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Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Offers Musical Road Map
The Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter recently hosted GRAMMY GPS: A Road Map For Today's Music Biz at the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. Held in conjunction with the university's Joel A. Katz Music & Entertainment Business Program, the event brought together a panel of music industry professionals to discuss topics such as vocal technique, producing/engineering, music supervision, and the indie music sector.
The event kicked off with a panel exploring the field of music supervision, moderated by Guild of Music Supervisors co-founder Maureen Crowe. Featured panelists included music supervisors PJ Bloom, Guild of Music Supervisors co-founder at partner at Neophonic; Joel C. High, founder, Creative Control Entertainment; and Alexandra Patsavas, owner, Chop Shop Music Supervision.
"It's not just [about] listening to music, finding music or working with composers [and] producers," said Bloom. "It's about the facilitation of these creative ideas that we have."
The MusiCares Vocal Tech Workshop was moderated by vocal coach/producer and former Recording Academy Trustee Jan Smith and featured Dr. Michael Johns, founder and director of the Emory Voice Center; Kelly Price, GRAMMY-nominated artist and former Chapter Governor; and Ed Roland, lead vocalist/guitarist for Collective Soul.
"Taking care of yourself and resting properly is as much a part of the job as singing the songs, [performing and] writing music," said Price.
The Producers & Engineers Wing panel was moderated by P&E Wing Senior Executive Director Maureen Droney and featured producers Mike Clink (Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses), Ken "Duro" Ifill (Sean "Diddy" Combs, Alicia Keys) and Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young (Beyoncé, Jay-Z).
"A great vocal starts before I even hit the record button," said Clink. "I take time to work with an artist and look over the lyrics and I challenge [them] to make sure they're saying everything the best way they can say it."
The final panel, titled Indie Revolution, was moderated by A2IM President Richard Bengloff and featured Deerhunter drummer/keyboardist Moses Archuleta, hip-hop artist Aleon Craft, Redeye Distribution co-owner and Yep Rock Records co-founder Tor Hansen, and folk/rock artist and founder of Mpress Records Rachael Sage.
"I've always been the kind of artist who wanted to have a say in every single aspect of what I was doing," said Sage. "But what I look for now in other artists is that they believe in their work."
GRAMMY GPS: A Road Map For Today's Music Biz is a GRAMMY Professional Development Event that brings together music industry participants in an educational setting to offer their valuable knowledge to the community. The event offers attendees rare access to key individuals while learning tangible skills that can be used in the pursuit of a career in the music business.


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Rice- 2 cups (do not use parboiled rice)
Jaggery or Sugar-2 cups
Ghee-2 cups
Salt to taste
Soak the rice in water overnight.
Remove water and pound the rice to make powder.
The Rice has to be ground but not too fine.
Take 1 cup of water and add the sugar or jaggery and heat it.
Keep stirring it until you get a slightly sticky consistency.
Add the rice powder slowly into the sticky misture and keep stirring on low fire until you get a dough like consistency.
Heat ghee in a bowl.
Make small round shape from the dough with your hand while it is still warm.
Deep fry them in low fire until they turn brown on both sides.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bartman tangles with a new villain when a bleary-eyed Kwik-E clerk has a freak accident with a hot dog warmer, transforming him into the eight-baby-wielding Dr. Octuplets. Then, the Springfield Elementary girl's basketball team is headed for the city championship until its star player, Lisa Simpson, gets injured. How far will Principal Skinner go to beat the team from Shelbyville?
by Boothby, Rankine, Zakour, Delaney, Ortiz, DeCarlo, Pepoy


text: Firearm Safety for Parents and Caregivers Did you know… Guns are in more than one third of all U.S. households? They're a very real danger to children, whether you own one or not. Of the 192 million firearms owned in the United States, 65 million are handguns? Research shows guns in homes are a serious risk to families. A gun kept in the home is far more likely to kill someone known to the family than to kill or injure a household member than kill or injure an intruder? A gun kept in the home triples the risk of homicide? The risk of suicide is five times more likely if a gun is kept in the home? Use these tips to ensure that you and the children in your care are safe from firearms: Children should not have access to firearms. Even if you don't own a gun, chances are your friends or neighbors do. That's why it's important to talk to kids about the potential dangers of guns, and what to do if they find one. Gun owners should always store firearms (including BB or pellet guns) unloaded and locked up, out of reach of children. Ammunition should be locked in a separate location, also out of reach of children. Quality safety devices, such as gun locks, lock boxes or gun safes, should be used for every gun kept in the home. Keep gun storage keys and lock combinations hidden in a separate location. Parents should talk to children about the hazards of gun use. Teach them never to touch or play with guns, and to tell an adult if they find a gun. Check with neighbors, friends and relatives or adults in any other homes where children may visit to ensure they follow safe storage practices if firearms are in their homes. For more information, please visit the following websites: Free Firearm Safety Brochure KidsHealth Tips for Talking to Your Child Project ChildSafe Firearm Safety Kit


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Despite being up against the crusading Parents Television Council (PTC), the executives at "S#*! My Dad Says" are standing behind their sitcom show's title.
In a move that has forced the creators to go on the defensive, and proper journalists to use synonyms, the PTC issued a warning about the show's title to 300 advertisers, according to EW.com
They urged the advertisers not to buy commercials on the sitcom because that would make them "complicit in the effort to serve up excrement in front of children and families."
The show title is written with the punctuation to blot out a common swear word and is actually meant to be pronounced "Bleep."
This has the PTC all riled up.
Don't these people watch prime television? There are so many other blatant violations of family value exploitation around them. Besides, the show features William Shatner and nothing is more family values than than this acting icon playing a gruff father who doles out salty wisdom.
Shatner naturally supports the harder title. No hiding it. "You know what I wish? I wish they'd call it 'Sh--,'" Shatner said recently.
Max Mutchnick, co-creator and executive producer of the show, said he is all about holding his ground.
"As a parent, it is my opinion that the Parent Television Council has much more important s--t to focus on that the title of a sitcom called 'Bleep My Dad Says,' " Mutchnick told the website.


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Vampires and Tuberculosis: A Neighborly Cure Goes Vampiric
Long before vampires were glittering sex gods — back when we were deathly afraid of them — much of vampire lore was rooted in pre-industrial cultural ignorance of the physiology of death and decomposition. So before Tuberculosis was fully understood by the populations affected by it, victims of the silent wasting syndrome were believed to have fallen prey to evil entities such as vampires.
In fact, this misapprehension precipitated vampire panics, such as the notorious Mercy Brown incident of 1892. After several members of the Brown clan of Rhode Island fell to consumption, the community performed exhumations to inspect the deceased for traces of vampiric possession. When it was discovered that the heart of Mercy Brown still contained some blood in it, she was declared undead. Ignoring that the frozen ground she was buried in sustained the organ like a meat locker, her heart was removed, burned and made into an elixir to feed another stricken family member. Edwin Brown died two months later.


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"Susan and Paul's Wedding + Muckenthaler Mansion = Awesome"
Even though we shot a wedding just two weeks prior to this one at the Muckenthaler Mansion, this one is vastly different from the other. I would be daft if I said it weren't partly due to that we cater to our clients needs and shoot differently for each couple. The other part that plays a huge roll in the difference is the couple themselves and how the wedding goes. It just amazes me that we can shoot in the same location and have a different end product.
One Word...Hilarious
When I first met Paul, I don't think I was fully ready for how hilarious he was. Most everything that came from his general direction was laughably funny. But to his defense, Paul knew when it wasn't appropriate to be cracking jokes, especially on his wedding day. You could tell though, that Susan adored even the stupid jokes that Paul told, they definitely make a cute married couple.
Déjà vu
As I had already mentioned, we shot here not two weeks before this wedding. Additionally I had mentioned in the other post that my wife and I actually got married at the Muckenthaler Mansion. But the icing on the cake was that Zach of Zach Hodges Photography shot this wedding, but also shot our wedding. Needless to say, I was walking around not remembering if I was shooting the wedding or getting married. Ok maybe not, but it was causing some serious flashbacks!
This wedding all in all, was really heart felt, which is how a wedding should be...a roller coaster of emotions if you will. A handful of couples want to make sure we capture the high energy of the day, but 10, 20, 30 years from now they are going to really want to see the raw emotion that took place.
"...a roller coaster of emotions if you will."
We do our best to capture what happens the day of the wedding. In most cases we get things that most people don't see, what they will want to remember a long time from now. And that is yet another thing that I like to think sets us apart.
End With A Call To Action
Make sure and leave a comment below or in the facebook section to the top right.
Also subscribe to our blog to keep up to date with what's going on! RSS or Email
P.S. Don't forget to check out the photos over on Zach's Blog.


