Prolonged Detention - Rachel Maddow's Comments

RFID Tracking Used on Children in Texas Schools

Tracking devices used in school badges

Two districts are first in the area to use ID tags that raise privacy, security concerns

By JENNIFER RADCLIFFE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Oct. 11, 2010, 10:00AM

Jerry Baker Chronicle

Sixth-graders, from left, Jacorey Jackson, Deante' Maxey, Casandra Hernandez and Kamryn Jefferson, all 11, wear special tracking badges at Bailey Middle School in Spring.

Radio frequency identification — the same technology used to monitor cattle — is tracking students in the Spring and Santa Fe school districts.

Identification badges for some students in both school districts now include tracking devices that allow campus administrators to keep tabs on students' whereabouts on campus. School leaders say the devices improve security and increase attendance rates.

Read the entire article here.

I have family raising children in the Spring district and look forward to their insights and comments.

In light of my last post, I would like to ask for people's opinions on the RFID program in the Spring and Santa Fe school districts and ideas about how to create something to impact our communities and the planet in a positive way.

Obama's Preventive Incarceration Speech

President Obama has called for the creation of a legal system that will allow for the indefinite detention of people that our non-fascist Homeland officials might deem dangerous in the future...AND he did this standing in the presence of the original Constitution of the United States!

That's right, you don't need to commit a crime or even be charged with a crime.  

Is anyone really surprised?

This is the same Constitutional scholar, Barack Obama, that told the American people that FISA is necessary and, by default, the 4th amendment is not. 

Thank you for being diligent, Rachel.

Germany to Allow Domestic Military Deployment?

There are two articles from German sources that I felt necessary to share.  The first shows how Germany is following America's lead in militarizing their policing and the second addresses Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück's comments regarding America's fall as an economic superpower.

The AP article by David Rising from Berlin says that,Germany's governing coalition partners want to:

 ...change the constitution to allow for military deployment within the country if needed "to combat terrorism".

The article makes reference to the fact that many people are concerned about and hesitant to allow the German military to expand the role of soldiers domestically, considering their past experiences.  (If you are concerned about this same expansion in the U.S., please write some letters.)

Merkel's government had challenged the German constitution last year when Germany used Tornado fighter jets to secure airspace during last year's G8, while troops helped provide support to police controlling demonstrations.  They claimed that

 the deployment was necessary to provide technical and logistical support for the police.  The Greens party stated, at the time, that it was a creeping breach of the constitution.

In the Der Spiegle article, "America Loses Its Dominant Economic Role", it is pointed out that:

Merkel had never publicly criticized the United States this harshly and unapologetically. 

(It must have been the back rub that bought us time.)

In this regard, she enjoys the wholehearted support of her coalition government partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD). In a speech before Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück of the SPD spoke of the end of the United States as a "superpower of the global financial system."

The banking crisis in the United States has impacted much in many directions, including "the respect the rest of the world once had for the US as an economic and political superpower".  The article points out that, 

The proud US investment banks with globally recognized names like Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs have all gone bankrupt, been bought up or restructured. The American real estate market has essentially been nationalized. And the country's biggest savings and loan, Washington Mutual, has failed and been sold at a loss.

The author and many around the world contend, 

"Every bank that US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is currently forced to bail out with American government funds damages America's reputation around the world."

Are you writing your Congressional Representatives and Senators about what is going on or do you trust that they have it all in hand and know what America wants and needs?

Emergency Warning for Office Buildings!!!

For all of you who haven't studied physics in the post 9/11 world, it's time to catch up. Everyone in office buildings is at risk!

Do you work in a large office building? Then you should know about this recently discovered flaw in ALL EXISTING building codes and fire regulations that could cause the complete collapse of your office building.  For more information, please e-mail the NIST at wtc@nist.gov.

The video warns us not to visit the following sites:

http://www.ae911truth.org
http://www.stj911.com
http://www.911blogger.com
http://www.corbettreport.com

Charges Against George W. Bush

I have received numerous e-mails requesting to know what the 35 charges of high crimes and misdemeanors George W. Bush has been charged with. The charges range from creating a secret propaganda campaign against the American people to kidnapping, torture, illegal detentions and obstructing the 9/11 investigation.

For an overview of the charges, click here.

