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Another wet weekend?
For your info, the Setia Motors Netball Tournament VIII 2013 competition's registration is extended until 15th of May and it should be done by 4pm
HSBC is offering hot deals on a wide range of indulgent and sumptuous culinary delights, as well as delectable baked treats this Mothers' Day.
From May 10 to 12, HSBC Credit Card and HSBC Visa Debit Card holders will receive special discounts when they treat their loved ones at All Seasons Restaurant; Kitaro Japanese Restaurant; Nur Wanita Restaurant and Catering; and Mum's Bakery & Cake House. Discounts range from 15 to 35 per cent when using their HSBC Credit or Visa Debit Cards.
Additionally, all HSBC Credit and Debit Card holders who swipe either their HSBC Credit or Debit cards at both local or overseas merchants from May 6 to July 6 will stand a chance of winning a prize in the Red Hot Credit Card and Debit Card promotion. One lucky credit card winner, and one lucky debit card winner will be selected every month to win the monthly prize of up to 200,000 reward points, or up to $3,000 rebate respectively (terms and conditions apply.
Killiney coffee. Now you can dine in at Killiney Kopitiam located at Times Square, below the escalator, nearest to HSBC ATM.
Take a journey back to the good old days by enjoying the freshly brewed coffee and tantalising aroma of warm kaya (coconut egg jam) toast at Killiney Kopitiam, newly opened at Times Square Shopping Centre.
With Killiney Kopitiam outlets in Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, and now Brunei, it's hard to believe that it all began back in 1919 at the Kheng Hoe Heng Coffeeshop in a shophouse on Killiney Road, Singapore.
The visionary behind the brand is Woon Tek Seng, a Hainanese who tried his best to preserve Hainanese culture by producing quality coffee and kaya toasts.
In addition to its popular staples, Killiney Kopitiam also offers local favourites, such as Chicken Curry served with French loaf, Mee Rebus (a boiled noodle dish), Mee Siam (sweet and tangy Siamese noodles), and its famous Singaporean laksa (spicy noodle soup), which is prepared using a secret recipe that has been passed down through generations.
The menu items are also of good value, as each item is priced under $10.
According to Killiney International Pte Ltd Business Development Manager Woon Tien Wei, the eatery serves comfort food that is popular throughout Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
"It's like something you would eat right after you wake up: coffee, kaya toast, half-boiled eggs and even the classics like chicken curry," said Woon.
"It is a bit different here in Brunei and we would like to learn a little bit more so we can cook something that is in tune to the locals' palate."
Woon also stated that Killiney is a place where food and heritage are kept untouched, despite being contemporised.
For those who are interested, please visit Killiney Kopitiam located at the ground floor of Times Square Shopping Centre, near the ATM machines. The outlet operates from 7.30am until 8pm until further notice. Text courtesy of Ikhwan Salleh of The Brunei Times.
The cornflake fillings.. I prefer the one with kaya
I managed to catch this shot with my phone
One of the favourite dishes - currrryyyy...
Bridgette helping out at Killiney
There is also outside seating
Woon Tien Wei, Killiney International Pte Ltd Business Development Manager(2nd from left), has been training the staff during his stay in Brunei. He is related to the family who founded Killiney Kopitiam.
Celebrate Mother's Day at Mabohai Shopping Complex this weekend
This was the second Comedy Night organised by 1stopbrunei.com supported by EAC @ UBD and ranoadidas. It was another great turn out last Sunday at The Core and the pacing of the acts were much of an improvement from the 1st Comedy Night. Will there be a part III? Thanks Jessie and Sean for the company last Sunday :D
Anyway, sorry Shavez that I missed your final act and congratulations on your 1stopbrunei.com on hitting the 50,000 hits mark. The portal for Brunei which contains many aspects about Brunei from education, SMEs, Tourism, Wildife to entertainment was launched just late last year. The founders were in Maktab Duli at that moment and at present are in UBD . The website provides a platform for local artists as well as creative people who have an interest in Artwork, videos, Music,drama as well who are doing small businesses who can advertise themselves for free. There is also a popular Job Vacancy section.
National Family Day celebrations are carrying on until the weekend for Royal Brunei Catering's (RBC) Airport Restaurant & Coffee Shop, who are offering a one-off Special Buffet Brunch this coming Sunday, May 12.
Dishes featured in the Special Buffet Brunch include sumptuous dishes such as Beef Goulash, Roasted Chicken, and Chicken Teriyaki, among others, as well as an array of international salads and desserts.
The eatery will open its buffet doors to customers from 11am to 3pm, charging $25 per adult, and $15 per child.
A special treat goes out to customers spending $200 or more on a single receipt, as they will receive a complimentary Laneige skincare gift box. Diners will also stand a chance to win a Luminox Ladies watch worth $590.
For those yet to own an RBC Dining Privilege Card, spending at least $80 on a single receipt will automatically earn them a free membership. For existing RBC DPC holders, they will receive a 10 per cent discount when dining in at any RBC restaurant.
For more information, or to make a reservation, please call Airport Restaurant & Coffee Shop at 2331853 or 2339207. Text by Zatty Joanda of The Brunei Times.
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SK, here I come!!
Let Your Body Drive Peugeot 208
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There were some last minute changes to the registration of The Run. Yesterday was the cut off date for registration which can only be done online. However, the last day of payment will be Saturday, 11th of May by 11am especially for those who don't own a BIBD account. This means that you either pay through BIBD's Cash Deposit Machines or Counter. Anyway, just click the link here on the steps to register.
As for donation card collection, you need to collect at these joints:
Pusat Ehsan Bengkurong
Pusat Ehsan Kuala Belait
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Centerpoint
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Time square
Netcom Computer House The Mall, Gadong
Netcom Computer House Kiulap
Netcom Computer House Mulaut
Netcom Computer House Tutong
Yesterday Fina dropped her receipts for The Run at the drop off box at BIBD. You can either go to the Cash Deposit Machine at BIBD or you can over to the teller to help you with all the paper work before dropping it off at the drop box
Sam, see you at the finishing line of the Fun Run :p haha
Thank you for helping out and cutting out the forms :D
Finally I personally meet His Excellency Choi Byung Koo, the Korean Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. He's a good conversationist and humourous too. Thank you for hosting us lunch.
Last Monday I had the privilege to be invited to the residence of the Korean Embassy for luncheon together with the Korean Ambassador to Brunei and Wu Chun, our superstar celebrity and also James and Tony, representatives from Borneo Bulletin and other guests. For me, it was more of breaking the ice session as I've never got acquainted with the Korean Ambassador to Brunei, His Excellency Choi Byung Koo.
I will be heading to South Korea if everything goes as planned in June and this was an invitation from the Korean Embassy which gives me the opportunity to explore the wonderful things that South Korea can offer. I've only transited at the Seoul airport on my way to San Francisco a few years ago. So I can't wait for this grand opportunity to experience the culture of Korea. I love Korean food and I also love Kara *lol* For your info, Kara is one of my favourite girl band from Korea whom I had a huge crush during the Samsumg Galaxy Disk Award in Kuala Lumpur last January. Anyway, thank you to the Korean Embassy for this golden opportunity.
During lunch, Wu Chun revealed he has finished writing the book on his personal experience where he rose to stardom status and also the challenges he had to overcome. Currently it is written in Chinese but he hinted that it will be translated into English to cater to a wider audience. It's most likely that his book will released later part of 2013. Wu Chun is also appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the Republic of Korea since last year and he will be heading to Korea for an exchange programme.
Wu Chun with His Excellency Choi Byung Koo and his spouse (in green), Madam Kim Kyung Soo at the Korean Embassy's residence
Our lunch was delicately prepared by Madam Kim Kyung Soo. The food was awesome and healthy too.
You should try this out!! I'm in love with it...
KFC PRODUCT LAUNCH: SPICY KOREAN CRUNCH. Riding on the Korean wave that's hitting Brunei, KFC unveiled it's latest promotion, Spicy Korean Crunch. This unique marinate features a blend of 7 chilies from around the world and the final fried chicken pieces are drizzled with a special spicy Korean sauce also called the spicy Gangnam sauce, which is a creation unique to KFC.
Imagine this scenario: It's Sunday and you are waiting for your friend to pick you up from home for shopping. While waiting, you turn on the TV, it's K-pop playing. Change the channel, it's a Korean drama showing. Your TV brand is Korean. After a while, your Korean brand phone rings, your friend telling you that she is here, waiting inside a car which is also a Korean brand. You both spend the whole afternoon hopping from one Korean Brand cosmetic shop to the other. Now you both feel exhausted and hungry. Conveniently, KFC is nearby, so how about trying out the latest promotion, which is also Korean inspired?
The Spicy Korean Crunch comes in a 2 piece combo and a 3 piece combo meal. The 2 piece Combo comes with 2 piece of Spicy Korean Crunch chicken, 1 regular potato corn salad, 4 piece potato wedges and 1 regular carbonated drink for a price of B$7.90. The 3 piece Combo comes with 3 piece of piece of Spicy Korean Crunch chicken, 1 regular potato corn salad, 4 piece potato wedges and 1 regular carbonated drink for a price of B$9.90
"In conjunction with the spicy Korean Crunch promotion, we are also working out Korean themed contest and giveaways later this month so we encourage our customers and Korean fans to keep a watch out on us," says Jonathan Bong, Senior Marketing Manager. "An-Nyung-Ha-Se-Yo and Kam-Sa-Ham-Ni-Da," added Del Goh, General Manager, KFC B Sdn Bhd. Press release from KFC Brunei.
My media friends trying to get the best angle for the shot
For now, it will replace the Spicy flavour if I'm not mistaken
In conjunction of the Family Day celebration, Casual Dining Seafood Restaurant in town, Fish & Co. invites all to come and celebrate the occasion, "The Catch" Family Day style this Saturday 11th May and Sunday 12th May 2013.
