The Resurgence of Hindu Nationalism
https://www.academia.edu/13119289/The_Resurgence_of_Hindu_Nationalism

Anna Juhos

In spite of India’s growing middle class and significant economic development over the last decade, its democracy has been challenged by the growing number of right-wing organisations and their supporters in India. At the centre of this research is the question why modernization and economic growth have not led to increased secularization of society, as it happened in the West? Additionally, what are the factors which pose a threat to democracy and secularism? I argue that the way modernization and economic growth have come about in India have not led to increased democratization and secularization but lent support to the right wing and caused the resurgence of Hindu nationalism. This resurgence and the consequent stagnating, or one can argue reversed, secularization process resulted from the combined effect of some deeper (indirect) determinants and proximate (direct) causes. In the first category I include the retreat of the state together with an expanding private and unorganized sector, the problem of 'jobless growth', additionally, the one-sided focus on institutional/procedural democracy and the relative neglect of substantive/representative democracy. Resulting from these, the proximate causes are the spread of grassroots, service-providing right-wing organisations, and the successful rhetoric applied about a new, rising and united India, envisaged by the right wing to gain support.


The right-wing populism of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (and why comparativists should care) Democratization, 2018

Duncan McDonnell

Despite the vast amount of comparative research on right-wing populist parties over the past decade, there has been little work on non-European parties (as opposed to leaders). In this article, we argue that the international literature on populist parties has largely overlooked a significant non-European case: India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP – Indian People’s Party). Following the ideational approach to understanding populism, we examine whether the three distinguishing features of right-wing populism – its conceptions of “the people”, “elites” and “others” – are reflected in the views from interviews we conducted with BJP officials and representatives. We find that they are and so then consider whether they have been manifest in actions and statements while in power or whether, as some scholars claim, governing parties like the BJP moderate their populism. We conclude that the BJP can be very fruitfully included in comparative research on right-wing populist parties and propose a series of concrete ways in which this could be pursued.


RISE OF THE POLITICAL RIGHT IN INDIA: HINDUTVA-DEVELOPMENT MIX, MODI MYTH, AND DUALITIES

Kaul, N. (2017) "Rise of the Political Right in India: Hindutva-Development Mix, Modi Myth, And Dualities", Journal of Labor and Society, Volume 20, Number 4, pp. 523-548., 2017

Nitasha Kaul

We are witnessing a global phenomenon of the rise of right-wing leaders who combine nationalist rhetoric with a claim to challenge the pernicious effects of neoliberalism. But, upon achieving power, they do not oppose the business elite, instead, while paying lip service to the victims of economic processes, they direct the blame for those structural problems upon the minorities and " Others " within the rightwing nationalist imagination. In the Indian context, this is typified by the rise of Narendra Modi. The Modi-led BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and its coming to power in 2014 has similarities with Trump, and is also different from the earlier incarnations of the BJP. In the first part of this article, I explain the innovative nature of the specific Modi-mix of Hindutva and Development, and outline the toxic impact his right-wing populist government has had on a broad spectrum of Indian society and polity. However, in spite of the visible increase in real and symbolic violence across the country, Modi continues to remain popular and wield great influence. The second part of the article answers this apparent puzzle by providing an account of the work of the " Modi myth " that projects him as an ascetic, paternal, and decisive ruler. This political myth is constantly reinforced through medium, speech, and performance. Further, given the many disparate constituencies with differing concerns that Modi-led BJP addresses itself to, the policy inconsistencies are reconciled by a strategic and systematic use of " forked tongue " speech that presents the different interests as being uniform. A populist right-wing politics is constructed out of keeping these dualities in motion by speaking to the different constituencies with a forked tongue. I conclude by giving three examples of management of such dual domains: corporate/grassroots, national/international, India/Bharat.
Publication Date: 2017

Hindutva and Anti-Muslim Communal Violence in India Under the Bharatiya Janata Party (1990-2010)
2010

Globalisation and Hindu Radicalism in India
S. Mostafavi
Hindu Radicalism in India and the effect which it takes from Globalisation and its trend

Moditva in India: a threat to inclusive growth and democracy
https://www.academia.edu/36812115/Moditva_in_India_a_threat_to_inclusive_growth_and_democracy
Joseph Tharamangalam
Sociology/Anthropology Department, Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada
ABSTRACT
This article examines the model of development and democracy in India under Narendra Modi’s leadership, since May 2014. Three ingredients of the model
–a hard-line, pro-business economic policy promising rapid growth; authoritarian governance (purportedly for effective action); and a Hindu nationalist ideology
–are assessed in theory and in practice. After considering both the development experience of Gujarat state under Modi (before 2014) and the Modi governments record since assuming power in Delhi, this article argues that the Modi model poses serious threats to inclusive and sustainable growth, hard-won social programmes, human and environmental rights and India’s multi-religious and pluralist democracy, regardless of the growth it might deliver.

SEE https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=HINDUISM IS FASCISM, CASTISM AND RACISM

How workplaces are phasing out the tattoo stigma

WORKPLACE


More people are getting tattoos – so workplaces must be keeping up, right? 

Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
By Elizabeth Hotson 13th January 2020

“In the last few years, tattooing’s gone absolutely berserk.” That’s George Bone’s take on what he sees as the mainstream take-over of tattoos. Even at the London Tattoo Convention, which claims to be the biggest of its kind in Europe, Bone stands out. Once the UK’s most tattooed man, he is still in charge of his eponymous studio in London at 74 years of age. And he isn’t impressed with the direction things seem to be going.

“Tattooing’s turned into a fashion accessory, which I’m all against, because tattooing is not a fashion accessory, it’s a way of life,” he says. “I used to be different, outrageous, but now I’m normal. I’ll have to think of something else!”

And while Bone might be underestimating his power to shock – it’s not every day you see a senior citizen with extensive body art – tattooing is becoming widespread in some countries. When Berlin-based market research company Dalia Research surveyed 9,000 people in 18 countries in 2018, they found that 46% of US respondents had a tattoo, rising to 47% in Sweden and 48% in Italy. Research in 2010 by the Pew Research Centre found that 38% of US millennials had a tattoo (though 70% said their tattoos were not usually visible).

In many places, tattoos are no longer the preserve of rebels on society’s fringes. Take Anthony Fawkes, for example. An IT consultant for various investment banks, Fawkes is at the convention to be inked by Nikole Lowe, 47, who owns Good Times Tattoo in Shoreditch, East London. She’s working on an intricate dragon around Fawkes’ left arm which will eventually be a five-part design.


As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics near, Japan is forced to rethink 

its anti-tattoo tradition (Credit: Getty Images)

“I’m having the Shaolin fighting animals; a snake, tiger, dragon, leopard and crane,” says Fawkes, whose right arm is already inked with the tiger and snake. “Initially I thought I’d have to cover them up at work, but I think it’s so accepted now, the only reactions I get are complimentary.”

Fawkes estimates that the full design will cost around £12,000 ($15,000) altogether, depending on how long it takes. It’s a big chunk of money but then again, it’s not unusual for high earners in established professions to get inked. Senior figures in both business and politics have shelled out on tattoos, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Lachlan Murdoch, executive co-chairman of News Corp. So it naturally follows that if national leaders and captains of industry do it, getting inked is officially acceptable, right? Well, not quite.

Social stigma?

While some may feel comfortable showing off their body art, in the UK, US and many other countries it’s still legal for companies to have a ‘no tattoo’ policy. Some institutions like the US Army have detailed guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable, while others grant exemptions for cultural reasons; in 2019 Air New Zealand dropped its ‘no visible tattoos’ policy partly because it had meant that traditional Maori markings had to be covered up, creating a backlash.

Study participants rated individuals without tattoos more favourably than those with tattoos

Specific cultural exceptions aside however, conservative corporate attitudes aren’t necessarily out of step with social attitudes. You might think that in countries where a high percentage of residents had tattoos, there would be a more relaxed view of body art, but that’s not always the case. Research conducted for the University of Northern Iowa by Kristin Broussard and Helen Harton reveals that even in the US, wearing your art as a sleeve can result in social stigma.

In their 2017 study, Broussard and Harton recruited two groups; one of students with an average age of 19 and another from the general US population with an average age of 42. Both groups were shown images of men and women with arm tattoos, then shown the same images but with the tattoos digitally erased. The groups were asked to rate the pictured individuals for 13 character and personality traits including honesty, success, trustworthiness and intelligence.

Apart from the students viewing women with tattoos as being ‘stronger and more independent’, participants in both age groups generally rated individuals with an arm tattoo less favourably than the image of the same individual without the tattoo. Broussard said she was surprised “on the surface” that the two groups held similar views. “A lot of 19-year-olds have tattoos, so you would think that they would be more OK with them,” she says.


Although 38% of US millennials have a tattoo, only 30%

 say they keep it visible (Credit: Mykola Romanovksy)

But Broussard says that even when people have tattoos themselves, they can hold negative views on the subject. “People tend to internalise stigma. It doesn’t really matter if you have that identity or you have that characteristic like owning a tattoo. If there’s a very strong societal stigma against it, you will internalise it and still believe it. It’s this attitude that it’s OK for me, but not for them,” she explains.

‘Scale of acceptability’

So even if you’re a CEO with a tattoo you might not hire someone who has one. Johnny C Taylor Jr, president and CEO at the US-based Society for Human Resource Management, which represents around 300,000 HR professionals globally, says there’s a sliding scale of acceptability when it comes to tattoos.

“In terms of most acceptable to least acceptable, if you can hide it, it’s OK. Then there’s the employers who say you can have a tattoo, but it shouldn’t be a distraction; it covers half your face or is something that might offend other people, like a scantily-clad woman on the biceps of a man. Lastly, there’s the category of just not acceptable, and that typically means when tattoos show up on your face and it’s something that no one can avoid looking at, [or] when the nature is truly controversial, a swastika for example.

“More conservative industries, for example financial services, banking and healthcare, are going to be more conservative when it comes to tattoos,” Taylor adds. “We find a lot more liberal policies in entertainment, even in corporate entertainment where people at the most senior levels might have a visible tattoo. Those individuals would never do that if they were senior executives at a bank.”

George Bone, once the UK’s most tattooed man, decries

 the current tattoo-as-fashion era (Credit: Getty Images)

And in some countries, the very idea of a tattooed CEO is beyond the pale: Japan in particular has a fraught relationship with the art form. Tattoos have long been associated with yakuza, the Japanese gang members who were known for having intricate designs as a show of wealth, masculinity and the ability to endure pain. Tattoos were against the law until 1948 and, 70 years later, they’re still not generally seen as socially acceptable. The 2019 Rugby World Cup and the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo this year have highlighted the issue; in a country where displaying tattoos in public is taboo, should athletes and spectators cover up their body art?

This conservatism frustrates Yutaro, who co-owns Red Point studio in London but is originally from Chiba, near Tokyo. Taking a break from inking a customer with Hakutaku, a monstrous creature from Japanese and Chinese mythology, Yutaro – who goes by one name – vents his irritation. “Tattooing is a cultural phenomenon; people decorate their body to feel a certain way, but people in Japan are having a hard time breaking out of their mindset,” he says.

Attitudes about tattoos are often as complex as the designs themselves, but for fans of permanent body art, it’s a trend that’s here to stay.

[PDF]

The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury - Community Literacy Center

https://csuclc.files.wordpress.com › 2013/03 › illustrated-man-by-ray-brad...

Feb 15, 2001 - The Illustrated Man. Ray Bradbury. Contents. • Prologue: The Illustrated Man. • The Veldt. • Kaleidoscope. • The Other Foot. • The Highway.

The Illustrated Man

https://www.cbsd.org › Centricity › Domain › Illustrated Man Study Guides

PDF Full Text: http://greenhumanities.edublogs.org/files/2012/09/Bradbury-Illustrated-Man-1wytglb.pdf. DIRECTIONS ... The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury.

Leonard Nimoy reads Ray Bradbury's "Marionettes Inc."

