Land Of The Flea

Disabled veteran kicked off boardwalk because of service dog

"A North Wildwood police officer issued Jared and his wife a summons because of the dog. Goering said, 'I expected to get more respect from him because of the jobs that we both have to do.' 'He mockingly asked if all veterans get service dogs,' said Jared’s wife, Sally Goering, 'his dog is medically necessary and he is a service dog.' In 2009, Jared was serving in Afghanistan when his vehicle was blown up by IEDs, twice, within 36 hours. Now, Jared uses his 3-year-old service dog, Gator, short for Navigator, to help him walk, and to get up and down stairs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDisabled veteran kicked off boardwalk because of service dog

After gun enthusiast’s arrest, rifle-toting protestors gather outside McAllen PD

"Horton, the open carry advocate, visited the Public Safety Building on Wednesday afternoon and told police he wanted to take a photograph of himself holding an assault-style rifle, according to police. Officers warned Horton not to bring weapons onto the premises and he left. Horton returned later, apparently intending to photograph himself holding a rifle. Officers arrested him for trespassing and carrying a weapon where prohibited, according to the news release. Police later dropped the trespassing charge and Horton was released on a $25,000 bond." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfter gun enthusiast’s arrest, rifle-toting protestors gather outside McAllen PD

Photo of snoozing police officer in America’s most dangerous city enrages public

"A photo of a police officer in Camden, New Jersey, apparently asleep in his cruiser has prompted an investigation in the U.S. city with the nation’s highest violent crime rate in 2012. The photo, which shows the uniformed officer wearing sunglasses, head cocked back and mouth agape in the driver’s seat, began circulating on Camden-related Facebook pages this week. It was unclear whether the officer was napping or caught yawning at a bad moment, whether he was on break or on duty, or how long he had been on patrol. Camden has scrapped its city police force as a cost-saving measure, and the county force replaced it in May." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPhoto of snoozing police officer in America’s most dangerous city enrages public

Obama’s Response To NSA Surveillance Still Lacking Justification

"It's a lot of rhetoric about transparency, with a few random claims about how important these programs are. Separately, he continued to insist that we're better than some other countries (setting the bar low) and that we don't spy on Americans -- despite the evidence from this morning that this isn't true. In answering questions, he insisted the two key programs being discussed, Section 215 of the Patriot Act and 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, were critical to finding important intelligence -- despite the fact that multiple Senators have insisted that there remains no evidence that Section 215 was necessary in any terrorist case." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama’s Response To NSA Surveillance Still Lacking Justification

NSA ditching 90 percent of its system administrators to avoid leaks

"NSA director Keith Alexander told a conference in New York City that headcount among its system administrators would be severely curtailed in the future. Roughly 1,000 such employees maintain the agency’s networks and equipment. The NSA is dismissing all those people in the name of secrecy. 'What we’ve done,' Alexander added, 'is we’ve put people in the loop of transferring data, securing networks and doing things that machines are probably better at doing.' An automated system operated by a minimum of human beings, on the other hand, will make the NSA’s digital assets more defensible." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA ditching 90 percent of its system administrators to avoid leaks

McCain: Young Americans admire Snowden, see him as ‘some kind of Jason Bourne’

"A deep distrust of government has led young Americans to hold up NSA leaker Edward Snowden as a hero, Sen. John McCain said Sunday. 'There’s a young generation who believes he’s some kind of Jason Bourne,' the Arizona Republican said during on 'Fox News Sunday,' referring to the lead character in the Bourne movie trilogy who battled his own government, particularly the CIA. 'Right now there’s kind of a generational change. Young Americans do not trust this government,' Mr. McCain said. 'Without trusting government you can’t do a lot of things.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMcCain: Young Americans admire Snowden, see him as ‘some kind of Jason Bourne’

Julian Assange: Obama ‘validated’ Snowden as a whistleblower

"WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has called President Barack Obama’s announcement of plans to limit sweeping U.S. government surveillance programs a victory of sorts for fugitive former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden. 'Today was a victory of sorts for Edward Snowden and his many supporters,' Assange said in the statement, which was posted on the WikiLeaks website on Saturday. Assange accused the U.S. government of 'stunning' hypocrisy in its treatment of Snowden while it gave asylum to thousands of dissidents, whistleblowers and political refugees from countries like Russia and Venezuela." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJulian Assange: Obama ‘validated’ Snowden as a whistleblower

“Punishment Has Been Achieved”

"'Punishment for this offense has been achieved.' With those words, which are found near the end of an August 8 motion to dismiss a spurious battery charge against Sandpoint, Idaho resident Rita Hutchens, the author – Bonner County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shane Greenbank – incriminates himself. Rita Hutchens is a tiny 57-year-old internationally respected quilt artist who has never committed a violent act against anybody. She was accused of 'criminal battery' because she threw a ballpoint pen at a desk in the Sandpoint City Hall while doing research for a potential lawsuit against the city." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Punishment Has Been Achieved”

More Americans Going Galt

"President Obama promised he would unite the world…and he’s right. Representatives from dozens of nations have bitterly complained about an awful piece of legislation, called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), that was enacted back in 2010. They despise this unjust law because it extends the power of the IRS into the domestic affairs of other nations. Wouldn’t all of us get upset, after all, if the French government or Russian government wanted to impose their laws on things that take place within our borders? The law is so bad that it is causing a big uptick in the number of Americans who are giving up their citizenship." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore Americans Going Galt

Pepe Escobar: Vlad the Hammer vs Obama the Wimp

"Vlad the Hammer can sense a wimp of Carter-esque proportions like a polar bear hunting a seal. He quickly evaluated how the Obama administration turned its already shaky credibility to ashes on two simultaneous fronts; because of the scale of the Orwellian/Panopticon complex detailed by Snowden's leaks, and because of the way he was being mercilessly hunted. The New York Times posted an editorial justifying the cancelation of the summit, saying, 'Mr Putin is a repressive and arrogant leader who treats his people with contempt.' Right; and Snow White lives in the White House." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: Vlad the Hammer vs Obama the Wimp