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Sunday 17 May 2015

Vaccine induced Mitochondrial disease

© Unkown

    
There is a long list of common iatrogenic (drug- or doctor-caused) diseases caused by prescription drugs or vaccine ingredients like aluminum and mercury. Dr. Gary G. Kohls says, "Common iatrogenic (drug- or doctor-caused) diseases can be caused by commonly prescribed drugs and/or commonly injected vaccine ingredients, which are making many of us highly drugged, malnourished, environmentally-toxic and also thoroughly vaccinated."

Pharmaceutical companies, the CDC and the AAP continue to recommend annual (aluminum and mercury-containing) flu shots for immature, immune-vulnerable, brain-undeveloped babies as young as 6 months of age, and for their pregnant mothers. That is all you need to know about these organizations and many more like the EPA and the FDA, all of which support the poisoning of adults and children alike.

Vaccines, the holy grail of modern medicine, is not what they tell the public it is. It is embarrassing to the entire field of medicine that pediatricians, those most responsible for babies and their health, would inject poisons directly into their blood streams and pretend to everyone, including themselves, that they are doing something good.

Dr. Kohl continues, "Many of these disorders (see list below) are actually caused by prescription drugs, vaccines and/or other toxic chemicals that are poisoning the mitochondria in our brains, nerves, muscles and other organs. Thus we are being afflicted by preventable, iatrogenic- or industry-caused diseases. Both realities are taboo subjects in the current era of mind-control by America's powerful, profit-motivated, multinational corporations in BigPharma, BigChemical, BigMedicine, BigMedia, BigFood and BigAgribusiness industries. That pervasive group prefers our ignorance, and each of them spends unlimited amounts of money to ensure it."

Dr. David Brownstein said, "More and more children continue to get the MMR vaccine even though a 2004 CDC MMR study was falsified to hide the fact that the MMR vaccine was found to significantly increase the risk of autism in boys who received it. Our children are currently suffering with an autism epidemic as nearly one in fifty children currently have autism. Where are the Congressional hearings? Where is the media?"

"All classes of psychotropic drugs have been documented to damage mitochondria, as have statin medications, analgesics such as acetaminophen, and many others. Mitochondrial damage is now understood to play a role in a wide range of seemingly unrelated disorders such as schizophrenia, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Recently it has become known that iatrogenic (physician or treatment-caused) mitochondrial damage explains many adverse reactions from medications," writes Dr. John Neustadt and Dr. Steven Pieczenik.

Americans spend nearly 20% of their GNP on health care—far more than any other developed country and yet have the worst health in the world and part of the reason for that is that they vaccinate and prescribe more pharmaceutical drugs than anywhere else. If there were any validity to vaccines and the pharmaceutical paradigm, you would think they would have better health for it. However because vaccines and most drugs are mitochondrial poisons Americans are very sick and getting sicker as every year passes.

Dr. Yehuda Shoenfeld, an Israeli clinician who has spent more than three decades studying the human immune system, and has been called the "Godfather of Autoimmunology" is pointing his finger at vaccinesand their ingredients including the toxic metal aluminum - as a significant contributor to the growing global epidemic of autoimmune diseases. This is when the immune system turnes on itself in a wide array of diseases from type 1 diabetes to ulcerative colitis and multiple sclerosis.

In a recent articlepublished in the journal Shoenfeld and colleagues issue unprecedented guidelines naming four categories of people who are most at risk for vaccine-induced autoimmunity. "Many reports describe post-vaccination autoimmunity strongly suggest that vaccines can indeed trigger autoimmunity. Defined autoimmune diseases that may occur following vaccinations include arthritis, lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE) diabetes mellitus, thrombocytopenia, vasculitis, dermatomyosiositis, Guillain-Barre syndrome and demyelinating disorders. Almost all types of vaccines have been reported to be associated with the onset of ASIA."

Mitochondria are the power houses of the cell providing the body with over 90% of the energy it needs to sustain life. Mitochondria take in sugars and proteins from the food we eat and produce energy called ATP that our bodies use to function properly. Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that reduces the ability of the mitochondria to produce this energy. When the mitochondria are not working properly, cells begin to die until eventually whole organ systems fail and the patient's life itself is compromised.

Aluminum is a Poison

Aluminum is a poison; what are pediatricians doing injecting it directly into the blood streams of children? A PubMed search on aluminum and "toxicity" turns up 4,258 entries. Its neurotoxicity is well documented. It affects memory, cognition, psychomotor control; it damages the blood brain barrier, activates brain inflammation, depresses mitochondrial function and plenty of research suggests it is a key player in the formation of the amyloid "plaques" and tangles in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. It's been implicated in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and autism and demonstrated to induce allergy.

A 6-year-old girl from Colorado received FluMist, a flu vaccine, and about a week later "became weak with multiple episodes of falling to ground" and "difficulty walking," according to a case report filed with federal health officials and obtained by . The girl grew increasingly weak and feverish and "became more limp, appears sleepy, acts as if drunk," the report said. She was hospitalized and underwent surgery and was finally withdrawn from life support. She died on April 5, 2008 according to the report.

Toxic aluminum adjuvants that have been added to virtually all infant and adult vaccines for the past 70+ years sustains the belief that pediatricians, their parent organizations and the federal government are chemically raping everyone they convince to get vaccines. That is why I wrote a book called and have given it away freely for the past 10 years. There is no safe dose of aluminum or mercury, which unbelievably is also present in some vaccines.

The CDC/AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics)-mandated immunization schedule ensures that a total of nearly 5,000 micrograms of the mitochondrial toxin aluminum will be injected into the average American baby by the time he or she reaches 18 months.

In my vaccine book, I write extensively about mercury, in the form of Eli Lilly & Company's Thimerosal, which has been in most infant and adult vaccines for several generations and was only removed from a number - but not all - of them when the AAP pleaded with the vaccine manufacturers to remove it from all vaccines.

Beware of Vaccine Propaganda

On the site we read that "the internet is stuffed with garbage. Anti-vaccination websites make the front page of Google, and fact-free "news" stories spread like wildfire. Google has devised a fix - rank websites according to their truthfulness." The kind of truthfulness they are looking for will of course support the continued slaughter of public health through the use of poisons in medicine and everything else because there is a lot of money to be made poisoning people.

The essay, argues the case that inevitably the web will eventually be assimilated into a Chinese-styled and content restrictive enforcement system. In terms of medicine this is a horrifying conclusion that should disgust us all.

What can we say about a race of beings that deliberately poison their young? We know that psychopaths walk among us and it is my belief that many of them are involved with vaccines and their administration. We have a new definition of evil and terrorism. It revolves around people who poison babies and smile when doing it. It involves around wearing white coats to fool everyone about their intentions. It involves a medical belief system that is rammed into doctors minds in medical school by cruel men and women doctors who break their Hippocratic Oaths with every breath.

1921: Black Business District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Attacked, Aerially Bombed and Razed, Victims Dumped in Mass Graves


From the PPT, CPB doc:

May 31st, 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The ‘Negro Wall Street’ district of the Greenwood neighborhood is bombed from the air.

Whites invade the enviable black business district, looting, burning, killing.

The police commandeer private planes. The 101st Airborne is flown in. A load of dynamite is dropped. 75 instantly killed. Hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed.

Four truckloads of bodies are shoveled into mass graves along the Arkansas river.

4,000 black men, women, and children arrested and placed in concentration camps, where they are required to carry ‘passes’.

The city quickly re-zones the neighborhood so that the railroad can be run through, thus completing the destruction of that neighborhood.

Wikipedia states that on May 31 and June 1, 1921:

An estimated 10,000 blacks were left homeless, and 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire. The official count of the dead by the Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics was 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300.

