Ian Hunter Performing at the River To River Festival: NYC, 24 June 2009

Ian Hunter performing at the River to River Festival on 24 June 2009. Hunter
performed songs from his soon-to-be released, "Man Overboard."

wotchertonks7 posted the opening tune "Once Bitten Twice Shy."

John of Earbender posted a video of most of the opening song: "Once Bitten Twice Shy."

The second song was "Central Park 'n' West" also posted by wotchertonks7.

Ian Hunter & Rant Band, a live track entitled, "Arms and Legs" from the soon to be released CD, "Man Overboard." Video source: suziebabee

Ian Hunter & Rant Band, a live track entitled, "Man Overboard" from the soon to be released CD, "Man Overboard." Video source: kinskilee

"Big Mouth" is a tune from the last release "Shrunken Heads." Video source: Ariehbell

waystedkiss posted "Twisted Steel."

Twisted Steel

Ariehbell posted all of "All The Way From Memphis."

hoppermusic posted "All The Way From Memphis."

This is kinskilee's version of "All The Way From Memphis."

DREAMTIMENYC posted "23A Swan Hill/Angeline."

Ian Hunter & Rant Band, a short selection of the live track entitled, "Up and Running" from the soon to be released CD of the same name, "Man Overboard." Video source: suziebabee

Exweerdo posted "Wash Us Away," and, a part of "Soul of America," along with a snippet of "Just Another Night."

Ariehbell posted "Just Another Night."

Roll Away The Stone

kinskilee posted "Saturday Gigs/All The Young Dudes," the closing encore joined by Ian's son Jesse and Def Lepperd's Joe Elliott.

DREAMTIMENYC posted virtually the same thing but from a different angle.

Ariehbell posted "All The Young Dudes."

The set list:

Once Bitten Twice Shy
Central Park 'n' West
Wash Us Away
Soul of America
Arms And Legs
Twisted Steel
Big Mouth
Roll Away The Stone
Man Overboard
23A Swan Hill/Angeline
Just Another Night
Dead Man Walking
Up And Running
All The Way From Memphis

encore: Saturday Gigs (full version)/All The Young Dudes

All The Young Dudes, with Joe Elliott from strawberryfieldsnyc

Thanks to suziebaby29 there are more pictures from the concert.

Justin has posted some photos as well.

Industry reviews include Burning Wood and Lucid Culture.

Saturday Gigs/All The Young Dudes

Ian Hunter from Straycat on Vimeo.

Suppressed EPA Study Shows Cap and Tax is False Solution

While watching the debates on the Cap and Tax bill there were references to the report that the EPA suppressed in order to bolster the Democrats case. However inconvenient for them the report is available regardless and exposes the deception involved in the Cap and Tax bill.

Cap and Tax Bound to Pass

This monstrosity is 1,200 pages long, with 250 pages added over the past weekend, and 300 more pages were added last night. The bill is a disaster and yet it looks like it is bound to pass. It will go largely unread yet it negatively impacts nearly every aspect of American's daily life.

There are many troublesome areas but I will mention just one for the sake of space: Section 432 of the bill begins on page 830 that details an "Energy Refund Program for Low Income Consumers." Essentially, what that means is that any family with a gross income of less than 150 percent of the poverty line would receive a cash refund each and every month, direct-deposited into the bank account of their choosing.

The bill is a redistribution of income. Cash will be given to poor families. The text states:

SEC. 432. ENERGY REFUND PROGRAM FOR LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS.
(a) ENERGY REFUND PROGRAM.—
(1) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, or the agency designated by the Administrator shall formulate and administer the ‘‘Energy Refund Program’’.
(2) At the request of the State agency, eligible low-income households within the State shall receive a monthly cash energy refund equal to the estimated
loss in purchasing power resulting from this Act.
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—
(1) ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS.—Participation in the Energy Refund Program shall be limited to a household that—
(A) the State agency determines to be participating in
(i) the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program authorized by the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.);
(ii) the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations authorized by section 4(b) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)); or
(iii) the program for nutrition assistance in Puerto Rico or American
Samoa under section 19 of the such Act (7 U.S.C. 2028);
(B) has gross income that does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty line; or
(C) consists of a single individual or a married couple and (i) receives the subsidy de23 scribed in section 1860D–14 of the Social Secu rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114); or (ii)(I) participates in the program under section XVIII of the Social Security Act; and (II) meets the income requirements described in section 1860D–
3(a)(1) or (a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)(1) or (a)(2)).

(c) MONTHLY ENERGY REFUND AMOUNT.—
(1) MONTHLY ENERGY REFUND.—The monthly refund under this subsection for households of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 or more members shall be equal to the maximum energy tax credit amount calculated under section 36B(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for each household size, divided by 12 and rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount.
(2) MONTHLY ELIGIBILITY.—A household shall not be eligible for the refund under this section for months that the household has not established eligibility under subsection (b).

(d) DELIVERY MECHANISM.—
(1) Subject to standards and an implementation schedule set by the Administrator, the energy refund shall be provided in monthly installments via—
(A) direct deposit into the eligible household’s designated bank account;
(B) the State’s electronic benefit transfer system; or
(C) another Federal or State mechanism, if such a mechanism is approved by the Administrator.

The bill is a parody of science as well. Kimberley A. Strassel of the Wall Street Journal makes salient points against the central points of the bill.

"We the People," by Lloyd Marcus

Judge Joel Schneider is accepting letters in the Kerchner vs. Obama birth certificate case

Judge Joel Schneider is accepting letters in the Kerchner vs. Obama birth certificate case and will include them in the file if received by Monday, June 29th.

If you’re concerned about the Constitutional issues surrounding the birth certificate controversy, this is your chance to let your opinions be known. Security for families and for all Americans rests on the principles of law, and subversion of the Constitution is not in anyone’s best interests.

