by David Seaman



News Corporation chief executive and chairman Rupert Murdoch lashed out on Twitter against the changing tide of public opinion with regards to SOPA and PIPA. In this video post, SG Political Contributor David Seaman talks about why big media corporations such as Fox and Disney support these ugly sister acts, and gives us an overview of yesterday's day of internet action against them.

He also gives us an update on NDAA - one of the most treasonous bills ever signed into law by Congress according to some – and points us in the direction of the grass roots groups who are seeking to recall every congressman that supported it. Also, David talks about last night's NDAA segment on Coast to Coast, in which he participated.

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David Seaman is an independent journalist. He has been a lively guest on CNN Headline News, FOX News, ABC News Digital, among others, and on his humble YouTube channel, DavidSeamanOnline. Some say he was recently censored by a certain large media corporation for posting a little too much truth... For more, find him on G+ and Twitter.

Related Posts:
NDAA And Occupy Congress: What If You Now Live In A Dictatorship, And No One Told You?

While, as a subscriber funded site, we cannot blackout on #J18, we would like to express our profound gratitude and support to those that do. Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, CraigsList, BoingBoing, RawStory, and YourAnonNews are among the 7,000+ sites that are going dark or marking their opposition to SOPA in some form.

Many internet users know SuicideGirls as a pinup site, but, as a social network that predates both MySpace and Facebook, much of our content is user generated. Under the restrictive and open-ended terms of SOPA it would be virtually impossible for us to operate. It would be an utterly impractical and economically unviable task to police the providence of all the content our users upload and the links they post prior to publishing, and being forced to do so would seriously stifle the free speech our members currently enjoy.

Despite reports to the contrary, SOPA is far from dead, and there are powerful lobbying groups with deep pockets working to ensure it passes in some shape or form. Please join us and voice your opposition to SOPA and its sister act PIPA.

SuicideGirls
XOX

By David Seaman

Judge Napolitano on FOX Business Network has a great on-air rhetorical device, "What if?"

I'm going to blatantly steal -- er, borrow -- that device for this column because it does a brilliant job of covering one's ass completely, while still pointing out obvious truths. Here goes, take a deep breath.

WHAT IF your government has lost all legitimacy to lead?

WHAT IF the media, once the American people's last safeguard against corruption, is now corruption personified?

WHAT IF there was a protest of thousands of people converging on Capitol Hill tonight, January 17th, 2012, and the corporate broadcast media barely even mentioned it as of 1:12pm Eastern, save for a below-the-fold hat tip on msnbc.com?

WHAT IF there is a quiet battle brewing right now between dying TV broadcasting dinosaurs, and vibrant Internet companies like Google, Facebook, and Reddit?

WHAT IF that battle finally becomes public knowledge tomorrow morning, when the homepage of Google.com will display a message blasting the SOPA/PIPA Internet censorship legislation that Congress seems absolutely hell-bent on passing in one way or another, regardless of how many phone calls they receive from outraged constituents.

WHAT IF there was a separate battle, waged online and via telephone by tens of thousands of Americans...a battle we've already lost?

WHAT IF that battle was a desperate cry against the NDAA's indefinite detention provisions, which President Obama quietly signed into law on New Year's Eve, while the rest of us were drunk and distracted?

WHAT IF, as a result, your own government -- according to some of the planet's foremost legal minds -- now has the very real ability to detain you without trial, access to an attorney, and without bringing formal charges against you.

WHAT IF suspicion alone is enough.

AND WHAT IF some government insiders, such as Colin Powell's former chief of staff, have gone on record stating they believe this indefinite detention power will be used to silence political protesters, including Occupiers.

Makes today's Occupy Congress seem rather important given all of that context, no? So where's the media attention?

***

Image courtesy of Dustin M. Slaughter

View #Occupy Congress live via Livestreams from citizen journalists @TimCast, @OccupyFreedomLA, @Punkboyinsf, and @OakFoSho

David Seaman is an independent journalist and has been a lively guest on CNN Headline News, FOX News, ABC News Digital, among others, and on his humble YouTube channel, DavidSeamanOnline. Some say he was recently censored by a certain large media corporation for posting a little too much truth... For more, find him on G+ and Twitter.

by RedBstrd

Recently, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Moscow, Russia to voice discontent with parliamentary elections that they argue - with good reason - were rigged. These protests have attracted notice from both an international audience and the Kremlin - which claims that they represent unrest spurred on by foreign agitators within the US State Department, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Unlike much of the protest within Russia since 1991, those who added their voices to the calls for new elections were not simply Communist Party pensioners railing against a social system which has no use for the elderly. Instead, the 60,000 protesters tended to be young, college educated, and organizing through social networking sites.

While the numbers on Prospekt Akademika Sakharova seem to have fallen short of the 120,000-200,000 turnout figures that some activists have offered, these protests are the largest that Russia has seen since the end of the Soviet system. Likewise, they are the longest lived, snowballing from small rallies into the mass protests in Moscow's Bolotnaia Square on December 10th and the even larger December 24th protest. Incensed at the results from the December 4th parliamentary results, which emerged amid a storm of Youtube videos of ballot-stuffing, Russian blogger Aleksei Navalny helped organize a rally against Putin's United Russia party, which he labeled "the party of crooks and thieves." This rally attracted a few thousand people and drew condemnation from government officials. Navalny became an internet sensation when Duma member Konstantin Rykov labeled the blogger a "cocksucking sheep." Whether by accident or hack, President Medvedev's twitter account repeated the slur. A number of these smaller protests led to the December 10th mass rally, which drew praise from famous Russians such as Gorbachev and Kasparov, and encouraged similar protests in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, and many other Russian cities. The celebrity voices were joined by Russians less well known outside of the country, such as Boris Nemtsov (a liberal politician), Boris Akunin (an author), and Aleksei Kudrin (the former finance minister).

The election results were a clear rebuke to Vladimir Putin, offering only 49% of the popular vote and barely over 50% of the parliamentary seats to United Russia, despite over 5300 cases of documented voting fraud (according to Russian election monitor Golos) and implausible turnout. According to official numbers, for instance, the war-torn Chechnya had a 99% turnout and 99% of those who voted did so for United Russia, including 90% of those registered for the social democratic A Just Russia party.



[ Image: Saddam Hussein would be jealous of the 146% turnout depicted here. Source.]

By the official count nationwide, Putin's United Russia won half of the vote, trailed by the Communist Party in second place (with 19% of the vote), A Just Russia (the social democratic party) in third place with 13% of the vote, and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (a right-wing nationalist party) in fourth place with 12% of the vote. The liberal party, Yabloko (Apple), failed to meet the 5% Duma threshold, securing only 3% of the vote. While these numbers are unreliable due to the widespread fraud, they represent a nearly 15% drop in United Russia's control over parliamentary seats (from 64% to 50%) since 2007. While 2011 has turned out to be an important year in protest and mass politics, the drop in support for Putin among Russians over the last four years is remarkable.



The Background

Much of the reason why Putin's popularity has dropped in recent years and months can be explained through two articles drafted for the occasion of 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Coinciding nicely with the outbreak of protest in Russia, historian and "Sovietologist" Stephen Cohen and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev each drafted an article for the occasion for The Nation. What they write likely comes as a surprise to American readers, who have been subjected to two decades of triumphalist narration claiming that the Soviet Union collapsed due to its inability to keep up with Reagan's military spending (they never tried to do so), economic collapse (the economy was stagnant, not in crisis until the market reforms), or democratic/nationalist revolution (even today the majority of Russians regret the breakup of the Soviet Union as a political entity). 


