I was saddened to read that more protests in Iran ended in violence today, with supporters of the opposition being hurt and even killed. The US response: a statement.

Trading statements back and forth is frustratingly unproductive. But what is the alternative? While governments officially condemn things, those things continue to happen. But if those things are in another country we have few options. Things that don’t appear “right” or “just” to us may be right or just according the culture or law of that country. For example, Iran is a theocracy that observes Sharia, Islamic law. This is an entirely different worldview than our own.

Imagine Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sitting at his desk. He turns on the news and sees something happening in America that bothers him. “That’s just plain wrong! How can the world just sit idly and watch this happen? I’ll bet that if America was more like Iran then the people would be happier.” He starts writing, and in a carefully worded statement based on his own values and on the way his government works he explains how he thinks the American culture should change and how the American government should act.

If the leader of Iran issued a formal statement condemning actions taken by the US government, how do you think the US government would react?

Ahmadinejad famously made such a statement and even sent a copy of it in written form in May 2006 to our president. It was eighteen pages long and represented the first formal communications between Iranian and US leaders since 1979. Our president chose to ignore it.

The words probably meant a lot to Ahmadinejad, but were based solely on his values and the way his government works. The words were not written in terms our president understood; the letter implied that enormous cultural shifts should take place and that the way the government does business should be changed. Our president could not have adequately acted upon such a cultural indictment even if he had wished to do so.

Imagine Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy sitting at their desks. They turn on the news and see something happening in Iran that bothers them. “That’s just plain wrong! How can the world just sit idly and watch this happen? I’ll bet that if Iran was more like America or France then the people would be happier.” Obama and Sarkozy start writing, and in carefully worded statements based on their own values and on the way their governments work they explain how they thinks the Iranian culture should change and how the Iranian government should act.

The BBC reports today that “in a statement, the White House said it strongly condemned the “unjust suppression of civilians in Iran” and “the French foreign ministry said it condemned the ‘arbitrary arrests and the violent actions’ committed against protesters defending ‘their right to freedom of expression and their desire for democracy.’”

The words probably meant a lot to Obama and Sarkozy, but were based solely on their values and the way their governments work. The words were likely not written in terms Ahmadinejad understood; the statements imply that enormous cultural shifts should take place and that the way the government does business should be changed. Ahmadinejad could not adequately act upon such a cultural indictment even if he wished to do so.

If Ahmadinejad chooses to ignore our statement, should we be surprised?

What then are the answers?

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Bean To Cup Coffee Machine Mens Hair Clippers Reviews

Sonic and company show their Christmas spirit. The more we watch these trailers, the more we look forward to playing the game in 2010.

And this is how the story goes…

Pat Morita is roundhousing his casket as we speak.

Another Tuesday night, or as it has come to be, Wednesday morning, and that means that it is the night for our Open Mic conversations. There has been a ton of interesting news out there that is not health care. So I am glad that we will be discussing it. Additionally, there were some really interesting conversations that were happening throughout the day on Tuesday. Specifically the conversations about the change in tone here by SUFA commenters and the discussion about compromise being a necessary thing in a pluralistic society. So I have commented on them below as well. My hope is that we find time to continue those conversations. Other open mic topics for the evening (morning) are the new Rock the Vote campaign, another Senator making an ignorant statement, and Obama’s claim that we are now being more fiscally intelligent. There is also a topic from Cyndi that involves the “Evolve” group. I hope everyone enjoys….

Pinetrial’s MH380 netbook seems like a worthy addition to the company’s lineup of quality netbooks. With an HD-capable 10.1″ glossy screen, 2GB of RAM, a 250 GB HDD, card reader, 1.3 MP webcam, 10/100 LAN and 802.11n WiFi, is there any reason to question it’s greatness? It also features Bluetooth capability and weighs in at a measly 1.3 kg. Sources say the coolest feature of the MH380 netbook is a half-sphere indentation next to the trackpad for circular motion scrolling. This baby will be available in a cast of colors that include Brown, Ivory White, and Black Diamond. Battery life and pricing remains absent.

