Orange County Peace and Justice

Defense Spending

noreply@blogger.com (Shawn) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:38:00 +0000

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Seven-hundred and thirty-eight billion dollars.

That's the 2012 Department of Defense budget. It's the single largest portion of all US discretionary spending, and it's the largest DoD budget in US history. Comparatively, average annual spending on defense during the Vietnam, Korean, and Cold War was just 408 billion dollars (adjusted for inflation), almost half of what it is now.

Source: Defense.gov
Yeah, you read that right.

Why is it that we need to be spending more money on war now than we did just a few years ago, at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? Why is it that as a country, we'd rather spend money (and unnecessary money at that) on war than on any other of the slew of issues in need of attention in America?

It's a fact that we spend more money on our military than the next 20 top military-spending countries combined. Imagine the things we could accomplish if we cut that in half—and we would still be spending more than the next top 10 countries combined!

This money isn’t even being used to effectively protect us from our enemies. Based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, ranked as the number 3 world US think tank in 2009, the US spends 97 times more on our military than Iran does, 2,748 times more than Afghanistan does, and even China, perhaps our biggest competitor on the world stage, spends six times less on their military than we do.

Maybe it is that a country so much larger than our enemies needs to spend this much more than they do. However, when you compare the percentage of GDP that we spend on military compared to what they do, you still see that we're spending 40% more of our GDP on military than Iran is, and 46% more than China.

That means 46% more of a burden on citizens of America than on citizens in China; 46% more of a hindrance on our economy than on that of China's; 46% less resources available to the veterans of these wars, to health and education, and to American infrastructure.

And for what?

So that we can spend more on military than the next 20 countries combined.

Op-Eds Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:15:00 +0000

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Below you'll find the first installment of what will be a weekly Op-Ed response I'll be posting. For more information about the Op-Eds, please see this post. The Op-Ed below was written by me in response to an article, which I'll link to in each post. This week's link is below:

Link to CNN Article

“Is Aviation Security Mostly for Show?”	CNN
Bruce Schneier	December 29, 2009

Bruce Schneier, author of multiple works regarding security in the modern era, writes this article as not just a professional cryptographer and security specialist but also as an ordinary and concerned citizen of America and the world. He examines the post-911 banter and nonsensicality that plagues our discussions on the topic of terrorism and security, and also the effects this has on our actual security. His opinion is this: our thoughts and judgments on how to handle security—and indeed, our very perception of security—have been skewed by the supposed constant modern threats we encounter. He goes further to suggest that not only are we skewed by these threats, but also by threats that do not exist at all.

I chose this article for a number of reasons. Firstly, September 11 is quickly approaching and with it our time to reflect on that day once again. Secondly, I wanted this opportunity to discuss my own thoughts on our nation’s security, but more than that, on our nation’s response to terrorism and the conformity that some people feel they need to pursue in the name of patriotism. In this aspect I agree with the author—no longer should we blindly accept the solutions to terrorism that our leaders present to us. More often than not, they’re doing what will make the American public feel more secure. But this method has a drawback: in the process of presenting us with a solution, they’re enlarging our fear of the threat. Schneier writes in paragraph eight of the article that “No one has ever explained why verifying that someone has a photo ID provides any actual security, but it looks like security to have a uniformed guard-for-hire looking at ID cards.” Merely checking identification does nothing to improve security. However, it does assume some very xenophobic ideas: that those from other countries (without American identification) are unsafe to the point that they might be terrorists. Checking identification publicly also serves as a continuous reminder that we’re in a state of suspicion and that everyone in the area, at any moment, may run into a terrorist threatening their security.

Instead of these phony security measures with their outrageous drawbacks and borderline-constitutional violations, we should work to improve that which legitimately threatens our safety. Consider this: when have you heard of a terrorist causing a nuclear disaster? Now consider the amount of nuclear disasters resulting from our own shortcomings in the industry. Just as recently as last year we encountered the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, an abundance of food recalls related to salmonella, E. coli, and others, as well as just last month nuclear troubles at a plant in Virginia (resulting from the east-coast earthquake) further prove that we can busy ourselves with plenty of legitimate threats before we go insane over the possibilities of nationwide disasters from threats that we cannot conceivably protect against.

End of Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:10:00 +0000

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Hello once again readers of the OCPJ blog! As you may have noticed (hopefully), I've not been as active as of late with the blog postage. Busybusybusybusybusy. But! I've found a clever way to bring back some life to the blog.

Each week in my College English 12 class, we've been writing up Op-Ed responses. These were one to two page essays we wrote in response to an opinion article we found on a reputable news site, such as the NY Times or CNN. Paragraph one included a summary of the article, and paragraph two was our own personal opinion on the story covered.

So, I've decided to begin sharing some of my own Op-Ed responses from the past few weeks. Hit the next post for the first in the series!

To Angry American Tea Partiers:

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:47:00 +0000

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After the eight years of the Bush/Cheney disaster, NOW you choose to get mad?

You didn't get mad when Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.
You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed energy company officials to dictate energy policy, and to push us to invade Iraq.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.
You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent over 1 trillion dollars (and counting) on said illegal war.
You didn't get mad when Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 Presidents combined.
You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars in cash just disappeared in Iraq.
You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.
You didn't get mad when Bush embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 million American jobs out of the country.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when Bush rang up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.
You didn't get mad when we gave people who had more money than they could spend, the filthy rich, over a trillion dollars in tax breaks.
You didn't get mad with the worst 8 years of job creations in several decades.
You didn't get mad when over 200,000 US Citizens lost their lives because they had no health insurance.
You didn't get mad when lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US Citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

No, those things didn't get you angry. You finally got mad when a black man was elected President and decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick...Oh, Hell No!!

Conservatives Running Away from Conservative Conference Because Some Gays Might Show Up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:20:00 +0000

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Uh oh! Looks like some of the heads of conservative movement's "values voters" wing has caught wind that some gay people are planning on attending their annual orgiastic patriot party.
Can't risk being associated with those types…

Some of the nation's most prominent social conservatives are sending a message to their economic brethren by dropping out of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in response to the decision to include GOProud, a gay conservative group, as a participating organization.
"The base-line reason is that homosexuality is not a conservative value," said Bryan Fischer, the American Family Association's director of issue analysis. "It's the conservative PAC, not the libertarian PAC."…
Other social-issues groups opting to avoid the conference include the Heritage Foundation, the Family Research Council, the Center for Military Readiness, the American Family Association, the American Principles Project, the Liberty Counsel and the National Organization for Marriage.

I cannot even imagine the cognitive gymnastic ability needed to be an out gay-person and an avowed conservative these days. It must be like manning a gun turret in a fighter plane while fist swordfighting with all your fellow crewmen at the same time. Except with about a third of the other crewmen trying to grab your package when they think no one's looking. Just seems like a lot to deal with.

Via Indecision Forever

Country Overwhelmingly Progressive, Study Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 03:43:00 +0000

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Scary, that picture, isn't it?

According to a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll released Monday, the country is overwhelmingly progressive. This "revelation", as if it should even be considered as such, comes just as the new Congress convenes. Newly elected House Republicans have promised to roll back all reforms that have been enacted since President Obama has taken office. Health Reform, Wall Street Reform, Student Loan Reform, all these things that we have worked tirelessly for, are being placed in the Republican's cross-hairs.

When asked what they thought should be done to balance the budget, Americans answered loudly, clearly, and unmistakably. 61% said that we should increase taxes on the rich. A close second? Cutting defense spending, at 20%.

Only 4% were interested in cutting Medicare, with only 3% wanting to cut Social Security. Washington will most assuredly dislike this news, they were just getting ready to cut social security. The president's Debt Commission, the entirety of the GOP, and even some members of the Democratic party are in favor of cutting social security. This all coming after them giving away $407 billion in tax cuts to the rich.

Obviously the American people are in conflict with Washington. This is fact. This isn't just another, "What the American people want" cliche. If Washington continues to deface the American people in this way, if the Democrats, Republicans and the president persist in trying to cut Social Security in the face of these numbers, then we will know that we have lost our democracy altogether. That the people in power couldn't give a damn what we want. That the take over of the American government by the corporations, the rich and the powerful is complete.

Every time you hear any politician or pundit say we have to cut Social Security or what they derisively call entitlement programs (you paid into them your whole life, that is why you are "entitled" to them), send them this poll. And ask them why they don't care at all about the will of the American people.

Compromise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:24:00 +0000

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Recently, President Obama has been on a bit of a compromise-high. Regardless of his reasoning (2012 comes fast, doesn't it?), you can't deny that his new approach to reform is working, no matter how minutely. We did just get DADT repeal passed, as well as the START treaty and a plethora of other legislative endeavors.

With all this compromise talk, it's time we take a look at something: Assholes. Yes. As much as I dislike profanity in my posts, the "A" word is the only word to accurately describe some people.

One way to tell that you're in the presence of an asshole is by running through the quick "Starbucks Test". It goes like this: If you hear someone at Starbucks order a “decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino; extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n’-Low and one NutraSweet,” you’re in the presence of an a-hole. It’s unlikely that this petty combination is necessary—the person ordering is trying to flex his/her power because (s)he's an a-hole.

You might be wondering, "Well Shawn, how do I avoid becoming an a-hole?". Yes, it's very easy in today's day and age to just give up and become one. Here's some advice:

How To Not Become An A-Hole

Face your past. The past is a very good predictor of future behavior. For example, were you a bully in school? If your parents and siblings were assholes, you may have caught the disease. Knowing that you’re an asshole is first step towards change.

Do not make people feel oppressed, humiliated, de-energized, or belittled. If you find yourself having these effects, it’s time to change your behavior no matter what you think of yourself.

Do not mistreat people who are less powerful than you. One of the sure signs of an asshole is treating people like clerks, flight attendants, and waiters in a degrading manner.

Resist assholeholics from the start. The easiest time to avoid becoming an asshole is at the very beginning. Don’t think that you can do “what you have to” to fit in and can change later. It won’t happen.

Walk away and stay away. Don’t be afraid to leave a bad situation. It’s unlikely you’ll change the assholes into good people; it’s much more likely that you’ll descend to their level.

