10 Signs You Might Be a Slave -

10 Signs You Might Be a Slave - 




The definition of slavery is not nearly as clear as it used to be when we could see the physical chains and whips that shackled human laborers.  Therefore, it's more vital than ever to identify the abstract ways in which humanity is confined.  Here are ten signs you might be a modern-day slave:


You might be a slave if...


1. You hate when your alarm clock buzzes: If you don't wake up everyday with fantastic anticipation to be alive, you might be living under someone else's command. In fact, if you have to wake up at the same time every day, you're probably someone's slave.


2. You're forced to pay for causes you vehemently oppose: If you're a peaceful person but are forced to pay for wars done in your name, you might be a slave.  Likewise, if you're forced to pay for corporate welfare of failed institutions while you struggle to stay healthy, you're surely a slave.


3. You expect someone else to take care of you: If someone other than yourself takes care of you, then you're likely beholden to them in countless ways. Be careful, you might be a slave if you demand that the government give you something other than freedom.

4. You must follow laws that your Master may break:  If the rule of law only applies to you and your lowly peers, while the Masters get away with murder, you're clearly a slave in an unjust system.


5. You think mob rule is better than personal freedom:  If you believe that majority rule is always better for you than free will, then you're most certainly a slave.“Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.” -- Mahatma Gandhi.


6. You condemn beliefs of others: If you're taught to hate the beliefs of others who have never harmed you, then your mind has been thoroughly confined by your Master's implanted beliefs.


7. You believe people should be caged for consuming a product: If you believe that it's okay to cage humans for consuming a product in private, then you probably love your enslavement.


8. You sit in traffic for more than one hour a day:  If you waste over 360 hours a year (10,800 hours over a 30-year career, that's 450 days) commuting to a job you despise, your time and life belongs to someone else.


9. You're forced to wear a uniform: If you're forced into a dress code of any kind, including a suit and tie, you're a show clown with someone to impress in order to receive your daily bread.


10. You watch over 20 hours of TV per week: If you occupy your amazing mind in front of a glowing box in the room for 1,040 hours a year (43 days), then your unlimited creativity is impossibly chained to a lifetime of mindlessness.


Read more - 
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/10-signs-you-might-be-slave.html

Grand jury declines to indict McDonald's worker in beating - from video seen allegedly swinging a metal object -

Grand jury declines to indict McDonald's worker in beating - from video seen allegedly swinging a metal object - 




A fast-food worker whose run-in with two unruly customers was captured on cell phone video last month will not be indicted on assault charges, prosecutors said Saturday.
A grand jury voted against indicting Rayon McIntosh, who was seen allegedly swinging a metal object against two patrons at a McDonald's restaurant in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
He had been charged with felony assault, according to Joan Vollero, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office.
The grand jury reviewed evidence and testimony over 11 days, said Vollero.
The incident occurred at the restaurant on West 3rd Street in the early morning of October 12, and seemed to begin when the cashier questioned a $50 bill the women gave him, according to the video.
The two women responded by hurling obscenities at McIntosh. One of them then appeared to reach over the counter and slap his face, the video showed.
From there, one woman was seen climbing over the counter, sending the cashier running toward the kitchen area. The other woman is then seen walking around to join her friend.
The cashier reappears with what police described as a metal object and repeatedly takes swings at the women.
Restaurant patrons can be heard screaming for him to stop, while other employees are seen trying to intervene.
The video, one minute and 10 seconds long, shows the cashier taking swings at the women as many as 10 times as they lie behind the counter.
"Stop! Stop!" one woman screams. "Stop it! Call the cops!"
The two women suffered lacerations to their head and face and were taken to a hospital, police said. One of the women suffered a fractured skull and a broken arm, according to a complaint filed by the DA's office.
Authorities identified the women as Denise Darbeau and Rachael Edwards, who authorities say each face pending charges of menacing, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Read more -

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/03/justice/new-york--mcdonalds-beating/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Black Friday Gun Sales Break Records - smashing the single day record with a 32% increase from last year -

Black Friday Gun Sales Break Records - smashing the single day record with a 32% increase from last year - 



Even as Joe Sixpack was maxing out that last credit card on useless gadgets (but not flat screen TVs as Corning was so nice to warn), he was making sure to have enough in store for that one final Plan Z purchase. Guns. As KNDU reports, "Gun dealers flooded the FBI with background check requests from shoppers,  smashing the single day record with a 32% increase from last year." USA Today has more: "Deputy Assistant FBI Director Jerry Pender said the checks, required by federal law, surged to 129,166 during the day, far surpassing the previous high of 97,848 on Black Friday of 2008." And in reality, the number is likely far greater: "The actual number of firearms sold last Friday is likely higher because multiple firearms can be included in a transaction by a single buyer. And the FBI does not track actual gun sales." And while Saudi Arabia is warning that women driving leads to the end of the world, in America women are now the marginal guy buyer: "Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting. Larry Keane, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said 25% of the purchases typically involve first-time buyers, many of them women. "I think there also is a burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns," Keane said. Yet Keane said last Friday's number appeared to defy complete explanation. "It's really pretty amazing," he said." Indeed it is, and unlike Europe, where with the exception of Switzerland the best the local rioters can do is some imported (from the US) tear gas, when the Arab Spring finally makes landfall, it will be time to use up those one way international frequent flier miles (assuming of course that American and soon others don't cancel them).
Read more -
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/black-friday-gun-sales-break-records

New Zealand is perceived as least corrupt nation on earth, and Somalia and North Korea are seen as the most corrupt -

New Zealand is perceived as least corrupt nation on earth, and Somalia and North Korea are seen as the most corrupt - 




New Zealand is perceived as the least corrupt nation on earth, and Somalia and North Korea are seen as the most corrupt, a German watchdog organization said in a report released this week.
The United States ranked 24th least corrupt on a "corruption perceptions index," the fourth-highest in the Western Hemisphere. Canada ranked 10th, the Bahamas is 21st and Chile is 22nd.
Overall, the top spots are occupied mostly by European countries, with the exception of New Zealand, Singapore at No. 5 and Australia, which is tied for eighth with Switzerland. Other nations with top rankings are Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
In addition to Somalia and North Korea, which are tied for last at No. 182, the bottom of the list includes Myanmar, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sudan, Iraq, Haiti and Venezuela.
The report was prepared by the independent, nonpartisan Transparency International organization, which says it drew its conclusions based "on different assessments and business opinion surveys carried out by independent and reputable institutions."
The information used to compile the index includes "questions relating to the bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public-sector and anti-corruption efforts," Transparency International said.
Perceptions are used, the organization said, because corruption is a hidden activity that is difficult to measure.
"Over time," the organization said in its report, "perceptions have proved to be a reliable estimate of corruption."
The rankings for other Western Hemisphere countries are: Uruguay (25), Puerto Rico (39), Costa Rica (50), Cuba (61), Brazil (73), Colombia, El Salvador and Peru (tied for 80), Panama (86), Argentina and Mexico (tied for 100), Bolivia (118), Ecuador and Guatemala (tied for 120), the Dominican Republic and Honduras (tied for 129), Nicaragua (134), Paraguay (154), Venezuela (172) and Haiti (175).
The index uses a scale of 1-10 to measure perceived corruption, with zero representing highly corrupt and 10 being very clean.
New Zealand, the highest-ranked nation, has a 9.5 score. Somalia and North Korea, the lowest-ranked, have 1.0.
The United States scored 7.1, while Canada is 8.7 and Chile is 7.2. Haiti, the lowest-ranked nation in the Western Hemisphere, scored 1.8. Next-worst is Venezuela with 1.9.


Read more -
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/03/world/corruption-perceptions-index/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Groupon deal gaffe sparks grotto chaos and Santa Wars - FURIOUS parents hurled abuse at Santa and his elves -

Groupon deal gaffe sparks grotto chaos and Santa Wars - FURIOUS parents hurled abuse at Santa and his elves - 




FURIOUS parents hurled abuse at Santa and his elves after a boob by discount website Groupon saw thousands besiege his grotto.
Terrified kids sobbed amid mega queues for an advertised winter wonderland train ride — which did not exist.


Horrified Penny Ward, who organised the grotto, said yesterday: "One man even verbally threatened the lady dressed as a Christmas tree. One elf was so upset she resigned. It was a nightmare."


She told how at least 2,000 families turned up clutching vouchers after Groupon contacted her to let it plug the York grotto — part of the city's St Nicholas Fayre.


Penny insisted she never mentioned a train ride, adding: "I'm not surprised people were disappointed — Groupon had sold it as this amazing winter wonderland but it's just a small Christmas grotto."


Gaffe-prone Groupon, which emails subscribers with special offers, apologised — and blamed "a technical error".


Read more -
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3975746/Groupon-deal-gaffe-sparks-grotto-chaos.html

U.S. Spent $200M on Egypt Election -

U.S. Spent $200M on Egypt Election - 




The Obama administration spent some $200 million on democracy building in the lead-up to the elections this week in Egypt.


But with 65 percent of the vote going to Islamist candidates, it doesn’t appear the money was well spent. 


