Capitalism: Black Friday Poopy Brown

I can prescribe you toxic pharmaceutical Gila
monster venom, poison we call a GLP-1 drug

It's interesting, isn't it, how our English words "waste" and "waist" are homonyms? What goes on our waistline butt our excess? Why do we have so much excess that we have to carry it around like baggage? Could it be systemic? That is to say, could it be because of a system working upon us rather than the way we are told to think of it, which is just personally problematic? For instance, what does "mortgage" mean? You know that thing that will get you a house? It literally means "death pledge," because we make a "pledge" (gage) to keep paying until we die (mort as in mortician). There goes our whole life.

• We shop at ZenMarket.jp but Temu.com is next

There is a rebellious punk rock song by Deadly Reign promoted by the Dead Kennedys' Alternative Tentacles Records (a subsidiary of Jello Biafra, Unincorporated) that has the refrain, "Systems suck, system's f*ck*ed, systems suck, okay?" (from Not So Quiet on the Western Front). And the DKs have a song called "Life Sentence" about the way we've mortgaged our lives away.

Black Friday: Howard Zinn (Democracy Now!)

Guest Howard Zinn, Host Amy Goodman (democracynow.org), 11/25/22; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Black Friday in Houston is no longer the chaotic crowd we're used to

(KHOU 11) Nov. 25, 2022. Fresh off a dead turkey hangover, Houstonians hit the stores on capitalist Black Friday looking to snag deep "discounts" on consumer goods they don't need.. More: khou.com/article/life/hol...

But what if it's a killer sale? What if it's a massive discount? Then shop?

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Cashless Society = End of Freedom (video)

The_Hated-One (video) via Daniel M. Ingram (twitter.com); Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

A cashless society seems like an inevitable progression into an easier, faster, and more convenient future. But this course of action comes at a huge cost of losing privacy and anonymity...

When Jill gave up single-use plastic

Jill Replogle (laist.com, Feb. 1, 2019); Ashley Wells, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

My so-called "plastic-free" life. I tried it for a month. Here's what happened...

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Single-use plastic (Jill Replogle/LAist)

My family of four gave up single-use plastic for the month of January. I mean, our execution wasn't perfect, but we gave it a good shot.

Why did we do it? We did it because 450 years-to-never is the estimated time it takes for some plastics to break down in the environment -- and because scientists estimate more than 18 billion pounds of plastic winds up in our ocean every year.

Microplastics have been found in the air we breathe and the water we drink. It's been found in the stomachs of deep sea creatures, birds, and turtles. It pollutes beaches and rivers and, well, just about every ecosystem on earth.

And while recycling is great, as plastic waste researcher Jenna Jambeck says, "The most sustainable thing you can do is not generate the trash in the first place."

Plastic has many important uses, no doubt. But covering the plastic fork that I didn't need in the first place is not one of them, at least not for us.

So we tried going cold on single-use plastic during the month of January. Here's how it went. More

• Going vegetarian is best thing to do for environment
• There are so many vegan cheeses available now
• Surprisingly vegan cereals at the grocery store
• Californians survey damage from historic floods
• PG&E utility is probable cause of California fire
  
• Peta2 becomes PETA.com
• DOJ: No civil rights charge in deadly Tulsa police shooting — DOJ claims it does not have enough evidence for federal civil rights charges against a white female killer cop who shot an unarmed black man to death
• Gay Vegas headliner faints at 20-year sentence for possession of child porn

What is DEBT? You'll be surprised (audio)

Pat Macpherson, Amber Larson, Wisdom Quarterly; Sonali Kolhatkar (Pacifa Radio, KPFK Los Angeles, KPFA Berkeley) with David Graeber, author of Debt: The First 5,000 Years

My eyes may be the color of diarrhea, but that doesn't mean I'm a s---head (Tadolf Swiftler)

Jewish racism in America: promoting Islamophobia and fear (uprisingradio.org)

• AUDIO: KPFK FM Archives, Friday, Sept. 26, 8:00 am
• DEBT: rebroadcast from 2012

Debt (mhpbooks.com)

This is one of Uprising Radio's most popular interviews: David Graeber -- author, Occupy activist, and anthropologist -- on his acclaimed book Debt: The First 5000 Years.

