FFRUK Music TV – Series 1 – ‘Soho-Enders’
Published Monday 16th February, 2015 The first of a series of TV shows . Featuring musical talent and untold stories from the UK's credible bands and artists who are living their art from their heart and who you wont see on the likes of X Factor! Presented by : Segs Jennings & Tara RezFeat: The Duel, The Gongs, The Smokes , Ecofisk, Tracey Punk , Denis Just Denis
Moon, Bart Barton as The Spirit of Andy Warhol
Location: 12 Bar, Denmark Street Soho (venue now relocated to Holloway Road, Highbury Islington).
Thought-Provoking Photographs Depict Female Faces of Freedom
Published Wednesday 21st January, 2015By - Aimée Horwich
Source - Entertainment4media
A brand new exhibition, opening in London next month, will explore the relationship between freedom, beauty and the hijab.
Azeri artist, Alexandra Kremer-Khomassouridze's Faces of Freedom photographic series, depicts 50 women from around the world – from different nationalities, backgrounds and professions – and explores their perception of identity in relation to wearing the hijab.
The fascinating, black and white exhibition, which portrays the women in their own clothes and then wearing a hijab, opens at Asia House on 3 February and runs as part of London's second Buta Festival – a celebration of Azerbaijani arts and culture.
Curated by Farah Pirieva, the photographs explore the veil, which has become a hot topic of international debate and controversy. Kremer-Khomassouridze's work embraces the complexity of the issue and the before and after-type images are moving and intimate.
Alexandra said: “No one left my studio the same. Our conversations had a lasting effect on each of the ladies. The complexity of the process was amazing. Some of my models cried and claimed never to wear a hijab again, others responded exactly the opposite, telling me, that they always will.”
The international photographer, who left Azerbaijan in 1989, was inspired to capture the photographs upon returning to the country's capital, Baku, in 2011.
“When I left Azerbaijan the hijab was in decline, particularly among younger women who preferred to wear jeans and mini skirts as a sign that they were embracing a new ideology of multiculturalism.
“When I returned, I was astonished to see young Azeri women choosing to wear the hijab again. I felt like I had discovered a new Baku, full of interesting contrasts where freedom could look different to different people. Faces of Freedom, is my way of interpreting and exploring these differences - the freedom to wear a hijab and the freedom not to wear it.”
Faces of Freedom runs at Asia House from the 3- 15 February 2015.
The 2015 Buta Festival provides a window to the Azeri Arts in London, offering unique insights into a country that is arousing our curiosity. For further information about the festival, visit www.butafestival.com. Updates about all things Buta can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – butafestival.
100 Club Presents: Resolution Festival, Jan 2015
Published Monday 15th December, 2014Kick off 2015 with a 5 date celebration of classic punk in its spiritual home as 100 Club presents Resolution Festival. From Tuesday 6th January to Saturday 10th January, Resolution Festival will be hosting some of the biggest and best names in punk music. With Anti-Nowhere League kicking things off, there are also performances from 999, Ruts DC, Ed Tudor Pole, Chris Spedding and the newly announced secret special guests: UK Subs! Tickets can be bought for individual days (priced from £10) or a full festival pass for only £45. Read on below for our picks of this amazing lineup.
FFR UK Xmas Reggae Punk Party
Published Thursday 11th December, 2014
Click here for more event detail
Every human being on the planet deserves and should watch this if they love to live !!
Published Wednesday 26th November, 2014The Science of Happiness – An Experiment in Gratitude
Published Saturday 13th September, 2014What makes you happy? Have you ever wondered why?
This Is What Happened When Gordon Ramsey Was Trying To Expose The Illegal Shark Fin Market.
