Cuomo's DNA Databank: Adultery, Being Loud In Church, and Fortune Telling Now Crimes That Give the State the Right To Your DNA

"If you're a fortune teller, cheat on your spouse, or are loud in church, in New York State, the government will soon legally have the right to retrieve your DNA and put it in a DNA Databank -- that's thanks to an agreement Governor Andrew Cuomo reached with legislative leaders earlier this week on the governor's "All Crimes DNA Bill."" Cuomo's DNA Databank: Adultery, Being Loud In Church, and Fortune Telling Now Crimes That Give the State the Right To Your DNA By James King, Mar. 16 2012 The Village Voice

Grace Kelly on a boat

Anti-Communist pastor set to become German president

(Reuters) - "Joachim Gauck is poised to become Germany's third president in just two years on Sunday after winning support from the country's main political parties, but the feisty theologian may prove an awkward partner for Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Merkel reluctantly accepted Gauck for the mainly ceremonial post after her coalition ally joined opposition parties last month in backing him to replace Christian Wulff, who resigned in a scandal over financial favors." Continue reading: Anti-Communist pastor set to become German president By Gareth Jones, BERLIN | Sat Mar 17, 2012 - Reuters

Related links:

Caritas in Veritate - Februrary 8, 2012

Germany a model for post-nuclear power age - March 27, 2011

Kansas Legislator Says Redistricting Shouldn't Split Her 'Primarily Caucasian' District

"Kansas Rep. Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita), who is seeking a state Senate seat, said the map would improperly combine the north Wichita area where she lives with a neighboring district that includes more Democrats and minorities.

"“Gerrymandering an area of Wichita, where primarily Caucasian voters reside, in homes that are upwards of $800,000 and more in price, violates committee rules and federal redistricting guidelines,” Landwehr wrote in testimony to the state redistricting committee, according to The Topeka Capital-Journal. "Any map that draws my home into Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau's district is a violation of two communities' interest."" Read the article: Brenda Landwehr, Kansas Legislator, Says Redistricting Shouldn't Split Her 'Primarily Caucasian' District by Ariel Edwards-Levy, The Huffington Post 03/15/2012

Related links:

"“The current districting of the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in the New York City and Long Island area, as well as the maps proposed by the New York State Senate and Assembly majorities are untenable,” they wrote to the court. “The sizable, distinct and ethnic and racial group of Orthodox Jews has been systematically deprived of just representation in the U.S. Congress. This Orthodox Alliance for Liberty implores the Honorable Court to correct an egregious wrong and restore a full voice for New York’s Orthodox Jews in the U.S. Congress.”

(...) "Notably, the group proposed a new district in southern Brooklyn containing the Orthodox and Russian Jewish neighborhoods previously held by Representatives Bob Turner and Jerry Nadler. Combined with traditionally Republican Irish and Italian areas, the district would undoubtedly be one of the most ideologically conservative seats in New York State." Orthodox Jewish Group Pushes Court for New Congressional District - March 12, 2012

Cuomo says redistricting is fixed, and on transparency: 'You can't live your life in a goldfish bowl' - March 15, 2012

Bohemia

Map of Europe as a queen
printed by Sebastian Munster in Basel in 1570
Big Think

Every time I hear the term "Bohemian" used as a pejorative to mean "bum", it makes me think about the historical implication of the word. The ancient Bohemians were originally Celts - and everybody knows the Irish have groove in their music (ditto Riverdance) as does the most celebrated Bohemian composer, Antonín Dvorák!

From Wikipedia: "The Boii (Latin plural, singular Boius; Greek Βόϊοι) were one of the most prominent *ancient Celtic tribes of the later Iron Age, attested at various times in Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy), Pannonia (Hungary and its western neighbours), in and around Bohemia, and Transalpine Gaul. In addition the archaeological evidence indicates that in the 2nd century BC Celts expanded from Bohemia through the Kłodzko valley into Silesia, now part of Poland.[1]

"They first appear in history in connection with the Gallic invasion of north Italy, 390 BC, when they made the Etruscan city of Felsina their new capital, Bononia (Bologna). After a series of wars they were decisively beaten by the Romans in a battle near Mutina (Modena) and their territory became part of the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul. According to Strabo, writing two centuries after the events, rather than being destroyed by the Romans like their Celtic neighbours,

"the Boii were merely driven out of the regions they occupied; and after migrating to the regions round about the Ister, lived with the Taurisci, and carried on war against the Daci until they perished, tribe and all — and thus they left their country, which was a part of Illyria, to their neighbours as a pasture-ground for sheep."[2]

