Kentucky PROSECUTOR AND JUDGE APPEAR TO GIVING A POLITICAL FAVOR

August 31, 2012: Shocking and Disturbing information in the UNSEALED records come to light:

http://craigeisele.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/sexual-assault-photographed-because-perpetrators-thought-it-was-funny/

August 28, 2012

As the title of this blog stated  in July  2012, I had a belief that there was favoritism… Today another Judge seems to agree that at the very least the manner in which this case was handled and the terms of the “PLEA BARGAIN” were abhorrent…. 

See the Article from the Courier Journal Newspaper:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120828/NEWS01/308280053?fb_comment_id=fbc_10151157700564933_23196882_10151158340334933&nclick_check=1

Savannah Dietrich sexual assault files should be open, Louisville judge rules

http://www.courier-journal.com

A Jefferson District Court judge ruled Tuesday that she will open juvenile court files surrounding the sexual assault of …………….. see the rest of the article

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120828/NEWS01/308280053?fb_comment_id=fbc_10151157700564933_23196882_10151158340334933&nclick_check=1

SEE  NEWEST POST NEXT OR FOLLOW LINK FOR MORE RECENT INFORMATION

http://craigeisele.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/mother-of-savannah-dietrich-seeks-justice-for-daughter/

UPDATE 2:

Contempt charges against Savannah have been dropped . Still no reason known why the 2 were not charged as adults as most people without rich parents  would have been? Why the Prosecutor did not recuse himself from the case? Will The District Attorney Assign the case to a new Prosecutor who will charge them as adults? If the Department of justice will Investigate this matter? If the Judge will be disciplined by the State Judicial Committee? Why they will not be on the sex offenders registry as most others would be? Or why the schools did not expel the boys?  You can read the comments for more information submitted by outside interested people. Here is the news paper link concerning the dismissal of the Contempt Charges:

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120723/NEWS01/307230081/Contempt-motion-withdrawn-assault-victim-Savannah-Dietrich?odyssey=mod|mostview

UPDATE: (at the bottom is the photo of the prosecutor and his name as I have been told by several people who know much more than I do)  

ALSO: Here is the Contact information for the Judge responsible for this mess.. she has been involved  in the courts for over 30 years according to her own postings:

http://apps.sos.ky.gov/elections/candidatefilings/statewide/default.aspx?cand=2460

Deana “Dee” McDonald

District Judge Louis D. Brandeis Hall Of Justice 600 W. Jefferson St. Louisville, KY 40202

Jefferson

(502) 595-4960 (Phone) (502) 595-3270 (Fax)

Dist. 30, Div. 13

This story stinks of what has become typical in Kentucky… collusion.. and the Judge appears to be part of it by doing what she did. I would guess that is a political or personal favor to one or both of the parents of these sexual predators … The prosecutors office should be ashamed they let this happen and the judge should be forced off the bench for abuse of power under the Judicial Code of Conduct and for knowingly and willfully violating this girls first amendment rights. And Judges wonder why people have so little respect for them anymore…. THIS is why!!!

And Where is the Justice Department in this matter… THEY should be investigating as well… I SMELL POLITICS at its worst!

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS NEW UPDATE ON THE ATTACKERS: Alleged attackers are Will Frey III and Austin Zehnder as reported by http://rantsthoughtsmerde.com  !

A Kentucky girl who was sexually assaulted could face contempt of court charges after she tweeted the names of her juvenile attackers.

Savannah Dietrich, the 17-year-old victim, was frustrated by a plea deal reached late last month by the two boys who assaulted her, and took to Twitter to expose them–violating a court order to keep their names confidential.

“There you go, lock me up,” Dietrich tweeted after naming the perpetrators. “I’m not protecting anyone that made my life a living Hell.” Her Twitter account has since been closed.

Attorneys for the attackers asked a Jefferson District Court judge to hold Dietrich in contempt for lashing out on Twitter. She could face up to 180 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted. The boys have yet to be sentenced for the August 2011 attack.

“So many of my rights have been taken away by these boys,” Dietrich told Louisville’s Courier-Journal. “I’m at the point, that if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it. If they really feel it’s necessary to throw me in jail for talking about what happened to me as opposed to throwing these boys in jail for what they did to me, then I don’t understand justice.”

Dietrich was assaulted by the pair after passing out at a party. They later shared photos of the assault with friends.

“For months, I cried myself to sleep,” Dietrich said. “I couldn’t go out in public places.”

On June 26, the boys pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism. Terms of their plea agreement were not released.

“They got off very easy,” Dietrich, who says she was unaware of the plea agreement before it was announced in court, said in her interview with the newspaper.

“They said I can’t talk about it or I’ll be locked up,” Dietrich tweeted after hearing, according to the paper. “So I’m waiting for them to read this and lock me up.”

“[Protecting rapists] is more important than getting justice for the victim in Louisville,” she added.

A hearing for the contempt of court charge is scheduled for July 30. Attorneys for Dietrich want it open to the media, while the boys lawyers want it closed.

Both the Gannett-owned Courier-Journal and Dietrich’s attorneys “have filed motions to open the proceedings, arguing she has a First Amendment right to speak about what happened in her case,” the newspaper said.

An online petition asking the judge to throw out the charges against Dietrich, launched Saturday, has already accumulated hundreds of signatures.

“[She] should not be legally barred from talking about what happened to her,” Gregg Leslie, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told the Associated Press. “That’s a wide-ranging restraint on speech.”

