Serendipity is a Hypertext Waiting to be Found

Build Your Own HD Antenna!

2009-04-04T22:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.metacafe.com/w/762088

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Premiere!

2009-04-04T08:25:00.001-07:00

Let's bring the X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Premiere to our town!
Vote for this zip code 92648 on www.x-menorigins.com/premiere, and
help our town win!

Newt Gingrich: A Single Nuke Could Destroy America

2009-03-30T15:59:00.001-07:00

http://www.newsmax.com/printTemplate.html

Newsmax.com

Newt Gingrich: A Single Nuke Could Destroy America

Sunday, March 29, 2009 4:23 PM

By: Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen

A sword of Damocles hangs over our heads. It is a real threat that has been all but ignored.

On Feb. 3, Iran launched a "communications satellite" into orbit. At this very moment, North Korea is threatening to do the same. The ability to launch an alleged communications satellite belies a far more frightening truth. A rocket that can carry a satellite into orbit also can drop a nuclear warhead over any location on the planet in less than 45 minutes.

Far too many timid or uninformed sources maintain that a single launch of a missile poses no true threat to the United States, given our retaliatory power.

A reality check is in order and must be discussed in response to such an absurd claim: In fact, one small nuclear weapon, delivered by an ICBM can destroy the United States by maximizing the effect of the resultant electromagnetic pulse upon detonation.

An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a byproduct of detonating an atomic bomb above the Earth's atmosphere. When a nuclear weapon is detonated in space, the gamma rays emitted trigger a massive electrical disturbance in the upper atmosphere. Moving at the speed of light, this overload will short out all electrical equipment, power grids and delicate electronics on the Earth's surface. In fact, it would take only one to three weapons exploding above the continental United States to wipe out our entire grid and transportation network. It might take years to recover from, if ever.

This is not science fiction. If you doubt this, spend a short amount of time skimming the Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack from April 2008. You will come away sobered.

Even as the new administration plans to spend trillions on economic bailouts, it has announced plans to reduce funding and downgrade efforts for missile defense. Furthermore, the United States' reluctance to invest in a modern and credible traditional nuclear deterrent is a serious concern. What good will a bailout be if there is no longer a nation to bail out?

Fifty years ago, it was not Sputnik itself that sent a dire chill of warning around the world; it was the capability of the rocket that launched Sputnik. The rocket that lofted Sputnik into orbit also could have served as an ICBM.

Yet for all its rhetoric, the Soviet Union was essentially a rational power that recognized the threat of mutual destruction and thus never stepped to the edge.

The world is different today. Intercontinental range missiles tipped with nuclear weapons in the hands of leaders driven by fanaticism, leaders that support global terrorism, leaders that have made repeated threats that they will seek our annihilation . . . can now at last achieve that dream in a matter of minutes.

Those who claim that there is little to fear from Iran or North Korea because "at best" they will have only one or two nuclear weapons ignore the catastrophic level of threat we now face from just "a couple" of nuclear weapons.

Again: One to three missiles tipped with nuclear weapons and armed to detonate at a high altitude — to achieve the strongest EMP over the greatest area of the United States — would create an EMP "overlay" that triggers a continent-wide collapse of our entire electrical, transportation, and communications infrastructure.

Within weeks after such an attack, tens of millions of Americans would perish. The impact has been likened to a nationwide Hurricane Katrina. Some studies estimate that 90 percent of all Americans might very well die in the year after such an attack as our transportation, food distribution, communications, public safety, law enforcement, and medical infrastructures collapse.

We most likely would never recover from the blow.

Two things need to be done now and without delay:

1. Make clear in the strongest of terms that, if either Iran or North Korea launches a rocket on a trajectory headed toward the territory of the United States, we will shoot it down. The risk of not doing so is beyond acceptable. And if they construe this as an act of war, so be it, for they fired the first shot. The risk of sitting back for 30 minutes and praying it is not an EMP strike is beyond acceptable, beyond rational on our part.

2. Funding for EMP defense must be a top national priority. To downgrade or halt our missile defense program, which at last is becoming viable after 25 years of research, would be an action of criminal negligence.

Surely, with such a threat confronting us, a fair and open debate, with full public access and the setting aside of partisan politics, is in order. In the meantime, a policy must be stated today that we will indeed shoot down any missile aimed towards the United States that is fired by Iran or North Korea. America's survival, your survival, and your family's survival might very well depend on it.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. William Forstchen is the author of "One Second After," an account of a town struggling to survive after an EMP weapon is used against the United States.

[Editor's Note: Get William Forstchen's book depicting a nuclear EMP attack, "One Second After" — Go here now.]

Kerry Garrison Joins Team at 888VoipStore

2009-03-23T08:11:00.001-07:00

http://www.voipstore.com/kerry-garrison-joins-team-at-888voipstore

Bilderbergers excite conspiracists

2009-03-15T13:06:00.001-07:00


Bilderbergers excite conspiracists By: Kenneth P. Vogel March 15, 2009 06:53 AM EST
The highest levels of the Obama administration are infested with members of a shadowy, elitist cabal intent on installing a one-world government that subverts the will of the American people. It sounds crazy, but that's what a group of very persistent conspiracy theorists insists, and they point to President Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, as the latest piece of evidence supporting their claims. It turns out that Sebelius – like top administration economists Timothy Geithner, Larry Summers and Paul Volcker, as well as leading Obama diplomats Richard Holbrooke and Dennis Ross – is a Bilderberger. That is, she is someone who has participated in the annual invitation-only conference held by an elite international organization known as the Bilderberg group. The group, which takes its name from the Dutch hotel where it held its first meeting in 1954, exists solely to bring together between 100 and 150 titans of politics, finance, military, industry, academia and media from North America and Western Europe once a year to discuss world affairs. It doesn't issue policy statements or resolutions, nor does it hold any events other than an annual meeting. Past participants have included Margaret Thatcher, who attended the 1975 meeting at Turkey's Golden Dolphin Hotel, former media mogul Conrad Black, who has been to more than a dozen conferences, and Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, King Juan Carlos of Spain and top officials of BP, IBM, Barclays and the Bank of England. It is precisely that exclusive roster of globally influential figures that has captured the interest of an international network of conspiracists, who for decades have viewed the Bilderberg conference as a devious corporate-globalist scheme. The fulminating is aggravated by Obama's preference for surrounding himself with well-credentialed, well-connected, and well-traveled elites. His personnel choices have touched a populist, even paranoid nerve among those who are convinced powerful elites and secret societies are moving the planet toward a new world order. Their worldview, characterized by a deep and angry suspicion of the ruling class rather than any prevailing partisan or ideological affiliation, is widely articulated on overnight AM radio shows and a collection of Internet websites. The video sharing website YouTube alone is home to thousands of Bilderberg-related videos. "I don't laugh at the people who claim that they understand the connections, but I've never really spent much time tracing that through," said Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), a former presidential candidate whose libertarian sensibilities have made him a darling of the Bilderberg conspiracists. "The one thing that concerns me is that the people who surround Obama or Bush generally come from the same philosophic viewpoint and they have their organizations – they have the Trilateral Commission, the CFR [Council on Foreign Relations] and the Bilderbergers, and they've been around a long time. And my biggest concern is what they preach: Keynesian economics and interventionism and world planning," he said. While it's easy to dismiss the Bilder-busters as cranks, these voices have a way of making themselves heard on the margins of the debate in ways that can prove to be a real, if minor, distraction to Obama's political team. Bill Clinton had trouble shaking rumors that he was behind a shady criminal syndicate operating out of the Mena airport. George W. Bush was sometimes portrayed as the puppet of clandestine Middle Eastern oil interests. Obama's selection of numerous Bilderbergers for key posts "certainly would verify their suspicions," said Paul, referring to fears of the group's influence. "And I don't think it's just Obama. Whether it's the Republicans or the Democrats – Goldman Sachs generally has somebody in treasury. And the big banks generally have somebody in the Federal Reserve. And they're international people, too. And they're probably working very hard this weekend, with the G20. And they get involved in the IMF. But that is their stated goal. They do believe in a powerful centralized government and we believe in the opposite." One popular website, "Prison Planet," greeted Sebelius' nomination with the headline "Obama Picks Bilderberger for Health Secretary." It's obvious why Bilderberg is a frequent target of conspiracy theorists, who've credited it with anointing aspiring presidents, selecting their running mates, creating the European Union and instigating the war in Iraq and the bombing of Serbia, among other coups. Bilderberg meetings are closed to the press, participants are asked not to publicly discuss the proceedings and the attendee list is only occasionally released. As a result, the group has come to be viewed as a more publicity-shy cousin to the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations – other influential international think tanks that are staples of fringe group conversation. Unlike Bilderberg, though, those organizations have opened their proceedings to public scrutiny, maintain websites and have long listed their members. The Bilderberg group, in a rare press release last year, laid out a benign if vague mission: creating "a better understanding of the complex forces and major trends affecting Western nations." "Bilderberg is a small, flexible, informal and off-the-record international forum in which different viewpoints can be expressed and mutual understanding enhanced," read the press release, which noted that a list of participants would be available by phone request between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM on the second and third days of the conference. The Bilderberg conspiracists first pounced on the Obama connection during the 2008 campaign, when news leaked in May that the candidate, who at the time was closing in on the Democratic presidential nomination, had initially tapped former Fannie Mae chairman Jim Johnson, a top Bilderberger, to help him select a running mate. IRS filings show that Johnson as recently as 2006 was the treasurer of a non-profit group called American Friends of Bilderberg. The group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to pay for meetings--including $125,000 in total contributions from Bilderberg stalwarts Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller in 2005 and 2006 plus $25,000 in 2005 from the Washington Post, whose chairman Don Graham has attended in the past. Johnson did not return a message inquiring about his role at Bilderberg. "The news further puts to rest any delusions that Bilderberg is a mere talking shop where no decisions are made," reported Prison Planet. "It also ridicules once again any notion that an Obama presidency would bring 'change' to the status quo of America being ruled by an unelected corporate and military-industrial complex elite." One month later, in June, Johnson was joined at the 2008 Bilderberg meeting by Geithner, Holbrooke, Summers and Ross, as well as Obama's first choice for HHS secretary, Tom Daschle, and Sebelius, who at the time was included on some short lists of prospective Obama running mates and who also attended the 2007 meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. According to the Bilderberg press release, the meeting was designed to "deal mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorism, Africa, Russia, finance, protectionism, US-EU relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran." Approximately two-thirds of the 140 expected attendees came from Europe, according to the release, and the rest from North America. Had the meeting been held outside the United States, that might have been the end of the Obama angle. But the conference, which took place from June 5 through 8, was held at a heavily guarded hotel in Chantilly, Va. in suburban Washington—coincidentally overlapping with an Obama campaign event in the area. While Obama's schedule indicated he was to fly home to Chicago for the weekend—and journalists were herded on a campaign plane under the impression they were headed there along with Obama—the future president slipped away for a private meetings and never actually boarded the flight. As it turned out, Obama secretly met that evening with Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington, D.C., but not before raising alarms among the Bilder-busters, who were convinced something was rotten in Chantilly. Prison Planet connected the dots and concluded Obama and Clinton met at the Bilderberg meeting, declaring that "the complete failure of the mainstream media to report on the fact, once again betrays the super-secretive nature and influential reputation that the 54-year-old organization still maintains." "It is now seems increasingly likely that the secret meetings with Bilderberg this weekend will herald the decision to name Hillary Clinton as Obama's VP candidate," predicted a sister site, Infowars.net. Even the snarky D.C.-based Wonkette blog weighed in, half-seriously positing that "really, it sounds like" Obama and Clinton rendezvoused "at that creepy Bilderberg Group meeting, which is happening now, and which is so secret that nobody will admit they're going, even though everybody who is anybody goes to Bilderberg." Curiously, though, the episode wasn't the first time a Bilderberg meeting intersected with vice presidential selection machinations. In 2004, both Time magazine and the New York Times noted that then-Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C) had impressed Bilderbergers at that year's conference in Stresa, Italy—roughly one month prior to his selection as Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) running mate-- when Edwards debated Republican Ralph Reed. Then, as in 2008, Jim Johnson led the vice presidential vetting. Time reported that then-Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Holbrooke attended and called Kerry "with rave reviews" about Edwards' debate skills. In its tick-tock of the vice-presidential selection process, the New York Times also noted the Bilderberg effect. ''His performance at Bilderberg was important,'' a friend of Kerry told the Times. ''He reported back directly to Kerry. There were other reports on his performance. Whether they reported directly or indirectly, I have no doubt the word got back to Mr. Kerry about how well he did.'' An attendee of the 2004 meeting dismissed the notion that Edwards' Bilderberg performance helped land him on the Democratic ticket. "It wasn't because of his performance at the meeting – he was at the meeting because he was going to get picked" said the attendee, who did not want to be identified breaching Bilderberg's off-the-record rule. "He was there as a surrogate for Kerry" and to boost his foreign policy bona fides, said the attendee. Either way, the attendee contended, the Bilderberg conspiracy theories don't make sense on their face, if only because the wide array of ideologies represented would make it difficult to reach consensus. "There were so many different people there with so many different viewpoints that it belied the opportunity to really conspire, because obviously a Kissinger and a [prominent neoconservative Richard] Perle are going to come down in a very different place than say a Holbrooke or a Johnson," the attendee said. Besides, the attendee observed, it's almost impossible to name a Bilderberger-free Cabinet. "You'd be hard pressed to find an administration that hasn't reached into those ranks into the last 20, 30, 40 years. "
© 2009 Capitol News Company, LLC

Google Voice Could Be a Game Changer

2009-03-13T14:06:00.001-07:00

http://www.wirelessweek.com/article.aspx?id=166884

Google Voice Could Be a Game Changer

By Andrew Berg

WirelessWeek - March 13, 2009

There are rumblings that Google Voice could change the telecom industry in fundamental ways. A new Google-based voice service combined with the sheer size of the company's existing user base is raising some eyebrows around the industry.

"I think the implications are pretty far reaching … Anyone who is using Gmail can initiate a free voice call from their computer using whatever phone you want," says Hal Steger, vice president of marketing for Funambol.

The technology being used has been employed by JahJah for years. The user enters the number for the phone they'd like to use and the number for the phone they'd like to call and the service simultaneously rings both numbers, placing a free voice call.

Yesterday, Google said the service is open to Grand Central users and should be available to the general public within the near future. The company did not give a definitive timeline for general release.

Google bought Grand Central, an Internet-based voice service, back in July of 2007. Since then, it's been using Grand Central as a starting point for the evolution of Google Voice.

The new service provides users with one life-long "uni-number" that links to all the user's other phone numbers (such as landline, cell, work, hotel). One call to that single Google Voice number can ring a handful of lines.

Google says the service will offer free transcription and search of voicemails, free U.S. calls, Web-based filing and browsing of text messages, call blocking and filtering features, free conference calls, as well as incredibly cheap international calls (2-3 cents per minute).

Skype may be the first to feel the impact. Google Voice differs from Skype in that it isn't a VoIP solution but rather Internet-based telephony. But the extent of Google's service and the breadth of offerings far exceed those currently offered on the Skype service. International rates also will be cheaper than those on Skype.

Skydeck, a service that is almost identical to the one Google is rolling out, may see increased competition as well. Skydeck was a 2009 SXSW Technical Achievement Web Awards Finalist and was given the Boldest Idea award at MobileBeat in 2008. The service is currently available for $9.95 per month. If Google's service is free, where does that leave a small start-up like Skydeck?

But if services such Skype and Skydeck are feeling Google's shadow, operators are undoubtedly watching carefully as well. "The broader implications for the mobile industry is that Google is starting to encroach on the turf of the mobile operators. They're starting to provide voice capabilities," Steger says.

Steger doesn't see any immediate regulatory backlash in the near future, but he did say that things could get interesting down the line. "If it gains a lot of momentum in the market … then I think you're going to hear a lot of bellyaching from mobile operators around the world about how Google is affecting their business," he says.

Steger sees the Android platform as being affected as well. Because Android is essentially a free platform and developers will be able to cheaply integrate the new Google Service on Android handsets, operators may shy from carrying those handsets on their networks.

Advertisers get a trove of clues in smartphones - Print Version - International Herald Tribune

2009-03-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

Advertisers get a trove of clues in smartphones

By Stephanie Clifford

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The millions of people who use their cellphones daily to play games, download applications and browse the Web may not realize that they have an unseen companion: advertisers that can track their interests, their habits and even their location.

Smartphones, like the iPhone and BlackBerry Curve, are the latest and potentially most extensive way for advertisers to aim ads at certain consumers. Advertisers already tailor ads for small groups of consumers on the Web based on personal information. But cellphones have a much higher potential for personalized advertising, especially when they use applications like user-review sites like Yelp or Urbanspoon with GPS to identify a person's location, right down to the street corner where they are standing.

Advertisers will pay high rates for the ability to show, for example, ads for a nearby restaurant to someone leaving a Broadway show, especially when coupled with information about the gender, age, finances and interests of the consumer.

