Mr. Rogers is an evil man

Yup, that’s right. Fox News aired a segment in December about how Mr. Rogers ruined a whole generation of children. By telling children they’re special just for being who they are, he helped create this generation of worthless, lazy socialists who think they’re entitled to rewards without working… at least according to Fox News.

It’s a ridiculous segment, and it’s pathetic that in this economy and global culture, they air this garbage. I’m sure there are better things to fill the air with.

I love Louis CK

This is one of the funniest interviews I’ve seen.

“I’m On a Boat” by The Lonely Island featuring T-Pain [LMAO]

This is another funny ass SNL Digital Short. Following on the success of “Jizz in My Pants,” The Lonely Island, comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg, bring us a song about being on a motherfu$%ing boat, and the funniest part of it all is that T-Pain lends his voice and presence, giving this single true radio playability. It sounds better than alot of what is airing on radio these days!

The Lonely Island is dropping their debut album “Incredibad” on February 10th, 2009.

What the Pres.O said on Inauguration Day

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 was probably the most inspirational day of my life that I can remember. President Barack Obama. It feels so good to say that. This is the full text of President Barack Obama‘s inaugural address on Tuesday, as delivered.

Or you can view the video of the speech, scroll to the bottom, lazy.

 

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers … our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world … that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it).”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

 

Wow. I hope this turns things around.

President Barack Hussein Obama’s NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AND RECONCILIATION, 2009

NATIONAL DAY OF RENEWAL AND RECONCILIATION, 2009

- – - – - – -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As I take the sacred oath of the highest office in the land, I am humbled by the responsibility placed upon my shoulders, renewed by the courage and decency of the American people, and fortified by my faith in an awesome God.

We are in the midst of a season of trial. Our Nation is being tested, and our people know great uncertainty. Yet the story of America is one of renewal in the face of adversity, reconciliation in a time of discord, and we know that there is a purpose for everything under heaven.

On this Inauguration Day, we are reminded that we are heirs to over two centuries of American democracy, and that this legacy is not simply a birthright — it is a glorious burden. Now it falls to us to come together as a people to carry it forward once more.

So in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, let us remember that: “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 20, 2009, a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, and call upon all of our citizens to serve one another and the common purpose of remaking this Nation for our new century.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

What is Vocabulation!?

I often find myself trying to define one thing by using words that have absolutely nothing to do with that one thing. It’s almost as if my brain is reaching across a spectrum of words, trying to find relationships between seemingly unrelated verbs, nouns and sounds, mashing them up the way a baker mixes ingredients.

Creative by nature, I find myself trying to place these random words in some sort of unique order that makes sense to me. This incessant need to make words collaborate with eachother is a recent trend in my brain activity. I founded CollaboNationStation because I love mixing and matching artists, designers, business heads, and regular people almost as much as I love words!

Every now and then, I’ll create a gem and bring it to you. My most recent is Zentrify. What will be next? Any suggestions? Do you vocabulate? Let me know. Leave a comment.

63 Extraordinary Companies That Support The Design Community

I came across this article on Colorburned and wanted to repost it here! Great work!

As bloggers and designers, we’re used to getting a lot of things for free.  Free content is an excellent way to bring new visitors to your website and many visitors these days expect to see free content.  Personally, I love giving away free content; I love receiving it too but as a blogger and supporter of the design community, I think it’s very important to not only visit my favorite sites but to also support those site’s sponsors.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I decided to write this post and say thanks to the advertisers who keep the design community alive and keep much of the content free.  Listed below are as many advertisers as I could find that advertise in the design community.  I encourage you all to visit these sites and support them as best as you can.
 

DESIGN GALLERIES

• Best Web Gallery
  http://bestwebgallery.com/
  Inspirational gallery website.
• Feed My App
  http://www.feedmyapp.com/
  Your daily web 2.0 dose.
• Pattern Tap
  http://patterntap.com/
  Fill up on good web.
  

DESIGN STUDIOS

• E.Webscapes
  http://ewebscapes.com/
  Blog design studio.
• Right Banners
  http://www.rightbanners.com/
  They make banners.

DESIGN WEBSITES & BLOGS

• Design Nerd
  http://www.blog.designnerd.net/
  Articles on design.
• Digital Photography Tutorial
  http://www.digital-photography-tutorial.com/
  Photography tips, tricks, tutorials and techniques.
• PSDTOP
  http://www.psdtop.com/
  Photoshop tutorials.
• Share Brain
  http://sharebrain.info/
  Resources.  Inspiration.  Knowledge.
• Web Designer Depot
  http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/
  An exciting new website that explores different web and graphic design techniques.

