Boycott Cafe Press
click the picture above and join the protest and boycott!
After initially pulling the Psalm 109:8 merchandise which not so covertly issued threats against the President, Cafe Press had a change of heart regarding DanceswithPumas racist and bigoted propaganda store, here is their response;
Cafe Press reverses its decision
The crap stays up after all, according to another mass email (in which no one is bcc’d):Dear Michelle,Thank you for contacting CafePress.com!Cafepress looks at content on a case by case basis, and makes decisions about what content is permissible based on our content usage policy.
Anti-presidential gear has been a mainstay at Cafepress since we were founded in 1999 and has become a key component of political discourse. Our site has become a cultural barometer of public opinion and as such designs often come into question. In managing our content we are trying to protect self expression, while making sure we are not advocating violence.
We initially pulled the Psalm 109:8 content from our products today because broader media dialog indicated that these designs potentially suggested violence towards the president. Based on current public discourse and further review of the actual content, we have determined that it is fair political commentary and we are in the process of reinstating this merchandise. As with all of our content, these designs will continue to be reviewed and if at any time their meaning is construed as advocating violence we will revisit our decision.
Your ticket code is LTK419085799243X. Please use this code in any further communication.
Best Regards,
Margene H.
Content Usage Associate
(650) 655-3104 (O)
(650) 240-0260 (F)
www.cafepress.com
What a bunch of bullshit that is, anyone who has read the bible knows what the meaning of Psalm 109:8, if you are not familiar with it, it says this;
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
Sounds like veiled threats to me and at the very least a call to all the fundies for physical action against the President. I urge everyone to contact the person above at Cafe Press and demand that the material be taken off of their website.
email the following and ask them to look further into Murphy and DWP’s cafe press store;
rachel@msnbc.com << Rachel Maddow
countdown@msnbc.com << Keith Olbermann
hardball@msnbc.com << Chris Matthews
h/t to obot for the link to the DK diary that the above info came from
cross posted at Stupid Pumas
Add comment November 19, 2009
The Not So Loyal Speech. A Monument To 13 Years of Labour Failure
When the General Election finally happens Labour will have been in power for 13 years. Labour was elected with a massive majority in 1997, they promised reforming zeal and delivered nothing.
Their legacy is one of a failed economy crippled by debt and unlikely to recover for many many years.
An acute housing shortage, deliberately encouraged to continue boosting house prices to beyond economic sense.
Spending billions on “cutting child poverty”, while creating a tax credit system with overpayments and debt built in.
Despite the real difficulties young people have as registering as unemployed the highest ever levels of youth unemployment.
American levels of student debt being accepted as a norm. Removing a ladder of opportunity from the poorest.
Public service waste because services became driven by performance indicators, not service delivery.
The Queen’s speech today reflected a manifesto of promises that Labour should have tackled years ago, not 6 months before an election.
The proposed bills stand not as a promise of a bright New Labour future but as a monument to Labour failure.
Bribery Bill
This if passed would make it illegal to bribe a foreign official to obtain or retain business. Furthermore, if businesses fail to prevent a bribe being paid by their employees or by other firms on their behalf an offence would be committed.I guess that the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair and the “estranged” husband of Labour Minister Tessa Jowell are grateful that this bill was not on the books previously.
Child Poverty Bill
This will enshrine into legislation a promise that was so badly broken by Labour, their desire to end child poverty by 2020. It forces the government to make annual reports to Parliament on the success of its strategies to end child poverty. This bill owes NOTHING to the aim of ending child poverty, it simply reflects a demand from Labour campaigners to enshrine into law Labour policy. This bill is as meaningless as its aim.Equality Bill
Again a complete monument to Labour failure. The gap between rich and poor has never been wider, but this bill would require the whole public sector a duty to “narrow the gap between rich and poor”. Departmental wide responsibilities tend to mean no one is responsible.This bill would also ban age discrimination outside of the workplace – such as when buying goods and services like healthcare. Does this mean the end of SAGA?
Business with more than 250 employees would have to report on gender differences on pay.
Labour finally wakes up to the power the Government has as a customer, not by directing LAs to properly control the amounts spent on suppliers, but by forcing Public bodies to use their £200bn of public procurement power “drive equality” in private sector firms.
