October 8, 2012

We have got to prevent what we cannot adapt to ....

October 8, 2012

The new consciousness is here ...

THE INTERNET ....

And it is becoming easier everyday to access it ...

October 7, 2012

The religious second coming argument is becoming less

effective as temperatures across our nation this summer were record highs ...

The statement that "God wants us to destroy this beautiful earth planet???" just does not compute anymore ...

Unless you are handling snakes for a living ...

They have become a smaller and shrinking minority as they themselves predicted ...

October 7, 2012

How about huge panels or tarps to trap sunlight ...

convert into electricity ... effectively blocking sunlight from reaching dark water ...

We have to start thinking outside of our boxes ...

October 7, 2012

"We are in a planetary emergency."

Arctic Ice Melt, Psychopathic Capitalism and the Corporate Media

Last month, climate scientists announced that Arctic sea ice had shrunk to its smallest surface area since satellite observations began in 1979. An ice-free summer in the Arctic, once projected to be more than a century away, now looks possible just a few decades from now. Some scientists say it may happen within the next few years.

The loss is hugely significant because Arctic sea ice reflects most solar energy into space, helping to keep the Earth at a moderate temperature. But when the ice melts it reveals dark waters below, which absorb more than 90 percent of the solar energy that hits them, leading to faster warming both locally and globally.

Peter Wadhams, professor of ocean physics at Cambridge University, warns that the Arctic may be ice-free in summer as soon as 2015. Such a massive loss would have a warming effect roughly equivalent to all human activity to date. In other words, a summer ice-free Arctic could double the rate of warming of the planet as a whole. No wonder that leading NASA climate scientist James Hansen says bluntly: "We are in a planetary emergency."

In a comprehensive blog piece on the Scientific American website, Ramez Naam points out that:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/11970-arctic-ice-melt-psychopathic-capitalism-and-the-corporate-media




"We have got to prevent what we cannot adapt to" .... Bill McKibben




See more at http://climatecrocks.com/

October 6, 2012

Studies of Substance Abuse with Interventions for the Youth of Native American Indian Community #12

Definitions #7

Although risk is a widely understood and agreed upon concept, protection is not, and there has been little consensus on the definition and operationalization of protective factors (see Jessor, VandenBos, Vanderryn, Costa, & Turbin, 1995). Some define risk and protection as opposite ends of a single dimension. A protective factor, then, is the absence of or a low level of risk. Others argue that the concept of protection is orthogonal and extends beyond the mere absence of risk. These scholars contend that a protective factor is an independent variable that can have a direct effect on behavior and can also moderate the relationship between a risk factor and behavior (J. D. Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992; Rutter, 1987). Both definitions of protection are represented in the studies presented here.

Among youth in the general population, protective factors include stable and supportive relationships with parents and prosocial adults, self-efficacy in social relations, bonding to conventional society, community resources, cultural involvement, participation in organized group activities, and involvement in religious activities (Barrett, Simpson, & Lehman, 1988; Elder, Leaver-Dunn, Wang, Nagy, & Green, 2000; J. D. Hawkins et al., 1992; Newcomb & Felix-Ortiz, 1992; Tyler & Lichtenstein, 1997). Comparatively little is known about factors that serve to protect Indian youth against the development of substance use problems. There is no compelling reason to believe that the factors listed here would not also be protective for Indian youth. Indeed, strong bonds with the family and school are believed to serve as protective factors against deviance, whereas peer associations can serve as sources for either prosocial or deviant norms (Oetting, Donnermeyer, Trimble, & Beauvais, 1998). In one of the few published studies of protective factors among American Indian youth, Le-Master et al. (2002) found that academic orientation served to lower the risk for cigarette smoking.

