Post No. 1,062 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 176

The – exhausting – demands of my day job have resulted in this week’s Gnwmythr’s News being less comprehensively researched than I wish: my apologies, but I have to pay the bills and rent.

Information and Summary/Analysis:

Note: I am NOT a journalist, and make NO claims to objectivity or freedom from bias. Furthermore, I do not hold copyright to any of the articles I link to, nor do I claim authorship, except for those links to material I have written for this and my related blogs, and my commentary in these posts. (I try to make sure quotes are shown using quotation marks.)
The purpose of posting these news links is not only to inform; it is also to

   stimulate a connection to:
    - nonBPM units that need to be cleared, and
    - BPM units that need to be strengthened,
   so that you can do the clearing / strengthening that is required.

That only works if you don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by this, so take it in small chunks if you need to, but remember to actively clear and heal! … including yourself.
As part of that, note that there are key uncooperatives to be cleared (rescued): you should ONLY address those that are within your ability – if you get a sense (e.g., through meditation) or are told by your BPM Guides/Higher Self to back off, do so, and content yourself with clearing the smaller nonBPM units within your capability – which will weaken those uncooperatives. More importantly, there are many people doing this sort of work, and others are quite likely to be able to clear the uncooperatives concerned.
That is also one of the many reasons it is OK to take a break or cut back this work if you need – in fact, doing so will help you deal with the next point, which is …
… the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world events, so it pays to address those as well, to the extent that one can, or to at least stop oneself projecting them into the psychic soup.
The reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing are here;   see also here,   here,   here,   (here and also here and here are interesting),   here, here,   here,   and   this post reminds us to be patient and persistent, like a “speeding oak”.
There are some notes at the end of this post about other options for those who do not like this way of working.
Finally, one of the biggest concerns I have about spirituality in the world now is that the concept of agape type love has been perverted into both a quest for emotional warm fuzzies, and an excuse to avoid doing the hard work of improving oneself and all that one does. On that, it may help to consider the simplification that one cannot love perfectly until one has learned how to perfect. (And one of the concerns I have about those resisting change is that they are so shallow / superficial /stupid that they thing their actions have ONLY the meaning of their [limited] conscious intention … )

The themes that come to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are:

(a)   based on my interpretation of information here and here with Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20^th December, 2017), Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until some date in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some date in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;

(b)   there is an enormous need to clear nonBPM energy – the thought forms, unattached energy and scars of the collective unconscious created by millennia of violence, including spirit rescue, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage created. Also, remember that:
           1. the counter to fear is genuine  EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech,
           2. where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be, are constructive solutions,
           3. peace is powerful, but it is a process requiring patient, persistent and nuanced nurturing, and a blend of conventional spiritual work, clearing nonBPM units, and physical world activism;

(c)   viewing the overall emotional state of the world, I am going to continue with the rune Wolfsangle to constrain the evil that is currently so rampant;

(d)   dealing with the 45^th US CEO / President, for whom I use the alias Voldemort II, requires:
           1. eroding (i.e., slow, patient and persistent clearing of the little bits one can SAFELY cope with – remember, you are but one of many) the nonBPM influences feeding his arrogance and mind-set, and strengthening Voldemort II’s BPM Guides and giving them whatever BPM help they need to present a BPM alternative – for which my “changing the personality of oppressors” post is useful – with a view to promoting what would seem to be a change of heart,
           2. lifting the nonBPM influences from the shoulders of Voldemort II’s marginal supporters, allowing them to “come to their senses”, which may result in them feeling bewilderment/shame, and simultaneously strengthening the BPM influences around them (e.g., their BPM Guides) to counter them backsliding,
           3. to address the others, physical world activism (especially education) is required. As well as doing what one can there, help those who are doing this work (e.g., sending them “positive vibes”) and look for nonBPM blockages that can be cleared (e.g., setting up a BPM vortex above meetings to draw away external nonBPM influences/energies/units, so that the audience can listen as they are, without any obsession/possession);

(e)   the major events this week are:   as attraction to violence continues to be inadequately addressed, there are risks of mass atrocities in the “Democratic” Republic of Congo, Kenya and Iraq;   the murder of an anti-white supremacist activist in the USA, and the enormous reaction to that – and the divisions and problems that has shown;   the easing of tensions between North Korea and the USA;   continuing chaos around Voldemort II;   more low-tech violent extremism;   an appalling combination of stupidity on the part of a court and sexual abuse of a child in India;   ongoing extrajudicial executions in the Philippines;

(f)   understanding of the benefits of communalism/collectivism is needed;

(g)   diversity and difference needs to be embraced and celebrated – and is countered by the denialist blinkers of fear, nonBPM socialisation (particularly by parents, but peers also) and scepticism;

(h)   intellectual comfort is a problem;

(i)   dressing up violence as acceptable, whatever excuse is used, is NOT acceptable;

(j)   international situations are not being dealt with properly by the former “leader of the free world”: Europe needs to step up – and provide some restitution for historical wrongdoing in the course of doing so;

(k)   the fatal flaw of feeling good about oneself only if one feels better than others MUST be fixed;

I also take this opportunity to emphasise that it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual work be performed non-violently and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – which is part of being BPM – on all levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here, here, here, here, here, and my comments about “authentic presence” in this post.

News and other matters from this past week follows:

   news items are presented in the following sections (there is overlap, and items may appear more than once):
    - Permanent and Thematically Arranged News,

    - Location Based News,

    - From a Range of Other Sites;

   opportunities/good news are shown in green;

   comments are shown in purple; and

   WARNING: some of these links may contain triggers around issues such as violence, sexual assault, discrimination, etc.

Permanent Issues and Thematically Arranged News:

• Permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPM Leaders be kept BPM safe, including keeping them undetectable to the nonBPM and keeping all their Significant Others inviolable against being used for indirect  psychic attack, and may they have all the BPM resources (including an assured income, given the power that nonBPM forces have in the structures of the material world), opportunities and assistance (including so-called “good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at influencing the world’s direction, development and unfoldment, all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
• Permanent issue: may all humans recognise, irrespective of the appearance of difference, the essential shared humanness of other people, the inherent resilience, the dynamic power, the strength of BPM collaboration, and the opportunities of having a diverse, inclusive and welcoming population, and may all people choose fairness, when such decisions are before them;
• Permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPM Violence Interrupters (and Interrupters of hate / fear / anger) of be kept BPM safe, and may they have all the BPM opportunities and assistance (so-called “good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at containing and stopping – along the lines of the Cure Violence model - the spread of violence (and hate / fear / anger), all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
• Permanent issue: may all humans choose to live modestly – to forgo outdoing others, or trying to have more than they need - for the sake of an easier, more manageable life, if they cannot do it for the sake of the planet;
• Permanent issue: may all humans be in better communication with the better parts of their nature;
• Matters warranting particular attention:
     -   China’s President has (continued to) urged the US President for a peaceful resolution of tensions with North Korea (the DPRK), and both are committed to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula;   the very real risks that the DPRK may use nuclear weapons (which are tied to them believing they are about to be hit by the USA);   the DPRK has decided to hold off on its plans to launch missiles “towards” Guam – see this analysis;
     -   right wing extremists in the USA have resorted to murder - and two police died when their helicopter crashed on the way to the protests - when a planned race riot (not a new thing)was met by a counter-protest (the violence in Charlottesville was elsewhere as well, with allegations of police inaction, counter-allegations of who started it [with no clear evidence in support of that], and one white supremacist pulling out and aiming a hand gun - until he noticed he was being filmed)     –     with a very concerning comment – and a second, enabled by the ****** anarchists I mention below (who are NOT on an equal plane with the right wingers [who openly had GUNS]) - afterwards by Voldemort II;     "They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her";     see also here,     here,     here, on the wider protests against hate (and, much as abuse of animals is now acknowledged as a predictor of elevated risk of future mass killings and appropriate action is taken, why aren’t neo-Nazi views at high school being seen as a predictor of elevated risk of future racism and violence and appropriate action taken – or is there too little evidence yet to establish that link? There is always the potential for change – see this interview with a former skinhead who now advocates for peace and rescues people from those extremist groups [and has some excellent points to make] … then again, the evidence seems to suggest domestic violence may be the predictor),     here,     here,     and   here;     the statue at the centre of the protests and other statues have been removed (and the truth about the vicious confederate General Lee – and note the US military’s rebuttal of Voldemort II’s comments, and descendants of another confederate figure have called for the statues to go [and one other confederate general embraced human rights]);     some of those who were part of the racist “pride march” have been identified online – and some have been misidentified;     four CEOs have resigned from Voldemort II's American Manufacturing Council (now disbanded) to protest the violence and hate;     a local resident’s excellent insights – including about the *******s on the left who – despite prescient forewarnings (the FBI was also warning of these dangers months ago) - were trying to provoke the right wingers (some of whom were openly carrying semi-automatic weapons) (I had similar concerns when I saw photos of counter-protestors with improvised blowtorches – none of which justifies the menace and threats of the racists, let alone their actual violence);     a this disconcerting examination of the possibility that the USA is heading towards some form of civil war;    some of the falsehoods underlying white supremacy;     concerningly, Voldemort II's’ supporters are happy with his pro-racist rants;     a 1947 US government film warning about the dangers of intolerance has made a comeback following this week’s violent neo-Nazi rally in the USA;     a nuanced examination of the legacy of reconstruction after the US Civil War;     two former Republican US Presidents and heads of the US military have weighed in against Voldemort II;     former US President Obama's tweet "No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion" in response to the violent clashes has become the most liked of all time;     the male supremacist aspects of the white supremacist movement;
     -   the Royal Commission into child abuse has made 85 recommendations, including that priests be compelled to report confessions of child abuse – which the neochristian Catholic Church is objecting to (forgiveness in confession often comes with obligations: why didn’t those obligations include self-reporting? The evidence is clear that this process was abused [apart from the assaults literally on children in the confessional, there is even one case where a priest assaulted a girl on an altar – that is 1 amongst the 4,444 who made complaints between 1980 and 2005, or the 572 priests {out of 12,880} who allegedly committed abuses between 1950 and 2010], and thus there is no community trust in that organisation – and there is a clear need to overcome their facilitation of the evil of child abuse. As far as communing with Deity goes – BULL! As far as the comment that this would prevent child abusers making confessions goes, SO WHAT? It has made no difference to child safety when they did!!!). Others have little hope of change … ;
     -   “climate justice is racial justice is gender justice”;
     -   this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists the “Democratic” Republic of Congo, Kenya and Iraq;   see also the UN Secretary-General’s report and a report on re-energising R2P (which I have not read yet);
• With regard to democracy (which requires  protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish, and the list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom and governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here):
  Note: I have a section specifically for the 45^th US President below
     -   analyses this week include:   the deliberate, well-funded, long-term strategy to make self-interest seem normal and a commitment to fairness an elite aberration;   an examination of voter ambivalence shows that it reflects the complexity of issues, and the fact that one can feel positive and negative at the same time (which is why my Psychic Weather Reports include BPM and nonBPM, and workplace surveys measure motivation and demotivation);   at least 8% of income inequality comes from inequality of opportunity (which, incidentally, is why I consider inequity a more appropriate term, in many cases than inequality);   a very detailed, US-focused report on artificial intelligence and national security (which I have downloaded, but not yet read – it does, however, appear to look at lessons from other transformative technologies and develop – US-focused - recommendations);   an article arguing that, whilst people should always be treated with respect, ideas that are put into the public domain don’t necessarily deserve respect, and are – as soon as they become public – open to being challenged (this article wasn’t very clearly written in my view, and a simple fundamental for me is that who I am is not an idea open to challenge. Furthermore, if you want to challenge allowing Equal marriage then I am going to challenge the idea of heterosexual marriage – why should you get benefits that others are denied? [That is especially so in the case of those het couples who get married for the tax benefits, having no plans for kids – and I do know such people] Furthermore, I don’t have the bl**dy time, energy or interest in having to justify [and many people are not gifted with the verbal skills that the cretin who wrote this article assumes they have] being treated with decency every time I go out in public – I just want to LIVE MY BL**DY LIFE!!! Why the **** should I have to defend the “idea” of me being who I am? [yes, this may be a misinterpretation of the author’s intent, but it is a shoddily written article, and raises that prospect of misinterpretation - if it is]) - THIS is a much better article;
     -   of concern this week:   Cuba is suspecting of using a “sonic attack” to cause including nausea, migraines, concussion-like brain injuries and long-term deafness in some American and Canadian;
     -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in: PNG;
     -   good news this week includes:  
     -   other good news has occurred: India;
     -   and other matters in my home nation this week:   the Australian Greens continue to struggle with their transition to a mainstream player;   a call to re-regulate my home states power industries, on the basis of high prices;   Australia’s rules on dual  citizenship (which, as far as I am concerned, are just common bl**dy sense) have affected another MP, this time a senior leader in the neoliberal government – and another (would the last dual citizen MP who leaves the House please turn out the lights?);   calls for Australia’s Constitution to be re-written;   lessons from past Liberals for Australia’s current neoliberal Prime Minister;   a call for a federal anti-corruption commissioner;   some common sense comments about the latest dual citizenship kerfuffle;   “Australians in remote locations or travelling overseas will be offered a "paperless vote" on same-sex marriage rather than a postal vote” in the plebiscite to decide if heterosexuals should still intrude into and interfere with LGB relationships;