OHH How Sweet… Someone sent me the link to the  Blue Grass bats Team Photos with the following information  in it… THESE are the actual photos of these two confessed rapists

http://www.bluegrassbats.com/5715.html

Apparently the two males whose pictures were supposed to be here as well as on the Blue Grass Bats Web page are now gone from existence….I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHY THEY WERE NOT KICKED OFF THE TEAM WHEN THEY PLEAD GUILTY OR EVEN WHEN THEY WERE ARRESTED…  from the TEAM Site their pictures are gone as well as their names… an on this site their pictures have mysteriously disappeared…. HOWEVER if you read some the Last few comments or so a person  or two has indicated she has them on her Facebook  as others have also copied and downloaded the photos of these  ”people”  I am not positive but if they convicted as juveniles then it should have gone to Juvi Court.. but this was in fill District Court meaning they are convicted now as ADULTS???? So why are they not on the sex offender registry in Kentucky.. and why are their faces allowed to be used??? 

Here is a link to another place to view pictures as well:

commented on Kentucky PROSECUTOR AND JUDGE APPEAR TO GIVING A POLITICAL FAVOR I have posted pictures of these scumbags on my FB page, I’m letting more and more people know about this. http://www.facebook.com/HelpSavannahDietrich

.. Gee I wonder Mitch McConnell that had that info taken down… well the fight for justice is not over yet!!!

#22 Will Frey.  Trinity Midfield.  Will is a 2nd year Bat and scored a hat trick at the 2010 Gait Cup.  He is a strong athlete that loves challenges.  He does not intimidate easily.  His signature move the French Frey is a combination of face dodge and split dodge.  He can score in any position. Will believes he resembles a Wildabeast, because he is a Wildabeast. Will is a Junior and would like to attend Centre, Denver, or Jacksonville to play lacrosse.  When he is on the field he whispers in his opponent’s ear “Fear the BAT.”   The last book he read was “Catcher in the Rye.”   Will is known as “KING FRY” on the field.

#1  Austin Zehnder “the Zen master”.  He is 6’1 and considers himself a “groundball vacuum cleaner.”  A Trinity Attack, Austin hopes to attend college outside of Kentucky. Austin enjoys meditating, eating pizza, and waxing his lax stick in his free time.  Hoping to become a doctor he feels he surgically debilitates his opponents, as they feel he has removed certain organs without anesthesia.2nd year BAT.

OH I FORGOT this is Mitch McConnell’s State of Kentucky.. NOW I UNDERSTAND THE CORRUPTION

THE JUDGE:

Jefferson District Court

Hon. Deana “Dee” McDonald
Division 13

Education:

Undergraduate: Western Kentucky University, B.S., 1974
Graduate and/or Law School: University of Louisville, School of Law, 1994, Night Division

Legal Experience: I have over thirty (30) years of Jefferson County courtroom experience. I began as a social worker, working with abused/neglected and troubled youth and was in court almost daily advocating for their needs. I put myself through law school at night and began my legal career as a criminal defense attorney. I served as Assistant Counsel for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services providing legal support for the workers and litigating Termination of Parental Rights cases to free committed children for adoption. I served as a prosecutor in the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office in the Domestic Violence Unit, the Felony/Misdemeanor, Warrant, Juvenile and Non-Support dockets, as well as all ten (10) of the Family Courts.

Candidate Statement:

With over 30 years of courtroom experience I have the expertise and demonstrated ability to serve as District Judge. The quality and depth of my experience has been evidenced by the fact that I have received every single endorsement made in this race, including that of Citizens For Better Judges. In addition, the local attorney’s responding to the LBA’s Judicial Poll, rated me 3 to 1 over my opponent in the “Highly Qualified” category.

A career of public service in the court system has given me a wealth of experience. As a prosecutor, I took an oath to seek the truth and administer justice fairly and that required me to prosecute some cases and recommend the dismissal of others. My experience enabled me to know the difference. I bring over thirty years of experience with which to serve the people of this community.

THE PROSECUTOR??

I this really was the man who was the prosecutor of these boys then you should know him ….. Paul Richwalsky, chief prosecutor in the juvenile court division of the county attorney’s office, felt one officer was blowing us off in two serious cases. and was against a cop who did not show up to court on his day off ….

Seems to be that kids who are not white and are from poor families are dangerous, but those that rape our daughters are just boys being boys …

I Have been told he has affiliations with TRINITY … but I have not confirmed that .. if there was any connection no matter how remote I believe there was a conflict of interest in the PLEA agreement and the prosecution as a JUVENILE offender status these boys received. IN most any other case this offence from 16 years and up would be considered by most courts in the country to be ADULT Crimes… from what I have heard OTHER similar crimes in this jurisdiction were tried  as adults… so why the special favor for these 2 boys… what made them so special… and are they still eligible to be tried by the  United States  Federal Court for Distribution of Child Pornography… If I were the lawyers for Savannah I would be pushing for Adults trials and if not then federal  prosecution as there is no parole with the federal government convictions. 

SOMETHING STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN IN JEFFERSON COUNTRY COURTS IN THIS CASE .. HAS SAVANNAH BEEN DEPRIVED OF HER CIVIL RIGHTS TO JUSTICE?? 

How Can You Tell If Your Child Is Being Bullied

As a single father with an Autistic Daughter I found that this article is valid …. children can be vicious to others who are different …. even her own sisters did not understand.

