BIG BEND BIKERS FOR FREEDOM

Yes, YOU COUNT!

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:19:00 +0000

Often times we become so overwhelmed by events and circumstances beyond our control we fall victim to feeling very alone. That we are not heard and no one is listening. That our actions are futile and the "system" is to big to fight and the only option left is to "give up."

It is nice, when we feel that way, to run across something that proves us totally wrong.

Today on Washingtons Blog is an outstanding piece that demonstrates even when you feel you are having absolutely no impact, you are in fact, creating change.

The piece quotes historical figures and examples of how few numbers have been able to change history and even kept Nixon from a nuclear attack on Vietnam.

From our perspective one of the more interesting aspects of the piece is the mention of a social experiment whereby individuals will conform to a greater belief even if it is not true. Add one dissenting person and the proclivity to conform is reduced as much as 10%. That is the difference one person, YOU, can make!

The rub is however, it can't be done over the anonymity of the internet. It must be done by a real person refusing to follow the herd, with the courage to stand up and speak the truth!

We are not going to post the whole piece here because it is fairly long. So this link will take you to it:

It Is Worth Fighting … Even When There Is No Hope of Winning

Even the choice to read the post or not, will make a difference in your life.

Indefinite detention, NDAA 1021 unconstitutional

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

Last Wednesday District Judge Kathrine B. Forrest ruled the paragraph in 1021 of National Defense Act pertaining to "indefinite detention" is unconstitutional.

MANHATTAN (CN) - A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction late Wednesday to block provisions of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act that would allow the military to indefinitely detain anyone it accuses of knowingly or unknowingly supporting terrorism.
     Signed by President Barack Obama on New Year's Eve, the 565-page NDAA contains a short paragraph, in statute 1021, letting the military detain anyone it suspects "substantially supported" al-Qaida, the Taliban or "associated forces." The indefinite detention would supposedly last until "the end of hostilities."
     In a 68-page ruling blocking this statute, U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest agreed that the statute failed to "pass constitutional muster" because its broad language could be used to quash political dissent.
     "There is a strong public interest in protecting rights guaranteed by the First Amendment," Forrest wrote. "There is also a strong public interest in ensuring that due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment are protected by ensuring that ordinary citizens are able to understand the scope of conduct that could subject them to indefinite military detention."

Link to downloadable pdf copy of Katherine B. Forrest, District Judge's decision.

Keep in mind it is not over. Congress continues to debate the issue.

FREE FACEBOOK STOCK-Take all ya want

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Yepper, take just cut and paste and take all ya want and you to can be a part of one of the biggest scams ever perpetrated on the American People.

2:56 PM The SEC and Finra look set to launch separate investigations of the Facebook IPO. Finra Chief Rick Ketchum calls allegations analysts for the lead underwriters leaked negative views about FB to select clients ahead of the IPO, "a matter of regulatory concern."

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THAT!

BUSH IS BACK, ACKKKKKKK..........

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:56:00 +0000

Yeee, hawwww as a friend is fond of hollerin when he ain't hollerin "Crank it up!" And apparently Bush is "cranking it up" via new book and southern drawl to offer his expertise on economics and Peace on Earth???

Now we know that upon awareness of this new development many Obama haters will be retiring to their closets to pray to Reagan, thank God and sniff a pair of shoes. But lookee here ya'll the only difference between Obama and Bush is.....well besides the obvious......is there ain't none! Paint Bush Black or Obama White. Either way you still have a wall street puppet beholdin to the Bank/puppet/corpo-fascist-kleptocrats.

From Zero Hedge by way of Azizonomics (we will do the work of adding emphasis and colors):

George W. Bush’s “Growth” Strategy

George W. Bush is back. And he’s got a plan!

From the NYT:

Two months from now, he plans to publish a book outlining strategies for economic growth. And on Tuesday, he made a rare return to Washington to promote freedom overseas.

Freedom overseas? Yes — it would be nice to be free of George W. Bush’s destructive and costly neocon agenda (and I know many people overseas agree) but sadly the current White House occupant seems to be following the same authoritarian script; Bush hit Iraq and Afghanistan, and Obama seems intent to expand the wars into Pakistan and Yemen.

On the economy, let’s judge him on his record:

That doesn’t suggest that Bush has anything much to add to the conversation. But that doesn’t mean I think he should shut up and go away.

Here are a few prominent questions that George W. Bush might want to consider answering before slinking off back to Crawford:

Why did you ignore the CIA’s warnings in the summer of 2001 that al-Qaeda could strike “imminently”?
Why did you pledge in the 2000 election debates that you were against nation building, and then embark on not one but two nation-building programs in Iraq and Afghanistan?
You increased the Federal debt by 86%; to what extent do you accept the blame for America’s debt troubles?
You reappointed Alan Greenspan as the Fed Chairman; to what extent do you accept that his easy money policies caused the bubble that burst in 2008?
Were the 2008 bailouts of well-connected banks and financial corporations engineered by your administration compatible with a supposedly “free-market” “capitalist” system? Doesn’t bailing out banks create dangerous moral hazard?
How can a nation simultaneously claim to be a liberator while also practising torture?
You swore to uphold the Constitution, yet passed the PATRIOT Act that authorised warrantless wiretapping, and mass surveillance in contravention of the Fourth Amendment. Do you realise that you violated your oath of office?

That would be a great start. There are, of course, swathes of other questions (including much, much darker ones) that many wish George W. Bush could be made to answer. But there is no real accountability in America today. (Ed. note: And here shall add, no accountability unless your lowly working class that is!) He can go back to his ranch and his presidential library and act like a carpetbagging good old boy, while kids in the middle east continue to have their limbs blown off, and while the nation remains smothered under a mountain of debt and authoritarian creep.

BUT WAIT! Cause this is what is going to be so freaking funny. So many don't get it, and hate Obama so bad, even though they loved Bush???? Yeah I know, makes no sense. But hey, it's the rabbit hole we are in. But there are those that would prefer this (courtesy of http://williambanzai7.blogspot.com/):

Lets go Toto, it's a long way back to Kansas.

I don't care who ya are, Bee Gees rocked

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:53:00 +0000

Don't believe me? Ask any lady who was in her teens back then. Ask Robin Gibbs. Well ya might wanta put that off for a bit.

B.O.L.T.s Tiger Lilly handcuffed while legally carrying-video

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:31:00 +0000

B.O.L.T. stands for Bikers of Lessor Tolerance. Unlike ABATE under whichever incarnation they currently operate under. We think American Bikers Aimed Towards Education is the preferred moniker now since they have started begging for tax payer dollars. B.O.L.T. prefers to insist on testing "illegal" laws. Check out the following vid:

Don't mess with these women protestors

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:58:00 +0000

We can't help but wonder what would happen were a few woman demeaning conservatives were to meet up with these ladies from the Ukrainian woman's movement FEMEN seen here protesting the oppression of Islamic women. Heres our guess. They would all run except Gingrich. Newt would try to marry three or four of them while he sought to have others brought up on ethics charges (from Cryptome).