The events of the riot were long omitted from local and state histories. “The Tulsa race riot of 1921 was rarely mentioned in history books, classrooms or even in private. Blacks and whites alike grew into middle age unaware of what had taken place.”

One official, the police chief, was found guilty of “failing to take proper precautions for protecting life and property, and for conspiring to free automobile thieves and collect rewards.”

“No legal records indicate that any other white official was ever charged of wrongdoing or even negligence.”
Black Wall Street neighborhood after the massacre and being razed:

http://bit.ly/1KZDLzT

Of the wider trend of this kind of violence in the US during that period, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elliot G. Jaspin has documented in his book, Buried in Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America, that whites in the US, mainly in the period of about 1900 to about 1920, engaged in extraordinarily widespread, mass “racial cleansings” of large areas in which black people lived.

White terrorists would form mobs and drive out the black people, torturing and killing those who could not escape or refused to leave.  The US government allowed the practice and did not punish or rectify it, and many of the cleansed counties remain entirely white today.

Records, like those from the Black Wall Street massacre, abound of harrowing escapes as white mobs fired at black civilians in their neighborhoods and burned down their houses, forcing people to flee through forests and creeks, hide in wells, or simply get on trains at gunpoint and go away.

Crucially, Jaspin also documents why this history is almost entirely unknown in the US: people either deny or try to explain away racial cleansings [and many other crimes of their society], through tactics such as using euphemisms, making excuses, or, the tactic perhaps most seen today, blaming the victims.

George Orwell wrote: “The nationalist not only does not disprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.”

Lynchings of black people were also a frequent occurrence during, before, and after this period.
Harvard scholar Garikai Chengu notes:

A lynching was a quintessential American public ritual that often took place in front of large crowds that sometimes numbered in the thousands. Historian Mark Gado notes that, “onlookers sometimes fired rifles and handguns hundreds of times into the corpse while people cheered and children played during the festivities”.

…in 1899 the Springfield Weekly described a lynching by chronicling how, “the Negro was deprived of his ears, fingers and genital parts of his body. He pleaded pitifully for his life while the mutilation was going on…before the body was cool, it was cut to pieces, the bones crushed into small bits…the Negro’s heart was cut into several pieces, as was also his liver…small pieces of bones went for 25 cents…”. Such graphic accounts were the norm in the South, and photos, were regularly taken of the lynched bodies on display and made into postcards that were sent all over the country.

Lynchings were sanctioned by the US government, as they were not prevented and went unpunished.
In the US today, Chengu continues, the:

…police state assassinates the Black victim twice. Once by way of lynching and again to assassinate the victim’s character so as to justify the public execution [blaming the victim].

Chauncey DeVega notes at Alternet:

American Exceptionalism [the US state-worshiper’s version of “Our God is the One True God”] blinds those who share its gaze to uncomfortable facts and truths about their own country.

The burned to death images of the black body were a form of mass culture in 19th- and 20th-century America.

DeVega gives some samples of reports on how lynchings were carried out:

Two thousand people gathered for the killing, some taking a special excursion train from Atlanta for the purpose. The leaders of the lynching stripped Hose, chained him to a tree, stacked wood around him, and soaked everything in kerosene. The mob cut off Hose’s ears, fingers and genitals; they peeled the skin from his face. They watched, a newspaper reported, ”with unfeigning satisfaction” as the man’s veins ruptured from the heat and his blood hissed in the flames.

Another lynching:

“Great masses of humanity flew as swiftly as possible through the streets of the city in order to be present at the bridge when the hanging took place … the Negro was … taken to the City Hall … crowds of men, women and children turned and hastened to the lawn.

“On the way to the scene of the burning people on every hand took a hand in showing their feelings in the matter by striking the Negro with anything obtainable, some struck him with shovels, bricks, clubs, and others stabbed him and cut him until when he was strung up his body was a solid color of red, the blood of the many wounds inflicted covered him from head to foot.

“Dry goods boxes and all kinds of inflammable material were gathered, and it required but an instant to convert this into seething flames. When the Negro was first hoisted into the air his tongue protruded from his mouth and his face was besmeared with blood.

“Life was not extinct within the Negro’s body, although nearly so, when another chain was placed around his neck and thrown over the limb of a tree on the lawn, everybody trying to get to the Negro and have some part in his death. The infuriated mob then leaned the Negro, who was half alive and half dead, against the tree, he having just strength enough within his limbs to support him.

“As rapidly as possible the Negro was then jerked into the air at which a shout from thousands of throats went up on the morning air and dry goods boxes, excelsior, wood and every other article that would burn was then in evidence, appearing as if by magic. A huge dry goods box was then produced and filled to the top with all of the material that had been secured.

“The Negro’s body was swaying in the air, and all of the time a noise as of thousands was heard and the Negro’s body was lowered into the box.” “No sooner had his body touched the box than people pressed forward, each eager to be the first to light the fire, matches were touched to the inflammable material and as smoke rapidly rose in the air, such a demonstration as of people gone mad was never heard before. Everybody pressed closer to get souvenirs of the affair. When they had finished with the Negro his body was mutilated.

“Fingers, ears, pieces of clothing, toes and other parts of the Negro’s body were cut off by members of the mob that had crowded to the scene as if by magic when the word that the Negro had been taken in charge by the mob was heralded over the city. As the smoke rose to the heavens, the mass of people, numbering in the neighborhood of 10,000 crowding the City Hall law and overflowing the square, hanging from the windows of buildings, viewing the scene from the tops of buildings and trees, set up a shout that was heard blocks away.”

In another lynching:

…fingers and toes were cut off, his teeth pulled out by pliers and finally he was castrated. It still wasn’t enough. Irwin was then burned alive in front of hundreds of onlookers (Brundage, p. 42).

DeVega continues that white torture and execution of blacks:

…was a ceremony

… with distinct practices, that symbolically purged the black body from the white polity…

The rendering of spectacular violence against non-whites paid a psychological wage to white people that helped to create a type of social cement for White America, one that covered up its own intra-group tensions of class, religion, and gender. This racial logic continues in the present with a racially discriminatory criminal justice system, the murder by police of black and brown people, and how

white Americans support such unfair treatment

.



A 2001 report on the destruction of Black Wall Street “included the commission’s recommendations for some compensatory actions, most of which were not implemented by the state and city governments. The state passed legislation to establish some scholarships for descendants of survivors, economic development of Greenwood, and a memorial park to the victims in Tulsa. The latter was dedicated in 2010.”



@_DirtyTruths

Acceptance of reality is key to ending the suffering of emotional pain

    
All of us experience pain. This pain might stem from losing a loved one, losing a job, ending a relationship, being in a car accident or undergoing any other kind of trauma or situation.

Pain is inevitable. It is part of being human. Often, however, we add to our pain and create suffering, according to Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, in her book Calming the Emotional Storm: Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills to Manage Your Emotions & Balance Your Life.

In the book, Van Dijk focuses on four sets of skills in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which was developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. Van Dijk shares insights on everything from validating our emotions to being more effective in our lives to getting through a crisis to improving our relationships.

We create suffering by not accepting reality. For instance, we say things like "It's not fair," "Why me?", "This shouldn't have happened" or "I can't bear it!" writes Van Dijk, a mental health therapist in Sharon, Ontario, Canada.

Our instinct is to fight the pain, she writes. Normally, this instinct is protective. But in the cases of pain, it backfires. We might avoid our pain or pretend it isn't present. We might turn to unhealthy behaviors. We might ruminate about our suffering, without doing anything about it. We might turn to substances to forget the pain.

Instead, the key is to accept your reality. "Acceptance simply means that you stop trying to deny your reality and you acknowledge it instead," Van Dijk writes.

Acceptance does not mean that you approve of a situation or that you don't want it to change. Acceptance is not a synonym for forgiveness, either. It doesn't have to do with anyone else.

