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<title>earth</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/tags/earth</link>
<description>New posts about earth</description>
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<title>Life Does Exist on Other Planets</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Paranormal/Life-Does-Exist-on-Other-Planets.349739</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Some people believe that life exists on other planets. This might be considered an extraterrestrial life, a life originating outside of the Earth. Astrobiology focuses on the study of the origin, distribution and evolution of life.</p>
<p>For example, what kind of environment can life exist in, and what kinds of creatures could tolerate life outside of Earth. In and around the mid 1990's, astrobiologists were excited by the discovery of new planets outside of our solar system.</p>
<p>As organisms continue to appear, die and are replaced by new generations and new species, it would seem life can exist outside of Earth. Considering the size of the universe and the new discoveries made every so often, along with the countless stars in the sky, odds are, life probably does exist beyond planet Earth.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FLife-Does-Exist-on-Other-Planets.349739"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FLife-Does-Exist-on-Other-Planets.349739" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:32:45 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>How to End Pollution</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/How-to-End-Pollution.347953</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>I love the Earth just as much as the next guy does, unless the next guy happens to be like a Earth hating punk, and I want to improve the Earth.  Only problem is, I don't have much time to go out and tie myself to trees.  Even if I did, my bedtime would get in the way (my mommy wants me to be home by sunset).  Well I figured out 10 simple ways to help the Earth without having it interfere with important things in life like bedtimes or mommies.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/16/462399_0.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<ol>
<li> A good way to improve the Earth is to buy food products in bulk amounts.  For example, instead of buying 5 bags of 1 serving chips, you could buy a large bag that equals to 5 servings.  Not only does the bigger bag use less foil or plastic, it also saves you money! </li>
<li> Gas prices are rising dramatically (ignore the last couple of months where gas dropped by about $2), fuel efficiency helps keep the Earth clean and keep your wallet/purse full.  A good way to save gas is to not use the air conditioner when it's hot.  Just roll down your window, after a while, you'll get used to the nice warmth.  This helps the Earth and it also saves you money! </li>
<li> Cars also play a great role in gas efficiency.  Choose fuel-efficient cars so you can save on gas for years to come.  If you don't have a fuel-efficient car, then you can save gas other ways.  Open the trunk of your car and remove any unnecessary items because they weigh the car down and use up more fuel.  This helps the Earth and it also saves you money! </li>
<li> Plants are a great way to help the Earth!  They take in Carbon Dioxide and release oxygen and water.  Water your trees, water your lawn, don't pave your backyard, keep the beautiful lawn!  You can also keep plants inside of your room or house.<br /><br /><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/16/462399_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /></li>
<li> This may not be you, but I've seen many of my neighbors do it.  When you go to get the mail, instead of driving to the mailbox, just walk the 50 feet walk!  50 feet isn't a lot!  It's good exercise and it makes you healthier! </li>
<li> Recycle, drop off your plastic or paper or metal into local recycling companies instead of tossing it into the can</li>
<li> If you walk out of a room, TURN OFF THE LIGHT.  The boogeyman won't get you, even if he does, you should be proud that you sacrificed yourself for the sake of the Earth. </li>
<li> When you flush a toilet, the water is sent to a purifying factory.  When you wash your car, the runoff water is sent to the drain.  The drain leads directly into a natural water source; the soap you used to wash your car can kill much wildlife.  Avoid letting run off water into the drain. </li>
<li> Reuse stuff; don't throw them away if they can be reused! </li>
<li> I'm running out of ideas other then, go outside and tie myself to a tree.  So the best thing I can tell you to do is to pass this knowledge onto others.  Send them the link to this page and tell them to pass it on to their friends as well!  Together, we can save heal the world. </li>
</ol><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FHow-to-End-Pollution.347953"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FHow-to-End-Pollution.347953" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:05:18 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The Web</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Issues/The-Web.339327</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>My mobile buzzes.&amp;nbsp; Its a friend from Australia.&amp;nbsp; I chat away for a while and catch up.&amp;nbsp; Its good to have such technology available to us.&amp;nbsp; As I hang up, promising to get in touch again soon I begin to think about the technology we have nowadays.</p>
