Universal City is a tax cheater, asthma loves fracking, and heroes Chris LeDay, Abdullah Muflahi

 "No Escape" - City Walk - Universal City

Universal City is a rather interesting place. Interesting not only because it's huge - 415 acres - or because Universal Theme park lies within its boundaries, or because Universal is one of six major film studios in America... no Universal City is interesting because despite sitting within the City of Los Angeles, every year it manages to avoid paying property tax on 70% of the land it owns. Likely because paying the City much needed tax money would cause a financial drain on Universal - which by the way makes 12+ billion dollars in profit per year. And besides, why should Universal pay their fair share of property tax. After all the City of Los Angeles is going going to spend that money on wasteful things like child care, infrastructure improvement, salaries, health care, and social programs.

Shame on Universal.

A group of Pennsylvania doctors say that their study shows a casual connection between incidents of asthma and fracking.

Their study group - more than 25,000 patients - revealed that patients living near fracking sites had harder to control asthma attacks.  patients' asthma was harder to control if they lived near a fracking site, compared with other asthma patients.

Fracking is a mining process in which water is blasted into the underground shale deposits in order to release natural gas. Fracking has also been found to destabilise the earth and cause quakes.

Read the story on BBC News

Ever since Chris LeDay and Abdullah Muflahi, two Louisiana residents filmed and distributed video of the police murder of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge continue to be harassed by the police for their actions.

Read the story on Salon.com ......HERE

Eat then pump it out, North is not the top, Pistorius wants our tears

"Stomach-pumping weigh-loss device approved for use in the U.S." - CTV NEWS

At first I though this was a late arriving April Fools Joke but no. The AspireAssist system, which consists of a tube implanted in the stomach, is design to pump all or most of the meal you just ate out of your stomach and into the toilet.

Evidently there are millions of Americans who have tried every weight-loss method and failed.

Well, I just invented a weight-loss plan that is guaranteed to work - EAT LESS / EXERCISE MORE!


"There's no good reason for "North" being at the top of maps" - BBC News

Interesting article by Caroline Williams of the BBC - interesting for me anyway. She says that putting 'North' at the top of maps and photos etc. was a completely arbitrary decision.


Pistorius removes his legs - Globe and Mail

Oscar Pictorius - who was convicted of killing his wife - removed his artificial legs and hobbled into sentencing hearing today. Pleaseeeeeee!

Incompetence wins award, Mother Earth is cooking, and ENOUGH WITH ORLANDO!

"Immigraton official in charge when Canadian died in U.K. custody honoured with award" - Globe and Mail

Karen Abdel-Hady, head of the Brit Detention Operations, Immigration Enforcement branch was awarded the prestigious Order of The British Empire by PM David Cameroon.

This, soon after Ms. Abdel-Hady testified at a coroner's inquest into the death of 84 year old dementia sufferer Alois Dvorzak who died while being held in appalling conditions in Harmondsworth immigration centre. 

During her testimony at the inquest Ms. Abdel-Hady conceded that her staff "could have done a better job."

Not to worry Ms. Abdel-Hady... your job performance was good enough to get you an award.

"Earth just experienced its hottest May ever recorded history" - Business Insider

"The state of the climate so far this year gives us much cause for alarm," said David Carlson, Director of Geneva's World Climate Research Programme, in a release from the World Meteorological Association.

COMMENT:

Enough with Orlando! Nearly a week after that terrible event the media is still plastering the newspapers and home-pages of their websites with the survivor's personal stories, aerials of the night club, detailed personal history of the killer, detailed personal history of everyone who knew or might have known the killer, first hand accounts from reporters who bought AR-15 rifles, the population and class demographics of Orlando Florida, what Trump said, what Obama said.... enough! What is this fascination with tragedy?

The only conversations Americans should be having is 1. How to ban (all) guns and 2. How to fix the shamefully underfunded and inadequate mental health system.

England fails 25% of mentally troubled children

"More than a quarter of children referred to mental health services in England in 2015 - including some who had attempted suicide - received no help, a report says.

A review by the Children's Commissioner also found that 13% with life-threatening conditions were not allowed specialist support.

She said the system was "playing Russian roulette" with their health.

NHS England said it was "clearly the case" that services need to expand.

The commissioner obtained data from 48 of England's 60 child and adolescent mental health service trusts, and discovered 28% of child referrals were denied specialist treatment - mostly on the grounds that their illness was not serious enough."

Read the story on BBC News

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were "morally reprehensible" say generals

"Most Americans have been taught that using atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 was justified because the bombings ended the war in the Pacific, thereby averting a costly U.S. invasion of Japan. This erroneous contention finds its way into high school history texts still today. More dangerously, it shapes the thinking of government officials and military planners working in a world that still contains more than 15,000 nuclear weapons.