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Health Information Exchange (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organization (RHOI) Resources
HIE and RHIO Advocacy & Public Policy Information Technology
A health information exchange (HIE) is defined as the mobilization of healthcare information electronically across organizations within a region, community or hospital system. The goal of an HIE is to facilitate access to and retrieval of clinical data to provide safe, timely, efficient, effective and equitable patient-centered care. An HIE is also useful to Public Health authorities to assist in analyses of the health of the population.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) maintains updated information on HIE news, advocacy and public policy information, technology and resources. Resources include audio recordings outlining the 2009 outlook for healthcare IT (HCIT) grants funding, a healthcare job mine and upcoming HCIT conferences. Formal organizations are now emerging to provide both form and function for HIE efforts. These organizations (often called Regional Health Information Organizations or RHIOs) are geographically-defined entities which develop and manage a set of contractual conventions and terms, arrange for the means of electronic exchange of information, and develop and maintain HIE standards. Learn the latest information about HIEs and RHIOs by clicking "Download Whitepaperr" to request the URL to this resource.
Additional Whitepapers
- How Does the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) Impact the Hospital and Healthcare Industry
Patient Safety
- Presentation on Patient Safety: Achieving A New Standard for Care (Institute of Medicine Committee on Data Standards for Patient Safety November, 2003)
- The JCAHO Patient Safety Event - Taxonomy: A Standardised Terminology and Classification Schema for Near Misses and Adverse Events


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Gooey chocolate cherry cookies
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
Nutrition: per cookie
- kcal186
- fat11g
- saturates6g
- carbs23g
- sugars14g
- fibre1g
- protein2g
- salt0.13g
- 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 85g light muscovado sugar
- 85g golden caster sugar
- 1 egg
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition packed with protein and a…
- 225g self-raising flour
- 50g plain chocolate, 50-70% cocoa, roughly chopped
- 50g white chocolate, roughly chopped
White chocolatewhy-t chok-lit
To purists, this is not chocolate because it is made only from the fat or butter of the cacao…
- 85g natural colour glacé cherry, roughly chopped
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Beat the butter, sugars and egg until smooth, then mix in the flour, chocolates and cherry pieces and ½ tsp salt. Spoon onto non-stick baking sheets in large rough blobs – you'll get 20 out of this mix. Make sure they are well spaced as the cookies grow substantially as they bake. The raw dough can be frozen.
Bake for 12-14 mins until just golden, but still quite pale and soft in the middle. If baking from frozen, give them a few mins more. Cool on the sheets for 5 mins, then lift onto racks with a fish slice and leave to cool completely.
Recipe Tip
Other flavoursTry swapping the cherries for sour cherries, nuts or even more chocolate.


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May 17, 2013 Library of Congress and Mid-Atlantic Public Libraries Announce Summer Essay Contest
Rising 5th and 6th Graders Asked to Write About "A Book That Shaped Me"
Press Contact: Lola Pyne, (202) 707-3128
The Library of Congress today announced a summer essay contest in conjunction with public libraries in the Mid-Atlantic region encouraging rising 5th and 6th grade students to reflect on books that have made a personal impact on their lives.
The "A Book That Shaped Me" Summer Writing Contest is administered as part of summer reading programs at participating public libraries in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Prizes will be awarded and top winners will be invited to present their essays during a special presentation at the Library of Congress National Book Festival Sept. 21 and 22 on the National Mall.
Students entering 5th and 6th grades in the fall of 2013 are eligible. Essays, focused on a single book, should be one page in length and must be submitted with an entry form, in person, at participating public library locations.
"A Book That Shaped Me" will award prizes to five finalists and one winner per state, and to three overall grand-prize winners. The three grand-prize winners will be selected by a panel of judges assembled by the Library of Congress including educators, children's authors, and Library of Congress staff.
Submission forms are available at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center in the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St S.E., Washington, DC. or at participating public library locations. The list of participating libraries, more information, and program updates will be available at www.loc.gov/bookfest/kids-teachers/booksthatshape/.
Launched in 2012 with the DC Public Library, "A Book That Shaped Me" is expanding throughout the Mid-Atlantic region in its second year with the help of public libraries in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. More than 270 public libraries are registered to participate. Public library systems in these states may sign up through May 31, 2013 by contacting firstname.lastname@example.com for program details.
The Library announced the expansion of the contest as part of its Children's Book Week event featuring Fred Bowen, KidsPost sportswriter and author of books for young people. Children's Book Week is sponsored by the Children's Book Council, which is a reading promotion partner of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.
Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.


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Click for larger image
Killswitch Engage
Incarnate CD + T-Shirt Bundle
Price as configured: $0.00
- Details
This bundle features the Incarnate CD and the Incarnate T-Shirt. Tracklist below.
1. Alone I Stand
2. Hate By Design
3. Cut Me Loose
4. Strength Of The Mind
5. Just Let Go
6. Embrace The Journey…Upraised
7. Quiet Distress
8. Until The Day
9. It Falls On Me
10. The Great Deceit
11. We Carry On
12. Ascension
Please visit our FAQs page to see if your question has already been answered.
There is a link to our contact us form at the bottom if you still need your question answered.


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Scholar Who Brought Obama Into Chicago Law School Held Top Intelligence Clearance
Jurriaan Maessen
August 31, 2012
Around the time former federal judge Michael McConnell lobbied Obama into a teaching position at Chicago Law School, he held top military- and intelligence clearance, reporting directly to Presidents Reagan and Bush on the "legality of US intelligence operations."
By his own admission, constitutional scholar Michael W. McConnell- ironically a current "Reaganite for Romney" and fierce opponent of Obamacare- lobbied to get Barack Obama to lecture at Chicago Law School- in effect launching his lecturing career at the University- which in itself turned out to be the platform from which he was catapulted into the US Senate and by extension, the Presidency.
"We had the opportunity of chatting quite a bit", McConnell told the Deseret News in 2011. "and I knew he was planning to return to the south side of Chicago," McConnell said. "It just seemed like a natural (fit) to connect him with the law school."
The article goes on to say that it might sound curious for a known and very esteemed conservative constitutional scholar to handpick a young, at that time unknown liberal for a teaching position at the Chicago Law School, were it not for the fact that McConnell throughout his career "has demonstrated a propensity for gravitating toward interesting assignments and compelling individuals."
"In a vacuum, McConnell's interaction with Obama could seem somewhat extraordinary", the article explains, "but playing an integral role in the ascension of a future president of the United States cannot be considered mere coincidence when placed within the greater context of McConnell's career.".
McConnell's career is indeed great. Widely regarded as the preeminent constitutional scholar on the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses, McConnell has successfully argued in defense of the United States constitution, most notably signing a statement in support of a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
Speaking of the greater context mentioned, the article brings attention to McConnell's position as one of three members of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board (PIOB). On November 29 1988 president Ronald Reagan announced his intention to appoint Michael W. McConnell to the Oversight Board (mention of his membership of this exclusive, appointment-only oversight board by the way is completely absent from his Wikipedia page).
In his capacity of member of this particular oversight board, McConnell enjoyed top secret military clearance for the period of no less than two years. From 1988 to 1990, under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush respectively, McConnell "reported directly to the Commander in Chief", advising the Executive Branch on the legality of US intelligence operations at home and abroad. And it seems that McConnell's credentials were greatly appreciated, as he went on to serve as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit from 2002 to 2009. In addition, McConnell's name appeared on the short list of candidates for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court on two separate occasions.
An Illinois law publication (On page 33 of the May 1990 edition of Illinois Issues) mentions some of the Intelligence Oversight Board's functions:
"(…) the board monitors government intelligence activities to ensure compliance with U.S. law and the Constitution. The board meets every other month and reports to the U.S. attorney general. Members are appointed by the president and receive expenses only."
The publication goes on to say that "Gov. James R. Thompson is in line for a seat on President George Bush's Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB). He will join new appointee Amos Jordan of the Center for International Strategic Studies and current men Michael W. McConnell, assistant professor at the University of Chicago's law school, on the three-member board."
Only one paragraph before the one mentioning McConnell in relation to the PIOB, a familiar name pops up:
"Barak Obama (misspelling preserved), formerly a community organizer on Chicago's far south side, was elected president of the Harvard Law Review by its 80 editors on February 5 (1990). Currently a resident of Somerville, Mass., Obama entered Harvard's law school in 1988. The first African American to head the Review, he said in a February 9 PBS interview that he wants to make it a forum for liberal, conservative and minority perspectives. His future plans include the practice of law for a few years and a return to the inner city as either an organizer or a politician."
Obama of course chose the latter. This little biography is interesting as Obama quite openly stated he is interested in practicing law only for a few years, after which he is determined to pursue a career as politician or organizer. As this quote dates from May of 1990, McConnell must have been aware that attracting Obama into Chicago Law School would only mean having him on board for a couple of years after which the bird would certainly ascend to greater heights. In reality, Obama hung around a bit longer than just a few years, combining the job with his senate position.
Most interestingly, McConnell attracted the young Barack Obama in his dual role as law scholar at the Law School and member of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board. Around the time he successfully convinced the Law School's former dean Douglas Baird to approach Barack Obama for a permanent teaching position, McConnell- lecturing off and on- held top military and intelligence clearance- including, we may speculate, into operations assessing individuals with future political aspirations- which after all is an integral part of the intelligence communities since the 1950s.
In 2009, Robin Mordfin tells us something regarding the details in the Chicago Law School's Alumni Magazine:
"The future President came to the attention of the Law School when Michael McConnell, '79, a professor at the Law School at the time who is now a federal judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, told then-Dean Baird about an impressive editor at the Harvard Law Review who was doing an excellent job editing McConnell's submission. Baird reached out to Obama and asked him about teaching. Having already made plans to write a book on voting rights after graduation, Obama refused the offer. So Baird took a different approach and offered him a Law and Government Fellowship, which would allow him to work on his book and would perhaps lead him to develop an interest in teaching. Obama accepted the offer and began the fellowship in the fall of 1991."
A 2008 article in the New York Times states that Obama was offered his position on little more than editing-suggestions he made on one of McConnell's articles as published in the Harvard Law Review. The notion that mere "editing suggestions on an article" would be enough motivation for Baird and McConnell to go out of their way to bring the young lawyer on board is, on face value, absurd. The additional fact that Obama insisted on writing his book on university payroll has also raised eyebrows, especially given the fact that back then, Barack Obama was still only a young man at the start of his career. For some reason McConnell and the Chicago Law School's Dean were eager enough to offer young Barack a Government Fellowship, allowing him to quietly continue on with his book, hoping he- as Mordfin writes, might "develop an interest in teaching."
An unprecedented thing, from whatever angle you approach the affair. The affair becomes somewhat more understandable when we view this history in light of McConnell's appointment to the highly exclusive President's Intelligence Oversight Board- a position in which McConnell was authorized to investigate the most top-secret activities in American intelligence operations. Of course, McConnell was and is bound by confidentiality and cannot disclose anything classified above the level of "restricted". The fact that he now openly, even loudly opposes the president's constitutional violations perhaps is a sign that the Law Scholar tries to make amends for the role he played in Obama's ascension.
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Illinois ranks third among states in the number of times federal officials suspended payments to a nursing home over serious deficiencies, according to federal data compiled by ProPublica, an independent nonprofit investigative news organization.
In the past three years, payments from Medicare and/or Medicaid were suspended 91 times at 78 homes, a step taken when deficiencies at a facility are so serious that regulators press for immediate improvements.
In two other categories — amount of average fine and number of serious deficiencies per home — the state landed near the middle of the pack nationally.
The Illinois Department of Public Health conducts surveys of nursing homes under contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Facilities are rated on an A to L scale, with L indicating the most serious deficiencies. In Illinois, D was the most common rating by far.
Scores of J, K and L signify "immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety." The J score is for an isolated case, K means the deficiency was part of a pattern, and L means its occurrence was widespread.
Among the state's 773 nursing homes, 144 were cited for at least one J, K or L deficiency in the last three years. The average number of serious deficiencies found per home was 0.44.
A total of $2.43 million in fines were levied against 199 nursing homes, with the average fine being $6,031. Penalties ranged from a $80,160 fine imposed on a Chicago nursing home with 53 deficiencies to a $650 fine imposed on a Peoria nursing home cited for 27 deficiencies.
The state health department declined a request for an interview but said in an email that it follows federal guidelines in determining the level of deficiency citations and penalties.
"Illinois has historically had one of the strongest surveying programs in the country, often conducting more surveys than other states to ensure facilities are following both state and federal regulations to protect the health and safety of residents," the agency said in a written statement.
Fairview Care Center of Joliet was one of three homes that tied for the greatest number of deficiencies in the state, 82. The facility's federal payments were suspended twice, and it was designated a special focus facility, which means it has a history of serious quality issues and is part of a special program to stimulate improvements in care.
Fred Frankel, an attorney for the home, said the rating doesn't reflect major changes made to address problems, including hiring a new facility administrator and other staffing changes, and rehabbing the facility "from top to bottom."
"All the deficiencies have been corrected," Frankel said. "The state has come in and verified those corrections. ... There were issues caused by turnover in staff, morale and functioning, and we have done our best to address it."
Last year, a resident was attacked with a metal container by another resident; she was hurt and had to get six staples and six stitches to the head. State auditors cited the facility for failing "to respond appropriately to resident's behavior in a timely manner, provide appropriate interventions and adequate supervision to prevent resident to resident physical abuse."
Frankel said administrators have "taken steps and actions to improve the facility so that things like this never occur again."
The other two facilities with 82 deficiencies were Amberwood Care Centre in Rockford and Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook.
Chateau administrator Stephanie Mohr said the staff is committed to providing a caring home for residents. "The true measure of Chateau Center's operation is the satisfaction of our residents," she said in a statement.
Amberwood did not return calls seeking comment.
Of the 144 homes with serious deficiencies, 54 escaped any fine from Medicare or Medicaid. However, some of those facilities were fined by the state health department. In its statement, the health department said federal guidelines allow the history and severity of the deficiency to be taken into consideration when determining fines.
All American Nursing Home in Chicago had the highest number of serious deficiencies (11), according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data. But administrator Della Richardson disputed the data's accuracy, saying that the facility's deficiencies have been "routine, easily correctable matters."
"We are in full compliance with any and all state and federal requirements," she said. "We strive to and do provide the highest level of care and meet the needs of our residents."
Albany Care in Evanston is listed as having the second-highest number of serious deficiencies in the state (10), according to the data. But Ron Nunziato, an Albany Care consultant, said some of the deficiencies were overturned by an administrative law judge. According to the state health department, the number of serious deficiencies has since dropped to five.
Nunziato complained that the federal agency unfairly compares nursing homes "as if they are the same."
"Albany Care specializes in the care of people with chronic mental illnesses," he said. "You are comparing a facility with 30-, 40- and 50-year-old psychiatric patients with facilities that treat 70- and 80-year-old geriatric patients."
Two nursing homes in the state had no deficiencies — Alden Estates of Shorewood, in Will County, and Crawford Memorial Hospital LTC, in Robinson, in southeastern Illinois.
Tribune reporter Alex Richards contributed.


