I saw my first bullfight in Madrid.

I’m a good liberal New Yorker, and thus I justifiably expected to be horrified by bullfights or disgusted, or even left empty… not exhilarated. That was both a shocking and shameful surprise.

Bulls and men have a rich shared history. Bulls have been worshiped and sacrificed since prehistoric times and the killing of a sacred bull was the critical act of Mithras, commemorated wherever Roman soldiers were stationed. Spain owes much to its roots in the Roman Empire. Language, cuisine, public works, and of course bullfighting, which may be one of the closest direct links we have today to the Gladiatorial games.

Men stand in the arena and pit themselves against beasts. In fact, the Latin translation of “arena” is “sand”, and dates back to its use on the dueling floor of the Roman Coliseum. The brave men on today’s sands however fight not at the whim of the Emperor or the Roman crowds, but by choice. They willingly enter the ring, risking life and limb to challenge the beasts that spring from ordinary gates, rather than underground trapdoors. These same gates admit both man and beast – because the matadors and bulls fight as (relative) equals.

Not everyone loves the bullfights. I spent over thirty minutes in the September heat in line for tickets at the Plaza de Toros before I received my ticket. Once inside, I then had to wait in the cool, dimly lit concrete entry tunnel that funnels patrons to the inner Arena. It was the same restriction you’d expect to find at a Broadway show, where the ushers hold back latecomers, waiting for a appropriate pause to admit them to their seats. I passed up the opportunity to buy a seat cushion (dark brown, leathery and plush) and instead occupied my time by speaking passable Spanish to a ticket taker named Javier.

He was good-natured, handsome, in his late 20s and seemed surprised when he discovered that I was American. “Most Americans… they do not like this”, he told me. “And you – what do you think?” I asked. He inclined his head, shaking it sadly. “Not so much… The blood, you know?” We traded pleasantries about where we had grown up as I masked my anxiety about having spent a lot of money on tickets to something I might not want to see after all. Thoughts of Hemingway were replaced by disquieting fantasies of gore. Then, before I could talk myself out of it, the crowd roared, the doors swung open and I was swept along to my place on the bench. A middle-aged man shifted over, I squeezed in looked around for the fist time.

I was ten rows up from the action, in a section called Sombra. Seating is broken down into sections – Sol, Sol y Sombra and Sombra – Sun, Sun & Shade, and Shade. My location couldn’t have been better. I could look across at the few dedicated fans in the Sol section, broiling in the heavy late afternoon sun. The building, though relatively new to Madrid, had the patina of age: cool greys and dusky sandstone. It made the electrifying pink, gold, teal, and (of course) reds of the Matadors’ costumes pop by contrast. These splendid outfits are called traje de luces or “suit of lights” and they truly seem to be illuminated from within.

The fans are less spectacular, made up of an odd assortment of international tourists and locals. The day I visited, there was a large contingent of middle-aged Chinese men sitting behind me, who giggled girlishly and chain-smoked cigarettes underhand-style. They seemed titillated by the suffering of the animals, which disturbed me more than the realization that I wasn’t appalled myself.

Instead, bullfighting struck me as a beautiful dance – where the matador leads and the bull plays his unwilling partner. The best of them make this give and take seem effortless. The lesser fighters seem crude and awkward by comparison.

You would think if you’ve seen one match, you’ve seen them all but this isn’t the case. The bulls all have individual personalities, just like their opponents. Some are angry, snorting chargers. Others hang back and attack seemingly at whim.

It is this individuality that lends interest to the matches. Skill levels are critical here as a good bullfighter (or toreador ) can draw out the duel to the delight of the crowd. Conversely, a bad one can draw things out by missed jabs with his sword, forcing the bull to work, and work, as the crowd grows restless and sympathetic to his cause. In rare cases, when a bull has fought with extreme bravery, the crowd may petition to have him spared. If granted, this pardon entitles the lucky bull to exit the arena with his life and spend the rest of his days as a stud. (Literally).

The fight itself is broken into thirds. First, the matador takes the measure of his opponent in a series of passes. Next, a picador enters the arena on horseback armed with a lance, which he uses to prick the bull’s shoulders in order to anger and focus said bull as it expends energy attacking the padded horse’s side. His compatriots, the banderillas then take turns running at the bull in a psychotic, risk-filled attempt to poke him with sharp sticks that are decorated with flowers. Consider it the anti-lei.

Eventually, the matador re-enters the ring alone with a small red cape and a sword. Like many others, I assumed that the color red was designed to inflame the passion of the bull, but I couldn’t have been more wrong — bulls are colorblind. The bull is instead enticed by the cape’s movement into a series of passes, ever closer to the body of the matador. It all culminates in an attempt to maneuver the bull into a position to stab it between the shoulder blades and through the heart.

The best of the matches I saw was the fourth of the night – the matador showed no doubts, no fear, nor missteps as with each deft swing of his red cape, he choreographed run after run by his foe. He inspired escalating screams of “Ole… Ole… OLE!” while effortlessly working his dance partner into a breathless frenzy and similarly leaving the crowd without air. Then he decisively ended things with a single plunge of the sword and perfectly closed the performance in an instant.

The crowd shrieked their approval, and even I was drawn to my feet to applaud. The corrida made the rounds of the stands, receiving the standing adulation of the crowd, who saluted him with swirling white flags and bullfight tickets waved like rally towels at a baseball game.

Finally he returned to the pen but his performance lingered in the fading daylight. Because in the end, bullfights aren’t about the outcome, but about the style in which they’re enacted. No matter where one comes down – in favor or against bullfighting, there’s little point in denying that it’s a “fair fight”, fairer than in a slaughterhouse. At least in the arena, these magnificent beasts reap the applause that they’re due.

Compromise these days is not only impossible – it is apostasy.

The latest failure in Washington, that of the deficit reduction “super committee” to achieve any of its tasks, is merely the most recent example of the institutional dysfunction that grips our government. It should come as no surprise considering how the plasticity of American voters’ views has grown rigid. Compromise these days is not only impossible – it is apostasy. Even the suggestion of rationality is deemed irrational. And that’s saying something, considering the Founders deliberately engineered the system around the concept of “gridlock”.

How did we get here?

Is it simply the natural evolution of our political system – growing ever more paralyzed as unprecedented levels of scrutiny are focused on process by unscrupulous media outlets? Is it the Malthusian growth of the blogosphere, with its unfortunate lack of truth-testing? Or is it just that as a culture we’ve become simplistic, lazy and accustomed to getting our own way all the time?

Maybe the better question isn’t why this is so (we may never really know) but what to do about it. How do we bridge this divide as a country, as a people, in order to find our way back to prosperity and success on the global stage? Politicians like plans, so here’s one with five easy points.

1. End the Hyperbole
First off, stop comparing everyone to Hitler and Stalin, or calling every policy Communist, Fascist, Socialist or all three at once. Let’s be clear: No one is as bad as Hitler or Stalin. Between them, they were responsible for the death or extermination of tens of million people. They helped plunge the world into a nightmare of global conflict for the better part of a decade. Using those standards, even an evil, despicable despot like Saddam Hussein was an amateur. All this is to say, President Obama’s health care bill, designed to drive more consumers into a free-market health system isn’t quite the Devil’s work that its critics make it out to be. Neither was Hermann Cain’s 9-9-9 plan. (Though, funny enough, if you look at it upside-down…)

2. Return to Full Faith and Credit
We need to restore our credibility around the country and in the world at large. Not for free trade deals or for Moody’s ratings but for our daily dealings with each other. There was a time not so long ago when people in Washington completed deals based on trust and handshakes. (Stop laughing, it’s true). One way to help things improve would be for elected officials to aim higher in their personal relations. People all over America still do it. There’s no reason our leaders can’t as well. As a recent White House social secretary recently noted in the Washington Post, elected officials are spending larger and larger amounts of time back in their home districts. Wives/husbands and children are less and less frequently making the move to D.C. as lawmakers eschew homes in D.C. They claim to want to avoid being assimilated into the “Washington culture”, but they are serving to isolate themselves from their co-workers across the aisle. It’s much easier to demonize your opponent when you don’t know his family, or when you’re not obligated to look him or her in the eye across the table at lunch.