View acting like an asshole as a communicable disease. If you have any sense of decency, when you’re sick, you avoid contact to prevent spreading the disease. So if you act like an asshole, you’re not just impacting yourself; you’re also teaching other people that it’s okay to be an asshole.

Focus on win-win. Children (young and old) think that the world is a zero-sum game. If another kid is playing with the fire truck, you can’t. As people get older they should realize that life doesn’t have to be a win-lose proposition--unless, that is, you’re an asshole.

Focus on ways you are no better or even worse than others. Thinking that you’re smarter, faster, better looking, funnier, whatever than others turns people into assholes. Thinking that you’re no better or even worse keeps you humble.

Focus on ways you are similar to people, not different. If you concentrate on how you and others have similar goals, desires, and passions, you’re bound to be less of an asshole. How can you treat people that are similar to you with disdain?

Tell yourself, “I have enough stuff (money, toys, friends, cars, whatever).” Discontentment and envy is a major factor in becoming an asshole. If you’re happy, there’s no reason to stomp on others.

Just because you aren't an a-hole doesn't mean that other people won't be. Here's a quick list to help you deal with other a-holes:

How To Deal With A-Holes

Hope for the best, but expect the worst. One of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with assholes is that they disappoint you--making you wonder the very value of humans. Lowering your expectations can help reduce disappointment. Don’t solely lower your expectations, though, or you will slip into cynicism (and possibly turn into an asshole too.) Continue to hope for the best.

Develop indifference and emotional detachment. Being indifferent and detached may be a good thing in work environments. If it permits you to survive, then it is. In other words, don’t let the jerks get to you.

Look for small wins. Small victories can keep you going. Most assholes pride themselves in total control and absolute domination. Any victory, no matter how small, can keep you going. Rest assured that small victories can lead to winning the war.

Limit your exposure. You can do what you can to avoid meetings and interactions with assholes. This involves finding or building pockets of safety, support, and sanity. An example would be a nurse’s lounge as a refuge from an asshole doctor.

Expose them. Use Marge's Asshole Management Metric. This refers to a four-point system from 0 to 3. Marge, the boss, would point to people who were behaving like assholes and hold up one, two, or three fingers according to this code:

1 = You are a normal person who can occasionally assert yourself on an issue you are passionate about, but you handle yourself in a non-confrontational way in nearly all occasions.

2 = You can consistently assert yourself in a non-confrontational way and are occasionally an asshole, but you feel horrible about it afterward, and you may or may not apologize (but you probably will have to confess your remorse to someone).

3 = You can consistently be an asshole and you either do not recognize this or you simply enjoy it.

By the way, 0 in her system means this:

0 = You are a very nice person, and very passive. No one can say a word against you and would never think to call you an asshole.

If you are safe in your position, then calling assholes out is a good way to deal with them.

De-escalate and re-educate. This strategy requires that the asshole you’re dealing with isn’t a “chronic,” “certified,” and “flagrant” asshole. It means meeting asshole behavior with calmness (instead of either similar behavior or fear) and trying to re-educate the person about how he’s behaving.

Stand up to them. Funny thing about assholes: Standing up to them shouldn’t necessarily scare you.

Follow these few rules and I'm sure you'll do great. It'll be interesting to see how long this compromise business keeps up, and whether the Republicans will reciprocate the compromise love.

Namaste,

Fox News Calls For Assasisination of Assange

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:24:00 +0000

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Well, I probably shouldn't be so surprised at Faux News' blatant stupidity here. Apparently, you can't just imprison foreign nationals, but you CAN assassinate them!

I still don't see how it's treason, when did Assange become an American citizen?

Why The Salvation Army Doesn't Deserve Your Support

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 21:13:00 +0000

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Every holiday season, people open their hearts and wallets for family, friends, and charities alike. Unfortunately, some large organizations who regularly solicit for money are often using funds for political motives or ‘overhead’ costs.

Everyone knows the Salvation Army. Whether it’s the secondhand goods at their thrift stores or their collection kettles outside department stores, the Salvation Army is ubiquitous to the holiday season.
However, the Salvation Army’s virulent opposition to gay rights both in public and through persistent legislative lobbying raises the question how donations intended for the needy are being spent. Many people forget that the Salvation Army is in fact an Evangelical church, and as such, it tends to have a hard-right social agenda.

In fact, the Salvation Army goes so far as to say gay people shouldn’t be having sex. You can find this nugget on their website: “Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life.”

Starting at the beginning of George W. Bush’s presidency in 2001, the Salvation Army began lobbying for an exemption to equal labor practices for government-funded faith-based organizations. Why? Because the Salvation Army wanted to continue to discriminate against gays and prevent them from being hired.

In 2004, the Salvation Army threatened to close all its soup kitchens in the New York City area—which would have ended $250 million worth of contracts with the city—if they were forced to offer benefits to same-sex couples. This move would have lost the Salvation Army around $70 million in direct funding from the city and endangered the lives of several thousand people reliant on the Salvation Army.

