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1 Views
11:04:38 12/07/11
Ants Show Strong-Arm Tactics at Edinburgh Zoo
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 11:04:38 12/07/11
Ants Show Strong-Arm Tactics at Edinburgh Zoo
For more news visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Follow us on Facebook ☛ me.lt The arrival of two giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo is grabbing all the media attention but some of the zoos smallest inhabitants are also making their first public appearance. Lets take a look at their leafcutter ants. Visitors to Edinburgh Zoo are being treated to unusual displays of strength from a colony of 250000 leafcutter ants. The atta cephalotes ant is strong enough to bite through leather and carry 20 times its own body weight. They can be seen carrying their swag across a dangling rope connecting their food supply and nest tank. Senior animal presenter Gareth Bennett has looked after the colony since it arrived from the Caribbean 18 months ago. [Gareth Bennett, Senior Animal Presenter]: "It arrived in a very, very small yogurt pot with maybe one queen and a couple of hundred workers and foragers." The ants do not eat their fodder but use it to cultivate a fungus as their only source of food. [Gareth Bennett, Senior Animal Presenter]: "Only ten percent of captive colonies will get to the stage that we have on display here. The real trick is that at the early stages you must look after the fungus production, that's key to the whole thing. If you look after the fungus the ants tend to look after themselves." The ants are avid recyclers and the only other species, apart from humans, which actively farm their food. [Gareth Bennett, Senior Animal Presenter]: "They also ... From: NTDTV Views: 1 0 ratings Time: 02:11 More in News & Politics
0 Views
01:24:04 10/10/11
Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 10/10/11: A Dangerous Precedent
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 01:24:04 10/10/11
http://RonPaul2012.com http://paul.house.gov http://CampaignForLiberty.org http://RevolutionPAC.com http://DailyPaul.com http://RunRonPaul.com According to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, Americans are never to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Constitution is not some aspirational statement of values, allowing exceptions when convenient, but rather, it is the law of the land. It is the basis of our Republic and our principal bulwark against tyranny. Last week's assassination of two American citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, is an outrage and a criminal act carried out by the President and his administration. If the law protecting us against government-sanctioned assassination can be voided when there is a "really bad American", is there any meaning left to the rule of law in the United States? If, as we learned last week, a secret government committee, not subject to congressional oversight or judicial review, can now target certain Americans for assassination, under what moral authority do we presume to lecture the rest of the world about protecting human rights? Didn't we just bomb Libya into oblivion under the auspices of protecting the civilians from being targeted by their government? Timothy McVeigh was certainly a threat, as were Nidal Hassan and Jared Lee Loughner. They killed people in front of many witnesses. They took up arms against their government in a literal way, yet were still afforded trials. These constitutional protections are in place because our Founders realized it is a very serious matter to deprive any individual of life or liberty. Our outrage against even the obviously guilty is not worth the sacrifice of the rule of law. Al-Awlaki has been outspoken against the United States and we are told he encouraged violence against Americans. We do not know that he actually committed any acts of violence. Ironically, he was once invited to the Pentagon as part of an outreach to moderate Muslims after 9/11. As the US attacks against Muslims in the Middle East and Central Asia expanded, it is said that he became more fervent and radical in his opposition to US foreign policy. Many cheer this killing because they believe that in a time of war, due process is not necessary - not even for citizens, and especially not for those overseas. However, there has been no formal declaration of war and certainly not one against Yemen. The post-9/11 authorization for force would not have covered these two Americans because no one is claiming they had any connection to that attack. Al-Awlaki was on a kill list compiled by a secret panel within President Obama's National Security Council and Justice Department. How many more Americans citizens are on that list? They won't tell us. What are the criteria? They won't tell us. Where is the evidence? They won't tell us. Al-Awlaki's father tried desperately to get the administration to at least allow his son to have legal representation to challenge the "kill" order. He was denied. Rather than give him his day in court, the administration, behind closed doors, served as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner.The most worrisome aspect of this is that any new powers this administration accrues will serve as precedents for future administrations. Even those who completely trust this administration must understand that if this usurpation of power and denial of due process is allowed to stand, these powers will remain to be expanded on by the next administration and then the next. Will you trust them? History shows that once a population gives up its rights, they are not easily won back. Beware.
0 Views
01:24:04 10/10/11
Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk 10/10/11: A Dangerous Precedent
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 01:24:04 10/10/11
http://RonPaul2012.com http://paul.house.gov http://CampaignForLiberty.org http://RevolutionPAC.com http://DailyPaul.com http://RunRonPaul.com According to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, Americans are never to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The Constitution is not some aspirational statement of values, allowing exceptions when convenient, but rather, it is the law of the land. It is the basis of our Republic and our principal bulwark against tyranny. Last week's assassination of two American citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, is an outrage and a criminal act carried out by the President and his administration. If the law protecting us against government-sanctioned assassination can be voided when there is a "really bad American", is there any meaning left to the rule of law in the United States? If, as we learned last week, a secret government committee, not subject to congressional oversight or judicial review, can now target certain Americans for assassination, under what moral authority do we presume to lecture the rest of the world about protecting human rights? Didn't we just bomb Libya into oblivion under the auspices of protecting the civilians from being targeted by their government? Timothy McVeigh was certainly a threat, as were Nidal Hassan and Jared Lee Loughner. They killed people in front of many witnesses. They took up arms against their government in a literal way, yet were still afforded trials. These constitutional protections are in place because our Founders realized it is a very serious matter to deprive any individual of life or liberty. Our outrage against even the obviously guilty is not worth the sacrifice of the rule of law. Al-Awlaki has been outspoken against the United States and we are told he encouraged violence against Americans. We do not know that he actually committed any acts of violence. Ironically, he was once invited to the Pentagon as part of an outreach to moderate Muslims after 9/11. As the US attacks against Muslims in the Middle East and Central Asia expanded, it is said that he became more fervent and radical in his opposition to US foreign policy. Many cheer this killing because they believe that in a time of war, due process is not necessary - not even for citizens, and especially not for those overseas. However, there has been no formal declaration of war and certainly not one against Yemen. The post-9/11 authorization for force would not have covered these two Americans because no one is claiming they had any connection to that attack. Al-Awlaki was on a kill list compiled by a secret panel within President Obama's National Security Council and Justice Department. How many more Americans citizens are on that list? They won't tell us. What are the criteria? They won't tell us. Where is the evidence? They won't tell us. Al-Awlaki's father tried desperately to get the administration to at least allow his son to have legal representation to challenge the "kill" order. He was denied. Rather than give him his day in court, the administration, behind closed doors, served as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner.The most worrisome aspect of this is that any new powers this administration accrues will serve as precedents for future administrations. Even those who completely trust this administration must understand that if this usurpation of power and denial of due process is allowed to stand, these powers will remain to be expanded on by the next administration and then the next. Will you trust them? History shows that once a population gives up its rights, they are not easily won back. Beware.
