Category Archives: Of Interest

Reaction in Arizona to SB 1070

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Barrio Defense: How Arizona’s Immigrants are Standing Up to SB 1070

Beyond the Supreme Court: For immigrant communities in Arizona and beyond, the struggle against draconian laws begins at home.
posted Jun 21, 2012

 

Arizona, photo by Ken Lund

Update, June 25: Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled much of SB 1070 unconstitutional, but upheld the law’s most controversial provision: the so-called “show me your papers” component, which directs police to check the immigration status of those they suspect might be undocumented. Puente and other supporters of Barrio Defense Committees say this ruling reaffirms their approach. “We never had faith in the #SCOTUS case,” the group tweeted. “We have faith in our people … WE WILL NOT COMPLY.”

Shortly after the 2010 passage of SB 1070, Arizona’s notorious immigration bill, 20,000 people gathered in Phoenix for a May Day march to protest the new law. Instead of ending with speakers or a formal program, as political marches often do, organizers broke the crowd into small groups and asked them two questions:

How will the new law impact you and your neighbors? What can you do about it?

And with that, a new phase of the migrant rights movement, based on an age-old model of community organizing, was born.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide very soon whether to strike down SB 1070, but few observers expect that it will choose to do so based on the Department of Justice arguments. That’s one reason local capacity development methods, such as Barrio Defense Committees, are crucial, organizers say. “We went to Congress for reform and were treated like a political football,” says Carlos Garcia, an organizer with the grassroots group Puente Arizona. “We asked the president for relief and instead got record deportations. Now even the courts may give SB 1070 the green light. It’s time we realize we have only each other and start organizing deeper in our own community.”

In the weeks and months after those small group discussions, communities across Arizona formed Barrio Defense Committees, neighborhood-based groups focused on resolving local problems, building resilience in the face of attack, and building organic leadership for broader social movements.

The committees are based on neighbor-to-neighbor relations where people commit to support each other to mitigate the negative impacts of deportations. Families sign power of attorney so that someone is prepared to take care of kids, pay bills, and communicate with an employer in the case of being taken away and placed in detention. They develop neighbor watch efforts to watch for abusive police behavior, warn of check-points, and report abuse. Health projects, English classes, and supportive businesses weave together for self-sufficiency. In addition to survival aspects, committees grow to remedy local issues like landlords refusing to make repairs or discrimination within schools. These daily building blocks lay a foundation for dealing with big problems like the anti-immigrant laws.

“Coming out was our only option.”

That 2010 march represented a fundamental change from the way advocacy groups had been approaching immigration reform: hammering out compromises in an effort to pass an omnibus piece of Congressional legislation. After that effort failed, many concluded that the compromise effort had conceded too much ground, ushering in new anti-immigrant measures, more border militarization, and a harder road to legalization.

Migrant families in Phoenix and across the state refused to run. Instead, they responded to the new law with a groundswell of public participation in civic life and a celebration of the cultures the state was set on banning.

Diana Perez Ramirez of Puente Arizona, explains, “SB1070 was a symbol of how far to the right the needle on immigration had moved. It was a wake up call that we needed to do something big to haul it back toward something sensible.”

Francisco Pacheco, an organizer for the National Day Laborer Organizing network and a former participant in Salvadoran social movements who migrated to the US after that country’s civil war, is a driving force behind the Barrio Defense model.  He explains, “The committees are built off the model of movements in Latin America where people come together to resolve their local problems and join peaceful resistance efforts. By focusing on local problems, local leadership is created. The protagonist shifts from an elected official to the mother or worker next door.”

Though under great duress—SB 1070’s authors called the law a declaration of a “war of attrition” on immigrants—migrant families in Phoenix and across the state refused to run. Instead, they responded to the new law with a groundswell of public participation in civic life and a celebration of the cultures the state was set on banning.

“For a long time we would only go take the kids to school, to work, and run errands,” said Leticia Ramirez, an undocumented mother of three. “Other than that we had become prisoners hidden in our own homes. But with the laws they were passing, even that wasn’t safe anymore. We realized the only safe community is an organized one. Coming out was our only option.”