You are being Assimilated, Ask Congress-propaganda bill

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:32:00 +0000

As if we didn't know? BoingBoing is reporting that congress wants to make it legal for the U.S. to feed it's citizens propaganda. So what, feeding us bullshit is not enough? Do they mean that the monthly jobless reports aren't lies? Do they still think we believe a word that comes out of their mouths to begin with? Maybe not now. But we will.

First what you need to know is that it has always been legal for the U.S. to lie to the rest of the world. In fact, it has also been illegal for them to tell us the lies they have been telling the rest of the world. See, Smith-Munt Act.

Congress, in recommending passage of the bill, declared that "truth can be a powerful weapon." Congress further declared six principles were required for the legislation to be successful in action: tell the truth; explain the motives of the United States; bolster morale and extend hope; give a true and convincing picture of American life, methods, and ideals; combat misrepresentation and distortion; and aggressively interpret and support American foreign policy. As a Cold War measure, it was intended to counter and inoculate against propaganda from the Soviet Union and Communist organizations primarily in Europe. The principal purpose of the legislation was to engage in a global struggle for minds and wills, a phrase used by Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.It established the programming mandate that still serves as the foundation for U.S. overseas information and cultural programs at the Department of State.

O.k now, note the bold and the underlined because it is followed up with:

Since 1972, the act prohibits domestic access to information intended for foreign audiences. Prior to this, the State Department and then the USIA beginning in 1952, were prohibited from disseminating information intended for foreign audiences, with the express intent that Congress, the American media, or academia would be the distributors of such information.^[7]

and

Section 501(a) of the Act (care of the Voice of America website) provides that
"information produced by VOA for audiences outside the United States shall not be disseminated within the United States … but, on request, shall be available in the English language at VOA, at all reasonable times following its release as information abroad, for examination only by representatives of United States press associations, newspapers, magazines, radio systems, and stations, and by research students and scholars, and, on request, shall be made available for examination only to Members of Congress."
This means that VOA is forbidden to broadcast within the United States.

O.K. so I'm confused. If the truth is such a powerful weapon why are we not allowed to hear it? Because me bucko's, it's all a game and the people who play the game are smarter than a fifth grader. Which means we are toast. Note this article from Bloomberg Business/technology "Your Text Messages saved forever" (did you know that all tweets are saved in the Library of congress?). Of course we knew, or least some of us did and you should have, that the government, google and facebook save everything. But did you know that everything may soon be up for sale???? From the article:

Aside from simply storing texts, however, Konowe believes Uppidy’s value lies in something else: It makes it easier for others to read your texts. Parents, for example, can go to the site to see their kids’ texts—to see if they are being cyberbullied, or if they’re lying about where they’re spending the night. “If you could stop a stalker,” Konowe says, “you could save someone’s life.”
Corporate IT departments can use Uppidy to see all the texts employees send on their work phones. A former BP (BP) engineer has been charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Uppidy might have allowed that situation to come to light sooner.

Now you see the way the game is played? First they monitor you to see what it is you are thinking, saying or doing . Then they start this innocent little campaign of telling you little lies, otherwise known as propaganda about what you should be thinking, saying and doing. Now we know this results in mind control because already we have people speaking politically correctly and believing the lies regurgitated by such government agencies as the Bureau of Labor and/or the Department of Education. Whose mission is not to educate you but to make sure you feel good about yourself no matter how crummy your lot in life may be. Or how about maybe that hilarious, "they have weapons of mass destruction hidden away in Iraq". Or write your congressman a letter because he/she will listen to you.......PUKES!

Now we know a lot of people that think thats tin hat shit or conspiracy paranoia. But Madison Avenue has known these techniques for years. Why else would they pay big bucks to put a little bitty Budweiser decal on a race car going around a track so fast you ain't gonna see it but for a second? Because after awhile, they know you will get thirsty (research irresistible communication, Neuro-linguistic Programming or Ericksonian Hypnosis)!

Oh yeah look for amendment 85 in the new Defense Authorization Bill. And check out more info here. We are Borg, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile!

Party in the Pasture-Old School Biker Rodeo

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Mon, 21 May 2012 22:11:00 +0000

So it appears about 8 years ago some dudes what go by J.O. Batten, Chickenman and DonV. and the staff of Scooter Goods Magazine decided to throw an Old School Biker rally in a cow pasture outside of Brooksville, Fl. with proceeds going to disabled vets. Bars4Bikers.com ranks it number 4 on their top ten list of Wildest Biker Parties in the U.S. If last weekends event is any indication, it can't be long before it ranks numero uno.

Our only complaint is sleeping. Like who wants to sleep when there is so much going on your afraid you might miss something. As if what ya did catch wasn't enough. I burnt the battery out on my camera three times.

So heres the gig. When they say Old School they mean "OLD SCHOOL". Weve been to bigger rallies, but none as friendly. Billed as an adult party w/ a lot of adult stuff goin on I only heard one argument and staff was all over it in a heartbeat. And the icing on the cake, unlike other rallies they aren't out to get your last dollar. 10 bucks gets ya in. The food and beverages were reasonable, the ladies made it all worth it and profit goes to disabled veterans. HELLO! Need we say more??? How about you just click here and let the pictures do the talking. Oh yeah, if you can't handle T and A, do not click on the pictures!

VNV/legacy Vets MC and Downtown Tally rock for Post 9/11 vets

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:16:00 +0000

In light of our previous post, Again Tallahassee shames veterans, what does it say about America? OR "they threw a parade and no one came", (Which we stand by) we thought it only fair to mention the two veterans events that did get respectable turn outs over the weekend. But then, they did serve beer.

Leon County put on the "Leon County Operation Thank You get down" featuring bands, vendors and a little bit of something for everyone lasting into the night Friday eve. The weather cooperated the band was rockin and most appeared to be having a good time. For pictures of that event go here.

And then after the "parade that wasn't" The Vietnam/Legacy Vets MC held their 8th annual Salute to Veterans Poker run which as always was kick ass. It is still our contention that their annual Salute to veterans gives out the most and the best door prizes of any other run in town. Not to mention just a straight out good time. For Pics of that event go here.

Our thanks to "little Zette" for help w/ the pictures.

Again Tallahassee shames veterans, what does it say about America? OR "they threw a parade and no one came"

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Sun, 20 May 2012 18:41:00 +0000

every corner crowded with patriots in honor of their service

Across the country various cities have taken up the cause of having a parade to welcome home the Post 9/11 veterans, i.e. those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. So there were those in Tallahassee, home of the cancelled veterans day parade due to rain, who thought it only fitting that such be done here. After all it was after the 9/11 attacks that everybody in the country was crying for war and sending our sons and daughters to foreign sands to insure we are never attacked again.

Here is where we would write, "How soon we forget." However in this case we will state, "How soon we don't give a damn about those we send off to die so we can be comfortable." As we have learned to be comfortable with the ever growing corrupt kleptocracy that daily takes our rights in the name of 9/11 and freedom!