15 Views
11:09:25 08/13/11
BodyWeight Training Accessory: Jungle Gym Straps
[LESS INFO] 15 VIEWS | ADDED 11:09:25 08/13/11
"http://www.top-form-fitness.com In this video I demonstrate a training accessory I use quite often: the Jungle Gym straps. These straps are used for a variety of functional, bodyweight, suspension exercises including: strap pushups, inverted rows, supine hamstring curls, assisted one leg squats, dips, and pullups. I like the Jungle Gym because of it's versatility (you can perform these exercises ""on the go"" by simply hooking the Jungle Gym up anywhere (on a door, tree limb, or an overhanging bar or beam). This makes the Jungle Gym a great accessory for those who are busy or who travel a lot. I also like the price... it's a fraction of the cost of other systems such as the TRX straps. The only complaint I have with them is that when you are doing full pushups (or dips) on them, the buckles are in a position that they rub against your arms which makes it a bit uncomfortable. If they moved them up a few inches - problem solved. But over-all, for it's value this is one of the simplest and best suspension training tools I've used. Check it out or pick one up at http://www.tinyurl.com/suspendme"
8 Views
13:21:03 08/01/11
FMK Fitness: Superman, Human Flag, The Slide, Sliding Pull up (Strength Exercises)
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 13:21:03 08/01/11
"I don't know the names to these exercises so I came up with some myself. They are exercises to take your fitness to another level. Try them out. THE TAO OF FREDDIE'S MODERN KUNG FU The Tao of Freddie's Modern Kung Fu (FMK) is a Martial Arts/Spiritual Life Development Academy on YouTube that specializes in the development of the body, mind, and soul. Freddie teaches on all aspects of life. Freddie's Martial Arts teachings are highly inspired by Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do and his life lessons come from his innate wisdom within that had been sparked by his understanding of the ancient wisdom of Eastern Philosophy, specifically Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, Osho, J.Krishnamurti, Eckhart Tolle, Tao, Zen, Tantra, Abraham Maslow, Erich Fromm, and others. Freddie is serving the public as a: 1) Fitness Trainer 2) Martial Arts Instructor (Private) 3) Relationship Counselor 4) Spiritual Guide If you have interest in becoming an Official Online Disciple in which to gain access to private instructional survival combat technique videos. Please view this video ""FMK: Official Disciple Exercise Requirements"": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULWNP6gtm34 and read the description section of the video. There are fitness requirements that need to be met before access to the private videos are allowed. There will be fees that will be charged to gain access to the videos. Payments will be accepted via PayPal by emailing FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com. Personal and private instruction is available in Chicago, IL. FMK ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/freddielee28?ref=profile FMK ON COMBATIVE CORNER: http://www.combativecorner.com FMK ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FreddiesKungFu RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OSHO one of the greatest sages ever: http://www.youtube.com/user/oshointernational?blend=1
12 Views
03:33:49 08/01/11
FMK Fitness: Mike Mentzer High Intensity Training, Total Body Exercise Routine
[LESS INFO] 12 VIEWS | ADDED 03:33:49 08/01/11
"A childhood friend of mine recommended me to Mike Mentzer's High Intensity Training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iiBpXx-MLU Thanks to my childhood friend and thanks to Mentzer, they have inspired me to create this video. I like this type of training that involves a total body workout in a very short amount of time. The Tao of Freddie's Modern Kung Fu (FMK) is a Martial Arts/Spiritual Life Development Academy on YouTube that specializes in the development of the body, mind, and soul. Freddie teaches on all aspects of life. Freddie's Martial Arts teachings are highly inspired by Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do and his life lessons come from his innate wisdom within that had been sparked by his understanding of the ancient wisdom of Eastern Philosophy, specifically Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, Osho, J.Krishnamurti, Eckhart Tolle, Tao, Zen, Tantra, Abraham Maslow, Erich Fromm, and others. Freddie is serving the public as a: 1) Fitness Trainer 2) Martial Arts Instructor 3) Relationship Counselor 4) Spiritual Guide If you have interest in becoming an Official Online Disciple in which to gain access to private instructional survival combat technique videos. Please view this video ""FMK: Official Disciple Exercise Requirements"": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULWNP6gtm34 and read the description section of the video. There are fitness requirements that need to be met before access to the private videos are allowed. There may also be minimal fees that will be charged to gain access to the videos. Payments will be accepted via PayPal. Personal and private instruction is available in Chicago, IL. Personalized videos on Fitness, Martial Arts, and Life Lessons can be purchased via PayPal. Contact Freddie at FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com SPREADING POSITIVE ENERGY The time I put into teaching is not profit motivated, it is out of compassion from the heart. If you feel any videos have provided you with positive energy, please give back by spreading this energy onto others with your outlook in life and also with sharing them videos I or other great sages listed have created. Any donations will also be gladly accepted by emailing: FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com. ADD FREDDIE ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/freddielee28?ref=profile RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OSHO one of the greatest sages ever: http://www.youtube.com/user/oshointernational?blend=1
9 Views
12:50:54 07/29/11
Form: Rebel Arms Technique Demo (Freddie's Modern Kung Fu)
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 12:50:54 07/29/11
"Song: Immortal Technique, Rebel Arms Recieving the energy from the song that is played and spontaneously expressing my art. Freddies Modern Kung Fu established in 2009 is a Martial Arts/Spiritual Life Development Academy on YouTube that specializes in the development of the body, mind, and soul. Freddie sees Martial Arts as not just a way to fight but rather a way of life. Freddie expresses this unique way of living and teaches on many aspects of life. Freddies Martial Arts teachings are highly inspired by Bruce Lees Tao of Jeet Kune Do and his life lessons come from his innate wisdom within that had been sparked by his understanding of the ancient wisdom of Eastern Philosophy. Lessons aimed at the healthy development of the body, mind, and spirit are open to the public. Freddie accepts any questions that his audience may have pertaining to the healthy development of the body, mind, and soul. Survival Martial Art combat technique lessons are only taught privately and to official online disciples. All combative techniques are scientifically proven to be effective and are aimed towards unarmed street survival combat. Freddie hand selects disciples to personally train that have the proper discipline and compassionate heart to become successful in his art. If you wish to find out more information on what are the requirement to become an official online disciple watch the video Official Disciple Exercise Requirements and read the description of the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1BTWKLNV6s After watching the video contact Freddie via email at FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com. Personal and Private instruction for Freddies Modern Kung Fu is available in Chicago, IL. Freddie is also available to be hired as a personal online fitness coach. Freddie can make personalized exercise programs to share with you online. Contact Freddie at FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com for more details. ADD FREDDIE ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/freddielee28?ref=profile Go to the Corporate Body of the Buddha Education Foundation to order FREE books on Buddhism. http://www.budaedu.org/en/ Watch FREE Movies Online at: http://www.movies-links.tv/ Watch FREE Documentaries Online at: http://www.documentary-log.com/ OSHO one of the greatest sages ever: http://www.youtube.com/user/oshointernational?blend=1
8 Views
18:40:05 07/25/11
2010 Black Certification Part 4 (2009 Freddie's Modern Kung Fu)
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 18:40:05 07/25/11