Was this supposed to be a principled stand? All the homeless people receiving care from the Salvation Army would be turned out on the street. What would have motivated The Salvation Army to make such a callous move? They said that, by offering benefits to same sex couples, they’d be supporting HIV/AIDS because HIV/AIDS is only the product of homosexual intercourse.

AIDS? How does AIDS factor in? Oh yeah, I forgot! Gay people don’t suffer from non-gay sex related maladies. If a same sex couple needs health benefits, it must be from all that AIDS they’re spreading around. Is there any way to construe this as anything but bigotry?

There’s still more, too. The Salvation Army has repeatedly rallied against anti-discrimination laws involving hiring of homosexual employees. They’ve even tried to block a repeal of sodomy laws in New Zealand. And in Canada a few days ago, the Salvation Army turned down donations of Harry Potter and Twilight toys. The occult connotations of these toys, supposedly, is out of line with their Christian teachings. Harry Potter is Satanic? That’s a rather old-hat Evangelical argument, isn’t it?

Is this the kind of charity you want to be donating to? More importantly, is this a charity that should be receiving government funding? Sure, the Salvation Army does some noble things. Using charity money and government funding to further an anti-gay, Evangelical agenda is not one of them.

The Salvation Army’s tremendous size and omnipresence may provide the illusion of moral rectitude. Sadly, that just isn’t the case. There are plenty of wonderful charities out there without hidden political agendas worth donating to instead of the Salvation Army. Check out websites such as Charity Navigator to look for charitable organizations that will spend your money on the causes they support, not political muckery.

Book Thrown At President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:13:00 +0000

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During his "Moving America Forward" rally, President Obama narrowly dodged what could have been a very serious presidential security incident.

While President Obama was closing his speech, an attending author threw his paperback book at the back of the president, who just missed the projectile.

There is no doubt that this was a publicity move. When the secret service spoke to the man, he told them that he was a "staunch Obama supporter", and only "wanted the president to have a copy of his book".

The man was released without any of the publicity he had tried to attain. Neither his name nor the name of his book has been released by the secret service.

This story wasn't picked up by any of the major US media outlets, although the UK was quick to pick up on the flying book.

You can see the book sail past President Obama's head in the video below:

Between President Obama's ability to catch a fly out of thin air, dodge bullets, and the recent spotting of him using a light saber, I think it's safe to say that he's a jedi...

Now if only he could use the Jedi mind trick on the Republicans in Congress...

White House To Install Solar Panels

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:09:00 +0000

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From 350.org

Dear Friends,

Just in time to give this weekend's 350.org Global Work Party a White House-sized boost, the Obama administration announced this morning that they are going to put solar panels on the First Family's living quarters, returning to a tradition begun by president Jimmy Carter and abandoned by Ronald Reagan.

It's a great win for our efforts over the last months--everyone who wrote letters, signed petitions for 350's "Put Solar On It" campaign, and turned out for the Solar Road Trip as 350.org rolled down the east coast from Unity College towing one of the original Carter panels. They were disappointed that day that the White House wasn't prepared to go solar, but are now very happy and honored that the White House took their suggestion to look into the matter seriously.

Solar panels on one house, even this house, won't save the climate, of course. But they're a powerful symbol to the whole nation about where the future lies. And President Obama will wake up every morning and make his toast by the power of the sun (do presidents make toast?), which will be a constant reminder to be pushing the U.S. Congress for the kind of comprehensive reform we need.

And remember, President Obama's not alone: tomorrow, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and a crew from Sungevity will be putting solar panels on the Muliaa'ge, the "White House of the Maldives". It's a trend!

Of course, both of these initiatives are perfectly timed to lead into this weekend's Global Work Party, when 6127 carbon-cutting events (and rising) will take place in 187 countries. If you haven't already gotten involved, now is most definitely the time to join an event near you--or register your own. See this post for more info on the Global Work Party and how to join an event.

The first account of the news from the White House, from Associated Press reporter Dina Cappiello, noted the efforts of 350.org to make this happen

This victory reminds us of why, when the day is done, we'll be putting down our hammers and our shovels and picking up our cellphones to call our leaders.

You never know what will happen when you ask for change.

Onwards!

10/10/10 Global Work Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 02:26:00 +0000

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As you may recall, 350.org hosted the "International Day Of Climate Action" last year on the 24th of October. It boasted a total of 5,248 events in over 180 countries, and was garnered as a huge success. CNN called it the "most widespread day of political action in the planet's history." View the montage of countries in this video released by 350.

350 is hosting another international event this year, the Global Work Party. It'll be on 10/10/10, and is open to anyone who wants to participate.

Experts are saying that after the failed talks in Copenhagen, people are losing hope for this years event.

It would, however, seem as if the "experts" were wrong. The movement is even more energized than it was last year, with more than 5,500 events taking place in all but 12 countries on Earth. Yeah, that's almost EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY ON EARTH, and there's still time left for missing countries to register.

When we see our leaders failing, we want to show them how it's done. We want to get to work.

From the 350 website:

"It’s been a tough year: in North America, oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico; in Asia some of the highest temperatures ever recorded; in the Arctic, the fastest melting of sea ice ever seen; in Latin America, record rainfalls washing away whole mountainsides.