What U.S. citizens weren't told about the atomic bombing of Japan

 

Truman exulted in the obliteration of Hiroshima, calling it “the greatest thing in history.” America’s military leaders didn’t share his exuberance. Seven of America’s eight five-star officers in 1945 — Gens. Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Henry Arnold, and Adms. William Leahy, Chester Nimitz, Ernest King and William Halsey — later called the atomic bombings either militarily unnecessary, morally reprehensible, or both. Nor did the bombs succeed in their collateral purpose: cowing the Soviets."

Read the story in the LA Times

Africa wallows in poverty while Jacob Zuma buys expensive cars for his four wives

"South Africans are wondering how serious President Jacob Zuma is about austerity after it emerged this week that the state had spent about 8.6m rand ($550,000; £374,000) on new cars for his wives over the past three years.

In response to a parliamentary question from the opposition this week, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said the police had spent close to $230,000 alone on luxury cars for president Zuma's four wives this year - despite a call for citizens to tighten their belts as South Africa's economy struggles to meet growth targets"

Read this disgusting story on BBC News

The residents of Ezra Prentice Homes are fighting Global Companies LLC and government

Ezra Prentice Homes, a public housing complex that is home to 179 families and 288 children, borders an industrial railyard. And since 2012, there has been a spike in trains carrying crude oil through the community to the railyard. The oil trains are the same type that have been derailing and exploding their cargo with unnerving frequency across the country.

After Exxon Mobil sold the property to Global Companies LLC, New York state officials quietly approved a quadrupling of the amount of crude oil transported to the site by rail.

Please donate to the legal organisation Earth Justice. EJ is providing the residents of Ezra Prentice Homes with legal representation.

Read the story in Truth-Out

One third of Cook County Jail's inmates are the mentally ill

"In America there are thought to be three times more psychiatric patients in prison than in hospital.
BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool was given special permission to film inside Cook County Jail, Illinois, and to speak to the prisoners at this Chicago prison."

... Watch the video story on BBC News

"Thousands must die" to build Qatar soccer stadium

" Two players from Danish club FC Copenhagen have criticised conditions for labourers working on venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Tom Hogli and William Kvist were speaking on a video produced by the Danish players' association and published by world union FIFPro.

"That thousands must die to build stadiums has nothing to do with football," Kvist said.
The Qatari government has always rejected claims workers have died.

However, human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused Qatar of abusing World Cup workers, while Hogli said conditions were "cruel".

Read the story on BBC News

Stop drugging old people with dementia!

“What we’re really hoping for is to draw attention to the issue that we are inappropriately prescribing these antipsychotic medications to people living with dementia in long-term care,” Stephen Samis, CFHI vice-president for programs, told the Star.

“There are other, more effective ways of managing the so-called challenging behaviours that are exhibited and that cause people to be put on these medications.”

While acknowledging that some residents do need the medications, such as those with a diagnosis for psychosis, Samis pointed out that long-term care homes are inappropriately give them to individuals who have no such diagnosis as a short-term fix for aggressive behaviour."

When nursing homes and hospitals are killing us old folks with the "Liverpool Care Pathway" (Google the term)), they are use powerful drugs to turn us into zombies.

Please send am email to Stephen Samis of Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement... and tell him that you support his organisation's efforts to protect the vulnerable.

Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals are "Pure evil"

"Drug prices have been a big issue nationwide, highlighted by Martin Shkreli, a boyish-looking, early-30s executive dubbed "Pharma Bro." He was CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals when the company acquired rights to make Daraprim, which has been on the market since the 1950s and is used to treat a life-threatening parasitic infection.

Turing raised the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill.

At a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing in March, Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, called that move "pure evil."


According to the website AlterNet, drug companies made $85 billion in profits in 2012 and that number just keeps increasing from year to year.

Please send Senator Bob Casey an email telling him that you support his efforts to prevent the pharmaceutical industry from continuing to gouge the public.

And read the story on CTV News

A 68 year old Chinese woman is the world's top Elephant murderer

"A 66-year-old bespectacled Chinese woman may not be most people's idea of an ivory smuggling kingpin, but that's exactly what Tanzanian investigators say Yang Fenglan is.

She is accused of leading one of Africa's biggest ivory smuggling rings, responsible for more than 700 elephant tusks worth $2.5m (£1.7m) illegally leaving Tanzania for the Far East.

Ms Yang denies all charges and her trial is set to begin in Dar es Salaam on Monday."

