The 9/11 Strike is Finally Here

Before the Government takes away our rights and many uses of the Internet, an unconfirmed source has set forth a viral effort through the many pathways of the Internet to spread the word about a General Strike scheduled for September 11, 2007, the sixth anniversary of the 9/11/2001 attacks on New York City and Arlington, Virginia.

Wikipedia defines viral efforts on the Internet as:

An object (or an idea) is viral when it has the ability to spread copies of itself or change other similar objects to become more like (it) when those objects are simply exposed to the viral object.
General strikes, more common in Europe, are events that shut down the normal operations of a city, state, or nation for a period of time.

This is a general strike, and not for any one, or even three specific issues, but for all the issues which broke ground that disastrous day September 11, 2001. These issues include, but are not limited to: the 9/11 cover-up, surveillance, torture, environmental issues (asbestos in the Towers' debris?), and corporate media.

This strike is neither a protest, such as anti-war, fraud, or civil rights protest. This is simply a general strike.
A National Call to Action: Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
No school. No work. Buy nothing. Hit the streets
On June 27, 2007, the United States Social Forum, a convention of various social justice groups, passed a resolution that called for both the reopening of the 911 investigation and the impeachment of Bush and Cheney.
On July 4, 2007, the Philadelphia Emergency Anti War Convention convened in Pennsylvania.
Cindy Sheehan pointed out that her audiences have been filled with 911 Truth members who deserved answers to their questions. The convention produced a strong set of demands known as The Act Independent United Front Program. The program calls for impeachment of Bush, Cheney and associates; an end to all wars; restoration of Constitutional Rights; an end to “Bush police-state dictatorship;” a government by and for the people; and 9/11 truth – reopening the investigation and full release of all 9/11 documentation.
Only Four Weeks Left Until Sept. 11, 2007

Make your own fliers, or print fliers like the one above by clicking on the image! If you don't have time or resources to strike, make time! No Work, No School, Buy Nothing. NOTHING! This is what will work. Everyone who has any concern involving the administration's manipulating of the Constitution, the Crimes, the Fraud, the War, Homeland Security, The War on Drugs, or other crimes against the United People of America, UNITE! And show them we ARE the PEOPLE! And WE can make a difference, and restore this country to the beliefs of our forefathers: LET FREEDOM RING!

Source: Michael Collins: Originally Published in “Scoop” Independent Media

Subpoenas for Medical Records

In Portland, Oregon Chief U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley is working on a ruling of whether or not to throw out the DEA requests for medical records of 17 medical marijuana patients. According to OregonLive's News Flash,the subpoenas were served on the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, which issues permits to patients and their authorized growers.
They also sent a subpoena to The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation, a Portland clinic where doctors determine whether a patient's condition would be eased by marijuana.

There are 11 other states that currently allow marijuana for medical use, although they also have lists of conditions for which the medical marijuana is appropriate. Section 3, (a) through Section 3 (c) of the 1998 Oregon Medical Marijuana Act describes the approved conditions as:

(a) Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or treatment for these conditions;
(b) A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following:
(i) Cachexia;
(ii) Severe pain;
(iii) Severe nausea;
(iv) Seizures, including but not limited to seizures caused by epilepsy; or
(v) Persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to spasms caused by multiple sclerosis; or
(c) Any other medical condition or treatment for a medical condition adopted by the division by rule or approved by the division pursuant to a petition submitted pursuant to section 14 of this Act.

However, these 11 states, as well as the two other states considering making medical marijuana legal, are going through some rough legal battles between the feds and those involved with the medical marijuana use and dispensing. The federal government only recognizes marijuana as a schedule 1 drug that should be outlawed, has no medical uses, and anyone involved in medicinal marijuana use, cultivation, or prescribing is giving money to terrorists; according to current drug czar, John P. Walters - read his 'description' on this link to the White House Office of National Drug Control policy. You should notice how is details none of the current threats to landlords in California who rent to Medical Marijuana dispensaries. Nor does it explain how the Drug Czar sees fit to abandon the constitution side by side with good ol' George W. and pry into citizens' personal medical histories.

