Monday, July 15, 2013

"There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice." - Charles De Montesquieu



     This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned
toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single
catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in
front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and
make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing in from
Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the
angel can no longer close them. This storm irresistibly propels him into
the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before
him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress.         
  --Walter Benjamin








      word
effluvium:  A gaseous or vaporous emission, especially a foul-smelling oneword: 


places I've been,  things I've done........kos


1240:

Swedish–Novgorodian Wars: A Novgorodian army led by Alexander
Nevsky defeated the Swedes on the Neva River near Ust-Izhora, present-
day Russia.


1799:

French soldiers uncovered the Rosetta Stone in Fort Julien,
near the Egyptian port city of Rashid.

1815:

Aboard HMS Bellerophon , Napoleon surrendered to
Royal Navy Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland to finally end the
Napoleonic Wars.  HMS Bellerophon (1786) was a 74-gun third-rate launched in 1786. She became a prison ship in 1815, was renamed HMS Captivity in 1824, and was sold in 1836.

1959:

Five hundred thousand American steelworkers went on strike,
closing nearly every steel mill in the country.


1983:

Armenian extremist organization ASALA bombed the Turkish
Airlines check-in counter at Orly Airport as part of its campaign for
the recognition of and reparations for the Armenian Genocide.








Posted: 14 Jul 2013 10:10 AM PDT
14 July 2013
merkaba - We have some beautiful energies coming up over the next few weeks. The Summer of 2013 is the Summer of Love - a calm between storms.
It all begins with a celestial formation known as a Grand Water Trine on July 17, 2013. This harmonious triangle of Water-sign planets is a building block for a more rare configuration, a Merkaba, also known as a Grand Sextile or Star Tetrahedron configuration, which will form on July 29, 2013.






Snowden: Symptom or Disease?



Low-Income New Yorkers Pay Higher Rent - Billionaires Receive Massive Tax Break for Luxury Condos


Revealed: Banks Rewarded and Blacklisted Appraisers to Artificially Inflate Real Estate Prices


TELL ME We Wouldn't Be Better Off With THIS GUY As POTUS



Brewer and Shipley - One Toke Over The Line With Lyrics


wrc




mox snail mail


#AskCenk - Cenk's Name, Video Games, Cenk in Church, Regrets, Turkish Food, Football



Migrant bodies found daily in US border


Elizabeth Warren Fights To Restore Sanity To Banks, Finds Unlikely Ally


Israel used Turkish military base to airstrike Syria arms depot - RT source 

 



Corbett: Israeli Strike on Syria an Act of War




REDD in the news: 8-14 July 2013
Posted: 15 Jul 2013 01:00 AM PDT
A round up of the week’s news on REDD, in chronological order with short extracts (click on the title for the full article). REDD-Monitor’s news page is updated regularly. For past REDD in the news posts, click here. [Canada] Forest Carbon Program means more Trees for B.C. Government of British Columbia press release, July 2013 [...]





ACTIVIST POST FEATURED ARTICLES

Writing Contest: EXPOSE Agenda 21
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Busted! Mythbusters Not Allowed to Talk About RFID Chips
Fluoride: The Hard to Swallow Truth
Joe Martino

2012: The Top Fifteen Selling Vaccines
Norma Erickson

Japan Stops HPV Vaccines Citing Adverse Effects
Melissa Melton

Gitmo Force-Feeding Continues Through Ramadan
Snowden's Asylum Quest
Stephen Lendman


New Must-See Videos
Today's Forum Topics

Egypt Coup: Order Out of Chaos in the Middle East

Syria Discovers Terrorist-Used Chemical Weapons Factory 

Could 9/11 Truth Topple the American Empire?

