Amelopsis' Garden

America is a company owned town

2010-06-29T09:15:00.004-04:00

"The United States can no longer engage effectively in "nation-building" in the one place on Earth it has a right and duty to do so: at home. These are the lessons of the 2010 Gulf oil catastrophe"

It doesn't get more complicit than this

2009-07-18T11:51:00.009-04:00

I've been wholly absent, although I've looked in now and again so that I could check in on a few of your blogs.
Today's meandering brings me to share my findings.

California conducts Israeli missile tests

photo via

Israel is set to hold a missile test on a US missile range in the Pacific Ocean in an exercise that will also see the US test three missile defence systems, a senior US general has said.

The test site will allow Israel to measure its Arrow interceptor missile system against a target at a range of more than 1,000km, Army Lieutenant General Patrick O’Reilly, director of the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, said on Tuesday.

“They [Israel] are having a flight test soon this summer,” he said.

“They are limited to the range of the missile they can test in the eastern Mediterranean. There’s a safety issue.

“That’s the primary purpose of them coming to the United States to use our test range.”

The Arrow system, which was developed by Israel and the United States, is intended to defend Israel against possible ballistic missile attacks from Iran and Syria.

It will be the third such test held by Israel in the United States, a US defence official said.

US test

The exercise is likely to take place within the next few days off the central California coast, between Santa Barbara and Point Mugu.

The test will also give the US military a chance to test its own anti-ballistic missile systems, O’Reilly said.

“The upcoming test also provides us the opportunity to have the Patriot system, the THAAD system and the Aegis system all interacting with the Arrow system so that we’re demonstrating full inter-operability as we execute this test,” he said.

But he said that the exercise would only test certain elements of US missile defence systems and be a largely Israeli operation.

Israel successfully test-launched its Arrow II interceptor missile in April, shooting down a target simulating an Iranian Shehab missile over the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel has expressed concerns that Iran’s uranium enrichment programme is aimed at producing nuclear warheads that could be attached to ballistic missiles.

Iran has repeatedly denied that it is pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, saying that its uranium enrichment work is geared towards generating electricity.

Article is from Al Jazeera via Body on the Line - a new blog I discovered from Laila

Earlier this spring she shared her latest experience (complete with Spider Man outfit) of just what the above story means for the all the Palestinian diaspora, their existence, their families, the obscenity of the imposed birthright of everyone of her nationality.

Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan; "democracy" being visited to the world in the fashion so undeniably imperial, so ubiquitously 'American'; but that's another word who's common usage overlooks the other countries and continents which are encompassed in its more correct definition.

'Democracy everywhere', but none to spare for a Palestinian.

Defined by their nationality, denied control of their nation.

Deported from anywhere, sent anywhere but home.

The quintessential Palestinian experience.

The Truth About the Gaza Massacre - Video

2009-01-19T17:46:00.002-05:00

also:
Israel shelling Gaza despite "ceasefire"

and yet another disgrace for Canadians:
"Wiped off the Map"
Park funded by Canadians hides the ruins of Arab villages.

Cross posted from Youngfox Canada

Jews vs. Zionism

2009-01-14T23:29:00.002-05:00

Harper, Ignatieff and the other apologists for ethnic cleansing should listen to these real Jews.

On the opposite side of the spectrum Zionists in New York dance and celebrate the Gaza massacre while high profile Democratic politicians repeat the "Israel does not target civilians" propaganda.
Some of the Zionists declare Israel should "Wipe them all out" - an open call for genocide.

If you said such a monstrous thing in Canada,
(and it was not, of course, referring to Muslims),
you would be charged with sickeningly Orwellian "hate crimes".
If you said it specifically referring to Zionist Jews, you would find out fast how equal all Canadians really are.

See Zionism for what it is - a monstrous all pervasive supremacist movement that has nothing to do with religion, yet it hides behind Judaism.

As unacceptable as it might sound their lobby groups in Canada control the media and government.
Politicians fear their financial and media strength and would sell you or me down the river in a heartbeat at their behest.

AIPAC North
"Israel Advocacy" in Canada

Two examples of Canadians who dared upset Zionists both here and abroad are Leslie Hughes and Maj. Paeta Hess-von Kruedener, two people who dared utter truths displeasing to Zionists.
Hess-von Kruedener reported Israeli war crimes against Lebanon from his UN bunker in 2006 that was then deliberately wiped out with repeated air strikes by the Zionist air force.
Zionist puppet Stephen Harper then proceeded to blame Hess-von Kruedener for doing his job and standing in the way of the Zionist war machine.
Although the UN outpost was clearly targeted for destruction by Zionist Israeli forces for daring to report their war criminal activities Harper did not lift a finger to defend the Canadian or demand any explanation from the Zionist war criminals.

In the last Canadian election Liberal candidate Leslie Hughes was singled out for previously authoring a blog post about groups with foreknowledge of the 9/11/01 attacks and was quickly thrown under the bus by lickspittle Stephan Dion at the behest of Canadian Israel lobby stalwarts The Canadian Jewish Congress and B'nai Brith Canada.

Now Bernie Farber of the Zionist lobby group Canadian Jewish Congress, in seeking greater control over what Canadians can say or think, has levelled a ludicrous claim:
" Jewish group claims pro-Gaza protests have violated Canadian laws"
Be careful if indeed you intend to practice your now tenuous right to free speech in Canada. If the Zionist Lobby does not approve of what you say or do, you can bet that their government pets will sick the increasingly Stasi-like Canadian "law enforcement" alphabet agencies all over you.

Cross posted from Youngfox Canada

The Siege of Gaza

2009-01-11T17:19:00.003-05:00

...is not a "war on terror". It is the slaughter of innocents. It is a crime against humanity, against justice.

It is a war of aquisition and a genocide.

Do what you can to help Gaza.

Moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter

2008-12-04T14:31:00.002-05:00

Dave Jurasevich

"Visible the world over was an
unusual superposition of our Moon and the planets Venus and Jupiter."

Drive People Pods

2008-12-02T09:34:00.006-05:00

"the design team worked very hard on it"
"touching the vehicle's soft body."

I found other things to see

2008-08-04T09:42:00.003-04:00

at the Space Collective too...

GREEN AFTERMATH

3 long months later...

2008-08-01T17:26:00.001-04:00

Today's a HAPPY DAY!

Felines, Engineers, Yodeling...

2008-05-01T18:33:00.008-04:00

Oh yes, wait for it. There IS yodelling, sans medeival tortuesque organist.

Just a bunch of happy cats and their engineers.

WARNING: Do not attempt intervene in feline artistic impression without feline consent.

Failure to do so may result in harmful effects.

I'm also quite certain one is unwise to feed one's feline companions canned tuna. Something about indigestible enzymes or lipids in the oils - too much of it's toxic, or some such. (Although it would appear that a 1/3 can portion every now and then may not be toxic.) Ask your veterinarian and do your own reading, because - I may not know what I'm talking about.

Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

2008-04-19T22:24:00.023-04:00

It’s a familiar placation that can be really irritating to hear, and one which is usually spoken at exactly that same moment at which it’s most irritating.
Nevertheless, there is more often than not something good to be gleaned from many an unfortunate experience – IF one can be bothered to find it.

In all likelihood, each of us either suffers from a mental disorder ourselves, or knows someone who does. Family, friends, either or both. In either case, you’ve suffered as a result. If you’re not a psychopath yourself, then you’ve felt empathic hurt for this person(s) in your life who is the psychopath or narcissist, and have considered long and hard what you might do to better the situation; to find ‘something’ which could help either that person, or yourself. This never ending search can lead in all sorts of directions and is extremely energy intensive.

For those who have a friend or family member who is a Narcissist or Psychopath, it’s my conclusion that your healthiest option is to cut them out of your life.

It sounds harsh, I know; that’s because it is.

If you have lived with such a person in your life, you might have secretly thought of this option, felt guilty for even considering it, and dismissed it as a result of societal pressures and conformities. After all, who does not want to help someone whom they love or care for?

Help cannot be given unless it is desired. That’s the bottom line. It's a matter of Free Will. Try as you might, your efforts will be for naught unless your help is TRULY wanted (and even when those words are used, it’s not always the truthful request). You’ll try and try, and try again, and sooner or later you’ll tire of having your efforts flung in your face.

The harsh conclusion of completely dissociating with such personalities is strictly a matter of self preservation and protection. One cannot maintain a healthy relationship with a Narcissist, and any attempt will inevitably end badly for the victim – and yes – ‘victim’ is the correct word for anyone attempting to cultivate or maintain such a relationship.