"2010 Black Elite Status Qualification Requirements for age 20-29 1 arm pushup: 20 each hand Hand Stand Push up: 15 Pull Ups: 20 Bench Press: 1.33 X Your Body Weight, 10 reps FREDDIE'S MODERN KUNG FU WEBSITE: http://freddiesmodernkungfu.com/ The Tao of Freddie's Modern Kung Fu (FMK) is a Martial Arts/Spiritual Life Development Academy on YouTube that specializes in the development of the body, mind, and soul. Freddie teaches on all aspects of life. Freddie's Martial Arts teachings are highly inspired by Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do and his life lessons come from his innate wisdom within that had been sparked by his understanding of the ancient wisdom of Eastern Philosophy, specifically Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, Osho, J.Krishnamurti, Eckhart Tolle, Tao, Zen, Tantra, Abraham Maslow, Erich Fromm, and others. Freddie is serving the public as a: 1) Fitness Trainer 2) Martial Arts Instructor (Private) 3) Relationship Counselor 4) Spiritual Guide If you have interest in becoming an Official Online Disciple in which to gain access to private instructional survival combat technique videos. Please view this video ""FMK: Official Disciple Exercise Requirements"": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULWNP6gtm34 and read the description section of the video. There are fitness requirements that need to be met before access to the private videos are allowed. There will be fees that will be charged to gain access to the videos. Payments will be accepted via PayPal by emailing FreddiesModernKungFu@live.com. Personal and private instruction is available in Chicago, IL. FMK TANK TOPS FOR SALE: http://freddiesmodernkungfu.com/pb/wp_207411bf/wp_207411bf.html ADD ME ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/freddielee28?ref=profile FIND ME ON COMBATIVE CORNER: http://www.combativecorner.com FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FreddiesKungFu RECOMMENDED WEBSITES OSHO one of the greatest sages ever: http://www.youtube.com/user/oshointernational?blend=1
0 Views
09:24:16 05/14/11
Dvtv Live Broadcast 5 12 11 A War Neither Designed Nor Intended To Be Won
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 09:24:16 05/14/11
they said: let’s become drug dealers – we’ll make a lots of money so then we can buy guns and grenades – with those guns and grenades that we bought with all our drug-dealing money we can attack synagogues – and then we can blow up the Empire State Building! kind of reminds me of a plan i hatched when i was twelve years old – i would become a famous rock star – make gazllions of dollars – then i could fund my own films and become a famous director – never panned out. one year ago attempted to bomb Times Square. he failed to ignite the propane tanks in his SUV. ; i think perhaps he would have known how to ignite a propane tank if only he had attended high school in suburban America – instead of Pakistan. how bout that underwear bomber who couldn’t set off the bomb in his underwear – and the shoe bomber who couldn’t ignite his shoe – and the pizza guys in New Jersey who were plotting to take over Fort Dix Army Base armed with pepperonis or something – hey: do you see a pattern here? kids – if you aspire to be a terrorist – for Allah’s sake - please do it right. enlist in the U.S. Army. Timothy McVeigh didn’t mess around with propane tanks or underwear bombs - Timothy McVeigh learnt from the big green machine how to blow up buildings real good! we have spent trillions of dollars fighting the War on Terror – a war neither designed - nor intended - to be won. we have been told for ten years that terrorists are out there – a worldwide network of freedom-hating Muslims lurking in sleeper cells and operating as lone wolves. if they are out there – how come our buildings are still standing? how come our planes still fly? how come our water supply isn’t poisoned? how come the White House isn’t a dirty-bombed radioactive hulk? how come we are not all dead? and how come - after ten years of fear mongering by two presidents – how come we are still falling for this shit?
17 Views
22:58:18 03/24/11
Endless Love - Piano
[LESS INFO] 17 VIEWS | ADDED 22:58:18 03/24/11
"Music By Lionel Ritchie Performed as a duet with Diana Ross Another Popular wedding music. My love, Theres only you in my life The only thing thats bright My first love, Youre every breath that I take Youre every step I make And i (i-i-i-i-i) I want to share All my love with you No one else will do... And your eyes Your eyes, your eyes They tell me how much you care Ooh yes, you will always be My endless love Two hearts, Two hearts that beat as one Our lives have just begun Forever (ohhhhhh) Ill hold you close in my arms I cant resist your charms And love Oh, love Ill be a fool For you, Im sure You know I dont mind Oh, you know I dont mind cause you, You mean the world to me Oh I know I know Ive found in you My endless love Oooh-woow Boom, boom Boom, boom, boom, boom, booom Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom Oooh, and love Oh, love Ill be that fool For you, Im sure You know I dont mind Oh you know- I dont mind And, yes Youll be the only one cause no one can deny This love I have inside And Ill give it all to you My love My love, my love My endless love. * I do not take claim to any of the original materials used in this video. All rights are reserved by the respective record company's and artists."
16 Views
23:03:04 03/13/11
Getting It! - In A (very different) Pastor's Study, March 14, 2011
[LESS INFO] 16 VIEWS | ADDED 23:03:04 03/13/11
If you've watched any of my podcasts, video or audio, or if you've seen my posts on blogs or sites like YouTube, you know that I speak of whether or not someone "gets it."
And here, we have two cases, very dramatic opposites, of someone who doesn't get it and someone who does. The one who doesn't get it misses based on something which should be common knowledge among people in his position. And The one who does get it is someone who might surprise you - so many of us thought that he didn't!
First, there's Representative Peter King, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. He's leading an investigation into Islamic extremists in the United States and on his way to that, he makes broad-brush statements against the whole of Islam, as if they were all radicals. And he criticizes American Muslims for not doing enough to oppose terrorism as if there weren't an abundance of Muslims serving in the armed forces - as one example of where he's wrong. He's burning a lot of bridges for us!
And then, let's look - perhaps with amazement - at someone who seems to really get it! Pope Benedict has written a book which shows his courage, scholarship, and espeically his willingness to open doors and build bridges. I'll offer some quotes to show you what I mean. One in particular sound like something a Wiccan might teach, and it is definitely something which Gnostics have been teaching for centuries! I'm not going to hold my breath until he welcomes me as a fellow clergyman, but he did extend something which few expected, and it's worth celebrating!
And when people get it, it's the stuff that miracles are made of!
Blessed Be!
5 Views
16:00:53 02/12/11
Tim Pawlenty Echoes the Bush Years in His CPAC Speech
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 16:00:53 02/12/11
Although this year's CPAC convention has been strangely void of any formal discussion about the events unfolding in Egypt or jobs for unemployed Americans, Tim Pawlenty did manage to remind us all of what these last three weeks would have looked like if George Bush had been in office. In his speech today, Pawlenty slammed President Obama for allowing Egyptians to determine Egypt's future in their way and their time. >
"Bullies respect strength, they don't respect weakness," Pawlenty said in a speech to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. "So when the United States of America projects its national security interests here and around the world, we need to do it with strength. We need to make sure that there is no equivocation, no uncertainty, no daylight between us and our allies around the world."
Pawlenty called it a simple principle that the White House "doesn't seem to understand."
"We undermine Israel, the U.K., Poland, Czech Republic, Colombia, amongst other of our friends," Pawlenty said. "Meanwhile, we appease Iran, Russia, and adversaries in the Middle East, including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
"Mr. President, with bullies, might makes right. Strength makes them submit. We need to get tough on our enemies, not on our friends. And, Mr. President, stop apologizing for our country," Pawlenty said in one of his speech's biggest applause lines.
"The bullies, terrorists and tyrants of the world have lots to apologize for. America does not."
It's worth contrasting that with President Obama's speech made shortly after TPaw's spew:
(More follows) >
And above all, we saw a new generation emerge -- a generation that uses their own creativity and talent and technology to call for a government that represented their hopes and not their fears; a government that is responsive to their boundless aspirations. One Egyptian put it simply: Most people have discovered in the last few days -- that they are worth something, and this cannot be taken away from them anymore, ever.
This is the power of human dignity, and it can never be denied. Egyptians have inspired us, and they've done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained through violence. For in Egypt, it was the moral force of nonviolence -- not terrorism, not mindless killing -- but nonviolence, moral force that bent the arc of history toward justice once more.
And while the sights and sounds that we heard were entirely Egyptian, we can't help but hear the echoes of history -- echoes from Germans tearing down a wall, Indonesian students taking to the streets, Gandhi leading his people down the path of justice.
As Martin Luther King said in celebrating the birth of a new nation in Ghana while trying to perfect his own, There is something in the soul that cries out for freedom." Those were the cries that came from Tahrir Square, and the entire world has taken note.
