Guar: The obscure bean worth a bundle
REUTERS: The little-known guar bean is now used for excavating natural gas, which caused it to achieve the equivalent of bean stardom. And with it, prices have skyrocketed. That’s good for Texas bean farmers but bad for gas producers searching for a cheaper solution.
SPAMiversary: 7 BILLION cans sold in 75 years
REUTERS: The iconic canned ham has been the butt of jokes – but it’s also an American icon, serving troops in war, joining the Smithsonian and hamming it up on Broadway. Here's a rundown of Spam by the numbers.
NYC to expand outdoor gym provision
CNN: “Playgrounds for adults” have been around since the 1930s, but only recently began appearing in New York parks. Now, the city plans to roll out 24 new facilities over the next 18 months – after a successful space was opened near Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
Cash-strapped towns cancel July 4 fireworks
CNN: As towns and cities across the United States are plagued by harsh weather and a harsher economy, many have been forced to abandon traditional Independence Day celebrations. But in New Rochelle, NY, a lifeline appeared from the unlikeliest of sources.
Egypt: Tahrir burns with Mubarak protests
REUTERS: After Egypt's ousted president, Hosni Mubarak, received a life sentence for his role in civilian deaths during the country's revolution, protesters marched on Tahrir Square in central Cairo.
Faith Leaders Rally Against Fracking
On December 8, representatives of diverse religious communities gathered to learn about hydraulic fracturing – and many are planning to petition state legislators to keep fracking companies out of New York.
A New Approach to Cutting Calories
NORTHATTAN: The Save Half for Later Campaign wants to shrink Manhattan’s waistline, and more and more restaurants are joining the cause.
Iconic Mural Restored in El Barrio
NORTHATTAN: At the heart of Spanish Harlem, artists and activists recently repainted a 12-year-old portrait of Che Guevara and Don Pedro Albizu Campos, the father of Puerto Rico’s independence movement.
Cosmic Rhymes with Jesús Papoleto Meléndez
Talking to a prominent Nuyorican poet about his inspiration and creative processes.
Moscow’s needy receive a gift of kindness
If you would like to support the OPORA cause, please contact Dr Gezahgn Wordofa on opora2003[at]yahoo.com. Any donations of clothes, food or time are always highly appreciated. Broadcast on Prime Time Russia (RT), 24/12/09 – click here for archive.
Youngblood Brass Band – Nuclear Summer
This is a video I produced with two friends in New York, May 2006.
World Youth Congress Big Brother
A short video I produced with a friend at the World Youth Congress, August 2005.
