John Sez: In a peculiar report from the AP, the town of Hardin, Montana, is being patrolled by men driving around in vehicles marked as “City of Hardin, Police Dept”. This would not seem out of the ordinary, but Hardin doesn’t have a police force as they fall under the jurisdiction of the local Sherriff’s office.

Apparently, a group of mercenaries from the company American Police Force (APF) are behind this charade. According to their attorney, Maziar Mafi (who has only been with the company for a month), they are a spin off from another mercenary company (which the attorney, as well as a city official and a representative of this company,  declined to name). Strangely, there is no record of the company in government documents, including those pertaining to government contracts; spokespeople for the State Department and the DOD have denied any record of the company.

Their main office is listed in Washington, DC, just up the street from the White House; but there is no office there, just a company which offers a ‘virtual’ office space to its clients. A spokes person for this ‘virtual space’ company claimed that APF had made a pending offer for a virtual office space, but had never finalized the contract – in effect, the address is a lie.

An AP reporter found another office for the company (a modest single suite on the second floor of a two story office building) in Santa Ana, where he found a man who called himself Captain Michael. This uniformed representative for the company refused to answer any questions about the company, instead referring the reported to their website. I personally checked the website for information, but to my dismay, the site had either been taken down or didn’t exist (other news reports quoting from the website, including the mention that this company is in the arm dealing business selling assault rifles in Afghanistan,  lead me to believe that the site was intentionally taken down).

AFP does have a contract with Hardin to patrol a currently empty prison facility in the city’s limits, and to (according to the contract) find a way to fill the jail with inmates in order to turn a profit for the city  (although it is unknown exactly how the company is planning to go about this) . The company has also apparently promised $30 million dollars of works in the city of Hardin, including a military training facility which will have housing space for 250 people (even though the company doesn’t exist according to government records, claims a bogus virtual office in DC, doesn’t have a working website, and occupies a small suite in a small commercial property in California).  But there is no known contract to allow these guns-for-hire to act as a local police force, much less to be riding around in vehicles marked as the City’s police impersonating cops.

So, exactly who are these guys? And why do they think they can blatantly break the law and pose as police officers when they have not been hired to do so? Apparently they seem to think that they have been accorded the privilege of acting outside the law.

Is this some sort of rogue paramilitary group taking over a town in Montana, or do government officials (both local and federal) know a heck of a lot more about this then they are letting on? If the former, I would like to see some action taken against this group of hired killers (from my research so far, nothing is being done at all). If the latter, then the only reason for such a cover up is to keep something incredibly nefarious out of the public eye and away from the scrutiny of citizens.

For more on this very strange tale read here and here, and veiw the local news report below.

 
 
John Sez: Although I do rely on the print media (or the web version of the same) for the majority of my news consumption, the idea that the President is even thinking about bailing out news-papers makes me wonder if the man is even thinking at all. From a technological stand point, it’s like saying that we should bail out the companies that make the crank-style ignition starters for model T Ford’s – they employ very few people, cater to  a small market, and have not kept up with technology.

One would think, considering that Obama is a supposed Constitutional scholar, that he should be the first to recognize that any undue governmental influence over the news media will have an adverse effect on what stories are reported...or not reported (just take a look at the 24 hour TV news for a prime example); such a bail out would be a big ‘no-no’ to anyone interested to seeing a free press survive in our country.

But the most disturbing facet of this story is this quote from the president:

"I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding,"

Really, Mr. President? Just taking my piddly little blog as an example, every story I post or comment about is referenced (numerous times within the same story, in some cases), fact checked (as a general rule of thumb, I will not post a story that doesn’t have at least three corroborating reliable sources), and the context in my commentaries are based on stories which run parallel to the one that I have posted, based on a previous track record of the subject, or use history itself as a context for modern going-ons.

