What it is REALLY like

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"I never wonder to see men wicked,
but I often wonder to see them not ashamed",

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), poet and prose satirist,
most famous for his novel 'Gulliver's Travels'

Ever since Americans learned that American soldiers and intelligence agents were torturing prisoners, there has been a disturbing question: How high up did the decision go to ignore United States law, international treaties, the Geneva Conventions and basic morality?

The answer, we have learned recently, is that — with President Bush’s clear knowledge and support — some of the very highest officials in the land not only approved the abuse of prisoners, but participated in the detailed planning of harsh interrogations and helped to create a legal structure to shield from justice those who followed the orders.

We have long known ... that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved a list of ways to abuse prisoners. But recent accounts by ABC News and The Associated Press said that all of the president’s top national security advisers at the time participated in creating the interrogation policy: Vice President Dick Cheney; Mr. Rumsfeld; Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser; Colin Powell, the secretary of state; John Ashcroft, the attorney general; and George Tenet, the director of central intelligence.

"This is a monument to executive supremacy and the imperial presidency," said Eugene R. Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School and the Washington College of Law at American University.

Only by fully understanding what Mr. Bush has done over eight years to distort the rule of law and violate civil liberties and human rights can Americans ever hope to repair the damage and ensure it does not happen again.
(via various editorials published by The New York Times on the topic: 'Torture')



[Read about Torture on Wikipedia]


[Watch a video montage from a film about the war crimes of the 'Einsatzgruppen', set in a 1943 German occupied village: Come and See]



[Related: Fernando Botero and Mark Twain]


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L'idée du jour

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"Doubt is the incentive to truth and inquiry leads the way."

Hosea Ballou (1771-1852), American Universalist and theological writer

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Follow your Bliss

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -
the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people,"

Henry Miller (1891 - 1980), American writer, perhaps best know for his novel Tropic of Cancer, published in 1934

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Following his bliss:

Myron Michael Hardy aka Money the Mystro
29 year-old poet, emcee and hip hop artist


-:- TAKE -:-
A
.......L I S T E N.......

(Instructions: Clicking on the link 'LISTEN 'will start up a music player in a new window. Click on a track. To stop the music, close player window.)

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[See related: The reason for Poetry]

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Freudian and Machiavellian

The theories established by Sigmund Freud (1858-1939), the 'Father of Psychoanalysis', opened a chanel to understanding the power of the unconscious mind as being the (secret) seat of all human fear and desire. This fear and desire, residing in the unconscious and often repressed, governs human behavior. Ergo, exploiting these hidden feelings enabled the manipulation of behavior.


Edward Bernays (1891-1995), the grand-daddy of mass manipulation and propaganda and Freud's nephew, most successfully applied Freud's theories. He did so on a large scale and mostly for the benefit of the large corporations and of the politicians who consulted him, including president Eisenhower.

This video documents such mass manipulation accomplished by tapping into human fear. It also extends to the justification of interference in the affairs of foreign nations, all under the guise of preserving American values. In actuality, however, the motives for such interventions were anchored in the safe-guarding of American corporate interests and profiteering.




Brainwashing a Nation by fabricating the 'Communist Threat', the 'Terrorist Threat' and so on

A very recent example of exploiting deep-seated human fear in order to justify political repression, military aggression and outright lies was demonstrated by the "Department of Homeland Security", a creation of president George W. Bush and his henchmen. In and around 2003-2004 the American People were kept in a constant state of fear fuelled by the regular issuance of various levels of "Terror Alerts".



[Also see Unmasking contemporary propaganda]


[More about Bernays' unethical activities: Engineering demand]

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What is Sauna

For anyone not afraid to strip naked and in overall good health, i.e. no history of stroke or hypertension, there is nothing quite as beneficial to body and mind as taking a sauna bath. If you have never experienced it, it is a treat, and treatment, not to be missed. (Sauna is not recommended for children.)

A modern Sauna is a small to medium sized room, made entirely from wood, accommodating from four to eight people. It generally has two levels of benches, a lower one that would correspond to the height of an average chair and one that is double that height and therefore closer to the ceiling where the heat is strongest.

