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Welcome to the 4th of July were the U.S.A. celebrates it's independence from the tyranny of the United Kingdom with a Chinese tradition — fireworks. It's also the one day of the year where you can have an open beer in your hand before noon and no one looks at you funny. Many of you will be going down to Chrissy Field or Fisherman's Wharf with the thousands of others to be crowded together to watch the fun. I will not.Welcome to the 4th of July were the U.S.A. celebrates it's independence from the... more
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By Regina Luz / current.com / @CurrentRegina
As our nation's birthday quickly approaches, families will roll out the sparklers, couples will enjoy the fireworks, and I will be offline, eating pie and watching "Independence Day," obviously. Here are some ideas to celebrate America's big 236!
1. Grab some friends and carry oversized flags all over Washington, D.C.
2. Wear flag prints — if you don't have any, start knitting right now!
By Regina Luz / current.com / @CurrentRegina
As our nation's birthday... more
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For around 13 years Andrew Steven Wordes, 53, had lived alone in the Roswell area north of Atlanta, raising chickens in his backyard and minding his own business. He was not an isolated eccentric; he had organized a Meetup group on chicken farming and had taught seminars on the subject. A nosy neighbor, however, complained about his activities (this was in 2008). The town issued Wordes a citation for having too many chickens on his property, which he challenged in court and was able to have dismissed as frivolous. Town officials do not like having their decrees thwarted, of course, even when misapplied: the ordinance used against Wordes had specifically excluded poultry from its provisions.
The officials retaliated by initiating a campaign of terror against Wordes, who stood his ground valiantly. They literally rewrote the ordinance. A judge ruled that Wordes would be "grandfathered" under the previous version. The battle escalated. Town officials again retaliated by invoking the city’s “2030 Comprehensive Plan” which enabled them to reclassify Wordes's property as "green space" (an Agenda 21 derived concept). Wordes, incidentally, described himself on his Facebook page as a “Constitutional Conservative; I believe in G*d, Guns and The U.S. Constitution. My G*d and my guns will make sure the Constitution is obeyed.” Such statements plus a lifestyle bespeaking of independence and self-sufficiency invariably set authoritarians’ teeth on edge. Local media, meanwhile, had begun making light of the situation by referring to Wordes as the “Roswell Chicken Man.”
The town had neglected to maintain storm water infrastructure in the vicinity, resulting in a damaging flood. Wordes took matters into his own hands by grading his own land with a Bobcat. The city issued him a citation for grading his land without a permit, for having too many cars on his property, and again for having too many chickens. Wordes' attempted to file a FEMA request for assistance; the town refused to cooperate. The Roswell Police Department began watching him, parking at the end of his street, looking for anything they could cite him for, actually taking pulling him over several times for such minor offenses as having a broken taillight in one case. His mortgage holder (an 80-year-old woman) was bullied into selling the mortgage on his property for pennies on the dollar. The new mortgage holder immediately began foreclosure proceedings, and the town then filed a 55-page civil lawsuit against him attempting to have the property declared a “nuisance.” His property was then vandalized while he was at a political meeting; his chickens and other birds were poisoned, costing him his primary source of income. Wordes believed the poisoning was the work of the neighbor who had filed the initial complaint. He filed a police report, which was never seriously pursued.
Finally Wordes was jailed for 99 days for refusing to comply with the city’s order to reduce the number of chickens on his own property. While Wordes was in jail, the city vindictively pronounced his property “vacant.” This was an open invitation to further vandalism. Firearms, ammunition, and other valuables were stolen by parties unknown (this, too, was never pursued).
In jail he was refused his right to review personal records and have legal counsel pursuant to a bankruptcy hearing that would have halted the effort to foreclose illegally on his property. He was released only to discover that it was too late. He had no more money, no legal representation, no means of earning a living, no means of fighting the illegal foreclosure proceedings taking place, and was in an unlivable house.