In the spirit of fostering family values by spending quality time together with your family, Fish & Co. offers a 20% discount on 5 Seafood Platter range namely Seafood Platter for 1, Seafood Platter for 2, Seafood Galore, Seafood Feast, Feather and Fins Platter and 4 types of Pizza such as the Fiery Peri-Peri Chicken Pizza, Mediterranean Pizza, Seafood Pizza; scrumptious seafood baked with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce and Black Pepper Chicken Pizza for all valid RBC DPC members. Just simply flash your RBC Dining Privilege Card to be entitled for the discount.
Treat your mum with the Soft shell crab salad or the Clams with Curry Butter sauce, taste the freshness and sweetness of clams in the signature curry butter sauce or try the latest edition of Bombay Fish & Chips, the all time favourite Fish & Chips marinated with an Indian herbs and spices or grilled Barramundi with sambal sauce and not forgetting the chilli crab spaghetti. Now that's 1 big happy family.
Fish & Co. also offers birthday package for those who is interested to celebrate their birthday at Fish & Co. Birthday Package starts from $15.00 per head with a minimum booking of 40 paxs.
For further enquiries or bookings, please contact Fish & Co. at 2392 666 or 8647 931. Fish & Co. is located at No 18 &19, Ground Floor, Citis Square, Kg. Jaya Setia Berakas 'A" Brunei Darussalam. Press release from Fish & Co.
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The strike
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What a great achievement for Sir Alex Ferguson!! His presence will surely be missed!
He has two more games left as Sir Alex Ferguson has called it quits after a 26 year stint with Manchester United. He led Manchester United to 20th league title and he has two European cup. He will still be part of Manchester United in the role of director and ambassador. The huge question mark remains - who will succeed him? There has been odds that David Moyes will be taking charge. We will know in the next day or two. I don't think any manager will come close of Sir Alex' achievement as a football club manager.
A press conference was held recently to announce a few interesting competitions in conjunction with World Ocean Day 2013 and yes, Brunei will be celebrating the occasion as well. So just bear with me since there will be one or two competitions that might be of interest to you.
The press conference was represented by Astera Consultant and Pentagram Design Sdn Bhd and one of the competition is the Children's Art competition, which is the first activity for the festival. With the theme "Sharks are Friends", the competition is currently ongoing, with the last submission date for entry set which will be 14th May (next week).
There are two categories to the competition: Category A, for ages 8 to 9; and Category B, for ages 10 to 12. The paintings can be in any medium (water colour, paint, pencil and so) and it must be done on an A4 or A3-sized paper or canvas.
The prizes for Category A are cash prizes of $400, $250 and $150 for the first, second and third places respectively. All three of the winners will also receive medals and certificates. Meanwhile, prizes for Category B are cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 for the first, second and third places respectively. All three of the winners will also receive medals and certificates.
So who's eligible? Well, it's open to all students residing or studying in Brunei. How to submit? You will have to hand in by hand to the "Celebrate the Sea" Children's Art Competition headquarters at MIPR (fishery department) or at the Serasa Firsheries Department. If you need more info, you can email to asterabrunei @gmail.com
A total of 25 entries from each category will be shortlisted for the preliminary round, which will be held on Friday, June 7 at The Empire Hotel & Country Club from 2.30pm to 4pm. The winners for the competition will be announced on Sunday, June 9. For your info, 7 to 9 of June is where Brunei will celebrate World Ocean Day 2013 and Brunei will organise the 12th "Celebrate the Sea" festival at The Empire Hotel in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Astera Consultant and OceanNEnvironment (Australia).
Sofia Eleni Theologou with Hjh Faridah representing Astera Consultant in the recent press conference
Now here come's the big one... This also relates to "Celebrate the Sea" festival and it is open to everyone. This will be the first Brunei Shoot Out Competition. Well, technically there are two if you are keen to join. One is the Brunei Shoot Out Competition (open to locals and foreigners) and the other one is Local Brunei Shoot Out (only for residents of Brunei). Both these competitions are Underwater Photography competition and it will be selected Brunei Diving Spots. If you want more information, I suggest you attend the briefing this Saturday,11th May 9am on the 3rd floor of MIPR at the Fisheries Department. You can email to asterabrunei @gmail.com for more details.
The Local Brunei Shoot Out for Bruneian shutterbugs, scheduled from May 17 until 22 so you have at least a week to take underwater shots. If you plan to join the bigger one, Brunei Shoot Out Competition (which includes foreigners), that will be on 4th to 7th of June 2013. The winning images will be used for education and conservation of the region.
The cash prize for Brunei Shoot Out Competition will be USD 3,000 and for Local Brunei Shoot Out will be BND 2,500. There are many categories to join, just refer to the poster below.
Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD, with his opening remarks on property investment last week
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad (BIBD) today held a property investment talk, for all its loyal Perdana Banking (PB) customers. The event was organised to preview to all of BIBD's PB members just some of the many privileges and benefits they will have the opportunity to experience, as the event showcases the first of many scheduled events over the year.
A BIBD official highlighted that the "Key focus of today's event ultimately strengthening our relationship with the clients, while at the same time to illustrate BIBD's appreciation to the unyielding support BIBD's Perdana members has demonstrated towards BIBD over the years".
The property investment talk, held at the Indera Kayangan Hall at the Empire Hotel and Country Club, was attended by some 250 Perdana members, with the opening remarks delivered by Javed Ahmad, Managing Director of BIBD. The managing director took this opportunity to share the upcoming plans and initiatives for PB, as he noted that these are exciting times for the bank with all these efforts to grow BIBD up to its full potential.
The event served as a platform for knowledge dissemination amongst customers for basic knowledge of property investments and how property investment can be used as of the best ways to grow wealth. These property advices covered vital information on local and overseas property investments, capital appreciation, rental yields, and also to give an insight on the choices of properties available readily.
The morning ceremony was continued by a briefing by Yusuf Flynn of Rumahku Real Estate, at the same time introducing an array of properties for investment at prime locations such as Jln Muara, Subok, Serasa, Sungai Liang, Kilanas. Hairani of Primeland Real Estate continued in the afternoon as they shared their local and overseas property especially the London portfolio and how property represents a sound form of wealth investment.
The event also provided the Perdana members with an opportunity to browse for an ideal property investments from an extensive range offered by both Rumahku and Primeland. Images courtesy of BIBD.
Yusuf Flynn of Rumahku Real Estate talked about the properties along Jln Muara, Subok and many more
The invited guests at the investment property talk
It was very rare to see such flood happening at the Brunei International Airport (BIA). Then again, to be fair that there was still an ongoing construction led by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and the Brunei Economic Developoment board (BEDB). It was good thing that the matter was attended with urgency after the arrival hall area had a mini flood which caused inconvenience to the arriving passengers on the late night flight. By 2am, the BIA operation was back to normal on the 8th of May. It was due to the heavy rainfall that started around 11pm that flooded the area. Good thing that it didn't affect any delays or disruptions.
According to the press release isused by BEDB, the Airport Modernization Project Team had identified that the flooding, which lasted for about one and half hours was caused by ingress of water through the existing sump/outlet within the arrival hall. The flooding however caused no significant damage to existing property and equipment within the arrival hall. Swift actions by the airport authorities and other agencies including the Fire and Rescue Department, representatives of Department of Drainage and Sewerage, PWD and the contractors have enabled the arrival hall to resume normal operation by 2:00am.
The arrival hall scene at the Brunei International Airport last night around midnight on the 8th of May. Image courtesy of @dil122
In consultation with the Ministry of Communications and Department of Civil Aviation, the BEDB will be carrying out remedial measures to avoid such incidents from happening in the future. This includes widening and deepening the temporary drain network around the arrival hall and providing temporary pumps to drain rainwater from the affected area.
The BEDB and DCA would like to apologize for the inconvenience experienced by the arriving passengers and their family members as well as other airport users.
The country experienced one of the heaviest rain falls on the evening of 7 May 2013 when 181 millimetres of rain was recorded in Bandar Seri Begawan which have also caused flooding in certain parts of the highways as well as areas in Sengkurong, Mulaut and Kilanas.
Green Brunei, one of the most prominent non-profit organizations in Brunei, is organizing environmental-centric camps for impassioned youth environmental leaders in Brunei this coming summer holidays. Believing that disconnect with the environment often arise from the lack of constant interactions with nature, all GB YEL classes are held at the fringe of the Brunei's own pristine green treasures, at Rainforest School in Temburong.
This program includes teaching participants the basics of environmental youth reporting, learning from environmental science and issues' classes, and also involving students to have hands-on experiences with nature by having activities such as picking their own vegetables and short treks into the rainforest, all of which are conducted by trained and experienced environmentalists, tour guides and locals.
In greater details, one can expect both educational indoor and outdoor classes and activities. The YEL Programme is expected to be an experiential learning course suitable for all aged 13-25 with an interest in environmental conservation. Participants are promised to learn in greater depth the different aspects of environmental conservation: how to practise composting, the richness of Brunei's and the region's biodiversity, as well as hands-on activities such as cooking your own meals in the heart of the rainforest.
YEL alumni will have the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences with leading experts in the field of sustainability, network with other youth environmental leaders, develop relevant project management skils, public speaking skills as well as event management skills. Also, YEL alumni will have the opportunity to work with Green Brunei on environment campaigns, events and projects.
The program is jointly organized by Green Brunei, the Education Provider, and Borneo Guide, the Project and Venue Partner. Educational Resource Partners include United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as well as Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE). [Press release from Green Brunei]
The dates of the programme are:
Intake 1: 10th – 12th June
Intake 2: 12th to 14th June
Intake 3: 19th to 21st June
The deadline of registration is 27th May 2013.