The power within

Since 2010, the harsh model of SB 1070 has spread to other states—but so has the barrio defense method of responding to it. After Georgia passed HB87, a copycat of Arizona’s law, the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) responded with a series of actions to empower immigrant communities. The group partnered with day laborer networks for a “human rights summer” that included mass mobilization and the establishment of local comités populares of mutual support. They also organized businesses and institutions to publicly declare themselves “Sanctuary Zones” that would not allow law enforcement to enter to check migrants’ papers without a warrant.

How young immigrant activists are learning from the the civil rights campaigners who came before them.

In January of this year, committee members from ten Georgia towns gathered for a state-wide assembly. Together they decided that the pathway to immigration reform should be through challenging local officials who take advantage of its absence. Adelina Nicholls of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights explains that, “We don’t have to wait for Congress to stop police from mistreating our community and real reform is unlikely as long as we allow that mistreatment to continue.” In Fayetteville, outside of Atlanta, a hundred people marched to the police department to demand that daily checkpoints, erected under the guise of fighting crime and drugs but frequently used to check papers, be taken down.

As in Arizona, the committee model has turned people from a strategy of hiding in their homes to taking to the streets with clipboards and cameras to monitor and turn back abuses. The idea is to transition from challenging the powers that be, and instead cultivate the power within.

Because the process charges those affected by the laws with combating them, a new form of leadership tends to develop, says Pacheco. “Instead of asking people to attend a march, members of committees are asked to assess the moment, decide when a march is necessary, and plan accordingly. Through that process people’s political development is sharpened. They become more critical, more lucid. It makes strategists out of all of us.”

In the Puente office in Phoenix, where committees meet on a weekly basis, hangs a sign with a quote by the legendary organizer, Cesar Chavez: “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.”

from:    http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/barrio-defense-how-arizonas-immigrants-are-standing-up-to-sb-1070

Active Sunspot

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ACTIVE SUNSPOT: Sunspot AR1513 is crackling with impulsive M-class solar flares. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash from one of them at 0920 UT on June 29th:

This M2-class flare illuminated Earth’s upper atmosphere with a pulse of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation. Waves of ionization rippled over Europe, altering the propagation of low-frequency radio signals around the continent. Using a receiver tuned to 60 kHz, Rob Stammes detected the sudden ionospheric disturbance over Norway. His antennas also picked up radio waves from the flare itself at 26 MHz and 56 MHz.

More ionization waves and solar radio bursts are in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of continued M-flares during the next 24 hours.

fr/spaceweather.com

Feng Shui & Your Street Address

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Hey, just for fun:

Feng Shui Tips Using the Numerology of Your Street Address

Written by avenefica on April 6th, 2012

 

Did you know you can align the energy of your home using Feng Shui and the numerology of your street address?  No joke.  These Feng Shui tips really help (I’ve gotten great feedback!).  I know this is a long post, but you don’t have to read all of it.  Simply crunch the numbers to get your street address down to one digit, and look up the Feng Shui according to your home number.

Feng Shui is an ancient Asian practice in which strategic placement of certain auspicious objects in your environment can release positive energy (also known as “chi“).

Numerology is the practice of interpreting the deeper energy of a number and utilizing that vibe for optimal understanding and alignment.

By combining the energy of your home address with Feng Shui, you can encourage the flow of beneficial energy in your home.  So let’s get started!

How to get your single digit home-number:

First, you’ll need to determine the prime root number of your home address.  We do this in numerology by a process called reduction.  Here’s how to do it:  Take your street address, and add all the numbers together.  For example, if you live at 2542, add them up like so: 2+5+4+2=13.  If you come up with a double digit such as in this example, add the two numbers together like so: 1+3=4.  In this case, your prime number is four.  Of course, if your address is a single digit, you can skip this step altogether. If you come up with a 10 in your calculations, your prime number will be one.

Now that you have your prime address number, it’s time to open your home up to luck, love and good mojo!

Simply refer to the guide below according to your prime address number to stimulate your chi!

One:
Like the song says, one can be the loneliest number.  One-energy can express isolation.  It’s the first in the procession of numbers, and it can represent a “lone wolf” feeling.  This is great if you’re a loner, but if you want to attract lots of friends, family and good juju in your home, you’ll need to jazz up the south quadrant of your home.  In Feng Shui, south represents fire, and lightning.  Activating the southern area of your home will connect the initiatory (new beginnings) flavor of number one.

