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SACREDNESS AMONG NATIVE AMERICANS
Posted on November 26, 2013 September 27, 2019 Authoradmin
Vine Deloria, Jr.
Religious sentiment and experience are foremost among the characteristics which distinguish our species from the rest of the organic beings in the world. Over the course of humanity's historical journey, religious experiences have formed the basis of social, political and economic institutions of both a formal and informal nature. American Indians, and many other tribal peoples, represent a long historical tradition in which religious experiences and knowledge, and the requirement of ceremonial participation, are spread more or less evenly throughout a small reasonably homogeneous society. Although American Indians participate in a large variety of religious traditions our concern here will be with that portion of the Indian nation that continues to follow traditional religious practices.
The United States Constitution guarantees, in the Bill of Rights, that the Federal government will not intervene in human social processes to establish a state religion nor will it place burdens upon the free exercise of religious duties and matters of conscience. As the population of a nation increases and its governing institutions are asked to perform more complex functions, innocuous religious behavior once specific to small groups of people becomes disruptive when practiced by increasingly larger groups. In making the proper accommodations to satisfy the followers of particular traditions, the exceptions in the rules which govern mass behavior begin to take on increasingly larger responsibilities. Accordingly, the contemporary social and political scene in the United States has created a great tension between practitioners of traditional American Indian tribal religions and some of the other institutional practices of mainstream society. Complex situations in which decisions regarding land use policies, construction of private and public facilities, and preservation of wildlife species and habitat are new areas of conflict which now affect traditional religious practices. We deal not so much with competition between religious traditions as with the areas in which some religious traditions and the secular arms of government meet, a situation not contemplated by the framers of the Constitution.
Two Supreme Court cases, Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (485 U.S. 439 1988) and Unemployment Division, Department of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith (1105 S. Ct. 1595 1990) and the recent amendment to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (PL 103-344, 42 U.S.C. 1996a) have created a situation in which significant adjustments of Federal and constitutional law have been or will be produced. New understandings of traditional American Indian religions and an expanded philosophy of the Federal responsibility for protecting aspects of Native American traditions, already partially articulated in statutes such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, will require more sophisticated understandings, attitudes and activities from all state and Federal agencies in the very near future.
In order to understand the complexity of this change, it is necessary to distinguish some of the characteristics of the tribal religious traditions from concepts and behavior that are familiar to non-indigenous Americans. Attitudes originate in the expectations which our knowledge of a subject encourages us to anticipate and in the case of Native American religious traditions very little accurate information is known. Many stereotypes exist which place these few bits of knowledge in an unfavorable or exotic/esoteric light. A review of some of the more commonly identified characteristics of Native religions will enable us to understand the context within which religious experiences are occurring and producing behavior and activities that vary considerably from the expectations of the various groups of people whose religious traditions incorporate different perspectives.
English: Tipi for peyote ceremony (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Religious Contexts
The Mysterious Presence
Native and tribal peoples experience and intuit beneath the plenitude of physical entities in the natural world, the presence of a mysterious, personal energy. One tribe may call this energy Orenda, another tribe may describe it as Puha, a third may refer to it as Manitou, and yet a fourth may refer to this presence as Skan, implying energy with but a hint of personality. In general these words indicate an apprehension of the basic life-force of the universe which flows through or is found in everything. Inherent in this concept is the idea of a guided mission or plan which directs the universe to proceed along certain lines. The task of our species is to become positively aligned with that direction and maintain a balance between the seen and unseen forces that constitute our world. Aside from the words describing the existence of this energetic presence, unlike western and world religions, there is little effort made by traditional practitioners to achieve a clear definition of the substance, the role, or the meaning of this presence. There is, in fact, extreme reluctance to pronounce the sacred name of this mysterious presence and consequently the language of allusion and indirect discourse are used when referring to this mystery. Many tribes have the same prohibition on speaking the sacred name that we see in the Old Testament tradition regarding the Hebrew God. Sacredness, in its first and deepest encounter, requires that a boundary of respect be drawn around our experience and/or knowledge of this personal energetic presence. At the very deepest levels of religious knowledge, Native people do not, and as a rule will not, speculate on the basic functions of ultimate reality. They simply accept it as a given.
Manifestations of the Mysterious Presence
In spite of the speculations of non-Indian scholars, and the sometimes compliant agreement of some Native spokespeople, Native peoples do have a keen sense of the historical process and of the passage of time. Consequently the cumulative historical experiences of each tribe have been distilled over millennia into a complex network of interrelated stories and scenarios in which the interactive experiences of these people with this mysterious power have taken concrete historical-event form. Most tribal traditions begin with the process of creation, continue with migration traditions in which the people move through a variety of worlds, through changing conditions within a particular world, or in pilgrimages across now-familiar landscapes to arrive at designated locations where they are instructed to live. A significant proportion of ceremonial activity enacts the primordial experience of creation or migration and is understood as the primary balancing of cosmic forces to ensure continued existence of the world as we know it.
During the course of the historical journey made by each American Indian tribe, events of major significance take place and various personalities emerge which represent the dominant expressions of this mysterious universal power for the life of any particular tribal people. These personalities are not "gods" in the sense that peoples from the western tradition describe their historical religious personalities but they are endowed with a sacredness which stands in direct contrast to secular activities and beliefs. These personalities are more generally described as "spirits" which is to say that while they have specific roles to play in the creation and continuation of the physical universe, and in the definition of meaning for human societies, they are also known by specific personality traits which in turn define their relationships with human beings and with each other.
Each and every entity that helps to constitute the natural world is believed to partake of the mysterious personal energy and to have parity with every other entity in the sense that all together share responsibility for the physical world and for the creation of meaning within its moving processes as seen in the passage of time. No entity in and of itself has value exceeding that of any other but the roles which various entities are asked to play may vary considerably in significance when understood from the human perspective. Given this cosmic parity, there is very little emphasis on "worshiping" these other entities. Rather the concentration is that of petitioning the spirit to assist the human in certain kinds of tasks and in certain kinds of situations. Ceremonial focus could be said to consist of petitions and thanksgivings for past assistance.
Understanding the Nature of Symbolism
In the western European religious tradition, in its American stepchild (American Christianity), and in some of the non-western world religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism we find a great complex of symbols which remind us of the basic features of religious story lines. Symbols "stand for" realities that we acknowledge as being important to our religious expression. While the symbol may invoke great emotional response in those who see it, there is a sense in which the symbol serves primarily as a communications device and does not, in and of itself, participate in the religious experience. In the western context, when we say that a symbol "represents" a certain religious reality, we intend to communicate the importance of remembering how that particular thing fits into the total scope of our religious understanding. But we intend to convey the meaning that the symbol "stands for" another, higher reality, and that the symbol is not, in and of itself, sacred. Hence we are generally speaking of a device for recalling important teachings.
The Native American and other tribal traditions do not use symbols in this sense. When a religious practitioner in an American Indian ritual or ceremony states that a rock represents the earth or a familiar mountain, the designation means that the earth or the mountain is actually present in the ceremony, present in the same way as if the entity had personally sent a representative to the ceremony with full instructions to participate in the proceedings. Insisting that the entity is actually present means that the ceremonial event is a real and integral part of the ongoing cosmic process. The event then has a historical content and is not simply an occasion when clarity of purpose or communication has been established. In a real sense it is a special kind of intervention in the cosmic process to give meaningful focus to future activities. When the Sioux could no longer use the buffalo in one of their ceremonies there was great debate over which of the new domestic animals brought by the white man could be safely used as a substitute for the bison. Similarities in morphology, function, personal characteristics, and ways of relating to human beings were discussed before it was agreed that the sheep could be used as a substitute for certain kinds of rituals. But some ceremonies have simply been abandoned because they were so animal or bird-specific that substitution could not be made. As an example, occasionally participants in an Eagle Dance will relate how they found themselves suddenly high in the sky circling the dance pavilion, actually experiencing what it means to be an eagle. Other times in Visions, the Eagle appears at first as a human being and then becomes transformed into an eagle. In these two instances we see the sacred dimension of being able to experience what other entities feel and understand about the world. People can feel what it is like to be a plant or animal and, we assume, these other creatures can know what it is like to be human.
READ Seminole (Hitchiti-Mikasuki) Creation Story
Ritual Activity
The purpose of the physical universe, in its most pristine sense, is the coordinated participation of every entity in the activity of full realization of potential. In its purest form the Native American view of the universe is a ritual expression of possibilities and potential performed by various entities coordinated in fulfilling relationships. This expression depends on the awareness of every entity of its responsibility and the relationship of that role to the functions performed by others. The ceremony is a coming-together of the various entities and the merging of the various experiences of individual time to produce a ceremonial moment in which something new in the cosmos takes place.
Obviously, within the physical universe, it is extremely difficult to correlate the "times" of each entity to produce this moment of complete coordination. The world as we experience it, therefore, is a product of the activities of all entities as they attempt to correlate their personal times with the larger cosmic process. "Religion" as practiced and experienced within American Indian tribal communities is a series of rituals with various origin points in the past practiced in an effort to bring harmony and coordination to the present physical universe.
Unlike the Mass or the Passover which both commemorate past historical religious events and which believers understand as also occurring in a timeless setting beyond the reach of the corruption of temporal processes, Native American religious practitioners are seeking to introduce a sense of order into the chaotic physical present as a prelude to experiencing the universal moment of complete fulfillment. Consequently Native American rituals are designed to deal with immediate adjustments of the situation confronting human beings. What may appear to be the most insignificant ritual may actually have great significance in formulating the completeness of the whole. A healing ceremony, for instance, would adjust the health condition of the person receiving the healing, the spirits participating would be able to bring their healing powers into the physical universe, and the other entities, birds, plants, and animals, would experience joy and fulfillment in assisting in the corrective measures being taken.
Participation in ritual activity places on the practitioner a moral/ethical burden in which responsibility for the well-being of the other entities which assisted in the ceremony are assumed. Even when the ceremony requires the killing of a bird or animal or the complete destruction of the plant, it becomes the task of humans to ensure that the other entities have not made sacrifices of their lives in vain. In a real sense, for most Native American traditions, the human being acts as facilitator for a variety of other entities in creating the ceremonial or ritual moment and setting to generate the experience of cosmic completeness of all participating entities. Rituals which ensure the continuation or renewal of the world, or which express thanksgiving for the physical world as we know it can be said to be performed for the benefit of other creatures and only minimally for our species.
Kinds of Ritual Activities
The mysterious, personal energy which exists in all things gives each entity a basis for experiencing completeness through participatory rituals when individual identities are seen as physical expressions of the commonality of energetic life. That is to say, the other creatures of creation also find fulfillment in the rituals and their own species' historical experiences are enhanced by their participation. Eagles become more powerful as their participation in rituals increases, and their relationships with other birds and animals becomes more significant. Rituals, therefore, are not restricted to human activity alone and some tribes describe the behavior of plants and animals as ritual practices in which completeness is found without human assistance. Divining the meaning of plant and animal rituals may sometimes produce imitative human behavior. The Plains Indians must certainly have copied the dance of the prairie chicken in some of their rituals although the event during which this incorporation was made is now unknown. Dances honoring the deer, bear, buffalo or other game animals may also have been transferred from wholly animal behavior to human ceremonial importance. Dances for animals in one sense are also suggestions for footwork and expression made by humans to their animal relatives.
