"All truth passes through 3 stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident." - - - Arthur Schopenhauer, Philosopher, 1788-1860 Whatever the evil (poison) is, it must be presented in a mix of something good, or good for you. Rat poison is like this, 99.5% of the ingredients are tasty and nutritious for the rat (otherwise, they wouldn't eat it, would they?).  Only .5% (1/2 percent) is deadly.

of News, Current Events & Comment for December 2004  August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 the URL for this page can be found by returning to the previous page (if a contributing editor, wishes recognition, they should so indicate with their submission) Best printing w/a black only printer is accomplished when your settings are for "black text and black lines"

To save on the amount of forced emails that consume MEGA bytes of HD space,  these pages are created for your convenience. Pictures can be saved by right clicking then follow the yellow brick road, and original of reports can be located by available links in the articles and saved as you would other web pages. I am reminded of Dad's special brownies.  It is the same truth.

[As we near the end of this calendar year, this is a good thought to ponder as you begin the new calendar year.  --  Tribble]

“I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.  I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.  But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them.

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.  All national institutions
of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.

“I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine.”

- Thomas Paine in “Age of Reason”

[Sounds like ol' Thomas had a pretty good understanding. -- Rodger]
 
 

© THE EMPIRE JOURNAL
12/09/04
http://theempirejournal.com/albany_woman_forcibly_injected_w.htm
contributing editors to   - D

[This is long, but if you are still of the mind that agents of the government do not think of you as the enemy, or that they view their job as them against us, then you better WAKE-UP.  This same so-called judge is featured in the next article entitled "Judge's Role in Quarrel Queried", where he leaped from the bench, threw off his robe, and attacked the defendant.
Just keep telling yourself, they are my friends, they are my friends, they are  ........  --  Tribble]

   Albany residents beware.

   What happened to Bliss Alexandra could happen to you.
 

Anger police chief James Turley and you might end up at a state hospital for the violent and criminally insane, hundreds of miles away from your family and friends, forcibly injected with mind altering drugs.

    Bliss Alexandra who is also known as Darlene Early---or Darlene Barely as the Albany Police Department call her, was returned to Albany on Wednesday, Dec. 8 after completing an involuntary stay at Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center in Manhattan, ordered by Albany City Court judge Thomas Keefe after she exercised what she thought were her constitutional rights.
 

She is scheduled to appear in Albany City Court before Keefe Thursday, Dec. 9.     After Alexandra called the Albany Department of Public Safety to complain about her personal property being towed by police from a private driveway, Chief Turley responded by telling her he was either going to arrest her or have her removed to the Capital District Psychiatric Center.

    And that he did.

    Not only did he cause her arrest on three felony charges but caused her to be involuntarily committed with serial killers and rapists and subjected to the forced injection of antipsychotic drugs.

    Her alleged crime—exercising free speech on private property.

    The legal scholar and constitutionalist, with no apparent mental illness history,  was originally committed to Kirby in September for a 90-day evaluation by Judge Keefe because he claimed two examiners from the Albany County Correctional Facility had determined she had no comprehension of the charges against her or of court procedure because she refused to discuss the case with them.

   Kirby, operated by the state Office of Mental Health as is CDPC, is a maximum security, 168 bed hospital on Ward’s Island.  Opened in 1995, it provides secure treatment and evaluation for the forensic patients of courts of New York City and Long Island.

   But Alexandra isn’t in the court system of New York City nor was she violent nor were her alleged crimes of a violent nature.

   She a resident of Albany County which is served by the Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie.

   And then there’s CDPC in their own back yard at 75 New Scotland Ave.

   So why was she removed to Kirby?

   Albany Police have charged Alexandra with three felony counts of second degree possession of a forged instrument but not only do the arrest reports and felony complaints allegedly contain false statements and information, but there appear to have been egregious violations of her constitutional rights as well as statutory law  in her involuntary commitment and medication including an alleged falsified court order and denial of her right to counsel.

   Nagging questions exist about why and how she was removed from the Capital District area, her family, friends and legal counsel and sent to Kirby and the ensuing alleged rights violations.

  Perhaps her knowledge of the Constitution and the court system is exactly why she was arrested in the first place-------and her challenge of state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and what she claims is the state’s unconstitutional regulation of the right to travel.

   Alexandra has undertaken five years of research into the issue and was ready to publish her findings.  In an interview with The Empire Journal  while inside Kirby, Alexandra said that since 1995 she has been communicating with the Department of Motor Vehicles and former Albany police chief Robert Wolfgang on the ability of people to travel in their automobile in alternative ways without paying fees to DMV.

   She says she encountered no problem with Wolfgang who had communicated with her amicably but that when Turley became chief, the congeniality of the police agency ceased.
 

Although the state Office of Mental Health claims that treatment in their facilities is carried out with respect for each patient’s privacy and rights, Alexandra says her rights were violated from the getgo and a review of the records, obtained with her consent, appear to support her claims and give cause for an immediate independent review of  policy chief James Turley, the Albany Department of Public Safety and the state Office of Mental Health of which Sharon Carpinello is the commissioner.     Carpinello’s husband, Anthony Carpinello, is a state Supreme Court justice in the Appellate Division, Third Department.

   As part of her protest against of what she claims is the state’s unconstitutional regulation of travel, Alexandra allegedly displayed two cardboard license plates on a parked car in addition to a mock registration sticker and inspection sticker.  Police claim they are forged instruments that were in her “possession”  but according to the arrest reports and complaints filed by Albany police, there is no allegation of or proof that Alexandra operated the vehicle on the public highway or that the vehicle was even in her “possession”, being parked on property across the street from her residence.

   Since her forced incarceration and hospitalization, Alexandra has now been evicted from her residence, although it is unclear if any eviction proceedings were legally conducted.

   Political prisoner and dissident or criminally insane?

   Darlene Early, or Bliss Alexandra as she is professionally known, is an author, mediator and paralegal.  She is the owner and operator of The People’s Alternative in Albany, an agency founded in 1990 offering paralegal services. In 1993, she co-authored a self-help legal book with attorney Robin Leonard, published by the nationally known self-help organization, Nolo Press.

   She has passed her “fitness” test after been forcibly injected with drugs for nearly 60 days, a combination of drugs that physicians contacted by The Empire Journal have labeled as a “lethal combination” and a “toxic cocktail actually equivalent to attempted murder”.

   With the 90-day commitment order expiring Thursday, Dec. 9, and found to be competent, the state was required to return her to Albany County.

   Alexandra was snatched from the doorstep of her Second Avenue residence by two plainclothes police officers on Aug. 26, a day after she had filed a complaint with the Albany County district attorney’s office against Police Chief Turley for what she said constituted threats and an intimidating manner with threat of unwarranted arrest.

    The district attorney’s office has refused to respond to requests for information by The Empire Journal regarding the matter

   Those alleged threats by Turley, captured on audiotape by Alexandra, occurred after Albany police had towed the parked vehicle from the private driveway and impounded it but had allegedly not served any papers on Alexandra indicating the cause for the towing.

    On Aug. 20, according to Alexandra, two individuals in plain clothes, traveling in an unmarked car, had arrived at her Second Avenue apartment at approximately 7 p.m..  She said they pounded on the door, threatening to break it down if she didn’t open it.

   “Police!” she said they yelled, “we know you’re in there, come out or we will break down the door!”.

   Alexandra, 60, a small woman,  claims the two officers, later identified to be patrol officers Jeffrey DeMarco and W.F. Warner, did not offer any explanation for their actions and did not show any warrant. She said she was startled and scared and therefore refused to open the door to them.

   And that was only the beginning of what was to become a horrific nightmare for Alexandra.

   Across the street from Alexandra’s residence in a private driveway was parked a 1991 Toyota sedan.  She says the vehicle was parked there with permission of the owners.

   The ensuing arrest reports written by Patrol Officers Jeffrey DeMarco and  W.F. Warner claim the vehicle was parked on the street at 365 2nd Ave. but Alexandra and witnesses dispute that, saying it was parked in the private driveway at 369 2nd Ave. Because  the vehicle was parked on private property with permission of the property owner, police had no legal right to tow the vehicle and cause it to be impounded, Alexandra says.  Even if the property owner had complained, police still could not legally tow the vehicle from private property, only the property owner could legally have it towed.

   And then there’s the version of Albany Department of Public Safety spokesman Det. James Miller who claims it was parked at the curb on Central Avenue.  Miller concedes that police would have no legal authority to tow a vehicle from private property unless it had been “dumped” there as the result of a police chase.

    Miller responded to The Empire Journal’s request to Chief Turley about the matter, saying that he would answer questions about the incident and not to contact Chief Turley again.

      Miller concedes there was no police chase of Alexandra and that police officers did not see Alexandra operating the vehicle on the highway or in possession of the vehicle nor did any citizen sign a complaint regarding her display of the cardboard and paper stickers.  No traffic tickets were issued.

   Witnesses to the arrest of Alexandra state that at no time during they observe Alexandra make any statements to the police.

    Miller maintains the vehicle was towed because it was parked at the curb on Central Avenue but when The Journal told Miller there were witnesses who said the vehicle was on private property, Miller said he would have to check the tow log and to call back.

    However, Miller refused to answer subsequent calls by The Journal about the matter, saying that he was busy.

    According to the arrest reports,  DeMarco was the arresting officer with  Warner assisting in the arrest of Alexandra at 7:03 p.m. on Aug. 26 at 394 2nd Ave.  The report states that no warrants were executed, no Miranda rights were given and that the defendant’s condition was normal.

   However, the police seem to have a problem with who the defendant is.  According to the documents, the mental health examiners found that Alexandra did not “understand” the charges against her because she repeatedly told them her name was and is not “Darlene Barely”..

   The arrest report, the felony complaints and even the court orders committing Alexandra all contain the name Darlene Barely.

   And, because she told the police the reports contained false information, that her name was not Darlene Barely and she repeatedly told them her rights were being violated, she was deemed uncooperative and “unable to understand the charges against her”

   Although the police reports admit that she was not given her Miranda warnings prior to questioning and defendants are constitutionally guaranteed the right to remain silent and that anything they say can and will be used against them in a court of law, Alexandra was rendered “mentally incompetent” because she refused to answer their questions.

   In the Supreme Court landmark case of Miranda v. Arizona, the U.S. Supreme Court established proper police procedure in the conduct of interrogations, the character of voluntary or involuntary confessions and their admissibility in state trials.

   Miranda clearly established that regardless of the circumstances under which it occurs, regardless of who the examiners are and regardless of who the suspects are, custodial interrogation is inherently coercive---psychologically if in no other way. Custodial interrogation makes any statements obtained from suspects during this period “compelled” and thus not “voluntary” beyond a reasonable doubt.

   Although Albany police are now claiming that the vehicle they allege belongs to Alexandra was parked on the street, Officer Warner’s incident report signed Aug. 20 under the warning that “false statements are punishable as a crime”  indicates that the incident occurred at the “side 365 2nd Av., Albany”, not on the street as later claimed.

   According to Alexandra and others, there is no driveway at 365 2nd Avenue.

   Warner’s report says the vehicle was last registered to a male who “apparently sold vehicle to (the defendant) sometime this past April.  Attempts to contact (the alleged seller) thus far have been unsuccessful” indicating that the police had no proof in hand at the time of arrest that the defendant had “possession” of the car.  The report says the “vehicle was towed and hold was put on it per Sgt. Basil”.

   But according to the arrest report filed on the date of arrest on Aug. 26 by DeMarco, not only was the defendant’s name wrong but so was the date of birth.  The arrest was listed as a “crime in progress”  at 365 2nd Ave. although the vehicle had been towed six days earlier and on the property report, the location of the incident is listed as a different address raising questions as to the credibility, legal sufficiency and veracity of the police reports.

   That’s only the tip of iceberg.