In February he was able to obtain interview time about his situation on a local radio show where he appealed for help. He needed a property attorney who wouldn’t want upfront fees worth an arm and a leg, as he was facing eviction from the property but was too broke to continue fighting malicious city officials. He held on nonetheless. Finally, on the morning of March 26, Fulton County marshals assembled to force him out of his house, in typical police-state fashion. A standoff ensued. Wordes phoned a local reporter who showed up at the scene. Speaking through him, Wordes urged the marshals to leave his property. Needless to say, they refused. Moments later, there was an explosion inside the house, which burst into flames. Wordes's body was found later amidst the smoldering ruins.
While Wordes’ death was officially ruled a suicide, the final act of a man driven over the edge by ruthless city and county officials. Another death by government on U.S. soil, in any event. How many more Andrew Wordeses are out there, being harassed to the point of taking lives, either their own or that of others, by sociopathic government officials? Also: here is hard proof that local officials are not necessarily to be trusted any more than federal ones; they are potentially worse because of the invisibility, on a large scale, of their acts of sadism and destruction. Moreover, mainstream media is not going to report these events. This battle began in ‘08-‘09. I only heard of it two weeks ago!
Is sociopathic too strong a word to use for town and county officials who would set about to utterly destroy a man’s life, knowing full well what they are doing and continuing anyway? Here is the most complete account I have found of the Andrew Wordes case. But read on!]
Two recent articles by Doug Casey, the investing and financial planning strategist who founded Casey Research, probably qualify as Keepers (they are here and here) Every American ought to read these articles and print copies for future reference.
Begin with Pareto’s Law, the infamous 80-20 principle which says that 80 percent of the work in any organization is done by 20 percent of its people. Twenty percent of a sales force achieves 80 percent of its sales. Likewise, 20 percent of any population is responsible for around 80 percent of its crime rate. In my experience in the classroom, I would estimate that approximately 20 percent of students accomplish 80 percent of whatever is accomplished in one of my philosophy classes. I wouldn’t be surprised if 80 percent of all advances of Western civilization can be attributed to 20 percent of the population. The rest are just along for the ride.
Pareto’s Law, according to Casey, has applications in social ethics, and personal motivation. Eighty percent of us humans are basically decent and mean well. Even if we sin, we are not overtly malicious and will not purposefully harm others except to defend ourselves and our own. We have an inner moral compass that checks our behavior, at least most of the time.
The other 20 percent lacks this moral compass. Most of this other 20 percent act benign most of the time. They don’t torture animals, for example. They don’t go out of their way to look for trouble, and if no opportunities arise, they won’t act differently from the 80 percent. But in the last analysis they are opportunists. They identify with authority. They are attracted to occupations and positions that allow them to wield unchecked power over others. They may work to gain your trust, and then stab you in the back when you become an inconvenience; they will enjoy having done it.
Have you ever wondered where the TSA finds the thousands whose job description involves treating their fellow citizens like potential terrorists? Or where the Fullerton, Calif. police department found the men who beat, kicked and tasered a mentally retarded homeless man to death last summer? Or, for that matter, why our nation, with the largest percentage of its population incarcerated of any advanced nation in the world, seems to have little trouble staffing its facilities? I sometimes read about shortages of nurses. I never hear about shortages of prison guards.
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Continued at: http://www.newswithviews.com/Yates/steven152.htmFor around 13 years Andrew Steven Wordes, 53, had lived alone in the Roswell area... more
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MoveOn, Rebuild the Dream, SEIU and its allies are so sophisticated at getting people to work for their Democratic Party agenda. Initially Van Jones tried to turn Occupy into a Tea Party for the Dems, promising thousands of 99% candidates -- thankfully, that did not materialize as Occupy refused his invitation to co-option. Now, they are trying a more discreet approach. They know that to herd cats is a challenge -- unless you put out food! The food here is civil disobedience trainings. Once they get the Occupiers and others in the 99% to come to their trainings they direct them to support the "Buffett Rule for Tax Fairness." This carefully poll and focus group tested language supports the prime campaign weapon of President Obama against the out of touch one percenter, Mitt Romney.
