View allAll Photos Tagged Inaction
On a day when the Greta Thunberg FRSGS inspired SS4C movement organised their latest strike to draw attention to Government and big business inaction on anthhropogenic climate change the Federal Environment Minister declared that the Government was on track to meet its targets and the Education Minister attributed declining test scores with the SS4C movement. One wonders whether they are deluded or simply kowtowing to a Prime Minister who puts his faith in export revenue from the sales of coal to China and India and a spectacularly invisible imaginary friend. Ironically the said PM was conspicuous in his absence, kowtowing himself to America while studiously avoiding a climate summit in New York which he should be attending, itself a trigger for the latest SS4C action. In his stead, the acting PM, leader of the National Party by a corrupt convention as a reward for getting the minority Liberals into power, questioned why the SS4C rallies could not be held on the weekend. Enough said. They just don't get it. That's precisely why we have to rattle their complacency.
I'm old enough to remember Sputnik. The insouciant disregard shown by Churchill and Menzies for the populace of Australia with the terrifying atmospheric atomic bomb tests in Western Australia and South Australia that scared and scarred me deeply. The cruel mistreatment of the Aboriginal peoples about Maralinga cannot be overstated and nor should we forget that the populace east of the blasts, including me, were guinea pigs for the impacts of fallout on a civilian community; no better than the horrors of Joseph Mengele. The lessons of Kennedy, King, Woodstock, Vietnam and the Kent State Massacre are formative of my character. I was there in the fight for reparations for Vietnamese orphans we helped to create, against damming of Tasmania's wild rivers and the cruel mistreatment of boat-borne immigrants. I travelled overland through Sumatra before the forced relocation of Javanese and heard wild orangutan in the jungle before all the burning and planting of palm oil trees. Issues demanding our action are simply not going away. The reality that I may not live much longer does not justify self-indulgent complacency that would make me no better than the Parliamentarians by whom we are betrayed.
If as I suspect our leaders are afraid of the lessons of a little Swedish teenager then they ought to cower ahead of the militancy of Extinction Rebellion. Their stated aim of using civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to compel government action on climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and ecological collapse makes the SS4C movement look like a teddy bears' picnic. Yet within the Cabinet we see the views of Ministers who don't understand and cannot cope with the low level protests born of the despair of children for their future. Wait until they meet the grown-ups!
What do we make of Greta's post-nominal FRSGS? It's an honorary award given by the Scottish Geographical Society. She has been honoured; earned her accolades and as a vegan who sailed to New York to avoid using unnecessary fossil fuels, lives by her high ideals. She is a leader. What of her critics? Well, the Environment Minister added an extra "s" to her name because of her faith in numerology. The Education Minister can make claim to a BA and a couple of irrelevant to his portfolio masters degrees. Perhaps on matters of science, like evidence for anthropogenic climate change, he's a bit out of his depth. Our Deputy PM boasts no post-nominals at all beyond the MP to which he is entitled on his election. Ironically, in his maiden speech to Parliament he declared I promise not to be silent when I ought to speak. Has he misled Parliament? Lastly we have a PM with a BSc in economic geography and a failed ambition to study theology. Anyone with a genuine BSc knows that geography is not science: first year for them is line drawing, it isn't until the second year of studies that they are allowed to use coloured pencils and ink is forbidden before their third year! Nowhere has their insufficiency as leaders been better demonstrated than, well, lack of leadership on the moral imperatives of representing all stakeholders in the present climate emergency. Undoubtedly they will not understand Extinction Rebellion, fail to react appropriately and forestall, obfiscate and adopt affected outrage over anti-social behaviour, professional demonstrators, unemployed anarchists blah, blah, blah, meanwhile continuing as acolytes for coal, land clearing and business as usual. That is, until they become politically extinct....Why not follow the leader and help them on their way?
Dokhi Fassihian, executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA, highlights the lack of accountability for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, saying, "Murderers do not deserve the protection of the government."
On Tuesday, March 3, Sen. Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), and fiancée of the late Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, hosted a press conference to discuss the administration’s refusal to publicly release details on the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and to announce next steps for securing transparency and accountability for his murder.