Cohen writes:




Elsewhere, he adds:




Likewise, Gorbachev explained:


Whatever feelings individuals may have about the plausibility of a Soviet reformation, what is important for understanding the subsequent two decades of political and economic life in Russia is acknowledging that the breakup of the USSR was the result of a small group of political elites for their own interest. While their goals lined up with those of many Western observers, the pro-market "shock therapy" was deeply unpopular in Russia. In fact, a constitutional crisis broke out in late 1993 after the Duma rejected Yeltsin's nomination of Egor Gaidar as prime minister - due to his support for Yeltsin's economic plan. Yeltsin won the constitutional struggle by calling on the army to suppress and abolish the Duma with force - something not within his constitutional authority.



Yeltsin's actions were, according to Cohen: 


There's no surprise regarding the kind of system which emerged out of a neo-liberal president who was willing to order military force against an intransigent parliament: Russia became an even more corrupt state, one marked with endemic organized crime and systemic benefits to the nomenklatura who were able to seize public assets without fair market competition. In major ways, the Russian state mirrors those of the regimes challenged by the Arab Spring: it is deeply undemocratic, is built upon a massive disparity of wealth, demands civic non-participation in politics, and is helplessly corrupt. In fact, it's really only surprising that the public has taken so long to mobilize against the Russian state in mass protest.



Despite the overlap in imagery of Russian gangsters, this picture of political and economic life contrasts strongly with the mythology underwriting Western applause for the Yeltsin reformation of Russia. Still, this history is essential for understanding the political and economic system still in place in Russia and what unofficial contract developed between Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, and the public over the past decade.



Cowed by the use of military force on the Duma and free of the mobilization campaigns of the Soviet period, older generations had sank into non-involvement in politics in the 1990s. While they often did not welcome the turmoil of the early Yeltsin years, they also had next to nothing to lose after the economic collapse accompanying the breakup of the Soviet Union and no ability to challenge the force of the army. Putin offered no major adjustment to the Yeltsin system in relation to public control over economics or politics. However, when Putin's two terms as president (from 1999 to 2008) ended, he had ruled over almost a decade of consistent economic growth. Russians had few illusions regarding their system: it was set up to benefit the few, but their surrender of political activity and say in the economy was finally being bought with very real increases in pension sizes, real wages, and life expectancy. 



The popularity of Putin and United Russia began to plummet in a manner easily recognizable to many in the United States: during the current economic crisis, the Kremlin used its emergency funds to bail out the wealthy, including oil barons. Ordinary people (and indeed industries such as the automobile industry) saw little remedy from state actions and found themselves struggling more desperately for public or private resources. Meanwhile, individuals who faced injustice from the social and legal systems of Russia found supporters from those who felt that they were likewise wronged. In general, critics of the government felt that their contract with the government (political inactivity in exchange for benevolent policies) was not being honored. Unsurprisingly, the public - emboldened by global protest - began demanding that the government honor its unofficial promises, step down, or offer comparable concessions.


Immediately after the December 4th elections, in a disgusting but informative example, Russian nationalists took the opportunity to stage anti-immigration rallies over a few days. These embryonic rallies faced rival pro-Kremlin rallies but contributed to the anti-government, anti-corruption sentiment which exploded on the 10th.


What to Expect

Rallies during the Arab Spring exceeded the expectations that most of us would have wagered on only a few months prior to their outbreak. Unfortunately, the protest movements in Russia do not seem to offer the same prospects of success. The opposition movements lacks the institutional and economic base necessary for challenging United Russia within official channels of power. An electoral recount, for instance, will only take place if Putin and Medvedev decide that such a thing is in their best long term interests. On the streets, prospects look equally bleak in the short term: the oppositions are splintered into three major groups (Communists, social democrats, and nationalists), without a strong liberal bloc. While a Communist-nationalist alliance might be strategic (along the lines of the Patriots of Russia party or the anti-European Union alliances of the early 2000s), it would sit poorly with liberals and a social democratic-liberal alliance would not be able to outnumber United Russia even assuming that the ruling party only legitimately won a third of the vote. Navalny may unite nationalists and liberals into an anti-government front - albeit a scary one.

Fortunately, the opposition movements have neither called for nor initiated violence, aside from Navalny's violent rhetoric. Likewise, the state has not felt threatened enough to opt for such a solution either.


In the short term, my best prediction is that the Kremlin will continue to offer limited reforms through Medvedev while relying on their control over media, voting regulations, and police force to ensure that Putin wins the presidential election. As long as United Russia can offer the illusion of the possibility of playing the reforming Medvedev against the hard line Putin, the party can gamble against radical actions by the public and try to make gradual concessions to the public on the party's terms.



In the long term, however, I suspect that Putin's reign is entering its twilight. Voters are moving into larger political parties (especially compared to 2003), some of which may be able to challenge United Russia in the near future. Likewise, the opposition is gaining public personalities which can rival Putin on an individual level. Aleksei Navalny is the most notable of these rivals at the moment. Though his prior participation in the liberal Yabloko party was largely ineffective, he has an undeniable charisma and has shown himself to be competent in mobilizing the youth. Personalities don't always make politics, but they can transform protest votes (which I think the 2011 votes largely were) into enthusiastic political participation or, alternately, into fund raising. A strong liberal candidate might be something of a kingmaker in the next decade, either forming a successful coalition with the social democrats or in forcing United Russia to transform itself from a party dedicated to protecting the privileges of a small nomenklatura into a liberal-conservative party more typical of Western political parties. While Putin will remain a major figure in Russian politics for years to come, the nature of his presence will likely change incrementally so that his personal voice will diminish and power will be shared more widely than the present circle of elites who dictate policy in the nation.

by Zach Roberts

There are many different kinds of press that cover OWS: the citizen journalist (personal blog, CNN ireporter/scab), the streamer (Livestream, Ustream, etc.), the social media micro-blogger/tweeter, and the pros who make their living from it. This may be one of the first large stories that all four types have worked together on for the most part with a common goal - getting the word out. It's tough, there's many factors working against all of us - the weather, the time of day, and the biggest problem - the police. Whatever your level, I’ve compiled a list of equipment that’ll keep you and what you’re witnessing covered.



1. Like the OWS protestor, Occupy journalists are at risk from pepper spray and tear gas - but we need to keep on working through it. A face mask with full facepiece that has a large unobstructed viewing area is therefore a great accessory to have on hand.

2. Come rain or shine journalists need to be there - and so does our gear. Pics or it didn't happen - that's the mantra. So you'll need some rain covers. There are more expensive ones out there, but they take up room in your bag and once they're wet you can't put them back in your bag. The great thing about these is once the sun is shining again you can just chuck them in the trash - or hang them to dry if you're a hippy.

3. Whether you're a social journo or a pro, you'll need to be tweeting/texting your followers/editors. And unless you work off a Blackberry (I mean, really who does?), you'll need to be able to touch your screen. If you're covering OWS in NYC, Chi-town, Boston or Anchorage (yes there is a OWS in Alaska), it gets cold out there - so you'll need special touchscreen compatable gloves.