"It's about reducing your own suffering," Van Dijk writes. So if you were abused, you don't have to forgive the person who abused you. Acceptance means accepting that the abuse occurred.

"Acceptance is simply about whether or not you want to continue spending so much time and energy experiencing all of these painful emotions about a situation," she writes.

Forgiveness is optional, according to Van Dijk. But acceptance is necessary for moving forward.

Acceptance also doesn't mean giving up or being passive about a situation. For instance, Van Dijk shares the example of a woman who was dating a man who didn't want to get married or have kids. However, she did. She was hoping that he'd change his mind. After two years together, she realized that she had to accept the reality of her partner's decision. And she had to decide whether to stay in the relationship or find someone who wanted the same things.

As Van Dijk writes, "We can't act to change things until we recognize them as they really are."

Acceptance is powerful. Once we accept reality, our anger tends to decrease. The painful situation loses the power it has over us. While the pain doesn't go away, the suffering does.

Here's a list of additional tips and insights on how to accept reality from Van Dijk's thoughtful must-read:

  • Make a commitment to yourself to accept the reality of a certain situation. Notice when you find yourself fighting back and saying things like "But it's not fair." Don't judge yourself for not being able to accept your reality. It's natural for our thoughts to return to this place. Like learning any new skill, it takes time, practice and patience. Acceptance doesn't happen overnight. More painful situations will take more time and practice.
  • Refocus on acceptance. Remind yourself that you're choosing acceptance and why this is important to you. You might say to yourself, "It is what it is. I decided to work on accepting this situation because I don't want to have this power over me anymore. I'm going to keep working on accepting this."
  • Make your own list of things you'd like to accept. Start small with situations that are less painful. This helps you practice and builds your confidence. For instance, start with accepting that you're stuck in traffic, standing in a long line or have to change your plans because of bad weather.
  • Try breaking overwhelming situations into smaller pieces that are easier to accept.
  • Focus on the present. Don't try to accept something in the future, such as "you'll never have a long-term relationship." We have no idea what the future holds. Instead, you might work on accepting that you're currently not in a relationship — if that's bringing you suffering.
  • Don't try to accept judgments. Van Dijk worked with a woman who said she was having a hard time accepting that she's a bad person. She came to this conclusion because she used drugs and couldn't accept help from loved ones. But what she really needed to work on accepting were these realities - not the judgment of supposedly being a bad person.
Again, emotional pain is part of all our lives. However, we create needless suffering when we don't accept reality. We stop ourselves from making healthy changes. When we practice acceptance, we let ourselves move on, we open the door to freedom and we take steps to improve our lives. Acceptance can be hard. But it's something we can practice.

Train robbery: DEA agents steal 16K in cash from 22 year-old traveler

© unknown

    
Joseph Rivers was a 22-year-old aspiring music video producer from outside of Detroit who managed to painstakingly save $16,000 for a music venture.

He was on an Amtrak train moving to Los Angeles to pursue his dream when his life's savings were stolen from him.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, "A DEA agent boarded the train at the Albuquerque Amtrak station and began asking various passengers, including Rivers, where they were going and why. When Rivers replied that he was headed to LA to make a music video, the agent asked to search his bags. Rivers complied."

His $16,000 was in a bank envelope found by DEA agents. He tried to explain that he had problems withdrawing money from out of state banks in the past and that he was moving to Los Angeles. The feds did not believe him.

Joseph called his mother to corroborate his story. The feds didn't believe her either.

He was charged with no crime, nothing on him was 'suspicious', but the DEA took his money and never gave it back.

All of the sudden Joseph Rivers' progress in life was crushed by the state.

an Albuquerque DEA agent said.

So far this year, DEA agents have stolen over 38 million dollars in cash and goods from people assumed to be guilty.

In 2014, they collected $3.9 billion in civil asset seizures. Only $679 million of the money and assets were deemed "criminal".

Be careful where you take your cash. You could get robbed by some people on the street, federal agents in an unmarked vehicle. The only difference is you can't defend yourself from a federal agent without being killed or incarcerated.

Past is prelude: 1921: Black business district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attacked, aerially bombed and razed, victims dumped in mass graves

Image

© Unknown

    
An otherwise poor and uninformative documentary (funded by Pennsylvania Public Television and Corporation for Public Broadcasting) on the US bombing and burning alive of 11 residents, adults and children, of the MOVE house in Philadelphia, 1985, begins with one minute (10:30 to 11:30) on the rarely-mentioned 1921 onslaught, aerial bombing, and incineration of the "Black Wall Street" business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, by white mobs, including the KKK and government forces.

From the PPT, CPB doc:

May 31st, 1921, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 'Negro Wall Street' district of the Greenwood neighborhood is bombed from the air.

Whites invade the enviable black business district, looting, burning, killing.

The police commandeer private planes. The 101st Airborne is flown in. A load of dynamite is dropped. 75 instantly killed. Hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed.

Four truckloads of bodies are shoveled into mass graves along the Arkansas river.

4,000 black men, women, and children arrested and placed in concentration camps, where they are required to carry 'passes'.

The city quickly re-zones the neighborhood so that the railroad can be run through, thus completing the destruction of that neighborhood.

Wikipedia states that on May 31 and June 1, 1921:

...a group of white people attacked the black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. It resulted in the Greenwood District, also known as 'the Black Wall Street' and the wealthiest black community in the United States, being burned to the ground.

An estimated 10,000 blacks were left homeless, and 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire. The official count of the dead by the Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics was 39, but other estimates of black fatalities vary from 55 to about 300.

The events of the riot were long omitted from local and state histories. "The Tulsa race riot of 1921 was rarely mentioned in history books, classrooms or even in private. Blacks and whites alike grew into middle age unaware of what had taken place."

One official, the police chief, was found guilty of "failing to take proper precautions for protecting life and property, and for conspiring to free automobile thieves and collect rewards."

"No legal records indicate that any other white official was ever charged of wrongdoing or even negligence."

Image

© Unknown

    
Black Wall Street neighborhood after the massacre and being razed:

Of the wider trend of this kind of violence in the US during that period, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Elliot G. Jaspin has documented in his book, Buried in Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America, that whites in the US, mainly in the period of about 1900 to about 1920, engaged in extraordinarily widespread, mass "racial cleansings" of large areas in which black people lived.

White terrorists would form mobs and drive out the black people, torturing and killing those who could not escape or refused to leave. The US government allowed the practice and did not punish or rectify it, and many of the cleansed counties remain entirely white today.

Records, like those from the Black Wall Street massacre, abound of harrowing escapes as white mobs fired at black civilians in their neighborhoods and burned down their houses, forcing people to flee through forests and creeks, hide in wells, or simply get on trains at gunpoint and go away.

Crucially, Jaspin also documents why this history is almost entirely unknown in the US: people either deny or try to explain away racial cleansings [and many other crimes of their society], through tactics such as using euphemisms, making excuses, or, the tactic perhaps most seen today, blaming the victims.

George Orwell wrote: "The nationalist not only does not disprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."

Lynchings of black people were also a frequent occurrence during, before, and after this period.

Harvard scholar Garikai Chengu notes:

A lynching was a quintessential American public ritual that often took place in front of large crowds that sometimes numbered in the thousands. Historian Mark Gado notes that, "onlookers sometimes fired rifles and handguns hundreds of times into the corpse while people cheered and children played during the festivities".

...in 1899 the Springfield Weekly described a lynching by chronicling how, "the Negro was deprived of his ears, fingers and genital parts of his body. He pleaded pitifully for his life while the mutilation was going on...before the body was cool, it was cut to pieces, the bones crushed into small bits...the Negro's heart was cut into several pieces, as was also his liver...small pieces of bones went for 25 cents...". Such graphic accounts were the norm in the South, and photos, were regularly taken of the lynched bodies on display and made into postcards that were sent all over the country.

