Have a wonderful Aurora Dreamflight

Thank you Laura! I have noticed that the more love, care, gratitude and appreciation we put in to a moment-to whatever tasks, or interaction with others the better everything goes. It’s like tuning the radio dial to just shift to a more joyful loving “station” / frequency.

Multidimensional Ocean

Wishing you all a wonderful night, and if you are going on the Aurora dreamflight, I hope that you will have a very revealing session!
Love is everywhere around us and within us! don’t forget that folks! It is what keeps this world together, it is the only thing that really matters. When you do something, try doing it with as much love and care as you possibly can this weekend, and with much consciousness, aka light!

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Common Dreams Highlights | Friday, 27 February, 2015

Featured… Majority of Americans Agree Fighting Climate Change a ‘Moral Obligation’ by Nadia Prupis Of the 2,827 people surveyed in the poll, 66 percent said world leaders are ethically bound to reduce carbon emissions, while 72 percent believed that responsibility lay with themselves as well. News… As Fast Track Looms, Opposition Mounts to Corporate-Friendly Trade Deals by Deirdre Fulton Warren and other senators took to the chamber floor on Thursday to further voice their concern that passing Fast Track authority, which would cede the nuts and bolts of crafting trade agreements to the executive branch for at least four years, will undermine the U.S. economy. Gaza Rebuild Effort Could Take 100 Years: Oxfam by Andrea Germanos The organization’s statement comes six months after a ceasefire agreement ended Israel’s 50-day assault on Gaza, which left over 2,100 Palestinians dead, decimated thousands of structures, and weakened already damaged infrastructure systems. As Antarctica Melts Away, Seas Could Rise Ten Feet Within 100 Years by Deirdre Fulton Parts of Antarctica are thawing so quickly, the continent has become “ground zero of global climate change without a doubt,” Harvard geophysicist Jerry Mitrovica told AP. The Destruction of Afghan Lives, Captured in US Dollars by Jon Queally An armored vehicle ran over a six-year-old boy’s legs: $11,000. A jingle truck was “blown up by mistake”: $15,000. A controlled detonation broke eight windows in a mosque: $106. A boy drowned in an anti-tank ditch: $1,916. Methane-Explosion Craters Could Be Latest Indicators of a Warming Planet by Sarah Lazare Perhaps most alarming is what the funnels reveal about the rising temperature the Arctic, which is heating twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Great Recession Linked to Rising Suicides Among Middle-Aged Americans by Sarah Lazare Economic crises kill in more ways than one. more news… Views… 10 Reasons To Pray for AIPAC’s Decline by Medea Benjamin From topping a catastrophic war with Iran to finally solving the Israel/Palestine conflict, an essential starting point is breaking AIPAC’s grip on U.S. policy. Our Anti-Immigrant Racism Is Rooted in History by Sonali Kolhatkar Solalinde opined, “You don’t have to kill an immigrant with a bullet. You also kill an immigrant with discrimination, with injustice, to not recognize them, to deny them citizenship. They’re human beings.” For Suffering Palestinians, the Obama-Netanyahu “Rift” Is a Side Show by Ali Abunimah The lesson Palestinians have repeatedly learned is that whether they fight or stay quiet, Israel will be allowed to do as it pleases. When Politics Is Local, Who Decides? by David Morris The arguments for stripping people of their right to protect and enhance the health and vitality of their communities are weak. They reflect a fundamental distrust in the intelligence and capacity of the American people. Congress Is Poised to Introduce a Bill to Fast Track TPP So It’s Time to Act Now by Maira Sutton Unless this opaque, undemocratic process is fixed, and state officials uphold the interests of users rather than trampling our rights, we have no choice but to fight trade deals like the TPP. “A Red Letter Day” at the FCC – Net Neutrality Wins by Michael Winship “You did this,” Free Press President Craig Aaron told the gathering, as they held up signs and stamped their feet against the cold. “This is your victory, we did it together. Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we defend this win in Congress, in the courts and in the streets.” more views… Newswire… National Whistleblowers Center: Senate to Hold Hearing on FBI’s Treatment of Whistleblowers Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir: Reverend Billy Faces Up To One Year in Jail After Arrest For Sermon in Grand Central Terminal Public Citizen: Reporters’ Memo: President’s Annual March 1 Trade Report and Agenda ACLU: Kentucky Legal Team Files Brief at US Supreme Court Challenging Marriage Bans for Same-Sex Couples Amnesty International: Three Women Held in Secret Detention Over Tweets Reprieve: Houthi Authorities In Yemen Must Confirm Safety of US Citizen and Give Access to Counsel, Says Lawyer more newswire…

