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• RAW STORY April 2, 2015 Crude-oil prices fell Thursday after six world powers and Iran announced they had agreed on a framework to curb Iran’s nuclear drive. The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery, shed 95 cents to close at $49.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in May, the global benchmark futures contract, slumped to $54.98 in late London trade, a sharp decline of $2.12 from Wednesday’s closing level. The market has been following the marathon negotiations closely, estimating that an agreement could lift sanctions against Iran, allowing the return of Iranian crude to an oversupplied global market. Shortly before the New York market closed, the world powers and Iran said that Tehran has agreed to curtail its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions that have harmed its economy. At the beginning of the press conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, the price of WTI, which had been trading lower since the market opened, fell to $48.11 a barrel before paring its losses. The countries announced the drafting of a full agreement would begin immediately, with a June 30 deadline for completion. Sanctions would be lifted upon Iran’s fulfillment of the terms of the deal, aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. “If Iran cheats, the world will know it,” US President Barack Obama said, adding that the deal reached was based not on trust but on “unprecedented verification.” via Oil price falls as Iran nuclear framework reached.
• Every developed country in the world provides healthcare to all citizens. Except one. Pass this along and LIKE our page US Uncut
• by Barbara Peeters I can’t imagine a better way to spend this day than sitting right here and giving shout outs to the people who support this mighty, mighty effort to make a serious change in this country, in how we view domestic violence. I believe when we are given a full, cohesive, well researched picture of what domestic violence really is and how its corroding the fiber of this nation, we will begin to embrace the solutions presented in this film. This film will answer the question, "But what can we do about it?" It will dissolve the mental block of, "But theres always been violence and there will always be violence. I guess its just a part of the human DNA." It will expose the weak links in the law and therefore law enforcements ambivalent handling of these cases. It will give clear examples of how the cycle of violence works and how to identify each stage of that cycle. It will bring together many of the groups, organizations and foundations that are involved in domestic violence so that they can gain strength through inner-actions. It will be a huge start in an even larger discussion that we need to have with ourselves and each other about reducing violence, not only in our nation, but throughout the world. We can talk about peace, we can pray for peace until were blue in the face and we can march for peace until our feet fall off, but until we truly understand violence and how to effectively replace violence, we will never have enduring peace. via 1 Barbara Peeters - I cant imagine a better way to spend this day....
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•   via Scientists Mapped 8,000 Galaxies Surrounding Us And Found *This* Amazing Discovery.
• Scrubbing dead skin cells off your face and tartar off your teeth trashes the environment if it’s not done right. The right way to do it is with facial scrubs, shampoo, and toothpaste that do not contain microbeads. The microscopic balls of hard plastic flow down drains and pass through wastewater treatment plants, ending up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, where they enter the food chain. Finding microbead-free products isn’t easy right now — you have to read ingredient lists and steer clear of products that contain “polyethylene” or “polypropylene.” Natural alternatives include ground almonds, oatmeal, and pumice. But if lawmakers in California and New York get their ways, the microbead-loaded varieties will become nearly impossible to purchase in two of the most populous states in the country.5 GyresA microbead ‘fro on Abe Lincoln.Late last month, New York Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel D got the ball rolling when she introduced A.8652, which would ban the sale of personal care products and cosmetics containing microbeads. On Tuesday, Schimel was one-upped by Assemblyman Robert Sweeney D, who, with the backing of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman D and the nonprofit 5 Gyres, introduced A.8744 — which would ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of such products.New York League of Conservation Voters President Marcia Bystryn said Sweeney’s bill would not only help to protect the state’s lakes and waterways, but would also “set an example for other states around the country to address this emerging environmental threat.” And that it did.California Assemblyman Richard Bloom D introduced AB 1699 on Thursday. The bill would prohibit the sale of most products containing microplastic, though it would permit tiny amounts of the tiny plastics — less than one part per million.Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive have all made recent commitments to start phasing microbeads out of their products. “We are discontinuing our limited use of micro plastic beads as scrub materials in personal care products as soon as alternatives are qualified,” a Procter & Gamble spokeswoman told the L.A. Times. The new legislative pressure should help ensure that these corporate giants make good on their pledges to scrub the microplastics out of their cleansing products. Source:A.G. Schneiderman Proposes First-in-the-Nation Legislation Banning Plastic Microbeads In Commonly Used Cosmetics, Attorney General Eric Schneidermans website.5 Gyres Introduces Legislation With NY Attorney General To Ban The Microbead, 5 Gyres.Bill banning sale of cosmetics containing microbeads to be proposed, L.A. Times. via New York, California move to ban beauty products containing microbeads | Grist.