   On Aug. 20, after the initial confrontation by the police, Alexandra called Turley to report that she had felt threatened by his officers and that they had taken personal property unlawfully and she wanted it returned.

   She was then contacted by Officer Kurt Ricky and informed that she had to appear at the city police station to sign a release for the car.  She refused saying that they took it wrongfully, they should return it and that she wasn’t signing any release.

   After Ricky contacted her, she called Turley on Aug. 24, two days before her arrest, to register a complaint about Ricky’s demand.

   She audiotaped the call.

   Turley told her to stop calling the police department or he would send “someone over to arrest you and we’re going to bring Mobile Crisis.  You can’t do what you’re doing with your car, it’s illegal”.

   “I’m not doing anything with the car.  It’s sitting in a private area”.  She told him he had no authority to take the car and with that, Turley’s response was “if you call again, I’m sending an officer with Mobile Crisis and either take you to CDPC or to jail”.

   Mobile Crisis is a “team” from the Capital District Psychiatric Center.  According to their website, the “team” is a mobile response to individuals experiencing a psychiatric emergency throughout Albany County. It provides access to persons in mental or emotional distress and to agencies and to individuals who are dealing with individuals in such distress.

   It appears perhaps Chief Turley is the one who was in distress.  He claims that she had called the department six or seven times about the car being towed.

   Alexandra didn’t call the police department again.  Instead she filed a formal complaint with the Albany County District Attorney’s office against Turley the next day.

   A day later, on Aug. 26, she was arrested.

   But she wasn’t taken to CDPC, instead she was immediately incarcerated, arraigned on Aug. 27 on felony charges without legal counsel being present.

   On Aug. 30, as allowed by law, a friend attempted to file a writ of habeas corpus at the Albany City court clerk’s office and was not allowed to do so.  Although state law requires that a preliminary hearing be held within 72 hours for a person incarcerated without bail to determine the sufficiency of the charges, no hearing was held.

    According to Carl R. Frederick, president of the American Pro Se Association of Plainfield, NJ, a friend of Alexandra’s attempted to retain legal counsel for her.  Frederick, also a friend and business associate of Alexandra’s,  says that between Sept. 2 and 5, Albany attorney Michael Feit engaged in several conversations with Albany police and district attorney’s office on Alexandra’s behalf concerning “obvious overcharging” and requests that the charges be dismissed or at least reduced to a misdemeanor so bail can be set, defendant released and a trial date set.

   Frederick says that Feit told him that it was “very apparent to him there was personal animosity against the defendant by officials and he got none of the cooperation he normally gets and certainly expected under the circumstances”.

   Although state Criminal Procedure Law requires that defendants be informed of the charges against them, as of Sept. 9, Alexandra says she had not been provided with copies of the charges against her including any alleged witness statements or informed of the probable cause that police were using to cause her arrest.

   Each of the three complaints filed against “Darlene Barely” under penalty of perjury by Patrol Officer DeMarco state that at the time of arrest, she had in her possession the alleged forged instruments and that the sources of his information are oral statements made to him by Alexandra and/or from information obtained from witnesses whose depositions were attached to the complaints.

   Alexandra resided at 394 2nd Ave where she was arrested but the vehicle was parked in the driveway at 369 2nd Ave., property neither owned or leased by Alexandra.

   There were no witness depositions attached to the complaints and the police have readily admitted as have court examiners that Alexandra refused to speak with them making it improbable that police can now claim that Alexandra made any incriminating statements.

   On Aug. 31, Albany city court Judge Keefe signed an order for the “examination” of Darlene Barely.

   Robin Siegal, director of the Albany County Department of Mental Health thereafter assigned  Michelle Gerber, a psychologist employed by the Albany County Correctional Facility, and David J. Kelley, coordinator of the mental health unit at the facility to examine Alexandra.  Neither one is a licensed physician and neither one was familiar with Alexandra. Although no past history of mental treatment  or any allegation of violent behavior was presented, Gerber and Kelley filed reports with the court determining Alexandra was “incapacitated”,  thereby causing her involuntary hospitalization at Kirby, a maximum security facility for the criminally insane and violent.

   Despite CDPC being in their backyard, there is no indication that Alexandra was transported there for an examination by licensed physicians.
 

According to reports filed with the court by Gerber, a licensed psychologist since only May, 2004, and Kelley, “Barely” said to be an aka for Darlene Early but with an incorrect birth date for Alexandra, was “interviewed on Sept. 3 and was “not cooperative”. She told the interviewers that her arrest and incarceration were “invalid” because her name was not Barely.  She demanded a written statement from the examiner with the date, time, location and purpose of the examination along with the signatures, titles and employer of the examiner.

   According to Gerber’s report, Gerber seemed to find that an unreasonable request by Alexandra.

   After receiving the documents, Gerber reports that “Ms Barely stated” that ‘you two have a problem.  I’m not the person written here (pointing to the document with ‘Darlene Barely’ written on it). Therefore, I have nothing to say about her and we’re done”.

   Gerber told the court that in her initial contact with the jail mental health unit on Aug. 27, she had insisted that her name was “Darlene Early” and she therefore was in jail ‘under protest’ and for no reason.  As is her constitutional right, Alexandra refused to discuss her personal history with Gerber and Kelley, and refused to discuss the charges and was not willing to discuss the legal situation or process with them.

   Claiming that she was paranoid, because Alexandra chose to exercise her Miranda rights, Gerber and Kelley, neither of whom are physicians or board certified,  told the court that the professional paralegal  was not able to acknowledge the charges or her legal situation and was not “expected to be able to work productively with an attorney to assist in her own defense”.  They claimed that the legal scholar lacked the ability to comprehend the legal system and courtroom procedures and was an incapacitated person.

   Kelley’s observation was that “Ms. Barely” was alert but not cooperative with the evaluation”. He said her mood was “angry and defiant”

    At that time, Alexandra had been incarcerated for more than a week and had allegedly still not been provided copies of the charges against her and related paperwork despite her requests. Kelley said that her statement that Albany police chief Turley had told her he was going to ‘throw me in a mental institution’ constituted significant paranoia.  However, as the audiotape of the conversation between Turley and Early clearly demonstrates, Alexandra was absolutely correct in her statement.  Both psychologists were distressed and disturbed that Alexandra refused to discuss the charges against her with them.

   Was Alexandra paranoid in thinking that Turley was trying to have her committed to a mental institution when she has him captured on audiotape making that exact statement?

    But Alexandra’s problems had still only just begun.  Within a matter of days, in violation of Mental Hygiene Law, Criminal Procedure Law, Corrections Law and yes, the U.S. and New York State Constitutions, it was ordered that she be forcibly administered a myriad of antipsychotic drugs in an attempt to “rehabilitate” her so that she could be returned to Albany to face her criminal charges. The 15 drugs, some in dosages up to 4000 mg daily, are known to cause cancer, liver damage and other serious side effects.

   A physician contacted by The Empire Journal  who spoke on condition of anonymity said that “for any individual, especially one who has never been exposed to any these drugs to be given a toxic cocktail such as this is actually equivalent to attempted murder, in my opinion”.

   ‘We are operating in the same environment as occurred in Nazi Germany and China.  Dissents are given psych diagnoses as a way to lock them up”, the physician said.  “However, I predict, merely from knowing the side effects of these drugs and as listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference, that they are actually trying to kill this woman.  The judge is also practicing medicine without a license by deciding that she should be involuntarily committed and drugged”..

   On the basis of Gerber’s and Kelley’s reports, Albany city court judge Thomas Keefe signed a 90-day temporary order of observation on Sept. 9, ordering that “Darlene Barely” be committed to the custody of the state commissioner of the Office of Mental Health for care and treatment in an “appropriate” facility of the OMH as designated by Carpinello.

   However, according to attorney Michael Feit, Judge’s Keefe’s order is an alleged false document.

   Perhaps intentionally false in order to claim the court and city complied with state law and Alexandra’s constitutional rights when they did not.

   Keefe’s order in which he says that it appears to his satisfaction that “Darlene Barely” lacks the capacity to understand the proceedings against “him” or to assist in “his” own defense as a result of mental disease, claims that she was represented by counsel and that counsel was given copies of the examination reports of Gerber and Kelley and that no motion for the requisite hearing had been made.

   However, Feit says although he consulted with Alexandra but hadn’t been officially retained, Keefe signed the order before Feit had even received the Gerber/Kelley reports and before he could request any hearing. Feit has advised Frederick that Keefe has acknowledged on the record in open court that he signed the temporary order without hearing and before counsel had received the reports which constitutes a violation of the law and safeguards afforded Alexandra.

   The attorney says that despite the judge’s acknowledgement that the order was issued unlawfully, the assistant district attorney, on the record, refused to dismiss or reduce the charges against Alexandra.. A transcript of the court proceeding is said to exist.

    The courts have consistently held that “the accused is guaranteed that he not stand alone against the state at any stage of the prosecution, formal or informal”, in court or out, where counsel’s absence might derogate from the accused’s right to a fair trial”.

   The Court of Appeals has held that it is firmly established that the due process rights of a mentally ill patient must be fully honored prior to administration of medication over their objection”.

   Alexandra was transported to Kirby on Sept. 11 although she had no previous arrest record, allegations of violent behavior or mental illness.

   Under the direction of Richard Miraglia, director of forensic services, the Bureau of Forensic Services in the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) coordinates the placement of persons and oversees the delivery of inpatient services to individuals committed to the custody of OMH commissioner  Carpinello pursuant to various sections of Criminal Procedure Law and Correction Law.

  The Bureau of Forensic Services is responsible for coordinating the delivery of mental health services to individuals involved with the state’s criminal justice system.

   OMH forensic facilities, with a total bed capacity of 695, include the Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie, bed capacity 264; Central New York Psychiatric Center at Marcy, bed capacity, 206. and Kirby with 168.

   Mid-Hudson is designed to serve the upstate counties including Albany.

   Kirby houses a group of men who have committed some of the most notorious and gruesome crimes in New York City’s history including Daniel Rakowitz, former East Village man, who admitted to chopping up his ex-lover, boiled her remains in a soup and serving the soup to the homeless.  He has been in Kirby since 1991 after being acquitted by murder by reason of insanity.

  On Sept. 30, James Hicks, acting director of clinical services at Kirby, allegedly acting contrary to the provisions of the state’s administrative law addressing the Office of Mental Heath and rights of patients, filed an order to show cause with the New York Supreme Court, why Alexandra should not be forcibly administered medications against her will.  He based his request on affidavits of Paul Sanon, MD, and Ana Rodriguez, MD.

   Rodriguez is not a licensed physician but rather a resident, according to the state Department of Health. . Although Mental Hygiene Law states that a patient must be examined by two board certified physicians before an order to forcibly administer drugs can be issued, neither Sanon nor Rodriguez are board certified according to the New York State Department of Health and professional licensing/disciplinary division of the state Education Department.

     In addition, Rodriguez  stated in her written report that Alexandra had been interviewed in the presence of an attorney from the Mental Hygiene Legal Services.  This was later disputed on the record at a court proceeding by Mary Beth Feerick, a MHLS attorney indicating that Rodriguez’s report contained alleged false statements..

   Rodriguez’s report claims that Alexandra lacked the capacity to refuse medication because she said she had no mental illness and that her rights were being violated.  Rodriguez further claimed that Alexandra had disorganized and paranoid thinking because she told Rodriguez that she had  “the constitutional Miranda rights and the right to remain silent”.

   Rodriguez’s report is signed by Cristina Musat, acting clinical director at Kirby, a certified psychiatrist with the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry.  However, there is no indication in Rodriguez’s report that Musat was present during Rodriguez’s examination of Alexandra.

   The state Department of Health says that Musat has only a limited license in medicine as she is not a citizen of the United States.

