Post No. 1,168 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 218

For the sake of my health, until I retire or change to an easier day job , I have cut back these posts.

Information and Summary of News with Opinion / Advocacy / 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 … ) See also here and here.

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 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:   -   (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 from an elemental point of view, this week we need:
      on ALL levels, more BPM Water;

(d)   I’ve created a bindrune for this week’s work, which is:

(e)   dealing with the 45^th President of the USA 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 the USA’s CEO’s BPM Guides and giving them whatever BPM help they need to present a BPM alternative to promote a change of heart,
     2. lifting the nonBPM influences from the shoulders of the USA’s CEO’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. physical world activism (especially education) – e.g., this. 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)   the major events this week are:   -   as attraction to violence continues to be inadequately addressed, the risks of mass atrocities in   South Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Venezuela, and ongoing violent conflicts and crises in Syria, Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq, Burma, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan (Darfur and South Kordofan), Yemen, Egypt (Sinai), Kurdistan, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Mali, DR Congo, Burundi, Kashmir, Baluchistan (Pakistan and Iran), India (Maoist and other insurgencies), the Maghreb (Africa), Ukraine, and elsewhere;     refugee and humanitarian crises;     the political madness of regimes with authoritarian leaders;     and     revelations about neoliberalism;     continuing violence;

(g)   be willing to genuinely address the possibility that one is overreacting – and note that to hold on to overreacting is to directly feed disproportionate responses (including Israel on the Gaza boundary) everywhere (but this does require a constructive healthy mechanism, possibly in private);

(h)   always look at the long term consequences of actions and inactions – the failure to do so for past inactions is one of the key reasons the insidious personal preferences of some (NOT all) rich people known as neoliberalism – including the gig economy that it is directly responsible for - has been able to spread: stand up against wrongdoing, especially things like bullying and gossip;

(i)   be nuanced (avoid the simplicity of a Newtonian worldview!), and seek to understand, always;

(j)   new is NOT always good (neither is old) - make an assessment, rather than reacting of simplistic guides;

(k)   peace is an ongoing process, with many steps along the way: it is possible to take those small steps, but one must be careful of not endorsing, or allowing oneself to seem to endorse, wrong along the way – this also applies to deviolencing (sorry – yup, I’ve just had a go at inventing a new word) the world;

(l)   speak truth to power – which includes holding power to account for obfuscation and delay;

(m)   those who have compromised themselves to power / elites / the oligarchy, generally in the cause of their career, will be vehement in their opposition to decency: the depth of their vehemence, violence and viciousness is a measure of their damage, and thus their need for healing;

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 (if I have any this week);

   opportunities/good news (in my opinion) are shown in green;

