Front Seat at the Egyptian Revolution

Remember the fall of the Berlin Wall? Remember how we all saw it on television and wished we were there ripping a piece of the wall out ourselves?

The Information Age is here. At http://werebuild.eu/wiki/Egypt/Main_Page anyone with ham radio skills can help the Egyptian revolution. Personally, I think the turn of events is fantastic. Yes, the United States may get a government that is not friendly. That's what happens sometimes in a free and fair election. But like grown ups, we will have to deal with what we've got in front of us.

There is also need for people who can set up VPNs and who have other technical networking skills. You can be there. You can be a part of it. And the United States, through it's citizens, helped the freedom-loving people of Egypt. What do you believe in anyway, freedom for us alone, or freedom as a principle?

Facebook to let advertisers republish user posts

Wow! Sneaky and incidious on behalf of Facebook. Your likes of retail or eating establishments are reposted on your friends' pages as sponsored content. Article courtesy of Associated Press.

http://thedailyrecord.com/2011/01/27/facebook-to-let-advertisers-republish-user-posts/

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The Terror of Bath Salts

People are snorting bath salts, it seems. Law enforcement officials are calling this a new public health problem.

I call it a stupidity problem.

Bath salts are great. Especially the scented ones. The idea that people are not going to be able to use bath salts anymore because some idiots decided to snort them is ridiculous.

At what point are we as a society not responsible for protecting the self-destructive idiots among us? And of course "public health" means some government agency is going to have to shoulder the costs of the "Don't Snort the Bath Salts" program. Isn't tax money better spent on schools and nutrition for children?

Note to self: Don't drink lighter fluid either.

COMCAST and the Problems of Monopoly

I have been trying to get COMCAST to come to my home for a week now and
yesterday they didn't even show up or call, despite my calling the
dispatcher several times to remind them.

When service representatives do show up, they come up with any excuse
to do nothing at all. We needed COMCAST put in our apartment in
January and it took no less than six weeks and four visits for the
COMCAST technicians to be cajoled into finding the connection and
putting it into the apartment.

So here we are again. If I could use a wireless service, I would have
dumped those losers long ago. Wireless won't work here.

Knitters Superbowl Party!

January 2011 LOOPED IS HAVING A SUPER BOWL PARTY! sunday, february 6th Not a football fan? Us either! Come spend Super Bowl Sunday at Looped. We'll be staying open till 8pm ...(that'll at least get us thru the first half!) We will be offering discounts of up to 40% off on selected yarns and magazines, as well as having fun! Wear your favorite (or least favorite) football team jersey and receive 10% off your purchase on non-sale items. And what would a Super Bowl party be without Super Bowl munchies during the game? So plan on spending some time with us on Sunday, February 6th! ANNOUNCING LOOPED'S NEW SWEATER PROGRAM! We are excited to roll out our new sweater plan.... We will be featuring a sample sweater of the month ...buy yarn for the featured sweater and receive 15% off. Our first sweater is Peasy. A beautiful, flattering 5 button cardigan in Rowan Felted Tweed, by Heidi Kirrmaier. Her pattern is available for purchase on ravelry.com   Jess modeling Peasy in Avocado Felted tweed. Don't forget...Blue Heron Yarns Trunk Show... january 29th at 3pm Come in and learn about the process of hand dying these gorgeous yarns, and see the line of Blue Heron Yarns, from right here on the Eastern Shore!                   CHECK OUT LOOPED'S WEBSITE FOR CLASSES AND UPCOMING EVENTS....   a sample of some upcoming projects...   olympic reindeer hat class   l lusekofte-sque mitts class     crocheted ripple pouch class loopedyarnworks.com/classes loopedyarnworks.com/events www.loopedyarnworks.com

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Fight child sex trafficking at Superbowl

Ask the Super Bowl Host Committee to Stand Up and Protect Children

Targeting: Kit Sawyers (VP of Special Events), Clay Christopher (Board Member), Bill Lively (President and CEO), see more...

Started by: Melissa Snow

The trafficking of children for sale at the Super Bowl is well documented.  Texas Attorney General Abbott is taking astand and has prepared a task force to identify and respond to traffickers who plan to sell children at the Super Bowl.  However, it is not enough to expect law enforcement and victim advocates to bear the entire burden of responding to this issue, which is expected to include many victims.  In support of the efforts of the task force, we are requesting the Super Bowl Host Committee embrace a proactive approach with community members by endorsing the "I'm Not buying It" campaign, which would raise awareness and deter the buying of children during the Super Bowl. 

As evidenced by the tremendous amount of work and money the Host Committee has channeled into Slant 45, clearly improving the lives of children is a priority. Countless children in the DFW region have benefitted by the commitment and opportunities provided by this program.

However, the children trafficked to DFW to meet the demand of the Super Bowl are being left to fend for themselves.  According to the Dallas Police Department children exploited through sex trafficking have an average life expectancy is just seven short years. The average age a child is tricked and trapped in sexual slavery is just 13 years old.  These children are beaten, brutalized and tortured for the profit and pleasure of others. 

This Super Bowl Host Committee's hard work has turned the North Texas Region into a showcase with a record number of million-dollar sponsors, state-of-the-art infrastructure and events that appeal across audiences. They've set the standard for the Super Bowl experience.

