Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Costa Rica 1971


This photograph was taken from a mapping plane from the government of Costa Rica 10,000 feet above Lago de Cote, Costa Rica 1971 with a high resolution camera automatically taking a picture every 17 seconds.


This object was capured on one of the frames as the plane was mapping the ground. After careful analysis it was determined that the object was a real three dimentional airborne object.


It shows in extraordinary detail all features of the landscape (water, shoreline, trees, etc.) and you'll notice how it was determined that the object (about 600+ ft. or 200 meters in diameter) was coming into or out of the water at an angle of approximately 30° in relation to the surface of the water.

Friday, January 27, 2012

sacred geometry


The Flower of Life is the modern name given to a geometrical figure composed of multiple evenly-spaced, overlapping circles. They are arranged to form a flower-like pattern with a sixfold symmetry, similar to a hexagon. The center of each circle is on the circumference of six surrounding circles of the same diameter.

It is considered by some to be a symbol of sacred geometry, said to contain ancient, religious value depicting the fundamental forms of space and time. In this sense, it is a visual expression of the connections life weaves through all sentient beings, and it is believed to contain a type of Akashic Record of basic information of all living things.

There are many spiritual beliefs associated with the Flower of Life; for example, depictions of the five Platonic Solids are found within the symbol of Metatron's Cube, which may be derived from the Flower of Life pattern. These platonic solids are geometrical forms which are said to act as a template from which all life springs.

According to Drunvalo Melchizedek, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the stages which construct the Seed of Life are said to represent the six days of Creation, in which Elohim created life; Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 23:12, 31:16-17, Isaiah 56:6-8. Within these stages, among other things, are the symbols of the Vesica Piscis, an ancient religious symbol, and Borromean rings, which represents the Holy Trinity. (read more)


Flower Of Life Crop Circle

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

bloggers' rights

Bloggers' Rights at EFF
One of EFF's goals is to give you a basic roadmap to the legal issues you may confront as a blogger to let you know you have rights and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your legitimate speech is protected.

To that end we have created the Legal Guide for Bloggers a collection of blogger-specific FAQs addressing everything from fair use to defamation law to workplace whistle-blowing.

In addition EFF continues to battle for bloggers' rights in the courtroom:

Bloggers can be journalists (and journalists can be bloggers). We're battling for legal and institutional recognition that if you engage in journalism you're a journalist with all of the attendant rights privileges and protections. (See Apple v. Does)

Bloggers are entitled to free speech. We're working to shield you from frivolous or abusive threats and lawsuits. Internet bullies shouldn't use copyright libel or other claims to chill your legitimate speech. (See OPG v. Diebold)

Bloggers have the right to political speech. We're working with a number of other public-interest organizations to ensure that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) doesn't gag bloggers' election-related speech. We argue that the FEC should adopt a presumption against the regulation of election-related speech by individuals on the Internet and interpret the existing media exemption to apply to online media outlets that provide news reporting and commentary regarding an election -- including blogs. (See our joint comments to the FEC).

Bloggers have the right to stay anonymous. We're continuing our battle to protect and preserve your constitutional right to anonymous speech online including providing a guide to help you with strategies for keeping your identity private when you blog. (See How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else).

Bloggers have freedom from liability for hosting speech the same way other web hosts do. We're working to strengthen Section 230 liability protections under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) while spreading the word that bloggers are entitled to them. (See Barrett v. Rosenthal)

(read more)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

nikola tesla/otis carr/ralph ring/john hutchison







Zero Point

Casimir Effect

21st century

Well, I dreamed I saw the knights in armor coming / Saying something about a queen / There were peasants singing and drummers drumming / And the archer split the tree / There was a fanfare blowing to the sun / That was floating on the breeze / Look at Mother Nature on the run / In the twenty first century
Photo of ~> [ Coral Reefer ]

Monday, January 23, 2012

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Listening to the Debates of Republican Contenders for the Presidential Nomination