<p>I imagine the signal as a blue line.&amp;nbsp; Shooting up into the air and down directly to my mobile phone.&amp;nbsp; Imagine of you could see this.&amp;nbsp; Imagine of you could see all the connections.&amp;nbsp; Hundreds of thousands of people connected by phones creating a web of blue infra power all over the world.&amp;nbsp; Then I think of radio signals, booming out over the land, shooting out like lightening to connect with the frequency set by your radio.&amp;nbsp; Satellites booming out there signal down into earth to connect with our TV Screens, fighting for space along with radio and telecommunication lines.</p>
<p>Imagine if you could see this.</p>
<p>Imagine they were physical.&amp;nbsp; Is it any wonder that we call the internet the web.&amp;nbsp; If these beams became solid we would indeed be covered in a massive web.&amp;nbsp; The fly that is mother earth is trapped in a well woven web.&amp;nbsp; So who would the spider be?</p>
<p>The corporations that create this "web" are the spiders.&amp;nbsp; Trapped are we who come to rely on this technology, whilst the spider feeds on our pockets and sucks on our brains.</p>
<p>gradually, as we become more interwoven in this web, we begin to lose the fight.&amp;nbsp; We accept that this is now the way of our life, forgetting what it used to be like to wander free.&amp;nbsp; Every now and again someone manages to break free of the web, but it may be too late.&amp;nbsp; The sickness caused by the web on mother earth is a deep rooted cancer.</p>
<p>The reciever is as bad as the thief.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FIssues%2FThe-Web.339327"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FIssues%2FThe-Web.339327" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:55:56 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Bermuda Triangle</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Paranormal/Bermuda-Triangle.338979</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Bermuda Triangle is a place in the in the North West part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is also known as the devils Triangle. Some people say that it is place where ghost live and few others say that the place is the end of the world. Many ships and aircrafts have been reported to be disappeared in this region in the past. Not a trace of the disappeared aircrafts as well as the ships has been found later around the region later on. The disappearances are not any kind of human errors as well as acts of nature. Till date many private companies have tried their level best to look into the matter, but all went in vain as the theory is still left unexplained and unanswered. The area of the Bermuda triangle varies according to many people, as some consider it to be of Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean island area, and covering some parts of Florida.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/10/448935_0.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>The earliest story of the Bermuda triangle came from Christopher Columbus where he said that he and his crew members saw some lights flashing in the area of the triangle. Moreover his compass was also acting strange by showing varying and wrong directions in that area. A movie based on the Bermuda Triangle projected the existence of army base of US, which is using a power source in that area and it uses a technology to disappear any ship or aircraft that crosses the area. To keep the secret of the power source, US base keeps the controversy alive. Many of the scientists researching on the triangle area have their own theories based on nature. Some say the existence of hurricanes and some say because of freak waves. Many of the famous incidents are related to the Bermuda triangle like the flight 19 where TBM avenger bombers on 5th December 1945 were went missing leaving no trails behind. It remains as one of the biggest mysteries of the world.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/10/448935_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/10/448935_2.jpg" alt="" /></p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FBermuda-Triangle.338979"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FBermuda-Triangle.338979" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:50:05 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Effects of Pollution</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/Effects-of-Pollution.330045</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>air is shared by all living things. whether it is in Asia, Africa or North America the effects of the chemicals and pollution all slowly harm the Earth. scientists have determined many harmful effects of air pollution. Air pollution can cause cause coughs, burning eyes and breathing problems and acid rain which pollutes water resources and and harms wildlife and forests. even though people are responsible for most of the pollution but it is how we respond to the problem.</p>
<h3>Affects of pollution on our health</h3>
<p>people have no choice but to breathe the air around them. but when the air is polluted it can damage your lungs, heart and overall health. in 1930 63 people in Belgium died, 20 people in Pennsylvania in 1948, and more then 4000 people in London died in 1952 due to severe air pollution. Th elderly, the young and those with cardiopulmonary diseases such as asthma and severe bronchitis are the most vulnerable to air pollution exposure. children are at a greater risk because their lungs are still developing.<img src="file:///Users/yachanashah/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///Users/yachanashah/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/04/airpollutionsystems_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Affects of pollution on water resources</h3>
