Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Mayor Nick Sacco


And what does it mean when the Mayor of North Bergen, New Jersey shows up at your front door? Well, what does it mean when Mayor Nick Sacco and his team show up at your front door and everyone else's front door while canvassing on the block in that town of North Bergen, New Jersey to be found in that state of New Jersey, next to that city of New York, to be found in that country of North America. And it is not so often every so often that I find myself blah blogging about a mayor of someplace to be found somewhere here on planet earth, or is it? And so that fanaticism of becoming one of those fans sent me looking to drag that camera out of the closet whose only purpose seems to be to collect dust these days and times. And those neon green vote for me for Mayor posters to be found on those houses, windows and storefronts around that North Bergen town seem to speak for themselves. And that photo above of Mayor Nick Sacco and his team getting the job done for North Bergen seems to speak for itself. And according to that flyer they left at the front door, have a great Vote Column B, Mayor, Public Works Commissioner, Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Revenue and Finance Commissioner, Public Safety Commissioner, May 10th and more day.
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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

50 Signs You're A Blogaholic

And for some reason I can not post this blog entry over and over enough, as I find it funny, sort of... I ran across Cool Buzz online which had the following post from Jonathan Deamer on their blog and as it turns out, tens and hundreds of other bloggers have posted the same following post. It's hilarious! Absolutely hilarious! And also I find myself posting this blog entry because it's really that I find myself running out of things to blah blog about on this blogging day.

50 Signs You're A Blogaholic

Are you addicted to blogging? You know you blog too much if:

1. You have to turn back on your way to the airport because you forgot to “tell” your blog that you’re going away.
2. You sneak off during a date to check your hit stats.
3. You update Twitter about your life more than you actually live it.
4.You think LSD is something to do with RSS or XML.
5. Your family don’t call anymore, they just check your blog.
6. You have daydreams about links from Boing Boing.
7. You pray to Steve Pavlina.
8. You eat blogging. You sleep blogging. You drink coffee.
9. You think Nike should make a shirt that says “just blog it”.
10. You would buy it if they did.
11.You’re considering naming your first-born child Scoble.
12.You start conversations with the phrase “top 10 ways to…” because you think it will get you on the front page of Digg.
13.You’re listening to the travel news and get excited by the phrase “heavy traffic”.
14.You moblog your own wedding.
15.You keep a blog ideas notepad by your bed. And you go to bed early just so you can write in it.
16.You check your Adsense revenue more than your bank account.
17.You’ve got more “blog friends” than “real life” friends.
18.You turn down invitations to go out because you haven’t yet written your post for the day.
19.You introduce yourself at parties as a “new media journalist”.
20.Your breakfast of choice is toast, cornflakes and Google reader.
21.You care more about what Technorati says about your authority than what your children do.
22.You’ve got “Custom CSS for Dummies” on your Christmas list.
23.You think the 3 Rs are Reading, Writing and RSS.
24.You can’t remember what you did last week without consulting your blog.
25.Your blogroll is longer that your cell’s phonebook.
26.You think “I wonder how this’ll look on Flickr?” when posing for photos.
27.When asked to feed the dog, you think “RSS or Atom?”
28.The only time your friends hear your voice is on your podcast.
29.You include ownership of your blog in your will.
30.You know what a blog carnival is.
31.You’ve participated in one.
32.You wonder if they do vacations at the Googleplex.
33.Under the hobbies section of an online dating profile you just put “Googling myself”.
34.Your licence plate matches your domain name.
35.Your lifetime goal is achieving a Page Rank of 10.
36.People in the street recognise you from your MyBlogLog photo.
37.You have a scorn for Xanga users normal people reserve for rapists and serial killers.
38.You refuse to wear black hats because you think it will affect your SEO.
39.You got that last one.
40.You have more than three friends with numbers in their names.
41.You’ve ever used the term “blawg” in conversation.
42.Blogger.com is banned on your office network.
43.You try to offer links as a form of payment in restaurants.
44.You start getting withdrawal symptoms when you go a day without posting.
45.You met your girlfriend/boyfriend through a blog.
46.You get more “approve this comment” e-mail messages than spam.
47.People worry about you when you do not post for a day.
48.The name Kubrick means more to you than the director of A Clockwork Orange.
49.You make the wrong post to the wrong blog on the wrong day.
50.You finish reading this and go to make a post with your own additions
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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Search This Cell Phone



Now here's another one of those interesting articles I came across throughout my internet travels in internetland headline news of the day that I thought to repost on this blog yet again in an attempt to maintain content for this blog whenever possible. And there is not much commentary I can comment on this one, as this article seems as if it wants to speak for itself. And though the names have changed, the story is the same. And what an interesting feature for a cell phone. Is this feature included in the wireless plan? And what, if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State?