   comments (by me) 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, may we all exercise our human characteristics of reason, self discipline and improvement to overcome the often evil flaw of seeking social status;
• Permanent issue: may all humans be in better communication with the better parts of their nature – especially those who need that more than other, better people;
• Matters warranting particular attention:
       this week on reversing the deliberate, well-funded, long-term strategy (from about the 70s) to make self-interest seem normal and a commitment to fairness (such as former US President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Four  Freedoms) an aberration:     the entirety of this blog and all other spiritual work and physical activism I and many others do;     “a healthy economy should be designed to thrive, not grow”;     “the economic anxiety vs. status loss debate”;     an opinion on how neoliberals - who see being poor as a character flaw - packaged their personal preferences as pseudo-ideology and national interest, and thereby convinced us that, despite a mining boom and being rich beyond the imagining of anyone living in the 1970s or 80s (although much of that new wealth has been vacuumed up by a few), our nation is poor and that our governments “can’t afford” to provide the level of services they provided in the past - which has lowered our expectations of democracy itself, making us easier to con but coming at a long term cost (people with low expectations feel they have nothing to lose - and conservative voters no longer care who they vote for);     “for the first time in recorded history, less than half of all working Australians have a permanent full-time job with leave entitlements”;     a far-right nationalist movement has opened new exclusive men-only clubs, and reactionary neo-libs claim they're being hard done by in the “culture wars” ... ;     an examination of why time-poor and cash-strapped millennials, who have been gifted some spectacular challenges (including the astronomical cost of housing and the fast-disappearing security of a full-time job) to wade through and are facing a worse financial outlook than their parents, have turned to the “gig economy” to pay their rent, and, in a vicious cycle, have also turned to gig-economy businesses for cheaper and more convenient service – “there is always an exchange of power for lower prices or access to something for free, whether it be giving away our data, or the entitlements that came with the old jobs market”, but “a reality of consumer behaviour [is] that in tough economic times, people crave ‘affordable luxuries’ ” (the “lipstick index”); - the campaign to improve this is a positive step, but “must also acknowledge and address the factors driving millennials to prop up the gig economy with their purchases”;     a sad but interesting speculation on what if Bobby Kennedy hadn't been murdered . . . (“I think that the rational liberal democratic socialist view of the world, from Franklin Roosevelt all the way to Lyndon Johnson, was really cut short by the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy” . . . “We would not have had as strong a swing to the right, and the partisanship in our society now would look different” . . . “there would not have been a Jimmy Carter presidency and probably not a Bill Clinton one either . . . who moved away from traditional LBJ-style government programmes . . . were less interventionist in personal choices about issues like gun ownership and local control of schools” . . . BUT “By the end of the 1960s, the forces that were swelling up against the Great Society, which was an extension of the New Deal of the 1930s, were going to defeat whoever the Democrats put up . . . the Civil Rights movement had largely achieved its legislative aims, and so if either Martin Luther King Jr or Robert Kennedy had lived they would have had to battle the great American conundrum of economic inequality and poverty that has thwarted all others”);
     on the Rohingya crisis and genocide this week:
     -   amongst all the other misery, the “camp of widows” is facing particular trauma;
     on other matters requiring particular attention:
     -   the human cost of violent conflict;     the USA’s school safety commission is NOT looking at guns . . . ;     a confidential report commissioned by Defence contains allegations that members of Australia's elite special forces may, in their culture of drug and alcohol abuse, have “used unsanctioned and illegal application of violence on operations, facilitated by weak leadership [disregarded the tell-tale signs of dysfunction] and a perceived lack of accountability”, had a “disregard for human dignity”, some officers may have [lost sight of the fact its job is to serve the Australian Government's interests, rather than its own, and] pressured “politicians to agree to missions that might not be in the public interest”, and that the spread of former special operations personnel through Defence and other government agencies might “hamstring attempts to bring our special forces to heel” (the military also have problems with sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia) - see also here;
     -   (as would surely be expected) Iran will “inform the United Nations’ nuclear agency that it is beginning the process of increasing its capacity to enrich uranium” (see also later comments on G7 summit);
