Category Archives: Viva!

Monday Open Thread | Kamala Harris: Congress Needs to Reexamine ICE

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Congress should reconsider the nation’s immigration enforcement system and possibly “start from scratch” by eliminating the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

“There’s no question that we’ve got to critically reexamine ICE and its role, and the way that it is being administered, and the work it is doing,” Harris said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “And we need to probably think about starting from scratch.”

Harris’ remarks came in response to a question from host Kasie Hunt about whether she supports abolishing ICE.

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— 3ChicsPolitico (@3ChicsPolitico) June 25, 2018

Progressive activists have pushed Democratic lawmakers to support abolishing ICE, the government’s chief immigration enforcement arm that was established in 2002 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in response to President Donald Trump’s push to reduce the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. from Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

Trump’s efforts range from banning citizens from certain countries from entering the U.S. to ramping up deportations of undocumented immigrants, shrinking the number of refugees accepted into the country, cracking down on students who overstay their visas and the “zero tolerance” policy at the border with Mexico that led to children being separated from their parents.

An Island Appeared In Iceland 55 Years Ago And No One Is Allowed To Enter It

By now most of us know that no matter how curious people get, there are places that we will never be allowed to step foot in. We previously wrote about one such place, a mysterious island in the middle of NYC, but nothing can compete with this unique island in Iceland. Surtsey is a piece of land that formed in 1963, after a huge volcanic eruption that has lasted for 3 years. Now, the land is used for scientific research and observations. The focus of the work is to better understand how an ecosystem forms from scratch, without any human impact. There are only a couple of scientists that are allowed on the island’s premises, making it one of a few forbidden places on earth.

One of the main stories that surround this island revolves around a tomato. Yes, you heard right, a tomato. Since the territory is carefully surveilled, only a small house that fits a couple of scientists is allowed on the island premises. Before entering the island every person needs to be searched thoroughly because one of the main rules is not to bring any seeds with you. Well, someone did not pay close enough attention to this rule and pooped on some lava. After that, a tomato plant sprouted up on the island leaving the scientists truly mystified. After they realized the origin of the plant it was immediately destroyed, as it would disturb their scientific research.

Scroll down to learn more about this island and make sure you watch our video that shares stories about other forbidden places on earth!

Surtsey is a truly unique piece of land in Iceland that was formed in 1963

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Image credits: Ron Cogswell

It emerged after a huge volcanic eruption that has lasted for 3 years

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Image credits: National Centers for Environmental Information

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

What makes this island so intriguing is not only its formation but the fact that nobody is permitted to enter

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Image credits: Brian Gratwicke

The main purpose of Surtsey is to better understand how an ecosystem forms itself from scratch, without any human impact

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Image credits: Shutterstock 

There are only a couple of scientists that are allowed on the island’s premises, making it one of a few forbidden places on earth

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

Before entering this island, every scientist is carefully checked so they won’t carry any foreign seeds in on themselves

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One story that received a lot of attention was when a tomato starting growing on the island’s premises, leaving scientists stumped

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Image credits: Milan Karakas

Turns out somebody disobeyed the island’s laws and pooped on some lava

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

The tomato had to be immediately removed so it wouldn’t disturb the scientific research

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

One of the first native plants to grow  on the island without outside interference was moss

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

Fulmar and guillemot were the first species to inhabit the island

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Image credits: The Surtsey Research Society

Check out this video to learn more about other forbidden places on earth!

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In Gaza: why do they choose suicide over martyrdom?

In two days, two suicides in Gaza. Recently, suicide is growing among the young men of Gaza. Maybe women too, but statistics would not be shown when it comes to women committing suicide for sure.

Suicide brings with it a scandal . to the person who commits it, to his family and it is a severe issue in any society. What makes anyone ends his life?

Two shocking stories from Gaza, A young Mahmoud brings an end to his life after a few months of marriage.

A detainee in Gaza’s Security forces of Hamas commits suicide just before he was released.

