Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Best Statement Yet On Why Stopping SOPA/PIPA Must Succeed 1

Activism, All, News: US, Politics - US, She speaks..., SOPA • Tags: , , , ,

By far, this is the best summaries I have seen yet about why it is important to stop SOPA/PIPA….

It’s not a coincidence that the Global Democracy Movement is happening now, just as technology is emerging to allow the People to stand up to military dictators and banking oligarchies using Facebook and Twitter.  You see, the fate of democracy and the fate of the Internet are intimately linked.  This is why the movement to stop SOPA has been so powerful, and, this is why it must succeed. ~ Eric Byler
http://www.coffeepartyusa.com/sopa

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One Million Petition for the Recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker 3

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The petition drive to recall and remove Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has surpassed all expectations, collecting over one million signatures in just 60 days.

Petitioners were only required to collect 540,000 by law. They far exceeded this number, making a successful legal challenge of the recall highly unlikely. This is the largest recall in U.S. history. Volunteers also gathered over 845,000 signatures to recall Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, as well enough signatures for four of the state senators who voted for Walker’s collective bargaining bill in March 2011, adding hundreds of thousands more petitions to a pile estimated to weigh over one ton. More…

The Great Internet Black Out Has Commenced 2

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On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed. We need to kill the bill – PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House – to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. Many sites have blacked out today in protest of the SOPA/PIPA bills and followed Reddit’s lead. And finally this is getting some major media coverage.  Check them out…. More…

The Greatest Protest in History Has Just Started 6

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There have been so many large protests throughout the history of mankind, but in my opinion, so many sites going black ranks now as Number One!  The organization, the participation is on such a grand scale!  Many sites are going black from 8 AM to 8 PM EST on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, but Wikipedia went black as of midnight. More…

A “Snowboarding” Crow. Would That Be “Crow-boarding”? 3

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It seems snowboarding isn’t just for humans anymore. Turns out birds know how to have some winter fun, too.

In this astonishing footage posted on YouTube by Russia Today, a crow climbs on a round disc and slides down a rooftop in Russia.

After a solid first run, the bird’s second attempt is somewhat disappointing. But without delay, the crow clutches the “board” and tries again. More…

Project 365 2012 All Caught Up 5

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I just updated my Project 365 | 2012 post with a weeks worth of photos.  I have been house and dog sitting since last week and just now returned home to process my photos.  Even though I had my laptop, I prefer doing all my photo work on my desktop since I have it set up for raw photography work.  Please check out my new additions.

Here is one photo, though, of my “special little guy.”  This is my dog “Dork.”  Yes, I call him Dork.  Why?  Because he’s a dork!  Born completely deaf and blind in his left eye (known as a “lethal white” Aussie), he’ll just kinda bounce around, happy as can be, and occasionally bump into a corner – or me.  Then he kind of looks at what he ran into like, “Where’d that come from???”  Then move on his merry ol’ way. More…

Weird News: Campylobacter Jejuni Bacteria Infections on a Sheep Ranch 8

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News of the Weird:  A December news release from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned of the dangers of Campylobacter jejuni bacteria infections on a sheep ranch, but apparently only among workers who used an old-style (19th century) method of castrating the animals. CDC strongly urged that workers stop biting off the sheep’s genitals and instead use modern tools. [Wall Street Journal, 12-8-2011] More…

Wikipedia Blackout: Jimmy Wales Announces Protest Of SOPA, PIPA On January 18 2

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Wikipedia has apparently joined the ranks of several high-profile websites that are planning a “blackout” on Wednesday, January 18, in protest of Congress’ proposed anti-piracy legislation. During the blackout period, many web pages will become unavailable and will likely be replaced with information about the protest.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales took to Twitter on Monday to announce that the English-language version of Wikipedia will go dark on Wednesday for 24 hours — from midnight EST on January 18 until midnight EST January 19. He noted in a later tweet that “Final details [are] under consideration but consensus seems to be for ‘full’ rather than ‘soft’ blackout!” More…

A Few Comments From the Republican Debate in South Carolina 10

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Well, the circus continues.  Here are a few statements made tonight.

• Mitt Romney says he’ll “keep an open mind” around April in regards to releasing his tax filing.

Sorry, I do not believe this. It is very clear he is hiding something.

• Santorum said these three things will keep you out of poverty: “Work, graduate high school, and get married before you have children.” More…

Tim: The Only Person With Down Syndrome to Own and Operate a Business 5

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I saw this story on one of our local news station the other night, and had no idea this restaurant existed, nor knew of Tim Harris. And such a wonderful story this is.

