That DAM Blog

Socialist US House of Reps Doubles Down on Privacy (CISPA)

RevMark — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:41:08 +0000

From RAINEY REITMAN at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The House of Representatives is planning to vote on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) this week. Please call Congress and tell them not to sacrifice the civil liberties of Internet users with this dangerously vague legislation.

CISPA would let companies bypass all existing privacy law, spying on online communications and handing that data to the government without a judge or jury every getting involved. We can’t let that happen.

Here’s a script you can use during you call – feel free to elaborate and make it your own. We also really appreciate it if you ask the Representative’s stance on the bill – does he or she plan to oppose this bill?

Hi my name is [insert name] and I’m a constituent. I’m calling about the CISPA cybersecurity bill (HR 3523). CISPA would trample on decades of privacy law, allowing companies to spy on our online communications and pass all kinds of sensitive data to the government. That information could end up in the hands of the NSA, an agency notorious for its lack of public accountability. And that data could also be used for purposes completely unrelated to cybersecurity.

Please tell my Congressional representative to stand up for civil liberties and oppose CISPA.

Thank you for your time.

Once you’ve made the call, click the button that says “I made the call!” and then tell the world. Then send an email follow-up to Congress so they know you’re serious.

Obama’s Enviro-Nazi’s are Out of Control. Again.

Guest Author — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:31:40 +0000

For all you UN Agenda 21 skeptic’s, here you go. From Human Events Online.

Summertime Blues
by Audrey Hudson

Planning a vacation this summer to Miami’s Biscayne Bay for a little fishing?

Think again, because the National Park Service wants to set aside a large swath of the pristine area as a marine reserve zone, so you might have to leave the fishing poles at home. And the boat.

Perhaps horseback riding is more your speed and the family plans to ride through California’s Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Parks? Sorry, but all of the permits were pulled for those activities this summer.

Or maybe you just want to lounge on the soft sands of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and read a novel, fly a kite with the kids, toss a Frisbee to the dog, and watch dad catch some fish?

No, no, no and no.

Beachcombers along specific stretches of those legendary shores are seeing signs telling them to leave their kites and pets at home, and to watch where they step.

“Leave no footprints behind. Walk in water where footprints wash away,” read the signs posted in February by federal officials.

Beaches that once welcomed fisherman to drive up to the water’s edge are also off-limits to the vehicles, and so is fishing.

These vacation destinations are all national parks that once encouraged such recreational uses and enjoyment but their new “no trespassing” attitudes have angered the local communities, and some in Congress as well.

In March, Rep. Walter Jones (R–N.C.) challenged the restrictions imposed by the beach signs, which were the result of battles with environmentalists to protect certain species.

The park service that operates the Cape Hatteras National Seashore pledged to replace them, and the new signs will read: “Walk near water’s edge. Stay below high tide line.”

Still not allowed: kites, pets, vehicles, or fishing. Sunbathing is permissible if you don’t mind getting hit by the waves every few minutes.

Beach access

“The federal government needs to remember that Cape Hatteras was established to be a recreational area for the American people,” Jones said. “But taxpayers can’t recreate without access to the beach. The goal of management ought to be a balanced approach between visitor access and species protection.”

Roping off national parks to the public and limiting opportunities for recreation, which in some cases were at the request of environmental groups, is a growing trend that lawmakers say they will examine during an oversight hearing of a House Resources subcommittee on April 27.

Florida’s Biscayne National Park is one of the largest urban recreational fishing and boating parks in the United States, but federal park employees say the coral reef is declining; so, boating and fishing must be restricted in certain areas.

Florida Republican Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mario Diaz-Balart and David Rivera are challenging the proposed rule, which would close off 20 percent of the park to boating and fishing.

“The park service appears to have decided that it knows best, and that allows it to ignore the public in the pursuit of its own notions of sound conservation,” a group of Florida marine and fishing organizations said earlier this month in a letter to the editor of Soundings Trade Only Today.

