One of those days…

<p>It’s Monday morning. Adelyn’s cry quickly gets me on my feet. I rush in to pick her up and see that it’s only 4am. Not how I planned to start my day…or at least not the hour I planned to start my day!</p> <p>Maybe it’s when you pour yourself a bowl of cereal and realize there’s no milk left. Or maybe you get to the gym and find that you forgot to pack an important part of your workout gear…your shoes!</p> <p>Whatever it may be, you can’t let it derail you! </p> <p>It’s just been one of those days where I don’t feel like myself and I’ve had to consciously tell myself STAY ON TRACK! I think it all comes back what I mentioned in my <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-going-to-be-different.html">post last week</a> about this whole process and how it’s a head game. </p> <p>One day at a time, I can do this!</p> <p>I’m proud to say I’ve been on within my WW points all day! It’s a warm 60 degree January day and I’m going to take my baby girl on a walk! Vitamin D is always good for the soul!</p> <p>So here’s my two cents friends…even if it is “one of those days”, don’t let it derail you! Stay on track, push through, and remember tomorrow’s a new day! </p>

One of those days…

It’s Monday morning. Adelyn’s cry quickly gets me on my feet. I rush in to pick her up and see that it’s only 4am. Not how I planned to start my day…or at least not the hour I planned to start my day! Maybe it’s when you pour yourself a bowl of cerea…

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How to send emails using Microsoft Word and Mail Merge

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There are times when I need to send out the same emails to a whole lot of people, and after trying one method after another I decided it was time to teach myself Mail Merge.  I took screenshots of my journey which I will now share with you in case you want to do something similar. What a timesaver it has proved to be! Now why didn't I think of this a whole lot earlier!<br /><div id="__ss_11339815" style="width: 425px;"><b style="display: block; margin: 12px 0 4px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal/create-emails-using-mail-merge" title="Create emails using mail merge">Create emails using mail merge</a></b><object height="355" id="__sse11339815" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=createemailsusingmailmerge-120130143733-phpapp02&stripped_title=create-emails-using-mail-merge&userName=fionabeal" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><embed name="__sse11339815" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=createemailsusingmailmerge-120130143733-phpapp02&stripped_title=create-emails-using-mail-merge&userName=fionabeal" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/fionabeal">fionabeal</a>.</div></div><br /><br /><br /></div>

Microsoft Slideshare Tutorials How to send emails using Microsoft Word and Mail Merge

There are times when I need to send out the same emails to a whole lot of people, and after trying one method after another I decided it was time to teach myself Mail Merge.  I took screenshots of my journey which I will now share with you in case yo…

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Library Assistant - Silver Hill Hospital

<strong>Library Assistant</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Silver Hill Hospital</strong></span>, one of the premier psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals in the country, seeks Library Assistant. Part Time Days, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, Saturdays & Sundays. AS Degree or Undergraduate Student, excellent customer service and computer skills required. Library experience preferred. Duties include a variety of clerical and library tasks, basic support services and services to patrons. Responsibility for routine circulation, shelf maintenance and clerical functions using an automated circulation system. For consideration, please send resume to: <a href="mailto:careers@silverhillhospital.org">careers@silverhillhospital.org</a> or Human Resources, Silver Hill Hospital, 208 Valley Road, New Canaan, CT 06840; <a href="http://www.silverhillhospital.org/" target="_blank">www.silverhillhospital.org</a>. EOE M/F/D/V.

Library Assistant - Silver Hill Hospital

Library Assistant - Silver Hill Hospital, one of the premier psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals in the country, seeks Library Assistant. Part Time Days, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, Saturdays & Sundays. AS Degree or Undergraduate Student, excellent c…

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Children’s Librarian - Torrington Library

<b>Children’s Librarian</b> - [salary unknown] The <span style="color: #48286d;"><b>Torrington Library</b></span> is seeking a Children’s Librarian who is energetic, enthusiastic, organized and creative with superior customer service skills who will enjoy working in a busy environment serving a diverse community. Successful candidate will be flexible, able to work as part of a team, have a willingness to learn, a love of working with children and a passion for public service. An opportunity to work in an architecturally-beautiful building in a downtown setting. The successful candidate will possess: Experience working with children; Ability to work with parents; Ability to assume full responsibility for operation of Children’s Room; Ability to be proactive and plan ahead for programs and events; Supervisory skills; Ability to plan imaginative programs for children from birth to 12 years; Ability to contribute to our website; Strong written and verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively and positively with library visitors of all ages; Proficiency in desktop applications including Excel and Word; Ability to work collaboratively with schools and community groups; Knowledge of children’s literature and ability to maintain and develop the collection; Ability to assist in short and long range planning for library services. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Programming; Outreach, both on and off-site, including coordination of our annual Doorway to Learning Initiative; Preparation of statistical reports; Working collaboratively with library director and taking direction as needed; Design of promotional materials and news releases; Collection development; Administration of juvenile materials & program budgets; Supervision of Children’s Room assistant and other staff as required; Keeping Children’s Room in order and decorated seasonally. Covering service areas beyond the Children’s Room as needed. This is a full time, salaried position, 35 hours per week including evening and Saturday hours. Also includes paid vacation, sick days and medical benefits (employee only). Submit resume with cover letter postmarked no later than <span style="color: red;">February 15, 2012</span> to: Library Director, Torrington Library, 12 Daycoeton Place, Torrington, CT 06790-6399. No phone inquiries, please. EOE.

