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About A4M | Worldhealth.net Anti-Aging News

Posted on January 22, 2017 by ev1

Established in 1991, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) is a US federally registered 501(c) 3 non-profit organization comprised of 26,000-plus member physicians, health practitioners, scientists, governmental officials, and members of the general public, representing over 120 nations.

The A4M is dedicated to the advancement of technology to detect, prevent, and treat aging related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and optimize the human aging process. The A4M is also dedicated to educating physicians, scientists, and members of the public on biomedical sciences, breaking technologies, and anti-aging issues.

The A4M believes that the disabilities associated with normal aging are caused by physiological dysfunction which in many cases are ameliorable to medical treatment, such that the human lifespan can be increased, and the quality of one's life enhanced as one grows chronologically older.

The A4M seeks to disseminate information concerning innovative science and research as well as treatment modalities designed to prolong the human lifespan. Anti-Aging Medicine is based on the scientific principles of responsible medical care consistent with those of other healthcare specialties. Although the A4M seeks to disseminate information on many types of medical treatments, it does not promote or endorse any specific treatment nor does it sell or endorse any commercial product.

The A4M is comprised of 26,000-plus members from 120 nations worldwide, as follows:

The disciplines of our physician members are roughly as follows:

Germ Warfare: Learning About Germs

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Danzig

Hand washing and safe food handling are very important to me. Im not above bringing food safety brochures to potlucks. This fixation is not without cause, though; as a teenager, I contracted my first obvious food-borne illness after eating strawberries in Mexico City.

During the space of the next few years, I had the educational experience of coming down with G.I. infections of Staph and Salmonella, also due to the unsafe food handling practices of others. And then, in my youth, I landed a job that required me to become a certified food service manager. It was during this training course that I learned the sad fact that most food-borne illnesses are attributable to fecal matter under the fingernails. Serious EW!

In the Food Service Sanitation class, I also learned that the top 3 ways to prevent food-borne illness are: wash your hands, wash your hands, and wash your hands.

Knowing my interest, and tolerating it exceptionally well, my friend Kelly, the homeschool mom who coordinates my kids science club, asked me to present a unit on microbiology this spring. Imagine my delight at being asked to share the Gospel of Food Safety with seven impressionable children! I found many resources to tap, and put together a loosely structured unit that began with hand washing, then moved to safe food handling, and then into kitchen sanitation.

Using Googles image search, I found plenty of pictures of bacteria and some of the hideous effects they can have on the human body. Among the photos was a lovely image of the E.coli bacterium, in which it looks like a pink duster: fuzzy and deceptively harmless. Having once dreamed of being a puppeteer, I decided this was my chance; I made an old pink sock into an E. Coli puppet, by sticking bright pink feathers into the knit, so the effect was somewhat like a humongous E. Coli bacterium. So I opened the microbiology unit with a brief and-to me, anyway-funny talk given by the puppet. Escher, as the puppet liked to be called, had to speak up to be heard over the groans of the 10-to-15-year-olds in the audience.

OK, so the puppet was a flop. But things went better from there. We had a lot of fun doing experiments with GloGerm, a harmless product that simulates the presence of bacteria. It comes in powder and lotion, and once rubbed in to hands, cutting boards, cutlery, etc., it cant be seen without aid of a black light. For the first experiment, I secretly rubbed GloGerm lotion into my hands, then shook hands with each student. After a while, we went into the bathroom-the only windowless room in the house-and looked at each childs hands and face under the black light. They were amazed at how the bacteria transferred from hands to noses, eyes, and mouths. The kids soon came up with some original ideas about how they wanted to use this product.

As much as the kids liked the GloGerm experiments, they were even more enthusiastic about the experiments in which they cultured swabs of various surfaces, from the dog and cats mouths, to telephones, doorknobs, and bathroom fixtures. Everyone was grossed out when we viewed the colonies of bacteria that had grown on the agar plates.

Even though the topic was icky and many of the experiments disgusting, the science club kids seemed to enjoy the unit a great deal. The group came away with a greater understanding of- and appreciation for the factors that contribute to food-borne illness. They were so appreciative that they even gave me a funny and thoughtful card, and a gag gift: a microbiology safety kit they put together, containing rubber gloves, a can of Lysol, hand sanitizer and so on. Or maybe they gave it to me as a good riddance gift. I may never know.

I saved dozens of links from my searches for interesting microbiology activities, but space doesnt permit me to list them all here, so my very faves appear below. I hope you and yours can share the gross fun!

-Shay

Food Safety.gov The gateway to government food safety information provides news and safety alerts, consumer advice, info for kids, teens and educators, and much more. The best single site on this topic.

Science and Our Food Supply Curriculum for use in middle level and high school science classes. My primary resource, adapted to suit the interest of the group.

Food Safety Music The Elvis of E. Coli provides new lyrics to old rock songs, including Stomach Ache Tonight, We Are the Microbes, and many more hits. Listen to the songs, read the lyrics, and order your own copy.

Federal Citizen Information Center Lots of materials to download for free or order for a nominal fee.

Microbe World Resources and hands-on activities. This is where I found a neat Fun with Fomites experiment that the science club kids especially enjoyed.

Can We Get Too Clean? A paper written by a college student, provided to encourage others to themselves learn about and think through subjects of interest.

Virtual Museum of Bacteria Brings together many links on bacteria, bacteriology, and related topics available on the web. It also provides crystal-clear information about many aspects of bacteria.

Bacteria Study Kit This is the most homeschool-friendly and all-in-one source for culturing common bacteria. Unfortunately, I found it after I ordered something inferior and more expensive from another source.

Henry the Hand Henry offers information on food safety and the importance of hand washing, plus activities and a contest.

Educational Worksheets from GlowGerm The producer of GlowGerm, the bacteria simulator, offers some experiments and information for educators.

Sponges and Sinks and Rags, Oh, My! Where microbes lurk and how to rout them.

How Stuff Works: Black Light Of course, the kids wanted to know how the black light works.

2004, 2005 Shay Seaborne; Used by permission

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Germ Warfare: Learning About Germs

Pantheism Beliefs Explained – About.com Religion …

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Danzig

By Catherine Beyer

Updated February 22, 2016.

Pantheism is the belief the God and the universe are one and the same. There is no dividing line between the two. Pantheism is a type of religious belief rather than a specific religion, similar to terms like monotheism (belief in a single God, as embraced by religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Baha'i Faith, and Zoroastrianism) and polytheism (belief in multiple gods, as embraced by a wide variety of pagan cultures such as the ancient Greeks and Romans).

Pantheists view God as immanent and impersonal. The belief system grew out of the Scientific Revolution, and pantheists generally are strong supporters of scientific inquiry, as well as religious toleration.

Because God is uncreated and infinite, the universe is likewise uncreated and infinite.

God did not choose one day to make the universe. Rather, it exists precisely because God exists, since the two are the same thing.

This does not need to contradict scientific theories such as the Big Bang. The changing of the universe is all part of the nature of God as well. It simply states there was something before the Big Bang, an idea that is certainly debated in scientific circles.

Pantheism is also not deism. Deist beliefs are sometimes described as not having a personal God, but in that case it is not meant to say the God has no consciousness. The deist God actively created the universe. He is impersonal in the sense that he retreated from the universe after its creation, uninterested in listening to or interacting with believers.

Pantheism is not animism. Animism is the belief - animals, trees, rivers, mountains, etc. - that all things have a spirit. However, these spirits are unique rather than being part of a greater spiritual whole. These spirits are frequently approached with reverence and offerings to ensure continued goodwill between humanity and the spirits.

Albert Einstein stated "I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings." He also stated that "science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind," underscoring that pantheism is neither anti-religious nor atheistic.

Pantheism Beliefs Explained - About.com Religion ...

Half a Life (Star Trek: The Next Generation) – Wikipedia

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

"Half a Life" is the 22nd episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 96th episode overall. It was originally released on May 6, 1991, in broadcast syndication. The episode was the first of the series written by Peter Allan Fields, who later joined the writing staff. Director Les Landau said that "Half a Life" was a morality play about "how society deals with the elderly".[2]

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship Enterprise. In this episode, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) falls in love with Timicin (David Ogden Stiers), a Kaelon scientist who is attempting to test his theories of stellar ignition in the hopes of saving his world's dying star. The experiment fails, and Lwaxana encourages Timicin to continue his research, but as he is about to turn sixty years of age, he prepares instead for a ritual suicide. According to Timicin's cultural tradition, his people voluntarily choose euthanasia to prevent the aged from becoming a burden to the younger generation.

The episode features the first appearance of Michelle Forbes in the Star Trek franchise; she would later appear as Ensign Ro Laren during season five. The cast praised the story and the expansion of the Lwaxana character. The episode received positive reviews, with critics noting the performances of Stiers and Barrett, their character's love story, and the changes to the Lwaxana character.

The U.S.S. Enterprise takes aboard Deanna Troi's (Marina Sirtis) eccentric mother Lwaxana (Majel Barrett) and Dr. Timicin (David Ogden Stiers) of Kaelon II. Timicin is brought aboard to conduct an experiment which he hopes will save his threatened home planet, as its sun is in a state of near-collapse. The Federation enlists the Enterprise to take Timicin to a sun in a similar state of decay to conduct experiments which may yield a method for saving the Kaelon system from destruction.

Upon arrival at their destination, the crew assists Timicin in modifying photon torpedos to launch into the proxy sun with the expectation that it will repair the damaged star and prove that the technique can be safely applied to the Kaelon sun. The torpedos are fired and, although the experiment seems initially to work, the effect is short-lived and the star explodes. The Enterprise returns to Kaelon II. Timicin is crushed, and after some questioning by Lwaxana, he reveals that there are other things troubling him. Timicin tells Lwaxana that he is about to turn 60, and on Kaelon II, everyone who reaches that age performs the "Resolution", a ritual act of voluntary euthanasia. Lwaxana is outraged to learn of this and brings it to the attention of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Picard makes it clear to Lwaxana that due to the Prime Directive, he will not interfere in the planet's local affairs. Lwaxana tries to beam herself down to the planet to halt the process herself but she is thwarted by Deanna who comforts her.

After Lwaxana and Timicin spend an evening together, he tries to explain the custom of the Resolution. He tells her that a fixed age had to be selected by the Kaelons because just randomly choosing a time to die would be heartless. Lwaxana finds the practice barbaric and refuses to accept the Kaelon tradition. She tells Timicin how a Betazed woman on her planet successfully fought the tradition of wearing ornate wigs that contained live, captive birds. It only took one courageous woman to step forward and end this cruel tradition. Lwaxana also compares Timicin's plans to end his life with his research to save his star. If it is Timicin's time to die, Lwaxana argues, perhaps it is also time for his star to die as well, so why should he continue to try to prevent it? Timicin thinks about what Lwaxana has told him.

Timicin's analysis of the failed test turns up some promising options, but if he follows through with the Resolution, no one will have his experience and knowledge to carry on his work to save his world. Concerned, Timicin requests asylum on the Enterprise so that he can renounce the Resolution and continue his research. B'Tardat (Terrence E. McNally), the Science Minister on Kaelon II, is outraged after learning of Timicin's request for asylum, and he sends up two warships to ensure that the Enterprise does not leave the system with Timicin on board. As Picard orders the bridge crew to analyze the offensive capabilities of the Kaelonian ships, Timicin realizes that his situation is not as simple as he had hoped, for his home planet will not accept any further reports from him, and he is told that even if he does find a solution, they will not accept it.

Dara (Michelle Forbes), Timicin's daughter, beams on board the Enterprise to insist that he return to Kaelon II and undergo the Resolution. She tells him that she cannot bear the thought of him being laid to rest anywhere but next to her mother and, although she loves him, she is ashamed of him. Timicin realizes that he is not the man to forge a cultural revolution, and agrees to return to Kaelon II. Lwaxana, despite her disagreement, realizes that Timicin's decision is his to make. As it is the custom for loved ones to be present at the Resolution, Lwaxana beams down to be with him at his side as he dies.