The Veldt by Ray Bradbury - read by Leonard Nimoy

1. 1. 16:4

Jerry Goldsmith - The Illustrated Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1969) Limited Edition 2001

Posted By: Efgrapha

 

Date: 27 Feb 2019 17:53:55

Jerry Goldsmith - The Illustrated Man: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1969)
EAC | FLAC (Image) + cue.+log ~ 222 Mb | Mp3, CBR320 kbps ~ 132 Mb | Scans included
Soundtrack, Score | Label: Film Score Monthly | # FSM Vol. 4 No. 14 | 00:42:01

FSM returns to the treasures of the Warner Bros. archives (The Omega Man, The Towering Inferno) with a masterpiece by Jerry Goldsmith: The Illustrated Man. The film stars Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom in an adaptation of several short stories by Ray Bradbury, affording Goldsmith the crowning achievement of his work in the anthology format (CBS Radio Workshop, The Twilight Zone), as well as one of his most memorable and original works in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres.

The Illustrated Man uses Bradbury's tale of a man (Steiger) covered in elaborate skin illustrations by a timeless witch (Bloom) as the thread amongst three other adaptations of his short stories: "The Veldt," in which rebellious children use a futuristic holodeck-device against their parents in a cold, sterile future; "The Long Rain," featuring astronauts trying to survive on a planet of perpetual rain; and "The Last Night of the World," in which concerned parents struggle whether or not to spare their children the agony of the world's destruction. Goldsmith's score links the stories with a single, immediately accessible folk-like theme acting as a springboard for some of the wildest avant garde writing of his career, filled with imaginative woodwind and string counterpoint. Goldsmith called his approach "lyrical serialism" and nowhere else in his career has he been able to display his melodic side hand-in-hand with his atonal, 20th century side.

Most of Goldsmith's score is found in the film's wrap-around sequences, but he creates unique variations of his main theme for the interior stories. "The Veldt" features the first all-electronic cues of his career: cold, atonal tunes that foreshadow the city music from Logan's Run. There is little music in "The Long Rain" but Goldsmith creates fascinating tape-delay effects for the sequence's finale. And in "The Last Night of the World," Goldsmith expands his main theme into a beautiful, Renaissance-flavored development for alto recorder. Everything in the score culminates in the lengthy action climax, featuring devilish clarinet solos as if played by Mephistopheles himself.

The orchestral portions of The Illustrated Man were previously pirated in mono on a German CD—a horrendous production even by bootleg standards. FSM's premiere release features the complete score in stereo and in correct sequence, including the electronic cues and, most importantly, the female vocalise for the main and end titles. The comprehensive liner notes by Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendall cover the film's history, Goldsmith's involvement and the intricate musical details. The Illustrated Man is an absolute gem.

In his evocative score to a largely forgotten 1969 anthology film (based on a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury), Jerry Goldsmith weaves a simple, haunting melody through four permutations. Initially appearing in the "Main Title" as vocalese over orchestra, the melody wafts in as a sort of folk tune, utilized in a fairly traditional style for the film's framing segments. The three individual sections of the anthology then take the tune into more interesting variations, from the harsh electronics of the future in "The Veldt" (tracks seven through ten) to the quiet, woodwind-dominant feel of "The Last Night of the World" (tracks 14 and 15). The climactic "Frightened Willie" provides a terrific glimpse at Goldsmith's clever use of percussion and atonality to create a nightmarish soundscape. Throughout his career, Goldsmith was able to create scores that overshadowed the often workmanlike films they were composed to accompany. In the case of The Illustrated Man, even Ray Bradbury (according to the liner notes) felt that the music was better than the movie itself. The sound on this recording is superb, with the music (from 30-year-old masters) still feeling fresh and vital. This dynamic mix of Goldsmith's lyrical and serial compositional techniques is a solid addition to the composer's recorded legacy.