<p>water pollution sometimes is cause by chemicals, sewage, trash, fertilizers and oil spillages. Air pollution can also make its way into the water through rain, snowflakes or fog. it also falls from the sky as dry particles. They not only harm the water but also the plants and animals that depend on the water to survive.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/11/04/waterpollution_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Though these are not all of the things pollution can do i think we get the picture and that pollution needs to be stopped. but it is not like we don't do anything, there are organizations that are made to help the environment. But we do not need to depend on the organizations to do all the work we can also do our part by recycling as an example.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FEffects-of-Pollution.330045"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FEffects-of-Pollution.330045" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:05:33 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Save More by Becoming Eco-friendly</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/Save-More-by-Becoming-Eco-friendly.319405</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/28/1184774658kwo233_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Follow the tips below in order to make yourself a eco-friendly person.</p>
<ul>
<li>Put on a sweater and warm socks&amp;nbsp;during the winter, and lower the heat in your house. This will reduce the ammount of oil we are using in our heating systems at home. Even a degree or two will make a difference in the heating bill. </li>
<li>Pay your bills online in order to save a tree, and fourty-three cents on postage. </li>
<li>Reuse what ever you can! From boxes to old clothing, you can make several different things out of them. For example, a box can be used for storage in a basement, or organization in your closet! Old clothing can be used for dusting and cleaning rags, or the making of a quilt. </li>
<li>Use re-fillable bottles for water. Don't buy too many water bottles&amp;nbsp;in bulk, just reuse the bottles that you drank out of before. If you need some sort of special water, buy a filter!</li>
<li>This next step is very easy, although it is almost always forgoten. Shut off the light, television, radio, computer, and cellular phone charger when you are leaving the room. When you do, you will see your electric bill lower dramaticly. </li>
</ul>
<p>After you follow the tips, you can be assured that you are not olny helping yourself, but you are helping the Earth and its residents, too!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FSave-More-by-Becoming-Eco-friendly.319405"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FSave-More-by-Becoming-Eco-friendly.319405" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:56:30 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Top Six Paranormal Mysteries</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Paranormal/Top-Five-Paranormal-Mysteries.314001</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Ever since I was a child, I have this interest on the mysteries of the world (well, who doesn't?). Every now and then, I would bug my father to buy me a book on world mysteries. It could be a book about ghost stories (which is not a mystery to me since I've seen a photo of them, taken by my dad), vampires, dragons, and others. But in this article, I will talk about the top 6 paranormal and unsolved mysteries which have made me wonder ever since I was a child.</p>
<h3><strong>Dragons</strong></h3>
<p>Most ancient civilizations have recorded sightings of gigantic lizards or better known as dragons. If you are a fan of fantasy worlds (Tolkien, Forgotten Realms, etc.), dragon should not be something new to you. However, just in case you are not a fan, a dragon is actually a large (size differs based on the people recording it) creature which looks like a lizard. In ancient China, dragons are said to be long and slim creature which can fly in the sky or swim in the water. Some experts actually claim that the "long and slim looking dragon is actually a giant snake or sea serpent". But I don't think sea serpents can breathe fire.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/511477926aac672c5f5_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/n8xd/511477926/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>Same goes to the dragons which appeared in some of the folklore in the Western countries. The picture of valiant knights fighting fire-breathing dragons is quite a common thing in the West. But do they really exist? If they do, where are the bones? There should be some kind of fossil left behind by these mythical creatures. But if they don't exist, how could the people who recorded them have such similar imagination? It is quite unbelievable for both the East and the West people to have the same idea of a dragon (bear in mind that the East and the West of the ancient time hardly know each other due to the distance and lack of communication tool).</p>
<p>What do you think? I think they do exist, maybe in different forms. :)</p>
<h3><strong>Heaven on Earth</strong></h3>