Eswar Priyadarshan, the chief technology officer of Quattro Wireless, which places advertising for clients like Sony on mobile sites, says he typically has 20 pieces of information about a customer who has visited a site or played with an application in his network. "The basic idea is, you go through all these channels, and you get as much data as possible," he said.

The capability for collecting information has alarmed privacy advocates.

"It's potentially a portable, personal spy," said Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, who will appear before Federal Trade Commission staff members this month to brief them on privacy and mobile marketing. He is particularly concerned about data breaches, advertisers' access to sensitive health or financial information, and a lack of transparency about how advertisers are collecting data. "Users are going to be inclined to say, sure, what's harmful about a click, not realizing that they've consented to give up their information."

For now, advertisers are using a wide lens to survey people's behavior on phones, aiming at people by city rather than by specific neighborhood or street.

And while they collect specifics about how someone behaves on the mobile Web — for instance, that someone bought a "Hot N Cold" ring tone after seeing an ad for it, then watched a Miley Cyrus video on TMZ.com — they use that information to categorize that person as a pop-culture fan, and then show a movie ad.

Advertisers are eager to use the information for much more specific targeting, however. An advertising system could know, for instance, that someone is 27 years old, male, a New England Patriots fan (which NFL.com can track), plays Blackjack, travels frequently between Boston and New York on weekdays (which applications using GPS can track) and uses a 3G iPhone. That would make him attractive to a host of advertisers, like the Delta Shuttle or a Las Vegas hotel, whose ads would appear while the consumer was browsing the Web on his phone.

"Everyone's in an arms race to find out more and more about their users," said Eric Bader, the managing partner of the mobile advertising firm Brand in Hand. Even application developers are handing over information about their customers to marketers. Dockers San Francisco, a brand of Levi Strauss, for instance, is beginning a campaign this week that will run on applications like iBasketball and iGolf. It will show a model wearing khakis, and the iPhone customer can shake the phone to see the model dance.

Dockers will start by tracking how long people shake the ad, and then "if it does make sense to do follow-up with these consumers, we'll do that," said Jonathan Haber, the United States director of Ignition Factory at OMD, the media agency directing the campaign. "We dig in, specifically, with these application developers and owners to get information about usage behavior."

It's not just behavior, but also data about income, or even whether you have children, that mobile advertisers consider. A company called Acuity Mobile, whose clients include the MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment, lets clients use consumer data, including, potentially, income, to determine what kind of offers clients should see.

"Someone who does not spend a lot of money with your brand might get a lower-value offer, like a free dessert in Vegas, versus a free buffet" for a high roller, said Alan Sultan, the president and founder of Acuity Mobile.

Applications that use GPS can offer even more specificity, including Loopt, Yelp, Urbanspoon, Where and almost any iPhone application that shows the pop-up box saying it "would like to use your current location." Several firms are experimenting with a program called AisleCaster that can offer specials based on a person's exact location in a supermarket aisle or mall.

Advertising systems can track not only the location of the phone, but also that person's travel pattern: uptown New York to Nob Hill in San Francisco, for instance.

For now, systems like Quattro are using broad city-level categories while trying to sell to advertisers like Amtrak. "You don't want to necessarily go down to location-level stuff like specific street corners, because it wanders over into really creeping out the user privacy-wise," Priyadarshan said.

For now, there are not enough people using smartphones to make it worthwhile for advertisers to use highly specific criteria. But as more people switch to smartphones, that will happen more frequently. The smartphone market in North America increased 69 percent in 2008, according to the research firm Gartner. Google, Palm and BlackBerry are all introducing their own application stores. Despite the amount of data in the market, as long as advertisers don't use personally identifiable information, there is no current regulation or law that governs how closely advertisers and application developers can track mobile phone users. Opting out of mobile targeted advertising is difficult, and that's assuming consumers are even aware how closely they are being tracked.

"I didn't know they were doing that, although I'm not surprised to hear it," said Jordan Penn, 32, an affordable-housing developer in San Diego who has downloaded about 12 apps to his iPhone. "It doesn't really concern me any more than all of the other tracking that goes on when you access the Internet." Paul Schwartz, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and an information privacy law expert, said tracking by advertisers was problematic. "People should be allowed to trade most kinds of information for value as long as the terms are fair," he said. "They're not fair now."

Mike Wehrs, the chief executive of the Mobile Marketing Association, said the trade group was updating some of its self-regulatory principles, for example, suggesting that applications e-mail their privacy policies to subscribers rather than asking them to read a policy on the small mobile screen. "I agree there's more that can be done," he said. "One thing about mobile, it's an amazingly fast-moving industry."

Alan Keyes launches 'Liberty' blog

2009-03-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=90951

Monday, March 09, 2009

WorldNetDaily Exclusive
Alan Keyes launches 'Liberty' blog
Warns of 'Obama's push to make U.S. Soviet-style state'

Posted: March 07, 2009
12:20 am Eastern

By Drew Zahn

WorldNetDaily

Alan Keyes

Alan Keyes, a 2008 presidential candidate who now is a plaintiff in one of the many lawsuits seeking to verify whether Barack Obama qualifies under the U.S. Constitution's requirements to occupy the Oval Office, has launched a new blog website where, according to the site, "faith gives reason for citizen action."

"Given Obama's push to overturn constitutional government and make the U.S. a Soviet-style state," Keyes told WND, "I think it's more important than ever that those of us who believe in liberty deliberate and work together."

Keyes' new Loyal to Liberty site includes a variety of blog posts, comment boards, polls, podcasts and even Twitter updates.

Keyes also announced his intention to update the site daily with views and comments on current events, including plans to serialize longer works that may be published later as books or pamphlets.

(Story continues below)

Never one to mince words, Keyes made headlines recently by calling President Obama a "radical communist" and suggesting "we are either going to stop him or the United States of America is going to cease to exist."

On Loyal to Liberty, Keyes explains in more detail.

As part of a post called "Obama's a communist: Why is it name calling?" Keyes explains that "communism" is simply an accurate descriptive term of policies, but after years of watching it fail in the Soviet Union, those to whom the term fits would rather not be associated with communist history.

"The enemies of freedom do their best to limit or eliminate words that interfere with their design for despotism," Keyes writes. "They especially seek to stigmatize and discourage the use of words freighted with the sad and tragic history of tyranny and dictatorship. That's why the use of the word 'communist' to describe Barack Obama has aroused such furious diatribe and aspersion."

Keyes continues, however, by alluding to the saying: "If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."

"It's easy to understand," Keyes writes, "why folks who are looking, waddling and quacking like communists would rather we called them messiahs."

Keyes then follows with a list of 15 ways in which he suggests Obama has been "quacking" like a communist.

Other recent posts include a theological series on the foundation of society, criticism of the two-party system and the Republican Party and thoughts on the federal "stimulus" package.

As WND has reported, Keyes has brought one of the nation's many legal challenges that have alleged Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 300,000 others and sign up now!

Some claim Obama was not born in Hawaii, as he insists, but in Kenya. Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Other challenges have focused on Obama's citizenship through his father, a Kenyan subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time of his birth, thus making him a dual citizen. The cases contend the framers of the Constitution excluded dual citizens from qualifying as natural born.

The Keyes case is being handled largely by Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation. Others playing a key role in the legal actions include Orly Taitz of California and Philip Berg, both of whom already have had their arguments rejected as not worthy of hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility:

New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president.

Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied.
Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.

Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.

Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.

Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.

California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.

The governor's office in Hawaii said there is a valid certificate but rejected requests for access and left ambiguous its origin: Does the certificate on file with the Department of Health indicate a Hawaii birth or was it generated after the Obama family registered a Kenyan birth in Hawaii, which the state's procedures allowed at the time?

Related offers:

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Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA"

Previous stories:

Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist

Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility

'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case

State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama

Congress sued to remove prez from White House

More challenges fail in Supreme Court

Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility

Status report: The eligibility issue

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation

Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute

Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members

Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute

Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge

More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court

Petition to see the birth certificate

Will Supremes review citizenship arguments?

Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake

Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens

WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility

Supremes to review citizenship arguments

'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location

Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage'

Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?

BLANKLEY: Obama lied; the economy died

2009-03-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

BLANKLEY: Obama lied; the economy died

Tony Blankley

OP-ED:

I am trying to capture the spirit of bipartisanship as practiced by the Democratic Party over the last eight years.

Thus, I have chosen as my lead, the proposition: Obama lied; the economy died. Obviously, I am borrowing this from the Democratic Party theme of 2003-08: "Bush lied, people died." There are, of course, two differences between the two slogans.

Most importantly, I chose to separate the two clauses with a semicolon rather than a comma because the rule of grammar is that a semicolon rather than a comma) should be used between closely related independent clauses not conjoined with a coordinating conjunction. In the age of Barack Obama, there is little more important than maintaining the integrity of our language - against the onslaught of Orwellian language abuse that is already a babbling brook, and will soon be a cataract of verbal deception.

The other difference is that George W. Bush didn't lie about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He was merely mistaken. Whereas President Obama told a whopper last week when he claimed he was not for bigger government. As he said Tuesday night: "As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President's Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets. Not because I believe in bigger government - I don't."

This he asserted though the budget he proposed the next day asks for federal spending as 28 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), higher by at least 6 percent than any time since World War II. Moreover, after 10 years, Mr. Obama's proposed spending as a percentage of GDP would still be 22.6 percent, nearly 2 percentage points higher than any year during the Bush administration, despite the full costs of the terrorist attacks of Sept, 11, 2001, the Iraq and Afghan wars and the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Consider also his assertion in his not-quite-State of the Union address that:

"My administration has also begun to go line by line through the federal budget in order to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs. As you can imagine, this is a process that will take some time. But we're starting with the biggest lines. We have already identified $2 trillion in savings over the next decade."

But, lamentably, a few days later, The Washington Post reported: "A senior administration official acknowledged yesterday that the budget does not contain $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade. Instead, the figure represents Obama's total efforts at deficit reduction, including tax hikes [of more than $1 trillion] on families making over $250,000 a year. It also includes hundreds of billions of dollars 'saved' by not continuing to spend $170 billion a year in Iraq."

Only a big government man would think of calling a trillion-dollar tax increase a spending cut or "saving." Technically, of course, it is true. A trillion-dollar tax increase will reduce spending by a trillion dollars for those private citizens who were taxed. And, from the perspective of the federal government, a trillion dollars taxed is a trillion dollars saved from the greed of the taxpayers who produced the wealth - and might well want to spend or invest it in non governmental activities.

But the foregoing are merely pettifogging numbers compared to Mr. Obama's bigger ideas about energy and health care.

Our president shares a fascinating idea about energy with most of what used to be known as the "small is beautiful" crowd. It is a curious phenomenon that one needs a very big government to enforce the beauty of small.

As Mr. Obama's energy secretary, Steven Chu, said last year: The price of electricity in America is "anomalously low." You see how much smarter that Nobel prize winner is than you. You probably thought you were already spending enough on electricity and fuel.

And sure enough, Mr. Obama explained last week that in order to make alternative energy sources wind, solar - perhaps eventually human muscle power? - economically competitive, he intends to raise the price of carbon-based energy until it is so expensive that even solar power will be such-a-deal.

This level of destructive irrationality cannot be accomplished in the private sector. It will take a very big government indeed to bring such inanities into being. (disclosure: being rational, I give professional advice to carbon-based energy producers.)

If President Obama were to try to misrepresent his positions for the next four years, there would be nothing he could say that would approach the inaccuracy of his claim last week that he is not for big government. It is the essence of the man and his presidency. He doesn't like America the way it has been since its founding - and it will take an abusively big government to realize his dreams of converting America into something quite different. If you don't know that, you don't yet know Barack Obama.

Tony Blankley is the author of "American Grit: What It Will Take To Survive and Win in the 21st Century" and vice president of the Edelman public-relations firm in Washington

More military officers demand eligibility proof

2009-03-03T14:07:00.001-08:00

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=90574

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL
WorldNetDaily Exclusive
More military officers
demand eligibility proof
Plaintiff: 'In the worst case … it's
going to be revolution in the streets'

Posted: March 02, 2009
8:18 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh

WorldNetDaily

Military officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are working with California attorney Orly Taitz and her Defend Our Freedoms Foundation, citing a legal right established in British common law nearly 800 years ago and recognized by the U.S. Founding Fathers to demand documentation that may prove – or disprove – Barack Obama's eligibility to be president.

Taitz told WND today she has mailed to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder a request that he "relate Quo Warranto on Barack Hussein Obama II to test his title to president before the Supreme Court."

The lengthy legal phrase essentially means an explanation is being demanded for what authority Obama is using to act as president. An online constitutional resource says Quo Warranto "affords the only judicial remedy for violations of the Constitution by public officials and agents."

Requesting the action are Maj. Gen. Carroll Childers; Lt. Col. Dr. David Earl-Graef; police officer Clinton Grimes, formerly of the U.S. Navy; Lt. Scott Easterling, now serving on active duty in Iraq; New Hampshire state Rep. Timothy Comerford; Tennessee state Rep. Frank Nicely and others.

(Story continues below)

"As president-elect, Respondent Obama failed to submit prima facie evidence of his qualifications before January 20, 2009. Election officers failed to challenge, validate or evaluate his qualifications. Relators submit that as president elect, Respondent Obama failed [tO] qualify per U.S. CONST. Amend. XX [paragraph] 3," the document said.

John Eidsmoe, an expert on the U.S. Constitution now working with the Foundation on Moral Law, an organization founded by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore after he was removed from office for formally recognizing the Ten Commandments' influence in the U.S., said the demand is a legitimate course of action.

"She basically is asking, 'By what authority' is Obama president," he told WND. "In other words, 'I want you to tell me by what authority. I don't really think you should hold the office.'

"She probably has some very good arguments to make," Eidsmoe said.

The letter, dispatched to Holder today, is the latest development in the quest by a multitude of lawyers and plaintiffs nationwide for documentation that Obama qualifies to be president under the requirements of the U.S. Constitution.

WND has reported on dozens of legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Some of the lawsuits question whether he was actually born in Hawaii, as he insists. If he was born out of the country, Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Several of the cases have involved emergency appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court in which justices have declined even to hear arguments. Among the cases turned down without a hearing at the high court have been petitions by Philip Berg, Cort Wrotnowski, Leo Donofrio and Taitz.

Taitz' plaintiffs, some of whom potentially face life-or-death situations in defense of the U.S. Constitution on a daily basis, note that information on Quo Warranto against a federal officer normally is related to the attorney general. But since Holder is an Obama friend and appointee, they are asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor to help in presenting documentation to the Supreme Court.

"This information on Quo Warranto includes action between the United States ex rel. and the State of Hawaii over original birth records of Barack H. Obama II being withheld per Hawaii's privacy laws. Hawaii's action obstructs the constitutional duties of election officers to validate or evaluate President Elect Obama qualifications to become President under U.S. CONST. art. II § 1, and amend. XX § 3," the document said.

Eidsmoe said it's clear that Obama has something in the documentation of his history, including his birth certificate, college records and other documents, "he does not want the public to know."

What else could be the reason for his hiring law firms across the nation to fight any request for information as basic as his Occidental College records from the early 1980s, he asked. A separate lawsuit has sought the documents to find out whether they indicate Obama, possibly under the name Barry Soetero, attended the college on aid for foreign students.

Obama's critics warn of the impending constitutional crisis should it be discovered Obama is ineligible and the resulting chaos of trying to figure out what, if any, of his executive branch orders, should be valid.

According to the online Constitution.org resource: "The common law writ of quo warranto has been suppressed at the federal level in the United States, and deprecated at the state level, but remains a right under the Ninth Amendment which was understood and presumed by the Founders, and which affords the only judicial remedy for violations of the Constitution by public officials and agents."

Taitz told WND the "relators" include members of the Army, Air Force, Marines and Army and feature recipients of some of the highest honors the nation awards, including the Purple Heart.

One is Harry Riley, a veteran military officer who spent part of his career in the Pentagon. Riley said the issue is basically over whether Americans will allow "the trashing" of their Constitution.

"Myself, along with hundreds of thousands of other warriors, have fought for the U.S. Constitution. The whole issue is one of constitutional crisis, in my judgment. How can an individual become the commander-in-chief, or the president of the U.S., with questions regarding his constitutional qualifications?" he asked.

"The whole idea is that America cannot allow an individual to serve as president who isn't qualified. It destroys our Constitution. It's the bedrock of our nation," he said.

"In the worst case, in the long run, if he continues [to fight revealing his documentation,] it's going to be revolution in the streets," he warned.

"It's simply a matter of producing a $12 birth certificate," Riley said.

"It's just mindboggling to think an individual who's been sworn in as the president of the United States would be so small and be such a hypocrite who would be unwilling to simply show a birth certificate," Riley said.

Taitz told WND she has assembled a list of about 100 names of people – so far – who are willing to be plaintiffs in such a demand.

Childers told WND he'd be perfectly happy if Obama is legitimate, but the truth still matters.

