General Briefing

kyssthis16: amorphousblob: slay-z: satanic2chainz: nooooooooo...

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:50:15 -0400

amorphousblob:

slay-z:

satanic2chainz:

nooooooooooooooo

[laughs to keep from crying]

In the game of loans, you either repay or you die.

This is the realest shit I’ve EVER seen. Man………

rarely-pure-never-simple: thecornercoffeeshoppe: hickshannary: ...

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:43:18 -0400

rarely-pure-never-simple:

thecornercoffeeshoppe:

hickshannary:

small-and-misunderstood:

Saw this somewhere else and felt the need to post it cause no one else ever really tells you this stuff

My mom never really noticed. She noticed when she was breast feeding my little brother and blood started coming out instead of milk.

My mom said she felt and saw a little lump in the shower. She was lucky enough she found it at stage 2

My mom had a mammogram. The radiologist thought the spots were just regular calcium deposits.

Turns out it was triple negative breast cancer that had spread to her lymph nods. Mastectomy, radiation and chemo saved her life.

This could SAVE a life.

Botched ATF sting in Milwaukee ensnares brain-damaged man

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:42:15 -0400

Botched ATF sting in Milwaukee ensnares brain-damaged man:

sinidentidades:

ATF agents running an undercover storefront in Milwaukee used a brain-damaged man with a low IQ to set up gun and drug deals, paying him in cigarettes, merchandise and money, according to federal documents obtained by the Journal Sentinel.

For more than six months, federal agents relied on Chauncey Wright to promote “Fearless Distributing” by handing out fliers as he rode his bike around town recommending the store to friends, family and strangers, according to federal prosecutors and family members.

Wright, unaware that the store was an undercover operation being run by agents with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also stocked shelves with shoes, clothing, drug paraphernalia and auto parts, according to his family.

Once authorities shut down the operation, they charged the 28-year-old man with federal gun and drug counts.

“I have never heard of anything so ludicrous in my life,” said Greg Thiele, who spent 30 years working for the Milwaukee Police Department including on undercover stings with federal agents, including those with the ATF. “Something is very wrong here.”

Wright’s IQ measures in the 50s, about half of a normal IQ, according to those familiar with him. Wright’s score is classified as mildly or moderately disabled, depending on the IQ scale used.

At Wright’s sentencing in June, prosecutors will recommend probation, based on his “mental functioning,” according to his plea agreement on file with the court.

Wright has undergone a competency evaluation “due to his low IQ,” according to a Feb. 14 email from then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Schmitz to attorney Doug Bihler who represented James Warren, another defendant in the case.

Schmitz’s email to Bihler indicates prosecutors believe Wright is a vulnerable person. Prosecutors threatened Warren with stiffer penalties for “taking advantage” of Wright, according to the email.

But as the situation unfolded, it was ATF agents who were taking advantage of Wright.

“That’s just hugely inappropriate. It’s no different than using a kid,” said Jim Hoegemeier, executive director of the Arc-Wisconsin Disability Association. “They had to have known after working with him for more than a couple of hours.”

“This is real exploitation,” said Shirin Cabraal, managing attorney for Disability Rights Wisconsin. “It’s morally outrageous.”

Wright’s family said he was eager to be accepted by the undercover officers.

“With him being slow, they knew that and they used him,” said Willie Campbell, Wright’s grandmother. “He was too slow to catch on to what was going on. He was saying, ‘These are my good friends. These are my guys. They are looking out for me.’

“Whatever they told him to do, he would try to keep his job and he would do it.”

The issue of Wright’s mental capacity is another stain on an investigation marked by repeated failures and foul-ups identified by a Journal Sentinel investigation: ATF guns, including a machine gun, were stolen from an agent’s vehicle; agents lost a ballistic shield; the storefront was burglarized of what agents said was nearly $40,000 in merchandise; agents left behind sensitive documents after they shut down the operation; and at least three of the wrong people were charged.

In addition, agents damaged the building and ran up utility bills, then refused to pay the landlord and warned him against pursuing the matter.

Last week, the Journal Sentinel revealed how the agency failed to capitalize on early leads to find its stolen machine gun, instead keeping its storefront going. The automatic rifle remains unrecovered.

Members of both parties in Congress have demanded answers. The ATF has launched an internal investigation. The Department of Justice inspector general is considering an independent examination, saying the Milwaukee operation raises concern about the ATF’s oversight and management.

An ATF spokeswoman declined to comment because its investigation is not complete.