So we’re having a party.

We’re calling it a Global Work Party, with emphasis on both 'work' and 'party'. In Auckland, New Zealand, they’re having a giant bike fix-up day, to get every bicycle in the city back on the road. In the Maldives, they’re putting up solar panels on the President’s office. In Kampala, Uganda, they're going to plant thousands of trees, and in Bolivia they’re installing solar stoves for a massive carbon neutral picnic.

Since we've already worked hard to call, email, petition, and protest to get politicians to move, and they haven't moved fast enough, now it's time to show that we really do have the tools we need to get serious about the climate crisis.

On 10/10/10 we'll show that we the people can do this--but we need bold energy policies from our political leaders to do it on a scale that truly matters. The goal of the day is not to solve the climate crisis one project at a time, but to send a pointed political message: if we can get to work, you can get to work too--on the legislation and the treaties that will make all our work easier in the long run."

With nine days left, there is still time to register an event.

Click Here to register a new event.

Click Here to view events near you. The left hand side of this page will show a map centered on Middletown, NY. The orange dots on the map indicate events. To the right of the screen is a list of these events. Above the list is a search box for you to type your own location, if it differs from Middletown or the surrounding area.

Assistant Michigan AG's Blatant Homophobia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:14:00 +0000

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For nearly six months now, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has been slandering a young man because of his sexual orientation.

Chris Armstrong, recently elected president of the University of Michigan's Student Government, has been the sole recipient of Shirvell's hate. Shirvell created the blog "Chris Armstrong Watch" in April and has created close to 30 articles so far.

"Welcome to ‘Chris Armstrong Watch,’” Shirvell wrote in his inaugural blog post. “This is a site for concerned University of Michigan alumni, students, and others who oppose the recent election of Chris Armstrong – a RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVIST, RACIST, ELITIST, & LIAR – as the new head of student government.”

Attached to that post was this picture:

To actually be so blinded by your own hatred that you can call someone a Nazi just because of their sexuality proves how immature this insane man is. This is an opinion not only shared by me, but by the Attorney General of Michigan as well:

"Mr. Shirvell's personal opinions are his and his alone and do not reflect the views of the Michigan Department of Attorney General,” Cox said in the written statement provided by his office. “But his immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office are clear."

When attempting to view the blog, I received a message stating that "This blog is open to invited readers only. Permission Denied." Apparently, Shirvell has decided to lock out anyone that isn't specifically invited by himself.

I was able, however, to get cached pages. (A "Cached" page is a link that appears in the Google search results. By clicking on this link, you will get a version of the web page that Google saw when they visited. Google typically saves a version of the website when indexing.):

Welcome to Chris Armstrong Watch - Shirvell's first blog post.

Home Page - Includes a short sampling of recent articles.

Permission Denied Page - This is the actual address of the blog. Notice that you don't have permission to view.

Shirvell also told the local news station that his online postings were justified not because Armstrong is openly gay but because Armstrong is “somebody that’s there to promote special rights for homosexuals at the cost of, you know, heterosexual students.”

First of all, they aren't fighting for special rights; they are fighting for equal rights. And apparently they are right in thinking that they don't yet have equal rights, just look at this blabbering idiot.

Watch Shirvell being interviewed by Anderson Cooper on CNN below:

The Bush Survival Bible

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:02:00 +0000

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"We are worried about you. Yes, you--you with the ashen face, pale lips, and expression of dazed horror. Although many of you may try, you can't really do anything about [Bush's victory in 2004]. But you can do something about your post-election stress disorder. [Included in this book is] more than 250 ways to help you get through the next four years."
-Gene Stone

The book "The Bush Survival Bible" was originally created to help people cope with the excruciating pain that most (sane) citizens experienced when they heard that Bush won the 2004 elections. Although we are past that blemish in America's history, we can still look back and have a nice laugh. Well not really, but what else are we gonna do about it? The book is packed with jokes poking fun at Bush and the Bush Administration, and I felt that you would really enjoy some of these jokes. Hopefully I don't get sued for copyright infringement. (To try to sway that from happening, here is the link to view the book on Amazon. All credit goes to the author.)

"Bushisms"

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dreams." -George Bush

"Al Gore is a very tough opponent. He is the incumbent. He represents the incumbency. And a challenger is somebody who generally comes from the pack and wins, if you're going to win. And that's where I'm coming from." -George Bush

"Our priorities is our faith" -George Bush

"In my judgment, when the United States says there will be serious consequences, and if there isn't serious consequences, it creates adverse consequences." -George Bush

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -George Bush

"I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating." -George Bush

Click Here to show more Bushisms.

"I think we agree, the past is over: -George Bush

"The woman who knew that I had dyslexia-I never interviewed her." -George Bush

"There's only one person who hugs the mothers and the widows, the wives and the kids, upon the death of their loved one. Others hug but having committed the troops, I've got an additional responsibility to hug and that's me and I know what it's like." -George Bush

"Let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to not be right doesn't mean you're willing to kill." -George Bush

"Security is the essential roadblock to achieving the road map to peace." -George Bush

"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein." -George Bush

"Too many docs are getting out of the business. Too many ob-gyns aren't able to practice their love with women all across the country." -George Bush

"I hope you leave here and walk out and say, 'What did he say?'." -George Bush

Hide these Bushisms.