About Green Brunei
Green Brunei aims to be the 'largest green community in Brunei, with the goal of providing free green educational, green resources and an enabler of youth-initiated environment projects'.
Green Brunei has an intrinsic focus in promoting environmental education and creating awareness on environmental conservation and clean technology through media platforms, online and offline activities and projects.
About GB YEL
The first pioneering run of GB YEL saw a congregation of 26 youths, each with their ideals and hopes for the environment, come together for 3 days of intensive yet enjoyable learning beyond the classroom in the heart of Brunei's own lush green treasures.
It serves to inculcate in participants the skills of critical analyses as well as environmental reporting, yet ensuring that learning more about the environment is never too boring an activity. GB YEL Programme is planned to run every quarter in the year.
For more information, please visit: http://www.green-brunei.com/yel/
To apply or for any enquiries contact Amanda at
or Greg at
with your questions.
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The flood memes
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The members of the Brunei Numismatics Club that gathered on their 2nd meet last Sunday
Money, money, money... Recently I have been helping a friend in promoting and selling old currency on my instagram and the responses were pretty good too. For your info, there is an unofficial club where enthusiasts and collectors of old currency gather from time to time and share their knowledge or trade-ins or buy/sell old currencies. Last Sunday, the members of Kelab Numismatic Brunei (KNB) had their second gathering as part of their monthly activities at Gadong properties food court.
Erik of Brunei Numismatics Club said that this is a non-profit group that started out on Facebook group early this year and it garnered some interests from hobbyists. The objectives of the group/club is to promote numismatic as a hobby and also to serve as a platform for numismatists in Brunei Darussalam. For your info, numismatics means a study or collection of currency and you will be surprised that there are quite a lot of them in Brunei.
So far there are about 400 members on Facebook and I'm pretty sure it's a growing number. Majority of them are from Brunei and also making up from Singapore and Malaysia. The club has also came up with a member card if you are interested.
They also want to educate the public on the selling of old notes at a reasonable, market price. There are some who will sell at a higher price which is discourage.
Numismatics also provides a good investment opportunity such as the values of uncirculated (UNC) Begawan $1, $5, $10, $50 and $100 notes (year 1967) are now worth B$85, B$200, B$210, B$900 and B$1,250.
A piece of Malaya and British Borneo year 1953 $100 note with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (which was used in Brunei before Begawan notes) is now worth B$2,100 (VF grade) and B$8,000 (EF grade) in the current numismatics market.
This is a rare pitis, the currency of Brunei which was circulated three hundred years ago
A hobbyist looking at the details of the pitis
The logo of the group is designed in a unique octagon-shaped pitis with a central hole (Reference no: SS 3E) of Sultan Hussin Kamaluddin (1710-1730 & 1737-1740), the 16th Sultan of Brunei, with the picture of a cat facing right.
Interesting book on the history in coinage
This handbook is useful to check the market value of old currency based on the year and the condition of the old notes
This ain't true. It's a photoshop-ed image.
A message from RB's Facebook page: Royal Brunei Airlines has been made aware that this image was uploaded and circulated via social media after last evening's flash flood at the Brunei International Airport. Please be aware that the image of RB's aircraft partially submerged in water is edited.
Please understand that creating and circulating an allegation such as this is considered a crime. Thus we seek the assistance from the public to stop circulating this false image.
It was quite happening during family day at the Royal Wharf last Sunday
Do you guys know much about Family Day? This is the second time that Brunei celebrates Family Day with the theme "Keluargaku, Haparanku" (My Family, My Hope). Last Sunday, there were four zones for family day in Brunei-Muara district. All together there were 9 zones across the country and leading the event were ministers and senior government officers.
I know of one school, SMSS, that organised their own family day at Jerudong Park. I just ended up covering the one at the Royal Wharf where the event was mostly sponsored by oil and gas companies.
The celebration's main purpose, according to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports in a committee meeting held prior to yesterday's event, was to foster understanding in the community regarding the importance of reinforcing and strengthening family institutions for the development of society and the state.
A collaboration of efforts among the ministries of Culture, Youth and Sports, Home Affairs and Religious Affairs, the nationwide event was allocated a $500, 000 budget for programmes that emphasised on the reinforcement of the family institution.
I'm pretty sure next year will be bigger and better. Such event will need more publicity and awareness prior to the day itself. It was nice to see families participating in activities. Kudos to the ministries that made this possible.
Registration is now open
Another great news for the futsal enthusiasts in Brunei Darussalam, Proman Auto Care & Carwash will be organising a 3-aside futsal tournament on 26th May 2013. The registration is now open until 24th May 2013. Forms can be obtained from Proman Auto Care & Carwash, Spg 145, Kg Lambak as well as from Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Courts, 2nd floor Times Zone, Times Square Shopping Centre Berakas. For further informations, interested parties can contact Bola Bola at 2338730. The registration fee is BND80 for a team of maximum 6 players and is open to a maximum of 32 teams.
The Champion of Proman Autocare Cup will walk away with BND600 plus 6 free carwash, 1st runner up will receive BND300 plus 6 free carwash and 2nd runner up will receive BND200 plus 6 free carwash.
The 1-day tournament will be held at Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Courts, Times Square Shopping Centre, Berakas, the first commercial indoor futsal courts in a shopping complex.
I had a great experience playing at Bola Bola Indoor Futsal Court few months back!!
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The first time
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Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah, His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Muntaqim and Her Royal Highness Princess Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah in a group photo with the Secretary of Perguruan Pesilatan Panca Sukma, Ina Muziana binti Hj Muhd Muhamda
His Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Muntaqim receiving Best Role Model Pesilat Award
HIS Royal Highness Prince 'Abdul Muntaqim was awarded the Bunga Melati Level in Silat at the International School Brunei (ISB) in Berakas last Saturday.
Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah and Her Royal Highness Princess Muneerah Madhul Bolkiah were also present to witness the ceremony.
Twenty-five children attended the Bunga Melati Level Award and Pesilat Award at the school. HRH Prince 'Abdul Muntaqim was awarded the Bunga Melati Satu Level along with Lukka Bentamin Cuff, Syifa binti Mahmud, Hanna Carpenter, Greg Robertson, Oliver Pithaerd, Noah Valois, Hannah Sofia and Fin Alexander.
HRH Prince 'Abdul Muntaqim was also awarded the Best Role Model Pesilat Award (Children Category).
Meanwhile, Ak Md Zaftran Syahirah bin Pg Md Suffian was awarded the Best Pesilat Putera, while Best Pesilat Puteri went to Syifa binti Mahmud. Greg Robertson and Oliver Osvane, both received the Best Pesilat (Children Category).
The awards were presented by ISB representative, Coach Md Arrafie bin Hassan; and Secretary of Perguruan Pesilatan Panca Sukma, Ina Muziana binti Hj Muhd Muhamda.
Get 10 times the reward using your Credit Card or Debit Card. Promotion ends 6th July 2013.
An award-winning modeling compound, Bubber, is now available at Wrap In A Box
Bubber is an award-winning modeling compounds invented by Swedish engineers. To maintain quality, it is manufactured exclusively in Sweden.
Bubber is probably the lightest modeling compound in the world (it can float on water!). Unlike play-doh and other compounds, it never dries out, feels great in your hands (like marshmallow), and can be molded in just about anything! It leaves clean, sharp edges when cut and precise impressions when imprinted. You can create anything from light-as-air perfect cookies to sand castles. Kids love bubber because it is not sticky or gritty; it actually feels warm in their hands. Bubber is also great for kids with allergies – it is wheat, gluten and casein free and 100% safe and non-toxic.
So now it's available at Wrap In A Box which is located at Kiarong (near Kiarong Complex). So do drop by and check it out. It's ideal for kids and parents won't have to worry too much of its content.
Celebrate Mother's Day at Mabohai Shopping Complex this weekend
Acting Director of Tourism Board Development Mariani Hj Sabtu (2nd from right) announced the first Brunei Darussalam Nature Festival 2013 last Saturday
Guess what's happening in end of May and early June? Well, Tourism Development Board will be organising the first ever Brunei Darussalam Nature Festival 2013 with their co-organiser Sakam Enterprise Sdn Bhd. A press conference was held last Saturday at the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.
It has a theme which is "Bird Watching Tourism in Brunei Darussalam" and it will be a four day event which will be held at the Royal Wharf. The Acting Director of Tourism Board Development, Mariani Hj Sabtu, said that this will be the first of its kind and bird watching activity is quite popular in Sabah and Brunei also has the potential to have a similar activity.
She's confident that engaging the services of Sakam Enterprise that they are able to showcase to Bruneians and residents of its rich nature and diversity during the four day event. She also announced that the festival will be held in conjunction with the first Boreno Bird Race 2013 where Brunei will be hosting with Sabah.
Mohammad Vol Momin of Sakam Enterprise aims at creating awareness that we need to protect the endangered species and also conserve the environment. He's quite content that the youth are becoming more aware of this issue. I was also quite surprised that he shared how much the States are able to earn revenue in billions for bird-watching tourism alone.. Amazing!! So I guess first thing is first - awareness..
Do check out their Facebook page for details and for those wanting to rent a booth especially those who are NGOs that deal with wildlife and nature, this is a good avenue to showcase. There will be booths and vendors during the event at the Royal Wharf.
More of this event soon as I will have more details by then.
The management of Gloria Jeans Coffee with Star Wars cosplay last Saturday to celebrate "May the 4th be with You" for Star Wars day
I kinda like the gimmick of Gloria Jeans Coffee for the recent Star Wars event recently held at its outlet at Citis Square. The event was called "May the Froth" (or hashtag #Mayfroth) in conjunction with International Star Wars day - May the 4th be with you. Gloria Jeans Coffee (GJC) had promotional gimmicks where you can get free Star Wars magnets if you purchased at least $25 on a single receipt and it was quite popular too.
