Monday, March 30, 2015

Pope Francis in Naples: Meeting with clergy and religious



Pope Francis kisses the relics of St. Januarius, in his visit to the Duomo Naples - AFP
21/03/2015 18:12



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke of the ‘terrorism of gossip’ as the biggest sign of the devils work in a meeting with priests, religious and seminarians at Naples Cathedral Saturday.

The Gothic ‘Duomo’ – home to the much revered relic of St. Januarius patron Saint of Naples - was the setting for Pope Francis’ first appointment of the afternoon.

He was welcomed by Cardinal Crescenzio Seppe, the Archbishop of Naples and then surrounded by an enthusiastic group of cloistered nuns who had been given special permission to attend the encounter.

The spontaneity of the cloistered set the tone for a convivial meeting, so much so, that in what has become a classic move, Pope Francis began saying "I prepared a speech, but speeches are boring” before launching into a forty minute off-the-cuff reflection on priestly and religious life.

Pope Francis reminded the priests, religious, seminarians and deacons present to put Jesus at the center of their life and not personal problems with their bishop, other priests or members of their community. He said “If the center of your life is someone you have a problem with, you'll have no joy” and when there's no joy in life of priest or nun, ‘people can smell it’.

To seminarians, he said “If Jesus isn't center of your life, postpone ordination”, while he urged religious men and women to nurture a deep relationship with Mary saying “if you don't know the Mother, you won't know Son”.

Pope Francis also spoke of the danger of attachment to worldly goods. He said when priests or nuns are attached to money, they unconsciously prefer people with money. Here, in a humorous aside, the Pope told the story of one nun so attached to money that when she fainted someone suggested putting 100 pesos under her nose to wake her up. Instead, ordained and consecrated must always have a preferential option for the poor.

Pope Francis also tested those present asking how many could remember the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Too many of us can't, he said. He spoke of a convent that remodeled and put TVs in every room, which hindered community life.

“Community life isn't easy” Pope Francis admitted. Often because “the devil sows jealously” which is revealed in the ‘terrorism of gossip’, that can destroy others. This, he stated “is the greatest sign of the devil's work”.

But all of these dangers can be avoided by three simple things, Pope Francis concluded: Adoration, love of the Church and apostolic zeal. Warning that the Church isn't an NGO, Pope Francis said "I leave you with three things: adore Jesus, love the Church, be a missionary”.

The encounter concluded with the veneration of the relics of St. Januarius, a vile of dried blood which each March 19th on the Feast of the great patron is moved, liquefies and visibly flows again. It has become inseparable in popular imagination with good fortune.

As the Pope kissed the reliquary, cardinal Sepe announced the blood of St Januarius "is already halfway liquefied". To which Pope Francis calmly responded if the blood only half liquefied it means the Saint thinks we're only half converted. "We must keep going."

Following his encounter with the clergy and religious of Naples, Pope Francis held a closed door encounter with the sick and disabled in the Jesuit Church in Naples

(Emer McCarthy)
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Upon His merits we may rely


We are nothing, but Christ is all and in all. We may unite our ignorance to His wisdom, our weakness to His strength, our imperfections to His merits, our frailty to His enduring might. Oh, yes, He is our all. Upon His merits we may rely and through His merits we may have access to our heavenly Father and thus be closely connected with heaven. Oh, how I long for deeper and higher attainments in the divine life. My soul hungers and thirsts for righteousness. I love Jesus, but our love is too faint and too inconsistent.

Manuscript Releases Volume Seven, p. 40.
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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Morality Declines, the End Approaches... Andrew Henriques



Morality Declines, The End Approaches, While Professed Christians Reject Manna And Lust For Flesh


Published on Mar 15, 2015
2015

“Let the diet reform be progressive. Let the people be taught how to prepare food without the use of milk or butter. Tell them that the time will soon come when there will be no safety in using eggs, milk, cream, or butter, because disease in animals is increasing in proportion to the increase of wickedness among men. The time is near when, because of the iniquity of the fallen race, the whole animal creation will groan under the diseases that curse our earth... Let our people discard all unwholesome recipes...Let them teach the people to preserve the health and increase the strength by avoiding the large amount of cooking that has filled the world with chronic invalids. By precept and example make it plain that the food which God gave Adam in his sinless state is the best for man's use as he seeks to regain that sinless state.” {7T 135.2}
“We are coming to the time when recipes for cooking will not be needed, for God's people will learn that the food God gave Adam in his sinless state is the best for keeping the body in a sinless state.” {21MR 286.3}
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Francis to the clergy of Naples: Gossip is ___ Terrorism...


Francis to the clergy of Naples: Gossip is the terrorism of brotherhood
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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Dan Carlin Hardcore History - Ghosts of the Ostfront Promo






Dan Carlin

Published on Aug 27, 2012


To buy the audio series for just $5.99 please visit:
http://dancarlin.com/dccart/index.php...

Part One covering the conflict between the Germans and the Soviet Union in the Second World War. Dan gives an introduction to the subject and discusses the causes and opening moves of Operation Barbarossa.

In Part Two of the Ostfront series covering WW2 on the Eastern Front, Dan looks at the attempt to take Moscow and the many compelling stories surrounding the momentous1941 German offensive.

In Part Three of the Ostfront series covering WW2 on the Eastern Front, Dan looks at the situation in the U.S.S.R. during 1942 and early 1943, including the dreadful Battle of Stalingrad.

In the final episode of the horror story that is the Eastern Front the tale descends into unimaginable darkness as vengeance is called down on Germany. This graphic episode is not for young ears.
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The Best Place to Live in the United States? Here Are 9 Maps to Consider



Michael Snyder
The American Dream
March 24th, 2015








If you could live anywhere in America during the tumultuous years ahead, where would it be? This is a topic that is hotly debated, and the truth is that there is not a single right answer. If you have a very strong family support system where you are, it might not be right to try to move 2000 miles away and start a new life from scratch. And for many Americans, moving is out of the question in the short-term because they are completely and totally dependent on employment in their local areas. But in recent years we have seen an increasing number of Americans strategically relocate to another region of the country. They can see our society breaking down and they can see the storm clouds on the horizon and they want to do what they can to prepare themselves and their families for what is ahead. So is there a “best place to live” in the United States? Are there some areas that are preferable to others? The following are 9 maps to consider…

#1 Population Density

When the U.S. economy crashes and civil unrest starts erupting in our cities, ideally you will want to be living in an area with low population density. In other words, the fewer people around the better. The map below represents population density with a series of yellow dots. As you can see, the west coast and the eastern half of the nation are generally very crowded. So if you are looking for an area with lots of “breathing room”, the area between the Mississippi River and the west coast is a good place to look.