Yes! Magazine Weekly Digest Friday, February 27, 2015

02.27.2015 PEACE & JUSTICE PLANET NEW ECONOMY PEOPLE POWER HAPPINESS yesmagazine.org A Conversation With David Korten In 1995, YES! co-founder David Korten wrote When Corporations Rule the World, followed by a series of books that helped birth the New Economy movement. Now, Korten is challenging readers to rethink their relationship with the natural world. In the new issue of YES! Korten talks with us about what it means to recognize Earth as a living being. P.S. We have two exciting internships open in online reporting and online graphic storytelling. If you know any new journalists interested in gigs that are heavy on research, writing, data, and fun, please let them know! Christa Hillstrom, web managing editor Replace the Gospel of Money: An Interview With David Korten What if we measured wealth in terms of life, and how well we serve it? READ MORE » Forget Dystopian Fiction: This New Novel Explores Being a Modern Teenager Waiting for the End Times In Bryan Bliss’ debut novel, 16-year-old Abigail’s family follows a charismatic preacher to San Francisco, where they live in a van to wait out the apocalypse. But if you believe completely that the world is coming to an end, what do you do when it doesn’t? READ MORE » Women Over 65 Own Nearly a Third of Iowa’s Farmland—Can They Prevent the Next Dust Bowl? So many older women are inheriting farms that some experts believe training them in land conservation may be society’s best bet in protecting the food supply. READ MORE » We’re Young, Passionate, and Bent on Justice: Why #BlackLivesMatter Is Irresistible The people dying are moms and dads, kids and teenagers, nerdy, quiet boys and girls. This movement is showing what wholeness looks like and demanding an uncompromised justice. READ MORE » These Neighbors Got Together to Buy Vacant Buildings. Now They’re Renting to Bakers and Brewers Though the model is new and small, it holds outsize potential for the many neighborhoods whose downtowns are controlled by faraway landlords or retail chains. READ MORE » These Cities Built Cheap, Fast, Community-Owned Broadband. Here’s What Net Neutrality Means For Them Publicly owned broadband lets local communities from Iowa to Louisiana control a vital economic resource—rather than leaving it in the hands of a few monopolistic corporations. The outcome of this week’s FCC vote could either help or hinder the path forward. READ MORE » How has the experience of seeing our planet from outer space changed the way we think about it? WATCH » Replace the Gospel of Money: An Interview With David Korten Reader Treeshare asked, “What if we created a currency that was only issued upon the creation of new natural wealth?” READ MORE »

A Clip Here, a Snip There: World Spay Day Is February 24

Thank you Feygirl! I’m so grateful for all the data and graphics in this post. I hope it’s ok to save and share them everywhere? I’m always amazed that people really don’t seem to have a clue about neutering. Some people complain about feral cats preying on wild birds but from my observations many more birds are lost to pesticides, herbicides and habitat loss from trees being cut down. Once feral cats are neutered (especially if it’s done early) they seem much less interested in hunting and more interested in affection.

Serenity Spell

February is National Spay / Neuter Month, and today is World Spay Day!