Stephen McInerney, executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, told Campaigns & Elections magazine that $65 million went to Egypt after the uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and an additional $100 million was earmarked for economic development but also to train Egypt’s nascent political parties.


The money is going through the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute. 


A Washington-based consultant who works with USAID and the State Department says the focus of the aid to Egypt has been on helping the smaller political parties that are competing against the better organized Freedom and Justice Party, the Muslim Brotherhood’s party.


This week saw the first round of Parliamentary elections, with voting in nine of the country’s 27 provinces. The staggered elections will continue over the coming months. The Freedom and Justice Party won 40 percent of the vote on Wednesday, with an additional 15 percent going to the Salafis, a group of hard-line Islamists who reject the right of women to vote. 


Read more - http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/us-money-egypt-elections/2011/12/02/id/419829#ixzz1fV2nH7t4

WoW - Saudi Arabia says - "allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia would cause rampant sex, porn and homosexuality" -

WoW - Saudi Arabia says - "allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia would cause rampant sex, porn and homosexuality" - 

And now for the Friday humor which instead of capital markets... we get enough fun there every time we look at the S&P or read any headline out of Europe... focuses on cultural perspectives. Specifically, those originating in Saudi Arabia. As QMI reports "allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia would cause rampant sex, porn and homosexuality, according to some of the country's scholars." It gets better: "Academics at the country's highest religious council submitted a report to the legislative assembly warning of the dangers of letting women behind the wheel, reports the Daily Telegraph. If the only country in the world that still bans women from driving were to change its rules, there would be "a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce." Within 10 years of the ban being lifted, the report claimed, there would be "no more virgins" in the country, according to the paper." One then wonders if Britney learned to drive when she was 17. That said, we urge feminists with a penchant for sports cars to stay out of Saudi Arabia, no matter how much they love extracting the viscous substance out of the oil-rich venues: "Currently, women caught driving in the kingdom may be lashed as punishment."


Read more - 
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/friday-humor-allowing-women-drive-leads-rampant-prostitution-pornography-homosexuality-and-divo

I McDo: McDonald’s in Hong Kong offers fast food weddings - options include a “cake” made with stacked apple pies -

I McDo: McDonald’s in Hong Kong offers fast food weddings - options include a “cake” made with stacked apple pies - 


Would you like a wedding with that?


Marriage ceremonies are now on the menu at McDonald’s restaurants in Hong Kong for local couples looking for a cheap and easy way to celebrate their love.


Launched in January, McDonald’s Wedding Party is approaching its one-year anniversary. So far, it is only offered in Hong Kong.


The service has proven popular with a younger crowd that grew up with the golden arches, often throwing birthday parties at McDonald’s as children. Now that they’re in their 20s and 30s, it makes sense that they would want to host wedding parties there, too, according to Ruoyun Bai, a professor of Chinese culture at the University of Toronto.


“By offering engagement and wedding packages to these young people, McDonald’s might be seen as trying to tap into a sense of nostalgia,” she said. “It can be seen as evidence of how successfully McDonald’s has re-created itself as a local brand in Hong Kong.”


Some locals call themselves “diehard fans” of McDonald’s food and mascots, said Shirley Chang, managing director of McDonald’s Hong Kong.


“McDonald’s is part of the collective memories for many Hong Kong people,” she said in a news release.


Unlike customers in the West, those in Hong Kong don’t necessarily see a McWedding as tacky because they don’t perceive the brand as lowbrow, Bai said, adding that McDonald’s food is more expensive than meals at a mid-range restaurant serving local cuisine.


“I think it’s their strategy to create a high-end image in Asia, in China.”


There are now more than 200 McDonald’s restaurants in Hong Kong since the first opened in 1975. But unlike in mainland China, where the first McDonald’s opened in 1990, McDonald’s success in Hong Kong has little to do with residents’ fascination with the West, said Bai.


“Maybe in the early days of McDonald’s entry into Hong Kong, it was regarded as the symbol of the West,” she said. “But several decades later, I do not think people eat at McDonald’s in order to seek an American cultural experience.”


The basic “Warm and Sweet” wedding package starts at $9,999 Hong Kong dollars ($1,320 Canadian), including venue rental, decoration, audio equipment, MC, 50 invitation cards, a wedding gift, guest gifts and $3,000 Hong Kong dollars worth of McDonald’s food ($396 Canadian).


Other options include a “cake” made with stacked apple pies and wedding gowns constructed from balloons.


McDonald’s also offers a few kitschy themes for wedding decor and invitations, such as one with Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar and other McDonaldland characters on a Pepto-Bismol pink backdrop.


Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1096257--i-mcdo-mcdonald-s-in-hong-kong-offers-fast-food-weddings?bn=1

Parents Can Rent Toys At New Website - the ‘Netflix’ of toys -

Parents Can Rent Toys At New Website - the ‘Netflix’ of toys - 




When you are a kid on Christmas morning, it’s all about volume. But when you are a parent, cruising the aisles of the toy-store in December, it’s about trying to balance a happy holiday with a reasonable budget.


Paul Reinsmith of Boston has found a great way to have plenty of toys under the tree, and all year, without breaking the bank.


Paul and his wife Pam discovered what they call the ‘Netflix’ of toys.


It’s called Toygaroo, a website that lets parents rent toys for a fraction of what they would cost to buy.


“It’s the ideal situation for the holiday time,” Paul said. “You can stuff toys under the tree for under 50 bucks. If you were out there buying them, there’s just no way you could do that.”


Paul and Pam choose the toys that are best suited for their son Will and just like Netflix, they go into a queue. Depending on the service plan, every month or every other month, a box comes in the mail with a new set of toys from the queue. When the time is up, send the toys back and a new box will be on its way.


Here’s an idea of what you get and how much it costs.


The cheapest option is $24.99/month for a box of four toys.


We chose The Toy Story 3 Speedway, The Thomas the Tank Engine laptop, Chicco’s radio controlled ATV and the Rolling Round Jungle.


The retail value of those toys is $112.96.


If there is something your child just can’t bear to send back, or if something gets lost or broken, you can purchase the toy at a discounted price.


One mom we talked with liked the concept, but wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her kids playing with toys that had already been around the block with who knows how many other kids. Toygaroo says all the toys are carefully sanitized and re-sealed in plastic before they are shipped to a new home. Paul says all the toys they’ve seen have been like new.


“We haven’t found any ick factor at all,” he said.






Read more - 
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/12/01/parents-can-rent-toys-at-new-website/

Armed U.S. police officers will for the first time be allowed to operate in Canada

Armed U.S. police officers will for the first time be allowed to operate in Canada - 


Armed U.S. police officers will for the first time be allowed to operate in Canada along with the RCMP as part of far-reaching changes in Canadian-American border operations to be unveiled next week by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama.


The joint action plan to be announced at the White House will also break new ground by introducing exit-entry records that will track the movements of everyone who leaves the United States or Canada, with the information available to authorities in both countries.


In the months and years ahead, the deal between Ottawa and Washington will reshape security, travel and commercial arrangements at the border in a variety of profound ways — some of which have already raised alarms among Canadians.


The agreement, which has been the subject of confidential negotiations since last winter, is intended to reverse the economically damaging border tie-ups that have been growing since Sept. 11, 2001, while upgrading anti-crime and anti-terrorist security for both countries.


In contrast to the silence from Canadian negotiators, some U.S. officials have been open about what the new reality at the border will look like in the years ahead.


U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed last fall that the deal will authorize Canada and the U.S. to designate officers who can take part in police investigations on both sides of the border. The pilot project, Holder said, will improve the two countries’ ability to deal with the “unprecedented” threats along the border from terrorists, human smugglers, illegal firearms traffickers and drug dealers.


The model for the joint policing program is the Shiprider project, a three-year-old plan under which the RCMP and U.S. Coast Guard join forces and ride in each others’ vessels when patrolling boundary waters.


As part of the measures to improve security and streamline border practices, the Beyond the Border blueprint is also expected to include greatly increased information-sharing between Canada and the U.S., including the exit-entry plan.


This secretly devised shake-up of border operations has sparked widespread concerns.


“It’s contemptuous of Canadian citizenry to unveil a program in which we’ve had essentially no input,” said Micheal Vonn, policy director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association.


“This process has really been conducted behind closed doors. We’ve had no white papers, no reports — nothing that we could point to to say, ‘Here are the pros and cons, here are the drawbacks, here are the things we are considering,’ ” she said.


Vonn said the call for comment by Foreign Affairs earlier this year was not a real consultation, because it was based on the loosely worded framework agreement for a border overhaul signed by Harper and Obama in February — not the actual pact negotiated in the months since by officials from Ottawa and Washington.


Still, Foreign Affairs’ consultation exercise drew 1,000 individual responses, nearly half from Canadians who opposed further integration of cross-border law enforcement. Exchanging more personal data across the border also worried individuals who responded to the proposed Canada-U.S. deal.


“Their submissions generally questioned the need to share more information, and they sought assurance that any information sharing would be governed by Canadian privacy laws and that practices and procedures would respect the due process of law and Canada’s civil liberties,” according to a summary of the submissions compiled by Foreign Affairs.


Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1094483--border-deal-fuels-concerns-in-canada