Co-sponsors:
– Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain
– Committee to Protect Journalists
– Human Rights First
– James W. Foley Legacy Foundation
– PEN America
– Project on Middle East Democracy
– Reporters Without Borders
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 215
50 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20510
Photo credit: April Brady/Project on Middle East Democracy
There's been much that's happened of late that I haven't been able to
blog-log. I've been paralyzed into inaction by the hovering
guilt-cloud of an ugly manuscript that's been rearing its head.
Fortunately, the bastard (and I only call it that because it happens
to be on a crap topic) is on its last moments of the BBFK-respirator
and will soon be breathing on its own (for better or worse, I might
say). In early celebration, I figured I might start writing what I
*want* to write about, starting with the closing moments of my Free
Fallin' weekend (which I might add, no one guessed the concert that I
attended, yet...feel free to dig in...)
So cue up your Erasure and read on....
.......Gay Pride............
P and I, in our best attempt at pretending to *like* mornings, peeled
our bodies off of our respective hard surfaces: the floor and fold-out
chair. We shook off our alcohol-clouded heads, assembled our randomly
scattered belongings, and hit the local Hot Bagels. East coast bagels
hit the spot like no other breakfast food can, save maybe a good
English scone, and we were convinced and energized enough to plod on.
So off we went to our next destinations: the semi-local basketball
courts and outdoor running path. And run I did. Five miles worth of
it, fortunately through a nicely wooded section and with occasional
breaks for water. The cool-down mile walk was even accessorized with
some lovely company from another continent.
Fast-forward ahead past the non-movie worthy portions of the day, and
there we were driving North, on the road to NYC. My karma (damn, I
was a bastard in a previous life) kicked up then, and poor P found
himself with a ticket in hand, poor man. Yay, for a lack of towing
that weekend, but REALLY, going 12 miles over the speed limit is not a
big deal when you're on the highway and the speed limit is a lame
55mph anyways.
Once we did a little off-roading style crossing of a median, got lost,
and found, we managed to get into the least car-dense bridge or tunnel
leaving New Jersey. NYC was another matter though. Gay pride was all
hot and heavy, strutting through 5th Ave intermittently, between
stop-and-go traffic. I jumped out and into the fray. And oh, was it
worth it! There were gay versions of everything...gay rugby, gay
volleyball, gay volleyball, gay Jewish, gay Episcopalians...it went on
and on by genre. There were hotties and thongs and sweat (including
on me, at >92 degrees F), and loud thumping *good* dance music, and
unwanted freebies, and squirting water, and cops. It was all I could
hope for on a sunny Sunday on my own.
(My apologies to the heterosexual males. The parade offered next to no
eye candy for anyone other than gay men and heterosexual woman.)
Unlike the wildlife documentaries the real life action that occurs on a river crossing is brief, sudden and unexpected -happening unpredictably in between long periods of relative inaction.
This yearling Wildebeest was grabbed and despatched by two large crocs working together. I missed the strike and was holding the wrong camera/lens combo when the action unfolded. The young Wildebeest died quickly and the large croc on the right carried the body to the far bank where the remains of a large tree which had been washed down the river was snared. I cannot be certain but it appeared that the wildebeest carcase was deposited in a cache below water among the tangle of branches. Later we saw another croc appear to transport a carcase to the same location.
Our guide Ben expressed the belief that these crocs were smart, working together and that during times of plenty they racked and stacked the carcases.
We also observed large crocs appearing to hold carcases allowing smaller crocs to spin & tear off chunks of flesh.
I had always assumed that crocs were rather primitive uncomplicated creatures devoid of social interaction and driven purely by basic genetically programmed instincts .........now I'm not so sure!!!
Re-worked and framed by a friend.
Please don't use my images on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission - rr.restifo@gmail.com. © All rights reserved.
"A Growth Rate Weighed Down by Inaction" by EDUARDO PORTER via NYT t.co/JtRvLqcvwI (via Twitter twitter.com/felipemassone/status/732687844859387904)
My gear as I was getting ready to leave for a job. This a traditional photojournalist or editorial set up and It accidently end up looking pretty cool to me so I took a quick shoot for my blog before I took off.
MAS SOBRE ESTA FOTO EN MI BLOG (SOLO EN ESPANOL)
This is an inaction, art figure that I put together. The head is a cast made from my original hand sculpted version. There is no articulation and the backer card is laminated. The art on the card was also done by me. I have wanted to make this for a while. A mash up of the innocent, child, friendly 80's figures with the darker, films. I hand painted the figure and as stated the card is laminated and is hard plastic that will NOT rip.
