PayPal Censorship has Broad Ramifications

As many of you are aware, PayPal froze my account back in July 2011 because I "sell a book about escort services". Refer to my original post: Censored by PayPal. This post was prompted by an article written by Andrew Shaffer and posted on February 27, 2012 for Huff Post: PayPal Takes Controversial Stance Against Sex

I thank Andrew Shaffer for including my unusual case in this article.

In the last few days, this US corporation that pretends to be a bank, but is not regulated as such, has demanded that books categorized as "erotica" with specific sexual content that many consider to be abhorrent be removed from a list of online bookstores that sell with PayPal. The particular content at issue is nothing I'd ever read, but since when did Americans appreciate what amounts to book burning?

My situation is proof positive that this monstor censor won't stop there - they are after all that is adult. Does the Disney - Meg Whitman connection have any relation to the recent events? I think so, but then I know better than most what Disney is capable of in the pursuit of an anti-adult agenda and it is more than you can imagine.


Reflections on the Past

As a result of my past history as an adult business owner in the Orlando area, I find the recent actions by PayPal to be par for the course. An examination of the bigger picture here reveals a similar anti-adult trend in the US to that which I experienced for so many years in Orlando. I said it before and I'll say it again: Orlando was a test market to understand the level of toleration for censorship of the general population in the US. Welcome to my world.

Back in 1996, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), with Disney grants as one major source of funding, pursued Sprint Yellow Pages as a result of the publisher's refusal to remove the "escort services" category from its upcoming 1996 books. More on that story here: The Yellow Pages Fiasco

To better understand the MBI agenda over the years, read: Orlando MBI: The Long War on Adults

The Orlando area has been under siege for over 30 years by these pretend prudes that are now disguised by corporate America and as a matter of fact, many have now joined corporate America after retiring - (A big holler out to former MBI agent Ray Peters and a congrats on his employment as Head of Security at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando). I state "pretend" because as the party that owned escort services in the metro Orlando area for 10 years, I know what they really do. They may fool some of the people some of the time, but they'll never fool me.

I know why I was prosecuted and it had nothing at all to do with anything (95% pure lies and BS) stated in the arrest affidavit. You may note that there was never even enough evidence to get court orders to wiretap or search in my investigation and prosecution.


The Big Picture


What began long ago as a war on all that is adult in Orlando, Florida has now proliferated and is a War on all that is adult in the US. First they went after anyone they could find that looked like a viable target. This practice evolved into creating cases where there was none to begin with as the eye of government turned to the publishers of advertisements and websites for adult business.

One of the most known cases is the MBI arrest of several Orlando Weekly advertising sales executives and the civil RICO indictment of the newspaper in late 2007. Read what well-known First Amendment attorney Marc Randazza had to say about this case: The Orlando Weekly Case

Going after publishers is the first major step in the anti-adult agenda. Of course the great majority voluntarily caved and stopped selling advertisements for anything adult. The results of the Orlando Weekly case gave MBI the nerves to go national. Craigslist was attacked and shamed by the ignorant and many with an agenda, eventually caving also. The attack on Craigslist originated with none other than the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) in Orlando. Doubt that? Read these public documents with thinly veiled threats:

MBI to Buckmaster September 2007

MBI to Buckmaster November 2007

Buckmaster to MBI November 2007

MBI to Buckmaster January 2008

MBI to Buckmaster March 2008

Note that the MBI refers to the demand to Craigslist to drop the adult categories as Good Corporate Citizenship.  I absolutely picture one of these whacks contacting PayPal and requesting that my account be frozen utilizing the usual tool box of lies and referring to my books as "obscene material". If I ever find out that they had something to do with my frozen account, I will sue the pants off of anyone involved.

Going after the publishers is not a new approach, but it is now used as a major tool in the anti-adult agenda toolbox. First Amendment attorney Lawrence Walters addressed the problem as it relates to adult business ads online in two recent posts:

Killing the Messenger: The Campaign Against Online Escort Advertising Sites; Part 1 - Setting the Stage

Killing the Messenger: The Campaign Against Online Escort Advertising Sites; Part II - Operational Policies and Legal Issues

When you read the two articles written by Walters, realize that this is a pursuit of any directory, classified ad seller, or online listings provider for these adults in the adult business. This has already existed to an extent, but the stakes are getting higher. As Walters states:

"Federal conspiracy, solicitation and money laundering statutes certainly don’t help an escort site’s plight. The epitome of broad and vague statutory language; these laws expose even the most tangentially involved individual/entity to potential legal liability."

Law enforcement agents around the US have managed to poison the phrase and business description of "escort services" by including street hookers and referring to any operator as a pimp. The reality is that most escort business operators market and book appointments and not much else. The general population in the US has fallen into their trap hook, line, and sinker.

Perhaps it is time for a new business title that omits the word "escort". They poisoned it - let them keep it! Changing titles for businesses and independents wouldn't be all that complicated. It was done back in 2000-2001 with the "hobbyists" and "providers" on message boards all over the world. One idea for the operator in a major city is "convention hostess" or we could all return to the "lingerie model" concept and the operators would offer model referrals or hostess referrals for conventions.

As one reader of this blog recently pointed out to me, the MegaUpload indictment is the beginning of the end. Mentioning that case, I was happy to read that Kim Dotcom was released on bond because as previously stated, I do not advocate any prison at all for non-violent activities. I do not like what these people did, but that doesn't translate to any desire to lock them in a cage. Yes, I'm happy that site is down and wish the rest out there could join it. You can't believe that I would be happy that people steal what little I could have.

Today it hit the news that the US DOJ is now going after gambling websites even when the business is outside the US. From a blog reader:

"But NOW, they have dropped the pretext of being fair, and have gone after a gambling company not in the US, not registered in the US, and apparently not even banking in the US."

Verisign seizes .com domain registered via foreign Registrar on behalf of US Authorities

I can envision the US government seizing adult websites of all types, especially if a Republican (other than Ron Paul) makes it to the White House in the 2012 national election. Well known First Amendment attorney Lawrence Walters states this best: The Politics of Porn - 2012

Make sure that you get out and vote. Realize which politicians are ready to kill your income, your reading material, movies that adults enjoy, your bingo parlor, and anything else that is adult in the United States. Mark my words - the MBI has gone viral with the anti-adult agenda and anything from bingo parlors to internet cafés to adult businesses and writers of adult material are in the line of fire. Now that they've reached out to the payment processors (PayPal, Visa, MasterCard), it won't be that complicated.

It is indeed censorship as it is all a part of a government agenda. Do not pretend that greedy corporate payment processors do not want the money.

