The truth! Take the time to be informed!

It is the dawn of another day. I am awake, reading, catching up on, and preparing myself for the day of looking for employment in a big city. The only problem is that the older you get, the harder it gets especially if you are an older woman with a degree.

I noticed this picture being posted on Facebook about a soldier who sustained injuries in the War on Terror only receiving his 50% disability pay. Like so many pictures I researched this young man and the information behind the picture.

Who are you and what is your story?

The caption underneath was by Derek Batchelor and the story line was by Tim Shuler. Derek Batchelor is a concerned citizen from Greenville, SC. Tim Shuler is? According to my research, guess what I found out.

According to Amie Gnatt Spengler (a Facebook patron of the Great State of Texas!) this is Marine Lance Cpl William Kyle Carpenter. His picture was used by a Tim Shuler to further Mr. Shuler’s political agenda without permission. Well what am I doing? I am using it without his permission also. The real story behind this gentleman’s photograph should be the story as published by Jeff Wilkinson in the Post and Courier out of Charleston, SC., on March 10^th 2011, Senate Gives Thanks to Wounded War Hero.  It discusses how he was basically put back together to be able to live in our society once again and the thanks he is being bestow with by our Congress.

I have to question, with my past experiences in life with the Veterans Administration, was it enough? Not hardly. Will it ever be enough? No!

I am requesting that when you see a soldier (Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Reservist) thank them. Shake their hand and thank them for the great service they do our country. It is really easy to do.

Marine Lance Cpl William Kyle Carpenter THANK YOU so much for the service you have performed for our country. 

Thank you to Amie Gnatt Spengler (a stranger to me who believes in the truth) for bringing the truth forward about the picture and for providing the correct site information for all of us to be more informed.

(** Thumbs down on you Mr. Derek Batchelor and Tim Shuler, especially you Mr. Shuler -- for funneling the wrong information and possibly committing  plagiarism 101.**) (To the photographer of Cpl W K Carpenter --thank you.) 

Not only did Ms. Spengler set me straight, she reminded me of my own "convictions" and "pet peeves."  When I write to be a honest as possible, but remember about history. Historians have often embellished over the years (added to and taken away from) to the point what is the truth about something in our history.

The truth is tell a lie long enough and it becomes truth. 

This story is a classic example of published material actually being incorrect. 

An informed person should take the time to research if what they have just read is in fact true.

**A Special Note off the subject matter: A political election is coming up. Take the time not to believe in all the written political information flying around -- being pushed on society. Research each candidate on your own to find out what is true and if he will be the most suited one for that position. After all are we not hiring that candidate when we vote him into office?

To Chip or Not to Chip is the Question?

I am not sure whether it is the sign of the times or what? There seems to be a tremendous amount of conspiracy theories flying all in the air from the mouth of society that certain government leaders being the anti-Christ to many governments converging with each other to plant micro-chips into people for identification purposes. These implantations of these types of chips are the sure sign that the apocalypse is fast approaching. It is all scary! A person just doesn’t know what to believe as being plausible and or truthful. We just have to use our best judgment.  I started this research project over the internet to may prove or disprove the US Government chip implantation in the people. All I can say is WOW! I learned that I did a full revolution of ignorance to ignorant knowledge.

For a person not to know anything I found out really fast less than before. We as a society are about 50 years too late [a day late and dollar short]. The Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) has been around for approximately 50 years or so.  In the words of the famous telephone character Gomer Pyle “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!”

The purpose of the RFID chip was used to track merchandise. Then it has become multi-purpose in the past decade or so to track animals in the wild. It has graduated to track domestic animals to Alzheimer’s patients, military equipment, lost airline luggage, fire and rescue teams, prisoners, and much more according to the Motorola Corporation.

I understand that the US Government is thinking about using the RFID chip to track citizens.  I really couldn’t find any concrete documentation to that affect.  Since the first use on a human in 1973 to current there is one question that continually arises.  “The question is where did this idea come from [RFID chips in human]? How would it prove to be convenient or by any means prove to be of some use to humans? Many people have contradictory opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of RFID implant in humans. Well the idea was simple. You can pay for services that you avail through the radio frequency identification chips. Another important application is in the case of medicals.” (Alam)

My personal opinion as to the advantages of this application; this would include safety for the location of missing children or missing elderly.  It would also help in the prevention of criminal activity or missing military personnel. It would protect every citizen against identity theft. Those possibilities are wonderful. It would also help expedite medical services for a person unable to speak. It would provide the information needed to save a life. The disadvantage is invasion of privacy. (Stanley) Would this be “chipping” away at our Constitution? Are basic civil liberties that the ACLU has so boldly and proudly fought for all these years in danger again? Great Britain has already decided to scrap the thought of infringing on the rights of its citizens pertaining to the chip. But, Spain is using it as identifiers to pay for certain services. (Koprowski) At this very moment what the American People may or may not be aware of is the Department of Homeland Security, under the last Bush Administration, had already set into motion the application of the RFID for domestic terrorists security measures. What I did find interesting is that the Department of Homeland Security is working with Wal-Mart on a similar computer programs. (DHS) I am sure that the majority of domestic terrorist would like to save a dollar and shop at Wal-Mart so that the US Government can keep an “eye on them.” *

All this technology and its use, again, alerts the ACLU and several law schools as a test of the 4^th Amendment. (Dalal, Stanley) The market is set and on the rise. The major buyers for the RFID are our governments –worldwide. The cost is inexpensive to make and implant.  “Government schemes and large orders from emerging markets have been driving the market. However the technology’s vulnerability to security and privacy issues continues to be a challenge for the market...Research conducted by TechNavio reveals that the global RFID market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26 percent. The report which focuses on the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific indicated that the market is currently driven by large investments being made by various governments across the world…Several countries like China and the US invests heavily in RFID to use them for government related purposes.” (Wood) 

It is everywhere and in everything we do now. It is probably in your employee badge as I write this blog and you don’t even realize it. If it comes about as being required (humans having it implanted) or being denied certain aspect of social programs vastly needed for survival, who will win? We may say no today, but would you say no when you are standing in line and cannot get your payroll check cashed without one or withdraw money from your bank? Is this enough information to make an informed decision? To ask these questions is like saying that this is the mark of the Anti-Christ beast. We have all been made aware to keep our eyes open, listen, and beware of Christian “over” zealots as well as our US Government. 

It is scary and we cannot at all tell what our future will bring or whether or not all these signs are truly apocalyptical. We can (though) be informed and be prepared on all accounts. We can make sound decisions. But rest assure the RFID chip is here, growing, being used, and will remain. The future purposes are unknown for the American people because the DHS report was the only official governmental report that I personally was able to find and it didn’t mention mass chip implantation on society. But then again has the CIA risen its fascinating head into another clandestine “cold war” theater performance?

Works Cited

Alam, Shah Newaz. Buzzle.com-Intelligent Life on the Web. RIFD Chip in Humans.  4^th October 2011  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/rfid-chip-in-humans.html  Web 21^st January 2011.

Dalal, Reepal.  Boston Law Review. Chipping Away at the Constitution: The increasing use of RFID Chips could lead to an erosion of privacy rights.  Vol. 86:485 http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/bulr/volume86n2/documents/DALALv2.pdf   Web 21 January 2012.

Data and Integrity Advisory Committee. The Department of Homeland Security. Report No. 2006-02:The Use of RFID for Human Identify Verification. 6^th December 2006. file:///C:/Users/Aaron's/Desktop/Homeland%20Security%20discussion%20on%20RFID%20Chip.pdf  Web 21^st January 2012.

Kanellos, Michael. CNEtt. News.com. Idea of Implanting tags raises Orwellian fears.  23^rd August 2004. http://news.cnet.com/2009-1008_3-5318076.html    Web 21^st January 2012.

Khara, Kanika.  Buzzle.com-Intelligent Life on the Web.  What is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology.  http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-radio-frequency-identification-rfid-technology.html   Web. 21^st January 2012

Koprowski, Gene J.  FoxNEWS.com. Where’sJimmy? Just Google his Bar Code.  14^th May 2010. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/14/radio-frequency-rfid-implant/   Web 21^st January 2012.