<p>Shangri-La is a fictional name used by many books and stories to describe an earthly paradise where people live together happily and isolated from the chaotic world which all of us are living in. This utopia place is said to be in the mythical mountain ranges of Himalaya and only those chosen ones are able to enter its realm.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/467467699c9a0245f3c_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/danwenguo/467467699/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>Since many years ago, I have heard many stories about this place and one of them was a mountaineer who got injured while climbing the Himalayas, only to be found by a stranger. The stranger requested the mountaineer to be blindfolded before carrying him to this heavenly place. There, the mountaineer was greeted by other residents of the Shangri-La and was then miraculously healed by their unworldly skills. He was then blindfolded again and was carried down from the Himalayas to the nearby town by the person who found him. He reached the town in less than an hour.</p>
<p>How did he know about the timing? Or maybe this story is a fake and that place does not exist? No matter what, the name Shangri-La (not the hotel chain) will always keep me interested and I do believe it does exist, somewhere in the mythical lands of Himalayas.&amp;nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Are we alone? </strong></h3>
<p>UFO sightings used to be very common in the 1940s and 1960s - some sound real and some fake. However, this does not deny the fact that the number of sightings has been quite overwhelming and some of them do sound real such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varginha_UFO_incident" target="_blank">Varginha UFO incident</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Serpo" target="_blank">Project Serpo</a>. The funny thing though, is that most aliens seem to be similar in looks and their spaceships similar too (round flying saucers). Maybe they are our neighbours from somewhere not-so-far away and they came from the same planet?</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/258216070417b30d8af4_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anntatti/2582160704/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>In my opinion, aliens do exist. This universe is too large for us alone to live in. Surely there are some other alien races out there and the alien which came to our planet is just one of them. Let's hope they do not have any ill intention towards our planet since we are quite defenseless against their technology (they do have UFO crash every now and then. Guess some of them do not have proper pilot training course).</p>
<p>For now, let's just hope our planet will become like what happened in the movie Independence Day or World at War. But what if, they (the aliens) are actually living among us for centuries without us knowing it?</p>
<h3><strong>Lost Kingdom of Atlantis</strong></h3>
<p>The island kingdom of Atlantis, first mentioned by the legendary Plato and said to have conquered most parts of Western Europe and Africa only to have its entire kingdom sank into the ocean in a single day. It has never been found but many believe that it is located in the Mediterranean Sea. There are also few groups of people who claimed that Atlantis is more technologically advanced than other countries at that time, while others have claimed that the kingdom is surrounded by mysterious magical elements. If that is the case, then how is it possible for such a grand and powerful island kingdom to be lost in a single day?</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/26696682776248a4aa2a_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28620288@N04/2669668277/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>No matter what other people said or claimed, one truth remains - the lost civilization of Atlantis has never been found. Perhaps it's just a fiction or perhaps it has sunk too deep into the ocean, beyond our reach. Or perhaps, it is destined that the technology and magical abilities of the Atlantis will never fall into our hands.</p>
<h3><strong>Witches</strong></h3>
<p>Witches are those who practice witchcraft - the usage of supernatural and magical powers in order to inflict damage or harm on others. In various cultures across the globe, there are records about witches and the witch-hunts. Even in children books, we could see the elements of witches and witchcraft. To be honest, I first learned about witches during my elementary school years when my teachers told us about evil and ugly witches who would eat us alive if we don't behave properly. Many years later, I still believe in witches but I don't believe they will eat me alive (since I'm much larger now). I also believe that witches are those who use magic or supernatural abilities. They are not entirely evil or good, and they are not entirely ugly too. Maybe they are just normal human beings like us but with a talent for the supernatural? Anyway, I guess the real witches still practice their witchcraft in this modern world, albeit in a very low profile manner.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/15569667761d5f36aa62_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladybug1016/1556966776/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>And for the child within me, I will always hope that one day, I will be able to learn more about witches and witchcraft (the real things, not the fictions).</p>
<h3><strong>Vampires</strong></h3>
<p>Vampires are human-like creatures which feed on blood of the living. They have sharp teeth and are said to be undead or the living dead. There are many records on vampire entities in the past and some of these records actually caused the population to panic over dead bodies. They (the population) used stakes to pierce through the heart of the dead in order to kill it for good. However, there are no solid proofs which show that vampires do actually exist.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/24/93538362b9e6f7346f_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanh/93538362/" target="_blank">Image Source</a></p>