8 Sneaky Signs Your Child’s Being Bullied.

By Dawn Papandrea

Teenage girls bullying

Your child would tell you if he’s being bullied, right? Maybe not. “It’s painful to say, ‘I’m being targeted,’” says Cynthia Lowen, producer and writer of the documentary film, Bully, and co-author of the forthcoming book The Essential Guide to Bullying. While there’s more bullying awareness than ever (who hasn’t heard about the bullied bus matron?), children still fear their parents’ response to the harassment can make the situation worse, says Lowen. Another reason kids may keep this info to themselves: “They may worry that admitting they’re victims will disappoint their parents,” says Jerry Weichman, PhD, a licensed psychologist specializing in teens and tweens at California’s Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach, CA, and author of How to Deal. That’s why it’s important to know how to spot the signs of bullying, which aren’t as obvious as you’d think. Here are some surprising red flags to look for. Photo credit: Thinkstock 

 

1. Sharing bullying euphemisms

 When you ask your child about his day, and he says there’s “drama” at school or kids were “messing around,” it could be code for “I’m being bullied,” explains Cindy Miller, a New Jersey-based licensed school social worker, psychotherapist and Lowen’s co-author on The Essential Guide to Bullying. If you hear that language often, ask for specifics, she suggests. For instance: “When you say ‘messing around,’ did anyone get physical with you? Did someone spread a rumor about you or call you a name? How did you feel when the ‘drama’ occurred?” 

If your child still doesn’t open up, tell him the difference between reporting and tattling. “Reporting is stating that someone’s hurting you and you’re trying to get help. Tattling is trying to get someone in trouble,” says Miller. This way, he knows there’s nothing wrong about giving facts. 

2. Coming home hungry

 Before you assume your little luncher is simply sick of PB&J, consider what else might be going on in the cafeteria. Perhaps another student is taking his food. Or maybe your child is giving away items voluntarily to become better-liked-or avoiding eating because he fears being ridiculed about his weight or what he’s eating, says Miller. Again, asking direct questions in a non-threatening way here is key, says Lowen. Try: “Who did you sit with at lunch today? Did you like your food? What did you and your friends talk about?” 

 3. Coming home from school late

 You may think he’s hanging out with friends, but he may be taking a longer route home or skipping the bus to avoid bullies, says Miller. A change in after-school routine is how Tara Kennedy Kline of Shoemakersville, PA, realized something wasn’t right. “He started calling me from the bus and asking me if his older buddies could come to our house after school,” she says. Normally, her son was only allowed to have friends over after homework was done, and not at all if his parents weren’t home. “Blatantly disregarding our rule was a red flag for us,” she says. Soon after, she learned about a bullying incident that happened on the bus. So trust your instincts and dig deeper if your child does something out of character. 

4. Frequently losing or damaging his things

 Sure, kids can be careless and clumsy, but missing or torn/broken belongings can be signs of bullying. “Bookbags getting ripped. Someone takes something. Shoes thrown out of the window of the bus. These are all things bullied kids have told me happened to them,” says Lowen. What’s worse is that children are afraid to tell their parents about things like broken glasses in tough economic times, she says. Lowen also points out that some children give possessions away to win favor with the popular kids. “Parents should keep an account of what’s missing and follow up on their child’s excuse with other parents, teachers or school administrators,” suggests Dr. Weichman. If there’s a discrepancy between your child’s excuse and the explanation an adult gives, your child may be covering for someone’s bad behavior.  

5. Becoming upset after getting a text or going online

 In the age of cyber-bullying, the end of a school day doesn’t always offer taunted kids a reprieve. “If a parent suspects that cyber-bullying may be going on, she should first confront her child with her concerns, but also verify with monitoring software,” advises Dr. Weichman. Beyond using parental spyware, it’s important to keep computers in common areas at home, such as in the kitchen or family room, says Lowen. “If your child is in his bedroom for two hours and a situation is getting larger than life, he can feel like the entire world is turning on him,” she warns. And it’s hard to prevent your child from responding negatively if you can’t see the situation unfolding. 

6. Wearing long sleeves all the time or covering up when it doesn’t seem warranted

 Don’t shrug off your child’s desire to keep covered as shyness or a fashion statement. There might be visible signs of physical bullying he’s trying to conceal. And here’s why: ”One reaction that parents often have is, ‘you have to stand up for yourself’ or ‘hit him back,’” says Lowen. But a child may not be capable of or willing to follow that advice, so he hides bruises and cuts rather than face his parents’ judgment. If you suspect your child is hiding injuries, don’t react in a shocked or confrontational manner. Phrases such as “Tell me who did this to you right now!” should be avoided, says Dr. Weichman. Instead, put on your poker face and ask what’s going on that might have contributed to the injuries. 

7. Disappearing friends

Most parents know who their children pal around with: who calls every night, who they join forces with for school projects, who’s sleeping over. If the usual suspects are MIA, it might be more than the clique simply growing apart. “If your child’s circle suddenly isn’t around, ask, ‘Where are your friends? What are they doing?’” suggests Lowen. When the Mishra family moved back to their old neighborhood in North Carolina, their teen daughter was excited to reconnect with her grammar-school friends. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way. “One former friend decided she didn’t like my daughter anymore and told the host of an upcoming party that my
 child shouldn’t be invited,” says Mishra. “That was when I realized that this was not harmless 
jealousy but outright bullying.” Mishra’s daughter is now considering moving in with 
her grandparents in Michigan for her senior year. 

