architect of his own demise

end the fed

It is well enough

that people of the nation

do not understand our banking and monetary system,

for if they did,

I believe there would be

a revolution before tomorrow morning.

...Henry Ford...

Suzie Q

swept away

Swept Away (full English title: Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August, full Italian title: Travolti da un insolito destino nell'azzurro mare d'agosto) is a 1974 Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller. It is a study in romance and class warfare.

The movie stars Giancarlo Giannini as long-abused crewmember Gennarino Carunchio, toiling on a yacht rented by a wealthy couple, Raffaella Pavone Lanzetti (Mariangela Melato) and Mr. Pavone Lanzetti (Riccardo Salvino). A beautiful, wealthy, spoiled woman, Raffaella takes endless pleasure in verbally abusing Gennarino over nearly everything, but especially about his Communist politics. When an unusual event at sea leaves Gennarino and Raffaella cast away on a deserted Mediterranean island, the tables are finally turned and the Communist sailor suddenly has the upper hand in the relationship.

American film critic Roger Ebert gave the movie four stars, his highest rating.

Many reviewers criticized the film as deeply misogynistic, with its themes of violence against women, subjugation, and rape. Anthony Kaufman, in The Village Voice, called it "possibly the most outrageously misogynist film ever made by a woman." (read more)

anonymous message to wall street

spaceman

Frank Frazetta

the gods of man

Call Me Crazy

"Mental Illness"

crazy mad insane depressed psycho bonkers schizo unbalanced unstable sick loony funny bizarre cooky loosing it not all there confused discombobulated special retarded weird whacko spaz freak mental spacey

There's a stigma.

.......

Is it preventable? Is it curable? How would we know; we never talk about it. Except to disassociate ourselves from it: "My great-uncle was crazy. He killed himself in the 80's. I'm glad I'm not weird like him!"

....

Alright. I'll go first. I am crazy. More than a little crazy, in fact. I was once diagnosed with "Severe Chronic Major Depression." That sounds a tad melodramatic, but I suppose it's a fitting description.

The first time I had thoughts of killing myself was as young as 5 years old. I was a kindergartener contemplating suicide. I am now a well-adjusted young adult realizing that it's okay to be crazy.


......



I am not on medication (although doctors would say I should be). I manage my illness in different ways, such as observing my thoughts and adjusting them toward the positive, practicing yoga and other physical activities, keeping a journal, surrounding myself with loving, positive people, and participating in fulfilling activities I enjoy. If I start to feel really out of control, I use herbal suppliments as a "brain cushion" until I regain my strength.


.......



I still get really down sometimes. It's not environmental.



It's as though a scary monster lives inside my head and I have to keep an eye on him or else he'll try to take over my thoughts. I know he's there and he knows I know, but that doesn't stop him from thirsting for control. The only thing keeping him from gaining it is ME.


.......



For many years I practiced hiding my emotions from people. I was great at it! People often remarked that I was "always happy," even though I was secretly dying inside. Those were benchmarks of my perceived success. If no one else could tell I was sick, then I must be doing a good job of getting better!



What I would like is for more people to own their insanity. If I had known as a child that some of the adults I admired were also dealing with demons in their heads, I might have been more hopeful for my own survival.


........



By sharing my crazy, I am helping other crazies.



People look up to me. I am happy! I smile all the time (and it's real these days). When people find out that I struggle with mental illness, they are shocked.



Then they ask how I deal with it.



Then they tell me about their own insanity, or the insanity of someone they love.



We then share the burden of insanity.



And that makes it a much lighter burden to carry.

the true joy in life

Battle of Seattle

Anti-globalization activists made headlines around the world in 1999, when they forced the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 to end early with direct action tactics.

