ADDENDUM'S TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

Is Pope Francis preparing the way for the Second Coming?

Moses saved God's people by presenting them with the 10 Commandments;  rules to live by that would grant them a pass to enter the Pearly Gates into the next life.

Now comes Francis with a similar message that provides a checklist of shortcomings that Christians suffer from which, if looked at closely, are directly related to having strayed far afield from the 10 Commandments  Moses brought down on a stone tablet and that Francis is now expanding upon most probably using an Apple iPad tablet. 

Francis invites his collaborators to examine their conscience to confess their 'sins' in today's speech. He mentions vainglory and feeling essential, as well as 'spiritual Alzheimer's' and hoarding money and power. The Pope also speaks of closed circles and worldly profit, as well as the 'terrorism of gossip'

Here are the 15 diseases listed and explained, one by one in detail.


In his second Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis identifies and explains 15 shades of sin, inviting everyone to ask for God's forgiveness.

The same God who 'is born in poverty in a cave in Bethlehem to teach us the power of humility', and was welcomed not by the "chosen" people but by the "poor and simple". Pope Francis asks his collaborators to really examine their conscience in preparation for confession before Christmas.

Francis explains that these 'diseases' and 'temptations' do not only concern the Curia but 'are naturally a danger to every Christian and every curia, community, congregation, parish, and ecclesiastic movement'.


The disease of feeling 'immortal' or 'essential'

'A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body'. The Pope mentions that a visit to cemeteries could help us see the names of many who 'maybe thought they were immortal, exempt and essential!'. It is the disease of those who 'turn into masters and feel superior to everyone rather than in the service of all people. It often comes from the pathology of power, the "Messiah complex" and narcissism'.

The disease of excessive activity

It is the disease of those who, like Martha in the Gospel, 'lose themselves in their work, inevitably neglecting "what is better"; sitting at Jesus' feet'. The Pope recalls that Jesus 'called his disciples to "rest a little", because neglecting necessary rest brings anxiety and stress'.

The diseases of mental and spiritual 'petrification'

It is the disease of those who 'lose their internal peace, their vivacity and audacity, to hide under papers and become "procedural machines" instead of men of God', unable to 'weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice!'.

The disease of overplanning

'When the apostle plans everything in detail' and believes that, through this, 'things progress effectively, thus becoming an accountant. Good planning is necessary but without falling into the temptation of wanting to enclose or steer the freedom of the Holy Spirit... it is always easier and more convenient to fall back on static and unchanged positions'.

The disease of bad coordination

It is the disease of members who 'lose the community among them, and the Body loses its harmonious functionality' becoming 'an orchestra producing undisciplined noise because its members do not cooperate and do not live communally and have team spirit'.

The disease of spiritual Alzheimer's

That is a 'progressive decline of spiritual faculties' which 'causes severe disadvantages to people', making them live in a 'state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views'. We can see this in those who have 'lost their memory' of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their 'passions, whims and obsessions'.

The disease of rivalry and vainglory

'When the appearance, the colour of the vestments and the honours become the first objectives of life... It is the disease that leads us to become false men and women, living a false "mysticism" and false "quietism"'.

The disease of existential schizophrenia

It is the disease of those who live 'a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill'. It often strikes us that some 'abandon the pastoral service and limit their activities to bureaucracy, losing touch with reality and real people. They thus create their own parallel world, where they set aside all that the others harshly teach' and live a 'hidden' and often 'dissolute' life.

The disease of gossip and chatter

'It takes hold of a person making them "sowers of discord" (like Satan), and, in many cases, "cold-blooded murderers" of the reputation of their colleagues and brothers. It is the disease of cowards, who do not have the courage to speak upfront and so talk behind one's back... Watch out against the terrorism of gossip!'.

The disease of deifying the leaders

It is the disease of those who 'court their superiors', becoming victims of 'careerism and opportunism' and 'live their vocation thinking only of what they must gain and not of what they must give'. It might also affects the superiors 'when they court some of their collaborators in order to gain their submission, loyalty and psychological dependence, but the final result is real complicity'.

The disease of indifference to others

'When each one thinks only of themselves and loses the truthfulness and warmth of human relationships. When the more experienced ones do not offer their knowledge to the service of less experienced colleagues. When, because of jealousy or cunning, we rejoice in seeing others fall, rather than lift them up and encourage them'.

The disease of the funeral face

It is the disease of people who are 'scowling and unfriendly and think that, in order to be serious, they must show a melancholic and strict face and treat others - especially those, whom they think are inferior - with rigidity, harshness and arrogance'. In reality, adds the Pope, 'theatrical strictness and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity about themselves. The apostle must strive to be a polite, serene, enthusiastic and joyful person...'. Francis invites people to be full of humor and self-irony; 'How beneficial a healthy dose of humor can be!'

The disease of hoarding

'When the apostle seeks to fill an existential void in his heart by hoarding material possessions, not because of necessity, but only to feel secure'.

The disease of closed circles

When belonging to a clique becomes more important than belonging to the Body and, in some situations, than belonging to Christ himself. Even this disease starts from good intentions, but in time it enslaves all its members becoming "a cancer"'.

The disease of worldly profit and exhibitionism

'When the apostle turns his service into power, and his power into a commodity to gain worldly profits, or even more powers. It is the disease of those people who relentlessly seek to increase their powers. To achieve that, they may defame, slander and discredit others, even on newspapers and magazines. Naturally, that is in order to show off and exhibit their superiority to others'. A disease that 'badly hurts the Body because it leads people to justify the use of any means in order to fulfill their aim, often in the name of transparency and justice!'

NRA POSTER CHILD FOR 2015

Here's another tragic example of why the NRA's "good guy vs bad guy" campaign is more dangerous than the violence they claim it prevents. By creating this false sense of security; if I own a gun I'm safer they endanger the lives of many more people who, with guns, are a danger to themselves and their loved one's.

Two-Year-Old Shoots and Kills Mother Inside Walmart

Police in Idaho say a two-year-old boy shot and killed his 29-year-old mother in a Walmart store after finding the weapon in her purse.

The Kootenai county sheriff’s office said Veronica Rutledge was shopping with her son and three other children in the small town of Hayden when the boy, sitting in the front of the shopping cart, found the gun and shot her at about 10.20am local time.

The sheriff’s spokesman Stu Miller said Rutledge, who was from Blackfoot in southeastern Idaho, had a concealed weapons permit. She was visiting relatives in the area, he added.

Miller said the young boy had reached into his mother’s purse and grabbed a small caliber handgun, which discharged once. “It appears to be a pretty tragic accident,” he added.

Rutledge’s husband was not in the store when the shooting happened but arrived shortly after the shooting. All the children were taken to a relative’s house.