Of course, the Buffett rule: having the wealthy pay the same as working Americans, is woefully -- WOEFULLY -- inadequate. The United States needs to return to a progressive tax structure and not the flattened tax structure we currently have. Shouldn't the 25 top hedge fund managers who made a combined income of $14.4 billion last year be paying a higher tax rate than 35%? Why not go back to any of the tax rates of the late 40's to early 80's when the wealthiest paid between 70% and 92% on their income. How about increasing the corporate tax to what it used to be? And, how about raising the capital gains tax to be equal to the income tax? Further, the Wall Street Speculation Tax, or Robin Hood Tax, on the purchase of stocks, bonds and derivatives is needed. See The 99%’s Deficit Proposal: How to create jobs, reduce the wealth divide and control spending.
No, MoveOn, Rebuild, SEIU, Campaign for America's Future and other Dem allied groups -- we want much more than Obama is offering. Decades of theft through corruption of government so the wealthiest 400 Americans have wealth equal to 160 million of us needs a much more aggressive antidote than treating Buffett's income as equal to his secretary. That is insufficient and we should not stand for it.
Thanks to "Insider" for catching this sly co-option effort by the Dem front groups. Now, that Occupy is aware of it, its chance of success greatly diminishes. Occupiers who take the MoveOn course should create their own actions and ignore directives from MoveOn and their allies. Occupy needs to continue to build an independent movement for the radical transformation of government and the economy.
http://october2011.org/blogs/kevin-zeese/99-percent-spring-gets-progressives-using-obama-campaign-rhetoric-and-advocating-iMoveOn, Rebuild the Dream, SEIU and its allies are so sophisticated at getting people... more
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Arab civilization, which is part of human heritage, has faced through its long history great challenges aimed at breaking its will and subjecting it to colonial domination, but it has always rose through its own creative abilities to exercise its role in building human civilization. The Syrian Arab Republic is proud of its Arab identity and the fact that its people are an integral part of the Arab nation. The Syrian Arab Republic embodies this belonging in its national and pan-Arab project and the work to support Arab cooperation in order to promote integration and achieve the unity of the Arab nation. The Syrian Arab Republic considers international peace and security a key objective and a strategic choice, and it works on achieving both of them under the International Law and the values of right and justice. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43064-draft-constitution-for-the-syrian-arab-republic-damascus-referendum-day-photo-essayArab civilization, which is part of human heritage, has faced through its long history... more
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Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) have constantly been the subject of colonial wars and aggression. Korea fought a stubborn anti-colonial struggle against the Japanese since the latter occupied their country brutally from 1910 until 1945. The Koreans in fact emerged from the Second World War as a victorious member of the allied forces. But US imperialism, hungry to expand its colonial domination, took up seamlessly from the Japanese in occupying the south of the Korean peninsula, setting up its puppet Syngman Rhee as the head of a fascistic comprador capitalist clique, rather than allowing nation-wide elections as was its obligation; realising that the victorious national liberation forces led by Marxist revolutionaries (Kim Il Sung, et al) would sweep to power. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43043-north-korea-reality-checkDemocratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) have constantly been the subject of... more
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Peace be upon you. ..... I was near the Sirte front with 23 fighters. We were under attack by well-armed rebels for more than a day and a half, and we suffered fatalities." ..... He went on to announce the launch of the strategy NOONA MIME [N - NATO - M - MAJLIS INTIKALI (NTC)]. This strategy involves creating multiple flash points of instability to continually disrupt every NATO plan, rendering the ongoing presence of NATO in Libya untenable. Thus the NTC will be abandoned and the Resistance can demolish it within a month. Recent events have shown that the NTC is very weak with their rebels failing to take over Bani Walid and Sirte in the last few days. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43013-strategy-noona-mimePeace be upon you. ..... I was near the Sirte front with 23 fighters. We were under... more
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Currently our 'troops' and mercenaries are committing mass murder and proclaiming that to be necessary 'for the defense of the national security of the United States - which assumes the corollary to be true: that everyone we kill is an enemy of this nation. That's bullshit, and everyone with a brain has to know that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfsiXc49xLY&feature=player_embeddedCurrently our 'troops' and mercenaries are committing mass murder and... more
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Published on Monday, July 4, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
'We the People' or 'I the Person'?
by Linda Wagner Schmoldt
There is a concerted effort these days by the powers that be to break down the structures that allow people to come together.
