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Bingo hall to reopen as church
A run-down bingo hall in the Scottish capitol Edinburgh is to reopen as a "groovy" contemporary church.
The venue, on Gorgie Road, Leith, will be equipped with a large screen and cinema seats. A run-down bingo hall in the Scottish capitol Edinburgh is to reopen as a "groovy" contemporary church. ... more -
Dennis Kucinich addresses impeachment at PDA event
Congressman Dennis Kucinich laid out the case for impeachment at a meeting with the Progressive Democrats of America in Denver on Thursday, August 29. Congressman Dennis Kucinich laid out the case for impeachment at a meeting with the Progressive Democrats of America in Denver on Thur... more
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Beware of the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008"
More and more computers are being infested by the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008" malware/virus.
"Antivirus XP 2008 is a new rogue anti-spyware program that is advertised through Trojans and other malware. It is advertised in the form of fake security alerts and warnings on web sites that state you are infected with malware or are being attacked in some manner. When you click on these ads, it will automatically download the installer for Antivirus XP 2008 and install it on your machine. In some cases, this program is installed without any intervention at all from you.
"Once installed, Antivirus XP 2008 will scan your computer and display a variety of security risks found on your computer that can only be removed if you purchase a license of the software. These risks, though, are all fake and are only being displayed to scare you into thinking you are infected and thus purchase their software. Another tactic that Antivirus XP 2008, and the accompanied malware, uses is to change your desktop background to be a message stating you are infected, popups and fake alerts stating your computer is being attacked, and a fake Internet Explorer page that states Google has found your computer to be infected."
Some people who fell for this and decided to purchase Antivirus XP 2008 using their credit card have apparently had vast amounts of money fraudulently taken, stolen, by whoever is behind this little monster.
My husband's computer got infected a couple of days ago when he visited DivXVine where he has a few DivX videos hosted. This malware/virus is a real pain in the backside and can, according to some, destroy your hard-drive. There is a number of videos on YouTube which offer different ways of getting rid of it, none of which worked - it seems that the makers of this little monster have changed some of its properties to make it almost impossible to get rid of. It interferes with one's browser in such a way that when one wants to go to a website giving instructions on how to get rid of it, one lands on totally different and unrelated pages. It makes the downloading of .exe files that can help one get rid of it impossible, or disables some of the information which corrupts or empties these .exe files.
After over 24 hours of very frustrating struggles in trying to get rid of this little monster, I finally found a solution that did work. I downloaded the free trial version of Spyware Doctor (it will detect the little monster, but one needs to purchase it in order to clean it out) and then purchased the license online (about $34). I put the .exe file onto an external drive, then we connected the external drive to my husband's computer, and he grabbed, slid and dropped the .exe file onto his desktop and installed it. After that, he entered the name and the license number (one may install it into 3 computers), activated it, downloaded the latest definitions, did a full scan - it worked like a charm and zapped and destroyed the little monster!
I found Spyware Doctor at pctools.com after doing a lot of research on the subject. Beware - some of the sites that one finds via a google search when googling for that malware/virus by name are traps, some are attack sites. Happily, I am well protected and get warnings when going to these sites.
I am going to install it on my computer too, as it prevents such little monsters from ever entering one's computer. I can only advise others to also purchase it before getting hit by this little monster, and if you're already a victim, well, now you have the solution. More and more computers are being infested by the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008" malware/virus. ... more -
Culture of surveillance may contribute to delusional condition
Psychosis in the 21st century looks something like this: You think your every move is being filmed for a reality television show starring you, and that everyone in your life is an actor.
Or you think you are under intense surveillance by an army of spies, whom you refer to as the "www people," as in the World Wide Web, and they wiretap your furniture and appliances.
Or else you refuse to drink water because you fear that another cup drawn from your faucet will, once and for all, deplete the world's water supply.
Those thoughts are from three case studies of what psychiatrists interested in the intersection of mental illness, culture and society are calling, respectively, Truman Show delusion, Internet delusion and climate change delusion; all of them a window, through madness, into the modern world.