     -   “Israeli troops have shot dead four Palestinians and wounded at least 618 others . . . at the Gaza Strip border”;     the Gaza protests are “moving [the] Palestinian cause beyond political divisions into a state of confrontation against the Israeli occupation”;     a criticism of Israel’s violent and oppressive treatment of Palestinians;     Israel’s cabinet will “consider” (in what way?) the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and is expected to approve an extension of its violent response;
     -   China has been warned against the “intimidation and coercion” of militarising islands in the disputed South China Sea;     against the background of a recent article claiming Chinese companies are truly independent (which contributes to their success), the recent growth of repression in China, and a call for Australia to “hit the reset button”, the Australian chairman of a Chinese telco giant has hit back at claims his company is a national security risk – see also here;     Australia’s attorney general has defended the nation’s media against accusations from a Chinese diplomat that it “fabricates stories”;     a Chinese spy ship will moor next to an Australian warship in a Pacific port;     “Canadian-Chinese actress Anastasia Lin has urged Australia to intervene in alleged ‘transplant abuse’ in China”;     a hawkish mainland Chinese newspaper has said, amid rising tension between the USA and mainland China, that mainland China should be prepared for a crisis in the Taiwan Strait;     fears a suspected sonic weapon has now reached China and been used against a US Consulate;
     -   North Korea human rights abuses are likely to be ignored at the imminent summit with the USA;     North Korea’s leader has removed the three top military leaders in his nation, which “could support efforts by the North's young leader to jump-start economic development and engage with the world”;     Japan is engaging in a “surge of diplomacy” before the US-North Korea summit;     former North Korean spies hope North Korea's growing diplomatic activities could mean they finally get to go home;
     -   concerns at the slowness of an investigation into abuses of power  and excesses by UK undercover police – which included deceiving seven women into relationship . . . (an apology for the latter is not enough);
     -   “plunging prices for renewable energy and rapidly increasing investment in low-carbon technologies could leave fossil fuel companies with trillions in stranded assets and spark a global financial crisis” (although my initial reaction is hardline, this does mean real people will suffer enormously – well beyond the fossils at the manipulative, denialist centre of the fossil fuel industry, and therefore it is of concern);
     -    a “famed American neuroscientist and bestselling author [who I’ve never heard of – just sayin’] says in describing the post-modern platforms as a psychological experiment that none of us signed up for yet all of us are a part of” – and that we are all being driven insane (even those of us who haven’t signed up to it?);     an online job application service and the personal information of many of its clients has been compromised by a hack (see also here) - and, on that, an article about identity theft, and ways to prevent it;     new laws to force the nation's telecommunications companies and multinational tech giants to help law enforcement agencies access the encrypted data of suspected criminals and terrorists - or face significant fines - will be released in a few weeks, but details (such as whether the proposal would allow the embedding of surveillance codes in mobile devices) are not being discussed;     another Star Wars actress - the first lead actress of colour - has deleted her social media posts, believed likely to be in response to sexist and racist harassment;     more on social trolls . . . and yet more;     as many as 14 million users may have inadvertently shared private social media posts publicly – allegedly as a result of a now fixed software bug;
     -   Australia's major parties have “agreed to changes to proposed foreign espionage laws that critics have warned would “criminalise” investigative journalism” . . . and Australia’s Government has offered to make sweeping amendments to another key anti-espionage bill;
     -   a thoughtful and thought provoking article on collegiality in workplaces, academic freedom vs. Codes of Conduct (and ignored warnings), and the “endearing [needless to say, not my choice of word :) ] lack of self-awareness in their charge that the “warmists” are the ideologues [as the climate change deniers] leap on the 3% or so of scientists who argue their colleagues have got it all wrong” . . . ;
       this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists   South Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Venezuela;
• With regard to democracy (which can be measured [as can goodness], and requires  protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish, and note this list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom, governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here) and ethics:
  Note: I have a section specifically for the 45^th US President below
     analyses, research and commentary this week include:
     -   the “hopeless” flaws of Gross Domestic Product;