Companies fold and jobs lost

In California, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes says that by eliminating horseback rides to the backcountry, the National Park Service has essentially blocked the only access that many Americans, including those with disabilities and the elderly, have to wilderness areas. The new restrictions are the result of a lawsuit brought by environmentalists who say the activity may be a threat to nature.

Losing the permits means that at least 15 companies that provided horseback rides are out of work this summer, along with an estimated 500 employees.

“This is just another example of the Obama administration actively killing jobs,” Nunes said. “They have the authority to seek permission from the courts to put these folks back to work, yet they have so far refused to entertain the option.”

“Ironically, the Obama administration is pushing backcountry horsemen out of business at the same time it is urging Americans to ‘get outdoors.’ The White House could demonstrate an interest in protecting the se outdoor jobs with a simple act,” Nunes said.

Nunes wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar April 17 asking that the administration intervene to reissue the permits.

“The national parks are funded by these taxpayers who have the right to access these parks,” Nunes said.

A spokeswoman for the National Park Service said they have received Nunes’ letter but have not issued a response. They are also aware of the congressional hearing, but no testimony has been drafted.

A statement from the park service office in North Carolina said the new rules there “will protect and preserve the unique natural and cultural resources of this dynamic barrier ecosystem while permitting the use of vehicles on seashore beaches and provide a variety of safe visitor experiences while minimizing conflicts among various users.”

Additionally, the park superintendent of Biscayne National Park says that restricting fishing to 7 percent of that park will increase opportunities for snorkeling and promote a healthy coral reef.

“Biscayne’s coral reef is its Old Faithful, the signature feature that draws visitors time and again,” Mark Lewis said in an April 9 letter to Soundings Trade Only Today. “Let’s showcase the reef and make this the wonderful tourism destination it should be,” Lewis said.

Jones has authored legislation specifically to address the situation in North Carolina, which he says would preserve access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Jones’ bill tells Salazar that pedestrian and vehicle access for recreation should be restricted on small portions of the beach and for a shorter period of time.

Park service ‘heavy-handed’

John Couch, who owns the Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton, N.C. and is president of the Outer Banks Preservation Association, said the community supports protections for the birds and turtles, but that the park service is being unreasonable and “heavy-handed” by cutting off miles and miles of access to the beaches and the recreation it provides.

“Experiences that visitors expect are now closed off because of hugely excessive and unprecedented buffer zones that just closes off the beach,” Couch said. “These are immense obstacles.”

Couch says the restrictions have already proven to be bad for the tourism industry.

“These overzealous restrictions have taken a heavy toll on the tackle shop; business is off by 30 and 50 percent. It’s bad,” Couch said.

“On the other side, the environmentalists have good intentions, but this plan is not working. I’m suffering as a member of the business community. I have no expectation of what to expect,” Couch said.

“It’s fine and dandy to protect the environment, but at the same time we have a mandate to provide protection of resources, as well as enhance the future and present recreational opportunities. But that’s not what’s going on. Now it’s a single mandate which is to protect the environment,” Couch said.

Couch said humans are not the threat to the birds and turtles, but severe storms and predators such as foxes, possums, raccoons, otter, mink and nutria are its natural enemies.

“Man doesn’t have a hand in this,” Couch said.

During one outing with the Park Service to the beach to discuss the new human restrictions, Couch said he and others watched as a ranger pulled out a rifle and killed a nearby fox

“They shot the thing right there in front of us,” Couch said.

“We’re all for the birds and the turtles, but when government and pressure from environmentalists close down the beach access in an inequitable favor to these birds at the expense of the economy and the visitors, that’s wrong,” Couch said. “We can protect the birds and provide for the sustainability of the island community.”

“We’re trying to sell the beach, we’re trying to sell family fun, and all our visitors want to do is fish, sun, and pick up some seashells.”

Photo of sign at Cape Hatteras beach courtesy of the Congressional office of Rep. Walter Jones.

Photo of Rep. Walter Jones courtesy of Patrick Frank.