"I personally admire many things about him," he said. "But if he's not legitimate, if he's allowed to violate the Constitution, what else are they going to violate? Take my guns, and my television, telephone? What's the limit?"

Taitz told WND she's asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor, such as the role Archibald Cox played in investigating Watergate.

According to author Chester Antieau in his "The Practice of Extraordinary Remedies," Quo Warranto is one of the oldest rights in common law.

"The earliest case on record appears in the 9th year of Richard I, 1198," he wrote. "The statute of 9 Anne c. 20 in 1710 authorized a proper officer of a court, with leave of the court, to exhibit an information in the nature of quo warranto, at the 'relation' of any person desiring to prosecute the same – to be called the relator. Early American statutes were modeled after the Statute of Anne and, indeed, the statute has often been ruled to be part of the common law we inherited from England."

Antieau noted the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled, "Quo warranto is addressed to preventing a continued exercise of authority unlawfully asserted, rather than to correct what has already been done. ..."

Its first recognized purpose, he said, is "to determine the title of persons claiming possession of public offices and to oust them if they are found to be usurpers."

Among those who are subject to its demands, under court precedent, are chief executives in other U.S. governmental positions, including governors and sheriffs.

As WND has reported on several occasions, none of the so-called "evidence" of Obama's constitutional eligibility produced thus far is beyond reasonable doubt nor as iron-clad as simply producing an authentic birth certificate, something Americans are required to do regularly but the president still refuses to do.

As Jerome Corsi, WND senior staff writer, explained, "The main reason doubts persist regarding Obama's birth certificate is this question: If an original Hawaii-doctor-generated and Hawaii-hospital-released Obama birth certificate exists, why wouldn't the senator and his campaign simply order the document released and end the controversy?

"That Obama has not ordered Hawaii officials to release the document," Corsi writes, "leaves doubts as to whether an authentic Hawaii birth certificate exists for Obama."

Although Obama officials have told WND all such allegations are "garbage," here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility:

New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president.

Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg has three cases pending, including Berg vs. Obama in the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a separate Berg vs. Obama which is under seal at the U.S. District Court level and Hollister vs. Soetoro a/k/a Obama, brought on behalf of a retired military member who could be facing recall to active duty by Obama.
Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.

Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.

Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.

Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
Also in Ohio, there was the Greenberg v. Brunner case which ended when the judge threatened to assess all case costs against the plaintiff.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.

California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions, the biggest being why, if there exists documentation of Obama's eligibility, hasn't it been released to quell the rumors.

Instead, a series of law firms have been hired on Obama's behalf around the nation to prevent any public access to his birth certificate, passport records, college records and other documents.

If you'd like to sound off on this issue, please take part in the WorldNetDaily poll.

Related offers:

Sign the petition

Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear

Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? How higher taxes will doom the economy – if we let it happen

Look who's seething over anti-Nazi warning! Comparisons between Nazi leader, Obama draws strong reaction

Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA"

Previous stories:

Obama eligibility tops AOL News

California used to check prez candidates' eligibility

Major General says president's eligibility needs proof

Eligibility lawyer argues for president's deportation

2nd U.S. soldier in Iraq challenges eligibility

Soldier questions eligibility, doubts president's authority

Senator questions Obama eligibility Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist

Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility

'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case

State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama

Congress sued to remove prez from White House

More challenges fail in Supreme Court

Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility

Status report: The eligibility issue

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation

Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute

Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members

Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute

Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge

More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court

Petition to see the birth certificate

Will Supremes review citizenship arguments?

Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake

Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens

WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility

Supremes to review citizenship arguments

'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location

Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage'

Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?

IT'S ON - John and Ken 2009 Tax Revolt

2009-02-26T16:07:00.000-08:00

REVOLT, RECALL AND REPEAL!

The John and Ken 2009 Tax Revolt is on!

Make your voice heard!

Join John and Ken:

Saturday March 7, 2009

3-6PM
Doors open at 3PM, Live Broadcast 4-6PM

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Fullerton CA 92832
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Located in the Fullerton Transportation Center
Plenty of free parking

Take your car, take the train or take the bus.

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Where's The Water?

2009-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=home&sid=a_b86mnWn9.w

Soldier doubts eligibility, defies president's orders

2009-02-24T09:32:00.001-08:00

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=89837

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL
WorldNetDaily Exclusive
Soldier doubts eligibility,
defies president's orders
'As an officer, my sworn oath to support
and defend our Constitution requires this'

Posted: February 23, 2009
9:35 pm Eastern

By Bob Unruh

WorldNetDaily

Soldier Scott Easterling

A U.S. soldier on active duty in Iraq has called President Obama an "impostor" in a statement in which he affirmed plans to join as plaintiff in a challenge to Obama's eligibility to be commander in chief.

The statement was publicized by California attorney Orly Taitz who, along with her Defend Our Freedom Foundation, is working on a series of legal cases seeking to uncover Obama's birth records and other documents that would reveal whether he meets the requirements of the U.S. Constitution.

"As an active-duty officer in the United States Army, I have grave concerns about the constitutional eligibility of Barack Hussein Obama to hold the office of president of the United States," wrote Scott Easterling in a "to-whom-it-may-concern" letter.

(Story continues below)

Obama "has absolutely refused to provide to the American public his original birth certificate, as well as other documents which may prove or disprove his eligibility," Easterling wrote. "In fact, he has fought every attempt made by concerned citizens in their effort to force him to do so."

Taitz told WND she had advised Easterling to obtain legal counsel before making any statements regarding the commander-in-chief, but he insisted on moving forward. His contention is that as an active member of the U.S. military, he is required to follow orders from a sitting president, and he needs – on pain of court-martial – to know that Obama is eligible.

Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 250,000 others and sign up now!

Taitz said other legal cases questioning Obama's eligibility filed by members of the military mostly have included retired officers, and courts several times have ruled they don't have standing to issue their challenge.

Easterling, however, is subject to enemy fire and certainly would have a reason to need to know the legitimacy of his orders, she argued.

"Until Mr. Obama releases a 'vault copy' of his original birth certificate for public review, I will consider him neither my Commander in Chief nor my President, but rather, a usurper to the Office – an impostor," his statement said.

Easterling said he joined the Army at age 40 after working in Iraq as a contractor.

"I chose to work … to support my troops and then left that lucrative position when the Army raised its maximum enlistment age to 40. Upon completion of basic training, I entered Officer Candidate School and commissioned as a 2LT in August 2007. After completing the subsequent basic officer leadership courses, I was assigned to Ft. Knox and shortly thereafter deployed to Balad, Iraq," he wrote.

"I implore all service-members and citizens to contact their senators and representatives and demand that they require Mr. Obama prove his eligibility. Our Constitution and our great nation must not be allowed to be disgraced," he wrote.

Taitz said Easterling is among the plaintiffs she is assembling for a new legal action over Obama's eligibility. Others include a list of state lawmakers who also would be required in their official position to follow orders of the president.

"My conviction is such that I am compelled to join Dr. Orly Taitz's lawsuit, as a plaintiff, against Mr. Obama. As a citizen, it pains me to do this, but as an officer, my sworn oath to support and defend our Constitution requires this action," he said.

Easterling was "saluted" in a forum on Taitz' website.

"Lt. Easterling, As a retired US Army SFC, I salute you sir as a true American patriot and hero! Thank you for your unselfish service to our country. It is rare to find someone today with such moral courage to do the right thing regardless of repercussions," said one contributor.

Said another, "For your voluntary service to our country, we owe you a debt we can never pay."

As WND reported yesterday, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said during a meeting with constituents in Cullman County he has never seen proof the new president was born in Hawaii.

"Well, his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven't seen any birth certificate," Shelby said. "You have to be born in America to be president."

Shelby's office later stated the senator is confident of Obama's vetting process, although it did not elaborate.

WND has reported on multiple legal challenges to Obama's status as a "natural born citizen." The Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, states, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Here is a partial listing and status update for some of the cases over Obama's eligibility:

New Jersey attorney Mario Apuzzo has filed a case on behalf of Charles Kerchner and others alleging Congress didn't properly ascertain that Obama is qualified to hold the office of president.

Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied.
Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.

Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.

Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.

Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.

California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles Cohen vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.

Related offers:

Sign the petition

Get "The Audacity of Deceit," and learn about the looming hostile attack on Judeo-Christian values and freedoms Americans hold dear

Will Obama bring the end of prosperity? How higher taxes will doom the economy – if we let it happen

Look who's seething over anti-Nazi warning! Comparisons between Nazi leader, Obama draws strong reaction

Whistleblower magazine's "THE SECRET LIFE OF BARACK OBAMA"

Previous stories:

Senator questions Obama eligibility Alan Keyes: Stop Obama or U.S. will cease to exist

Keyes: President 'has something to hide' about eligibility

'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case

State lawmakers: Prove you're president, Mr. Obama

Congress sued to remove prez from White House

More challenges fail in Supreme Court

Supreme Court refuses 2nd challenge to eligibility

Status report: The eligibility issue

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Join exploding demand for citizenship documentation

Electors challenged to investigate birth dispute

Last few hours to FedEx Electoral College voters

Supremes turn down request to stop Electoral vote

Eligibility question? FedEx Electoral College members

Not even Supreme Court can kill citizenship dispute

Supreme Court denies citizenship challenge

More than 60,000 letters sent to U.S. Supreme Court

Petition to see the birth certificate

Will Supremes review citizenship arguments?

Imaging guru: 'Certification' of birth time, location is fake

Chasm dividing Americans over birth certificate widens

WND launches new forum on Obama's eligibility

Supremes to review citizenship arguments

'Constitutional crisis' looming over Obama's birth location

Obama camp: Lawsuits by citizens are 'garbage'

Will Supreme Court have say in presidency?

Keyes: President 'has something to hide' on eligibility

2009-02-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=89078

Hōnen Matsuri is Coming Soon

2009-02-16T18:15:00.001-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hōnen_Matsuri

'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case

2009-02-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

'Sanctions' sought in eligibility case
President's attorneys file motion demanding birth, college records be withheld from public

Posted: February 13, 2009
12:15 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A high-powered team of Los Angeles attorneys representing President Obama in his effort to keep his birth certificate, college records and passport documents concealed from the public has suggested there should be "monetary sanctions" against a lawyer whose clients have brought a complaint alleging Obama doesn't qualify for the Oval Office under the Constitution's demand for a "natural born" citizen in that post.

The suggestion came in an exchange of e-mails and documents in a case brought by former presidential candidate Alan Keyes and others in California. The case originally sought to have the state's electors ordered to withhold their votes for Obama until his eligibility was established. Since Obama's inauguration, it has been amended to seek a future requirement for a vetting process, in addition to the still-sought unveiling of his records.

In the case, handled largely by Gary Kreep of the U.S. Justice Foundation, records were subpoenaed documenting Obama's attendance at Occidental College.

The lawyer for the college, Stuart W. Rudnick of Musick, Peeler & Garrett, urgently contacted Fredric D. Woocher of Strumwasser & Woocher.

"This firm is counsel to Occidental College. The College is in receipt of the enclosed subpoena that seeks certain information concerning President-Elect Barack Obama," he wrote via fax. "Inasmuch as the subpoena appears to be valid on its face, the College will have no alternative but to comply with the subpoena absent a court order instructing otherwise."

Within hours, Woocher contacted Kreep regarding the issue, telling him, "It will likely not surprise you to hear that President-elect Obama opposes the production of the requested records.

"In order to avoid the needless expense of our bringing and litigating a Motion to Quash the subpoena, I am writing to ask whether you would be willing to agree voluntarily to cancel or withdraw the subpoena."

Woocher warned, "Please be advised, in particular, that in the event we are forced to file a motion to quash and we prevail in that motion, we will seek the full measure of monetary sanctions provided for in the Code of Civil Procedures."

Kreep, out of town for a business trip, did not respond immediately, and the motion eventually was filed. It states that the records, which could reveal on what name Obama attended classes at Occidental and whether he attended on scholarship money intended for foreign students, "are of no relevance to this moot litigation."

The motion also claims the petitioners failed to serve the subpoena properly.

Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 235,000 others and sign up now!

"The subpoena directed to Occidental College should therefore be quashed. Alternatively, this court should issue an order directing that the deposition of the custodian of records of Occidental College not take place," the firm working on Obama's behalf stated.

"The central issue in this lawsuit … is whether any Respondent had a legal duty to demand proof of natural born citizenship from Democratic Party's nominee," the motion said. "None of the documents sought by petitioners could possibly assist in answering this question."

The motion then cited a precedent from a case involving a "former law firm client who brought malpractice action against firm claiming unconscionable rates was not entitled to discovery regarding amount paid by law firm to contract staff attorney because such information is irrelevant to unconscionability claim."

The case, with Keyes, Wiley S. Drake and Markham Robinson as plaintiffs, names California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Barack Hussein Obama, Joe Biden and the state's electors as defendants.

"OBAMA has been inaugurated as the president of the United States. However, to properly assume such office, OBAMA must meet the qualifications specified in Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution for the Office of the President of the United States, which includes that he must be a 'natural born' citizen," the amended complaint states.

"OBAMA has failed to demonstrate that he is a 'natural born' citizen. There have been a number of legal challenges before various state and federal courts regarding aspects of non-, lost, or dual citizenship concerning OBAMA. Those challenges, in and of themselves, demonstrate Petitioners' argument that reasonable doubt exists as to his eligibility to serve as President of the United States.

"To avert a constitutional crisis which would certainly accrue after such an election through laborious legal challenges, this writ seeks to require SOS (Secretary of State) to verify the eligibility of a Presidential candidate prior to the candidate appearing on the California ballot. It is incumbent on the candidates to present the necessary documentation confirming his or her eligibility, but, to date, for this past election, OBAMA has failed to do so," the complaint continues.

"An unprecedented and looming constitutional crisis awaits if a President elected by the popular vote and the electoral vote does not constitutionally qualify to serve in that capacity," the case said. "In addition, if OBAMA is not a 'natural born' citizen and not eligible for presidency, OBAMA will be subject to the criminal provisions of the California Elections Code, stating, 'Any person who files or submits for filing a nomination paper or declaration of candidacy knowing that it, or any part of it, has been made falsely, is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months or two or three years or by both the fine and imprisonment,'" the complaint states.

WND has reported on multiple legal challenges that have alleged Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Some claim he was not born in Hawaii, as he insists, but in Kenya. Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Several details of Obama's past have added twists to the question of his eligibility and citizenship, including his family's move to Indonesia when he was a child and on what nation's passport he traveled to Pakistan in the '80s, as well as conflicting reports from Obama's family about his place of birth.

In just the last few days, WND has reported on a developing lawsuit by a team of state lawmakers as well as military officers, both of whom would be bound to follow orders from the president and would need to know whether the orders were legitimate.

WND also reported this week on a separate case that accuses Congress of failing to investigate President Obama's birthplace before approving the Electoral College vote giving him the presidency, after going through that very investigative process for GOP candidate Sen. John McCain.

Several of the cases – including those brought by Orly Taitz, Cort Wrotnowski, Leo Donofrio and Philip Berg, already have been discussed in conference at the U.S. Supreme Court, which has decided not to hold a hearing on any of the merits.

Here is a partial listing and status update for several of the cases:

Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied.

Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.

Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.

Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.

Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.

California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.

Eligibility: The question that won't go away

2009-02-02T22:30:00.001-08:00

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87783

Congress sued to remove prez from White House

2009-01-31T09:19:00.001-08:00

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=87622

Saturday, January 31, 2009

OBAMA WATCH CENTRAL
WorldNetDaily Exclusive
Congress sued to remove
prez from White House
'Defendants had to ensure
the Constitution is upheld'

Posted: January 31, 2009
12:00 am Eastern

WorldNetDaily

A new lawsuit is challenging Barack Obama's eligibility to be president, and this one targets Congress as a defendant for its "failure" to uphold the constitutional demand to make sure Obama qualified before approving the Electoral College vote that actually designated him as the occupant of the Oval Office.

The new case raises many of the same arguments as dozens of other cases that have flooded into courtrooms around the nation since the November election.

It is being brought on behalf of Charles F. Kerchner Jr., Lowell T. Patterson, Darrell James Lenormand and Donald H. Nelson Jr. and names as defendants Barack Hussein Obama II, the U.S., Congress, the Senate, House of Representatives and former Vice President Dick Cheney along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 193,000 others and sign up now!

As WND has reported, dozens of lawsuits have been filed over Obama's eligibility to assume the office of the president. Many have been dismissed while others remain pending.

The cases, in various ways, have alleged Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Some of the legal challenges have alleged Obama was not born in Hawaii, as he insists, but in Kenya. Obama's American mother, the suits contend, was too young at the time of his birth to confer American citizenship to her son under the law at the time.

Several details of Obama's past have added twists to the question of his eligibility and citizenship, including his family's move to Indonesia when he was a child, his travel to Pakistan in the '80s when such travel was forbidden to American citizens and conflicting reports from Obama's family about his place of birth.

