Extreme Poverty is Our Future

The United Nations has published their 2013 Human Development Report – “The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World”

From the report:

“Environmental inaction, especially regarding climate change, has the potential to halt or even reverse human development progress. The number of people in extreme poverty could increase by up to 3 billion by 2050 unless environmental disasters are averted by coordinated global action.”

“Far more attention needs to be paid to the impact human beings are having on the environment … Climate change is already exacerbating chronic environmental threats, and ecosystem losses are constraining livelihood opportunities, especially for poor people. A clean and safe environment should be seen as a right, not a privilege.”

The report also highlights “short-sighted austerity measures”, inaction in the face of stark social inequalities, and the lack of opportunities for citizen participation as threats to progress, both in developing countries and in the developed world. Khalid Malik, lead author of the report, was quoted in The Guardian, “Social policy is at least as important as economic policy. People think normally you’re too poor to afford these things. But our argument is you’re too poor not to.”

Governments all around the world are initiating more austerity, are enacting policies which decrease democracy, and are failing to address the issue of global climate change. Look around you. How many people do you know that deny climate change is even a real phenomenon? Even if there is no such thing as climate change, is it possible that there are simply too many of us on this small little ball that circles around the Sun?

If so, the question is, what will we human beings do as a species to save ourselves from a dystopian future where we not only destroy ourselves, but we also poison the world for future generations? What will you do?

Do you trust your government to handle this problem? Do you trust other nations’ governments to handle the problem? Do you trust the United Nations to handle the problem? If your answer to these questions is “no”, then maybe…
Your future, and your descendants’ future, is one of extreme poverty in an uninhabitable world. Unless you do something. Now.

Bradley Manning Statement

On March 11, the Freedom of the Press Foundation published the previously unreleased audio recording of Private First Class Bradley Manning’s speech to the military court in Ft. Meade regarding his leaking over 700,000 government documents to WikiLeaks. The Foundation violated court rules by releasing the recording.

From the Foundation’s Statement:

Freedom of the Press Foundation is dedicated to supporting journalism that combats overreaching government secrecy. We have been disturbed that Manning’s pre-trial hearings have been hampered by the kind of extreme government secrecy that his releases to WikiLeaks were intended to protest. While reporters are allowed in the courtroom, no audio or visual recordings are permitted by the judge, no transcripts of the proceedings or any motions by the prosecution have been released, and lengthy court orders read on the stand by the judge have not been published for public review.

“We hope this recording will shed light on one of the most secret court trials in recent history, in which the government is putting on trial a concerned government employee whose only stated goal was to bring attention to what he viewed as serious governmental misconduct and criminal activity. We hope to prompt additional analysis of these proceedings by other journalistic institutions and the public at large. While we are not equipped (technically or as a matter of human resources) to receive leaked information nor do we plan on receiving them in the future, we are proud to publish and analyze this particular recording because it is so clearly matches our mission of supporting transparency journalism.”

“The information provided by Manning has uncovered stories of wrongdoing by the United States, as well as by leaders and politicians around the world. The cables were reportedly one of the catalysts that led to the Arab Spring and sped up the end of the Iraq War. To this day, more than two years after their release, the information provided by Manning is used every day by journalists and historians in major publications are the world to enlighten and inform the public, both in the United States and around the world. In a time when the extent and reach of U.S. government secrecy is unprecedented, and there are credible reports that the government has abused its secrecy and classification systems to cover up numerous illegal and unconstitutional activities, Manning’s actions should be seen as an overdue sliver of sunlight into an overly secret system rather than as a basis for a prosecution seeking decades of imprisonment.”

“By releasing this audio recording, we wish to make sure that the voice of this generation’s most prolific whistleblower can be heard—literally—by the world.”

Listen to Pfc Manning’s statement here:
leaked audio of Bradley Mannings statement

Heart Failure Treatment more Effective for Women

Researchers in California have discovered that a new treatment to prevent heart failure is actually more effective in women than in men. This new study presented to the New England Journal of Medicine has outlined the fact that more women will benefit from the new treatment and most researchers believe that this has to do with the biological differences in the cardiovascular system.

