The Internet Defense League is designed to keep activists and others updated regarding any S.O.P.A.-like actions on the part of Big Brother, Big Hollywood, the Intellectual Property Monopolies, politicians, governments and more.
I wasn't able to add the stuff to this blog because I could not find the spot to set the coding. I miss the old Blogger set-up. It was much easier to do stuff like that to it. Push-button "technology" and the sheeples that require it-- love it or hate it, it's here to stay-- absolutely piss me off. One of these days I'm going to build my own Linux box. I don't have the skills to do so yet, but I'm working on that. One of these days I may make a blog thingy over at Word Press where most of the intelligent beings seem to have gone. Or somewhere else that allows me to muck with codes and stuff easier. Grrrr.
At any rate, if you go to http://internetdefenseleague.org/, you can get your own nifty badge and alert code.
Folks can also allow the league to post any emergency actions [like contacting one's "own" politicians] and emergency alert [S.O.P.A.-like activity throughout the world] to one's Twitter timeline; or to one's Fed-Book for those folks who are in bed with Big Brother knowingly or unknowingly still there. I'm off to try to find that elusive page where I can drop codes. And other stuff.
I was infuriated to find out that your school principal suspended you for writing a poem in your personal notebook. In my opinion, what happened to you is wrong. Professionals can and do make mistakes. Your principal made a mistake by suspending you. Your teacher made a mistake by looking through your personal notebook. Seizure of your personal property and then suspending you for your thoughts and feelings is a violation of your civil rights. It is unfortunate that Life Learning Academy decided to violate your civil rights. I am relieved to read that you are back at school and not expelled.
I thought your comparison to Stephen King was spot-on. I've read almost all of his books. He knows a lot about a lot of topics. His writing reflects his knowledge. And yes, he writes about horrible things. He is a horror writer. To understand horror is a burden. And like Stephen King, your writing demonstrates that indeed you understand horror.
Some people who truly understand horror become writers like Stephen King. Others become crime fighters-- hostage negotiators, investigators, civil rights activists. A few are murdered for their understanding. Martin Luther King was one man who practiced non-violence and died for what he believed in.
Courtni, your poem should be published in a book or a magazine. I think your writing is that good. Please do not allow the censorship of your self-expression to sour you on writing. I hope that you keep on writing if you want to. And I hope that you do want to keep on writing. When you are ready, you may consider getting published in zines and litmags [Look in your public library for the annual Poets Market and Writers Market books], writing a poetry chapbook, reading your work at open mic nights. I'm going to remember your name Courtni Webb because I believe that you are going to be known. Someday, your poem will be taught to high school students and your story told as an example of blatant censorship of poets and writers. I believe this and I believe in you.
Yours in the Struggle,
radical sapphoq
Referencescan be found by typing "Courtni Webb" into your search engine.
I been reading bits about making a trillion dollar coin and I think to myself, I don't know very much about economics but I believe the people who are seriously considering this are either on drugs or ought to be. If this is a stunt that Obama and some others are considering in order to force agreement about what to do about the national debt, it stinks. If this is a sneaky way to artificially create a higher debt ceiling without Congressional approval, it stinks. In short, I think the whole idea is stupid.
I don't know much about economics but I do know about fake paper money that kids and some adults use to play board games. If I grabbed up a handful of that fake paper money and went to the bank with it, I would not have any more money in there than I already do. If I tried to pay for weekly groceries with it or even crickets for the frog, I would go home without. Meanwhile, we the nation just keep spending what we haven't got. And to make things worse, we spend money on nations in foreign places that don't even like us in the first place.
I understand that a certain amount of national debt floats around out of necessity for obscure to me economic reasons that I don't get. But cripes people, enough is enough. I don't care when we did hit that whoa spot or even which politicians or presidents that people wish to blame. My point is that we are going to have to make some tough choices if we want to truly lower the amount of debt that we as a nation owe. Thus, I have some proposals which we can call the ten/ten/ten plan:
1). Quit lending other nations money for any reason.
2). Quit giving other nations money for any reason.
3). No more bail-outs for any reason. This is a sink or swim deal. If you can't swim, then get out of the water.
4). Take our entire budget, all the pork barrel projects and all the stuff that our government funds and cut everything-- all of it, no exceptions-- by ten percent for the next ten years.
5). Raise taxes by ten percent for the next ten years for everyone.
6). Freeze any new government mandates on the states for the next ten years. Every time there is a mandate, we end up paying for it. ENOUGH.
7). Cut salaries of all of the politicians in Washington D.C. from the President right on through Congress people, Representatives, aides and all of that by ten percent for the next ten years. No raises. And dump the high tech professional lobbying groups.
8). Get rid of the expensive private planes and gas guzzlers that any of the politicians ride around in. Let them take regular planes like anyone else, preferably economy class. No chauffeurs either. No more free coffee. If there is a community coffee pot, and a politician wants some, let them pay ten dollars a cup-- to go toward the budget. These people have lived large on our backs for too long.
9). No more bossing other countries around for any reason. No more committees meeting in order to try to boss around the internet world wide. No more prosecution of people living in other places for what they do on the internet. If their own countries aren't going after them, we shouldn't either. No more interference in their wars, who they get to lead their countries, funding of any military groups other than our own, nada. Zip. We live in a great country but we are not the be all and end all of all the other countries. So how about that we quit acting like we are. NO INTERFERENCE IN THE AFFAIRS OF OTHER COUNTRIES, PERIOD.
10). Require regular high school students to pass at least one course in world economics before graduation. A few of those kids are going to be politicians and hopefully the next crop will have a bit more knowledge about economics and how to budget than the current crop does.
Enough is enough. I don't want any stinking fake coin for any reason. If we want something different, we got to do something different. Pulling together would be a great start. If we do this stuff now, it will be difficult for the next ten years. Everyone will whine but then perhaps we will get over it. And become the great country that we profess to be.