The heat elevates your body temperature, akin to having a fever, which destroys toxins in your system and eliminates them through intense perspiration. Sauna temperatures around 180 degrees Fahrenheit ("dry heat")or slightly higher are achieved by a specialized electric stove with a top layer of hot stones through which the heat escapes into the room. When water is poured on the stones to raise the level of humidity, the temperature is greatly increased and could reach a danger-point for the body, causing heat stroke. If high humidity levels are desired ("wet heat"), the temperature setting must be lowered proportionately, i.e., for 100% humidity, temperature should be around 100 degrees.

Sauna baths are generally taken in the nude, sitting or laying on a towel to absorb sweat.

The concept of sauna as a purification of the body has been practiced in various cultures, since the ancient times of Roman baths, for ceremonial as well as therapeutic purposes.

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SAUNA: De-tox Body and Mind

In our contemporary moral climate, which can be characterized as downright prudish, we have been brainwashed into thinking that nudity equals lasciviousness and that it is a certain prelude to sexual activity. This cannot be further from the truth. The human body in its natural state is one of the wonders of creation and certainly nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to be debased by negative and judgmental connotations.

The Sauna is perhaps the only remaining setting where nudity is accepted, even called for. The simple act of ridding yourself of all clothing and stepping into an environment unfettered, is a liberating act. Settle yourself on a bench in the sauna room, close your eyes and let the heat permeate your body and open the pores of your skin. As the ensuring perspiration purges the toxins from your system, so will all tension and anguish be released from your mind as you give yourself over to complete relaxation. Contained in this chamber of ultimate warmth you experience the process of purification and renewal.

Sauna etiquette prescribes silence in the sauna room for a reason. Free from auditory distractions you can focus on letting go, both physically and mentally, of all the pollutants that have weighed you down. You emerge cleansed and light-footed in body and in mind.

The aftermath of a sauna bath gives new meaning to the concept of
being "born-again" ...

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Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков

'Мастер и Маргарита' - полифоничный роман Михаила Афанасьевича Булгакова, русский писатель и драматург (1891—1940), называемый иногда фантастическим.


" ... И плавится лед в вазочке, и глядят от соседнего стола чьи-то налитые кровью глаза, и страшно, страшно ... О боги! Яду мне, яду! ..."


" ... And the ice is melting in the bowl, and at the next table you see someone's bloodshot, bovine eyes, and you're afraid, afraid . . . Oh, gods, my gods, poison, bring me poison! ..."

An excerpt from Bulgakov's 'The Master and Margarita', a novel highly recommended to the discriminating reader of international literature by The InstaPLANET Cultural Universe. We prefer the translation by Diana Burgin & Katherine Tiernan O'Connor which provides interpretive footnotes.

Bulgakov's complex satirical and phantasmagorical short stories, novels and dramas are psychological exposés, dealing with the correlation of humanity and power in the (former) Soviet societal reality.

An InstaPLANET Favorite Author Pick : Read it next

Poet and Author Ana Elsner responded by saying,

"I am thrilled to see that your blog is thoughtfully giving a much needed plug to Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov and his faustian novel, The Master and Margarita. Oddly enough, most every reader of twentieth century literature is familiar with the works of Russian writers Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Boris Pasternak, but very few have heard of, much less read, Bulgakov. Master and Margarita is actually one of my all time favorites. Its 32 chapters read almost like individual short stories in and of themselves. No other writer has ever camouflaged acerbic political satire in such a luxurious cloak of fantasy. Three dense layers of narrative are masterfully interwoven so that you literally get three plots for the price of one. I count this work as one of the greatest and enduring novels of the 20th century. A must-read."

[See also Russian art from Mstera (Мстёра), the satirical perspective of Bertolt Brecht and a Teddy Roosevelt quote.]

[Related Learn from History]
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InstaPLANET presents Kobanga Te by the Abaqondise Brothers

Text: "Kobanga te , ibe kanta la" - "Hab' keine Angst, es gibt jemand, der passt gut auf dich auf." - "Don't be afraid, someone is watching over you."