• In brief, the Sun Hive has an upside down skep hive at its base with curving frames in the top section and no frames in the bottom section. The hive is placed well above ground level optimal for bees – they never choose to create a hive on the ground.Like a Warré hive, the Sun Hive allows the queen bee to roam freely through the entire hive and lay eggs where she wishes to, which in turn allows the colony to manage the location and progression of their brood nest, which is great for colony health. The top curved frames of the Sun Hive provide the ability to in theory remove each frame, with the free-form comb beneath coming out as well as it is again, in theory attached to the frame directly above. The Sun Hive can also have a super attached to it on a honeyflow not sure about that, as I assume that means a queen excluder would be used to prevent brood comb being created in said super, which goes against the idea of allowing the queen to roam the hive, but anyway. As I said, it’s not the design of this hive that particularly gets me going though it is very beautiful, but the philosophy behind it… putting bees first before honey yields. Also, this sort of experimenting is important. We cannot keep relying on the industrial style of beekeeping that is currently the norm. Well managed Warré Beehives are one branch of natural beekeeping, and this hive is another. What we need, right now, is lots of apicentric beekeepers refining, experimenting and progressing resilient beekeeping techniques. Backed up by good information on bee behavior, not just whacky ideas. via The Sun Hive: experimental Natural Beekeeping « Milkwood: homesteading skills for city & country.
• A ground-braking innovation for solar cells which can turn next generation solar panels cheaper and safer, and promises to accelerate the development of solar energy over the next decade, scientists said. A technical advance based on an edible salt used in the manufacture of tofu could revolutionize the production of future solar panels to make them frugal, more pliable and easier to use. Researchers believe they have found a way of overcoming one of the most serious limitations of the next generation of solar panels, which are based on toxic cadmium chloride, by simply adding magnesium chloride, an abundant salt found in seawater. A study has shown that the solar cells produced with magnesium chloride; which is also found in bath salts as well as used to coagulate soya milk into tofu; work just as efficiently as conventional cadmium cells but at a fraction of the cost and with much lower toxicity. "We certainly believe it’s going to make a big change to the costs of these devices. The cost of solar is going to match fossil fuels eventually but this is going to get us there quicker,” said Jon Major of the University of Liverpool, who led the research. “Magnesium chloride is incredibly low-cost and it’s simply recovered from seawater. It’s used to de-ice roads in winter and it’s completely harmless and non-toxic. We’ve managed to replace a highly expensive, toxic material with one that’s completely benign and low cost,” Dr Major said. About 90pc of the solar panels currently in use are made of photovoltaic cells composed of silicon semiconductors, which convert sunlight directly into electricity. However, silicon is not good at absorbing sunlight which is why the next generation of PV cells will be based on a thin coating of cadmium telluride, which absorbs sunlight so well that it only needs to be about one hundredth of the thickness of silicon. However, although cadmium telluride is seen as the future for solar energy, it is potentially dangerous after it is “activated” with cadmium chloride, a critical step in the manufacturing process that raises the efficiency of converting sunlight to electricity from about two per cent to 15pc or more. “We have to apply cadmium chloride in a fume cupboard in the lab, but we created solar cells using the new method on a bench with a spray gun bought from a model shop,” Dr Major said. “Cadmium chloride is toxic and expensive, and we no longer need to use it. Replacing it with a naturally occurring substance could save the industry a vast amount of money and reduce the overall cost for generating power from solar,” he said. It is not possible to count how much frugal the new solar cells will be, Dr Major said, but magnesium chloride is about one per cent of the cost of cadmium chloride. In addition, waste disposal will be far easier and cheaper with a product based on a non-toxic salt, he said. via .
