The deadliest industrial disaster in history took place 25 years ago in Bhopal, India. Thousands died immediately, when just after midnight on Dec. 3, 1984, 40 tons of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas escaped a pesticide plant owned by U.S. chemical company, Union Carbide. Many more died over time due to exposure to the poisonous gas.
The incident occurred because of Union Carbide's various cost cutting measures, leading to a lack of adequate safety mechanisms, enabling the perfect storm to occur. Union Carbide, and its law firm, however, claimed that the incident was due to employee negligence and sabotage.
Many survivors in Bhopal still suffer chronic health problems and continue to fight Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical. Activists demand that the company needs to decontaminate the former site, as well as pay a fairer compensation. Survivors only received about $500 each, and families of those who perished received around $1,000, after Union Carbide reached a $470 million settlement with the Indian government in 1989.
25 years later, Bhopalis are still active in their quest for justice. This film briefly explores what happened in Bhopal 25 years ago, and what is happening today.The deadliest industrial disaster in history took place 25 years ago in Bhopal, India.... more
In 1994 Jordan Chandler (seen above) and his family won a reported $15 – $22 million lawsuit against the now deceased King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Allegation of wrong doing and molestation were at the heart of a major police investigation. Michael was never charged with the crime but he did pay the huge sum of money to the family. http://www.bittenandbound.com/2009/11/18/michael-jackson-molestation-accuser-dad-kills-himself/In 1994 Jordan Chandler (seen above) and his family won a reported $15 – $22 million... more
Today marked one of the saddest days in recent memory for me. Hoping for a “Happy” ending...the news reported a story that we all mercifully wanted to be resolved without issue. The body of five year old Shaniya Davis was found lifeless and semi-nude. The outrage that burst through my head and veins was indescribable. I immediately thought of my own two boys who were nearly of the same age. What really drove it home for me is that this happened in Fayetteville...the town where I live. Just the thought of these cold hearted monsters being near my greatest expressions made me sick to my stomach.
The story seems to get more disturbing as further details arise. The mother seems to have been at the root of the tragedy. It seems that she sold he daughter off to the most heinous of situations, child prostitution. This is one of several child tragedy this year. When is enough....enough. Our children are our most valuable asset. They no longer have a haven to grow in and grow up. What are we going to do about this? This is a call to action guys.
Here is where I am starting....I am a father and a geek. This is my stand. I will try to educate, inform, and support efforts that are designed to protect our most valuable resource.
First is through technology. I not too familiar with other hand held tech devices...but Apple’s Itouch and Iphone has several apps that are handy:
Amber Alert - Free - Notifies you through your phone of national and local Amber Alerts
Stay Safe - $1.99 - Notifies and allows you to track and locate individuals who have been convicted of sexual assaults (and other offenses) against children
This is all that I have for now....stay tuned for more.
They disappear from small towns and big cities, from native reserves in the north and affluent suburbs in the south. They drift away and they abruptly vanish. And they leave, in their wake, broken-hearted families, confounded investigators and gaping holes in the communities where they grew up, forged friendships, held jobs, raised childrenThey disappear from small towns and big cities, from native reserves in the north and... more
Walker said his grandson asked if he could hang out with some friends Thursday after school. Walker said OK, but insisted Derrion be back by 7 p.m.
He never made it. Witnesses said Derrion was near the community center, 342 W. 111th St., when a group of teenagers walking east met up with a group coming from the west. The fight began, they said, with about 10 teenagers. By the time it was finished, witnesses and police said, more than 50 youths were involved.
Milton Massie, executive director of Agape, said video from a surveillance camera atop the community center shows Derrion being struck in the back of the head and moving away from the crowd.
He fell to the gravel, next door to Agape, a Greek word for love.
4 boys have been arrested in connection to his murder.
What the hell is happening to our youth? Why are we hurting and killing each other?Walker said his grandson asked if he could hang out with some friends Thursday after... more
A teenager died and more than 20 people were injured when swarms of bees escaped from their hives after the van transporting them crashed into a lorry and overturned on a motorway near the resort of Marmaris, in southern Turkey.
