The Ultraviolet Garden

I feel the need to draw attention again to the following videos. These aren’t meant to be watched just once. It requires a shift in the way we think. Surviving police encounters—and knowing your rights and behaviorally asserting them as safely as possible—seems to be a bit like learning how to drive. You must first practice many times before you are able to drive without actually thinking about driving. Hopefully, by recalling these facts and scenarios, we as citizens will learn how to stay safer to a point where it becomes second nature. That’s why it’s so important to review these videos now and then.

It’s not enough to simply know these things. If we don’t incorporate them into our lives as good and safe habits, then knowing them doesn’t really do a whole lot of good, now does it?

There’s only one thing that the professor says that I disagree with. The rest of it is completely spot on. Those who know me probably wouldn’t find it hard to figure out which part I disagree with. (If you must know, it’s the part where he says that cops aren’t likely to lie on you! But that’s not pertinent. I am just being picky. I do think he’s dead wrong on that, though.)

Law professor and a police officer reveal why you should never talk to police.

Busted: The Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters.

Here’s a clip I made from the movie Four Rooms. I love this movie. The first room I could do without but the rest of them are great. This is room 309. The Misbehavers.

I’m behind in a couple of things I need to do, but I’ve actually been making progress.

New photos of the cats.

I wonder if linking to one of my own pages will cause a trackback to appear. I’m about to find out.

Nice try, Michael. Not unexpected. I suppose you don’t have much else to do, legally. There’s not a lot of options open to you. It’s that damn video tape. If only it would go away.

Thanks for the heads-up, Noble.

The house feels empty as hell without Lucky. We’ll always remember her sweetness. She came with her own sound effects. Sometimes she sounded like General Cornrow Wallace! She’d roll up on you like that.

Ptttttttdddddddddrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That’s when she felt playful.

*sigh*

Onward.

I’ve been piddling around with wordpress themes. I’m using “LightWord” now.

I modified it slightly. I’m actually quite satisfied with it. It meets all of my requirements now. I still don’t understand why so many ppl place the comment section in the byline area.

In this case the theme didn’t even have a byline; it was easy enough to add.

I’ve also added a “like/dislike” plugin but only the comments are showing the rating. I need to figure out how to make it work on posts. If you use wordpress, maybe you’ll find these useful:

Like/Dislike Comment Rating worked for me.

Like/Dislike Post Rating didn’t work for me. I’ll figure it out eventually. Probably something minor.

I never know which plugins I’ll end up keeping. Usually I just play with things, if they are useful they’ll be kept. I liked “The Wall” plugin, but since it had to keep refreshing to load the most recent wall items it made my logs practically useless.

Although a simple filter would fix that problem. I’m just too lazy to do that. Maybe later.

Right now I’m working on the RWA Scale (see “Altemeyer’s Authoritarians“). I can’t use his questions. But if I come up with my own questions it should be fine. Check out his book if you haven’t. (It’s free. Also he prefers that ppl be introduced to his RWA Scale via the book. In this way, they learn that it may—or may not—be useful for individuals; it’s more geared toward getting average trends in groups of persons.)

When he asked me to remove the RWA survey, of course I complied. Nothing to do with copyright it’s just general courtesy. But, as his own survey predicted in my case, I have my own opinion on this.

Given that, do I even really need to take the survey myself? (Of course, I did. I scored very low, obviously.)

I’m also interested in doing an equivalent of the Social Dominance Scale as well. I can’t use his exact questions, but again you can’t copyright an idea, only the expression of it. And as long as I’m not using his questions, I should be okay. I’ve actually got a good idea about this but we’ll see. What I’d like to do is use actual things authoritarians or their followers have said—quotations, in other words—as the items on the survey. Looking at many of these, I could easily come up with quotations from “The Georges”. (Of the Bush persuasion, of course.)

There’s not exactly a shortage of folks who are quotable in this respect.

Have a good day all.

…As soon as Michael and Oscar stepped off the train, they were hammered. Pirone lunged at Michael, grabbed him by his dreadlocks, and slammed his head, face down, on the concrete, leaving a large cut on the bridge of his nose. Michael’s friends started to yell, “why are you doing that?” “What did we do?” Then Pirone grabbed Oscar and hustled him to a wall. Soon other cops came and threatened more youth with their tasers, yelling “nigger” at the young men, calling them “motherfuckers.”

When three of Oscar’s other friends got off the train they too were held against the side of the train by Officer Marysol Domenici who thrust a taser at each one, tapping one between the eyes with it.

Videos also show that neither Mehserle nor any of the other six police were “stressed out,” horrified, or regretful about having murdered Oscar. As Oscar’s friends, still handcuffed, yelled for the police to help Oscar, the cops told them to “shut the fuck up” and said if they weren’t silent, they would not call an ambulance. No cop moved to administer first aid.

Instead a video clip shows them flipping Oscar over, jerking him up and down, handcuffing him, and leaving him to bleed out on the platform.

The cops were not in shock or disarray: they immediately began a cover up. No cop radioed that a shooting had occurred. Pirone ordered the train operator to leave the BART station, taking all the witnesses away (instead of getting their names). As the train departed, Domenici ran after people, threatening them and trying to grab their phone cameras.

After the shooting, five of Oscar’s friends were detained in the BART police station for more than five hours. Sources close to the families say that the youth heard BART police laughing, saying, “We got a good one tonight.”

All this points to the reality that such brutality is ROUTINE for these pigs, including trying to cover it up afterward, and that murdering one of the people can be a cause for laughter and celebration. —Indybay: by Revolution writers

Shortly after these disgusting events, I had wondered aloud to Noble if anybody had heard radio chatter. “Where’s the radio chatter?” Surely someone heard something, maybe even recorded it. This article of course answers that question. There was no radio chatter. The fuckers didn’t radio it in. They didn’t radio it in because they were already in cover-up mode. They made that switch seamlessly, almost as if it were second nature. I agree with the writer of the article, that this—and other events—does seem to show that this is more routine than most ppl would allow themselves to entertain.

These are cold, bloodless, aconscience people. I’ll take my chances with a serial killer before I’d call 911. At least with a serial killer I might have a chance at getting mercy.

Abusive cops are costing already cash-strapped cities across the U.S. millions of dollars in settlements, but civil rights activists and attorneys warn that the payouts will continue unless the criminal justice system begins to prosecute its out-of-control officers.

Rafael Perez, a member of the CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) Gang Unit, testified as a police informant that he and other officers often falsely accused and framed gang members for crimes.

In Chicago the mayor has put city employees on unpaid leave to help fill a budget shortfall. But a little over a year ago, Chicago officials agreed to pay $19.8 million to four men who suffered police torture under then-commander Jon Burge. Some $30 million has been spent to settle assorted lawsuits connected with the case, which stretches back to abuses during the 1980s and 1990s.

The $30 million payout doesn’t count millions of dollars spent defending Burge after he was fired by the police department in 1993…

Current budget problems might cause taxpayers to take a look at how their money is spent, but in Chicago $18 million was paid to the family of LaTanya Haggerty, a black woman shot to death by police in 1999. In 1995, a New York Times editorial noted that in the “cash-starved” Big Apple, brutality settlements and court judgments cost the city $87 million over five years.

See entire article at Frost Illustrated.

Highlights from part 2:

Haddad said that in a 2004 lawsuit he filed in Oakland, the police chief acknowledged a longstanding pattern of improper strip searches of people on the street. After four years, his firm uncovered some 40 victims of the strip searches. In 2008, although a federal judge ruled that the policies were unconstitutional, the city has not revised the policy and continues to use it.

…it takes at least $50,000 to even bring a civil rights lawsuit alleging police brutality. Such cases are difficult to win because police officers are protected by the principle of qualified immunity…

…police officers have strong police unions that put a great deal of pressure on police chiefs, district attorneys and whoever they feel is a threat to cops who step out of line…

Click here for Part 2 in its entirety.

I’m still collecting info on the Oscar Grant case:

Did a cop affair spark the murder of Oscar Grant?

Burris, attorney for Oscar Grant’s family, thinks maybe.

Burris’ complaint, aside from alleging the affair, contends that this female officer “got in the face of the young men and repeatedly pointed her Taser at them, threatening to tase them in the face”.

Later in the article Burris says he will provide their names if asked.

Well. We already have one of their names: Anthony/Tony “Punchy” Pirone. We know this because in his defense he stated he was trying to protect a female coworker. That’s what Punchy Pirone’s lawyer, Bill Rapoport, is using as Punchy’s defense. In that defense, Rapoport claimed that the female in question was Pirone’s partner.

(If you saw the footage you’d know that there’s no way this is factual. But the claim itself does reveal what Burris called “misplaced chivalry”. I prefer to think of it as the histrionics of a puerile idiot.)

Anyway. So—get the name of Pirone’s female partner and we know her name, too. Her name should be known: after all, she also contributed to this unnecessary murder.

Hope you two weren’t married to other ppl. You know. Wouldn’t want your lives to be ruined over such blasé events in your lives such as terrorizing and murdering citizens.

To download this, right click here and “save target as…”.

I’ve got no problem believing that they shoved crack up his ass. That is not as hard to believe as the actual shooting. Dave Chappelle was right… they just sprinkle some crack on them.

It’s not been proven though—that they shoved crack up his ass. That’s its beauty! They know that their supporters are so irrational that they’ll grab onto anything to be able to continue saying that Oscar somehow deserved his fate.

Glad to know that ppl’s fates can be determined on the street, by cops. I guess the cop-groupies don’t really like the justice system like they contend. Otherwise they’d demand its use. Yes, even by cops.

Cophood trumps all. Thanks for the reminder.

God damn. They’re crazy.

Who could deny, now, that we’re living in a police state and have been for quite some time? These goons are true American Nazis.

(That’s not hyperbole. Where do you think the Nazis got their ideas from? We were the originators of those ideas. We already know that Joseph Goebbels was deeply influenced by Edward Bernays—who created our nations first “Public Relations” office, cleverly avoiding the bad word “propaganda”, since the Germans gave it such unpopular connotations. Even Bernays admitted it’s the same thing, relabeled.)

These cops aren’t mentally stable. They’re crazy. Knowing this, how can we protect ourselves from them? I’ve watched the vid repeatedly to see if there were anything, anything at all, that Oscar could have done to save his own life. I can’t see a thing.

That’s scary. Because if that’s the situation—and there is no doubt of that—I’ll die or be beaten to a pulp no matter what I do. And so would you. Even those of you who’ve stupidly defended the criminals with such logic as “he deserved it”—they’d get you too. And ppl just like you would be saying that about you.

And no—I don’t consider twitching as you’re being beaten viciously and choked by the knee of the goon who just punched you so hard that your head bounced off the fuckin’ wall to be anything remotely akin to “resisting”.

I was reading one of the latest articles recently about Oscar Grant’s murder. About how Officer Tony Pirone punched Oscar in the face and was generally kicking his ass just before Officer Mehserle shot Oscar in the back.

The article pointed out that just prior to shot fired, the conflict was illegal in the first place. A lot like Kenneth Carrethers’ case (illegal conflict); he was also accosted illegally by Officer Mehserle and his homeboys—after the brutal BART copgang overheard a conversation Kenneth was having wherein he was critical of the police. Isn’t that nuts? They beat this guy down for a conversation he was having with someone else. Mehserle started THAT illegal conflict by walking up to Kenneth and accusing him of “talking about them”.

What the fuck? Is Officer Mehserle that much of a fucking BABY? (You know what I think.)

So—when an officer initiates an illegal conflict, as Mehserle and his fellow gang members did against Oscar and Kenneth (separate incidents)—anything after that, including shooting Oscar, is therefore ALSO illegal. (As if it weren’t already.)