Send your letters to:

Hon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider
U.S. District Court
401 Market Street
Camden, NJ 08102-1568

FAX 856-757-5370

Rating Presidents: The Good and the Ugly

Presidents can be leaders and inspiring, or, they can be sub-standard and abysmal. You compare these two.

YouTube changes cookie use policy on Whitehouse.gov

I blogged on this topic before; consumer and privacy groups have been concerned about the tracking being done by government sites and YouTube has changed their policies. It is good to see people are concerned about their liberty.

A Brief Respite

There is no need to be alarmed if the anvils at Blog Smith are quiet for a while. I will need to sharpen my tools and will be back soon.

Comment on Netanyahu's Speech

Netanyahu performed an end-around Obama who never saw it coming. Netanyahu, the military veteran, advocated Israel's interests, conceded very little, and gained stature for his domestic politics. He agreed to set harsh conditions for a Palestinian 'entity,' not a state: brilliant.

Walden: Obama’s ‘Other’ Controversial Church

Before Jeremiah Wright, this was Obama's church. This is the Sunday school which informed him during the formative years.

Biden: `Ooops, Wrong On That Economy Thing'

Biden told "Meet the Press" that "everyone" was wrong on the stimulus; the economy was worse off than anyone thought. Who knew? He back away from the overblown estimate that the funds could create or save 3.5 million jobs, in some sources it was 4 million, instead of the now promise 600,000 by the end of the summer. Those jobs, as has been announced, also consist of summer jobs for teens. The biggest spending splurge in American history and it comes nowhere near the extravagant claims made by Obama and outlined week after week in his radio, TV, and public appearances.

JFK Quote on Debate, Criticism, Republic, and the 1st Amendment

Without debate and without criticism no administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solan decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy and that is why the press was protected by the First Amendment.

JFK

Maher on Over-Exposure: Pushes Obama to Be More Radical: Is That Even Possible?

Nancy Pelosi: 'Every aspect of our lives must be subjected to an inventory ...'

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

"Peace, peace in our time," The Road to Peace: 1939

Perfect Metaphor for Obama's Regime: Bulldoze

Obama considering to bulldoze Flint, Michigan, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature. Graphic source: GETTY

Obama has created a perfect metaphor for his regime: U.S. cities will be bulldozed in order to survive. The drastic measure is a proposal considered to tackle his destruction of the American free enterprise system.

Teacher Critical of Obama and "too patriotic," Contract Not Renewed

Tim Latham, a 19 year veteran teacher of American history and government, will not be employed. He was criticized for not airing Obama's inaugural address during an American history class, and he realized his difficulty last September with Assistant Principal Jan Gentry that his personal political views were an issue. The 44-year-old teacher filed a grievance earlier this month with his district after his contract was not renewed in April. He argues the district didn't follow the proper process.

"It's gross misconduct," he said. "[The district] jumped straight to non-renewal."

Several calls placed to Gentry, Principal Steve Nilhas and District Superintendent Randy Weseman were not returned. Kansas National Education Association Director Bruce Lindskog could not be reached for comment.

David Cunningham, director of human resources for the school district, declined to discuss Latham's allegations in detail.

Latham claims school officials violated his contract by not conducting proper reviews — four 20-minute in-class evaluations throughout the year — and says they were looking for a way to get rid of him due to his personal politics.

During Latham's brief meeting with Gentry, he claims Gentry told him his school-affiliated Web site was "too patriotic."

The regime has its minions carry out policy to stifle diversity and dissent.

Victor Davis Hanson: "Just Make Stuff Up"

Harley-Davidson Says No Free Speech Allowed

HD reminded one of its dealers that no political statements can be made at its locations. Shop owner Erik Dunk had posted a political sign stating: "Obama are you kidding? We're not Muslim. You are not Christian." No one is allowed to publicly question or express anything critical regarding Islam in the U.S. Obama and the DOJ have been clear that they will use the full force of the Federal government to promote Islam.

Obama’s issues crumbling by Dick Morris

$50 Billion Loss in "Stimulus"

Swindlers, con men, and thieves could siphon off as much as $50 billion of the government's planned stimulus package as the money begins flooding the economy in coming months, according to David Williams, who runs Deloitte Financial Services Advisory and counsels clients on fraud prevention.

China Takes Lead on North Korea

As befitting its leading nation role in the world, as America falls to second-rank status, China warns against the use of force in carrying out sanctions against North Korea. The United Nations Security Council approved sanctions stating that countries intercepting vessels should avoid armed action.

“Under no circumstance should there be the use of force or the threat of use of force” in implementing the sanctions in Resolution 1874, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui stated.

H.R. 1207 Audit the Fed Update by Ron Paul

This bill is progress if in fact it is not waylaid before it comes to the floor. The bill is long overdue.

Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) denounces Obama's "Gangster Government."

Representative Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) denounces Obama's "Gangster Government."

1,000 Protest Obama's Health Care

Protesters came out in force in Green Bay to protest Obama's latest mistake: health care destruction.

Obama Fires AmeriCorps' Whistleblower Who Investigated Crony

Obama is after any one who exposes his regime or his cronies.

Obama's Rev. Wright: Anti-Semite

Reverend Wright was recorded during one of his anti-Semitic talks.

Obama's Gas Prices: Rising Fast

It looks like Obama's bow did not obtain the Americans much at all: gas prices are rising and will continue their upward trend.

Barney Throws a Hissy Fit When Asked About Executive Pay: Walks Out Live

Viva La Internet!

France's highest court countered President Sarkozy's attempt to regulate the internet.

The Constitutional Council declared access to the internet to be a basic human right, which I may disagree with; however, I am concerned with the preservation of privacy and the extension of personal liberties, more substantial reasons, I would oppose the first internet police agency in the democratic world.