Neil Shurley, All Music Guide

~ Jerry Goldsmith at Allmusic
~ Jerry Goldsmith at Wiki

~ Film at IMDB
~ Film at Wiki

Tracklist:

01. Main Title (03:27)
02. The House (02:53)
03. The Illustrations (02:24)
04. Felicia (01:42)
05. The Rose (01:57)
06. The Lion (00:51)

"The Veldt"

07. 21st Century House (01:57)
08. Angry Child (01:50)
09. Quiet Evening (02:50)
10. Skin Illustrations (01:22)
11. The Rocket (01:19)

"The Long Rain"

12. The Rain (01:35)
13. The Sun Dome (01:25)

"The Last Night of the World"

14. Almost A Wife (06:06)
15. The Morning After (02:02)
16. The House Is Gone (03:45)
17. Frightened Willie (04:28)

CALL ME ISHMAEL
 

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale 

ORIGINAL 1851 EDITION

www.gasl.org › refbib › Melville__Moby_Dick

The Carnival of Herman Melville's Moby Dick

Pouyan Rezapour

This study aims to scrutinize the extent to which Bakhtin's theory of Carnivalesque is pertinent to Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Published in 1851, the novel was taken by many critics as another simple adventure narrative in the same manner as Typee or Redburn, a romance of adventure illustrated by the author's two-year experience as a harpooner. But it turned out to be something quite new when it was reviewed. Melville bravely and cleverly touches upon the taboos of mid-nineteenth century American life, and the utopian freedom, community, and equality in the social domain of Bakhtin's carnival can be found in this novel. The overturning of popular culture, the mingling of the sacred with the profane and the sublime with the ridiculous, allow the voices to dethrone the authority of official culture. Certain actions and events in Moby Dick are nothing short of the renowned theory by the celebrated Russian linguist.

Taal volcano news – live: Cracks spotted in earth and more quakes spark fear of huge explosion as police extend blockade

Follow the latest updates as people return to their homes despite warnings

Samuel Osborne @SamuelOsborne93
3 minutes ago

A volcano in the Philippines has been shuddering continuously with earthquakes and opening cracks in nearby roads as police blockaded at-risk towns over fears of a bigger eruption.

More than 53,000 residents have fled their homes in the vicinity of the Taal volcano to take shelter in evacuation centres, though thousands more have refused to leave or have returned to check on their animals and possessions.


Many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash since Taal, one of the country’s most active and deadliest volcanoes, began spewing lava and ash on Sunday.


Follow the latest updates

KEY POINTS

Volcano shudders continuously with earthquakes and opens cracks in nearby roads

More than 100 tremors recorded since Wednesday

'We've lost everything,' local resident says

Elderly woman dies of heart attack while being evacuated


Evacuees are wondering how long they will have to wait before finding out whether Taal volcano will devastate the region or fall back into a slumber.

"It's all in God's hands now. We are not sure if we will have a home to return to," Leonita Gonzales, 52, who fled with the rest of her household from the danger zone around Taal, told Reuters.

Her banana palms were destroyed by the ash that fell after the volcano started to gush smoke on Sunday. She is uncertain whether her home's tin roof will be able to bear the weight either.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 14:58
26 minutes ago
A 61-year-old seamstress has been sewing dozens of colourful masks and giving them to her neighbours in Lipa city for free.

Rosalina Mantuano, a seamstress for 45 years, began sewing the masks using scrap fabric after the Taal volcano began spewing giant clouds of ash into the air on Sunday.

"As a seamstress, I thought what if I made my own masks and give it away for free to those affected. That is what I did," Ms Mantuano, who makes 100 face masks a day, told Reuters.

Shortly after the eruption, supply of face masks dropped and prices increased to as much as five times the usual price. The Philippine trade ministry has threatened to sue businessmen and shutter their shops for raising prices to unreasonable levels.

Cloth donations poured in when people heard of Ms Manuano's efforts, she said.

She has since received cloth donations, allowing her to produce around 400 more checkered, flowery and striped face masks.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 14:35
1 hour ago
In a firsthand account of escaping from the Taal volcano, John Dan Ramos describes the ground shaking "every 20 to 30 minutes" and says "the air was thick with ashes" that "smelt like a mix of sulfur and gunpowder".


Opinion: I was trapped by ash from the Taal volcano – this is how I escapedThe roads were blocked by thick volcanic ash and the air was filled with the choking smell of gunpowder. Earthquakes shook every 30 minutes and we spent the night fearing for our lives

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 13:56
1 hour ago
One horse owner urged authorities to allow the rescue of as many animals as possible, taking advantage of what appeared to be a lull in volcano activity, but was rebuffed by the coast guard patrolling the lake.

