Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
The Big Sis Napolitano directed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to block certain sites from the federal agency's computers, most alarmingly, denying access by staffers to any Internet pages that contain a "controversial opinion," according to an internal email obtained by CBS News.
The email states that as of July 1, TSA employees will no longer be allowed to access five categories of websites that have been deemed "inappropriate for government access."
The categories include:
• Chat/Messaging
• Controversial opinion
• Criminal activity
• Extreme violence (including cartoon violence) and gruesome content
• Gaming
The email does not specify how the TSA will determine if a website expresses a "controversial opinion." I wonder if anyone asked Kagan during her confirmation hearings what the government considers a controversial idea.
There is also no explanation as to why controversial opinions are being blocked, although the email stated that some of the restricted websites violate the Employee Responsibilities and Conduct policy.
The TSA did not return calls seeking comment by publication time.
If the TSA had responded perhaps they could have answered how the TSA is supposed to investigate actors of ill intent. Muslim terrorists are known to frequent chat rooms for jihad and are engaged in criminal and violent actions. The Net is filled with areas for those who have ill intent for travelers. On the other hand, frivolous, non-work related sites such as porn are not restricted.
The most troublesome area of the memo is the controversial opinion restriction. I wonder if this memo is one that Obama would like to extend to the Net in general to cut off problematic actions of his regime.
Jim MacDougald, president and CEO of The Free Enterprise Nation, recently appeared on the Fox News Channel to talk about a new campaign called "I own you."
"The consequence of this employment shift is that a smaller number of private-sector employers and workers are saddled with the tax burden of financially supporting a growing government workforce," said MacDougald.
"Since public-sector workers are paid more on average in compensation and benefits than private-sector workers, it is financially unsustainable for the government to continue to grow while the private-sector workforce shrinks," he said.
He explained to WND that while the problem is massive, there is the potential for a solution.
"There are 89,000 taxpayer-supported entities that make up the 'public sector,' and no one is in charge of their collective efforts. About one-half of the 22 million public-sector workers are in public education. (And only about one-half of the people employed in public education are teachers!)" he said.
"It is possible that the federal government thinks it can solve the unemployment problem by hiring more people, but, if so, it would be another indication of just how far removed from reality the federal government's economic policies are," he said.
"Our population grew by 25 million from 2000 to 2010. We needed to create at least 20 million new jobs. Instead, we lost 3 million in the private sector. The 'shortfall' of 23 million jobs could not possibly be made up by government hiring, as they would have to double in size in order to do so," he said.
The real problem is not necessarily with the number of government jobs but the cost of their "huge pensions, early retirement and health-insurance benefits."
"That is where the real 'cost of government' is," he continued. "As numbers of workers in the private sector decrease, and public-sector hiring increases, it places an impossible burden on those individuals and businesses left who actually pay taxes.
"Unfortunately, the current approach is to charge more taxes to those who actually pay federal income taxes (one-half of tax filers), and businesses. Businesses (employers) have no choice but to reduce overhead, which means fewer domestic workers. A death spiral," he warned.
The solution would be a hard pill to swallow for many, he warned.
Among the moves that would help would be to terminate all government pension plans, "vesting everyone 100 percent in benefits accrued to date." Pensions could be replaced with a type of 401(k) retirement plan that is funded by employer contributions.
Then there would be need for a hard look at what government actually does.
"Do we NEED government to do that for us? If not, stop doing it," he said.
Next would be to ignore – or better yet banish – public-sector unions.
A "zero-based" staffing and budget plan would require officials to review what work is required and how many workers are needed to do it.
"Public policy-makers must ask: How many people do we NEED to do what we are hired to do? Do we really NEED one administrative/management employee for every teacher? Once those questions have been asked and answered, we must rebuild each public-sector entity from scratch," he said.
"We have to 'reinvent' the public sector, based on a fundamental requirement that it serves the taxpayer, not the other way around. It is a huge job to do, and it will take years. There is no silver bullet. But it can be done," he said.
A Citizens United Productions feature length documentary.
The current economic crisis is not a failure of capitalism, but a failure of culture. Generation Zero explores the cultural roots of the global financial meltdown - beginning with the narcissism of the 1960's, spreading like a virus through the self-indulgent 90's, and exploding across the world in the present economic cataclysm.
Generation Zero goes beneath the shallow media headlines and talking head sound bites to get to the source of today's economic nightmare. With a cutting edge style and haunting imagery, this must see documentary will change everything you thought you knew about Wall Street and Washington.
Featuring experts, authors, and pundits from across the political spectrum, Generation Zero exposes the little told story of how the mindset of the baby boomers sowed the seeds of economic disaster that will be reaped by coming generations.
Over the course of time, it will become increasingly difficult to obtain news and reporters and news agencies will not collect information. This is the slippery slope that our Founders warned us about, a free press is essential for a Republic to exist. An informed citizenry can make decisions about its future. An isolated and ill-informed public can not make responsible public policy and political decisions. If the idea of safety and security was relevant the Federal government would have already sealed the Southern border but obviously they have not.
China Jails U.S. Geologist for Eight Years for Selling State Oil Secrets. As the U.S. flails in the Gulf, China is on the move all over the world is staking its claim to as many oil resources as possible. Perhaps Lieberman would like to imitate China here as well and restrict information, although that task to censor books may fall to Kagan once she is confirmed.