WHO Declares Pandemic: 8 Most Heaving Hit

The World Health Organization declared the swine flu a pandemic. The United Nations agency raised its pandemic flu alert to phase 6 on a six-point scale, indicating the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is under way.

The WHO is composed of 193 member countries of which eight are the most heavily hit: Australia, Britain, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Spain and the U.S.

$900 Million Payments by American Taxpayers for Obama’s Palestinian Stimulus

How Unconstitutional is Barack Obama? Let Me Count the Ways

More jobs have been lost with the “stimulus bill” than Obama said we would lose if it wasn’t passed.

Is Obama Guilty of Treason?

America Still Produces Heroes; the Obama Effect Marginalizes Them

A man is killed doing his job and protecting others yet he is largely ignored; he is a hero and the political debates can not spin admirable, honest, hard-working public servants into their twisted presentations. The guard, Stephen Tyrone Jones, died at a local hospital after being shot with a rifle.

On the other hand, a guy easily labeled as a "white supremacist," a "birther," "extremist," or a disgruntled "veteran" can be spun and he is. Supposedly the "birther"

posted to a online chat site; although, the graphic suspiciously only has one thing in English, the "birther" comment. It is likely that an 89 year old man is indicative of a wave of vicious anti-minority violence? Not likely; the man has a long history of just being a nut. Commentators should be more responsible and use some common sense. Wackos come from all walks of life and from across the political spectrum.

One point you will not see though is an more unique interpretation of the "Obama effect." Obama owes an essential part of his maturation to his anti-Semitic mentor. His former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright stated in today’s Newport News, Virginia Daily News: “Them Jews aren’t going to let him talk to me. I told my baby daughter, that he’ll talk to me in five years when he’s a lame duck, or in eight years when he’s out of office. …

“They will not let him to talk to somebody who calls a spade what it is…. I said from the beginning: He’s a politician; I’m a pastor. He’s got to do what politicians do.”

Obama is dividing the country and has no problem finding the good guys and the bad guys. He tells us directly. Obama has no problem protecting his Muslim Saudi princes and opposes 9/11 families. A Muslim jihadist can disrespect an American soldier and insults an American during a time of great tragedy and death; yet, there is no presidential outcry nor any personal interest shown in the death of a soldier. The death of this soldier is buried amongst the politically convenient story of the murdered late-term abortion doctor. Moreover, the Department of Justice promotes Muslim causes and there is no outrage that the Federal government is not separating mosque and state. Obama actively promotes Islam using the power of his office. Obama is clear, he stated: "I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."

If a guy takes a rifle into a Museum which results in a tragedy that is a horrible act. On the other hand, if a national leader approves of an avowed enemy of Israel obtaining nuclear weapons which may kill many, many more people, which person performed the worse act?

The Obama effect is the politics of exclusion, division, and enmity. The fact that a nutcase lashed out, yet another `long, crazed gunman` by the way, is not surprising given this political climate of chaos, confusion, and stress. What is surprising is how easily these stories are spun to advance a political agenda, an agenda that can only result in more government control and intrusion.

Another lone crazed gunman is too convenient and too easily staged and exploited. As Americans we should be lifting up the real heroes of America, and there are plenty of them. Decent, hard-working people who perform a great job day in and day out, even at the cost of their own life, should be the focus of Americans. A great country, to be great, must produce people like Stephen Tyrone Jones.

Government Health Nullifies the 4th Amendment

Patient’s United has created a searchable data base of what is in Obama’s “Health Care For All Americans” plan. In the plan the following section appears (“Gateway” refers to a physician or other healthcare provider):

Sec. 3102 Financial Integrity

“(1) In general - A State shall keep an accurate accounting of all activities, receipts, and expenditures of any Gateway operating in such State and shall annually submit to the Secretary a report concerning such accountings.

“(2) Investigations - The Secretary may investigate the affairs of a Gateway, may examine the properties and records of a Gateway, and may require periodical reports in relation to activities undertaken by a Gateway. A Gateway shall fully cooperate in any investigation conducted under this paragraph.

Patients will enjoy no security or privacy from unwarranted government intrusion and the most private and confidential material about people will open for inspection.

We Will Not Be Silenced

This is a film by Gigi Gaston about fraud in the Democratic Presidential primaries and caucuses.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Poll: U.S. residents unsure about the future of innovation

A sign of insecurity is that Americans do not view themselves as the center of innovation; they are more passive and look elsewhere for leadership.

China Dominates NSA, Formerly an American Contest

The debate can rage on but I think this is additional evidence that the American kids are falling behind other countries in competing.

U.S. Army Confiscating Guns: VFW

U.S. Army TACOM (Tactical Army Command) is demanding an inventory of all weapons held by VFW posts. In addition, they are warning the posts not to try and hide weapons since TACOM is considering everything, including weaponry dating as far back as the Spanish-American War, as government property. The posts are to inventory and account for every type of weapon they have available or stored on site. Texas is in the region that foreign military armies will inhabit as a part of terrorist training in July, and, the DHS has labeled returning veterans as "extremists." The fear of the Federal government seems to be a supposed historical threat from veterans; FDR faced a similar problem because veterans did plot against him.

Barry for a Woman's Place

And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

Barry, 2009

SECOND-GENERATION KEYNESIANISM

Some of the best political thinking and analysis of U.S. politics has been arising from the Czech Republic.

Young Israelis Express Themselves, "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama's Cairo Address."

Israeli University students express themselves.

June 3 Israeli taping entitled "Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama's Cairo Address."

Some sample comments include:

"You're all about talking to the Arabs," says one. "You're going to Cairo making a speech to the Muslim world trying to get them to love you, what about the Jews, man? What are we, chopped liver? You don't care about us. Are we nothing to you? Do we matter? Do you care if we get driven into the sea? Do you care if we get nuked? Are we even... ugh... do you care about us?!"