4. Speaking of phones, you're gonna need something like the Samsung Vibrant with 5 MP camera / HD 720p camcorder and GPS. And, unless you're grandfathered in on AT&T plan like I am, you won't have unlimited bandwidth on your phone – unless you’re on the T-Mobile network. The streamers on the ground at #OWS tell me it's the only way to go. Also the 4G speed will give you the quickest streaming and uploads for Twitpics. Make sure you get the Ustream and Tweetdeck apps.

5. The Nikon D7000 camera body is pricey - but when compared to the rigs the big pro's use it's a deal. It's what I use to get shots like these. For a pro-sumer level camera, it's built like a tank - but most importantly it shoots photos in the dark. No, not Blair Witch Project-style with green eyes, but with real colors that are almost better than what the human eye sees. To take full advantage of the camera's sensor though you'll want to pick up a lens with a wide 1.4 aperture - like this excellent Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens. It's what I used to shoot video with down at Zuccotti Park.

6. Finally you'll need some inspiration when you get hit with a bad case of writers block. For me it's Laurie Penny's book Penny Red. Hands down the best protest journalism I've read since...well, I'm not really sure when I've read better.

Related Posts

#D17 – Sitting on the Group W Bench – Arrested for Committing Journalism

Occupy Wall Street: The Cleansing of Zuccotti Park


***

Zach Roberts is a photojournalist for SuicideGirls, Greg Palast, and The Mudflats. His work on #OWS has appeared on The Guardian Online, in Portfolio, and now in a new book out by Alternet called The 99%: How the Occupy Wall Street Movement Is Changing America.

For more visit his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

by Blogbot


[Olga in http://suicidegirls.com/girls/Olga/photos/Party++Girl/ " target="_blank">Party Girl]

SuicideGirls’ team of Bloggers and Agony Aunts share their suggestions on how you can give 2012 a kick-ass kick start.

1. There's someone you haven't spoken to in a long time. Too long. You fear by now you've procrastinated so long that it's lame to reach out, so you've effectively paralyzed a valuable friendship that could easily re-blossom with a single call. You're not paralyzed, it's just a head trip. Guilt is useless. Make that call. Say Hi. Apologize. Laugh. Love. Life's too short. Do it right now. “Happy New Year! I suck” is a great way to start a conversation! – Steve Altman

2. Cut off deadwood! Start by defriending, hiding or blocking the toxic individuals from your Facebook and Twitter feeds. – Dalila Suicide

3. Spend time with people that make you feel taller, brighter, and more capable than you did before. – Darrah de jour

4. Try dating someone you wouldn't ordinarily date. Like, say, maybe an introverted writer-type that contributes to your favorite alt-beauty blog. Or an evangelical Christian. Those are your only two choices though: the writer or the evangelical. Choose wisely. – Matt Dunbar

5. Spend some time with a niece, nephew or cousin who are growing up and could use your advice. – Atlea Suicide

6. Talk to someone from your Facebook list face-to-face. – CoyoteMike

7. Come to terms with the fact that you mom has a Facebook. – Shotgun Suicide

8. Eating vegetarian style meals reduces the green house gas production. Try to incorporate this in to your lifestyle one day a week. It's good for you and the earth. – Aadie Suicide

9. Eat lots and lots of cupcakes!!!! What? They’re epic and always put a smile on my face! – Kraven Suicide

10. Unfuck your habitat! There's nothing like vastly improving your quality of life by having a clean, organized living space. Need tips and/or motivation? Visit unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com/, because "no matter what our situations are, we deserve better than to live in filth." – Perdita Suicide

11. Clean your car and your house through and through. – Atlea Suicide

12. Rearrange a room to get a fresh perspective on life. – Rambo Suicide

13. Go through all your clothes and decide if someone could make better use of some of them. Drop the excess baggage off at a shelter or contributing organization in your area. – Atlea Suicide

14. Donate those holiday presents that you don't like. – Shotgun Suicide

15. Shop local whenever possible. – Salome Suicide

16. Eat at your favorite mom & pop restaurant, before it goes bankrupt too. – Shotgun Suicide

17. Set up a computer backup plan. Be ready for World Backup Day. – Bob Suicide

18. Start and finish a project you've had in mind for a long time. Renovations, painting a vase, knitting, really anything. – Atlea Suicide

19. Set a stupid goal and accomplish it, to prove to yourself that you can. – Darrah de jour

20. Quit saying you will do something and actually do it. When tasks, errands, and commitments are followed through with you feel much more productive. – Kraven Suicide

21. Take a risk. – Darrah de jour

22. Spend an hour with a happy dog, scratching his or her ears. – CoyoteMike

23. Try to go outside each day. Go for a walk. Make sure you have at least 20 minutes of "me" time. This way you’re incorporating self-thought and exercise. It's very important to get to know yourself. You could be pleasantly surprised. – Aadie Suicide

24. Learn a new skill: baking, crocheting, taxidermy, etc. – Rambo Suicide

25. Take a college class that you want to take, not one that you need. – Shotgun Suicide

26. Find a hobby you can dedicate some time to. Something you love and have passion for. It keeps us young at heart and sane when we can lose our selves in something. – Kraven Suicide

27. Splurge on some really fancy underwear. – Rambo Suicide

28. Add a little color to your life however you see fit. A colorful world is so much better than a black and white one. – Kraven Suicide

29. Make time for yourself. Seriously. Put it in your calendar. Whether it is daily, weekly or monthly, schedule some time and don't cut out on it for anyone. You're the only one looking out for you. – Smythe Suicide

30. Treat yourself to an energy renewal weekend, be it at the spa or simply just by unplugging the phone and reading a book. – Atlea Suicide

31. Set up an automatic transfer of money into a savings account each month. – Salome Suicide

32. Watch Fight Club. – Darrah de jour

33. Listen to Valleyheart by She Wants Revenge – Nicole Powers

34. Read Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (snag a free copy here) - EisMC2 and JackalAnon

35. See more live comedy and live music. - Squee Suicide

36. Support non-profit journalism - American Independent News Network, Truthout, GregPalast.com, BradBlog.com are all 501c3's - donate to support the news that you read for free. Oh, and it's tax deductible. – ZDRoberts

37. Protest the NDAA, unless you don't care to plead the 5th. – Shotgun Suicide

38. Join the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) if you care about stopping SOPA. If you spend any time online, you should do. (For that matter, if you’re breathing, you should do!) – Nicole Powers

39. Protect your vote. The election is less than a year away, and you'll need to start working now to make sure your vote actually counts. Find out why and how by downloading Steal Back Your Vote for free. SuicideGirls helped promote the project so you know it's awesome and worth a read. – ZDRoberts

40. Get to know your presidential candidates. Look beyond the big social issues like abortion, and research their tax plans, health care ideas, and how they've voted in the past. You might find out they aren't who you thought they were based on a few Facebook posts and Twitter campaigns. The election is coming soon. – Damon Martin

41. Stop by and say hi to your local Occupy. Shake someone's hand and say “Thank you.” You’d be surprised how much it means to them. Oh, and give them a pair of mittens, it gets cold out there. – ZDRoberts

42. Write “Thank You” notes and post them to people who have helped you get through 2011. – Atlea Suicide

43. Send a letter to a friend, the kind with a stamp. – Shotgun Suicide

44. Create good karma. Treat others as you would want to be treated. In this day in age too many people are being hurtful towards one another in many forms. From anonymous hating via the internet, to being rude to a stranger just because your day didn’t go so well, to physical acts of hate out of spite, jealousy or lack of confidence. Think about how you can be a positive impact on others around you, from your family, friends, neighbors and strangers. Small gestures of kindness can go a long ways and karma will make its way back to you. – Dorsal Suicide

45. Pay for the next person in line at the coffee shop. – CoyoteMike

46. Find joy in the small things. It will help you appreciate the big things so much more. – Kraven Suicide

47. Make today count, because one day you will be nostalgic for it. – Shotgun Suicide

48. Spend more time living in the moment, and less time worrying about the past and the future. Neither of these exist – so live in the present! – Fabrizia Suicide

49. The past is over. Now move your ass. Welcome to 2012. – Darrah de jour

50. Have no regrets. It’s a New Year and that means progress. Do not look back, only forward to the happiness ahead! – Kraven Suicide

by Damon Martin

On Thursday, December 15, famed author and journalist Christopher Hitchens passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 62 years old.