"Around 60 BC, a group of Boians joined the Helvetians' ill-fated attempt to conquer land in western Gaul and were defeated by Julius Caesar, along with their allies, in the battle of Bibracte. Caesar settled the remnants of that group in Gorgobina, from where they sent two thousand to Vercingetorix's aid at the battle of Alesia six years later. The eastern Boians on the Danube were incorporated into the Roman Empire in 8 AD." Boii on Wikipedia

*"The Celts (play /ˈkɛlts/ or /ˈsɛlts/, see pronunciation of Celtic) were an Indo-European and ethno-linguistically diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.

"The Germanic peoples (also called Teutonic or Gothic in older literature) are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age."

"The term "Celtic" was first used to describe this language group by Edward Lhuyd in 1707." Read more about Celtic languages

(...) "By mid 1st millennium AD, following the expansion of the Roman Empire and the Great Migrations (Migration Period) of Germanic peoples, Celtic culture and Insular Celtic had become restricted to Ireland, to the western and northern parts of Great Britain (Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and the Isle of Man), and to northern France (Brittany). Between the fifth and eighth centuries the Celtic-speaking communities of the Atlantic regions had emerged as a reasonably cohesive cultural entity. In language, religion, and art they shared a common heritage that distinguished them from the culture of surrounding polities.[7] The Continental Celtic languages ceased to be widely used by the 6th century."

"Bohemia (Czech: Čechy;[1] German: About this sound Böhmen (help·info); Polish: Czechy; French: Bohême; Latin: Bohemia) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague. In a broader meaning, it often refers to the entire Czech territory, including Moravia and Czech Silesia,[2] especially in historical contexts, such as the Kingdom of Bohemia."

Ancient Bohemia
"In the late 2nd century BC, many of the Boii tribe, after defeat at Roman hands, fled north across the Alps from northern Italy into an area called Boihaemum by the Romans, which included the southern part of present-day Bohemia.

(...) "The 9th century was crucial for the future of Bohemia. The manorial system sharply declined, as it did in Bavaria. The influence of the central Fraganeo-Czechs grew, as a result of the important cultic centre in their territory. They were Slavic-speaking and thus contributed to the transformation of diverse neighbouring populations into a new nation named and led by them with a united slavic ethnic consciousness." Also see Czech Republic

Related links:

"Celtic Christianity" has been conceived of in different ways at different times. Some ideas are fairly consistent. Above all, Celtic Christianity is seen as being inherently distinct from – and generally opposed to – the Catholic Church.[9] Other common claims are that Celtic Christianity denied the authority of the Pope, was less authoritarian than the Catholic Church, more spiritual, friendlier to women, more connected with nature, and more comfortable dealing with the ancient Celtic religion.[9>"

"Celtic religious practice was probably sacrificial in its interactions with the gods. Greco-Roman writers stated that the Celts practiced human sacrifice in Gaul: Cicero, Julius Caesar, Suetonius, and Lucan all refer to it, and Pliny the Elder says that it occurred in Britain, too. It was forbidden under Tiberius and Claudius. However, there is also the possibility that these claims may have been false, and used as a sort of propaganda to justify the Roman conquest of these territories. There are only very few recorded archaeological discoveries which preserve evidence of human sacrifice and thus most contemporary historians tend to regard human sacrifice as rare within Celtic cultures. There is some circumstantial evidence that human sacrifice was known in Ireland and was later forbidden by St. Patrick, a claim which has also been disputed."


Three Celtic goddesses, as depicted at Coventina's well.

Algae Fuel

Algae fuel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Algae fuel might be an alternative to fossil fuel and uses algae as its source of natural deposits. Several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae fuel production commercially viable.[1] Harvested algae, like fossil fuel, release CO2 when burnt but unlike fossil fuel the CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere by the growing algae.