"My grandmother was in Auschwitz, Obama," he adds. "We're not going to take any Auschwitz bullshit! Listen, Obama, my grandma's number was 1268493, I remember her number on her arm, dude. And listen, never again will we deal with this, never again!"

"He's a f**khead... I don't know politics, but he's a s**thead! Anyone who wants to take away my gun rights is an a***ole. He's an a***ole and deserves to get shot," declares a bandana-wearing youngster.

"Obama shouldn't pressure Israel for shit. Netanyahu told him to f**k himself and that's how we do it here in Israel baby, (applause) yah!"

"I worked for the Obama campaign, but honestly, you f**kin' with Israel, you mother, STOP IT!" He stands and points his finger at the camera lens.

"White power, f**k the ni***rs!"

"Man, listen, hand me a fifth of Henny, a video camera, and an hour, and I'll show you Negroes claiming that God's messenger lives in a space-ship orbiting the earth," he added.

"Political Science Girl," identified by the assistant director, Joseph Dana, as a Jewish girl from Florida.

"What is he doing for this country so far? Nothing," she responds. "I'm a political science major so like... I know my s**t."

"Do you know who Binyamin Netanyahu is?"

"No. Is he the Israel prime minister or something? I don't know who he is. Who's Benjamin Yahoo?"

Another Birth Certificate Billboard

The latest billboard to go up as part of the Birth Certificate campaign is in Buena Park, Calif., on Interstate 5, the Golden State Freeway between Los Angeles and Anaheim, a heavily trafficked corridor reaching hundreds of thousands of commuters every week.

"Saved" or "Created:" Words Are Important

Months ago I noticed this tendency by the lamestream media to simply repeat job claims. One of worst expressions was this dreadful exposition about saving or creating jobs. If employees do not lose their jobs, can I claim that I saved them? No, of course not because this line of reasoning makes no sense whatsoever. However, this is precisely what Obama has claimed, and the media has let him get away with it. Now, however, respectable journalists are beginning to ask the obvious questions. How much are you actually doing to repair the economy? The WSJ has weighed in on the flighty wording largely unquestioned, so far.

Congressman Asks Saudis to Stop Teaching Hate

Congressman Weiner (D-NY) calls on Saudi government to stop using textbooks that teach Arab children to hate Jews and Christians.

Debbie Schlussel's Graphic Word Display

Apparently I am not the only one who is analyzing words for the Cairo speech. Debbie Schlussel also noted the frequency of words. She points out Islam or Muslim appears 70 times while terror or terrorism did not appear at all.

Top Chinese Banker Calls for Wider Use of Yuan

Top Chinese banker Guo Shuqing calls for wider use of yuan. The head of China's second-largest bank has said the United States government should start issuing bonds in yuan, rather than dollars, in the latest indication of the increasing importance of the Chinese currency.

Zhou Xiaochuan, head of the People's Bank of China, has published a personal paper proposing to replace the dollar as the international reserve currency.

It was the first time the head of a major Chinese bank has called for the wider use of the yuan, although a chorus of senior government officials have already voiced their concerns about the stability of the dollar and have said the yuan should be used more widely.

Two months ago, before the G20 meeting in London, Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, published a personal paper proposing to replace the dollar as the international reserve currency. His call came after Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, asked the US to guarantee the safety of China's huge pile of US debt.

In April, the Chinese government said traders in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Hong Kong, Macau, Yunan and Guangxi could start to settle their bills in yuan, rather than dollars, paving the way for the currency to become more fully convertible.

'TODAY' Show Mocks TOTUS: Finally

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Foreign Troops on U.S. Soil for FEMA

Foreign troops on U.S. soil for FEMA may sound innocuous until you consider that the U.S. has never had foreign troops on our soil, except in repelling them, and why are we having foreign troops anyway? "This year the United States welcomes the participation of Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom." Even the explanation sounds odd, this is the: "first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection." This is the first multilateral exercise focused only on terrorism. If this were in response to a natural catastrophe there would be a more reasonable explanation. The scenario is that of a "notional [sic] terrorist event outside" the United States and is intended to prevent additional terrorist attacks. This scenario is practice enabling and "protecting U.S. critical infrastructure." Bear in mind that current bills in Congress are intended in case of emergencies to critical infrastructure such as the Internet. The only problem is that privately IT personnel have responded to security risks and the government is not able to protect citizens in any event. It is more likely that these are dry runs intending to shut down essential tools of business and communication such as the Internet, banking systems, and travel. The central target is "FEMA Region VI, which includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas." As an odd coincidence the intifada action occurred in one of these target states, Arkansas, following the shooting of a U.S. military troop at a recruiting center. It is all to convenient and not sounding like a random test at all.

The seeds of this initiative was planned years ago by Obama's revolutionary buddy Bill Ayers. In an interview with FBI informant, Larry Grathwohl,

from the 1982 video documentary No Place to Hide: The Strategy and Tactics of Terrorism by the Western Goals Foundation,. Grathwohl was one of the experts/witnesses interviewed for the documentary. He had been undercover inside the Weather Underground and had worked closely with Ayers, his wife Bernadette Dohrn, and their fellow terrorists.

In No Place to Hide, Grathwohl explains that the Weathermen actually believed that they would be successful in overthrowing the U.S. government and that, with the help of the Cubans, Chinese, Russians, and North Vietnamese, they would occupy America. Americans would have to be "re-educated" in camps, similar to what the communists did in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other countries they had taken over. He discussed the plan:

Interviewer: "Well what is going to happen to those people we can't reeducate, that are diehard capitalists?" And the reply was that they'd have to be eliminated.

Interviewer: And when I pursued this further, they estimated they would have to eliminate 25 million people in these reeducation centers.

And when I say "eliminate," I mean "kill."

Twenty-five million people.

