It's Official! Big Brother Has Infiltrated the VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs has admitted to reporters at the Tampa Bay Times that it installed a surveillance camera in a patient's room.

Joseph Carnegie, an Air Force vet, checked into James A. Haley VA Medical Center last August to recover from an infection. Later on that month he suffered cardiac arrest and brain damage when staffers failed to notice fluid in his feeding tube had cut off his air supply. It was shortly after Carnegie's family notified the Haley VA Center of their intent to sue that the camera was installed.Although it was disguised to look like a smoke detector-and is even marketed by its manufacturer under the name "Vonnic C401W Smoke Detector Covert Camera"-VA officials denied the camera was hidden. They claimed instead that the smoke detector cam was necessary to monitor the patient's condition (because, you know, a pin hole camera stuck on the ceiling is much more effective than a standard heart monitor, or simply asking people to do their jobs). The family's request to have the camera removed was refused.

*This article has been edited for an error stating that Joseph Carnegie is comatose. In fact, he is brain damaged and unable to communicate. I apologize for the error.

Did Weed Cause Rudy Eugene's Face Munchies?

The toxicology reports are in on Rudy Eugene, aka the guy behind the Miami face-eating zombie attack. According to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner, marijuana was the only drug found during autopsy, putting a huge, mouth-shaped hole in speculation that bath salts were responsible for the violent assault. A second lab confirmed the results. Ronald Poppo, the victim, is still recovering from his wounds.

http://news.yahoo.com/tests-only-marijuana-face-chewers-system-205604519.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/06/27/2871098/mes-report-eugene-had-no-drugs.html
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/medical-examiner-causeway-cannibal-not-high-on-bath-salts/

Zombie Attack Cover-Up?

According to the Indianapolis Star, last month a naked man was arrested following an incident at a local Taco Bell. Although the police reportedly chalked up the disturbance to excessive alcohol consumption, just days later a bystander recorded this video of police taking down a completely different rampaging naked guy:

What are the odds?

Similar UFOs Spotted Over Thailand Two Years Apart

The following video was taken by a YouTube user in June of this year:

And this was accidentally caught by a man in Thailand in 2010:

Though the resolution in the second video is poor due to being taken with a cell phone, there does seem to be at least a rudimentary resemblance between the two objects. If anyone has a guess they'd like to venture as to what these UFOs could be, I'd love to hear from you.

What's Killing the Children of Cambodia?

WHO wants to find out.

According to a joint statement issued Wednesday, the World Health Organization is collaborating with the Cambodian Ministry of Health to investigate a mystery illness responsible for the deaths of more than sixty children. Since last April, physicians in fourteen different provinces have been baffled by cases of “severe respiratory disease with neurological symptoms” seen in children under seven. Symptoms of the illness include high fever, respiratory distress, and in some cases, convulsions. Of the sixty-two documented cases so far, only one child has survived.

http://www.wpro.who.int/cambodiaPRdisease.pdf

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/world/asia/cambodia-mystery-illness/index.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57466595/cambodia-mystery-illness-kills-61-kids/

Why I Blog

"When I reached intellectual maturity, and began to ask myself whether I was an atheist, a theist, or a pantheist; a materialist or an idealist; a Christian or a freethinker; I found that the more I learned and reflected, the less ready was the answer; until, at last, I came to the conclusion that I had neither art nor part with any of these denominations, except the last." -- Thomas Henry Huxley

A Rush to Judgment: When Medical Science Gets it Wrong

The mysterious illnesses in Le Roy have prompted some interesting divisions among observers, myself included. While some are willing to dismiss the girls’ symptoms as nothing more than conversion disorder, others of us recall all too clearly other times when experts in the scientific community got it just plain wrong. Here are but a few of those instances:

Autism- Once thought of as extremely early-onset schizophrenia, this condition was believed to be caused by parental detachment. Professional literature recommended treating affected children with electroshock therapy and LSD well into the 1970s. It wasn't until 1989 that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), the reference book health care professionals use to diagnose mental disorders, listed autism as a developmental disorder separate from schizophrenia.

http://www.neurodiversity.com/library_lichstein_1976.pdf

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703062.html

Female hysteria – Most people think this diagnosis went out with the Victorian era, but it wasn’t removed as a disease by the American Psychiatric Association until 1952. At that time, it was apparently decided that women were responsible enough to use vibrators on their own (the standard treatment). That still didn’t stop ‘experts' from attributing everything from frigidity to “an unusual amount of sexual pleasure” to this so-called disease.

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/m/maines-technology.html

http://psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=150892

Lyme Disease – In the early 1970s, mother Polly Murray was very worried about what was going on in her Lyme, Connecticut neighborhood. People were getting sick at an alarming rate and no one really seemed to know why. Doctors first brushed off the complaints of excessive tiredness, skin rashes, swollen joints, and headaches. Polly, an artist who was no longer able to paint because of arthritis in her hands, was told by physicians that she was a hypochondriac. When her son also became sick, the diagnosis was that he was mimicking her “neurotic” behavior. (Is any of this sounding familiar?) He was eventually diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but Mrs. Murray was convinced something more was going on. She teamed up with another mother of a sick child, Judith Mensch, and together the two women uncovered evidence of thirty-nine children and twelve adults in their area who’d been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis—100 times the normal rate of incidence. Armed with this information, Murray and Mensch pestered the Connecticut Department of Health until they agreed to send someone to investigate. A condition named “Lyme arthritis” was recognized two years later. It wasn’t until 1981 that Dr. Willy Burgdorfer discovered the spirochete responsible for the infection.

http://www.publichealthalert.org/Articles/davidkocurek/how%20lyme%20got%20a%20bad%20rap.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/27/books/tick-doc.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymedisease/understanding/pages/intro.aspx#history

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC406537/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067442/index.htm

Moral of the story: Science is continually evolving. As a result sometimes even the experts are wrong. Question everything.

My Pledge to YOU

Some people probably wonder why I started this site and why I bring up the things I do. Well, it's because of conversations like this one (scroll down to the comments section) on the Doubtful News Blog (no pun intended, apparently). For those of you disinterested in the link, the long and short of it is that after respectfully voicing a dissenting opinion, I was belittled, placed on moderation, and my credibility was attacked. Again, simply because I had the nerve to disagree. Which brings me to a promise I'd like to make to you, my readers...

1. I will never attack or attempt to belittle someone for simply having the courage to voice his or her own opinion. Unless you say something horribly inappropriate, go off-topic or attempt to make things personal, you'll never be censored (placed on moderation). It's called Freedom of Speech, and it's a right I embrace for everyone, not just myself.

2. I will continue to post links to/credit the sources of every single article and quote I reference. That way it's easier for you to find those sources and form your own opinions.

3. I will NEVER seek outside sponsors or donations. Nor will I monetize the site. Poor as I may be, I'm not looking to make money here, especially if it could in any way compromise the integrity of the forum.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Missouri's Doomsday Bill

Following the example set by their esteemed colleagues from Wyoming, Missouri lawmakers recently introduced a Doomsday Bill of their very own. Senator Chuck Purgason (R-Caulfield) authored Missouri Senate Bill 861. Under provisions set aside by the bill, a task force would be created to look into the possibility of the state creating its own currency in the event of a federal government collapse, as well as plans to distribute food and water. According to Trib.com, "Lawmakers in at least six states have introduced legislation to create a state currency (in recent years), all unsuccessfully."

Are you beginning to get the feeling that they know something we don't?

Ronald McDonald: Corporate Mascot or Creepy Uncle?

In 1998 a federal investigation of Web sites aimed at children found that 89 percent requested personal information from kids; only 1 percent required that children obtain parental approval before supplying the information. A character on the McDonald's Web site told children that Ronald McDonald was "the ultimate authority in everything."  

Uh-huh...

When I read the above excerpt in Fast Food Nation: The Darker Side of the American Meal, I couldn't help but think of the creepy uncle who tries to convince kids that they'll like what he sticks in their mouths but they still shouldn't tell their parents about it.

Dick Lugar: A 'Lifelong' Resident of Indiana (If He Died 35 Years Ago)

Fact: Dick Lugar, a US Senator representing the state of Indiana, calls himself a "lifelong Hoosier."

Fact: Dick Lugar has not lived in Indiana for 35 years.

Fact: The US Constitution clearly states that a senator must be "an Inhabitant" of the state he represents.

Fact: "Inhabitant" means "one that occupies a particular place regularly, routinely, or for a period of time."