(Story continues below)

Perhaps the most perplexing detail, however, has been Obama's refusal to allow the public release of a signed "vault" copy of his original birth certificate.

The new case was launched in New Jersey, and focuses on the alleged failure in Congress to follow the Constitution.

That document, the lawsuit states, "provides that Congress must fully qualify the candidate 'elected' by the Electoral College Electors."

In provides, the lawsuit said, "If the president-elect shall have failed to qualify, then the vice president elect shall act as president until a president shall have qualified."

"There existed significant public doubt and grievances from plaintiffs and other concerned Americans regarding Obama's eligibility to be president and defendants had the sworn duty to protect and preserve the Constitution and specifically under the 20th Amendment, Section 3, a Constitutional obligation to confirm whether Obama, once the electors elected him, was qualified."

"Congress is the elected representative of the American people and the people speak and act through them," the lawsuit said.

The defendants "violated" the 20th Amendment by failing to assure that Obama meets the eligibility requirements," the lawsuit said.

In the Russian publication Pravda, commentator Mark S. McGrew addressed the subject:

"The United States Congress is required, under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, to count the Electoral College votes for president and vice president, ask if any member of Congress objects to the count and hear that Congressman's objection. This is under Title 3, Chapter 1, Section 15, 'Upon such reading of any such certificate of paper, the president of the Senate shall call for objections, if any,'" he wrote.

Several of the cases – including those brought by Orly Taitz, Cort Wrotnowski, Leo Donofrio and Philip Berg, already have been heard in conference at the U.S. Supreme Court, which has failed to have a hearing on any of the merits involved.

Taitz, in fact, is requesting information from the Supreme Court about a meeting eight of its justices held with Obama, a defendant in her case, before the justices reviewed the issues of the case in a private conference.

Several of the cases not scheduled for hearings at the Supreme Court still remain active at lower court levels, from which emergency requests to the high court were launched.

"I know that Mr. Obama is not a constitutionally qualified natural born citizen and is ineligible to assume the office of president of the United States," Berg said in a statement on his ObamaCrimes.com website.

"Obama knows he is not 'natural born' as he knows where he was born and he knows he was adopted in Indonesia; Obama is an attorney, Harvard Law grad who taught Constitutional law; Obama knows his candidacy is the largest 'hoax' attempted on the citizens of the United States in over 200 years; Obama places our Constitution in a 'crisis' situation; and Obama is in a situation where he can be blackmailed by leaders around the world who know Obama is not qualified," Berg's statement continued.

A partial listing and status update for several of the cases surrounding Obama's eligibility to serve as president is below:

Philip J. Berg, a Pennsylvania Democrat, demanded that the courts verify Obama's original birth certificate and other documents proving his American citizenship. Berg's latest appeal, requesting an injunction to stop the Electoral College from selecting the 44th president, was denied.

Leo Donofrio of New Jersey filed a lawsuit claiming Obama's dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court but denied a full hearing.

Cort Wrotnowski filed suit against Connecticut's secretary of state, making a similar argument to Donofrio. His case was considered in conference by the U.S. Supreme Court, but was denied a full hearing.

Former presidential candidate Alan Keyes headlines a list of people filing a suit in California, in a case handled by the United States Justice Foundation, that asks the secretary of state to refuse to allow the state's 55 Electoral College votes to be cast in the 2008 presidential election until Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. The case is pending, and lawyers are seeking the public's support.

Chicago attorney Andy Martin sought legal action requiring Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle to release Obama's vital statistics record. The case was dismissed by Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Bert Ayabe.
Lt. Col. Donald Sullivan sought a temporary restraining order to stop the Electoral College vote in North Carolina until Barack Obama's eligibility could be confirmed, alleging doubt about Obama's citizenship. His case was denied.
In Ohio, David M. Neal sued to force the secretary of state to request documents from the Federal Elections Commission, the Democratic National Committee, the Ohio Democratic Party and Obama to show the presidential candidate was born in Hawaii. The case was denied.
In Washington state, Steven Marquis sued the secretary of state seeking a determination on Obama's citizenship. The case was denied.
In Georgia, Rev. Tom Terry asked the state Supreme Court to authenticate Obama's birth certificate. His request for an injunction against Georgia's secretary of state was denied by Georgia Superior Court Judge Jerry W. Baxter.

California attorney Orly Taitz has brought a case, Lightfoot vs. Bowen, on behalf of Gail Lightfoot, the vice presidential candidate on the ballot with Ron Paul, four electors and two registered voters.

Private investigator Douglas Hagmann of HomelandSecurityUS.com reported earlier he found 13 cases challenging Obama's eligibility still active or semi-active.

In addition, other cases cited on the RightSideofLife blog as raising questions about Obama's eligibility include:

In Texas, Darrel Hunter vs. Obama later was dismissed.
In Ohio, Gordon Stamper vs. U.S. later was dismissed.
In Texas, Brockhausen vs. Andrade.
In Washington, L. Charles vs. Obama.
In Hawaii, Keyes vs. Lingle, dismissed.

WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.

The biggest question was why, if a Hawaii birth certificate exists as his campaign has stated, Obama hasn't simply ordered it made available to settle the rumors.

Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro, has named two different Hawaii hospitals where Obama could have been born. There have been other allegations that Obama actually was born in Kenya during a time when his father was a British subject. A one point a Kenyan ambassador said Obama's birth place in Kenya already was recognized and honored.

Libertarian Gail Lightfoot’s lawsuit against Obama eligibility granted conference by US Supreme Court

2009-01-10T11:11:00.001-08:00

A friend is now in the fight!

That's MY Gail! If I could only have a stinger with Richard while reading this...

This Boss Educates Employees Too

2009-01-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

A Boss That Tells it Like it Is
Author Unknown

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of
this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the
economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges.
However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to
your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing
political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some
little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your
best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against
employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there
is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed
by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside.
You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure; all
these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about
my life.

However, what you don't see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300
square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment
was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into
building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent
went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a
defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I
stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and
partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work,
discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made
a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove
flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer
clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot
fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting
any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's.
My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I,
however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a
business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able
to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check
in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off"
button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a
weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I
eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no
rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this
business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child.
You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house,
the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the back story and
the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the
right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people
who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel
entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade
of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is
steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you,
is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me
tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay
enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and
use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment
taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these
taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him.
Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes
with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to
the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my
"stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the
guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over
2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single
mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her
next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the
economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd
quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts.
Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree
which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the
economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly
government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess
what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-
hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated
substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the
wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries.
But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't
defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to
life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the
heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must
stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington
believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American
economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is
the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be
swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then
plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and
your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and
retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the
productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and
to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it
will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this
country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its
landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a
beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.... Signed, Your
Boss

Eligibility case finds 'standing'?

2008-12-31T09:48:00.001-08:00

Attorney Stephen Pidgeon

A new case challenging Barack Obama's natural-born citizenship and, therefore, constitutional eligibility to serve as president has the potential to clear a hurdle that caused several other similar cases' dismissal: the issue of "standing."

In the case brought by Pennsylvania Democrat Philip Berg, for example, a federal judge ruled against the lawsuit in deciding Berg lacked the "standing" to sue, arguing that the election of Obama wouldn't cause the plaintiff specific, personal injury.

In Washington state's Broe v. Reed case, however, plaintiff's attorney Stephen Pidgeon says a unique state statute grants everyday citizens the required standing.

"These lawsuits have pointed their fingers at the various secretaries of state and said, 'You handle the elections, it's your job [to verify Obama's eligibility],'" Stephen Pidgeon told WND, "and the secretaries of state have said, 'No, it's not our job. You the voter have to prove he was ineligible.' But when the voters try to do it, the courts tell them they have no standing. So it presents a catch-22.

"Here, we have standing by means of statute," Pidgeon continued. "This particular statute provides for any registered voter to challenge the election of a candidate if the candidate at the time of the election was ineligible to hold office."

Where's the proof Barack Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution? If you still want to see it, join more than 200,000 others and sign up now!

Further, Pidgeon explained, "In Washington we also have a constitutional clause in Article 1 that says the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of land, so it's very much a state issue that the secretary of state has a duty to enforce the U.S. Constitution.

"He doesn't think he does; we think he does. That's really the issue before the court," Pidgeon said.

(Story continues below)

Washington's secretary of state, Mr. Sam Reed, has opposed the lawsuit, brought by a group of 12 registered Washington voters with Pidgeon's representation, on several grounds, including the argument that the issue is moot now that Obama has been voted upon by the people.

Pidgeon argues, however, that even if Obama remains in office two years from now, the issue will not be moot.

"The Constitution's criteria for president are never moot," Pidgeon explained. "Article 2, Section 1 says 'eligible to the Office of President'; it doesn't say 'eligible for candidacy to the Office of President."

Therefore, Pidgeon argues, the Constitution's natural-born citizen clause specifically and expressly addresses the man sitting in the Oval Office, not just the main elected and waiting to get in.

"If, at any time during his tenure, a birth certificate actually surfaces showing [Obama] born in Kenya," Pidgeon said, "he is disqualified from the presidency at any time. And the constitutional crisis that is rising out of this – the longer he's in that office, the greater the problem becomes, because everything he does will be illegal."

The Washington Supreme Court is set to hear Broe v. Reed on Jan. 8, but the entire case may be delayed intentionally, as the plaintiffs wait to see if the court will rule first on a requested subpoena of Obama's birth certificate from Hawaii.

Unlike other states where lawsuits challenging Obama's natural-born citizen status were required to move through lower courts, Washington law grants the case "original jurisdiction" at the state Supreme Court, which means the plaintiff can present new evidence, including – if the court will indeed subpoena it – Obama's birth records.

"We have opportunity to present facts before the Supreme Court, where you wouldn't have that normally," Pidgeon told WND. "With original jurisdiction, we have the opportunity to present factual argument, and so what we have said to the court is, 'At no time did Senator Obama produce a single piece of evidence upon which the secretary of state could rely to establish that he was a natural born citizen, or that he was even an American citizen, or that he was running under his legal name.' Those are the three facets of our lawsuit."

Pidgeon also told WND that the case's primary hurdle now is the natural predisposition judges have toward complying with the democratic will of the people. They rarely "upset the apple cart," Pidgeon said, by overturning the results of an election.

Still, Pidgeon believes pursuing Broe v. Reed is necessary.

"I expect the truth of Senator Obama's birth is going to come out," Pidgeon told WND. "It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but the truth of his birth is going to come out, and when that true fact comes out that he was born in Kenya, we will have an unprecedented constitutional crisis in this nation.

"The question is," Pidgeon figures, "will the Washington Supreme Court stand for the rule of law or are they going to stand for an overthrow of the constitutional republic by the will of the electorate?"

Last month, WND reported on the potential complications an ineligible president could create.

"Should Senator Obama be discovered, after he takes office, to be ineligible for the Office of President of the United States of America and, thereby, his election declared void," argues a similar case brought by Alan Keyes and pending in California, "Americans will suffer irreparable harm in that (a) usurper will be sitting as the President of the United States, and none of the treaties, laws, or executive orders signed by him will be valid or legal."

With such high stakes potentially at risk, WND earlier launched a letter campaign to contact Electoral College members and urge them to review the controversy.

That followed a campaign that sent more than 60,000 letters by overnight delivery to the U.S. Supreme Court when one case contesting Obama's eligibility for the Oval Office was pending.

A separate petition, already signed by more than 200,000 also is ongoing asking authorities in the election to seek proof Obama was born in the U.S. or that he fulfills the "natural-born American" clause in the Constitution.

WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi had gone to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.

The biggest question was why, if a Hawaii birth certificate exists as his campaign has stated, Obama hasn't simply ordered it made available to settle the rumors

Obama Fake Birth Certificate Fraud, Cont.

2008-12-03T09:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, so now there's been FULL PAGE ADS taken out in Chicago regarding the Certificate of Live Birth of Sen. Obama.

The Constitutional Crisis continues...

(PS— go to Google and search the news for "berg obama lawsuit" for more info!)

Tax System Explained In Beer

2008-11-24T14:05:00.001-08:00

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten

comes to $100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something

like this... The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every

day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the
owner

threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said,
'I'm

going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. 'Drinks for the
ten now

cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we
pay our

taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for

free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers?

How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his
fair

share?

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that

from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would
each end

up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it
would

be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he

proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%
savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).

The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four
continued to

drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to
compare

their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man.

He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!''Yeah, that's right,'

exclaimed the fifth man.

'I only saved a dollar, too.. It's unfair that he got ten times more
than

I!''That's true!!' shouted the seventh man.

'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two?

The wealthy get all the breaks!

''Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get

anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the
Tenth

man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers
without

him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something

important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even
half

of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our

tax system works.

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax

reduction.

Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not

show up anymore.

In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is

somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics University of Georgia

Mr. Obama…Show us your Records!

2008-11-17T15:17:00.001-08:00

Berg V. Obama: Search for Obama's Long Form Birth Certificate
This article examines the court case of Berg v. Obama, its journey to the Supreme Court and the ramifications of it on Constitutional Law.
View more »

The question still remains...

Have you seen the video?

Why, Sen. Obama, Why?

2008-11-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Why is Sen. Obama NOT releasing his public records (Certificate of Live Birth, etc.)?

The Question still lingers to this day.

Is he trying to wait out the Electoral College? Waiting to get enough votes in Congress to halt an Impeachment Trial?

Please review the previous posts on this blog for further information. And please feel free to comment; I've gotten the most feedback (boilerplate, albeit) on this issue.

And the scary part is that the comments came right after the posting. I find it hard to believe that someone could have articulated said points so quickly.

Funny, the news keeps asking the same questions I have been asking...

Will Berg Sink Titanic-Obama?

2008-11-06T10:39:00.001-08:00

From: http://www.newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd411.htm

COMRADE BARAK OBAMA IS NOT AMERICA'S NEXT PRESIDENT

By: Devvy
November 6, 2008

"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain, Notebook, 1904

I'm not going to comment on the carefully orchestrated show put on yesterday by the media; that will be my next column. What a scam. As I have covered in previous columns, between dirty voting rolls, voter registration fraud, illegals voting and corrupted electronic voting machines and scanners, we have NO idea who was legally elected yesterday. I updated the compilation of vote fraud links; see here. There are more at the bottom.

There is still the unresolved issue of Obama providing a COLB - Certification of Live Birth - to prove he is a natural born citizen. Not a "birth certificate," but the COLB. The fact that this thug from Chicago refuses to provide this document since June, 2008, says it all. The second issue is if Obama were born in the U.S., but was automatically made an Indonesian citizen by virtue of his mother's marriage to her Indonesian husband and Obama's legal name change, he is ineligible to run for the presidency. Naturalized citizens are not eligible for the highest office in the land.

Contrary to the propaganda spewed last night by the pimps who work for corporate media, Obama is not the next president. We need to remember how the system actually works:

The Electoral College:
November 5, 2004
Thomas H. Neale
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
CRS Report for Congress

"When Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they actually vote for presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. It is these electors, chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive....

"It is these elector-candidates, rather than the presidential and vice presidential nominees, for whom the people vote in the election held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November....

"Electors assemble in their respective states on Monday after the second Wednesday in December (December 13, 2004). They are pledged and expected, but not required, to vote for the candidates they represent. Separate ballots are cast for President and Vice President, after which the electoral college ceases to exist for another four years. The electoral vote results are counted and declared at a joint session of Congress, held on January 6 of the year succeeding the election. A majority of electoral votes (currently 270 of 538) is required to win."

Until those electors meet on December 15, 2008, cast their vote and those votes are counted on January 6, 2008, Obama is not the next president.

Phil Berg's lawsuit is still active with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Andy Martin's lawsuit: The next hearing date is November 18, 2008.

I fully realize that Americans who haven't joined the Obama cult are stunned at what happened on Tuesday, but we must remember it was all in the game plan. I have used this metaphor before to describe the illusion of fair and impartial elections: It's like a student taking driving lessons. The first time out, the student gets the fake steering wheel while the instructor is actually controlling the vehicle. But, the fake steering wheel makes the student "feel" he has control and that perception is all important when evil forces take over a country. That's what we saw yesterday. The fact that Mcain conceded around 8:30 pm CST before half the states west of the Mississippi had even counted 20% of their votes, only confirms what millions of us already knew - he was the designated loser.

America took the single largest step towards becoming a communist nation in my life time with this alleged election of a Marxist-Leninist. In April, I began describing Obama as a Marxist. My mail box filled up with angry email insisting that Obama is a "progressive," liberal Democrat. This is the ignorance of a dumbed down population who have no idea what Marxism means: The political and economic ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels as developed into a system of thought that gives class struggle a primary role in leading society from bourgeois democracy under capitalism to a socialist society and thence to communism. Redistribution of wealth is the major tenet of communism. It is also Obama's plan. Right up to the day before the election, a few braves souls in the media were finally referring to his real political ideology. Of course, Obama's cult followers immediately attempted to ridicule or slap them down.