Children’s Librarian - Torrington Library

Children’s Librarian - [salary unknown] The Torrington Library is seeking a Children’s Librarian who is energetic, enthusiastic, organized and creative with superior customer service skills who will enjoy working in a busy environment serving a div…

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Reference Librarian I - Guilford Free Library

<strong>Reference Librarian I</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Guilford Free Library</strong></span>. 24 hours per week - $18.84 hourly - no benefits. Strong public service skills are required for this position. Duties include: assisting patrons in selection, organization and interpretation of materials; instructing patrons in the use of the library’s collections including online databases, downloadable materials and evolving technologies; performing duties relating to maintaining and administering the Library’s various information systems, including the library website; acting as a library representative to professional organizations, Town officials, community groups, schools and businesses. This entry-level professional position requires an ALA-accredited Masters of Library Science. Candidates who are close to completion in an MLS program may be considered. Application and job description are available at: <a href="http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/human-resources.htm" target="_blank">http://www.ci.guilford.ct.us/human-resources.htm</a>. Application deadline is: Friday, <span style="color: red;">February, 10, 2012</span> at 3:00PM. Applications may be mailed to: Mitch Goldblatt, Director of Human Resources, Town of Guilford, 31 Park Street, Guilford, CT 06437.

Reference Librarian I - Guilford Free Library

Reference Librarian I - Guilford Free Library. 24 hours per week - $18.84 hourly - no benefits. Strong public service skills are required for this position. Duties include: assisting patrons in selection, organization and interpretation of mater…

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Library Media Specialist - Redding Elementary School

<strong>Library Media Specialist</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Redding Elementary School</strong></span>. .4 FTE Library Media Specialist position is available beginning April 2012 through June 2013. Candidates must hold the appropriate certification for this position. Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 2:50 p.m., two days per week (Tuesday and Thursday for 2011-2012 academic year; 2012-13 academic year to be determined). Salary and Benefits: In accordance with the bargaining unit contract. Ideal Candidates Will Possess: Enthusiasm for teaching and learning; motivation to work as part of a team to integrate library/media with grade level curriculum content; desire to implement emerging technologies to support 21st Century skills; ability to meet the diverse and developmental learning needs of elementary age learners; strong collaboration and communication skills; strong technology skills and familiarity with a variety of reserach databases, Follett Destiny software, curriculum related Web sites, and Microsoft Office Suite software. Responsibilities: This part time position works in tandem with a full-time library media specialist. Both teachers are responsible for the library media instruction on a set schedule in an elementary setting. Additional collaboration includes embedding technology and media literacy and 21st Century skills into existing curriculum, kindergarten through 4th grade. Applications will only be accepted online at the Central Office Web site: <a href="http://www.er9.org/" target="_blank">www.er9.org</a> under the "Job Openings" link. Applicants must submit the following: Formal letter of application, resume, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts of all post-secondary education, copy of appropriate CT certification - Library Media Specialist. Application Deadline: Until filled. The Redding Board of Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Library Media Specialist - Redding Elementary School

Library Media Specialist - Redding Elementary School. .4 FTE Library Media Specialist position is available beginning April 2012 through June 2013. Candidates must hold the appropriate certification for this position. Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 2:50 p.m…

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Library Assistant III - Otis Library

<strong>Library Assistant III</strong> - <span style="color: #48286d;"><strong>Otis Library</strong></span> has an opening for a Part Time Library Assistant III to work approximately 20 hours per week. We are looking for a positive and organized individual who has superior customer service skills. Responsibilities include: general patron assistance, circulation duties and services, excellent computer skills and ability to learn new technologies, eBook knowledge, and the ability to relate to patrons of all ages. Daytime, evening, and Saturday rotation hours included. Library experience and LTA preferred. Please send resumes by e-mail to <a href="mailto:bfarwell@otis.lioninc.org">bfarwell@otis.lioninc.org</a> or by U.S. mail to Robert Farwell, Director, Otis Library, 261 Main Street, Norwich CT 06360.

