PUNISH BAD BEHAVIOR!!

FARK.com: (2835992) Livejournal accounts deleted on a massive scale by abuse team. In related news, stock in razor blades doubles

A Farker on Fark.com made the following comment:

wow... after reading the slashdot thread on this, I found the link where people found posts by the WFI group responsible for this mess. It basically comes down to them being dominionist "xian warriors". This explains a lot unfortunately.

The most disturbing quote form them, though, is this:

Every single one of you [LJ users that were banned] are indeed pedophiles. Nasty, filthy, stinking pedophiles. You all preface your statements with "I'm not a pedophile myself BUT"

I would think with that a direct accusation like that in a public forum would be a fairly open-and-shut libel case...

/that's using logic in law, though, which is obviously a stupid thing to do

Emphasis mine.

Can you imagine the shitstorm that would ensue if groups such as abuse survivor groups (among those deleted and, apparently, lumped into the above statement from Warriors for Innocence) all got together and filed a class-action lawsuit against WFI for such a libelous statement? Oh, YES! It would be a victory for freedom of thought everywhere, and a resounding defeat for draconian so-called "Christians" still stuck in the 14th century.

I'm going to look up the list of these groups, see if I can contact any of them, and RAISE ALL HOLY HELL!!

I WOULD PAY A MILLION BILLION GAJILLION DOLLARS...

scaryideas | Star Wars: Airport

...to see someone dressed up as Darth Vader go through airport security AND STAY IN-CHARACTER!

Oh my God that would be TOO FUNNY.

I've often wondered...

The Life Purpose Discovery System |

...how many of these self-improvement sites are really nothing more than a regurgitation of what other sites have said. I'm not saying that there isn't truth in what they say (because many times there is), but I can't help but wonder how much is borrowed from others; and that becomes their way to 'success.' Not everyone's way...just some of these sites.

I present to you, for your consideration, this site and this site. Tell me if there aren't any immediate similarities. Now, these are only two sites; not the bulk of them. But it was enough to make me take notice.

Which leads me to my next question: how many of these self-improvement sites bogus? How many of these sites are just shameful copies (or near-copies) of others' work, and you're coughing up $97 $47 for each site?

I know very few people ever read this blog, but I figured I'd throw it out there in the off chance someone has had experience with this. The 12-week life transformation site has free stuff (so does the life purpose site), just so people know--I guess--they're not just out for your money.

Maybe I'm too cynical.

Anyway, that's my thought for the day.

The Bank of America wants your money. Really.

This is the story (stories, actually) as told to me. The people I've heard these from have more details, and my time is short; so I have to do this quickly.

Story Number One: A friend of our family is a probate paralegal. She is working with some people in Seattle to get a CD out of Bank of America (the person who died, lived in and died in Maine, so State of Maine laws apply here). However, even after 14 years after the death of the decedent, the SOLE LIVING HEIR cannot get the money from the CD. Bank of America has pulled a series of stall tactics, wanting: (1) to refer back to their legal department, (2) have the probate paralegal all but commit perjury (as she explained it) by signing some kind of affidavit, (3) simply just not respond AT ALL to letters of inquiry from the paralegal (and other lawyers and I understand it), and (4) telling the paralegal that she must get a court order to get Bank of America to release the funds from the CD which should have been released to the heir 14 years ago.

What the hell is that all about?

Story (Stories) number 2 can be found on MSNBC.com. I'll link in the story later. You can probably find it a few days earlier as a post on this blog. It was about identity theft. Which leads us to ...

Story number 3. My father, through a debt management company, paid off a debt to MBNA, just after MBNA was bought out by Bank of America. MBNA, while in their transition phase, acknowledged the debt was taken care of under special circumstances (reduced intererest rate, forgiven past due penalties, etc). However, Bank of America decided to completely ignore this prior agreement (the agreement was made BEFORE BoA bought MBNA, and was completed just after the buyout), and has continued to hassle my father ever since.

