising United Nations support.

However, cooperation is hampered by disagreements over who has rights to scarce water and how it should be used.

In a presentation to Ban before his flyover, Uzbek officials complained that dam projects in Tajikistan will severely reduce the amount of water flowing into Uzbekistan. Impoverished Tajikistan sees the hydroelectric projects as potential key revenue earners.

Competition for water could become increasingly heated as global warming and rising populations further reduce the amount of water available per capita.

Water problems also could brew further dissatisfaction among civilians already troubled by poverty and repressive governments; some observers fear that could feed growing Islamist sentiment in the region.

Ban also is taking on the region's frequently poor human rights conditions.

Read More at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/04/aral-sea-almost-dried-up_n_5246...

* 01 April 2010 by Kate Ravilious

Elaborate symbols and ornate depictions of animals carved in stone by an ancient Scottish people have given up their secret – to mathematics. Statistical analysis reveals that the shapes are a forgotten written language. The method could help interpret many other enigmatic scripts – and even analyse animal communication.

Conventional statistical methods for analysing scripts calculate the entropy or "orderedness" of the symbols: Shakespeare's prose would have a higher entropy than Egyptian hieroglyphs or Morse code, for example. However, such analysis only works for datasets large enough to capture most of the vocabulary in a language.

BEIRUT – The lawyer of a Lebanese TV psychic who was convicted in Saudi Arabia for witchcraft said Thursday her client could be beheaded this week and urged Lebanese and Saudi leaders to help spare his life.

Attorney May al-Khansa said she learned from a judicial source that Ali Sibat is to be beheaded on Friday. She added that she does not have any official confirmation of this. Saudi judicial officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

A Lebanese official said Beirut has received no word from its embassy in Riyadh about Sibat's possible execution. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The Saudi justice system, which is based on Islamic law, does not clearly define the charge of witchcraft.

The actions of the Christian militia group raided in Michigan are part of a growing trend of militant activity across the U.S. because of the weak economy and an African-American president, experts and a civil rights group said today.

Hutaree, a militia based in Lenawee County, allegedly planned an uprising against the U.S. government by plotting to murder police.

"I don't think this is the last we're going to see of these groups," said Michael Barkun, a professor of political science at Syracuse University who studies religious violence and extremism. "The number of such groups has increased fairly dramatically in the last couple of years."

The number of extremist anti-government groups and militias grew from 149 in 2008 to 512 in 2009, said Heidi Beirich, director of research at the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil groups that monitors extremism.

"That is a lot of change in a short period of time," Beirich said.

Greetings all,
I know this event may be a bit far for some of you, but the Milwaukee Pagan
Unity Council (MPUC) has been working their cottontails off on this event
and I thought I'd share this great resource.

MPUC really has their act together as a Pagan resource--they've been a 501c3
tax exempt not for profit for years, their board has elections every 2 years
to rotate who has power, and their bylaws help to ensure leadership
accountability and group safety. The board and volunteers work hard to make
MPUC serve the Pagan the community.

This event has presenters from Chicago, throughout Wisconsin, and the
current ADF Vice Arch Druid. The festival has 3 tracks of workshops all day,
plus a children's track with kids activities, rituals, and workshops. ADF
will host the opening ritual and I'll be hosting the closing ritual in the
ecstatic participatory style. It's free to attend, though donations are
accepted.

This morning, the New Jersey Board of Education voted to approve their list of religious holidays permitting pupil absence from school for the 2010-2011 school year. Included for the first time on this list are the eight Pagan/Wiccan holidays, or sabbats. This marks the first time any state has approved Pagan holidays to a state calendar, and will set a precedence for other districts and states across the country.

This story starts with a mother sending in a note to get her daughter excused from school for Yule, 2009. Rev. Elena Ottinger's daughter attends Pennsville High School in the Salem County School District, located in Pennsville, NJ. Brianna Ottinger had recently finished her "Year and a Day", a traditional time of study for many Wiccan initiates. Rev. Ottinger, who has a doctorate in metaphysics, wrote a note to her daughter's school, letting them know that she would be taking Yule off from school to celebrate. When Brianna came home that day, it was with the list of approved religious holidays for NJ schools and a note from the vice principal that stated while they would give Brianna an excused absence, it would not be an excused absence based on a religious holiday.

Looking at that list, which includes a variety of approved days (including the birthday of author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard), Rev. Ottinger decided that it was not enough just to get an excused absence for her daughter, she wanted her daughter and others like her to have the same religious freedoms at school that others did.

Read More at http://www.examiner.com/x-26373-Domestic-Witchery-Examiner~y2010m3d17-Ne...

Posted by: "Healing Today" reiki@healingtoday.com healing_today
Date: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:36 am ((PDT))

Come join us for the 9th annual Beltainia, April 16-19, 2010 at All World Acres in the Tampa Bay area.

This event is always a favorite with activities to enlighten, educate and entertain the entire family.

Main Ritual, Grande Parade, May Pole, Entertainment, Treblehawk concert, Sweat Lodge, Healing Circle, Nightly Drum Circles, Bardic Circle, Trade Blanket, Village Council, Workshops, Kid Activities, Vendors, and much more in a wonderful community environment.

Full event admission includes all workshops, entertainment, activities and camping for all 4 days. Register now and adults are only $30 for the full event. Youths 17 and under are free.

More info here; http://healingtoday.com/beltainia.htm

All World Acres is a not for profit sanctuary that is operated and supported by the community it serves.