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Mapuche celebrating the Mapuche new year, We Tripantü. Photo uploaded by flickr user _p_ and used under a Creative Commons license

The blog Kilapan [es] posted a statement from Miguel Cheuqueman which reports the aftermath of the earthquake:

El terremoto que asoló el territorio chileno ha afectado más gravemente a los pueblos mapuches cuyos territorios se ubican en tres de las cuatro regiones del sur de este país. Cientos de muertos y desaparecidos, desabastecimiento total, caminos y comunicaciones cortados, son parte del drama que viven nuestros hermanos lafkenches.

Pedro Vasquez produced the following video, which shows the destruction in the locality of Tirúa in the Arauco Province in the Bío Bío Region.

In the blog Nativos del Sur [es] (Natives from the South), Reynaldo Mariqueo writes about the lack of media coverage the Mapuche communities are receiving, and he defends the right of the Mapuche to ask for international aid.

Si observamos a la TV Chilena y los medios de comunicación en general, parecieran concertarse en dar cuenta de la situación que afecta a las regiones urbanas de Concepción al norte, pero se han olvidado de los pueblos ubicados al sur de Concepción, que como sabemos han sufrido un impacto similar de destrucción. Asimismo, la situación caótica que enfrentan las comunidades rurales mapuche, como siempre, parecieran haber sido totalmente olvidadas. En consecuencia, opino que es perfectamente razonable que las organizaciones y comunidades mapuches hagan un llamado conjunto y urgente solicitando ayuda humanitaria internacional y la presencia de organizaciones no-gubernamentales, que están abocadas a ayudar a las víctimas de catástrofe o desastres naturales.

Twitter users were quick to point out the lack of media attention given to the Mapuche. On February 28, the day after the earthquake, Twitter user Danny Micin Carvallo (@dmicin) wrote:

hasta ahora no he visto ni una noticia acerca de comunidades mapuches y el terremoto

On March 8, more than a week after the earthquake, Nicolás Herrera (@nicolas91) referred to journalist Soledad Onetto on his Tweet and asked her:

@SoledadOnetto porque no se a mostrado en la prensa como quedo el pueblo mapuche con el terremoto ?

Other Twitter users showed their concern for the Mapuche, retwittering articles from Mapuche-focused blogs and websites asking other Twitter users about the Mapuche Community. On March 5 Conchu Arellano [es] (@conchu) asked if someone knew how the Mapuche were doing after the quake. In addition, Samuel Bascur Molina used his Twitter account (@sambascur [es]) to spread the word about the need for 180 beds, mattresses, and blankets for a Mapuche community in need.

The media is not the only organization criticized for ignoring the Mapuche after the earthquake, the government has also been condemned for ignoring them by many bloggers and twitter users. A team of Mapuche communicators from the blog Comunidad Autónoma Temucuicui [es] -which focuses on the Mapuche community located in the Ercilla commune of the Araucanía region- denounced the government’s lack of action as a sign of racism and discrimination:

Como una abierta y clara muestra de discriminación y racismo han reflejado las Autoridades del Estado Chileno, producto a la nula preocupación por las graves situaciones provocada por el Terremoto en comunidades Mapuche de Ercilla

Al parecer para las diferentes Autoridades de Gobierno de este Estado Chileno, el fuerte Terremotos azotó y devasto solamente a las grandes ciudades de este país […]

Después del fuerte sismo ocurrido en la madrugada del día, este dejo graves daños estructurales en las viviendas, poso de suministro de agua derrumbado, el río que atraviesa la comunidad completamente contaminado producto del movimiento de la tierra no pudiendo ser utilizado para el consumo humano.

In response to the devastation and the absence of media or government support, the Mapuche have called out for International aid. The news agency MapuExpress [es] put out a statement by a group of organizations under the name La Sociedad Civil (The Civil Society) specifying the measures they will be taking to ensure the Mapuche receive the much needed aid. The statement begins by introducing the aid group and assessing the situation:

Ante la situación que vive nuestro país tras el terremoto, informamos que diversas redes de ONGs, organizaciones sociales, federaciones de estudiantes, medios de comunicación comunitarios y organizaciones internacionales se han articulado y se encuentran movilizadas para seguir trabajando en conjunto con las comunidades afectadas y recoger sus necesidades de urgencia inmediata así como las de reconstrucción de sus localidades.

