Mom forced to live in car with dogs

Harvey was forced into homelessness this year after being laid off. She said that three-quarters of her income went to paying rent in Santa Barbara, where the median house in the scenic oceanfront city costs more than $1 million. She lost her condo two months ago and had little savings as backup.

There are 12 parking lots across Santa Barbara that have been set up to accommodate the growing middle-class homelessness. These lots are believed to be part of the first program of its kind in the United States, according to organizers.

The lots open at 7 p.m. and close at 7 a.m. and are run by New Beginnings Counseling Center, a homeless outreach organization.

It is illegal for people in California to sleep in their cars on streets. New Beginnings worked with the city to allow the parking lots as a safe place for the homeless to sleep in their vehicles without being harassed by people on the streets or ticketed by police.

A brief look at the Mexican border...

Mexican police chief wants asylum in the US...The police chief of Palomas, Mexico, has requested political asylum in the United States.

Violence in Juarez continued over the weekend, when at least twenty people were killed, one of those people was a prominent businessman..."Everyone's at stake. Anyone who has any sort of position or any type of authority," she said. "It's an all out war. It is a war and it's happening right across the border."

A judge in El Paso today denied bond for a Border Patrol agent accused of helping smuggle illegal immigrants across the Mexican border...Prosecutors say Huizar was part of a ring -- working with Mexican nationals -- to smuggle at least 100 illegal immigrants across the border since 2005.

US court: Paper money discriminates against blind

The U.S. discriminates against blind people by printing paper money that makes it impossible for them to distinguish among the bills' varying values, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday...The American Council for the Blind sued for such changes but the Treasury Department has been fighting the case for about six years..."I don't think we should have to rely on people to tell us what our money is," said Mitch Pomerantz, the council's president.

The U.S. acknowledges the design hinders blind people but it argued that blind people have adapted. Some relied on store clerks to help them, some used credit cards and others folded certain corners to help distinguish between bills...The appeals court also ruled that the U.S. failed to explain why changing the money would be an undue burden. The Treasury Department has redesigned its currency several times in recent years, and adding features to aid the blind would come at a relatively small cost, the court said.

German jailed for stabbing rabbi

A German court has jailed a Muslim of Afghan origin for three and a half years for stabbing an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in the stomach in the street... The case sparked a discussion in Germany about whether there were no-go areas for Jews in some cities...Passing the sentence, Judge Klaus Drescher said there had not been enough evidence to support the original charge of attempted manslaughter.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you usually die from a stomoch stabbing?

Russia police raid BP

Russian security services have searched the Moscow headquarters of oil giant BP - the second time in two months that that firm has been targeted...Foreign energy companies have come under increasing pressure in Russia as the government has been trying to increase its control over oil and gas assets.

A NEW ELEMENT HAS BEEN FOUND

Recent hurricanes and climatic issues are proof of the existence of a new chemical element. Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons & 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction (that would normally take less than a second) to be delayed any time from four days to fourteen years.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of two to six years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which some of the assistant neutrons & deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

ticketed for walking bike while drunk on own property

Th Revolution will not be televised

Ron Paul's forces quietly plot GOP convention revolt against McCain

the forces of Rep. Ron Paul have been organizing across the country to stage an embarrassing public revolt against Sen. John McCain when Republicans gather for their national convention in St. Paul at the beginning of September...
Just take a look at recent Republican primary results, largely overlooked because McCain locked up the necessary 1,191 delegates long ago. In Indiana, McCain got 77% of the recent Republican primary vote, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, who've each long ago quit and endorsed McCain, still got 10% and 5% respectively, while Paul took 8%.

On the same May 6 in North Carolina, McCain received less than three-quarters of Republican votes (74%), while Huckabee got 12%, Paul 7% and Alan Keyes and No Preference took a total of 7%.

Pennsylvania was even slightly worse for the GOP's presumptive nominee, who got only 73% to a combined 27% for Paul (16%) and Huckabee (11%)...