For TPaw, respecting Israel et al means showing force, shaking our guns at whoever they call enemy instead of respecting the right of people to determine their government. How is it disrepecting democracies to support democracy?
When I read what he said, I was whisked back to the days of George W. Bush. In 2002, he gave a speech where he called for Palestinians to enact true political reform, including free and fair elections. He promised that if they did so, the United States would support them.
In 2006, the Palestinians elected Hamas in elections supervised by the UN and deemed to be free and fair. In a press conference following the elections, Mr. Bush paid lip service to the democratic process and then refused to acknowledge the Palestinians' duly elected representatives.
Juan Cole, writing for Salon: >
In a mystifying self-contradiction, Bush trumpeted that "the Palestinians had an election yesterday, the results of which remind me about the power of democracy." If elections were really the same as democracy, and if Bush was so happy about the process, then we might expect him to pledge to work with the results, which by his lights would be intrinsically good. But then he suddenly swerved away from this line of thought, reverting to boilerplate and saying, "On the other hand, I don't see how you can be a partner in peace if you advocate the destruction of a country as part of your platform. And I know you can't be a partner in peace if you have a -- if your party has got an armed wing."
So Bush is saying that even though elections are democracy and democracy is good and powerful, it has produced unacceptable results in this case, and so the resulting Hamas government will lack the legitimacy necessary to allow the United States to deal with it or go forward in any peace process. Bush's double standard is clear in his diction, since he was perfectly happy to deal with Israel's Likud Party, which is dedicated to the destruction of the budding Palestinian state, and which used the Israeli military and security services for its party platform in destroying the infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority throughout the early years of this century. As Orwell reminded us in "Animal Farm," some are more equal than others .
Which is precisely what TPaw said in his speech. Some are more equal than others. Poland, the UK, Columbia, Israel. Those democracies are just fine. But in Egypt's case, we should have been strong, firm, unequivocal in our undying support for the dictator. Because THAT would somehow have protected our national interests.
Democracy is democracy, regardless of whether this country likes the outcome. As President Obama said, the way forward for Egypt won't be easy, and I expect it also won't be pretty, because democracy means letting everyone have a voice, even when you don't like what they say. This is what conservatives and TPaw really don't understand at all. In their minds, we should undermine and starve any democracy that isn't aligned with our express (white, Anglo-Saxon, conservative Christian) ideals, because we don't like it.
This clip with The Nation's Katrina VandenHeuvel puts an exclamation point on it:
Click here to view this media
TPaw's speech is nothing more than a living example of that. From the day Barack Obama was elected, they have worked to de-legitimize his presidency. Birthers. Glenn Beck. Fox News. They work with one goal, to undermine a democratically-elected president that they don't happen to agree with.
Who are the real dictators here?
4 Views
18:00:09 12/21/10
The Tea Party Nation's War On Christian Churches
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 18:00:09 12/21/10
Clearly, Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips has his own ideas about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I didn't realize that when the teabaggers held up signs saying "We want our country back", they meant back to 1790. Explain to me why African-Americans want to be part of this group? It's not like that era worked out well for them.
But now that the tea party groups have made inroads into Congress and have the Republican Party kowtowing to them, Phillips has a new target for the Tea Party Nation. In this time when we remember the birth of Christ, Phillips is going after the Methodist Church for their "socialistic" leanings. No, I'm not kidding. >
Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips has a dream: "No more Methodist Church."
A blog post on his Tea Party Nation page says that on Friday he walked by the United Methodist Building in Washington D.C., which had a sign that said, "Pass the DREAM Act." Phillips wrote: " I have a DREAM. That is, no more United Methodist Church."
Phillips explains that he was formerly a member of the church, but he left because it's "the first Church of Karl Marx," and "little more than the "religious" arm of socialism."
"The Methodist church is pro-illegal immigration," he continues. "They have been in the bag for socialist health care, going as far as sending out emails to their membership "debunking" the myths of Obamacare. Say, where are the liberal complaints on the separation of church and state?"
"In short, if you hate America, you have a great future in the Methodist church," he says.
Lord, protect us from your idiot followers. To say that he's obviously unfamiliar with the Constitution to subvert the First Amendment in that way would be kind. But he's also very, very unfamiliar with the teachings of Christ himself to find the teachings of the Methodist Church to be religious socialism. Seriously, dude?
In one of the proofs of His divinity, Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes to feed everyone, spreading his wealth to all, without regard to their ability to pay. He healed the sick (our first universal health care plan!) and railed against the money changers and advised the wealthy that their material status in this world gave them no guaranteed access to the next . >
Jesus spoke remarkably often about wealth and poverty. To the poor he said, "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," (Luke's version). To the rich he said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth," and "go, sell what you have, and give to the poor." When the rich turned away from him because they couldn't follow his command he observed, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
For Jesus, helping the poor and the outcast is not optional: it is the essence of what it means to love God. In the parable of the last judgement he welcomes the righteous into heaven saying, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." When the righteous answered that they didn't recall doing any of these things, he said, "as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."
We are to "forgive our debtors" and "give to every one who begs from you." But don't handouts contribute to moral decay? Jesus was more concerned about the moral decay in those who are so attached to their wealth that they would hoard it for themselves. In our better moments most of us recognize that giving does not corrupt. We sacrifice to give good things to our children and do our best to provide them with years of carefree existence as they grow up. We do this to give them a sense of security and a foundation for growth. People who have been devastated by misfortune, or for whatever reason are down and out, may need even more help because they may not have what it takes to recover on their own. Many of us will help a friend in hard times, even though we know we will never be repaid. It is when dealing distantly with people in the abstract that we fall back on the "moral decay" argument.
Frankly, I think the Methodist Church is probably better off with Judson Phillips out of their flock. His understanding of Christianity is sadly wanting.
51 Views
02:00:00 12/19/10
Circa Survive, Steel Train, Slayer, The Do, A Day To Remember, John Lydon (12.18.2010)
[LESS INFO] 51 VIEWS | ADDED 02:00:00 12/19/10
In our two featured artist segments this week, Jerry Bryant welcomes Steel Train and I host Circa Survive inside the historic JBTV studios.
Circa filmed this incredible afternoon session on our 9-cam, high def sound stage a few weeks back, before their sold-out Chicago show at House of Blues. I%rsquove always enjoyed their music, but somehow avoided crossing paths with them for an interview or general hangs until now. Based on accounts from our mutual friends in Madina Lake, I knew going in they%rsquod be good dudes. And after spending the day with them (topics of conversation included parenthood and inspiring performers), I can confirm that supporting Circa Survive is support well spent. During the performance, their singer Anthony Green asked our JBTV studio audience, %ldquoWho%rsquos coming to our show later tonight?%rdquo A handful of kids said they couldn%rsquot get tickets in time and they%rsquore now selling for a few hundred bucks a pop on StubHub. In one of the cooler moves I%rsquove ever seen an artist pull, Anthony took their names and added them to the band%rsquos guest list. So solid. As is their stripped down, JBTV exclusive set.
Also this week, JBTV cameras follow host Brendan Kelly backstage at UIC Pavilion for an exclusive interview with Slayer. The concept of an artist like Brendan (The Lawrence Arms) interviewing fellow artists like Slayer is endlessly fascinating to me, so I asked BK to walk me thru the atmosphere and his thought process before and during the interview. %ldquoI was pretty intimidated interviewing Dave and Kerry ,%rdquo he admits first and freely. %ldquoThey put us in a makeshift living room stocked with beer, soda and somebody%rsquos kid playing Xbox. We waited in there watching this incredibly bored and disenfranchised kid play some version of Mario Bros. for what seemed like hours before Kerry and Dave finally came in saying, %ldquoEh, another one of these [interviews], eh?%rdquo as though they were about to get yet another anal probe.%rdquo Hilarious insight. I still have a tough time figuring out why some artists have such a disdain for interviews. Maybe because I%rsquom the one always asking the questions?