     of concern this week:
     -   a former US intelligence officer has been charged with attempting to spy for China (remember: everyone is innocent until proven guilty);     the rest of G7 has angrily attacked the USA over its trade policies . . . but “a dialogue” will start within two weeks . . . at the end of the conference, the G6 vowed to keep nuclear weapons out of Iran’s hand and condemned Iranian support of terrorism, but, in a staggering fit of petulance, the USA wasn’t part of the statement;     the declining importance of human rights to the US White House;     criticism of the USA’s “systematic attack on welfare”;
     -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in:   UK,   Europe / USA;
     good news this week includes:
     -   a US White House communications aide who drew criticism for reportedly joking about a Senator’s cancer has left her role;     Parliament is fighting back against government (as the article explains, they are separate) in one Australian state to impose accountability and transparency;
     -   other good news has occurred:   Ethiopia / Eritrea;
     and democracy/governance/political matters in my home nation this week:
     on the Royal Commission into banks, and similar matters:
     -   one of Australia’s “big four” banks “has agreed to pay the biggest fine in Australian corporate history for breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws that resulted in millions of dollars flowing through to drug importers”;
     on other matters:
     -   an Australian company have kow-towed to mainland Chinese pressure, and will falsely refer to the free and independent nation of Taiwan as a territory . . . ;     “a group of Australian journalists has been blocked from travelling to China because of “frosty” diplomatic relations between the two” nations;     a survey shows that Australians have more compassion than their political leaders give credit for, and, if simply asked whether everyone should be looked after in a nation like Australia, most people support a Newstart increase;     “the final two stages of the [Australian] government’s income tax cut plan will cost the budget more than $130 [billion] from 2023, with higher income earners enjoying the bulk of the $144 [billion] plan”;     a controversial conservative politician (who hypocritically attacked Equal Marriage) has criticised those who told his pregnant (now former) staffer to have an abortion as “scum of the earth” – which was rejected by his compatriots;     the creation of the Australian Border Force (ABF) by the merging of the departments of immigration and border protection failed to bring the budget savings it promised, was beset by poor record keeping and high turnover, and the ABF also failed to evaluate 94% of its contracts with external consultants engaged to assist the merger, according to the Australian National Audit Office;     NDIS changes are driving one family to desperation;     despite repeated calls for resources to make the Family Court a safer place for women and children, Australia’s  neoliberal government will pander to the votes of the “angry dads” that voted for a right wing extremist party;     criticism of the Australian neoliberal government’s “racist” and “ridiculous” insistence on enforcement of only Medicare cardholders using the breast screening service for free;     Australia has dramatically cut access to the disability support pension in the past eight years, cutting the approval rate from 63% to about 30%, resulting in one quarter of people on Newstart having partial capacity to work;
• With regard to the USA and their 45^th President (who is dangerous – see here on actions for US residents [and the useful principles]) of the Unexceptional States of America (which has some … “unique” characteristics that don’t exist elsewhere in the world) generally this week (I avoid using the 45^th US President’s name for psychic reasons – I may use either “the USA’s CEO” or “Voldemort II” as an alias; also, the US Vice-President needs to be worked on – and typically takes about three times as much effort to clear of negativity):
     -   the 45^th US President has extremely high support amongst Republican voters;     despite all the warnings, we are normalising Voldemort II;
     -   here it comes: the USA’s 45^th President has claimed a secret letter asserting that the President cannot be compelled to testify before the Special Prosecutor was leaked;     more claims on the US President’s pardon powers;     an opinion that the 45^th US President is behaving like a monarch . . . ;     the (Republican) US House speaker has said that “no one is above the law”, becoming the most senior Republican in Congress to speak out against the president’s assertion that he has the “absolute” power to do so, and also backed another senior Republican’s assertion that there is no evidence that the FBI planted a “spy” in the USA's 45^th President's 2016 presidential election campaign;
     -   the 45^th US President cannot distance himself from his family break up immigration policies – which are now harming some businesses that can’t find workers;     an undocumented immigrant faces deportation after he was detained and reported while delivering pizza to a military base;
     -   US prosecutors have accused the  former campaign manager for the USA’s 45^th President of “trying to tamper with potential witnesses ahead of his trial”;