Michigan: Police Search Cell Phones During Traffic Stops

ACLU seeks information on Michigan program that allows cops to download information from smart phones belonging to stopped motorists.

The Michigan State Police have a high-tech mobile forensics device that can be used to extract information from cell phones belonging to motorists stopped for minor traffic violations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan last Wednesday demanded that state officials stop stonewalling freedom of information requests for information on the program.

ACLU learned that the police had acquired the cell phone scanning devices and in August 2008 filed an official request for records on the program, including logs of how the devices were used. The state police responded by saying they would provide the information only in return for a payment of $544,680. The ACLU found the charge outrageous.

"Law enforcement officers are known, on occasion, to encourage citizens to cooperate if they have nothing to hide," An ACLU staff attorney wrote. "No less should be expected of law enforcement, and the Michigan State Poice should be willing to assuage concerns that these powerful extraction devices are being used illegally by honoring our requests for cooperation and disclosure."

A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections.

"Complete extraction of existing, hidden, and deleted phone data, including call history, text messages, contacts, images, and geotags," a CelleBrite brochure explains regarding the device's capabilities. "The Physical Analyzer allows visualization of both existing and deleted locations on Google Earth. In addition, location information from GPS devices and image geotags can be mapped on Google Maps."

The ACLU is concerned that these powerful capabilities are being quietly used to bypass Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.

"With certain exceptions that do not apply here, a search cannot occur without a warrant in which a judicial officer determines that there is probable cause to believe that the search will yield evidence of criminal activity," An ACLU staff attorney wrote. "A device that allows immediate, surreptitious intrusion into private data creates enormous risks that troopers will ignore these requirements to the detriment of the constitutional rights of persons whose cell phones are searched."

The national ACLU is currently suing the Department of Homeland Security for its policy of warrantless electronic searches of laptops and cell phones belonging to people entering the country who are not suspected of committing any crime.
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Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Headlines

And on this day has found itself another one of those Sundays that has rolled around, the day of the sun, the day of rest, the Sabbath. Or is that Saturday? And yet in between those headline news of the day somewhere between Japan and Middle East unrest, I find myself blaghing on this day for the sake of maintaining content for this blog whenever possible. And so goes that web 2.0 social media user generated content blah bloggers block again that wants to find me one this day. What to blog about, what to post. And how do those other seemingly a bazillion and beyond bloggers out there in bloggerland find content for those blogs on a daily basis. Is there some sort of internet guru to answer this question? And so those random thoughts come to mind again, well not so random, as I find myself posting some of those conspiracy and beyond headline news of the day that have been sitting around in my email inbox with titles like "npsgirl sent you a video: euronews admits to accelerating pole-shift! February 4, 2011" and "npsgirl sent you a video: "Chemtrails Hoodoo Voodo Medicine Man By Aerosmith, this is chemtrails the military or someone sprays in the sky to manipulate the weather." and "person@yahoo.com has shared: Homeland Security's laptop seizures: Interview with Rep. Sanchez, Will Congress act to curb the shocking abuses U.S. citizens encounter when re-entering their own country?" and "The Science Channel - Message from a friend!, An RFID Tag in Your Driver's License?" and "weird wacky weather, no further comment..." and "Walmart, National Act Suspicious at Wal-Mart Day, Operation: Suspicious Shoppers. You Might Attend · Public Event", and a whole lot more of conspiracy and beyond headline news that I have been meaning to blagh about with some sort of commentary at some point in blogger time. Have a great headline news and more day.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A Case of Jewelry