Rescue workers, police, medics and beekeepers tried for more than an hour to release two people trapped inside the vehicle, their faces carpeted with angry bees.
One of the pair, aged 18, died in hospital from the combined effect of injuries sustained in the crash and multiple bee stings.
Three others were in intensive care at the Mugla state hospital. About twenty people needed treatment after they were stung as they tried to help.
“There were hundreds and hundreds of bees covering the van — they swarmed to wherever they saw a living being move. I was stung several times myself,” said Kenan Gurbuz, the local bureau chief of the Anatolia news agency, who was among the first on the scene.
“When I arrived there was a man on the ground — he had been undressed and needed treatment but the medics could not get to him for the bees. They had filled the ambulance and also stung one of the nurses.”
Rest of article on link.A teenager died and more than 20 people were injured when swarms of bees escaped from... more
Stuck in the quicksand
of a black lagoon
Sinking to the very end
of my sanity soon
Darkness veils my sight
making me all too blind
Shadows muffle my plight
making me mute to find
God where art thou
So humble and noble in thy nature
Stop this life now
This sick game to suit your leisure
Take my eternal soul and thought
and make all this damn pain stop
Forsake this heavy toll I bought
and let the curtain finally drop
Missed to Love
Dear lost love of mine
hear me one last time
These three words I mean
on ink for you to be seen
I love you
more than ever before
I love you
now and forever more
Words meant only for you
that I will promise are true
To be close at heart
for when we restart
I love you
more than ever before
I love you
now and forever more
My sweet Rebekah Jean
My street dancing queen
True Love?
I think i'm in love
trapped in her spell
forever at her will
I'm deeply in love
smile forever
cry never
I'm madly in love
attraction like no other
shes my one and only lover
I know i'm in love
hope this ecstasy never ends
pray she doesn't leave me again
I'm in love with you
the most amazing girl
the center of my world
~~~~~~, I love you
Cupid Missed
Oh my day tripper
Why must you torture me so
Oh my night hipster
Why did you have to go
I let you into my heart
Only to have it shattered
I let you see my soul
Only to have it battered
I have lost all part
Sad beyond sorrow
Bleeding is my heart
Sad beyond tomorrow
When shall I be sane again?
When shall I feel whole again?
When shall I lose myself again?
I don’t want to know
I don’t want it to show
Spilt Splitalities
Split mentality of my own spirituality
Spilt damnation upon your celebration…
Whereas I am lost to no cost
A singe cause
Mayhaps I am found with sound
A double clause
Split fragmentation of your own segregation
Spilt functionality upon my mutuality
Therefore I am dual in the skull
A tertiary soul
Perhaps I am alone like a stone
A square hole
Split fission of our own vision
Spilt light into my sight
However I am blind in the mind
A black dusk
Possibly I am deaf to be left
A lone husk
Split universalation of this fixation
Spilt fright into my night
Whatever I am sure is not pure
A dark elixir
Probably I am said to be dead
A lost wisher
Reflections of Love
Sweet nectar I yearn
to kiss and savor
Fleet me your aroma
be my endeavor
I want you around me
and me in you
High off your sex
it's all too good
We're reaching heaven
so be my Aphrodite
Open your pearly gates
and love me divinelySorrow of Sorrows
Stuck in the quicksand
of a black lagoon
Sinking to the... more
It's a well-known fact that when you need help fast, a gay guy magically appears to make everything better. Bryan Safi explains this supernatural phenomenon in this week's That's Gay.
That's Gay is a recurring segment on the weekly television show infoMania. In each episode of That's Gay, Bryan Safi explores gay issues and stereotypes as they are portrayed by the clueless media. For more Bryan visit http://current.com/groups/thats-gay/ and Current TV.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, Bryan Safi and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.It's a well-known fact that when you need help fast, a gay guy magically appears to... more
Eight years ago today, the beautiful and talented Aaliyah tragically died in a plane crash in the Bahamas at the age of 22. No discussion of R&B in the past 20 years is complete without a mention of Aaliyah.Eight years ago today, the beautiful and talented Aaliyah tragically died in a plane... more
With the wisdom of hindsight, Deepak Chopra recalls a conversation he had with Michael Jackson a few years ago. "He said to me there's something you can take that takes you to the valley of death and then takes you back," the bestselling author and physician tells TIME. "I hadn't the vaguest idea of what he was talking about. And then he quickly he changed the subject." Now, says Chopra, "I see he was talking about propofol."