The parade, leaving the civic center, yesterday morning finally kicked off after loops around the parade route showed that maybe, MAYBE, 30 or so people showed up to watch and pay their respects to those who had put their ass in harms way since 9/11. We took pictures along the whole route so you can count them yourselves if you wish. They can be found here.

note the crowd lined streets

To say this is a sad state of affairs is an understatement. Yes there were other veterans events that occurred over the weekend (which we will be posting on, or not, after all, who cares?) that were fairly well attended. In fact, one of those events started at the Civic Center as soon as the parade ended. Once the parade ended, people started arriving in groups on motorcycles to attend the next event.

So why such a poor showing (no showing) for this parade??? After all, we know it got the same amount of publicity, if not more, than the others. Media knew about it, where were they and their families? State and city employees knew about it, where were they and their families? LEO and Parade participants knew about it, where were their friends and families? Bikers knew about it where were they and their families? Walmart? the beach? fishing? Or any number of other activities that we would not be able to participate in were our enemies to overcome and impose a more totalitarian system over us than we already have.

And maybe most striking of all......... Where were all the veterans who argue they do not and have not, received the respect due for their service. Here was an opportunity to honor there own. Where were they and their families?

when the best you can do is occupy a park???

Where was Occupy Tallahassee whose encampment was on the parade route who loudly scream about unfairness of our government? Where were the Tea Partiers who adorn themselves with flag pins and claim to be the party of patriots?

Now as we previously mentioned, their was good attendance for the other two events, so we have to ask ourselves, what was different? And the only thing we could possibly think of was, both of those events had booze and bands! In other words, they were parties. Ostensibly thrown to honor veterans but maybe some attendee's found them just another of many excuses we can create to have a party, with head in sand while daily Americans become poorer and more oppressed and yes, still killed overseas. YES, we can honor those who have served and died or have been irreparably damaged for life as long as it is fun. We can collectively take action for the right cause, when booze, music, pretty girls and a smorgasbord of edibles contributing to obesity are served up at ever decreasing prices because the proletariat has ever decreasing wealth.

some of the few onlookers apparently understood as they
began to walk beside and with the parade. As if in silent
tribute to the parades of "OLD AMERICA"

Have we been harsh in this post? Maybe. Have we made a few more enemies with this post? Most probably as the truth always creates enemies. However a consistent overriding theme of this site has been that America is quickly becoming Rome, Fascist Germany, Stalins Russia, a land of the privileged and those who serve them. And it is times such as yesterday, when taken in totality with other events since Post 9/11 that do nothing but validate that contention!

Post Script: We understand that due to today's economy, some could not attend because they are now forced to work longer hours for less money than almost any other time in our history. For them, Freedom is no longer an option.

God Bless America!

12 yo girl knows banking system better than most Americans

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:53:00 +0000

Video is 6 minutes long
American Presidents on Banks:

History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance. -James Madison Member of the Democrat-Republican party

Issue of currency should be lodged with the government and be protected from domination by Wall Street. We are opposed to…provisions [which] would place our currency and credit system in private hands. – Theodore Roosevelt, Republican

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks…will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered…. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs. – Thomas Jefferson in the debate over the Re-charter of the Bank Bill (1809) Democrat-Republican Party

And From the President that signed the Federal Reserve act into law, Woodrow Wilson, Democrat:

A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is privately concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men who, even if their action be honest and intended for the public interest, are necessarily concentrated upon the great undertakings in which their own money is involved and who necessarily, by very reason of their own limitations, chill and check and destroy genuine economic freedom.

and

We have restricted credit, we have restricted opportunity, we have controlled development, and we have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated, governments in the civilized world--no longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and the duress of small groups of dominant men.

DO YOU SEE ME THIS TIME!

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Crippled Old Biker Brothers and Sisters ride for safety

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:57:00 +0000

Crippled Old Biker Brothers (Formerly known as Crippled Old BIker Bastards) are throwing another

DO YOU SEE ME NOW

Run in Daytona Beach May 20th, 2012. If you missed it last year then read on and see what happened. THen get your butt and scoot out and run for your fellow riders this year. Cause it's a war out there.

Yo Daytona area Bikers

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Discussion at Cyril Huze site.

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:16:00 +0000

The previous post, RC takes on ABATE of Florida was posted on Cyril Huzes site before we posted it here. Primarily because we have paid scant attention to this site of late. To be honest we have found it tiring to combat the Corporate/Government lies on both ends of the political spectrum with nothing but truth. We do occasionally like to stir up some shit just for the hell of it.

Though the post on Mr. Huzes site has generated good discussion that some may be interested in. If you are not familiar with Cyril Huze, the following Bio was taken from his site:

Until the end of the 80’s, I pursued a career in advertising both in Paris, France & in New York (handling national accounts of advertisers like Mc-Donald’s, Hertz, 3M, Siemens, Pfizer, Glaxo, etc). At the beginning of the 90’s, I decided to pursue professionally my passion for building custom motorcycles. With my custom bikes, I am a multi-winner & best of show in all major events in the US & Europe. In 1994, Easyriders Magazine bestowed me with the title of Master Builder & I am the first recipient of the VQ/V-Twin Award. My work has been featured all over the world in hundreds of magazine covers and special features , in hard cover books, in calendars, videos & TV shows. I also design motorcycle parts sold worldwide to motorcycle dealers & to a retail clientele through the Cyril Huze Store. I am a columnist for several magazines in the US and Europe: Robb Report, American Iron, Barnett, Freeway, Cycle Source, Custom Bike Germany.” I also also a marketing and advertising consultant for American and European motorcycle companies doing international business.

So even if you are not into the discussion we can guarantee you that the Custom motorcycles featured on his site are well worth the visit. Check it out.

RC takes on ABATE of Florida

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:11:00 +0000

S.O.P.A., P.I.P.A., P.O.W., M.I.A. Have we lost our way

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:37:00 +0000

The following was sent by a Vietnam Vet who works tirelessly on POW/MIA issues. The letter was sent to him. The letter writers name has been deleted. We have also deleted a name. So while we can not verify who wrote the letter, we can by investigation affirm that the issues addressed are real.

And to the question asked in the letter, "Come America, where's your priorities?!" All we can say is freaking screwed up! Emphasis ours.

Subject: POW/MIA

Date: Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:40:07 -0600

Okay so my Brother had a very good point the other day:

"It's funny how more people are worried about the SOPA and PIPA bills, which aren't even about humans! But we get very little support when it comes to POW/MIA issues and HR 111 involving REAL people/VETERANS! VETERANS that fight for your freedom and the ability to even be at this stage in life to use the internet! Come America, where's your priorities?!"

I agree with him, until he spoke up I had not heard of H.R. 111 or anything about POW/ MIA. I remember when I was in junior high we had a spirit week and one of the days had to do with the military, my dad let me wear a black t-shirt of his with the POW/MIA symbol on it. When I got home he as asked me if anyone said anything and I think I said something like everyone kept asking me what it stood for and I responded with no idea not sure it stands for anything. My dad then explained to me what Prisoner of War/Missing in Action meant and I have never forgotten, yet in school I remember hearing nothing about these men and women who might not be dead but could wish they were because of the treatment they have/are receiving. They are real heroes and they are giving the ultimate sacrifice as well for our liberties and freedoms, and they are still giving that sacrifice and suffering for us everyday, they don't get to be at peace. Yet we pass them off to the side and forget about them, just a cost we have to pay while the wars are going and once it is over everyone wants to move on and forget that inky spot blotting our history and thus the unaccounted for warriors are forgotten too. This is not right. It should never be the mainstream to just ignore this situation, this very real flesh and blood situation. Everyone can decry Sopa/Pipa and you can see it everywhere you look, but you see and hear nothing about the people that gave you the freedom to oppose the government and to use the internet. That isn't a joke either, some countries actually do limit internet use and regulate the content severely. Of course don't forget the countries that if you speak up and speak out you are killed.