We’ve called this “The Year of the Clipping and Snipping” for our neighborhood strays and abandoned cats… Having recently relocated to a large city, we were immediately struck with the number of roaming hungry mouths, right outside our door. Of course, feeding them and providing shelter is easy enough — their spirits are unbelievably beautiful — but after repeated litters immediately upon our arrival, we knew we had to become quickly proactive with TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return). I was actively TNRing in my old home — always abandoned animals from foreclosed homes — but being in the city is an entirely different affair. We’re up to 10 spayed and neutered kitties now, and we’re not done. Nor do we feel like criminals for trying to help the stray populations (I’m looking at you, certain very large counties in Florida) —

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The manuscript of survival – part 434

Thank you Aisha! It’s amazing how often I get intuition or momentary visions or ideas that seem like a very personal thing only relevant to my own small world and then a few hours later you will post the CC’s explaining just what I was thinking of ! Looking forward to this weekend’s gathering too. Thank you for reminding us early and mentioning the book ends effect. Change can be so chaotic but when we have a framework to think about it, it’s easier to keep moving forward.

aisha north

By now, so much will have been irrevocably changed within you all, and as usual, the outside phenomena accompanying this internal turnaround may be hard to perceive. But again, what you see through those apertures in your head you call eyes accounts for only a small percentage of what is actually there to be perceived, so once again we will remind you that what you see is not all that you get. For there is a way to see beyond this small superficial presentation of “reality”, and that is by way of your heart to use a phrasing you are more than familiar with by now. But as you already know, we are not referring to that actual organ, those cells whose main function is to literally run this show that is your physical vehicle. No, what we refer to, are all those parts of you that do not actually…

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NorthPoint Astrology Journal February 23 to March 1, 2015 Pam Younghans

Posted Sunday, February 22, 2015 NorthPoint Astrology Journal Your Guide to Planetary Energies for February 23 to March 1, 2015 By Pam Younghans Photo: Auroras over Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, on February 17, 2015 (credit: Marketa S. Murray, posted on SpaceWeather.com) NOT TO BE MELODRAMATIC, but the phrase that came into my thoughts this morning was “Something is destined to change our lives.” As we wrap up the month of February and get ready for the even more profound planetary interactions scheduled for March, many are sensing that something on a grand scale is on the move. The common remark I’ve heard from clients and friends this past week has been some variation of “I know there’s a big change coming up, but I don’t know what it is.” IT’S ALWAYS “INTERESTING” to work with the effects of the transpersonal planets — Uranus, Neptune and Pluto — because while their impact can be felt on very personal/human levels, their higher purposes always involve increasing our knowing of who we are beyond the limits of the personality. As we successfully work with the demands of these outer planets, we move into a higher perspective of our life purpose here on Earth. So, yes, during this ongoing Pluto-Uranus square, we’re seeing lots of what looks like chaos (Uranus’ specialty) and power struggles (Pluto’s milieu). And yet, from a higher perspective, chaos opens our minds to perceiving in new ways and illuminates alternative solutions, since our usual ways of handling issues no longer seem to work. AND WHAT ABOUT power struggles? From a higher perspective, power struggles reveal where we give away our power — whether to a challenge, or an authority figure, or to fear itself. Situations that feel like major crises ultimately open the door to large-scale changes and a new level of empowerment for those who are willing to walk through the fires of transformation. It will be helpful to remember these higher purposes and perspectives as we begin the month of March and start to work even more closely with the energies of the final Pluto-Uranus square, exact on March 16-17. SATURN is a major player as we begin this last week of February. On Monday, Saturn forms a challenging square aspect with the Pisces Sun, bringing us back to reality if we’ve been pretending that the rules of physicality don’t apply to us. But, if we heed Saturn’s advice about being responsible and realistic on Monday, we can feel more supported and productive on Tuesday and Wednesday. On these days, Saturn forms helpful trine aspects with Venus and Mars (both in Aries). These trines support us in making progress when we take action that is in agreement with our true knowing and wisdom (Saturn in Sagittarius). And, with the Neptune-Sun alignment on Wednesday, we can keep our creative vision alive while also wearing our practical shoes. THE PLUTO-JUPITER quincunx aspect on Friday tells us there is need for an attitude adjustment, if we are to take full advantage of potentials now. Being the slower-moving of the two planets involved in this aspect, Pluto is ultimately running the show, while the faster-moving Jupiter represents what needs to be altered or eliminated. Although Jupiter in Leo has many positive attributes, we always look for what could be considered “negative” qualities when determining what a quincunx aspect is requiring us to change. In this case, some of the behaviors that we might want to alter or eliminate include over-dramatics, showing off or boastfulness, or allowing our actions to be driven by the need for attention and approval. In their place, we may want to embody more of the positive traits of Pluto in Capricorn: confident self-reliance, the ability to take a responsible leadership role, and the courage, patience, and insights that will be needed if we want to successfully reform established systems. THE WEEK ENDS with some lighter aspects. As Venus aligns with the South Node on Saturday, watch for people from the past to come forward, either literally or in your memories and dreams. There may be important learnings available through remembering these relationships, both in how they succeeded and how they did not. On Sunday, Mercury forms aspects with both Uranus and Jupiter, emphasizing this day as more social, more communicative, more optimistic, and more insightful. With all the Saturn duties and Pluto-Jupiter adjustments earlier in the week, this would be a great day to find something enjoyable, different, and interesting to do! In peace, Pam NorthPoint Astrology Blog: To read occasional posts and add your comments, please visithttp://northpointastrology.blogspot.com/. See you there! To Subscribe to the NorthPoint Journal: If you have been forwarded this issue of the NorthPoint Astrology Journal and would like to receive it directly every week, please click hereto access the “Journal” page of Pam’s website. Then, scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, fill out the subscription form, and click on Submit.