It is no accident that we see the Supreme Court taking rights and power away from groups of citizens and workers while increasing the powers of the ruling class and corporations. On state and federal levels we see rulings that restrict the formation of unions, negate collective bargaining, and squelch class-action suits.
It is harder and harder to hold public demonstrations and protests as codes, laws, and fees limit where, when and how we can gather. We have lost many of our common spaces--places where we can come together and speak truth to power. The rights of civic/social leaders and organizers are threatened with scrutiny and abuse. Exorbitant prison sentences and fines are imposed on those who gather to protest and/or do civil disobedience. The making of crowd control devices is a strong industry in the U.S. (and in our ally, Israel.) We are becoming a police state and the military is waiting in the wings.
When the news covers demonstrations they always focus on the most radical looking people. They don’t show the old women and the families walking peacefully with their children. The media relishes any show of violence or aggression. The message is clear. These people are not like you. People like you don’t take to the street and protest. We are taught to fear the masses.
And what shall we gather around? It becomes more and more difficult to sort out truth from lies, especially when the lies are echoed across the corporate-owned media and halls of power. Support for Wiki-leaks, or any other organization that exposes the truth behind what is really going on, is labeled as treason. There is a crack down on whistleblowers.
Terrorist alerts and the nightly news, as a police blotter of all the crimes we need to fear, forces us to stay in our homes, to be suspicious of our neighbors and to be fearful of anyone who differs in skin tone, speech, culture or way of life. Report your neighbors; don’t talk to them.
Whole groups of people get labeled as a threat to our security, whether it is gays who want to marry, immigrants who want to earn a fair wage for their labors, teachers and other public “servants” who want to claim the money set aside for their health care or retirement. Our enemies and those we can’t trust increase daily.
We are taught that what are most important are our rights as individuals. Our god is free-enterprise, the unchecked, unregulated right to make as much as we like, even at the expense of our society and our earth. We see regulations as a threat to our individual rights to do business and make a profit.
We are urged to think of ourselves first. If I am not old, why should I pay for those on Social Security or Medicare? If I don’t have children, why should I care about education? If I’m not gay, not an illegal immigrant, not unemployed, not losing my house, not confronting an unwanted pregnancy…
And when crisis affects me, I will blame myself. I will think I am alone. I will think I have to solve my own problems. I certainly won’t blame a broken social system.
Across the world there are huge demonstrations. The powers that be are threatened by masses of people in other countries who force their leaders to put the good of their society ahead of individual and corporate interests. Note the reaction to any resource industry being nationalized. In Venezuela we have spent millions to bring down the popularly-elected Hugo Chavez who has nationalized the oil production and channeled the profits to fund social programs. That’s one of the actions that Muammar Gaddafi was threatening to do as well.
Countries or leaders that might want to put their people first are a threat. We constantly hear about the high taxes individuals pay in socialist countries. If we knew the truth we might start to compare how other countries empower their people by meeting their basic needs--that when the needs of the community are put ahead of individual rights, everyone benefits. We are told the myth that the U.S. is number one and do not see the abysmal ranking of our country on meeting social needs.
To those who want to protect their greedy accumulation of wealth and power, We the people (anywhere) are a scary proposition. God forbid that we should come together and discover our commonality and our strength. We might demand education that teaches us to think. We might start to question. We might want transparency in government or demand truth in the media. We might demand justice and equity, a say over our daily lives.
It is effective to keep us isolated. To use wedge issues to keep us divided. To make us think we aren’t connected to the rest of the world. To keep us suspicious and fearful. To keep us ignorant. To keep us focused on “I the person.”
We, together, are obviously a huge threat, otherwise why is so much effort being expended to keep us apart? Some people this Fourth of July will celebrate their independence and the rights they have as individuals. A few will recognize our interdependence. They realize that we can’t do it alone, that we need community and that democracy is about We the People, not I the Person.