Backpage Under Attack: My Expert Opinion

Yesterday I did a search for the term “backpage” in Google News and found pages of news articles concerning recent arrests that involve ads on Backpage. Today I did the same search and found additional articles of arrests made in the past day. Village Voice Media, the owner of Backpage, is under serious attack by anyone and everyone that hates adult business of any type. Cops are using the website for stings all over the US now - really - search for yourself.

Before continuing here, I would like to go ahead and establish my expert status on the topic. While I am not an expert on sex trafficking, I do consider myself an expert on the so-called “sex trafficking experts” that are demanding Backpage remove its entire “adult” category, which includes the sub-categories: escorts; body rubs; strippers & strip clubs; dom and fetish; TS; male escorts; phone & websites; and adult jobs. I have dealt with one form or another of these experts with an agenda since 1992, and that is longer than any one of the so-called experts have tackled sex trafficking.

The religious groups involved in attacking Backpage are still cheering with delight over their victory at Craigslist. To clarify, it wasn't really a victory as those type of ads are now spread-out through many categories on Craigslist – participants in adult business manage to find the ads. Beyond this, Craigslist only lost in the court of public opinion and not in any actual court. In fact, if anything threatened by so many state attorney generals had actually gone to any court, Craigslist would have won and they all know it, which is why they choose the court of public opinion.

I would also like to establish that I have no horse in this race. I placed ads promoting my books in the “adult jobs” sub-category for close to a year ending over a year ago. So, I have no personal or business need for the “adult” category of Backpage and in fact, quite the opposite as many that purchase my Blueprint books start an escort service and follow instructions in the books and have websites and local listings online. There is no advice in any book to advertise services on Backpage or Craigslist and there never has been. There is an option discussed to place an ad in the sub-category “adult jobs” if one has any trouble finding independent escorts for the business, but then all advice is geared to working only with escorts over 21 years of age and even this option is updated to exclude such an ad anywhere on the Blueprint Blog.

The “adult” category ads on Backpage interfere with escort businesses that operate properly with websites and local listings, so I do not have any reason whatsoever to defend Backpage or the crowd that advertises in the “adult” category. Who really wants all these independent escorts advertising a $100 special? Not me or anyone that bought my books to enter the business. You can conclude that I have no horse in this race. My interest is based solely on the First Amendment rights of the publishers and an unequivocal disgust for the anti-adult business crowd.

The Print Publishing Agenda

When anything and everything adult went online many years ago we all realized that there would be good and bad. The world has progressed beyond print ads and this is true of any category. Is there anyone out there that actually believes that there were no sex traffickers that actually exploited children in operation before adult business went online? There were pimps on the street. There were underage prostitutes that worked for businesses that advertised in mainstream newspapers, independent news publications, and yellow pages. Nothing at all has changed except the delivery of the ad.

Print publications that include “adult” or “entertainment-adult” categories that have not succeeded in the world of online publishing and marketing would love to see the “adult” category of Backpage eliminated. Those inept advertisers not capable of creating and publishing a website or not interested in putting forth time and effort in their businesses to list online locally would probably flock back to print and they'd be back in the money – and make no mistake – it was big money for the print publishers. My print ads in the Reuben H. Donnelley (now Dex One Corporation) yellow pages in Central Florida total was around $50K back in 1996. These days one could accomplish the same by spending less than $1K a year online. Hopefully you understand the point here.

The Sex Trafficking Expert Agenda

These so-called sex trafficking experts disseminate false information to the naïve general population and most fall for it hook, line, and sinker. More often than not, people do not even bother to question the source agenda. You do realize that the DOJ passes out major grant money and funding to all of these so-called non-profit groups, right? They are non-profit” only in the sense that they do not show profits or pay tax on profits, but in reality all participants are collecting serious money in the form of paychecks and research grants. Do include local, state, and federal law enforcement in this agenda.

They have all formed task forces for what has existed forever by giving it a new label – the sex trafficking label. The pimp from the street moved online and now they all need $millions+ to find him – have you ever heard anything that absurd? I could pick out the pimps and underage prostitutes online easily in much less time and for much less money. These people are inept idiots that have managed to give themselves long-term paychecks at the expense of adult business, the US taxpayer, and the First Amendment.

DOJ-Funded Human Trafficking Task Forces – An excerpt:

“To facilitate multidistrict contacts and cooperation in sex trafficking cases, the U.S. Department of Justice has funded 42 jurisdictions and 36 trafficking victim services providers to form human trafficking task forces to identify and rescue victims of trafficking by proactively investigating such cases.”

Or could it be that it is not really a deep concern for a few underage prostitutes and their pimps and more of an anti-adult business agenda? Bingo. These people want to wipe-out all forms of adult business, but escort services and advertising websites used by escorts are the target du jour. They are happy that they'll put 200K+ adult independent escorts out of business with some lame pretense that they must stop a few minor girls from being sex trafficking victims. Bullshit – I have looked closer at many of their crap cases on this blog.

The fact is that they want no advertising venues to accept ads for any adult business or operator of any type. They have been at this for many years in the US, but have finally figured out out to get serious $$$$ for the agenda. Back when the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) went after Sprint Yellow Pages in Orlando there were no big funds available and few rallied to the cause – the MBI was on their own (with grant money from Disney) against the First Amendment rights of publishers and it was an ugly game. Read Yellow Pages Fiasco for more information on that mess.

More recently (2007-08) there was the MBI's lone pursuit of Orlando Weekly and its employees – a local Orlando newspaper: Well, Google the term “orlando weekly and mbi” to see the pages of results as all stories about the MBI in the Orlando Weekly are currently down or have been eliminated (http 500 error) or read First Amendment attorney Marc Randazza's thoughts: The Orlando Weekly Case

Now I am curious as to what is going on with the Weekly. All of the previously published stories about the MBI are unavailable, including The Morality Police, a major story published concerning many cases, including my own case. All stories that exposed the truth about the MBI have disappeared.

The Religious Agenda

This should be obvious to you. In the name of religious zealotry, the sex trafficking card is played often these days, but it isn't anything new for religious groups in the US to pursue the anti-adult agenda with any means available. A short story from Memoirs:

For an entire year I received about forty to eighty calls a month on my main toll-free number wherein the callers requested a free book about Jesus that they had seen advertised on a Christian program on television. I was always nice, and explained that it was a business line and I had no such ad. I advised them to call the program and question them about it. This was no big problem and only added about twenty or thirty dollars to my monthly bill.

