The Ex-Girlfriends Club are excited to be headlining a Love Revolution Event on 11/24/09 at Rotture with 1776, Orca Team, Cold Metal, Hawkeye, Pink Snowflakes and a very special solo show by Zia McCabe of the Dandy Warhols.  This party is a benefit for The Italian Utopia project and will include portrait painters, psychics, massages and more.    The stages at both Branx and Rotture will be featuring bands including Birdstrike, Greenladies, BLOOD, The Skinnyz and Children’s Museum.  The Ex-Girlfriends Club will be playing upstairs at Rotture at 11:30pm.  Bring the love and we’ll provide the utopia.

The following is the text of the Lee Resolution passed by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776:

Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.

Of course, if any entity resolved itself independent today, the U.S. government would likely respond similar to the British government more than 200 years ago.  The government would likely not recognize the very mechanism they used to establish their own authority and further require submission at the point of a gun.

By mid-November of 1776, the reality of their rebellion against the King George III was beginning to slap the Colonists in the face…hard.  The excitement of July 2nd’s Declaration of Independence had, in the ensuing months, been replaced a new truth.  A sobering, more immediate truth, stronger than the flush of breaking from the Crown.  The Colonies were now faced with an angry motherland, a motherland which had a pretty good army and an overwhelming navy.

The colonial militia was inexperienced, poorly equipped, lacked proper training, and simply wasn’t prepared to deal with an organized fighting machine like the one populated with Redcoats.  Early engagements verified it.  New York City’s fall in September was truly embarrassing to General Washington, who looked in anger at the men turning tail and shouted, “Are these the men with whom I am to defend America?”

September’s humiliation became October’s embarrassment at White Plains where, despite holding the high ground and inflicting more casualties than they took, the colonials were forced to retreat.  Desertion was becoming a problem, as were drunkeness and carousing.  Looking across the battlefields at the polished muskets, crisp uniforms, and strict discipline, it’s not hard to imagine Washington’s growing despair.

The White Plains debacle left the colonials with the barest of grips on Manhattan.  Fort Lee and Fort Washington, both constructed in early 1776, were built on opposite sides of the Hudson River, and constituted the last best positions that Washington’s men could hold in the area.  But that was fleeting as well.

On November 16, 1776, General Washington watched from Fort Lee’s observation post as Fort Washington was overrun by a combined force of British soldiers and Hessian mercanaries.  This loss was particularly painful because a large amount of supplies (muskets, gunpowder, etc.) were captured, as were more than 2,800 prisoners.

But even worse, Fort Lee was left in an indefensible position.  Four days later, it would be surrendered.  Washington was forced to retreat from New York with what was left of his “army”.  It was during the retreat that Thomas Paine would write that “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

General Washington, unanimously chosen to lead the militias, was now being heavily criticized for the loss of Fort Washington.  The army was a mess, dissension was growing, and the war for independence was looking more and more like a mismatch of comical proportions.

The History series have ended and here we are to start yet another series of articles. As the name reveals I will be writing about the Illuminati and in detail this time. You will be able to learn everything there is to know about the secret society if you will read all of the articles. Today I will scratch the surface of the knowledge about the Illuminati with all the basic information.

The order was founded in Bavaria, Germany on May 1^st 1776. It was founded by Adam Weishaupt, who was allegedly elected by the Jesuits. I am more fond of the theory that Weishaupt was influenced by the founder of the Rothschild family international banking dynasty, Mayer Amschel Rothschild. It is important to know that the philosophy known as “Illuminism” or “enlightenment” traces their roots and history to the ancient mystery religions of Egypt, ancient Babylon, and even Mesopotamia. Out of these ancient religions, which were practiced secretly over hundreds and hundreds of years, there arose esoteric groups which continued to practice the rites, traditions, and enculturation brought in from the original groups. Of course these rites and traditions have been lost through time and replaced by the capitalistic, satanic and racist mindset of today’s Illuminists. Through time they have lost their principles (if they ever had any) for strive for power, wealth and domination. Over the centuries these groups practiced openly in some countries and covertly in countries where Christianity or other religions opposed their practices. Some of the groups which came out of these ancient roots included the order of the Knights Templar, Rosicrucian’s, Baphetomism, and Druidic cults. These groups were the forerunners, or roots, of modern day Illuminism. The original Illuministic leaders chose to take what they felt were the best practices of each root religion, combine them into principles, then organized these principles according to specific guidelines.