Las comunidades sufren en este desastre las consecuencias acumuladas de la desigualdad y la pobreza, de la privatización de los servicios básicos, de la desprotección social y los procesos de individualización y mercantilización, de la centralización política y administrativa, de la falta de probidad de un sector empresarial irresponsable y sin fiscalización suficiente por parte del Estado, de la falta de medios de comunicación comunitarios y alternativos y por lo tanto de la vulnerabilidad del actual modelo de desarrollo.

The statement ends with optimism that new policies could help the Mapuche, but also with a warning that this catastrophe could make a severe inequality problem in Chile even worse:

Este desastre natural puede permitir el comienzo de un proceso de reconstrucción participativo e incluyente, basado en nuevas políticas públicas, que garanticen estándares de de seguridad y derechos, incluso en casos catastróficos como los que enfrentamos en esta situación. Pero también puede ser un momento en que se agudice la profunda desigualdad e inequidad de Chile, que se ha mostrado con toda su brutalidad en esta coyuntura.

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The 5 Healthy Benefits of Daily Running
By Joseph Pressley

Feeling the cold breeze blowing through your face, gasping the freshest air, and feeling your heart pound with every step that you take are the joys of every runner. Many people love to run as this helps them to communicate with themselves, feel mother nature and maintain a physically fit body. It may be very exhausting, time consuming, and may bring a lot of body aches during the first few days of running but as soon as you’ll get a hang of it, you’ll realize that running daily has a lot of healthful benefits.

One can choose from a wide variety of exercises but running or jogging has been one of the most popular choices by many people. Come to think of it, it doesn’t make you spend a single penny. All you need is a pair of quality running shoes, sunglasses to protect your eyes, bottle of water to quench your thirst, face towel to wipe your sweat, a cap or a sun blazer to provide little shade, and iPods or music players to accompany you while running. Some runners bring along a handy self defense weapon like the streetwise stun gun to keep them protected from attackers. And once you are geared up for this activity, you are good to go for a long run.

Some people think that regular jogging can easily damage joints in the knees, hips and ankles but if we outweigh the negative and positive effects of jogging, the positive effects will surely weigh more. We can get a lot of healthy benefits when we run daily. We may not see the effects in an instant but as we continue to practice jogging daily, we may notice slight changes on our weight and our shape.

One important benefit we get out of running is having a physically fit body. One will surely have a sexy and slender body that they have always dreamed of. So instead of buying commercially made products that help maintain a slim body, why not consider taking a short run in parks or in your village? Make sure though that you carry with you a stun pen to give you added protection while jogging.

Another important benefit when we jog is losing weight in the safest way. Jogging helps in burning excess fats in our bodies. It has been one of the amazing ways to burn calories. And in addition to that, jogging also helps in reducing your belly fat. Maintaining a running program will really make you eliminate the fats that make you obese.

It is also known that running improves the cardiovascular system’s performance. It increases the blood circulation and thus makes our hearts become stronger. Jogging also affect other systems in the body and because of it, our body is able to function normally.

Our bones and muscles are also strengthened once we do daily jogging. It makes our muscles firm and it increases the density of our bone keeping us away from illnesses like osteoporosis. Intake of vitamins and minerals plus daily jogging will surely keep these two body systems to function well.

Lastly, running keeps us relaxed and gives us a sound mind and body. Anxieties, worries and problems will be forgotten since we focus primarily on ourselves and the breath we take. Not only that, if we jog daily, we can have a better sleep at night since jogging is a stress reducer.

Jogging is free and sure is safe for our bodies. Not only does it make us physically healthy but it also gives us a healthy mind.

