Tuesday, April 30, 2013

TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)


The TPP, or (Trans Pacific Partnership) is being negotiated in secrecy. While it all seems reasonably good from the surface, it has the potential to compromise the ability of the people to communicate freely on a global scale. Language leaked from the agreement’s intellectual property chapter has been rather worrisome, and the public has no idea what is in the latest official draft, or what the U.S. Trade Representative is asking  for in this agreement. There has been absolutely no transparency at all during this process, which is being hastened to a quick finish. Why the secrecy? Why the hurry? Just what is in this mystery bill?

What’s worse is that the people pushing the bill, the people who actually have access to TPP’s content are the very same industry executives that tried to pass harmful laws like SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA. This is extremely worrisome.  How can we trust this TPP bill, when questionable people like these, who have attempted to infringe on free internet speech before are now trying to pass a new bill, which they are going to great lengths to keep in the dark. Not even the Congressional Committee in charge of such treaties have been permitted to see the bill.  This should tell us something. It can be assumed that it has, at least somewhere in it's language content similar to other bills, such as SOPA, and CISPA. We must demand transparency, and if transparency is not granted, we must assume the worst of the bill and take action to inhibit it's passing.

For more information on internet censorship see "Censoring The Internet "

Country Status Date
 Brunei Original Signatory   June 2005
 Chile Original Signatory   June 2005
 New Zealand Original Signatory   June 2005
 Singapore Original Signatory   June 2005
 United States Negotiating   February 2008
 Australia Negotiating   November 2008
 Peru Negotiating   November 2008
 Vietnam Negotiating   November 2008
 Malaysia Negotiating   October 2010
 Mexico Negotiating   October 2012
 Canada[35] Negotiating   October 2012
 Japan Negotiating   March 2013






































Sunday, April 28, 2013

Hunter Moore: Endangering thousands.

Hunter Moore is a man that must be stopped before he costs innocent people their lives. He created a website called "ISANYONEUP?", which is a revenge porn site, created specifically for the purpose of exploiting and embarrassing people. Anyone could post photos of other people nude, without their permission. But that isn't all. The photos would be posted along with links to their social media sites. No one is off-limits, while Hunter Moore claims to screen the images for child pornography before posting, it is beyond dispute that pictures of miners have also been submitted and posted multiple times throughout the time the site was available.

The site includes categories, such as "gnargoyles," (reserved for people Moore deems particularly unattractive.) And "Band whores". which includes a list of all members of a band that someone allegedly slept with. Other classifications include: "would" and "would not".  When Moore comes across a Facebook profile he likes, a "bounty" goes out for nude photos of that person. Another feature is "Daily Hate," (outraged correspondence from people who have had their pictures posted without their consent.)

After pressure and threats, Hunter Moore took down "ISANYONEUP". He sold the site to Internet entrepreneur James McGibney, who turned the domain into Bullyville, an anti-bullying forum. It was supposed by some that Hunter had turned over a new leaf. WRONG. Hunter Moore made this clear when he stated the following, "I don’t give a fuck about that (helping victims of bullying). It was all money.” Yes, to Hunter, it is all about money.

Now he is starting a new site, which is, in many ways similar to the original, but with one exception. He claims he will also upload, along with the pictures, physical addresses and maps to their homes.

This means that on top of exploiting people, and enabling cyber-bullying, he is also giving every sick freak, across the U.S. all the information necessary to stalk, rape, and even murder these victims. “All these people that thought they were safe: nah, it’s all gonna be back,” he said. “We’re gonna introduce the mapping stuff so you can stalk people.” Moore stated. He later claimed that only people who have "wronged" him will have their addresses and maps posted, but in the past, people who have "wronged" him include people who openly speak out against the site, people who request to have their photos (which were uploaded without consent) removed, and people who have angered him in anyway. So, in essence, many, many people will have their addresses posted, even if he keeps to his word, (which he may naught) to only post the supposed "wrong" doers.

Details are scarce on Moore's new venture, but he claims that it will be the "Scariest On The Internet".

Law enforcement has their hands tied, due to a loop-hole in section 230 of the United States online decency act, which was created to protect websites from being held accountable for content posted by a third-party. Because of this loop-hole, Hunter Moore cannot be prosecuted.

Hunter Moore
Born March 9, 1986
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Nationality American
Occupation Entrepreneurial sick-O

He is willingly, and purposefully enabling stalkers, rapists, and murderers to pick and choose their prey in the comfort of their own homes, more easily than ever before. Think of it as amazon.com, except, instead of shopping for items, you're shopping around for potential victims. But why would he do this? Because it's paying off. He claims to have cleared up to $13,000 a month from the site, and his popularity is growing everyday.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Censoring The Internet




A sure fire way of angering every human rights organization and free speech activist is to mention the word "Censor". In a country that promises freedom of speech, you would suppose that the issue of censorship wouldn't even arise. But, like all other rights, the freedom of speech is under constant attack by government and corporations who would seek to silence the voices of the people. Every right must be actively defended or it will be taken away, the proof of this can be seen in many countries around the world. During the Arab Spring, foreign dictators attempted to prevent protest by censoring social media sites. "Come now", You must be thinking, "Our government wouldn't do that!" Really? How can you be so sure? Our government has done things you never thought they would before. This is the land of the free, not because our government is nice enough to give us freedom, but because we demand our freedom, and will have it at any cost. The second you loosen your grip on the government, your rights and freedoms will start to slip through your fingers. 

