SUSPACK

Hell Freezes Over - I Actually Agree With Ann Coulter

2012-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Conservative pundit Ann Coulter laid into GOP candidate Newt Gingrich and those in South Carolina who voted for him in the state's primary on Saturday.

Coulter appeared on Fox News' weekend edition of "Fox and Friends" on Sunday. Coulter, who staunchly supports GOP candidate Mitt Romney, criticized South Carolinians for choosing "the emotional satisfaction of a snotty remark toward the president than to beat Obama in the fall." She criticized Gingrich for his debate performances, and said that he "would say things that didn't really make sense. It's what you usually associate with Democrats."

Coulter also defended CNN's John King for asking Gingrich about the recent allegations made by his ex-wife. Coulter said, "John King is a completely fair reporter, an honorable reporter...and Newt Gingrich goes back to the well to attacking the media, and I resent that..."

John King had every right to ask that question and should have asked that question. Gingrich constantly espouses "morality" and "family values;" yet, he doesn't seem to live by his own standards. Further, ABC responded and said Newt out and out lied about ABC not following up. And the "two" witnesses to which Newt referred were his two children from his first marriage (how would they know anyway?).

If the she-devil can call Gingrich the anti-christ, we should all listen!

Maybe there is hope for people on the right and left to get along. I usually send her hate mail.

HAPPY NEW YEAR: YOU CAN NOW BE DETAINED INDEFINITELY

2012-01-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

A day has come which I never expected. The United States has become a police state.

The political press has been abuzz with over the much anticipated signing of the NDAA by Barack Obama on Saturday: this move was not surprising because Obama had already made it clear he would go ahead and enact the law, even though he added some 'stern' language that is supposed to legitimize what some say is a precursor to the establishment of martial law in the US. To wit: "The fact that I support this bill as a whole does not mean I agree with everything in it. In particular, I have signed this bill despite having serious reservations with certain provisions that regulate the detention, interrogation, and prosecution of suspected terrorists." And yet he signed it (full text of Obama's statement on the NDAA, sent while on vacation in Hawaii, can be found here).

Yes MARTIAL LAW!

Where is the Tea Party (those Constitutional proponents) on this issue? What about Libertarians (Ron/Rand Paul)?

The individual rights and freedoms of the People of the US are founded in principles dating back centuries. The presumption of innocence, the right to trial by your peers, the writ of mandamus, etc.

All gone.

We are a nation at war with ourselves based upon the boogyman of terrorism. Do you feel saver now?

Jefferson sums it up best:

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it. - Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 1791.

Anonymous - Safe & Secure?

2011-12-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

Members of the loose-knit hacking movement known as "Anonymous" posted a link on Twitter to about U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor and what they said was Stratfor's tightly-guarded, confidential client list. Among the list: The U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and the Miami Police Department.

If the Army and Air Force can get their security hacked, do you think your information is safe?

Anonymous on Sunday claimed to have stolen a raft of e-mails and credit card data from U.S.-based security think tank Stratfor, promising it was just the start of a weeklong Christmas-inspired assault on a long list of targets.

"Not so private and secret anymore?" the group taunted in a message on the microblogging site.

Wishing everyone a "Merry LulzXMas" – a nod to its spinoff hacking group Lulz Security – Anonymous also posted a link on Twitter to a site containing the email, phone number and credit number of a U.S. Homeland Security employee.

One member of the hacking group, who uses the handle AnonymousAbu on Twitter, claimed that more than 90,000 credit cards from law enforcement, the intelligence community and journalists – "corporate/exec accounts of people like Fox" news – had been hacked and used to "steal a million dollars" and make donations.

Just more proof that you should not believe anyone (hello Facebook, Google, etc.) when they say your information is private.

And if some hackers can get this information, then you have to believe that the Government is getting that information as well. Maybe they even have a file & profile on you (Facebook does if you use Facebook).

Big Brother is watching.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Newt Gingrich - DAS FUHRER

2011-12-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

Fifty years ago this year, one of the most important films of all time came out, Stanley Kramer's "Judgement At Nurembuerg". The movie focused on the trial of four judges who had capitualated to the Executive Branch of Germany in the 1930s and 40s and went in depth to the meaning of their actions in adhering to the political leadership rather than the law of the nation. It

On Sunday, he followed that up by saying he would be willing to arrest a judge who he thought was out of line.

If you had to," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation" when asked if he would send a Capitol Hill police officer to round up a judge, "or you would instruct the Justice Department to send the U.S. Marshal."

"Mr. Speaker," Scheiffer

"I think it depends on the severity of the case," Gingrich replied. "I'm not suggesting that the Congress and the president review every decision. I'm suggesting that when there are decisions ... in which they are literally risking putting civil liberty rules in battlefields.

HEIL HITLER!!!!

OWS Is Not All Criminals & Thugs - Bishop Leads OWS Occupation!

2011-12-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Thank God (figuratively) that someone from the clergy has finally stepped up and said enough is enough!

It is not Christian (nor Muslim Nor most other organized religions) to piss on the poor and anoint the rich our kings and saviours.

Aren't the "meek" suppose to inherit the Earth?

Here's retired Bishop/Occupy Wall Streeter George Packard ascending a ladder that takes him not to a higher spiritual level but to a vacant patch of land owned by Trinity Church. Occupiers want to convert Trinity's property into their next Zuccotti-like encampment—a plan that the church opposes because cleanliness is next to godliness, with emptiness not far behind.

According to the New York Post, Packard ended up getting arrested along with a few dozen other OWS protesters. He wasn't the only clergyman to jump the fence, but he was definitely the most fashionably dressed.

AND TO ALL THE NEIGH SAYERS (YES - ALL OF YOU WHO SIMPLY TRIVIALIZE AND DIMINISH OWS):

I'll leave you to it, but I would like to point out that the tactic of occupying public spaces has overthrown three dictators, completely altered the social and political reality of the Middle East, and, state-side, completely changed the national narrative re: jobs and wealth. If that is failure, what exactly constitutes success?

Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. - Sallust, Roman historian, c. 40 B.C.

MUST READ - 50 Economic Numbers About The US That Are "Almost Too Crazy To Believe"

2011-12-17T12:40:00.000-08:00

The Economic Collapse Blog does a terrific job of periodically putting together a compilation of the scariest data points about the US economy. Today is one such day, and the list of 50 economic numbers presented is indeed, as the author puts it, "almost too crazy to believe"...

IT IS SO SHOCKING IT IS HARD TO FATHOM. Two points which really hit hard (1) A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be "low income" or are living in poverty; and (2) One recent survey found that one out of every three Americans would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.

WE ARE HANGING BY A THREAD!

From the Ecopnomic Collapse Blog:

The following are 50 economic numbers from 2011 that are almost too crazy to believe....

#1 A staggering 48 percent of all Americans are either considered to be "low income" or are living in poverty.

#2 Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be "low income" or impoverished.

#3 If the number of Americans that "wanted jobs" was the same today as it was back in 2007, the "official" unemployment rate put out by the U.S. government would be up to 11 percent.

#4 The average amount of time that a worker stays unemployed in the United States is now over 40 weeks.

#5 One recent survey found that 77 percent of all U.S. small businesses do not plan to hire any more workers.

#6 There are fewer payroll jobs in the United States today than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.

#7 Since December 2007, median household income in the United States has declined by a total of 6.8% once you account for inflation.

#8 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.6 million Americans were self-employed back in December 2006. Today, that number has shrunk to 14.5 million.

#9 A Gallup poll from earlier this year found that approximately one out of every five Americans that do have a job consider themselves to be underemployed.

#10 According to author Paul Osterman, about 20 percent of all U.S. adults are currently working jobs that pay poverty-level wages.

#11 Back in 1980, less than 30% of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40% of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.

#12 Back in 1969, 95 percent of all men between the ages of 25 and 54 had a job. In July, only 81.2 percent of men in that age group had a job.

#13 One recent survey found that one out of every three Americans would not be able to make a mortgage or rent payment next month if they suddenly lost their current job.

#14 The Federal Reserve recently announced that the total net worth of U.S. households declined by 4.1 percent in the 3rd quarter of 2011 alone.

#15 According to a recent study conducted by the BlackRock Investment Institute, the ratio of household debt to personal income in the United States is now 154 percent.

#16 As the economy has slowed down, so has the number of marriages. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, only 51 percent of all Americans that are at least 18 years old are currently married. Back in 1960, 72 percent of all U.S. adults were married.

#17 The U.S. Postal Service has lost more than 5 billion dollars over the past year.

#18 In Stockton, California home prices have declined 64 percent from where they were at when the housing market peaked.

#19 Nevada has had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation for 59 months in a row.

#20 If you can believe it, the median price of a home in Detroit is now just $6000.

#21 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18 percent of all homes in the state of Florida are sitting vacant. That figure is 63 percent larger than it was just ten years ago.

#22 New home construction in the United States is on pace to set a brand new all-time record low in 2011.

#23 As I have written about previously, 19 percent of all American men between the ages of 25 and 34 are now living with their parents.

#24 Electricity bills in the United States have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation for five years in a row.

#25 According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, health care costs accounted for just 9.5% of all personal consumption back in 1980. Today they account for approximately 16.3%.

#26 One study found that approximately 41 percent of all working age Americans either have medical bill problems or are currently paying off medical debt.

#27 If you can believe it, one out of every seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards.

#28 The United States spends about 4 dollars on goods and services from China for every one dollar that China spends on goods and services from the United States.

#29 It is being projected that the U.S. trade deficit for 2011 will be 558.2 billion dollars.

#30 The retirement crisis in the United States just continues to get worse. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 46 percent of all American workers have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, and 29 percent of all American workers have less than $1,000 saved for retirement.

#31 Today, one out of every six elderly Americans lives below the federal poverty line.

#32 According to a study that was just released, CEO pay at America's biggest companies rose by 36.5% in just one recent 12 month period.

#33 Today, the "too big to fail" banks are larger than ever. The total assets of the six largest U.S. banks increased by 39 percent between September 30, 2006 and September 30, 2011.

#34 The six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have a net worth that is roughly equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans combined.

#35 According to an analysis of Census Bureau data done by the Pew Research Center, the median net worth for households led by someone 65 years of age or older is 47 times greater than the median net worth for households led by someone under the age of 35.

#36 If you can believe it, 37 percent of all U.S. households that are led by someone under the age of 35 have a net worth of zero or less than zero.

#37 A higher percentage of Americans is living in extreme poverty (6.7%) than has ever been measured before.

#38 Child homelessness in the United States is now 33 percent higher than it was back in 2007.

#39 Since 2007, the number of children living in poverty in the state of California has increased by 30 percent.

#40 Sadly, child poverty is absolutely exploding all over America. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 36.4% of all children that live in Philadelphia are living in poverty, 40.1% of all children that live in Atlanta are living in poverty, 52.6% of all children that live in Cleveland are living in poverty and 53.6% of all children that live in Detroit are living in poverty.

#41 Today, one out of every seven Americans is on food stamps and one out of every four American children is on food stamps.

#42 In 1980, government transfer payments accounted for just 11.7% of all income. Today, government transfer payments account for more than 18 percent of all income.

#43 A staggering 48.5% of all Americans live in a household that receives some form of government benefits. Back in 1983, that number was below 30 percent.

#44 Right now, spending by the federal government accounts for about 24 percent of GDP. Back in 2001, it accounted for just 18 percent.

#45 For fiscal year 2011, the U.S. federal government had a budget deficit of nearly 1.3 trillion dollars. That was the third year in a row that our budget deficit has topped one trillion dollars.

#46 If Bill Gates gave every single penny of his fortune to the U.S. government, it would only cover the U.S. budget deficit for about 15 days.

#47 Amazingly, the U.S. government has now accumulated a total debt of 15 trillion dollars. When Barack Obama first took office the national debt was just 10.6 trillion dollars.

#48 If the federal government began right at this moment to repay the U.S. national debt at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take over 440,000 years to pay off the national debt.

#49 The U.S. national debt has been increasing by an average of more than 4 billion dollars per day since the beginning of the Obama administration.

#50 During the Obama administration, the U.S. government has accumulated more debt than it did from the time that George Washington took office to the time that Bill Clinton took office.

How can a system work when "the six heirs of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton have a net worth that is roughly equal to the bottom 30 percent of all Americans combined?"

I believe in capitalism, but we are not witnessing capitalism but kleptocracy.

The rich require an abundant supply of the poor. - Voltaire

Las Vegas Police Officer fired 7 Shots with AR-15 in Fatal Standoff with Unarmed Gulf War Vet

2011-12-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

Shoot first, ask questions later. Another sad step backwards in the United Police States of America.

By Associated Press, Published: December 16 | Updated: Saturday, December 17, 3:12 AM

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police had a plan to end an hour-long standoff with an unarmed Gulf War veteran: One officer would fire a non-lethal beanbag shell at the window of the man’s Cadillac, and another officer would follow-up with pepper spray to force the man from the car.

But that plan went awry when another officer fired a military-style assault rifle into the car, killing 43-year-old Stanley Lavon Gibson, police said Friday.

“Almost immediately after the beanbag round penetrated the rear passenger window, a second officer discharged seven rounds from an AR-15 rifle, striking and killing Gibson,” police said.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Las Vegas and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada noted that Gibson was the 12th person slain by police this year. Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C., said they were reviewing calls for an investigation of police department policies and practices.

Gibson’s friends and family say he was a troubled veteran suffering from cancer that he blamed on his Gulf War service, post-traumatic stress and anxiety. Witnesses said police stopped him while he was driving his Cadillac slowly through an unfamiliar apartment complex with his emergency flashers activated like he was lost.

The war has started and the military/police machine controlled by the political elite are winning.

Second Day Of Violence Rocks Cairo, 9 Killed - Coming to Your Neighborhood Soon

2011-12-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Maybe I am just the boy who cried wolf! I write about how military/police states work, and most people respond that would never happen here,in the Great US. But wasn't it jut months ago how we all applauded the great "revolution" in Egypt and their call for democracy. And this is here we are today:

(Reuters) - Soldiers beat demonstrators with batons in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday in a second day of clashes that have killed nine people and wounded more than 300, marring the first free election most Egyptians can remember.

Protesters fled into side streets to escape the troops in riot gear, who grabbed people and battered them repeatedly even after they had been beaten to the ground, a Reuters journalist said. Shots were fired in the air.

Soldiers pulled down protester tents and set them on fire, local television footage showed.

Hum? Pulling down tents, haven't I seen that somewhere before?

Between the new Defense Bill (a/k/a any AMERICAN may be labeled a "terrorist" and thrown in the Gulag - so long to free speech) and the new Internet bill (a/k/a I know what is good for you bill and can shut down anything that I deem inappropriate, like Fahrenheit 451), you decide.

JUST REMEMBER - THE BOY DID CRY WOLF TOO OFTEN - BUT THE WOLF DID ARRIVE!

GUARD YOUR LIBERTIES WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

Too many people are only willing to defend rights that are personally important to them. It's selfish ignorance, and it's exactly why totalitarian governments are able to get away with trampling on people. Freedom does not mean freedom just for the things I think I should be able to do. Freedom is for all of us. If people will not speak up for other people's rights, there will come a day when they will lose their own.

It is time for YOU, and everyone you know to stand up for the America we love - tolerant, peaceful, loving, even, dare I say religious (but meaning without imposing one's own ideas on others). That is the America I love and know that you do too! DO NOT GIVE UP!

They tell us, Sir, that we are weak---unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power ... I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! - Patrick Henry , March 1775

Battlefield America - Your Backyard; Friends; Family & Neighbors

2011-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have been warning about the dangers of the new detention bill which will soon be before the President and have said that it APPLIES TO YOU!

I am not alone in that analysis.

As Wired noted on December 1st:

It’s confusing, because two different sections of the bill seem to contradict each other, but in the judgment of the University of Texas’ Robert Chesney — a nonpartisan authority on military detention — “U.S. citizens are included in the grant of detention authority.”

A retired admiral, Judge Advocate General and Dean Emeritus of the University of New Hampshire School of Law also says that it applies to American citizens on American soil.

The ACLU notes:

Don’t be confused by anyone claiming that the indefinite detention legislation does not apply to American citizens. It does. There is an exemption for American citizens from the mandatory detention requirement (section 1032 of the bill), but no exemption for American citizens from the authorization to use the military to indefinitely detain people without charge or trial (section 1031 of the bill). So, the result is that, under the bill, the military has the power to indefinitely imprison American citizens, but it does not have to use its power unless ordered to do so.

But you don’t have to believe me. Instead, read what one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Lindsey Graham said about it on the Senate floor: “1031, the statement of authority to detain, does apply to American citizens and it designates the world as the battlefield, including the homeland.”

Another sponsor of the bill - Senator Levin - has also repeatedly said that the bill applies to American citizens on American soil, citing the Supreme Court case of Hamdi which ruled that American citizens can be treated as enemy combatants:

“The Supreme Court has recently ruled there is no bar to the United States holding one of its own citizens as an enemy combatant,” said Levin. “This is the Supreme Court speaking.“

Is this that America that you know and love?

Under questioning from Rand Paul, another co-sponsor - John McCain - said that Americans suspected of terrorism could not only be indefinitely detained, but could be sent to Guantanamo!

Yes, you could just disappear.

Two retired 4-star generals (Charles C. Krulak and Joseph P. Hoar) write in the New York Times:

One provision [in the bill] would authorize the military to indefinitely detain without charge people suspected of involvement with terrorism, including United States citizens apprehended on American soil. Due process would be a thing of the past.

NO DUE PROCESS = POLITICAL PRISONERS.

Congressman Ron Paul says that it will establish martial law in America.

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence assessment was published to the Internet this week, warning that opposition to federal government policies could foment a resurgence of "rightwing extremism." The DHS report is the latest indication that many law enforcement agencies regard advocacy groups as intelligence targets and lawful political dissent as a potential sign of terrorism.

Yes, exercise your right to free speech and free assembly, then you can be deemed a "terrorist" and you loose every right given to you by the Constitution of the United States.

Some conservatives and libertarians take the report as an indictment of their values. However, this is not a left-versus-right issue, and those blogs framing it that way are missing the point. Rather, the real problem is figuring out how lawful dissent squares with efforts to fight terrorism and the persistent inability of domestic intelligence agencies to adequately draw the distinction.

Too many people are only willing to defend rights that are personally important to them. It's selfish ignorance, and it's exactly why totalitarian governments are able to get away with trampling on people. Freedom does not mean freedom just for the things I think I should be able to do. Freedom is for all of us. If people will not speak up for other people's rights, there will come a day when they will lose their own.

That day is TODAY!

“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. - Voltaire”

Military Prisons for Political Dissenters (You or Your Family) - Don't Believe What You Read.

2011-12-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

With much fanfare, House and Senate negotiators late Monday agreed to a sweeping $662 billion defense bill that requires military custody for terrorism suspects linked to al-Qaida, including those captured within the U.S., and indefinite detention without trial for some suspects.