• With regard to the 45^th US President (who I consider seriously dangerous, even if his administration looks like a Schoolyard Squabble Squad) this week:
  I deliberately avoid using the 45^th US President’s name for valid psychic reasons: however, to both simplify my typing and remind people that he is dangerous (actually, I consider him evil), I will use either “the USA’s CEO” or “Voldemort II” (or a combination – and the “II” is because the Harry Potter series had Voldemort I) or a variation thereof – in this section, at least - as an alias.
     -   the US-DPRK tensions are in the preceding section on matters requiring particular attention;
     -   Voldemort II has launched a re-election campaign ad … ;
     -   legal actions continue to be launched to protect “sanctuary cities”;
     -   US CEL Chaos N. Churn has struck again – albeit this time to remove the facilitator of white supremacists;
     -   other matters relating to US CEO Voldemort II: South China Sea (and other matters grouped under “China”);
• With regard to violent extremism (VE) (aka, terrorism - e.g., Da’esh) (ALL people advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism are actively doing the work of violent extremists. This will be countered, in part, by the sort of approach advocated by “Cure Violence”, and, in part, by addressing real and perceived disempowerment and acknowledging the variety in what provides genuine, BPM fulfilment as a counter to fanaticism as a source of meaning. I am deliberately avoiding the use of specific names of violent extremist groups as much as possible to reduce the publicity they get – I’m not a primary news source, and thus consider I can do so):
     -   violent extremist attacks/acts have occurred this week in Burkina Faso, USA (mosque), Nigeria, Spain, Spain (2^nd), and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 16 attacks in Iraq and 4 attacks in Afghanistan, (out of a total of 48 violent extremist threats are or may be developing in the USA;   prevention has or may have occurred in the USA;   and actions (Note: there are many others that don’t reach the media I read) have occurred this week against violent extremists in Africa, Syria;
     -   residents and tourists have united to defy the violent extremist attacks in Barcelona, Spain;
     -   an examination of how violent extremists have been trying to build their perceived legitimacy in Afghanistan;
     -   other violent extremist matters have also occurred in: India, Australia;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
     -   as one of the world's leading legal authorities on refugee policy criticises Australia’s “bankrupt refugee policies”, secrecy rules might be lifted from doctors, teachers and social workers who have been dragged into Australia’s refugee gulags;   funding of a right wing extremist anti-refugee boat in the Mediterranean has been stopped;  six Australian politicians have witnessed first hand the suffering of refugees in West Asia;   rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean Sea has been suspended because of threats by Libya’s coastguard;   a warning that the developing hindrance of humanitarian assistance for refugees “will create a deadly gap in the Mediterranean Sea”;   concerns that Australia could duck shove responsibility for the death of a refugee in its gulag onto PNG;   the experiences in Australia’s refugee gulags that sent one of our victims there insane;
• With regard to human (and other) rights and discrimination (incidentally, I consider it vital to identify people who are bigots as they clearly have flaws in their powers of observation and thinking – shown by the fact that NOT all people act hatefully without education/lobbying/the restraint of laws):
     -   on homophobia/transphobia (including heteronormativity, cisgender-normativity) this week (noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the trans kids’ true gender) :   a member of Australia’s neoliberal government has denied being ordered to keep quiet on the Equal Marriage debate;   this idiot has refused to acknowledge that (a) there are religions which support Equal Marriage, (b) religious discrimination is already banned and (c) freedom of speech also applies to those who are advocating for a cessation of the violence against LGB people;   a US state’s transphobic toilet legislation appears “doomed after moderate Republican powerbrokers blocked the bills and hundreds of businesses opposed them”;   remoteness and cultural barriers will limit participation in the postal vote by some indigenous (trans) people;   the reaction to an advertising campaign on race shows, frankly, stupidity on the part of some white people;   an LGBT Christian group is mitigating "damage done by the church";   after an appalling example of misgendering and deadnaming, one US police force has been ordered to do better;
