text:
Huge success for the US National Nuclear Security Administration
Early in his administration, President Obama established a goal to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years -- a task that encompasses locking down materials in 35 countries.
Yesterday, Rachel Maddow had an exclusive interview with Andrew Bieniawski, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration's associate deputy administrator for global threat reduction, on the fact that over the holidays, the NNSA has succeeded in removing 111 pounds of highly enriched uranium from Ukraine and sent it to Russia where it will be blended down, making it useless for bomb-making.
All the movement has to be done in secret and coordinated with other nations, he said.
Four nations were involved in the Ukraine operation, he said.
"Pulling this off is a huge challenge," he said.
The removal operation completed Thursday involved 21 specially designed casks for the uranium to be flown on five flights from three cities, officials told The Associated Press. The operation was delayed for days by ice storms in Ukraine. The U.S. also helped deliver some of the replacement fuel to Ukraine.
"This may have been the most complicated operation NNSA has done in recent years," said Andrew Bieniawski, the U.S. agency's associate deputy administrator for global threat reduction.
On Obama's goal of securing it all in 4 years - here's how we're doing.
The "vulnerable nuclear material" was in 35 nations, D'Agostino said.
"We're done with 19 countries and have 16 more to go," D'Agostino told Maddow, noting the U.S. and other countries were on track to complete removal by the end of the four-year deadline established by the nations.
I doubt this story will get much air time - especially during the holiday season. But it really is one of the most important success stories of the Obama administration - and great news for the globe!
at December 31, 2010 No comments:
Mameen - by David Whyte
Be infinitesimal under that sky, a creature
even the sailing hawk misses, a wraith
among the rocks where the mist parts slowly.
Recall the way mere mortals are overwhelmed
by circumstance, how great reputations
dissolve with infirmity and how you,
in particular, live a hairsbreadth from losing
everyone you hold dear.
Then, look back down the path as if seeing
your past and then south over the hazy blue
coast as if present to a wide future,
recall the way you are all possibilities
you can see and how you live best
as an appreciator of horizons
whether you reach them or not,
admit that once you have got up
from your chair and opened the door,
once you have walked out into the clean air
toward that edge and taken the path up high
beyond the ordinary you have become
the privileged and the pilgrim
the one who will tell the story
and the one, coming back
from the mountain,
who helped to make it.
New Year's Resolution - Abandon
Last year at this time I wrote about why I hate new year's resolutions. The process itself signifies so much that my journey in this life has been about changing.
What I remember more than anything growing up is hearing "the rules" about how I was supposed to live my life. And that if I just had enough discipline or willpower, I'd be the "good girl" that God and all of the other adults in my life told me I should be. I tried. As a matter of fact, I tried with every fiber of my being. But ultimately, I always failed in some way. And of course, that failure was a result of my short comings - so then there's the guilt and shame to add to the failure.
But then one day, with the help of some very wise people, I began to realize that I was looking in the wrong direction. In other words, I was looking "out" at what the rules were instead of "in" at who I already was. While absorbing that was eventually a life-changing experience, it didn't come without a price...
Yep...I was free of the rules, but I was on my own. No daddy, or preacher, or god to tell me what to do. That was a frightening moment. But as I (figuratively) stood there for awhile and began to look inward, I saw something with the potential of authenticity and wholeness that could never be attained in my failed attempts to follow the rules. Discovering who I was and what I wanted (warts and all) eventually became my journey.
For all of us "good girls," overcoming this kind of conditioning is hard to do. We've been trained to spend an inordinate amount of energy calculating what it is others expect of us. To abandon ourselves to our own dreams, wishes, desires is something that feels dangerous and frightening. Perhaps that's because we know, at some instinctive level, that there's power there - authentic power just waiting to be tapped into.
And that's why I've always loved this song by Pink...you can feel the power!
So I'll cash my checks and place my bets
And hope I'll always win
Even if I don't I'm fucked
Because I live a life of sin
But it's alright, I don't give a damn
I don't play your rules I make my own
Tonight I'll do what I want 'cuz I can
Here's the Dixie Chick's take on the same theme.
Shania Twain calls her "Juanita."
Does abandon lead to mistakes? Of course.
But Indie Arie tells us what we'll find when we take that journey.
On second chances
I haven't been blogging much the last few days so I missed the whole controversy over statements Obama made about Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick. But the subject hits home for me in several ways.
First of all - I am a mega dog-lover and what Vick did positively turns my stomach. Secondly, I really hate the attention and resources we tend to lavish on professional athletes. But with all that said, I don't know when I've been more in agreement with our President.
He said, 'So many people who serve time never get a fair second chance. He was ... passionate about it. He said it's never a level playing field for prisoners when they get out of jail. And he was happy that we did something on such a national stage that showed our faith in giving someone a second chance after such a major downfall.''
I've spent most of my professional life working to give a second chance to young people who've made mistakes. As is the case with Vick - who spent 18 months in prison- we hold them accountable. But we also recognize that for all of us, growth happens when we make mistakes, pay the price, and learn from the experience.
But all too often, we tend to withhold that second chance - especially from African American men and boys. The result is that one in three Black boys born in 2001 will spend time in prison.
A few years ago Leonard Pitts wrote An Open Letter To African American Men and talked about this.
Can we please stop being such good customers of the American injustice system? I am sick to my soul of watching shaggy-haired black boys and men in orange jumpsuits led into courtrooms to be judged for doing some stupid and heinous thing. I'm weary of the truth in that old Richard Pryor line about how he went to court looking for justice and that's what he found. Just us.
Contrary to what society has told us, to what so much of our music claims and to what too many of us have internalized, the reason isn't that we carry some kind of criminal gene. No, it's that we don't get second chances, don't have the same margin for error a white guy would. One strike, and you're out.
We need to recognize this. Need to make sure our sons and brothers recognize it.
The fact that Obama recognized and verbalized this meant a lot to me. While I've been one of his most ardent supporters, my biggest disappointment in Obama has been his lack of engagement on this issue of African Americans and the criminal justice system. His support for the death penalty has always been one of the hardest things for me to understand. But I am very encouraged by these words from Obama about the importance of second chances. Its the foundation on which a real system of justice can be built.
Obama goes electric
I'm not going to have the time over the next couple of days to think - much less write anything coherent.
But Dennis G over at Balloon Juice has a GREAT article titled Going electirc... He's noticing that the frustrati on the left seem to be the most angry at Obama over his process (rather than outcomes) and that - as I've talked about several times here - its all about the "long game."
The main objection seems not to be about the goals as they seem to be shared between Obama and those who rage at him from the left—but rather to be about the way Obama moves towards these goals in the short term and in the long term. And it is Obama's focus on the long term that seems to be at the root of most of the rage.
Dennis then compares this rage to what many felt when Bob Dylan "went electric" and sums up the comparison this way:
From the moment Obama announced his run for the White House to now he has been following his own process and priorities—strategies and tactics—to meet some pretty ambitious progressive goals. So far, the list of accomplishment is long and I doubt there would be a fraction of these successes if he had stuck with the orthodox and predictable game plans of very knowledgeable pundits, bloggers, activists and thinkers who claim to have all the answers for progressive victory. Hell, if he followed their advice he would have never been elected in the first place. And yet for all their rage about how Obama is not following their game plan it is very hard to think of any victories won by anybody who has ever followed their advice.
Based on the evidence so far I think Obama's approach to getting shit done is more like Dylan's. I think he has gone electric and that he is changing what is possible in real time. He has produced real results and I expect that the next two years will produce more.
Great read - go take a look at the whole thing.
at December 27, 2010 1 comment:
Have yourself a merry little Christmas!
Who is this Jesus?
At this time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I like to take some time to reflect on the life he lived. No one has summed that up better for me than Kid Oakland in an article he wrote back in 2004 titled a christmas message.
Let me tell you something about the Jesus that I know.
He was a real man. Born in a poor region to working poor parents. He loved learning, he loved his mother and his father.
But he left them and spent his life with the poor, the outcast, the rejected, the defiled, the sick, the sinners, the bedraggled, the bereft, the self-hating, the lonely, the banished, the foul, the miserable, the desperate and finally, those sick with their own power.
He did this, not because of his ideology or his creed. He did this not because of his doctrine. He did this, quite simply, because he loved them. He preferred them.
Their company, their stories, their lives, their environs, their plight and their faith.
And they loved him. Because he touched them. He looked them in the eye and believed in them. Because, at the end of the day, when they looked to him they saw that his commitment to them was a commitment unsullied by qualifier or clause. It was a commitment to love them, even upon pain of death. And they saw in him, a love that promised to love them as they were, who they were...fully, without judgement or flinching glance, or hypocritical accomodation.
This man, Jesus, was surrounded by friends and disciples whom he mentored....not by carping or enforcing rules...but by example and teaching. By the force of his actions. By his resolute commitment to the least, the smallest, the most in need.
I don't know what I can add to that. But for me - this is the inspiration of the man Jesus.
That's why this song has always been my favorite Christmas carol - especially this one line...
Long lay the world
in sin and error pinning
Til he appeared
and the soul felt its worth
at December 23, 2010 2 comments:
He's always had game, Howie
Howard Fineman is starting to catch on.
People who play basketball with Barack Obama say he's more dogged than flashy, more determined than skillful, more adaptable than unique. He'll trash talk on a dribble-drive with Reggie Love, but in the old days he was a studious, unselfish passer with classroom colleagues at Harvard Law.
And often, they say, he ended up with more points than you thought he'd have. No one noticed until it was over.
As in basketball, so it is now: his life on the court is a parallel to the first two years of his up-and-down-and-now-sort-of-up-again presidency.