After about a year, things suddenly changed: The phone would ring off the hook with calls coming in from all over the country. The callers were responding to an ad for free phone sex that ran on USA Network affiliate stations everywhere. Some stated that they saw the ad in a magazine as well. The callers described an ad with ladies almost entirely nude except for a small piece of lingerie. They all repeated my number to me, and the phone rang constantly with this crap from around eleven in the evening until two or three in the morning.

After about two months of these harassing calls I had the number disconnected. Every time I picked up the phone the billing started, and it was ten cents a minute. It was seriously running up the bill. I never actually saw the ad on television, but an escort that worked for me did and called me and described it to me. This was a toll-free number that I’d had since opening the business, and many repeat clients called it, usually from out-of-town numbers.

When I thought about the situation I realized that the free book about Jesus ad had not served the purpose that someone intended: to get me to turn the number off. Regardless, someone dug into their deep pockets and finally achieved the desired result. I was never able to get a person on the phone at any affiliate station that could direct me to anyone that had the advertiser’s information. This was an intelligent maneuver deliberately used to prevent me from receiving toll-free calls from clients, and it was successful.

The Court of Public Opinion

I can see that someone wanted all of those articles from the Orlando Weekly removed and unavailable online to the general population. They do not want you to know how long this war has been going on here and would prefer that you believed it was an admirable agenda. Someone told me many years ago (1993-94) that Orlando was a testing ground of sorts – I believe it. What used to be an MBI agenda is now being pursued all over the US using any and all tools in the toolbox. Caveat Emptor. The goods they are selling the general population are indeed defective in this situation.

Paul Bergrin Trial: Twisting Words and Meaning

At the root of the case against Paul Bergrin is a statement that he allegedly made to associates of client William Baskerville. That statement has been used in the prosecution's opening statement and thrown-in during testimony by government witnesses. Each time the statement is used it is in quotation marks, so I am going to assume that the reporter writing the article is quoting from actual trial testimony.

The varied quotes of the statement

In the prosecutor's opening statement it reads, “No Kemo, no case.”

Source: Jason Grant – The Star Ledger

Emotional opening arguments in murder trial of high-profile attorney Paul Bergrin

When Ramon Jimenez testified for the prosecution, his quote of the statement alters the meaning in favor of Paul Bergrin:

“During two hours of testifying for the prosecution, Jimenez also said he overheard Bergrin tell Curry if “there had been no witness, there would have been no case.’’”

Source: MaryAnn Spoto – The Star Ledger

Paul Bergrin murder trial: Former employee testifies against attorney

During cross-examination of Ramon Jimenez, Paul Bergrin quotes the statement as:

“”On all these meetings (you had) with the government, with your attorney present, isn’t it a fact that you never mentioned that statement you say you heard from me, ‘If there is no witness, there is no case? ' “” Bergrin also establishes that Jimenez never mentioned this statement to the feds until much later, when he found out he was going to be charged with a serious drug crime.

Source: Jason Grant – The Star Ledger

Paul Bergrin murder trial: Witness admits lying to FBI investigators

According to the summary of the racketeering count in the actual indictment, the statement is much more involved:

1. Racketeering Act One: In 2003 and 2004, Bergrin, as a partner in PB&V, represented a client with the initials ―W.B.,‖ who was being held on federal drug trafficking charges. W.B. informed Bergrin during a private attorney-client visit that ―K.D.M.‖ was the government's key witness against him. Bergrin relayed that information to W.B.'s drug associates along with his own message that if they killed K.D.M., he could assure that W.B. escaped prison, but if they did not, W.B. would spend the rest of his life in jail. Those associates subsequently murdered K.D.M.

Source: Who is Paul Bergrin? The Feds 39 Count Indictment

From #11 of the Certification of DEA Agent Michael Smith:

11. Thereafter, in a telephone conversation and a face to face meeting, BERGRIN

passed the identity of the informant on to William Baskerville’s drug associates and told them that if they didn't kill “Kemo,” William Baskerville would spend the rest of his life in jail. After BERGRIN discussed how Baskerville’s drug associates were going to pay BERGRIN’s legal fee for his representation of William Baskerville, BERGRIN said that if there was no “Kemo” to testify against William Baskerville, there would be no case against William Baskerville. BERGRIN said that if “Kemo” was dead, that William Baskerville would definitely get out of jail. When BERGRIN left the meeting, he said “remember what I said, no Kemo, no case.”

Source: Who is Paul Bergrin?

This simple statement has seriously evolved, depending on who is repeating it

Federal prosecutors took that simple statement related by a convicted drug dealer (Ramon Jimenez) long after it was allegedly stated and twisted it into a murder plot to obtain the indictment, and it worked. DEA Agent Michael Smith made a sworn certification about a murder plot derived from a statement that didn't exist, at least not according to the witness that overheard it, Ramon Jimenez. Prosecutors then repeatedly stated to news reporters and in the opening argument at trial a shortened version: “No Kemo, no case.”

Do you see the serious differences and twists of this statement? This has really bothered me – anyone can take any statement out of context, but this is far more than an out of context statement; it is a complete rewrite of the screenplay.

When Paul Bergrin supposedly had this conversation that Ramon Jimenez overheard, the statement, at least according to Jimenez's testimony was, “if “there had been no witness, there would have been no case.’’

It could easily be interpreted as Paul Bergrin stating a pure fact: This is a case that wouldn't exist, but it does because there is a witness to the act and there isn't anything you can do for your associate. It sure as hell doesn't translate to an order or even an idea to kill, if it was ever stated to begin with.

No motive, no case.

Occupy Somewhere and Power to the People

Okay... I'm not positive that posting on this topic two days in a row is sensible, but I will admit that I am compelled to do it, so here I am. I'll keep it somewhat short and to the point.

So I've been doing my research and I still do not see any identifiable goals for this Occupy (a city near you) movement. Yes, I can grasp the points made as to what the protesters are angry about with serious attention to the bailout $s received by corporate America and the banks and predators / creditors. I agree. Beyond that, there are more important problems that beg for such an orchestrated movement receiving such friendly press. Indulge me as I name some of the many, please...

1. The US military machine is currently unleashing commando operations in more than 75 countries and before the end of the year that number will probably reach 120, according to the spokesman for US Special Operation Command (SOCOM). Interested in the full rundown? Read US Commando War in 120 Countries by Nick Turse (August 4, 2011)
2. The US occupation of Iraq. Saddam has not been in power since 2003, and that is when the last excuse of war and occupation could have possibly been valid. Of course the invasion was based on lies, but for the moment I'll get past that problem.
3. The US occupation of Afghanistan. As we are all aware, the invasion began in October of 2001 and there have been many troop escalations since. Apparently the US foreign policy advisers learned nothing whatsoever from the decade long mistake of the former Soviet Union. There are many schools of thought on what specifically led to the bankruptcy and subsequent dissolution of the USSR, and mine leans toward the Afghanistan debacle. But we knew how to do it so much better, right?
4. The arrest, psychological torture, and confinement of Bradley Manning for over 500 days without trial at this point. Sure, I read that a few of the Occupy (your city) participants mentioned Brad Manning, but that is not enough. He (if he did it) exposed the truth about this entire War on Terror, yet he's still in a cell and no one is held accountable. We the people had a right to the information released anyway.
5. US foreign policy. Enough said.

