News
The Vatican: Guidelines to Stem Sex Abuse by Priests
Illinois: Ex-Priest Guilty of Sex Abuse
Jesuit School Sheltered Molesters, Groups Say
Vatican-Israel Tensions Rise Over Pius. Interesting that even the Vatican should fear repercussions from jewish groups as arguments rage over the potential beautification of Pius XII.
Exploring Religion, Shaped by the Enlightenment
Resources
Bishop Accountability. Documenting the abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.
31 Oct 2008
28 Oct 2008
News and Resources
News
ARE YOU LIVING IN THE CONSTITUTION FREE ZONE?
Fact Sheet on U.S. "Constitution Free Zone"
CFI Issues Statement on Religious Discrimination Exemption.
Resources
American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself.
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public.
Center For Inquiry. We are here to promote the scientific outlook, to expand the methods and values of science into all areas of human endeavor.
ARE YOU LIVING IN THE CONSTITUTION FREE ZONE?
Fact Sheet on U.S. "Constitution Free Zone"
CFI Issues Statement on Religious Discrimination Exemption.
Resources
American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself.
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public.
Center For Inquiry. We are here to promote the scientific outlook, to expand the methods and values of science into all areas of human endeavor.
27 Oct 2008
News and Resources
News
More Needy Are Turning To Clergy for Funds, Faith
Time for churches to give back the money that parishioners previously donated.
Crystal Cathedral's Hour of Power Unplugs Son
The politics of prayer meets family values.
5 Myths About Values Voters
Obama Tax Calculator at TaxCutFacts.org Launched
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Resources
Annenberg Political Fact Check. A website dedicated to righting the wrongs and straightening the spins of politicians. From the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania.
The Atlantic. Think Again.
More Needy Are Turning To Clergy for Funds, Faith
Time for churches to give back the money that parishioners previously donated.
Crystal Cathedral's Hour of Power Unplugs Son
The politics of prayer meets family values.
5 Myths About Values Voters
Obama Tax Calculator at TaxCutFacts.org Launched
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Resources
Annenberg Political Fact Check. A website dedicated to righting the wrongs and straightening the spins of politicians. From the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania.
The Atlantic. Think Again.
15 Oct 2008
News and Resources
Recent News
Not so fast, Christian soldiers. The Pentagon has a disturbing relationship with private evangelical groups.
Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity.
Apparently, terrorism pays. It pays very well.
Resources
Newsmeat - American Campaign Donor and Political Contributions Search Engine.
Military Religious Freedom Foundation (USA)
Not so fast, Christian soldiers. The Pentagon has a disturbing relationship with private evangelical groups.
Pentagon Sued Over Mandatory Christianity.
Apparently, terrorism pays. It pays very well.
Resources
Newsmeat - American Campaign Donor and Political Contributions Search Engine.
Military Religious Freedom Foundation (USA)
14 Oct 2008
News and Resources
Recent News
Pope creates 4 new saints, including Indian woman
Weak dollar sends Vatican into the red
How tall is God?
Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess Prosperity Gospel didn't preach sermons about bankruptcy.
US Bank Failures Sit at 13 and Counting A fairly level-headed view of the current crisis and highlights the extraordinary powers the Fed is accumulating for itself. Yesterday's nearly 1,000 point rally in the Dow seems to have financed by selling off commodities. Because of the amount of wealth destruction there also seems to be a shortage of working dollars. I think the next leg down will be when the US Dollar finally gets seriously hit, with possibly the Euro and Sterling dragged down.
London's Gathering Storm
Angry about economy? Smash some plates and move on
Will Europe's Bank Bailout Plan Really Work? Nationalisation of banks is nothing new but means taxpayers will now be backing the liabilities.
Britain Sets Details of Huge Bank-Bailout Plan The only thing here that will help the average person is that the Treasury can now set the rules for these banks to renegotiate mortgages.
US to Pump $250 billion into Banks
The Financial Crisis: What Would the Talmud Do?
Resources
The Federal Reserve Discount Window & Payments System Risk Website. You can find Federal Reserve interest rates, including the Discount or Primary and Secondary lending Rate, Seasonal lending Rate and the Federal Funds Target on this website. Documentation for setting up borrowing arrangements with the Federal Reserve Bank in your district is also included on this page.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.
Recent saints and blessed created by the Catholic Church. Vatican website.
Dominus Iesus. Controversial piece of Catholic dogma that also highlighted what they really think of other religions, citing non-Christians as "seriously deficient" and even Christian non-Catholics as defects compared to the purity of the Vatican's metaphysical fantasy.
Ketupa.net The 680-plus pages currently provide a short history, an annotated bibliography, a description of major holdings and a detailed chronology for around 450 media groups. Those groups include broadcasters, newspaper and magazine publishers, recording companies, film/video producers and distributers, and academic/technical publishers. There are also profiles about the ten largest global advertising groups, along with information about investment funds with substantial media interests. There is a broader timeline covering media activity since 1712.
British Bankers' Association. How LIBOR interest rates are fixed every business day.
More news and resources links may follow throughout the day.
Pope creates 4 new saints, including Indian woman
Weak dollar sends Vatican into the red
How tall is God?
Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess Prosperity Gospel didn't preach sermons about bankruptcy.