It's easy to get depressed over last Tuesday. Don't. That's what the shadow government wants. We are warriors, not cry babies. I know the rage is blowing out there like a hot furnace, but the fight is not over. We're entering the next phase: the electors. We're also entering the most dangerous time in this nation's history since Lexington and Concord. Now isn't the time to throw in the towel. Now is the time to fight.

In my last column, I provided a link on auditing the vote and how to do it. The Democrats made vote fraud a national issue in 2000 and 2004. The Republican Party has never made vote fraud a national issue. Oh, sure, FAUX News Network and Lou Dobbs (CNN) pounded on it the past six weeks, but it's the Democrats who mobilized, ignored the vote fraud by their party and blamed it on all the Republicans. Yes, the last three presidential elections were rigged, but it was done by the forces who control the political system in this country and have for 40 years.

The pointing the finger exercise is a distraction. Just like the bull, the cape and the matador. Technology has simply made it easier than stuffing ballot boxes and having everyone in Chicago vote twice, including residents of their local cemeteries. Of course, now that a Democrat has allegedly "won" the White House by vote fraud, helped along by legions of ignorant, uninformed voters, some racists and those who voted for skin color only, they could care less about fairness in 2008.

Right now they're basking in their arrogance, but the wrath of the American people is just warming up. If Republican and 'third party' candidates who allegedly lost on Tuesday do not pursue catching the vote fraud in their election instead of just shrugging their shoulders and walking away, the destroyers win. Here is the link. I updated it slightly. Time is of the essence due to drop dead dates for certification. If you supported a candidate by a vote and/or working for their campaign, help them prove the fraud.

This is critical for all 434 seats in the House of Representatives (excluding Ron Paul). Here is the logic-free zone:

In 1994, voters were fed up with the communists, socialists and big spenders in Congress and "swept them out of power." In came the Republicans touting the farce called a 'Contract with America,' who bloated the budget and continued down the same path under a different label. They held power until November 2006. Voters wanted change! Voters wanted change so badly, they voted back in all the long time Democrats with a few "new" faces. In past two years a Democrat controlled Congress representing 'change' has done what? NOTHING except loot this country and continue funding the immoral, unconstitutional invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Americans were outraged over the rape and pillage called 'the bail out." A colossal failure that continues to drain the life blood of Americans. Yet, with the exception of 17 seats in the House and 5 in the unlawfully seated seated U.S. Senate, voters allegedly voted them all back into office on Tuesday! With the lowest approval rating in the history of the U.S. Congress, allegedly the American people once again rewarded these crooks by rehiring them and bringing in even more Democrats to join the grand larceny stealing the fruits of our labor! Quite a difference between from what polls indicated:

3 in 5 voters: Boot every congressman. 59 percent say they'd kick out all members of House, Senate. October 5, 2008: "If given the choice, a new poll reveals, 59 percent of Americans would sweep Capitol Hill clean of the current batch of senators and representatives to elect an entirely new Congress. Only 17 percent of voters polled said they would be willing to keep the current legislature."

Yesterday I filed four Freedom of Information Act requests and sent them over night mail. One: Illinois Secretary of State to obtain all documentation, applications, forms, electronic and hard copy, including proof of citizenship for Barack Hussein Obama for his 1996 Illinois State Senate race. I filed two with the U.S. State Department (1) Stanley Ann Dunham, married name Stanley Ann Obama to obtain her passport application and all travel records; departure and entry into the U.S. during the year 1961; and (2) Barack Obama, Sr., to obtain his travel records, entry and departure records for the year 1961. Four: I filed a State Records Act request with the University of Hawaii to obtain Stanley Ann Dunham, then married, Stanley Ann Obama's enrollment applications and list of classes, and any and all documentation regarding her departure from the University for good.

I also sent another letter over night mail to James Burrus, Chief Investigator of Election Fraud, Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, DC. This is a follow up to my letter of October 30, 2008. I enclosed a copy of the transcripts of the interviews in Kenya (see bottom links in this column), an article from NewsMax.com regarding hundreds of millions of dollars illegally donated:

"In addition to the donations the campaign has disclosed, however, it has taken an unprecedented $218 million from donors whose names it is keeping secret, according to FEC spokesman Robert Biersack. That money came from individuals who in theory never passed the threshold of $200, the limit the FEC set for public disclosure of a donor's name and place of residence, so there is no way of knowing how much foreign money could be included in that amount.

"For example, hidden away amidst the unprecedented $150 million Obama claims to have raised from individual donors in September was more than $42 million raised from secret donors. These donations appear in the records as a single entry under the heading, "Donors, Unitemized."

"Newsmax retained the services of former CIA operations officer Frederick W. Rustmann Jr. and a team of international forensic accounting experts to comb through Obama's donor list to identify those who apparently aren't U.S. citizens or residents. Rustmann, a 24 year veteran field officer, operates CTC International Group Ltd., a West Palm Beach, Fla., firm that provides business intelligence services and analysis."

I reminded Burrus of the birth certificate issue and that he must investigate this while investigating possible violation of the wire fraud statute: 18 U.S.C. §1343. I reminded him of his oath of office and that this is not about politics or party loyalty, it's about the law. We cannot have an illegitimate president in the White House.

Please don't send me email about the FOIAs. I am aware documents can be forged or altered, but the truth will come out. Those who choose to participate in such unlawful activities will eventually get caught. I'm also aware of the uphill battle. However, my last FOIA against the FAA regarding 9/11 went to a lawsuit and I won. It is better to spend your time helping candidates prove vote fraud and with the plans regarding electoral college delegates.

Phil Berg is putting together the strategy for the electoral college delegates for all the states Obama allegedly won. This involves action before and on December 15, 2008, the date all electors meet at their state capitols to cast their votes for president and vice president. Remember: They are not bound to cast their vote for the candidate presented as a result of 'election day.' Electors who stand up for what is right are called "faithless." Does it ever happen? In 1976, a Republican elector in Washington voted for Ronald Reagan instead of Gerald Ford. This year we intend for it to be a landslide. What's right and for the good of our republic must trump worrying about staying in the good graces of some political party. Obama is gambling he can stall the birth certificate issue until coronation day and steal the White House under the idiom, possession is nine tenths of the law. We intend to stop him legally.

As soon as Phil has drafted his plan, I will get it into a column right away. I believe there are some other groups working on this issue and I hope they will join with Phil and let him be the central point of contact for this effort. That way we're all on the same sheet of music and it's done correctly. We will not get a second chance.

Obama Fake Birth Certificate Update

2008-11-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

The PDF regarding the US Supreme Court Filing can be found here

Philip J. Berg, Esquire's Site

Also, more more legalese for ya!

October Surprise: Well, Obama?

2008-10-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here's The Video

Then, here's an interesting corollary to the story.

Here's the Update to the story... On toward the Supreme Court.

No more Drunken Emails!

2008-10-08T11:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=081007182106.97mcch3w&show_article=1

Google tool to keep emails sober

Google has adapted its free email service to help those letting loose after a few evening cocktails or succumbing to lovelorn moments from firing off messages they might regret in the morning.

Mail Goggles software comes to life after dark and on weekends, when altered states of mind are more probable, and requires that five simple math problems be answered correctly in less than a minute in order to send a Gmail missive.

"Sometimes I send messages I shouldn't send," Gmail engineer Jon Perlow wrote Monday in a website posting announcing the optional new feature.

"Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night email to my ex-girlfriend that we should get back together."

Gmail users can adjust their email settings to activate the Goggles feature and dictate the times it is active.

"It will check that you're really sure you want to send that late night Friday email," Perlow wrote.

"And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you're in the right state of mind?"

Copyright AFP 2008, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium

Tools You Can Use

2008-10-05T10:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html

Google Home

About Google

Web Search
Help Center
Basics of Search
Advanced Search
Search Results Page
Setting Preferences

Search Features
Spell checker, stock quotes & more

Services & Tools
Local Search, Product Search, News & more

Google Tip Gadget

See daily tips, tricks, and helpful hints for Google products.

Improve Your Search Experience

In addition to providing easy access to billions of web pages, Google has many special features to help you to find exactly what you're looking for. Some of our most popular features are listed below.

Everyday Essentials
Reference Tools
Choosing Keywords

Local Search
Trip Planning

Query Refinements
Search by Number

Everyday Essentials

Weather

To see the weather for many U.S. and worldwide cities, type "weather" followed by the city and state, U.S. zip code, or city and country.

Stock Quotes

To see current market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance.

Time

To see the time in many cities around the world, type in "time" and the name of the city.

Reference Tools

Calculator

To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you'd like done into the search box.

Book Search

If you're looking for results from Google Book Search, you can enter the name of the author or book title into the search box and we'll return any book content we have as part of your normal web results. You can click through on the record to view more detailed info about that author or title.

Unit Conversion

You can use Google to convert between many different units of measurement of height, weight, and mass among others. Just enter your desired conversion into the search box and we'll do the rest.

Choosing Keywords

Synonym Search

If you want to search not only for your search term but also for its synonyms, place the tilde sign (~) immediately in front of your search term.

Dictionary Definitions

To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word "define" then a space, then the word(s) you want defined. To see a list of different definitions from various online sources, you can type "define:" followed by a word or phrase. Note that the results will define the entire phrase.

Spell Checker

Google's spell checking software automatically checks whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you're likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask "Did you mean: (more common spelling)?". Click the suggested spelling to launch a Google search for that term.

Local Search

Local Search

If you're looking for a store, restaurant, or other local business you can search for the category of business and the location and we'll return results right on the page, along with a map, reviews, and contact information.

Movie Showtimes

To find reviews and showtimes for movies playing near you, type "movies" or the name of a current film into the Google search box. If you've already saved your location on a previous search, the top search result will display showtimes for nearby theaters for the movie you've chosen.

Real Estate and Housing

To see home listings in a given area type "housing", "home", or "real estate" and the name of a city or a U.S. zip code into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button. Clicking the "Go" button on the results page will display details of individual homes that Google has indexed.

Trip Planning

Airline Travel Info

To see flight status for arriving and departing U.S. flights, type in the name of the airline and the flight number into the search box. You can also see delays at a specific airport by typing in the name of the city or three-letter airport code followed by the word "airport".

Currency Conversion

To use our built-in currency converter, simply enter the conversion you'd like done into the Google search box and we'll provide your answer directly on the results page.

Maps

Looking for a map? Type in the name or U.S. zip code of a location and the word "map" and we'll return a map of that location. Clicking on the map will take you to a larger version on Google Maps.

Query Refinements

Plus (+) Operator

Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters that slow down your search without improving the results. If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can make sure we pay attention to it by putting a "+" sign in front of it.

Related Search

To search for web pages that have similar content to a given site, type "related:" followed by the website address into the Google search box.

Fill in the Blank

Sometimes the best way to ask a question is to get Google to 'fill in the blank' by adding an asterisk (*) at the part of the sentence or question that you want finished into the Google search box.

Search by Number

Package Tracking

You can track packages by typing the tracking number for your UPS, Fedex or USPS package directly into the search box. We'll return results that include quick links to easily track the status of your shipment.

Patent Numbers

To search for U.S. patents, enter the word "patent" followed by the patent number into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.

Area Code

To see the geographical location for any U.S. telephone area code, just type the three-digit area code into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.

Vote Democrat (Tee Hee He)

2008-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Please, Please, Please... Watch this Video.

But be forewarned, you may need tissue by the time it's done!

Nokia Brings Out iPhone 3G Competitor

2008-10-03T08:41:00.001-07:00

Nokia Brings Out iPhone 3G Competitor

The company's first touch-screen phone has GPS, Wi-Fi, a 3.2-megapixel camera, expandable memory, and robust multimedia functions.

By Marin Perez, InformationWeek
Oct. 2, 2008
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210605367


	Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Smartphone (click for larger image)

With Tuesday's introduction of the 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia is finally launching a touch-screen competitor to Apple's iPhone 3G.

The 5800 has a 3.2-inch resistive touch screen, and it's powered by Symbian S60, fifth edition. The user interface will be somewhat familiar to Symbian users, but the company has tweaked the UI for touch control.

"By adding the benefits of touch-screen technology to S60, the world's leading smartphone interface, Nokia is taking the familiar and giving it a human touch," Nokia VP Jo Harlow said in a statement. "We have used touch technology where it really adds value such as the contacts bar, media bar, and clever shortcuts from the home screen to menu items such as calendar, profiles, and clock."

With a 640-by-360-pixel display, the 5800 can play multiple types of video at a high resolution. Nokia is also emphasizing the handset's audio abilities, and there will be a built-in music player capable of multiple codecs. The handset will come with an 8-GB microSD card for storing this media, and the memory can be expanded up to 16 GB.

Nokia's first touch-screen handset also has a bevy of connectivity options with built-in Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities. These can be used to browse the Internet as well as check e-mail. The 5800 also will have Bluetooth version 2.0, GPS, and a proximity sensor to save battery life and avoid inadvertent touches.

The handset measures in at 4.3 by 2 by 0.6 inches, and it weighs about 3.8 ounces. Nokia said the handset will be available in Europe in the fourth quarter, and it will roll out to other markets in early 2009. The company said a version with its unlimited music download service, Comes With Music, will be available early next year.

Nokia's has much ground to make up in the touch-screen market, as the field is filled with entries from virtually every major phone manufacturer. InformationWeek writer Eric Zeman spent some time with the new handset, and you can read his thoughts here

Scary "Bailout": 32 Words That None Dare Utter

2008-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Thirty-Two Words That None Dare Utter

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/22/dirty-secret-of-the-bailo_n_128294.html

A critical - and radical - component of the bailout package proposed by the Bush administration has thus far failed to garner the serious attention of anyone in the press. Section 8 (which ironically reminds one of the popular name of the portion of the 1937 Housing Act that paved the way for subsidized affordable housing ) of this legislation is just a single sentence of thirty-two words, but it represents a significant consolidation of power and an abdication of oversight authority that's so flat-out astounding that it ought to set one's hair on fire. It reads, in its entirety:

Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency. <bold added for emphasis>

In short, the so-called "mother of all bailouts," which will transfer $700 billion taxpayer dollars to purchase the distressed assets of several failed financial institutions, will be conducted in a manner unchallengeable by courts and ungovernable by the People's duly sworn representatives. All decision-making power will be consolidated into the Executive Branch - who, we remind you, will have the incentive to act upon this privilege as quickly as possible, before they leave office. The measure will run up the budget deficit by a significant amount, with no guarantee of recouping the outlay, and no fundamental means of holding those who fail to do so accountable.

Is this starting to sound familiar? Robert Kuttner cuts through much of the gloss in an article in today's American Prospect:

The deal proposed by Paulson is nothing short of outrageous. It includes no oversight of his own closed-door operations. It merely gives congressional blessing and funding to what he has already been doing, ad hoc. He plans to retain Wall Street firms as advisors to decide just how to cut deals to value and mop up Wall Street's dubious paper. Thereare to be no limits on executive compensation for the firms that get relief, and no equity share for the government in exchange for this massive infusion of capital. Both Obama and McCain have opposed the provision denying any judicial review of decisions made by Paulson -- a provision that evokes the Bush administration's suspension of normal constitutional safeguards in its conduct of foreign policy and national security. [...]

The differences between this proposed bailout and the three closest historical equivalents are immense. When the Reconstruction Finance Corporation of the 1930s pumped a total of $35 billion into U.S. corporations and financial institutions, there was close government supervision and quid pro quos at every step of the way. Much of the time, the RFC became a preferred shareholder, and often appointed board members. The Home Owners Loan Corporation, which eventually refinanced one in five mortgage loans, did not operate to bail out banks but to save homeowners. And the Resolution Trust Corporation of the 1980s, created to mop up the damage of the first speculative mortgage meltdown, the S&L collapse, did not pump in money to rescue bad investments; it sorted out good assets from bad after the fact, and made sure to purge bad executives as well as bad loans. And all three of these historic cases of public recapitalization were done without suspending judicial review.

Kuttner's opposition here is perhaps the strongest language I've seen used, pushing back on this piece of legislation, in any publication of repute, and even here, Section 8 is not cited by name or by content. McClatchy Newspapers also alludes to Section 8 with concern, citing the "unfettered authority" that Paulson would be granted, and noting that the "law also would preclude court review of steps Paulson might take, something Joshua Rosner, managing director of economic researcher Graham Fisher & Co. in New York, said could be used to mask previous illegal activity." Jack Balkin also gives the matter the sort of attention it deserves on his blog, Balkinization.

But elsewhere, the conversation is muted. The debate over whether Congress is going to pass the Paulson bailout package, or pass the Paulson bailout package really hard seems to have boiled down to a discussion of time and concessions. The White House has made it clear that they want this package passed yesterday. Congressional Democrats seem to be of different minds on the matter, with some pushing back hard, and others content to demand a small dollop of turd polish to make the package seem more aesthetically pleasing, at which point, they'll likely roll over and pass the bill. Neither candidate, John McCain or Barack Obama, seem all that amenable toward the bailout, but neither have either demonstrated that they are willing to risk their candidacies to do much more than exploit the issue for electoral purposes.