———–
Read more articles like this at HUMAN EVENTS ONLINE!
http://www.humanevents.com/

Zero-Day Trojan Infecting Mac’s Worldwide

RevMark — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:08:59 +0000

Attention fellow Mac owners. Dont’ get powned by a Trojan that is going around. It is the first of its kind. It takes advantage of a security hole in Java for Mac (an essential part of the Mac OS, NOT written by Apple). Please do a System Update now.

But the biggie here is DO NOT enter your admin password if YOU did not initiate the reason for your computer to ASK you for the password. Unfortunately, this trojan is pretty smart and can install itself into other user accounts on the same computer.

As CNET blogger Topher Kessler explains, simply visiting a malicious Web site containing Flashback on an OS X system with an older version of Java installed will result in one of two installation routes. The malware will request an administrator password, and if one is supplied, it will install its package of code into the Applications folder. If a password is not offered, the malware will install to the user accounts where it can run in a more global manner.

Once installed, the Flashback will inject code into Web browsers and other applications like Skype to harvest passwords and other information from those program’s users.

Security company F-Secure has published instructions on how to determine whether a Mac is infected with Flashback.

http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/trojan-downloader_osx_flashback_i.shtml

Why Is The Story About Malia Obama Vacationing In Mexico Disappearing From The Web?

Guest Author — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:51:04 +0000

Have you heard that Malia Obama, the president’s daughter, is reportedly spending her spring break in Oaxaca, Mexico? Allegedly, she’s jetting off with some of her classmates and 25 Secret Service agents to a country that the State Department has said all Americans should avoid. But something is different about the latest “Obama vacation controversy:” references to it are disappearing from the Internet — and fast.

Glenn Beck’s The Blaze news website has more info. http://bit.ly/Gzpslh

When

RevMark — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:00:21 +0000

Looking back thru the past 4 years, many “Whens” pop up. Read them all to better understand where we going as a country.

Infographic showing Obama’s Socialist ties.

WHEN – he refused to disclose who donated money to his election campaign, as other candidates had done, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he received endorsements from people like Louis Farrakhan, Muramar Kaddafi and Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – it was pointed out that he was a total newcomer and had absolutely no experience at anything except community organizing, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he chose friends and acquaintances such as Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn who were revolutionary radicals, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – his voting record in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate came into question, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he refused to wear a flag lapel pin and did so only after a public outcry, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – people started treating him as a Messiah and children in schools were taught to sing his praises, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he stood with his hands over his groin area for the playing of the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he surrounded himself in the White House with advisors who were pro-gun control, pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage and wanting to curtail freedom of speech to silence the opposition, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he said he favors sex education in kindergarten, including homosexual indoctrination, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – his personal background was either scrubbed or hidden and nothing could be found about him, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – the place of his birth was called into question, and he refused to produce a birth certificate, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he had an association in Chicago with Tony Rezco – a man of questionable character and who is now in prison and had helped Obama to a sweet deal on the purchase of his home – people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – it became known that George Soros, a multi-billionaire Marxist, spent a ton of money to get him elected, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he started appointing White House Czars that were radicals, revolutionaries, and even avowed Marxist /Communists, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he stood before the Nation and told us that his intentions were to “fundamentally transform this Nation” into something else, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – it became known that he had trained ACORN workers in Chicago and served as an attorney for ACORN, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed cabinet members and several advisers who were tax cheats and socialists, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed a Science Czar, John Holdren, who believes in forced abortions, mass sterilizations and seizing babies from teen mothers, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed Cass Sunstein as Regulatory Czar who believes in ”Explicit Consent,” harvesting human organs without family consent and allowing animals to be represented in court, while banning all hunting, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed Kevin Jennings, a homosexual and organizer of a group called Gay, Lesbian, Straight, Education Network as Safe School Czar and it became known that he had a history of bad advice to teenagers, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed Mark Lloyd as Diversity Czar who believes in curtailing free speech, taking from one and giving to another to spread the wealth, who supports Hugo Chavez, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – Valerie Jarrett, an avowed Socialist, was selected as Obama’s Senior White House Advisor, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director, said Mao Tse Tung was her favorite philosopher and the person she turned to most for inspiration, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed Carol Browner, a well known socialist as Global Warming Czar working on Cap and Trade as the nation’s largest tax, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he appointed Van Jones, an ex-con and avowed Communist as Green Energy Czar, who since had to resign when this was made known, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick for Health and Human Services Secretary could not be confirmed because he was a tax cheat, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – as President of the United States , he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia , people said it didn’t matter..