     -   in a “tetchy” phone call over tariffs, Voldemort II accused Canadians - rather than British soldiers - of burning the White House 200 years ago . . . ;
     -   the superintendent of a major US national park says he has been forced out of his job by the administration over his wildlife advocacy, and other former park service workers say he is being used as an example to undermine the culture of conservation;
• With regard to violent extremism (VE) (aka, terrorism) (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 “Cure Violence”, 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 don’t name groups to reduce their publicity):
     -   according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 5 attacks in Iraq and 3 attacks in Afghanistan (out of a total of 28), including   Mozambique;     and actions (Note: there are many others that don’t reach the media I read) have occurred this week against violent extremists in:   Libya;     authorities in the USA and Europe are “uncovering growing evidence that priceless antiquities looted by [violent extremists] — including works from war-torn Syria — are being smuggled into Western art markets”;     Islamophobia in Europe at the end of Ramadan;
     -   the facts show that “US Muslims do condemn acts of terrorism and political violence in the name of Islam”;
     -   “there is no evidence to suggest the radicalisation of inmates in [one Australian state's] prisons is widespread but the risk is there and vigilance is needed”;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration) and people seeking asylum:
     -   at least 46 refugees have drowned off Tunisia when their boat sank, but 67 have been rescued;     children as young as one have been separated by US border officials;     myths about the refugee crisis (it is not over, we cannot neatly separate economic and other refugees, human stories are not enough to change attitudes, it is NOT a threat to European values, and history is not repeating);     scores of refugees trying to cross from Somalia to Ethiopia have drowned;     Greece is putting women at risk of rape by holding them with unrelated men;     “six of the world’s 10 most neglected displacement crises are in Africa”;
     -   other refugee-related matters have also occurred in:   USA / Guatemala;
• With regard to other human (and other) rights and discrimination (incidentally, I consider it vital to identify people who are bigots, as they clearly have flaws of observation and thinking – shown by the fact that NOT all people choose to discriminate unless they have been educated otherwise [and there’s this]):
     on HOMOPHOBIA/TRANSPHOBIA (including heteronormativity and cisgender-normativity) this week (and noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the trans kids’ true gender):
     -   the US Supreme Court has ruled for fanatical hate – see also this, but see also this;     a warning that the Australian government “must stand ready to fight a US-style “pushback” aiming to delegitimise same-sex marriage”;     a rebuttal of a bigot’s claim that Safe Schools contains explicit material, and another’s claim that kids are better off with heterosexual parents;     a fitness company has moved quickly to deal with homophobia;     a rebuttal of the being trans is a mental illness rubbish;
     on white supremacist and other forms of RACISM / CULTURAL DISCRIMINATION and Indigenous matters generally this week:
     -   the need for appropriate cyber safety strategies in Indigenous communities;     a call for respect as the basis for closing the gap on education;     an attempt an enforcing cultural elitism from conservative donors appears to have been behind the ending of a proposed University degree in Western civilisation – see also here, and here;     my home state is moving closer to Australia’s first official Indigenous treaty, but, 25 years on from the Commonwealth Government's Native Title Act, Constitutional recognition and a proper addressing of sovereignty remain pressing matters;     “the Northern Territory Government has signed a historic agreement to begin treaty talks with all four of the NT’s powerful Aboriginal land councils”;     “Australia’s frontier war killings still conveniently escape official memory” (these continued into 1930s, and possibly later);
     on TRAFFICKING, and CHILDREN’s and associated human rights this week:
     -   neochristian Churches in Australia are selling some of their churches to raise funds for the redress scheme - or, as they put it, “to help ‘make amends’ for the abuse of children”;     former slaves have asked for the skills to lead the anti-trafficking drive;
     -   also on child abuse, particularly neochristian and other institutional, this week:   here;
     -   also on slavery / human trafficking this week:   USA,   Yazidi women,   USA,   Europe / Libya,   businesses,   UK,   UK car washes;
     -   opportunities to take action   here,   here (which I found difficult – eyesight’s not so good these days,   and there’s only so much zoom),   here (great links to useful information),   here (perhaps not so useful for casual,   infrequent shoppers like me),   here (tremendous to see others acknowledged – and I stunned how many organisations are close by,   here,   here (if you are inclined towards creativity),   here (includes donation request for those who can),   here,   here,   here,   here,   here,   and here;