It almost seems insulting to try to put into words what Christopher Hitchens did so well whenever his fingers touched a keyboard or his pen hit paper. From his unrelenting passion whenever writing or discussing religion to his unapologetic nature when dealing with politicians or public figures, Hitchens truly was the conscience of a truth and information seeking society

In an October 2003 article for Slate, Hitchens looked to expose the saintly nature of Mother Teresa, yet had no issue with calling her a fraud and a fanatic. Also a staunch supporter of the invasion of Iraq, Hitchens time and time again stood up for his belief that the war was a just move against what he called “Islamofacism.”

He was never one to hold his tongue when speaking about any public figure, as shown in his critique of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates. He famously called Senator John McCain “senile” and denounced his running mate Sarah Palin as a “pathological liar” and a “national disgrace.”

In 2007, Hitchens published God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, in which he riled upon religion as a destructive, violent force in the world that he felt was simply supernatural chicanery used to control and manipulate people.

He helped coin the phrase “antitheist” in preference to referring to himself simply as an atheist. By way of explanation he said: “You could be an atheist and wish that the belief was true. You could; I know some people who do. An antitheist, a term I’m trying to get into circulation, is someone who’s very relieved that there’s no evidence for this proposition.”

Even after being diagnosed with cancer in 2010, just after the release of his memoir, Hitch-22, Hitchens continued to tour, debate, write, and speak out on all manner of subjects.

He debated former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Canada in 2010 about whether religion as a whole was a force for good or evil. It's pretty clear which side Hitchens came down on, and he time and time again bested his foe with his arguments, even when he struggled to speak or stand for long periods of time.

During his illness, Hitchens spoke candidly about his beliefs or non-beliefs as they were, and said very clearly that he was comfortable knowing that there was no God or afterlife waiting for him when he expired. He also said openly that he wouldn’t take back any of the years of smoking or drinking because they led him to being the writer and person that he was.

Despite the fever of the religious masses that hoped for perhaps the ultimate deathbed conversion, he told CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper in an interview that he simply would not be one of them, no matter how bad things got towards the end.

“If that comes it will be when I’m very ill. When I’m half demented, either by drugs or by pain where I won’t have control over what I say,” Hitchens said. “I mention this in case you ever hear a rumor later on. Because these things happen and the faithful love to spread these rumors. I can’t say the entity by the end wouldn’t be me, wouldn’t do such a pathetic thing, but I can tell you not while I’m lucid, no, I can be quite sure of that.”

Hitchens leaves behind a huge catalog of essays, novels and assorted writings, but the fact that he is no longer around to develop new ideas and push the boundaries of religious debate is a great loss.

He's not looking down on us from some higher plain, and he's not in a better place.Christopher Hitchens is simply gone and if he were still alive he'd be the first one to tell everyone that.

The world truly has lost a beautiful, brilliant – and bright – mind.

by Nicole Powers



Just over 24 hours before #OccupyLA would have celebrated its 2-month anniversary, the encampment at City Hall in DTLA was raided. The operation involved 1400 police officers and resulted in 200+ arrests (update: LAPD have confirmed a total of 292). After staging and loading into buses at Dodger Stadium earlier in the evening, police swarmed Solidarity Park from the outside in, and from the inside out - with officers in riot gear and hazmat suits pouring out of the South Doors of City Hall. The LAPD claim that there were only 3 violent incidents resulting in injury. The last of the protesters - 4 people and a dog - that had been holding out in a tree house, were removed from their tree top fort with the help of a cherry picking mobile platform and rifles firing bean bag rounds just before dawn. Clean up crews quickly moved in to dismantle the camp. These images were shot between 7 and 8 AM today.

RIP #OccupyLA at #Solidarity Park. Long live #Occupy. You can't remove, arrest, destroy, bulldoze, or dispose of an idea.


We sidestep some of LA's finest to shoot what's left of Solidarity Park.


As we shoot through the fence in one area an officer tells us "the sidewalk is closed."


We are a peaceful movement. Never stoop to their level. One love.


A tent is dragged to a dumpster by a member of the cleanup crew.


And another one.


Wishes written by children from the #OccupyLA creche are still attached to a tree.


A news crew reporting on the aftermath amidst the rubble.


#OccupyScience


Here's to the death of mindless consumerism.


Camp life sure was colorful.


A trash truck moves into the heart of Solidarity Park.


A bamboo sculpture gets trashed and compacted.


The white stuff piled up in the foreground is discarded disposable hazmat suits.


Remember: Close your account.

The bulldozers move in.


Concrete barriers are transported to City Hall.


A bulldozer moves a concrete barrier into place.


City Hall is now a fortress surrounded by concrete barriers and wire fencing.


But the protesting don't stop.


Waiting for peace at a bus stop as the sun rises.


Picking through the rubble. Just after I took this picture, this chap found a pair of socks!


A displaced member of the #OccupyLA community is happy to have rescued his belongings.


More displaced set up home a few blocks away.


The site of #OccupyLA's last stand. The Freedom Fort occupied by Manny, Chad, Shane, Lucky, and a dog - who was technically the last occupier to leave the park!


They were the dreamers - indeed a friend told a livestreamer that Manny had wanted to build a tree house ever since he was a kid. Not sure getting arrested was on his wish list though.


No prizes for guessing what these are!

by Damon Martin

In today's America, I could easily say I was a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or a Muslim and likely get less criticism and hatred spewed at me than simply saying I don't believe in any god or book that talks about a god. It's for that reason that today I 'come out of the closet' and proudly say that I'm an atheist. I won't apologize for that and hopefully more atheists will do the same.

At the University of Kansas recently, a group of students launched a campaign called 'We Are Atheists' modeled after the famous 'It Gets Better' campaign focused around gays and lesbians.

The 'We Are Atheists' ideal is simply a way for more non-believers to come out and not be afraid to speak about their lack of belief in a god, or their belief in science or evolution, or whatever it is that brought them to decree that they are an atheist.

Co-founder Amanda Brown put together a five-minute video that's being circulated around YouTube speaking about why she is an atheist and encouraging others to speak out as well.



It's a similar ideal to that of famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who started the 'Out Campaign' a few years ago. Dawkins created the movement with the exact same thought in mind:

Atheism is almost like a dirty word in American culture. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in May 2011 asked voters what potential traits would sway them negatively away from a political candidate. 7% said that a political candidate being a woman could sway them away, 33 % said a candidate being gay could push their vote the other way, while 46% said that a candidate who had an extra marital affair wouldn't get their vote. As for atheists, well a whopping 61% said that that was a negative trait that would keep them from receiving a vote.

