Maricopa County Jail in Arizona is the 4th largest jail system in the world. In 1993 it exceeded the maximum number of inmates allowed in its facilities. It was estimated that construction of a new facility would cost approximately $70,000,000. Sheriff Arpaio ordered that a Tent Jail be constructed utilizing inmate labor. It consisted of Korean War era tents donated by the United States armed forces, and a 50 ft (15.4 m) observation tower with a vacancy sign mounted on the front. The final cost of the project was approximately $100,000 and it is capable of housing over 2400 Inmates. All inmates housed outside in the open tents (N yard for males and O yard for females) are "volunteers" in the "Working Inmate Program" and must agree to work an assigned job and comply with the Sheriff's grooming standards. Inmates who decline to work or refuse to groom themselves are relocated inside a hardened facility along with the rest of the jail population. All inmates wear pink socks and underwear.
Recently, AWKWORD linked up with C-Rayz Walz, REKS and 2dopeboyz.com for an exlusive leak promoting the forthcoming World View album. With production from Moldova's Jonny Lupo, the track bangs.
C-Rayz called it "one of the top-five songs I've ever spilled my soul onto." He predicted "this shit will make Uncle Sam piss his tight blue bubblegum jeans." And dopeboy SHAKE agrees, as seen below.
From 2dopeboyz.com
With C-Rayz currently locked up*, Awkword thought it was a good time to let loose of this anti-imperialist anthem. I agree, this shit is dope. 2dbz premiere off Awk’s upcoming album, World View. Featuring guest emcees from coast to coast and production from 15+ nations and every continent.
* While the song is free, the artists are asking that you show support for C-Rayz by donating to his Paypal (suncycle7[at]gmail[dot]com) or reaching out to his family and management via Twitter.
Click the banner above to download.Or, click here.To stream, click play on the player below.
On Monday, May 31, 2010, Israeli soldiers clashed with (mainly Turkish) activists on a flotilla aimed at superseding the Israeli blockade to deliver various materials to Hamas-controlled Gaza.
Israeli solders killed 10 in what has become a political and public relations nightmare for the isolated nation. Israeli leaders insist the soldiers acted in self-defense, yet countries and leaders worldwide have condemned their actions. A simple google search this evening for "gaza flotilla attack" produces media reports primarily espousing anti-Israeli opinions. A June 1 article in the UK's Guardian newspaper was titled "Gaza flotilla attack: world unites in condemnation of Israel's actions." This includes the European Union, as well as The Elders group of past and present world leaders, among them former South African president Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
But this story, like the story of Israel/Palestine, is not that simple.
As a Jew, I can hardly speak of this land without getting emotional. The Jews have survived hatred and persecution for thousands of years. A cursory survey of Medieval paintings reveals the propensity to portray the Jew as the devil or other horned creature. There is also the historical image of the wandering Jew -- old bearded man with cane, victim of the diaspora. Spain's Inquisition nearly eliminated the Jewish population there. In France, the Dreyfus Affair illustrated that country's view of Jews in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In November 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent, was convicted of treason and sent to solitary confinement, then was persecuted further when evidence of his innocence came to light. In Russia, there were the pogroms that starved the Jews there almost to extinction.
Hitler and his willing executioners put approximately seven million Jews to death, but not before torturing them and destroying their dignity. Others, they did experiments on. Still others were enslaved for profit. And others were forced to gas or burn their own children, mothers and wives. But that inhumanity didn't transform society. The Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis have targeted Jews nearly as intently as they have people of color.
[From an ACTIVE KKK site.]
And there are the Holocaust deniers, the Mahmoud Ahmadinejads, and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, that book written to look like a stolen JEWISH master plan to control all of the world.
So, when Britain allowed some of us to escape Europe for the "Holy Land" (and for re-ghettoization in refugee camps), needless to say, we were kinda excited. (The displacement of Palestinian Muslims at this time was not even perpetrated by a Jewish state; it was Britain.) Following the establishment of the State of Israel, the Jews were attacked by their Arab neighbors on numerous occasions. And when Israel successfully beat back its attackers, the Israeli leaders made the nearly unprecedented concession to give back some of the land then under its control. Under certain administrations, Israel has been more or less willing to negotiate further. But throughout the decades, the Palestinian authority has been influenced by Hamas, an organization dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish State.