There was also a Star Wars lego display organised by BULAT (Brunei Usergroup Lego and Technics) and four members of BULAT displayed their Star Wars collection. There was also speed building competition between the female and male BULAT members where they had to build R2D2 and B-Wings model. It seems that the ladies won the race :D
And of course, the finale of the event was the appearance of Star Wars characters where patrons of GJC and the public had the opportunity to take photos with them. Anyway, thanks Firdaus for the blue refreshing drink.. Love it!!
Love the tee :D
Building R2D2 by the guys
However it was the ladies that finished the R2D2 model lego first
I love this
The Star Wars display
One of the expensive Star Wars Lego set
Del Goh's display
Mel was in awe
Pink Vader in the house
Storm Troopers invading Gloria Jeans Coffee
Are you my father?
Cheewiieeee can be adorable
Yoda didn't last long in the mask
It's a miracle that he was there. He survived a major accident the day before and still committed to turn out for this event.
Even these guys need a breather or two
Add a comment


text:
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory is an explanatory proposition that accuses a person, group or organization of having caused or covered up an event or phenomenon of great social, political, or economic impact.
Contents |
Usage [edit]
The term "conspiracy theory" is used to indicate a narrative genre that includes a broad selection of (not necessarily related) arguments for the existence of grand conspiracies.[1] Less illustrious uses refer to folklore and urban legend and a variety of explanatory narratives which are constructed with methodological flaws or biases.[2] Originally a neutral term, since the mid-1960s it has acquired a somewhat derogatory meaning, implying a paranoid tendency to see the influence of some malign covert agency in events.[3] The term is sometimes used to automatically dismiss claims that are deemed ridiculous, misconceived, paranoid, unfounded, outlandish or irrational.[4][page needed] A proven conspiracy theory, such as the notion that United States President Richard Nixon and his aides were behind the Watergate break-in and cover-up, is usually referred to as something else, such as investigative journalism or historical analysis.[5][6]
The political scientist Michael Barkun, discussing the usage of this term in contemporary American culture, holds that a conspiracy theory is a belief which explains an event as the result of a secret plot by exceptionally powerful and cunning conspirators to achieve a malevolent end.[7][8] According to Barkun, the appeal of conspiracism is threefold: First, conspiracy theories claim to explain what institutional analysis cannot. They appear to make sense out of a world that is otherwise confusing. Second, they do so in an appealingly simple way, by dividing the world sharply between the forces of light, and the forces of darkness. They trace all evil back to a single source, the conspirators and their agents. Third, conspiracy theories are often presented as special, secret knowledge unknown or unappreciated by others. For conspiracy theorists, the masses are a brainwashed herd, while the conspiracy theorists in the know can congratulate themselves on penetrating the plotters' deceptions.[8]
Some scholars argue that conspiracy theories once limited to fringe audiences have become commonplace in mass media, contributing to conspiracism emerging as a cultural phenomenon in the United States of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and the possible replacement of democracy by conspiracy as the dominant paradigm of political action in the public mind.[7][9][10][11] According to anthropologists Todd Sanders and Harry G. West, evidence suggests that a broad cross-section of Americans today gives credence to at least some conspiracy theories.[12] Belief in conspiracy theories has therefore become a topic of interest for sociologists, psychologists and experts in folklore.
In an essay on conspiracy theories originating in the Middle East, Daniel Pipes notes that "[f]ive assumptions distinguish the conspiracy theorist from more conventional patterns of thought: appearances deceive; conspiracies drive history; nothing is haphazard; the enemy always gains; power, fame, money, and sex account for all."[13] According to West and Sanders, when talking about conspiracies in the Vietnam War era, Pipes includes within the fringe element anyone who entertains the thought that conspiracies played a role in the major political scandals and assassinations that rocked American politics in the Vietnam era. "He sees the paranoid style in almost any critical historical or social-scientific analysis of oppression."[14]
Economist Murray Rothbard distinguished between what he described as "shallow" and "deep" conspiracy theories. The shallow conspiracy theorist observes a questionable or potentially shady event and asks Cui bono? (who benefits?), jumping to the conclusion that a posited beneficiary is in fact responsible for covertly influencing events. In contrast, the deep conspiracy theorist begins with a suspicious hunch similar to that of the shallow theorist, but goes further by seeking out reputable, verifiable evidence. "'Scholarship,' Rothbard quipped, 'is essentially confirming your early paranoia through a deeper factual analysis.'"[15]
Noam Chomsky, linguist and scholar, contrasts conspiracy theory as more or less the opposite of institutional analysis, which focuses mostly on the public, long-term behaviour of publicly known institutions, as recorded in, for example, scholarly documents or mainstream media reports, rather than secretive coalitions of individuals.[16]
Usage history [edit]
The Oxford English Dictionary records the first use of the phrase "conspiracy theory" to a 1909 article in The American Historical Review.[17][18] Other sources predate this use by nearly four decades to at least 1871, where it is used in The Journal of Mental Science reporting on a conference of the Fifth Quarterly Meeting of the Medico-Psychological Association (now the Royal College of Psychiatrists), held on Thursday, January 27, 1870:
- "The theory of Dr. Sankey as to the manner in which these injuries to the chest occurred in asylums deserved our careful attention. It was at least more plausible that the conspiracy theory of Mr. Charles Beade, ..."[19]
On conspiracism [edit]
Academic work in conspiracy theories and conspiracism (a world view that places conspiracy theories centrally in the unfolding of history) presents a range of hypotheses as a basis of studying the genre. According to Berlet and Lyons, "Conspiracism is a particular narrative form of scapegoating that frames demonized enemies as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good, while it valorizes the scapegoater as a hero for sounding the alarm".[20]
The historian Richard Hofstadter addressed the role of paranoia and conspiracism throughout American history in his essay The Paranoid Style in American Politics, published in 1964. Bernard Bailyn's classic The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution (1967) notes that a similar phenomenon could be found in America during the time preceding the American Revolution. Conspiracism labels people's attitudes as well as the type of conspiracy theories that are more global and historical in proportion.[21]
The term "conspiracism" was popularized by academic Frank P. Mintz in the 1980s.[citation needed] According to Mintz, conspiracism denotes "belief in the primacy of conspiracies in the unfolding of history":[22]
"Conspiracism serves the needs of diverse political and social groups in America and elsewhere. It identifies elites, blames them for economic and social catastrophes, and assumes that things will be better once popular action can remove them from positions of power. As such, conspiracy theories do not typify a particular epoch or ideology".[23]
Throughout human history, political and economic leaders genuinely have been the cause of enormous amounts of death and misery, and they sometimes have engaged in conspiracies while at the same time promoting conspiracy theories about their targets. Hitler and Stalin would be merely the 20th century's most prominent examples; there have been numerous others.[24] In some cases there have been claims dismissed as conspiracy theories that later proved to be true.[25][26] The idea that history itself is controlled by large long-standing conspiracies is rejected by historian Bruce Cumings:
"But if conspiracies exist, they rarely move history; they make a difference at the margins from time to time, but with the unforeseen consequences of a logic outside the control of their authors: and this is what is wrong with 'conspiracy theory.' History is moved by the broad forces and large structures of human collectivities."[27]
Justin Fox of Time Magazine gives a pragmatic justification of conspiracism. He says that Wall Street traders are among the most conspiracy-minded group of people, and ascribes this to the reality of some financial market conspiracies, and to the ability of conspiracy theories to provide necessary orientation in the market's day-to-day movements. Most good investigative reporters are also conspiracy theorists, according to Fox, and some of their theories turn out to be at least partly true.[28]
Belief in conspiracy theories has become a topic of interest for sociologists, psychologists and experts in folklore since at least the 1960s, when the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy eventually provoked an unprecedented public response directed against the official version of the case as expounded in the Report of the Warren Commission.[citation needed]
Types [edit]
Barkun has categorized, in ascending order of breadth, the types of conspiracy theories as follows:
- Event conspiracy theories. The conspiracy is held to be responsible for a limited, discrete event or set of events. The conspiratorial forces are alleged to have focused their energies on a limited, well-defined objective. The best-known example in the recent past is the Kennedy assassination conspiracy literature, though similar material exists concerning the September 11 attacks, the crash of TWA Flight 800, and the spread of AIDS in the black community.[7]
- Systemic conspiracy theories. The conspiracy is believed to have broad goals, usually conceived as securing control of a country, a region, or even the entire world. While the goals are sweeping, the conspiratorial machinery is generally simple: a single, evil organization implements a plan to infiltrate and subvert existing institutions. This is a common scenario in conspiracy theories that focus on the alleged machinations of Jews, Freemasons, or the Catholic Church, as well as theories centered on Communism or international capitalists.[7]
- Superconspiracy theories. Conspiratorial constructs in which multiple conspiracies are believed to be linked together hierarchically. Event and systemic are joined in complex ways, so that conspiracies come to be nested together. At the summit of the conspiratorial hierarchy is a distant but powerful force manipulating lesser conspiratorial factors. Superconspiracy theories have enjoyed particular growth since the 1980s, in the work of authors such as David Icke and Milton William Cooper.[7]
Popular knowledge [edit]
Clare Birchall at King's College London describes conspiracy theory as a form of popular knowledge.[29] By giving it the title 'knowledge', conspiracy theory is considered alongside more 'legitimate' modes of knowing. The relationship between legitimate and illegitimate knowledges, Birchall claims, is far closer than common dismissals of conspiracy theory would have us believe. Other popular knowledges might include alien abduction narratives, gossip, some new age philosophies and astrology.