Die südafrikanische Gruppe Abaqondise wird in ihrer Heimat bereits als die Nachfolger der weltberühmten und wesentlich mehr kommerziellen "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" angesehen.

Ihre rhythmischen Lieder mit den unnachahmlichen Klängen gehen einem sofort ins Blut.

"Abaqondise" bedeutet Freundschaft in der Xhosa-Sprache und man fühlt es deutlich. Es kommt in ihren Auftritten und in ihrer CD mit dem Titel "Kobanga Te" die ganze Lebensfreude Afrikas zum Ausdruck.

InstaPLANET ist ein großer Fan von diesem relative neuen Musik Talent und wird ihren Werdegang mit Begeisterung weiter verfolgen.

"Rhythmus hat keine kulturellen und sozialen Grenzen. Rhythmus kann von jedem Menschen erfahren werden."

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[Different sounds: Sample the Alto Sax]
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A Path to Serenity

InstaPLANET visits The Buddha


A Buddha is a being who has become fully awakened and has freed himself from mind-contaminants such as lust, anger, craving and the psychological conditioning (sankhara) of the fickleness of human existence. He recognizes that all such things are impermanent, forever arising and passing away, and that acknowledging this truth is wisdom and enlightenment. All passions and emotions are transcended and pacified so that one is completely at peace and no longer subject to human suffering (dukkha). The buddha has reached pure consciousness and bliss through asceticism and purification. He exists in an eternal state of Nirvāṇa, literally "deathlessness", the highest form of spiritual attainment.



Often misunderstood to be the Buddhist equivalent of 'God', the Buddha is, instead, a teacher to his followers and points the way to nirvana.


There are many different types of Buddha, characterized by and adapted to the regional history and geography of Southeast Asia, East Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Tibet, as well as Western Countries.


It is a statistical fact that Buddhism continues to attract followers around the world. It is the fifth-largest religion behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion.

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[See also The Baptists]

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HIV & My Partner - An anonymous Letter

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"...My partner and best friend of 10 years died May 19, 2006 at the age of 47. He was about 27 years old when he was diagnosed with HIV.

I want people to know how courageous he was, how he lived for almost half his life with the stigma of HIV/AIDS, with copious medications and all their complications and side-effects, sometimes with the unkind judgment of small minds, with the ever present prospect of death.

He was courageous because he refused to be defined or defeated by a diagnosis. He was courageous because he insisted on life. He was vital, honest, passionate, loving, funny, angry, opinionated, impulsive, articulate, compassionate, charming and damned good looking. It's how he lived his life. He was a wonderfully strong person, whom I was glad and proud to have in my life. ..."

Killer Virus invades all Continents

(The stats in the graphic above are outdated but serve to illustrate the geography. The current statistics are as follows:)

In the quarter century since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, more than 65 million people worldwide have become infected, including more than 25 million who have already died.

In the U.S., there are now more than one million people currently estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is on track to be one of the worst epidemics in history, with millions more estimated to become infected by the end of this decade alone, if more is not done.

Multiple needs remain to be addressed globally in the areas of prevention, care and treatment, research, and funding. As such, the HIV/AIDS epidemic presents numerous political, economic, social, and scientific challenges to the United States and nations throughout the world.

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The vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, tours worldwide, teaching about their homeland and its culture. Their music genre of a-cappella style singing originated from the South African Zulus. In this video they perform the popular song "(We are) Homeless", by Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala, a fusion of native dialect and English lyrics.

Here they deliver a fundamentally sad message in the softest and gentlest musical hues.

Emaweni webaba
Silale maweni
Webaba silale maweni ...

Strong wind destroy our home
Many dead, tonight it could be you ...

And we are homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake ...

: World - Citizens :

We must show compassion NOW!

Kuluman
Kulumani, kulumani sizwe
Singenze njani
Baya jabula abasi thanda yo
Ho

[See also Losing a partner and best friend and "Goodbye Jim!"]

Russian Lacquer Miniature Painting from famous Mstera artist

Mstyora 'People's Artist of Russia', Lev Alexandrovich Fomichov...

