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Reality is, not everyone can work, due to health or circumstances, and there simply aren't jobs for all who need one. What should we do about them? (That's an open question, folks -- ) America does have the money to fund a legitimate safety net. It was largely wiped out because that's what the middle class demanded -- end welfare aid. Middle classers might grumble a bit about the fact that our govt. has redistributed several trillion taxpayer dollars to the rich (since the 1980s), but what sends them into a frenzy is the very thought of someone purchasing food with a food stamp card.
Interesting, in view of the long friendship between the Saudi rulers and the Bush family. Remember the photos of Bush holding hands with Saudi royalty, who were visiting on the Bush ranch in Texas? Ah, no matter, there is nothing new about any of this. Withholding information from the public is just the way our government functions, and I would guess this has always been true. Maybe in another 30-40 years, we'll get the "startling details" in what they will call, "Newly discovered documents."
Children, and those with cognitive limitations, take things literally. Scripture was often not intended to be taken literally (consider the parables, etc.) In the pre-science world, the story of creation could only be outlined in the terms used. Those who believe in God as the creator of life (as we know it) do believe in evolution, and don't view this as being in conflict with faith. The Bible says that it is a sin to squander the gifts God gave us. This includes our brains, folks, our ability to do the research, the science, to understand more about life -- like evolution.
The problem is that we had agreed, as Bill Clinton stated, that "there is no excuse" for long-term unemployment. We said that extending aid beyond a strict time limit only serves as a disincentive to "get up every morning and find a job." This is what we evidently still believe. When we require this of our most disadvanatged, how can we expect less of middle class workers?
Oh, my gosh, lookie here...I just noticed..look at the time stamp of my #39 post! Must have been the fireworks and gun fire in the neighborhood! 1. January 2014-0:00
And, yes, I realized I committed an unforgivable faux pas..."most of which was blacked out" should have been "most of which were blacked out". And, I suppose, I got the previous "was"/"were" wrong as well...referring to the "28 pages".
Aliceinwonderland: They'd rather believe in hocus-pocus, tooth-fairy stories than face reality. And, of course, many of those Biblical stories are just plain male superiority propaganda to keep females oppressed. Garden of Eden..Sodom and Gomorah..and many others depict women as evil and vile creatures that need to be tamed. I just cannot understand how women, especially, can lower themselves to believe in such crap! Believe in crap that helps to exploit them and keep them submissive? Maybe they should take a hint from reading Lysistrata instead of made up fairy tales like the Bible. Of course, both are fiction but at least they'll "stay on top" if they stop reading trash that "keeps them on the bottom".
Okay "chuckle", fair enough. Pain is the only language ignoramus voters will ever understand.
On another topic, why bother explaining the facts about global warming to Kend? He used to work in the fossil fuel industry; he's already an expert on the subject! Who needs climate scientists anyway?
Science is a hoax. Just ask any Republican! Today I heard on the radio (from Thom Hartmann?) that a majority of Republicans believe in creationism.
It never ceases to amaze me, the ease with which some folks can reject things like science. Whenever the facts are uncomfortable or inconvenient for them, they simply create their own little reality. I suppose these dingalings also believe my gender came into existence popping out of some guy's ribcage. It's a clear example of arrested development, the adult version of Santa Claus & the Tooth Fairy but with a patriarchal twist!
Personally, I'd prefer to imagine myself having evolved from the apes (or even from termites or fruit flies) rather than from inside this dude's goddam ribcage.
With geniuses like that rulng the universe, each additional year we survive is a miracle. Anywaaay... Happy 2014, my friends! (And Kend, that includes you.) - Aliceinwonderland
Oh, yeah, happy New Year, ya' all!
28 pages of an 800 page report, based on FBI and CIA documents, that was censored by the Bush Administration are still being censored by the Obama Administration. And the couple of Senators that managed to read parts, after a great struggle to do so, were very much disturbed by what they read...and they were not given all those 28 pages...only a few select pieces...most of which was blacked out...whole pages.
http://nypost.com/2013/12/15/inside-the-saudi-911-coverup/
But, the Saudis weren't alone in planning and carrying out 911...the Bush administration and the Royal Saudis were hand holding...nose rubbing..conspirators. And I believe it is not just a matter of trying to protect the Saudis...I believe the Neocons conspired with the Saudis and others in carrying this out. That's what US officials are most worried about...that it was mostly an "inside job" and high level US officials committed treason against the American people.
Look at Saudi Arabia's behavior against Syria and threats against Russia, against Sochi, the bombings in Volgograd. There is information that Saudi Arabia, Britain, Israel, and the US were responsible for that chemical attack in Syria. Look at the US backing of Al Qaida forces in Syria...staging another false flag operation.
AIW, Ducinni -- Choke on it, yes, but choke to death on it, no. Hopefully, enough may have learned enough from the experience to come over to our side. Okay, call me an optimist.
Kend -- About 10 years ago, the scientists pointed out that the ice they are stuck in the ice that used to be somewhere else. As the antartic melts it creates a high relative humidity which forms into snow storms. Those snow storms are probably what they are stuck in. The metric of interest is the total ice mass which satellite photos seem to show that total ice mass is decreasing. Al Gore tried to simplify what is happening due to the increase in trapped energy caused by excess CO2. These simplifications were to help explain what could happen. The right, like you, pick on his simplifications not the real problem of the extra enegy. One should note that the amount of enery to melt one unit (be it gram, kilogram, pound, ton etc) of ice is 80 times the amount of enery to raise the same unit 1 degree. To vaporize (you know to make snow) that same unit would consume 512 times as much.
I hear ya, Ducinni. And I hope they choke on it. - AIW
Kend -- I have a few questions. Why are they studying Artic ice in Anartica? Do you know that when we lower taxes on the rich they pay more taxes? Do you know Raygun tripled our national debt? Do you think that CO2 in the atmosphere traps energy from the sun?
I DO NOT AND WILL NEVER FEEL SORRY OR GIVE A FU*** FOR ANYBODY WHO VOTE REPUBLICAN. 27% of Union Households put Wisconsin (R) Gov. Scott Walker back into office after he was recalled. They tried to tell the people of Michigan what (R) Gov. Rick Synder was going to do to Michigan after he gets into office and what did Synder do, he told the whores (Michigan People) "I PROMISE!! I WILL NOT CUM IN YOUR MOUTH" and he shot a HOT WAD OF CUM ""DEEP"" INTO THE MICHIGAN PEOPLE'S THROATS.
So, do you allow any of these software companies...say..like Microsoft...or Firefox...or any other provider of software on your computer to send back information..like crash reports, or other problems? It all sounds very unobtrusive..they say they aren't collecting anything that would identify us specifically...but...According to the recent expose' by Der Spiegel on NSA spying...NSA actually gets hold of all that data to use as a way to know how they can exploit our computers. They have key data related to that crash report that can identify you...IP addresses..MAC addresses..processor id numbers..etc.
"NSA's alleged ability to spy on Microsoft Corp.'s crash reports, familiar to many users of the Windows operating system as the dialogue box which pops up when a game freezes or a Word document dies. The reporting system is intended to help Microsoft engineers improve their products and fix bugs, but Der Spiegel said the NSA was also sifting through the reports to help spies break into machines running Windows."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/29/nsa-hacking-tactics-_n_4515897....
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-secret-toolbox-ant-unit-of...
chuckle8 ~ So... My friend... What is your problem again???? Your mother made the mistake of not putting your duplex in a living trust. Then the cost basis would be the value of the property when she died. You would never have to pay the taxes that she would have had to pay if she sold the property before she died.
By the way, whatever you do, don't sell the duplex... ever!! Not only is it what your mother wanted you to have, it is worth more than money. Even if the value of the dollar dropped to zero tomorrow, your duplex will still have intrinsic value that is far beyond the value of money.
DAM -- Don't be confused since I agree all inheritance below $5 million should be tax free. However, as a point of information, I disagree that by and large that the inheritance wealth was taxed enough. I am basing that on my own personal experience. When my mother passed, I inherited a duplex worth $200,000. My mother bought it for $50,000. If I sell the duplex, my cost basis wil be $200.000. There is a difference of $150,000 in capital gains that will never be taxed.
TAO-Tailored Access Operations- is a cyber-warfare intelligence-gathering unit of the NSA. Here are a few of their tools (I left out the ones that target mobile communications like cell phones and other equipment.)
SOMBERKNAVE is a software implant that surreptitioiusly routes TCP traffic from a designated process to a secondary network via an unused embedded 802.11 network device. If an Internet-connected wireless Access Point is present, SOMBERKNAVE can be used to allow OLYMPUS or VALIDATOR to "call home" via 802.11 from an air-gapped target computer. If the 802.11 interface is in use by the target, SOMBERKNAVE will not attempt to transmit.
Operationally, VALIDATOR initiates a call home.
SOMBERKNAVE triggers from the named event and tries to associate with an access point. If connection is successful, data is sent over 802.11 to the ROC*. VALIDATOR receives instructions, downloads OLYMPUS, then disassociates and gives up control of the 802.11 hardware. OLYMPUS will then be able to communicate with the ROC via SOMBERKNAVE, as long as there is an available access point.
*ROC is Remote Operations Center-600 employees gather information
STUCCOMONTANA provides persistence for DNT implants*. The DNT implant will survive an upgrade or replacement of the operating system--including physically replacing the router's compact flash card.
*DNT implants: DNT is a rack mounted data communications fiber switch. Various models: eg: DNT301e
"The DNT-301e Modified Fiber Switch is designed for use in organizations with multiple workgroups, remote offices and network traffic centers."
http://www.nsa.gov/applications/ia/tempest/itemDisplay.cfm?ItemID=18DA
DNT could also stand for Data Network Technologies.
also could stand for Do Not Track...a mode users can select on their browsers in the attempt to not be tracked by web sites they visit.
Currently, the intended DNT Implant to persist is VALIDATOR, which must be run as a user process* on the target operation system. The vector of attack is the modification of the target's BIOS. The modification will add the necessary software to the BIOS and modify its software to execute the STUCCOMONTANA implant at the end of its native System Management Mode (SMM) handler.
*user process...have you visited your Task Monitor (Control-Alt-Delete) or used Sysinternals' Procmon.... lately? .good tool ...free!
SWAP provides software application persistence by ,strong>exploiting the motherboard BIOS and the hard drive's Host Protected Area (HSA)to gain periodic execution before the Operating System loads.
DEITYBOUNCE provides software application persistence on Dell PowerEdge servers by exploiting the motherboard BIOS and utilizing System Management Mode(SMM) to gain periodic execution while the Operating Systems loads.
This technique supports multi-processor systems with RAID hardware and Microsoft Windows 2000, 2003, and XP. It currently targets Dell PowerEdge 1850/2850/1950/2950 RAID servers, using BIOS versions A02, A05, A06, 1.1.0, 1.2.0, or 1.3.7.
IRATEMONK provides software application persistence on desktop and laptop computers by implanting the hard drive firmware to gain execution through Master Boot Record(MBR) substitution.
This technique supports systems without RAID hardware that boot from a variety of Western Digital, Seagate, Maxtor, and Samsung hard drives. The supported file systems are: FAT, NTFS, EXT3 and UFS.
Through remote access or interdiction, UNITEDRAKE, or STRAITBAZZARE are used in conjuntion with SLICKERVICAR to upload the hard drive firmware onto the target machine to implant IRATEMONK and its payload (the implant installer). Once implanted, IRATEMONK's frequency of execution (dropping the payload) is configurable and will occur when the target machine powers on.
This technique supports single or multi-processor systems running Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, or Solaris with the following file systems: FAT32, NTFS, EXT2, EXT3, or UFS 1.0.
Through remote access or interdiction*, ARKSTREAM is used to reflash the BIOS and TWISTEDKILT to write the Host Protected Area(HSA) on the hard drive on a target machine in order to implant SWAP and its payload (the implant installer). Once implanted, SWAP's frequency of execution (dropping the payload) is configurable and will occur when the target machine powers on.
*"interdiction" is when the equipment's shipment is interupted and the spy agency loads malware on the equipment, then sends it on for delivery.
GINSU provides software application persistence for the CNE* implant, KONGUR, on target systems with the PCI bus hardware implant, BULLDOZER.
*CNE-Computer Network Exploitation
IRONCHEF provides access persistence to target systems by exploiting the motherboard BIOS and utilizing System Management Mode(SMM) to communicate with a hardware implant that provides two-way RF communication.
And here's a good one: COTTONMOUTH-1 (CM-1) is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hardware implant which will provide a wireless bridge into a target network as well as the ability to load exploit software onto target PCs.
My comment: Maybe we should build our own USB connectors/cables from now on..and use transparent connectors so you can easily see what's inside them...and constantly check to make sure the ones that are plugged into our computers are actually the ones WE built and not ones that NSA sneaked onto our computers.
CM-1 will provide air-gap bridging, software persistence capability "in-field" reprogrammability, and covert communications with a host software implant over the USB. The RF link will enable command and data infiltration and exfiltration. CM-1 will also communicate with Data Network Technologies (DNT) software (STRAITBIZARRE) through a covert channel implemented on the USB, using this communication channel to pass commands and data between hardware and software implants.
CM-1 conceals digital components (TRINITY), USB 1.1 FS hub, switches, and HOWLERMONKEY(HM) RF Transceiver within the USB Series-A cable connector. MOCCASIN is the version permanently connected to a USB keyboard. Another version can be made with an unmodified USB connector at the other end. CM-1 has the ability to communicate to other CM devices over the RF link using an over-the-air protocol called SPECULATION.
Then there is the CM-2 but you'll have to go to the web site below to read about that and all the many other devices that I failed to mention here.
These quotes are from the second part of a report. This site has nice pretty diagrams and pictures that you might want to look at.
http://cryptome.org/2013/12/appelbaum-30c3.pdf
Top Secret National Security Agency (NSA) JETPLOW firmware persistence implant (backdoor) for Cisco firewalls
http://bradreese.com/blog/12-30-2013.htm
DAnneMarc: Thanks for those links. If I fold my $100 dollar bill just the right way, I can see a nativity scene with a little baby Santa Clause in the manger...beard, red suit and all. Rudolph is poking his red nose through the window. ;-}
http://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q42013/cia-leak-says-saudi-arabia-...
I am surprised that I hadn't heard about this sooner. I actually picked up on it when watching Thom Hartmann today when he mentioned the censored 28 pages that Bush wouldn't allow to be seen by anyone which implicates Saudi Arabia in funding and most likely working in concert with the Bush Neocons and Israel in pulling off 9/11. Of course, we all knew, even right after 9/11, that 15 or the 19 "hijackers" were Saudis. Al Qaida and Usama bin Laden had nothing to do with 9/11...it was all planned and funded by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Israel key players.
I'm hoping all 28 pages will be leaked and hope that Snowden has something very explosively incriminating against those Neocon traitors.
chuckle8 ~ I completely agree with your assessment about the income tax rate. In fact, the same could apply to the death tax; except, with lower income people. By and large their savings were already taxed enough when they originally earned them. Taxing them again after death isn't going to force reinvestment in anything or appreciably stimulate any economy. Increasing the income tax on high income is fine with me. Corporate tax rates could be driven up to 95% as well. I have nothing against taxing high profits or living people. It generates much needed revenue and forces reinvestment. That is, a high Corporate tax rate is a job creator.
Gee kend, how enlightening. Thanks for setting me straight.
While were talking about far out conspiracy theories you might want to check out this one. It's da bomb!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E52mtSZN9D8
http://www.infowars.com/hidden-messages-in-new-100-dollar-bill/
(Sorry for the stupid pun!)
Alice they are stuck in the ice that isn't supposed to be there. Remember Al Gores movie. The science is: the ice is there and they are stuck in it.
Mr. Manners, all your points are correct. The only flaw I see in your reasoning is your apparent assumption that if only the neocons and corporations understood these obvious remedies, they would mend their ways; then we could be enjoying another Golden Era for workers and the middle class, living the good life again! Dream on, comrade.
I don't reckon I'm the only blogger here who believes these plutocrats are deliberately destroying our country. They know exactly what they are doing. I think Noam Chomsky is spot-on when he says that much of this relentless attack against workers' rights, voting rights, women's rights and so on is simply a reaction to all the activism of the 1960s and '70s, when us peons got a little too uppity and "needed" to be taught a "lesson". The reality is, these fascist pigs are out to destroy us. They want us all to be living hand-to-mouth, too busy just providing the barest necessities for ourselves and surviving to be politically engaged. As Thom keeps pointing out, from the piggies' perspective you have more stable government when the citizenry is disempowered. When We The Peons are too poor, demoralized and frightened to be protesting or making waves, the elites can keep on plundering and thieving without interference or consequence, which is what "stability" and "freedom" means for them. The sad truth is, we are in a heap of trouble and it's worse than you think. - Aliceinwonderland
Palindromedary ~ Who are the authors, indeed? Who perceives themselves as other than human? The elite? The illuminate? I doubt that. There is more to that question than meets the eye. Nevertheless, I must agree that this is Psyops 101. COINTELPRO on steroids. I also agree that the ends is probably to discredit real whistleblowers. Probably designed as a counter intelligence response to the Edward Snowden revelations.
Like you said every good con has a bit of truth in it. Sky Net surely can't be too far ahead. I remember when I studied digital electronics many years ago for my Senior project I designed an intelligent CPU interface that was capable of learning, making it's own decisions, and changing it's mind. It was a surprisingly easy feat to accomplish using basic logic gates and registers. My instructor kept trying to discourage me by saying it wouldn't work. The more he criticized me, the more determined I became. I never tested the circuitry; but, I did get an A+ in the course. I remember secretly hoping that he was right about it not working. With the advances of technology today, especially with ease of use--like your little Arduino project--only a fool would dismiss the future of AI.
Nevertheless, the idea that AI is possible I've accepted a long time ago. We Humans (first person) think we are so special and unique; yet, if that is really true then we should be creative enough to teach a simple machine how to think independently. Even the simplest one cell life forms known exhibit remedial independent intelligence. Thinking isn't really that complicated you know. You have an objective, and you formulate a plan of actions in order to achieve it based on stored data. The only tricky part is to get the machine to accept the objective on it's own. Even that can be achieved with a simple subroutine.
Intelligent machines are a fine idea as long as they aren't too intelligent. There has to be defined protocols in the machine operating language and most important of all, an off switch. Once a machine is capable of reproducing, self maintaining, having a conscious and an attitude then we've had it. Personally, I would like to think that the people who know that fact the most are the people who build the machines. Unfortunately, I must think back to my days in school and how my excitement and ego overruled my judgement and common sense.
One can only speculate whether that document was written by a COINTELPRO agent, an alien, a human with a super inflated ego, or, maybe, a machine :-O
PS. Do you have a link to that document? I'd like to have a look at it myself. (By the way, I couldn't watch the whole video myself either. Just enough to know I didn't need to watch any more.)