United Nations Declaration (Articles 1 - 30):

Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Incoming UN chief names three women to top posts

Incoming UN chief names three women to top posts
Nigerian Minister of the Environment Amina Mohammed, seen in 2015, will be the UN's number two official (AFP Photo/Mireya ACIERTO)

Sustainable Development
"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -
"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."
"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)


The Declaration of Human Freedom

Archangel Michael (Via Steve Beckow), Feb. 19, 2011

Every being is a divine and eternal soul living in a temporal body. Every being was alive before birth and will live after death.

Every soul enters into physical life for the purpose of experience and education, that it may, in the course of many lifetimes, learn its true identity as a fragment of the Divine.

Life itself is a constant process of spiritual evolution and unfoldment, based on free choice, that continues until such time as we realize our true nature and return to the Divine from which we came.

No soul enters life to serve another, except by choice, but to serve its own purpose and that of the Divine from which it came.

All life is governed by natural and universal laws which precede and outweigh the laws of humanity. These laws, such as the law of karma, the law of attraction, and the law of free will, are decreed by God to order existence and assist each person to achieve life’s purpose.

No government can or should survive that derives its existence from the enforced submission of its people or that denies its people their basic rights and freedoms.

Life is a movement from one existence to another, in varied venues throughout the universe and in other universes and dimensions of existence. We are not alone in the universe but share it with other civilizations, most of them peace-loving, many of whom are more advanced than we are, some of whom can be seen with our eyes and some of whom cannot.

The evidence of our five senses is not the final arbiter of existence. Humans are spiritual as well as physical entities and the spiritual side of life transcends the physical. God is a Spirit and the final touchstone of God’s Truth is not physical but spiritual. The Truth is to be found within.

God is one and, because of this, souls are one. They form a unity. They are meant to live in peace and harmony together in a “common unity” or community. The use of force to settle affairs runs contrary to natural law. Every person should have the right to conduct his or her own affairs without force, as long as his or her choices do not harm another.

No person shall be forced into marriage against his or her will. No woman shall be forced to bear or not bear children, against her will. No person shall be forced to hold or not hold views or worship in a manner contrary to his or her choice. Nothing vital to existence shall be withheld from another if it is within the community’s power to give.

Every person shall retain the ability to think, speak, and act as they choose, as long as they not harm another. Every person has the right to choose, study and practice the education and career of their choice without interference, provided they not harm another.

No one has the right to kill another. No one has the right to steal from another. No one has the right to force himself or herself upon another in any way.

Any government that harms its citizens, deprives them of their property or rights without their consent, or makes offensive war upon its neighbors, no matter how it misrepresents the situation, has lost its legitimacy. No government may govern without the consent of its people. All governments are tasked with seeing to the wellbeing of their citizens. Any government which forces its citizens to see to its own wellbeing without attending to theirs has lost its legitimacy.

Men and women are meant to live fulfilling lives, free of want, wherever they wish and under the conditions they desire, providing their choices do not harm another and are humanly attainable.

Children are meant to live lives under the beneficent protection of all, free of exploitation, with unhindered access to the necessities of life, education, and health care.

All forms of exploitation, oppression, and persecution run counter to universal and natural law. All disagreements are meant to be resolved amicably.

Any human law that runs counter to natural and universal law is invalid and should not survive. The enactment or enforcement of human law that runs counter to natural and universal law brings consequences that cannot be escaped, in this life or another. While one may escape temporal justice, one does not escape divine justice.

All outcomes are to the greater glory of God and to God do we look for the fulfillment of our needs and for love, peace, and wisdom. So let it be. Aum/Amen.