Brendan continues, %ldquoI tried to be conversational and Dave was slightly receptive, but Kerry was clearly wanting to just get in and get out. His answers were super curt and, while he was pleasant enough, he%rsquos scary as hell. Big beard, flame head, in Slayer, etc. Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) is really into Nazi mysticism and all that. Slayer has written a lot of songs that seem to imply a fascination with the third reich, so I tried to go there without being accusatory. The results were pretty entertaining.%rdquo
Host Jenna Martinelli sits down with New York City indie rockers, The Do, at Schubas%rsquo Harmony Grill for a candid look at the band during dinner. %ldquoOur conversation was really amusing and random,%rdquo Jenna told me. %ldquoA lot of talk about food and fashion.%rdquo Subject matter clearly close to Jenna%rsquos heart.
I head out to Hard Rock Hotel on Michigan Ave. for a visit with our friends from Ocala, Florida, A Day to Remember. This interview was particularly exciting %ndash moments before the shoot, the band had got word that their new album, What Separates Me from You, had unseated Taylor Swift for the number 1 spot on the iTunes music charts. No small feat. Celebratory drinks were had and Hard Rock memorabilia may or may not have been ripped off the walls. At least frontman Jeremy McKinnon stopped short of smashing any of it.
Finally this week, Jerry Bryant revisits one of his favorite classic JBTV segments featuring John Lydon a.k.a. The Sex Pistols%rsquo %ldquoJohnny Rotten.%rdquo I asked Jerry to recall some details from this legendary 1992 encounter. %ldquoJohn was on the PIL [Public Image, LTD.] tour at the time. He was doing an interview at 93 WXRT and decided he didn%rsquot like how it was going, so he walked out and showed up at JBTV 90 minutes early. I had no cameraman and no crew,%rdquo Jerry explains. %ldquoWe usually have someone tour the guest around the studio before ending up in the on-air studio. John refused the tour and said, %ldquoI%rsquom only answering ONE question on this crappy TV show.%rdquo So I took the camera, pointed it at John and he talked nonstop, for 40 minutes, about everything from bad music videos to showing his bare ass on TV.%rdquo
5 Views
21:30:57 12/16/10
Why filibuster reform is vital: The Founders' intent was for the Senate to be a majority body, not a supermajority
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 21:30:57 12/16/10
[From Fix The Senate Now : Interview with a senator who likes how it dysfunctions.]
Quietly behind the scenes in the Senate, Democratic senators are working to prepare a package of filibuster-rules reforms , led in particular by Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico .
This morning I sat in on a conference call with Merkley and Udall, who explained how they were planning to roll out a framework for other senators to examine soon. (Here's Dave Weigel's report .) Certainly the urgency to do so has only been heightened by events of the past few days, with Republicans using the filibuster to effectively forestall any action by the Senate in the lame-duck session beyond extending the Bush tax cuts -- including approval of the START treaty, DADT repeal and the DREAM Act.
Fundamentally, as these events have demonstrated, Republican abuse of the filibuster has rendered the Senate into a body in which only the supermajority rules. Considering that it was clearly never designed to be anything other than a majority-rule body by the Founding Fathers, it's a pretty classic case of hypocrisy for Tea Partying right-wingers who love to parade their love of the Founders whenever possible.
So I asked them about whether they intended to use the Founders' intent as a kind of marketing point for their plan. Here's what they said:
>
Udall: That point is very much talked about. And it was not that long ago that there were major pieces of legislation in which the public discussion always was, 'Can we get 51 votes to pass this?'
We had controversial Supreme Court justices -- for example, Clarence Thomas -- who was passed through without a supermajority. There was no cloture process or extended debate requested by those who opposed him.
It was considered a privilege to exercised -- that is, the privilege of delaying the Senate so that you could continue to make your points was considered a precious privilege to be exercised upon very rare occasion. That social contract has been eliminated. And members of the Senate are ready to make their objection to the regular order of 51 on everything, and often many times on a single bill, and that has done what you've just described, which is it has turned the Senate into a supermajority body. And for all those who say, do not disrupt the tradition of the Senate, the response is, the tradition of the Senate has never been for it to be a supermajority body.
Merkley: To give you one little factoid here: When Lyndon Baines Johnson was in the Senate, the time he was the Majority Leader from 1954 to 1961, in that entire six-year period, he only attempted to cut off debate, filing cloture, one time. The last two years, Harry Reid had to do that 84 times.
So we've taken something that was an extraordinary rare expression of opposition -- where you went down to the floor and you did everything you could to persuade the American people and your own constituents as to your point of view -- now we don't do that. Now the only filibuster -- the only filibuster I think I've really seen, a true filibuster in the Senate tradition, in the two years I've been here is what happened with Bernie Sanders in the last couple of days, where he took the floor for approximately eight hours or more to actually talk about the tax package.
Most of the time, we see this in a secret way, when you look at C-SPAN2 and you're looking at the Senate, you see a quorum call, the post-cloture debate time -- that time is not being utilized for debate, and that has rendered the Senate a broken institution.
Merkley also talked about the dysfunction that occurs after a cloture vote -- that is, a vote to end the debate and thus the filibuster -- fails to reach the 60-vote threshold: >
Merkley: You can think of a cloture vote that fails as the following: 41 senators have said they want to continue debate. When that happens, under current rules, we do not have ongoing debate. People just leave the floor and we are let with a quorum call. There's nothing to compel senators to actually engage in the debate that they have said they want to have. There are a number of potential rules that could be used that exist currently, but each of them is trumped by some other procedural mechanism. And that's why you don't see continuous debate after a cloture call. ...
The advantage of continuous debate is that it honors the purpose of the cloture vote, which was to have debate. The other advantage is that it says to the American people: 'Here is my position. This is why I'm not ready to have a vote yet. This is what is most important. Here is my case.' In other words, senators stand on the floor, literally stand on the floor and make their case to the American public. And the American public and their colleagues can say, 'You're a hero' or 'You're a bum.' And provide that kind of feedback to all of the senators, who will have to vote on a subsequent cloture vote at some point down the line. And if no one has anything left to say, then the whole purpose of the post-cloture debate is concluded -- that is, if no senator at some point is ready to continue the debate, then we should automatically go to a majority vote.
This would get rid of many of the frivolous objections. And just to give you a sense of this -- we just had a food safety bill in which three filibusters were launched, delaying the work of the Senate by three weeks. Each objection to the regular order creates a one-week delay and a 60-vote hurdle. And yet that was on a bill that had substantial bipartisan support, it was not, if you will, one of the bills that has grave national consequences one direction or the other. So if, on a simple, ordinary bill, you can have three cloture motions, you can imagine the type of delay that has resulted in we have no appropriations bills, why we don't have a budget that was debated, and so on and so forth. Why so many House bills come here to die.
Aas Greg Sargent reports today, there is some quiet momentum building in support of these reforms, especially given the galling impotency of the past couple of weeks: >
The key thing that's happening is that groups pushing to reform the filibuster are now laying down a clear roadmap to action, and are setting their sights on clearly defined common-sense reforms that seem eminently achievable if enough political will gathers to make them happen. For instance, a range of lefty groups and powerful labor unions like AFL-CIO and SEIU recently spelled out a statement of core principles that would form the bedrock of reform.