Sunday morning came and went, with Paulson traipsing dutifully from studio to studio, facing nary a question on Section 8. Front page articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal detail the wranglings, but make no mention of this section of the legislation. On TV, cable news networks are stuck in the fog of the ongoing presidential campaign.

Throughout the coverage, one catches a whiff of what seems like substantive pushback on this power grab, but it largely amounts to a facsimile of journalistic diligence. Most note, in general terms, that the bailout represents a set of "broad powers" that will be granted to the Department of the Treasury. Yet the coverage offsets these concerns through the constant hyping of the White House's overall message of "urgency."

But one cannot overstate this: Section 8 is a singularly transformative sentence of economic policy. It transfers a significant amount of power to the Executive Branch, while walling off any avenue for oversight, and offering no guarantees in return. And if the Democrats end up content with winning a few slight concessions, they risk not putting a stop-payment on the real "blank check" - the one in which they allow the erosion of their own powers.

Over in the Senate, Christopher Dodd has proposed a bailout legislation of his own, which critically calls for "an oversight board that not only includes the chairman of the Federal Reserve and the SEC, but congressionally appointed, non-governmental officials" and would require the President to appoint an "independent inspector general to investigate the Treasury asset program." In Dodd's legislation, Section 8 is effectively stripped from the bill.

Nevertheless, the fact that Section 8 of the Paulson plan seems to strike few as a de facto dealbreaker can and should astound. The failure of Congress to hold the line on this point would be truly embarrassing. But if we make it through this week with nobody in the press specifically informing the public about the implications of this single sentence - in the middle of a complicated bill, in the middle of a complicated time - then right there, you have the single largest media failure of this year.

A critical - and radical - component of the bailout package proposed by the Bush administration has thus far failed to garner the serious attention of anyone in the press.

Democracy Alliance memo details Dem plan to "educate the idiots" and target minorities | Face the State

2008-10-01T22:50:00.001-07:00

http://facethestate.com/articles/democracy-alliance-memo-details-dem-plan-educate-idiots-and-target-minorities

Image from here

Nasdaq cancels late Google trades

2008-10-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081001153909.lhs7s6sf&show_article=1

Aggggghhh!

Google's 10th B-Day

2008-10-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.google.com/search2001.html

Have fun!

Brian Hund

brianhund@mac.com

Bankruptcy, not bailout, is the right answer

2008-09-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Editor's note: Jeffrey A. Miron is senior lecturer in economics at Harvard University. A Libertarian, he was one of 166 academic economists who signed a letter to congressional leaders last week opposing the government bailout plan.

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Congress has balked at the Bush administration's proposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. Under this plan, the Treasury would have bought the "troubled assets" of financial institutions in an attempt to avoid economic meltdown.

This bailout was a terrible idea. Here's why.

The current mess would never have occurred in the absence of ill-conceived federal policies. The federal government chartered Fannie Mae in 1938 and Freddie Mac in 1970; these two mortgage lending institutions are at the center of the crisis. The government implicitly promised these institutions that it would make good on their debts, so Fannie and Freddie took on huge amounts of excessive risk.

Worse, beginning in 1977 and even more in the 1990s and the early part of this century, Congress pushed mortgage lenders and Fannie/Freddie to expand subprime lending. The industry was happy to oblige, given the implicit promise of federal backing, and subprime lending soared.

This subprime lending was more than a minor relaxation of existing credit guidelines. This lending was a wholesale abandonment of reasonable lending practices in which borrowers with poor credit characteristics got mortgages they were ill-equipped to handle.

Once housing prices declined and economic conditions worsened, defaults and delinquencies soared, leaving the industry holding large amounts of severely depreciated mortgage assets.

The fact that government bears such a huge responsibility for the current mess means any response should eliminate the conditions that created this situation in the first place, not attempt to fix bad government with more government.

The obvious alternative to a bailout is letting troubled financial institutions declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy means that shareholders typically get wiped out and the creditors own the company.

Bankruptcy does not mean the company disappears; it is just owned by someone new (as has occurred with several airlines). Bankruptcy punishes those who took excessive risks while preserving those aspects of a businesses that remain profitable.

In contrast, a bailout transfers enormous wealth from taxpayers to those who knowingly engaged in risky subprime lending. Thus, the bailout encourages companies to take large, imprudent risks and count on getting bailed out by government. This "moral hazard" generates enormous distortions in an economy's allocation of its financial resources.

Thoughtful advocates of the bailout might concede this perspective, but they argue that a bailout is necessary to prevent economic collapse. According to this view, lenders are not making loans, even for worthy projects, because they cannot get capital. This view has a grain of truth; if the bailout does not occur, more bankruptcies are possible and credit conditions may worsen for a time.

Talk of Armageddon, however, is ridiculous scare-mongering. If financial institutions cannot make productive loans, a profit opportunity exists for someone else. This might not happen instantly, but it will happen.

Further, the current credit freeze is likely due to Wall Street's hope of a bailout; bankers will not sell their lousy assets for 20 cents on the dollar if the government might pay 30, 50, or 80 cents.

The costs of the bailout, moreover, are almost certainly being understated. The administration's claim is that many mortgage assets are merely illiquid, not truly worthless, implying taxpayers will recoup much of their $700 billion.

If these assets are worth something, however, private parties should want to buy them, and they would do so if the owners would accept fair market value. Far more likely is that current owners have brushed under the rug how little their assets are worth.

The bailout has more problems. The final legislation will probably include numerous side conditions and special dealings that reward Washington lobbyists and their clients.

Anticipation of the bailout will engender strategic behavior by Wall Street institutions as they shuffle their assets and position their balance sheets to maximize their take. The bailout will open the door to further federal meddling in financial markets.

So what should the government do? Eliminate those policies that generated the current mess. This means, at a general level, abandoning the goal of home ownership independent of ability to pay. This means, in particular, getting rid of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with policies like the Community Reinvestment Act that pressure banks into subprime lending.

The right view of the financial mess is that an enormous fraction of subprime lending should never have occurred in the first place. Someone has to pay for that. That someone should not be, and does not need to be, the U.S. taxpayer.

G1 backers tout Android’s openness - RCR Wireless News

2008-09-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

G1 backers tout Android's openness

Exec comments draw line between Android Market and Apple App Store

Colin Gibbs

Story posted: September 23, 2008 - 4:27 pm EDT

T-Mobile USA Inc.'s new G1 phone will serve as a kind of one-stop shop for Google Inc.'s mobile offerings, but the device's prospects may hinge on the success of Android Market.

The phone will integrate Google Maps (with Street View), Gmail with Contacts, Google's instant messaging service and YouTube, and will sport a dedicated key to launch the company's flagship Internet search service. Contacts, calendar entries and other offerings will be synchronized on the Web, with data stored in the cloud.

And Google has brought presence to mobile with the G1, allowing users of Google's e-mail and instant messaging services to allow friends and colleagues to see when they have limited availability.

"One of the things we're particularly proud of is that this will be the first implantation of online presence live in the phone book; Google Talk presence," said Cole Brodman, T-Mobile USA Inc.'s CTO, "so we'll be able to really start building more powerful communications services with this, as well as using messaging as a path" for other applications.

But the bulk of the G1's unveiling today in New York was spent touting Android's "openness," as highlighted by Android Market, an online storefront similar to Apple Inc.'s App Store that will offer "dozens" of applications when the G1 comes to market next month. The event spotlighted three downloadable applications that will be available for G1 users: ShopSavvy, which allows shoppers to send UPC codes with their cameraphones to compare prices; Ecorio, an environmental-minded app that lets users see their carbon footprints; and a photo-based map-creation offering called BreadCrumbz.

And the companies behind Android seem confident that third-party developers will fill in some of the gaps in the G1's services. The device doesn't fully support Microsoft Exchange or Office documents, but that disconnect "is a perfect opportunity for a third-party developer" to provide a solution, Google's Andy Rubin said.

"There's no third party there (in Android Market) to say 'You can't do that,'" ShopSavvy co-developer Jason Hudgins said during a video presentation spotlighting third-party developers during the event. "And in the end, that's going to benefit consumers, because they're going to get the best product."

Limits on openness?

Just how "open" Android Market will be remains unclear, of course. Google describes Android as a free-for-all storefront with YouTube-like ratings where developers can upload applications at will —a stark contrast to the App Store, which has seen Apple reject offerings deemed offensive or outrageously priced. But a completely unregulated storefront is sure to draw the wrath of watchdog groups and busybodies as adult content and other controversial stuff sees the light of day, potentially creating public-relations nightmares for T-Mobile USA and Google.

Regardless of whatever constraints Android Market may see, though, Google and its partners are sure to continue to woo developers with a flexible platform that should leverage impressive marketing power and big-budget developer contests. And developers — who have suddenly become the rock stars of the mobile data space — seem to be responding.

"A developer will be able to modify the platform, make the platform better," said Rubin, who serves as Google's senior director of mobile platforms. "Therefore we think that since the platform is open, Android is somewhat future-proof. It's future-proof because it has openness built in."

Verizon officially announces contract-free service

2008-09-23T09:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=5356

Verizon Wireless has announced that, starting today, it is offering consumers the ability to use its service without signing a one or two year contract. Customers that sign up for the new month to month service have the option of either paying the full retail price for purchased cell phones or they can bring their own compatible CDMA handset with them from another carrier.

Since there are no contracts to sign, customers can end their month to month agreement without any early termination fee at the end of each monthly period if they so choose. All normal Verizon voice and data plans are now available without a contract.

Google and T-Mobile USA to showcase first Android phone next week - RCR Wireless News

2008-09-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile will provide "details" on the HTC device next week, but a carrier spokeswoman would not elaborate. The most avidly sought details, of course, will be when it will be launched, how much it will cost, and what features it will offer to consumers.

The launch of the device — dubbed the "Dream," according to media reports — is important to all three players. Google seeks "eyeballs" for its mobile OS, a new area for the company to play in. For HTC, the device represents a departure from its historic devotion to using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile OS. And for T-Mobile, which is beginning to build out a 3G network, the device and its associated services may help it retain subscribers who might be tempted by other high-tech handsets at rival carriers.

The much-hyped Android operating system and its value proposition for consumers will be under a spotlight next week, as it is one of the most high-profile efforts to take Linux into the mobile handset. Inevitably, it will be compared with Research In Motion Ltd.'s proprietary BlackBerry OS, Apple Inc.'s proprietary iPhone OS and Nokia Corp.'s Symbian OS, not to mention other Linux efforts such as those by the LiMo Foundation.

Indeed, in recognition of RIM's global success, Apple's ambitious international launches and Google's long-incubated mobile plans, Nokia this summer bought Symbian outright and declared that it would make the software open source and free to handset vendors — an echo of Android's main selling points.

But Android's debut is something of a high-wire act. While it applies initially to one device at one carrier, it must demonstrate convincingly that Android offers consumer value, said one analyst.

In August, analyst Avi Greengart at Current Analysis captured the thumbs-up/thumbs down nature of Google's effort to join the mobile fray. If the handset OS does not provide "compelling" consumer value, it will "fall flat," Greengart said last month.

Android app store

There's some indication that Google has struggled with its application development efforts; by many accounts, the crucial element in any software-based endeavor is to attract as many imaginative applications as possible from the developer community. To that end, the leading OS efforts have all launched programs with financial incentives to create those applications.

In Google's case, it promised in July a new software development kit, or SDK — the main means of application development — to only the 50 winners of its Android Developer Challenge. That led to an online petition in August signed by nearly 220 developers asking for more information on the progress of the new SDK. By late August, Google released an Android SDK in beta form, with a timeline for future updates, to all interested developers.

At the end of August, Google announced that the first wave of applications would be free at its own, self-styled Android Market — a structure akin to Apple's App Store concept — with paid-for apps to come in the future.

Given the long lead time and high-profile nature of Google's efforts, the news emanating from New York on Sept. 23 will be closely followed by the wireless industry.

PRINTED FROM: http://www.rcrwireless.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080917/WIRELESS/809179991/1078/Google-and-T-Mobile-USA-to-showcase-first-Android-phone-next-week&template=printart

September Launch?

2008-09-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.androidauthority.com/index.php/2008/09/12/rubin-hoping-for-no-dud-reuters-firm-on-september-23rd-launch-date-for-htc-dream-t-mobile-g1/

Man, oh Man... I'm going to have these at the shop!

Google is getting into the Browser Business

2008-09-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Google is getting into the browser sphere

What will become of my Firefox...?

Android Marketplace

2008-08-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Android's Marketplace to compete with Apple.

Mobileburn has their take on it as well.

Sneak Peak of Android Phone

2008-08-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Cats over at androidauthority.com for this artice:

First Google Android phone bent? Wireframe of HTC G1 for T-Mobile says so

New Blackberry Pics Leaked

2008-08-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

So it looks like Expansys has leaked photos of the new Blackberry. Let me help with the distribution of said photos.

WØØT! One Step Closer

2008-08-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

Android is One Step Closer to being in hand.

Android Approaches!

2008-08-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

The SDK is out! Woohoo!

The link is a pretty good article on all that's going on.

We Come in Peace—Google's Android to Take Over the World

2008-08-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Android is coming to T-Mobile!

HTC is going to get a big bump from this!

iPhone Software Update

2008-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Wall Street Journal has an article on the new update.

But it is AT&T...

T-Mobile to compete with Apple's iPhone App Store?

2008-08-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=5074

T-Mobile to compete with Apple's iPhone App Store?

News by Michael Oryl on Friday August 08, 2008.

Is T-Mobile gearing up to compete with Apple's iPhone App Store? According to multiple unnamed sources quoted by mocoNews, that's the case.

Supposedly the plan is for developers to submit their applications to T-Mobile for placement in its new application stores, and any sales will result in a revenue split based on the type of application. Simple applications like single player games would earn the developer a larger share of the sale price, while applications that rely more heavily on T-Mobile's network (streaming TV, for example) would see T-Mobile earning a larger percentage. A quoted source says that the proposed revenue split structure is "very generous." The story also maintains that applications will be listed in order of popularity, not based on any T-Mobile bias.

The article says that T-Mobile will be opening up the decks for all of its platforms, including those on Windows Mobile, Sidekick, and the upcoming Android devices.

All of this is still rumor and speculation until T-Mobile offers up an official announcement of some sort. In the meantime, you can learn more by reading the complete mocoNews story.

OMG—Too Funny

2008-08-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d

Paris has a good comeback with this "ad".

And here's the behind the scenes.

'Major discovery' from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution - MIT News Office

2008-08-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html

Another Reason to Boycott the Olympic Games

2008-07-31T05:29:00.001-07:00

IOC agrees to Internet blocking at the Games - International Herald Tribune

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/30/business/olymedia.php

I love the athletes and the sacrifice they have made to compete in these games... But China is the antithesis of what the games represent: open competition between equals. And the Chinese want to keep the control of information away from everyone else. So freedom of information and Human Rights be Damned... The Olympics are a commercial venture now and must go on.

BS.

Brian Hund

And for all you spoilers out there, here's the opening ceremonies

AT&T Warns Customers Against P2P Usage

2008-07-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.wirelessweek.com/ATT-Warns-Against-P2P-Usage.aspx

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone

2008-07-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080711/apple_iphone.html?.v=27

Software problems bug Apple's launch of new iPhone, Apple's bid for more of wireless market

George Carlin

2008-06-30T23:56:00.001-07:00

http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/06/george-carlin-died.html

Let me collect my thoughts...

-b

Too Funny! I Love Yogurt, Too

2008-06-10T14:49:00.001-07:00

But the blatant marketing to women for one of my favorite foods has gone too far. And God Love Sarah for making this video. I truly could not have said it better myself.

Oh GOD... I am a Merchant of Death

2008-06-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pop your Pop Corn with your Cell Phone

I will be doing research to see if the American Cellular frequencies produce the same outcome.

Shameless Self Promotion!

2008-06-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've registered http://714cellular.com to forward to http://daviscommwireless.com for a couple reasons:

It's an easier name for people to type

It's an easier name for people to remember

I't's a local identifier for Orange County, CA people

More to Come!

Happy April 1st, 2008

2008-04-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

WORLD OF WARCRAFT COMING TO CONSOLES WITH MOLTEN CORE™

God Love the Kats over at Blizzard!

Make sure to check out the trailer for the "new" game!

Anyone for Guitar Hero, WoW style?

The Conference I Wish I Could've Attended

2008-03-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

My Friends in Africa seem to have ALL the fun!

Did I mention that I love SPAM?

I LOVE SPAM!!!

