PFAS Awareness

- photo from Food & Water Watch

"PFAS (including PFOA and PFOS) are man-made chemicals used in non-stick pans, food packaging, fire suppressants and stain-resistant fabrics. They are known as “forever chemicals” because they stay in the soil and water for long periods of time — and do not break down naturally. Long-term exposure to these chemicals has been associated with health problems, including thyroid disease, weakened immunity and certain cancers." -Food & Water Watch

43 states (at least) have been affected by these dangerous chemicals that don't break down over time. PFAS are detrimental to human health, wildlife, & agriculture. Improved EPA standards are being blocked by the GOP in our House of Representatives and Congress. It has taken the Attorney General's of some states to bring forth a real effort to combat the corruption of the EPA exasperated by the Trump Administration.

 Remediation efforts are slow to address this problem due to lack of legislation and funding. Public education has been virtually non-existent until recent months via TV & in newspapers on the health effects of PFAS, but lots of scientific research has been popping up online. Activists have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms to raise awareness. 

Below is an interactive map to see if your watershed or town in affected:

Link: PFAS Contamination in the U.S.- Interactive Map

More detailed information on PFAS, including their origination, what products they are found in, & their health effects are in this document from Food and Water Watch, published in February 2019:

Link: These Chemicals Are Forever: Water Contamination from PFOA, PFOS and other PFASs

Earth Poems

I have never been much of a poet... 

but the time to act on our climate crisis is now, not later.

"Untitled"

Wildfires & Earthquakes.

We cannot easily put out the flames.

The fracking makes the earth shake.

It sets our water on fire.

We drink oil & fracking chemicals.

We are not allowed to know what those chemicals are.

This is the new normal. 

People just look away.

Disbelief, indifference, helplessness.

A Melting North Pole.

Our crops are drowning in floods & roasting in drought.

Plastic flows through our water from garbage. 

In the smallest streams from our oceans.

Bits & pieces too small to see, but small enough to drink.

Our seas are a graveyard for creatures.

This is the new normal. 

People just look away.

Disbelief, indifference, helplessness.

When the sunsets are all gone,

 & replaced with a nuclear winter haze-

will it be another new normal?

Will you look away?

The Global Polluter Money will no longer matter. 

Their profits will not be as self serving as they had hoped.

Harvesting the earth & humans was their business.

Property Damage, Starvation, & Death.

Profits. Immorality. Mortality.

This is the new normal. 

People just look away.

Disbelief, indifference, helplessness.

Capitalism and Crime: Governmental Control Over Resources; the Oppression Over People: Part 2

-Photo from depositphotos.com

The People's Fight for Water and Other Resources:

 The Human Response to Government Race for Fossil Fuels

The people's fight for water and other resources, due to the harvesting of fossil fuels and the global crisis it has caused for our environment, gives rise to all levels of human survivalist instinct. The necessary means to survive has become a diminished prospect or all together unobtainable. Globally, the conditions which humans live in are complicated by lack of housing, lack of economic opportunity, extreme temperatures, increased natural disasters, and lack of food and/or water. 

When the Oppressed Class Seeks Social Justice: 

Those in countries where freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are legal and socially acceptable, often bring their grievances to their government officials in this way. But, the oppressed sometimes have their civil rights violated by the very government that instituted those universal rights as a part of the democracy. This is because when the ruling class feel their interests are threatened, abuse of governmental power has usually followed. This premise is demonstrated by both history and by Richard Quinney's 'Social Reality Theory of Crime': the idea that "criminal law is used by the state and ruling class to secure survival of the capitalist system, and, as capitalist society is further threatened by it's own contradictions, criminal law will be increasingly used in the attempt to maintain domestic order." Capitalism tends to favor the ruling class, which is controlled by money and their special self-serving interests. Oil drilling in the Arctic is a good example. Despite the will of the people to break free from fossil fuels and our votes in a "democracy" against it, our voices and votes are ignored. In America, our basic environmental legislation was repealed by executive order by President Trump. 