Pope Francis arrives for historic first US visit

Pope Francis arrives for historic first US visit
Pope Francis laughs alongside US President Barack Obama upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, on September 22, 2015, on the start of a 3-day trip to Washington (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb)


Today's doodle in the U.S. celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech on its 50th anniversary (28 Aug 2013)

'Love is love': Obama lauds gay marriage activists in hailing 'a victory for America'

'Love is love': Obama lauds gay marriage activists in hailing 'a victory for America'
The White House released this image, of the building colored like the rainbow flag, on Facebook following the supreme court’s ruling. Photograph: Facebook

Same-sex marriage around the world

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Merkel says Turkey media crackdown 'highly alarming'

Merkel says Turkey media crackdown 'highly alarming'
Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as 'enemy of press freedom'

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Thursday, February 28, 2013

United States 'can't dictate' to the world: Pentagon's new chief Chuck Hagel

NDTV, AFP, February 28, 2013


Washington: America cannot "dictate to the world" and must work with allies and build relationships with other nations, United States Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said shortly after being sworn in on Wednesday as the new Pentagon chief.

On his first day at the job, Mr Hagel reinforced his reputation as a reluctant warrior as he told an auditorium of civilian officials and military officers that America was a powerful country but could not accomplish its goals without forging strong alliances.

"I've always believed that America's role in the world ... has been one that should engage the world. We can't dictate to the world. But we must engage in the world," Mr Hagel said.

"No nation, as great as America is, can do this on their own. We need to continue to build on the strong relationships that we have built."

Defense secretaries often adopt a tough tone to signal resolve to America's adversaries, but Mr Hagel's comments echoed President Barack Obama's emphasis on extricating the country from a decade of ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US troops have pulled out of Iraq in 2011 and roughly 66,000 American forces are due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, a drawdown that Mr Hagel will be charged with overseeing.

Mr Hagel told the Pentagon audience that the United States was ultimately a force "for good."

"We make mistakes. We've made mistakes. We'll continue to make mistakes."
"But we are a force for good. And we should never, ever forget that, and we should always keep that out in front as much as any one thing that drives us every day."

Mr Chuck Hagel, 66, took his oath of office at about 8:30 am (1330 GMT) at the Pentagon as his wife looked on, becoming the first combat veteran from the Vietnam conflict to take up the post.

In his remarks to Pentagon employees, Mr Hagel spoke without notes and struck an upbeat tone despite a nasty debate in the Senate over his nomination that saw him struggle to win enough votes for confirmation.

Despite the bitter atmosphere that prevailed at his confirmation hearing, in which he was pummeled by his former Republican colleagues over his statements on Iran and Israel, officials said Mr Hagel would seek to cooperate with Congress.

"Senator Hagel has signaled his very strong commitment right away to get down to business, to get deeply invested in the work of the Pentagon and its military and civilian workers," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters on Tuesday.

"His goal is to look to the future."

Although Mr Hagel's opponents failed in the end to derail his nomination, their hostile stance signaled that the former infantryman would have little breathing room when it comes to working with Congress, without the kind of bipartisan support some of his predecessors enjoyed.

After a bruising Senate confirmation hearing and a 10-day delay engineered by Republicans, senators voted 58-41 to approve Hagel on Tuesday. But in 2011, senators approved his predecessor, Mr Leon Panetta, for the job by a unanimous vote.

Within 48 hours after being sworn in, Hagel will confront steep automatic cuts to the Pentagon's budget of roughly $46 billion which are due to kick in Friday amid political deadlock in Congress.

He also will have to grapple with a major troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, renewed threats posed by a defiant North Korea and turmoil in the Middle East.

Mr Hagel's searing experience in the jungles of Vietnam has shaped his cautious view of military power, and he has often said war should be a last resort only after diplomacy has been exhausted.

In Vietnam,Mr Hagel served with his brother as an infantry squad leader and saw combat first-hand in the Mekong Delta, earning two Purple Hearts after suffering shrapnel wounds to his chest and burns to his face.

Related Articles:


"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) (Text version) 

“…  8 - The End of War

The last one is the best. For thousands of years on this planet, Human Beings have warred with each other. If you take a look at the reasons they warred with each other, you will quickly see there aren't any good ones - land, resources, greed. Those are not reasons. That is a description of old energy. Those are not reasons. Reasons would be perhaps defense against an aggressor. But what if there is no longer the consciousness of the aggressor?