The rituals and ceremonies in which we have an interest for the purposes of this report are those in which human beings, on behalf of other entities, ranging from the Sun, the planet Mother Earth, mountains and rivers, different species of plants and animals, and finally specific groups of people and particular individuals become the focal point and prime participants. The dominant purpose of these rituals and ceremonies are to bring order out of a chaotic situation.Therefore, in modern terms we see healing as the primary goal. Healing can be understood as the means by which adjustments are made in the physical universe so that all entities can function in a manner much closer to their innate Potential. Renewal ceremonies, such as the one described in Chapter Seven, conducted at Fort Hood, are healing activities on behalf of the human beings who participate and the medicine wheel which was originally constructed to serve that purpose.
Closely related to the healing activity is that of thanksgiving, which could be described almost as preventive healing in the sense that properly maintained sets of relationships do not create tensions and conflict. Thus ceremonies and dances are performed primarily to honor birds, fish, animals, and particular locations of Native American concern. These ceremonies are the means by which humans give thanks for their good fortune in having relationships with the rest of creation, the thanks being given to particular creatures or locations. The First Salmon ceremony of the Indian nations of the Pacific Northwest and some of the Southwestern United States eagle ceremonies are good examples of this kind of activity.
Vision Quests
Some people see a hierarchy of rituals present in some of the tribal traditions. Viewed cross-culturally, the Vision Quest is the most common way of producing the religious leaders of each successive generation. In a Vision Quest, a young person secludes himself or herself in order to receive a foreknowledge of their life's religious vocation. This particular ritual is a sophisticated effort to discern the specific goals of the temporal processes which seem to direct Native American lives and to place the coming generation in synchronous relationship with them. This ritual is now being revived in a large number of tribes in an effort to reduce the juvenile delinquency problems. In general it consists of a four day fast, under the supervision of an elder, performed by an Indian boy or girl at the onset of puberty. In more precise terminology the Vision Quest is also done by traditional practitioners to maintain their relationship with higher spiritual powers and to ask for additional specific powers or to gain information on particular subjects.
The original goal of this research project was to locate sacred sites connected primarily with the Vision Quest ceremonies because these rituals, being primarily initiatory, were essential to the continuing process of providing medicine people and spiritual leaders for Native American communities. It was anticipated that conflicts between traditional spiritual practitioners and military installations might revolve about the question of access to sacred sites on military lands for Vision Quest purposes. As the number of probable sacred sites increased it began to appear that the Vision Quest problem might not be as severe as anticipated. The mass of materials began to dictate a much different arrangement of data and the inclusion of other kinds of sites which have the potential for becoming publicly acknowledged by religious leaders of Native American communities. The changing nature of Native American religious concerns now appears to be more aggressive in identifying and protecting locations that would not have been made public in the past. As more sacred sites become a part of Native American and non-Indian awareness, there is no question that Vision Quest activities will be seen as part of more sacred locations. However the sense of urgency with respect to the Vision Quest locations, inspired perhaps by the Northwest Indian Cemetery Protection Association problems with the government, is considerably less than anticipated. In actual practice, DoD base commanders can expect that requests for memorial and condolence ceremonies related to existing sites already known or burials uncovered during construction or use of installation lands will be the most numerous. It is highly unlikely that new use requests would be made by present-day practitioners. The resolution of the problem of the medicine wheel and cemetery at Fort Hood would be the exception not the rule in these cases.
READ 2013: I Thought the U.S. Was the Land of Gold— Now I See It as Rude and Disrespectful
The last kind of Native American ritual activity which may be encountered that might depend on access to a particular location deal with condolence, mourning, or memorial activities. In some of the tribal traditions these ceremonies greatly resemble similar kinds of services performed by the Christian priests and ministers and Jewish rabbis. Basically they help people deal with the loss of loved ones, commemorate members of the community who have been helpful or respected, and sometimes provide a direct linkage between generations of people separated by time and the passage of years. Some years ago a mixture of traditional Sioux spiritual leaders and Sioux priests and ministers cooperated to perform a memorial and reburial ceremony/service for the people's remains found in the excavation of a village near the Big Bend of the Missouri. In practice we can anticipate that DoD base commanders will have more contact with these ceremonies than with the Vision Quest, World Renewal, or other ceremonies.
Rituals and Sacred Places
Of particular importance for this study, for DoD, and for the state and Federal agencies who will be dealing with the religious/cultural concerns and practices of Native Americans is the relationship of particular locations to the practice of traditional Native American religions. Tribal religions view the landscape as an integral part of religious experience because it is not only the locus for human experience but the earth itself is a living entity and manifests its relationship to all forms of life by sustaining them. Landscapes have interlocking sets of locations which are holy in and of themselves because they are the most specific means whereby the earth can relate to lesser entities.
Over the course of thousands of years, Native Americans have discerned the various sacred sites which have power; that is to say, manifest the energy and concern of the earth. Sometimes several tribes will have discovered the sacredness of a site and become aware of the proper ceremonies that must be performed there. Bear Butte and the Sangre de Cristo mountains of New Mexico are good examples of multi-tribal sacred sites. A number of mountains in southeastern Utah have the same status. Within traditional occupancy areas and along ancient migration routes are more locations that have a religious significance to particular Indian tribes. The knowledge of these locations has been passed down within certain families who performed ceremonies for many generations.
In contrast, western and some other world religions also have sacred places and shrines but these sites generally mark the location where historical religious events took place: Mt. Sinai, Mecca, Jerusalem, and other locations. Through ceremonial activities these religions set aside or consecrate locations that then take on significance for the followers and becomes the focus of ceremonial activities. These religions also have the practice of consecrating a location and establishing a shrine where practitioners can worship. The consecration then removes the location from the secular world and places it within the scope of continuing religious activities.
When dealing with public lands or lands controlled by Federal agencies, it is possible to provide non-Native American religious bodies with tracts of land which they can consecrate and use for religious purposes. The location can be almost anywhere of convenience. Native American religious traditions, however, can only use a specific location which is already known to be sacred. In use of geographic locations, therefore, the non-Native American religious bodies can accommodate almost any assignment and make use of it; Native American religious bodies must use particular locations or they cannot continue their ceremonial life.
Sacred Objects
Perceiving a living universe, manifested by the presence of the mysterious life energy in everything, tribal religious traditions understood objects used for religious purposes as possessing the mysterious power which made the universe function. Rituals almost always require the participation of the other creatures of the creation and consequently ritual practices require the collection of plants and animals, minerals and clays, stone, and some ceremonial form of setting these objects aside once they have been used ritually.
Objects used in rituals may have sacred significance for only a duration of time, while some ritual objects are thought to have existed since creation. As an example of time-limited objects, the Zuni make war gods of wood which have status and an active function within the Zuni ceremonial life but which, after a designated period of time, are then placed in special locations where they are returned to the natural world through the processes of decay and erosion.
The classification of objects as having ceremonial potency depends upon the designated practitioners of the respective tribal religious traditions and not upon use or misuse or possession by secular individuals. In terms of designation or classification of objects which might be found on United States military lands, the best course of action for DoD resource managers concerned about the treatment of those objects is to contact practitioners of the most probable Native religious tradition and seek their advice on how to handle the situation.
Sacredness within the traditional Indian religions does not depend upon a hierarchical arrangement of ceremonies or objects, but upon existing and possible future sets of relationships between living entities. Attempting to evaluate the relative importance of certain kinds of practices or materials from outside the religious context is difficult if not impossible. Forcing religious experiences into foreign interpretive frameworks does violence to the understanding of the factors that are actually involved. Misunderstandings and transfers of emphasis can lead to embarrassment and conflict that is unnecessary.
A great deal of Native American religious knowledge has been lost over the last century. Consequently many locations which would have invoked a sense of reverence long ago may not have the same status among practitioners of the religion today. The purpose of existing and contemplated Federal and state laws which seek to grant access to sacred sites or set aside locations of the gathering of ritual objects is in accord with the resurgence of many tribal traditions which have been illegally and immorally suppressed during the immediate past. These efforts are good faith attempts to reconcile the practices of traditional Native religions with the requirements of mass society and its institutions today.
In terms of the expectations which DoD base commanders can anticipate that relate to sacred objects, apart from personal goods which might be found in burials, the objects most important will be those natural substances that were or are used in ceremonies. Already several U.S. military installations have worked out arrangements with a tribal government allowing gathering of plants. While sacred objects are represented by a much wider variety of religious paraphernalia, such as prayer feathers and wands, strips of cloth, and designed figures made during ceremonies, concern, in general, should focus on the plants and minerals which are necessary for ritual use.
The context within which Native American religious expression is found and understood is that of a living universe which has, as its basic ground, mysterious personal energy that pervades and energizes everything. Although this great energy is to be found in every entity which humans encounter, it is the specific manifestations of this energy in historical events that particularizes the sacred into sets of powers and personalities with whom the tribal community has a relationship.
Traditionally many societies have reached the conclusion that a "High God" or solitary deity exist by reference to the orderliness of the natural world or through the demonstration by logical reasoning. This deity is intellectually and conceptually pleasing but we do not find it present in very many Native American religious traditions. Instead, we find vaguely defined beliefs inside vast and very complex ceremonial practices. Since the mysterious power can manifest itself in the historical moment without projecting a sense of absolute revelation, in the western European and American sense, there is no conflict among or between tribes as to the form and substance of ultimate reality.
The basic requirement of Native American ritual activities is that all creatures of creation be granted access to the ceremonies. The transformation of natural objects without specific instructions from the spirits was regarded as a violation of the integrity of the other entities. Therefore, use of natural objects usually conforms closely to their original state. A good example of this practice is in the treatment of peyote for religious purposes. The Native American Church does not alter the peyote button in any way, since that would be a violation of the spirit of the plant. Indian people regard the processing of the plants to find a chemical derivative as a dreadful act. With the exception of placing sacred objects at certain locations, traditional Native American people do not, as a rule, attempt to construct buildings such as churches and chapels at sacred sites. Everything in the physical world is believed to have its own integrity. The task of religious practitioners, therefore, is to create the minimum disruption of the site and cause the minimum disruption of the lives of other creatures while performing ceremonial functions on behalf of these entities.
Posted in HistoryTagged Great Spirit, Wakan Tanka, Vine Deloria, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Indigenous peoplescommentLeave a Comment on SACREDNESS AMONG NATIVE AMERICANS
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Here's a patch that adds a man page for nextcloud. This closes bug #921344.
I don't have tons of experience doing this kind of stuff, but I was able to build the package successfully and install it. The man page does get installed.
I mainly copied stuff from the owncloud-client source package.
Happy to make modifications if needed!
Hi! Here's a patch that adds a man page for `nextcloud`. This closes bug #921344. I don't have tons of experience doing this kind of stuff, but I was able to build the package successfully and install it. The man page does get installed. I mainly copied stuff from the `owncloud-client` source package. Happy to make modifications if needed!