"High oil prices, competing demands between foods and other biofuel sources, and the world food crisis, have ignited interest in algaculture (farming algae) for making vegetable oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biogasoline, biomethanol, biobutanol and other biofuels, using land that is not suitable for agriculture. (...) One biofuels company has claimed that algae can produce more oil in an area the size of a two car garage than a football field of soybeans, because almost the entire algal organism can use sunlight to produce lipids, or oil.[8] The United States Department of Energy estimates that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require 15,000 square miles (39,000 km2) which is only 0.42% of the U.S. map[9], or about half of the land area of Maine. This is less than 1⁄7 the area of corn harvested in the United States in 2000.[10] However, these claims remain unrealized, commercially. According to the head of the Algal Biomass Organization algae fuel can reach price parity with oil in 2018 if granted production tax credits.[11]

(...) "Microalgae have much faster growth rates than terrestrial crops. The per unit area yield of oil from algae is estimated to be from between 1,000 to 6,500 US gallons per acre per year (4,700 to 18,000 m3/km2·a).[17] This is 7 to 30 times greater than the next best crop, Chinese tallow (700 US gal/acre·a or 650 m3/km2·a).[dubious – discuss]

Wastewater
Main article: Wastewater treatment facility

(...) "A possible nutrient source is waste water from the treatment of sewage, agricultural, or flood plain run-off, all currently major pollutants and health risks. However, this waste water cannot feed algae directly and must first be processed by bacteria, through anaerobic digestion. If waste water is not processed before it reaches the algae, it will contaminate the algae in the reactor, and at the very least, kill much of the desired algae strain. In biogas facilities, organic waste is often converted to a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, and organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer that comes out of the digester is liquid, and nearly suitable for algae growth, but it must first be cleaned and sterilized.

"The utilization of wastewater and ocean water instead of freshwater is strongly advocated due to the continuing depletion of freshwater resources. However, heavy metals, trace metals, and other contaminants in wastewater can decrease the ability of cells to produce lipids biosynthetically and also impact various other workings in the machinery of cells. The same is true for ocean water, but the contaminants are found in different concentrations. Thus, agricultural-grade fertilizer is the preferred source of nutrients, but heavy metals are again a problem, especially for strains of algae that are susceptible to these metals. In open pond systems the use of strains of algae that can deal with high concentrations of heavy metals could prevent other organisms from infesting these systems (Schenk et al. 2008). In some instances it has even been shown that strains of algae can remove over 90% of nickel and zinc from industrial wastewater in relatively short periods of time (Chong, Wong et al. 1998).

(...) "The European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) is the European association representing both research and industry in the field of algae technologies, currently with 79 members. The association is headquartered in Florence, Italy. The general objective of the European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) is to promote mutual interchange and cooperation in the field of biomass production and use, including biofuels uses and all other utilisations. It aims at creating, developing and maintaining solidarity and links between its Members and at defending their interests at European and international level. Its main target is to act as a catalyst for fostering synergies among scientists, industrialists and decision makers in order to promote the development of research, technology and industrial capacities in the field of Algae.

"Pond Biofuels Inc.[82] in Canada has grown algae directly off of a cement plant smokestack emissions, and used waste heat to dry the algae, as well.[35]

"Ocean Nutrition Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada has found a new strain of algae that appears capable of producing oil at a rate 60 times greater than other types of algae being used for the generation of biofuels.[83]

"VG Energy, a subsidiary of Viral Genetics Incorporated,[84] claims to have discovered a new method of increasing algal lipid production by disrupting the metabolic pathways that would otherwise divert photosynthetic energy towards carbohydrate production. Using these techniques, the company states that lipid production could be increased several-fold, potentially making algal biofuels cost-competitive with existing fossil fuels.

"Algae production from the warm water discharge of a nuclear power plant has been piloted by Patrick C. Kangas at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, owned by Exelon Corporation. This process takes advantage of the relatively high temperature water to sustain algae growth even during winter months."

Also see Algae fuel in the United States

Related link: Food vs. fuel

Special report: Goldman's promised land: Salt Lake City

(Reuters) - "Some 2,000 miles away from the hustle and bustle of Wall Street, Goldman Sachs Group Inc has found an unlikely second home: Mormon country.

"Low taxes and a cheap but well-educated workforce persuaded Goldman to go on a hiring binge in Salt Lake City. The bank now employs 1,300 people here -- putting Utah's capital city on a path to become Goldman's fourth-largest global operation, behind only New York, New Jersey and London." Read the article: Special report: Goldman's promised land: Salt Lake City By Lauren Tara LaCapra and Katya Wachtel SALT LAKE CITY | Fri Mar 9, 2012

Mozart - Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 (The Magic Flute) - Overture

Mozart - The Magic Flute - Overture (James Levine conductor/Met Orch) Uploaded by TheGreatPerformers