In it Graeber shows how debt and debt-forgiveness have been at the center of social and political debates across the world and have given rise to innumerable violent uprisings.

He explores the history of money and credit and how societies have been divided into creditors and debtors. More

Bradley Manning courts martial begins

Wisdom Quarterly

US war crimes whistle blower Pfc. Bradley Manning, an intelligence analyst for the US Army, formally went on trial today. He is no longer facing capital punishment (death) for revealing otherwise accessible news to WikiLeaks. The military-industrial complex will not rest until Manning has gone insane (which he may already be after more than a year of carefully orchestrated torture in maximum security awaiting trial) and Julian Assange has been retaliated against for embarrassing the military as it prosecutes wars of empire and greed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The secrets WikiLeaks tried to leak were frustrated by the mainstream media, US spying apparatuses (targeting their site with denial of service attacks, sophisticated infiltration, and quasi-legal surveillance tactics), and PayPal/credit card service companies. Moreover, Pres. Obama, Commander and Chief of the US military, has already illegally declared Manning guilty prior to trial.

• Bradley Manning's formal arraignment begins
  
• What did Manning reveal? (codepinkalert.org)
  
• Military legal matters: Courts martial explained

A Brief History (RT.com)

WikiLeaks: public enemy number one?
What began as a formidable journalistic tool in the fight against injustice appears to be turning into an out-of-control machine.

Manning, WikiLeaks making headlines again
The man accused of blowing the whistle on the US war on Afghanistan is 22-year-old Pfc. Bradley Manning. Arrested in Iraq on May 29, he was held in solitary confinement then transferred to Quantico, Virginia.

Bradley Manning: Cruel and unusual punishment?
P.J. Crowley resigned his post as State Department spokesman after he came under fire for his controversial comments regarding Pfc. Manning’s Pentagon mistreatment.

US Diplomat slams treatment of Manning
US Dept. of State Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley said Manning's treatment at the hands of the Dept. of Defense “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid.”
Obama: The anti-transparency president
Candidate Obama pledged to have the most transparent administration in history. President Obama instead abuses his authority to crack down on those who expose government wrongdoing.
Manning stripped naked, left in cell for hours
He was stripped naked and left on the floor of his cell for seven hours, claims his lawyer.
Manning faces more charges, death penalty
US military officially adds 22 new charges, including aiding the enemy.

PayPal cuts off Bradley Manning support group
Online payment service PayPal has allegedly frozen the account of Courage to Resist, an organization dedicated to raising funds in support of US Army Pfc. Bradley Manning.
US Internet freedom hypocrisy
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls on world to respect Internet freedom as Justice Department targets WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
Assange may face death, Manning kept in solitary
WikiLeaks' founder’s extradition hearing in London will determine whether he will be sent to Sweden as Manning sits in solitary confinement.

In Assange limelight Manning almost forgotten
Julian Assange conducts interviews from house in England as Manning sits in solitary confinement on a US military base.
Bradley Manning: American hero or villain?

Public Enemy?

A very un-Buddhist Xmas (video)

Occupy San Diego occupies Wal-Mart to enlighten holiday shoppers.

Cyber Monday (the online Black Friday) arrives after reports of a record breaking "sales season." Meanwhile, the Occupy Movement reminds consumers to abandon conspicuous consumption and consumer debt. The banks rule by police state actions as a last resort. Their first resort is seducing customers into needless purchases (brandwashing) and hopeless debt. Even Duncan Royale Hotei-osho can't be happy as the spiral of debt-and-new-consumption continues. If we must shop because it is our addiction, shop local!

