Saturday, October 15, 2011

CitiBank Customers Arrested for Trying To Close Accounts

Well the real profile of where the power lies with the police really shows in this video. 25 or so customers of CitiBank entered and attempted to close accounts.  Police locked them inside and arrested them without any explanation.  Watch it and ask, who are the police working for, the people or the banks.

This is crazy!

NYPD Look Like A Bunch of Thugs

All that good will the NYPD built up back in 2001 has gone out the window.  Their actions toward the Occupy Wall Street protestors is just plain despicable.  This latest video shows a motorcycle policeman not only running over a guy, but stopping his bike purposely on the guys ankle.

Serve and Protect?  More like beat and assault.

I get a lot of flack when I have criticized the NYPD.  Some folks say yeah they are rough, but they are better than in other countries.  Bullshit.  With the exception of Rome most of the protests have been peaceful and there has been little violence, except in New York from the police.

Give me your take on this clip.

Friday, October 14, 2011

NYPD Brutality Against Occupy Wall Street is Getting Out of Hand!

The blatant brutality being used by the New York City police really makes me reconsider envisioning them as heroes.  After 9/11 they seemed pretty heroic, but now they look more like Nazi Brown Shirts.

In this video clip they just run up and slug a demonstrator in the face.  He was doing NOTHING!  To top it off, he was HIV positive and the policeman was spattered with his blood.  I doubt if they ever considered any health risk to themselves or the protestors, they just want to hit people.

Sad considering the police are underpaid and every bit as much the victim of Wall Street excesses as the protestors. 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pinky & the Brain - Pluck Socks and Slip Sheets - VIDEO

And this scene is one reason Pinky and the Brain was one of my favorite cartoon shows.  Pity this show is not still in production.  Satire, ribald humor and a whole second level or hilarity that only an adult would get.  Now that's comedy!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Happy Pledge of Allegiance Day!

Back in 1892 the Pledge of Allegaince of the United States was composed by Francis Bellany.  The pledge was later adopted officially by Congress in 1942 and it not surprisingly contained no reference to God.

Here is the original pledge:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

By the time it reached official status it had been changed to the following:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The inclusion of the words, "under God" were added first by the Knights of Columbus in  1951, but the official addition didn't happen until June 14, 1954, by a Joint Resolution of Congress.  Most likely this addition was to emphasize the difference between the US and the Soviet Union, after all it was the Cold War.

Additionally, the original pledge involved saluting the flag with an outstretched hand, which in the 1940's looked all-too-similar to a Nazi salute, and so it was changed to a hand over the heart.

The salute was officially removed in 1942 again by an Act of Congress.

So, Happy Birthday Pledge of Allegiance!  Maybe some day we can add "with liberty and justice for all citizens" just to make a point.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Former Leader of Ex-Gay Program Comes Out

What a great story for National Coming Out Day!  John Smid, former Executive Director for Love in Action, and ex-gay ministry came out last week in his blog.  Smid admits he has been rethinking his understandings of sexuality since resigning his post in 2008. Several of his key points are worth repeating.

"One cannot repent of something that is unchangable."  He goes on to say, "I've never met a man who has experienced a change from homosexual to heterosexual."

"I used to define homosexuality or heterosexuality in terms describing one’s behavior. I thought it made sense and through the years often wrote articles and talked from that perspective. Today, I understand why the gay community had such an issue with my writings." He concludes with this revelation, "homosexuality is much more than sex."

"I hear story after story of men and women who accept themselves as being gay, in Christ, and finally find that life makes sense to them. Many are able to then nurture an authentic relationship with Christ because they are being honest and authentic with themselves and finally are able to accept His love unconditionally which changes the dynamic of their understanding of Him"

Heady stuff and worth reading.  More is on Think Progress, here.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Right Wing Journalist was Agent Provocateur at D.C. Museum

In an effort to discredit the Occupy Wall Street movement, Patrick Howley, Assistant Editor of The American Spectator.  Infiltrated the crowd protesting at the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and rushed the building trying to provoke violence.  He managed to get pepper sprayed by guards and made the peaceful protest look like a much more aggressive one.

Firedoglake has the story including photos and an admission by the reporter of his actions.  Apparently the Right-Wing is not satisfied with the media attention given Occupy Wall Street and is intent on making the protestors look violent.  Abhorrent behavior, but not surprising from these thugs.

Geraldo and Fox News Chased From Occupy Wall Street Protest

As Geraldo Rivera tried to do a story from the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York, the crowd let him know in no uncertain terms how little they cared for Fox News.  They chanted "Fox News Lies" incessantly and eventually made his attempt to report futile.  This video shot by a protestor shows the results.  He left without a usable piece of propaganda for Fox News, (AKA the GOP talking point company).



In other OWS news I have finally seen a coherent list of objectives and I am behind them one hundred percent.

Impose a tax on all stock trades (known as the financial transactions tax), break-up the banks and the media oligopoly,outlaw usury.