An Occupy movement for the first 4 of the 5 more important issues begging our attention today would have more obvious goals than the anti-banker sit-in that's currently preoccupying the people and the press. Of course without serious changes to US foreign policy (#5), the lasting effects would be minimal anyway.

And that is my viewpoint of the Occupy movement...

Understanding the Occupy Movement

It is not my intention here to downplay or criticize a well-orchestrated movement of any type, however, I would really like to understand what specifically this Occupy Wall Street (insert your city) movement is supposed to accomplish. The message is anti-banks and anti-capitalism – okay, neat and valid message – but the question is, what are the goals or intended end results here?

I don't like most banks anymore than the rest of you, though I do like the bank I have used the last few years. They don't overcharge for anything and they're always friendly. What in the hell else does anyone want?

I have always called the creditors “predators” and that's a fact of life. The fuzzy math used by any I have encountered has you paying 100% + interest, not the 8% they claim when you get an auto loan. This is why I no longer have any auto loans. I found a solution, but I won't be able to publish it here. *smile* Beyond that, what is to protest? The obvious solution is to not use credit.

This is a request for information if any reader is participating in the Occupy movement. Please be specific and list potential goals when you respond.

I am as socialist leaning as the average person today, perhaps even more so because of my horrific ordeal over my former business. Okay, I'll admit that sometimes I want to sign-up for anything and everything the state and feds offer in the way of social programs just so I can stick it to them; my way of saying screw you all. But then reality hits me and I realize that I appreciate the capitalist system and though I have met with far more roadblocks than most, I admire the entrepreneur, the person that turns an idea into income. I don't admire the wage slaves and I won't ever be one again, but I do empathize with anyone stuck in a low-pay hourly wage job; time to do something about it.

I also do not admire anyone that sucks the state and government programs for all they're worth instead of thinking and acting in an entrepreneurial environment. These days public servants (or so they're called) are the worst. In Florida we have DROP – Deferred Retirement Option Program – which amounts to cops and teachers and prosecutors getting paid their retirement pensions and working at the same job for the same pay or more. They are collecting double + the money and doing the same job. Time for each to go ahead and really retire.

There have been changes to DROP this year, but nothing like the changes we need. It is one of many reasons that Florida is broke. Imagine my thoughts when I found out that prosecutors get to suck the state dry and plot to kill (or so it feels anyway) people like me and the 12 from Eastern Europe (most from Moldova) charged with sex trafficking that are trying to support ourselves, and they do it all on the taxpayer $s. I am referring to THIS case, and it ain't sex trafficking anymore than most other similar recent cases. I may be mentioning the case because it has had some recent movement, but more on that later.

I am all for universal healthcare; however, I am also intelligent enough to know that it will never happen in the US. Let's not spend another $billion or more pretending that it might and we need a plan in case it does, okay? When it comes to healthcare for the poor and the uninsured with pre-existing conditions, the US is no better than any third world nation and it's probably worse than many. Face it – it is what it is.

I couldn't participate in anything that claims an anti-Wall Street agenda with good conscience anyway. I traded professionally for a few years (as classified by IRS) and loved the hell out of it. It's gambling, you know, and you win some and lose some, but the game is the ride no matter how great your calculations or predictions. So now you know that I gamble, but you should have already known that as a trial is always a gamble.

So what is this anti-banks movement about? Without a bank account one cannot purchase anything online. Don't even mention PayPal to me because that dumpy outfit is the worst bank around, worse than Bank of America, and that says much. It cannot possibly be about the big real estate crash, as if anyone with brains didn't see that coming long before it actually happened. Please feel free to fill me in on the agenda that I have missed here.

Is it about corporate greed? Well, time to research your economic history because corporate greed has existed for centuries and the US is not the only culprit. If you can't beat it, explore joining it, be entrepreneurial. As a 51 year-old adult, I have no intention of ever living in a commune and sharing my toothpaste with some dolt that can no longer suck from the state and federal government because all the money is gone.

What I have experienced is people living on all sorts of government programs or taking every $ they can grab from the state and federal government while knocking me for my attempts to be entrepreneurial. Get real.

Image credit: Stock Market Data2010 © Daniel Haller / 2011 © iStockphoto.com

Jason Itzler of NY Confidential Fame: Clown or Killer?

I have never mentioned Jason Itzler on this blog for a couple of reasons. The main reason that I ignore him is that he sought fame as a result of mismanaging the escort business known as New York Confidential for two years (2003-04) and his mismanagement resulted in a plea bargain and prison sentence in 2005. It is so easy to open and operate an escort service the wrong way and end-up in prison so why did he get all of the attention that he demanded?

The secondary reasoning for never discussing him is that I have always considered him a clown. What moron calls himself the “king of pimps” publicly and to news reporters in interviews? Itzler does, or rather did. I find the entire concept absurd and would have renamed him the king of clowns. Beyond that, I have felt for some time that it is entirely possible that Jason Itzler is a confidential informant, though if he is, he sure didn't get a very good deal for whatever information he gave. Hell, this idiot is even the clown of CIs, if he is one.

I am only writing about Itzler now as something that I read yesterday was really disturbing. So that we are on the same level of understanding here, the articles that I found disturbing are:

'King of Pimps' linked to UW-L student's death

Private investigators have evidence to charge “King of Pimps” with student death

Date Rape Drug OD Death of Aspiring Model Julia Sumnicht Linked to “King of All Pimps” Jason Itzler

Jason Itzler was arrested on various charges in relation to a new business in New York, a companion service as he referred to it in court, just a couple of weeks ago (September 9^th I believe). There were drug charges included this round and he has been arrested on drug charges in past; smuggling ecstacy to be specific. This time the charges include selling cocaine to this alleged client of his new business. I must imagine that the “client” was a set-up to begin with.

According to the articles noted, Julia Sumnicht's family hired a private investigator that discovered Julia's last hours before she returned to sleep in her own bed were spent with Itzler and his Miami roommate Zoltan Prepszent, a photographer. Dumb as he is, Itzler has already been running his mouth to reporters in NY from jail in relation to this girl's death and the GHB he also ingested, but of course he didn't die, and there was no mention of whether Prepszent took the crap also, or not.