Highlighted Aspects This Week =”#3300cc”> MON: Saturn square Sun; TUE:Saturn trine Venus; WED: Saturn trine Mars, Neptune conjunct Sun;FRI: Pluto quincunx Jupiter; SAT:Venus conjunct South Node; SUN:Uranus sextile Mercury, Jupiter opposite Mercury About the Journal Astrologer Pam Younghans writes this NorthPoint Astrology Journal based on planetary influences and guidance received. Her hope is to offer perspectives and insights that will assist you in utilizing current energies to enhance your life experience and accelerate your spiritual and personal growth. Astrology Readings To schedule your personal astrology reading with Pam, please e-mail pam. Or, see the “Readings” page atwww.northpointastrology.com to learn more about personal astrology readings. Please feel free to share this NorthPoint Journal with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including all contact and copyright information. Copyright NorthPoint Astrology 2015. All Rights Reserved

Its not f*cking Space Aliens, Okay?!

Its not f*cking Space Aliens, Okay?!
Feb 16, 2015 5:09pm PST by jared the bassplayer

Can we just put this one to rest? I’m getting seriously agitated with these “Ancient Alien” theories and TV shows and blogs that are trying to peddle the idea that humans could not possibly have built the pyramids, Stonehenge, Mexico City, etc. As a guy who executes blueprints, this kind of thing really insults me and drives me crazy. People weren’t stupid 6,000 years ago. Okay? They were us.

This guy should never be taken seriously under any circumstance:

Yes, I blame the producers over at The “History” Chanel. What history? Space aliens didn’t build the freakin’ pyramids! That is not historic at all- that is dumb.

Well okay, smarty pants! If space aliens didn’t build these ancient structures, how did they get there?

Now this is where it gets crazy, so you may want to sit down and possibly buckle yourself in. People. People built these ancient structures. Without help from space aliens. How do you make giant pyramids from stones that were quarried far away? You get 50,000 of your buddies, get them liquored up and you make it happen. You float the stones down the Nile on barges, you build scaffolding and use ramps, levers and pullys and an official sh*t-ton of elbow grease.

Stonehenge? Same deal. Beer was around back then, too! No space alien intervention required. How do you line these huge monuments up to the solar equinox? How do you make sure that a certain star is visible through a shaft in Pharoh’s burial chamber? The same way we do it today.

Survey crews.