Additionally, the vast majority of the blogs I frequent use my standards as a bare minimum for their posts. And not to toot myself on the back, but considering that CNN seems to get a great deal of its news from Twitter (when the protests in Iran became massive, CNN continuously used Twitter as their prime – at times, only - source for what was going on there) and blogs which have an obvious slant and spin (like the Huffington Post or the Cato Institute),or some half-assed-so-called ‘expert’ or political strategist as the only source for a story (which is not a story, but an editorial…two vastly different things), I find that my fact checking (for which I am NOT getting paid for, garnering millions of viewers, nor getting accolades ) is generally more thorough.

 If I did have the opportunity, like our TV press does, to ask serious questions of the people who shape the power structure of our country and world, I certainly would not throw out soft ball questions in a seeming attempt to ‘go along to get along’ in order to retain my press pass and paycheck, and quell the public’s curiosity and potential outrage.

And as for people ‘yelling at each other across the void’, perhaps you have forgotten, Mr. President, that that very thing is the reason we have a 1st amendment – just so people are able to voice their opinion with no fear of government (or personal) retaliation or interferance for their ideological beliefs. Maybe you’re just a little unsettled because a great many of those shouting voices are aimed angrily in your direction at the moment.

Most of all that you see on the TV news is nothing more than commentary or spin on what started out as legitimate news stories. Find me ONE block of news time on CNN, MSNBC, or FOX that does not color it’s reporting with some agenda or another…go ahead, I’m waiting. No? None? OK, let’s continue.

All that being said, I can only think of three reasons why the president would make such a comment: first , that is intentionally trying to marginalize that the ‘blogosphere’ has been (and continues to) calling the politicos out on their BS, catching them with their {expletive deleted} in the proverbial cookie jar over and over again; second, trying to find some sort of justification for this bail out which would, in effect, cast a giant shadow in the shape of D.C. over the remnants of the free press; or third, that the first president to successful integrate the internet into his campaign, really has a slim understanding of what is going on out here on the web. Perhaps it’s a mixture of all three.

Story from the Business Insider:
 
Obama: We Need To Bail Out Newspapers Or Blogs Will Run The World
by Yael Bizouati

Obama yesterday expressed concern at the sorry state of the news industry and said that he will look at a news paper bailout, because otherwise, blogs will take over the world, and that would be a threat to democracy, The Hill reports.
"I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding," he said.
He said he would be happy to look a bills that could give tax newspapers tax-breaks if they were to restructure as 50 (c) (3) educational corporations.  One of the bills is that of Senator Ben Cardin, who has introduced the "Newspaper Revitalization Act

READ MORE
 
 
Picture
John Sez: Did you ever notice that the scenic overlooks which make the best scenic overlooks are never marked a scenic overlooks? Just a thought…
 
 
John Sez: I enjoy a good comedian and, in my humble opinion, Eddie Izzard is one of the best of all time. Very British, very cheeky, very intelligent, very funny. And he doesn’t look all that bad in women’s clothes (which he claims is his preferred mode of dress).

So sit back, grab a beverage, and get ready to laugh. NOTE: there is some foul language, so this isn’t kid or work safe!

ENJOY!
 
 
John Sez: This is utterly preposterous. As a parent myself, I know that when you have a baby and a camera you end up snapping photos of everything. An innocent shot of a baby in the bath tub (or being breast fed, as in a previous case) is not child pornography, and any CPS goon, prosecutor, or member of law enforcement who thinks it is can be classified as nothing more than a possibly power –tripping idiot that should not serve the public (nor draw a paycheck from our tax dollars) in any capacity.

And, as for the lawsuit that these parents have filed, I can only hope that they come away with a huge settlement (against both the state and Wal-Mart) and that this recieves national attention.

Story from Constitutional Law Scholar, Jonathan Turley’s Blog:

Arizona Couple Sues Wal-Mart After Store Calls the Police on Them For Developing Pictures of Their Children in a Bathtub — And the Children Are Taken By the State

An Arizona coupe, Lisa and Anthony “A.J.” Demaree, have filed an interesting lawsuit against Walmart (and the state) after being accused of sexual abuse and having their children taken away the State. Their suspected crime? Developing pictures of their children taking a bath.
We have been following these ridiculous cases of parents arrested for taking innocent pictures, here and here. It appears that if you want to develop pictures of your children at Walmart, you need sit them fully dressed at least two feet apart in any given frame.

What makes this lawsuit so interesting is the inclusion of Walmart as a party. I am not sure what this blog would do without Walmart. When Walmart is not destroying Civil War historical areas, it is supplying blogs with a steady supply of abusive corporate conduct here and here and here), crimes committed by employees (here and here and here), or crimes by customers (here and here and here and here and here).

READ MORE
 
 
John Sez:  I’ve been hearing a lot of rhetoric over the last few weeks about how anyone who opposes President Obama or his administration is doing so not because they are in disagreement with what the President is doing (or NOT doing, in regards to the many, many, many promises he has broken so far), but because they are some sort of right-wing extremist racist.

This is the most inane, moronic, simple-minded thing I have ever heard. At the same time, as a tool of propaganda with the intent to chill free speech and expression as well as stifle dissent from the public at large, it is villainously brilliant. In either case, it it absolutely wrong.

I grew to despise Bush (as well as many of his cronies like Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Rice) for what I view as a purposeful destruction of our civil liberties and the spirit of the Constitution in order to gain a great deal of power and make incredible amounts of money . I now despise Obama (as well as many of his co-horts, like Biden, Napolitano, and Emanuel) for the same reason. Race has nothing to do with the stomach-churning loathing I have for the powers that be who are doing everything they can to turn the country I love into a cess-pool of corporatism, corruption, and tyranny.

So, who still wants to call me a racist? Those who do, answer these questions first:

Are you for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and do you want to start new ones with Pakistan, Iran, Somalia and Russia?

Do you believe that the patriot act should stand as is?

Do you think that the military commissions act should stand as is?

Do you think that POW’s we have captured in combat should be held for life in secret prisons, even when a military tribunal has found them innocent of actions against the US?

Do you think the Office of the Presidents has the Constitutional right, or even a really good reason, for tracking what the citizenry of the US does on the internet (note: I said the office of the PRESIDENT, not the executive branch)?

Do you think that it is right that the US has more mercenaries on their payroll than any other country on the planet?

Do you think that giving enough tax dollars to the bankers (who got us into our current financial mess, and who spent over 32 BILLION dollars on bonuses for themselves with the bailout money) to put your next ten generations into serious debt the day they are born was a justifiable action?

Do you think its right that Obama has made sure that the LAST administration will never be taken to task for war crimes?

If you answered yes to many of the questions above, then you are either a partisan moron who will back anything the President or the Democrats do, or you and I have some very serious ideological differences. If you have no idea what I am talking about with the questions above, the you need to stop bantering about the term ‘racist’, scroll to the right of this page, click on the ‘Government’ tab, and start reading (and, for God’s sake, turn OFF the TV news!). If you answered no to many of the questions, then  you need to come to terms with the fact that much of what you thought was wrong with the Bush administration has either continued or has been accelerated by the Obama administration, and that my complaints against Obama are YOUR complaints against Obama.

My adversarial stance, as I hope you can see by this point, has nothing to do with any particular shade of skin; despotism and tyranny comes in any color, under any flag.

I am NOT a racist…and I WILL NOT shut up and sit down for Obama, Bush, nor anyone else while my country rots and breaks under the weight of corporatism and fascist tyranny.

 

(Note: Doug Thompson of Capitol Hill Blue wrote a piece covering the same ground. I find it is eloquent and to the point. Click HERE to give it a read)
 
 
John Sez: This is the most draconian proposal (apparently, soon to be a law) I have ever seen concerning people who download copyrighted material illegally. It seems that the recording and movie industry has gone way, overboard (and, just a hunch, I wonder how much political ‘seed’ money they have spent in French political circles).

As an owner of copyrighted material, I fully understand the need to protect one’s work, but this is simply not the way to go about it. More so, when you think about how easy it would be to abuse (or legally ‘extend’ the internet loss to) free speech rights and start to target those who speak out against their government or it’s allies (like other governments and large corporations).

I wonder if we will see this happen here too?

Story from BBC:

French 'pass' piracy legislation
 
The French National Assembly has passed a draft law that would allow illegal downloaders to be thrown off the net. The law was narrowly passed by 285 votes to 225.

The French hard-line policy on piracy has drawn worldwide attention as nations around the globe grapple with the issue of piracy.

The ruling majority UMP voted in favour but the Socialist Party has already announced that they will appeal to the Constitutional Court once again.

An earlier version of the bill was ruled unconstitutional and a compromise version was hammered out.

READ MORE


 
 
John Sez: It seems that the Obama administration has, yet again, come up with another plan to collect people’s data on the internet.

First, there was the open call for citizen informants to send in e-mails they received opposing the so-called health care ‘reform’. Then the CARS.gov fiasco where, by simply utilizing the service, you conceded to a search of your computer and voluntarily signed over property and privacy  rights of your PC to the federal government. Then, they wanted to use tracking cookies to keep tabs on everyone who visited the White House site.

That not being enough, now the Obama administration has sub-contracted out a company to trawl through social-networking sites, blogs, and news sites and collect for personal information.

Folks, this move by the current administration smacks of an Orwellian nightmare. Why does the administration feel the need to come up with plan after plan to record and store this information? What is the purpose of collecting this data? There is no legitimate reason for the office of the President to gather such information. Period.

Mix this together with the renewal for warrantless wiretaps (and other patriot act sunset provisions) and it’s starting to look like confirmation that Obama is nothing more than Bush 2.0.

Story from Prison Planet:

White House Mapping Internet Users’ Data For Mass Archives

Steve Watson
Infowars.net

If you’re a user of twitter, facebook, myspace, youtube or flickr, and you visit the White House page at any of the sites, you are at risk of having your personal data archived without your consent or knowledge.

The Obama White House has sought a private contractor to “crawl and archive” data such as comments, tag lines, e-mail, audio and video from any place where the White House “maintains a presence” – for a period of up to eight years.

READ MORE

 
 
John Sez: Ahhh, so now prominent members of the medical community are coming out saying the whole Swine Flu scare was nothing more than hype. Yet CNN (and the other parrots that make up the TV news) are still telling us we should roll up our sleeves without question.

Story from Reuters:

Swine flu death rate similar to seasonal flu: expert

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from the pandemic H1N1 swine flu is likely lower than earlier estimates, an expert in infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

New estimates suggest that the death rate compares to a moderate year of seasonal influenza, said Dr Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University.

"It's mildest in kids. That's one of the really good pieces of news in this pandemic," Lipsitch told a meeting of flu experts being held by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

"Barring any changes in the virus, I think we can say we are in a category 1 pandemic. This has not become clear until fairly recently."

The Pandemic Severity Index set by the U.S. government has five categories of pandemic, with a category 1 being comparable to a seasonal flu epidemic.

READ MORE

 
 
John Sez: Blackwater founder Eric Prince was recently accused of ordering the murders of whistleblowers against his company. Now it has come out that he may have been directing murders not only of whistleblowers, but of civilians where his mercenaries were stationed, doing so from a wired up remote control room at the company’s base in North Carolina.

Yet, for some reason, the Obama administration keeps on signing over the checks to keep this company in the government’s employ.

Another thing I don’t understand: Why is it that the TV media is not covering this blockbuster of a story?

Stroy from the Virginia Pilot:

Another lawsuit targets founder of Blackwater

Yet another civil lawsuit accuses Blackwater guards of driving through the streets of Baghdad randomly shooting innocent Iraqis.

The latest case accuses Blackwater founder Erik Prince of personally directing murders from a 24-hour remote monitoring "war room" at the private military company's Moyock, N.C., headquarters.

Prince "personally directed and permitted a heavily-armed private army... to roam the streets of Baghdad killing innocent civilians," alleges the suit, filed by four Iraqi citizens.

Prince was well aware that his men, including top executives, "viewed shooting innocent Iraqis as sport," the suit says. In fact, "those who killed and wounded innocent Iraqis tended to rise higher in Mr. Prince's organization than those who abided by the rule of law."

READ MORE