#2 Average Precipitation

Unfortunately, the western half of the nation is also generally very dry. So if you are planning to grow your own food during a time of economic and social turmoil, that is something to keep in mind. There are a few areas between the Mississippi River and the west coast that do get plenty of rainfall (northern Idaho for example), but those areas are few and far between.



#3 Drought

The latest national map from the U.S. Drought Monitor is the next map that I have shared. The multi-year drought in the state of California is already the worst drought in the recorded history of the state, and many scientists believe that it could stretch on for many more years. But it isn’t just California that has been suffering. There are other areas in the Southwest that are starting to resemble the Dust Bowl days as well. So obviously these areas are not ideal if you plan to be self-sufficient and grow much of your own food during a time of great crisis.



#4 Average Snowfall

If you don’t like cold and snow, you will want to avoid the colored areas on this next map. And if you do plan to live in an area that gets plenty of cold and snow, you will want to have a solid plan for heating your home if the electrical grid goes down and is not available for an extended period of time.



#5 Average Homicides

In the years ahead, crime in the United States is likely to rise dramatically. If you are looking for somewhere safe, the areas that have relatively low crime rates right now will probably be better than areas that have relatively high crime rates right now. In general, rates of violent crime are higher in our major cities and in the Southeast.



#6 Taxes

For a lot of people, tax rates are extremely important when choosing a place to live. This next map shows the states where the state income tax rate is zero. But please keep in mind that there are other reasons why some of these states may be undesirable during an emergency situation.



#7 Nuclear Power Plants

We have all seen what a single nuclear power plant disaster can do in Japan. Well, in a future disaster scenario, we could potentially be facing multiple “Fukushimas” all at once here in the United States. The map below shows where nuclear reactors are located throughout America. You might want to think twice before moving in right next door to one.



#8 Tornadoes

A single giant tornado can absolutely shred the best laid plans of any family. There are some that feel completely and totally comfortable living right in the heart of “Tornado Alley”, and there are others that very much would like to avoid any area that is at high risk for tornadoes. As you can see from the map below, the highest risk areas are generally in the Southeast part of the nation.



Of course tornadoes are far from the only natural disaster to consider when choosing a place to live. For much more on all of this, check out these articles…

-“The New Madrid Earthquake That Will Divide The United States In Half

-“East Coast Tsunami: If It Happens, MILLIONS Of Americans Could Die

-“Why The Earthquake Near San Francisco Is Just The Start Of The Shaking In California

-“Yellowstone Supervolcano Alert: The Most Dangerous Volcano In America Is Roaring To Life

#9 Politics

For many Americans, moving to a politically-compatible area of the country is extremely important. The map below uses red and blue to represent the average margin of victory in recent presidential elections. The states that are very red voted very heavily for Republican candidates. The states that are very blue voted very heavily for Democratic candidates. The states that are purple were in the middle. But it is important to remember that there are areas within each state that tend to be more conservative or liberal than the state overall.



I noted more thoughts for each individual state in my previous article entitled “What Is The Best Place To Live In America? Pros And Cons For All 50 States“. But wherever you go, the truth is that no place is going to be perfect. The following is how Joel Skousen, the author of “Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places“, put it in one of his recent articles


The more rural you are, the higher the cost of building, maintaining equipment and commuting to civilization—and, the higher your expenses for services including utilities, alternate energy and internet connectivity. The more your priorities emphasize closeness to a community, the higher your risks will be during a social meltdown, and the more precise must be your preparations to bug out to a separate retreat. So, as you see, there are always compromises in life, no matter if you spend $50,000 on your property or millions, there is no perfect property that will meet all your criteria. Focus on what’s most important for you, your family and/or group.

That was very well said.

No matter what other people are doing, you have to make the choices that are right for you and your family.

So what is your perspective on all of this?

What do you think is the best place to live in the United States?

Please feel free to add to the discussion by posting a comment below…

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple


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Ben Carson: No One Has Right to Refuse Mandatory Vaccinations



Monday, 02 Feb 2015 10:30 PM

By Cathy Burke


Retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, a possible Republican presidential candidate, is weighing in on the contentious issue of mandatory vaccinations – asserting people shouldn't be allowed to refuse shots on religious or philosophical grounds.

"Although I strongly believe in individual rights and the rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit, I also recognize that public health and public safety are extremely important in our society, Carson said in a statement released to The Hill and BuzzFeed News.

Special: Greenspan Warns of Deficit Spending Disaster Ahead"Certain communicable diseases have been largely eradicated by immunization policies in this country and we should not allow those diseases to return by foregoing safe immunization programs, for philosophical, religious, or other reasons when we have the means to eradicate them."

But, he added, "Obviously there are exceptional situations to virtually everything and we must have a mechanism whereby those can be heard."

Carson's comments came the same day two other possible GOP presidential contenders took on the issue – and amid an outbreak of more than 100 cases of measles, affecting 14 states.

During a trip to London, New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie said "parents need to have some measure of choice" in deciding whether to vaccinate their children.

"To be clear: The Governor believes vaccines are an important public health protection and with a disease like measles there is no question kids should be vaccinated," Christie’s office said in a statement. "At the same time different states require different degrees of vaccination, which is why he was calling for balance in which ones government should mandate."

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, however, declared the decision whether to vaccinate one’s child is a matter of personal liberty, saying most shots should be voluntary.

"The state doesn't own your children," Paul said in an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell." "Parents own the children, and it is an issue of freedom and public health."

Paul also said he’s heard of cases where children were left with "profound mental disorders" after being vaccinated.

Some opponents of child vaccination have claimed there are links between vaccines and autism, though the assertion has been discredited in the medical community, The Hill reports.


