Dead: Air America and Committing online suicide

Air America died yesterday. You know that answer to conservative talk radio that Senator Al Franken cobbled together back in 2004.

It went bankrupt and its corpse is now being dissected and parceled out to satisfy its creditors.

We've seen how badly Liberals can run a government. Private enterprise? What made them think they could run a radio network without government support? Hello PBS. No other example is really needed.

Hey Franken, I'm pissing on your baby's grave and laughing.

While I'm on the subject of death, have you joined any of the online social networks and regretted it? Personally, I did join Facebook and later just abandoned my account.

I abandoned it because I found it useless, and intrusive.

Not that it really mattered. There were some in the Prepper Community who knew my identity on Facebook and others who went to great lengths to figure out who I was with little success. You see, when I created my account, I lied.

Even though it is against their terms of service to create a fake persona, I did it anyways. No wrath of God fell upon me, no battery of lawyers accosted me, no goons threatened to break my knee caps. If for some reason you absolutely feel the need to belong to one of these communities, do yourself a favor and lie to them about who you are. Just do not make the mistake of impersonating an actual individual.

If you have accounts on the social networking sites, and they link directly back to you, and you no longer wish to have them, try this out.

Commit online suicide with a click of a button.

NEWS

I have some news for all of you out there.

I'm working with several *for real* Sovereign Citizens in putting together information on the Sovereign movement. These people are not in jail, not in danger of going to jail, not hounded by the IRS, and live productive lives. They drive vehicles free from the encumberance of license fees, and without state issued driver's licenses. They pay no income taxes.

There's quite a bit on the web about reclaiming your sovereignty, some of it is inaccurate and much of it people want big bucks to let you in on the "secret" that really isn't so secret.

These folks want to make the info, how to's, paperwork, and steps available to people at minimal cost.

So watch this space!

Get Your Money's Worth

Venezuela has devalued its currency in the face of shrinking government revenues, rising prices, shortages, and declining popularity of the nation's leader, Hugo Chavez.

You can read more here:

Wall Street Journal: Chavez Devalues Venezuela's Currency

New York Times: Chavez Devalues Currency Amid Oil Fall

Business Week: Chavez Devalues Bolivar 50%

You should really take the time to read these articles, and note the obvious parallels between the United States under Obama and Venezuela under Chavez.

I'm not an economist. I'm just a guy who trades a third to half his daily life for pieces of green paper that can be exchanged for goods and services needed to support his family. It is just my humble opinion, but I think that makes me more knowledgeable about how this will screw the middle class than some guy in a argyle sweater sitting in a wingback back chair sheltered by an Ivy League School.

This move will help the poor, as the government will magically have twice the money it had yesterday to throw at them. That means the hungry, angry mobs that put him into power will be mollified for a short period. Think of zombies with a fresh corpse to munch on.

This move will help the rich, as doubtlessly, they had insider information and were able to position themselves to take financial advantage of the devaluation. Hey! I've magically twice the money I had yesterday! Thanks Comrade Chavez!

This screws the middle class because their money, while still looking like it did yesterday, is now worth half of what it was yesterday.

If it happened here in this country, this is what would have happened. If you have say $100,000 in savings, and the currency is devalued by 50%, you still have $100,000 in savings, but it will only buy $50,000 worth of goods.

Have you ever been so close to a problem you could not see it? Looking for that lost pen or pencil that you just had a minute ago? Only to find it is still in your hand?

I think that is what is going on in this country.

Many have warned about how the dollar is going to crash, and become nearly worthless. Already in the past ninety some years, the US dollar has lost ninety percent of its value. We're on track to see its remaining roughly 8 cent on the dollar value decline to roughly a penny on the dollar should Obama choose to devalue the US dollar. At that point your dollar will buy you what would have cost you a single penny 90 years ago. in 1910, 1 lb of cane sugar would have cost you an average of 6 cents, today it averages around ninety six cents. That tracks with the estimated decline of the value of the dollar.

Most people are bamboozled into thinking of this as "inflation". When most people are asked about what "inflation" means, they will say that prices are getting bigger, or going up. They cite greedy people and businesses, or just higher costs of doing business such as taxation as being responsible. What they frequently do not realize is that it is exactly the opposite. Their money is going down in value. It's not really "inflation". It is the devaluing of a currency.

People in our government are making your money worth less. Soon to be worthless.

Here is a timely interview with Bob Chapman of The International Forecaster. It is an hour long, and took place in hour four of the Dec 15, 2009 Coast To Coast AM Show. He speaks of a plan to devalue the US Dollar in the early fall. Be aware that Hugo Chavez has just devalued the Venezuelan currency in an election year. 2010 is also an election year for us.

Listen Here If it doesn't play, right click on the link and select "save link as". Save to your computer and play from there.

There is also an interview with Mr. Chapman on Alex Jones TV (click to watch) from Jan 4, 2010 that should be watched.

Be aware that Bob Chapman lives abroad and not in the United States. The story is that not only has his life been threatened, attempt(s) have been made on Mr. Chapman's life as a result of his continued exposure of the manipulation of our economic system.

So what does all of this mean to you?

We've said it time and time again. Stock your larder. Gold is probably out of many people's reach at this point, so go buy at least an ounce of silver at every pay period to hedge against a devaluation.

Already Venezuelan's are mobbing markets trying to buy what they can before prices skyrocket after the currency devaluation.

Your time is running out.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Today will be a light post, it was a long day. Hanging suspended 45 feet in the air, in dense fog, repairing equipment gets your stress level up.

The boom lift I was operating in the dark this morning was next to a senior housing project. Yes, many of them still drive, and that is what had my stress level up.

2010 will go down as the year of "The Bottom Of The Barrel". Just look at these insane news stories and we're only a few days into this new year.

I guess Chicago, noted for its backroom deals, voters rising from the dead, mob bosses and crooked politicians, is looking for a few bad men (and women).

Police May Scrap Entrance Exam

If you're in Chi-town, it maybe time to blow out of there before the riots start.

Also in Illinois:

Police chaplain member of Muslim terrorist group.

Suicide is in their blood:

Arab high school students wear hoodies glorifying 9-11

Seeds of a revolution:

Six Million Cite Food Stamps as only Income.

No Income But Food Stamps

Nearly 1.2 Million Tennessee residents on food stamps.

10 Percent of Nevada residents on food stamps.

Piracy Made Easy or The Bunny Slipper Privateer

Pirate.
First off, I'm not an attorney. I do not have a degree in law. Much of what is written below in reference to legal issues is as I understand it from my own reading. This is not legal advice, and I encourage you to do your own research.


Today, when someone says "pirate", people think of the Skinnies floating around in a leaky boat off of Africa waiting for a fat cargo ship to lumber by. Maybe Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. Some with more imagination will think back to the classic image of a peg legged, eye patched, hook wielding filthy criminal swilling rum and sailing the seas in a derelict ship searching for booty or a winsome lass.

Or they may think of that shadowy hacker locked up in his room figuring out the latest way to defeat Microsoft's genuine validation tool. I doubt they think of their kids flagrantly disregarding the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and easily defeating Digital Rights Management implementations, as well as copy protections as they rip and burn the latest DVD or music CD for their friends.

The corporations and law enforcement want to reinforce the image of a criminal in the mind of fair minded Americans whenever someone says "pirate". No one likes to be the victim of theft, and empathetic Americans often sympathize with the victims of theft, be they individuals or businesses. Americans want criminals caught and punished. Law enforcement and international corporations are playing on the sympathies of the good people of America.

People have realized, of late, that corporations make the laws of this, and other lands, by using their "personhood" and their access to vast wealth to basically install "yes men" into public office. That includes the judges in the legal system. The threat of having campaign contributions withheld is a sufficient motivator for public officers to heel at their master's command.

Americans are starting to wake up to the fact that many law enforcement agencies are only there to clean up a mess after it happens. There have been incidents where people have had reason to fear for their lives and sought police protection only to be turned away because a crime had not yet occurred. After these people were murdered, the police were right there.

Nothing more than a janitor with a gun. How comforting.

People have begun to understand that police are not in fact there for the people's protection, but for protection of the State's assets, and by extension, the Corporations. Nearly all states and municipalities are corporate entities. Oh yes, people are assets of the state, but you see, you are considered a resource to be used up. Ever wonder why "Personnel" was changed to "Human Resources"? Hmmmmm?

Yes, the United States is also a corporation. What? You didn't know the United States is a corporation?

If you didn't know, below is a short film that gives a brief history of what happened, and when.