8. Claiming that after-school activities were cancelled or practice ended early

 Cancellations happen, but if they’re happening a lot, your child may be hiding that he’s dropped out of an activity because of bullying. Changes in routine and a loss of interest in favorite hobbies are usually good indicators that something’s amiss. “Kids send out distress signals when they’re in trouble,” says Miller. It’s up to you to stay attuned, and get your child to open up. And when he clues you in, keep two things in mind. “You have to believe him, and it’s probably worse than he’s letting on,” says Lowen. 

 Whether or not you spot these signs in your child, start an open dialogue about bullying so he knows you can be counted on, says Dr. Weichman. “Kids need to be reassured that sharing what’s going on with their parents is both safe and non-judgmental.” 

Original article appeared on WomansDay.com. 

 

Greek PM FINALLY realizes What the ECB and EU is Doing to Greece and Sees Country in “Great Depression”

DRACONIAN AUSTERITY Measures KILL ECONOMIES… I cannot believe that the EU economist DON’T GET IT… They are hell bent on destroying the EU and the Euro I believe. … now if only the Stupid people  who are “controlling” the Republican party (and I a a republican)  would wise up.. the DEFICIT does not matter… not for a Country like the USA  we will always pay our debts… 

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece is in a “Great Depression” similar to the American one in the 1930s, the country’s Prime MinisterAntonis Samaras told former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Sunday.

Samaras’s comments come two days before a team of Greece’sinternational lenders arrive in Athens to push for further austerity measures if the debt-laden country wants to qualify for further rescue payments and avoid a chaotic default.

Athens wants to soften the terms of a 130-billion euro bailout agreed last March with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, to soften their impact on an economy going through its worst post-war recession.

Greek GDP is expected by the end of this to have shrunk by about a fifth in five consecutive years of recession since 2008, hammered by tax hikes, spending cuts and wage reductions required by two EU/IMF bailouts. Unemployment climbed to a record 22.6 percent in the first quarter.

“You had the Great Depression in the United States,” Samaras told Clinton, who was visiting Greece as part of a delegation of Greek-American businessmen. “This is exactly what we’re going through in Greece – it’s our version of the Great Depression.”

Athens must reduce its budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP by the end of 2014, from 9.3 percent of GDP in 2011 – requiring almost another 12 billion euros in cuts and higher taxes on top of the 17 billion successive governments have cut from the budget shortfall.

Greece wants its lenders to give it two more years to achieve the budget goal to avoid an even deeper economic slump but its lenders have opposed the idea because it would imply an even bigger financial aid to the country.

Highlighting growing frustration with Athens, German magazine “Der Spiegel” reported on Sunday, without citing sources, that the IMF may not take part in any additional financing for Greece.

The German and Greek finance ministries declined to comment on the report, which suggested additional support required for Athens could range from 10-50 billion euros.

Officials have already indicated there would be a shortfall on the current bailout. How much is likely to depend on the extent by much Greece misses its fiscal targets and the extent of support needed to keep its major banks afloat.

The inspection team of the international “troika” of the EU, the IMF and the ECB will focus on the 11.7 billion euros of spending cuts Athens needs to take in 2013 and 2014.

Clinton criticized Greece’s lenders for focusing excessively on austerity, saying Athens will be more likely to repay its debt if its manages economic recovery first.

“(It) is self-defeating… if every day people are saying this may or may not work to give us back a 100 cents on the dollar, so give us more austerity today,” he told Samaras.

“People need something to look forward to when they get up in the morning — young Greeks need something to believe in so they can stake their future out here,” Clinton said.

Super rich hold $32 trillion in offshore havens

Rich individuals and their families have as much as $32 trillion of hidden financial assets in offshore tax havens, representing up to $280 billion in lost income tax revenues, according to research published on Sunday.

The study estimating the extent of global private financial wealth held in offshore accounts – excluding non-financial assets such as real estate, gold, yachts and racehorses – puts the sum at between $21 and $32 trillion.

The research was carried out for pressure group Tax Justice Network, which campaigns against tax havens, by James Henry, former chief economist at consultants McKinsey & Co.

He used data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations and central banks.

The report also highlights the impact on the balance sheets of 139 developing countries of money held in tax havens by private elites, putting wealth beyond the reach of local tax authorities.

The research estimates that since the 1970s, the richest citizens of these 139 countries had amassed $7.3 to $9.3 trillion of “unrecorded offshore wealth” by 2010.

Private wealth held offshore represents “a huge black hole in the world economy,” Henry said in a statement.

We’re all “YOU PEOPLE” to GOP Elitists.

Ann Romney’s snobbish snub

Ross Perot suffered for calling black voters “you people,” but 20 years on, we’re all “you people” to GOP elitists.

Are we allowed to criticize Ann Romney yet? I have a call into Hilary Rosen, but she hasn’t gotten back to me.

I’m thinking that with Mitt Romney’s shot at Teresa Heinz Kerry the other day, for not releasing sufficient information from her personal tax returns, maybe we’re beyond the “wives are off-limits” phase of the campaign. Or maybe “wives are off-limits” always applies, but only to Republican wives.

Whatever. I find it impossible not to comment on Ann Romney Antoinette’s remark that her husband has provided enough tax information to “you people.” Or as she told ABC News: “We’ve given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and how we live our life.” Like everyone else, I immediately thought of the trouble Ross Perot caused for himself when he referred to the NAACP audience as “you people” in 1992. It’s so disrespectful.