US Bank Failures Sit at 13 and Counting A fairly level-headed view of the current crisis and highlights the extraordinary powers the Fed is accumulating for itself. Yesterday's nearly 1,000 point rally in the Dow seems to have financed by selling off commodities. Because of the amount of wealth destruction there also seems to be a shortage of working dollars. I think the next leg down will be when the US Dollar finally gets seriously hit, with possibly the Euro and Sterling dragged down.
London's Gathering Storm
Angry about economy? Smash some plates and move on
Will Europe's Bank Bailout Plan Really Work? Nationalisation of banks is nothing new but means taxpayers will now be backing the liabilities.
Britain Sets Details of Huge Bank-Bailout Plan The only thing here that will help the average person is that the Treasury can now set the rules for these banks to renegotiate mortgages.
US to Pump $250 billion into Banks
The Financial Crisis: What Would the Talmud Do?
Resources
The Federal Reserve Discount Window & Payments System Risk Website. You can find Federal Reserve interest rates, including the Discount or Primary and Secondary lending Rate, Seasonal lending Rate and the Federal Funds Target on this website. Documentation for setting up borrowing arrangements with the Federal Reserve Bank in your district is also included on this page.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.
Recent saints and blessed created by the Catholic Church. Vatican website.
Dominus Iesus. Controversial piece of Catholic dogma that also highlighted what they really think of other religions, citing non-Christians as "seriously deficient" and even Christian non-Catholics as defects compared to the purity of the Vatican's metaphysical fantasy.
Ketupa.net The 680-plus pages currently provide a short history, an annotated bibliography, a description of major holdings and a detailed chronology for around 450 media groups. Those groups include broadcasters, newspaper and magazine publishers, recording companies, film/video producers and distributers, and academic/technical publishers. There are also profiles about the ten largest global advertising groups, along with information about investment funds with substantial media interests. There is a broader timeline covering media activity since 1712.
British Bankers' Association. How LIBOR interest rates are fixed every business day.
More news and resources links may follow throughout the day.
12 Oct 2008
AAKOM
I have swapped around the focus of this blog, Aakom, and my other one Asylum Joy.
I have rather neglected Aakom, but back now!
Will fill in this introduction later...
===
This blog is dedicated to spinning the news through my own personal distorting lens. With the slow death of broadcast media there is actually more news out there rather than less. Actually, all that is happening is that people have access to a stream of consciousness news services previously only accessible to the news outlets. Those established media companies would select, package and spin the raw news for public consumption, thereby creating a world through their own distorting lens. Now, anybody can do so.
I am not a robot - at least I haven't been programmed to believe so. The news items selected will likely be random and there will be things I miss out. Anybody who feels the need to educate myself and any readers is most welcome to leave a comment highlighting any omissions. There will, however, be themes emerging. I will leave it to the future to see if these change or metamorphose into something else. But at the start the real focus is on news that distorts reality. News that is designed and disseminated as very thinly veiled propaganda, usually in the fields of politics, economics, science and religion. Other items are there simply as convenient targets for some sarcastic comments - I make no apologies for them as humour is important, even if dark and mirthless.
The truth may be out there, but it will probably get you killed. The point is to perceive the outline and to smell the systems of control being slowly put into place for our protection. History may well see this period of relative freedoms, relative democracies, relative prosperity and education as a mere interregnum between monarchies, dictatorships and corporate collectivism. A world of ideological patsies and imaginary threats seems designed to put us all back in our place. However, the sheer chaos of this moment also gives rise to oases of peace and reflection. They too may be temporary but best to take advantage of their existence.
You will also find articles and news at Asylum Joy. I'm not yet clear on the distinction between Aakom and Asylum Joy; most probably they will grow up to be exoteric and esoteric twins. Every journey requires a faltering first step.
RM
I have rather neglected Aakom, but back now!
Will fill in this introduction later...
===
This blog is dedicated to spinning the news through my own personal distorting lens. With the slow death of broadcast media there is actually more news out there rather than less. Actually, all that is happening is that people have access to a stream of consciousness news services previously only accessible to the news outlets. Those established media companies would select, package and spin the raw news for public consumption, thereby creating a world through their own distorting lens. Now, anybody can do so.
I am not a robot - at least I haven't been programmed to believe so. The news items selected will likely be random and there will be things I miss out. Anybody who feels the need to educate myself and any readers is most welcome to leave a comment highlighting any omissions. There will, however, be themes emerging. I will leave it to the future to see if these change or metamorphose into something else. But at the start the real focus is on news that distorts reality. News that is designed and disseminated as very thinly veiled propaganda, usually in the fields of politics, economics, science and religion. Other items are there simply as convenient targets for some sarcastic comments - I make no apologies for them as humour is important, even if dark and mirthless.
The truth may be out there, but it will probably get you killed. The point is to perceive the outline and to smell the systems of control being slowly put into place for our protection. History may well see this period of relative freedoms, relative democracies, relative prosperity and education as a mere interregnum between monarchies, dictatorships and corporate collectivism. A world of ideological patsies and imaginary threats seems designed to put us all back in our place. However, the sheer chaos of this moment also gives rise to oases of peace and reflection. They too may be temporary but best to take advantage of their existence.
You will also find articles and news at Asylum Joy. I'm not yet clear on the distinction between Aakom and Asylum Joy; most probably they will grow up to be exoteric and esoteric twins. Every journey requires a faltering first step.
RM
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