Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio, gives a rousing speech to close off Libertopia 2011 -- the future will be nothing like the past, how to spread the joy and beauty of human possibility to everyone around you!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Greeks Abandon Cash, Move to Bartering
Due to the money crisis in Greece many people have resorted to bartering.
Horror Films
If I was a filmmaker, I would make some really scary movies. I mean, even people immune to being frightened by movies would shit their pants. I don't know why there aren't better horror films being made, truly horrifying ones. I don't mean gore, that's been done to death. I mean something to scare the pants off an audience. I have the ideas, and if I only had the means to translate to motion pictures...
For example, my epic unproduced screenplay, The Halloween Duck, which I got the idea for from Howard the Duck (the movie, not the comic book). Now if that's not scary, I don't know what is.
Horror Countdown from Rotten Tomatoes
h/t to T.C.
The Shining is one of my favorites, though I've never been able to put a finger on exactly why. It really was a failed attempt to make an epic horror film.
For example, my epic unproduced screenplay, The Halloween Duck, which I got the idea for from Howard the Duck (the movie, not the comic book). Now if that's not scary, I don't know what is.
h/t to T.C.
The Shining is one of my favorites, though I've never been able to put a finger on exactly why. It really was a failed attempt to make an epic horror film.
Now That's One Scary Halloween!
Trick or treaters have been welcomed at the White House for a Halloween party hosted by President Obama and his wife Michelle.
Post of the Moment (with a comment by Nikk Jakson!)
Is choosing (presumably of free choice and will) not to procreate under the auspices of rational thought a form of nihilism? Is it skirting your responsbility as a human? That is, we apply a "we'll still survive. What am I going to change?" Indeed, Africa and Asia more than bring up birth rates picking up the slack from the West who have chosen to shrink the family of which I'm a part of with one child in my clan.
If there's one universal law observed by all cultures and religions it's procreation. After all, no noogie-woogie no species.
I suppose I'm insinuating not procreating is a law that's not up for discussion.-The Commentator: Procreation And Nihilism
The Patriotic Occupy Movement
The Occupy movement has been attacked from all angles, criticized for its lack of leadership and a singular purpose, and written off as an insignificant urban camping trip for a few neo-hippies. While those elements do exist within the various groups holding public land in cities across the United States, there is something which has been overlooked. At the very heart of it, this movement is an exhibition of classical American patriotism in action. It draws upon the rich tradition of our founding fathers, who advocated dissent as a patriotic duty, who were skeptical of banking institutions becoming “too big to fail,” and who warned against expanding government to a point where freedom would be trampled by federal bureaucracy.
Read more: Something the Media Have Overlooked
Read more: Something the Media Have Overlooked
Why did the West glorify Gaddafi's death?
"We came, we saw, he died"-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
The United Nations human rights office has now called for a "full investigation" into how Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed.
However it seems to accept without question the targeted assassinations and indiscriminate drone attacks carried out by the USA against its perceived enemies, even as in the case of Imam Anwar Awlaki, when it's against their own citizens.
The United Nations human rights office has now called for a "full investigation" into how Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed.
However it seems to accept without question the targeted assassinations and indiscriminate drone attacks carried out by the USA against its perceived enemies, even as in the case of Imam Anwar Awlaki, when it's against their own citizens.
Hillary Clinton said of Libya and Gaddafi: "We came, we saw, he died."
It's a takeoff on Julius Caesar's "Veni, vidi, vici," or "I came, I saw, I conquered."
Do I really have to comment on what this means about her, her morality, or that of the highest U.S. government officials? Do I have to comment on the relation to Caesar that she draws? Is it necessary to point out that "We" is the U.S. government and that it takes responsibility for unseating Gaddafi and killing him? The rebels didn't arise. No, the U.S. came. In its wisdom, it saw. It then killed.-The Real Hillary Clinton Revealed
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Libertarians Without Borders: An Interview with Tom Palmer about the Arab Spring
"The kindling, the material that has burst into flame in Syria, or Egypt, or Libya or Tunisia, are all different cases. But the spark that went from one to the other was common," says Atlas Economic Research Foundation's Tom Palmer.
Palmer speaks to Reason.tv's Matt Welch about liberty on a global scale, particularly in reference to revolutions in the Middle East this past year. "It's been a movement of astonishing courage and bravery," he says, "It has shown a demand for dignity."
Atlas Economic Research Foundation
reason.tv
Palmer speaks to Reason.tv's Matt Welch about liberty on a global scale, particularly in reference to revolutions in the Middle East this past year. "It's been a movement of astonishing courage and bravery," he says, "It has shown a demand for dignity."
Atlas Economic Research Foundation
reason.tv
Support the Troops, Support Ron Paul?
Unfortunately, most of those with "support the troops" bumper stickers and mindless pro-military verbal diarrhea dripping from their mouths don't realize their knee-jerk pro-war crap has nothing do to with supporting the pawns of the US Empire and military-industrial complex and everything to do with supporting the continued enrichment of the ruling elite in both government and state-capitalism (as opposed to actual free market capitalism).
Real support would demand the end of foreign wars and call for bringing the troops home (as Ron Paul advocates), where they belong.
Real support would demand the end of foreign wars and call for bringing the troops home (as Ron Paul advocates), where they belong.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Lovecraft Friday
Today it’s “The Lurking Fear” but not the one that Lovecraft himself wrote:
Great opening
Never trust a woman who shows interest in you if you’re a Wilbur…
Thursday, October 27, 2011
From Around The Web: October 27th, 2011
Please, be careful not to offend anyone with your costume this year...
Banksters, Busts and History - The Facts Driving the Financial Crises
It took 150 years to blow up the banking sector - a brief history of a slow detonation.
Searching For Meaning
Ajahn Appichato gives a Buddhist perspective on how and why we search for meaning in our life...
"The Bernanke Generation", "Have A Bernanke And A Smile", "Be A Bernanke, Drink Dr Bernanke"
We have only one, poor old vending machine in our break room at work. At my previous place of wage slavery, we had 2 soda machines, plus a snack machine (chips, candy bars), an ice cream machine (people would put money in it just to watch the Rube Goldberg contraption behind the glass deliver an ice cream bar), a coffee and hot chocolate machine, and one of those rotating fresh food machines, with things like milk, yogurt, apples, sandwiches and even microwavable burgers. But, since those days are long behind me, all I've got now to get through the long, tedious hours, is a soda machine. Though I've basically given up soda, I get an urge once in a while (or make up a rationalization, such as a stomach ache that needs soda to sooth it) and head into the break room with my 35 cents.
That's what I did day before yesterday, hoping to score a Coke with my last quarter and dime. But when I went to put my money in, nothing happened. For a second I thought it had just eaten my change (it's happened before) but I pushed the button and got it back. I scratched my head (literally, as I ran out of dandruff shampoo a few days ago) and walked away sodaless and puzzled.
Yesterday morning (I get to work early, around 6am) I ran into some fellow wage slaves from one of the other departments, in the break room, one of whom was getting coffee (I was in there to make some tea) and found the other in front of the soda machine as frustrated as I'd been the day before. That's when the coffee maker spoke up.
"Oh, they raised the price for a soda 10 cents," she said. "I told them to send out an email, but they didn't do it."
Hell, I may as well buy my own sodas and bring them to work. Same with bottled water, which is also featured in the machine, formerly at 25 cents, but now increased to 35 cents.
Inflation, it seems, is taking off like a rocket, even in our lowly break room.
Thanks, Ben Bernanke!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Do Christians Understand the Bible?
Believers often tell non-believers that it's impossible for a non-believer to understand the Bible. However, believers seem to be quite confused when it comes to understanding, interpreting, and explaining their holy book. They offer conflicting explanations of what it means -- over the course of a conversation, an individual believer will often put forward conflicting explanations of a particular passage or portion of the Bible. If believers are the ones who have the Spirit leading them into all truth, what's going on?
Finally, Television Worth Watching Returns!
A sneak peek of a NEW Beavis and Butthead episode! The series is set to make it's return to MTV on October 27th, 2011. Episode is titled "Holy Cornholio" and was shown during the 2011 San Diego Comic Con.
1984 Style Street Lights
Perfect for 2011 style American fascism.
The Intellistreets system comprises of a wireless digital infrastructure that allows street lights to be controlled remotely by means of a ubiquitous wi-fi link and a miniature computer housed inside each street light, allowing for “security, energy management, data harvesting and digital media,”... the primary capabilities of the devices include “energy conservation, homeland security, public safety, traffic control, advertising, video surveillance.”-New Street Lights To Have “Homeland Security” Applications
UPDATE: As you can see above, the original video was taken down by Intellistreets, so, I'm embedding it again from another source:
The Intellistreets system comprises of a wireless digital infrastructure that allows street lights to be controlled remotely by means of a ubiquitous wi-fi link and a miniature computer housed inside each street light, allowing for “security, energy management, data harvesting and digital media,”... the primary capabilities of the devices include “energy conservation, homeland security, public safety, traffic control, advertising, video surveillance.”-New Street Lights To Have “Homeland Security” Applications
UPDATE: As you can see above, the original video was taken down by Intellistreets, so, I'm embedding it again from another source:
Occupy Wall Street Good for the Tea Party?
As the Occupy Wall Street movement has gained momentum in recent weeks, the protesters have been likened to another band of fed-up activists who took the political world by storm—tea partiers. Conservative activists haven't taken kindly to the comparison, complaining bitterly about being lumped together with grubby anarchists peeing in buckets in New York's Zuccotti Park. But perhaps irate tea partiers should actually be thanking the OWS protesters. After all, the movement may help to reinvigorate the tea party, which has lost considerable steam after the midterm elections.
Read more: Why Occupy Wall Street Is Good for the Tea Party
Read more: Why Occupy Wall Street Is Good for the Tea Party
Quote of the Day: Bukowski on German Shepherds and Poets
"Man, I'll tell ya, women would rather screw poets than just about anything, even German shepherds. If I had only known about all this earlier, I wouldn't have waited till I was 35 to start writing poetry."-Charles Bukowski (source)
I have a woman in my life that I love and am loyal to, but if I didn't, I would take up poetry (even though I can't say I really understand modern poetry or can make any sense of it).
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Lindsay Lohan to Pose Nude for Playboy
When there’s nothing left, you turn to Hef.
Lindsay Lohan will earn almost $1 million posing for Playboy, a move that could get her back in the spotlight and help pay for her legal fees.
"Intellectual Property" vs The 4th Amendment
A discussion with Stephan Kinsella, senior fellow of the Ludwig Von Mises Institute, on recent revelations of the Obama administration writing "intellectual property laws" in cahoots with industry leaders.
Adam Vs The Man
Mises.org
Adam Vs The Man
Mises.org
Liberal Media?
I am sick of idiots on the right bitching about “the liberal media” when they are spoon fed such nonsense from clearly biased hate sources like Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, and other uneducated loons. These know-nothing nitwits need to shut the fuck up and open their eyes to reality.
Where was the coverage of Occupy Wall Street in the supposed “liberal media” during it's early weeks? It took quite some time for them to catch on, and they seemed to do so with reluctance and skepticism. Since Occupy Wall Street wasn’t organized by a multi-billion dollar media empire, there was no shamelessly blind support for it, or even any interest in covering it, like there was for the Tea Baggers.
When it finally became too big to ignore, the name-calling began. Hippies, bums, anarchists (I’m sure the anarchists here would attest, this is unfair to both parties)… and we were told how “vague” and “unfocused” their demands were. Of course, to anyone who has been to an Occupy event or takes the time to just read a bit about it, it’s more focused on tangible ideas than the Tea Baggers’s scare tactics ever were. Apparently “raise taxes on the rich” is vague.
And then, on Monday, an Occupy Maine gathering in Portland was attacked by a right-wing terrorist who shouted anti-communist slogans and threw an explosive device into a group of people.
Where is the “liberal media?” It’s been a day, and they are remaining quiet, because the media cares nothing for liberals and has been on a non-stop smear campaign since the Reagan era. They defended both Bush presidents while maligning Clinton for… wait for it… sexual escapades.
When the media chides a Democrat more for getting his dick wet than a Republican receives for trillion dollar wars… it’s time to shut the fuck up about the “liberal media” and turn our sights on the corporatist media, the one run by millionaires who have no interest in publicizing the message of the liberals in this country: it’s time for the rich to pay.
Where was the coverage of Occupy Wall Street in the supposed “liberal media” during it's early weeks? It took quite some time for them to catch on, and they seemed to do so with reluctance and skepticism. Since Occupy Wall Street wasn’t organized by a multi-billion dollar media empire, there was no shamelessly blind support for it, or even any interest in covering it, like there was for the Tea Baggers.
When it finally became too big to ignore, the name-calling began. Hippies, bums, anarchists (I’m sure the anarchists here would attest, this is unfair to both parties)… and we were told how “vague” and “unfocused” their demands were. Of course, to anyone who has been to an Occupy event or takes the time to just read a bit about it, it’s more focused on tangible ideas than the Tea Baggers’s scare tactics ever were. Apparently “raise taxes on the rich” is vague.
And then, on Monday, an Occupy Maine gathering in Portland was attacked by a right-wing terrorist who shouted anti-communist slogans and threw an explosive device into a group of people.
Where is the “liberal media?” It’s been a day, and they are remaining quiet, because the media cares nothing for liberals and has been on a non-stop smear campaign since the Reagan era. They defended both Bush presidents while maligning Clinton for… wait for it… sexual escapades.
When the media chides a Democrat more for getting his dick wet than a Republican receives for trillion dollar wars… it’s time to shut the fuck up about the “liberal media” and turn our sights on the corporatist media, the one run by millionaires who have no interest in publicizing the message of the liberals in this country: it’s time for the rich to pay.
More Money, Shorter Buses
This morning on WMAL (now on FM 105.9 in DC instead of that classic rock music!) I heard the Morning Majority discuss Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan comment on his desire for year-round school. He claims it would help improve academic performance and help keep students from having to relearn a lot of their knowledge that they supposedly gained the previous year. All three show hosts tended to agree with Arnie Duncan on this because they believed it would be better for them.
The fact of the matter is, most education from government skools (and I suspect most private schools) is utterly worthless. Academic credentials are not as all that hard to obtain, especially in this day and age with the ever increasing supply of college students. Most of the time, a degree is used to get an interview, not a series of important lessons to help you in your career. If I could have gotten a job as a computer programmer without a degree, I would have done it, although I have met others who have managed to do this.
For example, most school curriculum are more concerned with sex education than teaching basic economics. Which is more important, understanding the basics of supply and demand or putting a condom on a banana? To most teachers, administrators, parents, politicians, and union thugs, safe sex takes precedence over learning how the world works in terms of economics.
Personal finance is another thing. Pretty much everything I learned about personal finance I had to learn on my own. If our kids do not know how to properly balance a checkbook, calculate simple interest, or figure out their own spending priorities, then why do we keep on questioning why they still live at home with their parents at age 33?
This notion of year-round education has been compared to other countries like China and India, but I can say that there are countries who have less days than we do and still produce better test scores than us. I think what we need is less education in America because forced learning is no learning at all.
Human beings only learn the things they want to learn, even when they claim they have to. The truth is, we are learning more and more these days but forget most of it once we graduate from high school or college. And this is often times because the knowledge gained in those years is utterly useless to us as working, productive adults.
If Arnie Duncan and his ilk were concerned about the lost knowledge that was gained by students, he would declare all of us to be in perpetual schooling. The truth is, there is no magic number of days or years of forced learning that can make any of us into finely tuned and highly knowledgeable geniuses. There are upper limits that every human being can reach and most of us are more concerned with football, primetime television, and maintaining our job skills than philosophy and banana condoms.
With the rise of the Internet, most topics can be researched and discussed online. I have learned a lot about economics, history, and political theory from just browsing the Internet. The way in which information retrieval is changing and I firmly believe that Arnie Duncan is nothing more than a dinosaur in the education game. His ideals seem to be oriented towards more money (tax-payer funded of course) to schools which seems to lead to shorter buses.
If you have any good sense, you would know it is better to homeschool your kids than to subject them to forced learning. Too bad most parents like to outsource their parenting to the teachers and day care professionals.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Woodoggie! It's GIABO dog!
You've seen Riot Dog in Syntagma Square, here Max Keiser introduces Woodoggie, GIABO dog!
Max Keiser
Max Keiser
Sunday, October 23, 2011
How the State Leads People to Their Own Destruction
"The state is the most destructive institution human beings have ever devised — a fire that, at best, can be controlled for only a short time before it o'er leaps its improvised confinements and spreads its flames far and wide." -- Robert Higgs
Peter Schiff Goes To Occupy Wall Street... "I Am The 1%"
Peter Schiff heads down to Occupy Wall Street to chat with the 99% about issues. Peter talks free market capitalism, the Federal Reserve, Bailouts and more.
The Sunday Jesus: Please Help Me, Jesus!
The following is evidence of the damage Christian "thinking" can do to a young mind:
Today I start my diary. For myself only, I hope. Jesus, please forgive me if I'm wrong in this. I know my thoughts are evil, my heart is very wicked; have mercy on me, Lord, I need you! I hope I love you. Please let me love you, it is a wonderful privilege. I don't feel right in making this diary, because I feel in my heart that my motives are wrong. But I can still do it for myself, to reread sometimes. If it's really wrong, if God hates it, I'll stop soon!!!
But I am saved. If I trust in Jesus he won't let me down! If I fall he will pick me up.
I am afraid of dying! I hope Jesus keeps me alive on this earth a little longer.
I don't want to doubt. I know God loves me, I wish I could feel more excited I feel so dead inside. But God has been good to me, it is amazing all the wonderful things he's done!!! I mean that with my heart. When I have been sick God has always healed me. I can say (I don't lie!) I have seen Him perform great miracles in my life.
Don't feel good right now, sick in body. I need to be baptized to confess Jesus before others.
I must tell Dad tomorrow that I want to be baptized. I should not be afraid. I am a horrible coward. But when it comes to Jesus, my wonderful, lovely, kind, caring, patient, forgiving savior, I must not be a coward, not after what he did for me.
I must believe Jesus no matter what happens. If I die before tomorrow I trust that God will be with me. I need help, only God can help me.
Please forgive Lord!
Went to ______ today. Pastor ________ in the morning on Unity of the Spirit and Faith. He was right. I judge where I have no right to judge, considering what I am. However, there are some doctrines that now that I think I understand them would never want to give up. Predestination, Election, Eternal Security, they are very true! Pastor ________ is still a good man though, and closer to God than I shall ever be. I used to hold to certain doctrines for wrong reasons. I hope it is not so any longer.
Evening service Pastor ________ on 1 Corinthians 13 on love, "great sermon". I needed to hear it. I have so little love for others and for God. I want to change. God will help me to change. I don't want to play a game.
Lord, love me! Help me not to do evil in your sight. I need you. I am nothing.
Praise God for great men like John Bunyan and C.H. Spurgeon. Both of their writings have helped me a lot.
I know God is real and Christ is real. I wish I could live just one week without any doubts! Maybe someday I shall. What a great day that would be. I hope I live to see it. I think I may.
God does answer prayer. I love my dad, God bless him. He is a good and kind father. I am lucky to have him.
Jesus is very good! I hope I love him.
Please help me Jesus!
Today I start my diary. For myself only, I hope. Jesus, please forgive me if I'm wrong in this. I know my thoughts are evil, my heart is very wicked; have mercy on me, Lord, I need you! I hope I love you. Please let me love you, it is a wonderful privilege. I don't feel right in making this diary, because I feel in my heart that my motives are wrong. But I can still do it for myself, to reread sometimes. If it's really wrong, if God hates it, I'll stop soon!!!
But I am saved. If I trust in Jesus he won't let me down! If I fall he will pick me up.
I am afraid of dying! I hope Jesus keeps me alive on this earth a little longer.
I don't want to doubt. I know God loves me, I wish I could feel more excited I feel so dead inside. But God has been good to me, it is amazing all the wonderful things he's done!!! I mean that with my heart. When I have been sick God has always healed me. I can say (I don't lie!) I have seen Him perform great miracles in my life.
Don't feel good right now, sick in body. I need to be baptized to confess Jesus before others.
"If ye will not confess me before men, neither will I confess you before my Father in Heaven."
I must tell Dad tomorrow that I want to be baptized. I should not be afraid. I am a horrible coward. But when it comes to Jesus, my wonderful, lovely, kind, caring, patient, forgiving savior, I must not be a coward, not after what he did for me.
I must believe Jesus no matter what happens. If I die before tomorrow I trust that God will be with me. I need help, only God can help me.
Please forgive Lord!
Went to ______ today. Pastor ________ in the morning on Unity of the Spirit and Faith. He was right. I judge where I have no right to judge, considering what I am. However, there are some doctrines that now that I think I understand them would never want to give up. Predestination, Election, Eternal Security, they are very true! Pastor ________ is still a good man though, and closer to God than I shall ever be. I used to hold to certain doctrines for wrong reasons. I hope it is not so any longer.
Evening service Pastor ________ on 1 Corinthians 13 on love, "great sermon". I needed to hear it. I have so little love for others and for God. I want to change. God will help me to change. I don't want to play a game.
Lord, love me! Help me not to do evil in your sight. I need you. I am nothing.
Praise God for great men like John Bunyan and C.H. Spurgeon. Both of their writings have helped me a lot.
I know God is real and Christ is real. I wish I could live just one week without any doubts! Maybe someday I shall. What a great day that would be. I hope I live to see it. I think I may.
God does answer prayer. I love my dad, God bless him. He is a good and kind father. I am lucky to have him.
Jesus is very good! I hope I love him.
Please help me Jesus!
Warmonger McCain
2008 Neocon Party presidential nominee John McCain wants the US to attack Syria.
US senator talks about military option in Syria
Cop Harasses Ron Paul Supporters
One of Bret "Ginx" Alan's friends (I think he would probably suck this cop's cock and kiss his ass) behaves like the statist bully he is (hey, he's a cop; his job is to be a piece of statist shit).
CopBlock.org
There you have it, more proof that the police aren’t concerned with protecting you. This officer says, “I don’t have to be nice to you. That’s not in my job description.” He even states that he can tell you what to do and doesn’t care if you appreciate it or not. The men in the video did a great job of standing their ground against this jackboot thug.
If you’d like to remind the Exton, PA police that filming public officials is NOT A CRIME feel free to call them.
Stephen J. Meacham -Chief of Police
chiefpd@westwhiteland.org
Police, Non-Emergency - 610-363-0200
Anarchast - With Doug Casey of Casey Research
In this episode with Doug Casey of CaseyResearch.com
Topics include:
The traditions of anarchism and economics
How Doug started out with anarchism
Treasurehunting
Why most libertarians are poor as church mice
If the empending bankruptcy of the US government is a good thing
Doug and the internet
Doug on Ron Paul
The growth of anarchism
Anarchast
Topics include:
The traditions of anarchism and economics
How Doug started out with anarchism
Treasurehunting
Why most libertarians are poor as church mice
If the empending bankruptcy of the US government is a good thing
Doug and the internet
Doug on Ron Paul
The growth of anarchism
OWS First Salvo In US Class War
There's a class war brewing in the United States. That's the stark warning from the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement which is into its fifth week - and shows no sign of giving up.
A Law That Can’t Be Enforced Is As Good As No Law At All
It’s no secret the Obama administration has a close relationship with the big media companies when it comes to making “intellectual property” policy.
In 2010 Joe Biden — formerly Senator from MBNA, now Vice President from Disney — hosted a “Piracy Summit” consisting entirely of content industry representatives, where he stated that “stealing” content was no different from a “smash-and-grab at Tiffany’s.”
Shortly thereafter, a special Homeland Security IP task force raided and shut down a series of movie sites accused of copyright infringement — and announced the shutdowns from Disney headquarters! The guy in charge of the raids said IP enforcement would be a top priority of Homeland Security. So Congress granted federal law enforcement powers for supposedly “fighting terrorism,” comparable to those granted Hitler after the Reichstag fire — and they’re now being used to protect Disney from download sites.
You might be forgiven, after all this, for thinking Biden & Co. don’t even bother concealing the extent of their collusion. As Bart Simpson said of a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle with Waldo standing in plain sight, “Man, he ain’t even tryin’ any more.” Still, you would be wrong. The Big Content stooges in the U.S. government get seriously bent out of shape when their token efforts at neutrality are exposed as a charade.
Christopher Soghoian, under a Freedom of Information Act request, obtained emails from IP Czar Victoria Espinel’s office documenting her role in the recent “Six Strikes” agreement between ISPs and the content industries. After a long negotiation process, broadband ISPs — among them AT&T, Comcast and Verizon — negotiated a “six strikes” policy against file downloaders in agreement with RIAA and MPAA (the record and movie industry trade associations). That’s right: The same media conglomerates that rolled over and showed their belly to FBI warrantless wiretaps are now rolling over when Big Content wants to kick people off the Internet without due process of law.
As it turns out, Espinel was working closely — very closely — with Hollywood and the record companies, doing her best to see they got what they wanted out of these negotiations. Espinel and the Big Content lobbyists were quite chummy, emailing constantly back and forth on details of the negotiations. Of course Espinel, embarrassed by the revelations, said she was “just doing her job,” and had brought together a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups.
Well, not quite. Toward the end of the negotiations, even Espinel noticed how bad her almost exclusive hobnobbing with the digital content industries would look. She emailed the chief of the RIAA recommending the Center for Democracy and Technology — a digital rights group — get some advance warning before the “big rollout” so the backroom deal wouldn’t seem like quite such a betrayal.
Far from the “voluntary agreement between private entities” it’s made out to be, this was a clear case of the U.S. government acting on behalf of the RIAA and MPAA to bully “voluntary” concessions out of the ISPs.
This is all just more evidence, as if we needed any, that the traditional goo-goo strategy of respecting and obeying the laws while we try to change them, of “getting a seat at the table” and “participating in the process,” is a fool’s game. As Charles Johnson has argued:
“If you put all your hope for social change in legal reform … then … you will find yourself outmaneuvered at every turn by those who have the deepest pockets and the best media access and the tightest connections. There is no hope for turning this system against them; because, after all, the system was made for them and the system was made by them. Reformist political campaigns inevitably turn out to suck a lot of time and money into the politics — with just about none of the reform coming out on the other end.”
Far greater success can be achieved, at a tiny fraction of the cost, by “bypassing those laws and making them irrelevant to your life.”
Both U.S. strategic bombing campaigns and Al Qaeda sabotage campaigns have demonstrated that, for a very tiny fraction of the total cost of taking out an entire physical infrastructure, one can incapacitate the whole thing by simply targeting a few key nodes. Likewise, for a thousandth the cost of using the political process to secure control of the state apparatus, we can simply incapacitate it by destroying its weak point: Its enforcement capability.
A law that can’t be enforced is as good as no law at all.
-by Kevin Carson at Center for a Stateless Society republished under Creative Commons
In 2010 Joe Biden — formerly Senator from MBNA, now Vice President from Disney — hosted a “Piracy Summit” consisting entirely of content industry representatives, where he stated that “stealing” content was no different from a “smash-and-grab at Tiffany’s.”
Shortly thereafter, a special Homeland Security IP task force raided and shut down a series of movie sites accused of copyright infringement — and announced the shutdowns from Disney headquarters! The guy in charge of the raids said IP enforcement would be a top priority of Homeland Security. So Congress granted federal law enforcement powers for supposedly “fighting terrorism,” comparable to those granted Hitler after the Reichstag fire — and they’re now being used to protect Disney from download sites.
You might be forgiven, after all this, for thinking Biden & Co. don’t even bother concealing the extent of their collusion. As Bart Simpson said of a “Where’s Waldo” puzzle with Waldo standing in plain sight, “Man, he ain’t even tryin’ any more.” Still, you would be wrong. The Big Content stooges in the U.S. government get seriously bent out of shape when their token efforts at neutrality are exposed as a charade.
Christopher Soghoian, under a Freedom of Information Act request, obtained emails from IP Czar Victoria Espinel’s office documenting her role in the recent “Six Strikes” agreement between ISPs and the content industries. After a long negotiation process, broadband ISPs — among them AT&T, Comcast and Verizon — negotiated a “six strikes” policy against file downloaders in agreement with RIAA and MPAA (the record and movie industry trade associations). That’s right: The same media conglomerates that rolled over and showed their belly to FBI warrantless wiretaps are now rolling over when Big Content wants to kick people off the Internet without due process of law.
As it turns out, Espinel was working closely — very closely — with Hollywood and the record companies, doing her best to see they got what they wanted out of these negotiations. Espinel and the Big Content lobbyists were quite chummy, emailing constantly back and forth on details of the negotiations. Of course Espinel, embarrassed by the revelations, said she was “just doing her job,” and had brought together a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups.
Well, not quite. Toward the end of the negotiations, even Espinel noticed how bad her almost exclusive hobnobbing with the digital content industries would look. She emailed the chief of the RIAA recommending the Center for Democracy and Technology — a digital rights group — get some advance warning before the “big rollout” so the backroom deal wouldn’t seem like quite such a betrayal.
Far from the “voluntary agreement between private entities” it’s made out to be, this was a clear case of the U.S. government acting on behalf of the RIAA and MPAA to bully “voluntary” concessions out of the ISPs.
This is all just more evidence, as if we needed any, that the traditional goo-goo strategy of respecting and obeying the laws while we try to change them, of “getting a seat at the table” and “participating in the process,” is a fool’s game. As Charles Johnson has argued:
“If you put all your hope for social change in legal reform … then … you will find yourself outmaneuvered at every turn by those who have the deepest pockets and the best media access and the tightest connections. There is no hope for turning this system against them; because, after all, the system was made for them and the system was made by them. Reformist political campaigns inevitably turn out to suck a lot of time and money into the politics — with just about none of the reform coming out on the other end.”
Far greater success can be achieved, at a tiny fraction of the cost, by “bypassing those laws and making them irrelevant to your life.”
Both U.S. strategic bombing campaigns and Al Qaeda sabotage campaigns have demonstrated that, for a very tiny fraction of the total cost of taking out an entire physical infrastructure, one can incapacitate the whole thing by simply targeting a few key nodes. Likewise, for a thousandth the cost of using the political process to secure control of the state apparatus, we can simply incapacitate it by destroying its weak point: Its enforcement capability.
A law that can’t be enforced is as good as no law at all.
-by Kevin Carson at Center for a Stateless Society republished under Creative Commons
"When unjust laws are popular … only disobedience can change them"
Judge Andrew Napolitano interviewed by The Daily Caller
Explain why it is an individual’s right to disobey unjust laws. Should they be prepared to face the consequences?
When unjust laws are popular, like Jim Crow laws were in the South in the 1950s, only disobedience can change them. With disobedience can come horrific consequences, like the victims of Bull Connor or the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., or liberation, like later generations of blacks enjoyed because of their forebears’ disobedience.
What have been the most egregious infringements on freedom in recent years?
The destruction of Fourth Amendment rights via the national security state and the so-called war on drugs.
Explain why it is an individual’s right to disobey unjust laws. Should they be prepared to face the consequences?
When unjust laws are popular, like Jim Crow laws were in the South in the 1950s, only disobedience can change them. With disobedience can come horrific consequences, like the victims of Bull Connor or the murder of Martin Luther King Jr., or liberation, like later generations of blacks enjoyed because of their forebears’ disobedience.
What have been the most egregious infringements on freedom in recent years?
The destruction of Fourth Amendment rights via the national security state and the so-called war on drugs.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
What if the Government Controlled You?
The Judge asks what a government that sought to control and manipulate us might look like.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Lovecraft Friday
Back by popular demand (you can stop e-mailing me now Everett!) here is another Lovecraft Friday video:
The Book Was Better…except it wasn’t a book.
The Folly of the Federal Reserve
A government regulated and centrally planned economy has never produced personal prosperity or enhanced human freedom at any time in history. So why do we have one in America?
"These People Are Anarchists! Just Trying To Stir Up Trouble!"
Statist, pro big government, Fox News hates rebellion against the rigged "capitalist" system. How dare the commoners "stir up trouble"! Shut up and be a sheeple, people!
Harold Camping Is Back and Today is The End of the World (or is it?)
He has an audio message up at FamilyRadio.com (he has not returned to regular radio broadcasts on Family Radio's approximately 65 stations) where he states that October 21 is probably the end, which means of course that he can't get even his deluded mind to believe the nonsense he's been teaching for years. He's out of the hospital and back home, saying his recovery from a stroke still has a long way to go (which is a strange thing to say if you're going to be getting your glorified, eternal, perfect body within hours).
It's Time To Abolish the Criminal FBI
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) just released a massive trove of FBI documents indicating that anti-Muslim training materials have spread pretty far and wide within the bureau over the past several years and that analysts have been targeting areas based on racial and ethnic demographics.
It’s all part of the ACLU’s new “Mapping the FBI” initiative, which “aims to expose misconduct and abuse of authority by the bureau.”-Documents Show FBI Targeted Communities Based On Race, Ethnicity
Hammer Search Engine Time!
“MC Hammer has launched his own internet search engine WireDoo, with the slogan, 'search once and see what's related,' … at this week's Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco.”
An Army of Ignorance (Become A Pawn of The U.S. Empire)
Driving home from work yesterday, there were two military vehicles on the freeway, heading for the base nearby. Suddenly, the asshole murderer-for-hire behind the wheel of one of the trucks starts trying to force his way into my lane, literally almost crashing into my car (currently I'm driving a big Dodge, since I'm now getting to like large sedans and no one else seems to make the really big ones anymore except Chrysler). I honked and gave the tax-eating bastard the finger.
What I really need to do is paint a big sign on the rear of my car that says "FUCK THE TROOPS!". Can you imagine the reactions I'd get from the ignorant majority of military-worshiping sheeple?
Ads Worth Spreading ?
TED has/had a competition...
TED Initiatives » Ads Worth Spreading
With this competition, we're seeking to reverse the trend of online ads being aggressively forced on users. We want to nurture ads so good you choose to watch.
The World’s Smallest Stop-motion Character Animation
With this competition, we're seeking to reverse the trend of online ads being aggressively forced on users. We want to nurture ads so good you choose to watch.
We love how this ad brings showcase and entertainment together, demonstrating a new smartphone's imaging capabilities through a magical, microscopic animation. (Fun fact: this ad holds a Guinness World Record as the smallest stop-motion animated film.)-The World’s Smallest Stop-motion Character Animatio
Michael Moore at Liberty Plaza: "We're Not Going Anywhere!"
"I'm gonna go talk to Keith Olbermann now because it's been my job since the beginning to get the mainstream media to cover this event -- this uprising, this rebellion for the people. And I am honored to be just one citizen amongst many. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of this with me. I'm so happy to be part of this with you. We're all equals here. Let's keep our voices strong. Let's not ever give up. This struggle may be long. We're not going anywhere!" -- Michael Moore at Occupy Wall Street, Thursday, October 20th, 2011
Earth Battery
n 1882 a Kentucky farmer named Nathan Stubblefield made his first known radio transmission, using a special earth cell, a microphone, and a loop antenna. He patented his Earth Battery in 1898 Patent No. 600457.
The Cell consists of : Two wooden spacers that are 3/4" thick, and about 4 inches in diameter. A 1 foot long 1/2" thick bolt. A set of 1/2" nuts and washers. And a 9 1/2 inch PVC pipe with a 1/2 inch ID (Inner Diameter). The wires are both 12 gauge (12 AWG) and are solid. This makes them a bit harder to get wrapped around, but when they are on, the memory of the wire holds it in place better than braided wire. The coil lengths are 590 feet for the copper wire, and the steel wire is 250 feet per coil. The steel wire contains carbon (Not Stainless), and is bare. While the copper wire is insulated and a bit thicker than the bare iron wire.
Stubblefield Website
The Cell consists of : Two wooden spacers that are 3/4" thick, and about 4 inches in diameter. A 1 foot long 1/2" thick bolt. A set of 1/2" nuts and washers. And a 9 1/2 inch PVC pipe with a 1/2 inch ID (Inner Diameter). The wires are both 12 gauge (12 AWG) and are solid. This makes them a bit harder to get wrapped around, but when they are on, the memory of the wire holds it in place better than braided wire. The coil lengths are 590 feet for the copper wire, and the steel wire is 250 feet per coil. The steel wire contains carbon (Not Stainless), and is bare. While the copper wire is insulated and a bit thicker than the bare iron wire.
Stubblefield Website
The History of the Typewriter
“The History of the Typewriter recited by Michael Winslow” is a 21 minutes long film made by Ignacio Uriarte.
I won't go into detail on my own personal history with the typewriter. I'd always written my masterpieces longhand, then bought, first, an old second hand manual typewriter and began composing some short fiction on it. Soon I had an electric typewriter. I started churning out fiction that I actually sent to magazines for consideration (and soon amassed a wall of rejection slips). Before I could get very far into my major novel, the age of computers was upon us. I don't even know what happened to my typewriters.
History of the typewriter recited by Michael Winslow from SansGil—Gil Cocker on Vimeo.
I won't go into detail on my own personal history with the typewriter. I'd always written my masterpieces longhand, then bought, first, an old second hand manual typewriter and began composing some short fiction on it. Soon I had an electric typewriter. I started churning out fiction that I actually sent to magazines for consideration (and soon amassed a wall of rejection slips). Before I could get very far into my major novel, the age of computers was upon us. I don't even know what happened to my typewriters.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Max Keiser: Greece Economic Crisis, Sinister Plot
People in Greece are right to revolt against the banking system which is committing massive fraud in the country, an economic critic tells Press TV.
David Corn's 999plan.com
He offered to sell the domain name to Herman Cain, but received no response from Mr. Federal Reserve Pizza Man.
www.999plan.com
Well, since Cain thinks if you're not rich or you're without a job, it's your fault, no wonder his pro big government plan helps out those worthy wealthy and takes even more from the undeserving non-rich earning a disgraceful working class income. But hey, don't get mad at Herman "Big Government" Cain. He's only trying to help you by pushing you to become rich so you'll pay less in taxes. Don't you get it? Herman Cain wants you to be rich (and it's easy, anyone can do it; after all, if you're not rich, you have no one to blame but yourself)!
The Tax Policy Center has done yet another analysis of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan, and guess what? Unless you're really rich, your taxes will go up! If you earn, say, $50,000 per year, you currently pay about 14.3% of your income in federal taxes. Under Cain's plan, you'll pay 23.8%. Whee! And if you make the big bucks? Well, millionaires currently pay about 32.9% of their income in federal taxes. Under Cain's plan, they'll pay 17.9%. Ka-ching!
Well, since Cain thinks if you're not rich or you're without a job, it's your fault, no wonder his pro big government plan helps out those worthy wealthy and takes even more from the undeserving non-rich earning a disgraceful working class income. But hey, don't get mad at Herman "Big Government" Cain. He's only trying to help you by pushing you to become rich so you'll pay less in taxes. Don't you get it? Herman Cain wants you to be rich (and it's easy, anyone can do it; after all, if you're not rich, you have no one to blame but yourself)!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
"US Bankers Stole Billions"
After nearly one month of "Occupy Wall Street" protests the campaign against corporate greed, social inequality and the banking industry has gone global.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
On the Ron Paul Blackout
So far, there has been a massive media blackout of Ron Paul during this election cycle. When I say blackout, I mean that nobody is talking about him or even mentioning him and usually when they do, it is along the lines about how he cannot win. Yet when his supporters point this out, they are often met with criticism about how they a bunch of spammers or that they are wrong. Well, two images have appeared within the last week that prove differently:
All the debates have been controlled by some media outlet or another. They are directed and moderated by the media and none of the candidates who are invited are given a fair shake. Also, this one just came out today:
Notice how Sarah Palin, who cannot win because she is not running, got more coverage than Ron Paul?
Now, all of this would be justified if Ron Paul was doing poorly overall. If he was consistently getting 2% of the votes in the polls across the country, then maybe I could see a justification for such lackluster coverage. Unfortunately, this is not the case as Ron Paul won the CPAC straw polls in 2010 and 2011, came in close second at the Ames Straw poll without having to buy any votes for a free country concert, won the California straw poll, and won the Values Voters straw poll. He has also come in third in many of the various polls taken from the more credible sources.
In the long run, Ron Paul does not matter all that much. But he is the only one who stands out from all the rest. The rest of the candidates seem to be offering the same solutions, even Herman Cain’s unique tax restructuring is merely something that has already been recommended by some in Congress in one form or another. None of them seem to be citing the Constitution when they articulate their policy plans and none of them have stated that they will decrease spending. Many just seem to want government to work better, not leaner.
The news media has long been biased for Statists and against liberty. I do not know why exactly, although if we were to go through the history of modern journalism I am sure the answers would become apparent, but that fact remains that they will always promote the most Statist candidate they can find.
Ron Paul, while not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, at least offers a golden path back to our constitutional roots as a nation. And while it may already be too late to save this nation from the coming collapse of our civilization, as long as it has not happened, it is worth a try. A Ron Paul presidency means our nation will in the right direction on all fronts while any other candidate, including the current President, means more business as usual.
The Media Blackout of Ron Paul
Of course the state-run media doesn't want to cover the only candidate that would bring real change to Washington. The statist shills that laughably call themselves "journalists" are instead quite happy giving coverage to the same old tired "conservative" and "liberal" candidates and playing the Republican/Democrat musical chairs game that keeps the status quo of welfare and warfare going, no matter which party sits down in the chairs of power when the political music stops, unless, God forbid, Ron Paul were to win and upset the apple cart and actually shrink the size of their master the almighty state! The statist "mainstream" media will do all in their failing, collapsing power to stop that from happening.
That's why they must promote the Herman Cains and the Mitt Romneys, who will, if elected to replace Obama, shuffle the chairs on deck but otherwise continue to preside over the sinking ship of government as if the state's days were not numbered.
Ron Paul Media Blackout Confirmed
That's why they must promote the Herman Cains and the Mitt Romneys, who will, if elected to replace Obama, shuffle the chairs on deck but otherwise continue to preside over the sinking ship of government as if the state's days were not numbered.
Tom Woods Interviews Judge Napolitano
Judge Andrew Napolitano, host of Fox Business's Freedom Watch, on his new book, It Is Dangerous to Be Right When the Government Is Wrong: The Case for Personal Freedom.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dr. Cornel West Arrested!
Dr. Cornel West, a well-known author and activist who has recently lent his support to the Occupy Wall Street movement, was one of nineteen people arrested on Sunday while protesting against corporate influence in politics on the steps of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC....Dr. West was holding a sign that said ‘Poverty is the Greatest Violence of All.’ He was arrested because holding political signs on the Supreme Court steps is illegal.-Cornel West arrested protesting at Supreme Court
Sunday Animals
New Sunday feature! You know you love animals (one way or another)!
Which animal is the most successful predator? Could it be, Mr. Fox? Now, I happen to like Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox the best of all foxes! He's a true anarchist socialist (or so it appears to me), and an action oriented anti-capitalist!
As for your more ordinary foxes, the red fox is the most ubiquitous, making its home everywhere in the world (continent wise) but Antarctica and South America. Foxes have always been hated by humans, but I say, you gotta love their spunk (and no, sicko, I don't mean anything nasty and disgusting)!
Which animal is the most successful predator? Could it be, Mr. Fox? Now, I happen to like Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox the best of all foxes! He's a true anarchist socialist (or so it appears to me), and an action oriented anti-capitalist!
As for your more ordinary foxes, the red fox is the most ubiquitous, making its home everywhere in the world (continent wise) but Antarctica and South America. Foxes have always been hated by humans, but I say, you gotta love their spunk (and no, sicko, I don't mean anything nasty and disgusting)!
Stefan Molyneux: Things I Admire About Christianity - and Steve Jobs!
Some of the good stuff I got from being raised as a Christian, and the criminality of Steve Jobs.
Thomas E. Woods, Jr.: Learn Austrian Economics
The past several years have seen a revival of interest in the Austrian School of economics. (Go to the link to find links to essays and books on the topic - Learn Austrian Economics)
Aging Pope Uses Wheeled Platform
For the first time, Pope Benedict XVI, 84, is using a wheeled platform to move up the long aisle of St. Peter's.
Occupy Assange: "Corrupt Banks, Corrupt Cash"
The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, attended the protests in London that are part of a worldwide action against corporate greed and austerity measures. Assange said that he was there to show his solidarity with the Occupy London movement, which was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protests in the US.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Occupy Wall Street Going Global
Occupy Wall Street may have started small, but now it spans the globe.
Car Companies Pedaling Bicycles
I haven't been on a bike since that time I lost control and ran into an old lady carrying grocers (yes, grocers; she was one super strong and love-hungry old woman) home from the store (but that's a story for another time).
"Bikes are on the rise in people’s daily lives as they become more conscious of the environment, and that includes car companies,” says Andrew Bernstein, gear editor at Bicycling magazine, who notes that the range of auto-bike product is broad, from fully outsourced machines to bicycles that are produced with the input of in-house designers and engineers.-10 Bicycles Made by Car Companies
Justice
Ajahn Brahm talks about Buddhist understanding of justice; how it challenges conventional thinking about justice.
Dear Mr. Skeptical (episode 17)
Dear Mr. Skeptical
When are you going to take it to the next level?
signed,
Level-Headed African-American Gamer and Inventor of The Genius Machine of the Future
Dear Headed to Nowhere,
Hey game boy, where do you get your questions?
To answer, however, I must prepare myself.....there, ready, with my hand on my joystick!
Of course, taking it to the "next level" isn't always easy. First you have to slay the dragon, and there's a mean one in the game I'm playing. Then, even after that, you have to have gay sex with an elf to overcome your homophobia (and your elfophobia). Well, no way Jose! I'm not having sex with no Mexican elf, or any other elf for that matter!
So, to answer your question, I WILL NOT be taking it to the next level!
Dear Skeptic,
why was there no meat on Friday and why did it change?
Signed,
Fish Hater
Dear Fish,
Well, it all goes back to some confusion over Friday, which was interpreted to mean "Fry Day", as in fried fish. Thus, meat was banned and everyone went to all-you-can-eat fish fries every Friday night. Then , some Dope (or was it Pope?) decided fried food was bad for you and red meat made you strong to resist temptation, like having sex with elves, so the rule was rescinded and Friday became a happy meal day again, where a real man could eat a rare steak after a hard week of labor.
Dear Mr. Skeptical,
Do you take long showers?
signed
The Bather
Dear Nudist,
I got out of the shower stealing business a long (no pun intended) time ago. Now, I focus on bathtubs (big, fat, William Howard Taft sized tubs).
By the way, do you know why they're called "tubs"? Because they were made for tubby people (and with America now full of fatsos, the illicit bathtub trade just seems to make more economic sense).
Friday, October 14, 2011
Unhappy Nation: Americans Distrust Corporatocracy
Public distrust towards the U.S. government's also growing, according to the latest polls. More than two thirds of Americans now say they're unhappy with Washington. And as RT's Gayane Chichakyan reports, the White House and Congress are heavily influenced by equally unpopular powerful corporations.
Made In The Homeland of the Imperial Fascist Empire
I don't really care where the stuff I buy is made, just save me some money!
Some people, though, think "Made in USA" is a meaningful mantra...
Fuck Yeah Made in USA
Some people, though, think "Made in USA" is a meaningful mantra...
Revolution here to stay! Immortal Technique full OWS interview
The young revolutionary movement Occupy Wall Street needs to be pushed forward to evolve into a working force that can influence US domestic affairs, believes Immortal Technique, a hip-hop star who has backed the group from the start. As the demonstrations against the Wall Street corporations enter their fourth week in New York, elsewhere they have grown into a nationwide protest with 45 states and nearly 200 cities now involved in the rally. "The recent movement is the biggest expression of democracy in the past few decades here in America," states Immortal Technique, who has become one of the spokespersons for the movement.
Herman Cain vs. Ron Paul On Predicting The Economic Collapse
via LRC Blog: If President, Cain Says He Will Pick Austrian Economists for Advisors - Kidding!
Given the recent economic turmoil erupting in America, more and more citizens are rallying for a regular audit of the Fed – a statistic Ron Paul says is evident in more than three-fifths of America. As a result, Congressman Paul pinned a question regarding the central bank on pizzaman Herman Cain, a former bigwig with the Kansas City Fed.-Ron Paul Challenges Cain Over Fed
MAINSTREAM MEDIA
We the people demand an end to your lies and refusal to admit Ron Paul is a 2012 GOP Frontrunner. On October 19th, 2011, tens of thousands of Americans shall stand together to send you a very clear message. We stand as one with Ron Paul and his mission to change the course of history. This noble struggle is one we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained.-BlackThisOut.com
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Obama In The Pocket of Big Pharma
Federal prosecutors in the Obama Administration are planning on going after medical marijuana dispensaries. How are pharmaceutical companies involved? Cenk Uygur and Misty Kingma discuss on The Young Turks.
Just as the federal government is clamping down on medical marijuana dispensaries, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) may be set to give Big Pharma the clearance to take over the market.
In 2007, GW Pharmaceuticals announced that it partnered with Otsuka to bring “Sativex” — or liquefied marijuana — to the U.S. The companies recently completed Phase II efficacy and safety trials testing and began discussion with the FDA for Phase III testing. Phase III is generally thought to be the final step before the drug can be marketed in the U.S.-Big Pharma set to take over medical marijuana market
Freedom 102: Life Without Violence!
Stefan Molyneux, host of Freedomain Radio, interviewed by Ben Lowrey. Topics include: why we should not do what other people tell us to, why gods and governments fail at morality, what the world will look like 50 years from now, how the minority controls the majority, the corruption of corporations and the hope of youth.
Anger-Eating Demons
Ajahn Brahm talks about the fault-finding mind; how people are not 'wrong', but different.
Fritter Folly
Is there something diabolical about fritters? What is their strange power over otherwise rational donut avoiders? My dad used to be Mr. Health Nut, eating large salads and steamed vegetables by the plateful for dinner. Then, in his golden years, he became fond of things like donuts (old fashioneds are his favorite) and especially apple fritters. Even when he made his pledge to give up the fried dough rings, he still couldn't resist a fritter.
There's a low-carb trend around the office (though not officially; the "foods" most commonly brought in for all to share in are donuts and bagels and pizza) and people are doing things like eating plain chicken with a pile of lettuce on the side for lunch. So, when one of the most recent donut boxes arrived, someone "avoiding" the bad stuff succumbed to a fritter, stating "Well, I thought, hey, it's got apple in it, it can't be all bad, at least I'm getting some fruit."
Oh yeah, keep telling yourself that, Fritter Fattie!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Economic Freedom in America Today
For years the United States has been a world leader in economic freedom. But runaway government spending and burdensome regulations have caused a decline in economic freedom in the United States. If our economic freedom continues to fall, how will it affect our quality of life?
US Jobless Epidemic Masked By Government Statistical Shenanigans
I was listening to a morning talk radio "conservative" (a typical neocon liar) the other day on the way to work and someone called about the unemployment rate. This so-called radio host is supposed to hate Obama, but he replied, "Yeah, we have 91% employment, how terrible." Obviously the fool (or outright liar for the state) doesn't think there is any problem with the Fed's phony jobs numbers. Or may be he just agrees with warmongering, bankster apologist Herman Cain, who said "Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself." - Herman Cain to Occupy Wall Street protesters: If you're not rich 'blame yourself'
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Employers (R) vs. Employees (D)
One of the primary differences between Republicans and Democrats is how they view economic production. While this difference is quickly dwindling, it is certainly distinctive in that the Republicans tend to favor employers while Democrats seem more concerned with employees. Unfortunately, neither of them really do realize that they should not be concerned with either if we are going to see our economy truly grow again.
On the Republican side, you see a tendency to support, without any apparent insight, the leaders in the private sector. The business owners who ideally work hard at their business in order to produce a better product for you and me. Granted, this is certainly something to be admired because being a business owner is a lot of work with very little to show for it in the end. Sure we hear about the multimillionaires who have all these wonderful things, but the truth is most business owners barely scratch by as they have to pay their employees and take very little away with them.
Unfortunately, not all business owners are created equal. Adam Smith never had good things to say about business owners, mostly because they tend to use whatever means are necessary to get rid of competition. This includes employing the use of government force. On a small scale, you might have an association of hairdressers whose purpose is to regulate hairdressing standards within a city. But usually the members of that group are existing hairdressers who own their own businesses and usually enforce regulations to get rid of others. Less competition means less work for business owners.
When Herman Cain, thoroughly black Republican candidate for President, criticized the Occupy Wall Street movement for their misguided targets, I was inclined to agree with some of what he said, however he was mistaken in his assumption that Wall Street was a free market. If anything, it is corporatism at its finest with a small group of traders who hold sway over the rest of us peons and backed by the force of government regulations and laws.
If any Republican in the debate tonight calls for the repeal of all labor regulations and industry regulations in general, then they are true free market Republicans. Otherwise, they will have exposed themselves as nothing more than corporatist shills who, intentionally or not, distort it with true capitalism.
The Democrats seem more concerned with the workers and often draft legislation supporting such things. But the worker is more often than not victimized by the very legislation that is passed by Congress. It is no coincidence that following the passage of the minimum wage increase that teenage workers went on a decline and were instead replaced by immigrants who don’t know what I’m talking about when I order combo #3 in plain English. This is because the minimum wage lowers the number of workers an employer can hire. So while making businesses pay more for labor (which is unconstitutional), they only ended up bringing us closer and closer to a labor market like France.
The fact is, people will not work for peanuts unless they desire only peanuts. While Democrats like to think they are helping the working man, they tend to only help the union leaders (not the unions themselves) and the employers they are seeking to “punish” for some perceived injustice.
Even worse, both parties assume that government intervention of some kind will fix economic downturns. For the Democrats, it is these make-work projects, which do nothing but teach unskilled people ditch-digging skills which a five-year-old could figure out on his own. The Republicans tend to support corporate lobbies and central banking, which only means the government will choose winners and losers and most of the people who do pick have ties to the companies they are favoring (think Henry “Hack” Paulson and TARP). Sadly, in both cases the government deficit increases and so the national debt gets larger and national default gets closer.
Ultimately, it is not a particular group of laborers who should be favored, but the individual. And since individuals tend to be snowflakes, desiring different things, the best thing the government can do for the individual is not tax breaks or labor regulations but to simply step aside and let things be.
Unfortunately the collective pride of the government men (both in and out of government) refuses to even entertain the idea of doing nothing. And so we will probably face a decade of nasty decline and mounting debt as a a result.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Tom Woods and Stefan Molyneux Take On Wall Street!
Famous libertarian author Tom Woods discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the Occupy Wall Street movement on Freedomain Radio. Topics include the growth of fascism, financial deregulation, the Federal Reserve, the evils of fiat currency, and the path to genuine peace and justice.
Tom Woods
Tom Woods
Farm workers in the Philippines continue to fight for their share of land
Farm workers in the Philippines continue to fight for their share of land from the agricultural estate owned by the Philippine president's family, the country's second-largest private estate.
Land reform was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III's mother when she was president in 1987, entitling farmers to one hectare each of the 6,000 hectares estate.
However none of the land has yet been turned over.
Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from the capital, Manila.
Land reform was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III's mother when she was president in 1987, entitling farmers to one hectare each of the 6,000 hectares estate.
However none of the land has yet been turned over.
Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from the capital, Manila.
Raiders Owner Al Davis Dies
I became a Raiders fan quite by accident. When I was about 11 or 12, I was given the chance to pick out a NFL jacket. I chose a Raiders one because I liked the silver and black colors. Been an on and off fan ever since. A few years ago I gave away my special miniature Raiders cup. It was tiny and non-functional, strictly decorative. I kept it at my desk at work. When the company later collapsed and we all lost our jobs, I gave it away as a gift to an even bigger Raiders fan than me, though truth be told, she was only a fan because her boyfriend was from Oakland...
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
"Playboy Club" Cancelled After Just Three Episodes
After controversy over its sexy premise -- apparently NBC’s The Playboy Club didn’t have enough sex appeal to win over viewers.
Sucking the Donkey Dick
Wake up Democrats. Learn the political art of truthful repetition to counter the cruelest Republicans who ever crawled up Capitol Hill. You’ve got massive, documented materials to put the Lie to the Republicans.-Ralph Nader
This is bullshit.
There's no evidence that the Dems want things other than as they are going. No evidence at all.
There's no evidence that the Dems are being cowed and intimidated. None at all.
There's no evidence that the Repubs are the only ones responsible for the present drift.
And there's no evidence that Obama wants to do things differently, but is being convinced otherwise by a "lie," or is being intimidated by some awesome force wielded only by Repubs.
Like quite a few other pundits, Ralphie is working the angle to try to help the Dems for the 2012 elections. That's the only possible avenue for him, because he's not stupid enough to believe the Dems are noble but misled, nor that the Repubs are the only bad guys here, nor that Obama has been bullied or deceived.
What Ralphie's suggesting is that Obama and the Dems would do differently if it weren't for those dastardly Repubs.
And unfortunately there's no evidence to support Ralphie's theories.-time to nap, Raul
No More Simpsons?
The future of animated TV comedy "The Simpsons" was up in the air on Tuesday after 20th Century Fox Television said it could no longer afford to produce the show without a huge pay cut for its cast.
Fox Television, a unit of News Corp, issued a tough statement after a report that it had threatened to end the subversive series unless the voice actors take a 45 percent pay cut.-Fox says can't afford more "Simpsons" without cuts
Fox Television, a unit of News Corp, issued a tough statement after a report that it had threatened to end the subversive series unless the voice actors take a 45 percent pay cut.-Fox says can't afford more "Simpsons" without cuts
New Apple iPhone Fails to Wow Fans
Since I've never been a fan of anything Apple, this failure leaves me wondering why Apple fantards ever fell for any of Apple's other overpriced, complete crap "products" and underwhelming "innovations"...
"For many Apple fans, this may rate as the biggest disappointment since Geraldo came up empty after breaking into Al Capone's vault."-Apple unveils iPhone 4S, but no "5" this time
"For many Apple fans, this may rate as the biggest disappointment since Geraldo came up empty after breaking into Al Capone's vault."-Apple unveils iPhone 4S, but no "5" this time
Blogger's Block
I've got it, bad...
Will your comments inspire me to return this blog to its former greatness? Give me your best shot or Nikk may stay silent forever (or just post videos for the remaining life of Skeptical Eye)...
If you do comment (and I'm not expecting much, frankly) I will respond with whatever comes to mind. My posting ideas are there, but I don't have the energy anymore to execute them or infuse then with even a reasonable readability.
Maybe I should just go sloppy and unpolished and say to hell with it. Or write without any thought to logic and coherent argument, like Bret Ginx Alan.
Will your comments inspire me to return this blog to its former greatness? Give me your best shot or Nikk may stay silent forever (or just post videos for the remaining life of Skeptical Eye)...
If you do comment (and I'm not expecting much, frankly) I will respond with whatever comes to mind. My posting ideas are there, but I don't have the energy anymore to execute them or infuse then with even a reasonable readability.
Maybe I should just go sloppy and unpolished and say to hell with it. Or write without any thought to logic and coherent argument, like Bret Ginx Alan.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Olivier Ledoit at Utah Monetary Summit
Olivier Ledoit, a Professor from the University of Zurich, speaks at the Utah Monetary Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Utah Sound Money
Utah Sound Money
Saturday, October 1, 2011
The Real Task Ahead For Freedom Beyond Wall Street
I find myself more disturbed than excited by the general nature of the #OccupyWallStreet protestors. Rather than seeking to remove the pigs, it seems that a good solid majority of them are really asking for the pigs to simply be less… well, pigs. A majority of them certainly seem to want our leaders to become “Robin Hood” pigs… Pigs who will take from the rich animals, and give to the poor animals… all the while ignoring the fact that their dream of a “JOBS for ALL @ Union Wages” society is still run by pigs… Pigs who eat everything.
At the heart of this debate is the question of wealth redistribution vs. wealth creation. In general, I do not hear the protestors demanding that the government get out of our way, remove senseless regulations, lower taxes, cut entitlements, allow for sound money to compete with fiat currencies, reduce the size of the federal government, allow states to manage more of their own affairs, end the military Keynesianism spending, and deconstruct the police state grid (FEMA, TSA, Homeland Security, Patriot Act, etc, etc…). Instead, they want the government to create jobs, “put people over profits” (whatever that means), provide every possible social service under the sun, end child poverty, build schools, provide houses, food, cheap fuel, and a comfortable pension… all while screaming “Shut Down Wall Street!“, as if the financial heart of the entire nation has nothing at all to do with the funding all of the entitlement programs that they believe the pigs should be providing for us, with our own funds.-Occupy Wall Street Does Not Focus On The Pigs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