     -   on white supremacy and other forms of racism this week:   a neo-Nazi site has been banned from two major websites – see also here;   with a comment that "the last time the planet saw this many extraordinary artists emerge in a 100-year period must have been Florence in the 15^th century", some Australian indigenous artwork will start touring the USA;   a local council in my home city will stop observing Australia Day and start observing Survival Day (my terms) and another will follow, following which the Federal government removed the Council’s citizenship powers (although an MP may help them get around that) – see also here;   US statistics showing whites killing blacks is far more likely to be declared justifiable;   “initiatives to assist Indigenous prisoners to access the support they need on their release”;   lessons from a comparison of the wellbeing of Maori and indigenous Australians through economic events (better macroeconomic policies, prepared with indigenous input, are needed);   lessons for Australia on racism from the current crisis in the USA – see also here, on the need for Truth before Reconciliation;   I’ve not come across the problem of trying to explain away racism as a mental illness that this article discusses, but I was left with a strong impression of the benefits of the term “white supremacist” (and I will also use that with regard to sexism);
     -   on male supremacy and other forms of sexism this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone):   the manifestation of street harassment (even the language) is quite uniform across different locations;   dozens of men who were sexually abused by a neurologist have reached an out of court settlement;   merit and quotas in hiring are not exclusive;   another article on why companies with women on boards do better financially (may be less aggressive, so lose less; some men also share that caution);   the appalling experiences of domestic violence in church communities;
     -   other sexism matters have also occurred in: India, India (also involving child abuse – partly by a court);
     -   on religious rights (including Islamophobia) this week:   I was honestly (pleasantly) surprised, given his stances on security and discrimination issues, when Australia’s Attorney-General, Senator Brandis, criticised – even getting teary - a far right wing extremist Senator for “attacking the Islamic faith and undermining relations with the Muslim community” -, and experts have warned that the idiot’s stunt could radicalise young people;
     -   on workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human (and other – e.g., animal) rights this week:   theatre for the differently abled;   single workers are being advised to stand up for themselves;   my home state is improving the requirements for looking after greyhounds;   more workplace bullying in the medical profession;   an appalling background has been revealed in the case of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life, but was not deemed at-risk enough to be taken into care;   in a potentially major breach of privacy, a horse racing organisation wants to exceed any reasonable conception of access to data for them by asking for access to people’s metadata – with glib, patronising and slick remarks about “it’s only …” (and an unsupported inference that they would never exceed their authority) showing their lack of comprehension. Fortunately, the federal Attorney-General has pointed out that the police can access that data, and can do so as part of a valid investigation;   the use of shock therapy (“electroconvulsive therapy”, or ECT) against patient’s will is being tested in court;   a poor people’s campaign that was about to be started by the great Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. is being revived;   what businesses can do to stamp out slavery in their supply chains;
     -   other workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human or other rights matters have also occurred in: Thailand, the Philippines (extrajudicial executions);
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     -   in what seems to me a very poor decision, one possibly underplaying the impact because of male bias – although the issue of mental health is relevant, a registered sex offender from Bendigo who created fake social media profiles to harass a former child TV star who had been abused in that role has avoided jail, and been subjected to a concerningly weak set of conditions which do not clearly demonstrate to the community that it is safe;   mistaken identity could have been behind a murder;   bribery was used to attempt to get doctors to use a medical device which is now the subject of legal action;   some significant points of principle have been raised in the trial of a police officer (who is presumed innocent until proven guilty for very good reasons) for murder;   this article is, in parts ludicrous, and fails to recognise that deprivation of liberty by means of jailing IS intended to be a punishment;   Australia's biggest telecommunications companies have been ordered to block access to scores of international websites that allow users to download pirated TV shows and movies;
    -    other crime, judicial and policing matters have occurred in: the Pacific (good news), prisons, the Philippines (extrajudicial executions);
• With regard to press aka the media, and freedom of expression (keeping in mind that claims of presenting “both sides” of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case on LGBTIQ issues: having an “equal say”, or a “right to respond” MUST be assessed in the context of what is happening overall in society – NOT solely in one limited incident. Also, funding is an issue … ):
     -   negotiations are underway on changes (to either weaken, or adapt to new media, depending on your position – the truth is probably a bit of both, and somewhere in-between) to Australia’s media laws;
     -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in: the West Bank, Thailand;
• With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict  minerals, environmental harm and child labour? [IT manufacturers are making some effort in on those – in response to activist pressure.] Do you suffer from FOMO or addiction? Are you having second thoughts about technology? Is your social media making you miserable or envious? Are you being duped by modern mantras? Are you “failing” at being well? Does your AI use ethics? Does your corporation misuse mindfulness as a distraction from working conditions? Are you afflicted by management  fads? Do you understand embedded emissions? Do you want a bigger, flashier home/car than people had 50 years ago – which means you are actively abusing the environment and society’s cohesion and contributing to the problem of financialisation? Are you accursed with the “new is always good” groupthink of the computer world? Do you abuse workers by insisting on busy-ness?):