     on SEXISM this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone):
     -   a partnership between the EU and the UN to stop violence against women;     a “beauty pageant” has scrapped the swimsuit competition;     US “voters have “recalled” a judge from office after he sentenced a [man] convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman to a short jail sentence instead of a long prison term”;     gender –neutral toys are growing;     another Australian state has created safe zones around abortion clinics;     more sexism in business propaganda;
     -   on sexual harassment/misconduct/violence this week, see:   here,   here;
     -   other sexism matters have also occurred in:   India,   doctors,   Europe (good news);
     on RELIGIOUS rights this week:
     -   a call for religious freedom to include spiritual freedom;     former Muslims fear disownment and abuse;
     on WORKERS’ rights this week:
     -   the US Supreme Court has limited the right to a class action;     the US farmworker campaign is continuing;     questions about whether a ride sharing service's public relations campaign is glossing over problems that may actually still remain;
     on PRIVACY, AGED, DIFFERENTLY ABLED, AND OTHER forms of human (and other – e.g., ANIMAL) rights this week:
     -   a call for more nurses to improve aged care;
     -   opportunities to take action here;
     on ANIMALS’ rights this week:
     -   a call to stop Russia killing stray dogs ahead of a major international sporting event;     bees understand the concept of zero as a number;
• With regard to war, violence and hate generally:
     -   a video has captured an unprovoked, violent attack on person lying on a US city footpath – and, shockingly, no-one reacts . . . – see also here;     survivors of a US school mass murder by guns are considering the next phase of gun law reform;
• With regard to spirituality and/or psychism generally (including revolutionary love, survival after death, and good religion), and the occasional nice story (and to get people to constructively remedy: fear of being single / asexual / off-grid or a rebel / innovator / non-conformist / true to yourself, belief in management  fads and fashions, distracting themself aka filling their time, and accept extraterrestrial UFOs):
     -   although I'm not a Christian and strongly object to neochristianity, I have to agree with these concerns;     affluence—not willpower—seems to be what’s behind rich kids' capacity to delay gratification;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     -   a volcanic eruption has killed scores in Guatemala – and hundreds are missing . . . and there are disputed claims over warnings and responses;     lava from the ongoing volcanic eruption in Hawaii has destroyed hundreds of homes;
• With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (such as conflict  minerals, environmental harm and child labour in smart phone , FOMO [which can be overcome] and addiction or unthinking pro-technology bias, second thoughts, social media making people miserable or envious, work and lifestyles causing depression, being duped by modern mantras and  management  fads, “failing” at being well or failing to consider life options, AI ethics, corporate misuse of mindfulness as a distraction from working conditions, embedded emissions, plane pollution, bigger, flashier homes/cars– which means actively abusing the environment and society’s cohesion and contributing to financialisation, the need for agroforestry, the accursed “new is always good” groupthink of the computer world, abuse of workers by insisting on busy-ness, raising Prince Boofheads):
     on climate change and other environmental matters this week:
     -   after a whale dies from having swallowed 80 plastic bags, the UN says “fifty nations are now taking action to reduce plastic pollution”;     “an introduced species of barnacle and poor maintenance have been blamed [by the farm owner] for the mass escape of 20,000 farmed kingfish”;     elderly farmers are underestimating the threats of future heatwaves;     the half a billion dollar package for the Great Barrier Reef will “have limited impact amid climate change”;     clean energy in Australia in 2018;     a call for an independent, expert authority on climate change with real teeth;     “pumped hydro projects unveiled as Tasmania bids to be ‘battery of the nation’ ”;     the minister for trade in Australia's neoliberal government overturned a ban on government-backed loans to domestic miners last year - without consulting his department, which means the federal government could start funding coalmining projects at a time when Australia’s major banks are increasingly distancing themselves from investing in coal;     a cargo ship has lost 83 shipping containers overboard– leading to rubbish washing up, and warnings of debris (shipping containers can sink small boats);     research into new ways of reusing wastewater and animal waste, albeit with well-established technologies;     one Australian state has approved a “massive” wind farm;     a plan to reduce food waste;     criticism of one Australian state for ignoring scientific advice (one advisor resigned) to pass a law protecting brumbies (wild horses);     “increasingly frustrated” Australian farmers and rural voters have challenged a rural-based political party's claims that drought is unrelated to climate change;     activists will relaunch a disruption campaign targeting an Australian state government's ministers and MPs if road upgrades required for a controversial coalmine are financed;     plastic has reached Antarctica . . . ;     how trees communicate with each other, and the need to keep hub trees (Canada is disturbing forests at four times a sustainable rate);     the need to look after oceans;     “even small dams” have impacts that are of concern;