The victim’s father-in-law, Terry Rutledge, told Associated Press that she “was a beautiful, young, loving mother.”

“She was not the least bit irresponsible,” he said. “She was taken much too soon.”

Tragic accident? Yes. Avoidable? Absolutely! 

HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE LIFE

It seems that most of the technological breakthroughs in a profit oriented society is all about making money and very little about bettering human kind; like feeding the hungry and starving around the world ,protecting our environment and health.



There is no question that the technology exists. The problem seems to be a lack of willingness to use it for these purposes if there's not a huge profit to be made.



The following is an example of a technology that, if used unhindered by the profit vultures, would make a significant impact on human beings and the environment we currently struggle to live in. So, my question is. What are we waiting for?

Will There Be LEDs In Your Lettuce's Future?

One of the best-known names in consumer LED technology, Royal Philips , is teaming up with indoor farming company Green Sense Farms (GSF) to create one of the largest commercial farms yet to use LED grow lights – approximately 7,000 of them across 30,000 square feet.

Together, the two are developing “light recipes” optimized for baby romaine, kale, arugula and 11 different leafy herbs. It’s the latest example of how LED technologies could transform vertical farms, which are seen vital for growing local produce to supply an increasingly urban world population.

“Different plant types have different light needs and working with forward-thinking growers like GSF is building up a database of ‘light recipes’ for different plant varietities,” said Gus van der Feltz, director of city farming at Philips. “GSF is using vertical hydroponic technology with Philips LED growing lights, enabling them to do what no other grower can do: providing a consistent amount of high-quality produce, year round.”

UNITED STATES REJECTS JOINING CIVILIZED WORLD ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The US refuses to drop the Old Testament "eye for an eye" rather than join the growing numbers of civilized countries that are more "New Testament" in their thinking.



How does that conform to the bluster about being champions of Human Rights?

Record number of states vote for UN resolution on death penalty moratorium | Al Jazeera America

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday calling for an international moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The resolution passed with a record 117 votes in favor, with the United States, along with 37 other nations, opposing the move.

Support for the resolution, which is nonbinding, has increased steadily since it was first adopted in 2007, when 104 states lodged a “yes” vote; this is the fifth time the General Assembly has voted on the issue. Last time the resolution went before the General Assembly, in 2012, it received support from 111 countries. The final tally today also shows an uptick even from Nov. 21, when the draft resolution received 114 votes in favor in the U.N.’s social, humanitarian and cultural committee.

“The numbers don’t look huge, two or three states every year,” said Chiara Sangiorgio, death penalty expert at Amnesty International, “but in time it is significant that support [for the resolution] is definitely increasing.”

This year, Eritrea, Fiji, Niger and Suriname moved from an abstention to a “yes” vote; Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati and Sao Tome-Principe also added their support. Bahrain, Myanmar, Tonga and Uganda moved from a ‘no’ vote to an abstention.

One key addition to the 2014 resolution focuses on the rights of foreign nationals who are detained or arrested abroad. The new clause calls on member states to respect their obligations under article 36 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The convention requires that states notify a detained foreign national of their right to inform their consulate or embassy of their detention.

A DSM FOR CHRISTIAN DISEASES

Much like the DSM used in psychology the following list of spiritual diseases can be used to diagnose symptoms Christians suffer from; especially in the "developed" world.

Pope Francis: the fifteen 'diseases' of the Curia - Vatican Insider

15 diseseases listed and explained, one by one in detail. In his second Christmas speech to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis identifies and explains 15 shades of sin, inviting everyone to ask for God's forgiveness. The same God who 'is born in poverty in a cave in Bethlehem to teach us the power of humility', and was welcomed not by the "chosen" people but by the "poor and simple". Pope Francis asks his collaborators to really examine their conscience in preparation for confession before Christmas.

Francis explains that these 'diseases' and 'temptations' do not only concern the Curia but 'are naturally a danger to every Christian and every curia, community, congregation, parish, and ecclesiastic movement'. The Pope, however, clearly identifies these as present within the environment where he has been living for 21 months now.

The disease of feeling 'immortal' or 'essential''A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body'. The Pope mentions that a visit to cemeteries could help us see the names of many who 'maybe thought they were immortal, exempt and essential!'. It is the disease of those who 'turn into masters and feel superior to everyone rather than in the service of all people. It often comes from the pathology of power, the "Messiah complex" and narcissism'. 

The disease of excessive activity
It is the disease of those who, like Martha in the Gospel, 'lose themselves in their work, inevitably neglecting "what is better"; sitting at Jesus' feet'. The Pope recalls that Jesus 'called his disciples to "rest a little", because neglecting necessary rest brings anxiety and stress'.

The diseases of mental and spiritual 'petrification'
It is the disease of those who 'lose their internal peace, their vivacity and audacity, to hide under papers and become "procedural machines" instead of men of God', unable to 'weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice!'.

The disease of overplanning
'When the apostle plans everything in detail' and believes that, through this, 'things progress effectively, thus becoming an accountant. Good planning is necessary but without falling into the temptation of wanting to enclose or steer the freedom of the Holy Spirit... it is always easier and more convenient to fall back on static and unchanged positions'.

The disease of bad coordination
It is the disease of members who 'lose the community among them, and the Body loses its harmonious functionality' becoming 'an orchestra producing undisciplined noise because its members do not cooperate and do not live communally and have team spirit'.

The disease of spiritual Alzheimer's
That is a 'progressive decline of spiritual faculties' which 'causes severe disadvantages to people', making them live in a 'state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views'. We can see this in those who have 'lost their memory' of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their 'passions, whims and obsessions'.

The disease of rivalry and vainglory
'When the appearance, the colour of  the vestments and the honours become the first objectives of life... It is the disease that leads us to become false men and women, living a false "mysticism" and false "quietism"'.

The disease of existential schizophrenia
It is the disease of those who live 'a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill'. It often strikes us that some 'abandon the pastoral service and limit their activities to bureaucracy, losing touch with reality and real people. They thus create their own parallel world, where they set aside all that the others harshly teach' and live a 'hidden' and often 'dissolute' life. 

The disease of gossip and chatter'It takes hold of a person making them "sowers of discord" (like Satan), and, in many cases, "cold-blooded murderers" of the reputation of their colleagues and brothers. It is the disease of cowards, who do not have the courage to speak upfront and so talk behind one's back... Watch out against the terrorism of gossip!'.

The disease of deifying the leaders
It is the disease of those who 'court their superiors', becoming victims of 'careerism and opportunism' and 'live their vocation thinking only of what they must gain and not of what they must give'. It might also affects the superiors 'when they court some of their collaborators in order to gain their submission, loyalty and psychological dependence, but the final result is real complicity'.