Published Friday 06th March, 2015 Source: trueactivist By True Activist A clip from Gordon Ramsay’s Shark Bait, in which the world’s most famous chef set out to expose the shocking practices that are threatening the existence of one of the earth’s most amazing creatures. He traveled the world to confront the illicit fishermen, traders and diners who are responsible for the shark’s precipitous decline. Gordon Ramsay investigates a series of blocks who have thousands of shark fins drying out on roofs. He manages to get on top of the roof despite being denied access. This determination allowed him to capture a gold mine of shark fins before they hurry to escape the area. Most of these beautiful animals are returned to the ocean without their fins while still alive and are then eaten by other predators because they cannot move effectively.In Just 4 Minutes, This Astounding Fact Will Change Your Perception
Published Thursday 05th March, 2015 Source: trueactivist By Amanda Froelich When asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?”, this was his response. “You are connected, just by being alive.” Give 3:33 seconds of your day to watch this mesmerizing video, and you’ll likely feel a level of inspiration evoked that is rarely felt in modern-day society. You, your existence, your profound insight, experience, and majesty, is beyond what words can convey… but Neal deGrasse Tyson does a pretty good job explaining it in the video.Blacklisted – The Book: Official Trailer
Published Monday 02nd March, 2015Click here to order your copy now.
PhD Doctor Has This To Say About The Controversial HPV Vaccine
Published Monday 02nd March, 2015 Source: trueactivist By Sophie McAdam Back in 2011, Doctor Lucija Tomlijenovic Phd. obtained documents from the {British} Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) and the UK Department of Health (DH). She used the Freedom of Information Act to request transcripts and other papers which otherwise would not have made it into the public domain, and was shocked at what she uncovered. Tomlijenovic published a paper claiming that the risks associated with vaccination were being censored, ethical codes of conduct were being ignored, and that the UK Department of Health and the JCVI had “extensive ties to pharmaceutical companies.” The last point in particular is cause for concern: how can we fully trust scientific studies which are sponsored by the Big Pharma corporations who manufacture these expensive vaccines? In the 45-page pdf paper, Dr Tomlijenovic writes: “No pharmaceutical drug is devoid of risks from adverse reactions and vaccines are no exception. An equal responsibility rests on the medical profession to promote vaccinations, but only with those vaccines whose safety and efficacy has been demonstrated to be statistically significant.” She goes on: “Furthermore, vaccination is a medical intervention and as such, it should be carried out with the full consent of those who are being subjected to it. This necessitates an objective disclosure of the known or foreseeable risks and benefits and, where applicable, a description of alternative courses of treatment. In cases where children and infants are involved, full consent with regards to vaccination should be given by the parents. Deliberately concealing information from the parents for the sole purpose of getting them to comply with an “official” vaccination schedule could thus be considered as a form of ethical violation or misconduct. Official documents obtained from the UK Department of Health (DH) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reveal that the British health authorities have been engaging in such practice for the last 30 years, apparently for the sole purpose of protecting the national vaccination program.” Tomlijenovic then exposes a worrying conflict of interest: “The transcripts of the JCVI meetings also show that some of the Committee members had extensive ties to pharmaceutical companies and that the JCVI frequently co-operated with vaccine manufacturers on strategies aimed at boosting vaccine uptake. Some of the meetings at which such controversial items were discussed were not intended to be publicly available, as the transcripts were only released later, through the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). These particular meetings are denoted in the transcripts as “commercial in confidence”, and reveal a clear and disturbing lack of transparency.” Her paper also demonstrates how “the JCVI made continuous efforts to withhold critical data on severe adverse reactions and contraindications to vaccinations to both parents and health practitioners in order to reach overall vaccination rates which they deemed were necessary for “herd immunity”, a concept which with regards to vaccination, and contrary to prevalent beliefs, does not rest on solid scientific evidence, as will be explained. As a result of such vaccination policy promoted by the JCVI and the DH, many children have been vaccinated without their parents being disclosed the critical information about demonstrated risks of serious adverse reactions, one that the JCVI appeared to have been fully aware of. It would also appear that, by withholding this information, the JCVI/DH neglected the right of individuals to make an informed consent concerning vaccination. By doing so, the JCVI/DH may have violated not only International Guidelines for Medical Ethics (i.e., Helsinki Declaration and the International Code of Medical Ethics) but also, their own Code of Practice.” In the above video (an excerpt from the documentary One More Girl) Tomlijenovic talks about Gardasil, a key ingredient in the HPV vaccine. She claims it can cause brain inflammation, multiple sclerosis and auto-immune diseases. Tomlijenovic admits that studies sponsored by the vaccine manufacturer failed to find any adverse effects with Gardasil, but points out that independent studies have arrived at very different conclusions. Vaccination is an issue that triggers very strong reactions on both sides. It is worth noting here that True Activist does not aim to promote a biased view of the vaccination debate, but is in favor of non-censorship. We hope that by providing readers with alternative opinions from concerned experts and doctors in the field, readers have all the necessary information to make a personal and informed decision about this controversial topic.