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Indiana governor signs state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act



BY NICOLE HENSLEY 

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 

Published: Thursday, March 26, 2015, 10:52 AM

Updated: Thursday, March 26, 2015, 2:20 PM


DARRON CUMMINGS/AP
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, pictured Wednesday, signed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law to prohibit the government from impeding on a person’s religious rights.



Indiana Gov. Mike Pence went behind closed doors to sign a controversial measure that would effectively legalize discrimination against same-sex couples by those who object on religious grounds.

Senate Bill 101 was passed by the state House and Senate despite pleas from LGBT activists, Indiana businesses, the Republican mayor of Indianapolis and even leaders of the Disciples of Christ church.

The measure bars the government from impinging on a person’s religious convictions without a “compelling” justification.

Opponents fear the legislation is broad enough to justify an array of discriminatory treatment to residents based on sexual orientation.

Pence, a Republican who assumed office in 2013, promised Monday to sign it into law, and he took the action during a private ceremony Thursday, according to a statement released by his office.

“Today I signed the religious Freedom Restoration Act, because I support the freedom of religious for every Hoosier of every faith,” Pence said.

The legislation garnered an array of criticism by those willing to take their business elsewhere instead of facing the state’s possibly discriminatory law.

It’s believed the bill would provide a valid defense to caterers, photographers or bakers to deny goods and services to same-sex couples.

Seattle-based convention group Gen Con, whose organizers threatened to leave Indianapolis, flaunted its $50 million economic impact that would be at stake over the legislation.


That statement prompted Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard to voice his own concerns about the initiative, saying he fears it would send the “wrong signal” about Indiana and deter commerce.

“Indianapolis strives to be a welcoming place that attracts businesses, conventions, visitors and residents,” Ballard, a Republican, said in a statement Wednesday. “We are a diverse city, and I want everyone who visits and lives in Indy to feel comfortable here."

The measure's approval elicited concern from leaders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who are considering taking their General Assembly, which gathers about 6,000 attendees, out of Indianapolis when it next meets in 2017.

The state’s capital is set to host the NCAA Final Four next week and though the basketball organizers based in Indianapolis did not openly criticize the legislation, they acknowledged it could prove troublesome.

"We are examining the details of this bill, however, the NCAA national office is committed to an inclusive environment where all individuals enjoy equal access to events," the college sports governing association said in a statement.

The state’s new policy is the first bill of its kind to be signed into law this session; coinciding with similar bills in Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Utah that were quickly defeated.

Another wave of religious freedom measures were introduced in Montana and North Carolina legislatures during the past two weeks, just weeks before the Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments on marriage equality.

American Civil Liberties Union attorneys have taken note of the legislation’s timing and warned it could have implications for required vaccinations and child welfare cases.


A state-by-state break down of controversial legislation.

“The bill was introduced as backlash reaction to achieving marriage equality for same-sex couples in Indiana,” director of ACLU’s Indiana office said in a statement. “We are deeply disappointed that the governor and state lawmakers have been tone-deaf to the cries of legions of Hoosiers.”


Supporters of the bill, including Pence, have repeatedly said the act was intended to protect religious rights, not to codify prejudice.

The state law is patterned after the federal measure enacted by former President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s, but it is most directly inspired by last year’s religious freedom bill in Arizona that fail with Gov. Jan Brewer’s veto.

The federal measure counteracted a Supreme Court decision that upheld the firing and denial of benefits to two Washington state employees whose religious rituals violated state law.

“This bill is not about discrimination, and if I thought it legalized discrimination in any way in Indiana, I would have vetoed it,” Pence wrote. “For more than 20 years, the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act has never undermined our nation’s anti-discrimination laws, and it will not in Indiana.”

With News Wire Services.

nhensley@nydailynews.com


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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Forbidden to Buy or Sell



And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:17.


The time is coming when we cannot sell at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him that hath the mark of the beast.

In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell.

Religious powers, allied to heaven by profession, and claiming to have the characteristics of a lamb, will show by their acts that they have the heart of a dragon and that they are instigated and controlled by Satan. The time is coming when God’s people will feel the hand of persecution because they keep holy the seventh day.

There is a time coming when commandment-keepers can neither buy nor sell. Make haste to dig out your buried talents. If God has intrusted you with money, show yourselves faithful to your trust; unwrap your napkin, and send your talents to the exchangers, that when Christ shall come, He may receive His own with interest. In the last extremity, before this work shall close, thousands will be cheerfully laid upon the altar. Men and women will feel it a blessed privilege to share in the work of preparing souls to stand in the great day of God, and they will give hundreds as readily as dollars are given now. If the love of Christ were burning in the hearts of His professed people, we would see the same spirit manifested today. Did they but realize how near is the end of all work for the salvation of souls, they would sacrifice their possessions as freely as did the members of the early church. They would work for the advancement of God’s cause as earnestly as worldly men labor to acquire riches. Tact and skill would be exercised, and earnest and unselfish labor put forth to acquire means, not to hoard, but to pour into the treasury of the Lord.


Maranatha, p.183.
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Dollar Strong... Compared to What?



By Geoffrey Pike
Friday, March 13th, 2015


There’s an old joke where a man is asked, “How’s your wife?” The man replies, “Compared to what?”

When talking about financial markets, the term “relatively speaking” is an important one. And I can think of no better example than the U.S. dollar.

The U.S. dollar index is now around 100. Four years ago, in 2011, it was below 74. Just last year, it was below 80. The dollar has seen huge gains.

Almost everyone agrees that the U.S. dollar is very strong. To that, I say, “Compared to what?”

What is even more astounding is the strength of the dollar given the Federal Reserve’s policy over the last six years. The Fed has approximately quintupled the adjusted monetary base. It has held the federal funds rate near zero percent for over six years.

If someone had told me this information back in 2008, I would have guessed that the dollar would be crashing. I would have guessed that it had already lost its status as the world’s reserve currency.

I also would have guessed that we would see high consumer price inflation, but that is without taking into account that most of this new money has gone into the banking system as excess reserves — not loaned out.

The Centralization of Europe

When the euro was introduced in 1999, there were certainly opposing views on its future viability.

The centralizers generally favored the euro. They believe in central planning. Some of them favor a one-world government, and they saw the European Union as a step in that direction.