Psychological origins [edit]
According to some psychologists, a person who believes in one conspiracy theory tends to believe in others; a person who does not believe in one conspiracy theory tends not to believe another.[30]
Psychologists believe that the search for meaning is common in conspiracism and the development of conspiracy theories, and may be powerful enough alone to lead to the first formulation of the idea. Once cognized, confirmation bias and avoidance of cognitive dissonance may reinforce the belief. In a context where a conspiracy theory has become popular within a social group, communal reinforcement may equally play a part. Some research carried out at the University of Kent, UK suggests people may be influenced by conspiracy theories without being aware that their attitudes have changed. After reading popular conspiracy theories about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, participants in this study correctly estimated how much their peers' attitudes had changed, but significantly underestimated how much their own attitudes had changed to become more in favor of the conspiracy theories. The authors conclude that conspiracy theories may therefore have a 'hidden power' to influence people's beliefs.[31]
A study published in 2012 also found that conspiracy theorists frequently believe in multiple conspiracies, even when one conspiracy contradicts the other.[32] For example, the study found that people who believe Osama Bin Laden was captured alive by Americans are also likely to believe that Bin Laden was actually killed prior to the 2011 raid.
Humanistic psychologists argue that even if the cabal behind the conspiracy is almost always perceived as hostile, there is often still an element of reassurance in it for conspiracy theorists. This is due, in part, because it is more consoling to think that complications and upheavals in human affairs are created by human beings rather than factors beyond human control. Belief in such a cabal is a device for reassuring oneself that certain occurrences are not random, but ordered by a human intelligence. This renders such occurrences comprehensible and potentially controllable. If a cabal can be implicated in a sequence of events, there is always the hope, however tenuous, of being able to break the cabal's power – or joining it and exercising some of that power oneself. Finally, belief in the power of such a cabal is an implicit assertion of human dignity – an often unconscious but necessary affirmation that man is not totally helpless, but is responsible, at least in some measure, for his own destiny.[33]
Projection [edit]
Some historians have argued that there is an element of psychological projection in conspiracism. This projection, according to the argument, is manifested in the form of attribution of undesirable characteristics of the self to the conspirators. Richard Hofstadter, in his essay The Paranoid Style in American Politics, stated that:
...it is hard to resist the conclusion that this enemy is on many counts the projection of the self; both the ideal and the unacceptable aspects of the self are attributed to him. The enemy may be the cosmopolitan intellectual, but the paranoid will outdo him in the apparatus of scholarship... the Ku Klux Klan imitated Catholicism to the point of donning priestly vestments, developing an elaborate ritual and an equally elaborate hierarchy. The John Birch Society emulates Communist cells and quasi-secret operation through "front" groups, and preaches a ruthless prosecution of the ideological war along lines very similar to those it finds in the Communist enemy. Spokesmen of the various fundamentalist anti-Communist "crusades" openly express their admiration for the dedication and discipline the Communist cause calls forth.[34]
Hofstadter also noted that "sexual freedom" is a vice frequently attributed to the conspiracist's target group, noting that "very often the fantasies of true believers reveal strong sadomasochistic outlets, vividly expressed, for example, in the delight of anti-Masons with the cruelty of Masonic punishments."[34]
Recent empirical research has lent support to the theory that psychological projection plays a role in conspiracy belief. A 2011 study found that highly Machiavellian people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, since they themselves would be more willing to engage in a conspiracy when placed in the same situation as the alleged conspirators.[35]
Epistemic bias [edit]
It is possible that certain basic human epistemic biases are projected onto the material under scrutiny. According to one study, humans apply a rule of thumb by which we expect a significant event to have a significant cause.[36] The study offered subjects four versions of events, in which a foreign president was (a) successfully assassinated, (b) wounded but survived, (c) survived with wounds but died of a heart attack at a later date, and (d) was unharmed. Subjects were significantly more likely to suspect conspiracy in the case of the major events—in which the president died—than in the other cases, despite all other evidence available to them being equal. Connected with pareidolia, the genetic tendency of human beings to find patterns in coincidence, this allows the discovery of conspiracy in any significant event.
Another epistemic "rule of thumb" that can be misapplied to a mystery involving other humans is cui bono? (who stands to gain?). This sensitivity to the hidden motives of other people may be an evolved and universal feature of human consciousness.[citation needed]
Clinical psychology [edit]
For some individuals, an obsessive compulsion to believe, prove, or re-tell a conspiracy theory may indicate one or a combination of well-understood psychological conditions, and other hypothetical ones: paranoia, denial, schizophrenia, mean world syndrome.[37]
Socio-political origins [edit]
Christopher Hitchens represents conspiracy theories as the "exhaust fumes of democracy",[38] the unavoidable result of a large amount of information circulating among a large number of people.
Conspiratorial accounts can be emotionally satisfying when they place events in a readily understandable moral context. The subscriber to the theory is able to assign moral responsibility for an emotionally troubling event or situation to a clearly conceived group of individuals. Crucially, that group does not include the believer. The believer may then feel excused of any moral or political responsibility for remedying whatever institutional or societal flaw might be the actual source of the dissonance.[39] Likewise, Roger Cohen, in an op-Ed for the New York Times propounded that, "captive minds... resort to conspiracy theory because it is the ultimate refuge of the powerless. If you cannot change your own life, it must be that some greater force controls the world."[40]
Where responsible behavior is prevented by social conditions, or is simply beyond the ability of an individual, the conspiracy theory facilitates the emotional discharge or closure that such emotional challenges (after Erving Goffman)[citation needed] require. Like moral panics, conspiracy theories thus occur more frequently within communities that are experiencing social isolation or political dis-empowerment.
Sociological historian Holger Herwig found in studying German explanations for the origins of World War I, "Those events that are most important are hardest to understand, because they attract the greatest attention from myth makers and charlatans."[citation needed]
This normal process could be diverted by a number of influences. At the level of the individual, pressing psychological needs may influence the process, and certain of our universal mental tools may impose epistemic 'blind spots'. At the group or sociological level, historic factors may make the process of assigning satisfactory meanings more or less problematic.
Alternatively, conspiracy theories may arise when evidence available in the public record does not correspond with the common or official version of events. In this regard, conspiracy theories may sometimes serve to highlight 'blind spots' in the common or official interpretations of events.[25]
Influence of critical theory [edit]
French sociologist Bruno Latour[41] suggests that the widespread popularity of conspiracy theories in mass culture may be due, in part, to the pervasive presence of Marxist-inspired critical theory and similar ideas in academia since the 1970s.
Latour suggests that about 90% of contemporary social criticism in academia displays one of two approaches which he terms "the fact position and the fairy position." (p. 237) The fact position is anti-fetishist, arguing that "objects of belief" (e.g., religion, arts) are merely concepts onto which power is projected; the "fairy position" argues that individuals are dominated, often covertly and without their awareness, by external forces (e.g., economics, gender). (p. 238) "Do you see now why it feels so good to be a critical mind?" asks Latour: no matter which position you take, "You're always right!" (p. 238-239)
Latour notes that such social criticism has been appropriated by those he describes as conspiracy theorists, including global warming denialists and the 9/11 Truth movement: "Maybe I am taking conspiracy theories too seriously, but I am worried to detect, in those mad mixtures of knee-jerk disbelief, punctilious demands for proofs, and free use of powerful explanation from the social neverland, many of the weapons of social critique." (p. 230)
Media tropes [edit]
This section may contain original research. (July 2012) |
Media commentators regularly note a tendency in news media and wider culture to understand events through the prism of individual agents, as opposed to more complex structural or institutional accounts.[42] If this is a true observation, it may be expected that the audience which both demands and consumes this emphasis itself is more receptive to personalized, dramatic accounts of social phenomena.
A second, perhaps related, media trope is the effort to allocate individual responsibility for negative events. The media have a tendency to start to seek culprits if an event occurs that is of such significance that it does not drop off the news agenda within a few days. Of this trend, it has been said that the concept of a pure accident is no longer permitted in a news item.[43] Again, if this is a true observation, it may reflect a real change in how the media consumer perceives negative events.
Hollywood motion pictures and television shows perpetuate and enlarge belief in conspiracy as a standard functioning of corporations and governments. Feature films such as Enemy of the State and Shooter, among scores of others, propound conspiracies as a normal state of affairs, having dropped the idea of questioning conspiracies typical of movies of eras prior to about 1970. Shooter even contains the line, "that is how conspiracies work" in reference to the JFK murder. Interestingly, movies and television shows do the same as the news media in regard to personalizing and dramatizing issues which are easy to involve in conspiracy theories. Coming Home converts the huge problem of the returning injured Vietnam War soldier into the chance that the injured soldier will fall in love, and when he does, the strong implication is that the larger problem is also solved. This factor is a natural outcome of Hollywood script development which wishes to highlight one or two major characters which can be played by major stars, and thus a good way of marketing the movie is established but that rings false upon examination. Further, the necessity to serve up a dubiously justified happy ending, although expected by audiences, actually has another effect of heightening the sense of falseness and contrived stories, underpinning the public's loss of belief in virtually anything any mass media says. Into the vacuum of that loss of belief falls explanation by conspiracy theory.
Too, the act of dramatizing real or fictional events injects a degree of falseness or contrived efforts which media savvy people today can identify easily. "News" today is virtually always dramatized, at least by pitting "one side" against another in the fictional journalistic concept that all stories must contain "both sides" (as though reality could be reduced to two sides) or by using more intensive dramatic developments similar to feature movies. That is, by obvious dramatizing, the media reinforces the idea that all things are contrived for someone's gain which could be another definition of, at least, political conspiracies theories. --Dr. Charles Harpole in "History of American Cinema" Scribner/U. Calif Press.[citation needed]
Fusion paranoia [edit]
Michael Kelly, a Washington Post journalist and critic of anti-war movements on both the left and right, coined the term "fusion paranoia" to refer to a political convergence of left-wing and right-wing activists around anti-war issues and civil liberties, which he said were motivated by a shared belief in conspiracism or anti-government views.