<p>In fact, most of the records are based on fictions. The novel Dracula which was written in 1987 has played an important role in the modern vampire legends. If you ask someone about vampires, they will relate you to the character Count Dracula, the vampire living in a castle on top of a hill.</p>
<p>What do you think? Do you think they exist? Maybe they do, and they're living among us without us knowing it.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FTop-Five-Paranormal-Mysteries.314001"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FTop-Five-Paranormal-Mysteries.314001" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2008 03:44:33 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>The World's Most Harmful Species and How We Can Defend Against Them</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/The-Worlds-Most-Harmful-Species-and-How-We-Can-Defend-Against-Them.304895</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>"Is everybody in?&amp;nbsp; The ceremony is about to begin." - Jim Morrison</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/19/earth_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>And begin it shall.&amp;nbsp; Picture for a moment a planet hurdling through space.&amp;nbsp; See the planet spinning and rotating.&amp;nbsp; The blues, greys, oranges, tans, blacks, greens, whites, and all of the other colors are merging and moving together, in harmony, like a carefully coregraphed and supremely colorful laser light display.&amp;nbsp; We can see heat radiating from the planet as well as ice in places that appear to be uninhabitable. &amp;nbsp;<br /><br />If we were able to put a stethoscope up to the planet, we would hear an infinite amount of different sounds ranging from the rustling of foliage by a mighty and stealthy hunting animal to the movement of a mosquito as it plunges a tiny needle from its minuscule proboscis into the flesh of a beautiful baby elephant.&amp;nbsp; We might hear rain and wind, water running in rivers and streams, fish and other sea animals swimming and playing, dogs barking, babies crying, people laughing, fine and masterful human-created music, and on and on and on.<br /><br />A microscope would reveal an equally infinite array of visual phenomenon.&amp;nbsp; Maybe we would zoom in too far and only see the basic atoms with their empty nuclei and their electrons spinning around bumping into one another and interacting with one another.&amp;nbsp; Zooming back out a bit, we might see the cells and their interactions.&amp;nbsp; And then, zooming even further out, we would begin to see the familiar sights of life on Earth, the humans, animals, plants, and minerals.<br /><br />Putting away our tools for a moment, we might reflect on the beauty and magnificance of such a place.&amp;nbsp; We might imagine all of the parts working together in harmony in order to keep the planet healthy and ensure the planet's survival.&amp;nbsp; We would think that there must be strong social-psychological and physiological connections between all of the parts of the planet that work to keep everything running smoothly.&amp;nbsp; And for that moment, we would be in a state of awe.<br /><br />But then, imagine as we're breathing in the full experience of this planet, we notice what appears to be smoke billowing from the land into the sky.&amp;nbsp; After careful inspection, we learn that it's a forest fire blazing through a small forest somewhere in what we learn later to be Africa.&amp;nbsp; But then, while we're analyzing the smoke, we feel the shaking of the ground.&amp;nbsp; Analysis of this shaking reveals the tectonic plates beneath the surface shifting and causing earthquakes.&amp;nbsp; And just as we learn about that, the wind picks up and the rain falls hard, turning into white cold snow, lightning and thunder one moment, ice and snow the next.&amp;nbsp; Plants die.&amp;nbsp; Animals die.&amp;nbsp; Humans die.<br /><br />Our feeling of awe is now shaken up into a feeling of awe mixed with a little bit of fear.&amp;nbsp; We now know that we would need to be cautious on this planet as there are many natural ways to be hurt and extinguished.&amp;nbsp; Writing this down in our journal, the natural peacefulness in conflict with the natural destruction of the planet, we see what looks like a giant hole opening up.&amp;nbsp; The mushroom-like cloud rising above this hole is beautiful from space.&amp;nbsp; Could this be another amazing part of this planet?<br /><br />Looking closer, it's clear that the destruction and devastation left behind from this mushroom cloud hole is severe, wide-ranging, and long lasting.&amp;nbsp; What could've caused this type of destruction.&amp;nbsp; And that's when we notice the cars, busses, airplanes, and trains.&amp;nbsp; We notice the tall buildings trying to scrape the lower edge of the atmosphere.&amp;nbsp; We hear the loud grinding and pounding of production machines and the rivers of liquid waste streaming from them.&amp;nbsp; We see the miles and miles and miles of garbage piles filled with waste from all kinds of plastics and metal.&amp;nbsp; What is all this?&amp;nbsp; How does this fit into the natural rhythms of this planet?<br /><br />But before we can answer, we see rockets bursting into space, almost hitting us.&amp;nbsp; We notice the satellites surrounding the planet from the oustide.&amp;nbsp; We see humans driving tanks and fighter jets, launching projectiles at one another, killing one another and the plants and animals around them by the thousands.&amp;nbsp; How can this be?&amp;nbsp; How can such a beautiful and potentially harmonious planet allow such behavior?<br /><br />The ceremony is almost over.&amp;nbsp; The image painted above is but one of many.&amp;nbsp; But this image can help us understand where we, as humans, fit in.&amp;nbsp; Do we fit in?&amp;nbsp; We definitely have the potential to fit into the natural rhythms of this planet, but we also have the potential to disrupt these rhythms.&amp;nbsp; And since we've clearly chosen the disruptive path, the question is, how do we turn the ship around and start going on the path towards harmony?&amp;nbsp; The following two tips will serve as a guide.</p>