  • Activate the south wall of your home by painting it with a warm, fiery color like amber, gold or blood-red. Number one is an initiator, and this color in this quadrant will enhance a quality of igniting energy, making your environment energized and welcoming.
  • Since one is a solitary number, incorporate pairs in your home.  For example pairs of fish, swans, fu dogs, geese or double lanterns are all lucky symbols in Feng Shui.  Consider hanging these items (in pairs) in the southern area of your home.  Doing so will enhance a sense of balance, partnership and equanimity.
  • The number one is a yang energy (male, aggressive, assertive), so it’s a good idea to temper that, especially if you sense a bit of assertive tension in your home.  Incorporate yin energy (female, passive, reserved) in the southern area of your home.  Some ideas for yin items include moon motifs, silver accents, flowers, or a water feature.

Two:
The number two encourages balance and partnership, which is great if you share your home with a committed partner.  Two is also a wonderful number for families.  The drawback with number two energy can be a sense of indecision, duality and doubt (inability to make your mind up about choices/decisions).  We’ll activate the northwest area of your home to neutralize a bit of that doubt. The northwest represents ‘big metal’ and activates creativity as well as paternal energy in the Feng Shui practice.

  • Consider hanging a wind chime made of metal in the northwest area of your home.  The number two is a yin (feminine) energy, and the metal or silver marries well with this chi.  The chime accentuates harmony and balance, while still activating your senses with its musical tones.  These tones will encourage clarity and mental stimulation.
  • Place a vase in the northwest section of your home.  This structure will “capture” feelings of doubt or frustration.
  • Think about painting your northwest wall a light color, like pastel blue, ecru, or ‘barely there’ pink.  These soothing colors will stimulate a sense of security and comfort, making it easier for you to know what you want, and how to get it.

Three:
Three is a number that rules creation and creativity.  It’s an outstanding number for artists with studios in their home.  However, the number three can produce too much creativity, which may lead to a sense of chaos under your roof.  Too much activity, too many ideas…these can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed, and not knowing which project/direction to pick.  We’ll look to the southeast sector of your home to neutralize that potential crazy vibe.  Southwest represents the ‘big earth’ in Feng Shui, and breeds a sense of grounding as well as receptivity.

  • Soften up some jagged nerves by placing a vase of pink flowers (peonies are especially auspicious in Feng Shui symbolism) on a delicate end table in the southwest corner of your home.
  • Another way to neutralize an over-active three vibration is to place a water plant in the southwest.  Get a lucky bamboo plant, place it in an elegant, glass vase or bowl.  Water is a purifying agent, and will cleanse your home’s aura.  The green of the plant is also a great way to attract luck and wealth! Be sure to change the water when needed, so it’s always clear and clean.
  • Take that calming water element a step further and consider getting a goldfish!  A goldfish will enhance creativity in the home, while the water will encourage emotional well-being.  The most ideal set-up would be a small aquarium with a bubble feature (an oxygenating device).  The bubbles will make your goldfish happy (you can have more than one if you like), and will activate the receptive flavors inherent in the southwest section of Feng Shui practice.  Be sure not too overfeed your goldfish. Also, change the water as needed, keeping it clean and clear of algae.

Four:
The number four is an energetic expression of community, stability and is THE number for homesteads.  It’s a rooted energy, and very structured.  Consider the four points of a traditional home foundation (most homes are square).  It’s a optimal number for building a solid home, and a solid relationship/family/environment.  The drawback is, this sense of stability can become too overbearing, and you may get a sense of rigidity under your roof.  You may also get a feeling of being ‘closed in’ if number four is too overbearing.  We’ll look to the east to balance that potential cloistering.  The east governs thunder and the ‘big wood’ in Feng Shui.  Wood will encourage stability, while thunder will insure things are not overly structured by shaking things up a little.

