Celebrities talking about Bradley Manning (video)

‘I Am Bradley Manning’ Say Celebrities in New Campaign. This Human Rights and Peace Article was written by Steve Williams - A new video campaign has been released that sees celebrities proclaim “I Am Bradley Manning,” a drive they hope will help promote support for Manning’s cause.

The video, part of the wider I Am Bradley Manning campaign, sees actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, comedian Russel Brand, director Oliver Stone, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, and rights activist Dan Choi, among others, explain why they feel we are all Bradley Manning.

Their appearances are interspersed among clips of the now infamous Collateral Murder video and other high profiled moments surrounding the Manning/Wikileaks saga.

Watch the video below:





It should be noted that there is a significant body of evidence to suggest Manning identifies as female, though whether she identifies under the umbrella of transgender is unclear. This post shall hereafter use female pronouns.

The Manning court martial, after eight full days in court spread over three weeks, is now in recess.

Manning faces 22 charges but chief among them (the charge that potentially carries a life sentence) is that Manning directly aided the enemy, Osama bin Laden.

Manning, in a thorough 35 page statement delivered to the court at the start of the trial, freely admits to 10 of the 22 charges and specifically to disclosing the information, but denies aiding the enemy.

Instead Manning contends she provided the classified information under the impression that the battlefield reports were not sensitive and that by placing the documents in the public domain the Military would have to acknowledge it acted against the US Constitution and international rights standards, in effect that it would “show the true cost of war.”

On the charge of aiding the enemy, however, the Military will need to prove that “Manning had reason to believe the leaks would hurt national security,” a very particular threshold.

Much of the trial has centered around the Military attempting to prove this by examining communications including Twitter messages, though so far the information used to paint Manning as cognizant that she could be aiding the enemy appears at the moment only circumstantial.

The fact that Manning was kept for almost a year at the Marine Corps Brig in Virginia under dehumanizing solitary confinement restrictions and then a further two years at Fort Leavenworth with other detainees prior to trial, virtually unprecedented in cases like this, has drawn international attention and the condemnation of national rights groups.

It has also contributed to serious concerns over the Obama administration’s wider response to national security issues. This has reemerged with the NSA scandal and questions over what charges whistle-blower Edward Snowden might now face.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has also emerged as a prominent figure in the Military’s view of the Manning trial, though this has raised some eyebrows as Manning is not charged with conspiracy or having set out to infiltrate the military for the purpose of disclosing information to Wikileaks. So why Assange should be named quite so often — 22 times by one count — is interesting.

Assange has just passed his first year of self-confinement by limited choice in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, England, after pleading for asylum from Ecuadorian authorities to escape being extradited to Sweden, where in an unrelated matter he would almost certainly be charged with some form of sexual assault and from where he claims he could, in turn, be extradited to the US.

Manning’s trial is set to resume on Tuesday, June 25.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/i-am-bradley-manning-say-celebrities-in-new-campaign.html#ixzz2X8phDku5

Gorgeous Squiggle the Baby Mongoose video...

There’s never an ‘ordinary’ day in the life of raising a baby mongoose. Just ask Karen Paolillo, Founder of the Turgwe Hippo Trust. Since Karen began hand rearing an orphaned Slender mongoose named Squiggle at her home in Zimbabwe, there have been waves of laughter and joy. We first brought you news of this mongoose in April, and this little one has been very busy since then.

Squiggle’s behavior often resembles that of companion animals. She’ll carry toys in her mouth like a dog. She’ll try to suckle a soft blanket like a kitten. And, in fact, she often curls up next to Karen’s cat for naps. But there’s also the wild side to Squiggle, one that Karen hopes will continue to surface as Squiggle matures, and the other day it took the form of Squiggle launching herself against a glass door in mock ‘attacks’ on a large baboon sitting on the other side. Take a look at the video below to see some of Squiggle’s latest antics, including not just her game with the baboon, but also a comical attack on a dusting tool and a proud victory as she successfully hunts a beetle on the ground.

As you can see, Karen’s backyard is a rather popular spot for wildlife such as the baboons who are being fed here.

“Normally baboons and mongoose coexist,” Karen explains. “With us having a troup of 45 here I do have to watch her when she goes outside as she is fearless but so far there have been no problems at all between her and the baboons or monkey. I think when she’s in the house she just likes to show the baboons who’s boss.”

To see more of the happenings with Squiggle and all the animals at the Turgwe Hippo Trust follow them on Facebook or visit their website.

Squiggle the Slender Mongoose orphan filmed by Karen Paolillo of The Turgwe Hippo Trust, Zimbabwe.
The Turgwe Hippo Trust is the only non-profit conservation project for wild hippos in Africa. Adopt one of these hippos and help save their lives: www.savethehippos.com.





Article courtesy of Laura Simpson and Care2.com Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/squiggle-the-baby-mongoose-is-taking-over-the-house-and-cuddling-with-cats.html#ixzz2WZ0wn7PI

Horrific! Skinning, cutting up and eating a creature live!

Please sign this petition to stop this unbelievable cruelty! The practice of "live sushi" involves cutting apart and then eating a frog, fish, lobster, shrimp, squid or octopus while it is still alive. This practice is a 2,000-year-old Asian tradition known as "ikizukuri."

Ikizukuri is most closely translated as "prepared alive." This dish is prepared by filleting the meat from bottom half of the animal and decoratively laying it on the top half, while it is still alive and moving. The poor creature is then quickly consumed.

The fact that this practice is traditional and ancient does not make it any less cruel to the animals who are cut up, stripped of their skin, and served up alive, or nearly so, to curious and "adventurous" foodies visiting Japan.

"Live sushi" is disturbing to think about and even more horrifying to watch as it is prepared and eaten. The video at the link below is graphic, but you need to see it:

Frog Prepared as Live Sushi

Please sign this petition and urge Japan's ambassador to the United States, Kenichiro Sasae, to take action to end this inhumane delicacy in his country.

Target: Japan's ambassador to the United States, Kenichiro Sasae
Sponsored by: Susan BIrd, Care2Causes

Sacrificing virgins and children was also tradition thousands of years ago. Just because something is labelled tradition, does not mean we should keep practicing it! We are supposed to be an intelligent, compassionate, CIVILIZED species! This practice certainly does not support any one of those assumptions about humanity.

Whether you believe in UFO's or not, this footage taken

in May 2013 in Russia and Brazil is amazing!

"Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons (video)

Clever clip as well as an excellent song! Debut album Night Visions available now: http://smarturl.it/NightVisions


Music video by Imagine Dragons performing Radioactive. © 2012 KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records
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Remembering Billy (video) and why we should NOT buy

from puppy mills (online puppy/kitten suppliers) or backyard breeders.
First, meet Billy, rescued from a puppy mill.


Billy's legacy...Due to the years of severe neglect and deprivation, Billy's subsequent ill health took its toll, but at least, he had known in his last few months, what it was to be safe and dearly loved.

Sponsored by: Humane Society of the United States
Sign the pledge to stop puppy mills.

Extremely cute Kitty Versus the Robotic Dog video!

Plus kitty versus the big older sister...Nikita the adopted female kitten and BoBo - the older cat, male. No kitten, cat, or robotic dog were hurt in the filming of this video! :D