The issue of how to handle captured terrorist suspects has divided Obama's senior national security officials and Congress as well as Democrats and Republicans.

The bill would require that the military take custody of a suspect deemed to be a member of al-Qaida or its affiliates and who is involved in plotting or committing attacks on the United States, with an "exemption for U.S. citizens" which may be waived.

The legislation would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation's borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention. The lawmakers made no changes to that language.

"The so-called `changes' to the detainee provisions that came out to conference are cosmetic at best," said Raha Wala of Human Rights First. "They do little to fix the underlying problems with the bill. The president has no choice now but to veto, both for the sake of our national security and the rule of law."

The catch-all phrase "the war on terrorism", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against "criminal gangsterism". Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against a tactic. It's deliberately vague and non-definable in order to justify and permit perpetual war anywhere and under any circumstance. -

Congressman Ron Paul, Republican, 14th district Texas, from a speech given on the house floor, 2007

Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Letter (23 January 1861), published in Lord Acton and his Circle (1906) by Abbot Gasquet, Letter 24

WELCOME TO THE UNITED POLICE STATES OF AMERICA. DO AS YOU ARE TOLD, LEAST YOU BE DEEMED A "TERRORIST."

How Do You Know When Your Republican Boyfriend’s Gay?

2011-12-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

OK, so I was in a crazy mood this morning. I think you will agree that the following, while not scientific, is damn funny. Laughter is good for you in the morning.

From Gawker:

Ladies, today we learned that finding a man ain't always easy. Especially if he is a man who won't ever admit that he is gay! If only there was some fool proof way, some kind of test to put to your perspective man-in-waiting to decipher his sexuality. Fortunately for us, one commenter is a scientist.

From robbiebobo:

Hey Single Ladies! Wondering if that boy who just can't seem to catch your hints is looking to be another sort of catcher?
Here's a helpful quiz to help you sort it out.
1. Does he love musicals? Do you sometimes catch him singing them or crying to himself saying "Elpheba?"
2. Does he watch football, drink beer, and have difficulty opening up emotionally?
3. Does he want to have sex with other men?
If you answered yes to number 3, time to move on, gurrl!
(The other two don't actually matter.)

Well there you have it! If the sight of your 'gina is loathsome to your man, well, I'd say that's a deal breakah!

But Gawker only went so far.

First clue. He is a "conservative christian" zealot who clearly says do as I say not as I do. (Unfortunately that encompasses so many reptiles (I meant Republicans) that it is not a great help.)

Second clue, they adamantly believe that having any sort of feelings for men (other than outrageous LOVE of football, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. players) is immoral and disgusting. Darn it, that doesn't help either.

What about:

Bachmann - And I just wanted to help those sinners, those nasty, dirty, young, firm, flexible, ripped... what were we talking about again?

Oh, right. I want to round up all the young gay men and bus them to my place where I will labor over them day and night. You can keep the lesbians and the bears.

And I just wanted to help young men with meth addictions through their hard times. I also wanted to get down on my knees, every day, and feel the good Lord's salvation all over my face. So sue me.

And sometimes I just can't find anything better than the Holy Scriptures to justify sexual behaviors of a certain type...

Me? I'm just looking for someone to carry my excess baggage.

Get on your knees, my child.

Larry Craig -- I know, sometimes I just like to go to public men's rooms and do stuff, like talk about the weather.

DAMN - THOUGHT I HAD AN ANSWER.

Ponzi Scheme That Makes Maydoof Look Like A Saint - Re-hypothecation.

2011-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday an article in Reuter made me very nervous. It is rare that an organization that touts itself as "the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals" makes a statement that something is "frightening" and that a Eurozone default could be "apocalyptic."

I am not a not a professional investor, instead I rely on others to help me with investing decisions and I try and read and keep abreast of what is going on in the business world. But nothing prepared me for this story. It strikes at the very core of our financial world and makes me think that we only thought we might be safe. In fact, it appears that the "scheme" created called "re-hypothecation" is a bigger ponzi scheme than even that of , Bernard "Bernie" Maydoof.

Reuters' Christopher Elias has written an article that simply must be read, MF Global Global and the great Wall St re-hypothecation scandal. He reports:

To date, reports have been focused on how Eurozone default concerns were provoking fear in the markets and causing liquidity to dry up....Most have been focused on how a Eurozone default would result in huge losses in Eurozone bonds being felt across the world’s banks. However, re-hypothecation suggests an even greater fear. Considering that re-hypothecation may have increased the financial footprint of Eurozone bonds by at least four fold then a Eurozone sovereign default could be apocalyptic.

Is "apocalyptic" (a term which originally referred to a revelation of God's will, but now usually refers to belief that the world will come to an end time very soon, even within one's own lifetime) too strong a word? Does it strike fear in your heart? If this article just from anyone, perhaps. Regardless, it is enough to have made me realize (yet again) that everything is not as it seems.

How could this possibly affect you or me? What if I told you that it has already affected us. From Reuter:

This is exactly what Lehman Brothers did through Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (LBIE), an English subsidiary to which most U.S. hedge fund assets were transferred. Once transferred to the UK based company, assets were re-hypothecated many times over, meaning that when the debt carousel stopped, and Lehman Brothers collapsed, many U.S. funds found that their assets had simply vanished.

A prime broker need not even require that an investor (eg hedge fund) sign all agreements with a European subsidiary to take advantage of the loophole. In fact, in Lehman’s case many funds signed a prime brokerage agreement with Lehman Brothers Inc (a U.S. company) but margin-lending agreements and securities-lending agreements with LBIE in the UK (normally conducted under a Global Master Securities Lending Agreement).

These agreements permitted Lehman to transfer client assets between various affiliates without the fund’s express consent, despite the fact that the main agreement had been under U.S. law. As a result of these peripheral agreements, all or most of its clients’ assets found their way down to LBIE.

So they can just take your assets and then whatever you think you owned just disappears.

Just how broad is the practice? Does $4,000,000,000,000.00 (4 Trillion Dollars) sound like a small sum? The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has calculated that U.S. banks at the time of Lehman were receiving $4 trillion worth of funding by re-hypothecation. With assets being re-hypothecated many times over (known as “churn”), the original collateral being used may have been as little as $1 trillion – a quarter of the financial footprint created through re-hypothecation.

“Churn” sounds so much nicer than “Ponzi” doesn’t it?

According to Reuter:

With collateral being re-hypothecated to a factor of four (according to IMF estimates), the actual capital backing banks re-hypothecation transactions may be as little as 25%. This churning of collateral means that re-hypothecation transactions have been creating enormous amounts of liquidity, much of which has no real asset backing.

Bernie would be so proud.

What does this hydra we have created for ourselves mean?

[h]ypothecation is when a borrower pledges collateral to secure a debt. The borrower retains ownership of the collateral but is “hypothetically” controlled by the creditor, who has a right to seize possession if the borrower defaults. In investment banking, assets deposited with a broker will be hypothecated such that a broker may sell securities if an investor fails to keep up credit payments or if the securities drop in value and the investor fails to respond to a margin call (a request for more capital).

Re-hypothecation occurs when a bank or broker re-uses collateral posted by clients ... to back the broker’s own trades and borrowings. The practice of re-hypothecation runs into the trillions of dollars and is perfectly legal. It is justified by brokers on the basis that it is a capital efficient way of financing their operations."

Now here is the part Bernie would truly love. Re-hypothecation transactions are off-balance sheet and are therefore unrestricted by balance sheet controls. Whereas on balance sheet transactions necessitate only appearing as an asset/liability on one bank’s balance sheet and not another bank's balance sheet, off-balance sheet transactions can, and frequently do, appear on multiple banks’ financial statements. What this creates is chains of counterparty risk, where multiple re-hypothecation borrowers use the same collateral over and over again. Essentially, it is a chain of debt obligations that is only as strong as its weakest link.

But this ponzi scheme gets even worse.

Under the U.S. Federal Reserve Board's Regulation T and SEC Rule 15c3-3, a prime broker may re-hypothecate assets to the value of 140% of the client's liability to the prime broker.

But in the UK, there is absolutely no statutory limit on the amount that can be re-hypothecated. In fact, brokers are free to re-hypothecate all and even more than the assets deposited by clients. Instead it is up to clients to negotiate a limit or prohibition on re-hypothecation.

Under subtle brokerage contractual provisions, U.S. investors can find that their assets vanish from the U.S. and appear instead in the UK, despite contact with an ostensibly American organization.

Isn’t the idea of a Global Financial System Grand!

Watch for these magic words:

“Consent To Loan Or Pledge You hereby grant us the right, in accordance with Applicable Law, to borrow, pledge, repledge, transfer, hypothecate, rehypothecate, loan, or invest any of the Collateral, including, without limitation, utilizing the Collateral to purchase or sell securities pursuant to repurchase agreements [repos] or reverse repurchase agreements with any party, in each case without notice to you, and we shall have no obligation to retain a like amount of similar Collateral in our possession and control.”

So as you watch the Greeks struggle and riot, just realize it maybe your life savings they are fighting about.

Also ask yourself, who the HELL is suppose to be watching out for us and not the banks?

Huff Post Addresses Militarization Of Police Force - It May Happen To You!

2011-12-05T08:56:00.000-08:00

Huffington Post dares to go where others will not and tackles the issue of Militarization of our Police Force and the potential consequences for you.

SWAT Raids, Stun Guns, And Pepper Spray: Why The Government Is Ramping Up The Use Of Force

But America's police departments have been moving toward more aggressive, force-first, militaristic tactics and their accompanying mindset for 30 years. It's just that, with the exception of protests at the occasional free trade or World Bank summit, the tactics haven't generally been used on mostly white, mostly college-educated kids armed with cellphone cameras and a media platform.

What are the consequences - It may happen to you. From Huff Post:

Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they're fighting a "war," and the consequences are predictable. These policies have taken a toll. Among the victims of increasingly aggressive and militaristic police tactics: Cheye Calvo, the mayor of Berwyn Heights, Md., whose dogs were killed when Prince George's County police mistakenly raided his home; 92-year-old Katherine Johnston, who was gunned down by narcotics cops in Atlanta in 2006; 11-year-old Alberto Sepulveda, who was killed by Modesto, Calif., police during a drug raid in September 2000; 80-year-old Isaac Singletary, who was shot by undercover narcotics police in 2007 who were attempting to sell drugs from his yard; Jonathan Ayers, a Georgia pastor shot as he tried to flee a gang of narcotics cops who jumped him at a gas station in 2009; Clayton Helriggle, a 23-year-old college student killed during a marijuana raid in Ohio in 2002; and Alberta Spruill, who died of a heart attack after police deployed a flash grenade during a mistaken raid on her Harlem apartment in 2003. Most recently, voting rights activist Barbara Arnwine was raided by a SWAT team in Prince George's County, Md., on Nov. 21. The police appear to have raided the wrong house.

Is it worth innocent people dying?

"Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer," says English jurist William Blackstone.

Too many people are only willing to defend rights that are personally important to them. It's selfish ignorance, and it's exactly why totalitarian governments are able to get away with trampling on people. Freedom does not mean freedom just for the things I think I should be able to do. Freedom is for all of us. If people will not speak up for other people's rights, there will come a day when they will lose their own.

“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. - Voltaire”

United Police States of America – Torture to Intimidate Potential Dissenters!

2011-12-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. – Voltaire

Just don’t do it here, in the grand, United States Of America.

If you have been following my posts, you know that I have a grave concerns about how OWS is being treated in the media and how willing so many people are to label OWS protesters as thugs, drug addicts and criminals, and to thereby approve the Government’s efforts to stop free speech. (See You Can't Evict An Idea, Welcome to the United Police States of America, and Resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire).

This is a follow up to those article and is intended to show, again, how Things are not Always as They Seem. What is the crime for which OWS is being arrested? Overnight camping – a misdemeanor, so why the need for para-military operations to arrest non-violent protesters?

And don’t be caught video-tapping the police, you may go to jail for life.

75 Years in Prison For Videotaping Police.

There has been a great deal of media about how “wonderful” the LA Police were in dealing with OWS-LA. But how do we know for sure? The media were assigned designated areas in which they could report (limiting actual reporting of events). And what about what happened after?

This is state terrorism, plain and simple. It is using violence — torture, in fact — to intimidate potential dissenters. If you have any doubt as to that, you must read Yasha Levine’s article from The eXiled.

You can reach him at levine [at] exiledonline.com.. Cross posted from The eXiled.

I finally got home Thursday afternoon after spending two nights in jail, and have had a hard time getting my bearings. On top of severe dehydration and sleep deprivation, I’ve got one hell of pounding migraine. So I’ll have to keep this brief for now. But I wanted to write down a few things that I witnessed and heard while locked up by LA’s finest…

First off, don’t believe the PR bullshit. There was nothing peaceful or professional about the LAPD’s attack on Occupy LA–not unless you think that people peacefully protesting against the power of the financial oligarchy deserve to be treated the way I saw Russian cops treating the protesters in Moscow and St. Petersburg who were demonstrating against the oligarchy under Putin and Yeltsin, before we at The exiled all got tossed out in 2008. Back then, everyone in the West protested and criticized the way the Russian cops brutally snuffed out dissent, myself included. Now I’m in America, at a demonstration, watching exactly the same brutal crackdown…

While people are now beginning to learn that the police attack on Occupy LA was much more violent than previously reported, few actually realize that much—if not most—of the abuse happened while the protesters were in police custody, completely outside the range of the press and news media. And the disgraceful truth is that a lot of the abuse was police sadism, pure and simple:

* I heard from two different sources that at least one busload of protesters (around 40 people) was forced to spend seven excruciating hours locked in tiny cages on a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. prison bus, denied food, water and access to bathroom facilities. Both men and women were forced to urinate in their seats. Meanwhile, the cops in charge of the bus took an extended Starbucks coffee break.

* Everyone on my bus felt her pain–literally felt it. That’s because the zip-tie handcuffs they use—like the ones you see on Iraq prisoners in Abu Ghraib—cut off your circulation and wedge deep through your skin, where they can do some serious nerve damage, if that’s the point. And it did seem to be the point. A couple of guys around me were writhing in agony in their hard plastic seats, hands handcuffed behind their back.

* The 100 protesters in my detainee group were kept handcuffed with their hands behind their backs for 7 hours, denied food and water and forced to sit/sleep on a concrete floor. Some were so tired they passed out face down on the cold and dirty concrete, hands tied behind their back. As a result of the tight cuffs, I wound up losing sensation in my left palm/thumb and still haven’t recovered it now, a day and a half after they finally took them off.

* One seriously injured protester, who had been shot with a shotgun beanbag round and had an oozing bloody welt the size of a grapefruit just above his elbow, was denied medical attention for five hours. Another young guy, who complained that he thought his arm had been broken, was not given medical attention for at least as long. Instead, he spent the entire pre-booking procedure handcuffed to a wall, completely spaced out and staring blankly into space like he was in shock.

* An Occupy LA demonstrator in his 50s who was in my cell block in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center told us all about when a police officer forced him to take a shit with his hands handcuffed behind his back, which made pulling down his pants and sitting down on the toilet extremely difficult and awkward. And he had to do this in sight of female police officers, all of which made him feel extremely ashamed, to say the least.

* There were 292 people arrested at Occupy LA. About 75 of them have been released or have gotten out on bail, according the National Lawyers Guild. Most are still inside, slapped with $5,000 to $10,000 bail. According to a bail bondsman I know, this is unprecedented. Misdemeanors are almost always released on their own recognizance, which means that they don’t pay any bail at all. Or at most it’s a $100.

* That means the harsh, long detentions are meant to be are a purely punitive measure against Occupy LA protesters–an order that had to come from the very top.

All of this for non-violent protesters trying to exercise their right to free speech?

Lubyanka prison, where the KGB beat and tortured opponents of the Soviet regime, was noted for being blank to the outside world. This wasn’t because the secret police wanted to hide the fact they were brutalizing opponents of the regime. It was to keep the threat vague and thereby more fearsome.

The Gestapo, of course, worked almost exclusively at night and its prisons, also, were places where opponents were hidden from view.

Concealment is part of any criminal enterprise. While few people will instantly go to outrage (some will buy into the smokescreen), for most it will be one more step toward rejecting a gang posing as a government.

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent which will reach to himself. - Thomas Paine (1737-1809), Dissertation on First Principles of Government, 1795.

We should be encoring Free Speech, not allowing our Government to use violence to suppress speech.

All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.

Preparing For The Next Crash.

2011-11-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg reports European Stocks Rally After Central Banks Cut Rates on Dollar Swap Lines:

European stocks rallied for their longest stretch of gains in seven weeks as the Federal Reserve and five other central banks lowered the cost of dollar funding and China cut its reserve ratio for banks.

The Fed, Bank of Canada, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank and Swiss National Bank agreed to reduce the interest rate on dollar liquidity swap lines by 50 basis points and extend their authorization through Feb. 1, 2013.

Finance ministers of the 27-nation European Union are meeting in Brussels today to seek agreement on how to temporarily guarantee banks’ bond issuance in order to improve funding conditions for lending. EU leaders agreed last month to provide the guarantees to restore investor confidence in banks.

Basis swaps allow banks to borrow in one currency, while simultaneously lending in another. So the US Fed "swaps" dollars for worthless Euros, so European Banks may borrow dollars from the ECB.
Bloomberg reports ECB Coordinated Policy Action Is ‘Big Deal,’ Blanchflower Says:

The ECB’s measure is a “really big deal,” according to Dartmouth College Professor David Blanchflower. “The fact that these central banks have acted together and said we’ll backstop banks is really big news,” Blanchflower, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, said today at the Bloomberg Markets 50 Summit in New York.

Here is an interesting chart on ZeroHedge that shows what happened the last time there was coordinated swap-line action.

Watch out below!

You Can't Evict An Idea!

2011-11-29T22:54:00.000-08:00

According to the Mayor of Oakland and Justice Dept: Homeland Security Advised Raids On Occupy Wall Street Camps

So the Federal Government is now actively seeking to quell Free Speech and Free Assembly!

Is There Proof of a Financial Elite?

2011-11-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

As you know, I have been writing for sometime about the possibility of a ruling financial elite - a hegemony (see Here, Here and Here).

I said, some may have said I was simply paranoid, but as I said, paranoid until proof shows the facts true.

In a story at Zero Hedge, Hank Paulson Tipped Off The Goldman-Led "Plunge Protection Team" About Fannie Bankruptcy 7 Weeks In Advance, Zero Hedge may have just come out with the smoking gun.
From Zero Hedge:

Today, BusinessWeek's Michael Serrill and Jonathan Neumann have released a blockbuster report based on a FOIA response by the Treasury, which proves that in America rules are only for little people, that this country has been a banana republic for years, that Animal Farm was spot on, and gives excruciating detail of how Hank Paulson tipped off a select group of Goldman diaspora hedge fund managers about the eventual failure of Fannie and Freddie 7 weeks ahead of this information becoming public knowledge. The report basically is a summary of a meeting that took place at the offices of Eton Mindich's Eton Park headquarters on July 21, 2008, 7 days after his famous '“If you have a bazooka, and people know you have it, you're not likely to take it out," speech and 7 weeks before both GSEs effectively filed for bankruptcy and were put into conservatorship. Now if it only ended there it would have been fine - a case of potential criminal collusion between the government (although nothing specific against Paulson as he didn't actually trade: he just made sure his former Goldman colleagues made money), and the 0.00001% in the face of a few multi-billionaires who most certainly did trade on material non-public information sourced by Hank. Where it however gets worse is when one considers the actual role of one Eric Mindich in the hierarchy of the Asset Managers' committee of the President's Working Group on Capital Markets, better known of course as the PPT: a topic we discussed first back in September 2009 when we asked "What Is Goldman Alum Eric Mindich's Role As Chair Of The Asset Managers' Committee Of The President's Working Group?" Back then we did not get an answer. Luckily, courtesy of a fewanswered FOIA requests, some real investigative journalism, and not reporting for the sake of brown-nosing just so one can get soundbites for their next name dropping "blockbuster" and straight to HBO movie, we are starting to get the full picture of just how high in US government the Goldman Sachs controlled "crony capitalist" administration truly runs.***The secretary, then 62, went on to describe a possible scenario for placing Fannie and Freddie into “conservatorship” -- a government seizure designed to allow the firms to continue operations despite heavy losses in the mortgage markets." The gathering comprised some of Wall Street's most storied investors. Mindich, a former chief strategy officer of New York- based Goldman Sachs, started Eton Park in 2004 with $3.5 billion, at the time one of the biggest hedge-fund launches ever. [Dinakar] Singh, a former head of Goldman's proprietary-trading desk, also began his fund in 2004, in partnership with private- equity firm Texas Pacific Group Ltd. Lone Pine's [Stephen] Mandel worked as a retail analyst at Goldman before joining Julian Robertson's Tiger Management LLC, one of the most successful hedge funds of the 1980s and 1990s. He started his own firm in 1997. [Daniel] Och was co-head of U.S. equity trading at Goldman before founding Och-Ziff in 1994. The publicly listed firm managed $28.9 billion in November. One other Goldman Sachs alumnus was at the meeting: Frank Brosens, founder and principal of Taconic Capital Advisors LP, who worked at Goldman as an arbitrageur and who was a protege of Robert Rubin, who went on to become Treasury secretary.

***

No mention?

What a shocker. Perhaps it may have to do with this:

The fund manager who described the meeting left after coffee and called his lawyer. The attorney's quick conclusion: Paulson's talk was material nonpublic information, and his client should immediately stop trading the shares of Washington- based Fannie and McLean, Virginia-based Freddie.The manager who described the Eton Park meeting says he also discussed it with an investigator from the FCIC. The discussion was confirmed by a former FCIC employee.

***

It is safe to say that whatever the committee's true mission was, its stated one was an unmitigated failure. For reference purposes, the full committee consists of the following: Eric Mindich, Chair, Eton Park Capital Management Anne Casscells. AETOS Capital, LLC James S. Chanos, Kynikos Associates Anne Dinning, D. E. Shaw & Co., L.P. Jonathon S. Jacobson, Highfields Capital Management Marc Lasry, Avenue Capital Group Edward A. Mulé, Silver Point Capital Daniel S. Och, Och-Ziff Capital Management Daniel H. Stern, Reservoir Capital Group William Von Mueffling, Cantillon Capital Michael Vranos, Ellington Management Group LLC.

Pardon our hypocrisy, but virtually all of these funds (with the likely exception of Kynikos) would have gotten destroyed had Bernanke, the Chairman of the PWG and the President, decided not to intervene. Zero Hedge concludes that, while they have also been called paranoid "we have a sinking feeling we will have been proven absolutely spot on in our 'paranoid conspiracy theorism' all over again..."

It pays to have friends in high places!

The modern banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process is perhaps the most astounding piece of sleight of hand that was ever invented. Banking was conceived in inequity and born in sin... Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them but leave them the power to create money, and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again... Take this great power away from them, or if you want to continue to be the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.

“I ... place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared... And to preserve (our) independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. - Thomas Jefferson, from a letter to Governor Plumer, July 21, 1816.”

Welcome to servitude!

Santa Claus Packs A Machine Gun or Uzi - Your Choice!

2011-11-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

The Scottsdale Gun Club in Arizona is offering a twist on the annual photo with Santa by allowing rifle-wielding families to pose alongside St. Nick.

On their website, the shooting range advertises the event with a catchy tagline: "Get Your Holiday Picture With Santa And His Machine Guns!"

It never fails, one of these kid's parents will be on the news explaining how they locked the guns and ammo up after the kid blew his head off.

Nothing says the "King of Peace" more than Santa with an Uzi!

I am not religious, but the irony/hypocrisy of Santa with a gun is almost too much to stand.

What a wonderful message to send to your children on a day that is suppose to be about the birth of a savior - tote a gun and dance like Jagger.

If I believed in hell, the Scottsdale Gun Club in Arizona would have reserved their boat ride across the Acheron with Charon so that they could enter the Underworld.

Party on dudes!

The Resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire - The Ruling Elite and its Hegemonic Ideology.

2011-11-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

I recently posted an article about the financial crisis in Europe - The Rise & Fall of The Holy Roman Empire (aka, the European Union) - which outlined why I viewed what is going on in Europe as the most important financial news to currently be following.

And I continue to believe that the situation with the Euro and the European Union will have the most direct impact on financial news for the near horizon. Unfortunately, the news is not good and with each day more reports arise about the possible failure of the Euro and/or the European Union.

But that also got me thinking. As my Blog says, "THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR."

Now I am not a big conspiracy believer, for the simple reason that history has shown that secrets are very hard to keep - especially when one is considering the magnitude of the possible collapse of the Euro and European Union. However, I fervently believe that things are not always as they appear.

People and events can project a false front for some other motive. What is shown on the outside as the veneer, often disguises that which is underneath.

A spat of recent reports, all with a very negative view of outlook for the Euro and European Union, made me wonder if there was something going on behind the scenes, which may be much more sinister than as is suggested. Is it possible that someone or some select group (the financial elite - the oligarchs) are using the politics of fear to obtain an objective which they could not otherwise obtain?

We should all be very familiar with the use of "fear" as a means to obtain an objective. The GOP's "Southern Strategy" is but one example. The call for the war in Iraq due to supposed weapons of mass destruction is but another.

Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of "Emergency". It was a tactic of Lenin, Hitler and Mussolini....

Are the financial elite using the Trojan horse of fear to install a hegemony ideology to gain even greater control of our lives? Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon (leader state/financial elite) rules sub-ordinate states and people by an implied means of power rather than direct military force.

First let's look at some of the news coming out about the potential collapse of the Euro and the European Union.

- Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer who said at a forum in Tokyo:[the Euro] Crisis Has Worsened Significantly

Market stress has intensified and Europe is in a “true financial crisis”

- A Barclays Capital research report last week showed that nearly half of 1,000 investors surveyed thought at least one country will leave the euro in 2012.

- ICAP Plc, the world's largest inter-dealer broker (one that carries out transactions for financial institutions rather than private individuals), ICAP Plc is preparing its electronic trading platforms for Greece's potential exit from the euro and a return to the drachma, senior executives at the inter-dealer broker said Sunday.

- Goldman Sach's Francesco Garzarelli and Huw Pill in a just released report said: "one must also entertain the possibility that the intensification of market tensions and/or deterioration of economic activity reinforce each other feeding ... leading to a vicious downward spiral and, ultimately, to the failure of the Euro project.

- Analysts at UBS, an investment bank earlier this year warned that the most extreme consequences of a break-up include risks to basic property rights and the threat of civil disorder. “When the unemployment consequences are factored in, it is virtually impossible to consider a break-up scenario without some serious social consequences,” UBS said.

But perhaps most alarming is that which is being reported by the British newspaper, The Telegraph.

Britain's Foreign Office Prepares For Riots In Europe; Sees Euro Collapse "When, Not If"

The Telegraph reports that Britain's Foreign Office is advising its overseas embassies to draw up plans to help expats should the collapse of the Euro turn explosive. Almost incredibly, a senior minister has revealed that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is matter of time. British embassies in the eurozone have been told to draw up plans to help British expats through the collapse of the collapse of the single currency, amid new fears for Italy and Spain.

Diplomats are preparing to help Britons abroad through a banking collapse and even riots arising from the debt crisis. The Treasury confirmed earlier this month that contingency planning for a collapse is now under way. A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time.

Recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office instructions to embassies and consulates request contingency planning for extreme scenarios including rioting and social unrest.

So in a very short time we have gone from the media telling us that everything was fine and the Euro was safe, to threats of complete chaos, including rioting and social unrest.

While I have little doubt that the Euro/European Union cannot continue in its present form, I have to question the motivation of the British politicians in confirming this for public consumption since this can only add to fuel to the fire regarding the break up of the Euro/European Union. At a minimum it would seem that this new media blitz is just more intentional political pressure on Germany, quite likely an appeal directly to German people, to fear them into allowing the banking systems to print Trillions of Euros ultimately to be paid for by the German people through taxation.

But what if there is more to this story than meets the eye? What if the purpose of this "emergency" is really a general plan to overcome sovereignty and recreate the Holy Roman Empire with each country as nothing more than a United States of Europe.

Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of "Emergency". It was a tactic of Lenin, Hitler and Mussolini.... . What better way to do it than civil unrest. The sheep will beg for the military and not care about their "rights" if they need food.

As none other than Adolf Hitler wrote:

The art of leadership ... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.... The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category. - Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1925).

History is replete with examples of this. In Italy, the Medici maintained their medieval Tuscan hegemony, by controlling the production of woolens by controlling the Arte della Lana guild, in the Florence city-state. In Holland, the Dutch Republic's 17the century mercantilist dominion was a first instance of global, commercial hegemony, made feasible with its technological development of wind power and its Four Great Fleets, for the efficient production and delivery of goods and services,which in turn made possible its Amsterdam stock market. In France, Louis XIV established French hegemony via, economic,cultural, and military dominance of most of continental Europe (sound familiar?).

And that brings us to today and this new blitz of media about the collapse of the Euro. The use of language can serve as a a means of creating and applying hegemony. The media and Government in the selection of the information it chooses to display, is, intentionally or not, limiting and framing the information which we receive. In this way, the media and Government (controlled by the financial elite) are practicing its influence over us. By subtly using language to frame their message, these groups are able to further control the adoption of their message as our truth.

So is it possible that a hegemonic ideology is being created to resurrect The Holy Roman Empire and eliminate the national sovereignty of European States.

The modern banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process is perhaps the most astounding piece of sleight of hand that was ever invented. With a flick of a pen (typing into a computer) banks create money. Take away that money and they simply create enough money to buy it back again.

The financial elite have made no secret of the fact that they are ENTITLED to be rich.

- We (Banks) have a right to make a profit.

Brian Moynihan, CEO Bank of America, 2011 Source: Money.CNN.com October 5th, 2011

- I am just a banker doing God's work.
Loyd Blankfein, CEO Goldman Sachs, 2009 Source: Wall Street Journal, May 2010

- Banks are the temples of America. This is a holy war. Banks are our religion.

Giannina Braschi, "United States of Banana," AmazonCrossing, 2011.

- Banks do not have an obligation to promote the public good.

Alexander Dielius, CEO Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe Goldman Sachs, January 2010, Source: Wall Street Journal, May 2010

- The process by which banks create money is simple that the mind is repelled.

John Kenneth Galbraith, Money: Whence it came, Where it Went p. 29

So are the financial elite (the banksters, the media conglomerates, etc.) trying to recreate the Holy Roman Empire? Why you might ask?

The rich require an abundant supply of the poor. - Voltaire

While this notion may strike you as greater fiction than a Tom Clancy novel, one must never assume that things are always as they appear.

Welcome to the United Police States of America - Part II - ACTUAL POLICE STATE.

2011-11-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

If you read and tweet, post on facebook or any other social network, this is a story you MUST get out to everyone you know! I am not exaggerating when I say that what is before Congress now will turn the United States of America, with its glorious history, into a Police State/Dictatorship. Our liberty has never been at more peril!

Previously I have posted (see Here and Here ) about what I consider to be "police state" actions against OWS. WHAT IS PROPOSED GOES BEYOND THAT!

Even if you are completely opposed to OWS, you have to read what Congress has proposed and realize that your liberty is at stake.

Congress will vote next week on explicitly creating a police state.

As Zero Hedge http://www.zerohedge.com/ reports:

The American people are paying the price for allowing a few evil men to gain control of our government... We now unquestioningly accept being molested in airports. We shrug as our intelligence agencies eavesdrop on our telephone conversations and emails without the need for a court order. It is now taken for granted that we imprison people without charging them with a crime and assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries with predator drones. Invading countries and going to war no longer requires a declaration of war by Congress as required by the Constitution. The State grows ever more powerful.

The ACLU’s Washington legislative office explains:

The Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.

***

The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world.

***

The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself. The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday.

***

In support of this treasonous bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”

***

The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown.

WHAT THEY PROPOSE IS A POLICE STATE - YOU CAN BE "TAKEN" AND HAVE ZERO, NO, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF PROTECTION.

IT IS A SAD DAY FOR AMERICA!

Every collectivist revolution rides in on a Trojan horse of "Emergency". It was a tactic of Lenin, Hitler and Mussolini....

The art of leadership ... consists in consolidating the attention of the people against a single adversary and taking care that nothing will split up that attention.... The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category. - Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), German dictator. Mein Kampf, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1925)

According to Department of Defense training manuals, protest is considered “low-level terrorism”.

YES, IF YOU EXERCISE THE RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH AND FREE ASSEMBLY YOU COULD NOW BE PUNISHED AS A TERRORIST!

And if you think that doesn't apply to you, what if you protest abortion, the Klu Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, climate change, destruction of our forests or, of course, OWS! You could then be labeled a “terrorists” and all of your rights would be striped from you. No Bill of Right, no Constitution, no Writ of Mandamus - nothing - you would be subject to the laws of the KING.

A FBI memo labels peace protesters as “terrorists”:

2003 FBI memo describes protesters’ use of videotaping as an “intimidation” technique, even though – as the ACLU points out – “Most mainstream demonstrators often use videotape during protests to document law enforcement activity and, more importantly, deter police from acting outside the law.” The FBI appears to be objecting to the use of cameras to document unlawful behavior by law enforcement itself.

The Internet has been labeled as a breeding ground for terrorists, with anyone who questions the government’s versions of history being especially equated with terrorists.

The state of Missouri tried to label as terrorists current Congressman Ron Paul and his supporters, former Congressman Bob Barr, libertarians in general, anyone who holds gold, and a host of other people.

And according to a law school professor and former president of the National Lawyers Guild, pursuant to the Military Commissions Act:

Anyone who … speaks out against the government’s policies could be declared an “unlawful enemy combatant” and imprisoned indefinitely. That includes American citizens.

THERE IS STILL A CHANCE TO STOP IT!

The ACLU notes that there is some hope:

But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.

The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.

Now is the time to stop this treasonous idea. Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

Welcome to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. ACT NOW!

The Rise & Fall of The Holy Roman Empire (aka, the European Union)

2011-11-25T16:17:00.000-08:00

As we all digest our Thanksgiving dinner, now it is time to focus on what may be the unwanted left overs, namely the Holy Roman Empire, now known as the European Union.

The Eurozone situation is approaching a major climax (not a satisfying one). If you have time to follow only one financial story this is the story to follow in the coming days and weeks. Unfortunately, there is a major ongoing political crisis in the EU, with a Eurozone blowup undoubtedly sinking the US economy and any minimal recovery we may be experiencing. On top of that we also face a Chinese hard-landing.

First, enter the Greeks. The terms of the Greek creditor haircut (the "savior of the Euro") have now fallen apart. From Reuters:

"The Greeks are demanding that the new bonds' Net Present Value, -- a measure of the current worth of their future cash flows -- be cut to 25 percent, a second person said, a far harsher measure than a number in the high 40s the banks have in mind. Banks represented by the IIF agreed to write off the notional value of their Greek bondholdings by 50 percent last month, in a deal to reduce Greece's debt ratio to 120 percent of its Gross Domestic Product by 2020."

Second, stocks plunged at the close for the third day in a row to cap the worst Thanksgiving week ever. US equities seemed in a world of their own for much of the day - especially financials - as all the hope and rumors faded and clearly a large number wanted to be flat or short into the weekend. The concerns that European entities are repatriating anything and everything should be very worrisome and the volume into the ES close suggests that fear is growing. As Peter Tchir noted, it is increasingly evident that the only logical conclusion is that we are further away from a solution or agreement in Europe than we have been in a long time.

So what does that mean for you and me? Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid, said "We are fast running out of options.

No sh*t Sherlock.

Charles I (aka Angela Merkel)

But, finally, the ultimate question: the questionable integration of Europe's countries in a union whereby they abdicate their sovereignty to Germany in exchange for the issuance of Eurobonds. It is not only extremely unlikely, it will also come too late according to Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid: "Should we get excited ahead of the treaty changes? The answer is that we are undoubtedly slowly moving closer to the start of a path towards fiscal union. However this process, even if it runs smoothly, will likely be a long, drawn-out, arduous journey. Unfortunately markets are moving at a much, much faster pace and we probably don’t have the time for a slow measured path towards fiscal union."

In other words, even if the ECB, and thus Germany were to relent, the markets can at best hope for a few days rally before risk tumbles off once again, and ... well you know, hell breaks loose.

So The Roman Empire falls yet again and probably bring us with it!

Black Friday - If We Were Only So Excited About Voting.

2011-11-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

The photo below says it all. Americans love to shop and love their deals.

If only we would invest the same amount of enthusiasm into participating in our government. You know, a government by the people and for the people. Instead of participating in OWS or another political forum, we occupy Malls. At least they are getting some exercise.

Is Your Home Really Safe? What If Someone Broke In And NO ONE Cared?

2011-11-24T06:01:00.000-08:00

Is your home really your castle? Can someone just break in and you have no recourse? Does that make you feel safe?

I say f**k NO.

Nevertheless, we have read story after story about the banksters doing just that. Wrong Home. Bank Forecloses on Home with No Mortgage. Bank Refuses Even to Talk About Short Sale. Bank Sends Borrower into HAMP-Created Hall of Mirrors and Forecloses Anyhow.

Makes you wonder how long until the banksters suggest debtor prisons again.

Well in a story recently out, the bank just broke into someone's home and did as they wanted. Yes just broke in (no wonder gun sales are rising).

Enter Nancy Jacobini. A company hired by JP Morgan to manage properties broke into her home while she was inside even though the property was not in foreclosure. Felling safer?

But I have to say the banksters have BIG kahonas. The bank broke in a second time, after Jacobini had filed suit in Federal court. And what exactly was the terrible, horrible thing Ms. Jacobinin was accused of doing by the banksters? The lame excuses made, that she was not paying her utilities and had abandoned the house - which were simply untrue. (instead of bomb shelters we now need safe rooms).

Finally, Jacobini’s attorney, Matt Weidner, obtained a favorable ruling by the judge indicating that the bank’s actions were wrong. The judge simply did not believe bankster’s position that it had broad rights to enter the house (think of being raided on Thanksgiving as Grand-Ma watches in terror as "hoodlum and thugs" (that is what the Government has called non-violent OWS protesters) take your thanksgiving dinner as well as the kitchen sink. (Should we all keep pepper-spray (you know the GOP says after all it is just a food) handy for such interlopers?

The judge looks to the limitations put on the banks’ right to gain access and dismissed JP Morgan’s motion to dismiss. Unfortunately that does not mean poor JP Morgan has yet been convicted of anything.

Do you still ask why there is an OWS?

If it can happen to Nancy Jacobini, it could (may or will) happen to you too!

If you are having lamb today, remember how easily lambs are lead to slaughter. Right now too many of us are lambs, being fooled by the kleptocracy and banksters.

Happy Thanksgiving to us all (yes to the 1% that also includes the rest of the 99%).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T05:30:00.001-08:00

Police State - Photo of the Day!

2011-11-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

If you don't realize we are under a police state, it may be too late.

I fear most public repression. When we prohibit free and unaltered speech we are no no longer free. We are simply living in the cage which was built for us.

The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).

And that is where we are, the government has taken control!

I no longer feel that we, the ordinary American is in control.

I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery. - Jean Jaqueas Rousseau

Remember that. A man without the ability to object, is a slave!

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it. - Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart, 1791.

Danger Danger - Warning Will Robinson

2011-11-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

So I liked Lost In Space as a kid (so did JFK, Jr.)

It is time again for me to raise some points about what is happening in the financial community. I often am asked, so what are you doing? What should I do? Where should I put my money?

I am not a financial expert,but instead rely on a number of people to advise me and I read as much as I can before I make an investment decision. One of the sources that I have found to be the best these days (when nothing makes sense any more) is http://www.zerohedge.com/.

Zero Hedge is funny, irreverent and doesn't put an "establishment" spin on world financial news. I suggest to everyone they should read Zero Hedge as often as possible.

For example, today they have an excellent article about the risk in the banking sector. Be forewarned there is danger ahead Will Robinson.

From Zero Hedge: S&P Pre-Announces The Bank Christmas Massacre

Sovereign credit issues have been front-and-center in terms of recent headlines as cost of funds and the balance between growth and austerity becomes unhinged among the once-upon-a-time risk-free entities. What has had less play very recently is the crisis that is going in the banking systems of the world as investors are as loathed to take any exposure to an opaque and clearly insolvent group of organizations. Credit (and to a lesser degree - equity) markets have shown their disapproval as spreads are as bad (if not worse) than at any time before, and yet the ratings agencies have yet to act - especially in the US. All that is about to change as Reuters gently reminds us that S&P is about to update it bank credit ratings framework. The model is complex by nature but as we have seen time and time again, the agencies tend to lag prices (spreads) and in that case, we can expect downgrades as an early Christmas present.

The impact of a downgrade can be very significant - aside from simply reducing investor appetite for risk (in its simplest form), it can trigger collateral calls and in a world where liquidity is hard to come by, and with the magnitude of funding (and rolling maturing debt) due over the next few quarters, we suspect this will be the catalyst for another leg down in equity prices as they snap back to credit's reality.

Merry Christmas. S&P may do what OWS has yet to achieve.

Money out of Nothing.

2011-11-17T18:45:00.000-08:00

The modern banking system manufactures money out of nothing. The process is perhaps the most astounding piece of sleight of hand that was ever invented. Banking was conceived in inequity and born in sin... Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them but leave them the power to create money, and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again... Take this great power away from them, or if you want to continue to be the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.

This was not written by OWS. Guess who said this and when.

OWS Police State Update - Dorli Rainey, 84-Year-Old Occupy Seattle Protester, Pepper Sprayed In The Face

2011-11-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

So now the "police" find the need to Pepper Spray in the face Dorli Rainey, an 84-Year-Old Occupy Seattle Protester.

Imagine your mother or grand-mother pepper sprayed! They may be carrying bombs or semi-automatic weapons. Mine carry lip-stick and sometimes gum; but you never know. Little old ladies these days are dangerous!!!!!

Rainey was among a group of Seattle protesters scattered by police on Tuesday. A pregnant 19-year-old woman was also reportedly hit by pepper spray Tuesday, The Associated Press reported, though police haven't confirmed the incident.

A priest was also among those pepper sprayed during the protesters' march from their camp at Seattle Central Community College to Westlake Park, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Police officers on bicycles attempted to block the protesters' way. After tensions mounted, the police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

Good, let's clear the streets of priests and pregnant women and old ladies. More room for the Ferrari driving super rich to jet off to St. Barts.

Welcome to The United Police States of America!

2011-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

The three aims of the tyrant are, one, the humiliation of his subjects; he knows that a mean-spirited man will not conspire against anybody; two, the creation of mistrust among them; for a tyrant is not to be overthrown until men begin to have confidence in one another -- and this is the reason why tyrants are at war with the good; they are under the idea that their power is endangered by them, not only because they will not be ruled despotically, but also because they are too loyal to one another and to other men, and do not inform against one another or against other men -- three, the tyrant desires that all his subjects shall be incapable of action, for no one attempts what is impossible and they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny if they are powerless.

Aristotle.

I have written about how I view OWS as just the start of the 99% realizing that they are being systematically controlled and turned into serfs for the ruling oligarchy - the concept of kleptocracy. Just as Aristotle said, the ruling elite will stop at nothing to keep serfs, the 99%, in line.

I have also commented about how the police kept the media far away during their crackdowns in Zuccotti Park (Liberty Park). It happened again last night, clearly to prevent the public from seeing images of their efforts to clear the square. There were reports at the time via the live feed of protesters being tear gassed and dragged away by their arms and legs, and later of the use of pepper spray and batons.

The video below was from this morning, when the police were keeping protesters out of the park.

The protesters show a copy of a court order that protesters be allowed in the park and are (predictably) denied access to the park. Then the police appear to punch a woman (at around 1:45); although, the footage does not show the actual blow - but you can pretty clearly infer from her suddenly being on the ground in obvious pain what happened.

If this is what you see, imagine what happened last night, with no cameras and videos to constrain police aggression.

As reported by http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/

The area around Zuccotti Park was subject last night to a 9/11 level lockdown over peaceful, lawful protests by a small number of people. No credible case has been made by the officialdom that the protestors had violated any laws. Martial law level restrictions were in place. Subways were shut down. Local residents were not allowed to leave their buildings. People were allowed into the area only if they showed ID with an address in the ‘hood. Media access was limited to those with official press credentials, which is almost certainly a small minority of those who wanted to cover the crackdown (the Times’ Media Decoder blog says that journalists are describing the tactics, as we did, as a media blackout). Moreover, reading the various news stories, it appears they were kept well away from the actual confrontation (for instance, the reported tear gassing of the Occupiers in what had been the kitchen, as well as separate accounts of the use of pepper spray and batons). News helicopters were forced to land. As of 10 AM, reader Wentworth reported that police helicopters were out in force buzzing lower Manhattan.

Perhaps even more alarming and insidious in this episode is that there is a “police” officer videotaping protesters. Is there anyone out there who still doesn’t grasp the gravity of this?? This is suppose to be a free country, but with "police" taping protesters it makes one wonder what is next. It is standard procedure in police states world wide to video those opposed to the ruling kleptocracy. Next usually come the "visits" in the night.

That poor blond woman who got punched has paid her dues. She can proudly tell future generations: “I shed my blood for this country!”

The mere fact that those police did such a reprehensible act in full view of cameras tells the tale. They feel invincible and righteous. Classic authoritarian mind set.

It appears that Bloomberg is the bell wether for the rest of the State and Local Authorities. He is ‘pushing the envelope’ against the protesters. The more he gets away with, the more he will try to ‘accomplish.’ The sinister ties of the NYC police administration with the Feds suggests a stepping stone approach will be implemented nationwide. (Or already is so being engaged in.) Today we learned that the Mayors of at least 18 Cities had a joint conference call to discuss "tactics."

Although various right wing tea-party fascists seem to have appropriated this wonderful quotation, I think what we are seeing before us today in Liberty Plaza (and elsewhere around this country) is exactly what Thomas Jefferson was talking about when he wrote the following words:

The British ministry have so long hired their gazetteers to repeat and model into every form lies about our being in anarchy, that the world has at length believed them, the English nation has believed them, the ministers themselves have come to believe them, and what is more wonderful, we have believed them ourselves. Yet where does this anarchy exist? Where did it ever exist, except in the single instance of Massachusets? And can history produce an instance of a rebellion so honourably conducted? I say nothing of it’s motives. They were founded in ignorance, not wickedness. God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The people can not be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is a lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. We have had 13 states independant 11 years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country ever existed a century and a half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our rights to free speech and free assembly are being taken from us before our eyes (when the "police" can't stop the media and protesters from capturing images).

When we saw protesters in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, the Government applauded and defended them. When OWS happens in the US, they are deemed thugs and criminals (as quoted by Aristotle, the first step is "the humiliation of his subjects").

All we are getting and will continue to see on network and cable “news” apparatus is misinformation; that the protests were “dangerous”, and “dirty”, a “public risk”, etc., etc., The police state must be shown up for what they are, (brutal, violent, illegal and undemocratic) and held up in plain view of the public. More peaceful and truthful confrontation is absolutely necessary. I will be there offering up my head to a police club. I just hope someone else gets the video up on youtube.

Remember Aristotle's words " three, the tyrant desires that all his subjects shall be incapable of action, for no one attempts what is impossible and they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny if they are powerless."

Thousands of Students Riot Over Firing of Child Rapist’s Protector

2011-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Thousands of Students Riot Over Firing of Child Rapist’s Protector - sounds horrible.

Most of us would strongly agree that child abuse, especially sexual abuse ruins many lives, the victim, the parents of the victim and, when discovered, the family of the monsters who abused an innocent child.

Because this type of abuse is so devastating for all involved, we as a society must do all that we can to prevent it.

So that is why we call on those that learn of the abuse to come forward immediately and DEMAND strong action be taken. What if it were your child? Could you just sit by and watch people who knew or should have known and not say "you did not do enough?"

Then add the name Joe Paterno and all "hell" breaks out. Let me begin by saying I have no personal animosity to Mr. Paterno and he seems truly remorseful. Mr.Paterno said:

He was "absolutely devastated" by the case, in which his one-time heir apparent, Jerry Sandusky, has been charged with molesting eight boys over 15 years, including at the Penn State football complex.

It actually saddens me to think of someone who has otherwise lead such a distinguished career to have to leave in such way.

HOWEVER, we as a society have no room for anyone who learns of such abuse to remain silent and not demand answers from law enforcement.

By all accounts Mr.Paterno did report to his seniors, but is that enough? Ask yourself how you would feel if it were your child or grandchild.

It is time that as a society we once and for all say NO to child sexual abuse. And that cannot happen until the "protectors", those who fail to report to police, do not step up and demand answers.

It is a travesty and crime what happened to those young boys at Penn State. Mr. Paterno has said he is devastated by the allegations and I believe him.

HOWEVER, this is a call to arms to anyone how has seen or may suspect such abuse to pursue by whatever means available legal review of the allegations.

When we do less, we all become ENABLERS to such crimes.

So to those students protesting, I can only say your anger is misdirected. Think first of the children. Mr. Paterno will survive and go on. What of the victims and their families? Where are your priorities? Football or horrific sexual abuse of children?

College is a time to grow up. Grow up.

Big (Cock) Koch Brothers Explain the Recession

2011-11-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

Must watach video of how the rich get richer and you get screwed by big kochs.

Clever Dog Lovers Create Great Costumes!

2011-11-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Here are some great costumes created by dog owners. I know some people object to dressing up dogs, but my dog is an activist. He dressed up as Ann Coulter. I just put a long blond wig on him and he was a dead ringer. Take that back, he is much more attractive and he is full of love!

George in drag as Ann Coulter:

Other great ideas:

Enjoy.

Iran Nuclear Weaponizing - Next Middle East War On Our Doorsteps?

2011-11-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

According to WaPo, the IAEA is about to report that Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear state. What does that mean for us?

More than likely it will serve as a green light for all of Iran's enemies to launch a pre-emptive strike. Below is some must read commentary from Emad Mostaque of Religare Capital Markets on what this IAEA finding will mean for the region and for the world:

The IAEA report on Iranian weaponization is due to come out earlier than expected on Nov 9th. We maintain our belief that this report is likely to state that Iran close to becoming a full nuclear power and we look at the near term implications in this note.

Nothing new: The report is unlikely to contain much new information, but rather to “connect-the-dots” in line with increasing US/Israeli influence over the IAEA. It is very difficult to prove weaponization absent a mushroom cloud.
Breaking out: We believe that Iran does not intend to create nuclear weapons but are looking to reach “breakout” potential to act as a deterrent. We believe this is 6-12 months away, shifting the balance of power significantly. Iran will continue with its program regardless of international sanctions or pressure.
Oil support, sanctions and attacks: Oil should get more support and take the Brent-WTI spread back toward $20 given the broken nature of that market. The first move may be to sanction the Central Bank of Iran, cutting oil exports and dividend repatriation (negative for MTN and the like). Russia and China will push back on this toward the end of the month, increasing the probability of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities late November/December, which we upgraded to 40% a month ago.

While I believe in the right of each Nation-State to control its own destiny and be free to make political decisions based on the will of its people, I do not see that Iran is making decisions for the general public and do not trust that they would not use such weapons against other nations.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a clear threat to the entire world. Weapons of such mass destruction are a pariah to modern day life, unfortunately one that we can not escape or pretend does not exist.

I see no easy solution, but fear that the next Middle East war is not far at hand.

Extreme Poverty Is Now At Record Levels - Does Anyone Care?

2011-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

Of all subjects upon which I speak, none is more personal than the plight of the poor and average American. Why? I feel extremely fortunate in that I had opportunities and the system worked for me. But when I look around and see so many people struggling it breaks my heart.

This is America - we should be better than this. Where are all the "conservative Christians" on this? Doesn't the Bible say the meek shall inherit the Earth (What, are you just waiting and letting them suffer until they do?)?

Today, there are many Americans that openly look down on the poor, but that should never be the case. We should love the poor and want to see them lifted up to a better place. The truth is that with a few bad breaks any of us could end up in the ranks of the poor. Compassion is a virtue that all of us should seek to develop.

Sadly, the wealthy and the poor are being increasingly segregated all over the nation. In some areas of the U.S. you would never even know that the economy was having trouble, and other areas resemble third world hellholes. In most U.S. cities today, there are the "good neighborhoods" and there are the "bad neighborhoods".

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a higher percentage of Americans is living in extreme poverty than they have ever measured before. In 2010, we were told that the economy was recovering, but the truth is that the number of the "very poor" soared to heights never seen previously. Back in 1993 and back in 2009, the rate of extreme poverty was just over 6 percent, and that represented the worst numbers on record. But in 2010, the rate of extreme poverty hit a whopping 6.7 percent. That means that one out of every 15 Americans is now considered to be "very poor".

Courtesy of Michael Snyder of Economic Collapse , the following are 19 statistics about the poor that will absolutely astound you....

#1 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of "very poor" rose in 300 out of the 360 largest metropolitan areas during 2010.

#2 Last year, 2.6 million more Americans descended into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.

#3 It isn't just the ranks of the "very poor" that are rising. The number of those just considered to be "poor" is rapidly increasing as well. Back in the year 2000, 11.3% of all Americans were living in poverty. Today, 15.1% of all Americans are living in poverty.

#4 The poverty rate for children living in the United States increased to 22% in 2010.

#5 There are 314 counties in the United States where at least 30% of the children are facing food insecurity.

#6 In Washington D.C., the "child food insecurity rate" is 32.3%.

#7 More than 20 million U.S. children rely on school meal programs to keep from going hungry.

#8 One out of every six elderly Americans now lives below the federal poverty line.

#9 Today, there are over 45 million Americans on food stamps.

#10 According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 15 percent of all Americans are now on food stamps.

#11 In 2010, 42 percent of all single mothers in the United States were on food stamps.

#12 The number of Americans on food stamps has increased 74% since 2007.

#13 We are told that the economy is recovering, but the number of Americans on food stamps has grown by another 8 percent over the past year.

#14 Right now, one out of every four American children is on food stamps.

#15 It is being projected that approximately 50 percent of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point in their lives before they reach the age of 18.

#16 More than 50 million Americans are now on Medicaid. Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, approximately one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.

#17 One out of every six Americans is now enrolled in at least one government anti-poverty program.

#18 The number of Americans that are going to food pantries and soup kitchens has increased by 46% since 2006.

#19 It is estimated that up to half a million children may currently be homeless in the United States.

In this day and age, it is absolutely imperative that we all think for ourselves, and that we have compassion on our brothers and sisters. Winter is coming up, and if you see someone that does not have a coat, don't be afraid to offer to give them one.

All over the United States (and all around the world), there are orphans that are desperately hurting. As you celebrate the good things that you have during this time of the year, don't forget to remember them.

As my readers know I do not believe in formalized religion or their notion of god, but I do believe in mankind and believe in a quote attributed to Jesus "Whatever you do unto the least of my brethren, you do unto me".

Idiot of the Day - Kathleen McKinley

2011-11-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

Not only is this person the IDIOT OF THE DAY, she also qualifies for MOST DISGUSTING PERSON OF THE DAY.

Christian Blogger Mom - Kathleen McKinley

The Houston Chronicle's "TexasSparkle: A blog about politics and issues with Kathleen McKinley" is a passionate blog penned by a devoted wife, loving mom and proud American who's been carrying on an affair for years...with Jesus! In Tuesday's installment, "Are Adults Also To Blame For Gay Teen Suicides?

Yes you read that right - Parents are to blame for their children being bullied, beaten and killed.

And those people behind the It Gets Better campaign! Murderers! You're all murderers! Here. Let her explain:

Today,while waiting at the orthodontist's office for my son, I read a People Magazine article on other teen suicides due to bullying, most of them gay. One was a 13 year old boy.

Bullied to death via suicide!
So, now I'm just mad.

Am I mad at the hateful mean kids who bully and tease these teens? You bet I am. But I am just as mad at the idiotic adults who force our adult views on kids, and pull them into our adult world long before they are mature enough to handle it. The 13 year old that killed himself told his Mom he was gay. She said she already knew and hugged him. She said she just assumed that everyone else would be as accepting as she was.

Really? Have you been around teenagers? They are cruel and mean. They constantly tear each other down. It was bad when I was a teenager, I can only imagine what it's like now. No, I don't have to imagine how it is now. This is how it is now. Why in the world would you give teenagers a REASON to tease you? Oh, yes, because the adults tell you to embrace who you are, the only problem? Kids that age are just discovering who they are. They really have no idea yet. The adults tell you to "come out," when what we should be telling them is that sex is for adults, and there is plenty of time for figuring out that later. Figure out yourself first. Focus on the kind of person you want to be, not the kind of person you want to sleep with. A 13 year old should not be building his life around his sexual orientation. He should be being A KID ...

We have sexualized our kids with movies, music, and culture, and now we have viruses like HPV running rampant before they even go to college. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. [...]

Let's let kids be kids, for God's sake. Remember the gay young boy's last message said, "How do you know it will get better?" He was a KID! Kids can't see around the corner. They just aren't mature enough yet. They don't see it getting better no matter how many times Lady Ga Ga says it will. So, enough with our politically correct campaigns aimed at kids.

It's killing them.

Yes, just move on to the back of the bus, everything will be fine. I bet you a million dollars if it were Christian students being bullied, she wouldn't be advising them to hide their religion.

Unfortunately, children will find reasons to bully other kids. And, most of the kids who get called fag or gay aren't actually gay. Someone will decide the kid is gay and they gang up on him or her. What are you going to do about the kid with immutable traits, the boy who is just a little "feminine" and can't make himself macho? Ms. McKinley's arguments are specious and her "solution" is not a solution at all.

She is blaming the victim here. Being "gay" is NOT "personal business", and if it were then so would EVERY heterosexual relationship. No one could announce that they have boyfriends or girlfriends? No one would have marriage ceremonies (that's PERSONAL business!). In High School (because yes, we're talking about kids here), there would be NO dates to the prom, no holding hands in the hallway, and NO BOYFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS. Do anyone expect people to live under that kind of law? Does it make any sense at all?

Telling children to keep their personal lives private--which, of course, is code for some ignorant straight people saying "do whatever the hell they want, so long as gay kids suppress their identity in every public moment of every day." That might have been how it was done 20 years ago, but, the difference then was that the gay kids committed suicide quietly, alone, and at a higher rate than they do now.

The only solution is changing the way kids treat others and the way they treat themselves, and that doesn't happen with dismissal, shame, and a total lack of visibility.

Hormonal Optimization

2011-11-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Click on Link to Website Below.

I wanted to share some important information with my readers. While I was in my mid 30's, my Doctor, Dr. W. Michael Carragher III, DO, ACOFP, through blood test helped me discover my natural testosterone levels had dropped from the ideal levels of my 20's. Dr. Carragher specializes in Age Management Medicine & Hormonal Optimization.

I started his optimization program and have found it has improved my life's vitality significantly. Dr. Carragher looks at the balance of all hormones: thyroid, human growth hormone (HGH), insulin, cortisol, testosterone, etc. Other perks I find great at The Body Well are intelligent physical fitness training to optimize hormones, a nutritionist who focuses on hormonal optimization and anti-aging nutrition, stress management, and the list goes on and on. Below is a letter Dr. Carragher recently send out to his patients:

To My Valued Hormonal Optimization Clients:

Your interest in maintaining youth, vitality and optimal hormonal levels has prompted me to send article and interesting facts regarding hormonal optimization and why I am such an advocate of it. I think you’ll find the following study interesting and supportive. Please feel free to forward to anyone you know who may be interested in optimizing their hormone.

Low testosterone linked to long-term risk of death in relatively healthy adult men

ENDO 2007: The Endocrine Society Research Summaries Book June 5, 2007

This study is another major report linking deficiency of testosterone in relatively healthy men with increased death from all causes, over time . “We have followed these men for an average of 18 years and our study strongly suggests that the association between testosterone levels and death is not simply due to some acute illness, " said Gail Laughlin, Ph.D., assistant professor and study author.In the study, Laughlin and co-workers looked at death, no matter the cause, in nearly 800 men, ages 50 to 91 years, who were living in California since 1970. At the beginning of the 1980s, almost one-third of these men had suboptimal blood testosterone levels for men their age.

The group with low testosterone levels had a 33 percent greater risk of death during the next 18 years than the men with higher testosterone. This difference was not explained by smoking, drinking, physical activity level or pre-existing diseases (such as diabetes or heart disease). Men with low testosterone were more likely to have elevated markers of inflammation, called inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to many diseases. Men with low testosterone were also shown to be three times more likely to have a waist measurement more than 40 inches, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high triglycerides (levels of fat in the blood), high blood pressure, or high blood glucose (blood sugar).

I am always happy to answer questions you have about issues related to age management and hormonal optimization and welcome the opportunity to consult with any friends or family members you know who have similar goals and/or concerns.

Be Well,

Dr. Mike

W. Michael Carragher III, DO, ACOFP
The Body Well
7235 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, California 90046

(323) 874-9355 phone

(323) 874-9357 fax

drmike@thebodywellusa.com

Rich vs. Poor - Need I Say More - It is Clear As Black and White

2011-10-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Law Firm Thinks Homelessness is Funny.

2011-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

The firm thought that they would celebrate last Halloween by throwing a homeless-themed party - homelessness is so funny right?

But the firm really got into the spirit with the staff dressing costumes that made them look destitute and signs describing the various faux problems their characters had. One sign seems to read “Will Worke For Food [sic]” and photos show part of an office named “Baum Estates.”

The pictures were sent to Nocera by a former employee of the firm. Nocera described their conversation as follows:

When we spoke later, she added that the snapshots are an accurate representation of the firm’s mind-set. “There is this really cavalier attitude,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that people are going to lose their homes.” Nor does the firm try to help people get mortgage modifications; the pressure, always, is to foreclose.

The column also notes that the firm has been under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office and recently paid $2 million to settle a US Department of Justice investigation.

Steven J. Baum law firm and those employees will find themselves unemployed and underwater in their mortgage.

I'm not shocked easily anymore but this is beyond fucked up! The most uncivilized behavior I've seen by supposedly educated and "successful: people.

A disgusting group of heartless human beings.

Long Island Address: 900 Merchants Concourse Suite 412 Westbury, NY 11590.

There is absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. This firm should fall apart and be disbanded.

OWS - The Storm or Tide Before The Storm?

2011-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

[Poster of 99%ers]

The Occupy Wall Street movement is intriguing in that it is hard to say whether it has run its 15 minutes of fame or whether it will coalesce into a true political forum or party. OWS, the hashtag for the movement occupy wallstreet is already widespread. What started out with a few hundred people in September 2011 at New York City’s Wall Street became a countrywide protest. What are the people protesting for? What do they want to achieve? Is it really a mass movement, organized from the bottom up? What are the common interests (with whom?)? What can really be achieved?

Regardless, it seems clear, with the advent of the Tea Party and now the OWS, that the American people are slowly waking up to express their displeasure with the direction that the great old USA is taking.

As Benjamin Disraeli famously said "Change is inevitable. Change is constant."

The USA has thrived on change. From its humble origins through these times, we have witnessed the birth of a country which has undergone constant change and has embraced and succeeded with such change. Based largely on the notion that every man has an equal chance and that an entrepreneurial spirit was rewarded, the USA grew into the most powerful Country in the world.

Along the way, we have also witnessed as a few have succeeded and prospered to such a degree that they created staggering wealth; Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Astor, Gates, Carnegie, Ford, etc.. See for example this story by the New York Times The Wealthiest Americans Ever .

While their business practices and the staggering amount of wealth these individuals accumulated was not without controversy, most saw it not as informidable obstacle but as the "American Dream" - that any person had the opportunity to become a Rockefeller.

But today we face a time when people are questioning whether the American Dream is still alive. Can anyone still succeed or have we witnessed the birth of a ruling class who control the vast majority of all wealth in the United States and are now using that power to the detriment of the majority. It has been styled as the clash between the 1% and the remaining 99%. The 1% of Americans who make the most money and own the most assets.

I write often of what I perceive to be the detrimental effects of income inequality; while also stating that I believe in a capitalist system. I do not object to wealth, even great wealth. What I do object to is a system which creates haves and have nots and then limits the ability of the have nots to achieve the American Dream. Income inequality in the United States is at an all time high and is greater than many third world countries. Yes in some third world countries, the average person is better off as compared to the rich than here in the USA.

Rick Perry has said that he doesn't care about income inequality - just blame the less off for being poor. But countless studies have shown that where there is great income inequality, the have nots do not have the same opportunities as the rich. The 1% become a ruling class, an oligarchy, and the remaining 99% become debt serfs. That is not an expression of the American Dream.

The rallying cry of those in Occupy Wall Street is the "99ers" - those who are not members of the elite 1% who make more and control the most assests.

Although the OWS movement has not fully coalesed and there are no clear spokespersons or formalized agenda, OWS has launched a movement against the finacial system of the USA which it describes as corrupted and controlled by the 1%. And it is not just here in the USA but around the world where people are questioning the global finacial system and who really is "in charge."

Regardless, increasingly Americans, be them Tea Party members, Occupy Wall Street protestors, are saying that "change is needed."

Will we embrace this change as we have in the past or has the system changed so much that there is now a ruling class? Only time will tell but as Disraeli said "change is inevitable."

Pray Away HIV? The "Miracle Cure!"

2011-10-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

At least three people in London with HIV have died after they stopped taking life saving drugs on the advice of their Evangelical Christian pastors.

The women died after attending churches in London where they were encouraged to stop taking the antiretroviral drugs in the belief that God would heal them, their friends and a leading HIV doctor said.

Responding to the BBC London investigation, Lord Fowler, the former health minister responsible for the famous Aids awareness campaign of the 1980s, condemned the practice.

"It's just wrong, bad advice that should be confronted," said the Tory peer, who chaired last month's House of Lords committee into HIV.

Jane Iwu, 48, from Newham, east London, described one case, saying: "I know of a friend who had been to a pastor. She told her to stop taking her medication - that God is a healer and has healed her."

"This lady believed it. She stopped taking her medication. She passed away," said Ms Iwu, who has HIV herself.

It is like saying drink the kool-aid. When will people stop and see that science is a truism and the most organized religious groups are nothing more than cults? Do you believe Scientologists are as deeply religious and devout to "God" as you? How about Mitt Romney and that "Mormon" church? Or those pesky Muslims in Iran?

Personally I like the idea of worshipping the goddess Venus much more alluring.

You Are A Debt Serf - Where Is Robin Hood?

2011-10-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Are you a debt serf? You know, those people in the middle ages that were raped and pillaged at will by Lords, Dukes, Counts, Kings!

Well, most Americans, whether they know it or not are debt serfs and are one step away from debtors prisons (yes we supposedly got rid of those but .....).

The typical American household is insolvent: its debts exceed its assets. Yes you are probably bankrupt! You work hard your whole life and you are still a slave to the man with the money (you know, those top 1% of earners in America that are so opposed to higher taxes, at least on them).

Calculating insolvency is simple: if debts exceed assets, the enterprise is insolvent/bankrupt. By this measure, most American households are dead beat, bankrupt, insolvents (if you were to actually mark down their real estate assets (your house) to what it is actually worth). The typical American household is thus in service to its debt, not to its assets, and to the holders of that debt (those rich 1% of Americans - shockingly usually Republican - who are complaining about higher taxes while you wonder whether you can afford to feed your family).

This is debt-serfdom: serfdom in service to the owners of debt, debt that may well always exceed the value of the household's assets. This is debt-serfdom for life. In those old movies we would be referred to as "peasants", but that sounds so unpleasant, so let's just call it the "working class."

If we look at the American household as an enterprise, then we have to differentiate between unproductive, trapped capital, assets held in a house or retirement account {which constitutes most Americans}, and productive, free capital which can be moved in and out of productive assets to earn a return which increases free cash flow income in the present {again its those "job creators" to which the Republicans like to refer - the top 1%}.

Unfortunately for the ever growing number of American peasants, wealth and income do not flow from servicing debt incurred by trapped assets, it flows from productive free capital. Thus the typical household toils not to increase productive capital that can be deployed to increase household income but to service their crushing debts.

Does this sound like some one you know? A family friend, a brother, sister, parent? The average 50 year old has about $2,000 saved for retirement (sure to be enough to afford a box to live on the street corner).

How else can you describe this situation other than debt-serfdom?

Is their a Robin Hood out there who will stand up and tell the rich that they are no longer the landed gentry and that robbing from the rich to give to the poor is an age old story? Only question is whether they will agree with Warren Buffet or go down like Marie Antoinette?

There are many in the top 1% that say they want to pay their share of taxes. Buffet isn't the only one speaking the obvious moral choice. We have Matt Damon, Barbara Streisand, Chelsea Handler, Bill Gates the lists goes on and on. Not to mention of course the democratic party, they just can't get it done because they are being cock blocked by the right.

The problem with all these celebs saying " I want to pay my fair share" is that they are just words. Sure it is the right thing to say. Many of them I'm sure mean what they say. However, just saying it means shit.

Take for example Chelsea Handler, who had tweeted that "as a person who makes a lot of money she supported the Buffet taxes. Yet when someone suggested she just should just go ahead and pay her share now she cruelly called him a moron. See below:

Chelsea Handler Tweeted: "As someone who makes a lot of money, I would like to go on the record and say I support the Buffet Rule. I'm happy to pay more taxes. Any other celebrities feel the same

"Richee Tweeted: "Then take your money and pay the taxes. No reason to wait."

Chelsea Handler Tweeted: " In order to pay more taxes, the laws have to change. You don't donate money to the government moron.
I already pay 50%. I'm WILLING TO PAY MORE."

Why can't a Buffet type self-organize a movement to set up a non-profit/private organization where they would contribute this difference now and the non profit organization funds would go directly to help pay the deficit. So instead of waiting for some tax change that will never happen, do something now.

Warren Buffett - "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC.

2011-10-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the
best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just
pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election".

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds)
took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple!

The people demanded it. That was in 1971 - before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year
or less to become the law of the land - all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no
pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will
only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive
the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

Hypocrites of the Day - Kock Brothers - Ayn Rand (The Stalwart of Libertarianism).

2011-09-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I wrote a post of the hypocrite of the day, but an article today In Naked Capitalism Naked Capitalism convinced me more than ever that we live in a society today where people will say whatever they want and then do just the opposite. Do as I say not as I do.

I find hypocrisy one of the truly great faults of our American political system. Politicians will say anything to get elected and then do the polar opposite. Is it any wonder that Congress has one of the lowest rating in history? How can we all not be disillusioned?

The latest comes from the Kock brothers. If you don't know who they are you should!! I have written about them and their near control of the tea-party, a movement which benefits their financial interests most. See HERE and HERE.

Now just read what http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/ reports and you will see just how clearly we are all being duped by the controlling elite. Hypocrisy at its worst! From Naked Capitalism:

Friedrich Hayek Joins Ayn Rand as a Hypocritical User of Medicare

We’ve been a bit hard on the left of late, so we figured we’d take some steps to balance our programming. Mark Ames, who has been doggedly on the trail of the Koch brothers, found a delicious failure to live up to his oft-repeated standard of conduct by a god in the libertarian pantheon, Friedrich Hayek. And this fall from grace was encouraged one of the chief promoters of extreme right wing ideas in the US, Charles Koch.

Bear in mind that Charles Koch has not merely promoted libertarian ideas generally but in particular founded the Cato Institute, which has done more than any other single organization to wage war on Social Security. Koch wanted Hayek to come to the US in 1973 to become a “distinguished senior scholar” at the Institute for Human Studies, which Koch quickly made into a libertarian citadel. Hayek initially turned the opportunity down, saying he had just had an operation, which made him particularly aware of the dangers of falling ill abroad. Austria had close to universal health care; Hayek’s comment strongly suggests he took advantage of it.
Per Yasha Levine and Ames in the Nation:
IHS vice president George Pearson (who later became a top Koch Industries executive) responded three weeks later, conceding that it was all but impossible to arrange affordable private medical insurance for Hayek in the United States. However, thanks to research by Yale Brozen, a libertarian economist at the University of Chicago, Pearson happily reported that “social security was passed at the University of Chicago while you [Hayek] were there in 1951. You had an option of being in the program. If you so elected at that time, you may be entitled to coverage now.”

A few weeks later, the institute reported the good news: Professor Hayek had indeed opted into Social Security while he was teaching at Chicago and had paid into the program for ten years. He was eligible for benefits. On August 10, 1973, Koch wrote a letter appealing to Hayek to accept a shorter stay at the IHS, hard-selling Hayek on Social Security’s retirement benefits, which Koch encouraged Hayek to draw on even outside America.

This should put Hayek in some sort of libertarian circle of hell, along with Ayn Rand, who took Medicare and Social Security payments when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.

To quote Blue Texan at FireDogLake:
And before any glibertarians come back with “but…but…she paid into it so there’s no hypocrisy” in comments, Rand herself wrote,
There can be no compromise on basic principles. There can be no compromise on moral issues. There can be no compromise on matters of knowledge, of truth, of rational conviction.
Adding an extra layer of crow to the deliciousness, the Ayn Rand Center for the Center for ~~F*ck You I Got Mine~~ Individual Rights has an article on its website right now titled, “Social Security is Immoral“.

SO NEXT TIME YOU HEAR A TEA-PARTIER OR REPUBLICAN ATTACK SOCIAL SECURITY OR MEDICARE, ASK THEM HOW IT IS OKAY FOR THEM BUT NOW FOR THE REST OF ALL HARD WORKING AMERICANS?

This is more than an outrage it is a crime. We are now being run by the financial elite who have no concerns for average Americans at all.

I have always believed in free enterprise - BUT - is this truly free enterprise or crony capitalism? What is worse is that it makes me question whether the "American Dream" is dead.

Jamie Diamond the head of Chase is reported to have received more than $20,000,000.00 last year in compensation. How much did they allow you to make?

And do you believe people should be allowed to die on the streets?

I revert to one last post I made. It is about the Statue of Liberty - a symbol of the American Dream; the inscription of the Statue by Emma Lazarus. She is best known for "The New Colossus", a sonnet written in 1883; its lines appear on a bronze plaque in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in 1912. The sonnet was solicited by William Maxwell Evarts as a donation to an auction, conducted by the "Art Loan Fund Exhibition in Aid of the Bartholdi Pedestal Fund for the Statue of Liberty" to raise funds to build the pedestal.

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Has that dream died?

Rick Santorum Is A Non-Patriotic Bigot

2011-09-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

Is It Ever Patriotic To Boo An Active Duty US Soldier?

In what can only be described as a low point for America, in last night's Republican Presidential debates, the audience booed as an active duty United States soldier, serving overseas on behalf of each of us, asked a question of the potential candidates.

It was like the Romans cheering as Christians were thrown into the Coliseum to be killed by lions.

Were they booing because he was gay? Were they booing because he asked a question about don't ask, don't tell?

Unfortunately we will never know for sure because a stone faced panel of Republicans who wish to serve each of us as President of the United States stood quietly, some with heads down, unwilling to do the right thing. What was that?

The right thing would have been for one of those politicians to make a statement that it was clear that no one was booing a US soldier; to make it clear that we are all proud of that soldier and his service to us; and, to thank the soldier for his service.

Only then would it have been appropriate to raise the question of don't ask, don't tell.

Imagine the courage it took for this soldier to go on national television and ask a heart felt question when all his life he had been told he must hide who he was because it was wrong.

While one may debate the issue of don't ask, don't tell, it is utterly in appropriate to allow a US soldier to be booed, during a time of war.

It was a shameful moment for America, those candidates had a chance to stand above it and show true leadership. None did.

As to the Rick Santorum , to whom the question was directed, I can only say that he made a bad situation worse. His response was that there was no room for "sex" concerning US soldiers and that allowing openly gay soldiers was a terrible experiment at a time of war. The same was said of blacks serving alongside whites. And yes crowds would cheer lynchings.

Bigotry and hatred should not be a quality of a Presidential candidate.

Further to say "sex" should not be an issue for US soldiers is laughable at best. Sex is and has always been an issue for soldiers. To hide behind such a simple answer as "sex" is the issue is a farce.

And what does he mean that "people should keep sex to themselves, homosexual or heterosexual"? Did he mean that all soldiers should do is just masturbate or just be abstinent?

And the repeal of don't ask, don't tell, does not confer any "special" rights to gay soldiers as Mr. Santorum stated; it was to remove a "special" status given to them by that policy.

Rick Santorum you do not deserve to be President of the United States and you should be embarrassed as to your homophobia and lack of honor. Even if you disagree with the question asked by the soldier, the honorable thing to have done was to first thank him for his service.. You showed no such honor.

Unfortunately none of your fellow panelist showed any honor or courage either. No one who is a coward should have the honor of being a US President.

Is there any among those who are running for the Republican ticket who will call out such egregious behavior, or do they all boo US soldiers? To boo a man or women who is willing to give their lives for us overseas is the lowest form of patriotism and shows a deep lack of believe in a fundamental principle of this Country that all men are created equally.

Senior GOP Voters Believe Assisted Suicide May be Good.

2011-09-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Texas Governor Rick Perry's characterization of Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme" doesn't appear to be a problem for most Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey, released on Friday, finds that the harsh words repeatedly used by Perry to define his stance on the program are largely non-issue for members of his party.

"As many Republicans say they are more likely to vote for Perry for president because of his views on Social Security as say they are less likely," Gallup's report explains.

In a GOP presidential debate held last week, which was Perry's first of the election season since announcing his candidacy, the Texas governor stood by a charge he makes in his book describing Social Security as a "Ponzi scheme." In taking aim at the 80-year-old program he argued, "You cannot keep the status quo in place."

So The Tea Party GOP believes in letting people die in the streets (sorry you couldn't get medical insurance) and eliminating Social Security.

Most Seniors depend on Social Security and Medicare or they would be on the street.

How can this make sense? Why would a group of people vote in a manner that is against their most fundamental interest?

Many of these same people also claim to be Fundamental Christians. Did I miss the part of the Bible that suggests that poor should just die on the streets?

Is it that important for a person who identifies themselves as a Republican to vote Republican even when it is completely against their own interest? Seniors - the call is to you.

Where has the compassionate conservative gone? To vote for assisted suicide versus dying in the streets?

Phoenix Goddess Temple Church Is A Brothel - A Church That Makes Sense?

2011-09-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Police busted members of a church authorities say was actually a front for prostitution (rather than child molestation - how novel).

Police claim the alleged brothel generated tens of thousands of dollars a month, according to CNN. At least some businesses in the US are making money.

The church's website, which appears to have been taken down, was one of the factors that led to the indictments of 33 people, CNN reports.

"Sex is a holy, sacred and divine healing force at the core [of] our beings" the site claimed, according to CNN. "Once we embrace this force instead of deny it, we become successful, happy and powerful manifestors."

Wow, someone actually acknowledging that sex is normal and natural?

And in these tough times, we all have to learn to make more money. Legalize prostitution (as the oldest illegal profession so do we actually believe we will ever prohibit it?) and tax it.

Nothing more than The Housewives of Beverly Hills/New York/Atlanta, etc. do on every episode.

Treating Cancer with Ecstasy

2011-08-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

Who says I write only about doom and gloom.

New research shows that a modified form of the drug has 100 times more cancer-busting properties than the popular designer drug itself. And scientists at the University of Birmingham say they hope to redesign it to treat leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

The study, published online in the journal, Investigational New Drugs, builds on the scientists’ discovery six years ago that revealed that ecstasy and anti-depressants such as Prozac had the potential to stop cancers growing.

At the time, the team stressed that translating their findings into a useable clinical compound would present significant problems, mainly because the dose of MDMA - the scientific name for Ecstasy - required to treat a cancerous tumour would have proved fatal to the patient. So, they began working towards breaking down the actions of the drug to isolate its cancer-killing properties from its general toxicity.

On the university's website, lead author professor John Gordon, said, "This is an exciting next step towards using a modified form of MDMA to help people suffering from blood cancer. While we would not wish to give people false hope, the results of this research hold the potential for improvement in treatments in years to come."

So now with your baby aspirin a day for your heart, you can take a baby XTC pill for your health. It would certainly put people in a better mood.

Red Sky At Morn - Be Forewarned!

2011-08-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, I like cliches. Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky at morn, sailor be forewarned.

Looks like we have serious economic troubles ahead.

Panic mode is fully back with stock plunging to Friday lows, while both gold and bonds are at records, 10 Year touching a record low 2.03%, the S&P plunging to Friday's lows and gold as is well known, back at all time highs. The catalyst: the same thing Zero Hedge reported yesterday, namely that one bank in Europe has a dire dollar squeeze (note not EUR) to the tune of $500 MM. The real market is thus now pricing in both hyperinflation and hyperdeflation at the same time, while the Fed's policy instrument, stocks, is now pricing in Lehman part deux (but don't nobody mention SocGen or the black choppers will come after you).

The market is now at a very simple crossroads: bonds are pricing in the hyperdeflation that the resumption of the global depression brings in, while gold is pricing in the central planning policy response to that hyperdeflation, which is nothing but print, print, print.

Elsewhere confirming that as expected the unemployment situation is deteriorating, with 408K initial claims printing, on expectations of 400K, and making sure we don't have a revised 19 out of 19 weeks of consecutive 400K+ prints was last week's revised 395K claims to, hold on to your seats, 399K. That's right: a 1K in jobs breaks the trend, huzzah! Just as importantly, those on EUCs and Extended benefits continued to plunge, dropping by 43K in the last week. And most frightening, the one year change in Americans receiving Emergency Compensation (EUC) has plunged from 4.7 Million to 3.1 Million. That's 1.6 million Americans who no longer even collect any benefits from the government.

"Risk adversion" is the only term you need to know right now. Cash, treasuries and gold.

The Party Of No - Which Ultimately Leads to No Where

2011-08-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

23 recent polls show that – by an average of 65% to 30% - the American public wants tax increases as part of the deficit reduction process. That's nice, but it does not matter. The GOP no-taxes agenda has been out of step with the public for 15 years or more, but public opinion, like unemployment, foreclosure and the economic struggles of the average voter, does not matter to the Republican Party.

When the eight Republican presidential candidates were asked “Is there any ratio of cuts to taxes that you would accept? Three to one? Four to one? Ten to one? Would you walk away from a 10 to 1 deal?” They immediately, as a group, all raised their hands.

Let's just eliminate all taxes and shut down government. Anarchy sounds like a great GOP solution. Everyone would be free to do whatever they wanted without any government interference and no taxes. It will help if you have already started your own garden and drilled your own water wells, it may be difficult to get by without them.

Guest Post: Bread, Circuses, Spending Cuts, Unicorns And The Appearance Of Wealth

2011-08-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

I write often about my fascination of hegemonic ideology - the presence of a Cultural hegemony which is the philosophic and sociological theory that a culturally diverse society can be dominated (ruled) by one social class, which manipulates the societal culture (beliefs, explanations, perceptions, and values through all of that which they control and own such as newspapers and media outlets, etc.). Through such control it is the ruling-class's worldview is imposed as the societal norm, which then is perceived as a universally valid ideology and status quo beneficial to all of society, whilst benefiting only the ruling class.

So I think this article below really nails this reality in our society.

By Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform
Bread, Circuses, Spending Cuts, Unicorns And The Appearance Of Wealth

“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses” - Juvenal – 100 A.D.

Juvenal makes reference to the Roman practice of providing free wheat to Roman citizens as well as costly circus games and other forms of entertainment as a means of gaining political power through populism. Roman politicians devised a plan in 140 B.C. to win the votes of the poor: giving out cheap food and entertainment, “bread and circuses”. The Roman politicians realized this would be the most effective way to rise to power and stay in power.

With the revolting display of political theater in the last few weeks, I couldn’t help but consider the parallels between the Roman Empire and the American Empire. The entire debt ceiling farce was a circus on an epic scale – The Greatest Show on Earth. The American public was treated to high wire acts of near debt experiences, Senators putting their heads into the mouths of lions, and hundreds of clowns riding tiny bikes with squeaking horns. In the end, American politicians did what they do best - pretended to solve a spending problem without cutting spending. Only in America could politicians put the country on course to increase its national debt from $14.5 trillion to $23 trillion by 2021 and declare they are cutting spending. For those that need to visualize the lies of politicians, take a gander at this chart and try to find the cuts in spending.

The Roman authorities provided free wheat to the peasants as a superficial means of appeasing the masses and distracting them from the fact that public policy and public service had failed, as corruption and decadence engulfed those in control of government. Free bread, chariot races, and feeding Christians to lions kept the small-minded peasants satiated and ignorant of their civic duty. Today, the authorities don’t hand out bread they hand out EBT cards to 45.5 million Americans, or 14.6% of the entire population.

There are almost 5 million Americans on welfare. There are 50 million Americans on Medicaid. There are 8 million Americans receiving unemployment compensation. There are 10.5 million Americans on Social Security disability. This is the symbolic bread being provided to the masses to keep them tranquilized, pliable, satisfied and ignorant of their civic duty. The government has renamed bread as “social benefits” and now distributes $2.3 trillion of bread per year to the ”needy”.

English historian Edward Gibbon wrote his masterpiece The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in 1776, ironically in the year the American Empire was born. He detailed the societal collapse encompassing both the gradual disintegration of the political, economic, military, and other social institutions of Rome and the barbarian invasions that were its final doom in Western Europe.

Gibbon’s analysis captured the essence of what happens to all empires. It subsequently happened to the Dutch, Spanish and British empires and has been eating away at the greatest empire of all over the last several decades. Larry Elliot, writer for the UK Guardian, recently described the rot that has destroyed every empire in history:

“The experience of both Rome and Britain suggests that it is hard to stop the rot once it has set in, so here are the a few of the warning signs of trouble ahead: military overstretch, a widening gulf between rich and poor, a hollowed-out economy, citizens using debt to live beyond their means, and once-effective policies no longer working. The high levels of violent crime, epidemic of obesity, addiction to pornography and excessive use of energy may be telling us something: the US is in an advanced state of cultural decadence.

Empires decline for many different reasons but certain factors recur. There is an initial reluctance to admit that there is much to fret about, and there is the arrival of a challenger (or several challengers) to the settled international order. In Spain’s case, the rival was Britain. In Britain’s case, it was America. In America’s case, the threat comes from China.”

When you watch the talking heads and contemptible pundits on Fox, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN and the other mainstream corporate media spinning our economic situation in a positive way, remember that every person you are listening to is a member of the top 1% richest Americans. They have large portfolios of stocks and will not let reality or truth interfere with their ambitions of further wealth and power. This country is controlled by the few for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. Less than ten banks control more than 50% of deposits and 75% of the lending in the country. One private banking organization – the Federal Reserve – controls the currency of the country. A handful of mega-corporations control the commerce of the country. Less than ten arms dealers dictate the war spending in the country. A few media conglomerates control the message fed to the masses. A few hundred corrupt politicians pay off their corporate and banking masters with laws, tax breaks, and pork. These people make up the ruling class of America.

My Political Rant of the Day - Does Anyone Care About We The People?

2011-07-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Nancy Folbre, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has raised a very interesting point (click Here):

The struggle over the budget is not either/or, it is a three-way race with the third entrant getting no respect. “What I see is a three-way tussle among the rich, the not very rich and the not rich at all over who should pay the costs of balancing the budget” – that is the Republicans vs the Democrats vs the People, and the People aren't being asked to dance – just to pay the band.

I know that politics is often not a popular subject to discuss among friends, and increasingly young Americans seem to have given up on Republican vs. Democrat and just find themselves increasingly screwed. And that is the jest of Ms. Folbre's argument, that the average American is getting screwed left and right by both parties but is expected to pay the bill.

So what is the latest? The Senate's 'Gang of Six' (so essentially we are acknowledging that we have now become serfs and are being controlled by a few select oligaracy - where is the outrage?) and has ridden to the rescue – hide the silverware. Just whose rescue seems unclear, but mostly the usual suspects make out and the usual marks pay the bill. It starts with $500 billion in actual cuts, in exchange for which the debt ceiling gets raised, the bond market is happy and stock markets go wild. It includes a promise of $3.7 trillion in cuts over the next ten years – but doesn't really specify anything much except that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security get ~~screwed~~ cut while Wall Street gets to keep their outrageous salaries classified as capital gains – the tax on which will fall.

Described by one of its authors as “the only plan that is going to ever pass”, the diet recommended by the Gang include reductions in deductions for health insurance, home mortgage interest, charitable gifts, even retirement savings. Medicare and Medicaid would be diminished and Social Security undermined. While most taxpayers will pay higher taxes under their plan, the top tax rate would drop from 35% to 23% and those big hedge fund incomes would be taxed as capital gains – which would be unchanged at 15%. And the alternative minimum tax, designed to force high-income families pay at least some bit of income tax, would be repealed. It proposes a “territorial tax system” which would be a windfall for US multinationals.

But what do WE THE PEOPLE want?

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in late February found that 81 percent of people would support a surtax on millionaires to help reduce the budget deficit. A Pew Research Center poll in late May found that 66 percent favored raising income tax rates on those making more than $250,000 and 67 percent raising the wage cap for Social Security taxes.

Do you here any politician talking about that? But there are alternatives.

Consider a largely invisible proposal for balancing the budget, the People’s Budget, released in April by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which includes 83 members of Congress.
Its proposed budget savings include major cuts to military spending based on immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. Its proposed revenue sources include new tax brackets for the rich (from 45 percent on income over a million dollars a year to 49 percent on income over a billion a year), restoring the estate tax and eliminating the Bush tax cuts.

The Economic Policy Institute provides a more detailed supportive analysis. Proponents have also developed a three-way comparison with budget proposals advocated by President Obama and Congressional Republicans that allows you to register your own preference.

Deficit hawks (at least those who are not tax chickens) should welcome the People’s Budget, because it offers a plausible path to debt reduction.

Matt Miller of The Washington Post noted that the People’s Budget would, unlike the Roadmap for America’s Future advanced by Representative Paul Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin and chairman of the House Budget Committee, generate a budget surplus at a predictable point in the future, winning the “fiscal responsibility derby.”

The progressive tax policies endorsed by the People’s Budget have drawn remarkably strong support in public opinion polls, suggesting that the views of our most powerful elected officials don’t accurately reflect the views of the electorate.

As I said, We The People are reduced to puppets and serfs, while the mega-rich and corporations keep their private jets.

Empirical support for the view that sharp, immediate cuts in government spending would be good for the U.S. economy was never strong, and it’s getting weaker. The Economist is on the case, highlighting two new studies showing that austerity and growth don’t mix in the short term. ...

In short, the more closely you look at the evidence for the claim that cutting federal spending dramatically right now would be good for the economy, the less convincing that claim becomes.

House Republicans will not consider any form of tax increase, even changes in loop-holes that serve primarily the rich.

I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes and am appalled at the greed of corporations and many of the uber-rich. How much is enough?

Is America Ready For A Gay First Lady/Dude?

2011-07-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

As Michele Bachmann moves front and center (actually front and far, far right), it raises so many questions to whether she is qualified to be President and what does she really stand for (and against)?

She seems to be willing to stretch the truth (and outright lie) to be elected as I wrote previously (Read HERE).

She has clearly stated she believes in the literal word of the Bible and that God speaks to her directly. Too bad for all of us, that even she acknowledges that she is not actually a "deep thinker."

“I just take the Bible for what it is, I guess, and recognize that I am not a scientist, not trained to be a scientist. I'm not a deep thinker on all of this. I wish I was. I wish I was more knowledgeable, but I'm not a scientist.” [Michele Bachmann quote]

I sometimes question whether she thinks at all. She has said most of her decisions are not made based on what she thinks but what God told her to do. (What happens if God stops giving Bachmann hints as to what to do?)

Do you want a President that doesn't think for herself?

And now we also have to ask ourselves if we are ready for a gay first lady, I mean first dude? Michele Bachmann's husband Marcus Bachmann, a Christian counselor who's also her strategist, has a clear record of anti-gay rhetoric. Yet, many including Bill Maher and Cher have said (and if anyone should know), this man sounds gayer than former Sen. Larry Craig (those Republicans like to hide in closets and bathroom stalls - whichever is more convenient to meet those despicable gay people on an intimate basis, of which the GOP speak.)

According to The Daily Beast contributor David Graham Marcus Bachamann has said :

“He's allegedly participated in gay-to-straight therapy, he's talked about [the] homosexual agenda.”

Marcus also loves to call other Americans, who happen to be gay, Barbarians.

The segment prompted Cher to tweet message to her more than 250,000 followers:

“Just heard Michele Bachmann's OH SO CHRISTIAN husband talk about 'Gays' in the most UNCHRISTIAN way WTF!”

“But Boys please utube this asshole & tell me what u think … Cause My Gay-Dar is GOING OFF!!!”-

“How a Christian can call Any of God's Children … I can't talk! WHO R THESE FKN People? C if u can find his views of what 2 do 2 'Gays'”

“Boys I'm not kidding! I'm listening 2 this >%~€¥^<<&&&& I'm thinking GAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAY Without Style!” she added moments later.-CHER

Marcus, with his lisp and VERY effeminate personality, sounds gayer than Richard Simmons; yet, he calls homosexuals "barbarians" who must be "punished." I bet Marcus is into self-flagellation. Hear for yourself. This lisp is unmistakable. I've never heard a gayer male voice in my life.

I am not making fun of anyone with a lisp nor am I criticizing anyone who exhibits effeminate behavior. I think Richard Simmons and Liberace being themselves is great. We should all be free to act however we feel and we should all embrace people exactly as they may be.

To me the question is not whether he is gay or has gay desires but the hate and hypocrisy of the Bachmanns towards gays.

Is it fair to call any American a "barbarian" simply because they may be gay? Aren't you supposed to hate the sin and not the sinner? Isn't calling someone a "barbarian" who needs punishment hating the person as opposed to the act?

And why is it that the Bachmanns’ had only female foster children? Yes the Bachmanns were paid 1.2 million by the government to foster these children (yet Bachmann is strongly opposed to any government payments, I assume except those to her). Michele Bachmann and her family receive (and have for years) farm subsidies on the farm her family owns. More government money going in her pockets; yet, she is opposed to big Government?

So what is the deal with raising some thirty plus foster children, all female? Is it that Marcus might be too tempted by male children? And this is in no way to say all gay men are pedophiles, only that it is curious why Marcus didn’t foster any male children.

What scares me the most is that both the Bachmanns have exceedingly strong opinions that leave little room for discussion. It is all black/white, right/wrong, for them or against them. It must be wonderful to be so self-confident that you know that you are always right. But Michelle has said she has done things not because she believed in it, but because God told her. She has said that "God told her to marry her husband even though she did not love him." So are her opinions her owns or God's? Do we need her to clarify which decisions she has made and which God has directed her to make? And what if God stops telling her what to do?

And as to Marcus, his hypocrisy seems to put him in the same situation as those purple robe & gown wearing hypocritical priests and Popes.

So Marcus, why are you the first to cast a stone and call your fellow Americans "barbarians" who need "punishment?" Which punishments do you propose? Should we hang those "barbarians" by the cross for their sins?
Marcus, do you propose we start a new holy crusade against these "barbarians?" Rid them from the earth?

Or, should they do like you and "prey" away their gay? But does the "gay" go away or is just waiting to burst out like former Sen. Larry Craig or dressed in drag like Liza Maneli?

So we have to ask ourselves today, is America ready for its First gay dude? What would his secret service name be? Tinker Bell? Dorothy? Fruit Loops? Twinkle Toes? Or just hypocrite?

It is clear who wears the pants suits in that family (I wonder if they share the same dress size?). Why hasn't God spoken to her to clue her in that she married a raging queen.

What other decisions might she make that also make no sense? Maybe God will let her talk to the Founding Fathers so she can get it just right (very very right).

It is ironic that most of the Founding Fathers would be mortified that persons like the Bachmanns might be leading America and calling for decisions to be made based on religious beliefs. Contrary to what the Bachmanns may tell you, the Founding Fathers believed strongly in the separation of church and state and that America should have policies based on freedom and equality and not on religious dogma.

These are barbarians at the gate and they go by the name Bachmann.

They must be stopped.

Is it “honorable” to use assisted suicide to die? - "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!"

2011-06-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

"Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry from a speech he made to the Virginia Convention. It was given on March 23, 1775, at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, and is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the Virginia House of Burgesses to pass a resolution delivering the Virginia troops to the Revolutionary War. Among the delegates to the convention were future US Presidents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Reportedly, those in attendance, upon hearing the speech, shouted, "give me liberty or give me death!"

The quote “Give me Liberty, or give me Death” has become forever woven into the fabric of American culture. It pronounces that there is valor and honor in fighting for the concept of liberty, the “American Dream”. Throughout history the notion of “dying in battle” has been portrayed as glorious and heroic. Death is not to be feared but honored.

Even today we have hundreds of thousands of American troops fighting wars and battles throughout the world, with Americans dying or being maimed each day. We rightfully view their dedication to us as honorable.

So it makes one wonder why we have such issue as an American public discussing death, and the choices that are being made every day as to who lives and who dies.

Death panels? Actually, in a way, yes. Our current system is set up so that medical treatment is available to some but not all and that decisions as to who lives and who dies are being made daily by both the government and corporations.

So what do we agree upon about death? Most agree that if a person decides not to continue with treatments (will not take pills) which would prolong their life, but not “cure them”, that such person has the right to die with dignity and refuse treatment.

Funny how when we change one simple word, “not”, so as to allow people to die with dignity, with the aid of modern medicine, we create a firestorm of debate as to “dying with dignity” versus “assisted suicide.” Somehow we decide that valor, honor and heroism is saved only for those who die in battle.

HBO in “How to Die In Oregon”, winner of the Grand Jury Prize (Documentary) 2011 Sundance Film Festival, adds a human face to the question of dying with dignity.

Have you ever watched someone die from a terminal illness?

Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a relatively short period of time. A patient who has such an illness may be referred to as a terminal patient, terminally ill or simply terminal. Often, a patient is considered to be terminally ill when the life expectancy is estimated to be six months or less, under the assumption that the disease will run its normal course.

Some terminally ill patients stop all debilitating treatments to reduce unwanted side effects. Others continue aggressive treatment in the hope of an unexpected success. Still others reject conventional medical treatment and pursue unproven treatments such as radical dietary modifications. Patients' choices about different treatments may change over time.

According to Patient Refusal of Nutrition and Hydration: Walking the Ever-Finer Line American Journal Hospice & Palliative Care, pp. 8-13, March/April 1995:

People who feel they are near the end of their life often intentionally refuse food and/or water. Published studies indicate that "within the context of adequate palliative care, the refusal of food and fluids does not contribute to suffering among the terminally ill", and might actually contribute to a comfortable passage from life: "At least for some persons, starvation does correlate with reported euphoria."

So we allow people to starve themselves to death but we object to other more humane ways to end life? So why do we view it as "heroic" for someone to suffer pain impossible to imagine until they ultimately die as opposed to assisted suicide for a terminal illness with no hope of survival? Is it just the historical mythology of gladiators fighting to the death? What is “heroic” or “honorable” about fighting pain and misery so intolerable that no rational person would endure it?

Those who are opposed to the “right to die with dignity” say that it is “weak”, “that the dying person lacks “dignity”, that ending life (when terminally ill) is somehow different than dying with “courage” and “valor” and excruciating pain . We Americans like our heroes to suffer? Right?

Death is an inevitable part of life.

If we give mothers drugs to bring us into “life”, then why are we so opposed to allowing adults with terminal illness the right to use the same to bring us to the “after-life”. We are all headed there. None of us are immune from death. Or is it that various religious ideologies are being imposed upon us? But that is why we have separation of Church and State so that no single religion should impose its doctrines on all of us. It should remain a personal choice.

Peter Richardson’s documentary How to Die in Oregon follows the lives, the decisions and the experiences of people with terminal illnesses who consider whether to achieve a peaceful death using life-ending medication under the guidelines of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.

Why would you or should you watch what undoubtedly will be painful to watch? Because that person suffering could be you, me, your mom or dad, or sister or brother, husband, wife or partner. We all hate the thought of watching the people we love suffer. We all want to know the answer to the question of “what is best for my mom (etc.).”

And that is the ultimate question, “what is right for the person dying?” We all want our mom or dad to die with dignity. Watching a loved one die is never easy. But what is a “dignified” way to die? And who gets to decide?

In 1994, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to legalize physician aid-in-dying. At the time, only two countries (Switzerland and the Netherlands) permitted the practice, but more than 500 Oregonians have since ended their life using the law. How To Die In Oregon is a powerful, compassionate exploration of Oregon’s historic and controversial Death with Dignity Act, which legalizes physician aid-in-dying for some terminally ill patients. The film tells the stories of people who died under the act, and follows the crusade of one woman who honors her husband by fighting for similar choices in the state of Washington.

Peter D. Richardson, the Director and Producer of this film took fours years to follow the lives of persons struggling with terminal illness as well as their families, friends and Doctors.

Using personal interviews with volunteers, advocates, and terminally ill patients throughout Oregon and Washington, Richardson paints a picture of these struggles but does so in a way that it affirms life as opposed to focusing on death.

Perhaps the most compelling story emerges with Cody Curtis, her family and her oncologist. Through Cody and those around her, director Peter Richardson created an emotional and life-affirming film which will help people everywhere better understand what it means to regain control of one's own end of life care when faced with a terminal illness and to die with dignity.

You can read first hand Cody's own account of her story HERE.

Cody was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma in December of 2007, at the age of just fifty-two. Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer of the bile duct. Your bile duct runs through your liver.

According to Cody in her own words:

"The outcome is clear in my case. If you’re willing to look at what’s likely to happen, it’s fairly awful. People with this kind of cancer die of massive organ failure and it’s not pretty. And I already did that to my family last year, bouncing in and out of the hospital. My husband took six months of family leave from his job as a consultant. Our son was just back from the Peace Corps and was with me in the hospital every day. Our daughter flew home a number of times. "

"The hardest part about the Death with Dignity stuff is deciding when to take the drugs. It’s a totally loaded subject because for people who are religious it’s a mortal sin. I have friends who are religious and I don’t want to offend them. But it’s an important choice to have, instead of the model where we throw so much money at "treating” people who are dying. I’m extremely grateful to my doctors for leveling with me about the course of this disease, so my family and I have a choice about how and when to die."

So it begs the question again? Who should decide what is best for you when you are terminally ill? Why should we consider it to be somehow more "heroic" to suffer until we die a death which is inevitable? And why are we so easy to send our young men and women into battle to die, yet object to some one's decision to have death with dignity?

Isn't that the ultimate form of Liberty? Death is not to be feared but honored.

HBO's documentary "How To Die In Oregon" premiered May 26 on HBO. It may be watched at HBO On Demand (under documentary) or at these times.

Michele Bachmann - You Must Be Stupid, Stupid, Stupid (Or Not?)

2011-06-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

If you are a John Grisham fan, you are likely familiar with the quote "you must be stupid, stupid, stupid" from The Runaway Jury.

If you read my site you also know that I have been highly critical of Michele Bachmann's political positions because she seems to just make shit up.

Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was Adolf Hitler's Propaganda Minister in Nazi Germany. He also served as Chancellor for one day, following Hitler's death. He was known for his zealous and energetic oratory and virulent anti-Semitism. He is often credited with saying (although there are no proven allocations of the lines):

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. // If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. // If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. // If you repeat a lie long enough, it becomes truth. // If you repeat a lie many times, people are bound to start believing it.

Michele Bachmann must be a fan of Goebbels. Just say something enough times and it must be true.

But at least one person, a high school student no less, is calling her on her lies. In his Article "Michele Bachmann's Stance on Evolution Demolished by High School Student" Michael Zimmerman calls out Michele Bachman to meet the high schooler's challenge.

"What most don't know, though, is that her educational policies are being challenged by an amazing high school student from Baton Rouge, La. You should get to know this student, Zack Kopplin, and his efforts because he's likely to make a difference.

I've written about Zack previously because both his story and his commitment are incredibly impressive. As I first noted, he recently began an effort to repeal an atrocious stealth-creationism law in Louisiana. The law, the Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008, encourages attacks on evolution to be taught in Louisiana's public schools under the banner of critical thinking. This is the only state law of its sort in the country and, as Zack so well points out, Louisiana students interested in science are being done a huge disservice by its very existence.

Zack hasn't been content to simply complain about an educationally irresponsible law, however. His organizational skills have been nothing short of phenomenal and he's gathered a collection of supporters second to none. His repeal effort has been endorsed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the largest general science organization in the world with over 10 million members; the National Association of Biology Teachers, the country's main organization for biological educators; The Clergy Letter Project, an organization of more than 14,000 clergy and scientists recognizing that religion and science need not be in conflict; as well as a host of other scientific groups including the American Institute for Biological Sciences, The American Society for Cell Biology, the Society for the Study of Evolution, The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Additionally, the New Orleans City Council voted unanimously to support the repeal.

Zack's work didn't stop there. He wrote a petition that was adopted as Change.org's featured one of the week where it has amassed more than 65,000 supporters. And, as I reported in April, in his most extraordinary effort, he collected the endorsement of 43 individuals who won a Nobel Prize in science.

Which brings me back to Michele Bachmann. Not only is Bachmann a fan of creationism and its anti-intellectual offshoot, intelligent design, she's made some outlandish claims about the pseudoscientific subject. For example, she's asserted, "there is a controversy among scientists about whether evolution is a fact ... hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel prizes, believe in intelligent design."

Zack has now challenged Bachmann on her claims. Using a poker analogy and the huge number of scientists who have endorsed evolution, in general, and his repeal effort, in particular, Zack has written, "Congresswoman Bachmann, I see your 'hundreds' of scientists, and raise you millions of scientists."

Given the strength of the hand he has, he doesn't stop there.

For the next hand, I raise you 43 Nobel Laureate scientists. That's right: 43 Nobel Laureate scientists have endorsed our effort to repeal Louisiana's creationism law. ... Congresswoman Bachmann, you claim that Nobel Laureates support creationism. Show me your hand. If you want to be taken seriously by voters while you run for President, back up your claims with facts. Can you match 43 Nobel Laureates, or do you fold?

It would be difficult for someone with a sincere interest in science education not to take Zack Kopplin's challenge seriously. Having said that, I fully expect that Michele Bachmann will completely ignore Zack, the voice of the scientific community, the combined pleas of 43 Nobel scientists and thousands of religious leaders.

Michele Bachmannn you must just be stupid, stupid, stupid. Or perhaps, like Goebbels you just believe if you lie enough then people will accept it as true.
What may even be worse is that you have been outsmarted by Zack, a high school kid. Education is not dead in American, but Michele Bachmann would like to kill it. Perhaps Bachmann is more like Goebbels, who according to Otto Ohlendorf:

Goebbels considered humans as objects to be used for political purposes - for the moment.

Does Bachmann really believe all the lies she tells or is she just using "humans as objects to be used for political purposes - for the moment." Her only objective to be President, truth be damned.

No? What about these great statements:

''Carbon dioxide is portrayed as harmful. But there isn't even one study that can be produced that shows that carbon dioxide is a harmful gas.''
“But we also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States.” (Note, many of the founders owned slaves and never fought for their elimination)
''Not all cultures are equal.'' (Sounds dangerously like Goebbells)
“Unelected bureaucracies will decide what we can and can't get in future health insurance policy. That's why they are called death panels."
''This cannot pass. What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing. This will not pass. We will do whatever it takes to make sure this doesn't pass.'' (Perhaps she was in the same coven as that lunatic from Delaware)
''If we took away the minimum wage — if conceivably it was gone — we could potentially virtually wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at whatever level.'' (Didn't she just complain about slavery? I guess getting paid nothing (or little to nothing) for work doesn't count because you need it to feed your starving children.)
''Normalization (of gayness) through desensitization. Very effective way to do this with a bunch of second graders, is take a picture of 'The Lion King' for instance, and a teacher might say, 'Do you know that the music for this movie was written by a gay man?' The message is: I'm better at what I do, because I'm gay.''
''I don't know where they're going to get all this money because we're running out of rich people in this country.''
''I find it interesting that it was back in the 1970s that the swine flu broke out under another, then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter. I'm not blaming this on President Obama, I just think it's an interesting coincidence.''
“The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. Its all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax.”
“I just take the Bible for what it is, I guess, and recognize that I am not a scientist, not trained to be a scientist. I'm not a deep thinker on all of this. I wish I was. I wish I was more knowledgeable, but I'm not a scientist.”

Yes Michele we wish you were a deep thinker or at least took time to think before you just make shit up. And perhaps you should rethink your positions on some issues. Bachmann has called for phasing out of Social Security and Medicare. Bachmann says in dealing with Iran, diplomacy "is our option", but that other options, including a nuclear strike, shouldn't be taken off the table.

Is this someone you want as your President?

Michele Bachmann - You Must Be Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

Paul Ryan's Latest Lies - What Is Next Public Executions?

2011-05-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

From Huffington Post:

Besieged by attacks over House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's Medicare plan, Republican lawmakers are amplifying their message that it was President Barack Obama's health care law, not theirs, that pushed draconian cuts to the entitlement program.

The only problem: The Wisconsin Republican's plan incorporates the very same cuts to Medicare that were part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The latest Republicans in an increasingly expanding circle of GOP lawmakers to ignore this point were presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty and Ryan, himself. Pawlenty -- during an appearance on "Morning Joe" in which he both defended the Ryan plan and insisted he'd reform Medicare differently -- took umbrage with Obama for doing nothing other than slashing Medicare.

It is like "hear no evil, speak, no evil, and see no evil. The GOP will say anything,, MOSTLY HOW WE ARE DOOMED BECAUSE OF SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS, that they themselves actually support (AND AS POLL NUMBERS INCREASINGLY SHOW US) and that MOST Americans support.

"Obama-care kills Medicare as we know it," Ryan said on Fox News.

Imagine telling your grandmother she gets this "wonderful vouture for $15,000" (which does not pay for the cost of one nucelar medical scan much less a year in an assisted-livivng facility) so she can get insurance. Are you willing to watch your family die on the street because they cannot afford medical care?

The April 18 edition of Newsweek trashed Republican Paul Ryan as a "scrooge" who is declaring "war" on poor Americans. The piece by Jonathan Chait ripped the Representative's budget proposal and included this cover headline: "Why GOP Scrooge Paul Ryan Is a Fraud." (Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2011/04/15/newsweek-slams-scrooge-paul-ryan-fraud-fighting-war-poor#ixzz1NZaGtBg2)

Of course the GOP "softens" it by saying it will not affect those over 55. Are you over 55 (or even close to 55)? What the fuck will happen to you? If you have ever dealt with an insurance company before you know, you will be royally fucked. And you will get the letter just like in John Grisham's Novel "Run Away Jury" .... "asking the insurance company to help you just shows you are "stupid, stupid, stupid!"

This is the face of the neo-cons who could care less about the average American, Paul Ryan.

He thinks you are lazy and not trying hard enough. And food stamps and welfare and medicare and Medicaid ... just go stand in food lines like good peasants use to do. After quoting Ryan as saying the safety net should not become "a hammock that lulls able-bodied citizens into lives of complacency and dependency," Chait derided, "Ryan is saying that the poor should not only be denied cash income but also food and health care.

Show me one bit of humanity in Paul Ryan. He is a demigod who is always right and says we should all just work harder. Maybe he thinks slave camps might be a great idea to get the lazy Americans back to work.

"The bizarre thing about attacks on the savings the Affordable Care Act achieved from Medicare was that every Republican that voted for the Republican budget that ended Medicare also voted for the ACA ones as well because Ryan kept them," emailed Eddie Vale, a spokesman for Protect Your Care, a group recently launched to support the president's health care law.

It is the ultimate in "hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil."

Unless you are a millionaire, a bankster or big CEO, buy some Vaseline, it is not going to get any better with Paul Ryan and his band of cohorts.

So let's point out the obvious: Paul Ryan is another fiscal fraud. He has much less interest in practically reducing the debt than posturing as a born-again supply-sider and base-pleaser for the Limbaugh right. He is a veneer of fake earnestness over a vandalistic opposition determined to win back power rather than address the country's urgent fiscal crisis.

Chait, who is a senior editor at the liberal new Republic, offered the Republican Ryan's affection for author Ayn Rand as evidence of a "war" on the parasitic poor (Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2011/04/15/newsweek-slams-scrooge-paul-ryan-fraud-fighting-war-poor#ixzz1NZaoNPcg)

Yes unless you are rich and powerful you are just a parasite to Paul Ryan.

The Uber Rich Are Different Than Most of US - And They Love It

2011-05-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

From http://www.zerohedge.com/:

A new study by Deloitte confirms everyone's worst fear (and every millionaire's wettest dream): the wealth amassed by millionaire households is set to increase by more than 100% over the next 9 years. From a total of $92 trillion held by the world's richest in 2011, by 2020 the world's millionaire households will possess $202 trillion, or roughly 4 times current global GDP. Even though much of move up is attributed to the wealth surge in the developing world, the biggest beneficiary is, you guessed it, the United States where the millionaires (those with net wealth of at least $1 million), who currently account for $38.6 trillion of total wealth, will see their assets increased by 225% to $87.1 trillion! And while a comparable study of how much wealth the lower and middle classes are set to lose over the next decade, we are confident that it will be roughly comparable...inversely. So if anyone harbored any illusions that the current status quo was about anything but the rich getting richer, all those can be promptly swiped aside.

So next time you hear anyone (most notably Republicans) spout off about cutting medicare and other social benefit programs tell them to go fuck themselves.

The average American needs to understand that they are being lied to by these "trickle-down" theorist. The only thing that trickles down is that the shit always goes downhill. Cutting taxes for the rich does nothing (study after study has shown) to help anyone but the rich. It does not "create jobs" as they like to say.

And after 30 years now of this "trickle-down" theory, where the average American is poorer, earns less and has fewer opportunities, isn't it time to say enough!

Breaking the backs of the middle-class to benefit the rich has got to stop. I support free Enterprise, but we all have to pay our fair share to make us a great society.

NO cuts to social programs without increased taxes on the rich.

Let that be our line in the sand. If the Republicans and their tea-partiers can draw lines in the sand so can the rest of us.

There would be no Medicare problem if the medicare tax rate wasn't capped at income above $106,800. None! The problem would be gone.

Like I said, it is nice to be rich. But is such disparity between the rich and the rest of Americans fair or good for our country?

Dick Cheney - Waterboarding - Let The Fun Begin

2011-05-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dick Cheney wants the US to resume waterboarding. We all know about waterboardings - it is like the slip and slide you had as a kid. And Dick Cheney thinks that it is such a great and wonderful idea that the US start waterboarding again.

Let's let Dick go first! It is the neighborly and patriotic thing to do. We can all watch how much fun Dick has as he gets waterboarded to see if it is really as fun as we remembered.

Abolish State Sponsored Weddings - Why We Should All Have This Much Fun

2011-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

If there is any one single issue which truly defined the founding of this Country, it was the notion that there must be a separation between Church and State. The countries from which our founding fathers had come had faced persecution for their religious believes or lack thereof, or had faced State sponsored Churches which sought nothing more than the control of the people.

The notion that any one group's religious believes should have any say with respect to the laws and regulations of the United States is by definition antithetical to its founding.

It is therefore perplexing to me that one of the most contentious issues of our time is the right to "marry" a person of ones choice. Even more perplexing is that when we face the growing movement of the "tea-party" and their ideas that government should be out of our lives in every way possible, that these same people would then say government should have a right to say who you may love and with whom you may share your life. Shouldn't the Tea-Party be for equal rights for all?

A real democracy isn't equal if its constitution only protects some of its people.

In a time when the debate as to same-sex marriage has reached a point where the majority of Americans are in favor of equality for all in Marriage, let's not loose track of what we are talking about.

My argument is not for gay marriage but is instead that we must all have equality for each and every one of us or we are not truly Free.

"The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself."

Gore Vidal

We are talking about two people, adults, committing to each other that they want to spend their lives together. That they want to enjoy all that life has to offer together.

Why are Americans in particular so hung up on gender and what it is and what its roles are supposed to look like?

Who and why does anyone give a fuck who wants to love another no matter what that love looks like?

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."

Friedrich Nietzsche

So I believe that marriage as a state sponsored institution should be abolished. If two consenting adults want to share a life together then the State should offer a civil union to those people - whether straight or gay (in order to address issues such as children and property rights). "Marriage" is a religious ceremony and should be kept as such. Marriage should have no legal foundation outside of one's own faith.

So the following video which has gone viral shows us clearly that Marriage should be fun. It should be happy. It should be a celebration of the future.
This couple looks like they enjoy life and are going to enjoy life together. Let's Hope!

joya and emre | wedding music video from David Robin on Vimeo.

BOYCOTT TRUMP - Donald Trump - Megalomaniac or Cartoon Character?

2011-04-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Potential presidential candidate Donald Trump made colorful and eyebrow-raising remarks while speaking at the Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas on Thursday night. He reportedly called the United States "not a great country" and dropped the word "fuck" multiple times during his speech.

Donald, saying, " Fuck the Chinese, I will tax you 35%." Yeah, sounds like you'd really help us get along well with other countries. Trump is the fucking idiot.

BOYCOTT Celebrity Apprentice!

Do not support this tyrannical maniac in any way?

For me, what makes the Unites States of America great is that it is comprised of people from every corner of the globe in a melting pot the likes of which have never before been seen.

It is founded on the loftiest principles of freedom and individual liberty. The very notion of the "American Dream" is that anyone, whether born of privilege or poverty may rise to do anything, including becoming President.

Today, we, the American people, face challenges of unprecedented proportions. We are fighting wars around the world; we face an economy in ruin where millions of Americans have no jobs and worry about putting food on the table; we face a deficit that threatens the very structure of our economy; we watch as our children will be the first generation in America who may earn less than did we; and, most sadly, we watch as the American people become increasingly polarized and start focusing on our differences rather than those things which will hold in common.

The greatest asset of America is our diversity. It is what makes us great. Most of us come from families blended from multiple countries and ethnicities. Other than being American, could I say I was French? Irish? English? German? Italian? Spanish? And even then my ancestors were of multiple ethnicities themselves. To be American means that you a person of this world, looking for a better life and hoping for freedom and happiness for all.

So that is why I am so appalled at Donald Trump, who has done nothing positive for our country (bankrupt Casinos and Gilded Penthouses do not qualify to me as productive) attacking the standing President of the United States and being a race baiter are about as low life as are the patrons of his casinos.

And in a stunning moment I actually agreed with Jan Brewer, the Governor or Arizona (look at my articles, we never agree). Last night, Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) told CNN’s John King that this issue “is leading our country down a path of destruction.” Americans agree, with 64 percent saying “they would definitely not vote for Trump in 2012″ and half of all Americans believing he’d be a “poor” or “terrible” leader. Jan Brewer said get over it!!!!!!!

The very idea of requiring a natural born US citizen was that some foreign born tyrant with ties to another country would be that it might cause the subjectafication of the United States to another country. The ONLY tyrant I see is Donald ~~Duck~~ Trump.
I ask each of you to tell everyone you know to boycott Celebrity Apprentice. Send messages to sponsors that you will boycott their products. The only way to end tyranny is to threaten its existence.

Reality television is not really something I enjoy. Most of it seems so staged and filled with the idea of worshiping individuals with little to no talent purely for the sake of manufactured celebrity and making fun of them. Then you have shows like the Bachelor which has the moral message that it is normal to line up 50 woman to date and have sex with and slowly throw possible " loves" off the cliff. These shows are rotting the moral soul of the American.

Donald Trump has now morphed from simply hosting a reality show to becoming the largest attraction of the freakish man in the cage on a bad carnival side show where you'd expect to see midgets as his Bodyguards. You have to ask yourself why? Well any one with an ounce of intelligence knows why. And the answer is disgusting as is the outer appearance of this buffoon.
It was bad enough when we had to hear "Birther Queen" Orly Taitz rant on and on about President Obama not being a natural born US citizen, but she could more easily be dismissed as a fraud and liar and just damn crazy. (See Birther Queen - Birther Lawsuit Witnesses: Orly Taitz Told Us To Lie for details on her lies and distortions).
But then we have Donald Trump up the ante (more on his gaming/alleged organized crime ties later) by relentlessly declaring that President Obama was not born in the United States. Ignoring that the State of Hawaii had issued a Certificate of Birth, on the only form legally authorized in Hawaii, Trump said he had sent minions into the field to prove that our President was not born in the United States. He even boldly claimed that the original long form certificate had disappeared.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper made it his business to find out who Trump’s crack team is actually talking to in Hawaii and, in a two-part interview, confronted Trump about his research. Trump informed Cooper that he just learned the the birth certificate is “not there and it doesn’t exist.” Who told him that? “Somebody,” Trump said

Woops! On Thursday, Hawaii born President Obama released the long form certificate and said:

"I know that there is going to be a segment of people for which no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest," Obama said. "But I am speaking for the vast majority of the American people as well as for the press. We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We have better stuff to do. I have got better stuff to do. We have got big problems to solve."

Opposing President Obama does not at all make anyone a racist. Critique his policies, actions, stances, agenda, etc. But it's mind boggling that people think the birther nonsense has nothing to do with race, xenophobia (his "different" name), bigotry, etc. It's fine to dislike/disagree with Obama's political vision. I may disagree with that, but can respect that. But the questioning of his citizenship has 100% to do with bigots not wanting to admit that they don't like/trust/want a brown man with a less than WASPy family history. Their fear and hatred is just coded in slightly less offensive terms.

Yes we have many huge issues to solve and arguing about whether President Obama was born in the US should not have been one of them.

But Donald Trump made it his rallying cry. Why? Could it be because President Obama is black? Did he need to inflate the ratings on his reality show to make an extra buck? Or is Trump just the very worst sort of bigot, liar and opportunist?

Let's ask Donald to tell us more about his having not served in Vietnam. Earlier this week, Donald Trump said during an interview that he avoided being called to serve in the Vietnam War because he "got lucky" and "had a very high draft number." The Smoking Gun reports, however, that appears not to have been the case.

According to the website, Selective Service records tell a different story:

By the time his number (356) was drawn during the December 1, 1969 draft lottery, Trump had already received four student deferments and a medical deferment, according to military records on file with the National Archives and Records Administration. An extract of Trump’s Selective Classification record, seen here, was provided in response to a TSG records request.

So Donald what is the truth? What are these horrible medical deferments which you claimed to have?

But Donald is not done yet. He is still unsure about that birth certificate. And what of all of those people still claiming the certificate is a fake (Donald have you joined this too?)?

The son of the Doctor who delivered President Obama says "We can attest to the fact that it is indeed dad's signature," Yoshimura-Sinclair said. "It's not a common name over here. There's no confusion that it was dad."

The Sinclair sons said they imagine he would be thrilled one of the babies he delivered grew up to be president. "I'm just honored and proud of my father," Karl Sinclair said.

The Sinclairs hope the birth certificate will end the speculation. "It distracts from all the issues," Ivalee Sinclair said. "To me, the birth certificate doesn't lie," Karl Sinclair said. "I think that should put everything to bed."

So did Trump offer any apology for making an issue of nothing? No he instead heaped more praise on his already over-inflated ego declaring:

“I'm very proud of myself, because I've accomplished something that no one else has been able to accomplish"—and, just in case anybody missed the self-congratulation, “ I really did a great job.”

I think John Avalon summed that up best in saying:

"This is the political equivalent of lighting a house on fire, calling 911 and then expecting a medal."

History will be more unforgiving and see the birther conspiracy more clearly than we have in our contemporary debates. It will be hard to miss the fact that so much time and energy was spent trying to prove the illegitimacy and un-American-ness of our first black president. It will seem shameful. And it is.

But is Donald ashamed or deterred?

Unfortunately, by that measure, today's humiliation was a wild success. Donald just has to keep the spotlight going through May 22, the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice. So Trump would do well to search for another outrageous accusation that gives voice to the white rage boiling within the GOP base that he could ride for another month or so. He's already begun questioning Obama's academic record based largely on the notion that black people are too stupid and lazy to get into Columbia University, so how did Obama?

But is Donald now past attacking our President? No, now he has to challenge whether a Harvard law graduate had the "qualifications" really necessary to get into college. What "qualifications" does Donald care about? Maybe that President Obama is black and not a fat, balding white-man like Trump.

The women of "The View" reacted to President Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate on Wednesday by heaping scorching criticism on Donald Trump, who has become perhaps the most famous birther in the world, and who claimed credit for Obama's decision to release the certificate. The co-hosts started by condemning his recent comments that Obama was not qualified to attend Harvard and Columbia.

"It's very racist," Joy Behar said. "...In other words, he can't fathom that a black man could be that smart. That's what's behind this."

So Donald tell us please why you think a Harvard law graduate was not qualified to attend Harvard and Columbia. And if you don't believe racism is involved just look at what Republican Sally Kern had the audacity to say.

Oklahoma state Rep. Sally Kern, a Republican, made questionable remarks in the wake of a measure seeking to ban affirmative action programs advancing in the state, Tulsa World reports.

According to the local outlet:

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said minorities earn less than white people because they don’t work as hard and have less initiative.

“We have a high percentage of blacks in prison, and that’s tragic, but are they in prison just because they are black or because they don’t want to study as hard in school? I’ve taught school, and I saw a lot of people of color who didn’t study hard because they said the government would take care of them.”

Funny but did you know that despite prevailing stereotype, whites, not blacks, collect greatest share of public aid dollars.

Anne D. Hill, director of programs for the National Urban League and other welfare supporters argue that numbers, and not erroneous stereotypes, tell the real story about public assistance clients: Some 61 percent of welfare recipients are White, while 33 percent are Black, according to 1990 Census Bureau statistics, the latest figures available.

So Donald tell me again why President Obama is not "qualified"?

Or Donald, better yet, tell us about the "Billions" of dollars you are suppose to be worth and how you made that money.

According to the Huffington Post:

For years, Donald Trump has boasted that his casinos are free of the taint of organized crime, using this claim to distinguish his gambling ventures from competitors. But Trump's casinos turn out not to be so squeaky clean.

One of his prime Atlantic City developments, the Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino, relied on a partnership with two investors reputedly linked to the mob, prompting New Jersey regulators to force Trump to buy them out. And he employed a known Asian organized crime figure as a vice president at his Taj Mahal casino for five years, defending the executive against regulators’ attempts to take away his license, according to law enforcement officials.

As the famously brash developer now considers a run for the presidency, this history could complicate his efforts to project an image of a trusted power in the business world. It exposes a seamy underside to Trump's rise to fortune -- one that involved intimate links to unsavory characters.

As voters learn more about such links between Trump and reputed organized crime figures, "it will get more difficult for him," says John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University. "Under that withering examination, his past associations and troubles will all emerge and could make it tough in a Republican primary."

Maybe this whole Trump for President is just a gimmick to make Donald more money. If it is a gimmick Donald should be ashamed at the way he treated our President and worse, how foolish he makes all of us look to the world.

And what does it say of NBC? Lawrence O'donnell of MSNBC's The Last Word, recently took them to task by raising the question as to NBC's responsibility to STOP allowing trump to be doing what he is doing, since he is an employee of NBC. O'donnell demands NBC executives break their silence with their knowledge since they know if is Trump's reality show is renewed for last year since that would clearly answer question if Trump is gonna actually run. Then there is the the obvious conflict because MSNBC news and The Apprentice are owned by same network. He challenges the network to tell the truth NOW!!!

A total boycott of the Trump brand must begin now. If any person has any humanity or understanding of right and wrong they should all boycott the Trump brand forever. If one continues to support his brand, in my opinion it is no different than if a person went to a bar where HITLER was alive serving drinks AFTER knowing how many Jewish people he MASS MURDERED. The racist bating of Americans is just as immoral of an act. TRUMP HAS DISPLAYED THE LOWEST FORM OF DISGUSTING HUMAN BEHAVIOR. HE SHOULD BE SEVERELY PUNISHED

Since he likely did all of this for attention and ratings, America should send a clear message and NOT tune in to his STUPID Reality show finale. Sadly many Americans will tune in to see his nonsense, much as did Romans sit and watch Gladiators fight to the death. Blood and carnage is always entertaining sport as long as it is not your family. But in Donald's world, all of us minions are his sport - unless you have a billion or two to spare on his gaudy idealizations of "luxury."

Donald Duck was funny. His Uncle Scrooge was cute too. Donald Trump is neither funny nor cute, but old and calculating and would send us all to food lines because we were just "too lazy."

The world's biggest American idiot, Donald Trump, is not funny!!

Here is information for anyone wanting to take him off the air!!!
Letters to Comcast, NBCU, Universal Studios and Sponsors of the Apprentice
Comcast now operates and owns the majority share of NBCUniversal. Both Comcast and NBCU tend to be viewer/consumer sensitive. Let both companies know you won't watch their programs or buy tickets to any Universal movie or visit the Universal theme parks, as long as they continue their association with this race-baiter. NBC also owns the Bravo and MSNBC cable channels, which may even more vulnerable to view ire. A quick trip to the Comcast website should provide all the names you need at the corporate level.

Your message should be specific (i.e. mention Apprentice sponsors) and brief. And if you tell them you are going to switch from Comcast to another cable provider, for example, do so and let them know. If you are going to boycott a Trump sponsor, do so and let NBCU, Comcast and the sponsor know.

Despite your anger, no cussin' or name calling, they just "round file" these.

Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment,
Marc Graboff, President, West Coast Business Operations, Television Entertainment:
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone:818-777-1000
Fax:818-866-1430
Information on the Public Relations office of NBCU and a contact (and an angry allanbrauer)

1967 - The Golden Years - Houses For Sale At Lowest Since August 1967

2011-04-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

I personally think the year 1967 was great. Don't you?

Well I guess not if you are selling a home or in the real estate business.

According to the census department, new home sales printed at 300,000 in March (annualized; actual number sold was a whopping 29,000, of which 59% were not even built yet), a modest beat of expectations of 280,000. The February number was revised from 250K to 270K. Therefore this was a 11.1% increase from what were virtually record lows. Refuting the better than expected headline, the underlying data was not too pretty: "The median sales price of new houses sold in March 2011 was $213,800; the average sales price was $246,800. The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of March was 183,000. This represents a supply of 7.3 months at the current sales rate" compared to 8.2 months in February. Additionally there was 1,000 or less house sold between $400,000 and $499.999, 1,000 or less houses sold between $500,000 and $749,000 and (Z) or less than 500 units sold under $750,000. And the kicker: the number of houses for sale at the end of March, 182,000 was the lowest since 1967. Welcome to the (recoveryless) recovery.