Who are America's 'Big Fat Liars'?

Here's a review of a book that seems to mirror my own belief about how thoroughly manipulative the American media is (and always has been, I say!). I haven't read the book itself, but I'm going to get it when I can.

"A medical doctor and public policy expert, Chafetz lambastes the use of phony statistics and perverted scientific analysis that too often is used as the basis for laws, regulations, court decisions and marketing campaigns. "Big Fat Liars" condemns the prostitution of science and statistics by those who would limit our personal liberties in a bid to tell all of us how to live. And it urges us to take back control of our lives from our fears and from those who would manipulate those fears with faulty and misleading information."

Is Your Printer Spying On You?

"Help EFF Watch the Watchers

Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer -- and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right?

Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In an effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. A communication tool you're using in everyday life could become a tool for government surveillance. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse.

The ACLU recently issued a report revealing that the FBI has amassed more than 1,100 pages of documents on the organization since 2001, as well as documents concerning other non-violent groups, including Greenpeace and United for Peace and Justice. In the current political climate, it's not hard to imagine the government using the ability to determine who may have printed what document for purposes other than identifying counterfeiters. Your freedom to speak anonymously is in danger. "

OK, let's hear it from the sheep. You know what to say, you've said it often enough, and you're just itching to say it again. All together now; "Well if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to be afraid of".

There, feel better now? I'll bet you do.

US Openly Supports Iranian Terrorists

"The U.S. Government is now openly supporting the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, an Iranian resistance movement designated as terrorist organization by the US State Department."

Hmm, if this report is true, it seems that the so-called War on Terror, only applies to certain terrorist, and not all. I wonder how the Bush apologists are going to explain this.

"The Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) is a Marxist oriented Iranian resistance organization founded in the 1960's to topple the pro- western regime of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Since that time, MEK has carried out scores of attacks and assassinated a number of Iranian government officials. MEK killed several American military and civilian personnel in Iran during the 1970's, and assisted in the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 where American civilians were held hostage."

I also wonder how long it will be before they come back to haunt us, just as the "resistance fighters" we used to harass the Soviets in Afghanistan did.

Pressure on U.S. to use more surveillance

"Pressure is building for greater use of video cameras to keep watch over the nation's cities - particularly in transportation systems and other spots vulnerable to terrorism - after the bombings in London."

"The calls have come over the last few weeks as British investigators released surveillance footage of the bombers in the deadly July 7 attacks and then put out frames of suspects in Thursday's failed attacks."

"I do not think that cameras are the big mortal threat to civil liberties that people are painting them to be," Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams said Friday."

"He's not alone. While privacy advocates question their effectiveness, Sen. Hillary Clinton called for New York City subway officials to install more cameras, even though officials said some 5,000 cameras are already in use across all modes of city travel. In Stamford, Conn., Mayor Dan Malloy said it's time to revisit a 1999 ordinance that limited cameras to watching traffic."

"In many other spots around the country, cameras already are in place."

I have one question; Why are you so willing to live under a total surveillance society, when it clearly has little or no effect against terror? As evidenced by the British bombings. London has long been known to have an extensive camera network, yet the bombings still took place, by, it is said, people who lived in that country, so would obviously have know they would be photographed. It didn't prevent those deaths.

Here in the US, where the march towards total surveillance began long before 9/11, and hasn't stopped bank robberies (inside, as well as at the ATMs), shoplifting, car thefts, or anything else where cameras are know to reside. All it does is give you a false sense of security, since the determined don't really care about being seen.

You cannot just continue to allow law after law, regulation after regulation, that does little more more than give more power to the state, over every aspect of your lives. As long as you remain a mortal being, you cannot be "made safe", no matter how much you turn yourselves over to the state.

If this is what you want, you must also stop considering yourself as living in a free country. Being "free", does NOT mean living free to do whatever the state allows you to do, it means living free of government interference in your lives. It means being responsible for ones self, and behaving in a manner that is generally accepted in the society in which you live. It means you will be vulnerable to the forces of nature as well as the forces of evil intent. Do you realize that people are not being "made safe" in countries that have little or no freedoms for their citizens? Do you know that in spite of having lived with constant terror attacks, Israelis are not safe after all this time? Even their own government officials are not safe. Neither were the citizens of London who have previously born the brunt of IRA attacks. Niether are the citizens of repressive countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia "made safe". And lets not forget the "Evil Empire" itself. The so called Russian Mafia did not suddenly spring up after the collapse of their empire, it existed all along, even in a tightly controlled society such as theirs.

Total surveillance may indeed deter some common criminals, who will just move on to easier pickings, and even make you think twice about running a red light, but it will NOT make you safe, especially from terrorists and determined criminals, because they will find a way to work around any protections you think you may have.

If you want to give up your freedoms, give them up because you have no use for them. Don't give them up for any illusion of safety, because you will be very much disappointed.

I name the four powers who are behind the al-Qaeda conspiracy

I present this two page piece, merely to get you thinking about the way in which the media influences your opinions and perceptions of the current "War on Terror" specifically, and news reports in general.

Bottom line; Think for yourself!

"At times of national emergency, the habit of the news media to drop a story or a lead in mid-air when it seems to be going nowhere unsettles the public. The media betray a sort of sheepish wish to “move on” from an erroneous report, hoping that their audience will not notice. Rather than acknowledge this, they publish a new report, leaving us to compare it with what had previously been said — and draw our own conclusions. Or they start barking up a different tree, the inference being that the last tree may have been the wrong tree."

"The habit is more disliked by listeners and readers than I think editors appreciate. Perhaps the first item on each day’s news agenda should be “matters arising from yesterday’s news”. News editors would then do us the courtesy of explaining where some of those stories went."

Caring for Your Introvert

Oh man, I've been looking for this link for ages! This originally ran in The Atlantic, but they long ago removed it. When it was still up, I saw a copy on another site, and I've finally found it again.

As introverts are a minority of the population, they're very much misunderstood, and believed to just be shy, when in fact, 'shyness' is a different issue altogether. Shyness can be corrected, but introversion is that persons nature, so don't think about changing them, it won't work.

So, if you know someone who you think shy, take a closer look, you might be wrong.......

"Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation to a big audience, but seems awkward in groups and maladroit at small talk? Who has to be dragged to parties and then needs the rest of the day to recuperate? Who growls or scowls or grunts or winces when accosted with pleasantries by people who are just trying to be nice?"

"If so, do you tell this person he is "too serious," or ask if he is okay? Regard him as aloof, arrogant, rude? Redouble your efforts to draw him out?"

"If you answered yes to these questions, chances are that you have an introvert on your hands-and that you aren't caring for him properly. Science has learned a good deal in recent years about the habits and requirements of introverts. It has even learned, by means of brain scans, that introverts process information differently from other people (I am not making this up). If you are behind the curve on this important matter, be reassured that you are not alone. Introverts may be common, but they are also among the most misunderstood and aggrieved groups in America, possibly the world."

....oh, btw, did I mention I'm one of them?