For more info on Climategate click here.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Project Skynet
The Internet has been the greatest tool in the struggle for Freedom, possibly of all time. We live in a time when every single media outlet is controlled by a handful of people. The internet is a totally new dimension in the way information is spread, it is so vast that it is impossible to control, and that is why they hate it.
I am here to spread the word about a project that I consider to be of the utmost importance. I fear losing the internet more than anything else. I truly believe that if We The People can broadcast information that is uncensored and not politically correct, over time we can throw off the shackles of Marxism. They want to take the internet away at any cost as you will see in the video below. (See ACTA)
Project Skynet is currently in it's infancy but it needs the help of everyone. Here is some brief information on the endeavor.
"What if there were ways for us to exist without anyone controlling the network or the websites we lurk around? What if I told you that you could use the same technology as torrenting to distribute websites irrespective of servers and that whole nonsense? What if I told you we could own the physical network? No more AT&T, Comcast, or their likes controlling our interwebs. There exists a technology called mesh (802.11s wireless) which makes it possible. We can use the technology to make our power and communications autonomous, anonymous, ubiquitous, and free-to-access. Right now, mesh can't beat fiber optics with its 5gbps speed. However, an opportunistic multiple input multiple output mesh network can get 100mbps over the air with around a 90% bandwidth efficiency over multiple hops with the ability to reconfigure each device in response to a downed node in under 50ms. Each mesh device in the network adds redundancy to the network making it more resilient to failure. More importantly, mesh can be deployed anywhere and everywhere for very little cost."
If you would like to take part in this project or just ask questions, then head over to this link. (You can do so anonymously)
Here is an article and some videos that are related to this project. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/kelly08/kelly08_index.html
I am here to spread the word about a project that I consider to be of the utmost importance. I fear losing the internet more than anything else. I truly believe that if We The People can broadcast information that is uncensored and not politically correct, over time we can throw off the shackles of Marxism. They want to take the internet away at any cost as you will see in the video below. (See ACTA)
Project Skynet is currently in it's infancy but it needs the help of everyone. Here is some brief information on the endeavor.
"What if there were ways for us to exist without anyone controlling the network or the websites we lurk around? What if I told you that you could use the same technology as torrenting to distribute websites irrespective of servers and that whole nonsense? What if I told you we could own the physical network? No more AT&T, Comcast, or their likes controlling our interwebs. There exists a technology called mesh (802.11s wireless) which makes it possible. We can use the technology to make our power and communications autonomous, anonymous, ubiquitous, and free-to-access. Right now, mesh can't beat fiber optics with its 5gbps speed. However, an opportunistic multiple input multiple output mesh network can get 100mbps over the air with around a 90% bandwidth efficiency over multiple hops with the ability to reconfigure each device in response to a downed node in under 50ms. Each mesh device in the network adds redundancy to the network making it more resilient to failure. More importantly, mesh can be deployed anywhere and everywhere for very little cost."
If you would like to take part in this project or just ask questions, then head over to this link. (You can do so anonymously)
Here is an article and some videos that are related to this project. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/kelly08/kelly08_index.html
The Myth Of Man Made Global Warming Is Unraveling
They say the greatest friend to Truth is time and it certainly appears that way in the case of man made global warming. I have been reporting on this sham from the start of this blog and am happy to see the truth finally being brought forth, last week I provided links to the leaked CRU documents. You can definitely begin to see why they hate the raw power of the internet. A story of this magnitude could easily be suppressed on TV, Radio, and in papers but on the internet word spreads like wildfire.
Climate scientists in New Zealand today accused the foremost climate-research institution in New Zealand of data manipulation of the same type as the East Anglia Climatic Research Institute (CRU) is alleged to have done.
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition today issued this paper saying that a graph published by the New Zealand National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is not only wrong but is the result of painstaking and unjustified adjustment of raw temperature data covering the period from 1853 through 2008, Ian Wishart of The Briefing Room announced today.
At issue is a claim by NIWA that the average temperature over New Zealand declined from 1853 to 1909 and then began to rise, and has been rising ever since, at an average rate of +0.92 degree (Celsius) per century.
However, unlike the case with the CRU, NIWA's raw data remain readily available, at least to climate scientists. Richard Treadgold, of the Climate Conversation Group, and his colleagues requested and obtained the data used to produce the NIWA graph. Using these data, they produced a graph of their own. Their graph, shown here, displays no such decline from 1853 to 1909 and consequently no such steep increase from 1909 through 2008 as that shown on the NIWA graph. Instead, according to the CSC, the linear trend is a negligibly gentle +0.06 degree per century since 1853.
Treadgold's group alleges that the NIWA graph was produced, not from the raw data that NIWA supplied, but rather from temperature readings that had been adjusted. The CSC scientists were able to obtain the adjusted dataset from an un-named associate of Dr. M. James Salinger, formerly of NIWA and, before that, of CRU. Comparison of the two datasets shows significant upward adjustments of the post-1909 data and equally significant downward adjustments of the pre-1909 data, thus producing a downtrend and then an uptrend, instead of the nearly flat trend that Treadgold's group found.
Ian Wishart of The Briefing Room, and also of Investigate magazine, asked Dr. David Wratt, the chief climatologist at NIWA, for comment. Wratt said only that NIWA would issue a press release later that day; none has been forthcoming at the time of this writing.
The CSC scientists, in their paper, conclude that the New Zealand government is relying on an untenable conclusion from the data at hand, and now openly question the need for any cap-and-trade system such as that which Treadgold and his colleagues presume will be under consideration in Copenhagen beginning next Tuesday.
UPDATE: The Climate Change Examiner reports today that NIWA has now issued this press release in answer to their critics, and also supplied this link to further information as to the placement of their weather stations and why, they said, the numbers required adjustment.
Source
Climate scientists in New Zealand today accused the foremost climate-research institution in New Zealand of data manipulation of the same type as the East Anglia Climatic Research Institute (CRU) is alleged to have done.
The New Zealand Climate Science Coalition today issued this paper saying that a graph published by the New Zealand National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is not only wrong but is the result of painstaking and unjustified adjustment of raw temperature data covering the period from 1853 through 2008, Ian Wishart of The Briefing Room announced today.
At issue is a claim by NIWA that the average temperature over New Zealand declined from 1853 to 1909 and then began to rise, and has been rising ever since, at an average rate of +0.92 degree (Celsius) per century.
However, unlike the case with the CRU, NIWA's raw data remain readily available, at least to climate scientists. Richard Treadgold, of the Climate Conversation Group, and his colleagues requested and obtained the data used to produce the NIWA graph. Using these data, they produced a graph of their own. Their graph, shown here, displays no such decline from 1853 to 1909 and consequently no such steep increase from 1909 through 2008 as that shown on the NIWA graph. Instead, according to the CSC, the linear trend is a negligibly gentle +0.06 degree per century since 1853.
Treadgold's group alleges that the NIWA graph was produced, not from the raw data that NIWA supplied, but rather from temperature readings that had been adjusted. The CSC scientists were able to obtain the adjusted dataset from an un-named associate of Dr. M. James Salinger, formerly of NIWA and, before that, of CRU. Comparison of the two datasets shows significant upward adjustments of the post-1909 data and equally significant downward adjustments of the pre-1909 data, thus producing a downtrend and then an uptrend, instead of the nearly flat trend that Treadgold's group found.
Ian Wishart of The Briefing Room, and also of Investigate magazine, asked Dr. David Wratt, the chief climatologist at NIWA, for comment. Wratt said only that NIWA would issue a press release later that day; none has been forthcoming at the time of this writing.
The CSC scientists, in their paper, conclude that the New Zealand government is relying on an untenable conclusion from the data at hand, and now openly question the need for any cap-and-trade system such as that which Treadgold and his colleagues presume will be under consideration in Copenhagen beginning next Tuesday.
UPDATE: The Climate Change Examiner reports today that NIWA has now issued this press release in answer to their critics, and also supplied this link to further information as to the placement of their weather stations and why, they said, the numbers required adjustment.
NIWA climate scientists have previously explained to members of the Coalition why such corrections must be made. NIWA’s Chief Climate Scientist, Dr David Wratt, says he’s very disappointed that the Coalition continue to ignore such advice and therefore to present misleading analyses.Exactly how the CSC has "misled" the public or their colleagues is far from clear from the NIWA statement. NIWA are now claiming that some of the weather stations were moved, and thus the adjustments become necessary to account for such movement. This begs the question of why the stations had to be moved to begin with, why they were moved to different elevations, and why NIWA did not simply reconfigure their indices to make sure that tney always based their average on the same mix of weather stations at various elevations as existed before the movement of any given site or sites.
Source
Friday, November 27, 2009
A Word On Revolution and Liberty Torrent Posts
Over the last couple years I have compiled a list of torrents. One list is called Revolution Torrent, the other Liberty Torrent. Two days ago mininova.org completely wiped out their database of torrents and now only offers "original content" (indie music etc) So now the torrent community, myself included are having to make adjustments in order to spread content.
I am staying away from thepiratebay since they're future is pretty uncertain and long term I'll be surprised if they are around. For now I'm considering uploading these videos to KickassTorrents I may load all the documentaries into one torrent file and seed it that way. Check back often because although some of the links won't work now I hope to have them all up and running by next week.
I am staying away from thepiratebay since they're future is pretty uncertain and long term I'll be surprised if they are around. For now I'm considering uploading these videos to KickassTorrents I may load all the documentaries into one torrent file and seed it that way. Check back often because although some of the links won't work now I hope to have them all up and running by next week.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
If You Support Sarah Palin You Are An Idiot
There, I've said it and it's out in the open. People cling to Palin like she is God's gift to the Republican party. They think because she has a book entitled "Going Rogue" that she is actually a Rogue and fighting the establishment.
The part that perplexes me beyond belief, maybe not perplexes me as much as it is just me not wanting to admit the idiocy of the American public, but you have someone who REALLY does stand for everything America was founded on, individual freedom, free markets, non interventionist foreign policy, sound money etc. and that man is Dr. Ron Paul. Dr Paul with his unblemished record of devout service to our rule of law (The Constitution) is held with contempt among the Palin supporters. I have yet to meet a Palin admirer who also likes Dr. Ron Paul. That is what is so utterly vexing to me, Dr. Paul is everything Palin claims to be and yet the sheep go after the ditzy bimbo rather than the Doctor who has the knowledge and foresight to actually save that tattered remnants of our Republic.
You want a rogue? You want someone who can stand before EVERY SINGLE member of Congress and vote down a bill because it is not authorized by the Constitution. That man is Dr. Ron Paul, he has been the lone no vote more times than every other Congressman combined. He has the integrity to stand on his own, to be a true Rogue and not just pay lipservice to the term.
The part that perplexes me beyond belief, maybe not perplexes me as much as it is just me not wanting to admit the idiocy of the American public, but you have someone who REALLY does stand for everything America was founded on, individual freedom, free markets, non interventionist foreign policy, sound money etc. and that man is Dr. Ron Paul. Dr Paul with his unblemished record of devout service to our rule of law (The Constitution) is held with contempt among the Palin supporters. I have yet to meet a Palin admirer who also likes Dr. Ron Paul. That is what is so utterly vexing to me, Dr. Paul is everything Palin claims to be and yet the sheep go after the ditzy bimbo rather than the Doctor who has the knowledge and foresight to actually save that tattered remnants of our Republic.
You want a rogue? You want someone who can stand before EVERY SINGLE member of Congress and vote down a bill because it is not authorized by the Constitution. That man is Dr. Ron Paul, he has been the lone no vote more times than every other Congressman combined. He has the integrity to stand on his own, to be a true Rogue and not just pay lipservice to the term.
You Think Whites And Blacks Are Equal?
You can hardly be blamed for thinking that Blacks are equal or even superior to Whites given the biased opinions in the controlled media. They use every opportunity to portray blacks as witty upstanding citizens who are a positive addition to society. The problem with this of course is that this is just make believe (TV, Movies etc.) and the reality is the polar opposite.
The current quote of the week sums up my feelings "We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer."
I know I might be in a minoirty here but no matter what I want to know the Truth above all else and no matter the cost. If you are like me and keep an open mind then follow these next 4 links and judge for yourself whether blacks and Whites are equal.
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4
The current quote of the week sums up my feelings "We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer."
I know I might be in a minoirty here but no matter what I want to know the Truth above all else and no matter the cost. If you are like me and keep an open mind then follow these next 4 links and judge for yourself whether blacks and Whites are equal.
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4
Five White People Burned Alive Media Silent
Turns out they burned 5 people alive for rims and flatscreen TV's.
Sheriff's deputies have identified three suspects, including one shot to death by police, in the murders of five people in Pearcy.
Garland County sheriff's Lt. James Martin says police shot and killed 22-year-old Marvin Stringer at a motel Thursday night in Hot Springs. Martin said Friday that police have two other suspects in custody, 23-year-old Samuel Conway and 23-year-old Jeremy Pickney. All are from Conway.
Conway and Pickney were formally charged of capital murder, aggravated residential burglary and arson (no hate crime) in the Nov. 12 deaths of five people at Pearcy on Monday. Their next court date is set December 22.
Karen Gentry says all five victims have been identified, four by dental records since their home was burned. They are her father Edward Gentry, her brother, Edward Gentry Jr.; his wife, Pam; their son, Jeremy, and his friend Kristyn Warneke. Her grandfather, Edward Gentry Sr., was found in a mobile home on the same property.
Deputy Jason Lawrence was shot in the arm, and is in stable but serious condition. Deputy Felix Hunter was injured and treated for a medical condition, but released and at home recovering.
Martin declined to offer any motive for the attack and said there is a gag order in the case, so he couldn't answer media questions. Court documents say that Springer, Conway and Pickney targeted those killed in robberies intended to obtain television sets and expensive car-wheel rims.
The investigation is ongoing and authorities ask that anyone who has information to call (501) 622-3690 or if you would like to remain anonymous, call (501) 622-3674. Authorities specifically ask anyone who came in contact with the suspects about stolen property to call.
Sheriff's deputies have identified three suspects, including one shot to death by police, in the murders of five people in Pearcy.
Garland County sheriff's Lt. James Martin says police shot and killed 22-year-old Marvin Stringer at a motel Thursday night in Hot Springs. Martin said Friday that police have two other suspects in custody, 23-year-old Samuel Conway and 23-year-old Jeremy Pickney. All are from Conway.
Conway and Pickney were formally charged of capital murder, aggravated residential burglary and arson (no hate crime) in the Nov. 12 deaths of five people at Pearcy on Monday. Their next court date is set December 22.
Karen Gentry says all five victims have been identified, four by dental records since their home was burned. They are her father Edward Gentry, her brother, Edward Gentry Jr.; his wife, Pam; their son, Jeremy, and his friend Kristyn Warneke. Her grandfather, Edward Gentry Sr., was found in a mobile home on the same property.
Deputy Jason Lawrence was shot in the arm, and is in stable but serious condition. Deputy Felix Hunter was injured and treated for a medical condition, but released and at home recovering.
Martin declined to offer any motive for the attack and said there is a gag order in the case, so he couldn't answer media questions. Court documents say that Springer, Conway and Pickney targeted those killed in robberies intended to obtain television sets and expensive car-wheel rims.
The investigation is ongoing and authorities ask that anyone who has information to call (501) 622-3690 or if you would like to remain anonymous, call (501) 622-3674. Authorities specifically ask anyone who came in contact with the suspects about stolen property to call.
Desiree Jennings Cured By Alternative Medicine
By Pat Shannan
In late August, Desiree Jennings was a beautiful and athletic 26-year-old Washington Redskins cheerleader anxious for the upcoming Sunday excitement, but by the time the new season began in September, she was a crippled and hopeless spastic who could speak only with great difficulty and one syllable at a time. She had taken a seasonal flu shot and experienced what doctors called a “one-in-a-million” adverse neurological reaction and was left with an “incurable” affliction known as dystonia.
Dystonia can affect just one muscle, a group of muscles or all of the muscles. Symptoms can include tremors and voice problems or a dragging foot. Researchers think that a problem in the part of the brain that handles messages about muscle contractions might cause dystonia. There is no cure, they say.
Video reports were not only heart-rending but so weird as to cause many people to believe the young woman was faking because of the ambulatory antics caused by the disease. Medical reports had already confirmed that this was no fake.
These films showed the pathetically crippled Jennings able to run forward normally and even walk backwards unimpaired, but whenever she slowed to a walking pace or attempted to walk forward, the bizarre symptoms immediately returned. She could also talk normally while running or walking backwards but could utter only single syllables while still.
All the reports from the AMA doctors said that while Desiree’s neurological reaction to the vaccine was “extremely rare” and that “flu shots are safe,” she was doomed for life. Both Johns Hopkins and Fairfax hospitals confirmed that the dystonia was induced by the vaccination injection and that it was “irreversible.”
They are wrong. Enter Dr. Rashid Buttar, who does not use the conventional cures of the medical world but rather natural remedies and nutrition. He noticed immediately that Desiree’s whole system was about to shut down. He couldn’t even examine her because by the time her husband brought her in, she was lapsing into seizure every minute or two and would actually stop breathing for 15 to 30 seconds. Buttar realized she was near death and, because she had not been eating, he first put her on an IV drip of nutrition to start rebuilding her immune system. He then noticed that the continual seizures subsided in a couple of hours.
Next this doctor knew that the mercury and other offending foreign matter now in her bloodstream had to be removed, and he began this process by inserting another IV to remove the toxicity. Chelation is an unconventional therapy utilized over the past half century to remove plaque from the arteries to improve blood circulation. While thousands shout its praises, the American Medical Association has done its best to ban its use.
Supporters of its use claim that the AMA refuses to view the positive results of chelation because to do so would force its eventual endorsement of something so inexpensive that it would interfere with its lucrative association with Big Pharma. This may also explain why the first Jennings story was suppressed by the mainstream media and why AFP may be the only one in print media to report this heart-warming sequel.
After a few more hours, Dr. Buttar was interrupted in his office by an excited nurse who yelled, “Doctor, come quickly!”
The good doctor ran to his patient, fearing she had suffered another seizure but instead was elated to find that she was awake, coherent and carrying on a normal conversation with the nurses and her family. By the next day she was walking the corridors with limited affliction. (See the video at: www.desireejennings.com.) The AMA has remained silent.
In late August, Desiree Jennings was a beautiful and athletic 26-year-old Washington Redskins cheerleader anxious for the upcoming Sunday excitement, but by the time the new season began in September, she was a crippled and hopeless spastic who could speak only with great difficulty and one syllable at a time. She had taken a seasonal flu shot and experienced what doctors called a “one-in-a-million” adverse neurological reaction and was left with an “incurable” affliction known as dystonia.
Dystonia can affect just one muscle, a group of muscles or all of the muscles. Symptoms can include tremors and voice problems or a dragging foot. Researchers think that a problem in the part of the brain that handles messages about muscle contractions might cause dystonia. There is no cure, they say.
Video reports were not only heart-rending but so weird as to cause many people to believe the young woman was faking because of the ambulatory antics caused by the disease. Medical reports had already confirmed that this was no fake.
These films showed the pathetically crippled Jennings able to run forward normally and even walk backwards unimpaired, but whenever she slowed to a walking pace or attempted to walk forward, the bizarre symptoms immediately returned. She could also talk normally while running or walking backwards but could utter only single syllables while still.
All the reports from the AMA doctors said that while Desiree’s neurological reaction to the vaccine was “extremely rare” and that “flu shots are safe,” she was doomed for life. Both Johns Hopkins and Fairfax hospitals confirmed that the dystonia was induced by the vaccination injection and that it was “irreversible.”
They are wrong. Enter Dr. Rashid Buttar, who does not use the conventional cures of the medical world but rather natural remedies and nutrition. He noticed immediately that Desiree’s whole system was about to shut down. He couldn’t even examine her because by the time her husband brought her in, she was lapsing into seizure every minute or two and would actually stop breathing for 15 to 30 seconds. Buttar realized she was near death and, because she had not been eating, he first put her on an IV drip of nutrition to start rebuilding her immune system. He then noticed that the continual seizures subsided in a couple of hours.
Next this doctor knew that the mercury and other offending foreign matter now in her bloodstream had to be removed, and he began this process by inserting another IV to remove the toxicity. Chelation is an unconventional therapy utilized over the past half century to remove plaque from the arteries to improve blood circulation. While thousands shout its praises, the American Medical Association has done its best to ban its use.
Supporters of its use claim that the AMA refuses to view the positive results of chelation because to do so would force its eventual endorsement of something so inexpensive that it would interfere with its lucrative association with Big Pharma. This may also explain why the first Jennings story was suppressed by the mainstream media and why AFP may be the only one in print media to report this heart-warming sequel.
After a few more hours, Dr. Buttar was interrupted in his office by an excited nurse who yelled, “Doctor, come quickly!”
The good doctor ran to his patient, fearing she had suffered another seizure but instead was elated to find that she was awake, coherent and carrying on a normal conversation with the nurses and her family. By the next day she was walking the corridors with limited affliction. (See the video at: www.desireejennings.com.) The AMA has remained silent.
NWO Shill Rick Perry Gets "Defender Of Jerusalem" Award
The city of Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world and it has a new defender: Texas Governor Rick Perry.
In August, Perry was given the "Defender of Jerusalem" award. So Perry and his wife flew first class to Israel at more than $5,000 per ticket. The governor's security detail of four Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers was also along for the trip.
They all took the 7,000 mile journey to accept the award at a time when the governor was asking everyone else in state government to cut back on travel. During a speech in Houston, Perry directed state agencies to "curtail taxpayer funded travel."
According to state documents, the taxpayers' bill just to take Perry's security officers on the 5-day trip was more than $70,000. The breakdown includes $17,000 for rooms at the swanky King David Hotel, nearly $13,000 for food and more than 350 hours of overtime.
The specific price tag for the governor and his wife are secret. So when KEYE TV sister station CBS 11 (KTVT) asked to see the governor's expense records for the trip, we received four pages and no specifics. Perry refused to do a formal interview with us and would only say, "Going to Israel or other countries is a wise investment for the state of Texas."
Keith Elkins is executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Elkins and his organization fight for government transparency. Elkins says, "This Governor operates under the premise of 'believe what I say, not what I do.'" While Elkins suggests, "There is something else going on here," he doesn't know what that 'something' is.
Records obtained by CBS 11 show the governor's airfare and trip costs for he and his wife were paid for by Irwin Katsof, a financier for energy companies around the world. And the man who presented Perry with the Defender of Jerusalem award,
Guma Aguiar, owns a company that made billions of dollars in the Texas natural gas industry. Aguiar also created the award given to Perry.
Just two weeks before Aguiar and Perry posed for pictures in Israel, Aguiar posed for a mug shot in Florida. He was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Aguiar pleaded no contest.
Sheila Krumholz is the executive director of the Washington D.C. based Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks the effect of money on public policy. She says, "There is just too much of a potential for a conflict of interest with these trips particularly with privately sponsored trips." Krumholz also wonders, "Is this the real deal or a sleight of hand to provide political cover of those attending?"
CBS 11 obtained a list of people on the trip. The organizers describe those attending as "an elite cadre of 20 executives in, gas and oil, biotech, finance and technology." The list includes an out of state Congresswoman and Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo, whose agency regulates the oil and natural gas industry in Texas.
Carrillo says he paid his own way but refused to show CBS 11 any of his expenses. Also on the list of travelers: a host of energy executives, the governor's family -- which included his son's fiancée -- and a member of the State Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. Hinojosa told us the trip was not about energy. "I don't recall discussions about oil and gas with the business people there," he said.
The governor and others met with the President of Israel, the Prime Minster and Israeli soldiers. They toured the old city of Jerusalem and snapped photos of Aggie souvenirs (the governor is a graduate of Texas A&M). Perry even took time to do an interview with an Israeli TV station. Remember, the governor is doing all this while asking other state employees to "curtail travel."
Like the governor, State Senator Hinojosa's entire trip was paid for by Katsof, the financier. Hinojosa also received the Defender of Jerusalem Award. But unlike the governor's four pages of documents, Hinojosa gave us everything he had -- fully disclosing the nature of the trip.
Hinojosa maintains there was no conflict of interest by accepting the trip. "We as public officials have to make decision on public policy. Not who contributes money or pays for a trip," he explained. But Krumholz disagreed, saying, "This trip raises real concerns for the potential for a secret junket."
The trip also had its share of perks. CBS 11 obtained private emails and found the organizer, Katsof, asked attendees what kind of scotch they preferred for a "scotch and cigar bar" where they would admire "a starry Jerusalem." Krumholz says trips like this "can be a lucrative way to conduct business. You pay for vacation and in return you may get contracts or government brokered deals worth millions of dollars."
In late May a Texas appellate court ruled that all DPS expense reports for the governor's security detail were to be made public. A few days later, the state legislature passed a bill to get around that court ruling, allowing DPS to hide the expense reports of the governor's security detail from public view. The law took effect immediately.
In August, Perry was given the "Defender of Jerusalem" award. So Perry and his wife flew first class to Israel at more than $5,000 per ticket. The governor's security detail of four Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers was also along for the trip.
They all took the 7,000 mile journey to accept the award at a time when the governor was asking everyone else in state government to cut back on travel. During a speech in Houston, Perry directed state agencies to "curtail taxpayer funded travel."
According to state documents, the taxpayers' bill just to take Perry's security officers on the 5-day trip was more than $70,000. The breakdown includes $17,000 for rooms at the swanky King David Hotel, nearly $13,000 for food and more than 350 hours of overtime.
The specific price tag for the governor and his wife are secret. So when KEYE TV sister station CBS 11 (KTVT) asked to see the governor's expense records for the trip, we received four pages and no specifics. Perry refused to do a formal interview with us and would only say, "Going to Israel or other countries is a wise investment for the state of Texas."
Keith Elkins is executive director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Elkins and his organization fight for government transparency. Elkins says, "This Governor operates under the premise of 'believe what I say, not what I do.'" While Elkins suggests, "There is something else going on here," he doesn't know what that 'something' is.
Records obtained by CBS 11 show the governor's airfare and trip costs for he and his wife were paid for by Irwin Katsof, a financier for energy companies around the world. And the man who presented Perry with the Defender of Jerusalem award,
Guma Aguiar, owns a company that made billions of dollars in the Texas natural gas industry. Aguiar also created the award given to Perry.
Just two weeks before Aguiar and Perry posed for pictures in Israel, Aguiar posed for a mug shot in Florida. He was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. Aguiar pleaded no contest.
Sheila Krumholz is the executive director of the Washington D.C. based Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks the effect of money on public policy. She says, "There is just too much of a potential for a conflict of interest with these trips particularly with privately sponsored trips." Krumholz also wonders, "Is this the real deal or a sleight of hand to provide political cover of those attending?"
CBS 11 obtained a list of people on the trip. The organizers describe those attending as "an elite cadre of 20 executives in, gas and oil, biotech, finance and technology." The list includes an out of state Congresswoman and Texas Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo, whose agency regulates the oil and natural gas industry in Texas.
Carrillo says he paid his own way but refused to show CBS 11 any of his expenses. Also on the list of travelers: a host of energy executives, the governor's family -- which included his son's fiancée -- and a member of the State Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. Hinojosa told us the trip was not about energy. "I don't recall discussions about oil and gas with the business people there," he said.
The governor and others met with the President of Israel, the Prime Minster and Israeli soldiers. They toured the old city of Jerusalem and snapped photos of Aggie souvenirs (the governor is a graduate of Texas A&M). Perry even took time to do an interview with an Israeli TV station. Remember, the governor is doing all this while asking other state employees to "curtail travel."
Like the governor, State Senator Hinojosa's entire trip was paid for by Katsof, the financier. Hinojosa also received the Defender of Jerusalem Award. But unlike the governor's four pages of documents, Hinojosa gave us everything he had -- fully disclosing the nature of the trip.
Hinojosa maintains there was no conflict of interest by accepting the trip. "We as public officials have to make decision on public policy. Not who contributes money or pays for a trip," he explained. But Krumholz disagreed, saying, "This trip raises real concerns for the potential for a secret junket."
The trip also had its share of perks. CBS 11 obtained private emails and found the organizer, Katsof, asked attendees what kind of scotch they preferred for a "scotch and cigar bar" where they would admire "a starry Jerusalem." Krumholz says trips like this "can be a lucrative way to conduct business. You pay for vacation and in return you may get contracts or government brokered deals worth millions of dollars."
In late May a Texas appellate court ruled that all DPS expense reports for the governor's security detail were to be made public. A few days later, the state legislature passed a bill to get around that court ruling, allowing DPS to hide the expense reports of the governor's security detail from public view. The law took effect immediately.
Monday, November 23, 2009
32 Blacks Arrested In Racially Motivated Assaults
Racially motivated, of course if it had been 32 Whites beating and robbing all black people they would be charged with a hate crime on top of the other felonies.
The Denver Police Department arrested 32 men and juvenile boys after a months-long undercover investigation into what police said were racially motivated assaults and robberies in downtown Denver, including the LoDo entertainment district.
A task force composed of Denver police, the FBI and the Denver district attorney's office investigated 26 incidents in which groups of black males verbally harassed, assaulted and at times robbed white or Latino males, according to Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman.
All of the suspects are young black males, most of whom told police they were associated with either the Rollin' 60s Crips gang or the Black Gangster Disciples gang.
They are charged with varying counts of bias-motivated assault and, in some cases, robbery — all felony crimes.
The investigation determined that there was no single mastermind behind the summer and fall assaults, District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said. It is clear, however, that the two groups communicated, he said.
Groups of four or five black men would approach a victim late at night or early in the morning and attempt to spark a fight by verbally berating him, Whitman said.
The suspects made references to the victims' race during the assaults.
Victims were punched in the head, resulting in head injuries, broken noses and shattered eye sockets, according to Whitman. No one was killed during the months of attacks.
Some victims' wallets, iPods, cash and other small items were stolen after the assault.
Whitman said it might be the largest racially motivated criminal group effort ever in Denver.
"We have seen coordinated efforts before, but not by this large of a group," Whitman said.
A pattern emerged
Assaults were often recorded on video cameras mounted throughout parts of the city. The first of the assaults was in July.
As a pattern emerged, police dispatched undercover teams to areas near clubs and late-night restaurants where assaults were occurring to intervene.
In September, police asked the public for help in solving 14 downtown muggings but chose not to alert the public to the racial nature of the crimes, or the scope of the investigation underway, out of concern that the undercover effort would be compromised.
Denver police are still looking for suspects and victims involved in six unreported robberies and assaults captured on video.
The footage indicates that they may be related to the 26 reported instan ces.
Victims involved in the assaults may not know that their attacks were part of a larger pattern, Morrissey said.
Fifty-five warrants were issued for the 35 suspects. Some suspects may have been involved in more than one assault.
24-hour sweep
All 32 suspects arrested during the 24-hour sweep know one another, Morrissey said.
But finding almost all of the people they wanted surprised police.
"I was surprised we only missed four of them," Whitman said.
A short time after he spoke, one more was caught.
Three suspects, Allen Ford, Torrence McCall and one juvenile, are still at large.
Suspects are being held on $1 million bail for each count.
Source
The Denver Police Department arrested 32 men and juvenile boys after a months-long undercover investigation into what police said were racially motivated assaults and robberies in downtown Denver, including the LoDo entertainment district.
A task force composed of Denver police, the FBI and the Denver district attorney's office investigated 26 incidents in which groups of black males verbally harassed, assaulted and at times robbed white or Latino males, according to Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman.
All of the suspects are young black males, most of whom told police they were associated with either the Rollin' 60s Crips gang or the Black Gangster Disciples gang.
They are charged with varying counts of bias-motivated assault and, in some cases, robbery — all felony crimes.
The investigation determined that there was no single mastermind behind the summer and fall assaults, District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said. It is clear, however, that the two groups communicated, he said.
Groups of four or five black men would approach a victim late at night or early in the morning and attempt to spark a fight by verbally berating him, Whitman said.
The suspects made references to the victims' race during the assaults.
Victims were punched in the head, resulting in head injuries, broken noses and shattered eye sockets, according to Whitman. No one was killed during the months of attacks.
Some victims' wallets, iPods, cash and other small items were stolen after the assault.
Whitman said it might be the largest racially motivated criminal group effort ever in Denver.
"We have seen coordinated efforts before, but not by this large of a group," Whitman said.
A pattern emerged
Assaults were often recorded on video cameras mounted throughout parts of the city. The first of the assaults was in July.
As a pattern emerged, police dispatched undercover teams to areas near clubs and late-night restaurants where assaults were occurring to intervene.
In September, police asked the public for help in solving 14 downtown muggings but chose not to alert the public to the racial nature of the crimes, or the scope of the investigation underway, out of concern that the undercover effort would be compromised.
Denver police are still looking for suspects and victims involved in six unreported robberies and assaults captured on video.
The footage indicates that they may be related to the 26 reported instan ces.
Victims involved in the assaults may not know that their attacks were part of a larger pattern, Morrissey said.
Fifty-five warrants were issued for the 35 suspects. Some suspects may have been involved in more than one assault.
24-hour sweep
All 32 suspects arrested during the 24-hour sweep know one another, Morrissey said.
But finding almost all of the people they wanted surprised police.
"I was surprised we only missed four of them," Whitman said.
A short time after he spoke, one more was caught.
Three suspects, Allen Ford, Torrence McCall and one juvenile, are still at large.
Suspects are being held on $1 million bail for each count.
Source
Facebook Friend Turns Out To Be Big Brother
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Adam Bauer has nearly 400 friends on Facebook. He got an offer for a new one about a month ago. “She was a good-looking girl. I usually don’t accept friends I don’t know, but I randomly accepted this one for some reason,” the 19-year-old said.
He thinks that led to his invitation to come down to the La Crosse police station, where an officer laid out photos from Facebook of Bauer holding a beer — and then ticketed him for underage drinking.
The police report said Bauer admitted drinking, which he denies. But he did plead no contest in municipal court Wednesday and will pay a $227 fine.
He was among at least eight people who said Wednesday they had been cited for underage drinking based on photos on social networking sites.
“I just can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a science fiction movie, like they are always watching. When does it end?” Bauer said after court Wednesday.
Social networking sites are among many new tools law enforcement has adopted to
find underage drinkers, said La Crosse police officer Al Iverson, who works in alcohol compliance and education.
“Law enforcement has to evolve with technology,” Iverson said. “It has to
happen. It is a necessity —not just for underage drinking.”
Social networking sites are used to catch sexual predators as well, he noted.
But Bauer said, “I think there are a lot worse things (police) could be spending their time on.”
The photos officers found were of him, his roommates and a couple friends hanging out at his house, Bauer said.
“We were actually trying to be safe and not go out on the town and get crazy,” he said.
Bauer’s friend, 20-year-old UW-L sophomore Tyrell Luebker, also was tagged for underage drinking based on Facebook photos. He, too, pleaded no contest Wednesday.
“I feel like it is shady police work and a waste of taxpayer money to have him (an officer) sit on the computer on Facebook when he could actually be doing police work,” said Luebker.
Iverson pointed out the students still were caught in an illegal act, one they felt comfortable and confident enough about to put photos of on the Internet. Posting those photos, he added, helps glamorize alcohol consumption and binge drinking.
Someone else posted photos on a Facebook site of UW-L sophomores Brianna Niesen and Cassie Stenholt holding beer, but they still ended up in court Wednesday pleading no contest and getting fined.
The practice ultimately could hurt the positive alliance law enforcement wants to build with students so they will report crimes, Niesen said.
“I feel like it is a breach of privacy,” Stenholt said. “You feel like you should be able to trust cops.”
He thinks that led to his invitation to come down to the La Crosse police station, where an officer laid out photos from Facebook of Bauer holding a beer — and then ticketed him for underage drinking.
The police report said Bauer admitted drinking, which he denies. But he did plead no contest in municipal court Wednesday and will pay a $227 fine.
He was among at least eight people who said Wednesday they had been cited for underage drinking based on photos on social networking sites.
“I just can’t believe it. I feel like I’m in a science fiction movie, like they are always watching. When does it end?” Bauer said after court Wednesday.
Social networking sites are among many new tools law enforcement has adopted to
find underage drinkers, said La Crosse police officer Al Iverson, who works in alcohol compliance and education.
“Law enforcement has to evolve with technology,” Iverson said. “It has to
happen. It is a necessity —not just for underage drinking.”
Social networking sites are used to catch sexual predators as well, he noted.
But Bauer said, “I think there are a lot worse things (police) could be spending their time on.”
The photos officers found were of him, his roommates and a couple friends hanging out at his house, Bauer said.
“We were actually trying to be safe and not go out on the town and get crazy,” he said.
Bauer’s friend, 20-year-old UW-L sophomore Tyrell Luebker, also was tagged for underage drinking based on Facebook photos. He, too, pleaded no contest Wednesday.
“I feel like it is shady police work and a waste of taxpayer money to have him (an officer) sit on the computer on Facebook when he could actually be doing police work,” said Luebker.
Iverson pointed out the students still were caught in an illegal act, one they felt comfortable and confident enough about to put photos of on the Internet. Posting those photos, he added, helps glamorize alcohol consumption and binge drinking.
Someone else posted photos on a Facebook site of UW-L sophomores Brianna Niesen and Cassie Stenholt holding beer, but they still ended up in court Wednesday pleading no contest and getting fined.
The practice ultimately could hurt the positive alliance law enforcement wants to build with students so they will report crimes, Niesen said.
“I feel like it is a breach of privacy,” Stenholt said. “You feel like you should be able to trust cops.”
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Truth Behind China's Currency Peg
by Peter Schiff
During President Obama's high profile visit to China this week, the most frequently discussed, yet least understood, topic was how currency valuations are affecting the economic relationship between the United States and China. The focal problem is the Chinese government's policy of fixing the value of the renminbi against the U.S. dollar. While many correctly perceive that this 'peg' has contributed greatly to the current global imbalances, few fully comprehend the ramifications should that peg be discarded.
The common understanding is both incomplete and naive. Most analysts simply see the peg as China's principal weapon in an economic struggle for global ascendancy. The peg, they argue, offers China a competitive advantage by making its products cheaper in U.S. markets, thus allowing Chinese firms to gobble up market share and steal jobs from U.S. manufacturers. The thought is that were China to allow its currency to rise, American manufactures would regain their lost edge, and both manufacturing firms and the jobs formerly associated with them would return. In this narrative, the struggle centers on the United States' diminishing leverage in persuading the Chinese to lay down their unfair weaponry. It's a sympathetic picture, but it tells the wrong story.
While the peg certainly is responsible for much of the world's problems, its abandonment would cause severe hardship in the United States. In fact, for the U.S., de-pegging would cause the economic equivalent of cardiac arrest. Our economy is currently on life support provided by an endless flow of debt financing from China. These purchases are the means by which China maintains the relative value of its currency against the dollar. As the dollar comes under even more downward pressure, China's purchases must increase to keep the renminbi from rising. By maintaining the peg, China enables our politicians and citizens to continue spending more than they have and avoiding the hard choices necessary to restore our long-term economic health.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, when China drops the peg, the immediate benefits will flow to the Chinese, not to Americans. Yes, prices for Chinese goods will rise in the United States â€" but so will prices for domestic goods. As a corollary, the Chinese will see falling prices across the board. As anyone who has ever been shopping can explain, low prices are a good thing.
In addition, credit will expand in China while it contracts here. When China abandons the peg, it will no longer need to swell its currency reserves by buying Treasuries or other dollar-denominated debt instruments. Other nations will no longer feel the pressure to keep their currencies from rising, so they too could throttle down on their onerous dollar purchases.
As demand falls for both dollars and Treasuries, prices and interest rates in the United States will rise. Rising rates will restrict the flow of credit that is currently financing government and consumer spending. This change will finally force a long overdue decline in borrowing. So, not only will Americans lose access to the consumer credit that funds their current spending, but the things they buy will also get more expensive.
Our short-term loss will be in sharp contrast to the gain felt by foreigners, who will be rewarded with falling consumer prices and a more abundant supply of investment capital. In other words, the American standard of living will fall while that of our trading partners will rise.
However, this does not mean that I want the Chinese to maintain the status quo. In the long run, the U.S. economy will benefit from the abandonment of a system that guarantees our dependency and inevitable downfall. De-pegging will force the hand of U.S. politicians toward pursuing realistic policies. The Chinese will come to their senses eventually because it is in their interest to do so. Meanwhile, the longer the peg is maintained, the more indebted we become, the more out of balance our economy grows, and the more our industrial base shrivels. In short, the longer they wait, the steeper our fall.
A weaker dollar will price many imported products beyond the reach of most Americas, giving our hollowed out manufacturing sector the opportunity to rebound. However, if our industry has any chance of getting off the mat, we must reduce taxes, repeal regulations, reform our cumbersome legal system, and, most importantly, replenish our savings to finance the necessary capital investment.
If we position ourselves to deal with the consequences, tough love from China will provide a path back to genuine economic growth. However, if our politicians continue to misread the problem and push us deeper in the red, the inevitable 'rebalancing' could be truly ruinous.
Copyright © 2009 Euro Pacific Capital
During President Obama's high profile visit to China this week, the most frequently discussed, yet least understood, topic was how currency valuations are affecting the economic relationship between the United States and China. The focal problem is the Chinese government's policy of fixing the value of the renminbi against the U.S. dollar. While many correctly perceive that this 'peg' has contributed greatly to the current global imbalances, few fully comprehend the ramifications should that peg be discarded.
The common understanding is both incomplete and naive. Most analysts simply see the peg as China's principal weapon in an economic struggle for global ascendancy. The peg, they argue, offers China a competitive advantage by making its products cheaper in U.S. markets, thus allowing Chinese firms to gobble up market share and steal jobs from U.S. manufacturers. The thought is that were China to allow its currency to rise, American manufactures would regain their lost edge, and both manufacturing firms and the jobs formerly associated with them would return. In this narrative, the struggle centers on the United States' diminishing leverage in persuading the Chinese to lay down their unfair weaponry. It's a sympathetic picture, but it tells the wrong story.
While the peg certainly is responsible for much of the world's problems, its abandonment would cause severe hardship in the United States. In fact, for the U.S., de-pegging would cause the economic equivalent of cardiac arrest. Our economy is currently on life support provided by an endless flow of debt financing from China. These purchases are the means by which China maintains the relative value of its currency against the dollar. As the dollar comes under even more downward pressure, China's purchases must increase to keep the renminbi from rising. By maintaining the peg, China enables our politicians and citizens to continue spending more than they have and avoiding the hard choices necessary to restore our long-term economic health.
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, when China drops the peg, the immediate benefits will flow to the Chinese, not to Americans. Yes, prices for Chinese goods will rise in the United States â€" but so will prices for domestic goods. As a corollary, the Chinese will see falling prices across the board. As anyone who has ever been shopping can explain, low prices are a good thing.
In addition, credit will expand in China while it contracts here. When China abandons the peg, it will no longer need to swell its currency reserves by buying Treasuries or other dollar-denominated debt instruments. Other nations will no longer feel the pressure to keep their currencies from rising, so they too could throttle down on their onerous dollar purchases.
As demand falls for both dollars and Treasuries, prices and interest rates in the United States will rise. Rising rates will restrict the flow of credit that is currently financing government and consumer spending. This change will finally force a long overdue decline in borrowing. So, not only will Americans lose access to the consumer credit that funds their current spending, but the things they buy will also get more expensive.
Our short-term loss will be in sharp contrast to the gain felt by foreigners, who will be rewarded with falling consumer prices and a more abundant supply of investment capital. In other words, the American standard of living will fall while that of our trading partners will rise.
However, this does not mean that I want the Chinese to maintain the status quo. In the long run, the U.S. economy will benefit from the abandonment of a system that guarantees our dependency and inevitable downfall. De-pegging will force the hand of U.S. politicians toward pursuing realistic policies. The Chinese will come to their senses eventually because it is in their interest to do so. Meanwhile, the longer the peg is maintained, the more indebted we become, the more out of balance our economy grows, and the more our industrial base shrivels. In short, the longer they wait, the steeper our fall.
A weaker dollar will price many imported products beyond the reach of most Americas, giving our hollowed out manufacturing sector the opportunity to rebound. However, if our industry has any chance of getting off the mat, we must reduce taxes, repeal regulations, reform our cumbersome legal system, and, most importantly, replenish our savings to finance the necessary capital investment.
If we position ourselves to deal with the consequences, tough love from China will provide a path back to genuine economic growth. However, if our politicians continue to misread the problem and push us deeper in the red, the inevitable 'rebalancing' could be truly ruinous.
Copyright © 2009 Euro Pacific Capital
Feds Dismiss Immigration Charges On Kosher Slaughterhouse Manager Sholom Rubashkin
By GRANT SCHULTE and WILLIAM PETROSKI • gschulte@dmreg.com • November 19, 2009
Federal prosecutors dismissed all immigration charges against former Postville meat plant manager Sholom Rubashkin today, one week after a South Dakota jury convicted him of 86 business-fraud charges.
The decision spares Rubashkin a second federal trial on 72 immigration-related charges. But the former vice president at Agriprocessors, Inc. still could spend the rest of his life in prison. The maximum sentence for his convictions adds to 1,255 years.
Federal jurors convicted Rubashkin last week of all but five of the 91 business fraud charges listed in a 163-count indictment. But supporters of Rubashkin, the former vice president at Agriprocessors, Inc. in Postville, continued to maintain that he had done nothing illegal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan Jr., one of three federal prosecutors who argued the case, wrote in court papers that any further convictions “would be entirely eclipsed by (Rubashkin’s) recommended guideline sentence on the counts for which he has already been convicted.”
Deegan said Rubashkin has already been convicted of the most serious charges listed in the indictment. Dismissing the charges also will avoid an extended and costly trial and lessen the inconvenience to possible witnesses, he said.
This is not to minimize the importance of those counts, but at least of the purpose of the advisory sentencing guideline range, any convictions on (the immigration counts) would have no impact on the defendant’s sentence,” Deegan wrote.
Deegan also said the jury’s verdicts on several of the fraud and false statement counts were premised, at least in part, upon Rubashkin knowingly making false statements to the bank with regard to the harboring of undocumented aliens at Agriprocessors Inc.
He also said the jury found that Rubashkin committed his crimes by falsely stating Agriprocessors was in compliance with all laws when Agriprocessors and its employees were harboring or conspiring to harbor undocumented aliens.
U.S. District Judge Linda Reade issued an order this afternoon which granted the prosecution's motion to dismiss the immigration charges.
Rubashkin lawyer Guy Cook said he viewed the dismissal of the immigration charges as a victory for his client.
“Frankly, the government should have done this a long time ago. In spite of the way the government characterizes things in its motion, we believe it overstates the verdict on the financial case in South Dakota. Rubaskin has steadfastly denied the immigration charges. He has pled not guilty. In spite of the raid of May 12, he continues to assert he committed no crimes,” Cook said.
Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said he could not comment.
Rubashkin is being held in the Linn County Correctional Center in Cedar Rapids. He is awaiting a ruling by Reade on a request by his lawyers that he be released on bail while he is awaiting sentencing.
Cook said he plans to file a motion this week for a new trial, based on what the defense believes are legal errors in the prosecution and trial of the case. If the new trial motion is not granted, an appeal will be filed, he said.
Wednesday bail hearing turned testy
A bail hearing for Rubashkin turned testy Wednesday when a prosecutor accused him of lying in court.
The bail hearing in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids followed Rubashkin's conviction last week on 86 counts of financial fraud. His attorneys argued he should be allowed to remain free on bail until he is sentenced. Prosecutors claimed he is a flight risk.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan said Rubashkin committed bank fraud when he was released on bail following his initial arrest in October 2008. The accusation sparked a heated exchange between Deegan and Rubashkin, who was on the witness stand.
"When you testified at trial, you didn't give truthful testimony, did you?" Deegan asked.
"I think you're lying under cross-examination," Rubashkin responded.
Neither defense attorney Guy Cook nor U.S. attorney's office spokesman Bob Teig would comment after the hearing.
When he was first arrested, Rubashkin's attorneys said his ties to his 10 children, the expectations of the Jewish community and the financial support of thousands of donors would keep him from leaving the country.
Deegan argued Wednesday that things have changed: Now that Rubashkin faces a certain jail sentence, he's more likely to leave the country and take his family with him, using the money from donors.
Federal prosecutors dismissed all immigration charges against former Postville meat plant manager Sholom Rubashkin today, one week after a South Dakota jury convicted him of 86 business-fraud charges.
The decision spares Rubashkin a second federal trial on 72 immigration-related charges. But the former vice president at Agriprocessors, Inc. still could spend the rest of his life in prison. The maximum sentence for his convictions adds to 1,255 years.
Federal jurors convicted Rubashkin last week of all but five of the 91 business fraud charges listed in a 163-count indictment. But supporters of Rubashkin, the former vice president at Agriprocessors, Inc. in Postville, continued to maintain that he had done nothing illegal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan Jr., one of three federal prosecutors who argued the case, wrote in court papers that any further convictions “would be entirely eclipsed by (Rubashkin’s) recommended guideline sentence on the counts for which he has already been convicted.”
Deegan said Rubashkin has already been convicted of the most serious charges listed in the indictment. Dismissing the charges also will avoid an extended and costly trial and lessen the inconvenience to possible witnesses, he said.
This is not to minimize the importance of those counts, but at least of the purpose of the advisory sentencing guideline range, any convictions on (the immigration counts) would have no impact on the defendant’s sentence,” Deegan wrote.
Deegan also said the jury’s verdicts on several of the fraud and false statement counts were premised, at least in part, upon Rubashkin knowingly making false statements to the bank with regard to the harboring of undocumented aliens at Agriprocessors Inc.
He also said the jury found that Rubashkin committed his crimes by falsely stating Agriprocessors was in compliance with all laws when Agriprocessors and its employees were harboring or conspiring to harbor undocumented aliens.
U.S. District Judge Linda Reade issued an order this afternoon which granted the prosecution's motion to dismiss the immigration charges.
Rubashkin lawyer Guy Cook said he viewed the dismissal of the immigration charges as a victory for his client.
“Frankly, the government should have done this a long time ago. In spite of the way the government characterizes things in its motion, we believe it overstates the verdict on the financial case in South Dakota. Rubaskin has steadfastly denied the immigration charges. He has pled not guilty. In spite of the raid of May 12, he continues to assert he committed no crimes,” Cook said.
Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said he could not comment.
Rubashkin is being held in the Linn County Correctional Center in Cedar Rapids. He is awaiting a ruling by Reade on a request by his lawyers that he be released on bail while he is awaiting sentencing.
Cook said he plans to file a motion this week for a new trial, based on what the defense believes are legal errors in the prosecution and trial of the case. If the new trial motion is not granted, an appeal will be filed, he said.
Wednesday bail hearing turned testy
A bail hearing for Rubashkin turned testy Wednesday when a prosecutor accused him of lying in court.
The bail hearing in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids followed Rubashkin's conviction last week on 86 counts of financial fraud. His attorneys argued he should be allowed to remain free on bail until he is sentenced. Prosecutors claimed he is a flight risk.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan said Rubashkin committed bank fraud when he was released on bail following his initial arrest in October 2008. The accusation sparked a heated exchange between Deegan and Rubashkin, who was on the witness stand.
"When you testified at trial, you didn't give truthful testimony, did you?" Deegan asked.
"I think you're lying under cross-examination," Rubashkin responded.
Neither defense attorney Guy Cook nor U.S. attorney's office spokesman Bob Teig would comment after the hearing.
When he was first arrested, Rubashkin's attorneys said his ties to his 10 children, the expectations of the Jewish community and the financial support of thousands of donors would keep him from leaving the country.
Deegan argued Wednesday that things have changed: Now that Rubashkin faces a certain jail sentence, he's more likely to leave the country and take his family with him, using the money from donors.
Leaked CRU Documents Availble For Download
These are the stolen documents mentioned in my previous post The Final Nails In The Coffin Of Man Made Global Warming.
Here is the torrent download link
Here is the slow direct link
Here is the torrent download link
Here is the slow direct link
Black Mayor Stole City Check Tried To Spend It At Wal-Mart
GARLAND CITY, Ark. (AP) — Texarkana police say the mayor of Garland City has been arrested for allegedly stealing a municipal check and trying to spend it at a Wal-Mart store.Police spokeswoman Kristi Mitchell says Mayor Yvonne Dockery faces a felony theft charge. Dockery was arrested Wednesday in Shreveport, La., and was being held in the Caddo Parrish jail for extradition back to Arkansas.
Mitchell said the check Dockery allegedly stole was worth about $600.
Previously, Arkansas State Police troopers and the FBI investigated Dockery and other current and former city officials over embezzlement allegations. The city also faced a $191,108 delinquent tax bill from the Internal Revenue Service.
Now She Files A Suit Of Her Own
Former Garland City, Ark., Mayor Yvonne Dockery filed a motion Thursday for relief from a felony theft conviction in Miller County Circuit Court.
In the motion for “writ of coram nobis” Dockery claims she is a victim of misconduct by Prosecuting Attorney Brent Haltom, Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson, Little Rock defense attorney Lott Rolfe and the Garland City Council.
Like many of Dockery’s other filings in both state and federal court, she accuses those involved in her criminal case of conspiring against her because she is a black woman.
Here is a video of this model citizen.
The Final Nails In The Coffin For Man Made Global Warming
If you own any shares in alternative energy companies I should start dumping them NOW. The conspiracy behind the Anthropogenic Global Warming myth (aka AGW; aka ManBearPig) has been suddenly, brutally and quite deliciously exposed after a hacker broke into the computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (aka Hadley CRU) and released 61 megabites of confidential files onto the internet. (Hat tip: Watts Up With That)
When you read some of those files – including 1079 emails and 72 documents – you realise just why the boffins at Hadley CRU might have preferred to keep them confidential. As Andrew Bolt puts it, this scandal could well be “the greatest in modern science”. These alleged emails – supposedly exchanged by some of the most prominent scientists pushing AGW theory – suggest:
Conspiracy, collusion in exaggerating warming data, possibly illegal destruction of embarrassing information, organised resistance to disclosure, manipulation of data, private admissions of flaws in their public claims and much more.
One of the alleged emails has a gentle gloat over the death in 2004 of John L Daly (one of the first climate change sceptics, founder of the Still Waiting For Greenhouse site), commenting:
“In an odd way this is cheering news.”
But perhaps the most damaging revelations – the scientific equivalent of the Telegraph’s MPs’ expenses scandal – are those concerning the way Warmist scientists may variously have manipulated or suppressed evidence in order to support their cause.
Here are a few tasters. (So far, we can only refer to them as alleged emails because – though Hadley CRU’s director Phil Jones has confirmed the break-in to Ian Wishart at the Briefing Room – he has yet to fess up to any specific contents.) But if genuine, they suggest dubious practices such as:
Manipulation of evidence:
I’ve just completed Mike’s Nature trick of adding in the real temps to each series for the last 20 years (ie from 1981 onwards) amd from 1961 for Keith’s to hide the decline.
Private doubts about whether the world really is heating up:
The fact is that we can’t account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can’t. The CERES data published in the August BAMS 09 supplement on 2008 shows there should be even more warming: but the data are surely wrong. Our observing system is inadequate.
Suppression of evidence:
Can you delete any emails you may have had with Keith re AR4?
Keith will do likewise. He’s not in at the moment – minor family crisis.
Can you also email Gene and get him to do the same? I don’t have his new email address.
We will be getting Caspar to do likewise.
Fantasies of violence against prominent Climate Sceptic scientists:
Next
time I see Pat Michaels at a scientific meeting, I’ll be tempted to beat
the crap out of him. Very tempted.
Attempts to disguise the inconvenient truth of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP):
……Phil and I have recently submitted a paper using about a dozen NH records that fit this category, and many of which are available nearly 2K back–I think that trying to adopt a timeframe of 2K, rather than the usual 1K, addresses a good earlier point that Peck made w/ regard to the memo, that it would be nice to try to “contain” the putative “MWP”, even if we don’t yet have a hemispheric mean reconstruction available that far back….
And, perhaps most reprehensibly, a long series of communications discussing how best to squeeze dissenting scientists out of the peer review process. How, in other words, to create a scientific climate in which anyone who disagrees with AGW can be written off as a crank, whose views do not have a scrap of authority.
“This was the danger of always criticising the skeptics for not publishing in the “peer-reviewed literature”. Obviously, they found a solution to that–take over a journal! So what do we do about this? I think we have to stop considering “Climate Research” as a legitimate peer-reviewed journal. Perhaps we should encourage our colleagues in the climate research community to no longer submit to, or cite papers in, this journal. We would also need to consider what we tell or request of our more reasonable colleagues who currently sit on the editorial board…What do others think?”
“I will be emailing the journal to tell them I’m having nothing more to do with it until they rid themselves of this troublesome editor.”“It results from this journal having a number of editors. The responsible one for this is a well-known skeptic in NZ. He has let a few papers through by Michaels and Gray in the past. I’ve had words with Hans von Storch about this, but got nowhere. Another thing to discuss in Nice !”
Hadley CRU has form in this regard. In September – I wrote the story up here as “How the global warming industry is based on a massive lie” – Hadley CRU’s researchers were exposed as having “cherry-picked” data in order to support their untrue claim that global temperatures had risen higher at the end of the 20th century than at any time in the last millenium. Hadley CRU was also the organisation which – in contravention of all acceptable behaviour in the international scientific community – spent years withholding data from researchers it deemed unhelpful to its cause. This matters because Hadley CRU, established in 1990 by the Met Office, is a government-funded body which is supposed to be a model of rectitude. Its HadCrut record is one of the four official sources of global temperature data used by the IPCC.
I asked in my title whether this will be the final nail in the coffin of Anthropenic Global Warming. This was wishful thinking, of course. In the run up to Copenhagen, we will see more and more hysterical (and grotesquely exaggerated) stories such as this in the Mainstream Media. And we will see ever-more-virulent campaigns conducted by eco-fascist activists, such as this risible new advertising campaign by Plane Stupid showing CGI polar bears falling from the sky and exploding because kind of, like, man, that’s sort of what happens whenever you take another trip on an aeroplane.
The world is currently cooling; electorates are increasingly reluctant to support eco-policies leading to more oppressive regulation, higher taxes and higher utility bills; the tide is turning against Al Gore’s Anthropogenic Global Warming theory. The so-called “sceptical” view is now also the majority view.
Unfortunately, we’ve a long, long way to go before the public mood (and scientific truth) is reflected by our policy makers. There are too many vested interests in AGW, with far too much to lose either in terms of reputation or money, for this to end without a bitter fight.
But if the Hadley CRU scandal is true,it’s a blow to the AGW lobby’s credibility which is never likely to recover.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
CAMERA Attempts To Skew The Truth On Wikipedia
by Khalid Amayreh
A Zionist hasbara (propaganda) body based in North America is trying to recruit “volunteers” whose main job is to distort the input of the internet’s most visited websites in Israel’s favor.
Propaganda efforts are reportedly focused on popular sites such as Wikipedia, the huge on-line encyclopedia which can be edited by anyone
CAMERA, which calls itself a “committee for accuracy in Middle East reporting in America,” already has a team of dozens of paid Jewish propagandists who regularly and often scandalously distort basic data pertaining to such themes as Israeli apartheid, Zionism and its ideological similarity to Nazism, Israeli state terror and ill-treatment of Palestinians as well as other issues related to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Recently CAMERA sent a circular to potential Zionist propagandists, asking them to help ensure a pro-Israeli bias in the internet.
“The idea behind Wikipedia is that if thousands of well-meaning and informed volunteers collaborate on an online encyclopedia, the result would be more accurate, up-to-date and inclusive than any print encyclopedia could possibly be.”
The circular went on: “CAMERA seeks 10 volunteers to help us keep Israel-related entries on Wikipedia from becoming tainted by anti-Israel editors. All it takes to be an effective volunteer is a basic comfort level with computers. Call or email me, and I will train you on how to become a volunteer Wikipedia editor.”
Reputed for its notoriously mendacious and inaccurate input, CAMERA has consistently sought to exonerate the Israeli occupation forces of war crimes committed against innocent civilians especially in the Gaza Strip.
Acting as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Israeli occupation army, the group, relying on questionable and often concocted statements by Israeli army spokespersons, argued on many occasions that the widespread killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army occurred by mistake and that measures were often taken to minimize civilian casualties.
Earlier this year, the Israeli army carried out a virtually genocidal onslaught against the nearly totally unprotected Gaza Strip, killing and maiming thousands of innocent civilians, including hundreds of children.
Moreover, a sustained aerial bombing by the Israeli air force destroyed more than six thousand Palestinian homes and hundreds of public buildings including more than a hundred mosques.
CAMERA, whose staff includes former Israeli Shine Beth’ officials, attacked the recently-published Goldstone report, accusing the former South African Judge, who is Jewish, of reporting “inaccurate information.”
The Goldstone report, based on meticulously authenticated data obtained first-hand testimonies from victims, accused the Israeli forces of knowingly and deliberately committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 21-day onslaught.
The data contained in the Goldstone report were corroborated by testimonies made by Israeli soldiers who took part in the winter onslaught.
Israel, apparently fearing international condemnation, had refused to cooperate with the Goldstone commission.
Japan Wants An End To US Occupation
Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama says he will devise a plan to relocate the US military airfield based in Okinawa as soon as possible.
Hatoyama made the remarks after a meeting with his foreign and defense ministers.
His government has called for the US to move its troops off the island, and even Japan altogether.
The new administration in Tokyo has also ordered an investigation into secret US-Japan deals ratified by previous governments.
Washington has about 47,000 troops based in Japan, more than half of which are on Okinawa.
US troops have been continuously stationed on the island since 1945.
Local residents have been angered by crimes committed by US service personnel.
In 1995 the rape of a schoolgirl by three US servicemen infuriated residents of Okinawa.
Japan's Defense ministry proposes the transfer of some F-15 fighter jet drills out of Okinawa as a condition for implementing the 2006 accord with the US.
Meanwhile, a junior partner in Japan's coalition government says the airbase should be moved off southern Okinawa to a more remote islet or to US territory in Guam.
The base is also unpopular because of aircraft noise and the risk of accidents and is due to be moved from an urban to a coastal area by 2014.
Demands to close the base on safety grounds grew when, in 2004, a US helicopter crashed in the grounds of a local university.
Tokyo and Washington have been at loggerheads with each other over the presence of US military forces in the country since the new Japanese government took the reigns of power in September.
Thousands of people held rallies against the American military presence during US President Barack Obama's recent visit to Tokyo.
Source
Hatoyama made the remarks after a meeting with his foreign and defense ministers.
His government has called for the US to move its troops off the island, and even Japan altogether.
The new administration in Tokyo has also ordered an investigation into secret US-Japan deals ratified by previous governments.
Washington has about 47,000 troops based in Japan, more than half of which are on Okinawa.
US troops have been continuously stationed on the island since 1945.
Local residents have been angered by crimes committed by US service personnel.
In 1995 the rape of a schoolgirl by three US servicemen infuriated residents of Okinawa.
Japan's Defense ministry proposes the transfer of some F-15 fighter jet drills out of Okinawa as a condition for implementing the 2006 accord with the US.
Meanwhile, a junior partner in Japan's coalition government says the airbase should be moved off southern Okinawa to a more remote islet or to US territory in Guam.
The base is also unpopular because of aircraft noise and the risk of accidents and is due to be moved from an urban to a coastal area by 2014.
Demands to close the base on safety grounds grew when, in 2004, a US helicopter crashed in the grounds of a local university.
Tokyo and Washington have been at loggerheads with each other over the presence of US military forces in the country since the new Japanese government took the reigns of power in September.
Thousands of people held rallies against the American military presence during US President Barack Obama's recent visit to Tokyo.
Source
Quote Of The Week
"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer." - Patrick Henry
Federal Judge Upholds Mandatory Vaccine Law
Land of the free my ass.
A federal district judge has ruled for a West Virginina school district and its officials in a case in which a parent sought to exempt her daughter from mandatory vaccinations for medical and religious reasons.
The ruling earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin of Charleston, W.Va., is interesting in light of the debate over links between vaccines and autism, as well as public debate over school vaccinations for the H1N1 virus.
The suit was filed by Jennifer Workman, who feared exposing her 6-year-old daughter to mandatory vaccines required for school because the child's older sister developed developmental disorders that the mother attributes to vaccines. The mother submitted a doctor's note seeking to exempt the 6-year-old from vaccines, but the Mingo County School District turned down the request on the advice of the West Virginia state health department, according to court documents.
The mother sued the district and its officials, claiming, among other things, that the vaccination requirement violates her First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The mother's "Christian Bapticostal religious beliefs require that she honor God by protecting her child from harm and illness, and that immunizing [the 6-year-old] in this instance would violate those sincerely held beliefs," her suit said.
In his Nov. 3 opinion in Workman v. Mingo County Schools, Judge Goodwin said West Virginia is one of only two states that does not offer religious exemptions for school vaccines. (He doesn't identify the other state.)
The judge granted summary judgment to the Mingo County school district on 11th Amendment immunity grounds. Unfortunately for the mother, the school district has been under state control since 2005, which means for immunity purposes it is considered an arm of the state, and under the 11th Amendment, the state may not be sued without its consent. (The judge said a regular county school system in West Virginia--one not under state control--would not have such immunity.)
Judge Goodwin did reach the merits of the mother's constitutional claims with respect to several school official defendants.
"Ms. Workman's freedom of religion claim fails," the judge said. "Her beliefs do not exempt her from complying with West Virginia's mandatory immunization program. It has long been recognized that local authorities may constitutionally mandate vaccinations."
He cited a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, and a 1944 decision, Prince v. Massachusetts, as well as a number of lower-court rulings that support the idea that, as the judge put it, "Although most states have chosen to provide a religious exemption from compulsory immunization, a state need not do so."
Source
A federal district judge has ruled for a West Virginina school district and its officials in a case in which a parent sought to exempt her daughter from mandatory vaccinations for medical and religious reasons.
The ruling earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin of Charleston, W.Va., is interesting in light of the debate over links between vaccines and autism, as well as public debate over school vaccinations for the H1N1 virus.
The suit was filed by Jennifer Workman, who feared exposing her 6-year-old daughter to mandatory vaccines required for school because the child's older sister developed developmental disorders that the mother attributes to vaccines. The mother submitted a doctor's note seeking to exempt the 6-year-old from vaccines, but the Mingo County School District turned down the request on the advice of the West Virginia state health department, according to court documents.
The mother sued the district and its officials, claiming, among other things, that the vaccination requirement violates her First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. The mother's "Christian Bapticostal religious beliefs require that she honor God by protecting her child from harm and illness, and that immunizing [the 6-year-old] in this instance would violate those sincerely held beliefs," her suit said.
In his Nov. 3 opinion in Workman v. Mingo County Schools, Judge Goodwin said West Virginia is one of only two states that does not offer religious exemptions for school vaccines. (He doesn't identify the other state.)
The judge granted summary judgment to the Mingo County school district on 11th Amendment immunity grounds. Unfortunately for the mother, the school district has been under state control since 2005, which means for immunity purposes it is considered an arm of the state, and under the 11th Amendment, the state may not be sued without its consent. (The judge said a regular county school system in West Virginia--one not under state control--would not have such immunity.)
Judge Goodwin did reach the merits of the mother's constitutional claims with respect to several school official defendants.
"Ms. Workman's freedom of religion claim fails," the judge said. "Her beliefs do not exempt her from complying with West Virginia's mandatory immunization program. It has long been recognized that local authorities may constitutionally mandate vaccinations."
He cited a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, and a 1944 decision, Prince v. Massachusetts, as well as a number of lower-court rulings that support the idea that, as the judge put it, "Although most states have chosen to provide a religious exemption from compulsory immunization, a state need not do so."
Source
Senate Set To Start Socialized Healthcare Debate
Tonight, a cloture vote on Senator Harry Reid's 2,000-plus page complete takeover of health care is expected in the Senate.
This vote is not on final passage of the bill, but on agreeing to start debate on the legislation.
Contact your senators and tell them to vote "No" on cloture! Health care reform is a too critical of an issue to waste time debating over thousands of pages of the same type of Washington interference that has wrecked our current system.
There will be more votes and more chances to stop Reid's bureaucratic nightmare from passing, but a rejection of cloture tonight would send a strong signal to President Obama and congressional leadership that we will continue to fight their efforts to address our country's problems with "more of the same."
We recently launched OperationHealthFreedom.com to bring a liberty-centered approach to the health care reform debate by supporting tax credits and deductions as proposed in Ron Paul's H.R. 1495, pushing Ron Paul's H.R. 2629 to prevent government from forcing us to buy health insurance and sending the IRS after us if we don't, and advocating allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines, as provided for in Congressman John Shadegg's H.R. 3217.
Don't forget to contact your senators and urge them to vote "No" on Harry Reid's cloture motion!
Instead, tell them it's time to focus debate on real health care solutions as called for in C4L's Operation Health Freedom.
In Liberty,
John Tate
President
P.S. Visit OperationHealthFreedom.com to see Tom Woods, Judge Napolitano, Rand Paul, Peter Schiff, and Daniel Hannan discuss getting government out of our health care!
Tonight, a cloture vote on Senator Harry Reid's 2,000-plus page complete takeover of health care is expected in the Senate.
This vote is not on final passage of the bill, but on agreeing to start debate on the legislation.
Contact your senators and tell them to vote "No" on cloture! Health care reform is a too critical of an issue to waste time debating over thousands of pages of the same type of Washington interference that has wrecked our current system.
There will be more votes and more chances to stop Reid's bureaucratic nightmare from passing, but a rejection of cloture tonight would send a strong signal to President Obama and congressional leadership that we will continue to fight their efforts to address our country's problems with "more of the same."
We recently launched OperationHealthFreedom.com to bring a liberty-centered approach to the health care reform debate by supporting tax credits and deductions as proposed in Ron Paul's H.R. 1495, pushing Ron Paul's H.R. 2629 to prevent government from forcing us to buy health insurance and sending the IRS after us if we don't, and advocating allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines, as provided for in Congressman John Shadegg's H.R. 3217.
Don't forget to contact your senators and urge them to vote "No" on Harry Reid's cloture motion!
Instead, tell them it's time to focus debate on real health care solutions as called for in C4L's Operation Health Freedom.
In Liberty,
John Tate
President
P.S. Visit OperationHealthFreedom.com to see Tom Woods, Judge Napolitano, Rand Paul, Peter Schiff, and Daniel Hannan discuss getting government out of our health care!
Chuck Baldwin On The Fort Hood Shootings
By now, virtually everyone has read and reread the copious news accounts of the terrible shooting a few weeks ago at Fort Hood, Texas. This column will not attempt to add new details to what is already a highly scrutinized tragedy. However, I do want to pose three basic questions that, to me, are extremely glaring and, for the most part, absent from the discussion.
Question 1: Why were the soldiers not armed?
After all, this is a military base; more than that, it is an Army base that emphasizes the training and equipping of frontline, combat-ready soldiers. For the most part, these were not clerks or cooks; these were combat troops. Fort Hood is home to the 1st Cavalry Division (the largest Division in the Army). Troops stationed at Fort Hood have engaged the enemy in virtually every hot theater of war to which American forces have been deployed. In recent conflicts that means Somalia, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Without a doubt, these are among America's bravest and best.
So, how is it that these intensely trained, disciplined, rugged, highly qualified warriors are not allowed to carry their own weapons on base? This makes about as much sense as the policy forbidding airline pilots from carrying their own handguns on board commercial airliners, or teachers not being allowed to carry their own handguns in the classroom. After all, judges are granted the authority to carry their own firearms into the courtroom. If we can trust lawyers, we should be able to trust soldiers, airline pilots, and teachers.
Question 2: If the federal government--including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, etc., with billions of dollars worth of technology; tens of thousands of snoops, spooks, and intelligence gatherers; and myriad Patriot Act-type laws--could not protect US soldiers on one of the most tightly secured and heavily guarded military installations in America, how can anyone in the country possibly not break out in cacophonous laughter when politicians tell us we need to surrender more liberties so that they might pass more laws to protect us crummy little peons? Or is it that, because Hasan was a Muslim, the politically correct nincompoops in charge gave him a pass?
Consider: we have learned that the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, had attempted to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda; that numerous classmates of Hasan had reported his anti-American views, which, according to a column written by Dennis Prager, "included his giving a presentation that justified suicide bombing and telling classmates that Islamic law trumped the U.S. Constitution"; and that Hasan had a long history of pro-Islamic, anti-American activity. All of which begs an answer to the question, How could such an individual not only be allowed in the US military, but also be allowed to advance to the rank of Major?
I think most of my readers have the answer to this question figured out: we have an out-of-control, politically correct federal government that only senses danger from conservatives, libertarians, Christians, pro-lifers, Tea Party protesters, and anti-UN, anti-IRS, pro-Second Amendment activists--and supporters of Ron Paul and Chuck Baldwin, of course. To this politically correct federal leviathan today, anti-American jihadists, militant Black Panthers, or illegal aliens who have committed felonious crimes in Mexico pose no risk to anyone, and must be "understood."
As Prager quotes NPR's Tom Gjelten: since Hasan had never been in combat, he must have suffered from "pre-traumatic stress disorder." No, I'm not kidding. That's what he said. (I'll pause while you pick yourself up off the floor from laughing.)
To the politically correct crowd running things in Washington, D.C., anyone coming from a socialistic, Big Government, or anti-American point of view is harmless, and anyone coming from a conservative, Christian, constitutional, or pro-American point of view is dangerous. Can one imagine how the mainstream media, federal police agencies, and the Southern Poverty Law Center would have reacted had Hasan shouted "Jesus is greatest!" instead of what he really said, "Allah is greatest!" right before opening fire?
If one rejects the notion that political correctness favoring Muslims (and every other minority in the United States) had anything to do with the Fort Hood shooting, then we are back to the original question: If the federal government--including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, etc., with billions of dollars worth of technology; tens of thousands of snoops, spooks, and intelligence gatherers; and myriad Patriot Act-type laws--could not protect US soldiers on one of the most tightly secured and heavily guarded military installations in America, how can anyone in the country possibly not break out in cacophonous laughter when politicians tell us we need to surrender more liberties so that they might pass more laws to protect us crummy little peons?
Are we now really supposed to believe that all these Patriot Act-type laws, which allow the federal government to trash the Constitution and Bill of Rights--and poke its ubiquitous and meddlesome nose into every corner and crevice of our lives--are actually doing anything to make us safer? You've got to be kidding! The only thing they are doing is stealing our liberties. If the Fort Hood massacre proves anything, it proves that.
Question 3: How could one man (with no combat experience) armed with only two handguns fire over 100 rounds (demanding he reload at least 3 times) into a crowd of scores and hundreds of fearless combat-trained warriors? I must confess: this is the question that bothers me the most.
According to the official story, Hasan was the only shooter, and he was allowed to fire at will into a crowd of America's finest warriors for at least 4 minutes, reloading at least 3 times, firing over 100 rounds of ammunition, killing 13 people, and wounding over 30--and was finally taken out by civilian police officers AFTER EXITING THE BUILDING. I've got to tell you: I cannot get my brain around this one.
Again, these soldiers are warriors. They not only know how to fight, they know how to fight unarmed. They are trained to risk their lives. They are trained to do whatever is necessary to take out the enemy. Had even a small group of soldiers rushed the shooter (especially if they came at him from multiple directions) there is no way that Hasan would not have been subdued--and most likely killed. Yes, a few of the on-rushers would have been hit, but Hasan could not have gotten them all. That is a fact! And yet, we are supposed to believe that Hasan was not only unmolested by soldiers inside the building, but he was allowed to leave the building entirely, and then get shot by civilian policemen? Again, this explanation makes absolutely no sense to me. None.
Initial reports said there were multiple shooters. If that was the case, the scenario is much more plausible. If multiple shooters had opened fire from various vantage points--especially if they had rifles--it would have made unarmed resistance extremely difficult. That scenario would make sense. The "one shooter with two handguns" explanation makes no sense.
I realize that no unarmed man wants to rush an armed attacker. Of course, some who would do so would probably die, but again, these are trained warriors. Furthermore, this was an all-or-nothing, kill-or-be-killed environment: something these men are trained for. If untrained civilian passengers on flight 93 on 9/11 could rush and thwart armed attackers on board a commercial airliner from a narrow aisle way and stop a hijacking--a task infinitely more difficult than for a group of highly trained professional soldiers outnumbering an attacker by scores or hundreds in a large building--tell me again how Hasan was able to open fire with only two handguns, kill and wound scores of people, and calmly walk out of the building unscathed? Again, this makes no sense.
Of course, all of the above is predicated upon the public accounts of the events being a truthful representation of what actually occurred. Which, after trying to comprehend the plausibility of what we are being told, is becoming increasingly difficult to believe. But then again, I haven't believed much that the federal government or major news media has told me since John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And I must say, this story serves only to further fuel my skepticism.
Question 1: Why were the soldiers not armed?
After all, this is a military base; more than that, it is an Army base that emphasizes the training and equipping of frontline, combat-ready soldiers. For the most part, these were not clerks or cooks; these were combat troops. Fort Hood is home to the 1st Cavalry Division (the largest Division in the Army). Troops stationed at Fort Hood have engaged the enemy in virtually every hot theater of war to which American forces have been deployed. In recent conflicts that means Somalia, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. Without a doubt, these are among America's bravest and best.
So, how is it that these intensely trained, disciplined, rugged, highly qualified warriors are not allowed to carry their own weapons on base? This makes about as much sense as the policy forbidding airline pilots from carrying their own handguns on board commercial airliners, or teachers not being allowed to carry their own handguns in the classroom. After all, judges are granted the authority to carry their own firearms into the courtroom. If we can trust lawyers, we should be able to trust soldiers, airline pilots, and teachers.
Question 2: If the federal government--including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, etc., with billions of dollars worth of technology; tens of thousands of snoops, spooks, and intelligence gatherers; and myriad Patriot Act-type laws--could not protect US soldiers on one of the most tightly secured and heavily guarded military installations in America, how can anyone in the country possibly not break out in cacophonous laughter when politicians tell us we need to surrender more liberties so that they might pass more laws to protect us crummy little peons? Or is it that, because Hasan was a Muslim, the politically correct nincompoops in charge gave him a pass?
Consider: we have learned that the shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, had attempted to make contact with people associated with al Qaeda; that numerous classmates of Hasan had reported his anti-American views, which, according to a column written by Dennis Prager, "included his giving a presentation that justified suicide bombing and telling classmates that Islamic law trumped the U.S. Constitution"; and that Hasan had a long history of pro-Islamic, anti-American activity. All of which begs an answer to the question, How could such an individual not only be allowed in the US military, but also be allowed to advance to the rank of Major?
I think most of my readers have the answer to this question figured out: we have an out-of-control, politically correct federal government that only senses danger from conservatives, libertarians, Christians, pro-lifers, Tea Party protesters, and anti-UN, anti-IRS, pro-Second Amendment activists--and supporters of Ron Paul and Chuck Baldwin, of course. To this politically correct federal leviathan today, anti-American jihadists, militant Black Panthers, or illegal aliens who have committed felonious crimes in Mexico pose no risk to anyone, and must be "understood."
As Prager quotes NPR's Tom Gjelten: since Hasan had never been in combat, he must have suffered from "pre-traumatic stress disorder." No, I'm not kidding. That's what he said. (I'll pause while you pick yourself up off the floor from laughing.)
To the politically correct crowd running things in Washington, D.C., anyone coming from a socialistic, Big Government, or anti-American point of view is harmless, and anyone coming from a conservative, Christian, constitutional, or pro-American point of view is dangerous. Can one imagine how the mainstream media, federal police agencies, and the Southern Poverty Law Center would have reacted had Hasan shouted "Jesus is greatest!" instead of what he really said, "Allah is greatest!" right before opening fire?
If one rejects the notion that political correctness favoring Muslims (and every other minority in the United States) had anything to do with the Fort Hood shooting, then we are back to the original question: If the federal government--including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, etc., with billions of dollars worth of technology; tens of thousands of snoops, spooks, and intelligence gatherers; and myriad Patriot Act-type laws--could not protect US soldiers on one of the most tightly secured and heavily guarded military installations in America, how can anyone in the country possibly not break out in cacophonous laughter when politicians tell us we need to surrender more liberties so that they might pass more laws to protect us crummy little peons?
Are we now really supposed to believe that all these Patriot Act-type laws, which allow the federal government to trash the Constitution and Bill of Rights--and poke its ubiquitous and meddlesome nose into every corner and crevice of our lives--are actually doing anything to make us safer? You've got to be kidding! The only thing they are doing is stealing our liberties. If the Fort Hood massacre proves anything, it proves that.
Question 3: How could one man (with no combat experience) armed with only two handguns fire over 100 rounds (demanding he reload at least 3 times) into a crowd of scores and hundreds of fearless combat-trained warriors? I must confess: this is the question that bothers me the most.
According to the official story, Hasan was the only shooter, and he was allowed to fire at will into a crowd of America's finest warriors for at least 4 minutes, reloading at least 3 times, firing over 100 rounds of ammunition, killing 13 people, and wounding over 30--and was finally taken out by civilian police officers AFTER EXITING THE BUILDING. I've got to tell you: I cannot get my brain around this one.
Again, these soldiers are warriors. They not only know how to fight, they know how to fight unarmed. They are trained to risk their lives. They are trained to do whatever is necessary to take out the enemy. Had even a small group of soldiers rushed the shooter (especially if they came at him from multiple directions) there is no way that Hasan would not have been subdued--and most likely killed. Yes, a few of the on-rushers would have been hit, but Hasan could not have gotten them all. That is a fact! And yet, we are supposed to believe that Hasan was not only unmolested by soldiers inside the building, but he was allowed to leave the building entirely, and then get shot by civilian policemen? Again, this explanation makes absolutely no sense to me. None.
Initial reports said there were multiple shooters. If that was the case, the scenario is much more plausible. If multiple shooters had opened fire from various vantage points--especially if they had rifles--it would have made unarmed resistance extremely difficult. That scenario would make sense. The "one shooter with two handguns" explanation makes no sense.
I realize that no unarmed man wants to rush an armed attacker. Of course, some who would do so would probably die, but again, these are trained warriors. Furthermore, this was an all-or-nothing, kill-or-be-killed environment: something these men are trained for. If untrained civilian passengers on flight 93 on 9/11 could rush and thwart armed attackers on board a commercial airliner from a narrow aisle way and stop a hijacking--a task infinitely more difficult than for a group of highly trained professional soldiers outnumbering an attacker by scores or hundreds in a large building--tell me again how Hasan was able to open fire with only two handguns, kill and wound scores of people, and calmly walk out of the building unscathed? Again, this makes no sense.
Of course, all of the above is predicated upon the public accounts of the events being a truthful representation of what actually occurred. Which, after trying to comprehend the plausibility of what we are being told, is becoming increasingly difficult to believe. But then again, I haven't believed much that the federal government or major news media has told me since John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And I must say, this story serves only to further fuel my skepticism.
Christians In Jerusalem Want Jews To Stop Spitting On Them
Source
"A Jew is permitted to rape, cheat and perjure himself; but he must take care that he is not found out, so that Israel may not suffer." - Schulchan Aruch, Jore Dia.
"A Jew may rob a goy-that is, he may cheat him in a bill, if unlikely to be perceived by him." - Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348.
"The Jews are human beings , but the nations of the world are not human beings but beasts."-Baba Mecia 114, 6
Jehovah created the non-Jew in human form so that the Jew would not have to be served by beasts. The non-Jew is consequently an animal in human form, and commanded to serve the Jew day and night." - Midrasch Talpioth, p225-L
A few weeks ago, a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman in Israel attended a meeting at a government office in Jerusalem's Givat Shaul quarter. When he returned to his car, an elderly man wearing a skullcap came and knocked on the window. When the clergyman let the window down, the passerby spat in his face.
The clergyman prefered not to lodge a complaint with the police and told an acquaintance that he was used to being spat at by Jews. Many Jerusalem clergy have been subjected to abuse of this kind. For the most part, they ignore it but sometimes they cannot.
On Sunday, a fracas developed when a yeshiva student spat at the cross being carried by the Armenian Archbishop during a procession near the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. The archbishop's 17th-century cross was broken during the brawl and he slapped the yeshiva student.
Both were questioned by police and the yeshiva student will be brought to trial. The Jerusalem District Court has meanwhile banned the student from approaching the Old City for 75 days.
But the Armenians are far from satisfied by the police action and say this sort of thing has been going on for years. Archbishop Nourhan Manougian says he expects the education minister to say something.
"When there is an attack against Jews anywhere in the world, the Israeli government is incensed, so why when our religion and pride are hurt, don't they take harsher measures?" he asks.
According to Daniel Rossing, former adviser to the Religious Affairs Ministry on Christian affairs and director of a Jerusalem center for Christian-Jewish dialogue, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents recently, "as part of a general atmosphere of lack of tolerance in the country."
Rossing says there are certain common characeristics from the point of view of time and location to the incidents. He points to the fact that there are more incidents in areas where Jews and Christians mingle, such as the Jewish and Armenian quarters of the Old City and the Jaffa Gate.
There are an increased number at certain times of year, such as during the Purim holiday."I know Christians who lock themselves indoors during the entire Purim holiday," he says.
Former adviser to the mayor on Christian affairs, Shmuel Evyatar, describes the situation as "a huge disgrace." He says most of the instigators are yeshiva students studying in the Old City who view the Christian religion with disdain.
"I'm sure the phenomenon would end as soon as rabbis and well-known educators denounce it. In practice, rabbis of yeshivas ignore or even encourage it," he says.
Evyatar says he himself was spat at while walking with a Serbian bishop in the Jewish quarter, near his home. "A group of yeshiva students spat at us and their teacher just stood by and watched."
Jerusalem municipal officials said they are aware of the problem but it has to be dealt with by the police. Shmuel Ben-Ruby, the police spokesman, said they had only two complaints from Christians in the past two years. He said that, in both cases, the culprits were caught and punished.
He said the police deploy an inordinately high number of patrols and special technology in the Old City and its surroundings in an attempt to keep order.
"A Jew is permitted to rape, cheat and perjure himself; but he must take care that he is not found out, so that Israel may not suffer." - Schulchan Aruch, Jore Dia.
"A Jew may rob a goy-that is, he may cheat him in a bill, if unlikely to be perceived by him." - Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348.
"The Jews are human beings , but the nations of the world are not human beings but beasts."-Baba Mecia 114, 6
Jehovah created the non-Jew in human form so that the Jew would not have to be served by beasts. The non-Jew is consequently an animal in human form, and commanded to serve the Jew day and night." - Midrasch Talpioth, p225-L
A few weeks ago, a senior Greek Orthodox clergyman in Israel attended a meeting at a government office in Jerusalem's Givat Shaul quarter. When he returned to his car, an elderly man wearing a skullcap came and knocked on the window. When the clergyman let the window down, the passerby spat in his face.
The clergyman prefered not to lodge a complaint with the police and told an acquaintance that he was used to being spat at by Jews. Many Jerusalem clergy have been subjected to abuse of this kind. For the most part, they ignore it but sometimes they cannot.
On Sunday, a fracas developed when a yeshiva student spat at the cross being carried by the Armenian Archbishop during a procession near the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. The archbishop's 17th-century cross was broken during the brawl and he slapped the yeshiva student.
Both were questioned by police and the yeshiva student will be brought to trial. The Jerusalem District Court has meanwhile banned the student from approaching the Old City for 75 days.
But the Armenians are far from satisfied by the police action and say this sort of thing has been going on for years. Archbishop Nourhan Manougian says he expects the education minister to say something.
"When there is an attack against Jews anywhere in the world, the Israeli government is incensed, so why when our religion and pride are hurt, don't they take harsher measures?" he asks.
According to Daniel Rossing, former adviser to the Religious Affairs Ministry on Christian affairs and director of a Jerusalem center for Christian-Jewish dialogue, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents recently, "as part of a general atmosphere of lack of tolerance in the country."
Rossing says there are certain common characeristics from the point of view of time and location to the incidents. He points to the fact that there are more incidents in areas where Jews and Christians mingle, such as the Jewish and Armenian quarters of the Old City and the Jaffa Gate.
There are an increased number at certain times of year, such as during the Purim holiday."I know Christians who lock themselves indoors during the entire Purim holiday," he says.
Former adviser to the mayor on Christian affairs, Shmuel Evyatar, describes the situation as "a huge disgrace." He says most of the instigators are yeshiva students studying in the Old City who view the Christian religion with disdain.
"I'm sure the phenomenon would end as soon as rabbis and well-known educators denounce it. In practice, rabbis of yeshivas ignore or even encourage it," he says.
Evyatar says he himself was spat at while walking with a Serbian bishop in the Jewish quarter, near his home. "A group of yeshiva students spat at us and their teacher just stood by and watched."
Jerusalem municipal officials said they are aware of the problem but it has to be dealt with by the police. Shmuel Ben-Ruby, the police spokesman, said they had only two complaints from Christians in the past two years. He said that, in both cases, the culprits were caught and punished.
He said the police deploy an inordinately high number of patrols and special technology in the Old City and its surroundings in an attempt to keep order.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Wikileaks Set To Publish 9/11 Text Messages
"Over the next few days we will release 573,000 pager messages covering September 11, 2001"
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Wikileaks
I will let you know when I know more.
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Wikileaks
I will let you know when I know more.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pastor Manning's Last Youtube Video
The Secret Service tried to intimidate him, banned from youtube 5 times and Pastor Manning is now posting the videos on his own website.
Why Did Lou Dobbs Quit?
Bottom line.
Very critical of the Bush Administration pat on the back.
Very critical of the Obama Administration lose your job.
Very critical of the Bush Administration pat on the back.
Very critical of the Obama Administration lose your job.
Survey 1 in 4 Marines Would Shoot US Civilians
April 24, 1995
About one in four U.S. Marines would be willing to fire upon American citizens in a government gun confiscation program, according to the results of a survey undertaken nearly a year ago at a Marine Corps base in southern California.
In addition, more that four out of five of the Marines surveyed indicated they would be willing to "participate in missions under a U.S. National Emergency Police Force."
About one in four U.S. Marines would be willing to fire upon American citizens in a government gun confiscation program, according to the results of a survey undertaken nearly a year ago at a Marine Corps base in southern California.
In addition, more that four out of five of the Marines surveyed indicated they would be willing to "participate in missions under a U.S. National Emergency Police Force."
CNN Gave Lou Dobbs 8 Million To Leave CNN
CNN was so sick of Lou Dobbs, it gave him an $8 million severance package to leave, The Post has learned.
"They wanted him out," according to a source.
Dobbs, who a source said had a year and a half to go on his $12 million contract, shocked viewers last Wednesday by announcing he was quitting.
CNN boss Jonathan Klein and Dobbs, 64, had been publicly feuding over the kind of reporting Dobbs was doing on his show -- especially stories about illegal immigration and the anti-Obama "birther" movement, which contends the president was not born in Hawaii and is not an American citizen.
But it was not clear until now that CNN was willing to pay Dobbs so much money to leave.
"What they do is their business," Dobbs said yesterday. "I tried to accommodate them as best I could, but I've said for many years now that neutrality is not part of my being."
Klein long believed Dobbs was at odds with CNN's desire to position itself as an opinion-free, middle-of-the-road alternative to its cable news rivals -- conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC.
Dobbs characterized his split with CNN after 27 years as "pleasant, friendly and professional" in an interview with the Atlanta Constitution-Journal.
But, he added, "I truly believe that it's also a liberating moment for me."
Dobbs said he is free to take a new job at another network, but said it would be "weeks, probably months" before he decides what to do next.
The end came quickly once the exit package had been negotiated, said Robert Dilenschneider, a spokesman for the anchorman.
Originally, plans had been for Dobbs to announce his decision to leave during last Friday night's broadcast.
"But when his assistant asked, 'Lou, do you really want to leave on Friday the 13th?' he decided to make it Wednesday instead," Dilenschneider said.
Dobbs is set to give his first TV interview since then to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly tonight, leading to speculation that he may be headed there. But TV insiders said such a move is highly unlikely.
Talk about a possible political career -- possibly as candidate for the Senate from New Jersey in 2012 -- is also probably overblown, friends said.
"He couldn't stand the scrutiny," said one colleague.
"They wanted him out," according to a source.