---

1999 Battle of Seattle: From the WTO protests in Seattle, 1999.

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Indymedia Presents #370-Showdown in Seattle part 1



• Indymedia Presents #371--Showdown in Seattle--5 Days That Shook the WTO part 2, Nov 30, 99
• Indymedia Presents #372-Showdown in Seattle part3
• Indymedia Presents #373-Showdown in Seattle part4
• Indymedia Presents #374-Showdown in Seattle, 5 Days that Shook the WTO part5

---

The Real Battle in Seattle: The Seattle WTO People's History Project

Global Trade: Deeply Dysfunctional From the point of view of environmental sustainability, global trade has become deeply dysfunctional. Take agricultural trade. As the International Forum on Globalization has pointed out, the average plate of food eaten in Western industrial food-importing nations is likely to have traveled 1,500 miles from its source. Long-distance travel contributes to the absurd situation wherein “three times more food is used to produce food in the industrial agricultural model than is derived in consuming it.” About the WTO & Global Justice Movements | The Real Battle in Seattle

The story of resistance to the WTO in Seattle in '99 is one of how people power can change the world. It's a dangerous example for the elites and a powerful one for people. That's why for eight years, the corporate media, governments, and their police have waged a dis-information campaign about Seattle '99.

In fall '08, a major motion picture, "Battle in Seattle," will be seen across North America. It's a huge improvement over corporate media lies, but won't tell the motives or thinking of the people who shutdown the WTO. Only we can do that.

Stories are how we understand the world and thus shape the future- and the story of Seattle '99 shapes what people think of protest, corporate globalization and repression. It's time that we in the social movements tell our own stories, reclaim our own histories, and publicly fight damaging myths past and present. This website is doing just that!

---

World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 was a meeting of the World Trade Organization, convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, USA, over the course of three days, beginning November 30, 1999. A week before the meeting, delegates admitted failure to agree on the agenda and the presence of deep disagreements with developing countries. Intended as the launch of a new round of trade negotiations that would have been called "The Millennium Round", the negotiations were marred by poor organization and controversial management of large street protests. Developing country representatives became resentful and uncooperative on being excluded from talks as the United States and the European Union attempted to cement a mutual deal on agriculture. The negotiations collapsed and were reconvened at Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. The Doha venue enabled on-site public protest to be excluded. Necessary agenda concessions were made to include the interests of developing countries, which were learning how to form their own powerful negotiating blocs. Thus, the current round is called the Doha Development Round.

Anti-globalization activists made headlines around the world in 1999, when they forced the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 to end early with direct action tactics.

---

Battle in Seattle - Movie - from Wikipedia: Battle in Seattle is a 2007 film and the directorial debut of actor Stuart Townsend. It is based on the protest activity at the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999. The film premiered on May 22, 2008 at the Seattle International Film Festival.

---

Kon-Tiki

Kon-Tiki was the raft used by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. It was named after the Inca sun god, Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name. Kon-Tiki is also the name of Heyerdahl 's book and the Academy Award-winning documentary film chronicling his adventures.

Heyerdahl believed that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times, although most anthropologists now believe they did not. His aim in mounting the Kon-Tiki expedition was to show, by using only the materials and technologies available to those people at the time, that there were no technical reasons to prevent them from having done so. (Although the expedition carried some modern equipment, such as a radio, watches, charts, sextant, and metal knives, Heyerdahl argued they were incidental to the purpose of proving that the raft itself could make the journey.)

The Kon-Tiki expedition was funded by private loans, along with donations of equipment from the United States Army. Heyerdahl and a small team went to Peru, where, with the help of dockyard facilities provided by the Peruvian authorities, they constructed the raft out of balsa logs and other native materials in an indigenous style as recorded in illustrations by Spanish conquistadores. The trip began on April 28, 1947. Heyerdahl and five companions sailed the raft for 101 days over 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean before smashing into a reef at Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands on August 7, 1947. The crew made successful landfall and all returned safely. (read more)

toroidal vortex

A bubble ring, or ring bubble, is an underwater ring vortex where an air bubble occupies the core of the vortex, forming a ring shape. The ring of air as well as the nearby water spins poloidally as it travels through the water, much like a flexible bracelet might spin when it is rolled on to a person's arm. The faster the bubble ring spins, the more stable it becomes. Bubble rings and smoke rings are both examples of vortex rings, the physics of which is still under active study in fluid dynamics. Devices have been invented which generate bubble vortex rings. (video clip)

objects in space

occupy wall street

occupy wall street

for you

peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers;


for they shall be called


the children of God.


Yeshua (Jesus Christ) Matthew 5:9

The Tramp

illness

It is no measure of health


to be well adjusted


to a profoundly sick society.