The centralization of Western Europe and the euro are young. Many people say most empires only last 200 years. In the case of the European Union, it will be lucky to last 20.

Some trace the EU origins back to 1958 with the European Economic Community. But the six founding member countries still kept different currencies.

I believe the European Union really became effective with the start of the euro in 1999. While not all of the eurozone countries adopted it as the official currency, there are 19 European countries that have. A central bank with a uniform currency is really the mark of a centralized union.

It would be easy to mark 1913 as a point in U.S. history where the U.S. government greatly centralized power — it is the year the Federal Reserve was formed. It was also the year where constitutional amendments were adopted for federal income taxes and the direct election of senators.

In the case of the euro, you could see trouble from the beginning. The cultures differ greatly within the EU. There are language differences, as well as different viewpoints on free markets, welfare, work ethic, and the use of debt. While you will always get differing viewpoints, they seem to be starker in Europe.

Sure, you will get plenty of differing opinions between California and Alabama, but you will still find plenty of leftists in Alabama and plenty of conservatives in California. In the U.S., things are mixed up a bit more and the cultures are more similar.

In the eurozone, you’ve got Greece, which is basically a massive welfare state. There is no possible way that the debt taken on by the Greek government can ever be paid off. Right now, it is just a matter of buying time.

Unless Germany agrees to a full bailout of Greece, which seems unimaginable at this point, a Greek exit seems inevitable.

Greece is a relatively small country, and you wouldn’t think it would have so much significance. But it is symbolic, and I think most people realize this. If Greece gets bailed out, then why shouldn’t Italy and Spain? The problem is that they are much bigger countries with an extra digit on the end of their debts (trillions instead of hundreds of billions).

And what if Greece leaves? It will certainly make it easier for others to leave. Why wouldn’t Spain and Italy leave eventually? And then why not Portugal and France?

To me, a breakup of the European Union looks inevitable. It is more a question of how many more years this failed experiment will drag on.

The Disaster of the Euro

With all of the economic problems in Western Europe, the euro has not faired well. If you are a big exporter in Europe, perhaps you have temporarily benefitted with a weaker currency.

Overall, this is bad news for most Europeans. Their currency is losing value, especially now that the European Central Bank is engaging in its own form of quantitative easing. Consumers in Europe, already saddled with high taxes and weak economies, now get to pay more for consumer products. The only thing keeping prices somewhat down is the massive fear that causes an increase in the demand for money.

The ECB’s action of creating massive amounts of new money out of thin air is not going to work. The ECB thinks it should just imitate the Fed because the Fed has gotten away with it so far.

But we are not at the end of the story yet. The Fed has created massive distortions that have not yet played out. In addition, the U.S. is starting from a stronger point with greater economic growth, more capital, more production, and a general spirit of entrepreneurship.

The U.S. is also in the unique position of having the world reserve currency. This may or may not last much longer, but it still keeps demand high for U.S. dollars in the present.

When the euro started out, it did surprisingly well. It appreciated quickly against the U.S. dollar, going as high as $1.60 in early 2008. That means it took $1.60 to buy one euro.

As I write this, the euro has sunk to about $1.05. It now takes just over one dollar to buy one euro.

Soon enough, the euro will likely reach parity with the dollar. For all intents and purposes, it is basically there now.

The bigger question is where it will go from there. There is no reason the euro can’t continue to sink further, especially if the ECB continues its policy of loose money and low interest rates.



2015: The Year of the Gold Bull Market

Join Wealth Daily today for FREE. We'll keep you on top of all the hottest investment ideas before they hit Wall Street. Become a member today, and get our latest free report: "Gold Outlook for 2015"

It contains full details on something incredibly important that's unfolding and affecting how gold is classified as an investment..


Invest in Dollars?

We shouldn’t really be bullish on the U.S. dollar — we should be bearish on other currencies.

In particular, the euro and the yen do not look good. There is a reason the Swiss central bank broke the link between the euro and the Swiss franc.

In terms of investing, I see no reason to bet against the U.S. dollar in the short term. The other currencies are just that bad. But this doesn’t mean you have to bet on the U.S. dollar, nor does it mean you shouldn’t have protection against the dollar.

In many ways, it is a race to the bottom. The U.S. dollar is just losing its value at a slower pace than the other major currencies right now.

You should always have some protection against a depreciating dollar in your portfolio. This is one of the main arguments in favor of gold and silver, but particularly gold. Despite the huge surge in the U.S. dollar over the last year, gold has actually held up reasonably well.

The gold price can still hold up in the face of a strong dollar because it is a race to the bottom. There is also demand for gold coming from some foreign central banks.

There is always some demand for gold coming out of India. And maybe more Europeans and Japanese will realize they need to own gold to protect their wealth from their respective depreciating currencies.

The U.S. dollar is strong compared to the euro and yen. Compared to gold and silver, it will not hold up in the long term.

The dollar has lost over 95% of its value over the last 100 years. Why should we expect this trend to change?

Until next time,

Geoffrey Pike for Wealth Daily


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Monday, March 23, 2015

Would you vote for a Cuban-American for president of the US of A?

Senator Marco Rubio 
(R) Florida
Senator Ted Cruz
(R) Texas

Is it a coincidence that these two are running for president at the same time that the Obama Administration is 'normalizing' diplomatic relations with Cuba ?



Nuns Swarm Pope Francis at Speech





Source:  http://abcnews.go.com/International/nuns-swarm-pope-francis-speech-prompting-cardinal-intervene/story?id=29841764

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Magna Carta



THE MAGNA CARTA




Published on Mar 20, 2015
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Defending God's Prophet. Part 1: Satan's Twin Weapons






Published on Mar 20, 2015

Incensed at the slander circulating about Mrs. Ellen G. White, and, in light of the Charlie Hebdo tragedy, roused by the papacy's not so subtle willingness to restrict freedom of speech, David Mould sees both as part of the devil's strategy of marginalizing books like The Great Controversy. It may be too little, too late, but this series is a partial defense of the author.
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Zzzonntag: Sunday is Germany’s ‘Ode to Silence’

6:00 am ET
Mar 20, 2015
EUROPE


By
SARAH SLOAT


Sunday in Germany: Time to take things easy PHOTO: iStock

FRANKFURT—GERMANY HOLDS TO much the same Monday-to-Friday workweek rhythm as the rest of the world, but on Sundays it skips a beat. This uber-efficient country, which puts more restrictions on Sunday activities than nearly all of its neighbors, takes a break from its industrious habits and nearly shuts down.

Laws regulating shopping hours and noise levels mean stores shut, lawnmowers fall silent, and woe unto him who flips the switch on an electric tool. Across the country, not only are supermarkets and department stores closed, but so are mechanics, hair stylists, laundromats and locksmiths.

For transplants from the U.S. and elsewhere, adjusting to an obligatory day of rest can be a challenge, particularly if they work full time and are used to having the weekend—the whole weekend—for errands and shopping. That means squeezing errands into Saturday, just as most of the population is doing the same thing.

Sunday, Germany’s Ode to Silence, reflects the importance Germans place on quality of life, neighborly consideration and the need to unwind. The postwar constitution safeguards Sundays, and recognized holidays, as “days of rest and spiritual edification.” Most Germans use the day to indulge their love of nature by getting outdoors, visiting friends or, for its many sports lovers, hitting the gym or pool.

READ MORE: 5 KEY THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GERMAN MANNERS

READ MORE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

READ MORE: SO, YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD DRIVE…IN GERMANY

Opening Sundays to shopping is fiercely resisted, mainly by churches and labor unions. Efforts by retailers and businesses to loosen the rules have also been unsuccessful. But a blanket prohibition was lifted in 2006, when states were allowed to designate a certain number of Sundays as open for shopping. In Hesse, where Frankfurt is located, four are permitted each year.

Anyone considering using this day of rest to undertake outdoor chores or home improvements will be in for a surprise. Regulations limit noise levels, forbidding the use of electric tools like drills and leaf blowers, as well as hammering, sawing and loud music. Those who live near local recycling containers will find it’s even prohibited to throw away glass jars and bottles on Sunday because of the noise.

Heavy trucks are also banned from German roads on Sunday. The aim is twofold, says Jan Jurczyk of services union Verdi: To relieve streets and cities of noise and traffic, and to give drivers a break. “People who work weekends have trouble finding time to spend with family and friends, so Sunday shouldn’t be a work day for anyone unless it’s absolutely essential,” he says.

Germans take their silence seriously, and barring a sea change in the culture, Sunday will likely retain its sacred status, even as churchgoing continues to decline. Those who don’t relish hiking, reading or taking a spin on the autobahn on Sunday should know there’s still more to life than shopping: Restaurants and cafes, movie theaters and museums are all open. And since cake is Germany’s soul food—kaffee und kuchen, or coffee and cake, is a national ritual—cake shops on Sundays have special dispensation to sell their famed Black Forest and cheese cakes.

Email us at expat@wsj.com. Follow us @WSJexpat. Join our Facebook group.

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Preparation for the End


At Oswego, New York, September 7, 1850, the Lord showed me that a great work must be done for His people before they could stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. I was pointed to those who claim to be Adventists, but who reject the present truth, and saw that they were crumbling and that the hand of the Lord was in their midst to divide and scatter them now in the gathering time, so that the precious jewels among them, who have formerly been deceived, may have their eyes opened to see their true state. And now when the truth is presented to them by the Lord’s messengers, they are prepared to listen, and see its beauty and harmony, and to leave their former associates and errors, embrace the precious truth and stand where they can define their position.

I saw that those who oppose the Sabbath of the Lord could not take the Bible and show that our position is incorrect; therefore they would slander those who believe and teach the truth and would attack their characters. Many who were once conscientious and loved God and His Word have become so hardened by rejecting the light of truth that they do not hesitate to wickedly misrepresent and falsely accuse those who love the holy Sabbath, if by so doing they can injure the influence of those who fearlessly declare the truth. But these things will not hinder the work of God. In fact, this course pursued by those who hate the truth will be the very means of opening the eyes of some. Every jewel will be brought out and gathered, for the hand of the Lord is set to recover the remnant of His people, and He will accomplish the work gloriously. 

We who believe the truth should be very careful to give no occasion for our good to be evil spoken of. We should know that every step we take is in accordance with the Bible; for those who hate the commandments of God will triumph over our missteps and faults, as the wicked did in 1843.

May 14, 1851, I saw the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. As I beheld His glory, the thought did not occur to me that I should ever be separated from His presence. I saw a light coming from the glory that encircled the Father, and as it approached near to me, my body trembled and shook like a leaf. I thought that if it should come near me I would be struck out of existence, but the light passed me. Then could I have some sense of the great and terrible God with whom we have to do. I saw then what faint views some have of the holiness of God, and how much they take His holy and reverend name in vain, without realizing that it is God, the great and terrible God, of whom they are speaking. While praying, many use careless and irreverent expressions, which grieve the tender Spirit of the Lord and cause their petitions to be shut out of heaven.

I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.

Early Writings, pp. 69-71.

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Friday, March 20, 2015

Prepare


The work of the people of God is to prepare for the events of the future, which will soon come upon them with blinding force.

Selected Messages Book 2, p. 142

Related:

Zzzontag, Sunday is Germany's 'Ode to silence'.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-272B-557
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Thursday, March 19, 2015

CIA controls mass media like the NY Times, Time Magazine and much more


Monday, February 16, 2015



In 1953, Joseph Alsop, then one of America’s leading syndicated columnists, went to the Philippines to cover an election. He did not go because he was asked to do so by his syndicate. He did not go because he was asked to do so by the newspapers that printed his column. He went at the request of the CIA.

Alsop is one of more than 400 American journalists who in the past twenty‑five years have secretly carried out assignments for the Central Intelligence Agency, according to documents on file at CIA headquarters. Some of these journalists’ relationships with the Agency were tacit; some were explicit.

There was cooperation, accommodation and overlap. Journalists provided a full range of clandestine services—from simple intelligence gathering to serving as go‑betweens with spies in Communist countries. Reporters shared their notebooks with the CIA. Editors shared their staffs. Some of the journalists were Pulitzer Prize winners, distinguished reporters who considered themselves ambassadors without‑portfolio for their country. Most were less exalted: foreign correspondents who found that their association with the Agency helped their work; stringers and freelancers who were as interested in the derring‑do of the spy business as in filing articles; and, the smallest category, full‑time CIA employees masquerading as journalists abroad. In many instances, CIA documents show, journalists were engaged to perform tasks for the CIA with the consent of the managements of America’s leading news organizations.