The role of propofol in Jackson's final days looms large even as the coroner's report remains under official seal. On Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported on the L.A. Coroner's office found fatal amounts of the powerful anesthetic (also known as Diprivan) in Jackson's body. The information was contained in a search warrant for the office of Jackson's personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray, unsealed in Houston, where Murray has an office. According to the Times, Murray told police that he had been administering 50 milligrams of propofol to Jackson intravenously every night for six weeks to treat insomnia. But, according to the report, Murray said he was afraid Jackson was forming an addiction to the drug and switched medications two days before the musician died.With the wisdom of hindsight, Deepak Chopra recalls a conversation he had with Michael... more
It's a reality that surely haunts the politically sensitive Obama administration: Ever since George W. Bush first tried to cram the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) down the throats of largely unwilling citizens, bailouts of failed institutions, from AIG to American Axle, have been enormously unpopular.
It's been a hilarious August, watching media supporters of President Obama's health care package puzzle over the obscure motivations of the noncompliant Americans rallying against it.
"Racial anxiety," guessed New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.
"Nihilism," theorized Time's Joe Klein.
"The crazy tree blooms in every moment of liberal ascendancy," historian Rick Perlstein proclaimed in the Washington Post.
While the commentariat's condescension is almost comical, the whole evil-or-stupid explanation misses the elephant in Obama's room: Americans of all stripes, it turns out, aren't very keen about the government barging into their lives.
The message of the various Tea Party protests, which predated this summer's ahistorical media panic over town hall "lynch mobs," has been pretty simple, says Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, the nonprofit that has helped organize the protests, told Reason magazine this spring. "It was: stop spending so much money, stop borrowing so much money, and stop bailing out people who were irresponsible."
After 11 months of federal bailouts and freakouts, Americans have become bone tired of panicky power grabs from Washington. It's the big government, stupid.
Nine people were killed on Saturday when a helicopter and a light plane collided over the Hudson River in New York City.
The accident happened in clear weather in an area where pilots operate freely at a low altitude and keep an eye out for other aircraft by sight.
The victims include 5 Italian tourists who were flying in the helicopter on a sightseeing excursion.Nine people were killed on Saturday when a helicopter and a light plane collided over... more
“Shadowplay” is a multi-award winning animated stop-motion short film, which was written, animated and directed by Dan Blank. The film was the winner of the 2002 Los Angeles Film Festival Best Short Award, the 2002 Student Academy Award (Bronze) and the 2003 Student Emmy Award (Gold).
In August 1945, the closing chapter of World War II, a blinding flash lit the sky over Hiroshima. In that searing light, huge slabs of concrete worked like emulsion paper, creating silhouetted photographs of that split-second of power, with only shadows left of the people who had been going about their everyday lives. “Shadowplay” tells the story of Akio, a shadow of a young boy, who wanders around the devastated city searching for his family, while trying to make sense of the unfathomable atrocity.
We should be reminded of these images when there is talk of nuclear threats or weapons of mass destruction. The faceless poses of Hiroshma should make us realize that this could have been anyone, anywhere.
This piece presents a number of colorful illustrations from the film and the acclaimed animated short, “Shadowplay.”“Shadowplay” is a multi-award winning animated stop-motion short film, which was... more
An Iranian Caspian Airlines passenger plane has crashed in northwest Iran, with all of the 168 people aboard, 153 passengers and 15 crew members, presumed dead, informs Iranian state television.
The plane, presumably a Russian-made Tupolev TU-154, hit the ground near the village of Jannatabad, outside the city of Qazvin, on its way from Tehran to the Armenian capital Yerevan.
The Director of Regional Emergency Services, Hossein Bahzadpour, told Iranian IRNA news agency that the plane has been completely destroyed and its wreckage is in flames, because only 16 minutes before the plane took off from Tehran, which is only 75 miles away, and its fuel tanks were full.An Iranian Caspian Airlines passenger plane has crashed in northwest Iran, with all of... more
A 14-year-old schoolboy from the Isle of Man has died while on holiday in Thailand after being sucked into a swimming pool pumping system.