3. Jettison Ballast
It’s time to realize that the base of each party isn’t a base – it’s an anchor. The ideologues on both sides are the most passionate and the least flexible. They’re the most vocal and the least likely to listen. Passion is good, but not when that passion becomes a destructive force. The wing-nuts are engaging in games of brinksmanship that border on Vietnam-era “We’ve got to burn this village in order to save it”. It’s up to the moderate centrists (those that are left) to seize the center and pull the ends toward the middle.

4. Turn off the damned TV
No, really – turn it off. TV is corroding our society. Jersey Shore and the Kardashians are ugly, rude and a lot of fun to watch, but these “unscripted” shows can’t hold a candle to the horror show that is the nightly “news”. We need to realize that the electronic news media are not the reporters of old. Walter Cronkite is dead – literally and figuratively. The grizzly veterans of the age of Edward R. Murrow have been replaced in large degree by actors who hold less interest in facts than in promotion. And the sooner we recognize that most of the TV reporters of today aren’t by and large a trustworthy bunch, the better off we will be. They’re arsonists – they like to set fires and watch things burn. Don’t blame them – just stop giving them free gasoline. The fewer people watching the news means the fewer fires they’ll be able to set. And yes, Piers Morgan, I’m talking about you too.

5. Re-District 9
Redistricting is the single most important issue in the nation today. It’s become clear in American politics that if you give people the power to avoid a fair fight – they will. It’s time to end that. California is one of the incubators for an experiment in decoupling the electoral system from the elected. Using a panel made up of ordinary citizens, the new districts will ideally be fairer and more diverse. Gerrymandering is one of politics’ odd quirks and it will be difficult to strip this perquisite from the powerful state house figures that wield it. But strip it we must. Independent commissioners means more balanced electorates. Balanced electorates mean more competitive races every two years. Competitive races will drive challengers and incumbents alike to the center. Centrists will ally with other centrists on both sides of the aisle. And those allies will produce better legislation, more in keeping with the desires of the majority as a result. Medicare, say what you will, like Social Security, has been an incredible legacy for former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Not because of its remarkable stability and long-term benefit to every American, but because both programs were the model of bipartisan legislation and compromise. Civil rights and the social safety net programs all needed the help of the moderate Republicans, like Senator Everett Dirksen, to pass. We should be aiming for a return to those heady days when the equation of 25 + 26 (or 34+33 to overcome filibuster) equaled the passage of a bill into law.

Ultimately, the Greek, Roman, Ottoman and British empires all collapsed for a variety of factors. Before we accept our fate as the latest historical failure, before we accept that our best days are behind us, don’t we owe our previous and future generations a stab at working together for a better future?

I’m fairly certain that a bipartisan majority of my fellow Americans would agree.

Noel Eisenberg is a guest editorial journalist for Global Whisperer.

A rebel militiaman stands guard at a Libyan oil refinery in rebel-held territory.

In September 2010, as America and the rest of the world were struggling to recover from the economic collapse, Libya urged members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to raise oil to US$100 a barrel. Today, oil is priced at around US$103 a barrel, and American airstrikes are well under way.

On one level, the conflict of the Libyan civil war is escalating, and human rights violations against the Libyan people have been well documented. And while the cooperation of 22 member-nations of the UN have assisted in taking Khadafi and his regime out of their dictatorial roles, a deeper assistance to the Libyan people could be under way. If we initiate the efforts.

Rather than funding rulers like Khadafi with our pleas for more oil, the U.S. can quench its appetites with serious advocacy for domestic energy production. While the U.S. consistently imports over 5 million barrels of oil a day from OPEC (about 60 percent of total U.S. oil consumption), oil-rich countries in the Middle East are turning more to offshore drilling as their land taps are running dry. So far, they are keeping up—though with frantic pace—with the wells of appetites for America’s fossil-fuel-dependent livelihood. But what will happen when offshore drilling in the Middle East and elsewhere have been exhausted? What will happen if (perhaps “when” is more accurate) OPEC charges US$200 a barrel? Or US$300?

If I were a high-stake investor, I would bet the oil wells off the U.S. coasts are not endless either. They will run dry just as land taps are running dry, and current livelihoods will either be forced to quit their oil consumption cold turkey, or commit larger salaries to search and drill in harder to find places.

Or, we can recognize the signatory failures of oil-dependency altogether, and begin the transition away from the conflict-creating, salary-exhausting fuel. Imagine a country populated with competing solar manufacturers and technicians. Imagine a transportation sector that was comprised of high-speed rails, fuel-efficient buses, and wide bicycle lanes. Imagine a country powered by innovative technologies to collect energy from the wind. It will take investment to reach these alternatives—perhaps high-cost investment that will initially be unpopular—but our present fossil-fuel-based economy will undoubtably drill itself into rock bottom, leaving energy providers scratching their heads as to what to do.

Even with the most recent signs cautioning against unsafe and unreliable energy dependency—from the oil disaster in the Gulf, to the nuclear fallout in Japan, to the instability in the Middle East—political and popular resistence is halting America’s investment in domestic renewable energy. In early March of this year, a House subcommittee voted to strip the Environmental Protection Agency of its power to regulate greenhouse gases. Although the Obama administration’s climate and energy strategy is, at best, a modest attempt to mitigate climate change, industrial and energy sectors without any regulation would have global ramifications far more destructive than current levels. Coal and oil companies would be allowed to overexploit regions as they saw fit, thus accelerating the effects of global climate change.

But there are those in positions of legislative power who choose not to recognize the signatory cautions of a climate in peril. For many of them, their policy choices are built around theological backbones of goverance, in which the separation of Church and State are called into question. This past November for example, Illinois Republican Representative John Shimkus insisted that such measures to establish a stable climate were unnecessary. In his own words, “The planet won’t be destroyed by global warming because God promised Noah.” Such fundamental fanaticism is neither conclusive with science or the role of political goverance. On another level, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce essentially works as a lobbying firm for multnational corporations such as ExxonMobile and Massey Energy, funding what is known as “junk science” in order to breed skeptism into the climate debate.

Either way, if global warming is a “leftist hoax,” or if it is a real concern that this generation will have to face, oil wells are drying up, and dependency on the oil that is left is met with the costs of higher prices and higher risks. The only lasting solution to energy independence and freedom from the instability in regions of the Middle East, is to begin the transition to America’s energy sources. Let the conflict in Libya be a cautionary as well as opportunistic reminder that our energy demands are exhausting their welcomes, and that fortunes are to be made in domestic energy innovation rather than paid out to oil-bred dictators.

Guy Walker

gaiasecology@gmail.com

San Onofre Nuclear Plant, sitting on the Christianitos fault

The radiation that blew out of the Fukushima nuclear-power plants, particles of which the jet stream swept across the Pacific, barely left a trace on sensitive monitoring equipment in California. Yet its minute presence also registered loud and clear: this is one planet.

That so much of this destructive energy was captured live, transmitted in real time through media new and old, just underscores how bound up we are with people we do not know and landscapes with which we are unfamiliar.

A much louder declaration about the interconnectedness of things had come days earlier when seismological instruments everywhere lit up a split second after the Tōhoku temblor’s first violent jolt. The tsunami it unleashed went global, too. Within 30 minutes of the initial shockwave, its western surge had slammed into Japan, and by the next day its eastern wave had raced across the Pacific, crashing into Crescent City and Santa Cruz harbors, where it splintered wharves and swamped boats; soon, it was rippling the Atlantic.

That so much of this destructive energy was captured live, transmitted in real time through media new and old, just underscores how bound up we are with people we do not know and landscapes with which we are unfamiliar. Terra Incognita is no more.