Link: U.S. Exits Paris Climate Agreement

Greed also controls his most powerful supporters, leaving punishment for these governmental crimes against humanity and the planet less likely to occur. While the government itself makes the laws, law enforcement is much more likely to be aimed at those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale. This leaves basic democratic values and social movements in accountability, justice reform, and humanitarianism out of reach for social justice advocates and the oppressed class.

Link: "Moscow's Lone Climate Protester: We Need To Talk About It Now"

"People generally do not have the same justice system as those in places of political and monetary power."- J.K. Lieberman, 1973

The bi-lateral control of the natural resources in the Arctic Circle by Russia & the United States, combined with the human response to the climate crisis and ecocide it's causing is a disaster. Totalitarianism throughout history has never worked. Governments that are mismanaged, become corrupted, do not follow their own laws, lack democracy, and partake in mass incarceration or genocide are repeatedly overthrown by the people or taken down by foreign military. Government, while an entity in itself, is made up of 2 basic things: humans and money. The humanity and morality of people is lost when their thoughts and actions are solely controlled by money and the need to exert power and dominance over the people. Militarized police, in combination with a militarized police force allowed to constantly violate the oppressed class and their civil and constitutional rights, creates a fascist government. Until there can be a moral compass installed in governmental policy, focused on human empathy rather than instant gratification, our earth and people will continue to suffer. 

Capitalism and Crime: Governmental Control Over Resources; the Oppression Over People: Part 1

Part 1: Bi-Lateral Military and Political Power of Natural Resources in the Arctic Circle 

Power has unlimited political and monetary control over some of humans most basic resources. A democratic government, by definition, ensures a healthy balance of moral obligations and shows considerations for it's large population. Future projections of consequences are necessary by governments for whatever actions that it, as a governing body, ultimately decide. Maintaining supplies for it's people is one of the main responsibilities of a democratic government, and military defense alone is not the only important duty they have. They are implicated in the outcome, whether bad or good decision making was used beforehand. Basic moral concepts are usually lost on crony capitalist leaders, as we have been finding out repeatedly throughout history. 

There are other sources of power emerging and evolving, that are cleaner, more efficient, more cost effective, longer lasting, and not dependent on oil. However, the fight between superpowers over the last of the earth's natural resources continues despite advancements in technology, as well as the environmental and humanitarian concerns by many. Russian oil giant Rosneft, and U.S. run Exxon Mobil, both profit from Arctic Drilling. Exxon and Rosneft, both have public data, easily researchable on Google. Included in this post are some links, regarding their joint occupation in The Arctic Circle. 

- photo from: http://energy-cg.com/Arctic/Arctic_ChukchiSea.html

Link: "The Energy Consulting Group Business strategy for upstream oil and gas producers and service companies"

Link: "Our Arctic Presence"

Link: "Offshore Projects"

Profits Over Morality and Democracy

"Exxon Mobil stands to regain access to huge reserves of oil if the United States rolls back sanctions on Russia."

Link: "Exxon Mobil Could Tap Huge Arctic Assets if US-Russian Relations Thaw"

When President Donald Trump appointed Rex Tillerson as Secretary of  State, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil criticized U.S. sanctions on Russia that were imposed under the Obama Administration. This was sparked over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and their violation of the International Treaty that gives Ukraine independence from the former Soviet Union.  Rex Tillerson has stated that the cost to Exxon was $1 billion at the end of 2015. He blamed the U.S. imposed economic sanctions for their loss of profits gained by harvesting natural resources in the Arctic. 

Rex Tillerson, now former Secretary of State, was awarded "Russia's Order of Friendship" by Putin in 2013. More recently than the information in the article that I'm paraphrasing from, is the fact that President Trump has stated he wishes to lift the sanctions on Russia. This is only one more example that power and profits are more important to Trump than our environment or international laws, or world populations. Rosneft has said that about 87 billion barrels of oil are in the Kara Sea Project. Jointly, Exxon Mobil and Rosneft discovered over 730 million barrels in their 1st exploration alone several years ago. Exxon has recently pulled out of oil drilling projects offshore in the Arctic, due to the economic sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The bi-lateral control by Russia and the United States over natural resources will likely continue, at the expense of our earth and people. What good will come from draining and harming our environment for profits, while pushing the masses further into oppression by our governments and further into poverty? For just a few white collar profiteers to achieve bragging rights or world dominance over the rest of the population, a lot of human suffering has occurred already. 

