Family: New Jersey man serving 7 years for guns he owned legally | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/30/2010
EVERYTHING Brian Aitken was or had worked for was wiped away one winter afternoon after his mother called the police on him.
Separated from his wife, the entrepreneur and media consultant, now 27, had moved back home to New Jersey from Colorado toward the end of 2008 to be closer to their young son.
In between jobs, his well-oiled life was running ragged, and on Jan. 2, 2009, when his ex canceled his visit with their son, he became distraught, muttered something to his mother, and left his parents' home in Mount Laurel, N.J.
"He said something that scared her, things that a guy will only say to his mom, like . . . 'Life's not worth living anymore,' " said Larry Aitken, Brian's father.
Sue Aitken, a trained social worker, decided to play it safe and called police, but she hung up before the 9-1-1 dispatcher could answer. Police traced the call and showed up anyway, and found two handguns in the trunk of Brian's car. And now Brian, her middle child, a graduate student with no prior criminal record, is serving a seven-year prison sentence for weapons charges.
No one blames Sue Aitken for Brian's arrest, except herself maybe, but his father and attorney claim that the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and the former Superior Court judge who tried the case ignored evidence that proved Brian had the guns legally. The family has asked New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for clemency and has garnered a great deal of support on a "Free Brian Aitken" Facebook page and among gun-rights advocates.
Aitken and his supporters believe that he had a legal exemption to have the handguns in his car because he was moving from his parents' home to a residence in Hoboken.
"This case is the perfect storm of injustice," said Aitken's attorney, Evan Nappen, of Eatontown, Monmouth County, who specializes in gun laws.
The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and former Superior Court Judge James Morley said Aitken and his legal team tried during closing arguments to raise an issue related to Aitken's moving that wasn't presented during the trial, but Morley wouldn't consider it. Aitken remains in prison pending his appeal.
A few weeks after Aitken's trial over the summer, Morley learned that Christie was not going to reappoint him, due in part to a 2009 case in which he dismissed animal-cruelty charges against a Moorestown cop accused of sticking his penis into the mouths of five calves. Morley said there was no way of knowing whether the calves had been "puzzled" or "tormented" by the officer's actions.
Nappen thinks the animal-cruelty case exemplifies poor decision-making by Morley.
"Brian didn't receive oral sex from calves; he only lawfully possessed firearms," Nappen said.
A spokesman for Christie acknowledged that his office had received clemency requests for Aitken, but declined to comment further.
Handguns in a duffel bag
When Mount Laurel police arrived at the Aitkens' home on Jan. 2, 2009, they called Brian - who was driving to Hoboken - and asked him to return to his parents' home because they were worried. When he arrived, the cops checked his Honda Civic and, inside the trunk, in a box stuffed into a duffel bag with clothes, they found two handguns, both locked and unloaded as New Jersey law requires.
Aitken had passed an FBI background check to buy them in Colorado when he lived there, his father said, and had contacted New Jersey State Police and discussed the proper way to transport them.
"He bought them at Bass Pro Shops, for God's sake, not some guy named Tony on the street corner," his father said.
New Jersey and Colorado are on opposite ends of the gun-control spectrum. In Colorado, all he needed was the background check to own the guns.
In the Garden State, Aitken was required to have a purchaser's permit from New Jersey to own the guns and a carry permit to have them in his car.
He also was charged with having "large capacity" magazines and hollow-point bullets, which one state gun-control advocate found troubling.
"What little I can glean about the transportation issue leaves me puzzled, but a person with common sense would not be moving illegal products from one place to another by car," said Bryan Miller, executive director of CeaseFire NJ, an organization devoted to reducing gun violence.
"If Mr. Aitken did the research he said he did, he would not have hollow-point bullets and large-capacity magazines in the vehicle," Miller said. "They are illegal, period."
New Jersey allows exemptions for gun owners to transport weapons for hunting or if they are moving from one residence to another. During the trial, Aitken's mother testified that her son was moving things out, and his friend in Hoboken testified he was moving things in. A Mount Laurel officer, according to Larry Aitken, testified that he saw boxes of dishes and clothes in the Honda Civic on the day of the arrest.
The exemption statute, according to the prosecutor's office, specifies that legal guns can be transported "while moving." Despite testimony about his moving to Hoboken, a spokesman for the prosecutor said the evidence suggested that Aitken had moved months earlier, from Colorado to Mount Laurel. "Again, there was no evidence that he was then presently moving," spokesman Joel Bewley said.
After Nappen raised the moving-exemption issue, he said, the jury asked Judge Morley for the exemption statute several times and he refused to hand it over to them. Morley, in a phone interview, echoed the sentiments of the prosecutor's office.
"My recollection of the case is that I ruled he had not presented evidence sufficient to justify giving the jury the charge on the affirmative offense that he was in the process of moving," Morley said.
Morley declined to comment further.
Aitken, who did not testify, was convicted and in August sentenced to prison. His father said that his son was involved in an "incident" after arriving in prison but that he doesn't discuss it.
"This is the most normal, everyday, All-American regular kid, and for this to happen to him is a disgrace," Larry Aitken said. "It's a disgrace of society."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Food Crisis Of 2011 - Great Speculations - Buys, holds, and hopes - Forbes
The Food Crisis Of 2011 - Great Speculations - Buys, holds, and hopes - Forbes
Within this tale lie several lessons you can put to work to make money. And it’s best to get started soon, because if you think your grocery bill is already high, you ain’t seen nothing yet. In fact, we could be just one supply shock away from a full-blown food crisis that would make the price spikes of 2008 look like a happy memory.
Fact is, the food crisis of 2008 never really went away.
True, food riots didn’t break out in poor countries during 2009 and warehouse stores like Costco didn’t ration 20-pound bags of rice…but supply remained tight.
Prices for basic foodstuffs like corn and wheat remain below their 2008 highs. But they’re a lot higher than they were before “the food crisis of 2008” took hold. Here’s what’s happened to some key farm commodities so far in 2010…
•Corn: Up 63%
•Wheat: Up 84%
•Soybeans: Up 24%
•Sugar: Up 55%
What was a slow and steady increase much of the year has gone into overdrive since late summer. Blame it on two factors…
•Aug. 5: A failed wheat harvest prompted Russia to ban grain exports through the end of the year. Later in August, the ban was extended through the end of 2011. Drought has wrecked the harvest in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan – home to a quarter of world production
•Oct. 8: For a second month running, the Agriculture Department cut its forecast for US corn production. The USDA predicts a 3.4% decline from last year. Damage done by Midwestern floods in June was made worse by hot, dry weather in August.
America’s been blessed with year after year of “record harvests,” depending on how you measure it. So when crisis hits elsewhere in the world, the burden of keeping the world fed falls on America’s shoulders.
According to Soren Schroder, CEO of the food conglomerate Bunge North America, US grain production has filled critical gaps in world supply three times in the last five years, including this summer…
•In 2010, when drought hit Russian wheat
•In 2009, when drought hit Argentine soybeans
•In 2007–08, when drought hit Australian wheat
So what happens when those “record harvests” no longer materialize?
In September, the US Department of Agriculture estimated that global grain “carryover stocks” – the amount in the world’s silos and stockpiles when the next harvest begins – totaled 432 million tons.
That translates to 70 days of consumption. A month earlier, it was 71 days. The month before that, 72. At this rate, come next spring, we’ll be down to just 64 days – the figure reached in 2007 that touched off the food crisis of 2008.
But what happens if the U.S. scenario is worse than a “nonrecord” harvest? What if there’s a Russia-scale crop failure here at home?
“When we have the first serious crop failure, which will happen,” says farm commodity expert Don Coxe, “we will then have a full-blown food crisis” – one far worse than 2008.
Coxe has studied the sector for more than 35 years as a strategist for BMO Financial Group. He says it didn’t have to come to this. “We’ve got a situation where there has been no incentive to allocate significant new capital to agriculture or to develop new technologies to dramatically expand crop output.”
“We’ve got complacency,” he sums up. “So for those reasons, I believe the next food crisis – when it comes – will be a bigger shock than $150 oil.”
A recent report from HSBC isn’t quite so alarming…unless you read between the lines. “World agricultural markets,” it says, “have become so finely balanced between supply and demand that local disruptions can have a major impact on the global prices of the affected commodities and then reverberate throughout the entire food chain.”
That was the story in 2008. It’s becoming the story again now. It may go away in a few weeks or a few months. But it won’t go away for good. It’ll keep coming back…for decades.
There’s nothing you or I can do to change it. So we might as well “hedge” our rising food costs by investing in the very commodities whose prices are rising now…and will keep rising for years to come.
“While investor eyes are focused on the gold price as it touches new highs,” reads a report from Japan’s Nomura Securities, “the acceleration in global food price is unrestrained. We continue to believe that soft commodities will outperform base and precious metals in the future.”
So how do you do it? As recently as 2006, the only way Main Street investors could play the trend was to buy commodity futures. It was complicated. It involved swimming in the same pool with the trading desks of the big commercial banks. And it usually involved buying on margin – that is, borrowing money from the brokerage. If the market went against you, you’d lose even more than your initial investment.
Nowadays, an exchange-traded fund can do the heavy lifting for you, no margin required. The name of the fund is the PowerShares DB Agriculture ETF (DBA).
There are at least a half-dozen ETFs that aim to profit when grain prices rise. We like DBA the best because it’s easy to understand. It’s based on the performance of the Deutsche Bank Agriculture Index, which is composed of the following:
•Corn 12.5%
•Soybeans 12.5%
•Wheat 12.5%
•Sugar 12.5%
•Cocoa 11.1%
•Coffee 11.1%
•Cotton 2.8%
•Live Cattle 12.5%
•Feeder Cattle 4.2%
•Lean Hogs 8.3%
So you have a mix here of 50% America’s staple crops of corn, beans, wheat and sugar…25% beef and pork…and 25% cocoa, coffee and cotton. It might not be a balanced diet (especially the cotton), but it makes for a good balance of assets within your first foray into “ag” investing.
The meat weighting in here looks especially attractive compared to some of DBA’s competitors, which are more geared to the grains. It takes about six months for higher grain prices to translate to higher cattle and hog prices.
You can capture that potential upside right now…and you’ll be glad you did when you sit down to a good steak dinner a few months down the line. After all, it’s going to cost you more.
Within this tale lie several lessons you can put to work to make money. And it’s best to get started soon, because if you think your grocery bill is already high, you ain’t seen nothing yet. In fact, we could be just one supply shock away from a full-blown food crisis that would make the price spikes of 2008 look like a happy memory.
Fact is, the food crisis of 2008 never really went away.
True, food riots didn’t break out in poor countries during 2009 and warehouse stores like Costco didn’t ration 20-pound bags of rice…but supply remained tight.
Prices for basic foodstuffs like corn and wheat remain below their 2008 highs. But they’re a lot higher than they were before “the food crisis of 2008” took hold. Here’s what’s happened to some key farm commodities so far in 2010…
•Corn: Up 63%
•Wheat: Up 84%
•Soybeans: Up 24%
•Sugar: Up 55%
What was a slow and steady increase much of the year has gone into overdrive since late summer. Blame it on two factors…
•Aug. 5: A failed wheat harvest prompted Russia to ban grain exports through the end of the year. Later in August, the ban was extended through the end of 2011. Drought has wrecked the harvest in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan – home to a quarter of world production
•Oct. 8: For a second month running, the Agriculture Department cut its forecast for US corn production. The USDA predicts a 3.4% decline from last year. Damage done by Midwestern floods in June was made worse by hot, dry weather in August.
America’s been blessed with year after year of “record harvests,” depending on how you measure it. So when crisis hits elsewhere in the world, the burden of keeping the world fed falls on America’s shoulders.
According to Soren Schroder, CEO of the food conglomerate Bunge North America, US grain production has filled critical gaps in world supply three times in the last five years, including this summer…
•In 2010, when drought hit Russian wheat
•In 2009, when drought hit Argentine soybeans
•In 2007–08, when drought hit Australian wheat
So what happens when those “record harvests” no longer materialize?
In September, the US Department of Agriculture estimated that global grain “carryover stocks” – the amount in the world’s silos and stockpiles when the next harvest begins – totaled 432 million tons.
That translates to 70 days of consumption. A month earlier, it was 71 days. The month before that, 72. At this rate, come next spring, we’ll be down to just 64 days – the figure reached in 2007 that touched off the food crisis of 2008.
But what happens if the U.S. scenario is worse than a “nonrecord” harvest? What if there’s a Russia-scale crop failure here at home?
“When we have the first serious crop failure, which will happen,” says farm commodity expert Don Coxe, “we will then have a full-blown food crisis” – one far worse than 2008.
Coxe has studied the sector for more than 35 years as a strategist for BMO Financial Group. He says it didn’t have to come to this. “We’ve got a situation where there has been no incentive to allocate significant new capital to agriculture or to develop new technologies to dramatically expand crop output.”
“We’ve got complacency,” he sums up. “So for those reasons, I believe the next food crisis – when it comes – will be a bigger shock than $150 oil.”
A recent report from HSBC isn’t quite so alarming…unless you read between the lines. “World agricultural markets,” it says, “have become so finely balanced between supply and demand that local disruptions can have a major impact on the global prices of the affected commodities and then reverberate throughout the entire food chain.”
That was the story in 2008. It’s becoming the story again now. It may go away in a few weeks or a few months. But it won’t go away for good. It’ll keep coming back…for decades.
There’s nothing you or I can do to change it. So we might as well “hedge” our rising food costs by investing in the very commodities whose prices are rising now…and will keep rising for years to come.
“While investor eyes are focused on the gold price as it touches new highs,” reads a report from Japan’s Nomura Securities, “the acceleration in global food price is unrestrained. We continue to believe that soft commodities will outperform base and precious metals in the future.”
So how do you do it? As recently as 2006, the only way Main Street investors could play the trend was to buy commodity futures. It was complicated. It involved swimming in the same pool with the trading desks of the big commercial banks. And it usually involved buying on margin – that is, borrowing money from the brokerage. If the market went against you, you’d lose even more than your initial investment.
Nowadays, an exchange-traded fund can do the heavy lifting for you, no margin required. The name of the fund is the PowerShares DB Agriculture ETF (DBA).
There are at least a half-dozen ETFs that aim to profit when grain prices rise. We like DBA the best because it’s easy to understand. It’s based on the performance of the Deutsche Bank Agriculture Index, which is composed of the following:
•Corn 12.5%
•Soybeans 12.5%
•Wheat 12.5%
•Sugar 12.5%
•Cocoa 11.1%
•Coffee 11.1%
•Cotton 2.8%
•Live Cattle 12.5%
•Feeder Cattle 4.2%
•Lean Hogs 8.3%
So you have a mix here of 50% America’s staple crops of corn, beans, wheat and sugar…25% beef and pork…and 25% cocoa, coffee and cotton. It might not be a balanced diet (especially the cotton), but it makes for a good balance of assets within your first foray into “ag” investing.
The meat weighting in here looks especially attractive compared to some of DBA’s competitors, which are more geared to the grains. It takes about six months for higher grain prices to translate to higher cattle and hog prices.
You can capture that potential upside right now…and you’ll be glad you did when you sit down to a good steak dinner a few months down the line. After all, it’s going to cost you more.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Bee Pollen - Eat to prolong longevity and reverse nutritional deficiencies
Bee Pollen - Eat to prolong longevity and reverse nutritional deficiencies
(NaturalNews) Bee pollen can be described as one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It has been referred to as a "Nature`s fountain of youth" because it provides so many health benefits. It may even be a cure for certain health problems.
Bee pollen has been used for thousands of years. It was used by the early Egyptian and Chinese civilizations. It was also used by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, 2500 years ago.
Bee pollen is made from plant pollen, a dust sized seed found on the stamen or male reproductive organ, of all flowers. As bees collect nectar from flowers, the pollen sticks to their legs. Bee pollen looks like tiny yellow, tan, orange, and brown balls. The taste can vary depending on what type of plant it comes from. It can be bitter or can have a sweet, nutty flavor.
One of the most amazing things about bee pollen is that it contains all of the nutrients that you need to live. Some studies have shown that mice only fed bee pollen showed no signs of malnourishment. Bee pollen consists of 55% carbohydrates, 35% protein, 3% vitamins and minerals, 2% fatty acids, and 5% other substances. It also contains 14.2% fiber. Bee pollen contains 5 to 7 times the amino acids found in equal weights of beef, milk, eggs or cheese. It is also very high in Vitamin B-complex, which is needed in order to help the body function correctly, and several antioxidants including lycopene, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It also contains lecithin, which has been shown to normalize cholesterol and triglycerides, and it decreases LDL cholesterol, the "bad cholesterol," and increases HDL cholesterol, the "good cholesterol."
Bee pollen offers many benefits:
1. It increases energy levels, most likely due to its high concentration of B vitamins, protein, and amino acids. You may feel a significant increase in your energy levels right away, and it will also improve your stamina and endurance.
2. It may help with weight loss. It contains lecithin, which helps to remove fat from the body and also increases metabolism (or the rate that your body burns fat). Bee pollen also has some diuretic capabilities, which help to decrease food cravings and hunger pangs. This also helps with weight loss.
3. It may help decrease allergy symptoms, and the frequency and severity of asthma attacks may also be reduced. By reducing the amount of histamine the body releases, the body`s allergic response may be stopped before it begins.
In addition to these benefits, bee pollen also is beneficial in improving your immune system, decreasing menstrual cramps, decreasing acne, helping wounds heal quicker, decreasing depression and fatigue, normalizing blood glucose levels, which can help prevent diabetes, improving migraine headaches, improving fertility in males and females, relieving prostate problems, helping with digestive problems, and increasing libido. By helping in all of these different areas, bee pollen may ultimately slow down the aging process. All it takes is 1 teaspoon a day to see a difference. It can also be applied topically as an ointment, which can help with skin problems.