WHEN – he traveled around the world criticizing America and never once talking of her greatness, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – his actions concerning the Middle East seemed to support the Palestinians over Israel , our long time ally, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he took American tax dollars to resettle thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to the United States , people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he upset the Europeans by removing plans for a missile defense system against the Russians, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he played politics in Afghanistan by not sending troops early-on when the Field Commanders said they were necessary to win, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he started spending us into a debt that was so big we could not pay it off, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he took a huge spending bill under the guise of stimulus and used it to pay off organizations, unions, and individuals that got him elected, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he took over insurance companies, car companies, banks, etc., people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he took away student loans from the banks and put it through the government, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he designed plans to take over the health care system and put it under government control, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he claimed he was a Christian during the election and tapes were later made public that showed Obama speaking to a Muslim group and ‘stating’ that he was raised a Muslim, was educated as a Muslim, and is still a Muslim, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he set into motion a plan to take over the control of all energy in the United States through Cap and Trade, people said it didn’t matter.

WHEN – he finally completed his transformation of America into a Socialist State , people woke up— but it was too late. Add these up one by one and you get a phenomenal score that points to the fact that Barrack Hussein Obama is determined to turn America into a Marxist-Socialist society. All of the items in the preceding paragraphs have been put into place. All can be documented very easily. Before you disavow this do an Internet search. The last paragraph alone is not yet cast in stone. You and I will write that paragraph.

Will it read as above or will it be a more happy ending for most of America? Don’t just belittle the opposition. Search for the truth. We all need to pull together or watch the demise of a free democratic society.

Pray for Americans to seek the truth and take action for it will keep us FREE. Our biggest enemy is not China , Russia , North Korea or Iran. Our biggest enemy is a contingent of politicians in Washington, DC. The government will not help, so we need to do it ourselves.

Question . . . will you delete this, or pass it on to others who don’t know about Obama’s actions and plans for the USA , so that they may know how to vote in November, 2012 and the ensuing years?

It’s your decision. I believe it does matter. How about you?

WHEN – November 2012 comes, it will matter who you vote for!

Journal of Medical Ethics Supports Post Birth Abortion

RevMark — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:41:51 +0000

On February 23, 2012, the Journal of Medical Ethics has published a paper supporting the thought that it is ok to perform “Post Birth Abortions”. The national media is not covering this at all.

Below is the official Abstract of the paper:

Abortion is largely accepted even for reasons that do not have anything to do with the fetus’ health. By showing that (1) both fetuses and newborns do not have the same moral status as actual persons, (2) the fact that both are potential persons is morally irrelevant and (3) adoption is not always in the best interest of actual people, the authors argue that what we call ‘after-birth abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled.

Here are two links. The first is to the actual JME paper. The second is to an article on The Blaze.

Boxee to Fight FCC Chairman and Cable Companies

Guest Author — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:39:47 +0000

by MATT BURNS Feb 8, 2012 TechCrunch

Click here for the full article.

Anti-consumer legislation SOPA and PIPA might be all but dead, but there isn’t time to rest. There is a seemingly never-ending flow of proposed legislation, statutes and bills queued up, ready to bust down doors and storm living rooms. One of the latest involves the forced transition from analog to digital cable — something I wrote about back in 2008. If the FCC caves to massive lobbying from the cable companies, the days of unencrypted cable stations in the US will be numbered. Cable subscribers would be required to have a cable box (which will likely cost money) or CableCard-compatible box to receive even local network stations.