Ever since the first black man was elected to the highest political office in the country, he has been subjected to a remarkable degree of political hyperbole and vitriolic attacks designed to impugn not only his policies, but his character as well.  These attacks originate not only from prejudiced and highly ignorant individuals and the right wing media, capitalizing on this kind of hatred, but also by his opponents in Congress.  They have continually portrayed him as an enemy and essentially inimical to so-called “American values.”  Using this kind of language, they have attempted to thwart his efforts in every conceivable manner often using political blackmail.  In this way, many of the endemic problems that face American society have been left to fester.
The real character of the opposition has been made abundantly clear by the nature of the debates now being aired as the aspirants to the Presidential office from the Republican Party challenge their adversaries for the nomination.  The language of these debates have been mean-spirited, ugly, unflattering and filled with vilest of accusations and rhetoric designed to appeal to ignorance and bigotry.  Those among the aspiring group who have chosen to use reasoned argument to make their respective cases have been effectively silenced as the front runners attempt to appeal to what has become the radical, right wing base of the Republican Party.
It is a troubling time in which many people live in fear and apprehension regarding their future as a direct result of the onslaught of the so-called “Great Recession.”  It is at such times that reasoned judgment and a cooperative effort to face and resolve acute national problems are the attributes most required. 
I am not looking forward to many months of polemical language filled with hateful speech that is destined to fill the airways until the November elections.  What we do not need as a people is the further polarization that will be the inevitable outcome of this kind of dialog.  Furthermore, it would be most distressing if one of the underlying reasons for this intensely negative environment is, in reality, racial hatred and bigotry.  

Barbie Arrested !!!


TEHRAN, Iran - Police have closed down dozens of toy shops for selling Barbie dolls in Iran, part of a decades-long crackdown against "manifestations of Western culture," the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported Friday.

Barbie dolls are sold wearing swimsuits and miniskirts in a society where women must wear headscarves in public, and men and women are not allowed to swim together.

A ban on the sale of the Barbies, designed to look like young Western women, was imposed in the mid-1990s. In its latest report, Mehr quoted an unidentified police official as saying authorities confiscated the dolls from Tehran stores in a "new phase" of the campaign.

In 2008, the Iranian judiciary warned against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences and "danger" of importing Barbie dolls and other Western toys. Even so, Iranian markets have been full of them. One-third of Iran's population of 75 million is under 15. (read more)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

lights in the sky


dome of the rock

I just wanna make love to you


Etta James (born Jamesetta Hawkins; January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012) was an American singer whose style spanned a variety of music genres including blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. Starting her career in the mid 1950s, she gained fame with hits such as "Dance With Me, Henry", "At Last", "Tell Mama", and "I'd Rather Go Blind" for which she claimed she wrote the lyrics. She faced a number of personal problems, including drug addiction, before making a musical resurgence in the late 1980s with the album The Seven Year Itch.

She is regarded as having bridged the gap between rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and is the winner of six Grammys and 17 Blues Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in both 1999 and 2008. Rolling Stone ranked James number 22 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time and number 62 on the list of the 100 Greatest Artists.

James encountered a string of legal problems during the early 1970s due to her heroin addiction. She was continuously in and out of rehabilitation centers, including the Tarzana Rehabilitation Center, in Los Angeles, California. Her husband Artis Mills, whom she married in 1969, accepted responsibility when they were both arrested for heroin possession and served a 10-year prison sentence.

Etta James had once been considered one of the most overlooked blues and R&B musicians in American music history. It wasn't until the early 1990s when James began receiving major industry awards from the Grammys and the Blues Foundation that she began to receive wide recognition. In 2011 James was voted one the Best Singers On Earth by viewers to Btoe, the multimedia Web site founded by Colin Larkin, creator of the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. (read more)

I just wanna make love to you

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

sorry, but this website has been

"The revolution will not be televised."

the outer limits

google blackout

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

the question of contact



overlords of the ufo 1976

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wikipedia blackout protesting Piracy Act



2012 Wikipedia blackout


The January 18 blackout page
(as proposed by User:Pretzels on January 16)


The 2012 English Wikipedia blackout is a proposed blackout of the English Wikipedia for 24 hours on 18 January 2012. In place of articles, the site would show only a message opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

TAKE ACTION

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a dangerous bill that would give the Department of Justice and big content unprecedented power to censor the Internet. There's a critical hearing this week about the bill, part of big content's effort to steamroll the bill through Congress, which means we have no time to lose. SOPA's supporters are desperate to get this bill through quickly by convincing Congress there's no real opposition to it. We know better, but we need to make our voices heard loud and clear.

