Post No. 1,065 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 177

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, this week I will continue working with Wolfsangle:

;

(e)   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);

(f)   (no specific themes this week)

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:
     -   thousands have marched in the USA against a white supremacist rally (with a tiny minority again being violent or offensive idiots – others actually helped the people they were protesting against escape violent attacks);   in a clumsy attack, which portends more sophisticated methods, right wing extremists have been using fake Twitter accounts and images of battered women from anti-domestic violence campaigns to attempt to smear anti-fascist groups in the USA;   a somewhat clumsily written examination of violence and non-violence in the context of the tragic events at Charlottesville which shows the violent rhetoric and the presence of weapons are grounds for concern – “nonviolence is not simply the absence of physical violence” (also, the ACLU will no longer defend hate groups that protest with guns);
     -   a warning that the child-centred parenting movement has gone too far, and “weak parenting” of boys is creating a generation of entitled brats (“Prince Boofheads” – some of whom I have had the misfortune of interacting with) who think they are owed the world and can lash out in violence when they do not get their way (recommended cures are: show your son that you love him whether he wins or loses, let your boys experience adversity [I have a friend who had an idiot helicopter parenting woman try to interfere when he was doing this], foster a relationship with a supportive, charismatic adult, let him take responsibility for his contribution to disappointing outcomes, be your own hero - don't live vicariously through your son, NEVER put up with intimidating or violent behaviour — even if it seems trivial, seek professional help if violence, mental illness of substance abuse are interfering with development [I heard the author interviewed on radio, and he also commented about parents trying to pressure schools into adopting the same slackness, which listeners indicated was a major problem with education]);
     -   my former state MP has passed  away, and is being remembered for her fierce advocacy against family violence and gender constraints (we corresponded occasionally, and connected on a few matters – such as a preference for being barefoot: she will be missed);
     -   this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists Yemen, Central African Republic and Philippines;
• 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:   in response to Voldemort II’s Marie Antoinette, an EXCELLENT article on one of the major ideas associated with a progressive tax system: the idea of "equal marginal sacrifice";   a review of the economic and related policy changes of the UK’s Labour and Australia’s Labor Parties in recent decades;   a consideration of whether Parliament should have the say on going to war (the issue to me is different for aggressive and “defence at a distance/pre-emptive defence” and close, immediate and genuinely defensive wars: I consider the former should be subject to Parliamentary approval, but not the latter);
     -   of concern this week:   Parliamentary Democracy has been ended in Venezuela;   more mid-20^th century sexism/male supremacist rubbish in New Zealand;   after being criticised for excessive pay, Australia Post's CEO quit and received $11 million ... ;   concerns over excessive accumulation of leave in government departments in one Australian state (do they have enough staff so people can take leave?);   the number of staff affected by the acoustic attack at the US Embassy in Cuba has increased to 16, as Canada says it is not automatically assuming the Cuban government was behind the attack;
     -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in: US aid;
     -   in the grey/mixed [good and bad aspects] or neutral area this week:   the USA is taking action to attempt to prevent interference in future elections (hmm … );   a US Democratic politician is being tried for corruption;
     -   other events in the grey or neutral area have occurred or are developing in: Brazil;
     -   good news this week includes:   a federal judge in a US state has again thrown out the state's controversial voter ID law, which required voters to show one of several approved forms of photo ID to cast a ballot;
     -   and other matters in my home nation this week:   the AMA has warned of junk health insurance policies, but there are bigger issues;   a former neoliberal MP has called for the Australian neoliberal Party to “at last take female representation in Parliament seriously";      random drug checks on welfare recipients have moved closer;   the public debate over moving citizenship ceremonies away from Invasion Day at one local Council in my home city has had some interesting ideas (“Mourning Day” in the morning; changing the celebration to the anniversary of federation – ideas which I heard on the radio [nice to have a car with a working radio :) ]) and some stupid responses;   the Sex Party is aiming to broaden its appeal by renaming itself the Reason Party;   more than 100 people have rallied for a royal commission into the Department of Veterans' Affairs in response to the rising tide of veterans committing suicide;   a review following multiple deaths at a show ride will lead to creation of the position of Public Safety Ombudsman, and the crime of industrial manslaughter;   “unemployment benefits [are] not enough for recipients to afford basic needs”;   the alleged mastermind behind a (phoenixing based) tax-evasion scheme has been ordered to pay $8.5 million to the ATO;
• 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.