Every law that you live under is governed by contract law. If you ever want to see people get squirrely, write "Without Prejudice UCC 1-308" above your signature when you sign any document. If you want to, you can dig through the Uniform Commercial Code, you can do so here.

So, we find ourselves at the mercy of corporations and without a legitimate form of government. It is my personal opinion, and that is just it, a personal opinion....that we as free Americans, who did not give our consent to have our lawful government removed, have a duty to create a legitimate government in absentia where ever we are. Even if it is only one person. Yourself.

If you ever find yourself in the position to do so, you may want to reclaim your Sovereignty. Learn more here.

I'm not a pirate. I prefer to think of myself as a "privateer". A gentleman with a letter of marque.

These corporations have received billions in bailouts, sweetheart deals, regulations that favored them over American small businesses, and stolen intellectual property from American inventors. I think a legitimate American government would never have tolerated this, and would have allowed for the right of offset and issued letters of marque.

As I have stated before, we are engaged in a "low intensity revolution". We're fighting a war against those who would enslave us. Some of the members of that evil cabal are international corporations and even "artists" as some laughingly call themselves. Hello Kanye West! These entities use the wealth that they siphon off of the American public to forge additional links in the chains they seek to bind us with.

We must deny the enemy the resources that they use to further their agenda. Their primary resource is money. By denying these entities their life's blood, while keeping their production and distribution costs high, we can hamper their agenda. Every movie that is copied, every CD that is ripped, every Kindle e-book that is hacked, every piece of software that finds its way to a public download site, is one less penny that they can use to further enslave us.

You have no reason to be loyal to these corporations or their laws. They may have their headquarters here in the United States, but they are incorporated elsewhere, offshore, where they can escape the tax laws they have saddled you with. They have shipped your jobs over seas, and impoverished you. They have destroyed America's once mighty manufacturing capacity, and reduced us to dealing in barely fit for consumption hamburgers. Rather than hiring qualified Americans, they have laws enacted that allow them to flood the land with H1-B visa wielding compliant slaves.

Just as the privateers of America's first navy worked to secure America's freedom by bringing enemy shipping to its knees; we, the modern digital privateers, can do the same to malevolent corporations on the high seas of the internet. Unlike those who have gone before us, who braved violent storms and cannon fire, we can loot the enemy from the comfort of our own homes. We don't even have to wear boots. A nice cozy pair of bunny slippers might even be your footwear of choice for your next raiding party.

I realize that many of you are probably very experienced privateers, but I want to give those who are not, a very easy and relatively safe tool, to begin their life as a freebooter.

There are now search engines that allow you to quickly, and easily locate "liberated" content online. Remember to never refer to it as "hacked, or stolen", the term is "liberated".

One that is very easy to use is RapidLibrary. Just type in the name of a movie, album, book, or whatever and up pops the results of where the files are located. Just click on the link provided to download the file off of RapidShare, one of the largest online file sharing services. Be aware that what you download may not always be what you are looking for, as many works have similar names. Always check your downloads for virus or malware infections before using them. Most virus scanners will scan inside of a compressed file.

Perhaps, as time permits, we'll get into advanced privateering in future postings.

Now you too can experience the thrill of running down your quarry, liberating it, and denying the enemy his resupply! Happy hunting!

Low Intensity Revolution: What You Can Do

Many people are talking openly about revolution. I'm one of them.

There's nothing to be ashamed of in decrying the woeful state of affairs in this land and calling for an alteration in the course this nation has taken. On the contrary, to remain silent, and accept the "hope and change" that is being foisted upon you is shameful.

It is my fervent prayer that the scent of blood and gunpowder never fill the streets of America again. That violence will be the final argument made by Americans demanding the restoration of their rights, freedoms, and lawful government.

Fighting a revolution does not mean that you have to take up arms and head off to engage in combat with the forces sent to assure your continued servitude. Not all of us can take another human being's life. Some of us, for reasons of conscience, will not engage in violence. Not all of us are physically capable of taking the punishment of a life of privation, and asperity.

But we all must do something to impede the progress of the enemy.

It is my belief that most of us are engaged in an epic struggle against the forces who would extinguish the light of Liberty forever. To turn this world into a vast feudal state where most are serfs, doomed to toil for the few at the top. Some of us may not even realize that we have joined the struggle. The thought that many of us are fighting a low intensity revolution has not come to the minds of people everywhere.