How many of you are even aware of or know the date of National POW/MIA Recognition day? I didn't, but here it is: The third Friday in September each year.
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/pow-mia-recognition-day

Anyone ever hear of H.R. 1630 and what it was about? It is to recognize National POW/MIA Recognition day as one of the six days each year that the POW/MIA flag is to be flown over certain federal facilities and also to give support to and recognize the efforts of everyone involved in POW/MIA situations, whether the actual missing people or the people working to find and bring them home.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr111-1630&tab=summary

What about H.R. 111? Anyone know what that is about? Ever even heard of it? It would allow the establishment of the House Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. It was introduced February 28th, 2011, almost a year ago. You know where it sits now? In a committee. You know what happens if it isn't passed my the end of this congressional committee meeting? It gets wiped off the books and has to be re-introduced at the next committee.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr112-111

What is so hard about passing something that is so necessary and could help speed along the process of finding and bringing our missing and/or imprisoned men and women home? Oh right, politics, and in this case a game of politics no one knows anything about. Do your sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and future generations a favor: EDUCATE YOURSELF! You just might be a deciding factor in someone's life. Pass it Along! and while you are calling your representatives about not passing Sopa and Pipa, ask them to pass H.R. 111 and help our imprisoned and missing out!

Proof Apples blowout profits from slavery-no U.S. jobs

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:38:00 +0000

We have been banging away at Apple, Inc. for awhile now as the most reprehensible U.S. Corporation knowingly profiting off slavery while at the same time screwing the country that gave it the freedom to engage in Free Market Capitalism. In fact our contention would be that Apple, inc. should be declared an enemy of the state and brought up on International Human Rights charges.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Before we go into the multi page document released by the New York times to day, lets review it's recent earnings blow out put into perspective by Tech Crunch (Emphasis ours):

Apple added $38 billion in cash to its reserves just in the past year alone, as Horace Dediu points out. They now have $97.6 billion in cash and equivalents. $64 billion of that is offshore, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer stated during the call — meaning, it would cost money (taxes) to bring it back into the U.S.

Apple’s cash hoard alone is worth more than all but 52 companies on Earth, as Dennis Bermannotes.

Apple is now the biggest Corporation in America. Once again over taking EXXON. It know sports a 400+ billion dollar market cap. Yet still would rather hoard 64 billion of ill gotten gains offshore to insure it keeps every penny of those ill gotten gains!

Apple’s revenues, while massive, are nothing compared to a company like Walmart, which reported$109.5 billion in revenue last quarter. BUT that $109.5 billion only turned into $3.3 billion of actual income for the quarter. In other words, Walmart has more than double the revenues of Apple, but Apple has more than four times the profits of Walmart. That’s remarkable.

Apple’s profits place them on this exclusive list of the most profitable quarters among corporations. You’ll note that Apple is the only company on the list that’s not an oil and gas company. And they’re a “mere” $3.2 billion from the top spot.

We do not find that all that remarkable considering Wal-Mart employ's a significant amount of Americans and much of it's earnings end up circulating in the community where it's stores are located.

The Itunes store alone generated 50% more than all of the revenue Yahoo generated as a whole last quarter. AOL would have to grow itself by a 124 times to be as big as Apple. Apples profit alone beats Googles entire Revenue for the last quarter. Apple is currently bigger than Greece. Apples profit last quarter was 3 billion dollars more that Hollywoods gross earnings for all of last year.

To say the least Apple is a remarkable Company. It has creatively innovated disruptive products that have insured Apple will be a cash cow for years to come. But at what cost??? We will try to break down the New York Times 7 page article to the specifics as we have covered much of this before. However even we had no idea the human cost by which Apple obtains it's riches.

Employees work excessive overtime, in some cases seven days a week, and live in crowded dorms. Some say they stand so long that their legs swell until they can hardly walk. Under-age workers have helped build Apple’s products, and the company’s suppliers have improperly disposed of hazardous waste and falsified records, according to company reports and advocacy groups that, within China, are often considered reliable, independent monitors.

More troubling, the groups say, is some suppliers’ disregard for workers’ health. Two years ago, 137 workers at an Apple supplier in eastern China were injured after they were ordered to use a poisonous chemical to clean iPhonescreens. Within seven months last year, two explosions at iPad factories, including in Chengdu, killed four people and injured 77. Before those blasts, Apple had been alerted to hazardous conditions inside the Chengdu plant, according to a Chinese group that published that warning.

“If Apple was warned, and didn’t act, that’s reprehensible,” said Nicholas Ashford, a former chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, a group that advises the United States Labor Department. “But what’s morally repugnant in one country is accepted business practices in another, and companies take advantage of that.

“Apple never cared about anything other than increasing product quality and decreasing production cost,” said Li Mingqi, who until April worked in management at Foxconn Technology, one of Apple’s most important manufacturing partners. Mr. Li, who is suing Foxconn over his dismissal, helped manage the Chengdu factory where the explosion occurred.

“We’ve known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they’re still going on,” said one former Apple executive who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements. “Why? Because the system works for us. Suppliers would change everything tomorrow if Apple told them they didn’t have another choice.”

“If half of iPhones were malfunctioning, do you think Apple would let it go on for four years?” the executive asked

Shifts ran 24 hours a day, and the factory was always bright. At any moment, there were thousands of workers standing on assembly lines or sitting in backless chairs, crouching next to large machinery, or jogging between loading bays. Some workers’ legs swelled so much they waddled. “It’s hard to stand all day,” said Zhao Sheng, a plant worker.

Add caption

Banners on the walls warned the 120,000 employees: “Work hard on the job today or work hard to find a job tomorrow.” Apple’s supplier code of conduct dictates that, except in unusual circumstances, employees are not supposed to work more than 60 hours a week. But at Foxconn, some worked more, according to interviews, workers’ pay stubs and surveys by outside groups. Mr. Lai was soon spending 12 hours a day, six days a week inside the factory, according to his paychecks. Employees who arrived late were sometimes required to write confession letters and copy quotations. There were “continuous shifts,” when workers were told to work two stretches in a row, according to interviews.

Those accommodations were better than many of the company’s dorms, where 70,000 Foxconn workers lived, at times stuffed 20 people to a three-room apartment, employees said. Last year, a dispute over paychecks set off a riot in one of the dormitories, and workers started throwing bottles, trash cans and flaming paper from their windows, according to witnesses. Two hundred police officers wrestled with workers, arresting eight. Afterward, trash cans were removed, and piles of rubbish — and rodents — became a problem. Mr. Lai felt lucky to have a place of his own

But the next year, (After Apple states they developed guidelines for their workers) a British newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, secretly visited a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, China, where iPods were manufactured, and reported on workers’ long hours, push-ups meted out as punishment and crowded dorms. Executives in Cupertino were shocked. “Apple is filled with really good people who had no idea this was going on,” a former employee said. “We wanted it changed, immediately.”