Staff Marketing. Motorola.com. RFID Government Solutions.  2012.  http://www.motorola.com/Business/US-EN/Business+Solutions/Industry+Solutions/Government/Airports+and+Seaports/RFID_Government_Solutions_US-EN   Web 21^st January 2012.

Stokes, Jon.  ARS Technica. FDA Approves implanted RFID Chips for Humans  October 2004. http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2004/10/4305.ars   Web 21^st January 2012.

Wood, Laura. Business Wire-a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Research and Markets: Global RFID Market 2010-2014 – Market and Vendor Landscape Supported by Drivers Restraints and Trends:   Research and Markets, 4^th March 2011.  http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110304005545/en/Research-Markets-Global-RFID-Market-2010-2014--    Web 21^st January 2011

Beware! We just might fool you!

Recently I have moved (December 2011) back to a place where it will always have fond memories for me. It is always said you can’t go back and oh how true I know that statement well.  What I once knew in my town of Houston has changed greatly. Everything I once knew is either dead, torn down or moved on. My best friend (my first room-mate since high school) even left her home town for her much loved country life to raise children, horses and “weenie” dogs.  When we graduated high school there wasn’t much around us. Now it is a huge vast metropolitan city, stretching several counties. She graduating from the agricultural north side and me from those unknown south side kids I really knew nothing about.

On the-night-before Christmas, we got together after not seeing each other for more than 25 years. I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing her every day; sharing secrets that would never be told. Her little brother came in from Arizona with his family. As I looked around the room, in her grand-mothers house, I thought at that moment that this is what life is all about.  Her little brother telling stories of our love forgotten past, drinking soda, eating, laughing, and watching the youngest child enjoying all the festivities that Christmas gave him.

My children realized (which they commented on afterwards) “Mom, we have never seen this side of you, happy and carefree? What happened?”  This is just one segment of life my precious young people that we all do not necessarily anticipate. Life will always have its ups and downs.  As we grow older we see things in such an unusual perspective that it is sometimes strange or maybe even surreal. We see things differently than the way we did when we were 20.

I can see me standing up in the passenger side of a fast car’s t-top, roaring 80 mph down I-10 West turning around and throwing up on a police cruiser following closely behind. Was that projectile coming out of my mouth? Oh yes! When I arrived home, I was escorted on the shoulders of a big lanky officer and placed in the tub to sleep. One-the night-before Christmas, my children learned about how their Mother was head banger, country western dancer, and all around wild child.

But it just didn’t begin there. About a week before my daughter learned that her Mother knew how to tie a tie with a pair of panty hose while seeing a mouse that no one knew existed; it is funny being told you’re “drunk”; seeing things until everyone else sees it and starts screaming. (That was in Mobile, Alabama on 4 something or other Dauphin Street) Needless to say I wasn’t drunk.  Very often did I get overly intoxicated because I detested the nose feeling when the incredible “liquor monster” came out of it. They also learned that I was “the only wild child” when everyone thought it was my room-mate the red-head.

To go down memory lane, there was this fence. One of my dear friends from high school and I could not handle that “darn” fence. She was generally the passenger. Mother C asked me one day if I had hit her fence and knocked it over. I looked at her and said no, which was a big lie. She knew it. I realized that green paint had knocked off my fender onto her fence post. (Amazing how that happens!) But as she called me NDF = no damn fun, she yanked my chain about that every-day since. I was afraid she was going to kill me!

 Grand-mother A took my room-mate and I dancing one night. At 11:00pm, we were dying at 21—back, knees, legs, and feet. Grand-mother A had something on us; she was still going strong with the rest of the 60 and 70 year olds. I vowed right then and there – that is the type of lady I want to be when I get older. A great lady with a lot of years and love left to give everyone. Has it turned out that way? Hell yes!  So the memories will slowly unfold as I continue to write my blog. Two male guy-pals from high school, I remembered! OMG after 30 years, I remembered! No---it really isn’t what you think.  The cow tipped and they had to re-tip it back in the bolder holder!

Beware! To all the young people, if you are being mooned by what may look like some saggy elephant butt against the window, it might be me! If I flash someone and my breast fall to the knees well, just consider it gross fun! Why can’t I have a great time! Hell I want to get my PhD and I might just join some outlaw motorcycle gang! Does any- one know how to pimp an electric wheel chair?