If this is all beginning to sound familiar, one must firstly identify the Narcissist:

According to the DSM IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
by the American Psychiatric Association, Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)
can be diagnosed if at least 5 of the following symptoms are present:
1. An exaggerated sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and
talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
In popular usage, the terms narcissism, narcissist, and narcissistic denote
absurd vanity and are applied to people whose ambitions and aspirations are much
grander than their evident talents.
2. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Translation: Narcissists cultivate solipsistic or "autistic" fantasies, which is to say that
they live in their own little worlds (and react with affront when reality dares
to intrude).
3. Believes he is "special" and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
Translation: Narcissists think that everyone who is not special and superior
is worthless. By definition, normal, ordinary, and average aren't special and
superior, and so, to narcissists, they are worthless.
4. Requires excessive admiration
Translation: Excessive in two ways: they want praise,
compliments, deference, and expressions of envy all the time, and they want to
be told that everything they do is better than what others can do. Sincerity is
not an issue here; all that matter are frequency and volume.
5. Has a sense of entitlement
Translation: They expect automatic compliance with their
wishes or especially favorable treatment, such as thinking that they should
always be able to go first and that other people should stop whatever they're
doing to do what the narcissists want, and may react with hurt or rage when
these expectations are frustrated.
6. Selfishly takes advantage of others to achieve his own ends
Translation: Narcissists use other people to get what
they want without caring about the cost to the other people.
7. Lacks empathy
This may have two forms: 1. a narcissist may simply not have a
representation for certain emotions and may simply be incapable of correctly
interpreting emotional signals of others or 2. may make correct interpretations
but considers the emotions of others to be inconsequential and irrelevant to
self, worth knowing only as a means for manipulation. The latter is typical of
the psychopath.
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him
9. Shows arrogant, haughty, patronizing, or contemptuous behaviors or attitudes

SOURCE

If alarm bells are ringing after reading this list of symptoms, then there are a number of things you know regarding the narcissistic personality. Everyone has narcissistic traits – they’re part of the human condition; but a person with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder takes these traits to new lows. The Narcissist victimises themselves almost as much as anyone around them. They live breathe and sleep these traits, and anything good about them as an individual will be eaten away until they are but a shell of their former selves; truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

They are completely lacking any self-awareness. They believe they are, but they only identify with the ‘false self’, crafted over years of self-deception and cocooned in the elaborate menagerie of lies and fantasy that is their world, their reality. Their true selves are hidden away and eventually lost. They are often intelligent persons who have all the necessary ingredients to make something of themselves, but their own belief that they are more creative, more clever, possess greater skills of reason and deduction, inevitably destroys & undermines any chance of them progressing as a person or of maintaining anything in their lives which could potentially help them on the road to being a person with a healthy psyche and sense of self (job, home, friendship).

Add to the mix their paranoia, and inability to assess anything or anyone within realistic terms, and you have an utterly destructive concoction.

The Narcissists’ overpowering sense of entitlement, grandiose fantasies, delusions of grandeur, (they are as perfect as they come – just ask them!) are generally not correlated with, or justified by, any real accomplishments in their lives (whether such accomplishments are of the conventional variety or not).

They feel ‘entitled’ – to anything and everything: your time, your admiration, your awe, attention, love, resources – both emotional and monetary. When you, or anyone else, attempt to deprive them of their entitlements you are guilty of not feeding their fantasy, the paranoia programme kicks into high gear and they suspect you, members of their family, anyone they know - even strangers on the street, of plotting against them – colluding and conniving to plan their failure and downfall. You do this because you are inferior and therefore envious of their superior qualities (looks, thoughts, powers of reason, etc.) and you are out for revenge.

Of course, the opposite is more likely the case; friends & family members of these mentally ill persons are probably trying to help; it is the Narcissists’ own actions and behaviours mirrored by those around them that is the destructive force in their life.

As the Narcissist matures, matters are frequently complicated by secondary problems manifested as a result of their illness: depression, misdiagnosis and unnecessary or unhelpful medication, prescription or illicit drug abuse, inability to keep a job or attend school regularly, and on and on.

Cannibalism in Autumn – SalvadorDali

They chase after fantasy and make-believe. They create a reality where the carrot is also stick, they fear closeness with another person and so they rebuff true friends and partners (often with great vitriol which will seem to come from out of nowhere) thus creating the very situation they fear most – alone, without anyone to admire them, unwanted. They have become the snake that eats its own tail. Hence the term ‘Narcissist’.

Narcissus of Greek mythology, spurned the love of Echo – the passive nymph who wanted nothing more than to be with the beautiful Narcissus and could only speak in response to being spoken to. They might have lived happily ever after but she was not the only nymph to be rebuffed. One of these sought divine help from Nemesis, who complied, cursing Narcissus to fall in love with him while being unable to accept his own love. Thus did Narcissus see his reflection in a silvery pool when leaning to drink, only to find that the beauty fled from his touch returning a few moments later. On it went until his body wasted and died at the waters’ edge, ever seeking the love and companionship of his reflection.

Metamorphosis of Narcissus – Salvador Dali

(Now anyone who has perused my blog probably knows I’m not one for belief in gods of any flavour, but the mythological story here serves to understand the etymology of the words and names of Echo, Narcissist, and Nemesis)

If you know a Narcissist and want nothing but to care for them, you echo – or mirror their own perceived beauty and desirousness; your enabling behaviour will allow them to deceive you (as you deceive yourself) and you may think your love and caring is reciprocated, for a while. But they see in you only their reflection, your only usefulness in your expressions of admiration and words of praise.
The Narcissist becomes the Nemesis, the cause of their undoing. Your echo no longer sustains their ego, any attempt at intimacy or understanding disrupts the perfect reflection.
If you are a determined and devoted Echo, you too will be undone; less than you could or should be.

If at this point you’re thinking that you might have hit on a solution – seeking the help of medical professionals to provide some personal tools for self help, or even to cure your narcissist – think again……
They know better! They’re above the help of any peon who thinks they understand their thoughts and feelings, and you’re just trying to destroy them, bring them down to your level (you are inferior, after all), so you can feel less inadequate (yes, you feel inadequate, and what’s more you’re so obtuse that you needed them to tell you just how inadequate you feel!)
Just who do you think you are trying to ‘help’ them?! You’re the one who needs help with your jealousy and inferiority complex. Your priorities are all out of whack. You think you know what you’re talking about, but you don’t. You might be right to suggest therapy – for yourself – it seems you need your head checked!

And so on. Turnabout is the name of the game. Irrational behaviour will be rationalised. Up is down, down is up. If you listen to the rantings of the Disturbed for long enough, you may even begin to doubt your own instincts and the legitimacy of your own feelings.

The Narcissist uses people only to prop up their own self image and so long as you comply with this function, you are admired and valued; but only as an instrument to assist them in achieving their goals. Begin to question them in any way, their half-baked self-inflated egotistical behaviours, their opinion of others (you’ve often heard them denigrate and malign those who are less valuable or special than they), and you are no longer serving their purposes.
You will become the object of their disdain. Your insubordination is utterly contemptible and you are no longer worthy their time or company; you no longer offer anything of value.

A Narcissist cannot countenance, certainly has no empathy for, and will not suffer to be in the company of persons they deem to be ‘useless’. Useless persons are to be maligned and libelled to any and all who will listen – those who listen best will be deemed as ‘valuable’ and find favour in the eyes of the Narcissist, who will speak cleverly and enchantingly to them. They will use all their skill and cunning – honed over the years – to gain trust. As is their nature, they’ll exercise the only ability to which they might have a legitimate claim of superiority – manipulating the truth, and crafting lies which will be believed as truths – to forge false friendships, that they may find their beloved reflection once again.

This cycle sows imbalance, disharmony and distrust in the lives of all who are close to them – most especially if they’ve not been recognised the person in their midst as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Peace Monument – Martin Wittfooth

The Narcissists’ Fantasy Reality – the Matrix of their own creation – is a creepy place, and there’s only room for one. Anyone else is competition and will be destroyed.

To understand them is to know that their reality is one of desolation, ruination, failure and despair. Anything possessing lightness and joy will be trapped, twisted and digested like a fly in a pitcher plant or a frog in a boiling pot. At first it seems like a nice place, but while you're busy getting comfortable it will suck the life from you.

So, if you live with, are friends with, or are the relation of a Narcissistic Personality, do yourself a favour. Call a spade a spade, move on with the knowledge that the hurt you’ve felt is all the guilt you need – abandon them, and get on with the business of cultivating your own mental health. There are plenty more clouds on the horizon and you’d be wise to take your silver lining and make an umbrella.

Narcissus tazetta

It’s your Garden. Cultivate it well, plant productive flowers, share your seeds with friends and neighbours who respect the boundaries, and don’t be afraid to pull out the weeds – left unchecked they can wreck the whole place.

"TsunAMI"

2008-04-02T22:13:00.007-04:00

Astronomers have captured the first
footage of a solar "tsunami" hurtling through the Sun's atmosphere at over a
million kilometres per hour.

[...]

Details were reported at the UK National
Astronomy Meeting in Belfast.
In half an hour, we saw the tsunami cover
almost the full disc of the Sun

In a solar tsunami, a huge explosion near the Sun, such as a coronal mass
ejection or flare, causes a pressure pulse to propagate outwards in a circular
pattern. [...]for about 35 minutes, reaching peak speeds about 20 minutes after
the initial blast.
[...]"The energy released in these explosions is phenomenal;
about two billion times the annual world energy consumption in just a fraction
of a second.

[...]
"In half an hour, we saw the tsunami cover almost the full disc of the Sun,
nearly a million kilometres away from the epicentre."

Photos and excerpts from original article.

"They make a desolation and call it peace."

2008-03-30T11:12:00.005-04:00

-Tacitus

Is an International Financial Conspiracy Driving World Events?

David Rockefeller at Harvard in 2006

"The lengthy Wikipedia article on Rockefeller provides the following version of
a celebrated statement he allegedly made in an opening speech at the Bilderberg
conference in Baden-Baden, Germany, in June 1991:

"We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine, and
other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during these years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government which will never again know war, but only peace and prosperity for the whole of humanity. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in the past centuries."

This speech was made 17 years ago. It came at the beginning in the U.S. of the
Bill Clinton administration. Rockefeller speaks of an "us." This "us," he says,
has been having meetings for almost 40 years. If you add the 17 years since he
gave the speech it was 57 years ago—two full generations. "

An article by Richard C. Cook full of common sense observations, worth a read and a good long think.

Thor's Contrails

2008-03-16T10:58:00.008-04:00

Mark Humpage went to Norway for the purpose of oberserving the Aurora Borealis and to photograph "the sun's clouds" in the Earth's night sky.

He took a collection of striking photos, to be sure.

The Cloud Appreciation Society, well, appreciates them too; and they say this:

"Mark tells us
that the Vikings thought the Northern Lights were the contrails of Thor’s
chariot being pulled by three goats. This sounds no less believable to us than
magnetic storms caused by million-mile-an-hour plasma clouds."

While in other news....

The Pope, having been forced to cancel his speech at La Sapienza University in Rome when the Academia

"The controversy began after 67 professors at the university signed a letter
saying the pope should not be allowed to give the inauguration speech for the
academic year."

and Students

made it clear that they were likely to ask more of any Address than might one with the Innocence of a Child.

"In his homily, Benedict urged the faithful to follow God with the innocence
and purity of a child's heart."

After considering the fascinating natural phenomenon, types of historical knowledge we have to take into account, and the options which a personnage such as the Holy See would propose; I think I'd like to know more about the plasma clouds that affect our magnetosphere as a result of the sun's weather activity.

Who needs Thor's Hammer when we all have our own Hammers to Think with?

Warm & Fuzzy fix:

2008-03-12T11:56:00.005-04:00

(not to mention that this is also evidenciary of the extremely high levels of intelligence and now cross - species audible communication among these beautiful mammals)

Moko the Mahia Dolphin to the rescue....

photo via

A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales which had become
stranded on a beach in New Zealand.
Conservation officer Malcolm Smith told
the BBC that he and a group of other people had tried in vain for an hour and a
half to get the whales to sea.
The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly
beached, and both they and the humans were tired and set to give up, he said.
But then the dolphin appeared, communicated with the whales, and led them to
safety.
The bottlenose dolphin, called Moko by local residents, is well
known for playing with swimmers off Mahia beach on the east coast of the North
Island.

Mr Smith said he gave the dolphin a pat to say thank youMr Smith
said that just when his team was flagging, the dolphin showed up and made
straight for them.
"I don't speak whale and I don't speak dolphin," Mr Smith
told the BBC, "but there was obviously something that went on because the two
whales changed their attitude from being quite distressed to following the
dolphin quite willingly and directly along the beach and straight out to sea."
He added: "The dolphin did what we had failed to do. It was all over in a
matter of minutes."
Back at play
Mr Smith said he felt fortunate to have
witnessed the extraordinary event, and was delighted for the whales, as in the
past he has had to put down animals which have become beached.
He said that
the whales have not been seen since, but that the dolphin had returned to its
usual practice of playing with swimmers in the bay.
"I shouldn't do this I
know, we are meant to remain scientific," Mr Smith said, "but I actually went
into the water with the dolphin and gave it a pat afterwards because she really
did save the day."

Article via

detour on the road map...to hell (on earth)

2008-03-09T19:30:00.003-04:00

"...Israel continues to publicly and violently ignore its international legal
and moral obligations toward the Palestinian people because it can. The price,
so far, is cheap. Israel is not being held accountable for its actions by the
international community, which refuses to employ the non-violent means available
against Israeli occupation policies—such as boycott, divestment, sanctions,
diplomatic action and civil society protests—and to demand that Israel uphold
its obligations as a “democratic” state in the world community.

For the
Palestinians sake as well as the Israelis, is time that the international
community start to do just that. "

Excerpted from this article

Dare to speak

2008-03-09T19:11:00.003-04:00

via

Shalom

2008-01-30T13:03:00.001-05:00

via

Clever Creature

2007-09-28T18:50:00.000-04:00

I met a wise ant at mr. damon's...

Genocide

2007-08-09T18:55:00.000-04:00

The term is a bit of a stretch from our more common use but I think fair, none the less.

These are primates, after all.

Creatures who seem increasingly more sensible than humans with each passing day.

via

Shambo

2007-07-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

Shambo
of
Skanda Vale

If you don't buy it...

2007-06-18T17:54:00.000-04:00

...the fur trimmed 'whatever' it is: the little notebook with a furry bobble on the clasp, the hoodie coat with furry collar, the boots, the purse, the shoes, etc., etc., ad nauseum...

Then these atrocities won't happen as frequently, and when they do, YOU WON'T BE RESPONSIBLE!

Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson, said: "Slaughter of these animals is
horrific, with cats strangled outside their cages as other cats look on.

"Dogs noosed with metal wires are slashed across the groin until they bleed
to death as the wire noose cuts into their throat."

All images, and excerpt via this article.

Oh, and this is yet another reason NOT to go to the pending Olympic games, in case you might've been considering it.

The good news is that the E.U. is attempting to behave with some degree of responsibility by banning items bearing the fur from cats and dogs from being imported. Good job for a start, where's the rest of the world on this? Where are the illustrious leaders of the rest of 'the West'?

Canadians and Americans need to excercise their mighty market. Put your money where your mouth is, stop buying this stuff.

Of course, I'm sure there are plenty of sick fuckers who'll not care one way or the other, in those cases, at least what comes around goes around....

Constellation Libra presents...

2007-04-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

...'Super-Earth' orbiting it's sun, Gliese 581. via

I thought this artists' rendition was rather pretty.

Apparently this planet bears tremendous similarities to our own; but the sun's smaller, the planet's bigger and the cycle around the sun (our year) lasts all of 13 of our days.

If the inhabitants are fortunate enough not to have despoiled it as we have our planet, (come on, there must be somebody living there!) no doubt the humans who've been designated to make decisions about such things are busy planning just how long we could manage this new Exoplanet's natural resources for a profit.

(I'd be suprised if they were still fretting over the 20.5 light years of space to traverse, I figure they've got that angle covered by now)

A nice gesture

2007-03-24T13:44:00.000-04:00

"Human beings need to coexist with the other species, even if they are tiny butterflies,"

Highway shut for butterfly travel

Rightful Claim

2007-02-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

It's shameful that one year on, Canada's federal government has not already resolved this land claim.

The non-native citizens of Caledonia who are also seeking a resolution to this ongoing saga should support their Six Nations neighbours and put their efforts toward demanding a resolution between the federal government and the rightful caretakers of this land.

To do otherwise is to obfuscate the cause of Justice; and surely we would all like to believe that Justice does still exist in some form, even if it's more seldom seen with each passing day.

Carnival Burka

2007-02-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

Topical theme for some carnival goers in Rio de Janeiro

Peculiarities...

2007-02-15T18:29:00.000-05:00

Devon Mothers Urge Toddlers to Fight Because humans really are sick.

N'kisi the Clever African Grey Because most other animals are so much more intelligent than humans give them credit for.

50th Anniversary of Vanuatu Cult Because if you can't find a flying Spaghetti Monster, why not a Cargo Ship?

37 year old Fuji's prosthetic Fluke Because if you're going to trap a wild creature and keep her captive, it's the least you can do.

Engrish! Just because.

Harvest in the City

2007-01-29T16:13:00.000-05:00

Caracas is following the example of Cuba's local production of food crops, destined for local consumption. Best of all, these crops are organically grown.

What a novel idea.

Harvest in Caracas.

And we in the West still somehow claim superiority in such matters where 'developing nations' are concerned.

Perhaps we should talk less and learn more?

I for one would be ecstatic if locally grown organic produce were available at lower prices than I find in the supermarkets where my organic spinach apparently needs to be brought from China of all places. (?!WTF!?)

I dream, but alas another Walmart's on the way instead sustainable organic agriculture.

To be continued....

2007-01-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Tyler Gentry's 50th painting

Clockwork Nibbler

2007-01-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Nibbler in his Clockwork Orange outfit. (the eyes clinch it, don't they?)

He's a lovely rabbit. Check out his site for more Nibbler and lots of information for anyone wanting information on how to be a good rabbit companion.

Thanks to Deb, a new Expendable friend, for steering me in Nibbler's direction.

Now if only I could get my hands on a couple of cat sized top hats....

Snowless Winter

2007-01-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the New Year

Winter Dancers by Cecil Youngfox

Solstice Wishes

2006-12-22T10:51:00.000-05:00

For those who do check in here on my little space every so often, my apologies for the lack of fodder lately and good wishes to you all for the Solstice, the season, and the New Year. There's no time like anytime to spread the love.

I’m not often one to suggest compromise where idealism is concerned; I simply fail to see the point of it; but how’s this for pragmatic wishful thinking?

Would that we (everyone) could agree to treat everyone with a level of civility that we expect to be treated with. All the rest of the bullshit could stay, but we’d not resort to violence.

Peace to you all.

gardening

2006-11-12T18:57:00.000-05:00

The time was ripe for digging in mr. damon's fractal garden again:

More decimation in Gaza

2006-11-06T11:27:00.000-05:00

Nonviolent demonstrations throughout West Bank in protest of Israeli attacks on medical crews

I'm bringing you another update from Dr. Mona El-Farra:

while on their way to their school with their school bags , and their teacher on board of small school bus , the van has been attacked by one missile , teacher is seriously injured , 9 at least were ijured , one is killed , medical staff at AlAwda hospital are dealing with the injured , some were reffered to the shifa hospital ,in Gaza city.
...
i have seen some of the shrapnels , that were recovered from the previous day injuries , with clear writing USA USA, the shrapnels seems unusual ,surgeons didnot come across before ,we donot have the time and facilities to investigatte , some experts might find results , any way killing of civilians is ilegal either with knives or internationaly abandended weapons .

my messege to all good American men and women , PLEASE PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TAX MONEY ARE NOT USED FOR KILLING INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN GAZA

MOna with love and soliderity

For any American readers who've not already been well informed on how your tax dollars are working for Israel please check this site: If Americans knew

Spread the Word

2006-11-02T14:45:00.000-05:00

post copied verbatim From Gaza with Love

End the Assault Against North of Gaza

Press Release: 2 November 2006

END THE ASSAULT ON BEIT HANOUN

Yesterday the Israeli Occupation Forces began the
grotesquely named “Operation Autumn of Fury” on the
Gaza Strip. Beit Hanoun, scene of the continuing
massacre by Israel since June 25th, was re-occupied by
Israeli tanks. Since yesterday 12 civilians have been
shot dead and more than 65 woemn and children have
been injured. On the first dayof Eid Ul Fiter, last
week, 7 residents of the town were also killed by the
IOF.

The town of Beit Hanoun was bombed by Apache
helicopters and F16 and V58 fighter planes. All of
Beit Hanoun’s residents have no water or electricity
today. These air-strikes which damage essential
infrastructure and terrify the civilian population are
a form of collective punishment against the
Palestinian people and are war crimes which are
forbidden under international humanitarian law,
especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, which
prescribes the manner in which armies must treat
civilians during times of conflict.

We, therefore, call on the international community to
exert pressure on the Israeli Occupation Forces to
conduct itself within the boundaries of international
humanitarian law and ensure the protection of all
Palestinian civilians.

We also demand the immediate halt of the Israeli
Occupation Forces’ attacks on the Gaza Strip and an
end to the closure and isolation of the Strip, both of
which are exacerbating an already desperate
humanitarian situation inside the Strip.

For Comments contact:
Dr. Mona Al Farra +97082846602 or 0+972 599 410 741.
Dr Abu Ala'a, Gaza Strip, + 972 599 441766
Dr Asaad Abu Sharkh, Gaza Strip, + 972 599 322636
Dr Ayyoub Othman, + 972 599 412 826

Of Note

2006-10-25T18:30:00.000-04:00

It's been a little while semi-offline and I missed this significant observation by Rigorous Intuition (v. 2.0)

Igor

2006-10-22T18:40:00.000-04:00

Igor Falecki drummer -4 years old.

KANONHSTATON

2006-10-16T20:03:00.000-04:00

"The Protected Place"

Youngfox has more pictures, news and updates on Kanonhstaton, the Six Nations reclamation site near Caledonia; where they're saying 'no more' to the oppression of their People, and the appropriation of the Land.

UNITY - it's a beautiful thing to behold.

"It is our territory. Just because it has passed title illegally throughout the years doesn't mean that it isn't ours."

~Janie Jamieson

Unity Flag image via

tick-tock....

2006-10-12T11:45:00.000-04:00

...the Planetary Clock can't slow down and wait for us to catch up.

Tub-thumper reminds us that the World Can't Wait.

You might think you're 'just' eating Orange Roughy for dinner, but you're 'Eating the Planet'.

While conservation groups and the international community at large are calling for a UN moratorium on the fishing practice known as bottom trawling; Canada's "New Government" won't support it!
It'd be really nice if the NeoConservatives could surprise us once in a while by not acting so predicably like greedy psychopathic bastards.

Stating a 'lack of scientific evidence' as their reason for voting to continue this practice of total destruction of entire ancient ecosystems; they wait for something or someone to provide some more information, and have no substantial plan for acquiring this 'scientific information'.

Come now, this logic is akin to allowing your 5 year old to mix up your various cleaning materials in your toilet, knowing full well that it's going to create a damaging toxic reaction because you don't fully comprehend the exact chemical reaction that will result.

It's total and complete idiocy, but in the case of bottom trawling the damage is irreversable, and the only benefit the temporary accrual of wealth for a very few corporations; and of course this all only happens because YOU buy the damned catch!

Trawling of every sort is destructive, albeit not in the same sweepingly huge scale as Bottom Trawling.

Skin missing from their fins and other parts of their bodies indicates they have been caught in trawlers' nets.

Surely as Canadians we can and should draw on our collective heritage of a Nation from which Greenpeace has sprung, our hindsight and understanding of our destruction of the cod fishery and demand that our Government FULLY support this moratorium.

....tick-tock...

Post hasty

2006-10-06T09:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not even Muslim (or any other monotheistic believer), but this brand of bullshit Jack Straw hillbilly thinking makes me want to wear veil simply to excercise my right to wear whatever the hell I want before it no longer exists.

Even if I agree that communicating with someone who's face I cannot entirely see poses its challenges, no one should hold the power to force another to compromise their own personal freedom of choice.

If you've got a problem with that; well then you've just got problems.

Revelation

2006-10-06T09:24:00.000-04:00

A goat looks at a window of a butcher's shop in a village near the city of Tyre, southern Lebanon.

via

(observation: looks to me as though he can't help but remain on his hind legs...there doesn't appear to be enough slack in the unfortunate creature's lead to allow him to stand on all four of his legs)

Among Canadiana I appreciate...Emily Carr

2006-10-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

Early Emily...

Emily Carr: Totem Walk at Sitka, 1907

Later Emily...

Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky, 1935

Forest, British Columbia, 1931-32

photos via

Ever feel like blogger is consipiring to keep you from posting??

2006-09-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

*&$%*&#$%*&$#(*!!!!!!!!!!

I do.
Ok, that's better.

This post is not quite the book meme that Michael Hawkins passed along to me, but it should vaguely resemble it...

The Baghavad Gita is something I read during a very difficult period of change in my life. It helped me to find my own strength when it seemed to be needed.

Recently I picked up a copy of Carlos Castanedas' Tales of Power and after getting into it and finding I'd begun a series of books out of sequence, I was only spurred to keep on so that I could get to the rest.

Follow the Path with Heart.

Right now I'm reading The Secret History of the World and it is compelling to say the least, could blow your mind, or confirm your own thoughts, and will surely present notions or facts that you didn't already know.

Here goes nothing

2006-09-17T20:25:00.000-04:00

This could go rather wrong...here's a new template.

While I'm on a slow roll...

2006-09-10T16:45:00.000-04:00

....I started out with the intention of posting the book list that I was meme'd by Michael Hawkins' at Spontaneous Arising, but ended up in a dream puppet's stumblings and found this bit of Foamy Custard:

[.....]
A number of times in American history, the populace has glanced outside the duality struggles of content and briefly viewed the controlling symbols of context. Artists have glimpsed outside the duality and have allowed a large number of the ruled to see the rulers. And visionaries have also seen outside the duality. These are times when third parties in America have had their greatest impact.

But these times have been rare. Much more common has been the dominance of one of the symbols, equality or freedom, at the expense of the other. In the first half of the 20th century, the symbol of equality dominated America and the world in the form of mass communications, mass production, mass culture, totalitarian, communist, Fascist and Nazi political systems. As Erich Fromm observed, the overriding desire was to 'escape from freedom' during this period of time.

The second half of the 20th century, though, saw the decline of the equality symbol and the rise of the symbol of freedom. Much of the impetus for late capitalism and consumerism has been fired by this 'escape from equality' and a 'return to freedom.' This desire to escape from equality and return to freedom is behind the rise of postmodernism and relative narratives over meta-narratives. It is also responsible for a lack of standards of morality, for celebrity culture and Hollywood and the growth of the religious right and evangelical fundamentalists. It is also behind the growth of a segmented, niche marketplace full of numerous cable TV channels and the explosion of brands and consumer choice.
[.....]

I thought it quite timely to be posing such questions of our current state in the world. Thinking in such terms individually to discern shit from shine-o-la excercises the muscle that has for too long now fallen into a state of atrophy. Too many, for too long, have allowed others, betters, more accomplished, more wealthy, more powerful, to present us public opininion 'free, courtesy of the house' for us to follow and display. Goods to purchase and appropriate social conduct all available for free marketing to You.

This market obediance has led us to the place and time that we find ourselves in today and that same programming is what me must undo collectively.

This would be a truly fruitful situation from which a productive counterculture could be a feasible reality; but if we're to make that future a reality, there is a lot of collective self-improvement to be done.

Counterculture?

2006-09-08T18:51:00.000-04:00

I've been in very low gear as far as posting goes lately, so I decided to post a short rant that I made over at Mickey Z's the other day. I've edited only slightly, nothing of the context is skewed.....

image via

I don't think we can possibly hope for any effective counterculture to be bourne of humanity until and unless we fully regain control of our everyday lives in the system which we currently have.

This is no small task and it requires the awareness and involvement of the majority of the population as individuals to take responsibility for the results of their individual actions, both materially and psychologically.

We must relinquish our "Consumer Status" and reclaim our "Status as Citizens".

I think this becomes a feasible option only after we see and understand the many nuances of manipulation that exist by great effort on the part of those who hold power on our planet.

Until then, I believe it is more ‘narcissistic and infantile indifference’ to think that our current global political, social and economic situation will remain unchanged; or if there existed a sussessful counterculture such as you suggest, it would revert to an equally tenuous situation before more than a couple of decades at most.

This article [suggested by my fellow Expendable JOS] serves to lift the corner of the veil and aids in the appreciation of the magnitude of effert that is put toward controlling our social conditions.

The Magic Hour

2006-09-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

This striking photo and many others at mr. damon's skychurch

Will you stop what you're doing to help stop the war?

2006-08-06T13:26:00.000-04:00

STOP ISRAEL'S BOMBING NOW!
Saturday, August 12 2006, 1:00pm - 3:00pm

MASS RALLY & MARCH (Toronto)
Saturday, August 12
1:00pm
Israeli Consulate
180 Bloor Street West
(west of Avenue Road, north side of Bloor)
March to U.S. Consulate
360 University Avenue
(east of University, south side of Armoury)

Called by:
Canadian Arab Federation
Palestine House
Muslim Unity Group - Toronto
Jewish Women's Committee to End the Occupation
Canadian Peace Alliance
Toronto Coalition to Stop the War
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
Trade Unionists Against the War

Even if you go through your day to day without ever discussing religion or politics with co-workers and strangers alike; you should try to attend your local march next weekend and add to the visible numbers who demand peace in their names.

Pretending it's a drama or cartoon playing out on the channel you never turn to on your television set will just leave you wondering where you've ended up; a third of the current Middle East's population will have been exterminated so efficiently that you won't even be aware that 20% of the deductions taken off your paycheque every week ended up making it all possible.

This isn't just something that can be waved off with the tagline that it's been happening forever. There is no time like the present for you to speak out for peace.

