9/7/10
Maytree » Invisible Chains
Maytree » Invisible Chains
***NEW*** ENSLAVED AND EXPLOITED: The Story of Sex Trafficking in Canada from Hope for the Sold on Vimeo.
***NEW*** ENSLAVED AND EXPLOITED: The Story of Sex Trafficking in Canada from Hope for the Sold on Vimeo.
“Just outside Toronto, a 14-year old Canadian girl was auctioned on the internet for men to purchase by the hour. A young woman was taken by slave traders from an African war zone to Edmonton to earn greater profits by exploiting her in prostitution. A gang called Wolfpack recruited teenagers in Quebec and sold them for sex to high-profile men in the community.
The global problem of human trafficking is only beginning to be recognized in Canada, even though it has been hidden in plain sight. In Invisible Chains, Benjamin Perrin, an award-winning law professor and policy expert, exposes cases of human trafficking, recording in-depth interviews with people on the front lines – police officers, social workers, and the victims themselves – and bringing to light government records released under access-to-information laws.”
8/18/10
Non-Profit Societies
Mission
The mission of a charity is to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide free medical and dental care to the poor with respect for the human dignity of each individual.
The mission of a charity is to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, treat the addicted and provide free medical and dental care to the poor with respect for the human dignity of each individual.
What is Life?
What is Life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the Sunset."
~Crowfoot on his deathbed, 1891
7/13/10
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
"Nothing is more seductive for man than his freedom of conscience. But nothing is a greater source of suffering."
6/16/10
Murder
Human male skull with large caliber bullet wound to head. European male, 25 years of age, modern specimen, North America. Cast by us from an original skull that is in a North American medical school forensic osteology teaching collection. The appearance of projectile damage to bone is crucial to the differentiation of "entrance" and "exit" wounds. Typically, as a projectile like a bullet passes through a plate of bone (like that of the neurocranium), fragments of the bone follow. As such, there is a characteristic beveling (or open fanning) of the bone in the direction of projectile motion. Although not adequately visualized on the entrance wound of this specimen (without removing the calvarium), this phenomenon is beautifully illustrated in the exit wound of the left lateral occipital bone. Note also the radiating simple linear fracture which progresses obliquely and laterally away from the exit wound. Interestingly, the left orbital plate is not intact. This is important to recognize and consider for two reasons. Firstly, damage to bones in this region may be due to direct contact with the bullet, or the forces of gases expelled from the muzzle of a gun in hard contact with the head. Secondly, it may not be due to these factors at all, and may represent the violent secondary contact of the frontal lobes of the brain, thrust against this bony ridge when the brain is expanded and compressed by forces created with the rapid passage of a projectile through brain tissue. Our Bone Clones® forensic skull captures all the osteological and forensic details of the original.
For an analysis report (PDF format), a copy of which will be sent with the purchase of this specimen, go to BC-152-Report. Should you have questions or comments regarding the report, please contact us at reports@boneclones.com.
Human Male Skull with a 32-caliber Gunshot Wound
6/10/10
quotes
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting
our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
N. Hill
Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.
Benjamin Franklin
An artist is an explorer. He has to begin by self-discovery and by observation of his own procedure.
After that he must not feel under any constraint.
Henri Matisse
For the creative soul cannot survive on past accomplishments, and so each day the artist must go forth
and face his fears and embrace the unknown.
Robert Rosenstein
If art was defined simply by the ability to draw, then my inkjet printer would be a greater artist than
Michelangelo
~Curtis Verdun
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
He who wants milk should not sit himself in the middle of a pasture waiting for a cow to back up to him.
Anon
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything
else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach
Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.
Ray Bradbury
An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.
Louise Bourgeois
If art was defined simply by the ability to draw, then my inkjet printer would be a greater artist than
Michelangelo.
Curtis Verdun
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
To fake it is to stand guard over emptiness.
Arthur Herzog
our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
N. Hill
Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.
Benjamin Franklin
An artist is an explorer. He has to begin by self-discovery and by observation of his own procedure.
After that he must not feel under any constraint.
Henri Matisse
For the creative soul cannot survive on past accomplishments, and so each day the artist must go forth
and face his fears and embrace the unknown.
Robert Rosenstein
If art was defined simply by the ability to draw, then my inkjet printer would be a greater artist than
Michelangelo
~Curtis Verdun
The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind.
He who wants milk should not sit himself in the middle of a pasture waiting for a cow to back up to him.
Anon
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything
else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah.
Richard Bach
Live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds.
Ray Bradbury
An artist can show things that other people are terrified of expressing.
Louise Bourgeois
If art was defined simply by the ability to draw, then my inkjet printer would be a greater artist than
Michelangelo.
Curtis Verdun
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
To fake it is to stand guard over emptiness.
Arthur Herzog
A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.
Joseph Campbell
No road is too long for him who advances slowly and does not hurry, and no attainment is beyond his reach who equips himself with patience to achieve it
Jean de La Bruyer
My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.
Raoul Dufy
A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambition.
Marcus Aurelius
Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
H. Jackson Brown
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.
Aristotle
A dream without a plan is just a dream. A dream with a plan may become a reality.
Hap Hagood
I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
Diane Ackerman
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
Sylvia Plath
Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.
Peter Drucker
I cannot expect even my own art to provide all the answers – only to hope it keeps asking the right questions.
Grace Hartigan
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.
Elbert Hubbard
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie
Master yourself, then you can master your world. Man is manacled only by himself; thought and action are the jailers of Fate.
