Rethos.com - techcafe's Global Feed

Hello from Big Sur - Alec Henderson

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:14:42 -0400

Hello everyone, After spending two months deep in the mountains of California's Central coast I and the majority of monks at the Tassajara Monastery have been evacuated due to the recent fires. My friends at the LA Times wrote a front page article http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-fires28-2008jun28,0,4613015,full.story on our plight and this has generated some significant publicity. I am hold up in Santa Cruz with the monastery dog, Ginger. She and I are well and blogging at http://sittingwithginger.blogspot.com/ I am only back on the grid until we can ret...

As Fire Approaches Big Sur Monastery Monks Prepare to Fight

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:20:23 -0400

TASSAJARA, CALIF. -- In this remote Zen enclave on Big Sur's forested backside, wildfires lurk on three sides. As flames edge closer and ash falls from a crimson sky, the Buddhist monks are readying for a final stand.

Priests and students alike at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center have been doffing their traditional black robes, hefting picks and shovels, and forging 10-foot-wide firebreaks. Atop the roofs of the monastery's old retreat cabins and meditation hall, they've jury-rigged plastic pipe sprinkler systems.

Perhaps more serene than some, they were amon...

Unholy Children

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 03:49:39 -0400

Enter Message / description of files attached:

Alliance Accepted! - Alec Henderson

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:08:12 -0400

My Culture Killed Lawrence King

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:11:47 -0500

Yesterday evening, I attended a candle light vigil for Lawrence King in West Hollywood.

My culture tells me that children must adhere to certain rigid rules of conduct, decorum, dress and manners depending solely on the genitalia they receive at birth. If born with a penis children are required to behave as “boys”. The strict boundaries required of “boys” are part of the social conditioning imposed to create conformity in sex roles. Adolescence is a time when children begin the tr...

Teenage Rebellion Now Considered Mental Illness

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:48:15 -0500

For a generation now, disruptive young Americans who rebel against authority figures have been increasingly diagnosed with mental illnesses and medicated with psychiatric (psychotropic) drugs.

Disruptive young people who are medicated with Ritalin, Adderall and other amphetamines routinely report that these drugs make them “care less” about their boredom, resentments and other negative emotions, thus making them more compliant and manageable. And so-called atypical antipsychotics such as Risperdal and Zyprexa — powerful tranquilizing drugs — are inc...

Recent Studies Decry Environmental Impact of Biofuels Reports New York Times

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:41:09 -0500

New York Times February 8, 2008

by Elisabeth Rosenthal

Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded.

These studies for the first time take a detailed, comprehensive look at the emissions effects of the huge amount of natural land that is being converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development.

The destruction of nat...

Participatory Democracy? Step One: Stop Voting!

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:01:05 -0500

PLEASE BOYCOTT THE NOVEMBER ELECTION! DO NOT VOTE! YOUR VOTE IS A VOTE FOR WAR AND POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION NO MATTER WHO OR WHAT YOU VOTE FOR!

Part 1: The Death of the Nation State

“[T]he nation state [is] so unnatural and artificial that it had to be imposed by extreme violence. In fact that’s the primary reason why Europe was the most savage part of the world for centuries. It was due to trying to impose a nation state system on cultu...

American Imperialism: Second Thoughts on Charlie Wilsonâ€™s War
by Chalmers Johnson

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:10:03 -0500

As the presidential election approaches it may be tempting to associate US Imperialist behavior with Republicans alone. Try to resist. This article is a clear and intelligent primer on the historical antecedents to our current global nightmare. And the administration occupying the point position here is not GW’s but rather that of the Noble Peace prize winning Jimmy Carter, America’s favorite ex-prez.

The events of 9/11 were forged during the Carter administration when then defense secretary, Zbignew Brezinsky, the true architect of 9/11 advised the president to auth...

Urban Bike Sharing Coming To The U.S.

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:51:02 -0500

Remember the war monger corporation ‘Clear Channel’? They’re the ones who sponsored the infamous outdoor rallies supporting the invasion of Iraq, denouncing Arab-Americans, and the crucifiction of the Dixie Chicks; not to mention their business model which includes the saturation of the American landscape by mega corporate billboards…Well folks. I am here to report that they are up to something new.

Something good!

Something good? No, I can’t believe it either. But apparently its true.

Let me explain. You see a couple of years ...

Forget the Electric Car: This one runs on compressed air!

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:00:58 -0500

When I first saw this article I thought it was a joke until I watched the BBC video linked to it. This car costs about three grand, goes 200 km on a single tank of compressed air. No pollution and just a couple of dollars to fill the tank. How quickly will big oil see to it that the inventors are murdered, production halted, and any and all reference to it expunged from the national media?

Cable Giants want our Internet and they are Willing to Cheat to Get it!

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:08:15 -0500

One of things I really hate in this world is evil, malicious, and predatory people and institutions who work tirelessly to strip away our basic rights and privileges pretending to be forward thinking progressive and pro-human. Nowhere are these malevolent forces found more plentiful then in the area of corporate media and its attendant efforts to shut down our ability to communicate in a free and critical exchange of ideas and information.

Aided by their obedient lapdog, the FCC, these super-mega media giants have ended all reasonable and necessary pr...

Please come to Los angeles for Darfur Rally

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:07:10 -0400

Monday October 15 in Downtown LA 12 noon!!!

Help to stop American Investment in Darfur! Join me in downtown Los Angeles for a rally!

Click here to sign up

Rethos.com - techcafe's Global Feed

Hello from Big Sur - Alec Henderson

As Fire Approaches Big Sur Monastery Monks Prepare to Fight

Unholy Children

Alliance Accepted! - Alec Henderson

My Culture Killed Lawrence King

Teenage Rebellion Now Considered Mental Illness

Recent Studies Decry Environmental Impact of Biofuels Reports New York Times

Participatory Democracy? Step One: Stop Voting!

American Imperialism: Second Thoughts on Charlie Wilsonâ€™s War by Chalmers Johnson

Urban Bike Sharing Coming To The U.S.

Forget the Electric Car: This one runs on compressed air!

Cable Giants want our Internet and they are Willing to Cheat to Get it!

Please come to Los angeles for Darfur Rally

American Imperialism: Second Thoughts on Charlie Wilsonâ€™s War
by Chalmers Johnson