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I found this while searching marathon-related content on Deviantart.
I didn't check wether or not this is true, but I'd like to hear what you guys think. I fear that if there were a marathon 4, with a brand new engine and everything, it'd be too different for us to appreciate.


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- About USCCB
While the details of the international debt crisis are quite complex, in essence it comes down to a fairly straightforward problem. Often through irresponsible practices on the parts of both creditors and debtor nations, the governments of some of the world's poorest countries have taken (and been given) loans that they do not have the capacity to repay. As a result, they have reduced spending on desperately needed health and education programs in an effort to meet their obligations to international lenders. But even after cutting back on social programs, many countries cannot make full repayment, and so over time debt builds up and makes it increasingly difficult to finance investments in the health, education, and development programs that could pull their people out of poverty. -- Pope John Paul II
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Qualcomm reviewing fleet tracking
In Qualcomm's early days, when its cellular technology struggled for a foothold in the wireless industry, the company relied on its satellite-based truck tracking business to pay the bills.
Today, sales from the San Diego firm's fleet tracking arm are dwarfed by those of its smartphone chip and technology licensing businesses, which account for the bulk of its $19.1 billion in revenue.
So now the company is probing whether fleet management has a place in its future.
Last week at the company's annual shareholder meeting, Chief Executive Paul Jacobs said profits have shrunk for the fleet management division — called
"We are in the process of looking at how to restructure it to see whether we can get some more profitability out of it, and we are looking at strategic alternatives with that as well," he said. "We don't have a definitive statement about what we're going to do with it."
The phrase "strategic alternatives" often is a business euphemism for seeking a buyer.
"It has been strongly rumored that Qualcomm was in the process of selling QES," said Clem Driscoll, president of consulting and market research firm C.J. Driscoll & Associates. "And it has been rumored that they had selected a specific private equity company."
Driscoll didn't recall the name of the private equity firm. He noted that the rumors have been around for a long time, yet no deal has been announced.
"It is possible they've decided to reorganize it," he said. "The difficult thing is — even though this fleet management division was responsible for funding the development of other technologies that allowed Qualcomm to become the company they are today — it is no longer core to Qualcomm's business."
Qualcomm Enterprise Services makes cellular- and satellite-based hardware and software for managing truck fleets — not only pinpointing location but also providing 16 additional applications via an in-cab computer aimed at improving truck fleet operations.
It introduced its first product in the late 1980s and over the years has corralled a strong market share in this niche industry.
"They're not just a fleet management company. They're the leader," said Dominique Bonte, vice president and practice director with ABI Research. "Our estimate of the number of trucks equipped with their technology is around 700,000 to 800,000, which is at least double the number of the second company" in the market.
Qualcomm sells costly, feature-packed systems that are popular with operators of long-haul trucking fleets. That market, however, has become saturated, say analysts.
"At one point they were a supplier to 38 or 39 of the top 40 truck haul carriers in the U.S.," said Driscoll. "They captured all the big guys."
Over the years, the market has become hotly competitive, with rivals aggressively pricing systems to win customers, say analysts. In 2007, Qualcomm Enterprise Services posted sales of $501 million, according to company filings with federal regulators. Last year, revenue dipped to $371 million.
Today, the fastest growing part of the fleet tracking business is centered on regional and local commercial vehicles, such as delivery vans and buses.
"Although Qualcomm has tried to get into these markets, I don't know if their high-end hardware scales very well into these lower segments," said Bonte of ABI Research. "You see other vendors coming at it from a different angle with handsets and tablets — obviously much cheaper technology."
In February, Qualcomm hired former
Jacobs called Enterprise Services "an interesting business" because it's related to the connected car market, where Qualcomm hopes to sell more chips.
"The question is can we drive (Enterprise Services) to be a strong business within the context of overall Qualcomm, and we're working through that right now," said Jacobs.
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"It is potentially possible for a person to move from the third to the sixth initiation in only six years." – DJWHAL KHUL
The average member of humanity (on Earth) is said to awaken or experience self realization within multiple cycles of incarnations ranging roughly three periods of 25,000 Earth years.* The opportunity for mankind to awaken along this ascension path into the 7th initiation is exponentially heightened and can be obtained within a SINGLE lifetime (though the majority of humanity has led up to this moment over his/her multiple periods of existence) with the incoming cosmic energies (e.g. the Mahatma, spiral and portal energies, etc.) assisting Earth into her own Great Shift into her Golden Age (from the 3rd to the 5th dimension). Whilst the energy is cast upon the entire planet, it is still entirely up to one's free will to raise one's personal frequency by being Love and through acts of Love.
*Channeled Source: Satya (meaning "Truth") of Alcyone in the Pleiades
The seven levels of initiation is mastery of the seven planes:
- Physical Self
First initiation
- Astral (Emotional Self)
Second initiation
- Mental Self
Third initiation
- Buddhic (Spiritual Self)
Fourth initiation
- Atma or Atmic Self (Higher Self or Collective Soul) = 12 Extensions (Souls)
Fifth initiation
- Monad or Monadic Self (God Self) = 12 Souls = 144 Extensions
Sixth initiation
- Logoic (Cosmic Self)
Seventh initiation
Still higher planes and levels of initiation include:
- Group Soul = 144,000 Monads = 1,728,000 Souls = 20,736,000 Extensions (said to be 2,135 different Soul Groups represented on Earth = 44 Billion People, though not all are currently incarnated)
8th initiation
- Group Monadic
9th initiation
- Solar Self
10th initiation
- Galactic Self
11th initiation
- Universal Self (Zohar Body)
12th initiation
The Seven Levels of Initiation
An excerpt from the book Beyond Ascension
by Dr. Joshua David Stone
In this chapter I am going to give a brief synopsis of the seven levels of initiation. For a more detailed account I highly recommend reading my first book, "The Complete Ascension Manual: How to Achieve Ascension in This Lifetime".
The spiritual path really begins prior to the seven levels of initiation. This has been esoterically called the "path of probation". It could be likened to the nine months of gestation in the womb prior to birth. This is one's spiritual gestation, of course. The actual birth is the taking of the first initiation.
The first initiation deals with developing mastery over our most dense body or vehicle which is the physical body. To pass this initiation one is required to develop a beginning level of mastery over this body and its appetites, requirements, sexual urges, sleep habits, and so on in service of the soul or Higher Self, which at this point would hold the ideal of balance and moderation.
The second initiation deals with the need to develop mastery over our second most dense vehicle which is the emotional and/or astral body. To pass this initiation one must develop mastery over one's emotions, feelings, and desires to a certain degree, in service of the soul and/or Higher Self. It is not so much the perfection in this regard that is required, but rather conscious intent and continual choice-making to move in this direction. Material desires are beginning to be transformed into the spiritual desire for liberation and God realization. The disciple is learning to not be a victim of their desires, feelings and emotions, but rather a master and cause. (See my second book called "Soul Psychology" for help in this area.) This is the level ofinitiation in which most people stay stuck the longest.
The third initiation is mastery of the next most dense vehicle which is the mental body. To pass this initiation one must develop some level of mastery over the mind and one's thoughts in service of the soul. This initiation is the first more major initiation, for this initiation leads one to achieve what is called "soul merger", or soul infusion. The mastery of the physical body, astral body, and mental body allow the disciple and/or personality on Earth to merge with their soul on Earth. This can clearly be seen in the disciple in their desire to be loving, forgiving, and to be of service, as well as to begin the process of liberation from the "Wheel of Rebirth".
It must be understood here that initiation is a process. It doesn't all happen in one moment. There is one moment when you receive the Rod of Initiation from the Lord Maitreya (the "president" of the Spiritual Hierarchy), however there are seven sublevels between each of the seven major initiations. When one takes any given initiation they become a kindergarten disciple or initiate at that level. You must then move through all seven sublevels to fully complete that initiation. This is what I was referring to in the introduction when I said I took my sixth initiation or ascension, however I really didn't fully complete it until I realized the seventh sublevel of the sixth initiation and then took my seventh major initiation. It wasn't until then that I really felt as though I had graduated and fully mastered my ascension.
Once one merges with their soul at the third initiation things begin to speed up very rapidly. The fourth initiation is a major marker point. It is at this initiation that the soul body, which is also esoterically referred to as the causal body, burns up and the Higher Self or soul, which has been your guide through all your incarnations, merges back into the Monad and/or Spirit. The Monad and/or Spirit has also been referred to as the "Mighty I AM Presence" in some schools. From this moment on, Spirit is your guide and teacher, not the soul. The soul was serving as an intermediary teacher until this moment.
The soul body and/or causal body previous to this initiation serves as the repository for all your good karma from all your past lives and your current life. This repository is burned up over a period of time as one moves through towards completion of this initiation.
The fourth initiation has also been esoterically referred to as the initiation of renunciation. This is so because, prior to taking it, one is required on some level to renunciate or let go of all attachments to the material world. This means the letting go of one's attachments to fame, fortune, money, power, selfishness, people, family or reputation. I often think of this, myself, as the "Job initiation" in the Bible where everything is stripped away as a test to see if one remains righteous in the eyes of the Lord.
Even though in previous teachings we were told that the fourth initiation meant complete liberation from the Wheel of Rebirth, we now know that while this is an important step, initiates continue through the reincarnation process into another body at the close of this one or through the continuation of this life until full ascension is achieved. I, personally, have not felt fully freed from the Wheel of Rebirth until I completed my sixth initiation and/or the seventh sublevel of the sixth initiation. It was during this initiation ceremony that I finally felt fully freed for eternity. The fourth initiation requires 65% Light quotient in your four body system.
The Fifth Initiation
The fifth initiation is, in a sense, similar to the third initiation. In the third initiation one begins the process of soul merge. The fifth initiation is the beginning stage of "Monadic merger". This could also be called "Spirit merge", and/or "I AM Presence". It is for this reason that this initiation might be considered the very, very beginning glimpse of your actual ascension which is the sixth initiation.
What ascension really is is where the personality on Earth, the soul, and the Monad all become one unified being on Earth. The fifth initiation merges the Monad in consciousness, however not in full actuality yet. At the fifth initiation one has to have 75% Light quotient in one's field.
Another thing I want to say here about the initiation process that most people don't understand, is that these initiations occur on the inner plane and are very subtle. I would say most people are not even consciously aware they have taken them. This is true very often even in the case of those people who are theoretically aware of the seven levels of initiation and are working on them consciously. This is even true of taking one's actual ascension, which, I am sure will blow apart most people's fantasies and conceptions of what ascension really is. I speak from direct knowledge and experience in saying these things.
I must admit that the process of completing seven levels of initiation was much different than I expected. I, personally, happened to be quite aware of all of my later initiations and they were all quite wonderful; this is rare as I am learning. I am acquainted with a great number of people now who are beginning to take these initiations. Everyone agrees, however, that the actual initiation experience is more subtle than they expected. This is not to say that they are not profound. I was profoundly impacted by my fifth, sixth and seventh initiations, but not in the way that I expected to be, and was most deeply affected by the seventh initiation. This is where I felt the largest and most extraordinary transformation took place.
The Sixth Initiation and Ascension
The taking of the sixth initiation is the actual ascension experience for which everyone is waiting and working. In the past, when a person took their sixth initiation they usually left their bodies and passed on to the spiritual world. On rare occasions they were able to dematerialize their physical body and take it with them; however this was more the exception than the rule. The new push of the Spiritual Hierarchy and Sanat Kumara is to have people ascend (take their sixth initiation) and continue serving on Earth to help bring in the "new age".
Ascension is full merger with the Monad or I AM Presence, or Spirit on Earth. There is a ceremony that takes place on the inner plane involving Sanat Kumara; however in my opinion, most will not remember it. The actual experience is subtle, while the implications of taking this initiation are quite profound.
There are seven planes through which each of us must evolve. Each of these seven planes is connected with each of the seven levels of initiation.
As you can see from this little diagram, ascension is movement into the Monadic and Logoic planes. Each initiation you go through stabilizes you at the "next higher plane". I am using the word "plane" here rather than dimension because there are seven planes and nine dimensions with which we deal here on Earth.
Ascension and/or the sixth initiation is movement into the fifth dimension. The seventh initiation is movement into the sixth dimension. As you can see, the dimensions are different from what we call the seven subplanes that make up the Cosmic physical plane. There are also seven Cosmic planes of which you can read more in my first book, "The Complete Ascension Manual: How to Achieve Ascension in This Lifetime". Even taking the seventh initiation is less than one inch up a ten inch ruler in terms of how far we still have to go to fully realize God at the highest Cosmic level. Evolving through these seven major initiations is a major step, however.
The first Cosmic initiation, from the point of view of the higher university on Sirius, is the fifth initiation. The second Cosmic initiation from the point of view of Sirius is the sixth initiation and/or one's ascension. The third Cosmic initiation being the seventh initiation. There are two more initiations that can be taken after we leave the Earth. These are the eighth and the ninth. The completion of the ninth is the movement and doorway to leaving the Cosmic physical universe altogether.
Getting back to the sixth initiation, when you take this initiation you are considered a kindergarten Ascended Master. You do have a choice as to whether you want to leave Earth or remain here and serve. Most are choosing to stay at this time. Just because one ascends does not necessarily mean that one can walk on water, raise the dead, or turn water into wine. These are potential abilities that can be developed, however most people won't develop these abilities until some time after fully completing their seventh initiation.
You will also be happy to know that one does not have to have perfect health in order to ascend; one can even have chronic health lessons. I know this for a fact because I did. One also does not have to be totally free of all negative emotions and/or totally free of the negative ego and lower self. This may surprise some of you; however, I also know this for a fact.
I, personally, know people who have taken their ascension whom I would consider to be emotional victims. Now, they also happen to be extremely gifted in other spiritual areas. Their victimization by their emotional body and desire body, at times, did not prevent their ascension. Again, one only has to balance 51% of one's karma to ascend.
After you ascend you will basically feel exactly like the same person you were before you ascended. You will just be at a higher octave or plane. You will be carrying more Light, and you will be more connected to Spirit and the Ascended Masters.
I had been under the assumption that freedom from the Wheel of Rebirth was at the beginning or taking of, the sixth initiation. If this were not the case, then why would people over the past centuries physically die when they took this initiation and ascension? Djwhal Khul said that the discrepancy here comes because freedom from the necessity of rebirth was actually at the completion of one's sixth initiation. In my own personal experience also, it felt like true graduation was at the completion of the sixth. What I do know is that liberation from the Wheel of Rebirth is somewhere in the sixth initiation, either in the beginning or the end. It is also somewhat individual, unique to each person, with some even choosing to return again to resolve some of the small percent of remaining karma or strengthen some aspect of their being while continuing to serve the Earth and humanity.
Djwhal Khul has suggested that if you happen to physically die just prior to taking this initiation or during the middle of the sixth, that you should call to the Ascended Masters to help you to complete your initiation process. They can work with you on the inner plane to help you finish up. I should also emphasize here that, yes, you can physically die even though you are ascended!