   Article 9 of Mental Health Law provides that patients who object to any proposed medical treatment or procedure may not be treated over their objections except emergency treatment where the patient is presently dangerous and the proposed treatment is the most appropriate.

   Upon a patient’s objection to involuntary and forcible injection of drugs, Mental Hygiene Law requires that an independent review be conducted by a physician who specializes in psychiatry and is not an employee of the facility. In order to administer antipsychotic medication to an involuntarily committed patient over objection, there must be a judicial determination that the state has established by “clear and convincing evidence” that the patient does not have the capacity to decide for herself whether or not to take the medication and that the treatment was narrowly tailored to give substantive effect to the patient’s liberty interests.

    According to Alexandra, Rodriguez wrote that she was “preservative about her ‘legal rights’ and was being ‘railroaded’ since being ‘yanked at my doorstep for no reason’.  Alexandra said Rodriguez found that she was paranoid because she repeatedly requested to see the documents pertaining to her case including her medical chart and was “‘insistent that she had not had the opportunity to defend herself in a grand jury, continually making references to legal terminology”’, stating she had done her research about the case and that the previous judge, Keefe, was a “de facto employee with no constitutional oath”.

    While Gerber and Kelley had claimed that Alexandra did not understand courtroom procedure, Rodriguez found that she was paranoid because she was “preservative about her legal rights” and although a review of the report shows that Alexandra was extremely specific and lucid about her rights, said that she had “poor insight into her alleged illness and into her legal situation”.

    Like Gerber and Kelley, Rodriguez maintained that “Ms. Barely…..will likely be unable to cooperate with his defense counsel and thereby be unable to address his legal her legal (sic) needs”.

    Although the NYS Department of Health confirms that Rodriguez is not a licensed physician in New York State, she has signed a sworn affidavit under the title of physician, claiming to be licensed. A DOH spokesman said a resident could sign MD after their name but that did not make them a licensed physician.

   Rodriguez failed to respond to The Empire Journal’s request for comment.

   Both Sanon and Rodriguez claimed to be the treating physicians of Alexandra although neither had ever seen her before her involuntary hospitalization at Kirby.

    Although the law provides that an attorney must be present during the physician’s examination of the patient, according to Mental Hygiene Legal Services, no legal counsel was present for Alexandra.

     Based on the sworn affidavits of Sanon and Rodriguez, both of which allegedly contain false written statements,  Hicks and Kirby filed a petition with the New York Supreme Court for a final order to forcibly administer a myriad of drugs including antipsychotic medication to “Darlene Barely”.

    At the hearing held Oct. 6 inside Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center, Alexandra’s MHLS attorney Feerick advised Supreme Court judge Martin Schoenfeld that the state and Kirby had failed to comply with statutory and case law in regard to comply with the safeguards guaranteed a patient such as legal counsel being present during the examination done by two board certified physicians as well as a hearing being held that was open to the general public.  She said due to the violations of law and Alexandra’s rights,  that all orders and hearings must be vacated.

   Although Mental Hygiene Law is specific that the independent review cannot be conducted by a physician employed by the facility, Feerick said that too was violated as the primary evidence presented against Alexandra was the testimony of a psychiatrist employed by the hospital who had not treated the patient.

   Feerick demonstrated to Judge Schoenfeld that the hearing had been illegally constituted because affidavits filed with the order to show cause to involuntarily administer medication to Alexandra were not in compliance as it is required that two board certified physicians examine the patient in the presence of an attorney when the state wants to medicate a prisoner involuntarily.

   According to Frederick, who was present, despite the Supreme Court and state Court of Appeals ruling that all rights must be fully complied with for forced medication, Judge Schoenfeld said he didn’t feel that the repeated violations were important.

    Despite patients rights being spelled out by law, according to Frederick,  “Barely’s” attorney was not allowed to cross examine the state’s only witness and no evidence or testimony of any emergency or violent behavior by Alexandra was presented as required before the court can order confinement and forced drug treatment.  Neither Alexandra nor her witness were allowed to testify.  By law, there must be three or more documented violent occurrences before such confinement and forced treatment can be ordered.  In a 2000 decision by the state Supreme Court, it was held “in order for a hospital to detain a patient for involuntary psychiatric care, it must be demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the patient is mentally ill and in need of continued, supervised care and treatment, and that the patient poses a substantial threat of physical harm to herself and/or others”.

    The records show that no such evidence or testimony was presented to the court about Barely/Early/Alexandra.

    According to Frederick between Oct. 6 and 11, he obtained confirmation from three independent sources, in addition to Alexandra, that there had been material denials of due process as well as the submission of false documents by the state.

   On Nov. 16, Feit advised Judge Keefe and the Albany County district attorney’s office that Keefe had committed Early/Alexandra to the custody of OMH before he could make application for a hearing or file a writ of habeas corpus and she was removed from Albany County.

   “Initially, by making telephone calls to the MHLS attorneys who work under the aegis of the various Appellate Divisions to provide legal assistance to those confined, I sought to make every effort to assure that Ms. Early would be treated humanely and fairly…….Since that date, I have learned of the tragic and horrible events that have ensured for Ms. Early……

    Feit told Keefe that the allegations against Alexandra were non-violent and “hardly justifying the cruel way in which she has been treated”.  He asked for a preliminary hearing in the matter.

    People who have not been found guilty of any crime but are simply being “evaluated” are being intermixed at Kirby with convicted serial killers and rapists, Frederick says.

     He charges that political dissents are being drugged and held for years in New York without a trial in violation of their constitutional rights.

   ‘The defendant is a thorn in the side of Albany officials”, Frederick says. He says that Alexandra is being punished for exercising her political free speech rights.  He says the required elements of criminal intent to receive some “ill-gotten gain obviously are missing since she is calling them and challenging their authority”.

   ‘If it can happen to Darlene, anybody, you or I, could be made to disappear in this dark hole without ever having a trial. This is the exact same technique both Hitler and Stalin used on political dissidents and others”.

   Frederick points out that Alexandra’s challenge of political authority is the “kind of up-front political protest and political position that the DMV doesn’t really have a valid constitutional right to regulate travel.  If officials have a problem with their legal foundation for regulating travel, they need to get the proper process going to solve it, not illegally putting away a free speech challenger”.

   He maintains that if Turley and other officials cannot deal with dissenters in a democracy in a fair way they should not be in their positions.  “In New York, they will cut you a break as a robber or murderer but god forbid you challenge the authority of the Evil Empire State or one of its henchmen”.

   The courts have held that the Fifth Amendment Due Process clause permits the government to involuntarily administer antipsychotic drugs to a mentally ill defendant facing serious criminal charges in order to render that defendant competent to stand trial but only if treatment is medically appropriate, is substantially unlikely to have side effects that may undermine the fairness of the trial and taking account less intrusive alternatives.   Assuming that the defendant was not dangerous to himself or others, he could not be ordered involuntarily to take antipsychotic drugs solely to render him competent to stand trial without consideration of important questions about trial related side effects and risk of drugs to be used.

   The higher courts have found that a government may not deprive any person of liberty without due process of law

   According to recent reports, in an attempt to counteract increasing political activism and dissent with government, in an attempt to stifle public opposition and attempts at reform, police agencies nationwide are simply levying false charges against their critics, labeling them “mental” in an attempt to not only discredit them but to “teach them a lesson”

    The American Civil Liberties Union says that dozens of activists and organizations have been subjected to the scrutiny of the FBI and have initiated Freedom of Information Law requests to determine the scope and purpose of the FBI.

   The FBI denies singling out individuals or organizations for surveillance or investigation based solely on activities protected by the Constitutional guarantees of free speech.

New Judge In Activist Case;
Albany Officials Testy About Inquiries, Oaths Questionable
http://theempirejournal.com/new_judge_in_activist_case.htm

   Mention two words to Albany County officials—Bliss Alexandra--and most likely you’ll get an adverse reaction.

  Or Darlene Barely as they call her.

   Less than a week after The Empire Journal published the shocking story of the arrest of legal scholar and constitutionalist Bliss Alexandra in “Political Prisoner or Criminally Insane?”, her plight of being forcibly injected with antipsychotic drugs at Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center has literally spanned the world.

   According to statistics recorded by The Empire Journal, readers from all 50 states have visited this newspaper’s website along with readers from over 50 countries.

   When a Wisconsin woman called the offices of Albany mayor Jerry Jennings to inquire if the mayor’s office was “aware of the problem that Ms. Alexandra has encountered”, a woman identified as Velma Dooley prompted hung up on her.

   The lady then called the Albany Common Council and was told they had never heard of anyone by the name of Bliss Alexandra, Darlene Early or----as the Albany Police Department and Albany City Court calls her---Darlene Barely.

   Bet they have by now.

   In preparing for the article, The Empire Journal had filed several Freedom of Information Law requests---one with the Albany County District Attorney’s office and one with the office of the Albany City Clerk to obtain copies of the oaths of office required to be filed by Albany police chief James Turley and the two arresting police officers in the Alexandra case, Jeffrey DeMarco and W.F. Warner.

   Alexandra was arrested on Aug. 26 and involuntarily committed for 90-day evaluation by Albany City Court judge Thomas Keefe. http://www.theempirejournal.com/albany_woman_forcibly_injected_w.htm

   However, according to the assignment sheet for Albany City Court, Keefe is assigned to Traffic Court.

   On Dec. 1, The Journal had directed a request to Paul Clyne, Albany County District Attorney, to identify the name of the assistant district attorney prosecuting Alexandra, the date of the next court appearance, location of the court and name of the presiding judge.

   Although state law requires agencies to respond to FOIL requests within five business days of receipt, the information requested was not provided to the newspaper prior to publication.

   However, instead of providing the requested information to the newspaper, Bradley A. Sherman, assistant district attorney, directed the information to  Albany County Clerk Thomas Clingan in a letter dated Dec. 6.  However, Clingan chose not to provide the information to the newspaper until Dec. 15.

   The Journal publishers have questioned if this is standard practice for the district attorney’s office to direct all press inquiries through the county clerk’s office.

   According to Sherman, after having been responsible for committing Alexandra to Kirby where she was forcibly injected with 15 drugs, Keefe has been removed from the case and replaced by Judge John C. Eagan Jr.

   Alexandra was labeled paranoid and allegedly unable to understand the legal charges against her when a resident MD said in her evaluation that Alexandra was “preservative about her legal rights” and had “stated she had done her research about the case and Judge Keefe was a de facto employee with no constitutional oath”.

   According to state Public Officers Law and case law, public officers including judges who fail to take and file their constitutional oath of office within 30 days of the commencement of their term vacate their office by operation of law and cannot legally perform the duties of that office.

   Keefe has now been mysteriously replaced in the Alexandra case.

   Sherman further stated that “Darlene Barely is currently pending in Albany Police Court.  The judge assigned to the case is Judge Egan. The Police Court Unit of this office is handling the matter at this stage.  The next court date in 12-8-04”.

   He failed to advise the name of the assistant district attorney handling the matter.

   According to reliable sources, The Empire Journal has learned that Alexandra was released from Kirby on Dec. 8 and was transported to Albany City Court by the Albany Police Department.  The felony charges against Alexandra have reportedly been reduced to misdemeanors and that she has now reportedly  been released on her own recognizance.

   According to information provided by John C. Marsolais, records access officer of the Albany city clerk’s office, the oaths of office allegedly filed by Chief Turley and arresting officers in the Alexandra case are questionably legal and may in fact have been created after the newspaper’s FOIL request was filed.

   None of the three purported oaths of office are time-stamped to lend proof of the actual date filed and none of them are verified by a notary public as required by law.

   Turley’s oath is dated May 3, 2004 and allegedly witnessed by Mayor Jennings but there is no proof that the oath was ever filed as required.