> Take Action | Electronic Frontier Foundation
This proposal was made by the English Wikipedia community after a month of discussions on the project in various polls and requests for comment. The date was chosen to coincide with similar action by other websites, such as Reddit, and will run for 24 hours starting at 05:00 UTC on 18 January. The Wikimedia Foundation published a letter of support for the action later that day.


more > 2012 Wikipedia blackout - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Press releases/English Wikipedia to go dark - Wikimedia Foundation

San Francisco -- January 16, 2012 -- On January 18, 2012, in an unprecedented decision, the Wikipedia community has chosen to blackout the English version of Wikipedia for 24 hours, in protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and PROTECTIP (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate. If passed, this legislation will harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States.

“Today Wikipedians from around the world have spoken about their opposition to this destructive legislation," said Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. "This is an extraordinary action for our community to take - and while we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of Internet censorship for the world."

> more


English Wikipedia anti-SOPA blackout - Wikimedia Foundation

To: English Wikipedia Readers and Community
From: Sue Gardner, Wikimedia Foundation Executive Director
Date: January 16, 2012

Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00 UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate — that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia.

This will be the first time the English Wikipedia has ever staged a public protest of this nature, and it’s a decision that wasn’t lightly made. Here’s how it’s been described by the three Wikipedia administrators who formally facilitated the community’s discussion. From the public statement, signed by User:NuclearWarfare, User:Risker and User:Billinghurst:

It is the opinion of the English Wikipedia community that both of these bills, if passed, would be devastating to the free and open web.

Over the course of the past 72 hours, over 1800 Wikipedians have joined together to discuss proposed actions that the community might wish to take against SOPA and PIPA. This is by far the largest level of participation in a community discussion ever seen on Wikipedia, which illustrates the level of concern that Wikipedians feel about this proposed legislation. The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Of the proposals considered by Wikipedians, those that would result in a “blackout” of the English Wikipedia, in concert with similar blackouts on other websites opposed to SOPA and PIPA, received the strongest support.

On careful review of this discussion, the closing administrators note the broad-based support for action from Wikipedians around the world, not just from within the United States. The primary objection to a global blackout came from those who preferred that the blackout be limited to readers from the United States, with the rest of the world seeing a simple banner notice instead. We also noted that roughly 55% of those supporting a blackout preferred that it be a global one, with many pointing to concerns about similar legislation in other nations.

In making this decision, Wikipedians will be criticized for seeming to abandon neutrality to take a political position. That’s a real, legitimate issue. We want people to trust Wikipedia, not worry that it is trying to propagandize them.

But although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not. As Wikimedia Foundation board member Kat Walsh wrote on one of our mailing lists recently,

We depend on a legal infrastructure that makes it possible for us to operate. And we depend on a legal infrastructure that also allows other sites to host user-contributed material, both information and expression. For the most part, Wikimedia projects are organizing and summarizing and collecting the world’s knowledge. We’re putting it in context, and showing people how to make to sense of it.

But that knowledge has to be published somewhere for anyone to find and use it. Where it can be censored without due process, it hurts the speaker, the public, and Wikimedia. Where you can only speak if you have sufficient resources to fight legal challenges, or if your views are pre-approved by someone who does, the same narrow set of ideas already popular will continue to be all anyone has meaningful access to.

The decision to shut down the English Wikipedia wasn’t made by me; it was made by editors, through a consensus decision-making process. But I support it.

Like Kat and the rest of the Wikimedia Foundation Board, I have increasingly begun to think of Wikipedia’s public voice, and the goodwill people have for Wikipedia, as a resource that wants to be used for the benefit of the public. Readers trust Wikipedia because they know that despite its faults, Wikipedia’s heart is in the right place. It’s not aiming to monetize their eyeballs or make them believe some particular thing, or sell them a product. Wikipedia has no hidden agenda: it just wants to be helpful.