Social critics have adopted this term to refer to how the synthesis of paranoid conspiracy theories, which were once limited to American fringe audiences, has given them mass appeal and enabled them to become commonplace in mass media, thereby inaugurating an unrivaled period of people actively preparing for apocalyptic millenarian scenarios in the United States of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. They warn that this development may not only fuel lone wolf terrorism but have devastating effects on American political life, such as the rise of a revolutionary right-wing populist movement capable of subverting the established political powers.[44]
Daniel Pipes wrote in a 2004 Jerusalem Post article titled Fusion Paranoia:
Fears of a petty conspiracy – a political rival or business competitor plotting to do you harm – are as old as the human psyche. But fears of a grand conspiracy – that the Illuminati or Jews plan to take over the world – go back only 900 years and have been operational for just two centuries, since the French Revolution. Conspiracy theories grew in importance from then until World War II, when two arch-conspiracy theorists, Hitler and Stalin, faced off against each other, causing the greatest blood-letting in human history. This hideous spectacle sobered Americans, who in subsequent decades relegated conspiracy theories to the fringe, where mainly two groups promoted such ideas.The politically disaffected: Blacks (Louis Farrakhan, Cynthia McKinney), the hard Right (John Birch Society, Pat Buchanan), and other alienated elements (Ross Perot, Lyndon LaRouche). Their theories imply a political agenda, but lack much of a following.
The culturally suspicious: These include "Kennedy assassinologists," "ufologists," and those who believe a reptilian race runs the earth and alien installations exist under the earth's surface. Such themes enjoy enormous popularity (a year 2000 poll found 43 percent of Americans believing in UFOs), but carry no political agenda.
The major new development, reports Barkun, professor of political science in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, is not just an erosion in the divisions between these two groups, but their joining forces with occultists, persons bored by rationalism. Occultists are drawn to what Barkun calls the "cultural dumping ground of the heretical, the scandalous, the unfashionable, and the dangerous" – such as spiritualism, Theosophy, alternative medicine, alchemy, and astrology. Thus, the author who worries about the Secret Service taking orders from the Bavarian Illuminati is old school; the one who worries about a "joint Reptilian-Bavarian Illuminati" takeover is at the cutting edge of the new synthesis. These bizarre notions constitute what Michael Kelly termed "fusion paranoia," a promiscuous absorption of fears from any source whatsoever.[45]
Proven conspiracies and conspiracy theories [edit]
Katherine K. Young states "(t)he fact remains, however, that not all conspiracies are imagined by paranoids. Historians show that every real conspiracy has had at least four characteristic features: groups, not isolated individuals; illegal or sinister aims, not ones that would benefit society as a whole; orchestrated acts, not a series of spontaneous and haphazard ones; and secret planning, not public discussion." Above all else a real conspiracy is evidenced by provable facts.[46]
"Some historians have put forward the idea that more recently the United States has become the home of conspiracy theories because so many high-level prominent conspiracies have been undertaken and uncovered since the 1960s."[47] The existence of such real conspiracies helps feed the belief in conspiracy theories.[48][49][50]
In the criminal justice system, actual conspiracies and conspiracy theories can also be distinguished by scale, as actual conspiracies are usually small in scale and involve "a single event or issue."[51]
Controversy [edit]
Aside from controversies over the merits of particular conspiratorial claims, the general discussion of conspiracy theory is itself a matter of some public contention. Conspiracy theorists on the internet are often dismissed as a "fringe" group, but evidence suggests that a broad cross section of Americans today—traversing ethnic, gender, education, occupation, and other divides—gives credence to at least some conspiracy theories.[52]
Given this popular understanding of the term, it can also be used illegitimately and inappropriately, as a means to dismiss what are in fact substantial and well-evidenced accusations. The legitimacy of each such usage will therefore be a matter of some controversy. Michael Parenti, in his 1996 essay which examines the role of progressive media in the use of the term, "The JFK Assassination II: Conspiracy Phobia On The Left", states,
"It is an either-or world for those on the Left who harbor an aversion for any kind of conspiracy investigation: either you are a structuralist in your approach to politics or a 'conspiracist' who reduces historical developments to the machinations of secret cabals, thereby causing us to lose sight of the larger systemic forces."[53]
Structuralist or institutional analysis shows that the term is misused when it is applied to institutions acting in pursuit of their acknowledged goals, for example, when a group of corporations engage in price-fixing to increase profits.
Complications occurs for terms such as UFO, which literally means "unidentified flying object" but connotes alien spacecraft, a concept also associated with some conspiracy theories, and thus possessing a certain social stigma. Michael Parenti gives an example of the use of the term which underscores the conflict in its use. He states,
"In most of its operations, the CIA is by definition a conspiracy, using covert actions and secret plans, many of which are of the most unsavory kind. What are covert operations if not conspiracies? At the same time, the CIA is an institution, a structural part of the national security state. In sum, the agency is an institutionalized conspiracy."[53]
Political use [edit]
" | Conspiracy theories exist in the realm of myth, where imaginations run wild, fears trump facts, and evidence is ignored. As a superpower, the United States is often cast as a villain in these dramas. | " |
—America.gov[54] |
In his two volume work The Open Society and Its Enemies, Karl Popper used the term "conspiracy theory" to criticize the ideologies driving fascism, nazism, and Stalinism.[citation needed] Popper argued that totalitarianism was founded on "conspiracy theories" which drew on imaginary plots driven by paranoid scenarios predicated on tribalism, chauvinism, or racism. Popper did not argue against the existence of everyday conspiracies (as incorrectly suggested in much of the later literature). Popper even uses the term "conspiracy" to describe ordinary political activity in the classical Athens of Plato (who was the principal target of his attack in The Open Society and Its Enemies).
In his critique of the twentieth century totalitarians, Popper wrote, "I do not wish to imply that conspiracies never happen. On the contrary, they are typical social phenomena."[55] He reiterated his point, "Conspiracies occur, it must be admitted. But the striking fact which, in spite of their occurrence, disproved the conspiracy theory is that few of these conspiracies are ultimately successful. Conspirators rarely consummate their conspiracy."[55]
In a paper written in 2008, Cass Sunstein, legal scholar, and Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, wrote of appropriate government responses to conspiracy theories. In the paper he stated:
What can government do about conspiracy theories? Among the things it can do, what should it do? We can readily imagine a series of possible responses. (1) Government might ban conspiracy theorizing. (2) Government might impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate such theories. (3) Government might itself engage in counterspeech, marshaling arguments to discredit conspiracy theories. (4) Government might formally hire credible private parties to engage in counterspeech. (5) Government might engage in informal communication with such parties, encouraging them to help. Each instrument has a distinctive set of potential effects, or costs and benefits, and each will have a place under imaginable conditions. However, our main policy idea is that government should engage in cognitive infiltration of the groups that produce conspiracy theories, which involves a mix of (3), (4) and (5).[56]
See also [edit]
- Conspiracy (disambiguation)
- Conspiracy in civil law
- Conspiracy in criminal law
- Conspiracy fiction
- Fringe theory
- Furtive fallacy
- Influencing machine
- List of conspiracy theories
- Paranoia
- Pseudohistory
- Pseudoscience
- UFO conspiracy theory
Notes [edit]
- ^ Ramsay, Robin (2006). Conspiracy Theories. Pocket Essentials. ISBN 1-904048-65-X.
- ^ Johnson, 1983
- ^ "20th Century Words" (1999) John Ayto, Oxford University Press, p. 15.
- ^ Birchall, Clare (2006). Knowledge Goes Pop: From Conspiracy Theory to Gossip. Oxford: Berg. ISBN 1-84520-143-4.
- ^ Knight, Peter (2003). Conspiracy theories in American history: an encyclopedia 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-57607-812-9.
- ^ Slate Magazine
- ^ a b c d e Barkun, Michael (2003). A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. University of California Press; 1 edition. p. 3. ISBN 0-520-23805-2. "a conspiracy belief is the belief that an organization made up of individuals or groups was or is acting covertly to achieve a malevolent end."
- ^ a b Berlet, Chip (September 2004). Interview: Michael Barkun. Retrieved 2009-10-01. "The issue of conspiracism versus rational criticism is a tough one, and some people (Jodi Dean, for example) argue that the former is simply a variety of the latter. I don't accept this, although I certainly acknowledge that there have been conspiracies. They simply don't have the attributes of almost superhuman power and cunning that conspiracists attribute to them."
- ^ Camp, Gregory S. (1997). Selling Fear: Conspiracy Theories and End-Times Paranoia. Commish Walsh. ASIN B000J0N8NC.
- ^ Goldberg, Robert Alan (2001). Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09000-5.
- ^ Fenster, Mark (2008). Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture. University of Minnesota Press; 2nd edition. ISBN 0-8166-5494-8.
- ^ West, Harry G.; Sanders, Todd (2003).Transparency and conspiracy: ethnographies of suspicion in the new world order. Duke University Press. p. 4.
- ^ Pipes, Daniel (1992). "Dealing with Middle Eastern Conspiracy Theories". Orbis 36: 41–56. ISSN 0030-4387.
- ^ Transparency and conspiracy: ethnographies of suspicion in the new world order. Harry G. West, Todd Sanders. pp 207.
- ^ As quoted by B.K. Marcus in "Radio Free Rothbard," Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol 20, No 2. (SPRING 2006): pp 17–51, accessed 16 May 2013
- ^ Michael Albert, quoting from Zmagazine. "Conspiracy Theory". Retrieved 2007-08-23.
