 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 9/1/2009 2:19 PM CDT "India has its own version of the Taliban. Extremist Hindu authorities known as 'Khap panchayats' act like parliaments unto themselves enforcing Hindi orthodoxy through honor killings and other barbaric punishments... their decree that every woman should bear at least two sons is behind much of the selective abortion and female infanticide in India... local governments (that emerged out of British colonialism) are afraid of crossing the 'Khaps'.... that means that millions of Indians governed by a system that glorifies murder in the name of honor." The Week / 08-21-2009 Issue http://www.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne150809a_taliban.asp [My Comment: To the degree that any group overplays the 'honor' card is the degree that they're really 'without honor'.] |
| Posted 8/28/2009 2:12 PM CDT The largest investment bank still standing after the financial meltdown is known as a "political organization masquerading as an investment bank".... last year, it paid $10 billion in bonuses after receiving the same amount in federal support. So far this year, the amount is $11+ billion (average of $770,000 per employee). How did it profit from subprime mortgages? "Timing is everything. During the housing boom, Goldman snapped up billions of dollars in subprime mortgages, which it packaged into complex securities called collateralized debt obligations. It sold the CDOs, usually at a substantial markup, to pension funds, insurance companies, and hedge funds. But when Goldman’s contacts in the housing industry reported that subprimes were going sour at an alarming rate, Goldman reversed course, using its own money to bet that subprime CDOs would fall in value. In many cases, Goldman was betting against its own clients. [In other words, says financial columnist Ben Stein, “Goldman was injecting dangerous financial products into the commercial world’s bloodstream for years,” then placed bets that showed it knew it was selling “a horrible product.”]" The Week 08-21-2009 Issue http://www.theweek.com/article/index/99492/How_Goldman_Sachs_landed_on_top Take Action: www.action.citizen.org/t/6693/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1978 |
| Posted 8/25/2009 6:25 PM CDT Environmental and industry interests collaborated to write a bill to provide recycling of TVs. Bipartisan support gave it a big thumbs up! Then 'Mr. Goodhair' vetoed it (H.B. 821) -- along with a dozen bills that had been passed unanimously by the legislature. He claimed that he was supporting private enterprise; but, anyone who is even vaguely familiar with the toxic disposal issues relating to TVs going into landfills knows that he's simply buying the old 'tradeoffs' bottom line mentality of his corporate sponsors. Question: Does Perry drink water? Or has he been Genetically Modified with 'bromeliad' (aka Moss Ball) DNA so as to be able to absorb moisture from the air -- thus avoiding drinking contaminated water? http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/2009/06/24/0624veto.html http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/2009/06/20/0620vetoesbox.html http://governor.state.tx.us/news/veto/12608/ http://www.kirkwatson.com/newsroom/speeches/statement-on-the-veto-of-h.b.-821 |
| Posted 8/23/2009 10:41 AM CDT There are two groups of humans that exhibit biological Darwinian adaptations that are very significant. The indigenous people of Tierra del Fuego (southern tip of S. America) can stay warm without shivering while an Asian, African or European dressed identically would be shivering uncontrollably -- because the Alacalufean has a metabolic rate as much as 40% higher. The Aborigines of Australia slept naked on the ground in freezing weather without ill effects because their bodies enter a state of shallow hypothermia (torpor; temporary, short term hibernation). Two different evolutionary adaptations to the same problem. Read more: www.tinyurl.com/mvazq8 |
| Posted 8/22/2009 3:12 PM CDT "Here’s a great idea: Let's bring into our country a genetically-engineered, non-native tree that is known to be wildly invasive, explosively flammable, and insatiably thirsty for ground water. Then let's clone thousands of these living firecrackers and plant them in forested regions across seven Southern states, allowing them to grow, flower, produce seeds, and spread into native environments. Yes, this would be irresponsible, dangerous, and stupid – but apparently "Irresponsible, Dangerous, and Stupid" is the unofficial slogan of the U.S. Department Agriculture. In May, with little consideration of the devastating consequences for our native environment, USDA cavalierly rubberstamped a proposal by a profiteering corporation named ArborGen to do all of the above. Substantially owned by International Paper, ArborGen shipped tissue from Brazilian eucalyptus trees to its New Zealand laboratories, where it was genetically altered to have more cellulose. New Zealand, however, outlaws plantings of genetically-engineered crops, so ArborGen sought out a more corporate-compliant country: Ours. The engineered eucalyptus was waved right into the good ol' USA to be cloned, and it’s now awaiting final approval for outdoor release in our land. This has happened with practically no media coverage or public participation.. It is happening solely because a handful of global speculators hope to profit by making ethanol from cellulose-enhanced eucalyptus – never mind that their self-aggrandizement would put America's native forests in danger of irreversible contamination by these destructive, invasive Frankentrees. Luckily, several scrappy grassroots groups have mobilized to bring common sense and public pressure to bear on USDA." Jim Hightower http://jimhightower.com/node/6900 Take Action: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27451 Note: People who complain without trying to solve the problems they protest, are generally whiners. Groupings of whiners are 'fluster cluckers'. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fluster%20cluck |