Coming Soon: Part 2:The People's Fight for Water and Other Resources; The Human Response to Government Race for Fossil Fuels

Other Links:

"Exxon Mobil Could Tap Huge Arctic Assets if US-Russian Relations Thaw"

" Exxon, Citing Sanctions, To Abandon Joint Ventures With Russia's Rosneft"

Ebola: A Forgotten Pandemic

The link below is a case study of a rare relapse of Ebola in a patient from Scotland, initially diagnosed in late 2014, who was released from isolation and treatment in early 2015. A sudden onset of symptoms in late 2015 pointed to relapse of the virus, previously thought to have been fully treated.This study was published about a year and a half ago. It claims it's an independent study with contributors worldwide; that it wasn't sponsored by the CDC, World Health Organization, or any other governmental entity. However, English doctors were funded through their nationalized healthcare program (Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust) for their part in the study.

My initial summary & thoughts after sifting through this thing:

Vaccination is unavailable because the entire viral sequence is still unknown. The specific CNS sites the virus replicated in causing relapse are also still unknown. The full range of symptoms & secondary diseases caused are also unknown.  Various pharmaceutical companies & governments are claiming there is an effective vaccine now available, & it has already been administered to many. According to this study, an effective & safe vaccine on the market is still an impossibility. More viral sequencing research should be required before subjecting populations to a vaccine which is experimental, not evaulated for safety, & appears to immunize against a disease where the RNA sequence is unknown. Worldwide pandemic infection is still a concern, as Ebola is not fully contained. An Ebola outbreak is currently occuring in The Congo in large enough numbers to reach international media attention.

"...the pathogenesis of post-Ebola complications, in particular the presence and role of viral persistence, is unknown...."

"... to our knowledge, no previous reports exist of late severe relapses of Ebola virus with viral RNA redetected in blood."

"We do not know in which specific site or cells the virus persisted, or whether the virus continuously replicated there or reactivated to produce clinical relapse. Sequence comparison at the time of initial illness and subsequent relapse showed no changes in coding regions, excluding an immune escape variant of the virus causing clinical relapse. A potential precipitant for relapse, such as intercurrent illness or use of immunosuppressive drugs, was not identified, and therefore its cause and timing remain unexplained."

"Our patient is the first to be rechallenged with Ebola virus-specific monoclonal antibody therapy following previous treatment, and developed a life-threatening allergic reaction."

"We are unable to assess our patient's risk of further Ebola virus relapse or know whether this has been reduced or eliminated by antiviral treatment."

"Relapse of viral replication in the CNS alone would not pose a risk of onward community transmission, but our patient also had detectable Ebola virus RNA in blood."

"In view of the large number of Ebola survivors in west Africa, the potential for relapse, even if rare, to initiate new transmission chains is a serious public health concern. A small cluster of Ebola cases occurred in Liberia in November, 2015, after human to human transmission was thought to have ended, which WHO has reported was the result of re-emergence of Ebola virus that had persisted in a previously infected individual."

Link to study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967715/#__ffn_sectitle

Solving the Mysteries of Nationalist Communist Agendas and Melania Trump

Melania Trump and her upbringing was financially sponsored by a regime and an ideology that slaughtered 200K+ Muslims, Croatians and Bosnians? Am I misreading this? I certainly hope that I am completely incorrect in all of my research into this lately. If I am unfortunately correct, then her immigration to the U.S. can be compared to the immigration of Nazi's into the U.S. following World War 2. There were very few and it was done very quietly. 

-Former Yugoslavia
 www.historyplace.com

History of the war between Serbs and Muslims:

LINK: http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/bosnia.htm

Someone should at least clue her in that in America we don't sue each other over the ability to obtain important information by attacking the free press or try to undermine the amendments pertaining to them with high priced lawyers. Reporting relevant news, and exercising free thought are also protected by our Constitution. If she is a victim of slander, that is certainly upsetting especially when a political figure involved in a Presidential election. Let's get out the violin for her self induced bloated sense of elitist privilege... 