  • There’s no better symbol than the dragon to introduce spontaneity and vibrant chi in your home.  Display an image of a dragon, or place an ornate dragon figurine in the east of your home. Dragon energy is sure to get you out of a rut!
  • Consider shopping for a jade ornament or figurine (jade dragons, fu dogs, or turtles are perfect!) and placing it in an east corner of your home.  Jade is incredibly lucky, and wards off negative energy.
  • The jade plant (a succulent which loves bright light – perfect for an east window) is synonymous with jade stone.  This plant will oxygenate the air, which will stimulate your sense of well being, and thwart any kind of stuffiness looming in your home.  If jade plants aren’t your thing, consider orchids, or a chrysanthemum plant.  These are all very auspicious in Feng Shui.  If you don’t have a green thumb, an artificial plant will do.  Either way, pick a plant with bright green leaves, a perky demeanor. If you opt for a live jade plant, follow nursery instructions to keep it happy in your home.

Five:
The number five can be a tricky energy.  Five is always seeking to balance itself.  This number is also a very spiritual number because it represents the completion of the elements, which are: Fire, earth, air and water.  The fifth element is ether (spirit)- an ephemeral, all-pervasive essence which imbues all things.  In the home, an over-active five energy has a potential to trigger a sense of instability or imbalance.  It may also render a flighty or ‘spacey’ feel to your home – a sense of not feeling ‘all together’, but rather drifting out into space.  The west sector of your home represents focus, closure and security. West governs the ‘small metal’ in Feng Shui, and prompts joy, stability and completion.

  • If you’re in a mental fog, or feeling discombobulated, consider placing a metal gong in the western section of your home.  The roundness of the gong encourages a sense of cohesion (circles are symbolic of unity).  Give that gong a whack when the urge comes to you.  The tone of the gong will chase away any fuzziness in your home’s energy.
  • Five-homes are prime headquarters for spiritually minded people.  Remember, five is the number of ether (or spirit).  You can enhance a sense of spiritual connection by placing unique crystal elements in the west.  A crystal ball, crystal vase, candle holders…these are all perfect features.  Ideally, place these crystal accents in a window, and watch the setting sun make prismatic patterns on your walls.  This will activate the rainbow within you!
  • Find a sun-and-moon motif and hang it on your westwall.  The union between these two energies will offer balance and stability, while still encouraging a celestial connection for you in your home.  The sun is a yang (male) energy and moon is yin (female) – these are ancient archetypes for perfect harmony.

Six:
The number six is the perfect number for sensual evenings by your hearth fire, and romantic interludes.  It’s because the six is the number of love, sensuality and romance.  It’s also a number for nurturing (great for raising families in the home) and physicality.  There’s a flip-side to six if it’s over-active in your home’s energy.  Too much six vibration can lead to obsessive-compulsive tendencies.  If not in balance, the number six can lead to jealousy or potentially abusive behavior.  It’s the passion backing number six that causes a backfire if the vibration in your home is out of whack.  Incorporating Feng Shui practices in the southeast area of your home will assist in keeping that six energy loving and bright.  The southeast region in Feng Shui represents the ‘small wood’, and governs the element of wind.  This Feng Shui sector is also the region of gentleness and clear communication.  Activating these elements will keep your six-house in perfect order.

  • Red is an energizing and passionate color.  Temper that powerful essence by incorporating soft, comforting fabrics in the southeast area of your home.  Lush, velvety pillows or rich window treatments will activate that sexy-six vibration while the soft tactile fabrics gives a mellowing effect.
  • Crystals, like quartz and amethyst are perfect accents for your six-aligned home.  Make a Zen rock garden with a bunch of your favorite crystals and place it in the east corner of your home.  Crystals (especially amethyst) will boost positive chi in your home, while at the same time, eradicate any negative energy looming.
  • Hang a light from the ceiling to unify heavenly and earthly energies for harmony.  Pick out a pretty crystal chandelier.  Or, get a candle holder that hangs from your ceiling for the same energetic effect.

Seven:
Seven is the number of scholarly pursuit, higher education and serious study.  If you have a seven house, it’s a great place to learn new things, and explore new topics.  Seven also has an introspective quality; its vibration prompts us to go within, reflect, ponder and meditate.  Clearly, these attributes of number seven are valuable, but if the energies in your home are not in balance, seven can bring about a hermit mentality within the home.  If there’s a tendency for you to want to withdraw to an unhealthy extent, or you’re spending too much time holed up in your house – it’s time for a little Feng Shui to put the balance right.  The northeast should be activated in your home to counteract any unhealthy, or overly cerebral tendencies.  In Feng Shui, the northeast rules the element of the ‘small earth‘ which will put a grounder on overactive intellectual pursuits.  The northeast is also a representative of mountains, which will enhance studious behavior too.  Mountains are grounding, while promoting mental/spiritual ascension at the same time. It’s all about balance, so incorporate these Feng Shui elements to get the energy in your seven-home just right.

