SlashDot ... freedom to film atrocity ... illegal?

from Slashdot.com

"A police officer who was disciplined for his role in the beating of a Massachusetts man (many broken bones in his face and permanent partial blindness) is looking to bring criminal wiretapping charges against the woman who caught much of the incident on video. The officer received a 45-day suspension for the beating. He does not appear to deny anything that happened in the video, but he apparently thinks it shouldn't have been filmed."

WI 1848 Forward: #SlashDot ... freedom to film #atrocity ... illegal? : #BillOfRights #47% #99% #Cameras

PBS - In Perspective: Tricia Rose - America’s growing inequality

From "The Need to Know" PBS ...

The debt ceiling gridlock and the limited range of solutions being considered in Washington to solve our economic crisis are likely to worsen the enormous gaps in wealth, income and opportunity that already exist. While the politicians argue, we are careening toward establishing a society in which the lion’s share of money and opportunity is permanently consolidated at the very top. This goes well beyond balancing a budget: it goes to the heart of who we are and who we are going to be. 

WI 1848 Forward #PBS - In Perspective: Tricia Rose - America’s growing #inequality : #47% #99% #OWS #AARP vs #elites

Why is the Stock Market down?

Circa 8/4/2011

There will be countless explanations offered in hindsight as  to why the stock market dropped 500+ points today!  The only true narrative is fear and uncertainty!  Others will say ...  it is Europe indebtedness, Congressional stalemate, bad economic policy being forced on us by a small minority ... no one can prove it.  We tend to always take recent events and try and use them to make ourselves feel better!  Does it help?  Not really ... fear and uncertainty still triumphs. 

The problem is that although I can  figure it out (he said euphemistically) I cannot count on you to figure it out ... so in our mutual confusion we continue to flounder!

Here is my narrative, which I am sure has been said by others, more articulately.  The Tea Party and Republicans have a grand strategy to get the Presidency back.  The big money interests such as the Koch brothers which have fanned the flames of national indebtedness as the source of all ills have probably seen their strategy backfire.  There is no doubt  that unless they (Koch Brothers) have parked all their money with hedge funds they are not as wealthy as they once were after today.

There will be every effort to blame all of this on President Obama.  Just remember it is spin, spin, spin, narrative, narrative, narrative and you need to speak up just as loudly with what you believe.

War and greed also known as Iraq and derivatives (and financial collapse) are why we are in this situation today.  Who started the war?  What caused the financial collapse? Not President Obama ... Republicans, Tea Party and Wall Street are the causal agents in my mind ... but we all let it happen by not paying attention to who we were electing locally and to Congress!

Why is the #StockMarket down, erratic?

Shaping Opinions - Pessimist or Optimist ??? From Slashdot

The original Slashdot entry can be seen by clicking the title!  I have included most of the description here! It provides further references to the source! Hmmmm! What do you think?  Are we "unshakeable" or is the TeaParty?

An anonymous reader writes "Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. 'When the number of committed opinion holders is below 10 percent, there is no visible progress in the spread of ideas. It would literally take the amount of time comparable to the age of the universe for this size group to reach the majority,' said SCNARC Director Boleslaw Szymanski. 'Once that number grows above 10 percent, the idea spreads like flame.' The findings were published in the July 22, 2011, early online edition of the journal Physical Review E."

Shaping Opinions - Pessimist or Optimist ??? From Slashdot  -- #Guns #NRA #Parkland #NeverAgain #PinkHats #MeToo

The Atlantic - GOP Could Retain House Majority, Even With Voter Anger in 2012

A very unpleasant prediction ... better vote everywhere!

In recent years, it hasn't been hard for House campaign committee officials to identify their list of most vulnerable members on the other side of the aisle. Going after Republicans representing Democratic-leaning suburbs has been a key element of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's strategy to win control of the House. Likewise, the National Republican Congressional Committee is accustomed to pursuing moderate Democrats with relish.

But this year, the game is different. After three consecutive wave elections, the House caucuses have become much more ideologically homogenous: There simply aren't many Democrats left representing the rural, conservative heartland or, conversely, many Republicans in the inner suburbs. Blue Dog Democrats are struggling to remain relevant, having lost more than half of their members to last year's midterms and others, such as Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) to retirement.

#MSNBC / #WSJ Poll July 2011 (7/20): 25% An overwhelming majority? #TeaParty

Speaks for itself ... see page 14 .. click title to see the whole thing!

HART/McINTURFF Study #11310 --page 14
JULY 2011 NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey
QF3 Do you consider yourself a supporter of the Tea Party Movement?

+ Results shown reflect responses among registered voters

NPR: Medical Panel Recommends No-Cost Birth Control

Where do you think Paul Ryan, Ron Johnson, Scott Walker, Alberta Darling, Luther Olsen would stand on this issue??

