Saturday, March 31, 2012

Hitler Studied America's "Indian Policy"?

I can't tell if it's for real or an urban myth, but, regardless: American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian
He wasn't the only one either. It's not explicitly mentioned in the film, but it's well known that members of the National Party government in South Africa studied "the American approach" before they introduced the system of racial apartheid, which lasted from 1948 to 1994. Other fascist regimes, for instance, in South and Central America, studied the same policy.
I've heard of stranger things.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Reindeer Herds in Taiga Facing 'Unprecedent Challenges'

Urgent Action Needed to Support Unique Environment and Culture of Mongolia’s Reindeer Herders

Mongolia’s reindeer herders and their forest homeland are facing unprecedented challenges from unregulated mining, logging, water pollution, climate change and some tourism practices, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Vedic Experience

Courtesy of Big Brass Blog: The Vedic Experience

One of the finest translations to the English Language is done by Professor Raimon Pannikar, who now lives in a small mountain village in Spain. Himalayan Academy has been commissioned to publish his 1000-page anthology of the Vedic Experience in a special edition in the West, while Motilal Banarsidas has produced the Indian edition. In July of 1995 Professor Pannikar gave permission for these Vedic verses to be published on the World Wide Web. Finally we have all the seven parts of Vedic Experience on line.

Monday, March 26, 2012

GM Dump Leaking PCBs on Tribal Lands

NY Mohawk: Move toxic GM dump from tribal lands

Immediately upstream is a shuttered General Motors factory, now a federal Superfund site where tons of toxic waste have been removed. Tons more remain, including the 12-acre landfill that has been capped with a layer of clay and grass and declared safe, no longer a threat.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls - considered probable carcinogens - are the main contaminant, dumped as sludge after use as electrical equipment coolants. Studies 20 years ago documented higher than normal PCB levels in the breast milk of Akwesasne nursing mothers and more recently in adolescents; the toxins persist in human tissue for years. High levels have been found in St. Lawrence River turtles and fish, which the state cautions against eating.

"There's no question there's a legacy of PCB contamination in this area," said Judith Enck, regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and a former top environmental official for New York. "And the Mohawks have raised legitimate concerns for decades."

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Really Interesting Review of "Game Change"

Over on Tigerbeatdown. I remain uninterested in seeing the film, myself, but it was an eye-opening review. Read it here.