If you have delusions of grandeur in this century, you are probably not Napoleon, but you may be Bill Gates.
The Truman Show delusion, or Truman Syndrome, has drawn attention in recent months, in the United States and Britain, as psychiatrists in both countries describe a small but growing number of psychotic patients who describe their lives as mirroring that of the main character in the 1998 film "The Truman Show."
Played by Jim Carrey, Truman Burbank leads a mundane existence in the suburbs, starting from the time he was in the womb, while being filmed for a documentary television show that he cannot escape.
Everyone is in on it, including his wife, and no one will believe Truman when he discovers clues that his life is being chronicled all the time by cameras.
With Internet delusion, patients typically incorporate the Internet into paranoid thoughts, including a fear that the Web is somehow monitoring or controlling their lives, or being used to transmit photographs or other personal information.
The delusions are fueling a chicken-and-egg debate in psychiatry: Are these merely modern examples of classic paranoia fed by the cultural landscape, or is there something about media like reality television and the Internet that can push people over the sanity line?
"Most likely these people would be delusional anyway," said Dr. Joel Gold, a psychiatrist at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, who said he saw five patients at the hospital from 2002 to 2004 with Truman Show delusion. Gold and his brother, Dr. Ian Gold, the Canada research chair in philosophy and psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, came up with the term "Truman Show delusion."
"But the more radical view is that this pushes some people over the threshold; the environment tips them over the edge," said Joel Gold, who is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University. "And if culture can make people crazy, then we need to look at it."
One way of looking at the delusions and hallucinations of the mentally ill is that they represent extreme cases of what the general population, or the merely neurotic, are worried about. Schizophrenics and other paranoid patients can take common fears - like identity theft because of information transmitted on the Internet, or the loss of privacy because of the prevalence of security cameras to fight crime - and magnify them, psychiatrists say.
"There is the old saying that just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there's not somebody after you," said Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University.
The prevailing view in psychiatry is that a delusion is just a delusion, psychosis is psychosis, and the scenery is incidental. Fear, a sense of persecution and grandiosity are static features of delusional thinking, many psychiatrists say.
During World War II, for example, psychotics might have believed a neighbor was a Nazi. During the Cold War, they might have thought the KGB or CIA was following them. In a post-Sept. 11 world, the persecutor might be Al Qaeda or the Department of Homeland Security.
(article continued) Psychosis in the 21st century looks something like this: You think your every move is being filmed for a reality television show starr... more -
Film, Art and Music (FAM) Festival in Windsor, Ontario set to impress culture crit...
Harvesting the FAM Festival is ready to go. This September 12th, 13th and 14th in Downtown Windsor you can catch 80 musical acts from across Southwestern Ontario and the US Midwest, as well as 64 visual artists and 19 locally-produced films, including The Secret of Johnny Strange, which features an original score from CJAM 91.5FM's Judy Adams. Thats just one of the many highlights and facets of this year's festival. Check the website to find out more! www.famfest.ca or www.mysapce.com/harvestingthefamfestival or find us on facebook for full festival lineups and locations.
A limited number of early-bird tickets are available for only $15 -- that gets you a full 3-day pass to the most independent inter-arts festival in all of Southwestern Ontario!
Thanks for reading!
-Emilysea Harvesting the FAM Festival is ready to go. This September 12th, 13th and 14th in Downtown Windsor you can catch 80 musical acts from... more -
Raw Video: Governor Says Budget No. 1 Priority
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that he will not leave the state until the budget is passed and that he will support Sen. John McCain in California. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that he will not leave the state until the budget is passed and that he will support Sen. Joh... more
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Joe Biden: Russia, China, India: "The Real War"
Obama's running mate presents the strategic plan for the next administration
by Umberto Pascali
On Aug 27 2008 at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Vice-presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden presented the plan for the real war, the war against China, Russia. He repeated the key points pushed by Zbigniew Brzezinski in his obsessive determination to go to the final clash with Russia and Asia.