Ascended Masters are not invulnerable and, in truth, are far from perfect. There are many different kinds of Ascended Masters. Some Ascended Masters (one may call themselves this officially upon taking the sixth initiation), will be emotional types, some mental types, some physical types. The same strengths and weaknesses you had in your four body system before your ascension will be there after you ascend. You will, however, have greater Light, energy, and consciousness with which to heal yourself more quickly.
To ascend and take your sixth initiation you will need 80 to 83% Light quotient in your four body system. This issue regarding the Light quotient is extremely important and I have dedicated the next chapter in this book to show ways of building it. The ascension ceremony most often occurs in a group situation, often at the Wesak festival which occurs at the full moon of Taurus (May).
As I wrote about in my first book, we are now entering a planetary window for mass ascension on this planet between 1995 and the year 2000. Ascensions will continue on a large scale after this, however this is the main window. In the past, it used to take whole lifetimes to just take one initiation. I know for an absolute fact that a person can move through whole levels of initiation in as short a time as five months because I did it. I am not saying everyone will evolve at that rate. It is all up to your commitment and focus. If you are really committed and super focused, I would intuitively say that, during this most extraordinary time in which we are living, if you use all the techniques in this book, and my first two books especially, it is reasonable to expect that you could move through initiations anywhere from one to five years per initiation. I am putting myself out on a limb by saying this because people are so different, however, if you specifically use the tools and ideas given herein, I think this is a reasonable prediction; especially given what is happening to our planet at this time.
The issue then is how one knows one's level of initiation. Study the material in this book and in my first book carefully and your intuition can tell you. If you are proficient in the use of a pendulum, that can be a useful tool. Ask in your meditations. Ask for a dream to tell you every night before bed. As a last resort, you can ask a qualified channel of the Ascended Masters. This is not my favorite method because it is always better to get it from within yourself; however this can be useful at times.
In terms of the initiation process, I also recommend that you be very discerning as to whom to talk with about this subject. There is the great tendency to compare and compete and this is not good. It is totally antithetical to the whole process. There also is the tendency to judge yourself and others. It is essential to understand that all are God and the Eternal Self regardless of their level of unfoldment and should be treated as such. I am not saying that you can never talk about it, however, be extremely discerning and examine your motives for doing so.
This book is actually the first time I have openly discussed my own initiation process. I have not talked about it in our classes, workshops or seminars at all. I just kept it to myself and tried to be it instead of talk about it. My inner guidance, however, told me that for the purposes of this book and the benefit that might come to you, my reader, from my personal experiences it would be appropriate. The key question is always, "Is there a service purpose for sharing this information or is it for the gratification of the ego? Is it serving the Spirit to share or serving the negative ego?" If it is of service to the soul and Spirit, then so be it; do share. Just be discerning in this regard for we do not want others to feel "less than". As the Bible says, "After pride cometh the fall"! In the Brian Grattan system of initiation in his "Mahatma" books, the taking of one's ascension is still the sixth and the completing of one's ascension is the ninth initiation. The seventh initiation, in Alice Bailey system of initiations, is the 9 1/2 level of Brian Grattan's system. The completion of the seventh initiation would be the same as saying that one has completed the seven sublevels of the seventh initiation. It is at this point (or at the twelfth initiation in Brian Grattan's system) that all initiations stop for the rest of the incarnation. One's total focus from that point forward is service and helping humanity and the lower kingdoms share in this grace.
There is also a correlation between the initiations and the anchoring of the higher chakras. When one ascends, their 16th chakra has descended and is anchored in one's crown. The 16th chakra is the beginning of the fifth dimensional chakra grid. This is chakras 16 through 22. At the completion of one's seventh initiation the 36th chakra has descended and is fully anchored and actualized in the crown chakra. One of the most important ways of accelerating your spiritual progression is to call forth the anchoring of the fifth, sixth, and seventh dimensional chakra grids during meditation (and, I would say, before sleep every night). In a later chapter in this book I will give detailed explanation of how to do this.
At the time of writing this chapter I have installed all of my 36 chakras, however, I am currently actualizing up to the beginning of my 35th. The reason I bring this up is to share with you that the anchoring, activation and actualization of these individual chakras and the entire chakra grids are scientifically connected to the initiation process. In other words, each chakra can be associated to one of the seven sublevels between each major initiation. As each individual chakra is anchored, activated and then actualized, one is basically moving up another sublevel.
For a more detailed account of this whole process I have dedicated a chapter to explaining it. For the time being I will say that, prior to your ascension, during every meditation, you should call forth the full anchoring, activation and actualization of your 22 chakras, and your fourth and fifth dimensional chakra grids. The Masters will do this for you upon your request and invitation. Though there may be one, I don't know of any technique other than Light quotient building that will accelerate your evolution more quickly.
It is at the sixth initiation and/or ascension that we also make the choice as to which of the seven paths of higher evolution we will follow upon leaving this plane. These seven paths are:
The Path of Earth Service
The Path of Magnetic Work
The Path of Training to become a Planetary Logos
The Path to Sirius
The Ray Path
The Path on which our Logos is found
The Path of Absolute Sonship
There is very little information on this plane about these seven paths. Djwhal Khul, in the Alice Bailey books, is almost the only Master to bring forth any information at all. One of the services I have tried to render in this book in a later chapter is to share with you my research, in easy to understand language, about what these seven paths are. This may be one of the most important chapters in this entire book.
Ascension is basically merging with the "Clear Light of God", much like what is recommended that one do during the Bardo or after death experience. The only difference between this experience and the after death experience potential is that ascension is merging with the "Clear Light of God" while still retaining a physical body. The Monad, at the time of ascension, is able to fully anchor Light at the 80 to 83% level. As one completes their ascension the Light quotient is up to the 92 to 94% level. At the time of writing this book my Light quotient is currently at the 94 to 95% level. I have been guided that within three and a half months time, which falls on the 12:12 ceremony (December 12th, 1994) my Light quotient will be at the 97% level and I will be at the beginning of the seventh sublevel of the seventh initiation, and/or at the beginning of the 12th initiation in Brian Grattan's initiation system. I have also been told that by the Wesak festival on May 14th, 1995 my Light quotient would be fully stabilized at the 98% level and I will have fully stabilized and completed the 7th initiation or, in Brian's method, the 12th initiation. I share this personal information with you to give you a sense of how this process works and a feel for the time frame of how taking these initiations and building one's Light quotient can work.
The Seventh Initiation
The seventh initiation has to do with the movement from the Monadic plane of reality, up to the Logoic or seventh plane of reality. Where the sixth initiation deals with merger with the Monad, the seventh initiation deals with greater merger with Sanat Kumara and Shamballa. Djwhal Khul told me that the seventh degree initiate is usually one who becomes a teacher on a global level in a very visible way.
Sixth degree initiates and Ascended Masters often have this service path, however it is not required. Djwhal Khul also said that much has been given and much is now expected. This is fine, for as A Course in Miracles says, "True pleasure is serving God".
After taking my sixth initiation I asked Vywamus how long it would take for me to achieve my seventh initiation. At that time, He said from one to five years. He also said that the taking of our seventh initiation might be affected by planetary events. One element was the geographic location in which I live. (I live in Los Angeles at the time of this writing, energetically not the best place in the world to do this!)
Vywamus also said that a second factor is the fact that an asteroid is heading toward our planet that will not directly hit the planet but will pass very closely by. The exact timing was not clear; however He said that September 1997 was what He was seeing at the time of the conversation (early in 1994). Vywamus said it would cause a spiritual quickening for the planet. He said that a good metaphor for understanding its effects would be to imagine being in a car parked on a high speed highway. All of a sudden an 18 wheeler truck goes speeding by. I don't need to explain the effects. This is the effect this asteroid will have on the Earth.
Vywamus said another planetary event that could have an effect on when we take our seventh initiation is the alien situation. He said that extraterrestrials will begin making much more overt contact with planet Earth, around September of 1995. Depending on how overt this contact is, this could send shock waves reverberating throughout the entire planet. I share these personal conversations with you because they may also affect you, my reader. Until now, I had never considered that these planetary events might have any effect on my own initiation process. As it turned out they did not. I took my ascension on March 23rd, 1994, and I took my seventh initiation on August 23rd, 1994. In my forthcoming autobiography, this book, and "The Complete Ascension Manual" I share exactly what I did in detail to move through this entire initiation so quickly.
The seventh initiation causes a complete implosion of energy in the heart chakra. It creates a whole new chakra system. All the chakras become one column of Light, connected with the antakarana and the ascension column. This whole new chakra system is metaphorically like the creation of a new star system where ascension of the sixth initiation is centered in the throat center. The seventh initiation occurs in the heart chakra; it is a merger with the Monad at approximately the 94% Light quotient level.
The seventh initiation is not truly complete until the Light quotient is stabilized at the 97 to 98% level. Djwhal Khul told us that the very beginning stages of the seventh initiation can occur when one reaches the 89 to 91% Light quotient. One really isn't into the seventh initiation until one reaches the 94% Light quotient. I, personally, took the seventh initiation when I was at the 94% Light quotient level, Djwhal said that some could take it when they are between the 92 to 94% level.
The seventh initiation is truly the beginning of transcendence of all physical laws. It is also a complete and total commitment to service and a relinquishment of all negative ego. Djwhal also told us that even though the Monad is fully anchored into the four body system after ascension it would not be completely merged in its full totality until after taking the seventh initiation. The seventh initiation is merger with the sixth dimension of reality, and merger with the seventh dimensional chakra grid, or chakras 30 through 36.
The seventh initiation is divorced from all considerations of form and the initiate becomes a concentrated point of living Light. The seventh initiation gives the initiate the right to come and go in the courts of Shamballa. It has been referred to, esoterically, as the initiation of "resurrection". Lord Maitreya took His seventh initiation on the cross at the death of the Master Jesus. Lord Maitreya, of course, shared Jesus' physical body the last three years of His life. The Master Jesus took His fourth initiation on the cross.
The seventh initiation is where the son or daughter of God has found his way back to the Father and to his originating Source, or that state of existence known as Shamballa. The seventh initiation begins the full opening of involvement with extraplanetary existence with which our Planetary Logos, the Lord of the World is involved.
At this initiation Sanat Kumara is attended by two groups of beings. The first is called "Knowers of the Purpose, Custodians of the Will". This is a smaller group. The second group is much larger and is called "The Wise Ones and Attractive Energies of Shamballa". These beings operate on the high level of the Cosmic plane, correspond to the ajna center of mankind and embody the "Will-to-Good". More succinctly, they are the ajna or third eye center for Sanat Kumara, the Planetary Logos. In a larger context, Shamballa is the crown center; the Spiritual Hierarchy is the Heart Center, and humanity is the creative throat center. It is also to Shamballa that the seventh degree initiate goes for periods of cyclic recharging.
At the seventh initiation, an even higher electrical force is transmitted to the master through Sanat Kumara's Rod of Initiation which signifies full completion. The master has become a full fledged seventh degree Melchizedek (as the ancient Egyptian teachings described the process). This, again, is the highest initiation that can be taken on the Earthly plane.
After taking the seventh initiation, work still remains in terms of fully realizing or completing this initiation. One has moved from being an advanced sixth degree initiate to a beginning seventh degree initiate. It is most likely in the seventh initiation that the more advanced and transcendent ascension abilities will be developed. That is to say, those which defy physical laws. At the seventh initiation one's Light quotient is high enough (minimally 94%) to master these abilities with more ease.
The eighth initiation has been referred to as the "Great Transition", and will be taken on the inner plane after leaving the material world. The ninth initiation has been esoterically called "The Refusal". It indicates the Master's last contact with what has been referred to as cosmic evil as it relates to this planet.
I took my seventh initiation sitting on top of a physical mountain with my wife, Terri Sue. Upon the completion of a brief ceremony, Djwhal Khul said, "Welcome to the eighth school". Each initiation you pass welcomes you to the school above. Melchizedek referred to this seventh initiation as going through the final seal, which reminded me of the seven seals of which Peter spoke in Revelations.
There was a tremendous feeling and experience of celebration, joy and congratulations after this experience. It really felt like a marker point and like a complete graduation. My wife at the time, Terri Sue, had a dream about three days earlier regarding the completion of our ascension or sixth initiation. In the dream we were both meditating together under the full moon when all of a sudden a sniper shot Terri Sue in the heart and she died. I picked her up and took her to a more comfortable spot and then I was shot in the third eye. (It is very significant as to where we both were shot.) I died and we both ascended. The completion of one's ascension and the taking of the seventh initiation is like a death. Physical existence is never again the same, for one has "totally ascended" and is not just remaining in the physical vehicle as a Bodhisattva for service purposes.
More Information on the Higher Initiations
Third initiation = "Desire to know one's true self"
Fourth initiation = "Desire for complete knowledge of self"
Fifth initiation = "Complete unification with peace and harmony"
Sixth initiation = "Service"
Seventh initiation = "Complete liberation from Earth bound functions. Development of advanced and transcendent ascension abilities."
Planetary Initiations
Just as we are going through initiations, so does the Earth Mother and Sanat Kumara, who ensouls the Earth as the Planetary Logos. The Earth Mother, or the heavenly body known as Earth, has recently taken her third initiation or soul merge initiation. This is why Earth has moved into what has been termed sacred status. This is a more recent occurrence, for in Djwhal Khul's writings in the Alice Bailey material, this had not happened yet.
Vywamus told me a fascinating piece of information on this process that I had never realized. I asked Vywamus what happens when the Earth Mother completes her seventh initiation. He told me that the Earth Mother will experience a "Nova" or in other words, turn into Light. This means to say that the Earth Mother will ascend. We see that the planetary body known as Earth will experience a similar type of ascension as we humans will upon our completion of the seventh initiation when our work is complete here.
The other thing I asked Vywamus was about Sanat Kumara's initiation process. For Sanat Kumara has recently taken an another initiation. When Sanat Kumara takes an initiation as the Planetary Logos, all evolution on the planet, human, animal, plant and mineral moves up another octave with Him.
I asked Vywamus to explain Sanat Kumara's initiations. He was not allowed to explain too much. H,owever what He did say was that there were twelve more initiations on a more Cosmic level which He was in the process of working through. So there are the seven basic Cosmic initiations and then it seemed He was now beginning to work on the five higher Cosmic initiations that correspond to the five higher Rays on a more Cosmic level. I asked if these initiations related to what might be termed the first 24 initiations of the 352 levels that make up the Mahatma. Vywamus said that He was using a different system. It was interesting to me that the initiation process was still in effect at this more Cosmic level, at least for the training of a Planetary Logos.
Vywamus said that the Earth Mother was still relatively young, rather like a radiant adolescent, and the Earth being is a very sought after planet for the incarnation process. He also said that before Her actual ascension, the life forms on this planet would probably return to a more etheric state before the actual nova, or ascension, effect. This is interesting for this is also how life began on this planet in the pre-Lemurian times. Life was not always physical in the way that we now know and understand it. Earth is a very tough school, Vywamus said. However the potential for spiritual growth and evolvement is enormous and that is why it is sought after.
Source: http://www.iamuniversity.ch/Online-Ascension-Class-3