...Jiddu Krishnamurti...

Peter Joseph: Where are we going? Part one

Peter Joseph: Where are we going?

job killer

i'd love to turn you on

error

500 Internal Server Error

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A team of highly trained monkeys has been dispatched to deal with this situation.

If you see them, show them this information:

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Firefly

the never-ending hatred

Haaretz.com

Amaury Rivera Toro

Amaury Rivera Toro

The Economic Depression of 1929

While we are in the midst of this horrendous recession, it would be of value to compare the causes of our current economic doldrums with the convergence of factors that brought on the Great Depression of 1929.  Although the specific conditions and circumstances may vary, the similarities are striking.

The economic depression of 1929 catapulted the national economy into a devastating tailspin from the seeming prosperity of the 1920s.  The rapid decline occurred as a direct result of many factors that were all interconnected.  The so-called Great Depression lasted from 1929 through 1938.

The precipitous decline that so defined the Great Depression began on what is referred to as Black Tuesday – October 29 1929 - when 16 million shares were traded and the industrial stock index dropped 43 points negating all the gains made over the previous twelve months.  By the middle of November of that year, the market had lost a third of its entire value or 40% of all the stock that was traded on the Exchange.  The reasons for this sudden and calamitous event were multi-faceted.

The seeming prosperity that was a hallmark of the 1920s was, in fact, not representative of the majority of Americans.  Following the hard times imposed by World War I, economic production markedly increased, especially in regards to automobiles, home appliances and construction.  In addition, overseas investment doubled to 7.5 billion dollars by 1929.  Although consumer spending increased markedly during this period, individuals were buying beyond their means, placing themselves in a precarious position regarding personal indebtedness.

In addition, the distribution of wealth was skewed markedly to the wealthy.  In 1929, the top 0.1% of American households collectively had as much wealth as 42% of the population and possessed one-third of all the savings.  As a matter of fact, it has been estimated that 80% of the population had no savings at all.

By 1929, investments in the stock market increased far more than any other indicator, and, more to the point, outstripped actual production or sales of manufactured goods.  One aspect of this marked increase in transactions on the stock exchange was the practice of “buying on margin.”  Using this approach, an investor determined to purchase $1,000 worth of stock valued at $10 per share, was legally enabled to pay his broker as little as 10% of the actual worth of the stock or $100.  This practice was common in the 1920s; because, the value of stock seemed to be always increasing.  With this in mind, the investor could then wait until the value of the stock rose, sell it at a significant profit, pay his broker and pocket the difference.  This kind of gambling persisted; until, the inevitable happened – the bubble burst.  To some extent, the unraveling began in Great Britain when the country raised its interest rates to lure back domestic investors.  Aware of the significance of this policy change, foreign and U.S. investors began dumping U.S. stocks.

Following Black Tuesday, the economic situation worsened as the nation inexorably slid into depression.  Within three years, the so-called industrial index – a quantitative measure of the performance of shares in major industries such as automobiles – dropped from 452 in September of 1929 to 58 by July of 1932.  It must be remembered that it has been estimated that only 2.5% of the entire population actually invested in the stock market; therefore the reason for the depression must have resided elsewhere.  The causes for the depression itself can be explained by the following factors:

·         Decline in Industrial Production – Much of the economic growth during this era can be directly related to two major industries, the production of automobiles and construction.  By the end of the 20s, both of these facets of the economy were in decline.

·         Poverty and Personal Indebtedness – Poverty was, in fact, widespread and personal debt was high as well.  The wages of individual workers had only increased by 8%; whereas, the productivity of the individual worker increased by an estimated 32%.  These data translated into the economic reality that individuals could not afford to purchase the products of industrial output.  This convergence of factors inevitably led to mass unemployment.

·         Bank Failures - Since banks were heavily engaged in speculation on the stock market and since the banks were using the savings of their customers for these questionable investments, they were unable to effectively deal with rush on the banks when people wished to withdraw their savings en masse.  As a result, thousands of banks failed and many lost their life savings.

