David Stanley, RIP
posted 02/03/2012, 4:52 PM (InformationLiberation) [Category: Commentary] I'm not quite sure how to say this, but I've just received word long time InfoLib poster David Stanley aka Dave has reportedly passed. His girlfriend says he committed suicide two days ago on Wednesday, February 1st.
threats and intimidation are the only weapons bullies have.
those threats only work to control and manipulate us if we become afraid.
it's all the same,
whether it's the government and their armies.
the bankers and their money.
the church and their divine punishment, hell, or karma.
the courts and their laws.
In a scene straight out of a horror film, the FBI used a chainsaw to tear down a woman's door in a terrifying drug raid, all on the wrong apartment. The innocent mother was ordered to the ground, all while her 3-yr-old daughter screamed in horror in another room. Her puppy dog who was next to her urinated itself out of fear and the mother lay still soaked in her urin... (more)
In one exchange, MegaUpload managers fretted via Skype IM chat in 2007 that founder Kim Dotcom wasn't "safe with his money" and "the current situation is a bit risky," according to documents U.S. authorities filed with a New Zealand court this month as part of their criminal pursuit of the embattled cyberlocker service.
Panopticon Coming to a Neighborhood Near You!
posted 02/02/2012, 11:12 AM (Dollar Vigilante) [Category: Commentary] The US is fast becoming one massive open air prison camp. Few realize that one by one their natural rights are being stripped by the fascist "criminal" law system. As we've noted in the past, more than 30% of those under 23 have been arrested as the fascist US Government works to ensnare as many as possible into permanent indentured servitude through a criminal record. From th... (more)
Feds Seize Sports Streaming Domains in New Super Bowl Crackdown
posted 02/02/2012, 11:12 AM (TorrentFreak) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] In a new round of seizures the US authorities have taken control of domain names belonging to several popular sports streaming sites including Firstrowsports.tv, Firstrowsports.com and Soccertvlive.net. All affected sites now redirect to a notice from DOJ/ICE. In common with last year’s campaign, the new round of seizures appears to be part of another “Super Bowl Crackdown” targeting sites that link to unauthorized sports streams.
US authorities began another round of domain name ... (more)
We wish this were a joke, but it's the US Food and Drug Administration's latest claim in its battle with a Colorado clinic over its Regenexx-SD™ procedure, a non-surgical treatment for people suffering from moderate to severe joint or bone pain using adult stem cells.
ACLU Sues for Records on Assassination of US Citizens
posted 02/02/2012, 11:12 AM (Antiwar.com) [Category: Tyranny/Police State] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit today in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, complaining that the Obama Administration failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests relating to the assassinations of three US citizens in Yemen.
The ACLU condemned “the government’s self-serving attitude toward transparency,” arguing that the administration publi... (more)
The U.S. and Iran signed the Algiers Accords in 1981 to end the hostage crisis. See also here. Point 1 of the accords is titled "Non-Intervention in Iranian ... (more)
Mr Justice Michael Peart was speaking after he granted Damien Tansey various orders, effectively ending the operation of the website www.rate-your-solicitor.com.
The Sligo-based solicitor brought defamation proceedings to the High Court arising out of comments on the website.
Estonia Next In Line To Receive US 'Encouragement' To Adopt Harsher Anti-Piracy Laws
posted 02/02/2012, 11:11 AM (Techdirt) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] Estonia Next In Line To Receive US 'Encouragement' To Adopt Harsher Anti-Piracy Lawsfrom the nice-little-country-you've-got-here deptNumerous Wikileaks cables have highlighted the pressure that the US has brought to bear on several foreign governments behind closed doors in an attempt to get the latter to pass maximalist copyright laws. But it's worth noting that plenty of arm twisting takes place openly. Here, for example, is a letter (pdf) from the American Chamber of Commerce in Esto... (more)
Pirate Bay Verdict Signals Threat Of Huge New Anti-Piracy Campaign
posted 02/02/2012, 11:10 AM (TorrentFreak) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] Today’s Supreme Court rejection against The Pirate Bay signals the start of a new campaign targeting 150 file-sharing sites, say anti-piracy figures. A lawyer for the Hollywood movie studios says she expects Swedish sites and those providing them with infrastructure will stop their activities today. Antipiratbyran say they will take legal action against those that don’t.