   Neither DeMarco’s or Warner’s oath is witnessed or notarized as required and neither one is time-stamped to give proof of filing.  It appears that both may have been signed after the FOIL request was made and that none of them constitute legally filed oaths

   Civil Service Law 62 requires that “every person employed by the state or any of its civil divisions except employees in the labor class, before he shall be entitled to enter upon the discharge of any of his duties, shall take and file an oath or affirmation in the form and language prescribed by the Constitution”.

   It appears that Turley and the two officers have failed to comply with the law---the law and the Constitutions that they have presumably sworn to support.

   Persons wishing to learn more about the Bliss Alexandra case and the accountability of Albany County officials may call the Albany County Police Department at 518-438-4000; Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings at 518-434-5100 or the Albany Common Council at 518-434-5090.  Police chief Turley’s email address is jturley@albany-ny.org
 
 

I am from the gubment,  & am here to help you - NOT

Judge's Role in Quarrel Queried
City Court jurist allegedly went toward defendant in heated exchange; state court officials say claims unfounded

By MICHELE MORGAN BOLTON and BRENDAN LYONS, Staff writers
First published: Wednesday, December 8, 2004
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=312228&category=ALBANY&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=12/8/2004

ALBANY -- An alleged confrontation between a judge and a criminal defendant in City Court recently became so heated that a city police officer had to keep the pair separated as the judge launched from his bench, according to people who said they witnessed the exchange.

The courtroom sources said the alleged incident erupted Nov. 22 when an ex-convict began arguing with City Court Judge William A. Carter. The incident is not recorded in a transcript of the proceedings and people who were there are declining public comment about what happened.

Carter also has declined comment after several messages were left for him over a period of weeks, saying, eventually, this past Friday, "I'd love to talk to you. But I can't."

Carter was apparently referring to judicial law that prevents a sitting judge from publicly discussing the merits of a case. But the questions posed to him were limited to his behavior in the courtroom.

The incident in question allegedly occurred when the defendant, 44-year-old Talib F. Alsaifullah of Albany, argued with Carter throughout the proceeding about his public defender and a plea deal on assault charges that would have resulted in him serving nine months in Albany County jail, according to a transcript of the hearing.

Sources said the argument between the two became so heated that Carter allegedly threw his robe to the ground after he launched from his bench in the rear city courtroom. An officer led the defendant through an adjacent courtroom to get him out of the area.

But the stenographer's transcript appears to end abruptly and does not indicate any type of heated exchange. The nine-page transcript does depict Carter repeatedly telling the man to shut his mouth and listen, but it does not reflect any directive from the judge at the end of the proceeding indicating what the next step in the case would be.

"Look at me. Keep your mouth shut while I talk. ... I think that you don't know when to shut your mouth," Carter is quoted as telling the defendant according to the certified transcript, which clearly shows him arguing with the man about whether his case was handled legally.

Alsaifullah was returned to Albany County jail that day and his case was immediately transferred to Carter's colleague, City Court Judge Thomas Keefe, court officials said.

The man had been held behind bars since his Oct. 14 arrest on misdemeanor assault charges for allegedly punching a woman on Clinton Avenue near his residence.

Despite Alsaifullah facing a potential sentence of nine months in jail, he was abruptly released on his own recognizance two days after the alleged confrontation with Carter.

Repeated attempts to reach him for comment were not successful.

State Supreme Court Justice George B. Ceresia, the Office of Court Administration's administrative judge for the Third Judicial Department, said he had seen no evidence to support the allegations: "I'm satisfied by my inquiry that those who were there don't verify this at all."

But later, OCA spokesman David Bookstaver clarified Ceresia's comments in the statement: "Judge Ceresia had his Deputy (state Supreme Court Justice Joseph C. Teresi) look into the allegations. Judge Teresi met with judges Keefe and Carter and then Judge Teresi reported back to Judge Ceresia that the allegations were not founded." Teresi did not return calls for comment.

Several people who were in the courtroom have declined comment or refused to return calls.

Elizabeth Martin, director of the Albany County Rape Crisis Center, referred questions about the incident to Albany County Executive Michael Breslin.

"She was there but she honestly could not ... she wouldn't confirm what was said," said Kerri Battle, a county spokeswoman. "Obviously something happened, but she's not comfortable enough with knowing exactly what occurred to make any kind of statement."
 
 

For some clarification: Constantine was a pagan sun worshipper. However, he decided for the sake of popular unity to adopt "Christianity" as the official religion of the Roman Empire since there had become so many people claiming the belief. In 325 AD the Nicean Counsel was held to affirm the dogma of Roman Catholicism. In a stroke of political genious Constantine pressured the Nicean counsel to adopt and interweave the popular religions with "Christianity." The practice of Christmas trees and gift giving in the month of December is one of the results of Constantine's hibrid religion. The religious Icons of the Holy Mother Church in Roman and their direct corelation to achient Ba'al icons is another. One good explaination of Constantine's work is contained in "Cracking DaVinci's Code" nonfiction by James L. Garlow and Peter Jones. Not exhaustive, but subtantive.

Jeremiah 10:1 through 10:8 makes it pretty clear the practice of adorning trees is IDOLATRY and we are NOT to engage in it. When verse two says "Learn not the way of the heathen..." Never heard the words 'Oh, Christmas tree. Oh, Christmas tree. How lovely are your branches.' in a carol? Singing praises to a dead tree pretty much qualifies as IDOLATRY. One pagan's adorned tree is another pagan's golden calf. However, I'll make a deal with anyone. You put a tree in your house and I won't. Then, when we meet God, you can ask who was right.

Scott
 
 

The Flat Earth Report

Asian Quakes' Tsunami Kill More Than 7,200
By LELY T. DJUHARI, Associated Press Writer
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20041226/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_earthquake

It disturbed Earth's rotation

[For those who have been listening and studying the impending possibilities of Tsunamis that will hit any of several coastal areas, will see this as a confirmation.  The islands of the Indonesia, India, SE Asia area are populated and are 2nd and 3rd world areas.  Imagine what will happen when a Volcano and/or Earthquake causes a Tsunami to slam into the East coast of the uSA, with waves of maybe 300 feet high.  This is possible if the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma (off North Africa) collapses.  Many people do not think of this type thing happening and even think the Government(s) will do something about it.  This is to think that Governments can manage mother nature.  Man plans, God laughs.  --  Tribble]

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The world's most powerful earthquake in 40 years triggered massive tidal waves that slammed into villages and seaside resorts across southern and southeast Asia on Sunday, killing more than 7,200 people in six countries.

[Right click on an image to save it.  Then open it in your favorite image program to view in detail]

AP Photos
 

	The world's biggest earthquake in 40 years hit southern Asia on December 26, 2004, unleashing a tsunami that crashed into Sri Lanka and India, drowning thousands and swamping tourist isles in Thailand and the Maldives. (Reuters Graphic)
	A general view of the scene at the Marina beach in Madras after tidal waves hit the region. Disaster struck just after dawn as a huge earthquake in Indonesia sent tsunamis crashing westwards.(AFP/Str)  The scene at the Marina beach in Madras, India, after tidal waves hit the region. Tidal waves like those that wreaked havoc across Asia can travel at hundreds of kilometres (miles) per hour and even gain strength as they cross the ocean -- often causing disastrous results far from their origin.(AFP)
	An official at Jakarta's Meteorology and Geophysics Office points to a seismograph read-out. Over 8,300 people were killed and thousands more were missing after the most powerful earthquake for 40 years triggered giant tidal waves that slammed into coastal areas across Asia.(AFP/Arif Ariadi)
	Graphic fact file on the Tsunami, massive tidal waves caused by earthquakes under the sea floor.(AFP)
	Graphic with map of Asia summarising the destruction wrought by the earthquake and tidal wave. Over 5,400 people were killed and thousands more were missing after the most powerful earthquake for 40 years triggered giant tidal waves that slammed into coastlines across Asia.(AFP

Tourists, fishermen, homes and cars were swept away by walls of water up to 20 feet high that rolled across the Bay of Bengal, unleashed by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake centered off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

In Sri Lanka, 1,000 miles west of the epicenter, more than 3,000 people were killed, the country's top police official said. At least 1,870 died in Indonesia, and more than 2,000 along the southern coasts of India. At least 289 were confirmed dead in Thailand, 42 in Malaysia and 2 in Bangladesh.

But officials expected the death toll to continue to rise, with hundreds reported missing and all communications cut off to Sumatran towns closest to the epicenter. Hundreds of bodies were found on various beaches along India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, and more were expected to be washed in by the sea, officials said.

The rush of waves brought sudden disaster to people carrying out their daily activities on the ocean's edge: Sunbathers on the beaches of the Thai resort of Phuket were washed away; a group of 32 Indians — including 15 children — were killed while taking a ritual Hindu bath to mark the full moon day; fishing boats, with their owners clinging to their sides, were picked up by the waves and tossed away.

"All the planet is vibrating" from the quake, said Enzo Boschi, the head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute. Speaking on SKY TG24 TV, Boschi said the quake even disturbed the Earth's rotation.

The U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites) measured the quake at a magnitude of 8.9. Geophysicist Julie Martinez said it was the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the largest since a 9.2 temblor hit Prince William Sound Alaska in 1964.

The epicenter was located 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra, and six miles under the seabed of the Indian Ocean.

On Sumatra, the quake destroyed dozens of buildings — but as elsewhere, it was the wall of water that followed that caused the most deaths and devastation.

Tidal waves leveled towns Aceh province on Sumatra's northern tip. An Associated Press reporter saw bodies wedged in trees as the waters receded. More bodies littered the beaches.

the remainder of this story can be found at
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20041226/ap_on_re_as/indonesia_earthquake
 
 

[The rebuttal is well worth the read.  It follows this article  --  Tribble]

 Can we have a little family talk? For most of you, this won't apply, but the devil has some of us bound, where we are focused on issues that are not the real issue. What do I mean?  A few Christians have been taught that, according to Jeremiah 10:4, God is against the use of Christmas trees. The text reads, "They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter." Superimpose the image of our silver and gold Christmas decorations and we have a "revelation" that God hates Christmas (or at least Christmas trees).

 However, if you read the entire chapter, it isn't talking about Christmas, but idols and people who worship them. So, if you are sitting at home reading this and it's prior to December 25th, you can get a Christmas tree.  It's okay as long as you don't worship it. In fact, if you're reading this and it's past December 25th, that might even be better -- Christmas trees and decorations are very inexpensive after Christmas.

 Been There . . . Please don't misunderstand me or think that I'm condemning anyone for their faith about this.  I'm writing as one who, for ten years, didn't allow my family to celebrate Christmas. I, too, had been taught this interpretation of Jeremiah 10:4. I thought I was suffering persecution for my faith when relatives or friends criticized our colorless, joyless, loveless viewpoint about Christmas. Their criticisms actually hardened my heart and made my "faith stand" more firm.

 Avoiding Christmas wasn't easy. We had five children and a foster child. Each December the children had to listen as I explained theologically why the Christmas tree was evil and not celebrating Jesus' birthday was good.  Finally, with childlike innocense and purity, my oldest daughter, who was nine at the time, asked why gift giving was evil if we were also honoring Jesus.

 Suddenly, my heart melted. I saw how religiously unloving this doctrine had made me.  We weren't being persecuted for our faith, but for my stubbornness and lack of love. I deserved to be criticized. So, I asked my family to forgive me and we decided to have our first Christmas.

 We were quite poor at the time and couldn't afford a tree. However, there was an evergreen growing in the ditch along the road by our farmhouse that I cut down and dragged into the living room. It was an ugly tree with the kind of needles that fall quickly. But we had love and we celebrated the Incarnation of Jesus as a family.

 Saturnalia  Perhaps the worse thing about not celebrating Christmas is the isolation; it cuts us off from a multitude of people whom we could reach during this season. People, in general, are more open to Christ. If I go into a mall for any reason in December, I love listening to songs about Christ's birth. Yes, I know "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" will probably be playing also. So what? It won't stop me from rejoicing when I hear, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" or "Joy to the World." In my spirit, I agree with the songs.