Fiscal Responsibility Bill
The title is NOT a joke. This would place into law the promise to halve the budget deficit within four years. Labour is still attached to the Neo Cons. Parliament would be able to approve medium-term fiscal plans. Again, something previously shrouded in secret under Labour, but now a requirement in law?Children, Schools and Families Bill
This is yet another bill ignoring student poverty, something Labour made worse when they replaced the previous Tory mix of loans and grants with loans and fees. Not exactly something proised in the Labour manifesto and with public finances in a disastrous state, something that will now take generations to tackle.This bill shows yet again the Labour Nanny approach to education, while attempting to portray it as parental rights. Labour have learned nothing from the failure of performance indicators, so to prove the point they are making these indicators – guarantees. Parents will have a right to nag schools if they do not deliver. The schools will be given report cards.
Teaching to performance standards is the reason why school children can pass a test, but know nothing of the subject they are taught.
We should of course be grateful that this bill promises “greater flexibility” for primary schools to set their own curricula.
It would set a requirement that all young people receive at least one year of sex and relationships education. Those children from religious backgrounds would not, as now be able to opt out. This may or may not be a good thing, but it is hardly more parental power.
Home educators will have to be registered and inspected.
Flood and Water Management Bill
The floods of 2007 caused £3bn of damage, this bill will pass the financial responsibility to Councils. Surface water flooding would become their legal responsibility.Sustainable drainage systems will have to be considered for new building developments, this is nothing new. Existing Planning law could achieve that.
Further powers will be given to the water companies to control customers’ usage during droughts. Again another sop to the French Government Water Industry.
Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill
This would make it an offence to use, produce, develop, acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer cluster munitions.
So why now when Labour has no time to dio anything? Why did they seek an exemption from a treaty ban in 2008?The US and UK used nearly 13,000 cluster munitions containing an estimated 1.8 to 2 million submunitions in the three weeks of major combat. A total of 63 CBU-87 bombs were dropped by US aircraft between May 1, 2003 and August 1, 2006.
Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill
The one worthwhile part of this bill reminds me of right wing Tea-Baggers in the US. Labour finally propose ending the stupid Serious and Organised Crime Act ban on demonstrations around Parliament. So it will be ok to demonstrate against a potential Tory (Tory/Lib Dem) Government, but for most of the time Labour was in Government – not against them.As long as they don’t start saying protest is patriotic.
It would give Parliament the ability to scrutinise treaties, while of course ignoring the fact Labour promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
It ends the by-election of hereditary peers to sit in House of Lords, which therefore reduces their number over time. It also allows for the disqualification of peers convicted of serious offences or subject to a bankruptcy order. I wonder who they are getting at?
It allows Peers to resign Peerages. Something that already has a precedent.
Crime and Security Bill
More Nanny and less tackling the real problems, as this introduces mandatory assessment of parenting needs when 10 to 15-year-olds are considered for an ASBO.The amount of information police need to record when carrying out stop and search, I guess they are forgetting SUS laws. Yay to the Daily Mail agenda.
It gives police the power to bar suspected domestic violence offenders from their homes for a period, even if not charged. All very well, except of course it ignores the somewhat important principle of innocent before guilty, but who will house those barred from their own homes?
It would make it a legal requirement to store air guns safely.
Possession of a mobile phone in prison without authorisation would become a criminal offence.
Wheel-clamping businesses will be subject to a licence.
The DNA database will continue to grow. Adults who are arrested but not charged will have their DNA recorded for six years. Of course, when Labour politicos were arrested, they were not subject to fingerprinting and DNA testing. It would also allow the police to record DNA samples and fingerprints of sexual and seriously violent offenders returning to UK following a conviction overseas.
Digital Economy Bill
A disgusting and disgraceful sop to the music and film industry at the expense of Internet Service providers. A bought and paid for Government.Of course in terms of technology, this bill does nothing to deal with the highly unfavourable tax regime this Government placed on IT workers. The consequence of this is that the UK games Industry, which was the 3rd largest in the World is slipping to 5th place and probably even worse.
Ofcom would be given a legal obligation the duty to assess the UK’s communications infrastructure every two years.
The digital radio switchover would happen by 2015.
Video games ratings would become compulsory for games designed for children aged 12 and above.
Channel 4 would be given a public service remit – despite the pressures it faces on advertising.
Energy Bill
Private companies will bee forced to issue rebates for fuel to poorer customers. Interesting as a fair chunk of the UK fuel industry and the Water industry is liked to the French government.Financial Services Bill
This would establish a Council for Financial Stability, after all, the man who served as Chancellor for so many years was able to deliver Britain from Boom and Bust – NOT. It would be chaired by the chancellor, and comprising representatives of the Treasury, Bank of England and Financial Services Authority.Strengthens the FSA to take “action” on pay of those in financial services, following the recent outcry over bonuses. So pay deals become more hidden. It also supposedly promises “action” in UK and somehow internationally, on bankers’ pay.