Modern day Illuminism is a philosophy funded by the wealthy, but practiced in all social strata. It is a philosophy whose tenets have spread across the world. It started with the German branch of Rosicrucian’s, spread to England and later came to the United States, the center of power today. The Illuminati have three main branches: the Germanic branch, which oversees the others, the British branch, which handles finances, and the French/Russian branch. All three branches are represented in both the United States and Canada, as well as every country in the world. You might consider Illuminists as evil looking, scary figures. It’s quite the opposite. If you met them in person, you would probably instantly like any of these intelligent, verbal, likeable, even charismatic people. This is their greatest cover, since we often expect great evil to “appear” evil, led by media portrayals of evil as causing changes in the face and demeanor of people, or marking them like the biblical Cain. Many Illuminati members are well known to you. For example the former British Prime Minister Tony Blaire, former U.S President George W. Bush, Queen of England, and many other public figures. That is including actors, singers and other celebrities. With the exception of Queen Elizabeth the other mentioned figures are more or less all small fries. They do not belong to the ruling 13 families of the Order. The leader of these 13 ruling families is called the Pindar (The title, Pindar, is an abbreviated term for “Pinnacle of the Draco”). The Pindar is and it has been for the last few hundred years, the head of the Rothschild family. Each of the 13 ruling families is given an area and/or a particular function to fulfill. These particular functions include global finances, military technology/development, mind-control, religion, and media.

The next layer is the second-in-command families who do the support work for the 13 ruling families. There are supposedly 300 of these. Many members of these families were presidents of the United Stated and held other high official positions in other countries. This mainly shows that the original and ruling families only sit behind the scenes and control their masses. They do not go into anything public themselves as they are the secret masterminds – puppet masters. Many conspiracy theorists are convinced that the members of the 13 ruling families are in fact shape-shifters and that they are basically reptilians (reptilian humanoids). Now I have found this to be a bit over exaggerated, however we do not know so much about the Universe, the 11 dimensions and what not that it might be true. What I have found more believable, though, is the theory of a third part of the brain, called the ‘R-complex’. The ‘R-Complex’ is the animalistic hemisphere of the brain, the territorial mindset (This is mine psyche). Whether the first or the second theory is right, or even both, we can only be guessing here. I am a very open minded person and I believe everything is possible. I have come to realize that fact in the last year of my personal education. What is it that we do not see? I have had my eyes opened to the truth, however even I still know virtually nothing. What I do know is where the society is going, where it has been and the things I can grasp. However, when it comes to reptilian theories my mind can only go numb. There are many things we will never be able to understand, and I believe this is one of them. Whichever the case, I cannot help but wonder if everything we have done in the past decades was all meant to lead to one only thing: the completing of their agenda? Nowadays I can see through lies everywhere I go. I can only laugh when I see all our leaders striving for world preservation, World peace and World unity, of course all being a pretext for a New World Order. Is it worth it to be living in an occult society in which we are only meant as sheep to the Elite? I wonder why the Illuminati exert themselves so vigorously for power and wealth, when they already have everything. I have said it numerous times through my articles that it is greed, however there are other factors. It looks like it is the animalistic part of them, and the process they undergo in their early childhood, through the Illuminati programming.

The Illuminati are obsessed with a number of other things besides World domination. They are obsessed with keeping the order within inner circles of the family, thus intercourse within the own family in order to preserve the ‘pure blood’. They truly are the sickest beings on the face of our planet. The order is also known to use the number thirteen with various symbols, such as the symbols on the American Dollar (The pyramid has 13 layers) there are 13 ruling families and so on. Each of the 13 ruling families has a Council of 13 as well. The number, 13, has great significance to them. They know that there are 12 types of energies that pass through the 10 aspects of God-Mind. The totality of the 12 energies equals a 13th energy. This is considered the most powerful knowledge. They also know that there are really 13 Zodiac signs, not the commonly acknowledged 12. They have kept the 13^th hidden for centuries because it is the sign of the Dragon. They keep the qualities and traits of this sign secret to avoid giving away clues to the Reptilian mind-pattern. I am convinced many of you are very confused right now as this is not something to understand easily. Do not worry as you will get there at the end of the series. To be honest, I too am confused about this particular thing.

As stated above the Illuminati are divided into three main branches and the United States covers them all, as it is the center of them. The U.S is furthermore divided into seven regions. Within these seven regions there lies a council of thirteen, with an advisory board of 3 elders to each one. These regions interact for purposes of finances; personnel; teaching, etc. Beneath each regional council, is a local council. This is a council of 13 members, the head of whom sits on the regional council, and gives it information about the local groups underneath his leadership. The local council will also have an advisory council of 3. Quite organized one could say. They know how to do their job properly and efficiently, much to our misfortune of course.

The Illuminati have several sources of income as this is the means for the survival of their agenda and their organization. Drug running, pornography, children, gun running, buying access codes for military computers, hiring and selling assassinations, mercenaries/military trainers and banking. The sources of their income will be further detailed a forthcoming edition. They have people on virtually every position in the society. For that they go through a good amount of time and trouble to prepare their people for the various jobs they will undertake. To understand generational programming, it helps to understand why the cult goes to the amount of trouble that it does to place programming into people. Training represents time and effort, and no one- especially a cult member- will spend that amount of energy unless there will be a return on the investment. The cult has a very organized hierarchy of jobs. Like any large organization, in order to run smoothly, it needs people who are well trained in their jobs- so well trained, that they can do their tasks without even thinking about them. To maintain secrecy, this group must also have people completely dedicated to not revealing their roles in the cult- even under threat of death or punishment. The cult wants members who are completely loyal to the group and its tenets, who never question the orders they are given. These qualities in group members ensure the continuance of the cult, and that its secrets are never revealed to the outside world. As with the sources of income, I shall explain more about jobs in the Illuminati secret society and the most basic ones another time.