It hasn't been pretty; it certainly hasn't been easy. Pundits, including this one, have dismissed him as a lousy negotiator, a dreamy academic or worse. He's been a New Dealer one minute, Reaganite the next. He's been rigidly partisan one minute and too eager to cut a deal with the Republicans leadership the next.
He's been called a Socialist by the Tea Party and a Wall Street toady by MoveOn. His public standing is weak; the public thinks the country is headed in the wrong direction. Beltway-wise guys think he can be had.
But through dogged patience, and adaptable style and a refusal to panic, the president has piled up the longest list of new laws, treaties and administrative actions anyone has seen here in decades.
As I've said here, here, and here, you're going to miss Obama's game if you're looking for a sprint instead of a long distance race. This week we just saw some of the culmination of the distance game. As an example, Gail Collins points this out.
But let's admit it. Nothing would have gotten done if Obama hadn't swallowed that loathsome compromise on tax cuts for the wealthy.
If he'd taken the high road, Congress would be in a holiday war. The long-term unemployed would be staggering into the new year without benefits. The rest of the world would look upon the United States as a country so dysfunctional that it can't even ratify a treaty to help keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists. The people who worked at ground zero would still be uncertain about their future, and our gay and lesbian soldiers would still be living in fear.
It's depressing to think that there was no way to win that would not have involved giving away billions of dollars to people who don't need it. But it's kind of cheery to think we have a president who actually does know what he's doing.
Also - do we think the Start Treaty would have gotten all of those Republican votes if Obama hadn't been relentless in getting the entire Republican national security team on board? Do we think DADT repeal would have passed if he hadn't worked with Gates to get almost the entire military establishment on board? These things take time and patience. And this week we saw the fruit of those efforts.
As an aside, Fineman's reference to Obama's basketball game reminded me of the story Michelle Obama told about taking him home to meet her family. She says her brother always wanted to play basketball with her beau's because they thought that was the best way to get a read on the guy. Obama apparently passed with flying colors.
(Dancer - my niece Dani. Photographer - my brother Don.)
To return to harmony...we must realign our gestures into those of dancers. We must become beings who do not wish to control life, but only to listen to its music, and dance it.
- from The Great Cosmic Mother by Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor
With the ratification of the Start Treaty and passage of the 9/11 Health Care Bill today, the only thing left to do is wish Obama "Mele Kalikimaka" and safe travels to enjoy your holidays with the family in Hawaii.
You Belong
This morning President Obama signed the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." A few pictures from the event speak volumes about what it means to be told "you belong" after years of exclusion.
It reminds me of another moment two years ago when that same message reached a different group of people.
We are not a nation that says don't ask don't tell. We're a nation that says out of many we are one.
- President Barack Obama, December 22, 2010
The Peace of Moonlight
Lame Duck? No Problem!
The Swan - Rainer Maria Rilke
The labouring through what is still undone,
as though, legs bound, we hobbled along the way,
is like the awkward walking of the swan.
And dying - to let go, no longer feel
the solid ground we stand on every day
is like his anxious letting himself fall
into the water, which receives him gently
and which, as though with reverence and joy,
draws back past him in streams on either side;
while, infinitely silent and aware,
in his full majesty and ever more
indifferent, he condescends to glide.
Obama's Long Game
With the repeal of DADT, some of the talking heads are starting to recognize Obama's long game.
Andrew Sullivan has seen it for a while now. Here's how he described it on another issue.
My point is rather that he has a clear pattern of behavior that is acutely tuned to the longterm. He lets things take their course. Rather than tipping his hand early and decisively, he tends to hang back, aloof, distant, watching. Only when events have occurred that have proven the pointlessness of options he doesn't favor does he forthrightly present his own. And quite often, he almost seems intent on orchestrating such public failures of others' (and his own apparent) options - even at his own short-term cost.
More particularly related to DADT repeal is this by Greg Sargent.
Obama had been criticized for months on don't ask don't tell, with advocates complaining that his administration aggressively defended DADT in court and that he wasn't doing enough to rally the Senate to pass repeal. But the botton line is that the White House did everything possible to create the political climate necessary to make this happen. The Pentagon report and the testimony by Robert Gates -- and his public round of interviews calling on Congress to pass repeal for the good of the military -- were major game-changers.
"Creating the political climate necessary to make this happen" is something too many political observers don't take into consideration. What Obama has seen is that historically, failing to do so can lead to temporary victories and a tremendous amount of backlash. He's playing the long game though - staying the course even through the hysteria of people who want instant gratification. He's got his eye on the North Star and recognizes that slow and steady wins the race.
And finally, there's Rachel Maddow.
I think that politically, though, the thing to not lose touch of, to not lose touch with here, this is the President's victory. The President took a lot of criticism, a lot of abuse, a lot of skepticism from his otherwise most loyal supporters on this. But this is an issue on which the President did not waver. He continually insisted that this was possible. That it would get done.
It, in fact, was not possible for the President to do this through Executive action. This is something that had to happen legislatively if it was really going to happen in a definitive way.
The President did not waver. He DID work on the Senate to get this to happen. He insisted that this was possible against a lot of people, including me, saying it was not possible.
The abuse Obama took over this one was his insistence that DADT be ended legislatively rather than through Executive action or through the courts. People like Maddow didn't think that was possible - and they let him know it.
While Obama never wavered on his commitment to end DADT, many people questioned that because he had a different strategy - one that created the opening for definitive long-term change. I would hope that his critics take notice.
Let someone touch your soul
Where did the anti-nuke progressives go?
Now that DADT is repealed and (sadly) the DREAM Act failed this time, the next big thing on the agenda for the lame duck session is ratification of the Start Treaty. Here's Obama today.
I concur with BooMan on being a bit mystified about the relative lack of passion we're seeing on this one from progressives.
progressives have become almost completely disengaged from the issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and are far more invested in other issues that are important but, let me say, of less monumental importance. I don't want to engage in a war of "my issue is more important than your issue," because the Senate is debating a range of important issues that include progressive taxation, the budget, gay rights, immigrant rights, nuclear issues, and bilateral relations with Russia. I will just say that I am not happy that there is almost no evident interest or angst from the progressive community about the outcome of the START ratification effort. When I was coming of political age, the left was deeply invested in nuclear issues
It reminds me a bit of the obsession progressives demonstrated about the public option during health care reform - all while things like the expansion of Medicaid went practically unnoticed. I find it interesting (to say the least) to watch how these priorities are developed.
Does anyone actually listen to what Republicans are saying?
I ask the question in the title because a few of them have been saying some pretty outrageous things over the last couple of days.
For example, here's what Senator Corker said about DADT repeal.
What's happened is it's poisoning the well on this debate, on something that's very, very important….I'm just hoping that saner minds will prevail and that these issues that have been brought forth that are absolutely partisan, political, issues, brought forth to basically accommodate activist groups around this country. I'm hoping that those will be taken down or else I don't think the future of the START treaty over the next several days is going to be successful, based on what I'm watching.
We'll ignore the fact that Corker just claimed that this country's military establishment is bringing forth partisan political issues, because what's even more appalling is that he's suggesting that Republicans would avoid dealing with national security legislation because they want to throw a temper tantrum over having to vote on DADT repeal. How do these guys maintain even the illusion of adulthood?
And then there's Senator McCain claiming that voting on health care for 9/11 responders is "fooling around."
The Arizona Republican, dubbed McWeasel for blowing off an ailing Ground Zero construction worker two weeks ago, whipped up new fury last night by suggesting Senate Democrats have wasted time trying to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, among other bills.
At the time, McCain was refusing to accept a time limit for debating the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
"To have a time agreement after all of the fooling around that we've been doing on [the] Dream Act, on New York City ... we will not have a time agreement from this side," he insisted angrily.
Evidently Jon Stewart and a group of 9/11 first responders are paying attention. Anyone else?
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
9/11 First Responders React to the Senate Filibuster
Wait, for now.
Distrust everything, if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven't they
carried you everywhere, up to now?
Personal events will become interesting again.
Hair will become interesting.
Pain will become interesting.
Buds that open out of season will become lovely again.
Second-hand gloves will become lovely again,
their memories are what give them
the need for other hands. And the desolation
of lovers is the same: that enormous emptiness
carved out of such tiny beings as we are
asks to be filled; the need
for the new love is faithfulness to the old.
Don't go too early.
You're tired. But everyone's tired.
But no one is tired enough.
Only wait a while and listen.
Music of hair,
Music of pain,
music of looms weaving all our loves again.
Be there to hear it, it will be the only time,
most of all to hear,
the flute of your whole existence,
rehearsed by the sorrows, play itself into total exhaustion.
- Galway Kinnell
Too cute!!!!!
The Tortoise and the Hare
Republicans seem to have a love of short-term thinking. Whatever they see as helping their cause in the next election seems to be their guiding principle.
Today, Republican Presidential contender Mitt Romney demonstrates this by criticizing the tax cut deal and ends with this:
President Obama has reason to celebrate. The deal delivers short-term economic stimulus, and it does so at the very time he wants it most, before the 2012 elections.
He's admitting that the deal will deliver "short-term economic stimulus" and thinks that's a bad thing (?)...because it helps Obama in the 2012 election.
Charles Krauthhamer made pretty much the same argument a couple of days ago.
In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package. It will pump a trillion borrowed Chinese dollars into the U.S. economy over the next two years - which just happen to be the two years of the run-up to the next presidential election. ...
At great cost that will have to be paid after this newest free lunch, the package will add as much as 1 percent to GDP and lower the unemployment rate by about 1.5 percentage points. That could easily be the difference between victory and defeat in 2012.