 Sometimes I actually sing along out loud. They are awesome songs. Other times I quietly pray for the Holy Spirit to fall on people as they listen to music that was inspired by people who sought the heart of God. Why be upset with that? Why not praise God? Why be so focused on what's wrong that we fail to celebrate what's right? We can be miserable, complaining, joyless, critical, loveless people sometimes, and then we wonder why God doesn't lead people to us.

 Christ's Great Commission commanded us to "Go!" to where people are, not wait until they come to us. Paul said, "To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it" (1 Cor 9:20-23).

 You see, the law or principle we follow is the law of love. Jesus said, "But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you" (Lk 11:41).  Love sanctifies and redeems what it touches. Because of love, Paul was able to "become all things to all men." I have no doubt Paul would be at every Christmas gathering he was invited to, using it as an opportunity to win people to Christ.

 And before you wonder how deep I was into this anti-Christmas mentality, yes, I knew the history of Saturnalia, and how in the third century the early church combined the celebration of the winter solstice (a pagan holiday time) with the celebration of Jesus' birth. Yet, I also know that the winter solstice happens to be that time of the year when daylight begins to increase, so it is not inappropriate to celebrate Christ's birth at this time.

 I also understand that some may teach Jesus was probably born in October or April, depending on which basis of research one relies upon. But what difference does it really make? Hundreds of millions of people believe the Jesus was born on December 25th, and multitudes reflect on the mystery of the Incarnation at some time during this season. So why be uptight about the date, especially when arguing about it alienates you from the very people Christ calls you to love? Why get hung up on when the Incarnation occurred when we can experience the reality of the Incarnation right now and bring Him into people's hearts?

 Finally We, the Frangipane family, celebrate Christmas.  We have a tree and ornaments. We are pretty low key about its size. Some years we buy a smaller, living evergreen and then replant it in the yard in the spring. But, we are not focused on peripheral issues; we are focused on Christ and celebrating Him with others during this time.

 One more thing: The best way to win people to Christ is to simply enjoy them. Picture Jesus laughing, telling stories, enjoying people as He reached to them. Let's reveal Him, not the Grinch, this holiday season.

Submitted by Joe, Friday, December 24, 2004
 

contributing editors to   - Rodger

The following reply submitted by Rodger

 This is okay if you think God doesn't care. To me it is shaky ground to think that way. He speaks in His word that we are in this world but not of this world. We are to be different. A people set apart for a purpose (Holy). He says follow not the ways of the pagan. Do not adopt their traditions or ways. He said I'm a jealous God. Worship no one but Me.

Christmas never started out as a celebration of the birth of Christ. It's funny to hear people sound the cry to put Christ back in Christmas where He belongs. When in reality, it never started out with Him in it in the first place. Nowhere in the Bible do you read of anyone celebrating Christmas or Easter for that matter. It would seem there would be a passage somewhere in the Bible that said something like this, "We hurriedly left Corinth because we so wanted to be in Jerusalem for Christmas. Instead of the word Christmas I would even accept "For our Lords birthday". Or even something like this, "We made preparation for the celebration of the birthday of our Lord". But nowhere do we find any of this in His word. The same goes for Easter. I know, you can find the word easter once in the Bible but really it meant Passover. But, that's a discussion for another time.

I'll not go into the orgin and history of Christmas in this email.  For those who have ears to hear, can research it for themselves. I'll only bring out a few points. The Romans were very pagan. They had gods for everything and they relished their heathenistic celebrations to those gods. After the last of the Jews (Israelites) were driven from the land, about 150AD, by the Romans, the land was renamed Palestine and given to the Palestinians. All that remained in the land was the Gentiles and all the pagan influence. In a nutshell, over the next 150 years the "church" was repackaged to make it more attractive to those steeped in pagan traditions. By about 350AD "Christianity" and the "church" had become the official religion and church of the Roman Empire and all of its pagan influences. All of the celebrated days, including the day of rest, the Sabbath, was moved to the days set aside for pagan gods. And it remains the same to this day.

Nowhere in the Bible do we find Yahshua admonishing us to remember His birth. Instead He commands us to show forth His death by celebrating Passover each year. It's his death that is our hope of salvation. It's His fulfilling His law so that He could take back His bride that we should celebrate. But, that again is another discussion for another time.

Yes I guess if you believe that God doesn't care then go ahead. Have a merry Mithra and a happy Saturnalia. Use the leaven of rationalization to say you're taking the focus off the Sun and putting it on the Son. Sounds pretty doesn't it?

Yahshua tells us that the deception will be so great that if possible even the elect among us will be deceived. How pious and highminded of us to think we have the power to win someone to Christ. He said He would build His church. He says I call and my sheep hear my voice and follow me. He says He stands at the door and knocks. He says if you have an ear to hear then hear. How mighty we must think ourselves to believe He cannot do it without us.

Yes, if you believe He doesn't care, then go ahead and celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25th. It's not my place nor duty to tell anyone otherwise. I'm accountable for my knowledge of truth. Not yours. As for me, I find too much in His word that says He does care. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. The Son was born of flesh on a certain day. Do you think this loving Father cares if this day is associated with pagan gods? Yes the devil has people bound but not the way most people think.

Isn't it funny that His first birth came with only few noticing and that day comes around every year the same, with only few noticing?

The preceding reply submitted by Rodger
 
 

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't  waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually.  Speeding up your  heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer?
Take a nap.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat?

Hay and corn.  And what are these? Vegetables.   So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your  system.  Need grain?  Eat chicken.  Beef is also a good source of field grass  (green leafy vegetable).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine,  that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of  the goodness that way.  Beer is also made out of grain.  Bottoms up!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have body fat, your ratio is one to  one.

If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise  program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil.  In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger.  You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO ...... Cocoa beans .. another vegetable!!!  It's the best feel-good food around!

------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
 
 

[This should be NEWS but has not made much circulation.  It took a bit of searching to find these reports.  We can only wonder why.  Actually, some of us know why.  One may argue that a SS# is akin to national ID, but whatever # is used or technique used, if it smells like, looks like, walks like "papers", it is something to be avoided.  Do you agree comrade?]

Licenses stir debate
http://www.newsleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041218/OPINION01/412180310/1014/NEWS01

The anti-terrorism bill signed by President Bush Friday has rekindled debate about whether standardized driver's licenses will become de facto national identification cards — opening the door to potential encroachment on personal privacy.

To be sure, we would insist that any legislation that might move us closer to such a system have safeguards against abuse by the government. There's no earthly reason why ID cards should be capable of tracking the movements of any individual, even if the technology exists to do so. But we believe there's nothing inherently wrong with requiring driver's license to have tougher counterfeiting protection built in — holograms, magnetic strips and features visible only under infrared light — stuff Virginia already does — or with standardizing them.

Let's be honest. No amount of fiddling with the design of a driver's license is going to make us safe from terrorism. If the bad guys can out-gun the good guys, they can muscle their way into or onto any platform they want. It's more likely that counterfeit-proof licenses will deter more would-be young drinkers than they will goons from al-Qaida.
[This story can also be found on this site at Newsleader 20041218]

No, no, national ID
October 28, 2004, 5:04 PM PDT
http://news.com.com/No,+no,+national+ID/2061-1009_3-5431439.html?part=rss&tag=5431439&subj=news.1009.10

Many pundits have posited that the United States needs better identity cards and, in some cases, have argued for national identity cards.

Much of the time the argument for new identification measures rests on the fact that our current amalgam of identification is horribly insecure. Wide-open drivers' licenses and a proof of identity that general consists of an easily discoverable set of facts, such as date of birth and social security numbers, make adopting another person less than difficult. Without a doubt, it needs to be improved.

However, the recent arrests of the suspected members of an identity crime syndicate underscores the difficulties in building a trusted system. Typically, such a system would require a foolproof way to establish a person's identity, an unforgeable technology for ID cards, and proper handling of access controls to the information on the card.

Yet, according to information posted by the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in the latest case, a group of 19 people were able to use account numbers and counterfeit identity documents to steal identities and defraud banks and retailers to the tune of $4.3 million.

As interesting, however, is a story that will undoubtedly be largely uncovered by the media, but which was posted on the U.S. Attorney's site on the same day: The arrest of a 40-year-old county clerk who admitted to selling authentic New Jersey birth certificates.

Such cases show that even unforgeable ID technology that protects the data on the card will not prevent terrorists from adopting other identities as long as government workers are able to circumvent the system and sell, not forged identities, but the real thing.

--Robert Lemos
[This story can also be found on this site at C/Net October 28, 2004]

New driver's license rules meant to deter terrorists
http://www.sj-r.com/Sections/News/Stories/42970.asp

The little-debated rules, which are supposed to make it harder for terrorists to obtain IDs, would require licenses and state-issued ID cards to include digital photos and "machine-readable identity information" that some privacy advocates fear could be used to create a national database of personal information.

"By standardizing the driver's licenses at the federal level, what you're doing is creating a national ID card," said Marv Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. "It allows the government to essentially track you wherever you go."
[This story can also be found on this site at State Journal Register 20041218]

National ID card hinted
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-04/12-17-04/a02wn259.htm

WASHINGTON -- Privacy advocates worry that provisions buried in the intelligence bill President Bush is to sign today will lead to a national identification card.

Little-noted measures included in the legislation that reshuffles intelligence agencies order states to begin issuing new fraud-proof birth certificates, and new driver's licenses with standardized data encoded on them are set for 2006.

The legislation also orders states to stop putting Social Security numbers on licenses.
[This story can also be found on this site at SouthCoast Today 20041217]
 
 

School Teacher Arrested At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual, later discovered to be a school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, protractor, set square, slide rule and calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General John Ashcroft, said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," Ashcroft said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'there are three sides to every triangle.' "

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had
wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes to count on."
 
 

THE YEAR 2029:
contributing editors to   - Valtaree

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia formally known as California. White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops and livestock.

Baby conceived naturally . . . scientists stumped.

Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

Last remaining Fundamentalist Muslim dies in the American Territory of the Middle East, Irafsyle (formerly known as Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon).

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

France pleads for global help after being overtaken by Jamaica.

Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

85-year, $75.8 billion study: Diet and Exercise is the key to weight loss.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

Japanese scientists have created a camera with such a fast shutter speed, they now can photograph a woman with her mouth shut.

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.

New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2036.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

Florida Democrats still don't know how to use a voting machine.
 
 

Some Shoppers Find Fewer Happy Returns -
Databases Limit 'Excessive' Exchanges
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30908-2004Nov6.html
By Ariana Eunjung Cha
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 7, 2004; Page A01
contributing editors to  - Rodger

Darlene Salerno considers herself a loyal customer of the Express clothing chain, shelling out roughly $2,000 for its trendy outfits each year for the past decade. On a recent shopping trip, she bought a tank top, a button-down shirt and some khaki pants, but realized when she got home that she had similar items in her closet. So a few days later she took them back to the store. She presented the items, the receipt and waited for her money.

Instead, the saleswoman handed her a slip of paper that said "RETURN DECLINED" and told her to call the toll-free number at the bottom for more information. She phoned and was informed her account showed "excessive" returns.

KB Toys is among the national retailers rolling out electronic systems that track shopping history to decide if a consumer should be granted a return. (John Sushocki -- Springfield (mass.) Republican Via AP)

As the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, a number of major retailers -- including KB Toys and Sports Authority, according to store personnel -- are rolling out electronic systems that weigh the number of returns and exchanges a person has made, the dollar value of the items, and the dates of the transactions to decide whether a consumer should be granted another. The systems are designed to catch shoplifters and those who "wardrobe," wearing clothes and then returning them for a full refund.