It would require banks and other financial firms to set up “living will” to make them easier to wind down in the event of a crisis. From “too big to fail” to how to fail.
It would bans unsolicited credit card cheques and enables the setting up of national money guidance service. Despite the fact that they exist already.
It also promises to allows groups of consumers to bring court actions against financial institutions. Again something consumers can do.
Personal Care at Home Bill
This election bribe would guarantee free personal care for the 280,000 people with the “highest needs”, such as those with serious dementia or Parkinson’s disease.It provides free care to a further 166,000 people who would otherwise have to use their savings to contribute. It also promises to help 130,000 people needing to enter care homes for the first time to “regain their independence”. As well as adaptations to the neediest people’s homes to increase their independence. Where is the money Gordo?
These bills are promised, but lack of Parliamentary time pretty much ensures that they will never see the light of day.
House of Lords Reform Bill
Promises that the Lords will be between 80% and 100% elected. States the government should not hold a majority in the second chamber and its members must be independent.Nice timing from a Party that will no longer be in Government. Legislate themselves in to a position of power.International Development Spending Bill
Requires that 0.7% of gross national income is spent on development from 2013. This was in each Labour Manifesto and they continually failed to meet it. Gordon broke his promise to the poor of the World.The promises on health care and housing of course failed to materialise.
A failed legislative agenda from a failed Government.
1 comment November 19, 2009
A selection of some of the searches that brought people to my blog
fail
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sarah palin is an idiot
fail pictures
sarah palin idiot
palin idiot
what do belgians look like
phil boerner
fail pic
redneck women smoking
Make of that what you want.
1 comment November 17, 2009
Why Minimum Sentencing Laws Are Wrong
What would you do if you found a bin bag in your garden that had a sawn off shot gun with it?
a) phone the police and take it to them to hand it in
b) phone the police and leave it for them or someone else to pick it up
c) leave it – someone else may pick it up.
If you chose a) or b), because you were concerned that someone else may do bad things with the gun, you would now be looking at FIVE years behind prison. This is now the fate of a Paul Clarke from Surrey.
Mr Clarke, an ex Soldier, was on the balcony of his home when he spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden. He took it indoors and inside found a sawn-off shotgun and two cartridges.
The next morning he rang the Chief Superintendent and asked to see him. He went to the station, took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall. It was therefore not a threat.
At that point Clarke was immediately arrested for possession of a firearm and taken to the cells.
All well and good you would have assumed. The police need to verify that the man is honest, law abiding etc. He would be allowed to go on his way.
No. He was charged with possession of a fire-arm. Possession is illegal.
Just like speeding, there is no defence for possession of a firearm. If you do more than 30 in a 30 zone, you are speeding. You are guilty. Pay your fine, add points to your licence.
If you are holding a firearm, you are holding a firearm. You are in possession. It is illegal.
There are however cases that are not in the public interest to prosecute. However the Crown Prosecution Service also have Performance Indicators to meet.
One of those targets is to increase the level of prosecutions for crimes reported to the police, by 1.2 million. The CPS calls the difference between crimes reported and prosecuted the justice gap. This is an easy prosecution.
So a jury will find him not guilty?
No – they can not. The Judge confirms the case put by the prosecution – possession of a firearm is in the UK a strict liability issue. There is no legal defence.
So the Judge can be lenient? No, the minimum sentence for possession is five years. Mr Clarke will be out within 2 1/2 years for good behaviour, for his crime of good behaviour.
Remember this case when newspapers and politicians start screaming demands to get tough on crime.
Add comment November 15, 2009
Falling Down
The United Kingdom is still stuck in the biggest and deepest recession on record.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2009, confounding analysts’ predictions of an increase of 0.2 per cent.
Now spanning six consecutive quarters – a first since the ONS started compiling GDP figures back in 1955 – the UK is currently experiencing its longest period in recession on record.
The economy has now been contracting since early 2008.
Output fell almost entirely across the board, with the industries of construction, distribution, hotels and catering, transport and storage, and business services and finance all recording a decline.
The Bank of England is however optimistic. Why? Who knows? Maybe the Governor got a bit of a telling off for his last foray in to the political field.
The Bank of England confirms that the UK economy has shrunk by 6% in 18 months. Although it does not use optimistic language its report remains highly optimistic.
This chart shows the Bank of England prediction trend line for economic growth. The Bank sees the economy growing by 2.1 per cent next year, an amazing and unprecedented growth of four per cent in 2011 and an equally implausible 3.5 per cent in 2012.
Even using those highly optimistic growth rates it will take until 2012 for the economy to return to the output levels of 2007/2008.