That’s less true of other sites. Most are commercially motivated: their purpose is to make money. That doesn’t mean they don’t have a desire to make the world a better place — many do! — but it does mean that their positions and actions need to be understood in the context of conflicting interests.

My hope is that when Wikipedia shuts down on January 18, people will understand that we’re doing it for our readers. We support everyone’s right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression. We think everyone should have access to educational material on a wide range of subjects, even if they can’t pay for it. We believe in a free and open Internet where information can be shared without impediment. We believe that new proposed laws like SOPA and PIPA, and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States — don’t advance the interests of the general public. You can read a very good list of reasons to oppose SOPA and PIPA here, from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Why is this a global action, rather than US-only? And why now, if some American legislators appear to be in tactical retreat on SOPA?

The reality is that we don’t think SOPA is going away, and PIPA is still quite active. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a much broader problem. All around the world, we're seeing the development of legislation intended to fight online piracy, and regulate the Internet in other ways, that hurt online freedoms. Our concern extends beyond SOPA and PIPA: they are just part of the problem. We want the Internet to remain free and open, everywhere, for everyone.

Make your voice heard!

On January 18, we hope you’ll agree with us, and will do what you can to make your own voice heard.

Sue Gardner,
Executive Director, Wikimedia Foundation


Stop Online Piracy Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.[2] Presented to the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the PROTECT IP Act.


> more


TAKE ACTION

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a dangerous bill that would give the Department of Justice and big content unprecedented power to censor the Internet. There's a critical hearing this week about the bill, part of big content's effort to steamroll the bill through Congress, which means we have no time to lose. SOPA's supporters are desperate to get this bill through quickly by convincing Congress there's no real opposition to it. We know better, but we need to make our voices heard loud and clear.
> Take Action | Electronic Frontier Foundation




see also

what next: From Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

"If everyone reading this donated $5, we would only have to fundraise for one day a year. But not everyone can or will donate. And that's fine. Each year just enough people decide to give.

"This year, please consider making a donation of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can to protect and sustain Wikipedia."


Monday, January 16, 2012

kindness is never wasted


"Forgiveness is not an occasional act,


it is a permanent attitude."

Ustad Allah Rakha | Tabla



Ustad Allah Rakha


Ravi Shankar, Alla Rakha - Tabla Solo in Jhaptal
"Alla Rakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet."


Once in a great while, there emerges a musician who, through his genius, injects that certain spark necessary to elevate an instrument to another level of expression and appreciation.

For tabla, Ustad Allarakha was such an artist, having brought his instrument a stature and respect never before enjoyed. A disciple of Mian Kader Baksh, the great guru of the Punjab gharana, Ustad Allarakha was, in his lifetime, the most celebrated exponent of this style.


Sandeep Sagar: Abbaji - Ustad Allah Rakha

Leading American percussionists in Rock n' Roll, such as the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, admired him and studied his technique, benefiting greatly even from single meetings. Hart, a published authority on percussion in world music, said "Alla Rakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet." Alla Rakha also collaborated with jazz drummer Buddy Rich, on their 1968 album Rich à la Rakha. Ustad Alla Rakha Khan was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.

Alla Rakha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


more > what next: Ustad Allah Rakha & Zakir Hussain | Tabla

the truth shall set you free

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Occupy Wall Street | Unity Day | Occupy Courts



Unity Day


Members of the African-American faith community have joined forces with Occupy Wall Street to launch a new campaign for economic justice inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faithful to its philosophical origin, the "Occupy the Dream" coalition has called for a National Day of Action to Occupy the Federal Reserve tomorrow to focus attention on the gross injustice visited upon the 99% by the financial elite. Clergy members and Occupiers in over 16 cities will come together in Austin, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, DC, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Richmond, San Francisco, St. Louis, Wilmington, and beyond. In Manhattan, we will gather tomorrow (Jan. 16th) from 10am to 1pm at 33 Liberty Street (NY, NY 10045)...


more > Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution


#J20: Occupy The Courts Nationwide, San Francisco to Occupy Wall Street West


via Occupy Portland:
This is a national day of action (January 20,2011) just one day before the second anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that corporations (as people entitled to the rights of the U.S. Constitution) can spend unregulated and undisclosed sums of money in order to influence elections. [There are] over 80 rallies at federal courthouses around the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.