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Dear Diary: Jerry of 100 Days
It's hard to believe we're already at Day 37 of the 100-day marathon that Yahoo co-founder and new CEO Jerry Yang said he would undertake to create a long-term strategic plan and figure out the shape of the company going forward.
"There will be no sacred cows and we need to move quickly," said Yang (pictured here) during a July 17 second-quarter earnings conference call with analysts, where he announced his vision quest along with the dismal results.
Well? So? Any clues as to what bovines are headed to the chopping block and how that plan is coming together?
Not that we can tell from any dramatic moves on Yahoo's or Yang's part yet. No game-changing acquisitions. No being acquired. No abandoning of its search-ad business. No shifting of Yahoo's boiling-the-ocean approach to defining its business (also known as the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none strategy). No closing of its divisions. Not even any cloddishly accomplished management shifts.
It's quiet. Too quiet over there in Sunnyvale.
Thus, in our state of anticipation combined with mild boredom, perhaps it is time to imagine what Yang's first daily diary entry might have looked like.
July 18, 2007: DAY 1
I guess my regular golf round is out of the question now.
Sure, Terry Semel's probably off with his pal Tom Cruise on some luxury vacation, while I am now tethered here with Sue Decker as first mate for who knows how long. And I don't even have Lloyd Braun to kick around anymore.
Just the other day at the annual meeting, I was saying how I did not have an interest in the CTO job even. Now I'm here as the symbol of change and hope for the company I started with Dave Filo, which was sort of my old job, but now with all the operational headaches on top.
And no free ride for me, like that Mark Zuckerberg over at Facebook, with the press all fawning over a guy whose last job was, um, going to college.
And why do I get all the abuse when those solar-power-generating-gourmet-organic-food-serving-hybrid-car-driving- search-ad-dominating Bobbsey twins over at that "magical" Googleplex (it's just a boring Silicon Valley office complex with lot of colorful exercise balls strewn around, people, not a little slice of geek heaven) get treated like a kinder, gentler version of Bill Gates squared?
I should just throttle Brad Garlinghouse or, at least, force-feed him some of that peanut butter he was so obsessed with in that memo that kicked off this whole mess. Spread too thin, are we?
Here's my new response every time I see him strolling around with that I-told-you-all-so grin: You got peanut butter on my company! You got company in my peanut butter!