Those audits have found consistent violations of Apple’s code of conduct, according to summaries published by the company. In 2007, for instance, Apple conducted over three dozen audits, two-thirds of which indicated that employees regularly worked more than 60 hours a week. In addition, there were six “core violations,” the most serious kind, including hiring 15-year-olds as well as falsifying records.

Over the next three years, Apple conducted 312 audits, and every year, about half or more showed evidence of large numbers of employees laboring more than six days a week as well as working extended overtime. Some workers received less than minimum wage or had pay withheld as punishment. Apple found 70 core violations over that period, including cases of involuntary labor, under-age workers, record falsifications, improper disposal of hazardous waste and over a hundred workers injured by toxic chemical exposures.

Last year, the company conducted 229 audits. There were slight improvements in some categories and the detected rate of core violations declined. However, within 93 facilities, at least half of workers exceeded the 60-hours-a-week work limit. At a similar number, employees worked more than six days a week. There were incidents of discrimination, improper safety precautions, failure to pay required overtime rates and other violations. That year, four employees were killed and 77 injured in workplace explosions.
“If you see the same pattern of problems, year after year, that means the company’s ignoring the issue rather than solving it,” said one former Apple executive with firsthand knowledge of the supplier responsibility group. “Noncompliance is tolerated, as long as the suppliers promise to try harder next time. If we meant business, core violations would disappear.”

“Once the deal is set and Foxconn becomes an authorized Apple supplier, Apple will no longer give any attention to worker conditions or anything that is irrelevant to its products,” said Mr. Li, the former Foxconn manager. Mr. Li spent seven years with Foxconn in Shenzhen and Chengdu and was forced out in April after he objected to a relocation to Chengdu, he said.

fencing to keep workers from jumping

“We’ve spent years telling Apple there are serious problems and recommending changes,” said a consultant at BSR — also known as Business for Social Responsibility — which has been twice retained by Apple to provide advice on labor issues. “They don’t want to pre-empt problems, they just want to avoid embarrassments.”

We Could Have Saved Lives’

The next year, a Foxconn employee fell or jumped from an apartment building after losing an iPhone prototype. Over the next two years, at least 18 other Foxconn workers attempted suicide or fell from buildings in manners that suggested suicide attempts. In 2010, two years after the pilot program fell apart and after multiple suicide attempts, Foxconn created a dedicated mental health hotline and began offering free psychological counseling.

“We could have saved lives, and we asked Apple to pressure Foxconn, but they wouldn’t do it,” said the BSR consultant, who asked not to be identified because of confidentiality agreements. “Companies like H.P. and Intel and Nike push their suppliers. But Apple wants to keep an arm’s length, and Foxconn is their most important manufacturer, so they refuse to push.”

In January 2010, workers at a Chinese factory owned by Wintek, an Apple manufacturing partner, went on strike over a variety of issues, including widespread rumors that workers were being exposed to toxins. Investigations by news organizations revealed that over a hundred employees had been injured by n-hexane, a toxic chemical that can cause nerve damage and paralysis.

Employees said they had been ordered to use n-hexane to clean iPhone screens because it evaporated almost three times as fast as rubbing alcohol. Faster evaporation meant workers could clean more screens each minute.

Apple commented on the Wintek injuries a year later. In its supplier responsibility report, Apple said it had “required Wintek to stop using n-hexane” and that “Apple has verified that all affected workers have been treated successfully, and we continue to monitor their medical reports until full recuperation.” Apple also said it required Wintek to fix the ventilation system.

That same month, a New York Times reporter interviewed a dozen injured Wintek workerswho said they had never been contacted by Apple or its intermediaries, and that Wintek had pressured them to resign and take cash settlements that would absolve the company of liability. After those interviews, Wintek pledged to provide more compensation to the injured workers and Apple sent a representative to speak with some of them. Six months later, trade publications reported that Apple significantly cut prices paid to Wintek.

“You can set all the rules you want, but they’re meaningless if you don’t give suppliers enough profit to treat workers well,” said one former Apple executive with firsthand knowledge of the supplier responsibility group. “If you squeeze margins, you’re forcing them to cut safety.

Just two weeks before the explosion, an advocacy group in Hong Kong published a report warning of unsafe conditions at the Chengdu plant, including problems with aluminum dust. The group, Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior, or Sacom, had videotaped workers covered with tiny aluminum particles. “Occupational health and safety issues in Chengdu are alarming,” the report read. “Workers also highlight the problem of poor ventilation and inadequate personal protective equipment.”

A copy of that report was sent to Apple. “There was no response,” said Debby Chan Sze Wan of the group. “A few months later I went to Cupertino, and went into the Apple lobby, but no one would meet with me. I’ve never heard from anyone from Apple at all.”

The morning of the explosion, Mr. Lai rode his bicycle to work. The iPad had gone on sale just weeks earlier, and workers were told thousands of cases needed to be polished each day. The factory was frantic, employees said. Rows of machines buffed cases as masked employees pushed buttons. Large air ducts hovered over each station, but they could not keep up with the three lines of machines polishing nonstop. Aluminum dust was everywhere.

Dust is a known safety hazard. In 2003, an aluminum dust explosion in Indiana destroyed a wheel factory and killed a worker. In 2008, agricultural dust inside a sugar factory in Georgia caused an explosion that killed 14. Two hours into Mr. Lai’s second shift, the building started to shake, as if an earthquake was under way. There was a series of blasts, plant workers said.

the screams began.

When Mr. Lai’s colleagues ran outside, dark smoke was mixing with a light rain, according to cellphone videos. The toll would eventually count four dead, 18 injured.
At the hospital, Mr. Lai’s girlfriend saw that his skin was almost completely burned away. “I recognized him from his legs, otherwise I wouldn’t know who that person was,” she said.

Eventually, his family arrived. Over 90 percent of his body had been seared. “My mom ran away from the room at the first sight of him. I cried. Nobody could stand it,” his brother said. When his mother eventually returned, she tried to avoid touching her son, for fear that it would cause pain. If I had known,” she said, “I would have grabbed his arm, I would have touched him.”
“He was very tough,” she said. “He held on for two days.”

After Mr. Lai died, Foxconn workers drove to Mr. Lai’s hometown and delivered a box of ashes. The company later wired a check for about $150,000.

In its most recent supplier responsibility report, Apple wrote that after the explosion, the company contacted “the foremost experts in process safety” and assembled a team to investigate and make recommendations to prevent future accidents.

In December, however, seven months after the blast that killed Mr. Lai, another iPad factory exploded, this one in Shanghai. Once again, aluminum dust was the cause, according to interviews and Apple’s most recent supplier responsibility report. That blast injured 59 workers, with 23 hospitalized.