Linda Wagner Schmoldt is a “wonderer, wanderer, writer and social agitator” who lives in Portland, Oregon. linda@schmoldt.us
more Linda Wagner Schmoldt
Article printed from www.CommonDreams.org
Source URL: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/04-3Published on Monday, July 4, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
'We the People' or... more
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TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES:
http://www.corbettreport.com/?p=2369
In the course of human events, nothing has been more dangerous to the ruling elite than the concept of human liberty. Not the documents that have encapsulated that idea or charted its development, not the Magna Carta, not the Declaration of Independence, not the Emancipation Proclamation, nor any of the other pieces of paper upon which the idea of liberty has been set down, but the idea itself.
"A must hear on our Day of Independence, enjoy!!!"TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES:
http://www.corbettreport.com/?p=2369
In the course of... more
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Our freedom was just as much about agriculture in Colonial America as it is now part of our current fight for food sovereignty. Thomas Jefferson exemplified this at Monticello.And it it now the spirit of the sustainable/local food movement today that exemplifies the spirit that birthed our nation. To plant our seeds, to save them, to cultivate them and to use them in a way that cherishes and supports healthy soil and provides healthy food for our citizens is what freedom is all about.
Our country is now on the cusp of a new Revolution, the sustainable food revolution and I think Jefferson, Adams, Washington and those who fought for freedom then would approve of it. Industrial agriculture deems to subject us to the slavery of monoculture seeds and thought. It deems to leave us subervient to the corporate agriculture kings who do not respect true freedom. So in that spirit we must fight as hard now as we did then to preserve our freedom to plant our seeds in this good Earth to preserve our environment, our soil and our future.
You can join us in celebrating that spirit every day:
http://current.com/groups/sustainable-agriculture/Our freedom was just as much about agriculture in Colonial America as it is now part... more
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It's no secret many young Americans graduate from school with little more than the knowledge of where to find the cheat codes for an electronic game. Every holiday a plethora of polls expose the latest statistics for American Dumbassness. This year it's a Marist poll showing many Americans don't know which country we fought in the American revolution.It's no secret many young Americans graduate from school with little more than... more
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The declining years of a rich and powerful society resemble nothing so much as a game of musical chairs in which, in the end, all the chairs will be taken away. What's the winning strategy in a game in which everyone inevitably loses sooner or later? That's a simpler question than it sounds: the way to win is not to play the game. http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-not-to-play-game_500.htmlThe declining years of a rich and powerful society resemble nothing so much as a game... more
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Last year's theme song involved shooting bottle rockets out our asses. This year we trained our dogs to do the heavy lifting ...
Drink beer, light stuff on fire ... HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gRkBjH1D2kLast year's theme song involved shooting bottle rockets out our asses. This year... more
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Hours after the African Union announced the broad contours of the agreement between North and South Sudan signed in Addis Ababa last week, the National Congress Party said the position paper was merely a proposal. The AU contributed to brokering peace in Sudan, now its staying power is being tested.
AU managed to have the political parties sign a code of conduct ahead of the elections but stood by hopelessly as some elements of the code were violated. Moreover, it stood by, continuing to negotiate future north-south arrangements, as the north invaded and occupied Abyei.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the creation of porous borders, and possibly with security arrangements as per the deal, could prove rare achievements for the AU.
Overall, the north and south don’t have much of a choice but to collaborate. The south supplies the oil, the north refines it. The south depends on the north for its major imports and the north relies on the south for its markets, making it necessary for the two to establish a free trade zone.
Yet, whether the north and south come to these terms would assume that the leadership is working in the interests of their people. The invasion by the northern forces of Abyei a trade embargo on the south that has seen gas prices increase three times in some areas and at least two times in others, and continued support to militias cast fresh doubts on the future relations of the two states.
Despite endless pledges to coexist with the south, the north has occasionally turned back on its word and trust between the two sides is at an all time low.