The underlying ideas here are twofold: First, there's Senator Tom Udall's insight that each Congress has the power under the Constitution to set its own rules. And second, Senator Jeff Merkley, one of a new crop of younger reform-minded Senators, is getting traction with a proposal of simple, achievable reforms to encourage as much open debate as possible, mainly by forcing Senators to actually filibuster.
Of course, as anyone even casually familiar with the inner workings of the Senate will tell you, the best-intentioned ideas can -- and often do -- disappear without ever getting acted on, for reasons that no one can explain. But it's certainly noteworthy that a real movement seems to be taking shape to prevent that from happening this time around.
Tom Harkin is predicting some serious fireworks on Jan. 5 : >
Senate Democrats will make a dramatic effort to reform the rules of the chamber when the next Congress begins, one of the body's primary filibuster-reform advocates said Wednesday morning.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who has championed a weakening of the procedural mechanism that allows the minority party to hold up legislation, predicted "fireworks" on Jan. 5, 2011 -- the day on which the Senate can, he argued, revamp its rules by a simple majority vote.
"There could be some fireworks. There could be some fireworks on January fifth," Harkin said at a pro-reform event sponsored by several like-minded organizations. "I'm going to be there. I'm armed. I'm armed with a lot of history, and I know the rules, and I know the procedures too, so we will see what happens on the fifth."
"[Former Sen.] Robert Byrd in 1975, the last time that last time that we changed the rules and [brought the filibuster threshold] from 67 [votes] down to 60, actually stated on the floor that a majority, 51 senators, could change the rules. And that's what we intend to do and that is what we are working on right now. We are coming on the fifth to basically send a motion to the vice president ... that will change the rules and there is a procedure to provide 51 votes to do that. Robert Byrd said that in 1975 and that's what we are going to try to do."
Essentially, that path to reform requires Vice President Joe Biden -- who supports weakening the filibuster -- to rule on the first day of the next session that the Senate has the authority to write its own rules. Republicans, presumably, would immediately move to object, but Democrats could then move to table the objection, setting up a key up-or-down vote. If 50 Democrats voted to table the objection, the Senate would then move to a vote on a new set of rules, which could be approved by a simple majority.
Keep your fingers crossed. And call your senators and buck them up.
11 Views
21:23:18 11/23/10
Patch 4.0.3a and more
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 21:23:18 11/23/10
UPDATE: Title fixed. Sorry for the confusion. Grrr...
I didn't want to post anything about the new patch until I was absolutely sure Blizzard will release it this week. Now is time to speak about it since they already start "breaking" the US live realms.
This is the patch responsible for breaking the whole Azeroth. After this goes live the world wont be the same again. This is NOT Cataclysm yet. Most of the Cataclysm features are going to be added on December 7, when the new expansion will be launched.
A while ago a player compiled the features of this patch and Cataclysm and grouped them so we can know what we can do in 4.0.3a and what we can no until Cataclysm.
If somehow you have misses our Cataclysm reviews and our Cataclysm Exploration episodes you can still find them over here and read them while you download the patch and wait for your realm to go online.
Plus, do not forget to check out the Blizzard store . If you want to make a game present or you miss any wow expansion this is the moment to buy them: WoW $5, BC $5, WotLK $10... until Nov 30th.
What IS in:
* Portals in Dalaran Removed (you have trainers instead)
* New race-class combinations (except worgen/goblin)
* Race Changing to new class combinations (check the wowhead table for them)
* New Gnome/Troll starting areas
* Changes to existing zones (the world that you know it will change forever)
* New cata load screens, cinematic, music and login screen
* City Quartermasters, with rep tabards for championing
* Class balancing and bug fixes
* Druids, paladins, priests, and shaman will have their talent trees reset
* Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 is being reduced by 20%
* New tamable hunter pets (monkey, fox, dog, and beetle) as well as new skins for existing pet classes. (check more on wow-petopia )
* A steam powered auctioneer, similar to the engineering only one in the Like Clockwork store, has been added next to the justice point vendors in Dalaran. They are now usable by all non-engineers.
* Some mounts other items are being removed (check this for details) (thanks WarcraftPets )
What IS NOT in this patch:
* Creating worgen/goblin characters
* Worgen/Goblin start zones
* Archeology profession
* Professions past 450 (Illustrious Grand Master)
* Guild leveling
* Guild achievements
* Eastern Kingdoms/Kalimdor flight skill
* New Zones (80+)
Official 4.0.3a Patch Notes
In the frigid wastes of Northrend, the final battle against the merciless Lich King ended in victory for Azeroth's defenders. Upon returning home, veterans of the unforgiving conflict against the Scourge were showered with praise for their valiant sacrifices, while the honorable dead were mourned. Yet as hope flared anew in the wake of the Lich King's fall, Azeroth's native elemental spirits grew confused and erratic, setting off a series of deadly natural disasters. Horde and Alliance leaders scrambled for clues about the troubling state of the world, but nothing could have prepared them for what was to come.
Without warning, the corrupted Dragon Aspect, Deathwing, erupted from the stone heart of Deepholm, the domain of earth within the Elemental Plane. Jagged fissures were torn across the earth, and monstrous waves pummeled coastal regions. From Thousand Needles to the Blasted Lands, the surface of Azeroth was reforged through violent upheavals. Now, the Horde and the Alliance must defend their homes against Deathwing and his minions, burdened by the unsettling fact that the world as they know it has changed…forever.
General
* Azeroth Shattered
* Deathwing's return has had an immeasurable impact throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Players will notice drastically altered terrain, thousands of new quests from levels 1-60, and updated level ranges for some zones to improve the questing flow.
* New Race/Class Combinations
* In the wake of a world on the brink of destruction, members of the Horde and Alliance have taken to new cultures and studies, mastering crafts previously foreign to them. Many existing playable races now have new class combinations. Check the official World of Warcraft: Cataclysm website for a breakdown of the new combinations.
* The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic trailer and login screen have been added to the game.
* Experience required to gain levels 71 through 80 has been reduced by 20%, which increases leveling rate by 25%.
* Many quests in zones on Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor have been removed from the game to make way for new adventures. These quests have been automatically removed from players' Quest Logs.
Classes: General
* Due to several talent revisions for select classes, druids, paladins, priests, and shaman have had their talent trees reset.
* The damage and healing done by players from levels 1-79 has been retuned, with the base points of almost all spells and abilities reduced. This was done to bring combat times at low levels to a more reasonable length. For most abilities that deal weapon damage, the weapon damage percent now rises per level until level 80, and starts at a lower percent.
* Healing Rain, Efflorescence, Holy Radiance, Holy Word: Sanctuary now have a diminished effect when healing more than 6 players at once.
* Mortal Strike, Furious Attacks, Wound Poison, Widow Venom, Permafrost, Improved Mind Blast, Monstrous Bite, and Legion Strike now reduce healing by 10%, down from 25%.
* Effects which are broken from taking too much damage (Fear, Frost Nova, Entangling Roots, etc.) now break automatically from about half as much damage taken as before.
Death Knight
* Death Pact now heals for 25% of maximum health, down from 40%.
* Death Strike now heals for 25% of damage taken in the last 5 seconds, down from 30%, and will heal for a minimum of 7% of maximum health, down from 10%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.
* Icebound Fortitude now provides 20% damage reduction, down from 30% (now 50%, down from 60% when talented), and has a 3-minute cooldown, up from 2 minutes.