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Cabrera hits 2nd HR for Tigers, Lee fine for Phils
Miguel Cabrera already looks ready for opening day. Jonathan Papelbon seems to still have some work ahead.
Cabrera hit a booming, three-run homer off Papelbon as the Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 10-1 Monday.
The AL MVP and Triple Crown winner went 1 for 2 with a walk. He's hit two home runs this spring.
"It's nice to hit that one so early," Cabrera said. "It makes you feel good. It makes you feel everything's working good."
Papelbon, meanwhile, struggled to get anyone out in his first action of the spring. The five-time All-Star closer faced nine batters in the fifth inning and retired just two before being removed from the game.
"Papelbon got a nice little ERA today," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I'm not worried about Papelbon."
Papelbon's path to an 81.00 ERA began when Jeff Kobernus led off with a single and Nick Castellanos followed with a home run for a 2-1 lead. Three of the next four batters reached, on a walk and two singles.
With Detroit ahead 3-1, Cabrera hit a drive that cleared the Phillies' bullpen beyond the left-field fence.
"With a runner in scoring position with one out, I try to hit the ball in the gap, I try not to kill the inning with a ground-ball double play right there," Cabrera said. "It was like my goal to try to elevate the ball, try to hit the gap."
Two batters after serving up the homer, Papelbon was pulled.
He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks. Papelbon also struck out two.
"I felt good," said Papelbon, who wasn't worried about the results. "I'm more concerned about repeating my delivery, throwing the ball out front. That's really it for me. Everything else kind of falls by the wayside and will come as spring goes on."
While Papelbon shook off a rough outing, Cliff Lee looked in midseason form in his own spring debut.
Lee, a former Cy Young Award winner and three-time All-Star, pitched two hitless innings. He had only one blemish, a walk to Cabrera with two outs in the first inning.
Lee got called third strikes on each of the last two hitters he faced.
"I was just out there getting some reps and trying to work on locating pitches," he said.
NOTES: Philadelphia 1B Ryan Howard went 2 for 2 with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. All three of his at-bats came against left-handers - Howard hit just .173 against lefties last year. ... Phillies RHP Mike Stutes made his first appearance in a game since last April; he missed the majority of the 2012 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Stutes faced six batters in the sixth inning, giving up two runs on one hit and two walks. ... RHP Tyler Cloyd, who made six starts for the Phillies in September, pitched two hitless innings in relief of Lee. Cloyd walked one and struck out one. ... Phils RHP Kyle Kendrick will make his spring debut on Tuesday in Clearwater against the New York Yankees. ... Detroit OF Andy Dirks was available but manager Jim Leyland decided not to rush him back into action. Dirks was a late scratch from Sunday's starting lineup with a minor side strain. Dirks could return to the lineup on Tuesday, when the Tigers travel to Kissimmee to play the Houston Astros. ... Detroit LHP Darin Downs struck out three of the seven batters he faced in two innings. ... Tigers RHP Doug Fister will make his first start of the spring on Tuesday.