You can’t attack a citizen and then claim self defense when you kill them.

It’s like Bugliosi said in regards to the prosecution of Bush for murder: “Who are you gonna believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?”

And we all have eyes, yes? Did we not see the video? We don’t need experts to tell us what happened, we saw it. Are we so helplessly infantile in this country that we have wait to see what the “experts” have to say about something that we just saw with our own eyes? Are we that phobic about trusting ourselves with determinations?

Are we not self-possessed adults? Has the State been thinking for us so long that we’ve forgotten the skill? (And I do believe it is a skill.)

And BTW the actions of every single officer on scene was illegal. And not just because the conflict initiated by the BART street gang was illegal.

Forget about the Bloods and the Crips, ppl. The most brutal street gangs we need protection from are cops, especially in large numbers. Copgangs, I’m calling them.

I really don’t know how long I’ll be talking about this. But whenever I do talk about it, I will continue to use the word “murder” (as opposed to “killing”: murder specifically means that you are killing someone illegally, as opposed to legally—which is the case when the State executes someone).

And although Mehserle has resigned, I will continue to call him OFFICER Mehserle. That also goes for the rest of them. Because it should be kept in mind that OFFICERS of the law committed a MURDER.

Ppl need to know/remember that OFFICERS murder ppl.

OFFICER Johannes Mehserle and OFFICER Tony Pirone were the two main goons. But the others are OBVIOUS candidates for criminal charges as well. Obstructing justice, intimidating ppl, trying to illegally confiscate cameras/cells. Possibly coercion and theft, since we know they did succeed in illegally confiscating at least some cameras and cell phones.

There are exceptions to photography and property rights, but they don’t seem to apply here: they didn’t have a court order to confiscate ANYbody’s camera or cell for example… and so on.

First let me tell you that Mehserle’s defense is being paid for by a statewide fund for police officers. I haven’t found out which one yet.

Edit: It’s the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. Mehserle’s new attorney Michael Rains is listed on that page.

So what’s happened is… a man named Kenneth Carrethers has come forward about Johannes Mehserle, saying that Mehserle and his fellow gang members beat the shit out of him for no relevant reason.

BART spokesprick Linton Johnson said Carrethers’ “story” was “a little strange” and that Carrethers should have gone to the authorities instead of to the media.

Well golly gee, Linton, I’m sure you WOULD have rathered he do that. So you can cover it up. It’s utterly surreal that you would say such a thing with a straight face.

It was not BART—but the publicized VIDEOS—that got Oscar Grant’s case known at all, much less a BART cop on trial for murder. Were it not for the videos, BART’s illegal actions to cover up the crime would never have been known. Yet you want Carrethers—not to speak to the media—but to report the beating to BART? After everyone already knew that BART’s immediate response after Oscar was murdered was criminal?

I’ll say that again. Your advice to Carrethers (and anyone else)… is to report the beating to BART after everyone knew that BART’s immediate response after they murdered Oscar was criminal?

You are either a colossal prick who doesn’t give a fuck if the public knows what mobsters BART is comprised of (I can hear you goons admitting it and asking me, “What are you going to do about it, cunt?”—and you’d be absolutely right)… or you are fucking stupid. I don’t really care which, Linton, because your statement is ridiculous either way.

Especially in light of Oscar Grant’s murder; and the documented evidence of illegal actions taken by BART employees in attempts to cover up the murder they just participated in (and obscured the justice of). Etcetera.

Carrethers’ attorney, John Scott, says that because of his client and probably other incidents of excessive force by Mehserle, Oscar Grant’s murder was predictable and preventable.

Mehserle’s behavior since the murder may be legally favorable to him: as we all know he’s a cop so he knew exactly what to do. And he faithfully executed it without any snags. He has special knowledge of how they falsify reports (he’s probably done it so many times he couldn’t tell you an exact number) as well as what to do if you’re accused of murder. Which is intel that cops prefer us not to know and usually actively HIDE from us. Yes, Mehserle’s choices seem legally smart and sane.

But they also appear methodical and cold. Like he’d already gone through the scenario in his head—which is utterly conceivable since we now know he’s had a history of bullying civilians, probably falsifying reports, etcetera.

The idea that Mehserle approached Carrethers accusing him of “talking about him” is astounding to me.

Is BART a police agency? Or a middle school?

I wasn’t aware that anyone had the right to beat someone down—or even arrest them in the first place—just because they overheard a comment that was critical or derogatory to police in general or to a specific cop.

This makes Mehserle look like a mental adolescent. The man approached a stranger, accused the stranger of “talking about him”, an argument ensues, Mehserle gets physical and the other members of his gang joins him.

We would not approve of this behavior from a neighbor, a friend, a garbage collector, a waitress… why should we think it’s okay if the thug is a cop?

We shouldn’t.

SEC. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

I looked up the California State Constitution. In the very same section where they want to put their garbage, it says:

A citizen or class of citizens may not be granted privileges or immunities not granted on the same terms to all citizens.

It boggles the mind.

Donors supporting Prop 8 (the assfucks):

• Knights of Columbus, $1,400,000
• Howard Ahmanson, $1,150,000
• John Templeton, $900,000
• National Organization for Marriage, $785,750
• Elsa Prince, $650,000
• Fieldstead & Company, $600,000
• American Family Association, $500,000
• Focus on the Family, $411,000
• Doug Manchester, $125,000

John Templeton of the Templeton Foundation? Sir John Templeton? Well he’s dead. Just died. You see what happens John? Do you see what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass?

Some of the donors opposing Prop 8:

• Human Rights Campaign, $2,057,981
• Bruce Bastian gave $1,005,000 to HRC
• David Maltz, $1,100,000
• California Teachers Association, $1,300,000
• No on 8 – Equality California, $1,250,000
• Robert Wilson, $1,200,000
• David Bohnett, $600,000
• Tim Gill, (Gill Action Fund), $350,000
• James Hormel, $350,000
• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), $250,000
• Center Advocacy Project Issues PAC, $234,000
• Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Service Center, $225,000
• National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, about $215,200
• GLAAD, $100,000
• Horizons Foundation, $100,000
• Apple, $100,000
• Google, $100,000

I am not too happy with people right now. Do you know what you’re doing? Do you know the difference between an oral and anal thermometer? They threatened you with an imaginary reverie about a homosexual horde that would descend upon schools everywhere in order to faggify your children (unless you agreed to officially discriminate against an unpopular, minority class) and you just believed it, just like that. Aren’t you feeling a bit stupid? Or are you too stupid to feel stupid?

Dingbats.

So.

My legs turned into telephones, so my doctor gave me Mirapex. Well, when the miracle peaks, throw it in the tub with me. Miracle + apex. Cute. But I’ll be the judge of that.

Kitty is doing well. We’re so happy. She’s getting stronger every day.

I’ve been converting my books, essays and such to mp3s for a project I’m working on. I’m mostly using the Acapela and Loquendo voices.

So far, Ryan 22kHz reads “Church is a Burden, not a Benefit, to Social Life” by E. Haldeman Julius; and Heather 22kHz reads “Why I’m not a Christian” by Bertrand Russell. Heather can’t pronounce “Heaven” or “kindliness”. And the way she says Caligula is “Cala-goola”. That shit’s hilarious.

At the moment, Ryan is reading “George Bush, The Unauthorized Biography” by Webster G. Tarpley and Anton Chaitkin. Fucker can’t pronounce “Barbara”.

But I like them, I have a lot of fun. It’s funny to me, having Loquendo Susan reading all the profanity in my email. Yes, you are all clowned on regularly. (If you could hear it you’d laugh too.)

We got some Jägermeister. You wouldn’t believe the nazi shit I found on the label. Hadn’t had any since Alaska.