February 2012
42 posts
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Comparing Al-Shabaab and the Lord's Resistance... →
Emmanuel Kisiangani, senior researcher in the Pretoria office of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), wrote an interesting analysis that compares al-Shabaab and the the Lord’s Resistance Army. Published by ISS in December 2011, Kisiangani emphasizes the commonality of the two groups in that they espouse vicious patterns of violence buttressed by spiritual tactics. The report is...
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Unlimited spending is corrupting democracy →
Big spending in our elections is out of control.
Super PACs have already raised nearly $100 million to support Republican presidential candidates. That money has come from wealthy individual donors and shell corporations, set up purely to obscure the donor’s identity. The First Amendment is meant to protect our right to free speech. But since the Supreme Court’s Citizens...
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Flame, Temptation, Wonderlust ... →
Do not pretend ignorance. You too have noticed them, in those short tight skirts, those low-cut cleavage heaving blouses, those stiletto heels and thin ankle straps, those golden bare-midriff chains, those black push-up bras, with those cherry-red kiss-me lips, those try-me-sometime looks— seriously, what the hell can real men do when confronted with this musky, lusty scent, this tsunami...
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Did you know? →
The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of 4,693 m/15,397 ft as confirmed by both SRTM and multiple GPS readings. It connects China’s Xinjiang region with Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions and also...
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ISRAEL: The tribulations of being an Ethiopian Jew →
Growing up in Israel, Shay Sium became accustomed to being called a “nigger”. Sium, 32, has lived in Israel most of his life, but says he and other Ethiopian Jews are treated differently from other Israelis: factories do not want to employ them; landlords refuse them; and certain schools turn away their children.
“The word discrimination doesn’t describe what we experience. There is...
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“Remember to think not only about money coming into your bank account, but also...”
– via The Thrifty Social Worker by Live Simply, Live Thrifty, Live Savvy
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"The comedy writes itself in Arizona" - reader's... →
A local sheriff resigned as a co-chair of Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s campaign in Arizona on Saturday after he was accused of threatening a former male lover with deportation to Mexico if he talked about their relationship. —Reuters via Yahoo! News
On Santorum ... views from his opposers
Santorum’s goal is to turn America into a theocracy, just like Iran and Afghanistan. We will be free to practice any religion we want, as long as it’s fundamental Christian. He may get the nomination, but No Way will the majority of Americans vote for this idiot.
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No, his goal is to exploit religious voters. I obviously don’t like the guy, but extreme scenarios like...
Fantasy vs Realty: A domestic worker's life in the... →
Here is one testimony from Rahel Zegeye who has also made a film titled “Beirut” about maids’ experience in the Middle East:
Ten years ago, my plan was to jet off to Beirut in search of domestic work without telling my family. My military veteran father was unemployed and our family had to pinch whatever pennies we had. Besides, there were limited opportunities to continue my...
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“The Republic of South Sudan’s declaration of independence in July of last year...”
– The Enough Project, Dealing with Inter-Communal Violence in South Sudan
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Inter-Communal Violence in South Sudan →
[…] The Enough Project posted a thoughtful essay titled Dealing with Inter-Communal Violence in South Sudan 9 February 2012 on the e-International Relations website. They explained that the inter-communal violence in Jonglei Province between the Murle and Lou-Nuer peoples has underscored the weaknesses in South Sudan’s security and policing sectors. It has also emphasized underlying...
The Earth →
“THE EARTH” (ZEMLIIA) BY BOHDAN PEVNY Dedicated to the Memory of the 1933 Famine in Ukraine
Foods to Boost (Male) Health →
Avocado
Sure, avocado is high in fat - but it’s the “good” kind. The monounsaturated fat found in avocados packs a one-two punch against cholesterol when it replaces saturated or trans fats in your diet. It can knock down levels of total cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol (LDL), as long as no more than 25%-35% of your daily calories come from all types of fat. Olive...