The use of journalists has been among the most productive means of intelligence‑gathering employed by the CIA. Although the Agency has cut back sharply on the use of reporters since 1973 primarily as a result of pressure from the media), some journalist‑operatives are still posted abroad.

Further investigation into the matter, CIA officials say, would inevitably reveal a series of embarrassing relationships in the 1950s and 1960s with some of the most powerful organizations and individuals in American journalism.

The US government has no external “need to manipulate” mass media outlets such as “Time magazine, for example, because there are Agency [CIA] people at the management level.”

Former CIA employee Barry Eisler explains why you shouldn't trust the CIA, click here to listen to the podcast.

Remember there are SIX corporations that control America's media.

Among the executives who lent their cooperation to the Agency were Williarn Paley of the Columbia Broadcasting System, Henry Luce of Tirne Inc., Arthur Hays Sulzberger of the New York Times, Barry Bingham Sr. of the LouisviIle Courier‑Journal, and James Copley of the Copley News Service. Other organizations which cooperated with the CIA include the American Broadcasting Company, the National Broadcasting Company, the Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, Hearst Newspapers, Scripps‑Howard, Newsweekmagazine, the Mutual Broadcasting System, the Miami Herald and the old Saturday Evening Post and New York Herald‑Tribune. By far the most valuable of these associations, according to CIA officials, have been with the New York Times, CBS and Time Inc.

The CIA’s use of the American news media has been much more extensive than Agency officials have acknowledged publicly or in closed sessions with members of Congress. The general outlines of what happened are indisputable; the specifics are harder to come by. CIA sources hint that a particular journalist was trafficking all over Eastern Europe for the Agency; the journalist says no, he just had lunch with the station chief. CIA sources say flatly that a well‑known ABC correspondent worked for the Agency through 1973; they refuse to identify him. A high‑level CIA official with a prodigious memory says that the New York Times provided cover for about ten CIA operatives between 1950 and 1966; he does not know who they were, or who in the newspaper’s management made the arrangements.

The Agency’s special relationships with the so‑called “majors” in publishing and broadcasting enabled the CIA to post some of its most valuable operatives abroad without exposure for more than two decades. In most instances, Agency files show, officials at the highest levels of the CIA usually director or deputy director) dealt personally with a single designated individual in the top management of the cooperating news organization.

The aid furnished often took two forms: providing jobs and credentials “journalistic cover” in Agency parlance) for CIA operatives about to be posted in foreign capitals; and lending the Agency the undercover services of reporters already on staff, including some of the best‑known correspondents in the business.

CIA officials almost always refuse to divulge the names of journalists who have cooperated with the Agency. They say it would be unfair to judge these individuals in a context different from the one that spawned the relationships in the first place. “There was a time when it wasn’t considered a crime to serve your government,” said one high‑level CIA official who makes no secret of his bitterness. “This all has to be considered in the context of the morality of the times, rather than against latter‑day standards—and hypocritical standards at that.”

http://www.carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php






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Not everything is “predictive programming”



Mar15by Jon Rappoport


Not everything is “predictive programming”

by Jon Rappoport

March 15, 2015

NoMoreFakeNews.com

The term “predictive programming” is used to describe film and literature that portray dystopian futures, predict these futures…but are covertly aimed at preparing audiences to accept those futures.

Under that definition, any science fiction novel or film could be casually classified as mind control programming.

There is a deeper point to be made here. Science fiction, among its effects, stimulates the imagination of its readers or viewers.

That is a good thing for people who know they have imaginations. They can take off on their own and conceive of other possibilities. They can view reality from a wider perspective. They can examine present trends and institutions and see how provincial, corrupt, and limiting they actually are.

However, if a person doesn’t really know he has his own imagination… almost everything he takes in from the world contains a component of mind control programming.

That’s the deeper fact.

The solution isn’t trying to stem the tide of futuristic films and novels. The solution is becoming more aware; in particular, it’s becoming more aware that imagination can and does entertain unlimited scenarios.

The solution is becoming familiar and intimate with one’s own imagination.

Without that step, a person is only half of what he could be.

Shapeless fear of what is coming at us from media, from Hollywood, turns into just another hopeless version of trying to escape from the world.

Just as the fear of germs (which are everywhere and can never be contained) is non-productive, whereas building up the power of the immune system is the key…in the same way, trying to nullify the flood of media is non-productive.

The answer to images and portents of dystopia is the cultivation of one’s own imagination, which is far larger and more flexible than those manufactured portents.



And if you want to take this out to society as a whole, the solution involves a kind of education that is relatively rare: exposing the young to the scope of their own imaginations.

Of course, in places where various fundamentalisms rule, such an approach would be considered sinful. And these are the places where people are most phobic and hateful about “predictive programming.” In other words, they’re sealing their own fate.

On a scale from one to 100, where 100 represents the imagination operating at theoretical full capability, the entire power of all predictive programming would stand at about four.

To put it another way, as a person accesses and deploys his own imagination to greater degrees, the influence of predictive programming decreases drastically.

In my collection, Exit From The Matrix, this is my strategy: dozens of imagination exercises that, when practiced, blow the larger elite movie called Reality away in the wind.

Jon Rappoport

The author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails atNoMoreFakeNews.com or OutsideTheRealityMachine.


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Was Hillary Clinton running her own rogue intel operation?



The truth may be found in her private emails




Illustration on Hillary’s emails and secret intel operations by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times more >


By Monica Crowley - - Wednesday, March 18, 2015


We all know that the only reason you would deliberately and premeditatedly set up a private email address and server is to have total control over your communications — to keep people away from those communications and to retain the ability to edit and delete your content.

In Hillary Clinton’s case, given her long history of concealment and duplicity, total control was the system’s purpose, not to keep track of Chelsea’s bridal gift registry.

A story originally reported in 2013 (and little-noticed at the time) may offer a deeper dimension to the reasons she wanted this control — and it leaves us with many new, unanswered questions.

PHOTOS: Top 10 handguns in the U.S.

First, a step back: In order to understand this Hillary scandal, you must understand her pattern in past scandals. And you must understand the man at the center of so many of them: Sidney Blumenthal.

Mr. Blumenthal is the Clintons’ longtime and fiercely loyal political hit man. He orchestrated many of the sleaziest attacks on Clinton opponents, including smearing Monica Lewinsky as a “stalker” at Mrs. Clinton’s request. His mastery of the dark arts was so notorious that it may have been the reason Mr. Obama pointedly deniedMrs. Clinton’s request to appoint him to a special, official role in her State Department.

But Mrs. Clinton has never been one to take “no” for an answer. It now appears that despite Mr. Obama’s order, Mr. Blumenthal may have still served Mrs. Clinton’s political and policy needs, but in a shadowy, non-official capacity.


• 12/11/12 Latest Benghazi Intel

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• 1/4/13 HIGHLY IMPORTANT: Comprehensive Intel Report On

• 1/15/13 Latest Libya Intel, Government Discussions At High Levels

• 1/19/13 Latest French Intel On Algeria Hostage

• 2/16/13 Algeria/Libya/Terrorism

It appears that Mr. Blumenthal had moved from handling matters of stained dresses to matters of national security. He suggests he is in contact with the highest levels of foreign intelligence, including in Libya, Algeria and France.

What was the Clintons’ hatchet man really doing? How did he cultivate such sensitive intelligence sources, and on whose orders? Why was he apparently hip-deep in intelligence matters while his close friend was secretary of state?

Was the real reason Mrs. Clinton created a private communications system because she planned to run her own intelligence operation via Mr. Blumenthal, away from the prying eyes of the president, his White House, the intelligence and diplomatic communities, Congress, the press and the American people?

Was she essentially freelancing some national security policy, operating outside normal channels?

Did she set up this private system because she didn’t trust the Obama team to provide the intelligence that she needed or wanted?

Further, was it arranged so she could run her own intelligence operations? After Benghazi, it was reported that she had been so obsessed with overthrowing Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi that Mr. Obama simply gave her the Libya portfolio. Her role in the result — Gadhafi’s assassination and the subsequent Islamist-induced chaos, leading to the Benghazi attack — would likely be something she’d want under her control. And if it proves true that Ambassador Christopher Stevens was overseeing a covert gunrunning operation from Benghazi to Syrian rebels on Mrs. Clinton’s watch, wouldn’t she want to keep that under her control, too?

The Russian “reset” was also her portfolio. Was Mr. Blumenthal running secret back channels with Moscow for her? And with Tehran over the nuclear negotiations?

If Mr. Blumenthal were, in fact, overseeing this operation, how was he compensated? By Mrs. Clinton privately, by the Clinton Foundation, or by some other murky source?

Did Mrs. Clinton turn over the Blumenthal emails to the State Department, or were they among the deleted?

Is Mr. Blumenthal on anyone’s subpoena list?

His messages to her secret email account seem to indicate that she was using it for something more than arranging her yoga schedule.

These questions need answers.

If she did not circumvent the president, our intelligence and diplomatic agencies, and the law, then she should be ready, willing and able to reveal all.

But if she did, that might explain why she’s been so dodgy and defensive.

What say you, Mrs. Clinton? What were you and your personal El Sid really up to?

• Monica Crowley is online opinion editor at The Washington Times.


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Wednesday, March 18, 2015

French Government Starts Blocking Websites With Views The Gov't Doesn't Like




Free Speech

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Mar 18th 2015 10:37am




from the liberte?-egalite? dept

We had been noting, in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France, how the country that then held a giant "free speech" rally appeared to be, instead, focusing on cracking down on free speech at every opportunity. And target number one: the internet. Earlier this week, the Interior Minister of France -- with no court review or adversarial process -- ordered five websites to not only be blocked in France, but that anyone who visits any of the sites get redirected to a scary looking government website, saying:

You are being redirected to this official website since your computer was about to connect with a page that provokes terrorist acts or condones terrorism publicly.


It appears that the French government has a very low opinion of the intelligence of the French public -- believing that merely reading something online will suddenly make them rush to join ISIS.
"I do not want to see sites that could lead people to take up arms on the Internet," Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

"I make a distinction between freedom of expression and the spread of messages that serve to glorify terrorism. These hate messages are a crime."Except... it already appears that France is really just censoring websites with messages it doesn't like. In that first batch was a site called "islamic-news.info." The owner of that site not only notes that he was never first contacted to "remove" whatever material was deemed terrorist supporting (as required by the law), but that nothing in what he had posted was supporting terrorism. He has written a public statement posted on the French news site Numerama, in which he makes it clear that he's a one-man operation, and that he's been doing everything based on a 50 euro/month hosting plan, and that he doesn't support ISIS or Al Qaeda at all. His site is opinionated, but mostly just against current Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. In fact, he notes that he specifically avoided topics that might be misinterpreted to suggest that he supported terrorists. He did not share ISIS propaganda or similar content. He even points out how he denounced a Syrian fighter who argued for attacks on Europe, saying that such things would reflect poorly on Muslims in Europe.

But, with no judicial review, no due process at all, the French government declared the site to be a terrorist supporter and now it's gone.

All that talk about France and free speech quickly fade into nothing. As Glenn Greenwald, at the Intercept, points out in response to all of this, blatant government censorship is far more damaging than terrorist attacks (while also noting that governments around the globe are moving in similar directions):

In sum, far more damage has been inflicted historically by efforts to censor and criminalize political ideas than by the kind of “terrorism” these governments are invoking to justify these censorship powers.

And whatever else may be true, few things are more inimical to, or threatening of, Internet freedom than allowing functionaries inside governments to unilaterally block websites from functioning on the ground that the ideas those sites advocate are objectionable or “dangerous.” That’s every bit as true when the censors are in Paris, London, and Ottawa, and Washington as when they are in Tehran, Moscow or Beijing.France's "motto" is supposedly Liberté, égalité, fraternité. I have difficulty seeing how blatantly censoring websites you disagree with, without any sort of due process, fits with any of those three ideals.