Horses were among the more than 70 animals brought to safety since Wednesday by another group of rescuers, led by a police maritime unit, but it has since been told to halt its activities, because of the eruption threat.

Many of the horses that had made it out looked exhausted and hungry, with at least one barely able to stand.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 13:29
1 hour ago
Many islanders depend on the survival of their animals, which often form the sole means of their livelihood.

"We won't have food on our tables if not for them," Jun Despededa, 21, who used water from the lake to scrub volcanic ash from his horse's white coat, told Reuters. "I don't know what I would do now after what happened."

About 1,000 horses, as well as cows, goats and pigs were among the animals left behind by residents scurrying to safer areas for fear of a bigger eruption.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:16
2 hours ago
Several local residents have returned to the danger zone around the Taal volcano to rescue the animals they had left behind.

Manolito Malaluan set out on a motorboat with a band of rescuers to ferry to safety two horses to safety on Tuesday.

"Both of them were neighing when they saw me," Mr Malaluan, 23, told Reuters, after reaching safer ground with his horses, named Cristina and Bakasan. "They were happy because I came back."

The horses were among 3,000 living on the island, most earning money for their owners by carrying tourists to the rim of the volcano crater.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:14
Advertisement
2 hours ago
There is an "urgent need" for clean water, latrines and access to basic healthcare among the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled the volcano, said Jerome Balinton, humanitarian manager for Save the Children Philippines.

Mr Balinton said: “At least 300,000 people have been evacuated or displaced by the Taal volcano since Sunday, nearly half of them children, and we expect that number to rise. Entire towns and villages within the ‘danger zone’ have been abandoned and covered in hazardous volcanic ash. With the volcano island now declared a ‘no-man’s land’ by president Rodrigo Duterte, some 1,000 people who call it home may never be able to return.

“The sudden displacement of so many people is putting enormous strain on host communities. Many families are staying with friends or relatives while others are seeking refuge in cramped and unsanitary evacuation centres where the risk of disease is high, especially among children. There is urgent need for clean water, latrines and access to basic healthcare.

“Meanwhile, the volcano continues to erupt with scientists warning that the biggest eruption may be yet to come. Entire communities, many of whom rely on tourism, have already been devastated, forced from their homes and now robbed of their livelihoods.

“The children we’ve spoken to tell us that missing out on school is one of their biggest concerns. Save the Children is setting up two Child-Friendly Spaces in the affected areas staffed by childcare professionals, where children can learn and play while receiving emotional support to help them cope with their distress. We will also begin distributing sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets and other vital household items to displaced families.”

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 12:12
3 hours ago
A farmer has described the scene of devastation after ash from the Taal volcano blanketed his pineapple field.

"We just have to accept that we will incur a loss," Jack Imperial, 49, who had never seen such a sight in 17 years of farming, told Reuters. "Even if we are able to harvest some pineapples, if customers are scared to come because of the eruption, the pineapples would just end up rotting."


Pineapple farm covered in volcanic ash in PhilippinesFarmer Jack Imperial says eruption's impacts go beyond anything he has ever seen

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 11:41
3 hours ago
Although Taal is one of the world's smallest active volcanoes at only 311m high, its eruptions have been deadly.

One eruption killed more than 1,300 people in 1911.

Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the past five centuries, with the most recent in 1977.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 11:12
4 hours ago
"Activity in the past 24 hours has generally waned to weak emission of steam-laden plumes," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has said.

But the region remained just a notch down from the highest level of alert the agency could issue if the volcano erupts more violently.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:48
4 hours ago
Among those displaced were about 5,000 people who live on the island where the Taal volcano lies.