- ^ "conspiracy", Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989; online version March 2012. <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/39766>; accessed 20 March 2012.
- ^ "The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise: Its Origin and Authorship by P. Orman Ray", review by: Allen Johnson, The American Historical Review, vol.14 No. 4, p. 836
- ^ The Journal of mental science, Volume 16, page 141
- ^ Berlet, Chip; Lyons, Matthew N. (2000). Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort. New York: Guilford Press.[page needed]. ISBN 1-57230-562-2.
- ^ Bailyn, Bernard (1992) [1967]. 'The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.[page needed]. ISBN 978-0-674-44302-0. ASIN: B000NUF6FQ.
- ^ Mintz, Frank P. (1985). The Liberty Lobby and the American Right: Race, Conspiracy, and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood. p. 4. ISBN 0-313-24393-X.
- ^ Mintz, Frank P. (1985) [1985]. The Liberty Lobby and the American Right: Race, Conspiracy, and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood. p. 199. ISBN 0-313-24393-X.
- ^ Arendt, Hannah (1973) [1953]. The Origins of Totalitarianism. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.[page needed]. ISBN 0-15-607810-4.
- ^ a b Fenster, Mark (1999). Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.[page needed]. ISBN 0-8166-3243-X.
- ^ Dean, Jodi (1998). Aliens in America: Conspiracy Cultures from Outerspace to Cyberspace. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.[page needed]. ISBN 0-8014-8468-5.
- ^ Cumings, Bruce (1999). The Origins of the Korean War, Vol. II, The Roaring of the Cataract, 1947–1950. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.[page needed].
- ^ Justin Fox: Wall Streeters like conspiracy theories. Always have Time Magazine, October 1, 2009.
- ^ Birchall, Clare (2006). Knowledge Goes Pop: From Conspiracy Theory to Gossip. Oxford: Berg. ISBN 1-84520-143-4.
- ^ Goertzel (1994). "Belief in Conspiracy Theories". Political Psychology (Political Psychology, Vol. 15, No. 4) 15 (4): 733–744. doi:10.2307/3791630. JSTOR 3791630. Retrieved 2006-08-07.
- ^ Douglas, Karen; Sutton, Robbie (2008). "The hidden impact of conspiracy theories: Perceived and actual influence of theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana". Journal of Social Psychology 148 (2): 210–222. doi:10.3200/SOCP.148.2.210-222.
- ^ Wood, Michael J.; Karen M. Douglas, Robbie M. Sutton (2012-01-25). "Dead and Alive: Beliefs in Contradictory Conspiracy Theories" (PDF). Social Psychological and Personality Science. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
- ^ Baigent, Michael; Leigh, Richard; Lincoln, Henry (1987). The Messianic Legacy. Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-0568-4.
- ^ a b Hofstadter, Richard (11-2011). "The Paranoid Style in American Politics". Harper's Magazine. pp. 77–86.
- ^ Douglas, Karen; Sutton, Robbie (2011). "Does it take one to know one? Endorsement of conspiracy theories is influenced by personal willingness to conspire". British Journal of Social Psychology 50 (3): 544–552. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.2010.02018.x.
- ^ "Who shot the president?," The British Psychological Society, March 18, 2003 (accessed June 7, 2005).
- ^ "Top 5 New Diseases: Media Induced Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (MIPTSD)," The New Disease: A Journal of Narrative Pathology 2 (2004), (accessed June 7, 2005). Quote: "for relatively rare individuals, an obsessive compulsion to believe, prove or re-tell a conspiracy theory may indicate one or more of several well-understood psychological conditions, and other hypothetical ones: paranoia, denial, schizophrenia, and mean world syndrome." apud Lance Boyle Truthers: the Mental Health Headache, The Westminster Journal, December 27, 2007.
- ^ Hodapp, Christopher; Alice Von Kannon (2008). Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470184080.
- ^ Vedantam, Shankar (2006-06-05). "Born With the Desire to Know the Unknown". The Washington Post (The Washington Post). p. A02. Retrieved 2006-06-07. "Conspiracy theories explain disturbing events or social phenomena in terms of the actions of specific, powerful individuals," said sociologist Theodore Sasson at Middlebury College in Vermont. By providing simple explanations of distressing events—the conspiracy theory in the Arab world, for example, that the September 11 attacks were planned by the Israeli Mossad—they deflect responsibility or keep people from acknowledging that tragic events sometimes happen inexplicably."
- ^ Cohen, Roger (December 20, 2010). "The Captive Arab Mind". The New York Times.
- ^ Latour, Bruno. (2004) "Why Has Critique Run out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to Matters of Concern." Critical Inquiry, Vol. 30, No. 2., Winter 2004, pp. 225-248
- ^ Emke, Ivan (2000). "Agents and Structures: Journalists and the Constraints on AIDS Coverage". Canadian Journal of Communication 25 (3). Retrieved June 7, 2005.
- ^ "The Blame Game". BBC News. 6 September 2005. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
- ^ Barkun, Michael (2003). A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23805-2.
- ^ Pipes, Daniel (2004). Fusion Paranoia. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ Young, Katherine K.; Paul Nathanson (2010) Sanctifying misandry: goddess ideology and the Fall of Man McGill-Queen University Press ISBN 978-0-7735-3873-3 pg 275
- ^ Knight, Peter (2003) Conspiracy theories in American history: an encyclopedia, Volume 1; ABC-CLIO; ISBN 978-1-57607-812-9 pg 18
- ^ Jewett, Robert; John Shelton Lawrence (2004) Captain America and the crusade against evil: the dilemma of zealous nationalism Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing pg 206
- ^ Olmsted, Kathryn S. (2011) Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11 Oxford University Press pg 8
- ^ Whitfield, Stephen J. (2004) A companion to 20th-century America Wiley-Blackwell ISBN 978-0-631-21100-6 pg 136
- ^ George, John; Laird M. Wilcox (1996) American extremists: militias, supremacists, klansmen, communists & others Prometheus Books pg 267
- ^ Transparency and conspiracy: ethnographies of suspicion in the new world order. Harry G. West, Todd Sanders. pp 4.
- ^ a b questionsquestions.net, "The JFK Assassination II: conspiracy phobia on the left", Michael Parenti, 1996.
- ^ "Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation - America.gov". U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ a b "Extracts from "The Open Society and Its Enemies Volume 2: The High Tide of Prophecy: Hegel, Marx and the Aftermath" by Karl Raimund Popper (Originally published 1945)". Lachlan Cranswick, quoting Karl Raimund Popper. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
- ^ Sunstein, Cass R. and Vermeule, Adrian, Conspiracy Theories (January 15, 2008). Harvard Public Law Working Paper No. 08-03; U of Chicago, Public Law Working Paper No. 199; U of Chicago Law & Economics, Olin Working Paper No. 387. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084585 (Accessed January 29, 2010) 15.
References [edit]
- American Heritage Dictionary, "Conspiracy theory"
- Barkun, Michael (2003). A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23805-2.
- Chase, Alston (2003). Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-02002-9.
- Fenster, Mark (1999). Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-3243-X.
- Goldberg, Robert Alan (2001). Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America. New Haven & London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-09000-5.
- Hofstadter, Richard (1965). The Paranoid Style in American Politics and Other Essays. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-674-65461-7.
- Johnson, George (1983). Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher. ISBN 0-87477-275-3.
- McConnachie, James; Tudge, Robin (2005). The rough guide to conspiracy theories. ISBN 1-84353-445-2.
- Melley, Timothy (1999). Empire of Conspiracy: The Culture of Paranoia in Postwar America. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-8606-8.
- Mintz, Frank P. (1985). The Liberty Lobby and the American Right: Race, Conspiracy, and Culture. Westport,
CT: Greenwood. ISBN 0-313-24393-X.
- Pipes, Daniel (1997). Conspiracy: How the Paranoid Style Flourishes and Where It Comes from. New York: The Free Press. ISBN 0-684-87111-4.
- Pipes, Daniel (1998). The Hidden Hand: Middle East Fears of Conspiracy. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-17688-0.
- Popper, Karl R. (1945). The Open Society and Its Enemies. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01968-1.
- Sagan, Carl (1996). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York: The Random House. ISBN 0-394-53512-X.
- Vankin, Jonathan; John Whalen (2004). The 80 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time. New York: Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-2531-2.
- Johannes Rogalla von Bieberstein: Der Mythos von der Verschwoerung. Philosophen, Freimaurer, Juden, Liberale und Sozialisten als Verschwoerer gegen die Sozialordnung. Wiesbaden: Marix 2008 ISBN 978-3-86539-162-9
Further reading [edit]
- Cornel Zwierlein / Beatrice de Graaf (eds.), Security and Conspiracy in History, 16th to 21st Century. Historical Social Research 38, Special Issue, 2013
- Slosson, W. "The 'Conspiracy' Superstition," The Unpopular Review, Vol. VII, N°. 14, 1917.
- Harris, Lee. "The Trouble with Conspiracy Theories," The American, January 12, 2013.
- "Conspiracy Theories". CQ Researcher 19 (37): 885–908. October 23, 2009. ISSN 1056-2036.
- Aaronovitch, David (2010). Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History. Riverhead. ISBN 978-1-59448-895-5
- Conspiracism, Political Research Associates
- Cziesche, Dominik; Jürgen Dahlkamp, Ulrich Fichtner, Ulrich Jaeger, Gunther Latsch, Gisela Leske, Max F. Ruppert (2003). "Panoply of the Absurd". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
- Gray, Matthew (2010). Conspiracy Theories in the Arab World: Sources and Politics. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-57519-5.
- Parsons, Charlotte (2001-09-24). "Why we need conspiracy theories". BBC News – Americas (BBC). Retrieved 2006-06-26.