• History of Buddhist Japan's Santa Hotei
• OccupyTogether.org
  

Piggy Bank of America caves in: No $5 fee

(mccarthysweekly-paxvobiscum.blog)

(WP) In a rare reversal, Bank of America announced today that it will drop a highly criticized fee for customers who swipe their debit cards. The bank had intended to begin charging the $5 fee next year, citing new federal regulations that it says have hurt its bottom line. But the debit charge drew a torrent of fury from customers, lawmakers, and even Pres. Obama. Faced with consumer backlash, Wells Fargo recently abandoned its own testing of a fee. Regions Bank and SunTrust have also dropped their charges. More

• Debt plan for Greece to fall hardest on locals
• Commerce Dept. revokes $80M Internet stimulus grant
• Fed mulls how to share its goals

(costofwar.com/en)

Bad Credit: Not Just for Loans Anymore

Tim Chen (U.S. News & World Report)
We all know that bad credit shows up on the FICO score, raising interest rates or putting loans out of reach. But the damage isn't just confined to your credit score. Here are some unexpected ways that bad credit can come back to bite you. [Work, insurance, cell phones, apartment rentals, utilities:]

WORK: Employers can buy a "consumer report" from a credit reporting agency. The report doesn't include your credit score, but does include a lot of information you wouldn't expect: your driving and criminal records, as well as interviews with your family, friends, neighbors and known associates. And if you went bankrupt more than seven years ago and your salary tops $75,000, the reporting agency can divulge your credit history. More>>

• PHOTOS: 12 Money Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
• Distractions: Madonna vs. Lady Gaga
• VIDEO Italian women protest PM's harem scandal
• VIDEO: Italian PM has harsh words for the Pope
• Money for science in Bad Obama's budget plan:

(LiveScience.com)

WikiLeaks jailed in UK for Swedish sex case

Circus continues as US allies help plug The Leak

Wanted for questioning on trumped up Swedish sex charges, Julian Assange turns himself in in Britain. If the US adopted Swedish legal definitions, many common US dating behaviors would suddenly be felonies.

Cassandra Vinograd, Raphael G. Satter (AP)
LONDON – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested and jailed without bail Tuesday in a sex-crimes investigation. But his organization scarcely missed a beat, releasing a new batch of the secret cables that U.S. officials say are damaging America's security and relations worldwide.

A month after dropping out of public view, the 39-year-old Australian surrendered to Scotland Yard to answer a warrant issued for his arrest by Sweden. He is wanted for questioning after two women accused him of having sex with them without a condom and without their consent.

Assange said he would fight extradition to Sweden, setting the stage for what could be a pitched legal battle. And as if to prove that it can't be intimidated, WikiLeaks promptly released a dozen new cables, including details of a NATO defense plan for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that made Russia bristle.

Leaders at the US Dept. of War (DoD) fit the definition of warlords. But never mind. The White House will not cave in to warlords -- no matter what WikiLeaks reveals.

The Pentagon welcomed Assange's arrest: "That sounds like good news to me," U.S. [War and former CIA] Secretary Robert Gates said on a visit to Afghanistan.

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson insisted Assange's arrest and the decision Tuesday by both Visa and MasterCard to stop processing donations to the group "will not change our operation." Hrafnsson said the organization has no plans yet to make good on its threat to release en masse some of its most sensitive U.S. documents if it comes under attack. More>>

• House passes "Dream Act" immigration bill
• House Democrats push through massive budget bill
• Hackers strike at MasterCard to support WikiLeaks
• House blocks US trial of Guantanamo detainees
• WH warns tax defeat could trigger new recession
• US military leader chides China over NKorea crisis

Pres. J.F. Kennedy on Why We Need WikiLeaks

News of the Day: Tops Stories

Simple steps to stay private online

New twists in the Miranda rights process

New credit-card traps target consumers

Solar eruption could trigger light show

Space station suffers system failure

High-tech video cameras catch lightning's fury

Ten Top Stories Today

Yahoo! News and Assorted Agencies

New aerial photos of 9/11 released
In the best "surprise" attack ever filmed, new images are revealed of the WTC collapse taken from an NYPD helicopter for the first time. Get mad all over again; support US wars all over the world. - Story behind the images - See more of the photos

Ancient man's genes reveal surprises
DNA from a Greenlander who died 4,000 years ago helps answer questions about our ancestors' shocking origin. - His balding issues - Stuttering gene found