“It is gross negligence, after an explosion occurs, not to realize that every factory should be inspected,” said Nicholas Ashford, the occupational safety expert, who is now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “If it were terribly difficult to deal with aluminum dust, I would understand. But do you know how easy dust is to control? It’s called ventilation. We solved this problem over a century ago.”

This month, after numerous requests by advocacy and news organizations, including The New York Times, Apple released the names of 156 of its suppliers. In the report accompanying that list, Apple said they “account for more than 97 percent of what we pay to suppliers to manufacture our products.”
However, the company has not revealed the names of hundreds of other companies that do not directly contract with Apple, but supply the suppliers. The company’s supplier list does not disclose where factories are, and many are hard to find. And independent monitoring organizations say when they have tried to inspect Apple’s suppliers, they have been barred from entry — on Apple’s orders, they have been told.

“And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than working conditions in China.”

Thank for purchasing your New American IPhone Proudly made by Chinese slaves where no lives were spared
so that you may have the latest in sleek geek fashion wear at an inflated price by an American corporation that does it's best not to support America by paying all taxes owed.

A Simple Solution To Restore Sanity to Congress

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:02:00 +0000

NOT

VOTE THEM ALL OUT! We have proposed this solution in the past. Maybe it was to far away from elections to get any traction. Then again, maybe we are just crazy and don't make sense. But then were o.k. with that. Because we prefer our insanity to the senseless battle over which crooks will gain control of congress. The Republican crooks, or the Democratic Crooks. So at the risk of validating that our initial insanity wasn't an anomaly, we shall lay out this simple plan once again. Throw it against the bits and bytes and see what sticks, so to speak.

O.K. You with us? Here's how it works.

Come the next election we vote every incumbent out. Republican, Democrat, or Independent. It does not matter. Any current office holder gets booted. Yes that means you maybe a liberal voting for a conservative or vice versa. It doesn't matter. Because two years later, at the next election, we do the same thing. Which will mean in three years time we will have effected two complete roll overs in congress.

Now what is the one thing politicians want to do? Keep being politicians. Crazy as this may sound, our thinking is that when they see how the American people can turn the government around in three years time, they just might begin to listen.

Now as we begin this little exercise we communicate that a few things must happen and until they do we will continue this tactic.

1. No more financial settlements for people who break the law. These financial settlements allow them to do two things. Make a profit off of breaking the law and allows them to keep breaking the law because the profit is greater than the consequences.

2. Somebody has got to go to jail. And not just a piker like Maddoff. The Attorney General must file charges and bring the people responsible for the 2008 crash to trial. Again, No more allowing them to bribe their way out.

3. No more bank bailouts. Any bank or corporation that participated in activities that helped to cause the crash must begin to return the bailout money to the taxpayer. The purpose of the size of the bailouts was so that they could begin to lend money again to help the economy. Instead they have kept it and invested it in themselves.

4. At the very least, the Patriot Act, the National Defense Authorization Act and Citizens United must be repealed (Yes we know Citizens United is a Supreme Court issue). Supreme Court Justices Scalia and Thomas must be investigated for taking payoffs to rule against the FEC.

5. American Corporations may not keep more than minimum working capital offshore. They must bring the surplus back home and pay the full tax rate.

Corporations who insist on doing business with our enemies or countries that engage in slavery, environmentally hazardous workplace environments, child labor and or human rights abuses contrary to the Constitution of these United States shall cease such practices or be asked to move to the communist country or dictatorship of their choice.

Our bet is, that when the politicos see we are serious we will see change occurring. And we will continue to roll the congress over every two years until such time as we get Representatives who truly represent us!

In fact, we kind of think this action would work at the state and local levels as well.

WE HAVE THE POWER! If we can stop fighting each other long enough to take on the real enemy!

POWER RESIDES IN THE PEOPLE, THEY CAN USE IT ANYTIME-GHANDI

Republican or Democrat, why would anybody want to be one

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:01:00 +0000

Awhile back we made a few posts about congressional insider trading (see: 60 minutes on congressional insider trading, the cesspool of traitors , Rep Bachus makes Boehner and Pelosi look like probies and Congress thinks were stupid with phony insider reform to name a few). Now for those unfamiliar with insider trading here's a brief explanation. Simply, insider trading is when somebody, usually a principle, gains information through inside sources about a stock before it is made public knowledge, calls up a broker buddy and say's hey look this is going happen. The broker calls some of his/her privileged friends and gives them the info so they can get a jump on everybody else. Their are people who will pay big bucks for that information so that they can illegally use it. This is illegal and for most carries a stiff fine and possible jail.

Except for one group of people, CONGRESS! Thats right, that which is illegal for all the rest of us, is not illegal for our trusted servants. Now after the 60 minutes expose many in congress were quite embarrassed and legislation was introduced to make congress follow the same laws as everybody else. Anyone know how far that legislation got? Anyone want to guess? NOWHERE!

That is how congress works. Now you may refer to yourself as a member of the republican or democrat parties. And what are you getting for your loyalty to either of these parties? SCREWED!

A glaring example From "Big Government" : In the new blockbuster tell-all Throw Them All Out, investigative reporter and Breitbart editor Peter Schweizer reveals that on November 18, 2009, Sen. Feinstein and her husband invested $1 million into Amyris Biotechnologies, a “green” company focused on plant-based renewable fuels and chemicals. The Feinsteins’ million-dollar investment was their only stock transaction for the entire year.

Feinstein, however, had good reason to feel that all her investment eggs were secure in the biotech basket, because just weeks after her seven-figure investment in Amyris, the company scored a $24 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to build a pilot plant where altered yeast would turn sugar into hydrocarbons.

The company went public the following year with an IPO that raked in $85 million. Currently, it’s unclear exactly how much money Senator Feinstein and her husband made off their investment, “but it’s safe to assume that they did well,” concludes Schweizer.Do we know for certain that Feinstein’s willingness to bet $1 million bet on Amyris was the result of insider knowledge that the DOE’s $24 million infusion of federal funds was forthcoming? No, not without further investigation. That, argues Schweizer in Throw Them All Out, is why insider trading laws should apply to members of Congress and trigger the kinds of SEC investigations to which ordinary investors must submit.

Now we are not the only ones banging away at this kind of information. Others are as well. So what consistently amazes this writer is the partisan threads of information that populate the internet, mainstream media and public discorse. WHY? WHY? AND WHY again?

Have we become so indoctrinated to our favorite party line that we will support them AS THEY SCREW US OVER? Folks, we hate to tell you this, but onlooker from another planet would be going, them folk are stupid!

There are three parties in America. The working class, the privileged and the don't give a damns. We suggest you figure out which one of the "real" parties you belong to!

Now for those who are not going to go to the trouble of hitting the first link above to check out the 60 Minutes segment we will offer it here. It's 15 minutes long. Yes we know it is a long time to spend gaining knowledge. But the what the hell, it's your country and your life!

O.K. now, tell us again, which party do you support!