But Salerno, 26, a receptionist at a Manhattan financial firm, said she falls under neither category. She returns things often because she buys things often. She said she feels she has done nothing wrong -- the clothes were never worn and the tags were still attached -- but that she was treated like a criminal.

"I'm embarrassed to go into the store," Salerno said. "I love their clothes, but I'm afraid to shop there now."

As more personal information is collected into databases, computers have been handed increasing power to make decisions about our everyday lives. The technological systems aim to solve costly and important business problems, but the proliferation of these "electronic blacklists" has alarmed consumer and privacy advocacy groups who say many databases have incomplete, incorrect or misleading information.

"Technology has made it cheap to do all kinds of surveillance and watch over people and make sure they obey the rules. But when a system makes a mistake, what can you do?" said Richard Smith, an Internet security and privacy consultant.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1970 gives consumers rights concerning information used to make decisions about credit, insurance, employment or other services. Other federal laws impose disclosure requirements on information collected by the medical establishment or the financial services industry. But increasingly, companies are creating databases not envisioned by such regulations, and there is debate about which laws, if any, apply.

Peggy Twohig, assistant director of the Division of Financial Practices of the Federal Trade Commission, which administers the Fair Credit Act, said whether a particular information system is covered by it "depends on the particular facts of each system, and can be a complex legal question."

Among the databases being created is one for landlords that purports to list renters who have been evicted. Others claim to identify "known" spammers. St. Louis-based Talx Corp., meanwhile, has compiled more than 100 million employee records that contain names of companies, dates of employment and job titles. More than 1,000 firms, including American Airlines, FedEx Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Kmart Corp., Marriott International Inc., Microsoft Corp. and PepsiCo Inc., make use of the service to speed along the screening process for potential new hires.

 But workers worry that some companies, for instance, use the word "inactive" to refer to people who have left the company for any reason; other companies use "terminated," a word that some employees have argued has negative connotations. Perhaps the most common complaint is that job titles are incorrect. One woman, Shelli Isiminger of Dover, Del., said one of her former employers reported that she was a "supervisor" rather than a "call center manager," a big distinction in her industry and one she worries has cost her jobs.

"To have a discrepancy, to make it seem like I inflated my title, is a kiss of death," she said.

KB Toys is among the national retailers rolling out electronic systems that track shopping history to decide if a consumer should be granted a return. (John Sushocki -- Springfield (mass.) Republican Via AP)

Mike Smith, vice president for marketing at Talx, said that the company tries to facilitate communication between employees and employers but that it considers itself an agent for the employers and that any changes to records must be made through them.

Another company, DoctorsKnowUs.com, created a database of people who have filed malpractice claims as a resource for doctors. John S. Jones, a radiologist from Kaufman, Tex., who spent seven years compiling the information for the site, said he took it offline after some patients complained that it was impossible to differentiate between those with legitimate claims and those with frivolous ones, and that all could be denied care by those using the list. Since then, however, Jones has received hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from doctors who want the site back online, and he said in an interview that he is considering resurrecting it.

"It was public information. . . . I was simply aggregating it," he said. "The site was mischaracterized as a blacklist."

A spokesman for Limited Brands Inc., which owns the Express stores, declined to answer questions about its computerized return authorization system. Mark R. Hilinski, a co-founder of the Return Exchange Inc., an Irvine, Calif.-based company that provides technology for the retail chain, said the computer denies returns to 1 to 2 percent of customers at most stores. He said even though the database is not subject to the requirements of the Fair Credit Act, his company provides consumers a free copy of their report when they ask and it gives them an opportunity to correct inaccurate data. He added that very few have disputed the information.

"The system is often highly reliable. We have a very fair system to make us aware of any discrepancies they think they found in their report," said Hilinski, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

He said the company's privacy policy prevents him from commenting on individual experiences. The company's criteria for judging returns varies from retailer to retailer and is not disclosed because it might inadvertently aid those who want to abuse the system. It's possible, the company said, that a return rejected one day could come in the next day and be approved.

Hilinski added that the company is not aggregating return data from multiple retailers but that there has been interest from clients who want to share return information with one another.

Return fraud has been a major drain on retailers' coffers. Richard Hollinger, a professor of criminology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, said retailers in 2003 lost nearly $30 billion, or 1.7 percent of sales, because of fraud and that about half of that may be related to bad returns. In recent years, scammers have used the Internet to launder the money -- people steal merchandise, return it for credit slips at stores, then turn those credit slips into cash by selling them at a discount on eBay or other online auction sites.

Retailers like the Limited are fighting back against such high-tech fraud with high-tech defenses. Sometime in the spring, consumers and Express workers say, the store began replacing the black placards denoting its return policy to note that it was using the Return Exchange service. The new signs advertise the "Express Guarantee" and say consumers have up to 60 days to return items. However, the company's return policy also notes that it uses an "industry wide" system to authorize returns and that "under certain circumstances we reserve the right to deny returns."

Some consumer and privacy rights advocates say they sympathize with retailers' desire to root out fraud but said they are worried that disclosure about the electronic tracking system has been inadequate. Jordana Beebe, a spokeswoman for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, said consumers should be told exactly why their return is denied and warned before they hit that point.

Salerno said the report she got from the Return Exchange showed she had made six returns from June to August for a total of about $375 but that in at least four cases the transactions were exchanges and she actually ended up spending more money on other clothes. She said she contacted the company by phone and by mail to complain. In one letter, Salerno wrote that she felt the computerized system impinges on people's "freedom on how they should or not spend their money." She said she has not received a response.

Hollinger, who consults for the Limited, said that cases like Salerno's represent the "teeny tiny glitches" in the system that he feels will eventually be worked out. "Over the decades, retailers realized they were leaving the door wide open for fraud and a number of the major ones realized that . . . there has to be some technological solution to this," Hollinger said.

But for all the money and effort retailers have spent on this high-tech system, there appears to be a low-tech loophole, Salerno discovered. After giving up on trying to clear her record with the company, she enlisted the help of a friend, who was able to return the unwanted clothes without hassle.

[This "loophole" will only last till RFID tags are on all those clothes  --  Tribble]
 
 

the offices of Dewey, Cheetum & Howe

Programmer Says He Developed Vote-rigging Prototype for Florida Congressman
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=477
12/6/2004

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2004/061204voterigging.htm

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=53720272/K=%22Clinton+Curtis%22+vote/v=2/SID=e/l=NSR/R=1/SIG=11vlu550t/*-http%3A//www.elitestv.com/pub/2004/Dec/EEN41b5f8f70cbf8.html

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=53720272/K=%22Clinton+Curtis%22+vote/v=2/SID=e/l=NSR/R=2/SIG=12t2o0uqj/*-http%3A//www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=10034&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported

contributing editors to   - Craig

Also: RAW STORY exclusive interview with programmer (click here)

In Sworn Affidavit, Programmer Says He Developed Vote-rigging Prototype for Florida Congressman;
Congressman’s Office Silent
By John Byrne | RAW STORY Editor

In a sworn affidavit (pdf file) Monday, a former programmer for a NASA contractor said that he developed a vote-rigging prototype at the request of a then-Florida state representative who is now a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

RAW STORY acquired the affidavit from The Brad Blog, which has been in contact with the programmer in Washington.

While working for Yang Enterprises in Florida, the 46-year-old programmer says he was instructed by then-Republican state representative Tom Feeney to “develop a prototype of a voting program that could alter the vote tabulation in the election and be undetectable.”

Feeney, a former failed running mate of Gov. Jeb Bush, now represents Florida’s 24th district in the House of Representatives. At the time, he was serving both as general counsel and lobbyist for Yang Enterprises and the Florida state congressman.

Feeney’s office in Orlando told RAW STORY they would check with the congressman and hoped to provide comment later today. A second call was placed this afternoon; the congressman’s press secretary was said to be “unavailable.”

A receptionist at Yang Enterprises said she would pass a message along to a vice president, who she said would return the call.

“They will give you a comment,” she said.

The programmer, Clinton Curtis, said that he was told the program needed to be “touch-screen capable, the user should be able to trigger the program without any additional equipment, [and that] the programming was to remain hidden even if the source code was inspected.”

Curtis asserts that he told Feeney it would be nearly impossible to write a code to change the voting results if anyone were able to view the source code.

“However,” he added, “if the code were compiled before anyone was allowed to review it then any vote fraud would remain invisible to detection.”

Nevertheless, he says that he was asked at the meeting by Yang to build the prototype anyway.

Curtis states he initially believed that Feeney’s sought to stop Democrats from using such a program and “wanted to be able to detect and prevent that if it occurred.”

It was not until after the prototype was delivered that he says he got wind of its possible, more nefarious usage.

According to his affidavit, Yang, his employer, later informed him that the software might be used to “control the vote in South Florida.” He says that he would never have developed the software had he known its alleged ultimate purpose.

Curtis details his claims on the fraud program in the affidavit:
 

    In the vote fraud prototype that I created things are not what they seem. Hidden on the screen are invisible buttons. A person with knowledge of the locations of those invisible buttons can then use them to alter the votes of everyone before them. By clicking the correct order of invisible buttons the candidate selected by the user is compared to other candidates within that same race. If the candidate they selected is leading the race nothing happens. If the other candidate is leading the race the vote totals are altered so that the selected candidate is now leading the race with 51% of the vote. The other candidates then share the remaining 49% in exact proportion to the totals they had previously. In the prototype supplied to Feeney the vote totals show on the screen. In an actual application the user would receive no visible clues to the fraud that had just occurred. Since the vote is applied by race, any single race or multiple races can be altered. The supervisors or any other voter would never notice this fraud since no visible sign would appear. Additionally, the procedure could be repeated as many times as was necessary to achieve the desired results. No amount of testing or simulations would expose the fraud as its activation and process is completely invisible to everyone except the person programming the vote fraud routine.

    The same procedure could be automated to activate without any user intervention whenever the machine detects a certain pattern of voting. The algorithm could also be altered from hidden keys or triggers that would allow the fraudulent user to manipulate both the margins and percentages of any particular race. In most national elections it is not necessary to win every area.

Yang Enterprises is currently under investigation by the FBI. Curtis has filed a suit with the state alleging the the firm also overbilled the state on another contract, and his report of an illegal alien resulted in the arrest of a Chinese national in March who is accused of sending information on radar guidance chips for the U.S. Hellfire missile to China.

Curtis’ affidavit has been turned over to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee for further investigation.

More details on this story are available at The Brad Blog. Further updates will be available at RAW STORY later tonight.

Correction: An early iteration of this article referred to the programmer as Clinton Collins due to a transcription error. The name signed on the affidavit is Clinton Curtis.
 
 

California Want's to Track and Tax Cars
Taxing and Tracking us for nothing?
Ray Haynes - Assemblyman
December 03, 2004 2:27pm
http://www.thevillagenewsnetwork.com/?template=00200&si=3269&displaytype=0
contributing editors to   - Katherine and Rodger

They are doing it again. The bureaucrats just can’t help themselves. We have been doing what they have been asking for years. We have been buying fuel efficient cars, jamming ourselves into smaller driving spaces, cramming our children into smaller back seats, placing our families at greater risk by getting into lighter and less safe cars, and saving lots of gasoline. As a result, the taxes the government collects on gasoline are going down, and the bureaucrats are mad. So — now they want to tax the number of miles we drive by putting a tracking system in our car, and following us around.

For years, gasoline taxes were assessed to build roads. They were billed as a user’s tax. You use the roads when you drive your car. When you drive your car, you use gas. By taxing gas, the government is actually directly connecting a service (the provision of roads) to the use of that service (driving on the roads). Actually, not a bad idea.