     -   a review of predicted concerns regarding Voldemort II “as a [US] national security threat”;
     -   disturbing parallels between Voldemort II’s regime and those of the 1920s in the USA – including good insight into the non-historical, white supremacist purpose of the statues being removed, and the rebranding of the KKK;   after reaching out to the establishment with a speech setting out his case for extending the war in Afghanistan, Voldemort II has ripped open the wounds of Charlottesville with evasive, revisionist rantings, conflation and outright lies to his supporters;   “the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has urged the US government to reject racist speech and ideology and criticised its "failure at the highest political level" to unequivocally condemn the racist violence in Charlottesville earlier this month”;
     -   a conservative lawyer’s thoughts on Voldemort II and other conservative lawyers who continue to support Voldemort II;   a critique of why Voldemort II’s possible pardon of a recently convicted law enforcement officer would be contrary to the intention of the US Constitution;
     -   Voldemort II’s fellow Republicans have rebuked him after his threat to shut down the US Government if Congress did not agree to fund constructing his propose Mexican border wall rattled "markets and cast a shadow over congressional efforts to raise the country's debt ceiling and pass spending bills;   Voldemort II's continuation of business activities is costing heaps;
     -   where Voldemort II went wrong (e.g., he could have got an infrastructure spending plan up and running);
     -   the wife of a US administration official has earned the comment "the Marie Antoinette for our age" – see also here, for an excellent response;
     -   the effect of physically threatening men like Voldemort II on women has been made clearer;
     -   other matters relating to US CEO Voldemort II: Afghanistan, the US military;
• 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 Finland, Belgium, and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 11 attacks in Iraq, 4 attacks in Afghanistan, and 2 attacks in Syria (out of a total of 37);   prevention has or may have occurred in Australia, Lebanon, the Netherlands;   and actions (Note: there are many others that don’t reach the media I read) have occurred this week against violent extremists in Spain;
     -   a guide for venue operators and event organisers on prevention of violent extremist attacks has been released;
     -   concerns over Australia’s possible response to the growing violent extremist threat in the Philippines;   an examination of the challenges to security as violent extremists lose territory;
     -   other violent extremist matters have also occurred in: US aid;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
     -   Papua New Guinea has told Australia its refugee gulag in PNG cannot be shut in two months and the refugees left behind;
• 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 and the suppression of the religious freedom of those religions that support Equal Marriage) this week (noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the trans kids’ true gender) :   the (union busting) head of an major Australian company will support Equal Marriage;   the vicious lies and attacks on LGBT people that were expected as a result of the Equal Marriage campaign in Australia have commenced;   white powder in a package to one of the leading anti-Equal Marriage groups led to an evacuation (this sort of utter bl***dy stupidity, if it came from a pro-Equal Marriage advocate as suspected [and, sadly, likely] is UTTERLY unacceptable, and is EXTREMELY damaging to achieving Equal marriage);   legalising Equal Marriage will reduce LGBT suicide;   there was a record surge in numbers of people enrolling and updating their details before the rolls closed;   the postal survey is not the plebiscite that the neoliberals went to the elections on;   before announcing an increased military mission in Afghanistan – which shows military violence has defeated nation building , Voldemort II specifically excluded LGBT troops when thanking members of the military (although not mentioned in the article, I heard the start of his speech);   a nuanced, objective critique of those who attempt to use the bible to justify the hate that is homophobia;   the image of a US pop star was used without permission by the anti-Equal Marriage campaign, but her image was removed and an apology issued to the understandably angry star, who is pro-Equal Marriage;   in a FactCheck rebuttal, Australia is identified as one of three "advanced, English speaking" nations that have not even partially legalised Equal Marriage - the other two are Hong Kong, which is constrained by China, and Singapore, which has not legalised gay sex and still issues tender documents that refer to "he". Not particularly edifying, even if the claim was indeed overstated ... ;   Voldemort II has now ordered the US military to implement his act of transphobic hate;