For Biden, The greates mistake of the Bush administration was its failure "to face the biggest forces shaping this century. The emergence of Russia, China and India's great powers".
"What was the "consequence of this neglect"? "Russia challenging… Georgia's freedom." The Obama-Biden administration will repair those criminal mistakes... Barack and I will end that neglect. We will hold Russia accountable."
"The wars of the Bush administration were, so to speak the wrong ones.
"The new administration will unchain the real war. The war to confront the emergence of Russia, China, India.
"The war, the real war will have to be waged in Afghanistan/Pakistan - exactly the area where it will be more disruptive for the feared Russia, China India challenge.
"The previous administration was not warmonger enough, according to Biden. The new Democratic administration will increase the number of troops sent in central Asia.
"Then "the real war" against America's enemies will start. "al-Qaida and the Taliban - the people who have actually attacked us on 9/11 - they've regrouped in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and are plotting new attacks."
"McCain is bad as President because he did not understand the need for the "real war."
"McCain believes that the war in Afghanistan is over. But Obama is the real champion of the US National Security. "One year ago he said 'We need to send two more combat battalions to Afghanistan'…"
"The military establishment is with Obama, in this real war, Biden said. "the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has echoed Barack's call for more troops and John McCain was wrong and Barack Obama was right."
"Bush foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole, with very few friends to help us climb out. And for the last seven years, the administration has failed to face the biggest the biggest forces shaping this century. The emergence of Russia, China and India's great powers, the spread of lethal weapons, the shortage of secure supplies of energy, food and water. The challenge of climate change and the resurgence of fundamentalism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the real central front in the war on terror.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in recent years and in recent days we once again see the consequences of the neglect, of this neglect, of Russia challenging the very freedom of a new democratic country of Georgia. Barack and I will end that neglect. We will hold Russia accountable for its action and we will help Georgia rebuild. I have been on the ground in Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and I can tell you in no uncertain terms, this administration's policy has been an abysmal failure. America cannot afford four more years of this failure.And now, now, despite being complacent in the catastrophic foreign policy, John McCain says Barack Obama, Barrack Obama is not ready to protect our national security. Now let me ask you this. Whose judgment do you trust? Should you trust the judgment of John McCain when he said only 3 years ago, "Afghanistan - we don't read about it anymore in the papers, because it succeeded"? Or do you believe Barack Obama, who said a year ago, "We need to send two more combat battalions to Afghanistan"?
"The fact of the matter is, al-Qaida and the Taliban - the people who have actually attacked us on 9/11 - they've regrouped in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan and are plotting new attacks. And the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has echoed Barack's call for more troops and John McCain was wrong and Barack Obama was right." Obama's running mate presents the strategic plan for the next administration by Umberto Pascali ... more -
Russia remains a Black Sea power
by M K Bhadrakumar
If the struggle in the Caucasus was ever over oil and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO's) agenda towards Central Asia, the United States suffered a colossal setback this week. Kazakhstan, the Caspian energy powerhouse and a key Central Asian player, has decided to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Russia over the conflict with Georgia, and Russia's de facto control over two major Black Sea ports has been consolidated.
At a meeting in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on Thursday on the sidelines of the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kazakh President Nurusultan Nazarbayev told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that Moscow could count on Astana's support in the present crisis.
In his press conference in Dushanbe, Medvedev underlined that his SCO counterparts, including China, showed understanding of the Russian position. Moscow appears satisfied that the SCO summit also issued a statement on the Caucasus developments, which, inter alia, said, "The leaders of the SCO member states welcome the signing in Moscow of the six principles for regulating the South Ossetia conflict, and support Russia's active role in assisting peace and cooperation in the region." The SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
There were tell-tale signs that something was afoot when the Kazakh Foreign Ministry issued a statement on August 19 hinting at broad understanding for the Russian position. The statement called for an "unbiased and balanced assessment" of events and pointed out that an "attempt [was made] to resolve a complicated ethno-territorial issue by the use of force", which led to "grave consequences". The statement said Astana supported the "way the Russian leadership proposed to resolve the issue" within the framework of the United Nations charter, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and international law.