     -   on climate change and other environmental matters this week:   access to water is changing across the globe;   some underwater kelp forests have successfully been re-established;   a solar thermal power plant that is “the biggest of its type in the world” will be built in Australia;   in praise of trees;   a clarification of the relative costs of generating electrical power from coal and renewable energy – which does not look at environmental cost;   a call for climate change leaders to demonstrably “walk the talk”;   a major oil company is moving into selling electricity;   two government departments in an Australian state had to fight it out in court before two mine proposals could be rejected to protect the Great Barrier Reef;   failure to manage a known asbestos problem has put residents at risk - and stopped the construction project;
     -   other environmental matters have occurred in: Egypt, Ecuador;
     -   on technology and science matters this week:   a campaign has been launched to counter the anti-vaccination conspiracy nuts;   the need for cyber-security for robots;   police have recommended using “tap and go” for security reasons;   a call for careful thought before diving into the “internet of things”;   a robot vacuum company has backtracked from threats (“plans” – later amended to “with consent plans” … ) to sell data about customers houses;   a “ghost hunter” (i.e., paranormal investigator) has adapted modern technology to finding evidence;   some kids are angry about their parents' use of so-called "smart" phones;   the complete and utter – and predicted - disaster that Australia’s cut-back scale, cut-price, cut-back service NBN is proving to be;
     -   on economic and financial matters this week:   the history of the office;   the profound problem of focusing on busy-ness in workplaces (from my life experience, I would say this leads to worker abuse, in many cases);   the need for schools to teach financial literacy;   non-payment of tradespeople on a construction site (how does that happen, given the security of payments act? Why wasn’t that Act mentioned in the article? {Then again, I know of a small company where the statutory declarations that payment was being made were presented, and found to be false when the company went broke … );
     -   on affordable housing and homelessness matters this week:   a warning that “wealth” base on house value is uncertain, but debt is very real (houses are for living in – not getting “rich”!;
     -   on other matters in the category this week:   the poem “If” (by the controversial, racist and colonialist writer Rudyard Kipling) is being used to help men with their mental health;   the pace of life ("When we lose the ability to reflect, we disconnect from our values, our ways of being") is contributing to the epidemic of rage;   more taxi protests against Uber (I don’t trust Uber drivers – there have been too many homophobic and sexist incidents, but, over the years, taxi drivers have given such dreadful service that, just like checkout workers, they’ve brought this on themselves, to some extent);   the need for urban rules to keep up with change (e.g., banning overshadowing of solar panels);   a project to help people with dementia by providing a distinct, relatable door;   a caution to drivers in my home city after bad driving led to a collision with a tram (but modern cars have appalling visibility, as well, and design features that contribute to arrogance and “the tunnel” referred to;   a major public event in my home city plans on reducing car parking, and - wrongly, in the view of myself and others - doesn't accept responsibility for liaising with public transport providers;
• With regard to education:
     -   “Victoria's ombudsman has criticised the number [and young age] of children being expelled from public schools” (do we have insufficient resources, given the troubled background of so many of these kids?);    busting myths about teachers;
• With regard to war, violence and hate generally:
     violence after a UK soccer game has also injured children;   more violent thuggery in soccer;   Germany has passed a law to control hate speech on social media;   the use of minimum alcohol prices to reduce alcohol-related violence;   the experiences of those on both sides of drone warfare;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     floods and landslides have killed at least 49 people in Nepal;   “twenty million people risk dying of hunger in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and the north-east of Nigeria, including 1.4 million children suffering from severe malnutrition” (I agree with this warning – in fact, for some time I have felt a warning that we are facing a dire death toll if the world does not respond credibly);   bushfires are continuing in Greece;  a mudslide in Sierra Leone has killed hundreds;   a falling tree in Portugal has killed a dozen people;
• With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, development (in an end poverty/thirst/hunger sense) and the occasional nice story (are you crippled by the fear of being single or asexual or off-grid or in any other way a rebel / innovator / non-conformist / true to yourself, or believe in management  fads and fashions? Do you distract yourself and fill your time to avoid finding real meaning? If so, you have a spiritual problem, and a need to constructively remedy that):
     a dissection of the term “nice” as it is used about people;   the use of distance learning to address the global shortage of health workers.