James Allen
Joseph Campbell
No road is too long for him who advances slowly and does not hurry, and no attainment is beyond his reach who equips himself with patience to achieve it
Jean de La Bruyer
My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.
Raoul Dufy
A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambition.
Marcus Aurelius
Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
H. Jackson Brown
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.
Aristotle
A dream without a plan is just a dream. A dream with a plan may become a reality.
Hap Hagood
I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.
Diane Ackerman
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
Sylvia Plath
Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes… but no plans.
Peter Drucker
I cannot expect even my own art to provide all the answers – only to hope it keeps asking the right questions.
Grace Hartigan
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The world is moving so fast these days that the man who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.
Elbert Hubbard
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie
Master yourself, then you can master your world. Man is manacled only by himself; thought and action are the jailers of Fate.
James Allen
6/8/10
John Kasaona: How poachers became caretakers | Video on TED.com
John Kasaona: How poachers became caretakers | Video on TED.com
John Kasaona is a leader in the drive to reinvent conservation in Namibia.
As the assistant director for the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) , Kasaona works on ways to improve the lives of rural people in Namibia by involving them in the management of the lands they live on -- and the species that live there with them.
Essentially, it's about restoring the balance of land and people to that of pre-colonial times, and allowing the people with the most interest in the survival of their environment to have control of it.
His work was featured in the recent film Milking the Rhino.
John Kasaona is a leader in the drive to reinvent conservation in Namibia.
As the assistant director for the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC) , Kasaona works on ways to improve the lives of rural people in Namibia by involving them in the management of the lands they live on -- and the species that live there with them.
Essentially, it's about restoring the balance of land and people to that of pre-colonial times, and allowing the people with the most interest in the survival of their environment to have control of it.
His work was featured in the recent film Milking the Rhino.
5/2/10
4/1/10
3/27/10
Heros
Heroes are people who improve the quality of life for all
by Burr Williams
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Published: Friday, March 26, 2010 8:12 PM CDT
One person CAN make a difference. Matt Hanson started the Downtown Midland Farmers Market a couple years ago.
Such an endeavor adds to the quality of life for Midlanders. During the growing season, between 200 and 300
people come by on each of the every-Saturday events. Matt also has arranged to use the yard behind the yellow
house at the Scarborough-Lineberry Historical House as a community garden (which will have spaces available by
the end of May for vegetable gardening enthusiasts to have their own plot.) Now, in conjunction with Oglalla
Commons, a community-building non-profit agency based out of Nazareth, Matt is the driving force behind the
"Local Foods Conference" next Monday and Tuesday.
On the evening of Monday the 29th, at the Sibley Nature Center, a get-to-know everybody "soiree" will begin at
7 p.m. The cost is $10. The conference the next day will be at the Atmos building just west of the Midland
International Airport. The cost is $35. To register and pay online, go to www.ogallalacommons.org, click on
"Events," then click Rebuilding Locals Food Systems.
Among the local folks present will be Dave and Marta Beard, beekeepers, and Bunny Leavitt, bread maker and
flour miller. Susan Leibrock, the Community Relations director of the Sustainable Food Center in Austin and a
Midland native, is the featured speaker at the soiree. Upon graduating from the University of Texas at Austin
with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Leibrock lived in New York City for seven years, working in both
the restaurant industry and for five years at the flagship office of J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the global
advertising agency. She realized as she researched supermarket industry trends that she wanted to help solve
the issues surrounding food marketing in the U.S. Leibrock attended the French Culinary Institute and read
many books on local food systems and sustainable agriculture before returning to Austin in summer '07 and was
hired at the Sustainable Food Center.
The Farmers Market gives local growers direct access to urban residents in demand of freshly harvested
produce. In the future, with programs such as farm-to-cafeteria, farm-to-school and farm-to-work, local
farmers can connect with hospitals, universities, schools, and worksites to provide fresh produce and
strengthen the local economy. A Farmer's Market affects positive change by involving farmers and consumers in
a broad effort to promote reliable and nourishing local food sources while helping to sustain our environment.
The market increases weekend traffic to the downtown area and builds a sense of community.
Author Wendell Berry is one of the "grandfathers" of the "Local Foods movement." He neatly summarizes why it
is important: "Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting. Most 'eaters' in
America, however, are no longer aware that this is true. They do not think of themselves as participants in
agriculture. They think of themselves as 'consumers.' They buy what they want -- or what they have been
persuaded to want -- within the limits of what they can get. They pay, mostly without protest, what they are
charged. And they mostly ignore certain critical questions about the quality and the cost of what they are
sold: How fresh is it? How pure or clean is it, how free of dangerous chemicals? How far was it transported,
and what did transportation add to the cost? How much did manufacturing or packaging or advertising add to the
cost? When the food product has been manufactured or 'processed' or 'precooked' how has that affected its
quality or price or nutritional value? In the food industry -- as in any other industry -- the overriding
concerns are not quality and health, but volume and price. For decades now the entire industrial food economy,
from the large farms and feedlots to the chains of supermarkets and fast-food restaurants has been obsessed
with volume. It has relentlessly increased scale in order to increase volume in order (probably) to reduce
costs. But as scale increases, diversity declines; as diversity declines, so does health; as health declines,
the dependence on drugs and chemicals necessarily increases."
Folks who contribute to the "quality of life" of their town are heroes of mine. Their importance far exceeds
that of any Hollywood star, rock star or pro sports figure. Come to the soiree and seminar and become involved
in improving the quality of life in Midland.