Bizarre MSNBC Open Letter to Edward Snowden:
“Turn Yourself In, Obama Will Treat You Well in Prison”

Other Key Articles From Around the Web

Bush-Cheney began illegal NSA spying before 9/11, says telcom CEO

Internet Control Is Here – Prepare Accordingly

Love Your Neighbor As You Love Yourself: An Appeal For Reconciliation

New bird flu virus could spark pandemic

The Sunday Survival Buzz

Protecting Your Garden From Overwatering
The Reg:  Networks News
Purchase brings parity with Verizon closer

Policy News

Security News

Amazon button leaked user traffic

Snoop

Amazon button leaked user traffic
Shopping button let sneaks snoop
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/15/amazon_button_leaked_user_traffic/

Botch Tuesday: Redmond frags video codec
'Fix' for flaw in codec has video editors screaming and gamers steaming
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/15/botch_tuesday_redmond_frags_video_codec/

Oz Green's plans exempt some phone metadata from warrants
Someone thought of the children
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/14/local_government_plays_the_snoop_game_in_oz/

New draft cybersecurity law: US Senate hits ctrl-alt-del, reboot
If at first you don't succeed, try turning it off and back on again
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/senate_critical_infrastructure_cybersecurity_bill/

Go ahead, Asia, have a look in your Dropbox... We DARE you - hackers
10-country trade group targeted by NYT hacking crew, claim researchers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/apt_crew_abuse_dropbox_hit_se_asia/

Screw it, says NSA leaker Snowden: I'm applying for asylum in Russia
Web-spying whistleblower proves he's still alive ... and not already in
the clink
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/snowden_temp_asylum_russia/

Feds BANNED from DEF CON by founder (who is Obama's cyber-expert)
And presumably uninvites himself?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/defcon_bans_feds/

'New' document shows how US forces carriers to allow snooping
Contract with submarine cable company an illustration, not a revelation
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/us_forced_submarine_cable_operator_to_allow_snooping/

Google Groups blunder exposes THOUSANDS of Japanese govt emails
Messages are public-by-default you say? Oh dear...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/12/yomiuri_japan_data_leak_google_groups/

Snowden leak: Microsoft added Outlook.com backdoor for Feds
NSA praises Redmond for 'collaborative teamwork'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/11/snowden_leak_shows_microsoft_added_outlookencryption_backdoor_for_feds/

Seoul-blackening disk wipe badness linked to 4-year SPY CAMPAIGN
Can Norks afford malware writers?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/11/mcafee_dark_seoul_analysis/

BlackBerry gives Indian spooks BBM and BIS access
BES enterprise customers will stay safe
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/11/blackberry_gives_indian_spooks_access/

HP admits to backdoors in storage products
Usernames and passwords in the wild, factory resets possible
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/11/hp_prepping_fix_for_latest_storage_vuln/

Crowdsourced flaw-finding cheaper than in-house bug hunters
Study shows bug bounties for browsers beats hiring humans
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/study_finds_crowdsourcing_flawfinding_is_better_economics_than_hiring/

Snowden, schmoden. Let's talk about crushing hackers, say US'n'China
America's web snooping doesn't derail cosy security confab
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/us_china_cybersecurity_talks_result/

Speaking in Tech: Forget Venezuela, Snowden. Go to Anna Chapman's pad!
From sexpot spy advice to top tech pool parties
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/speaking_in_tech_episode_66/

Windows kernel bug-squish, IE update star in July Patch Tuesday
Plus: Dodgy app unpatched for 180 days? We'll kick it out of
Marketplace
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/fix_everything_patch_tuesday/

US gov SMASHES UP TVs and MICE to nuke tiny malware outbreak
Yes, that's right. Computer mice and other kit destroyed in $2.7m
scorched-earth op
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/us_gov_agency_smashed_mice_tvs_malware_oig_eda/

'Priyanka' yanks your WhatsApp contact chain on Android mobes
If that really is your name, nobody wants to know you right now
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/priyanka_whatsapp_worm/

Sina's self-censorship scheme swamped with spam, not rumours
Weibo giant is planning to increase community censors to 100,000
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/10/weibo_censors_claims_spam_beats_rumours/

Emergency alert system easily pwnable after epic ZOMBIE attack prank
Private crypto keys found in firmware - where were their BRRAAAIINNNS?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/us_emergency_alert_system_still_flawed/

EMC gobbles access-control biz Aveksa? Computer says... yes
Welcome to the storage borg
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/emc_buys_identity_management_firm/

Hack biz rivals or hire cyber-warriors and we'll shut you down, warns
EU
Behave on the interwebs, or we'll, er, wind you up
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/winding_up_penalty_could_be_levied_on_businesses_engaged_in_cyber_attacks/

Seoul to train 5,000 infosec pros
South Korea employs just 200 today despite ongoing NORKS attacks
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/south_korea_trains_5000_security_pros/