From NPR - click title to see/listen ...

Will all health insurance plans soon have to offer all FDA-approved forms of prescription contraception at no upfront cost to women? They will if Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius accepts the recommendations released today from an expert panel of the Institute of Medicine.

The study — released a day early — actually calls for eight additional services for women to be added to the list of preventive care patients should be offered with no cost-sharing. The new services include annual "well-woman" visits; screening of pregnant women for gestational diabetes; screening for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV; more support for breast-feeding mothers; and counseling and screening for possible domestic violence.

WI 1848 Forward: #NPR: #Medical Panel Recommends No-Cost #Birth Control

Freedom of what? Internet Magna Carta and Personal Space: TED and NYTIMES

Compare and contrast ... here in Wisconsin our Republican controlled legislature will not let the public take videos or pictures of their proceedings ...

From the NYTIMES:  Creating Art via Webcam, Secretly

Cyberspace may be vast, even infinite, but every centimeter of it is being contested by businesses, botnets, governments, lawyers, artists, technologists, ethicists, soldiers, scientists and spies, among others. So far, the territory appears to be ungoverned by any power except brute force or ingenuity, and then only fleetingly. Invisible hackers can take over the Web sites of Murdoch papers for a few hours; Apple’s lawyers can shut down an art exhibit with sternly worded letters to server hosts; pirates can confiscate music, movies and writing without the slightest nod to intellectual property rights; big businesses can force the removal of parodies that embarrass them. Hosni Mubarak can try to unplug the Internet, but a disconnected country quickly turns out to be as unendurable for the powerful as it is for the powerless.

From TED:




WI 1848 Forward: Freedom of what? Internet #MagnaCarta and Personal Space: #TED and #NYTIMES #NYT #47% #99% vs #1%

Freedom of What?

From NashuaTelegraph.com

Suspects, witness dispute police version of July 1 arrest in Nashua

There is always more to the story ... arrested for video taping!  Makes you wonder about the Sam Mayfield arrest in Madison (later dismissed) -

From the source -

...All three say Gannon didn’t resist arrest, only turned his back and began to walk away from the detectives after being told he wasn’t under arrest.

“I didn’t have time to resist,” Gannon said.

The two detectives were on him immediately, he said.

He and the other two witnesses said police overreacted to his wisecrack.

“I blew his ego with that comment. By all means, that detective was unglued,” Gannon said.

It also probably didn’t help Gannon’s cause that he told police he was videotaping the incident with a small Kodak mini camcorder. Videotaping police got Gannon arrested before. ...

Upd#4 6/11 - Citizen Management - Capitol Police Style - Monday evening WORT interview

Sen. Olsen - Hoax - Recall Baraboo - Sam Mayfied reports on video

Nine Wisconsin State Senators, including six Republicans and three Democrats, are running in recall elections this summer in response to voter outrage over the questionable process used when Republicans cast votes on the bill to strip public workers of their unions. Tuesday's Democratic Primary will determine which challenger will go on to face the incumbent Senators in the general election next month. In each of those 6 senate districts, there are two names on the ballot: one is a candidate with a history of running and voting Democratic and one is a Republican running as a so-called “protest candidate”.  Both are listed as Democrats. ...

From the website Toward Freedom ... click below to see ..

Taking it to the Ballot Box: Video Report on Wisconsin's Recall Election Primaries

By Sam Mayfield -

NPR: As Income Gap Balloons, Is It Holding Back Growth?

Greed is good? NOT!  A perspective on the implications of inequality of incomes.  How deregulation has led to current  problems and other ideas.  After 1933 banking crises disappeared until the 1980s.

Hear the story and see the transcript at NPR ... click on title!

NPR ... 

"This inequality is destabilizing and undermines the ability of the economy to grow sustainably and efficiently," she said. Income inequality, she continued, "is "anathema to the social progress that is part and parcel of such growth."
The income gap in the United States has ballooned: It's wider than any time since 1928, in the days before the stock market crash triggered the Great Depression.

WI 1848 Forward: #NPR : As #Income Gap Balloons, Is It Holding Back #Growth ? : #47% #99% #Obama #Dems vs #1% #Elites

Flash: Tea Party Gives Up Drinking Tea

Based on disappointing economic news that firing public workers, restricting unemployment benefits, blocking stimulus packages, increasing taxes on the poor and preventing the young and old from voting has failed to stimulate the economic recovery they have resorted to drinking Kool-Aid to maintain their ideological continence. The vast amounts of Kool-Aid being drunk has however caused incontinence.