Read more: http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2010/03/27/news/opinion/columns/burr_williams/burr_williams.
Nathaniel's Story
: Violinist
Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic iat the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a 2010 TED Fellow.
.Why you should listen to him: .Violinist Robert Vijay Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 19. He made his solo debut, at age 11, with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He's got a master's in music from Yale. But his undergraduate degree? Pre-med. As an undergrad, Gupta was part of several research projects in neuro- and neurodegenerative biology. He held Research Assistant positions at CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he worked on spinal cord neuronal regeneration, and at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine Center for Neurologic Diseases, where he studied the biochemical pathology of Parkinson's disease.
Gupta is passionate about education and outreach, both as a musician and as an activist for mental health issues. He has the privilege of working with Nathaniel Ayers, the brilliant, schizophrenic musician featured in "The Soloist," as his violin teacher.
Violinist Robert Gupta joined the LA Philharmonic iat the age of 19 -- and maintains a passionate parallel interest in neurobiology and mental health issues. He's a 2010 TED Fellow.
.Why you should listen to him: .Violinist Robert Vijay Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the age of 19. He made his solo debut, at age 11, with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta. He's got a master's in music from Yale. But his undergraduate degree? Pre-med. As an undergrad, Gupta was part of several research projects in neuro- and neurodegenerative biology. He held Research Assistant positions at CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he worked on spinal cord neuronal regeneration, and at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine Center for Neurologic Diseases, where he studied the biochemical pathology of Parkinson's disease.
Gupta is passionate about education and outreach, both as a musician and as an activist for mental health issues. He has the privilege of working with Nathaniel Ayers, the brilliant, schizophrenic musician featured in "The Soloist," as his violin teacher.
3/24/10
Gwynne Dyer
Gwynne Dyer: The lawless Roman Catholic Church
By Gwynne Dyer
Publish Date: March 23, 2010
The Biblical formula “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” is generally taken to mean that people should recognize the authority of the state in secular matters, but that is not necessarily what Jesus meant by it. It is certainly not the current practice of the Roman Catholic Church, although the rule in modern democracies is very clear: the law applies equally to everyone, even priests.
It’s more than two decades since evidence of widespread sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy began to surface in the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and still the revelations continue. A “tsunami” of allegations of child abuse in Catholic schools and orphanages is spreading from Ireland across the rest of Europe, and at the same time the extent of the coverup is becoming clearer. Even the Pope may have been involved.
The priests who abused and raped the children were individuals, and such people exist in other walks of life too. But the decision to cover up their crimes was a greater crime, for it was made by men whose main concern was protecting the reputation of the large organization which they served, the Catholic Church. They were able to act as they did only because they genuinely believed, and still believe, that the Church is above the law.
No other organization makes this claim. Consider, for example, what would have happened if any other large organization had discovered that some of its members were exploiting their positions and their power to have sexual relations with children.
The organization in question might be a welfare department, or a boarding school, or a longterm care centre for severely handicapped children; it could be in the U.S., or Chile, or France. It makes no difference; the response would be the same.
The people in charge would immediately suspend the individual against whom the accusation has been made, so that he or she has no further contact with children until the matter has been fully investigated. If there was any actual sexual contact, they would immediately report it to the police, because that is a criminal offence. Not to report it would be a criminal offence on the part of the managers, and they could go to jail for it.
Well, a lot of child sexual abuse has been going on in the Catholic Church, and offences of this sort have been coming to the attention of the abusers’ superiors on a quite frequent basis for decades now. What did they do about it?
They hushed it up. They tried to swear the child victims and their parents to silence, exploiting their loyalty to the Church. They moved the pedophile priests to other schools or institutions where they generally still had contact with children, perhaps after some perfunctory “therapy”, perhaps not. And they didn’t report them to the police.
A few of the worst offending priests did go to jail in the end, but that was usually because those cases got beyond the Church’s ability to control. And no bishop, cardinal, or pope ever went to prison for his part in this massive coverup of grave crimes.
This is the really shocking thing about this scandal: not the evil actions of some priests, not even the fact that the Church was more concerned to protect those men than their victims, but the sheer contempt for “secular” law that permeates the entire Catholic hierarchy.
At a relatively low level, you can see it in the ignorant remarks of Monsignor Maurice Dooley, one of Ireland’s leading experts in canon law, who explained to Irish radio last week why priests did not have to report child abuse to the police. “Priests are not auxiliary policemen,” he said. “They do not have an obligation to go down to the police.” But they do: they are Irish citizens, and that is the law in Ireland.
Even Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t get it. In fact, he especially doesn’t get it. In 2001, when he was still known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and serving as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he sent a letter to Catholic bishops around the world instructing them to report all abuse cases to his office at the Vatican for confidential handling.
This was taken by most bishops as meaning that they should NOT report abuse cases to the police. Vatican sources now claim that that’s not what Ratzinger really meant by his letter, but they would say that now, wouldn’t they? His more recent statements and writings as pope certainly suggest that he still doesn’t understand that bishops and even cardinals must obey the laws of the country they live in.
As a head of state, Pope Benedict XVI is now truly above the law, so he need not fear the policeman’s knock at the door. But there are still many priests who committed horrendous crimes but have been protected by the Church. There are also a good many bishops who should face trial for covering up those crimes, but it will never happen. A dog-collar is as good as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source URL: http://www.straight.com/article-299205/vancouver/gwynne-dyer-lawless-roman-catholic-church
By Gwynne Dyer
Publish Date: March 23, 2010
The Biblical formula “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” is generally taken to mean that people should recognize the authority of the state in secular matters, but that is not necessarily what Jesus meant by it. It is certainly not the current practice of the Roman Catholic Church, although the rule in modern democracies is very clear: the law applies equally to everyone, even priests.