2008-03-01T15:33:00.001-08:00

Tell me this isn't great :-)

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ivan Stoikof <svajdova.jitka@seznam.cz>
Date: March 1, 2008 3:25:06 PM PST
Cc: recipient list not shown: ;
Subject: HELLO

HELLO
MY NAME IS SERGENT IVAN STOIKOF OF THE BULGARIAN ARMED FORCES. I WAS
STATIONED IN CAMP ASHRAF 100KM FROM THE IRANIAN BORDER IN IRAQ TILL
SEPTEMBER 2007. DURING MY LAST TOUR OF DUTY IN IRAQ, I RAN INTO A
LOOTED SAFE WITH ABOUT $7.9 MILLION DOLLARS AND SOME GOLD IN AN
INSURGENT STRONGHOLD OF THE CITY OF DIWANIYI. I CLEARED THE BUILDING
IN A MILITARY SWEEP AND SECURED THIS SAFE.

BEFORE I LEFT IRAQ, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE SAFE WITH ONE TRUSTED IMAM
WHO DOES NOT KNOW THE CONTENT OF THE SAFE.

HENCE I'M STILL IN THE ARMY AND MY SALARY WILL NOT JUSTIFY MY HAVING
THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, I'M THEREFORE LOOKING FOR AN OVERSEAS PARTNER
WHO I CAN ARRANGE TO HAVE THE SAFE SENT TO. THIS PARTNER CAN INVEST
THE MONEY AND SLOWLY SENT ME 60% OF THE SAFE CONTENT. THIS PARTNER
WILL GET TO KEEP 20% AND THE OTHER 20% WILL BE FOR ANY EXPENSES
INCURED DURING THE TRANSACTION.

IF INTRESTED PLEASE REPLY ME IMMEDIATELLY VIM EMAIL:
(ivan_stoikof@yahoo.com.hk)

THANKS
IVAN STOIKOF

Judge allows Wikileaks site to re-open

2008-03-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer
Fri Feb 29, 8:02 PM ET
A federal judge who shuttered the renegade Web site Wikileaks.org
reversed the decision Friday and allowed the site to re-open in the
United States.

In mid-February, U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White issued an
injunction against Wikileaks after the Zurich-based Bank Julius Baer
accused the site of posting sensitive account information stolen by a
disgruntled former employee.

White set off storms of protest among free-speech advocates and news
media organizations when he ordered the disabling of the entire site
rather than issuing a narrowly tailored order to remove the bank's
documents.

On Friday, the judge dropped the injunction that took the site
offline, citing First Amendment concerns and questions about legal
jurisdiction.

At a court hearing in San Francisco, White said he had "serious
questions" about whether the legal measures sought by the bank "would
be constitutionally approriate" and whether they constituted prior
restraint by the government. He also cited "possible violations of
the First Amendment."

In addition, White said he questioned the "effectiveness" of blocking
the site, an apparent reference to the fact that other Web sites
quickly obtained and disseminated the information about the bank.

The judge recognized that "the genie is out of the bottle," said Matt
Zimmerman, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, one of several organizations that filed briefs on the
case. The Associated Press and the ACLU were also among them.

"The reality of the Internet makes it difficult for him to issue an
order that will have any impact, given the fact that all the material
is already out there," Zimmerman said.

The bank sued Wikileaks and the San Mateo company Dynadot, which
provided the Web site's U.S. domain name after client information was
posted.

Dynadot agreed to shut down the Web site in exchange for the bank
removing it from the lawsuit.

The Wikileaks site claims to have posted 1.2 million leaked
government and corporate documents that it says expose unethical
behavior, including a 2003 operation manual for the U.S. prison at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

It wasn't clear whether the site would resume its operations. Hours
after the judge ruled, Wikileaks.org was still not working.

Fox News for your Phone

2008-02-29T16:37:00.001-08:00

http://www.foxnews.mobi

or text election to 36288 (FNCTV)

Black Hat Conference: Security Researchers Claim To Hack GSM Calls

2008-02-21T01:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=206800800

The creators of the in-development technology say they'll be able to crack GSM encryption with only about $1,000 worth of equipment.
By J. Nicholas Hoover, InformationWeek
Feb. 20, 2008
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206800800

Security researchers presenting Wednesday at the Black Hat D.C. conference in Washington, D.C., demonstrated technology in development that they say will be able to greatly decrease the time and money required to decrypt, and therefore snoop on, phone and text message conversations taking place on GSM networks.

Many mobile operators worldwide use GSM networks, including T-Mobile and AT&T in the United States. The 64-bit encryption method used by GSM, known as A5/1, was first cracked in theory about 10 years ago, and researchers David Hulton and Steve, who declined to give his last name, said today that expensive equipment to help people crack the encryption has been available online for about 5 years.

Until now, however, it's been prohibitively expensive for people to get their hands on this technology. If it works, the technology Hulton and Steve are developing should be able to crack GSM encryption in less than 30 minutes with about $1,000 worth of equipment, or in about 30 seconds with $100,000 worth of equipment. The technology could potentially be helpful to law enforcement investigators, but could also be taken advantage of by malicious hackers. Hulton says he plans to commercialize the more expensive version of the technology.

Other hardware Hulton and Steve referenced uses two different techniques to snoop on GSM calls and can cost between $70,000 and $1 million. So-called "active" systems simulate a GSM base station and don't rely on encryption because they trick phones into connecting to the GSM network through them. Other, so-called "passive" systems snoop on the traffic and are far more expensive.

Hutton and Steve's technology relies on the use of an array of devices known as field programmable gate arrays to first create a table of all the possible encryption keys -- in this case 288 quadrillion -- and then decrypt each of those over the course of three months. The resulting tables of keys could then be used by software to decrypt GSM communications, which first have to be intercepted using a receiver that can listen in on GSM frequencies.

During their talk, Hulton and Steve also discussed the vulnerabilities of mobile device SIM cards, noting that GSM networks broadcast SIM cards' unique IDs in unencrypted text, which can tell attackers or law enforcement what kind of phone someone is using. The GSM network also can tell snoopers how far a phone is from a base station, within 200 meters of error. They noted that SIM cards run Java Virtual Machines that operators have access to, and suggested that it could be possible for malicious attackers to install applications on user's phones without them ever knowing, potentially rerouting traffic to a third party who listens in to phone conversations.

The GSM Association, a trade group representing more than 700 GSM operators, said it could not comment on the specific claims Hulton and Steve are making. However, spokesman David Pringle said in an e-mailed statement that while researchers have showed how A5/1 could be compromised in theory, none of their academic papers have led to "practical attack capability that can be used on live, commercial GSM networks." He also noted that more advanced encryption is beginning to be deployed for GSM networks and that other networks, including 3G networks, don't use A5/1.

Get ready for the eclipse that saved Columbus

2008-02-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080218195400.xhq81wua&show_article=1

The Moon will turn an eerie shade of red for people in the western hemisphere late Wednesday and early Thursday, recreating the eclipse that saved Christopher Columbus more than five centuries ago.
In a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon are directly aligned and the Moon swings into the cone of shadow cast by the Earth.

But the Moon does not become invisible, as there is still residual light that is deflected towards it by our atmosphere. Most of this refracted light is in the red part of the spectrum and as a result the Moon, seen from Earth, turns a coppery, orange or even brownish hue.

Lunar eclipses have long been associated with superstitions and signs of ill omen, especially in battle.

The defeat of the Persian king Darius III by Alexander the Great in the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC was foretold by soothsayers when the Moon turned blood-red a few days earlier.

And an eclipse is credited with saving the life of Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1504.

Stranded on the coast of Jamaica, the explorers were running out of food and faced with increasingly hostile local inhabitants who were refusing to provide them with any more supplies.

Columbus, looking at an astronomical almanac compiled by a German mathematician, realised that a total eclipse of the Moon would occur on February 29, 1504.

He called the native leaders and warned them if they did not cooperate, he would make the Moon disappear from the sky the following night.

The warning, of course, came true, prompting the terrified people to beg Columbus to restore the Moon -- which he did, in return for as much food as his men needed. He and the crew were rescued on June 29, 1504.

The Moon will be in total eclipse from 0301 GMT to 0351 GMT. This will be visible east of the Rocky Mountains in North America, as well as in all of Central and South America, West Africa and Western Europe. The zenith of totality is close to French Guiana.

It will be in partial eclipse from 0143 GMT to 0301 GMT, visible west of the Rockies and from the eastern Pacific, and from 0351 GMT to 0509 GMT, visible across the rest of Africa and Europe and much of South and West Asia.

Under a partial eclipse, Earth's shadow, or umbra, appears to take a "bite" out of the Moon.

The last total lunar eclipse took place on August 28 2007. The next will take place on December 21 2010.

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon swings between the Earth and the Sun.

+ Further details: (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2008.html); (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=38834); and (http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/15357796.html).

Copyright AFP 2008, AFP

What A Man Really Needs

2008-02-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

From the movie Johnny Guitar.

iPhone Hack Attack

2008-02-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

God Love The Hackers!!!

Well, now it's all about speed!

How fast can YOU unlock your iPhone?

Cell Phone Karma

2008-02-07T09:31:00.000-08:00

I love This!

Domino's Viral Marketing OR Do We REALLY NEED THIS?

2008-02-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Now you can track your Pizza from the moment you call it in to the moment it hits your door.

From those cats over at Information Week's Editorial section:

Editor's Note: Web 2.0 Gone Awry: Online Pizza Tracking
Alert! Alert! Useless implementation of Web 2.0 Technology in progress. Alert!

Across the country, bleary-eyed teens and college students -- strung out from late-night Guitar Hero III marathons -- will no longer have the added worry of wondering when their Domino's pizza will be delivered. The company has debuted a new system that allows the pizza purchaser to track an order -- from the moment it's taken to preparation, baking, boxing, and delivery. This "Pizza Tracking Service" (implemented within 3,400 Domino's and in all franchises by June) is accurate up to 40 seconds.

This bit of tech wizardry gravitates into the "is this really necessary?" category. Seriously, you already know the Domino's mantra -- pizza delivered somewhere in the 30 minute time frame (little old ladies crossing the street be damned). No one can be that truly desperate/starving that they need to know the exact moment the pepperoni slices are being applied ... can they?

Chris McGlothlin, technology chief at Domino's, seems to think there's plenty of anxious customers out there. "It's an emotional roller-coaster when you order," McGlothlin says. "Customers wonder: Did they get my order? Are they taking care of me? Will it show up?"

Now, to be fair, the new Pizza Tracker also lets the user rate the experience -- the quality of the food, the delivery time, and the courtesy of the order taker and delivery person, all with the goal of improving customer service and quality. Nothing that the use of a telephone or online customer service form/e-mail address hasn't allowed before.

I'm reminded of a few years back when early Web page designers learned a whole bunch of "nifty tricks" (music, animations, etc.) and plastered their sites with them. After the initial cool factor wore off, most folks agreed that using new technology for the sake of using it does not always make a better product. IT pros preparing to implement Web 2.0 apps should really take that to heart. Before adding a new tool to the site, ask yourself, "Is this really going to improve the quality of my user's experience or are we just adding a bunch of bells and whistles because we can?"

So what do you think? Is this Pizza Tracker like a piping hot slice chased by a cold beer or akin to anchovies gilding a black olive pizza? Please come to my blog and post a comment.

Tom LaSusa
tlasusa@cmp.com
www.informationweek.com

I Thought, with the Big Game coming up 2morrow & all, this might save the day ;-p

-b

Go Out & Buy A Box!

2008-01-28T11:13:00.001-08:00

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Lego's colourful bricks that have inspired kids' imaginations worldwide celebrated their 50th anniversary Monday after resisting fierce competition from high-tech computer games that nearly brought the company down a few years ago.

On January 28, 1958, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitted a patent for the interlocking and studded plastic brick that can now be found in almost every child's toy box.

The simple building block has become one of the most well-known and popular toys in the world.

The key to its success?

"The Lego brick doesn't age with time and continues to fascinate because it allows children, and others, to develop their creativity, imagination and curiosity and let it wander free," said Charlotte Simonsen, a spokeswoman at Lego's headquarters in the western Danish town of Billund.

The family company Lego, whose name comes from the first two letters of the Danish words "Leg godt" or "play well" in English, was founded before the invention of the famous block, by Ole Kristiansen in 1932.

The company's iconic toy allows an infinite number of assembly combinations. With just two bricks there are 24 different combinations, and with six there are 915 million possibilities, according to Lego.

A half-century after its creation, more than 400 million children and adults play each year with the bricks, spending five billion hours a year putting them together and pulling them apart.

The bricks made today can still interlock with those made in the first batch in 1958, note avid Lego fans.

And make no mistake about it, Lego bricks are not just child's play -- they also capture the imagination of adults.

South Korean adventurer Heo Young-Ho, who climbed Mount Everest in 1987, left a Lego toy behind in the snow after his ascent.

"I've kept a box in the attic with Lego from my childhood. They never go out of style and they box is full of memories of long hours spent building things with my friends," said 21-year-old Alexander.

Primo, Quatro, Duplo, Toolo, Technic, Mindstorm... New Lego bricks have been developed throughout the years to suit the needs of babies and adolescents, the pieces' perfect fit making piracy difficult.

After its planetary success, Lego experienced a severe crisis at the end of the 1990s, hit hard by fierce competition from interactive electronic and computer games which brought the Danish company to its knees for the first time in its history.

Named "Toy of the Century" in 1999 by US business magazine Fortune, Lego suffered through a dark period that last several years that risked relegating the plastic brick to the history books.

The company had diversified into theme parks and branded products, including clothing, books, watches and multimedia games, but reported millions of dollars (euros) in losses in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004.

Some experts were quick to eulogize the colourful brick, including educationalist and toy researcher Torben Hangaard Rasmussen.

"Lego bricks belong to the industrial era when children liked to build things, playing wannabe engineers. Nowadays, the most popular toys are inspired by the virtual world," he said in 2004.

Then, at the height of Lego's crisis, owner and chief executive officer Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen tried to get a hold on the situation and save the family business from bankruptcy, injecting more than 800 million kroner (158 million dollars, 107 million euros) of his personal fortune into the business.

Several months later he resigned as chief executive, handing over the reins to 35-year-old Joergen Vig Knudstorp, who brought a breath of fresh air to the company. Determined to bring the company back to financial stability, he proceeded to lay off staff, focus on core operations and close down production sites.

The company began to prosper again, and in 2006 it posted sales of 7.8 billion kroner (1.04 billion euros, 1.5 billion dollars) in 130 countries and a 1.4 billion kroner net profit.

Seven boxes of Lego are sold every second around the world, and 19 billion components are produced each year -- enough to wrap around the Earth's circumference five times.

Think Twice About that Drink!

2008-01-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not talking about Adult Beverages... I'm talking about that glass
in your hotel room.

Take a look at this video. I might start bring up own cups and stashing them next time I travel!

Fight Snoring?!?!

2008-01-11T10:32:00.001-08:00

Treat Sleep Apnea with a Didgeridoo

"A didgeri-what?" you ask. While aborigines in Australia have been
playing this long wooden trumpet for centuries, it's just recently
been redefined as a modern-day medical device. Researchers reporting
in the British Medical Journal evaluated 25 people with sleep apnea--
a breath-stealing condition caused by flabby throat muscles--and
found that those who took 4 months of didgeridoo (DIH-jeh-ree-doo)
lessons had about 31/2 times less daytime sleepiness than the folks
who didn't blow their own horns. The newly minted musicians also
snored significantly less. Credit this uncommon cure to vibrations
that exercise tissue in the mouth and throat, says researcher Milo
Puhan, Ph.D. "When these muscles are strengthened, the tongue has
less tendency to obstruct the airway."

From: http://body.aol.com/health/cures-uncommon

The Best Laid Plans..

2008-01-09T22:45:00.001-08:00

These Contractors are installing the steel pillars in concrete to stop vehicles from parking on the pavement outside a Sports Bar downtown.
They are now in the process of cleaning up at the end of the day and anxious to go home.

Brian
Thanks To Allen C for the Fwd

New Cellular Phone Laws that Go Into Effect July 1, 2008

2007-12-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/

Now you know HOW MUCH I Love Nokia...

2007-12-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

But I must be objective when I report that the Nokia 6133 has an issue with dialing... I'll allow others to leave their feelings about this.
Why, here's an example of a disconcerted customer (and loyal one @ that) of Nokia products:

Please leave your own thoughts.

The new definition of a Hill-Billy

2007-12-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong...

New phone device allows you to 'speak' through your ear

2007-12-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

New phone device allows you to 'speak' through your ear
Dec 18 10:00 AM US/Eastern

A Japanese company Tuesday unveiled a new device that will allow people "speak" through their ear so they can use their mobile telephones in noisy places.

The device -- named "e-Mimi-kun" (good ear boy) -- doubles as an earphone and a microphone by detecting air vibrations inside the ear, developer NS-ELEX Co. said.

The earpiece and an accompanying device can be connected to a mobile phone, or wirelessly to a Bluetooth handset, so that users no longer have to cover their mouths when speaking in a loud environment, the company said.

Exterior noise is reduced six-fold by the earpiece, it said, while a chip developed by Sanyo Electric for the accompanying device reduces sound levels ten-fold, it added.

