Author Archives: Pamela Biery

The Cove: Stranger than Fiction Investigative Journalism and Eco-Adventure

27 Saturday Mar 2010

Posted by in environment, ocean & fisheries

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For a fast-paced 92-minute documentary, The Cove, is many things at once—action, adventure, activism, marine biology and biography. Winner of this year’s Academy Award for a feature length documentary, veteran National Geographic director Louie Psihoyos brings together marine mammal specialist Ric O’Barry and a cast of extreme athletes, adrenaline junkies, event and special effects experts. Together they expose Japan’s horrific dolphin sales and slaughter while educating the viewer on both whaling law and why we might regard dolphins as sentient beings.

“…a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery, adding up to an unforgettable story that has inspired audiences worldwide to action.”—from www.thecovemovie.com

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Lovely song, sacrificed without a passing regret

23 Tuesday Mar 2010

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Poetry and the arts take an important place in the realm of influencing change, raising awareness and stirring the pot. Poets, writers and film makers have been my catalysts and guides along the sometimes confusing trail of conservation and direct action.

Hip Pocket Press publishes a newsletter sharing poets views on the environment. Named Canary for the unique place this lovely songbird held as a harbinger of deadly mine gas, this collection of loosely themed writings informs us of an inner life nurtured by nature.

“The canary in the coal mine” was a primitive early warning system used by miners to alert themselves to poison gases seeping into the mines.  If the canary was found dead, it was time to get out quick.  As a metaphor, its significance for me includes not only the salvation of the humans, but also the casual loss of the canary, that fragile and innocent bird with its lovely song, sacrificed without a passing regret….”—Gail Entrekin, Editor, Hip Pocket Press

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Falling Into Light

12 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by in Book Reviews, poetry & poets

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The More Difficulty Beauty

Molly Fisk’s New Book

Molly Fisk’s new book, The More Difficult Beauty was released yesterday. Somewhere in the Sierra there was a great stirring and release party, I suspect.

See my short review in Sacramento News & Review, or read the full review below.

The More Difficult Beauty

by Molly Fisk

Publication Date: March 10, 2010

Pages: 96

Trim size: 5.5″ x 8.5″, soft cover

Price: $15.00

ISBN 10: 9780917658365

ISBN 13: 978-0-917658-36-5

Hip Pocket Press, 5 Del Mar Court, Orinda, California 94563

Reading Molly Fisk’s The More Difficult Beauty gave me the odd sensation of falling down a well, but instead of into darkness, I fell into light. Fisk’s words give us darkness and shadow, but these poems twist this into a kind of release, leaving the reader with a bittersweet, sobering hope. John Updike considers Fisk’s current poetic offering a “Fearless, clear-eyed work.”

This poet braves the more difficult places and reveals the world’s simple truths. —Dorianne Laux

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Coming to a Computer Screen Near You Soon

04 Thursday Mar 2010

Posted by in best practices, communication

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Computer History Museum

Where better to bring together technology thought leaders together than the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Last night Dice launched NextTech, an  industry event  designed to inform and entertain, all while supporting tech professionals, many whom are Dice job site users.

NextTech brought together tech industry visionaries, a select group of tech professionals, and leading tech companies to learn about the future of the tech industry, software, gaming, social media and more – beyond 2010. My guess is that  300+ showed up to this capacity event.

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Strategic Brilliance: Plan for the Future of Oceans

19 Friday Feb 2010

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Attended “New Approaches for the Ocean Conservation” lecture presented by Michael Sutton, Vice President and Director of Monterey Bay Aquariums Center for the Future of the Oceans.

Part of a series of free events held in Stanford’s multidisciplinary sustainability showcase, Y2E2 Building, this talk covered  strategic approaches being utilized to conserve and protect ocean resources. Including:

  • Marine Protected Areas
  • Ocean Policy Reform
  • Sustainable Seafood
  • Protecting Wildlife and Marine Ecosystems

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Bucking the “Over the Hill” Drive

12 Friday Feb 2010

Posted by in Co-working, communication, technology

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I dropped by the Satellite Telework Center today,  a co-working space in downtown Felton, California.  Founding partner Jim Graham poured a cup of coffee and sat down with me to report on this growing business’ progress.

Graham and partners Barbara Sprenger and Ken Meshke started the business almost a year ago, and are on track with their projected goals.

“We always felt this would be the beta site and we now have several more sites in Santa Cruz County under consideration. I have studied co-working for years and have always wondered what prevented this way of working from really taking hold. Our idea has been to get the right mix of  components in terms of services, space configuration and community involvement and then reproduce this, with each site having a ‘neighborhood personality.'”

Jim Graham, Director of Marketing

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A Little Green Tech Help for Oceans

10 Wednesday Feb 2010

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Monterey Bay Aquarium

Seafood Watch iPhone app

Just got a little technology help in making sustainable seafood choices… that informative pocket card that Monterey Bay Aquarium put together some years back is now available as a free iPhone app. Now I won’t be searching for this info when I need it most, at the market or sushi bar.

Up Side in a Down Economy

04 Thursday Feb 2010

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Sierra Commons Open House

One of the bright spots in the economic downturn has been the emergence of real world shared workspaces, co-working communities and collaborative work environments.

Touting a series of benefits that range from reduced cost, quality of life, carbon-reduction and networking, telework and co-working environments return great dividends to participants.

Small entrepreneurial business ventures get a foothold with high-speed internet, phone and fax services for a fraction of the cost of providing in a home office. Add to this the possibility of informal networking and the general pleasantness of working together, alongside the carbon reduction of delivering space/utility resources that would otherwise be duplicated.

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California State Poetry Society

02 Tuesday Feb 2010

Posted by in poetry & poets

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Just out in California Quarterly, my poem as tribute to Edward Abbey-


Abbey’s Gift

by Pamela Biery

Edward’s words

sear images into my eyes
making me yearn
for the widest spaces this planet
still offers
and call out
for the wild ones lurking
in the brush
and beg
to lie on the hard earth,
searching the sky.

Not too late
perhaps to save
a few river miles
surrounded by
Glen Canyon green
dipping water ouzels
and suspended,
temporary surety
of a river
still flowing
free.

Green remains,
but Edward and
the Glen Canyon
are gone.

A shadow dances
across the water
A fish? A leaf?
Racing with the current,
down the riffle,
into deep pools
swirling, twisting
out of sight
but present
as surely as
this passing day.