Occupy Wall Street | NYC Protest for World Revolution


nasa warning

playing with matches











Saturday, January 14, 2012

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Doublespeak Lives

Doublespeak does live. It is vibrant and alive. It permeates every conceivable level ofsociety. Much is spoken about theprosperity of our society. This is voicedagainst a backdrop of cities where thousands roam the asphalt and concrete landscapehomeless and desperate and the hungry queue up at food banks for the basiccommodities. Prosperity is alluded towith a deep and abiding reverence. Thecondominium and estate dwellers carry this notion with them like anall-embracing mantra. Yet, they are buta small minority, while the overwhelming majority struggle to either survive ormaintain a level of economic well-being that is ever at the brink of bankruptcyand destitution.
The spokesman for superiority of this society refer toa nation with the greatest health care system in the world, while fifty millionindividuals lack basic health insurance a realtiy that translates into the factthat they are denied adequate access to health care of any kind. This reality is dutifully ignored though itis a very substantial fact. These numbersare simply subtracted from consideration or concern. Those whose health is exquisitely cared for arethe affluent, exactly the ones who vociferously applaud the quality of thesystem as it exists. The rest stand tolose any financial stability they may enjoy if they should get seriouslyill. For them the health care system isfine, if they remain healthy. Gettingill is another matter entirely. And yet,we hold up this marvelously inequitable system as a model for the entire worldto emulate.
We are a people that love our children so well and socompletely that one-quarter of all children in the country live inpoverty. We claim to care for thewell-being of our future generations, yet we ignore their plight, provide themwith little if any relief from their misery and yet condone their free accessto and use of all manner of deadly firearms. When those adolescents who happen to be disturbed (which is not terriblyunusual for that stage of life) and use weapons that are so readily available,the society shows its concern about the welfare of children, by demandingretribution and, would, if allowed, place ten year olds on death row. No connection is made between the level ofdeadly violence in the society and the accessibility of firearms. Children who are raised deprived of thosebasic amenities we speak so highly about, and who live lives of desperationare, of course, expected to behave both wisely and well. If they, however, behave badly, then thewrath of society falls heavily upon them. The nation takes no responsibility for these outcomes. This is not merely hypocrisy, for hypocrisyis a disguise and obfuscation of truth. It is, in fact, a purposeful distortion of reality. Doublespeak is far more insidious for itproudly proclaims harmony when all around there is imbalance.
Racism is an area where Doublespeak truly shines. In a country that only one hundred and fiftyyears ago condoned the outright ownership of other human beings and totalexploitation of their labor, and only forty years ago denied black people equalaccess to restaurants, restrooms, housing, employment, and every conceivablebasic amenity, today speaks of itself as color blind. This is the very same culture that condonedthe lynching of black men for the innocuous act of merely looking at whitewomen. Somehow, we have magically curedourselves of this barbarism. Yetstrangely enough, most of the menial labor in the society, most of theunskilled menial jobs are performed by people of color. An inordinate proportion of the population ofprisons is represented by black males. Theinner cities are segregated and the schools and social services that serveminorities are abysmal. In spite ofthese obvious realities, affirmative action is ridiculed and blacks are expectedto compete on an equal basis with the more privileged sectors of whitesociety. It is a pretend game of suchstaggering proportions as to be almost comic, if the ramifications were not so horrific.
The War on Drugs continues. There is apparently no end to the police,weapons and prison resources available to interdict the flow of drugs andpunish users, mostly represented by the poor. This strategy is carried out in spite of the obvious awareness that theproblem lies with demand. These drugsessentially serve as an escape mechanism for those who live in conditions thatare deplorable and seemingly hopeless. Yet the beat goes on.
Doublespeak lives. The media are intimately involved in the “art” of Doublespeak. They are its champions, admirers and ultimatepractitioners. They report and emphasizesensational stories as so-called newsworthy events being sure to exaggeratetheir emotional content without making any reference to their context orhistorical perspective. They play the deviousgame of political distraction with consummate skill. The media, essentially owned and controlled bycorporate conglomerates, for the most part parrot the views and interests ofthe powerful, for, that is the group, after all, that controls the directionand actions of the society at large. Itis no surprise that this group would benefit immensely from molding the viewsand aspirations of the general population.
