Shake My Motherfucking Head!

A video has recently shown up on the internet that recorded troops of the United States Marines urinating on what appeared to be dead Taliban members. It was sparked international outrage at home and abroad. Afghan President Hamid Karzai calls it "completely inhumane." Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta stated that it was "entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military" and voiwed to hold accountable those responsible. The Navel Crime Investigation Service (NCIS) is currently conducting an investigation into the matter.

Personally, it doesn't matter whether or not it is authentic. While a fake video would provide a modicum of relief and take heat from the Marines, perception is bigger than reality. The perception of our own troops abusing the Afghan people and disrespecting them even in death is more than enough of an excuse the Taliban needs to kill our troops and plot terrorist attacks against our civilians. Sure, it may feel good to get payback against the guys who terrorized Americans and Europeans alike over the past ten years, but it is socially and politically important that we look better than them when we kill them so WE come off as the good guy.

Honor and class matters just as much in war as it does in peace. It is a shame that more Americans will end up getting killed over this incident being taught that lesson the HARD way.

Here is the link to the video:  YouTube - Marines Piss on Dead Taliban

I feel it incumbent upon me to deal with a racist piece of trash. In late August, Matt Patterson posted an article in the American Thinker claiming that President Obama was an Affirmative Action president of dubious professional and academic acheivement. While I understand that many people have misgivings about a black president in the nation's highest office, there is no excuse for the kind of passive-aggressive racist screed uttered by Mr Patterson in his article.

If a future historian were to look at Obama, they would see an ultimate realization of the American Dream. A dream where any American  lead in your country, regardless of race and regardless of economic background if they work hard enough for it. Being a Harvard professor, they would see him as possibly the brightest and most educated president in history. Keep in mind that Harry S. Truman was a haberdasher with only a high school diploma and that Abraham Lincoln was largely self-taught in lieu of a formal education, yet these former presidents made their mark in out nation's history. Truman concluded World War II and Lincoln ended slavery and the Civil War, the war is alleged to have killed more Americans than any other war combined.

A REAL look into Obama's past: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5m6YFBcixo

A critique from one of his former classmates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR14k1Sna8M

Obama's view on Affirmative Action:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saIVafSC38k

Another classmate opines on his 2008 election: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zalwa8p6whA&feature=related

According to CNN and North Korea's state television, Kim Jong Il, the monarchal leader of North Korea has passed away at the age of 69. He is said to have died from complications due to cancer, despite claims of "overwork" made by state media.

In power since 1994, Kim Jong Il has generated much tension with western nations and South Korea. Under him, North Korea became strongly isolated, its economy plummeting to the point where the nation has become increasingly dependent on foreign aid and food rations. he has also provoked condemnation over an aggressie nuclear program and a recent attack on a South Korean vessel. It is believed that his son, Kim Jong Un, will succeed him. Kim Jong Un, who started in the military has been assuming more official duties over time.

It is uncertain what Kim Jong Il's death implies for North Korea and if there will be any significant changes. In recent years, North Korea has been gradually allowing free market zones to operate within its borders.

To his death, I say, good riddance motherfucker!

On October 26, 2011, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) submitted a 79-page proposal that would empower the Department of Justice (DOJ) to order American ISPs to either redirect or block websites accused of copyright infringment. It would empower intellectual property owners with the ability to report payment processors for the offending site. Hailed by Hollywood, the music industry and other media giants, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) promises to be a nuclear solution to the problem of protecting intellectual property over the internet. If it is ever put to practice, it could have grave ramifications for providers of secondary and tertiary content (Wikipedia, YouTube, Google, etc.) while placing an undue burden on ISPs and DNS providers that threaten DNS security.

Have we learned from the DMCA? Instead of protecting websites from being held liable for the infringing actions of rogue users it ended up being abused by unscrupulous businesses to strongarm timid site owners and hosts into removing negative criticisms. This bill will allow the same companies to go after sites like PayPal and financially devastate blog and forum owners based on heresay. It's bad enough to be harassed by SMS.AC with baseless "intellectual rights" cease-and-desist orders when people complain about the integrity of their services. Now they would have the power to fuck with your money.

The problem with DNS redirection as an enforcement approach is that it invites workarounds that can be exploited by scammers to steal personal information or damage users' computers. Not even the proposal's provision against workarounds will be adequate because a workaround can simply come from a place other than America. It also undermines the universality of the DNS system that made the internet scalable, easy to use, and successful in the first place. Besides, such a law would interfere with the implementation of REAL security through the DNSSEC extensions as outlined in a report from Sandia Labs, a world-renowned computer lab funded by the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.

Lastly, it creates social concerns. We know that China censors criticisms through DNS redirections and "other" techniques (cough, arrests). The vague language of the proposal could make it possible for reporters who publish the IP addresses of the sites to face liabilities for bypassing the DNS system. An industry expert once remarked that the law would effectively outlaw libraries. It would give the Americans the power to ban websites internationally, a power that even the European Parliament strongly opposes. Two years ago, the website of a Spanish business owned by a British national, but registered through an American provider was redirected by the U.S. government. This oversteps boundaries BIG time.

Do we want to go down that road? I thought this country stood for freedom. When young men and women go out to die for us, they fight for our freedom. According to the First Amendment of the Constitution, we have a freedom of speech, freedom of religion and a freedom of the press. This can not and must not be subverted by the whims of a movie studio or a whims of a diet cookie maker who wants to sanitize their public image.

Link to Proposal:  http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf

Sandia Labs' Criticism:  http://lofgren.house.gov/images/stories/pdf/napolitano_response_rep_lofgren_11_16_11_c.pdf

The original US Default Doomsday Clock has been updated to the US Budget Doomsday Clock. While the United States is no longer in danger of a default on its obligations, it is under economic threat due to "beast-starving" budget cuts and artificial revenue limitations imposed by Congress.

A supercommittee from both parties has been established to identify more than $1.5 Trillion in cuts that can win congressional approval. If they do not reach an agreement by November 23, then a series of across-the-board cuts will be made. Even if an agreement has been reached by then, the committee would have until December 23 to get the proposals to pass.

Here is a link to the updated application:

http://www.robertvincent3.com/page/Apps.aspx