Android sig vuln exploit SEEN IN THE WILD
Tiny script is a big headache
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/android_sig_vuln_exploit_seen_in_the_wild/

India's centralised snooping system facing big delays
Central Monitoring System lacks algorithms, database and data
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/india_cms_hit_by_delays/

HP storage: more possible backdoors
LeftHand, StoreVirtual remote reset suggests factory account
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/hp_storage_more_possible_backdoors/

Snowden's Australian 'revelations' are old news
Details of Oz NSA presence were documented ages ago
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/09/pine_gap_is_an_nsa_station_write_the_book/

Snowden: US and Israel did create Stuxnet attack code
UK is 'radioactive' and 'Queen's selfies to the pool boy' slurped
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/snowden_us_israel_stuxnet/

The Three Amigos offer sanctuary to cornered NSA leaker Snowden
¡Se va a necesitar más que la ayuda de Steve Martin, Chevy Chase y
Martin Short!
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/snowden_asylum_offers/

US public hate Snowden - but sexpot spy Anna Chapman LOVES him
Deep penetration femme fatale fancies PRISM deepthroat
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/chin_up_edward_snowden_the_american_public_hates_you_but_sexy_spy_anna_chapman_loves_you/

15 MILLION dodgy login attempts spaffed all over Nintendo loyalists
Thousands of players plundered for their hard-earned booty
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/nintendo_brute_force_attack/

Chinese mobe fandroids: Got a virus? Better blame the government
Phone malware strains multiply 25 times in one year... some of it found
on gov sites
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/08/android_malware_epidemic_hits_china/

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No! Mars is peaceful. We have no weapons. You can't possibly...


 Op-Ed Articles
Good Coups, Bad Coups
By Joost Lagendijk
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait promised no less than $12 billion support to the new regime in Cairo. - "It's pretty clear what the counter-revolutionary Gulf monarchs expect for their generosity, and it's not democracy.
New Reports Of Israeli Attack On Syria Make Turning a Blind Eye Difficult for Assad
By Amos Harel
After the two suspected Israeli attacks in May, Assad clearly stated that he would not ignore another Israeli infraction, and Israel would pay a heavy price for any attack.
Ergo Bosnia
Rifkind Risks a Repeat of Balkans Mistakes in Syria
By Robert Fisk
Today's superpowers are fighting in Syria, but lets be in no doubt as to their motivations. Continue
In Northern Ireland - A Grotesque Carnivals of Vilification
By Finian Cunningham
Every year, Irish people, both Catholic as well as many decent Protestants, have to endure the hate-filled legacy of British misrule in Ireland.
Inside Look at the Internal Strife Over Al Jazeera America
By Glenn Greenwald
Al Shihabi, has sparked criticism inside al Jazeera by proclaiming that the network "will be the voice of Main Street" and proudly touting a meeting with the Chicago Mayor, former Obama White House chief of staff and vehement "pro-Israel" advocate Rahm Emanuel.
Coup d'etat
By Paul Craig Roberts
The president of the united states has declared that he possesses these constitutionally forbidden rights, and his regime has used them to oppress and murder US citizens.
Slain and Discarded
Open Season on Black Boys After a Verdict Like This
By Gary Younge in Chicago
"*ucking punks," Zimmerman told the police dispatcher that night. "These assholes. They always get away." So true it's painful. And so predictable it hurts.
White Supremacy Acquits George Zimmerman
By Aura Bogado
This verdict is a crystal-clear illustration of the way white supremacy operates in America.
Only 1 Percent of "Terrorists" Caught By the FBI are Real
By Joshua Holland
Trevor Aaronson exposes the Bureau's undercover sting operations for the farce they are.
Hard News  
  