Library Assistant III - Otis Library

Library Assistant III - Otis Library has an opening for a Part Time Library Assistant III to work approximately 20 hours per week. We are looking for a positive and organized individual who has superior customer service skills. Responsibilities …

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Part-Time Children’s Department Assistant - Berlin-Peck Library

<strong>Part-Time Children’s Department Assistant</strong> - The Berlin-Peck Library, Berlin, CT is seeking an enthusiastic, forward-thinking person to complement the Children’s Department team. The candidate will plan and present programs, assist patrons and other duties as they present themselves within the department. Please see the <a href="http://www.town.berlin.ct.us/filestorage/193/209/PT_Children%27s_Dept_Assistant_1_26_12.pdf" target="_blank">complete job description</a> <img alt="PDF icon" src="http://www.ctlibrarians.org/associations/10663/files/pdf.jpg" /> . The position is 20 hours per week plus every 3rd Saturday. Salary is $18.00 per hour; no medical benefits. Please send a resume, meaningful cover letter and a <a href="http://www.town.berlin.ct.us/filestorage/193/209/emp_app.pdf" target="_blank">Town of Berlin application</a> <img alt="PDF icon" src="http://www.ctlibrarians.org/associations/10663/files/pdf.jpg" /> to: Office of the Town Manager, 240 Kensington Road, Berlin, CT 06037 by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, February 17, 2012.

Part-Time Children’s Department Assistant - Berlin-Peck Library

Part-Time Children’s Department Assistant - The Berlin-Peck Library, Berlin, CT is seeking an enthusiastic, forward-thinking person to complement the Children’s Department team. The candidate will plan and present programs, assist patrons and othe…