One example of government taking a swing at our freedom of speech is the "Stop Online Piracy Act" or (SOPA), which claimed to combat online copyright infringement and online trafficking of counterfeit goods. Now, this all sounds good and well,  but like many other bills, this was right for abuse. 

Provisions include the requesting of court orders to bar advertising networks and payment facilities from conducting business with websites they decide have infringed on a copyright.  It would also ban search engines from linking to the infringing websites, and force internet service providers to block access to the sites. It would also expand the existing criminal laws to include unauthorized streaming of any copyrighted content, imposing a maximum penalty of five years in prison and possible fines.  

That could mean five years for uploading a video of yourself singing a song that was copyrighted by someone else.

 That could mean five years for creating a video, or uploading a picture of your child with a movie playing on your TV in the background. 

This bill would have made it very easy for government and corporations to censor what you say, and upload about their organizations, actions, words, or intentions, as well as keep tabs on your web activity.
 
 I know you will probably try to give the government the benefit of the doubt on this one. You're thinking, "Maybe they didn't intend for the bill to be used that way." But the reason for the bill is of no consequence. What matters is that it could have been used that way. What guarantee do we have that this bill wouldn't be abused? The government must realize that they have as much power as they possibly can without over stepping a very important boundary. We must hold fast against any further intrusion into our lives. We must refuse to give up anymore of our privacy. "What have we got to fear?", you might ask. "We aren't criminals. We aren't saying or doing anything illegal. Why should I care if the government is keeping tabs on my web activity?". And now I must ask this question of you... Do we need to be criminals to have the right to desire privacy? Maybe you aren't committing a crime, does that mean you want a camera on you every moment of your life?

Thanks to the many people and websites who apposed the SOPA bill, it was not passed. But where SOPA has fallen, many more internet censorship bills have, and will continue to arise.

 TPP,  SOPA, PROTECT IP Act, Cispa, and  ACTA are just some of the bills that have attempted to quiet you.

And there are others which may not be obvious to you, due to vague information, loose terms, or multiple interpretations or definitions. Keep your eyes on new bills and our politicians. Remember that we must stand up for ourselves. We cannot expect to be treated fairly by a government which has repeatedly attempted to pass laws that would strip away our rights.

It is up to you

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Control Guns, Control America

 

 
 

On Friday, July 20, 2012, a mass shooting took place inside a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.  A man named James Holmes began firing into the audience, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.
On December 14, 2012, an American tragedy took place at Sandy hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. 20 innocent children, as well six adult staff members were fatally shot by a man named Adam Lanza, age 20.

                 Adam Lanza                                         James Holmes



                                    

After the Sandy Hook and Aurora shootings, every gun hating politician came crawling from every nook and crevice, to spread the message that guns are the root of all violence and evil that plagues the earth. They claim that even the most well meaning, law abiding citizen, when armed, becomes a menace to society. A huge percentage of government officials think that American citizens are no longer capable of the responsibility of owning and handling a firearm. It isn't the inept, ignorant politicians that surprise me, what surprises me is the increasing number of Americans who also believe that guns are too powerful an evil for U.S. citizens to handle. They are asking the U.S. government to disarm the men and women of America, to weaken the strength of the people.  A well armed people is a people that can defend their freedom, and insure that their rights are never infringed upon. Once you have stripped away the second amendment, every other right and freedom becomes defenseless, laid bare before our government or anyone else who would wish to enslave the people of America. Following Sandy Hook, hundreds protested outside the NRA office in Washington, D.C., chanting, "Shame the NRA."


Of course the people have a right to gather and protest, for either side of the argument, but there seems to be a change in the mentality of America. Do we truly believe that our government should take things from us when they determine that it is too dangerous? What are they going to about stabbings? Are they going to make us use plastic silverware so we cant hurt ourselves or others? Has everyone forgotten the good guns have done in this country? The innocent men, women, and children, who have protected themselves with a gun- who have prevented rapes, murders, home invasions. Lets not forget headlines like this:
 


"Pregnant Tucson mom defends herself and her children with gun"(January 7, 2013 )
"15 year old boy uses his father's gun to stop 2 home invaders"(July 1, 2010) 
"86 Year-Old Woman Uses Gun To Defend Herself From Intruder" (February 12, 2013 )

 
Criminals, by definition, do not obey the law. There are already laws in place that address most gun issues.
 
 
None of the new gun laws being brought forward would have prevented the Sandy Hook, or Aurora tragedies. It is already illegal to kill somebody, it is already illegal to enter a school, or movie theater with a weapon. These already in-place gun laws are being observed by millions of gun owners in the U.S. Law abiding citizens are not the problem. The American people must realize that they will never succeed in stopping all violent crime. The perpetrators of these vile crimes do not care about the law. They do not think like a normal citizen, and they will not act like one. The men who committed these crimes were not going to stop because obtaining a gun was difficult. If guns were not available to them, they would resort to bombs, or other means. They would buy there weapons from black markets, or make their own, witch is not difficult in this time of easily obtained information.
 