The People's Record: Middlebury students stage checkpoint, Call on college to divest from Israeli apartheid

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:40:03 -0400

The People's Record: Middlebury students stage checkpoint, Call on college to divest from Israeli apartheid:

thepeoplesrecord:

Submitted by Jay Saper
May 19, 2013

On May 15, students at Middlebury College in Vermont staged a checkpoint outside their dining hall during the busiest meal of the year to commemorate the 65^th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, which led to the establishment of the state…

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:27:23 -0400

Photo

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:25:39 -0400

darkmoonperfume: bored so I could use some conversation

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:22:31 -0400

darkmoonperfume:

bored so I could use some conversation

iwishihadafather: this is cute but 10 seconds later...

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:21:15 -0400

iwishihadafather:

this is cute but 10 seconds later that kangaroo kicked the shit out of that kid and put it in a sleeper hold and suffocated it because kangaroos are real as fuck

Florida Teen Expelled, Charged With Felony For Lesbian Relationship

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:12:19 -0400

Florida Teen Expelled, Charged With Felony For Lesbian Relationship

"Thousands of these prisoners are incarcerated for life or for 20, 10, or 5 years under mandatory..."

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:04:12 -0400

“Thousands of these prisoners are incarcerated for life or for 20, 10, or 5 years under mandatory minimum crack cocaine sentences imposed prior to the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act. More than 80 percent of federal prisoners serving crack cocaine sentences are black. In fiscal year 2010, before the passage of the Fair Sentencing Act, almost 4,000 defendants, mainly black, received mandatory minimum sentences for crack cocaine.”

- A new federal court decision blasts racial disparities in drug sentencing as akin to slavery and Jim Crow. (via think-progress)

thegirlofgood: cthulhu-with-a-fez: inspector-snuggles: mcdowni...

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:41:05 -0400

thegirlofgood:

cthulhu-with-a-fez:

inspector-snuggles:

mcdownies:

the-bite-of-frost:

swingsetindecember:

that guy’s phone in the first panel became more high tech in tony stark’s presence

I am laughing so fucking hard

oh my god how did I miss that

omfg

tony stark literally upgraded a flip phone to a smartphone by being within three feet of it

Bwahahaha!!!!!

vegansanfrancishet: So, I paint my nails pretty regularly these...

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:02:23 -0400

vegansanfrancishet:

So, I paint my nails pretty regularly these days. I also work as a barista/cashier pretty regularly these days. A few weeks back, I had a customer come in, a fairly typical, sheltered, suburban soccer mom, and she ordered a latte from me. She saw my brightly colored nails and said, “Wow, you’re so brave! My son asked me about painting his nails, and if it’s okay for boys to do that. Now I’ll tell him there’s a cool guy who does it too!” It was a nice moment, very cute.

Then, last week, she came in again, and said, “Hey, I’m so glad you’re here! I want you to meet someone!” She then brings her son forward, and says, “Okay sweetie, show him what you did!” And he throws his hands up, showing off his bright, sparkling blue nails. He shows them off, and I show mine off to him. He smiles. We fist bump.

Guys, I’ve only wanted to cry once at work before, and that was when someone ordered a large dry soy cappuccino on ice.

This time, though. This was a good cry.

French President Francois Hollande has signed into law an act legalizing same-sex marriage today.

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:55:24 -0400

French President Francois Hollande has signed into law an act legalizing same-sex marriage today.:

shortformblog:

This is no doubt a momentous day for Hollande, who had pledged to legalize same-sex marriage during his first year in office, and succeeded in doing so despite vociferous protests from swaths of his citizenry. No actual same-sex marriage figures to be conducted until the 29th, as French law states that a marriage license must be filed ten days prior to the ceremony.

“Probably no stars will physically hit each other. There’s just...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:54:20 -0400

“Probably no stars will physically hit each other. There’s just so much space between the stars, but when Andromeda collides with us it’ll have a huge impact on the Milky Way. Some things will get thrown into the black hole in the middle, some stars will get ripped off and thrown away into space, so it’ll be dramatic. And the entire night sky will change.” - The Universe S1E9 Alien Galaxies

morenamagialaleontyne: askinnyblackman: zyrthi: whenever i get upset i just look up “happy...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:50:29 -0400

morenamagialaleontyne:

askinnyblackman:

zyrthi:

whenever i get upset i just look up “happy chairs” on google. i mean, look

they’re so happy being chairs, it brings a smile to my face

they’re happy because they know they’re gonna get some ass

I’m so done with this website.

kileyrae: “If the current laws that govern federal taxes and...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:49:42 -0400

kileyrae:

“If the current laws that govern federal taxes and spending do not change, the budget deficit will shrink this year to $642 billion, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates, the smallest shortfall since 2008. Relative to the size of the economy, the deficit this year—at 4.0 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)—will be less than half as large as the shortfall in 2009, which was 10.1 percent of GDP. Because revenues, under current law, are projected to rise more rapidly than spending in the next two years, deficits in CBO’s baseline projections continue to shrink, falling to 2.1 percent of GDP by 2015.”