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Kokandy Productions' "Sweet Smell of Success" in one of the intimate Theater Wit spaces is a production that is probably best seen from seats in the back of the house.
The cast includes some very large voices—especially leads David Schlumpf as Sidney Falco and Brian Rooney as J.J. Hunsecker—who are mic'd up, perhaps in deference to the high ceilings, as is the entire ensemble and cast.
Much of the show features song and dance acts by the entire ensemble, and a bird's eye view from above will help you appreciate the staging.
If you are a fan of Marvin Hamlisch music this is a show you should not miss.
In particular there are a few love ballads that are beautifully sung by Nathan Gardner as Dallas that one wonders why you haven't heard before.
The book by John Guare with lyrics by Craig Carnelia also make room for a few solo cameo songs that provide quite the stage for a good pair of lungs.
Both Christina Hall as Rita and Stephanie Souza as a Club Zanzibar Singer got the goods and give a strong delivery of their tunes.
The genre of noir musical may be a challenge for many.
Is a story of crooks, incest, murder and unbridled ruthless ambition really something that lends itself to toe tapping melodies? Perhaps this story is best left as the film noir of greater fame.
You may concur that a noir musical genre is inherently ill-conceived but nonetheless see that this clearly doesn't dim the enthusiasm of this cast, who, from lead to ensemble member, are clearly giving it their all.
The story is an imagined vignette from the likes of all-powerful Walter Winchell. J.J. Hunsecker is a gossip columnist king maker and breaker. When would-be big man Sidney Falco comes under Hunsecker's wing we watch him descend far from his altar boy origins into a world where the ends justify the means, and the ends are nothing more than personal gain.
The foil to these two power-hungry men are the lovers, J.J's sister (played by Victoria Blade) and her musician paramour, Dallas, who is the only one who holds on to what we are meant to think of as a quaint notion that people get ahead based on their talents and not who they know. All of the action stems from J.J.'s desire to keep his sister far away from this musician.
Because he wants to keep his sister's affection J.J. uses Falco to do the dirty work. That dirty work gets dirtier and dirtier and therein lies the noir of the genre.
If you'd like to explore this noir musical genre for yourself you can see this production through February 2 at Theater Wit, 1229 West Belmont.
Buy online at the Theater Wit website or call 773 975 8150.
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Photos: Joshua Albanese Photography


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Macaulay Culkin is denying reports that he's been spending time alone at home - or anywhere else - with a Spanish adult film actress who recently hinted that the two are dating, reports E! Online.
Irene Lopez, a porn star, was spotted with the "Home Alone" actor recently at a live sex club in Barcelona. She claimed that the encounter was not the first time the two had hung out.
"The last time I was with him, no one found out about it," she told E! in an interview. She said she was unsure of why the press discovered their most recent outing. Lopez also said that she didn't want to be a problem if Culkin wanted to reconnect with his ex, "Black Swan" actress Mila Kunis.
U.S. & World
"If there's a possibility that he gets back with Mila, I don't want to be an obstacle. The breakup is really fresh," she said.
But Culkin shrugged off the remarks and a photo of the two together that recently appeared online.
"As I do with many fans, I briefly met and took a photo with Irene Lopez at her request," he told E! "I have had no contact with this woman in any capacity, social or otherwise before or since that picture was taken. Any reports to the contrary are false."
Culkin's rep also pushed back against the romance rumors.
"The reports that Macaulay Culkin is dating Irene Lopez are completely false," said Michelle Bega." We are disappointed that Ms. Lopez has told E! Entertainment fictitious stories regarding Mr. Culkin."
Selected Reading: E! Online, MSNBC, NY Daily News


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We think you're all pretty cool people, and most of you are probably responsible and reliable too. I bet you'd even be pretty swell volunteers. Here's your heads up that the Winterfest 2011 volunteer registration is open. It's first-come, first-serve, so have at it.
To take care of a couple questions...
Yes, you'll have to work the entire festival.
Yes, you'll have plenty of opportunities to drink while volunteering.
No, you can't get drunk. Well I mean you're physically capable, but we'd urge you to be responsible with your drinking so that you can still help out. And "party starter" is not a volunteer responsibility.
Yes, dinner is provided. For some reason people usually forget to ask about this and just skip straight to whether they can drink.
Even if you don't want to volunteer, we still hope you attend Winterfest 2011 and have a most excellent time! Party on!