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<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlFImmIoblSPsUZQ48XQAZu1HNlWwaA_ceQl_QckTinf16A2IMxZjIH86sPQ1mjkQJML3Jz-Az2bgbXY3rmrxhKWjqMB8gceZCW0ELDc_r6BQYyhgj0ZcCm0UlyJeAvv0xgEDZQlX8Xii/s1600/Conspiracy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlFImmIoblSPsUZQ48XQAZu1HNlWwaA_ceQl_QckTinf16A2IMxZjIH86sPQ1mjkQJML3Jz-Az2bgbXY3rmrxhKWjqMB8gceZCW0ELDc_r6BQYyhgj0ZcCm0UlyJeAvv0xgEDZQlX8Xii/s400/Conspiracy.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div style="color: #351c75; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Financial Illiteracy of Those Who Mock Conspiracy Theorists</b></span></div><br />Article by Anthony Wile via Daily Bell<br /><br />From Social Psychological and Personality Science (SPPS), a journal from the independent publisher Sage Publications, comes an article that has predictably seen wide distribution on the Internet. It implies that those who believe in globalist CONSPIRACY THEORIES are illogical – even downright nutty.<br /><br />The article is entitled  "Dead and Alive: Beliefs in CONTRADICTORY CONSPIRACY THEORIES" and the thesis of the article is that people who believe in conspiracy theories eventually become so immersed in them and so mesmerized that they do not realize they are holding contradictory beliefs.<br />"Conspiracy theories can form a monological belief system: A self-sustaining worldview comprised of a network of mutually supportive beliefs. The present research shows that even mutually incompatible conspiracy theories are positively correlated in endorsement." (SPPS Abstract)<br />"Conspiratorialists" become so distrustful of "government" and "authority" that they will impute any and every kind of malevolence to them.<br /><br />Thus it is that people can claim, on the one hand, that Osama bin Laden is "dead" and died years ago, while simultaneously claiming that bin Laden remains alive and that US and Pakistan government authorities are not being truthful about him and his physical state.<br />Of course, I've never run into anyone, who claims that bin Laden is ALIVE. But it's true that here at the Daily Bell we've run articles explaining that bin Laden probably died years ago. <br /><br />The SPPS article would likely have you believe this is an outrageous conspiracy theory. But given that FOX news ran a report on bin Laden's death in 2001, and given that Pakistan's former president Benazir Bhutto herself claimed that bin Laden died in the early 2000s (supposedly as the result of an assassination), it doesn't seem so far-fetched to speculate that bin Laden didn't die as the result of a US raid in 2011.<br />But that's almost minor stuff. Articles like this, despite their scientific patina, are deeply illiterate. Why so? Because invariably such articles won't deal with the bedrock financial illiteracy of current economic and political paradigms.<br />Imagine if the world were based on lies. Well, unfortunately, that's the truth. The lies go far beyond "who shot JFK" or whether the US government was directly or indirectly involved in 9/11.<br />When one uses the logical framework of Austrian, free-market analysis to analyze the Way the World Works in the modern age, one inevitably comes to the conclusion that modern society is built around fundamental untruths.<br />The first one is economic: It is the idea that central bankers can efficiently and effectively set the price of money. They cannot.<br /><br />Every time central bankers decide on how much money to print or where short interest rates should be, the decisions are "fixing" prices – and price-fixing never works. Price-fixing distorts economies and causes a wealth shift from those who create it to those who don't and may not know what to do with it. Over time, aggressively mis-priced money causes first recessions and then depressions.<br /><br />The second lie is that laws and regulations are necessary and that they can save society from "anarchy." In fact, anarchy is only the absence of government. That's the real definition. And absence of government does not necessarily imply "chaos." Just as setting interest rates fixes the price of money, so every law and regulation is a price fix as well, preventing someone from doing something within the context of the marketplace. This also constitutes a wealth transfer.<br />One can have a perfectly adequate and satisfying society without formal government, certainly without the kinds of intrusive and murderous governments we've got today. History is full of examples of societies that flourished with at least minimal government, especially societies where power truly flowed from the bottom up.<br /><br />The third lie is that government is essential for purposes of defense and defending its citizens. But a quick survey of modern wars shows a disturbing tendency of governments – especially certain Western governments – to foment the very wars that citizens believe they're being protected from.<br />War is the "health of the state" – the way that those in power consolidate their hold while punishing their enemies using phony pretexts having to do with "treason" and "leaking classified information." Sound familiar?<br />It is what we call the Internet Reformation that has gradually shed light on the fundamental untruths permeating modern society in both the developed and developing world.<br /><br /><b>The Internet, like the Gutenberg before it, is a revolutionary device that has allowed people access to information that was hitherto denied or covered up, especially in the 20th century when the power elites control over society was perhaps at its apex.