Diamonds are a girls best friend. And for some reason on this blogging day, all of those other phrases, sayings and philosophies about that word jewelry seem to be passing me by when it comes to figuring out what to say about that word. And so I find myself blogging about the phrase jewelry display cases on this blog on this day for some reason or another. And again, what else is there that I can say about this phrase jewelry display cases that has not already been said in jewelry display cases blogger time, except that I may have seen and leaned on a lot of those jewelry display cases in those stores to be found on planet earth throughout my travels here on planet earth. And what would those stores be like without those cases to hold that jewelry in, well it might be that those pieces of jewelry would find themselves sitting on the floor or something like that. And so if you happen to be looking for those jewelry showcases, wall cases, countertop showcases, glass showcases or some other kind of case, finding them can be a whole lot easier than running around town and beyond from store to store, as now with the invention of all things internet and world wide web, finding those jewelry display cases and more can be just a website visit away.
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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Pool

Hey again bloggers, or whoever could be reading this blog, and in bewtween reading those headline news of the day which can be all consuming sometimes, I find myself blogging about the phrase Austin Pool Builders for some reason or another. And what else is there that I can cay abut this word pools that has not already been said in pool blogger time. And if you happen to have some kind of place where you may be finding yourself in search of one of those swimming pools, spas and decks to build and put that spa pool or deck at, the internet has them. You can find someone to help you build one of those oasis kinds of things with that invention of the internet and all things online shopping. And from what I have seen on the internet throughout my internet travels in internetland on some of those build a pool and more websites is that those photos of those pools to look at are awesome in their awesomeness with their sizes and swimabilitiness. One can relax just by looking at these photos, I think. And now with the invention of all things internet, finding that pool and more can be just a website visit away.
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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Squat Or Rot


Squat or rot. The squatters are your neighbors. Housing is a human right. Squat the world. Free the land. If you need a home, take one. Whose right is it to say the land is for sale anyway. No one is free when others are oppressed. And so goes a host of other sayings and philosophies when it comes to that word squatting and living rent and tax free, or something like that. And so I found this email that arrived in my email inbox the other day that I thought to repost on my blog for those squatter, housing and beyond events, because hey, it's less writing sometimes, I think. And what if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State?

Three upcoming events on squatting in NYC‏


Hello all -

I wanted to let you know about three quite different events coming up, all about squatting in NYC. Full details below

1. Panel on squats, social centers, and autonomous spaces at the NYC Anarchist Book Fair, Saturday April 9, 11-12:30

2. I am giving a paper on adverse possession and historical documentation, based on the 13th st case, at a conference at CUNY on Monday, April 11, from 1:30-3:00

3. Matt Metzgar and Peter Spagnuolo are giving a talk about The LES Squatter Homesteader Archives Project at Pete's Candy Store on Monday, April 11, at 7:30


1. Squats, Social Centers and Autonomous Spaces.

Saturday, April 9, 2011 @ the Anarchist Book Fair. 11 am - 12:30 pm

55 Washington Sq. New York, NY 10012

Squatting is a key activist tactic to address the needs for housing and space for political action. Together with occupation, this kind of organized trespass is becoming increasingly important in our repertoire of direct action tactics today. What is the present-day experience of squatting as a political act? In other countries, occupied social centers organize political activity in the cities. Is U.S. squatting hopelessly disorganized and decentralized? What have been the challenges of opening new spaces? What have been the challenges and rewards of passing on knowledge from one generation to the next?

These are some of the questions we will address and this is the people who will respond to them

Alan Moore: Co-founder of both ABC NoRio and Colab. *Live from Paris @ La Generale.

Howard Brandstein: Homesteading organizer and Director of Sixth Street Community Center.

Frank Morales: Episcopal priest, squatter and housing organizer.

Marta Rosario: A long time resident at Umbrella House Squat and an exceptional vocalist.

Ryan Acuff: Housing organizer and member of Take Back the Land.

Moderators:

Amy Starecheski: Oral historian, doctoral student in Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center, and former squatter.

Sebastian Gutierrez: Teaches in the Film & Media department in CUNY's Hunter College and documents testimonial video events in NYC squats.