Again, he's not happy that unemployment will be reduced by 1.5% because that will help Obama in 2012.
On another issue, the short-term thinking about resistance to the individual mandate in health care reform might come back to haunt them too.
The individual mandate was created by conservatives who realized that it was the only way to get universal coverage into the private market. Otherwise, insurers turn away the sick, public anger rises, and, eventually, you get some kind of government-run, single-payer system, much as they did in Europe, and much as we have with Medicare.
If Republicans succeed in taking it off the table, they may sign the death warrant for private insurers in America: Eventually, rising cost pressures will force more aggressive reforms than even Obama has proposed, and if conservative judges have made the private market unfixable by removing the most effective way to deal with adverse selection problems, the only alternative will be the very constitutional, but decidedly non-conservative, single-payer path.
Finally, we all know that the demographics of this country don't favor the Republicans over the long-term. In particular, their relentless dismissal of the major concerns of Latinos might be paying off well with their white and generally older Tea Party base. But they don't seem capable of understanding the down side of such a strategy.
Meanwhile, the Democrats have the ultimate long-term thinker in the White House.
So, my job is to make sure that we have a North Star out there, what is helping people live out their lives; what is giving them more opportunity; what is growing the economy; what is making us more competitive. At any given juncture there are going to be times that my preferred option, what I am absolutely, positively sure is right, I can't get done. And so then, my question is, does it make sense for me to tack a little bit this way or that way because I am keeping my eye on the long-term and the long fight. Not my day-to-day news cycle, but where am I going over the long-term.
We all know that our crisis-driven 24 hour new cycle is addicted to the sprint rather than the long-distance race. But when it comes to a contest between the tortoise and the hare, I know where I'm going to place my bets.
Just sayin...
A couple of items of note:
Numero uno:
Its not just lefties who think Obama needs to man up. (warning...RedState link) Kind of amusing thinking about conservatives having a "man crush" on a commie, isn't it?
Numero dos:
Just when I lose sight of the impact race has on the constant critique of Obama, something like this comes along. John Cole quoted from this great column by Ishmael Reed. And what's the response? I'll let John describe it. (warning...extreme language)
Just look at this thread. I post a piece telling how a lot of African Americans feel regarding the over the top treatment of Obama. A number of African American commenters chime in and say, "Yes, we don't think they are racist, but we don't think other politicians have been treated this way, and we feel that Obama is being treated differently."
So what do the members of the dickhead colony do?
Loudly scream "Fuck you for feeling that way and fuck you for calling me racist and fuck Obama for being such a weak pussy."
I'm usually not one to talk about similarities between the extreme left and the extreme right. But its getting hard to avoid that kind of thing.
Obama's North Star
This kind of critique of Obama is nothing new. We've been hearing it almost since day one of his Presidency.
It seems to me that the outcome of the process isn't something he has a vested interest in ensuring. He says, often in fact, that "all options are on the table" or "I'm willing to listen to anybody." ... He doesn't see himself as an advocate, but an arbitrator. The worst thing for President Obama to deal with is not a bad outcome, but a bad process. It is a mistake to believe that the president doesn't have a preferred outcome and that it isn't often progressive. He does, but he isn't willing to disrupt the process over it with political fights. He believes that whatever a calm, orderly process produces is what is best, even if he disagrees with the results. Even if it occurs in backrooms. Perhaps this is why so many Democrats are scratching their heads trying to figure out what the president believes. What his motives are. What his politics are.
While this writer begins his article stating that he doesn't think this makes Obama naive or weak, that is the conclusion of many who see things this way.
What I hear is people trying very hard to understand Obama. And yet they continue to apply their own frames and patterns rather than make an effort to see things through fresh eyes. I'd like to suggest that these folks read James Kloppenberg.
Throughout his career, Obama has refused to demonize his opponents. Instead, he has sought them out and listened to them. He has tried to understand how they think and why they see the world as they do. His mother encouraged this sense of empathy, and it's a lesson Obama learned well. Since January 2009, Obama has watched his efforts at reconciliation, experimentation, and -consensus--building bounce off the hard surfaces of political self-interest and entrenched partisanship, but there is no reason to think he will abandon that strategy now. He knows that disagreement is a vital part of the American fabric, and that our differences are neither shallow nor trivial.
And perhaps, even listen to Obama himself on what he has to say about outcomes.
While I do believe that Obama values a process where all sides are brought to the table and heard (in other words - democracy), he has a North Star...:"what is helping people live out their lives; what is giving them more opportunity; what is growing the economy; what is making us more competitive."
That North Star is not dependent on a particular ideology - much to the confusion of extremists on both sides of the equation. By nature, a North Star is off in the distance (ie, long-term) and is used to guide our journey in the here and now...to ensure that we stay the course, even as we have to "tack a little bit this way or that." If your vision is too short-sighted, this is probably something you're likely to miss.
Labels: North Star
The Eagle and the Condor
I first wrote about this a little more than three years ago.
So when I hear people saying that Obama needs to man up, implying that he is "too feminine," I see a world in transition and feel the seeds of hope that perhaps we are beginning to struggle with this kind of transformative change.
Fresh Eyes
A few years ago at work I was talking to a potential funder about some innovative work we were doing with our public libraries. Many urban youth are beginning to use the libraries more often. It might be because they are one of the few places left that are safe for kids to go to. Or perhaps its because they can get access to computers...who knows?
But being loud, boisterous and mostly youth of color, the (often white female) librarians were having trouble with these kids...behavior was escalating and without seeing other options, the cops were often called to intervene.
So we were training librarians on how to better interact with these kids. Hold them accountable..yes, but also engage them. This was producing amazing results when you looked at the police calls to the libraries.
When I got done explaining all of this, the woman I was talking to suggested that perhaps we should talk to a similar program. It turns out this other program was offering tutoring for kids in the libraries.
I realized that she hadn't understood what I was talking about at all.
As I reflected on this experience (because its happened more than once at work), I began to think about what we're learning about how our brains work. Since we tend to take in WAY more stimuli than we can process, we develop patterns that are familiar to us. So when we see/hear something new, we tend to place it in a pattern that has already developed. The woman I was talking to understood tutoring programs. What I was talking about was an approach she probably hadn't been exposed to before - at least not in the context of libraries.
Right now I'm thinking alot about how communication about politics on the blogs breaks down. I think some of the same principles are at work.
Rather than hearing what an individual says in a particular moment, we tend to do one of two things:
1. If we've talked to the person before, we think we know them. We've developed a pattern about them based on our previous conversations and we put what they say into that pattern. This is especially true if we've had an emotional response to the person in question. If we have gotten angry at them in the past, we hear what they are currently saying through that anger.
2. If we've not talked to the person before, certain words and phrases bring up a pattern and we tend to place them in it without hearing the newness they might bring to the topic.
What this kind of communication does is that it enables us to retain our patterns and the opinions we have already formed. Its hard to break through with fresh ideas.
As I watch this happen, I have to ask myself how often I do it. There's not much that's more important to me than the process of challenging my thoughts and learning. So I write this to say (mostly to myself) that I want to try to enter every conversation with fresh eyes.
No more drama!!!
This is another day when reading the news about our political situation can only be summed up with this.
We know the Republicans are obstructionists, intent on destroying Obama's presidency and doing all they can in the process to help their wealthy friends cash in on the goodies.
But did you see the latest from congressional Democrats?
Incensed over President Obama's tax compromise, House Democratic leaders are showing signs of abandoning the administration and going their own way on critical issues such as national security.
In a striking move, the Appropriations Committee late Wednesday attached a provision to a $1.1 trillion resolution to keep the government funded next year that would prevent Obama from spending any funds to try terrorism suspects in civilian court instead of military commissions.
The language would essentially prevent the closing of the detainee prison at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
So in order to punish Obama for negotiating with the Republicans on the tax deal - they're going to side with those same Republicans by tying the hands of DOJ in prosecuting terror suspects and making it impossible to shut down Guantanamo. Yeah, that makes alot of sense...not.
Seriously, I don't get it.
Right now, if the Democrats had any ounce of awareness - they'd recognize that the majority of people in the country are with them on the issues that are in front of Congress (ie, tax cuts, DADT repeal, unemployment insurance, Start Treaty, etc.) and they'd be making a case together (there's the operative word) that Democrats are better able to govern. But instead, their egos got damaged and they're striking out at "Daddy" in a way that can only remind one of 2 year olds.
I've had enough for now. I'm going to chill and listen to the wisdom of Mary J. Blige...no more drama!!!!!!
Listen to the man!
A few months ago, Ezra Klein wrote a column titled People don't listen to the President. I think he's right. President Obama gives hundreds of speeches and other than the SOTU - who ever really watches or listens to them? Even many political junkies just read a few reactions to what he had to say from sources that tend to share our viewpoint - and therefore confirm what we already thought.
I'd like to suggest that anyone who wants to comment on Obama - his thoughts and/or strategies - watch his press conference from today. I don't believe he's ever been so open, clear and passionate. Its also the first time I can remember him talking directly about how he thinks about political strategy. Like it or not - he lays it all out there for you to see if you take the time to listen.
There are many powerful moments, but here's how he ended.