Doublespeak lives on in the area of armaments. It is quite interesting that the UnitedStates - the nation that holds the greatest nuclear arsenal and the onlysovereignty that unleashed nuclear weapons on human beings - is the samecountry that always appears so appalled and outraged when less powerful statesmove to arm themselves in the same way. This nation also happens to be the greatest arms seller in the communityof nations. For that reason, it profitsmaterially from the violent conflicts that erupt in much of the impoverishedworld. It is the distinct quality of Doublespeakthat remarkable contradictions between pronouncements and reality are neveracknowledged and vociferously denied when referred to. It is the hallmark of Doublespeak that povertybecomes prosperity, empty becomes full and night becomes day.
The greatest masters of Doublespeak and all itsexquisite nuances are not so much the politicians as the foreign policyexperts, for they can make ignorance seem like enlightenment, can make a tyrantseem like a prince of democracy and most importantly make evil seem somehowmagically good. There are many splendidexamples of this. The State of Israel thathas forces of occupation throughout its neighboring region and rules the“territories” by shear brute force and state terror calls itself a democracyand is even referred to as a democracy by other nations. Of course the question may come to mind,“Democracy for whom?” The Palestinianrefugees whose squalid camps are surrounded by armed troops certainly do notlive under a democratic umbrella.
Israel is a nation that uses the same tactics thatapartheid South Africa once used to deny the basic civil rights and freedoms ofthe majority black population by herding them into so-called “homelands.” This is a nation that blows up and demolisheshomes of Arabs to make way for Jewish settlers and shoots young boys who havethe audacity to throw rocks at the forces of occupation that constantly harassand contain them. This is a nation thatuses fascist methods to maintain so-called order. Ironically, the Israelis emulate thestrategies and policies of those whose demonic behavior they insist the worldmust never forget. Yet, somehow, miraculouslyIsrael is a democracy to be admired and celebrated. Doublespeak lives.
There are many past examples of leaders of nations whohave received lavish praise for their industry and labors in spite of theiractual behavior towards the populations that were subjected to their rule. The Shah of Iran, Batista of Cuba, Samoza ofNicaragua, The French in Indochina, Suharto of Indonesia, Marcos of thePhilippines are the names of just a few. These were the agents who served both themselves and Western Capitalistsexceedingly well at the expense of their own people. Nonetheless, they were to be praised for theirleadership and statecraft. Their evilpropensities were forged into good works and farsighted and enlightened policies.
Part of the masterful agenda of Doublespeak is the creationof an almost continual need for enemies. As both a distraction from societal ills and as a means of finding acohesive focus for the entire culture, an enemy or enemies of the State seem tobe required. If they do not truly exist,which is often the case, they can be readily fabricated thanks in large measureto the genius of the media. Whenever thetrue economic interests of the powerful corporate interests are threatened orthe rise of a popular movement questions the supremacy of the capitalistphilosophy, it is then that enemies are called upon . The propaganda machinery of governmenttogether with their cohorts in the media focus their attention on moldingpublic opinion in the direction of that newest enemy or enemies of theState. The newest term in the formidablevocabulary of Doublespeak is the so-called “Terrorist State.” At such times, the overweening priorities ofnational interest is invoked, although it is rather inconceivable to imaginehow a third world power can pose a significant threat against the world’s onlysuperpower. Doublespeak lives.
Since Doublespeak calls upon and relies upon theimmense resources of the State, it is an essential tool for the implementationof the agenda of the powerful. It isonly through education and organized resistance that this practice can beexposed, undermined and defeated. Doublespeaklives because the people feed upon it. Doublespeakthrives on ignorance and apathy. Doublespeaklives because the truth is not demanded. Sick is not well, empty is not full, evil is not goodness.

you were meant to be here

James Forrestal


James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.