We must foster this idea, low intensity revolution, and spread it. It will give hope to those who feel hopeless. It will give direction to those who know not what to do. It will give those who want to fight a purpose, a mission. A way to strike back without exposing themselves to undue risk.

Already people march and display signs threatening the livelihood of politicians. The politician's next meal comes at your discretion. If you put him/her out of office, and treat him/her and their family as pariahs within their home districts, the message will be loud and clear. You ignore us at your peril.

This is low intensity revolution. We have already won a small victory as those in who sit in our capitols are starting to fear for their jobs. It will be a larger victory when they start doing what we tell them.


Already the fear on The Hill and within the corridors of state capitols is palpable. It is so bad that these fools are willing to risk further backlash from Americans as they once again take up the subject of amnesty for illegal aliens. The Democrats are pushing hard for this legislation, as they hope the additional estimated THIRTY MILLION VOTES will offset the loss of votes from angry Americans. They hope these votes will be enough to keep them in power. Don't think its just the Democrats, the Republicans are eyeing that block of votes hoping it will be enough to put them back in power.

We must do more.

Napoleon Bonaparte is thought to have once said "An army travels on its stomach."

The foe we face travels on its wallet. And we can deny them the sustenance that allows them to make further incursions on our freedoms.

People have cut back severely on their buying. Everything from big ticket items, to the small luxuries. The loss in sales has hurt government in an unprecedented manner as tax revenues have failed to materialize.

Our enemy pays its fickle dogs of war from the monies extorted from you through fines, taxes, fees, levies, and assessments.

Even now, as states and municipalities contemplate raising tax rates to mollify special interest groups suffering from long overdue cuts in their budgets, police forces whine about changes in their compensation plans. Consider Cleveland's public employee unions cutting their own throat. This isn't an isolated incident. More of these scenarios are playing out across this nation.

Hey Mr. Policeman, you forgot who you worked for, and now you're going to lose your job and everything that job bought. That's right, you snickered when we told you we paid your salaries as you routinely lied and violated our rights. You forgot the cardinal rule, "He who pays the piper calls the tune." It wasn't your supervisors, or even the city council who paid the piper. It was us, and we're not paying anymore.

I look forward to seeing you at the freeway onramp standing around in your black SS uniform with a sign that says, "Will intimidate citizens for food."

As tax revenues continue to fall, it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that the revenues continue to dry up no matter how high they raise the tax rate. The reason? The faceless, unaccountable bureaucrats at every level of government will lose their jobs at an accelerated rate. Without them to implement and oversee the myriad of useless laws and regulations, the house of cards will fall. Already they are being furloughed and laid off. Let's help them begin a new life in 2010 by becoming productive people instead of just unthinking leeches.

How can we do this?

Don't buy new unless you absolutely have to. Barter, trade, exchange with like minded people in your communities. Start a neighborhood co-op this spring. It isn't too early to begin planning your spring and summer gardens. Work with your friends and neighbors to create a wide variety of available fresh vegetables and fruits. Trade within your circle. If you're not spending it, they can't tax it.

Obey the speed limit and other traffic laws. It sounds stupid, but it keeps your insurance rates down, and keeps the revenue from fines out of their pockets. Help the guy who may be a few minutes late getting back to the parking meter by dropping in a nickel. It'll keep the fines out of the local coffers.

Get a used bicycle to make your local neighborhood trips, and skip using the car. Don't use gasoline, and screw the Arabs.

Use your imagination to develop ways to keep your own money and avoid giving it to the government.

The Powers That Be, PTB, have tried to cajole us into taking on further debt to jump start the economy. Most of us ain't buying that crap as million dollar bonuses are paid out to corporate heads as they lay off the rank and file. Banks charge up to 80% interest on credit cards, while paying you 2% on your savings account.

This is theft, and it has to end.

Speaking of theft. How many of you wanted to be a pirate when you were a kid? Well, never forget International Talk Like A Pirate Day. And realize its not too late to become a real life pirate.

Pirate everything you can. Music, books, movies. Go crazy.

Why?

Simple, the corporations and the artists who created these works donated millions of dollars to put some of the worst offenders into public office. Now, its payback time.