The fact is, not believing in god scares the general public because believing in god, any god, is something that's so widely accepted, that society by default dictates that you have to believe in something to be accepted. It's not enough that the Bible, Koran, or any other religious texts all disagree on where the world came from or how to get to heaven, that ultimately religious folks all believe in some magical spaceman in the sky – believing in anything rather than nothing is preferential when it comes to creating camaraderie.

The fact is I'm an atheist. I don't believe in a higher deity, I don't believe in the Bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon or any other religious text. I went to church as a kid and I thought I believed in god the same as everyone else around me. I had an aunt and uncle that took me to church with them and I felt accepted, and I felt like this was what I was supposed to do.

As time went on however, I realized that I never felt a 'divine presence' and when I read the Bible cover to cover, it literally scared the hell out of me. How could a god that was supposed to be so loving and forgiving be so selfish as to ask you to literally love him above everything else? How could this same god kill, murder, and have horrible acts done in his name on page after page after page?

I always joke with people that the easiest way to make an atheist is to have them read the Bible, but the reality is that it was a shock of reality for me as much as reading any book about science or even Charles Darwin's Origin of Species. There is however just as much wonder and amazing things in science as there will ever be in a book like the Bible, conversely there's a lot less rape, murder, and genocide in a science text than a book talking about god.



I do have morals and none of them are based on the Ten Commandments or other religious beliefs that have been passed along. I know I shouldn't kill a person because it's simply wrong, not because god told me it was wrong.

With the holiday season just around the corner, I'm sure to have friends ask me about how I'll celebrate Christmas, and I usually respond with the same thing every year: “It's a day off from work.” But pushed deeper, I'll happily explain that I don't celebrate Christmas the same way that I don't celebrate Easter or any other religious holiday.

Sure, Christmas is more about gift giving and seeing family now than anything to do with the supposed birth of Christ, but it's something I'd rather not acknowledge and that's my choice. The same way I don't expect all of my friends to read the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, or follow the speeches given by Christopher Hitchens.

The fact is I'm an atheist and that doesn't make me any better or worse of a person than anybody reading this article. But I refuse to be afraid to talk about why I don't believe a god exists the same way so many Christians happily thank god when something good goes right in their life.

If that makes me a lightning rod for criticism, so be it. I know I'm not alone and I'm happy to stand up and make the statement.

I am an atheist.

by Hoodoo4102


[Above: Noemie in Kawaii Bunga]

Employees of Target and Best Buy are voicing their opinions, trying to get a message across to the CEOs of their companies before they’re robbed of their time with family. One in particular, Anthony Hardwick of Omaha, NE, has voiced his displeasure at his employer, Target, and has become the featured petition on Change.org. And while I'm writing this blurb, the petition has just jumped up from a staggering 170,000 to 180,000 signatures of its 200,000 goal. A similar petition inspired by Hardwick’s, posted by Rick Melaragni of Tampa, FL, concerning Best Buy’s opening hours is currently sitting at 14,550 of its 15,000 goal.

Anthony's message is quite clear, and well put:

While all's quiet on the Target front, Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn writes a heart warming message to Employees and Customers saying*:

Thank YOU Brian! It's always so touching to see a CEO open his mouth wide enough just in case he may need to have a Thanksgiving foot for dinner with a side of trimmins'.

So what does this mean for those hard working hourly employees of corporate America? Thanksgiving breakfast, black out curtains, no booze (since getting a DUI on the way to work would make for a whole different kind of Black Friday!), and beddie bye at noon-o-clock so the board can eat meat, slog brew, and belch their American spirit to the tune of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and ESPN's Thursday Night Football -- all for one hour of over time.

If you would like to join Anthony's cause you can do so at www.change.org.

*Since time of writing, Brian Dunn has deleted his own post on his Corp Blog as quoted above and replaced it with another expressing his thanks to the company and his employees for sacrificing their holiday for the company.

by Nicole Powers



Let me introduce you to a lovely lady I met on October 7th at #OccupyLA. She was there simply to tell her story. Like many people in this economy, she had been finding it difficult to make ends meet, so when Obama's Loan Modification program began it seemed like a godsend. Little did she know, it would be the start rather than the end of her problems.

She duly completed all the paperwork her bank, Wells Fargo, asked her to, and was told what her reduced payments would be. She continued to pay her mortgage, but at the adjusted rate, as she'd been instructed to by Wells Fargo. She never missed a payment, and was not in arrears.

However, months later, out of the blue, she found out her application, for whatever reason, had been rejected. At this point, Wells Fargo treated her like she had been in arrears, because she'd been paying reduced payments on a mortgage that had failed to be modified. To add insult to injury, Wells Fargo then slapped her with a slew of interest charges and fees, because they in effect retroactively considered her account to be in default because of the Loan Modification decision.

Her bank then suggested she reapply, which she did - twice. Two more times, exactly the same thing happened. Following the third failed application, Wells Fargo began proceedings to repossess her home, even though she had made all her mortgage payments in exactly the way the bank had prescribed.

Turns out, the Loan Modification process is notoriously flawed and has been accused numerous times of causing foreclosures, as was the case here. Richard Gaudreau, an attorney, explains in an essay for Huffington Post exactly why the Loan Modification process fails to help troubled homeowners while lining the pockets of banks (surprise, surprise!):

Obviously this kind of behavior is unconscionable. It's hard to comprehend that a "trusted name" like Wells Fargo would want to force a loyal customer and her family out onto the street in order to make a quick buck on a few fees. But this is happening to untold numbers of people all across our nation at the hands of nearly all the major banks.

My #OccupyLA friend had done everything required of her to meet her obligations, but somehow that wasn't enough -- is that remotely fair? But these days we don't seem to require fairness, never mind empathy and understanding, from the financial institutions in which we entrust our wealth, our security, and our futures. Clearly this was not an institution worthy of the trust this lady had been placed in it. Is it worthy of yours?

If you need to put a human face on the reasons why you're being asked to move your money from a big bank to a community institution or credit union on November 5th -- Bank Transfer Day -- let my #OccupyLA friend be it.

To find a credit union in your area visit: moveyourmoneyproject.org

Related Posts

#OccupyLA -- A Remarkably Civilized Society
#Occupy You Must
The Start of OccupyLA
Why Aren't We Seeing More Prominent People Coming Out In Support of #OCUPPYWALLSTREET?

by Nicole Powers



SuicideGirls is utterly shocked and appalled by the brutality used by police against protesters at #OccupyOakland last night. Authorities used the charge of “unlawful assembly” as a weak excuse to wage all out war against US citizens, who were doing nothing more than exercising their democratic right – and, at this point, responsibility – to protest against the wholesale looting and pillaging of our economy and the vandalism of our democracy as perpetrated by members of the 1%. Watching the livestream and video footage of police pitted against peaceful protester on the streets of Oakland, one has to wonder who they are there to protect and serve.

Here, friend of SG JackalAnon, who is still suffering from the after effects of the tear gas used, gives us his own first person account of what went down:

Among those who were injured at the hands of the police (see video) was Veteran For Peace member Scott Olsen, who sustained a fractured skull.

Today, Veterans for Peace, released the following statement:

@OccupyOakland will reconvene tonight. They have announced via Twitter that they will hold a General Assembly at 6 PM in the vicinity of Oscar Grant Plaza / 14th & Broadway. If a GA is not possible in that area, a second location, the Library on 14th & Madison, has been designated as the fallback meeting place.