Read the story on BBC News

Burnaby General Hospital killed Eddie Lee

"Dr. Victoria Lee, Chief Medical Officer for Fraser Health, offered condolences to Young, and said her son’s death has impacted the people who tried to help him profoundly.

“It was a tragic event that happened and our care team is also deeply affected by the events that have unfolded,” Lee said.

“Health care providers come to the hospitals, community clinics day-to-day to help people, and they are dedicated.”

Asked about the decision to release Eddie on his own, Lee said hospital staff will “follow the patient’s wishes in terms of discharge planning.”

The findings from the review into his case will not be publicized, but Fraser Health said they will be shared with his mother."

Please EMAIL the Honourable Suzanne Anton, Attorney General for British Columbia and tell her that you want Dr. Victoria Lee and Burnaby General Hospital charged with manslaughter for the woefully negligent way they treated Eddie Lee.

Read the story on CTV News

Earthquakes don't kill people - crappy buildings do

"After a building collapsed in Kenya last week, killing at least 33 people, experts look at some reasons why such incidents occur in Africa.

The six-storey residence in Kenya's capital Nairobi came down in heavy rain, with more than 80 people still missing.

While investigations are still underway into the cause of this collapse, we look at some common problems.

1. The foundations are too weak

Adequate foundations can be costly.

They can cost up to half the price of a building, observes professor of civil engineering Anthony Ede at Covenant University in Ota, Nigeria.

He says two things should be considered when you are building the foundations - the solidity of the soil and the heaviness of the building and its contents.

In the commercial capital of his country, Lagos, the swampy ground requires strong foundations. Far stronger than solid ground.

But he says developers save money that should be spent on foundations when building on the city's swampy ground and many buildings have collapsed in Lagos as a result."

 Read about the other 4 reasons building collapse.... BBC News

Canadian government facilitates torture

"A prominent Canadian victim of abuse behind bars in Syria is calling on the government to cancel controversial directives that allow for the sharing of intelligence that could lead to torture.

Abdullah Almalki, a Canadian who was imprisoned and tortured in Syria for almost two years, said Tuesday it is time the Liberals ditched the policy that was enacted by the previous Conservative government.

Almalki said the current government must end Canada's "previous complicity in torture.

The Liberals say they are reviewing the directives as part of a broader security review."

Please EMAIL  Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and tell him to get out of the torture business.

Read the story on CTV News

Newfoundland decides that preventing ignorance and isolation costs too much money

"Amanda Tiller-Hackett, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Libraries Association, said she is concerned over how residents will access information and resources once dozens of libraries are shuttered across the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador has announced it will be closing more than half of its public libraries amid budget cuts unveiled in the latest provincial budget.

The province is set to close 54 of their 95 public libraries over the next two years."

Please send an email to Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and tell him that you want the public library system expanded, not contracted and that he and his Ministers are idiots - likely because they didn't visit the library often enough when they were growing up.

Then email Ms Tiller-Hackett HERE and tell her you support the public library system and that you are outraged that the government is closing branches.

Read the story on CTV News

US soldiers get away with murdering hospital patients

"Sixteen US military personnel have been punished with disciplinary measures over the bombing of an Afghan hospital that left 42 dead, officials say."

'Disciplined"!! Those soldiers - and their commanders - all the way up to President Obama, should be charged with murder and terrorism.

Read the story on BBC News

Nestle is trying to break American town

Alexis Bonogofsky, in Truthout reports: 

"Residents of Kunkeltown, Pennsylvania, are fighting Nestlé's attempts to construct a water extraction facility in their town -- and community members are winning. The extraction operation is another example of the beverage corporation's attempt to profit from a public good and global water scarcity."

"Privatizing and bottling water isn't a solution for securing access to clean water. Clean water is a human right." says John Stewart, deputy campaigns director for Corporate Accountability International

America, China and Russia lust for better bombs

Russia parades its newest continental missile

"The United States, Russia and China are now aggressively pursuing a new generation of smaller, less destructive nuclear weapons. The buildups threaten to revive a Cold War-era arms race and unsettle the balance of destructive force among nations that has kept the nuclear peace for more than a half-century."

Read the story on the New York Times

Human animals must never keep other animals as pets

It disgusts me that we humans continue to keep cats, dogs, birds, horses, fish and other animals as pets. And just as disgusting are the excuses we use for justifying such immorality...

• they need me
• they can't survive in the wild
• they were breed for living in a house/tank/barn/farm
• they don't have a brain like you and me
• they don't feel pain or talk or think so it doesn't matter what we do to them

Some of the same reasons people used for justifying slavery, the sex trade, and denying women/children/Blacks/Italians/Jews/'castes' the right to live, or vote, or drive a car, or own property.

Read the story on BBC News