• Former governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura has been unloading on almost everyone on his new show, "Off the Grid" on Ora.tv. His newest episode might be his hardest hit yet as the former governor takes on former Vice President Dick Cheney. Jesse Ventura has been known to not hold back and lay out his thoughts right on the table. You might not always agree with him, but he promises to tell you what he thinks and be truthful about it. His newest episode of "Off the Grid" is titled "The Life and Crimes of Dick Cheney." Ventura was asked about Cheneys comments defending the use of waterboarding, referring to it as "enhanced interrogation" as opposed to torture. Ventura, the former Navy frogman, went off on a rant of epic per-portions. Referring to Cheney as "five deferments" Cheney and "chickenhawk," Ventura didnt pull any punches. Well let me look right into the camera and say Dick Cheney, how the hell would you know? How the hell do you even have an opinion on it Dick Cheney? You couldnt even go to boot camp. You wouldnt even be successful there. And they dont torture you per say at boot camp. They just change you from civilian to the military way of thinking and they do it pretty quickly and they do it pretty forcefully. But I went through something Dick, it was called SERE school, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. And at that school, I was waterboarded, Dick Cheney. Not only did I go through boot camp, I went through SERE school, Army Airborne school. I went through Seal Cadre SBI advanced guerrilla warfare school. But I also went through BUD/S Dick, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. The most difficult training in the United States military, bar none. And guess what Dick, this former frogman is looking at you, you chickenhawk, and Im telling you waterboarding is torture, Dick. I was a competitive swimmer, Dick. I know how to swim, I’m used to the water, I’m a frogman, Dick. Ive been in the water probably longer in 3 weeks then the amount of time you have showered in your life, Dick. What the hell would you know about the definition of torture, Dick Cheney? Youre a guy who when it was your time to go in the front and show what you had, to stand up for your country, you ran and hid. And now you come back, the chickenhawk you are, and youre gonna define what torture is? You are gonna tell us, who were in the military, guys who went to SERE school, guys who unfortunately became POWs, Dick Cheney youre gonna define torture? Thats bull***t Dick Cheney, just like you, youre bull***t.""Off the Grid" producer, Alex Logan also pointed out that while Dick Cheney claims waterboarding, or as he calls it "enhanced interrogation," "produced phenomenal results," reports show that isnt the case. A report by the Senate Intelligence Committee showed that "no evidence" was found that the waterboarding of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed led to the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden. Ventura knows first hand that waterboarding is torture and that the one on the receiving end will give up or make up any information in order to halt the process. Ventura has been quoted in the past that if "you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I’ll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders The "Off the Grid" team didnt just stop at torture, they also highlighted the fortune that Dick Cheney and his former private contracting company Halliburton Co. received in taxpayer money during the decade long Iraq War. Private or publicly listed firms received at least $138 billion of U.S. taxpayer money for government contracts for services....The No. 1 recipient? Houston-based energy-focused engineering and construction firm KBR, Inc. NYSE:KBR, which was spun off from its parent, oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. NYSE:HAL, in 2007. The company was given $39.5 billion in Iraq-related contracts over the past decade, with many of the deals given without any bidding from competing firms, such as a $568-million contract renewal in 2010 to provide housing, meals, water and bathroom services to soldiers, a deal that led to a Justice Department lawsuit over alleged kickbacks, as reported by Bloomberg. According to Reader Supported News, Cheney served as the CEO for Halliburton for only 5 years, from 1995 to 2000 and when he retired was rewarded with a severance package of $36 million. As a report in the Guardian points out, Cheney was able to receive even more money even though he didnt qualify. In the five years he worked at the company, he received $12.5m in salary. He also held $39m-worth of stock options when he quit the company in 2000 – a fortune for a man with no previous experience in running a multinational company. In addition, Halliburtons board of directors voted to award him early retirement when he quit his job, even though he was too young to qualify under his contract. That flexibility enabled him to leave with a retirement package, including stock and options, worth millions more than if he had simply resigned. Plus, Halliburton paid out Cheney an extra $1m during the time he served as vice-president. Ventura sums up Cheney pretty easily: A chickenhawk who dodged his opportunity to serve in the military but is quick to send others to war so he would make money for himself. A "war criminal" who deserves to be punished and thrown in jail, not praised or patted on the back. Ventura seems to hit the nail on the head, again. via Jesse Ventura on Dick Cheney: A chickenhawk war criminal who should be in jail - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com.