Bush- Blair Legacy Continues as
Forty-Three People Killed in Terrorist Attacks across Iraq:
Forty-three people were killed in Iraq as the country is rocked by a fresh wave of militancy, including two bomb attacks near Sunni mosques in Baghdad.
22 killed in Iraq bombings: Saturday:
The blast came a day after a suicide bombing at a cafe in the northern city of Kirkuk killed 41 people and wounded 35.
Iraq foreign minister says can't stop Iran arms flights to Syria:
"We reject and condemn the transfer of weapons through our airspace and we will inform the Iranian side of that formally. But we do not have the ability to stop it," he told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat
Gunmen From Syria Kill Iraq Border Policeman:
Clashes between Iraqi border police and gunmen who crossed from Syria into western Iraq killed a policeman and wounded five on Saturday, an officer said.
Syrian troops advance against rebels in Damascus:
The Syrian army has seized the momentum in the civil war over the past three months, wresting back territory lost to rebel forces and solidifying its hold over contested areas, particularly on the fringes of Damascus
Assassination of FSA commander is declaration of war in Syria:
"We are going to wipe the floor with them. We will not let them get away with it because they want to target us," a senior rebel commander said on condition of anonymity.
Tensions increase within Syria rebel ranks:
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and al-Qaeda-linked fighters have clashed again, just days after a leader of the FSA was shot dead at a checkpoint after a row between fighters from the two groups.
Syrian rebels' Damascus chemical cache found by Assad army - State TV:
Military sources reported that the militants "were preparing to fire mortars in the suburbs of the capital and were going to pack missiles with chemical warheads."
Obama emphasizes U.S. commitment to Syrian rebels in Saudi call:
President Barack Obama told Saudi Arabia's king on Friday that he is committed to providing U.S. support to Syrian rebels who have been waiting for shipments of light arms that have been stalled in Washington.
Pakistan Taliban 'sets up a base in Syria':
Mohammad Amin, a senior Taliban operative and "co-ordinator of the Syrian base", told the BBC that the cell to monitor "the jihad" in Syria was set up six months ago. He said that the cell has the approval of militant factions both within and outside of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of militant groups fighting the Pakistani forces.
Israel behind mystery attack on Syrian port - US sources:
Three officials spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, referring to the pre-dawn explosions in the city of Latakia as an Israeli operation which allegedly targeted Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles.
Report: Israeli submarine strike hit Syrian arms depot:
The alleged Israeli naval strike was closely coordinated with the United States and targeted a contingent of 50 Russian-made Yakhont P-800 anti-ship missiles that had arrived earlier in the year for Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, the Times cited Middle East intelligence sources as stating.
US officials confirm Israeli strike on Yakhont missiles in Syria:
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on July 9 denied that Israel was responsible for the incident in Latakia, according to Ynet News. "We haven't intervened in the Syrian bloodshed in a long time .... We've drawn our red lines and we keep to them," he said.
Engineering Consent For Police State Attack On Iran:
Iran "closer and closer to the bomb," Netanyahu says:
Iran is getting "closer and closer to the bomb," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday on "Face the Nation," and in deciding whether to wage an attack on the nation aggressively pursuing nuclear capabilities, he added, "I won't wait until it's too late."
US lawmakers call for penalizing Argentina over Iran ties:
A number of lawmakers in the US House of Representatives listed Argentina's conciliatory approach to Iran among reasons to penalize the country economically.
Fact or fiction?
US to seek direct nuclear talks with Iran: Report:
The Saturday report by The Wall Street Journal said that senior US officials are meeting with representatives of the four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany on Tuesday in Brussels to discuss how to engage with President-elect Hassan Rohani over the nuclear issue.
Egyptian army reports 5 militants killed in Sinai:
The Egyptian army killed five terrorists in the Sinai peninsula on Saturday amid ongoing battles between Islamists and security forces in the peninsula, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported Sunday.
Morsi loyalists protest in supporting of ousted president:
"No person, no elite group and no military institution will impose their decision on the people," Al-Erian said. "The restoration of legitimacy through reinstating the president, the constitution, the Shura Council and the cabinet is the only doable roadmap; it's the roadmap proposed by President Mohamed Morsi."
Mursi supporters plan more protests in Egypt:
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood called on Saturday for more mass demonstrations in support of ousted President Mohamed Mursi after a huge pro-Mursi march broke up peacefully before dawn, ending a week in which at least 90 people were killed.
Egypt freezes Muslim Brotherhood funds:
Public prosecutor orders temporary block on assets of senior leaders of Muslim Brotherhood and pro-Morsi groups.
U.S. to Egypt: Ousted President Morsi must be freed:
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily briefing that Washington agrees with Germany's call for Morsi to be freed. "We do agree," she said, urging Egypt's security forces to stop "politically motivated arrests" and let go those caught up in such dragnets.
Egypt announces criminal investigation against Morsi:
Complaints of spying, inciting violence and ruining the economy are first step in criminal process, allowing prosecutors to begin investigation that can lead to charges.
U.S. Sends Marines, Navy to Egypt:
The U.S. military has repositioned a group of crisis response units off the coast of Egypt as the local political crisis continues to seethe, and pro-administration groups plan new support rallies on Friday.
As US Ships Approach, US Embassy In Egypt Denies Move Presages "Imminent US Invasion":
With the situation in Egypt continuing to border on sheer chaos, many wonder what approach the US will take, so far having demonstrated its inability to decide how to swallow the humiliation of having a US-backed regime get swept away in a military coup while it continues supporting the country with both money and weapons.
Cameraman films his own murder in Egypt:
''I think that his only crime, that he is recording a video for the massacre - what happened in Nasr city, only, only his crime. He has no gun no pistol, no anything in his hand, except the camera.''
Gaza Palestinians still stranded abroad by Egypt's restrictions:
After closing Rafah, Egypt began to deport Gaza residents as they arrived at Cairo airport, and instructed international airlines to deny boarding to Palestinian Authority passport holders on flights bound for Cairo.
Prominent Fatah member calls Abbas 'tyrant' and 'dictator':
Article written by Dr. Sufian Abu Zaida, a former prisoner in Gaza and today a lecturer at Al-Quds University, reflects the Palestinians' ongoing loss of faith in their political system.
Turkish police fire tear gas at Istanbul protesters:
Turkish police fired water cannon and tear gas on Saturday to disperse hundreds of protesters who gathered to march to Gezi Park, which has been at the heart of fierce unrest against Prime Minister Erdogan's rule.
Plainclothesmen attack anti-government protesters in Turkey:
Fresh reports and videos have been released showing plainclothesmen attacking anti-government protesters with knives, machetes and sticks in several cities in Turkey
12 Pakistani Taliban militants killed in Kandahar province:
The Taliban militants killed during the clashes were from Pakistan who entered Afghanistan from the other side of the border to attack Afghan security forces.
US Kills 3 People In Pakistan; Report:
An airstrike carried out by a US assassination drone has killed three people in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area, which borders Afghanistan.
Gunmen kill 2 Yemeni soldiers in province where army battling al-Qaida:
The official says the soldiers were attacked Saturday while traveling in a military vehicle in Marib province, east of the capital Sanaa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to regulations.
U.S. Has Nothing to Say About 10-Year-Old Killed in Yemen Drone Strike:
Officials refused to comment on a June 9 drone strike in Yemen that allegedly killed a 10-year-old boy. It's the first prominent allegation of a civilian death since President Obama pledged in a major speech in May "to facilitate transparency and debate" about the U.S. war on al Qaida-linked militants beyond Afghanistan.
US Kills 9 people in Pakistan:
At least nine suspected militants, including two foreigners, were killed in Pakistan's lawless tribal region in a US drone strike and a separate Pakistan military operation, security officials said on Sunday.
5 "Taliban" killed in NATO airstrike in Afghanistan:
Coalition spokesman Captain Luca Carniel said Sunday that NATO forces had carried out a "precision strike" in Paktia province the night before, killing five "militants"
Seven peacekeepers killed in Sudan's Darfur:
Seven peacekeepers were killed on Saturday during an ambush in Sudan's Darfur region, the African Union-UN Mission said, marking the worst-ever losses in the five-year history of the operation.