     -   other environmental matters have occurred in:   Indonesia (good news);
     on technology and science matters this week:
     -   one computer manufacturing company will attempt to frustrate tools used by a social media platform to automatically track web users, which “is likely to add to tensions between the two companies” (my first reaction is yay for privacy! . . . but is that what it will mean? [especially for people like me, who use neither . . . ]);     web cameras are being hacked to enable scams (when the **** will manufacturers put a ****** slide over the cameras???!!!);     smartphones are essential for some people (e.g., those in the gig economy . . . but I still won't get one for myself, and will refuse all pressure to do so until the privacy, addiction and slavery problems are adequately resolved);     a stupid start-up has programmed its electric scooters to yell at people: “Unlock me to ride me, or I’ll call the police”  which is a terrifying threat for people of colour, quite apart from the noise;
     on affordable, sustainable and decent housing and homelessness matters this week (why are politicians with “investment properties” not admitting a conflict of interest and staying out of housing affordability debates?):
     -   more on the utter stupidity of building houses in Australia that leak air, and then trying to compensate for that with massive ****** air conditioning;     those living in cars, and the invisibly homeless;     a Dutch neighbourhood will be the site of world-first 3D-printed multi-storey, sustainable (“much less concrete is needed and hence much less cement, which reduces the CO₂ emissions originating from cement production”; “not having a natural gas connection — which . . . is quite rare in The Netherlands”), fully habitable concrete homes, with the first residents due to move in as soon as next year;     a parliamentary committee in my home state has made 28 recommendations focusing on community consultation, advice to tenants, planning issues and reporting of outcomes on the Public Housing Renewal Program, noting that the number of people applying for public housing is increasing;
     on health and medical this week:
     -   ambulance officers (“paramedics”) need support to deal with daily trauma;     the biggest lesson from the vaginal mesh debacle is that doctors must listen to women, and stop being paternalistic (including female doctors);
• With regard to press aka the media, and freedom of expression (claims of presenting “both sides” of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case on LGBTIQ issues. Also, media can be unprofessional, but funding is an issue … ):
     -   “why the ABC is a political football”;
     -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in:   Australia/China;
• With regard to education:
     -   Australian school students are lonelier and less engaged than a decade ago;     computers in the classroom “can make you either dumber, or they can make you smarter”;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing (noting that an uncle of mine resigned when corruption was not comprehensively cleaned out of the police force he served in, I also have high expectations of police [to match their powers], and consider all violence, abuse of power and failure to understand the impacts of their actions [e.g., see here and here] by police – who are under incredible pressure –is, nevertheless, undermining and weakening all police and what they are trying to achieve):
     -   a detailed examination of a miscarriage of justice in a US state notorious for racism and injustice;     a dancing off-duty US FBI agent dislodged his gun, and then accidentally shot another patron when he picked it up . . . ;     Victoria's most serious young criminals will soon be tracked with electronic monitoring bracelets - and tested for drugs and alcohol - to ensure they stick to their parole conditions . . . hmm – does this shift the balance between fearful prevention and just human rights the wrong way?;     a domestic violence VICTIM was jailed because she couldn’t attend court . . . ;     another violent police attack;     a motorcyclist may have been targeted by traffic police who fined him for loosening his chin strap so he could talk to them;     as other Australian states move towards harm minimisation, one state’s police will ban (mostly young) people from entering a musical festival in Sydney if sniffer dogs detect illegal drugs on them – even if no drugs are actually found in a search, leading to criticism from “politicians, drug safety advocates and civil libertarians who point to the questionable reliability of sniffer dogs and argue that police are abusing their powers”;
    -      other crime,   judicial and policing matters have occurred in:   Afghanistan.