When I appeared in my partner's life more than 20 years ago, I said to him privately that the first messages we're going to give will be unbelievable. There would be laughter. We told him that Human nature and consciousness itself would change, and that the seeds of peace would be planted and there would come a time where there is no more war. Indeed, the laughter was great because humans look at history and they see patterns based on an absolute energy called Human Nature. "Impossible! There always has to be war. There always has been. Therefore, there always will be." This is you, in a box, in a black and white potential, where you can only see the black and white of what is and the black and white of what has been. You have no idea the shades of color that are there in your consciousness and the beauty of the love of God

North Korea is on the edge of change, as we told you it might be. What did this require? The death of the old energy, and I want you to watch this take place. The advisors of the young leader are going to do their best to pull him back into an old energy. This free choice of his will be far different than his father, for he sees some color. Watch for these things. They'll take longer than you want, but it is the beginning of the beginning.….”

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The 2013 State of the Union Address (Enhanced Version)





Related Articles:

Update from Ashtar via Mike Quinsey: Obama’s State of the Union Address !!



“We begin today’s message by congratulating the President of the United States on celebrating his inauguration, which will begin within minutes now. It is truly a time to be joyous. I, Michael, am most pleased to extend congratulations from the entire company for I speak. We understand the very difficult position which he has been in, and know that his path will become increasingly clearer as we progress from this point. We urge all to support him in love and light.“  Read More

Obama hugs Michelle, and makes Facebook history



"... We shall give you an example. We and many other messengers in the light have told you the truth about Barack Obama, a highly evolved soul from a civilization far advanced in spirituality, intelligence and ancient wisdom. The highest universal council asked him to leave his homeland and accept the mission of leading the United States and your world into an era of peace, prosperity and unity.

We have explained that his mission, which transcends politics worldwide, is a provision of the Golden Age master plan that is aligned with Gaia’s vision of Earth’s residents living in harmony with each other and with Nature. Then  Gaia’s planetary body and all of its life forms will be in balance, wherein all is light. We have asked you to send light to President Obama because it will hasten the day when that balance is attained.

Also we have mentioned in previous messages that the tenacity of the dark ones caused about a ten-year delay in your progress as a society. The delay didn’t deter Earth’s ascension one whit—her timing was predestined—but it severely curtailed Obama’s ability to carry out his mission because powerful individuals within the Illuminati still had the power to derail, distort or detour his efforts.

A large part of their effectiveness has come from people whose third density perceptions have been sending forth the energy of “anti-Obama” thoughts and feelings. That energy has been refueling the dark ones and enabling them to keep a strong chokehold on the president’s endeavors to move your world toward Gaia’s vision.

It is natural to question why that would include killing, and many feel that Obama’s approval of using drones shows that he is not of the light. That perspective omits this essential element: The drones’ purpose is to kill as few persons as possible while ending warfare as quickly as possible.. ..."

US, Afghanistan Use Art as Means for Peace

Jakarta Globe, Katie Jessup, February 27, 2013

Using theater and music are successful in bringing people together.
(Photo courtesy of www.afghanistannationalinstituteofmusic.org)

Sitting in Carnegie Hall in New York City, I experienced the sounds of the violin collaborating with the rumba and sarod, as the Afghanistan National Institute of Music performed with New York’s Scarsdale High School.

For many of the young students, this was an opportunity to share their love of music regardless of ethnicity, religion or culture; for everyone in attendance, this was opportunity to see Afghanistan’s musical talent re-emerge after years of being silenced under the Taliban.

On Feb. 12, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music kicked off a three-day tour performing with American high schools and youth orchestras in New York City, Boston and Washington DC. Presented by the Afghanistan Ministry of Education, young Afghans traveled from Kabul to share their musical talents on some of the most prestigious venues in the world, performing Western Classical and traditional Afghan music.

Founded by Ahmad Naser Sarmas, the institution seeks to rebuild embattled country's rich musical history, irrespective of gender, socio-economic status or ethnicity, starting with the children.

Events such as the one held in Carnegie Hall serve as an important reminder that while the two countries feel worlds away, taking advantage mutual similarities can break boundaries. Music has long been way of breaking down cultural barriers and provides an opportunity for cultural expression and sharing through peaceful means.