<ol>
<li>
<blockquote>Recognize and Openly Admit the Problem<br /><br />The overly competitive nature of capitalist-based economies is what causes people to be alienated both from themselves and from others, or the planet we live on.&amp;nbsp; Economy is not only about money and business.&amp;nbsp; Rather, economy is the way in which a society distributes the materials needed for survival.&amp;nbsp; In the U.S. and other westernized economies, a capitalist mode of production prevails where those with capital have the materials they need for survival.&amp;nbsp; Luckily, most people have capital, it's just that most people's capital is themselves (the idea that we have to sell our labor) while some people own the means of production as their capital (they buy the labor).&amp;nbsp; This is the problem.&amp;nbsp; The oppression, exploitation, and domination encouraged through our economy (capitalism) is the problem.&amp;nbsp; The first step to moving down a path to harmonious living with our planet is to recognize that capitalism and competition are the problems and openly admit this.<br /></blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<blockquote>Organize<br /><br />Once we recognize and admit this as the main problem, we must work together in order to find solutions to this problem.&amp;nbsp; Karl Marx, among others, talked about the natural evolution of human social and economic systems.&amp;nbsp; He pointed out that the human-created capitalist economic system will evolve just as every other human-created economic system has done in the past.&amp;nbsp; Coming together with others who realize capitalism is the problem, we can look for signs of this ongoing evolution, the dialectic or the unfolding historical materialism as Marx might have written.&amp;nbsp; Marx represents ideas regarding one possible solution to the problem, that of the dialectic.&amp;nbsp; But, what about other solutions?&amp;nbsp; We must come together in groups both large and small in order to discuss and find these solutions.&amp;nbsp; Let us create our own councils (to replace city councils) that are based on finding solutions rather than creating capital for our city in order to fit into this problematic capitalist economy.</blockquote>
</li>
</ol>
<p><br />These two tips only serve as the starting point for the needed turn-around.&amp;nbsp; They're really nothing new to those of us who have been reading and learning about social and economic change.&amp;nbsp; But for those of us who do not have time to sift through the mountains of reading material because we're busy recuperating from the sale of our own labor, these two tips will be sufficient for defending ourselves against the most harmful species on the planet ... humans.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FThe-Worlds-Most-Harmful-Species-and-How-We-Can-Defend-Against-Them.304895"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FThe-Worlds-Most-Harmful-Species-and-How-We-Can-Defend-Against-Them.304895" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:06:38 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Baby Steps to Going Green</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Activism/Baby-Steps-to-Going-Green.286899</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>Are you one of those people who would like to do things to help our planet but don't know where to begin? With all the media hype about conserving this and a greener that, it can be an overwhelming thought. Well, that's how I felt, at least. I wanted to do my part but had no clue how or where to begin. Also, those fancy "green" homes that are being built really aren't in my budget. I'm also not one of those granola types that knows how and where to shop for such earth-friendly specialty items (no offense to anyone out there, that was just the best example I could come up with). In other words, I had no one to teach me these things. What I do know is that, unlike a presidential election where my single vote really doesn't count, every little thing I do to help our Mother Earth DOES count. Maybe not right away, but in the long run my efforts will make a difference. Multiply my efforts by just 100 people, then by 1000, and slowly many of us can begin to make a huge difference. And in turn, teach our children the same.</p>
<p>This is how it started for me: One day I was grocery shopping and looking for some training pants for my son when I came across a brand of diaper I had never seen before called "Seventh Generation" (." Although they were diapers, I was intrigued enough to pick up the package and read all about it. I was very impressed by what I read. Needless to say, I put the package back because I needed training pants. When I got home, I got on the computer and looked up "Seventh Generation." I found their website and was amazed at the amount of products they manufactured. Items such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, house cleaning products, feminine products, and yes, diapers. It seems that they had everything EXCEPT training pants. Anyway, I was inspired. From that moment on I decided to replace my current house cleaning products, laundry detergent and dish liquid with Earth-friendly, biodegradable products. I tried brands like Citrix and Planet and a couple of others and