• As the 13th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 approaches, many still question what happened on that day. One prominent voice seeking answers on not just 9/11, but also the Iraq War is former Gov. Jesse Ventura. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed when al-Qaeda linked terrorists hijacked multiple planes, two of which were flown in the the World Trade Center in New York City and one hitting the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The official explanation was that the attacks were orchestrated by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was ultimately killed in Pakistan during a Seal Team 6 raid of the compound in 2011. Though the official story intended to put any and all questions to rest, many people are not satisfied with what they were given. On Mondays episode of "Off the Grid" titled "UNCOVER 9/11!" on Ora.tv, host Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota, gave harsh criticism to former president and vice president, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Ventura points to the fact that following the attacks on 9/11, the Bush administration opted to invade Iraq, who even the 9/11 Commission admits had nothing to do with the attacks."Iraq didnt have anything to do with 9/11. There wasnt one of the 19 hijackers who came from Iraq. Most of them came from Saudi Arabia. Why would we attack Iraq? Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Thats when I actually first started to question, is there a bigger picture here? If we are willing to attack a Muslim country simply because they happen to be Muslim, and not whether they had anything to do with 9/11 then there obviously was a bigger agenda here. "While Ventura makes it clear he isnt and never was part of any 9/11 "truth" movement, and makes no claims that 9/11 was an inside job, he does state that all the information should be made available to the public. Ventura wonders why anyone who happens to ask any questions about the events surrounding 9/11, immediately gets hit with a negative label by the media."Its interesting how main stream media has morphed the word truth into being bad now. And I can understand why mainstream media would accept lies as being good because George Bush and Dick Cheney did a lot of lying. And they accepted that as good and someone seeking the truth was marginalized and told they were bad. But let me say something really straight here. I have never joined the 9/11 truth movement. I do my own independent thinking, I do my own independent investigations, and I come to my own independent conclusions. Like the controversy surrounding the Warren Commission and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the 9/11 Commission report also leaves many questions unanswered. The former governor asks why it took 442 days after the attacks to form the 9/11 Commission in the first place, and why a cap of a year and half was put to finish the report. Why would there be a limit on any murder investigation? Since when in our country to do we put a statute of limitations on murder? 3,000 people were killed that day and we gave the commission a year and a half to come up with an answer? So right there you saw the whole thing was a scam. Regarding the Iraq War, Ventura makes his opinion known as clear as he possibly could. He points to a Washington Post article from 2004 that shows the 9/11 Commission found no evidence linking Iraq to al-Qaeda, and that the war was simply to line the pockets of private defense contractors."There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. There were no ties to al-Qaeda in Iraq. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 whatsoever. So the Iraq War you can unequivocally state was based upon lies. That was a Bush-Cheney op that was done to make Halliburton rich and make money. Thats the whole purpose of the Iraq War and the whole purpose we have that mess left there today, its our fault."Many questions regarding 9/11 might never be answered, but that doesnt seem to stop many people from asking them. Jesse Ventura is never one to hold back his opinions, and on the issue of 9/11 and the Iraq War, it doesnt look like he is going to stop anytime soon. via Jesse Ventura: Bush and Cheney lied about 9/11 to make money off of the Iraq War - Orlando liberal | Examiner.com.
• Netflix talks about “strong net neutrality,” but is really just trying to cut its costs. Understandably, Netflix wants more broadband capacity and faster connections to its customers. But instead of simply offering to pay for these benefits as it’s always had to do, Netflix is promoting a Rube Goldberg regulatory regime to offload those costs onto broadband providers. That means all broadband subscribers would have to pay, whether they use Netflix or not. Netflix is trying to game the system to lower its costs — just as it tried to do with the Post Office back when it shipped DVDs. That’s great for Netflix, but not for the rest of us. via Dont Break the Net.