Thus, God is proclaiming that there are principles in the heavens and that they govern life on earth. Furthermore, God is responsible for bringing forth the Mazzaroth in their seasons. Most Bibles avoid translating this sacred word, ‘Mazzaroth’, because it literally means, ‘the twelve signs of the zodiac’, in Hebrew. So, God created the zodiac and brings them forth in their seasons. He explains that heavenly constellations like the Pleiades and Orion have ‘influences’ that can be unleashed.

We don’t have to be afraid of signs from the heavens. God speaks through them. In Judges 5:20 it describes the ‘stars’ in battle, “They fought from the heaven. The stars in their courses fought against Ciceria.” In Jeremiah 10:2 it says, “…do not be dismayed by signs from heaven.” We need to be open to the realization of messages in the heavens. In Psalms 136:7-9, it says, “Who made the great lights? His love endures forever; the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night.” In Psalms 147:3-4 it says, “God heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” The Hebrew word ‘shem’ means ‘name, a mark of character, individuality, honor and authority.’ Stars have all that, according to the Bible. Again, in Isaiah 40:26 we hear, “Lift your eyes on high and behold who has created these. He who brings forth the starry hosts by numbers one by one and calls them forth by character.”

Jesus embodied the Piscean archetype, linking the first sign Aries with the last sign Pisces, the alpha with the omega, starting not just one new age, but a whole cycle of twelve ages. People began spiritually cleansing themselves through the baptismal rites, as Pisces is a water element sign. Suddenly, water was sacred (as opposed to fire) and the fish became holy. Early Christians would identify themselves by drawing the sign of Pisces in the sand. Jesus spoke often of the age of his birth as a preparation age for the Age of Enlightenment to follow. He was referring to the Age of Aquarius that is symbolized by the cosmic man bearing the pitcher of the living waters of life, pouring it throughout the universe. At Jesus’ first Jupiter return (age 12) he began instructing the Priests at the temple, saying to his parents, “Let me be about my work.” After his first Saturn return (age 30) he became intensely devoted to teaching and demonstrating the way of unconditional love. He selected twelve disciples each with a character similar to one of the twelve signs. At the Last Supper Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. In astrology each sign governs a part of the body. Pisces symbolizes the feet.

  It is the grandest thought of Who You Are, your Highest Feeling and Greatest Word that you find Me.

We are here to evolve, we are made in the “image and likeness of God” The second coming isn’t one man, nor it is one anything.

The second coming is you and me, rising in consciousness of Christ. We are the Christed beings. Our awareness will raise in number to 144,000. These 144,000 will bring another 144,000 each to awareness. Globally we ascend to the city of light. This is our planetary goal. Our human divinity, as well as the greatest word, highest feeling, and grandest thought of Who We Really Are.

The Spiritual Revolution has begun.

With love, Rochelle author  The Stone People

www.rochellefoulk.wordpress.com

We stood among Street Fighter enthusiasts, as we began immediate attempts at deciphering Famitsu’s live streaming demo of Super Street Fighter IV last week. One site we stumbled upon believes it’s found a bombshell: Four additional, unannounced characters will be coming to the game. However it is a skeptical theory.

Way back in September, a longtime Shoryuken forums contributor posted the names of the new characters before Capcom announced any of them. All turned out to be right. Three that have yet to be announced will return from Street Fighter III: Ibuki, Makoto and Dudley.

That forum post was subsequently removed, but the semi-common knowledge of these three, anyway, remains. Subsequent loose chatter on Street Fighter boards and speculations. That brings the total of new characters to 10, six announced and the other four- we’ll just have to wait, wont we Capcom?

Anyway, that image above is EventHubs’ screengrab of the Famitsu demo and analysis of the character select screen. Four are left blank. The remaining new characters, bosses and others are all specified.

Swann Security launches its latest all-in-one security solution, known as the DVR4-2500 Security Recorder Kit. The DVR4-2500 recorder comes equipped with four indoor/outdoor cameras with night vision, a remote control, mouse; plus all the cables, connectors and adaptors necessary for system. The kit also features stream live capability and recorded video for iPhone users. That’s All? No.

The DVR4-2500 has the capacity to record and fill a 500GB hard drive, while continuous recording for up to 30 days. Moreover, the system also connects to the web, allowing users to view live and record surveillance footage over the internet, via their web-enabled smart phone, including the iPhone, or PC.