It’s more than two decades since evidence of widespread sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy began to surface in the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and still the revelations continue. A “tsunami” of allegations of child abuse in Catholic schools and orphanages is spreading from Ireland across the rest of Europe, and at the same time the extent of the coverup is becoming clearer. Even the Pope may have been involved.
The priests who abused and raped the children were individuals, and such people exist in other walks of life too. But the decision to cover up their crimes was a greater crime, for it was made by men whose main concern was protecting the reputation of the large organization which they served, the Catholic Church. They were able to act as they did only because they genuinely believed, and still believe, that the Church is above the law.
No other organization makes this claim. Consider, for example, what would have happened if any other large organization had discovered that some of its members were exploiting their positions and their power to have sexual relations with children.
The organization in question might be a welfare department, or a boarding school, or a longterm care centre for severely handicapped children; it could be in the U.S., or Chile, or France. It makes no difference; the response would be the same.
The people in charge would immediately suspend the individual against whom the accusation has been made, so that he or she has no further contact with children until the matter has been fully investigated. If there was any actual sexual contact, they would immediately report it to the police, because that is a criminal offence. Not to report it would be a criminal offence on the part of the managers, and they could go to jail for it.
Well, a lot of child sexual abuse has been going on in the Catholic Church, and offences of this sort have been coming to the attention of the abusers’ superiors on a quite frequent basis for decades now. What did they do about it?
They hushed it up. They tried to swear the child victims and their parents to silence, exploiting their loyalty to the Church. They moved the pedophile priests to other schools or institutions where they generally still had contact with children, perhaps after some perfunctory “therapy”, perhaps not. And they didn’t report them to the police.
A few of the worst offending priests did go to jail in the end, but that was usually because those cases got beyond the Church’s ability to control. And no bishop, cardinal, or pope ever went to prison for his part in this massive coverup of grave crimes.
This is the really shocking thing about this scandal: not the evil actions of some priests, not even the fact that the Church was more concerned to protect those men than their victims, but the sheer contempt for “secular” law that permeates the entire Catholic hierarchy.
At a relatively low level, you can see it in the ignorant remarks of Monsignor Maurice Dooley, one of Ireland’s leading experts in canon law, who explained to Irish radio last week why priests did not have to report child abuse to the police. “Priests are not auxiliary policemen,” he said. “They do not have an obligation to go down to the police.” But they do: they are Irish citizens, and that is the law in Ireland.
Even Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t get it. In fact, he especially doesn’t get it. In 2001, when he was still known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and serving as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he sent a letter to Catholic bishops around the world instructing them to report all abuse cases to his office at the Vatican for confidential handling.
This was taken by most bishops as meaning that they should NOT report abuse cases to the police. Vatican sources now claim that that’s not what Ratzinger really meant by his letter, but they would say that now, wouldn’t they? His more recent statements and writings as pope certainly suggest that he still doesn’t understand that bishops and even cardinals must obey the laws of the country they live in.
As a head of state, Pope Benedict XVI is now truly above the law, so he need not fear the policeman’s knock at the door. But there are still many priests who committed horrendous crimes but have been protected by the Church. There are also a good many bishops who should face trial for covering up those crimes, but it will never happen. A dog-collar is as good as a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source URL: http://www.straight.com/article-299205/vancouver/gwynne-dyer-lawless-roman-catholic-church
3/22/10
3/15/10
Bible Verse: Peter 1, 5-8
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3/9/10
3/4/10
Freedom from the Prison of Your Habits #2: Identifying Habits | A Flourishing Life
Freedom from the Prison of Your Habits #2: Identifying Habits | A Flourishing Life: "“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts.”
Marianne Williamson"
Marianne Williamson"
How to Meditate | A Flourishing Life
How to Meditate | A Flourishing Life: "“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. “Henry Miller"
3/2/10
Profiting From Recession, Payday Lenders Spend Big To Fight Regulation
The influential $42 billion-a-year payday lending industry, thriving from a surge in emergency loans to people struggling through the recession, is pouring record sums into lobbying, campaign contributions, and public relations - and getting results.
As the Senate prepares to take up financial reform, lobbyists are working to exempt companies that make short-term cash loans from proposed new federal regulations and policing. In state capitals around the country, payday companies have been fighting some 100 pieces of legislation aimed at safeguarding borrowers from high interest rates and from falling into excessive debt.
Last year, as the U.S. House drew up a financial reform bill, some lawmakers who were courted by the companies and received campaign contributions from them helped crush amendments seeking to restrict payday practices, a review by the Huffington Post Investigative Fund has found.
The failed amendments would have capped payday interest rates - which reach triple digits on an annualized basis -- and would have limited the number of loans a lender could make to a customer. Working largely behind the scenes, the industry ended up dividing the Democratic majority on the 71-member House Financial Services Committee.
Payroll Loans
GRAPHIC: Paying for Influence »
Over the last decade, lenders specializing in short-term loans, along with company executives and others associated with them, have spent millions of dollars to win influence in Congress, according to an analysis of campaign finance data and lobbying records.
Source:
Huffington Post-Keith Epstein First Posted: 03- 2-10
Over the last decade, lenders specializing in short-term loans, along with company executives and others associated with them, have spent millions of dollars to win influence in Congress, according to an analysis of campaign finance data and lobbying records.