The disease of indifference to others
'When each one thinks only of themselves and loses the truthfulness and warmth of human relationships. When the more experienced ones do not offer their knowledge to the service of less experienced colleagues. When, because of jealousy or cunning, we rejoice in seeing others fall, rather than lift them up and encourage them'.

The disease of the funeral faceIt is the disease of people who are 'scowling and unfriendly and think that, in order to be serious, they must show a melancholic and strict face and treat others - especially those, whom they think are inferior - with rigidity, harshness and arrogance'. In reality, adds the Pope, 'theatrical strictness and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity about themselves. The apostle must strive to be a polite, serene, enthusiastic and joyful person...'. Francis invites people to be full of humour and self-irony; 'How beneficial a healthy dose of humour can be!'

The disease of hoarding'When the apostle seeks to fill an existential void in his heart by hoarding material possessions, not because of necessity, but only to feel secure'.

The disease of closed circlesWhen belonging to a clique becomes more important than belonging to the Body and, in some situations, than belonging to Christ himself. Even this disease starts from good intentions, but in time it enslaves all its members becoming "a cancer"'.

The disease of worldly profit and exhibitionism
'When the apostle turns his service into power, and his power into a commodity to gain worldly profits, or even more powers. It is the disease of those people who relentlessly seek to increase their powers. To achieve that, they may defame, slander and discredit others, even on newspapers and magazines. Naturally, that is in order to show off and exhibit their superiority to others'. A disease that 'badly hurts the Body because it leads people to justify the use of any means in order to fulfill their aim, often in the name of transparency and justice!'

ARE CHRISTIANS SUFFERING FROM THESE SPIRITUAL DISEASES?

Pope Francis thinks so; well, at least as it pertains to the Catholic Church elites, though I think it is spread much wider than that given the state of our society.

Pope Francis warns Vatican leaders against ‘spiritual Alzheimer’s’

The list of diseases included “spiritual Alzheimer’s,” “spiritual petrification,” a feeling of being “immortal,” and “funereal face,” a concept Francis referred to this month, urging followers to prepare for Christmas with “joy,” instead of dourness or anxiety. 

The pope also blasted gossiping among officials as a form of “satanic assassination.” He said: “Sometimes, [officials of the Curia] feel themselves ‘lords of the manor’ – superior to everyone and everything.” NOTE: (Sounds very much like the 1% to me). 

So, my question to all those self-proclaimed Christians out there is; do any of these labels apply to you?

And, if so, do you see them as a Scarlet Letter or something to boast about?

On feeling “immortal”: “A curia that does not practice self-criticism, does not keep up to date, does not try to better itself, is an infirm Body.’ “

On what he means by “spiritual Alzheimer’s”: “A progressive decline of spiritual faculties’ which ’causes severe disadvantages to people,’ making them live in a ‘state of absolute dependence on their, often imagined, views.’ We can see this in those who have ‘lost their memory’ of their encounter with the Lord, in those who depend on their ‘passions, whims and obsessions.’ “

On the disease of “existential schizophrenia”: This refers to “a double life, a result of the hypocrisy typical of mediocre people and of advancing spiritual emptiness, which degrees or academic titles cannot fill.’ ” Ouch.

I'm especially taken by the last two of these since it seems to fit perfectly in describing the way Christianity is practiced in America.

Those that wallow in wealth and defend their greed with lame irrational claims that they "deserve" it.

Those that wave their hands in the air proclaiming brotherly love and peace be to you, while remaining silent when brothers are gunned down in their streets or their leaders lead them into mindless-senseless wars with no other motive than to profit from them.

Those that bellow the word of God from pulpits and pews but have no understanding of it's meaning nor ever practicing what they preach or profess to believe. 

Last, but not at all least, those that are suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's" and are completely out of touch with what it means toe be a "follower" of Christ.  The worst of all those preaching the gospel of prosperity" a shallow mis-guided absurd notion that flies in the face of Jesus' teachings.

Prosperity theology [A] is a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will increase one's material wealth.

So, what say all you Christians out there? Is it time to turn over a new leaf? Or, is Pope's Francis Christmas message falling on deaf ears?

 

BEWARE OF CELEBRITY DOCS!

It's more than likely that the "oath" to do no harm is put on a backburner and they are wearing their "pitch the product" hat. Medicine and Psychology; along with other helping professions are not a form of entertainment.

Congressional hearing investigates Dr. Oz 'miracle' weight loss claims

Oz told the panel that he does use "flowery language" to describe certain products on his show but added he believes in them so much he has given them to his family.

"My job, I feel, on the show is to be a cheerleader for the audience, and when they don't think they have hope, when they don't think they can make it happen, I want to look, and I do look everywhere, including in alternative healing traditions, for any evidence that might be supportive to them," Oz said.


"Thanks to brand new scientific research, I can tell you about a revolutionary fat buster," Oz said on his show in November 2012with the words "No Exercise. No Diet. No Effort" on the screen behind him. "It's called Garcinia cambogia." ‎

A 1998 study of 135 participants found Garcinia cambogia did not significantly help people lose weight any more than a placebo. But a2013 meta-analysis of Garcinia cambogia studies hedged on the supplement's ineffectiveness, saying its weight loss benefits "remain to be proven in larger-scale and longer-term clinical trials." Whether it helps people lose weight or not, the Garcinia cambogia does not seem to be unsafe to use, some other studies say.

Oz testified Tuesday that he could not be held responsible for what certain companies say online about the products. He said he's toned down some of his language and will publish a list of products he thinks really can help people lose weight.

NEOCONS WAGE WAR ON AMERICA

Neo-cons who worship at the altar of despots like Dick Cheney and act as shills for the Military Industrial Complex are driving America into the ground.  At the same time they continue to attack social programs an create "tail wagging the dog" scenarios to stir paranoia in justifying their campaigns of deceit. The real enemies of America are right here at home.

Economic Cost Summary | Costs of War

What was the Department of Defense allocated for war? The Pentagon's total appropriation for war from 2001-2011 in current dollars was $1.4 trillion. The DOD was also allocated additional funds for its "base" budget. This totals approximately $836 billion, some portion of which has been used for war expenses (such as increased medical care for active duty soldiers), and all of which might be counted as having been appropriated as a result of the war climate.

War related spending is also found in the foreign assistance budget, known on Capitol Hill as "International Assistance" spending. Aid to Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan grew because of the war to $104 billion in current dollars. Much of that spending by the State Department and USAID directly supported military efforts.

How has the US paid for the wars so far? The US paid for past wars by raising taxes and or selling war bonds. The current wars were paid for almost entirely by borrowing. This borrowing has raised the US budget deficit, increased the national debt, and had other macroeconomic effects, such as raising interest rates. The US must also pay interest on the borrowed money. The interest paid on Pentagon spending alone, so far (from 2001 through FY 2013) is about $316 billion in current dollars.