Joseph Pressley is a certified TASER instructor and the co-founder of BestStunGun.com which provides non-lethal self defense products such as stun guns, TASERs and pepper sprays. Discover how stun guns and TASERs can save your life. Receive a free report on “Top 10 Self Defense Secrets Everyone Needs To Know”. Limited amount available. Visit us and get your own copy now http://www.beststungun.com

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Best Beginner Telescopes
By Aidan James

I’m sometimes asked to recommend the best beginner telescopes and my first comment is often “the one you are most likely to use”! It’s not that I’m intending to be blunt or to cause further confusion but seriously one of the over-riding factors is going to be whether you are going to be inclined to haul a big heavy telescope around or whether you are really only going to use something very light and portable.

You see all things being equal the diameter of the lens or mirror (depending on what type of telescope you get) tends to govern what you can achieve with the telescope. Bigger is generally better, in that the bigger scopes capture more light and allow greater magnification for seeing those deep-sky objects.

Magnification however is a two edged sword, too much and you will just end up with a fuzzy image so there is a trade-off to be balanced. In very broad terms, take the diameter of your lens or mirror in millimetres and multiply it by 2 to know the upper limit of magnification for the scope.

Refractors tend to produce slightly sharper images than reflectors but good big refractors can be difficult to use properly and very expensive. Reflectors on the other hand are easier to manufacture so are cheaper and often more easily handled by beginners. That said a simple small refractor is easy to grab for a quick casual session on the roof or deck and can be a handy little instrument in the city or suburbs where light pollution can overwhelm larger reflectors anyway.

Buying for kids and living away from the suburbs? The big Dobsonian telescopes are really excellent, so simple to use, giving great views but really best away from the city, (they are pretty cumbersome to transport too).

Catadioptric telescopes are sort of a half refractor and half reflector and are capable of capturing great images, indeed they are often used by astro-photographers but that is a subject a little more advanced than the usual beginner level telescope buyer needs to get too wrapped up in.

Another over-riding factor is the obvious one of budget. There are some really awful scopes out there aimed at beginners but in truth likely to give the poor buyer such a bad experience that it turns them off amateur astronomy for ever after! Avoid those eBay and department store ‘bargains’ if you want a good experience or want to encourage a young astronomer.

Amazon however has some truly excellent telescopes on offer from a variety of good brands like Celestron, Orion, Sky-Watcher, Meade and others at really great prices. Be aware though that depending where you are in the world you might not be able to purchase from there because of international warranty arrangements.

Read more on purchasing the best beginner telescopes or grab a bargain at Telescopechoice.com.

See my Squidoo lens for more on how to choose a good beginners telescope and some specific recommendations. Telescopes for Beginners, helping others get a start in astronomy or check out my hub Choosing a Beginners Telescope

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Fuel Management Advice
By Carl Liver

Fuel management is essential in today’s economic climate; it involves minimising expenditure on fuel and administration of fuel for all of your company vehicles. It is achieved by ensuring you pay the lowest possible price and minimising fuel consumption as well as only paying for fuel used for authorised purposes. Luckily fuel cards are around that can achieve this purpose.

When you are managing fleet expenditure; cost control and reduction is only achievable when you have all the information you need to hand. This normally consists of scrambling together lots of bits of paper and receipts and trying to put together a picture of journeys made and costs. Many companies have realised this is not the best way to go about things and have taken the first step by looking into fuel cards. Fuel cards are used much like credit cards but are solely designed to pay for fuel expenditure and also offer more in the way of feedback.

Like a credit card your drivers present the fuel card at a filling station and the cashier swipes it so it eliminates the need for cash. Each of the fuel cards can be tailored to ensure they are used only by specific named driver or even for a specific vehicle. One of the main advantages is that they can guarantee that your company does not pay for non-fuel items and they cannot be used to put petrol in employee’s private vehicles. This does seem a petty reason but you would be surprised how many companies have found employees doing this.

If you wish the mileage can be noted at each fill up and this can offer a way to track mileage which has a few advantages. You can track when vehicles are due their services or trace their fuel economy. Most cards offer an online tracking facility which you can download periodically which details all fuel economy which allows you to take total control of your fuel costs and manage them as effectively as possible.

