Science is finding new evidence that humans can use their brains to rewire...their brains. And change unwanted habits and other behaviors in the process.

Researchers are learning more about the subtle ways that thoughts and emotional states can affect brain function and personal behaviors. Doctoral candidate Linda Hartstrom was especially interested in a recent experiment in which two groups of college students were asked differing sets of questions, and then had their moods and outlooks assessed and measured.

Even at the level of neurobiology, says doctoral candidate Linda Hartstrom, there are some clear differences between men and women.

But hormonal differences may be even more significant.

Hartstrom's presentation on "The Neurobiology of Leadership" will be given at the University of San Francisco in downtown Santa Rosa on Friday June 29, from 9 am to noon. It  is the first in a series of three related workshops presented by the Sonoma-based Women's Global Leadership Initiative.

Weaponized drones have become widely used by the US military in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other trouble spots. But there are some serious flaws with this highly secretive new tactical program.

Medea BenjaminUsing drones as agents of warfare serves to distance both the military and the American public from the consequences of their use, cautions Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, even from the policy choices than enable their use.

Most of the focus on drones to date has been on their use in foreign military operations. But Benjamin says the groundwork has been quietly put into place for the devices to be widely deployed within the United States as well.

 Drones now come in a wide range of sizes. The largest compare to a small airplane; these are the ones most able to carry a weapons payload. But Benjamin notes that the newest surveillance machines have become almost unimaginably tiny.

 Medea Benjamin will read from Drone Warfare at Copperfield's Books in Sebastopol on Tuesday evening, June 27 at 7 pm. While visiting Sonoma County, she will also meet with Occupy Santa Rosa in Courthouse Square at 11 am for a lunchtim teach-in at Old Courthouse Square on Wednesday the 27th. That evening she will be the featured speaker at Christ United Methodist Church, 1717 Ylupa Ave.  in Santa Rosa. That event is also at 7 pm.

Whether it's for homeowners who are already deeply underwater, or those who may get swamped in the expected second wave of foreclosures that may be coming, Operation Hope's Bay Area office offers resources that are knowledgeable...and free.

Tyrone CoseyOperation Hope is not really concerned about the reasons behind any individual homeowner's situation, explains Tyrone Cosey, as there were a multitude of factors at play.

The goal of Operation Hope's HUD- approved counseling program, Cosey adds, is to help each homeowner find the best possible outcome for their situation, even in cases where that may mean giving up their home.

Operation Hope's Foreclosure Prevention Workshop will be held Wednesday night in Santa Rosa, at 987 Airway Drive, from 6 to 8:30 pm. It is co-sponsored by Catholic Charities. The Morgage Hotline number is 1-888-388-HOPE.

A shameful aspect of World War II history that victimized thousands of Asian women is belatedly coming to light, despite denials from the Japanese government.


M. Evelina GalangEvelina Galang, author of the novel One Tribe and the short story collection Her Wild American Self, explains that it was the latter book that led her, indirectly, into her current work with the surviving Comfort Women. After it became widely used in Asian Studies, curricula, Galang explains, she learned of a troubling statistic among her young readers.

In her research into the stories of the Comfort Women, Galang says she was shocked and appalled by what she found.

The memorial to Comfort Women in Palisades Park, New JerseyOne of the few bright spots Galang has found as she became a high-profile advocate for these women was the successful effort to persuade the US House of Representatives to acknowledged their existence, and call for a formal apology from Japan. House Resolution 121 was passed in 2007, with 167 co-sponsors.

Evelina Galang will talk about her work with and on behalf the surviving Comfort Women on Saturday afternoon, June 23, 3-5 pm, at the Sitting Room in Penngrove. The event is hosted by the Filipino American National Historical Society of Sonoma County and the Filipino American Community of Sonoma County, Inc.