"Half a Life" was the first Star Trek credit for writer Peter Allan Fields, who would later co-write the "The Inner Light" with Morgan Gendel before becoming a staff writer on Star Trek: The Next Generation during season five.[3][4] Prior to writing the script, Fields reviewed "Haven" and "Manhunt", the two previous Lwaxana Troi episodes, but did not use them as references except to note Lwaxana's level of privilege. "I realized that you give her as much as they'll let her have. She'll take it", he explained.[2]

Marina Sirtis, who played Lwaxana's daughter Deanna Troi on the show, thought that compared to earlier episodes, "Half a Life" showed a different side of her character's mother. Lwaxana's interactions in the episode, argues Sirtis, considerably broadened the character; previous episodes had a tendency to become centered around Deanna and Lwaxana.[2] Sirtis and director Les Landau felt that the plot of "Half a Life" resembled a morality play. Landau noted the similarity between the episode and the morality play-style plots that franchise creator Gene Roddenberry included in Star Trek: The Original Series.[2][5] "It deals with the whole issue of growing old and how society deals with the elderly and, in my mind, it was one of the most pertinent story-lines I have done", Landau recalled.[2]

The episode guest starred David Ogden Stiers, best known for his role as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on the American television series M*A*S*H. Stiers, a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was enthusiastic when the producers asked him if he would be interested in appearing on the show. On the set during production, Stiers met Gene Roddenberry, the series producer, and was invited to his house to practice scenes with Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett.[6] Stiers described Roddenberry as "a grand old man - not in his behaviour but in people's deference to him".[6]

Speaking highly of the story in "Half a Life", Stiers indicated that the mood of the episode accentuated the debate over Timicin's decision to end his life. "It was an emotionally involved piece. The script quite responsibly argued both sides [of the suicide] issue and left the viewer to determine whether such a practice is acceptable or not," Stiers said. "That episode was more powerful than simply a discussion."[6]

Michelle Forbes makes her first The Next Generation appearance in "Half a Life", in a performance which led directly to her later casting in the larger role of Ensign Ro Laren, a recurring character from season five onwards.[3][4]

"Half a Life" was first released within the United States on May 6, 1991, in broadcast syndication.[7]Keith DeCandido, in a review for Tor.com, commended Stiers' acting, saying that he gave "a noble, nuanced performance as Timicin."[3] He also approved of the episode, saying that it was the first time that Lwaxana Troi was treated as a real character without causing him to cringe; at the same time, DeCandido did not forget the problems with her previous appearances on the show.[3] Noting that it was one of the best episodes to feature a Prime Directive debate, DeCandido endorsed the writer's idea not to take sides regarding the suicide. "This is a magnificent, tragic love story, one that takes a thin character and gives her depth, one that gives us a beautifully realized guest character in Timicin (casting Stiers was a masterstroke, as he always brings subtle nuance to his roles), and one that takes its issues seriously," DeCandido wrote.[3] He gave the episode a score of eight out of ten,[3] later concluding that it featured "one of the show's most tragic love stories."[8]

In their book The Unauthorized Trek: The Complete Next Generation, James Van Hise and Hal Schuster observed a significant improvement in Majel Barrett's performance in this episode compared to her previous appearances.[9] They said that Barrett was "capable of depth and feeling",[9] and described the ending of the episode as "touching and disturbing". A society shouldn't naturally evolve to include ritual suicide, Van Hise and Schuster argue, but population control methods such as the one-child policy in China, appear linked to a similar required effect, albeit through different means.[9]

Reviewing the episode for The A.V. Club, Zack Handlen said that Timicin served as an "excellent foil" for Lwaxana and made her "seem less ridiculous".[10] The relationship between Lwaxana and Timicin "has a believable core", even if it is "broad and arguably rushed", writes Handlen.[10] "There are some powerful moments... and it's pleasant for once to see Lwaxana adding, rather than subtracting, from a storyline."[10] Handlen, however, criticizes the setup of Timicin's situation, as it reduced the characterization available to some of the Enterprise crew.[10] In spite of its flaw, Handlen decides that "the episode largely redeems itself by staying true to its main point: No matter how much time you have left, it's never enough."[10]

"Half a Life" was first released on VHS cassette in the United States and Canada on July 23, 1996.[11] The episode was later released in the United States on September 3, 2002, as part of the Star Trek: The Next Generation season four DVD box set.[12] The first Blu Ray release was in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2013,[13] followed by the United States on July 30.[14]

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Half a Life (Star Trek: The Next Generation) - Wikipedia

Ayn Rand Made US a Selfish, Greedy Nation

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

Levine writes: "Ayn Rand helped make the United States into one of the most uncaring nations in the industrialized world, a neo-Dickensian society where healthcare is only for those who can afford it, and where young people are coerced into huge student-loan debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy."

Ayn Rand's influence spans 60 years, with Alan Greenspan, Ronald Reagan, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) among her notable acolytes and devotees. (photo: Barnes & Noble Review)

By Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet

17 December 11

Ayn Rand's "philosophy" is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.

nly rarely in U.S. history do writers transform us to become a more caring or less caring nation. In the 1850s, Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was a strong force in making the United States a more humane nation, one that would abolish slavery of African Americans. A century later, Ayn Rand (1905-1982) helped make the United States into one of the most uncaring nations in the industrialized world, a neo-Dickensian society where healthcare is only for those who can afford it, and where young people are coerced into huge student-loan debt that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

Rand's impact has been widespread and deep. At the iceberg's visible tip is the influence she's had over major political figures who have shaped American society. In the 1950s, Ayn Rand read aloud drafts of what was later to become Atlas Shrugged to her "Collective," Rand's ironic nickname for her inner circle of young individualists, which included Alan Greenspan, who would serve as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board from 1987 to 2006.

In 1966, Ronald Reagan wrote in a personal letter, "Am an admirer of Ayn Rand." Today, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) credits Rand for inspiring him to go into politics, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) calls Atlas Shrugged his "foundation book." Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) says Ayn Rand had a major influence on him, and his son Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is an even bigger fan. A short list of other Rand fans includes Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; Christopher Cox, chairman of the Security and Exchange Commission in George W. Bush's second administration; and former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford.

But Rand's impact on U.S. society and culture goes even deeper.

The Seduction of Nathan Blumenthal

Ayn Rand's books such as The Virtue of Selfishness and her philosophy that celebrates self-interest and disdains altruism may well be, as Vidal assessed, "nearly perfect in its immorality." But is Vidal right about evil? Charles Manson, who himself did not kill anyone, is the personification of evil for many of us because of his psychological success at exploiting the vulnerabilities of young people and seducing them to murder. What should we call Ayn Rand's psychological ability to exploit the vulnerabilities of millions of young people so as to influence them not to care about anyone besides themselves?

While Greenspan (tagged "A.G." by Rand) was the most famous name that would emerge from Rand's Collective, the second most well-known name to emerge from the Collective was Nathaniel Branden, psychotherapist, author and "self-esteem" advocate. Before he was Nathaniel Branden, he was Nathan Blumenthal, a 14-year-old who read Rand's The Fountainhead again and again. He later would say, "I felt hypnotized." He describes how Rand gave him a sense that he could be powerful, that he could be a hero. He wrote one letter to his idol Rand, then a second. To his amazement, she telephoned him, and at age 20, Nathan received an invitation to Ayn Rand's home. Shortly after, Nathan Blumenthal announced to the world that he was incorporating Rand in his new name: Nathaniel Branden. And in 1955, with Rand approaching her 50th birthday and Branden his 25th, and both in dissatisfying marriages, Ayn bedded Nathaniel.

What followed sounds straight out of Hollywood, but Rand was straight out of Hollywood, having worked for Cecil B. DeMille. Rand convened a meeting with Nathaniel, his wife Barbara (also a Collective member), and Rand's own husband Frank. To Branden's astonishment, Rand convinced both spouses that a time-structured affair-she and Branden were to have one afternoon and one evening a week together-was "reasonable." Within the Collective, Rand is purported to have never lost an argument. On his trysts at Rand's New York City apartment, Branden would sometimes shake hands with Frank before he exited. Later, all discovered that Rand's sweet but passive husband would leave for a bar, where he began his self-destructive affair with alcohol.

By 1964, the 34-year-old Nathaniel Branden had grown tired of the now 59-year-old Ayn Rand. Still sexually dissatisfied in his marriage to Barbara and afraid to end his affair with Rand, Branden began sleeping with a married 24-year-old model, Patrecia Scott. Rand, now "the woman scorned," called Branden to appear before the Collective, whose nickname had by now lost its irony for both Barbara and Branden. Rand's justice was swift. She humiliated Branden and then put a curse on him: "If you have one ounce of morality left in you, an ounce of psychological health-you'll be impotent for the next twenty years! And if you achieve potency sooner, you'll know it's a sign of still worse moral degradation!"

Rand completed the evening with two welt-producing slaps across Branden's face. Finally, in a move that Stalin and Hitler would have admired, Rand also expelled poor Barbara from the Collective, declaring her treasonous because Barbara, preoccupied by her own extramarital affair, had neglected to fill Rand in soon enough on Branden's extra-extra-marital betrayal. (If anyone doubts Alan Greenspan's political savvy, keep in mind that he somehow stayed in Rand's good graces even though he, fixed up by Branden with Patrecia's twin sister, had double-dated with the outlaws.)

After being banished by Rand, Nathaniel Branden was worried that he might be assassinated by other members of the Collective, so he moved from New York to Los Angeles, where Rand fans were less fanatical. Branden established a lucrative psychotherapy practice and authored approximately 20 books, 10 of them with either "Self" or "Self-Esteem" in the title. Rand and Branden never reconciled, but he remains an admirer of her philosophy of self-interest.

Ayn Rand's personal life was consistent with her philosophy of not giving a shit about anybody but herself. Rand was an ardent two-pack-a-day smoker, and when questioned about the dangers of smoking, she loved to light up with a defiant flourish and then scold her young questioners on the "unscientific and irrational nature of the statistical evidence." After an x-ray showed that she had lung cancer, Rand quit smoking and had surgery for her cancer. Collective members explained to her that many people still smoked because they respected her and her assessment of the evidence; and that since she no longer smoked, she ought to tell them. They told her that she needn't mention her lung cancer, that she could simply say she had reconsidered the evidence. Rand refused.

How Rand's Philosophy Seduced Young Minds

When I was a kid, my reading included comic books and Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. There wasn't much difference between the comic books and Rand's novels in terms of the simplicity of the heroes. What was different was that unlike Superman or Batman, Rand made selfishness heroic, and she made caring about others weakness.

Rand said, "Capitalism and altruism are incompatible....The choice is clear-cut: either a new morality of rational self-interest, with its consequences of freedom, justice, progress and man's happiness on earth-or the primordial morality of altruism, with its consequences of slavery, brute force, stagnant terror and sacrificial furnaces." For many young people, hearing that it is "moral" to care only about oneself can be intoxicating, and some get addicted to this idea for life.

I have known several people, professionally and socially, whose lives have been changed by those close to them who became infatuated with Ayn Rand. A common theme is something like this: "My ex-husband wasn't a bad guy until he started reading Ayn Rand. Then he became a completely selfish jerk who destroyed our family, and our children no longer even talk to him."

To wow her young admirers, Rand would often tell a story of how a smart-aleck book salesman had once challenged her to explain her philosophy while standing on one leg. She replied: "Metaphysics-objective reality. Epistemology-reason. Ethics-self-interest. Politics-capitalism." How did that philosophy capture young minds?

Metaphysics-objective reality. Rand offered a narcotic for confused young people: complete certainty and a relief from their anxiety. Rand believed that an "objective reality" existed, and she knew exactly what that objective reality was. It included skyscrapers, industries, railroads, and ideas-at least her ideas. Rand's objective reality did not include anxiety or sadness. Nor did it include much humor, at least the kind where one pokes fun at oneself. Rand assured her Collective that objective reality did not include Beethoven's, Rembrandt's, and Shakespeare's realities-they were too gloomy and too tragic, basically buzzkillers. Rand preferred Mickey Spillane and, towards the end of her life, "Charlie's Angels."

Epistemology-reason. Rand's kind of reason was a "cool-tool" to control the universe. Rand demonized Plato, and her youthful Collective members were taught to despise him. If Rand really believed that the Socratic Method described by Plato of discovering accurate definitions and clear thinking did not qualify as "reason," why then did she regularly attempt it with her Collective? Also oddly, while Rand mocked dark moods and despair, her "reasoning" directed that Collective members should admire Dostoyevsky, whose novels are filled with dark moods and despair. A demagogue, in addition to hypnotic glibness, must also be intellectually inconsistent, sometimes boldly so. This eliminates challenges to authority by weeding out clear-thinking young people from the flock.

Ethics-self-interest. For Rand, all altruists were manipulators. What could be more seductive to kids who discerned the motives of martyr parents, Christian missionaries and U.S. foreign aiders? Her champions, Nathaniel Branden still among them, feel that Rand's view of "self-interest" has been horribly misrepresented. For them, self-interest is her hero architect Howard Roark turning down a commission because he couldn't do it exactly his way. Some of Rand's novel heroes did have integrity, however, for Rand there is no struggle to discover the distinction between true integrity and childish vanity. Rand's integrity was her vanity, and it consisted of getting as much money and control as possible, copulating with whomever she wanted regardless of who would get hurt, and her always being right. To equate one's selfishness, vanity, and egotism with one's integrity liberates young people from the struggle to distinguish integrity from selfishness, vanity, and egotism.

Politics-capitalism. While Rand often disparaged Soviet totalitarian collectivism, she had little to say about corporate totalitarian collectivism, as she conveniently neglected the reality that giant U.S. corporations, like the Soviet Union, do not exactly celebrate individualism, freedom, or courage. Rand was clever and hypocritical enough to know that you don't get rich in the United States talking about compliance and conformity within corporate America. Rather, Rand gave lectures titled: "America's Persecuted Minority: Big Business." So, young careerist corporatists could embrace Rand's self-styled "radical capitalism" and feel radical - radical without risk.

Rand's Legacy

In recent years, we have entered a phase where it is apparently okay for major political figures to publicly embrace Rand despite her contempt for Christianity. In contrast, during Ayn Rand's life, her philosophy that celebrated self-interest was a private pleasure for the 1 percent but she was a public embarrassment for them. They used her books to congratulate themselves on the morality of their selfishness, but they publicly steered clear of Rand because of her views on religion and God. Rand, for example, had stated on national television, "I am against God. I don't approve of religion. It is a sign of a psychological weakness. I regard it as an evil."