I believe this will do for now. I have gone through the ground work and you should be informed about the evil oppressing us quite a bit better now. Stay tuned for the sequel article which should be posted in two weeks. Stay on the watch, and be cautious.

D.K.

Mina söndagskvällar förgylls numera även av TV-serien ”John Adams”. Denna ambitiösa och välgjorda historielektion bjöd igår på preludierna till självständighetsförklaringen 4 juli 1776 och separationen från Stor-britannien. Födslovåndorna för Amerikas Förenta Stater var inte lätta. Att gå i väpnat uppror mot Kung George var inte självklart för en del av kolonierna. (Eller “delstaterna” som det rättades i programmet. Unionen verkade därmed ha delstater innan de hade en stat.)

I TV-serien blir John Adams, senare USA:s andre president, det retoriska kraftcentrum som driver på för frigörelsen. Thomas Jefferssons arbete med själva självständighetsförklaringen är lika intressant. Förklaringen sätter kontinentalkongressen som representant för “We, the people” och låter den tala i folkets namn. Den förklarar att man anser sig ha rätt att göra uppror mot tyranni och baserar sin självständighet på en katalog av fri- och rättigheter, “Bill of rights”.

Kanske är självständighetsförklaringen historiens häftigaste dokument. (Läs originaltexten här.) Tretton år före den franska revolutionen höjer ett antal deputerade från en annan kontinent sitt banér och låter det bli en milstolpe i historien. Ett trendbrott där historien byter riktning. TV-sekvensen när Benjamin Franklin föreslår att fri- och rättigheterna ska betraktas som “self-evident” (självklara) var – i all sin enkelhet – en huvudpoäng.  

De fri- och rättigheter som ledde till krig och religionsförföljelse i Europa bildar här grundstenar för en “smältdegel” av invandrare från den Gamla Världen till den Nya. Den amerikanska nationen föddes i krig och hade slaveriets avskaffande genom krig framför sig. Men det filosofiska och politiska genombrottet efter den bildade kontinentalkongressens samvetsgranna överläggningar, lyser minst lika klart som stormningen av Bastiljen när man blickar några sekel tillbaka.

Intressant?

The inspiration for our plastic pal who's fun to be with. (© iStockphoto.com, 18percentgrey)

It’s been another busy week in the TechStuff labs here at HowStuffWorks.com. Chris and I are working on the preliminary design of our TechStuff Automaton. After much debate, we decided the name “Killbot 2000″ had a slightly negative connotation. The current working title of the project is now “Sir Hugs-A-Lot.” I’m not certain that we’ve added quite as many spikes and lasers as we’ll need, but it’s still early in the project.

Between our plans for world domination and eating lunch at the local pizzeria, we managed to record and publish some episodes of TechStuff this week. On Monday, we talked about our podcasting process. We’ve had several listeners ask us how we go about creating our show. This episode will give you an idea of our process. We also give some tips to people interested in starting their own podcasts. Surprisingly, the most important things to remember aren’t technical — they’re procedural.

On Wednesday, we responded to listener mail from Alexandra about artificial intelligence (AI). Chris and I give our own interpretations of what the term means. We also give examples of some early examples of AI. Alexandra said that she enjoyed the show Knight Rider with the artificially intelligent car called KITT. I posed a puzzle to our listeners by making an odd reference about driving to Congress. We received a message from Frank G. that identified the reference correctly: William Daniels, who provided the voice for KITT, starred in the musical “1776″ as John Adams. And because a promise is a promise: Kudos to Frank!

And for your enjoyment, here’s a short clip from the classic Knight Rider:

And another from 1776:

Learn more about podcasting and artificial intelligence at HowStuffWorks.com:

How Podcasting Works
Are we 10 years away from artificial life?
Will artificial intelligence invade Second Life?

PHOENIXVILLE PA – “1776,” the award-winning musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, will be staged Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6 and 7, 2009) at 8 p.m. in the Forge Theatre, 241 First Ave., Phoenixville PA. The former Broadway hit is a light-hearted look at our founding fathers’ struggle with independence from Britain.

• This event has been added to The Post calendar.

Tickets cost $15 for adults; $12 for students age 18 and younger, and will be available at the door or by reservations. For more information or reservations, call 610-935-1920.

The show also is scheduled to be held Nov. 13 and 14 at 8 p.m.; Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.; and Nov. 19, 20, 21, and Dec. 3, 4, 5 at 8 p.m.

See our galleries for photos that appear in The Post.
Got news for us? E-mail The Post.

Veterans Day Poster, 2009, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Click on poster for link to high-quality version

Get ready to fly your flag on Veterans Day, November 11.