* Talent Specializations
* Blood
* Rune Tap now heals for 10% of maximum health, down from 15%. The tooltip may not yet be updated to reflect this change.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Rune Tap now heals for 5% of maximum health, down from 10%.
* Bug Fixes
* Frost Fever critical strikes now apply the correct amount of bonus damage.
* Horn of Winter will once again provide runic power when used while another Attack Power buff is already present on the death knight.
Druid
* Bear Form now provides 10% bonus health, down from 20%.
* Nourish no longer consumes Omen of Clarity.
* Rejuvenation has had its mana cost increased by 30%.
* Soothe now has a 1.5-second cast time.
* Swipe (Cat Form) can now be used even if the druid does not have a primary target selected.
* Thorns: beginner tooltip revised to no longer imply the spell could be kept up at all times. In addition, Thorns damage has been reduced by 60%.
* Talent Specializations
* Balance
* PvP set bonus redesigned. While not in an Eclipse state, critical attacks against the druid restore 5 Solar or 7 Lunar energy, whichever is more beneficial. This effect can only occur once every 6 seconds.
* Feral
* Brutal Impact now increases the mana cost of spells on the victim by 5/10% for 10 seconds, down from 15/30%.
* Leader of the Pack now heals for 4%, down from 8%.
* Survival Instincts now provides 50% damage reduction, down from 60%, and its cooldown has been lowered from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
* Swipe (Bear Form) damage has been reduced by 20%.
* Vengeance is no longer cleared on exiting Bear Form, and instead is cleared upon entering Cat Form.
* Restoration
* Empowered Touch now procs from Healing Touch as well as Nourish.
* Heart of the Wild: the Bear Form Stamina bonus from this talent is now 2/4/6%, down from 3/7/10%.
* Malfurion’s Gift no longer has Fury of Stormrage as a prerequisite talent.
* Natural Shapeshifter now also increases Tree of Life duration by 5/10 seconds.
* Revitalize is now a 2-point talent, down from 3. It provides a 20% chance to return 1/2% of the druid's total mana on periodic heals from Lifebloom or Rejuvenation. This effect cannot occur more than once every 12 seconds.
* Swift Rejuvenation is now a 1-point talent, down from 2. The global cooldown reduction this talent provides to Rejuvenation remains 0.5 seconds.
* Symbiosis: heal-over-time spells (Rejuvenation, Regrowth, Lifebloom) can no longer benefit from this Mastery merely by refreshing themselves. A different heal-over-time spell must be present.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Healing Touch now reduces the cooldown on Nature's Swiftness by 10 seconds after using Healing Touch, up from 5 seconds.
* Glyph of the Treant (new) allows druids to keep the original treant Tree of Life look... if they must. Must they?
* Bug Fixes
* Blood in the Water now refreshes Rip to the correct value.
* Flight Form now properly appears in the trainer window before Expert Riding is learned.
Hunter
* All special attacks based on weapon damage (except Scattershot) are now normalized.
* Scare Beast is now available at level 36, up from level 14, and has had its training cost updated.
* Deterrence is now available at level 78, up from level 36, and has had its training cost updated.
* Disengage is now available at level 14, down from level 78, and has had its training cost updated.
* Glyphs
* The level requirements for glyphs that affect Scare Beast, Deterrence, and Disengage have been altered to correspond with the level changes of these abilities.
* Bug Fixes
* The Core Hound pet ability Ancient Hysteria now places its own unique debuff on affected players that has the same effect as Sated and Exhaustion.
* Certain pets should no longer forget how to Dash.
Mage
* Arcane Blast now increases damage of the next Arcane Blast by 10% per stack, down from 20%, reduces cast time by 0.1 seconds per stack, and increases the mana cost by 150%, down from 175%. In addition, the base cast time of Arcane Blast has been lowered to 2.35 seconds.
* Arcane Explosion now costs 15% of base mana, down from 18%.
* Arcane Missiles damage has been increased by 5%.
* PvP set 4-piece bonus changed to increase damage by 5% instead of providing 5% Haste.
* Talent Specializations
* Arcane
* Arcane Barrage damage has been increased by 5% and its cooldown is now 4 seconds, down from 5 seconds.
* Arcane Concentration: Now has a much higher chance (13/27/40%) of entering a Clearcasting state. This effect cannot occur more than once every 15 seconds. The tooltip still states that there is a 3/6/10% chance, as it averages out to approximately the same chance with the internal cooldown applied.
* Arcane Specialization again increases arcane damage by 25%.
* Fire
* Blazing Speed no longer dispels movement slowing effects (it still dispels effects that totally stop movement).
* Fire Specialization again increases periodic fire damage effects by 25%.
* Molten Shields now also causes Blazing Speed to dispel movement slowing effects in addition to its current functionality.
* Pyroblast base mana cost is now 17%, down from 22%.
* Frost
* Deep Freeze: the cooldown on this ability is no longer reduced by Haste.
* Early Frost now reduces Frostbolt cast time by 0.3/0.6 seconds, down from 0.35/0.70 seconds.
* Fingers of Frost proc chance is now 7/14/20%, down from 10/20/30%.
* Frost Specialization again increases all damage against frozen target by 25%.
* Reactive Barrier is now triggered by any damage which causes the mage's health to be below 50%, even if the mage was already below 50%.
* Shatter now also increases Frostbolt damage by 10/20% against frozen targets.
* Shattered Barrier duration is now 2/4 seconds, down from 3/6 seconds.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Evocation now heals for 40%, down from 60%.
* Glyph of Deep Freeze now increases damage done by Deep Freeze by 20% (no longer increases Frostbolt damage against Deep Frozen targets).
* Bug Fixes
* Improved Polymorph now correctly shares diminishing returns with controlled stuns.
Paladin
* Exorcism damage has been increased by approximately 50%.
* Holy Radiance now has reduced effectiveness on targets over 8 yards away from the paladin.
* Seal of Truth: periodic damage from Censure reduced by 25%.
* Talent Specializations
* Holy
* Beacon of Light now lasts 5 minutes, up from 60 seconds.
* Blessed Life: the effects of this talent cannot occur more than once every 8 seconds, up from every 2 seconds.
* Illuminated Healing absorb shield now absorbs 10% of the total amount healed, up from 8%. Each point of Mastery increases the effect by an additional 1.25%, up from 1%.
* Light of dawn has been redesigned. It no longer has an enforced cooldown, now costs Holy Power instead of mana, and scale in direct proportion to the amount of Holy Power used. In addition, it now heals the 5 most injured group targets (including self) in a 30-yard frontal cone.
* Protector of the Innocent no longer triggers from self-heals.
* Protection
* Divine Bulwark now grants 2.25% less block chance per point of Mastery, up from 2%.
* Holy shield no longer increases chance to block. Instead, it increases the amount blocked by an additional 10%, for a total of 40% damage blocked.
* Shield of the Righteous: Contribution of attack power halved (now 60% with full Holy Power) and base damage brought up so that a level 85 paladin in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact.
* Shield of the Templar now reduces the cooldown of Guardian of Ancient Kings by 40/80/120 seconds, down from 1/2/3 minutes.
* Wrath of the Lightbringer now increases Crusader Strike and Judgement damage by 50/100%, up from 30/60%.
* Retribution
* Crusade now also has a proc on kill to increase the healing done by the paladin's next Holy Light by 100/200/300% for 15 seconds, in addition to its current effects.
* Divine Storm: This ability has been redesigned. It no longer consumes Holy Power and instead costs 5% of base mana. It shares a cooldown with Crusader Strike and hits all nearby enemies for 60% weapon damage.