TSA Forces Woman to Remove Nipple Piercings with Pliers

The TSA never fails to disappoint with its intellectual approach to protecting the homeland. "Welcome to Texas! Howdy and please remove your nipple jewelry!" Here's another ridiculous safety-associated assault that I initially ran across this on the Roxiticus Desperate Housewives blog:

"The Transportation Security Administration said it will change they way its officers search passengers with body piercings after a Texas woman complained she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane."

Her attorney said, "The last time I checked, a nipple was not a dangerous weapon."

Personally, I hope that Mandi Hamlin sues the crap out of Big Brother for this one.

You can read the MSNBC story here.

Reject the Politics of Fear

I guess it's just a Hillary Clinton Day. The following video is of Casey Knowles, the young girl in Hillary Clinton's 3 a.m. "Be afraid, be very afraid!" ad.

In her own words:

"I reject the politics of fear that Senator Clinton uses to drum up votes."

I realize that this is an Obama ad. I am not endorsing Obama, but rejecting the politics of fear. In this case, it was an attempt by Hillary to put fear into people's hearts and minds and offer herself as the solution. I believe it is important that we all reject the politics of fear than ANY candidate employs and recognize it for what it is: PROPAGANDA.

Billboard Liberation Front

This is a real billboard (after "advertising improvements") in SanFrancisco.

The Billboard Liberation Front, on the 28th of February, announced a new advertising improvement campaign executed on behalf of clients AT&T and the National Security Agency.

The BLF spokesperson, Blank DeCoverly, said:

"This campaign is an extraordinary rendition of a public-private partnership. These two titans of telecom have a long and intimate relationship, dating back to the age of the telegraph. In these dark days of Terrorism, that should be a comfort to every law-abiding citizen with nothing to hide."

Do you know how your rep is going to vote on FISA? Does your rep think that search warrants are important? Is your rep going to say it's OK to throw away the Constitution and the Bill of Rights? The FISA vote is right around the corner!

Find and contact your representative here.

Huckabee on Running for Office - Like Being Waterboarded

Now that we've heard from Mike Huckabee's supporters, let's hear from the man himself:

"Running for office is like being waterboarded."

I put the clip up to show that I'm not making this stuff up.

Keith Olbermann - Mr. Bush, You Are a Fascist!

Keith Olbermann commenting on the House standing up to Mr.Bush's fascist push to retroactively grant immunity to the telecom companies.



Some of my favorite lines:

"You are a fascist. Get them to print you a t-shirt with "Fascist" on it!"

AND

"This Saturday at midnight", you said today, "legislation authorizing intelligence professionals to quickly and effectively monitor terrorist communications will expire. If Congress does not act by that time, our ability to find out who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying and what they are planning will be compromised." You said that "the lives of countless Americans depend" on your getting your way."

"This is crap. And you sling it with an audacity and a speed unrivaled by even the greatest political felons of our history."

What do you think?

Skateboarding Is NOT an Executable Offense!

When did we replace Serve & Protect with Intimidate and Accost?

Dude Man...This is what happens when a fat, authoritarian idiot is forced to drive a mini clown car all day:



My favorite line from Officer Man Dude Rivieri from the Baltimore PD was:

"You go around doing this kinda stuff, someone's gonna kill you!"

I know he could not possibly be suggesting that skateboarding and responding with a defensive voice when spoken to aggressively is an offense worthy of death.

Someone needs to send this one in to Alex Jones for his next movie.

John McCain Speech Music Video

By now, most of you have seen the Obama campaign music video of his speech, "Yes We Can". Someone created a video of McCain (john.he.is) giving one of his speeches in a similar style.

The guys from Election '08 on YouTube (Andy Cobb, Josh Funk, Nyima Funk, Marc Evan Jackson, Mark Kienlen, David Pompeii, Marc Warzecha) put this one out:

The video below is the original campaign music video released in support of Obama.


If anyone is wondering, I have not decided to endorse any particular candidate. However, I will gladly oppose John McCain. I believe it was Pat Buchanan who said, " John McCain will make Cheney look like Ghandi."

Canada Puts United States On Torture List

Hello America! Does it bother anyone that one of our closest allies, physically and metaphorically, has included us on their torture list? I expect it is not something that was said lightly or without consideration of consequence.

Is this what the democracy we are spreading to the world is supposed to look like?

Whose freedoms are we fighting for and where did my habeas corpus go?

Thought Crimes Video...Act Now!