     -   on white supremacy and other forms of racism this week:   more white supremacist abuse in sport;   the damaging myth that Captain Cook “discovered” Australia – and the staggering reactions of some (white) people to that fact;   two statues of pro-slavery confederate generals have been covered;   a testament to the extraordinary efficacy of transgenerational storytelling in Aboriginal cultures is demonstrable recollection by Aboriginal peoples of meteorite falls, postglacial sea-level rise and volcanic eruptions that occurred several thousand years ago;   false reports are being made to distract police so drug (alcohol) smugglers can get their evil into indigenous communities where it is banned;   “resistance is growing to the cashless welfare card in one of the Federal Government's original trial sites, with a key [indigenous] community leader who signed up the East Kimberley turning against the controversial scheme” ("It didn't do what I thought it was going to do … I'm seeing there is more drinking, there's a lot of sly-grogging”);   the need for more people of colour to be audacious (and, again, the appalling white supremacy in sport);
     -   on male supremacy and other forms of sexism this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone):   why salary parity shouldn’t be overlooked (“I can’t tell you the number of CEOs I’ve coerced into doing a pay gap analysis who’ve sworn beforehand, hand on heart, that they wouldn’t have a gender pay gap, and then it’s a huge moment when they find out they have. And when they deep dive into the data and find out what’s causing it, they get the biggest shock of all”);   an examination of what “greater gender diversity will create a stronger insurance industry” means;   the effect of threatening men like Voldemort II has been made clear;   “a Toronto orchestra has shut down after "fat-shaming" volunteer singers”;
     -   other sexism matters have also occurred in: Australian politics, New Zealand politics;
     -   on workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human (and other – e.g., animal) rights this week:   “exploitation or breaching your visa: The limited choices of the food delivery worker”;   the report of a review into the RSPCA has recommended that it stop undertaking animal activism against legal activities (commercial farms, duck hunting, etc), and focus on the prevention of cruelty to companion animals (and “emergencies” at commercial sites) the comment about exceeding its authority is valid, but it is a narrow minded perspective … ;   a well-known Australian businessperson is continuing to act against modern slavery - see here for the experience of someone who was enslaved after coming to Australia;   the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has found that the Navy failed in its duty of care by allowing widespread abuse of recruits;   “unemployment benefits [are] not enough for recipients to afford basic needs”;   the advocacy of a man who found out he was fathered by a priest has led to the Irish Catholic church approving a document in May outlining the "principles of responsibility regarding priests who father children while in ministry. … If, contrary to this obligation [of celibacy], a priest fathers a child, the wellbeing of his child should be his first consideration";   complaints about Australia’s disability insurance scheme, conceived under the previous government and now being “managed” by neoliberals, have increased 700 per cent;   “US healthcare provider Aetna has apologised after letters sent to thousands of patients publicly displayed their HIV status” how does anyone do something so blatantly stupid?);   a US state law that allowed injured undocumented workers to be arrested and potentially deported rather than paid workers' compensation benefits will be reviewed;
     -   other workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human or other rights matters have also occurred in: Australia, the cyber world, Burma;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     -   a police officer’s experience of PTSD;   the new Post Sentence Authority in my home state will replace the parole board on serious sex offenders who are considered an unacceptable risk to the community;   a committee investigating “the failings” of the family law system has decided not to call senior judges (allegedly over a possible breach of the principle of separation of powers) but said it will “still be critical of the sector” … is there an element of pre-judgement here?;   in breach of legislation and a WHO agreement, “big tobacco” has been helping police manage illegal tobacco;   an investigation is underway into abuse of school cheerleaders in the US;   another execution in the USA, of a white supremacist who committed multiple racially motivated murders, using an experimental anaesthetic (and another flawed soul is sent to rebirth with a bit more damage … );
    -    other crime, judicial and policing matters have occurred in: Australia, Australia (2^nd), El Salvador;
• 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 … ):
     -   “Cambridge University Press, the world's oldest publishing house, has reversed a decision to censor content in China”;   tech companies COULD distinguish between free speech and hate speech if THEY CHOSE TO;
     -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in: Cambodia – see also here, Burundi;
• 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? Are you raising a Prince Boofhead?):
     -   on climate change and other environmental matters this week:   the recorded changes that have happened to one Australian city’s weather;   researchers have been shocked by the extent of coral bleaching in the Pacific;   use of electric cars in Australia for long distance trips is limited by limited recharge options, and is expensive;   entry of toxic mine water into an Australian city’s water catchment has increased now the mine has closed (which, if it means pumping and treating the water stopped, is NOT a surprise, despite the article’s surprise);   the reasons people have not taken up solar in one northern Australian city;   “mining giant BHP Billiton will sell its US shale assets after pressure from (activist) shareholders to offload the underperforming business”;   an artificial reef in Sydney harbour will hopefully revitalise marine life as it restores natural habitats;   my home state will set its renewable energy target of 40 per cent by 2025 in law;   a major oil company has been accused by University researchers of misleading the public over what it knew about climate change;   the need for poorer households to be able to access solar power;  local and state governments in Australia are choosing to work together on brave new actions rather than wait for the national neoliberal government;   increased risk of landslides as the permafrost in mountainous areas – such as the Alps - melts (I read this the day after watching this film);   the USA has made another backdown from support for climate change measures;   collaboration for "water wise" cities;   “the human right to water extends to ecosystems”;   claims of an 'environmental nightmare' after thousands of salmon escaped from a US fish farm – with claims that this due to high tides at the eclipse not stacking up, as have been higher tides recently;   calls for better protection of snow leopards;
     -   other environmental matters have occurred in: Ethiopia, Brazil, the Pacific;
     -   on technology and science matters this week:   research shows the NBN rollout was politically motivated and socioeconomically biased from the beginning (sop tell; me something I don’t know) and the rollout has failed, having been reduced to an engineering-only project with a strong political sideshow: it needs a first generation of "telecommunication planners" to work alongside transport planners, social planners, economic planners, water planners and energy planners to save it;   new guidance on passwords and passphrases (I actually use multiple passphrases and at least one formula);   concern that there is no protection against people being denied health insurance on the basis of genetic tests;
     -   other technology and science matters have occurred in: the “free speech” debate;
     -   on economic and financial matters this week:   “humble chief executives are in high demand — but good luck finding one”;   if the problem of not changing performance targets and workload was addressed, more people could work part time;   insight into how the saviour of a series of steel mills works, including using renewable energy to cut costs;
     -   on affordable housing and homelessness matters this week:   unscrupulous bank policies have contributed to Australians having unacceptable levels of housing debt;   China has cut back on overseas investment;   my home state has taken action to help renters and first home buyers;   a brief history of Australia's home ownership obsession (always high rates, partly because of hangover from feudalistic land ownership requirements for voting, but featuring, from the turn of the 20^th century, feeding residents from the backyard – which should still be done, in my view. The rot set in during the 1980s, when deregulation of banks led to the idiotic idea of houses as a way of building wealth, rather being a place to live, whereas "in the 60s and 70s … home ownership was a democratic ideal");   a “hempcrete” house;
     -   on health and medical this week:   Australia’s first dementia-friendly garden provides “a sensory experience that also reduces anxiety”;   as early intervention was key to treating postnatal depression, and the first 1,000 days of a child's life is critical, pregnant women will soon have access to free mental health assessments during and after pregnancy;   experts say that the evidence on the existence and effects of FODMAPs is accepted internationally, and possibly affects up to 15 per cent of the population;   doctors are being investigated for allegedly helping parents avoid vaccinating children, and are facing “the toughest penalties possible” (good);   concerning inaccuracies around mental health problems and the effects of their medications in films;
     -   on other matters in the category this week:   a certification scheme has started to ensure meat comes from animals raised and killed humanely;   residents of a new housing estate in Queensland have realised that the single road access they have could be their deaths in a bushfire;   a call for my home state to be better prepared for population growth – including higher density living (which I have concerns about: we also to consider controlling population growth). Also, investor-driven 'vertical slums' will inevitably entrench disadvantage;
• With regard to education:
     -   improved online testing looks promising;   students at a school studied the wrong maths syllabus for seven months;   some families in my home state are fighting changes to homeschool regulations over concerns (disputed by the government, who allege the opposition is being misleading) that the changes do not allow adequate protection against bullying – particularly when students with a disability are being integrated (there is, as I understand it, a lot of evidence that integration is good [now – not necessarily when the children referred to in the article were attending school] for the differently-abled student, and I am aware of the good work many schools do on bullying [although not always as good as it should be, and the homophobic cut backs in recent years have crippled it], but there are always exceptions to the rule, and allowing flexibility is a good thing. My concern is also that such situations reflect a “mini me” approach to parenting, when it should be based on love and helping the child to develop to make their own choices – i.e., are homeschoolers wanting their kids to share bigotries?);   a report argues that abstinence education is both ineffective and unethical ("We tell people not to drink and drive. We don't teach them not to drive. ... We would never withhold information about seat belts because they wouldn't know how to protect themselves");
• With regard to war, violence and hate generally:
     leaked documents have shown a US facility in Australia is playing an active role in US combat (although there has been an unacceptable denial of the role of that facility throughout its history [and the misleading of the Australian public and prevention of proper public debate is disturbing], this is the sort of thing I have always assumed it was being used – and intended - for: why the tone of surprise? Naïveté? Selling papers?);   the lessons that come from reflecting on war (“Why remembering wars is a moral concern for all of us”) (this article by a philosopher is better written than last weeks, but there is still room for improvement);   the vicious lies and attacks on LGBT people that were expected as a result of the Equal Marriage campaign in Australia have commenced;   traumatic brain injury has – staggeringly – not been recognised in military veterans;   veterans of the Kokoda Trail  campaign hope the next generation remembers the horrors of 'pointless' war (my favourite Uncle was one of the “chocos”);   a player in a non-contact team sport who knocked a referee unconscious is facing an immediate, near automatic life ban and police charges;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     a train derailment in India has killed at least 20 people;   a cyclone has killed five people in Asia;
• 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):
     "Where Does It Hurt?" – an interview with Ruby Sales by Krista Tippett on the spirituality-base radio show "On Being";   concern that US aid is becoming militarised as it was during the Cold War.

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):
     the discriminatory and, at times, absurdist, situation of areas under violent extremist control in Afghanistan;   Voldemort II has announced an increased military mission in Afghanistan – which shows military violence has defeated nation building;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
     -   the actions required to address urban risk in Africa;
     -   the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety has “called on African countries to scale up their efforts to tackle road fatalities, noting that the continent has the highest rate of traffic-related deaths in the world” (35,000 people each year in Nigeria alone);
     -   examination of the imminent change of power in Angola;
     -   the problem of hate speech in Burundi;
     -   the growing language crisis (between French- speakers and English-speakers) in Cameroon;
     -   the situation is worsening in the Central African Republic, with thousands displaced and heavily armed groups on the move;
     -   “a Global Environment Facility-funded project in Ethiopia is helping subsistence farmers make use of unwanted biomass residues to improve livelihoods”;
     -   the musical “golden era” of 1970s Somalia (another nation that was destroyed by a so-called “strong” man who was the front for gutless, small-minded conservatives … );   the UN has praised the progress being made in Somalia;
• 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 (duplicitous) China and the DPRK (North Korea):  
     -   China’s duplicity over North Korea has been exposed: it is continuing to supply oil;   a retirement home for police dogs in China;
     -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in: India, the Indian Ocean;
     -   the USA has indicated talks with the DPRK are possible, following the latter’s “restraint” … but the DPRK has chosen to fire several missiles … and the USA has chosen to impose sanctions on 10 entities and six individuals (Chinese and Russian – which may well be justified);   the DPRK “may” have a more powerful missile under development (I’d say it inevitably does, which makes getting talks underway and dealing with China’s duplicity even more important);      concerning links between the Assad Dictatorship and Kim ⅓ regime in the DPRK;
     -   elsewhere in Asia:
     -   the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, Burma has released its Final Report, with an overview here. The report covers citizenship (the lack of which is a key problem), movement, development, etc., with reasonable-sounding recommendations (although I am unfamiliar with the details of the 1982 procedure for verifying citizenship, so do not know whether the recommendation to accelerate that is good or not), but there is no comment - in the overview, at least - of human rights abuses. That may be the price of getting to do the report, but it is a limitation ... ;   the UN has condemned the attack on Burmese security forces;