The US also increased spending on homeland security by more than $470 billion. We include this as excess spending on homeland security that occurred as a result of the war on terror. Considered by many an important part of domestic mobilization for the wars, there continue to be questions about the effectiveness of this spending.

What has already been spent to care for the medical and disability needs of US veterans? The US has already spent nearly $160 billion for both medical care and disability for the more than two million veterans of these wars. Each day, more veterans continue to apply to receive their benefits.

Obligations for Future Spending: The costs of war don't end when the fighting stops. Specifically, the US has incurred obligations by fighting the wars.  For example, the US is obligated to pay the future medical and disability costs of veterans. As in past wars, medical and disability costs will peak in about 30 to 40 years, totaling more than an estimated $1 trillion.

Unless the US immediately repays the money borrowed for war, there will also be future interest payments. We estimate that interest payments could total about $1 trillion dollars by 2023, or over $7 trillion by 2053.

POPE FRANCIS CHRISTMAS MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH 1%

In 4 words;  Practice what you preach!  A message which can be easily extended to the rest of the 1% in our society.


If anyone thought Francis was not the real thing this should clear the air; a fresh one at that. For the first time in a long time the Pope is doing what the One upstairs hired him to do.  Getting His house in order. 

Francis Uses Christmas Speech to Criticize Vatican Bureaucracy

ROME — Pope Francis excoriated the Vatican bureaucracy in his traditional Christmas address on Monday, saying that some of the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the Roman Catholic Church suffer from a “spiritual Alzheimer’s.”

In his annual speech, Francis warned against what he called a lust for power, hypocritical double lives and the lack of spiritual empathy among some men of God. He listed the 15 “ailments and temptations” that weaken their service to the Lord, inviting them to a “true self-examination” ahead of Christmas.

In strong yet colorful language, Francis criticized the Curia, the administration that runs the Holy See, for a narcissistic “pathology of power” and “existential schizophrenia.”

He suggested that his prelates pay an “ordinary visit to the cemeteries,” and encouraged them to examine and improve themselves.

“Brothers, let’s guard ourselves from the terrorism of gossip,” Francis told the rows of bishops and cardinals seated in a 16th-century reception hall in the Apostolic Palace, some looking ahead attentively, others meditatively keeping their heads down.

The “ailment of close circles,” he added, “enslaves their members and becomes a cancer that threatens the harmony of the body.”

Including himself among the sinners, Francis, the first Latin American pope, stressed once more his idea of a church at the service of the poor and the peripheries, a religious institution able to move away from scandals, infighting and lavish behaviors.

“This is the ideological and religious manifesto of a radical reform of the Curia,” Carlo Marroni, a Vatican expert with the Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore, said. “He doesn’t describe the details of the reform that we will most likely see next year, but he indicated the principles according to which the Church has to change, at least in the pope’s intentions.”

A BOLD WHITE FACED LIE

The hoods and white sheets may be in the closet but those that wear them are out in full force if what transpired in the Grand Jury room in Ferguson MO turns out to be true.

Ferguson Prosecutor Admits He Knew Grand Jury 'Witness' Was a Liar

December 22, 2014 | 

"Witness 40," indentified as Sandra McElroy by The Smoking Gun, provided grand jury testimony that was full of inconsistences and flat-out lies, according to the publication. And McElroy's actions may well have been inspired by her avowedly racist attitudes toward blacks, according to her social media activity.

Even more damning is the admisssion, by St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch that he knew she was not present at the scene of the shooting, yet he decided to present witnesses who were “ clearly not telling the truth” to the grand jury. This prosecutorial misconduct, some legal experts say, could result in a new hearing for Darren Wilson, the former police officer who shot Michael Brown. According to Think Progress:

A RETURN TO GOOD TASTE AND COMMON SENSE

Looks like common sense is begining to sink in. What is ironic is that one of the world's most reviled countries on the planet are giving us a lesson on proper etiquette.

Paramount Cancels 'Team America' Showings, Theaters Say

Forget those plans by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and other theaters to run Team America: World Police in place of The Interview. The Austin-based chain says that Paramount has now decided not to offer South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 2004 satire that focuses on Kim Jong-il, the late father of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Alamo says that the cancellation at its Dallas theater is “due to circumstances beyond our control” and says it will offer refunds to those who have already bought tickets. Cleveland’s Capitol Theater also tweeted that Team America“has been canceled by Paramount Pictures.”

Yesterday Sony pulled The Interview, which depicts an assassination of Kim Jong-un, after hackers threatened theaters that showed the film. Working with Sony since the first days of the massive hack in late November, the FBI has established some degree of connection between North Korea and the data breach. Having said that, while the White House today said the investigation is progressing, the Bureau and the Justice Department have not scheduled an announcement yet on the Democratic People’s Republic’s connection to the hacking of Sony, sources tell Deadline.

IN AMERICA POLITICS TRUMPS JUSTICE

Can you get away with murder in a country that claims it is governed by the "rule of law"?



Well, it depends on who you know.

A drunken brawl, a death, a favor

According to the police report, Nuñez said it was a stereo that a friend had given him to throw away. The officer asked more questions. Nuñez grew argumentative and invoked his family connections: “Do you know who my dad is? He is Fabian Nuñez. He’s an assemblyman in Sacramento. I am going to call my dad.”

Nuñez called his father and handed the cellphone to the officer.

The report does not record what the Assembly speaker said. Nuñez says he told the officer, “If my son did something wrong, he should pay for it.”

The case was classified as “suspended due to lack of solvability factors.”

Three months later, as they cleaned out Nuñez’s vacated dorm room during the summer break, a Cal State L.A. crew found an empty box for a Mossberg shotgun, according to a police report.

It was against the law to bring a shotgun to school, but police could not prove that he had.

Now, studying everything detectives had learned about the San Diego State stabbing, DiCarlo tried to understand the dynamics at play among the attackers. Nuñez seemed to be the glue, the one who brought them all together.

In the chaos of the fight, no one could positively identify who had stabbed whom, and the surveillance footage did not help. But DiCarlo was confident the law was on her side. She did not need to prove who did the stabbing. All four men in Nuñez’s group had acted together in encouraging the attack, as she saw it, and all would be considered principals under the aider-and-abettor law.

“In a group fight, it’s almost impossible to ascertain who did it,” she says. “That’s why the law treats them exactly the same.”

The charge would be murder.

WHAT'S THE SOUND OF A BUBBLE POPPING?

How about being deemed "too big to fail"? Which simply means that when the greedy bunch of clowns in charge milk the company dry, the American taxpayer will be handed the bill to bail them out.