I want you to imagine sitting in a room with 25 people, most of which have graduate degrees, from Columbia and other well-known educational centers, and hear them figuring out the logistics for the elimination of 25 million people and they were dead serious.

The question of who are considered the terrorists, at least in a FEMA training tape, are the "Founding Fathers." Stephen Steinhauser of the FBI in the same tape states: "Is there a chance that some of your civil liberties may slip while we guarantee the security of this country? Maybe." He also says they may not need to tell you why you are being investigated. Most recently, the DHS further elaborated that veterans, Constitutionalists, many Christians, and other seemingly law-abiding people are "extremists."

National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09)

National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09) is scheduled for July 27 through July 31, 2009. NLE 09 will be the first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery.

NLE 09 is designated as a Tier I National Level Exercise. Tier I exercises (formerly known as the Top Officials exercise series or TOPOFF) are conducted annually in accordance with the National Exercise Program (NEP), which serves as the nation's overarching exercise program for planning, organizing, conducting and evaluating national level exercises. The NEP was established to provide the U.S. government, at all levels, exercise opportunities to prepare for catastrophic crises ranging from terrorism to natural disasters.

NLE 09 is a White House directed, Congressionally- mandated exercise that includes the participation of all appropriate federal department and agency senior officials, their deputies, staff and key operational elements. In addition, broad regional participation of state, tribal, local, and private sector is anticipated. This year the United States welcomes the participation of Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom in NLE 09.

EXERCISE FOCUS

NLE 09 will focus on intelligence and information sharing among intelligence and law enforcement communities, and between international, federal, regional, state, tribal, local and private sector participants.

The NLE 09 scenario will begin in the aftermath of a notional terrorist event outside of the United States, and exercise play will center on preventing subsequent efforts by the terrorists to enter the United States and carry out additional attacks. This scenario enables participating senior officials to focus on issues related to preventing terrorist events domestically and protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.

NLE 09 will allow terrorism prevention efforts to proceed to a logical end (successful or not), with no requirement for response or recovery activities.

NLE 09 will be an operations-based exercise to include: activities taking place at command posts, emergency operation centers, intelligence centers and potential field locations to include federal headquarters facilities in the Washington D.C. area, and in federal, regional, state, tribal, local and private sector facilities in FEMA Region VI, which includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

EXERCISE OBJECTIVES

Through a comprehensive evaluation process, the exercise will assess prevention and protection capabilities both nationally and regionally. Although NLE 09 is still in the planning stages, the exercise is currently designed to validate the following capabilities:

*
Intelligence/Information Sharing and Dissemination
*
Counter-Terrorism Investigation and Law Enforcement
*
Air, Border and Maritime Security
*
Critical Infrastructure Protection
*
Public and Private Sector Alert/Notification and Security Advisories
*
International Coordination

VALIDATING THE HOMELAND SECURITY SYSTEM

Exercises such as NLE 09 are an important component of national preparedness, helping to build an integrated federal, state, tribal, local and private sector capability to prevent terrorist attacks, and rapidly and effectively respond to, and recover from, any terrorist attack or major disaster that occurs.

The full-scale exercise offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to test their plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and to gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide. Participants will exercise prevention and information sharing functions that are critical to preventing terrorist attacks. Lessons learned from the exercise will provide valuable insights to guide future planning for securing the nation against terrorist attacks, disasters, and other emergencies.

For more information about NLE 09, contact the FEMA News Desk: 202-646-4600.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters.

Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Jun-2009 11:54:54 EDT

Tazed Man Asks for God's Help and Eludes Police

Man roughed up and tazed, asks for God's help while singing, and he gets away.

A Child in the Religion of Peace Beheads a Man

One of the most disturbing beheadings available was posted by creeping sharia. The child beheading is urged on by a crowd of other children and in praise of Allah.

Stark County, Ohio Welcomes Us to the New World Order

The victim of an assault, yes, this is the victim, was eventually charged with disorderly conduct. For the disorderly conduct, she was stripped searched by male and female officers then left naked in her cell for six hours. This could happen to anyone.

The First Ten Minutes Reviewed by History

I Wish I Were Young and Beautiful Like Her

You can invent your own caption to this photo but the saying I noted is my attempt at finding appropriate wording. A picture is worth a thousand words. No wonder Barry and Michelle didn't want to be seen with the French couple.

Netanyahu Outflanks Barry

Barak Netanyahu is scheduled to make a major speech. He is likely to re-affirm the 2003 U.S.-endorsed peace plan since the Israeli government should declare it is "committed to all previous agreements signed by previous governments, including the 'road map', whose goal is two states for two peoples." Obama never saw it coming in his zeal to advance the Muslim Saudi agenda. Netanyahu is simply reminding the dense American that his "position will bring the differences over settlements back to normal proportions." Netanyahu is schooling Barry in how you negotiate.

Left Retreating in Europe

Left-leaning parties across Europe are losing electoral support and are likely to falter in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. This may be the beginning of a backlash against liberal policies which may still have implications for the U.S.

Obama vs. the Americans, Flight 93 Memorial for 9/11 Families

More analysis is available for a story I reported on earlier, Obama stood steadfastly against the Americans who sought relief as victims on 9/11. Obama has supported his Saudi handlers against the Americans.

Two Great Presidents Speak at D-Day Site

Ronald Reagan speaks at the D-Day site.

Muslim Jihadist Protests Against American Memorial at Site of Slain Soldier in Arkansas

A Muslim terrorist killed an American soldier at this same site; thereafter, a Jihadist showed up to acclaim Islam as "the religion of peace."

These occurrences appear to be staged events provoking an attack. Consider for example that the Department of Justice, and Obama has stated publicly, that it is the duty of Federal government and the office of the president to defend jihadist causes.

Obama stated:

"I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear. . . . That's why the United States government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it."