The new heart failure treatment deals with a device that is very similar to a pacemaker but has far more benefits. Many people all over the world suffer from a rapid heartbeat issue that creates problems within the cardiovascular system. When the heart beats faster it is harder on the heart and when it refuses to slow down then the heart must be shocked back into a normal pattern.

Now doctors have found that if they implant the small device near the heart it can send the necessary shock to the heart to get the heart beating on a normal basis again without having to use a defibrillator.

However, the devices that are implanted have been found to be most effective in women, most often because their immune systems do not fight back against the device as much as the male body. While the California researchers are still not sure why this happens they are pleased that they have the data to pass along to the hospitals in the US that are currently using this device for their heart failure patients.

Weight Loss Surgery Adds Years to Life

Weight loss surgery has been a way for many people in the world to finally get on with their lives. Those that have spent years attempting diets and other such processes without success find that weight loss surgery can often be their last hope to do away with the bevy of health problems that have often become a way of life for many people with excess weight.

However, a new study has shown that weight loss surgery can actually add years to the life of many who have it. By the time a person requires weight loss surgery they have lowered their life expectancy dramatically due to the strain on the heart and other internal organs. But the newest research points out that the surgery and the dramatic weight loss that comes after can revitalize the body.

Researchers have found that the surgical procedure and subsequent weight loss will actually renew the heart. This is due to the fact that the heart takes the biggest hit when a person is dramatically overweight. When the weight is lost then the heart once again builds the strength that it needs. This is where the addition of years comes into play.

According to the research this is especially for women who suffer from weight problems more often than men. The latest reports show that the percentage of those people in the US that are overweight is tipped in favor of women almost three to one. This shows that women are in need of the surgical procedure more often than men.

Nonetheless, doctors and scientists are seeing the benefits of the weight loss surgery more and more. The addition of new safety features has shown that the weight loss procedures can easily extend the life and change the way a person feels.

The Weight Loss Troubles for Men

It is a known fact that more women are overweight in the US than men. This speaks to the difference in body styles and metabolism rates between the male and female of the species. However, this does not mean that men do not struggle with weight loss. While it is a proven fact that most men have a much easier time in losing weight, the fact is that they are not as motivated as the women of the world and that is due to the fact that most weight loss products are aimed at the female of the species.

Weight loss companies know that more women are going to buy their products and as such they are designed with women in mind. This means that it is much harder for a man to find a product that will work for him because they are not exactly targeted to their body style and specific needs.

As such there are some doctors in the US at this time that has started taking male weight loss a bit more serious. This shows that there is a need for the men of the world to find some relief from the excess weight that they are carrying around but have been unable to do at this point.

Under most circumstances a man can lose weight by some minor changes to his diet as well as a bit of exercise. But there are men in the world that struggle with weight and they have similar body chemistry to that of a woman. Those men need to find a life changing system that will help them lose the excess weight that they have and do so quickly.

Furthermore, doctors have also said that more men are now able to qualify for the weight loss surgery with the new guidelines that have been posted.

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Same Sex Marriage Still an Issue

Throughout the US states are considering mandates that would allow same sex partners to legally marry. Most believe that it is a religious issue that is stopping those states from making a decision on the issue. However, a new bit of information has come forward suggesting that the states are more concerned about having to give the couples the same rights as those mixed marriage couples.

The center of the issue seems to be financial for the most part, according to most experts in the field. When a person is married there are rights that are set in stone and those rights stand with the position of marriage. At this time same sex couples do not have those rights but if they were allowed to legally marry then they would have all the same rights.

These rights are at the center of the lawsuits that have been filed to prevent same sex marriage from taking place. Over the course of five years 100 lawsuits have been filed challenging same sex marriage. About one fourth of those challenges came from religious organizations around the US. The rest were based on the financial issues surrounding those in the state government.

Now the battle is before the Supreme Court and the world is waiting for an answer. This is a question that has been answered in the past but there seems to be no resolution when it comes to who is right or who is wrong in the fight.

Senior Fitness Gaining Attention

Many people understand that getting older means that getting around is a bit harder. This is the case for most seniors who wake up feeling like they could sit the entire day and not be upset about it. However, there are many doctors who have said that a lack of activity is the exact reason why so many people are feeling like that after they have advanced to the senior years.