Video - Noam Chomsky - Democracy Now - Madison WI February, Unions, International

Noam Chomsky, MIT, has been on the landscape a long time and has had made major contributions not only to linguistics but to computer science in the form of context-free-grammars.  The fact that he is a social activist in his opinions and life has always attracted me to want to hear what he has to say.  Since the 1970s when I learned about context-free-grammars and at the same time about his social activism I have seen or heard him again and again.  It is no surprise to see him with Amy Goodman and on Democracy Now.  This is I am sure not his first appearance.  The interview is 13+ minutes on the 15th year anniversary Democracy Now - wide ranging with quite a few points about Madison and unions and events since February 11th.

Listen, Think Deep and Think For Yourself -

Part II (?)

VoterID: Voting and Recall - National Perspective and WI

Need to Know from PBS gives a national perspective on the last several months.  They make the point that all legislatures tinker with voting requirements.  Is this time different (since November 2010)?  See what you think!

On the same subject a short clip from one of the hearings in Wisconsin has also been attached.  On a personal opinion note when I see this kind of objective, factual reporting I think I know why Republicans seem interested in finding ways to diminish public broadcasting.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Back to Wisconsin - May 3, 2011

Some past entries (not in chronological order) :

Upd2- WisEye - JFC - Voter ID - Rep Roys speaks ou...

JFC Monday Voter ID - Wisconsin Voter ID Bill 2011...Poll Tax or Fraud Protection

JFC Monday Voter ID - Wisconsin Voter ID Bill 2011...$5.7 cost

Voter ID - AB7 Amendments - Unfinished advances

Voter ID Amendments Put Students At Risk

WI 1848 Forward: #VoterID: Voting and Recall - National Perspective and #WI - #walker #Pridemore on camera

Wisconsin Recalls - AP 6/15

Wis. Dems protest ruling allowing recall elections for 3 Dem senators, allege widespread fraud by  DINESH RAMDE  Associated Press

 MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Democratic Party wants a court to invalidate thousands of signatures collected on recall petitions in recent weeks, a move that if granted would effectively end recall efforts targeting three Democratic state senators. ...

Unfortunately the Republican Assembly has taken the first step, the Senate will act and the Governor will sign - passing the"budget" before the recall elections will take place.  In the next several months we will see the human price as the budget ripples through towns, villages, cities and counties. Probably even worse is that it may be years before the real cost is fully appreciated - kids that don't get a good education, cannot afford to go to college or are not prepared to succeed when they get there.

The problem is ... it can get worse ... focus on the recalls of the Republican Senators and make it happen!  Governor Walker will still try to privatize state owned power plants, privatize DNR, cut Medicaid for the most in need, the list goes on,  etc. - use this knowledge to stay motivated and working for the Governor's recall!

 

Democracy - Republican Style - Assembly Gallery - Rules

The exclusion list of what you can take into the Assembly Gallery seems, as the photo records, to be pretty long!  So you can bring your voice and your eyes but little else - which seems to be what the Republicans are encouraging.  Make sure you do not "Public Display or Demonstration"  ... but if you do they will only "ask you to leave" NOT!

Taxpayers get ready  ... they taped those signs on the marble ... not even painter's tape ... get ready for another $7.5 million Capitol repair bill.

WI 1848 Forward: #Democracy - #Republican Style - Assembly Gallery - #Rules  : #GOP #DEMS #WiVote WWiUnion #47% vs #1

Dishonesty - Noel Sheppard (NewsBusters) vs Krugman (NYTimes)

Noel Shepard takes excerpts from Krugman's article but never gives us the link to see for ourselves so here it is - NYTimes Op-Ed Columnist: Wisconsin Power Play By PAUL KRUGMAN Published: February 20, 2011

At least you know who said it with NewsBusters.org but a little more information by the author would be helpful - what do you think?

Krugman: 'Gov. Walker Trying to Make Wisconsin and America a Third-World-Style Oligarchy' Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/02/21/krugman-gov-walker-trying-make-wisconsin-and-america-third-world-styl#ixzz1N5SrJC8G

On top of those issues I know 2/21/2011 is not a long time ago but I did not notice this as over three months old and someone was recycling it on Twitter - I'm guilty of that sometimes when I think an issue should not be forgotten!  All the more important to report your sources and give the reader a chance to figure it out for themselves.  I should also mention Shepard referenced George Will in a link in this piece.  But the link was to another of his columns where you could see an embed from ABC News - nothing wrong with that but it does show he knows how to put links in stories!

WI 1848 Forward: Dishonesty - Noel #Sheppard (NewsBusters) vs #Krugman ( #NYTimes) - watch the spin and context

WI 1848 Forward: Dishonesty - Noel #Sheppard ( #NewsBusters ) vs #Krugman ( #NYTimes ) - watch the spin and context

#Walker WI 1848 Forward: Dishonesty- #Sheppard ( #NewsBusters ) vs #Krugman ( #NYTimes ) - watch the spin & context

UPD (12:25pm) : Thompson is going to run - (8:33am) Seems Twitters think so! Wispolitics UPD Packerland video

Let's see - as I understand it Tommy brought Wisconsin big time "Pay-to-Play" politics.  He will be, say 76, by the time he finishes his first term ( a little older than me) if he wins.  What kind of State Taxes did he pay and where did he pay them?  I thought he was a big time inside the beltway lobbyist now - maybe he could get us a high speed train now?  Under the new VoterID he may not be able to vote in Wisconsin "recalls" - oh wait the State Senate could still pass an amendment exempting Tommy and send it back to the Assembly for reconciliation - or better yet do it by Joint Committee 50 minutes after providing notice!