Yet even those places with which we are familiar can be unrecognizable, slipping off the screen of our memory. That thought came as I sat transfixed in front of the TV, watching endless hours of footage streaming in from a battered Japan, now reeling before three tragedies, the most ominous of which are the breached nuclear-power facilities.

The earthquake’s damage I could assimilate–the recent devastation in Haiti and New Zealand had laid the groundwork for interpreting the wrenching loss of life and the torqued terrain that came with a seismic blast. I had no sense for how to react to the news that subsequently leaked out about the Fukushima plant having been badly compromised, that it might meltdown.

It wasn’t until CNN ran a segment on the significance of nuclear power in U. S. energy generation that I recalled what I never should have forgotten–that there are 104 such plants operating across this country; that the two major ones on the Texas Gulf Coast had supplied much of the electricity my family and I had consumed when we lived in San Antonio for a quarter century; and that this dependency is true as well in Southern California, for the region receives an estimated 2150 megawatts of power from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS). My ability to watch the nuclear disaster unfold in distant Japan depended on the same uranium pellet-fired technology located on a beach in northern San Diego County, but 65 miles away.

Southern California Edison (SCE), San Onofre’s majority owner, would prefer we not think about that propinquity or the parallels. No sooner had the four-unit Fukushima installation been rocked by the quake, its backup generators flooded by the 33-foot-high tsunami, and its cooling system knocked out than SCE issued a press release designed to assure its customers that no such earth-shattering damage could happen to San Onofre. Or at least it was “highly unlikely.” As for a tsunami, this frightening prospect was discounted because a reinforced-concrete 25-foot wall protected the plant. Convinced, the next day every media outlet ran images of the great wall, a picture of solidity.

The situation may be more unstable than those photographs allow, according to a 2008 California Energy Commission report entitled “An Assessment of California’s Nuclear Power Plants.” It warns about the possibility of “blind thrust” faults beneath the facility; of the degree to which local fault zones and those in Los Angeles and San Diego are linked; and of nagging uncertainties about the “continuity, structure, and earthquake potential of a nearby offshore fault zone (the South Coast Offshore Fault Zone).” Because these concerns emerge out of seismologic and geologic findings that become available after SONGS was built, the commission concluded reasonably enough that the site “could experience larger and more frequent earthquakes than had been anticipated when the plant was designed.”

It reevaluated, too, the original 1960s assessment that tsunamis posed little to no threat to this region. Although major earthquake-driven, cross-Pacific tsunamis like the Tōhoku may have a hard time navigating through the offshore islands and undersea borderland topography; and although there was a major tsunami in 1812 kicked up by a thrust fault in the Santa Barbara channel, scientists now understand that submarine landslides can also launch large tsunamis.They have uncovered geologic evidence indicating that such events have occurred, and could again, in the Channel Islands and along the San Pedro escarpment. Cautioned the Energy Commission: “even a moderate increase in the estimated maximum tsunami run‐up could raise significant concerns about the adequacy of the [San Onofre] seawall.”

None of this unsettling news will come as a surprise to those who in the 1970s and early 1980s tried to stop construction of San Onofre’s second and third units

Anyone who watched repeatedly the churning speed and calving power of the Tōhoku tsunami, and its casual flicking aside of the most hardened infrastructure, can only hope that SCE now shares the commission’s concerns. It didn’t in 2008, when it indicated it wasn’t planning “to reassess the tsunami hazard at SONGS and has not reassessed this hazard since the plant was designed.”

None of this unsettling news will come as a surprise to those who in the 1970s and early 1980s tried to stop construction of San Onofre’s second and third units (the first had been built in 1968, and drew little pubic reaction; it ceased operation in 1992). Like their peers who fought against nuclear-power plants in California at Bodega Bay (where they were successful) and Diablo Canyon (where they were not), opponents of the proposed expansion of the San Onofre complex challenged SCE’s assurances of the site’s geological stability, given that it is straddles the Christianitos fault.They also questioned its operational safety, which later gained greater credence in March 1979 after the Three Mile Island disaster. As well they routinely denounced SCE’s rhetorical insistence that Californians had only one choice–to embrace nuclear power or brace themselves for economic collapse.

Protestors gained welcome support in 1973: that’s when the recently formed California Coastal Commission (CCC) briefly stopped the permitting process at SONGS because, in the words of historian Ashley Haines, the new construction would “deface scenic cliffs, obstruct public access to the beach, and damage marine life.” After winning some concessions from the utility, the CCC reversed itself but activists continued to file legal appeal after legal appeal. To woo the court of public opinion, each and every August thousands would show up at the site to draw a direct link between this particular nuclear-energy plant and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan. For them, the peaceful atom was a deadly force.

Their arguments did not carry the day. But the issues that these demonstrators raised 30 years ago about San Onofre remain relevant, particularly now as we watch a shell-shocked Japan struggle to regain control of the Fukushima reactors. Remember, no technician at that still-smoking facility in the town of Okuma, no resident of Iwaki or Kesennuma or Natori or Sendai or Yuriage, had any idea what was about to befall them on Friday, March 11, 2011 at 05:46:22 UTC.

A heart beat later, the earth shook and their lives (and ours) changed forever.

Original article posted on KCET.org

Filtering out water toxicity at an unprecedented rate

Along the coast of Alabama, location of the worst oil spill disaster in United States history, over 500 volunteers have gathered to begin a restoration project of massive proportions. The solution is more simple than you might think. Oysters, nature’s vacuum cleaner.

Its called the 100-1000 project, and it came about as a result of the collaborative work of four nature conservation organization: the Alabama Costal Foundation, Mobile Baykeeper, the Nature Conservancy, and the Ocean Foundation.

An adult oyster can filter roughly 20 to 50 gallons of water a day.

The idea is to create 100 miles of oyster reef in the region, and 1000 miles of replanted marshlands. The oysters have an amazing benefit on the water quality, filtering out toxins. An adult oyster can filter roughly 20 to 50 gallons of water a day.

The cleaner water leads to more seagrass growth, creating new habitats for fish. The reefs themselves also stabilize the shoreline, protecting from erosion and hurricane damage.

Volunteers came from all around, to lay 16,000 bags of oyster shells along the shore, the catalyst allowing reefs to take hold, and giving the oysters a favorable living environment.

If you want to get involved, checkout the100-1000 project

More on the aftermath and consequences of the spill:
The Aftermath- BP’s Chemical Dispersants Causing Sickness

If you know anyone that might be interested in helping the effort please pass the story along below!

Statistical wizard. Dr. Hans Rosling, illustrates the rise of life expectancy and wealth across different countries and regions worldwide. Rosling’s ability to ‘make the numbers dance’ and come to life is truly something to behold.

Egypt, may you never yield to tyranny again.

Its been a long time coming for Egypt and Hosni Mubarak. Reports of police brutality and torture hit a crescendo in June of last year, with the beating death of Khalid Said. The prominent Egyptian businessman’s murder in Alexandria sparked semi-organized protests across Egypt using sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Ben Ali was removed from power and now faces an arrest warrant for over 23 years of looting the Tunisian economy

Thirty years of laws allowing security forces absolute power coincides almost exactly with the reign of Hosni Murbark, who first took office in 1981, and remains there to this day.

The Egyptian government was slow to learn that 2011 was not a year of generous toleration of dictators. What started last year as sporadic protests in Cairo and Alexandria has spread like wildfire across the country.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak took office in 1981

Emboldened by the people Tunisia, who this year struck out against an increasingly censored media and president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, the people of Egypt now move to follow suit. Ben Ali was removed from power and now faces an arrest warrant for over 23 years of looting the Tunisian economy during the course of his dictatorship. Hosni Mubarak may not be far behind.

Today is billed as day two of Egypt’s journey towards freedom by a Facebook group commemorating slain businessman Khaled Said. Both Twitter and Facebook are claimed to have been shut down by the Egyptian government. Still, it appears many are finding ways to circumvent the firewall and post live status updates on both sites.