If you don't give them your money, the government can't collect sales taxes, and the artists and corporations can't throw money at the politicians. Nice how that works out, and you still get to enjoy some first rate entertainment!

I'll put up a post in the next day or two on pirating made easy.

The PTB have thrown trillions of dollars out there to places that wasted it, didn't need it, didn't use it, or absconded with it by throwing lavish parties and allowing privileged people to walk away with what amounted to bags of cash.

All that has done is dilute the money supply and drive up inflation, and lower the value of the currency.

We shouldn't care. We should bite the bullet and take the hit, and allow the mighty to fall. We have little, and little to lose. The wealthy have much and a lot to lose. I would willingly sacrifice what I have to ensure my children have a better world to grow up in.

How?

Simple. If you have a lowly dollar bill in your wallet, and that's all you have, and tomorrow it is worth a penny, what will happen? Chances are you'll just go on and shrug it off. Think about the people who have millions of dollars and will see the value of it decrease by 99%.

How will they manage? How will they cope? What will it do to the world economy? See, that's why the PTBs are trying to establish an alternative reserve currency, because ultimately that is what is going to happen. If they get another currency established, they will be able to preserve their own wealth, while destroying what is left of ours.

We need to make sure it crashes before they can get out.

By that point we should be in a position to seize control of our government. We'll just repudiate any foreign debt, claim that the whole system is illegal, offer up Bernanke and all of the others to the Chinese to place on trial and execute.

The people of Iceland have already done this, and we should follow suit. God bless them!

And watch the world crumble.

I think it will be cool when Bernanke has to pay for the bullet the Chinese will execute him with.

Radio: Who Will Be On The Side Of The Civilians

Radio has on his blog, Radio's Preparedness Subculture Blog, a series of videos showing the recent progression of our nation's slide into a totalitarian state. I watched them all, and thought of the world I grew up in. Even back in the 60's, 70's, and 80's, we had begun an ever accelerating slide into what can be described as an Orwellian world, but compared to today, it could be called paradise.

When I compare it to the childhood of my father, it was a prison.

Every day brings new laws, new restrictions, new prohibitions, loss of language, loss of concepts, creation of words and concepts to reflect the will of an established order, and none of it seems very American to me.

We are a unique people, with a unique sense of what is right, and what is just. Even though we have stumbled and made grievous errors in the treatment of our fellow man, we have tried to rectify our mistakes. Many lands, and many peoples can not say the same. We tolerate the profane, accept the indolent while encouraging and lauding hard work, and beat each other senseless in the public arenas and walk away shaking hands.

One member of the British Parliament had this to say about us, "Americans were a strange set of people, and that it was in vain to expect any degree of reasoning from them; that instead of making their claim by argument, they always chose to decide the matter by tarring and feathering."

Tar and Feather.....maybe its time to bring back the practice.

The one point I forgot to make in my response to Radio was that those who took up arms against the colonial rule were farmers, cobblers, silversmiths, blacksmiths, deserters from British forces, fishermen, woodsmen, Indians, tinkers, shop owners, even men of means. People from every walk of life.

Most of them had no formal military training, and yet they defeated the world's best military.


Below is my response to Radio's post:



Radio,

How very strange. I was thinking of a post along these lines as well.

Although I wanted to make a very different point because it seems many of us out here on the edge seem to lack, dare I say the word, "hope".

When the English decided that they had taken all the bile they could possibly stomach from their public officials, they revolted. Thus was born our nation, the United States of America.

History books can't paint a picture that shows the hardships that people endured as a whole, although they are very good at showing us names and dates of the major players and actions.

The one thing that they will not show is the cruelty visited upon human beings by other humans.

If we find no peaceful resolution to our current dilemma, and must resort to violence and revolt against those who seem determined to stand upon our necks, then it shall indeed be a cruel, and harsh season for all Americans.

People will bear witness to acts in our own streets that are the purview of horror movies or the battlegrounds of the third world.

But there is "hope".

When the heavy hand of Parliament, British business concerns, and King George imposed onerous laws, and unreasonable taxes. People began to ignore them.

We can see that happening now here, again, in this land. How many people openly ignore speed limits, restrictions on cell phone usage, drug laws, copyrights, gun laws, laws about manufacturing, possessing, or using destructive devices, licensing animals, and all the other minutiae, and even major laws such as the income tax.