ONLINE PRINTING

• Hot Cards
  http://www.hotcards.com/
  Low cost full-color printing.
• UPrinting
  http://www.uprinting.com/
  Online Printing Services.

PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE & HARDWARE

• Active Collab
  http://www.activecollab.com/
  Project management and collaboration tool.
• Colourmod
  http://colourmod.com/
  Colorouring where no color picker has gone before.
• Dim Dim
  http://www.dimdim.com/
  Web conferencing that just works.
• Foxycart
  http://www.foxycart.com/
  Ecommerce that doesn’t suck!
• GoodBarry
  http://goodbarry.com/home
  Save time and grow your business.
• IAC-EZ
  http://www.iacez.com/
  Put the “EZ” in bookkeeping.
• Light CMS
  http://www.speaklight.com/
  A friendly CMS for web designers.
• Morae3
  http://www.techsmith.com/morae.asp
  Useability testing software.
• My Intervals
  http://www.myintervals.com/
  Time tracking software.
• Pro Work Flow
  http://www.proworkflow.com/
  Smart project, task & time management.
• Send Cube
  http://www.sendcube.com/
  Simple, affordable and powerful way to manage campaigns and email marketing.
• Screencast.com
  http://www.screencast.com
  Share high quality videos, documents and presentations.
• Tanager Audioworks
  http://www.tanageraudioworks.com/
  Songwriter’s toolkit.
• TechSmith
  http://www.techsmith.com/
  Screen capture and recording software.
• Wacom
  http://www.wacom.com/
  Pen tablets.

PSD TO HTML CONVERSION

• Code That Design
  http://codethatdesign.com/
  PSD to HTML Conversion.
• Dr. Martian
  http://www.drmartian.com/
  PSD to HTML Conversion.
• Feather Code
  http://www.feathercode.com/
  PSD to HTML Conversion.
• FE Coding
  http://www.fecoding.com/
  PSD to HTML converstion.
• Markup Service
  http://markup-service.com/
  PSD to HTML conversion.
• Pixel Crayons
  http://xhtml.pixelcrayons.com/
  PSD to HTML Conversion.
• PSD2HTML
  http://www.psd2html.com/
  PSD to HTML conversion.
• PSD Slicing
  http://www.psdslicing.com/
  PSD to HTML conversion.
• W3 <Markup/>
  https://w3-markup.com/
  PSD to HTML conversion.
• XHTML4U
  http://www.xhtml4u.com/
  PSD to HTML Conversion.
  

STOCK IMAGERY AND RESOURCES

• Audio Jungle
  http://audiojungle.net/
  Thousands of stock music loops.
• Crestock
  http://crestock.com/
  Creative Stock images.
• Designious
  http://www.designious.com/
  Vector packs, illustrations and t-shirt designs.
• Flashden
  http://www.flashden.net/
  Buy and sell stock flash files.
• Flipping Book
  http://page-flip.com/
  Premium page flip flash engine.
• Go Media Arsenal
  http://gomedia.us/arsenal2/
  Professional Design Weaponry
• Media Slap
  http://www.mediaslap.com/
  High quality photoshop brushes.
• Stock Vault
  http://www.stockvault.net/
  Stock photography.
• T-Shirt Factory
  http://www.tshirt-factory.com/
  Provides customers with high quality design products for the apparel industry.
• Vector Portal
  http://www.vectorportal.com/
  Everything vector, everything free.
• Vector Stock
  http://www.vectorstock.com/
  Quality stock vector downloads.
  

WEB HOSTING

• ATNET Hosting
  http://atnet-hosting.com/
  Web hosting.
• Drupal Value Hosting
  http://www.drupalvaluehosting.com/
  Premium Drupal hosting at affordable cost.
• Eleven2
  http://www.eleven2.com/
  Web hosting.
• Media Temple
  http://www.mediatemple.net/
  Web Hosting.
• Mosso
  http://www.mosso.com/
  Web hosting for developers.
• Webfusion
  http://webfusion.com/
  Web hosting.

WEBSITE TEMPLATES & BUILDERS

• Dream Templates
  http://www.dreamtemplate.com/
  3,500 Amazing Website Templates.
• Elegant Themes
  http://www.elegantthemes.com/
  Premium WordPress themes.
• Gooey Templates
  http://www.gooeytemplates.com/
  Smart web app UI templates.
• Plug and Press
  http://www.plugandpress.com/
  Wordpress themes.
• Revolution Two
  http://www.revolutiontwo.com/
  Wordpress Themes.
• Site Masher
  http://www.sitemasher.com/
  Build professional websites.
• Templates Factory
  http://www.templatesfactory.net/
  Professional website templates.
• Theme Forest
  http://themeforest.net/
  Buy and sell website templates.
• Woo Themes
  http://www.woothemes.com/
  Premium WordPress Themes.

The “How?,” “Why?” and “What’s next?” of the current financial mess

On Janaury 5th, 2008 The Wall Street Journal released 3 video documentaries about the current crisis in the global economy. The videos feature financial professionals discussing what happened to “the world’s strongest economy” over the last year, why it happened so quicky, why it spread like wildfire throughout the world’s financial institutions and what will have to happen to make it all better.

The videos are shot well and feature good information for anyone who is scratching their head in disbelief and mumbling “How the hell did this happen?,” silently in the corner of their basement. The speakers discuss how the system works and while they don’t really offer a solution, they do admit that they have no idea how to solve this problem. One of them goes so far as to admit they are all basically, “grappling in the dark,” searching blindly for an exit off this road to a depression.

End Of Wall Street: What Happened

Chapter One: In the first of this three-part series, Journal reporters explain how the housing bubble inflated and burst, and why easy money led to the collapse of Wall Street’s biggest financial institutions.

End Of Wall Street: Why It Happened

Chapter Two: What was going through the minds of CEOs, corporate boards, fund managers and mortgage lenders as they created hard-to-understand derivatives Warren Buffett once called “weapons of financial mass destruction.”

End Of Wall Street: What Happens Next

Chapter Three: This final chapter of the crisis on Wall Street tells the story of the $700-billion bailout, as seen through a reporter’s eyes, and looks at what’s ahead for the global economy.

I hope these videos informed you a little about the crisis. WSJ has a great videos section full of information videos. Have a look!

In these tough economic times…

In an era of clichés, “In these tough economic times…” is the king of them all. True, we are going through a global recession/mini-depression but we didn’t cause this; criminal misuse of corporate funds and bad management did. If you’re unemployed, take the time you spend sitting in your recliner and eating garbage fast-food to focus on your life and where you are going. Sounds stupid right? Hear me out.

I’m a graphic designer and lost my job, so? I know I’m not alone. I am using this time to meet other like-minded people, go to (free) networking events, work on my portfolio and build up my network. If you’re like me, go to MeetUp.com and look for such events in your area! You are on Facebook all day, why not join design groups and post your work for critique? AIGA and GAG are on there! Why not get on LinkedIn and search for people in the companies you wish you could work for and connect with them? Set up informational meetings, you never know where they may lead! Get out there, get your name known, connect with old college/work buddies and try to make moves. You know work would’ve been boring now anyway, it’s the holidays. And if you are applying and don’t hear back from anyone, remember it’s the holidays. All the people you are sending your resumé to are probably on vacation.

This state of mind can be applied to anyone, in any profession. You need motivation, and it has to come from inside you. You need to want that job you dream about. Go get it.

Have a patience, develop yourself, prepare your work and make a kick-ass resumé, build a guerilla campaign that will capture the attention of whoever sees your work and make Winter 2009 your new launchpad for the future of your career.

ChristoX

Happy 60th Birthday, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Wednesday, December 12th, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  which guaranteed the political and civic rights of all people, including the right to freedom from torture, slavery, poverty, homelessness and other forms of oppression.

Remembering what this document stands for is so important, especially now! Considering the current world economic crisis, war torn countries, oppression by corrupt governments, and general unrest and desire for change.

Most people assume these rights were always there, but they weren’t. Larry Cox, director of the human rights group Amnesty International USA, says “It came out of the horrors of World War II, the Great Depression and, of course, the indescribable horrors of the Holocaust that made the world realize that something had to be said about basic human rights. It was no longer a question of individual states doing whatever they want to for their citizens, because the way that governments treat their citizens affects the whole world and especially the peace and security of the whole world.”

We need to bring change but not through brainless violence. We need to use our intelligence, ingenuity, and logic. That is what makes us human.

The UDHR is a “living” document. It is something to be fought for, celebrated and fulfilled every single day.

Don’t sleep. Mobilize. Change.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

	(other language versions | Human Rights Day 10 December | 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
	Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the full text of which appears in the following pages. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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