was extremely disappointed in their quality and poor performance. So, when I came across Seventh Generation I knew I had to try it. I found the dish liquid at a health food store. The first time I tried it, I knew that it would be my brand for life. It created a rich lather in my sink and cleaned my dishes so well that I couldn't believe it was Earth friendly, and it's lavender scent was so pleasant. I've also used their laundry detergent and am equally impressed with the quality of the product. (They also have dye and scent-free versions of their products.) It's still kind of hard to find their products in mainstream stores but the Target in my area carries a few of their items. You can't purchase their items from their website but Amazon.com carries almost the entire line of goods. Look, I'm not trying to change the world overnight but if someone like me can slowly turn "green" without any help from the outside world, then anything is possible. We can't change our lifestyles and habits immediately, but by taking baby steps in the right direction, not only will we be helping our Mother Earth, but we'll be creating safer environments for ourselves and our families, thereby living healthier lives. Ceasing to depend on harsh chemicals in our homes can have a drastically positive impact on our planet and ourselves.</p>
<p>You can learn more about Seventh Generation and their products by going to <a href="http://www.seventhgeneration.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.seventhgeneration.com</u></a> .</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FBaby-Steps-to-Going-Green.286899"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FActivism%2FBaby-Steps-to-Going-Green.286899" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:39:23 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Don’t Forget: The End of the World is in Four Years</title>
<link>http://www.socyberty.com/Paranormal/Dont-Forget-The-End-of-the-World-is-in-Four-Years.283277</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>There is something to be said for legend and predictions. In ancient Rome there was the &amp;ldquo;Prophecy of the Twelve Eagles&amp;rdquo;, which said that Rome would last for twelve centuries. How long did Rome last &amp;ndash; roughly 1200 years, give or take a decade or two.</p>
<p>The winter solstice is on 21, December 2012, on that date, at 11:12am GMT, the earth, sun and central black hole of the Milky Way are said to align. It is also when the world is supposed to end according to the Mayan calendar and concept of time and New Age believers. The earth&amp;rsquo;s 25, 625 yr orbit in the Milky Way is divided by 5 ages of 5,125, which according to some started in 3114 B.C. and the time of the Great Flood after which civilisation was reborn, so to speak. During that time some people believe we have been through four seasons and are currently in the last &amp;ndash; winter, the time of environmental and human abuse and destruction. If one looks at Mesoamerican, Hopi and Ojibwa legend &amp;ndash; we could be in for it.</p>
<p>Back to the Mayans and the Aztecs and their cyclical calendars and the prophecy of &amp;ldquo;The Dark Nines&amp;rdquo;. In Mayan creation stories there were between one to five civilisations previous to ours that were created by the gods and destroyed by flood, fire and wind. Mesoamerican calendars (both Mayan and Aztec) were based on a 260-day year and were independent of the solar year; they utilise a complex system of mathematics that would take far too long to explain. The Mayan year was 260 days, in this cycle of fives. Not only did they have a cycle of 5 x 5,125, they also had a cycle of 51.25 years. The Aztec calendar worked on our 365-day schedule, the xuipohualli, plus a 260-day ritual routine, the tonalpohualli, which somehow combined to make the 52-year cycle. The prophecy revolves around the return of the light-haired Aztec god Quetzacoatl through a hole in the sky and the reclamation of his North American Kingdom. In November 1519, right on cue for that period of the cycle, Cort&amp;eacute;z landed and promptly took control of part of M&amp;eacute;xico, as they believed he was the god (I&amp;rsquo;ve always suspected he was aware of the prophecies, having been informed of by spies, and took advantage.). This happened at the end of one of their 461-year cycles and brought about a period of darkness lasting, according to some, 461 years &amp;ndash; roughly 1981 when many of the Residential Schools in North America were closed. The final date of the 5, 125 year cycle has been calculated as 4 years from now. The calendar stops then and there. There is no future. Or is there? Some writers feel that the end of this 5,125-year cycle involves the meeting of the First Father, the solstice sun, with the First Mother, a rift in the Milky Way and that this will result in a rebirth of sorts.</p>
<p>There are some doomsday legends amongst the Indians of North America with&amp;nbsp; varying outcomes. The Mohawks have the prophecy of the Seventh Generation. After seven generations of living amongst the Europeans, trees will begin to die, animals will be born deformed, air will burn people&amp;rsquo;s eyes, the rivers will be polluted and the earth will be torn up. At this juncture, the Mohawk will rise up and claim stewardship of the land. The Seneca have three signs of the end of the world. They say that water will be undrinkable, that trees will die from the top downwards and that babies will be killed in large numbers. The Cherokee also speak of the end times as when the earth is covered by a spider&amp;rsquo;s web. To all of us reading this, well &amp;ndash; are we not on the World Wide Web! Or is it something more mundane they foretold of, like roads or all the telephone lines or the cables connecting all these computers. The Iroquois have a series of battling serpents. The white serpent of North America wars with the Red Serpent that comes from the North. Exhausted, they accept each other in truce. Then a black serpent, dripping seawater, rears it head and defeats the other serpents only to be driven back by an intense light. The red serpent returns to its home and the white serpent will approach the light.</p>