U.S. Marines reach transition point in Libya mission:
SPMAGTF-Africa will continue to advise and train with African militaries that have friendly relations with the U.S. It has teams deploying this month to Uganda and Burundi, nations in which Marines have deployed repeatedly in recent years to train African troops.
Russia says no asylum request yet from fugitive Snowden:
Russia kept former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden at arm's length on Saturday, saying it had not been in touch with the fugitive American and had not yet received a formal request for political asylum.
Asylum for Snowden won't stop Greenwald from publishing more leaks:
"There are many more domestic stories coming, and big ones, and soon," Greenwald wrote in an email to Politico on Friday.
Glenn Greenwald: Snowden 'chose not to release' most damaging data:
"Snowden has enough information to cause more damage to the US government in a minute alone than anyone else has ever had in the history of the United States," he told the paper in an interview published on Saturday.
Bolivian President Evo Morales Accuses The US Of Hacking Email Accounts:
"Those US intelligence agents have accessed the emails of our most senior authorities in Bolivia, Morales said in a speech. "It was recommended to me that I not use email, and I've followed suit and shut it down," he said.
S. American states to recall ambassadors from Europe over Bolivian plane incident:
"We've taken a number of actions in order to compel public explanations and apologies from the European nations that assaulted our brother Evo Morales," explained Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, who revealed some of the agenda debated during the 45th summit of Mercosur countries in Uruguay's capital, Montevideo.
Glenn Greenwald: About the Reuters article: Op-Ed:
The latest effort to distract attention from the NSA revelations is more absurd than most
Protests in US after Zimmerman acquittal:
Small protests break out after Florida neighbourhood watchman found not guilty for death of black teen Trayvon Martin.
The Trayvon Martin verdict, and the white supremacist Groundhog Day that is American history: Op- Ed:
I woke up this morning to the horrible news that George Zimmerman has gotten away with murder. Sadly, this verdict was not unexpected.
Zimmerman Walks, While Mother Serves 20 Years after Firing Warning Shots for Protection:
In light of what happened last night to Trayvon Martin and his family, we must always remember that there is a Trayvon in every city, and these Trayvons are both male and female:
A similar case to Trayvon Martin's gets ignored by media:
The question is, why isn't CNN or the social media spewing with stories about Jordan Davis? Why hasn't this story reached the airwaves like the Trayvon Martin story?
Georgia Set To Put To Death Mentally Disabled Man:
As the American Civil Liberties Union noted in a blogpost on Thursday, "All experts who have evaluated Warren Hill agree that he fits the diagnostic classification of intellectually disabled (formerly called mentally retarded)."
Gangs Ruled Prison as For-Profit Model Put Blood on Floor:
In the four privately run prisons holding Mississippi (BEESMS) inmates last year, the assault rate was three times higher on average than in state-run lockups. None was as violent as the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility.
What the Prison Hunger Strikes Mean for an Architect:
From Guantanamo Bay to California's Pelican Bay, thousands of prisoners are on hunger strike, protesting intolerable living conditions, solitary confinement, and indefinite detention.
Guantanamo Prisoners' Groins Protected; Too Bad Yours Aren't:
In an excellent ruling that provides rare good news for the prisoners illegally detained at Guantanamo, a U.S. judge reveals that he actually has a sense of justice. The good news for the prisoners, however, doesn't extend to the rest of us.
Texas passes one of toughest anti-abortion laws in US:
The senate passed House Bill 2 by 19 votes to 11 just before midnight local time. Texas governor Rick Perry is now due to sign it off.
Why is the rich US in such poor health?:
US: AMERICANS die younger and experience more injury and illness than people in other rich nations, despite spending almost twice as much per person on healthcare.
The shadowy cartel of doctors that controls Medicare.:
Since 1992, the AMA has summoned this same committee three times a year. It's called the Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (or RUC, pronounced "ruck"), and it's probably one of the most powerful committees in America that you've never heard of.
Renewed fear of global recession as companies rein in spending plans:
Growth in spending on machinery and investment by the world's 2,000 biggest companies has begun to contract for the first time since the Lehman crisis, led by sharp falls in China and a near collapse in Latin America.