  • If you’re feeling too much “in your head” consider placing a stone/marble statue in your northeast corner.  The stone will effectively ground you.  Some suggestions for statues to bring you back to earth include: The horse, fu dog, bear, elephant, or a tiger.
  • Warm metals like bronze and copper are nice energetic conductors for mental energy.  They enhance alacrity, while disbursing it too, so your mind doesn’t have a tendency to get all clogged up.  Think about stringing Chinese amulet-coins (they have a square hole in the middle and are marked with Chinese writing characters) on a red ribbon and hanging it on your northeast wall.
  • If you have moments when you feel withdrawn and overly introverted, grab some bright vermilion candles and light them in the northeastern section of your home.  This will energetically illuminate you, and bring you out of yourself.

Eight:
Eight is a very cyclical energy.  It represents change, seasons, time, and the realm of the infinite. Eight is a great number for a home because it maintains the emotional flow of its resident’s.  Eight speaks to us of balance, and consistency.  As with the rest of our Feng Shui numbers, these awesome qualities can backfire if the energy of your home is not harmonious.  Some negative results of unbalanced eight energy include stagnation, anxiety and lack of motivation.  Off kilter eight energy may also incite sudden, unpleasant changes in your home, causing arguments and unrest.  Feng Shui can help!  Avoid these unwanted scenarios by sprucing up your west wall with some Feng Shui power symbols.  The west rules the ‘small metal’ which serves as a conduit, keeping chi flowing on a steady current.

  • Adorn your west wall with an elegant arrangement of Chinese fans.  Fans are very in auspicious in Feng Shui, and are believed to deflect negative energy.  Fans will also keep the chi flowing smoothly in your home.
  • Get creative an consider painting the image of a lotus on your west wall.  Or, find a pretty print or painting of a lotus and mount that instead.  The lotus is a symbol of enlightenment, progress, purity and perfection.  This peaceful blossom will insure to keep anxiety at bay!
  • The moon is a universal symbol of cycles and phases in the universe.  Because the number eight is also a cyclical vibration, consider placing a moon motif in the west segment of your home.  The moon is also associated with metal in Feng Shui (silver).  Here we have similar energy between the moon and number eight which deals with cycles, while we have a metal conductor to keep the energy electric and flowing smoothly.

Nine:
Nine is a number of happy returns and completion.  It’s symbolic of attainment, wealth, abundance and full potential.  For a home, nine is a supremely optimal number because it proposes that you have achieved an ideal residence with positive energy for you and your residents.  Gone awry, nine energy can produce negative qualities like unhealthy egotism (cockiness), greed, lust, mistrust and envy.  Not good.  To keep things in perfect prime, activate the north region of your home.  North governs the element of water in Feng Shui.  North also rules the winter, so it has a cool energy, just the thing counteract a potential powder keg in the home.

  • Consider adopting a live turtle and setting upan aquarium along your north wall.  Turtles are symbolically synonymous with nine energy.  They stand for accomplishment as well as long life.  Incorporate an aeration element (bubbles) in the aquarium to get that vital chi moving.  The water in the aquarium will serve as a purifying agent and marries nicely with the northern energy.  Be sure to care for your turtle, and keep the aquarium clean and clear.  If turtles aren’t your thing, you can get a statuette/figurine or a picture of a turtle will do nicely too.
  • Water is an essential element for nine-homes in the north.  Consider a water feature, like a fountain.  These accentuate the beauty of the home, while assuring continual energetic . If this isn’t an option for you, perhaps you could play a CD with water sounds (waterfalls, the ocean, babbling brooks, etc) in the north region of your home.  You could even paint a water scene (or buy a painting) on your north wall.
  • Adorn the north area of your home with a large, ornate vase.  Vases ‘contain’ good luck, and are symbolic of harmony, wealth and peace.   Choose a vase with lucky symbols on it.  Some suggestions are: Peacock, phoenix, fish, seashells, or floral prints.  Take the power of the vase a step further and place long stemmed flowers in it.  Choose white or red flowers for optimal energy.