The performance at Carnegie Hall was not the first of its kind. After 9/11, New York’s Bond Street Theater traveled to a refugee camp in Pakistan, and began working with Afghan actors who escaped the abuses of the Taliban.

Bond Street Theater seeks to, "create innovative theater works … manifest theaters ability to illuminate social and environment themes … and to further intercultural understanding by initiating community arts projects … particularly in areas of conflict."

In 2005, the theater, in conjunction with the Afghan group Exile Theater, collaborated on a play called "Beyond the Mirror", depicting life in Afghanistan from 1979 until the US-led invasion. While the play is no longer running, and Exile Theater has since disbanded, "Beyond the Mirror" traveled globally, including to New York City, telling the story of Afghanistan’s hardships and connecting with people from different cultural backgrounds.

In Afghanistan, using art as means of reconciliation has already started to emerge in rebuilding Afghanistan’s own social fabric. Participatory theater, poetry classes and even graffiti groups are using art to focus on social, economic and corruption issues within the country.

One such anonymous group, Combat Communications, began using art as a way to give Afghan youth a voice to advocate and promote free expression. Bond Street Theater also continues their work in Afghanistan, providing opportunities for women to participate in theater in the male dominated society.

Since 2001, relations between Afghanistan the United States have been a tumultuous, and governments have been largely responsible in portraying American and Afghan dispositions towards one another. As drones have an ever- growing presence in Afghanistan and militants continue to target civilian populations, it’s important to understand that these actions are not representative of the populous of a nation.

It is for this reason that using theater and music are successful in bringing people together because it is a form of expression that resonates around the world transcending cultures and borders.

In times of war and conflict, communication can be fraught with harsh rhetoric and the American population has been particularly bombarded with this language by the media regarding their relations with Afghanistan.

It is easy to assume that we know a culture based off government wrongdoings or militant factions. However, drawing parallels between the two countries can strengthen relations better than the force of war; this is what the arts provide us.

Theater, music and the arts as a whole, is a creative and engaging way to spread culture, share history and find common interests between two countries who desperately need a peaceful resolution and understanding for one another.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

German President Gauck: human rights need protectors

Deutsche Welle, 25 February 2013



President Joachim Gauck has pledged German help in the fight for human rights in a speech at the UN's Human Rights Council. Gauck called fundamental human rights "the foundation of all human co-existence."

German President Joachim Gauck called for a global fight in favor of human rights in a major speech on Monday, saying that the issue should be pursued irrespective of a country's size or inernational standing.

Gauck said responsible countries should always stand up for the rights of individuals, "even if that sometimes means criticizing neighbors or friends," in an address to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

He also warned against turning a blind eye to abuses on cultural grounds, saying that "torture kills, injures and is never acceptable," irrespective of the victims' identities or where it takes place.

"For me, human rights remain the foundation of all human co-existence, the precondition for us to be able to use fulfil our incredible potential as people, to change our lives for the better," Gauck said. The German president also said human rights were "not just universal, but indivisible as well. Economic, social and cultural rights belong inseparably with political and civil freedoms." Gauck also stressed the importance of people and governments actively protecting and defending such rights.

Speaking from experience

A protestant pastor who grew up in former Communist East Germany, Gauck discussed his personal experiences with repression - and their positive conclusion that served as the springboard for the collapse of the Soviet Union.

"Along with many others, I witnessed how people who appeared powerless were able to bring about the fall of an all-controlling and repressive state, an entire regime, an empire," Gauck said.

Though Gauck named no specific countries in a speech that could have applied to a war-torn country like Syria, a major developing power like China or Russia, or NATO members like Germany or the US, he did offer direct praise to the UNHRC commission investigating human rights violations in Syria's civil war.

The UNHRC was founded in 2006 with the task of helping to uphold the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, first adopted in 1948. Though it can investigate and advise other UN bodies, the UNHRC cannot impose any sanctions or penalties.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Karzai orders US special forces out of Afghan province

BBC News, 24 February 2013

US forces see Wardak province, not far from Kabul, as strategically
significant

Taliban Conflict

The Afghan president has ordered US special forces to leave Wardak province within two weeks over allegations of disappearances and torture.