Opening reception and performance (at 5pm) for Inaction, a new sculptural and performance-based installation by Brendan Fernandes.
Photography by Rich Marinelli
19th-century mausoleum complex built by Muhammad Ali Pasha in the Al-Qarafa district.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your actions now may echo for generations (as will your inaction).
See:
www.hrw.org/report/2024/12/19/extermination-and-acts-geno...
www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MDE15866820...
www.btselem.org/publications/202507_our_genocide
www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-palestine
www.fidh.org/fr/regions/maghreb-moyen-orient/israel-pales...
opiniojuris.org/2025/08/04/is-genocide-happening-in-gaza/
Speak out for Gaza and for the victims of atrocities worldwide.
No voice is too small, no act too late.
Israel and Zionism have been synonymous with genocide for more than three quarters of a century.
- [ ] Haifa Massacre 1937
- [ ] Jerusalem Massacre 1937
- [ ] Haifa Massacre 1938
- [ ] Balad al-Sheikh Massacre 1939
- [ ] Haifa Massacre 1939
- [ ] Haifa Massacre 1947
- [ ] Abbasiya Massacre 1947
- [ ] Al-Khisas Massacre 1947
- [ ] Bab al-Amud Massacre 1947
- [ ] Jerusalem Massacre 1947
- [ ] Sheikh Bureik Massacre 1947
- [ ] Jaffa Massacre 1948
- [ ] Khan Yunis Massacre 1956
- [ ] Jerusalem Massacre 1967
- [ ] Sabra and Shatila Massacre 1982
- [ ] Al-Aqsa Massacre 1990
- [ ] Ibrahimi Mosque Massacre 1994
- [ ] Jenin Refugee Camp April 2002
- [ ] Gaza Massacre 2008-09
- [ ] Gaza Massacre 2012
- [ ] Gaza Massacre 2014
- [ ] Gaza Massacre 2018-19
- [ ] Gaza Massacre 2021
- [ ] Gaza Genocide 2023-?
Power of Prayer
This devotional service is a sort of cultivation. It is not simply inaction for people who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different methods for people who want this, but cultivation of Krishna consciousness is different. The particular word used by Srila Rupa Gosvami in this connection is anusilana or cultivation by following the predecessor teachers (acaryas). As soon as we say "cultivation," we must refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us. All activities may be divided into two classes: one class may be for achieving a certain goal, and the other may be for avoiding some unfavorable circumstance. In Sanskrit, these activities are called pravriti and nirvriti-positive and negative action. There are many examples of negative action. For instance, a diseased person has to be cautious and take medicine in order to avoid some unfavorable illness.
Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will to do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities we should always try to think of Krishna and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great acaryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind and activities of speech. A Krishna conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kirtana. And by his mind a Krishna conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord-as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vrindavana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Krishna consciousness.
Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities. But all such activities must be in relationship with Krishna. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master, who is the direct representative of Krishna in disciplic succession. Therefore, the execution of Krishna conscious activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith. The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never performed.
This cultivation of Krishna consciousness is not material. The Lord has three general energies-namely the external energy, the internal energy and the marginal energy. The living entities are called marginal energy, and the material cosmic manifestation is the action of the external, or material, energy. Then there is the spiritual world, which is a manifestation of the internal energy. The living entities, who are called marginal energy, perform material activities when acting under the inferior, external energy. And when they engage in activities under the internal, spiritual energy, their activities are called Krishna conscious. This means that those who are great souls or great devotees do not act under the spell of material energy, but act instead under the protection of the spiritual energy. Any activities done in devotional service, or in Krishna consciousness, are directly under the control of spiritual energy. In other words, energy is a sort of strength, and this strength can be spiritualized by the mercy of both the bona fide spiritual master and Krishna.
In the Caitanya-caritämåta, by Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Krishna the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy-Krishna and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world. When we speak of "Krishna" we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary parts and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels and His different energies. "Krishna," in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand "Krishna" to mean Krishna and His personal expansions. Krishna expands Himself as Baladeva, Sankarsana, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Rama, Nrsimha and Varaha, as well as many other incarnations and innumerable Visnu expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krishna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krishna's expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness and cognizance.