Watch a Video Letter:

From Beirut...to those who love us.

Mediterranean Ecocide

2006-08-02T00:09:00.000-04:00

Tragically the international community, aware that Lebanon cannot possibly clean this, will make no resolution to curb this man-made black tide on Beirut's shore.

Is everything in the Middle East destined to perish so horribly?

A Selfish Pause for enjoyment

2006-08-01T23:41:00.000-04:00

of Jeff Grant's photograph of a Kniphofia sp. (or so I've deduced)

And a dog named George

Canada's shame continues

2006-08-01T13:05:00.000-04:00

This Talking Head over-rationalises the Israeli demolition of Lebanese society, reducing his position to little more than an apologist for murderers.

He is as useful as tits on a bull and doesn't have an opinion until it's given to him.

Apparently he cannot count either:

"I don't think that Canada's position is isolated in any way and I don't think that we have done anything other than participate productively, actively in looking for solution that will lead to a ceasefire."

Canada was alone with the UK in supporting the veto imposed by the US on the proposed UN resolution for a ceasefire.

He extolls the virtue and solemn importance of enforcing UN resolutions, but selectively excludes the myriad resolutions to which Israel has never complied.

Alexa McDonagh certainly has bigger balls than he, and at least sees that an immediate ceasefire is the minimum that Canada should be calling for. (and I do mean minimum)

Do I need a New World order Map?

2006-07-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he does not favour sending Canadian troops to southern Lebanon as part of a multinational peacekeeping force, adding that countries in the area should be responsible for resolving the conflict.

via (emphasis mine)

So did Afghanistan suddenly become part of North America when I blinked?

This jackassery really has to stop.

The politicians won't do it while we allow them to continue to decide which status quo situations should continue, and which they will decide (strategically) need to be changed.

"It is time for a new Middle East," she said. "It is time to say to those that don't want a different kind of Middle East that we will prevail. They will not."

~Condlizzard quote via

A Measured Response....

2006-07-21T12:11:00.000-04:00

...must be dependant upon who's yard-stick you're using.

Troops were also fighting Hezbollah militants inside the Lebanese border.

Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said the number of Lebanese killed in the ten days of violence was more than 330.

He said that more than 55 bridges had been destroyed and claimed Israeli forces had also targeted medical convoys.

"This attack is no longer against Hezbollah, it is an attack against the Lebanese and Lebanon," he said.

via

But, of course, Israeli politicians and apologists have a different take on this situation:

Alan Baker says that Arbour, who has been an international war crimes prosecutor and a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, doesn't understand the situation.

via

And while western nations fawn and busy over getting out those Lebanese fortunate enough to hold dual citizenship along with foreign tourists:

"Here, it just seems like the world is doing nothing.

"People are dying and it feels like a collective punishment on the whole nation.

via

OR...

Maybe Israel was targetting the deadly and feared Lebanese Pigeons....

Lebanese pigeon fanciers release birds they found alive under the rubble of houses that were destroyed when Israeli airplanes targeted them, in the town of Choueifat, at the southern edge of Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday. (AP Photo)

Support Peace.
This means YOU!

shine on you crazy diamond

2006-07-11T14:45:00.000-04:00

Syd Barrett

1946-2006

assorted news coverage

Never Again?

2006-07-07T10:55:00.000-04:00

I have often wondered for whom this expression was intended.
Never Again....should any people suffer collective punishment simply for existing.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert admitted that he intended to commit war crimes in Gaza, telling his cabinet that he wanted “no one to be able to sleep tonight in Gaza”. Olmert thus officially acknowledged Israel’s policy of collectively punishing 1.4 million Palestinians, a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

via

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and Isolate the Gaza Strip from the Outside World

29 June - 5 July 2006

~9 Palestinians were killed by IOF.

~6 of the victims were killed by the IOF shelling in the Gaza Strip.

~Two of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in the West Bank.

~91 Palestinians, including 18 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire.

~IOF warplanes launched a series of air strikes and mock air raids on the Gaza Strip; offices of the Palestinian Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior and a number of civilian facilities were destroyed or damaged.

~IOF conducted 81 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and reoccupied areas in the Gaza Strip.

~102 Palestinian civilians, including 7 ministers, 24 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, 6 children and two girls, were arrested by IOF.

~5 houses and hundreds of donums[1] of agricultural land were destroyed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

~6 houses in the northern Gaza Strip were transformed by IOF into military sites.

~35 charitable societies in the West Bank were raided and a number of them were closed by IOF.

~The electricity network in Rafah was destroyed, and the town has been living in darkness.

~IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip; dozens of patients are stuck at Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border; and IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.

~IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; IOF started to establish a fence around “Kermi Tsur” settlement, north of Hebron; and IOF confiscated at least 25 donums of agricultural land in Beit Oula village, west of Hebron.

via

Harriet

2006-06-23T16:02:00.000-04:00

Rest in Peace, Harriet ~1830-2006

Light & Heavy

2006-05-30T08:49:00.000-04:00

Arctic Forms III by Lawren Harris

Fibonacci in the Foyer

2006-05-18T20:06:00.000-04:00

one of seven photos at 22 over 7

my disdain for humanity

2006-05-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Is partially explained by this:

Grizzly-Polar Bear Hybrid killed by Idaho Trophy Hunter

At a time when humanity is causing more species to go extinct than ever, when our polar ice is melting and the Arctic climate changing so rapidly and becoming an environment that is less and less inhabitable by those unique creatures indigenous to it, this man is already back up in the North (this time a Grizzly's in his sights) and an new hybrid species which is the only example of a creature heralding both the demise and survival of the powerful Nanuk, hangs on the wall of a trophy hunter from Idaho.

Of course, my disdain is not limited to the hunter; I have a healthy disdain for my government and its regulations which not only allow, but encourage foreign trophy hunters to visit our country for the main purpose of shooting and killing creatures for pleasure.

Get Some

2006-04-23T08:21:00.000-04:00

I've been on a temporary internet hiatus, or rather a hiatus from the internet, which may continue for a while yet.

Life can become busy with itself in many ways.

In the meantime, a thought I think everyone can benefit from: create unity.

See you all soon, and thanks for continuing to check in at my little space on the world wide web.

Une femme de Montreal - then, and now

2006-04-09T13:22:00.000-04:00

Marie Josephe Angélique
~Executed by Torture, Montreal, Québec ~ 1734

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think today is sweet revenge"
~Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Montreal, Québec ~ 2006

"Racism has a history that we must never forget," Jean said. "The racism of today is an extension of the lingering racism of yesterday. If we forget this, then we risk perpetuating an unacceptable situation."

Luscious Lilium

2006-03-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

JJFineArt

Stop the Seal Hunt

2006-03-24T18:32:00.000-05:00

The seal hunt begins in less than 2 days.

Tell Canada's government to come clean about what's really happening on the ice before it's too late!

TAKE ACTION NOW

Now I must add that as a Canadian I respect that there are cultural and historical ties to the seal hunt. Many a fine Newfoundlander needed to hunt seals at one time both to put food on the table and to sell the pelt for income.
There is no need and no excuse for this to happen today.
Any outport Newfoundlanders who aren't happy about the protest to this hunt can use their time machines to go back and stop Joey Smallwood from killing your traditional way of life and making it unsustainable.

If you're without a time machine, then I'm afraid that you just have to deal with the fact that this is a barbarous practice and find an alternative supplement to your income.

Times change, so must we.

Surely we can see that these animals should not be predated by man any longer.

We're in it DEEP

2006-03-23T11:58:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has a great deal of explaining to do.

First we're 'only' in Afghanistan to ensure a better way of life for Afghans; many may buy into that crap, but Canada's forces are there as participants in the USA's Operation Enduring Freedom, no if's and's or but's about it; and this despite Canada never having issued a mandate from the people.

Now after hearing the good news of the rescue of 2 Canadians & 1 British hostage that CANADIAN TROOPS ARE IN IRAQ.

”CTV News has learned that Canada's elite Joint-Task Force 2 was involved in the rescue in western Baghdad.

"We're told that Canadian special forces and British special forces played a very key role," CTV's Robert Fife told Newsnet.

The Defence Department refuses to confirm Canadian military involvement in the operation.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, speaking in London, said the Mounties were also involved in the rescue, but an RCMP spokesman would not confirm that.
.....

Only three hours passed from the time rescuers learned the exact whereabouts of the hostages and when the raid took place, he said.”

full article

Now I'm glad those folks are safe, but it does not excuse the Canadian Government deceiving its citizens and spending their tax dollars wantonly and without discourse or disclosure.

I'd like to know:

1. WHY?
2. SINCE WHEN?
3. WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
4. HOW LONG WILL THEY STAY?
5. WHY DIDN'T YOU DEBATE THIS IN THE HOUSE?
6. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL CANADIAN CITIZENS?

Welcome the Snowdrop

2006-03-22T09:53:00.000-05:00

Galanthus nivalis

My belated greetings on the Spring Equinox.

Start Peace

2006-03-17T08:26:00.000-05:00

Global Events

Canadian Events

"Women's Day" in India

2006-03-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

Women break the petiole of chilies as they dry, in Ahmedabad, India, on Tuesday.
The women earn (11 cents US) for breaking the petioles of 20 kilograms of chilies.

March 8 is celebrated as World Women's Day

Sunrise

2006-03-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

via

Hey - Wake Up!

2006-03-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

I make a plea to all mindful Canadians to inform themselves and make their opinions known to their elected MP.

Thanks to Youngfox for a great post today, and one which addresses the most urgent topic of Canadian involvement in the war in Afghanistan.

If you pay your taxes you "SUPPORT THE TROOPS".
If you do not support this war you do not support government policy. See the difference and never let war mongers and their brainwashed thralls guilt trip you for having a conscience.
Remember what that did to the American public discourse.