Source:
Huffington Post-Keith Epstein First Posted: 03- 2-10
2/19/10
Soon to be a Saint.
What does it take to be declared a saint?
1. Investigation: A postulator (advocate) examines the nominee's life, writings, and religious acts. That evidence is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a special panel of theologians and cardinals. If the case has merit, they are declared "venerable" — a role model of Catholic virtue.
2. Beatification: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints must verify a miracle before beatification. Miracles are considered as extraordinary events produced by God, acting through others and verified by witnesses.
3. Canonization: The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints must be presented with evidence of a second posthumous miracle.
Brother André will be canonized officially at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 17. (St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal)
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/19/montreal-saint-andre.html#ixzz0g362S9xS from Montreal, Father Andre to be declared a Saint.
1. Investigation: A postulator (advocate) examines the nominee's life, writings, and religious acts. That evidence is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a special panel of theologians and cardinals. If the case has merit, they are declared "venerable" — a role model of Catholic virtue.
2. Beatification: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints must verify a miracle before beatification. Miracles are considered as extraordinary events produced by God, acting through others and verified by witnesses.
3. Canonization: The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints must be presented with evidence of a second posthumous miracle.
Brother André will be canonized officially at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 17. (St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal)Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/19/montreal-saint-andre.html#ixzz0g362S9xS from Montreal, Father Andre to be declared a Saint.
Sainthood
What does it take to be declared a saint?
1. Investigation: A postulator (advocate) examines the nominee's life, writings, and religious acts. That evidence is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a special panel of theologians and cardinals. If the case has merit, they are declared "venerable" — a role model of Catholic virtue.
2. Beatification: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints must verify a miracle before beatification. Miracles are considered as extraordinary events produced by God, acting through others and verified by witnesses.
3. Canonization: The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints must be presented with evidence of a second posthumous miracle.
After joining the Holy Cross Congregation in
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/19/montreal-saint-andre.html#ixzz0g2oFK09F
1. Investigation: A postulator (advocate) examines the nominee's life, writings, and religious acts. That evidence is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a special panel of theologians and cardinals. If the case has merit, they are declared "venerable" — a role model of Catholic virtue.
2. Beatification: The Congregation for the Causes of Saints must verify a miracle before beatification. Miracles are considered as extraordinary events produced by God, acting through others and verified by witnesses.
3. Canonization: The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints must be presented with evidence of a second posthumous miracle.
After joining the Holy Cross Congregation in
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/02/19/montreal-saint-andre.html#ixzz0g2oFK09F
2/18/10
2/9/10
1/24/10
1/17/10
12/24/09
Cruelty as an aspect of human nature.
http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,52925818001_1943278,00.html
12/21/09
Sign found.
Tobacco Road: "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
"plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
"the more it changes, the more it's the same thing",
usually translated as "the more things change,
the more they stay the same"
I was born in a dump
my mother died
my daddy got drunk
they Left me here to die or grow
in the middle of Tobacco Road
I grew up in a rusty shack
And all I ever owned was hangin' on my back
Lord above know how much I loathe
this mean ol' place called Tobacco Road.
"the more it changes, the more it's the same thing",
usually translated as "the more things change,
the more they stay the same"
I was born in a dump
my mother died
my daddy got drunk
they Left me here to die or grow
in the middle of Tobacco Road
I grew up in a rusty shack
And all I ever owned was hangin' on my back
Lord above know how much I loathe
this mean ol' place called Tobacco Road.
Malawi's child tobacco pickers 'being
poisoned by nicotine'
Children in Malawi who are forced to work as tobacco pickers are exposed to nicotine poisoning equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day, an investigation has found.
Child labourers as young as five are suffering severe health problems from a daily skin absorption of up to 54 milligrams of dissolved nicotine, according to the international children's organisation Plan.
Malawian tobacco is found in the blend of almost every cigarette smoked in the west. The low-grade, high-nicotine tobacco is often used as a filler by manufacturers, reflecting a long-term global shift in production.
Tobacco farms in America declined by 89% between 1954 and 2002. Three-quarters of production has migrated to developing countries, with Malawi the world's fifth biggest producer. Seventy per cent of its export income comes from tobacco and the country is economically dependent on it.
And the daddy still gets drunk.
source: Guardian Johannesburg
And the daddy still gets drunk.
source: Guardian Johannesburg
12/10/09
Mavis Staples Interview: We'll Never Turn Back
Tavis Smiley also broadcast a great interview about the same topic.
10/29/09
10/18/09
10/15/09
10/14/09
10/13/09
9/27/09
Michael Moore
Larry King asked him if he was interested in doing a movie about Climate Change, to which he answered that the movie had already been made by Al Gore and that he sees his resposibility as shining his light on topics that are not getting notice.
9/26/09
The 219 Train Blues
Trouble in mind, I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
In my backdoor some day.
I'm all alone at midnight
And my lamp is burnin' low
Ain't never had so much
Trouble in my life before.
Trouble in mind, that's true
I have almost lost my mind,
Life ain't worth livin,
Sometimes I feel like dyin'.
Goin' down to the river
Gonna take my ol' rockin' chair
And if the blues don't leave me
I'll rock away from there.
You been a hard-hearted mama
Great God! You been unkind
Gonna be a cold, cold papa
Cause you to lose your mind.
I'm gonna lay my head down
On some lonesome railroad line
And let the two nineteen
Pacify my mind.
Well it's trouble, oh trouble
Trouble on my worried mind,
When you see me laughin'
I'm laughin' just to keep from cryin'.