The measures were being taken due to the actions of Afghans considered to be part of US special forces, said a spokesman for Hamid Karzai.

The strategically significant, central province of Wardak has been the recent focus of counter-insurgency operations.

A US spokesman said it took all allegations of misconduct seriously.

But he said he could not comment specifically on this latest development.

In a hastily convened news conference, the presidential spokesman said US special forces would have to leave Wardak within the next two weeks.

"There are some individuals, some Afghans, who are working within these cells, within these [US] special forces groups" in Wardak province, said spokesman Aimal Faizi.

"But they are part of US special forces according to our sources and according to our local officials working in the province," he said.

These Afghan units are facing allegations of involvement torture and disappearances, says the BBC's Karen Allen in Kabul. A preliminary investigation also blamed them for beheading a university student in the province.

Wardak is seen as a gateway for the Taliban to target Kabul, our correspondent adds.

The accountability of US forces and local militia working with them has been a growing source of friction in Afghan-US relations.

A week ago, Mr Karzai banned Afghan forces from calling in foreign air strikes on residential areas, following the deaths of 10 civilians in a night raid in eastern Kunar province.

Mr Karzai gave a blunt statement for the reasons for the ban.

"Our forces ask for air support from foreigners and children get killed in an air strike," he said.


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“….   22. Beyond those myriad personal situations, beyond the civilian casualties in war zones, and beyond the financial burdens to the peoples whose nations are at war is the global emotional impact. It can be said that the condition coined post traumatic stress disorder is endemic to Earth. No one is immune to this battle energy that permeates your world, no one can escape the ravages that centuries of bloodshed have inured generation after generation to accept as humankind’s nature and lot in life. Yet, the fear of dying is just as pervasive, and that sets up a paradox that minds have to come to terms with. …" 



“ … There’s much violence and anger throughout the world; when we look at the Middle East, we can see that changes are coming there. The West has a lot of power over the Middle East, but that power will begin to dissolve. The Muslim people of this world will begin to have their own power, and their own prosperity, and they will begin to disconnect from the Western World. This disconnection doesn’t have to be violent as violence only happens when somebody hangs onto what doesn’t belong to them....

... What Military Energy means if we use an analogy: it would be like putting grinding paste into the oil of your motor car. Once you release these energies you will begin to feel lighter as you disconnect from this reality, and, you will find it easier and easier to release any other negative emotions. Military Energies are the core of all your problems...."

Michelle Obama's dance moves go viral on YouTube

Google - AFP, 24 February 2013

US President Barack Obama greets US First Lady Michelle after taking the
oath of office on January 21, 2013 (AFP/File, Emmanuel Dunand)

WASHINGTON — A video clip of First Lady Michelle Obama grooving with a dressed-in-drag Jimmy Fallon on his late-night comedy talk show has gone viral on YouTube.

In the video, the pair, each clad in conservative slacks and cardigans, and Fallon with a long brown-haired wig, perform a routine dubbed "Evolution of Mom Dancing," to promote Obama's "Let's Move!" youth fitness and nutrition campaign.

The dance moves -- with names like "The 'Go Shopping, Get Groceries,'" and "The 'Out of Sync Electric Slide'" according to titles splashed on the bottom of the screen -- progress from a simple side-to-side step and end with Fallon stalking off set as Obama rocks a smooth "Dougie."

Jimmy Fallon hosts "Late Night with 
Jimmy Fallon" on January 28, 2013
(Getty Images/AFP/File, Jamie
Mccarthy)
The clip, which has already been viewed more than 850,000 times since being posted Friday and "liked" more than 11,000 times, has prompted effusive comments about the first lady and her first family.

"For the first time... we have a first lady with soul," wrote zestydude87.

And Rina Lubit wrote, "it may be just me but i really love the presidential family. they just really seem like sincerely good and chill people."

In an interview later on the show, Obama rates her husband's dance skills a "B," saying "he's got, like, three good moves."

Obama also touts her "Let's Move!" campaign, saying it has seen progress since she launched it three years ago, but there is still work to do.

"Over the past three years, we've seen a culture shift. Now people understand that this is an issue," she said.