[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]
Sources:
http://www.bee-pollen-health.com/
http://www.womens-health-fitness.co...
http://www.draperbee.com/info/beepo...
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030466_bee_pollen_longevity.html#ixzz16jN42XYP
(NaturalNews) Bee pollen can be described as one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. It has been referred to as a "Nature`s fountain of youth" because it provides so many health benefits. It may even be a cure for certain health problems.
Bee pollen has been used for thousands of years. It was used by the early Egyptian and Chinese civilizations. It was also used by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, 2500 years ago.
Bee pollen is made from plant pollen, a dust sized seed found on the stamen or male reproductive organ, of all flowers. As bees collect nectar from flowers, the pollen sticks to their legs. Bee pollen looks like tiny yellow, tan, orange, and brown balls. The taste can vary depending on what type of plant it comes from. It can be bitter or can have a sweet, nutty flavor.
One of the most amazing things about bee pollen is that it contains all of the nutrients that you need to live. Some studies have shown that mice only fed bee pollen showed no signs of malnourishment. Bee pollen consists of 55% carbohydrates, 35% protein, 3% vitamins and minerals, 2% fatty acids, and 5% other substances. It also contains 14.2% fiber. Bee pollen contains 5 to 7 times the amino acids found in equal weights of beef, milk, eggs or cheese. It is also very high in Vitamin B-complex, which is needed in order to help the body function correctly, and several antioxidants including lycopene, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It also contains lecithin, which has been shown to normalize cholesterol and triglycerides, and it decreases LDL cholesterol, the "bad cholesterol," and increases HDL cholesterol, the "good cholesterol."
Bee pollen offers many benefits:
1. It increases energy levels, most likely due to its high concentration of B vitamins, protein, and amino acids. You may feel a significant increase in your energy levels right away, and it will also improve your stamina and endurance.
2. It may help with weight loss. It contains lecithin, which helps to remove fat from the body and also increases metabolism (or the rate that your body burns fat). Bee pollen also has some diuretic capabilities, which help to decrease food cravings and hunger pangs. This also helps with weight loss.
3. It may help decrease allergy symptoms, and the frequency and severity of asthma attacks may also be reduced. By reducing the amount of histamine the body releases, the body`s allergic response may be stopped before it begins.
In addition to these benefits, bee pollen also is beneficial in improving your immune system, decreasing menstrual cramps, decreasing acne, helping wounds heal quicker, decreasing depression and fatigue, normalizing blood glucose levels, which can help prevent diabetes, improving migraine headaches, improving fertility in males and females, relieving prostate problems, helping with digestive problems, and increasing libido. By helping in all of these different areas, bee pollen may ultimately slow down the aging process. All it takes is 1 teaspoon a day to see a difference. It can also be applied topically as an ointment, which can help with skin problems.
[Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.]
Sources:
http://www.bee-pollen-health.com/
http://www.womens-health-fitness.co...
http://www.draperbee.com/info/beepo...
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030466_bee_pollen_longevity.html#ixzz16jN42XYP
Sunday, November 28, 2010
US Government seizure of the internet has begun; DHS takes over 76 websites
US Government seizure of the internet has begun; DHS takes over 76 websites
Mike Adams
Natural News
Nov 28, 2010
As part of a new expansion of government power over information, the Department of Homeland Security has begun seizing and shutting down internet websites (web domains) without due process or a proper trial. DHS simply seizes web domains that it wants to and posts an ominous “Department of Justice” logo on the web site. See an example at http://torrent-finder.com
Over 75 websites were seized and shut down last week, and there is no indication that the government will stop such efforts. Right now, their focus is websites that they claim “violate copyrights,” yet the torrent-finder.com website that was seized by DHS contained no copyrighted content whatsoever. It was merely a search engine website that linked to destinations where people could access copyrighted content. Google also links to copyrighted content — does that mean the feds will soon seize Google, too?
These seizures were conducted on the basis of language in the DMCA law, which is vastly overreaching in its powers (it was passed to appease the music recording industry and the RIAA). Even so, the U.S. Senate is right now considering passing yet another law — COICA — the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/…), a new law that would give the federal government even more power to shut down websites it opposed.
Read more about COICA here: http://www.usa-anti-communist.com/w…
And here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris…
Here’s the list of 19 US Senators who voted to censor the internet via the COICA bill: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20…
Government could shut down alternative health websites
Where is all this going? Today the U.S. government is targeting websites focused on copyright violations, but if the public tolerates this government-sponsored censorship of the web, it’s only a matter of time before these government powers are expanded to control the content of the internet.
Over the last few years, several U.S. Senators have already attempted to outlaw vitamins and nutritional supplements. One lawmaker even suggested that “alternative health” information should be outlawed on the internet in order to “protect” people from information that isn’t aligned with the drugs-and-surgery approach to sick care. It’s only a matter of time, it seems, before the U.S. government uses its new power of seizing internet websites as an information warfare weapon to silence anyone who opposes FDA and the Big Pharma agenda.
In fact, under these new laws, there’s no limit to what websites the U.S. government could choose to seize and shut down. This is the beginning of the federal takeover of the internet, where all websites that don’t fall in line with “official” government-approved information are now potential targets of DHS seizures.
One music website seized by DHS — RapGodFather.com — was seized merely because its users posted comments linking to file-sharing websites (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/…). The site had 150,000 members, but as of today, it is the property of “Homeland Security Investigations.” (http://rapgodfathers.com/)
See the TorrentFreak.com news report on this important story here: http://torrentfreak.com/music-linki…
All websites using the word “Face” could soon be seized
The reach of tyrants knows no limits. As widely reported throughout the popular press last week, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has assigned Facebook a trademark monopoly over the word “Face.” (http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/23/pa…) This means that any website using the word “face” could theoretically be seized by the DHS under the DMCA.
Lest you think this is some impossible exaggeration of the law, keep in mind that governments always misuse laws to go far beyond their original intended purpose. The RICO Act, for example, which was originally passed in 1970 to combat the mafia, is now used nearly every day against individuals and small businesses (http://www.ricoact.com).
Similarly, the Patriot Act signed into law by President Bush after the 9/11 attacks was originally intended to be applied to international terrorists. But now in the United States, it is routinely used against animal rights activists and environmental protection groups (http://www.aclu.org/national-securi…).
These rogue abuses of federal law create a pattern of expanding government powers that increasingly threaten the Constitutional rights of American citizens. To seize a person’s website without due process is both a violation of that person’s First Amendment rights (Free Speech) as well as their Fifth Amendment rights.
The Fifth Amendment states:
No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
And yet this seizure of websites by the DHS is doing precisely that — depriving people of property without due process of law.
The U.S. federal government, as we have increasingly seen through the actions of the TSA, DEA and DHS, does not recognize nor honor the Bill of Rights. Nor does it believe the U.S. Constitution has any authority whatsoever. The upshot of this is that all Americans citizens are now living under a system of government tyranny, where government agents may molest you at the airports or seize your website if they don’t like what you’re saying online.
Take action: Sign the petition
Help stop the government takeover of the internet. Sign this petition:
http://demandprogress.org/blacklist/
In order to protect your access to NaturalNews.com and stay in contact with us in case the DHS ever attempts to seize our web domain, be sure to join our email list by entering your email address at http://www.naturalnews.com/ReaderRe…
That way, we will be able to reach you by email with any important updates or announcements.
Mike Adams
Natural News
Nov 28, 2010
As part of a new expansion of government power over information, the Department of Homeland Security has begun seizing and shutting down internet websites (web domains) without due process or a proper trial. DHS simply seizes web domains that it wants to and posts an ominous “Department of Justice” logo on the web site. See an example at http://torrent-finder.com
Over 75 websites were seized and shut down last week, and there is no indication that the government will stop such efforts. Right now, their focus is websites that they claim “violate copyrights,” yet the torrent-finder.com website that was seized by DHS contained no copyrighted content whatsoever. It was merely a search engine website that linked to destinations where people could access copyrighted content. Google also links to copyrighted content — does that mean the feds will soon seize Google, too?
These seizures were conducted on the basis of language in the DMCA law, which is vastly overreaching in its powers (it was passed to appease the music recording industry and the RIAA). Even so, the U.S. Senate is right now considering passing yet another law — COICA — the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/…), a new law that would give the federal government even more power to shut down websites it opposed.
Read more about COICA here: http://www.usa-anti-communist.com/w…
And here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris…
Here’s the list of 19 US Senators who voted to censor the internet via the COICA bill: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20…
Government could shut down alternative health websites
Where is all this going? Today the U.S. government is targeting websites focused on copyright violations, but if the public tolerates this government-sponsored censorship of the web, it’s only a matter of time before these government powers are expanded to control the content of the internet.
Over the last few years, several U.S. Senators have already attempted to outlaw vitamins and nutritional supplements. One lawmaker even suggested that “alternative health” information should be outlawed on the internet in order to “protect” people from information that isn’t aligned with the drugs-and-surgery approach to sick care. It’s only a matter of time, it seems, before the U.S. government uses its new power of seizing internet websites as an information warfare weapon to silence anyone who opposes FDA and the Big Pharma agenda.
In fact, under these new laws, there’s no limit to what websites the U.S. government could choose to seize and shut down. This is the beginning of the federal takeover of the internet, where all websites that don’t fall in line with “official” government-approved information are now potential targets of DHS seizures.
One music website seized by DHS — RapGodFather.com — was seized merely because its users posted comments linking to file-sharing websites (http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/…). The site had 150,000 members, but as of today, it is the property of “Homeland Security Investigations.” (http://rapgodfathers.com/)
See the TorrentFreak.com news report on this important story here: http://torrentfreak.com/music-linki…
All websites using the word “Face” could soon be seized
The reach of tyrants knows no limits. As widely reported throughout the popular press last week, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has assigned Facebook a trademark monopoly over the word “Face.” (http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/23/pa…) This means that any website using the word “face” could theoretically be seized by the DHS under the DMCA.
Lest you think this is some impossible exaggeration of the law, keep in mind that governments always misuse laws to go far beyond their original intended purpose. The RICO Act, for example, which was originally passed in 1970 to combat the mafia, is now used nearly every day against individuals and small businesses (http://www.ricoact.com).
Similarly, the Patriot Act signed into law by President Bush after the 9/11 attacks was originally intended to be applied to international terrorists. But now in the United States, it is routinely used against animal rights activists and environmental protection groups (http://www.aclu.org/national-securi…).
These rogue abuses of federal law create a pattern of expanding government powers that increasingly threaten the Constitutional rights of American citizens. To seize a person’s website without due process is both a violation of that person’s First Amendment rights (Free Speech) as well as their Fifth Amendment rights.
The Fifth Amendment states:
No person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
And yet this seizure of websites by the DHS is doing precisely that — depriving people of property without due process of law.
The U.S. federal government, as we have increasingly seen through the actions of the TSA, DEA and DHS, does not recognize nor honor the Bill of Rights. Nor does it believe the U.S. Constitution has any authority whatsoever. The upshot of this is that all Americans citizens are now living under a system of government tyranny, where government agents may molest you at the airports or seize your website if they don’t like what you’re saying online.
Take action: Sign the petition
Help stop the government takeover of the internet. Sign this petition:
http://demandprogress.org/blacklist/
In order to protect your access to NaturalNews.com and stay in contact with us in case the DHS ever attempts to seize our web domain, be sure to join our email list by entering your email address at http://www.naturalnews.com/ReaderRe…
That way, we will be able to reach you by email with any important updates or announcements.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Deadlier Than Scanners: TSA To Spread Flesh-Eating Bacteria
Deadlier Than Scanners: TSA To Spread Flesh-Eating Bacteria
Doctors warn of spread of communicable diseases through direct contact with skin; poses far greater risk to public health than statistical chance of being a victim of terrorism
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Now that the TSA’s new pat down procedures include reaching inside people’s clothing and directly touching their skin and genitals, communicable diseases are set to soar, with doctors warning of a new wave of infections that will pose a greater risk to public health than any statistical probability of being a victim of terrorism.
The TSA’s new pat down procedures threaten to unleash an epidemic of communicable diseases, presenting a threat more deadly than the radiation travelers will be exposed to if they pass through a naked body scanner. This will undoubtedly lead to thousands of deaths of people with weak immune systems in the long term.
The controversy again highlights the fact that the body scanner and pat down procedures, through the spread of infectious diseases like flesh-eating bacteria, will kill more people than they will protect through the speculative prevention of any terror attack.
Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through close contact or inadvertently touching the wound of a person who is infected. The likelihood of this occurring now that the TSA have been given free reign to directly grope passengers under their clothing has greatly increased. The disease can be spread through contact with weakened skin, like a bruise, blister, or abrasion, or merely through minor openings in the skin such as a paper cut or a pin prick.
Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are on the increase and the disease has a 20 per cent death rate.
Syphilis, lice, gonorrhea, ringworm, chlamydia, staph, strep, noro and papilloma viruses are also going to be readily transferred to travelers since TSA agents do not change gloves between each pat down. Now that screeners are literally touching genitalia, the risk of transmitting sexual diseases will skyrocket.
While people are told to wear flip-flops in the gym or at the swimming pool to prevent infections transmitted via bare feet, the TSA makes people remove their shoes and walk through areas loaded with germs with no protection.
“There is no doubt that bacteria (staph, strep, v.cholerae etc.) and viruses (noro, enteroviruses, herpes, hepatitis A and papilloma viruses) can be spread by contaminated vinyl or latex gloves,” Dr. Thomas Warner of Wisconsin told World Net Daily.
A pulmonary critical care physician from Connecticut added, “That doesn’t make sense that they’re not changing gloves.”
“Anything can be transmitted. If there are open wounds and they [TSA agents] are not aware, there’s syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia, lice, ringworm.”
“As screening procedures get stricter and more passengers opt for pat-downs instead of graphic X-rays, the likelihood of bacteria being spread increases, Patrick Schlievert, a microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, told MSNBC.
Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, found norovirus, MRSA and influenza virus on the trays that travelers handle before they are subject to pat downs, while self-checkout kiosks were also loaded with germs from thousands of people pushing the same buttons every day.
The TSA and the Centers For Disease Control has failed to respond to growing concerns about TSA gropers spreading infectious diseases.
As we have previously highlighted, the menace of global terrorism has been labeled the greatest threat to western civilization since communism and yet swimming pools, peanuts and lost deer kill more Americans every single year.
As Ohio State University’s John Mueller concludes in a report entitled A False Sense Of Insecurity, “For all the attention it evokes, terrorism actually causes rather little damage and the likelihood that any individual will become a victim in most places is microscopic.”
Americans are not only sacrificing their liberty when submitting to invasive and humiliating grope downs at the hands of the TSA, they are in fact putting themselves at a greater health risk statistically of catching a fatal disease than they would ever face from being a victim of terrorism.
Doctors warn of spread of communicable diseases through direct contact with skin; poses far greater risk to public health than statistical chance of being a victim of terrorism
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Now that the TSA’s new pat down procedures include reaching inside people’s clothing and directly touching their skin and genitals, communicable diseases are set to soar, with doctors warning of a new wave of infections that will pose a greater risk to public health than any statistical probability of being a victim of terrorism.
The TSA’s new pat down procedures threaten to unleash an epidemic of communicable diseases, presenting a threat more deadly than the radiation travelers will be exposed to if they pass through a naked body scanner. This will undoubtedly lead to thousands of deaths of people with weak immune systems in the long term.
The controversy again highlights the fact that the body scanner and pat down procedures, through the spread of infectious diseases like flesh-eating bacteria, will kill more people than they will protect through the speculative prevention of any terror attack.
Necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through close contact or inadvertently touching the wound of a person who is infected. The likelihood of this occurring now that the TSA have been given free reign to directly grope passengers under their clothing has greatly increased. The disease can be spread through contact with weakened skin, like a bruise, blister, or abrasion, or merely through minor openings in the skin such as a paper cut or a pin prick.
Cases of flesh-eating bacteria are on the increase and the disease has a 20 per cent death rate.
Syphilis, lice, gonorrhea, ringworm, chlamydia, staph, strep, noro and papilloma viruses are also going to be readily transferred to travelers since TSA agents do not change gloves between each pat down. Now that screeners are literally touching genitalia, the risk of transmitting sexual diseases will skyrocket.
While people are told to wear flip-flops in the gym or at the swimming pool to prevent infections transmitted via bare feet, the TSA makes people remove their shoes and walk through areas loaded with germs with no protection.
“There is no doubt that bacteria (staph, strep, v.cholerae etc.) and viruses (noro, enteroviruses, herpes, hepatitis A and papilloma viruses) can be spread by contaminated vinyl or latex gloves,” Dr. Thomas Warner of Wisconsin told World Net Daily.
A pulmonary critical care physician from Connecticut added, “That doesn’t make sense that they’re not changing gloves.”
“Anything can be transmitted. If there are open wounds and they [TSA agents] are not aware, there’s syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia, lice, ringworm.”
“As screening procedures get stricter and more passengers opt for pat-downs instead of graphic X-rays, the likelihood of bacteria being spread increases, Patrick Schlievert, a microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, told MSNBC.
Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, found norovirus, MRSA and influenza virus on the trays that travelers handle before they are subject to pat downs, while self-checkout kiosks were also loaded with germs from thousands of people pushing the same buttons every day.
The TSA and the Centers For Disease Control has failed to respond to growing concerns about TSA gropers spreading infectious diseases.
