You Think What

Judging by the U.S. government’s actions with regard to Glenn Greenwald publishing documents revealing the depth and breadth of the  National Security Agency, (NSA,) surveillance programs, both foreign and domestic, we’d say President Obama’s initial statements of disinterest in the activities of the principles in the scandal wasn’t entirely truthful.

“A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know.”  ~ Judge Murray Gurfein, Pentagon Papers case, June 17, 1971

The U.S. leader and all the alphabet agencies, including those not directly involved in the intelligence (??) camflamma, are on the look out for new ways to try to intimidate journalist and constitutional law expert Glenn Greenwald, as well as David Miranda, Greenwald’s partner; documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras, former NSA contractor turned whistle blower Ed Snowden,  encrypted email service companies or nearly anyone who has had even cursory contact with the disclosures causing public disgrace for the Obama administration.

We imagined during our staff meeting, what the government’s representatives would say if they were to have a candid conversation with Glenn Greenwald, the American political commentator, lawyer, columnist, blogger, and author caught up in the drama.

We think the government would ask the question:  “Why can’t you be more like Harvey Levin?” – the owner and creator of TMZ. We imagine hearing someone like the Repuglican Representative Peter T. King of New York, the former chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, still a member of the body,  asking plaintively, “Why can’t you be more like Harvey? He’s the kinda gay Jew we like.” (more…)

News of famous backsides: Earlier in the summer, while performing her world tour in Copenhagen, entertainer Beyonce, Mrs. Shawn Carter, was touched on the derriere by an over exuberant male fan.

Toni Braxton, who is the eldest child of the family featured in the cable teevee reality show ” Braxton Family Values”, was recently performing in New Jersey when she began to show her a$$. Watch the video…btw the TMZ folks have the best jokes describing Braxton, and her skimpy costume.

We are very happy and glad to know President Obama is on vacation. Judging from all the pre-vacation blabbing talking he’s been doing, it’s clear he needs some time off to collect himself; he especially needs to compose himself in order to present himself as an orderly post-vacation American president for the big Washington DeeCee commemoration of the 1963 march on the national capital for jobs and freedom!

President Obama has been speaking on so many frivolous topics we pause to wonder when did President Obama become a female teenager, an executive version of gossip-girl? The topics range  from commenting about celebrity relationships including,  his reversal of his initial expressed disinterest in the activities or whereabouts of former NSA analyst Ed Snowden; to  his major discourteous critique of how Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, sits in a chair, a fellow leader.

This last bit, rude words for Putin, this behavior makes President Obama appear petty and childish; childishly passive aggressive, a way of expressing his anger with the representatives of the Russian government for providing a safe haven for a brave young American man; one who the president says he does not consider a patriot, nor does he have any interest in his whereabouts or his activities. (more…)

When  our staff at YouThink What heard about the bravery exhibited by Ed Snowden, the former National Security Agency, (NSA), intelligence analyst cum whistleblower who is currently reported as living under temporary political asylum  somewhere in Russia,  we concluded his valiant actions could only bring “heat” on anyone who had a relationship, either business, social or romantic with him; we believed from the start such persons or businesses should  expect to be the subject of investigation,  extremely close scrutiny by one or several of those government alphabet agencies.

From published reports we know the NSA has “reached out and touched” Snowden’s parents, his girlfriend and now the company reported to have been assisting Snowden in getting his encrypted email messages to Glenn Greenwald, the American constitutional legal expert who is also a journalist who writes for the British news online site The Guardian; family,  friends, and loved ones from secret locations around the world has abruptly shutdown.

Lavabit is was an an email service that claims claimed to provide better privacy and security than favored free, web-based email services like Yahoo, or Gmail and others.

The owner-operator of the service, Ladar Levison has chosen to suspend service (more…)

During her performance of ‘Irreplaceable’ in June at Copenhagen’s Forum venue, Beyonce – clad in a blue bedazzled bodysuit – approached the front of the stage to share the microphone with her fans so they could sing along to her hit song. (We really do not like when music artists share the microphone with the audience unless the artist is Jeffrey Osborne, ‘member him– he’s still kickin’ it, and we’re singing “The Woo-Woo-Woo Song”.)

However, one audacious male audience member became rambunctious when he reached out to pat the superstar’s ‘Bootylicious’ backside.

The fierce feminist, Mrs Carter, clearly wasn’t about to allow any other than her husband Jay-Z touch ”this jelly”, wheeling around to scold the lecherous concert-goer.