Post-Processing: Photoshop CS2; levels, shadows and highlights, crop, unsharp mask Extra Info: Whorls and scrolls make up the highly individualized dermatoglyphic patterns (fingerprints), which are of importance to criminals and law enforcement agencies. Dermatolglyphics taken with a Minolta 135 mm telephoto and a Minolta Bellows III, attached to my G1, along with a tripod.
Nov 13, 2010 Well you have a unique image here. I might have titled this "Unique." It is on theme and a fresh approach and original. Photographically, it has a modern art minimalism approach which, on a personal level, just doesn't work for me.
Nov 13, 2010 The thumbnail shot looks great. When I look at the full image, I find the whitish areas distracting. It also seems to lack sharpness. A great idea though. In contention for my top ten.
Nov 12, 2010 Very cool! I love the title too.
Nov 12, 2010 Awesome, love the idea and execution. How did you keep your subject still for 1s, hope not though nefarious means.


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Lazaridis School wins most medals at DECA U Provincials
Laurier's Lazaridis School of Business & Economics came home with some serious hardware after competing at the 2016 DECA U Provincials on Jan. 15-16. The hard work paid off at the end of the weekend for the Lazaridis School team as their honours included the Largest Chapter Award, second place in trivia-based Quiz Bowl and the Highest Medal Count — a grand total of 29 medals.
After dedicating hours and hours of practice and preparation over the past four months, the Lazaridis School team participated in a mix of individual and team events ranging from accounting and financial services to management consulting. They were among 18 other universities across Ontario in attendance, including Queens, Western, Toronto and Ryerson.
DECA is a case-centric business conference that challenges students' ability to think on their feet and creatively solve problems. Students are given only 15 minutes to read and prepare their case for the judges. Delegates then have to write a written test that assesses their knowledge of business terms, theories and concepts.
The Lazaridis School's 121-member student team was led by DECA Laurier co-presidents Ash Kaura and Winta Yonathan, who have a combined seven years of experience with the team.
"Being the president this year was probably one of the greatest learning experiences of my life so far," said Kaura, a fourth-year BBA co-op student. "Our brilliant team of executives strived to make this an unforgettable year for all the delegates. With all of the achievements we received this year, I'm extremely proud of the entire DECA chapter for the amount of dedication put towards the club. It was truly a remarkable moment."
"Coming into this year with DECA Laurier, Ash and I organized our efforts into two pillars of success: Involvement and Inclusivity," said Yonathan, a third year BBA co-op student. "We wanted to ensure that not only do we get as many students involved as we can, but that we give them the resources and support for them to be successful. Most importantly, we revolved all of our efforts around having an inclusive culture with many opportunities for our delegates to get involved and meet new people."
These events included an alumni panel, workshops to develop their case skills, and a mentorship program connecting new and experienced delegates.
Any of the Lazaridis School's 29 individual and team medal recipients has qualified to compete at the 2016 DECA Internationals in Washington, D.C. on April 23-26, though their attendance will be based on personal exam schedules and being able to afford the associated costs. The team will be hosting a conference on March 5 which is open to all 365 members of the DECA Laurier chapter. They have also invited other universities across Ontario to participate.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Szczebro-Olszanka (od 1973 Nowinka) – dawna gmina wiejska istniejąca do 1954 roku w woj. białostockim (dzisiejsze woj. podlaskie). Nazwa gminy pochodzi od miejscowości Szczebra i Olszanka, jednakże siedzibą gminy była Nowinka.

Za Królestwa Polskiego gmina należała do powiatu augustowskiego w guberni suwalskiej.

W okresie międzywojennym gmina Szczebro-Olszanka należała do powiatu augustowskiego w woj. białostockim.

Według Powszechnego Spisu Ludności z 1921 roku gminę zamieszkiwało 5098 osób, wśród których 4474 było wyznania rzymskokatolickiego, 9 prawosławnego, 95 ewangelickiego, 503 innego chrześcijańskiego (storoobrzędowcy) a 17 mojżeszowego. Jednocześnie 5032 mieszkańców zadeklarowało polską przynależność narodową, 9 białoruską, 11 niemiecką, a 46 inną (rosyjską). We wsi było 866 budynków mieszkalnych.

Po wojnie gmina zachowała przynależność administracyjną. Według stanu z dnia 1 lipca 1952 roku gmina składała się 31 gromad.

Gmina została zniesiona 29 września 1954 roku wraz z reformą wprowadzającą gromady w miejsce gmin. Jednostki nie przywrócono 1 stycznia 1973 roku po reaktywowaniu gmin. Jej dawny obszar należy obecnie do gmin Nowinka i Płaska.

Miejscowości
Miejscowości i osady na podstawie spisu powszechnego z 30 września 1921.

 Wsie: Ateny, Barszczowa Góra, Blizna, Bryzgiel, Cisówek, Czarny Bród, Dalny Las, Danowskie, Gatno I, Gatno II, Gorczyca, Józefowo, Juryzdyka, Kopanica, Krusznik, Monkinie, Nowinka, Olszanka, Osińska Ruda, Pijawne Małe, Pijawne Polskie, Pijawne Ruskie, Płaska, Podkrólówek, Podnowinka, Podsokolna, Serwy, Sokolne, Strękowizna, Studzieniczna, Sucha Rzeczka, Szczeberka, Szczebra Mała, Szczepki, Walne, Wojciech, Zakąty, Żyliny
 Folwarki: Olszanka, Sucha Rzeczka, Szczebra, Ślepsk
 Osady: Podkopanica, Podserwy, Przewięź, Swoboda
 Nadleśnictwa: Podnowinka
 Leśniczówki: Barszczowa Góra, Blizna, Czarny Bród, Dalny Las, Kępiny, Klonownica, Młynisko, Pijawne, Podkrólówek, Sokolne, Strękowizna, Swoboda, Szczebra, Upustek, Żyliny

Zobacz też
 Olszanka

Przypisy

Dawne gminy w guberni suwalskiej
Dawne gminy w województwie białostockim
Dawne gminy powiatu augustowskiego

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Growing up is a beautiful thing. Let's fight for it.
Help save the lives of children battling cancer by supporting THONTM. Our Organization, Alpha Xi Delta, is taking action by uniting with 16,500 student volunteers to raise funds and awareness in the fight against childhood cancer. Since 1977, THONTM has raised over $168 million for Four Diamonds at Penn State Children's Hospital. Throughout our partnership, we have ensured that over 4,000 families have not seen a single medical bill. In addition, the local research that is being done is making a global impact so that one day, we will find a cure. Each February, THON's yearlong efforts and support for the families culminate in a 46-hour, no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon.
Alpha Xi Delta is a Greek Organization that works tirelessly each year to benefit THON. With the generous support of our large alumni base and determined members, we provide both financial and emotional support to families impacted by childhood cancer each year. Since 1973, the Greek community at Penn State has united through the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.
What THON means to the members of Alpha Xi Delta
"Coming to Penn State, I had no idea what THON was. However, it quickly became something I was extremely passionate about. THON gives me purpose and THON gives me hope. Hope that one day no child has to suffer through cancer. Being the Family Relations chair this year, I have seen THON work in indescribable ways, and I can't wait to see what this amazing organization accomplishes this year. THON has given me the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself, and for that I am forever grateful"
-Allison Russell, THON Family Relations Chair
"THON means everything to mean. This organization was the main reason I chose to leave Virginia and attend school 4 hours away in PA. I developed my passion to advocate for increased childhood cancer research when I was 8 and a close family friend was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. When I learned how little funding childhood cancer receives I was devastated, how could they let this happen to our future? Ever since then I've dedicated my career and time towards ensuring no family ever has to hear the words "your child has cancer" ever again, and THON gives us that opportunity"
-Kate Mulvenon, Junior
"I THON so that no family has to go through this battle alone. Of course raising money to pay for treatments is extremely important but the bond we create with THON children and their families goes beyond that. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet these families and hear their stories and I hope I can give back to them in anyway possible. THON has given me a new perspective on life and allowed me to always look at the bright side of things and to never stop fighting for a cure!"
-Brooke Allen, Junior
"I THON because I think cancer is one of the most difficult things in the world, and it's even worse when it's your child. The last thing a parent needs to worry about is a medical bill. Four Diamonds offers incredible resources for not only the children but for parents as well. Participating in THON has given me the opportunity to give back to a cause I truly believe in."
-Grace Casey, Sophomore
The Alpha Xi Delta & Lambda Chi Alpha THON Chairs & members with Lesenia after she rang the bell at Hershey Medical Center
Alpha Xi Delta sister doing Hope's makeup for prom
Organization members with our HOPE sign to honor our THON Child, Hope Maldonado's, life at THON
Alpha Xi Delta sisters at our THON child, Lesenia's, fundraiser last summer!
Emily Pilewicz
Cathy Okhrimchuk
Alden Iaconis
Nicole Pologruto
Allison Russell


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Animal Rights Extremists
Pair Took Law into Their Own Hands
When a family-owned mink farm in Illinois was attacked by animal rights extremists in 2013, 2,000 minks were released from their cages and a barn was spray-painted with the words "Liberation is Love."
On an August night in 2013, a family-owned mink farm in Morris, Illinois came under attack. Approximately 2,000 minks were released from their cages, an acidic substance was poured over two trucks parked on the property, and a sign spray-painted on the barn declared, "Liberation is Love."
Some 24 hours later, when a police officer from nearby Roanoke, Illinois pulled over a car without license plates, he had no idea that the two young men inside were responsible for the earlier crime.
When the men's stories didn't add up about why they were driving a vehicle with no license plates or temporary tags, or what they were doing late at night on that deserted, rural road, the officer became suspicious. A search of the trunk revealed some curious items: books about terrorism and surveillance techniques, ski masks, and bolt cutters. The pair also had police scanners in the car, manually programmed to receive the frequencies of local police departments.
Kevin Johnson and Tyler Lang, both from California, were taken into custody for possessing burglary tools, and when it was later learned that the men were animal rights activists, the local authorities alerted the FBI.
"These two individuals were known animal rights extremists," said Special Agent Maureen Mazzola, who specializes in domestic terrorism matters and investigated the case from the FBI's Chicago Division. "We also knew they were based in California. The fact that they were pulled over in Illinois, 90 miles from the mink release that occurred the previous night, and that they were only a few miles away from a fox farm," she added, "was too much of a coincidence."
The subsequent investigation resulted in the pair being federally indicted in 2014 for damaging and interfering with the mink farm operations and conspiring to do the same thing to the Roanoke fox farm. Two other individuals—friends of Johnson and Lang—have been charged in connection with a spree of similar incidents in the summer of 2013. Joseph Buddenberg and Nicole Kissane are accused of terrorizing the fur industry, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages by freeing minks and destroying breeding records in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Mazzola noted that most animal rights advocates don't believe criminal activity is the way to obtain their goals. But for those few in the movement who support extremist ideology, "they feel that the only way to deal with companies and people involved in what they perceive as animal cruelty is to hit them with some type of criminal act," she said. "They believe that legal protests are not enough and will never be enough."
As a result of such crimes, in 2006 Congress passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, strengthening an existing statute and allowing the Department of Justice greater authority to target animal rights extremists. The law also offers more protections to those involved in animal research or who work in the animal industry—the usual victims of animal rights extremists.
Last year, Johnson, 28, pled guilty to the charges against him and was sentenced in February 2016 to three years in prison. Lang, 27, who also pled guilty last year, was sentenced in March to six months of home confinement. In February 2016, Buddenberg and Kissane both pled guilty in San Diego federal court to conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. They are awaiting sentencing.
The owners of the Illinois mink farm, meanwhile, lost everything when their farm was vandalized, and many of the minks died. "The farm was the primary source of the owner's retirement and was how he supported his family," Mazzola said. "Everything they had was tied up in the business."
Related press releases:
- Lang and Johnson sentenced
- Lang and Johnson indicted
- Buddenberg and Kissane charged
Director Provides Update on Orlando Shootings Investigation
FBI Director James B. Comey said today that the FBI is working non-stop to understand what led a man to commit a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead and dozens more injured.
FBI Director Visits Reservation in North Dakota to Discuss Rising Threat
Director Comey visits Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and attends the opening of a new FBI office in North Dakota.