You'd think that after all of his previous arrests and his time in prison, Itzler would have learned to shut the hell up by now. He's so stupid that he apparently doesn't realize he's probably going to be facing a murder or wrongful death arrest in the near future.

So is he a clown or a killer? In my opinion he is a clown and as clueless as Julia Sumnicht was. So who drugged both of them or did they drug themselves? If this girl took the drugs of her own free will and Itzler did not provide them, can Itzler still be charged in her death? After all, we are all responsible for our own lives and behavior.

Beyond that, if the feds intended to use Itzler as a witness in Paul Bergrin's trial, well, he has indeed worn-out his usefulness and tanked his credibility forever.

The Good Old Days

Thinking about the good old days is something that people my age (51) do often, at least I do anyway. The world has changed so much and everything is different, nothing the same. My son is in his mid-twenties and surprised me yesterday when he referred to the “good old days”. The reference was to the 1990s.

Think about how different your life was throughout the 90s. The future held such promise for me. My son recounted the many ways life was better, even in 1999. The 90s was a great decade. Reflect on the music... yes, that is what my tour of the 90s songs is all about on both of my blogs. The Blueprint Blogcurrently has “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65 playing. This blog has “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona playing in the header at this moment. She is so lively, so in love with life as many of us were back then.

What were you doing in the 90s?

Anyone remember World Cup Soccer in 1994? Orlando was one of the host cities in the US. For every game (before and after) I was partying at Church Street in downtown Orlando. I had various people that had no clue what they were doing answering my escort lines, which were ringing off the hook day and night.

While partying at the now defunct (yes, it is defunct no matter what anyone in Orlando claims or how much they attempt to revive it) Church Street, I met a wonderful group of guys from Ireland and Australia. These visitors were victim of a scam travel agency booking and had no hotel rooms so I offered to loan them my beach house for the week and they accepted. The house was smack on the beach in Cape Canaveral... One could step from the jacuzzi on its deck into the sand.

Each sent me a card to say hello and thanks when they returned to Ireland and Australia, and perhaps one was from the UK. I have those cards in a box in my storage, but if they're by chance reading this blog, contact me. We all had a falling out of sorts after the game – the Mexico vs. Ireland game in Orlando – but all was forgotten later. My cousins from Mexico were in town for the games too, and well, it was a competition thing that turned into a light brawl downtown. Hell, I don't even remember who won that game now. Cheers! and Salud!

That house was wonderful. A former love leased it for a year for me, but I spent less time there than anyone. My friends and family had barbecues regularly though. The last week that I had the house, I loaned it to a Jamaican friend to hold his birthday party and he had family from Jamaica and South Florida come in for a huge beach party. It was crazy during, but they left the house in perfect condition. What a house and what a time...

Moving forward... Remember all the hoopla over the 1999 to 2000 issue? Well on New Year's Eve 1999, I was in Times Square with my son and his sister Ruby. We stayed at the Marriott Marquis for the week, shopping till we dropped, and then New Year's Eve was the grand finale. One thing about Times Square on that particular night is that there are no bathrooms to use. We ended-up going back to the room for this reason and by then cops had the blockades up and we couldn't get back in so we had the balcony view.

The 1990s are filled with wonderful memories for me. This was before the War era. I think that the 2000s and 2010s should be called the War Era. From the moment Bush stepped into office, war was imminent. Life changed so much so quickly and has only gotten worse since.

My son remembers those years fondly. For this reason I am not sorry that I went into the escort business – we had lots of fun and a great life! But should a young man in his mid-twenties have to look back on the good old days? 

Reflections on the Aftermath of Hurricane Andrew

I read the Wikipedia article relating to Hurricane Andrew facts and it is accurate for the most part, but excludes some important issues. Really sorry I didn't try harder to put that new and complicated model printer with a scanner together so I could post the images here, but it was too much for me and I threw its many parts back in its box and returned it to Walmart. So here we are...

Driving south on the Florida Turnpike hours after it all hit was the easiest drive ever – few vehicles headed south, all tolls were open, and no state troopers or cops anywhere. Yes, I confess to driving 100 mph, but no worry as I know how to drive; I learned in Germany where they have an actual test of skill. At some point right after Bird Road exit (S.W. 40^th Street), all of the signs disappeared. So if one didn't know where they were going they were out of luck. I knew where I was going.

I exited on S.W. 186 Street (Quail Roost Drive). I just knew the exit, though there were no signs. I knew to drive east towards the bay, though there were no street signs or traffic lights anywhere. This area is known as Perrine. There was nothing green. All the trees were stripped bare and looked like sticks and all of the foliage and vegetation was gone... really gone. Shocking mainly because Miami is better known for its greenery, or was.

Driving east towards Cutler Ridge, the bay, it only got worse. There were still no signs, not even stop signs or any means available to identify location, so I just drove east and eventually made it to Old Cutler Road. Most houses were still standing, but windows were now shredded glass and and vehicles littered the streets, twisted beyond recognition. Power poles and lines were all over the place, blocking roadways, on top of houses. Shreds of glass and twisted metal everywhere is the prevailing memory.

Driving through the devastation I finally made it to my friend's home. They had holes in what was left of the roof, no windows, mud all over the floors and walls... We unloaded the car and were soon consuming barbeque and beer – never forget the charcoal; I didn't. Their daughter and her husband arrived in short time – their trailer in Homestead was gone – and we heard the stories of massive devastation in Homestead (South Dade County). They had driven there in a vehicle with shreds of glass all over the place. Of course they cleaned off what they could before embarking on that journey, but shredded glass can almost never be cleared completely, and certainly not in an hour and they had cuts all over.

My friends and the children had spent the worst part of the hurricane in the bathroom and in a bedroom closet. And then all was quiet, too quiet, they knew something was wrong, and the real damage began. Tornadoes took anything standing, with the exception of a coffee table and an eggshell hanging from the embroidered Easter decoration; both were intact in the exact location they were in when it all started. They were working to cover what remained of the roof with plastic sheeting. It started to rain and the sky turned dark, like icing on a devastation cake.

I left before sundown with a list of items to bring back on my next trip, the day after. The area was under martial law and anyone on the streets after dark would be arrested. It was day 3 after Andrew hit when I returned. Odd enough, my friend's Bellsouth landline worked through it all so we were in contact. Back in Orlando the Red Cross was begging for donations for victims: cash and other items. It was day 3 and then day 4 after, but still no one came to help. The Red Cross had a truck sitting on S.W. 40^th Street (Bird Road) and S.W. 87^th Avenue (Galloway), miles before any of the devastation.