Four PRO-555 cameras accompany the kit and utilize either indoor or outdoor applications. With 27 infra-red LEDs, the cameras are capable of viewing images at night up to distances of 50’. This bad-ass security system does anything a tech savvy fiend yearns for.

Aullidos.com got first dibbs on the teaser poster for Robert Rodriguez’s Predators…and it’s weak.

Capcom drops another jewel from the sky, announcing an 8-bit prequel to their anticipated shooter, Dark Void. The DSiWare exclusive is dubbed Dark Void Zero, and it looks nostalgically sweet.

The updates continue to pour in with X-Men: First Class. Director Bryan Singer stopped by the Heat Vision Blog to talk about the project and what Marvel fans can expect:

Heat Vision: What is the story?
Singer: I can’t tell you that; it’s secret. But it’s basically about the formation of the X-Men. How they began and the relationship between a young Xavier and a young Magneto.

But no, I don’t see an exhaustion. The X-Men universe is boundless. These are great characters. And as young characters, they are quite different than the characters we have seen in the contemporary movies.

Release date, please, asap!

WiiWare and Castlevania fans have something to go goo-goo for in 2010.

Mini-flashlights are ball busters, especially on low powered Duracells. Get with the new, people—The Stingray Solar-Powered Pocket Torch features double LED lights that are sure to brighten the darkest spots in your vicinity. Made for easy access (via built-in keychain), this compact light measures at 6.6cm. x 3.8cm. x 1.4cm and weighs in at only 78g. The Stingray Torch pulls 1-hour of light after every 5-hour charge under direct sunlight, and manages a 2 and a half hour power surge when fully charged. Sounds like a little nifty gift to throw in a Christmas stocking.

Why do so many species on this planet bother with sexual reproduction? What is sex’s true benefit? Watch and find out.

.

                 You and I are ENERGY.

Portions of the unified energetic field nested in patterns we call
‘bodies’ interacting with other patterns we call objects, beings,
and events.

The truth is you and I are EXISTENCE…
the ‘always present’ PRESENCE we call reality.
More on that HERE.

Here’s a little exercise to experience our whole self
or ‘presence’ or at least expand our sense of ourself
outside of the nest we are accustomed to thinking of
as ‘me’.

 Think of it as an energetic s STRETCHING exercise.

This exercise depends on your ability to FEEL.

FEEL your whole body.
FEEL it to the boundaries of it’s shape.

Now imagine a small ramp a few feet away from your body.

FEEL yourself walking up the ramp…
when you walk over the edge FEEL yourself
expand to be the entire space and everything in it.

With some practice this can be quite an
exililarating experience.
.

.

.

  Copyright © 1999-2009 Lou Majors

If you’re really into timelines and stuff like that I’ve decided to update the “about me” section with that kind of information, starting with my thyroidectomy. I will have more appointments throughout the coming years to test my TSH levels. If they get too high that means the cancer is back and I will have to most likely go through the iodine treatment again unless it looks like it has affected the left lymph nodes. In that case, I’ll have to go through surgery again to take those lymph nodes out!

The thing that I find the most difficult right now is the whole not knowing thing. Not knowing if I will have to get more iodine treatment or surgery or whatever. It sounds so simple. I mean, I’m focusing on this one thing that I didn’t know I had until 3 months ago when I was in for a routine exam. Simple, because there are plenty of things I DON’T worry about. Really. I don’t worry about having enough food to eat (I know I’m lucky) or most of my basic needs like water or having a warm (or semi-warm) house to sleep in. I’m lucky that I don’t have to worry about those things. So, then, why must I worry about something I just will never know, not ever, for 100% certainty. And really, what do we know for certain in our small lives? Not much. I think you get the picture. This is just something that I am trying to work on. Accepting my circumstances today and really being OK with it. I have a feeling a lot of cancer patients or people with major medical issues think about this often, or at least try not to worry about it. As frustrating as it is, I know with 100% certainty that I only have control over myself and what I am thinking. I have to be OK with what tomorrow brings, but we aren’t there yet. It’s still today. That is why people say live it up! Live life to its fullest or get over it. Right. Now. I’ve said those phrases many times and meant them. So I will continue to say them and mean them and feel the conviction that life is what you make it. Oh how cliché it all sounds, but damn it, it’s true.