I suggest that, based off of these stories, and the 1300+ comments (may be more now) from that MSNBC.com article, that anyone with a BoA account should really consider another bank, before they get screwed.

Allegedly. You know. Standard disclaimer to hopefully avoid getting sued for 'libel' or some other bull. Considering some of the tactics BoA has pulled so far on their so-called 'valued' customers, it wouldn't surprise me if they fought dirty if someone called them out on it.

1276 and counting

MSNBC.com - Identity Theft

It's not as uncommon as you may think.

Over twelve hundred (!!!) in just a day, leaving comments here stating how they've gone through similar instances.

But nobody's doing anything about it.

My father loses almost a hundred grand because of someone he thought he could trust. It makes it even worse than it being a complete stranger.

I left a comment on this article, as well. It's #17. And it has my father's blog listed in there.

Perhaps the time has come for vigilante justice. If the law enforcement agencies aren't going to do anything about it, maybe it's time to put the fear of Joe Public into the hearts and minds of these nefarious thugs.

Workout Blog!

blog.myspace.com/xanadian

The above link may or may not work. If not, just try this link.

I'm doing a daily (almost daily) log of my never-ending quest for "That Body Girls And Approximately Two Percent Of Guys Dream Of (tm)." Most attempts have been been nothing more than short little trips down Buff Lane, but I've found a new technique I've been trying; and so far the results are good. I still have this beer gut (probably from the beer); but my shirts aren't fitting quite right anymore, so that MUST be a good sign. Right?

Right!?

But seriously. I'm making strides I've never been able to before. This new blog will chronicle my progress, sure; but mostly it's about techniques I learn along the way, and diet and safety tips. Anyone and everyone is willing to join me (if only virtually) on this journey; because good health is for a lifetime.

Well, so is bad health, but the lifetime's a bit shorter.

Help save internet radio!

Write Your Representative - Contact your Congressperson in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The RIAA has pushed the copyright review board to increase royalty rates for music broadcasted over the Internet via "streaming" audio. This is the biggest bunch of horse manure to come from the record industry I've ever seen.

Write your Congressman now to help put a stop to this!

There is a grass-roots campaign to petition Congress to pass HR 2060. I've written my letter to my congressman. It goes like this:

Dear Congressman Michaud,

I'm sure by now you have received plenty of mail, email, faxes and phone calls regarding HR 2060. I am another constituent who feels strongly about this bill. If it hasn't been iterated already, let me point out the main reasons why I believe this bill is important:

1. Many Internet users listen to music over the Internet via 'steaming' audio. It is a source of enjoyment for many. The royalty hikes would essentially put (at least) the smaller internet radio stations out of business.

2. Internet radio stations, like Pandora for example, are an outlet for independent artists' musical creations. There are many bands I would have never even known existed if it weren't for providers like Pandora. If stations like Pandora are forced to close down due to these royalty hikes, (a) these independent artists would have fewer channels for their work and (b) these independent artists would NOT get the royalties they already receive through places like Pandora. With no (or much fewer) sites broadcasting the works of these artists, where will they get their royalties from? I can guarantee to you that Top 40 stations won't broadcast their work.

Allowing the RIAA to have their way with internet radio would be catastrophic to independent musicians' free expression and frustrating to the fans who want to listen to them. I'm not saying that internet radio should get a free pass to broadcast music free, as that's also not fair to artists. But hiking the rates like this is just as detrimental, if not more so for the little guy.

Please co-sponsor HR 2060, and help keep the music industry fair.

As I look at this letter, it gets the point across, but man I need to go back to writing school. Free pass to broadcast free? Free, free, free. WTF? Alas.

Regardless, if you like the ability to listen to ANY kind of music you want, and not just what the Top 40 stations (on your FM radio) want to push down your throat, you should really give your Representative a call, or write him a letter.

Satellite radio people...not sure how this will end up affecting you, but I'm sure a rate hike for YOUR Sirius or XM is not too far down the road.