These are the guys. If they messed up, we wouldn’t be marveling in awe thousands of years later. The Nazca lines? Yep. That was some crack ancient Peruvian survey crew marking out where the lines were to go. I promise that these guys were able to do all of it without the aid of space aliens. They were simply competent and adept with mathematics and their surveying equipment.

The whole space alien construction managers thing just drives me crazy. How is it that space aliens built Machu Picchu and the Sphinx, but not the Roman aqueducts or Notre Dame? Why is it such a stretch to think that the Inca had some damn fine engineers among them?

No space alien supervision required. I promise.

People are smart. People are really good at building things. People did not need space aliens to teach them how to build things. Lets put this to rest.

If, however, I’m completely wrong about all of this and there is some intergalactic construction firm that got all the contracts back in antiquity, I’ve got a pretty good-sized glazing project in downtown LA I could use some pointers on. I’ll be the guy pretending space aliens aren’t there giving me tips.

6:28 PM PT: Thanks for the rec’s! You guys are great. The comments are hilarious!

Did ancient space aliens build antiquity’s most iconic landmarks?

• No. Don’t be daft. 61%
• Well, maybe not ALL of them. 10%
• I saw it on the TeeVee! Ancient aliens built all of it! 3%
• I am a space alien and can offer you pointers on the job in downtown LA you’re working on. 25

http://m.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/16/1364672/-Its-not-f-cking-Space-Aliens-Okay?detail=email

Truthout Daily Digest | Sunday, February 21,2015

I read the article in the Buzzflash section below that is the latest in the witch-hunt propaganda against the anti-vaccine movement. I’m disturbed by the repetitive propaganda vilifying people who have concerns without ever once addressing those valid concerns.

If I could find documentation that toxic preservatives had been completely removed and banned legally from being used in vaccine preparation- I would be overjoyed.

The dangers the pro-vaccine propaganda discuss are serious. I’m sure every educated parent who avoids vaccines due to things like thimerosal (because mercury is a well documented neurotoxin that should never be injected into children! ) is losing sleep and sick with stress over such a heart and gut wrenching choice.

If we weren’t being treated as slaves to the corporations and the 1% it would be self evident that such pertinent information as to the formulation and regulation of vaccine manufacturing should be in EVERY article about the subject.

I personally believe that people with the genetic basis for autism are often more sensitive to toxic exposure. This would explain the correlation that the pro vaccine propaganda say is not causative.

It doesn’t matter if the toxics used in vaccine formulas specifically “cause autism”. The significant point is that there is no good reason to endanger children by exposing them to known neurotoxins at such fragile ages.

We can use other less toxic preservatives! Why is that not obvious?

If we as a society decided collectively that mandatory vaccination was necessary then the first order of business should be to ensure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the formulation and regulation of their manufacture were absolutely safe.

Which the laws that say parents cannot sue manufacturers for damages when children are harmed make very clear is NOT the case.

We have, as our Constitution makes clear, certain inalienable rights. Even had the U.S. Constitution never been written, all human beings still would have these rights. It’s instinctual even in single celled organisms to avoid harm to the self. Most animals, including humans, will also fight to prevent harm to their children.

It’s unconscionable to override this for profit.

I hope this issue, like the issues of corruption, money controlling politics, GMO’S and other clean food issues, can unite us. We do have much in common across the heavily programmed boundaries that supposedly divide all Americans into two sheeplike herds ever butting heads.

In the end we are all human beings. We have basically the same needs. We have more in common than different-even two people who appear incredibly different.

If we could just let go of fear, anger and hatred. If we could just open our hearts to one another, feel one another’s struggles and difficulty. We could move beyond fake teams to genuine caring and understanding. Then, together, we would be unstoppable.

I know “American Exceptionalism” is bunk. We are not somehow born special. Much of what makes our country great comes from the mixture. It comes from people of all different countries, races, religions and worldviews finding ways to work together and solve problems effectively. We have done this in no small part by overcoming the fears and hatreds that could divide us.

The public health problems caused by infectious diseases will never be solved by force. They cannot be solved by crushing some to benefit others. They must be solved by making people accountable.

