tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55123135244533956402024-03-08T07:14:48.945-08:00TheOgrshttp://www.youtube.com/user/TheOgrs
http://theogrs.blogspot.com/Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-80173337577312281242011-03-15T21:03:00.000-07:002011-03-15T22:04:04.383-07:00When you fail you dont win!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Has anyone heard about the hiring situation regarding the Dayton Ohio police dept. I mean come one is this a joke. The Ohio DOJ has told the DPD that they have to hire more African Americans. The trouble is more and more African Americans continue to fail the police entrance test, is this the DPD's falt, No!, so how are they going to hire more African Americans? By dumbing down the test. Instead of having to score a seventy or better, the applicants will only have to make a 58 or better. What! A 58 =F or better, so now we want flunkies to patrol our streets and protect our homes. I for one believe that if someone can barely read and write, perform math formulas and know how to drive, are they really going to know and understand the LAW and CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS of citizens, must less policies and procedures? I think not. This is what is wrong with America today, we want everyone to be a winner and an equal, but the fact is not everyone is a winner and an equal. This just goes to show that common sense has long been lost in politics and al they want is numbers, numbers, numbers. Well I ask you this are you an equal to a nascar driver when you both are on the track? The answer is NO! So why do you think a flunky is the equall to a person who can pass the standard exam to become a cop, because we all are equal and deserve the same right as everyone else. This is Bullshit and I will prove it. I want to be a congressional loggiest, but that is not going to happen, why?, because I dont know jack shit about being a lobbiest. So all you who believe every person is equal when it comes to know how, do the world a favor and slam your big ass head in a car door somewhere off the road so that you dont get in the way with sane thinking individuals.</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-65865731506208044622011-03-07T10:37:00.000-08:002011-03-07T10:37:40.255-08:00TheOgrs view of the Werewolf Myth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Werewolves have been a key part of the human imagination sense the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. It became a world wide phenomenon during the middle-ages with huge reports of werewolves killing thousands of villagers and even a few folks in the cities. Many people were killed because people thought they were werewolves, and many of then did indeed suffer from a mental disorder known as lycanthropy. Lycanthropy is a mental disorder where the person believes they are changing into another animal, sometimes this animal is a wolf. This disorder maybe enough to solve many of the cases, as well as other mental disorders during to the health conditions of the day, but there are many cases that have no human factor other than the victims. We all know the beast of <strong>Gévaudan </strong>was actually a Hyena, possibly a long haired hyena that has sense become extinct. The hyena was proved to be the trained pet of a french man who claimed to have killed it. So with this murderous case solved, that leaves a few thousand more with unknown, or unproven, creatures. Are these the result of the actual werewolves, I think not. We all know that the realm of reality no person can physically transform into another creature. This is an impossibility by far. No creature that has ever inhabited this planet has ever had the ability to transform into another creature. So with the possibility of transformation out of the equation, the human element also removed, what could be the source of all the other killings. I believe that it is a combination of both abnormally large wolves and hairless bears. Many diseases circulated during the middle-ages, including mange. A mangy, diseased bear can and will cause reports of werewolves to flow in from the country side. This could explain the human appearance of the monster. This is what I believe the wolf lacks in the description is the human appearance because the villagers would have been familiar with wolves and bears, and they would have reported a large, rampaging wolf or bear if it was the case. However, if you had ever seen a hairless bear you would describe it as a werewolf because it is such a rare sight that the only explanation would be that it was a werewolf. The mangy and diseased bear would have been in a foul mood and even aggressive enough to go on a rampage, especially if it was hungry. So for lack f time ad space my conclusions are that all the unexplainable sightings, or attacks, that have been attributed t the werewolf is either a hairless bear, or maybe even an abnormally large wolf.</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-41243946960305322262011-03-05T12:07:00.001-08:002011-03-05T12:07:34.521-08:00A new turn of events<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We at TheOgrs are natural born skeptic, skeptical about the government, worlds events and unknown mysteries. We are going to take a side track from world politics which are getting boring at the moment due to the same old techniques that we all now has been over done too many times. The following series of skeptical research, of course done with an open mind just wanting to keep things within the realm of reality, will cover many of the old legends, myths and cryptology that have harbored the imagination for many generations, if not centuries.</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-47389293668118243282011-03-03T10:24:00.000-08:002011-03-03T10:24:48.820-08:00The same old song and dance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Has anyone noticed what is happening again in the world. Just as world economies are barely emerging from the ashes of the global disaster that occurred more than two years ago, it happens again. What happens again you ask, well the soaring gas prices that's what. A few years ago with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that gas prices spiked record highs and the short skirmish between Lebanon and Israel didn't help matters any. As several factors took place around the world the global oil markets boomed, with the sudden interests in driving going on in China and India, the U.S. oil market hit well over $100/brl. With the citizens saving their money and spending it conservatively, many companies started to take a dive. No one was buying the big vehicles that the traditionally bought and the Auto companies took the deepest dive and laid of thousands of workers, along with hundreds of companies nationwide. With the beginning of the layoffs came the real estate bubble burst./ Many of these family were what some call house poor, which means they could afford their house but little more because of the ratio between what they made in income and what they paid out in bills. Just as gas prices caused the first economic collapse of the new century, it is going to kill whatever progress was made sense 2008. Is this just fate, destiny, the ways things are just going to play out, or is there someone or something behind it all. I say follow the money and influence and you will find the ghost in the machine<strike>.</strike></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-20229096372478439832011-02-27T19:33:00.001-08:002011-02-27T19:33:41.431-08:00Lieberman: Report on Army mind tricks `weird'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">One of the U.S. senators allegedly targeted by an Army unit using psychological operations to help get more money and troops for the Afghanistan war says he doesn't believe he's been "brainwashed."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut tells CNN's "State of the Union" that he was supporting money and </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110227/ap_on_re_us/us_pentagon_general_investigated;_ylt=ApfD2IhHXNJM4Ez5oaytqJxH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTNrc2dpb2ozBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI3L3VzX3BlbnRhZ29uX2dlbmVyYWxfaW52ZXN0aWdhdGVkBGNjb2RlA21wX2VjXzhfMTAEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwM1B#" id="KonaLink0" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">troop </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">levels </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">in </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Afghanistan</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> long before the Army unit is reported to have begun its operations.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Rolling Stone's website reported last week that the Army unit was told to manipulate senators and other visiting officials. The story has led the </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110227/ap_on_re_us/us_pentagon_general_investigated;_ylt=ApfD2IhHXNJM4Ez5oaytqJxH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTNrc2dpb2ozBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI3L3VzX3BlbnRhZ29uX2dlbmVyYWxfaW52ZXN0aWdhdGVkBGNjb2RlA21wX2VjXzhfMTAEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwM1B#" id="KonaLink1" style="border-bottom-color: #366388; border-bottom-style: dotted;" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">top </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">U.S. </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">commander </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">in </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Afghanistan</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> to order an investigation.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Lieberman says he doesn't think there's much to the story and calls it "weird."</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-69374000150190605712011-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:29:54.430-08:00Mass. company making diesel with sun, water, CO2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">A Massachusetts biotechnology company says it can produce the fuel that runs Jaguars and jet engines using the same ingredients that make grass grow.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Joule Unlimited has invented a genetically-engineered organism that it says simply secretes diesel fuel or ethanol wherever it finds sunlight, water and </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_re_us/us_growing_fuel#" id="KonaLink0" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">carbon </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">dioxide</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;">.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The Cambridge, Mass.-based company says it can manipulate the organism to produce the renewable fuels on demand at unprecedented rates, and can do it in facilities large and small at costs comparable to the cheapest fossil fuels.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">What can it mean? No less than "energy independence," Joule's web site tells the world, even if the world's not quite convinced.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"We make some lofty claims, all of which we believe, all which we've validated, all of which we've shown to investors," said Joule chief executive Bill Sims.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"If we're half right, this revolutionizes the world's largest industry, which is the oil and gas industry," he said. "And if we're right, there's no reason why this technology can't change the world."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The doing, though, isn't quite done, and there's skepticism Joule can live up to its promises.</span><br />
<a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_re_us/us_growing_fuel#" id="KonaLink1" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">National </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Renewable </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Energy </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Laboratory</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> scientist Philip Pienkos said Joule's technology is exciting but unproven, and their claims of efficiency are undercut by difficulties they could have just collecting the fuel their organism is producing.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Timothy Donohue, director of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says Joule must demonstrate its technology on a broad scale.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Perhaps it can work, but "the four letter word that's the biggest stumbling block is whether it `will' work," Donohue said. "There are really good ideas that fail during scale up."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Sims said he knows "there's always skeptics for breakthrough technologies."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"And they can ride home on their horse and use their abacus to calculate their checkbook balance," he said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Joule was founded in 2007. In the last year, it's roughly doubled its employees to 70, closed a $30 million second round of private funding in April and added John Podesta, former White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, to its board of directors.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The company worked in "stealth mode" for a couple years before it recently began revealing more about what it was doing, including with a patent last year for its production of diesel molecules from its cyanobacterium. This month, it released a peer-reviewed paper it says backs its claims.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Work to create fuel from solar energy has been done for decades, such as by making ethanol from corn or extracting fuel from algae. But Joule says they've eliminated the middleman that's makes producing biofuels on a large scale so costly.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">That middleman is the "biomass," such as the untold tons of corn or algae that must be grown, harvested and destroyed to extract a fuel that still must be treated and refined to be used. Joule says its organisms secrete a completed product, already identical to ethanol and the components of diesel fuel, then live on to keep producing it at remarkable rates.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Joule claims, for instance, that its cyanobacterium can produce 15,000 gallons of diesel full per acre annually, over four times more than the most efficient algal process for making fuel. And they say they can do it at $30 a barrel.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A key for Joule is the cyanobacterium it chose, which is found everywhere and is less complex than algae, so it's easier to genetically manipulate, said biologist Dan Robertson, Joule's top scientist. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The organisms are engineered to take in sunlight and carbon dioxide, then produce and secrete ethanol or hydrocarbons — the basis of various fuels, such as diesel — as a byproduct of photosynthesis. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The company envisions building facilities near power plants and consuming their waste carbon dioxide, so their cyanobacteria can reduce </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_re_us/us_growing_fuel#" id="KonaLink2" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">carbon </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">emissions</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> while they're at it. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The flat, solar-panel style "bioreactors" that house the cyanobacterium are modules, meaning they can build arrays at facilities as large or small as land allows, the company says. The thin, grooved panels are designed for maximum light absorption, and also so Joule can efficiently collect the fuel the bacteria secrete. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Recovering the fuel is where Joule could find significant problems, said Pienkos, the NREL scientist, who is also principal investigator on a Department of Energy-funded project with Algenol, a Joule competitor that makes ethanol and is one of the handful of companies that also bypass biomass. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Pienkos said his calculations, based on information in Joule's recent paper, indicate that though they eliminate biomass problems, their technology leaves relatively small amounts of fuel in relatively large amounts of water, producing a sort of "sheen." They may not be dealing with biomass, but the company is facing complicated "engineering issues" in order to recover large amounts of its fuel efficiently, he said. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"I think they're trading one set of problems for another," Pienkos said. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Success or failure for Joule comes soon enough. The company plans to break ground on a 10-acre demonstration facility this year, and Sims says they could be operating commercially in less than two years. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Robertson talks wistfully about the day he'll hop into the Ferrari he doesn't have, fill it with Joule fuel and gun the engine in an undeniable demonstration of the power and reality of Joule's ideas. Later, after leading a visitor on a tour of the labs, Robertson comes upon a poster of a sports car on an office wall, and it reminds him of the success he's convinced is coming. He motions to the picture. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"I wasn't kidding about the Ferrari," he says.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-73301026616926678602011-02-27T19:20:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:20:34.015-08:00White House condemns 'intimidation' by Iran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The White House is condemning what it calls an "organized intimidation campaign" by the Iranian government against opposition leaders and other activists.<br />
In a statement released Sunday, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor accused Iran of "blatant violation of the universal rights of its citizens."<br />
An <a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110227/ap_on_re_us/us_us_iran;_ylt=AvwuG1qZ2qIEZ2l9kF9H5Y1v24cA;_ylu=X3oDMTJ1ZDEwOTJwBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI3L3VzX3VzX2lyYW4EY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawN3aGl0ZWhvdXNlY28-#" id="KonaLink0" style="border-bottom-color: #366388; border-bottom-style: dotted;" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">international </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">human </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">rights </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388 !important; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">group</span></span></a> said Sunday that Iranian security forces had abducted two opposition leaders and their wives.<br />
Vietor said Tehran's intimidation campaign included "arrests of political figures, human rights defenders, political activists, student leaders, journalists and bloggers," as well as jamming satellite transmissions and blocking Internet traffic.<br />
The spokesman called for Iranian leaders to "allow active dialogue among its citizens, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly without fear."</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-61351724248679048372011-02-27T19:16:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:19:43.839-08:00GOP governors undermine Obama's agenda in states<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;"> Their ranks swollen after the last election, Republican governors from Florida to Alaska are undermining </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink0" style="border-bottom-color: #366388; border-bottom-style: dotted;" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">President </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Barack </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Obama's </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">agenda</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> at every turn ahead of the Democrat's 2012 re-election campaign.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Some are rejecting federal money for high-speed rail. Many are fighting the president's health care law. And several are going after the Democratic Party's bedrock constituency, pushing laws that would weaken the power of unions.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Not that any Republican governor will acknowledge that this is politics at play — even if it is.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Republican governors are doing what they said they would as candidates," insisted Mississippi Gov. </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink1" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Haley </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Barbour</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;">, who led the GOP's campaign efforts last fall and may seek the party's presidential nomination. "All this goes back to our commitment in the last election that we're going to get control of spending for the sake of the taxpayers."</span><br />
<div _yuid="yui_3_1_1_2_129886282544012"><span style="color: black;">"It's not a conspiracy. It's not that we're doing this for a political reason to go after the president," added first term Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett. "We have fundamental disagreements. We have different perspectives."</span></div><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">But left unsaid in interviews with governors attending this weekend's </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink2" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">National </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Governors </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Association</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"> meeting was this: Republicans, particularly in places with many electoral votes, like the Midwest, are fully aware that stymieing Obama's plans in the states could weaken him just as he tries to make the case to the country that he should get a second term.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">One Republican governor has gone so far as to privately liken GOP governors' efforts to providing "oversight of the Obama administration."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">All that provides fodder for Democrats to criticize.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"They are so obsessed with the short-term political game of keeping the president from succeeding that they've taken their eyes off of the big goal ... which is creating jobs and moving our states and country out of this recession," said Maryland Gov. </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink3" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Martin </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">O'Malley</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;">, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Could the GOP effort to undercut Obama backfire?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Yes. I think it already has," said Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, a Democrat. "Americans aren't anxious to refight the fights of the last two years. They want to move on."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The president's conflicts with GOP governors date to his first years in office. Many Republican governors opposed Obama's economic stimulus plan. Some also objected to his Gulf Coast oil-drilling moratorium.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">After big GOP gains in November, Obama is running into even more roadblocks.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">GOP governors now control most of the 26 states that have sued to stop </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink4" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Obama's </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">health </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">care </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">overhaul</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;">, his signature domestic accomplishment. They say it would cost their states too much money. Last month in Florida, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled the law was unconstitutional.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Some GOP-led states — such as Alaska, where Republican Sean Parnell is governor — have refused to implement the law in light of that ruling. But the Justice Department wants the judge to order the states to follow the law pending an appeal.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"We cannot sustain it. We can't afford it," said Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, who also has assailed Environmental Protection Agency efforts to regulate greenhouse gases. "We believe that the federal government just needs to get out of the way and let us run the states."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Obama's high-speed rail plan has run into trouble, too. Democrats say the projects — mostly funded by the federal government — would create jobs; Republicans worry about cost overruns and the long-term expense.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, both Republicans elected in November, have killed two major projects that their Democratic predecessors had approved. And Florida's new governor, Rick Scott, is refusing to accept a $2.4 billion federal block grant for high-speed trains between Tampa and Orlando; the state would have to provide $300 million. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Scott said he worries about cost overruns, and would rather use the money to protect the state's ports. He's showing no signs that he will reconsider his opposition even though the federal government has given him a revised proposal and a week to change his mind. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"What each state is doing is figuring out the needs of their states," Scott said. "I'm focused on what's good for my citizens." He said that's not Obama's high-speed rail plan or "Obamacare." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Going to the heart of Obama's political base, Republican governors' efforts to hamper unions have been on full display in the past few weeks. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Protests have raged in Wisconsin and Ohio over proposals that would limit bargaining rights for many public workers, efforts that Walker and Kasich insist are necessary to rein in costs amid budget crises. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"This is not about going after somebody," Kasich said, arguing the measure is about "restoring power to taxpayers." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels stripped power from unions six years ago but saw nowhere near the outcry that his counterparts have. Democrats in his state successfully blocked a GOP bill last week that would have prohibited union membership from being a condition of employment. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Obama, himself, waded into the Wisconsin dispute recently by arguing that limiting bargaining rights "seems like more of an assault on unions." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">GOP governors are fighting other Obama policies as well; states like Wyoming are challenging the EPA's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Wyoming Gov. </span><a class="kLink" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110228/ap_on_go_ot/us_gop_governors_undermining_obama;_ylt=AlNSxiUBr8aQIswKkDXE9AEV6w8F;_ylu=X3oDMTNtZTFsNDhxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjI4L3VzX2dvcF9nb3Zlcm5vcnNfdW5kZXJtaW5pbmdfb2JhbWEEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzcEcG9#" id="KonaLink5" target="undefined"><span style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Matt </span><span class="kLink" style="color: #366388; font-family: arial,helvetica,clean,sans-serif; font-weight: 400; position: static;">Mead</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;">, a Republican, said longstanding environmental feuds between the states and Washington have worsened during the Obama administration because of its emphasis on renewable energy over oil and gas. The White House, Mead said, has a "view that we need cleaner energy at the expense of all the energy and production that we have now. We need both." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It's a safe bet there will be even more tussling between Republican governors and Obama between now and November 2012. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
By LIZ SIDOTI, AP National Political Writer</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-83938952325077765812011-02-27T19:06:00.000-08:002011-02-27T19:06:58.909-08:00Melissa Leo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It just goes to show that the Hollywood Stars care for nothing when it comes to personal behavior. When will Hollywood wake up and realize that American acting today is just second-rate entertainment behind video games and music. Acting today can be perform by amateurs from all sectors of society, just just those Hollywood Stars of the Oscars. When most people win the coveted award they thank Jesus, Melissa Leo likes to show her achievment with foul language during prime time television. <br />
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Joshua Webb<br />
Feb. 27, 2011</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-88845385081509045612011-02-27T18:42:00.000-08:002011-02-27T18:42:42.872-08:00Small Nuclear War Could Reverse Global Warming for Years : Regional war could spark "unprecedented climate change," experts predict.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong><span style="color: black;">Even a regional nuclear war could spark "unprecedented" global cooling and reduce rainfall for years, according to U.S. government computer models. </span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Widespread famine and disease would likely follow, experts speculate.</span></strong><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="115"><span style="color: black;">During the Cold War a nuclear exchange between superpowers—such as the one feared for years between the </span><a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/united-states-guide/"><span style="color: black;">United States</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and the former Soviet Union—was predicted to cause a "nuclear winter."</span></div><span style="color: black;">In that scenario hundreds of nuclear explosions spark huge fires, whose smoke, dust, and ash blot out the sun for weeks amid a backdrop of dangerous radiation levels. Much of humanity eventually dies of starvation and disease.</span><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="116"><span style="color: black;">Today, with the United States the only standing superpower, nuclear winter is little more than a nightmare. But nuclear war remains a very real threat—for instance, between developing-world nuclear powers, such as </span><a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/india-guide/"><span style="color: black;">India</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/pakistan-guide/"><span style="color: black;">Pakistan</span></a><span style="color: black;">.</span></div><div sizcache="4" sizset="118"><span style="color: black;">To see what climate effects such a regional nuclear conflict might have, scientists from NASA and other institutions modeled a war involving a hundred Hiroshima-level bombs, each packing the equivalent of 15,000 tons of TNT—just 0.03 percent of the world's current nuclear arsenal. (See a <em>National Geographic</em> magazine feature on </span><a href="http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0211/feature1/index.html"><span style="color: black;">weapons of mass destruction</span></a><span style="color: black;">.)</span></div><span style="color: black;">The researchers predicted the resulting fires would kick up roughly five million metric tons of black carbon into the upper part of the troposphere, the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In NASA climate models, this carbon then absorbed solar heat and, like a hot-air balloon, quickly lofted even higher, where the soot would take much longer to clear from the sky.</span><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="119"><span style="color: black;">(Related: </span><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090305-oldest-plutonium.html"><span style="color: black;">"'Nuclear Archaeologists' Find World War II Plutonium."</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></div><strong><span style="color: black;">Reversing Global Warming?</span></strong><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="120"><span style="color: black;">The global cooling caused by these high carbon clouds wouldn't be as catastrophic as a superpower-versus-superpower nuclear winter, but "the effects would still be regarded as leading to unprecedented climate change," research physical scientist </span><a href="http://acdb-ext.gsfc.nasa.gov/People/Oman/"><span style="color: black;">Luke Oman</span></a><span style="color: black;"> said during a press briefing Friday at a </span><a href="http://www.aaas.org/meetings/"><span style="color: black;">meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in Washington, D.C.</span></div><div sizcache="4" sizset="122"><span style="color: black;">Earth is currently in a </span><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/12/091208-copenhagen-climate-conference-global-warming-climategate.html"><span style="color: black;">long-term warming trend</span></a><span style="color: black;">. After a regional nuclear war, though, average global temperatures would drop by 2.25 degrees F (1.25 degrees C) for two to three years afterward, the models suggest.</span></div><span style="color: black;">At the extreme, the tropics, Europe, Asia, and Alaska would cool by 5.4 to 7.2 degrees F (3 to 4 degrees C), according to the models. Parts of the Arctic and Antarctic would actually warm a bit, due to shifted wind and ocean-circulation patterns, the researchers said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">After ten years, average global temperatures would still be 0.9 degree F (0.5 degree C) lower than before the nuclear war, the models predict.</span><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="123"><span style="color: black;">(</span><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/pictures/110119-nuclear-waste-train-castor-antinuclear-protest-germany-power-energy-pictures/"><span style="color: black;">Pictures: "Red Hot" Nuclear-Waste Train Glows in Infrared.</span></a><span style="color: black;">)</span></div><strong><span style="color: black;">Years Without Summer</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">For a time Earth would likely be a colder, hungrier planet.</span><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="124"><span style="color: black;">"Our results suggest that agriculture could be severely impacted, especially in areas that are susceptible to late-spring and early-fall frosts," said Oman, of </span><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html"><span style="color: black;">NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in Greenbelt, Maryland.</span></div><div sizcache="4" sizset="125"><span style="color: black;">"Examples similar to the crop failures and famines experienced following the Mount Tambora eruption in 1815 could be widespread and last several years," he added. That Indonesian volcano ushered in "the year without summer," a time of famines and unrest. (See </span><a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/01/volcano-culture/mount-tambora-photography"><span style="color: black;">pictures of the Mount Tambora eruption</span></a><span style="color: black;">.)</span></div><span style="color: black;">All these changes would also alter circulation patterns in the tropical atmosphere, reducing precipitation by 10 percent globally for one to four years, the scientists said. Even after seven years, global average precipitation would be 5 percent lower than it was before the conflict, according to the model.</span><br />
<div sizcache="4" sizset="126"><span style="color: black;">In addition, researcher </span><a href="http://acd.ucar.edu/~mmills/"><span style="color: black;">Michael Mills</span></a><span style="color: black;">, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, found large decreases in the protective ozone layer, leading to much more ultraviolet radiation reaching Earth's surface and harming the environment and people.</span></div><span style="color: black;">"The main message from our work," NASA's Oman said, "would be that even a regional nuclear conflict would have global consequences."</span><br />
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<br />
<div class="author">Charles Q. Choi</div><div class="publication" sizcache="4" sizset="114">for <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news"><span style="color: #044e8e;">National Geographic News</span></a></div><div class="publication_time">Published February 22, 2011</div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-54932477844675386012011-02-27T18:24:00.000-08:002011-02-27T18:24:26.079-08:00It’s Wii too rude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="padding-bottom-7" style="font-size: 1.05em; line-height: 1.05em;"><span style="color: black;">A RAUNCHY game for the Nintendo Wii has outraged parents who say it promotes orgies and lesbian sex to kids as young as 12. </span></h2><span style="color: black;">The girls are seen with the Wii remote dangling suggestively between their lips. Players then hide the "Wiimote" inside their clothes before the others spank their bottoms to control a flying cartoon character on screen. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The men strip off for the girls as part of another task. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">One version of the promotional video, already seen by 375,000 people on YouTube, ends with the lads swapping partners and apparently going off to have sex. An alternative ending has all four romping together. The game is due for release on the Wii and PlayStation 3 next month. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">But parents say the 12+ certificate is a disgrace. Laura Pearson, 52, from Birmingham, said: "I have a 13-year-old daughter. If I knew she was playing a highly-charged sexual game I would be appalled." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A spokeswoman for French makers Ubisoft said: "We Dare is intended for an adult audience." She said the age rating was set by an independent European panel. </span><br />
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<div class="clear-left"><div class="display-byline">By FELIX ALLEN </div><div class="padding-top-10 padding-bottom-10 clear-left"><div class="float-left"><div class="display-byline">Published: 26 Feb 2011</div></div></div><div class="clear-left"></div></div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-13662187536293622862011-02-25T19:53:00.000-08:002011-02-25T19:53:25.990-08:00Obama Issues Government Shutdown Threat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="entry-content KonaBody" sizcache="140" sizset="6"><div jquery1298691610645="48" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Anatomy of a Government Shutdown</b></div><div jquery1298691610645="48" style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
</div><div jquery1298691610645="49" style="font-size: 14px;"><b>“Of course a shutdown is possible because that's what the Republicans are threatening us with on national TV, Meet the Press or one of those dandies or whatever the show was. The Republican leader was asked, and I'm paraphrasing, 'is there going to be a government shutdown?' and he wouldn't respond to the question. So, this isn't Schumer or Reid or Hoyer. Of course it's a possibility. That's what we're trying to avoid."</b></div><div jquery1298691610645="50" sizcache="140" sizset="6" style="font-size: 14px;"><i sizcache="140" sizset="6">-- Senate Majority Leader <a class="r_lapi" href="http://www.foxnews.com/topics/politics/harry-reid.htm#r_src=ramp"><span style="color: #183a52;">Harry Reid</span></a> talking to reporters </i></div></div><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">President Obama warned of stopped Social <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4"><u>Security</u></span> checks and issued a formal veto threat Tuesday to the Republican spending <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7"><u>plan</u></span> currently being debated <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD9"><u>in the House</u></span>, setting the stage for a potential government shutdown next month.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Democrats in the last congress did not pass a <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2"><u>budget</u></span> at all, so the government has run on a series of stopgap spending extensions since October. The current one expires March 4.</span><br />
<br />
Republicans, now in control of the House, have worked up a plan to fund the government to the end of the year that reduces spending $61 billion from 2010 levels and $100 billion from what Obama has requested. The House will have a second day of contentious debate on the spending plan as hard-line deficit hawks and pro-spending liberals take turns trying to amend the bill.<br />
<br />
Despite all the falderal, final passage is anticipated Thursday, and attention is already shifting to the Senate.<br />
<br />
There, the 47-member Republican minority is suggesting that their cuts will look different than the ones made by their friends in the House, but that they will try to match the volume of reductions. That provides a chance for the Senate GOP to start working on a compromise with moderate Democrats to find the 13 votes needed to push through a plan (more if ultra hawks like Sen. Rand Paul fly away).<br />
<br />
Knowing the way the Senate operates, Power Play predicts that the final Senate legislation will be halfway between the Obama proposal and the House bill. That’s just how they roll.<br />
<br />
Then, the House has to decide whether it can accept the compromise legislation. This would be the first chance for a government shutdown.<br />
<br />
Senators are working up a short-term spending measure to provide more time for negotiations, but even that will be controversial among the most conservative members of the House. But there would likely be enough moderate Republicans and Democrats to back a very short-term extension – perhaps three weeks – to finish the negotiations.<br />
<br />
It will then be up to a similar coalition of Blue Dog Democrats and most Republicans to put through the Senate plan over Tea Party protests. This is when things will get very dicey for the House leadership. There are many in their caucus who would much rather see the government shut down than yield in their pledge to slash spending.<br />
<br />
But, some legislation will emerge from Congress, with cuts likely a little deeper than those passed by the Senate – a compromise of the compromise. Then it’s up to Obama to decide if he will accept.<br />
<br />
Remember, because Democrats failed to pass a budget last year, the responsibility falls to Obama for any potential government shutdown. Unlike 1995 when the battle was over President Bill Clinton refusing to sign a Republican-passed budget, Obama will be put in the position of refusing to sign a stopgap spending proposal necessary because his party didn’t act in the previous year. This is not a long-term priority issue. This is an emergency appropriation.<br />
<br />
Another major difference from 1995 is that with a Democratic Senate, Obama will have his chance to work his will before the legislation gets to his desk.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Hanging over all of this is the administration’s demand that Congress increase the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5"><u>federal debt</u></span> limit from the current $14.3 trillion. Speaker John Boehner’s team has enhanced the Republican bargaining position here by detaching <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6"><u>the debt</u></span> limit issue from the budget. The House previously made such increases a part of spending bills, but the GOP is setting the issue aside for consideration.</span><br />
<br />
That gives Republicans more time to pressure Obama for cuts – potentially as late as May.<br />
<br />
Sen. Pat Toomey today will defend in a speech the Republican position that not increasing the debt limit does not necessarily mean defaulting on U.S. obligations. In 1995, President Bill Clinton used the default trigger as his reason for shutting down the government.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">In Obama’s press conference Tuesday, he warned of an end to Social Security checks and veterans pension <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1"><u>payments</u></span> if Republicans didn’t produce a “responsible” spending plan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">But despite Democratic confidence that another shutdown would be a repeat of 1995 when then-Speaker Newt Gingrich lost his showdown with Bill Clinton, Obama seems unlikely to veto a spending plan and shut down the government rather than sign a measure produced with some bipartisan support and relating to only 15 percent of the budget for half of one year.</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-32759094772862802712011-02-24T18:33:00.000-08:002011-02-24T18:33:40.861-08:00Chemtrail conspiracy theory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">The <b>chemtrail conspiracy theory</b> holds that some trails left by aircraft are actually </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_weapons" title="Chemical weapons"><span style="color: black;">chemical</span></a><span style="color: black;"> or </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_agents" title="Biological agents"><span style="color: black;">biological agents</span></a><span style="color: black;"> deliberately sprayed at </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_altitudes" title="High altitudes"><span style="color: black;">high altitudes</span></a><span style="color: black;"> for a purpose undisclosed to the general public in clandestine programs directed by government officials.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-usatoday_0-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-usatoday-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">As a result, official agencies have received thousands of complaints from people who have demanded an explanation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-usatoday_0-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-usatoday-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-citizen_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-citizen-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> The existence of chemtrails has been repeatedly denied by government agencies and scientists around the world, who say the trails are normal </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail" title="Contrail"><span style="color: black;">contrails</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-british_response_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-british_response-2"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-beacon_3-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-beacon-3"><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force"><span style="color: black;">United States Air Force</span></a><span style="color: black;"> maintains that the theory is a hoax which "has been investigated and refuted by many established and accredited universities, scientific organizations, and major media publications".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-air_force_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-air_force-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup> The British </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_for_Environment,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs"><span style="color: black;">Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs</span></a><span style="color: black;"> has stated that chemtrails "are not scientifically recognised phenomena".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-british_response_2-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-british_response-2"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup> The Canadian </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leader_of_the_Government_in_the_House_of_Commons"><span style="color: black;">Leader of the Government in the House of Commons</span></a><span style="color: black;"> has stated that "The term 'chemtrails' is a popularised expression, and there is no scientific evidence to support their existence."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Canadian_response_5-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-Canadian_response-5"><span>[</span>6<span>]</span></a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The term chemtrail is derived from "chemical trail" in the similar fashion that contrail is an abbreviation for </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condensation_trail" title="Condensation trail"><span style="color: black;">condensation trail</span></a><span style="color: black;">. It does not refer to common forms of aerial spraying such as </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_dusting" title="Crop dusting"><span style="color: black;">crop dusting</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding"><span style="color: black;">cloud seeding</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywriting"><span style="color: black;">skywriting</span></a><span style="color: black;">, or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_firefighting"><span style="color: black;">aerial firefighting</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Steiger_6-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-Steiger-6"><span>[</span>7<span>]</span></a></sup> The term specifically refers to aerial trails allegedly caused by the systematic high-altitude release of chemical substances not found in ordinary contrails, resulting in the appearance of uncharacteristic sky tracks. Supporters of this theory speculate that the purpose of the chemical release may be for </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_radiation_management"><span style="color: black;">solar radiation management</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_control" title="Population control"><span style="color: black;">population control</span></a><span style="color: black;">,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-usatoday_0-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-usatoday-0"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a></sup> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_control"><span style="color: black;">weather control</span></a><span style="color: black;">,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-citizen_1-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemtrail_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-citizen-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_warfare"><span style="color: black;">biological warfare</span></a><span style="color: black;">/</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_warfare"><span style="color: black;">chemical warfare</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and claim that these trails are causing respiratory illnesses and other health problems.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">(Wikipedia)</span></div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-69361935803734479052011-02-24T18:08:00.001-08:002011-02-24T18:09:22.816-08:00Army to probe psy-ops allegations in Rolling Stone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="color: black;">A military officer trained in using psychological tactics to influence the emotions and actions of enemy troops told CNN Thursday her unit was ordered to used those skills to manipulate visiting lawmakers into securing more troops and funding for the war in Afghanistan.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">After a fellow officer questioned the legality of using "psychological operations" on elected U.S. officers, both received reprimands that could threaten their military careers, she said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"We're not allowed to do that against any U.S. citizen, whether it is a congressman or my neighbor three doors down," said Texas National Guard Maj. Laural Levine. "That is the first thing you are taught -- never target Americans, ever." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, is ordering an investigation into allegations made by the leader of Levine's unit, Lt. Colonel Michael Holmes. The allegations are contained in a scathing Rolling Stone magazine report that was published Wednesday.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan did not offer an outright denial of the story and said the probe would focus on "determining the facts and circumstances raised" in it.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Holmes told the magazine that a military team at Afghanistan's Camp Eggers was ordered by Gen. William Caldwell, a three-star general in charge of training Afghan troops, to perform psychological operations on visiting VIPs over a four-month period last year. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">When the team devoted to what is known as information operations refused on grounds that it was illegal, it was subjected to a campaign of retaliation, the magazine said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"My job in psy-ops is to play with people's heads, to get the enemy to behave the way we want them to behave," Holmes, the head of the "information operations" unit, told Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings, who also wrote an article last year that led to the dismissal of Gen. Stanley McChrystal.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"I'm prohibited from doing that to our own people," he said. "When you ask me to try to use these skills on senators and congressmen, you're crossing a line."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Caldwell said in a statement to Rolling Stone that he "categorically denies the assertion that the command used an Information Operations Cell to influence distinguished visitors."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">But Holmes told the magazine he was reprimanded for refusing to carry out orders.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Lapan, the Pentagon spokesman, said it was not necessarily improper for an information operations unit to create a dossier on visiting VIPs.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"It all depends on the circumstance and how it's done," he said. "It's the actions, not just the assignment." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">He said the investigation will determine whether any of those actions were illegal. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Defense Secretary Robert Gates did not respond directly to the allegations contained in the Rolling Stone article. But his office issued a writen statement.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Secretary Gates is aware of the allegations in the Rolling Stone article and believes it is important to determine what the facts are," the statement read, "so he fully supports General Petraeus's deision to investigate this matter before drawing any conclusions."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The Department of Defense describes the role of psychological operations as the following: "Induce or reinforce foreign attitudes and behavior favorable to the U.S. or friendly nation objectives by planning and conducting operations to convey information to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and individuals." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Federal law delineates the boundaries of such operations and states they "will not target U.S. citizens at any time, in any location globally, or under any circumstances." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Holmes told Rolling Stone that Caldwell wanted the information operations team to provide a "deeper analysis of pressure points we could use to leverage" visiting lawmakers for increased funding.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The magazine said that Caldwell's chief of staff also asked Holmes how the general could secretly manipulate the lawmakers without their knowledge. "How do we get these guys to give us more people? What do I have to plant inside their heads?" he said, according to Hastings' article. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The report said that among those singled out in the campaign were Sens. John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Reed told CNN's John King that he wasn't aware of any attempt by military personnel to manipulate him psychologically during trips to Afghanistan. The Democratic senator from Rhode Island said he's traveled to Afghanistan 11 times in within the past decade.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"I never experienced anything unusual last year in contrast with my other visits," said Reed.</span><br />
<div class="cnnInline"><span style="color: black;">Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services, said he was "confident the chain of command will review any allegation that information operations have been improperly used in Afghanistan."</span></div><div class="cnnInline"><br />
</div><div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"><div class="cnnByline">(By <b>the CNN Wire Staff</b><script type="text/javascript">
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</script>February 24, 2011 6:44 p.m. EST)</div></div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-32093780363189859962011-02-24T17:52:00.000-08:002011-02-24T17:53:01.529-08:00Anonymous vows to take leaking to the next level<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">WikiLeaks could have one foot in the online grave.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It's been months since its last major leak, and its staff members -- former and current -- say it's so thinly staffed and broke that it can't dissect a massive file a whistle-blower handed over, allegedly naming rich and influential global players guilty of tax crimes.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Founder Julian Assange, described as a megalomaniac in a tell-all book by the group's former spokesman, is facing extradition to Sweden on sex crime charges. Many observers predict he'll face extradition to the United States next.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">That could mean time is running out to pay for Assange to </span><a href="http://www.dinnerforfreespeech.com/" target="new"><span style="color: black;">appear at your dinner party</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (via video message), but it's a reason to purchase a "Free Assange" T-shirt, now available from </span><a href="http://wikileaks.spreadshirt.com/p5" target="new"><span style="color: black;">WikiLeaks' online store</span></a><span style="color: black;">. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It may take more than a few shirts to pull WikiLeaks out of the red. Financial institutions stopped doing business with the site after it published a trove of confidential U.S. diplomatic cables late last year, and donations have been stymied.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Assange, out on bond in London Wednesday, </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/04/wikileaks.assange.defense/index.html"><span style="color: black;">set up a Facebook page</span></a><span style="color: black;"> this month with a PayPal link and a plea: "I need your help. Please give." Last week, he told the Swiss newspaper Tribune de Geneve that WikiLeaks is losing about $600,000 a week. A judge Thursday ordered that </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/02/23/wikileaks.anonymous/index.html?hpt=C2"><span style="color: black;">Assange can be extradited</span></a><span style="color: black;"> to Sweden.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Where that money is going, or what it's paying for, is unclear.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"WikiLeaks could well be a flash in the pan. It's not exactly a site with an apparent solid business plan or stable group of founders," said Jonathan Zittrain, an internet law and computer science professor at Harvard University.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"But the idea that leaks can happen, whether by a turncoat employee or an Exxon Valdez-sized spill of data due to a hack, is more enduring."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">So, if WikiLeaks wilts, what will grow in its place?</span><br />
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div><span style="color: black;">"Let us teach you a lesson you'll never forget: You don't mess with Anonymous." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">--Anonymous to HBGary Federal </span></div></div></div></div><span style="color: black;">Several leak-loving sites claim to be WikiLeaks' heir apparent. Greenleaks.org and GreenLeaks are battling to become the top site for whistle-blowers with dirt on environmental issues.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">WikiLeaks' ex-spokesman and Assange's former right-hand man, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, has launched OpenLeaks, a secret information catch-all.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">His memoir, out this month, "Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website," describes WikiLeaks as an organization that lost its original goal to reveal small, important leaks and instead became wrapped up in Assange's pursuit of big leaks like the Afghanistan and Iraq war diaries and the cables.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/02/10/domscheit.berg.wikileaks.cnn"><span style="color: black;">Watch Domscheit-Berg describe Assange as a megalomaniac</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/02/10/domscheit.berg.wikileaks.cnn"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Video" border="0" class="cnnVideoIcon" height="10" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/global/icons/video_icon.gif" width="16" /></span></a><span style="color: black;">OpenLeaks says it will be </span><a href="http://openleaks.org/content/faq.shtml" target="new"><span style="color: black;">more transparent than WikiLeaks</span></a><span style="color: black;"> about the way it operates. Most significant, it wouldn't openly publish information but rather would give it to reporters and human rights organizations to disseminate.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">But perhaps the most controversial incarnation of the WikiLeaks model comes from </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/09/hackers.wikileaks/index.html?iref=allsearch"><span style="color: black;">Anonymous, the hacker collective</span></a><span style="color: black;"> globally infamous for disrupting the websites of MasterCard, Visa and PayPal in December.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The hackers said the attacks were revenge after the companies cut ties to WikiLeaks. Since then, Anonymous has grown more sophisticated, and experts say it's reasonable to fear that they could do more than wait for someone to give them secret documents. They could hack into highly sensitive military and corporate computer systems themselves.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This month, Anonymous launched </span><a href="http://hbgary.anonleaks.ch/" s_oid="http://hbgary.anonleaks.ch/" s_oidt="0" target="new"><span style="color: black;">anonleaks.ru</span></a><span style="color: black;">, a site that features a searchable database of what appear to be tens of thousands of internal e-mails from a U.S.-based internet security firm whose website was also defaced.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Reportedly, the CEO of HBGary Federal </span><a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/anonymous-hits-security-firm-hbgary-federal-2207309.html" target="new"><span style="color: black;">told reporters</span></a><span style="color: black;"> his Twitter account was hijacked, and his home address and Social Security number appeared in his Twitter feed. </span><br />
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div><span style="color: black;">This is thuggery at this point</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">--Jim Butterworth of HBGary Inc. </span></div></div></div></div><span style="color: black;">A message to HBGary Federal from Anonymous appeared on the company's hacked website: "Let us teach you a lesson you'll never forget: You don't mess with Anonymous."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A letter from Anonymous directly to HBGary Federal was posted on </span><a href="http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/6172442" target="new"><span style="color: black;">the Web's largest pirate site</span></a><span style="color: black;">. "We feel it's time we took the game to the next level," it said. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The information posted on anonleaks.ru, which CNN cannot authenticate, suggests that HBGary Federal offered to attack or undermine adversaries of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Bank of America, including spreading bogus information about Anonymous.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Assange has said that WikiLeaks is planning a "megaleak" about a major bank, and there's been much speculation that Bank of America is the target.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Bank of America spokesman Scott Silvestri said it has no relationship with HBGary Federal. A senior U.S. Chamber of Commerce official said the same. </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/us/politics/12hackers.html?_r=3" target="new"><span style="color: black;">The New York Times</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/02/bofa-denies-connection-to-proactive-tactics-to-silence-wikileaks/1" target="new"><span style="color: black;">USA Today</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/02/15/hunton_williams_wikileaks_chamber" target="new"><span style="color: black;">Salon</span></a><span style="color: black;"> have detailed the battle between Anonymous and HBGary.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">HBGary Federal's site is down, and phone numbers to its Colorado office are not working.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">But HBGary Federal's sister company, HBGary Inc., based in Sacramento, California, also had its servers hacked. Content from HBGary Inc. appears on anonleaks.ru as well.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"What has happened here is a crime. We were hacked," said Jim Butterworth, a vice president at HBGary Inc. "But it's more than that. Our employees are getting calls from (Anonymous) making physical threats. People were concerned about their physical safety."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Butterworth, who says he's been placed in charge of determining what left the company vulnerable to hacking, said HBGary is working with law enforcement.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Continually over the past two weeks, Anonymous has "pounded" HBGary Inc.'s servers, trying to again to gain access, he said. Office fax machines have been clogged with faxes touting the Anonymous mantra: "We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. ..."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"This is thuggery at this point," Butterworth said.</span><br />
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div><span style="color: black;">Anonymous is not trying to be WikiLeaks. They are trying to be a new kind of site</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">--Gregg Housh, on behalf of Anonymous </span></div></div></div></div><span style="color: black;">The only time CNN has been able to engage with anyone claiming to be Anonymous came in December, around the time of the Master Card and Visa attacks, via two instant messages that appeared to be from different people.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">One wrote that Anonymous considered its actions to be a "demonstration against all things people were unable to change using legal means."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Our primary goal is freedom of information. Any and all information." </span><br />
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/12/09/hackers.wikileaks/index.html"><span style="color: black;">Read more about Anonymous</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Since December, Boston-based hacker Gregg Housh has been the only public face associated with Anonymous. He says he's not part of the hackers' current activities but merely monitors their chat portals.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Anonymous is going to keep doing whatever they want to do to people who piss them off," Housh said of anonleaks.ru.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Anonleaks.ru is using "ru" because the domain is less easily tracked by the U.S. government, Housh said. The domain is not meant to imply that anonleaks is run from Russia.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The site's hackers also want the world to understand this: "Anonleaks is not trying to be WikiLeaks," Housh said. "They are trying to be a new kind of site."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Chris Ridder, lawyer and fellow with Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society, agrees.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"It's definitely a new kind of site, you can say that. Like, possibly illegal-kind-of-new," Ridder said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Although few people may have heard of HBGary, that's no reason to dismiss anonleaks.ru.</span><br />
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcquote"><div class="cnn_strylctcqcntr"><div><span style="color: black;">Their army is so much bigger</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">--Hacking analyst Jose Nazario on Anonymous' capabilities </span></div></div></div></div><span style="color: black;">"Today it's a small firm hardly anyone has heard of," Ridder said. "What would make anyone think that they wouldn't (next) hack into the military's database or a corporation that matters to a wide group of people? The question is one of intent. What will Anonymous do down the road?"</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">There's no doubt Anonymous has the technology to do what it wishes, said Jose Nazario, an analyst with Massachusetts Arbor Networks, a firm that monitors activity on the Web for private clients, mostly businesses trying to deter hacking. He has been watching Anonymous' users gather in chat channels for months.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Their army is so much bigger," he said, thanks to Anonymous' own redesigned hacking tools and beefed-up Web applications.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Anonymous has made it easier for anyone to give them permission to log in remotely to computers and use the machines in a large-scale hacking effort, Nazario said. "I was watching a (chat) channel recently where thousands (of users) were present, laughing, debating what to do. It used to be hundreds."</span><br />
<div class="cnn_strylftcntnt"><div class="cnn_strylctcntr cnn_strylctcqrelt"><div class="cnn_divline"><span style="color: black;"></span></div></div></div><span style="color: black;">The thought of an army of prankster hackers breaking into your e-mails, credit card records or business is disturbing. But it would be a mistake to portray members of Anonymous as cackling evil-doers, Ridder and Zittrain said.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Instead, Ridder said, Anonymous is driving Web culture. "They are making a significant mark on what it means to put information online."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Improvement in technology is a given, and access to data will become increasingly more flexible, Zittrain said. Efforts to stop the group, whether through a lawsuit or an indictment, will have implications that go far beyond one company's battle with a group of hackers.</span><br />
<div class="cnnInline"><span style="color: black;">They say it could forever hamper what has always been the cornerstone of the Web: anonymity.</span></div><div class="cnnInline"><br />
</div><div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"><div class="cnnByline"><b>(By Ashley Fantz</b>, CNN<script type="text/javascript">
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</script>February 24, 2011 8:52 a.m. EST)</div></div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-91540061951005700042011-02-24T17:44:00.000-08:002011-02-24T17:46:45.409-08:00Indiana state prosecutor fired over remarks about Wisconsin protests<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">An Indiana deputy attorney general lost his job Wednesday after commenting online that authorities should use "live ammunition" to run off the throngs of protesters railing over union collective bargaining rights two states away in Wisconsin.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The former state prosecutor, Jeffrey Cox, attached the comment "Use Live Ammunition" in response to a Feb. 19 Twitter posting by a writer for Mother Jones magazine. The writer, Adam Weinstein, wrote that riot police officers had been ordered to clear protesters from the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The rumored 2 a.m. Sunday expulsion of protesters in Madison never happened.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Mother Jones on Wednesday published an article about Cox's Twitter posting and other inflammatory remarks the former state prosecutor had made online. By the end of the day, Cox had been fired from his job.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"Civility and courtesy toward all members of the public are very important to the Indiana Attorney General's Office," the agency said in a prepared statement. "We respect individuals' First Amendment right to express their personal views on private online forums, but as public servants we are held by the public to a higher standard, and we should strive for civility."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Cox's initial Twitter remark Saturday night set off a pointed online exchange between the prosecutor and the author of the Mother Jones article.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Cox, according to Weinstein, called the demonstrators "political enemies" and "thugs" who were threatening to injure elected officials.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"You're damned right I advocate deadly force," Cox purportedly wrote, according to the Mother Jones article. He also called the author a "typical leftist," and wrote, "liberals hate police."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Cox, who was contacted by Mother Jones Sunday morning, confirmed that he was an Indiana deputy attorney general.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"All my comments on twitter & my blog are my own and no one else's," Cox wrote, according to Mother Jones. "You will probably try to demonize me. But that comes with the territory."</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">After his firing, Cox's tone appeared more conciliatory.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">"I think that in this day and age that tweet was not a good idea." Cox told CNN affiliate WRTV in Indianapolis</span><br />
<div class="cnnInline"><span style="color: black;">"And in terms of that language," Cox said. "I'm not going to use it any more."</span></div><div class="cnn_stryathrtmp"><div class="cnnByline"></div><div class="cnnByline"><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;">(By <b>the CNN Wire Staff</b><script type="text/javascript">
cnnAuthor = "By the CNN Wire Staff";
</script> </span></div><div class="cnn_strytmstmp"><script type="text/javascript">
if(location.hostname.indexOf( 'edition.' ) > -1) {document.write('February 24, 2011 -- Updated 0257 GMT (1057 HKT)');} else {document.write('February 23, 2011 9:57 p.m. EST');}
</script><span style="background-color: white; color: black;">February 23, 2011 9:57 p.m. EST)</span></div></div></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-57823457844029251172011-02-24T17:26:00.000-08:002011-02-24T17:33:14.456-08:00New Pathogen Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops Causes Spontaneous Abortions and Infertility in Livestock?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">Via: </span><a href="http://www.i-sis.org.uk/newPathogenInRoundupReadyGMCrops.php"><strong><span style="color: black;">Institute of Science in Society</span></strong></a><span style="color: black;">:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">An open letter appeared on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance founded and run by Judith McGeary to save family farms in the US [1, 2]. The letter, written by Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, warns of a pathogen “new to science” discovered by “a team of senior plant and animal scientists”. Huber says it should be treated as an “emergency’’, as it could result in “a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The letter appeared to have been written before Vilsack announced his decision to authorize unrestricted commercial planting of GM alfalfa on 1 February, in the hope of convincing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose a moratorium instead on deregulation of Roundup Ready (RR) crops.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The new pathogen appears associated with serious pervasive diseases in plants – sudden death syndrome in soybean and Goss’ wilt in corn – but its suspected effects on livestock is alarming. Huber refers to “recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This could be the worst nightmare of genetic engineering that some scientists including me have been warning for years [3] (see Genetic Engineering Dream or Nightmare, ISIS publication): the unintended creation of new pathogens through assisted horizontal gene transfer and recombination.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Huber writes in closing: “I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.”</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The complete letter is reproduced below.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Dear Secretary Vilsack:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human beings. Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in much higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a link with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism appears NEW to science!</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of US soy and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be responsible for significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are therefore moving our investigation forward with speed and discretion, and seek assistance from the USDA and other entities to identify the pathogen’s source, prevalence, implications, and remedies.</span><br />
<strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><a href="http://www.efoodsdirect.com/"><strong><span style="color: black;">Stock up with Fresh Food that lasts with eFoodsDirect (AD)</span></strong></a></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong></strong><br />
<span style="color: black;">We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage, specifically due to your pending decision regarding approval of RR alfalfa. Naturally, if either the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this pathogen, then such approval could be a calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only reasonable action at this time would be to delay deregulation at least until sufficient data has exonerated the RR system, if it does.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and military agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological threats, including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high risk status. In layman’s terms, it should be treated as an emergency.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed various pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following disturbing scenario:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Unique Physical Properties</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This previously unknown organism is only visible under an electron microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal to a medium size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a micro-fungal-like organism. If so, it would be the first such micro-fungus ever identified. There is strong evidence that this infectious agent promotes diseases of both plants and mammals, which is very rare.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Pathogen Location and Concentration</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It is found in high concentrations in Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The organism is prolific in plants infected with two pervasive diseases that are driving down yields and farmer income-sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soy, and Goss’ wilt in corn. The pathogen is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp glycines).</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of this organism in a wide variety of livestock that have experienced spontaneous abortions and infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing research have also been able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and spontaneous abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy, swine, and horse operations. These include recent reports of infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of the pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed management using glyphosate.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Recommendations</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal pathogen in Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA’s participation in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium on the deregulation of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship with glyphosate and/or RR plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and animal production and human health.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may have facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause greater harm to weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented that glyphosate promotes soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40 plant diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause animal disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we request access to the relevant USDA data.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Emeritus Professor, Purdue University</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">APS Coordinator, USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: white;">Cryptogon</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: white;">Thursday, February 24, 2011</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-4325024081161982972011-02-24T17:24:00.000-08:002011-02-24T17:24:31.067-08:00Supreme Court Immunizes Vaccine Makers Against Lawsuits<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">In a 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court voted to protect pharmaceutical companies from liability when their vaccines cause debilitating injuries and death. The high court majority considers vaccines “unavoidably unsafe” and was worried about drug makers being sued and obligated to compensate their vaccine victims. Instead of opting to protect children, the Supreme Court chose to safeguard the financial interests of the multi-billion dollar vaccine industry.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The ruling was a defeat for Hannah Bruesewitz, who suffered from a severe brain injury, developmental delays, and a lifelong seizure disorder after receiving a mandated DPT vaccine. She was denied compensation by the U.S. Court of Claims, which administers the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Established by Congress in 1986, this program was designed as a non-adversarial way for vaccine victims to be compensated for their injuries caused by compulsory vaccinations. However, during the past several years, this “non-adversarial” program has degenerated into a hostile and expensive legal battle for parents seeking restitution for their losses; nearly 4 out of every 5 cases are rejected.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">After being rejected by the U.S. Court of Claims (following several years of adversarial litigation), Hannah’s attorneys sued in civil court, providing evidence that the DPT vaccine manufacturer, Wyeth-Lederle, had the technology to produce a less reactive, purified pertussis vaccine but declined to do so. However, the Supreme Court has now declared that justice cannot be sought in American courtrooms.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the </span><a href="http://www.nvic.org/"><strong><span style="color: black;">National Vaccine Information Center</span></strong></a><span style="color: black;">, “This is a sad day for all Americans forced by law to use </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s49xpHl3hWI"><strong><span style="color: black;">dozens of doses of vaccines</span></strong></a><span style="color: black;"> or be barred from school or health insurance or employment. The only leverage left to American consumers to ensure that vaccines with the fewest health risks are produced is to oppose vaccine mandates and work to defend vaccine exemptions in all public health laws.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: white;">Neil Z. Miller</span><a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/031484_Supreme_Court_vaccine_makers.html"><strong><span style="color: white;">Natural News</span></strong></a><br />
<span style="color: white;">Feb 24, 2011</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-59987509049616440792011-02-24T17:21:00.000-08:002011-02-24T17:21:56.393-08:00Why Has Google Been Collecting Kids' Social Security Numbers Under the Guise of an Art Contest?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">As the director of <em><a href="http://www.thecartelmovie.com/" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">The Cartel</span></a></em> documentary, one of the things I learned was how poorly the traditional news media cover issues pertaining to children, in that case corruption in public education. Since the film's release, I often get contacted about other aspects of child protection that I would have never imagined -- stories that don't seem to get attention elsewhere. Like this.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">What you're about to read hasn't been reported anywhere, and when it was brought to my attention, I could hardly believe it. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It turns out that the company sporting the motto "don't be evil" has been asking parents nationwide to disclose their children's personal information, including Social Security Numbers, and recruiting schools to help them do it -- all under the guise of an art contest. It's called, "Doodle-4-Google," a rather catchy, kid-friendly name if I do say so myself. The company is even offering prize money to schools to enlist their help with the promotion. Doesn't it sound like fun? Don't you want your kid to enter too?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">What could be wrong with filling out a few entry forms?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A national, commercial database of names and addresses of American children, especially one that includes their dates of birth and SSNs, would be worth many millions to marketing firms and retailers. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Of course, data collection is not the reason Google gives for doing this competition. Their </span><a href="http://www.google.com/doodle4google/faqs.html" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">FAQ</span></a><span style="color: black;"> says it's because "We love to encourage and celebrate the creativity of young people..." etc. If that's so, then why on earth would the contest's </span><a href="http://www.bowdonmedia.com/doc/Doodle4Google_ConsentRules_2011original.pdf" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">original Parent Consent Form</span></a><span style="color: black;"> ask for the child's city of birth, date of birth and last four digits of the child's SSN? Along with complete contact info of the parents. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">You see what Google knows and many parents don't know is that a person's city of birth and year of birth can be used to make a </span><a href="http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/secu/article.php/3828716/Social-Security-Numbers-Easy-to-Hack.htm" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">statistical guess</span></a><span style="color: black;"> about the first five digits of his/her social security number. Then, if you can somehow obtain those last four SSN digits explicitly -- voila, you've unlocked countless troves of personal information from people who didn't even understand that such a disclosure was happening.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This kind of data can be linked with other databases to target advertising. It's worth many times more than what Google will spend on prizes (each State Finalist gets a T-shirt!). </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In fairness, we have no evidence that Google will use or sell this information for marketing purposes. For that matter, it's possible they could throw the data away. (Care to guess the odds?) But to be absolutely clear, there's no evidence Google has done anything with this information at all, nefarious or otherwise.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">It's also clear that children's social security numbers shouldn't be required for an art contest.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">There's a second chapter to this story. Some of the people who tipped me off to it were wondering if the solicitation of children's Social Security Numbers was even legal. And so they sent emails to the Federal Trade Commission, the website InsideGoogle.com and a couple of other places. That email went out on February 17. Twenty-six hours later Google released an </span><a href="http://www.bowdonmedia.com/doc/Doodle4Google_ConsentRules_2011edited.pdf" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">updated Parental Consent form</span></a><span style="color: black;"> without requiring the last four digits of the child's SSN, although the form still inexplicably asks for the child's city of birth.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Meanwhile, the original PDF can still be found on lots of school websites, like </span><a href="http://tjms.schoolloop.com/cms/public_news_archive?d=x&group_id=1155629693313&return_url=1259951141434" target="_hplink"><span style="color: black;">this</span></a><span style="color: black;"> one. In other words, many schools are still distributing the original form, and many parents are no doubt still forking over their kids' social security numbers to Google.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">At least the contest "privacy notice" is clear enough: "participation constitutes consent to the storage, use and disclosure of the Entrant's entry details...." It should really be called the "privacy <em>waiver</em>." </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">I sent all of this to Google's press office, and after 48 hours, they had offered no response.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">So in closing, three simple ideas for you, gentle reader, to take away. (1) City of birth, when coupled with year of birth, can be correlated to social security numbers, so don't give it out just because a box appears on a form. (2) No public contest should ask for any part of a social security number, especially involving kids. (3) For internet searches, have you tried Yahoo! or Bing lately? (They're probably both improved since you last tried them.) You just might find what you're looking for.<br />
------------<br />
Update (2/22/11, 9:38pmET):<br />
Google's Spokesperson just contacted me with the following response:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: black;">This year we started accepting doodles from kids even if their school hadn't registered for the contest. To help us keep entries distinct and remove duplicate entries from any particular student, we asked parents for limited information, including the last 4 digits of a student's social security number. We later updated our forms when we recognized that we could sufficiently separate legitimate contest entries while requesting less information. To be clear, these last 4 digits were not entered into our records and will be safely discarded. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">As for the city of birth:</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The city of birth helps us identify whether contestants are eligible for the contest, as winners must be either U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents of the U.S. The information isn't used for any other purpose.</span></blockquote><span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><u>Couple things:</u><br />
1.) I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist by disposition, but doesn't "these last 4 digits were not entered into our records and will be safely discarded," sound like a contradiction? (How can they delete something that is not in their records?) Even taking just the first part, we're supposed to believe Google didn't <em>enter </em>demographic data that it had been supplied? Isn't this the same Google that promotes itself as the master of targeted marketing campaigns?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">2.) If they simply want to limit the contest to citizens and permanent legal residents, why not ask that question as a "yes/no"? Then, they could ask more specific questions of the winners, right? Instead, Google's wants every child's city of birth upfront? That's really necessary?</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Maybe the kids should all just say, "Springfield."<br />
----------<br />
Update (2/23/11, 8:30pmET):<br />
A follow-up clarification came from a Google spokesperson:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: black;">To be clear, all data concerning students that is collected by Doodle 4 Google is used only to administer the contest. We received this information on paper because parents who downloaded the original Parent Consent form had to print it, fill it out, and mail it to us. The last 4 digits of the social security number were not entered into our contest records, and as indicated, any forms containing this information will be safely discarded. </span><span style="color: black;">We have asked for city of birth all 4 years of the contest to date, as it helps us determine eligibility. For example, if the city is not in the U.S., we can flag it for possible future follow-up. The question also gives us a higher degree of confidence at this early stage that an actual parent or guardian is completing the form (it's easier to check 'Yes' than to know an actual city of birth). As indicated previously, this information is not used for any other purpose. </span></blockquote><br />
<span style="color: white;">Bob Bowdon</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-bowdon/why-has-google-been-colle_b_825754.html"><strong><span style="color: white;">Huffington Post</span></strong></a><br />
<span style="color: white;">Feb 24, 2011</span></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-75340353153149684862011-02-23T21:42:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:42:46.781-08:00Electronic banking conspiracy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li><span style="color: black;">The <i>Theory of Electronic Conspiracy</i> is said to be a variant of modern New World Order conspiracy theories. The theory consists of the belief that a secret group has attempted for centuries to reach world domination, even if the result by design would be world destruction. According to this theory, the worldwide dominion has been planned from antiquity and follows the following phases:<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-67"><span>[</span>68<span>]</span></a></sup> </span></li>
</ul><ol><li><i><span style="color: black;">The substitution of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precious_metal"><span style="color: black;">precious metal</span></a><span style="color: black;">-based coin </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency"><span style="color: black;">currency</span></a><span style="color: black;"> by paper currency</span></i><span style="color: black;">. This process began in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance"><span style="color: black;">Renaissance</span></a><span style="color: black;">, with the beginning of the use of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticket_(admission)" title="Ticket (admission)"><span style="color: black;">tickets</span></a><span style="color: black;"> which allowed for people to have a tangible good (such as </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver"><span style="color: black;">silver</span></a><span style="color: black;"> or gold pieces) by paper—a more virtual, but comfortable, medium which the state was committed to provide the equivalent amount of precious metal if such was required. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><i>The appearance of virtual money</i>, with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card" title="Credit card"><span style="color: black;">credit cards</span></a><span style="color: black;">: money approaches wholly virtual status. Money is no longer a tangible paper- or metal-based object but rather a series of numbers recorded in magnetic stripes. </span></li>
<li><i><span style="color: black;">The proliferation of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet"><span style="color: black;">Internet</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_commerce"><span style="color: black;">Electronic commerce</span></a></i><span style="color: black;">: credit cards are no longer required in order to purchase or sell </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goods_and_services"><span style="color: black;">goods and services</span></a><span style="color: black;"> from an Internet-connected computer. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><i>The concentration of the worldwide bank into few hands</i>, by means of continuous </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_bankers" title="International bankers"><span style="color: black;">international banking</span></a><span style="color: black;"> fusions. </span></li>
<li><i><span style="color: black;">The worldwide implementation of an </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_identity_card"><span style="color: black;">electronic identity card</span></a></i><span style="color: black;">. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: black;"><i>The great worldwide blackout</i>. A tremendous disaster will take place when, after a great electrical </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackout"><span style="color: black;">blackout</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on a planetary scale, the data of all electronic accounts erase simultaneously. After this event, chaos and poverty will immediately ensue throughout the planet; and civilization will revert to its primitive forms of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery"><span style="color: black;">slavery</span></a><span style="color: black;"> to survive. This is the last aim of the "secret organization" which has spent centuries guiding this process. The worldwide blackout will be preceded by partial blackouts that would only be tests and "signals" to communicate that different phases of the process are being fulfilled. An example of these partial blackouts would be those that have been produced almost simultaneously in different parts around the world; and, at the beginning of the 21st century, shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks: the blackouts in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Wikipedia)</span></span></li>
</ol></div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-91548014662141739182011-02-23T21:28:00.000-08:002011-02-23T21:31:03.894-08:00Global Warming Hoax<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">The suggestion of a conspiracy to promote the theory of global warming was put forward in a 1990 documentary <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greenhouse_Conspiracy"><span style="color: black;">The Greenhouse Conspiracy</span></a></i> broadcast by </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Four" title="Channel Four"><span style="color: black;">Channel Four</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom"><span style="color: black;">United Kingdom</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on 12 August 1990. The program was part of the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox_(television)" title="Equinox (television)"><span style="color: black;">Equinox</span></a><span style="color: black;"> series,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Equinox_0-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-Equinox-0">[1]</a></sup> and it asserted that scientists critical of global warming theory were denied funding.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-5">[6]</a></sup> Although the program uses the word conspiracy in its title, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Michaels"><span style="color: black;">Patrick Michaels</span></a><span style="color: black;"> downplayed the idea, saying, "It may not quite add up to a conspiracy, but certainly a coalition of interests has promoted the greenhouse theory; scientists have needed funds, the media a story, and governments a worthy cause".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Transcript_of_The_Greenhouse_Conspiracy_6-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-Transcript_of_The_Greenhouse_Conspiracy-6">[7]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In a speech given to the US Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works on July 28, 2003, entitled "The Science of Climate Change",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Inhofe_7-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-Inhofe-7">[8]</a></sup> Senator </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Inhofe" title="James Inhofe"><span style="color: black;">James Inhofe</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (R-Okla) concluded by asking the following question: "With all of the hysteria, all of the fear, all of the phony science, could it be that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people?" Inhofe has suggested that supporters of the Kyoto Protocol such as </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Chirac"><span style="color: black;">Jacques Chirac</span></a><span style="color: black;"> are aiming at </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_governance"><span style="color: black;">global governance</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-8">[9]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A <i><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Post" title="Washington Post"><span style="color: black;">Washington Post</span></a></i> article describing the views of </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_skeptics" title="Global warming skeptics"><span style="color: black;">global warming skeptics</span></a><span style="color: black;"> quotes retired hurricane researcher </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Gray"><span style="color: black;">William M. Gray</span></a><span style="color: black;"> as having "his own conspiracy theory," saying, "He has made a list of 15 reasons for the global warming hysteria. The list includes the need to come up with an enemy after the end of the Cold War, and the desire among scientists, government leaders and environmentalists to find a political cause that would enable them to 'organize, propagandize, force conformity and exercise political influence. Big </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_government"><span style="color: black;">world government</span></a><span style="color: black;"> could best lead (and control) us to a better world!'" In this article, Gray also cites the ascendancy of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore"><span style="color: black;">Al Gore</span></a><span style="color: black;"> to the vice presidency as the start of his problems with federal funding. According to him, the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration"><span style="color: black;">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</span></a><span style="color: black;"> stopped giving him research grants, and so did </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA"><span style="color: black;">NASA</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-9">[10]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The March 1, 2007 issue of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower_(magazine)" title="Whistleblower (magazine)"><span style="color: black;">Whistleblower</span></a></i><span style="color: black;"> </span>magazine, a publication of the conservative </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldNetDaily"><span style="color: black;">WorldNetDaily</span></a><span style="color: black;"> website, is titled "HYSTERIA: Exposing the secret agenda behind today's obsession with global warming," and asserts that "all the main players –- from politicians and scientists to big corporations and the United Nations –- benefit from instilling fear into billions of human beings over the unproven theory of man-made global warming".</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Commenting on criticism of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavoisier_Group"><span style="color: black;">Lavoisier Group</span></a><span style="color: black;"> by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Hamilton"><span style="color: black;">Clive Hamilton</span></a><span style="color: black;">, the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooler_Heads_Coalition"><span style="color: black;">Cooler Heads Coalition</span></a><span style="color: black;"> notes that "Hamilton accuses the Lavoisier Group of painting the UN's global warming negotiations as "an elaborate conspiracy in which hundreds of climate scientists have twisted their results to support the 'climate change theory' in order to protect their research funding" and adds, "Sounds plausible to us."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-10">[11]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Retired </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography"><span style="color: black;">geography</span></a><span style="color: black;"> professor </span><a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tim_Ball&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Tim Ball (page does not exist)"><span style="color: black;">Tim Ball</span></a><span style="color: black;"> wrote in a February 2007 interview, "You’ve got this incestuous little group that is controlling the whole process both through their publications and the IPCC. I’m not a conspiracy theorist and I hate being even pushed toward that, but I think there is a consensus conspiracy that’s going on." <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-humanevents.com_11-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-humanevents.com-11">[12]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">A 2007 Minority Report of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Committee_on_Environment_and_Public_Works"><span style="color: black;">United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (updated in 2009) originally citing support of 400 "dissenting scientists", and growing to 700 dissenting scientists. The report challenges man-made global warming claims made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former Vice President Al Gore.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-U.S._Senate_Committee_on_Environment_Public_Works_12-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-U.S._Senate_Committee_on_Environment_Public_Works-12">[13]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In 2009 conservative journalist James Delingpole wrote of a powerful and very extensive body of vested interests opposed to geologist Ian Plimer..."governments like President Obama’s, which intend to use ‘global warming’ as an excuse for greater taxation, regulation and protectionism; energy companies and investors who stand to make a fortune from scams like carbon trading; charitable bodies like Greenpeace which depend for their funding on public anxiety; environmental correspondents who need constantly to talk up the threat to justify their jobs.".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-13">[14]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_LaRouche"><span style="color: black;">Lyndon LaRouche</span></a><span style="color: black;"> organization claims that a scientific conference in 1975 was the origin of the "Global Warming Hoax"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-14"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-14">[15]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-15">[16]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Former journalist </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Monckton,_3rd_Viscount_Monckton_of_Brenchley" title="Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley"><span style="color: black;">Lord Monckton</span></a><span style="color: black;"> claims that the draft agreement for the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference_2009" title="United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009"><span style="color: black;">United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009</span></a><span style="color: black;"> would establish a communist world government. This claim has been endorsed by the right-wing<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-16">[17]</a></sup> Australian opinion columnist </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Albrechtsen"><span style="color: black;">Janet Albrechtsen</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming_conspiracy_theory#cite_note-17">[18]</a></sup> Monckton also appeared in an episode of <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_Theory_with_Jesse_Ventura"><span style="color: black;">Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura</span></a></i>, in which he stated that a scientific paper submitted to the IPCC did not include the criticizing peer reviews, which were deliberately omitted.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
(Wikipedia)</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-70977301107448656832011-02-23T21:24:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:31:25.791-08:00New World Order<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">This conspiracy theory states that a small group of international </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite" title="Elite"><span style="color: black;">elites</span></a><span style="color: black;"> controls and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_manipulation" title="Psychological manipulation"><span style="color: black;">manipulates</span></a><span style="color: black;"> governments, industry, and media organizations worldwide. The primary tool they use to dominate nations is the system of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_bank" title="Central bank"><span style="color: black;">central banking</span></a><span style="color: black;">. They are said to have funded and in some cases caused most of the major wars of the last 200 years, carry out </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag"><span style="color: black;">false flag</span></a><span style="color: black;"> attacks to manipulate populations into supporting them, and they have a grip on the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_economy"><span style="color: black;">world economy</span></a><span style="color: black;">, deliberately causing </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation"><span style="color: black;">inflation</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_(economics)" title="Depression (economics)"><span style="color: black;">depressions</span></a><span style="color: black;"> at will. Operatives working for the New World Order are said to be placed in high positions in government and industry. The people behind the New World Order are thought to be international bankers, in particular the owners of the private banks in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System"><span style="color: black;">Federal Reserve System</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and other central banks, and members of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Foreign_Relations"><span style="color: black;">Council on Foreign Relations</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateral_Commission"><span style="color: black;">Trilateral Commission</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderberg_Group"><span style="color: black;">Bilderberg Group</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-0">[1]</a></sup> The New World Order is also said to control supranational and global organizations such as the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union"><span style="color: black;">European Union</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations"><span style="color: black;">United Nations</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank"><span style="color: black;">World Bank</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Monetary_Fund"><span style="color: black;">International Monetary Fund</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and the proposed </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Union"><span style="color: black;">North American Union</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The term gained popularity following its use in the early 1990s, first by President </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush"><span style="color: black;">George H. W. Bush</span></a><span style="color: black;"> when he referred to his "dream of a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_world_order_(politics)" title="New world order (politics)"><span style="color: black;">New World Order</span></a><span style="color: black;">" in his speech to the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress"><span style="color: black;">United States Congress</span></a><span style="color: black;"> on September 11, 1990, and second by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rockefeller"><span style="color: black;">David Rockefeller</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in a statement to the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations"><span style="color: black;">United Nations</span></a><span style="color: black;"> Business Council in September 1994, sometimes cited as evidence that the New World Order had a motive for carrying out the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11,_2001,_attacks" title="September 11, 2001, attacks"><span style="color: black;">September 11, 2001, attacks</span></a><span style="color: black;">:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: black;">"We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-1">[2]</a></sup></span></blockquote><span style="color: black;">The concept of this shadow government predates 1990; it is accused of being the same group of people who, among other things, created the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Act"><span style="color: black;">Federal Reserve Act</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (1913), supported the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_Revolution" title="Bolshevik Revolution"><span style="color: black;">Bolshevik Revolution</span></a><span style="color: black;"> (1917), and supported the rise of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party"><span style="color: black;">Nazi Party</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in Germany, all for their own agenda.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-2">[3]</a></sup> The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bank"><span style="color: black;">World Bank</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and national </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_banks" title="Central banks"><span style="color: black;">central banks</span></a><span style="color: black;"> are said to be the tools of the New World Order; war generates massive profits for central banks because government spending (hence borrowing at interest from the central banks) increases dramatically in times of war.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-3">[4]</a></sup> Many conspiracy theorists believe that </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver_International_Airport"><span style="color: black;">Denver International Airport</span></a><span style="color: black;"> is the western U.S. headquarters of the New World Order, and a massive underground base and city is believed to exist underneath the airport. Reasons for this include the airport's unusually large size (larger than some major cities), distance from the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver"><span style="color: black;">Denver</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado"><span style="color: black;">Colorado</span></a><span style="color: black;"> city center, and the set of bizarre murals depicting burning cities, gas-mask wearing soldiers, girls in coffins, </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic" title="Masonic"><span style="color: black;">Masonic</span></a><span style="color: black;"> symbols and strange writing.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories#cite_note-4">[5]</a></sup> It is believed that secret fleets of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_helicopter" title="Black helicopter"><span style="color: black;">black helicopters</span></a><span style="color: black;"> are ready to take control when the New World Order is set up.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
(Wikipedia)</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-25029814542972330012011-02-23T21:16:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:32:04.217-08:00ideology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;">An <b>ideology</b> is a set of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idea" title="Idea"><span style="color: black;">ideas</span></a><span style="color: black;"> that constitutes one's goals, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expectation_(epistemic)" title="Expectation (epistemic)"><span style="color: black;">expectations</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_theory_(philosophy)" title="Action theory (philosophy)"><span style="color: black;">actions</span></a><span style="color: black;">. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things (compare </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldview" title="Worldview"><span style="color: black;">worldview</span></a><span style="color: black;">), as in common sense (see </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology#In_everyday_society"><span style="color: black;">Ideology in everyday society</span></a><span style="color: black;"> below) and several </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical" title="Philosophical"><span style="color: black;">philosophical</span></a><span style="color: black;"> tendencies (see </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideology#Political_ideologies"><span style="color: black;">Political ideologies</span></a><span style="color: black;">), or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society (a "received consciousness" or product of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialization"><span style="color: black;">socialization</span></a><span style="color: black;">). The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer either change in society, or adherence to a set of ideals where conformity already exists, through a normative thought process. Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to public matters and thus make this concept central to politics. Implicitly every political tendency entails an ideology whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of thought. It is how society sees things.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
(Wikipedia)</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-28648583400971620362011-02-23T21:14:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:32:33.205-08:00Politics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Politics</strong> (from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language"><span style="color: black;">Greek</span></a><span style="color: black;"> <i>πολιτικός</i>, "of, for, or relating to citizens"), is a process by which groups of people make </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_decision_making" title="Group decision making"><span style="color: black;">collective decisions</span></a><span style="color: black;">. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs. It also refers to behavior within civil </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government" title="Government"><span style="color: black;">governments</span></a><span style="color: black;">. However, politics have been observed in other group interactions, including </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation" title="Corporation"><span style="color: black;">corporate</span></a><span style="color: black;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academia" title="Academia"><span style="color: black;">academic</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion" title="Religion"><span style="color: black;">religious</span></a><span style="color: black;"> institutions. It consists of "social relations involving </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority"><span style="color: black;">authority</span></a><span style="color: black;"> or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_(philosophy)" title="Power (philosophy)"><span style="color: black;">power</span></a><span style="color: black;">"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociopolitical#cite_note-0">[1]</a></sup> and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociopolitical#cite_note-1">[2]</a></sup> and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy"><span style="color: black;">policy</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-freedict_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociopolitical#cite_note-freedict-2">[</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></sup></span><br />
(Wikipedia)</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5512313524453395640.post-15331633252937937662011-02-23T21:12:00.001-08:002011-02-23T21:32:59.727-08:00Communism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="color: black;"><b>Communism</b> is a </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociopolitical" title="Sociopolitical"><span style="color: black;">sociopolitical</span></a><span style="color: black;"> movement that aims for a </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classless" title="Classless"><span style="color: black;">classless</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stateless_society" title="Stateless society"><span style="color: black;">stateless</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society"><span style="color: black;">society</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_and_superstructure" title="Base and superstructure"><span style="color: black;">structured</span></a><span style="color: black;"> upon </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ownership"><span style="color: black;">common ownership</span></a><span style="color: black;"> of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Means_of_production"><span style="color: black;">means of production</span></a><span style="color: black;">, free access to articles of consumption, and the end of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_labour"><span style="color: black;">wage labour</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_property"><span style="color: black;">private property</span></a><span style="color: black;"> in the means of production and real estate.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-columbia_0-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_economy#cite_note-columbia-0">[1]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism" title="Marxism"><span style="color: black;">Marxist theory</span></a><span style="color: black;">, communism is a specific stage of historical development that inevitably emerges from the development of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Productive_forces"><span style="color: black;">productive forces</span></a><span style="color: black;"> that leads to a superabundance of material wealth, allowing for </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_each_according_to_his_ability,_to_each_according_to_his_need" title="From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"><span style="color: black;">distribution based on need</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and social relations based on </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_association_(communism_and_anarchism)" title="Free association (communism and anarchism)"><span style="color: black;">freely-associated individuals</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_economy#cite_note-1">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_economy#cite_note-2">[3]</a></sup></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">The exact definition of communism varies, and it is often mistakenly used interchangeably with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism"><span style="color: black;">socialism</span></a><span style="color: black;">; however, Marxist theory contends that socialism is just a transitional stage on the way to communism. </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leninism" title="Leninism"><span style="color: black;">Leninists</span></a><span style="color: black;"> revised this theory by introducing the notion of a vanguard party to lead the proletarian revolution and to hold all political power after the revolution in a transitional stage between capitalism and socialism. Some communists, such as </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_communist" title="Council communist"><span style="color: black;">council communists</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and non-Marxist </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarian_communist" title="Libertarian communist"><span style="color: black;">libertarian communists</span></a><span style="color: black;"> and </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho-communist" title="Anarcho-communist"><span style="color: black;">anarcho-communists</span></a><span style="color: black;">, oppose the idea of a vanguard party and transition stage and advocate for the construction of full communism to begin immediately upon the abolition of capitalism.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">In the modern lexicon of what many sociologists and political commentators refer to as the "political mainstream", communism is often used to refer to the policies of states run by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_party" title="Communist party"><span style="color: black;">Communist parties</span></a><span style="color: black;">, regardless of the practical content of the actual </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_system"><span style="color: black;">economic system</span></a><span style="color: black;"> they may preside over. Examples of this include the policies of the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Vietnam" title="Socialist Republic of Vietnam"><span style="color: black;">Socialist Republic of Vietnam</span></a><span style="color: black;"> where the economic system incorporates "</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_moi" title="Doi moi"><span style="color: black;">doi moi</span></a><span style="color: black;">", the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Republic_of_China"><span style="color: black;">People's Republic of China</span></a><span style="color: black;"> where the economic system incorporates "</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism_with_Chinese_Characteristics" title="Socialism with Chinese Characteristics"><span style="color: black;">Socialism with Chinese Characteristics</span></a><span style="color: black;">", and the economic system of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union"><span style="color: black;">Soviet Union</span></a><span style="color: black;"> which was described as "</span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_capitalist" title="State capitalist"><span style="color: black;">State capitalist</span></a><span style="color: black;">" by </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Lenin"><span style="color: black;">Vladimir Lenin</span></a><span style="color: black;">.<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
(Wikipedia)</div>Joshua Webbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849252833253409539noreply@blogger.com0