You can check on a vehicles efficiency or even go into enough detail to see which employees drive too fast and use more fuel than necessary. You will get exception reports that will show you any usage against the norm which you are able to check for validity and check suspect transactions. Lots of businesses like fuel cards because they efficiently gather fuel expenses without the paperwork, some use them as useful credit facilities to manage cash flow, some for their anti-fraud measures and some for the complete package for effective fuel management.

Due to tax changes a lot of companies have questioned the use of fuel cards that cover personal use too. But as a fuel management tool there is nothing better and the vast majority of companies would benefit majorly from the use of fuel cards. Use an experienced company who can take a close look at your needs and provide advice on the best card for your business ensuring you get the full benefit of a fuel card for your business.

Carl Liver
Advice on Fuel Cards
Fuel Tools

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Super Massive Black Hole Formation
By Dennis Huff

A super massive black hole is thought to form from the joining of smaller black holes. Since black holes take in matter, over time they grow. If two black holes come together, and then another and so on, a super massive black hole is eventually formed. Most super massive black holes exist within the center of galaxies. Our own milky way galaxy has one, and it is thought that all galaxies have one of these giants at its center. So, are they the result of the joining of many smaller black holes? It is quite possible that they can form in this way, but I believe the majority of them form in a different manner.

There is an evolution to the formation of a galaxy. I maintain that there is an evolution to everything, including the universe. In order to paint a clear picture of the evolution of a galaxy to include super massive black holes, we have to go all the way back to the beginning. If there was one, and it does not matter what beginning we start with. I don’t care if it was the big bang or the Nothing Universe, the only thing that matters is matter. That we have the material needed to build ourselves a galaxy. If you believe in the big bang than you believe that a singularity exploded to form the known Universe. In this case there would be a little added step in the evolutionary scale. In this case sub atomic particles would have to come together to form protons, neutrons, and electrons. Any unstable, exotic particles would disappear as the universe began to cool. It is important to point out that the big bang is not really thought of as an explosion by all. Some rather like Guth’s Inflation theory. This still relies on a hot and dense singularity that expands rather than explodes. The expansion would be extremely fast, perhaps exceeding the speed of light.

The other competing theories are the steady state, and osculating universe. The steady state maintains the universe has and always will exist much as it has. If this is the case than this hypothesis of mine is out the window. The Osculating universe maintains that the universe expands and contracts in a never ending cycle of beginnings and ends. In this case my hypothesis is still valid. The evolution of the universe fits nicely with my Nothing Universe hypothesis. As the nothing atoms were destroyed the materials left behind were protons, neutrons,and electrons. For more on this idea, you can read my article entitled, “The Nothing Universe”.

After the event that lead to the formation of the universe, protons and electrons came together to form hydrogen. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe followed by helium. Hydrogen was first. Helium formed next, thanks to star formation. Once Massive clouds of hydrogen began to form, the process of separation began. Within this expanse of hydrogen, stars began to take shape as enough hydrogen came together to sustain fusion. The processes within this star will form the higher elements. All over this cloud, proto stars are forming as they become the first known stellar objects in the universe. All of this is taking place in the outer regions of the hydrogen cloud. At this point all of the hydrogen has separated as dictated by gravity and galaxies are beginning to form. In each of these clouds, at the center it is becoming denser and denser. Proto stars are starting to form, but there is too much matter in this region. Perhaps a super massive star forms or starts to form. These super massive stars could have existed in the center of each galaxy, but there life spans would be extremely short. Burning up their fuel rapidly. Since there is so much material in this region of space that even if a super massive star forms it can not maintain hydrostatic equilibrium. And, it is thought that anything over around a 150 solar masses would want to push itself apart. The core generation would be enough to over come its own gravity, in theory.

The center of each young galaxy could have been a nursery for these massive stars. Eventually one of these stars collapsed to form a black hole, which immediately began to feed on the surrounding material. Eventually this black hole will have consumed all of the available material nearby and what is left is a super massive black hole. There is the other possibility that Multiple black holes form in this region, consuming the material around it until there is nothing left to feed on but each other. This, of course would be the same as the currently held ideas about their formation. I believe that one large black hole forms and then consumes the abundant material around it, that is present in the center of these young galaxies. This explains why each galaxy has a super massive black hole at its center, because that is the region of space where the most material collected as the early universe began to separate into galaxies.