Lynchings were sanctioned by the US government, as they were not prevented and went unpunished.

In the US today, Chengu continues, the:

...police state assassinates the Black victim twice. Once by way of lynching and again to assassinate the victim's character so as to justify the public execution [blaming the victim].

Chauncey DeVega notes at Alternet:

American Exceptionalism [the US state-worshiper's version of "Our God is the One True God"] blinds those who share its gaze to uncomfortable facts and truths about their own country.

The burned to death images of the black body were a form of mass culture in 19th- and 20th-century America.

DeVega gives some samples of reports on how lynchings were carried out:

Two thousand people gathered for the killing, some taking a special excursion train from Atlanta for the purpose. The leaders of the lynching stripped Hose, chained him to a tree, stacked wood around him, and soaked everything in kerosene. The mob cut off Hose's ears, fingers and genitals; they peeled the skin from his face. They watched, a newspaper reported, "with unfeigning satisfaction" as the man's veins ruptured from the heat and his blood hissed in the flames.

Image

© Unknown

    
Another lynching:

"Great masses of humanity flew as swiftly as possible through the streets of the city in order to be present at the bridge when the hanging took place ... the Negro was ... taken to the City Hall ... crowds of men, women and children turned and hastened to the lawn.

"On the way to the scene of the burning people on every hand took a hand in showing their feelings in the matter by striking the Negro with anything obtainable, some struck him with shovels, bricks, clubs, and others stabbed him and cut him until when he was strung up his body was a solid color of red, the blood of the many wounds inflicted covered him from head to foot.

"Dry goods boxes and all kinds of inflammable material were gathered, and it required but an instant to convert this into seething flames. When the Negro was first hoisted into the air his tongue protruded from his mouth and his face was besmeared with blood."

"Life was not extinct within the Negro's body, although nearly so, when another chain was placed around his neck and thrown over the limb of a tree on the lawn, everybody trying to get to the Negro and have some part in his death. The infuriated mob then leaned the Negro, who was half alive and half dead, against the tree, he having just strength enough within his limbs to support him.

"As rapidly as possible the Negro was then jerked into the air at which a shout from thousands of throats went up on the morning air and dry goods boxes, excelsior, wood and every other article that would burn was then in evidence, appearing as if by magic. A huge dry goods box was then produced and filled to the top with all of the material that had been secured.

"The Negro's body was swaying in the air, and all of the time a noise as of thousands was heard and the Negro's body was lowered into the box." "No sooner had his body touched the box than people pressed forward, each eager to be the first to light the fire, matches were touched to the inflammable material and as smoke rapidly rose in the air, such a demonstration as of people gone mad was never heard before. Everybody pressed closer to get souvenirs of the affair. When they had finished with the Negro his body was mutilated.

"Fingers, ears, pieces of clothing, toes and other parts of the Negro's body were cut off by members of the mob that had crowded to the scene as if by magic when the word that the Negro had been taken in charge by the mob was heralded over the city. As the smoke rose to the heavens, the mass of people, numbering in the neighborhood of 10,000 crowding the City Hall law and overflowing the square, hanging from the windows of buildings, viewing the scene from the tops of buildings and trees, set up a shout that was heard blocks away."

In another lynching:

...fingers and toes were cut off, his teeth pulled out by pliers and finally he was castrated. It still wasn't enough. Irwin was then burned alive in front of hundreds of onlookers (Brundage, p. 42).

DeVega continues that white torture and execution of blacks:

...was a ceremony ... with distinct practices, that symbolically purged the black body from the white polity...

The rendering of spectacular violence against non-whites paid a psychological wage to white people that helped to create a type of social cement for White America, one that covered up its own intra-group tensions of class, religion, and gender. This racial logic continues in the present with a racially discriminatory criminal justice system, the murder by police of black and brown people, and how white Americans support such unfair treatment.

...

A 2001 report on the destruction of Black Wall Street "included the commission's recommendations for some compensatory actions, most of which were not implemented by the state and city governments. The state passed legislation to establish some scholarships for descendants of survivors, economic development of Greenwood, and a memorial park to the victims in Tulsa. The latter was dedicated in 2010."
Image
    

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BEST OF THE WEB: PRESIDENT - Putin's 15 years in power - EN Subtitles (VIDEO)

© Matt Dunham/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference on the second day of the G8 summit venue of Lough Erne on June 18, 2013 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.

    
The folks of Vox Populi Evo have pulled through again, providing an English translation and subtitles for Rossiya-1's latest documentary, , hosted by Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov and which first aired in Russia on April 26. VPE had previously made available for English viewers, and we recommend that readers check that one out too.

The film contains never-seen-before footage from some of the biggest highlights of Putin's career, and of Russia's history for the last decade and a half: the war in Checnya, the battle with the oligarchs, the Kursk submarine tragedy, Beslan, the 2008 crisis. Among the revelations Putin makes in his interview sections is the admission of direct involvement of Western intelligence agencies in supporting Islamic terrorism in Chechnya. While it's no surprise to the alternative media, it's the first time Putin has officially confirmed such involvement. Nothing has changed since the CIA created the mujaheddin to battle the Soviets in Afghanistan.

Episode 1 - War in Chechnya. Way from Prime Minister to Acting President


Episode 2 - Elections. President of a country in decay. Tragedy of Kursk submarine
Episode 3 - Relations between Russia and US. Restoring Russian Economy - Beginning
Episode 4 - Developing partnership with EU. Terrorist acts in Russia. Russia stands United
Episode 5 - Formation of Personality
Episode 6 - Putin on the post of Prime Minister during 2008 crisis
Episode 7 - Relations with opposition. Bolotnaya protests. Standoff between US and Russia
Episode 8 - Revival of Russian Army. Putin serves his Country. Peoples faith in the President and Country

Wild west: Nine killed in rival biker gang shootout in Texas

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© Screenshot from youtube.com video

    
At least nine people have been killed and 17 injured in a shootout between rival biker gangs outside the Twin Peaks Restaurant in Waco, Texas. The brawl quickly escalated from fists to gunfire despite police, aware of possible trouble, being at the scene.

Eight bikers have been killed as a result of the violence that broke out between the rival gangs in Waco, while one more died in hospital, local media reported citing police. At least 17 more people suffered gunshot and stab wounds and were brought to a local hospital.

Police said no officers were wounded or killed in the shootout, but it was unclear whether any bystanders were injured.


According to witnesses, three rival biker gangs were having a brawl in and outside the Twin Peaks Restaurant when the gunfire erupted. Witnesses said the fighting began with punching and kicking but quickly escalated and knives, chains and bats could be seen before the shooting started. Waco police officers were already at the scene when the action escalated, Waco Police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said, according to KWTX-TV.

"Gang members were shooting at each other and officers at the scene fired their weapons, as well," Swanton said, confirming no policemen were injured.

Police have reportedly been arresting anyone bearing arms at the scene, recovering chains, knives, bats, clubs and firearms.
"There was an incident but thankfully the awesome Waco Police have been on the premises and assisting with this situation," a Twin Peaks employee wrote on Facebook

Police have warned that the entire Central Texas Marketplace is closed, urging people to leave now and avoid this area. The FBI has reportedly arrived at the scene.

Police had been anticipating trouble when bikers started gathering outside Twin Peaks, with District Attorney Abel Reyna warning of potential dangers from rival gangs for months. Reyna told that a dispute which had erupted between two local motorcycle gangs spilled over to involve the Dallas-Fort Worth area gangs.

Journalists attacked by Israeli police in Jerusalem


An TV crew was attacked by Israeli police while covering the Jerusalem Day march in the Old City. Although the journalists had all documents permitting them to cover the event, the police prevented them from going live.