...was born in 1932 in the village of Mstera (Mstiora, Mstyora, Мстёра) situated in the Vladimir region. Fomichyov is one of the leading third-generation master artists of Mstera. His grandfather was an icon painter and his father A.Ya. Fomichov was a manager of the artel 'Proletarian Art' in Mstyora (A.Ya. Fomichov studied under the famous Russian icon painter Feodor Modorov).

This example of Fine Russian Lacquer Art is part of the Ana Elsner Collection.

One of Fomichyov's favorite themes to paint are historical subjects and bylinas, or Russian folk epics. This piece shows several scenes from the ancient Russian legend 'Dobrynya the Matchmaker'. Dobrynya Nikitich comes from a long line of heroes who fought for the pride and defense of Russia's lands. One of the deeds Dobrynya is known for is his assistance in the marriage of Prince Vladimir and Rogneda, the Princess of Polotsk. This legend is based on actual historical events.

The paints he uses for his palette are all homemade by Fomichev himself and reflect strong earth tones. In addition, gold paints are used to detail the scene, especially to create the lustrous chain armor of warriors.


The box measures 12x3.75x2.5 inches and is made out of papier-mâché. Black lacquer covers the exterior and red lacquer covers the interior of the box. Gold ornamentation frames the composition, while another pattern accented with red and blue flowers runs along the sides of the box. The artist signed his name, the title of the work and 'Mstera 2005' at the bottom of the scene.

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[See also About and Discover]

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Be All That You Can Be - A Guide

How to Prepare for Deployment to Iraq

: Sleep on a cot in the garage.

: Replace the garage door with a curtain.

: Renovate your bathroom. Hang a green plastic sheet down from the middle of your bathtub and move the showerhead down to chest level. Keep four inches of soapy cold water on the floor. Stop cleaning the toilet and pee everywhere but in the toilet itself.

: Leave a lawnmower running in your living room 24 hours a day for proper noise level.

: Shoot a few bullet holes in the walls of your home for proper ambiance.

: Invite at least 185 people you don't really like because of their strange hygiene habits to come and visit for a couple of months. Exchange clothes with them.

: Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills of your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.

: Go to the worst crime-infested place you can find, go heavily armed, wearing a flak jacket and a Kevlar helmet. Set up shop in a tent in a vacant lot. Announce to the residents that you are there to help them.

: Fire off 50 cherry bombs simultaneously in your driveway at 3:00 a.m. When startled neighbors appear, tell them all is well, you are just registering mortars. Tell them plastic will make an acceptable substitute for their shattered windows.

: And just when you think you're ready to resume a normal life, order yourself to repeat this process for another six months to simulate the next deployment you've been ordered to support.

: ... !

The Second Quarter Of 2007

by the InstaPLANET Editor

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We'll always have Paris... or so it seems. Between the relentless news coverage of Paris Hilton's incarceration and subsequent release from jail and the hype about Apple's much anticipated iPhone launch, one might reach the conclusion that nothing else of great concern was going on in the world.

We need to remind ourselves that long after Paris' peccadilloes have been forgotten, the Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and other parts of the world will still be there and will still matter. Not to mention the tragic and needless war in Iraq, now in its fourth year, which weighs heavy on our budget and our conscience (or at least on the conscience of those who still have one.) Incredibly, the Cost-of-Iraq-War-Calculator has reached a stunning $378 billion, halfway through fiscal year 2007.

However, global economic growth in general is strong and will continue to expand, fuelled by emerging and developing markets in China and elsewhere. But this is a force that cuts both ways, creating new demand for goods and services, but also creating strong competition for precious raw materials and human resources. This growth explosion is sure to present an additional strain on our already compromised eco-system.

Now more than ever, we must put in place stringent measures to halt global warming worldwide.

The challenges are many as we look down the road.

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[See also article about global warming on Wikipedia]

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When? On June 6, 2007

Author and wordsmith Ana Elsner

is the Featured Poet

on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 7p.m.

at Sacred Grounds, 2095 Hayes Street, San Francisco.

(If you need more information please call the host

at 415-346-0347)

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Ana Elsner will read from her most recent work in this convivial coffeehouse setting.