The Congressional Budget Office announces revised deficit productions, cutting 2013 deficit predictions by more than $200 billion and deficits over the next decade by more than $600 billion. The media hardly notices.

covenesque: excitablehonky: “Timely Justice,” my ass: For a...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:47:34 -0400

covenesque:

excitablehonky:

“Timely Justice,” my ass:

For a state with 24 death row exonerations under its belt (the highest in the country), you would think Florida might want to slow down its execution process to avoid putting innocent people to death. But Florida lawmakers are doing just the opposite

The Miami Herald calls the bill “unacceptable”:

As Mark Elliott, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, points out, “That’s one exoneration for every three executions.”

That should give every Floridian pause.

Frank Lee Smith died of cancer on Death Row after 14 years in prison. Sadly, after his death, DNA testing proved he was innocent and also identified the real killer. What kind of justice did Mr. Smith get?

Natasha Lennard, writing for Salon, calls it “ill-named”:

In a most perverse admission, flagged by Khalek, Republican Senator Rob Bradley said “this is not about guilt or innocence, it’s about timely justice.” So long as proceedings through the Kangaroo court are swift, Bradley seems to admit, the lives of inmates are expendable.

Chris Hedges calls it “cynically named”:

William Van Poyck … is scheduled to die by lethal injection at 6 p.m. June 12 at Florida State Prison. He is a writer who has spent years exposing the cruelty of our system of mass incarceration. On June 12, if Gov. Rick Scott has his way, Van Poyck will write no more. And that is exactly how our political class of murderers wants it.

The New York Times calls it “grotesquely named”:

As the American Bar Association explained in a scathing 2006 report on the state’s death penalty system, Florida is one of the few states that allows a jury to recommend a sentence of death based on a majority vote rather than a unanimous one. Defendants charged with capital crimes often have woefully unqualified counsel, and are much more likely to be convicted and sentenced to death if the victim is white — a sign of racial disparity that is clearly unconstitutional. The flaws in Florida’s system, which soaks up huge amounts of resources, cannot be fixed. It is long past time to abolish capital punishment.

An MSN headline appropriately summarizes, “Florida’s death row Timely Justice Act is cool, unless you’re innocent“—which Juan Melendez can understand since he spent 18 years on death row before being exonerated in 2002:

The “Timely Justice Act” would speed up a system we know has already sent innocent men, like myself, to death row. Some of these prisoners may be men like me, who have exhausted their legal appeals, yet keep trying to find a way to prove their innocence.

In multiple cases of current death row prisoners, we don’t know exactly what the legal claims are. Some of the men on Florida’s death row ran out of legal options simply because their attorneys missed filing deadlines.

In those instances, no court had the opportunity to evaluate the claims and determine whether they have merit. How can we possibly justify speeding up the execution of prisoners in those cases?

According to logic of the “Timely Justice Act,” any prisoner who has exhausted his appeals and been through a clemency process has had every opportunity and is ready for an execution date, regardless of the specific questions and issues that surround his case.

I am living proof that each case is unique and that the system must allow ample time for the truth to emerge.

Given Florida’s troubling track record on wrongful convictions, this legislation ensures the unthinkable — the execution of an innocent person.

There needs to be more outrage about this.

Dood is unpopular as hell. Rather than making up the millions lost during that drug testing welfare debacle, or making up the tourist revenue lost bc you decided to pass a driver’s license bs directed at brown ppl but pissed off much of canada (the biggest source of tourism Florida has), figuring out what to do with millions of empty foreclosed homes, fixing the shittiest public school system in the US, having a plan b after turning down free money to build a light rail system that would have brought millions in jobs and tourism revenue…he decides he can fix his image by killing prisoners, mostly poor, nonwhite ppl

Someone pls curbstomp this baldhead, thieving sack of shit

nbcnews: Sisters, separated for 17 years, find each other at...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:46:40 -0400

nbcnews:

Sisters, separated for 17 years, find each other at high school track meet

(Photo: NBC Nightly News)

Robin Jeter, 18, and Jordan Dickerson, 17, grew up quite differently in the nation’s capital. But it’s hard to ignore the similarities: They’re smart, pretty and fashion-forward, and both are also athletic and have double-jointed thumbs. A coincidental encounter at a track meet brought the long-separated sisters together.

Read the complete story.

The Punishment For Blowing The Whistle On Government Corruption Is Horrific

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:42:50 -0400

The Punishment For Blowing The Whistle On Government Corruption Is Horrific:

What an interesting way to promote democracy.

blackmagickvoodoopussy: thedaisiestdaisy: laserscrewdriver: AV...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:42:24 -0400

blackmagickvoodoopussy:

thedaisiestdaisy:

laserscrewdriver:

AVENGE ME HAMLET
FOR I WAS KILLED BY YOUR UNCLE, AND MY BROTHER

A MOST FOWL AND UNNATURAL MURDER

F U C K