The people of Egypt have lived under the rule of Hosni Mubarak and his censorship and oppression of the people for almost 30 years. Tunisia has set the tone for the new year, and Egypt is becoming the next tribute, that a people cannot be kept down by the greed and ambition of just man.

Endangered across much of Scandinavia

Norway – While walking home from school last week, Walter Eikrem stumbled across four wolves who began to circle the 13 year old boy, blocking his path.

If Walter had run, it would have likely triggered the wolves chase instinct, which may have ended badly. Instead, Walter pulled out his cellphone, turned the volume all the way up, and played the wolves a selection from heavy metal band Megadeth. The wolves decided they had somewhere better to be and scattered.

Controversy

Creed Saves Boy from Wolves?

Initial reports that Walter played them a ballad from ex-rockers “Creed” appear to be false. As the story created international buzz, it was speculated that Walter might have adjusted his musical preference to avoid ridicule, but a local expert pointed out that subjecting wolves to Creed’s “Overcome” would have most certainly provoked attack.

Of Wolves and Men

A wolf hunter in Hasselforsreviret, Sweden

Norwegian wolves are nearing the brink of extinction as humans and hunters increasingly encroach on their territory. They are officially “red listed” which means they are acknowledged as endangered but the Norwegian government is still issuing limited hunting licenses.

In Sweden, when populations were reduced to 237 in the 60’s, a hunting ban was implemented. Last year, the Swedish government began approving licenses again, releasing 6,747 hunters to kill 20 wolves, which caught the attention of the European Union.

European environment commissioner, Janez Potocnik released this statement:

“The actions of the Swedish authorities leave me with little choice other than to propose to the commission that it begin formal proceedings against Sweden for breach of EU law.”

For now, Sweden and Norway both struggle to strike a balance between the potentially dangerous encounters like Walter experienced, the outcry from hunters, and the protection and preservation of these beloved creatures.

Rudolf Elmer handed over alleged evidence of Cayman Island bank corruption Monday, and was promptly arrested two days later

Rudolf Elmer as again been arrested by Swiss police for releasing details on rich tax evasion to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Last Monday, Elmer held a news conference in London attacking banks such as Julius Baer Bank in the Cayman Islands, then dramatically handing over two CD cases to Julian Assange, and announcing a documentary on the history of the Julius Baer Bank, of which Elmer was formally a head banking official.

This has all happened before

Elmer previously bellow the whistle on the same bank shortly after leaving it in February 2007, resulting in him being fined, and the bank petitioning Dynabot domain registrar of WikiLeaks to remove the DNS records from its servers. Wikileaks was taken offline, allowing Julius Baer to bury their dirty laundry and making wikileaks.org inaccessible for about a month until a judge lifted the injunction.

Then this Wednesday, Zurich police arrested Elmer citing the conference and supposed transfer for records that could jeopardize Julius Baer and their affluent clients.

Cayman Islands, paradise mixed with the largest hedge fund hideout, medical insurance fraud and criminal tax evasion stronghold

Blowing the whistle on the wealthy

Elmer has stated he is working to expose tax evasion by the wealthy. He was able to avoid Switzerland’s strict secrecy laws did not apply in the Cayman Islands, where Elmer worked for eight years, at his first arrest in 2005, he avoided jail time and was simply slapped on the rest with fine of about 6,000 Swiss francs.

Attacking WikiLeaks appears unpopular

Regardless of Rudolf’s motives for the whistle-blowing, there are clearly issues that need to be addressed with Julius Baer and similar banks in the Cayman Islands. By attacking WikiLeaks as a whole, Baer brought the stoked the public’s ire, who generally view WikiLeaks favorably for its exposure of criminals worldwide and human rights abuses in China and in countless other areas.

Cyber attack on Iranian centrifuges successful, now believed to be a joint U.S. - Israeli effort

Tehran, Iran: – computer worm has infiltrated thousands of computers involved in the Iranian nuclear program, destroying thousands of centrifuges that were used to weaponize uranium.

The worm is code named Stuxnet, and is believed to have infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide, however, the worm is designed with one specific target in mind – the industrial computers involved in the Iranian nuclear weapons program. It appears to have been developed by a collaborative U.S. – Israeli effort.

The centrifuges begin to spin out of control, while showing pre-recorded normal levels on all gauges, until the centrifuges fly apart.

The worm is designed to extract information from the Iran and send it back to its creators. In other cases however, when infecting a centrifuge control station, it activates a secondary protocol. The centrifuges begin to spin out of control, while showing pre-recorded normal levels on all gauges, until the centrifuges fly apart.

It has come to light this week that Israel built a model of the Iranian nuclear process deep in the Negev desert, where nuclear centrifuges were created to mimic the exact process used by Iran to enrich uranium. A leading military analyst, Avner Cohen, from the Monterey Institute of International Studies believes all signs point to a collaborative US-Israel cyber-attack.

The development of the cyber-attack now can be traced back to the facility of Dimona, in the Negev dessert. However, the closed Iranian network prevented the Stuxnet from being deployed remotely. It appears Stuxnet was deployed via Usb flash drive by Russian contractors who had access to the Iranian facilities.

The Iranian nuclear genesis program is run off of Windows computers running a WinCC/Step7 software engineered by a German company called Siemens. Siemens officially ended its 140 year business relationship with Iran on July 1st, 2010 and will no longer fill orders from them.

This comes just as rumors of military action were becoming louder from the United States, but what is being build as one of the largest, or most damaging, cyber-attacks in the history of the world appears to have changed all that.

“For the long run, while it is impossible to predict, my gut feeling is that Iran will not have the full bomb. The only thing that would push Iran to the bomb would be an attack on Iran.” said Avner Cohen, “I think Iran would ultimately emerge smart enough to avoid confrontation with the world but would insist to keep themselves very close to the bomb, still within the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) claiming the right to a fuel cycle. Whether the west and Israel would be able to live with that, I don’t know.”

The message was unity and acceptance, regardless of religious creed that night.

Thursday night over one thousand Muslims showed up to Christian Coptic Mass services, standing as human shields against violence, side by side with their fellow Egyptians.

“the only way things will change in this country is if we come together”

“This is not about us and them,” said Dalia Mustafa, a student who attended the Christmas mass “We are one. This was an attack on Egypt as a whole, and I am standing with the Copts because the only way things will change in this country is if we come together.”

Muslims And Christians Celebrate Christmas in Egypt

The Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Christian church in Egypt follows the Alexandrian calendar, meaning Christmas is observed on the 7th day of January.

All of Egypt was still rocking from the brutal attack at Saints Church on New Years Eve, which left 21 dead. The attack was billed by many media outlets as homegrown. Many pointed to local Egyptian Islamic extremist groups, but others dismissed the accusations.

In the days after the attack, solidarity between the two groups experienced an incredible rise. The Cross and Crescent, a symbol of united Egypt, appeared all around the cities and Egyptian online communities. Mosques and Churches were depicted together as one.

Participating in the Christian masses were movie stars Adel Imam and Yousra, Muslim preacher Amr Khaled, and President Hosni Mubarak’s two sons, Alaa and Gamal.

“We either live together, or we die together,” says Mohamed El-Sawy, an art tycoon who is credited with proposing the ‘human shield’ idea.

Monks told to stop by the Supreme Council - No more Angry Birds - Photo by: Craig Ferguson

Thailand’s Buddhist Sangha Supreme Council has warned monasteries across Thailand to crack down on Monks texting with their BlackBerry smartphones in public.

Hindu monk with all the essentials

The Sangha Surpreme Council issued the order after several newly ordained monks were caught texting and utilizing BlackBerry chat at a time that the monks should have otherwise been spiritually “on duty”.

“The secretariat has sent circulars to all levels of monastic chiefs to instruct and ensure that Buddhist monks and novices under their supervision will not act improperly in terms of technology usage” said Amnart Buasiri, director of the Buddhist Supreme Council.