Women Figure Anew in Senate’s Latest Battle

"WASHINGTON — With emotions still raw from the fight over President Obama’s contraception mandate, Senate Democrats are beginning a push to renew the Violence Against Women Act, the once broadly bipartisan 1994 legislation that now faces fierce opposition from conservatives." Read the article: Women Figure Anew in Senate’s Latest Battle By Jonathan Weisman, March 14, 2012 The New York Times

Cuomo says redistricting is fixed, and on transparency: 'You can't live your life in a goldfish bowl'

""Even ten years," said Cuomo. "You’re gonna have an independent commission, that is real. That will do a report to the legislature where they can only deviate from that report two percent in any district. So it’s a real positive reform. Now, people say, 'Argh, I wish that we could have done it this year.' So do I. So do I. I would have hoped that the legislature would have done an independent commission at the beginning of the year and these lines could have been done by an independent commission. We had one little obstacle in the way, which was called the constitution of the state of New York. And sometimes that’s a problem."

"On a related note, Arbetter asked Cuomo about transparency, or more precisely, the lack of transparency in the run-up to last night's huge omnibus legislative package, which resulted in pension reform, a new DNA database, a move toward casino gambling, and of course, legislative lines." Cuomo says redistricting is fixed, and on transparency: 'You can't live your life in a goldfish bowl' by Dana Rubenstein, March 15, 2012 Capitalnewyork.com

"Governor Andrew Cuomo has posted a video message to New Yorkers about his latest big deal with the legislature, in which he talks briefly about the passage of laws to create a new pension tier for public workers, a "complete" DNA databank for convicted criminals and a teacher-evaluation system, before arriving at the agreement he reached with legislative leaders on redistricting." Cuomo on the sequel to the bad old redistricting movie - by Josh Benson, Capitalnewyork.com

Cuomo Makes The Big Deal By Hunter Walker and Colin Campbell, Politicker

What is Endogamy?

From Wikipedia: "Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another Greek Orthodox Christian.

"Endogamy is common in many cultures and ethnic groups. Several ethnic religious groups are traditionally more endogamous, although sometimes with the added dimension of requiring marital religious conversion. This permits an exogamous marriage, as the convert, by accepting the partner's religion, becomes accepted within the endogamous rules. Certain groups, such as Orthodox Jews, have practiced endogamy as an inherent part of their religious beliefs and traditions. Roman Catholics traditionally practiced religious endogamy as well."

Social dynamics
"Endogamy also plays an important role in social stratification of different social factors, such as occupations, activities, or education. This type of social endogamy is apparent in the United States because occupations have become a chief form of social networking for many adults after college.[citation needed] For instance, actors and actresses generally marry or bond with people in a similar industry.[citation needed]

"Class endogamy affects social mobility: children of top executives have an easier time following a similar path as their parents due to similarities between the two, but also the power that executives have in modern corporations allowing them to influence hiring and promotion decisions. Elite families generally contribute to endogamy within big business, producing social links that are carried forward and keep certain groups restrictive. There have been such rapid changes in business and technology, however, that new fields open up where people of achievement can create new hierarchies." Continue reading at Wikipedia.

Related links:

"Exogamy creates a clash of culture people's lives but as a positive idea since it spreads culture in our society. Humanity has evolved so much in the last couple of decades that it is now acceptable to marry someone that is not the same ethnicity as you." Stratification, Gender Roles, Endogamy - introtosoc.wiki.usfca.edu

"Scholars such as Olcott had suggested that these later indefinite misinterpretations of the caste system might be caused by “the Aryan desire for racial purity” and “priestly supremacy and religious dogmas” (Olcott, n. pag.). Although the origins for these erroneous social-economical implications are not definite, the caste system had created much “extremely bitter inter-caste strife.” (Olcott, n. pag.) Each caste is competing to gain ascendancies over “rival” castes. Olcott quotes the former Maharajah Gaekwar of Baroda to say “the eternal struggle between caste and caste for social superiority has become a source of constant ill-feeling in these days.” (Olcott, n. pag.) These backwards competition had created segregation and injustice. As a result, the misrepresented caste philosophy is rendered unjust with the modern social ideals.