#OWS #ThisIsWhatDemocracyLooksLike #TheWholeWorldIsWatching


*Update*

Al Jazeera is reporting that an already injured activist has been severely mistreated in jail:

by Nicole Breanne

Guys, the Republican Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada happened Tuesday night…I’m writing about it now because I needed all of Wednesday to process what the fuck happened. Here are the highlights:

Michelle Bachmann, who is completely batshit crazy and was dressed like a sea captain for some reason, unleashed her “double wall” plan. She was very proud of the fact that she’s the only candidate to sign a plan with a double wall to protect our borders from illegal crossings. Michelle Bachmann is campaigning on the “double bag it” platform. It doesn’t work on condoms and it ain’t gonna work on illegal border jumping. Go back to your padded cell.

Ron Paul was there, and reminds me of that crazy uncle that is always invited to family gatherings though all anyone does is talk about how crazy he is and how they have no idea why they still allow him to come around. They just let him putter around in his boxer shorts and tattered robe talking to himself because he’s family. So he was there. Earlier in the day, he had talked to Wolf Blitzer about how he wants to get rid of five government cabinet positions and their associated agencies to cut $1 trillion from the budget including the Department of Energy and Department of Education –– cause who needs those? At the debate he brought up that time that Ronald Regan negotiated with terrorists and how no one held it against him. You guys remember that right? Regan negotiating with terrorists?

Next is Herman Cain, who scares me. His ideas are ludicrous and there’s a video of him singing “Imagine There’s No Pizza” set to the tune of the idealistic John Lennon classic. To top his crazy ass pizza off, he was quoted as saying: “Jesus was killed by a liberal court.” He also stated in a paper called The Perfect Conservative that "He (Jesus) helped the poor without one government program. He healed the sick without a government health care system. He feed the hungry without food stamps." Continuing, Cain also noted that, "For three years He was unemployed, and never collected an unemployment check." Maybe that’s because none of that existed, but I digress.

So at the debate everyone went apeshit over Cain’s 9-9-9 plan –– which sadly didn’t involve 9-inch pizzas with 9 toppings for $9.99. No Cain’s 9-9-9 plan involves 9% corporate business flat tax, 9% income flat tax and a 9% national sales tax. Everyone then jumped on how stupid this plan is. Rick Perry implied that it’s actually going to cost people more (which it will). Howard Cain explains it as “Mixing apples and oranges. State tax is an apple we are replacing apples with oranges. We are replacing current tax codes with oranges.” Well, thank Christ Herman, because I was worried about our vitamin C intake! Are Republican’s allergic to coherent explanations?

Moving on to Mitt Romney, he explained Romneycare, which is basically Obamacare. In fact lots of Republican’s were pissed at Mitt because his advisors told Obama how to put together Obamacare. So Mitt says, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Romney care works great. Massachusetts loves it,” but he would “never impose this on the nation”. Yeah man, don’t impose a working system on a nation that’s ranked below numerous so-called third world countries for healthcare. That’s madness!!!

But now we come to the big dogs, the main event: ROMENY vs. PERRY. These dudes hate each other, and they don’t even try to hide it. Mitt Romeny touched Rick Perry. Now that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but you do not touch your opponent during a debate. You do not place your hands on someone to get them to stop talking like they are a 5-year old upset about someone stealing their ball at recess. Romney then followed up this condescending gesture with this condescending quote: “You have a problem with letting people finish speaking. If you want to President you need to learn how to let both sides finish.” I’m sorry Mitt Romney, but your vast knowledge on how to be President comes from where? If you want to be President, maybe you should keep your pompous holier than thou attitude in check.

My favorite part of the debate was the moment Rick Perry brought up the fact that Mitt Romney employed illegals to work at his property as gardeners. Guys, I know it’s shocking, right? So Romney continues to mess with Texas, he does not give a fuck! He’s like, “Listen Tex!” OK, he didn’t exactly say that, but in my version of the debate he totally did. What he did say was that when he found out about the undocumented workers he confronted the company and told them, “Look, you can't have any illegals working on our property. I'm running for office, for Pete's sake."

Wow, just wow. Drop the mic and walk off stage ‘cause it is over. Let me break down that quote that Republican Presidential candidate said on national TV at a debate:

• Part 1: “You can’t have any illegals working on our property.”
  
  He doesn’t say, “You can’t hire illegals period.” He says you just can’t have them on his property...which brings us to part two:



• Part 2: “I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake.”
  
  In other words the exploitation of immigrants for two bucks an hour would be totally fine if I wasn’t being looked at under a microscope. Where does it end Romney? “Get these drugs outta my house I’m running for office for Pete’s sake!” “Get that Tijuana stripper and donkey out of my back room, I’m running for office for Pete’s sake!” Guys, it’s gonna be epic at Romney’s house after he’s done running for office.

This has campaign has more bad acting, dialogue, and action than a Stallone movie franchise. I cannot wait for PERRY and ROMENY in REPBLICAN DEBATE IX!

by Damon Martin

Finding humor and easy to understand facts as an atheist isn't always an easy thing to do.

Being an atheist myself, I'm always searching out new ways to help people understand science, as well as why I reject faith and religion as a whole. Sometimes it involves long conversations over several hours, other times it's watching a film like Bill Maher's Religulous.

More often than not however it's the suggestion for that friend, co-worker or acquaintance to read a book that I've devoured in the hopes that they will find something interesting or intriguing to capture their attention within it. Normally, I tell them to read the Bible cover to cover and they are almost assured to become an atheist, but that's a conversation for another day.

Two such books have been released recently. One will make you laugh, but also question things like faith and religion. The other is a fantastic exploration of science triumphing over myth that could be used as a text book for any middle school.



Penn Jillette, the talking half of the famous magician duo Penn and Teller, released a book in late summer titled God No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales in which he presents his version of the ten atheist commandments.

The book was actually inspired by noted conservative and Mormon Glenn Beck who suggested while interviewing Penn once that atheists should have their own commandments to live by, much like those in the Bible that Christians claim to follow on a daily basis.

Penn explores his commandments with a slew of personal stories and encounters, while going right for the jugular with subjects like atheists vs. agnostics (the chapter is entitled “Agnostics: No One Can Know For Sure But I Believe They're Full of Shit”).

His stories are told in a way that will definitely keep you laughing, but much like his atheist brethren Ricky Gervais, when Penn gets serious and wants to make a point, his writing is crisp, striking and well thought out.

God No! is a great introduction for anybody wanting to learn more about morality in the atheist world, while also finding humor in everyday situations that many atheists will encounter or in Penn's case have encountered.



While Penn's book is more of a straight forward slap in the face with reality about being an atheist, famed biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins' new book The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True is a spellbinding narrative of the wondrous world of science and how it compares to the myths that seemingly capture our attention as youths.

The book is aimed at children ages 12 and up, and really could be a science manual for kids who are intrigued by science and how things work.

Dawkins along with illustrator Dave McKean weave a beautiful scientific picture of the world while explaining things like where a rainbow comes from, why there are so many different animals, and who the first man was. The questions and myths are laid out and Dawkins sets out to not only disprove them, but explain how science works to give answers that are just as mystifying and amazing.

Dawkins takes the myths and tales that we all learned as children and debunks them in a way that not only makes sense, but makes things fit together like a puzzle.