Now, it may be OK, in some circles, to call the media “you people,” which is what Romney would probably argue she was doing. But in fact, she’s talking to American voters, a majority of whom (including a third of Republicans) want the Romneys share more tax returns, according to a USAToday poll released Thursday. The poll didn’t ask whether voters would like more information generally about how the Romneys “live our life,” but that seems if anything an even more arrogant and elitist reaction from Romney.

Ann Romney’s comment about “you people” is particularly fascinating to me because I can’t get over the way the contemporary right has taken insults they once reserved for African-Americans and applied them to a much broader swath of the country, including white folks, who happen to make up 90 percent of their base. The obvious example I’ve written about before is Charles Murray’s “Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010,” which blames the hard times suffered by the white working class on its own laziness, aversion to marriage, and fondness for the dole – the same personal traits he blamed for African-American poverty in the 1980s.

Ann Romney is too well-bred to call African-Americans “you people” in public, of course, especially after what happened to Ross Perot. But she obviously has no problem referring to other folks she holds in contempt that way. Of course Romney has displayed contempt for certain African-Americans – like when she and her husband told the Obamas to “start packing,” because in Ann’s words, “It’s Mitt’s time. It’s our turn now,” to live in the White House. As if the Obamas were troublesome tenants who’d overstayed their welcome in the home that rightly belongs to the Romneys.

She displayed her plutocratic sense of entitlement when she proclaimed Hilary Rosen’s remarks about her stay-at-home-mom status “a birthday present.” Romney’s sincere reaction wasn’t outrage but opportunism; she enjoyed the sight of Rosen being grilled on a spit over a bipartisan open flame. Good to know it’s all about you, Ann.

Politico and other mainstream media Romney defenders think some of us are being unfair focusing on the Romneys’ wealth and “the way we live our lives,” in Ann’s snippy terms. They think it’s mean to talk about Romney’s dressage habit, which involves a really expensive horse now headed to the Olympics, whose care and feeding allowed the Romneys to take a $77,000 tax deduction. That’s almost twice the median wage in this country.

But in a time of unprecedented income inequality, the Romneys’ wealth, tax history, lifestyle and values are absolutely fair game. And so is Ann Romney’s barely repressed elitism.

We’re all “you people” to the Romneys. It’s good to know.

Pew research Data Confirms Religious Plurality in America Growing

In a report on Asian America and religion published today, the Pew Research Center offers new data that illuminate the complexity and richness of our pluralistic democracy. Pew’s national survey is providing one of the first detailed glimpses into how Hinduism is practiced in the United States.

While temples representing many strains of Hinduism have sprung up across the U.S. since 1965, the Pew report offers the first data on where American Hindus locate themselves on the broad and diverse field of Hindu belief. More than half (53 percent) identify as simply “Hindu,” but of the other half, about twice as many (19 percent) identify with the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism as with Shaivite Hinduism (10 percent). Smaller percentages identify with the Hare Krishna tradition (3 percent) or with Vedanta philosophy (2 percent).

The Pew report also indicates how Hinduism is lived in the U.S. — how it plays out in the daily lives of individuals. This chance to go beyond encyclopedia definitions and scriptural analysis is priceless to a social scientist like me. The Pew report tells us that nearly half (48 percent) of Hindus engage in daily prayer, and another third (32 percent) pray weekly or monthly. More than three quarters (78 percent) keep a puja (altar or shrine) in their home. A similar number (73 percent) believe in yoga as a spiritual practice, and more than four in 10 meditate daily (44 percent) or fast during holy times (41 percent).

To make the most of the Pew report, we need to bear in mind how the framing and phrasing of the survey can affect not only the data but also the conclusions some readers could draw from it. For example, Pew writes that “Asian Americans tend to be less religious,” supporting this conclusion by noting that “fewer Asian Americans say religion is very important in their lives” (39 percent of U.S. Asians vs. 58 percent of all U.S. adults), and Asian Americans are less likely to say they pray on a daily basis. Pew also notes that just one-fifth (19 percent) of Asian American Hindus say they attend a house of worship regularly.

These measures apply a lens of Christian normativity — treating biblical practices like weekly organized worship as the model for what constitutes “religious” behavior. As a result, they are inadequate indicators of religion’s role, particularly among Hindus (who comprised 10 percent of the survey population) and Buddhists (14 percent). Applying them can leave us with a skewed understanding of how non-Christians live and practice their faiths.

For example, consider the large majority of Hindus who have an in-home puja, where devotional activities can be carried out without being “affiliated” with a mandir (Hindu temple) or attending group worship. Researchers who measure religious engagement in Christian normative terms will inevitably under-estimate the religiosity of Hindus: Hinduism doesn’t have a weekly Sabbath like the Abrahamic faiths, and Hindus are as likely to worship at home or visit a temple to do darshan (the act of seeing and being seen by God), which they may not identify as attending a “service.”

Likewise, Pew found fewer Hindus (17 percent) than any other religious group felt “living a very religious life” was “one of the most important things in life.” But the number of Asian Americans who prioritized “being a good parent” (67 percent) and “having a successful marriage” (42 percent) outpaced the general public substantially. For Hindus, these are religious principles. Hindus recognize the concept of dharma – the obligation one has to family and community at various stages of life. In India, where most of Pew’s Hindu research participants grew up, one speaks not of religion or religiosity, but of dharma. Being a good parent and spouse are among the quintessential dharmic duties of a Hindu; to prioritize them is to “live a very religious life.”