• Page not loading? Frustrated? This is what not having a voice feels like. Some of us remember, others are too young already! But this is one of those “rights” we tend to take for granted...until we have to pay to play and then its top late, not? TAKE ACTION: Tell the FCC that you support Net Neutrality! It’s estimated that nearly two billion people use the internet each day. In the past two decades alone, it has not only become one our main sources of news, but our social hub, our answer-giver, and our forum to speak up about some of today’s biggest issues. But what would you do if one day the internet as we know it became impossible to use? That’s exactly what will happen if big cable companies get their way as the Federal Communications Commission FCC nears the deadline on its net neutrality decision. But what is net neutrality? Essentially, it’s exactly what it sounds like. A policy of net neutrality ensures that all governments and internet service providers treat all information on the web equally. So all those cat videos you love to watch in your spare time take the same amount of time to load as, let’s say, your favorite websites and news outlets. The petitions you sign to keep dirty fuels in the ground, support efforts to get kids outdoors, or curb carbon pollution are treated the same as the websites of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world. Basically, you’re able to access all the information you want equally. Sounds pretty common sense, right? That’s not what big cable providers think. If companies like Comcast succeed in influencing the FCC’s decision, the internet could suddenly be divided into slow and fast loading “lanes.” These big businesses will have the freedom to allow certain websites to load faster than others, encouraging users to only visit certain sites -- sites that internet providers just so happen to make a profit from. Suddenly, our freedom on the internet is limited at the discretion of big business, which means the throttle on what we search, the sites we visit, and things we post are no longer in our power. So, why is the Sierra Club getting involved? For one thing, we’re a grassroots organization of 2.4. million members and supporters that goes toe-to-toe with some of the biggest polluters -- and largest companies -- on the planet on a daily basis. We know how important it is to ensure that the playing fields are level where we stand up for our issues -- whether in the courtroom, the voting booth, or on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The problem with giving just a few corporations control over all of the information online is akin to the problem of just a few super-rich people having control over the issues that are debated in our government. Yet, we’re seeing the latter every day as big polluters spend billions on politics and skew the priorities of Congress toward one that launches attack after attack on our air, our water, and the health of our families. We can’t let the same thing happen to the internet - a venue of unrestrained expression and debate. When you look at exactly who would be at the throttle of the internet if we lose net neutrality, the need to act is even more dire. Big companies -- like Comcast -- are a part of groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council ALEC - the right-wing “think tank” responsible for writing and pushing legislation all over the country meant to push climate denial, attack safeguards from carbon pollution, and gut clean energy investments. Do you want them with their finger on the button when you are posting a blog about clean energy, sharing an online action about Keystone XL, or emailing your Senator about voting rights? Net Neutrality keeps the playing field level - and we have to do everything we can to ensure it stays in place. That’s why we’re joining with other organizations like reddit, imgur, Kick Starter, CREDO, Greenpeace, Mozilla, vimeo, and presente.org for an “internet slowdown” to show the FCC and big cable companies that our freedom of speech is not for sale. On September 10, get prepared to see that symbolic “spinning wheel of death” on sites all across the internet. It’s just a preview of what will happen if Net Neutrality hits the dustbin and big cable gets its way -- and our way of saying the internet must remain free and open. TAKE ACTION: Tell the FCC that you support Net Neutrality! via September 10: Slowing Down for Net Neutrality : Compass.
• If you dont want to be thoroughly entertained for the next 14 minutes, check out: At 0:54 20-second guide to cerebral palsy At 6:24 the audacity of casting agents who still think its OK for able-bodied actors to play disabled characters. At 10:48 Maysoon is heartbreakingly honest about online trolls. via A Gorgeous Woman Shakes Her Body On Stage ... And The Crowd Goes Wild.
• CNN Begins Coverage of Royal Pregnancy - The New Yorker.
• Hernandez isnt from a troubled family. He isnt from a terrible neighborhood in Bristol, Conn. He isnt a young kid. Hes had a support system available for years and years looking to help him with whatever emotional issues he was dealing with – his football value made everyone want to help. Instead he was involved in incident after incident, the final one, the state says, is this indefensible homicide. A punk execution of a friend for talking with the wrong people? It’s almost unfathomable, the kind of crime an emotional teen would make, not someone of means and even moderate maturity. On the drive down from Boston, Odin Lloyd knew he was in trouble, texting his sister and asking her if she knew who he left the club with, seemingly offering up a clue in case this went as bad as it did. "NFL," Lloyd texted her. Minutes later he was killed like it was a mob hit, the prosecution alleges, only it was a clumsy crew of wannabe gangsters that did it, ones that left so many clues behind it didnt take long for the cops to bag it all together. via Former Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez void of emotions during arraignment on murder charges - Yahoo! Sports.
• Body found in car at Minneapolis towing lot | StarTribune.com | PunditPost.
• Write about the most precious thing you’ve ever lost.