In 2009 it was estimated that there were approximately 251,997 monks and 69,907 novices in Thailand, although these levels are decreasing due to the growing availability of free education. Even children from extreme poverty ridden areas are offered 15 years free education by the government.

The 2012 Ford Focus will be offered in four different styles; hybrid, plug-in hybrid, gas-powered, and an all electric. The electric model is expected to hit US markets this year, and available in Europe in later 2012.

expected range of about 100 miles and a top speed of about 90 mph

Ford’s four style strategy for the Focus was made possible by an almost $600 million investment in its Michigan Assembly Plant, allowing them to run multiple models down the same production line without any significant downtime during changeover. The upgrade of the assembly plant also included a solar power generation system, and a fleet of electric trucks to shuttle parts between adjacent facilities. There are also plans for additional solar energy systems to be installed later this year.

The all-electric version of the focus is expected to use LG Chem batteries, and have a range of about 100 miles and a top speed of about 90 mph, although official specs aren’t available yet.

Eco Villages in the Scottish Highlands as a Prism for Society

For the past three-and-a-half months, I lived and worked at Culdees Eco-village in Fearnan, Scotland. I have come away with the kind of insights that oftentimes come from new experiences. I’ve gleaned a better understanding of the process and progress of building a fully self-sufficient eco-village. Most importantly, I’ve glimpsed something of the process and the progress that accompany any collective endeavor.

When a single individual or a select few hold the vision for an establishment’s continuation, progress for the commons becomes impossible.

Whether it is a small eco-village in the Scottish Highlands or a multinational corporation with outlets that can be found on every street corner, or the governing body of a world superpower, the modern paradigm that guides and governs the vast majority of human establishments is hierarchy. Hierarchy is the common template for creation that fails to embody anything common. When a single individual or a select few hold the vision for an establishment’s continuation, progress for the commons becomes impossible. Similarly, when the power of the project and the continual growth of that project is held within the grip of its sole owner, the populous body of the workforce becomes disillusioned with apathetic wanderings. Volunteers on a farm become mere day-laborers working for someone else; employees for a company become the expendable class under a payroll; citizens under the governance of a nation become the tolerable workforce of the economy.

North Korea - perhaps the most Totalitarian regime in the world

Hierarchy is a higher position controlling a lower position, and whether that control is maintained through harsh authoritarianism as in North Korea, or whether that control is carried with utmost respect of the populous body, the continuation of the project or establishment will either be short lived or will not come close to fulfilling the potential of the human collective. Citizens will grow tired of being suppressed and will eventually rise up and revolt. And as history shows, they will most likely only go as far as adopting a modified form of hierarchy, submitting themselves to a new suppressive position very similar to the one they left. Voting other individuals into higher positions of power is only a modified and washed-up form of hierarchy. And if the hierarchy is a respectful control, as may be found on an eco-village in which the landowner has the vision and the volunteers perform the work, the process and progress of the project will not meet their full potential.

Citizens will grow tired of being suppressed and will eventually rise up and revolt.

The imagination, creativity, design, and direction of a collective body is far superior to the imagination, creativity, design, and direction of a single individual. If the collective body can agree upon these things together, every individual will be more fully empowered to reach their own potential, thus further empowering the whole. If the individual is suppressed to a severely diminished human level, the individual will devalue himself or herself, which is exactly why we settle with careers as cashiers, and grocery baggers, and accountants.

We fail to recognize human worth. Thus we fail to help humanity progress. Technological and industrial advancements are the impressive deceptions of human progress, because while they may make the day more enjoyable and convenient, they gradually create a dependence not just for the day’s enjoyment, but more importantly for the day’s survival. Think of it this way—if every technological and industrial advancement disappeared today, and every human was forced to return to a primordial existence, the vast majority would die as quickly as a helpless housefly. This dependence of survival has primarily stemmed from the working paradigm of hierarchy. We grow dependent upon the government to care for us; we grow dependent upon money to buy our things; we grow dependent upon another’s vision and direction of our day.

The dilemma of hierarchy and dependence-or-die is exemplified beyond the human collective. On an all- included worldly level, in which humans have hierarchy over nature, dependence-or-die has never been clearer. With a dangerously changing climate, severe acidification of the oceans, vast reaching dead zones spreading from our waterways, and a 10,000 times faster extinction rate than if humans had no influence, our position of hierarchy is failing to care for the planet. When the Earth’s resources have no other purpose than to serve the wishes of man, the system will eventually fail as any and every dictatorship will eventually fail.

The dilemma of hierarchy and dependence-or-die is exemplified beyond the human collective.

the vast majority of humanity does not wish to ruin the planet

Such a proposal as collectively working with nature in a holistic manner is too foreign an idea for us to adopt even if we wished to. To completely dethrone ourselves from our comfortable positions of power is nearly impossible at this point. But we can begin small. We can re-instill the innate power of every individual. We can create, and design, and direct ourselves together. We can collectively decide on exactly how an eco-village will be designed and built; we can collectively construct a business model beyond the advice of shareholders; we can collectively govern a nation beyond votes and scandals. Human establishments and institutions will naturally localize themselves. Businesses “too big to fail” will diminish their control, thus empowering local businesses and local economies. Governments “too big to govern” will branch into smaller, transparent, governing bodies. People will empower themselves, no longer dependent upon a higher body.

My view is: the vast majority of humanity does not wish to ruin the planet. But under the modern paradigm of hierarchy, in which someone else makes world-altering decisions, the vast majority of humanity has no power to do anything about it. Recycling our plastic bottles and buying organic produce is about as far as most of us see presently possible. But this is not so. Local communities, economies, and governments are gradually sprouting all over the world. Growing solutions are being found in such things as Transition Towns, the practice of permaculture and community gardens, Waldorf schools, and similar approaches that are still often considered radical alternatives to modernity, but empower each individual to a fuller capability.

Suppression is short-lived. Human empowerment is global empowerment. And I have confidence that any human collective would vote for global sustainability.

The procedure, using weapons grade uranium, makes hospitals a tempting terror target.

In Pretoria, South Africa medical research has uncovered a new way of using low grade uranium, instead of weapons grade uranium for a procedure more revealing than an x-ray, which can diagnose cancer and heart disease, saving lives all across South Africa.

The procedure is used more than 50 million times a year worldwide.

The procedure is used more than 50 million times a year worldwide. Molybdenum is extracted from the uranium and then injected, in essence “painting” organs and internal structures to reveal potentially problematic conditions.

The risk of this life saving procedure is that hospitals around the world can only get their Molybdenum from highly enriched ‘weapons grade’ uranium. After apartheid, South Africa dismantled its nuclear program in 1994, and has since become a leading producer of the medical isotopes.

eliminating the need for weapons grade material is a massive step in the right direction

The risk of storing the dangerous uranium has now been circumvented. This new technique, discovered by the University of Pretoria, is saving hospitals from having to store weapons grade uranium, which might prove to be an easy terror target.

The technology is now being shared around the world. With the START treaty and reduction in nuclear arms at the forefront of the global eye, eliminating the need for weapons grade material in any capacity, is a massive step in the right direction.

Related: (Re)Introducing Thorium. What if there was a way to get a nuclear reaction, providing just as much safe energy with a smaller footprint, with less 100 times less toxic waste and no military applications? There is, and it was abandoned in 1958

Also: From Xinhuanet.com: Russia launches world’s 1st nuclear fuel bank of low enriched uranium

California has long championed efforts to curb greenhouse gases

As is often the case, California will once again lead the way, or as some might put it, become a testing ground for new legislation, in this case, cap and trade.

The success or failure of the European efforts of cap and trade remains uncertain, with valid arguments on both sides. Now in the United States, the modal will be tested, with the hope of cutting emissions and providing a scalable modal of cap and trade that the rest of the country could utilize.