Now, I am not suggesting that Israel has not made its mistakes, or even that the latest incident on the flotilla was self-defense, as its leaders would like us to believe. But it is important that people do not become brainwashed by international media bias. This is a complicated issue. And any issue becomes indefinably more complicated when religion is tossed into the mix. I simply want you to be able to make an educated decision, having heard both sides... Or, decide to not make one, as I have.
I am Jewish, by blood, by culture. And I am proud of our ability to survive. Heck, with the steretoype of Jews being nerdy misers with glasses (a la Woody Allen) or sheep like Holocaust victims being led onto trains, I am proud of Murder Incorporated, Lewis Lepke and Meyer Lansky.
But I am not religious. And politically, well, let's just say that I'm beyond left. So, ANY persecution of ANY people by a powerholder is NOT okay with me...
Whereas I am entirely pro-Israel for the sake of my people (click here to hear my song "See the Light", a Jewish anthem played on Israel National Radio), I am entirely pro-peace and would debate anyone on behalf of a two-state solution.
Two wrongs don't make a right. And as African history has taught us, the oppressed almost always become the oppressor. I pray that my people have not already fallen into this trap. If you ask Israel, their actions represent a strategic defense against thousands of rockets tossed in their direction. If you ask the Palestinians, you'll hear the story told in the mainstream media.
So, now, with no love for FOX 5, I provide the following for fairness & balance.
[British naval and counter-terrorism expert Peter Cook on the flotilla: Israelis with paintball guns were lynched... (Channel 4 - UK)]
[Footage broadcast live from the flotilla: How violence breaks out]
[The Turkish boat activists use hoses, stun grenades and metal rods against the Israelis -- 5 of 6 boats dock peacefully; only those on the 6th are aggressive]
The Facts:
Israel transfers about 15,000 tons of supplies and humanitarian aid every week to the people of Gaza.
Israel offered that the sixth boat dock in Ashdod port, with the aid transfered safely to Gaza. This offer was made again and again. It was refused each time.
After the flotilla attack, Israel still attempted to deliver to Gaza the aid captured from the sixth boat, but Hamas refused most of it.
Israel left Gaza in hopes of peace in 2005 and, in return, received more than 10,000 rockets and terrorist attacks. Israel has sought peace and compromise with its neighbors for all of its 62 years.
Israel maintains a maritime blockade to ensure that weapons are not brought in by Hamas to use in attacks against Israel.
In the past, terrorist sympathizers have used aid deliveries to smuggle items like potassium nitrate in sugar sacks that were used to make bombs. It is standard international practice to impose sanctions to prevent this type of activity.
"We fully intend to go to Gaza regardless of any intimidation or threats of violence against us, they are going to have to forcefully stop us," said one of the flotilla's organizers.
Five of the six boats that were boarded carried protestors that complied and were safely let to shore. The passengers on the sixth boat -- the Mavi Marmara -- did not comply. That is the boat on which the violence took place.
Those on board the sixth boat, armed with knives and metal bars, carried out pre-planned violence. The soldiers were attacked by a mob of a dozen extremists. They threw one soldier off the top deck of the ship.
Using the Arabic term 'intifada,' Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: "We call on all Arabs and Muslims to rise up in front of Zionist embassies across the whole world."
As the flotilla made its way to meet him in Gaza, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said: "If the ships reach Gaza it is a victory; if they are intercepted, it will be a victory too".
The flotilla attack was intentionally provoked. Turkey permitted the Marmara to 'fly' under its flag. Turkey knew that the flotilla's organizer and financier was Turkish Islamist organization IHH, which has ties to Hamas, several Jihadist organizations in Bosnia, Syria, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere, as well as Al Qaeda. But Turkey did nothing to stop it.
The Israeli government maintains that allowing the illegal flotilla to reach Hamas would have opened a corridor of weapons smuggling to Gaza, resulting in more civilian deaths.
There is no country in the world that allows illegal entry of any vessel into its waters without a security check. That's all Israeli soldiers asked of the passengers on the sixth boat.
Now, why would they have refused. Either they had illegal materials (which, it turns out, they didn't), or they wanted to provoke violence and death.
From the Siddur (Jewish prayer book):
Painful trials and bitter struggles, torments of body and soul have often been our portion. But sustained by the hope that goodness and love would triumph over evil and hate, we have persevered.
These surgical tools look scary, like those in Hostel movie. It will never be good to be ill, but nowadays at least it's not so scary.