2. Mini-conference: "Producing History: Place, Memory, and Documentation"

Monday, April 11, 2011
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Graduate Center, CUNY

365 Fifth Avenue, Room 9205

11:00 – 12:30 PANEL: Producing History at Sites of Memory
“Sites & Reflexivity: Narratives at the Manzanar WWII Camp NHS”
— Rachel Daniell
“Exhibiting Atrocity: Memorial Museums & the Production of the Past”
— Amy Sodaro
Commentator—Dr. Vincent Crapanzano

12:30 – 1:30 BROWN BAG LUNCH

1:30 – 3:00 PANEL: Archives, Property, & the Production of Heritage
“Futures Entombed: Properly Historical Subjects, Living Human Treasure, & the Incorporation of History in Salvador, Brazil's World Heritage Center”
— Dr. John Collins
“Squatting History: The Documentary Practices of Adverse Possession”
— Amy Starecheski
“The Affect & Effect of UNESCO World Heritage”
— Andrew Hernann
Commentator—Dr. Katherine Verdery

3:00 – 4:00 NETWORKING & DISCUSSION
Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
sponsored by the CUNY Graduate Ctr Anthropology Dept and the Doctoral Students Council

www.productionofhistory.commons.gc.cuny.edu


3. THE ONCE AND FUTURE SQUATTER:
with Matt Metzgar of the Lower East Side Squatter Homesteader Archive Project and Peter Spagnuolo, co-founder of the Lower East Side Squatter Homesteader Archive Project.

FREE LECTURE!!!
Monday, April 11 7:30pm
Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lorimer St. Brooklyn)


In the 1980's and '90's the squatter-homesteaders of New York City's Lower East Side created an urban movement attempting to answer directly the housing needs of low-income and homeless persons by seizing abandoned tenement buildings and improvising their own homes and culture. The evening will address current efforts by squatters and homesteaders to create a research archive "from the ground up"-collecting, preserving and organizing the evidence of underground, insurgent movement-as well as the significance such a collection may have for scholars and the public. With reference to other American cities, the pro's and con's of strategies of direct methods of housing, the predominance of squatting as a global phenomena, and the specific cases of "Social Center" squatting in Europe, and its lack in the USA--the evening hopes to make palpable an overlooked, yet palpable legacy that boldly proclaims: Homeless/Artist/Activist: House Thyself, Socialize the Community!
Have a great squatting and more day.
And in other blogger thoughts....
Looking for a degree where you can make a difference and help people in your community? Check out social work online degree.
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The Floor

And so on another one of these blogging days somewhere between reading the headline news of the day which can sometimes be all consuming, I find myself blogging about the phrase Hardwood floor installation cost for some reason or another. And it seems as if I find myself blaghing about everything but the kitchen sink on this blog sometimes. And so what else is there that I can say about that phrase hardwood floor installation cost that has not already been said in hardwood floor installation cost time, except that if you find yourself as one of those human beings dwelling here on planet earth, you may sometimes find yourself walking across one of those floors underneath your feet that are attached to planet earth at some point in time or another. And I have seen a lot of those hardwood floors these days and times throughout my travels here on planet earth, as usually those floors are to be found indoors in those apartments, houses and beyond in all of their hardwood glossiness. And so if you happen to be looking for that carpet, vinyl, granite, ceramic, tile, hardwood or some other material to cover that ground or floor, finding it can be just a website visit away.
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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bloggers Block

And on this day finds itself another one of those Sundays that has rolled around. The day of the sun. The day of rest. The Sabbath. Or is that Saturday? And yet in between reading those headline news of the day somewhere in between Japan, Libya, The Middle East, the NCAA Tournaments, world news, celebrity gossip and beyond, I find myself blaghing away for some reason or another in an attempt to maintain content for this blog whenever possible. And so I find myself wondering what to post on this blog on this day in that web 2.0 social media user generated content era. And how do those other seemingly a bazillion bloggers do that again out there in bloggerland? You know, find stuff to post on their blogs all the time. Is there some sort of internet guru who can answer this question. Should I post yet another one of those events to be found in eventland, a poem, a video, a philosophy, someone elses post because hey, it's less writing sometimes, or is that one ethical? Or should I just continue blogging random thoughts just to fill up this blog entry. And it could be that blah blah bloggers block that I find myself encountering again. Have a great blogging and more day.
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