But during the 1970s, when the Democrats controlled the Legislature and the Governor’s office, they came up with a hare-brained concept. “We like mass transit,” they said, “but nobody uses it. So — we will pay for mass transit with gas taxes, and quit building freeways. That way, freeways will get so crowded that people will find them uncomfortable, they will stop driving, and use mass transit.” In addition, these same geniuses decided to use gas tax dollars to study whether or not we should build freeways. Today, we have thousands of bureaucrats sitting around thinking about building freeways, and expounding the virtues of mass transit. We are not building many freeways.

In 1990, voters doubled the gas tax from nine to 18 cents under the promise that this money would go to building freeways. All that happened is that we now have more bureaucrats studying whether or not to build freeways. Lots of thinking — no building.
Today, the government makes as much money off of the sale of each gallon of gas as the oil companies. You pay for the gas, then pay another 18 cents a gallon to the federal government in taxes, and 18 cents a gallon to the state in tax. In addition, we all pay an additional sales tax for each gallon (averaging another 18 cents today). The sales tax is calculated on the price of the gas, which includes the gallonage taxes paid to the state and federal government — paying a tax on the tax!

In 2002, the voters passed Proposition 42 which required the sales tax on gas to be spent on “transportation,” but after four years, the state has never followed the mandates of Proposition 42. The state still spends that money on free health care for illegal aliens. We still sit on crowded freeways.

Now, the bureaucrats are thinking about charging us a tax on each mile we drive, and they are thinking about sticking a GPS tracker in our cars to find out how many miles we drive and on which roads we drive them. Let’s forget about the problem with the government knowing everywhere we drive (a big privacy problem), think about how stupid this idea is.

First, we will now have a reduced incentive to save gas. Personally, I would rather drive a big, safe gas guzzler, but the 54 cents in taxes I pay on that guzzler makes me think twice about miles per gallon when I buy a new car. If I am going to be taxed on miles driven, I say let’s pollute again.

Second, it is a tax increase. These bureaucrats are worried about losing money because we are saving gas. We drive uncomfortable, unsafe cars to save gas and, quite frankly, to save money on gas and taxes, and the government rewards us by creating a new tax! And what will the new overhead be? How much will it cost to install and maintain each unit and hire the people to compute the taxes on the 30 million registered vehicles on the road today? More than the gas tax, I’d bet.
Third, people will again develop ways to avoid the tax. People already avoid the car tax by registering their cars out of state. How many more people will start doing that to avoid the GPS tax collector? And what do we do about tourists? In the current system, everybody who drives a gas-powered vehicle on our roads pays the tax to maintain them. Under the new system, everyone who drives to California from somewhere else will be driving tax free!

Finally, we are getting taxed for roads the bureaucrats and social engineers don’t want to build anyways. Three years ago, Governor Gray Davis announced that the era of freeway construction was over. Really, it was over 20 years ago, and we are paying the price for their foolishness. I can think of two freeways or major highways that need to be built in my district alone — and I’m certain other areas of the state are in the same position.

I don’t want to be tracked, and I don’t want to be taxed for the tracking. I’ll drive if I want, I’ll pay the tax on gas if I’m forced to, I just wish they would make my life a little easier by building the roads they promised. Do you really think government will actually keep the promise it makes when it takes our money this time? If so, I’ve got a brand new Hybrid Hummer I’d love to sell you

Assemblyman Ray Haynes represents the 66th Assembly District, which includes portions of Western Riverside County and Northern San Diego County. For more information call our office at (951) 699-1113.  Redistribution or reproduction of this article with attribution is permitted and encouraged!
 

-- As reported by CASPIAN
http://www.spychips.com/
http://www.nocards.org/

California and Oregon hope to track cars to extract every possible penny of tax from drivers. A California lawmaker who opposes the scheme explains:

"The bureaucrats are thinking about charging us a tax on each mile we drive, and they are thinking about sticking a GPS tracker in our cars to find out how many miles we drive and on which roads we drive them. Let’s forget about the problem with the government knowing everywhere we drive (a big privacy problem), think about how stupid this idea is..."

This is all about MONEY. And does anyone really believe the information gathered will be used only for taxation purposes, or that it will be discarded after the tax is paid? The scariest part is that when a state as big as California mandates something, it often spreads to the rest of the country.

Source: The Village News Network, 12/03/04
http://www.thevillagenewsnetwork.com/?template=00200&si=3269&displaytype=0
 
 

I N S I G H T

Why a political land grab called Israel (not to mean the people of God)
Can you find a land called Israel in these maps?  How about Iran (that should be easier)?

Now, why the search.  I understand about politics and irrational thoughts and actions of men, but at least geographically, Iran  and a political land grab called Israel have little reason to be at odds with each other.  Jordan, Syria Iraq and Saudi Arabia ought to be a problem before these 2 countries come to fists.  Yes, we all know (or should know) that part of the land of Palestine was taken from the Palestinians in 1948.  The Palestinians owned the land for about 1800 years.  Then in 1948, a take over was organized and displaced many Palestinians, who only want their homes and homeland returned.  But, why are Iran and a political land grab called Israel at odds?  The question is actually meant as a stage for thought.  The answer must be political.  They have nothing geographical to cause a dispute.  Then look at their sizes.  Iran is bigger than the political land grab called "israel".  Right?  Well, that depends on whether you know the true power structure of the a political land grab called 'israel".

Take a look at the following 2 maps and compare Iran with its enemy of at least 50 years.

YES.  To much of the world, Israel and U.S. are synonymous and the same.  The sheeple of the U.S. volunteer funds via an income tax to help fund many things which do not support the "homeland".  One of those things is the support of a political land grab called "israel".  When people of other countries look at the a political land grab called "israel", they see the U.S..  This of course is at least showing that there is a potential hegemony.

But, a casual look at a map of the Middle East must give you at least a moments thought of why....
 
 

Our civilization is suffering what could be called a cultural death by a thousand cuts. The open sores are ubiquitous, but what happens to irk me at this moment is that quite some time ago I learned that my birth date is not what my parents always told me it was. Moreover, no one else’s is either. You see, those who are contemptuous of tradition have decided to take it upon themselves to change our calendar and replace B.C. [Before Christ] and A.D. [Anno Domini] with B.C.E. [Before the Common Era] and C.E. [The Common Era].

The latter two designations probably aren’t new to you, since they have found favor with pseudo-intellectual academics and seem to be in every new documentary and in many new books. And if you’re taking the time to read this, the reasoning behind their adoption probably isn’t new to you either. The idea is that B.C. and A.D. are reflective of Christianity, and since not everyone is Christian, it’s insensitive and religio-centric to use them. Well, mercy me! We’ll just have to relegate our culture to the dustbin of history lest we offend someone with our existence. After all, it’s obviously better to perish as a civilization than to meet our maker with the burden of having offended left-wing sensitivities weighing on our souls.

All joking aside, their reasoning is the epitome of specious logic. B.C. and A.D. certainly are reflective of Christianity, but everything is reflective of something. For instance, since we’re talking about our calendar, it’s instructive to note that every single month’s name is of Roman origin. A few examples: July and August were named after Julius and Augustus Caesar. January and March were named after Janus and Mars, the Roman pagan gods of war, and of gates and doors and entrances and exits, respectively. September, November and December are named after the Latin [which was the language the Romans spoke] words for seven, nine and ten, respectively. Should we rename our months? After all, relatively few people are of Roman descent.

Then there’s the fact that we use the Roman alphabet [although they learned it from the Etruscans] and Arabic numerals [invented by the Hindus, most likely]. Yet, I never hear anyone say that we should dispense with those designations because they might offend those not of Roman, Etruscan, Arabic or Hindu lineage. Or, how about the fact that English, which is spoken in all corners of the Earth now, bears the name of a people on a small island in the Atlantic?

And what about our cities and states? Many of them bear names that are reflective of Christian influence: Los Angeles [the Angels], Sacramento [the Sacraments] and Corpus Christi [the Body of Christ], to name a few. But, then, some are reflective of French influence, such as Baton Rouge and Louisiana; some are reflective of American Indian influence, such as Chappaqua, Saratoga, Illinois, Texas and twenty-five other states; some are reflective of Spanish influence, such as Palo Alto, Los Alamos and over two-thousand other places. And, of course, there’s the fact that our country was named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. There go those Italians again, hogging all the influence.

Methinks much offense can be taken, so some remedial action is in order. Here are my suggestions: our months should be renamed and referred to as “Common Month One,” “Common Month Two,” etc. Then, our alphabet can be called “the Common Alphabet,” our numbers “the Common Numerals” and English “the Common Language.” Then we must resolve to rename our states “Common State One,” “Common State two,” all the way up to fifty, assigning them the Common Numbers based on the order in which they entered our Common Union. The end of this good start – but only the beginning of a journey toward total sensitivity – will be to take the lead among nations and rename America “Common Nation 192.” Why Common Number 192? Well, that’s how many nations exist at present, and we wouldn’t want to be so insensitive as to take Common Number One for ourselves simply because we were so privileged as to be sensitive first. Now, I don’t expect other nations to follow suit immediately, but I reckon that when our common-sense extends across the Common Oceans and to the common folk, Common Continents one through six will become sensitized to sensitivity.

But my sense of whimsy has gotten the better of me. So, let’s transition from the ridiculous to the sublime . . . about the ridiculous. In reality, none of the above would work because the salient point is, once again, that EVERYTHING is reflective of something. If you’re going to name something the Common Era, you must ask, common to whom? After all, our calendar [the Gregorian] is not the only one in existence. Jews, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians and others have their own calendars, and I’m confident that we could find some devout Jews and Muslims who would maintain that our Gregorian calendar isn’t common to them.

Of course, the question that most begs to be asked here is, what event are we dating the Common Era from? Answer: the approximate birth date of Jesus of Nazareth! To try to obscure that fact and erase our past by manipulating terminology is dishonest, and is another example of the most invidious sort of revisionist history. Moreover, the reasoning behind this element of social-engineering is so flawed and involves such an obvious double-standard that it could only be accepted by second-rate minds. It so drips of contempt for tradition and Christianity that it could only be truly palatable to a bigot. That’s why it may seem ironic that it was originated by a few theologians, but it isn’t really. For, there are some ideas that are so irreligious that only a theologian could think of them.

Before I conclude, I must add that you don’t have to be religious to consider this change to be an affront; you simply have to be an American who cares about his culture and traditions. And we should be mindful of the fact that other nations do not share the disordered compulsion to relinquish their culture for fear of offending others. Now, the question is, since taking this leaf out of their book is a prerequisite for our national survival, do we have the capacity to cultivate the same strength in ourselves?

Well, a good first step toward that goal is understanding the following: everything offends someone and most everyone is offended by something. Why, I’m offended by the fact that cultural terrorists are denuding our cultural landscape of the things closest to the American heart. The fact is that what’s offensive is very subjective. This explains why our preoccupation with avoiding giving offense has degenerated into a never-ending battle that inures us to untruth, injustice and the un-American way.

Could you imagine the Islamic world shedding its traditions under the pretext of tolerance and sensitivity? Are we, for some inexplicable reason, to be the only nation that has no right to its culture? A.D. and B.C. have been in use for fifteen-hundred years. For some left-wing academics to come along and presume that they have a right to remake this and whatever else doesn’t suit their transitory fancies is outrageous. It’s almost as outrageous as the fact that most of us stand idly by and do nothing to resist their machinations.

It is not only our right but our duty to protect the great and good that dozens of generations of our ancestors have bequeathed to us. And we would do well to remember that civilizations rise and fall; they are born, mature, age and die. If we want to preserve ours, we had better stand and be counted and tend to her cultural health. If we will not, perhaps it really is our time to walk quietly into the night. And if so, our epitaph just may read: Oh, principled were we, we wouldn’t bend, we were sensitive till the end.

