Conscious Crusader
-Albert Einstein
(via lastrealindians)
(via teddifirekush)
Shooting the Messenger
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has finally lost his marathon court battle in the UK Supreme Court against extradition to Sweden to face questioning about allegations of sexual misconduct with two women (news here). As a result Assange may be sent to Sweden where, if he is charged, he could face up to a year in solitary confinement before a secret trial under Swedish law. The judge has granted him 14 days to make an application to reopen the extradition case.
Assange strongly denies the claims made to justify his extradition to Sweden, saying they are politically motivated and linked to the activities of Wikileaks. He fears extradition to Sweden will simply be a prelude to a further extradition to the USA to face charges of spying linked to the leaking of classified military documents by US soldier Bradley Manning.
His fears may be justified. Leaked memos show that US prosecutors have already drawn up secret charges against him and his chances of getting any kind of fair trial there must be slim since prominent American politicians have already tainted any possible case against him by publicly (and wrongly) branding him as a ‘terrorist’ and even appearing to call for his assassination.
In addition, the cruel and punitive imprisonment of whistleblower Bradley Manning for so long, the conditions of which have attracted worldwide condemnation, is not likely to offer Assange confidence in the fairness or justice of what might await him in the event he is shipped off to the USA.
I don’t know what the full truth of the Assange story is and neither does anyone reading this. People make assumptions, often based on axes they personally have to grind or political allegiance. That’s understandable but everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and nobody should wish for more than to see justice working fairly, openly and without any political pressure whatsoever. Lets see if that happens.
Whatever does happen now the aims of some elements in the USA, of curtailing the activities of Wikileaks which embarrassed the US government so badly and crushing Assange, have already been achieved to a large degree by his year-long house arrest and the crippling burden of legal costs incurred. It looks like he has very few cards left to play now as we move into the end game.
(via poptech)
(via erosum)
Picture of the Day: Port Harcourt, Nigeria. An aerial shot of an illegal oil refinery along Awoba Creek north of Port Harcourt, an oil hub city. The illegal oil industry in Nigeria is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars yearly. Will you look at that oil sheen on the water..
Fun fact: Over the last five years, Shell Oil has dealt with an average of 172 spills a year. 63 of them last year were “operational,” or over 100kg. Shell has announced that it paid $1.1 million in reparations to affected communities last year.
Bonus: Read this report on environmental and human rights abuses in Nigeria.
Credit: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters. Via.
View more Picture of the Day posts. Submit a photo.
(via motherjones)
Shia LaBeouf
(via nocturnal-soul)
(via purehemp)
Here’s an interesting video about white privilege.
Submitted by: thisiswhatilookliketoday
(via inspirement)
Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.
welp, definitely an introvert and i agree with all of this.
(via lastrealindians)
Before the arrival of industrial civilization on this continent, you could breathe the air and drink the water. A short 500 years later, every single mother in the world has dioxin (a chemical commonly called “the most toxic in the world”) in her breast milk, 98% of forests have been destroyed, half of all men and one third of all women now get cancer, and the Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean. Neither wind farms nor a “Solartopia™” will fix any of these things.
We cannot afford to waste any more time or energy. We must confront the reality of our situation, that industrial civilization is predicated on the death of the natural, living world.
For us, the question now becomes; do we want hairdryers, or do we want safe water? Do we want HD televisions, or do we want migratory songbirds? Do we want ten episodes of “The Simpsons” at the click of a mouse, or do we want mountains? Do we want “e-readers,” or do we want a world without lakes of radioactive waste? Do we want our lifestyles of privilege and consumption, or do we want a living planet? Because in spite of our daydreams and delusions, we can’t kill this planet and live on it too.