This Grandfather Kept Wandering Off, Until His 15-Year-Old Grandson Came Up With A Brilliant Idea
Published Wednesday 04th March, 2015 Source: trueactivist By John Vibes
15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka has invented a device that could help millions of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Shinozuka was inspired to create the device because his 88-year-old grandfather developed Alzheimer’s and his family needed to figure out how they could monitor him in his time of need.
This device is especially helpful because Shinozuka’s grandfather, like many Alzheimer’s patients, developed a habit of wandering off and getting lost, which sometimes led to some dangerous situations. With this in mind, Shinozuka has called his invention “Safe Wander.”
“I made this sock that lets Conrad know when you walk off your chair or out of bed, and lets him know if you need help,” Shinozuka told reporters.
“My grandfather has lost the capability to eat by himself, to walk by himself, definitely to write and read. He can barely speak anymore. So it’s very hard. It’s also very hard for my aunt, his primary caregiver, since she’s the one who has to take care of him all the time,” Shinozuka explained.
The sock that he has created is equipped with a sensor that detects the increase in pressure that is created when the foot hits the ground, and then sends an alert to the nurse or caregiver’s smartphone.
Shinozuka is currently testing the device on residents of Irvine Cottages, a local nursing home that his grandfather has been living at.
“I just couldn’t believe that anyone so young could achieve so much. I thought he was a college student!” Jacqueline Dupont, the owner of Irvine Cottages said.
Shinozuka’s invention recently won a $50,000 prize and “Science in Action” award from Scientific American Magazine, and he plans to enter the Google Science Fair in California this September.
Eventually, Shinozuka says that he hopes to cure Alzheimer’s alltogeather.
“I’d like to solve some of the mysteries of the brain, and invent tools to ultimately, I think, cure Alzheimer’s and other mental conditions that our aging population suffers from,” Shinozuka said.
New Study Says Marijuana Is 114 Times Safer Than Alcohol
Published Tuesday 03rd March, 2015 Source: trueactivist By John Vibes
A new study, published in the journal, ‘Scientific Reports,’ suggests that smoking cannabis is roughly 114 times safer than drinking alcohol. Ironically, out of all the drugs that were researched in the study, alcohol was actually the most dangerous, and it was the only legal drug on the list.
Just behind alcohol, heroin and cocaine were listed as the next most dangerous, followed by tobacco, ecstasy, and meth. The criteria that these drugs were arranged by, was according to the likelihood of a person dying from consuming a lethal dose.
“The results confirm that the risk of cannabis may have been overestimated in the past. At least for the endpoint of mortality, the [margin of exposure] for THC/cannabis in both individual and population-based assessments would be above safety thresholds (e.g. 100 for data based on animal experiments). In contrast, the risk of alcohol may have been commonly underestimated,” the report states.
“Currently, the MOE results point to risk management prioritization towards alcohol and tobacco rather than illicit drugs. The high MOE values of cannabis, which are in a low-risk range, suggest a strict legal regulatory approach rather than the current prohibition approach,” the report continues.
While this is not the first study to rank marijuana very low in terms of danger, it comes at a time when the debate surrounding marijuana legalization is more heated than ever before, with more and more people agreeing that it is time to end prohibition.