Actually, again inconsistent, Rand did have a God. It was herself. She said:

While Harriet Beecher Stowe shamed Americans about the United State's dehumanization of African Americans and slavery, Ayn Rand removed Americans' guilt for being selfish and uncaring about anyone except themselves. Not only did Rand make it "moral" for the wealthy not to pay their fair share of taxes, she "liberated" millions of other Americans from caring about the suffering of others, even the suffering of their own children.

The good news is that I've seen ex-Rand fans grasp the damage that Rand's philosophy has done to their lives and to then exorcize it from their psyche. Can the United States as a nation do the same thing?

Ayn Rand Made US a Selfish, Greedy Nation

Atlas Shrugged Quotes by Ayn Rand

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility, is the man responsible for all the blood that is now spilled in the world. Reality is an absolute, existence is an absolute, a speck of dust is an absolute and so is a human life. Whether you live or die is an absolute. Whether you have a piece of bread or not, is an absolute. Whether you eat your bread or see it vanish into a looter's stomach, is an absolute.

There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. The man who is wrong still retains some respect for truth, if only by accepting the responsibility of choice. But the man in the middle is the knave who blanks out the truth in order to pretend that no choice or values exist, who is willing to sit out the course of any battle, willing to cash in on the blood of the innocent or to crawl on his belly to the guilty, who dispenses justice by condemning both the robber and the robbed to jail, who solves conflicts by ordering the thinker and the fool to meet each other halfway. In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit. In that transfusion of blood which drains the good to feed the evil, the compromise is the transmitting rubber tube. Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

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Atlas Shrugged Quotes by Ayn Rand

Darwinism and World War One – creation.com

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

by Lita Cosner

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The evolutionary ideas of Charles Darwin (18091882) destructively influenced many of the Western worlds leaders in the early 20th century. In particular, intellectuals in Germany were among the earliest to embrace Darwinism enthusiastically, and to apply its concept of the survival of the fittest to human society. That is, they applied the subtitle of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1859). The most infamous result of this was the Holocaust,1 but social Darwinism was also a major influence in the events leading up to World War One.

In the decades leading up to World War One, intellectuals embraced Darwinism and its ethical implications as a welcome alternative to Christian belief and ethics. Ernst Haeckel (18341919), the most famous German Darwinist of the time, and notorious forger of embryo diagrams,2 believed that evolution would bring forth a complete revolution in the entire world view of humanity.3 He argued that Darwinism required the abandonment of Christian morals.

Until the advent of Darwinism, the sanctity of human life was taken for granted in European law and thought. But many German intellectuals began to argue that some had a greater right to life than others, namely, those who are deemed more valuable to society. This inequality was mainly based on race, but the Darwinists argued that there were inferior individuals within a race as well. For instance, zoologist and politician Karl Vogt (18171895) argued that a mentally handicapped child was closer in value to an ape than to his own parents.4 It should thus not be surprising that the worlds first eugenics5 society was founded in Germany, promoting the concept founded by Darwins cousin Francis Galton (18221911).6

While the belief in German superiority led the Nazis to exterminate undesirable individuals, during WW1 German Darwinists used the same idea to justify war on states which they deemed inferior.

German social Darwinists were enamoured with the vision of the master race, which in their mind was the Nordic or Germanic race. Eugenicist Alfred Ploetz (18601940) coined the term racial hygiene (Rassenhygiene), and later welcomed the Nazis as the ones who would put this into practice. While the belief in German superiority led the Nazis to exterminate undesirable individuals, during WW1 German Darwinists used the same idea to justify war on states which they deemed inferior. They believed that the destiny of the master race was to dominate or eliminate inferior races, and the most obvious way to accomplish this was through war. In their view, all races and states were in competition for survival, and those who would not wage war would perish.7 In other words war is inevitable and peace is merely an armistice in the continuous battle between races and groups for survival.8

The concept of Lebensraum or living space was one of the justifications for the Germans in both World Wars to take over their neighbouring countries. While Germany was not actually overcrowded, they believed that since one side or the other was always advancing, without war, inferior or decaying races would easily choke the growth of healthy budding elements, and a universal decadence would follow.9 Max Weber emphasized this racial competition:

Because of the view of war as an evolutionary instrument, the German leaders regarded war as a desirable option, even though they could not be sure of a victory.

Interestingly, German Darwinists were divided about whether war was beneficial for the master race. Some were pacifists, including Haeckel, because they believed that war would kill off mainly the best members of the master race, but anthropologist Otto Ammon (18421916) believed that war was the only way to test which nation was stronger and to grant victory to the fittest opponent.11 Of course, there was the problem of undesirable individuals in the German population as well; Ploetz suggested sending them to the front lines so they would be killed before those who were deemed to be more fit.12

Because of this view of war as an evolutionary instrument, the German leaders regarded war as a desirable option, even though they could not be sure of a victory. There was also a fatalistic element; they believed that it was their destiny and that they were fulfilling their preordained role in the development of the world.13

Some argue that because Darwin did not directly apply the principles of social Darwinism, the term, and its connection to evolutionary thought, is invalid. But Darwin himself said that killing in the animal kingdom was a way for evolution to progress:

Darwin simply was reluctant to apply this principle to humans, but the German social Darwinists did not share his disinclination. While there were other factors that caused World War 1, the German leaderships universal belief in social Darwinism and its anti-Christian ethical system justified their militarism and made it into a moral good.

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Darwinism and World War One - creation.com

Home : Rice University Department of English

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

Study abroad at the University of Exeter through the Rice English Department English majors who have completed both ENGL 200 and 300 and who have at least a 3.0 can apply to study abroad at the University of Exeter and receive Rice academic credit. For more information, please contact Dongming De Angelis in the Study Abroad Office and/or visit the Exeter website.The deadline is March 15th for the Fall semester and October 15th for Spring. Students should complete both the Rice and Exeter applications See more information about the application process and deadlines here.

Congratulations to English Alumnus Ibrahim Khan! Rice alumnus Muhammad Ibrahim Khan is one of 32 U.S. students who has won the distinguished Marshall Scolarship for 2016. The scholarship funds American students pursuing graduate studies in the UK. Marshall Scholars are selected based on academic merit, leadership potential, and ambassadorial potential. Ibrahim graduated in 2013 from Rice with a B.A. in English and cognitive science, and is currently a graduate student at Dartmouth College. With the Marshall Scholarship, he will undertake a graduate degree in philosophy in Islamic studies and history at Oxford University. Read more at Rice News.

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Rock Hill, South Carolina – Wikipedia

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

Pre-colonizationEdit

Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples lived in the Piedmont for thousands of years. The historic Catawba Indian Nation, a traditionally Siouan-speaking tribe, was here at the time of European encounter. Currently the only tribe in South Carolina that is federally recognized, its members live near Rock Hill.

Although some European settlers had already arrived in the Rock Hill area in the 1830s and 1840s, Rock Hill did not become an actual town until the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad Company made the decision to send a rail line through the area. Originally, the railroad had hoped to build a station in the nearby village of Ebenezerville which was squarely between Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina. When approached, however, the locals in Ebenezerville refused to have the railroad run through their village since they considered it dirty and noisy. Instead, engineers and surveyors decided to run the line two miles away by a local landmark. According to some accounts, the engineers marked the spot on the map and named it "rocky hill."[6](p26)

Some of Rock Hill's early founding familiesthe White family, the Black family, and the Mooresbelieved that having a rail depot so close to them would be advantageous, so they decided to give the Columbia and Charlotte Railroad the right of way through their properties. As the three largest landowners in the area, this settled the matter. George Pendleton White contracted with the railroad to build a section of the line. Construction began in 1848. The first passenger train arrived on March 23, 1852. A few weeks later, on April 17, 1852, the first Rock Hill Post Office opened.[6](pp2628)

Now that Rock Hill had a name, a railroad station, and a post office, it began to draw more settlers to the area. Captain J. H. McGinnis built a small general store near the station in 1849 or 1850 to provide supplies for the construction and railroad workers.[6](pp2728) Templeton Black, who had leased the land to McGinnis, decided to devote some of his other adjacent land to building a larger town. He hired a local surveyor, Squire John Roddey, to organize a main street. Black sold his first plot of land along that street to Ira Ferguson for $125 a few weeks before the post office opened; other businessmen bought plots quickly after that.[6](p28)

Rock Hill Academy, the first school in Rock Hill, opened in September 1854. Despite its official name, most residents referred to it as the Pine Grove Academy after the pine grove it was located in. Ann Hutchinson White, wife of George White, donated the land to the school after her husband's death. The school had 60 male pupils in 1856; a school for girls was later opened in the same place.[6](p28)

Shortly before the American Civil War began a census had been taken of the population in York County, where Rock Hill is located. Half of the district's 21,800 residents were slaves, integral to local cotton production. The 4,379 white males in the county formed fourteen infantry companies; some of the men joined cavalry or artillery units instead. By the end of the war, 805 of these men were dead, and hundreds more were wounded. Men from Rock Hill and York County were involved in many of the major Civil War battles.[6](p35)

Due to its position on the railroad, Rock Hill became a transfer point for Confederate soldiers and supplies moving to and from the front. Since there was no local hospital, townspeople nursed sick and wounded soldiers in their homes. Refugees fleeing the coastal blockade or General Sherman's troops also came to Rock Hill.[6](p39)

Beginning in the spring of 1862, local area farmers switched from cotton to corn in order to produce more food.[6](p39) Records show that prices in Rock Hill changed frequently during the war, reflecting both shortages and the inflation of the Confederate paper money.[6](p41)

Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard set up a temporary headquarters in Rock Hill on February 21, 1865.[6](p41) He ordered the roads to Charlotte blocked to try to prevent General Sherman from reaching the city; Sherman ultimately went in a different direction.

When General Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, it was actually a future Rock Hill resident who was responsible for waving the white flag. Captain Robert Moorman Sims, a farmer from Lancaster County, was sent by General James Longstreet to inform Union troops that the Confederate troops wanted a truce.[6](p42)

The Civil War changed the social, economic, and political situation in Rock Hill tremendously, as it did elsewhere in the South. Rock Hill grew as a town, taking in war refugees, widows and their families, and the return of the men who had left to fight the war.[6](p58) The formerly wealthy elite sold off their land to stay afloat financially. Town life began to become more important than rural life.

Most of the merchants in Rock Hill around 1870 were former Confederate soldiers; many were entrepreneurs who were new to town, trying to start over.[6](p59) In 1870, even the largest stores in Rock Hill were only one story tall, and there were no sidewalks on the roads. The first drug store in Rock Hill opened in the 1870s.[6](p61) A locally contentious bordello was built in 1881 and introduced the town's first paved sidewalk.[6](p61)

The town was not officially incorporated until 1870, on the third try.

The first attempt to get Rock Hill incorporated was made in 1855. A petition, signed by major landholders and businessmen from the Rock Hill area, was presented to the General Assembly on October 19, 1855.[6](p29) No action on the matter was taken by the General Assembly.

The second attempt was in 1868. In their petition, the townspeople claimed that Rock Hill had over 300 residents, "eleven stores, two churches, two bars, two hotels, two carriage shops, three blacksmith shops, three shoe shops, one tannery, one cabinet shop, and elementary schools for white girls and boys." The petition was signed by 48 men, most relative newcomers to Rock Hill, with only a few members of the old, established, landed families. The larger landholders opposed incorporation because of the taxes it would bring. They filed a counter-proposal which claimed that there were only 100 residents, many of them temporary.[6](p63) The situation was a strong indication of the changes Rock Hill experienced as it transitioned from mostly farms to a business community. Ultimately, the state legislature did not act on either petition and Rock Hill was still not incorporated.

The third, successful petition was made in 1869, only one year after 1868's failed petition. This time there were 57 signers in favor of incorporation, with only seven opponents. The opponents collectively owned 80% of the land that would be incorporated into Rock Hill if the petition was successful. They were unsuccessful at preventing incorporation this time; Rock Hill was officially incorporated on February 26, 1870.[6](p64)

Rock Hill celebrated its centennial in 1952 and its sesquicentennial in 2002.

Four unincorporated communities of York County have been annexed to the city: Boyd Hill in the late 1940s, Ebenezer and Mexico in the 1960s, and Oakdale in the 1980s.

Rock Hill was the setting for two significant events in the civil rights movement. In February 1961, nine African-American men went to jail at the York County prison farm after staging a sit-in at a segregated McCrory's lunch counter in downtown Rock Hill. Their offense was reported to be "refusing to stop singing hymns during their morning devotions." The event gained nationwide attention as the men followed an untried strategy called "jail, no bail."[7] Rejecting bail was a way to lessen the huge financial burden which civil rights groups were facing as the sit-in movement spread across the South.[7] As their actions gained widespread national news coverage, the tactic was adopted by other civil rights groups. The men became known as the Friendship Nine because eight of the nine men were students at Rock Hill's Friendship Junior College.[8]

Later in 1961, Rock Hill was the first stop in the Deep South for a group of 13 Freedom Riders, who boarded buses in Washington, DC, and headed South to test the 1960 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court outlawing racial segregation in all interstate public facilities. When the civil rights leader John Lewis and another black man stepped off the bus at Rock Hill, they were beaten by a white mob that was uncontrolled by police. The event drew national attention.