Heather Ireland, the best you haven't heard yet

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

Ever Since Heather Ireland played a free gig for the Patriot Guard Riders and Vietnam Vets we like to now and then throw her some props. She is still paying her dues. It ain't easy coming out of a small southern Georgia backwater town. But let me tell ya something. You get a chance to see these people live, we suggest you take it

To the Women of Protest-we salute you

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:23:00 +0000

In conversation related to the Occupy's and other protests around the world the role of women as propagators of social change is often times not given the billing it deserves. But the fact is, women have been fighting for freedom and social change much longer and some might argue harder than men. After all many of the injustices suffered by women have been at the hands of men. If one were to study U.S. history alone they might be surprised just how important and fierce advocates for freedom women are. Martin Luther King often gets the credit for leading the blacks from bondage. But it was a woman, Rosa Parks, who struck the fist blow.

So when we ran across these photos on Cyptome we thought, in this time of world wide chaos, we would take a moment to salute women of the world who are not afraid to stand a line against oppression. Or any other cause for that matter. Hopefully this will not be the last post of this nature. So
to the ladies, to borrow a term from the 60's we say, RIGHT ON!

Protesters perform during demonstrations against the influence of bankers and financiers in front of the Reichstagsgebaeude on October 15, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. Thousands of people took to the streets today in cities across Germany in demonstrations inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protests in the United States. Activists are demanding an end to the free-wheeling ways of global financial players whom they see as responsible for the current European and American economic woes.

Egyptian soldiers arrested a female protester during the second day of clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo on December 16, 2011. Reuters

Activists of the Ukrainian women's movement FEMEN stage a performance in front of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow, on December 9, 2011, to protest against alleging mass fraud in the Russian December 4 parliamentary polls and demanding Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that he stop his political activities. Putin, who became premier in 2008 after serving two Kremlin terms, filed this week his application to stand in the March elections. Getty

An Israeli musician covers her face in protest, as she performs during a rally against gender segregation, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. Hundreds of women and women's rights activists gathered in central Jerusalem Wednesday night for a rally organized by the New Israel Fund, themed "women will be seen and heard", to protest discrimination against women in Israel. (Sebastian Scheiner)

An activist of a local women's rights watchdog FEMEN, with writing "I am independent" and Ukraine's' national flag on her belly, seen during celebrities on the occasion of Ukraine's 19th Independence in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010. (Efrem Lukatsky)

Workers protest as they shout slogans demanding higher wages in front of Indonesia's presidential palace in Jakarta, November 29, 2011. Indonesia has been hit by a series of strikes in recent months and is expected to see more labour disputes, as workers demanded a greater share of profits in one of Asia's fastest growing economies. Reuters

Naked Israeli women pose for a photograph in Tel Aviv, November 19, 2011, to show solidarity with Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, who put naked pictures of herself on the Internet, support free expression and protest against Islamic extremism. The banner reads: "Love With No Boundaries". Picture taken November 19, 2011. Reuters

Women supporters hold placards during a protest organised by Awami National Conference in Srinagar on November 19, 2011. The protesters demanded revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in restive Kashmir. The draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was introduced in 1990 to give the army and paramilitary forces sweeping powers to detain people, use deadly force and destroy property. Violence is at its lowest in Indian Kashmir since the start of the insurgency that has so far left more than 47,000 people dead by official count but separatists putting the toll twice as high. Getty

Eugene Police officers carry an Occupy Eugene protester away after arresting her for blocking the entrance to a Chase Bank in Eugene, Ore. Nov. 17, 2011. Occupy Eugene protesters spent an afternoon demonstrating at bank offices, and 17 were arrested. (Chris Pietsch)

Virila Perez, left, and Francisco Gonzalez, who work as municipal trash collectors, demonstrate against proposed lay-offs by lying on broken glass in Asuncion, Paraguay, Friday Nov. 18, 2011. Asuncion's municipal government is proposing cuts in employment to reduce the cost of municipal workers to 60% of the city budget. The sign covering them reads in Spanish "Until the final fight, overcome or die." (Jorge Saenz)

Police officers try to arrest activists of the Ukrainian women's movement FEMEN as they protest on December 3, 2011 against a meeting of opposition parties in Kiev. FEMEN activists protested against the event, saying that peeple came to the meeting because its organizers promised them money. Getty

A woman blocks the entrance to Congress as riot police stand guard in Guatemala City, Wednesday Nov. 23, 2011. Protesters are demanding that Congress approve the Ley de Vivienda, or Housing Act, which would allow them to attain legal titles to the lands where they built their homes. (Rodrigo Abd)

A woman holds up a sign that reads "No is No" as she takes part in the "Marcha de las Putas" (SlutWalk), held to protest against discrimination and violence against women in Lima, November 12, 2011. The march is part of the SlutWalk protest movement which started after a policeman advised women students in Canada to "avoid dressing like sluts". Reuters

Demonstrators with cooking pots and colanders on their heads stand in front of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Nov.12, 2011. Thousands of people formed a human chain around the Frankfurt bank towers protesting against the power of banks. German police say more than ten thousand people are protesting against the banks' dominance in two of the country's major cities.

An activist supporting the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) stands in front of banners in support of rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila during a protest in New Delhi on November 5, 2011. Sharmila has been on a 10-year hunger strike demanding the Indian government to repeal the AFSPA. Getty

Demonstrators hold cutouts representing women during a protest in front of the National Assembly building during a protest to demand the return of the therapeutic abortion law, in Managua, Nicaragua, Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011. The therapeutic abortion law, which allows the termination of a pregnancy to save a mother's life, was repealed by the legislature in 2006, handing down eight-year prison sentences to those who terminated risky pregnancies. (Esteban Felix)

Police officers detain an opposition demonstrator during an unsanctioned rally on Triumfalnaya Square in downtown Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Several dozens people have been detained at an opposition rally in central Moscow where they were protesting against the lack of alternatives in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. The posters, placed on a fence around a construction site, campaigns against violence to children by the national foundation to support children.

ANONYMOUS video 1-24-2012 NDAA day of Protests-Action

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

Transcript as posted by anonymous: Protest Information http://www.facebook.com/events/335643799778967/ Citizens of the United States.We are Anonymous.This is an immediate call to prepare for a day of dissent, specifically to challenge the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012.

Being that much of our recent national news has been dominated by the upcoming election, as well as the patriotic fight against the SOPA and PIPA censorship bills, we desire to urgently remind everyone not to forget, the N D AA is indeed now law. It remains a profound danger to all American's, now more than ever. As most likely know by now, President Obama signed the national defense authorization act of 20 12 into law, late on New years eve day while many of us were unaware, celebrating the coming of the new year.

The language of this law is written in such vague fashion, it can easily be utilized to prevent anyone of us access to certain rights . We apparently, are to forget about this. Anonymous will not allow it. The N D AA, essentially nullifies amendments 4 through 8 of the US Constitution. The Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law of the land, No law shall supersede it. It declares a citizens right to due process.

That we receive a speedy trial, a trial consisting of a jury of our peers. Yet, sections Ten thirty one and ten thirty two of the national defense authorization act remain intact and as written, they do indeed supersede the constitution. These sections allow for the executive branch to wield with impunity, unlimited powers to arrest and detain suspects, even American citizens, you, me, your children or mine, without charge, without trial, without expiration. As if we were military combatants fighting under a foreign flag. All a person must do is commit or take part in a belligerent act. What is a belligerent act? Is protesting a belligerent act? Is referring to oneself as Anonymous a belligerent act? Is law that is written with ambiguous language a belligerent act?