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion Are American Values:

LINK: Melania Trump Threatens To Sue News Outlets

Politics unfortunately brings out the worst in both sides and smearing the other candidate is a desperate attempt to get votes. More importantly, it is a calculated attempt on the campaign 'smearers' part to divert attention from their own disqualifications or shortcomings, whether professionally, or within the content of their character. She would know all about it if she paid a little more attention to Donald Trump's campaign. That is what he does everyday. Smearing and slandering various political candidates and reporters...NATO, The United Nations. This when he isn't busy making bigoted comments and fascist "final solution" suggestions about entire races and religions. Honestly, since Melania Trump thanks the Communist Party from her homeland for her and her family's "success"- it really didn't surprise me hearing that she was a highly paid political sex bartering tool, or "escort", whatever it was. This has apparently been proven false in any case- so she was just a nude model and got paid for the pictures...while being an illegal immigrant? This, while the daughter of an enemy of the state, that plagiarizes speeches, and lies about graduating college? Or is this what the lawsuits are really about??

................................

League of Communists of Slovenia
Ideology: Marxism-Leninism, Titoism -Photo and info courtesy of Wikipedia

Melania Trump and her proud Communist upbringing may have brought her a deep seeded hatred towards Muslims or minorities and she may be provoking an agenda through her husband that went partially unfulfilled back home. She did jump ship after the genocide ended because of efforts by the United States military and it's allies. She got a communist state sponsored trip to the catwalk after that! We should all be concerned that the League of Communists may be attempting to get one of their own in our White House. Only 5% of the population during her childhood were eager participants of the regime in her homeland. The story that we are being given is that her father joined only to secure employment and housing. The rest of the population (95%) rejected being part of a genocidal regime for meager opportunities. So the ideology is what must have attracted him more than anything. A power trip? So little is known other than the smokescreen that was given to the media and public. But we do know that Donald Trump and Viktor Knav, Melania Trump's father and League of Communists member , are very chummy. 

LINK: https://www.mrconservative.com/2015/10/66096-bombshell-details-about-melania-trumps-past-come-to-light-her-father-was-a-communist/

Luckily, we are free to do our own research and have educated opinions. I encourage everyone to do so and to make informed decisions about who will be given keys to the White House. I feel the Trumps, Knavs, and their totalitarian associates are a huge security concern. Our national security and values are at huge risk if they are allowed to get into a role where they could invoke a dictatorship- as nationalist genocidal leader Slobodan Milošević did. The Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort has recently been tied to the Pro-Russia ousted president of Ukraine, who escaped to Russia. He worked in his circles before working for Donald Trump, and is involved in apparent money laundering for the Pro-Kremlin agenda. This is just another issue to consider. Please use your right to vote wisely.

LINK: http://www.metronews.ca/news/world/2016/08/17/ap-sources-manafort-tied-to-undisclosed-foreign-lobbying.html

....................................................

In The Dark: What Country Did Your Prescription Come From?

Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is to enlighten anyone who receives prescriptions from a doctor in America and has them filled at an American pharmacy. 

Are your birth control pills made in India? If so, were you aware of it?

 Silly me.  I sure wasn't!  I thought that the prescriptions I have filled at my pharmacy were manufactured in the USA.  I was under the impression that it was illegal to purchase drugs from other countries, even if it was a personal choice.  I assumed prescriptions were regulated by the FDA on my soil.  It did not occur to me to squint my eyes and check the fine print.  To my surprise, these pills were manufactured in a factory overseas to be distributed by/for an American Pharmaceutical Company.  The FDA's mediocre and substandard regulatory practices set aside, me and my pill pack being considered worthy enough for their safety stamp of approval would have been welcome news.  Instead, uncertainty and betrayals... 