I’ll leave you with this: When I was 15 or 16 I wanted to get a “cool” tattoo of a snake with its tongue spelling out the word Truth (yes, with a capitol T). I had this conviction and hope about Truth. That feeling that anything can be solved with Truth dissolved somewhere in my freshman year of college, probably after that one philosophy class I took. I got other tattoos, ones that I still like; and while I’m glad I didn’t get the snake tattoo, I know it would not have killed me if I had. It would have evolved with me over time. Or at least, I could have made it evolve with me by covering it up somehow…That’s all I’m looking to do. Evolve into living day by day.

(I will upload a photo of the design for the snake tattoo soon, it’s a beauty)

Ask the show’s cult-following, and fans of 21 Jump Street will tell you exactly what they think about the film-remake: Jonah Hill is making a mockery of the show. Kind of harsh, but judging by the lack of television-big screen adaptations, the odds are against him. Complex caught up with the Superbad actor to clarify some things on his spin of the 80’s program:

Yeah, if you look at the opening episode of 21 Jump Street, you see a man looking at a picture of a cop holding a little boy’s hand, and you hear a crazy saxophone solo, and you pan up and it’s Johnny Depp looking at the picture playing the crazy saxophone solo. [Laughs.] We’re not even spoofing the movie. It’s not strictly comedic, either. We’re doing a full-on action movie, blowing shit up.

Still doesn’t sell us.

Just in time, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced their popular apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch are now available for only 99 cents until January 4. Does it get any better than that? Their star-studded lineup of games entail hits like Frogger, Slient Hill: The Escape, Power Pros Touch and Metal Gear Solid Touch. And you thought a dollar couldn’t get you anything these days.

Netbooks have been a killer this holiday season and Dell looks to reap the benefits of the holiday cheer with the Inspiron Mini 10. Laced with Intel’s next-gen Atom n450 processor, the Mini 10 will take full advantage of 1.66GHz and comes packaged with 160GB hard drive, 1GB memory, Bluetooth support and a 10.1″ display. But the features don’t stop there…

An abundance of HD-options will be offered as add-ons as well. An upgradable built-in HDTV tuner, plus a battery life span of up to 9.5 hours, with a six-cell battery running Windows Starter 7 round out the additional features. On sale for an unbeatable price ($299), it’s $50 cheaper than it’s predecessor, and will be available this January. Hope you saved those American Express Gift Cards.

So the Green Lantern film is moving along, as the role of Carol Ferris is being narrowed down to 5 starlets: Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Eva Green (Quantum of Solace), Jennifer Garner (Daredevil), Keri Russell (Mission Impossible III) and Diane Kruger (Inglourius Bastards). Interesting crops of actresses to play Ryan Reynolds love interest. Who would you choose?

Looking very Neo-Contra there, aint we?

I’m all for this new “Green” approach companies are basking in. It’s a little overdue; however it’s a movement to see more hands throwing on the environmentalist’s gloves. With “Green” altering manufactures’ decisions on how to sculpt new products, we also have some developers that produce products specifically designed to lessen the effects harmful to our home. The Eco Button is one of them.

The retro-fit device plugs into your PC’s USB port and makes it quick and easy to place your computer into an energy saving mode. The button is also designed to suspend your computer when you disappear to answer the phone, have lunch, go to meetings, etc. Upon your arrival back to your PC, just hit the button to quickly wake the computer up again, and resume right where you left off!

The Eco Button triggers the most eco-friendly energy saving mode available on a PC, which is almost equivalent to the computer being switched off completely! The main benefit of the Eco Button is it makes saving energy as easy as possible with its energy saving mode, literally at the press of a button. It is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista 32-bit PC. It isn’t compatible with Macs or Windows 7 yet, but surely it will.

The button itself measures 5.5cm (L) x 5.5cm (W) x 1.5cm (H) and sits on top of your desk in front of your PC. With this constant reminder to save energy, while using your PC, I can’t see consumers-not willing to put forth the button-tap within arms reach.