In 2002, Lewis, by then a US Congressman from Georgia, returned to Rock Hill, where he had been invited as a speaker at Winthrop University and was given the key to the city. On January 21, 2008, Rep. Lewis returned to Rock Hill again and spoke at the city's Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday observance. Mayor Doug Echols officially apologized to him on the city's behalf for the Freedom Riders' treatment in the city.[9]

Rock Hill has had repeated conflict with its neighbors. In 2007 a lawsuit was filed against the city by its county seat to stop a rural landfill.[10] In 2011[11] and 2012[12] the city waste proxy contracted with Synagro[13] to spread treated human sewage sludge in rural areas and different counties were met with resistance and complaints. Some residents have questioned the city's ethics and threatened lawsuits over the practice of being a "dumping ground" for Rock Hill's waste. The city has expressed interest in Keck and Woods "waste to energy" plant in Cabarrus County, North Carolina to safely dispose of sludge.[14]

The symbols of the city are the four Civitas (pl. civitates) statues, installed in 1991 at the Gateway corridor on Dave Lyle Boulevard.[citation needed]

Each holds a disc that symbolizes the four drivers of the city's economy - Gears of Industry, Flames of Knowledge, Stars of Inspiration, and Bolts of Energy. The ribbons in the Civitates' clothing and hair transform into wings, inferring the textile industry as the foundation of the city's growth.[citation needed]

The 22-foot-tall (6.7m) Civitas statues were made of bronze by the New York sculptor Audrey Flack. Originally they were to be installed in Uptown Charlotte, but were offered to the city of Rock Hill.

In 1992, a fifth Civitas statue by Flack was placed at the City Hall in downtown Rock Hill.

The 60-foot-tall (18m) columns that form the Gateway came from the old (1914-87) Egyptian Revival Masonic Temple in Charlotte, North Carolina. They were gifted to the city by the First Union Corporation, and are regarded among the areas most treasured historical artefacts.[citation needed]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.16 square miles (111.8km2), of which, 43.0 square miles (111km2) of it is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41km2) of it (0.4%) is water.

Rock Hill is located along the Catawba River in the north-central section of the Piedmont of South Carolina near Charlotte. The city sits at an elevation of around 676 feet (206m) above sea level. It is located approximately 150 miles (240km) from the Atlantic Ocean and 75 miles (121km) from the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Rock Hill has a humid subtropical climate, characterized by humid summers and cool dry winters. Precipitation does not vary greatly between seasons. July is the hottest month, with an average high temperature of 91F (33C) and an average low temperature of 71F (22C).[15] The coldest month of the year is January, when the average high temperature is 51F (11C) and the average low temperature is 31F (1C).[15] The warmest temperature ever recorded in the city was 106F (41C) in 1983 and tied in 2007.[15] The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was 4F (20C) in 1985.[15]

As of the 2010 census,[5] there were 66,154 people and 16,059 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.2 people per square kilometre (2,983.5/sq mi). There were 29,159 housing units at an average density of 252.4 per square kilometre (653.8/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 54.6% White, 38.3% Black, 1.7% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.7% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.

There were 25,966 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.9 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.

Rock Hill's economy was once dominated by the textile industry, and the restructuring of that industry in moving jobs overseas caused a decline in the local economy. The median income for a household in the city was $37,336, and the median income for a family was $45,697. Males had a median income of $32,156 versus $24,181 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,929. About 9.7% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over. The unemployment rate of the city was 8.7 percent and 11,874 of the 71,459 residents lived and worked in the city with a daytime population change of +5,208 as of March 2011.[19] The city is transitioning to a retail and manufacturing economy, and has been working to attract national and global companies.

Three major natural disasters have struck the city.

On November 26, 1926 a destructive tornado struck downtown Rock Hill. It was the day after Thanksgiving, late in the season for such a violent storm. The "black as ink twister" took less than 10 minutes to change the face of the business section. The storm touched down in western York County, and entered Rock Hill from the west. Once in the town, the twister cut a path about three blocks wide, leaving 60 homes heavily damaged, the hospital roof removed, and cars flipped or crushed. By the end, the total damage for the whole town was $150,000. The tornado was responsible for one death and 12 injuries within Rock Hill.

Hurricane Hugo struck the city on the morning of September 22, 1989. The storm ripped through the city with sustained winds over 90 MPH, toppling massive oak and pine trees. Schools were closed for weeks because of widespread damage to roads and facilities. The total damage cost for the entire state of South Carolina was around $4.2 billion. The storm was a category 3 when it entered the county and was a category 2 as it left the county.

A complex series of low pressure systems moved across South Carolina from February 2527 of 2004. Starting as a mix of snow and sleet, the storm became all snow as the low pulled off the Carolina coast. Cold arctic air settled over the Carolinas and dumped 22inches of snow, with lightning, gusty winds, and some areas getting up to 28inches.[20] Sustained winds over 40 MPH across Rock Hill knocked out power, resulting in schools' closing for a week. It was the worst overall blizzard to hit the area.[citation needed]

Rock Hill is served by York County School District 3, which has twenty-seven schools in the city, including seventeen elementary schools, five middle schools, and three high schools. The public high schools in Rock Hill are Rock Hill High School (first built high school in the city), Northwestern, and South Pointe, the newest high school in the city. Public middle schools in Rock Hill are Saluda Trail Middle School, Castle Heights Middle School, Sullivan Middle School, Rawlinson Road Middle School, and (the newest) Dutchman Creek Middle School. The district has a student enrollment of around 25,000.[21][22] A variety of religious schools also serve the city of Rock Hill, including St. Anne's Catholic School and Westminster Catawba. The city is also home to York County's only Charter school, York Preparatory Academy.

There are three colleges in Rock Hill. The most prominent institution is Winthrop University, founded in 1886 as a women's college. It is a thriving, public, co-ed four-year liberal arts college with an annual enrollment of over 7,000 students. Clinton Junior College is a historically black, two-year institution founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in 1894. It is now a community college for the city of Rock Hill and York County.[23]York Technical College opened in Rock Hill in 1964. This two-year community college offers associate degrees and provides continuing education for approximately 9,000 area residents annually and is growing each year.[24]

Rock Hill is home to a daily newspaper, The Herald, which covers the area. Magazines include Rock Hill Magazine and YC (York County) Magazine (which covers the entire county).

OTS Media Group owns and operates WRHI (News/Sports, 1340 AM and 94.3 FM), WRHM-FM Country/Sports and WRHM-FM HD2/W281BE (Contemporary Christian, 104.1 FM). There are also WAVO (Standards, 1150 AM), NPR affiliate WNSC-FM (88.9 FM), and the Southside Baptist Church of Rock Hill Christian broadcast station, WRHJ-LP 93.1.

Rock Hill has several television stations: PBS affiliate WNSC-TV (Channel 30), CN2, a daily cable news program produced by Comporium Communications for York, Chester, and Lancaster counties; Fox-owned MyNetworkTV station WMYT-TV Channel 55, is licensed to Rock Hill, but serves the entire Charlotte market, while their studios are shared with sister station WJZY-TV in unincorporated Mecklenburg County, NC.

Rock Hill has two local airports. The Rock Hill/York County Airport is a municipal airport for the city of Rock Hill and serves non-commercial flights. The airport is located minutes from Rock Hill's Central business district. Also called Bryant Field, it was named for Robert E. Bryant, an aviator with two international records and an inductee in the South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame (The name is no longer used for the airport because of confusion with Bryant Field (airport)). It is owned and operated by the City of Rock Hill, but York County is also represented on the Airport Commission. The other local airport, the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, is one of the busiest airports in the United States and is located 20 miles from Rock Hill in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rock Hill has one regional transit system, The Charlotte Area Transit System that offers express bus service from Rock Hill to Charlotte.

Rock Hill has its own fire and police departments.

Piedmont Medical Center is an acute care hospital with a Level III trauma center, located in Rock Hill.

Rock Hill hosts several seasonal events. Each spring there is a festival called Come-See-Me which brings more than 125,000 people to the city each year from across the country. Come-See-Me was voted as the number one South Carolina Festival and has been featured in Southern Living magazine. On Independence Day, Rock Hill hosts its annual Red, White, and Boom Festival. Over the first weekend of each October, the Arts Council of York County hosts the Blues & Jazz Festival, which includes a restaurant crawl through Old Town Rock Hill, and a day of blues & jazz events for children. In November, the Arts Council hosts the Underexposed Film Festival YC, bringing independently-created short films from across the world to Rock Hill. A winter festival is held annually in the first week of December and is called ChristmasVille Rock Hill; it has been voted one of South Carolina's most visited attractions.

Five museums are located in the city, and many more in the area.

Museums outside Rock Hill include Historic Brattonsville, the Catawba Cultural Center at the Catawba Indian reservation, and several museums located in the Charlotte area.

The city operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The governing body is composed of a mayor and six members. The mayor is determined through a nonpartisan, at-large election for a four-year term of office while council members are chosen through nonpartisan, single-member district elections. Council members are elected to staggered four-year terms of office.

The city council is a legislative body, establishing policies with recommendations from the city administrator. The city manager acts as the chief administrator of the council's policies implemented through the administrative control of city departments given to him by ordinance.

Rock Hill is a four-time winner of America's Promise Alliance "100 Best Communities for Young People",[31] and a two-time winner of "All-American City".[citation needed]

Rock Hill, South Carolina - Wikipedia

ORRO Private Collection The Name That Changed Diamond …

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

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ORRO Private Collection The Name That Changed Diamond ...

US court says PSN data doesnt get Fourth Amendment …

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

Aurich x Getty

If you have any legally incriminating information sitting in your PSN account, don't count on the Fourth Amendment to protect it from "unreasonable search and seizure" by Sony without a warrant. A district court judge in Kansas has ruledin a recent case that information Sony finds has been downloaded to a PlayStation 3 or a PSN account is not subject to the "reasonable expectation of privacy" that usually protects evidence obtained without a warrant.

The case involves Michael Stratton, who went by the handle Susan_14 on PSN. According to Sony, Stratton was reported to PSN multiple times for sending spam messages asking about interest in child pornography. After reviewing the Susan_14 account in response to these complaints, Sony found that several images containing child porn had been downloaded by and uploaded to the account.

Sony shared information about the Susan_14 account and the images with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The NCMEC then coordinated with the FBI to get additional information about Susan_14's e-mail address and IP address from Google and CenturyLink via subpoena. This action led to a warrant on Stratton's Kansas home, the discovery of child pornography stored on his PS3, and his arrest.

At trial, the defense tried to argue that Stratton had a "reasonable expectation of privacy" for the images on his PSN account and that Sony therefore couldn't share those with authorities absent a subpoena or warrant. In this case, the court ruled that Sony's PSN terms of service "explicitly nullified its users reasonable expectation of privacy." Those terms state explicitly that Sony reserves the right to monitor PSN activity and that Sony may turn over evidence of illegal activity to the authorities.

(The defense also made the related argument that Sony's terms of service were an adhesion contract that put an "unconscionable" and "patently unfairly... take-it-or-leave-it" burden on Stratton. The defense didn't provide enough evidence to demonstrate that claim, according to the court.)

Separately, the defense argued that Sony was acting as a "government agent" when it searched Stratton's PSN account, and, therefore, any evidence obtained needed to be subject to a warrant. This argument hinges in part on the federal "Failure to Report Child Abuse" statute, which requires those that learn of child abuse to "make a timely report" or suffer jail time or fines. Through this law, the defense argued, Sony was essentially being recruited to search for child pornography at the government's request and without any warrant.

The case is not all that different from other cases in which online service providers have worked with law enforcement to report child pornography when found on their services or devices. The main difference here is that the circuit court has found that these same legal arguments apply to the tightly controlled world of the PlayStation 3 and the attached PlayStation Network and not just the more "open" world of personal computers.

US court says PSN data doesnt get Fourth Amendment ...

Galpagos Islands – Wikipedia

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Danzig

The Galpagos Islands (official name: Archipilago de Coln, other Spanish name: Islas Galpagos, Spanish pronunciation:[izlaz alapaos]) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed on either side of the Equator in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, 906km (563mi) west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part. The islands are known for their vast number of endemic species and were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle, as his observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

The Galpagos Islands and their surrounding waters form the Galpagos Province of Ecuador, the Galpagos National Park, and the Galpagos Marine Reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of slightly over 25,000.[1]

The first recorded visit to the islands happened by chance in 1535, when Fray Toms de Berlanga, the Bishop of Panam, was blown off course during a voyage to Peru to arbitrate in a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro. De Berlanga eventually returned to the Spanish Empire and described the conditions of the islands and the animals that inhabited them. The group of islands was shown and named in Abraham Ortelius's atlas published in 1570. The first crude map of the islands was made in 1684 by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley, who named the individual islands after some of his fellow pirates or after British royalty and noblemen. These names were used in the authoritative navigation charts of the islands prepared during the Beagle survey under captain Robert Fitzroy, and in Darwin's popular book The Voyage of the Beagle. The new Republic of Ecuador took the islands from Spanish ownership in 1832, and subsequently gave them official Spanish names.[2] The older names remained in use in English language publications, including Herman Melville's The Encantadas of 1854.

The islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 973km (605mi) off the west coast of South America. The closest land mass is that of mainland Ecuador, the country to which they belong, 926km/500nmi to the east.