Fact: Lugar has been ruled ineligible to vote in his so-called home precinct because he failed to meet residency requirements.

Fact: Despite the fact he's lived in Virginia for decades, Lugar will appear on the Indiana primary ballot in May.

Fact-based Opinion: This is yet another example of how We, the People are getting misrepresented and screwed.

Words To Live By

"When the fewest questions are being asked is when they're most needed."

                                                                                                 -- Russ Kick

*From the book Everything You Know Is Wrong: The Disinformation Guide to Secrets and Lies.

Update: 'Too Close for Comfort' Star Loses Chance to become Legal Tender

Wyoming's House Bill 85, which would have - among other interesting things - empowered the state to institute its own military draft as well as issue its own currency in the event of a national catastrophe, has been defeated. A narrow margin (30-27) decided the final fate of the so-called "Doomsday Bill," a favorite topic of controversy in recent press.

Just think, only three more votes and perhaps a likeness of Wyoming's favorite son Jim J. Bullock might have one day smiled up from a $20... while everyone else in the Cowboy State was pressed into military service.

Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened without all that press, doesn't it?

Wyoming Legislator Hedging Bets with the Mayans

"This isn't about doomsday," State Representative David Miller recently responded when interviewed about Wyoming House Bill 85, aka 'The Doomsday Bill.'

Currently making its way through the statehouse, the bill Miller sponsored would create a task force to prepare for food shortages, disruptions in energy and communications, and possibly even create Wyoming's own currency in the event of a collapse in the federal government. (Kinda sounds like doomsday, right?) Plans to implement a state-mandated military draft and the purchase of an aircraft carrier have been stricken from the bill.

I'll continue to track the progress of this bill and let you know as more details become available.

Lawmaker Says Girl Scouts are a Bunch of Skanks

Okay, maybe he didn't say that in so many words, but it was certainly the gist of his message.

Indiana State Representative Bob Morris recently sent a letter to his fellow lawmakers indicating his refusal to sign a letter recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America because, he claimed, the organization is "sexualizing young girls" and acts as a propaganda arm of Planned Parenthood in which "liberal progressive troop-leaders will indoctrinate the girls in their troops." He also stated that, of the fifty female role models mentioned in a Girl Scout educational seminar, only three of them were acceptable - "all the rest are feminists, lesbians, or Communists."

The constituents of Indiana must be so proud.

Politicians Behaving Badly

I decided to do a quick roundup of politicians who have recently been caught behaving badly. As you read this list, please ask yourself if these are the people who should be deciding the fate of our country...

• In a recent speech, Florida Representative (R) Allen West told President Obama and others to "get the hell out of the United States of America." (With such well-thought-out arguments, who needs Thomas Payne?)

• Tennessee State Representative Curry Todd (R) was pulled over in October on suspicion of driving under the influence. The former policeman not only refused a breath test after failing a roadside sobriety test, he had a fully-loaded .38 in his possession at the time. Tennessee state law requires drivers who refuse breath tests to surrender their drivers licenses for one year, but this lawmaker seems to think he's above the law: more than four months after the traffic stop, he still has yet to surrender his license. The case is currently in the hands of a grand jury.

• Michigan State Representative Bob Genetski (R) was arrested for impaired driving on January 20th. When he failed a field sobriety test, he too refused a breath test.

• Georgia State Rep Kip Smith (R), author of a bill that would require welfare and unemployment benefit recipients to submit to drug testing, was also charged with DUI after running a red light in January. During his arrest, Smith changed his story several times, failed a field sobriety test, and objected to taking a breathalyzer until being told that to do so would result in an automatic arrest. (Apparently January was a rough month for politicians.)

Make your opinion matter. Vote.

Strange Light Spotted over Texas

Last week, the sky above Texas briefly lit up with a mysterious pulsating light. "It kept getting bigger, and the color kept changing," Little River Academy Police Chief Troy Hess told Austin's American-Statesman newspaper. Hess happened to capture the intriguing light with his dashboard video camera during a routine traffic stop, but he was far from alone in his sighting. Witnesses from Oklahoma City to Houston reported seeing the light, cities some 450 miles apart.

The FAA has examined the footage and declared that what witnesses saw was "most likely" a meteor or other natural space debris burning up upon reentry to the Earth's atmosphere. Others seem to disagree. Just ask Texas resident Lloyd Lawrence. "I saw the object in question while driving in, just outside of Big Spring. It was yellow with no trail, moving slow. Did not appear to be a meteor."

I'll update on this event if and when more information becomes available.

Sno-Cone Machines Fight Terrorism

Not really. But the West Michigan Shoreline Development Regional Commission (WMSDRC) would like you to believe that they do.

Recently filed documents reveal the WMSDRC bought thirteen of the concession machines with a grant from the Michigan Homeland Security Program. The total cost was $11,700, but sadly that is just a drop compared to the millions of dollars that are misappropriated nationwide each year. Here are some other notable examples:

• A non-implemented US-VISIT program. ($1.3 billion)

• A Chevy Monte Carlo for Los Angeles County officials. ($20,000)

• A Ford Expedition for Garfield County, Washington (pop. 2,060). ($28,000)

• Retirement money for a civil servant in Kentucky. ($10,000)

• Two Camaros for some lucky Texas politicos. ($62,000)

• The list just goes on and on.

So tell me, does any of this actually make you feel more secure, or just taken advantage of...?

What Mitt Romney is Really About

"We must not forget what this election is really about: defeating Barack Obama."

Those are the words Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney chose to launch his latest fundraising drive, and they're very revealing. Mitt isn't worried about the economy. (Probably because, according to his own tax returns, he made more than $42 million in the last two years alone). He isn't worried about the millions of out-of-work Americans. (In fact, in a recent speech, he said he likes firing people.) He certainly isn't worried about cleaning up Wall Street, not when the top three contributors to his campaign this election cycle are Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase & Co, and Morgan Stanley. And as much as he rails against taxes, Romney gave away more money in charity than he paid in income taxes (which is, I'm sure, a problem most Americans would love to have).

If you ask me, it seems pretty obvious Mitt Romney is focused on the wrong thing.

This isn't a competition.

This election isn't about Republicans vs. Democrats, conservatives vs. liberals, rich vs. poor, or race. It's about daily survival for millions of Americans. It's about trying to feed your children and, in some cases, your grandchildren. It's about trying to hold on to what you've worked your whole life for, and watching it slip away.

Until Mr. Romney understands that, he isn't fit to be President.

Indiana, You're Screwed

Today I'd like to draw your attention to a nasty little bill working its way through the legislative process. Indiana's HB 1091 would guarantee payment of legal fees for any CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) or other agricultural complex found not guilty of a nuisance lawsuit.

HB 1091 is interesting for a number of reasons...

• HB 1091 was authored by Majority Floor Leader Bill Friend (R), who is owner and operator of Friend Farms and President of Green Acres Ham LLC. Several years ago, he converted his swine production complex into a confined feeding operation (CAFO).

• CAFOs dump animal manure into "lagoons". These lagoons release ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other gases into the air as the manure decomposes. The emission of these gases is commonly described as smelling like sulfur or rotten eggs.

• People living near CAFOs often complain that the gas emissions cause headaches and other health problems. One of the few avenues of recourse available to such people is to (you guessed it) file a nuisance charge against the offending CAFO.

• HB 1091 would provide CAFOs special protection under the law. It would take away the presiding judge's option of awarding legal fees to defendants found not guilty of such lawsuits and instead require that those fees be awarded. Agribusiness would become the only industry afforded this protection under Indiana law.

At best this bill seems like a conflict of interest, and an assault on free speech at its worst. CAFO operator/bill sponsor Bill Friend claims the legislation is intended to discourage frivolous lawsuits, which he claims are a major problem in his industry. Yet, when asked by Indiana's NUVO News Weekly, the fifth-generation farmer admitted he'd "had no problem with lawsuits". 

Mission Statement

con-spir-a-cy

noun

1. A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.

2. The action of plotting or conspiring.

The easiest way to discredit something these days is to label it a 'conspiracy theory'. No matter how real a threat to public health and welfare may be, if enough people can be convinced that it's nothing more than a product of rumor and paranoia, then the truth doesn't matter.


At least that's what they want you to believe.

The purpose of this blog is to provide an informed, non-judgmental forum of discussion for anyone hoping to dig beneath the surface of things in search of the hidden truth. Read the articles and learn about the secret agendas shaping your world. The connections are everywhere if you only bother to look!