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Haugenbok.no› Skjønnlitteratur› Biografier og memoarer› Dreaming in colour
Dreaming in colour
Dreaming in colour (an autobiography)
Kaffe Fassett Forfatter
Dreaming in colour Dreaming in colour
Kaffe Fassett has led an extraordinary life and is a captivating storyteller with a vivid memory. Born in 1937 in San Francisco, he spent much of his youth in Big Sur, where his parents bought a log cabin from Orson Welles and transformed it into the world-famous Nepenthe restaurant, a gathering … LES MER place of artists of all sorts (Kaffe has many stories to tell about mingling with the likes of Olivia de Havilland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Henry Miller). After attending a boarding school run by the disciples of Krishunamurti, an Indian guru, he studied painting on scholarship at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, but left after less than one year and traveled to England, where he ultimately made his home. After struggling to make a living as a fine artist for several years, Fassett met the fashion designer Bill Gibb and began designing knitwear for his collection. He went on to design knitwear for Missoni and for private clients like Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine, and Barbra Streisand, and to revolutionise the hand knitting world with his explosive use of color. Further explorations led him to needlepoint, mosaics, rug-making, yarn and fabric design, set design and quilting. Now in his 70s, Fassett continues to produce new work in his studio in London and to travel worldwide to teach and lecture. This intimate autobiography is lavishly filled with Fassett's amazing stories about his bohemian childhood, his hard-earned rise to fame, and all of his creative pursuits. It includes photos of him throughout his life (including his stint as a model in Paris), his home (which is an artwork in itself), his work (everything from childhood drawings to pencil sketches, to oil paintings, to massive tapestries and set designs, to hand knits and quilts) as well as the people and places around the world that have inspired him. LES MINDRE Forlagets omtale Forlagets Kaffe Fassett has led an extraordinary life and is a captivating storyteller with a vivid memory. Born in 1937 in San Francisco, he spent much of his youth in Big Sur, where his parents bought a log cabin from Orson Welles and transformed it into the world-famous Nepenthe restaurant, a gathering place of artists of all sorts (Kaffe has many stories to tell about mingling with the likes of Olivia de Havilland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Henry Miller). After attending a boarding school run by the disciples of Krishunamurti, an Indian guru, he studied painting on scholarship at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, but left after less than one year and traveled to England, where he ultimately made his home. After struggling to make a living as a fine artist for several years, Fassett met the fashion designer Bill Gibb and began designing knitwear for his collection. He went on to design knitwear for Missoni and for private clients like Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine, and Barbra Streisand, and to revolutionise the hand knitting world with his explosive use of color. Further explorations led him to needlepoint, mosaics, rug-making, yarn and fabric design, set design and quilting. Now in his 70s, Fassett continues to produce new work in his studio in London and to travel worldwide to teach and lecture. This intimate autobiography is lavishly filled with Fassett's amazing stories about his bohemian childhood, his hard-earned rise to fame, and all of his creative pursuits. It includes photos of him throughout his life (including his stint as a model in Paris), his home (which is an artwork in itself), his work (everything from childhood drawings to pencil sketches, to oil paintings, to massive tapestries and set designs, to hand knits and quilts) as well as the people and places around the world that have inspired him.