Other drugs labeled schedule 1 include heroin, Lysergic acid diethylamide, peyote, and Dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Many of California's medical marijuana users and growers are being sent to jail, prosecuted and fined for providing or receiving LIFE SAVING treatments.

Kris Hermes, a spokesman for the advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, said the subpoenas suggest the DEA is looking beyond prosecuting dealers.
"It sends a message to the other states and their programs that they're vulnerable to federal interference," he said. "It doesn't take a brick to hit you over the head to know that the federal government is trying to undermine California's medical marijuana law, given all the raids and threats to landlords.
"This is one step further that shows the federal government is very serious about going after patients."

I can not see how any citizen of this country, founded on freedom, is ok willing to let patients suffer because the federal government believes they have the right to bring extinction upon a plant that has survived on this earth longer than us. A plant that has helped the human race for hundreds of generations. Who has the right to allow consumption of poisons which only, deteriorate the human body, and criminalize the consumption of a plant that helps to cure ailments, and create shelter for the human race. And, I'm not only talking about the over 400,000 different 'scripts out there. I am talking about the MSG and other poisons in foods sold nationally, globally, the lead, the asbestos cover-ups, 'black lung' and many, many more.

We must remember, too, that the federal government DOES in fact grow marijuana. They issue the federally grown marijuana to 13 lucky medical marijuana patients. This marijuana helps these people cope with the specific conditions and help to allow them to live productive, 'normal' lives which they would otherwise be incapable of doing.

It is time, America, to take a stand and not let the government bully these people around anymore. We have rights, we have privacy rights, and, unless each government official will let us in on their medical histories, background checks, and wiretapping, then I suggest to them they 'BACK OFF!'

What Do You Think About When You Pay Taxes?

In a recently published commentary, a patriotic citizen discusses his logic in What Do Citizens Owe the Government? In this commentary, he explains why our taxes should be evaluated, and we should be receiving receipts from the governments. (Well, he doesn't actually talk about receipts, but that what it made me think of.)

James Bovard, a policy advisor to The Future of Freedom Foundation, published this commentary this morning. It was an inspiration to read. He goes over topics like public schools, public roads, speed limits, police protection and military, and how our taxes compare to the cost of these so-called services, and what is actually provided.

It is a very interesting commentary, and brings up interesting issues. One excerpt: "Nor can people owe obedience to government for any activity that the people could have done better themselves."

Beautiful. When I read that, so many things came to mind. Medicine. That really came first. There are so many harmful drugs that only deteriorate our bodies and poison us so that we need even more pharmaceuticals to counter those affects. Instead of these, there are many natural cures, or at least treatments to counter those affects-such as medical marijuana. Chemotherapy- not pretty. Cancer patients undergoing this treatment can suffer many side-affects, including nausea, loss of appetite and others. But, the use of medical marijuana has been proven to counter those affects, but it is illegal. People who pay taxes shouldn't be paying them if those taxes will buy the criminalization of medicine that heals many ailments.
And when he began about public roads, and the fact that most speed limits posted are actually 15 mph under the. James Board reports that Federal Highway Administration traffic-safety engineers Samuel Tignor and Davey Warren concluded in a 1990 study that most speed zones were “posted 15 m.p.h. below the maximum safe speed; that, on average, speed limits are set too low to be accepted as reasonable by most drivers, and that the posted speeds make violators out of motorists who drive reasonably and safely.”

Now I understand why I feel the need to speed so much. Not terribly much past the speed limit, I usually maintain a speed between 65-70 mph, because that is where I feel comfortable. And, from what I've noticed, the people who seem to feel most comfortable going 52 mph on the highway, they usually drive as if the should never have passed their driver's test, or at least need to take a new one!

An intriguing piece of artwork posted on Deviant.com , entitled Death and Taxes diagrams the Federal Discretionary Budget of 2004. Take a look yourself at the Federal Office of Budget and Management's website. It details US budget information including requests, and distributions for 2006 and 2007.

I think that taxes should be a lot more localized than they are currently to allow for more efficient spending. I should also have the right to refuse to pay taxes if I don't believe they are being spent on, well for starters, on things I know about! We should all be informed about why are money is going towards certain things, and the exact expenses incurred from these happenings. I mean, if we were given the right to not pay taxes, I understand a lot of people would not pay taxes without having just cause. Perhaps the legal system can be put into use for citizens. To help the general population be a bigger part of the checks and balance system that is only in place within the 3 main branches of the government. Perhaps, We should be considered the 4th branch?

Monkey Smuggles

We've been led to believe that there is a thing called homeland security. Well, apparently there is. With security measures that include harassing senior citizens and the shoe elves the average business traveler carries with them (in their shoes, naturally), but monkeys can now get onto planes, wearing nothing but a hat!

MSNBC reports that on Tuesday, a monkey had traveled from Lima, Peru all the way to LaGuardia NY airport. According to Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Alison Russell, passengers on the flight had noticed the little monkey emerging from the man's hat and asked him if he knew he had a monkey on him. "The monkey spent the remainder of the flight in the man’s seat and behaved well, said Russell, who didn’t know how it skirted customs and security."

Naturally, police were waiting for them man when he arrived in LaGuardia, confiscated the little marmoset and took it for questioning. The monkey rather. No-the monkeys didn't take the police for questioning, the police took the man for questioning, and threw the little monkey in quarantine. Charges have yet to be filed.

Schwarzenegger Offered One Billion Dollars

Currently, the state of California has a budget crisis. To try and balance the budget out, legislators are bickering over which social services should be cut. This isn't fair. It isn't even right. People need those social services. There is a hero in this story, however. Well, heroes is more like it. Many, many heroes! They call themselves Let Us Pay Taxes.

The Let Us Pay Taxes group has offered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger one billion dollars to be put toward the budget crisis. The thing is; this money will be coming from a coalition of California marijuana growers and dealers. Whats the Terminator to do? Terminate the crisis with taxes that taxpayers would actually be willing to pay!

David Guard of StopTheDrugWar.org writes that regulation and taxation of marijuana could produce up to six billion dollars in additional tax revenue, according to economic studies linked from their web site LetUsPayTaxes.com. In addition, it could save up to ten billion dollars in enforcement costs. “That is a conservative estimate,” said Schaffer, spokesman for Let Us Pay Taxes. “By other estimates, the revenues could be five times that. The economists are with us all the way on this one. Marijuana prohibition is an economic disaster.”

So, what's the problem? The problem began with Reefer Madness and marijuana tax stamps in the earlier part of last century. The Drug Czar John Walters continually states that money from marijuana transaction goes into the hands of terrorists and criminals. Is this guy for real? Of course it is! I mean, in terms of anyone who touches marijuana is a criminal! (ok, that may have been a small exaggeration). But, the prohibition Walters is supporting creates the monetary flow from good, hard working citizens who just want to relax, or escape disease-related pain to black market criminals who, in a lot of cases, will do anything to make a buck.

I believe this is where the belief that marijuana is a gateway drug comes from. I mean, where marijuana is outlawed, good people must look toward the streets for relief, because they know that marijuana is not bad. But, a lot of these street dealers are only capitalizing on these people, and introducing them to their other 'wares', so they make more money!

I truly think that if people were able to grow their own cannabis, or buy it from regulated dealers, they would be extremely happy! And, the possibility of the marijuana being 'laced' with other potentially hazardous substances, such as cocaine, would be slim to none. AND the country would have much more coming in from taxes to be applied to other things. Well, maybe we should wait until after Bush is out of office, then it would go toward causes for the people, of the people, and by the people.

Let Us Pay Taxes calls upon all US citizens to sign their petition at their web site LetUsPayTaxes.com and press the issue with their lawmakers. “Take the money, please,” said Schaffer. “These people want to contribute. Now it is up to our politicians to tell us why they want to send those billions to foreign criminal gangs rather than to their own voters." Press Release

DEA Raids 10 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in California

The Federal government doesn't care about California voters, raids Marijuana dispensaries.

In 1996, California voters approved the use of medical marijuana, allowing Marijuana dispensaries, and said people should not be subject to criminal prosecution. Rather than listening to the U.S. citizens of California, the DEA went ahead and shut down at least 10 medical Marijuana dispensaries in Southern California yesterday. The DEA dispensary raids come just as the U.S. House (also failing to listen to the people of California) voted against a bill that would protect state Marijuana dispensaries from DEA raids.

F.Y.I. - Some presidential candidates, including Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards have called for an end to the DEA’s medical marijuana raids

Listen [NPR]
Read [MPP]
Read [NORML]

Group Sues US Government Over Medical Marijuana Claims

Armed with a new study showing the drug can ease pain in some HIV patients, Americans for Safe Access has sued the federal government Wednesday over its claim that pot has no accepted medical uses.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court by Americans for Safe Access, accuses the government of arbitrarily preventing "sick and dying persons from seeking to obtain medicine that could provide them needed and often lifesaving relief." Read [Yahoo News]

Jailing Pot Smokers Costs U.S. Taxpayers $1 Billion a Year. Treating Nearly Half of All Americans as Criminals: Priceless

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), "Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004," 12.7 percent of state inmates and 12.4 percent of federal inmates incarcerated for drug violations are serving time for marijuana offenses. This turns into it costing U.S. taxpayers more than $1 billion a year to keep pot heads locked up. That can be turned into 1 out of 8 American drug prisoners are locked up for marijuana.

Paul Armentado (AlterNet) reports that according to the most recent figures available from the FBI, police arrested an estimated 786,545 people on marijuana charges in 2005 -- more than twice the number of Americans arrested just 12 years ago. Among those arrested, about 88 percent -- some 696,074 Americans -- were charged with possession only. The remaining 90,471 individuals were charged with "sale/manufacture," a category that includes all cultivation offenses, even those where the marijuana was being grown for personal or medical use. These totals are the highest ever recorded by the FBI, and make up 42.6 percent of all drug arrests in the United States.

Marijuana isn't a harmless substance, and those who argue for a change in the drug's legal status do not claim it to be. However, pot's relative risks to the user and society are arguably fewer than those of alcohol and tobacco, and they do not warrant the expenses associated with targeting, arresting and prosecuting hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.

Televangelists and Tax-Exempt Private Luxury Jets

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed a complaint with the IRS against Preacher Mac Hammond for using church funds to not only but a jet plane, but also a stunt plane.

Last fall, Hammond endorsed Rep. Michele Bachman, which CREW also filed a complaint about for violating the prohibition against clergy endorsing political candidates.

The purchasing of luxury jets, however, is indeed common among Televangelists. The funds used to purchase the jets, are basically payed for by taxpayers. Churches receive tax-exempt donations, and in return donors get tax deductions.

I wasn't aware that luxury jets were necessary for spreading the Word. Perhaps they put those streamers on the end of them? Maybe that is why Hammond also bought a stunt plane, to write the Message in the sky? And I haven't heard a complaint from any Republicans about this.

Via AlterNet

Journalist Seymour Hersh speaks of Bush

Based in D.C., Seymour Hersh is an American Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author. Regularly contributing to The New Yorker, Hersh is most known for his reporting on the My Lai massacre cover-up during the Vietnam War, and his 2004 reports on the the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

At last week's conference "The 'War on Terrorism': Where Do We Stand" Hersh gave us his feelings and thoughts on prez Bush and what may come.

To sum Bush up in about two sentences, Hersh says, "[Bush is] a total radical, probably the most radical president we've ever had in terms of his definition of the power of the presidency," he said. "There's nothing more dangerous than a radical who doesn't have information, doesn't learn from information and doesn't learn from the past."

Hersh also stated, "I'm completely sympathetic to our [soldiers] - the kids we send are as much victims as [civilians]..." I support this statement the fullest extent. I have no hate towards those who serve the armed forces. We shouldn't hate anyone.

One last thing said by Hersh, "You will not believe what's going to be happening in the next few years with returning vets." And I couldn't believe him more.

The Militarization of Local Police, a dangerous game

Today I came across the article, "Your Local Police Force Has Been Militarized", which in turn pointed me to Radley Balko’s “Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America” (Cato Institute, 2006). A report detailing the unnecessary and excessive militarization of local police units in the United States. The report also provides an extensive catalogue of abuses and mistaken raids, and offers recommendations for reform.

Today 17,000 local police forces have military equipment like Blackhawk helicopters, machine guns, grenade launchers, battering rams, explosives, chemical sprays, body armor, night vision, rappelling gear and armored vehicle. In 1999, the New York Times reported that a retired police chief in New Haven, Connecticut, told the newspaper, “I was offered tanks, bazookas, anything I wanted.”

According to Pentagon data obtained by the Associated Press, some 16,000 law enforcement agencies obtained more than 380,000 pieces of equipment from military surplus worth $124 million in fiscal 2005. (Homeland Stupidity)

See an interactive map of 'Botched Paramilitary Police Raids'

Tell U.S. military to dismiss subpoena of journalist Sarah Olson

"Sarah Olson is a journalist who published an exclusive interview with Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, the highest-ranking member of the military to refuse to deploy to Iraq. Now, the Army wants Olson to be their witness in the lieutenant’s upcoming court martial. The Army is trying to turn speaking to the press into a crime — and wants to have a reporter participate in the prosecution of political speech."

"By summoning this reporter to testify against her source the Bush administration is once again admonishing dissenters (and the press who cover them) to shut up and sing, a very un-American thing to do." (GNN)

"Journalists should not be asked to participate in the prosecution of political speech," Olson said. "Dragging a journalist into court like this ... really damages the barrier between press and government. When speech is the crime, the journalist really can be the investigative arm, the eyes and ears of the government." (SF Gate)

Stand up for a free press — send letters to Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Take action now — the military trial starts February 5.

Panel says U.S. underreported Iraq violence. Surprise! Some attacks don't count...

U.S. military and intelligence officials have systematically underreported the violence in Iraq in order to suit the Bush administration's policy goals, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group said. They have been flat out lying to the American people, on a consistent basis.

The panel pointed to one day last July when U.S. officials reported 93 attacks or significant acts of violence. "Yet a careful review of the reports for that single day brought to light 1,100 acts of violence," it said.

In addition, "a murder of an Iraqi is not necessarily counted as an attack, and a roadside bomb or a rocket or mortar attack that doesn't hurt U.S. personnel doesn't count, either. Also, if the source of a sectarian attack is not determined, that assault is not added to the database of violence incidents."

It's that good old fashioned Big Brother selective news from our friends at Bush Inc.! Yay! Full article via Yahoo! News

Image from VictoryShirt.com

World's youth believe 'war on terror' counterproductive

Young people overwhelmingly believe the US-led "war on terror" is not making the world safer, according to a poll conducted in major cities across the globe. The survey of youngsters aged 15 - 17, which was conducted for the BBC in New York, Nairobi, Cairo, Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Baghdad, Delhi, Jakarta, Moscow and London, found that only 14% of respondents thought US policy in Iraq and Afghanistan was making the world a safer place, while 71% said it was not.

The remaining 15% did not know or declined to answer. Negative views of the "war on terror" were strongest in Baghdad (98%) and Rio (92%).

That's because the "War on Terror" is counterproductive. The world actually thinks that the U.S. is the greatest threat to world peace, and so do I. And many think that Bush is more dangerous than Kim Jong-iL, I agree.

Are all of these opinions coincidences? I think not.

Via The Guardian

Abusive, militant UCLA Campus Police unnecessarily taser student 5 times for not having an ID

Apparently, when 23-year-old UCLA student Mostafa Tabatabainejad didn't immediately vacate the building, security operatives returned with police officers to escort him from the premises. The Daily Bruin writes: "By this time the student had begun to walk toward the door with his backpack when an officer approached him and grabbed his arm, at which point the student told the officer to let him go. A second officer then approached the student as well.


During the unacceptable, disgusting, and unjustified act of tasering Tabatabainejad, the abusive and militant officers even threaten other students who try to rally to his cause in the end.

Warning: the videos below may be disturbing to some.

The LA Times has a story about it and it looks like the student will file suit. NBC News 4 covers it from an off-campus "safe zone" - yes the girl they talk to is afraid to go onto the campus with the video footage for fear of being questioned and possible detained.

Via eightandfive

Six states raise minimum wage! A good start.

Six states approvedraising the minimum wage, joining 18 other states in setting a wage higher than the ridiculously low federal mark of $5.15 an hour.

In my state, Ohio, voters raised the wage to $6.85 an hour, Montana to $6.15 or the federal wage, whichever is higher, and Missouri to $6.50. Arizona voters raised the minimum wage to $6.75.

CNN also projects that Nevada voters will approve a mandatory minimum wage constitutional amendment that would set the wage at $6.15 if the employer does not provide health benefits. Blah.

A good start for most states. But they are still too low for anyone to live off of, even on the slimmest of budgets. There's a book, which I read, called Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America

The author, Barbara Ehrenreich, sets out to find how anyone could make ends meet on $7 an hour, she left behind her middle class life as a journalist except for $1000 in start-up funds, a car and her laptop computer to try to sustain herself as a low-skilled worker for a month at a time. In 1999 and 2000, Ehrenreich worked as a waitress , a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and in a Wal-Mart employee.

End result? Her income barely covered her month's expenses in only one instance, when she worked seven days a week at two jobs (one of which provided free meals) during the off-season in a vacation town.

87% of international terrorism cases brought by the FBI rejected by Federal prosecutors

Federal prosecutors have rejected 87% of the international terrorism cases brought by the FBI during the first nine months of fiscal year 2006, a Syracuse University analysis concluded. And the number of rejections has been generally increasing since 2001.

Of course, the Justice Department said the findings are an "astonishing misunderstanding" of the inner workings of the federal criminal justice system.

"This report contains inaccurate figures, relies on a faulty assumption that every referral from an investigative agency should result in a criminal prosecution and ignores the reality of how the war on terrorism is being conducted," said Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse.

Hmmm, is it just me, or is 87% a ridiculously high percentage? I was thinking more like 12% would be acceptable. Hell, even a 60% rejection rate would be acceptable with this administration. But Eighty-Seven Percent. Come on.

Because of the 'new mission' since 9/11, Roehrkasse said, cases rejected for prosecution don't necessarily close investigations. Oh! Kind of like this guy who was tortured but never charged, now I understand! In other words, they scare people and intimidate them, if they can't find a valid reason to detain them.

Hoax cases that were dismissed may have been included in the government data, too, he said. Yes, I am sure there were many people who entertaind themselves by being investigated by the feds.

Roehrkasse said the department's rejection rate stands at 67%, not 87%. He added the department has prosecuted 36 international terrorism defendants, nearly double the number reported in the analysis.

Still not at my really high and lenient rejection rate 60%.

Susan Long, one of the report's authors, said the data used in the review were obtained from the Justice Department's Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. "The information comes from their files," Long said.

Via USA Today

Bush Admin. wants to silence the tortured regarding secret CIA prisons and methods

Another step for Big Brother Bush who is trying to block lawyers' access to the 14 detainees.

Bush argues that those tortured in U.S. prison camps cannot disclose such information to their courts or even to their attorneys based on the contrary theory that such disclosure would constitute trading on insider information and compromise U S security interests:

From the Washington Post:

"The Bush administration has told a federal judge that terrorism suspects held in secret CIA prisons should not be allowed to reveal details of the "alternative interrogation methods" that their captors used to get them to talk."

"The government says in new court filings that those interrogation methods are now among the nation's most sensitive national security secrets and that their release -- even to the detainees' own attorneys -- "could reasonably be expected to cause extremely grave damage." Terrorists could use the information to train in counter-interrogation techniques and foil government efforts to elicit information about their methods and plots, according to government documents submitted to U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton on Oct. 26."

Gov't lawyers say detainees held in CIA prison camps have no automatic right to speak to lawyers because the new Military Commissions Act, signed by President Bush last month, stripped them of access to U.S. courts.

Via True Blue Liberal

Video the Vote: Sending videographers to monitor voter polling sites

In 2000 and 2004, we saw many problems at the polls: long lines, eligible voters turned away, voter intimidation, misallocation and malfunctioning of voting equipment. These stories were largely ignored as they took a back seat to the calling of races on Election Day.

Ian Inaba's new documentary film "American Blackout" received a Special Jury Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The film takes a look at the disenfranchisement of the Black voters in America and corruption in the 2000 and 2004 national elections. Inaba, 35, is a journalist for the Guerrilla News Network and directed the music videos for "Mosh" by Eminem and "Time and Time Again" by Chronic Future.

Now, Inaba wants to bypass the mainstream media and provide real-time media coverage of any problems that arise at voting sites. The "Video the Vote" campaign will send volunteer videographers to the upcoming mid-term elections and in greater numbers during the 2008 presidential election. Brilliant.

As Inaba tells WireTap, "We want to provide same-day footage and provide an alternative narrative in real time, so that we can all have a more complete picture of what occurs in our elections. We're dispatching videographers all over the country working closely with the Election Protection lawyers and volunteers. We found there is a big desire out there to do this. We'll do it in November and again in 2008. We already have hundreds of video volunteers nationwide."

This is the sort of thing people need to be doing: grassroots, cut throat, get-it-done-yourself and stop relying on the major media outlets.

The new U.S. Currency - How to "de-God" your cold hard cash

"In God We Trust" was put on all paper currency by an Act of Congress in 1955; the phrase was declared the national motto by an Act of Congress in 1956 and first appeared on paper currency in 1957.

In the mid-1950s, the "red scare" had Congress and President Eisenhower acting in paranoid fits of illegal and unconstitutional activity. The FBI, under the militant J. Edgar Hoover, engaged in illegal spying campaigns against Americans. Kind of like the unconstitutional and illegal activities of the Bush administration today! Neat!

Adding "In God We Trust" to the US currency was an act of religious and political propaganda, allegedly to counter the threat of "godless communism." Boooo!

As Mitchell Kahle states, "For more than 10 years, I have spent only Godless dollars. Using a red pen or stamp, I mark a circle and slash over the word 'God' (as pictured above) on every bill that passes my way. When I make a withdrawal from the bank ATM, I immediately 'de-God' each of the crisp new $20s. When I spend the $20s, and receive $1s, $5s, or $10s in change, I 'de-God' each bill before passing it along. No merchant or business has ever refused to accept this 'godless' money."

So what does "In God We Trust" actually mean? Based on the facts, it means only that the government continues to maintain superstitious practices and paranoid acts that should have died along with McCarthyism. It means that the government does not actually support religious freedom. It means that the government continues to establish that monotheism, belief in one "Almighty God," is the de facto official religion of the United States. Via Boing Boing