In light of the deliberate deceptions drug companies maneuver for profits and shady human testing done by those entities and our federal government that I am already aware of, I am baffled by my own gullibility.  I don't know why I didn't inquire with this simple observation without hesitation.  In fact, I wondered immediately of the many other women over 35 who are likely on this same mini-pill, if any pill at all.  There is a great mass of women involved.  A plethora of birth control pills that have been swallowed!  We share a general unawareness that the "generic" version of the birth control pill given out to save money is likely from one of the under-regulated factories overseas.

The FDA to their credit, has warned some overseas drug manufacturers such as in India, China, and Poland and given them violations.  Gross negligence reports include microbiological contamination, dosing errors, an absence of the expected drug in pills, and substandard ingredients or testing procedures in place.  When they do make the overseas visits which is not often enough, this is what our FDA inspectors repeatedly have found.  The factories are warned but not shut down to my knowledge.  Sometimes major drugs or batches of them are recalled in the process, but it is all allowed to continue while society as a whole is blind to it.  Glass particles?  Bugs in the packaging?  Lack of testing?  What else on earth will Big Pharma and Big Insurance think of next to save and make money off of our innocence and ignorance?  It puts lives at risk everyday.  Side effects and bad reactions cannot be monitored.  Vital medications are not being taken in the appropriate dose or even at all in some cases, but pharmaceutical consumers are acting under the false pretense that they are doing their part.  As much as I already mistrusted our train-wreck FDA and for-profit healthcare system, the corporate run healthcare system has failed even more miserably.  Integrity and ethics have been abandoned while national media attention is sorely lacking on this matter.  If social media has a viral frenzy eventually, then the government can only blame themselves.  After all, they have allowed our fascist healthcare system to make us all sick by skirting basic safety procedures and reaping huge profits.  This is while giving the bottom 98% the tax bill.  I am sure that a lot of companies manufacturing drugs for the USA have excellent standards and some definitely better than ours.  Our CDC and FDA are in need of reform.  But, if we can't even regulate our own labs and factories well enough and don't, why would it seem feasible to scout the world too?

A full disclosure should be made to patients.  Fine print to stumble upon isn't good enough.  Doctors, nurses, and pharmacies should disclose to patients exactly what they are giving them and where it came from ahead of time.  On every single pill, shot, IV, and bandage.  It should be a right to know what we are receiving and not be lied to.  If we wish to make an informed educated decision about what we may be taking (or not taking), we should be able to. 

Resources concerning FDA violations in overseas drug factories:

Link: FDA Warning Letter To Pharmaceutical Company Jelfa SA 7/14/11

Link: FDA alleges major violations, use of old ingredients at Chinese Pfizer plant

Link: FDA Issues Warning Letter to Chinese API Manufacturer for Data Manipulation Violations

Link: UPDATED: FDA castigates three Mylan sterile drug plants in warning letter

Link: More Drug Recalls From India – Do You Trust Foreign-Made Generics?

Freethinkers:The Holidays and Elections

Politics during an election year. 

The holiday season- October through January! 

Every. Single. Year. 

Both politics and "the holidays" have infiltrated our TV sets, are on street corners, billboards, and radio stations. In stores, airports, movie theaters, restaurants, and mailboxes. We can't seem to get away from opposing opinions to our personal belief systems. Viewpoints and propaganda may become infuriating at times. Unless we hide in our homes with earplugs and blinders, and refuse to interact with anyone, we will notice something about Christmas or Election 2016.

It is best to form your own beliefs based on logical thoughts, and what you believe deeply to be true in your heart, by rationally contrasting both. Whether it is spiritual notions or processing facts, being true to ourselves and our values can cause an argument with just about anyone if the right buttons get pushed in the process of sharing our views. I believe in celebrating whatever holiday least offends you, if any. Respect others and their beliefs, unless they are a threat to you directly in some way- then don't. Truth is greater than fiction; but kindness is more productive than aggression however in most cases. Happiness is better than misery any day! Some people just don't care about fairness or facts, and they don't respect you or your right to disagree or to be a freethinker. It is pointless to preach to those who are close minded because they will never give any opportunity to be proven wrong. That is the essence of a close minded person. They will brush you off, so it is better to do the same rather than frustrating yourself. They probably feel the same way, even if they are delusional in their viewpoint. Let's all get through it, with the least amount of damage possible- whether it's to avoid the risk of emotional scarring, economic turmoil, or complete homicidal anger. Holidays and election year bliss is possible for everyone! If we try hard....right?