In the outer, less dense regions, the remaining material has come together to form stars. These stars will go through their evolutions, to form black holes or go super nova. The death of these stars will provide the material for the next stage in the evolution of our universe, the formation of solar systems. If super massive black holes exist outside of the center of a galaxy than it is more likely that it formed by two or more black holes coming together. The ones at the center of each galaxy form as a result of the evolution of a galaxies formation. As hydrogen came together the center is the most dense. Super massive ones form here. The outer regions are less dense, and so we find black holes there.

Dennis James Huff

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Contribute to a Greener World – Solar Energy
By Olga Masters

There is a limit to some of the earth’s resources, especially those from which we make electricity. Much electricity depends on the burning of fossil fuels, which are starting to run out. It would take thousands of years to make any more fossil fuels, so once they are gone that’s it.

However, there are other ways of generating electricity, such as using the heat and light of the sun to create or generate the power we need. The sun is renewable – it rises every morning and provides heat and light to all of mankind. Learning how to harvest and store this heat and light has taken some time, but doing so has contributed to making the world a greener place.

The simplest and most effective way to harvest solar energy has been with us for ages; campers would know about the simple black polythene shower bag that is hung from the nearest tree each morning, and by evening the sun has sufficiently warmed the water contained in it to provide a warm shower for the happy camper. Collectors of solar water heaters work in the same way. Situated on your roof, they collect the heat of the sun and use it to heat water, but in this case the water is stored in a tank. Solar and hot water solutions have a tank and collector options to best suit your home.

One thing is for sure, using solar energy to heat our water is certainly contributing to a greener world. By investing in a solar electricity system you will be generating your own electricity and turning your home into a mini power station. Now that is the first step to a greener tomorrow. For more info visit http://www.chromagen.com.au.

Olga Masters is based in Brisbane and is an Energy Conservation specialist working with the industry for 20 years in the field of energy conservation using Solar energy.
http://www.chromagen.com.au

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The Best Thing About Shrimp
By Ciara Jones

Do you want to cook sea food but don’t know which has the best health benefit among them? Then, you are on the right track. Why shrimp? Why not fish or any other kinds of seafood? Let us have an overview about what is with a shrimp and why it gives so much health in our body.

Shrimp is the most famous seafood in the world. It can live in either the salt or fresh water. It is very little that some large animals depend on it as their source of food, as well as humans consider as part of their meal. It comes in different kinds of sizes with different colors. It is a good substitute for meat protein diet which makes it a healthy food not just for its low calorie and low fat but also rich in vitamin B12 which is rich in nutrients for the brain function.

There are many kinds of diseases that can be avoided by eating shrimps like cancer or degenerative diseases. It also has vitamins that will strengthen the teeth. It also reduces the swelling of gums because of its anti-inflammatory qualities. Aside from that, it has also vitamin which is responsible for the formation and maturation of blood cells. The best vitamin is the Omega-3 fatty acids which has a lot of qualities in stored that will really help the human body.

That was a brief overview of what are the good vitamins in a shrimp that you will about to eat. I know that you are planning right now to cook eat, who else doesn’t want to have the nutritional value of a shrimp.

So, how will you prepare a shrimp? First, you will remove its head, shell, tail and sand vein. It is removed so that it will be clean to cook and safe to eat. You will not have a problem in cooking shrimp because it is very flexible. Many countries have shrimps as part of their cultural cuisine which means that you can have it, any style that you wanted. You may boil, bake or fry it whichever style of cooking you would like to do, shrimp will always excel in its taste.

To have the best shrimp recipes, you can have it FREE in this site: http://www.weloveseafood.com/shrimprecipes.html and choose the best for your cooking skills. Eat healthy, eat right.

Good luck!