from the kosmic archives one of my favs from 2006...author annon ......kosmicdebris
I’m the Teacher who Gave Your Honor Student His First "F"

Just the facts:
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look at the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture. It is defined as the viewpoint that "one's own group/tribe is the center of everything," against which all other groups are judged. Ethnocentrism often entails the belief that one's own race or ethnic group is the most important and/or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other groups. Within this ideology, individuals will judge other groups in relation to their own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion. These ethnic distinctions and sub-divisions serve to define each ethnicity's unique cultural identity.

One must be careful, of course, not to throw around charges of "ethnocentrism" to try to discredit people with whose views we disagree. The best use of an understanding of ethnocentrism is to use it to correct our own ethnocentric attitudes and behavior rather than that of others.

The feeling that one's group has a mode of living, values, and patterns of adaptation that are superior to those of other groups. It is coupled with a generalized contempt for members of other groups.

Ethnocentrism may manifest itself in attitudes of superiority or sometimes hostility. Violence, discrimination, proselytizing, and verbal aggressiveness are other means whereby ethnocentrism may be expressed

Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion, usually another religion. Historically in the New Testament, the word proselyte denoted a person who had converted to the Jewish religion. Though the word proselytism was originally tied to Christianity, it is also used to refer to other religions' attempts to convert people to their beliefs or even any attempt to convert people to another point of view, religious or not. Today, the connotations of the word proselytism are often negative but this blog will use the word neutrally to refer to any attempts to convert a person or people to another faith.

The difference between legitimate proselytism and illegitimate proselytism may not be definable. What one person considers legitimate, another may consider improper or even illegal. Proselytism can include:

No attempt to convert others unless they specifically ask about one's religion….Jewish, e.g."
Preaching…Billy Graham, "

Providing physical benefits in hopes that recipients will be open to listening … Mother Teresa, "

Providing physical benefits only to those willing to listen…homeless shelters, salvation army, "

Providing physical benefits only to proselytes….*Money, Republican party, e.g. * (sorry, couldn't help it, politico-centric, perhaps?)J

Forcing people to become proselytes….Islam, American economic sanctions…..do it 'our' way…..starve, fight or die…choose one.


Why is ethnocentrism bad?
Ethnocentrism leads us to make false assumptions about cultural differences. We are ethnocentric when we use our cultural norms to make generalizations about other peoples' cultures and customs. Such generalizations…..often made without a conscious awareness that we've used our culture as a universal yardstick…..can be way off base and cause us to misjudge other peoples. Ethnocentrism also distorts communication between human beings.

Ethnocentric thinking causes us to make wrong assumptions about other people because ……...(insert skin pigment, religion, big ears, speaks with accent, funny clothes, poor dental /personal hygiene….…..et cetera, et cetera, here……….)

Ethnocentrism leads us to make premature judgments.

"They" may not be very good at what we are best at.

*By evaluating "them" by what we are best at, we miss the many other aspects of life that they often handle more competently than we do.

*(statements that begin with "you people or those people" should be a red flag.)

Some very simple benign examples of ethnocentric thinking. . .

We often talk about British drivers driving "on the wrong side" of the road. Why not just say "opposite side" or even "left hand side"?

We talk about written Hebrew as reading "backward." Why not just say "from right to left" or "in the opposite direction from English."

Ethnocentrism leads to misunderstanding others. We falsely distort what is meaningful and functional to other peoples through our own tinted glasses. We see their ways in terms of our life experience, not their context. We do not understand that their ways have their own meanings and functions in life, just as our ways have for us.


At the heart of this is that we do not understand that we do not understand! So we aren't aware that we can develop more valid understandings about how they experience life.

At the best, we simply continue in our unawareness. Yet this can have consequences within our own society and in international relations. We may be well meaning in inter-ethnic relations, for example, but can unintentionally offend others, generate ill feelings, and even set up situations that harm others. For example, it is easy not to see the life concerns of others (particularly minorities and the disadvantaged) or conversely to pity them for their inabilities to deal with life situations (like poverty or high crime rates). How do we feel when someone doesn't recognize our concerns, or feels sorry for us because we can't "just let go" of a stressful situation?

A lack of understanding can also inhibit constructive resolutions when we face conflicts between social groups. It is easy to assume that others "should" have certain perspectives or values. How often are we prone to address conflicts when others tell us how we should think and feel?

Ethnocentrism is also most evident in international relations, creating conflicts and inhibiting resolution of conflicts. For example, how might our Western binary conflict view of life (A versus B) influence our interpretation of another group's intents when they express a different position on an issue? Is it just another" viewpoint, or is it "against" our viewpoint? If we don't "win" the conflict, will we "lose"? We may have positive intentions (from our viewpoint) in "helping" other groups deal with certain "problems," but how do they see the problem and what kind of solution do they want?

Some peoples around the world see Americans as very competitive and violent people, as evidenced by our business practices, Hollywood movies, and events like the Columbine High School massacre. (many perceive the blanket statement: "All Americans are wealthy wasteful apathetic snobs as truth.") How much does this describe your personal experience? How do you think this perception might influence their assumptions about our intents in relations with their societies? An ultimate case of such misunderstandings is warfare, where many people are killed, maimed for life, have their families, subsistence, health, and way of life disrupted, sometimes forever.