Credit card moves to make before Feb. 22
New regulations may bring new fees, like a $100 annual charge even with great credit. Dormancy fee - Credit CARD Act of 2009 - Credit blunders to avoid


6 personality traits worth cultivating
These qualities may be rare, but one expert says they're the ones she admires most. Keys to good character - How to spot toxic friends - Tips for living longer

Yoga moves to do anytime, anywhere
Get the benefits of yoga even while at a desk or in the kitchen, or in bed right before retiring to sleep. Four easy poses - Quick ways to relax - Types of yoga - Natural back-pain relief

Sorority's strict fashion rules are leaked
An Ivy League sorority's manual forbids cheap leggings, watches with timers, and much more. Blogger offended - Dog mugged for coat - Newspaper ballgowns

Why you may be struggling with weight
Using large plates and not chewing food well can add inches to your waistline. "Overweight" behaviors to avoid - 4 restaurant secrets - Shave off 100 calories - Daily water intake

Psychiatric diagnoses may be renamed
There's a new twist to how drug companies and insurers will decide what's a "mental disorder" — and what's not. Controversial proposals - "R-word" political fallout - Colors and emotions

"Sixth Sense" director talks "Airbender"
The Dalai Lama fights the Chinese Empire in this suspenseful "fantasy" film by master M. Night Shyamalan, who explains what inspired him. See trailer - "The Last Airbender"

Atheism's true believers gather
Atheists oppose the extremism that sometimes characterizes their religious counterparts. They do not believe in shoving views down throats, mistrust group-think, are suspicious of institutions, and unlike their believer brethren, atheists are not joiners.

Sri Lanka may become the new "Hong Kong"

Cherian Thomas

June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Sri Lanka’s economy can bounce back from its weakest growth in six years and become the “Hong Kong of India” as the end of almost three decades of civil war boosts business opportunities, HSBC Private Bank said.

Decades of fighting on the Indian Ocean island shackled its $32 billion economy, which according to figures released yesterday expanded 1.5 percent last quarter from a year earlier as the global recession intensified the slowdown. Ports, retailers, apparel and tea exporters could lead a recovery after the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated last month.

“The rebound will be spectacular,” said Arjuna Mahendran, the Singapore-based chief investment strategist for Asia at HSBC Private Bank, which oversees $494 billion in assets. “To start with, Sri Lanka’s location gives its port a natural advantage.”

Lanka could benefit from its proximity to India, just as Hong Kong profits from being a trade hub to China. Sri Lanka lies just 31 kilometers (19 miles... More>>

• Russia and China urge N. Korea to return to negotiating table
• EPA declares health emergency in contaminated Montana town
• VIDEO: Disgruntled online dater sues site for emotional harm

Bailouts for credit card debt
Credit card companies are settling some accounts for much less than the amount owed. Sometimes for half

Rape and Finances

Warren Buffett, last year's "richest man in the world" (Forbes Magazine), lost billions for Berkshire Hathaway investors

The Buddha warned against rape. Using an example of infernal torment for the village practice of taking individuals forcibly, he made sure the audience understood the heavy karmic consequences of allowing sensual desire to rule one's life even for a short time.

Unfortunately, rape is a common war time practice. It has been used systematically as a weapon. It is even observed among animals (e.g., lions). It is thought to be engaged in by otherwise conscientious soldiers. It is made possible because of the very common practice of dehumanizing the opponent. One ethnic group or culture demonizes and ridicules another; its soldiers fight; war crimes ensue.

• Austrian Incest Rapist pleads guilty
• Tamils decry Sri Lankan "genocide" (AFP)

This debasement leads to the conclusion that things done to them don't count or at least don't hold the weight that doing them to one's in-group would hold.

Rape talks place in other ways, of course. There is financial rape: denuding others through usury and business fraud. Are your creditors cheating you?

• Credit card companies drop limits, so that you're over-the-limit, then fines you
• Rape in the Congo's civil war
• AIG gives execs bonuses

HEAL Africa: healafrica.org
American Bar Association: abanet.org