© 2004 - Selwyn Duke - All Rights Reserved
 
 

a r t i c l e   /   c o m m e n t a r y

United Nations Declares War On America
Rodney Stubbs
December 2, 2004  NewsWithViews.com
http://www.newswithviews.com/Stubbs/rodney3.htm
contributing editor to   - Alan

“The United Nations unveiled a sweeping proposal to overhaul the organization, including the Security Council, in what would be the biggest UN reform since its founding in 1945,” according to a press release posted by the Worldwide News Agency.

The long awaited charter amendment that creates the policy for world governance is now being unveiled. The only thing missing is the implementation phase that will commence when Annan retires in 2006. That phase will likely be lead by none other than William Jefferson Clinton.

Citing “….bitter divisions over the war in Iraq, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ordered a high-level panel last year to come up with the blueprint for the 21st century.” The blueprint eliminates representative government and destroys the constitution of the United States.

"What is needed is a comprehensive system of collective security, one that tackles both old and new threats, and addresses the security concerns of all states -- rich and poor, weak and strong," Annan said in an introduction to the report. A collective security system requires a collective form of governance. The collective forms of governance lead to the fall of the former Soviet Union. In short the form of governance advocated by Kofi Annan is Communism.

He said the proposals, which must be approved by member nations, set out "a broad framework for collective security and indeed gives a broader meaning to that concept appropriate for the new millennium." The system of government advocated by Annan is not a democracy where representatives are elected by the people. Instead it is an appointed government ruled by a dictator. The collective system will lead to more corruption making the oil for food program pale by comparison.

“In setting out a blueprint for collective security decisions, the report also takes implicit aim at the United States over the Iraqi war, which was strongly opposed by Annan and many Security Council member states.” Our enemy is the United Nations and anyone in America who supports our enemy is a Traitor and their sedition should not be tolerated. No longer will America be able to defend itself under this type of regime. No longer will Americans be able to carry arms, and no longer will the sovereignty of the United States exist. This spells the end of Freedom as espoused by the Founding Fathers of the United States and the Declaration calls for Americans to rise up and take down those who advocate this form of governance.

"There is little evident international acceptance of the idea of security being best preserved by a balance of power or by any single -- even benignly motivated -- superpower," the panel said. "The yearning for an international system governed by the rule of law has grown," it said. "No state, no matter how powerful, can by its own efforts alone make itself invulnerable to today's threats." This was the whole scam behind 9-11-01, fortunately Al Gore was not the President, for all Americans would have felt the power of Marshall Law and our Liberties would no longer exist. No one thought the United States could recover and carry out it duties to go after those who committed the crime.

“Annan has repeatedly maintained that many people around the globe are concerned about disease and poverty rather than terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and much of the report underlines his core argument.”

That can be best described as horse manure.

“The report identifies a wide variety of threats to international security today, citing organized crime, poverty and failed states along with war, terrorism and WMD.” Corruption in the United Nations for the OIL FOR FOOD PROGRAM and the Carbon Credit trading scheme advocated by the Kyoto Treaty.

Kofi Annan’s plan, “….outlines three principles for collective security -- that current threats go beyond national boundaries, that no nation is strong enough to defend itself alone, and that not every nation will be willing or able to protect its own people or refrain from harming its neighbors.” This principle spells the end to the United States and its Constitution. Any political figure in the United States that subscribes to this principle should be removed from office for failing to uphold the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and should be tried for Treason for violating the United States Constitution.

Annan, “….whose term ends in 2006, has indicated that he will devote much of his remaining time in office to pushing for the reforms, which would have to be approved by member states. Revamping the Security Council, the top UN decision-making body, is likely to be the most contentious issue, and the panel itself came up with two competing proposals for expanding the council's membership to 24 seats.”

The report continues, “One method would add six new permanent members to the council, which has had the same five permanent states -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- since the United Nations was founded in the wake of World War II.” This is code for removing the veto power of the five members of the Security Council that hold the power to veto. If this power is lost, borders will be erased, and the American citizens will be subjected to beatings and machete attacks on a scale never before dreamed possible.

The Worldwide News Agency reports, “That proposal would also add three new non-permanent members to the 10 current non-permanent members, who hold rotating two-year seats. The six new permanent seats, without the veto power that the current five have, would be allotted to two nations from Asia, two from Africa, one from Europe and one from the Americas. The other proposal would create a third tier of council member Nations, which would be given four-year, non-permanent seats, which could be renewed.” This is non-representative government and the ideal needs to be quashed immediately.

All Americans should rise up and demand the United States withdrawal from the United Nations. Any Senator or State Representative who fails to immediately support legislation should be immediately removed from office. Any Governor of any State who advocates for Sustainable Development and attempts to follow in the stead of the United Nations should be recalled together with any other elected official who refuses to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Two-thirds of the 191 UN member nations would have to approve any change to the council membership, which would then take effect if none of the permanent members uses its veto power to block the move. The UN reform panel was headed by former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun. Among the other members are Brent Scowcroft, a former US national security advisor, and former Chinese foreign minister Qian Qichen.

Brent Scowcroft should be drawn and quartered for Treason. Brent Scowcroft and Maurice Strong went to President George HW Bush to sign the Rio Accords in 1992. The Rio Accords lead to William Jefferson Clinton and the formation of the Presidents Council on Sustainable Development. But wait there is more. Do you know what happened on 9-11-1990 before the United States Congress? That was the day; President George HW Bush declared the need to move forward with the NEW WORLD ORDER exactly the way it was spelled out by the news release from the United Nations today.

© 2004 Rodney Stubbs - All Rights Reserved
 
 

Congress Funds Psychological Tests for Kids
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2004
http://newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/22/215244.shtml

[In some circles this has been discussed as in the happening stages, but many would poo poo us and say nay.  Here it is in what could be called the first stage.  First the children, then the adults.  The reasons are always altruistic, but the real motives are usually evil.  Remember to read the word "mandatory".  This was passed last week.  --  Tribble]

One of the nation's leading medical groups, the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons (AAPS), decried a move by the U.S. Senate to join with the House in funding a federal program AAPS says will lead to mandatory psychological testing of every child in America – without the consent of parents.

When the Senate considered an omnibus appropriations bill last week that included funding for grants to implement universal mental health screening for almost 60 million children, pregnant women and adults through schools and pre-schools, it approved $20 million of the $44 million sought, Kathryn Serkes, public affairs counsel for AAPS, told NewsMax.

This $20 million matches a like amount already approved by the House, Serkes advised.

While the funding cut of some $24 million was a little good news, suggested Serkes, whose organization has zealously opposed the the measure, she said the organization was most worried about the failure of Congress to include “parental consent” language sought by the AAPS.

Last September, AAPS lifetime member Rep. Ron Paul, M.D., R-Texas, tried to stop the plan in its tracks by offering an amendment to the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Act for FY 2005. The amendment received 95 “yes” votes, but it failed to pass.

According to Serkes, Paul is now mulling offering stand-alone legislation in the next session to once again try and get a provision for parental consent.

The federal bill on its face does not require mandatory mental health testing to be imposed upon states or local schools, explained Serkes.

However, the HHS appropriations bill contains block grant money that will likely be used – as is often the case with block funding – by the various states to implement mandatory psychological testing programs for all students in the school system.

The spending bill has its roots in the recommendations of the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, created by President Bush in 2002 to propose ways of eliminating waste and improve efficiency and effectiveness of the mental health care delivery system.

Although the report does not specifically recommend screening all students, it does suggest that “schools are in a key position to identify the mental health problems early and to provide a link to appropriate services.”

The bottom line, explained Serkes, is that a state receiving money under this appropriation will likely make its mental testing of kids mandatory – and not be out of synch with the federal enactment.

The other telling point, said Serkes, is that although the relatively minimal funding at this point is certainly not enough to fund mandatory mental testing for kids countrywide, it’s an ominous start:

“Once it’s established and has funding, a program exhibits the nettlesome property of being self-sustaining – it gets a life of its own. More funding follows.”

Officials of the AAPS decry in the measure what they see as “a dangerous scheme that will heap even more coercive pressure on parents to medicate children with potentially dangerous side effects.”

One of the most “dangerous side effects” from antidepressants commonly prescribed to children is suicide, regarding which AAPS added, “Further, even the government’s own task force has concluded that mental health screening does little to prevent suicide.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Paul says the mental testing scheme is a looming feature of "Big Brother" that if unchecked will push parental rights out of the picture:

“At issue is the fundamental right of parents to decide what medical treatment is appropriate for their children. The notion of federal bureaucrats ordering potentially millions of youngsters to take psychotropic drugs like Ritalin strikes an emotional chord with American parents, who are sick of relinquishing more and more parental control to government.

“Once created, federal programs are nearly impossible to eliminate. Anyone who understands bureaucracies knows they assume more and more power incrementally. A few scattered state programs over time will be replaced by a federal program implemented in a few select cities. Once the limited federal program is accepted, it will be expanded nationwide. Once in place throughout the country, the screening program will become mandatory.

“Soviet communists attempted to paint all opposition to the state as mental illness. It now seems our own federal government wants to create a therapeutic nanny state, beginning with schoolchildren. It’s not hard to imagine a time 20 or 30 years from now when government psychiatrists stigmatize children whose religious, social, or political values do not comport with those of the politically correct, secular state.

“American parents must do everything they can to remain responsible for their children’s well-being. If we allow government to become intimately involved with our children’s minds and bodies, we will have lost the final vestiges of parental authority. Strong families are the last line of defense against an overreaching bureaucratic state.”
 
 

a r t i c l e   /   c o m m e n t a r y

Canadian Inventor Lets Everyone Be an Armchair Spy
Wed Dec 1, 4:20 PM ET - Technology - Reuters
By Larissa Liepins
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041201/tc_nm/science_canada_surveillance_dc_6
http://www.webtechgeek.com/IndexWTG.htm#canspy
contributing editor to   - Wendell

[The irritating portion of this story is the focus on how men might use this technology to stalk women.  That anyone had to say that was bad enough, but to report it in the original story is definitely promoting an agenda.  Even if a man ever did use this technology in such a way, it would be a minor risk in the big picture, especially when the bigger concern should be how the technology is already in use by government agencies for spying on people (innocent).  --  Tribble]

TORONTO (Reuters) - New Internet-based technology could soon turn regular computer users into armchair spies, a Canadian inventor said on Monday.

Vincent Tao, an engineer at Toronto's York University, said he has invented a mapping and surveillance tool called SAME (see anywhere, map everywhere), that produces images so sharp that geographic coordinates typed into a Web site can reveal the make of a car parked on the street.

Tao said SAME works by taking satellite images of the Earth and combining them with real-time remote sensors that monitor traffic and weather.

The information is reformatted on a searchable Web site that can capture ground-level images of the Earth with little or no time delay.

The resolution is 2 feet -- fine enough to determine the make of a car, though not the details of a human face, according to Tao.

"This is real-time streaming technology. It's like (the online directory) MapQuest or the navigation system in your car, but three-dimensional," he said in an interview on Monday.

"You'll see a globe, like a virtual Earth, and then you can fly in from outer space and zoom all the way in to a city and even to street level, which will be updated by very nice, high-resolution imagery."

Tao said the potential applications are broad, including defense, emergency response and environmental monitoring. He added that the technology could become widely available as early as next year.

"Our business model is looking at how to make this publicly available."

But the technology also poses concerns, said Veera Rastogi, a lawyer specializing in privacy issues with the Canadian law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.

"Any surveillance-based technology like this gives rise to the potential for abuse," she said.

"Right now it's a tool used by the Red Cross and defense, but, down the road, in whose hands would this technology fall and for what purpose? Bottom line is, it's a case where, these days, the technology seems to be outrunning the law," Rastogi said.

Cindy Cowan, the director of a Toronto shelter for battered women, echoed Rastogi's concerns, saying the technology could put women at greater risk of abuse.

"Already the Internet has become a place where women are stalked, so to give another tool to abusive men motivated to find and track and stalk -- it frightens me," she said.
 

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