These actions are becoming more and more frequent, and more flagrant

When resistance began spreading through the English Colonies, the Crown relied upon its military and navy to quell the sporadic outbreaks of open disobedience and even violence.

Here, now, this criminal government relies on the current equivalent. The FBI, the BATF, local, state, and other federal law enforcement agencies. American military forces have been used at checkpoints, and to go house to house to confiscate weapons not just in New Orleans, but in Kansas.

Instead of quelling the resistance, the resistance grows stronger. The people are more bold in speaking out against a government drunk with power.

England was forced to resort to mercenary forces because it could no longer rely on her own forces, even as she recruited from her own prisons, to protect and maintain her interests.

Even now, our corrupt government recruits from prisons, ex-convicts, and gang members to fill its military's ranks. It turns more and more to places like Xe (Blackwater) to provide armed suppression units as more honorable active and retired military, police, and others weigh their Oath to the Constitution and the people of the United States.

Blogs, internet radio shows, videos on YouTube all contain content that borders on, if it isn't outright, seditious. They've taken the place of Thomas Payne's Common Sense and all of the less well known postings and bills pasted in the town square.

Who will be on the side of the civilians?

I will.

So, hopefully, will be you. And others who read your blog, and all of the blogs that speak to a unified theme of not bending a knee to those who demand it.

Once we take up arms, we are no longer "civilians". We will be an army.

If we are captured, they'll call us "enemy combatants", and make us disappear.

It's a sacrifice I will make if called upon. The acres of stone in our National Cemeteries demonstrate the willingness of those who have gone before us to make the same sacrifice. The willingness of American's to give their lives for a greater purpose, a noble idea.

That of Freedom.

Kicking Cable TV and The Dish: Part Four

You've got your computer set up and connected to your TV, and you're watching your favorite programs via HULU or Fancast, or maybe streaming a movie from VEOH.

One of my favorite oddball sites for online TV is a place called Joost.

Then the thought comes to you, "I'd really like to have a copy of that show."

All you need is a plugin for your web browser. Personally, I use Firefox as my browser. Hundreds of add-ons can be located here that increase the security, versatility and functionality of Firefox.

When I've decided that I want to save a particular program, I just have to click a button at the top of my browser. I'm using Sothink Web Video Downloader. I'm able to save the program on my hard drive and either view it later, or burn it to a video CD or DVD. You can also easily convert the video to fit on your iPhone, iPod, PSP, or other mobile device.

There are also other general video download programs like Download Helper, and some specialty programs like the "one-click" Ultimate YouTube Downloader, which allows you to save a video file directly from YouTube's site as either a .FLV (Flash Media), .MP4 (MPEG - 4) and .3GP (3GPP File Format - Generally used by mobile devices like cell phones).

The bonus is the above add-ons, plugins, and browsers are free.

If you'd like something with more functionality (features), then you might want to check into a program like RipTiger. The full RipTiger Media Suite is about $60.00 but just about everything you need to save, convert, and burn your files is in one package. The other nice thing about this package is that it maintains the original file quality. Some other downloaders will not always maintain the same quality as the original streamed file. When you play the file back, it may look slightly out of focus or lack sharpness or definition.

Now that you have a media server set up for yourself, you can add drive space as your budget allows to store additional content as you find and save programs for yourself.

The other nice thing about having this set up is that you can easily download "podcasts" from places like PodCastAlley as well as internet radio and other streamed audio content.

If you subscribe to NetFlix, you have the option to stream movies and TV shows directly from their servers. Up until now, you had to go out and get a clunky box called a Roku if you didn't already own an X-Box 360, a PS -3, TiVo, or one of the newer network enabled Blu-ray players.

Not anymore. You can download an application called Boxee from Boxee.TV. Install it on your new media server, and away you go. It's free...

Now the trick is, not everything is available at all sites. You'll need to make a list of the programs you want to watch and then look for them on the various sites. Once you find them, create a bookmark for them in your browser. That way you'll just have to go there to "change the channel" so to speak to get to your program.

So, now you can kick cable TV and Dish to the curb, use your highspeed internet to fill the gap, and save yourself some dough in the process!

Iran: Unarmed Crowd Attacks Government Gunman

A lesson for all of us.

A government can impose its will on people, and as long as most of the public lives its day to day lives without too much interference, the people will grumble but not much else.