9/21/09
Memory Thieves You Can Beat
Nine Memory Theives and a solution:
There are a surprising number of disorders that can leave your steel-trap mind rusty and toothless. Fortunately many of them can be reversed. The first step is diagnosing them. The following nine problems are some of the most common memory thieves.
1. High Blood Sugar
Memory lapses may be in your blood—or, more specifically, in your blood sugar.
Protect yourself: If there’s a history of high blood sugar or diabetes in your family, have your blood sugar tested regularly. Eat well and stay active.
2. You’re Pushing too Hard
Our brains seem to rely on sleep to cement new memories. You needn’t pull all-nighters to get into trouble: In one study, volunteers who slept six hours nightly for two weeks didn’t feel sleep-deprived, yet they performed substantially worse on tests of short-term memory.
Protect yourself: Make adequate rest a priority. If you can’t? Micro-naps of six minutes were enough to boost volunteers’ short-term performance in one study. Simply falling asleep might be enough to trigger the crucial memory process in the brain, researchers suspect.
3. You Snore
You may have sleep apnea, in which your airway gets blocked during sleep, cutting off oxygen for seconds at a time and starving brain cells. Men are more likely than women to develop apnea. Extra risk factors: being overweight or over 40.
Protect yourself: If you’re a loud snorer who feels constantly fatigued, ask your doctor if you should be tested for apnea. You may need to wear a device while sleeping that delivers a constant stream of air to your nostrils through a small hose, preventing the dangerous interruptions in oxygen.
4. You Feel Manic—or Sluggish
You may have a thyroid problem. Thyroid hormones control your metabolism, but too much or too little can disrupt the normal chatter between brain cells. An overactive thyroid creates too much static for the brain’s messages to get through, while a sluggish thyroid slows brain messages to a crawl.
Protect yourself: Talk to a doctor about bothersome symptoms (especially if you’re a woman—you’re at higher risk for hypothyroidism). An underperforming thyroid can leave you fatigued; with a hyped-up thyroid, your heart may race and you may feel manic or anxious.
5. Over 65
It gets harder to absorb vitamin B12 from food as you age, and a serious deficiency can look a lot like Alzheimer’s disease. Up to 20 percent of people over 65 are low in B12.
Protect yourself: If you’re older and feeling fuzzy, ask your doctor if you should have your B12 level checked; you may need a supplement. Also consider a test if you’re a strict vegetarian—you avoid the top food sources of the vitamin.
6. You’re Depressed
People with severe depression lose brain cells. And the longer the depression lasts, the more cells are lost in areas critical to memory.
Protect yourself: Early treatment may be key. A 2008 study suggested that people who had longer episodes of depression were less likely to show memory improvement after their mood lifted.
7. Allergy or Sleep Medication
Many drugs commonly prescribed for things like insomnia, incontinence, allergies, and gastrointestinal cramps also interfere with a crucial brain chemical. If you’re elderly, these drugs, called anticholinergics, can cause mental fogginess and forgetfulness.
Protect yourself: If you’re over age 65, you’re more vulnerable to side effects from diphenhydramine, an anticholinergic used in many over-the-counter sleep aids and allergy drugs. Mental fuzziness after starting these or any meds should prompt a talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
8. You Shuffle When You Walk
Doctors call it a magnetic gait because your feet seem to stick to the ground. It could signal abnormal pressure hydrocephalus, in which pockets in the brain swell with too much spinal fluid.
Protect yourself: A shuffle, incontinence, and memory problems are the classic symptoms, but not everyone has all three. Prompt treatment gives you the best chance of memory improvement.
9. Too Much Medication
If you’re on five or more drugs (polypharmacy), you’re at high risk for problematic interactions. And yes, over-the-counter remedies count.
Protect yourself: Make sure your doctor knows all the drugs you’re taking. If a pharmaceutical commercial seems to be speaking directly to you, ask your doc—but don’t push for a prescription.
source: ReadersDigest.ca - Health : 9 Memory Thieves You Can Beat
There are a surprising number of disorders that can leave your steel-trap mind rusty and toothless. Fortunately many of them can be reversed. The first step is diagnosing them. The following nine problems are some of the most common memory thieves.
1. High Blood Sugar
Memory lapses may be in your blood—or, more specifically, in your blood sugar.
Protect yourself: If there’s a history of high blood sugar or diabetes in your family, have your blood sugar tested regularly. Eat well and stay active.
2. You’re Pushing too Hard
Our brains seem to rely on sleep to cement new memories. You needn’t pull all-nighters to get into trouble: In one study, volunteers who slept six hours nightly for two weeks didn’t feel sleep-deprived, yet they performed substantially worse on tests of short-term memory.
Protect yourself: Make adequate rest a priority. If you can’t? Micro-naps of six minutes were enough to boost volunteers’ short-term performance in one study. Simply falling asleep might be enough to trigger the crucial memory process in the brain, researchers suspect.
3. You Snore
You may have sleep apnea, in which your airway gets blocked during sleep, cutting off oxygen for seconds at a time and starving brain cells. Men are more likely than women to develop apnea. Extra risk factors: being overweight or over 40.
Protect yourself: If you’re a loud snorer who feels constantly fatigued, ask your doctor if you should be tested for apnea. You may need to wear a device while sleeping that delivers a constant stream of air to your nostrils through a small hose, preventing the dangerous interruptions in oxygen.