It is thought Nathan Clark Griffiths opened a vent at the bottom of the pool in an attempt to retrieve his goggles.
The boy was at a water park in Pattaya, east of Bangkok, with his family.
His mother Marion Griffiths criticised a delay in the recue attempt caused by a lifeguard's refusal to believe the vent had been opened.
Thai police are investigating how Nathan, who had been in the pool with his brother Rhys, 15, was able to lift the vent, which should have been locked.
Language barrier
The incident happened on Friday at a water park in the resort, which is 85 miles (137km) from Bangkok.
Ms Griffiths said: "I just can't believe that the lifeguard did not act quicker. I'm numb now but anger will set in.
"The boys had been playing the the pool, they had one pair of goggles between them. Rhys said Nathan went under the water, he could see his long black shorts and then next minute he was gone. He knew something was seriously wrong.
"Rhys panicked and jumped out of the pool and ran over to the lifeguard but he couldn't understand him and didn't believe the grille had opened."
Nathan was also with his father Jimmy Clark, 48, his stepmother Kat and her son Kevin, 8, who all live together in Thailand.
****************************CONTINUES*********************************A 14-year-old schoolboy from the Isle of Man has died while on holiday in Thailand... more
Could the most audacious terrorist attack in history be a “sophisticated masterpiece of demolition”?
That’s what chemistry professor Niels Harrit has been asking, following his investigation of the World Trade Centre rubble, which has revealed traces of explosives.
RT: Professor Niels Harrit, you examined the rubble that came from the World Trade Center. What did you find in it?
Niels Harrit: Well, in there we find the remains of what we characterize as thermetic material, and this is a very energetic material which can be used either for melting iron, or it can be designed as an explosive.Could the most audacious terrorist attack in history be a “sophisticated masterpiece... more
Phoenix stripper Samantha Abernathy (pictured) was arrested yesterday after cops discovered she'd left her two little kids, 1 and 3 years old, alone in the house for hours.
Neighbors called the cops at.. More at Source Link: http://linkbee.com/TheCrazyStripperSource Link: http://linkbee.com/TheCrazyStripper
Phoenix stripper Samantha... more
Olympic Gold medal winner and Dancing With the Stars champion, gymnast Shawn Johnson was euthanized after Breaking her Leg!!
After gym doctors confirmed the injuries were career-ending, Johnson's trainers said there was no reason to keep her alive! Video of why and when: http://linkbee.com/GymnastShawnDies
I wonder though if this was the right decision!?!Check out the Video: http://linkbee.com/GymnastShawnDies
Olympic Gold medal winner... more
CHAMONIX, France – Karine Ruby, a former Olympic snowboarding champion who had been training to become a mountain guide, died Friday in a climbing accident on Mont Blanc. She was 31.
more in the link...CHAMONIX, France – Karine Ruby, a former Olympic snowboarding champion who had been... more
While the first submission made the channel and received plenty of much appreciated comments we refreshed the edit.
La Conchita, Calif., was hit in 1995 and again in 2005 with devastating mudslides, commonly known to California coastlines. As student filmmakers and aspiring story tellers attending Brooks Institute of Photography just 25 minutes South East of the town, took full responsibility to capture the tragedies through narration and interviewes to understand the geological purpose for the slides. Unfortunately, politics exist behind the true accusations and theories we were looking for to answer the controversial side of it all.
Under the supervision and critiquing of Brent E. Huffman, our instructor and well acknowledged cinematographer of Frontline msnbc, PBS and the Discovery Channel; resulted in confidence and optimism as amateurs trying to move on as Professionals in the competitive field of Visual Journalism. Selling it has been the hardest part.
piecemakerproductions.com. Jeremiah M. Gibbons, jeremiah.gibbons@gmail.com. Analeise H. Dowd, analeise.dowd@gmail.com. Chris Giordano. CGphotography.com. Brent E. Huffman. germancamera.comWhile the first submission made the channel and received plenty of much appreciated... more