Devotional service means to prosecute Krishna conscious activities which are favorable to the transcendental pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Krishna, and any activities which are not favorable to the transcendental favor of the Lord cannot be accepted as devotional service. For example, great demons like Ravana, Kamsa and Hiranyakasipu were always thinking of Krishna, but they were thinking of Him as their enemy. This sort of thinking cannot be accepted as bhakti, or Krishna consciousness.
The impersonalists sometimes misunderstand devotional service in such a way that they divide Krishna from His paraphernalia and pastimes. For example, the Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, and the impersonalists say that although Krishna is of interest, the Battlefield of Kuruksetra isn't. The devotees, however, also know that the Battlefield of Kuruksetra by itself has nothing to do with their business, but in addition they know that "Krishna" does not mean just Krishna alone. He is always with His associates and paraphernalia. For instance, if someone says, "Give something to eat to the man with the weapons," the eating process is done by the man and not by the weapons. Similarly, in Krishna consciousness, a devotee may be interested in the paraphernalia and locations-such as the Battlefield of Kuruksetra-which are associated with Krishna, but he is not concerned with simply any battlefield. He is concerned with Krishna-His speech, His instructions, etc. It is because Krishna is there that the battlefield is so important.
This is the summary understanding of what Krishna consciousness is. Without this understanding one is sure to misunderstand why the devotees are interested in the Battlefield of Kuruksetra. One who is interested in Krishna becomes interested in His different pastimes and activities.
The definition of a pure devotee, as given by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, can be summarized thus: his service is favorable and is always in relation to Krishna. In order to keep the purity of such Krishna conscious activities, one must be freed from all material desires and philosophical speculation. Any desire except for the service of the Lord is called material desire. And "philosophical speculation" refers to the sort of speculation which ultimately arrives at a conclusion of voidism or impersonalism. This conclusion is useless for a Krishna conscious person. Only rarely by philosophical speculation can one reach the conclusion of worshiping Vasudeva, Krishna. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita itself. The ultimate end of philosophical speculation, then, must be Krishna, with the understanding that Krishna is everything, the cause of all causes, and that one should therefore surrender unto Him. If this ultimate goal is reached, then philosophical advancement is favorable, but if the conclusion of philosophical speculation is voidism or impersonalism, that is not bhakti.
Karma, or fruitive activities, are sometimes understood to be ritualistic activities. There are many persons who are very much attracted by the ritualistic activities described in the Vedas. But if one becomes attracted simply to ritualistic activities without understanding Krishna, his activities are unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Actually, Krishna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which everything done is unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Thus, one should always be guarding against falldowns.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has also mentioned in this definition of bhakti the word jnana-karmadi. This karmadi (fruitive work) consists of activities which are unable to help one attain to pure devotional service. Many forms of so-called renunciation are also not favorable to Krishna conscious devotional service.
Srila Rupa Gosvami has also quoted a definition from the Narada-pancaratra, as follows: "One should be free from all material designations and, by Krishna consciousness, must be cleansed of all material contamination. He should be restored to his pure identity, in which he engages his senses in the service of the proprietor of the senses." So when our senses are engaged for the actual proprietor of the senses, that is called devotional service. In our conditional state, our senses are engaged in serving these bodily demands. When the same senses are engaged in executing the order of Krishna, our activities are called bhakti.
As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society or a certain person, he is said to be covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society or country, but is eternally related to Krishna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krishna. This is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness.
~ Excerpt from Introduction to Nectar of Devotion © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though it has never been the geographic center of the federal district, the Capitol is the origin by which both the quadrants of the District are divided and the city was planned. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol are referred to as "fronts." Historically, however, only the east front of the building was intended for the arrival of visitors and dignitaries. Like the federal buildings for the executive and judicial branches, it is built in the distinctive neoclassical style and has a white exterior.
Continued inaction on climate change is impacting communities and ecosystems across the north. One of these affected communities is Santa's workshop.
"I just don't know what to do" said Santa, "the ice is breaking up, the reindeer (caribou) can't find food, and the elves are absolutely distraught."
Members of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition helped Santa, his elves, the caribou and the polar bears reach the federal government by setting up a homeless shelter outside Environment Minister Rona Ambrose's constituency
office.