4. You Feel Manic—or Sluggish
You may have a thyroid problem. Thyroid hormones control your metabolism, but too much or too little can disrupt the normal chatter between brain cells. An overactive thyroid creates too much static for the brain’s messages to get through, while a sluggish thyroid slows brain messages to a crawl.
Protect yourself: Talk to a doctor about bothersome symptoms (especially if you’re a woman—you’re at higher risk for hypothyroidism). An underperforming thyroid can leave you fatigued; with a hyped-up thyroid, your heart may race and you may feel manic or anxious.
5. Over 65
It gets harder to absorb vitamin B12 from food as you age, and a serious deficiency can look a lot like Alzheimer’s disease. Up to 20 percent of people over 65 are low in B12.
Protect yourself: If you’re older and feeling fuzzy, ask your doctor if you should have your B12 level checked; you may need a supplement. Also consider a test if you’re a strict vegetarian—you avoid the top food sources of the vitamin.
6. You’re Depressed
People with severe depression lose brain cells. And the longer the depression lasts, the more cells are lost in areas critical to memory.
Protect yourself: Early treatment may be key. A 2008 study suggested that people who had longer episodes of depression were less likely to show memory improvement after their mood lifted.
7. Allergy or Sleep Medication
Many drugs commonly prescribed for things like insomnia, incontinence, allergies, and gastrointestinal cramps also interfere with a crucial brain chemical. If you’re elderly, these drugs, called anticholinergics, can cause mental fogginess and forgetfulness.
Protect yourself: If you’re over age 65, you’re more vulnerable to side effects from diphenhydramine, an anticholinergic used in many over-the-counter sleep aids and allergy drugs. Mental fuzziness after starting these or any meds should prompt a talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
8. You Shuffle When You Walk
Doctors call it a magnetic gait because your feet seem to stick to the ground. It could signal abnormal pressure hydrocephalus, in which pockets in the brain swell with too much spinal fluid.
Protect yourself: A shuffle, incontinence, and memory problems are the classic symptoms, but not everyone has all three. Prompt treatment gives you the best chance of memory improvement.
9. Too Much Medication
If you’re on five or more drugs (polypharmacy), you’re at high risk for problematic interactions. And yes, over-the-counter remedies count.
Protect yourself: Make sure your doctor knows all the drugs you’re taking. If a pharmaceutical commercial seems to be speaking directly to you, ask your doc—but don’t push for a prescription.
source: ReadersDigest.ca - Health : 9 Memory Thieves You Can Beat
8/17/09
How Can You Tell If You Have Adult Attention Deficit Disorder?
Many people end up homeless, jobless and drug addicted after living a life of frustation from constant underachievement and being called lazy, crazy or worse. If you know someone who appears to be strugling and unable at getting started in making positive changes to their life, maybe you should look for the symptoms and give a them gentle caution that they may be suffering ADHD problems.
ADHD is a medical condition and no amount of self-talk will provide the motivation to change. An Adult ADD'er needs medical intervention.
Adult ADHD Symptoms:
The conventionally used diagnostic criteria for ADHD, including the most common symptoms, were developed based on how the Condition shows itself in children.
These symptoms include forgetfulness and excessive daydreaming, as well as an inability to sit still, or constant fidgeting with objects.
Yet many experts think adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms manifest themselves differently and more subtly.
This can make it difficult to recognize and diagnose adult ADHD.
1.) Problems Getting Organized
For people with ADHD, the increased responsibilities of adulthood -- bills, jobs, and children, to name a few -- can make
Problems with organization more obvious and more harmful than in childhood. While some ADHD symptoms are more annoying
To other people than to the person with the condition, disorganization is often identified by adults struggling with ADHD as a Major detractor from quality of life.
2.) Reckless Driving and Traffic Accidents
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder makes it hard to keep your attention on a task, so spending time behind the wheel of a car can be difficult. Because of this, ADHD can make some people more likely to speed, have traffic accidents, and lose their driver’s licenses.
3.) Marital Problems
Many people without ADHD have marital problems, of course, so a troubled marriage shouldn’t be seen as a red flag for adult ADHD. But there are some marriage problems that are particularly likely to affect the relationships of those with ADHD. Often, the partners of people with undiagnosed ADHD take poor listening skills and an inability to honor commitments as a sign that their partner doesn’t care. If you’re the person suffering from ADHD, you may not understand why you’re partner is upset, and you may feel you’re being nagged or blamed for something that’s not your fault.
4.) Extreme Distractibility
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a problem with attention regulation, so adult ADHD can make it difficult to succeed in today’s fast-paced, hustle-bustle world. Many people find that distractibility can lead to a history of career underperformance,
Especially in noisy or busy offices. If you have adult ADHD, you might find that phone calls or email derail your attention, making it hard for you to finish tasks.
5.) Poor Listening Skills
Do you zone out during long business meetings? Did your husband forget to pick up little Jimmy at baseball practice, even though you called to remind him on his way home? Problems with attention result in poor listening skills in many adults with ADHD,
Leading to a lot of missed appointments and misunderstandings.
6.) Restlessness, Problems Relaxing
While many children with ADHD are “hyperactive,” this ADHD symptom often appears differently in adults. Rather than Bouncing off the walls, adults with ADHD are more likely to exhibit restlessness or find they can’t relax. If you have adult ADHD, others might describe you as edgy or tense.
7.) Problems Starting a Task
Just as children with ADHD often put off doing homework, people with adult ADHD often drag their feet when starting tasks that require a lot of attention. This procrastination often adds to existing problems, including marital disagreements, workplace issues, and problems with friends.