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[Africa: Commentary]
Museveni is an "apocalyptic" type of person whose rise to power was narrated by George Orwell in Animal Farm.
Orwell conveyed his message through Napoleon, an utterly corrupt opportunist who led Animal Farm. Napoleon made no single contribution to the revolution with no credit for the ensuing ideology. Napoleon neither contributed to the very bloody struggle nor to the efforts to establish the farm. Familiar?
Our Farm is a strikingly parallel and alarmingly shocking as it is mind boggling. For all we have been through, mirroring Animal Farm is the last thing we expected. Amazing how fiction imitates life. In religious terms, the reality is of apocalyptic proportions. Being the avid visionary I am, I salute all those who contributed to the cause we have digressed. I claim no patent on Our Vision.
Who held what gun, who contributed and did what during the struggle are issues Orwell's portrayal of Napoleon deals with in striking similarity between Animal Farm and Our [Museveni's] Farm. Our absolute disregard of form, civility, legality and official protocol, hallmarks of democracy is evidenced by CHOGM & GAVI scandals. Our vision had been to engage in conduct intended to inure to our collective best interests.
Today, Our Farm leadership has little or no interest in our collective strength, growth and success. Similarly, Napoleon never showed interest in Animal Farm. Rather, he was interested in the strength of his power over that farm. He undertook with sizeable enthusiasm, the training of a litter of puppies that was neither intended for their own good nor that of the farm. Orwell made no mistake in showing Napoleon undertook this for his own personal good. Lately, on Our Farm that is, almost every noticeable activity is undertaken for the wrong reasons.
In point of fact, each of the CHOGM --monies were embezzled by officials when Uganda hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting-- related inquiries, anecdotal information and testimony before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in parliament, has tended to show nothing less.
Notably poignant is the regrettably sad reality that those who either appeared or expected to appear or were somehow involved with issues investigated by PAC, mysteriously or abruptly suffered some form of illness. In a couple of instances, they succumbed to death.
As strangely coincidental as this might be, it is characteristically similar to Orwell's depiction of circumstances arising after opposition of Napoleon's uncontested leadership. Death at the teeth of the attack dogs was assured, paving the way for what became the unquestioned leadership of Napoleon, in turn giving rise to the "Napoleon is always right" maxim or slogan.
In short order, Napoleon expanded his powers and, rewrote history to make Snowball a villain. On Our farm, we rewrote the constitution and, in many respects, powers and the stay in power were expanded at our cost. Well, 5,000,000/= is what it cost each of our custodians! The same custodians, have suddenly become duty-bound, undertaking to unearth evidence of corruption.
The source of their presumed moral authority is a valid area of inquiry. The timing however is a different story. Why now? Absent moral authority, their defective compass takes them nowhere. Moreover, they supposedly have no vision because, only one person on Our Farm has 'vision'. For that purpose, he may as well be 'always right'.
Napoleon's greed and avarice enabled him create his own private army. Our Farm circumstances are not any different. If not for the 200 Banyala being trained for God knows what, it is the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) being expanded and constituted as if one's private army of sorts. Orders issued do not suggest anything to the contrary. Recently, PAC members were at State House for an interview with Museveni. It is alarming to note that, in the first place, the PAC contemplated seeking input. Equally alarming were the remarks their questions elicited. "I will order them . . ." and "as long as there is no bias politics, I will order".
Lawmakers appear to be under the mistaken impression they need someone's ok or blessing to perform their duties. I also find it strange that they appear to be appreciative and thankful for that conversation as if it is some privileged accomplishment without which they were unable to perform their duty.
The VP saga is no different wherein the PAC's interview with Vice President Gilbert Bukenya was reduced to a farce. Basic and fundamental workings of government and the separation of powers doctrine preclude their approach. But then, we get to reap what we sow. Ours is, in all fairness, a mockery of a system gone haywire. Our backwardness and failed system is the outcome of greed, selfishness and avarice. Conducting Our Farm's business like it were our own personal property, only ensures the continued mess.
We have conceded powers that people are not vested with, while acquiescing to circumstances we are not obliged to submit to. Launching an investigation and referring findings to the prosecutorial arm of government are matters that do not require the ok of anyone on the Farm. This is a bizarre set of circumstances. There is no effort intended to inquire into what happened to the money, who looted and to what extent. Of course, being asked and answering questions in this regard seem to deter given what has occurred in recent times. If so, the question then becomes "is this a show orchestrated to provide the semblance of due diligence"? Is it assumed there is an audience?
Randomly choose any article in our papers yields to the conclusion Our Constitution, army, Farm's resources and everything for that matter, is singularly owned. Cash is disbursed at will and at the Farm Manager's discretion and/or, that of a designated few. Quite alarming and troubling is the disregard for the communal good. Even more troubling is the predetermined end of a process seemingly instituted for no public good. When all is said and done, there does not appear to be in place, credible facilities that automatically trigger relevant action for and on our behalf.
Inquiry into CHOGM, embezzled GAVI Funds (The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) and others, without corresponding facilities to address issues arising, is not credible. Otherwise, the continuing reckless disregard of the public good would have abated some. Instead, we have what appears to be the consistent thumbing of the nose at us, as if to say, "So what? What will you do about it"?
The continuing state of affairs is infuriating, evokes sentiments of anger that, if not controlled, has the potential to reach unseen-before and untold levels of emotions and associated conduct. Unchecked, circumstances have the potential to reach critical mass. How do you check it? Doing the right thing and not engaging in business as usual.
George Orwell shows how Napoleon and his four legged buddies digressing from the course their principles strictly forbade. Occasionally, he portrays Napoleon's lust, greed and avarice as it is justified by Squealer, Napoleon's propagandist who tries to convince the animals that Napoleon is a great leader who is making things better for everyone. The fact that the record suggested a contradictory state of affairs which included hunger, the bitter cold and being overworked did not the least bother him.
Our Farm is not different. While not hard to determine who fits Squealer's character, it is evident greed and selfishness are front and center. We have been told, it is easier to train and constitute an army than it is to eradicate corruption. No credible reasons were advanced and, much less, efforts to combat the ill indicated. Is it because the experience in building an army took priority over other issues thereby leaving the impression it is what it is claimed to be? Does the claimed ease in creating an army exist independent of corruption? Is that credible? Spirited by selfishness and self-preservation, is such believable?
Mr. Frederick, a neighbour who cheats Napoleon during the purchase of timber leading to the attacks that ensued, the destruction of the windmill and battle during which Boxer is injured, are realities that live on Our Farm. Looting of minerals, timber, rape, injuries and deaths of soldiers and civilians are all too familiar. Our own Gen. James Kazini was very much involved with the DRC war. Allegedly, he took valuable resources for his personal gain and that of others before his much publicized death under bizarre, questionable and ridiculous circumstances alleged to have occurred immediately before, during and after his death.
Not strangely perhaps, for art imitates life, one day, Boxer is nowhere to be found on Animal Farm. According to Squealer, he died in peace after having been taken to the hospital, praising the Rebellion with his last breath. What happened was as bizarre then as Kazini's demise. Therein, whiskey and money were part of the circumstances that surrounded Kazini's death. The timing of Kazini's death is as suspect as Boxer's death. That he purportedly died in peace after having been taken to the hospital is as comical as it is coincidentally mimicked by circumstances on Our Farm.
As we recall, one of us, the purportedly registered owner of a certain hotel, appeared to answer questions regarding CHOGM. Strangely, he died peacefully and soon after his appearance. Similarly, the same questioners have shown keen interest relating to millions of dollars unaccounted for and, presumably intended for construction works involving several projects. Whether one of our late friends was involved with those projects is not exactly clear. What is clear nonetheless, is the fact he had his fair share of construction projects the greater bulk of which were for and on our behalf. As strange as it might sound, he passed away in no violent circumstances and, presumably no less loyal to Our Farm than Boxer was.
Most of us assume we are all created equal and nobody on Our Farm is more equal than the other. Many of us struggle with sentiments Our Farm's circumstances trigger when we ponder the reasons we partook of the struggle, our goals and vision on the one hand, and, what is becoming alarmingly clear, all of us are equal, but some are more equal than others. The reality is, those more equal can travel overseas for treatment while we languish on make shift beds in the corridors of our main barn; those more equal can afford to send their kids overseas for their education leaving us to ceremoniously chant and praise the UPE that will take our kids nowhere; the more equal can afford as many meals as their stomachs can hold before busting while we hardly can afford to chew anything with our rotten teeth. Those more equal are embezzle and allocate themselves shares and ownership interest in Our Farm's assets while we have nothing to our individual names.
Orwell depicts Napoleon as some megalomaniac obsessed with power and power games. For that and other reasons, he changes the name of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm, claiming it to be the correct title. While debates and talk regarding changing Our Farm to some other name have fizzled, talk about Titles and ownership will outlive us because of the barbaric and outright thievery we have engaged in, making it necessary for generations that follow, to write the wrongs.
Title is one of the most spoken words on Our Farm. Who has what title to what and how it was obtained, are questions that appear to consume much of our time. Titles, whether correct or not, might pale in comparison with survival issues that confront most of us. The need for medicine, decent hospital beds, competent treatment, therapy, diagnostic machines and procedures, along with a decent health system infrastructure are some of the fundamental basic requirements of a civilized society. Those of us less equal, are consistently and intentionally been denied what those who are more equal are able to enjoy on Our Farm.
Our Farm would have no problem with the deeding of land intended for Our Farm's hospital expansion if only the hotelier beneficiary it was deeded to, had plans to build structures that benefit each of us, who are not more equal than others. Building a five star hotel does not and will not change the quality of life on Our Farm.
Squealer, is the pig who spreads Napoleon's propaganda among the other animals. Squealer justifies the monopolization of resources and spreads false statistics pointing to the farm's success. That is why he will say he flew economy to see how the less equal fly and to save on jet fuel for the very jet he flew out of Uganda on, ostensibly to be sent back to Our Farm via Airmail. After all, the return flight is surprisingly free. Apparently, the inflating of statistical figures is an old game those more equal have always known to play and use it to prey. Look at the bogus HIV and AIDS statistics to mention but a few. We rape our own, plunder what does not belong to us and, while we are so quick to claim successes and yields we never sowed, we are betrayed by our arrogance and pompous disregard for the very institutions we claim responsibility for creating. In the end, everything coming out of our mouth lacks credibility.
Certainly, statements like "I will only accept if there are minutes that indicate that I directed this and that" do nothing to contribute towards the credibility of the process. You cannot be the focus or subject of an investigation and also set the conditions for how the investigation is to be conducted and how the findings are to be adjudicated if the system you espouse is to maintain any credibility. Obviously, saying "I will only accept. . . if there are minutes . . ." is to put the cart before the horse.
That statement is borne out of knowledge there is no such record. Because the process and outcome are custom-tailored, the credibility of the process is questionable at best. If we are to permit someone to assume the roles of investigator, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner, we might as well dismantle our institutions. Such a culture and modus operandi render everything else, irrelevant.
Our Farm is therefore a de facto Kleptocracy. That is to say, leadership that takes advantage of institutionalized corruption to extend the personal wealth and political power of government officials. How? This is done via the embezzlement of state funds at the expense of the wider population, often without even the pretense of honest service. Effectively, this is rule by thieves and a disgrace to all well-meaning people. Obviously, given the widespread looting that exists as well as the size of the loot, I doubt anyone on Our Farm has the ability and time to engage the corresponding and requisite pretense of honest service. Nobody can muster the ability to pretend at the level the size of loot will require you pretend. Sadly, many appear not to be bothered.
Worse, is an ever increasing culture of impunity, validating conduct otherwise unacceptable in civilized society and, with no corresponding alarm bells chiming in horror and collective disgust. When a sixth grader gave his classmates money to vote him class prefect, we each were effectively placed on notice of a dawn of a new era that was unwittingly ushered in as a result of our past deeds. Sadly, this grim reality is an amalgamation of our collective stupidity, greed, avarice, selfishness and disregard of neighbour.
Nonetheless, Museveni's Farm is, like it or not, Our Farm. Our Farm is NOT his personal property because, that is the unavoidably true state of affairs, perception and wishful thinking notwithstanding.
"Speaking Truth To Empower."
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Black Star News has been producing stellar investigative journalism since 1997, including focusing on police brutality and other abuses targeting marginalized communities. We have broken several major stories. We welcome news tips to firstname.lastname@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com
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Black Star News has been producing stellar investigative journalism since 1997, including focusing on police brutality and other abuses targeting marginalized communities. We have broken several major stories. We welcome news tips to firstname.lastname@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com
We need your advertising support to produce strong journalism, especially during periods of economic instability, so please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for advertising rates and long term packages.
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