If corporations CEO’s are held personally accountable for harm due to their negligence, if corporations are held financially accountable for harm their products cause then we can expect products to be safer.

If governments want to mandate vaccination then they must also mandate vaccine safety.

And once those necessary steps are accomplished only then is it reasonable to hold individuals and families accountable for their choices in regard to vaccination.

I don’t think many people would choose to avoid vaccination unless it was a medical issue, or a serious conflict with their religious beliefs-IF the vaccines were guaranteed to be safe.

Blessings,
ohnwentsya

Evaluating Police Psychology: Who Passes the Test?

Candice Bernd, Truthout: With no national standards for screening police applicants, specialized psychologists may rely on tests unfocused on predicting aggression, and incumbent officers’ personality profiles are not typically re-evaluated post-hire. Meanwhile, the mental and emotional consequences of policing leave entire communities with deep psychological trauma.

Read the Article

Nancy J. Altman: Expand Social Security Now

Mark Karlin, Truthout: Nancy J. Altman, co-founder of the group Social Security Works, debunks many myths about Social Security and calls for its expansion in a Truthout interview.

Read the Interview

Central America “Aid” Won’t Slow Migration

Jane Guskin and David L. Wilson, Truthout: The US government’s new aid plan for Central America will only deepen the economic and human rights crises that led refugees to flee in 2014.

Read the Article

Happy Birthday RW Johnson! A Legacy

Kathleen Sharp, Truthout: There are too many similarities between the heyday of quack remedies and today‘s crisis in Big Pharma.

Read the Article

Profiles in Courage: The 38 Democrats Who Publicly Broke With Netanyahu’s War Polemic

Robert Naiman, Truthout: Proposals for action that the right-wing Israeli government might disapprove of have generally had about the same effect on Democrats as proposals for action that the National Rifle Association might disapprove of. In such a context, the Democrats who have so far distanced themselves from Benjamin Netanyahu are courageous.

Read the Article

Amy Goodman | As Extreme Cold Engulfs Eastern US, Fossil Fuel Mishaps Leave Disaster Areas on Fire

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!: “Climate policy and energy policy are not usually discussed together in this country,” says Stephen Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International. “Climate change means that we need to transition away from fossil fuels, sooner rather than later.”

Watch the Video and Read the Transcript

The Front Page Rule

Kathy Kelly, teleSUR: “As drone warfare proliferates, as the stings of the drone become more lethal and terrifying, the peace activists hold a newsworthy message. I’m glad CODEPINK members continually interrupt high-level hearings.”

Read the Article

Washington’s Prying Eyes

Kirsten Weld, North American Congress on Latin America: Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations about the NSA’s global surveillance practices sparked outrage around the world, but nowhere more than in Latin America, where US efforts to project its influence have long been concentrated.

Read the Article

When Your Armed Neighbor Comes Knocking

Mitchell Zimmerman, OtherWords: Craig Hicks, who murdered three Muslim-American students in Chapel Hill, carried one of his many guns to their door. What kind of country do we live in, where it’s legal for a man to bring a weapon to a noise complaint?

Read the Article

What Are We Doing to Our Children’s Brains?

Elizabeth Grossman, Ensia: The numbers are startling. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.8 million more children in the US were diagnosed with developmental disabilities between 2006 and 2008 than a decade earlier. Environmental chemicals are wreaking havoc to last a lifetime.

Read the Article

Richard D. Wolff | Economic Update: Free Enterprise System Defects

Richard D. Wolff, Truthout: This episode provides updates on Europeans’ struggles against austerity policies. We also respond to questions about how workers’ self-directed enterprises solve various problems, especially financing and uneven skill levels. Finally, we give an in-depth critical discussion of the “free enterprise” system.

Listen to the Audio Segment

BuzzFlash

Bill O’Reilly Accused of Falsely Claiming Heroic War Coverage

Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: It should be no surprise that Bill O’Reilly – who was once a TV reporter and is now a bloviating television pundit espousing a caricature of jingoistic “Christian” virtues – is being accused of embellishing his war-reporting record.