Bashir, again, said that the north would peacefully co-exist with the south. Yet, he not only dismissed the concept of a new Sudan, the central point of the CPA, but also made this a pre-condition for peaceful coexistence.
cont.Hours after the African Union announced the broad contours of the agreement between... more
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Hey everybody! Looking forward to celebrating the proud Mexican people's day of Independence!? Well that shit ain't 'till the middle of September so you're gonna be dry a long time if that's what you're REALLY looking to celebrate. But let's be honest, that's not why you're excited about Cinco de Mayo. We know it's not why we are. It's because the fifth of May isn't about Mexican independence, hell, it's barely about Mexicans, it's just another American invented excuse to get shit faced and blame it on the calendar!
Cinco de Mayo is no more about Mexican culture than St. Patrick's Day is about Irish culture. The both of them are simply about Drinking culture. Which naturally got us to thinking, we're drunks, we need more excuses for that to be publicly acceptable. And with that in mind Van Full of Candy is proud to present, more vaguely ethnic holiday type events where it's okay to make a gigantic ass out of yourself in the name of wearing a brightly colored t-shirt proudly exclaiming how you are an ethnicity that you clearly aren't. For on these days, we are all brothers, we are all drunken Americans!
April 30th - Casimir the Pole Drunky Day
Poland was established around 700BC, but it wasn’t until the “Piast Dynasty” in 1365 that the first “Polish Joke” was accidentally uttered by Casimir III the Great when he asked “How many damn Poles does it take to polish my scepter?” He got huge laughter from everyone in his royal gold room. So much so that he immediately decreed that to be “the first official Polish joke”. He spake this joke on April 30th, which happened to also be on his birthday, so the celebration is of the birth of the joke and also of the king. The celebration in America consists of wearing one’s favorite red & white apparel in honor of the Polish flag. The drinking aspect of the celebration is all about taking shot upon shot of Goldwasser and coming up with the crudest joke possible until somebody is so offended that a bar fight breaks out. After the brawl everybody hugs and makes up and then throws up.
September 8th - Sir Wallace's Day
To coincide with Braveheart's original UK theatrical release date, we celebrate the life and liver of Sir William Wallace. What surprises me is with as much as the Scots love to drink, how there isn't already an excuse holiday in their honor. I mean, there's a drink named after these punch happy, incomprehensible people! That kind of dedication hasn't been seen on this planet since the nomadic Schnapps tribes of the third century, finally having run out of drink and having to stop to rest their splitting headaches settled upon a plot of land to call their own and changed their name to "Aztec". So why don't we have a drinking holiday celebrating their crazy, drunken culture? Is it because most Americans can't tell the difference between a Scot and a dirty low down swarthy Irishman? Probably, but we'll teach them how! Paint your face, slur something about how they can take your empty, but they can never take away your freedom to buy another round, fall down and be peed on. We're all Scottish today laddie!
December 7th - Super Imbibe Number One Sing Night Go!
Before most people only thought of the Japanese people as dangerously irradiated and damp, they were largely recognized as a quiet, polite, buttoned down people. Of course, they also enjoy the most ridiculous and insane game shows ever devised by asylum inmates, and like their pornography filled with tentacles. The Japanese people are fucking confusing. But one thing is certain, they love Sake. After a hard day at work the Japanese business men will take the train out to the bars, sing karaoke and get absolutely pissed with their bosses. Slobbering drunk and belligerent and then the next day go back into work and resume their quiet work a day roles. The date of Super Imbibe Number One Sing Night Go is an attempt to take back a day that frankly hasn't lived in infamy for quite some time since most of the Greatest Generation is almost gone by now, and really, it's for the best, they've been making all of the rest of us look kind of shitty for a long time. We'll feel much better about ourselves and our singing voices as we turn our ties into head bands, belt out some Bon Jovi and celebrate Super Imbibe Number One Sing Night Go! A day that will live in drinkfamy!
December 21 - Railroad of Death Day
In the year 1941, Japan really really wanted to get to the Malayan frontier probably to call it their own or shoot some shit up. Regardless of their motive, Thailand happened to be in the way.