Location based News:

• With regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here):
     mass graves have been found with several dozen bodies after a recent violent extremist attack on a village;   an examination of how violent extremists have been trying to build their perceived legitimacy in Afghanistan;   the ways that drone warfare has changed everyday life in Afghanistan – for the worse – and the aspect that “the West inflicts violence and then refuses help to those who are injured by its actions”;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
     -   the counter-violent extremism force created for the Sahel by five nations is operational but limited by issues such as funding;
     -   recommendations for addressing youth unemployment in Africa;
     -   an assessment of the various regional economic bodies in Africa;
     -   most violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) happens out of sight of the media;
     -   a call for food aid for the “Democratic” Republic of Congo (DRC);
     -   as the UN calls for political dialogue, Kenya’s sitting President has been declared the winner of the elections – which is disputed by the opposition, and post-election violence has now killed at least 11 people;   an examination of the legal aspects of Kenya’s President’s use of the military;
     -   an attack on peacekeepers in Mali has killed one;
     -   the wife of ancient Zimbabwean despot Mugabe fled South Africa to Zimbabwe to avoid allegations of assault and seek immunity … ;
• With regard to China (may her growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom), East and South East Asia and the Pacific (noting the risks of atrocities in North Korea and Burma):
     -   on China and the DPRK (North Korea):  
     -   concerns that the US administration does not understand the purpose of freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea;   “China has assured the Philippines it will not occupy new features or territory in the South China Sea”;   the US President has asked his country's top trade official to review China's practices regarding intellectual property – which could eventually lead to trade sanctions (and China will “defend its interests” … );   China has hit back at US criticism of its (lack of) religious freedom (the response was along the lines opf don’t throw stones in glass houses; they’re both bad, as far as I am concerned, but China is worse);
     -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in: Ecuador;
     -   the tensions between the DPRK and USA are covered in the section on matters warranting particular attention;   Ukraine might have been stupid enough to supply North Korea with rocket engines … ;   US intelligence is expecting more missile tests by the DPRK;   the DPRK has also been aggressive with its cyber-attacks;
     -   elsewhere in Asia:
     -   as with other places in the Pacific region occupied by the US military, a number of people in Guam have been objecting to how they have been treated by the US – before the current crisis;
     -   “China and South Korea [have] called on Japan to face up to its wartime past after [its] Prime Minister sent an offering to a shrine to war dead on … the anniversary of Japan's World War Two surrender” (and it long overdue that Japan does so);
     -   Philippines police have committed  at least 28 more extrajudicial executions of drug and crime suspects, bringing the death toll to 60 in the past three days, and their President has ordered any human rights workers who “get in the way” be murdered also;
     -   Thailand is considering a canal between the Indian and Pacific Oceans – which, if it happened, would be nearly as game changing as the Suez or Panama Canals … ;   an activist has been jailed for two years for criticising the Thai king;
     -   and in the Pacific:   “the Australian and Solomon Islands governments have signed a security treaty that paves the way for rapid Australian assistance in the event of future natural disasters or outbreaks of civil unrest”;   Australia has donated 19 patrol boats to help fight transnational crime in the Pacific – and our policies may now be maturing;   help for differently-abled people in Fiji;   the problems with Papua New Guinea’s electoral rolls;   “a landlord in Papua New Guinea has locked staff at several key government agencies out of their offices because the Government has not paid their rent”;   Papua New Guinea has expanded its security crackdown to quell post-election violence;
• With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU):
     -   concern over weak chains of military command in some of NATO’s newest members;
     -   “Britain will consider replacing European Union funding for peace projects in Northern Ireland, which advocates say have been crucial in avoiding a return to violence after a 1998 peace agreement”;
• With regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and prosperous society, before the UK / USA / CIA backed revolution – see here, and that it needs an emphasis on a secular society and citizenship – but also here, although based in Syria and here):
     -   Iraq’s military is attacking a violent extremist-held town west of Mosul;
     -   and the Iraq Body Count project reports 136 civilians violently killed in the last week;
• With regard to the Libyan civil war:
     summary executions in Libya;
• With regard to Russia (which is currently supporting an – in my opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria), Russian influenced nations and eastern Europe, and responses (see also the section on Europe):
     a critique of Russia’s fraught relationships with its “allies” – see also here;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   in Columbia, the FARC have surrendered the last of their weapons;
     -   Ecuador has “detained the crew of a Chinese fishing boat suspected to have caught endangered sharks in the Galapagos Islands”;
     -   threats of military action by the US against Venezuela could reinforce the position of the current leader, who has often referred to such threats in the past;   Venezuela's President has ordered the armed forces to hold exercises following the US President’s comments about military intervention;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     -   in an utterly appalling indictment of the stupidity of Indian courts, the ten year old victim of rape has been forced to deliver the baby her rapist inflicted on her;   a warning that India’s counterinsurgency activities are failing;   personal protests in India;   a feminist filmmaker is challenging Bollywood;
     -   property laws in Kashmir are being challenged;
     -   a criticism of Pakistan’s foreign policy;
• With regard to Sudan and South  Sudan:
     -   South Sudan’s neighbours are bearing the burdens of its civil war;
• With regard to the conflict in Syria, where Assad’s regime has, in my opinion, lost all claims to legitimacy, and it is time to consider partition (see here, here, here and here):
     seven of Syria’s famed White Helmet rescuers have been murdered by violent extremist;
• With regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:
     Ukraine might have been stupid enough to supply North Korea with rocket engines … ;
• With regard to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and North Africa, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     -   on Israel and Palestine:   the Palestinian Authority is cracking down on journalists;
     -   elsewhere in the region:
     -   concern over the effects of climate change in Egypt;
     -   Iran is considering responding to US sanctions with more missiles and military – and has threatened to quit the P5+1 nuclear deal if it is subjected to more US sanctions;
     -   the split between Qatar and the four nations blockading it is becoming fixed … ;
     -   Saudi Arabia is cracking down on dissent – again;   there are suspicions that three Saudi princes who were critical of the government have been abducted from Europe;
• With regard to the conflict in Yemen (unlike Iraq, I cannot find a source of regular information on casualties in Yemen, but the hardship and deaths from food, water and medical shortages that concerns me just as much – if not more, and I don’t know if such sites would report that; it is also important to remember that there are multiple sides in this dispute – and opponents to the government are not necessarily Houthi or violent extremist):
     more than half a  million people in Yemen have cholera;   the number of air strikes this year in Yemen has dramatically escalated;   a call has been made for the rebels to release a human rights activist;   a call has been made for Saudi Arabia to be put on the list of nations maiming and killing children for the deaths caused by its air strikes.

