A disgraced Catholic bishop who was accused of visiting a notorious Mexican mega-brothel 12 times in one month was abruptly arrested on his way out of the country.
Bishop Emanuel Shaleta, 69, was detained at San Diego International Airport on Thursday after church members accused him of pocketing up to a million dollars from the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, Shaleta was charged with eight counts of embezzlement, eight counts of money laundering and one enhancement of ‘aggravated white collar crime.’
The Pillar previously reported that the bishop was expected to travel to Rome this week.
A church member originally contacted police with accusations against Shaleta in August 2025.
The Vatican ordered an investigation alongside the Sheriff’s department after allegations of financial fraud and personal misconduct came to light.
Investigators alleged that Shaleta took at least $427,345 from parish accounts, issuing so-called reimbursement checks that he signed himself.
Shaleta was also allegedly seen frequenting a Gentleman’s Club in Tijuana that has been described as a brothel where women and girls have allegedly been trafficked and forced to work.
UPDATE: Almost all humans become slaves to their metacognitive content, whatever that may be. In the video above, all participants are beholding (or pretending to behold) Jesus as the top of their metacognitive content. In Iran, political leaders are beholding something else at the top of their metacognitive content. In Israel, leaders are beholding something else. All three of these religions sprang from an inchoate Abrahamic tradition. Among these three, there are numerous further divisions and subdivisions. I believe there is not a single Catholic in the room above. Prayer is good and I am glad they are praying. I am not trying to dump on anyone, but do want to mention that Buddhism is different from all other religions in that it enjoins us (more or less) to not behold, or hold, anything at the top of our metacognitive content. This is the area the Buddha refused to describe, define or answer questions about. Why is that? It is because reifying top metacognitive content, holding it as absolute truth, is to retreat from its true reality; believing you absolutely know what God wants, however you put that, is a hindrance to fully experiencing Ultimate Reality, which you can call God if you want. The Buddha did not even use the term Ultimate Reality. He left the top metacognitive category blank, to be filled only by your own individual experience. For the fun of it, no matter how you see yourself, try throwing all of it out, leaving nothing at the top of your metacognition — no content, no identity, no self, no pride, no gods, no Buddha. Then go outside and walk around. Notice how easy it is to function perfectly well after replacing your habitual metacognitive prison with pure experience. ABN
For decades, we’ve been looking to the skies for any sign of aliens – but it turns out we may have been missing attempts at contact.
A new study has cast doubt on our radio signal detection methods, arguing that ‘space weather’ could be distorting incoming transmissions.
Until now, most experiments have focused on identifying spikes in radio frequency – signals unlikely to be produced by any other natural processes in space.
But experts have highlighted an overlooked complication.
Even if an extraterrestrial transmitter produces a perfectly narrow radio signal, it may not remain narrow by the time it leaves its home star’s atmosphere.
This distortion, which happens near the point of origin, can ‘smear’ the signal’s frequency, meaning it can be missed by our detectors that are primed to search for more focused radio waves.
‘Searches are often optimized for extremely narrow signals,’ Dr Vishal Gajjar, astronomer at the SETI Institute and lead author of the paper, said.
‘If a signal gets broadened by its own star’s environment, it can slip below our detection thresholds, even if it’s there, potentially helping explain some of the radio silence we’ve seen in technosignature searches.’
Bimanual classic: Write numbers 1-20 (left hand) + alphabet A-T (right hand) at once, no rhythm. Builds flexibility; dual-task studies show prefrontal gains.
Here are several additional evidence-based dual-attention switching exercises (also called dual-task or task-switching activities) that rely purely on your body, voice, simple household objects, or mental effort—no apps, devices, or technology required. These build on prefrontal cortex engagement, executive function (like flexibility, inhibition, and working memory), and motor-cognitive coordination, similar to the ones mentioned earlier. Many draw from physical therapy, neurorehabilitation, and aging/fitness research showing benefits for attention switching, balance, and cognitive reserve.
Perform each for 1–5 minutes per set, 3–5 sets a few times per week. Start easier and gradually increase difficulty (e.g., faster pace, longer duration, or more complex cognitive elements). Safety first—use support if needed for balance tasks.
Walking + Serial Subtraction / Backward Counting Walk at a steady pace (indoors or outdoors) while counting backward by 3s, 7s, or another number from 100 or 200 (e.g., 100 → 97 → 94…). Variations: Name months of the year backward, recite the alphabet skipping every other letter, or list items in a category (animals, cities) while walking. This is a classic motor-cognitive dual task that improves gait stability, executive function, and attention switching, especially effective in studies on older adults.
One-Leg Balance + Verbal Fluency or Alphabet Recitation Stand on one leg (hold a chair or wall lightly for safety if needed) while reciting the alphabet backward, spelling words backward (e.g., your name or common words), naming as many items as possible in a category (fruits, tools), or counting backward from 50 by 2s. Switch legs after each set. This targets balance + rapid cognitive flexibility and is frequently used in dual-task balance training protocols.
Ball Toss + Category Naming / Word Association Toss a soft ball (tennis ball, rolled-up sock, etc.) up and catch it repeatedly with one or both hands while naming items in a category (e.g., vegetables, movies), saying words that start with a specific letter, or alternating categories every few tosses. Solo version: Bounce it against a wall or floor. Partner version: Toss back and forth while keeping the verbal task going. This combines hand-eye coordination with verbal fluency and quick switching—very common in cognitive-physical dual-task programs.
Marching in Place + Head Turns or Directional Commands March in place (high knees if able) while slowly turning your head side to side or up/down, or follow self-given commands like “left, right, forward, back” (pointing or saying directions). Add counting backward or naming opposites (hot/cold, up/down). This works vestibular input + attention shifting and appears in many balance + cognitive dual-task routines.
Tandem Walking / Heel-Toe Line Walk + Mental Math or Memory Recall Walk heel-to-toe in a straight line (like on an imaginary tightrope) while doing simple mental math (e.g., add/subtract serial numbers), recalling a short shopping list backward, or reciting a poem/lyrics from memory. This challenges dynamic balance and working memory/attention switching simultaneously.
Bimanual Coordination + Auditory-Verbal Switching (No Sound Needed) Perform alternating hand movements (e.g., one hand taps thigh while the other makes circles in the air, then switch) while naming days of the week backward or alternating between two categories (e.g., “boy name → girl name → boy name…”). This is a pure motor + cognitive switch task that trains bilateral coordination and rapid task alternation.
These are straightforward, free, and adaptable to different fitness levels. Research (including reviews in journals like Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience and PMC sources on dual-task interventions) shows consistent gains in executive function, reduced dual-task interference, and better real-world multitasking from regular practice. Track your progress—many people notice easier daily switching (e.g., conversations while moving) after a few weeks. If you have any balance or mobility concerns, check with a healthcare provider first. Which type appeals most, or want tweaks for a specific goal?
The FBI claims a rifle was fired from 142 yards away at a UVU event.
So we did something no one else has done — we used the physics of light vs. sound across 6 independent cell phone recordings to measure the actual distance to the source.
Light arrives instantly. Sound at 343 m/s. The delay = the distance.
Expected delay at 142 yards: 379ms Measured delay: 35ms
It looks like the sound of the shot was merely sound effect used to make it appear Kirk was killed by a rifle shot from the roof. Imo, Bray’s work on the weapon used to kill Charlie is the best to date. ABN
…President Trump proactively secured the border, targeted narcotraffickers, confronted narcoterrorists, targeted Mexican drug cartel leadership, leveraged the DOJ to indict regional actors, pushed China out of control in the Panama Canal, took out Nicholas Maduro, took control of Venezuela oil production – both for the security of the U.S. and benefit of the Venezuelan people, removed the discounted oil benefit for China and reasserted stability in the Western hemisphere.
Then, with all that in place, he turned toward Iran…. but, proactively planned for a ‘Shield of the Americas Summit’ before the Iran operation began and scheduled it while Operation Epic Fury continues.
This is but a snippet from a longer article which is well-worth reading. I largely agree with the snippet above and with what Trump appears to be doing in the Western Hemisphere so far. The timing of Trump’s actions is also appropriate, but the author of this essay seems to agree with the attack on Iran. I respect the website this essay comes from and view it every day because it often has good insights into USA politics. At the same time, Jewish Supremacy and its roles in USA and US policy is never mentioned. This is unfortunate and could be due to habitual blinders or something else. In today’s world Jewish Supremacy and its terrible harms to USA and the world cannot reasonably be ignored. One could say that JS and its followers have the power and opportunity to conquer Iran and Russia, so let them do it. That is not an entirely irrational thing to say. I am not in that camp, but this is a Kill-Or-Be-Killed (KOBK) world at the top and that is how the world has always been. A KOBK analysis of what is happening is a deep and gruesome one, but KOBK is also the very nature of elite reality. JS and others going for world domination probably see themselves as Alexander the Great, which if they succeed would sort of be true. It’s always a good idea to see any event from all points of view, including the JS POV. ABN
After years of clearing up my mind, I noticed that my inner voice sometimes uses short phrases to bring negative trains of thought to an end. It was a habit I was aware of but had never given any thought to.
The phrases are not pretty; e.g. “I hate them all,” “fuck them,” “who cares about assholes like that,” etc.
My guess is this kind of inner speech is not uncommon. I was using it to end various lines of thought that had wandered into painful territory.
Having a clearer mind today or at least believing I did, I decided that when phrases or words like that came up again, I would not let them shut off my thoughts as I had been doing. Rather I would let the thoughts continue, explore what was there.
What I found is a bunch of old memories and emotions that were fairly easy to clean up. They were not so much repressed as not having been visited for many years. The nasty phrases were like labels in an old, unused filing cabinet.
About half the material was out of date and easy to toss. Another one-quarter was pertinent but was stuff I had dealt with in other ways and was thus redundant.
Only about a quarter of the material lying behind those nasty phrases deserved more thought.
In some of the most interesting cases, I realized that I was letting someone off too easy by hiding their behavior inside a neutral memory. They actually had been horrible but I had been too young to understand (narcissists, for example). Analyzing that stuff over again in a more mature mind was a bit of a chore, but the results have been good, even refreshing.
The process is ongoing. It does resemble cleaning an attic or an old filing cabinet. The stuff I found behind those nasty phrases was not all the stuff from my past. It was just stuff where I was blaming someone or feeling angry about something or had been harmed by someone. The bad stuff I’ve done is elsewhere in my mind.
I am struck by several things concerning those phrases and what lay behind them. One is a lot of that material dates back to childhood and early adulthood. It was not so much unconscious as not having been visited for a long time. Though most of it does not have strong emotional valence, some of it is very revealing because it brings together memories that had been disconnected, leading me to understand dramas or aspects of experience I had not understood before even though I had lived them. I also notice that it was just a few words that closed off those “files.”
The power of words to command silence in the mind is enormous.
I had been dismissing all that material with just a few words whenever I didn’t feel like going there, which was every time. After not going there for many years, it was refreshing to poke around and rearrange those parts of my mind. I am quite sure I freed up some memory space and removed some snags in my thinking by dealing with that stuff. I also see new patterns within my general sense of my past, patterns with better explanatory power, both truer and more concise.
I see our minds as having a structure sort of similar to language or a forest. Trees of ideas, memories, and feelings grow and change. It’s good to remove some of them sometimes, put the space to better use. Buddhist practice is very helpful in endeavors like this. Rather than get all worked up with Freudian passions and delusions, we can simply observe, dismiss, refile, erase, upgrade, or reimagine as needed based on our capacities and understanding of what’s best.
Our bhavanga or “storehouse consciousness” contains memories, pictures, ideas, words., explanations They flow along with us, in many ways are us. When the mind is clear, a lot of that material can be rearranged for the better. There aren’t many rules for that. Just do your best.
Personally, I see all of the Abrahamic religious variations as being unwise and potentially dangerous.
All religions and extremist politics, such as communism and woke, occupy the top cognitive levels of the mind; and for that reason lend themselves to fanaticism and consensus bias.
Christian-Zionists and many evangelical sects have been infiltrated by Jewish Supremists, who even dare to change the Bible and its Christian interpretations.
Buddhism has its problems, but three features of Buddhism are very wise and largely protect the tradition: 1) Buddhism does not take any written words to be God’s words, and thus subject to fanatical misinterpretations. 2) The Buddha always said he was just a man and not a god. 3) It is considered very bad conduct for Buddhists to claim to be enlightened when they are not.
As for Buddhism being ‘Godless’, that’s not true. Buddhism holds the position of ‘having no belief’ about the nature of Ultimate Reality because to do so is to retreat from it. Humans are not smart enough to say what it is but can experience it.
Buddhism is a rich and ancient philosophy. It is the foundation of Greek skepticism, but not limited to skepticism’s intellectual paradigm. Pyrrho took what he could understand from Buddhist monks in Bactria about 100 years after the Buddha’s passing.
Buddhism: No scriptures claiming to be the Word of God. No proselytizing, only welcoming those who come on their own. Strong focus on individual responsibility, which prevents the weakness Buddhists perceive in Christians or the craziness we see in religious fanatics of all stripes.
I’m just one person. What I have written is an extemporaneous response to the videos above and how they capture a slice of the terrifying nonsense in the world today.
I know a good deal about Jewish Supremacy, so I write about it often. Gaza and the public assassination of Charlie Kirk, and now the Epstein files and war with Iran, have shown millions how our world really works, how evil has burrowed so deeply into all of our institutions. ABN
The Kurdish militias, based across the border in Iraq, began the offensive in northwestern Iran on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump on Sunday night spoke with the heads of Kurdish militant groups in Iraq to discuss the situation in Iran.
The CIA was exploring plans to arm the Kurdish forces with the aim of sparking a popular uprising in Iran, CNN reported Tuesday.
The Kurdish groups are widely seen as the most well-organized segment of the fragmented Iranian opposition and are believed to have thousands of trained fighters.
Their entry into the war could pose a significant challenge to the besieged authorities in Tehran and could also risk pulling Iraq further into the conflict.
Asked earlier about Kurdish involvement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters: ‘None of our objectives are premised on the support or the arming of any particular force.
‘So, what other entities may be doing, we’re aware of, but our objectives aren’t centered on that.’
My guess is the US/Israeli goal is to divide Iran into smaller nations, which will be easier for them to control, while also posing less of a threat to Israel. The Ukraine War has been a similar event in that the ultimate goal is to dismember Russia and divide it into smaller nations. ABN
UPDATE: Most analysts are saying it is not possible for Israel/USA to break up Iran into smaller countries. Or to do that to Russia. But the long-term NATO encroachment against Russia has fundamentally had that goal in mind since the fall of the Soviet Union. We see the same goal for Iran today. I do see how they have failed in Ukraine and are failing in Iran, but their ace card is to use nukes in Iran and see what happens after that vis-a-vis Russia. The elitists doing this are hellbent on world domination and are still going for it now, just as they have been all along. In their minds, there is nothing to stop them from using nukes. Indeed, it seems probable that their strategy is to allow Iran to cause so much damage in Israel and the Gulf states that using nukes will strike many as a good move. At the core of this onslaught lies Jewish Supremacy, a hardheaded self-deceiving fanatical meta-cognitive doctrine couched in intransigent religious terms. Thirty to fifty million Americans have fallen for it along with a majority of Jews, many of whom have deeply infiltrated USA. ABN
American Buddhist Net 