Forrestal was a supporter of naval battle groups centered on aircraft carriers. In 1954, the world's first supercarrier was named USS Forrestal in his honor, as is the headquarters of the United States Department of Energy. He is also the namesake of the Forrestal Lecture Series at the United States Naval Academy, which brings prominent military and civilian leaders to speak to the Brigade of Midshipmen, and of the James Forrestal Campus of Princeton University in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey.

Forrestal observed a famously punishing work schedule in the last years of his life, and rumors had circulated in the press as to his health. President Truman's decision to dismiss him as Secretary of Defense on March 31, 1949 is said to have caused him to suffer a "nervous breakdown", a charge denied by Forrestal's brother. Forrestal was hospitalized on April 2, 1949. On May 22, 1949 he was found dead on the roof of a covered walkway below the window of a kitchen across the hall from his 16th floor room at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC, commonly known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital), a bathrobe sash knotted tightly around his neck. This happened on the day Forrestal was to be discharged from the hospital. The news media reported that he had committed suicide, and the local coroner and U.S. Navy officials agreed. The circumstances of the death were reviewed, however, by a committee convened by Rear Admiral Morton D. Willcutts, the head of NNMC (1948–1951). The committee released only a brief list of conclusions several months after it had completed its work. The conclusions noted only that Forrestal "died following a fall" and that the fall caused his death. The board did not speculate as to what might have caused the fall.

The committee's full report was not released until 2004. In a review of the board's evidence and findings—solicited by the Navy and kept secret with the report until 2004—Chairman of the American Psychiatric Association Dr. Winfred Overholser concluded that Forrestal "came to his death by suicide while in a state of mental depression," but the report's own conclusions were seen to have been accurately reported 55 years earlier, that is simply that Forrestal died from the fall. Debate over the exact circumstances of Forrestal's unusual death continues today, with some critics citing the U.S. government's withholding of the official report and autopsy results as well as possible signs of struggle in evidence photos as indicating foul play.

There were unsubstantiated reports in the press of paranoia and of involuntary commitment to the hospital, as well as suspicions about the detailed circumstances of his death, which have fed a variety of conspiracy theories as well as legitimate questions. For example, among the discrepancies between the report and the accounts given in the principal Forrestal biographies are that the transcription of the poem by Sophocles appears to David Martin, author of the six-part series Who Killed James Forrestal? to have been written in a hand other than Forrestal's. If Forrestal's, according to some intelligence sources, then he could not scribble the word "nightingale" in the poem because it was the code name of the Ukrainian Nazi elite unit Nachtigall Brigade which Forrestal had helped to smuggle to the United States to supplant Kim Philby's failed ABN (Anti Bolshevik Nationals), an MI6 Soviet émigré fascist group. There was also broken glass found on Forrestal's bed, a fact that had not been previously reported. Theories as to who might have murdered Forrestal range from Soviet agents, to U.S. government operatives sent to silence him for his knowledge of UFOs. (read more)

The Death of James Forrestal


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sunday, January 8, 2012

prisoner

War, it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

Decapitation of prisoner in Korean War.

Margaret Bourke-White

Freestyle Over-Dead By Design - Canibus.mp3

Freestyle Over-Dead By Design - Canibus.mp3 by Leonid Basin

descent into madness


If you don't already know, there is a controversial bill President Obama signed into law on New Year's Eve. Provisions within the NDAA allow for the indefinite detention of American citizens on US soil, without access to a trial or attorney. It's a disgrace to the founding fathers, to our nation's rule of law, and to every soldier who has given his or her life to protect our way of life. Many, even liberal Democrats, are now calling for Obama's impeachment, and the recall of Congressional leaders who crammed this bill through.
(read more) (aclu blog) (NDAA)

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Friday, January 6, 2012

absence


In the absence of light,

darkness prevails.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

whats up: Nukespeak is a classic! | Karl Grossman



Nukespeak is a classic!



Award-winning investigative journalist Karl Grossman interviews Nukespeak co-author Rory O’Connor on Grossman’s nationally-aired TV program, Enviro-Close-Up. Grossman has been a journalist for more than 40 years, and is a professor of journalism at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury. He is also the chief investigative reporter for WVVH-TV.