So, my job is to make sure that we have a North Star out there, what is helping people live out there lives; what is giving them more opportunity; what is growing the economy; what is making us more competitive. And any given juncture there are going to be times that my preferred option, what I am absolutely, positively sure is right, I can't get done. And so then, my question is, does it make sense for me to tack a little bit this way or that way because I am keeping my eye on the long-term and the long fight. Not my day-to-day news cycle, but where am I going over the long-term. And I don't think there is a single Democrat out there who if they looked at where we started when I came into office and look at where we are now that we have not moved in the direction that I promised. Take a tally, look at what I promised during the campaign. There is not a single thing that I said I'd do that I have not either done or tried to do. And if I haven't gotten it done yet, I am still trying to do it. And to my Democratic friends, let's understand that this is a long game not a short game.
"Man Up"
As I read and hear criticisms of Obama, there is a theme to some of them that I find pretty fascinating - especially when it comes from liberals and Democrats. Here are some examples that I think will be telling:
Obama needs to:
grow some balls
take off the pink tutu
There are others, but you get the point.
The message is clearly that Obama is too feminine.
I suppose that if he had been unsuccessful, there might be a reason to look at a critique like that. But the truth is, he has accomplished more in 2 years than Clinton and Carter did in 12.
I know there are some who are not happy with his accomplishments, but that's a disagreement on substance and not style. The examples I listed above are clearly a critique of his style.
So is Obama "too feminine?" If so, what does that mean? And what does it say about us that so many have a problem with it?
These are questions I'm asking myself these days as I listen to the political discourse. I don't have a lot of answers yet. But I would invite you to listen to the critiques you read/hear about Obama. We all know that there is an underlying theme of racism that permeates a lot of it. But there also seems to be a yearning for a more "manly' response from him. There are centuries of stereotypes that undergird that kind of call. We seem to be a culture that still has a long way to go in recognizing the value of soft power.
I am invariably reminded of the work of Riane Eisler and her book The Chalice and the Blade where she outlines the historical difference between cultures organized around the blade (dominance) and those who value the chalice (partnership). Here's a short video of an interview that will tell you why her thinking about this is so relevant.
Some of the things I found interesting today
From the NYT, Cables Depict Range of Obama Diplomacy.
The cables suggest that Mr. Obama's form of engagement is a complicated mixture of openness to negotiation, constantly escalating pressure and a series of deadlines, some explicit, some vague...
While WikiLeaks made the trove available with the intention of exposing United States duplicity, what struck many readers was that American diplomacy looked rather impressive. The day-by-day record showed diplomats trying their hardest behind closed doors to defuse some of the world's thorniest conflicts, but also assembling a Plan B.
On that bad report on jobs from the Dept. of Labor, Time says we might need a job recount. That's because the published numbers are seasonally adjusted - which means that retail employment numbers were adjusted down to accommodate the holiday season. Actually, instead of retail loosing 28,000 as the report indicated, that sector added 350,000 jobs in November.
From This & Such, Weak Tea, Brewed in Cold Water.
Save me the twaddle about how Dems are weak—you want to know why that is? Because their constituency is weak. And cowardly. And intransigent. If it is true that attitude reflects leadership, then the attitude of cowardice I see in the blogosphere is in perfect harmony with the leadership provided in Washington.
Flash Mobs - Dancing a Revolution
We've all heard that Emma Goodman quote..."If I can't dance - I don't want to be part of your revolution." Well, I'll bet Emma would love flash mobs.
Wikipedia defines flash mobs this way:
A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual act for a brief time, then disperse.
If you want to see what that looks like - or you just want to brighten your day - watch these examples.
Here's one of my favorites. From the youtube description:
Kim MacGregor organized this flash mob of 200 dancers to launch the "feel good" movement, "I Believe She's Amazing" in honor of her friend Erika Heller who passed away May 28th, 2009 at 31 yrs. old...this is her living legacy.
Or how about this one from Oprah's 24th Season Kick Off Party.
But flash mobs aren't just about dancing. How about some singing?
Or maybe just a "freeze frame?"
Some flash mobs are just for fun, but corporate advertisers know a good thing when they see it.
As does some creative young guy who wants to propose to the woman he loves.
I first heard about flash mobs while reading an article by Al Giordano titled Summit Protests Are Obsolete in which he was commenting on the protests that took place at the G-20 Summit in Toronto. He thinks we can do better.
And to think: At least twice in recent months, in the same city of Toronto, there were two creative actions – neither of them "protests," per se – that were designed, and succeeded, to win over hearts and minds and public support. They involved planning, discipline and a lot more fun than the tired summit protests offer, and they show us a possible path toward a new kind of protest that, rather than provoking automatic police repression, sneaks up on society with stealth and then disappears quickly avoiding any physical confrontation at all...
Add a coherent political message, banners, leaflets, a dance tune that resonates with the message, and such to a dancing musical flash mob like these and you have the seeds of a new, more effective, kind of protest than the tired old marching around in circles of the last century that has ceased to win any cause for anyone.
I'm with Al on this one. One thing I'd add is that, if you watch these videos, the feelings are contagious. People are smiling, appreciative, and want to join in.
Because liberals are often in the mud and muck with what's wrong in the world, we can be dour and depressing (or simply angry and rageful all the time). Who wants to join a movement like that? But isn't our message also about what's best in human beings - things like respect, compassion and empathy? What better way to invite people into that kind of movement than a flash mob?
As the quote up top from Madeleine L'Engle says:
Our truest responsibility to the irrationality of the world is to paint, or sing, or write, [or dance], for only in such response do we find the truth.
Summing things up...
I've been reading the news around the internets and wanted to write something. But this is one of those moments when a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's what I'm hearing...
Thanks to Chipsticks at The Obama Diary for the image.
Responding to the Republican's "lose/lose" Game
With the Republicans toying with sabotage over the New Start Treaty and holding the Senate hostage unless they get exactly what they want on tax cuts, what is a reasonable strategy for Obama and Congressional Democrats to pursue?
Mistermix over at Balloon Juice nails it in Playing Cards with Judas.
...Ezra Klein thinks that Obama's a bad poker player. He may be right, but the analogy isn't helpful. Poker is a win/lose game. Negotiation is a win/win game, because both parties get something when a deal is struck. Republicans aren't playing poker or negotiating. They are playing another game, call it "You Must Lose". They're happy with win/lose, if they win, but they'll tolerate lose/lose as long as Obama loses.
The only analogy that springs to mind when I look at the Republicans' recent behavior is a bad divorce. Think of a situation where Lisa and Bob are getting a divorce, and Bob is so hell-bent on hurting Lisa that he doesn't care about their kids or their bank account. Bob will deploy a hundred variations on the same tactic: put the Lisa in a bind where she has to choose between damaging the children and losing money. Lisa will lose money almost every time in order to save the children.
In this situation, capitulation is inevitable, the only question is what form it will take...
Obama has three tactics he can use, all of them weak: The first is to try to fracture the Republican caucus, and he's flailing around with deficit appeasement (e.g., the federal wage freeze) and half-compromises (the millionaire tax) that are designed to pick off a few caucus members, like Collins or Snowe. The second is to use executive power to its limit, by rule-making (like stopping drilling in the Eastern Gulf until 2017). The third is institutional reform, specifically, ending the filibuster.
None of these tactics is especially effective, but when you're working with someone who's only happy if you lose, what else is there?
When the Republicans are willing to play chicken with the American people (and ultimately even national security), what are mature adults supposed to do?
As a former Family Therapist, I've thought of his analogy often. I saw many cases like the one he describes...used to call them "divorce wars." Sometimes the Lisa's in that situation buy in and use the same tactics to fight back (what many Democrats are suggesting Obama should do). That never ends well and the children are the ones who suffer. I saw one family who had been to court over 20 times on custody issues. The welfare of the children was the ammunition they were using to get back at each other.
There's no point in playing this game with folks who are content with "lose/lose." Its a downward spiral that leads to nowhere but chaos and destruction.
In the short-term, I agree with the tactics mistermix suggests. But in the long-term, the only way this gets solved is for the "children" (voters) to let Bob know that they're not going to be used this way anymore and tell him to take a hike.
Remembering December 1, 1955
Obama Consistency
Whether you agree with Obama's approach or not - you have to give him credit for consistency.
Here's what he said (via email) after the White House meeting with Congressional leaders.
Now, none of this is going to be easy. We have two parties for a reason. There are real philosophical differences -– deeply held principles to which each party holds. And although the atmosphere in today's meeting was extremely civil, there's no doubt that those differences are going to remain no matter how many meetings we have. And the truth is there's always going to be a political incentive against working together, particularly in the current hyperpartisan climate. There are always those who argue that the best strategy is simply to try to defeat your opposition instead of working with them.
And, frankly, even the notion of bipartisanship itself has gotten caught up in this mentality. A lot of times coming out of these meetings, both sides claim they want to work together, but try to paint the opponent as unyielding and unwilling to cooperate. Both sides come to the table; they read their talking points; then they head out to the microphones -– trying to win the news cycle instead of solving problems, and it becomes just another move in an old Washington game.
But I think there was recognition today that that's a game that we can't afford. Not in these times. And in a private meeting that I had without staff -- without betraying any confidences -- I was pleased to see several of my friends in the room say, let's try not to duplicate that. Let's not try to work the Washington spin cycle to suggest that somehow the other side is not being cooperative. I think that there was a sincere effort on the part of everybody involved to actually commit to work together to try to deal with these problems.
And they understand that these aren't times for us to be playing games.
As a reminder, here's a quote from Kloppenberg's Newsweek article again.
Since January 2009, Obama has watched his efforts at reconciliation, experimentation, and -consensus--building bounce off the hard surfaces of political self-interest and entrenched partisanship, but there is no reason to think he will abandon that strategy now. He knows that disagreement is a vital part of the American fabric, and that our differences are neither shallow nor trivial.
We might as well get used to it. This is how Obama operates. He's bound and determined to "change the way Washington works." I assume he'll continue to give it a go - whether that means one term or two - regardless of how much the left hates it and the right obstructs.