Information

• Gen. Shinseki designated 41 model Veterans Day celebration sites
• VA works to help World War I veterans get France’s Legion of Honor
• Non-government site with information on Veterans Day

I’ve often thought that Bruce Springsteen, my brother and Fort Lee are some of the only redeemable parts of New Jersey. Anyone who knows me knows I’m only half joking. My first trip to Fort Lee was in High School with the short lived Msgr McClancy Hiking Club. We took the subways north, walked across the George Washington Bridge and into the park. We trekked back, made it home but never scheduled another trip. None the less, that one adventure left a permanent mark in my memories and I always found myself glancing to the cliffs to the left as I drove across the GWB.

This was my weekend with my kids and as I drove to work Friday morning I thought about what we could do to keep us all out of trouble. James was sick and staying with his mother so it was just me and Jack. Always up for something, he was excited when we left Queens and headed north.

Fort Lee Historic Park is located at the original site of the American encampment during the Revolutionary War. Brave men stood their ground against overwhelming British forces in 1776 and allowed George Washington & his army to escape the area. It helped set the scene for the famous crossing of the Delaware a few years later, and eventually, the British surrendering. A Hundred and Fifty some odd years later they built the massive George Washington Bridge right next to it.

Jack and I walked across the bridge, tossing pennies off the side to see how long they’d take to hit the water. The enormity of the whole thing left Jack awestruck and he enjoyed being so high in the air until he realized the shaking he felt was caused by the traffic rumbling by. He suggested we walk back to the car and go to that wooded place I had told him about earlier.

The park was pretty much the way I remembered, made even more stunning in the beautiful fall colors. Jack played with a remote control truck he brought and I took some photos. We wandered along the paths and overlooks and reached the batteries which were once built by the soldiers defending these cliffs. Jack abandoned the car and found a way to scramble up to the top of them. I tried to explain why they were here but Jack wasn’t hearing it, until I mentioned George Washington.

“That’s his bridge!” Jack exclaimed. “Sure is.” I responded and tried to explain the harsh conditions that Washington and those early patriots faced to keep their dream of our freedom alive. Jack went along playing, leaping from embankment to embankment.
“This place is awesome!” He yelled to me. “Its just like I’m in poptropica!”

Poptropica is the online game that my son is currently addicted to. He and I spend hours together guiding his character through complex puzzles as he leaps and jumps along from building to building, over trees and rocks and whatever else gets in his way.

I looked around as Jack continued bringing his online universe to life. The beauty of this small slice of mother nature nestled on the cliffs over looking the George Washington Bridge was amazing. I wondered what it looked like through eyes two hundred and thirty years ago. I tried to imagine the conditions they faced. I thought about their bravery to lie their lives on the line for just the idea of freedom.

“What’s next dad!” Jack called out, bringing me back to present day. He ran off into the woods, and grabbed my camera and followed.

David McCullough helped me appreciate historical non-fiction. And the first book I read of his was 1776. I stumbled across the book at a Costco and it looked interesting. I didn’t know his name at that time and I didn’t know he had twice won the Pulitzer Prize for his history writing. I had only recently begun writing a local history newspaper column so I thought I would get the book to see how others handled history.

It was a good move on my part. McCullough is now one of my favorite writers.

1776 is the story of a crucial year in America’s history. It isn’t dates and events like you read in history book. It is the story of George Washington and those early colonists who followed them. It shows the despair as Americans faced their darkest hours in the face of an overwhelming force.

The book reads like an adventure novel. The fact that the book is short of both a McCullough book and a history book helps. McCullough keeps his focus on the army without being distracted by many of the other things that were going on during the war. You get caught up with the dangers the characters face. Even knowing the outcome, you still worry as you’re reading that something will go wrong.

1776 shows that McCullough definitely deserves his title as the master of the historical narrative.

Because I call these “random” factoids, I feel no hesitation in throwing some really bizarro stuff at you.  I feel like putting your feet up on the chair in front of you at a movie theater, given that no one is sitting in that seat, is a virtually inalienable right.  If there were movies back in 1776, Thomas Jefferson would have written it into the Declaration of Independence.  Can’t you just hear it: “life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the ability to rest your feet on the chair in front of you while enjoying a quality movie.”  It really rolls off the tongue.  However, while watching “The Informant!” at the prestigious ArcLight theater in Hollywood, I decided to kick back in my chair and pop my feet up on the chair in front of me.  But almost instantaneously, I was approached by the manager and told to put my feet on the ground.  According to him, it was a health risk because they served food in the theater.  It seemed like a non-sequitur to me, but I had just paid $15 for a ticket and didn’t want to get kicked out of the theater.  No one sat in the seat during the movie, and it was so hard to resist the temptation to rest my feet on the headrest.

California Drought 2009

by Monica Davis

As Americans complain over high gasoline and food prices, many third world countries are experiencing food riots over price and scarcity of food. In some parts of the word rice is so expensive that it is transported in heavily guarded convoys and farmers guard their fields from thieves.

Food riots are becoming more common, as more land and crops are being diverted from the food chain by the world biofuels industry. According to an investment magazine, the crisis shows no signs of weakening. Food, the bread of life, is fast becoming the “gold” of the Twenty-first century.

