All posts by Chris Cuomo

Euro climbs to four-month high vs US dollar after German Court ruling

The Euro, sitting at $1.2936 against the US dollar, is the highest it has been in four months.  This follows a German Constitutional Court approval of German rescue and maintenance of the Euro.

The conditional approval has lowered fears for the region’s debt problem.

This new perspective has lifted global stock values and has also reduced Italy and Spain’s costs to borrow.

Source Euro advances to four-month highs vs. dollar on German ruling | Reuters.

Sam Bacile, anti-Muslim filmmaker in hiding following anti-American Violence

The Israeli filmmaker who created the film “Innocence of Muslims” which ignited ultraconservative Islamist violent acts, is now in hiding.

There have been assaults on the U.S. Embassy in Egypt and the U.S. Consulate in Libya.

Sam Bacile states “Islam is a cancer, period” and that his film is a provocative political statement which condemns the religion.

Claims are made in the film that Muhammad was a fraud, a “feckless philanderer” and an “approver of child sexual abuse”.

Bacile was warned that he might be the next Theo van Gogh.  A Muslim extremist killed Van Gogh after making a film that appeared to be an insult to Islam.

Source Filmmaker Sam Bacile in hiding after anti-Muslim film sparks violence in which American diplomat was killed | Fox News.

US ambassador to Libya and 3 other American staffers killed

Benghazi, Libya.  The U.S. ambassador (J. Christopher Stevens) and three staff members at the American Consulate were killed on Tuesday following an attack by ultraconservative Islamist protesters.

The staff members were killed after they returned to the Consulate to help other staff members evacuate according to Fox News.

The Islamist protesters are angry over a film that is critical of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

Dozens of protesters climbed the walls of the Consulate.  After taking down the American flag, they tried to burn it.  Unable to do so they then tore it apart and replaced the flag with a black flag with a Muslim statement…”There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet”.

Source US ambassador to Libya, 3 American staff members killed in attack | Fox News.

Salton Sea, possible cause of big odor in Southern California

Residents in Southern California on Monday were greeted with pungent smells of sulfur.

Officials have been perplexed.  An explanation being explored is a wind delivered odor from a recent large scale fish die off in the Salton Sea.

Residents of Riverside County through to the San Fernando Valley were the recipients of the odor, about 150 miles from the Salton Sea.

Experts however are skeptical of this explanation.

Jack Crayon, who is an environmental scientist with the Department of Fish and Game in California says that this odor development around the sea is common, it occurs a few times a year and that it is unusual for the odor to travel that kind of distance.

Source Salton Sea eyed as culprit of big stink in Southern California | Fox News.

Sand Mandala Ceremony Released at Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena

Welcoming the Drepung Loseling Phukhang Monastery monks to perform a sand mandala is the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, California.

The ceremony concludes on September 9, 2012 where the sand mandala is blessed by the monks, some sand of which is distributed to some attendees and the rest dumped into the ocean where, according to Buddhist spiritual understanding, it blesses all living beings in its vicinity.

See Sand Mandala at Pacific Asia Museum at Pasadena Playhouse District’s Blog.

Sacred Tibetan Sand Mandala Ceremony This Week at the LA County Museum

Los Angeles:  Performing a sacred sand mandala religious ceremony, which is sponsored by The Drepung Loseling Phukhang Monastery in South India, are Tibetan Buddhist monks at the Los Angeles County Museum.

From September 11, 2012 until the closing ceremony on September 15th, these monks will be performing the ritual of the sand mandala.

Monks who have performed these same rituals indicate that they are honoring the gods of the underworld who are depicted in the artwork of the mandala.  In doing so, they release a “blessing” of these gods into the region in which they are performing the mandala, into the homes of those who take the blessed sand home, and into the waters in which the sand is poured out.

Source Sacred Tibetan Art Sand Mandala Painting – Events Calendar | County of Los Angeles Public Library.

They’re Back in Pasadena! Tibetan Buddhist Monks to Perform Another Sand Mandala at Pacific Asia Museum

Pasadena, CA.  The Pacific Asia Museum is welcoming the Buddhists monks from Drepung Loseling Phukhang Khangsten to perform their religious sand mandala ceremony from September 5-9, 2012.

The Drepund Loseling Phukhang Khangsten Monastery used to be home to 12,000 monks.  It is a sub-monastery of the Drepung Loseling Monastery now.

The mandala ceremony includes chanted mantras and music.  The “artwork” is a depiction of a deity or deities or, god or gods.  In blessing or consecrating the artwork to this god or gods and then releasing the “blessed” sand upon the mandala’s deconstruction, it is intended that the essence of this god or gods will accompany the sand and release its essence in the environment in which it is located.

They also will release some of the “consecrated” sand into the moving water where all living beings worldwide will be “blessed”.

Source www.pacificasiamuseum.org

Tibetan Monks Perform 2nd Sand Mandala Ceremony in Middle of US in 1 Week

Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence Kansas.

Not far from the geographical center of the contiguous United States which is located in Lebanon, Kansas, are Tibetan Buddhist monks.


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These monks are from the same monastery (Drepung Gomang Monastic College) in India who performed a sand mandala in Kansas City earlier this week.

Their intent is to release world peace.

The mandala depicts a deity or deities, by creating and releasing the mandala, they indicate that it honors the deity or deities which in turn blesses the region.

Two mandalas in a week in Kansas, in the center of the United States… lose dry close to the IHOP International House of Prayer Christian community.

Source Tibetan Cultural Events at KU | Programs | Spencer Museum of Art.

Drepung Gomang Monks Release World Peace Sand Mandala in Kansas City

Tibetan monks from Drepung Gomang performed a sand mandala in Kansas City this last Friday, August 31, 2012 at the Unity Temple on the Plaza.


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The intention is to create world peace.  As stated by a previous monk who performs mandala ceremonies, they pay homage to “gods of the underworld”.  This homage influences the region in which it is performed.

see Drepung Gomang Monks Create World Peace Sand Mandala | Unity Temple on the Plaza | WDAF^Jackson County | Kansas City Events at www.kctv5.com.

Tibetan Monks do NYC Sand Mandala Ceremony in 1 Day

New York, NY.  Welcoming the Tibetan Buddhist monks to perform their religious ceremony of a sand mandala is Baruch College.


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The event is sponsored by Baruch-Rubin Museum of Art Project.

Monks from the Namdroling Monastery located in Southern India will build the mandala in one day.  Usually the creation of this ceremony is 4-7 days.

A mandala represents some kind of deity or deities.  For instance the Kalachakra mandala contains 722 deities.  The mandala ceremony honors these deities which can also be known as or called gods.  It is intended that the ceremony will release a blessing into the region from these deities or gods.

Source TibetanMonksToBuildSandMandala.

San Francisco archbishop-elect in DUI arrest

Reverend Salvatore Cordileone was arrested and jailed after being suspected of drunken driving in San Diego this Monday.

Cordileone is the archbishop elect of San Francisco and has been an ardent figure in the fight against gay marriage.

He relates his feelings of condemnation…”I apologize for my error in judgment and feel shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the Church and myself,”

See San Francisco archbishop-elect in DUI arrest – KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |.