It is just awful how the media turns such trials into a circus, and feeds the publics stupidity. Most lawyers these days have no integrity, I have a friend, accident lawyer Louisiana who I respect a lot because he does not bend to the will of money and really ensures justice.

In reference now to the topic at hand on Jefferson County and its bankruptcy, we must understand what really happens when counties, states, and even nations, go for bankruptcy. To believe it is a disaster for the people affected is not even so. When the county or state coffers are relieved from debt obligations to the bank, they can in turn lower the tax load on the people. It is to the counties, states, and peoples, a blessing in disguise as it gives the authorities a new financial start. The higher the debt loads which are being bankrupted upon, the greater is the relief as a consequence for going bankrupt in the first place.

The bankers do not, however, like this approach, for counties, states or nations to go bankrupt because it will set then, a precedence for others to do likewise, and therein encourage the floodgates to become opened for all to benefit from this procedure. - Cygnus1

I listened to a very interesting podcast at blackopradio interviewing Kurt Haskell who witnessed some events at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport while waiting in line for tickets. He saw a couple of men in line ahead of him. One was a very well dressed (obviously well to do) older man and a younger man (of about 22 years old) who wore only a T-shirt..which was odd because of the cold temperature...being in December. What was really unusual was the conversation that Kurt had overheard with the ticket lady. The older, better dressed man, said that the younger man didn't have a passport but had to get on the flight to the US. She refused and the older man argued with her. She finally said that they would have to talk to her manager in the office down the hall. Kurt watched the two men walk down to the office and entered the office. He didn't see them again until on the plane and in flight where smoke, then flames arose from the seats and was climbing the walls of the plane. The stewardesses put the fire out with fire extinguishers making a big mess of white powder all over the place. The pilot did an emergency landing and then they made the passengers sit for 20-30 minutes after the plane taxied to the terminal. Kurt said that all the passengers were finally taken off the plane and herded into a room (for their safety..yeah, right!) and then Kurt saw the two men he had seen at Schiphol handcuffed and led away. The news reports of what the officials said kept changing and always different than what he had witnessed. He spent a lot of time going to all the hearings and saw the cover up and lies that were being told by officials. This podcast also talked about some of the anomalies of that case. See the Anomalies...some of which are listed below...which comes from Kurt's web site.

Statements from the podcast:

Kurt:
"I've witnessed that an ordinary person who sees something important can be silenced despite his efforts to spread the truth. Such is the Underwear Bomber case. I can do nothing but laugh at the TSA's new policy of "If you see something say something." That is exactly what I did, and not only did the U.S. Government not want to hear what I had to say, but it actively lied about it, attempted to get me to change my story, and hid, by withholding (secret government) evidence or putting a protective order on the evidence and nearly everything that would support my eyewitness account."

"My firm belief is that Umar (the 'underwear bomber') was escorted around security and given an intentionally defective bomb by a U.S. intelligence agent. The bomb was never intended to detonate, but merely intended to create a "simulated terrorist attack" or a "false flag attack" if you will. In December of 2009, the U.S. Government hadn't seen a terrorist attack in 8 years, It was getting more and more difficult to spend hundreds of billions a year on terrorism and to continue to fight two fraudulent wars based on terrorism. Those making their livings off of the war on terror didn't want to lose their cash cow. Enter Umar the Underwear Bomber. A second benefit of a failed bomb being found in Umar's underwear, was to enable body scanning machines to be placed in every airport. How convenient for Michael Chertoff , a former head of the DHS, to have ties to the body scanning companies. I doubt that this was any coincidence. Once again, billions of dollars would flow from the U.S. Government for body scanning machines that were needed to protect us."

http://www.blackopradio.com/pod/black549b.mp3

Anomalies from Kurt's website:
Anomalies of the 'underwear bomber' case: (there are 33 listed at Kurts website):

"2. The FBI has admitted to supplying the Portland Christmas Tree Bomber and the Wrigley Field Bomber with intentionally defective bombs shortly after the underwear bomber event."

"4. The plane taxied to the gate. The passengers were not allowed off of the plane for 20-30 minutes (Was the bomb still on the plane?). There was bomb material that was supposedly explosive all over the cabin of the plane. Nobody took any action to make sure the passengers were safe or that the "explosives" were of no danger to the passengers. This is evidence of foreknowledge that there was no danger to the passengers."

"11. Customs spokeperson Ron Smith changed the official story about the 2nd man taken into custody in Detroit 5 times. Then he sent a half hearted apologetic email to the media. My story as to this man has never changed. Ron Smith eventually gave up lying and quit talking about this man who was witnessed by nearly all of the passengers."

"13. The prosecution has continued to block evidence from Umar's standby attorney and in some cases, has provided it late. Why? If Umar was a terrorist nut, what is it that the government does not want the defense to see? It seems to me that if the official story is true, then this is an open and shut case. It appears that the government feels a need to insulate itself from civil cases filed by the passengers."

"15. Portions of the Patriot Act were set to expire just before Christmas Day 2009. The Congressional vote to extend them was delayed until February. Body scanning machines were already built and sitting in warehouses. Michael Chertoff, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security has ties to the body scanning manufacturers. The U.S. had no terrorist attacks from 2001 until Christmas Day 2009. A new terrorist at
tack was needed to get the body scanning machines in the airports."

"22. Obama's "failed to connect the dots speech" is discredited by the Congressional testimony of Patrick Kennedy of the State Department. Kennedy indicated that, in so many words, that the government was tracking Umar and did not revoke his visa in order to track him into the U.S. This is almost, but not quite an admission that he was let into the U.S. on purpose."

"23. The Congressional testimony of Michael Leiter indicated that the U.S. Government frequently lets terrorists into the U.S."

Many more anomalies here:

http://haskellfamily.blogspot.com/2011/09/colossal-deceit-known-as-under...

I had also read, previously, that the underwear bomber came from a fairly well to do family and the father was a banker. The father actually warned authorities of what his son was likely to do. I had also read that the US knew of this guy and assisted in getting him on the plane.

FDR the best and regulating thes maggots :

There is shittie jobs the coporatists create like the Walmartarization of America & foreign invasion jobs then come the sweat shop jobs over seas . These anti Americans are the anti union and pro cheap labor with super corporate welfare that they get when they buy Congress . It is actually congress's fault for selling out to deregulation and anti-labor legislation . Watch out for that flea print : { read Free Lunch by David cay Johnston and Exception to The Rulers by Amy Goodman } if you haven't . What was it $7 trillion for foreign invasions And militarization in the last 11 years ; damn !!! Now the contractors will have a pocket full of more of our cash after the killings & destruction , they love rebellions . And they support hate always ; no money in the prince of peace . Only in the prince of darkness & underhandedness .

Right on! Cignus1! Very good points.

Victorcg: Well, I don't pray but I sure wish you lots of good will and thanks for being in the vanguard, or the front line, of our struggle against the 1%. And bollox and pox on the Oakland Police if they try to disrupt you.

Palindromedary, you have put it so very well! We are relieved to hear that the Peoples of these United States of America are beginning to make the elite sweat. But these 1% and their worker eyes "must" be arrested and placed far away from the Peoples so they can do no more damage nor interfere with what needs to be done. They will be brought, as we have said before, before a Council which will then look at their deeds according to Univeral Principle and Law.

We are not advocating that the Peoples of these United States of America initially stop using their money system entirely UNTIL the full transition is made into the setting up of the PARADISICAL system.

But what we are saying is this: that the Peoples of these United States of America demand "quantatative easing" for the purpose of eliminating all National and State debt, and making available suffient funds (quantative easing) for the purpose of repairing all of the United States of America's infrastructure including providing Universal health care and education, free of charge to the Peoples of these United States of America.

These United States of America do NOT INVEST IN THEIR YOUNG, THEY ONLY INVEST IN WARS AND DESTROYING THEIR YOUNG MAKING THEM INTO KILLING MACHINES!

THE YOUNG HAVE A CARROT DANGLED INFRONT OF THEM, SAYING "JOIN THE MILITARY AND WHEN YOU HAVE DONE YOUR TIME, YOU CAN HAVE FREE EDUCATION" (AFTER AND IF YOU SURVIVE THE WAR FOR THE 1%)

WHY, INSTEAD, ARE THE YOUNG OF THE NATION NOT TOLD: "STAY HOME! DO NOT FIGHT IN ISRAEL'S WARS AND DO NOT KILL ANYBODY, BECAUSE NOBODY THREATENED THE UNITED STATES, AND KEEP YOUR MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL SELF INTACT,... AND EDUCATE YOURSELVES "FREELY!"

Education is a RIGHT and should never be held up as BLACKMAIL!

Why are the Peoples of these United States of America asking the foreign based government sitting in the White House, for bread crumbs when they could have the whole loaf?!

Quantative easing for the repair of the nation's infrastructure will serve in creating jobs. The spinoff will then benefit all of the Peoples of these United States because such measures will increase the money supply for the benefit of the entire Nation.

This, INSTEAD of that plan which President Obama insists that even the poorest of working Americans must pay in "health care" costs, called of course, Obamacare. This, INSTEAD of any other plan your Presidents, Congress or Senators will come up with for the detriment of the people!

Anything less than the Universal system of Paradise for the Peoples of this World will not result in true freedom for the peoples of this earth. So, if the Peoples of these United States want a second rate system then carry on the way you have been going under the banking system working for the 1% and under their wicked thumb. It is, of course, up to the each and every one of you. Think on this because you, the Peoples of these United States of America, will not get to yourselves a second chance. - Cygnus!

Cygnus1: That was quite a story about the Priest using that last little bit of water (which could have saved the Iraqi, perhaps) to use in a stupid ritual that really means nothing at all.

I think many people are finally waking up to the ridiculousness, and hypocrisy of many of the religious institutions....the contrived hoops they get you to jump through...like trained seals. And these military "chaplains" often wearing more than one hat (or should we call them faux halos) while wearing horns and a tail under their uniforms are certainly no angels. They are very likely psychopaths themselves. Many of the Nazis thought they were doing righteous things too...and also had the blessings of many religious institutions.

Of course, religion will do that to you. There are exceptions, of course, and every religious person believes themselves to be exempt. When one connects killing people with religion then psychopathy rules supreme. And that is just what our military is doing...making religious psychopathic murderers who belong in an insane asylum along with all the other reality challenged nut jobs. It is only the ones who come to understand and realize how they have been used and manipulated to do such maniacal things to other human beings that are on the road to recovery....or suicide.

The military is only "embarrassed" by the numbers of suicides of our soldiers, both in the Middle East, and at home when they return. When you go to war...you go to kill people...even innocent people like civilians, women, and children. More young people need to think about this before they get themselves bamboozled into the military. They should also very seriously consider how terrible it would be to be maimed for life...lose a limb or two or be horribly disfigured. They should ask themselves in all seriousness....is it really worth it? If you see a recruiter..run like hell...away from that sucker!!! They prey on our kids in shopping malls...the perverts!!!

If the military was used solely for actually protecting the US against attack (and I'm not talking about some stupid idea of "protecting our interests" because we need what others have...or we want to control who else might get hold of it)....then it would be honorable to be in the military. But it is not honorable because the politicians and generals who are largely controlled by the dictates of the wealthy corporations that make lots of money on war are not honorable. Most of the soldiers are nothing but dupes that got sucked into a life of criminal duplicity. The Godfathers that run the show fully expect you to murder people for profit and power. And our sons and daughters should not risk their lives, nor strain their mental health, nor maim them for life for damn corporations and politicians who believe their greed is in the national interest.

If we were rebelling and lopping off more heads (figuratively speaking that is) of these greedy bastards at home we wouldn't be having so many problems getting along with the rest of the world. The French set a great example and it left a deep impression for hundreds of years..so much so that...until recently...the French politicians were afraid to tick off the people and were more amenable to social programs keeping the banksters in check. Any hint of a massive demonstration by the people would send shivers up the spines of the ruling elite. We desperately need this here in the US. And it looks like it is beginning to happen. And it looks like these arrogant bastards are starting to sweat a little.

Well done..and well said, Cygnus1! If only more young men and women really knew what they were getting into when joining the military. They get weaned on violent video games, violent movies and TV. This is done partly because there is lots of money to be made...because the marketers know that it is easy to lure the "lizard" brain into the excitement of violence...and if no one really gets physically hurt then it just continually triggers the "pleasure centers" of the brain when no other consequences of their actions need to be considered.

When men and women go to war..or even if kids battle it out in gangs...they get that same adrenalin rush...which is quite addictive....but the after affects..unless one is sociopathic...can be quite a depression inducing mechanism.

The military turns the young people into sociopathic killers...temporarily anyway...but I'm sure once changed...many people continue in that mentality for the rest of their lives. Many people regress into a depression so great, when they realize what they have done, that they will commit suicide. I know the VA is really concerned about that and they really try to make sure you are not prone to suicide.

A lot of solidiers hide, mentally, under various escape mechanisms, like believing that they were "defending their country" and "they were fighting for Jesus, or a whole host of other non-sequiturs and inanities, so they don't fall victim to the depression that will lead them to suicide.

One might laugh at the idea that our soldiers are "fighting for Jesus" but in fact that is actually being drilled into the heads of many of our soldiers. It has been uncovered that there are military sponsored programs that do just that in order to manipulate them to suppress any thoughts of guilt when killing people.

And what is quite ironic is that if there was a real Jesus, he may very well have been a Sicarii, an assassin, or "terrorist" that sneaked up behind Roman soldiers in crowded market places and stabbed them in the back...then disappeared into the crowds. It was the Romans who made Jesus into a peace-loving guru of brotherly love...and to give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar...and don't rebel against your masters. Very Devious, those Romans!

Well you can't say the Republicans have no ideas, just look at what we've learned from them during the debates.

· All taxes are bad.

· All regulations are bad. Burning rivers, the 12-hour work day, the 12 year-old worker, the Great Depression and the Great Recession are a small price to pay for unfettered markets.

· All government spending is ineffective and/or unnecessary. There is, however, no such thing as wasteful or unnecessary military spending.

· God created America to dominate all nations – unfortunately it was too late to get this into the bible.

· Corporations are people just like you and me.

· The invisible (magical?) hand of the free market fixes everything.

· From highways (tolls not taxes) to disaster relief the private sector can do a much better job than government. Disney could well run the handful of National Parks that lack oil or gas resources. Other unnecessary government functions such as the patent office, NASA, NOAA and others they sometimes can't remember should be phased out over time.

· The environment is fine, global warming is a myth and there is nothing 7 billion inhabitants can dish out that Mother Nature can’t handle.

· This time breaks for corporations and wealthy “job creators” will really truly trickle down.

Personally I can't wait for the next GOP debate to see if they can add to the list. It has become, however, pretty static.

Cynus: Wall Street's Wars
Fallujah Veteran: 'I Served The 1%'
Thoughts on the role of veterans in the Occupy movement
By Ross Caputi
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article29663.htm

Sushi:
Well even if you don't bank by phone or the internet...all someone has to do is get your account number and routing number which are both on the checks and they can use them to do an electronic transfer on your account.

I found this out when someone stole letters out of an outside Post Office box including several bills I had paid by check. I felt very bothered that the box was pretty full and after I put the mail in realized that it was pretty full and that it would be easy for someone to reach in...if they had small arms and grab some letters. It wouldn't be too hard for people to use a stick or wire or a flexible grabber to steal mail out of these boxes anyway. I only mail inside at the post office now!

When I was notified, by my credit card company, that they did not receive the check, I also found out that the other bills I paid that day was not received either and were overdue. I went to the bank and did a stop payment on those checks...and got new account numbers.

Then, later, I got a bank statement that had a couple of electronic transfers out of my account by some strange sounding "businesses?". Luckily, they were small amounts..couple of hundred dollars. I went back to the bank and had them do an investigation on this...and after a couple of months I was notified that those amounts were put back into my account. The bank would not say anything more, even after I asked them about it.

I said that it didn't seem to me that this was very secure when an electronic transfer could occur without me doing the transfer. The bank manager said well all they have to do is get your bank account number and routing number and it is very easily done. Since those two numbers are on the bottom of the checks if anyone gets hold of your check then they could do an electronic transfer. And the odd thing about it is that they didn't even need a password to do the transfer.

And even still, nearly a year since the first problems, I had a notification by my credit card company that they did not receive payment even though I mailed it a couple of weeks before due date and mailed it inside our local post office. I don't know if it was my credit card company trying to milk me for late charges as I always pay my bills in total and well before due date, or if it was the local post office who failed to send my letter. (I no longer mail through the local post office...I go to a more major branch now.)

I tell you...we keep out money in the banks to keep it safe and so no one can rob us...but it looks like they can do it anyway...and you won't even know it...at least until you get your statement..unless you go to your ATM and check it that way...which would be one plus for the idea of on-line banking because you can check anytime you want and really watch your money. But on-line banking is dangerous because it is not secure.

When you use on-line banking, you are using the internet...and when you connect to your bank...you do not have a solid, continuous "connection" except by something called a session cookie. The communications is encrypted, which is good, except it depends upon something called certificates of authority (CA) and, if the CAs were not compromised, then a useful encryption can be established. And your computer, talking to your bank's computer, and vice versa, does so in momentary bursts of data..you are not actually "connected" except through the fact that the encryption allows both you and the bank to understand one another every time a burst of data is transmitted. If a hacker obtains your encrypted session cookie they can fool your bank into thinking they are communicating with you and then the hacker can make you think you are communicating directly with your bank. But the hacker is watching everything.

Another possibility exists, in fact, very likely...that the on-line user's computer has had a trojan keystroke logger installed that used root-kit technology to hide from any virus checker and the hacker can glean your passwords, and such, from when you type it it on your keyboard. This bypasses the security of encryption because it is external to the user/bank server communications.

And I would not think that phone banking is very secure either.

The safest way is to just go in to the bank...inside the bank...because you can easily get robbed at an ATM and if you're not careful to cover your PIN number when you key it in...and don't let anyone see what is on the screen. Some banks display your account balance right up on the screen for anyone standing next to you to see.

And check to see if there is anything hokey about the ATM keypad and the slot where you stick your card...because criminals have temporarily installed devices to read your card and detect the pin as you type it in. Any keypad overlays are a dead give away...or any unusual looking card slot bezel could read your card.

I always look for anything odd at the ATM before I use it and also keep very aware at who is around me...or who might be monitoring the ATM use from a distance...like a car or van...anyone watching with a telescope or binoculars....but of course that is being a little paranoid but I'd rather be paranoid than sorry I was careless and find someone wiped me out.

One thing about some bank ATMs is that it is very easy to forget you left your card in the ATM. Some other banks prevent this by not giving you your money until you remove your card. If you get your money, and your card is still in the ATM, you can easily walk away with your money and forget your card. Very easy to do. Isn't that right...Bank of America? ...not that I bank at B or A ...but I've heard stories....and know people who have had these problems.

I like your ideas to Occupy the Internet. It appears that the only power We the Little People still have is our numbers. We have been stripped of almost everything else.

As to your hacking commentary, I always wondered about banking by phone now that Bush's Big Brother Homeland Security is able to tap phones, when we call our banks to transfer funds, couldn't damage be done by having the phone number, account number, bank balance and PIN number? I am not sure what anyone could do other than drain my savings into my checking, but there always seems to be a way to rip people off when the corporates hold all the cards.