Tim’s father has searched all over the country, and although it is not definite, it appears that Tim may very well be the only person with Down Syndrome to own and operate a business, which is Tim’s Place, a restaurant located right here in Albuquerque NM. More…

US to Extradite UK Student for Copyright Infringement 7

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Want to understand just how insane things may get under SOPA/PIPA? Just take a look at what’s already happening under today’s laws. Back in 2010, one of the first websites that Homeland Security’s ICE (Immigrations & Customs Enforcement) group seized was TVShack.net. TVShack was a site that collected links to TV shows. Certainly, many of those shows were likely to be infringing — but TVShack did not host the content at all, it merely linked to it. More…

My Little Joke I Pulled Today 3

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I am currently house and dog-sitting for my dear friend, Lyn. She called a few weeks back and told me that she decided to fly to Kansas City to visit her brother whom she has not seen in years, and asked if I could watch the dogs and house. How could I say “no.” Lyn has always been there for me, even allowing me to rent (very cheaply) a spare bedroom for nearly two years when I was struggling through some financial difficulties. And, fortunately for me, Lyn has always been a great sport when I pull my little wise-ass jokes on her, like borrowing one of her cars when mine was in the shop. I returned home and basically asked her out right, “Sooooo… who is your auto insurance carrier again?” You know… stupid little stuff like that all the time. But before I go into the one today, you need to understand a bit more about Lyn. More…

Mitt Romney Completely Blows Off a Dying Man 9

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This footage was taken from 2007, but Mitt’s opinions still have not changed. In this footage, you will witness the true cold, callous nature of this man running for POTUS.

It is not clear where this is filmed, but there is quite a bit of handshaking is going on. A young man in a wheelchair proceeds to tell Mitt that he suffers from a very rare type of Muscular Dystrophy and will eventually die from it, in addition to the fact that he now weighs less than 80 lbs. Medical marijuana is what he requires in order to stimulate an appetite and tolerate the suffering he endures every moment of his life.  when Mitt mentions that there is synthetic marijuana, the young man informs Mitt that he has tried synthetic, but it makes him sick and he cannot tolerate it – which is most likely true. He then directly asks Mitt, “My question to you is, will you arrest me and my doctors if I get medical marijuana without {inaudible].” Just watch Mitt’s reaction. More…

Luxury Liner Sinking off of the Coast of Italy | Amazing Photos 9

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Rome (CNN) – At least three people were killed and scores remain unaccounted for as a giant cruise ship keeled onto its side after running aground near the Italian island of Giglio on Friday night, local emergency officials said Saturday.

Rescue teams worked through the night to evacuate more than 4,000 people from the Costa Concordia, owned by Genoa-based Costa Cruises, after it ran aground off of Italy’s western coast. More…

Tebowie: Jimmy Fallon’s Ultimate David Bowie/Tim Tebow Mash-Up 16

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This is absolutely hilarious!  On Thursday night, Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” brought another magical installment in what we hope continues to be a series of performances, this time with Fallon dressed as David Bowie and singing “Space Oddity,” but with some reworked, Tim Tebow-themed lyrics.

“For the first time, Tim Tebow and David Bowie together as one. Ladies and Gentlemen… TeBowie.” More…

Rioting Mob in China Make Scrambled Eggs Over iPhone Debut Cancellation 4

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In Beijing, China, angry customers and gangs of scalpers threw eggs (video below) at Apple Inc.’s flagship Beijing store today after its opening for the China launch of the iPhone 4S was canceled due to concerns over the size of the crowd.

Apple reacted to the scuffle by postponing iPhone 4S sales in its mainland China stores, but did say that the phone still will be sold online and through its local carrier.

(Yes, someone photoshopped Jason into the mob photo… it is Friday the 13th after all. Full size is down at the bottom of this post.) More…

Follow-Up Interview with Woman Hit on Bus by Cop 5

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Julie Nelson, 42 years old, was the woman who was hit by an LA deputy on the bus. The brutality was caught on cell phone video and since gone viral.

The chain of events began when a fellow passenger called 911 to say that Nelson was threatening people while waiting at a bus stop in Bellflower. Nelson did admit to the reporter that there was a verbal confrontation. According to the LA County Deputies Department, the two officers that boarded the bus recognized the woman from prior issues.

This first video below is the raw footage taken by a cell phone camera. More…

Dept of Homeland Security Monitors Journalists 4

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Imagine for a moment, that you write articles for any one of a number of political blogs, posting them on various social media websites.  How would you feel knowing that the federal government has permission to monitor your activities and collect personal information about you?

Freedom of speech might allow journalists to get away with a lot in America, but the Department of Homeland Security is on the ready to make sure that the government is keeping dibs on who is saying what. More…