In reality, a prohibition of any kind is a scam, and the drug war is a racket of many prohibitions. What the drug war actually accomplishes is the establishment of black markets and gangs, the erosion of personal liberties, the expansion of the prison system and prison population as well as a constant excuse for frivolous government spending. This hypothesis has been tested time and time again, anytime throughout history where a ruling power has prohibited the consumption or possession of any item whatsoever.
This process was made quite clear during the alcohol prohibition of the 1920s and 1930s. As we saw with alcohol prohibition, making a substance illegal does nothing to stifle its use, but simply creates outlaws out of nonviolent people and foments a culture of violence that the rest of society is forced to deal with, even if they have no interest at all in the banned substance.
Prohibitions of any kind should be opposed, for the reasons I have laid out in the past. However, marijuana is of a specific immediate importance though, because of its ability to heal sick people and create more environmentally friendly industrial products. It is also one of the safest drugs known to our species.
On Tuesday, recreational marijuana became legal in Alaska, making it the third state in the US to legalize the plant.
However, until 2016 ,when the official regulations go into place, it will still be illegal to buy, sell or trade marijuana in any way. Then, even after the regulated market is established, anyone who wishes to operate outside of the regulated market will still face steep fines and prison time.
“You can still give people marijuana, but you can’t buy it — or even barter for it,” Alexandra Gutierrez of Alaska Public Media said.
Under the current provisions, Individuals who are 21 years of age or older may possess up to one ounce of marijuana and can grow up to six plants. However, smoking in public is still illegal and could carry a fine of up to $100.
Anticipating the passing of the bill, Alaska Governor Bill Walker proposed legislation on Monday which would establish a “Marijuana Control Board” that would punish people who did not comply with the imposed regulations.
“Importantly, the bill would give the Marijuana Control Board the power to enforce its regulations, including the ability to use peace officer powers to enforce the criminally punishable laws and regulations relating to marijuana,” Walker said.
As many individual states to push to legalize marijuana locally, there are also a number of efforts to end prohibition on a federal level as well. Just recently, 2 different bills were introduced which would federally legalize marijuana.
Elon Musk, founder of Tesla Motors, Space X, Paypal, and many other companies, has come up with another brilliant idea that could radically change everyday life for the average person.
Musk’s new idea could take family homes and businesses off of the power grid, with the help of a solar powered battery pack.
“We are trying to figure out what would be a cool stationary (battery) pack. Some will be like the Model S pack: something flat, 5 inches off the wall, wall mounted, with a beautiful cover, an integrated bi-directional inverter, and plug and play,” Musk said in a statement last week.
To meet the demand for the batteries, Musk is planning on building a giant battery manufacturing complex, which will be specifically used for this company and this company only.
Musk said that he expects to release more details to the public towards the end of the year, or early next year
It is being speculated that one of Tesla’s partner companies, SolarCity, will be involved in this project.
Musk is currently working on a number of bold new projects. As we reported last year, Musk announced that SpaceX is currently developing a micro-satellite network that will work to bring cheap and unrestricted internet access to the world.
He said on his twitter page this week that they are in the early stages of development on the project, and that more details will be coming in the following months. Responding to a comment about the cost of the service, Musk said that the internet service would be “unfettered certainly and at very low cost.”
Urban Green Energy, a clean energy company, has recently installed wind turbines onto the Eiffel Tower. The turbines are small and barely generate enough energy to power the building itself, but representatives with Urban Green Energy say that this is a symbolic installation to promote clean energy.
“The Eiffel Tower is arguably the most renowned architectural icon in the world, and we are proud that our advanced technology was chosen as the Tower commits to a more sustainable future. When visitors from around the world see the wind turbines, we get one step closer to a world powered by clean and reliable renewable energy,” Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of UGE said in a press release.
The turbines are located 400 feet above the ground for maximum energy output, and are able to produce 10,000kWh of electricity annually.
In addition to wind energy, the tower is now equipped with LED lighting and 10 m² of roof-mounted solar panels.