* Pursuit of Justice now has an 8-second internal cooldown, shared with Blessed Life.
* Rebuke no longer initiates Auto Attack.
* Sanctity of Battle now also causes Divine Storm’s cooldown to be reduced by Haste effects.
* Zealotry no longer consumes 3 Holy Power, but still requires 3 Holy Power to use.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Beacon of Light now makes Beacon of Light free, instead of increasing the duration by 30 seconds.
* Glyph of Divinity has been redesigned. It now grants the paladin 10% of maximum mana upon use.
* Glyph of Light of Dawn now increases the total number of most injured targets healed by 1.
Priest
* Binding Heal now provides roughly double the amount of healing.
* Prayer of Healing has had its mana cost reduced by nearly 30%, and its base points and Spell Power coefficient increased by 20%.
* Talent Specializations
* Discipline
* Divine Aegis is now always triggered by Prayer of Healing, in addition to critical heals from all other spells.
* Grace has been increased to 4/8% stacking 3 times, up from 2/4% stacking.
* Inner Focus now works with Binding Heal, but no longer works with Heal.
* Power Word: Barrier has been redesigned. It no longer acts as a shared absorb shield. Instead, all affected friendly targets take 30% reduced damage for the duration of the shield, which is now 10 seconds, down from 25 seconds.
* Shadow
* Shadow Orbs: redesigned slightly. The Shadow Orbs continue to increase damage done by Mind Blast and Mind Spike and stack up to 3 times, but now when the priest casts Mind Blast or Mind Spike (consuming the orbs), the priest gains a 15-second duration buff (Empowered Shadow), which increases the damage done by all Shadow periodic spells. Empowered Shadow does not stack. Mastery increases the damage bonus of Shadow Orbs and Empowered Shadow by the same amount, 10% with the base 8 Mastery, and an additional 1.25% per Mastery.
* Vampiric Embrace healing to the caster has been reduced to 6%, down from 12% (there was a tooltip error which stated that the self-healing amount was 15%). Party members still receive 3% healing.
* Bug Fixes
* Dark Archangel now correctly increases the damage done of certain abilities by 4%.
Rogue
* Deadly Poison base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.
* Recuperate now restores 2% of maximum health, down from 3%.
* Venomous Wounds base damage and attack power coefficient have been increased by 30%.
* Talent Specializations
* Combat
* Aggression now increases damage of Sinister Strike, Backstab, and Eviscerate by 7/14/20%, up from 5/10/15%.
* Bandit’s Guile now gives 10/20/30% increased damage as the rogue gains greater insight, up from 5/10/15%.
* Subtlety
* Executioner no longer affects Recuperate.
* Bug Fixes
* Bandit's Guile now applies more consistently to all of the abilities it's supposed to modify.
* Player guardians and temporary pets now stop attacking when a rogue uses Vanish, but city guards will not.
Shaman
* Chain Heal mana cost increased from 17% to 20% of base mana.
* Earthliving Weapon now only has 25% of its full chance to proc from a single hop of Chain Heal.
* Talent Specializations
* Elemental
* Elemental Reach now also increases Searing Totem range by 7/15 yards.
* Fulmination now has a Spell Alert visual associated with it, which appears when the shaman gets to 9 Lightning Shield charges.
Warlock
* Bane of Agony damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Bane of Doom damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Corruption damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Death Coil damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Drain Life damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Drain Soul damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Immolate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Incinerate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Rain of Fire damage has been increased to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
* Searing Pain damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Seed of Corruption damage has been reduced to be more comparable to other area-of-effect abilities.
* Shadowbolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Soul Fire damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Talent Specializations
* Demonology
* Hand of Gul'dan damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Destruction
* Chaos Bolt damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Conflagrate damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Shadowburn damage has been reduced by approximately 12%.
* Bug Fixes
* Drain Life: The Soulburn version of this was charging 17% of base mana instead of 12% like the normal version. This has been corrected.
Warrior
* Cleave damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Execute damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Heroic Strike damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Overpower now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Rend base damage has been reduced by approximately 17% and percent of weapon damage per tick lowered to 25%, from 30%.
* Shield Block now only increases block chance by 25%, but excess block that pushes avoidance plus block to over 100% is now converted to critical block chance.
* Slam now costs 15 rage, down from 20, and now does 125% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Victory Rush damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Whirlwind now does 65% weapon damage, down from 75%.
* Talent Specializations
* Arms
* Mortal Strike now does 150% weapon damage, down from 185%.
* Second Wind now heals for 2/5% of total health, down from 5/10%.
* Strikes of Opportunity now does 100% weapon damage, down from 115%.
* Fury
* Blood Craze now heals for 1/2/3% of total health, down from 2.5/5/7.5%.
* Bloodthirst damage has been reduced by approximately 17%.
* Raging Blow now does 110% weapon damage, down from 150%.
* Unshackled Fury now gains approximately 50% more benefit per point of Mastery.
* Protection
* Critical Block now grants an equal amount of block chance and critical block chance (1.5% each per point of Mastery).
* Devastate no longer provides bonus threat.
* Shield Slam: Contribution of attack power reduced to 60%, down from 75%, and base damage brought up so that a level 85 warrior in Heroic dungeon gear deals the same damage with no Vengeance, but Vengeance has less impact. In addition, Shield Slam no longer generates 30% bonus threat from its damage.
* Vigilance no longer provides 3% damage reduction, but still refreshes Taunt and provides Vengeance.
* Glyphs
* Glyph of Bloody Healing increases the healing received from Bloodthirst by 40%, down from 100%.
* Glyph of Intimidating Shout no longer causes targets to flee slowly, but roots them instead.
* Glyph of Shield Wall increases damage reduction to 60%, but increases the cooldown from 2 minutes to 4 minutes (talented).
* Bug Fixes
* Taste for Blood should once again proc on every other tick of Rend.
Achievements
* The Gladiator reward mounts now award Master Riding.
* What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been now awards Master Riding.
Items
* Mysterious Egg now takes only 3 days to turn into a Cracked Egg and has a slightly greater chance of awarding the Reins of the Green Proto-Drake.
* PvP set bonuses now provide 70 of stats such as Agility, Intellect, and Strength (down from 100) at 2 pieces, and 180 of these stats (down from 300) at 4 pieces.
Professions
* Perfect Gem Cutting and Mixology have been removed as trainable skills and are instead passives profession abilities. When players reach the appropriate skill levels, they will start getting bonuses from Mixology (they must know the recipe to gain the benefit) and/or cutting perfect gems (depending on their profession, of course).
* Alchemy
* Alchemy recipes now require Crystal Vials. Deathwing broke all the others because he’s mean (or because he didn’t want alchemists to carry 5 different vials around with them).
* Engineering
* The Engineering Tinkering enchants will no longer provide their bonus stats, but the activated effects will stack with other enchants. In 4.0.1 the stats were there (but hidden) and are now removed.
* Bug Fixes
* Several epic gem transmutes that were missing from the trainer have been added back.
Bug Fixes
* Certain area-of-effect abilities are no longer ignoring the area-of-effect damage cap.
* Mobs and NPCs should no longer appear to randomly gain or lose health during combat.
* Re-summoning pets in Battlegrounds should no longer count towards a player’s total healing done.
Known Issues
* Some tooltips may not reflect the most recent changes to certain abilities.
* Worgen hunters are currently unable to learn Dual Wield.
* The achievement Explore Tol Barad will not be possible to complete upon release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.