The Japanese army did not want to go ALLLLL the way around Thailand to get there so they said "let us cross your land". They didn't say please or anything, so the Thai's took exception to that and said "ummm yeah no", to which Japan said "WAR!!". After the entire 8 hours of the war, Thailand said "You know what? we're done, go ahead and cross. But with one exception. You help us build a railroad across our country." Japan agreed and sent over 200,000 Asian "helpers" and 60,000 POWs, all of which died in the severe working conditions and the beatings that were given by the Japanese. So to celebrate this, America dresses up in railroad prisoner garb and let themselves get "beat" by the proprieters of each bar they attend on their "Bar Railroad Crawl". It’s one of the least popular celebrations due to the pain, but is heralded as the best Thai celebration ever. The popular drink for this day is actually comprised of Thai beer and a shot of sake to signify the two countries coming together for their time of mass slave killing, it’s fittingly called “The Railroad Beating”.Hey everybody! Looking forward to celebrating the proud Mexican people's day of... more
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On Sunday, after decades of war and more than two million lives lost, southern Sudan will get the moment it has been yearning for, a referendum on independence. All signs point to the people here voting overwhelmingly for secession, and the largest country on the continent will then begin the delicate process of splitting in two.
The United States government has played a pivotal role in bringing this moment to fruition, pushing the northern and southern Sudanese to sign a peace treaty in 2005 that set the referendum in motion. A proud, new African country is about to be born, but it will step onto the world stage with shaky legs. As it stands now, southern Sudan is one of the poorest places on earth.
Most people here scrape by on less than 75 cents a day. More than three-quarters of adults cannot read. Decades of civil war and marginalization have left the economy so crushed that just about everything is imported, down to eggs. According to Oxfam, a teenage girl has a higher chance of dying in childbirth than finishing elementary school.
Tens of thousands have flocked back to take part in the referendum, and some analysts, possibly reinforcing stereotypes of Africa as always teetering on the edge, warn south Sudan could be the next Somalia, awash in violence. Already, aid agencies are ringing the alarm about a lack of food, water, health care and sanitation.
“We have an unfolding humanitarian crisis, layered on top of an existing and forsaken one,” said the International Rescue Committee, an American aid organization that works in Sudan.
But this is a land of shared sacrifice, and that may be a cohesive force that helps hold southern Sudan together. After all the years of guerrilla warfare and hardship, oppression and persecution at the hands of the Arabs who rule Sudan, people here are deeply invested in holding a peaceful referendum and building the world’s newest nation.
“We are underdeveloped, yes, but we will do it,” said Gideon Gatpan Thoar, the information minister of Unity State, near the north-south border.
United Nations officials here say something remarkable has already happened. In 2009, ethnic fighting swept the south, with several thousand people killed in military-grade attacks, fueled by longstanding ethnic rivalries and a sudden, suspicious increase in high-powered weaponry. Many southerners suspected that the government in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, was instigating the violence, just as it had in the past when Khartoum fomented a civil war within a civil war.
But in the past six months, there has been almost no major ethnic violence. One of the last holdouts, a renegade general who had been leading a revolt deep in the bush, recently agreed to a cease-fire. “What we are seeing is a real effort for reconciliation,” said a United Nations official in Juba, who was not authorized to speak to the news media and spoke anonymously. “All eyes are on the referendum. They’re all trying to get along now.”
But the official added, “Everybody knows these issues will come up in the future.”On Sunday, after decades of war and more than two million lives lost, southern Sudan... more
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While Jean-Luc Godard’s life and work has received a plethora of critical attention, a relatively uncharted episode occurred in 1977–1978, when, at the behest of the Samora Machel government, the filmmaker worked in Mozambique to assist in the establishment of the country’s first television station. Having newly acquired its independence from Portugal, the avowedly Marxist government of Machel embarked on a cultural policy emphasizing the country’s autonomy and intending to avoid simply replicating the media landscape of First World countries. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/section-blog/16527-birth-of-the-image-of-a-nation-jean-luc-godard-in-mozambiqueWhile Jean-Luc Godard’s life and work has received a plethora of critical... more
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Almost 4 million southern Sudanese, or roughly half the souths population, have registered to take part in an independence referendum next week that is likely to split Africas largest country in two, officials said on Monday.
http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/reuters/International/75254Almost 4 million southern Sudanese, or roughly half the souths population, have... more
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