Freethinkers: "someone who ​forms ​their own ​opinions and ​beliefs, ​especially about ​religion or ​politics, ​rather than just ​accepting what is ​officially or ​commonly ​believed and ​taught." - Cambridge Dictionary

Some independent thoughts on the holidays and elections:

1
It doesn't necessarily matter who wins the White House, look what happened with Barack Obama. If a new Democratic president cooperates with Republicans, or attempts to be open minded with them again in any way, the next 4 to 8 years will be lost trying to create jobs and tax the rich too. There could be another 300+ anti-abortion bills introduced. Social program cuts to pay for billionaire tax breaks may still be weekly. They are looking for scapegoats at this point just like Hitler did when that economy wasn't working for the rich who controlled it. They still don't care. 

2 
On a more positive note. Americans are granted the right to Freedom of Religion. That isn't going to change, even though right wing extremists would love it if it did. That constant threat scares a lot of people. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly, and the Right to Bear Arms will remain. Hate speech advocating violence against minorities, unconstitutional assembly, and gun wielding home grown terrorists are not covered under those Constitutional rights. So that's good. Those who perpetuate or participate in that sort of stuff may disagree, but that is also why it is tempting to live in a bubble so we don't have to hear them being celebrated and applauded. 

3 
Christmas trees are derived from the Pagans who celebrate Winter Solstice with evergreen trees, and they have since before Christianity. Christians have evergreen "Christmas trees" and simultaneously denounce pagans as evil, along with witchcraft and all it's symbols. This is hilariously funny every year to those in the know who do not celebrate the religious version of Christmas.

4
Hanukkah, is a celebration of Jewish ancestry and the tribe surviving being killed for their religious beliefs and regaining their temple after one such instance of standing up to a dictatorship imposing a religion on them- based on historical events. It isn't "Jewish Christmas." If anything, it could be considered a protest OF Christmas. 

5 
I am not offended by anything on earth infinitely more as a socially conscience person than religion and government not diligently being kept separated. Also, attempts at any national religion, or attempts to demonize any religion or race, are just as bothersome. I consider anyone who supports that fascism to be mentally ill, and without a cure. They are not welcome making decisions for me and my family, especially through any government legislation. They are disqualified to be in American government for holding those beliefs and pushing those agendas. They should be considered an enemy of America, and a domestic terrorist.

________________________________

Well with some luck, the 2016 Election race won't drive us all mad.
I hope everyone has a Happy Holiday season as well!

~Best wishes for you and your loved ones, and peace, love, and harmony~

Tipping Point for Americans

Civil unrest among citizens doesn't necessarily mean that they are violating any laws. To use the phrase "civil unrest" gives unfortunate imagery of people possibly deserving punishment of some sort for their behavior. In reality, unarmed people standing exercising their freedom to assemble does not include being chased down by army tanks or shot at with rubber bullets in a just society that honors its written laws. Freedom of speech, including the rights of media to pass knowledge on is protected under our constitution. Why were reporters assaulted and threatened with arrest in the recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri? This is one of many questions I have about our police state and militarism police response to protestors during the last few years. Occupy Wall Street documented the same type of events and abuses that have happened in Ferguson when the people refused to stand down to corruption and demanded answers in a peaceful manner. Has there been a tipping point that has turned the government to a war on its people rather than addressing financial and civil rights issues? If it were not for independent reporters and media outlets, this blog would not exist. Sharing of vital information about what really is happening around us and behind closed doors is proving an important means of survival and problem solving for those who would like solutions that benefit people and not harm. People at times seek justice from a government or fraction of it (I.e. police) and assembling in numbers in public is a peaceful way of showing disapproval for the wrongdoings and to seek justice. The violence towards those people and stripping of their rights further erodes the process for which they are merely standing up to protect. Americans have been led to believe that the laws written were worth the paper they were written on. As we are finding out with the International Treaty that was to protect Ukraine from being invaded by Russia again after winning their independence over 20 years ago, our laws that were written intended to protect citizens from a police state are worthless as well. To stand up is to be put down, and placed further out of the unconscious ideas of freedom that were engraved. Instead a dismal reality that you do not have those rights and that your voice is an enemy to your oppressor. Speak loudly, resist as long as possible, do not accept police brutality especially if our federal government is which seems to be the case.