I love my country. It's all the idiocy that happens in D.C. that I can't stand.
It is not your fault. When society tells you that the rape was "her" fault, society lies. When polite company whisper about short skirts or being wasted or walking around after dark, they lie. When a defense attorney gets in your face about your rep, when a politician refers to you as a slut, when your rapist is defended by your neighbors-- lies, lies, lies. When you are ready, you will join thousands of women and a few men in proclaiming, "This rape is not a thing of fault. It is not about sex or flirting or being loose. You lied to me. I won't tolerate it anymore." We live in a rape culture. Rape culture says it was our fault. Rape culture says we brought this upon ourselves, we should have known better, we were bad kids, rebellious women, wimpy men, we were irresistible, manipulative, we lied. Rape culture says our rapists could not help it, we were too available, we led them on, this thing didn't happen, impossible, we wanted it. Rape culture says women [and a few men] are property to be protected or abused and subject to the whims of our protectors. Rape culture says we are not worthy, that feeling sexy is wrong, look where that got us, that rape is molestation, that rape is sex without permission, that rape is the privilege of the conquerors. Rape culture demands that we teach our daughters to defend themselves so we sign them up for self-defense classes, to not put themselves in danger, to be demure. To behave. Rape culture demands that our sons be manly men. Rape is an act of violence. This rape culture that we live in is composed of many acts of violence. Our rapists have depended upon our shame and our fear. We give in. Sometimes we are not judged to be legally able to make our own decisions since we have not reached "the age of majority." Sometimes we are advised not to press charges. Sometimes we are too wounded and involved in survival and we just cannot do it. Sometimes we die. The first time after I was raped, I was advised not to press charges. The second time after I was raped, I watched as my rapist's defenders gathered around him in a tight circle. They were determined to protect his reputation at any cost. I was expendable. Both men-- years and miles apart-- claimed that they were not in control of their actions. "I had to," said the first one. "I couldn't help myself," said the second one. The third time that I was raped, I kneed him in the groin and kicked him in the balls with my steel toed boots. On that particular night, anger was my truest friend. Anger is messy. Rage is frightening. In a rape culture, we are not supposed to be angry. We are not supposed to feel rage. We are supposed to forgive the people who have hurt us. Because that is what our holy men tell us to do. We are supposed to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and carry on business as usual. We are told that it takes two to create a problem, that we played a part in this, that we have to look at ourselves and own up to our share of the responsibility. We will be washed away pure as the driven snow. Or, we are the damaged goods bringing shame to our families. We are taught to negate ourselves. We are taught to behave. Now is the time to gather together, those of us who are able, and begin the process of dismantling the rape culture. Some of us will carry signs, risk arrests, hold vigils, take our messages to the streets. Some of us will name what happened to us for the first time in our lives. Some of us will write, using the web to let people know what happened and to demand justice. Some of us will do other things. Each of us can do something. To my sisters in India, to my sisters in Steubenville, to my brothers and sisters in behavioral facilities that live in fear of being raped and beaten by staffers or by other kids, to the little ones who are raped by the very people who are supposed to be protectors, I dedicate this blog post. To my male friend who told me that he was raped by an older woman when he was a teen, I dedicate this blog post. To those who have died, I dedicate this blog post. Do not give up. We need you. Together we will heal and live. radical sapphoq
The opinions expressed below are the opinions of those who gave them. The evidence that I have found suggests to me strongly that any parent or guardian with a child or teen who is acting up or acting out ought to do their own research and consider carefully all options.
Videos specific to Cross Creek in Utah: Cross Creek W.W.A.S.P.S. facility parts 1, 2, 3
Xandir O'Cando was sent to Cross Creek because she was attracted to other girls. She was told almost right away that she was not allowed to talk about her same gender attractions. She is an activist in the bdsm community in San Francisco today.
If you don't like rap, skip this next vid. It is an anti-W.W.A.S.P.S. song. The Long Con By: HADES (Hungry Artists Don't Ever Stop) @hadestheunscene Song against Child Behavioral Modification Torture Camps.
Maia Szalavitz, investigative reporter, makes several interesting points in her testimony. The confrontation/humiliation used in encounter-attack therapy of the 70s has been shown to be harmful to 9% of the participants in the groups. It was considered unethical to continue with doing research about this because 9% of the adults were psychologically harmed in the groups.
Now today, confrontation and humiliation are used in encounter-attack "therapy" in W.W.A.S.P.S. facilities and in their seminars. What is being offered is neither medically sound nor true "therapy." Isolating a kid from the world smacks of cultism rather than of effective healing. The only control being taught is thought control.
She also says that testimonials exposing the abuse inside these programs are often followed by testimonials talking about how these programs were the old things that worked to help the troubled teens in attendance. Desperate parents hear "tough," "tough love," "discipline," and possibly even the word "time out." They hear about changes in teen behavior and tune out on words like "sleep deprivation," and "meal deprivation." They may not understand that kids have died from "face down" restraints. These abusive practices within the troubled teen troubled industry are the problem.
The troubled teen troubled industry is also the problem. Maia Szalavitz points out that studies show that teens do better with treatment at home than they do in these facilities which seek to alter behavior via mind control.
Again, the opinions expressed are those of the people who gave them. Before signing up any child or teen for residential treatment/boarding/therapy/behavior modification/other, a responsible parent would want to visit the facilities being considered beforehand, spending several hours a day over several days at each one. Any contracts should be reviewed by an attorney before signing.
radical sapphoq says: Quite frankly, I do not allow my dog to board at a kennel sight unseen. Why would a parent be willing to trust strangers with the care of a child or teen without thoroughly investigating the pros and cons of each option under consideration?