As such there is a new push in the US to get seniors up and moving and it is happening in gyms and community centers all over the country. More and more these establishments are offering classes in fitness that are geared more towards the idea of senior fitness and keeping the older people in the US moving.

The problem is that many older people tend to get stiff because the standard exercises are just too difficult to complete. However, with the senior fitness plans there is a thing called low impact where the seniors are actually using chairs and stools to prevent themselves from getting hurt or having to move too much.

The doctors have said that this is a giant leap forward for many people. When the body is exercised it will start to once again get limber and feel better. This means that more of the exercise will get the seniors back on their feet and out of their chairs as is so common in the world right now. This new movement is said to help many live longer lives.

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Feds Upgrade Nutrition Requirements

The federal government has released new information on what they believe to be the best in nutrition requirements for the American people. As such there are many who are scrambling to meet the new requirements to ensure that children around the US are getting what they need from their diets and so on during the school days.

One of the biggest issues at this point is the lower number in the salt department. The government has dipped the salt requirement for the day to a number that is dramatically lower than the previous figures. This has created quite a buzz in the world around as the amount of salt is starting to move to a point where no salt is needed in the diet at all.

Furthermore, the government is now suggesting that fish become a regular part of the healthy diet. The benefits of eating fish on a regular basis have been established over the years and the government feels that it is best to ensure that all Americans start to eat a regular portion.

But there are many who have said that the requirements are a bit unrealistic to say the least. The requirements on salt alone suggest that eating any pre-packaged foods is out of the question, making it difficult for the easier meals to be fixed.

The upgraded guidelines are set to be instituted throughout the school systems and will likely take effect at the beginning of the new school year for 2011.

Groupon Faces Possible Legal Action Over Superbowl Ad

Groupon, the famed local deals site that has created a buzz in the internet world, has ruffled a few feathers with their Super Bowl Ads. Historically the companies in the world unveil their new commercials during the big football game for everyone to view. However, it has also been a time when more companies anger the people in the US through mistakes and so on. Groupon is such a company who has managed to anger many from around the world.

The basis of their ads appeared to be that of conservation when the ads first started but it was clear that things were going sideways once the ads moved forward. The first of the ads featured award winning Cuba Gooding Jr. talking about the plight of whales in the world before he walks up to a boat and talks about how he and friends got a great discount on whale watching tours.

The commercial that really ruffled the feathers in the world featured Timothy Hutton talking about Tibet and the country at large. This created a massive buzz in the world and now several are threatening legal action against the company because the ads were insensitive to those in the region. Many felt that Groupon was making fun of the people that live in Tibet.

Groupon founder Andrew Mason offered a left- handed apology for the ads but that did little good for those in the world. Many have said that Groupon crossed the line with the ads and others feel that they pushed the boundaries of good taste with the commercials.

This is the first year that Groupon has entered into the Super Bowl commercial game. This is likely due to their push to move into larger markets and their massive fundraising movement that netted them $950 million.

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Michael Vick Receives Key to Dallas

Receiving the key to a city is considered a great honor around the US. Many have received this honor, but most have made great contributions to the area through some sort of charitable work and so on. So why did Michael Vick, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, receive the key to the city of Dallas during the Super Bowl weekend? That is a question that many are asking themselves today after the award was announced.

But there is a twist to this story and one that takes us into the depths of politics at many levels. Vick did not receive the official key to the city, that award is reserved for those that make contributions. He received a cheaper version that is allowed to be handed out by council members and other political figures. Most often this is done for celebrities and so on.

Gene Simmons, famed rocker with the band KISS and businessman, received a similar award in Dallas two weeks ago. These are known as token gifts and cost the city about $25 to have created. The actual key to the city is made of gold and crystal and is highly valuable to those that receive it.

But still many are questioning why Michael Vick, who admitted to torturing and killing dogs for entertainment, would receive such an honor. While it is true the Vick has cleaned up his act and is once again playing football, there are many who are angered by the honor bestowed upon him.

One man is particularly angry and was in the crowd for the ceremony. He took a shaky cell phone video of the event. He has a vested interest in Vick and what he does as he adopted one of the dogs that was severely abused by Vick and tends to keep tabs on the man around the US.