This morning, Sweden’s Supreme Court announced that it would not be granting leave to appeal in the Pirate Bay... (more)
Former-Senator Rick Santorum has the only consistently anti-libertarian platform in the race. He explicitly rejects Constitutionally limited government, an individual right to freedom, equal rights, the right to the pursuit of happiness, due process protections, a right to be free from "cruel and unusual" punishment, and is in general an open-big spending, big governme... (more)
Recording police making arrests: The outrageous Illinois law that makes it a felony.
posted 02/02/2012, 11:09 AM (Slate Magazine) [Category: Tyranny/Police State] In three months, thousands of reporters from around the globe will descend on Chicago for the G-8 summit. Part of what they will chronicle is the protests and police crackdowns that have made each annual meeting so newsworthy. Sadly for all these reporters, and for all the American journalists with plans to film the protestors and cops, any effort to audiotape police activity on public streets or in parks is a crime in Illinois—a crime punishable by 15 years in prison.... (more)
L.A. teacher suspected of lewd conduct keeps benefits
posted 02/02/2012, 11:09 AM (Los Angeles Times) [Category: Politics/Corruption] A teacher charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct in his classroom successfully thwarted attempts by the Los Angeles Unified School District to fire him. In the process, the teacher, who is accused of spoon-feeding his semen to blindfolded children, managed to retain lifetime health-benefits provided by the nation’s second-largest school system.
Former Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt also automatically receives nearly $4,000 a month in pension from the California St... (more)
Government schools: Where they rape your kids, then send you the bill.
State House Democrat Diane Sands tells the Missoulian she was contacted by a defense attorney with some unusual news: The attorney had been approached by the DEA who wanted to ... (more)
Pot arrests top 50K in 2011 despite NYPD order
posted 02/02/2012, 11:08 AM (Associated Press) [Category: Tyranny/Police State] NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police still arrested more than 50,000 people on low-level marijuana charges last year despite a drop off after officers were told not to use tactics that critics decry as tricking people into getting arrested, according to New York state data obtained by an advocacy group.
In fact, 2011 arrests for the lowest-ranking marijuana misdemeanor rose slightly, from about 50,400 to 50,700, the New York Division of Criminal Justice figures show. The Drug Poli... (more)
The SOPA Wake-Up Call to Abolish Copyright
posted 02/01/2012, 10:08 AM (Stephan Kinsella) [Category: Commentary] I’ve blogged quite a bit lately about SOPA and PIPA and the recent Internet blackouts and other protests against these bills, which threaten free speech and the open Internet (Mike Masnick et al. at Techdirt have also been great on exposing and analyzing SOPA).
As Jeffrey Tucker noted recently, the protests against SOPA started not with conservatives or even “libertarians,” but with civil libertarians of the “left,” as well as Silicon Valley tech types. Of course, some libertarian... (more)
Currency Wars
posted 02/01/2012, 10:08 AM (Doug French) [Category: Economy] he talk is all about jobs, jobs, jobs in Washington and on the campaign trail as the unemployment rate continues to be elevated and long-term unemployment is higher than ever. Since getting government out of the way isn't an option, late last year congressional leaders decided to turn up the volume while crying that American workers are being damaged by China's undervalued currency — the renminbi (or yuan).
Bipartisan support was summoned to declare China a currency manipulator, t... (more)
19 Crazy Things That School Children Are Being Arrested For In America
posted 02/01/2012, 10:08 AM (EndoftheAmericanDream) [Category: Tyranny/Police State] With each passing year, the difference between America's prisons and America's public schools becomes smaller and smaller. As you read the rest of this article, you will be absolutely amazed at some of the crazy things that school children in America are being arrested for. When I was growing up, I don't remember a single police officer ever coming to my school. Discipline was always handled by the teachers and by the principals. But today, there are schools all over the country that have po... (more)
Noticing the awkward optics, Gingrich aides and security personnel swarmed Dillard, trying to intimidate him into moving. One of Gingrich's security agents stepped in front of hi
In a recent ruling by the Justice Department, former CIA agent John Kiriakou was charged with four felony counts of espionage for discussing the torture involved in CIA's interrogation program with reporters. Young Turks host Cenk Uygur explains the case and points out why this sets a terrible double standard on how our government defends citizens who commit war crimes... (more)
ABC 24 News photographer Casey Monroe said that's what happened to him Sunday morning. Police never charged Monroe with a crime, but this could happen to anyone with a cell phone camera.
Monroe said police went too far outside Thai Bistro Restaurant in downtown Memp... (more)
Justice Department Backs RIAA Against Pirating Student
posted 02/01/2012, 10:07 AM (TorrentFreak) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] The Department of Justice has filed a brief siding with the RIAA in its civil case against the file-sharing student Joel Tenenbaum.The RIAA is protesting a demand from the student’s legal team, who want the court to reduce the massive $675,000 fine on due process grounds, to the minimum statutory damages of $750 per song.
More than half a decade ago, the RIAA sued tens of thousands of alleged file-sharers. While the music group settled with the majority for a few thousand dollars ... (more)
The Pirate Bay will reach an age of 9 years. Experiencing raids, espionage and death threats, we're still here. We've been through hell and back and it has made us tougher than ever.
The people running the site has changed during the years. No sane human being would put up with this kind of pressure for 8 years in a row. An insane hobby that takes time from our families, our work (sorry boss) and... (more)
Authorities Shut Down Ukraine’s Largest File-Sharing Site Ex.ua
posted 02/01/2012, 10:02 AM (TorrentFreak) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] Following a six month investigation initiated by international tech companies including Microsoft, Graphisoft and Adobe, Ukrainian authorities have shut down the popular file-hosting site Ex.ua. The police confiscated 200 servers on which more than 6,000 terabytes of data was stored. The Ex.ua raids follow less than two weeks after US authorities ordered the shutdown of another file-hosting service, MegaUpload.... (more)
A funny news sketch from The Onion, updated and edited by some RP supporters for 2012!
Under Obama, the Freedom of Information Act is Still in Shackles
posted 02/01/2012, 10:01 AM (EFF.org) [Category: Politics/Corruption] Three years ago this past weekend, on his first full day in office, President Barack Obama issued his now infamous memo on transparency and open government, which was supposed to fulfill his campaign promise to lead the "most transparent administration in history." Instead, his administration has been just as secretive--if not more so--than his predecessors, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has b... (more)
[...]Police said that around 12:10 p.m. Tuesday the sergeant, a 15-year veteran, saw a teenager who matched the description of someone suspected of a beer run at a Circle K in the 5200 block of Paisano.... (more)
Adventures in jury duty
posted 02/01/2012, 9:48 AM (No Coercion) [Category: Commentary] Today I had jury duty--or, as I prefer to call it, jury conscription. I was selected to sit for voir dire for a civil case. Before getting around to hardship questions (which was my chief practical concern, seeing as how I'm a stay-at-home-dad unable to find alternative childcare for an entire week), the plaintiff's attorney asked if anyone had any "strong feelings" about our civil justice system.
AnCapper speaks out against jury duty in packed court room, masses agree, great story! - Chris
NYPD Investigates Bronx Violent Arrest Caught On Video... Family Arrested For Asking Questions
posted 02/01/2012, 9:48 AM (NY1.com) [Category: Tyranny/Police State] A video posted online of a Bronx teen being beaten by police officers last week has led the young man's family members to raise questions about the officers' actions. ... Reed's mother, brother and friend went to the local police precinct to ask about the arrest, and they were arrested as well. A criminal complaint says the family members attacked officers, but they deny that.... (more)
Lew Rockwell talks to Will Grigg on the militarist de-civilization of America.
... (more)
Pentagon Art: $600,000 Gurgling Toad Sculpture
posted 02/01/2012, 9:48 AM (US News) [Category: Politics/Corruption] A $600,000 frog sculpture that lights up, gurgles "sounds of nature" and carries a 10-foot fairy girl on its back could soon be greeting Defense Department employees who plan to start working at the $700 million Mark Center in Alexandria, Va. this fall. That is unless a new controversy over the price tag of the public art doesn't torpedo the idea.... (more)
"There was an amendment offered today that required drug testing for legislators as well and it passed, which led me to have to then withdraw the bill," said Rep. Jud McMillin (R-Brookville), sponsor of the original welfare drug testing bill.... (more)
How Patents Have Held Back 3D Printing
posted 02/01/2012, 9:48 AM (Techdirt) [Category: Science/Technology] The purpose of the intellectual property system that we have is to promote the progress. When there is strong evidence that certain elements of it hold back the progress, it seems like something that should be explored. Glyn recently wrote about the plans to make 3D object plan files available on the Pirate Bay. In that post, he pointed to a great interview with M... (more)
Pot legalization efforts forge ahead in key states
posted 02/01/2012, 9:48 AM (Reuters) [Category: Resistance] (Reuters) - Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use are gaining momentum in Washington state and Colorado, despite fierce opposition from the federal government and a decades-long cultural battle over America's most commonly used illicit drug.... (more)
“Every week when I talk to my suppliers, I’m amazed by how much it’s going up,” said owner Domenick Crimi.
Beef prices soared more than 10 percent last year according to the Department of Agriculture, and they will likely go up at least another 5 percent this year.... (more)
Tuesday January 31st, 2012
Worship of the Mob
posted 01/31/2012, 7:35 AM (Ben O'Neill) [Category: Commentary] Several months ago, I was visiting some friends in Sydney and was invited to the house of a friend-of-a-friend for some late night drinks and a chat. My host and his friends were left-wing bohemian types and had been informed by my friend that I am a "free-market anarchist," or something like that. They found this notion intriguing, and so they quizzed me on what that means, and this naturally led into a discussion of the merits of a free market versus a democracy.
Pre-Election Euphoria
posted 01/31/2012, 7:35 AM (Jacob G. Hornberger) [Category: Commentary] The year before a presidential election is a period of great euphoria for the American people, for this is the period of time when presidential candidates are extremely nice to the American people.
And why not? They’re seeking votes. They’re seeking to be elected or reelected. They have to be nice.
This is the time when presidential candidates promise tax cuts and increases in welfare benefits. They promise to create jobs. They assure us that they’re going to br... (more)
The Seven Lies of Robert Reich
posted 01/31/2012, 7:35 AM (Rod Rojas) [Category: Economy] Robert Reich who was secretary of labour under Bill Clinton wrote an article that he called "The Seven Biggest Economic Lies". I intend to show the reader how deeply flawed this article is in the hopes that sound economic principles may get the attention that they deserve. I will not take his statements out of context but rather quote them in their en... (more)
Her face is bruised, left arm swollen, lips are busted in two places and her back is scarred. Annika Lewis claims all of those injuries came at the hands of three Houston police officers.
“I am very stunned,” Lewis said. “I always thought, you know, people got beat by police because they were resisting arrest.”
... (more)
When legislators in the US abandoned their support of SOPA and PIPA in the wake of mass popular protest earlier this month, many of those who had been mobilized by the legislation–which would have granted the US government almost total power to block access to foreign websites accused of so ... (more)
Presented by Jeff Tucker at "Contemporary Issues in Economics," a high school seminar hosted at the Mises Institute and sponsored by Jeremy S. Davis, 18 November 2011.
Let me make a secret confession right here. For years, the producer of my radio talk show and I would draw straws each January to see who would "have the high privilege and distinct honor" of watching the president’s State of the Union address.
Leigh Van Bryan, 26, was handcuffed and kept under armed guard in a cell with Mexican drug dealers for 12 hours after landing in Los Angeles with pal Emily Bunting.
The Department of Homeland Security flagged him as a potential threat when he posted an excited tweet to his pals about his forthcoming trip to Hollywood w... (more)
Benkler criticizes the actions of the Department of Justice, which he characterizes as “aggressive.”
“What is a surprise is how aggressive the move is, how much it uses extensions of criminal law enforcement and copyright liability to go after and seize assets and people... (more)
Megaupload Users Plan To Sue... As Their Files & Data Are About To Be Destroyed
posted 01/31/2012, 7:29 AM (Techdirt) [Category: Big Brother/Orwellian] Soon after Megaupload was shut down, we heard from some lawyers for (legitimate) users of the service who were exploring whether or not they could sue the US government for taking away their access to the data. There was some uncertainty as to whether or not there was a real legal claim here, but now it appears that at least some of the users are, in fact, planning to sue the US government. Perhaps even more troubling, however, is the fact that all of the Megaupload data may be destroyed, ... (more)
You reap what you sow! She obviously sounds like she has a guilty conscience.
Leon Panetta's explicitly authoritarian decree
posted 01/31/2012, 7:29 AM (Glenn Greenwald) [Category: Commentary] CBS News‘ Scott Pelley appears to be one of the very few American journalists bothered by, or even interested in, the fact that President Obama has asserted and exercised the power to target U.S. citizens for execution-by-CIA without a shred of due process and far from any battlefield. It was Pelley who deftly interrogated the GOP presidential candidates at a November debate about the propriety of due-process-free assassinations, prompting Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachmann to ... (more)
A little over a week after launching my “Defensive/Offensive” fundraiser I’m happy to announce that donations to date (1.29.12) total just over $1,200! I’m inspired and excited by the flood of supporters who’ve come to my aid on such an important issue. Thanks to you, we’ll continue to highlight the abusive... (more)
Officer shot, killed by fellow police in Calif.
posted 01/31/2012, 7:27 AM (Associated Press) [Category: General] SANTA MARIA, Calif. (AP) — A police officer under investigation for sexual misconduct with a teenage minor was shot and killed while on duty by fellow officers Saturday as they tried to arrest him on California's central coast, authorities said.... (more)
The Century of the Self: The Untold History of Controlling the Masses Through the Manipulation of Unconscious Desires
Operation Gladio: The Hidden History of U.S. Sponsored False Flag Terrorism in Europe
The New American Century: The Untold History of The Project for the New American Century
In a new round of seizures the US authorities have taken control of domain names belonging to several popular sports streaming sites including Firstrowsports.tv, Firstrowsports.com and Soccertvlive.net. All affected sites now redirect to a notice from DOJ/ICE. In common with last year’s campaign, the new round of seizures appears to be part of another “Super Bowl Crackdown” targeting sites that link to unauthorized sports streams.
In another outrageous power-grab, FDA says your own stem cells are drugs--and stem cell therapy is interstate commerce because it affects the bottom line of FDA-approved drugs in other states!
Today’s Supreme Court rejection against The Pirate Bay signals the start of a new campaign targeting 150 file-sharing sites, say anti-piracy figures. A lawyer for the Hollywood movie studios says she expects Swedish sites and those providing them with infrastructure will stop their activities today. Antipiratbyran say they will take legal action against those that don’t.
A teacher charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct in his classroom successfully thwarted attempts by the Los Angeles Unified School District to fire him. In the process, the teacher, who is accused of spoon-feeding his semen to blindfolded children, managed to retain lifetime health-benefits provided by the nation’s second-largest school system.
I’ve blogged quite a bit lately about SOPA and PIPA and the recent Internet blackouts and other protests against these bills, which threaten free speech and the open Internet (Mike Masnick et al. at Techdirt have also been great on exposing and analyzing SOPA).
he talk is all about jobs, jobs, jobs in Washington and on the campaign trail as the unemployment rate continues to be elevated and long-term unemployment is higher than ever. Since getting government out of the way isn't an option, late last year congressional leaders decided to turn up the volume while crying that American workers are being damaged by China's undervalued currency — the renminbi (or yuan).
With each passing year, the difference between America's prisons and America's public schools becomes smaller and smaller. As you read the rest of this article, you will be absolutely amazed at some of the crazy things that school children in America are being arrested for. When I was growing up, I don't remember a single police officer ever coming to my school. Discipline was always handled by the teachers and by the principals. But today, there are schools all over the country that have po... 
A few moments ago Sweden’s Supreme Court announced its decision not to grant leave to appeal in the long-running Pirate Bay criminal trial. This means that the previously determined jail sentences and fines handed out to Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm and Carl Lundström will stand.
Several months ago, I was visiting some friends in Sydney and was invited to the house of a friend-of-a-friend for some late night drinks and a chat. My host and his friends were left-wing bohemian types and had been informed by my friend that I am a "free-market anarchist," or something like that. They found this notion intriguing, and so they quizzed me on what that means, and this naturally led into a discussion of the merits of a free market versus a democracy.
The Missing Lesson From Norway: Never Trust a Man in Uniform
"They're Only Out To Make Cold Hard American Cash"; Park Police Crack Down on Bicycle Cabs in DC
18 Signs That Life In U.S. Public Schools Is Now Essentially Equivalent To Life In U.S. Prisons
Eighth Grader Executed for Scaring a Cop
Feds Drop All Charges Against 27 Head-Shop Owners They Falsely Accused of Being Terrorist Drug Dealers
Straight-A College Student Faces 125 Years In Jail For Producing Fake IDs
Texas Cops Ticket Thousands of Schoolchildren to Raise Revenue, Some as Young as 6-Yrs-Old
Houston Police Chief: Videotaping or Criticizing Police May be Sign You're a Cop-Killer
Federal Judge Known for Stiff Drug Sentences Caught Buying Drugs for Prostitute