Throughout the book, Dawkins even admits there are some things he doesn't know the answer to, but unlike myths and religion, he admits to it and doesn't try to come up with a story to fill in the gaps in his knowledge.

The Magic of Reality is a book that can be taught to children, but many adults will find just as enthralling. There is also an iPad version of the book (which I purchased), which is a fantastic way to read the text and watch the illustrations come to life.

With either book, God No! by Penn Jillette or The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins, science and atheism are explored, examined and explained in some form or fashion. Both books are well-written, well thought out and a great addition to a library.

Even if you're not an atheist, everyone can learn something from Dawkins and Penn.





by Nicole Breanne

Obama put forth his job bill, and on Tuesday night the Republicans killed it. Today they trotted out a freshman Senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul, to inform the nation that the Republicans have come up with a better plan, one that will bring 5 million jobs compared to Obama’s 1.9 million. But Paul won’t say how. In fact no one will say how. The plan hasn’t been turned in to Obama, and basically we’re all in the dark on this one.



What bothers me most about this isn’t that they didn’t give a reason why they hate Obama’s plan –– except for the fact that it’s Obama’s –– apparently that’s reason enough. Or that they come up with their own plan, but won’t talk about it. What pisses me off about this is the way they killed it: they filibustered it. This word has been thrown around on every news station and is used in countless articles, but the media rarely explain what it is. So here goes:

A filibuster is the use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member of a legislative assembly to prevent the adoption of a measure generally favored or to force a decision against the will of the majority. Often the device used is an exceptionally long speech, in some cases lasting for a day or days, or a series of such speeches to accomplish this purpose.

But that’s not what the Republicans did – turns ut they didn’t even need to! They simply said they would filibuster the bill and the Democrats backed down like babies. They’ve been doing that for over a year now. They set a record for “filibuster” but no one ever did it. It was a record for the most times a branch of government threatened to throw a temper tantrum. That’s a proud moment America.

I’m all for making a system work for you and Republicans are really good doing just that. The only problem is their system is fear. They run on the politics of fear, and anyone that watches scary movies knows you don’t make the best decisions when scared (ie. why are you running upstairs when your dumbass should be running out the front door). This is what the Republican’s do, they incite fear and they’ve gotten really good at it. In turn the Democrats just roll over, and they’ve gotten really good at that. We’re coming into an election and the GOP is prancing out its best contenders. There’s been a lot of talk from the Right, they seem adamant that we need to get rid of Obama and all our problems will be resolved. Get rid of the Democrat President (because things we so damn good under Bush!?!) and put in a Republican and all will be kittens and rainbows. But, they have yet to say how.

by Floydian

Let's make this clear, I have never been an Obama supporter. In my opinion a few years in Senate does not qualify someone to run America. However, one of the first decisions he made as a president was one that I fully supported. He made it clear that the federal government would not spend their time and money chasing down users of medicinal marijuana in states that have medicinal marijuana laws in effect.

Let's face it, when you are terminally ill and knocking on death's door, the last worry you need is whether or not you will have access to your medicine. I've personally spoken with medicinal users in Santa Cruz that had their medicine taken away during a DEA raid under the Bush administration and the effects on their lives were devastating. It took over two years of battling the government to get their marijuana back; but they won, and they got their medicine back from the DEA agents that had confiscated it in the first place. I would love to interview them again and let you know how they are doing now, but I can't. Most of them are dead.

That's one thing most people who don't use or understand marijuana can't wrap their heads around. Many of these patients are terminally ill. President Obama is directly attacking these medicinal marijuana patients. We aren't talking about crack users mugging old ladies under the bridge downtown to get a fix. We aren't talking about tweakers building meth labs in your local dive motel. These are just regular people like you and me, not criminals.

They are breaking no laws according to the states they live in....yet when the DEA busts down those doors in states like California, the police and other officials hired by the state of California to uphold the laws in those states do absolutely nothing to uphold those laws, or protect the citizens who's taxes pay their salaries.

On nine occasions so far, Obama has asked the public for ways to improve public policy and every single time, the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana and the use of medicinal marijuana has been brought to his attention. And every time he brushes it off or dismisses it like it was a joke.

My favorite example of this was at his first Internet town hall meeting. You know, the one where he accepted questions from people online. When the topic of marijuana legalization came up, his comments were, "Three point five million people voted. I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy [laughter] and job creation. And I don't know what this says about the online audience [laughter] but I just want -- I don't want people to think that -- this was a fairly popular question; we want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy [laughter] to grow our economy."

So yes, Obama literally laughed at the idea of legalizing marijuana. I mean it seems hilarious right?? It's illegal and it's still the number one cash crop in several states in America. It generates billions of dollars annually in California alone. I'm not saying I'm an economics expert, but laughing off an idea that could generate billions of dollars for our failing economy seems ridiculous to me. Especially when you see what a fantastic job he's done healing the economy so far.

Those who really care might even be inclined to do a little research on Obama and his flip-flopping ideals. Rewind to 2004 when Obama was running for Senate and told a group of college students that he supports the decriminalization of marijuana. Later in 2004, his campaign went on to say that he has always supported decriminalization. Now, staring down the barrel of next year's election, Obama has changed his tune. A classic political move.

And that's where we are right now. Stuck in a country where the uninformed think they know everything and those in power care only about themselves. Not only is the DEA cracking down on medicinal marijuana, so are the IRS, Department of Treasury and the ATF.

The IRS is making it so that businesses involved in medicinal marijuana can no longer deduct business expenses. The Department of Treasury is going after the banks where the dispensaries have their bank accounts set up in order to pressure them to no longer hold these accounts. The ATF is trying to make it so that anyone with a medicinal marijuana card cannot buy guns or ammo.

Is anybody out there?? The government is trying to take away your 2nd Amendment rights!!

To top it all off, Obama has denied several requests from scientists to study the true effects of medicinal marijuana. Again, instead of using science, evidence and proof, he's using ignorance to guide his decision on this.

Before the government goes attacking medicinal marijuana users, who are obeying the laws in their states, perhaps they should actually fund some government studies to see what potential benefits there are.

Even if you don't use marijuana, you should be outraged that the government is intervening like this. What happens tomorrow when they decide to do the same thing to users of cigarettes or alcohol. It sounds ludicrous right...but I remember when I was a kid you could smoke cigarettes anywhere. Now, most states have laws against smoking in restaurants, public spaces and parks. So you tell me, how ludicrous does it sound?

This is what democracy looks like.

This Sunday (Oct 9) #OccupyLA will #OccupySGRadio for a very special show which will simultaneously be broadcast on Indie1031.com and livestreamed via OWSLosAngeles from 10 PM til Midnight PST...

We’ve witnessed financial theft on a mass scale, yet the only mass arrests on Wall Street have been of those brave enough to protest about it. We’ve seen the laws that were put in place to protect investors eroded, and new laws enacted to protect those that are robbing us blind from prosecution. We’ve seen banks repossess homes they don’t even have the correct paperwork for, and families made homeless while vacant home stocks are at an all time high. We’ve seen corporations gain “citizen” status to buy influence, yet refuse to submit to one of the basic responsibilities of being one – paying taxes. We’ve seen the already obscenely rich get even richer, while an indecent amount of ordinary folks have fallen below the poverty line. We’ve seen tax breaks reward the wealthy, at the expense of the poor. We’ve seen corporations enjoy welfare, while those that own them bemoan the “entitlements” of those who have worked hard and earned their benefits.