 When you hire No Demo Bathroom Remodeling for your shower or tub remodel, there's no need for expensive demolition, rebuilding or replacing. With advancements in technology, now there is a much more affordable no demolition remodel option besides traditional remodeling companies. They like to charge homeowners a lot more money for demolition, rebuilding or replacing! Let us tile over your old outdated shower or tub, transforming them into something you'll love for years to come without all those unnecessary added costs.
Give us a call for the link to reviews and find out how we can tile your shower or tub without demolition, rebuilding or replacing.
For a price quote, text a photo or schedule a FREE in-home appointment.
We service the entire Phoenix Metro area and surrounding suburbs.
Finally. . . affordable shower & tub remodeling is here!


text:
An opening for molecules: Polymer research scientists develop double switchable membrane
Pharmaceutical residues in water can pose a danger to humans. Due to the fact that these molecules are soluble in water, there has been increasing evidence of their presence in groundwater for some years. Filtration is often very difficult as these trace substances are so minute. Such trace substances could be removed from the water with the use of new membranes developed by polymer researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG).
Dr. Juliana Clodt, scientist from the Institute of Polymer Research. Photo: HZG
The newly-developed double switchable membranes could make it possible, in future, to filter different biomolecules, e.g. hormones, proteins, nucleic acids (DNA), according to pore size.
This opens up a further possible field of application, in addition to water purification, in the field of medicine e.g. for blood purification.
Dr. Juliana Clodt, a scientist from the Institute of Polymer Research at the HZG explains the principle:
"The membranes are able to reduce or enlarge the size of their pores through both temperature change and a change in the pH-value".
As the size of the pores can also be controlled during the filtration process, fractionated filtrations are also conceivable, whereby firstly the smallest and then increasingly larger molecules pass through the membrane.
The minute pores have a diameter of approx. 20 to 30 nanometers.
In comparison, a single hair has a diameter of approx. 50 micrometers, which is equal to 50,000 nanometers. Currently Dr. Juliana Clodt explores in further experiments in which the pore size can be tailored.
The production method has already been registered for patent approval: above a look at the 30 nanometer small pores. Photo: HZG/Clodt
In order to produce these block copolymer membranes, the scientists coated pH-sensitive membranes, which were also developed in the Institute of Polymer Research, with a type of adhesive, polydopamin. This adhesive is comparable, from a chemical point of view, with the material used by mussels to adhere to stones under water. Polydopamin is frequently used as an intermediate layer in the field of surface research.
A further polymer, which reacts to changes in temperature, is applied to the adhesive by means of a chemical reaction. In cold conditions below 25 degrees centigrade, the polymer is present in a swollen state. In warm conditions, at approx. 35 degrees centigrade, it shrinks and the pores open. A membrane is thus obtained which is switchable in two different ways.
This research was carried out in the scope of the EU project SELFMEM (Self-Assembled Polymer Membranes) which was led by Prof. Dr. Volker Abetz, Director of the Institute of Polymer Research in Geesthacht. The EU project has recently been successfully completed.
The production method has already been registered for patent approval and published in an international scientific journal.
DOI:10.1002/adfm.201202015 Clodt, J. I.; Filiz, V.; Rangou, S.; Buhr, K.; Abetz, C.; Höche, D.; Hahn, J.; Jung, A.; Abetz, V., Double Stimuli-Responsive Isoporous Membranes via Post-Modification of pH-Sensitive Self-Assembled Diblock Copolymer Membranes. Advanced Functional Materials 2013, 23 (6), 731-738.
Department Polymer Synthesis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order won't have microtransactions
By:Semir Omerovic
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Respawn CEO Vince Zampella confirmed that Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order will be a single-player game only, with no microtransactions and no multiplayer. Zampella said that it's a story game and it won't follow EA's usual live service model.
Today - 13 April 2019, we are finally getting a first look at Respawn Entertainment's and EA's brand new Star Wars game named Jedi Fallen Order. In the last couple of weeks, the game was subject of many speculations and leaks, from the and multi-region open world to some story details.
We'll have to wait just a few more hours before we get the official confirmation on these details, but until then, let's focus on some legit info that was revealed by Respawn.
Vince Zampella, Respawn Entertainment CEO was one of the guests at Lucasfilm's The Star Wars Show which was held at Star Wars Celebration, and in his interview, Zampella shed some light on Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game modes and monetisation.
He confirmed that the game won't have microtransactions and it's solely a single-player game without multiplayer. "It's a single-player story with no multiplayer and no microtransactions. It's a story game," Zampella explained.
Judging by the reaction of the crowd, many were happy to hear Zampella officially confirm this, especially the "no microtransactions" part, which brought a big cheer from the Star Wars fans.
While it's always good to hear that the developer and publisher opt for this monetisation option, it is an odd decision given that some reports claimed EA cancelled Visceral's Star Wars project because they couldn't implement any type of microtransactions.
You may remember that Amy Hennig helmed the project that was supposed to be a single player, action-adventure and story-based game, similar to Uncharted series. It's safe to say that Respawn's Star Wars sounds awfully similar to Visceral's and we wonder if EA had a change of heart and decided to just go with something different this time.
Pinterest Screenshot from Visceral's Star Wars title
In Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, you will play as a padawan who survived after Order 66, the command that was initiated by Emperor Palpatine to wipe out all Jedi.
You can watch the full reveal today at 08:30 PM CET / 02:30 PM EDT, on
Star Wars EA Unannounced Project
New project at EA Vancouver Studio, not much known about it so far
Red Dead Online bonuses and discounts for this week December 7-14, 2021
Red Dead Online is gearing up for the holiday season. This week's bonuses and discounts are now live in-game. Triple RDO$ and double Gold is up for grabs in Make it Count and Last Stand.
Apex Legends Global Series changes format at the last minute
Apex Legends Global Series Split 1 Playoffs has been moved to an online regional competition format. The organisers made the decision based on the current global situation.