These assumptions are however weak. They ignore the necessary but painful budget cuts that will have to be made by the Public Sector over the coming years. Taxes are covering only £4 out of £5 being spent by this Government, the rest is borrowing.
Although there will be some reduction in borrowing from growth, that growth will not be enough to get the budget out of deficit.
Indeed, with a growing elderly population, changes made to the Pension Credit scheme, including a pre election boost to pensioners, will only continue adding to the bill.
The Government is already talking of cuts. Ed Balls has offered up £2 billion of cuts in the Education budget.
Tax rises are also going to be harsh. You can not cut £175 billion of spending without a dramatic rethink of the role of the State and that will not happen.
Everybody who lives in the UK will pay more for reduced public services.
This will impact on growth. A smaller pubic sector means less jobs. Increases in tax will hit investment.
Unwinding quantitative easing will not be easy. Yields on UK gilts will rise, which means increases in interest rates. The mini-bubble in parts of the housing market will therefore pop. To me that is probably one of the only good things. It was after all the housing bubble that got us in to this mess. The irony of the Labour years is that through Housing Associations, the Government spent billions on “affordable housing” and then gave billions to the banks to keep houses unaffordable. We need a different direction on housing.
So faced with even more tax rises, where do the jobs come from? Who knows. The UK is now deeply uncompetitive. Income tax rates are too high at too early a level, we should not be taxing those on minimum wage and we should not be treating someone on £35k as a top rate taxpayer. And although other Countries have a higher top rate theirs start at a much higher band.
Corporation tax is far steeper than in most of our competitor nations and the 2007 budget changes to screw over new businesses will not aid recovery. Small businesses have always been the fuel for economic growth.
The UK’s trend rate of growth prior to the recession was 2.75 per cent a year. That keeps the UK economy at below 2007/08 levels until 2015.
By that time almost every other large European economy will have outgrown us. Will Britain still get a seat at the table? Kind of explains why the G5 became the G8 and why it is now the G20.
With at least five years of hard slog to get back to where the economy in 2007, Cameron looks as though he will be picking up more than a poisoned chalice. The chalice itself is poison. It will be him and not Brown who will get the blame for the economic mess that will take a generation to recover. People have short memories and it is easy to blame the ones in power NOW for the damage done by a previous administration. The Republicans are already doing it in America. “New Labour” will start the blame game on day one.
Interesting times ahead.
Add comment November 14, 2009
This is the result of hate
Out of respect for the millions of soldiers who fought in two World Wars for our freedom, I waited until I posted this.
The War Against Terror has produced many many extreme idiots as well as those who want to profit from hate.
The snapping of Major Nidal Hasan was shocking enough. An Army Major who went off the rails, having spent years listening to the traumas of those forced to deploy in the questionable war of Afghanistan and the illegal war of Iraq.
This of course comes on the back of an Afghan trainee betraying UK soldiers. Little reported in the US because it really does call in to question the whole mission.
The President delivered an excellent response to the tragedy at Fort Hood. His comments were very much those of a statesman.
This story however shows why we may not be winning the battle of hearts and minds in Afghanistan.
TAMPA — Marine reservist Jasen Bruce was getting clothes out of the trunk of his car Monday evening when a bearded man in a robe approached him.
That man, a Greek Orthodox priest named Father Alexios Marakis, speaks little English and was lost, police said. He wanted directions.
What the priest got instead, police say, was a tire iron to the head. Then he was chased for three blocks and pinned to the ground — as the Marine kept a 911 operator on the phone, saying he had captured a terrorist.
Hate is the ultimate form of stupidity.
Add comment November 12, 2009
The Fall Of the Berlin Wall
I was at University when the Berlin wall fell. “Guido Fawkes” was then the young capitalist, selling small blocks of the wall to Young Conservatives, Conservative Students and the Young SDP and trying to get them certified by the German Government.
To me, this meant the end of the cold war. The $billions spent on defence could go elsewhere. Perhaps even to improving schools in poor districts.
The collapse of the Berlin Wall was the very last nail in the overthrow of Communism. Authoritarian rule had been overthrown.
How wrong I was. I will admit to being thoroughlly annoyed that Margaret Thatcher was removed by her own Party some months afterwars. The Reagan/Thatcher years replaced by people who spoke more liberally but delivered less in the way of opportunity. Bush Sr then went on to destriy any opportunity the poor had of lifiting themselves up – he stole their boot-straps.
To be followed by a Democratic President who blamed the poor for being poor and restricted unemployment benefits to six months. Implemented by the Major / Blair transition team.
Freedom won an enduring victory against authoritarian rule twenty years ago. Never give it up.
Add comment November 10, 2009