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How Does Your Garden Grow? The Need For Healthy Relationship Boundaries
By Judith McHale

Imagine yourself standing in the midst of a large garden full of beautiful flowers, trees, birds, butterflies, bees, etc. In this particular garden, the flowers represent your feelings and the lifetime you have spent cultivating them. A chest-high picket fence surrounds the garden. Along one wall of the fence is a gate which opens onto a winding path that meanders through your garden, and ultimately ends at your heart.

As you stand in your garden enjoying your life, people come and go outside the fence. Every so often, one of them stops to talk with you, and, sometimes, after chatting for quite a while, after getting to know them, you may invite them into your garden through the gate.

Invariably, as they walk along the winding path to your heart, they will step on one or more of your feeling flowers. That’s when it’s important to have healthy boundaries. When someone steps on one of your flowers, if you know yourself and trust yourself enough, you will be able to tell them, “Excuse me, but you’re stepping on one of my flowers.”

When you set a boundary in this way, you may encounter a variety of responses:

• The person may say, “I don’t need to hear that, I’m outta here!” and they hurry back through the gate, never to be seen again.

• Or, “Oh, yeah, you think that’s bad, watch this!” as they cruelly grind your flower into the ground

• Or, “Thanks for telling me.” And they continue on the path, only to step on that same flower yet again (and sometimes again and again)

If any of the above happens, it is important to set boundaries by firmly, yet gently, asking them to leave your garden until they have achieved the ability to walk in your garden more mindfully. Some of them will remain and talk to you over the fence. Some of them will want to learn more about setting boundaries. Some will go back through the gate, never to be seen again. But whatever they choose to do, it’s about them, not you.

• And then, once in awhile, you may hear, “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Thanks for telling me.” Those people never step on that particular flower again, careful to watch where they step, with consideration for your flowers. As they get closer to your heart, you can count on them stepping on another flower. Each each time, as you set your boundaries, they ask forgiveness and never step on that particular flower again. These are the people who can remain in your garden because they are willing to take ownership of their behavior. These are the people who are emotionally, spiritually, and physically safe.

Allowing a person access to your garden is a gesture of trust and intimacy. We make ourselves vulnerable. We can either experience affirmation or be wounded to the core. Boundaries offer protection from the emotional or physical assaults of others.

Healthy boundaries, though not perfect, allow a person to experience a comfortable interdependence with other people, resulting in generally functional relationship and positive self-regard.

Damaged boundaries operate inconsistently and often dysfunctionally. They are the result of mixed messages and abuse, and are usually related to abusive relationships in the individual’s family of origin and/or relationships of choice.

Unlike the picket fence described earlier that surrounds your boundary garden, some people erect walls. Walls are often used to protect the person who has constructed them but do not let anyone or anything in or out. This person lives in a state of loneliness, possibly protected from the assaults of others, but also prevented from establishing trusting and intimate relationships. People with walled boundaries have generally been deeply hurt by others and have erected barriers to prevent being hurt again by others’ actions, thoughts and feelings.

No boundaries is the opposite extreme of walls. A person with no boundaries is unable to prevent unwanted intrusions and may be unaware that it is possible to do so. Their flowers are quickly crushed and never have the chance to grow.

It is important to realize that setting boundaries, caring for your garden, is not about getting another person to change in order to keep your flowers safe. Setting boundaries is about taking responsibility for your own emotional, spiritual, and physical well being. Without the ability to set boundaries, intimate, vulnerable, loving relationships are impossible.

by Judith McHale, M.A., LPC

As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I believe the unique therapist-client relationship must be centered in a spirit of safety, dignity and respect,. For the past twenty years, the majority of my practice has dealt with marriage and relationship challenges, grief counseling, divorce and separation issues, and family of origin dysfunction. I have written and facilitated weekend seminars for people dealing with divorce, separation and significant relationship breakups. Some of my other writings and seminars include “Opening Our Hearts to Relationships That Work,” “Exploring the Shadow in Romantic Relationships,” “Emotional Unavailability,” and “Forgiveness and Freedom.”

Judith McHale, M.A., LPC
3420 East Shea Boulevard
Suite 215
Phoenix, Arizona 85028
602-953-5208
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