"After a terrible time we had to pass through check points that they erected everywhere along the Old City, they asked us to move away from the Damascus gate point. They didn't do it gently, they pushed us and broke our camera," reporter Dalia Nammari later told .

The reporter added that other journalists covering the event were treated the same "brutal" way by the Israeli police.

Dalia Nammari and the cameraman Muhammad Aishu were filming the march of settlers, which they had been accredited to, when the police interfered with their work and took away the camera. The crew continued to report from the scene using a smart phone and going on air live via Skype, when the police attacked them again.
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© Screenshot from RT video

    
"They took away my earpiece ... they are demanding from everyone - even journalists, to evacuate the area. Even Palestinians who live in the city can't be present here because of the settlers' march," Nammari said.

Long lost Egyptian temple found

© The Gebel el Silsila Survey Project 2015
A general overview of the temple.
    
Remains of the long lost temple of Kheny have been unearthed at Gebel el Silsila, north of Aswan, Egypt's Minister of Antiquities announced today.

Revealing the foundations and blockwork of the temple, the ruins are one of the few remnants of the settlement of Kheny or Khenu, which is the ancient Egyptian name — meaning "Rowing Place" — for Gebel el-Silsila.

The site, located on both banks of the Nile between Edfu and Kom Ombo, was extensively used as a quarry from the New Kingdom until Roman times.

"We know that huge quantities of sandstone for temple building were quarried there," Lund University archaeologist Maria Nilsson, director of the Gebel el Silsila Survey Project, told Discovery News.

Indeed, virtually all of Egypt's great temples, including those at Karnak and Luxor, were built with sandstone from Gebel el Silsila.

"Now this finding changes the history of the site, and it firmly establishes Gebel el Silsila as not only a quarry, but also a sacred location," she added.

While cult activities at the site were mainly associated with the Nile and its inundation, the principal deity was Sobek, the god of crocodiles who controlled the waters.

"At the moment we do not know to whom the temple was dedicated," Nilsson said.

"We believe it marked the beginning of the east bank quarries. We hope further archaeological work and research will reveal more," she added.

Nilsson and associate director John Ward have been working at Gebel el-Silsila since 2012, unearthing cartouches for Amenhotep III and Ramses II as well as hundreds of rock inscriptions.

The temple remains were recorded somewhere between 1906 and 1925 and described as a destroyed Ramesside temple in a map published by German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt in 1934. The temple was then forgotten.

Nilsson and John Ward located its remains by studying Borchardt's rudimentary map along with an unpublished plan drawing by Egyptologist Peter Lacovara, curator at the M. C. Carlos Museum in Emory University.

They found foundations measuring approximately 115 feet by 60 feet. Blockwork included four visible dressed floor levels, column bases, inner and outer walls.

While obvious marks on the ground refer to five columns bases in the west side of the building, two painted sandstone fragments featuring the Egyptian star and sky indicate the temple boasted a starred ceiling.

According to Nilsson and Ward, the remains reveal evidence for at least four chronological periods, spanning about 1500 years, from the reigns of Thutmosis/Hatshepsut, Amenhotep III, Ramses II to Roman times.

"The oldest building phase of the temple was made up by limestone, which is unique within a sandstone quarry, and may signify the official changeover from limestone construction to sandstone," Nilsson said.

The archaeologists unearthed hundreds of decorated and painted blockwork, and over 300 decorated limestone fragments which showed iconography characteristic to the early Thutmosid period (1500-1450 BC). Hieroglyphic text mentioned the name of the site, Kheny.

"The limestone scenes had been destroyed during antiquity to be reused as foundation filling together with sand and pebbles for a later construction phase. A square decorated limestone base was still intact," Nilsson said.

Almost 300 raised and sunken painted relief fragments included the cartouches of two later rulers - Amenhotep III and Ramses II, providing evidence for two later temple phases. A fourth chronological period was testified by late Ptolemaic and early Roman storage activity.

In the temple area, the archaeologists also found 18th Dynasty beads, coloured plaster, faience sherds, thousands of pot sherds, and a blue-coloured scarab possibly dating to the 2nd Intermediate Period.

According to the archaeologists, further research is required to better understand the temple's role and importance.

"We hope to continue the archaeological work on site, especially as its state of preservation is so poor and requires immediate documentation before it is too late," Nilsson said.

Breastfed babies kidnapped by CPS because parents were "homeless" living out of RV

© Mehta family
The Mehta family turned homelessness into a great adventure, before CPS.

    
Amber is one of those free-spirited people who takes even incredible hardships and turns them into adventures, inspiring others in the process. When her young family wound up homeless, through no fault of their own, she and her husband Krishna Mehta made the best of it. Their children didn't even know that they were homeless; they thought that they were having great adventures and making lots of friends.

This latest chapter in their saga, however, is a nightmare, and the rainbow is really hard to find in the storm that Child Protective Services has allegedly brought into their lives. Their children, ages 6, almost 2, and 9 months, have been seized by CPS and placed into 3 different foster homes. The two babies were still being breastfed. Social services has gone so far as to accuse Amber of having a mental disorder because she is "homeless."

Their homelessness was not by choice. Last spring the family was living in a small town in Missouri. Krishna was working, and Amber was a stay-at-home mom and childbirth doula. They were expecting baby Mira to make her appearance soon by mid-summer.

Emergency Trip to Oregon for Dying Mother

Then, they got a call that changed everything. Krishna's mother's cancer had come back with a vengeance. The doctors gave her just weeks to live. Krishna, a dual Irish-American citizen, and Amber scrambled to pull resources together to get to Oregon, hoping to see her before she died, and let her see the children. They drove cross-country, but arrived too late. She was gone.

The plan had been to stay at her house, have an unassisted homebirth, or "freebirth" in Oregon, and go back to the midwest when they got back on their feet. But life didn't work out that way. Mira was born peacefully at the end of July, at home with her family. But shortly after that, they found themselves with no place to live.

© Mehta family
Newborn baby Mira.

    
Making the Best of a Tough Situation

They sank what money they had left into an RV and made the best of their situation. Amber says:

"We faced homelessness with all the courage and hope we could, believing that we were strong enough to make it."

Winter was coming on fast, and it was expected to be a cold one. An RV in Oregon was no place to live. They headed south, stopping in various places, "helping others where we could," says Amber, "which is more often than one might think, considering all it often takes to HELP someone is to CARE."

Slab City

About the same time that the medical kidnapping story of Erica May and Cleave Rengo's homebirthed, breastfed babies went viral (original story here), at Thanksgiving 2014, the Mehta's began having troubles of their own in LA - mechanical troubles. They had heard of "Slab City," billed both as one of the largest "homeless encampments" in the country, and a "free RV oasis" in the California desert. Though they were hesitant to take their family, they were at a point where they didn't really know what else to do. When they received a warm invitation from a friend who was a full-time "Slabber," they accepted. They were pleasantly surprised to be welcomed into a community of support, which included other families with children.

According to an article about Slab City in the LA Times, " this unlikely community appears to be growing, perhaps because of the troubled economy."

While the Mehtas lived in their RV, they shared resources and meals with others in the community, and fell into a routine as they decided to basically stay put for the winter. They sometimes ventured into larger cities nearby in the effort to make money.

Amber reports that she was just beginning to feel that they would get ahead, and had even posted such on her Facebook page, when the storm clouds came rolling in again, and CPS entered their lives.

Storm Clouds Roll In

They had enjoyed lunch together at Doc's missionary camp, a place where "Doc" fed anyone who was hungry. It was January 31, 2015. The babies were getting cranky in the afternoon, so Krishna offered to take Tara (20 months old) for a ride in the RV to help her go to sleep, something the parents have found effective in the past. Meanwhile, Amber nursed the baby to sleep as she hung out by the hot springs, while watching Sage play with friends.