Fatal food riots in Haiti. Violent food-price protests in Egypt and Ivory Coast. Rice so valuable it is transported in armoured convoys. Soldiers guarding fields and warehouses. Export bans to keep local populations from starving. (Globalinvestor.com)

The face of food security is rapidly changing around the world and there are no quick fixes experts say. What worries many is that food stockpiles are at historic lows. In the United States alone,
stockpiles of wheat hit a 60-year low in the United States as prices soared. Almost all other commodities, from rice and soybeans to sugar and corn, have posted triple-digit price increases in the past year or two. (Ibid)

Experts say the high prices will continue for years, putting billions of people at risk for malnutrition or starvation. World leaders continue to cast fearful eyes at the burgeoning bio-fuels industry, noting that the competition generated by the industrial biofuels industry and food agriculture is pushing up food prices and making it more profitable to grow fuel crops for industrialized countries than it is for big farmers in Third World countries to grow food for their own citizens.

What has put many world leaders on notice is the fact that this artificially generated food crisis has not yet peaked. As of this writing, no one knows when the situation will reach a crescendo, or to what extent this demand will affect food security and political stability in the world.
Many believe that the food crisis is in its infancy and they worry about increasing food-based political instability worldwide.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said this week he’s worried that ethanol production is pushing up food prices everywhere, and he called for an urgent review of the issue. Economist Dr. Hazell has said that filling an SUV tank once with ethanol consumes more maize than the typical African eats in a year. (Ibid)

So far, Americans have been able to weather the storm. While rising fuel and food prices have generated grumbling from the populace and hand wringing from the politicians, this country has yet to experience the level of social unrest and rioting that high food prices have generated in other parts of the world.

In Haiti, ongoing instability and riots over food prices has led to the probable ousting of the nation’s Prime Minister. Newswires are reporting “A Haitian senator says that parliament has voted to dismiss Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis following deadly riots over rising food prices.” (Wire services)

A few analysts believe that the United States is on the verge of a major economic revolution, a process, which will change where we live, what we eat, and how we view agriculture. Looking at the rumbles from around the world we are already seeing wars over oil and energy resources, not to mention the violent eviction of traditional farmers in South America and other parts of the world by the industrialized bio-fuels industry.

The fight over finite land resources is slowly taking shape out of sight of most of the United States as agribusinesses lay claim to land around the world. Agro-conglomerates chase natives off tribal lands in South America, Indonesia and parts of the Far East at gunpoint. Murder over land continues in the Third World, as conglomerates move onto jungle and rain forest land, clearing acreage with slash and burn campaigns.

What was once climate producing tropical rain forest has become fields for sugar cane, corn and other biofuels. More profitable biofuel crops have now deprived the food chain of a large supply of corn and other crops, driving up the cost of corn-based food such as corn meal, tortillas, corn syrup and a hundred other crops and products which grace our tables at ever greater cost.

The food riots in Haiti are mirrored by riots in parts of Africa and Asia, sending shock waves throughout the Third World. According to a report from the United Nations, the 60 per cent price increase in the price of corn and feedstock over the past two years can be directly traced to the increased demand on corn and soybeans made by the biofuels industry. The United States, as the world’s largest exporter of corn, has diverted millions of pounds of corn and soybean crops to the growing biofuels industry, creating a market that makes fuel crops more profitable than food crops. National surpluses of grains have give way to increased demand for biofuels, driving up the price of corn and grains around the world. (World Bank)

Traditional food crops—rapeseed, maize (corn), palm and soybean are in demand by both food agriculture and the growing biofuels industry, creating an increased competition, which is driving up food costs by double digits, generating food riots around the world. Thai farmers and other farmers are now guarding rice crops, as skyrocketing grain prices are leading to crop theft and food riots around the world. According to international reports:

Rice farmers here (Thailand) are staying awake in shifts at night to guard their fields from thieves. In Peru, shortages of wheat flour are prompting the military to make bread with potato flour, a native crop. In Egypt, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso food riots have broken out in the past week. (Thoughtcriminal.org)

In Thailand and other rice and grain producing nations, food theft is rising. Crops are stolen directly from fields.

The reported thefts in five rice-growing provinces in central Thailand are the first signs of criminal activity in this region stemming from the sharpest global spike in commodity prices since the oil crisis in the mid-1970s. Across the world, higher food prices are triggering thefts and violence – both by people who can’t afford to eat and those who want to make an easy buck. (Ibid)

The United States produces 46% of the world’s biofuels, with Brazil coming in at a close second with 42%. (Biofuels: the Promise and the Risks). As a world leader in food exports, grain in particular, the United States has altered world grain markets by diverting grain into fuel production, thereby increasing demand for grains with a resultant rise in the price of the commodity because of demand. The ensuing market shortage has generated price increases in the world grain market, making food staples too expensive for much of the world’s poor to afford.

So far, Americans are mostly bystanders in the game, content to grumble at the gas pump and complain in the grocery aisles. As a “First World” nation, the United States so far has not been subject to the food riots, which we have seen in Haiti and other parts of the world. Americans have more per capita income than much of the world; hence the crisis of the Third World, so far, is inconvenience in the “First World” and in developed nations such as the United States.