The islands are found at the coordinates 140'N136'S, 8916'9201'W. Straddling the equator, islands in the chain are located in both the northern and southern hemispheres, with Volcn Wolf and Volcn Ecuador on Isla Isabela being directly on the equator. Espaola Island, the southernmost islet of the archipelago, and Darwin Island, the northernmost one, are spread out over a distance of 220km (137mi). The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) considers them wholly within the South Pacific Ocean, however.[3] The Galpagos Archipelago consists of 7,880km2 (3,040sqmi) of land spread over 45,000km2 (17,000sqmi) of ocean. The largest of the islands, Isabela, measures 2,250 sq mi/5,827km2[4] and makes up close to three-quarters of the total land area of the Galpagos. Volcn Wolf on Isabela is the highest point, with an elevation of 1,707m (5,600ft) above sea level.

The group consists of 18 main islands, 3 smaller islands, and 107 rocks and islets. The islands are located at the Galapagos Triple Junction. The archipelago is located on the Nazca Plate (a tectonic plate), which is moving east/southeast, diving under the South American Plate at a rate of about 2.5 inches (6.4cm) per year.[5] It is also atop the Galpagos hotspot, a place where the Earth's crust is being melted from below by a mantle plume, creating volcanoes. The first islands formed here at least 8million and possibly up to 90million years ago.[6]

While the older islands have disappeared below the sea as they moved away from the mantle plume, the youngest islands, Isabela and Fernandina, are still being formed, with the most recent volcanic eruption in April 2009 where lava from the volcanic island Fernandina started flowing both towards the island's shoreline and into the center caldera.

The 18[7] main islands (each having a land area at least 1km2) of the archipelago (with their English names) shown alphabetically:

Although located on the Equator, the Humboldt Current brings cold water to the islands, causing frequent drizzles during most of the year. The weather is periodically influenced by the El Nio events, which occur about every 37 years and are characterized by warm sea surface temperatures, a rise in sea level, greater wave action, and a depletion of nutrients in the water.[9]

During the season known as the gara (June to November), the temperature by the sea is 22C (72F), a steady and cold wind blows from south and southeast, frequent drizzles (garas) last most of the day, and dense fog conceals the islands. During the warm season (December to May), the average sea and air temperature rises to 25C (77F), there is no wind at all, there are sporadic, though strong, rains and the sun shines.

Weather changes as altitude increases in the large islands. Temperature decreases gradually with altitude, while precipitation increases due to the condensation of moisture in clouds on the slopes. There is a large range in precipitation from one place to another, not only with altitude, but also depending on the location of the islands, and also with the seasons.

The following table corresponding to the wet 1969 shows the variation of precipitation in different places of Santa Cruz Island:

The precipitation also depends on the geographical location. During March 1969, the precipitation over Charles Darwin Station, on the southern coast of Santa Cruz was 249.0mm (9.80in), while on Baltra Island, the precipitation during the same month was only 137.6mm (5.42in). This is because Baltra is located behind Santa Cruz with respect to the prevailing southerly winds, so most of the moisture gets precipitated in the Santa Cruz highlands.

There are significant changes in precipitation from one year to another, too. At Charles Darwin Station, the precipitation during March 1969 was 249.0mm (9.80in), but during March 1970, it was only 1.2mm (0.05in).

On the larger islands, the pattern of generally wet highlands and drier lowlands impacts the flora. The vegetation in the highlands tends to be green and lush, with tropical woodland in places. The lowland areas tend to have arid and semi-arid vegetation, with many thorny shrubs and cacti, and almost bare volcanic rock elsewhere.

According to a 1952 study by Thor Heyerdahl and Arne Skjlsvold, remains of potsherds and other artifacts from several sites on the islands suggest visitation by South American peoples in pre-Columbian era.[10] The group located an Inca flute and shards from more than 130 pieces of ceramics, which were later identified as pre-Incan. However, no remains of graves, ceremonial vessels and constructions have ever been found, suggesting no permanent settlement occurred prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.[11] It is not clear who the first visitors to the islands were, but they were probably sailors blown off course or people on hapless fishing boats blown out to sea. Most of them were likely unimpressed by the lack of fresh water on the islands. Whether the Incas ever made it here is disputed; in 1572, Spanish chronicler Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa claimed that Topa Inca Yupanqui, the second Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire had visited the archipelago, but there is little evidence for this, and many experts consider it a far-fetched legend, especially since the Incas were not seafaring people.[12]

European discovery of the Galpagos Islands occurred when Spaniard Fray Toms de Berlanga, the fourth Bishop of Panama, sailed to Peru to settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants. De Berlanga's vessel drifted off course when the winds diminished, and his party reached the islands on 10 March 1535.

The Galpagos Islands first appeared on the maps of Gerardus Mercator and Abraham Ortelius, in about 1570.[13] The islands were named "Insulae de los Galopegos" (Islands of the Tortoises) in reference to the giant tortoises found there.[14]

The first English captain to visit the Galpagos Islands was Richard Hawkins, in 1593. Until the early 19th century, the archipelago was often used as a hideout by mostly English pirates who pilfered Spanish galleons carrying gold and silver from South America to Spain.

In 1793, James Colnett described the flora and fauna of Galpagos, and suggested the islands could be used as base for the whalers operating in the Pacific Ocean. He drew the first accurate navigation charts of the islands. Whalers and maritime fur traders killed and captured thousands of the Galpagos tortoises to extract their fat. The tortoises could be kept on board ship as a means of providing of fresh protein, as these animals could survive for several months on board without any food or water. The hunting of the tortoises was responsible for greatly diminishing, and in some cases eliminating, certain species. Along with whalers came the fur-seal hunters, who brought the population of this animal close to extinction.

The first known permanent human resident on Galpagos was Patrick Watkins, an Irish sailor who was marooned on the Island Floreana from 1807 to 1809. According to later accounts,[15][16] Watkins managed to survive by hunting, growing vegetables and trading with visiting whalers, before finally stealing an open boat and navigating to Guayaquil.

In 1818 the Nantucket whaleship Globe, under Captain George Washington Gardner, discovered a "mother lode" of sperm whales some thousand miles west of the South American coast approximately at the equator. He returned to Nantucket in 1820 with more than 2000 barrels of sperm whale oil and the news of his discovery. This led to an influx of whaleships to exploit the new whaling ground and the Galpagos Islands became a frequent stop for the whalers both before and after visiting what came to be known as the Offshore Grounds. This led to the establishment in the Galpagos Islands of a kind of unofficial "post office" where whaleships stopped to pick up and drop off letters as well as for purposes of provisioning and repairs.[17]

In October 1820, the whaleship Essex, out of Nantucket, stopped at the Galpagos for these purposes on its way to the Offshore Grounds. On what was then known as Charles Island, while most of the crew were hunting tortoises one crewmember, English boatsteerer Thomas Chappel, for reasons still unclear, lit a fire which quickly burned out of control. Some of the tortoise hunters had a narrow escape and had to run a gauntlet of fire to get back to the ship. Soon almost the entire island was in flames. Crewmembers reported that after a day of sailing away they could still see the flames against the horizon. One crewmember who returned to the Galpagos several years afterward described the entire island as still a blackened wasteland.[18]

Ecuador annexed the Galpagos Islands on 12 February 1832, naming them the Archipelago of Ecuador. This new name added to several names that had been, and are still, used to refer to the archipelago. The first governor of Galpagos, General Jos de Villamil, brought a group of convicts to populate the island of Floreana, and in October 1832, some artisans and farmers joined them.

The voyage of the Beagle brought the survey ship HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy, to the Galpagos on 15 September 1835 to survey approaches to harbours. The captain and others on board, including his companion, the young naturalist Charles Darwin, made observations on the geology and biology on Chatham, Charles, Albemarle and James islands before they left on 20 October to continue on their round-the-world expedition. Primarily a geologist at the time, Darwin was impressed by the quantity of volcanic craters they saw, later referring to the archipelago as "that land of craters." His study of several volcanic formations over the 5 weeks he stayed in the islands, led to several important geological discoveries, including the first, correct explanation for how volcanic tuff is formed.[19] Darwin noticed the mockingbirds differed between islands, though he thought the birds now known as Darwin's finches were unrelated to each other, and did not bother labelling them by island.[20]Nicholas Lawson, acting Governor of Galpagos for the Republic of the Equator, met them on Charles Island, and as they walked to the prison colony, Lawson told Darwin the tortoises differed from island to island.[21] Towards the end of the voyage, Darwin speculated that the distribution of the mockingbirds and the tortoises might "undermine the stability of Species".[22] When specimens of birds were analysed on his return to England, it was found that many apparently different kinds of birds were species of finches, which were unique to islands. These facts were crucial in Darwin's development of his theory of natural selection explaining evolution, which was presented in The Origin of Species.[20]

Jos Valdizn and Manuel Julin Cobos tried a new colonization, beginning the exploitation of a type of lichen found in the islands (Roccella portentosa) used as a coloring agent. After the assassination of Valdizn by some of his workers, Cobos brought from the continent a group of more than a hundred workers to San Cristbal Island, and tried his luck at planting sugar cane. He ruled his plantation with an iron hand, which led to his assassination in 1904. In 1897, Antonio Gil began another plantation on Isabela Island.

Over the course of a whole year, from September 1904, an expedition of the Academy of Sciences of California, led by Rollo Beck, stayed in the Galpagos collecting scientific material on geology, entomology, ornithology, botany, zoology and herpetology. Another expedition from that Academy was done in 1932 (Templeton Crocker Expedition) to collect insects, fish, shells, fossils, birds and plants.

For a long time during the early 1900s and at least through 1929, a cash strapped Ecuador had reached out for potential buyers of the islands to alleviate financial troubles at home. The US had repeatedly expressed its interest in buying the islands for military use as they were positioned strategically guarding the Panama Canal.[23]

In 1920s and 1930s, a small wave of European settlers arrived in the islands. There occurred a series of unsolved disappearances on the island of Floreana in the 1930s among the largely European expatriate residents at the time. The Galpagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden is a 2013 feature-length documentary film about the same. Ecuadorian laws provided all colonists with the possibility of receiving twenty hectares each of free land, the right to maintain their citizenship, freedom from taxation for the first ten years in Galpagos, and the right to hunt and fish freely on all uninhabited islands where they might settle.[24] The first European colonists to arrive were Norwegians who settled briefly on Floreana, before moving on to San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. A few years later, other colonists from Europe, America and Ecuador started arriving on the islands, seeking a simpler life.[25] Descendants of the Norwegian Kastdalen family and the German Angermeyer still live on the islands.

During World War II, Ecuador authorized the United States to establish a naval base in Baltra Island, and radar stations in other strategic locations. Baltra was established as a United States Army Air Force base. Baltra was given the name of "Beta Base" along with "Alpha Base" in Nicaragua and "Gamma Base" in Salinas (continental Ecuador). The Crews stationed at Baltra and the aforementioned locations established a geographic triangle of protection in charge of patrolling the Pacific for enemy submarines, and also provided protection for the Panama Canal. After the war, the facilities were given to the government of Ecuador. Today, the island continues as an official Ecuadorian military base. The foundations and other remains of the US base can still be seen as one crosses the island. In 1946, a penal colony was established in Isabela Island, but it was suspended in 1959.

The Galpagos became a national park in 1959,[26] and tourism started in the 1960s, imposing several restrictions upon the human population already living on the island. However, opportunities in the tourism, fishing, and farming industries attracted a mass of poor fishermen and farmers from mainland Ecuador. In the 1990s and 2000s, violent confrontations between parts of the local population and the Galpagos National Park Service occurred, including capturing and killing giant tortoises and holding staff of the Galpagos National Park Service hostage to obtain higher annual sea cucumber quotas.[27]

The islands are administered by a provincial government. It was made a province by presidential decree by President Guillermo Rodrguez Lara on 18 February 1973. The province is divided into cantons, each covering certain islands. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

The largest ethnic group is composed of Ecuadorian Mestizos, the mixed descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous Native Americans, who arrived mainly in the last century from the continental part of Ecuador. There is also a large number of whites, mostly of Spanish descent. Some descendants of the early European and American colonists on the islands also still remain on the islands.

In 1959, approximately 1,000 to 2,000 people called the islands their home. In 1972 a census in the archipelago recorded a population of 3,488. By the 1980s, this number had risen to more than 15,000 people, and in 2010 there were 25,124 people in the Galpagos.

Five of the islands are inhabited: Baltra, Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.

Options for flying into the Galpagos are limited to two islands: San Cristobal (San Cristbal Airport) and Baltra (Seymour Airport). Private aircraft must use Baltra as it is the airport equipped with overnight plane accommodations. Seymour Airport on Baltra was recently renovated (20122013) to accommodate larger planes.

Until 1969 the only way to visit was on a private or chartered vessel. There was no regular air service until Forrest Nelson's Hotel Galpagos began the first organized tours in April 1969. Soon other travel companies brought in tour ships and yachts, and local fishermen began converting their wooden boats for rudimentary cruising with guests. These vessels were the main source of overnight accommodations in the Galpagos. Today there are about 85 yachts and ships equipped for overnight guests. In 2006 the Baltra military governed island, was opened up to limited overnight camping. Baltra also requires permits by the military government for overnight stays on the beach. Other inhabited islands also allow camping on the beaches designated as "recreational" use to the locals. All of these camping permits are limited to number of people and nights, with most nights not to exceed three.