"We've got better lunches in the schools, we've got companies putting grocery stores in under-served communities. We've got our athletes, our Olympians, working to get our kids more active. It's really heartening to see."

Obesity is a major health problem in the United States, where one in three adults and almost one in five children is overweight.

Among other initiatives for "Let's Move," the first lady, an attorney by training, has planted the White House's first garden since World War II and written a book with healthy recipes.

On the Net:

Bumi: Rothschild defeated in battle to oust board

BBC News, 21 February 2013 

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Nathaniel Rothschild was hopeful of
 regaining control of Bumi, a company
he helped found
Financier Nathaniel Rothschild has lost his bid to oust the current board of coal mining giant Bumi, the company he helped to found.

Chairman Samin Tan survived a vote to remove him but informed the board he was stepping down.

Mr Rothschild had wanted to rejoin the company and expel 12 of the 14 board members, including the chief executive and chairman.

Shareholders rejected his attempts and voted to remove just two members.

Chief executive Nick von Schirnding also managed to keep his post, with more than 60% of votes cast in his favour at the London meeting.


The company said it would look for a new chairman "who has experience in, and is familiar to, the London market", according to a statement.

The two members who were ousted were Jean-Marc Mizrahi and Nalinkant Rathod.

Mr Rothschild set up Bumi with the influential Bakrie family, part of Indonesia's political and business elite, in 2011.

The deal was intended to offer international investors the chance to buy into natural resources assets in emerging markets while ensuring they were protected by UK market rules.

Fraud allegations

But the partnership, and relations with the Bakrie family, soured after Mr Rothschild called for a radical clean-up at the firm.

To make matters worse, he made allegations of potential misuse of development funds and other assets at the firm in September 2012.

Allegations of financial irregularities at Bumi's key Indonesian operating subsidiary, PT Bumi Resources - in which it owns 29% alongside the Bakrie family - first emerged that month, after Mr Rothschild received information from a whistleblower.

However, an investigation by legal firm Macfarlane, commissioned by the management of the London-listed parent company, said the evidence provided to Mr Rothschild comprised emails that had been obtained illegally.

Macfarlane said the claims that money intended to finance development of coal mines had been misappropriated could not be substantiated, in large part due to "the unwillingness of key parties to be interviewed and provide information".

Bumi's management said that it had referred the matter to the relevant authorities, including the Indonesian financial services authority, and the UK Serious Fraud Office.

Mr Rothschild quit the board in October.

Bumi's new chief executive, Mr Schirnding, has negotiated an amicable divorce with the Bakrie family, including the sale of its stake in PT Bumi Resources for $580m (£370m), and the family's divestment of its 24% in the London-listed company.

But the board warned that the deal would be scuppered if Mr Rothschild succeeded in retaking control of the company.

The company's share price has slumped 60% since it listed in 2011.




The company formed by the union of Bumi Resources and
Berau Coal Energy is looking to acquire coal mines around
the world and become a global giant, investor Nathaniel
Rothschild, left, said on Friday, Dec 17, 2010.




"... The Rothschild faction of the Illuminati, which governed its empire from London and the Vatican, lost its media foothold along with its other powers in that part of the world. A section of the Illuminati’s Rockefeller faction, headquartered in Washington, DC, and New York City, still has influence on major media in the US as well as on Wall Street; and their lingering foothold in Congress is evident in the intransigence that has stagnated progress. ..."

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Obama asks Supreme Court to scrap gay marriage ban

Google – AFP, Tangi Quemener (AFP), 23 February 2013 

Zoe Smith and Sunni Ryan at an event during the North Carolina primary on
May 14, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina (Getty Images/AFP/File, Sara D. Davis)

WASHINGTON — The Barack Obama administration took another step toward institutionalizing gay marriage, formally asking the US Supreme Court to strike down a 1996 law defining marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman.

The request was contained in a legal brief filed Friday with the US court, whose nine justices will next month review whether or not to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bans marriage between homosexuals.

The document marks the first time a president has endorsed same-sex marriage rights before the Supreme Court.