Humanity in the United States

- photo from www.gchragd.org

The United Nations has now condemned the United States for punishing homelessness and criminalizing it, as no action has been taken to avert the illegal laws being put into place mostly by politicians who are ignorant and blame the homeless for their own condition. Making being homeless a crime or supporting it (or it's process) is a Fascist point of view. Most of the homelessness in this country was caused by the actions on the part of people who put their own profit motive ahead of humanity, mainly large corporations who have avoided paying taxes and regulation. This in turn created an undue tax burden on the middle class, which then created a large scale poverty problem, as social programs were cut as well by their  political representatives who supported them. The policies put into place under Reagan made a large recession, creating poverty and homelessness. However homelessness wasn't criminalized as it is being today.The Bush years made an almost elimination of regulation of companies and gave them huge tax breaks that pushed the country into a recession. Jobs became scarce, mediocre pay if anything. At the same time, the near elimination of welfare under Clinton pushed by a Republican Congress made it difficult to stay above water for many with children, and at the present time, basic needs are threatened further. The recovery under Obama has been slow if any because the Republicans and Tea Party have been concerned with eliminating women's rights, civil rights, and pushing religion further into government, not creating jobs. Even as far as wanting to rewrite history books to not include slavery or the holocaust. Destruction of our Constitution and it's amendments have been their priority, which has been evident by their track record in government and what they have pushed and passed into law: federally, at state levels, all the way down to city ordinances. To believe otherwise is foolish. Their propaganda has led many to vote for their platform that they could create a better country, for those who did not do their research or failed to understand. They have demanded laws that have been eliminating food for the poor, eliminating money for education, housing for the poor, etc. Now they have decided to criminalize homelessness, and police brutality has been commonplace in states such as Florida. It is a human right to be free from this kind of oppression from their government.

Helpful links for further understanding:

http://aattp.org/un-human-rights-committee-accuses-us-government-of-cruel-inhuman-and-degrading-treatment-of-homeless/

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-02-14/homelessness-poverty-criminalize/53094736/1

Earth Day 2014

-image from indiatodayin

Links all about Earth Day:

It's impact worldwide and how to take action in your city: 
http://www.earthday.org/greencities/

Origins of Earth Day and photographs: 
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140421-earth-day-2014-facts-environment-epa/

Mixed up Mother Earth

Global Warming/Climate Change deniers- please Google temperatures around the Arctic, here is a map. No it is not a conspiracy, this is real. It's 33 degrees in northern Norway currently. It's 39 degrees in Iceland at 11:40 CST. This could also have to do with a pole shift, not JUST the spilling of arctic air out of the Arctic Circle over the Northern Hemisphere. This is what has been happening all winter long 2013-2014 (aka Polar Vortexes) which are aggravated by the melting ice and affecting the polar winds in the arctic...This is why it keeps getting down to -10 or more in IL, with wind chills of -30 for so many days and it's a weather pattern.

-Map of Arctic Circle from Wikipedia

-Alaska area Temperatures 2014

Civil Rights Victory

-unknown

With human rights abuses all over the world, including here in America, it is a huge victory for the civil rights movement in general to hear good news. Currently 17 states allow same-sex marriage, 10 states recognize unions and partnerships, while 33 still have it banned. Although these 33 states ban it, this news is significant for equality for anyone who is LGBT. Because it applies to all federal employees, federal programs, and judicial systems, it thereby includes the states that still discriminate based on sexual orientation. The people affected in the states which ban same sex marriage are still allowed these equal civil rights under national law.  The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 is really an extension of the Civil Rights Acts and more specifically the 1969 federal hate crime law, which did not specifically cover sexual orientation based hate crimes. This news from the Justice Department is a step in implementing the laws. This shows a willingness to uphold the Civil Rights Acts and commitment to the fairness for all values which these laws are based on. 