The lengthy statement leaned toward the Russian position but offered a labored explanation for doing so.
Kazakhstan has since stepped out into the thick of the diplomatic sweepstakes and whole-heartedly endorsed the Russian position. This has become a turning point for Russian diplomacy in the post-Soviet space. Nazarbayev said: I am amazed that the West simply ignored the fact that Georgian armed forces attacked the peaceful city of Tskhinvali [in South Ossetia]. Therefore, my assessment is as follows: I think that it originally started with this. And Russia's response could either have been to keep silent or to protect their people and so on. I believe that all subsequent steps taken by Russia have been designed to stop bloodshed of ordinary residents of this long-suffering city. Of course, there are many refugees, many homeless.
Guided by out bilateral agreement on friendship and cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, we have provided humanitarian aid: 100 tons have already been sent. We will continue to provide assistance together with you.
Of course, there was loss of life on the Georgian side - war is war. The resolution of the conflict with Georgia has now been shifted to some indeterminate time in the future. We have always had good relations with Georgia. Kazakhstan's companies have made substantial investments there. Of course, those that have done this want stability there. The conditions of the plan that you and [President of France Nicolas] Sarkozy drew up must be implemented, but some have begun to disavow certain points in the plan.
* * * * *
More at link. by M K Bhadrakumar ... more -
How I know Sarah Palin is unfit to be Vice President
silly Ms. Palin
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VC2 Newsletter/Ezine: September
Welcome to our September issue of the E-zine. We're mixing it up this month with VC2 producer/editor's Anthony Ferraro and Adam Warmington filling in for JT and Matt who are off producing for current tv at Burning Man.
http://current.com/burningman, http://current.com/slamdance, http://current.com/upload, http://current.com/911, http://current.com/topics/76253192_feedback Welcome to our September issue of the E-zine. We're mixing it up this month with VC2 producer/editor's Anthony Ferraro and A... more -
Biden's world
Panel discussion with Gareth Porter and Lawrence Korb.
Gareth Porter is a historian and investigative journalist on US foreign and military policy analyst. He writes regularly for Inter Press Service on US policy towards Iraq and Iran. Author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam.
Lawrence J. Korb is the Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Adviser to the Center for Defense Information. Korb served an advisor to the Reagan-Bush election committee in 1980 and was then appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Logistics) from 1981 to 1985. In that position, he administered about seventy percent of the Defense budget. For his service he was awarded the Department of Defense’s medal for Distinguished Public Service. Panel discussion with Gareth Porter and Lawrence Korb. ... more -
Nader and the Democrats
Ralph Nader talks about the DNC.
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People rally for Nader
Third party supporters attend rally for Ralph Nader.
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Who is Sarah Palin? Here's a good profile
The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they've overlooked the one shining victory in which a Republican star was born. The triumph came in Alaska where Sarah Palin, a politician of eye-popping integrity, was elected governor. Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle--especially to transparency and accountability in government--can produce political success. And by the way, Palin is a conservative who only last month vetoed 13 percent of the state's proposed budget for capital projects. The cuts, the Anchorage Daily News said, "may be the biggest single-year line-item veto total in state history."
State law barred Palin from speaking out publicly about ethical violations and corruption. But she was vindicated later in 2004 when Ruedrich, who'd been reconfirmed as state chairman, agreed to pay a $12,000 fine for breaking state ethics laws. She became a hero in the eyes of the public and the press, and the bane of Republican leaders.
In 2005, she continued to take on the Republican establishment by joining Eric Croft, a Democrat, in lodging an ethics complaint against Renkes, who was not only attorney general but also a long-time adviser and campaign manager for Murkowski. The governor reprimanded Renkes and said the case was closed. It wasn't. Renkes resigned a few weeks later, and Palin was again hailed as a hero.