That said, however, we must understand that this situation is not sustainable. While Americans do have more disposable income than the rest of the word, that income is not unlimited and our food supply is much more vulnerable than we think. When it comes to food security, both in terms of supply and accessibility, this country is much more vulnerable than we think.

As one retired grain salesman noted, most of the nation’s grain is moved around the country by just TWO railroads. Little is stored in the event of disaster and the whole system is extremely vulnerable. While we in the United States look at the food riots in other countries with a sense of disbelief, we are not immune. Under the right circumstances, we could be in the same boat. (Ibid)

In order for riots to break out the whole food supply doesn’t have to be wiped out. It just has to be threatened sufficiently. When people realize their vulnerability and the fact that there is no short-term solution to a severe enough drought in the Midwest they will have no clue as to what they should do. Other nations can’t make up the difference because no other nation has a surplus of grain in good times let alone in times when they are having droughts and floods also. (Robert Felix, “US Food Riots Much Closer than You Think”)

Critics say the US is currently too preoccupied with foreign excursions and oil to pay attention to food security, particularly how concentration of suppliers and processors threaten the food chain. The highly concentrated meat processing industry has generated millions of pounds of recalls this year. Outbreaks in e.coli and other food borne pathogens continue to haunt the headlines, as food prices rise around the world.

The concentration of food processing, cultivation and distribution into the hands of a few companies is wrecking havoc around the world. A Canadian reporter noted the connection between market concentration and price increases around the world:
In Mexico and most other countries, a handful of international companies is controlling more and more of the food production line—from growing crops to purchasing crops from farmers, to warehousing, processing and distribution.

Carlsen said investigations following the tortilla crisis found that huge stores of corn in warehouses had cut down the supply and led to a jump in prices. (Matthew Little, Epoch Times, “Food Prices Skyrocket Amidst Growing Shortages.”)

Food security, that is the availability and affordability of food, has been pushed aside by the War on Terror, and continues to lag behind our awareness, despite their being linked together in a dangerous dance of death, which has been created by the bio-fuels industry. Ultimately, the price of oil, depends on supply, demand and risk (War), and the price of food has now become dangerously linked to the energy market by the requirements of the fuel crop industry. We now are dealing with a ‘double whammy’ that is dangerously impeding our food supply.

Living in the “Breadbasket of the World,” it is hard for most Americans to even conceive of the idea that food could become scarce in this country. Few of us are paying attention to the close relationship between biofuel, grain crops and price inflation.

Think tank analyst Pat Mooney noted the close connection between corn and oil prices.

“The market place does now tie the price of a bushel of corn to the price of a barrel of crude and when it does that it means that poor people are going to lose out,” said Mooney. (Ibid)

The world’s grain and food markets have been turned on their heads. Where once the price of fuel and oil-based fertilizers used to cultivate crops added to the cost of the crop, now the use of crops as fuel generates still another tier of demand on the world’s soils and crops.

With finite amounts of cropland, competition between fuel and food crops for land and economic resources, and unpredictable natural disasters, wars and pestilence waiting in the wings, our food supply is not as secure as we think it is.

Even the United States is not immune from the potential for food shortages, food riots and food insecurity. We’re just blind to the possibility.

Pay close attention to everything that is discussed here. It is all very vital and very important information. Rik Clay died because of this.  The official story was that he committed suicide but as history shows (because history repeats itself over and over and over and nobody ever seems to notice) that it definitely wasn’t a suicide. Sadly, it was assassination by a certain group of people who didn’t want him talking anymore. R.I.P. Rick Clay, 1982-2008. You did the world a tremendous service. Thank you!

Internet game that awards points for people spotting real crimes on CCTV is branded ’snooper’s paradise’

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:27 PM on 05th October 2009

A new internet game is about to be launched which allows ’super snooper’ players to plug into the nation’s CCTV cameras and report on members of the public committing crimes.

The ‘Internet Eyes’ service involves players scouring thousands of CCTV cameras installed in shops, businesses and town centres across Britain looking for law-breakers.

Players who help catch the most criminals each month will win cash prizes up to £1,000.

The Internet Eyes’ website will also feature a rogue’s gallery of the so-called ‘criminals’ along with a list of their offences and which internet user caught them. But civil rights campaigners today condemned the game, which launches in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, next month, and branded it ‘a snoopers paradise’.

They claim nosey neighbours could snoop on homeowners putting the wrong rubbish in bins and even motorists guilty of the most minor misdemeanors.

But businessman Tony Morgan, a former restaurant owner, said it would give local businesses protection against petty criminals, and act as a deterrent once ‘Internet Eyes patrol here’ signs are prominently displayed.

He will charge those who use the service, which could eventually include local authorities and even police forces as well as shop owners, £20 a week per camera to have their CCTV included on the site – amounting to thousands each year.

The Internet Eyes’ website will also feature a rogue’s gallery of the so-called ‘criminals’ along with a list of their offences and which internet user caught them.