Bush Jokes

At a party a man came up to Texas governor George W. Bush and said, "Have you heard the latest George W. Bush joke?".
Governor Bush said, "I'm George W. Bush".
The man said, "Oh, I'll tell it slowly.".

George W. Bush is out jogging one morning and notices a little boy on the corner with a box. Curious, he runs over to the child and says, "What's in the box, kid?"
The little boy says, "Kittens! They're brand-new kittens."
George W. laughs and says, "What kind of kittens are they?"
"Republicans," the child says.
"Oh, that's cute," George W. says, and he runs off.
A few days later George is running with his buddy Dick and he spies the same boy with his box just ahead. They both jog over to him.
George W. says, "Look in the box, Dick, isn't that cute? Look at those little kittens. Hey, kid, tell my friend Dick what kind of kittens they are."
The boy replies, "They're Democrats."
"Whoa!" George W. says, "I came by the other day and you said they were Republicans. What's up?"
"Well," the kid says, "their eyes are open now."

As Governor, Bush got to ceremonially act as a state trooper for a day. While operating a speed trap, Bush pulled over a Texas farmer. He lectured the farmer about his speed and the necessity of obeying laws made by his superiors, and in general threw his weight around. Finally, he got around to writing the ticket, and as he was doing so he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head.
The farmer said, "Having some problems with circle flies there, are ya, sir?"
Bush stopped writing the ticket and said,"Well, yeah, if that's what they are--I never heard of circle flies."
So the farmer said, "Well, circle flies are common on farms. See, they're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of horses."
Bush said,"Oh", and went back to writing the ticket. After a minute he stopped and slowly said, "Hey . . . Wait a minute, are you trying to call me a horse's ass?"
The farmer says,"Oh no, Governor, I have too much respect for you to even think of calling you a horse's ass."
Grinning broadly, Bush says, "Well, that's a good thing," and goes back to writing the ticket. After a long pause, the farmer says, "Hard to fool them flies, though."

PolitiFact's "Obameter"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:12:00 +0000

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Well, I'm back (for now) from hiatus. I've just been too busy with school and all to really keep up with the blog, and I felt that if I wasn't going to be putting 100% into my posts that I should just give it a rest.

I've got a real find for you today. It's a website called PolitiFact, a project of the St. Petersburg Times to "help you find the truth in American politics". Reporters and editors from the Times fact-check statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups and rate them on their self proclaimed "Truth-O-Meter".

The thing that caught my attention, however, was their "Obameter". They've recorder each and every promise that President Obama made on the campaign trail in 2008 and are actively labeling each promise as either Kept, Compromised, Broken, Stalled, or In The Works. The list below shows current standings as of September 28th, 2010.

Promises Kept 122

Compromised 39

Promises Broken 22

Stalled 82

In the Works 238

Notice that you can click each label and view exactly what promises fall into that category. For an up-to-date overview of the promises, view the Obameter directly.

The most notable promises kept? Most likely that would have to be requiring children to have health insurance coverage; or perhaps the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Most notable promises broken? Well there weren't many, but ending income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 a year would have been a sight to see. Perhaps allowing imported prescription drugs?

I really think that if these figures were to be made more public, Democrats would have a much better chance of winning this November. It seems like people somehow forgot, or didn't notice, all the promises President Obama kept.

Get this information public!

Happy Fathers Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:09:00 +0000

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FATHER'S DAY, 2010, BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A PROCLAMATION

From the first moments of life, the bond forged between a father and a child is sacred. Whether patching scraped knees or helping with homework, dads bring joy, instill values, and introduce wonders into the lives of their children. Father's Day is a special time to honor the men who raised us, and to thank them for their selfless dedication and love.

Fathers are our first teachers and coaches, mentors and role models. They push us to succeed, encourage us when we are struggling, and offer unconditional care and support. Children and adults alike look....

...up to them and learn from their example and perspective. The journey of fatherhood is both exhilarating and humbling -- it is an opportunity to model who we want our sons and daughters to become, and to build the foundation upon which they can achieve their dreams.

Fatherhood also carries enormous responsibilities. An active, committed father makes a lasting difference in the life of a child. When fathers are not present, their children and families cope with an absence government cannot fill. Across America, foster and adoptive fathers respond to this need, providing safe and loving homes for children facing hardships. Men are also making compassionate commitments outside the home by serving as mentors, tutors, or big brothers to young people in their community. Together, we can support the guiding presence of male role models in the lives of countless young people who stand to gain from it.

Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers, a step-father, a grandfather, or caring guardian. We owe a special debt of gratitude for those parents serving in the United States Armed Forces and their families, whose sacrifices protect the lives and liberties of all American children. For the character they build, the doors they open, and the love they provide over our lifetimes, all our fathers deserve our unending appreciation and admiration.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the Congress approved April 24, 1972, as amended (36 U.S.C. 109), do hereby proclaim June 20, 2010, as Father's Day.