In the video below, if you look very closely you can see the turbines moving on the right side of the tower when the camera zooms in:
This week, news broke about a secret government facility in Chicago where police have been taking US citizens for off-the-record interrogations. Activists are now beginning to mobilize against what is becoming known as the Chicago black site. According to reports, this site is located at a place called Homan Square, and is routinely used by the Chicago Police Department.
According to reports, this site is located at a place called Homan Square, and is routinely used by the Chicago Police Department.
When detainees are taken to this site they are literally “disappeared” for an extended period of time. According to local defense attorneys, when detainees are taken to this site they are not logged into official booking database, they are regularly shackled and beaten by police during interrogations and denied access to their attorneys. It was even reported that one man was actually killed during these interrogation processes.
“It’s sort of an open secret among attorneys that regularly make police station visits, this place – if you can’t find a client in the system, odds are they’re there,” said Chicago lawyer Julia Bartmes.
To raise awareness about this torture prison within US borders, activists are planning a protest in Chicago this Saturday for 3PM. The protest will assemble at 3379 W Fillmore St. Chicago, IL.
Learn more about the protest and join the event page HERE.
After thirteen long years of the so-called War On Terror, which has seen an increase in both Jihadism and Islamophobia on both sides of the Atlantic, Muslims have continuously been criticized for not doing enough to condemn or counteract extremist factions within their religion. Now, with ISIS‘s reign of terror in the Middle East and Fox News’s lies about Muslim no-go areas in Europe, the division between Muslims and non-Muslims seems greater than ever. In many communities in the Western world, hatred, fear and mistrust have replaced freedom of expression, understanding and compassion between fellow human beings.
[caption id="attachment_37011" align="aligncenter" width="355" caption="A heartwarming photograph from the Peace Ring facebook"]
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But on the 21st February, a seventeen year-old Norwegian girl took a bold and beautiful step to change all that. In response to a terrorist attack outside a synagogue in neighboring Denmark the previous week, Muslim Hajra Arshad decided to stand up to both Islamic extremists and anti-Semitists at the same time.
Hajra took to facebook to organize a ‘peace ring’ around a synagogue in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, as we reported at the time. Peace Ring’s facebook page explained: ‘If the jihadists want to use violence in the name of Islam, they must go through us Muslims first. Muslims want to show that we deeply despise all types of hatred of Jews and that we are there to support them.’
The event was a great success, with over 1000 Muslims turning up to show support for the cause. There are only around 1500 Jews in Norway, while Muslims make up 8% of the country’s 5.1 million population. Speaking about public misconceptions of Jewish people and global anger over the Israel/Palestine situation, Hajra says: “I think it’s really, really really important that people can distance Israel from Jews,” adding: “There are Norwegian Jews who don’t take sides in politics.”
The same can obviously be said for the millions of peaceful Muslims who are feared and abused for their religion. This kind of event could be exactly what we need to start trusting each other again, no matter what our beliefs, skin color or cultural heritage.
Tell us in the comments section what you think we could all do to fight prejudice and build bridges!
Australia’s western Victoria Environment Minister Lisa Neville recently admitted that the state killed as many as 700 Koalas, in an attempt to control their population.
The killings took place during the years of 2013 and 2014 at the hands of wildlife officials. Neville told reporters that the koala population is “a very challenging and complex issue” and added that the killings were “humane and effective”.
“It is clear it’s an overpopulation issue and it is clear that we have had koalas suffer in that Cape Otway area because of ill health and starvation. That’s just not good enough and that’s a terrible way to treat koalas. I’m wanting to make sure that we’re taking the best action we can in this terrible situation of overpopulation,” she said.
It would seem that killing koalas is a terrible way to treat them as well, but the Minister says that there are no other options available.
“Experience suggests that moving these koalas does not work and that can in fact cause even greater suffering. [The number] continues to increase and that’s why we need to have a look at a koala management strategy to see whether we can reduce that population growth which continues at a very fast pace,” Neville said.
“We need to stop their suffering. Our priority must be about treating these koalas humanely,” she added.
Is there really no other options for these animals than to kill them? Or is violence the only way that governments know how to solve problems? Share your thoughts with us!