An incident such as the one in Arkansas seems ripe for exploitation by an overzealous government as in the present regime. The incident seems to be an obvious Reichstag fire opportunity. On 30 January 1933 the Weimar Republic President Paul von Hindenburg appoints Adolph Hitler Chancellor as the fateful transition to dictatorship in Germany begins. On 28 February 1933 President Hindenburg and Chancellor Hitler invoke Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which permits the suspension of civil liberties in time of national emergency. This Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State abrogates the following constitutional protections:

* Free expression of opinion
* Freedom of the press
* Right of assembly and association
* Right to privacy of postal and electronic communications
* Protection against unlawful searches and seizures
* Individual property rights
* States' right of self-government

A supplemental decree creates the SA (Storm Troops) and SS (Special Security) Federal police agencies. The evidence is unclear as to who is actually responsible for the Reichstag Fire: Marinus van der Lubbe, an incompetent Dutch Communist, acting alone--a Communist plot--or a cynical ploy by the Nazis themselves in order to create an incident. There is historical evidence that points to Nazis involvement in the Fire.

But regardless of who actually planned and executed the fire, it is clear that the Nazis immediately took advantage of the situation in order to advance their cause at the expense of civil rights. The Decree enabled the Nazis to ruthlessly suppress opposition in the upcoming election.

On 5 March 1933 national elections provided the Nazis a 44% plurality in the Reichstag. Herman Göring [who later played a central role in the Nazi government and war effort] declares that there is no further need for State governments.

Over the next few weeks, each of the lawful Weimar State governments falls to the same ruse:

* Local Nazi organizations instigate disorder;
* The disorder is quelled by replacing the elected state government by appointed Nazi Reich Commissioners.

On 24 March 1933 the Reichstag passes the Law for Terminating the Suffering of People and Nation, also known as the Enabling Law, essentially granting Adolph Hitler dictatorial power.

The events in 1933 can be summarized as follows:

* While it is not clear whether the Nazis intentionally set the Reichstag fire in order to create a national crisis, or whether the Nazis simply were opportunistic, the event was used as justification for a sharp curtailment in constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties.
* The Nazis took advantage of the additional Federal police powers to suppress opponents.
* It is clear that in other situations, the Nazis did use the tactic of creating a "law and order" crisis so that they could provide a solution which further eroded civil liberties and entrenched their power.
* The central point to grasp is that a democracy can be destroyed by creating a law-and-order crisis and offering as a 'solution' the abdication of civil liberties and state's rights to a powerful but unaccountable central authority.

The equivalent of the Reichstag Fire is unfolding. The federal government has sided with Islam to actively promote its practice. The staged events appear designed to provoke a reaction amongst the American people. The Federal government would then seem duty-bound to intervene during an staged emergency granting extensive powers at the highest and most coercive level of government.

In the contemporary Arkansas incident some background is helpful to understand the situation.

The Muslim, Abdulhakim Muhammad, accused of killing an Army private never suffered torture or beatings while jailed on an immigration violation in Yemen, an official Embassy spokesman Mohammed Albasha stated. Muhammad became a terrorist after converting to Islam in the wake of 9/11. He pleaded not guilty to a capital murder charge in the death Monday of Pvt. William Long. Another soldier, Pvt. Quinton I. Ezeagwula, was wounded in the shooting. Muhammad, born Carlos Bledsoe, traveled to Yemen in September 2007 and taught English in the port city of Aden with the British Council for about two months, Albasha said. Muhammad then traveled to San'a, the country's capital, and taught English classes while attending Arabic courses with a group known as The City Institute, the spokesman said. Yemeni police arrested Muhammad on Nov. 14 for overstaying his visa and living illegally in the Middle Eastern nation, Albasha said. He was deported Jan. 29 to the U.S. A law enforcement official previously told the AP that Muhammad was arrested and jailed for using a Somali passport. Muhammad had such a passport at the time of his arrest, but said it was only to remain in the country with his wife. Yemen is a lawless and impoverished nation on the tip of the Arabian peninsula, is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden's family. It was the scene of one of al-Qaida's most dramatic pre-9/11 attacks, the 2000 suicide bombing of the destroyer USS Cole off the Aden coast that killed 17 American sailors. Muhammed's attorney has disputed supposed Internet search records seized on a computer at Muhammad's Little Rock apartment, saying other people had accessed the secondhand computer. An FBI-Homeland Security intelligence assessment document obtained by the AP after the shooting suggested Muhammad may have considered targeting other locations, including Jewish and Christian sites. The FBI said he "conducted Internet searches related to different locations in several U.S. cities" including Atlanta, Little Rock, Louisville, Ky., Memphis, Tenn., New York, and Philadelphia. Material seized from Muhammad's truck and apartment this week included guns, ammunition, and Molotov cocktails.

I included a second version of the Jihadist video which is shorter but the distracting commentary is not included.

Chrysler "Smart Power"

Newsweek: Obama is "Sort of God."

Newsweek editor Evan Thomas while speaking of Obama’s concession speech described it as: "I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."