8.) Chronic Lateness
There are many reasons adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are usually late. First, they’re often distracted on the way to an event, maybe realizing the car needs to be washed, and then noticing they’re low on gas, and before they know it an hour has gone by. People with adult ADHD also tend to underestimate how much time it takes to finish a task, whether it’s a major assignment at work or a simple home repair.
9.) Angry Outbursts
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often leads to problems controlling emotions. Many people with adult ADHD are quick to Explode over minor issues. Often, the person with ADHD feels as if they have absolutely no control over their emotions. Many times, their anger fades as quickly as it flared, long before the people who dealt with the outburst have gotten over the incident.
10.) Prioritizing Issues
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can wreak havoc on planning, too. Often, people with adult ADHD mis-prioritize, failing to meet big obligations, like a deadline at work, while spending countless hours on something insignificant, such as getting a higher score on a video game.
Do You Have Adult ADHD?
Only a qualified health professional can make an accurate adult ADHD diagnosis, but there are some self-screening tests that may help you decide whether to consult a medical professional about your adult ADHD symptoms.
Since many different conditions can cause adult ADHD-like symptoms, these tests alone can’t diagnose adult ADHD.
If, after talking with a qualified health professional, you or your loved one is diagnosed with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you’ll need to work together with your doctor to design the best treatment plan. Often, adult ADHD is treated with a combination of ADHD medications, such as Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, or Strattera, and therapy.
ADHD is a medical condition and no amount of self-talk will provide the motivation to change. An Adult ADD'er needs medical intervention.
Adult ADHD Symptoms:
The conventionally used diagnostic criteria for ADHD, including the most common symptoms, were developed based on how the Condition shows itself in children.
These symptoms include forgetfulness and excessive daydreaming, as well as an inability to sit still, or constant fidgeting with objects.
Yet many experts think adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms manifest themselves differently and more subtly.
This can make it difficult to recognize and diagnose adult ADHD.
1.) Problems Getting Organized
For people with ADHD, the increased responsibilities of adulthood -- bills, jobs, and children, to name a few -- can make
Problems with organization more obvious and more harmful than in childhood. While some ADHD symptoms are more annoying
To other people than to the person with the condition, disorganization is often identified by adults struggling with ADHD as a Major detractor from quality of life.
2.) Reckless Driving and Traffic Accidents
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder makes it hard to keep your attention on a task, so spending time behind the wheel of a car can be difficult. Because of this, ADHD can make some people more likely to speed, have traffic accidents, and lose their driver’s licenses.
3.) Marital Problems
Many people without ADHD have marital problems, of course, so a troubled marriage shouldn’t be seen as a red flag for adult ADHD. But there are some marriage problems that are particularly likely to affect the relationships of those with ADHD. Often, the partners of people with undiagnosed ADHD take poor listening skills and an inability to honor commitments as a sign that their partner doesn’t care. If you’re the person suffering from ADHD, you may not understand why you’re partner is upset, and you may feel you’re being nagged or blamed for something that’s not your fault.
4.) Extreme Distractibility
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a problem with attention regulation, so adult ADHD can make it difficult to succeed in today’s fast-paced, hustle-bustle world. Many people find that distractibility can lead to a history of career underperformance,
Especially in noisy or busy offices. If you have adult ADHD, you might find that phone calls or email derail your attention, making it hard for you to finish tasks.
5.) Poor Listening Skills
Do you zone out during long business meetings? Did your husband forget to pick up little Jimmy at baseball practice, even though you called to remind him on his way home? Problems with attention result in poor listening skills in many adults with ADHD,
Leading to a lot of missed appointments and misunderstandings.
6.) Restlessness, Problems Relaxing
While many children with ADHD are “hyperactive,” this ADHD symptom often appears differently in adults. Rather than Bouncing off the walls, adults with ADHD are more likely to exhibit restlessness or find they can’t relax. If you have adult ADHD, others might describe you as edgy or tense.
7.) Problems Starting a Task
Just as children with ADHD often put off doing homework, people with adult ADHD often drag their feet when starting tasks that require a lot of attention. This procrastination often adds to existing problems, including marital disagreements, workplace issues, and problems with friends.
8.) Chronic Lateness
There are many reasons adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are usually late. First, they’re often distracted on the way to an event, maybe realizing the car needs to be washed, and then noticing they’re low on gas, and before they know it an hour has gone by. People with adult ADHD also tend to underestimate how much time it takes to finish a task, whether it’s a major assignment at work or a simple home repair.
9.) Angry Outbursts
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder often leads to problems controlling emotions. Many people with adult ADHD are quick to Explode over minor issues. Often, the person with ADHD feels as if they have absolutely no control over their emotions. Many times, their anger fades as quickly as it flared, long before the people who dealt with the outburst have gotten over the incident.
10.) Prioritizing Issues
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can wreak havoc on planning, too. Often, people with adult ADHD mis-prioritize, failing to meet big obligations, like a deadline at work, while spending countless hours on something insignificant, such as getting a higher score on a video game.
Do You Have Adult ADHD?
Only a qualified health professional can make an accurate adult ADHD diagnosis, but there are some self-screening tests that may help you decide whether to consult a medical professional about your adult ADHD symptoms.
Since many different conditions can cause adult ADHD-like symptoms, these tests alone can’t diagnose adult ADHD.
If, after talking with a qualified health professional, you or your loved one is diagnosed with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you’ll need to work together with your doctor to design the best treatment plan. Often, adult ADHD is treated with a combination of ADHD medications, such as Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, or Strattera, and therapy.
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