The looting had started full force and the Red Cross feared driving into the area, at least that is what they stated to me on the phone when I called the Orlando office demanding answers. They stated that their trucks were being overturned and even hijacked.

On day 6 after I made my third trip down. Still no Red Cross, but Burger King and Arby's were out there in trucks passing out food. I was informed that they arrived on day 5 after and were constantly refilling and returning. Burger King Corporation took the place of Red Cross, the state and federal government, and anyone else that should have been there. Meanwhile the USAF was landing jets with necessities and supplies to pass out in Homestead, but other soldiers (don't know if they were National Guard or Army) were holding off the people with AK-47s. Riots ensued until they finally started passing the stuff out.

Around a hundred monkeys escaped from a laboratory at Monkey Jungle and many escaped from a lab at the University of Miami. Exotic birds and animals escaped from the devastated Metro Zoo. The people were not the only ones to lose their homes.

Everyone was armed, but then it is Miami. I have photos of National Guard handcuffing looters to bars on a convenience store directly behind my friend's house. There was a clear view without the trees and bushes present. The helicopters were out full force and enforcing the sundown curfew. After my third trip I didn't return for a month as my friends had the basics under control. The lasting memory on that last trip was all of the U-Hauls lining the streets. The people were leaving Miami with what they had left. Many moved to Broward County and many to Orlando to start a new life. The Miami that I knew would never be again.

My son's father worked with our friend doing contractor work and eventually AC repair work for the next months. He lived in an RV in their driveway. The main point that I recall him making is that it was hot, seriously hot, and they were taking cold water showers. They did have beer and barbeque on a daily basis though. Eventually my friends were able to buy the house they'd rented for pennies on the $, and of course had to deal with all the repairs.

Don't forget that no one came. I recall President Bush (H.W.) flying over the devastated areas in a helicopter and people were waving from their rooftops. Everyone painted their insurance info (company and policy #) on the roof and/or on the sides of the house so that insurance adjusters could identify policy holders. The areas hit the worst were not warned or ordered to evacuate and no one came until Burger King arrived on day 5 after, but by day 7 after a variety of organizations and people made their way in. It was 25+ heavily populated miles of solid devastation in South Dade. 

Hurricanes and Mandatory Evacuations: The Hype

Someone needs to say it, so I will. I am reading about mandatory evacuations in wait of Hurricane Irene that cover much of the East coast from Virginia to New England, including parts of Manhattan. The subway system in NYC is being shut down for the first time ever!

Here in Cape Canaveral, I barely felt a breeze when I was out earlier. Anyway, I have experienced the heavy hype in past – it was particularly heavy in 2004 and 2005 when a few major hurricanes actually did hit the Cocoa Beach area. I went to my mom's, on a barrier island, in each situation as she wouldn't leave, but I did send my son to Orlando, 45 miles inland.

This area had mandatory evacuations for at least 3 out of 5 hurricanes. In one situation, a friend in Orlando called me concerned for my safety – he said that in Orlando they were showing the particular area of the island as being underwater and he feared I was dead. Hmmm – I was unable to find coffee anywhere and the electricity had gone out in the middle of the hurricane, but that was the worst of it. I believe that power was out for five days during that one and there were large puddles and downed power lines, but mandatory evacuations and 20-30 foot water surges? Nope – it was a trick of the cameras.

The winds were really high in each case and lots of trees blown all over the place, but a state of emergency? This is usually something that is declared for the state to get federal funds. Of course there are exceptions, like Andrew in August of 1992. Andrew was predicted to hit Broward County and North Dade County and the beach areas of both, but instead it really hit south Dade County, from S.W. 160th street all the way to south Homestead. Andrew was the disaster they buried and the areas hit – 25 miles of solid devastation – were not even warned.

I have close friends in Miami, actually in Cutler Ridge where Andrew really hit. I was on my way south to help them by 8am. Andrew hit around 5am. I still have plenty of photos from the many trips down there – if I had a scanner I would add a few here. They declared martial law down there and the National Guard was in control for several months. My son's father went down to work with our friends in Cutler Ridge and they had no electricity for months – I believe it was 4 months to be as precise as possible. It was a true disaster like Katrina was, but both for different reasons and issues.

The problems with Katrina were actually after Katrina when the levees failed. Hurricane Andrew problems were really all about multiple tornadoes. I was told that it wasn't so much the hurricane, but it was the 50+ embedded tornadoes at the center. I know this for fact, no matter how many want to dispute it. My friend's house was a perfect example: The couch in the living room was pulled through the window. An Easter decoration that his daughter made, a wooden circle with embroidered cloth clamped with a painted eggshell hanging from it, revealed the eggshell to be perfectly intact, yet the cloth had a huge hole ripped through the center. Do you know how hard, if not impossible, it is to rip cloth? This is tornado damage. The mud all over the living room walls and floors is hurricane related.

So what happens with mandatory evacuations?

Well, really it is just the emergency services people saying that if there is a problem, there will not be any assistance available. Don't bother to dial 911 if the forecasters are correct and there really are 20 to 30 foot water surges. Thank goodness they are usually incorrect, which could be the main reason they claim a target area that spans 700+ miles, right?

I have plenty of hurricane stories to tell. One that I won't forget from 2004 and 2005 is that they blocked any roads and stopped drivers from entering the barrier islands and Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach. My son was unable to drive over here and was told the area was a disaster by cops at roadblocks while I was on the phone with him stating the truth, and he did have an island address on his driver's license. When you leave during a mandatory evacuation they do not let you return until they feel like it, days later in this situation. I had dropped my vehicle off at a safe parking garage so I had no transportation.

Evacuating all of coastal New Jersey and New York is different. In my opinion, you may want to analyze the situation for yourself. Really the major issue with hurricanes are the power outages and trust me, it gets hot. Just make sure that you do not evacuate directly into its path as so many did during Hurricane Charley in August of 2004.

Edit August 27, 2011 @ 830pm to add link to my latest post that is related: Reflections on the Aftermath of Hurricane Andrew

Open an Escort Service in Baghdad

My Blueprint book could indeed be used to open and operate an escort business anywhere in the world, including Baghdad, Erbil, Islamabad, Kabul, Kuwait City, Mosul, Basrah, Kandahar, Peshawar, Lahore etc... Why let the war profiteers beat you to it? Oh I'm sure that the listed cities already have some form of an escort service already going, but why not professionalize it?