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CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: 'Smoke & Mirrors', The Permanent Recession
SM / July 16, 2019
Source – thegreatrecession.info
– "…Rather than the longest expansion in US history, we've been enduring the longest recession in US history ever since the dot-com bust. The above chart shows the GDP growth rate, and the REAL GDP "growth" rate, which has actually been contraction, not growth, for the past two decades if measured by historic standards"
It's Been a Great Recession for a Few; Let's Do it All Again! – By David Haggith
This month the economic expansion brought to you by your Federal Reserve and by US government largess becomes the longest expansion in the history of the United States! That's something, right? Something? Let's take an honest look at what we now call great.
By "the longest expansion" we mean the longest period in which US GDP has been growing without a recession. Now, that's something to crow about, right?
Not so fast for many reasons. It's also been the most anemic expansion on the books, and it's not too hard to see why it's been the longest, having nothing at all to do with a great economy. It has cost us far more than any expansion (by an order of magnitude) because we've piled up ten times the national debt over any amount we accumulated during previous expansions. (I've said before, it's easy to let the "good times" roll when you are buying it all on the company credit card.) We also quadrupled the size of the size of the Fed's balance sheet. That didn't cost anything, but we sure didn't get much bang for the buck! We actually got less bang than in any previous expansion!
The permanent recession
Sure, we got outstanding growth in stocks, but growth in business revenue has been pathetic. Growth in corporate development has been even worse (i.e., new plants, improved productivity, etc.) Growth in earnings was decent, except for the fact that it is entirely a feint because it was created mostly by reducing the numbers of outstanding shares over which earnings are divided, not so much by growing business. (Why do you think Wall Street prefers to talk about "earnings per share, " EPS, instead of just actual profits?)
We can pretend the strength in EPS was because business has been booming during the "long economic expansion," but it wasn't. We got less production growth out of this expansion than in any other expansion in US history, and that is easy to prove with the Fed's own data. GDP went up, but the rate of growth in GDP has been in secular decline during each expansion.
Of course, those are percentage changes, and the higher any number gets, the harder it becomes to get as big of a percentage change off that number. So, not so horrible, right?
Well, the real numbers look worse because, you see, the government has changed the way it calculates GDP over the years to make things look better when measured against history. If you go back to tracking GDP the way it was historically calculated (if for no other reason than to keep the formula being used consistent across the chart), it looks like this: (Top line in the chart below is the line from the Fed chart above; bottom line is what you get if you stay with the same formula throughout the chart.)
ShadowStats
Oops. Worse than pathetic. Using consistent accounting through time, we discover we have actually been in receding GDP (recession) since 2000 with the exception of one little bump in 2004. We don't want to admit that, so we we'll just ignore that by saying we improved our accounting methods over time.
And that is why I say "It's been a great recession" because we never actually left the Great Recession. Rather than the longest expansion in US history, we've been enduring the longest recession in US history ever since the dot-com bust. The above chart shows the GDP growth rate, and the REAL GDP "growth" rate, which has actually been contraction, not growth, for the past two decades if measured by historic standards. So long as GDP is growing, (above 0 on the chart above), we're in expansion. Whenever GDP is shrinking (below 0 on the chart above), we're in recession.
So, when you see financial commentators writing or talking about "the longest expansion on record," this month, translate that in light of this article. It is only the longest expansion on record if you change the way you calculate GDP from the way previous records were calculated. It's sort of like saying, "This person ran the longest marathon in history," but not memtion that we've reduced the length of the kilometer or mile by which we measure marathons.
The government (and the Fed) love to cook the books. They do it under the guise that old numbers really were not all that accurate, but if that were truly the reason, why is it the "corrections" and "adjustments" always serve to make the present regime's numbers look better? (Perhaps people doing the calculations in the past were willing to be more conservative in terms of how much they patted themselves on the back for how well they were doing?)
Now you know why it doesn't feel like things have really gotten any better for the average person. They haven't. We've been living the last twenty years in a trickle-down recession that has only benefited the top 10%. Mostly, of course, the 1%.
One would think we might have gotten a little extra lift in GDP percentage-wise for massive amount of extra debt we took on. It's not just the government that saddled itself with a shipload of extra debt. Corporations did the same, and total individual debt is deeper now than before the official "Great Recession" hit:
Per capita, consumer debt may not be deeper, since the population has grown massively through immigration; but I've not been quoting per capita GDP here either. For all that debt, we have seen less GDP improvement (even by the official numbers) than at any time in the past hundred years; but it gets worse than that because we're very proud right now of also attaining the lowest unemployment rate in history. So, let's take a look at that number, too.
Employment in statistics … is a good profession
The main people assuring themselves of future employment are the statistic manipulators. They are kept well busy.
Unemployment only appears to be at its lowest ever, but unemployment truthfully remains quite bad. You see, most people fell off the unemployment charts years ago during this "expansion" because their unemployed was expanded for so long that they got lost. The financial reporters have forgotten about that, though most of them never noticed it in the first place; but I wrote about this statistical manipulation here for years at the beginning of the Great Recession, until I just got tired of saying it.
Falling out of the official statistics happens in three main ways: 1) You only remain counted in unemployment stats for as long as you keep actively seeking work and qualifying for benefits. Period. Multitudes gave up seeking work years ago and chose earlier retirement or death or …? The stats stopped counting them when they, for whatever reasons, stopped looking for work. 2) You also fall off the list as soon as you use up all your available benefits because that is another way to no longer qualify. Millions used up all of their available benefits years ago. 3) You fall off the list when you replace your former full-time job with part-time work.
As a result we have the lowest labor participation rate in half a century. Even the Fed acknowledges that and pretends to be mystified as to why that is when it is as obvious as the gray hair on the Fed chair's head.
All of that makes it easy to have an outstanding looking unemployment number that really is not representative at all of our labor situation.
REAL unemployment, factoring all of that back in, looks like the top line in the graph below: (The bottom two lines are the official measures of unemployment used by the US government and the Federal Reserve.)
The number of new jobs you keep hearing about is equally bogus, and I've pointed that out many times in the past, too. Now, however, as we crack open the champagne to celebrate the "longest expansion in history," is a good time for a refresher on that.
We count part-time jobs as full-time jobs when we tally "new jobs," but most of the new jobs created during this expansion were either part-time jobs that replaced full-time jobs or were jobs that offered lower pay or lower benefits. In fact, the number of part-time jobs in the economy is now 40% higher than it was the last time unemployment was this low! And those jobs typically don't come with benefits and typically pay lower wages.
But it gets worse. Besides not counting new jobs in full-time equivalents, all of those new jobs are assumed to be additional people hired back into the labor force, but many were actually the same people counted twice! That is because they were people who went from holding one good full-time job to holding two part-time jobs in order to make ends meet, both of which offer no benefits and lower pay for each hour worked.
So, do you have to even wonder why it is we've seen the middle class deteriorate substantially during this great expansion? We've simply buried the truth in statistical smoke and mirrors.
Real wages have not gone up at all, so workers got no participation in the expansion. It all went to corporate owners, and with less disposable income workers certainly were not in a position to be investing in corporate ownership, other than in their retirement funds. So, maybe they benefited some there. Between the dot-com bust and the Great Recession, however, most laborers have barely made up for all that they lost in stock market excesses that were stripped away. If the present stock bubble bursts, they could easily wind up behind where they were two decades ago in REAL dollars.
(Stocks are way overpriced based on their CAPE average, which is probably the most historically accurate and meaningful average out there. So, yes, it's a bubble. Many people are only willing to acknowledge bubbles after they burst, but I'm here to pop your bubble now.)
All Trumped up about nothing
Surely things have gotten better since Trump entered office, right?
According to the Congressional Research Services' May, 2019, Report about the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (a.k.a. the Trump Tax Cuts):
This analysis examines the preliminary effects of the Act during the first year, 2018.
On the whole, the growth effects tend to show a relatively small (if any) first-year effect on the economy. Although growth rates cannot indicate the tax cut's effects on GDP, they tend to rule out very large effects particularly in the short run. Although investment grew significantly, the growth patterns for different types of assets do not appear to be consistent with the direction and size of the supply-side incentive effects one would expect from the tax changes. This potential outcome may raise questions about how much longer-run growth will result from the tax revision.
Real wages grew more slowly than GDP: at 2.0% (adjusted by the GDP deflator) compared with 2.9% for overall real GDP. Such slower growth has occurred in the past. The real wage rate for production and nonsupervisory workers grew by 1.2%…. While evidence does indicate significant repurchases of shares, either from tax cuts or repatriated revenues, relatively little was directed to paying worker bonuses, which had been announced by some firms.
According to the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA), actual growth rate [in 2018] was 2.9%, which is consistent with a small effect of the tax revision, perhaps even smaller than projected by most analysts…. The data appear to indicate that not enough growth occurred in the first year to cause the tax cut to pay for itself….
But this year will come in better, right? Well, let's see: the first quarter came in at about the same as that 2.9%, but pretty much everyone anticipates the second quarter is about to come in worse. I say, substantially worse. We shall see.
If so, it means the new tax program has accomplished all it ever will because it was supposed to build in its successes year after year. Let's hope Larry Kudlow, who helped mastermind the new tax regime, gets on the microphone a little more often to talk this puppy into preforming. So far, not much bang for the buck; but, hey, at least we exploded the national debt out of earthly orbit forever! That's something, right?
Still, lets see how the trickle-down Trump plan actually panned out for workers:
Distributional analyses of the tax change suggested that the tax revision favored higher-income taxpayers, in part because most of the tax cut benefited corporations and in part because the individual income tax cut largely went to higher-income individuals…. During the debate about taxes, however, arguments were made that these corporate tax cuts would benefit workers due to growth in investment and the capital stock…. In the absence of the tax cuts, wages should grow with the economy and wage rates should grow as the capital stock grows. In addition, tight labor markets resulting from the approach to full employment should have put upward pressure on wage rates in any case. Evidence from 2018 indicated that labor compensation, adjusted to real values by the price indices for personal consumption expenditures, grew slower than output in general…. There is no indication of a surge in wages in 2018 … compared to history or relative to GDP growth….Increased funds, whether accessed from abroad or through tax cuts, could be used in several ways: investment, paying down debt, increasing wages, paying wage bonuses, paying dividends, or repurchasing shares. During the passage of the tax revision and in the immediate aftermath, some argued that firms would use these funds to pay worker bonuses (as discussed in the previous section on wages). Subsequently, a number of firms announced bonuses, which in some cases they attributed to the tax cut. One organization that tracks these bonuses has reported a total of $4.4 billion.41 With US employment of 157 million, this amount is $28 per worker….Much of these funds, the data indicate, has been used for a record-breaking amount of stock buybacks, with $1 trillion announced by the end of 2018.
What? It all went to the corporate owners? Who could have seen that coming?
I'm pretty sure that is precisely how I said two years ago this was going to turn out, and people just argued that I'm a Trump hater, not willing to give the plan a chance. (Actually, I just hated giving the government a chance to start racking up debt faster than our eyeballs can spin, knowing the benefits would all inure to the wealthy.)
Therefore, as my motto originally stated, "It's been a great recession for a few." That's why I call my site "The GREAT Recession Blog." For some it was great. Let's do it all over again, so the good times can keep on rolling for the few and the mighty. That, of course, is exactly what the Fed plans to do by diving back toward zero-interest rates all over again. Therefore, to keep up with the times, I recently upgraded my motto to motto 2.0 for the Great Recession 2.0: "It was such a Great Recession, we're heading back for more.
It's Been a Great Recession for a Few; Let's Do it All Again!
July 16, 2019 in CONTROLLED DEMOLITION of The Working Class, Voodoo Economics.
CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: 'Federal Reserve', Enemy of Liberty & Prosperity – By Ron Paul
CONTROLLED DEMOLITION: 'Debasement', The Funny-Money Game – By Alasdair Macleod
DAS KAPITAL: The 60-Year Trend Of Exploding Money And Imploding Growth – By David Stockman (Archive)
← DAS KAPITAL: 'De-Dollarizing the American Financial Empire', An Interview With Michael Hudson
ALTERED STATES: 'Toxic Tech', How Social Media Is Making Us Dumb, Angry, & Addicted – By Prof. Glenn Reynolds →


Ja Ja Ja showcases the best in rising Nordic talent from pop to rap to indie and beyond. This month they welcome Norwegian synth and plant-loving duo Konradsen, Swedish pop sensation GRANT and Icelandic soul stars Moses Hightower.
Presented by Ja Ja Ja & London In Stereo.