I apologize in advance for "you have to live here to know what I am talking about" remarks!

(~Noon 5/17) WisPolitics.com DC Wrap is reporting Thompson will run -

The source said an announcement is not imminent. But Thompson is meeting with advisers to craft a campaign structure and budget in anticipation of a campaign.

See also Huffington Post 3/17/2010 - All about Tommy Thompson

From Huffington Post story about the video -

I suppose I'll close with this video, at right, of Thompson celebrating a Green Bay Packers victory while, well, pretty drunk. Or, um, does he usually slur his speech that badly in front of tens of thousands of Packer fans?

Who is Representative Paul Ryan(?) representing!?

Do you know what is at stake in 2012 if the issue gets put out of mind?  Is it time for a Grover Norquist style pledge - "I will support Medicare and funding for Medicare so help me Grover".  Perhaps -  "I will support SeniorCare, I will support BadgerCare so help me Scott Walker".


NYTimes: Medicare makes Buffalo NY race competitive - 
NYTimes: G.O.P. Medicare Plan Shakes Up Race for House Seat By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ Published: May 5, 2011
__________________


I wrote this in the first of several blog entries included below (4/11) -

I wonder if the strategy is to make certain that if Ryan's policies are rejected the nuclear fallout misses the rest of the conservatives.  If he fails he will survive and show up in a think-tank and if he succeeds he will be running for Vice-President.  So much for fanciful thinking - that's all for now, folks!

The following article from the Wall Street Journal today (5/4)  seems to answer the question or does it!  The ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) ideas just go away for a little while and then come back again and again.  In the meantime Governor Walker is still poised to radically change Medicaid and/or Medicare in Wisconsin - so remain vigilant and vocal!  Read the detail - the devil is hiding there.

GOP, White House Talk Deal on Debt

GOP leaders and the White House are discussing a deal that would enact strict deficit targets and some spending cuts to win Republican votes for lifting the ceiling on how much the federal government can borrow.

The deal would defer contentious decisions about Medicare, Medicaid and taxes until after the 2012 elections. If such an agreement were reached, it would allow both sides to assure financial markets and the public of their commitment to reducing the deficit and then use next year's campaign to lay out their competing visions for the future of major government programs.

"We're not going to get a grand slam agreement. We're not going to get a big, comprehensive agreement, because of the political parameters," Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Budget Committee told reporters Wednesday. "My hope at this moment is to get a single or a double."

Now do you know what is at stake in 2012 if the issue gets put out of mind?

The links are included here for several blog entries related to Paul Ryan (The first and last help illustrate the amount of coordination ALEC achieves and how!) -

Who is Representative Paul Ryan?

Who is Paul Ryan? NPR/WPR 4/28 report

Paul Ryan on upper income taxes ... in Wisconsin ... listen! Milton

Fixing Medicare: Obama Vs. Ryan (Who is he?) 4/18

FDR vs Paul Ryan, 1938 all over again

FitzwalkerStan to Annex Ryangoria - Healthcare Medicaid Medicare

A video is repeated for convenience -

WI 1848 Forward: Who is Representative Paul #Ryan (?) representing!? #AARP #47% vs #elites #Janesville

Walker gets idea from China but with a twist

Let's say upfront that this is satire so those of you with your concealed weapons will not threaten me with bodily harm! What a day it has been!  Faustian bargains!

Chinese iPad Factory Staff Forced To Sign 'No Suicide' Pledge

From the posting -

"Employees at Foxconn facilities in China, used to manufacture the iPhone and iPad, were forced to sign a pledge not to commit suicide after over a dozen staff killed themselves over the last 16 months. The revelation is the latest in a series of findings about the treatment of workers at Foxconn plants, where staff often work six 12-hour shifts a week, 98 hours of overtime in a month, and live in dormitories that look and feel like prison blocks."

Walker declares 'State Employee Recognition Day'  but you have to sign first then we will recognize you ... and just retire ... no suicides unless you are ill!

From the source -

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proclaimed Wednesday "State Employee Recognition Day," months after pushing a bill that would strip most of those workers of their collective bargaining rights.

Walker praised state workers for cutting costs in tough economic times while noting their essential service to the state. He also unveiled a state worker recognition program earlier this week, which would reward employees who provided "outstanding conduct in serving the people of Wisconsin."