Adding to the economic deterioration as outlined above, the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s had a devastating impact on farmers of the Great Plains.  After years of farming without adequate rotation of crops, an unusual period of extreme drought together with harsh weather conditions resulted in the topsoil being literally blown away.  Between 1933 and 1938, three to four inches of topsoil were lost to the winds and created what was referred to as “Black Blizzards.”  As a result, 500,000 residents of the Great Plains became homeless and 2.5 million moved out of the region by 1940.

The government’s response to this deepening crisis was inadequate.  Although President Herbert Hoover felt compassion for the millions who were suffering and although he attempted to use some of the government’s resources to address the issue – he requested 2.25 billion dollars from the Congress for public works progress - his political philosophy constrained his efforts in this regard.  He felt strongly that the government should not be involved in direct relief by providing resources to those or were poor, starving and unemployed.  He felt that, “It is not the function of the government to relieve individuals of their responsibilities to their neighbors, or to relieve private institutions of their responsibilities to the public.”  In the general election of 1932, the people chose Franklin Delano Roosevelt as their next president, who promised a New Deal.  The fundamental focus of the New Deal was threefold – the so-called 3 Rs – relief, recovery and reform.  In order to accomplish these ambitious goals, fifteen major pieces of legislation were submitted to Congress from spring to early summer.

In spite of all these efforts, it was the onset of World War II that effectively brought the country out of the Great Depression.  

a choice between love and fear

the last union

The recent attacks against the United States Postal Service (USPS) are more than signs of desperate times - a natural sunset moment for a service rendered archaic by FedEx and UPS. Rather, the Postal Service has been under constant, vicious assault for years from the right, who views this as an epic battle with the goal of finally taking down the strongest union in the country, the second largest employer in the United States (second only to Wal-Mart,) and a means to roll the country ever closer toward the abyss of privatization.

The Postal Service, which is older than the Constitution itself, stands at a precipice. If this great institution, which provides one of the oldest, most reliable services in the country, is permitted to fall and Congress kills its great union, then truly no collective bargaining rights, no worker contract, no union will be safe within the United States.

As the USPS spirals toward default, the historically uncontroversial mail service system has suddenly become a hot-button issue. It's an unlikely organization to inspire such hysteria. The Postal Service isn't paid for by taxpayer dollars, but rather fully funded by the sale of stamps. It's easy to forget what a marvel this is - that today, in 2011, one can still mail a letter clear across the country for less than 50 cents. And if the impressiveness of that feat still hasn't sunk in, attempt this brain exercise: consider what else you can buy for $0.44.

It was only a few years ago that the USPS was considered not only stable, but thriving. The biggest volume in pieces of mail handled by the Postal Service in its 236-year history was in 2006. The second and third busiest years were in 2005 and 2007, respectively. But it was two events: one crafted during the Bush years and another supervised by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, that would cripple this once great institution.

Perhaps it was its booming history that first drew Congress' attention to the Postal Service in 2006 when it passed the Postal Accountability Enhancement Act (PAEA), which mandated that the Postal Service would have to fully fund retiree health benefits for future retirees. That's right. Congress was demanding universal health care coverage.

But it even went beyond that. Congress was mandating coverage for future human beings.

"It's almost hard to comprehend what they're talking about, but basically they said that the Postal Service would have to fully fund future retirees' health benefits for the next 75 years and they would have to do it within a ten-year window," says Chuck Zlatkin, political director of the New York Metro Area Postal Union.

It was an impossible order, and strangely, a task unshared by any other government service, agency, corporation or organization within the United States. The act meant that every September 30th, the USPS had to cough up $5.5 billion to the Treasury for the pre-funding of future retirees' health benefits, meaning the Postal Service pays for employees 75 years into the future. The USPS is funding the retirement packages of people who haven't even been born yet.

The hopeless task was made even more daunting when Wall Street blew up the world's economies. It was this, and not the invention of email, that became the Postal Service's death knell. Zlatkin finds the whole "blame it on the Internet" excuse amusing. The Internet had already existed for quite a while in 2006, the USPS's busiest year, not to mention that every item purchased on Amazon and eBay - every piece of information addressed to stockholders and bank customers - still needs to be snail mailed, which is enough volume to keep the Postal Service prosperous.

"I've yet to figure out a way to mail a shirt through a computer," he chuckles. (read more)

nukes in space