As the afternoon wore on, Krishna didn't come back, and Amber became concerned. By dusk, when he still wasn't back, she got a friend to take her into town to see if, perhaps, Krishna had a flat tire or something. By the time she got back with no word on their whereabouts, Slab residents told her that the police had come by looking for her. They said that her husband had been arrested and that Imperial County CPS had Tara.

Her mind reeled, trying to figure out what possibly could have happened. She called CPS, who told her they were sending police officers to check on her and the kids, and that they needed to find "suitable" shelter for the night, i.e. a hotel, and they would meet with her in the morning.

Officers came, and were satisfied that the children were safe. The RV had been impounded, with the keys to the minivan inside, along with Amber's purse. Slabbers got together money for a hotel room for Amber for the night.

© Mehta family
The RV that became their home.

    
Tara did, indeed, fall asleep in her car seat earlier that afternoon. Krishna decided to park the RV at a Circle K, and use the time to ask passersby for help with money. Police arrived, and they searched the RV.

Police told her the next day that he had been charged with driving drunk, having an open container, marijuana possession, and child endangerment. Amber was questioned repeatedly. She says that they told her they would get the RV out of impound and give her Tara back if she would submit to a drug test. She reports that she had no problem submitting to such, as she doesn't use drugs.

"It wasn't until his release that we realized they had lied to me in an effort to get me to admit incriminating details, because they didn't actually have enough evidence to hold our daughter at all."

During the course of the 2 day interrogation, CPS called the police to pick up the other two children, without a warrant and without cause. Krishna was released after being held for 72 hours, with no charges being filed.

Krishna is diabetic. He was taken to a hospital for blood work after his arrest, and the tests reportedly showed no blood alcohol content, but very high blood sugar. Both hypo and hyperglycemia of diabetes can mimic drunkenness. The "open container" was found in the recycling bags, which Krishna says were torn open as officers searched the RV.

Police accused Krishna of child endangerment for not having Tara in a car seat. However, there are reportedly photos of her buckled in the car seat during the search. When Amber later retrieved the RV from impound, the car seat was still snugly buckled into the ransacked vehicle.

Due to a serious back injury some time ago, Krishna was issued a medical marijuana card in Oregon for "severe pain related to steel rods improperly placed in his fused spine," so though he did use the drug occasionally, he was not actually charged.

Judge Orders Children Returned

Three days after CPS took Tara, there was a detention hearing. CPS reportedly told the judge that they had been unable to ascertain the safety of their camp, even though Amber says that she invited them to check it out. The judge found no grounds for the children being held, allegedly saying that Tara should have been returned the moment that her mother was found safely with the other children. CPS was ordered to provide services for the family, and Krishna was ordered to drug test and enter treatment.

© Mehta family
Krishna having fun with Tara, before CPS.

    
Nightmare Was Only Just Beginning

The social worker Noemi Silva took Sage in a police car with Officer Vela back to Slab City, because the family van was one car seat short (it was still in the impounded RV). However, they made a stop by the local sheriff's office first and picked up a couple more officers. Officer Vela reportedly told the Mehtas to head on to Slab City, saying,

"No place for a child, and I'll see to it."

As they arrived at the site, Amber called Sage to her, and headed over to Doc's missionary camp for dinner. The police told her that they had to inspect the site, and she asked if she was being detained. She kept walking toward the campfire, and a woman there told her,

"They are going to take your kids. Amber ... RUN!"

The terrified mother realized that she was right and handed a baby to each of two friends, and grabbed Sage's hand. They fled into the night desert, searching for a place to hide. More police arrived, and they ran deeper into the desert, as her mind flashed to a scene in a book where a holocaust survivor was running for her life to hide from the Nazis.

"I couldn't believe this was happening to me, to my children, to my family, to AMERICANS!"

They eventually found refuge in an old military bunker where a kind couple took them in for the night. And they wondered what happened to Krishna, whom Amber had last seen arguing with the police. She later learned that he had been arrested.

"The video on the cellphone showed that [their friend] Prax had been attacked, sat upon, choked and tased, simply for voicing his opinion that it was wrong what they were doing to my family."

She later received a phone call to come pick up Krishna from the hospital. She found him walking back toward Slab City. The terrified and devastated family decided right then to load their family up and head to Arizona, "the closest state away from HERE!" They drove all night and through the next day.

The next day, they contacted their public defender, because they didn't want CPS to do something "crazy," like putting an Amber alert out on them for "kidnapping" their own children. He told them that there was going to be a hearing in a little bit, without them if they weren't there. They told him how frightened they were, but they didn't have time to get to court for the hearing. Over the next week they tried every day to get back in touch with the lawyer, but it was a month before they heard from him.

© Mehta family
Tara delighted in the Oregon adventure, before CPS took the light from her eyes.

    
They decided that Colorado was the best place for them to go next, because they had a friend who had offered them a guest house behind her home. Arrangements were made, and the RV and the rest of their belongings were recovered. They called the local CPS and Imperial County CPS, trying to settle things and letting them know that they had found shelter that the agency should approve of.

And for a while, it looked like things were going to be all right. Krishna got his Colorado drivers license, and the family began to settle in.

"It all came crashing down on the morning that we had an appointment to get food stamps and medical for our family. A social worker came knocking along with a police officer, and had warrants to ARREST our children."

CPS flew the children back to Imperial County, California, on an airplane, and Amber followed on the ground. Krishna stayed behind to work to get a home and things set up for his family. Amber was very concerned for his health, and she had to go fight for their children.

Less than 24 hours after Amber left, she received an urgent call that Krishna had been found at the bottom of the stairs, "not making any sense." His blood sugar had plummeted and he had fallen down the stairs, breaking a vertebrae in his neck. Blood was pooling in his brain.

He has somewhat recovered now, but their family is still in great turmoil.

© Mehta family
Amber with baby Mira at a visit.

    
Children in Foster Care, Separated from Each Other

The children have been placed into 3 different homes. Amber is allowed to visit them 3 times a week for an hour each visit, but she has been forced to stop breastfeeding, because she has been accused of having a positive drug test. She reports that the hair follicle test shows 18 picograms (0.018 nanograms) for marijuana. This tiny amount, she says, is from the second-hand smoke from her husband's medical marijuana use. (Note: most drug tests only report positive if it is at least 50 nanograms for marijuana).

Amber has been ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, and was told that "normal people aren't homeless." However, her only diagnosis was "adjustment disorder," due to her very real difficulty being a mom trying to adjust to the fact that her children have been taken away from her.

She was compelled to agree to vaccinating the girls or face charges of medical neglect. Though the girls were previously healthy before being taken into state custody, they have had numerous prescriptions for antibiotics and cough syrup, and were abruptly weaned from breastfeeding. Tara is reportedly taking this very hard and doesn't understand why her parents have "abandoned" her.

© Mehta family
Amber with Sage at a visit after CPS.

    
Sage understands that his parents have no choice in this. He has a history of febrile seizures, but his mother learned long ago that she needed to immediately treat any fever in Sage. If it were allowed to rise, he could go into a seizure. That is exactly what has happened to him in state custody. During one visit, she felt that he was very hot. She told the caretakers that they needed to check his temperature and give him Tylenol or ibuprofen to bring down the fever. His temp was 101.5, but they refused to treat him, saying they had to have a doctor's order in order to give him anything. She theoretically still retained medical rights over her children.

They accused her of overreacting. However, as is often the case, her mother's intuition and knowledge of her own child proved correct. Finally, someone took her seriously, and took him to the ER. He started seizing in the waiting room. He wound up spending 3 days in the hospital. Sage begged his mommy to stay with him in the hospital and the social workers told them that she could stay. However, just as they were getting ready to go to sleep, they reneged, and she was forced to leave him there with strangers, in a place he wouldn't even be if they had just given him Tylenol.