Justice Department to give married same-sex couples equal protection:

Click here to read the article

Key excerpts from The Washington Post article:

Last summer, the Office of Personnel Management announced that federal employees in same-sex marriages could apply for health, dental, life, long-term care and retirement benefits. The Department of Health and Human Services said that legally married same-sex seniors on Medicare would be eligible for equal benefits and joint placement in nursing homes.

The Social Security Administration will pay death benefits to survivors of a same-sex marriage. The Department of Homeland Security will treat same-sex spouses equally for the purposes of obtaining a green card if the spouse is a foreign national. And the IRS has begun treating same-sex marriages equally for tax-filing purposes.

“We are, right now, in the middle of marking a number of 50-year anniversaries of key milestones in the civil rights movement,” Holder said Saturday night. “And yet, as all-important as the fight against racial discrimination was then, and remains today, know this: My commitment to confronting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity runs just as deep.”

-Picture from Human Rights Watch 

A Free Ukraine?

The pictures in this article tell the story of what struggles the people of Ukraine are having with their government. We always feel sorry for countries in the middle east or elsewhere that are controlled by a dictator, and attempt to step in to help, but Ukraine still isn't free! We are just supposed to believe that they have been freed from the Soviet Union, and that the Soviet Union no longer exists. So sad.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/27/world/europe/ukraine-protests/index.html?sr=sharebar_facebook

-Government Riot Police in Kiev (CNN)

-People's Opposition for a Free Ukraine (CNN)

UPDATE: I am a bit concerned with the percentage of white nationalists that are involved in this movement. I think that it is becoming a center of attention and focused upon, and is a blemish upon the humanitarian goals of the whole of the protesters, some 1 million strong. The Svoboda Party is one of the leaders of the opposition in Ukraine, and they are known white nationalists. Some indeed are on the side of the protesters for abuses from the government, and want independence from persistent Russian control, but for different reasons. Their ideology and goals include a rehashing of a Soviet Regime independently. Re-segregation of minorities, including the branding of race and religion on passports once again, like the old Soviet Union, is in their plans. This is disturbing at the least, but their plans go even further. 

They are overshadowing the other parties and citizens involved, who have freedom in mind, as well as LESS dictatorship, not MORE, and a democracy that is fair to all. The vast majority want independence from Putin and his plans for a Eurasia Union with China meant to oppose the USA and the EU. Most want to be part of the European Union, they want their votes counted. They want fair and just laws without discrimination based on race or religion. etc. While the Neo-Nazis are a small fraction in comparison, it is something that cannot be ignored in moving forward. 

Unfortunately, the word needs to get out about this as well, because there are a lot of assumptions being made about the entire opposition movement, based on the Nazi signs and flags, the speeches, etc made by some Svoboda Party who are joining the protesters. They are more than happy to be in the center of media attention and destroying international support for the overthrow of a corrupted government. If this continues, the Ukrainian government will not be remedied. Then, Putin will be in a position to impose his power on the people of Ukraine even further through their government. 

Polar Vortex

The high temperature on Monday is forecast to be -6 degrees thus far. This will be the 4th day in 2 weeks that schools will probably be cancelled, as well as other normal weekday activities will be interrupted, or shut down. I am glad that school has been for health and safety reasons. This polar vortex will be the 2nd for this year. Warm Arctic, cold continents. 

-Maine Sunday Telegram

Live Instagram Photos from Chicago Tribune

^weather photos from around Chicago^

What's a Polar Vortex?:

 The Science Behind Arctic Outbreaks:

http://www.wunderground.com/news/polar-vortex-plunge-science-behind-arctic-cold-outbreaks-20140106

^including pictures of melting ice sheets^

Warm temperatures in Alaska, while extreme cold in the lower 48:

http://robertscribbler.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/arctic-heat-wave-to-rip-polar-vortex-in-half-shatter-alaskas-all-time-record-high-for-january/