The moment, caught on camera and subsequently posted on YouTube, sees her announce, ”I will have you escorted out right now, alright?”, before swiftly resuming her performance.

When we heard the reports of an overzealous fan touching Beyonce’s posterior during a recent performance of her Mrs. Carter World Tour, we admittedly began to imagine what this anonymous man would say if we were fortunate to nab an exclusive interview with the chap.

We imagine it would go something like this: (more…)

Among the fourteen hundred or so families in the western Pennsylvania town of McMurray  a community in Peters Township, Washington County, there is now one family prohibited by gag order, a court ordered agreement,  from speaking about fracking.

Free speech advocates, as well as, environmental campaigners are outraged by the ruling from the court.

We’re outraged, too.

The activists say the secrecy has helped the industry resist more stringent environmental and health controls – by concealing evidence of water contamination and health problems associated with natural gas operations. In other words more obfuscation of corporate malfeasance.

Peter Villari, lawyer for the Hallowichs,  told the court during the hearing he had never seen a gag order imposed on children in his 30 years of practicing law. He stated his own research has turned up no case law to support placing gag orders on children.

Lead defendant, Range Resources, was one of the initial developers of the Marcellus Shale, an area widely believed to be one of the largest natural gas reserves in the United States. (more…)

There is irony in the headline above. ^^^^

On Thursday, August 1st 2013, the Russian government granted the request for political asylum to American patriot Edward J.  Snowden.  Snowden is the the former National Security Agency contractor whose disclosures have caused what can be described as a “snit storm” of grief for the government of President Barack Obama.

“…I can’t in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they’re secretly building.” ~ Ed Snowden American patriot now asylumed in Russia in a June 2013 interview with Glenn Greenwald of British newspaper the Guardian

Snowden performed a remarkable public service in exposing the scope of U.S. electronic domestic surveillance. We believe his actions entitle him to leniency. We believe, in light of the government’s torture treatment of Bradley Manning, if Snowden were somehow returned to the U.S., he might receive the same or worse cruel, inhuman treatment. (more…)

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, petite blond,  Tony and Emmy award winning actress seen in comedy, drama and Broadway musicals on stage, screen and teevee, *Kristin Chenoweth performed a song parody of the tune “Popular” from the very popular musical “Wicked” to make fun of the unfortunate self-inflicted problems of Anthony Weiner, Democrat primary candidate for the office of mayor of New York City.

As you may recall Weiner is the former disgraced congressman  who resigned in 2011 after he finally told the truth about the pictures of his private parts he had taken and posted  on the Internet. Much to the embarrassment of his then pregnant bride, Huma Abedin. They’d been married for a little more than one year.

Anthony Weiner, (yes, we agree it is an unfortunate name for the politician involved in such a scandal to have), having announced his candidacy for mayor of the “City that never sleeps”, last April, announced not only his desire to be the top man for that town, he also told the public, “there may be other women” coming forth with details about his sexting. (more…)

Benjamin Solomon “Ben” Carson, Sr., world renowned, innovative, successful former pediatric neurosurgeon, now retired;

recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, presented to him by President George W. Bush in 2008, says in the video, which follows, he advocates Americans thinking for themselves, rather than always following the philosophies of either political party.

Earlier this year Ben Carson was vilified for his remarks, some call them “politically incorrect”, on the wisdom of permitting any group the right to change the definition of marriage a fundamental institution of society.

This is an interesting development since Dr. Carson during this year has become the darling of the conservatives who are mostly seen by the public as rich, white and Republican. (more…)

In the  murder trial of the Sanford, Florida wannabe copper the Prosecution rested its case on Friday, July 5, 2013. The trial was in recess because yesterday, Thursday was a national holiday in the United States.

The interesting thing about this trial is the State of Florida, representing the people, and the Defense, representing the confessed shooter, are all being very racist while trying not be racist. They know, and seemingly do not care, the whole world is watching. That  behavior is the height of American arrogance!

On Independence Day, also known as July 4th or Fourth of July, there are all kinds of events being held to celebrate and commemorate the date on which the founding fathers presented their grievances and their intention declaring themselves free of legal tyranny from the British government. It is a day for some people to celebrate liberation.  After two hundred thirty-seven years here is where we stand with regard to one aspect of life, for some, in the United States.

The following video from executive producer, Stephanie A. Stradford with video shot by and edited by Eric Stradford provides insight into what life is like in the town of Sanford, the County Seat of Seminole County, Florida. The piece is produced and distributed by the American Mentor Wire Service (AMWS) of YouthUSA.net.

If unable to view video CLICK HERE to see at YouTube