In short, we, the 99 percent, have seen enough.

We’re taking to the streets, we’re taking back our country – this is what democracy looks like.

Please join us this Sunday as #OccupyLA takes over the Indie1031 studios to #OccupySGRadio.

Show your support and be sure to friend and follow #OccupyLA on Facebook and Twitter.

We Are The 99 Percent.

XOX

Listen to SG Radio live Sunday night from 10 PM til Midnight on Indie1031.com

Got questions? Then dial our studio hotline digits this Sunday between 10 PM and midnight PST: 323-900-6012

Busy on Sunday? Then find all our podcasts on iTunes and listen at your leisure.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

#OccupyLA Begins - SG Was There...


Briefing before the #OccupyLA kickoff march from Pershing Square to City Hall in DTLA. Here protesters learn a few magic words from representatives from the National Lawyers Guild in case of arrest: “Am I being detained?” “I choose to remain silent” and “Can I talk to a lawyer.”


The new face of democracy.


We're trying.


He's taking back his country, you can too.


Those that complain they've yet to hear #OccupyWallStreet's agenda are just asking us to state the bleeding obvious.


Well, we know why she's here.


This is what happens when corporations fuck you. Does yours hurt too?


The new American Dream.


So are you.


He's part of the 99 percent too. Props to the LAPD for being pretty damn cool (and hot!). Also, thanks to the Los Angeles City Council for this.


Patriotism at its finest.

See photo gallery for more images from #OccupyLA.

by Floydian

There are many milestones one encounters in life when heading down the road to becoming a daily user of marijuana. The first time you ever smoked. That first trip to the head shop to buy your own pipe. Which would inevitably be followed by the first time your parent's found your pipe; Who could have imagined your mom could have penetrated the impregnable fortress of the back of your underwear drawer, right?

The only thing worse than mom and dad finding your Zig Zags is the first time your parent's found your stash. That's the "Oh, shit!" moment. You’re thinking, "Oh, shit! I'm, so busted!" Your parents are thinking, "Oh, shit! Do I still have the record player and that Dark Side of the Moon album?"

Outwardly, they must punish you and explain that drugs are bad, have no positive role in society, and will be a dead end in your life. But on the inside, they are secretly waiting for your next sleepover at a friend’s house so they can re-live their glory days, thanks to your freshly confiscated grass. In reality, the legal status of marijuana is the only thing stopping a majority of parents out there from enjoying it in their free time.


[Lainey in Hail The Leaf]

But what about when you’re an adult and have kids of your own? Now how do your feelings change about marijuana use? I've been a daily user of marijuana for years and years, but when I think about my own child using marijuana, I'm not sure how I feel. I don't have any children of my own, but I hope to one day.

It's hard to imagine getting mad at them for using pot, but it's also hard to imagine not caring about it either. In college, I seemed to always be the more responsible person in my group of friends. Meaning I never lost my license or life due to driving under the influence of alcohol, and was never arrested or put in jail. But I definitely wasn't a perfect student by any means. I think at that time I let pot influence my life more than I do now.

I feel that as my own personal and work responsibilities became greater, I was forced to focus more on that and less on marijuana. But everyone needs a way to relax at the end of the day, and, more often than not, a hot vaporizer and some tasty herb is my preferred method. Would that all change if I have little ones running around the house?

I still remember the first time I ever smoked with a parent. It was my girlfriend's mom in college. She had been divorced from her father for many years at that point. My girlfriend and I were watching a movie with her mom, and she got up to go get a beer. When she came back to the couch, she sat down and pulled out this little black, metal pipe and just started smoking. My girlfriend and I looked at each other and our eyes just got huge, like, what is happening??

"Hey, you guys want some," her mom asks.

"Uh, sure, mom," she replies.

Then we all just sat around and keep watching the movie, as if nothing ever happened. In fact, I don't think it was ever really mentioned again, nor did it happen again. It was so weird, yet something about how casual the whole situation was made it no big deal at all.

It's hard for me to imagine being so cavalier with marijuana use around my own kids. What would I do if my kids asked me about it or asked if I ever used it? I wouldn't want to give them the impression that there are no possible negative effects, but I also wouldn't want them to think there are no positive aspects either.

Now that one of my college stoner buds has a mother dying of pancreatic cancer, he has tried to get her to use marijuana to ease her pain and increase her appetite as she continues to lose weight. For months she fought him on it, because of a bad experience she had with it when she was 14. Finally after trying it, her pain was not as intense, she had an appetite again, and she was able to eat more than she had in months. It was the first time he had ever used marijuana with his parents and, thanks to the positive results she experienced, it won't be the last.

My own parents know of my marijuana use, and while they don't approve or agree with it, they don't hate on me too much for it either. I end up the butt of stoner jokes from time to time, but I can deal with that. Still I wonder what it will be like when I smell that familiar scent coming from my kid's room one day. What will I say to them?

One thing is for sure, I can't wait to confiscate their bag so I can compare it to mine and make sure I'm still getting the best shit it town.


Those with an interest in combustible culture may want to hit SG’s 420 Group. Come on in and roll up a fattie!

by Blogbot



Misfit the Chihuahua mix and Delphi the Chiweenie

(pictured with their mistress Kemper Suicide)

• INTO:
  Misfit –– barking at inanimate objects, being a pet-whore, being anywhere Kemper is, car rides, my ball. 

  Delphi –– Being fat, getting itched in those hard to reach places, eating, chasing bugs, stealing whatever toy Misfit has.


• NOT INTO:
  Misfit –– Being petted too hard, baths, Kemper leaving, people coming to the door, cars passing on walks.

  Delphi –– Allergies, sneezing, being fed late, having my tail touched or pulled by strangers.


• MAKES US HAPPY: Kemper coming home, getting let into the house when someone comes home, chasing each other through out the house.



• MAKES US SAD: Being apart
.


• HOBBIES: Chewing up the ball, rearranging our beds, prowling the backyard.


• 5 THINGS WE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Benadryl (for Delphi), belly rubs, spikey collars, nap time, snuggles.


• VICES: Destroying the dog beds in the garage, pulling out Kemper’s computer cords on accident, barking.


• WE SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Lounging and cuddling.

Above: Misfit (pictured with Kemper Suicide)

by Aaron Colter

Last week's post about Anonymous and the government's overreaction to their movement was pretty depressing, so this week's post is just a list of some cool things.



1. Natalie Phillips

I first found out about Phillips' art through a free press publication called Eleven PDX. Her work is unique, colorful, and beautiful. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she becomes a very well known artist very soon.



2. Forest Park

Speaking of creators that have an incredible amount of potential, the musicians in Forest Park are young, but talented. Someone is going to sign these kids soon, and then you'll hear about how great they are on Pitchfork or some shit.



3. Une Petite Romance

I've highlighted the art of Jason "JFish" Fischer on here before, but this online story is much different than his other work, more grounded, more accessible. Check it out –– you'll love it.



4. Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe

A surprisingly engaging movie about the graffiti artist, shot over seven years all around the world, about his street art, his penchant for stealing, and the trouble both of these things have gotten him into since he was teenager. The entire movie is available to stream on the Upper Playground website. Well worth your time, and probably your money too.



5. Tor

Tor is an open-source tool to hide your actions online from data mining. Look into it, see if it's for you.

***
Hope you dig this stuff. If there's something you think I would like that others would like too, please email youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com.

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