Other News:

• my home city has topped the “most liveable city” rankings again, but do those take account of things like homelessness, discrimination, inequity, etc? We are definitely not perfect.

General Comments/Information

(Dear Reader, please remember, I expect you to think when reading this blog, and I reserve the right to occasionally sneak in something to test that)

Many others are very capably doing this type of work – for instance, the Lucis Trust's Triangles network (which has been running for many decades),   the Correllian Tradition's 'Spiritual War for Peace' (see also here, here, and here), the Hope, Peace, Love and Prosperity Spell (also from the Correllian Tradition, in around 2007 or 2008),   the Healing Minute started by the late, great Harry Edwards (running for decades);   the “Network of Light”  meditations;   and   also see here, here and here – even commercial organisations (for instance, see here), online groups (e.g. here and here – which I do not know the quality of) and even an app.    Thus, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be of service, there are many other opportunities for you – including secular opportunities: e.g., see here, here and here.   Again, activism in the physical world is also required - see here, here and here, here, and, of course, here.

(Please note that I now specifically have a role for (absent) healers on Saturdays, as explained in the Psychic Weather Report posts. Anyone who wishes to be protector has a role every day :). At all times, on all levels and in ways, BOTH must ALWAYS be BPM in the way they perform such roles.)

If I am ever late getting my Psychic Weather Report up any week, there is a default plan.

I apologise for publishing these posts twice, but Blogger keeps changing my formatting.

No signature block for these posts.