Dobbs, who a source said had a year and a half to go on his $12 million contract, shocked viewers last Wednesday by announcing he was quitting.
CNN boss Jonathan Klein and Dobbs, 64, had been publicly feuding over the kind of reporting Dobbs was doing on his show -- especially stories about illegal immigration and the anti-Obama "birther" movement, which contends the president was not born in Hawaii and is not an American citizen.
But it was not clear until now that CNN was willing to pay Dobbs so much money to leave.
"What they do is their business," Dobbs said yesterday. "I tried to accommodate them as best I could, but I've said for many years now that neutrality is not part of my being."
Klein long believed Dobbs was at odds with CNN's desire to position itself as an opinion-free, middle-of-the-road alternative to its cable news rivals -- conservative Fox News and liberal MSNBC.
Dobbs characterized his split with CNN after 27 years as "pleasant, friendly and professional" in an interview with the Atlanta Constitution-Journal.
But, he added, "I truly believe that it's also a liberating moment for me."
Dobbs said he is free to take a new job at another network, but said it would be "weeks, probably months" before he decides what to do next.
The end came quickly once the exit package had been negotiated, said Robert Dilenschneider, a spokesman for the anchorman.
Originally, plans had been for Dobbs to announce his decision to leave during last Friday night's broadcast.
"But when his assistant asked, 'Lou, do you really want to leave on Friday the 13th?' he decided to make it Wednesday instead," Dilenschneider said.
Dobbs is set to give his first TV interview since then to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly tonight, leading to speculation that he may be headed there. But TV insiders said such a move is highly unlikely.
Talk about a possible political career -- possibly as candidate for the Senate from New Jersey in 2012 -- is also probably overblown, friends said.
"He couldn't stand the scrutiny," said one colleague.
Who Pays All The Taxes
Well nearly 50% pay nothing in Federal Income Tax and 1% pays over 40% of the tax, you sure gotta love that mob rule.... I mean democracy!
CLICK TO ENLARGE
CLICK TO ENLARGE
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
61 Year Old Sodomite Traveled To Thailand To Molest Boys Ages 6 and 9
Just mentioning this is probably a hate crime thanks to the Matthew Shephard Act, but I'll take my chances.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8363552.stm
(imagine that the US doesn't run the story)
A federal court in New Jersey has sentenced a 61-year-old man to nearly 20 years in prison for travelling to Thailand to sexually abuse boys.
Wayne Nelson Corliss was arrested last year in Union City after a worldwide manhunt instigated by Interpol.
The arrest came after Norwegian police discovered online images of sex assaults on children as young as six.
Corliss, a part-time actor, had recently made a living by dressing up as Santa Claus at children's parties.
He allegedly gained access to the boys in Thailand at the home of a Canadian, John Wrenshall, who is awaiting a separate trial.
Corliss admitted to travelling to Thailand three times between 2000-2002 and having sex with at least two boys, aged six and nine.
He also pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Corliss could have received a maximum sentence of more than 27 years in jail but the government requested the reduced sentence because of his cooperation in the cases against other accused men.
US District Judge Joseph A Greenaway told Corliss: "You have acted beyond the bounds of human decency.
"I cannot think of something more heinous. These children are going to have to live with this for eternity, when their memory should be of a joyful, carefree time."
The court earlier heard that Corliss was "an irredeemable sexual predator" who had allegedly boasted on the internet about abusing boys while dressed as Santa.
Corliss claimed these internet postings were the equivalent of him playing a role and that they did not reflect his true personality.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8363552.stm
(imagine that the US doesn't run the story)
A federal court in New Jersey has sentenced a 61-year-old man to nearly 20 years in prison for travelling to Thailand to sexually abuse boys.
Wayne Nelson Corliss was arrested last year in Union City after a worldwide manhunt instigated by Interpol.
The arrest came after Norwegian police discovered online images of sex assaults on children as young as six.
Corliss, a part-time actor, had recently made a living by dressing up as Santa Claus at children's parties.
He allegedly gained access to the boys in Thailand at the home of a Canadian, John Wrenshall, who is awaiting a separate trial.
Corliss admitted to travelling to Thailand three times between 2000-2002 and having sex with at least two boys, aged six and nine.
He also pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.
Corliss could have received a maximum sentence of more than 27 years in jail but the government requested the reduced sentence because of his cooperation in the cases against other accused men.
US District Judge Joseph A Greenaway told Corliss: "You have acted beyond the bounds of human decency.
"I cannot think of something more heinous. These children are going to have to live with this for eternity, when their memory should be of a joyful, carefree time."
The court earlier heard that Corliss was "an irredeemable sexual predator" who had allegedly boasted on the internet about abusing boys while dressed as Santa.
Corliss claimed these internet postings were the equivalent of him playing a role and that they did not reflect his true personality.
Church of $cientology Under Investigation For Torture and Forced Abortions
The Church of Scientology faces the prospect of a police investigation in Australia after being accused of torture and embezzlement and of forcing employees to have abortions.
Nick Xenophon, an independent senator, presented letters to the Australian Parliament from seven former Scientologists which he said showed that the secretive church was a front for physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.
“I am deeply concerned about this organisation and the devastating impact it can have on its followers,” he told the Australian Senate in Canberra. He called for a Senate inquiry.
The State Crime Command of New South Wales police yesterday confirmed that Mr Xenophon had handed over the letters for investigation. Fed- eral police have also been contacted.
Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister,said that many Australians had “real concerns” about Scientology. “I share some of those concerns,” he added. “We would like to proceed in a cautious and methodical way in examining those matters and then we’ll decide what, if further, parliamentary action is necessary.”
Aaron Saxton, a member of the church in Australia and the US between 1989 and 1996, said in one of the letters that he had participated in the “forced confinement and torture” of others. Other letters described how individuals were pressured to hand over large sums of money to the church, leaving them in poverty.
Carmel Underwood, a former executive director of the Sydney branch of the church, wrote that Scientology executives covered up a case of child molestation and pressured pregnant staff to abort their babies so they could keep working for the church. “There are many who are still suffering and being abused financially, physically and mentally,” she wrote.
Kevin Mackey, 46, a farmer, wrote that the church sought cash donations from members for the “crimes” of drinking alcohol or watching pornography.
“Scientology is not a religious organisation — it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs,” Mr Xenophon said. “The letters received by me contain extensive allegations of crimes and abuses that are truly shocking.
“These victims of Scientology claim it is an abusive, manipulative, violent and criminal organisation, and that criminality is condoned at the highest levels.”
The Church of Scientology has dismissed the allegations as “an outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege” but said that it will co-operate with police. “Senator Xenophon is obviously being pressured by disgruntled former members who use hate speech and distorted accounts of their experiences in the church,” it said. “They are about as reliable as former spouses are when talking about their ex-partner.”
Mr Xenophon is a maverick independent politician from South Australia. He was a compensation lawyer before he won a seat in the federal Parliament in the 2007 election on an anti-gambling, pro-consumer protection platform promoted by his “No Pokies” (slot machines) group.
The Church of Scientology traces its origins to 1950 and a self-help book by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. It is officially recognised as a religion in Australia, where it has tax-free status. It claims 12 million members worldwide, including the Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
Last month the Church of Scientology in France was fined €600,000 (£545,000) after being found guilty of cheating vulnerable members out of their life savings.
The allegations
Former followers, who are willing to be questioned by police over the allegations, reported crimes ranging from forced imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.
• Paul Schofield admitted to being part of a campaign to cover up the facts surrounding the death of his two daughters, including two and a half-year-old Kirsty, who died during a purification programme.
• Aaron Saxton confined and tortured a follower and coerced females to have abortions, one who used a coat hanger for fear of punishment. He also has details of murder confessions from members in the US, information that was never passed on to police.
• Carmel Underwood was put under "extreme pressure" to have an abortion, and witnessed a young sexually abused girl being coached on how to keep it secret.
• Anna and Dean Detheridge, who were forced to reject a gay relative, provided evidence that personal information was used to blackmail and control them.
• Kevin Mackey revealed how he handed over nearly a million dollars in exchange for services and products after he was conditioned by the sect.
• Peta O'Brien was discouraged from seeking treatment for cancer, was cut off from her son and provided evidence of being assaulted.
Alien beliefs
• Founded in 1954 by the science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology describes itself as a religion that seeks spiritual enlightenment; it says that it has more than 3,000 churches in more than 133 countries
• Celebrity members include Tom Cruise, below, John Travolta and Lisa Marie Presley
• Full knowledge of Scientology's holy books is reserved for those who have completed a series of courses, at a cost estimated by anti-Scientology campaigners to be £190,000. There is no official confirmation to outsiders of what scientologists believe
• According to popular culture, Scientology teaches that 75 million years ago the intergalactic tyrant Xenu brought millions of aliens to Earth. These aliens, called Thetans, cling to human bodies. Scientologists try to re-create the Thetans’ painful experiences in order to free themselves
• Scientology members usually undergo personality tests and a form of counselling known as “auditing”. A counsellor or “auditor” locates the spiritual problems of the subject — known as the “preclear” — through questions and the use of an implement called an “e-meter”. Scientologists say that the sessions help members to reach levels on which they are “literally seeking immortality, which is priceless”
Source
Nick Xenophon, an independent senator, presented letters to the Australian Parliament from seven former Scientologists which he said showed that the secretive church was a front for physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.
“I am deeply concerned about this organisation and the devastating impact it can have on its followers,” he told the Australian Senate in Canberra. He called for a Senate inquiry.
The State Crime Command of New South Wales police yesterday confirmed that Mr Xenophon had handed over the letters for investigation. Fed- eral police have also been contacted.
Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister,said that many Australians had “real concerns” about Scientology. “I share some of those concerns,” he added. “We would like to proceed in a cautious and methodical way in examining those matters and then we’ll decide what, if further, parliamentary action is necessary.”
Aaron Saxton, a member of the church in Australia and the US between 1989 and 1996, said in one of the letters that he had participated in the “forced confinement and torture” of others. Other letters described how individuals were pressured to hand over large sums of money to the church, leaving them in poverty.
Carmel Underwood, a former executive director of the Sydney branch of the church, wrote that Scientology executives covered up a case of child molestation and pressured pregnant staff to abort their babies so they could keep working for the church. “There are many who are still suffering and being abused financially, physically and mentally,” she wrote.
Kevin Mackey, 46, a farmer, wrote that the church sought cash donations from members for the “crimes” of drinking alcohol or watching pornography.
“Scientology is not a religious organisation — it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs,” Mr Xenophon said. “The letters received by me contain extensive allegations of crimes and abuses that are truly shocking.
“These victims of Scientology claim it is an abusive, manipulative, violent and criminal organisation, and that criminality is condoned at the highest levels.”
The Church of Scientology has dismissed the allegations as “an outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege” but said that it will co-operate with police. “Senator Xenophon is obviously being pressured by disgruntled former members who use hate speech and distorted accounts of their experiences in the church,” it said. “They are about as reliable as former spouses are when talking about their ex-partner.”
Mr Xenophon is a maverick independent politician from South Australia. He was a compensation lawyer before he won a seat in the federal Parliament in the 2007 election on an anti-gambling, pro-consumer protection platform promoted by his “No Pokies” (slot machines) group.
The Church of Scientology traces its origins to 1950 and a self-help book by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. It is officially recognised as a religion in Australia, where it has tax-free status. It claims 12 million members worldwide, including the Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
Last month the Church of Scientology in France was fined €600,000 (£545,000) after being found guilty of cheating vulnerable members out of their life savings.
The allegations
Former followers, who are willing to be questioned by police over the allegations, reported crimes ranging from forced imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.
• Paul Schofield admitted to being part of a campaign to cover up the facts surrounding the death of his two daughters, including two and a half-year-old Kirsty, who died during a purification programme.
• Aaron Saxton confined and tortured a follower and coerced females to have abortions, one who used a coat hanger for fear of punishment. He also has details of murder confessions from members in the US, information that was never passed on to police.
• Carmel Underwood was put under "extreme pressure" to have an abortion, and witnessed a young sexually abused girl being coached on how to keep it secret.
• Anna and Dean Detheridge, who were forced to reject a gay relative, provided evidence that personal information was used to blackmail and control them.
• Kevin Mackey revealed how he handed over nearly a million dollars in exchange for services and products after he was conditioned by the sect.
• Peta O'Brien was discouraged from seeking treatment for cancer, was cut off from her son and provided evidence of being assaulted.
Alien beliefs
• Founded in 1954 by the science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology describes itself as a religion that seeks spiritual enlightenment; it says that it has more than 3,000 churches in more than 133 countries
• Celebrity members include Tom Cruise, below, John Travolta and Lisa Marie Presley
• Full knowledge of Scientology's holy books is reserved for those who have completed a series of courses, at a cost estimated by anti-Scientology campaigners to be £190,000. There is no official confirmation to outsiders of what scientologists believe
• According to popular culture, Scientology teaches that 75 million years ago the intergalactic tyrant Xenu brought millions of aliens to Earth. These aliens, called Thetans, cling to human bodies. Scientologists try to re-create the Thetans’ painful experiences in order to free themselves
• Scientology members usually undergo personality tests and a form of counselling known as “auditing”. A counsellor or “auditor” locates the spiritual problems of the subject — known as the “preclear” — through questions and the use of an implement called an “e-meter”. Scientologists say that the sessions help members to reach levels on which they are “literally seeking immortality, which is priceless”
Source
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