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Since the children have been seized, the family's RV has been approved as acceptable, but the children are still in custody.

What Happens Next and How You Can Help

Their next hearing is on May 18 in Imperial County. They have been able to raise some funds to hire a private CPS attorney, Evelyn Cox, to represent Krishna. Amber says Cox is "the highest recommended lawyer in the state of California for cases like this."

Amber and Krishna are hopeful, but scared. Even though they were homeless, they have always been a very close-knit, attachment-parenting family. Their children were always with them. The emotional toll of the last few months has been devastating. Through all the difficulties that Amber has faced in the past, she has remained strong. She is the one in her circles who helps people to find the hope and the rainbows in all the storms. Now, she is the one needing support and encouragement for her and her family.

© Mehta family
Amber and her babies at a visit.

    
Governor Jerry Brown is the governor of the state of California. He may be reached at (916) 445-2841, and contacted here.

The Senator for the district that Slab City is located in is Senator Ben Hueso. He may be reached at (916) 651-4040, and contacted here.

Assembly member Eduardo Garcia represents the district. He may be reached at (916) 319-2056, or contacted here.

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In Congress: New bill requires mandatory childhood vaccine schedule

The U.S. Congress is now entertaining legislation which will make mandatory childhood vaccination schedules currently prescribed by the CDC. The way of enforcing this new and stricter regime is by tying compliance directly to federal funding. From the bill:

"REQUIREMENT.—For a State or a political subdivision or other public entity of a State to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, the applicant shall demonstrate to the Secretary's satisfaction that, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the State requires each student enrolled in one of the State's public elementary schools or public secondary schools to be vaccinated in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices."

© Natural Society

    
Should this legislation pass, it will make it virtually impossible for parents to opt out their children from the aggressive childhood schedules, regardless of the reason. Up until now, there have been exemptions granted for a variety of good reasons. Religious and philosophical exemptions are chief among those which have produced an immediate release for those children attending public school.

What is particularly puzzling is that children are reacting to the ingredients in vaccines with greater frequency. Nevertheless, doctors rarely if ever test their pediatric patients for allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances to the various proven toxins and contaminants put in vaccines.

It would seem reasonable that the undeveloped and fragile bodies of newborn infants and young children would prompt the medical authorities to err on the side of caution. In fact, there is always a rush to vaccinate in spite of the complete lack of qualifying each baby or young child as a candidate for these potentially illness-causing vaccines. Family histories alone would provide a good starting point in trying to determine the likelihood of an adverse reaction.

Do you think there should be mandatory vaccinations, or do you think parents should have the choice to vaccinate their children - or at least decide to opt out of certain vaccinations while allowing others?

Are you a perfectionist? Having high standards can make you antisocial, says study

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Study has identified three types of perfectionists, who set high standards and like to be organised and precise - 'self-orientated', 'socially-prescribed' and 'other-orientated'.

    
Having a perfectionist on your team at work might well be considered a positive when you're striving to do a good job.

But beware - they could have a dark side.

Researchers have found that the type of perfectionist who sets impossibly high standards for others also tends to be narcissistic, antisocial, and more likely to make jokes at the expense of others.

These people, described by psychologists as 'other-oriented' perfectionists, care little about social norms and also struggle with intimacy, the study of 229 people by the University of Kent found.

As well as 'other-oriented' perfectionists, psychologists recognise two other types: 'self-orientated' and socially-prescribed'.

Self-orientated perfectionists do care about social norms, and prefer humour that enhances relationships, shying away from aggressive jokes.

Even though they focus on themselves, they show an interest in others.

Socially-prescribed perfectionists, on the other hand, make self-deprecating jokes, have low self-esteem and a low self-regard, and often feel inferior.

They do not respond well to positive feedback.

Both types are highly critical of themselves, rather than others.

However, other-oriented have quite an aggressive sense of humour, which is used at the expense of others, the researchers said.

They have a sense of superiority and do not easily fit into a bigger social circle, making them quite antisocial, they found.

'Other-oriented perfectionism is a 'dark' form of perfectionism positively associated with narcissistic, antisocial and uncaring personality characteristics,' concluded study author Joachim Stoeber in the

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Meanwhile the 'other-oriented' group were found to have quite an aggressive sense of humour, which is used at the expense of others, the researchers said.

    
In a separate study earlier this year, researchers from the University of Montreal discovered that people who suffer with repetitive behaviour habits, such as nail-biting, skin-picking and hair-pulling. are more likely to be perfectionists.

A group of participants took part in stressful, relaxing, frustrating, and boring tests.

Individuals who had reported a history of repetitive behaviours were found to have a greater urge to engage in these habits during the boredom and frustration sections.

The study said this proves these behaviours aren't associated with nerves and there is a strong link between this action and perfectionist beliefs.

'Emperor Putin' monument revealed outside St. Petersburg

© Reuters / Maxim Zmeyev
Cossacks stand next to a bust of Russian President Vladimir Putin which depicts him as a Roman emperor, during its unveiling ceremony in Leningrad region, Russia, May 16, 2015.

    
A small community near St. Petersburg has revealed a bust of President Vladimir Putin depicted as a Roman emperor - sans laurel crown. The man behind the monument is a controversial Cossack leader, who earlier advocated taking Alaska from the US.

The bust of a patrician-style Putin was erected in a Cossack settlement near the village of Agalatovo, the Nevskye Novosty newspaper reported. It's made of synthetic material mimicking bronze and has the president wearing a toga and a medallion adorned with the Russian crest.

"" sculptor Pavel Greshnikov, the author of the bust, told the newspaper.

""

The laurel crown, a key feature in original Roman busts, was removed on the insistence of Andrey Polyakov, the Cossack leader who commissioned the statue.

"," he explained.

The bust is a temporary feature, according to Polyakov, and will eventually be replaced with a permanent version twice the size and cast in real bronze.

Polyakov is no stranger to publicity stunts. Last May, he suggested giving Russian citizenship to all descendants of Cossacks living in Alaska, saying it would help with an eventual return of the US state to Russian jurisdiction, reported Fontanka, one of St. Petersburg's major newspapers.


Putin's image has had brushes with antiquity in the past, thanks to the efforts of overzealous activists. An exhibition in October last year depicted him as Heracles doing the twelve labors, although fighting corruption and building gas pipelines replaced slaying monsters and cleaning stables.

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His image has also been used on T-shirts, luxury smartphones, and in an upcoming political satire film.

There was no immediate reaction from the Kremlin to the imperial bust. But judging from previous experience, Putin is likely to disapprove. In his public statements, he has said he dislikes attempts to name mountains or streets after him, or erect statues of him, saying such things are appropriate for dead statespersons, not living ones.

Another dirty little secret in America: Adult Protective Services often perpetrators of elder abuse

    
When the Elder Justice Initiative was recently funded by Congress for $4 million for the fiscal year 2015 - at a mere fraction of the $25 million requested by President Obama—consumer advocates were ecstatic. The funds are earmarked for Adult Protective Services (APS), which has a national mandate to protect the elderly from abuse.

America's dirty little secret (well, one of them, anyway) is the reality of elder abuse. As reported by ElderJusticeAction.com, 14% of older adults have experienced abuse since turning 60. As far as the financial cost of elder abuse, EJA reports that those who have been financially abused have lost an estimated 2.9 billion dollars per year and that the medical costs associated with elder abuse are greater than $5 billion. Furthermore, those who had confirmed cases of elder abuse, according to EJA, had twice the chance of ending up dead than those who had not been abused.

This abuse, however, is not limited to those who are related or socially connected with an elderly person. In fact, those who are appointed by the court as guardians are often the perpetrators of elder abuse. The Government Accountability Office published a study in 2010, entitled "GUARDIANSHIPS: Cases of Financial Exploitation, Neglect, and Abuse of Seniors"and had this to say about the phenomenon of guardians abusing their wards:

So is the Obama Administration actually stepping up to the line and taking a good hard swing at elder abuse?