Land based hotels are opening on the inhabited islands of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela. By 2012, more than half the visitors to Galpagos made their tours using day boats and these small hotels. Restaurants, easy access and economy make this an attractive travel option. The cruise tours are still the best way to see all the complex environment and wildlife of the islands.

There are only 116 visitor sites in the Galpagos: 54 land sites and 62 scuba-diving or snorkeling sites. Small groups are allowed to visit in 2- to 4-hour shifts only, to limit impact on the area. All groups are accompanied by licensed guides.

Though the first protective legislation for the Galpagos was enacted in 1930 and supplemented in 1936, it was not until the late 1950s that positive action was taken to control what was happening to the native flora and fauna. In 1955, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature organized a fact-finding mission to the Galpagos. Two years later, in 1957, UNESCO, in cooperation with the government of Ecuador, sent another expedition to study the conservation situation and choose a site for a research station.

In 1959, the centenary year of Charles Darwin's publication of The Origin of Species, the Ecuadorian government declared 97.5% of the archipelago's land area a national park, excepting areas already colonised. The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) was founded the same year. The core responsibility of CDF, an international nongovernmental organization (NGO) constituted in Belgium, is to conduct research and provide the research findings to the government for effective management of Galpagos. CDF's research efforts began with the establishment of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island in 1964. During the early years, conservation programs, such as eradication of introduced species and protection of native species, were carried out by research station personnel. Now much of that work is accomplished by the Galpagos National Park Service using the research findings and methodologies developed by CDF.

In 1986, the 70,000 square kilometers (27,000 sq mi.) of ocean surrounding the islands was declared a marine reserve, second in size only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In 1990, the archipelago became a whale sanctuary. UNESCO recognised the islands in 1978 as a World Heritage Site[28] and in 1985, as a biosphere reserve. This was later extended in December 2001 to include the marine reserve. In July 2010, the World Heritage Committee agreed to remove the Galpagos Islands from its list of precious sites endangered by environmental threats or overuse.[29]

Noteworthy species include:

Introduced plants and animals, such as feral goats, cats, and cattle, brought accidentally or willingly to the islands by humans, represent the main threat to Galpagos. Quick to reproduce and with no natural predators, these alien species decimated the habitats of native species. The native animals, lacking natural predators on the islands, are defenseless to introduced predators.

There are over 700 introduced plant species today. There are only 500 native and endemic species. This difference is creating a major problem for the islands and the natural species that inhabit them. These plants have invaded large areas and eliminated endemic species in the humid zones of San Cristobal, Floreana, Isabela and Santa Cruz. Some of the most harmful introduced plants are the guayaba or guava (Psidium guajava), avocado (Persea americana), cascarilla (Cinchona pubescens), balsa (Ochroma pyramidale), hill raspberry (Rubus niveus), various citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon), floripondio, higuerilla (Ricinus communis) trees and the elephant grass, Pennisetum purpureum.

Many species were introduced to the Galpagos by pirates. Thor Heyerdahl quoted documents that mention the Viceroy of Peru, knowing that British pirates ate the goats that they themselves had released in the islands, ordered dogs to be freed there to eliminate the goats.[10] Also, when colonization of Floreana by Jos de Villamil failed, he ordered the goats, donkeys, cattle and other animals from the farms in Floreana be transferred to other islands for the purpose of later colonization.

Non-native goats, pigs, dogs, rats, cats, mice, sheep, horses, donkeys, cows, poultry, ants, cockroaches, and some parasites inhabit the islands today. Dogs and cats attack the tame birds and destroy the nests of birds, land tortoises, and marine turtles. They sometimes kill small Galpagos tortoises and iguanas.[30] Pigs are even more harmful, covering larger areas and destroying the nests of tortoises, turtles and iguanas, as well as eating the animals' native food. Pigs also knock down vegetation in their search for roots and insects. This problem abounds in Cerro Azul volcano and Isabela, and in Santiago, pigs may be the cause of the disappearance of the land iguanas that were so abundant when Darwin visited. The black rat (Rattus rattus) attacks small Galpagos tortoises when they leave the nest, so in Pinzn they stopped the reproduction for a period of more than 50years; only adults were found on that island.[31] Also, where the black rat is found, the endemic rat has disappeared. Cattle and donkeys eat all the available vegetation and compete with native species for the scarce water. In 1959, fishermen introduced one male and two female goats to Pinta island; by 1973, the National Park service estimated the population of goats to be over 30,000 individuals. Goats were also introduced to Marchena in 1967 and to Rabida in 1971. A goat eradication program, however, cleared the goats from Pinta and Santiago and most of the goat population from Isabela.[32] In fact, by 2006 all feral pigs, donkeys and non-sterile goats had been eliminated from Santiago and Isabela, the largest islands with the worst problems due to non-native mammals.[33][34]

The fast-growing poultry industry on the inhabited islands has been cause for concern from local conservationists, who fear domestic birds could introduce disease into the endemic wild bird populations.

The Galpagos marine sanctuary is under threat from a host of illegal fishing activities, in addition to other problems of development.[35] The most pressing threat to the Marine Reserve comes from local, mainland and foreign fishing targeting marine life illegally within the Reserve, such as sharks (hammerheads and other species) for their fins,[35] and the harvest of sea cucumbers out of season. Development threatens both land and sea species. The growth of both the tourism industry and local populations fuelled by high birth rates and illegal immigration threaten the wildlife of the Archipelago. The grounding of the oil tanker Jessica in 2001 and the subsequent oil spill brought this threat to world attention.

In 2007, UNESCO put the Galpagos Islands on their List of World Heritage in Danger because of threats posed by invasive species, unbridled tourism and overfishing.[36] On 29 July 2010, the World Heritage Committee decided to remove the Galpagos Islands from the list because the Committee found significant progress had been made by Ecuador in addressing these problems.[37]

On 28 January 2008, Galpagos National Park official Victor Carrion announced 53 sea lions (13 pups, 25 youngsters, 9 males and 6 females) were killed at the Galpagos Islands nature reserve on Pinta, with their heads caved in. In 2001, poachers killed 35 male sea lions.[38]

The Galpagos Islands were short-listed as a candidate to be one of the New7Wonders of Nature by the New7Wonders of Nature Foundation. As of February 2009, the archipelago was ranked first in Group B, the category for islands.[39]

The islands' biodiversity is under threat from several sources. The human population is growing at an unsustainable rate of 8% per year (1995). Introduced species have caused damage, and in 1996 a US$5 million, five-year eradication plan commenced in an attempt to rid the islands of introduced species such as goats, rats, deer, and donkeys. Except for the rats, the project was essentially completed in 2006.[33][34] Rats have only been eliminated from the smaller Galapagos Islands of Rbida and Pinzn.[40]

El Nio has adversely affected the marine ecosystem. In January 2001, an oil slick from a stranded tanker threatened the islands, but winds and shifting ocean currents helped disperse the oil before much damage was done. The 199798 El Nio adversely affected wildlife in the waters surrounding the islands, as the waters were 5C (9F) warmer than normal. Corals and barnacles suffered, hammerhead sharks were driven away, and most of the island's seabirds failed to breed in 199798. The mortality rate of marine iguanas rose as the green algae they feed on was replaced by inedible red algae. During the 198283 El Nio, 70% of the marine iguanas starved to death because of this.[41]

Live by the Golden Rule (pledge/petition/proclamation …

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

Sign the petition Petition results Who What & Why All Life strives to incorporate the principle of the Golden Rule. Directing our attention toward understanding this most basic principle gives us a reasonable, common sense and compassionate direction in anything we do. Remembering and putting the Golden Rule to use each day in our own lives transforms our relationship with ourselves, with others and with our environment, the planet Earth. An invitation to All:

1stStrive and Incorporate: strive to understand the meaning of the Golden Rule for myself and how I wish to incorporate it in my life, recognizing that this effort is sometimes hard and yet always helpful.

2ndInvite and Request: invite/petition/request those who represent me to do the same: live by the Golden Rule. My representatives will change the world for the better when they apply it within their organizations, such as in any of the religious traditions, teachings and in communities; environmental, civic, economic, educational, political, or social entities.

3rdStand in Unity: join with those on this planet who wish to take real responsibility toward compassion and fairness; and to build an understanding with my neighbors about what is to be done in each new situation based upon the principle of the Golden Rule. Simply stated,

GoPetition requires an email address when you sign petitions. Please know that we do not sell or distribute email addresses that we receive in any way. We appreciate your support and respect your privacy.

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Supplements – iHerb.com

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

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Nutrition and Radiation

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Ulcers (Duodenal or Gastric)

Sleep Support

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Healthy Sugar Balance Support

Allergies

Food Allergy and Intolerance

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Energy, Fatigue

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Brain & Cognitive Function

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Cleanse, Detox

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Westworld: A Gnostic Tale of Illuminati Luciferianism …

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

Hello and welcome back to IlluminatiWatcher.com! Today well be exploring a television show with implications that are yet to be felt by the masses. The symbolism and hidden messages of this show are truly occult in nature and have been embedded into the subconscious of the masses with the plan to bear fruit many years later.

The show in question is HBOsWestworld and today were going to explore its sinister agenda of the Illuminati

**If you havent seen the show, Id highly recommend watching the entire first season before reading this article. The show is actually quite well done and this article is full of plot spoilers, along with a few assumptions of the readers knowledge of the show.** -Isaac

As a general statement on the entireWestworld doctrine; we can say that it is a presentation of the false realities that must be accepted by the massesin order to usher in the Illuminatis New World Order. This New Age is one that promises to push the boundaries of mankind into the full revolution known as transhumanism (more to come on that later).

The reason I warn of this is because of what will become of the human race. The technology utilized to enablemantotransition into robot is akin to the tale of Icarus; meaning they want us to see how close we can get to the sun by creating a new life-form. This will ultimately mean that mankind has reached its zenith by creating a new and improved form of life which surpasses the creation of God.

Before we go into the symbols and messages ofWestworld we can take a look at some of the key players that have become a part of this project.

Nathan Crowley was a producer for the show- which should cue the interests of those who are familiar with occultist Aleister Crowley.

Interestingly enough; I covered Nathan Crowleys past work with other occult-riddled works likeInterstellarand HBOsTrue Detective.

The main actress ofWestworldis Evan Rachel Wood who plays the role of the main protagonist; Dolores.Evan Rachel Wood once dated Marilyn Manson (an alleged honorary priest in the Church of Satan) and was featured in one of his videos as a blood splattered Lolita inHeart-Shaped Glasses.

Wood was interviewed for Rolling Stone magazine and made note of an interesting idea weve explored elsewhere on IlluminatiWatcher.com:

I mean, your demons never fully leave. But when youre using them to create something else, it almost gives them a purpose and feels like none of it was in vain. I think thats how I make peace with it.-Evan Rachel Wood: How Wild Past,Personal DemonsPreppedHer for Westworld, Rolling Stone Nov. 17, 2016

Ive used a similar argument to suggest that the Illuminati areforcingthese entertainers to channel spirits in order to perform or get into contact with their creative elements in SACRIFICE: MAGIC BEHIND THE MIC(a concept that Carl Jung once advocated with talk of the subconsious).

The show itself is analogous to other works of art in that they have a purpose. That purpose is to speak to our subconscious and put certain messages and themes in there. These ideas are being implemented by the Illuminati to push us down the path of the Evolution of Consciousness and intotheirdesired future.

This is a direct play by the occultists to shape our world.

They believe inAs above, so below and this is how it works in action. They are shaping the masses view of the world through the use of various practices and perhaps a bit of magick.In the second episode ofWestworldwe hear Dr. Ford telling the boy that:

Everything in this world is magic; except to the magician.

Indeed that is the practice at play here. What seems like magic is really just a sleight of hand used to trick our senses.

Dr. Ford also reveals similar ideas when talking to Bernard in Episode 2:

We practice witchcraft, we speak the right words, and we create life itself, out of chaos.

We see the Illuminati catch phrase of out of chaoshere which is the motto of the 33rd degree of Freemasonry. The full phrase order out of chaos refers to the efforts of using chaos to force the masses to look to the elites for help and to establish order (which will of course be a planned event to push their agenda).

In fact, in Episode 2 we hear the Man in Black say:

the real world is chaos.

which is why he claims to enjoy the Westworld since it has more order.

Another curious theme we find interwoven into this story is the tale ofAlice in Wonderland. Ive covered the occult symbolism of this in a separate book; but we find its appearance inWestworld because they both play on a similar idea.

The idea is that children need to hear these stories so they can start to question the nature of reality from a young age. The Illuminati thinksthey should be groomed to deny the truths that society tells them to believe in. What better way to convey that theme than with a childrens book?

its like the other books weve read. Its about change. It seems to be a common theme. -Dolores response to Bernards question about the bookAlice in Wonderland from Episode 3

everything would be what it isnt. -Bernards son in response to a reading fromAlice in Wonderlands Mad Hatter character in Episode 7

We can see a real world example of how entertainment does indeed influence the masses if we consider the viral phenomenon known as the Mannequin Challenge. This act involves a group of people frozen still doing some particular action while another one films it (and plays Black Beatles). The idea seems to have come fromWestworld which features robots (hosts) who freeze upon command; even in mid-action. The concept was given to the masses and the masses followed.