     -   Cambodia is using a claim of unpaid taxes to shut down a critical newspaper – see also here;
     -   Japan has conducted nuclear attack drills;
     -   Australia’s spy chief has been photographed with the President of the Philippines – which possibly reflects the fact that in diplomacy “you don't always get to choose the cards — or the kingpins — you are dealt”, but led to questions of possible poor judgement ... and a robust defence;   following the extrajudicial execution (i.e., murder) of a high school student, the murder-enabling President of the Philippines has backed off on his incitement – a little … ;   an examination of the currently overlooked but long running insurgency in the Philippines;
     -   South Korean “activists” using balloons, TV shows and leaflets are probably not having a significant effect, and could throw a wrench into cross-border diplomacy;
     -   in Thailand, an arrest warrant has been issued for a former Prime Minister (who came to power after her brother fled the nation to avoid corruption charges) after she failed to appear in court to hear a guilty verdict in a “negligence of duty” case;
     -   and in the Pacific:   climate change is threatening the agriculture of Pacific rim nations;
• With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU):
     -   a call for Germany to start taking more of a leading role – including militarily, now that the USA is slipping back;   as Turkish thugs attack German politicians with Turkish ethnicities, Germany’s efforts at a tougher stance against Turkey are failing;
• 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):
     -   “Iraqi civilians lack access to safety in Tal Afar district”;   the number of civilians fleeing Tal Afar has decreased from 2,000 per day to 100 per day, but “it is not clear whether this sharp drop is a reflection of the reduced population of Tel Afar or if civilians are unable to leave”;   an examination of security in Iraq;
     -   and the Iraq Body Count project reports 128 civilians violently killed in the last week;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   “Brazil's government has abolished a vast national reserve in the Amazon to open up the area to mining”;   “Brazil’s Supreme Court justice [has] opened a corruption investigation into the nation’s agriculture minister”;
     -   the appalling state of prisons in El Salvador (no wonder the gangs get so many recruits);
     -   Parliamentary Democracy has been ended in Venezuela;   a US tour by a Venezuelan conductor and National Youth Orchestra has been cancelled after the conductor and Venezuelan President criticised each other;   the USA has implemented financial; sanctions aimed at punishing and crippling Venezuela (this is one of those actions that may miss the target –which is Venezuela’s violent and inept government);   uncertainty over the response of the Venezuelan military;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     -   on India:  
     -   at least 29 people have been killed in riots after a self-proclaimed “godman” was convicted of rape;   India’s growing concerns over China’s “belt and road initiative”, and the regional tensions resulting from the BRI – see also here;
     -   on Pakistan:  
     -   the USA is pressuring Pakistan to help it with the war in Afghanistan, risking a downgraded status if it does not crack down on violent extremists – see also here;
     -   elsewhere in South Asia:  
     -   aid is going to 180,000 of the 460,000 Nepalis displaced after recent flooding;
• With regard to Sudan and South  Sudan:
     -   South Sudan’s leaders are directly responsible for the war (and all that comes from it: time for a referral to the at times inept  ICC?);
• 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):
     calls to allow aid to the 11 besieged areas with half a million people, and for protection of children against the staggering impact of the war;   a “senior United Nations aid official [has] urged the international community to do whatever is needed to allow citizens to flee from Raqqa, saying that right now, there is "no worse place on earth" than the de facto capital of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh)”;   concerning links between the Assad Dictatorship and Kim ⅓ regime in the DPRK;
• With regard to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and North Africa, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     -   on Israel and Palestine:   Voldemort II's team are showing their lack of touch with reality with some staggering comments about the two-state solution - and one expert has commented that this may end the USA's role in the West Asia peace process;
     -   elsewhere in the region:
     -   in a continuation of its campaign to sabotage the nuclear deal, the USA has called for nuclear inspectors to have access to Iran’s military bases;
     -   despite the promises of nationhood, Kurdistan was split between four nations in the 1920s, and its people now want their independence – even if the timing is not convenient for others;
• 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):
     dozens of people have been killed by an airstrike in Yemen.

Other News:

• a monkey in a zoo has adopted a chicken.

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.