This is a video analysis of the Thought Crimes Bill in an attempt to convince you to keep my last post at the forefront of your mind. The bill is real and this is really happening. Please don't put this one off. Your involvement is more important moment by moment. Get involved. Be heard! Speak up or they will think you agree!!!

Contact your Senators here!

Stop the Thought Crimes Bill!

I have put off blogging on this only because I get so upset each time I begin. Here it goes.
404 of your "representatives" in the House of Representatives voted for the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007" (Senate Bill 1959, House Resolution 1955). You say, "That sounds like it would be a good thing, right?". I say, "Read the bill!".


I will come back to add a bit of insight as to what scares me about this bill, but check it out for yourself. Click Here for the bill through the Library of Congress, Click Here for the pdf text of the bill or Here for a web link. When it was a House bill, it was H.R. 1955...Google it!

Don't know how to contact your Senators? Click Here!

Do yo want to know who sponsored it? I hope this isn't what Jane Harmon intended the bill to be.

This bill was co-sponsored by the following 14 people:
(links will take you to other legislation they are involved with)

Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10]
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI]
Rep Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-11]
Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15]
Rep Dicks, Norman D. [WA-6]
Rep Green, Al [TX-9]
Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2]
Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16]
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18]
Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3]
Rep Perlmutter, Ed [CO-7]
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2]
Rep Reichert, David G. [WA-8]
Rep Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2]

Four Hundred and Four of your Democrat and Republican "representatives" voted for this bill. Get involved to stop this bill now!!!

Senate is in session, do not hesitate! Call, fax, mail and email your Senator(s) ASAP.

Giuliani's Fear Campaign

I didn't think that any of the candidates were going to find a way to be more offensive and fear mongering than Tom Tancredo's ad. I was wrong. Here comes Mr. Giuliani with his message (Terrorism, terrorism, terrorism!)





Does anyone else get the feeling they are getting shaken down by the mob for protection?

George Bush a Threat to World Peace?

I think it is important to consider what our greatest allies are saying about George Bush and the United States. Polls from Great Britain, Canada and Mexico all place Bush as a greater threat to world peace than any other world leader. Even 36% of Israelis say that Bush and U.S. policy have increased the threat to world peace.



When polled, Brits (Our closest allies) said that George Bush poses a greater threat to peace than anyone other than Osama Bin Laden. Yes...he even comes in ahead of "the evil-doers": Kim Jong Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & Hassan Nasrallah.

I am curious what Americans would say about George Bush and the threat to world security. If anyone has reputable poll information regarding this, please forward it to me.

Goodbye Benazir Bhutto

Another sad day in international politics.

Benazir Bhutto (beːnɜziːr bʰʊʈʈoː)has been assassinated in Pakistan. The lady on FOX News said it was inevitable. I had hoped it wasn't.

The man George Bush calls "My Buddy" declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution November 3rd thru December 15th of this year. Bhutto, the only real opposition to Pervez Musharraf, was placed under house arrest just before she was due to give a speech and lead a rally against the state of emergency that Musharraf had ordered.

After Musharraf "freed" her, he continued to prohibit other opposition party leaders from speaking in public. Ms. Bhutto was killed while leaving a political rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Although George Bush supported Musharraf throughout suspending of the constitution, raiding TV stations and taking their equipment, the arrest of political opposition and the imposition of martial law, he said in a public address:

``Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as prime minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk, yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country,'' Bush said.

"We stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against the forces of terror and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life."

New Police State Rules for Evacuations

Texas to require background checks before evacuations.

According to the AP, Texans who board evacuation buses during hurricanes or other emergencies must now submit to criminal background checks first...to protect the children. How is it that anytime a politician gets a wild hair to "protect the children" large swaths of people lose their rights?

According to Jack Colley, Texas Emergency Management chief,

"The policy is an attempt to keep sex offenders and fugitives from boarding evacuation buses with children, the elderly and the disabled."

Maybe I don't keep up with the news, maybe I just missed the reports of sex offenders fondling children on evacuation buses. Seems to me that it would be more likely to happen at the fringes of the large crowds waiting to get on buses than in the view of other evacuees on the long evacuation bus ride.

Colley made certain to reassure everyone that,

"... sex offenders or other criminals will not be left behind, just evacuated on different buses." " "This will allow us to help them evacuate."

When questioned as to whether the background checks could be processed in an emergency environment, he responded,

"We'll be able to do it. We'll have procedures and we're not going to advertise what they are."

It's important that we not let the terrorists (I mean citizens) know how they will be processed.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?