Grossman said he was happy to be talking about the 30th anniversary updated edition of Nukespeak: “Of the books written about nuclear technology through the years, Nukespeak is a classic. The new edition of Nukespeak has been updated — with four new chapters — and added to its title is: The Selling of Nuclear Technology from the Manhattan Project to Fukushima. It tells how nuclear promoters have been — and continue — using Orwellian language to try to hide the truth about the deadly dangers of nuclear technology.”


more > whats up: Nukespeak is a classic! | Karl Grossman

EnviroVideo presents Enviro Close-UP with Karl Grossman on blip.tv
A EnviroVideo produces environmental and social justice programs for television - including interview and news shows, specials, and documentaries. The underlying premise of EnviroVideo is that there are critical environmental issues at hand that can best be communicated to large numbers of people through the media most favored for news and information - television and the Internet. And if there is broad public awareness, pressing environmental matters can be dealt with and action taken to truly resolve them.


NO NUKES | RE-TOOL NOW
whats up: RC'S NUCLEAR BLOG

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The End of the Iraq War


The Iraq War is officially at an end – the troops have come home.  Is there any intention on the part of government and its people to seriously assess the significance of this prolonged conflict and to ascertain whether the enormous cost inflicted both on ourselves and our alleged enemies was worth it?   I think not; similar to the aftermath of the Vietnam War, it will quickly be forgotten by those who did not directly participate in it.  Political pundits and those running for office will, of course, distort the reality of this war in whatever way necessary to achieve personal satisfaction and gain.
In fact, nothing of lasting importance has been achieved in spite of the one trillion dollar drain on the national treasury; the more than four thousand American lives lost and the tens of thousands grievously injured Americans and the death of what well may be one million Iraqis.  Quite to the contrary, sectarian rivalries have been greatly exacerbated and the physical infrastructure of the country has still not been restored to the state they were in prior to the First Gulf War – electricity and reliably clean drinking water are still not readily available to the Iraqi population, for example.
The Iraq War represents, in my mind, a reprehensible and failed attempt to establish economic hegemony in the region.  It is true that the energy and weapons industries may have profited immensely from the conflict, but these are ephemeral gains.  The depraved indifference to human life that this unprovoked and brutal war on the people of Iraq represents has not only diminished the financial and human resources of the United States, but also, has wrecked havoc on the moral character of the nation.   It is another senseless war along with the wretched litany of past conflicts perpetrated against essentially defenseless peoples around the globe.
Is there no end to what the American people will tolerate in regards to the militaristic behavior of our nation towards other governments and their citizens?  There is now about one and one-half million men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.    They have been badly used and exploited by those in power who remain remote from any possibility of harm.   What kind of treatment should they expect to find on their return home?  The evidence is clear in regards to the answer to this question – they can expect little help or understanding.  They are, in fact, expected to suffer in silence.
If we, as a people, do not look honestly and with unflinching clarity at our own behavior, we are doomed to repeat it.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

end time


2012 (MMXII) is a leap year that started on a Sunday in the Gregorian calendar, and it is the current year. It is the 2012th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 12th year of the 3rd millennium and of the 21st century, and the 3rd of the 2010s.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, in particular recognizing their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration; it is also designated as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

It has also been designated Alan Turing Year, commemorating the mathematician, computer pioneer, and code-breaker on the centennial of Turing's birth.

There are a variety of popular beliefs about the year 2012. These beliefs range from the spiritually transformative to the apocalyptic, and center upon various interpretations of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Contemporary scientists have disputed the apocalyptic versions.

The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs according to which cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. Various astronomical alignments and numerological formulae have been proposed as pertaining to this date, though none have been accepted by mainstream scholarship.

A New Age interpretation of this transition is that this date marks the start of time in which Earth and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation, and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a new era. Others suggest that the 2012 date marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios suggested for the end of the world include the arrival of the next solar maximum, or Earth's collision with a black hole, passing asteroid or a planet called "Nibiru". (read more)

Rough Freestyle 1

Rough Freestyle 1