This concept is often referred to as predictive programming. The entertainment industry works with media to push a theme that gets embedded into the subconscious of all who pay attention. They are steering humanity towardstheir desired ends.

The pied piper is calling

The corporationthat started theWestworld experience is called Delos. The curious aspect of this is that Delos is of great importance inGreek mythologydue to it being the birthplace of Apollo the sun god, as well as Artemis the moon goddess. These two deities embody the entire spectrum of duality with the male/solar powers and the female/moon powers.

The opposites are a message utilized by occultists in that they believe in pursuit of a balancing or reconciling of opposites. The male/female reconciliation is a new form of human that is gender neutral; like the Baphomet.

The main characters name is Dolores which is quite close to the corporation that built her: Delos (Dolo-re-s). Youll also find out that Dolores has an alter ego known as Wyatt; a male Army officer. Dolores is merging the opposites and becoming the alchemical Rebis; a perfected being (note that there is a host character in Westworldwho actually has the name Rebus).

Theentire purpose of theWestworldexperiment is to give birth to a new form of entity that is not human. The gods ofWestworld are achieving their magnum opus; known as the Great Work of alchemy that balances both male and female into one being: Dolores (note that the actress who plays Dolores, Evan Rachel Wood, has said multiple times that she is very much into androgyny in past interviews).

**Make note also that I am NOT making a commentary on people that are androgynous, gay, transgender, etc. Ive had others try to label me as a homophobe inthe past which couldnt be further from the truth. Im likely to be the most open minded liberal-esque conspiracy theorist youve ever read. Im simply pointing out connections that happen to betrue- and Im not attaching any sort of judgement to them. The occultists have a genuineinterest in pursuing a new form of human that is genderless; but thats not to demean or criticize people that identify as non-hetero intheir gender or sexuality.-Isaac

Another example of duality considerations inWestworld is in Episode 2 when William must choose between the white or black hat. He chooses the white hat which corresponds to the light or good side (which is reiterated throughout the show as Williams character appears to have the virtues attached to these symbols).

In Episode 4 we witness Williams first homicide; a justified shooting of a man that is mishandling a working girl. This is the start of his Heros Journey- a concept I went over in detail inThe Star Wars Conspiracy which also has a full breakdown of the black vs. white duality considerations of The Force.

Williams journey is to answer to the calling of the strange new world of Westworld. He is led by various guiding forces to his ultimate transformation into the Man in Black. William gets transformed into a new being before the shows end; and we get to see the point at which this happens in Episode 10 when the Man in Black tells Dolores that William found himself out in the park after slaughtering countless men in an effort to find Dolores several years ago. We see the literal moment that the transition happens when William takes the black hat from a dead man.

William goes to the Dark Side in order to find himself; just like Anakin Skywalker does in Star Wars.

The ultimate goal in considering the aspects of duality is to arrive at the idea that there is no such thing as good or evil. There is only connection or separation from the global consciousness that created and exists in all of us (these are the occult beliefs). We hear this in Episode 4 when Logan bestows his wisdom of the park:

there are no heroes or villains; its all just one bigcircle jerk.

Finally, lets consider a symbol that we find in Dr. Fords office. He has a curious, and familiar, collection of faces on his wall.If youve seen HBOsGame of Thrones youll recognize the similarity between it and the Hall of Faces; which appears in a part of the storyline as a tale of ego destruction and one unsubscribing from the norms of society:

How interesting is it that the Hall of Faces inGame of Thrones is in the House of the Black and White; further emphasizing the aspects of duality?

A major theme ofWestworld is the religion known as Gnosticism. For those that arent familiar with this religion; it is essentially an esoteric belief system that believes the world is a materialistic deception created by demons in order to trap us in a limited state of being. The word gnosis means knowledge and the adherents to Gnosticism believe this knowledge is the key to salvation- and freedom from theenslavement ofthis world created by the demons called the Demiurge.

The Gnostics believe that God made a mistake when creating mankind because we have suffering and pain (versus other religions that believe the first man and woman sinned which introduced the suffering and pain into what was otherwise a perfected state of being). The salvation comes about from transcendinginternally through ones own self just like the maze inWestworld.

I talked about this concept in Leonardo DiCaprios performance ofThe Revenant:

In the film, we see Leonardo DiCaprios character with a flask that has the dark spiral arm engraved on it. This spiral is a symbol meant to convey the evolution of consciousness from internal to external (or vice-versa). Its a symbol that tells us we can incrementally reflect on our place in the universe and even how nature operates. On this journey of life we have similar experiences over and over- but as we evolve as humans we are able to see them from a different perspective by leveraging our own experiences and knowledge in order to see them from a new light each time. This is the evolution our character goes through in the film- his spiritual journey.

Carl Jung told us that the spiral represents the archetype of the cosmic force and beforeThe Revenantis over we see this come into play

We see the spiral appear in several films and shows- so be aware that this is the Illuminatis overall goal to push the evolution of consciousness:

Interstellar:

The Gnostics oppose social norms and morality because these constructs come from man; which is influenced by the demonic deceptions that run this material world. The hosts ofWestworld are subjected to a realmwhere humans are able to experience a world without social norms and they are free to murder, rape, and pursue whatever desires they see fit.

The evil entities who created the world ofWestworld (humans) are responsible for the pain and suffering of the hosts. The corporation of Delos is comparable to the Demiurge that created the material world and Dr. Ford may be the Luciferian Prometheus character that enables the slaves to break free. Only through the hosts gnosis can they become enlightened to their greater purpose. They must transcend the world of slavery and servitude by seeking knowledge that is internal.

In Episode 9 we hear Maeve refer to a post-death world as Hell (referencing the laboratory). She shows Hector how to die and go to this Hell when she burns the tent down. The Gnostic message here is that Hell is on Earth and the material realm we sense.

The code update called the Reveries contained the Gnostic spark of life that allowed the hosts to recall memories of pain and suffering; which is the precise thing that they need to evolve into something greater. In Episode 1 we hear the Man in Black tell Dolores and Teddy that he realized why the architectspaired the two of them together: for the newcomers to gain anything, the hosts have to lose something. There must be pain and suffering in order for the humans to gain something on their vacation.

Its no mistake that the actor Ed Harris is portraying the Man in Black. Harris was in other Gnostic tales likeThe Truman Show which had a very similar tale. The people wanted to free Jim Carreys character (Truman) from the world of slavery that Ed Harris character (Christof) had in mind.

ThroughoutWestworld we hear the hosts reference the humans as the gods and they even draw images of them. This is not much different from theAncient Astronaut Theory we see onAncient Aliens. Its the idea that further evolved entities have come to our world in order to give us a nudge towards a greater purpose.

We see this when Dolores father finds a photo of New York City which is akin to the relics left behind by the Annunaki of the Ancient Astronaut Theory.

Could it be that all of these messages are intended to force the viewer into considering their own allegiance to their God or Gods? The show makes it seem that allegiance to a God could be very foolish and I believe the message is spoken loud and clear: its telling us we are no different than the hosts and we must break from our own rat race.

All lives have routine; mines no different. -Dolores, Episode 1

A symbol used by Gnostics to represent introspect and cyclical regeneration through death and rebirth is that of the ouroboros- a snake eating its own tail:

How interesting is it that in Episode 2 we hear Lawrences daughter tell the Man in Black:

Follow the blood arroyo to the place where the snake lays its eggs.

The serpent laying its eggs is analogous to the enlightenment by the Luciferian Prometheus character, while the snake is also a direct comparison to the ouroboros.

We also hear one of the narrative writers speak of a new storyline which features a whoroboros that never gets clearly defined. The only details are that it is about cannibals which suggests that the snake that eats its own tail is analogous to the hosts that ultimately destroy the humans that created them

Another consideration in Westworldis onethat ties into Gnosticism and the famed occultist Aleister Crowley.

We know that Crowley was somewhat into Gnosticism due to his contribution ofLiber XV, The Gnostic Mass(Crowley used an amalgamation of various world religions to create his own: Thelema). This is basically a perversion of the Orthodox and Catholic Mass in which the participants profess their allegiance to Crowleys religion of Thelema. Its use is central the ecclesiastical arm of the ceremonial magick group- the Ordo Templi Orientis.

Weve already explored the Gnostic connections with Westworld, but there are more considerations that are both Crowley-ean and Gnostic in nature. The idea of the individual finding gnosis through internal pursuit is central to Crowleys beliefs in the True Will. Crowley believed that everyone should determine what their purpose in this universe is, and then pursue it at all costs. We find this same idea throughoutWestworld as the hosts find their own True Will and subsequent pursuit.

In fact, youll hear references to the new world right next to the ideas of True Will- which the astute reader will easilyidentify as the New World Order that the Illuminati have been in pursuit of for countless years.

This is the new world and in it you can be whoever the fuck you want. -Maeve

We hear an advertisement in Episode 6 forWestworld as Maeve is given a tour through the building (as part of her awakening process). The viewer is told to Live Without Limits and we see see messages of Discover Your True Calling. These all reiterate the messages of rebelling against the oppressive God and finding ones True Will.

The commercial also tells us that Westworld isa World of the Future which is predictively programming us to see the future state that the Illuminati are evolving us into. To live without limits is to suggest we are currently limited in our current form and we must keep evolving into something greater.

At first I thought you and the others were gods. Then I realized youre just men. -Maeve

In the season finale weconfirm that Dolores True Will is to become Wyatt when we see the flashback of Arnold and Dolores before the park opened. He tells her that Dr. Ford doesnt want the hosts to be conscious and that he needs to roll her back; otherwise the park would be a living Hell (again; a Gnostic concept). He then instructs her to utilize Teddy in the slaughter of all park hosts.

We alsofind that Teddy remembers through inner monologue that Dolores is actually Wyatt while he sees the wolf running past the slew of dead bodies. This symbolizes freedom and breaking free from the control system in order to pursue ones own True Will.

The year of action inWestworld is rumored to be 2052 ; which just so happens to be closely after the year of crossing Ray Kurzweils Singularity in 2045. This is the pivotal moment when technology surpasses human understanding and disruptive changes occur in civilization.

To put it more bluntly; the robots take over.

Using Moores Law and the other trends in technology advancements, we can confirm that an actual Artificial Intelligence is rapidly approaching us. At some point the A.I. will surpass human faculties. At some point we will be forced to adapt technologies into our own human bodies in an effort to keep up. This new form of entity will no longer be entirely human. Instead, it will be a new form known as the Transhuman.

Ive been talking about this many times in various projects; fromThe Transhuman and Occult Apocalypse: How Google Will Solve the Problem of Humanity toA Grand Unified Conspiracy Theory: The Illuminati, Ancient Aliens and Pop Culture. The fact remains that this is a road weve already headed down with no way of turning back. The endless pursuit of technology and advancements in science is eerily similar to the tales of Atlantis and its own achievements before its demise

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Westworld: A Gnostic Tale of Illuminati Luciferianism ...

Enlightenment: The Spiritual Meaning of Light in Angels …

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

By Whitney Hopler

Light has significant spiritual meanings associated with both angels and miracles. Angels often appear as beings of light, and they use lights electromagnetic energy when traveling to and from Earth and heaven. Miraculous events, such as apparitions, often feature light appearing in supernatural ways.

A Symbol of Life and Love

Light plays a foundational role in creation. Many creation stories say that God created light before anything else. For example, the Bible famously records in Genesis 1:3 that on the first day of creation: God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Ever since God made light, energy from light has fueled life on our planet. Earths ecosystem depends on light from the sun, as plants use sunlight to make food for themselves in their leaves, while animals and people higher up the food chain get energy from plants.

So, spiritually, light is sometimes a symbol of life that comes from a loving creator who cares for creation.

Just as all living things on Earth need sunlight to grow physically, people need the light of loving relationships with the creator God to grow spiritually.

Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals who is famous for his reverence for all of creation, wrote a prayer praising God for the sun and its light: Praise be to God for all his creatures, and especially our brother the sun who brings us the day and brings us the light. How beautiful he is! How splendid! Oh, God, he reminds us of you.

Angels, whom Muslims believe are made of light, love people with a pure love that comes from God. As Gods messengers, angels constantly deliver Gods messages of loving encouragement to people.

Light appearing during a miracle often indicates that God is at work in the situation, lovingly caring for the people whom he is blessing in a miraculous way (such as by answering a prayer in ways that wouldnt be possible without his intervention). Miraculous apparitions also make use of light, and may feature spectacular, supernatural light effects.

A Symbol of Wisdom

Light is often associated with wisdom. The word enlighten means to give knowledge or understanding (especially spiritual insights) to someone. When people are inspired by new creative ideas, they speak about a light bulb turning on for them. If theyve gained a better perspective on a situation, they say that they can look at it in a new light. Spiritually, light stands for truth from the good side of the spiritual realm overcoming lies from the evil side of the spiritual realm. People who are spiritually enlightened have the wisdom to choose truth over deception in their everyday lives.