</b><br /><br />A conspiracy likely DOES exist. The Internet easily reveals not just facts that illuminate it, but also PATTERNS that show the same command-and-control strategies implemented throughout history, over and over.<br />It is easy, unfortunately, to mock those who believe in so-called "conspiracy theories" because the truth of what has occurred in this weary world is so extreme and shocking that most people simply cannot believe it. What truly horrifies us becomes a target for mockery. It's a defense mechanism.<br />What is it about the UN, IMF, World Bank, International Criminal Court, world Health Organization and hundreds of others lesser known globalist facilities that people who deny or decry modern "conspiracy theory" don't understand?  <br /><br />An entire gamut of globalist entities has been superimposed on the world in the past 75 years. Most recently − only this past week, in fact − the US military held a formal exercise over the skies of Los Angeles using the same black helicopters that conspiracy theorists were mocked for mentioning not a decade ago.<br />But the biggest issue by far – bigger than even the establishment of the facilities of the New World Order – is the fundamental illiteracy of those who choose to support modern society as it is today and as it has evolved over the past 100 years.<br /><br />While human societies have always been based on fairly bizarre rituals, it is safe to say that the current crop of behind-the-scenes leaders have raised statist insanity to a new level.<br />Every part of modern society, from its basic economic building blocks to its liturgical belief in dysfunctional "laws and regulations" to its deep-seated reverence for the manipulated destruction of war, is questionable on a factual basis.<br /><br />The reality of modern society is increasingly pathological – and the ones with the pathology are those who lead the rest of us along using paradigms that are evidently and obviously dishonest and dysfunctional.<br />Articles that mock the looniness of "conspiratorialists" need to deal with the fundamental economic and sociopolitical dishonesty of their own assumptions. They should begin by admitting the evident and obvious logical fallacies of the "modern" society they celebrate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wbohNbQ6AKxvIl0HlNRF6ARe-bZ2sgyx7NpjjwsRIioRm2zj-rNg8W4A6DxLA3erWbNLGk2F_eNszGrD48ecvKUQcowq3f4wkB9rWg4ehIU5uDQtB6GncvAOSLcFDJHD2MCjkAYk_8z9/s1600/2424492-2-see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wbohNbQ6AKxvIl0HlNRF6ARe-bZ2sgyx7NpjjwsRIioRm2zj-rNg8W4A6DxLA3erWbNLGk2F_eNszGrD48ecvKUQcowq3f4wkB9rWg4ehIU5uDQtB6GncvAOSLcFDJHD2MCjkAYk_8z9/s400/2424492-2-see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WHY DO CONSPIRACY THEORIES WORRY THE ESTABLISHMENT?</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>By Ray Storch</i></span><br /><br /><div style="color: red;"><b>Don’t forget the Information Highway:</b></div><br /><span style="color: red;">THE ROMANS created roads in order to move their armies faster and thus became an empire</span><br /><div style="color: red;"><br />THE BRITISH created the railroads in order to move their armies faster and thus became an empire</div><div style="color: red;"><br />THE USA created the Information highway (Internet) in order to obtain more information and control cyber space and thus became an empire. </div><br />In all three cases it gave the civilizations a strategic and political advantage, but at the same time also provided adversaries similar gains. Nevertheless the benefits surpassed the disadvantages, for all three civilizations ended up becoming empires who dominated the world. The downside, as history has proven, is that empires are destined to fall, sooner or later…….<br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Conspiracy theories Mainstream Media versus Alternative Media </span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKIL7O0QNrrssgpByiRxWRewrhMv0TysLPcl65RVVNU6PDzQiVueZUtqxMo4nkRfiXELjZ8LDpJIP7rHObO1akxzUAIMYrASdTwofzzOAi5RWsssArSuFmO1uBjCh1hREzXdnvkrO3qMg/s1600/climate-change-conspiracy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKIL7O0QNrrssgpByiRxWRewrhMv0TysLPcl65RVVNU6PDzQiVueZUtqxMo4nkRfiXELjZ8LDpJIP7rHObO1akxzUAIMYrASdTwofzzOAi5RWsssArSuFmO1uBjCh1hREzXdnvkrO3qMg/s320/climate-change-conspiracy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Why do mainstream media and the political establishment oppose conspiracy theories so vehemently? Could it be because these theories are not so farfetched after all?<br /><div style="color: blue;">The internet turned out to be journalists and politician’s best friend and worst nightmare at the same time, for they are unable to control it. In the good old times one had to “believe” what media reported, without the option to verify the content. Now with the internet and its research options things changed and thus people don’t take everything for grant what mainstream media and the political establishment tries to sell or tell them. </div>Thus it comes of no surprise that these entities are becoming increasingly worried and therefore will do everything in their power to portray conspiracy theories, alternative media and information forums etc. as the creation of lunatics and thus something that cannot be taken serious, for it threatens their credibility. <br /><br /><br /><br />The proof on how uncomfortable mainstream journalism is with conspiracy theories is shown in an article published in PROFIL, an Austrian weekly magazine. The article is in German and reads as follows: <br /><i>Via Profil.at </i><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vom Hören sagen</b></span><br /><br />Oslo, der 11. September und was Barack Obama, CIA oder die Rothschilds damit zu tun haben: Als Nachrichten getarnte Verschwörungstheorien drängen aus dem Internet in den Mainstream. Obskurantismus wird zum Massenphänomen.