Here is a transcript of the relevant portion of the exchange:

5:15PM SEGMENT:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Tomorrow on the 65th anniversary of D-day, President Obama has a tough pair of acts to follow. His own speech yesterday and one given a quarter century ago. I remember getting up that morning in 1984 to catch President Reagan at Normandy. It was a real ‘Morning in America’ speech. I believe that Reagan’s ability to connect to World War II was a reason for his enormous popularity in this country. Here he was on the bluffs of France saying something very good about America, how we liberated Europe. That's the heart of it, really. The reason Reagan was popular, Roosevelt was popular, Jack Kennedy was popular, and Barack Obama is popular. Don't tear us down. Don't make us feel like victims or the angry guys or the worried guys. Make us feel American. I think the President's speech yesterday was the reason we Americans elected him. It was grand. It was positive. Hopeful. It said to the world, if you're a good guy, you've got nothing to fear from us. If you’ve got national aspirations, if you want to be respected as a people, if you want to be treated as an equal people in the world, we're on your side. If you're an aggressor, if you want to hold down other people, if you're driven by a predatory ideology, if you're out to hurt this country, look out. We Americans are that rattlesnake on that first flag, ‘Don't tread on me.’ But what I liked about the President's speech in Cairo was that it showed a complete humility. What he did was rob from the enemy, those who want to destroy us, their main case, the belief that only by extremism can the East reach equality of dignity with the West. The question now is whether the President we elected and spoke for us so grandly yesterday can carry out the great vision he gave us and to the world. If he can, he'll be honoring what happened on D-day 65 years ago tomorrow. He will be delivering the world once again from evil. Evan Thomas is editor at large for Newsweek magazine. Evan, you remember '84. It wasn't 100 years ago. Reagan and World War II and the sense of us as the good guys in the world, how are we doing?

EVAN THOMAS: Well, we were the good guys in 1984, it felt that way. It hasn't felt that way in recent years. So Obama’s had, really, a different task We're seen too often as the bad guys. And he – he has a very different job from – Reagan was all about America, and you talked about it. Obama is ‘we are above that now.’ We're not just parochial, we're not just chauvinistic, we're not just provincial. We stand for something – I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God. He’s-

MATTHEWS: Yeah.

THOMAS: He's going to bring all different sides together. It's a very different-

MATTHEWS: Can he – well, here’s Ronald Reagan. Let's take a look, a little Friday night nostalgia. Here he is speaking about peace and reconciliation at Normandy back 25 years ago. Let's listen.

RONALD REAGAN: But we try always to be prepared for peace, prepared to deter aggression, prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms, and, yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union so together we can lessen the risks of war now and forever.

MATTHEWS: Let's talk about the difference. He was talking about the evil empire, trying to reconcile with the people of Russia and the Soviet Union, but not the country. Barack Obama the other day was saying, yesterday, that we don't have an enemy out there per se. We have people who choose extremism, but Islam’s not our enemy. That's not the evil empire.

THOMAS: But Reagan did it with a very – for the first term it was a clenched fist. I mean, we ramped up the cold war before we ramped it down. We built up our military. We – all of this D-day stuff was about war. That was about fighting.

MATTHEWS: Right.

THOMAS: Reconciliation only after the fighting. That's not – Obama’s not doing that. Obama – we've had our fighting. Obama is trying to sort of tamper everything down. He doesn't even use the word terror. He uses extremism. He's all about let us reason together. I think he has a much tougher job, frankly, because-

MATTHEWS: What's his shtick? Reagan had the United States arms race, winning the arms race. And we had the threat of high frontier, we were going to beat the Soviets at technology.

THOMAS: I don't think he has – his shtick is he's the teacher. He's the teacher. He is going to say, ‘now, children, stop fighting and quarreling with each other.’ And he has a kind of a moral authority that he – he can – he can do that-

MATTHEWS: If there's a world election between him and Osama Bin Laden, he's running a good campaign.

THOMAS: Yes, he is.

Krauthammer Explains How Obama’s Cairo Speech Emboldens U.S. Enemies

What If? by Ron Paul

The National Debt Road Trip

How do the Obama deficits compare with past presidents? And how did the national debt get so big anyway. This video tries to answer those questions by looking at the debt as a road trip and seeing how fast different administrations have been traveling.

The National Debt Road Trip – Debt-To-GDP
May 21, 2009

I’ve gotten a number of people asking some permutation of the following question:

“Why don’t you give the national debt as a percentage of the GDP as a whole? Isn’t that more meaningful/relevant?”

My answer the the latter question is “Yes and no.”

The answer is “Yes”… in the sense that if you made $50,000 per year and you had $80,000 in debt, you’re more screwed than if you make $100,000 per year and you have $80,000 in debt.

But the answer is “No” for the purposes of making a visualization for the following reasons.

First, I didn’t frame the debt in that way is because it fundamentally hides some really important things that shouldn’t be hidden. I’ll go ahead and give the game away… I’m in the business of communicating numbers clearly. And using the debt-to-GDP ration feels too much like trying to hide the real meaning of the numbers.

It feels like a car salesman who refuses to talk about the raw numbers of the car you’re buying because when he talks about monthly payments, it’s easier to screw you. Because, really, what’s the difference between $287.87 per month and $359.60? It’s not that much, is it? And if you’re already spending $300, you might as well spend $350, right?

In the same way, talking about the debt in a percentage manner is hiding the true cost. So we increase the debt-to-GDP by 2.2%… big deal, right?

But that 2.2% is the same amount as everyone in the state of Washington makes in a year. Every. Single. Person. Go look at a Google street view of Seattle and try to count how many people live in a high-rise apartment building. Take a stroll down some of the swankier neighborhoods. Look at the obscenely expensive houses that line the bay. Everything every one of those people makes in a year. The more thought you apply to the real meaning of the number, the more you see that, while 2.2% might be an accurate number to describe an increase, it doesn’t even begin to communicate the scope.

That’s the first reason I didn’t use debt-to-GDP… becuase it violates the core principle of what I’m trying to do: give a clear understanding of the scope of the issue. When people use it, it feels like they’re looking around for the best possible way to represent the problem so that it doesn’t feel as big as it is.

Make no mistake, the problem is huge. Huge in a way almost none of us understand because our brains don’t process that kind of huge very well.

There are other problems with framing the issue this way too. One is that comparing the federal debt to the GDP is something of a misnomer because the government doesn’t own the GDP. The GDP is “owned” in part by everyone in the country. And all those people and business have their own debt (mortgages, credit card debt, student loans, business loans).