text:
<!doctype html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>JavaScript Applications: Promises and asynchronous programming</title>
    <meta name="description" content="A framework for easily creating beautiful presentations using HTML">
    <meta name="author" content="Hakim El Hattab">
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes" />
    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black-translucent" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no, minimal-ui">

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://rawgit.com/TelerikAcademy/Common/master/revealjs-theme/css/reveal.css">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://rawgit.com/TelerikAcademy/Common/master/revealjs-theme/css/theme/black.css" id="theme">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://rawgit.com/TelerikAcademy/Common/master/revealjs-theme/css/theme/telerik-academy-dark.css">

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://rawgit.com/TelerikAcademy/Common/master/revealjs-theme/lib/css/github.css">

Promises and Asynchronous Programming

Callback-oriented asynchrony,
CommonJS Promise/A, Promises in ES6, Function generators in ES6

JavaScript Applications

Telerik Software Academy

                    http://academy.telerik.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
'Done Playing by the Rules,' 20 Sunrise Activists Arrested at Capitol Protest Demanding Lawmakers Back Green New Deal
Over 150 middle- and high-schoolers gathered to demand senators "stand up or step aside" on the climate crisis.
Andrea Germanos, staff writer
Over 150 middle and high school students demonstrated at the U.S. Capitol building Monday to urge senators to back the Green New Deal. (Photo credit: Sunrise Movement)
Twenty teenagers were arrested Monday at the U.S. Capitol as they took part in a Sunrise Movement action demanding senators back the Green New Deal.
Those arrested, which included one 13-year-old, according to Sunrise, were part of larger climate action by more than 150 middle- and high-schoolers calling for the lawmakers to "step up or step aside."
"Instead of leaving our classrooms for our day off, we are bringing our classroom to the capitol because our government is failing to protect our generation, and we're terrified," said 17-year-old John Paul Mejia of Miami.
BREAKING: Middle and High school students are taking over the #CapitolBuilding because of our Senators' failure to protect us. pic.twitter.com/itJuw8l3Nt
— Sunrise Movement (@sunrisemvmt) February 17, 2020
Video shared on the group's social media pages showed activists chanting "Which side are you on?" and holding "report cards" giving non-Green New Deal backers an F-. At least two participants took to the floor of lobby to give speeches about the importance of urgent climate action by lawmakers before police came and demanded they leave. A large group left and continued their protest outside Union Station while a smaller group remained and was ultimately escorted away by police.
BREAKING: 150+ middle & high school students w/@sunrisemvmt have taken over the capitol with a message for their Senators: step up or step aside.
It's time for a #GreenNewDeal. pic.twitter.com/YR8DlbafbF
— Evan Weber (@evanlweber) February 17, 2020
20 people, including 6 minors, were arrested today the the U.S. Capitol.
Our Senators' have failed us, and it's time that they either step up, or step aside.
We will not be silenced and will continue to fight until we win a #GreenNewDeal. pic.twitter.com/kbpiob3Hv7
Evan Weber, who heads political strategy for Sunrise, said that it was "Sad that this is what young people have to do to make our voices heard."
Scene from the Capitol this morning:
20 youth including 6 minors being handcuffed in "Emancipation Hall" demanding a #GreenNewDeal.
Sad that this is what young people have to do to make our voices heard. pic.twitter.com/taEljKUYoV
Don't expect the climate group to let up anytime soon. Among their upcoming agenda items are three consecutive days of "massive srikes" set to begin Earth Day, April 22.
"It's only going to get worse unless thousands take action and force those in power to listen to our generation."
—Selene Santiago-Lopez"We're done playing by the rules," declared 18-year-old Selene Santiago-Lopez of Wake Forest, N.C., who was among those arrested Monday, in a press statement. "Our entire lives, we've seen politicians failing our generation and our communities. People are dying, I'm terrified about what my future will look like, and it's only going to get worse unless thousands take action and force those in power to listen to our generation. That's exactly what we're going to do."
"Building up to Earth Day this year," she added, "you can expect to see what happened today, but bigger and bolder."
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who unveiled the Green New Deal legislation last year alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), vocally supported the young climate activists and their Monday action.
"Young people deserve a future free from the climate crisis," Markey said on Twitter. "They deserve a Green New Deal that will protect our planet and create millions of union jobs. I stand with Sunrise Movement activists who took action today at the Capitol and will always fight for their future."
Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License. Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sunrise Movement to Rally in NYC, Chicago, Calling on Senate Dems to Tackle Pandemic and Unemployment Crises
Will Trump's Grand Finale Be Conviction by the US Senate?
Civil Disobedience, US Senate, Ed Markey, Sunrise Movement, Green New Deal


Donald W. Flinn, Vice President, Operations for Klondike Star Mineral Corporation (OTCBB:KDSM) is pleased to announce assay results from the first 6 holes of a 32 hole diamond drilling program conducted in 2005 on the Klondike property. Additional assay results will be released as assays are received, verified and compiled.
The 2005 diamond drilling program began at the Lone Star zone, with the first holes located 25m west from the open pit of the former producing Lone Star mine. Holes were drilled on sections spaced 50m apart along the length of the Lone Star zone, with the objective of extending the main mineralized zone to the north and at depth, and confirming the results of previous drill programs. Previous drilling conducted in the period between 1986 and 1993 was mostly limited to about 60m depth, and was a combination of reverse circulation, percussion and diamond drilling.
Highlights of the drilling, tabulated below, include 1.14 g/t gold over 62.55m, including 5.46 g/t gold over 6.0m in hole 05LS-02. The true widths of the mineralized horizons have yet to be determined. Hole locations for the first 27 holes are shown on the accompanying map of the Lone Star zone; the final 5 holes were drilled at the Dysle and Veronika zones near Eldorado Creek. The holes reported here all successfully delineated low grade mineralization over substantial widths, many of which contain narrower intervals of higher gold grade. Gold on the property is present as coarse free gold, with pyrite in disseminations, and locally is associated with narrow discordant quartz veins. The mineralized zones are associated with quartz-carbonate-pyrite alteration, and are hosted by felsic metavolcanic schist. The mineralized horizon at Lone Star trends northwest and dips gently to the northeast.
Drill core is delivered to the core shack by the drill contractor, Advanced Drilling Ltd., where the geological staff photographs and logs the core for geological and geotechnical details. The core is then sawn in half lengthwise using a diamond saw, with half core retained for future examination. The half core samples are sealed and shipped via surface freight to Acme Analytical Laboratories Ltd. of Vancouver, B.C., an ISO 9001:2000 accredited facility, where the core is dried, crushed and sampled by analytical procedure 1DX for 36 elements by ICP-MS. Where gold is found to be greater than 100ppb by ICP-MS, the samples are reprocessed using the metallic sieve fire assay procedure on a 500 gram split.
Klondike Star Mineral Corporation is developing mineralized zones on a 250 square km land position underlying the site of the Klondike Gold Rush, and select high potential targets in other parts of the Yukon.
The famous Klondike goldfields have been in constant surface mining production since the discovery of gold in 1896. Thousands of ounces of gold continue to be produced from placer mining operations each year on streams in the Klondike. The company also owns extensive surface mining rights in the Klondike mining district.
The statements in the press release that relate to the company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the company's results from new products or actions in development are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements in this document may also contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Since this information may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the company's actual results may differ materially from expected results.


The problem is that I can only use it once per page.
It breaks everything if I use it twice with different HEX colors.
The UDT you created has a function declaration in it, so each time you call it you are re-declaring it which is a no no.


text:
Phones & Gadgets
DAWN OF LIFE
Earth's earliest life from 3.5BILLION years ago found in ancient Australian desert – and the same creatures may have lived on Mars
Charlotte Edwards, Digital Technology and Science Reporter
FOSSILS of the earliest known life on Earth have been discovered, according to a new study.
The mind-blowing 3.5billion-year-old fossils were found in the Australian desert but experts have struggled to confirm their identity until now.
The ancient fossilised microbe formations are called stromatolites and have finally been shown to contain traces of organic matter.
Geologist Raphael Baumgartner from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia explained: "This is an exciting discovery - for the first time, we're able to show the world that these stromatolites are definitive evidence for the earliest life on Earth."
Searching for fossilised microbes is so difficult because it's hard to tell whether you're looking at fossilised microbe formations or just natural folds in the rock.
The fossils in question were discovered at the Dresser Formation fossil site of the Pilbara region in Australia back in the 1980s.
The rock formations contained organic matter, which indicates that small living microbes made themCredit: Baumgartner et al / Geology
However, without modern technologies it was hard to prove the fossils weren't just plain old rocks.
A recent study in Greenland wrongly claimed to have found 3.7billion-year-old fossils, which turned out to just be rock creases.
The Australian study is different because it has definite evidence of organic matter to back it up as something must have been living in the rocks to produce it.
Baumgartner said: "The organic matter that we found preserved within pyrite of the stromatolites is exciting - we're looking at exceptionally preserved coherent filaments and strands that are typically remains of microbial biofilms.
"I was pretty surprised - we never expected to find this level of evidence before I started this project."
Perhaps the most exciting thing about the ancient microbe fossils is that they could point us to evidence of life on Mars.
This is because the deposits in the region of Australian desert in question are the same age as the crust of Mars.
Nasa has been investigating the Pilbara region to try and learn more about the geological signatures that could pinpoint the presence of stromatolites on the red planet.
It is likely that the fossilised organisms found lived in hot springs when they were alive and Mars does show evidence of its own ancient hot springs.
Signs that the organisms once lived include air bubbles created by the gases that they produced.
It can be difficult to tell whether stromatolite rock structures like this one were made by organisms or just occurred naturallyCredit: Getty - Contributor
Baumgartner concluded: "Understanding where life could have emerged is really important in order to understand our ancestry.
"And from there, it could help us understand where else life could have occurred – for example, where it was kick-started on other planets."
This research has been published in the journal Geology.
A timeline of life on Earth
The history of the planet in years...
4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth
3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth
2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve
1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge
550million years ago – first arthropods evolve
530million years ago – first fish appear
470million years ago – first land plants appear
380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth
370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land
320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve
230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve
200million years ago – mammals appear
150million years ago – earliest birds evolve
130million years ago – first flowering plants
100million years ago – earliest bees
55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear
30million years ago – first cats evolve
20million years ago – great apes evolve
7million years ago –first human ancestors appear
2million years ago – Homo erectus appears
300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves
50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised
40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction
Forest floor captured 'BREATHING'
TOP STORIES IN SCIENCE
CODED WARNING
Secret code on Viking stone cracked after 1,200 years to reveal dark prophecy
ALL BLOWN UP
SpaceX rocket dramatically explodes mid-flight during key safety test
POO-CH
Dog gives birth to lime green puppy after litter 'defecates in her womb'
WAVE GOODBYE
Mystery burst of gravity waves from unstable star that could lead to explosion
Puzzled Flat-Earthers left raging after Nasa astronaut posts photo from the ISS
Baffling optical illusion tricks you into thinking this picture is in colour
In other archaeology news, the world's 'first' bottles used to feed babies animal milk have been discovered.
An ancient mass grave filled with the battered bodies of 26 adults and children may be evidence of the world's 'first war crime'.
And, new research suggests Neanderthals may have been wiped out by a common childhood illness.
What do you make of this early life discovery? Let us know in the comments...
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk


text:
« MEMS market to propel toward double-digit growth in 2010 | Main | MEMS applications for treatment of nervous system disorders »
MEMS turning mobile devices into a worldwide sensor network
by R. Colin Johnson
Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal
U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been exploring ways to deploy sensors nationwide by riding on the existing infrastructure, such utility poles, street lights, traffic signals and government weather stations, all of which have been proposed as recipients of a nationwide deployment of MEMS sensors. The massive funding required for such a nationwide deployment has not materialized, and yet millions of MEMS sensors are being deployed in a worldwide wireless network – namely, inside laptop computers and smartphones.
Within five years, MEMS sensors is predicted to be in all cell phones – and every one will be part of a global wireless network. Apple set the pace, first by adding a MEMS accelerometer to its laptops and iPhone, after which other laptop and smartphone makers followed suit. And now by adding a MEMS gyroscope and proximity sensor to the iPhone 4, the entire cell phone industry is destined to follow its lead again.
On any given day, over a thousand sensors are participating in the Quake Catcher Network, which detects earthquakes using the MEMS sensors in personal computers connected to the Internet.
According to iSuppli, cell phone makers will spur unit sales of MEMS gyroscopes from a few million units per month for tasks such as image stabilization in digital cameras today, to hundreds of millions of units for cell phones alone. From zero in 2009, gyroscopes in cell phones will rise to 26 million units in 2010 to 285 million units by 2014 – a $220 million market. By then, all except low-end cell phones will have accelerometers and GPS units, forcing high-end phones to differentiate by adding full inertial measurement units (IMUs). IMUs add the necessary magnetometer (for compass readings) and MEMS barometric pressure sensor (for determining altitude), which together enable a smartphone to fully participate in location-based services, but which can also be lashed into wireless sensor networks.
Last month, on June 23, 2010, a Quake Catcher Network participant detected this rare magnitude 5.5 earthquake in Quebec, Canada.
By 2020, as many as a billion cell phones could come studded with a wide variety of MEMS sensors and actuators, all of which can be harnessed together into a global wireless sensor network. As a result, a new wave of applications will rise with the grow of this global wireless sensor network, pioneering new billion dollar consumer markets along the way.
Earthquake warning systems are the first to take advantage of this mass deployment. The Quake Catcher Network, for instance, is building a worldwide network of laptop computers using their MEMS accelerometers. Quake Catcher has attracted thousands of voluntary participants worldwide who allow the MEMS accelerometers in their laptops to be used to constantly monitor earthquake activity.
Aiming to surpass the Quake Catcher Network is a pioneering effort just going online this summer. Called the Community Seismic Network, its goal is to send last minute warnings to smartphone users that an earthquake is about to hit. The theory is that earthquakes travel through land at a slower pace than phone calls which travel at the speed of light – this provides up to a minute of warning to users in a radiating circle from the quake's epicenter.
The Quake Catcher Network shows active earthquakes areas on a Google map that allows participants to zoom-in on the affected areas.
Both the Quake Catcher and the Community Seismic Network are free today, but using a cell phone's MEMS sensor to give users a minute's warning of impending doom is a service for which people would likely be willing to pay. And with billions of cell phones destined to include these MEMS sensors in the future, the emergence of billion dollar markets harnessing these sensors seems inevitable.
Of course, detecting earthquakes is just the beginning. As other MEMS sensors get added to cell phones, the possibilities for using them to not only detect emergencies, but to monitor the environment, provide real-time advice on atmospheric conditions as well as other service-oriented applications is endless.
Eventually, the MEMS sensors being deployed in cell phones worldwide will be knitted together into global wireless sensor networks on a scale that makes nearly every adult on the planet a participant in these new service markets.
Copyright 2010 MEMS Investor Journal
July 22, 2010 at 06:58 PM | Permalink


text:
Israel Election Scandal: Netanyahu's Party Hires 1,200 to Secretly Film Arabs Voting
Written by Allan Smith, NBC News
Smith writes: "As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces what is likely to be a tough re-election fight Tuesday, his Likud party has confirmed reports that it hired and gave cameras to 1,200 polling station observers in what it said was an effort to expose voter fraud, The Jerusalem Post reported."
An Israeli-Arab woman casts her ballot on April 9, 2019, in the village of Kafir Qasim. (photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images)
By Allan Smith, NBC News
Recording in polling places is illegal and several people have been detained.
s Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces what is likely to be a tough re-election fight Tuesday, his Likud party has confirmed reports that it hired and gave cameras to 1,200 polling station observers in what it said was an effort to expose voter fraud, The Jerusalem Post reported.
The party's admission came after Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Hanan Melcer said earlier Tuesday it was illegal to secretly film voters casting ballots.
Earlier Tuesday, hidden cameras were captured in several Israeli Arab towns in the north and in one in the south. The Post reported a man was caught trying to hide a camera in a location in the southern city of Rahat in an attempt to disqualify a polling station. That incident led to about five people being detained in connection with the hidden cameras, The Post reported.
The left-wing Hadash Tal and Balad parties criticized the Likud for trying to secretly film voters.
Hadash Tal claimed "the extreme Right understands our power well in overthrowing the government and has crossed every border, using illegal means in an attempt to intervene and prevent Arab citizens from voting — but we, too, understand our strength."
Balad, meanwhile, said it "received a message that right-wing activists are disrupting the electoral process in Arab towns by means of wiretapping and hidden cameras [in order] to deter the Arab public from voting. ... We do not give in to the attempts to delegitimize us."
The incidents come as Netanyahu — seeking a fifth term leading the nation — battles for political survival amid corruption allegations that he has denied. The party led by his main rival Benny Gantz, Hosen L'Yisrael, had a slight edge in final opinion polls. While Gantz, a former military chief, entered Election Day with that lead, Netanyahu is still in a strong position to form a governing coalition, The Washington Post reported.
Israel's attorney general announced in February that he planned to indict the prime minister in three corruption cases on charges of bribery and fraud and breach of trust. If Netanyahu remains in power following Tuesday's election and serves beyond July, he will become Israel's longest-serving prime minister.


This past week or so, I've been getting acquainted with a whole new level of cold weather. It was rare to even go below freezing in TX — same for eastern NC where I grew up. But here in NNY? Yeahhh– we've been below zero quite a few times here, and this weekend had seriously dangerous wind chills of -30. The kids have a two-hour delay tomorrow and I'm not sure whether it's because the side roads still need to be plowed or because of the temperatures — it'll be -12F when my teen would normally be out there waiting for the bus!
It's so beautiful though, this area right now. I'm in love with the North Country even on the bitterly windy winter days when my face feels like it wants to vacation near a volcano. Winter's beauty has always mesmerized me, and I'm glad to know that it wasn't just because I'd had so little of "real" winter in my life.
Who wouldn't sing praises to An Cailleach for everyday discoveries like this?
I used to feel very backward for preferring autumn and winter over spring and summer. But when I'm surrounded by the brilliance of falling leaves or stopped in my tracks by the gorgeous clarity of frost on a pane of glass, I can't feel anything but exultation that I'm alive and joy that this moment is mine to savor.
What's your favorite season? Does winter have you wanting to hibernate, or dancing in the snow?
My favorite has got to be spring. All the flowers blooming, and the bright yellow-green of the trees leafing out, and the relief that winter is finally over. Seems a long way off right now.


This replacement magazine for your Sig Sauer P238 pistol is constructed from heat-treated Nickel-plated steel. Included is a follower, lock-plate, and base-plate molded from a proprietary DuPont Zytel based black polymer. It usies a spring wound from chrome-silicon wire and heat-treated for strength and reliability.


Balance is one of the most important aspects to a healthy and fulfilling human life. Without balance, health starts to decay due to disruption and infiltration from disharmonic energies. All things have their own core frequency, which signifies balance to their particular system. Another way to phrase that is simply by saying there is an optimal frequency for peak health for all energetic forms in the universe.
For example, a healthy human heart should consist of about 60-100 beats per minute. Another example is the pH of soil, which when around a pH of 5.5-7.0, allows most plants to thrive in terms of health. In reality, there are optimal states to all kinds of life processes like the particular chemistry for quality air, or the proper temperature for certain life forms to manifest, and even particular periods of time where life flourishes. While there can be exceptions to some of these rules, overall there seem to be objective realities to the universe, aka sciences, that when tapped into allow for maximum states of health and balance, or in other words at their core frequency.
To properly conceptualize the importance of maintaining this optimal energetic balance, I want to articulate a swimming pool analogy that I originally learned in reference to sports psychology for athletes, but in reality applies to anyone wanting to achieve a healthy state of consciousness.
When someone has a swimming pool, they can't simply let the pool be, and expect it to remain in a healthy state to swim. Pools are part of the environment where a variety of different forces like dirt, oils, weather, and people come into contact with it on a regular basis. Since the pool is not isolated, it must be maintained in order to keep it healthy and free of parasites. To do this, the pH, alkalinity, and calcium hardness of the water need to be constantly upheld, so as to maintain the proper chemical balance within the water. When this balance is achieved, parasites and cancers cannot find traction to manifest within the pool; whereas when the water in out of balance, it can become a breeding ground for these negative entities to cultivate.
Similarly, when a high performance athlete is playing a competitive sport, the goal is to maintain their prime mental state throughout the match, often referred to as finding the zone. Just like a pool, many outside factors affect the mind, so the vibrational state of it changes throughout the competition. In this regard, the mind must be constantly refreshed and replenished with the right nutrients and thought patterns if it is to stay balanced through the rigors of competition. If an athlete becomes undisciplined and fails to bring their mind back to a healthy competitive state, the mind then becomes ripe for cancers and negative energy to grow within it, ultimately throwing them off their game and most likely leading to loss in competition.
The first truth one must understand in order to locate the optimal frequency for human beings is the understanding that the universe is not random as echoed by the famous philosopher Plato who said, "we live in an orderly universe." Instead, it operates on a set of objective principles, or in other words, the function of a particular algorithmic design. These objective principles are often referred to as sciences– fields of study that look to define reality through reason instead of emotion.
However, it is important to remember that many sciences today have become heavily obfuscated and subject to compartmentalized isolation, in that they are studied as isolated from the whole. For this reason, locating scientific truths within the vast array of available data can be quite difficult. However, behind all the smokescreens and illusions there seems to be some foundational principles found within the universe that if understood could aid humanity in bringing it back into a highly harmonic state of being.
Many people would refer to these realisms as nature's law, as in the scientific realities found within all of nature. While I do not claim to know or understand all of these realities at the moment (nor should anyone), I will attempt to point readers in a direction where I personally believe truths might be located, so that they can explore them on their own time and come to their own conclusions. I'm sure there will be some that will disagree, as well as some truths absent due to my own human limitations, but the following list below should make for a surface level foundation for any curious reader, or at the very least, allow for a mind-expanding adventure.
Sacred Geometry– Refers to a set of geometrical patterns, mathematical ratios, and structural designs found all throughout nature and the universe. Many people would describe this field as the blueprint for the design of the universe. Some of these patterns include the phi ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, the torus, the platonic solids, the flower of life, the fractal nature of how the universe grows, and many others. All of these patterns were understood by ancient civilizations and appear in different cultures around the globe that we are told are disconnected from each other. Nassim Haramein has done some great work in this field.
Sound– It seems that the frequency of sound is not just something we listen to for entertainment, but sound can actually heal the body and promote growth. In particular, sound appears to be in a natural state when tuned through Pythagorean based on A=432 Hz, instead of A=440 Hz equal temperament as is the "standard" today. It appears that monks and other holistic healers have known, consciously or subconsciously, of these natural frequencies in sound and so when they sing, chant, or play instruments they do so in this particular tuning method, not just some random frequency. It has even been shown through the field of Cymatics that different sounds create different geometric patterns in water, and most likely all of nature for that matter, which again line up with the pattern found in sacred geometry.
Body Health– Understanding the science behind how the body works is imperative to living a healthy and peaceful existence. This means understanding how the physical body works; understanding how the spiritual/emotional/mental body affects the physical body; understanding what types of energy to put into it (food), and lastly understanding how to properly replenish it. Some of the practices that seem to work well in promoting body health are yoga, proper nutrition, understanding of energy flow through the body (meridian points), mediation based breathing techniques, exercise, sound healing, and martial arts. There are many other ways to do this, but it's important to understand that health is something that can be maintained so that an individual avoids getting sick, not just a reaction based practice of suppressing surface symptoms as they arise, which is commonly practiced in the west. Understanding the object principles of health can go a long way in bringing about your core frequency.
Electro-Magnetic/Holographic Universe– It is starting to appear that the Earth is an electromagnetic entity based upon electricity and magnetic fields that interact with each other. From this basic understanding, we can start to understand our environment through sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics, and other environment studying fields. Not only does the universe seem to be electro-magnetic, but it also appears to be holographic as pointed to in quantum physics. Consciousness, which could be electromagnetic frequency, seems to dictate the nature of the holographic universe. Much more should be explored in this area moving forward.
Yuga Cycles/Growing Earth Theory– While this may be more speculative in nature, looking into Yuga cycles of Hindu tradition and the theory of Growing Earth, as popularized by Neal Adams, may be crucial in understanding time and consciousness. While all the facts are not established yet in this field, there does seem to be a lot of data that points to the reality that the Earth is in the continual process of growing, which could physically affect the planet. It also appears that the Earth is moving into a point of higher magnetic energy due to the sun being a binary star, which has an effect on human consciousness. This has long been known by the Hindus as Yuga cycles, as well as in ancient Greek mythology, which referred to it as ages, such as the Golden Age or Iron Age. While time might be constant, human evolution and progress may go in cycles, contrary to the Darwinian view of linear human progress. It's not to say that evolution doesn't have some merit, but there might be a lot more that is being withheld from the conversation.
Alternative History– If we are to understand the present, then it is imperative to understand the true history of the past. There is only one past and that is a past of truth. With a mountain of disinformation and misinformation out there, finding answers can be incredibly tough. However, with the rise of the Internet and growth of alternative researchers, the truth is starting to come out when it comes to history. It would appear the ancients might not have been as primitive as we thought, and it would also appear that human civilization might go back a lot longer then we are led to believe. There is a ton of rabbit holes here to go down, so hopefully people will start their journey into alternative history on their own accord.
In reality this list only scratches the surface as to all the different threads that can be explored with identifying objective principles to the universe. There are many others that I encourage readers to look into such as The 12 Immutable laws of the Universe and The Seven Hermetic Philosophies, which combine both science and philosophy into more of a unified field of study. The real truths are then finding out how all these fields interconnect into a whole, something for which free thinkers have been trying to do for decades, despite the rampant campaign of power hungry leaders who aim to cloud the truth with falsehoods.
Love is the Law of the Land– The reason we talk about love being the law of the universe is that growth is only possible through love. Love is the opposite of fear, which is a dying frequency, while love is a frequency of life. We would not have grown out of this universe if it were not for love. Now love doesn't always come in the form of happy vibes and being naïve to negative frequencies, love also entails truth, which can be a very tough pill for people to swallow sometimes. It also entails justice and self-defense, which sometimes don't always look pretty or happy, but inevitably are necessary for truth to persist. Any distortion of truth is unnatural and therefore is a fear-based frequency.
The Non-Aggression Principle (NAP)- Often referred to as a foundational principle of Libertarianism, the NAP is an ethical principle that prohibits someone from initiating force against another individual, unless the other person violated the non-aggression principle himself or herself. In the most basic terms, it means people shouldn't initiate any type of control or violence towards another person unless it is in self-defense against someone who initiated it first. It is very similar to the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want to be treated and karma of all actions having equal reactions.
People Own Themselves– Often thought of as a tenant of Anarchism, the basic idea behind people owning themselves is that people are the sole controllers of their own destiny. This mean that the state does not own people, but instead people own themselves and voluntarily take part in social organization. This does not mean there is no government or social organization, it just means that people freely choose this organization themselves, instead of it being placed upon them. It also means people can do whatever they want/put whatever they want in their body as long as they are abiding by the non-aggression principle. At the end of the day, people should make their own decisions for themselves, not some outside entity.
So now that one has begun to understand some of the fundamental realities of the universe, the next phase is putting them into action. That simply means aligning one's Self to be in tune with these natural frequencies that inevitably exist whether we like it or not. This is often referred to in Taoism and riding the wave or letting go of the ego, which tries to will against the forces of Natural Law. In man ways, understanding these frequencies and realities will allow us to tune ourselves to the correct frequency so that we may then receive the natural signal of the universe.
To correctly align one's Self, one must now begin to look within and examine the microcosm, aka the subjective paradigm in which you personally view reality. Is it aligned with these principles? If not, one must begin the process of self-transformation. This means a total change in lifestyle, such as listening to different music, turning off the TV, finding different news outlets, eating healthy organic food, moving to new geographic locations, researching the realities of the universe, cutting down on entertainment, exercising more, getting out into nature, and the list could go on and on. The overall objective is to re-connect back to the natural frequencies of the universe, which in the end should lead us to our core frequency, which is that of eternal love and happiness.
It's really not as hard in theory as people make it out to be, it just first requires people to actually want to do it. It's not a linear process and will have many ebbs and flows throughout the process, but ultimately it should lead us to our own core frequency and bring about harmony, love, and balance within the world. Once one changes one's Self, one can then be an alchemist of light, a manifestation of the love frequency. The more people who vibrate at this core frequency of love and truth, the more it will manifest in the world. In the end, isn't that what we all want?
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful article! well researched and relevant, cannot express to you how valuable your work is, much of it is uplifting, however, all of it is important. many thanks for your hard work!
You are SO close, but not there yet. I mean at a practical, doable evolution/revolution. I've developed a quick, cheap,ALTERNATIVE social form that would speed up humanities evolution while solving ALL our current problems and stepping quietly out the back door of the corporate driven empire. It includes using our hunter gathering brains to form what we all need….a clan, a tribe, a village within which to manifest all that you talk about. Using all we know about neuro science and social science for people to help each other directly with all human needs to be sustainable for 7 generations.It is small groups of people forming alternative transition support systems which are creative, fluid, non-hierarchical etc. All you talk about. But need 1 spot to stand on. That would be a LIFE-LONG University for whole households. Just like a university people could live on campus or off, take what classes they could (VERY cheap…teachers are the students and students are the teachers. And do all the grunt work themselves. SO much more to it. ITs a FORM, A new form to live in. Starts small and stays small, but like mushrooms springs up all over. All classes teach sustainability skillls (far more than just growing food…also how to resolve conflicts..how to raise children to become flexible, adaptable Earth Stewards, how to dance and sing together, permaculture building etc. A real curriculum. PLEASE VISIT MY SITE!! You are so close!!! All things needed to start the evolution/revolution are HERE already. But must be woven together harmoniously to create a LIVING entity (the Communiversity would have a soul that would live long beyond individual lives) I'm a philosopher grandmother with almost no technical skills. I need young people to see this and run with it.My web site is very primitive with no contact infor. Because I can't figure out how to do it.And everything in it is just suggestion. not set in stone. From Fire Fox type in Woolfpath Communiversity. My e-mail is woolfpath@swcp.com. PLEEZE contact me. You are the first persons I've run across seeing what is needed…but you need an actual, easy actionable plan. I have one. (mayber threre's others but I don't see them. Lets stop giving our energy and attention to the decaying thought forms and start buildig a new way of living.