Loyalty, Keeping Word; Still Golden?

Throw everyone under the bus - cause I make enough money and I will not have to suffer. I am really tired of pundits and politicians who think it is just fine for them to screw everyone else because they do not have to live with the result of their advice or opinion. Samuelson - do unto others as you would do to yourself!

Amplify’d from www.washingtonpost.com

Why are we in this debt fix? It’s the elderly, stupid.

It’s the elderly, stupid.

By now, it’s obvious that we need to rewrite the social contract that, over the past half-century, has transformed the federal government’s main task into transferring income from workers to retirees. In 1960, national defense was the government’s main job; it constituted 52 percent of federal outlays. In 2011 — even with two wars — it is 20 percent and falling. Meanwhile, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other retiree programs constitute roughly half of non-interest federal spending. Read more at www.washingtonpost.com

 

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Threat from self-delusion:

The monster of Norway, the Unabomber, the Oklahoma City Bomber, and the pilots of 9-11 airplanes all suffered from two extreme self-delusions:

a. That their actions would cause what they believed would be "positive global" effects,

b. That they were fulfilling a calling, a destiny for greatness, and would be admired/remembered for their actions.



Threat from rationality:

a. Our collective self-delusion that the world is or can be 100% rational - that the actions of madmen can be rationally explained and thus be somehow prevented in future.

b. No single person can carry out such madness, therefore there must be some secret group behind the horrendous act(s). http://amplify.com/u/a19n41

Can you hear me now? An Afghan poet's plea...

God help us make the right choices - we are already there for almost 10 years and still no peace for us or them.

Amplify’d from www.awwproject.org

I have come a very long way Give me a smile? I am tired of crying I miss happy times I miss my mother’s hug Talk to me … for just a second? I am new in your land Hold my hand Show me the way I have lots to learn I have lots to teach my people Let’s help each other Bring peace and smiles on faces I have come a long way To start my new life Please talk to me …

Talk to Me

See more at www.awwproject.org

 

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An Afgahn Poet's Do Fly Zone!

She wants the real good life! More power to her!

Amplify’d from www.awwproject.org

Desire

I want to fly where birds sing their nicest songs, where I can hear waterfowl, where it is green all the time, where flowers smile and butterflies speak.

I want to fly where I can write poems and sing songs, where dancing is not forbidden. Read more at www.awwproject.org

 

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I have Posterous checked to automatically get my Amplify posts but nothing has posted since March 21, 2011 - anyone had similar experience or explanation? Thanks. http://amplify.com/u/a17j47

Gonorrhea (Clap) SuperBug on Loose - Use Condoms!

What an awful Monday story but true. Gonorrhea once conquered is no on the hunt for victims with a vengence. Gonorrhea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection and if left untreated can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in women.



It can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the ducts attached to the testicles that may lead to infertility.



If it spreads to the blood or joints the condition can be life threatening.



Or overuse of drugs in food and people has fueled drug resistance like wildfire.

Amplify’d from www.dailymail.co.uk

Gonorrhea is now a superbug:  Antibiotic-resistant strain could turn STD into global public health threat, experts warn

A 'superbug' strain of gonorrhea that is resistant to all recommended antibiotics has been discovered.

Scientists warn it could transform a once easily treatable sexually-transmitted disease into a global public health threat. Read more at www.dailymail.co.uk

 

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Oops! Industrializing organics is bad too !

E. coli in Germany outbreak has "cooled" down but who knows where "infected" sprouts seeds were shipped to. Industrialization of the seed market sent bad seeds all over Europe and who knows where else where folks are cashing in on interests in "organic" food.

Amplify’d from www.wired.com

E. coli: A Risk for 3 More Years From Who Knows Where

Maryn McKenna

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reveals that, despite the epidemic curve’s trending down, the outbreak can’t be considered over. The ultimate source — the contaminated seeds from which salad sprouts were grown — has been so widely distributed that no one really knows where they have gone or for how long they might remain for sale. One prediction, based on the probable package labeling, is that they could remain on shelves for 3 more years. Read more at www.wired.com

 

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Fox News Owner Murdock Employees Hacking

Rupert Murdock is closing News of the World in England over anger with his employees hacking dead soldier's cell phones, as well as other people - including a girl who was murdered - all in name of getting "news." He owns Fox News, Wall Street Journal and London Times -  are they, or have they been hacking your phones, 9/11 first responders and victims cell phones, soldiers in Afghanistan? How far will Fox News owner go for profits and his interests over yours?