Here's how much "bad" management is paid to destroy the economy;

Name/Title	Total Cash	Equity	Other	Total Compensation
William J. Wheeler  President, Americas	$4,000,000	$2,749,065	$124,430	$6,873,495
Steven A. Kandarian  Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer	$6,212,500	$7,583,628	$239,281	$14,035,409
John C.R. Hele  Chief Financial Officer	$2,100,000	$758,371	$19,397	$2,877,768
Christopher G. Townsend  President, Asia	$1,603,751	$1,232,322	$697,608	$3,533,681
Martin J. Lippert  Executive Vice President, Global Technology & Operations	$2,368,750	$2,275,104	$0	$4,643,854

DealBook: Regulators Deem MetLife a ‘Too Big to Fail’ Institution

MetLife, the nation’s largest life insurer, said on Thursday that a federal panel had decided that it required the special oversight reserved for financial institutions deemed too big to fail.

Under a requirement of the Dodd-Frank financial oversight law, the Financial Stability Oversight Council has been identifying companies that qualify as a “systemically important financial institution,” or SIFI, in an effort to prevent any more toxic cascades like the one that ripped through the global financial system in 2008. Banks and other institutions that the council classifies as systemically important must meet tougher capital requirements, provide additional disclosures and come under supervision by the Federal Reserve.

0.01% TRIVIA; THE MOTHERS OF ALL HOARDERS

Queen Elizabeth II of England legally owns the most land on Earth—as leader of 32 countries, the Queen is owner of 6.6 billion acres of land, or about one-sixth of the entire land surface on Earth. The land ownership is the largest empire in history and dates back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. This established the feudal state, in which an inherited monarch retains ownership of land that is passed down generationally. Among the land that is owned by Queen Elizabeth II are the second and third largest countries in the world: Australia combined with its Antarctic territories, and Canada.

More about the highest land ownership:

• There is theoretically enough land on Earth for every single person to own four acres each, using 2050 population projections of nine billion.


• Media mogul Ted Turner is the American with the largest land ownership, and ranks 24th in the world in terms of owning the most land on Earth.


• Around 22% of the Earth’s land area is owned by about 15 people, mainly consisting of monarchs.

SONY TO PRODUCE FILM ON ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT OBAMA

How about a sequel to "The Interview"? Only this time the protagonist is President Obama who's fate; as was Kim Jong il's, is having his head blown off. Would President Obama approve and stand behind Sony' statement?


Full statement from Sony


"Sony Pictures Entertainment is and always has been strongly committed to the First Amendment. For more than three weeks, despite brutal intrusions into our company and our employees’ personal lives, we maintained our focus on one goal: getting the film The Interview released. Free expression should never be suppressed by threats and extortion.

The decision not to move forward with the December 25 theatrical release of The Interview was made as a result of the majority of the nation’s theater owners choosing not to screen the film. This was their decision.

Let us be clear – the only decision that we have made with respect to release of the film was not to release it on Christmas Day in theaters, after the theater owners declined to show it. Without theaters, we could not release it in the theaters on Christmas Day. We had no choice.

After that decision, we immediately began actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform. It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so."
Sony hack updates: CEO Michael Lynton: 'We have not caved,' open to VOD

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE USA & CUBA

When POTUS, Pope Francis, and Rand Paul all agree that the US punishing Cuba is dead in the water chances are it's the right thing to do; for both the US and Cuba.



There are those who continue to rant about Cuba's human rights violations while at the same time ignoring violations of human rights under their own noses.

United States

The United States has a vibrant civil society and media that enjoy strong constitutional protections. Yet its rights record is marred by abuses related to criminal justice, immigration, national security, and drug policy. 

Within these areas, victims are often the most vulnerable members of society: racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, children, the elderly, the poor, and prisoners.

Cuba

In 2010 and 2011, Cuba’s government released dozens of political prisoners on condition they accept exile in exchange for freedom. 

Since then, it has relied less on long-term prison sentences to punish dissent and has relaxed draconian travel restrictions that divided families and prevented its critics from leaving and returning to the island.

SONY CROSSED THE LINE - AND THEN WALKED BACK

                                Sony scraps 'The Interview' release; North Korea blamed for hack

Looks like Sony finally woke up to the reality that making a film that depicts a "real live" leader of a country; be it N. Korea or the United States, having their heads blown off on the big screen is not such a good idea. Like all the embarrassing emails that Sony executives wish they could find a way to un-mail them, The Interview is a film I'm sure they wish they had never made.

"By canceling release of the film, Sony Entertainment is admitting it made the wrong decision to go forward," said Laura Martin, senior media analyst at Needham & Co. "They are now succumbing to pressure that they obviously underestimated six months ago."

Sony executives had originally resisted postponing "The Interview," fearing that doing so would be a victory for the hackers, and set a dangerous precedent for future threats.

Although many in Hollywood expressed relief at Sony's decision, others expressed anger.

"I think every business has the right to do whatever they want, but when — en masse — all of these businesses decide not to present a movie, they're basically setting themselves up for other people to threaten them," said director Judd Apatow, a friend and frequent collaborator of "The Interview's" director and co-star Seth Rogen. "What do they do when someone says the same thing about the James Bond movie or 'Annie'?"

At the same time, filmmakers Rogen and Evan Goldberg — with Sony's consent — made a movie that portrayed the gruesome assassination of a sitting world leader, something that film historians say has not been done before.  

The reason it was never done before is obvious even though there are many in the film industry who are simply too simple-minded to realize it.

THE 1% CATHOLIC CHURCH CLERGY ON FRANCIS' RADAR

Pope Francis has called for "a Church which is poor and for the poor." However, not every member of the clergy may have read the memo. A number of high-ranking Church officials in the United States live in lavish homes, sometimes bordering on the scandalous.

You know about the 'Bishop of Bling' but do American clergy have the same problem too? - U.s. - News - Catholic Online

KERRY'S STATE DEPARTMENT DUMBER THAN DUMB

How un-diplomatic of the US Government. Useful propaganda?



Exclusive: Sony Emails Say State Department Blessed Kim Jong-Un Assassination in ‘The Interview’



CEO Michael Lynton showed a rough cut of the movie to U.S. officials before moving ahead. Now hackers are threatening to bomb any theater that shows it.

The Daily Beast has unearthed several emails that reveal at least two U.S. government officials screened a rough cut of the Kim Jong-Un assassination comedy The Interview in late June and gave the film—including a final scene that sees the dictator’s head explode—their blessing.

The claim that the State Department played an active role in the decision to include the film’s gruesome death scene is likely to cause fury in Pyongyang. 

Emails between the Sony Entertainment CEO and a security consultant even appear to suggest the U.S. government may support the notion that The Interview would be useful propaganda against the North Korean regime.

SONY'S TASTLESS PSUEDO "SNUFF FLIK" SHUNNED

Looks like common sense will prevail now that Sony has been forced to dump a tasteless flick making fun of assassinating world leaders;  in this case the North Korea's "great leader."