There are extreme forms of ethnocentrism that pose serious social problems, of course, such as racism, colonialism, and ethnic cleansing. These views are generally condemned by the world community, but we regularly ignore such cases in the news.

Can better understandings of others' life experience avoid conflicts that drain the resources and well-being of all parties, and instead promote cooperative relations between peoples to the mutual advantage of all?

So here we have a paradox: we falsely assume because we are not even aware we are assuming... and furthermore it is the normal thing to do. We cannot not be ethnocentric, and we cannot will it away or make ourselves have a completely open attitude. Is it ever possible not to be ethnocentric? (we cannot, however.…we can be aware of it)

Raw population statistics overwhelm you. Here's one way of visualizing the world and its economic, housing, health, religious and educational needs:

Shrink the earth's population to one village of exactly 100 people. Apply the earth's racial, economic and other ratios to these 100 people. Here's how this village would look:

Origins: Remember these are one-hundred people not percentages representing the entire globe.

60 would be from Asia
12 would be European in origin
15 would have come from the Western Hemisphere (9 Latin Americans, 5 North Americans, and 1 from Oceania)
13 would be from Africa
Source: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, "World Population Prospects: The 2000 Revision."
Sex / Gender:
50 would be female
50 would be male
Skin color
80 would be non-white
20 would be white
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census International Data Base, Table 001 : Total Midyear Population 2001, assuming the populations of South America, Asia, and Africa are "non-white" and those of North America, Europe, and Oceania are "white."
Religion:
67 would be non-Christian
33 would label themselves as "Christian", (only six apple pickers)
Economics
20 people would be receiving almost 90% of the village's total income
Housing:
25 would live in substandard housing
Literacy
17 would not be able to read at all
Nutrition
13 would be malnourished
Life and death
1 would die within the year
2 would give birth within the year
Education
2 would have a college education
Technology
4 would own a computer


This list is not presented to cause guilt; although I am reasonably certain it does not; it is simply the picture of reality. This post took a great deal of restraint on my part, meaning I attempted to omit my own crude ethnocentric redneck subjective color commentary. (I bit the crap out of my tongue in the process) I try, I say try to remove euphemisms that shield and sugarcoat our reality with politically correct "NEWSPEEK", some examples of newspeak/political correct today: "fallen solider" is replaced with Vietnam wars "KIA", (killed in action) , pro-life/pro-choice euphemisms we use to defend or murder an unborn child(fetus).


One of the best examples I can give about our opinions of ourselves on a micro level that we Yankees can certainly relate to: Fox network's appropriately titled "American Idol ". Have you ever noticed during auditions they will focus on the one kid, that exudes confidence, brings his/her parent for support, the one that projects the "will not take no for an answer", "I am the best singer and I am going to prove it and win that trip to Hollywood and become the next AI. America will love me, like all my family and friends who tell me hourly how I great I am, they wouldn't lie to me; I know I 'm it the hottest most talented one of all. Why I sing solos in the church choir. I have never considered for a moment I'm not good enough, I'm so good in fact I never needed singing lessons, mom said." ..............They become egocentric airheads believing the sun rises just for the spoiled prima donna.

We all know what happens next to this overconfident narcissistic soul. They are told the truth followed by public ridicule for entertainment and exploitation for profit. Some times the reaction is denial and indignation other times genuine disappointment and retaliation. That supportive parent failed this young person unintentionally out of love or intentionally out of greed. I am waiting, that is if it hasn't happened already, for one of the contestants to, sad to say, kill themselves or others over rejection.

You see, on the world idol stage America judges itself by its ethnocentric good intentions, because we have been raised to believe we are better than everyone else. The truth is we are not, and a few honest neighbors have confronted us with the facts. Meanwhile, the rest of the world judges us by what we do, by what they see and hear……intentional greed, arrogance and denial. Sorry to say folks, our emperor has no clothes. I read the headlines and commentaries from four or five overseas English translated newspapers at least once or twice a week, like Russia, France, England, China and in the last  year there has been a shift in attitudes about the united states and most today never have anything nice to say about us anymore. For the most part they think we are fools and I feel like the defense lawyer that knows his client is guilty.

.......................keep fighting the good fight, with our minds as weapons!! ...........................
……………………………Kosmicdebris.....................................



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Bernie Krause: The voice of the natural world






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