But civil rights campaigners today condemned the game, which launches in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, next month, and branded it ‘a snoopers paradise’.

They claim nosey neighbours could snoop on homeowners putting the wrong rubbish in bins and even motorists guilty of the most minor misdemeanors.

But businessman Tony Morgan, a former restaurant owner, said it would give local businesses protection against petty criminals, and act as a deterrent once ‘Internet Eyes patrol here’ signs are prominently displayed.

He will charge those who use the service, which could eventually include local authorities and even police forces as well as shop owners, £20 a week per camera to have their CCTV included on the site – amounting to thousands each year.

He said: ‘This could turn out to be the best crime prevention weapon there’s ever been.

‘I wanted to combine the serious business of stopping crime with the incentive of winning money.

‘There are over four million CCTV cameras in the UK and only one in a thousand gets watched.

‘Crimes are bound to get missed but this way people the cameras will be watched by lots of people 24-hours-a-day.

‘It gives people something better to do than watching Big Brother when everyone is asleep.

‘We’ve had a lot of interest from local businesses and hope to roll it out nationwide and then worldwide.’ He said the team had seen a wave of support and denied that liberties were being affected. ’There are more than four million cameras in the UK so everybody is on camera already, it is just that no one is watching the cameras.’

Players collect points by watching the cameras, which show CCTV images in real-time, and click a button every time they see something suspicious taking place. An SMS or text message, along with a still image of the alleged crime, is sent to whoever controls the camera. They can then decide whether or not to take action.

The camera controller will send a feedback email back to the player indicating whether a crime has taken place.

Players are awarded one point for spotting a suspected crime and three points if they see someone committing an actual crime.  Players also lose points if the camera operator rules that the alert was not a crime.

The game has been condemned by civil rights campaigners who claim it will encourage people to spy and snitch on each other.

Charles Farrier, director of the No-CCTV pressure group, said: ‘It is an appalling idea for a game and will create a snoopers paradise.

‘It is something which should be nipped in the bud immediately. It will not only encourage a dangerous spying mentality by turning crime into a game but also could lead to dangerous civil rights abuses.

‘What if a group of racists decide to send alerts every time a black person is seen on screen and what’s stopping criminals using the cameras to scope out where to commit crimes.’

James Woodward, head of the technical team for Internet Eyes, which is based in Devon and Stratford-upon-Avon, said safeguards – including blocking players out for sending three incorrect alerts – would prevent the game being abused.

He said: ‘For privacy reasons users will not know the location of the cameras. They will find it very difficult to work out where the camera is.

‘It is possible that someone who is blocked out could see a crime taking place but be unable to alert the operator. ’But it is probably safe to assume someone else looking at the same camera will raise the alarm.

‘Whoever has a CCTV camera, be it the police, local authorities or business or home owners can sign up to have their cameras watched. We hope to include police cameras very soon.’ The game will initially use CCTV cameras in shops and businesses in Stratford-upon-Avon but will be rolled out across Britain by December before going worldwide next year.

Last month it was revealed that Britain has 4.2 million CCTV cameras – the equivalent of one per 14 people – one-and-a-half-times as many as Communist China.

Common Sense, the book advocating secession from the British empire and credited with starting the Revolution, was the top-selling book of the 18th century, globally.

Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.

Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise.
— Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Music and art can change our World for the good. You already know how chaotic it is these days if you are awake: Swine Flu hype, G20 Riots, Vaccinations, Nuclear Standoffs, RFID chips, health care arguments, economy, Iraq War, terrorism, the New World Order, 1st amendment violations, unemployment, and the list can go on and on.

Now if we all rise up together we can push the oppressive things out of the way. I have compiled a Jamendo only playlist of artists I really like because of their honesty and musical quality. Please download at the link below and pass around. We can do this. It isn’t over and as long as we are breathing we can do something.

And here is another idea: If you can play guitar or piano, sing or write, get going and make a song about whatever you are going through. No matter what. Flood the internet with your viewpoint. Let’s not give in to the elite bullies in charge who want to manipulate, con and destroy us with their fear-mongering. These are all distractions.

if you paint or draw do that, too. Flood the internet with your world. We have more numbers behind us than those elite. They hide behind their power and wealth. Come and get going.

Make youtube videos, too and post. Do it!