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Migrants demand safer ways to cross the border into United States





Posted: Mar 10, 2015 6:38 AM EDT
Updated: Mar 10, 2015 6:38 AM EDT





MEXICO CITY, Mexico - After risking their lives in the hopes of making it into the United States, migrants from Central American are demanding safer ways to cross the border.

Thousands of immigrants jump on a freight train called the "La Bestia" -- which means "The Beast." and the name holds true meaning.

Along the route many will end up either losing their limbs or being killed as a result of falling under the wheels.

Many others end up being robbed or attacked by gangs.

If that is not enough of a risk, if you make it alive, you still have a chance of getting caught and arrested.

During a protest Monday, more than a dozen people in attendance had lost a limb in their attempt to cross the border.

They say it should not be that dangerous and are calling for safer alternatives.


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Twitter erup ts over Starbucks' new anti-racism campaign



Relaxnews (AFP)
1 hr ago



Starbucks has succeeded in raising the chatter about race relations, all right. But much of the dialogue happens to be redirected at the company’s bold, some say outrageous, campaign to heal America’s race-related wounds, one latte at a time.

Following the launch of their ‘Race Together’ initiative announced this week, Starbucks has found itself at the center of a Twitter storm, with tweeps weighing in on the controversial campaign which CEO Howard Schultz said was created to elevate the level of discourse, compassion and understanding among Americans at a time when racially-charged tensions are high.

On Wednesday, the campaign’s hashtag #RaceTogether was among the top trending topics on Twitter in the US -- mostly in the form of mockery and anger.

The idea behind the project, meant to be “catalytic” for the country? For baristas to engage customers in conversations about diversity and the issues dividing America, while making lattes and pouring coffees.

“Going to Starbucks tomorrow to order a flat white to explain how milk takes all the credit while black bean does all the work,” wrote one critic.

“Not sure what @Starbucks was thinking. I don't have time to explain 400 years of oppression to you & still make my train. #RaceTogether,” wrote another.

Likewise, consumers were quick to point out that the promotional photos for the campaign featured only white hands.

The campaign also inspired Quartz to do some number crunching of their own in a chart which revealed that Starbuck stores are densest in predominantly (70 to 75 percent) white neighborhoods.

Not all reaction to the campaign is negative, however. Some applauded the company for trying to start a nationwide dialogue.

“I think @Starbucks #RaceTogether is a brilliant campaign. With all of the divisiveness in this country... we need this dialog #TheView.”

“I don't think that #RaceTogether was for baristas to educate, but simply to get people talking. We would rather bash and ignore it! #shame.”

Follow the Twitter discussion at #RaceTogether.


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Obama suggests mandatory voting might be a good idea

By STEPHANIE CONDON
CBS NEWS
March 18, 2015, 5:50 PM



President Obama speaks at the City Club of Cleveland on March 18, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES



President Obama on Wednesday suggested that if U.S. voters want to counter the outsized influence of money in politics, it might be a good idea to adopt mandatory voting.

"Other countries have mandatory voting," Mr. Obama said at a town hall-style event in Cleveland, Ohio, citing places like Australia. "It would be transformative if everybody voted -- that would counteract money more than anything."

The president continued, "The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily toward immigrant groups and minorities... There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls."

Get-out-the-vote efforts are a costly part of political campaigns, and yet voter turnout in the U.S. remains low -- in last year's midterm elections, the national turnout rate was just 36.3 percent.

As Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus noted, there were 11 countries as of November 2014 that have mandatory voting rules, including Australia. Even though Australians can be fined for failing to vote (or even thrown in jail for failing to vote repeatedly), the law is popular.

Mr. Obama said that adopting mandatory voting rules could be a feasible "short-term" solution to the problem of money in politics.
In the long-term, he said it'd be "fun" to go through the extensive process of adopting a constitutional amendment.

A pair of Democratic senators have, in fact, drafted a constitutional amendment that would restore to Congress the authority to regulate and limit the raising and spending of money for federal political campaigns. It would also allow states to regulate campaign spending at their level.


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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

"YOU BETTER RUN FOR THE HILLS" – JIM ROGERS



Tuesday, March 17, 2015 10:51


(Before It's News)

Well known investor Jim Rogers, who made his fortune during the 1970′s crisis by investing in commodities like precious metals, has long-warned about the calamity faced by, not just America, but the world as a whole.



Rogers understands that we are living in perilous times, and that actions by governments, finance ministers and officials across the globe have left us on the brink of a very serious collapse that will end with currency turmoil, food shortages, panic, social unrest and a total shakedown of average citizens.

Now, with Europe having taken the unprecedented step of seizing private funds of depositors, Rogers suggest that time is running short and that those with the means to do so should get ready for the worst:

It’s pretty scary what’s going on in Europe…when they start taking money out of people’s bank accounts. I, for one, am making sure I don’t have too much money in any single bank account anywhere in the world.

Now there is a precedent…The IMF has said loot the bank accounts. The EU has said loot the bank accounts.

So you can be sure that other countries, when the problems come, are going to say… let’s do it too.



…They’re going to go crazy the next time around.

It’s going to happen. Of course it’s going to happen…

It’s politicians who are telling you it’s a special case… oh, don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry.

What more do you need to know?

When politicians are saying ‘You don’t have to worry’…

Please, you better hurry, you better run for the hills. I’m doing it anyway.

I want to make sure that I don’t get trapped.

Think of all the poor souls that just thought they had a simple bank account. Now they find out that they are making a ‘contribution’ to the stability of Cyprus. The gall of these politicians.



Don’t trust any government. If you’re going to listen to government, you’re going to go bankrupt very quickly.

>

Source: Interview CNBC


Like his friend and colleague Marc Faber who has recommended farmland and hard assets to protect oneself, Jim Rogers says it’s time to head for the hills. The fact is that Rogers has been a proponent of personal self reliance and farming since before the start of this crisis, having once argued that in the future it’ll be farmers who will be driving Ferraris, rather than Wall Street bankers. Like Faber, who lives in the remote hills of rural Thailand, Rogers also owns property outside of major cities and says hard assets (commodities) will be one of the few safe havens during a major crisis.

As students of history and economics, both Rogers and Faber understand that major cities are not the place to be when modern-day financial and convenience delivery systems fall apart.

Be as far outside of the blast radius as possible. It’s gonna’ get ugly.


Source
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