Palin, 43, the mother of four, passed up a chance to challenge Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, the then-governor's daughter, in 2004.In the roughly three years since she quit as the state's chief regulator of the oil industry, Palin has crushed the Republican hierarchy (virtually all male) and nearly every other foe or critic. Political analysts in Alaska refer to the "body count" of Palin's rivals. "The landscape is littered with the bodies of those who crossed Sarah," says pollster Dave Dittman, who worked for her gubernatorial campaign.
down.
"She's as Alaskan as you can get," says Dan Fagan, an Anchorage radio talk show host. "She's a hockey mom, she lives on a lake, she ice fishes, she snowmobiles, she hunts, she's an NRA member, she has a float plane, and her husband works for BP on the North Slope," Fagan says. Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart, is a three-time winner of the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snowmobile race from Wasilla to Nome to Fairbanks. It's the world's longest snowmobile race.
Gov. Palin grew up in Wasilla, where as star of her high school basketball team she got the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" for her fierce competitiveness. She led her underdog team to the state basketball championship. Palin also won the Miss Wasilla beauty contest, in which she was named Miss Congeniality, and went on to compete in the Miss Alaska pageant.
Her Christian faith--Palin grew up attending nondenominational Bible churches--was a minor issue in the race. She told me her faith affects her politics this way: "I believe everything happens for a purpose.
She made three other promises: to end corruption in state government, cut spending, and provide accountability. She's now redeeming those promises.
Her first major achievement as governor was lopsided passage by the legislature of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, which is designed to attract pipeline proposals this summer. The state is offering $500 million in incentives, but the developer must meet strict requirements. The oil companies have said they won't join the competition.
Palin's tough spending cuts drew criticism from Republican legislators whose pet projects were vetoed. But her popularity doesn't appear threatened. "It's not just that she's pretty and young," says Dittman. "She's really smart. And there's no guile. She says her favorite meal is moose stew or mooseburgers. It wouldn't shock people if that were true."
Posted by Chris Reed at August 29, 2008 09:42 AM The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they've overlooked the one shining victory in... more -
Tom Hayden on the Obama-Biden ticket
Tom Hayden: Biden will not be a progressive pressure on Obama.
With the Democratic National Convention in full swing, Tom Hayden believes that Senator Joe Biden "will not be a progressive element on Senator Barrack Obama" and that his selection as Obama's running mate is not "a step in any direction." Hayden goes on to state that, "the democrats are in danger of decoupling the war from the recession and high oil prices."
Tom Hayden is an American social and political activist and politician, most famous for his involvement in the antiwar and civil rights movements of the 1960s. Hayden served in the California State Assembly and the State Senate. His books include Rebel: A Personal History of the 1960s; Ending the War in Iraq. Tom Hayden: Biden will not be a progressive pressure on Obama. ... more -
Chris's Reality
This is a story of Chris's reality and his struggle to find peace in his life. Chris was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 years old. 3-5% of today's population is affected by ADHD/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This is a story of Chris's reality and his struggle to find peace in his life. Chris was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 years ... more
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100-year-old bartender still working
The UK's oldest bartender is amzingly still working, despite being aged 100.
Jim Christou has actually only been pulling pints for 20 years, but has been in the catering industry most of his long life. The UK's oldest bartender is amzingly still working, despite being aged 100. ... more -
'Swedish Loch Ness Monster' caught on film
Swedish filmmakers claim to have captured footage of a mythical seamonster, similar to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland.
Svergies Television has posted images of what they claim is the "Storsjoodjuret", or "Great Lake Sea Monster", which appears as a "blurry, long and narrow silhouette."
Conclusive proof then. Swedish filmmakers claim to have captured footage of a mythical seamonster, similar to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland... more -
Paragliding in the Golan Heights (photos)
Photos from Mevo Hama on Thursday, August 28, 2008.
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The Death Of The Driscoll Dog
A simple story about an old ladies dog who died. Charlie past away due to a number of different reasons and was buried at a local pet crematorium. Mrs Driscoll reflects on the last days of Charlie's life and the film shows how someone can become so attached to 'man's best friend'. A simple story about an old ladies dog who died. Charlie past away due to a number of different reasons and was buried at a local pet ... more
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