<p>The Hopi, of the southwestern US also have a tradition of a Queztalcoatl-like god, Panhana, the &amp;ldquo;lost white brother&amp;rdquo;, who comes from the east and brings destruction and spiritual renewal. In Hopi mythology, we are currently in the fourth time of humanity. In the past, the people would not live morally and so were destroyed, once by flood; Tawa, the creator, brought the few obedient souls, in a physically evolved form, to the next, higher, different world. Pahana was the &amp;ldquo;elder brother&amp;rdquo; who went to the East during this migration. It is thought that they, too, considered the possibility of the Spanish Conquistadors being the fulfilment of this prophecy. They also have a series of signs meant for the Hopi themselves to tell them of the arrival of the fifth time: white skinned people who strike their enemies with thunder (guns?), spinning wheels with voices (settlers in covered wagons?), a beast with long horns (longhorn cattle?), snakes of iron on the land (railway?), a spider&amp;rsquo;s web on the land (phones/the web?), rivers of stone on the land (roads?), seas turn black (oil slicks/pollution?), long-haired people who seek our wisdom (1960s?) and then a dwelling in the sky like a blue star that will fall (Mir/space shuttle?). In addition there is set of predictions regarding the end of the world and metaphorical &amp;ldquo;earthquakes&amp;rdquo;. The first is that men would ride in horseless wagons. Some take that to mean WWI but it could also be construed as cars and other forms of road transportation. The second is when men would fly. Again, some take this to mean WWII. The third is when men build a house in space and go to live there. I&amp;rsquo;ll leave that to the reader&amp;rsquo;s imagination. It could mean the Mir space station &amp;ndash; it could mean something more. Then the white people will battle those in the land of early wisdom and there will be a gourd of ashes dropped from the sky that boils the sea and burns the land, the Hopi will stay out of the war and rebuild afterwards with the help of Pahana. Then some Hopi will leave earth in a &amp;ldquo;ship without wings&amp;rdquo; while the rest are purified.</p>
<p>The Ojibwa of Canada speak of &amp;ldquo;Seven Fires&amp;rdquo;, seven times of divination. At one time, long ago, they lived in Atlantic Canada and were visited by seven prophets who warned them of intruders yet to come. They were told to go to the land of the setting sun where food grew on water (Lake Superior has wild rice), via seven migration periods, and during the Fourth Fire they would meet white men who would be friends (the French, &amp;ldquo;the wooden-boat people&amp;rdquo;) and merge to form a new people (the M&amp;eacute;tis). Those who did not listen and stayed on the coast would meet those who brought death (the English, &amp;ldquo;the off-shore ones&amp;rdquo; and the Americans, the &amp;ldquo;big-knives&amp;rdquo;) and be annihilated. In the Fifth Fire, a prophet would bring false promises resulting in the Sixth Fire when the descendants would turn against the elders, clan teachings, tradition and language and there would be sickness. All I know is that today, the Ojibwa Nation (Shania Twain being one of the most noted) is around the Great Lakes and the US/Canada border and the M&amp;eacute;tis are out West, that the French once developed a trading network with the Ojibwa, that many children were placed into Residential Schools during the 19<sup>th</sup> and 20<sup>th</sup> centuries and that there are problems with current aboriginal youth, especially with substance abuse. At the end of seven periods, the water of their land will be poisoned, the forests cut down, most animals killed and the air would be of poor quality. Then a new people will come from the clouds and find the wisdom and the instructions of the Creator that the Elders know and save the land. The light-skinned peoples will be given a choice to listen to the wisdom and be peaceful or bring death to all the Earth.</p>
<p>Many doomsday predictions, like creation myths, have startling similarities. Of course, it does help to take these predictions with the proverbial &amp;ldquo;pinch of salt&amp;rdquo;. It is unlikely that aliens will land, we will leave earth, the poles will flip, earth will be hit by an asteroid, the sun will superflare (the sunspot cycle will peak around then and the sun&amp;rsquo;s magnetic fields may reverse) or the earth will split apart. In addition, there is always the question of whether prophecy is self-fulfilling and, of course, interpretation. However, regardless of whether these prophecies of doom come true or not, what we perceive them as may be just as important. Perhaps that is why they exist &amp;ndash; simply as a warning or a reminder for humans to change our ways and become human.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FDont-Forget-The-End-of-the-World-is-in-Four-Years.283277"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.socyberty.com%2FParanormal%2FDont-Forget-The-End-of-the-World-is-in-Four-Years.283277" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:30:22 PST</pubDate></item>
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