Read the BuzzFlash Commentary

Solar Industry Prepares for Battle Against Koch Brothers’ Front Groups

Read the Article at BuzzFlash

How Spies Stole the Keys to the Encryption Castle

Read the Article at The Intercept

As the Rich Get Richer, Unions Are Poised for Comeback

Read the Article at Bloomberg News

“Children Do Not Migrate – They Flee”: Striking Photos From Poverty-Ravaged Guatemala

Read the Article at Mother Jones

What the Anti-Vax Movement Doesn’t Tell You About Measles

Read the Article at The Nation

Rudy Giuliani: Obama Had White Mother, So I’m Not Racist

Read the Article at The New York Times

David Swanson: Where Do US War Dead Come From?

Read the Article at War Is A Crime

Truthout Daily Digest | Saturday, February 21, 2015

Despite Claims of Progress, Labor and Environmental Violations Continue to Plague Apple

Nicki Lisa Cole and Jenny Chan, Truthout: Though Apple claims that 2014 was “a year of progress,” reports from labor rights groups and researchers reveal troubling labor and environmental violations continue unabated.

Read the Article

Fast-Track Treason and the Coming Corporate Coup

Rivera Sun, Truthout: The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement usurps federal, state and local authority and functions as a global corporate coup. Those who vote “Yes” on fast-track authority are reneging on their sworn oaths to protect this nation from all threats, both foreign and domestic.

Read the Article

When Palestinians Die: Richard Falk on the Chapel Hill Shooting and the Media

Dan Falcone, Truthout: Scholar Richard Falk discusses the recent shooting of three Muslim Palestinian Americans in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; the subsequent conversation about hate crimes and Islamophobia, and the mainstream media coverage of the killer and victims.

Read the Interview

Eric Holder Gives Prosecutors 90 Days to File Wall Street Collapse Charges

Sam Knight, The District Sentinel: Attorney General Eric Holder has given the Justice Department an opportunity to rewrite his legacy as the lead federal prosecutor who refused to take on some of the most notoriously larcenous bankers in history.

Read the Article

Did the GOP Just Give Away $130 Billion of Public Property?

Alan Grayson, The Nation: A giant Anglo-Australian mining company is getting the rights to a huge copper reserve – and we don’t know what US taxpayers are getting in return. Not all is lost, however, or at least not yet.

Read the Article

War Porn: Hollywood and War, From World War II to American Sniper

Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch: American Sniper, now “the most successful war movie of all time,” is just the latest in a long line of films that have kept US citizens on their war game. Think of them as war porn, meant to leave us perpetually hyped up.

Read the Article

Conservatives’ “American Dream” and the Battle for Weed in Washington State

The Daily Take Team, The Thom Hartmann Program: When it comes to medical marijuana in Washington, the legislative choice is between a system that allows many to earn decent money through local, small co-ops, and a system where just a few people make massive amounts of money by monopolizing the marketplace.

Read the Article

Egypt Makes Libya the New Front in Anti-ISIS War, Four Years After NATO Left Chaos Behind

Amy Goodman and Aaron Maté, Democracy Now!: Libya is in a state of crisis: Two different governments claim power, each with their own parliaments and armies. A number of militant groups, including the Islamic State affiliate, are scattered in between. Will foreign governments intervene in Libya again?

Watch the Video and Read the Transcript

This Chart Shows How Unions Help Redistribute Wealth Throughout US Society

Lillian Osborne, In These Times: A chart recently released by the Economic Policy Institute illustrates unions’ ability to impact not only their own members’ lives, but also the distribution of wealth in society as a whole.

Read the Article

Will the Millennium Development Goals Hit Their Targets?

Anna Childs, The Conversation: Looking back over the past 15 years, what have been the achievements of one of the world’s most ambitious projects – the Millennium Development Goals – and what didn’t work so well, despite the grand aspiration?