To best understand a report like Pew’s, we need to understand the lens through which the data are collected, and how religious activity is seen and understood. For example, nearly a third (30 percent) of the Hindus Pew surveyed say they sometimes attend services of “different religions.” That does not necessarily mean that they are worshiping outside Hinduism. Hinduism is no more monolithic or unified than any other religion. Vaishnavites and Shaivites may see each other’s houses of worship as a “different religion.” Also, Hindus of one type may attend another’s mandir simply because it is the only geographically convenient temple.

Pew found 73 percent of Hindus and 76 percent of Buddhists surveyed “celebrate Christmas.” As Pew notes, “holiday celebrations can … entail religious, secular or a mix of both practices.” But even assuming that for most Hindu Americans, “celebrating Christmas” is more about trees and gifts than the Baby Jesus, this is a striking figure. The framers of the Constitution could not have imagined America’s religious diversity today, but they would surely rejoice to see different religious groups celebrating with one another.

These data also provides a window on the American diversity of faiths by illuminating some of the distinctions among non-Christian faiths. Whereas Jewish Americans probably don’t “celebrate Christmas” at a similar rate, this isn’t because Jews are more sensitive or “stronger” in their faith or because Hindus are weaker in theirs or are “assimilating.” Rather, it’s about a theological distinction between the two. For a Jew, “celebrating Christmas” could imply accepting the Christian idea that Jesus was the Messiah sent to fulfill the prophecies in the Tanakh (Hebrew sacred texts). By contrast, the Christmas story does not contradict any similarly central tenet of Hinduism or Buddhism. In the absence of a need for theological exclusivity, Hindus can indeed “celebrate Christmas” without negating their own beliefs.

Pew concludes that Asian American religions are being transformed in the United States. Of course, they are. The development of American Hinduism is being influenced by the dominant culture and shaped by the experiences of young Hindus raised in a Christian milieu. And Asian American religions are also transforming the United States.

In order to advance religious pluralism, the normative nature of Christianity must be acknowledged. We need to stop judging or understanding our neighbors’ faiths based only on what we understand as “religion.”

Perhaps someday, the number of American Christians “celebrating Diwali” (a holiday celebrated not only by 95 percent of American Hindus, but also by 45 percent of non-Hindu Indian Americans) will match the number of Hindus “celebrating Christmas.”

In the meantime, let us relish these new data, while recognizing that avoiding Christian normativity in social science research can help us better meet and discover America’s other religions on their own terms.

Jon Stewart Just Loves Michele Bachmann

Yes he does.. I can see it in his face… He just loves the Sh#! out of her.. and here is the video to prove it….

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-july-19-2012/smear-and-loathing

Jon Stewart shows his LOVE for Michele B.

Rep. Michele Bachmann found her way back into the limelight this week after launching an inquiry as to whether or not Hillary Clinton’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Huma Abedin, has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The only problem: based on the evidence Bachmann is bringing forward, there are about six degrees of separation between Abedin and anything suspect. And they’re big degrees.

Sen. John McCain and Anderson Cooper among others have outwardly challenged Bachmann’s claims, but on Thursday night’s “Daily Show,” Jon Stewart wanted to test her logic.

“This is Bachmann we’re talking about, I know it’s been thought out very reasonably,” he joked.

But nothing about Abedin and her life choices seemed to suggest to Stewart that she would be anything but a law-abiding citizen:

Oh my god, it’s the perfect cover! An America-hating, Muslim extremist gets a high-profile, stringent background-check job with a former First Lady, marries a pro-Israel Jewish guy and begins producing Muslim-Zionist terror baby armies. Has 9/11 taught us nothing, people?

So he fought Bachmann’s conspiracy theory with one of his own. And while it took Bachmann several degrees of separation to piece together a tie between Abedin and the Brotherhood, it seems that her own ties are a lot closer than she may realize.

Watch the full clip above.

 

I think the Catholic Church Has Regressed About 100 Years Recently

Pontifical Catholic University Of Peru Stripped By Vatican Of Right To Call Itself Catholic

Has the Pope as Head of the Catholic Church turned his back on the Faithful and closed his eyes to the changes in this world and his ears to those who pray?

I must be getting old … I am not only fed up with my Republican Party that I have been a loyal member of since I was 18 …. but my whole life as a Catholic and now I find the Church to be ignorant of the people it supposedly leads. I personally met john Paul II … and I firmly believe he is rolling in his grave at the shenanigans and idiotic and sometimes STUPID edicts  that are coming out of the Vatican  since he has gone. The following story is just another example of how the Church is alienating the truly faithful. 

VATICAN CITY, July 21 (Reuters) – The Vatican has stripped the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, one of the most prominent centres of learning in Latin America, of its right to continue calling itself a Catholic or pontifical university, saying it had damaged the interests of the Church.

The university in the Peruvian capital, Lima, was founded in 1917 and has been identified with liberal, progressive thinking for decades.

Gustavo Gutierrez, the priest considered the founder of the Liberation Theologymovement, taught there for years. Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and former President Alan Garcia are both graduates.

The Vatican said on Saturday that the break came after the university had several times unilaterally modified its statutes and had “gravely prejudiced the interests of the Church”. It did not elaborate.

The rector of the university, Marcial Rubio, has been at odds with the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, over control of the institution.

In 1986, the university gave an honorary doctorate to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

The Power of Music to Affect the Globe

For FULL Story  by Stephen Olsen visit the link below and watch some of the videos it may change you world even a little

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-olsson/global-spirit-music-sound-and-the-sacred_b_1685197.html?ref=topbar

Global Spirit: Music, Sound and the Sacred

I have come to realize that I probably make films because I’m not a musician. I’ve always had a special admiration, perhaps it’s a sweet envy, for the musically talented. Thankfully, music forms the emotional basis of most, if not all, filmmaking. And so to create a Global Spirit program focused on sacred music was a special pleasure. In this TV/web series we try to bring together guests from different cultural and spiritual traditions that have never before met. We also try to create an “experiential” component to each program, using highly visual film segments that punctuate and enhance the discussions.

I remember during our first preproduction meeting, sitting around our studio discussing what types of music we might feature, we came up with the somewhat provocative concept of “Indigenous meets Liturgical.” To confess, my own experiential relationship with “sacred music” started with my short career as an altar boy, serving the “high mass,” as a 10-year-old, in Latin. I remember the goose bumps and delightful thrills I would get as that huge, European organ and the full choir both rose together, seemingly touching the very doors of paradise. This early love of ritual, incense and “sacred music” remained somewhere in my spiritual DNA.

By my early 20s, I found myself in pursuit of different types of cross-cultural goose bumps: chanting La ilaha illallah (“There is No God But God”) with Sufi groups in Turkey and Afghanistan, and sitting above the cremation grounds and burning ghats along the Ganges, in Varanasi, surrounded by local rishis and sadhus, singing: Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram (“May the Light in my heart overcome all obstacles”) — a chant that has been sung on that spot for more than 4,000 years, music that carried untold hundreds of millions of human beings well beyond goose bumps and into some heightened state of divine consciousness or awareness. Aside from the scent of burning flesh, I know that the music was “instrumental” to the out-of-body experience I had that night.

Some time later, as our Global Spirit team gathered on a conference call to discuss possible film segments to use for the program, I recalled a film sequence which still haunted me from a 1979 film by Peter Brook about the life of the author/teacher Gurdjieff called “Meetings With Remarkable Men.” This unusual film was shot in pre-war Afghanistan, and used non-actors and local musicians in a contest to see which musician could produce the musical tone that would make the Hindu Kush mountains rumble. With each contestant, one gets to listen, together with the Tadjik, Hazara, Kirghiz and Aimaq tribesmen and women, into the deep silence of the rugged Afghan mountains and valleys. From these valleys in the Hindu Kush, the program transitions to the Global Spirit studio and one of our selected studio guests, the Rev. Alan Jones, former dean and musical director at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, who bravely describes the metaphysical relationship between sound and silence:

Yes, there is something “other” going on, other than our effort, other than our manipulating things. There is an “otherness” out there that seeks to be in communion with us. And this communion requires if I am going to be in communion with you that means I paradoxically have to be separate from you and have respect for your otherness, while at the same time staying open to being together. So that sound and silence go together right a bit like that I think. In that in order for you and me to be One, I have to recognize our separateness.

While Rev. Jones’ union/separation image certainly spoke to my Abrahamic upbringing, our team knew and had decided that this conversation could be greatly enriched by a “native perspective” on the universality of sacred music. So, we invited our host Phil Cousineau’s friend, Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter Joanne Shenendoah, a member of the wolf clan of the Oneida Nation to be our second guest. Before she sings, Joannne tells Phil and Alan:

Music to us is a life celebration. We have songs for everything, from birth to death. We have songs just for the plants, for the medicines. Every single ceremony begins and ends with music because music is a healing force, it is what allows us to grow and open ourselves as human beings. It is the essence of who we are as native people. So when I create music I’m coming from a place that is purely a vessel to the next world and to the creator. I’ve asked for it and I’m there. It just is, the way it is.

Sick Demented Evangelical Leader Dishonors Victims of Shooting

Jerry Newcombe, Evangelical Leader, Says Only Christian Victims Of Colorado Shooting Going To Heaven

An evangelical spokesperson for a religious group known as Truth In Action has claimed that the tragedy in Colorado happened because America has lost its fear of hell.

In an article published on OneNewsNow, evangelical Jerry Newcombe wrote:

I can’t help but feel that to some extent, we’re reaping what we’ve been sowing as a society. We said to God, “Get out of the public arena.” Lawsuit after lawsuit, often by misguided “civil libertarians,” have chased away any fear of God in the land — at least in the hearts of millions.

Newcombe’s is not alone in reacting this way to the shooting in Aurora that claimed 12 deaths and left dozens of injuries. On the day of the shooting Rep. Gohmert of Texas also insisted that the shootings are the result of “ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian Beliefs”:

“People say … where was God in all of this? We’ve threatened high school graduation participations, if they use God’s name, they’re going to be jailed … I mean that kind of stuff. Where was God? What have we done with God? We don’t want him around. I kind of like his protective hand being present.”

Perhaps more disturbing were Newcombe’s comments when on a segment on the American Family Association radio dedicated to understanding the shooting tragedy in Colorado. In taking about the deaths, Newcombe separated the afterlife fate of those who died as Christians and those who did not:

If a Christian dies early, if a Christian dies young, it seems tragic, but really it is not tragic because they are going to a wonderful place.. on the other hand, if a person doesn’t know Jesus Christ.. if they knowingly rejected Jesus Christ, then, basically, they are going to a terrible place.

Newcombe then turned the tragedy into a time for people to become Christian and avoid the similar fate of hell:

For those who are not ‘in Christ’ and see this incredible tragedy, this would be a good time for soul reflection and consider why have you not accepted Jesus Christ.. I would urge anyone who is not in Christ to repent of your sins.

“Romney is NOT One of Us” Say Cringing Venture Capitalists

When staffers at the National Venture Capital Association see a report that refers to U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s investments as venture capital, they grimace — and then contact the author to explain politely why it’s wrong.

