Subliminal Behavior Modification Through TV, Computer, Described in US Patent #6,506,148

"It is therefore possible to manipulate the nervous system of a subject by pulsing images displayed on a nearby computer monitor or TV set. For the latter, the image pulsing may be imbedded in the program material, or it may be overlaid by modulating a video stream."
-- US Patent and Trade Office, Patent #6,506,148 on subliminal behavior modification, 1/14/2003

Dear friends,

The arsenal of behavior modification technologies developed by government and industry is vast. A number of well researched books on the subject have been published revealing the complexity and variety of these technologies. We highly recommend Dr. Armen Victorian's Mind Controllers for an excellent overview of the subject. Click here for a 10-page summary of this eye-opening book, which includes hundreds of footnotes for verification purposes. For a short summary of "non-lethal" weapons described in this summary, click here.

The below patent describes technology used for behavior modification through TV, computer monitors, video, and DVD programming. If you have a science background, I invite you to read the full 16-page patent to see the high level of sophistication involved. The manipulation is not done through the insertion of single-frame anomalies, as has been done in the past, but rather by modulation of the feed or signal.

~ more... ~

Richard Wolff on Capitalism

"The system we live in is called Capitalism and what I've been describing is what it delivers."

- Richard D. Wolff

And on the deficit...

Saudi Arabia police 'fire at rally'

From Al Jazeera

Police have reportedly opened fire at a rally in Saudi Arabia in an apparent effort to stop planned protests there, AP news agency has reported.

A witness in the eastern city of Qatif told AP that gunfire and stun grenades were fired at several hundred protesters marching in the city streets on Thursday.

The witness, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared government reprisal, said police in the area opened fire. The witness saw at least one protester injured.

Government officials have warned they will take strong action if activists take to the streets after increasing calls for large protests around the country to press for democratic reforms.

Freedom for prisoners

Despite the ban on protests and the government warning, demonstrators demanding the release of political prisoners took to the streets for a second day in Qatif.

Several hundred protesters, some wearing face masks to avoid being identified, marched after dark asking for "Freedom for prisoners".

Police, who were lined up opposite the protesters, fired percussion bombs, followed by gunfire, causing the crowd to scatter, a witness said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of government retaliation.

Last month, the government announced an unprecedented economic package worth an estimated $36bn that will give people interest-free home loans, unemployment assistance and debt forgiveness.

It also reiterated that demonstrations are forbidden because they contradict Islamic laws and society's values and said security forces were authorised to act against anyone violating the ban.

~ more... ~

Wired for War: The Science Fiction/Science Reality of Robots, War, and Politics in the 21st Century

This video was originally shared on the Armed with Science blog:http://go.usa.gov/4ZD.

Dr. Peter Warren Singer, author, senior fellow and director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative at the Brookings Institution, speaks on the science fiction and science reality of war in the 21st century.

His lecture, "Wired for War: The Science Fiction/Science Reality of Robots, War, and Politics in the 21st Century", kicked off the Office of Naval Research's Directorate of Innovation Winter 2010-2011 Distinguished Lecture Series.

For more DOD science and technology awesomeness, visit the Armed with Science blog: http://science.dodlive.mil.

For more DOD videos, visit DODvClips: http://dodvclips.mil.

Italian Interior Minister says US military action in Libya would unleash Third World War

By Martin Barillas, Energy Publisher

Roberto Maroni, Italy's Minister of Interior, said that "military intervention in Libya would mean a Third World War," apparently alluding to reports of posturing by the the United States, Great Britain, and NATO. Interviewed by the La Padania newspaper, Maroni spoke in the March 8 report on policy towards the simmering rebellions in the Maghreb region, including Libya and Tunisia. Said the minister, "A strong military action, in particular on the part of the US, would do nothing more than coalesce the other Arab states and the consequences would be devastating."

Maroni insisted that the best course of action would be a "sort of Marshall Plan in which Europe would play an important part" in concert with European diplomatic efforts. Contemplated within Maroni's portfolio of duties is the regulation of immigration, including the granting of asylum.

Interior Minister Maroni also spoke to the problem Italy is facing in the arrival of refugees from Tunisia, some of whom are landing on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than to Europe. More than 1,300 refugees have arrived in less than three days. "We are the edge, yes, but with the risk of sinking. We cannot cope alone. He appeared to favor addressing the refugee problem at its source on the African continent. He added that if Tunisia is not able to stem the tide of refugees, "we will take care of it ourselves."

~ more... ~

Buddhism and the Brain

David Weisman writes for Seed Magazine

Over the last few decades many Buddhists and quite a few neuroscientists have examined Buddhism and neuroscience, with both groups reporting overlap. I’m sorry to say I have been privately dismissive. One hears this sort of thing all the time, from any religion, and I was sure in this case it would break down upon closer scrutiny. When a scientific discovery seems to support any religious teaching, you can expect members of that religion to become strict empiricists, telling themselves and the world that their belief is grounded in reality. They are always less happy to accept scientific data they feel contradicts their preconceived beliefs. No surprise here; no human likes to be wrong.

But science isn’t supposed to care about preconceived notions. Science, at least good science, tells us about the world as it is, not as some wish it to be. Sometimes what science finds is consistent with a particular religion’s wishes. But usually not.

Despite my doubts, neurology and neuroscience do not appear to profoundly contradict Buddhist thought. Neuroscience tells us the thing we take as our unified mind is an illusion, that our mind is not unified and can barely be said to “exist” at all. Our feeling of unity and control is a post-hoc confabulation and is easily fractured into separate parts. As revealed by scientific inquiry, what we call a mind (or a self, or a soul) is actually something that changes so much and is so uncertain that our pre-scientific language struggles to find meaning.

Buddhists say pretty much the same thing. They believe in an impermanent and illusory self made of shifting parts. They’ve even come up with language to address the problem between perception and belief. Their word for self is anatta, which is usually translated as ‘non self.’ One might try to refer to the self, but the word cleverly reminds one’s self that there is no such thing.

~ more... ~