<br /><b>Von Sebastian Hofer</b><br /><b> </b> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJrd8-OwDuCHKiEkG1SamyIRznHsGMiYRLYYdJonLb-La7dNcx773KRvB1bcDBhv4WTAtzqtEidtSZeRCGOHeB3bMbOv0OOIapN1W6zTOv3uVRkTjWIUw_Q2oKyaoDWUA2Lh21TiAHFuL/s1600/mainstream-media-blind-bias-peoples-cube-sad-hill-news.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJrd8-OwDuCHKiEkG1SamyIRznHsGMiYRLYYdJonLb-La7dNcx773KRvB1bcDBhv4WTAtzqtEidtSZeRCGOHeB3bMbOv0OOIapN1W6zTOv3uVRkTjWIUw_Q2oKyaoDWUA2Lh21TiAHFuL/s320/mainstream-media-blind-bias-peoples-cube-sad-hill-news.jpeg.jpg" width="233" /></a></div>Manchmal ist das Wesentliche für die Augen leider unsichtbar. Zum Beispiel in Oslo, vor allem in den letzten Tagen. Zum Glück durchschaute Paul Joseph Watson, Blogger und Radiomoderator aus Austin, Texas, im Gegensatz zu allen beteiligten Behörden die Hintergründe von Anders Breiviks Wahnsinnstat sehr schnell, auch wenn sie ziemlich kompliziert waren. In groben Zügen lief die Sache, Watson zufolge, so: Über eine vom britischen Geheimdienst MI5 infiltrierte rechtsradikale Hooligantruppe namens English Defence League wurde Breivik von hochrangigen britischen Politikern und Geschäftsmännern finanziert und instruiert, um Norwegen auf diesem Weg für seine allzu palästinenserfreundliche Nahostpolitik abzustrafen. Belege anbei. Auch ein Einfluss der libyschen Al Kaida sei denkbar, müsse aber noch näher untersucht werden. <br /><br />Das Online-Forum, in dem Watson seine Sicht der Osloer Anschläge erläuterte, heißt Prison Planet, sieht aus wie ein ganz normaler Nachrichtenkanal und verbreitet doch sehr viel mehr, nämlich die reine, letzte und geheime Wahrheit. Also das, was die etablierten Medien offensiv verschweigen, Politiker bewusst verbergen und konspirative Cliquen hinter dicken Polstertüren zurechtbiegen. Dass diese Wahrheit irgendwie mit dem Ende der Welt (wie wir sie kennen) zusammenhängt, wird dabei gern betont (ohne dabei allzu konkret zu werden) und mit Werbebannern für Wasser-Entgiftungsanlagen, Überlebenscamps und krisensichere Goldmünzen auch marketingmäßig sehr anschaulich aufbereitet. Das eigentlich Seltsame an Prison Planet ist aber nicht seine krude Mischung aus Verschwörungstheorie, Infotainment und blankem Wahnsinn, sondern die Tatsache, dass es sich um ein Massenmedium handelt. Und dass es keineswegs allein da draußen ist. <br /><br />Im Internet hat sich in den letzten Jahren eine Art Hintergrundrauschen ausgebreitet, ein immer dichteres Netz aus verschwörungstheoretisch unterfütterten Nachrichten, Filmen und Dokumenten, das längst nicht mehr nur Paranoiker und Ufo-Gläubige einfängt, sondern zunehmend den ganz normalen Medienkonsumenten im Visier hat. Über populäre Seiten wie Prison Planet, Infowars oder Zero Hedge, millionenfach heruntergeladene Filme wie die „Zeitgeist“- oder „Loose Change“-Videos, über amerikanische Talkradio-Shows oder internationale Nachrichtenkanäle wie den konspirativ veranlagten Sender Russia Today erreichen Verschwörungstheorien heute ein Massenpublikum. Auch die etablierten Medien können sich dem Reiz der Geheimniskrämerei immer schlechter entziehen. Vor wenigen Tagen berichtete das ARD-Kulturmagazin „ttt“ geradezu euphorisch über den deutschen Publizisten Mathias Bröckers, der eine Verschwörung hinter den Anschlägen des 11. September 2001 wittert. Wohlwollender Off-Kommentar: „Auch zehn Jahre nach den vier tödlichen Flügen, nach dem Tag, der die Welt, unser Denken, unsere Ängste veränderte, gibt es noch viele offene Fragen. Mathias Bröckers stellt sie.“ Und macht damit ein richtig gutes Geschäft.<br /><br />„Man darf nicht vergessen, dass Verschwörungstheorien meistens auch gut gemachte Unterhaltung sind“, sagt der Freiburger Amerikanist Michael Butter, der seit Jahren zum Thema forscht. „Sie erzählen tolle, spannende Geschichten, wobei man oft nicht genau trennen kann, wo die Wahrheitssuche endet und wo die Geschäftemacherei beginnt. Man darf Verschwörungstheorien jedenfalls nicht damit abtun, dass man sagt: Das sind ein paar irre Paranoiker am Rande der Gesellschaft. Im Gegenteil: Es handelt sich um Massenphänomene.“ Dementsprechend erfolgreich werden obskurante Thesen für einen wachsenden Markt aufbereitet und immer unverschämter auch in die politische Debatte geworfen. Im republikanischen US-Vorwahlkampf wird, angeheizt von den verschwörerischen Thesen der prominenten Talkshow-Moderatoren Glenn Beck und Alex Jones sowie dem Anti-Establishment-Furor der Tea Party, schon seit Monaten allen Ernstes darüber diskutiert, ob Barack Obama nun wirklich und wahrhaftig Amerikaner sei oder nicht vielleicht doch ein ausländischer, mutmaßlich islamistischer Verschwörer. Ein zweites, europäisches Beispiel: Vor wenigen Wochen outeten sich etliche Schweizer Politiker als 9/11-Skeptiker. Auf der Online-Plattform www.911untersuchen.ch äußerten gleich mehrere Nationalräte ihre Zweifel an der offiziellen Version von den Anschlägen in New York und Washington. Der ehemaligen Berner Regierungsrätin Dori Schaer fiel dazu der folgende Beitrag ein: „Offen ist, ob 9/11 nur benutzt, bewusst nicht vermieden oder sogar durch US-Stellen inszeniert worden ist.“ <br /><br />Neben politischen und ökonomischen Interessen hat die gegenwärtige Verschwörungs-Hochkonjunktur aber auch eine mediale Säule, eben das Internet. Denn wirklich neu ist das Phänomen nicht, wie Michael Butter erklärt: „In den sechziger und siebziger Jahren gab es dieselben Theorien und wohl auch dieselbe Menge an überzeugten Verschwörungstheoretikern. Nur taten sie sich damals wesentlich schwerer, ihre Thesen an den Mann zu bringen.