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Literature / Azure Striker Gunvolt Fleeting Memories
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Azure Striker Gunvolt: Fleeting Memories is a short Japanese web novel series based on Inti Creates' 2D Run-and-Gun series Azure Striker Gunvolt. The series is written by Gunvolt main scenario writer Toshiaki Tai, with English translations by Matt Papa.
20 Minutes into the Future, powerful metahumans known as "Adepts" begin to emerge from the human populace. The most gifted of humankind, Adepts wield superpowers known as Septima, which take on a vast range of forms and abilities. Unable to handle the sudden rise of the Adepts, world order quickly collapses underneath their power. The only (relatively) safe haven from the Adepts is a lone country in the Far East, whose Adept population is kept in check by the Mega-Corp Sumeragi, a national superpower that has footholds across the entire nation. However, even in this country, there are those who would seek to use the power of Adepts for their own gains, be it Adepts or humans...
Fleeting Memories follows the story of Rei and Miu, Muggle children whose parents were murdered by an Adept only known by the name of "Raptor, Obliterator of the Innocent". Having moved in with distant relatives, Rei and Miu attempt to live out their lives with relative normalcy. Fate, though, plays a cruel hand, and soon brother and sister find themselves once again swept into the heat of the Adept conflict.
The main bulk of the Fleeting Memories story consists of 20 individual short-story format chapters that are published regularly. A Season 2 of Fleeting Memories is planned to release at an unspecified date.
Fleeting Memories contains examples of:
After the End: The story states the game takes place after Adepts have caused the total breakdown of society in most of the world. Where Gunvolt lives is a practical safe haven, and the same can be said for this story so far.
All There in the Manual: A lot of information about Gunvolt's world is provided here.
Asshole Victim: Dr. Kamizono is killed by the Azure Striker in the Prologue as the result of a lab explosion. Since we're meant to empathize with the Adepts, Dr. Kamizono's Fantastic Racism doesn't do much to help his case.
Cliffhanger: The first season ends with Himeshiro meeting with Rei to discuss something important.
Creator Provincialism: a "small island nation in Asia" is the only nation which has successfully prevented the End of the World as We Know It caused by Adepts' sudden appearance. Although they don't say what exactly this IS, it is incredibly obvious what they mean.
Doomed by Canon: Dr. Kamizono was mentioned to have been killed prior to the game's story in the game proper. In Fleeting Memories, this is exactly what happens to him after the Prologue.
Downer Beginning: Right after the prologue, the actual story opens with a flashback of Rei and Miu's parents getting killed.
Fantastic Racism: Loads of it. This is the reason why normal people like Dr. Kamizono are willing to test on Adepts.
Gender-Blender Name: The viewpoint character is a 9 year-old boy named Reinote Rei is commonly a feminine name in Japan..
Hero Worship: Miu LOVES Himeshiro, and seems like she could rant for hours about her. Himeshiro is humble enough that she blushes when she does this.
Incest Subtext: Discussed by Rei and Miu, largely because Miu cares for Rei enough that they end up looking and sounding like a couple. She even cooks for him. (Rei, at least, is uncomfortable with the situation.)
In Spite of a Nail/Like Reality Unless Noted: Psychics are apparently nothing new in this world, and have existed for much longer than the Adepts have. However, the Japanese version of the game contains a reference to GalGun, so it's heavily implied that the culture twenty minutes into the past was the same. In addition, it's almost explicitly stated that most of the differences in technology are the result of research into Adepts, which mean that technology levels were pretty much the same, as well.
Japanese Delinquent: A bandit, who attempts to rob Rei and Miu in chapters 10-12.
The Obsidian Corps are a whole gang of these, and one of Himeshiro's targets.
Life Energy: The Lifewave, the source the Adepts tap into. And what connects all living things in the world (that includes animals).
Meaningful Name: "Himeshiro" literally means "white princess", a reference to her Yamato Nadeshiko style.
Orphan's Ordeal: Rei and Miu's parents were killed midway through the story by an Adept on Rei's 9th birthday. They don't take it too easily, but some of their distant relatives take them in.
Or Was It a Dream?: Raptor's murder of Rei's parents is presented as a dream, but it is implied that it actually happened.
Pay Evil unto Evil/Bully Hunter: Himeshiro, who hunts delinquents and various criminals.
Playing with Fire/Having a Blast: One otherwise rather uninteresting robber in the story actually shares Viper's powers. Himeshiro stops him soon enough.
Power Level: Psychic power is graded on this scale based on the person's Lifewave stage.
Primordial (1st Wave) to 3rd Wave: Muggles.
Tetrad (4th Wave): Mystics, soothsayers, psychics, the like.
Quinary (5th Wave): Not elaborated upon much, but since they can rarely reach similar power levels, probably has powers closer to the Senary wave than the Tetrad.
Senary (6th Wave): Miraculous beings.
Septimal (7th Wave): Adepts. Because they hold so much power, much of the world has plunged into The End of the World as We Know It, save for a lone island country in East Asia under the influence of the Sumeragi Group.
Power of the Void: Himeshiro can cause things to disappear and reappear at whim.
Prequel: The story is set before the first game, although contains only loose ties to the main story and features none of its cast, unless Dr. Kamizono, who was mentioned in passing in Azure Striker Gunvolt, counts.
Serial Killer: Raptor, The Obliterator of Innocents, is an example of the elusive type: A "modern-day Jack the Ripper" who never leaves behind calling cards for his victims. It's hinted that he is Rei's parents' murderer. Himeshiro and Rei have agreed to look for him.
Yamato Nadeshiko: Himeshiro is described third-hand as having these traits, even going so far to refer to her as "m'lady". Truth be told, they aren't too far off the mark.


Share the post "How to Become a Freelancer in the Hospitality Industry"
Have you ever thought about becoming a freelancer? The freedom of being your own boss, choosing the jobs you like and creating your own schedule is very attractive. If you are a hospitality professional, there are a lot of opportunities for freelancers all around the world. A bit of courage, preparation and some useful information might help you become an in-demand hospitality freelancer. Read our helpful tips to find out more.
The most common reason for failure in self-employment is an impulsive and hasty start. If you want to make it work, start preparing for freelancing before you quit your current job or finish studies. Take some time to create your own brand, network with other specialists, do some research and make a business plan. The beginning of your freelance career may not have a fast start, but it will definitely last longer if you organize everything properly.
Your brand should reflect your purposes and goals – think about what makes you special and how it can help you market your services. Showing your personality may allow you to set the connection with clients and win their trust. It is especially important for the jobs of travel consultant, tourism blogger and hotel reviewer, as they may require you to have a strong brand and be an opinion leader.
A well-designed portfolio is a must-have for any freelancer as it shows prospective clients what you are capable of. Gather information from your previous work or samples that represent your skills. If you do not have a lot of experience, you could offer your services for free in order to generate some samples. Whether you cook some incredible dishes, organize events or plan cruises, choose a portfolio format that can show your work in the best possible light.
Creating a personal business plan is an important step for any freelancer. Self-employed workers often have to balance between two or even three projects. A plan will help you combine the tasks successfully. Think about your goals, financial requirements, working hours and your limits. Do research to find out the current rates and set your own prices. Decide how much you would like to earn a month and how many clients you need to achieve this goal.
Most of your first clients will come from referrals and people who know you. The first thing to do is to inform all the people around you about your decision to become a freelancer. Post your portfolio on relevant websites for freelancers to let people know that you are available. Use platforms like LinkedIn and Upwork to find offers. Visit job-related events and conferences to make new connections. Networking is the main tool in building a client base. The power of word of mouth might surprise you.
When you work for a company, there are specialists who take care of insurance, taxes, invoices and other financial details. When you're a freelancer, you have to handle everything by yourself. You might either learn how to do it or use the help of an accountant. If you travel a lot working in different hotels or restaurants, meeting an accountant in real life might be difficult. However, there are websites that offer online services of reliable accountants.
If you want to be self-employed, you have to believe you can do it. Freelancing starts with desire, faith and enthusiasm, not with quitting a job. Your clients will not trust you if they don't feel you can handle the tasks they're giving you. Find a mentor or influencer to get some inspiration, or network with more advanced, successful freelancers and learn from them.
Becoming a freelancer might be scary but a clear plan of action can make it real. Whether you want to become a hospitality blogger, job consultant, a chef, a travel planner or any other freelance specialist in the hospitality industry, the tips above will be vital. Additionally, you can check the following infographic and learn the key steps of how to become a freelancer as well as get inspired by some of Les Roches alumni entrepreneurs on Made in Les Roches.