Quick, off-the-cuff example using very rough numbers: Sam makes $100,000 per year, but he spending $150,000 per year. As if that weren’t bad enough, he is $500,000 in debt already. But he tells himself it’s not a big deal because his kid is in college and that will only last a couple years and, besides, he has a business protecting houses and mowing yards for a living and if you combine everything his clients make in a year, it comes out to be almost $750,000 per year.

So if you look at how much he owes compared to how much his clients make, it’s only about 70%. And if his clients make $1,000,000 next year, he could owe $666,000 and there would be no change whatsoever in his “how-much-I-owe to how-much-my-clients-make” ratio. No problem!

Except that Sam’s clients are probably a little nervous about Sam comparing the truly absurd scope of his debt to the amount of money they make every year. Shouldn’t he be comparing his debt to the money he makes every year?

I could go on at length, and perhaps I’ll make a visualization about this, but right now I’ve got to work the day job

.

The National Debt Road Trip – Complaint 1
May 16, 2009

I had a commenter for the National Debt Road Trip call BS on some of my numbers, so I wanted to run some sample numbers to make sure that I’m being as transparent as possible.

Complaint: “Obama’s projected to add about 9 trillion. That isn’t three times as much as Bush’s nearly 5 trillion.”

First of all, let’s get the numbers right. In raw unadjusted dollars, Bush increased the debt from $5.674 trillion to $10.024 trillion. That is $4.35 trillion, not five. And Obama has projected that he will increase it from $10.024 trillion to $20.004 trillion, which is $9.979 trillion… far closer to $10 trillion than to $9 trillion.

(Because I’m using the numbers from the TreasuryDirect site, I’m calculating from two months before Bush was elected (September 2000) until two months before Obama was elected (September 2008) for Bush’s data. I know that these calculations are somewhat clumsy, but I don’t think it is fair to assign Bush the debt responsibility for the Stimulus bill, which was entirely Obama’s baby.)

But still, $10 trillion is not three times $4.35 trillion. But that’s where inflation adjustment comes in. According to this inflation calculator, $5.674 trillion in 2000 dollars is the same as $7.035 trillion in 2008 dollars. This makes the inflation adjusted difference between the 2000 debt and the 2008 debt $2.94 trillion. It’s not pocket change, but it is certainly a downward revision.

I gave Obama a break by assuming that his team didn’t adjust for future inflation, so I made adjustements to his numbers, which meant cutting about $1.6 trillion off the debt leaving us with $18.4 trillion. This means he plans on increasing the debt by about $8.2 trillion (rounding down).

8.2 / 2.94 = 2.79 (the coefficient determining the speed calculation)

64 mph * 2.79 = 178.37 mph

Which is actually a shade faster than I said Obama was going.

I know most liberals aren’t going to believe this, but I really am trying to give the president the benefit of the doubt. In this video alone, I underestimated the inflation adjusted debt and I rounded everything down for him. If he doesn’t look good, it’s not my fault.

I know these kinds of posts are exceedingly boring for most people… even if I find them interesting. I’m doing them in the interest of transparency… so if someone says that my math is full of s***, they can look at this and do all the math themselves.

Reagan On Socialized Medicine, 1961

If Ronnie could ever see what has happened since his day he would be shocked. In 1961 Reagan addressed the issue of socialized medicine.

Rasmussen Reports Poll: Obama at Highest Disapproval Rating Yet

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 34% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-four percent (34%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of 0. That’s the highest level of strong disapproval and the lowest overall rating yet recorded. The trend has consistently been downward.

DOJ to Endorse Muslim Causes

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on Department of Justice’s Outreach and Enforcement Efforts to Protect American Muslims

Thursday, June 4, 2009

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement relating to President Obama’s historic speech today in Cairo, Egypt:

"The President's pledge for a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim community takes root here in the Justice Department where we are committed to using criminal and civil rights laws to protect Muslim Americans. A top priority of this Justice Department is a return to robust civil rights enforcement and outreach in defending religious freedoms and other fundamental rights of all of our fellow citizens in the workplace, in the housing market, in our schools and in the voting booth.

"There are those who will continue to want to divide by fear - to pit our national security against our civil liberties - but that is a false choice. We have a solemn responsibility to protect our people while we also protect our principles."

Obama Cheat Cartoon

Growing White House ties to Google draw protest

Consumer groups naturally are objecting to the expected selection of a Google executive to a deputy CTO post.

Century 21 and Realtors Trained to Surveil?

A Colorado man was reported to the DEA by realtors; he is also a gunsmith so the government may be looking for new ways to surveil citizens.

There Are Some Photos Which Are Downright Creepy

Graphic source: Photo courtesy Gerald Herbert, AP, and Beethovenqueen

When in Georgetown, tell the Catholics to cover up their crucifixes; however, when in Cairo all the boys and girls wear the Hijab.

Federal Government Censors Questions About Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate

The White House, via the National Academy of Public Administration, began using IdeaScale.com’s Open Government Dialog web site to help gauge the public’s interest in what kinds of data should be made transparent with this Administration. The fact that scores of posts regarding the President’s eligibility were posted on the site significantly riled up others in the community, resulting in the accusation of “slimed” postings.

Editor’s note: We will not post any comments regarding Obama’s birth certificate. But we encourage your comments on how the process used to manage the Open Government Dialogue or other aspects of how the government should interact with the public online.

An “open” government dialog states that its seeks input from readers, but it censors troublesome questions and input from readers. In particular, a topic that causes difficulty for Obama: Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution.

Technology is useful to the regime but if the People are consistent and persistent with their viewpoints, the government's elite object.

Was Obama’s Selective Services Registration form Doctored?

There are more developments on Obama's Selective Services Form; it appears to have been doctored.

Remembering Tianamen Square

We would do well to pause to honor those who fought for liberty and democracy in China twenty years ago today.

Israeli Right Views Obama