The last three months Paul's forces, who donated $34.5 million to his White House effort and upwards of one million total votes, have been fighting a series of guerrilla battles with party establishment officials at county and state conventions from Washington and Missouri to Maine and Mississippi. Their goal: to take control of local committees, boost their delegate totals and influence platform debates.

Someone Tell Nikki, They're gunning for her!

So I got this email from Miles:

Subject: Someone Tell Nikki, They're gunning for
> her!
> >
> > http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2008/531.pdf


Check Nikki's response especially the analysis of the law.
I'm not so sure that they aren't gunning for the "crazy"
home schoolers. Note that in the analysis You are warned not
to refer to yourself as a home school but as the
"Michael T. Justice Academy of Social Awareness"
Feel free to use that Nikki.

-----Original Message-----
> From: "Nikki"
> To: "" <michaeltjustice@aol.com>;
>
> Sent: 5/6/08 3:07 AM
> Subject: Re: FW: Someone Tell Nikki, They're gunning
> for her!
>
> The thing is, there's no provision in Kansas'
> Constitution to determine what is a "competant"
> teacher.
>
> It also looks like this was drafted in 2006?  We've
> since taken him out of public school and have had to
> undergo NO competancy tests or difficulty in doing so for
> the sole sake of homeschooling.
>
> It also looks like this is more about the state fighting
> funding homeschoolers.  We've never received dime one
> from them, and we still pay taxes that go to the public
> schools.
>
> Besides, if you go here:
> http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?state=KS
> you'll see, Kansas is (as of the date that I'm
> typing this) still one of the states that gives parents
> total autonomy on what their children learn.
>
> All that is required from me, after we've notified the
> school board that we're homeschooling (as a
> "non-accredited school") is that I teach him 186
> days a year, 6 hours a day.
>
> Who sent this to you?
>
> Your favorite tomato,
> Nikki

on Clinton and Obama

If 6/10 Whites are voting for Clinton doesn't that mean 4/10 are for Obama?
What's the impact of Limbaugh's Operation Chaos? Shall we give him credit for 1/10?
Those are folks that aren't really voting for her anyway. Now, how many of the remaining 5/10 will vote for Obama if he is the only democratic choice?

The Trouble With Transcending Race

From a blog called the Root
Thought provoking indeed:

If some white people are rethinking their feelings for Oprah and Obama, it's because those people's unrealistic expectations of the two have been betrayed. Oprah and Obama were idealized blacks. They were supposed to be above reproach, neutral on all matters of race, unencumbered by the tiresome legacy of American race relations, colorblind in their politics. They were not supposed to associate with people like Jeremiah Wright, let alone consider them friends.

They were supposed to reflect blackness in the way that made white people comfortable, a blackness that lacked any hint of anger, resentment, or dare we say it, "bitterness." They were also supposed to pretend their blackness didn't matter. Oprah could be the black girlfriend who white women felt good about themselves for having, Obama could be the black candidate they felt good for supporting.

Whites have long felt comfortable with black people entertaining them. Politics is not entertainment – at least not intentionally. Still, it's hard not to wonder if the massive white crowds that came out for Obama's speeches early on weren't also seeing him as some kind of eloquent performer, and now it's sinking in that Obama really isrunning for president and not for American Idol, and that he comes, like all Americans, with some racial baggage. Could this be why so many white people are now asking, more than a year after Obama launched his campaign, if they can really trust him and basing those doubts not on his political record but on the speeches of his minister?

Charter school will focus on homeland security

Finally! The government is getting our children ready to protect the fatherland.

just a couple of planes that crashed into mountains

As far as I can tell there was recognizable wreckage. It seems to me that a mountain would be about as hard as a reinforced Pentagon. I know it's proof of nothing but it does make me wonder.
Granted they weren't aiming at the respective mountains but I would have to think they would be going pretty fast.

Japan 1985

Arizona 1971

Here's another assignment for our Chief Debunkifier

http://www.911summary.com/

I also had a chance last week to see a vid by pilots for 911 truth that is probably in need of straightening out. Using what they claim to be flight path info from FOIA requests, they assert that there were many inconsistencies and strange maneuvers in the pentagon strike.