Ordos in the Inner Mongolian Region stands empty years after construction

A unique economic situation has slowly revealed itself in China, as google satellite images and various reports show fully constructed modern cities standing completely deserted.

An ultra modern city, designed to hold a million people, stands empty

The economic motto here appears to be, ‘money is no object’. Despite a labor shortage in the south due to the investment in rural areas, despite sagging exports last year, there remains enormous pressure to reach target GDP growth. That means spending and investment in infrastructure.

The world saw the first signs of this during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where $44 billion dollars were invested in new venues such as “Birds Nest Stadium”, many of which sit unused today, some of which, including an entire baseball stadium, were simply demolished after the games.

There remains enormous pressure to reach target GDP growth. That means spending and investment in infrastructure.

Today, the name of the game continues to be investment in real estate. In order to show economic growth, the pressure is to spend and invest, in anything and everything. They certainly have the capital, as debt grows in other nations and loans are handed out, so to are entire cities being constructed, all with the goal of meeting the bottom line, and hitting that government set target 8% GDP growth.

Take Ordos, for example. The name meaning “palaces” in the Mongolian language, Ordos is an ultra modern city, glass walled buildings, government offices, designed to hold a million people, yet virtually empty. To walk the streets here is truly a surreal experience. The original city, is about 25k away. Most of the apartments in Ordos are owned, but not occupied. They are viewed as good investments, as the saying goes, no one has lost money in China in real estate.

Mostly the only people that live in Ordos are construction workers. Without residents, no business can succeed, and property prices appear to high to actually move here, so it stands, a economic Catch 22. Thus rows of ultra modern residences stand empty, dedicated bus lines and stations sit with no routes assigned to them. Virtually more of the embodiment of an investment bank rather than a city.

Bradley Manning reportedly has spent the last seven months in solitary confinement

90,000 documents allegedly turned over to WikiLeaks

Bradley Manning is reportedly being held in solitary confinement, seven months and counting, accused of leaking more than 90,000 documents to WikiLeaks, but without conviction of any crime.

The most infamous of these documents was video of a US helicopter mowing down civilians in Iraq. Bradley spent two months in military jail in Kuwait and then transferred to Quantico brig. He’s banned from exercising and spends 23 hours a day in isolation.

Around the world, such conditions are viewed as inhumane, and arguably a form of torture, due to the irreversible psychological damage inflicted, and in this case, on a man convicted of no crime.

In Bradley’s case, the brig’s medical personnel now administer regular doses of anti-depressants to combat the effects of isolation.

Meanwhile, Berkley, California’s City Council has postponed a vote to honor Bradley as a hero for leaking the notorious “Collateral Murder” video.

“Manning … has not claimed responsibility, nor has he been proven guilty,” Berkley Mayor Tom Bates said. “I believe it is premature and inappropriate for the city of Berkeley to take a position.”

If we are to speculate why Manning or another would seemingly betray their own country, we might find it difficult to pass judgement, when the evidence of wrong-doing they’ve unearthed is so horrific and damning.

Regardless, Manning continues to rot in solitary confinement, while a U.S. Government, elected by and for the people, struggles to keep videos such as these hid from public view.

Bradley’s Leaked Video

Flaring excess natural gas in the Nigerian Delta, where Halliburton secured $6 billion in contracts illegally

The government of Nigeria said yesterday they may drop all charges of bribery and corruption against Halliburton and Dick Cheney, after being offered $250 million by Halliburton to ‘make the charges go away’.

Throwing Dollars after Dollars, All Charges Expected To Be Dropped

Cheney was being accused of paying off Nigerian officials in order to secure the rights to build a liquefied natural gas factuality in the country. Specifically, it appears $180 million in bribes were paid between 1994 – 2004, during Cheney’s tenure at Halliburton, in order to secure some $6 billion in construction contracts.

So last weekend, Nigeria’s anti-corruption unit, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, met with Halliburton and Cheney representatives in London. As a result, Halliburton offered to pay $250 million.

A spokesmen for the anti-corruption unit, Femi Babafemi, likes the deal. “It will need to be ratified by the government and expect a decision by the end of the week,” he said.

Halliburton spokesmen Tara Mulle, despite the payment of $250 million, maintains the charges are baseless.

$180 million in bribes were paid between 1994 – 2004, to secure $6 billion in construction contracts.

“It is still our position that Halliburton was not involved in the project to which this bribery investigation relates and there is no legal basis for charges.”

Johnnie Carson, the US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs reiterates the seriousness of these charges.

“If Cheney would be allowed to stand trial in Nigeria, charges laid should be carefully and deeply substantiated as they were ‘very serious,’”

Realistically, there will be no legal accountability or charges that stand against Cheney, the original bribes from 2004, and this weeks 250$ million puts roughly $430 million directly into the pockets of the Nigerian government, and secures Halliburton $6 billion in Nigerian contracts.

Cheney’s attorney, Terrence O’Connell, said there is no reason to suspect that his client is guilty.

“This matter involves the activities of an international four-company joint venture (which included KBR, then a subsidiary of Halliburton) well over a decade ago, said. Clearly, time heals all wounds, if events occurring a decade are exempt from scrutiny.

Apple's dirty-work, millions of iPads shipped despite a rash of worker suicides

This year, amidst the assembly of millions of new Apple iPads, there were thirteen suicide attempts and eight deaths in Foxconn’s factory in Shenzhen, China.

His last paystub showed he had worked 286 hours in the month before he died…

Foxconn continues to work with Apple to fill their massive orders of iPods, iPhones and iPads, in addition to PS3’s for Sony, and other gadgets for Dell. No talking here, just hours upon hours of assembly, sleep, and repeat, all without leaving Foxconn City.

“Foxconn” or “iPod City” as its referred to, employees some 450,000 workers, in an an area spanning a little over a mile. Its dubbed a city for good reason. Within are fifteen factories, five dormitories, a fire brigade, as well as grocery store, bank, restaurants, and a hospital. Workers live work and eat within the city, and the only tv is broadcast by the company, Foxconn TV. The dorm rooms they are given average around 9 workers to a room.

First month salary is kept as a deposit for the uniform. If a worker is late, they are fined 100rmb a minute. If their uniform is damaged, they are fined 500rmb, which is half a monthly salary of around 1000rmb ($150). Talking during your shift is 100rmb fine, and no cell phones are allowed while working. No personal calls, no family emergencies, nothing.

The first victim was Ma Xiangqian, a 19 year old migrant worker. His last paystub showed he had worked 286 hours in the month before he died, including 112 hours of overtime, which is roughly three times the legal limit for China. His salary came out to about 1$ an hour for an average of over 9 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Suicide nets have now been installed around many of Foxconn's factories

In response to the growing scrutiny, Foxconn has raised workers salaries several times in the last few months. Many workers are receiving roughly $300 a month, nearly double the old rate.

Yet, the story told to the press appears quite different from the information workers volunteer in confidence. Workers describe military style drills, verbal abuse and forced resuscitation of ’self criticisms.’ Big orders often require employees to sleep on factory floors, working 13 consecutive days.

Foxconn has avoided the classification of ’sweatshop’, yet that has given many American companies an excuse to wash there hands or turn a blind eye on the working conditions here. With the installation of ’suicide’ nets around Foxconn factories, one wonders what it will take before seemingly reputable companies such as Apple are held accountable for the human rights nightmare that are the factory floors of Foxconn, the next must-have gadget is currently being manufactured for the New World market.

Attack appears to be retaliation to artist Lars Wilks free speech editorial

A failed terrorist attack in a central Stockholm district full of Christmas shoppers could have been catastrophic, Swedish authorities said late last night.

A crowded shopping district in Stockholm appears to have been the intended target of last nights terror attack, where a man detonated a backpack pipe-bomb, killing himself and one other.

A crowded shopping district in Stockholm appears to have been the intended target

The bomber was found with a large quantity of nails and five pipe bombs in his backpack. One bomb apparently went off prematurely and killed the man.