Read the Article

Dean Baker: Why We Must Oppose the Coming Fed Interest Rate Hike

Isaiah J. Poole, Campaign for America’s Future: The Fed is widely expected to raise interest rates sometime in 2015. The problem is, as economist Dean Baker points out, there is no inflation threat on the horizon, but there is a very real threat of choking the economic recovery and driving up unemployment if interest rates rise.

Watch the Video and Read the Article

Paul Krugman | The Enduring Debate Over Debt

Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: Debt does not mean that we’re stealing from future generations. A rise in public debt isn’t an indication that we’re living beyond our means – one person’s debt is another person’s asset. Debt is money we owe to ourselves.

Read the Article

BuzzFlash

White People Aren’t Called Terrorists Unless They Liberate Animals, Apparently

Mark Karlin, BuzzFlash at Truthout: The word “terrorism” is itself a public relations weapon. Who gets branded a terrorist and who doesn’t is a decision made within a political and cultural context.

Read the BuzzFlash Commentary

The Peace Symbol Celebrates Its 57th Birthday, but Still No Peace

Read the Article at BuzzFlash

Matt Taibbi: A Whistleblower’s Horror Story

Read the Article at Rolling Stone

Alive and Bleeding: We Cannot Kill Our Way Out of War

Read the Article at BuzzFlash

The World’s Biggest Banks Might Be Moving Money for Terrorists

Read the Article at Bloomberg News

Maimed by Conflict, Forgotten by Peace: Life Through the Eyes of the War-Disabled

Read the Article at Inter Press Service

Since 9/11, We’ve Had Four Wars in the Middle East. They’ve All Been Disasters

Read the Article at Mother Jones

Video Footage Shows Massive Explosion After West Virginia “Bomb Train” Derailment

Read the Article and Watch the Video at Vice

Mysterious Martian ‘plumes’ baffle scientists – CSMonitor.com

Mysterious Martian ‘plumes’ baffle scientists

Spotted by amateur astronomers, the huge plumes erupting from the surface of Mars have left scientists bewildered.

By Calla Cofield, SPACE.com / February 17, 2015

Scientists are puzzled by a mysterious plume that erupted off the surface of Mars in 2012. On the right, the location of the plume is identified in the yellow circle. On the left, close-up views of the changing plume morphology in images taken by W. Jaeschke and D. Parker on March 21, 2012. The background is a region on Mars known as Terra Cimmeria, where the plume formed. (Image source NOAA).

Grupo Ciencias Planetarias (GCP) – UPV/EHU

A mystery is brewing onMars: Amateur astronomers spotted enormous plumes erupting off the Red Planet’s surface, leaving scientists puzzled.

More than 155 miles (250 kilometers) high and hundreds of miles across, the baffling plumes were spotted by amateur astronomers in the spring of 2012. The plumes reflect sunlight, which means they could be made of water ice, carbon dioxide ice or dust. But clouds made of those materials would be hard to explain with current models of the Martian atmosphere, scientists say.

Images of Mars from the last 20 years reveal that shorter plumes, reaching heights of about 62 miles (100 km), occasionally flare up from the planet’s surface. An image by the Hubble Space Telescope from 1997 revealed another abnormally high plume, similar to the one seen in 2012, according to a statement from theEuropean Space Agency (ESA). [7 Biggest Mysteries On Mars]

Scientists at the Universidad del Pais Vasco in Spainstudied the images of the plumes and confirmed that they reach heights of more than 155 miles (250 km) above the surface, and cover an area of up to 310 by 620 miles (500 by 1,000 km).

“At about 250 km, the division between the atmosphere and outer space is very thin, so the reported plumes are extremely unexpected,” says Agustín Sánchez-Lavega of the Universidad del País Vasco, lead author of the new research.

The features developed in less than 10 hours and remained visible for about 10 days, but changed their structure from day to day, ESA officials wrote in a statement. None of the spacecraft orbiting Mars were in a position to see the plumes, due to their locations around the planet and light conditions at the time.

Analysis of the images from 2012 and of past images of plumes erupting from the surface of Mars haven’t helped the researchers determine what caused the plumes or what they are made of.

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