NAFTA treaty may face constitutional challenge in Canada.Premier Danny Williams Of Newfoundland and Labrador, already famous for his immensely successful ABC (Anything but Conservative) campaign during the 2008 federal election, is terminating the forestry tenure of AbitibiBowater and expropriating its assets. This move came as a response to AbitibiBowater’s decision to close a newspaper mill.

This is about two things. First, it’s about government actually
enforcing resource contracts. Lumber mills and Aluminum smelters have
been closing all over Canada not because they’re no longer profitable
but because it became much more profitable to close the mills and sell
power from the hydro plants they were only allowed to build on an
implied or contractual agreement that required them to run a mill or
smelter. Even written contracts haven’t been enforced. Newfoundland is
finally doing something to put a stop to this trend that has made
resource companies buckets of money and put thousands of Canadians out
of work.

Secondly this is about the abuse Federal Law when it comes to
international agreements. Provinces are constitutionally guarunteed the
right to manage their own resources. Constitutionally, this decision
cannot be interfered with by the federal government. This has been
tested in the courts. But the federal government has the sole right to
make international agreements. The question is, can it bind provinces
to these agreements without their consent? Hypothetically it can’t. But
this has never been tested in the courts before.

Danny Williams has unanimous popular support. If he wins this one he
could probably run for Prime Minister and win by a landslide.

[14:27] Jenn Klem: i wonder when our welfare check will get here dammit
[14:28] Robert: uh
[14:28] Robert: welfare wtf?
[14:28] Jenn Klem: ya, our welfare check. would have been nice to have it before xmas
[14:28] Robert: o k
[14:29] Jenn Klem: what date do they come out?
[14:31] Robert: dude, wtf are you on?
[14:31] Jenn Klem: what?
[14:31] Robert: well, other then we’re not on welfare
[14:31] Jenn Klem: we’re not?
[14:31] Robert: so this means that either deedee’s there and this is her
[14:31] Robert: or youre on drugs
[14:32] Jenn Klem: oh, my bad. I thought since you keep buying FUCKING WELFARE TOILET PAPER, we must be on welfare
[14:32] Jenn Klem: holy hell Rob. I’m sick and tired of wiping my ass with effen thin sandpaper
[14:33] Jenn Klem:
fucking at least buy magesta. I mean, its no cottonelle, but hell, at least it’s soft and a little thick

Historic, beautiful and interesting footage of Tibetan lamas and yogis teaching Buddhism,
just 4 years after their escape from Tibet, when the Chinese invaded in
1959. “In 1963, for the first time, the Dalai Lama allowed a Westerner,
Desjardins, to film the heart of the Tibetan tradition.” Some
meditation instruction taught by yogis: Tantra as practiced in Tibet, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Lerab’s Youtube channel has all kinds of video gems for those interested in Buddhist and Hindu spiritual practice.

Buddhism and Tantrism: “two films were originally shown on French
television in the 1960’s and are a wonderful testimony, revealing some
of Tibet’s foremost masters as they were then. It includes footage of
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the Sixteenth Karmapa, Dudjom Rinpoche, Ling
Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, and the yogis Abo Rinpoche
and Lopon Sonam Zangpo. The original sixties commentaries have been
retained, even though it may sound a bit dated in places.” “There are
unusual scenes of yogis performing preparatory meditation exercises.”

About Arnaud Desjardins, born 18 June 1925. Books he’s written.

Also on Lerab’s YouTube channel:

The Tibetan Book of the Dead #1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

From Lerab’s blog:
“A Short History of Bön
– Extracted from the pamphlet “Tibetan gYung-Drung Bön Monastery in
India,” published by the Yungdrung Bön Monastic Center, Solan, 1983.
Translated by Tadeusz Skorupski.”

Jalisco,
Mexico- A Mexican company has developed a new fuel source derived from
organic material of nearly any kind, which could decrease reliance on
petroleum.

The fuel is is produced by using a specially developed technique to
extract it. Proprietary Organic Osmosis Technology (POOT) gas can be
compressed, stored and easily transported to where it is needed. While
any organic matter can be used as feed stock, some materials are optimal
for producing higher yields.

“We are very excited when we saw the results obtained from using
certain legumes”, noted one of the inventors of the process.

American officials are very excited about POOT gas.

“We plan on acquiring the technology to produce POOT gas in our
next round of agreements with Mexican officials”, said an administration
source. “This could be another step along the way to our goal towards
energy independence.”

Red-light districts can be found worldwide. The best known one in De Wallen, Amsterdam has gone through a lot of changes recently. Other red-light districts in Europe are also in decline, with Sweden taking a completely different approach to law enforcement. [NSFW]
Soi Cowboy in Bangkok is also world famous. While Cambodia has some of the worst exploitation anywhere, Wan Chai in Hong Kong is being gentrified. Others in SE Asia include Geylang, Singapore, Angeles City, Philippines, and Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur.

Over in India, there is Garstin bastion Road in New Delhi, Calcutta’s Sonagachi, and Mumbai‘s Kamathipura. Some of you may remember the movie Born into Brothels, but you may not know that both a bank and a magazine were set up for India’s sex workers. The problem is no better next door in Pakistan.

Moving East, Seoul, Korea has “Hooker Hill”. Just across the Sea Of Japan, there’s Tokyo‘s Kabukichō and Osaka’s historic Tobita-Shinchi.

As an added bonus – Durban renamed a street in the red-light district after Mahatma Gandhi.