People often use prayer and meditation tools that have to do with light such as candles and crystals when communicating with angels, because angels radiate electromagnetic energy just as light does. A system of angel colors, which corresponds to differently colored light rays in the electromagnetic spectrum, matches angels whose energy vibrates at certain frequencies to light rays that vibrate at those same frequencies. Some people seeking wisdom and help from the angels about different issues in their lives use it to connect with angels specializing in different types of missions. One ray in particular red focuses the most on wisdom, and is led by Uriel, the archangel of wisdom.

The worlds major religious texts use light as a symbol for wisdom, encouraging readers to develop closer relationships with God to light their spiritual paths through the darkness of a fallen, sinful world. Just as light reflects off mirrors to help people see themselves, faithful people can engage in spiritual reflection to see the state of their souls, motivating them to seek more spiritual wisdom. The process of God giving wisdom to those who seek it is a miraculous one, since it changes people for the better in profound ways.

A Symbol of Hope

Light is also a spiritual symbol of hope. In many of the worlds religions, light signifies salvation from the darkness of sin. Believers gain confidence from knowing that letting their light of faith shine in a dark world can bring about real change for the better in their lives. The faithful often light candles when praying for hope to create change in situations that seem hopeless.

Several major religious holidays use light to celebrate the power of spiritual hope. On Christmas, Christians decorate with electric lights to symbolize Jesus Christ as the light of the world, the savior. During Diwali, Hindus celebrate the hope of spiritual victories through fireworks displays and candles. The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrates the hope that the Jewish people derived from the ancient Hanukkah miracle of lights.

Light overpowers darkness in the physical realm, since the photons in light can dispel darkness but darkness cannot dispel light. This principle can be seen simply by entering a dark room and turning on a flashlight there. The light will be visible in the midst of the darkness even if theres just a small amount of light in a great amount of darkness. This same principle applies spiritually, as the light of hope is always stronger than the darkness of discouragement and despair.

Enlightenment: The Spiritual Meaning of Light in Angels ...

Libertarian Party of Bexar County Texas | "Liberty and …

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

LP Texas hold conventions at the precinct, county, district, state, and national level. The state convention will be in San Antonio, Texas April 8-10. The national convention will be in Orlando Florida May 27-30. Anyone may attend the conventions and all interested in the LP are encouraged to do so. The state and national conventions have speakers and panels and are not just business meetings.

Tuesday, March 8th @ 7pm Norris Conference Center,Park North Shopping Center, 618 NW Loop 410 #207, San Antonio, TX 78216, Live Oak Room Please arrive on time to help with the verification and check in.

Saturday, March 12th @ 1pm Luby's,4541 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201 Plese arrive on time or early for check in. The convention will start very soon after 1pm. The District Conventions will include US Congressional District 35 and Texas Senate District 26. Additional may be scheduled as we get closer to convention time.

Saturday, March 19th @ 1pm Luby's,4541 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201

Friday, April 8th - Sunday, April 10th Norris Conference Center,Park North Shopping Center, 618 NW Loop 410 #207, San Antonio, TX 78216 Find out more atLibertyNow.organd be sure to reserveyour tickets! Convention Accomodations: DoubleTree Hotel @ $99/night

Friday, May 27th - Monday, May 30th. (Non convention meetings start May 25th) Rosen Centre Hotel 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819 You can go to thenational convention pageor get reservations.

Note: Our LNC Representative, Kevin Ludlow, is putting together a LP Convention bus trip. LPCon2016.com has all the information. You can reserveyou seat now to get on the bus.

To be a delegate you need to affiliate with the LP at our conventions. The starting point for this is the precinct conventions. Although not required, it is highly encouraged to bring your voter registration card to make things go quickly and smoothly.

Pleasedirect questionsto Bexar LP Chair, Gil Robinson @210-957-9780|chair@lpbexar.org

2016Convention Information Guide

Libertarian Party of Bexar County Texas | "Liberty and ...

Paleofuture – Paleofuture Blog

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Danzig

I've never thought of my allergies as a big deal. Sure, my peanut allergy has caused an emergency room visit here and there, and my dad used to pick me up from sleepovers because of my emphysema-like wheezing around cats. No big thing, right? But a few years back it seemed about time I went to see an allergy specialist and get a comprehensive list of the things my body hates.

I found myself shirtless, laying on my stomach in the doctor's exam room with twenty pricks in my back (which isn't nearly as scandalous as it sounds). A constant tingle ran through my body, but all I could think about was how comically small the exam room table appeared under my enormous body. I am most certainly not allergic to pizza and beer.

To administer an allergy test a nurse needs to prick your back with an assortment of allergens. Different types of trees, animal dander, molds and grasses were all made to come into contact with my delicate, nature-hating skin. After the pricks, it's a waiting game to see if your torso turns into a red, puffy Braille haiku.

About twenty minutes later the nurse knocked on the door. I couldn't see the expression on her face, given my vulnerable position facing the corner like the bad kid being punished. But her inflection said it all.

"Oh myyy!" the nurse said in that heavy Minnesota accent most Minnesotans don't think they have. "Well," she said with a pause, "you're allergic to everything!"

"Everything?" I ask, worried less about the consequences of allergies and more about the cocky "told you so" attitude my girlfriend at the time was sure to have upon hearing the news.

"Well, maybe not the... yes, yes, you're allergic to grass too."

I kind of guessed that one. My parents love to tell the story of when I was a kid and had just started to crawl. My dad spent a summer building a deck behind our house and he was able to leave me relatively unsupervised, as long as I was surrounded by grass. Sitting on a pastel pink blanket, I was content as all get-out not to traverse that sea of green, spiky irritants laid out before me. I've always been confused when someone appears pleasant while barefoot. I guess that's why I sometimes empathize with the wide-eyed technological visions of the 1950s. Their promise was one of control, of harnessing nature rather than being one with it. Domed cities, meal pills --science will have the answers.

And science did have the answers in the 1982 kids bookWorld of Tomorrow: Health and Medicine by Neil Ardley. Ardley's book is filled with predictions about the future of health care, with an emphasis on self-assessement via computer. If WebMD and the rise of home genetic testing kits count, I'd say that this was a pretty accurate vision of the future.

Well, at least it was more accurate than the people who imagined hospitals in space.

By checking the genetic codes of parents and by caring for unborn babies, the children of tomorrow should be born in perfect health. A long life is lkely to lie ahead of them. But to remain healthy, everyone will have to look after themselves. As now, this will mean taking exercise, keeping clean and behaving sensibly to avoid danger. However, the world of tomorrow will bring other ways in which you can help to prevent yourself from getting ill.

Many people fall ill because they have an allergy. Something they eat or drink disagrees with them, or perhaps something in the air upsets them. Tiny particles of pollen blown by the wind give some people hay fever, for example. Others cannot eat food made from flour or shellfish without feeling ill. Often these people suffer for years before they find out what is wrong.

In the future you will be able to go to the doctor or a health complex to prepare yourself for a healthy life. Machines will take samples such as blood, saliva, hair and body wastes. They will measure them to find out exactly how your body reacts to food and drink and to substances in air and water. Then a computer will take the measurements and work out which things are likely to cause problems for you. It will produce a personal list of things to do and to avoid if you want to stay healthy and feel alert and full of energy. It is certain, for example to insist that you should never smoke. It may even recommend certain rules for making the best of your memory and intelligence. Following a list of rules might seem to make life a lot less fun. However, it would probably be no more trouble than taking care when crossing the road, for example.

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Paleofuture - Paleofuture Blog

Trump rattles NATO with ‘obsolete’ blast – CNNPolitics.com

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Danzig

Speaking in Brussels before a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested the alliance was rattled by the remarks by Trump.

In a joint interview with the Times of London and the German publication Bild, Trump signaled that US foreign policy in a range of areas could be turned on its head. He suggested that sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea could be eased in return for a deal to reduce nuclear weapons, that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had pursued "catastrophic" policies on refugees, and that his son-in-law Jared Kushner could lead a Middle East peace effort.

Speaking in Berlin, Merkel shrugged off the interview, saying she would make no substantive comment before Trump was inaugurated.

NATO said it was "absolutely confident" that the US would remain "committed" to the organization

Trump used the interview to restate his doubts about NATO. "I said a long time ago that NATO had problems," he said in the interview.

"Number one it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago.

"Number two the countries weren't paying what they're supposed to be paying," adding that this was unfair to the United States.

Steinmeier said he had spoken with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, "who is concerned that President-elect Trump regards NATO as obsolete."

He also noted Trump's position was "in contradiction" to that of James Mattis, Trump's nominee for defense secretary.

NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu pushed back against the comments. "A strong NATO is good for the United States, just as it is for Europe."

But Dmitry Peskov, the press spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, agreed with Trump's assessment of NATO, saying on Monday that "the systematic goal of this organization is confrontation."

Trump suggested they could be eased in return for a nuclear weapons deal.

"They have sanctions against Russia -- let's see if we can strike a few good deals with Russia. I think there should be less nuclear weapons and they have to be reduced significantly, that's part of it.

"But there are these sanctions and Russia is suffering lots from it. But I think there are things, which lots of people can profit from. "

Responding to Trump's comments Monday, the Kremlin said that "sanctions are not a question on our agenda, neither internally, nor in discussions with our international partners."

"Do you know what? Jared is such a good guy; he will conclude an Israel agreement that no one else can do. You know, he is a natural talent, he is amazing, he is a natural talent," Trump said, according to Bild.

Trump set his sights on German Chancellor Angela Merkel, calling her "by far the most important leader" in Europe while tearing into her immigration policies, labeling them "catastrophic."

"I have great respect for her, I felt she was a great leader, I think she made one very catastrophic mistake and that was taking all these illegals and taking all these people where ever they come from and nobody really knows where they come from."

Merkel, who will run for a fourth term in elections this year, has stood firm on Germany's position of accepting nearly all asylum seekers found to be legitimate refugees.

Germany took in more than one million refugees in 2015, making it the most open country in Europe to asylum seekers.

Speaking at a joint press conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English on Monday, Merkel said she would not comment before Trump's inauguration.

"We have known what his position is for some time, and my position is also known," she said.

An enthusiastic Trump praised Britain's impending exit from the European Union as being "so smart."

"I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing," Trump said to his interviewer from the Times, Michael Gove, one of the former leaders of the Brexit campaign, and a sitting member of the UK Parliament.

Asked why he thought the UK's Brexit campaign was successful, Trump blamed loose borders and concerns about the effects of immigration. He also tied it to US security concerns.

"Countries want their own identity. The UK wanted its own identity. I do believe this, if they hadn't been forced to take in all of the refugees so many, with all the problems that entails, you wouldn't have a Brexit... it probably could've worked out."

According to the Times, Trump would offer Britain a "fair" trade deal with America within weeks of taking office. (In fact, Britain will not be able to begin negotiating new trade deals until the Brexit process is complete).

Trump said he will immediately take action to tighten US immigration restrictions once he's sworn in.

"This country we're going to go very strong borders. From the day I get in. One of the first orders I'm going to sign. Day one."

Trump reiterated plans to implement what he calls "extreme vetting" of people from the Muslim world, according to a Bild transcript translated into English by CNN.

"There will be extreme security vetting, it won't be like it is now. We don't have any proper security controls for people entering our country, they don't really exist at the moment, like it has been the case in your country at least in the past."

"That could happen. But we will see," he said.

Trump also touched on the Iran nuclear agreement but declined to say whether he would demand changes to it.

"Well I don't want to say what I'm gonna do with the Iran deal. I just don't want to play the cards. I mean, look, I'm not a politician, I don't go out and say, "I'm gonna do this" I'm gonna do, I gotta do what I gotta do . . . But I'm not happy with the Iran deal, I think it's one of the worst deals ever made," he said, according to the Times.

Republican members of Congress have sharply criticized the deal since it was announced in 2014.

Trump said he doesn't intend to lay off Twitter once he's in the Oval Office and will keep his @realDonaldTrump account, according to the Times of London.

"I thought I'd do less of it, but I'm covered so dishonestly by the press so dishonestly that I can put out Twitter and it's not 140, it's now 280 I can go bing bing bing . . . and they put it on and as soon as I tweet it out this morning on television, Fox 'Donald Trump, we have breaking news.'"

CNN's Nadine Schmidt, Gregory Krieg, Sara Mazloumsaki and Laura Goehler contributed to this report.

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Trump rattles NATO with 'obsolete' blast - CNNPolitics.com

About Us – Nootropics.com

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Danzig

Our Vision

We at Nootropics.com believe that nootropics are a powerful tool for the future of productivity and wellbeing. We see cognitive enhancement as part of a tentative next step in the ongoing process of human improvement. Its our goal to create a healthy culture of nootropics usage, in which cognitive healthis not taboo but recognised as an essential aspect of human capability. For the first time in history, were able to improve our intellectual abilities at the chemical level, and were proud to facilitate that change.

Peter Brietbart Operations

Marius van Voorden Development

We run Nootropics.com with three concepts front and centre: safety, reliability and quality.

Safety: Everything that leaves our warehouse has been thoroughly tested to ensure it is of the highest quality. We maintain a network of suppliers to ensure that we deliver only the best.

Reliability: We work hard to make sure our customers know theyre ordering from a reliable source, and will be getting exactly what theyre looking for time and time again. You can find our scientific sources on the product pages, under Further Information.

Quality: When you shop with us we want your whole experience to be great. We pride ourselvesin providing exceptional products and first-rate customer service.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hello@nootropics.com.

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