Did you know? →
Research suggests avid cyclists suffer more ED than other athletes. The trouble lies in the shape of some bicycle seats that put pressure on the perineum. This area between the anus and scrotum contains arteries and nerves vital to sexual arousal. Cyclists who ride for many hours each week may benefit from seats designed to protect the perineum. — read more @WebMD
I didn’t know....
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The next inventors ... →
The White House invited some of the smartest kids in the country to come show off their inventions the other day. The White House’s East Room — normally a place for prime time press conferences and State Dinners was transformed into a science fair.
Take Taylor Wilson who says when he was 14 years old, he developed a nuclear fusion reactor. Now only 17 he’s developed a tool that...
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Ethiopia's anti-Terrorism Law and Its Political... →
Ethiopia is a geostrategically important ally in the West’s efforts to battle extremism in the Horn of Africa. Western leaders have also emphasized its progress in battling poverty. [But] Ethiopia’s recent prosecution of opponents under an antiterror law has attracted widespread condemnation.
Double standards?
This dynamic makes it unlikely that Western concerns will alter thinking...
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Ethiopian Airlines Recognized as African Airline... →
[…] awarded the Gold Award for African Airline of the Year 2011/2012 from the African Aviation News portal. Ethiopian Airlines earned this distinguished honor by receiving the highest number of votes from readers, industry officials, and followers of African Aviation. More than 20,000 total votes were registered in this year’s poll, both online and in various industry meetings and...
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“[…] my honesty […] does and can create arguments, but with me you...”
– A Complicated Melody, @Life between the lines
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Defenseless: Exploited, Abused, and Ignored! →
STOP EXPLOITING, ABUSING, and IGNORING DOMESTIC WORKERS!!! — read more about the abuse, exploitation of foreign domestic workers in the Middle East @Kweschn blog
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Maids in the Middle East: Little better than... →
Domestic workers in the Middle East have a horrible time. — read more @The Economist
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What's Life Without ... ? →
What is life without any Dreams To let them drown in others screams Without an effort to reach the unseen Without striving to live like a queen.
What is life without Love To fill your heart with hate and regret Never to forgive and move on To keep thinking of all the ills on and on.
What is life without effort and Work To let it rot away in boredom With no goals set and no work done Becoming...
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Watch
Prof. Srikumar Rao says we spend most of our lives learning to be unhappy, even as we strive for happiness. At Arbejdsglaede Live! 2009, he teaches us how to break free of the “I’d be happy if …” mental model, and embrace our hard-wired happiness. via TED and Arbejdsglaede TV
Your Privacy Creates New Millionaire’s Club…And a... →
The millionaire’s club has to make room for a few more hundred people…at least. —Yahoo Finance
The wonders of Capitalism: you make others Millionaires and Billionaires often at your own peril.
It’s All About Imagination ...
When you are describing,
A shape, or sound, or tint;
Don’t state the matter plainly,
But put it in a hint;
And learn to look at all things,
With a sort of mental squint.
~Lewis Carroll
Via sorin photography
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Facebook's $5 billion in an initial public... →
The Social Network going public.
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"Congress arrests anti-fracking activists" -- WFP →
This is shocking. And frankly, un-American. Politico and the Huffington Post [reported on Feb. 01, 2012] that House Republicans ordered Capitol Hill police to arrest Josh Fox, award-winning director of Gasland. His crime? Filming a public hearing on hydrofracking. The hearing was open to the public. But Republicans on the committee simply didn’t want him there. They also turned away an...
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Winner for Best Insulting Picture →
At the Exploiting Africa Academy Awards is…
Machine Gun Preacher.
Women Minority of One at Davos →
At a five-day meeting that was more than 80 percent populated by men, women often were a minority of one on panels or not represented at all.
Sheryl Sandberg lingered on stage last week in Davos after leading a panel on “Women as the Way Forward,” and found herself surrounded by a dozen fans — all save one of them female.
Several participants, male and female, pointed out that securing...
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
– Oscar Wilde 