“ Im Netz dagegen fallen die traditionellen Kontrollinstanzen weg, das publizistische Ethos funktioniert online nicht oder nach ganz anderen Regeln, die Grenze zwischen Fakt und Fiktion verschwimmt, die Informationsflut wird undurchsichtiger. In diesem Umfeld werden Verschwörungstheorien als regierungskritischer Bürgerjournalismus oder „Alternativer Journalismus“ verkleidet und von „Presseagenturen“ wie dem französischen Alter Info (das mit Vorliebe iranische Propagandabotschaften und Hisbollah-Kommuniqués unter seine Meldungen streut) oder „Nachrichtenkanälen“ wie Infowars verbreitet. Obskure Spinnereien bekommen den Anschein von seriösem Expertenwissen, verbreiten sich in atemberaubender Geschwindigkeit und gewinnen allein schon durch ihre massenhafte Präsenz an Glaubwürdigkeit – ein sich selbst verstärkendes Hörensagen, das auch von der antiautoritären Grundverfasstheit des Internets profitiert, derzufolge das Establishment schon einmal a priori verdächtig ist. Den Soundtrack zum „Truth Movement“ liefern regierungskritische Musiker wie der Wiener Rapper Kilez More, die Werbung für einschlägige Nachrichtenseiten erfolgt per Graffiti. Verschwörung ist auch Popkultur. <br /><br />In diesem Rahmen verdeckt die Frage „Wem kann man noch glauben?“ leider eine viel wesentlichere, nämlich: „Was sollte man eigentlich wissen?“ Der Politologe Peter Filzmaier erkennt darin ein Symptom von „erschütternd geringer Mediennutzungskompetenz: Viele Leute erkennen den Unterschied zwischen seriöser Berichterstattung und obskuren Verschwörungstheorien schlicht nicht.“ Kein Wunder: Wenn auch in seriösen Medien Information und Entertainment zunehmend zum Infotainment verschwimmen, wenn sich Wissenschaftssendungen mit Ufos und Atlantis beschäftigen und politische Talkshows über islamistische Verschwörungen debattieren, erscheinen auch abstruse Konzepte wie eine von Freimaurern, Illuminaten, jüdischen Bankiers und der Bilderberg-Gruppe angestrebte „Neue Weltordnung“ nicht mehr ganz so abstrus.<br /><br />Dazu kommt, dass neuere Verschwörungstheorien an ihren vernünftigeren Enden durchaus anschlussfähig für eine rationale Gesellschaftskritik sind. Dass der ehemalige US-Vizepräsident Dick Cheney aufgrund seiner engen Verbindungen zur Rüstungsindustrie auch private Interessen in den Irakkrieg schickte, liefert ebenso begründeten Anlass zu weiterführender Spekulation wie die enge Allianz zwischen US-Politik und Wall Street nach der Bankenkrise 2008. Michael Butter: „Was Verschwörungstheorien verbindet, ist, dass sie in mehr oder weniger verzerrter Form auf echte oder wahrgenommene soziale Probleme hinweisen, zum Beispiel auf ein wachsendes Misstrauen gegenüber der amerikanischen Politik. Auch deshalb sollte man sie durchaus ernst nehmen.“ Der Vietnamveteran, Ex-Wrestler und ehemalige Gouverneur von Minnesota Jesse Ventura, Star der vom US-Kabelsender TruTV ausgestrahlten Reihe „Conspiracy Theory“, garniert seinen soeben auf Deutsch erschienenen Bestseller „Die amerikanische Verschwörung. 9/11 und andere Lügen“ denn auch mit einem Zitat von Albert Einstein: „Blinder Glaube an die Obrigkeit ist der schlimmste Feind der Wahrheit.“<br /><br />Der schlimmste Feind der Vernunft wiederum ist die Angst. Zum Glück können Verschwörungstheorien auch diese verringern – oder zumindest in geordnete Bahnen lenken. Es mag schrecklich sein, von unbekannten Mächten kontrolliert und getäuscht zu werden, aber eben nicht ganz so schrecklich wie die Vorstellung, dass ein 32-jähriger Psychopath nicht daran gehindert werden kann, in einer guten Stunde 68 Menschen zu erschießen. So etwas kann nicht wahr sein, also muss mehr dahinterstecken. So wie es auch nicht wahr sein kann, dass kein Staatschef, kein Zentralbanker der Welt ein echtes Rezept gegen die Kreditkrise hat. So hilflos kann die Politik doch nicht sein. Also muss sie lügen. Verschwörungstheorien bieten Erklärungen an, schließen Zufälle aus und verringern so die Angst vor dem Chaos. Alles hängt mit allem zusammen, und das hat alles schon seine Ordnung so. <br /><br />Weniger klar ist die ideologische Ordnung hinter der Verschwörungsaufdecker-Szene. Auf die These, dass hinter den Anschlägen vom 11. September ein Regierungskomplott steckt, können sich amerikanische Rednecks und Schweizer Grünpolitiker, antisemitische Norweger und New Yorker Globalisierungskritiker gleichermaßen einigen. Wo alles auf undurchschaubare Weise mit allem zusammenhängt, wo 9/11, Bankenkrise, Waffenlobby, Freimaurer, Klimawandel, Islamismus und Grippeepidemien Teil derselben Verschwörungsszenerie sein können, kann es auch zu seltsamen Allianzen kommen. Die Welt der Verschwörer ist eine Scheibe, die sich so rasend schnell dreht, dass rechts und links schwer voneinander zu unterscheiden sind. Der Freiburger Experte Michael Butter: „Verschwörungserzählungen schaffen Kollektive, von denen man sich zunächst gar nicht vorstellen kann, wie sie zusammenkommen konnten. Wenn man konkreter hinsieht, erweist sich aber die Schlüssigkeit dieses Prinzips: In dem gleichen Grundgerüst können, mit kleinen Veränderungen an den entsprechenden Scharnieren, rechte wie linke Ideologien andocken.“ Auch die wahrste Wahrheit muss schließlich interpretiert werden. Bleibt es bei der Interpretation, stellt das nur ein intellektuelles Problem dar. Dass es dabei bleibt, ist leider gar nicht so sicher. Der deutsche Historiker Wolfgang Wippermann hat diesbezüglich jedenfalls Bedenken: „Wir unterschätzen die Wirksamkeit von Verschwörungsideologien. Dieses Denken ist gefährlich, denn Ideologie ist nicht nur falsches Bewusstsein, sondern auch ein Indikator von realen politischen und historischen Vorgängen. Das wird verwirklicht.“ <br />Andererseits: Das ist der CIA bestimmt schon längst bewusst. Und die hat schließlich ihre Mittel.<br />1.8.2011