Canadians should DEMAND proper representation from their Govt.

2006-02-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

Even if it is now a neoConservative Canada, how dare our new Defence Minister - former lobbyist and full on supporter for the growth of the canadian military industrial economy for private profit - subvert my right to proper representation and suggest that a vote is not necessary?

Recent opinion polls have suggested public support for the mission is low, but Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor has said the mission is vital. He rejected the idea of a vote in Parliament over whether to continue the mission.

full article (inserted link 02 03 06)

Excuse me, but Canadians do not want to participate in this war.

A vote MUST be had if we're to continue to play along with the notion that we are represented by our elected officials.

Contact your MP today and demand a parliamentary vote to determine whether Canada has a mandate for war!

using your postal code

by the name of your Member of Parliament

(the conservatives apparently don't think you need to contact them all yet - mine's not even updated with any contact info yet. Oh boy will they enjoy my call)

The Nightmare...

2006-02-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

Has it only just begun,despite the many horrors already past?

I’m reading, and hearing, about the possibility of civil war. The possibility. Yet I’m sitting here wondering if this is actually what civil war is like. Has it become a reality? Will we look back at this in one year, two years… ten… and say, “It began in February 2006...”? It is like a nightmare in that you don’t realise it’s a nightmare while having it- only later, after waking up with your heart throbbing, and your eyes searching the dark for a pinpoint of light, do you realise it was a nightmare...

Stay safe, Riverbend.

Buddha Eyes

2006-02-23T12:43:00.000-05:00

the art of Kris Hoglund

via Youngfox

Paradise Now

2006-02-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

Support Paradise Now's right to be shown, and it's right to be called a Palestinian film.

Free Speach has been much touted these last weeks; do we really mean it?

Thank you to my friend Eman of AquaCool for raising the issue:

After winning the AGICOA’s
Blue Angel Award for the best European film at the Berlinale , and a Golden Globe for
the Best Foreign Language Film movie in the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, Paradise Now has created such a controversy. As soon as the news of this movie being nominated for the Oscars, an online petition signed by over 11,000 Israelis was created to force the withdrawal of this movie from the Oscars all together, claiming it encourages mass murder!

Friday Cat Blogging

2006-02-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

Too tired for serious matters - Enjoy more Papa Cat in the meantime!

The Nose of Africa

2006-02-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

Love your Animal Companions.

Spacetime

2006-02-11T12:15:00.000-05:00

Go and enjoy a dig in mr. damon's Fractal Garden.

Will the US bomb Iran Back to the Stone Age?

2006-02-05T17:21:00.000-05:00

Check out what Eric Margolis has to say about the mainstream fabricated conceived threat that Iran poses to 'the West' in his most recent article.

Justice in Vermont (with your help)

2006-01-29T17:17:00.000-05:00

"A citizen in United States should never expect to gain justice through the judicial system. The system is so corrupted that in the rare case when justice prevails, it is not because of, but it is in spite of, the system."
~Rosemarie Jackowski

We are posting this call to action today because a kind and decent woman needs your help. Rosemarie Jackowski is a 68-year-old grandmother/Air Force Veteran/writer/anti-war activist and an advocacy journalist living in Vermont.

"On March 20, 2003, I participated in a peaceful protest against the war. I was arrested, incarcerated, handcuffed, booked, fingerprinted, photographed, arraigned, tried, convicted and sentenced. My conviction is currently under Appeal in the Vermont State Supreme Court. Courtroom procedure allows the condemned the Right of Allocution. This was the first time that I was allowed to speak freely and openly to the court. Below are my words, as I spoke them, to Judge David Suntag, in Vermont District Court, in Bennington, Vt., on October 7, 2004."

A Courtroom Speech By Rosemarie Jackowski

To get an idea of where Rosemarie is coming from I would suggest you read the above article as well as:
"Silence is the greatest of all crimes"

An interview with Peace Grandma, Rosemarie Jackowski
by author Mickey Z

The details of her protest trial can be found at the Veterans for Peace website.

The idea of a jury steamrolling a grandmother for committing an act of civil disobedience is, unfortunately, not very surprising in America’s current political climate.

BUT…

That is not subject of today’s appeal to you.
The current injustice facing this amicable woman has to do with her actions as a plaintiff stemming from a traffic accident in Vermont in the year 2000.

While waiting in a line of traffic she was rear ended by a loaded logging truck.
Many eyewitnesses reported the truck driver was “distracted” by some young ladies on the roadside and clearly the negligent party in the accident.
It would seem like a straightforward case but for the fact that the truck was owned and operated by the state of Vermont.

It gets worse. It has taken FIVE YEARS for the government to even begin her deposition.

I urge you to read the horrific details of this matter in her recent article:

The Deposition By Rosemarie Jackowski

Being deposed by a government lawyer for a case where the State is the defendant is, no doubt, a rough ride. It would seem that the State of Vermont had an intimidation card up its sleeve when the lawyer’s questions began to stray far from the case at hand into the realm of Rosemarie’s political beliefs and very personal life.

An excerpt from The Deposition:

"The big day arrived. I was taken into a small, windowless room in the state’s attorney’s office complex. I looked around. There was a one-way mirror opposite to where I was seated. There were some metal bookshelves with black garbage bags on them. It reminded me of Abu Ghraib.

I was told to raise my right hand and was sworn in. Then the interrogation by an assistant to the state attorney general began. She asked questions about my political activities… questions about my political writings. She had copied all of them from the Internet and waved them about with great emotion. She seemed excited by the fact that some of my articles had appeared on a web site that has a four-letter word in its name. Obviously, she thought that this would embarrass me. It did not. I calmly explained to her that I do not have a web site and I have no control over what name other people give to their web sites. I don’t know if she believed me or not.

Then the interrogation got even more interesting. She asked questions about my sex life. She asked questions about my marriage that had ended 35 years prior. Then she started to ask detailed questions about the fact that I had been the victim of a brutal rape. The rape, which is irrelevant to this case, had occurred 40, yes 40, years ago during a time when I was working in Florida. By now, it had become very clear to me what was happening. There was no doubt in my mind that this was an attempt to intimidate me."

Whether or not you agree with Rosemarie’s political beliefs they should not hold any bearing in her case against a State-owned trucking company that had cause her much physical anguish and financial devastation. As for the exceptionally private matters of sexual assault or divorce- the representative of the State of Vermont has gone too far!

This is not the progressive State that I have read about over the years. This is brutal.

We are appealing to you, dear reader, to take a few moments to write to one or both of the people listed below and join us in demanding a fair and equitable conclusion to this rather straightforward case of negligence on the part of an employee of the State of Vermont.

The harassment and obfuscation by the assistant to the state attorney general and the dragging out of this otherwise uncomplicated matter are Justice delayed and Justice denied.

Dick Sears, Chairman of the State Judiciary Committee:
rsears@leg.state.vt.us

Speaker of the State House, Gaye Symington:
speaker@leg.state.vt.us

Governor of the State of Vermont, Jim Douglas:
http://www.vermont.gov/governor/contact.html

A susinct sentence or two is all we ask.

If you are a Blogger we would ask that you perhaps utilize your own space to help spread this appeal with your own article or a link back to this one.

Thank you very much.

Amelopsis and Youngfox.

The Beauty of Bhutan

2006-01-21T12:19:00.000-05:00

More pictures from the land where the Gross National Happiness takes priority.

via Moon River

Japanese Killing Whales in Protected Waters - please help

2006-01-18T12:48:00.000-05:00

The following is an email I received from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

Please help if you can.

International Fund for Animal Welfare
January 18, 2006

Urgent: Japanese Fleet Now Killing Whales

Dear Friend,

A half century ago, a ship's physician on a whaling trip in the Antarctic wrote the following
description:

"If we can imagine a horse having two or three explosive spears stuck in its stomach and being made to pull a butcher's truck through the streets of London while it pours blood into the gutter, we shall have an idea of the method of killing whales. The gunners themselves admit that if whales could scream, the industry would stop for nobody would be able to stand it."

Sadly, this doctor could have easily been talking about the cruelty of killing whales today.

Harpoons with explosive grenade heads are still used by Japanese whalers to hunt whales in the protected waters of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. And despite a worldwide ban on whaling and international criticism, this cruel killing of whales by Japanese whalers is now underway.

Please help us stop the unnecessary slaughter of whales before it is too late. Contribute to IFAW today.

There is no need to kill a whale in order to study it

A ban on commercial whaling is in effect, but whaling for "research" purposes is permitted under International Whaling Commission (IWC) rules.

Japanese boats left port several weeks ago to begin hunting up to 935 minke whales for "research" purposes in a marine mammal sanctuary -- more than double the number of whales they killed last year. And for the first time, 10 fin whales, the world's second largest animal, will also be killed.

Perhaps most terrifying of all, Japan plans to kill 50 endangered humpback whales a year in the near future. Graceful and magnificent, the songs and athletic displays of humpback whales inspire awe in young and old alike.

This painful killing of whales does not benefit science, whales or people. Japan claims that scientific whaling is necessary to determine if whales are hurting commercial fish stocks. Yet some of the whale species killed by Japan do not even eat fish!

"Which Whale Species Has the Best Flavor?"

The truth of "research" whaling can be found in this outrageous question from a former Deputy Commissioner in Japan's Fisheries agency. Under IWC rules, any meat that results from research whaling must be utilised, and Japan openly sells the whale meat in markets and restaurants. This is commercial whaling in disguise.

The IWC has passed resolutions critical of Japan's research whaling program forty-one times. It is long past time for the Japanese government to abide by the wishes of the international community that supports whale conservation measures such as whale watching, which is both more economically viable and sustainable. IFAW is working with responsible whale watch operators around the world, including in Japan, to promote this new industry that has tremendous benefits for coastal communities worldwide.