Here’s where you can play or download the playlist for free:

Turn On, Tune In, and Rise Up Playlist

1. Rancho Relaxo – From The Hip
2. Rancho Relaxo – Quebec
3. The Zombie Drivers – There Is No Law
4. The Zombie Drivers – Shine in the Rain
5. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – A Girl Got A Car Accident
6. The Henry Chinaski’s Ashtray – One-eyed-woman’s dream
7. The Ragas – Blues Raga 2
8. The Ragas – What Ya Say
9. The Dada Weatherman – What Gandhi Said
10. The Dada Weatherman – Flying On A Cloud
11. Timado – True Blue
12. Timado – Turning
13. THE GOLDEN DAWN – Enjoy the Nature
14. The Golden Dawn – Let the Sunshine In
15. I Am Not Lefthanded – Falling
16. I Am Not Lefthanded – Long Goodbyes
17. Jamison Young – Live On A Moon
18. Jamison Young – Cold World
19. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Monkey Boy
20. Blancheneige Bazaar Orchestra – Meshugge
21. Jim Guittard – BJM-Like Song
22. Jim Guittard – The Sun Shines Today
23. Ben’s Imaginary Band – Connectiveness
24. Ben’s Imaginary Band – My Self-Centered World
25. Charline Lucie – Crimes de compagnie
26. Brad Sucks – Overreacting
27. Brad Sucks – Gasoline
28. Waterfalls – The Dandy Bell
29. Waterfalls – Get Tight And Loose
30. alterlabel -Optimystic
31. Blood Ruby – Midsummer Fires
32. Blood Ruby – Babel Babel
33. Illusion of Art – Machines
34. Illusion of Art – La Plano
35. The Heavens – Echo Serena
36. The Heavens – This Beautiful Machine
37. The Wagner Logic – Conflicting Sound
38. The Wagner Logic – So Hard
39. Glass Waves – Hey Nuclear
40. Glass Waves – Virginia Tech
41. FATHER JOHNSON – Treat Ya Kind
42. FATHER JOHNSON – Transcending
43. ARTSomerville – Are You Sleeping?
44. ARTSomerville – I know, I know
45. Chapter 9 – In the Universe
46. Chapter 9 – Small Apocalypse Song
47. The Verandas – Rescue Me
48. The Verandas – Anemone
49. Charlie Gibson – Eu Só Posso Cantar
50. Charlie Gibson – Porto ou Faxinal

It seems like every major city has, at some point, a major fire to go with it.  London had one, Chicago had one, and Washington, D.C. had one.  San Francisco had one, but that that more to do with the big earthquake that preceded it.  Still, fire is fire, and when it rages uncontrolled, it’s a pretty devastating experience.

Citizens of the small community of New York City also experienced a fire.  I say “small community” because, by today’s standards, the city was more townish in size.  But by 1776 standards, it was pretty large.  It was also about to be occupied by the British, so there’s been some speculation that Colonials or members of Washington’s Continental Army set the blaze.  And the General certainly had motive.

He didn’t have the manpower or firepower to stop the British from taking the city, so he packed his troops and headed for the higher ground of Harlem Heights.  There certainly was discussion amongst his staff about burning the city to deny its supplies and warehouses to the enemy, but that doesn’t seem to have been Washington’s style.  At any rate, history doesn’t really name a culprit.

History does show that on September 21, 1776, the fires started.  Fanned by high winds and fueled by closely packed wooden structures, they quickly overwhelmed any defensive measures taken.  The populace could do little but grab what they could, run into the streets, and watch the conflagration, which burned all day, all night, and into the 22nd.  All told, one quarter of the city’s homes and businesses were destroyed.

In our minds, that sounds like a massive fire, but that’s because we think in a 21st-century mindset…New York City…10 million people.  In 1776, one fourth of the buildings was 500 buildings.  A lot, yes, but not the destruction our mind’s eye might conjure.

The British certainly didn’t start the fires and, in fact, they were the ones who expended the most effort to put them out.  They questioned a bunch of people concerning the fire, but never found a suspect.  The buildings that survived became British hospitals and prisons.  The homes still standing (and not owned by British sympathizers) were taken over by Redcoat officers.

Under British control, New York City became a Loyalist enclave, and would remain so for many years.  It was many of these “Loyalists” to the Crown that, years later, would make the push to ratify the Constitution in New York such a struggle.

Dear Patriots, we have been placed in historic times. The torch of liberty is in our hands, and her flame is grasping for fuel. We are her only hope.

How is this?

Our elected officials, for the most part, have become drunk with power. As a result of their arrogance they have lost our trust, deservedly so. And the truths held so high by our Founders have been replaced by falsehoods and ponzi schemes.

These are pressing times, a gloom hangs over us. The news is filled with headlines of economic crisis and an uncaring health care system. We’re feed lies of how doctors’ force unnecessary procedures on widows and just how evil capitalism is. I firmly believe we do not have a health care problem and economic problem in this country; the problem we have is: Big Government.

We have the greatest doctors and nurses and hospitals in the world. Americans are the V-8 engine that drove the planets economy for last century and if left alone by pencil pushers in DC it will lead this one as well.

Remember, Madison what warned: “Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power.”

What do we do?

We need to be bold. We need to stand up to Lansing, to Washington and tell them NO MORE. Our votes will not be counted on; they can’t be bought with favors. We must hold their feet to the fire when they stray.

Friends, I urge you to stand with the Northern Michigan Liberty Alliance and pledge, to no longer vote or support politicians that will prop up progressive policies. We need leaders with character, not charters that lead.

Please stand with us, and together we can make 2010 our 1776.

-Don’t Tread on Me
Ben Duff, Chairman of the Northern Michigan Liberty Alliance

Take a Stand Here, Sign Your Name and Be Counted On