Hysterotome/Metrotome (1860s-90s)
This hysterotome or metrotome was used to amputate the cervix during a hysterectomy. Amputation Knife (1700s)
Knives used for amputations during the 18th century were typically curved, because surgeons tended to make a circular cut through the skin and muscle before the bone was cut with a saw. By the 1800s, straight knives became more popular because they made it easier to leave a flap of skin that could be used to cover the exposed stump. Amputation Saw (1600s)
While some surgeons chose to flaunt their wealth with elaborately decorated saws like this, the crevices in the intricate engravings proved to be a breeding ground for germs. Arrow Remover (1500s)
Not much is known about this tool, but it is hypothesized that it was inserted into the wound in a contracted position, with the central shaft used to grasp the arrow. The blades, which appear to have their sharp edges facing outward, were then expanded using the scissor-like handles, thus expanding the flesh around the arrow to prevent the arrowhead from ripping through the meat as it was pulled out. Artificial Leech (1800s)
Bloodletting with leeches was such a popular treatment for a range of medical conditions that an artificial leech was invented in 1840 and was used frequently in eye and ear surgery. The rotating blades would cut a wound in the patient’s skin, while the cylinder would be used to produce a vacuum that sucked up the blood. Bullet Extractor (1500s)
Elongated bullet extractors could reach bullets embedded deeply in the patient’s body. Extractors like this one had a screw tip that could be inserted in the wound and lengthened to pierce the bullet so that it could be pulled out. Cervical Dilator (1800s)
This instrument was used to dilate a woman’s cervix during labor, with the amount of dilation measured on the scale by the handle. Such dilators fell out of favor because they often caused the cervix to tear. Circumcision Knife (1770s)
Ritual circumcision is performed around the world in varying extents and for varying reasons, but few instruments used in the process are as intimidating as this European knife from the 18th century. Ecraseur (1870s)
This ecraseur was used to sever hemorrhoids and uterine or ovarian tumors. The chain was looped over the mass and tightened using the ratchet, stopping the circulation of blood to the area. Hemorrhoid Forceps (1800s)
These forceps were used to grasp a hemorrhoid between the blades and apply pressure to stop the blood supply, causing the hemorrhoid to drop off. Hernia Tool (1850s)
This unique tool was used after the restoration of a hernia. It was inserted into the body near the affected area and left there for a week to produce scar tissue that would help seal off the hernia. Hirtz Compass (1915)
The Hirtz compass was used to accurately determine where bullets were located in the body so that they could then be removed with precision. Lithotome (1740s-1830s)
This lithotome was used to cut the bladder in order to remove stones. The shaft contained a hidden blade that was inserted into the bladder and then released using a spring handle. Mouth Gag (1880s-1910s)
This wooden, screw-shaped mouth gag would be inserted into an anesthetized patient’s mouth to keep the airway open. Scarificator (1910s-20s)
Scarificators were used in bloodletting. The spring-loaded blades in this device would cut into the skin, and a special rounded glass cup could be applied over the wound. When warmed, it would help draw the blood out at a faster rate. Skull Saw (1830s-60s)
This hand-cranked saw’s blades were used to cut through sections of the skull, allowing for access by other instruments. Tobacco Smoke Enema (1750s-1810s)
The tobacco enema was used to infuse tobacco smoke into a patient’s rectum for various medical purposes, primarily the resuscitation of drowning victims. A rectal tube inserted into the anus was connected to a fumigator and bellows that forced the smoke towards the rectum. The warmth of the smoke was thought to promote respiration, but doubts about the credibility of tobacco enemas led to the popular phrase “blow smoke up one’s ass.” Tonsil Guillotine (1860s)
This method of removing tonsils worked much like a traditional guillotine, slicing off the infected tonsils. This “double guillotine” design meant that both tonsils could be removed at the same time. Tonsil guillotines were replaced by forceps and scalpels in the early 20th century due to the high rate of hemorrhaging and the imprecise nature of the device, which often left tonsil remnants in the mouth. Trephine (1800s)
This trephine was a hand-powered drill with a cylindrical blade that was used to bore into the skull. The spike in the center was used to start the procedure and to hold the blade in place while cutting. Vaginal Speculum (1600s)
Specula have been used for thousands of years to allow doctors better vision and access to the vaginal area (or other body cavities) by expanding after insertion. This 17th century European example, which appears to use a cranking motion to expand, is more ornate and intimidating than most. Source