You may need to license it as an entertainment company and in some areas you may not need to license it at all. I'd bet that a party stripper company would go over rather well in Baghdad. Make sure to offer Strip-o-gram style costumed shows and escorts that offer social companionship for the Baghdad Embassy and Green Zone crowd. Where Marriott, Intercontinental Hotels, and Starwood go is where your escort business should be. Hell, even Best Western is in on the party.

I posted on the topic of escort businesses anywhere on the Blueprint Blog back in May, so I won't be too repetitious here. The post is: Open an Escort Business Anywhere

A quote from that post: “Really it all comes down to the level of acceptance for adult business on an outcall basis. It is the level of acceptance in any geographical area that will ultimately determine how you operate and the type of license that you will want.”

If you Google the phrase, “Baghdad escorts” you will see listings for convoy and security escorts, but no escort services of this type yet. However, if you Google the phrase “Islamabad escorts” a company called VIP Dubai Escorts is listed, but they list cities all over the Middle East and beyond as cities of operation. And check those rates: 1 Hour = 3500 A.E.D. = $953 today!

By the way, VIP Dubai has a great website, but how viewable is it on an arrangement of smartphones? I'd have to test it to tell you (smile). Reaching users searching on a variety of wireless devices is really important these days, and probably more important in Baghdad than here.

It is time to jump-in if this interests you. You must view it as Marriott did, with the exception of the 2008 Islamabad bombing, and understand that it is all about business. You certainly would have a built-in market with the many contractors and high-ranking US military in the region. Trust me – this crowd calls, and they've got the $$$s these days. Isn't that what any business is about? Making money and doing business where the money is?

To get started with your plan you should first check out Iraq Business News. You will see a “Leisure and Tourism” category among many others. I couldn't find anything about adult business of any sort, but I consider it time to be a pioneer on this venture. Before you know it they will have such a category, or maybe not. I did note that Karbala will soon have a monorail system, which is more than we have here in Orlando.

I am amazed that only the one escort business shows in a variety of searches. I advise you to specialize in one location, like Baghdad for example, and beyond that to separate the party stripper business from the escort service. I am available for consultations for $45 an hour, with better packages available for 20+ hours – don't ask how I arrived at that specific figure (smile). For a bit more, I'd come over and run it for you, or at least get it going, but you can't pay me via PayPal.

If you don't do it, you could bet that someone else will be soon.

Is this satire? Not really.

Image credit: Iraq on the Map2010 © Marcio Silva / 2011 © iStockphoto.com 

 

Psychiatrists as Pill Pushers

Make no mistake here: This phenomena has nothing to do with the failed US War on Drugs. This is all about the dumbing down of Americans using widely prescribed psychotropic drugs. I still cannot locate any valid up-to-date statistics, but I have found journal articles and investigative articles that back my viewpoint on the topic.

There's not much that I consider as annoying as the drug commercials on television these days. The most absurd part of every commercial is the quickie disclaimer; you know – the “side effects may include nausea, brain hemorrhage, vomiting, dizziness, and death” inclusion. What type of idiot would take the crap?

I may be weird, but I read warning labels on just about any product and certainly on prescription pamphlets. Back when I was 20ish years, I considered birth control pills and easily received a prescription for the things. I went home and read the included instruction booklet and the long list of potentially fatal and definitely scary side effects and threw the damn crap in the garbage. Who in their right mind would take something that could cause all of that? I mean, it obviously has caused such problems or the statements wouldn't be there.

I have no clue what warnings come with a Xanax or a Zoloft prescription, but must imagine it wouldn't sound inviting to me. I read an article dated July, 12, 2011, written by James Ridgeway for Al Jazeera: Mass Psychosis in the US. This written work discusses much of what I have had on my mind in relation to the proliferation of pill pushing psychiatrists in the last decade or so.

I have met many people on this crap for depression, anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks etc... They are referred to as the anti-psychotic drugs in the article. Child overactive or argumentative? You can get a quick diagnosis of ADD or ADHD or bipolar and the mind-numbing prescriptions to go with it. Joey will be a complacent and contented little boy in less than a week, unless someone tries to come between him and his drugs.

My personal experience with this was a doctor's attempt to give my own child the crap when he was eleven years. I told the dipshit to drop dead and found a better doctor. No, we would not be drugging my child just because a couple of teachers are too damned lazy to get off their collective asses and participate in their own classes.

My first experience with the drug Ritalin was back in 1988. I was working at a youth center on a USAF base as a recreation aid. I worked the before and after school program and the skate nights and other events. There was a boy named Eric enrolled and his mother was a major in the USAF. Eric was a bit rambunctious as any 10 year old should be. My co-workers viewed Eric as a problem, but I viewed my co-workers as lazy asses that wanted a bunch of quiet children so they could gossip or drink soda or whatever.

One day Eric's mother the USAF major came in for a private discussion with our director. We were all later informed that Eric was going to be placed on a newer drug that should help with his behavior. Yep – they drugged little Eric to make their lives easier. I always played basketball with Eric and kept him active and occupied, but this new drugged Eric had no such interest. He went from knocking me in the head with a basketball and tripping me as I skated to sitting quietly and reading at a table with an occasional, “Hi Miss Vicky”. Now everyone else loved little Eric, but I freaked out on it – they drugged him. It wasn't much longer and I left that lousy job. Recreation my ass.

A main reason that many people in the US get on these anti-psychotic drugs these days is to collect Social Security Disability and the other financial benefits that come with it. You're actually considered mentally disabled and unable to work so you sit back and collect food stamps, mucho cash monthly, and have all of your time free to do what you want. What a deal, right? Well, as entrepreneurial as I try to be when there isn't interference from one direction or another, I consider the pill-popping sponges to be criminals.

I have a friend that had major heart surgery. They had to break her breastbone to do the surgery – maybe this is the case with all women; I'm not sure as I admit to avoiding doctors all my life. Anyway, Crystal really could not work and was really disabled after the surgery. She refused all painkillers once she came out of surgery because she knew she could handle pain for a short time, but couldn't handle a long drug addiction later. She was intelligent enough to know better, yet I see people all around me taking flippin' pain killers for something like arthritis. How absurd!

Now Crystal owned an escort service at the time she had the heart troubles and serious surgery. When she got out of the hospital she had plenty of bills due and feared answering the phone as she knew that I was about to be arrested. Agents had threatened her and tried to force her to be a witness in my case, but she managed to skip town just before my trial.

Anyway, Crystal tried to collect Social Security Disability and even pushed it to court when she was refused. An Orange County, FL Administrative Court judge actually instructed her to go back into the escort business – there was no reason she couldn't answer the phone and deal with booking calls for substantial income. Eventually she won her Social Security claim in a NC court and the judge didn't try to shove her back into the escort business. Yet anyone and their brother can claim depression, obtain various prescription drugs for it, and get Social Security Disability and various other benefits.

What is wrong with this picture? What is wrong in this country?

Psychotropic Drugs and the Dumbing Down of America

Usually the expression “dumbing down of America” is used in relation to our education system, which is an entirely different problem. My reference to the term is the over-prescribing of psychotropic drugs in society today. Is this occurring in other countries also or is it a US problem?

I have been working on a thesis of sorts that somewhere around 75% of the population in the US is on psychotropic drugs. The figure could be closer to 65% - it is hard to tell as current statistics are not available. I only know what I see and what I encounter, and it sure isn't good news. I'm not one to regularly visit doctors and I'm not on the mind-altering drugs and never have been, but these days almost everyone that I encounter is prescribed one psych drug or another.

The most commonly prescribed psych drugs are Xanax, Prozac, and Zoloft, but others are widely used as well. Those that take this stuff will quickly defend it with statements like, “I have a chemical imbalance,” but this is a translation of “I'm mentally unstable and being treated for psychiatric problems”. These people consider themselves stable and able to function right next to the rest of us, but they are not.

To know how I feel about psychotropic drugs, you need only read, The State of Florida Drugs its Witnesses. Most of the state's witnesses in my case were on mind-altering drugs, rendering their testimony totally worthless to anyone that can still think around here. My two co-defendants were the most medicated of all.

I had a friend that I no longer speak to that has been on psychotropic drugs for over a decade. She will quickly defend the practice and refuse any mention of rehab as a solution. Okay, I will be blunt here: She is downright hostile and aggressive towards any mention of her entering a rehab facility and getting off the crap and it ended our friendship a while back. She had good reason to go on the stuff long ago, but that line of reasoning should have been over at least 8 years ago. What kind of lousy doctor would prescribe this crap to anyone for years?

I recently made the mistake of voicing my thoughts on the mind-altering prescription drugs in relation to prolonged use on a forum and after the first statement escaped my keyboard, I was attacked and trashed by almost all that entered the discussion. As a matter of fact, the attacks were the worst that I have ever experienced, which says a lot. Good God – never dare try to come between the mentally afflicted and their medications! (more on that story in the next couple of days)

I truly hope that state authorities are keeping-up with lists of those receiving treatment for mental problems, but I seriously doubt it. Think about situations in your life wherein you are asked the question, “Have you ever been treated for a mental condition or problem?” This question is asked when you're applying for insurance or try to purchase a gun and in many cases on employment applications. Now consider how many in our population should be answering that question with a “yes” but probably do not.

The main issue to me at this moment in time is that the great majority of people on psychotropic drugs cannot recognize that they are addicted to a drug (or 2 or 10) and consider themselves mentally stable when they sure as hell are not. Never attempt to debate or argue with a gang of people with mental problems – trust me; it doesn't work out well at all. These people are aggressive, irritable, and downright angry.

My advice? Get a new psychiatrist, go to a rehab and get off addicting drugs, and stop thinking of yourself as mentally stable because you are not, at least not while you are on psychotropic drugs.

One good thing about it: This is my blog and they sure as hell cannot attack me here. LOL

Never go to Trial on Theory

Let this be one more lesson for prosecutors in the State of Florida: Never go to trial on theory.

Casey Anthony was found not guilty on all counts except lying to law enforcement. We all knew she lied – the rest of it was pure theory from beginning to end.

The fiasco started by former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is finally over.

The Justice System, the Media, and the Flory case

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Creative Reasoning for Collateral Murder

I am watching the CNN show “Wikiwars” at this moment. I will reserve judgment on whether it could be classified as a documentary or just a show until it's over. It begins as an informative piece about Julian Assange, so the beginning is good; however, I reached the point where the US Army general is ripping apart the “collateral murder” video submitted to Wikileaks and using creative reasoning as to why the behavior of the US military personnel in the Apache copter is acceptable. I stopped the recording at the point that Adrian Lamo is introduced.

On the short portion about Lamo, I must conclude that the guy could have easily walked away from the chat with the person claiming to be Brad Manning. All that he had to do was not log-in and read, but instead he chose to play high profile informant and encourages the person on the other side to discuss Assange and the so-called classified material.

None of this should be “top secret” anyway, which is a central point of Wikileaks. It should be public information open to dissemination by the people. They award contracts in the $billions and solicit the unaware to join a false war based on a false premise. Sure they're mad as hell that they have been exposed for what they truly are. Absolutely.

So far it looks like every journalist that Assange worked with to publish the Afghanistan War logs has thrown him under the bus, except Mark Davis. Kaj Larsen is a particularly useful tool for the US government in this film as is Daniel Domscheit-Berg as they pursue throwing Assange under the bus together in a discussion concerning the case in Sweden against him and Assange “going berserk” when the documents were published. It should be clear that these were documents in a court case that has had one strange revelation after the other, beginning with the sudden push to prosecute.

Newsflash to Domscheit-Berg: Not wanting pretrial documents prepared by prosecutors publicly released is not “a contradiction,” and actually has nothing to do with releasing documents exposing government officials involved in a conspiracy to cover-up war crimes or documents that embarass. Some of us can see beyond a created criminal case that popped-up just in time to discredit Assange.

Back to the show...

Okay, so I consider it part show and part documentary. That federal grand jury convened in Alexandria, Virginia and the CIA's Wikileaks Task Force (WTF) [what the fuck to me] is looking for anything and everything to indict Julian Assange on. As I stated in an earlier post, when the government has little or no evidence and they want to indict, they go to grand juries in Alexandria and in the Middle District of Florida. These people would indeed indict a ham sandwich.

I get the point or reason for the existence of Anonymous, but to actually remain anonymous, interviews with pro-government journalists should be out. They'll out you in the end, and probably have already attempted to.

I also get the anger at Amazon for removing the Wikileaks sites from its servers, but then again, it is a private company that can choose who it does business with and who it doesn't. For me it brought to mind the many people that I refused to book as an escort business operator over the years. I couldn't imagine being forced to book everyone capable of dialing a phone. PayPal cleared-up their big mistake when they released the frozen Wikileaks account funds as they had no right to freeze it to begin with.

I also now empathize with Assange over the situation of the funds intended for Brad Manning's defense. Assange has been put between a rock and a hard place so we must look at those that put him there, not attempt to track every dollar. The Brad Manning case and Julian Assange's situation must be kept separate.

I intend to post on the Gitmo Files in the coming week.