Well, the second story sounds more than just a suicide. But let us stick to the official account of the Islamic state of Hamas. The man committed suicide.

We also don’t have to think or even put our heads into imagination mode when thinking of what takes place on both sides of the Palestinian security forces. In this case, both fate hand Hamas have undoubtedly received the same training in torturing those who oppose their rules.

In the last months, suicides have been just increasing in the Gaza strip. Something that is, by all means, astounding for two reasons, the first is cultural and religious; suicide is something that is denounced entirely and hated. Those who end their lives with death maintain a terrible end inside the society and of course on God’s end. One cannot walk in his funeral, and they are denounced religious burial and families cannot announce public condolences.

The second reason which is tricky, why would anyone choose suicide when he can become a martyr. At least one can trick the society. He can maintain a salary for his family. A proper funeral that is well deserved by heroes, and of course the occupation and its trainee and trained soldiers are just a fence away in the weekly marches of return on the borders of Gaza.

Why would someone choose to take the scandalous way?

Why would someone choose to end his own life knowing he will be burning in hell as a believer, and his family will forever hold within his memories inside the society a scandalous attribution.

The answer is quite apparent…

Not only had these people gave up on life, but they have also given up on an afterlife. In a culture that holds its people to get wind with the afterlife, these people have lost it all. They don’t want the immortality that never gave them a proper life.

People are starving and getting to a level where death brings more mercy even when it is securely paved towards hell.

At the same time, these people have lost faith not only in their families, who cannot do anything to help. And maybe cannot be courageous enough to end their own miserable, worthless lives.

These people are at rage not only with a God that may have given up on them, but those performing rulers who use their lives and their deaths for their political means.

What one can only sense from such suicides is that these young people want to make sure that no one benefits from their deaths in any ruling faction.

It is frustrating, sad, and miserable… but somehow it is sadly speaking another act of great courage. To decide to challenge all including God… inside a life that is not giving but misery, and a natural consequence in death that cannot bring hope to smashed hopes of whatever is left under occupation and seized existence.

humansofnewyork:“Obama had been president for six days. The old…

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humansofnewyork:

“Obama had been president for six days. The old timers in the twelve-step program tell you to associate the memory with something, so that’s how I remember it. The weather was just like this, even though it was November. It was sixtyish degrees. I was sitting on a stoop, having my morning beer and cigarette, and feeling disgusted with myself. I was wheezing so bad that it felt like I’d swallowed a whistle. And I had this moment of clarity. I knew I was done. So I took a couple more swigs, threw the pack of Newports into traffic, and walked over to Project Renewal on 3rd Street. I’ll be ten years sober if I can make it until November 10th. That was my day. And it still is my day. Even if I fail, I’ll remember that on that day I succeeded. And if I did it then, I can do it again.”

UK rabbi warns of genocide risk in Trump policies

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Dehumanisation has ended in atrocities says Jewish leader, while pressure grows on May to attack child separation policy

A leading British rabbi draws a chilling parallel between Donald Trump’s policies on immigration – which have seen thousands of children separated from their parents on the US border with Mexico – and historical trends that have led to genocide, as pressure grows on Theresa May to denounce the US president’s approach on his UK visit next month.

The intervention by Laura Janner-Klausner, the senior rabbi of Reform Judaism – a progressive section of the Jewish community – comes as church leaders, politicians and the children’s commissioner for England voice their outrage at what they see as inhumane treatment of families in the US, and a wider, dangerous dehumanisation of public debate on immigration.

Continue reading…

New gene technology backed by US-military could ‘edit entire wild species’

Balance in nature is what might be a number one rule – if you upset the balance – even for a good reason – the natural system will generate a new balancing agent that might well be more disruptive than than the one you want to get rid of. The real solution is to alter the actions of people that cause the original imbalance.

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Gene drives have the potential to eradicate feral mice and malaria. But scientists are treading carefully, warning the radical new science could have unintended consequences.