Impeach Obama has posted a short version of the Al Jazeera interview, 1:18.
“Bolden: I am here in the region – its sort of the first anniversary of President Barack Obama’s visit to Cairo – and his speech there when he gave what has now become known as Obama’s “Cairo Initiative” where he announced that he wanted this to become a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. When I became the NASA Administrator – before I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.”
One of the few but strongest condemnations of Bolden's comments came from syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer on the Fox News Channel's Special Report with Bret Baier.
"This is a new height in fatuousness. NASA was established to get America into space and to keep us there," Krauthammer argued. "This idea to feel good about their past [and] trying to make achievements is the worst combination of group therapy, psychobabble, imperial condescension, and adolescent diplomacy."
He further suggested that the NASA administrator should have been fired for deviating from the intended purpose of NASA.
Retired USN Lt. Commander Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, a whistle-blower, pursued a criminal complaint accusing Obama of Treason over his refusal to provide his original long form birth certificate. He is now facing a court hearing in two weeks over allegations of disorderly conduct and "rioting" for confronting a grand-jury meeting in Tennessee.
Following his futile efforts to serve these charges of Treason with the Monroe County Grand Jury in late 2009, Fitzpatrick learned in January 2010 that the Grand Jury Foreman, Gary Pettway, had held that position since January 1990, over 20 years in a row, in violation of the law that require at least 24 months between terms of service as a juror and also requires that selection of the foreman be by random means.
When Fitzpatrick’s efforts to bring charges against Pettway and the latest judge who appointed him in violation of the law, and others for obstruction of justice, were completely ignored and not acted upon, Fitzpatrick filed papers to make a certified and legal Citizen’s Arrest of Pettway while he was illegally serving as the Grand Jury Foreman, on April 1, 2010. Fitzpatrick had asked the police to send a law enforcement officer to whom Pettway could be remanded once arrested and had notified four or five friends so that they could witness and videotape the event.
Instead of being able to turn over the legally-arrested Pettway (Tennessee has detailed and strong Citizen’s Arrest laws which were followed to the letter of the law) to law enforcement, Fitzpatrick was himself arrested, taken to jail, and held incommunicado for five days.
Fitzpatrick was charged with:
1. Disturbing a meeting by interrupting a Grand Jury while in session in order to arrest the jury Foreman, Gary Pettway
2. Inciting a riot by gathering a reported five supporters to videotape the citizen’s arrest attempt
3. Resisting arrest
4. Disorderly Conduct.
On June 28, 2010, Lt. Cmdr. Fitzpatrick and Desert Storm Navy veteran Darren Huff, Oath-Keeper and Chaplain for the Georgia Militia, who was one of the videographers (seen at 1:50 videotaping over the left shoulder of the arresting detective, Travis Jones, in the Citizen’s Arrest video) were summoned to the Monroe County Courthouse in Madisonville, TN (160 miles from Darren Huff’s home in GA) for their arraignment on the various charges (three for Huff, and six for Fitzpatrick).
The arraignments of Huff and Fitzpatrick were based on indictments handed down by one of the current Grand Juries. Monroe County has two which alternate from month to month. Since Pettway is still the illegally-appointed Grand Jury Foreman of one of them for another consecutive year, the judges apparently felt they should use one of the two of which Pettway was not Foreman: this is blatant jury-rigging.
The Jury foreperson for these indictments, appointed by Judge Amy Reedy, was a Ms. Angela Davis, an illegal member of the Grand Jury, since she had served on a petit jury less than a year before, which court payment records prove. A person cannot serve on a jury, petit or grand, within two years of prior service, according to Tennessee law. This, of course, would make it an illegal Grand Jury, and all indictments by them would therefore be null and void.
Huff appeared first, and Judge Ross read the charges:
1. Participating in a riot (violation of T.C.A. 39-17-302, against the peace and dignity of the State of Tennessee)
2. Disrupting a lawful meeting
3. Did harm, or threatened to harm a juror.
At the arraignment, the transcript notes:
Judge Ross: “The Grand Jury has indicted you.”
Huff: “Who is my accuser?” (NOTE: Everyone has a Constitutional right to face or know his accuser).
Judge Ross refused to name one, as there apparently is none, as far as can be determined, but said: “You will have to ask your attorney.”
Judge Ross: “I will be recusing myself from your trial, which you will be notified of in the near future.”
Summary:
* There is no named accuser
* There is no police record of a criminal act
* The charges are by an illegal Grand Jury; therefore, all are null and void
* The judge cannot deny anyone his or her Constitutional right to bring charges of Treason against anyone, anywhere, when there is reasonable evidence that such Treason has been committed
Barb Davis White, usually a Republican, is a pro-life constitutionalist candidate for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District who has filed as a Democrat against the first of two Muslims in the U.S. Congress, Keith Ellison (D).
Barb Davis White speaking at St. Paul Tea Party April 2009:
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Scholastic Instructor
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A tax on toilet paper; I kid you not. According to the sponsor, "the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act will be financed broadly by small fees on such things as . . . products disposed of in waste water." Congress wants to tax what you do in the privacy of your bathroom.