I direct the appropriate officials of the Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on this day, and I call upon all citizens to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. Let us honor our fathers, living and deceased, with all the love and gratitude they deserve.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

/s/ BARACK OBAMA

Shawn

Security Breach In AT&T Email Database

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:12:00 +0000

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AT&T has just apologized for a security breach the company found on it's website that leaked 114,000 email addresses of personal and corporate users. On June 9th, the email addresses of US Military members, as well as executives at media, financial, and technology companies and top political leaders such as New York Times Chief Executive Officer Janet Robinson and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were all stolen by a group of hackers.

“No other information was exposed,” Dorothy Attwood, AT&T’s chief privacy officer said in an e-mail sent yesterday to accounts that may have been affected. “We apologize for the incident and any inconvenience it may have caused.”

“The hackers deliberately went to great efforts with a random program to extract” the information, Attwood said in the e-mail. “They then put together a list of these emails and distributed it for their own publicity.”

Goatse Security, a company hired by AT&T to find and close security gaps, said that the flaw was found in about an hour. In that time, all the damage had already been done. Perhaps more disturbing than just the fact that something like this could happen is that it could be done so fast!

AT&T fell 12 cents to $25.17 at 4:01 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have dropped 10 percent this year.

Shawn

Weekly Roundup 6/13/10

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:24:00 +0000

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I gotta catch up on some of the articles I've missed since the last roundup, as well as the new articles! Enjoy!

Censorship Paper (5/14/10)-I wrote a 5 page essay on the topic of censorship in government, citing events such as the Comstock Act, the Pentagon Papers, and other such notable topics. Click here to view this post

Pakistan Banning Social Networking Sites & BlackBerry (5/25/10)- I detail the reasons behind Pakistan's recent banning of Flickr, Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, and 500-1000 other websites, as well as BlackBerry service. Click here to view this post

Jon Stewart Reports: BP Oil Spill Update (6/10/10)- I included a video of Jon Stewart giving his view of the oil spill, it is quite funny and worth the 10 minutes the video costs you. Click here to view this post

Israel's Deadly Assault On Humanitarian Flotilla (6/10/10)- Democracy Now! released exclusive footage from on-board the ship that Israel attacked, and I include it in my post for you to watch. I also included a poll asking you whether you support Israel's actions. Click here to view this post

Congress To Vote On "Big Oil Bailout" Today (6/10/10)- Thank god Sen. Murkowski's bill didn't pass... I give some background info on the so called "big oil bailout" that congress was voting on. Click here to view this post

"Corrective Rape" To Cure Homosexuality (6/11/10)- I include the story of Millicent Gaika, a 30-year-old lesbian South African woman who was raped for 5 hours by a man trying to "make her straight". This is just one of over 520 stories that come out of South Africa every year. Click here to view this post

Big Google Is Watching You (Inadvertently) (6/11/10)- Google has accidentally harvested hundreds of gigabytes of user information from wireless networks over the past three years. Read on for the full story. Click here to view this post

Pres. Obama Demands BP Pays Up (6/13/10)- President Obama plans on meeting with BP executives this week to negotiate a escrow account that will be used to pay damages caused by the oil spill. Click here to view this post

Soccer FAIL! (6/13/10)- Just a funny (or not so funny( little thing someone happened to notice during the FIFA world cup... Click here to view this post

Revisiting The Fun Theory (6/13/10)- A while back we watched some videos from The Fun Theory. It seems they have released one final video before hitting the road. Click here to view this post

Shawn

Revisiting The Fun Theory

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:15:00 +0000

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Remember a while back we looked at a cool new website called The Fun Theory? Well, it seems that they have a new video out! It's called the Bottle Bank Arcade, and it's purpose is to make people recycle their bottles by making it fun!

Watch the video below and see this cool new game! Press the center of the screen to play the video.

Sadly, it seems as if their website (http://thefuntheory.com/) is no longer accessible, so it must have been shut down. It was very fun while it lasted, though!

Shawn

Soccer FAIL!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:59:00 +0000

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Are you kidding me, how stupid can you be? You'd think someone would have noticed this...

Shawn

Pres. Obama Demands BP Pays Up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:50:00 +0000

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President Obama is scheduled to meet with top BP executives this week to demand they set up an escrow account to help pay for damages to the Gulf caused by the oil spill. The account will be managed independently and will help to quickly pay compensation to businesses and workers such as fisherman, oil workers, hotels, restaurants, tour boats and other members of the dwindling tourist market down south.

Governors from the states of Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama have claimed that their tourist season has already been badly damaged. Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi blamed sensational press coverage that has scared away potential tourists who believed, wrongly, that his states beaches had been fouled.

BP had originally stated that it would pay all "legitimate" claims arising from the oil spill. Some fear the company will declare bankruptcy or be taken over by another company in an effort to limit its liability.

On Saturday, Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke by phone and sought to ease any diplomatic tensions between the two over the handling of the oil spill. While Obama has been under pressure in the United States to take a strong stand against BP, Cameron has been under pressure in Britain to stand behind the oil giant, whose stock is crucial to British pension funds.