As we have previously highlighted, the menace of global terrorism has been labeled the greatest threat to western civilization since communism and yet swimming pools, peanuts and lost deer kill more Americans every single year.
As Ohio State University’s John Mueller concludes in a report entitled A False Sense Of Insecurity, “For all the attention it evokes, terrorism actually causes rather little damage and the likelihood that any individual will become a victim in most places is microscopic.”
Americans are not only sacrificing their liberty when submitting to invasive and humiliating grope downs at the hands of the TSA, they are in fact putting themselves at a greater health risk statistically of catching a fatal disease than they would ever face from being a victim of terrorism.
Sanitary Towel Prompts TSA To Grope Sexual Assault Victim
Sanitary Towel Prompts TSA To Grope Sexual Assault Victim
Forget concealed guns, knives, explosives, the real threat comes from gladrags
Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
Thursday, Nov 25th, 2010
Menstruating women beware. If you intend to travel, your panty-liners are now considered suspicious objects, after all you could be concealing a bomb in there.
The latest insane TSA transgression answers questions that were raised last week when it was revealed naked body scanners can also detect sanitary napkins.
New York Times reporter Joe Sharkey wrote Monday that he was getting a lot of requests for information from female frequent fliers.
“Do the imagers, for example, detect sanitary napkins?” women wanted to know. “Yes,” wrote Sharkey.
“Does that then necessitate a pat-down? The TSA couldn’t say. Screeners, the TSA has said, are expected to exercise some discretion.” the article continued.
“And what about tampons?” asked the blog Feminist Peace Network. “They look kind of like sticks of dynamite. Are they going to ask us to pull them out and show them just to be sure?”
The answer, judging from one woman’s written testimony, seems to be yes.
A customer of popular women’s health company, Gladrags, relayed her recent experience at the hands of the TSA via email.
In short, she was asked to walk through a radiation firing naked body scanner and complied. The scanner produced a naked image of her, but because her sanitary towel was obscuring her most intimate parts from prying eyes, the TSA agents pulled her aside for a full groin search. Not something to be relished by any person, let alone someone who has previously suffered sexual assault.
Here is the woman’s email in full:
“This email isn’t going to be as polished as I would normally send, but I’m upset and I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else (if I can stop it).
I recently traveled via air, and was subjected to that new scanning device. “No problem,” I thought. I was wearing jeans and a linen tanktop, bra, panties, and one camouflage pantyliner.
I’m a rule follower, so I never have any problems at the airport. Not this time. I was stopped, and then held for 15 minutes while they tried to find a female supervisor. I couldn’t get to my bag, my shawl or my shoes; just standing there while the TSA agents kept me in one place.
Now, I don’t want this to be about bad TSA agents; they were doing their job, they were as delicate as they could be, etc., etc. But what ultimately happened is that I was subjected to search so invasive that I was left crying and dealing with memories that I thought had been dealt with years ago of prior sexual assaults.
Why?
Because of my flannel panty-liner. These new scans are so horrible that if you are wearing something unusual (like a piece of cloth on your panties) then you will be subjected to a search where a woman repeatedly has to check your “groin” while another woman watches on (two in my case – they were training in a new girl – awesome).
So please, please, tell the ladies not to wear their liners at the airport (I didn’t even have an insert in). I’m a strong, confident woman; I’m an Army vet (which is why those camo liners crack me up), I work full-time and go to graduate school full-time, I have a wonderful husband, and I don’t take any nonsense from anyone. I don’t dramatize, and I don’t exaggerate. I’m trying to give you a sense of who I am so you won’t think that this is a plea for attention, or a jumping on the bandwagon about the recent TSA proposed boycott.
I just don’t want another woman to have to go through the “patting down” because she didn’t know that her glad-rag would be a matter of national security.”
Chalk up another ritual humiliation at the hands of the TSA, protecting us from terrorists by forcing women to remove their underwear napkins and groping their vaginas in public.
When will this insanity end?
Forget concealed guns, knives, explosives, the real threat comes from gladrags
Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
Thursday, Nov 25th, 2010
Menstruating women beware. If you intend to travel, your panty-liners are now considered suspicious objects, after all you could be concealing a bomb in there.
The latest insane TSA transgression answers questions that were raised last week when it was revealed naked body scanners can also detect sanitary napkins.
New York Times reporter Joe Sharkey wrote Monday that he was getting a lot of requests for information from female frequent fliers.
“Do the imagers, for example, detect sanitary napkins?” women wanted to know. “Yes,” wrote Sharkey.
“Does that then necessitate a pat-down? The TSA couldn’t say. Screeners, the TSA has said, are expected to exercise some discretion.” the article continued.
“And what about tampons?” asked the blog Feminist Peace Network. “They look kind of like sticks of dynamite. Are they going to ask us to pull them out and show them just to be sure?”
The answer, judging from one woman’s written testimony, seems to be yes.
A customer of popular women’s health company, Gladrags, relayed her recent experience at the hands of the TSA via email.
In short, she was asked to walk through a radiation firing naked body scanner and complied. The scanner produced a naked image of her, but because her sanitary towel was obscuring her most intimate parts from prying eyes, the TSA agents pulled her aside for a full groin search. Not something to be relished by any person, let alone someone who has previously suffered sexual assault.
Here is the woman’s email in full:
“This email isn’t going to be as polished as I would normally send, but I’m upset and I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else (if I can stop it).
I recently traveled via air, and was subjected to that new scanning device. “No problem,” I thought. I was wearing jeans and a linen tanktop, bra, panties, and one camouflage pantyliner.
I’m a rule follower, so I never have any problems at the airport. Not this time. I was stopped, and then held for 15 minutes while they tried to find a female supervisor. I couldn’t get to my bag, my shawl or my shoes; just standing there while the TSA agents kept me in one place.
Now, I don’t want this to be about bad TSA agents; they were doing their job, they were as delicate as they could be, etc., etc. But what ultimately happened is that I was subjected to search so invasive that I was left crying and dealing with memories that I thought had been dealt with years ago of prior sexual assaults.
Why?
Because of my flannel panty-liner. These new scans are so horrible that if you are wearing something unusual (like a piece of cloth on your panties) then you will be subjected to a search where a woman repeatedly has to check your “groin” while another woman watches on (two in my case – they were training in a new girl – awesome).
So please, please, tell the ladies not to wear their liners at the airport (I didn’t even have an insert in). I’m a strong, confident woman; I’m an Army vet (which is why those camo liners crack me up), I work full-time and go to graduate school full-time, I have a wonderful husband, and I don’t take any nonsense from anyone. I don’t dramatize, and I don’t exaggerate. I’m trying to give you a sense of who I am so you won’t think that this is a plea for attention, or a jumping on the bandwagon about the recent TSA proposed boycott.
I just don’t want another woman to have to go through the “patting down” because she didn’t know that her glad-rag would be a matter of national security.”
Chalk up another ritual humiliation at the hands of the TSA, protecting us from terrorists by forcing women to remove their underwear napkins and groping their vaginas in public.
When will this insanity end?
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Holiday Roadblocks – What You Should Know by Eric Peters
Holiday Roadblocks – What You Should Know by Eric Peters
You can avoid being felt-up or scanned (for now) if you avoid flying, but that doesn't mean you're not subject to similarly random – and just as intimidating – random stops out on the road.
As the holidays approach, your local police will likely be stepping up the use of "sobriety checkpoints" – and random stops/ID checks/interrogations under other names, too.
You've probably not done anything wrong, or even given reason to suspect you might have – but that doesn't mean they can't stop you, force you to identify yourself, produce your "papers" – or try to interrogate you as to where you're going and whatever else they feel like knowing about.
The Supreme Court has ruled they can do all that. But – for now – that is all they can legally do to you. A few tattered shreds of your former right to be free from unreasonable searches still remain. You should know where the line is – what they can force you to do vs. what you don't (yet) have to submit to:
You do have to stop:
If there's a random roadblock up ahead, you're stuck. If you turn around or try to avoid the checkpoint, they'll not only go after you – you've likely given them "probable cause" to search you and your vehicle instead of just interrogating you and making you show them your "papers."
You don't have to answer their questions:
If the cop asks you where you're headed, you have the legal right to decline to answer. "I'd rather not say," or "I prefer not to answer" are examples of lawful, within-your-rights responses to such queries. It will surely annoy the cop, but legally speaking,he has no authority to press the point.
You do have to identify yourself:
The courts have ruled that the cops can demand ID of anyone, anytime they are out in public – and that you must comply with such a demand, even if you haven't done anything illegal or even given reason to suspect you may have. It's completely Soviet, of course – but that's the nature of modern America. You should therefore hand over your ID and remain quiet and calm. If the cop asks whether that's you on the ID, confirm your identity. But say no more.
You don't have to let them search your car:
Cops will often ask whether you have anything "they should know about" on your person or in your vehicle. Then they will ask whether you mind whether they "take a look." The way it's phrased sounds gentle enough but it's very intimidating coming from an armed authority figure shining a light in your face, with all the implied threat that conveys. Many people cave in and say, go head. Even if you have nothing to hide, you should never give consent to a search of your person or vehicle. Not only is it an affront to your dignity and an assault on your most basic rights as a human being, it's a fact that some cops are corrupt and more than a few have been caught (later) planting "evidence" in people's cars, such as a small amount of pot – in order to seize the vehicle under asset forfeiture laws.
Bottom line: Be respectful and avoid being confrontational, but don't willingly give up your rights, whatever's left of them.
You can avoid being felt-up or scanned (for now) if you avoid flying, but that doesn't mean you're not subject to similarly random – and just as intimidating – random stops out on the road.
As the holidays approach, your local police will likely be stepping up the use of "sobriety checkpoints" – and random stops/ID checks/interrogations under other names, too.
You've probably not done anything wrong, or even given reason to suspect you might have – but that doesn't mean they can't stop you, force you to identify yourself, produce your "papers" – or try to interrogate you as to where you're going and whatever else they feel like knowing about.
The Supreme Court has ruled they can do all that. But – for now – that is all they can legally do to you. A few tattered shreds of your former right to be free from unreasonable searches still remain. You should know where the line is – what they can force you to do vs. what you don't (yet) have to submit to:
You do have to stop:
If there's a random roadblock up ahead, you're stuck. If you turn around or try to avoid the checkpoint, they'll not only go after you – you've likely given them "probable cause" to search you and your vehicle instead of just interrogating you and making you show them your "papers."
You don't have to answer their questions:
If the cop asks you where you're headed, you have the legal right to decline to answer. "I'd rather not say," or "I prefer not to answer" are examples of lawful, within-your-rights responses to such queries. It will surely annoy the cop, but legally speaking,he has no authority to press the point.
You do have to identify yourself:
The courts have ruled that the cops can demand ID of anyone, anytime they are out in public – and that you must comply with such a demand, even if you haven't done anything illegal or even given reason to suspect you may have. It's completely Soviet, of course – but that's the nature of modern America. You should therefore hand over your ID and remain quiet and calm. If the cop asks whether that's you on the ID, confirm your identity. But say no more.
You don't have to let them search your car:
Cops will often ask whether you have anything "they should know about" on your person or in your vehicle. Then they will ask whether you mind whether they "take a look." The way it's phrased sounds gentle enough but it's very intimidating coming from an armed authority figure shining a light in your face, with all the implied threat that conveys. Many people cave in and say, go head. Even if you have nothing to hide, you should never give consent to a search of your person or vehicle. Not only is it an affront to your dignity and an assault on your most basic rights as a human being, it's a fact that some cops are corrupt and more than a few have been caught (later) planting "evidence" in people's cars, such as a small amount of pot – in order to seize the vehicle under asset forfeiture laws.
Bottom line: Be respectful and avoid being confrontational, but don't willingly give up your rights, whatever's left of them.
German Government Publication Promotes Incestuous Pedophilia as Healthy Sex Ed | LifeSiteNews.com
German Government Publication Promotes Incestuous Pedophilia as Healthy Sex Ed | LifeSiteNews.com
BERLIN, July 30, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Booklets from a subsidiary of the German government’s Ministry for Family Affairs encourage parents to sexually massage their children as young as 1 to 3 years of age. Two 40-page booklets entitled "Love, Body and Playing Doctor" by the German Federal Health Education Center (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung - BZgA) are aimed at parents - the first addressing children from 1-3 and the other children from 4-6 years of age.
"Fathers do not devote enough attention to the clitoris and vagina of their daughters. Their caresses too seldom pertain to these regions, while this is the only way the girls can develop a sense of pride in their sex," reads the booklet regarding 1-3 year olds. The authors rationalize, "The child touches all parts of their father’s body, sometimes arousing him. The father should do the same."
Canadian author and public speaker Michael O’Brien who has written and spoken extensively about the crisis of culture in the West spoke to LifeSiteNews.com about the shocking and extremely disturbing phenomenon. It is, he said, "State-encouraged incest, which in most civilized societies is a crime." The development is, he suggests, a natural outcome of the rejection of the Judeo-Christian moral order.
"The imposed social revolution that has swept the western world is moving to a new stage as it works out the logical consequences of its view of man’s value," said O’Brien. "It is merely obeying its strictly materialist philosophy of man. If man is no more than a creature created for pleasure or power. If he is no more than a cell in the social organism, then no moral standards, no psychological truths, no spiritual truths can refute the ‘will to power’ and the ‘will to pleasure’."
The pamphlet advises parents to permit young children "unlimited masturbation" except where physical injury becomes apparent. It advises: "Children should learn that there is no such thing as shameful parts of the body. The body is a home, which you should be proud of." For ages 4-6, the booklet recommends teaching children the movements of copulation.
Another product of the BZgA is a song book aimed at children of four and slightly older which includes several songs espousing masturbation. The song-book entitled "Nose, belly and bum" includes one song with the following lyrics: "When I touch my body, I discover what I have. I have a vagina, because I am a girl. Vagina is not only for peeing. When I touch it, I feel a pleasant tingle."
"The wiser and deeper position of most civilizations recognized that children need a period of innocence," commented O’Brien. "Now the state, the German state, is encouraging destruction of this state of innocence," he added. "This is consistent with the materialist philosophy that sees all moral norms and all truths about human nature as repressive. Pleasure and their distorted concept of freedom are their only guiding principles."
According to the Polish daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita, the BZgA booklet is an obligatory read in nine German regions. It is used for training nursery, kindergarten and elementary school teachers. Ironically it is recommended by many organizations officially fighting pedophilia, such as the German Kunderschutzbund. BZgA sends out millions of copies of the booklet every year.
"A society such as Germany’s which is already in steep decline, indeed into degeneration, will only inherit the whirlwind of violence and further levels of degradation of their own people," warned O’Brien.
"It has happened before in Germany. It has happened in other nations. Different causes but the same dynamic, the rejection of the moral order of the created universe results in radical evil. The German state intervention in family life is a new level of auto-destruction," said O’Brien.
Rzeczpospolita reports that the Eckhardt Scheffer of BZgA claimed that before releasing the manual the organization consulted parents, educators and child psychologists. 93% of whom gave a positive evaluation.
Even for a Western nation, Germany’s billboards and television ads push the limits of public pornography. Last year LifeSiteNews.com reported that a very popular teen magazine in Germany publishes nude photos of teens in sexual positions which would be in almost any other nation illegal child pornography.
With a licentiousness as the new morality of the secular materialist establishment and homeschool a forbidden practice, parents in Germany may well wonder what will transpire in public education.
"Will those children who are not liberated by their parents have special classes in their schools where they’re introduced to these practices," asked O’Brien rhetorically. "If the state intervenes in this way, what won’t it intervene in?"
O’Brien concluded his comments quoting G.K. Chesterton: "When men cease to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing anything."
To express concerns to German authorities:
In Canada:
German Embassy
1 Waverley Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8
Tel.: 613-232-1101 Fax: 613-594-9330
Email: germanembassyottawa@on.aibn.com
In the US:
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm
To express concerns to German authorities:
President of the Federal Republic of Germany
11010 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 30 20 00-0
Fax: +49 030 20 00-19 99
E-Mail: Bundespraesident.Horst.Koehler@bpra.bund.de
Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Willy-Brandt-Straße 1
10557 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 180 272-0000
Fax: +49 1888 272-2555
E-Mail: InternetPost@bundesregierung.de
To read Michael O’Brien’s essay on the Family and the New Totalitarianism see:
http://studiobrien.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=69
(with files from the July 9 edition of the Polish daily "Rzeczpospolita" by Aleksandra Rybinska with English translation provided by Joanna Najfeld)
BERLIN, July 30, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Booklets from a subsidiary of the German government’s Ministry for Family Affairs encourage parents to sexually massage their children as young as 1 to 3 years of age. Two 40-page booklets entitled "Love, Body and Playing Doctor" by the German Federal Health Education Center (Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung - BZgA) are aimed at parents - the first addressing children from 1-3 and the other children from 4-6 years of age.
"Fathers do not devote enough attention to the clitoris and vagina of their daughters. Their caresses too seldom pertain to these regions, while this is the only way the girls can develop a sense of pride in their sex," reads the booklet regarding 1-3 year olds. The authors rationalize, "The child touches all parts of their father’s body, sometimes arousing him. The father should do the same."
Canadian author and public speaker Michael O’Brien who has written and spoken extensively about the crisis of culture in the West spoke to LifeSiteNews.com about the shocking and extremely disturbing phenomenon. It is, he said, "State-encouraged incest, which in most civilized societies is a crime." The development is, he suggests, a natural outcome of the rejection of the Judeo-Christian moral order.
"The imposed social revolution that has swept the western world is moving to a new stage as it works out the logical consequences of its view of man’s value," said O’Brien. "It is merely obeying its strictly materialist philosophy of man. If man is no more than a creature created for pleasure or power. If he is no more than a cell in the social organism, then no moral standards, no psychological truths, no spiritual truths can refute the ‘will to power’ and the ‘will to pleasure’."
The pamphlet advises parents to permit young children "unlimited masturbation" except where physical injury becomes apparent. It advises: "Children should learn that there is no such thing as shameful parts of the body. The body is a home, which you should be proud of." For ages 4-6, the booklet recommends teaching children the movements of copulation.
Another product of the BZgA is a song book aimed at children of four and slightly older which includes several songs espousing masturbation. The song-book entitled "Nose, belly and bum" includes one song with the following lyrics: "When I touch my body, I discover what I have. I have a vagina, because I am a girl. Vagina is not only for peeing. When I touch it, I feel a pleasant tingle."
"The wiser and deeper position of most civilizations recognized that children need a period of innocence," commented O’Brien. "Now the state, the German state, is encouraging destruction of this state of innocence," he added. "This is consistent with the materialist philosophy that sees all moral norms and all truths about human nature as repressive. Pleasure and their distorted concept of freedom are their only guiding principles."
According to the Polish daily newspaper Rzeczpospolita, the BZgA booklet is an obligatory read in nine German regions. It is used for training nursery, kindergarten and elementary school teachers. Ironically it is recommended by many organizations officially fighting pedophilia, such as the German Kunderschutzbund. BZgA sends out millions of copies of the booklet every year.
"A society such as Germany’s which is already in steep decline, indeed into degeneration, will only inherit the whirlwind of violence and further levels of degradation of their own people," warned O’Brien.
"It has happened before in Germany. It has happened in other nations. Different causes but the same dynamic, the rejection of the moral order of the created universe results in radical evil. The German state intervention in family life is a new level of auto-destruction," said O’Brien.
Rzeczpospolita reports that the Eckhardt Scheffer of BZgA claimed that before releasing the manual the organization consulted parents, educators and child psychologists. 93% of whom gave a positive evaluation.
Even for a Western nation, Germany’s billboards and television ads push the limits of public pornography. Last year LifeSiteNews.com reported that a very popular teen magazine in Germany publishes nude photos of teens in sexual positions which would be in almost any other nation illegal child pornography.
With a licentiousness as the new morality of the secular materialist establishment and homeschool a forbidden practice, parents in Germany may well wonder what will transpire in public education.
"Will those children who are not liberated by their parents have special classes in their schools where they’re introduced to these practices," asked O’Brien rhetorically. "If the state intervenes in this way, what won’t it intervene in?"
O’Brien concluded his comments quoting G.K. Chesterton: "When men cease to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing anything."
To express concerns to German authorities:
In Canada:
German Embassy
1 Waverley Street
Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8
Tel.: 613-232-1101 Fax: 613-594-9330
Email: germanembassyottawa@on.aibn.com
In the US:
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm
To express concerns to German authorities:
President of the Federal Republic of Germany
11010 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 30 20 00-0
Fax: +49 030 20 00-19 99
E-Mail: Bundespraesident.Horst.Koehler@bpra.bund.de
Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Willy-Brandt-Straße 1
10557 Berlin
Germany
Telefon: +49 180 272-0000
Fax: +49 1888 272-2555
E-Mail: InternetPost@bundesregierung.de
To read Michael O’Brien’s essay on the Family and the New Totalitarianism see:
http://studiobrien.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=69
(with files from the July 9 edition of the Polish daily "Rzeczpospolita" by Aleksandra Rybinska with English translation provided by Joanna Najfeld)
Last Days Watchman: Homolatry: VIP victims in the pervasive violence in Brazil
Last Days Watchman: Homolatry: VIP victims in the pervasive violence in Brazil
Homosexuality is increasingly becoming guarantee against impunity and police negligence
By Julio Severo
A murdered man in the street. Police did their investigative duty on the crime scene and report to their chief, who asks them, “Was the victim a homosexual?”
Because the answer is negative, the chief says, “So throw this case into the statistics of the over 50,000 Brazilians killed every year.”
This is so not because police is an impunity lover. With dozens of thousands murders happening, it is hard for a few ill-paid and ill-trained policemen to solve so many crimes. They are able to pay attention only to the cases in the media spotlight.
In 2007, Gabriel Kuhn, a 12-year-old Brazilian boy, was raped and, while he was still alive, had his legs torn away. He died from massive hemorrhage, but his case has never made headlines. A common crime — rape, live dismemberment and murder of a boy — does not draw so much media attention as the case of a gay suffering an assault.
The fad is, because of the pressures from the homolatrous movement, to remove from the black cloud of indifference only incidents where homosexuals suffer scratches, assaults and murders — or even, as it often happens, those that merely felt that they were insulted. The Brazilian anti-“homophobia” bill PLC 122/06, for example, punishes the author of a simples “insult” against homosexual acts with so a heavy penalty as a child rapist suffers.
In the crime ranking, homosexual acts entitle a victim not to be treated with the same disregard as all the other victims are treated.
The impunity hitting crimes against babies, boys, girls, men and women is losing its power when the victim is addicted to those shameless privileged acts, because lawgivers, journalists and human rights groups put homosexual adherents in the category of individuals deserving VIP attention.
If you are homosexual, there are now special “human rights” police stations, where you have a personalized reception. There is a gay emergency telephone number, for you to use and abuse, reporting as “homophobic” even the neighbor’s dog that annoys with its ceaseless barking. If you are not gay, you will have to join the populace and take your place in the line of public reception. After all, the gay profile is economically higher and this moneyed class cannot get involved with common people. An involvement only happens when a big rich gay pursues a big poor young man or boy to offer gifts in exchange of “that”.
Yet, homosexuals are not preferentially targeted for assassination. If they were, there would be dozens of thousands of them losing their lives every year. Those really losing their lives by thousands are common Brazilians that, from 1980 to 2005, suffered a shocking 800,000 murders. So you ask the question, “How have I never heard about it?” Simple answer: they were not gay.
In this same period of 25 years, 2,511 Brazilian homosexuals were murdered, according to information from the Gay Group of Bahia, founded by Luiz Mott. This small number may include also incidents where the main crime cause is the irrational passion of a lover of the victim. Besides, the murder of homosexuals that frequent, at 2 am, environments of drugs, prostitution and criminality is overvalued and over-made up.
Even though homosexual victims are not even 1% of the 800,000 murdered Brazilians, they have become the main stars in the “show”. It is as if homosexuals had a sum of 800,000 victims, and all the other Brazilians were not more than 2,000 murdered.
Yearly, 122 homosexuals are murdered, or one every three days, according to the claim of Mr. Luiz Mott. By contrast, yearly 50,000 Brazilians are murdered, 414 every three days, or 138 every day. It means that the number of Brazilians murdered daily is higher than the total sum of homosexuals murdered yearly, indicating, in the words of Solano Portela, that “the best way for one to escape alive in Brazil is by becoming gay”.
Murdered homosexuals are mostly transvestites, according to Oswaldo Braga, president of the Gay Movement of Minas, who declared, “They are homosexuals that are more involved in criminality, as prostitution and drug trafficking, being more exposed to violence”. (Tribuna de Minas, 09/03/2007, page 3.)
I don’t understand why transvestites and other homosexuals, who choose environments of criminality and prostitution, do not suffer a very larger proportion of murders. Could it be that now criminals are also afraid of being accused of “homophobic”?
Certain attitudes of the disturbed homosexual (our definition of homosexual is a man giving or receiving penis in his anus) are now an integral part of the propaganda that treats as “homocaust” (holocaust of homosexuals) the 122 homosexuals murdered yearly in Brazil. This homocaust actually adds up a very low proportion that comes into collision with the vast picture of all the other murdered Brazilians. But the biggest reality is prevailed by the smaller reality at the expense of those typical attitudes of a garish gay, as lies, intrigues, showing-off and gossip, sophistically masked in propaganda language.
With the pressure and oppression from the Gaystapo on the media, what chances do most victims (who are treated as fifth-class citizens) have before the “first-class victims”?
The homolatrine agenda throws truth out and exalts homolatry above all and any statistics and social reality, prevailing by the sheer stir.
Yet, if homosexuals are really 10% of the Brazilian population, as the gay groups in Brazil say, where are the 80,000 murdered in the period of 25 years? If they are 5%, where are the 40,000 murdered homosexuals? If they are only 1%, where are the 8,000 murdered?
With all the media holophotes in the small number of homosexual victims, impunity is bound to increase for all the Brazilians, because more attention and police protection for homosexuals means less attention and police protection for all citizens.
Crimes now will be protected from impunity according to the victim’s homolatry. Is the man assaulted a gay? The culprit will be found guilty and sent to jail, with no chance to escape. Is the victim not gay? Then police is too busy to investigate, giving the culprit the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. It is the ideologization and idiotization of the punitive system. It is the homolatry privileging those paying homage to anus.
Do you want an assault or murder case in your locality to receive attention from the press, politicians and police? In a society immersed in homolatrine, you are left only with the option to claim that the victim is gay. In the incident of the boy Gabriel Kuhn, who was raped and dismembered live, his case would be remembered regularly in all the TV channels and in the Congress — if the criminal were not a homosexual. And there are thousands of other cases of raped boys that do not make headlines, because the rapist is homosexual.
When the victim is homosexual, holophotes. The “cause” of the crime is “homophobia” and no more questions admitted. Each “homophobic” incident becomes reason for garish campaigns for bills to protect first-class perverts as if they were first-class victims.
When the offender is homosexual, manipulation, forgery and cover-up, protecting homosexual acts from dishonor. The “cause” of the crime is a mystery! Everything and everyone are to be blamed, except the so-called “sex orientation”.
The homolatrine agenda grants VIP attentions for homosexual victims and impunity for homosexuals that commit insanities. Luiz Mott, the most important leader in the Brazilian homosexual movement, has been under the accusation of defending pedophilia, while homosexual DenÃlson Lopes, a university professor, has brazenly defended sex with children. Besides, a Brazilian movie promoted openly homosexual sex among boys. In each of these cases, Brazilian authorities have never taken any measures. Yet, if a minister or priest had said just 10% of what Mott and Lopes said about sex with children, they would rightly be jailed and totally demoralized in the media.
In the pervasive violence ravaging everyone in Brazil, homolatry now makes all the difference when deciding which victims are to receive positive media attention or which offenders are to get impunity.
Portuguese version of this article: Homolatria: As vÃtimas VIP da violência no BrasilSource: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com
Homosexuality is increasingly becoming guarantee against impunity and police negligence
By Julio Severo
A murdered man in the street. Police did their investigative duty on the crime scene and report to their chief, who asks them, “Was the victim a homosexual?”
Because the answer is negative, the chief says, “So throw this case into the statistics of the over 50,000 Brazilians killed every year.”
This is so not because police is an impunity lover. With dozens of thousands murders happening, it is hard for a few ill-paid and ill-trained policemen to solve so many crimes. They are able to pay attention only to the cases in the media spotlight.
In 2007, Gabriel Kuhn, a 12-year-old Brazilian boy, was raped and, while he was still alive, had his legs torn away. He died from massive hemorrhage, but his case has never made headlines. A common crime — rape, live dismemberment and murder of a boy — does not draw so much media attention as the case of a gay suffering an assault.
The fad is, because of the pressures from the homolatrous movement, to remove from the black cloud of indifference only incidents where homosexuals suffer scratches, assaults and murders — or even, as it often happens, those that merely felt that they were insulted. The Brazilian anti-“homophobia” bill PLC 122/06, for example, punishes the author of a simples “insult” against homosexual acts with so a heavy penalty as a child rapist suffers.
In the crime ranking, homosexual acts entitle a victim not to be treated with the same disregard as all the other victims are treated.
The impunity hitting crimes against babies, boys, girls, men and women is losing its power when the victim is addicted to those shameless privileged acts, because lawgivers, journalists and human rights groups put homosexual adherents in the category of individuals deserving VIP attention.
If you are homosexual, there are now special “human rights” police stations, where you have a personalized reception. There is a gay emergency telephone number, for you to use and abuse, reporting as “homophobic” even the neighbor’s dog that annoys with its ceaseless barking. If you are not gay, you will have to join the populace and take your place in the line of public reception. After all, the gay profile is economically higher and this moneyed class cannot get involved with common people. An involvement only happens when a big rich gay pursues a big poor young man or boy to offer gifts in exchange of “that”.
Yet, homosexuals are not preferentially targeted for assassination. If they were, there would be dozens of thousands of them losing their lives every year. Those really losing their lives by thousands are common Brazilians that, from 1980 to 2005, suffered a shocking 800,000 murders. So you ask the question, “How have I never heard about it?” Simple answer: they were not gay.
In this same period of 25 years, 2,511 Brazilian homosexuals were murdered, according to information from the Gay Group of Bahia, founded by Luiz Mott. This small number may include also incidents where the main crime cause is the irrational passion of a lover of the victim. Besides, the murder of homosexuals that frequent, at 2 am, environments of drugs, prostitution and criminality is overvalued and over-made up.
Even though homosexual victims are not even 1% of the 800,000 murdered Brazilians, they have become the main stars in the “show”. It is as if homosexuals had a sum of 800,000 victims, and all the other Brazilians were not more than 2,000 murdered.
Yearly, 122 homosexuals are murdered, or one every three days, according to the claim of Mr. Luiz Mott. By contrast, yearly 50,000 Brazilians are murdered, 414 every three days, or 138 every day. It means that the number of Brazilians murdered daily is higher than the total sum of homosexuals murdered yearly, indicating, in the words of Solano Portela, that “the best way for one to escape alive in Brazil is by becoming gay”.
Murdered homosexuals are mostly transvestites, according to Oswaldo Braga, president of the Gay Movement of Minas, who declared, “They are homosexuals that are more involved in criminality, as prostitution and drug trafficking, being more exposed to violence”. (Tribuna de Minas, 09/03/2007, page 3.)
I don’t understand why transvestites and other homosexuals, who choose environments of criminality and prostitution, do not suffer a very larger proportion of murders. Could it be that now criminals are also afraid of being accused of “homophobic”?
Certain attitudes of the disturbed homosexual (our definition of homosexual is a man giving or receiving penis in his anus) are now an integral part of the propaganda that treats as “homocaust” (holocaust of homosexuals) the 122 homosexuals murdered yearly in Brazil. This homocaust actually adds up a very low proportion that comes into collision with the vast picture of all the other murdered Brazilians. But the biggest reality is prevailed by the smaller reality at the expense of those typical attitudes of a garish gay, as lies, intrigues, showing-off and gossip, sophistically masked in propaganda language.
With the pressure and oppression from the Gaystapo on the media, what chances do most victims (who are treated as fifth-class citizens) have before the “first-class victims”?
The homolatrine agenda throws truth out and exalts homolatry above all and any statistics and social reality, prevailing by the sheer stir.
Yet, if homosexuals are really 10% of the Brazilian population, as the gay groups in Brazil say, where are the 80,000 murdered in the period of 25 years? If they are 5%, where are the 40,000 murdered homosexuals? If they are only 1%, where are the 8,000 murdered?
With all the media holophotes in the small number of homosexual victims, impunity is bound to increase for all the Brazilians, because more attention and police protection for homosexuals means less attention and police protection for all citizens.
Crimes now will be protected from impunity according to the victim’s homolatry. Is the man assaulted a gay? The culprit will be found guilty and sent to jail, with no chance to escape. Is the victim not gay? Then police is too busy to investigate, giving the culprit the chance to breathe a sigh of relief. It is the ideologization and idiotization of the punitive system. It is the homolatry privileging those paying homage to anus.
Do you want an assault or murder case in your locality to receive attention from the press, politicians and police? In a society immersed in homolatrine, you are left only with the option to claim that the victim is gay. In the incident of the boy Gabriel Kuhn, who was raped and dismembered live, his case would be remembered regularly in all the TV channels and in the Congress — if the criminal were not a homosexual. And there are thousands of other cases of raped boys that do not make headlines, because the rapist is homosexual.
When the victim is homosexual, holophotes. The “cause” of the crime is “homophobia” and no more questions admitted. Each “homophobic” incident becomes reason for garish campaigns for bills to protect first-class perverts as if they were first-class victims.
When the offender is homosexual, manipulation, forgery and cover-up, protecting homosexual acts from dishonor. The “cause” of the crime is a mystery! Everything and everyone are to be blamed, except the so-called “sex orientation”.
The homolatrine agenda grants VIP attentions for homosexual victims and impunity for homosexuals that commit insanities. Luiz Mott, the most important leader in the Brazilian homosexual movement, has been under the accusation of defending pedophilia, while homosexual DenÃlson Lopes, a university professor, has brazenly defended sex with children. Besides, a Brazilian movie promoted openly homosexual sex among boys. In each of these cases, Brazilian authorities have never taken any measures. Yet, if a minister or priest had said just 10% of what Mott and Lopes said about sex with children, they would rightly be jailed and totally demoralized in the media.
In the pervasive violence ravaging everyone in Brazil, homolatry now makes all the difference when deciding which victims are to receive positive media attention or which offenders are to get impunity.
Portuguese version of this article: Homolatria: As vÃtimas VIP da violência no BrasilSource: www.lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Man Proves TSA Policies Are Unconstitutional
Man Proves TSA Policies Are Unconstitutional
Traveler bypasses body scanner and invasive pat down after near 3 hour debate with TSA supervisor, airport police
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Blogger Matt Kernan was able to bypass both the naked body scanner and invasive TSA pat down procedures during his return to the United States this past weekend, proving that both measures are completely unconstitutional and creating a precedent for a total shake-up of airport security.
Kernan, who documents the case on his website, was returning from a trip to Europe and was perturbed to see TSA workers making Americans who had already cleared security in their airport of origin go through backscatter x-ray machines and be groped simply to re-enter their own country.
“You see, it is official TSA policy that people (both citizens and non-citizens alike) from international flights are screened as they enter the airport, despite the fact that they have already flown,” writes Kernan. “Even before the new controversial security measures were put in place, I found this practice annoying. But now, as I looked past the 25 people waiting to get into their own country, I saw it: the dreaded Backscatter imaging machine.”
Having seen the plethora of cases in recent weeks of TSA thugs abusing and humiliating women and children, Kernan, who had no connecting flight and time to kill, decided to take a stand.
So begins Kernan’s description of his 2 and a half hour debate with TSA officials and airport police after he refused to go through the naked scanner or be groped.
After TSA workers laughed at Kernan for opting out of the radiation scanner, he politely informed them that if they touched his genitals he would consider it an assault.
With TSA officials repeating “policy” like a broken record, Kernan stated, “I am aware that it is policy, but I disagree with the policy, and I think that it is unconstitutional. As a U.S. citizen, I have the right to move freely within my country as long as I can demonstrate proof of citizenship and have demonstrated no reasonable cause to be detained.”
Soon after the TSA Supervisor, a Delta Airlines manager and the airport police were called and Kernan informed them that he was recording the audio of the exchange on his iPhone.
“I will not do anything that is not explicitly stated on recording as mandatory,” Kernan told them, as the police suggested they conduct the pat down instead of the TSA. However, the cops were forced to back down when they refused to state on record that Kernan would have to have his genitals touched in order to be free to go.
After a disagreement between the police and the TSA about who had jurisdiction to arrest Kernan, the police began to get frustrated with the TSA Supervisor for pawning off the responsibility on them. At this point, the Supervisor tried to involve the “Federal Security Director,” who was told that Kernan was being polite and citing his constitutional rights.
After more deliberation, Kernan was eventually escorted out of the airport without having to go through a naked body scanner or have his genitals groped.
“And then came the most ridiculous scene of which I’ve ever been a part. I gather my things – jacket, scarf, hat, briefcase, chocolates. We walk over to the staff entrance and he scans his badge to let me through. We walk down the long hallway that led back to the baggage claim area. We skip the escalators and moving walkways. As we walk, there are TSA officials stationed at apparent checkpoints along the route. As we pass them, they form part of the circle that is around me. By the end of the walk, I count 13 TSA officials and 2 uniformed police officers forming a circle around me. We reach the baggage claim area, and everyone stops at the orange line. The Supervisor grunts, “Have a nice day,” and leaves.”
By simply remaining calm and polite while citing his constitutional rights, Kernan proved that, despite the best efforts of the TSA to intimidate people into submission by threatening $11,000 fines, it is not illegal to refuse to be put through a radiation scanner or be groped by TSA workers.
Kernan proved that the whole procedure is unconstitutional and a violation of rights, and after acknowledging this fact, TSA officials and the airport police had no other choice but to let him go free.
Tomorrow’s national op-out day provides the opportunity for thousands more Americans to follow in Kernan’s footsteps and permanently put to rest the notion that violating TSA “policy” is a criminal act, when in fact the policy in itself is a violation of constitutional rights and therefore completely illegal.
Traveler bypasses body scanner and invasive pat down after near 3 hour debate with TSA supervisor, airport police
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Blogger Matt Kernan was able to bypass both the naked body scanner and invasive TSA pat down procedures during his return to the United States this past weekend, proving that both measures are completely unconstitutional and creating a precedent for a total shake-up of airport security.
Kernan, who documents the case on his website, was returning from a trip to Europe and was perturbed to see TSA workers making Americans who had already cleared security in their airport of origin go through backscatter x-ray machines and be groped simply to re-enter their own country.
“You see, it is official TSA policy that people (both citizens and non-citizens alike) from international flights are screened as they enter the airport, despite the fact that they have already flown,” writes Kernan. “Even before the new controversial security measures were put in place, I found this practice annoying. But now, as I looked past the 25 people waiting to get into their own country, I saw it: the dreaded Backscatter imaging machine.”
Having seen the plethora of cases in recent weeks of TSA thugs abusing and humiliating women and children, Kernan, who had no connecting flight and time to kill, decided to take a stand.
So begins Kernan’s description of his 2 and a half hour debate with TSA officials and airport police after he refused to go through the naked scanner or be groped.
After TSA workers laughed at Kernan for opting out of the radiation scanner, he politely informed them that if they touched his genitals he would consider it an assault.
With TSA officials repeating “policy” like a broken record, Kernan stated, “I am aware that it is policy, but I disagree with the policy, and I think that it is unconstitutional. As a U.S. citizen, I have the right to move freely within my country as long as I can demonstrate proof of citizenship and have demonstrated no reasonable cause to be detained.”
Soon after the TSA Supervisor, a Delta Airlines manager and the airport police were called and Kernan informed them that he was recording the audio of the exchange on his iPhone.
“I will not do anything that is not explicitly stated on recording as mandatory,” Kernan told them, as the police suggested they conduct the pat down instead of the TSA. However, the cops were forced to back down when they refused to state on record that Kernan would have to have his genitals touched in order to be free to go.
After a disagreement between the police and the TSA about who had jurisdiction to arrest Kernan, the police began to get frustrated with the TSA Supervisor for pawning off the responsibility on them. At this point, the Supervisor tried to involve the “Federal Security Director,” who was told that Kernan was being polite and citing his constitutional rights.
After more deliberation, Kernan was eventually escorted out of the airport without having to go through a naked body scanner or have his genitals groped.
“And then came the most ridiculous scene of which I’ve ever been a part. I gather my things – jacket, scarf, hat, briefcase, chocolates. We walk over to the staff entrance and he scans his badge to let me through. We walk down the long hallway that led back to the baggage claim area. We skip the escalators and moving walkways. As we walk, there are TSA officials stationed at apparent checkpoints along the route. As we pass them, they form part of the circle that is around me. By the end of the walk, I count 13 TSA officials and 2 uniformed police officers forming a circle around me. We reach the baggage claim area, and everyone stops at the orange line. The Supervisor grunts, “Have a nice day,” and leaves.”
By simply remaining calm and polite while citing his constitutional rights, Kernan proved that, despite the best efforts of the TSA to intimidate people into submission by threatening $11,000 fines, it is not illegal to refuse to be put through a radiation scanner or be groped by TSA workers.
Kernan proved that the whole procedure is unconstitutional and a violation of rights, and after acknowledging this fact, TSA officials and the airport police had no other choice but to let him go free.
Tomorrow’s national op-out day provides the opportunity for thousands more Americans to follow in Kernan’s footsteps and permanently put to rest the notion that violating TSA “policy” is a criminal act, when in fact the policy in itself is a violation of constitutional rights and therefore completely illegal.
Did You Know that Splenda is in Your Drinking Water
Did You Know that Splenda is in Your Drinking Water
The human body can't break it down, or use it in any way. And as it turns out, modern wastewater treatment methods don't break down Splenda either.
Smitha Ramakrishna, a finalist in the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search, found that the sweetener can accumulate in the water supply after people excrete it. This could potentially cause harm to fish and other living creatures.
Scientific American reports:
"She tried to start doing research at Arizona State University, though since she was the first high schooler her lab had ever had ... [E]ventually she was allowed to subject sucralose to various treatments, like bacterial digestion, typically used in wastewater treatment plants.
She found that sucralose resisted most of these treatments ... that means almost all the sucralose people eat or drink winds up in the ecosystem."
Splenda (aka sucralose) was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Sucralose is also permitted as a general-purpose sweetener for all processed foods.
It's become very popular over the last decade as it's claimed your body does not metabolize it and therefore provides no calories.
As I detailed in my book Sweet Deception, researchers have found evidence that Splenda is absorbed by your fat, contrary to claims. This is not good as it will tend to accumulate in your body over time. Since it is chemically related to DDT and no study in the world has looked at toxicity over a few months, it might lead a prudent person to be more cautious with its use.
However, a significant amount is still excreted in your stool and this is what winds up in the water supply.
Is Excreted Splenda Accumulating in the Water Supply?
According to Splenda's Web site for health care professionals:
"Approximately 2% of ingested sucralose is biotransformed into toxicologically insignificant components and excreted in the urine … Most ingested sucralose is eliminated unchanged in the stool … Of the small amount of sucralose that is absorbed, most is eliminated in the urine within 24 hours."
All of this excreted Splenda goes directly into the water supply where Smitha Ramakrishna, a bright 17-year-old and finalist in the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search, found that wastewater treatment methods do not break the compound down.
After testing bacterial digestion and other forms of common wastewater treatments, she found the molecule vastly unchanged. Only a mix of titanium dioxide, ultraviolet light and extensive time broke Splenda down into biodegradable molecules, and these methods are rarely used by treatment facilities.
So there's a good chance that Splenda is readily accumulating in water supplies, where preliminary studies suggest it could poison fish and potentially harm other creatures as well.
The fastest solution to keeping Splenda out of the water supply would be to drastically cut down on its use on a nationwide level … a step that would not only protect the environment but also your individual health as well.
Splenda Secrets You Should Know
Splenda was approved after the FDA supposedly reviewed more than 110 animal and human safety studies, but out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, and the longest one was conducted for four days!
Those animal studies revealed plenty of problems, such as:
•Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
•Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
•Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
•Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
•A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group
A recent study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health also found that Splenda:
•Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent -- a disturbing finding since these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly microorganisms and support your general health.
•Increases the pH level in your intestines
•Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you're on certain medications
I created a page many years ago that contains a long list of personal case studies from readers who have been injured and suffered side effects from Splenda.
In fact, we have more people on our site that have reported adverse reactions to Splenda than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval! Please read these case reports when you can and certainly add your own experience if you have noticed a side effect from consuming Splenda.
The symptoms are so numerous I can't include them all here, but the following are common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products:
•Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). These are the most common allergic symptoms that people have.
•Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath
•Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headaches and migraines (severe headaches)
•Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing
•Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery
•Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea
•Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering
•Joints -- Joint pains or aches
•Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation, depression
Tips for Ditching Splenda
You may become addicted to artificial sweeteners because you have cravings for sweets and think you are making a healthy choice by swapping out sugar for artificial sweeteners … but this is a myth.
For more information about why artificial sweeteners are not a smart health move (for instance did you know they can actually stimulate fat storage and weight gain?) read One More Reason to Ban Artificial Sweeteners from Your Diet.
If you're using Splenda because you're craving sweets, what your body is most likely really craving are healthy nutrients. Finding out your nutritional type will help you understand which foods you need to eat to feel full and satisfied. Once you start eating right for your nutritional type, your sweet cravings typically will significantly lessen and may even disappear.
Meanwhile, be sure you address the emotional component to your food cravings using a tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). More than any traditional or alternative method I have used or researched, EFT works to overcome food cravings.
And, if diet soda is the culprit for you, be sure to check out Turbo Tapping, which is an extremely effective and simple tool to get rid of your soda addiction in a short period of time.
For times when you are looking for a healthier sweet treat, the only alternative sweetener I recommend is Stevia. It's a natural plant and, unlike Splenda and other artificial sweeteners that have been cited for dangerous toxicities, it is a safe, natural alternative that's ideal if you're watching your weight or maintaining your health by avoiding sugar.
I must tell you that I am biased; I prefer Stevia as my sweetener of choice, and I frequently use it. However, like most choices, especially sweeteners, I recommend using Stevia in moderation, just like sugar.
The human body can't break it down, or use it in any way. And as it turns out, modern wastewater treatment methods don't break down Splenda either.
Smitha Ramakrishna, a finalist in the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search, found that the sweetener can accumulate in the water supply after people excrete it. This could potentially cause harm to fish and other living creatures.
Scientific American reports:
"She tried to start doing research at Arizona State University, though since she was the first high schooler her lab had ever had ... [E]ventually she was allowed to subject sucralose to various treatments, like bacterial digestion, typically used in wastewater treatment plants.
She found that sucralose resisted most of these treatments ... that means almost all the sucralose people eat or drink winds up in the ecosystem."
Splenda (aka sucralose) was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Sucralose is also permitted as a general-purpose sweetener for all processed foods.
It's become very popular over the last decade as it's claimed your body does not metabolize it and therefore provides no calories.
As I detailed in my book Sweet Deception, researchers have found evidence that Splenda is absorbed by your fat, contrary to claims. This is not good as it will tend to accumulate in your body over time. Since it is chemically related to DDT and no study in the world has looked at toxicity over a few months, it might lead a prudent person to be more cautious with its use.
However, a significant amount is still excreted in your stool and this is what winds up in the water supply.
Is Excreted Splenda Accumulating in the Water Supply?
According to Splenda's Web site for health care professionals:
"Approximately 2% of ingested sucralose is biotransformed into toxicologically insignificant components and excreted in the urine … Most ingested sucralose is eliminated unchanged in the stool … Of the small amount of sucralose that is absorbed, most is eliminated in the urine within 24 hours."
All of this excreted Splenda goes directly into the water supply where Smitha Ramakrishna, a bright 17-year-old and finalist in the 2009 Intel Science Talent Search, found that wastewater treatment methods do not break the compound down.
After testing bacterial digestion and other forms of common wastewater treatments, she found the molecule vastly unchanged. Only a mix of titanium dioxide, ultraviolet light and extensive time broke Splenda down into biodegradable molecules, and these methods are rarely used by treatment facilities.
So there's a good chance that Splenda is readily accumulating in water supplies, where preliminary studies suggest it could poison fish and potentially harm other creatures as well.
The fastest solution to keeping Splenda out of the water supply would be to drastically cut down on its use on a nationwide level … a step that would not only protect the environment but also your individual health as well.
Splenda Secrets You Should Know
Splenda was approved after the FDA supposedly reviewed more than 110 animal and human safety studies, but out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, and the longest one was conducted for four days!
Those animal studies revealed plenty of problems, such as:
•Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
•Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
•Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
•Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
•A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group
A recent study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health also found that Splenda:
•Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent -- a disturbing finding since these bacteria help maintain your body's overall balance of friendly versus unfriendly microorganisms and support your general health.
•Increases the pH level in your intestines
•Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you're on certain medications
I created a page many years ago that contains a long list of personal case studies from readers who have been injured and suffered side effects from Splenda.
In fact, we have more people on our site that have reported adverse reactions to Splenda than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval! Please read these case reports when you can and certainly add your own experience if you have noticed a side effect from consuming Splenda.
The symptoms are so numerous I can't include them all here, but the following are common symptoms, usually noticed within a 24-hour period following consumption of Splenda products:
•Skin -- Redness, itching, swelling, blistering, weeping, crusting, rash, eruptions, or hives (itchy bumps or welts). These are the most common allergic symptoms that people have.
•Lungs -- Wheezing, tightness, cough, or shortness of breath
•Head -- Swelling of the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, or throat; headaches and migraines (severe headaches)
•Nose -- Stuffy nose, runny nose (clear, thin discharge), sneezing
•Eyes -- Red (bloodshot), itchy, swollen, or watery
•Stomach -- Bloating, gas, pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or bloody diarrhea
•Heart -- Palpitations or fluttering
•Joints -- Joint pains or aches
•Neurological -- Anxiety, dizziness, spaced-out sensation, depression
Tips for Ditching Splenda
You may become addicted to artificial sweeteners because you have cravings for sweets and think you are making a healthy choice by swapping out sugar for artificial sweeteners … but this is a myth.
For more information about why artificial sweeteners are not a smart health move (for instance did you know they can actually stimulate fat storage and weight gain?) read One More Reason to Ban Artificial Sweeteners from Your Diet.
If you're using Splenda because you're craving sweets, what your body is most likely really craving are healthy nutrients. Finding out your nutritional type will help you understand which foods you need to eat to feel full and satisfied. Once you start eating right for your nutritional type, your sweet cravings typically will significantly lessen and may even disappear.
Meanwhile, be sure you address the emotional component to your food cravings using a tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). More than any traditional or alternative method I have used or researched, EFT works to overcome food cravings.
And, if diet soda is the culprit for you, be sure to check out Turbo Tapping, which is an extremely effective and simple tool to get rid of your soda addiction in a short period of time.
For times when you are looking for a healthier sweet treat, the only alternative sweetener I recommend is Stevia. It's a natural plant and, unlike Splenda and other artificial sweeteners that have been cited for dangerous toxicities, it is a safe, natural alternative that's ideal if you're watching your weight or maintaining your health by avoiding sugar.
I must tell you that I am biased; I prefer Stevia as my sweetener of choice, and I frequently use it. However, like most choices, especially sweeteners, I recommend using Stevia in moderation, just like sugar.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Grain Prices to Soar Pushing Food « Trader Rog's Blog
Grain Prices to Soar Pushing Food « Trader Rog's Blog
Grain Could Rise +50% In 2011 On Drought, Shortages, Demand, And Weather.
“Soybeans, Palm Oil to Extend Rally on Chinese Purchases, Investment Demand.”
“Global prices of soybeans and palm oil are likely to extend their rally on demand from China, the biggest user, and as investors buy commodities to protect their wealth, said analysts and executives at a Guangzhou conference.” (Editor: We think the whole price sector of all grains and related oils will see price explosions. China will not be denied on either cash or credit).
“The price of July-delivery soybeans may climb to $16 a bushel from $13 should drought occur in the U.S. next summer, said Anne Frick, analyst at Prudential Bache Commodities LLC in New York. Palm oil may extend its rally into 2011, said Godrej International Ltd. Director Dorab Mistry in prepared remarks. He also predicted at the weekend that the price may gain to 3,300 Ringgit ($1,067) per ton, a level reached today.”
“Higher prices may spur costlier food, fanning inflation. World food costs climbed to the highest level in more than two years in October on more expensive meat, cereals, cooking oils and sugar, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said. Farm commodity prices, measured by the Standard & Poor’s GSCI Agriculture Index of eight futures, climbed +37% this year as China and India grew three times faster than the U.S.”
“The growth in consumption is in China,” and, by some forecasts, is so rapid that it may test the world’s limited resources, Frick told industry officials. Should the appetite for commodities from cash-rich investors become “wild and crazy” as some executives predicted, the market “could get out of control,” she said.”
‘Soybeans for January delivery were little changed today at $12.8575 a bushel, below the $12.90 a bushel reached on November 5, the highest level for the most active contract in more than two years. Palm oil for January delivery jumped +4.4% to 3,330 Ringgit in Malaysia. The pace of China’s soybean purchases for delivery this marketing year has exceeded expectations, according to Cofco Ltd.”
“More and more companies are buying further into future months” and purchases are larger, said Chang Muping, vice general manager of the oilseed division at Beijing-based Cofco. While Chinese crushers used to buy a few months before shipping, they now buy half a year or more ahead, he said.”
“Soybean costs climbed even as global output increased to a record, signaling prices are more influenced by economic changes such as increased money supply, said Frank Zhou, general manager of protein and vegetable oil trading at Cargill Investments (China) Ltd.”
“The rates of price increases “have surprised me even as I’m bullish,” Zhou said. China’s domestic edible oil market has seen excessive price gains even with large inventories, which are an “overbought” indication, Zhou said.”
“The market will find ways to regain the balance, said Frick. China’s pace of U.S. soybean buying slowed last week, improved weather in South America will speed planting, and a predicted increase in palm oil output may alleviate tightness, she said.”
“The flipside of the question is whether China’s demand in fact supports global prices at these levels,” said Larry Li, trading director at Noble Grain China. “Purely based on fundamentals, these high levels are certainly not supported.” “What worries me is everyone in the room is bullish,” Frick said. “Who’s going to sell?” -William Bi, & Claire Leow Bloomberg.net
We are not ready to forecast 2011 grain and oil prices just yet. However, on a modest forecast we could see preliminarily, corn at $7-$8, soybeans at $16 and wheat at $12.00. Palm oil and soybean oil could be 150% higher in 2011 than the highest highs recorded for 2010.
Grain Could Rise +50% In 2011 On Drought, Shortages, Demand, And Weather.
“Soybeans, Palm Oil to Extend Rally on Chinese Purchases, Investment Demand.”
“Global prices of soybeans and palm oil are likely to extend their rally on demand from China, the biggest user, and as investors buy commodities to protect their wealth, said analysts and executives at a Guangzhou conference.” (Editor: We think the whole price sector of all grains and related oils will see price explosions. China will not be denied on either cash or credit).
“The price of July-delivery soybeans may climb to $16 a bushel from $13 should drought occur in the U.S. next summer, said Anne Frick, analyst at Prudential Bache Commodities LLC in New York. Palm oil may extend its rally into 2011, said Godrej International Ltd. Director Dorab Mistry in prepared remarks. He also predicted at the weekend that the price may gain to 3,300 Ringgit ($1,067) per ton, a level reached today.”
“Higher prices may spur costlier food, fanning inflation. World food costs climbed to the highest level in more than two years in October on more expensive meat, cereals, cooking oils and sugar, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization said. Farm commodity prices, measured by the Standard & Poor’s GSCI Agriculture Index of eight futures, climbed +37% this year as China and India grew three times faster than the U.S.”
“The growth in consumption is in China,” and, by some forecasts, is so rapid that it may test the world’s limited resources, Frick told industry officials. Should the appetite for commodities from cash-rich investors become “wild and crazy” as some executives predicted, the market “could get out of control,” she said.”
‘Soybeans for January delivery were little changed today at $12.8575 a bushel, below the $12.90 a bushel reached on November 5, the highest level for the most active contract in more than two years. Palm oil for January delivery jumped +4.4% to 3,330 Ringgit in Malaysia. The pace of China’s soybean purchases for delivery this marketing year has exceeded expectations, according to Cofco Ltd.”
“More and more companies are buying further into future months” and purchases are larger, said Chang Muping, vice general manager of the oilseed division at Beijing-based Cofco. While Chinese crushers used to buy a few months before shipping, they now buy half a year or more ahead, he said.”
“Soybean costs climbed even as global output increased to a record, signaling prices are more influenced by economic changes such as increased money supply, said Frank Zhou, general manager of protein and vegetable oil trading at Cargill Investments (China) Ltd.”
“The rates of price increases “have surprised me even as I’m bullish,” Zhou said. China’s domestic edible oil market has seen excessive price gains even with large inventories, which are an “overbought” indication, Zhou said.”
“The market will find ways to regain the balance, said Frick. China’s pace of U.S. soybean buying slowed last week, improved weather in South America will speed planting, and a predicted increase in palm oil output may alleviate tightness, she said.”
“The flipside of the question is whether China’s demand in fact supports global prices at these levels,” said Larry Li, trading director at Noble Grain China. “Purely based on fundamentals, these high levels are certainly not supported.” “What worries me is everyone in the room is bullish,” Frick said. “Who’s going to sell?” -William Bi, & Claire Leow Bloomberg.net
We are not ready to forecast 2011 grain and oil prices just yet. However, on a modest forecast we could see preliminarily, corn at $7-$8, soybeans at $16 and wheat at $12.00. Palm oil and soybean oil could be 150% higher in 2011 than the highest highs recorded for 2010.
USDA: No strategic grain reserves…they sold them! « The PPJ Gazette
USDA: No strategic grain reserves…they sold them! « The PPJ Gazette
As recently as 2008, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the USDA, reported that there was virtually no grain stores left in the US. Of the 24.1 million bushels in reserve, only 2.7 million bushels remained after the bulk of the grain stores were given for humanitarian relief. While some of the grain may have been used for humanitarian purposes, there is no evidence to support this contention. Furthermore, the use of the term humanitarian does not necessarily mean that the grain wasn’t sold, its just meant to condition public thinking into believing the grain was given away to hungry people. I would bet that wasn’t the case at all.
There has been no effort by USDA or CCC to re-establish our strategic grain reserves. The purpose of the CCC is to maintain a balanced supply of food commodities as a strategic backup in case of emergency and is charged with distributing those back up supplies to the population should they be needed. The strategic reserves which had been established as a result of the Great Depression were depleted in the 1980’s and USDA at that time announced it would not re-establish this back up and of course our current bio-tech pandering Ag secretary isn’t about to re-establish them either.
S.510 would insure the capture of the markets for corporations whose only interest is exporting whatever our land can produce to other nations, for commodities profit. Nothing will be held back for the US as “free trade” and export will be first and foremost. Instead of focusing on securing a back up supply for the US, the USDA continues to push for ever more exportation of our food supply. Now why would USDA and congress be promoting export over securing the food supply for the US?
This “free trade” thing is killing us economically. The cost of free trade needs to be measured not by whether or not a few selected individuals make a ton of money, but, by whether or not the economy is benefited by allowing it to continue. Free trade has morphed into rape and pillage, leaving economic destruction in its wake and we are about to be left in the dirt and wondering where our next meal is coming from as multi-national corporations line up to seize control of the worlds food supplies.
Along with this loss of strategic grain reserves, there is no butter, cheese, dry milk or any other food commodity stockpiled for the American people in the event the predicted food crisis occurs. Nearly one third of all corn crops are now diverted to ethanol production and are not grown for food; this while the coming food crisis begins.
It is our belief that this refusal by USDA and CCC to establish a food store for emergencies goes hand in hand with the intent of S.510, the fake food safety bill. This bill will effectively centralize food production not only geographically, but also in the marketplace by eliminating family and independent producers and centralizing food production in CAFO operations and other concentrated farming applications.
The Farmer Owned Reserve (FOR) is busy promoting the most sensible solution to decentralization of food stores, by advocating that grain be stored on farms; effectively establishing and protecting grain reserves as they would be dispersed all across the country as opposed to deposited in massive and easily targeted grain terminals. Of course USDA and CCC have their ears plugged on this sensible solution as it limits their control and manipulation of markets and reduces the number and value of contracts they can issue for export; meaning the amount of money that would be generated by contracting with multi-national corporations against the people of the United States would be seriously impaired, reducing the profit margin for USDA on export contracts.
This was alluded to in the 2009 National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) report on the wonderful deal grain producers would get if they didn’t store grain on site and instead stored in government owned and controlled facilities. Far from being a logical and defensive strategy, the intent of NGFA (another USDA owned corporation)was summed up in its final statement on the advantages of government owned facilities:
It would better protect CCC’s financial interest, since the value of grain stored at commercial elevators generally is greater than on farm, and is a more “saleable” asset if marketing assistance loan grain is ever forfeited by the producer into CCC’s ownership.
This last statement was in fact the crux of the issue: “forever forfeited by the producer.” Its all about how to seize the supply and who will profit from its sale. None of this plan for massive grain terminals is about anything other than selling off the crops our farmers produce to the highest bidders while leaving the US in the position of having no strategic stores of grains for emergencies. to get the full effect of the planning that went into the theft of our grain crops, you have to read the full document linked above.
Centralization, one of the key talking points when the USDA and FDA is promoting the overthrow of private domestic agriculture, is supposed to be avoided……there could be some mad man in a cave on the other side of the world just waiting for the chance to tip cows over in Iowa. Then what?
These massive terminals that NGFA is promoting would centralize the grain reserves all across the country making them easy targets for terrorists; like the swat teams from USDA and FDA. They don’t have to really worry about them showing up, these teams will be far too busy conducting police state raids on family and independent farms and ranches.
We do need to fear terrorists. You will know them when you see them. They will be dressed like star wars storm troopers and armed to the teeth with weapons the likes of which even James Bond couldn’t imagine. They’ll also have the USDA and/or FDA logo on them just so you know who they are.
As for bio-terrorism……considering we have more than 700 bio-weapons labs cris-crossing the country, its pretty safe to say that should we have a bio weapon attack, it will probably originate from a city near you.
As recently as 2008, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the USDA, reported that there was virtually no grain stores left in the US. Of the 24.1 million bushels in reserve, only 2.7 million bushels remained after the bulk of the grain stores were given for humanitarian relief. While some of the grain may have been used for humanitarian purposes, there is no evidence to support this contention. Furthermore, the use of the term humanitarian does not necessarily mean that the grain wasn’t sold, its just meant to condition public thinking into believing the grain was given away to hungry people. I would bet that wasn’t the case at all.
There has been no effort by USDA or CCC to re-establish our strategic grain reserves. The purpose of the CCC is to maintain a balanced supply of food commodities as a strategic backup in case of emergency and is charged with distributing those back up supplies to the population should they be needed. The strategic reserves which had been established as a result of the Great Depression were depleted in the 1980’s and USDA at that time announced it would not re-establish this back up and of course our current bio-tech pandering Ag secretary isn’t about to re-establish them either.
S.510 would insure the capture of the markets for corporations whose only interest is exporting whatever our land can produce to other nations, for commodities profit. Nothing will be held back for the US as “free trade” and export will be first and foremost. Instead of focusing on securing a back up supply for the US, the USDA continues to push for ever more exportation of our food supply. Now why would USDA and congress be promoting export over securing the food supply for the US?
This “free trade” thing is killing us economically. The cost of free trade needs to be measured not by whether or not a few selected individuals make a ton of money, but, by whether or not the economy is benefited by allowing it to continue. Free trade has morphed into rape and pillage, leaving economic destruction in its wake and we are about to be left in the dirt and wondering where our next meal is coming from as multi-national corporations line up to seize control of the worlds food supplies.
Along with this loss of strategic grain reserves, there is no butter, cheese, dry milk or any other food commodity stockpiled for the American people in the event the predicted food crisis occurs. Nearly one third of all corn crops are now diverted to ethanol production and are not grown for food; this while the coming food crisis begins.
It is our belief that this refusal by USDA and CCC to establish a food store for emergencies goes hand in hand with the intent of S.510, the fake food safety bill. This bill will effectively centralize food production not only geographically, but also in the marketplace by eliminating family and independent producers and centralizing food production in CAFO operations and other concentrated farming applications.
The Farmer Owned Reserve (FOR) is busy promoting the most sensible solution to decentralization of food stores, by advocating that grain be stored on farms; effectively establishing and protecting grain reserves as they would be dispersed all across the country as opposed to deposited in massive and easily targeted grain terminals. Of course USDA and CCC have their ears plugged on this sensible solution as it limits their control and manipulation of markets and reduces the number and value of contracts they can issue for export; meaning the amount of money that would be generated by contracting with multi-national corporations against the people of the United States would be seriously impaired, reducing the profit margin for USDA on export contracts.
This was alluded to in the 2009 National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) report on the wonderful deal grain producers would get if they didn’t store grain on site and instead stored in government owned and controlled facilities. Far from being a logical and defensive strategy, the intent of NGFA (another USDA owned corporation)was summed up in its final statement on the advantages of government owned facilities:
It would better protect CCC’s financial interest, since the value of grain stored at commercial elevators generally is greater than on farm, and is a more “saleable” asset if marketing assistance loan grain is ever forfeited by the producer into CCC’s ownership.
This last statement was in fact the crux of the issue: “forever forfeited by the producer.” Its all about how to seize the supply and who will profit from its sale. None of this plan for massive grain terminals is about anything other than selling off the crops our farmers produce to the highest bidders while leaving the US in the position of having no strategic stores of grains for emergencies. to get the full effect of the planning that went into the theft of our grain crops, you have to read the full document linked above.
Centralization, one of the key talking points when the USDA and FDA is promoting the overthrow of private domestic agriculture, is supposed to be avoided……there could be some mad man in a cave on the other side of the world just waiting for the chance to tip cows over in Iowa. Then what?
These massive terminals that NGFA is promoting would centralize the grain reserves all across the country making them easy targets for terrorists; like the swat teams from USDA and FDA. They don’t have to really worry about them showing up, these teams will be far too busy conducting police state raids on family and independent farms and ranches.
We do need to fear terrorists. You will know them when you see them. They will be dressed like star wars storm troopers and armed to the teeth with weapons the likes of which even James Bond couldn’t imagine. They’ll also have the USDA and/or FDA logo on them just so you know who they are.
As for bio-terrorism……considering we have more than 700 bio-weapons labs cris-crossing the country, its pretty safe to say that should we have a bio weapon attack, it will probably originate from a city near you.
TSA screeners leave cancer survivor covered in urine | Raw Story
TSA screeners leave cancer survivor covered in urine | Raw Story
A retired teacher from Lansing, Michigan, says he had to walk through an airport and board a plane covered in urine after TSA agents tore open his urostomy bag during a pat-down.
Thomas Sawyer, a 61-year-old survivor of bladder cancer, was flagged for an enhanced screening at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Nov. 7 after a metal detector picked up the urostomy bag in his pants. The medical device collects urine through an opening in the stomach. MSNBC reports:
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to be screened in private. “One officer looked at another, rolled his eyes and said that they really didn’t have any place to take me,” said Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy, they took me to an office.”
“One agent watched as the other used his flat hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to warn him that he would hit the bag and break the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure enough, the seal was broken and urine started dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into my pants.”
The security officer finished the pat-down, tested the gloves for any trace of explosives and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go. They never apologized. They never offered to help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what happened. But I know they saw it because I had a wet mark.”
Humiliated, upset and wet, Sawyer said he had to walk through the airport soaked in urine, board his plane and wait until after takeoff before he could clean up.
Sawyer says he plans to file a complaint against the TSA. A spokesman for the agency said they will "review the matter and take appropriate action if necessary."
Sawyer's story is the latest in a string of anecdotes that suggests some TSA agents are dismissive or unconcerned with air travelers' medical conditions. In one incident reported earlier this week, a flight attendant who survived breast cancer was forced to expose her prosthetic breast to TSA employees.
DEMS CHALLENGE TSA TO JUSTIFY PAT-DOWNS
Two House Democrats, including the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, have sent a letter (PDF) to TSA Administrator John Pistole asking him to "reconsider" the new screening procedures.
“While we agree that security measures should be enhanced in the wake of recent attempted terrorist attacks on the aviation system, we are concerned about new enhanced pat down screening protocols and urge you to reconsider the utilization of these protocols. With Thanksgiving Day marking the beginning of the busiest travel season of the year, this request is timely,” the letter stated.
It was signed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MI), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
The letter also challenges Pistole to justify the decision to offer "enhanced pat-downs" as the alternative for passengers who choose to opt out of the full body scanners. The letter requests that Pistole provide the committee with all documents "that support the TSA's decision to implement the enhanced pat-down procedure."
That may prove difficult. Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic reported last month that a TSA agent told him the pat-down procedure, which involves the touching of breasts and genitals, was simply a bullying technique meant to get passengers inside the full body scanner.
"Nobody's going to do it [choose the pat-down]," the agent reportedly said, "once they find out what we're going to do."
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/tsa-cancer-survivor-covered-urine/
A retired teacher from Lansing, Michigan, says he had to walk through an airport and board a plane covered in urine after TSA agents tore open his urostomy bag during a pat-down.
Thomas Sawyer, a 61-year-old survivor of bladder cancer, was flagged for an enhanced screening at Detroit Metropolitan Airport Nov. 7 after a metal detector picked up the urostomy bag in his pants. The medical device collects urine through an opening in the stomach. MSNBC reports:
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to be screened in private. “One officer looked at another, rolled his eyes and said that they really didn’t have any place to take me,” said Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy, they took me to an office.”
“One agent watched as the other used his flat hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to warn him that he would hit the bag and break the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure enough, the seal was broken and urine started dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into my pants.”
The security officer finished the pat-down, tested the gloves for any trace of explosives and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go. They never apologized. They never offered to help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what happened. But I know they saw it because I had a wet mark.”
Humiliated, upset and wet, Sawyer said he had to walk through the airport soaked in urine, board his plane and wait until after takeoff before he could clean up.
Sawyer says he plans to file a complaint against the TSA. A spokesman for the agency said they will "review the matter and take appropriate action if necessary."
Sawyer's story is the latest in a string of anecdotes that suggests some TSA agents are dismissive or unconcerned with air travelers' medical conditions. In one incident reported earlier this week, a flight attendant who survived breast cancer was forced to expose her prosthetic breast to TSA employees.
DEMS CHALLENGE TSA TO JUSTIFY PAT-DOWNS
Two House Democrats, including the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, have sent a letter (PDF) to TSA Administrator John Pistole asking him to "reconsider" the new screening procedures.
“While we agree that security measures should be enhanced in the wake of recent attempted terrorist attacks on the aviation system, we are concerned about new enhanced pat down screening protocols and urge you to reconsider the utilization of these protocols. With Thanksgiving Day marking the beginning of the busiest travel season of the year, this request is timely,” the letter stated.
It was signed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MI), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
The letter also challenges Pistole to justify the decision to offer "enhanced pat-downs" as the alternative for passengers who choose to opt out of the full body scanners. The letter requests that Pistole provide the committee with all documents "that support the TSA's decision to implement the enhanced pat-down procedure."
That may prove difficult. Jeffrey Goldberg at the Atlantic reported last month that a TSA agent told him the pat-down procedure, which involves the touching of breasts and genitals, was simply a bullying technique meant to get passengers inside the full body scanner.
"Nobody's going to do it [choose the pat-down]," the agent reportedly said, "once they find out what we're going to do."
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/tsa-cancer-survivor-covered-urine/
Crisis of Fiat Currencies: US Dollar Surpluses Converted into Gold
Crisis of Fiat Currencies: US Dollar Surpluses Converted into Gold
Bob Chapman
The International Forecster
November 22, 2010
Something is going on that your government does not want you to know about. Very few journalists have written about it and little or nothing has appeared in the mainstream media. The story could be one of major stories of our time.
Western powers have tried to destroy gold as a backing for currencies for many years. Presently the major media won’t touch the story and that is understandable.
Something we have been writing about for years is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization known as SCO. Few have been listening and few have been interested in what their mission is and what they have been up to.
Some of the members are large oil producers and some, like China, are large oil users. Some have very large US dollar surpluses. As well, some are large commodity and gold and silver buyers. In fact, members are in a great part responsible for driving these prices higher. It is debatable, but we believe there is a conscious effort to accumulate gold and silver, dump dollars and to back their currencies with gold.
China and Russia are both large gold producers and for a number of years have been buying up domestic gold and silver production, so that it never reaches the market and does not affect prices. If anything the absence of sales tends to push the markets higher. As a matter of fact Russia and India are visible buyers. Even Iran with its oil surplus recently announced that they had purchased 340 tons of gold. Their recent gold purchases are very significant as affiliate members, which have access to the present and ultimate direction of the group. You might say buying gold has been a protective effort to shield members and close observers from the problems generated by dollar policies. They are accumulating gold, as many have been worldwide, for the past ten years, but particularly over the past few years.
This buying, for protection, has served to thwart the efforts of US policymakers, the Treasury, other central banks in Europe and the Fed, from being able to continue the blatant suppression of both gold and silver prices. The malefactors, except for forays into derivatives and futures, which are transitory, have lost control and suppression of gold and silver prices, and it is only a matter of time before all visages of any control will be visible. Since 1988, in August when Present Reagan signed the Executive Order creating, “the President’s Group on Financial Markets” and the subsidiaries that have grown out of that policy, that the Treasury won many if not most of the battles. The SCO in part changed that and now they and the public are winning the war for a fair and free gold and silver market. The current class action lawsuits, including RICO, are a testament to the market manipulation in silver, which is finally coming to an end. HSBC and JPMorgan Chase, the latter that is the major owner of the Fed, are going to be finally prohibited from rigging these markets. Their officers all belong in jail, but elitists never go to jail; they pay fines, and keep right on robbing the public.
Other SCO members and observers are accumulating gold as well, be it in smaller amounts. We might add that other nations observing Russia and China and their gold purchases are buying as well. These participants must believe that there could be a return to sound money; otherwise they wouldn’t be gold buyers. Buying gold is certainly preferable to holding US dollars, which have consistently fallen in value versus other currencies over the past ten years. Then again all currencies have fallen versus gold over that period, some 19.6% annually. It is nice to see nations are finally waking up to the reality that fiat currencies will all over time deteriorate versus gold. The temptation is enormous to deficit spend.
The most interesting aspect of the SCO is that they do not strive for political agreement such as the European Union. They are interested in economic stability and development and security. There is no overall binding laws. Nations retain their sovereignty, which is the exact opposite of what the elitists in the US and Europe desire, and that is world government. The SCO has provided great flexibility something that is non-existent in elitist controlled countries. Another interesting facet is that the SCO probably represents half of the world’ population, far more than the US and Europe. As these nations accumulate gold so does some of their citizens, which puts strong upward pressures on gold prices on a continuing basis.
In addition some of these nations, such as China, are spending dollars by buying natural resources and other things in other nations in an attempt to relieve themselves of excess dollars earned in trade. Both Russia and China fully realize that the US dollar is in serious trouble and has been for a number of years due to fiscal debt and the unbridled creation of money and credit by the Federal Reserve. They well know the dollar is in serious trouble and what the outcome will probably be.
As the economies of the US and Europe become more deeply mired in problems the economies of SCO nations more and more resemble the free economies of old that were very successful. You might say they have found their way back to basics and sound money. As the dollar comes under further downward pressure more nations will probably join the SCO to escape the clutches of European and American imperialism and bureaucracy, which for some years has been onerous and unsuccessful. What we see is a natural path by nations to extricate themselves from the control of Wall Street and the City of London, which have dominated the world for so long. All these facts considered we believe gold will find its way substantially higher with the participation of these nations, a factor the West never figured on. These ten nations are sucking excess gold out of the market every day and that will continue indefinitely.
These SCO nations are well aware that the surge of hot dollars created by the Fed out of thin air are headed their way and with them inflation. Brazil was the first nation to attempt to stop this onslaught by imposing a 6% tariff on interest and dividend paying Brazilian securities, purchased with US dollars. Over the last two years between stimulus and the Fed $2.5 trillion has been injected into the US and world financial system. As a result commodity and gold and silver prices have exploded. This has caused the dollar to fall in value versus other currencies and gold. There is no question more and higher inflation is on the way, as the Fed gets into QE 2. You can also bet that QE2 will not be $600 billion, but more than $2 trillion. Inflation is already showing up in food, petroleum products, airline fares and in many other items that we use every day. As usual the government says there is little or no inflation. Even competent economists still use government’s bogus figures. What can they be thinking of? They know what is going on as well as we do. That means we are embarking on the highest inflation rates in US history. Thus far the undertow of deflation has been superseded by government banking and Fed aggregate creation. The Fed, in order to subdue deflation and such spending has to always overshoot the inflation they create, so that they can be sure that deflation cannot take hold. This money and credit is in the process of working its way through the economy, spreading inflation as it winds its way through.
The only investors who are being afforded protection are those who have invested in gold and silver and commodities. That is less than 2% of the American population. We predicted in mid-May that QE2 and QE3 would take place for a combined $5 trillion over the next two fiscal years. In fact, the Fed was late in starting in June and as a result 4th quarter GDP growth will probably be 1% and the 1st quarter of 2011 will probably be in the minus column, as unemployment heads to 25% and extended benefits run out. We are not seeing growth; we are seeing forced feeding.
The Fed’s promises are not worth the paper they are written on. Ben Bernanke will print money until he cannot anymore and we have hyperinflation. That is because he has no other choice. He has no way out and he knows it won’t work. Tragically, this is where we are headed and there is no way to stop what the elitists have put deliberately in motion.
As long as quantitative easing is official Fed and Wall Street policy, gold is going to continue to rise with silver, and the stronger the case is that gold is the real world reserve currency. That means all currencies will eventually have to be backed by gold. We believe that elitists have accepted this fact and that was borne out recently by World Bank President, CFR, Trilateralist and Bilderberger Robert Zoellick. We can assure you that was no slip of the tongue. That was a cleverly planted trial balloon to get public reaction.
We do not see QE2 and QE3 as incompetence or bungling. It happens to be the only option available to the powers behind government. The same errors committed during the Great Depression of the 1930s are being repeated and economists, including Mr. Bernanake know they do not work. Yes, the Fed contracted money supply and when they let it loose again, it was too late for it to be in anyway effective. Next comes tariffs as an outgrowth of: currency wars; interest and dividend penalties on the inflow of hot, inflationary dollars and retaliatory tariffs as a result of losing 8.5 million jobs and 432,000 businesses over ten years to free trade, globalization, offshoring and outsourcing. Smoot-Hawley tariffs and even dumb Fed moves were bad enough, but Hoover’s raising of taxes by 150% was a monumental piece of stupidity.
At the root of all this is that the Fed is supposed to be saving the US economic and financial structure. They are not doing that, they are saving the banking system and Wall Street instead and these are the miscreants that caused the problem in the first place. The result of this policy of zero interest rates and easy money is that few are saving.
There you have it, planned destruction. Is it any wonder the SCO members and observers are buying gold on every dip and will not stop doing so until they run out of dollars. Our only question is; what took them so long and why are they not buying more faster?
Bob Chapman
The International Forecster
November 22, 2010
Something is going on that your government does not want you to know about. Very few journalists have written about it and little or nothing has appeared in the mainstream media. The story could be one of major stories of our time.
Western powers have tried to destroy gold as a backing for currencies for many years. Presently the major media won’t touch the story and that is understandable.
Something we have been writing about for years is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization known as SCO. Few have been listening and few have been interested in what their mission is and what they have been up to.
Some of the members are large oil producers and some, like China, are large oil users. Some have very large US dollar surpluses. As well, some are large commodity and gold and silver buyers. In fact, members are in a great part responsible for driving these prices higher. It is debatable, but we believe there is a conscious effort to accumulate gold and silver, dump dollars and to back their currencies with gold.
China and Russia are both large gold producers and for a number of years have been buying up domestic gold and silver production, so that it never reaches the market and does not affect prices. If anything the absence of sales tends to push the markets higher. As a matter of fact Russia and India are visible buyers. Even Iran with its oil surplus recently announced that they had purchased 340 tons of gold. Their recent gold purchases are very significant as affiliate members, which have access to the present and ultimate direction of the group. You might say buying gold has been a protective effort to shield members and close observers from the problems generated by dollar policies. They are accumulating gold, as many have been worldwide, for the past ten years, but particularly over the past few years.
This buying, for protection, has served to thwart the efforts of US policymakers, the Treasury, other central banks in Europe and the Fed, from being able to continue the blatant suppression of both gold and silver prices. The malefactors, except for forays into derivatives and futures, which are transitory, have lost control and suppression of gold and silver prices, and it is only a matter of time before all visages of any control will be visible. Since 1988, in August when Present Reagan signed the Executive Order creating, “the President’s Group on Financial Markets” and the subsidiaries that have grown out of that policy, that the Treasury won many if not most of the battles. The SCO in part changed that and now they and the public are winning the war for a fair and free gold and silver market. The current class action lawsuits, including RICO, are a testament to the market manipulation in silver, which is finally coming to an end. HSBC and JPMorgan Chase, the latter that is the major owner of the Fed, are going to be finally prohibited from rigging these markets. Their officers all belong in jail, but elitists never go to jail; they pay fines, and keep right on robbing the public.
Other SCO members and observers are accumulating gold as well, be it in smaller amounts. We might add that other nations observing Russia and China and their gold purchases are buying as well. These participants must believe that there could be a return to sound money; otherwise they wouldn’t be gold buyers. Buying gold is certainly preferable to holding US dollars, which have consistently fallen in value versus other currencies over the past ten years. Then again all currencies have fallen versus gold over that period, some 19.6% annually. It is nice to see nations are finally waking up to the reality that fiat currencies will all over time deteriorate versus gold. The temptation is enormous to deficit spend.
The most interesting aspect of the SCO is that they do not strive for political agreement such as the European Union. They are interested in economic stability and development and security. There is no overall binding laws. Nations retain their sovereignty, which is the exact opposite of what the elitists in the US and Europe desire, and that is world government. The SCO has provided great flexibility something that is non-existent in elitist controlled countries. Another interesting facet is that the SCO probably represents half of the world’ population, far more than the US and Europe. As these nations accumulate gold so does some of their citizens, which puts strong upward pressures on gold prices on a continuing basis.
In addition some of these nations, such as China, are spending dollars by buying natural resources and other things in other nations in an attempt to relieve themselves of excess dollars earned in trade. Both Russia and China fully realize that the US dollar is in serious trouble and has been for a number of years due to fiscal debt and the unbridled creation of money and credit by the Federal Reserve. They well know the dollar is in serious trouble and what the outcome will probably be.
As the economies of the US and Europe become more deeply mired in problems the economies of SCO nations more and more resemble the free economies of old that were very successful. You might say they have found their way back to basics and sound money. As the dollar comes under further downward pressure more nations will probably join the SCO to escape the clutches of European and American imperialism and bureaucracy, which for some years has been onerous and unsuccessful. What we see is a natural path by nations to extricate themselves from the control of Wall Street and the City of London, which have dominated the world for so long. All these facts considered we believe gold will find its way substantially higher with the participation of these nations, a factor the West never figured on. These ten nations are sucking excess gold out of the market every day and that will continue indefinitely.
These SCO nations are well aware that the surge of hot dollars created by the Fed out of thin air are headed their way and with them inflation. Brazil was the first nation to attempt to stop this onslaught by imposing a 6% tariff on interest and dividend paying Brazilian securities, purchased with US dollars. Over the last two years between stimulus and the Fed $2.5 trillion has been injected into the US and world financial system. As a result commodity and gold and silver prices have exploded. This has caused the dollar to fall in value versus other currencies and gold. There is no question more and higher inflation is on the way, as the Fed gets into QE 2. You can also bet that QE2 will not be $600 billion, but more than $2 trillion. Inflation is already showing up in food, petroleum products, airline fares and in many other items that we use every day. As usual the government says there is little or no inflation. Even competent economists still use government’s bogus figures. What can they be thinking of? They know what is going on as well as we do. That means we are embarking on the highest inflation rates in US history. Thus far the undertow of deflation has been superseded by government banking and Fed aggregate creation. The Fed, in order to subdue deflation and such spending has to always overshoot the inflation they create, so that they can be sure that deflation cannot take hold. This money and credit is in the process of working its way through the economy, spreading inflation as it winds its way through.
The only investors who are being afforded protection are those who have invested in gold and silver and commodities. That is less than 2% of the American population. We predicted in mid-May that QE2 and QE3 would take place for a combined $5 trillion over the next two fiscal years. In fact, the Fed was late in starting in June and as a result 4th quarter GDP growth will probably be 1% and the 1st quarter of 2011 will probably be in the minus column, as unemployment heads to 25% and extended benefits run out. We are not seeing growth; we are seeing forced feeding.
The Fed’s promises are not worth the paper they are written on. Ben Bernanke will print money until he cannot anymore and we have hyperinflation. That is because he has no other choice. He has no way out and he knows it won’t work. Tragically, this is where we are headed and there is no way to stop what the elitists have put deliberately in motion.
As long as quantitative easing is official Fed and Wall Street policy, gold is going to continue to rise with silver, and the stronger the case is that gold is the real world reserve currency. That means all currencies will eventually have to be backed by gold. We believe that elitists have accepted this fact and that was borne out recently by World Bank President, CFR, Trilateralist and Bilderberger Robert Zoellick. We can assure you that was no slip of the tongue. That was a cleverly planted trial balloon to get public reaction.
We do not see QE2 and QE3 as incompetence or bungling. It happens to be the only option available to the powers behind government. The same errors committed during the Great Depression of the 1930s are being repeated and economists, including Mr. Bernanake know they do not work. Yes, the Fed contracted money supply and when they let it loose again, it was too late for it to be in anyway effective. Next comes tariffs as an outgrowth of: currency wars; interest and dividend penalties on the inflow of hot, inflationary dollars and retaliatory tariffs as a result of losing 8.5 million jobs and 432,000 businesses over ten years to free trade, globalization, offshoring and outsourcing. Smoot-Hawley tariffs and even dumb Fed moves were bad enough, but Hoover’s raising of taxes by 150% was a monumental piece of stupidity.
At the root of all this is that the Fed is supposed to be saving the US economic and financial structure. They are not doing that, they are saving the banking system and Wall Street instead and these are the miscreants that caused the problem in the first place. The result of this policy of zero interest rates and easy money is that few are saving.
There you have it, planned destruction. Is it any wonder the SCO members and observers are buying gold on every dip and will not stop doing so until they run out of dollars. Our only question is; what took them so long and why are they not buying more faster?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Buying a Car a Little Harder Now - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Buying a Car a Little Harder Now - News, Sports, Jobs - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
ST. CLAIRSVILLE - If you're in the market for a car, be prepared to prove you are not a terrorist.
The federal government's Red Flags Rule mandates that auto dealers, banks, credit unions and other "creditors" and "financial institutions" take additional steps to prevent identity theft and fraud, beginning Jan. 1. Included in the list of so-called creditors is your family doctor.
Among those steps is determining whether a person applying for financing - or even paying cash for a car - appears on any government watch lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations.
As a result, consumers hoping to finance a new or used car, a home or even a major appliance will be required to supply personal information - such as their Social Security number and birth date, as well as the answers to five questions designed to confirm a customer is who they say they are - to the business at the time of the sale. Those questions could include anything from previous addresses and area codes to the names of other members of the consumer's household.
Thomas Garage Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep in St. Clairsville uses a software called Wise Scan ID to simplify the search of public records and the 475-page Office of Foreign Assets Control "Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons" list, commonly referred to as the terror watch list.
Anyone can view the "SDN List" online at www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/.
Sparing the dealership the time it takes to check the list manually, the software generates a report verifying the person in question is still living and has provided accurate personal information - and that they are not listed among suspected terrorists.
Ray Smith, finance manager for Thomas Garage Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, said the Thomas dealership has been using the system for about two years, as the Red Flags Rule was introduced in September 2008. The Federal Trade Commission, however, has delayed enforcement of the rule several times , most recently at the request of some members of Congress who hope to resolve any questions regarding which entities must comply. Currently, enforcement is slated to begin Jan. 1.
Smith noted, though, that it already is possible for a business to face civil penalties or make restitution to the bank that supplied the loan if it does not perform its due diligence in ensuring a customer is not committing identity theft. After Jan. 1, he said, fines and jail time could result for anyone who commits the federal offense of approving such a sale without performing the required checks on the applicant.
And for car dealers, there can be consequences if an automobile is sold to a person on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of suspected terrorists, regardless of the price of the vehicle or whether they seek financing.
"We still run the OFAC check if they pay cash," Smith noted.
But not everyone passes the screening. Smith estimated he has encountered "hits" on the terror watch list a couple of times in a six-month period. So far, each of these results has involved someone with a name similar to one on the list, not an actual entry on the list.
"The first time you see it, it kind of scares you," he admitted.
When the system turns up such a red flag, Smith said, he calls a toll-free number to have a federal agency double-check the result.
Todd Thoburn, Internet manager for Thomas Garage, said customers generally do not object to the process.
"Everyone I've had in here has liked it," he said. "Most are receptive, knowing it's protecting their identity.
"I see it as a positive," he continued. "If you ask one person who has had their identity stolen how long it has taken to put their life back in place ... the benefit outweighs (concerns about privacy) as far as what it is going to prevent.
"The No. 1 reason is to protect the consumer."
Some local dealerships have not yet implemented a system like the one used by Thomas Garage. Because enforcement has been delayed, some dealers have adopted a wait-and-see approach to the Red Flags Rule.
Others who do comply don't always tell customers they are checking their name against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of terror suspects. And some businesses believe the Red Flags Rule is just another, unnecessary layer of paperwork, noting they would like to see the various mandates they must adhere to combined into a single rule.
Smith said he has worked in finance for 13 years and has never had an issue with identity theft. He added that most identity theft today occurs via the Internet.
Still, he acknowledged an auto dealer must help protect the assets of the bank they are working with to secure financing for a sale.
"We have to be the eyes and ears of the bank," he said, pointing out the customer never visits the bank in person when their credit application is processed through the dealership.
Likewise, the dealership also is responsible for protecting the customer's personal information. Smith said when Thomas Garage prints the report generated by the Wise Scan system, it is placed in a secure folder with all other paperwork related to the sale. Those files are kept under lock and key. He stressed that employees who process applications for financing are required to lock their offices when they leave, and the dealership has a storeroom where those documents are held for five to seven years.
To further protect customers, Thomas Garage works with a shredding service that visits the dealership monthly. That company weighs and shreds designated documents on the premises and provides an affidavit stating the work was completed.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE - If you're in the market for a car, be prepared to prove you are not a terrorist.
The federal government's Red Flags Rule mandates that auto dealers, banks, credit unions and other "creditors" and "financial institutions" take additional steps to prevent identity theft and fraud, beginning Jan. 1. Included in the list of so-called creditors is your family doctor.
Among those steps is determining whether a person applying for financing - or even paying cash for a car - appears on any government watch lists of known or suspected terrorists or terrorist organizations.
As a result, consumers hoping to finance a new or used car, a home or even a major appliance will be required to supply personal information - such as their Social Security number and birth date, as well as the answers to five questions designed to confirm a customer is who they say they are - to the business at the time of the sale. Those questions could include anything from previous addresses and area codes to the names of other members of the consumer's household.
Thomas Garage Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep in St. Clairsville uses a software called Wise Scan ID to simplify the search of public records and the 475-page Office of Foreign Assets Control "Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons" list, commonly referred to as the terror watch list.
Anyone can view the "SDN List" online at www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/.
Sparing the dealership the time it takes to check the list manually, the software generates a report verifying the person in question is still living and has provided accurate personal information - and that they are not listed among suspected terrorists.
Ray Smith, finance manager for Thomas Garage Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, said the Thomas dealership has been using the system for about two years, as the Red Flags Rule was introduced in September 2008. The Federal Trade Commission, however, has delayed enforcement of the rule several times , most recently at the request of some members of Congress who hope to resolve any questions regarding which entities must comply. Currently, enforcement is slated to begin Jan. 1.
Smith noted, though, that it already is possible for a business to face civil penalties or make restitution to the bank that supplied the loan if it does not perform its due diligence in ensuring a customer is not committing identity theft. After Jan. 1, he said, fines and jail time could result for anyone who commits the federal offense of approving such a sale without performing the required checks on the applicant.
And for car dealers, there can be consequences if an automobile is sold to a person on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of suspected terrorists, regardless of the price of the vehicle or whether they seek financing.
"We still run the OFAC check if they pay cash," Smith noted.
But not everyone passes the screening. Smith estimated he has encountered "hits" on the terror watch list a couple of times in a six-month period. So far, each of these results has involved someone with a name similar to one on the list, not an actual entry on the list.
"The first time you see it, it kind of scares you," he admitted.
When the system turns up such a red flag, Smith said, he calls a toll-free number to have a federal agency double-check the result.
Todd Thoburn, Internet manager for Thomas Garage, said customers generally do not object to the process.
"Everyone I've had in here has liked it," he said. "Most are receptive, knowing it's protecting their identity.
"I see it as a positive," he continued. "If you ask one person who has had their identity stolen how long it has taken to put their life back in place ... the benefit outweighs (concerns about privacy) as far as what it is going to prevent.
"The No. 1 reason is to protect the consumer."
Some local dealerships have not yet implemented a system like the one used by Thomas Garage. Because enforcement has been delayed, some dealers have adopted a wait-and-see approach to the Red Flags Rule.
Others who do comply don't always tell customers they are checking their name against the Office of Foreign Assets Control's list of terror suspects. And some businesses believe the Red Flags Rule is just another, unnecessary layer of paperwork, noting they would like to see the various mandates they must adhere to combined into a single rule.
Smith said he has worked in finance for 13 years and has never had an issue with identity theft. He added that most identity theft today occurs via the Internet.
Still, he acknowledged an auto dealer must help protect the assets of the bank they are working with to secure financing for a sale.
"We have to be the eyes and ears of the bank," he said, pointing out the customer never visits the bank in person when their credit application is processed through the dealership.
Likewise, the dealership also is responsible for protecting the customer's personal information. Smith said when Thomas Garage prints the report generated by the Wise Scan system, it is placed in a secure folder with all other paperwork related to the sale. Those files are kept under lock and key. He stressed that employees who process applications for financing are required to lock their offices when they leave, and the dealership has a storeroom where those documents are held for five to seven years.
To further protect customers, Thomas Garage works with a shredding service that visits the dealership monthly. That company weighs and shreds designated documents on the premises and provides an affidavit stating the work was completed.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Discover the secret of beauty on a budget with turmeric
Discover the secret of beauty on a budget with turmeric
(NaturalNews) Instead of paying high prices for chemical-laden cosmetics and creams, consider turmeric. This humble, economical, and easily accessible herb has been time tested throughout Asia for promoting natural beauty.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is native to Southeast Asia. This golden-orange rhizome is dried and ground into a powdered spice with many culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses. Called khamin in Thai, turmeric is one of the key ingredients utilized in traditional skin care. When the fresh rhizome is crushed, an oil is produced that lends an effective natural moisturizer with antiseptic qualities. Turmeric is an important element in Thai Spa herbal wrap treatments, serving as a potent antibacterial skin freshener.
Turmeric is also a powerful blood purifier and liver cleanser. Taken internally, turmeric helps to detoxify the system which contributes to a radiant complexion. Strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties curb aging by minimizing wrinkles and sagging of the skin.
Of the many cosmetic uses, turmeric is famous for healing:
Acne, eczema, and psoriasis
Uneven pigmentation
Dark circles and puffiness around the eyes
Cracked soles of the feet
Lackluster skin
(*Note: In the recipes below it is best to use only organic raw certified milk.)
To minimize dark circles under eyes, whisk together 1 tablespoon whole milk, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon smooth almond butter. Apply under eyes and let it set for 10 minutes. Gently remove with cotton ball soaked in milk.
For a nourishing moisturizing mask, combine 4 macadamia nuts, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 drops lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons milk in a coffee grinder. Process until smooth. Apply to face and let it set for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
A pinch of turmeric powder blended with sesame oil keeps gums healthy. Massage the mixture into gums for 5-10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
A simple recipe for illuminating a dull complexion is found in Natural Beauty Secrets from India:
Combine 1 teaspoon gram flour with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add a 1/2 teaspoon each of olive oil and milk plus 4-5 drops of lemon juice. Apply to skin and leave it on for 25-30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Since turmeric's color can stain, keep away from hairline. To remove any coloring from skin, simply rub a milk soaked cotton ball on affected area.
Take charge of your natural beauty. Encourage luminous heath inside and out with the amazing properties of turmeric.
Sources for this article:
The Secret Benefits of Ginger and Turmeric, Vikaas Budhwaar, New Dawn Press Group, 2006
Natural Beauty Secrets from India, Roshni Dayal, Tate Publishing and Enterprises, 2008,
Beauty and the Budget, Sandi Brenner,VBW Publishing, 2006
Thai Spa Book: The Natural Asian Way to Health and Beauty, Chami Jotisalikorn, Luca Invernissi Tettoni, Periplus Editions, 2002.
Beauty and Health Through Ayurveda, Vaidya Suresh Chaturvedi, Sterling Publishers Ltd., 2008
(NaturalNews) Instead of paying high prices for chemical-laden cosmetics and creams, consider turmeric. This humble, economical, and easily accessible herb has been time tested throughout Asia for promoting natural beauty.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is native to Southeast Asia. This golden-orange rhizome is dried and ground into a powdered spice with many culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic uses. Called khamin in Thai, turmeric is one of the key ingredients utilized in traditional skin care. When the fresh rhizome is crushed, an oil is produced that lends an effective natural moisturizer with antiseptic qualities. Turmeric is an important element in Thai Spa herbal wrap treatments, serving as a potent antibacterial skin freshener.
Turmeric is also a powerful blood purifier and liver cleanser. Taken internally, turmeric helps to detoxify the system which contributes to a radiant complexion. Strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties curb aging by minimizing wrinkles and sagging of the skin.
Of the many cosmetic uses, turmeric is famous for healing:
Acne, eczema, and psoriasis
Uneven pigmentation
Dark circles and puffiness around the eyes
Cracked soles of the feet
Lackluster skin
(*Note: In the recipes below it is best to use only organic raw certified milk.)
To minimize dark circles under eyes, whisk together 1 tablespoon whole milk, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon smooth almond butter. Apply under eyes and let it set for 10 minutes. Gently remove with cotton ball soaked in milk.
For a nourishing moisturizing mask, combine 4 macadamia nuts, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 drops lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons milk in a coffee grinder. Process until smooth. Apply to face and let it set for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
A pinch of turmeric powder blended with sesame oil keeps gums healthy. Massage the mixture into gums for 5-10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
A simple recipe for illuminating a dull complexion is found in Natural Beauty Secrets from India:
Combine 1 teaspoon gram flour with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add a 1/2 teaspoon each of olive oil and milk plus 4-5 drops of lemon juice. Apply to skin and leave it on for 25-30 minutes. Rinse with cool water.
Since turmeric's color can stain, keep away from hairline. To remove any coloring from skin, simply rub a milk soaked cotton ball on affected area.
Take charge of your natural beauty. Encourage luminous heath inside and out with the amazing properties of turmeric.
Sources for this article:
The Secret Benefits of Ginger and Turmeric, Vikaas Budhwaar, New Dawn Press Group, 2006
Natural Beauty Secrets from India, Roshni Dayal, Tate Publishing and Enterprises, 2008,
Beauty and the Budget, Sandi Brenner,VBW Publishing, 2006
Thai Spa Book: The Natural Asian Way to Health and Beauty, Chami Jotisalikorn, Luca Invernissi Tettoni, Periplus Editions, 2002.
Beauty and Health Through Ayurveda, Vaidya Suresh Chaturvedi, Sterling Publishers Ltd., 2008
Genetically Modified Potatoes: Scientists Unleash New Monster
Genetically Modified Potatoes: Scientists Unleash New Monster
(NaturalNews) Genetic modification of the food supply has run rampant within the past couple of years. A new genetically modified creation has emerged, and may soon end up on your dinner table. Researchers in India have developed a genetically modified potato, loaded with genetically altered amino acids. It seems as if scientists are attempting to recreate nature entirely.
Genetically modified fish have threatened the very genetic coding of fish worldwide, and the genetically modified canola plant has spread into the wild. It is apparent that a tidal wave of genetic modulation has hit the environment very hard.
Genetically modified potatoes now threaten the purity of potatoes internationally. All it takes is a careless farmer to allow his modified crop to be planted elsewhere, without properly labeling the crop as modified. This would mix in the genetically modified crop with traditional, and even organic, crops. This is a legitimate environmental issue, as it is a major threat to food integrity.
Arguably as important as the need to protect our food supply, is the need to protect ourselves from the deadly effects of genetically modified food. Consuming genetically modified food can lead to auto immune disorders, organ failure, sterility, and much more.
If you are unfamiliar with the risks associated with modified food, you are most likely not familiar with how it is created.
The process in which food is genetically modified is extremely outlandish. Billions are spent each year to genetically modify the food supply, leading to an influx of tainted food products. Modifying foods requires one to tamper with the very genetic coding of the crop and/or seed.
The process entails the transfer of genes from one organism to another, such as taking particular genes from a pig and transferring them to a tomato. Not only does this defile nature, but it also leads to a host of health problems.
Due to the complexity of a living organism`s genetic structure, it is impossible to track the long-term results of consuming genetically modified food. Introducing new genes into even the most simple bacterium may cause an array of issues, highlighting the complexity of even the simplest organisms. Introducing new genes to highly complex organisms such as animals or crops is even riskier.
When introducing the gene to its new host, it is essentially impossible to predict the reaction. The genetic intelligence of the host could be disrupted with the introduction of the new gene, creating an adverse reaction. There is truly no way of knowing the long-term effects of genetically modified food, as there are too many variables. There is simply no room for science when Monsanto is involved.
Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...
http://shatterlimits.com/new-geneti...
http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...
http://www.scidev.net/en/news/gm-po...
(NaturalNews) Genetic modification of the food supply has run rampant within the past couple of years. A new genetically modified creation has emerged, and may soon end up on your dinner table. Researchers in India have developed a genetically modified potato, loaded with genetically altered amino acids. It seems as if scientists are attempting to recreate nature entirely.
Genetically modified fish have threatened the very genetic coding of fish worldwide, and the genetically modified canola plant has spread into the wild. It is apparent that a tidal wave of genetic modulation has hit the environment very hard.
Genetically modified potatoes now threaten the purity of potatoes internationally. All it takes is a careless farmer to allow his modified crop to be planted elsewhere, without properly labeling the crop as modified. This would mix in the genetically modified crop with traditional, and even organic, crops. This is a legitimate environmental issue, as it is a major threat to food integrity.
Arguably as important as the need to protect our food supply, is the need to protect ourselves from the deadly effects of genetically modified food. Consuming genetically modified food can lead to auto immune disorders, organ failure, sterility, and much more.
If you are unfamiliar with the risks associated with modified food, you are most likely not familiar with how it is created.
The process in which food is genetically modified is extremely outlandish. Billions are spent each year to genetically modify the food supply, leading to an influx of tainted food products. Modifying foods requires one to tamper with the very genetic coding of the crop and/or seed.
The process entails the transfer of genes from one organism to another, such as taking particular genes from a pig and transferring them to a tomato. Not only does this defile nature, but it also leads to a host of health problems.
Due to the complexity of a living organism`s genetic structure, it is impossible to track the long-term results of consuming genetically modified food. Introducing new genes into even the most simple bacterium may cause an array of issues, highlighting the complexity of even the simplest organisms. Introducing new genes to highly complex organisms such as animals or crops is even riskier.
When introducing the gene to its new host, it is essentially impossible to predict the reaction. The genetic intelligence of the host could be disrupted with the introduction of the new gene, creating an adverse reaction. There is truly no way of knowing the long-term effects of genetically modified food, as there are too many variables. There is simply no room for science when Monsanto is involved.
Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS...
http://shatterlimits.com/new-geneti...
http://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...
http://www.scidev.net/en/news/gm-po...
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