We can't match Japan dollar for dollar without your help

The risk of future generations forgetting the sight of these majestic creatures forever is very real. Until the ban on whaling in 1986, many species of whales, including the humpback, were hunted to the brink of extinction. Endangered whales already face many threats from marine pollution, ship strikes, gear entanglement and habitat destruction.

Please give what you can now to stop the continuing injustice of needlessly killing whales in an international sanctuary. These magnificent creatures should be appreciated for their natural beauty, not eaten.

In addition to establishing and promoting alternative whale watching programs around the world, IFAW is investigating legal options to stop Japan's scientific whale hunt via international law.

Through continued research, lobbying and public awareness, your generous contribution will help us stop the cruelty of the explosive harpooning of the most mysterious, soulful creatures on Earth.

Thanks for all you do,

Fred O'Regan
President and CEO

When any Zawasomebody will do...

2006-01-13T22:58:00.000-05:00

...this is the sort of nonsensical crap that follows.

American planes have fired missiles into Pakistan near the village of Damadola in a purported attempt to kill the 2nd in command to the Stuff of Legend, Bin Laden himself. (You remember, his name's Osama)

While some American news agencies are busy jumping the gun in the effort to make 'good' news (good for their paymasters);
sources of the non american variety report the killing of families. Women, children.

It's all just more killing.

"I've got a little book with pages three, And every page spells liberty"

2006-01-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

It seems that we in North America must still look abroad to find honest criticism of the Neocon Robber Barons currently ruining the world.

Harry Belafonte, in the company of Danny Glover and Cornell West, had this to say to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela during his weekly broadcast to the nation's people:

"No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people ... support your revolution,"

Say it loud and clear Mr. Belafonte, millions around the world agree.

Feathered Friday

2006-01-06T10:01:00.000-05:00

Very seldom today does a sense of marvellous wonder overcome me as it did the other evening when I learned about the flightless birds of New Zealand. I was aware of the Kiwi, but I invite you to meet the Kakapo:

This marvellous creature's only natural enemy was a large predatory hawk; it's means of defence to be silent and still. As you can imagine this defense is ineffective against the introduced species of cats and other predatory four legged mammals such as rats who'll eat their eggs.

Kakapos exist today on the brink of extinction on a few islands that are cat and rat free. People are carefully monitoring and supporting the survival of this bird; against all odds.

"The kakapo is a bird full of surprises.

It's a parrot that looks like an owl, but which cannot fly. It can hop like a sparrow and growl like a dog. And it has a smell unlike anything else in the world - except perhaps the smell of flowers or honey!"

Kakapo Recovery Project

What a mysterious planet we live on.

So many wondrous places and creatures to learn about every day.

Let's make certain to learn more about the magic and wonder around us before we use it all up.
That'll be sometime next week by the way.
The time is now - there's none to waste!

7SEVEN7seven7SEVEN7seven7SEVEN7

2005-12-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

Hawk at Spontaneous Arising has tagged me for the Magnificient 7's meme.
If I over-analyse, I'll NEVER post this...so here goes nothing:

Seven Things to Do Before I Die

Love - as much as I can

Live - on the Canadian West Coast

Add Canine to my list of animal companions

Go completely vegan

Recrudesce my practice of Ashtanga Yoga (hopefully LONG before I die)

Visit a peaceful Middle East where I could drive myself anywhere I chose to.

Procrastinate less

Seven Things I Cannot Do

Remain silent in the face of injustice or suffering

Keep quiet at some times when I really should

Consider plastic surgery

Enjoy most music on the radio

Abide willful ignorance

Empathise with Conservatives

Patronise for the sake of ambition

Seven Things That Attract Me to Blogging

I always have an opinion

I learn something new every day (through one blog or another)

I met (and continue to meet) interesting people

It's EASY

I prefer the medium to others for self expression

It's more convenient than a soap-box

Youngfox

Seven Things I Say Most Often

"Come for your pilly!"

"Did I see that movie already?"

"It's already Monday tomorrow?"

"Yeah, well..."

"Where's the magic bag?"

"As a matter of legality, please remove my number from your call list"

"I love you."

Seven Books that I Love

Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins

The Secret World of Og - Pierre Berton

50 American Revolutions you're not supposed to know - MickeyZ

The Essential Rumi - Coleman Barks(a collection of Rumi's poetry)

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - Stephen Donaldson

The Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice

Manual of Woody Landscape Plants - Michael Dirr

Seven Movies That I Watch Over and Over Again (and some I just enjoyed once)

Gorillas in the Mist

The Silence of the Lambs

Dial M for Murder

The Life Aquatic

The Usual Suspects

Pulp Fiction

Batman Begins

Seven People Who Must Now Do This

Everyone's off the hook here because most of my blogging friends have already done this sort of post - but if you decide to run with it, I'm looking forward to reading...

Peace.

2005-12-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

May you see the Golden Mean in all Things.

Stop The Landmines

2005-12-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

You won't see this on 'the box' in the US.
A little too clear of a picture of what reality is like for many in the world.

I came across this Public Service Announcement from an Expendable in Scotland.
(the link is a browser window which plays a quicktime movie)

Apparently all US media outlets are refusing to carry this PSA in support of Stop Landmines .

Happy Winter Solstice to One and All

2005-12-21T08:28:00.000-05:00

Newgrange in Co. Meath, Ireland is also known as Bru na Boinne. It's an absolutely beautiful place where ancient society marked the magic of Nature at the Winter and Spring Solstices. People still flock there today to see the sun rise through the narrow shaft and send a beam of warmth and life into a 5000 year old ~~coffered-ceiling structure~~ corbelled ceiling built into the earth like a cave. Beautiful sculptures and rock (originating far from the structure itself) was built by people long before the pyramids came to be and still we are uncertain of so many things about our own histories.

I hope everyone takes a moment to enjoy the day, the sun, the Life.

A rock at Bru na Boinne carved in the typical Irish pattern:

Winter Solstice illuminates the Mound:

The view at Solstice from inside:

Law Suits filed in an effort to have the Polar Bear declared "Endangered"

2005-12-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

I can't beleive that they have not already been declared an Endangered Species. How can they not be?

Our world is warmer than has ever been previously recorded and these animals depend upon the annual onset of cold weather for their very survival.

For as long as modern man has walked this planet, Nanuk has wandered the North and been the most powerful individual ever to survive it's harsh and unique environment. They have forever wandered out onto the sheet ice, swimming from from one ice floe to another as they hunt, as is their very existance.

Now the Polar Bears are now drowning while they hunt, swimming from one ice floe to another is no longer as easily done. Sheet ice is melting and breaking up; ice floes are farther apart; the once fruitful shoreline is changed. Their prey now move to deeper water themselves and are no longer as accessible to the Great Nanuk.

They drown while they hunt because they are tired and hungry.

They drown because for so many generations we've talked about climate change and what we might do to prevent Catastrophe; but we've not done nearly enough.

Now a group of Conservationists in Alaska is doing what little they can to try and prevent these wondrous creatures of the North - an integral and identifiable part of what we think of as 'Canadian'- from slowly disappearing while nothing is done.

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP 12/15/05) - Three conservation groups say they will file a lawsuit Thursday under the Endangered Species Act seeking to protect polar bears from extinction.

The lawsuit says Arctic sea ice that bears depend on for hunting, mating and travel is melting at an unprecedented rate because of global warming.

Center for Biological Diversity spokeswoman Kassie Siegal says the lawsuit will be filed in federal district court in San Francisco.

The other plaintiffs are the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace.

The groups petitioned to have the polar bear listed as threatened last February.

The Endangered Species Act requires that the Interior secretary respond within 90 days of receiving such notice but the secretary has yet to comply.

Scientists with the US Minerals Management Service Wednesday released a report documenting the deaths of four polar bears found drowned in September 2004 when sea ice had retreated a record 160 miles north of the northern coast of Alaska.

The researchers say that more polar bears may have drowned that have not been found.

full article

The Center for International Environmental Law CIEL is helping.

I hope for all our sake's that the Polar Bears of the Arctic will continue to exist as they should - in the wild, hunting, swimming, playing, fighting, rearing their young, braving the harsh elements; not just in cages in zoos around the world.

Indigenous Colombians successfully using pacifism to stand their ground against violence

2005-12-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

The indigenous natives of Colombia are standing their ground to keep their ancestral lands from violent marxist and government forces using nothing but their ceremonial staffs bound with the colours of their flag.

They are organised and determined.

Peace CAN be a force for change - even today.

Thanks to mr. damon who posted a great write up with many links at his site and at American Samizdat.
Check it!

In times like these, there's no time to waste

2005-12-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Michael at Spontaneous Arising for this excerpt from Hazrat Inayat Khan

"Since there is faith these days, but absence of inner life, there seems to be a greater need of the inner life than there has ever been before. It is the head quality which is developed and it is the heart quality which needs to be developed in order to bring balance in life. Life, so balanced, is then prepared for the inner culture or spiritual life.

Many consider sentiment something quite unimportant, something that should be kept aside from the central theme of life today which is intellectuality. No one who has given a thought to the deeper side of life will deny for one moment the power and inspiration that manifest themselves once the heart is kindled.

A person with heart quality need not be simple, he need not discard intellect; only the heart quality produces that perfume in the intellect which is as fragrance in a flower. Morals learned from logic are dry morals, a fruit without juice, a flower without fragrance.

It is the heart quality that as a course of nature produces virtues which no one can teach; a loving person, a person with sympathy in his heart, teaches morals through himself. It is the balance of mind and heart, or the balance of thought and feeling that makes the ground ready for sowing the seed of the inner life."

We can but attempt to improve ourselves to be the change we want to see in the world.

America’s “Ghost Detainees” Shuttled to Morocco

2005-12-08T19:55:00.000-05:00

“December 8, 2005 — North African nation hosting secret prisoners identified. According to informed intelligence sources, the country that is hosting most of the U.S. terrorist suspects moved from Eastern European secret prisons in advance of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent European visit is Morocco.

