Land Of The Flea

The Twinkie, a Suicide

"The snack giant endured $52 million in workers' comp claims in 2011, according to its bankruptcy filing this January. Hostess's 372 collective-bargaining agreements required the company to maintain 80 different health and benefit plans, 40 pension plans and mandated a $31 million increase in wages and health care and other benefits for 2012. Union work rules usually required cake and bread products to be delivered to a single retail location using two separate trucks. Drivers weren't allowed to load their own vehicles, and the workers who loaded bread weren't allowed to load cake. 'Pull up' employees moved products from back rooms to shelves." Continue reading →

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Shots fired during FBI warrant search in District Heights

"Around 6 a.m. he says he came up to the living room and saw 15 FBI SWAT agents coming inside, guns drawn. Hughley says he looked up and saw his daughter standing outside her bedroom in the hallway. Then he heard gunfire. Myasia was treated at a local hospital for a flesh wound and released. The Hughley’s say none of them were armed an in fact, none of them own guns. They were never told why their home was raided." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShots fired during FBI warrant search in District Heights

Wealth and Prosperity Do Exist … if You Know Where to Look

"The pursuit of prosperity for ourselves and our children is the underpinning of the American dream – the idea that being all that you can be is possible. But it seems things are changing… The 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index has just been made public. It reveals that America is no longer among the Top 10 countries for the first time ever. We are now 12th. The essential question is: What pulled America out of the top 10? Was it our health care system? An antiquated educational system? Eroding personal freedoms? No. It was the rather significant decline in 'entrepreneurship and opportunity.' Many U.S. citizens no longer believe that hard work pays off." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWealth and Prosperity Do Exist … if You Know Where to Look

Postal Service losses tripled to $16 billion from previous year

"The US Postal Service tripled its losses in 2012, bleeding $15.9 billion as the state-owned enterprise faces tough competition and what it calls onerous and unfair retirement funding requirements. The US mail said its losses rocketed in the year to September 30 from a $5.1 billion loss last year, with more than $11 billion sucked off to pre-fund health benefits for service retirees long into the future. Overall mail volume continued to shrink, by 5.1 percent, and operating revenues fell nearly one percent, to $65.2 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPostal Service losses tripled to $16 billion from previous year

Hostess, maker of Twinkies, to go out of business after nationwide strike

"Hostess Brands Inc., the company that makes Twinkies and Wonder Bread, has asked a judge for permission to go out of business and lay off 18,500. The company is blaming its decision to shut down on a labor strike by members of the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, but Americans’ appetite for junk food has been waning in recent years. 'We deeply regret the necessity of today's decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,' Gregory F. Rayburn, Hostess' chief executive, said in a statement." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHostess, maker of Twinkies, to go out of business after nationwide strike

Congressman Ron Paul’s Farewell Speech to Congress

"After over 100 years we face a society quite different from the one that was intended by the Founders. In many ways their efforts to protect future generations with the Constitution from this danger has failed. Skeptics, at the time the Constitution was written in 1787, warned us of today's possible outcome. The insidious nature of the erosion of our liberties and the reassurance our great abundance gave us, allowed the process to evolve into the dangerous period in which we now live." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCongressman Ron Paul’s Farewell Speech to Congress

Google report reveals world government requests for private data rising sharply

"Government surveillance of their citizens’ online lives is rising sharply around the world, according to Google’s latest report. The US accounted for the most requests, as it has consistently since the report was launched. US authorities asked for private details of Google users on 7,969 occasions, up from 6,321 in the last reporting period. The number is more than a third of the 20,938 requests for users’ details worldwide. Google fully or partially complied with 90% of those requests. Over the six months, Google was asked to remove seven YouTube videos criticising local and state agencies, police and other public officials." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGoogle report reveals world government requests for private data rising sharply

Obama’s ‘secret’ cyber security law may allow ‘military deployment within the U.S.’

"The FOIA was filed in response to an article that appeared in The Washington Post this week, claiming that Obama issued a secret directive shortly before the elections that empowers the military to 'vet any operations outside government and defense networks' for cyber security purposes. However, because the exact text of the directive remains a secret, nobody can really say exactly what it does. That was somewhat disconcerting to American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel Michelle Richardson, who told Raw Story on Wednesday that without the text, 'it’s hard to see what they mean.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama’s ‘secret’ cyber security law may allow ‘military deployment within the U.S.’

City Of Orlando Orders Man To Dig Up Vegetable Garden

"The city of Orlando has ordered a College Park man to get rid of the vegetable garden in his front yard, calling it a code violation. Jason Helvenston said he never dreamed his garden would get him in trouble, and he is refusing to get rid of it. He said the garden saves his household hundreds of dollars in groceries, and it’s a source of pride. The city left a notice on Helvenston’s door saying the garden showed 'failure to maintain ground covers.' The notice said to dig up the garden by Nov. 7 or actions would be taken." Continue reading →

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RIAA Celebrates 15 Year Jail Sentence For Movie and Music Pirate

"The RIAA has welcomed a mind-boggling jail sentence handed to a man who sold pirated movies and music. The 37-year-old man pleaded guilty to six felony counts of selling counterfeit media after he sold five movies and one music CD to an undercover investigator without the permission of copyright holders. As a result he will go to jail in Mississippi for 15 years to be followed by three years of supervised release." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRIAA Celebrates 15 Year Jail Sentence For Movie and Music Pirate