- Meigs, James B. (2006). "The Conspiracy Industry". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Communications, Inc. Retrieved 2006-10-13.
- McConnachie, James; Tudge, Robin (2005). The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84353-445-7.
- Coward, Barry, ed. (2004). Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theory in Early Modern Europe: From the Waldensians to the French Revolution. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 0-7546-3564-3.
- Christopher L. Hodapp and Alice Von Kannon (2008). Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies. Wiley. ISBN 0-470-18408-6.
- Knight, Peter, ed. (2003). Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia. ABC-Clio. ISBN 1-57607-812-4.
- Arnold, Gordon B., ed. (2008). Conspiracy Theory in Film, Television, and Politics. Praeger Publishers. p. 200. ISBN 0-275-99462-7.
- West, Harry G.; Sanders, Todd (eds.). Transparency and Conspiracy: Ethnographies of Suspicion in the New World Order. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-3024-0.
- Rudmin, Floyd (2003). "Conspiracy Theory As Naive Deconstructive History". newdemocracy.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
Conspiracist literature [edit]
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
- Balsiger, David W.; Sellier, Jr., Charles E. (1977). The Lincoln Conspiracy. Los Angeles: Schick Sun Classic Books. ISBN 1-56849-531-5.
- Birchall, Clare (2006). Knowledge Goes Pop: From Conspiracy Theories to Gossip. Berg. ISBN 1-84520-143-4.
- Bryan, Gerald B.; Talita Paolini, Kenneth Paolini (2000) [1940]. Psychic Dictatorship in America. Paolini International LLC. ISBN 0-9666213-1-X.
- Cooper, Milton William (1991). Behold a Pale Horse. Light Technology Publications. ISBN 0-929385-22-5.
- Icke, David (2004). And the Truth Shall Set You Free: The 21st Century Edition. Bridge of Love. ISBN 0-9538810-5-9.
- Levenda, Peter (2005). Sinister Forces: Trilogy. Trine Day. ISBN 0-9752906-2-2.
- Marrs, Texe (1996). Project L.U.C.I.D.: The Beast 666 Universal Human Control System. Living Truth Publishers. ISBN 1-884302-02-5.
- Pelley, William Dudley (1950). Star Guests: Design for Mortality. Noblesville, Indiana: Soulcraft Press.
- Robertson, Pat (1992). The New World Order. W Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8499-3394-3.
- Wilson, Robert Anton (2002). TSOG: The Thing That Ate the Constitution. Tempe, Arizona: New Falcon. ISBN 1-56184-169-2.
- Yallop, David A. (1984). In God's Name: An Investigation into the Murder of Pope John Paul I. New York: Bantam. ISBN 0-553-05073-7.
- Mathias Bröckers. Conspiracies, Conspiracy Theories and the Secrets of 9/11. Sees conspiracy as a fundamental principle between cooperation and competition. Proposes a new science of "conspirology."
- Sorrentino, Juliano. Society at war, The society of thieves. Sao Paulo (2008): Scortecci. ISBN 978-85-366-1291-1. A shadow government and a code of war move a secret war against an old common enemy. Polemical literature of the Brazilian writer Sorrento.
External links [edit]
Look up conspiracy theory in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation, America.gov
- Naomi Wolf. "Analysis of the appeal of conspiracy theories with suggestions for more accurate ad hoc internet reporting of them".
- Stuart J. Murray (2009). "Editorial Introduction: 'Media Tropes'". MediaTropes eJournal 2 (1): i–x.

subset: commoncrawl


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Not to be out-done by her brothers, Kaylee is in school as well. Home preschool with Mom that is! I purchased an online curriculum a couple of years ago and absolutley love it. It came with probably 1,000 printables and a yearly calendar with all sorts of fun subjects! (www.kidsparkz.com) I won't be posting everything that we do together, but if there is a project that she espeically liked I will share it! And this was one of those projects!
We were going apple picking that weekend and so I thought that an apple theme would be fun to do before we went to get our own! She loved it.
I printed out a few printables, including this apple book. She had fun coloring it and putting it together. We read it over and over and then she "read" it to me a few times.
The book goes like this:
My Apple Book
I like to eat red apples.
I like to eat green apples.
I like to eat yellow apples.
I like to eat sweet apples.
I like to eat sour apples.
But I don't like to eat THIS apple!
I thought she might like a fun little toy to go with it, so we headed upstairs to my felt stash.
I cut out (with pinking shears) two apple shapes from red felt, along with a stem and a leaf. I laid the leaf and stem on top of the two layers and sewed all the way around. Then I cut out a hole in the
center of the apple (through both layers) for the little worm to pop through.
For the worm: Cut out two rectangles out of felt. Draw a worm shape on the top piece, then sew over your drawing. Trim closely around the seam line. Stuff with batting, then sew up the bottom. Hot glue on some googly eyes and a little mouth if desired.
On the back side, I hot glued a strip of felt to make a flap. The worm slides under the flap. If I were to do this again, I might have made the apple a bit bigger and made pocket to store it in so that it doesn't get lost, but this works just fine for us.
Kaylee was excited to share her book and little worm toy with Aaron when he came home from school. She told him the story and he thought it was hilarious when the little worm popped through the apple as she said, "But I don't like to eat THIS apple!"
If you are interested in some free printables on apples, click here! I can't share the download for the little book since it was part of my purchaed file, but it would be easy to create one of your own as well!


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A collection of news and information related to William Collins published by this site and its partners.
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Suspect in March Hit-and-Run Arrested
FOX40 NewsThe suspect in a March hit-and-run that killed one person and seriously injured another was arrested Sunday. Paul Pellandini died from his injuries at the scene. Pellandini was walking in front of his home with a friend, William Collins, when a driver...Tags: Injuries and Wounds
World War I vet's 110-year-old widow receives military benefits
Our Town EditorNearly a century after William Collins served as a sharpshooter in the calvary in World War I, his 110-year-old wife finally is receiving military benefits. With assistance from U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown, Alda Collins, who turns 110 this week, is...Tags: World War I (1914-1918), National Enquirer, U.S. Army
Collins is winner
William Collins is this year's Beat the Press champion — congratulations. Collins and Carlos Nava faced off in the championship game Sunday in the BTP Super Bowl. Both picked the New England Patriots over the New York Giants but as...Tags: Super Bowl, New England Patriots, New York Giants
Rodriguez still in battle for press
After the second week of the Beat the Press playoffs only press staffer Marketing Consultant Ross Rodriguez remains in the hunt for the BTP title among three public contestants. Ross is the only press staffer after Local Content Editor Richard Brown lost...Tags: American Football Conference, National Football Conference, New York Giants
Beat The Press: Rolf, Collins to next round
William Collins and Raymond Rolf went 4-1 each in the first week of the Beat the Press playoffs, earning them spots in the second round. Sports Editor Mario Renteria, Sports Writer Ryan Leon and District Manager Sam Rice were all eliminated. The...Tags: San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Sam Rice, New York Giants
William F. Collins Jr. 92
William Frederick Collins Jr., 92, of Hagerstown, Md., passed away Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011, at the Julia Manor Health Care Center. Born Wednesday, March 26, 1919, in Chicago, Ill., he was the son of the late William Frederick Collins Sr. and the late Helen...Tags: Chicago, Frederick (Frederick, Maryland), Phoenix (Cook, Illinois), St. Louis, Hagerstown (Washington, Maryland)
Collins goes perfect, picks up first victory
It was a week full of close competition but William Collins was the only contestant to go a perfect 5-0, earning him his first win of the season. Two Press members went 4-1 but no undefeated records this past week. This week Marketing Consultant Ross...Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, California Interscholastic Federation
Divorces granted recently in Charlevoix County Circuit Court
Divorces The following divorces were granted recently in Charlevoix County's 33rd Circuit Court: Beth Collins vs. William Collins Nicole Pofahl vs. Jonathan Pofahl Kristin Vachon vs. Thomas Vachon Jr. Kristin Sidlanskas vs. Marten Sidlanskas Jane...Tags: Divorce, Family
Patrick Collins dies at 82; longtime chief of Ralphs Grocery Co.
Patrick W. Collins, a longtime president of Ralphs Grocery Co., died May 16 of congestive heart failure at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said his wife, Beth. He was 82. Collins became president and chief operating officer in 1976 and was named...Tags: Aurora, Hospitals and Clinics, California, Federated Department Stores Incorporated, Management Change
Feb 1, 2012
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Let me start by mentioning that this hotel is in a great beach front location @ Praia Geriba, the staff was really helpful all the time. We stayed there for 8 days (me, wife and 2 yo). There is free wifi with 4 routers around the facilities (it only doesn't work in the conference room?? and the pool) With the... More
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Nationality: BIHBorn : 06.05.1984Place of birth: Foca (BIH) Height: 2.09mPosition: PF
Career: Bosna Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina-D1, 2003-08), Kepez Bld (Turkey-TBL, 2008-09), Koeln 99ers (Germany-BBL, 2009), Union Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia-SKL, 2009-10), Enel Brindisi (Italy-Lega, 2010), Khimik Yuzhny (Ukraine-Superleague, 2011), Aris Thessaloniki (Greece-ESAKE, 2011)
Edin Bavcic enjoyed an excellent Qualifying Round campaign last summer and when you look at his numbers, it is easy to appreciate that he did a good job of highlighting his full repertoire of skills which is extensive. A versatile forward who is equally happy on the perimeter as he is inside due to his reliable three-point shooting, Bavcic is able to run the floor well and take care of the ball in addition to the usual attributes of a forward in the paint. He is a great rebounder and enjoys a reasonable amount of athleticism and quickness making him a really difficult player to contain. At club level, Bavcic is a former Adriatic League All Star and played for three different teams last season sampling life in Italy, Ukraine and Greece.


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