As you can see, it doesn’t take a home renovation to adjust the energy of your domain.  Just a few simple additions will do the trick to make the right shift.

from:    http://www.symbolic-meanings.com/2012/04/06/feng-shui-tips-using-the-numerology-of-your-street-address/

Syrian Desert Ancient Rock Structures

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Desert mystery

June 25, 2012

Desert mystery

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Archaeologist Robert Mason spoke at the Semitic Museum about the discovery of mysterious rock formations near the Syrian monastery Deir Mar Musa (above), and the need for further exploration. Photos by Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

There’s a mystery in the Syrian desert shielded by the conflict tearing apart the Middle Eastern nation.

 

In 2009, archaeologist Robert Mason of the Royal Ontario Museum was at work at an ancient monastery when, walking nearby, he came across a series of rock formations: lines of stone, stone circles, and what appeared to be tombs.

Mason, who talked about the finds and about archaeology at the monastery on Wednesday at Harvard’s Semitic Museum, said that much more detailed examinations are needed to understand the structures, but that he isn’t sure when he will be able to return to Syria, if ever.

Analysis of fragments of stone tools found in the area suggests the rock formations are much older than the monastery, perhaps dating to the Neolithic Period or early Bronze Age, 6,000 to 10,000 years ago. Mason also saw corral-like stone formations called “desert kites,” which would have been used to trap gazelles and other animals. The region is dry today (“very scenic, if you like rocks,” Mason said), but was probably greener millennia ago.

It was clear, Mason said, that the purpose of the stone formations was entirely different from that of the stone-walled desert kites. The kites were arranged to take advantage of the landscape and direct the animals to a single place, while the more linear stone formations were made to stand out from the landscape. In addition, he said, there was no sign of habitats.

“What it looked like was a landscape for the dead and not for the living,” Mason said. “It’s something that needs more work and I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen.”

In a talk in 2010, Mason said he felt like he’d stumbled onto England’s Salisbury Plain, where Stonehenge is located, leading to the formations being dubbed “Syria’s Stonehenge.”

Mason also talked about the monastery, Deir Mar Musa. Early work on the building likely began in the late 4th or early 5th century. It was occupied until the 1800s, though damaged repeatedly by earthquakes. Following refurbishment in the 1980s and 1990s, it became active again.

Mason thinks the monastery was originally a Roman watchtower that was partially destroyed by an earthquake and then rebuilt. The compound was enlarged, with new structures added until it reached the size of the modern complex, clinging to a dry cliff face in the desert about 50 miles north of Damascus.

Mason was searching Roman watchtowers when he came across the stone lines, circles, and possible tombs.

The monastery is the home to many frescoes — some badly damaged — depicting Christian scenes, female saints, and Judgment Day. Mason also explored a series of small caves that he believes were excavated and lived in by the monks, who returned to the monastery for church services.

Mason said that if he’s able to return, he’d like to excavate the area under the church’s main altar, where he thinks there might be an entrance to underground tombs. He’s already received the permission of the monastery’s superior, who was recently ejected from the country.

from:    http://phys.org/news/2012-06-mystery.html

Report from SETICon 2

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Alien life searchers conference SETICon 2 held in Santa Clara

June 25, 2012 by Bob Yirka report

Aliens don’t want to eat us, says former SETI director

SETI’s Alien Telescope Array (ATA) listens day and night for a signal from space. Credit: SETI

SETICon 2, a conference unlike any other, ran this past weekend in Santa Clara, California. In attendance were people from all walks of life whose area of interest intersects on the topic of the search for intelligent life somewhere other than here on planet Earth.

Thus, they were made up of scientists; from and other groups, artists, and even entertainers. The goal of the conference, which is set up and run by the Institute () is to share ideas on what has been discovered of late regarding the possibility of and what might lie ahead.

