The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

October 25, 2010


games

well, this idea came about with doubled avatars, one of whom is still
broken, unable to load hir clothing and accessories, and the other of whom
has already lost most of hir attributes; in any case, they interact with
each other in a clotted environment, starting out as swagger, then
gradually emerging their games into the environment, swirling through each
other (which ordinarily is not permitted in second life) as a result of
one or another's uncanny attachment to objects, the games based on back-
dreams of maenads for example, or live performances, these however created
while i ran back and forth among computers, orchestrating everything, as
if these avatars had lives of their own, philo thinks through materiality
as apart and i think of it as aperture

http://www.alansondheim.org/games.mp4
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo.mp4
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo1.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo2.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo3.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo4.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo5.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo6.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo7.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo8.png
http://www.alansondheim.org/ppo9.png

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:02:40
From: Alice Jay - Avaaz.org <avaaz@avaaz.org>
To: "sondheim@panix.com" <sondheim@panix.com>
Subject: The end of whales?

Dear friends,

[blue_whale_200_100.jpg] Many whales are among the 1/3rd of all life on the
planet that is being driven to extinction. World governments are meeting
this week to consider a bold plan to protect 20% of the world's oceans and
lands by 2020.

We have 4 days left, and a global public outcry could tip the balance. Click
to sign the petition for the 20/20 plan and forward this email:

Sign the petition!
There are only 300 northern right whales left, and 99% of blue whales have
been wiped out. These majestic giants are endangered species, and their case
is being played out across the world, time and again. In fact, one third of
all life forms on the planet are on the brink of extinction.

The natural world is being crushed by human activity, waste and
exploitation. But there is a plan to save it -- a global agreement to
create, fund and enforce protected areas covering 20% of our lands and seas
by 2020. And right now, 193 governments are meeting in Japan to address this
crisis.

We have just 4 days left in this crucial meeting. Experts say that
politicians are hesitant to adopt such an ambitious goal, but that a global
public outcry could tip the balance, making leaders feel the eyes of the
world upon them. Click to sign the urgent 20/20 petition, and forward this
email widely -- the message will be delivered directly to the meeting in
Japan:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl

Ironically, 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. By now, our
governments were supposed to have "achieved a significant reduction of the
current rate of biodiversity loss." They have failed, consistently caving to
industry when given a choice between narrow profit and protecting species.
Our animals, plants, oceans, forests, soils, and rivers are choking under
immense burdens from over-exploitation and other pressures.

Humans are the primary cause of this destruction. But we can turn it around
-- we've saved species from extinction before. The causes of biodiversity
decline are vast, and stopping them is going to require a move away from
empty piecemeal promises with no clarity on who will pay, to a bold plan
with strict enforcement and serious funding. The 20/20 plan is precisely
that: governments will be forced to execute strict programmes to ensure that
20% of our earth is protected by the 2020 deadline, and massively scale up
funding.

It has to be now. All over the world the picture is beginning to look
bleaker -- there are only 3,200 tigers left in the wild, our oceans are
running out of fish, and we're losing unique food sources to large
mono-plantations. Nature is resilient, but we have to give it a safe place
to bounce back. That's why this meeting is key -- it's a watershed moment to
accelerate action based on clear commitments that protect nature's capital.

If our governments feel overwhelming public pressure right now to be
courageous, we can jolt them to commit to the 20/20 plan at this meeting.
But it's going to take every one of us to get that message to echo around
the convention in Japan. Sign this urgent petition below, then forward it
widely:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl

Already this year Avaaz, members have played a critical role in protecting
elephants, defending the whale-hunting ban, and securing the world's largest
Marine Protected Area in the Chagos Islands. Our community has shown that we
can set ambitious goals -- and win. This campaign is the next stage in the
essential battle to create the world that most of us everywhere want --
where natural resources and species are valued, and our living planet is
protected for future generations.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_end_of_whales/?vl

With hope,

Alice, Iain, Emma, Ricken, Paula, Benjamin, Mia, David, Graziela, Ben, and
the rest of the Avaaz team

Sources:

The Times: "Third of all animals and plants face extinction"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7120676.ece

The Guardian: "Public awareness of the biodiversity crisis is virtually
non-existent"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/sep/16/public-awareness-bio
diversity-crisis

Sydney Morning Herald: "UN calls for immediate action to save life on earth"
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-calls-for-immediate-action-to
-save-life-on-earth-20101018-16qnv.html

IUCN: "Why is biodiversity in crisis?"
http://www.iucn.org/iyb/about/biodiversity_crisis/

More on the Convention of Biodiversity meeting
http://www.cbd.int/cop10/

[802434810.gif]
Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive
no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even
the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.

____________________________________________________________________________
Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to
ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global
decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz
members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13
countries on 4 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of
Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

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