The Republican White House hopeful was head of Bain Capital LLC, which does the bulk of its work in private equity and not venture capital, the NVCA would clarify. Venture capital backs companies from their earliest days, and some go on to create thousands of jobs; private equity typically comes in at later stages to turn around underperforming companies, sometimes via job cuts and other unpopular cost-savings moves.

The distinction has become important as the U.S. election shines a harsh spotlight on the private equity industry, with President Barack Obama’s campaign accusing Romney of slashing U.S. jobs at Bain-owned companies and outsourcing them abroad.

While Obama does not muddle venture capital and private equity, many journalists and politicians do. Venture capitalists fear those slips could tarnish their public image and lead to unfriendly tax policies and other regulations down the road.

“People care about what they do and their reputation and what their job is,” said investor Yanev Suissa of venture industry giant NEA, which has $13 billion in committed capital. “When you’re faced with the attitude that what you do is job-destroying, it’s problematic.”

It is a delicate balancing act for venture capitalists to defend their own industry without disparaging private equity or castigating the career path of the man who might become president next year. Many venture capitalists believe PE firms ultimately help the economy by making lagging companies more competitive, and many PE executives also invest in venture capital funds.

But with Democrats highlighting companies that went bankrupt or shipped jobs overseas under Bain’s ownership, the VC industry is concerned that negative associations could harm its ability to move an ambitious legislative agenda through Washington.

That agenda includes preserving preferential tax treatments like the carried-interest tax break, which allows VC and PE investors to pay tax on investment gains at the long-term capital-gains tax rate, which is just 15 percent, compared with a top income-tax rate of 35 percent.

“In tax policy, you can see the concern there,” said Mark Heesen, president of the National Venture Capital Association, which represents over 400 VC firms.

Given an increasingly squeezed federal budget, the capital-gains tax break could be drastically scaled back or eliminated altogether, he said.

While stopping short of saying private equity does not deserve the tax break, Heesen makes it clear he thinks venture capitalists merit special treatment because of the risks they take on investing in start-ups. “We create something from nothing,” he said. “We have a much better story to tell.”

Venture capitalists are split on which party seems more likely to preserve tax breaks for them. While Republicans are considered the party of business, many Democrats supported the JOBS Act, which makes it easier for young companies to raise money. Heesen said Republicans might feel more pressure to balance the budget and close up anything seen as a loophole.

The NVCA does not donate to presidential campaigns but it does give to congressional races – about $624,000 so far in the 2011-2012 cycle. About $358,000, or 57 percent, has gone to Republicans, according to a spokeswoman. Individual venture capitalists have given $453,550 to the Romney campaign, compared with $402,915 to the Obama campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ Opensecrets.org.

GNASHED TEETH, ROLLED EYES

The venture capital industry has enjoyed some successes in Washington in recent months beyond the JOBS Act, which passed in April. Venture capitalists helped to snuff out controversial Internet legislation that would have affected the business prospects of Web startups. They also fought for streamlined regulations on approving new medical devices, an important venture investment area.

In addition to retaining preferential tax policies, venture capitalists want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to secure U.S. visas and to preserve government funding for basic research that could benefit start-ups.

With these issues on their agenda, it’s no wonder venture capitalists do not want to be tarred as job-cutting villains — they prefer to be thought of as the people behind such American success stories as Apple Inc, Facebook Inc and Google Inc.

References to Romney as a venture capitalist rather than a private-equity executive are “really annoying,” said Larry Lenihan, managing partner at FirstMark Capital, whose investments include online bulletin board Pinterest. “I can’t stand the laziness of the broader press not to differentiate between the two.”

Kate Mitchell of Scale Venture Partners agrees. “It does more than make me gnash my teeth and roll my eyes,” she said, adding that she is often in Washington talking to lawmakers or engaging with the media to educate them about the difference between PE and VC. Scale’s investments include cloud-storage company Box.

The NVCA says its staffers have reached out to reporters about a dozen times this year to clarify media reports that labeled Romney’s private equity activities as venture capital.

A Google search for “Romney and venture capital” yields 9.4 million results, compared with 43.3 million for “Romney and private equity.”

The situation is complicated by the fact that while the bulk of Bain Capital’s work is in buyouts, the firm did make some venture investments while Romney was there, such as in office-supplies company Staples Inc and childcare company Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.

Bain Capital, which employs 900 people, has $60 billion in assets under management worldwide, including $2 billion managed by Bain Capital Ventures. Its first dedicated venture fund, a $250 million fund, launched in 2001; before that, it mixed venture investments in with its private equity investments.

The term “growth equity” is increasingly used by PE firms to describe what they say are investments that sit between the venture capital and mature private equity space.

Private equity executives defend their industry by saying it creates stronger, more profitable companies, which then are in better positions to hire. PE firms also often save troubled companies from failing, and eliminating far more jobs.

They also argue that the stereotype of private equity firms as speculators that just saddle companies with debt is dated by virtue of the financial markets having moderated leverage since the 2008 financial crisis.

But the job-slashing stereotype has allowed politicians to disparage Romney’s record. Former Republican presidential rival Rick Perry, for example, repeatedly called Romney a “vulture capitalist” while the primary race was still in full swing earlier this year.

Meanwhile, venture capital might have to start battling as hard for its image in Hollywood as in Washington. A recent episode of the HBO cable television show “Girls,” titled “Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too,” cast a venture capitalist as the villain.