Tyranny at JFK Airport: A glimpse of the day to day workings

Posted on August 18th, 2008 by bile Tags: , , , , , ,

http://www.alternet.org/…

I arrived at JFK Airport two weeks ago after a short vacation to Syria and presented my American passport for re-entry to the United States. After 28 hours of traveling, I had settled into a hazy awareness that this was the last, most familiar leg of a long journey. I exchanged friendly words with the Homeland Security official who was recording my name in his computer. He scrolled through my passport, and when his thumb rested on my Syrian visa, he paused. Jerking toward the door of his glass-enclosed booth, he slid my passport into a dingy green plastic folder and walked down the hallway, motioning for me to follow with a flick of his wrist. Where was he taking me, I asked him. “You’ll find out,” he said.

This story isn’t unique but I found it fairly well written and detailed.

2008 American Community Survey Questionnaire

Posted on May 30th, 2008 by bile Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2008 ACS Questionnaire - English |  Spanish

Persons

  1. Name
  2. Relation to first person surveyed
  3. Sex
  4. Age, Birthday
  5. Of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
  6. Race
  7. Place of birth?
  8. Citizen?
  9. Year came to USA?
  10. Attended school/college in past 3 months? Grade?
  11. Highest level completed?
  12. Ethnic origin?
  13. Speak a language other than English?
  14. Live in home 1 year ago?
  15. Covered by health insurance?
  16. Deaf?
  17. Difficulty remembering/making decisions? Walking, claiming stairs? Dressing or bathing?
  18. Because of physical, mental, emotional condition have difficulty doing errands?
  19. Marital status?
  20. Past year got married, widowed, divorced?
  21. Number of times married?
  22. Year last married?
  23. If female, given birth in past year?
  24. Any grandchildren under 18 in home?
  25. Been on active duty in military?
  26. When?
  27. Have a VA service-connected disability rating?
  28. Paid for work in past week?
  29. Where did they work?
  30. How do they get to work?
  31. How many people ride to work?
  32. What time do they leave for work?
  33. How long to get to work?
  34. Were they laid off from work last week?
  35. Last 4 weeks, looking for work?
  36. Last week, could have started if offered?
  37. When last worked?
  38. Past year, work 50 or more weeks?
  39. Past year, how many hours per week?
  40. Private employee? Government employee?
  41. Employer?
  42. Business type?
  43. Category?
  44. Job work type?
  45. Most important duties?
  46. Income earned in past year broken down
  47. Total income in past year

Housing

  1. Building description
  2. When was it built
  3. When did you move into the building
  4. How many acres
  5. Sales of agricultural products from property in past year
  6. Is there a business on the property?
  7. How many separate rooms in the building, bedrooms?
  8. Does it have: hot/cold running water, flush toilet, sink with faucet, stove, refrigerator, telephone?
  9. How many automobiles?
  10. Most used fuel for heating?
  11. Cost of electricity,gas last month? water/sewer, heating fuel in past year?
  12. In past year did anyone receive food stamps?
  13. Building part of a condominium?
  14. Is the building owned, rented?
  15. Whats the monthly rent?
  16. What would it sell for now?
  17. Annual real estate taxes?
  18. Annual payment for fire, hazard, flood insurance?
  19. Have a mortgage, deed of trust, contract to purchase, or other debt on this property? What’s the monthly payment?
  20. Do you have a second mortage or home equity lone on this property?
  21. Total annual costs for property taxes, rent, fees?

Reason.tv’s Drew Carey Project Episode 10: Immigration - The Beckham Factor

Posted on April 25th, 2008 by bile Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Little on the short side… doesn’t really do much arguing either.

UK: Libertarian Liberal Democrat Gavin Webb suspended for stating his position on issues

Posted on April 24th, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

http://www.thisisthesentinel.co.uk/…

City councillor Gavin Webb could be thrown off a school’s board of governors after making controversial calls to legalise heroin and prostitution.Liberal Democrat (Libertarian) councillor Gavin Webb’s position is being reviewed after publicly expressing controversial views.Thistley Hough High School, in Penkhull, could now decide to sack him from its board of governors.

The chair of governors, Gill Miller, said she is seeking advice on Mr Webb’s position in light of complaints about comments he hasmade.

She said: “I have alerted the governing support unit at the city council and the governing body is currently considering Mr Webb’s position.”

Talking about drugs, Mr Webb said: “I believe we should legalise the lot, including the most harmful substance heroin.”

He has also described the police’s drug-busting Operation Nemesis as a “waste of money”.

He has also said: “The only person one can trust in protecting one’s own life, is oneself. That is why I also advocate that individuals should have the right to carry a handgun.”

Other controversial views expressed by Mr Webb include that drink-driving is not a crime, that brothels should be legal and that Britain’s borders should be opened up to anyone who wants to enter the country.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Liberal Democrat group leader, Councillor Jean Bowers, said she was concerned about some of the comments Mr Webb has made in recent weeks. She said a member of the public had contacted her to complain about some of his views.

Mr Webb, pictured, said he is aware that some of his views were unpopular, and could even jeopardise his position as a governor.

He said: “I am getting flak from various people, but part of the role of politicians is to tell people to take responsibility for their own lives, instead of blaming other people.”

“At the end of the day, it’s up the board of school governors whether they support me or sack me.”

Many of Mr Webb’s controversial statements were made on The Sentinel’s website.

Mr Webb is also being investigated by the Standards Board of England after an alleged four-letter outburst at a fellow councillor.

You can find his positions here. It’s nice to see that there are a few libertarians in the UK… too bad they have such a Puritanical nanny state that he will be silenced for stating his opinions. I love how Europe often bitches about how Puritanical the USA is yet in the UK if you say “fuck” they freak, call it anti-social and call for you to be kicked out of your party? Well likely it’s the drunk driving comment or maybe the legalizing self defense. Isn’t the Liberal Democrats supposed to be the classical liberal party? What do you expect from the people who can’t even handle a few Xbox commercials. He was talking heresy so now he’s to be punished. Well he’s always welcome to come over to the USA, if they’d let him in, and join the FSP.

Videos of Jesse Ventura on Larry King Live

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Part 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Entertaining and interesting. As I’ve said before, it’s good to see another face putting out these ideas on a national forum. Doesn’t say he’ll run but he really doesn’t seem to say he won’t. “Give me ballot access and all beat them all.” Will anyone in the LP approach him? There are a lot of LP candidates right now and I don’t know that we need another… but Ventura is surely better than a good portion of them.

You really have to love how partisan and clueless those pundits are. Jesse is up there ripping the system a new one and pundits try to classify him as simply as a “independent voter.”

“Speak English” sign OK at Geno’s

Posted on March 20th, 2008 by bile Categories and Tags: Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

http://www.breitbart.com/…

The owner of a famous cheesesteak shop did not discriminate when he posted signs asking customers to speak English, a city panel ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 vote, a Commission on Human Relations panel found that two signs at Geno’s Steaks telling customers, “This is America: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,’” do not violate the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance.

Shop owner Joe Vento has said he posted the signs in October 2005 because of concerns over immigration reform and an increasing number of people in the area who could not order in English.

Vento has said he never refused service to anyone because they couldn’t speak English. But critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop.

I’m glad they won… but not for the right reasons. It should have been: “Is it private property? Yes. Case closed.”

Commissioners Roxanne E. Covington and Burt Siegel voted to dismiss the complaint, finding that the sign does not communicate that business will be “refused, withheld or denied.”



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