Richard Blanco reads a poem during the
 presidential inauguration ceremony in
 Washington, DC on January 21, 2013
(AFP/File, Jewel Samad)
According to the filing, the Defense of Marriage Act "violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection" before the law stipulated by the US Constitution.

DOMA "denies to tens of thousands of same-sex couples who are legally married under state law an array of important federal benefits that are available to legally married opposite-sex couples," read the brief signed by US Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.

The case before the Supreme Court involves Edith Windsor, a lesbian who married in Canada in 2007 but whose spouse and partner of 40 years died. She was required to pay more than $360,000 in federal estate taxes because she was not considered married under DOMA.

The White House position, however, came under fire from Republicans in the House of Representatives.

In a brief filed Friday, they insisted they have a legal right to defend the law in the Supreme Court in the absence of a defense from the executive branch.

Last month, 10 US senators urged the court to uphold the act and not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

Michelle Obama at an event co-hosted by
 the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund on
September 5,  2012 in North Carolina
(AFP, Brendan Smialowski)
All of these senators had voted for the Defense of Marriage Act and in a friend-of-the-court brief, they said it was inconsistent for the Justice Department to have assured Congress the law was constitutional while it was being crafted in the mid-1990s only to raise questions now.

"The time to speak was in 1996, when Congress gave careful consideration to the need for DOMA," they argued.

The Obama administration's decision to challenge the law comes as little surprise. Obama has signaled on various occasions recently that he is that he is in favor of gay marriage.

During his second inaugural address last month, the president drew parallels between the struggle for gay rights and the Civil Rights movement of past decades.

"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well," Obama said.

He also drew a parallel between several watershed struggles in US history: the landmark Seneca Falls convention in 1848; the 1960s civil rights battles; and the Stonewall riots of June 1969, which are widely seen as having launched the gay rights movement.

Obama's also chose gay poet Richard Blanco to read a specially composed poem at his second inauguration.

Rinaldo Americo impersonates Barack
Obama in  the Gay Parade on Rio de
Janeiro's Copacabana  Beach on October
9, 2011 (AFP/File, Vanderlei Almeida)
Already during his first term in 2011, Obama abolished the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy requiring military recruits to hide their homosexuality, or risk being expelled from the service.

In 2012, he became the first sitting US president to speak out in favor of gay marriage.

This past week, the Pentagon officially extended some military benefits to same-sex partners, but said services like medical coverage would not be offered to gay troops' spouses because of DOMA.

"One of the legal limitations to providing all benefits at this time is the Defense of Marriage Act, which is still the law of the land," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said.

About 17,000 same-sex couples in the armed forces were affected by the decision, including 5,600 active duty service members.

The effect of the DOMA law is to ban gay marriage at the federal level. After victories in several local referendums however, it is now legal in nine out of 50 US states and in Washington DC.

Related Article:


Washington State nuclear waste tanks 'leaking'

BBC News, 23 February 2013

Related Stories

Hanford is reportedly the most
contaminated nuclear site in the US
Six underground storage tanks at a nuclear site in the US state of Washington are leaking, authorities say.

Governor Jay Inslee described the situation at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation as "disturbing news".

But he stressed that there was no current risk to human health.

Nearly 200 ageing containers hold millions of litres of radioactive waste left from decades of plutonium production for nuclear weapons.

"There is no immediate or near-term health risk associated with these newly discovered leaks, which are more than five miles (8km) from the Columbia River," Mr Inslee said in a statement.

"But nonetheless this is disturbing news for all Washingtonians," he added.

Last week, a leak was reported in one of the storage tanks. Officials said it was leaking at a rate of up 300 gallons (1,136 litres) per year.

They said that monitoring that tests had not detected higher radiation levels near the tanks.

Established as part of the Manhattan Project in 1943, Hanford was home to the world's first full-scale plutonium production facility.

It was part of America's bid to build the world's first nuclear weapon during World War II.

The site produced the plutonium for the bomb that was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Production at Hanford continued until 1989.

Under a costly clean-up proposal, the waste will eventually be treated in a special plant. It will then be safely disposed of underground in stainless steel canisters.



"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) (Text version) 

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”