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How dumb can politics get? Outlaw energy efficient lightbulbs?

Joe Barton and 14 other US Representatives think phasing out old light bulbs and supporting newer energy efficient bulbs somehow threatens you freedom! Next of their list?

1. Bring back cars and trucks that have now pollution devices so we can be free to cover the land with killer smogs!

2. Stop cleaning and filtering water - so people will be free to have cholera and typhoid again.

3. Stop requiring vaccinations for polio, measles, etc, so people are free to endanger their children and the rest of us.

Amplify’d from www.govtrack.us

To repeal certain amendments to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act with respect to lighting energy efficiency, and for other purposes.

Rep. Joe Barton [R-TX6]show cosponsors (15) Read more at www.govtrack.us

 

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Family Farm; Gone! Family Fisherman: Going down quick!

They will pretend to be fishermen of past fame but they are just giant corporations ready to trade your future and the planet for a quick dollar while deluding themselves that they will be exempt from the harm they cause.



In the end, they will be waving dollars, yuan and euros trying to buy a future after they have - oops - killed it!

Amplify’d from www.foodandwaterwatch.org

Fish, Inc.

The Privatization of U.S. Fisheries Through Catch Share Programs

Smaller-scale traditional fishermen are pushed out of the fishery while larger companies, which often use fishing practices that stress ocean ecosystems, take over. Read more at www.foodandwaterwatch.org

 

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First bird flu, now chickens source of superbug effecting humans?

Chicken farmers used to be able to buy methamfetamine (speed) in 55 gallon drums to mix with chicken feed for egg layers. I wondered how much speed and other drugs got into us. Now, we are beginning to find out.



The key in safety seems to be not industrializing poultry and egg farming, as well as other meat production. When thousands of animals are housed together drugs are needed to keep them healthy but the long term result may kill us all - chickens and people.

Amplify’d from www.wired.com

Is Drug Resistance in Humans Coming From Chickens?

There is enough similarity between drug-resistance genes in  E. coli carried by chickens and  E. coli infecting humans that the chickens may be the source of it.

We conclude that the high rate of ESBL contamination of retail chicken meat in the Netherlands, which involves many of the same ESBL genes present in colonized and infected humans, is a plausible source of the recent increase of ESBL genes in the Netherlands. The similarity of E. coli strains and predominant drug resistance genes in meat and humans provides circumstantial evidence for an animal reservoir for a substantial part of ESBL genes found in humans. Read more at www.wired.com

 

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Hello? Anyone listening? Sitting out 2010 elections?

Pointless discussions like this abound when people do not want to think about the huge mistake too many many people made by not turning up to vote in city, county, state, and congressional elections late fall.



If same number of people who supported President Obama had turned out to vote last November, we would be talking about the new national plan to address climate change!

Amplify’d from takingnote.tcf.org

Was it a Political Mistake to Pursue Health Care Reform?

There’s a meme going around that health reform was a central strategic error of the early Obama presidency. On this view, it was a mistake to spend so long waging trench warfare to pass the Affordable Care Act. Read more at takingnote.tcf.org

 

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War keeps taking and taking and taking... we need to care for those who serve.

Before there was PTSD, there was just combat fatigue; men and women were just supposed to forget about it or suck it up.



Many men and women who served in all our wars suffered during their time in combat and many silently for years after their service in WW One and WW Two, Korea, Vietnam, and then Desert Shield. Finally they put a real name and some real treatment together for what had ruined all too many lives years after the combat was forgotten.



Don't forget, don't let them down. Think even longer and harder before sending them in harm's way - please.

Amplify’d from servicewomen.org

Is PTSD contagious?

While I always felt his PTSD was “justified” in a way, his wife’s behavior after he returned home always seemed bizarre to me.

When talking with her, she’d drone on and on about having “secondary PTSD;” she developed the same symptoms as her husband.

But, I now know that I was wrong

So, maybe it doesn’t have an official name, but spouses of those suffering with PTSD have to deal with a lot. The depression and anxiety can easily be transferred to the “caregiver” and can cause them to suffer through it as well. Read more at servicewomen.org

 

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Say What? Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan Meeting to Discuss Afghan War?

Personally, I think the idea of US having bases in Afghanistan from now into eternity is a really bad idea but tell me again who are our allies supposed to be? Maybe this should be another wake up call to what countries think they have long term interest in not letting Afghanistan control its own future?