Fueling much of the discussion this time around (the first SETICon was held in 2010) are findings by NASA’s Kepler mission which is dedicated to looking for extraterrestrial life, regardless of form or degree of intelligence. Since 2009, the mission has uncovered the existence of over 2,300 exoplanets that researchers believe hold the possibility of harboring some forms of life. Most notably, due to the existence of that precious resources without which we here on this planet could not survive: water. Some scientists who actually work on the mission (Geoff Marcy, Jon Jenkins, Debra Fischer, etc.) spoke to those in attendance, as did astronauts Tom Jones and Mae Jemison.

This year’s conference, those in attendance noted, was much more upbeat than the last, as more information from Kepler becomes available, the numbers of planets that might have life on them keeps going up, making the possibility of detecting its presence more plausible than ever before. As noted by several speakers, the Kepler mission is helping to find planets farther away from their stars, rather than just those that are close enough to cause their star to appear to wobble to us due to planetary gravity effects. The new more sensitive telescopes are better able to discern planets that are not only farther (meaning cooler) from their star, but smaller, some of which may have water and are rocky, making them more Earthlike and thus potentially more likely to posses the conditions necessary for the kind of life we know and understand.

In addition to offerings talks, the conference also held panel discussions, interviews, and even screenings of movies, all aimed at opening the door to the possibility that extraterrestrial life might truly exist, and if it does, highlighting the fact that we are now in a better position than ever before to find evidence of its existence.

from:    http://phys.org/news/2012-06-alien-life-searchers-conference-seticon.html

New Theory About Stonehenge

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Stonehenge a Monument to Unity, New Theory Suggests

Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 22 June 2012
Stonehenge in Great Britain.
The reason for Stonehenge’s construction is unknown.
CREDIT: Albo, Shutterstock

The mysterious structure of Stonehenge may have been built as a symbol of peace and unity, according to a new theory by British researchers.

During the monument’s construction around 3000 B.C. to 2500 B.C., Britain’s Neolithic people were becoming increasingly unified, said study leader Mike Parker Pearson of the University of Sheffield.

“There was a growing islandwide culture — the same styles of houses, pottery and other material forms were used from Orkney to the south coast,” Parker Pearson said in a statement, referring to the Orkney Islands of northern Scotland. “This was very different to the regionalism of previous centuries.”

By definition, Stonehenge would have required cooperation, Parker Pearson added.

“Stonehenge itself was a massive undertaking, requiring the labor of thousands to move stones from as far away as west Wales, shaping them and erecting them. Just the work itself, requiring everything literally to pull together, would have been an act of unification,” he said.

The new theory, detailed in a new book by Parker Pearson, “Stonehenge: Exploring the Greatest Stone Age Mystery” (Simon & Schuster, 2012), is one of many hypotheses about the mysterious monument. Theories range from completely far-fetched (space aliens or the wizard Merlin built it!) to far more evidence-based (the monument may have been an astronomical calendar, a burial site, or both).

The Culture of Stonehenge

Along with fellow researchers on the Stonehenge riverside Project, Parker Pearson worked to put Stonehenge in context, studying not just the monument but also the culture that created it.

What they found was evidence of a civilization transitioning from regionalism to a more integrated culture. Nevertheless, Britain’s Stone Age people were isolated from the rest of Europe and didn’t interact with anyone across the English Channel, Parker Pearson said.

“Stonehenge appears to have been the last gasp of this Stone Age culture, which was isolated from Europe and from the new technologies of metal tools and the wheel,” Parker Pearson said.

Stonehenge’s site may have been chosen because it was already significant to Stone-Age Britons, the researchers suggest. The natural land undulations at the site seem to form a line between the place where the sun rises on the summer solstice and where it sets in midwinter, they found. Neolithic people may have seen this as more than a coincidence, Parker Pearson said.

“This might explain why there are eight monuments in the Stonehenge area with solstitial alignments, a number unmatched anywhere else,” he said. “Perhaps they saw this place as the center of the world.”

Theories and mystery

These days, Stonehenge is nothing if not the center of speculation and mystery. The monument has inspired its fair share of myths, including that the wizard Merlin transported the stones from Ireland and that UFOs use the circle as a landing site.

Archaeologists have built some theories on firmer ground. Stonehenge’s astronomical alignments suggest that it may have been a place for sun worship, or an ancient calendar. A nearby ancient settlement, Durrington Walls, shows evidence of more pork consumption during the midwinter, suggesting that perhaps ancient people made pilgrimages to Stonehenge for the winter solstice, Parker Pearson and his colleagues have found.