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[See also The power of poetry]

Winter in Fedoskino - Russian Lacquer Art

We welcome winter for all the special joys it brings:

... skiing, sledding, snowman-building, not to mention the cozy evenings by the fireplace, the hot mulled wine, the rosy-cheeked faces and the storytelling ... (Never mind about the icy roads, the endless snow-shoveling and the astronomical heating bills, we will not speak of those).

In anticipation of the first snow, InstaPLANET is proud to exhibit this dynamic and joyful Russian winter scene on a large oval black Russian Lacquer Plaque, celebrating the famous RUSSIAN TROIKA. It was painted in 1992 by master artist Tatyana Tipyakova of Fedoskino.

Please visit catalog.instaplanet.com and read more about Russian folklore and the symbolism of the troika.

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[Related article: Russian Lacquer Painting]

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The Power of Poetry

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"Let us remember ... that in the end we go to poetry for one reason, so that we might more fully inhabit our lives and the world in which we live them, and that if we more fully inhabit these things, we might be less apt to destroy both."

- Christian Wiman, poet, essayist and editor

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[See also: The Power of Art]

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Autumn descends on the InstaPlanet

: : Lyn Lifshin captures the Season in Words : :

Mid November

When the black ducks come,
Winter opens, a kick pleat
in darkness

Eyelash fringe of ferns on shore.
Late fall thunder
after a long
Indian summer.

Branches creak. A muskrat slithers into
the pond, a stone the tide covers
in the glow of a stranger's
flashlight.

[Other poets featured on The InstaPlanet Satellite: Eliseo Diego and George Tsongas]

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Never Forgotten

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The atrocities committed in 2003 at Abu Ghraib, where prisoners were abused and tortured, are far from being forgiven and forgotten:


Artists and Poets world-wide have created an enduring record of the shameful and outrageous human rights violations that will live on not just in history books, but also in the annals of art, culture and literature.

One such artist is the famous Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero (born 1932), who exhibited a series of 50 interpretive works on the subject at the Palazzo Venezia in Rome in 2005.

When asked why he painted such horror, he replied (in his own words):

"Por la ira que sentí y que sintió el mundo entero por este crimen cometido por el país que se presenta como modelo de compasión, de justicia y de civilización."

"La injusticia me hace hervir la sangre" - Fernando Botero


All of Botero's paintings in his Abu Ghraib series, numbered 1 through 50, are based not on photographic evidence alone, but mainly on transcripts of actual testimony from the investigation into the prison scandal.

Botero made the paintings so that 'this crime against human dignity will be forever etched upon the collective consciousness of mankind'.

- Photo: The Artist in front of his canvas expressing in no uncertain terms his contempt for the perpetrators and their superiors, and his profound moral outrage.-

Having previously called himself an admirer of the United States (one of his sons lives in Miami), Mr. Botero said he became incensed because he "expected better of the American government".

Throughout Europe, where sentiment against the Iraq war is strong, news of the paintings and sketches has already generated interest. In 2006, museums in Hanover and Baden Baden, Germany, plan to hold special exhibitions of Mr. Botero's Abu Ghraib series.

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[Remember Theodore Roosevelt's words on criticizing the president.]
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[See also: Jack Hirschman speaks out against suppression of political art]

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Lock out Link Spammers and throw away their Key

: Attention All Blogspot Bloggers:




Ever click open your blog, quick-scan the 'Comments' numbers and notice that several new ones have been posted? Oh, the glee, oh, the anticipation of resonance, of popularity, of meaningful dialog!
You click the permalink only to discover that your comments page is cluttered up with imbecilic one-liners, thinly veiled advertisements containing hyperlinks to this commercial site and that. - Yep, you have been link-spammed!

Do not fret, the clever folks at Google/Blogger have come up with a feature that lets you SCREEN each comment before it goes live on your blog. Works just like your trusted friend, the telephone answering machine: You choose who you talk to - you choose which comments get posted and which ones deleted. See how to activate this new feature.

We sure hope that other blog-hosts will follow suit and implement comment-spam screening tools, if they have not as yet done so.

[Find more details on blocking spam links on the googleblog.]

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[Related reading: "So, now you are a blogger..."]

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