As the rules of a government become more intrusive, more people will speak out, and demonstrate.

As the rules of a government become onerous, people will revolt.

Government actions against the people in order to quell dissent, and pacify the populace often have the opposite effect.

In the above video, a Basiji opens fire on a crowd of unarmed demonstrators, but instead of scattering, the crowd rushes the gunman, chasing him down the street.

I have to wonder how long until the same types of actions are witnessed here in American streets. Unlike Iranians, who are forbidden to own weapons, American neighborhoods often outgun their local police forces, and maybe even the local military reserves.

Our government has relied on fear and intimidation to keep people in line. People always fear losing what they have worked a lifetime to acquire. Homes, cars, property, bank accounts, families.

But as more and more people lose everything they have due to the collusion of corrupt politicians, corporations, and a biased legal system, how many of them will just say "Eff this. I'm going down, and so are they."?

Happy New Year! Kicking Cable TV and The Dish: Part Three

First let me thank all of you for the past year, and your readership. I never really planned on having people actually read this blog. It was something I had intended to have fun with, but now that I have regular visitors, there's a certain responsibility.

I hope I continue to be worthy of your continued visits in this New Year.

Happy New Year to all of you out there! I hope, nay I pray, that this year will see a resurgence in freedom. Not just here in the United States, but everywhere, all around the world. It is unfortunate that people all around this globe are often judged by their governments, and not on their own personal merits. Perhaps its time we put the people who reflect the the majority of Americans into office, so that the world's people will see us for who we truly are.

And on we go to getting content of the internet to bypass cable and dish TV.

First, let me say something about over the air broadcasting. Those of us who are old enough (that includes me) remember nearly every single house in the neighborhood having a TV antenna on the rooftop.

Reception was often poor if you were more than thirty miles from the broadcast antenna, or lived in an area with obstructions such as hills, mountains, or tall buildings. Ghosting was one of the most maddening effects of having objects that were large enough to bounce signals around.

Who can forget the strange arrays of tin foil and coat hangers that often needed to be added to indoor "rabbit ear" antennae in order to receive some stations?

Well, those days are gone.

Back on June 12, 2009 broadcasters were required to switch to a digital signal. This meant that people often had to get an adapter to continue to receive over the air broadcasts. Most new TVs already have a digital decoder built in, and the digital converter box is not needed.

Its come to my attention that many people I've talked to were confused by what was going on and bit the bullet and signed up for cable or dish, "just in case".

Over the air broadcasts are still there. They're still free, for now. They've also become better. High Definition (HD) broadcasts are available. The reception is most often as clear as a cable connection, and there are signals available out there from independent stations that you won't get on cable or dish, and maybe not even the internet.

It may be worth your while to pick up a digital antenna from a local retailer, and see what you can receive in your area. You may even opt to bypass connecting your TV to the internet. If you don't like what is available in your area, simply return the antenna to where you bought it and get a refund. It's an inexpensive alternative, and if it doesn't work out for you, all you have lost is a few moments of your time.

DTV Answers

Digital TV Transition

How Digital TV Works

DTV Crash Course

Okay, you have your PC with an HD capable video card connected to the internet, and connected to your TV. Now what?

Head on over to "www.OVGuide.com". A BIG thank you to Wolfe over at SurvivalTimes for making me aware of this site. It is the place to go to find just about anything you'd want to watch on TV. If you look at the topical index over on the left, and go towards the bottom, there is a button labeled "guns". Find that on your local cable companies listing!

Now don't forget to head straight over to the network's websites. You can frequently watch full episodes of their most popular shows right there streamed from their servers. Many times the programs are available in HD. These are found under the button labeled "TV" on OVGuide.

If you have a local affiliate station that you would like to watch for local news and events, check around for their homepage on the internet. Some of them stream local newscasts straight from their sites.

If you decide that this type of viewing works for you, you may want to invest in a wireless mouse and keyboard to use with the computer connected to the TV. It'll make it much easier for you.

TiVo?

Did I hear someone say TiVo? Why would you want TiVo with this? It's all on demand. It's playing 24 hours a day, every day. Just pick a show and watch. Why pay extra for something to record your shows?

Yes, there are ways for you to download the shows and save them to a hard drive or DVD if you want to build a library, and we'll get into the software in the next post.