Now, let's join together and ask the Host Committee to take a stand and set the standard for all Super Bowl Host Committees to come. The Host Committee has the biggest megaphone to prevent the buying and selling of American children during this year's festivities.  Law enforcement, legislators, non-profits, churches and business all are stepping up to the plate to stop this horrific abuse of our children. It's time that the Host Committee faces the reality that children will be trafficked to North Texas and answer the question – What role will they play in preventing the sex trafficking of children during the Super Bowl?

DFW-based Traffick911 is leading a comprehensive game plan to protect American children. Local, national and international organizations have joined forces with Traffick911 in the I'm Not Buying It campaign. This Super Bowl Host Committee has proven it has the power and influence to make history. Join me in asking the Super Bowl Host Committee to endorse and fund the "I'm Not buying it" campaign to protect and defend children during the Super Bowl!!

 Photo credit: Lady DragonflyCC

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PETITION TEXT

Endorse and Support the "I'm Not Buying It" Super Bowl Campaign

Greetings Super Bowl Host Committee,

We commend your hard work to showcase the North Texas region during the 2011 Super Bowl festivities. This will be a clear boost to the area's long-term economic stability and growth. We also commend the money and time you have invested in North Texas children through the Slant 45 program. 

We now ask you to invest time and money into protecting and defending the innocent children who will be trafficked to North Texas because of the Super Bowl. You have a unique platform to prevent the crime of child sex trafficking during the Super Bowl celebrations. 

We ask you to join the many other local, national and international organizations endorsing and supporting the I'm Not Buying It Super Bowl campaign. By endorsing and funding this campaign during the Super Bowl you are sending a clear message to traffickers that they are not welcome in North Texas. That OUR children are not a tourist destination. 

Traffick911, a local anti-trafficking organization has already created several PSA's, posters, banners and informational cards. These amazing resources are available for FREE and can be used by the Host Committee in various ways to raise awareness and protect children from being abuse and raped in our communities. As former New England Patriot Devin Wyman states in the "I'm Not Buying It" PSA – "What would you do if it was your daughter?" 

Please you have the power to save the lives of countless children by: 

- Funding a set of strategically located electronic billboards for one month. 
- Equipping your volunteer airport greeters, hotel welcome desk volunteers and transportation volunteers with I'm Not Buying It informational cards to hand out to Super Bowl tourists. 
- Playing a 30-second PSA on the stadium jumbo tran during the Super Bowl. 
- Displaying an I'm Not Buying It banner in the stadium during the game. 
- Contributing to the building of the Traffick911 safe house for children who are victims of this crime. 

Thank you for your consideration of this important and urgent request. We look forward to standing together to fight those who plan to exploit innocent children in our community. 

In hope, 

Your Name

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Alaskan Girls Trafficked in Sex Trade

Stop the Trafficking of #Alaska Native Girls

by Dana LiebelsonJanuary 08, 2011 06:00 AM (PT)Topics: Child Trafficking, Sex Trafficking

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Here's some news Sarah Palin never mentioned on her Alaskan reality show: Alaska Native women and girls are facing a dire traffickingproblem. Sex-traffickers often lure the victims to Anchorage, where they're separated from their local support network and then coerced into the sex trade. Investigators say that this trend has been on the rise for the past couple years, and they fear Alaska Natives are targeted due to their "versatile" look—which makes them easier to advertise on the Internet as Hawaiian or Asian. So how can both the Alaskan and tribal governments stop failing these girls? Two words: prosecution and education. Tell Governor Sean Parnell and the state legislature to strengthen Alaska state laws to mirror federal penalties and work with tribal governments to fund a trafficking-specific education program for families.

Amnesty International has estimated that Native American women are 2.5 times more likely than other American women to experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Previously victimized women and girls are prime targets for traffickers. Statistics show that within 48 hours of being on the street, one in three of runaways will be drawn into prostitution. The trafficking victims are then reluctant to seek help, due to psychological abuse, and an unwillingness to tell their small village communities what has happened to them. This is the perfect storm for girls to end up working for pimps like 52-year-old Sabil Mumin Mujahid, who was charged last year for operating a sex trafficking ring. The FBI overheard him saying: "I marry bitches. Bigamy is part of my game. You understand that?"

Alaska's state trafficking laws are relatively weak. Currently, authorities often choose to prosecute pimps under federal sex trafficking laws, as the state law only allows for prosecution of trafficking if the victim is transferred across state lines. Unsurprisingly, this system isn't working. An investigator told The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that even when girls are separated from their pimp and provided social services, the prosecutions are few and far between. Governor Parnell and the state legislature need to strengthen Alaska's state laws to mirror the federal laws, and get traffickers off the street for good. This legislation can't come soon enough.

It is also essential that a high-quality trafficking education program is put in place. A common theme among local villages is that families simply don't believe it can happen to them. By educating families on the dangers of trafficking, girls will be more apt to ask for help, and families will be better equipped to monitor potentially volatile domestic situations. It's great that investigators and organizations like Justice for Native Children have already worked to educate villages about this issue — but the dialogue can't end there. A state-wide government funded education program — developed in conjunction with tribal governments — would go a long way in helping prevent trafficking crimes.

Sarah Palin notoriously made a speech blunder in 2008, stating that: "Women across the globe deserve the same right rights that American women enjoy, including freedom for sex trafficking." Jokes aside, if Palin turned around and looked in her own backyard, she'd realize that Alaska Native women and girls don't necessarily have that freedom — not yet. That's why you should send this petition to Governor Parnell and the state legislature today.

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