Boxee just recently started taking an active role in this fight. The Boxee Box has always been uniquely positioned as a legitimate cable alternative, but it wasn’t until Boxee Live TV launched last month that the company has gone against cable companies face-to-face. But if this proposal passes, it will stifle products not only from Boxee, but also products from El Gato, Silicon Dust and others — and let’s not forget about the likely millions of cable TVs currently enjoying living a box-less life.

Right now most cable providers are required by a 1996 FCC rule to provide a basic set of unencrypted stations. These are most often just local broadcast stations also available through an OTA tuner (think ABC, PBS, and a random religious station). Under the current rules, cable companies are not allowed to encrypt these stations, therefore allowing them to work with any TV, tuner, or as the FCC calls them, navigation devices like the Boxee Live TV. As cable providers started transitioning to a more efficient digital signal, these channels remained, able to work with older TVs most often found in guest bedrooms, garages and the like. But soon even those stations might go dark.

This process started several years back when Cablevision became the first provider to petition the FCC for a waiver

Top Ten Films Made in Louisiana

Guest Author — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:41:28 +0000

Mike Scott of NOLA.com has released his Top 10 Films made in Louisiana list last Monday. Now these are films that were shot, or had a company that had significant screen cred in the film. Oh and have already been released. So, here we go:

Yesterday, I started my annual rundown of year-end lists with the top 10 documentaries of 2011. For the next week – leading up to the release of my list of the top 10 films of the year on Friday (Jan. 30) – I’ll post a different list each day.

On tap today: the best Hollywood South films that 2011 had to offer.

In order for a movie to be considered, it must have played at least once in a local theater during 2011. In addition, for this category – as the title suggests – it must boast significant local connections.

To be honest, there were a lot to choose from, as 2011 was a productive year for locally linked movies.

My list is below, as are links of reviews to those films that made the cut. Is your favorite on the list? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to check back for the rest of my 2011 list of lists:

The Top 10 Hollywood South Movies of 2011

10. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” — The latest, Baton Rouge-shot chapter in the vampire-romance series was exactly the movie we thought it would be. You decide what that means.

9. “Battle: Los Angeles” — Shot in Shreveport and Baton Rouge, it was one of the biggest, loudest Louisiana-shot movies of 2011. Beyond big and loud, though …

8. “Super” — Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page star in this darkly comic superhero story, shot in Shreveport. It’s flawed, but it also is oddly compelling.

7. “Flypaper” — This surprisingly fun Baton Rouge-shot comic caper — released last month on DVD — saw only a very limited release after struggling to land a distributor. It deserved better.

5. “Straw Dogs” and “The Mechanic” (tie) — Both are dark, brooding remakes — the first shot in Shreveport, the second in New Orleans — and both are reasonably well-made films.

4. “The Big Fix” — This documentary, co-directed by Mandeville High School graduate Josh Tickell, does a nice job of explaining why the BP oil spill is anything but over.

3. “Green Lantern” — Perhaps the most maligned big-studio film of 2011, this New Orleans-shot superhero adventure is more fun than people give it credit for.

2. “Bury the Hatchet” — Aaron Walker’s film on the Mardi Gras Indian culture does what all great documentaries do: It shows us a side of something we wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise.

1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” — It wasn’t shot here, but a visual effects firm in Lafayette earned a spot in the credits. Good enough for me.

COTM Celebrate with Family 2011

RevMark — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:49:27 +0000

I have mixed opinions of the 2011 production. While technically awesome, I thought the 2010 was better. Anyhow, take a look at the whole thing.

Celebrate With Family 2011 from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

Mark Your Calendars: 02-12-2012

RevMark — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:06:46 +0000

Mark your calenders: Subject: 2-2-2012

In the coming New Year, 2012, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address will occur on the same day.

This is an ironic juxtaposition of events.

One involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to an insignificant creature of little intelligence for prognostication.

The other involves a groundhog.