"Although there had been many “sincere efforts to improve the lot of the particular community or caste, educationally and economically”, it is very important to realize that the problems caused by the abused caste system cannot be truly resolved without a proper education of its original philosophies beyond the unfathomable societal misunderstandings (Altekar, n. pag.)." Hinduism – The Caste System By Tony Chen service.emory.edu

The Third Wave

Mann mit Sonnenkopf auf einer Sonne stehend
Woodcut from Johann Sternhals Ritter-Krieg, Erfurt, 1595.
The Alchemy web site on Levity.com



This conversation between Newt Gingrich and futurist Alvin Toffler is way over my head, and I have no idea whether he is espousing any philosophy, or if he's warning against one, or if it's all meaningless theorizing, a fun hobby among futurists. According to the internet, Newt Gingrich and Alvin Toffler's book, The Third Wave, are intrinsically connected. From Wikipedia: "Since the 1960s, people have been trying to make sense out of the impact of new technologies and social change. Toffler’s writings have been influential beyond the confines of scientific, economic and public policy discussions. Techno music pioneer Juan Atkins cites Toffler’s phrase “techno rebels” in The Third Wave as inspiring him to use the word “techno” to describe the musical style he helped to create[8] Toffler’s works and ideas have been subject to various criticisms, usually with the same argumentation used against futurology: that foreseeing the future is nigh impossible. In the 1990s, his ideas were publicly lauded by Newt Gingrich.

"The development Toffler believes may go down as this era’s greatest turning point is the creation of wealth in outer space. Wealth today, he argues, is created everywhere (globalisation), nowhere (cyberspace), and out there (outer space). Global positioning satellites are key to synchronising precision time and data streams for everything from cellphone calls to ATM withdrawals. They allow just-in-time (JIT) productivity because of precise tracking. GPS is also becoming central to air-traffic control. And satellites increase agricultural productivity through tracking weather, enabling more accurate forecasts.

"Two major predictions of Toffler’s—the paperless office and human cloning—have yet to be realized." Alvin Toffler on Wikipedia

(...) "Newt Gingrich claims that "Alvin and Heidi Toffler have given us the key to viewing current disarray within the positive framwork of a dynamic, exciting future" (p. 14). The book, he thinks, "is an effort to empower citizenslike yourself to truly take the leap and begin to invent a Third Wave civilization" (p. 17).

"Though of course reluctant to disagree with so august a personage as the Speaker of the House, I cannot share his high opinion of this book..." The Mises Review: Creating A New Civilization: The Politics Of The Third Wave - Alvin Toffler and Heidi Toffler 2 1995 Volume 1, Number 2 Gingrich's Gurus Summer 1995 mises.org

Apparently, there are several different kinds of Third Wave out there that can be easily mixed up: Third Wave experiment, Third Wave Democracy, and forms of cognitive behavior therapy such as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Functional Analytic Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and other acceptance and mindfulness based approaches are commonly grouped under the name The Third Wave of Behavior Therapy. Also, there's the religious Third Wave of the Holy Spirit. I have read somewhere (most likely on Wikipedia) that the Charismatic churches such as the Pentecostal ones that make lots of blood references ("blood of Jesus!") and perform miracles like healing, speaking in tongue, etc., were influenced by the Catholic Church traditions, especially the 'spiritual' aspects of the religious culture, that to me have always seemed actually very New Age. Visit a New Age store and you'll see they have the apocryphal books that are only in the Catholic version of The Bible, as well as books in which the author is nostalgic for the Roman Empire and Ancient Egypt, still more books on Scientology, Sufi mysticism, all these elements that seem to connect under a universal umbrella, and anything not found along the Bible Belt.

I don't know how far Newt Gingrich intends to go with "the (left's) war against the Catholic Church" slogan (he is Roman Catholic), a bummer (for those that are easily entertained and/or scared) compared to the futuristic narrative on the cost of gas in the utopian Newt World Order. If only these people (conservatives) could see that forced birth is violence against women, since there's no way out for a potential baby than through the potential mother's actual, pre-existing womb (Caesarean or no!), Newt Gingrich could be right on time, instead of tesseracting back to 1 CE.



Related links:

Glenn Beck: Tea Partiers Who Support Newt Are Racist - Thomas Lane December 12, 2011 TPM

"Knowledge, freedom and general well being have spread at unprecedented rates; yet amidst the glittery trappings and mesmerising novelty of our hyper-accelerating cultures many or most of us remain half asleep, semi-hypnotised and/or numbed much of the time; much as Alvin Toffler predicted decades ago in Future Shock (a disarmingly prophetic title). Yet this is hardly a modern phenomenon. Without regular deep self-reflection all we domesticated primates revert to a default state of retreat to blindingly obvious habits. Freedom is a conscious state of being." Self Perpetuating Egos - World Governance by Personality Cult - Her(m)etic Hermit hermetic.blog.com

Hermeticism - Wikipedia

Caduceus - Wikipedia