Chad Gesser

tanglewood drive, at end of our street

water streaming out of the backyard gate

July 11, 2006 backyard flooding

July 11, 2006 flood

* Corporatization refers to the homogenization resulting from large private interests (corporations) consuming and/or replacing smaller private and public interests (small businesses and governmental functions). * Corporations have marketed themselves and their interests robustly over time. The total number of registered clients lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in 2000 was just over 14,000. In 2004 the number was over 20,000. * In 1998, the total lobbying expenditure at the federal level was $1.43 billion. In 2004, the total was $2.16 billion. * In 1990, General Dynamics (a major defense contractor) made nearly $400,000 in federal campaign contributions (59% to Democrats, 41% to Republicans). In 2004 the total was nearly $1.5 million (43% to Democrats, 57% to Republicans). * The largest commercial bank in the United States, Citigroup, maintains connections through its board of directors with 25 corporations. The 153 boards of directors representi

* “Quality of Life, Well-Being, and Livability” is generally measured by social indicators such as health, economic indices, and subjective experiences. * The Centers for Disease and Control measures quality of life relative to general physical health, general mental well-being, and activity limitation. * Quality-adjusted life years, or QALYs, is a measure of the benefit of a medical intervention based on the number of years of life that would be added by the intervention. * There are over 25 reputable resources measuring the quality of life for children, and 25 separate tools to measure quality of life during terminal and palliative care. * It is generally accepted that measuring quality of life associated with gender equality, family life, job security, political freedom, social capital, and community life varies according to survey definitions and design. * The Vanderford-Riley Well-Being Schedule examines per capita full time equivalent hours worked per week, the value of equ

* Social connectedness is a much stronger predictor of the perceived quality of life in a community than the community's income or educational level. * Youth volunteering is up since 1995, but the gap in volunteering between children with a college-graduate mother and children with a high-school dropout mother increased by almost 50 percent since 1976. * 82% of high school seniors volunteered in 2004, a 14% jump from 1986. * In 2005, 42% of those volunteering became involved because they were asked by someone in the organization. * Persons age 35 to 44 are most likely to volunteer (35%), closely followed by 45 to 54 year-olds (33%). * Married persons volunteer at a higher rate (34%) than never-married persons (23%) and persons of other marital statuses (23%). * Parents with children under age 18 are more likely to volunteer than persons without children of that age, 37% compared with 26%. * Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 45% of mothers and 36% of fathers