Stonehenge may have also been a burial ground, or a place of healing. Tombs and burials surround the site, and some skeletons found nearby hail from distant lands. For example, archaeologists reported in 2010 that they’d found the skeleton of a teenage boy wearing an amber necklace near Stonehenge. The boy died around 1550 B.C. An analysis of his teeth suggest he came from the Mediterranean. It’s possible that ill or wounded people traveled to Stonehenge in search of healing, some archaeologists believe.

Other researchers have focused on the sounds of Stonehenge. The place seems to have “lecture-hall” acoustics, according to research released in May. One archaeologist even suggests that the setup of the stones was inspired by an acoustical effect in which two sounds from different sources seem to cancel each other out.

from:    http://www.livescience.com/21125-stonehenge-theory-unity.html

Mom’s Call To Action Against GMO’s

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Mom Turned Activist Launches National Movement to Boycott GMOs

22nd June 2012

By Katherine Paul – Organic Consumers Association

Diana Reeves was furious when her state legislators caved into threats by Monsanto to sue the state of Connecticut if it passed a GMO labeling law. Lawmakers effectively told Connecticut’s voters, who had clearly expressed overwhelming support for GMO labeling, “oh well.”

Unlike her gutless state legislators who rolled over, Reeves is determined to keep the fight for transparency in GMO ingredients alive – and she’s taking her fight national. She’s started a group called GMO Free USA which plans to pressure food manufacturers into revealing which of their products contain GMOs. The ultimate goal is to organize national boycotts of those companies that refuse to switch to non-GMO ingredients.

GMO Free USA is Reeves’ first foray into activism. The mother of three was on the fast track at a major accounting firm when her son was diagnosed with cancer. She walked away from her job to take care of him.

“I never looked back,” she said. Her son died before he turned five.

“This is one of those things that act as a catalyst, that bring people together,” Reeves said. “You learn to live with it, to try to make some good come of it, to find better ways to channel the grief.”

Having lost one child to disease, and with two daughters who were also suffering from health problems, Reeves became increasingly interested in the relationship between food and health,  About 4 or 5 years ago, she began reading about the potential hazards of GMO. “I started sending emails to my friends, telling them to ‘say no to GMOs,” she said. “I was probably driving them all crazy.”

Then a few months ago, a friend introduced her to NonGMO Hartford, which eventually led to her involvement with the Connecticut Right to Know group which was pushing for a state labeling law. She began distributing information, and campaigning for HB 5117, which included a provision for mandatory GMO labeling.

With overwhelming public support for the Connecticut GMO labeling law, Reeves and others were sure it would pass. But at the last minute, under threat of a lawsuit by Monsanto, the bill was eviscerated behind closed doors, and the labeling provision removed before it was voted on by the House.

“I was so angry that our legislators didn’t do their job,  that they didn’t stand up to the corporations – especially because the majority of voters wanted this law,” Reeves said.

Just as she had channeled her grief, Reeves now channeled her anger. She decided that if the government wasn’t going to do its job, she would go directly after the food manufacturers.

She started GMO Free USA. The group’s first task is to attract a significant number of like-minded members (5,000+). Once they reach that critical mass, they’ll identify one company per week, and members will bombard that company with emails. The emailers will express concern about the health risks of GMOs, ask the company if they are sourcing GMO ingredients, and express their intent to boycott their products unless the GMOs are removed.

“We’re going to hit them from every angle,” Reeves said. “It’s going to be thousands of people speaking directly to food manufacturers.”

In order to make their voices heard by companies with very high sales volume, Reeves said they will need to mobilize thousands of people to act independently. So they’re trying to find a minimum of 5000 people who will commit to the campaign, before they begin emailing food manufacturers.

“The more people who join this consumer email initiative, the more powerful the campaign will be,” she said.

Anyone who wants to get involved in this national campaign can sign up on Facebook or Yahoo Groups.

For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Genetic Engineering page, Millions Against Monsanto page

from:    http://wakeup-world.com/2012/06/22/mom-turned-activist-launches-national-movement-to-boycott-gmos/