In a move that should get the attention of everyone from Homeland Security to the so far slumbering MPAA, cyberterrorists took a nasty turn in this Sony hacking scandal by invoking 9/11 and threatening possible attacks in theaters showing The Interview. The bottom of the message indicates that the Christmas Gift is aimed at Sony chief Michael Lynton. The hacked emails served up by websites so far have focused on dialogue involving Amy Pascal. Here’s the missive, essentially a cover letter to a new pile of plundered documents:

"We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places “The Interview” be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to.
Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
The world will be full of fear.
Remember the 11th of September 2001.
We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
(If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)
Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
All the world will denounce the SONY."

Granted the guy is not well liked around most of the globe but using him to set a precedent that promotes these so-called fictional films that sanction violence towards "non-fiction" characters. It is not only in poor taste but dim-witted since it insults the millions of his followers, much like the cartoons of Mohamed insulted the Muslim community. Neither of which were amused and both of which has created a shit storm and endangering the lives of others who, unlike Sony, have nothing to gain.

Sony Cancels  The Interview Christmas Release Following Terror Threats 

The biggest theater chains in the U.S. decided not to show Sony Pictures Entertainment’s The Interview on its planned opening night, Dec. 25, following terror threats posted online Tuesday by a group that claims it was also behind the massive hack that leaked internal Sony documents. Sony responded to the move by canceling the planned Christmas release of the film.


Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc., and Carmike Cinemas Inc. backed out on showing the film after Sony Pictures announced on Tuesday it “wouldn’t object” to them doing so. The companies planned to wait to air the movie until after the completion of a federal investigation into the cyberattack on Sony and the terrorist threats that followed it, according to a Wall Street Journal source.


The Interview follows two journalists, played by Seth Rogen and James Franco, who work with the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The Wall Street Journal reported that government and corporate investigators believe the hackers are “associated with North Korea.” Deadline reports that the threat read in part, “Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001.”


On Tuesday the Department of Homeland Security said the threats against movie theaters were not credible, according to the Wall Street Journal.


These four chains alone make up a huge portion of American theaters. From the Wall Street Journal:

Together, the four chains control more than 18,000 of North America’s approximately 40,000 movie screens. Carmike, the fourth-largest U.S. theater chain with more than 2,000 screens, told Sony yesterday that it wouldn’t play the movie, according to people familiar with the matter.

ASSASSINATING WORLD LEADERS IS NOT FUNNY

Imagine if you will Sony producing a film in which there is a plot to blow up (assassinate) President Obama, or Angela Merkel, or the English Prime Minister. How long would it take for government(s) to shut down production, drag the producers to Guantanamo and declare Sony a terrorist organization?

Yet, there seems to be little concern with producing a film; a comedy at that, in which the characters; comedians at that, plot to blow up the "sitting" leader of North Korea.

Cyber-Terrorists Threaten Theatergoers On ‘The Interview’

What is comical is that people are surprised that this has created a backlash from people who live outside of the propaganda bubble Americans occupy which are now confronted with the reality that by threatening to blow up the "Great Leader" has lead us to threats of blowing up the theaters that screen it. 

A CANCER ON AMERICA

If there was ever anyone who could put the worse face possible on this country it is Dick Cheney.

Dick Cheney on “Meet the Press”: Forced rectal feeding was “for medical reasons”

1 APPLE DOES NOT EQUAL A BUNCH OF ORANGES

Camille Cosby Compares Accusations Against Husband to Rolling Stone Gang Rape Story

I can't blame Camille Cosby for looking for a way out of this ongoing outpouring of women (19 at last count) who claim to have been sexually assaulted by her husband but to compare it to the one sole alleged victim of a gang rape on a college campus is a bit of a stretch.



Cosby's rape-a-thon spans over many years with many women and what is disturbing (and sad) about this is that Camille was seemingly in denial of what her husband was up to. To then come out and claim her husband is being victimized is even more disturbing and attests to how powerful denial can be when someone's reality is being threatened.



If the bond between Bill and Camille is mutually strong he needs to come forward and take responsibility for his actions, if for no other reason than to show respect for his wife and relieve her of the pain he has inflicted on her. In this case Camille is also a victim.

SONY; THAT'S NOT WHO WE ARE DEFENSE

Sony has a closet full of skeletons and thanks to an astute gang of hackers they are on the loose. Embarrassing indeed to let it be known that Sony (or at least some of the people who represent them) are not who they say they are.



The problem is, it is who they are!



The information being leaked  (or should I say poured) out is factual, not made up. It accurately reflects what these people think, say, and do behind the scenes when they think no one is listening.



Amy Pascal, Sony's CEO on the other hand, would like us to believe just the opposite. She wants us to believe that what she says in private is just a bunch of "phony baloney"  made up stuff that just comes out of nowhere other than her own potty mouth. Schizoid, for the lack of a better word. It's as if she believes that someone of her stature needs to be seen as flawless; devoid of petty human shortcomings. Not like the rest of us humans.



She seems so caught up in protecting this flimsy persona that she can't see how arrogant her empty apology was and how insulting it is to those she defamed in her silly remarks.



Said Pascal:

“The content of my emails to Scott were insensitive and inappropriate but are not an accurate reflection of who I am. Although this was a private communication that was stolen, I accept full responsibility for what I wrote and apologize to everyone who was offended.”

Now that it's obvious this is not going to get any traction Sony is pulling out the big guns in hopes that who they really are will go back into the closet and they can go back to just being who they want us to think they are.

Sony Letter Says News Sites Should Delete 'Stolen' Data: NYT

Sony attorneys have sent a letter to news organizations demanding they delete any information they have been given from that taken from the company in a devastating cyber attack last month, the New York Times reported. The Times said it was one of the news organizations receiving the letter from heavy-hitting litigatorDavid Boies. In the three-page letter Boies sent to news organizations today, he wrote that the studio “does not consent to your possession, review, copying, dissemination, publication, uploading, downloading or making any use” of the information.

The letter says the media companies should avoid the information, and delete/destroy it from their computers if they’ve downloaded what Boies called “stolen information.”

FOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE OUTBREAK IN HOLLYWOOD

Hacked emails and what Angelina's icy glare says about the fear and loathing engulfing Hollywood 

Jolie ran into Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal at a Hollywood Reporter event
Two days earlier emails were leaked between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin, who called Jolie a 'minimally talented spoiled brat'

Rudin and Pascal also mocked Barack Obama in the series of emails 

Emails also made smutty jokes about X-Men star Michael Fassbender

Both have since apologised for their 'insensitive' comments 

It's estimated the attacks could cost Sony as much as $100 million

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2872138/Hacked-emails-Angelina-s-icy-glare-says-fear-loathing-engulfing-Hollywood.html#ixzz3Loo1EpMg
New embarrassing emails reveal how publicist was fired after Sony chief's HUSBAND told her to get rid of him 

Amy Pascal's husband told her to fire head of communications in email

warren4president2016@gmail.com

warren4president2016@gmail.com

I created this email account months ago based on a "gut" feeling that this up and coming "mover and shaker" is exactly what this long lost and misguided country of ours needs to lead us out of this self-imposed mindless wilderness where paranoia and chaos reigns.