The answer appears to be no. For the funding going into the Elder Justice Initiative is, as mentioned above, earmarked for APS. And APS may be one of the worst abusers around.

Doug Franks contacted APS in Florida when he saw the effect that his mother's diet was having on her health. Ernestine Franks is under a guardianship and her son, Doug, reported that his mother, whom had been prescribed a cardiac diet, was being plied with unhealthy fast food by those who were allegedly taking care of her.

And by so doing, Doug Franks almost got himself a pair of striped pajamas. After APS went out to Mrs. Franks home, the social workers and guardian stated that Mrs. Franks ate out very little and that Doug Franks' concerns about her diet were untrue. APS then inaccurately declared that Franks had made a false report to the courts and to State Attorney Bill Eddins' office. Doug Franks was then contacted by his attorney who stated that charges would be filed against him and to contact her on how to "turn himself in."

Franks was able to show, per what the guardian filed with the court in the annual accounting (which is sealed from the public in order to protect the ward), that his concerns were accurate. And that not only was Mrs. Franks being fed a steady diet of Big Macs and Whoppers, but that her funds were being inappropriately used to feed her caregivers, as well.

How could APS have been so wrong?

Doug Franks is now in the process of being sued by the guardianship company, Gulf Coast Caring Solutions, for allegedly interfering with his mother's constitutional right to privacy for his attempts to make such abuses public.

Teresa Lyles, also in Florida, states that her report to APS met with retaliation by the guardian for her mother and that Lyles, who holds a PhD in Health Behavior, was restricted from visiting her mother as a result of making an APS report. The report included pictures showing bruises and cuts, in support of concerns that her mother had been physically harmed.

Ginny Johnson of Raleigh, North Carolina, stated she called APS about ten or twelve times after her father, WWII vet and former Captain of a B-17 bomber and prison camp survivor, was taken from his home and put into a locked- down facility by his guardian and isolated from family. Johnson states that her father was happy and healthy prior to what she terms his "abduction" and had been playing golf the day before he was taken.

Johnson alleged that her father was "abused, neglected, starving, his finances are being raked over the coals." For her advocacy in terms of her father, Johnson now has a restraining order against her and dares not even breathe the guardian's name, for fear of being put into jail for violating the order. States Ginny Johnson: "APS did nothing."

Her father died within a year. It gets worse.

According to Catherine OLaughlin, MD, her reports to APS were "dismissed" by a social worker named Christine Daly. Daly subsequently got a job with the very probate court in which the guardianship of her mother, Sally OLaughlin was being supervised. According to Dr. Catherine OLaughlin:

"In February 2005 another call was made to APS about an intruder who came to the house at 03:00 and had gone through the garbage put out for collection in the morning....The next morning a woman came to the house claiming she had been sent by the Judge to enter the house for an inspection. She had no Court order or other document to prove she had been sent by the Court. The police were called in view of hours prior to this the terrifying incident of the intruder. The police came and spoke with the woman who then got in her car and duly drove away. .....As the police were still there APS arrived but it was not Christine Daly. The inspector claimed she was there on behalf of the Court and not my phone call. She entered the home and demanded to view all financial records stating that my refusal or my mother's refusal could amount to my arrest...The APS inspector left having copied by hand private data from financial statements and interrogating me as the Successor Trustee and personal representative of my mother. APS would not return my calls or furnish any reports for the Court. They were satisfied that there was no financial or abusive environment and the case for APS was closed. Over the next few days threats of bodily harm began by Shawn OLaughlin and the police said I needed proof for them to act. I was able to get an Order of Restraint against her. This Order then escalated the assault and again APS said the case was closed and they would do nothing."

Writes Dr. OLaughlin: "My life and my mother's became a living hell with dirty cops, corrupt Probate Judge and the racket of predatory attorneys jumping in to get their bloody hands on all the assets.

"Sally OLaughlin passed away April 17th 2005 under the most heinous terror a human could endure. But her death would not be the end of suffering."

According to Dr. OLaughlin, she again encountered Christine Daly as a supervisor with the San Diego Probate court. Writes Dr. OLaughlin,

"I would struggle to fight for the Trust of my parents from Europe but only to heightened oppression and suppression of rights by the Judge. I would be notified of rulings but never notice of service for proceedings. They deliberately denied me the right to notice of Service according to State, Federal and International Law. The Probate Supervisor would never speak with me. Only her assistants until after maybe 30 phone calls I would learn the name of the Supervisor. Christine Daly."

The San Diego Probate court has declined to comment on Daly's behavior, only stating that Daly no longer works for the court. At the time of going to press, San Diego APS had not returned phone calls inquiring about Daly.

APS occupies a unique slot in the investigatory landscape. Unlike many other government investigatory agencies, reports to APS are considered "secret." Nothing will ever be disclosed to a complaining party or the press concerning actions APS may or may not have taken in a particular case. APS states that they are bound to secrecy by HIPPA—the Health Information Protection Privacy Act. In fact, the wall of secrecy surrounding APS investigations may protect the abusers, rather than the abused.

Case in point would be the bizarre twists and turns surrounding the Charlie Castle matter. Castle was a rather colorful homeless man who had been well known in and around Redlands, California when he suddenly seemed to have simply disappeared. As it eventuated, Castle was picked up by members of the Mental Health Department one day when he was reading at the public library, his favorite haunt. He was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino and subsequently placed under guardianship. And put into perpetual lock-down.

When Castle attempted, with the aid of some friends, to file a writ of habeas corpus to get his matter squarely in front of a judge, the guardian, Melodie Scott, began to manically move him from facility to facility, in an effort to obscure his whereabouts from those attempting to assist Castle. The net effect of her shell game with Castle was that he was never served with the judge's determination on his writ. His calls to the court asking for the court's decision were also declined, as he was told he would have to personally present himself at the court to get the documents. The guardian wouldn't, however, let him do so.

San Bernardino APS was contacted with two concerns about the treatment of Charlie Castle: 1) The fraud inherent in court proceedings when the same lawyer was representing both sides (attorney Bryan Hartnell was representing both the guardian and Castle and 2) Concerns as to why the guardian repeatedly placed Charlie Castle (who was under a mental health conservatorship) into facilities which did not have programs to address his alleged mental health problems.

However, when the report was referred to the police for investigation, something strange occurred. The report was altered. Gone were the concerns which prompted the filing of an APS report. Rather, the officer who went out to speak with Castle was investigating an APS report which stated that the guardian had stolen one of his social security checks.

Just to clarify the situation—the guardian, under law, would be in charge of Charlie Castle's finances, so her cashing such a check would be completely legal.

When the slip between the cup and the lip—the alteration of the report - was brought to the attention of the Pomona Police Department, Captain Michael Olivieri refused to change the report or to discuss at which stage the report was altered. The case was subsequently closed with no action taken. Castle died shortly thereafter under questionable circumstances.

So much for investigating elder abuse.....

It appears that one of the primary functions of APS is to determine when an elder may be vulnerable so that a guardian may be then appointed. And if family abuse has been taking place, it is often replaced by guardian abuse. And guardian abuse appears to be something that APS just won't investigate.

If President Obama is truly serious about routing out the systemic abusers, one might want to give him this tip: His Attorney General has been the recipient of hundreds of reports about guardians abusing their wards, as has the FBI. To date, the feds are ignoring the reality of guardian abuse. Possibly Obama might want to get on the horn to Holder and goose him about these cases. It might cost him a lot less than $4 million to make this call.

But then, with guardianships reportedly raking in over a six billion dollars annually in Florida alone, maybe this phone call is just too expensive to make.