 
 
Let's take a look at the drug trade in America. Drugs are illegal, yet you can obtain them on nearly every street corner or alley in every major city. Did making alcohol illegal stop people from drinking it during prohibition? The people wanted alcohol, so they found somebody that would supply it, legally or otherwise. I would also like to bring up the fact that hunting is not the reason for the second amendment. If deer were all we had to worry about we wouldn't need automatic weapons or assault rifles, unfortunately we have other things to worry about- like a power grabbing government and a society full of men and women who don't know the value of an INNOCENT life. I've heard the argument that our forefathers couldn't possibly fathom the weapons that would be available to people these days, and I'm sure they couldn't. But they intended our guns to be a precaution, in case Government got out of hand. Yes, that is the reason for the second amendment. And as our Government arms themselves with more and more sophisticated weapons is only seem right that we should as well. This is meant only to remind the Government that we are their employers, not their subjects, And that they are subject to OUR judgment.
 

 

 

 
Will the American public make things easier on our power grabbing government and disarm themselves? Not All Of Them! While Government can't seem to understand this, I know there are Americans who would rather die than hand over their rights- The very rights their fathers, and their father's fathers fought for.



Monsanto: From Agent Orange To The Dinner Table









What is Monsanto?
An American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation headquartered in Creve Coeur,
Missouri. Monsanto is a leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed. It is also the manufacturer of herbicide glyphosate, more commonly known as “Roundup“. But that’s not the only Monsanto brand you’re familiar with, chances are you have their products in your refrigerator, cabinets, and your garage. Funny that you can be a major consumer of a company you may have never heard of. If you have heard about them, you probably didn't hear the truth. Monsanto has gone to great lengths to improve their public persona and distance themselves from a past full of controversy. As a chemical company, they had contaminated the land and air with some of the most poisonous man-made substances ever conceived. Have you ever heard of DDT? No? What about PCBs, recombinant bovine? Well, how about Agent Orange? Yes, THAT Agent Orange.
 During the Vietnam War, from 1962-1971, the United States military sprayed millions of gallons of material containing chemical herbicides and defoliants mixed with jet fuel in Vietnam,
eastern Laos and parts of Cambodia, as part of "Operation Ranch Hand"
The program's main goal was to defoliate rural land, destroying foliage that could serve as cover for guerrillas. The U.S. began to target food crops in October 1962, primarily using Agent Blue. Rural-to-urban migration rates dramatically increased in Vietnam. Peasants fled to U.S-dominated cities to escape famine.

The urban population increased rapidly, going from just 2.8 million people in 1958, to 8 million by 1971. The rapid urbanization created an unstable environment, and many of the unwilling immigrants were forced to live in slums. Records show that at least 6,542 spraying missions took place over the course of Operation Ranch Hand.

                     Effects on the Innocent:



The Vietnamese Red Cross has reported as many as 3 million Vietnamese people have been affected by Agent Orange, including at least 150,000 children born with devastating birth defects.
Cleft palate, hernias, mental disabilities, and extra toes and fingers are just some of the effects of Agent Orange. Women had higher rates of miscarriage and stillbirths and high levels of dioxin were found in their breast milk. High levels of dioxin were also found in the blood of U.S. soldiers who had served in Vietnam. During the 1970s, some veterans returning from Vietnam began to report skin rashes, psychological symptoms, cancer, and birth defects in their children, as well as other health problems.
Other Symptoms:
  • Ischemic Heart Disease
  • AL Amyloidosis
  • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
  • Chloracne
  • Acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy
  • Respiratory cancers;
  • Ischemic heart disease;
  • Parkinson's disease;
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma;
  • Chronic b-cell leukemia;
  • Multiple myeloma;
  • Hodgkin's disease;
  • Prostate cancer;
  • Graves' disease. 
Now the company claims to be a Sustainable agriculture company. Going so far as to boast the following-
"If there was one word to explain what Monsanto is about, it would have to be farmers. It is our purpose to help them meet the needs of a growing population."
The company has a reputation for being extremely aggressive when it comes to filing suits, They're also promoting the use of genetically modified seeds, and bovine growth hormones. We are in a time when most Americans are disconnected from where their food is produced. It is important that accurate information is available to consumers not only about what is or is not in their food but also about Who is producing it. Are these the people you want to support with your hard earned money? Is this the company that deserves your patronage? It is up to you, the consumer to decide whether or not a company like Monsanto survives. You won't get anywhere chasing the tail of the snake, you must go right for the head. By this I mean that you must attack this company, not with words or opinions, (They don't care what you have to say) but with that thing they love most- money. Small farms are going out of business to be replaced by large scale agriculture. Are you adding to the problem?

                                             Boycott Monsanto

Do you want them Genetically modifying your food, and genetically engineering your seeds?