An Obama healthcare strategists recently expounded that "Americans are stupid" while at the same time a recent study clarified who this strategists was specifically referring to;


It’s official - men are idiots! Analysis of the Darwin Awards for stupid deaths reveals the ‘winners’ are overwhelmingly male; Darwin Awards is an annual review of most foolish way people have died Scientists were surprised to discover 90% of award ‘winners’ were male

Worthy candidates include a terrorist who opened his own letter bomb

Another man attempted to travel by hitching a shopping trolley to a train

One man lost a testicle while using a belt sander to pleasure himself

But was excluded from award after he repaired scrotum with a staple gun

That in itself is enough reason to elect a woman rather than a dummy no matter what the color of their skin.  

The Week Elizabeth Warren Decided to Run for President

DO DOGS GO TO HEAVEN? HELL YES THEY DO!

Anyone that's every had a pet (dog, cat, whatever) knows they have a soul and absolutely much purer than that of any human I've encountered. Anyone that questions this should watch the film; "What Dreams May Come" which is guaranteed to make them a believer.

Dogs in Heaven? Pope Francis Leaves Pearly Gates Open

Pope Francis has given hope to gays, unmarried couples and advocates of the Big Bang theory. Now, he has endeared himself to dog lovers, animal rights activists and vegans.

Trying to console a distraught little boy whose dog had died, Francis told him in a recent public appearance on St. Peter’s Square, “Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.” While it is unclear whether the pope’s remarks helped soothe the child, they were welcomed by groups like the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who saw them as a repudiation of conservative Roman Catholic theology that says animals cannot go to heaven because they have no souls.

In his relatively short tenure as leader of the world’s one billion Roman Catholics since taking over from Benedict XVI, Francis, 77, has repeatedly caused a stir among conservatives in the church. He has suggested more lenient positions than his predecessor on issues like homosexuality, single motherhood and unwed couples. So to some extent, it was not a surprise that Francis, an Argentine Jesuit who took his papal name from St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, would suggest to a saddened child that his lost pet had a place in the afterlife.

Citing biblical passages that assert that animals not only go to heaven, but get along with one another when they get there, Francis was quoted by the Italian news media as saying: “One day, we will see our animals again in the eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all of God’s creatures.”

THE HUMOR IN ASSASSINATIONS

Unless it were of a sitting US President or any other leader in the Western world. The response then would be nothing short of a drone attack on Sony studios and a stint in Guantanamo for its executives.

Hackers demand Sony cancel release of Kim Jong-un-baiting comedy

Guardians of Peace claim responsibility for cyber-attack on studio for The Interview, which features a CIA plot to assassinate the North Korean leader

Hollywood studio Sony has been told to cancel the release of its “movie of terrorism” – a reference to the Kim Jong-un-baiting comedy The Interview – in amessage purporting to be from hackers who recently broke into the company’s systems and stole millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive data.

The post on GitHub claims to be from a group called Guardians of Peace, which has claimed responsibility for leaking into the public domain five forthcoming films, as well as salary details and social security numbers of famous actors. The post reads: “Stop immediately showing the movie of terrorism which can break the regional peace and cause the War.”

Last Days Film

CIA TORTURE PROGRAM CREATED AND RUN BY 2 PSYCHOLOGISTS

Psychology is a healing profession so it is disturbing to find that the US hired 2 contractors (psychologists) to develop, and implement a torture program that was clearly in violation of international law and the ethical code of conduct in the profession.  Torture as a Violation of Professional Codes of Conduct. 

Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Jessen, identified by pseudonyms in the report, had not conducted a single real interrogation. They had helped run a Cold War-era training program for the Air Force in which personnel were given a taste of the harsh treatment they might face if captured by Communist enemies. The program — called SERE, for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape — had never been intended for use in American interrogations, and involved methods that had produced false confessions when used on American airmen held by the Chinese in the Korean War.

Yet the program allowed the psychologists to assess their own work — they gave it excellent grades — and to charge a daily rate of $1,800 each, four times the pay of other interrogators, to waterboard detainees. Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Jessen later started a company that took over and ran the C.I.A. program from 2005 until it was closed in 2009. The C.I.A. paid it $81 million, plus $1 million to protect the company and its employees from legal liability.

Discord at C.I.A. Over Interrogation Program

The agency had evidently forgotten its own conclusion, sent to Congress in 1989, that “inhumane physical or psychological techniques are counterproductive because they do not produce intelligence and will probably result in false answers,” the report says. The Democratic Senate staff members who studied the post-9/11 program came up with an identical assessment: that waterboarding, wall-slamming, nudity, cold and other ill treatment produced little information of value in preventing terrorism.

The report spends little time condemning torture on moral or legal grounds. Instead, it addresses mainly a practical question: Did torture accomplish anything of value? Looking at case after case, the report answers with an unqualified no.

MURDER(S) BY COP?

Unarmed Arizona man shot dead by Phoenix cop who mistook pill bottle for pistol 

Rumain Brisbon, 34, was shot twice in the chest after a chase and scuffle ended on the floor of a Phoenix apartment where two children were in a back bedroom. Witness accounts of what transpired varied, but what an officer took to be a pistol in Brisbon's pocket was actually a bottle of oxycodone pills.
 Police have yet to name the 30-year-old white officer, who fired off two shots that killed Rumain Brisbon, a 34-year-old black man, during an altercation Tuesday night during an investigation into a drug deal, police said.

But witness accounts varied on what actually happened, sparking protests in Phoenix Thursday night as the fever pitch from the police killings of unarmed teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and the chokehold death of Eric Garneron Staten Island, boiled over into the streets of the southwestern United States.

The police-involved shooting gives “the impression it’s open season for killing black men,” Ann Hart, the chairwoman of the African American Police Advisory Board for South Phoenix, told KPNX-TV.

"We need to look into that," Hart told the NBC affiliate. "We need to take a deeper dive into why police officers are feeling compelled to shoot and kill as opposed to apprehend and detain, arrest and jail."

WALMART SHELTERS THE HOMELESS

Well, at least provides them with a space to park their shopping carts and maybe even pitch a tent. This is another example of how the wealthy have total disregard for those in need.

In the blink of an eye and without even putting a dent in their $150 billion piggy bank, the Walton family could provide shelter all of the homeless in the US.