Amplify’d from tribune.com.pk

Trilateral dialogue: Tehran talks to focus on US bases in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD:  The United States’ decision to set up six permanent military bases in Afghanistan will be the focus of talks when the presidents of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet in Tehran on June 25, an official told The Express Tribune on Friday. Read more at tribune.com.pk

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Five days community service for sexually assaulting hotel maid?

The real slime-balls here are the prosecutors who "defend" their going along with 5-days community service by implying that assault not-so-bad and "victim" is tainted by wanting compensation.

Amplify’d from gothamist.com

Egyptian Banker Pleads Guilty To Sexually Assaulting Hotel Maid, Sentenced To 5 Days Community Service

The Egyptian banking executive who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at the Pierre Hotel decided to plead guilty. Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar entered the plea yesterday and was sentenced to five days community service. His lawyer said he completed the community service already (soup kitchen work)

Prosecutors said

Service of a $5 million lawsuit speaks to her motivation from the beginning - loudly and clearly." Read more at gothamist.com

 

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German Interior Minister: Next Anti-Terrorist Meeting with Christians?

Only Muslims have terrorists in their community? Neo-Nazi, and anarchist wannabe terrorists are not the responsibility of Christian community? Could it be that government is still trying to stay in power by appealing to German racists?

Amplify’d from www.dw-world.de

German interior minister urges Muslims to combat militancy

"We want to stand up to the radicalization and misuse of religion together," he said. "All citizens of this country, no matter what our political tendency or religion, must take on the fight against radicalism and terror."

See more at www.dw-world.de

 

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Pro-Global Warming Concern or Pro-Gore Promo?

How does picking at the President advance doing something about global warming? Would any of the GOP alternatives do anything different or better? So what is this about? A promo for Al Gore? "I feel ignored and I used to be important and wanna be a big guy again?"



"I am the most progressive and my organization is better than your organization?"



So, Al, when is the last time you and the President talked or played golf?

Amplify’d from www.bizjournals.com

Gore grills Obama on global warming

Gore argues that Obama has made little progress

Gore also knocks the media, which he accuses of being too distracted by personalities like Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen. Read more at www.bizjournals.com

 

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He was ill; he is in rehab; he is famous = No responsibility?

I am sorry that this guy was addicted to drugs and drink but does that excuse whatever he does, as long as he says: I am sorry and goes into rehab. Would anyone care much, if he were a day laborer accused of the same behavior? The bankers and heads of Wall street firms who ruined much of the world's economies... how many of them are in jail?



Mostly, I am just tired of rich and/or famous racists and sex criminals getting by with fewer penalties that poor and unknown racists and sex criminals. End of rant.

Amplify’d from www.guardian.co.uk

Did you launch a racist, antisemitic rant? I can't remember, Galliano tells French court

The British designer John Galliano told a Paris court he remembered nothing of an alleged antisemitic, racist rant in a bar because of his triple addiction to alcohol, valium and sleeping pills.

He went into rehab at the end of February after he was arrested by police following the alleged bar altercation. He said his reasons for rehab were various: "I started having panic attacks, I couldn't go to work unless I had taken some valium." Read more at www.guardian.co.uk

 

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Feeding the Fear - Keeps You and "them" Down!

Why do wannabe and hanging-on politicians feed fear and hate of people defined as "different?" To keep people from figuring out they are getting taken for a ride by the fear-frenzy profiteers. You don't notice that hundreds and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been moved to China to boost the income of a few thousand of America's richest, if you are convinced that it's Mexicans, or Hispanics, or illegals taking your jobs?



Before we bailed out GM last year, they built 19 plants in China over the previous 5-10 years. Never noticed that Mexicans were not the ones who took your factory jobs away? That is exactly what the fear mongering is designed to do - keep you from paying attention to what is really hurting your present and future.

Amplify’d from bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Roberto Rodriguez: John McCain's wildfire accusations

The Arizona senator accuses Mexican immigrants of starting wildfires, but he is fanning the flames himself – of prejudice

Last year, McCain claimed that "illegal aliens" were intentionally causing accidents on freeways.

Per the FBI, we know that the border region is safer than it was a decade ago, and that many of the safest US cities are along the US-Mexico border. But when it comes to fueling xenophobia in this country, facts never get in the way. Read more at bsnorrell.blogspot.com

 

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Ned's Shared Items - FYI

http://www.google.com/reader/shared/15351457303448151229

Just in case anyone is curious. I share tons of stuff everyday but do not post most of it here at Amplify because it just takes too long. I use the sharing option of Google's Reader. So, if you want to see all the wonderful things I read with a few comments here and there - take a look and bookmark if you wish

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/a15em3