The Attacker

Ten minutes before the attack, several Swedish news agencies received an email and audio recording claiming responsibility.

“Our actions will speak for themselves,” the person said in an audio recording “As long as you don’t end your war against Islam and the humiliation against the prophet and with your stupid support to Lars Vilks the pig.”

The emailer continues, addressing his family. He asks them for forgiveness for having misled them about a trip he made to the Middle East.

He asks his wife to kiss the kids from him. “Tell them Daddy loves them.”

“I never went to the Middle East to work or earn money, I went there for jihad”.

He says he could not tell his wife or his children. He assures his family’s love and asks his wife to kiss the kids from him.

“Tell them Daddy loves them.”

Controversial Artist Lars Vilks has a bounty on his head

Lars Vilks

The recording references Swedish troops in Afghanistan and the controversial artist Lars Vilks. Vilks has been receiving death threats since depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in an editorial series on the importance of freedom of speech.

When the series eventually ran in various Swedish papers, they received official condemnations from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Egypt.

Al-Shabaab
Last November Vilks received a recording from Abu Zaid, a member of al-Shabaab.

“That organisation has no resources to speak of. They are almost bankrupt,” says Vilks

“Know what awaits you, as it will be nothing but this: slaughter! For that is what you deserve,” Zaid said, “To my brothers and sisters, I call you to make (migration), and if you can kill this dog called Lars, then you will receive a great reward from Allah,” Zaid said, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Al-Shabaab, or roughly translated, “Movement of Striving Youth” is an Islamist group involved in the ongoing war in Somalia. They are believed to control most of the southern and central parts of Somalia, including much of Mogadishu. They believe in a strict form of Sharia law.

Vilks responded to the threats last month, “That organisation has no resources to speak of. They are almost bankrupt,” he said.

“They send out that type of information to try to find volunteers that could interest them and to get attention. It’s something that can only lure in a few crazy people.”

Guilty of Sex Trafficing: Latest cable confirms company involved in Afghan sex trade. 95% of Dyncorp's $2 billion annual revenue comes from the U.S. taxpayers.

DynCorp, is a private security contractor hired to train police in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan cable dated June 24th, confirms the rumor that DynCorp threw a bacha bazi (“boy-play”) party for new Afghan police recruits.

Contender for Most Corrupt Corporation in the World - DynCorp Continues to Win Government Contracts

A Bacha boy is between eight and fifteen years old. The boy dresses scantily in women’s clothing and dances seductively to a room full of older men. When the show is over, the boy is auctioned off to the highest bidder for sex. Sometimes the boy is bought outright. The State Department has called bacha bazi a “widespread, culturally accepted form of male rape.”

Considering bacha bazi is generally culturally accepted in Afghanistan, and that the U.S. Government apparently gives contractors a free pass as long as the job is done, perhaps it makes sense for DyCorp to drug up some Pashtun police recruits and turn them loose on a bunch of little boys. However, per the latest Wikileak cable:

This is not the first time, DynCorp has been under scrutiny. in 2006, U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney grilled Donald Rumsfeld on why they continued to employee DynCorp after the company had been exposed to be involved in the buying and selling of young women and children.

Four years later, the latest wikileaks prove nothing has changed at DynCorp, yet 95% of their nearly 2 billion annual revenue comes directly from the U.S. taxpayers.

In light of the 2006 issues, its mind-boggling that we watch Julian Assange now face espionage charges from the United States, yet the country as a whole continues to give DynCorp a free pass and taxpayers money. DynCorp was corrupt in 2006, and today continues to be involved in the vile sex trade while the U.S. Government looks the other way.

Related: Report faults State Department, DynCorp for missing $1 billion

McKinney’s Grilling of Donald Rumsfeld in 2006

Originally from BBC Business

Calisto Tanzi sentenced to jail for 18 years

The founder and former chief executive of Italian food conglomerate Parmalat has been sentenced to 18 years in jail for his role in a fraud at the firm.

Calisto Tanzi was convicted of criminal association and fraudulent bankruptcy.

“These people have caused much pain and despair to many people. And it’s right for them to pay for it.”

A court also ordered former Parmalat executives to pay the firm 2bn euros and reimburse thousands of defrauded investors.

Parmalat collapsed in 2003 with a 14bn-euro hole in its accounts in what was Europe’s biggest bankruptcy.

Some 135,000 investors lost the money they had invested in Parmalat’s corporate bonds, and about 30,000 of them were listed as complainants in the case.

They are expected to share compensation worth an estimated 30m euros, as ordered by the court.

A representative of the investors told Italian television: “I believe [this sentence] is right, since these people have caused much pain and despair to many people. And it’s right for them to pay for it.”

The judge in the city of Parma, from where the company gets its name, also sentenced the company’s former financial director Fausto Tonna to 14 years in prison.

Read full article from BBC Business

Why Is Africa's Largest Oil Producing Nation Living in Absolute Poverty?

Wikileak’s latest cable reveals a corporation (Shell Oil) that has infiltrated every level of Nigerian government and is trading information about the inner workings with the United States.

“They have people on the payroll in every community, which is why they get away with everything. They are more powerful than the Nigerian government.”

Much of Africa appears on the economic upswing. Uganda’s oil wealth is beginning to turn their economy around, and Botswana enjoys a higher standard of living due to enormous mineral wealth. However, the largest oil producer in Africa; Nigeria, still has a population that lives 70% below the poverty line, despite billions of dollars in revenue.

The cables revealed paid Shell employees being inserted into nearly every relevant branch of the Nigerian government. Celestine AkpoBari of Social Action Network explains, “Shell is everywhere. They have an eye and an ear in every ministry of Nigeria. They have people on the payroll in every community, which is why they get away with everything. They are more powerful than the Nigerian government.”

Due to Shell’s intimate involvement, the cables show the U.S. government going to Shell’s then Vice President Ann Pickard to get intelligence regarding military activity and business competition in the Niger Delta.

Former Shell VP An Pickard Opposes Nigerian Oil Reform

A majority population below poverty levels is more easily explained now that all oil revenue are clearly being soaked up by Shell. It also explains how the company was able to get away with such wide spread environmental distraction in the Niger Delta.

The cables also reveal an extreme nervousness regarding the The Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB) which might possibly redefine how the oil is extracted and creates the Nigerian government as a for profit oil company, severely slashing Shell’s involvement, and raising tax and royalty payments.

Peter Robinson, the Shell Vice President for Africa, told the U.S. State Department that Nigerian authorities just don’t understand the oil industry.

“Amateur technocrats run the oil and gas sector,” the cable quotes Mr. Robinson. “They believe that they can control the industry via spreadsheets and pushing through the PIB.”

An aide to the Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua said he hoped the bill would pass by early next year.

An arrest, questionable motives and a fight against extradition

Following the arrest of WikiLeaks creator Julian Assange yesterday, many media outlets have glossed over some important details, namely, the charges and evidence brought against him.

Involuntary Governmental Disclosure

Assange has not been formally charged with anything as of yet. Possible charges against him have been suggested as rape, sexual assault and/or sexual molestation.

A UK editorial by Richard Pendlebury entitled “The Wikileaks sex files: How two one-night stands sparked a worldwide hunt for Julian Assange” details the case made against Assange.

Pendlebury concludes that the charges being considered by Swedish authorities “simply don’t ring true.”

“There is scant evidence — in the public domain at least — of rape, sexual molestation or unlawful coercion.”

The timing of the arrest clearly smacks of political motivation, amidst new waves of sensitive disclosures. The fact that the UK had to dive into Assange’s sexual pass in a feeble attempt to stop Assange shows just how desperate they are and how well orchestrated Assange’s performance has been.

Despite their efforts, Wikileaks continues, serving as a counter balance for any government that claims to be ‘for the people’ yet makes back-room deals and plays political chess with people’s lives.

The arrest and efforts of several governments to stop Assange has also brought a wave of backlash across the internet, with several major credit card websites cyber-attacked and disrupted yesterday.