NS-ELEX believes the product would be useful for people working in places such as factories, restaurants and amusement parks.

Copyright AFP 2007, AFP stories and photos shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium

Kids, Don't Try This: Snorting わさび

2007-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Wow... I've eaten large amounts of wasabi, but this takes the cake!

Wasabiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Outside Phoenix store, border debate rages on

2007-12-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

Outside Phoenix store, border debate rages on

Emotional protests at local battleground mirror national fight

Casey Newton
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 9, 2007 12:00 AM

On East Thomas Road in Phoenix, the national shouting match over immigration unfolds week by week in a neighborhood that has changed in the same ways Arizona has.

Sheriff's deputies patrol the parking lot at M.D. Pruitt's Home Furnishings each Saturday, ensuring that no day laborers trespass on the property. Day-labor advocates mount protests nearby, blaring Mexican folk music while children dressed in traditional garb dance on the sidewalk.

Pruitt's opened 57 years ago, but only recently did day laborers gather in large numbers to seek work on the sidewalks and parking lots of nearby businesses. The subdivisions that stretch back from Thomas Road have seen more and more Hispanic families arrive, changing the character of the neighborhood.
A compromise that would have given illegal immigrants a way to become citizens fell apart in Congress earlier this year amid angry protests.

Since then, the battle has only grown angrier. Citizens furious over government inaction have called for the border to be sealed and for more illegal immigrants to be deported. The battle lines have been drawn.

In Phoenix, those lines lead straight to 35th Street and Thomas, where the owners of a family furniture store say they struggle to understand how such a divisive battle ever erupted in front of their showroom.

After weeks of keeping his distance, Phoenix's mayor now says he's prepared to enter the fray. He wants to sit down with the Pruitt's owners and the laborers' spokesman to develop a solution to the escalating conflict.

But until a compromise is reached, some involved in the protests worry the conflict could boil over into violence.

A changing neighborhood

Milton Dewey "Dee" Pruitt, who had worked for J.C. Penney and Montgomery Ward, started his furniture business in his garage in 1950.

He took $64, bought two Serta mattresses and a two-wheel trailer to deliver them, and made his first sale through a classified ad in The Arizona Republic.

Later that year, as his business grew, Pruitt bought the lot on Thomas Road. Pruitt's grew into one of the largest home-furnishings stores in the Southwest, fueled by the state's explosive population growth.

Pruitt ran the store for 25 years before it was eventually sold to Roger Sensing, who had leased space inside Pruitt's store as a carpet installer and retailer.

Sensing and his son, Michael, have run the business since 1982.

The store thrived. But at the end of the last decade, some important moves by other businesses shook up the status quo.

The Home Depot on Thomas Road moved from 32nd Street to 36th Street, preserving the original Thomas location as a contractors' warehouse.

With two sources of ready employment located just blocks from each other, day laborers flocked to the neighborhood.

For a time, the jornaleros congregated mostly at the new Home Depot. When Home Depot cracked down on the laborers in 2005, they moved closer to Pruitt's.

In an interview Friday, Michael Sensing said the laborers frequently used the Pruitt's parking lot as a place to find work.

They would approach Pruitt's customers in their vehicles. Female customers shopping alone complained about feeling intimidated by the laborers, Sensing said.

When Sensing hired off-duty police to patrol his lot, laborer advocate Salvador Reza began staging weekly protests, accusing the Sensings of harassment. Reza insists that no day laborers trespassed at Pruitt's.

Gordon's staff worked with the Sensings and with Reza to broker a truce. On Dec. 6 of last year, after negotiations between the men, Pruitt's agreed to stop hiring the police patrols. In return, Reza agreed to work with the laborers to keep them off Thomas and pledged to help create a day-labor center.

For a while, the truce worked. But for a variety of reasons, which remain in dispute, the day-labor center never materialized.

This spring, the day laborers returned to Thomas Road, numbering around 140 a day, according to a log Sensing keeps. Although they stayed off Pruitt's property, they were close enough that the Sensings were concerned that past problems would re-emerge.

When Phoenix refused to send off-duty officers to the site, the Sensings turned to Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

Sensing said his father asked Arpaio only to patrol the area and enforce no-trespassing laws. But during the Sheriff's Office's first weekend on patrol, deputies arrested six illegal immigrants.

Reza felt the truce had been broken and resumed his protests. The Sensings hired off-duty sheriff's deputies, and since then they have worked only when Reza and his followers are protesting, Sensing said.

If Reza would stop protesting, Sensing said, he would happily stop hiring the deputies. Reza said Sensing has to quit hiring the deputies first.

After all, each deputy costs the Sensings $30 an hour,and with the housing-market slump and the hundreds of protesters outside Pruitt's each Saturday, the furniture business hasn't exactly been booming.

What really keeps Michael Sensing up at night, he said, is the thought that people may think of his family as racists.

"Even walking through the store, going out to lunch or dinner, if I'm passing someone who's Hispanic, I'm thinking, do they think I'm racist?" said Sensing, whose staff is about 55 percent Hispanic. "It's really sad. We feel like we've been a good part of this community."

Pruitt's new neighbors

Changes to the neighborhood around Pruitt's owed as much to changing demographics as they did to a new Home Depot.

Between 1990 and 2000, the square-mile area north and south of Pruitt's saw the Hispanic population jump from 17 percent to 45 percent, according to Census data. During the same time, the White population dropped from 76 percent to 45 percent.

The shift worried homeowner Tim Maes, who moved to Northeast Village in 1986.

The neighborhood, just southeast of Pruitt's, was characteristic of east Phoenix at the time. The homes were well made, centrally located and cheap - about $60,000 when Maes moved there with his wife.

The Maeses found themselves living among the neighborhood's original homeowners, who had mostly retired by then, and other young Anglo families just starting out.

Then the day laborers came. Once, he said, two laborers peeked through their front window, scaring their young son.

Later, small items began disappearing from nearby homes. A neighbor doing yard work would go inside to take a phone call and return to find his lawnmower had been stolen. Neighbors blamed the laborers.

At the same time, Maes' neighborhood became the laborers' neighborhood, too. He saw the jornaleros move into the houses once occupied by the retirees, whose children had turned them into rentals after their parents died. Other laborers moved into nearby apartment complexes.

Pruitt's customer base grew to about 25 percent Hispanic, according to Sensing, and he began marketing to them.

As more customers began speaking Spanish, so did the signs on the storefronts on Thomas Road. Nowadays, when Maes orders a pizza from a neighborhood restaurant, he relies on the Spanish he picked up on playgrounds growing up on Phoenix's west side.

It's no wonder, he says, that a cultural conflict has erupted.

"The neighborhood's changing," said Maes, now a network administrator. "There are some people who don't like that. And there are some things about it that I don't like. But I think change is inevitable. When the complexion of a community changes, there is going to be conflict."

For protesters on both sides, the conflict at Pruitt's has taken on an importance far greater than the fate of a single furniture store.

Reza, an immigrant-rights organizer with the nonprofit Tonatierra, said he organized protests initially in response to ongoing harassment of day laborers by local businesses. Laborers say Roger Sensing antagonized them, photographing them and chasing them away from businesses in the surrounding area. The Sensings deny this.

"He is a man with a mission," Reza said of Roger Sensing. "And the mission is to rid the whole place of jornaleros."

Reza said a day-labor center, like the one he runs at 25th Street and Bell Road, is the only long-term solution.

"The thing is, there's nobody willing to create a work center in the area," Reza said.

Reza takes pains to say he does not support illegal immigration. But he also notes with evident pride that of the 44 people Arpaio's deputies had deported from near Pruitt's as of last week, about half have already returned across the border illegally, some with friends.

Reza and his supporters share the sidewalks with counter-protesters.

To them, Reza and the laborers are flaunting the revolving door at the border. That has led to fiery rhetoric from those now descending on Pruitt's to demonstrate.

"The confrontation has now become essentially a do-or-die situation for both sides, with implications far beyond illegal day labor," wrote Danny Smith of the American Freedom Riders motorcycle club, in a recent message rallying supporters. "This is no longer a mere skirmish, it is a major battle which we cannot afford to lose. We have succeeded in taking it to a national level of visibility, and now there is no turning back - WE MUST WIN."

For the motorcycle club, a win would be Phoenix agreeing to eliminate police Operations Order 1.4, which prevents police in most cases from asking about a person's immigration status. Gordon proposed this last week, and the policy is now under review.

The mayor weighs in

From the start of the conflict, people hoping to resolve the dispute have sought the help of the mayor.

But since helping to broker the truce last year, Gordon has largely kept his distance. His perceived lack of action drew criticism from all sides, including threats of a recall by the conservative Washington think tank Judicial Watch.

The pressure to act was one of the factors that pushed Gordon to reverse himself last week on Operations Order 1.4. On Thursday, Gordon said he was prepared to enter the fray at Pruitt's as well.

"Enough is enough," he said.

Gordon told The Republic he would offer to meet with the Sensings and Reza jointly in an effort to hammer out a long-term agreement.

"I'm asking both sides to provide me, in advance, with a specific list of what it is that each of them want - what benchmarks we're working toward," Gordon said. "I will sit down with them as soon as they can get here and work long days, evenings and weekends to help them end this."

If the sides can't reach an agreement, Gordon said, he will ask them to enter into binding arbitration with an independent hearing officer.

As the conflict escalates, Gordon is determined to prevent Phoenix from experiencing the racial strife that has plagued New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and other major American cities.

"We're not going to end up with the history other cities have had," Gordon said. "We have to get through this. We have to do everything we can to remember that this is a caring city that doesn't tolerate hatred and extremism."

Ryan Konig contributed to this article.

Google v Wikipedia

2007-12-15T15:51:00.000-08:00

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3054287.ece?print=yes&randnum=1197762567634

Google to tackle Wikipedia with new knowledge service

by Rhys Blakely

Google is to go head-to-head with Wikipedia, the web's largest reference work, in a clash of two of the internet's most powerful brands.

A new Google service, dubbed knol, will invite "people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative article about it", Udi Manber, a Google engineer, said.

Like Wikipedia, articles in knol (the name derives from "knowledge") will be free to read online. In a departure from the nonprofit Wikipedia model, however, knol's authors will be able to attach advertising to their work and take a share of revenues.

"The goal is for knols [individual articles] to cover all topics, from scientific concepts to entertainment," Mr Manber said. The project is the latest to distance Google from its roots in internet search and pitch it against well-established rivals in a new sector. The company recently squared up to the mobile phone industry by unveiling its own operating system for hand-held devices. It is also set to bid for a portion of America's airwaves that it could use to build a wireless broadband network.

The creation of knol, at present in an invitation-only test phase but likely to be open to the public within months, will set two of the web's titans against each other.

In October, Wikipedia, which relies on donations for funds, was visited by 107 million people, or a third of the "active global internet population", according to Nielsen Online, the analyst. That made it the eighth most-visited online destination.

Google's search engine was the world's most popular site, with more than 260 million users, although its own reference work, Google Scholar, was only fifteenth in its class, with about 4.5 million users. Google, which says that it exists "to organise the world's information and make it universally useful and accessible", suggested that knol was designed to stamp out the malicious entries that have blighted Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia that "anybody can edit".

"We believe that knowing who wrote what will significantly help users make better use of web content," Google said. The company noted that it "will not serve as an editor in any way and will not bless any content. All editorial responsibilities and control will rest with the authors." Contributors will retain the copyright to their submissions.

However, as well as being ranked by readers, content will be ranked by the Google search engine, which will be the most important access point to the site. Mr Manber said: "A knol is meant to be the first thing someone who searches for this topic for the first time will want to read."

Jimmy Wales, the Wikipedia founder, who recently launched a rival search engine to Google's, questioned whether knol would be able to generate enough "quality content". He also suggested that knol articles would lack balance. "They are not going to allow collaboration and aren't going to go for Wikipedia's neutral style," he said.

Where Wikipedia promotes collaboration between authors, knol looks set to foster rivalry. Contributors to knol will not be able to contribute anonymously and will not be able to edit each other's work, two defining characteristics of Wikipedia. Whereas on Wikipedia, readers find only one entry on, say, the First World War, on knol authors will submit separate pieces that will compete for advertising dollars.

Wikipedia, founded in 2001, has more than eight million articles in 253 languages, from Afrikaans to Zazaki. In contrast to Google, it has refused to alter its policies to operate in different countries, which has led it to being blocked in states such as China.

Have A Little Talk With Jesus

2007-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

At this time of year, I thought I'd reflect upon the real meaning of
the season with a little story:

Many times when I am troubled or confused, I find comfort in
sitting in my back yard and having a Jack Daniels on the rocks
along with a quiet conversation with Jesus. Recently, this
happened to me again after a particularly difficult day and I want
to tell you about it.

I said, "Jesus, why do I work so hard?"

And I heard the reply: "Men find many ways to demonstrate the
love they have for their family. You work hard to have a peaceful,
beautiful place for your friends and family to gather."
I said: "I thought that money was the root of all evil."

And the reply was: "No, the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
Money is a tool; it can be used for good or bad."

I was starting to feel better, but I still had that one burning
question, so I asked it. "Jesus,"; I said, "What is the meaning of
life? Why am I here?"

He replied, "That is a question many men ask. The answer is in
your heart and is different for everyone. I would love to chat with
you some more, Señor, but now, I have to finish your lawn."

;-) Best Wishes,

Brian Hund,
http://brianhund.com
http://brianhund.blogspot.com

iDrudgeReport.com

2007-12-05T10:23:00.001-08:00

http://www.idrudgereport.com/

Nokia's "free" Comes with Music... and DRM and hidden fees - Engadget

2007-12-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/05/nokias-free-comes-with-music-and-drm-and-hidden-fees/

Google to Bid for Wireless Spectrum: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

2007-12-01T11:13:00.001-08:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071201/google_spectrum.html?.v=2

Cell phone may have killed SKorean man - Yahoo! News

2007-11-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_hi_te/skorea_mobile_phone_explosion_2

Google expands into alternative energy - Yahoo! News

2007-11-28T12:55:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_hi_te/google_green_power_2

The Zig's Last Show Tuesday 11/13/07

2007-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Get on the Mailing list!
See if he's still on KFI.

Thank You John for all your work.

Breitbart has got the last little bit of the show here.

Emergency Power & Make sure to Thank a Veteran Today

2007-11-12T09:53:00.003-08:00

How To Power Your TV With One AAA Battery

Add to My Profile | More Videos
I just thought this was too cool :-)

Make sure to Thank a Veteran Today!

Brian
PS-No, I didn't geek out and post this on the 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month, but this post was saved on Veteran's Day (Observed) here in the US of A, thank you very much!

-b

!

Post Post Script
Omen?

From B-Dog to the Big Dog

2007-11-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems with all the gloom and doom going on in the world that a light hearted story should get some attention.

I've had friends have Great Danes & I've had a Chihuahua... So I appreciate this story Soooo Much!

Cheers,

Brian

Google is in the Cell Game

2007-11-05T19:06:00.000-08:00

Long Rumored that Google has been muling around with the idea that it was going mobile, Reuters has got the Scoop. It looks like they'll be using Android...

Stay Tuned.

Brian

Jack is Back & Free Taco

2007-10-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

24 is back in January '08

Also, Thanks to the Steal in the World Series, Taco Bell is giving away a FREE TACO. Here's the legal.

Cheers from Brian Hund!

SoCal is on FIRE

2007-10-23T12:01:00.001-07:00

Google Maps has a view of the all the fires:

View Larger Map

Here's a link to KFI AM640 for more links.
Also check out this view from space.

San Diego fire update Here.

Save M O N E Y on 411

2007-10-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Call Google's Free 411 Service and save money on your cell phone bill ($1.49+ in most cases)!

And don't forget to check out my website, brianhund.com to spend all that money you're saving ;-)

Don't Update Your Unlocked iPhone!

2007-09-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here's an article about how the new update will re-lock your iPhone.

iPhone Unlocking Service

2007-09-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been keeping it under the radar for a while now, but I can now get the iPhone Unlocked via software–not that gruesome hardware lock you've read about. Email me for more details.

9/22/07 Update:
I've confirmed the T-Mobile settings for internet access & have got everything up and running! Email me when you're ready to be iFree!

Google SMS Services A Client Request

2007-09-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

You'd Think that I own stock in Google the way I plug them...

Here's the link for Google's SMS services... Everything from flight info to directions to movie listings.

I hope this helped,

Brian

Mac or PC

2007-09-10T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mac or PC - Music Video

Too Funny

This Blog is made on a MAC!

Pig Skin Meets Onion Skin

2007-09-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, those zany cats over at The Onion have put their spin on Fantasy Football

Too Funny. Enjoy!

The iLock Has Been Broken

2007-08-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems a 17 year old hacker has UNLOCKED THE iPHONE!!!

God Bless & Keep Him!

Thanks to Drudge for the link.

Update

Thanks to Tom for the update on the software unlock solution.