Financial Illiteracy of Those Who Mock Conspiracy TheoristsArticle by Anthony Wile via Daily BellFrom Social Psychological and Personality Science (SPPS), a journal from the independent publisher Sage Publications, comes an article that has predictab…

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EATING: YOUR COMPENSATION AND DEFINITION OF VALUE

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Somewhere along the line you were told you suck. You were parented or “friended” into being something other than yourself. You were told to change who you are, otherwise your mom and dad wouldn’t like you, your friends wouldn’t accept you, society wouldn’t praise you, and without someone’s opinion to tell you if you were doing a good job− you’d never know what your value was. In short, your value is externally created. It has to be earned.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When someone says you’re doing great! They add to your value. When someone judges you negatively, they have the power to take from your value. Think about how you react when someone angrily honks their car horn at you. Do you react by feeling angry and defensive? Does that random stranger have the power to make you feel emotionally threatened? Is that because other’s reaction to you is so important to your perceived value? You are at the mercy of other’s judgment, other’s opinion, and other’s validation in order to define your success, the quality of your soul, and the value of your life. </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When this type of value based on external approval is instilled from childhood, you’re doomed to believe that how people perceive you is the truth of your value. You’re judged on your religion, what you wear, how you talk, your education, your job, how much money you make, how many friends you have, how big your breasts are, how big your truck is, your children’s success following the rules, and any other definition of value that isn’t necessarily the truth. So eventually we are all the same, wanting the same exact things in life, and we are waiting for someone or something to tell us what to do. </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is why consumerism has become such a large part of our culture. Businesses tell you what services and products you need to feel better about yourself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They create the illusion everyone is buying it, they slap their logo on what it is and the more people you see with that logo, the more you feel you need to buy it. Some of the most valuable things that increase value are: money− or buying power, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>education, where you got your education, your job, your house, your car, your clothes, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your parent’s/childen’s accomplishments on this scale, and your ability to have and attract sex. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad part is that if any of those ideals are taken away or lost, you actually believe your value is less. </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because you’ve given outside influence the power to define your value, that influence has the power to control you, your actions, your spending, you motivation, the way you make decisions, and how you perceive yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You don’t have self-worth but instead, money-worth, clothes-worth, religious-worth, sexual-worth, body-worth, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fill-in-the-blank-worth. Those outside influences are what you think brings you happiness, but also are the influences that can be lost to create stress and sadness.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How much of your life was created for you? Decided for you? Directed by something else you thought was in charge of your happiness? What I’ve noticed is that when the most important dictators of your value judge you poorly, the easy way to feel better about it is to seek out another form of validation. For example, if someone in your family is sick (which tests the idea that you were taught happiness comes when there are no problems) and you have to take them to the hospital, do you eat to feel better about it?</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When one level of value is decreased, in order to feel better about it you’re going to need to find something else to compensate. How many of you compensate with food? Do you eat to feel better about all of the vulnerabilities in life? Has eating become the only stable emotional reinforcement that only you control? Finding a way to control emotional stability is why we have behavioral addiction.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The question I have is what if you decided your value wasn’t defined by your parents, religion, spouse, children, job, money, and your body? What is your true authentic value? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you were the creator of your value and didn’t need an action, object, or person to define you, your happiness would be something you create rather than receive.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you eat to compensate for the vulnerability of the world, I suggest you start by thinking about the things, people, objects, and actions you believe define your value. Recognize why they’ve become such a large part of your identity. Seek to find your identity without those addictions, and from there, allow the inevitable vulnerability and fear of rejection, when you allow yourself to be authentic. No matter what others judge and what their opinion of your value is. This is the foundation of self-worth and is the only true source of happiness that isn’t vulnerable to anything other than existence of life.</span></div>

EATING: YOUR COMPENSATION AND DEFINITION OF VALUE

Somewhere along the line you were told you suck. You were parented or “friended” into being something other than yourself. You were told to change who you are, otherwise your mom and dad wouldn’t like you, your friends wouldn’t accept you, society wo…

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