Many are thirsty for the answers and transparency Assange provides. Other’s just want to watch the classic bond villain fights the system and brings the wrath of several governments down upon himself, just eluding capture so he can bring another wave of forced governmental disclosure.

URBN - the first of 20 design-centric, carbon-neutral properties to be developed in China over the next five years

China’s first carbon-neutral hotel was unveiled in Shanghai last week. What do we mean by carbon neutral? The URBN Hotel is developed from 100% all local materials, such as reclaimed brick, reused wood from old houses, and vintage leather suitcases.

Amenities include in-room acupuncture and 24-hour room service

All energy usage throughout the hotel is tracked by a central management system, including staff commutes, room service, energy bill etc, to calcite a URBN’s energy footprint. The hotel will then invest in emission reduction projects through China to offset that number.

URBAN is to be the first of twenty design centric properties developed around china in the next five years. This flagship project is located in the heart of vibrant Shanghai, so enjoying 24-hour room service or in-room acupuncture was never so enjoyable or guilt-free.

' I lost a lot of privileges,' he says. 'I stayed in the US for six months, for fear to come back.'

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo could have retired ten years ago. Instead, he has become known as the Desmond Tutu of Uganda, a lone voice of support for gays living in Uganda, and around the world.

Dark Times

The hatred filled Anti-Gay movement in Uganda has left gay Ugandans fearing for their lives, requesting asylum in other parts of the world or being tortured in their own communities.

We will publish more pictures but in a diplomatic way, so that we can dodge the law”

David Bahati, a member of parliament, rose to world wide attention in October of 2009 for submitting a bill establishing a death sentence to anyone found to be a practicing homosexual in Uganda. The bill remains on the table, although it will not be considered until after the February 18, 2011 elections.

Giles Muhame - editor of Uganda's 'Rolling Stone' calling for death to gay Ugandans

You may also have heard of Giles Muhame, who started a Ugandan newspaper in August under the name “Rolling Stone” and then outed 100 different homosexuals across the country. Photos were printed of each alleged homosexual with large type across the top “HANG THEM”. At least one women was stoned to death by her neighbors after they saw the issue.

A court order came out last month, banning the publishing of more photos, but Giles pledges to continue. “We will publish more pictures but in a diplomatic way, so that we can dodge the law,” he said.

Many young gays in Uganda feel they have nowhere to turn. The whole country appears stacked against them, as gays are routinely tortured and harassed all over Uganda.

Preaching Understanding

In 1998, Bishop Christopher was approached by an openly gay man pleading for his help.

Ignorance about homosexuality is causing huge problems

“I listened to him,” said Christopher, “That was strange for the man. Most people just told homosexuals they should change.”

Word spread of the Bishop who would listen, and soon he had more than ten clients a day asking for his help.

“The attitude of my church is that I should condemn them,” he says. “But I refuse.”

“The attitude of my church is that I should condemn them,” he says. “But I refuse.”

For his efforts, Christopher was thrown out of the Bishop’s circle while he traveled in the United States and Europe. He continued preaching a message of acceptance and talking to those who would support his cause. He was denied his pension, still Bishop Christopher never stops smiling.

“God wants me to help oppressed peoples,” he insists. “Homosexuals should enjoy all the rights and benefits that heterosexuals enjoy.”

“I lost a lot of privileges,” he says. “I stayed in the US for six months, for fear to come back.”

Now Christopher is a loan voice of hope for many in Uganda. He believes no human being should be punished for expressing love for another human being.

“I’m standing on the side of love.”

“God is sometimes portrayed as someone who hates and kills,” he says. “I’ve reached another stage of what God is. God is love.”

His work is now being recognized around the world, even as it is condemned in his home. In the United States, California Senate Resolution 51 officially recognized Bishop Christopher for his work, and calls for the U.S. to support creation of policies in other countries that do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Thank God there are people who appreciate what I am doing,” says Christopher “I didn’t think, in my lifetime, that I would be recognized for what I am doing. … It encourages me to go on serving to the end of my life.”

“It is a beginning,” he continued “I’m not working for just my time (on Earth) … but for the future.” His work is changing lives even now

“I’m standing on the side of love.”

To support Bishop Christopher Senyonjo and his work, checkout his Facebook page for more information.

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo from Claiming the Blessing on Vimeo.

Mono Lake, California, a bacteria was discovered that eats poisonous arsenic

A group of scientists working for NASA in California have discovered a bacteria unlike anything else previously known on earth.

“This discovery changes everything. The definition of life has just expanded”

Until last week, it was widely accepted that there were certainly building blocks for life, phosphorous being one of them, that all plants and animals share. This all changed, however, when in the waters of Mono Lake, California, a bacteria was discovered that uses poisonous arsenic as its life building block.

“This discovery changes everything. We don’t have to look for a planet that is like planet Earth to contain life any longer. The definition of life has just expanded” says NASA’s Ed Weiler.

There are other practical implications as well. Bacteria that feeds off arsenic could be used to clean up toxic waste. There’s also the possibility of arsenic based, rather than phosphorus based, alternative fuel ethanol.

NASA’s Wolfe Simon says this discovery changes a lot of commonly held concepts on how life is created. So now the search is on for other examples of organisms that use not only arsenic, but possibly other elements that were previously thought to be against the laws of nature.

'“Foreigners are still arriving to Russia in big numbers.'

According to the latest Russian census, there are about 120,000 foreigners living and working in Russia, not including some 1 million individuals who were listed as citizens of the former Soviet Republics.

This year, contestants received special dance instruction from Stanislav Popov

During economic crisis that has rattled through all of Europe, and despite ongoing tension between the United States, EU, and Russia regarding missile defense, tourists and ex-pats are still coming in droves. Its easy to see why. Walking through the streets of St. Petersburg, there is always something happening, says Moscow-based Ksenia Zdmskova,

“People are not sitting in their bedrooms chatting with their friends over Facebook or Twitter. They still gather in groups and hammer out ideas, and this seems extremely healthy from my point of view.”

“Everywhere you turn in St. Petersburg there is something happening,” he said. “There is such energy in the air – electrified is the best way I can describe it – people are not sitting in their bedrooms chatting with their friends over Facebook or Twitter. They still gather in groups and hammer out ideas, and this seems extremely healthy from my point of view.”

'There is such energy in the air – electrified is the best way I can describe it'

The annual Miss Russia contest is a big draw for Moscow. The first pageant was actually held in Paris, in 1927, by Russians displaced after their Civil War. This year, contestants received special dance instruction from Stanislav Popov, President of the Russian Federation Dance Union.

In the face of financial crisis, many of Moscow’s notoriously expensive hotels are lowering their prices. Never has there been a better time to visit Russia, and despite the hard times, people keep coming.

Moscow’s notoriously expensive hotels are beginning to lower their prices

Poland Showcases The Future of Subway Cars... As Designed By BMW

Set for deployment in 2012, BMW has been quietly designing the world’s most modern subway car in Warsaw, dubbed the Inspiro.

The Inspiro makes several improvements over typical subway cars, with a dash of BMW’s elegance. Each subway car is made from 98% recyclable material. An ultra-light weight aluminum chassis allows the subway to run on less energy, which equates to less energy usage. The new cars are projected to reduce Poland’s subway energy allotment by 30% the first year they go active.

Handholds are lit from above, and shaped like tree branches

Inside, great care has been taken to create lighting the soothes passengers. Climate control is on demand per car. Doors are made extra wide, and cabins are designed to be spacious and sleek. Handholds are lit from above, and shaped like tree branches, in keeping with the green theme. Braking is electrodynamic, reducing noise and particle emission.

The Inspiro comes to us from the hard-working engineers at BMW Group DesignWorks, which is an independently operated BMW Group based in Los Angeles, Singapore and Munich. Warsaw has ordered 35 of the cars for a stepped up deployment in 2013, although the very first Insprio cars should be running in 2012.