Location based News:

• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
     -   Burundi’s President has said he will step down in 2020, “despite widespread belief that he backed a new constitution extending term limits in a bid to cling to power”;
     -   around 180,000 have fled violence in Cameroon;
     -   an attack on peacekeepers in the Central African Republic has been condemned;     looting;
     -   more on the Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo;
     -   “Ethiopia's surprise announcement that it will abide by a 2002 border ruling raises the prospect of a final end to what was Africa's deadliest border war and peace with its long-time rival, Eritrea”;
     -   “Libyans will have a constitution and elections by the end of the year” – and the military leader currently rampaging through eastern Libya is apparently quite unpopular;     more traffickers and smugglers have been added to the sanctions list;
     -   the gulf crisis is spilling into Somalia – and a warning has been made that Somalia’s political unity is at risk;
     -   South Africa has sought to reassure whites over planned land reforms;
     -   “Zimbabwe’s main opposition parties called for protests next week to demand a series of electoral reforms”;     pledges of spending of money that Zimbabwe doesn’t have in the lead up to elections . . . ;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   “hundreds of mourners congregated in a town in Guatemala . . . to bid farewell to a young indigenous woman who was shot dead by a US border patrol agent . . . last month”;
     -   Mexico has announced new tariffs on US products in response to steep US duties on imports of steel and aluminium;
• With regard to mainland 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 mainland China, Hong Kong, the DPRK (North Korea) and South Korea (which need to accept their partition – for now – and sign a peace treaty), Taiwan, and the free but invaded and occupied nation of Tibet:
     -   the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre;
     -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in:   Australia,   Australia;
     elsewhere in Asia:
     -   Indonesia's “two largest Islamic organisations will call on [their] network of 100 million followers to reduce plastic waste and reuse bags”;
     -   the Philippines’ bodyguard-imitating little rich boy (until sexually abused by a catholic priest), misogynistic (wannabe  rapist), human rights abusing  president  Marcos-Lite  (with shades of Pinochet)has forced a woman to kiss him – and told a human rights expert to “go to hell”;
     and in the Pacific:
     -   an examination of demography, urbanisation, immigration, health and health systems, gender relations, and governance, which have the potential to stop the region’s development and undermine its resilience;
• With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU) (which need to step up, as the USA steps down):
     -   Voldemort II's former strategist is now trying to undermine democracy in Europe;   a call for the “wedded to an aggressive form of neoliberal economics” European Union to reform;
     -   Germany is concerned about potentially losing the USA’s trade war – see also here;
     -   Italians have been shocked by man's selfie after train accident left an injured woman on the tracks;
     -   Spain’s new socialist prime minister has appointed the first majority-female cabinet since Spain returned to democracy, saying his new government is “unmistakably committed to equality”;
     -   the UK (opposition) Labour party has called for an enquiry into allegations of Islamophobia within the Conservative party (is this a response to - or a deflection away from - the concerns about anti-Semitism in UK Labour?);     violence at protests in response to the jailing of a far right extremist for contempt of court;
• 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, Central Asia, and responses (see also elsewhere):
     Russia:
     -   Russia claims it is not trying to split the European Union . . . and played down reported links between the Russian President’s political party and Austria's far-right Freedom Party . . . (yeah, right);     “fan ID” and visa problems ahead of a major international sporting event in homophobic Russia;
• 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):
     -   a suicide bomber has targeted a gathering of clerics calling for peace, killing eight and injuring nine;     “most civilian casualties in Afghanistan are still caused by anti-government [violent extremist groups] and, despite the heavy bombing, it does not appear that the US has become more careless in its approach to protecting civilians” . . . “total civilian casualties from all sources actually decreased slightly . . . so although more civilians died in air attacks, it looks like the increased air cover may have prevented . . . major assaults on population centres”;     moves for peace in Afghanistan as violent extremists kill 19 police in an attack;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     on India:
     -   an Indian film that shows female bonding (with familiar Indian social tropes like the distaste for arranged marriages, weight issues, being judged by friends and relatives, putting up with the pressures of a big fat over-the-top wedding, and balancing parental approval and those of husbands' families) among four hard drinking, foul-mouthed friends has sparked a social media storm;     China’s Chairperson Xi will informally visit India in 2019;     a resurgence of poaching;    a tribal famine;     allegations by India’s Prime Minister of Pakistani interference in elections was based on “informal input” . . . ;     dust storms;
• With regard to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and Northern Africa, the Middle East Eye, the Times of Israel, and other sources have:
     on Israel and Palestine:
     -   “Argentina has cancelled a [sporting] match with Israel, apparently under political pressure over Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza”;     “Israel [says it] is pursuing a policy of “subterranean normalisation” with Arab countries that will eventually bring a peace deal with the Palestinians”;     Israel says violent extremists are setting up missiles, “training thousands” and making threats in southern Lebanon;
     on the conflict in Yemen:
     -   Yemeni rebels’ missile attacks have killed three civilians in Saudi Arabia;
     on Syria (where the Assad Dictatorship has lost all pretence of legitimacy, and partition is needed):
     -   Germany has issued an arrest warrant for a top Assad Dictatorship official on charges of crimes against humanity;     claims Iranian fighters are disguising themselves as part of the Assad Dictatorship’s forces;
     elsewhere in the region:
     -   civilian deaths this year in Iraq, following the defeat of violent extremists, have dropped by 76%;     the controversial Iraqi cleric whose party won the recent elections has called for disarmament, and said his group would begin by handling over weapons unconditionally;     the first Iraqi oil tanker in three decades has set sail for the USA (good news for the Iraqi economy, and for normalisation, but oil is still a problem environmentally);
     -   Jordan's Prime Minister has resigned in response to “widening protests over a planned tax increase and other austerity measures”; - and Saudi Arabia is considering measures to provide support – see also this comparison to the Arab Spring (“King Abdullah II has a choice to make: either bow to the Saudis to alleviate the economic crisis or make real long-lasting political reforms”);
     -   after the start of the Gulf crisis, Qatar started importing cows (to air conditioned barns) as a proud part of its new push for self-reliance;
     -   Turkey has “strongly criticized Austria’s move to close mosques and expel Turkish-funded imams, slamming the decision as anti-Islamic and promising a response”, adding that it was leading towards a holy war;
     -   other events have occurred or are developing in:   Somalia.

Other News:

• a fast food chain in Australia is starting to charge for access toilets – which is a problem for elderly and disabled customers.

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 “CE 5  ET contact” movement started by Dr Steven M Greer, which is the one which appears to me to most capitalise on the teachings of “The Nine”,     the “Network of Light”  meditations;     the 1 Million Meditators movement,     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.

(I 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.