Some villagers have slipped past checkpoints to retrieve some of the hundreds of cows and horses they left behind, prompting the coast guard and police to intensify a security cordon.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:30
4 hours ago
The aftermath of the Taal volcano eruption could have a devastating effect on its victims' mental health, Talya Meyers writes:


Opinion: The Taal volcano eruption could leave victims with anxiety and depression for years to comeAid groups and NGOs should be prepared to screen for signs of trauma and other mental health concerns, which can have long-term effects on physical health as well

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 10:11
5 hours ago
A 65-year-old woman has died of a heart attack while being moved out of Taal town in Batangas province.

Officials said she had been ill and may have been stressed by the calamity.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:51
5 hours ago
"We've lost everything, our house got damaged, but I need to retrieve my pots and cooking wares and other things. They should not be very, very strict," 59-year-old Erlinda Landicho told the Associated Press.

Ms Landicho, who fled with her son from Lemery municipality as the volcano erupted, was among a throng of villagers stopped by police from reentering the ash-blanketed town after a firetruck blocked a key access road and police set up checkpoints.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:34
5 hours ago
More than 121,000 people have fled their homes just in Batangas province, which has declared a state of calamity to allow faster releases of emergency funds.

At least 373 evacuation sites were crammed with displaced villagers and needed more ash masks, portable toilets, bottled water and sleeping mats, according to a provincial disaster-response office.

The government's main-disaster agency reported a little more than 65,000 people were displaced by the eruption in Batangas and Cavite province. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear.


Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 09:14
6 hours ago
A couple got married under a gigantic cloud of ash and smoke from the Taal volcano on Sunday, which made for some dramatic photos, Sabrina Barr reports:


Couple marry in the Philippines as volcano erupts behind them‘We kept on checking social media for updates on the volcanic eruption,’ says wedding photographer

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:55
6 hours ago
"We are analysing what this seeming calm of the volcano means," Maria Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said.

The lake inside Taal has dried up, Ms Bornas said, which was to be expected since it began spewing lava fountains a day after it shot giant clouds of ash miles into the air on Sunday.

Phivolcs said volcanic activity had "generally waned to weak emission of steam-laden plumes".

Even so, it had recorded more than 100 tremors since Wednesday, meaning magma was still rising.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:34
6 hours ago
Many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash since Taal started erupting on Sunday.

At least 53,000 people have been evacuated and are taking shelter in evacuation centres. No deaths or major injuries have been reported so far.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:15
Advertisement
7 hours ago
A crater lake and nearby river have dried up amid warnings of an imminent eruption.

Soldiers and police have blocked villagers from sneaking back by boats to the volcanic island and nearby towns to check on their animals and possessions.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 08:01
7 hours ago
A volcano in the Philippines has been shuddering continuously with earthquakes and opening cracks in nearby roads, with seismologists warning the danger of an eruption remains high.

Police have blockaded at least four at-risk towns over fears of a bigger eruption and warned evacuees not to return to their homes.

Samuel Osborne
16 January 2020 07:51

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=PHILIPPINES

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=TAAL

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=NATURAL+DISASTERS 

SEE  https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=VOLCANO

Someone who's definitely "not anti vax" just accidentally invented the concept of vaccines, meaning we've finally come full circle. 


TO ENLARGE CLICK RIGHT BUTTON OPEN IN NEW TAB

ROFLMAO

In a post that genuinely defies comprehension (is it satire? is it sincere? what level of irony are we on?), a Facebook user suggested we start injecting people with exactly... What we're already injecting them with. 

While we want to believe no one would be this oblivious to their own irony, they do write in a way typical of anti-vaxxers. 

Hardcore sceptics say that the government deliberately infects children with toxic chemicals through injections. Platforms like Facebook have allowed misinformation to spread to a wide audience. 

Polls suggest that between 30-40 per cent of Americans are dubious about vaccinations, whilst a measles outbreak in the UK last year was linked by some to dangerous myths about immunisation.

People are humouring the anti-vaxxer's idea. After all, they're not wrong... If more anti-vaxxers could get behind this person's idea maybe the issue would go away.

---30---

Cows talk to each about how they feel, study finds

Academic dubs research similar to ‘Google translate’ for cattle

Zoe Tidman

Animals in study communicated in emotionally-charged situations ( iStock )

Cows tell each other how they feel through their moos, according to a new study.

The animals have individual vocal characteristics and change their pitch depending on their emotions, according to research by the University of Sydney.