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As NATO leaders prepare for their summit in Lisbon this week, attention has focused on the war in Afghanistan, approval of a new Strategic Concept (NATO's roadmap for the future), and the challenge of sustaining the alliance's military capabilities in an era of fiscal crisis. Missing from the agenda is the future of the U.S. military presence in Europe, the cornerstone of the transatlantic security relationship.
On Feb. 1, the Obama administration rolled out its Quadrennial Defense Review, a planning document that articulated the principles that would guide the administration's decision-making regarding the stationing of U.S. forces beyond its borders. It stated that "pending the review of NATO's Strategic Concept and an accompanying U.S. assessment of our European defense posture network," new plans regarding Europe would be approved. For an administration that prides itself on consultation, it has been surprising how little discussion there has been of this strategically important issue of growing concern among NATO Allies.
These pending decisions follow the Bush administration's 2004 Global Defense Posture Review. The latter initiated a reduction of U.S. forces stationed in Europe from about 100,000 personnel down to approximately 60,000. The decision was interpreted by many in Europe as a disturbing sign of declining U.S. commitment to Europe.
Moreover, the Commander of U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and the U.S. Joint Staff later concluded that the plan would leave EUCOM unable to fully execute its missions, including those supporting NATO's crucial Article 5 security commitment. On November 21, 2007, in response to these concerns Secretary of Defense Robert Gates suspended implementation of the posture review decisions regarding Europe pending the 2010 QDR. This decision essentially froze U.S. forces dedicated to the continent at some 80,000 personnel.
In March of this year, Admiral James Stavridis, the current EUCOM Commander, testified in Congress that should the United States withdraw additional brigade combat teams, his command would have to "[assume] risk in its capability to conduct steady-state security cooperation, shaping, and contingency missions. Deterrence and reassurance are at increased risk."
With the summit now imminent, a number of allies are expressing unease, even though some are unwilling to press Obama as they cut their own defense budgets and lest their concerns undercut the meeting's precooked message of alliance unity and revitalization. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, naturally concerned about the viability of NATO's security guarantee, stated that it is important for U.S. forces stationed in Europe to remain at their current levels. German delegations from the communities that host U.S. bases have travelled to Washington urging that they not be subject to further reductions or, even worse, closure.
Obama's impending decisions on this matter come in an increasingly challenging domestic fiscal context, one that has led many in his party to press aggressively for significant defense cuts. On October 13th, 57 members of the House of Representatives wrote the President urging a hard look at the basing of U.S. forces overseas. The 2010 Congressional election yielded a Congress whose clear focus on job creation and deficit elimination could well reinforce skepticism on both sides of the aisle toward permanent deployments in Europe. The roll out of the deficit commission report and its recommendations, including reduced spending, will surely further catalyze calls for cut backs in forward presence.
Heeding those calls would be a mistake. Moving military forces based overseas to facilities at home involves high near term costs, including building of new infrastructure. The long term savings are marginal at best. Second, once basing privileges in another country have been terminated, it is never easy to regain them.
Most importantly, the United States would deny itself a critical force multiplier. U.S. troops based in Europe provide the most effective way to develop and sustain allied forces that are truly interoperable and ready to fight side by side with us. This is a critical and challenging necessity. U.S. military units that visit Europe once or twice year can in no way match the levels of joint training and exercises currently available to those stationed in Europe.
Accordingly, at Lisbon, Obama should announce a decision to keep U.S. forces stationed in Europe at their current levels. That would be a strategically serious and politically needed demonstration of U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance.
Evasion regarding this matter, so vital to the future of the NATO alliance would contradict both Obama's repeated rejection of unilateralism and his commitment to genuine consultations. Europeans, too, would be remiss if they fail to speak up. Collective silence at Lisbon regarding a matter so central to American-European security interdependence will only give further validation to those who assert that US military presence in Europe is an anachronism.


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Home Academic Papers Somalia: National security forces repulse Al-Shabaab militant attacks on Main Prison
Somalia: National security forces repulse Al-Shabaab militant attacks on Main Prison
Mogadishu (HAN) September 1, 2014 – National security and Intelligence news. Somali's national security forces have managed to repulse an attack launched by Al-shabaab militants on the Somali's largest secure prison in Mogadishu, the Geeska Afrika Online reporter in Mogadishu reported on Sunday.
Somali National army regained control of a high security prison in the capital that was attacked by seven heavily armed Al-shabaab fighter who attempted to free other extremists held there, officials said.
A reliable source told Geeska Afrika Online, that Al-shabaab militants first action detonated car bomb near the gate of the main prison, own by NSS (Somali National security agency), then heavily armed militants tried to entered the main NSS building.
Al-shabaab militants used military uniforms to undermine physical security checkpoints before storming the prison, they're inside now, according to Witnesses.
The Somali Islamic militant fighter with their radical elements in Mogadishu repeatedly attempted to gain control the main strategic location in Mogadishu.
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The future of your drinking water may depend on databotics.
That term, which should be retired by now, is nevertheless at the heart of new technology from HiBot USA, a combination of robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence that aims to help countless municipal water utilities around the United States do a more efficient job of upgrading their aging pipelines.
Here's what we're talking about: Water in the United States is generally handled locally, by the 50,000 municipal utilities charged with bringing water in and moving it around through millions of miles of piping. There are 240,000 water main breaks a year across the country, and while those thousands of utilities work hard to replace pipes that can be up to 160 years old, it's a task that's done haphazardly, often getting rid of perfectly functional pipes while waiting too long on those that are primed to rupture.
Because sewage and gas lines are highly regulated, and therefore operate under very specific rules for inspection and replacement, there's already a robust market for robotics companies working in those fields. But water lines are much more loosely regulated, according to HiBot USA president and CEO Takashi Kato, and the market is wide open for early entrants.
And that's where HiBot USA comes into the picture. A San Jose, California-based spin-off of Japan's HiBot—whose founder, Shigeo Hirose, has built robots that have worked at the doomed Fukushima nuclear plant and other places not meant for humans (think minefields)—the American offshoot was created a year and a half ago to commercialize the parent company's technology, particularly its pipe-inspection robot.
While the massive transmission lines that come into cities from reservoirs and other sources are well-inspected, it's pretty much impossible to look at the much smaller distribution mains that dominate the municipal water ecosystem. And that's a problem in a place like San Francisco, which like most American cities installed most of its 1,200 miles of pipes—many of which are leaking or breaking—decades ago, said Lars Stenstedt, HiBot USA's vice president of business development.
Stenstedt explained that most cities replace their pipes strictly based on age, and do so at a clip of about half-a-percent a year, meaning that throughout the industry, it'll take about 200 years to replace the entire network. Part of that is cost—given that in a city like San Francisco, it can cost $3 million per mile of replacement pipe. But he argued that even if money was no object—it would take about a trillion dollars nationally—it's simply not possible to tear up all the streets at once in order to undertake a wholesale replacement project.
Yet even as municipalities undertake their pipe replacement projects, they ignore the fact that at least 40% of the existing network can probably be saved. And that means there's potentially $400 million or more of savings available, if replacement could be done more efficiently, and only as needed.
This is where HiBot USA could help. Its databotics system was designed to algorithmically figure out the areas in a town or city where pipes are more at risk of failure, thanks to the inspection of pipes that have already been replaced and an evaluation of soil dynamics, as well as other factors such as electromagnetic forces coming from power lines.
And it starts with sending the company's robot slithering into decades-old pipes to determine what kind of deterioration has been wrought by decades of use.
The robots themselves are small, with three sections that articulate much like some multi-section city buses. They are designed to expand to the size of the pipe so that wheels touch the insides, making it easier to insert them and (even more importantly) to extract them. The robot has a camera in the front, and tows an RFT magnetic sensor that allows the HiBot USA team to measure the amount of material loss in the pipe.
Water utilities tend to use a rating system, from A to F, for piping, based on leak and age history, and use those ratings to make replacement decisions.
HiBot USA's process is to look at pipe and determine whether the rating was correct. And this is where the company's big data layer comes into play.
By looking at a utility's entire collection of data and comparing the existing rating system to maps that include national data on soil characteristics—because soil can be a key indicator of corrosion—the company believes it can come up with better predictions of where pipe failures are likely to occur than to just rely on age and leak histories. Especially when artificial intelligence is added to the mix.
For now, HiBot USA is working with at least a couple of municipal utilities in the San Francisco area. But no utility partners would speak with Fast Company about the company's technology.
Still, one expert who is familiar with what HiBot USA is doing is impressed.
Dasher believes that HiBot USA is going to have an impact immediately upon completing work for its first customers, and that the company chose a great target market to commercialize the Japanese parent company's robots.
And HiBot USA also has to figure out how to make money. For now, it hasn't figured out its business model, but it does plan on providing its technology and analysis to utilities in what amounts to a consulting service.
And what has the company found so far? That there is not a direct link between the age of pipes and their failure rate, Stenstedt said.
In part that's because there's a lot of distinctions between the age of pipes and when they were installed. In some eras, the pipes were extra thick because they were cheap, while pipes installed during war years, for example, are usually thinner.
Further, "all leaks are not created equal," he said, pointing to problems that result from pipes being gouged by backhoes or other heavy equipment. In the past, this type of damage might have been lumped in with age-related problems when making replacement decisions.
There are other factors as well, like overhead bus lines, which could be a factor in corrosion. Stenstedt said it's not clear that they are, but it's possible, and something the company's analysis should be able to determine.
At the same time, soil resistivity, high-voltage subway lines, and steep hills that forced utilities to use lots of lead joints are also variables that will be fed into the data analysis, but which have likely been ignored in the past.