Much is unknown about protective factors that are specific to the cultural and community context of Native Americans. Despite the strongly held belief in the positive power of Indian cultural identity and participation, research has yielded conflicting findings. For example, one study demonstrated that inhalant abuse rates were lower for youth who participated in structured activities such as traditional tribal activities and ceremonies (Thurman & Green, 1997). Similarly, Mason (1995) found that a positive culturally oriented self-concept was associated with lower rates of substance use. However, attendance at cultural events has also been linked to marijuana and cigarette use (Petoskey, Van Stelle, & De Jong, 1998), and in one study traditional orientation was highly correlated with problem behaviors such as getting drunk or high (Mail, 1997). In a sample of urban Native youth, increased report of alcohol-related problems was associated with identification with the “Indian way of life” (E. H. Hawkins, 2002). Still other studies have found no relationship between cultural identity and substance use (Bates, Beauvais, & Trimble, 1997).

There remains strong support for the idea that bicultural competence serves to decrease risk for substance misuse. Bicultural competence has been defined as the ability to alternate between one’s ethnic and white identities in response to contextual cultural cues (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993). This capability is widely believed to be instrumental in helping Indian youth successfully negotiate potentially harmful situations by increasing positive coping skills, self-efficacy, and social support, factors that have been linked to positive outcomes in substance abuse treatment (Annis & Davis, 1991; Marlatt & Gordon, 1985; Rychtarik, Prue, Rapp, & King, 1992). A similar model is stake theory, which holds that identifying with, or having a stake in, both Native and mainstream cultures can serve as a protective factor against substance abuse (Ferguson, 1976; Honigmann & Honigmann, 1968).

Among many ethnic groups, positive outcomes in issues of health and adjustment, including addictive behaviors, are associated with higher levels of bicultural competence (LaFromboise et al., 1993). For Native youth living on reservations or tribal land, having a bicultural identity has been associated with increased social competencies, personal mastery, self-esteem, and social support (Moran, Fleming, Somervell, & Manson, 1999). However, it is clear that further research is needed to clarify the role culture plays as a source of risk or protection for substance use problems in this population.

October 4, 2012

OBAMA WON ...

OBAMA -- 1

Willard the Red Bull (y) -- O

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am proud to be a supporter of our President who was confident and poised, even when Right leaning moderator Lehrer did not fairly hold this debate, not only because he could not speak up and shut down aggressive Willie ... but the numerous times he let Rmoney speak before the President ... when it was obviously the Presidents turn to speak ....

You know all you naysayers about how the President handled this debate should try debating from an unfair position ... laid out by a right leaning moderator ...

So you say that this President who spoke truth and facts should have started attacking when Red Bull (y) Willie was spewing shit .... NO, NO, NO ... you know in your heart that would have been the wrong tactic ...

A Presidential debate is not an athletic event ...

Actually, if our President had been more confrontational, that would have played right into the Rights playbook ....

He handled himself perfectly, Thank you Mr. President .... and congrats on your 20th ... I gave another $100 to your campaign when you started the debate with your loving comments to Michelle, and calling her sweetie was adorable ...

When you naysayers revisit this debate you will hear and see what I am saying ....

ie: How long were the moderators eyes on each candidate and how long did he talk with Rmoney versus the President ....?

October 1, 2012

Dark Knight Shooting Victim Takes on Gun Violence in New PSA

October 1, 2012

Undersea 6.2 magnitude quake strikes off northeast Japan

Source: Reuters

Reuters) - A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake was centered 96 km (60 miles) east-northeast off Miyako at a depth of 9.7 km (6.0 miles).

The was no immediate tsunami warning issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/01/us-japan-quake-idUSBRE8901GD20121001

September 28, 2012

Water on Mars ...

Mars images show signs of ancient stream

The NASA rover Curiosity has beamed back pictures of bedrock that suggest a fast-moving stream, possibly waist-deep, once flowed on Mars.

There have been previous signs that water existed on the red planet long ago, but the images released on Thursday showing pebbles rounded off, likely by water, offered the most convincing evidence so far of an ancient streambed.

There was "a vigorous flow on the surface of Mars," said chief scientist John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology. "We're really excited about this."

The discovery did not come as a complete surprise. NASA decided to plunk Curiosity down inside Gale Crater near the Martian equator because photos from space hinted that the spot possessed a watery past.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/09/201292804730454884.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount