Another thing about Saddam Hussein's "defector" son-in-law - Chalabi, the guy responsible for bringing the "defector" into U.S. custody had a long, documented history with the CIA for providing "intelligence" about Iraq that was apocryphal at best, complete bullshit at worst. Why would he do this? Simple: in order to receive the million-dollar rewards the U.S. Gov't hands out to "defectors" for providing intel. Every single nugget of intel about weapons or other targets of high interest in Iraq that the CIA followed up proved to be non-existent or flawed in some way. All of this was well-known and reported to the White House prior to the war.
Don't believe me? See Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, which I might point out has testimony and point-by-point refutation of the Administration's justification for war by around a dozen intelligence veterans, including a former head of the CIA.
Insofar as the U.N. is concerned, it is unfortunate that the U.N. is so dependent on the U.S. for its credibility, who hasn't even paid its U.N. dues since the Carter administration. How could the U.N. pass a resolution against the U.S., who holds one of the five vetoes? Much less enforce anything against the U.S. when the U.N. building itself in in New York? Despite its ineffectiveness in preventing reckless wars by the larger powers, it's useful for providing disaster relief and conflict management for many third-world nations in states of crisis that would otherwise be far worse off than they are with U.N. aid. Despite the U.S. worship of the "market economy" as the solution to the world's problems, privatization is absolutely not the answer to everything, especially hunger and disease (see Bechtel's actions in Honduras or UnoCal's actions in Burma). The U.N. provides a valuable alternative to resolving said problem even when they're not profitable to address.
All right, I was there so I know this for a fact. I interviewed both the guy involved AND Priest immediately after it happened - I was producing a documentary film about Hackers and therefore this was important to get right.
The 'guy' who was 'preaching sedition' was 19 years old and really fired up about trying to make a difference in the world. He's been involved in protests and unfortunately, as is the case with many young people, he took 'direct action' a little too far, got a little too amped up and ended up saying things in the heat of the moment that have basically screwed him for life, at least if he ever wants to get a state job. He was allowed to finish his speech and immediately afterward, there was a lot of unrest in the crowd. A guy from the audience pulled himself up on stage and attempted to attack the kid who had just finished speaking. DefCon Goons restrained the man and removed the kid for HIS OWN PROTECTION, and kept him safe in the NOC for a few hours while things calmed down. This comes directly from Priest and the DefCon Goons who were involved in the incident. There is also video footage.
Furthermore, the kid was NOT arrested by NSA, SS or FBI, or at least he wasn't at DefCon. I interviewed him Saturday night sometime after midnight and watched him get into his car and drive off-site with his girlfriend at approximately 11:00am on Sunday morning.
Actually, I was at DefCon covering the convention for a documentary about hackers and I interviewed the kids who designed the device in question. The thing about it is that it's not your average Yagi - they've actually mounted the Yagi directional antenna and associated Bluetooth gear on a Ruger Mini-14 stock, along with a scope and a hefty helping of electrical tape. It's creepy seeing one of the inventors standing in front of a window on the third story, 'sniping' phones through walls in another building. Additionally, it's not just snarfing up info or sending annoying text messages on phones or other Bluetooth enabled devices, they can actually hack phones so they can intercept calls, download all information in their memories, or even (theoretically) clone their numbers. This proof-of-concept device shows amazing promise for the espionage field. I have footage of this which will appear in the documentary, provided it passess Q.C. with the DefCon staff.
=-Mekkis-=
Oh, come on - get a grip! I know you can handle the SCOTUS making it legal again for adults to surf the Masturbation Superhighway!
Seriously now, all you've got to do is make sure you employ filtering software, don't use Micro$oft Internet Explorer and definitely DO NOT let the kiddies view the web without direct adult supervision. I'm fully behind the SCOTUS' decision. Why is it necessary to legislate something that should be an active part of parenting? It's not the U.S. Governmentt's job to place a legal status on what is in essence a subjective moral issue.
Now go on, beat it!
Why is it conservatives compare Michael Moore to Joseph Goebbels and won't make the more accurate comparison of Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly to Herr Goebbels? May I point out that Limbaugh and O'Reilly have a LOT more audience and sway than Michael Moore and both FAUX News (and Limbaugh especially) have been caught in lies more than a few times. Both Limbaugh and O'Reilly represent the closest thing to 'state media' that Goebbels' lie-machine represented. FAUX News claims to be 'Fair and Balanced', but that's just as much a lie as anything else they produce. Problem is that even these days, there's no law against lying on the news. For example: the FAUX News channel first attempted to squash an investigative news report on rBGH/rBST in Florida. When the reporters involved refused to lie down and take it, FAUX News then attempted to bribe the reporters to bury the story, then when they refused that, they attempted to distort and misrepresent the facts in the story. The reporters refused to alter their scripts to lie, which then resulted in the termination of the three reporters, who subsequently sued FAUX News in a 'whistle-blower' lawsuit. The first round of civil courts found in favor of the plaintiffs, made it through the first round of appellate, but when it went to the Florida Supreme Court, it was thrown out because whistle-blower protection can only be granted if the retaliatory termination in question was centered around an illegal action on the part of the business - lying on the news, as it turns out, isn't illegal! FOX News didn't find that part of it worthwhile to report - they simply reported that the reporters who'd filed suit had "lost their whistleblower status", but didn't explain why. Want to know more? Go see "The Corporation". Then I dare you to prove to me that the film lies and FAUX News doesn't. Go on, I dare you.
The difference between Michael Moore and Limbaugh is Moore actually quotes his sources. I've never heard of Moore ever having been sued for libel. IF YOU SAY HE'S A LIAR, LET'S HAVE SOME PROOF! Moore's approach is unique because he allows people's own words and public actions to hang themselves. On the other hand, he's definitely a grandstander. I don't love the guy, but it's nice to have a histrionic leftist get some coverage and distribution in the right-wing corporate media. I've noticed people get more up in arms about Michael Moore's supposed lies than about Rush Limbaugh's real ones, or Bill O'Reilly's bullying and abuse of interviewees with opposing views. Face it guys, they ALL use dirty tricks. Maybe people are so upset because the left is finally fighting back...
Joseph Goebbels, eat your heart out.
Erm...
I hate to throw a kink in your rant, but I have to remind you that Michael Moore, the "Democrat's Jerry Falwell", as you term him is actually a Green, not a Democrat.
Furthermore, what basis do you have in calling Moore a crackpot? Have you actually ever read his books or seen his films, or do you just rely on Ru$h Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Faux News' opinions regarding him? Conservative radio challenges Moore's sanity all the time - it's a tactic typical of Republicans when they can't form a cohesive argument against someone. The Nixon administration routinely challenged people's sanity, and up until it was unavoidable, anyone who brought up the Watergate incident was dismissed as a "conspiracy theorist" or "crazy". Did that mean that Watergate didn't happen, or that Nixon was abusing his power? Is it so "crazy" to point out that the same money- and power-mongers in the Bush administration really don't give a damn about human lives when those lives stand between them and a fat profit? Their actions speak louder than their words, and their actions are pretty damning. How else besides pointing out the abuses of power perpetrated by Bush and his administration can the opposition party hope to win votes? By holding a Vaudeville show? To paraphrase, Just because it's a conspiracy theory doesn't mean the conspiracy isn't happening!
I can't say that I agree with everything Moore does or says, but if you've ever actually looked at any of his work, he's done some pretty good investigative journalism, especially for someone who up until 1988 when he did "Roger & Me", had had no previous experience in filmmaking or reporting. He can get shrill and a bit histrionic, but I have to say that I think it's good someone's at least trying to use visual media to bring accountability down upon corrupt business and government leaders, someone's at least trying to present information that goes unreported in corporate media. One other thing: the reason Michael Moore seems to be "preaching to the choir" as you put it has more to do with major news media, Faux News and conservative radio inoculating the voting public against him. Yeah, he makes his movies, but if you can slander him and challenge his sanity, the majority of people who would benefit from considering his point of view won't be likely to - or even be able to, as many major bookstores or video rental chains refuse to carry his material, especially those in "swing states". It's going to be a challenge to get the large corporate movie theaters to show "Fahrenheit 9/11" , even if the film DOES get distributed. If that's not censorship, then what is?
Liberal media indeed. They're only as liberal as their conservative megaconglomerate stockholders.
-Mekkis
Step #1 - Make sure any of those pesky "militias" authorized by the constitution won't get in the way... check. (They've been sent over seas.)
So has the standing army. You don't think anyone would notice if the army was being brought back from Iraq and the reservists weren't? Also, the military is sworn to defend the Constitution, not the president. If he made such a bold move, there would be soldiers who would support him, but at least as many wouldn't.
Mekkis says: That's provided they're not too busy fighting a war already...
Step #2 - Control information channels... check. (New law allows for more ownership of media outlets in major metropolitan areas.)
Hell, I don't even think Fox News would support him on that one.
Mekkis says: Oh, but it's already been done - all major media outlets are controlled by five - count 'em, FIVE - conservative megaconglomerates, not to mention last fall's FCC decision to allowed ownership of multiple stations in a single area, thereby removing through 'buying out' of local independent media sources.
Step #3 - Make people feel "lucky" to have a job and be able to support their family. This keeps them too damn busy to pay attention to you... check. (Unemployment rates drop because people don't even apply any more, or have been unemployeed so long they drop off the rolls.)
That's a myth. The unemployment rate counts unemployed persons however long they're unemployed, and is based on a monthly survey, not the number of people seeking unemployment benefits. It is true that people who have given up looking for work are no longer counted, but as you can see that is in fact a very small number of people, compared to the total number of unemployed.
Mekkis says: First, unemployment statistics depend on who's polling and how. Looks like you're a member of the 'jobs are being created' crowd. Interesting how 'jobs are being created', but we're still watching unemployment rise. Funny how jobs are created but never filled - or wind up being open-ended minimum-wage positions at McDonalds or Wal*Mart. Yeah, I went to college so I could be a greeter at Wal*Mart. Sure I can pay off my college loans on minimum wage!
Step #4 - Have your "friends" count the votes... check. (Less than one percent change can throw the election. Get electronic voting put in place and make sure there is not a paper trail.)
Even if Mr. Diebold (who I personally think is a pretty scummy character) were to try to create voting machines that skewed intentionally for a particular candidate, there is no practical way he could possibly find enough likeminded people to work for him and keep such a conspiracy quiet.
Mekkis says: You're also neglecting the fact that 'Mr. Diebold' has plenty of help from corporate media and from his good buddies in the White House to keep things on the down-low. If media sources downplay the severity of the situation or misreport the facts regarding Diebold's fraudulent vote machines, there won't be that many people who'll understand the gravity of the problem. Those who do understand it and then try to stand up and say something are either decried as 'conspiracy theorists' Nixon-style, or are silenced with a court gag order for revealing 'trade secrets'.
Step #5 - Remember that after the election you are still commander in chief for a few months and that "anything" could happen requiring you to call for martial law. Especially if the really bad thing kills the president elect and vice-president elect.
There is no provision in the Constitution that allows an outgoing president to delay his exit from office by declaring martial law. As for killing the pres elect and veep elect, that would quite clearly, according to the law, put the president pro temp (elect) of the Senate in as president when the changeover occurred.
There are many valid critisisms of Bush's performance as president, but there is little question that he will be out of office in a little over fou
One other thing - although the crime surfaced during the Nixon administration, the prosecution and subsequent abortion of justice didn't occur until the early years of the Reagan administration. Since Bush & Co. have shown a propensity to worship the very bootsoles of St. Reagan, and since the administration is made up of a lot of people from the Reagan and Bush I administrations, it's easy to see why the Pentagon would refer to facts pertaining to this case as "allegations".
Well, I guess I got a little hyped up - they were prosecuted, and found guilty, but went unpunished due to the suspended sentence.
I meant the NPR reporter asked why the Tiger Force had gone unpunished rather than unprosecuted.
Definitely. You put it very well. The interesting thing about the Tiger Force was that although there was sworn testimony, the court-martial decided to suspend the sentence of these war criminals because it felt the citizens had already 'lost faith' in the nation due to the Vietnam War. Recently, when a reporter for NPR used FOIA to get documents on the Tiger Force, and ask why they were never prosecuted, the Pentagon referred to the war-crimes in question as "allegations". Sworn testimonies in a case where the defendants were found guilty are now "allegations". Thanks, Bush & Co.
However, the topic's on the Iraqis being tortured by the U.S. military. Although the soldiers in question have 'come to justice' (see above for definition of justice), the U.S. military still 'outsources' a lot of its 'interrogation' of Iraqis to private security firms (AKA mercenaries), who practiced (and still practice) similar if not worse torture, are going around unpunished simply because they're not subject to the same regulations and laws as U.S. military personnel, and therefore are not subject to a court-martial. At worst there would be a civil suit, but then again any plaintiff'd have ot make it past all those high-priced lawyers spinning the facts...
Looks like Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld learned an important lesson: privatization of a crime means the accountability is no longer yours! Your consience is clear in the eye of the public. Wake up folks, the largest 'coalition' partner in Iraq is not the U.K., it's mercenaries!
Let me repost a comment I made from the Hafnium story. Depleted nuclear materials are still DEFINITELY dangerous. Heightened security stateside sounds like a case of closing the barn door after the horse got out...
Hey, kiddies. We're worried about the evilbadnasty terrorists getting their hands on rogue nukes from the former USSR that might be floating around out there, or worse, constructing their own 'dirty bomb' with internet-fueled recipies, sneak it into the land of the Great Satan and start nuke-nuke-nukin' on heaven's door in the name of Allah. Bush & Co. are shrieking 'For God's sake, don't let those crazy Muslim fundamentalists get hold of nuclear materials!'
Problem is we've already given them all the material anyone could ever want or need to make a 'dirty bomb', delivered right to their sandy li'l front doors courtesy of the United States Armed Services. That's right, kiddies, we're talking about DEPLETED URANIUM, that nuclear fairy dust that's now littering Iraq and Afghanistan by the megaton! Thanks to the fabled generosity of the good ol' USA, it's possible to drive around and pick up this stuff with nothing more than a shovel and a dedication to a deity stronger than your fear of radiation poisoning.
A dedicated Boy Scout could easily make either a low-yield nuclear bomb using enough 'spent' uranium to make a subcritical mass (remember, Mouseketeers, that 'spent' fuel rods are still highly radioactive and it just takes a lot more to reach subcritical mass than ordinary uranium) OR even more easily, mix the DU with conventional explosives to make a bomb with a radioactive plume capable of poisoning an entire city for decades!
Fun Fact for th' Day: The most recent draft of the Geneva Convention considers depleted uranium to be a 'weapon of mass destruction', as its effects linger for decades to centuries after a war has ended, causing such amazing things as severe birth defects, mental retardation, cancer and other ailments endemic to a high degree of radioactive contamination. Any nation employing DU in its weapons will be considered to be in serious breach of the Geneva accord. (Ho ho ho! Not that the US actually gives a damn about those silly Swiss! There's profits to be had, and it's a convenient way to dispose of all that nuclear waste that would otherwise require safe disposal!)
Check HERE and HERE for more info.
Hey, kiddies. We're worried about the evilbadnasty terrorists getting their hands on rogue nukes from the former USSR that might be floating around out there, or worse, constructing their own 'dirty bomb' with internet-fueled recipies, sneak it into the land of the Great Satan and start nuke-nuke-nukin' on heaven's door in the name of Allah. Bush & Co. are shrieking 'For God's sake, don't let those crazy Muslim fundamentalists get hold of nuclear materials!'
Problem is we've already given them all the material anyone could ever want or need to make a 'dirty bomb', delivered right to their sandy li'l front doors courtesy of the United States Armed Services. That's right, kiddies, we're talking about DEPLETED URANIUM, that nuclear fairy dust that's now littering Iraq and Afghanistan by the megaton! Thanks to the fabled generosity of the good ol' USA, it's possible to drive around and pick up this stuff with nothing more than a shovel and a dedication to a deity stronger than your fear of radiation poisoning.
A dedicated Boy Scout could easily make either
a low-yield nuclear bomb using enough 'spent' uranium to make a subcritical mass (remember, Mouseketeers, that 'spent' fuel rods are still highly radioactive and it just takes a lot more to reach subcritical mass than ordinary uranium) OR even more easily, mix the DU with conventional explosives to make a bomb with a radioactive plume capable of poisoning an entire city for decades!
Fun Fact for th' Day: The most recent draft of the Geneva Convention considers depleted uranium to be a 'weapon of mass destruction', as its effects linger for decades to centuries after a war has ended, causing such amazing things as severe birth defects, mental retardation, cancer and other ailments endemic to a high degree of radioactive contamination. Any nation employing DU in its weapons will be considered to be in serious breach of the Geneva accord. (Ho ho ho! Not that the US actually gives a damn about those silly Swiss! There's profits to be had, and it's a convenient way to dispose of all that nuclear waste that would otherwise require safe disposal!)
Check HERE and HERE for more info.
It ain't just Monsanto. Seminis Vegetable Seeds does R&D for Monsanto and other biotech firms. As much as we may really, really think it's wrong to patent life, the fact is money talks and Monsanto has plenty. Want to do something about it? Tough, if you live in the US: GE firms have a lobby almost as large as the pharmaceutical industry and any letter-writing campaign will be hopelessly adrift in the sea of cash surrounding this issue. The US administration and congress listen to campaign contributions, not to "luddite tree-huggers".
As far as backbone, I have to give the EU credit. They stood up to blackmail by the US's bitching to the WTO about their ban on GM foods, and even though the WTO did levy sanctions, the EU gave both the US and the WTO the finger. Still, Seminis maintains GM R&D plants in Holland, France and Italy. Though they can't sell GM stuff there, there's nothing says they can't develop it.
One other small note regarding Terminator Technology (C): Monsanto has said they're not using it, but they're testing it in Roundup Ready crops. Problem is these tests go unmonitored by the FDA, although GM watchdogs have shown that plants using TT genes can infect other plants downwind during pollen season, at worst rendering those plants' offspring sterile, or at least infecting them with copyrighted genetic sequences. Sounds like someone's trying to monopolize human food sources, or does that have a 'conspiracy theorist' ring to it? I guess we'll just have to take their word that they're not using TT genes...
I can't say I'm surprised to see Micro$oft, with their army of rabid patent lawyers hop on the Genetic Engineering train. Who knows what's next?
GOD BLESS AMERICA! Land of the Free Market and home of the Brave Investor.
--Mekkis, self-admitted troll.
Nope, it's not a joke. Genetic engineers (*To0t tOot!*) can get patents on new strains they engineer in the laboratory, because the law has determined that DNA is to be considered "intellectual property". If Micro$oft has done the legwork to determine whether the strain of apple tree they've patented is in fact a new variation on the apple, and they've provided the proper paperwork backing up their claim, then they have every f---ing legal right to patent their trees, especially if they can make money off that DNA being spliced with other apples.
Click here for more details.
Pardon me for uttering capitalist heresy, but wouldn't the RIAA's claims that it 'took extraordinary measures to find the artists involved' when the artists are super-celebrities be a textboox example of *GASP* perjury?
Wait, I forgot... If you're rich enough the law doesn't apply to you.
Well, it's easier to blame "piracy" than to blame themselves for keeping CD prices so high. I stopped buying brand new CDs about four years ago because it occurred to me (a bit late, I know) that it costs only a few dollars to actually make the CD, cover art, liner notes, etc.
Now that people have wised up and are saying "Wait a minute, why should we pay $20 for something that costs you $3 to make?", they hand us the line that we're actually paying $20 for the privilege of listening to one of their CDs, and we don't actually own what we buy, we're buying an end-user license.
Using that logic, I find it funny that the RIAA hasn't started cracking down on recycled record stores as well as "music pirates". (Yes, yes, used record sales fall under the same exemption as used movie sales, but considering the rampant greed the RIAA exhibits, I wouldn't put it past them...)
Perhaps I got a bit inflamed about spam in general. I'm sorry for offending you, but it's a touchy subject for me. I get a long ton of spam every day, as I believe most folks with an email address over a month old do (mine's going on six years at the same Hotmail address, though I'm using other programs now) The point I'm trying to make is that many, many, many spammers and adware whores make the claim I "opted in" to their mailing list or "consented" to install their adware/scumware when in fact I did no such thing. I think there are lots of folks out there who've experienced the same troubles, especially when contacting the idiots to inform them that I absolutely do not want their bulk email or ad software.
I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall when I tell them I didn't sign up or consent for install - once they say I've given them my consent, it's like pulling teeth to tell them that I did not in fact do so when I God forbid actually attempt to de-install the adware or "opt-out".
So no, not all commercial email is spam - as long as you know you're actually signing up for something. But there are lots of advertisers out there who use sneaky #*&%ing tricks to bypass anti-spam law. I don't think I'm alone here in hoping to see spammers, pseudospammers and adware whores all suddenly suffer an instant brain aneurysm and put us out of their misery.
*sigh*
Don't you just LOOOOOOVE how spammers try to make their business sound legit?
"I handle bulk emailings to people who signed up at my client's website." Too bad most of the people who "signed up" didn't know they were signing up by just visiting the site. This sounds suspiciously like N-Case Software's claims that by visiting particular sites - even via pop-up - you're automatically accepting terms for installation of their "interstitial ad delivery" adware. Spammers and adware whores love to hand you the "user gave me consent" line to dodge responsibility.
Just what I need. More @&$#ing spam gumming up the works and eating into the time I spend working. Let me get this through your thick skull, Spam-Boy: spam & 'interstitial' adverts are not legitimate nor acceptable means of advertisement.
In fact, in my humble opinion, SPAMMERS AND ADWARE WHORES DESERVE CASTRATION à la MELON BALLER!
Well, he may not be the "anti-feminist woman hating porno president", but he certainly doesn't have much love for them either, nor for the darkies or the fags.
Let's see what happens when people are turned away from the polls THIS voting season for attempting the crime of voting while black, just like in North Florida, 2000 - only THIS time nationwide thanks to the Diebold Electronic Vote-Fraud Machines...
But I'm getting off-topic. Bush isn't personally in charge of stopping harassment or discrimination claims. But he's in charge of appointing the person whose job it is. And what a guy he picked, too. Bush Jr. installed a joker who struck all language pertaining to sexual orientation from the Federal government's definitions of discrimination. You could get a pink slip tomorrow and under "Reasons for Termination", your boss could put "Fired because s/he's a faggot/dyke/sodomite/insert epithet here" in those exact words and there wouldn't be a goddamned legal thing you could do about it. Bush not only approved of the action, he applauded it.
He may not be the "anti-feminist woman hating porno president", but I guess if he's not that it's OK for him to be the "fag-bashing negro-hating wog-bombing Constitution revisionist president". Never mind the GOP's and the Religious Right's positions on feminism anyhow...
Bush/Cheney '04 - Our track record for wiping our asses with the Constitution stands firm.
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Another thing about Saddam Hussein's "defector" son-in-law - Chalabi, the guy responsible for bringing the "defector" into U.S. custody had a long, documented history with the CIA for providing "intelligence" about Iraq that was apocryphal at best, complete bullshit at worst. Why would he do this? Simple: in order to receive the million-dollar rewards the U.S. Gov't hands out to "defectors" for providing intel. Every single nugget of intel about weapons or other targets of high interest in Iraq that the CIA followed up proved to be non-existent or flawed in some way. All of this was well-known and reported to the White House prior to the war.
Don't believe me? See Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War, which I might point out has testimony and point-by-point refutation of the Administration's justification for war by around a dozen intelligence veterans, including a former head of the CIA.
Insofar as the U.N. is concerned, it is unfortunate that the U.N. is so dependent on the U.S. for its credibility, who hasn't even paid its U.N. dues since the Carter administration. How could the U.N. pass a resolution against the U.S., who holds one of the five vetoes? Much less enforce anything against the U.S. when the U.N. building itself in in New York? Despite its ineffectiveness in preventing reckless wars by the larger powers, it's useful for providing disaster relief and conflict management for many third-world nations in states of crisis that would otherwise be far worse off than they are with U.N. aid. Despite the U.S. worship of the "market economy" as the solution to the world's problems, privatization is absolutely not the answer to everything, especially hunger and disease (see Bechtel's actions in Honduras or UnoCal's actions in Burma). The U.N. provides a valuable alternative to resolving said problem even when they're not profitable to address.
Kirk's better than Spock
Nimoy's stealing the spotlight
Incites Shatner's wrath
For green-skinned women
Kirk drops all priorities
Most illogical!
And of course, my absolute favorite:
My wig is glued on
My corset is laced tightly
NOW I start acting.
All right, I was there so I know this for a fact. I interviewed both the guy involved AND Priest immediately after it happened - I was producing a documentary film about Hackers and therefore this was important to get right.
The 'guy' who was 'preaching sedition' was 19 years old and really fired up about trying to make a difference in the world. He's been involved in protests and unfortunately, as is the case with many young people, he took 'direct action' a little too far, got a little too amped up and ended up saying things in the heat of the moment that have basically screwed him for life, at least if he ever wants to get a state job. He was allowed to finish his speech and immediately afterward, there was a lot of unrest in the crowd. A guy from the audience pulled himself up on stage and attempted to attack the kid who had just finished speaking. DefCon Goons restrained the man and removed the kid for HIS OWN PROTECTION, and kept him safe in the NOC for a few hours while things calmed down. This comes directly from Priest and the DefCon Goons who were involved in the incident. There is also video footage.
Furthermore, the kid was NOT arrested by NSA, SS or FBI, or at least he wasn't at DefCon. I interviewed him Saturday night sometime after midnight and watched him get into his car and drive off-site with his girlfriend at approximately 11:00am on Sunday morning.
Actually, I was at DefCon covering the convention for a documentary about hackers and I interviewed the kids who designed the device in question. The thing about it is that it's not your average Yagi - they've actually mounted the Yagi directional antenna and associated Bluetooth gear on a Ruger Mini-14 stock, along with a scope and a hefty helping of electrical tape. It's creepy seeing one of the inventors standing in front of a window on the third story, 'sniping' phones through walls in another building. Additionally, it's not just snarfing up info or sending annoying text messages on phones or other Bluetooth enabled devices, they can actually hack phones so they can intercept calls, download all information in their memories, or even (theoretically) clone their numbers. This proof-of-concept device shows amazing promise for the espionage field. I have footage of this which will appear in the documentary, provided it passess Q.C. with the DefCon staff. =-Mekkis-=
Oh, come on - get a grip! I know you can handle the SCOTUS making it legal again for adults to surf the Masturbation Superhighway!
Seriously now, all you've got to do is make sure you employ filtering software, don't use Micro$oft Internet Explorer and definitely DO NOT let the kiddies view the web without direct adult supervision. I'm fully behind the SCOTUS' decision. Why is it necessary to legislate something that should be an active part of parenting? It's not the U.S. Governmentt's job to place a legal status on what is in essence a subjective moral issue.
Now go on, beat it!
Why is it conservatives compare Michael Moore to Joseph Goebbels and won't make the more accurate comparison of Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly to Herr Goebbels? May I point out that Limbaugh and O'Reilly have a LOT more audience and sway than Michael Moore and both FAUX News (and Limbaugh especially) have been caught in lies more than a few times. Both Limbaugh and O'Reilly represent the closest thing to 'state media' that Goebbels' lie-machine represented. FAUX News claims to be 'Fair and Balanced', but that's just as much a lie as anything else they produce. Problem is that even these days, there's no law against lying on the news. For example: the FAUX News channel first attempted to squash an investigative news report on rBGH/rBST in Florida. When the reporters involved refused to lie down and take it, FAUX News then attempted to bribe the reporters to bury the story, then when they refused that, they attempted to distort and misrepresent the facts in the story. The reporters refused to alter their scripts to lie, which then resulted in the termination of the three reporters, who subsequently sued FAUX News in a 'whistle-blower' lawsuit. The first round of civil courts found in favor of the plaintiffs, made it through the first round of appellate, but when it went to the Florida Supreme Court, it was thrown out because whistle-blower protection can only be granted if the retaliatory termination in question was centered around an illegal action on the part of the business - lying on the news, as it turns out, isn't illegal! FOX News didn't find that part of it worthwhile to report - they simply reported that the reporters who'd filed suit had "lost their whistleblower status", but didn't explain why. Want to know more? Go see "The Corporation". Then I dare you to prove to me that the film lies and FAUX News doesn't. Go on, I dare you.
The difference between Michael Moore and Limbaugh is Moore actually quotes his sources. I've never heard of Moore ever having been sued for libel. IF YOU SAY HE'S A LIAR, LET'S HAVE SOME PROOF! Moore's approach is unique because he allows people's own words and public actions to hang themselves. On the other hand, he's definitely a grandstander. I don't love the guy, but it's nice to have a histrionic leftist get some coverage and distribution in the right-wing corporate media. I've noticed people get more up in arms about Michael Moore's supposed lies than about Rush Limbaugh's real ones, or Bill O'Reilly's bullying and abuse of interviewees with opposing views. Face it guys, they ALL use dirty tricks. Maybe people are so upset because the left is finally fighting back...
Joseph Goebbels, eat your heart out.
Erm...
I hate to throw a kink in your rant, but I have to remind you that Michael Moore, the "Democrat's Jerry Falwell", as you term him is actually a Green , not a Democrat.
Furthermore, what basis do you have in calling Moore a crackpot? Have you actually ever read his books or seen his films, or do you just rely on Ru$h Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Faux News' opinions regarding him? Conservative radio challenges Moore's sanity all the time - it's a tactic typical of Republicans when they can't form a cohesive argument against someone. The Nixon administration routinely challenged people's sanity, and up until it was unavoidable, anyone who brought up the Watergate incident was dismissed as a "conspiracy theorist" or "crazy". Did that mean that Watergate didn't happen, or that Nixon was abusing his power? Is it so "crazy" to point out that the same money- and power-mongers in the Bush administration really don't give a damn about human lives when those lives stand between them and a fat profit? Their actions speak louder than their words, and their actions are pretty damning. How else besides pointing out the abuses of power perpetrated by Bush and his administration can the opposition party hope to win votes? By holding a Vaudeville show? To paraphrase, Just because it's a conspiracy theory doesn't mean the conspiracy isn't happening!
I can't say that I agree with everything Moore does or says, but if you've ever actually looked at any of his work, he's done some pretty good investigative journalism, especially for someone who up until 1988 when he did "Roger & Me", had had no previous experience in filmmaking or reporting. He can get shrill and a bit histrionic, but I have to say that I think it's good someone's at least trying to use visual media to bring accountability down upon corrupt business and government leaders, someone's at least trying to present information that goes unreported in corporate media. One other thing: the reason Michael Moore seems to be "preaching to the choir" as you put it has more to do with major news media, Faux News and conservative radio inoculating the voting public against him. Yeah, he makes his movies, but if you can slander him and challenge his sanity, the majority of people who would benefit from considering his point of view won't be likely to - or even be able to, as many major bookstores or video rental chains refuse to carry his material, especially those in "swing states". It's going to be a challenge to get the large corporate movie theaters to show "Fahrenheit 9/11" , even if the film DOES get distributed. If that's not censorship, then what is?
Liberal media indeed. They're only as liberal as their conservative megaconglomerate stockholders.
-Mekkis
Step #1 - Make sure any of those pesky "militias" authorized by the constitution won't get in the way... check. (They've been sent over seas.)
So has the standing army. You don't think anyone would notice if the army was being brought back from Iraq and the reservists weren't? Also, the military is sworn to defend the Constitution, not the president. If he made such a bold move, there would be soldiers who would support him, but at least as many wouldn't.
Mekkis says: That's provided they're not too busy fighting a war already...
Step #2 - Control information channels... check. (New law allows for more ownership of media outlets in major metropolitan areas.)
Hell, I don't even think Fox News would support him on that one.
Mekkis says: Oh, but it's already been done - all major media outlets are controlled by five - count 'em, FIVE - conservative megaconglomerates, not to mention last fall's FCC decision to allowed ownership of multiple stations in a single area, thereby removing through 'buying out' of local independent media sources.
Step #3 - Make people feel "lucky" to have a job and be able to support their family. This keeps them too damn busy to pay attention to you... check. (Unemployment rates drop because people don't even apply any more, or have been unemployeed so long they drop off the rolls.)
That's a myth. The unemployment rate counts unemployed persons however long they're unemployed, and is based on a monthly survey, not the number of people seeking unemployment benefits. It is true that people who have given up looking for work are no longer counted, but as you can see that is in fact a very small number of people, compared to the total number of unemployed.
Mekkis says: First, unemployment statistics depend on who's polling and how. Looks like you're a member of the 'jobs are being created' crowd. Interesting how 'jobs are being created', but we're still watching unemployment rise. Funny how jobs are created but never filled - or wind up being open-ended minimum-wage positions at McDonalds or Wal*Mart. Yeah, I went to college so I could be a greeter at Wal*Mart. Sure I can pay off my college loans on minimum wage!
Step #4 - Have your "friends" count the votes... check. (Less than one percent change can throw the election. Get electronic voting put in place and make sure there is not a paper trail.)
Even if Mr. Diebold (who I personally think is a pretty scummy character) were to try to create voting machines that skewed intentionally for a particular candidate, there is no practical way he could possibly find enough likeminded people to work for him and keep such a conspiracy quiet.
Mekkis says: You're also neglecting the fact that 'Mr. Diebold' has plenty of help from corporate media and from his good buddies in the White House to keep things on the down-low. If media sources downplay the severity of the situation or misreport the facts regarding Diebold's fraudulent vote machines, there won't be that many people who'll understand the gravity of the problem. Those who do understand it and then try to stand up and say something are either decried as 'conspiracy theorists' Nixon-style, or are silenced with a court gag order for revealing 'trade secrets'.
Step #5 - Remember that after the election you are still commander in chief for a few months and that "anything" could happen requiring you to call for martial law. Especially if the really bad thing kills the president elect and vice-president elect.
There is no provision in the Constitution that allows an outgoing president to delay his exit from office by declaring martial law. As for killing the pres elect and veep elect, that would quite clearly, according to the law, put the president pro temp (elect) of the Senate in as president when the changeover occurred.
There are many valid critisisms of Bush's performance as president, but there is little question that he will be out of office in a little over fou
CTHULHU FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004!
Why vote for a lesser evil?
*stands up*
*applauds*
VERY well-put. Not much else I can say except that.
One other thing - although the crime surfaced during the Nixon administration, the prosecution and subsequent abortion of justice didn't occur until the early years of the Reagan administration. Since Bush & Co. have shown a propensity to worship the very bootsoles of St. Reagan, and since the administration is made up of a lot of people from the Reagan and Bush I administrations, it's easy to see why the Pentagon would refer to facts pertaining to this case as "allegations".
Well, I guess I got a little hyped up - they were prosecuted, and found guilty, but went unpunished due to the suspended sentence.
I meant the NPR reporter asked why the Tiger Force had gone unpunished rather than unprosecuted.
Definitely. You put it very well. The interesting thing about the Tiger Force was that although there was sworn testimony, the court-martial decided to suspend the sentence of these war criminals because it felt the citizens had already 'lost faith' in the nation due to the Vietnam War. Recently, when a reporter for NPR used FOIA to get documents on the Tiger Force, and ask why they were never prosecuted, the Pentagon referred to the war-crimes in question as "allegations". Sworn testimonies in a case where the defendants were found guilty are now "allegations". Thanks, Bush & Co.
However, the topic's on the Iraqis being tortured by the U.S. military. Although the soldiers in question have 'come to justice' (see above for definition of justice), the U.S. military still 'outsources' a lot of its 'interrogation' of Iraqis to private security firms (AKA mercenaries), who practiced (and still practice) similar if not worse torture, are going around unpunished simply because they're not subject to the same regulations and laws as U.S. military personnel, and therefore are not subject to a court-martial. At worst there would be a civil suit, but then again any plaintiff'd have ot make it past all those high-priced lawyers spinning the facts...
Looks like Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld learned an important lesson: privatization of a crime means the accountability is no longer yours! Your consience is clear in the eye of the public. Wake up folks, the largest 'coalition' partner in Iraq is not the U.K., it's mercenaries!
Let me repost a comment I made from the Hafnium story. Depleted nuclear materials are still DEFINITELY dangerous. Heightened security stateside sounds like a case of closing the barn door after the horse got out...
Hey, kiddies. We're worried about the evilbadnasty terrorists getting their hands on rogue nukes from the former USSR that might be floating around out there, or worse, constructing their own 'dirty bomb' with internet-fueled recipies, sneak it into the land of the Great Satan and start nuke-nuke-nukin' on heaven's door in the name of Allah. Bush & Co. are shrieking 'For God's sake, don't let those crazy Muslim fundamentalists get hold of nuclear materials!'
Problem is we've already given them all the material anyone could ever want or need to make a 'dirty bomb', delivered right to their sandy li'l front doors courtesy of the United States Armed Services. That's right, kiddies, we're talking about DEPLETED URANIUM, that nuclear fairy dust that's now littering Iraq and Afghanistan by the megaton! Thanks to the fabled generosity of the good ol' USA, it's possible to drive around and pick up this stuff with nothing more than a shovel and a dedication to a deity stronger than your fear of radiation poisoning.
A dedicated Boy Scout could easily make either a low-yield nuclear bomb using enough 'spent' uranium to make a subcritical mass (remember, Mouseketeers, that 'spent' fuel rods are still highly radioactive and it just takes a lot more to reach subcritical mass than ordinary uranium) OR even more easily, mix the DU with conventional explosives to make a bomb with a radioactive plume capable of poisoning an entire city for decades!
Fun Fact for th' Day: The most recent draft of the Geneva Convention considers depleted uranium to be a 'weapon of mass destruction', as its effects linger for decades to centuries after a war has ended, causing such amazing things as severe birth defects, mental retardation, cancer and other ailments endemic to a high degree of radioactive contamination. Any nation employing DU in its weapons will be considered to be in serious breach of the Geneva accord. (Ho ho ho! Not that the US actually gives a damn about those silly Swiss! There's profits to be had, and it's a convenient way to dispose of all that nuclear waste that would otherwise require safe disposal!)
Check HERE and HERE for more info.
Hey, kiddies. We're worried about the evilbadnasty terrorists getting their hands on rogue nukes from the former USSR that might be floating around out there, or worse, constructing their own 'dirty bomb' with internet-fueled recipies, sneak it into the land of the Great Satan and start nuke-nuke-nukin' on heaven's door in the name of Allah. Bush & Co. are shrieking 'For God's sake, don't let those crazy Muslim fundamentalists get hold of nuclear materials!'
Problem is we've already given them all the material anyone could ever want or need to make a 'dirty bomb', delivered right to their sandy li'l front doors courtesy of the United States Armed Services. That's right, kiddies, we're talking about DEPLETED URANIUM, that nuclear fairy dust that's now littering Iraq and Afghanistan by the megaton! Thanks to the fabled generosity of the good ol' USA, it's possible to drive around and pick up this stuff with nothing more than a shovel and a dedication to a deity stronger than your fear of radiation poisoning.
A dedicated Boy Scout could easily make either a low-yield nuclear bomb using enough 'spent' uranium to make a subcritical mass (remember, Mouseketeers, that 'spent' fuel rods are still highly radioactive and it just takes a lot more to reach subcritical mass than ordinary uranium) OR even more easily, mix the DU with conventional explosives to make a bomb with a radioactive plume capable of poisoning an entire city for decades!
Fun Fact for th' Day: The most recent draft of the Geneva Convention considers depleted uranium to be a 'weapon of mass destruction', as its effects linger for decades to centuries after a war has ended, causing such amazing things as severe birth defects, mental retardation, cancer and other ailments endemic to a high degree of radioactive contamination. Any nation employing DU in its weapons will be considered to be in serious breach of the Geneva accord. (Ho ho ho! Not that the US actually gives a damn about those silly Swiss! There's profits to be had, and it's a convenient way to dispose of all that nuclear waste that would otherwise require safe disposal!)
Check HERE and HERE for more info.
It ain't just Monsanto. Seminis Vegetable Seeds does R&D for Monsanto and other biotech firms. As much as we may really, really think it's wrong to patent life, the fact is money talks and Monsanto has plenty. Want to do something about it? Tough, if you live in the US: GE firms have a lobby almost as large as the pharmaceutical industry and any letter-writing campaign will be hopelessly adrift in the sea of cash surrounding this issue. The US administration and congress listen to campaign contributions, not to "luddite tree-huggers".
As far as backbone, I have to give the EU credit. They stood up to blackmail by the US's bitching to the WTO about their ban on GM foods, and even though the WTO did levy sanctions, the EU gave both the US and the WTO the finger. Still, Seminis maintains GM R&D plants in Holland, France and Italy. Though they can't sell GM stuff there, there's nothing says they can't develop it.
One other small note regarding Terminator Technology (C): Monsanto has said they're not using it, but they're testing it in Roundup Ready crops. Problem is these tests go unmonitored by the FDA, although GM watchdogs have shown that plants using TT genes can infect other plants downwind during pollen season, at worst rendering those plants' offspring sterile, or at least infecting them with copyrighted genetic sequences. Sounds like someone's trying to monopolize human food sources, or does that have a 'conspiracy theorist' ring to it? I guess we'll just have to take their word that they're not using TT genes...
I can't say I'm surprised to see Micro$oft, with their army of rabid patent lawyers hop on the Genetic Engineering train. Who knows what's next?
GOD BLESS AMERICA! Land of the Free Market and home of the Brave Investor.
--Mekkis, self-admitted troll.
Nope, it's not a joke. Genetic engineers (*To0t tOot!*) can get patents on new strains they engineer in the laboratory, because the law has determined that DNA is to be considered "intellectual property". If Micro$oft has done the legwork to determine whether the strain of apple tree they've patented is in fact a new variation on the apple, and they've provided the proper paperwork backing up their claim, then they have every f---ing legal right to patent their trees, especially if they can make money off that DNA being spliced with other apples.
Click here for more details.
Pardon me for uttering capitalist heresy, but wouldn't the RIAA's claims that it 'took extraordinary measures to find the artists involved' when the artists are super-celebrities be a textboox example of *GASP* perjury ?
Wait, I forgot... If you're rich enough the law doesn't apply to you.
Well, it's easier to blame "piracy" than to blame themselves for keeping CD prices so high. I stopped buying brand new CDs about four years ago because it occurred to me (a bit late, I know) that it costs only a few dollars to actually make the CD, cover art, liner notes, etc.
Now that people have wised up and are saying "Wait a minute, why should we pay $20 for something that costs you $3 to make?", they hand us the line that we're actually paying $20 for the privilege of listening to one of their CDs, and we don't actually own what we buy, we're buying an end-user license.
Using that logic, I find it funny that the RIAA hasn't started cracking down on recycled record stores as well as "music pirates". (Yes, yes, used record sales fall under the same exemption as used movie sales, but considering the rampant greed the RIAA exhibits, I wouldn't put it past them...)
Ashcroft's not *crazy*, he's just extremely religious.
Oh, Wait a minute... Never mind. Strike that, reverse it.
I have only one thing to say to the RIAA:
Arrr! Heave to and prepare to be boarded!
Perhaps I got a bit inflamed about spam in general. I'm sorry for offending you, but it's a touchy subject for me. I get a long ton of spam every day, as I believe most folks with an email address over a month old do (mine's going on six years at the same Hotmail address, though I'm using other programs now) The point I'm trying to make is that many, many, many spammers and adware whores make the claim I "opted in" to their mailing list or "consented" to install their adware/scumware when in fact I did no such thing. I think there are lots of folks out there who've experienced the same troubles, especially when contacting the idiots to inform them that I absolutely do not want their bulk email or ad software.
I feel like I'm banging my head against the wall when I tell them I didn't sign up or consent for install - once they say I've given them my consent, it's like pulling teeth to tell them that I did not in fact do so when I God forbid actually attempt to de-install the adware or "opt-out".
So no, not all commercial email is spam - as long as you know you're actually signing up for something. But there are lots of advertisers out there who use sneaky #*&%ing tricks to bypass anti-spam law. I don't think I'm alone here in hoping to see spammers, pseudospammers and adware whores all suddenly suffer an instant brain aneurysm and put us out of their misery.
*sigh*
Don't you just LOOOOOOVE how spammers try to make their business sound legit?
"I handle bulk emailings to people who signed up at my client's website." Too bad most of the people who "signed up" didn't know they were signing up by just visiting the site. This sounds suspiciously like N-Case Software's claims that by visiting particular sites - even via pop-up - you're automatically accepting terms for installation of their "interstitial ad delivery" adware. Spammers and adware whores love to hand you the "user gave me consent" line to dodge responsibility.
Just what I need. More @&$#ing spam gumming up the works and eating into the time I spend working. Let me get this through your thick skull, Spam-Boy: spam & 'interstitial' adverts are not legitimate nor acceptable means of advertisement.
In fact, in my humble opinion, SPAMMERS AND ADWARE WHORES DESERVE CASTRATION à la MELON BALLER!
To quote George Carlin:
"Near miss? That was a near hit!"
*BO0oM!*
Awww, look... it nearly missed.
Well, he may not be the "anti-feminist woman hating porno president", but he certainly doesn't have much love for them either, nor for the darkies or the fags.
Let's see what happens when people are turned away from the polls THIS voting season for attempting the crime of voting while black, just like in North Florida, 2000 - only THIS time nationwide thanks to the Diebold Electronic Vote-Fraud Machines...
But I'm getting off-topic. Bush isn't personally in charge of stopping harassment or discrimination claims. But he's in charge of appointing the person whose job it is. And what a guy he picked, too. Bush Jr. installed a joker who struck all language pertaining to sexual orientation from the Federal government's definitions of discrimination. You could get a pink slip tomorrow and under "Reasons for Termination", your boss could put "Fired because s/he's a faggot/dyke/sodomite/insert epithet here" in those exact words and there wouldn't be a goddamned legal thing you could do about it. Bush not only approved of the action, he applauded it.
He may not be the "anti-feminist woman hating porno president", but I guess if he's not that it's OK for him to be the "fag-bashing negro-hating wog-bombing Constitution revisionist president". Never mind the GOP's and the Religious Right's positions on feminism anyhow...
Bush/Cheney '04 - Our track record for wiping our asses with the Constitution stands firm.