By allowing this act to become law, Congress and President Obama have declared war on Americans. Just a few weeks ago, Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina admitted to this fact in congress. He stated that America itself has indeed become part of the battlefield. Americans in any location on the planet, including on American soil, are subject to military capture, interrogation, detainment or may even be killed, with no cause whatsoever to due process or constitutional rights.

Feb 19, 1942 was the last time our once great country was declared to be a battlefield. On that day, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 90 66 in hopes of making our lands safer from Japanese, German and Italian world war 2 spies. Perhaps it did. However, through this order, nearly 200,000 American citizens lost their freedoms completely. Finding themselves arrested and placed against their will, into internment camps. For no other reason than their ancestry. These people were not ever criminals.

What is to stop such an atrocity from occurring under the national defense authorization act today? ONLY us. the citizens of America!

This is where we draw the line. No longer shall we remain the elites' obedient slaves. witness to the rights of Americans becoming lore, forgotten tales to be told only under the breath of future generations. This is when we leave the computers. This is when we don our masks. It is time to disobey!

On Friday, Feb. 3rd, from noon to 7 p.m. we denounce this treasonous law. Tens of thousands of Americans will be on the steps of congressional offices throughout the nation in solidarity, expressing to our so called leaders, This is still our country. All American people are invited to join us. The objective of our demonstration is to see our senators and representatives repeal the sections of this law which violate our rights.

We will not except any other response. Anonymous does not support violence and wishes America to continue its peaceful demonstrations. We are winning. However, we the people of America are growing more restless with the lack of our government's action, every single day. When will the tyrannical actions of our government stop? Hopefully before our voices manifest themselves as torches and pitchforks.

If you are a member of a constitutional group, liberty oriented organization or similar gathering, please share this with everyone and notify other members of this event. We must bring our numbers to bear. Certainly we should all notify our local and national media outlets of our protests.

Knowledge is free. It would be wise of us to share it. Once again, this government has forgot where we come from. Again, They spit on our Constitution. Here is your opportunity to make a difference. Join us America, on February third, demand that we have our constitutional rights upheld and restored now, before we have no rights left at all, but to obey!We are Anonymous. We are the 99 percent.We, are Legion.we do not Forgive acts of treason.we do not Forget where we come from.To the United States government. recognize. we are unstoppable.

MORE INFORMATIONS Senator Graham on Indefinite Detention, Miranda Rights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51F4kdE1jP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ejw7WUb310
How your Congressional "leaders" voted: House
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h1540/show http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h1540/show Senate http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1867/show http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1867/show Statement of Obama's Press Secretary. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/31/statement-press-secretary-hr-1540 Official Statement of the Pres. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/31/statement-president-hr-1540

TAGS Protest, call to action, Obama, signs, H.R.1540, ndaa, 2012, senator, graham, obama, napolitano, ron, paul, rand, mccain, lieberman, levin, national, defense, authorization, act, enemy, combatant, indefinite, detention, article, law, of, war, judicial, review, NSI, security, miranda, rights, dhs, tsa, military, homeland, lea, islam, muslims, annual, civil, liberties, alex, jones, rutherford, institute, aclu, feinstein, mark, udall, patrick, leahy, kirk, internment, camps, S.1867, anonymous, occupy, 99 percent

Will the patriot act scare off foreign customers

noreply@blogger.com (aka rc) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Sending the business to overseas providers such as China or other countries. Often we speak of the unintended consequences and blowback of actions of Congress. Currently we have little left of industry other than our edge in technology. Will the paranoia that has us looking for terrorists in the crotches of of every man, woman and child that boards an Airplane cost us more jobs? Is it even paranoia on the governments part. We submit to you that the government is not afraid of future terrorist threats. We contend that terrorism is nothing more than an excuse to make the "wet dreams" of the government-corporate alliance by turning the U.S. into a Police state! From an Article by Carol Ditosti posted on Technorati here:

The PATRIOT Act has been a concern for internet users for some time now, and the concern is rising for those dealing with American cloud computing, especially now with the latest passage of the National Defense Act and the newest provision which had been tacked on and passed by a bi-partisan group.

For a European firm, the specter of the Patriot Act in America's cloud has haunted UK defense contractor BAE Systems. BAE has jettisoned its idea for implementing Microsoft’s Office 365 cloud based productivity platform. Why? Very pointedly and directly, they suspect that the US government, which will have available at its disposal the platform and the right to go in via the PATRIOT Act, will also have the will to do so; the US government systems can easily access the data.

According to Charles Newhouse, who is head of strategy and design at BAE systems, “"We were going to adopt Office 365 and the lawyers said we could not do it." Newhouse spoke at the Business Cloud Summit 2011 in London.

Perhaps BAE Systems reconsidered the efficacy of the platform after Gordon Frazer's remarks to ZDNET during the launch of Office 365's in June of 2011. When Microsoft UK's managing director was asked whether Microsoft could verify that EU-stored data held in EU based data centers would not leave the European Economic Area regardless of the PATRIOT Act, Frazer was up front. He said that because Microsoft's headquarters were in the US, they were under US laws.

Of course, Microsoft must abide by the laws in the countries where the subsidiary companies are located, as well. However, if there was a request for data from BAE Systems, under the PATRIOT Act, the data would have to be given. And of course, it is this potential, unlimited US government access under the PATRIOT Act that European businesses object to.

For example 70% of European companies have noted concerns evidenced by BAE systems, according to a recent survey. And how are they counteracting this fear of potential hijacking of data via the PATRIOT Act? They are using it to compete against us. Companies have begun marketing their services as immune to American legislation simply because they do not use the American cloud and platforms that provide access to American cloud computing which is subject to the PATRIOT Act.

What Swedish firm City Network is doing is becoming typical. Their chairman Johan Christenson has said according to reports, “

"We believe that a service owned and operated locally in the EU, and fully compliant with EU data protection laws, will be very attractive for European companies." Then Christenson went on to make an offer when he said, "US companies with European operations will also benefit from the lower latency of a locally hosted solution." Global going local? Well, there are benefits considering what the PATRIOT Act does NOT avail: data freedom

It is appearing more and more that the PATRIOT Act is a two edged sword with an unsuspected fallout. If American freedoms are being curtailed, including the freedom to do business, then European businesses and those in Asia will surely benefit as they offer their unrestricted and unencumbered cloud computing services, super marketing their products against our chained-up American cloud companies.

German cloud providers are advertising the PATRIOT Act as the reason why companies should select German companies. Ambassador Philip Verveer, US coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy at the State Department, has said that the PATRIOT Act has become a "marketing proposition" for America's international competitors. It would appear that the President's attempting to quell the fears of foreign companies against this phenomenon will only encourage them to continue. Why should they end a great marketing advantage?

Will China be far behind? Maybe not if they end the restrictions, as they might be doing to prosper their Cloud Valley. If the US doesn't clear this problem up, it will be left in the dust and even in technology, then, will be regulation-restricted in its entrepreneurship and innovation, areas where the US has been a standout.