| Posted 8/19/2009 2:53 PM CDT Short version: As ocean temperatures rise, the sea-bed grows warmer and frozen water crystals in the sediment break down, thus allowing methane trapped inside them to escape. This creates a positive feedback effect of climate change. Medium version: "Methane hydrate" is an ice-like substance composed of water and methane which is stable under conditions of high pressure and low temperature. As temperatures rise, the hydrate breaks down. So this new evidence shows that methane is stable at water depths greater than 400m off Spitsbergen... However, data collected over 30 years shows it was then stable at water depths as shallow as 360m. In short, this means the gas is being released from more and deeper areas of the ocean, especially the Arctic Ocean. For a drawing showing better how it works & the longer version: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8205864.stm |
| Posted 8/18/2009 4:28 PM CDT We are in the sixth mass extinction event in the 4.5 billion year history of the planet & less than half of all Americans have even heard of the extinction crisis. ● Up to 30,000 species per year are going extinct: three per hour. ● 50 percent of all primates and 100 percent of all great apes are threatened with extinction. ● Three of the world's eight tiger subspecies became extinct in the past 60 years; the remaining five are all endangered. ● Humans have already driven 20 percent of all birds extinct. ● 12 percent of mammals, 12 percent of birds, 31 percent of reptiles, 30 percent of amphibians, and 37 percent of fish are threatened with extinction. Of course the primary cause is human overpopulation. The human population doubled from 1 to 2 billion between the years 1800 and 1930 — an unparalleled event in the planet’s history. Then the human population doubled again by 1975, this time taking just 45 years. The rate of extinction also increased. Today’s population stands at 6.8 billion and, if it continues on course, will reach 8 billion in 2020. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/overpopulation/index.html TakeAction: https://www.populationinstitute.org/ |
| Posted 8/17/2009 4:35 PM CDT Obama's constituency and Corporate America are bound and determined to internationalize the American workforce so that we can compete globally. The next phase is including illegal aliens in any healthcare package. It's already part of the social security package via our totalization agreements with Latin America. Healthcare Would Cover Illegal Immigrants "While much of the public debate surrounding the Democrats’ healthcare plan has focused on the massive costs to be paid by American taxpayers, another flaw has stayed under the radar — until last week. That’s when the National Council of La RazaCongressional Hispanic Caucus pushed to include illegal immigrants in the president’s healthcare effort. The Democrats’ bill in the House, H.R. 3200, contains gaping loopholes that will allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. And these loopholes are no accident..." www.tinyurl.com/l975ob "Of course, Pres. Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid have a simple solution that would greatly reduce the cost of insuring and providing health care to illegal aliens: Their solution is to stop calling them illegal aliens and to call them "legal immigrants" and U.S. citizens..." via Amnesty. www.tinyurl.com/kmyoxx Take Action: http://www.numbersusa.com/content/action.html P.S. - I don't appreciate Obama's comment: "There are going to be demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form of pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable. And those are fights that I'd have to have if my poll numbers are at 70 or if my poll numbers are at 40. That's just the nature of the U.S. immigration debate." My Mexican American in-laws and their extended family don't appreciate being called 'demagogues' either. They're as much against the current open border situation as I am. Which reminds me of what my father said back in the 80s: "Nothing much will be done about illegal immigration until the Mexican American population wants it to." And, as I see it, that won't happen until after the international oil economy hits a long term major crisis. At that time, a series of related international crises on many fronts will overshadow any attempt by me to say "I told you so". And since the world wide momentum of overpopulation is unstoppable, it's as good as done already. Note: I grew up on the border and spent 30 years total there (and I traveled throughout Mexico), plus I've studied the history of Latin America. Most people living north of San Antonio likely have a limited notion of what is to come. |
| Posted 8/14/2009 4:58 PM CDT It helps when one knows the basics of how things are structured & how they work. In this life, for example, you are a person with a personality that is connected through your soul to your spirit that perpetually exists in the Spirit World aka Heaven. Before you are born, you knew many of the people (close friends, family) in the spirit world. You had input with your Spirit Guides as to how and when you would incarnate (be born). We are all given "life tasks" to work on while we are here. Allowing our 'inner guidance' (impulses, thoughts) to guide us is essential --- provided you use common sense & recognize that which your spirit / spirit guides give you (do not confuse with false thoughts and feelings). Related readings: "Life after Life" series by Dr. Raymond Moody "Embraced By The Light" by Betty Eadie "Don't Know Much About The Bible" by Ken Davis |
Posted 8/13/2009 5:04 PM CDT
President Obama has restated his intention to provide an amnesty for illegal aliens. Speaking in Mexico, Obama said he wants to give "an opportunity for those who are already in the United States to be able to achieve a pathway to citizenship so they don't have to live in the shadows."
While struggles over health care and the economy have delayed efforts to push the amnesty bill, Obama said he planned to have language for an immigration bill drafted this year and pass the measure next year.
http://capwiz.com/caps/issues/alert/?alertid=13873681
03:31 Video:
www.tinyurl.com/qghrhs
A related topic:
www.tinyurl.com/nq5922
While struggles over health care and the economy have delayed efforts to push the amnesty bill, Obama said he planned to have language for an immigration bill drafted this year and pass the measure next year.
http://capwiz.com/caps/issues/alert/?alertid=13873681
03:31 Video:
www.tinyurl.com/qghrhs
A related topic:
www.tinyurl.com/nq5922