Some of San Jose's homeless move to Walmart parking lot

You could take it one step further and tax the rich to help the poor. Unheard of even though San Jose is considered the wealthiest city in America. A 5% surcharge on anyone bringing in over 100,000.00 would more than solve the homeless problem;


San Jose

16 percent of households are in the top 5 percent of earners nationally. 

Average household income: $88,339

California tax rate for 1 percent: 8.8 percent

California tax rate for next 4 percent: 8.7 percent 

Average home cost: $602,400

Well-known wealthy inhabitants: George Lucas, Bill Gross

Extra: More than 15 percent of residents in Silicon Alley cash in $191,000 a year, according to Mercury News, making it the highest-earning metro region in California.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/cities-where-the-most-rich-people-live-2013-2?op=1#ixzz3L4XdrXlq



In San Jose, 13.9% of residents go without health insurance coverage, compared with 15.1% nationally. Of the preschool-age population, 56.8% was enrolled in school, compared with 47.4% around the country. Fewer than three in 10 Americans over age 25 have a bachelor’s degree; 36.6% of that demographic in San Jose have graduated from college.

Homes cost more in the city — $540,800 for an owner-occupied property, compared with $173,600 nationwide. The population is more eclectic, with 39.2% foreign-born compared with 13% around the country.

WPF BROKE; WALTONS DROWNING IN CASH

Accumulation and hoarding wealth has plagued societies since the begining civilization. One would hope that as we evolved our social acumen would have improved rather than deteriorate to what we are experiencing today where the rich continue to get richer while the poor are barely able to etch out enough to survive. 

“The thing about food is, you can’t not have it”

That's pretty straight forward and simple to understand. 

U.N. Cuts Food Aid to Refugees From Syria

Facing what it described as a severe cash shortfall, the United Nations food aid organization said on Monday that it had been forced to suspend a voucher program that was helping to feed 1.7 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.

The suspension by the organization, the World Food Program, was one of the most drastic cutbacks ever by an emergency relief provider in the nearly four-year-old Syrian crisis, raising the prospect of widespread hunger at the onset of winter.

The cutback in aid will affect refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey who receive voucher cards from the program, which work like debit cards so users can buy food in local shops.

Why the Waltons?

That's also pretty straight forward and easy to understand.

The Walton family is the richest family in the United States and one of the richest and most powerful in the world. They are heirs to the Walmart fortune and the company’s largest shareholders, with over fifty percent ownership of stock in the retail giant.

 The six Waltons on Forbes’ list of world billionaires have a net worth of $148.8 billion. This fiscal year three Waltons—Rob, Jim, and Alice (and the various entities that they control)—will receive an estimated $3.16 billion in Walmart dividends from their majority stake in the company.

The Waltons aren’t just the face of the 1%; they’re the face of the 0.000001%. The Waltons have more wealth than 42% of American families combined.

The richest Americans hold more of the nation’s wealth than they have in almost a century. What do they spend it on? As you might expect, personal jets, giant yachts, works of art, and luxury penthouses.

And also on politics. In fact, their political spending has been growing faster than their spending on anything else. It’s been growing even faster than their wealth.

According to new research by Emmanuel Saez of the University of California at Berkeley and Gabriel Zucman of the London School of Economics, the richest one-hundredth of one percent of Americans now hold over 11 percent of the nation’s total wealth. That’s a higher share than the top .01 percent held in 1929, before the Great Crash.

We’re talking about 16,000 people, each worth at least $110 million.

One way to get your mind around this is to compare their wealth to that of the average family. In 1978, the typical wealth holder in the top .01 percent was 220 times richer than the average American. By 2012, he or she was 1,120 times richer.

It’s hard to spend this kind of money.

The uber rich are lining up for the new Aerion AS2 private jet, priced at $100 million, that seats eleven and includes a deluxe dining room and shower facilities, and will be able to cross the Atlantic in just four hours.

And for duplexes high in the air. The one atop Manhattan’s newest “needle” tower, the 90-story One57, just went for $90 million.

Why should we care?

On the one hand you have millions of people around the world who are literally starving to death, while on the other you a small group of people who accumulate (and hoard) enormous amounts of wealth that, if even a small portion of it were redistributed from where it came, world hunger would disappear.

SCROOGE ON STERIODS; Meet the Family

Meet the Family


The Walton family is the richest family in the United States and one of the richest in the world. They are heirs to the Walmart fortune and the company’s largest shareholders, with over fifty percent ownership of stock in the retail giant.

Sam Walton and his brother Bud opened their first Walmart discount store in 1962. Today three family members serve on Walmart’s board of directors; Rob is the chair, and sits on the board with his brother Jim and his son-in-law, Greg Penner.

The six Waltons on Forbes’ list of wealthiest Americans have a net worth of $144.7 billion. This fiscal year three Waltons—Rob, Jim, and Alice (and the various entities that they control)—will receive an estimated $3.1 billion in Walmart dividends from their majority stake in the company.

The Waltons aren’t just the face of the 1%; they’re the face of the 0.000001%. The Waltons have more wealth than 42% of American families combined.

The Walton family is the richest family in the United States, with more wealth than Bill Gates and Warren Buffett combined. The Waltons’ wealth comes from their inherited, controlling stake in Walmart. While Walmart workers live in poverty, the Waltons rake in billions every year from the company.

And the Waltons just keep getting richer.

Since 2007, while millions of Americans were having their homes confiscated and jobs eliminated, the fortune of the six Waltons on the Forbes 400 list has more than doubled to an astounding$148.8 billion.

The Waltons have these riches thanks to the hard work of their own employees and all of us taxpayers. Based on recent estimates, taxpayers subsidize Walmart as much as $3 billion per year.[1] Instead of paying workers enough to survive, the Waltons take billions from Walmart every year, while driving their workers on to food stamps and other public assistance.
Unlike their employees, the Waltons reap billions from Walmart every year.

Three Waltons—Rob, Jim, and Alice (all children of Walmart founder Sam Walton)—own over 50%of outstanding Walmart shares. This fiscal year, Rob, Jim, and Alice (and the various entities that they control) will receive an estimated $3.16 billion in Walmart dividends on those shares.

If Sam Walton’s dependents actually worked for their Walmart dividend checks this year, they would be handed $1.5 million every hour. Meanwhile, Walmart workers get an average of $8.81 per hour and are routinely denied full-time work.[2]

Amid concerns about the fiscal cliff in December 2012, Walmart moved up the final dividend payout of its fiscal year from January 2013 to December 2012 to avoid a possible increase in the tax rate on dividends. As the company’s largest and wealthiest shareholders, the Waltons were the biggest beneficiaries of the move.

Most Walmart workers can only dream of making $25,000 in a year. Meanwhile, the Waltons get $25,000 per minute from their Walmart dividends alone.