Big Dog, your mission, should you accept it: Show the inaccuracies and shoddy investigation tactics of these folks. I'll say right off the bat that the pilots site does have a donation link. But as I have said before asking for money to further your work doesn't, by itself, discredit ones work. Although it can certainly be used as a plank in a case against someone.

For the record: while I will accept donations (especially canned goods, generators, and survival gear), I'm not asking for any.

$$$ Money Money Money $$$

You are invited to learn about the future of money in America this Thursday evening, 6pm at the Uptown Theater, Valentine Room

$4 gas—what’s next for the dollar?

AMERICAN MONETARY INSTITUTE

http://www.monetary.org ami@taconic.net 224-805-2200

Stephen Zarlenga, Director

Greening The Dollar - Reclaiming Our Democratic Values Through Monetary Reform.

Why Our Money System is not Working for America

Learn more about money in 3 hours than some economists learn in a lifetime!

With Ben Kjelshus, Charles Walters, and Stephen Zarlenga

The Seminar Will Discuss:
* America's Monetary Power has been usurped and privatized, leading to war.
* How and why the money power must be restored to society where it can be used to promote
the general welfare, instead of corrupt private agendas.
* How the money power became privatized and remains so through false theory.
* How a three step program restores it to society.
* Why inflation need not be a problem.
* How the facts demonstrate that counter to prevailing prejudice, governmental control of money has a far superior record than private control.
* Why reforming the monetary system needs to be linked to transforming American politics.

This is a hands on do-able reality based program, not a theory, with many U.S. historical precedents, and more going as far back as Classical Greece and Rome.

The Money system acts like a fourth branch of government, generally affecting our daily lives more than the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches combined. Yet it has been privatized and is largely outside the control of our democratic system of checks and balances where it has unfairly concentrated wealth to obscene levels.

The American Monetary Institute is America’s leading think tank focusing on monetary history, theory and reform. Each September we hold a 3 day monetary reform conference at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where cutting edge experts speak on those subjects. This year the Institute is offering free introductory seminars at various times and locations throughout the year. This one evening seminar is designed for Kansas City area people who’d like a good background on how our money system works, why its not working well, how to fix it, and what benefits would follow in terms of infrastructure and health care and education; and how our society has the power to begin creating a superior world, instead of getting mired in stupidity and warfare.

Place: The Uptown Theater at 3700 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri

Date: Thursday, April 24th, 2008 Time: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Co-sponsored by the American Monetary Institute – Kansas City Chapter & The Kansas City Green Foundation

Ohh those cameras I hate

Red-light Cameras Increase Crashes, Florida Researchers Find
Rather than improving motorist safety, red-light cameras significantly increase crashes and are a ticket to higher auto insurance premiums, researchers at the University of South Florida College of Public Health conclude.

Ruling on warrant trumps top U.S. court's decisions

The Supreme Court of New Jersey became the first court in the nation yesterday to rule that people have an expectation of privacy when they are online, and law enforcement officials need a grand jury warrant to have access to their private information.

In state proceedings, the ruling will take precedence over what attorneys describe as weaker U.S. Supreme Court decisions that hold there is no right to privacy on the internet...


Writing for the court, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner said: "We now hold that citizens have a reasonable expectation of privacy protected by Article I ... of the New Jersey Constitution, in the subscriber information they provide to Internet service providers -- just as New Jersey citizens have a privacy interest in their bank records stored by banks and telephone billing records kept by phone companies."

More convicted felons allowed to enlist in Army, Marines

An old cadence call, that's a marching song for you civilians, goes:
Got a letter in the mail.
Got to war or go to jail...


Maybe those days are returning. That was a Vietnam Era song.

I stand corrected

Britain, with it's socialized medicine, has just made a breakthrough on:
Bionic Eyes

No word yet on whether they will be used to see extraordinary distances like Steve Austin. Leave that to the American capitalist.

New World Trade Center security breach

Two sets of confidential blueprints for the planned Freedom Tower, which is set to rise at Ground Zero, were carelessly dumped in a city garbage can...

Experts said the detailed, floor-by-floor schematics contain enough detail for terrorists to plot a devastating attack.