Shawn

Big Google Is Watching You (Inadvertently)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:21:00 +0000

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Corny "Big Brother" reference, I know...

It seems that Google, the internet search giant, has gotten itself in a bit of a pickle. They have accidentally collected hundreds of gigabytes of citizens data across dozens of countries over the past three years, and are now being harassed for the information from multiple organizations.

Apparently, they accidentally harvested the information from WiFi networks that their Google Maps vehicles picked up. Google uses these vehicles to take panoramic pictures of streets and their surroundings, then provides them online for users to access on Google Maps' "Street View".

Google claims that it had been working on some early project, but ultimately gave it up. They accidentally left some of the code behind though, as it began picking up information such as personal emails, website history, locations of users, and other information. Google didn't realize this until Germany questioned what type of information the Google vehicles gathered.

The information is currently secured on an encrypted hard drive in the Portland, Oregon, federal courthouse. It is being demanded by France, Spain, and Germany; as well as multiple states in America.

I don't know what to believe at the moment. Google is a very legitimate company. Remember when they refused to hand out search records to the US government back in 2006, even after Microsoft and Yahoo readily handed their info over? Google's motto is "Don't Be Evil", for god's sake!

What do you think?

Do You Believe Google Accidentally Collected This Information?online surveys

Shawn

"Corrective Rape" To Cure Homosexuality

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:54:00 +0000

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That headline caught your attention, huh?

I feel it extremely necessary for me to tell you the following story:

Millicent Gaika is a 30-year-old South African woman. On a Friday night, she was walking home with some friends after a night out. As they approached their house, a man outside asked if anybody in the group had a smoke. Millicent did. She stayed outside with the man, someone she knew, and allowed her friends to walk on.

A few minutes later, the man locked Millicent in his apartment, beat her, and raped her, screaming at her during the ordeal.

"I know you are a lesbian. You are not a man, you think you are, but I am going to show you, you are a woman. I am going to make you pregnant. I am going to kill you," the man yelled, as he raped Millicent for five hours, trying to make Millicent straight.

If you think this story sounds horrific, multiply it by 520, as that's the average number of stories of "corrective rape" reported in South Africa each year, according to ActionAid. And that number doesn't account for the dozens, if not hundreds of other cases of "corrective rape" not reported.

In South Africa, there is an epidemic of rape geared toward LGBT people, particularly lesbians, in an effort to turn them straight. Yet, while countless organizations and reports have labeled "corrective rape" a nationwide problem, South African authorities have not yet done enough to hold perpetrators accountable, and curb corrective rape's rising tide. It's time to demand justice now.

How much longer can the government stay silent in the face of this epidemic? Demand that South African President Jacob Zuma, and his Minister of Justice, make this a priority. With a quarter of all women being raped by the time they can drive a car, and upwards of 10 women per week coming forward to say that they've been raped in an effort to "turn them straight," South Africa cannot delay any longer.

Millicent Gaika's story is heart-breaking. As is Eudy Simelane's, Anelisa Mfo's and the countless others who have been swept up in South Africa's culture of rape. The crimes committed against them are horrible. Let's make sure that their pain and suffering didn't happen in vain.

Please, sign the Change.org petition to force this issue upon the government of South Africa. They currently have 1,369 signatures out of a necessary 1,500. Click Here to sign, I did.

Shawn

Congress To Vote On "Big Oil Bailout' Today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:36:00 +0000

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Update: Sen. Murkowski's bill failed in the senate, 47 to 53. Six democrats crossed over: Mark Pryor, Evan Bayh, Ben Nelson, Jay Rockefeller, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu. No Republicans voted against Murkowski.

So, there is some pretty interesting stuff going on in Washington today. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has brought a bill to the floor that would ban the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Say wha?!? If not the EPA, then whom?!? Well, according to Sen. Murkowski, that power should be reserved for congress.

"Such regulation will ultimately endanger job creation, economic growth and America's competitiveness," Murkowski said.

Apparently, if something has even the slightest chance of costing America any money whatsoever, its a no go with congressional republicans. It doesn't matter if over 250 species will be extinct by the year 2050 (national geographic).

You might recall that Kerry and Lieberman had been working on a climate bill a bit back, they proposed it in May. Of course, it wasn't supported by people like Sen. Murkowski. Kerry actually brought up quite a good point:

"If you don't want the EPA to do it, then the Senate needs to provide some adult leadership to pass a comprehensive climate and energy bill instead of keeping our heads in the sand and then tying the hands of the EPA"

Shawn

Israel's Deadly Assault On Humanitarian Flotilla

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:52:00 +0000

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Democracy Now! has released exclusive footage from on-board the Mavi Marmara. It shows the true mood on the flotilla as it was brutally attacked by Israel. Most of the footage had been confiscated by Israel but some was smuggled out.

Watch the video below.
(You can view the video full screen by clicking the button on the bottom of the video, it looks like )

Although I have a pretty good idea about what the readers of this blog might think, I feel I should attach a poll asking whether you support Israel's actions. Israel has tried to claim that many of the individuals on the boats were terrorists, and that they had an obligation to protect themselves. What do you think?

Shawn