Many of the prisoners are being held at remote prisons established by former King Hassan II to torture political prisoners. Many of these prisons are in located high in the Atlas Mountains and are so remote, they can only be easily reached by helicopter.

The deal with Morocco was reached as a result of the close relations between Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and former Secretary of State and UN Special Envoy for Western Sahara James Baker, Baker’s Special Envoy assistant John Bolton, and former US ambassador to Morocco Margaret Tutwiler. Western Sahara is illegally occupied by Morocco but the Bush administration supports the continued Moroccan occupation of the oil and mineral rich territory. In return, Morocco has supported the holding of “Al Qaeda” suspects, interrogations by its security services, and close liaison with Israeli intelligence and military personnel.”

Thanks to Youngfox for posting this Wayne Madsen article at Pourquois Pas?.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

2005-12-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

Pausing to mark a dark day in Canada's recent history.

So many women today, in so many countries, struggle for equality under the most adversarial conditions. We can immediately conjure up images of Afghani women and young girls who do not have the freedom to get an education simply by virtue of their gender; but we need not look so far afield to find examples of oppression.

While Western Nations or NGOs attempt to effect real and positive change around the world to empower women with the most basic rights, it would serve us well to remember that the underlying reasons for the discrimination against women are often learned at home.

Our own backyard still has many problems that need tending if we are to reach a truly equal society.

The Montreal Massacre

For 45 minutes on Dec. 6, 1989 an enraged gunman roamed the corridors of Montreal's École Polytechnique and killed 14 women.

Marc Lepine, 25, separated the men from the women and before opening fire on the classroom of female engineering students he screamed, "I hate feminists."

Almost immediately, the Montreal Massacre became a galvanizing moment in which mourning turned into outrage about all violence against women.

More stifling of the free press in Iraq

2005-12-02T18:18:00.000-05:00

Aside from the obvious - indiscriminate violence all around, kidnappings, among so many inumerable atrocities, now they’re refusing entry to all non-Iraqi Arabs…

The government of Iraq has barred non-Iraqi Arabs from entering the country ahead of the Dec. 15 general elections.

"It covers all border points whether airports, land border crossings or ports," said one senior official.

An Interior Ministry official said it was "part of security procedures" reportedly implemented Nov. 29, with no formal announcement. No date for lifting the restriction has been set.

Here's where it gets really special:

An Associated Press correspondent of Egyptian nationality was also barred from boarding a plane Friday for Baghdad. Iraqi officials say there will be no exceptions to the new rule.

So the AP will now have to rely either on non arabic speakers to report the news from Iraq and/or journalists who speak Arabic as a second language. I realise there are doubtless many talented and hopefully scrupulous journalists who fit this bill, but wouldn't it be nice to know that your news is coming from someone who speaks Arabic as their mother tongue?

Looks like Iraq could be on its way to becoming a Belarus style democracy.

'Democracy' in Belarus

2005-12-02T14:34:00.000-05:00

Conveniently this comes before an election set for 2006. It is already illegal to critcize the President who has so far remained in power for 11 years.

The parliament of Belarus has passed a law intended to stop mass protests - ahead of 2006 presidential elections.

The law will make it a criminal offence to "discredit" the Belarusian state both within Belarus and abroad - with a three year jail term for offenders.

The new law was passed overwhelmingly by the lower house of the Belarusian parliament on Friday.

Officials say it will help prevent protests similar to those that led to Ukraine's so-called Orange Revolution.

The new law makes it a criminal offence to deliberately make available to foreign states or organisations, false information on the political, economic or military situation in Belarus, or to discredit Belarus or its government.

Anyone found to have done so could face between six months and three years in prison.

Sanctions threat

The bill broadens the scope of existing legislation - it is already illegal in Belarus to criticise the President, Aleksandr Lukashenko, or any top officials.

The head of the Belarusian KGB, Stepan Sukhorenko, said the law was intended to stop a wave of protests like those in Ukraine last year during the Orange Revolution.

Swaziland cancels all World AIDS Day events by royal decree

2005-12-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

I find it truly shameful that rulers of nations are still hampering the treatment, and thereby helping the spread, of HIV among the planets poorest and most destitute while the means exist to deter the spread and treat those already suffering.

In a royal decree, Swaziland's King Mswati cancelled the AIDS Day events, saying they would interfere with a month-long traditional ceremony.

Mantombazana Tshabalala-Msimang told an audience in Durban that they should eat lots of vegetables and garlic, for its anti-fungal properties.

She's been called "Dr. No" for her reluctance to support the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which have been shown to prolong the lives of HIV/AIDS patients.

Jilin Chemical Catastrophe

2005-11-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

The chemical plant explosion in Jilin that has loosed an 80km slick of carcinogenic benzyne into the Songhua river will soon reach the Amur river in Russia and result in the vast contamination of the rivers waters.
Russians are preparing for the emergency situation and to cut off the supply of drinking water as soon as the slick reaches them.

Only well water is potable at this stage and this seems to be largely accessible to corporate interests (McCains french fries need to keep the chinese KFC consumers happy) while the populations of tens of millions are scrambling to aquire adequate supplies of bottled water.

What I desperately want to know is this:

What's being done to clean up this spill and how has it already affected the ecosystem of the Amur and its tributaries???

Have any readers found any mention of the consequences of this spill (other than that of drinking water)?

Starved, tortured prisoners found in Iraqi cell

2005-11-16T11:19:00.000-05:00

While the US is busy admitting to yesterday's news , today we hear of detainees who've had their skin peeled off.

The deputy interior minister was more explicit, saying he was stunned by the prisoners' treatment.

"I've never seen such a situation like this during the past two years in Baghdad; this is the worst," Hussein Kamal told CNN.

"I saw signs of physical abuse by brutal beating, one or two detainees were paralysed and some had their skin peeled off various parts of their bodies."

Depleted Uranium use = Nuclear War

2005-11-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

A must read interview...

with Leuren Moret (a geoscientist whose credentials are listed at the top of the interview).

Here are just a few excerpts:

In April of 2003, the World Health Organization said they expect global cancer rates to increase 50 percent by the year 2020.

ICONOCLAST: What can soldiers expect when they come home?

MORET: If they were in Bradley Fighting Vehicles, they’re coming home with rectal cancer from sitting on ammunition boxes. The young women are reporting terrible problems with endometriosis. That’s the lining of the uterus malfunctioning, and they just bleed and bleed and bleed. Some of them have uterine cancer — 18 and 19 and 20 year olds.

ICONOCLAST: Does exposure to depleted uranium effect their psychological background when they come home?

MORET: Depleted uranium are these particles that form at very high temperatures. They are uranium oxides that are insoluble. They are at least 100 times smaller than a white blood cell, so when the soldiers breathe, they inhale them. The particles go through the nose, go through the olfactory and into the brain, and it messes up their cognitive abilities, thought processes.
It damages their mood-control mechanism in the brain. Four soldiers at Fort Bragg came back from Afghanistan, and within two months, those four had murdered their wives.

I could keep quoting, but it's really worth reading the entire interview.

Another bunch of information that the general public (including me!) would prefer to believe is not part of our present reality.

Sad news for the Planet.

Thanks to Blondsense where I picked this up.

Also posted at Pourquoi Pas.

Remembrance Day...for everyone...

2005-11-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

Remembrance day will be upon us tomorrow and there is so much strife in our present day that I think many of us will find little time to give a moment's consideration to all those individuals who have fought for the rights of their people.

It is not only our organized military men and women serving in war-time (past & present) who deserve remembrance.

Many people around the world have made personal sacrifices and Ken Saro-Wiwa's story is but one of countless stories from around the world of the ultimate sacrifice being paid by non-violent protesters fighting against corporate and governmental sidelining of the interests of the people:

Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 - November 10, 1995) was a Nigerian author, television producer and environmental activist.

The Ogoni people of the Niger Delta are still as confident, proud and strong as Ken Saro-Wiwa left them 10 years ago but they have little to smile about on the anniversary of his tragic death.

Their youths roam idly about their peaceful oil-rich land with no hope of employment, and their schools and hospitals are but a shambles.

~ full article

In 1990, Saro-Wiwa founded MOSOP, to advocate for the rights of the Ogoni people. The Ogoni Bill of Rights, written by MOSOP, set out the movement's demands, including increased autonomy for the Ogoni people, a fair share of the proceeds of oil extraction, and remediation of environmental damage to Ogoni lands. In 1992, Saro-Wiwa was imprisoned for several months, without trial, by the Nigerian military government.

In January 1993, MOSOP organised peaceful marches of around 300,000 Ogoni people - more than half of the Ogoni population - through four Ogoni centres, drawing international attention to his people's plight. The same year, Shell ceased operations in the Ogoni region.

Saro-Wiwa was arrested again and detained by Nigerian authorities in June 1993, but was released after a month. In May 1994, he was arrested and accused of incitement to murder following the deaths of four Ogoni elders, believed to be sympathetic to the military. Saro-Wiwa denied the charges, but was imprisoned for over a year before being found guilty and sentenced to death by a specially convened tribunal. The trial was widely criticised by human rights organisations.

~Ken Saro-Wiwa

US used chemical weapons in Fallujah

2005-11-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

This is the sort of behaviour that would justify outrage so otherwise misplaced and vainly held aloft as though a golden calf.

This is the sort of behaviour that people will be called to answer for.

This is unforgivable behaviour that has no valid excuse.

This is making enemies in the world.

Powerful new evidence emerged yesterday that the United States dropped massive quantities of white phosphorus on the Iraqi city of Fallujah during the attack on the city in November 2004, killing insurgents and civilians with the appalling burns that are the signature of this weapon.