Alexandra Green, the study’s lead author, said: “Cows are gregarious, social animals. In one sense it isn’t surprising they assert their individual identity throughout their life.”

“This is the first time we have been able to analyse voice to have conclusive evidence of this trait.”



The study found that cows use their distinctive voice to help them maintain contact with the herd and express excitement, arousal, engagement or distress.

Previous research has found cattle mothers and offspring communicate through individuality in their lowing.

However, this new study has detailed how cows keep their individual moo throughout their lives, even when talking among themselves.

It found the animals studied would speak to each other during their sexually active period, while waiting for or denied food and when kept separate from the group.

 

Cows sexually abused and hit at farm owned by NFU deputy chief

The University of Sydney research, which has been published in Scientific Reports, recorded and analysed 333 samples of cow vocalisations.

“Ali’s research is truly inspired. It is like she is building a Google translate for cows,” said Cameron Clark, an associate professor at the university.

Ms Green said she hoped her research would help farmers “tune into the emotional state of their cattle, improving animal welfare”.

A 2018 study found that animals communicate with each other in a similar way to humans.

Taking turns in conversations had previously been considered something that distinguished the human language from the way animals talk to each other — but this research found the characteristic exists throughout the animal kingdom.

Additional reporting by agencies

‘GIDDYUP!’: US AIRPORT SECURITY AGENT PULLS NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN’S BRAIDS LIKE REINS

‘I am angry, humiliated,’ says Tara Houska

A Native American woman claims she was told to “giddyup!” and had her braids “snapped like reins” by a US airport security agent.

Tara Houska, an attorney and activist for indigenous rights, was travelling through Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport to return home to Bemidji, Minnesota, on 13 January when a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent said she needed to pat down Ms Houska’s hair.

Ms Houska said the agent pulled her braids behind her shoulders, “laughed and said ‘giddyup!’ as she snapped my braids like reins”.

The experience left her “angry, humiliated".

“My hair is part of my spirit,” she tweeted. “Your ‘fun’ hurt.”

Ms Houska said the agent “casually used her authority to dehumanize and disrespect me”.

When confronted, the agent allegedly said: “It was just in fun, I’m sorry. Your hair is lovely.”

The federal security director of TSA in Minnesota, Cliff Van Leuven, has since apologised to Ms Houska for the incident, sending an email to employees saying that the agency will “learn from this”.

“TSA holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct and any type of improper behaviour is taken seriously,” the agency said in a statement.

‘

Racist’ flight attendant threatens to kick Muslim woman off flight

The Independent has contacted TSA for further comment.

It’s not the first time the agency has been accused of offensive behaviour.

In July 2019, two TSA employees were placed on leave for creating a racist display in a major US airport that agency officials described as “reprehensible”.

The display was found at a TSA workstation in Miami International Airport, and showed toy gorillas hanging from nooses.

“We choose not to describe the display under investigation. This reprehensible act runs absolutely counter to the values of the agency, and therefore we do not want to provide it any credence,” a TSA official told The Independent.

“The display was immediately removed and an investigation was launched into who was responsible for the unacceptable behaviour. TSA does not tolerate racist or offensive behaviour and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions. Two TSA officers have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.”

Trump literally unable to read US Constitution while filming HBO documentary: New book

TRUMP IS ILLITERATE NOT A LITERATI 

By Travis Gettys January 15, 2020

Many have questioned President Donald Trump’s understanding of the U.S. Constitution, but a new book suggests he might be incapable of reading it.

Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig have a new book about the Trump presidency, “A Very Stable Genius,” based on hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 200 sources, and much of it backed by documentary evidence.

In one episode from the book, Trump agreed early in his presidency to take part in an HBO documentary featuring judges, lawmakers and all the living presidents reading aloud from the Constitution

But Trump struggles and stumbles over the words, according to the book, and blames others in the room for his bungling.

“It’s like a foreign language,” he complained, according to the book.

---30---

‘Dangerously uninformed’ Trump faces fresh humiliation from new book
Trump didn't understand Pearl Harbor, book says: 'What's this about?'