One thing that has been displayed in comic books that parallels history is people taking sides for, or against certain movements. Basic human rights, freedoms and revolts against injustice have been in many a storyline. While I know that the RLSH wish to help people within the status quo, what of those here that wish for things to change, and are willing to stand up, make your voice heard as part of a group, to create a change in how the world or unfair laws or opinions operate?
I haven't heard a great deal about any RLSH operating at any of the Occupy rallies. This surprises me a bit, as I know there are socially conscious members in the community. I'm not saying you have to go in costume, but I haven't heard much about anyone taking the time out to join the many groups and protests around the United States and world. I find this somewhat disturbing.
Recently my roommate and I were watching Capitalism: A Love Story again, with some interesting information near the end of the film. I reprint some of that information for you now.
On January 11, 1944, in the midst of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke forcefully and eloquently about the greater meaning and higher purpose of American security in a post-war America. The principles and ideas conveyed by FDR's words matter as much now as they did over sixty years ago, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt American Heritage Center is the source of this selection of FDR's vision for the security and economic liberty of the American people in war and peace.
“The Economic Bill of Rights”
Excerpt from President Roosevelt's January 11, 1944 message to the Congress of the United States on the State of the Union
It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy for the winning of a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever before known. We cannot be content, no matter how high that general standard of living may be, if some fraction of our people—whether it be one-third or one-fifth or one-tenth—is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed, and insecure.
This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
As our nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race, or creed.
Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens.
An idea over sixty years ago, ringing more than true today, wouldn't you agree? Feel free to discuss this or any participation of yourselves or friends in any of the Occupy protests.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Mexico acknowledges 2nd Mayan reference to 2012
Mexico acknowledges 2nd Mayan reference to 2012
By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's archaeology institute downplays theories that the ancient Mayas predicted some sort of apocalypse would occur in 2012, but on Thursday it acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.
Most experts had cited only one surviving reference to the date in Mayan glyphs, a stone tablet from the Tortuguero site in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco.
But the National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that there is in fact another apparent reference to the date at the nearby Comalcalco ruin. The inscription is on the carved or molded face of a brick. Comalcalco is unusual among Mayan temples in that it was constructed of bricks.
Arturo Mendez, a spokesman for the institute, said the fragment of inscription had been discovered years ago and has been subject to thorough study. It is not on display and is being kept in storage at the institute.
The "Comalcalco Brick," as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums. Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to Dec. 21, 2012 or Dec. 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.
"Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced," David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a message to The Associated Press.
Stuart said the date inscribed on the brick "'is a Calendar Round,' a combination of a day and month position that will repeat every 52 years."
The brick date does coincide with the end of the 13th Baktun; Baktuns were roughly 394-year periods and 13 was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas. The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3114 B.C., and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.
But the date on the brick could also correspond to similar dates in the past, Stuart said.
"There's no reason it couldn't be also a date in ancient times, describing some important historical event in the Classic period. In fact, the third glyph on the brick seems to read as the verb huli, "he/she/it arrives."
"There's no future tense marking (unlike the Tortuguero phrase), which in my mind points more to the Comalcalco date being more historical that prophetic," Stuart wrote.
Both inscriptions — the Tortuguero tablet and the Comalcalco brick — were probably carved about 1,300 years ago and both are cryptic in some ways.
The Tortuguero inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.
However, erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible, though some read the last eroded glyphs as perhaps saying, "He will descend from the sky."
The Comalcalco brick is also odd in that the molded or inscribed faces of the bricks were probably laid facing inward or covered with stucco, suggesting they were not meant to be seen.
The Institute of Anthropology and History has long said rumors of a world-ending or world-changing event in late December 2012 are a Westernized misinterpretation of Mayan calendars.
The institute repeated Thursday that "western messianic thought has twisted the cosmovision of ancient civilizations like the Maya."
The institute's experts say the Mayas saw time as a series of cycles that began and ended with regularity, but with nothing apocalyptic at the end of a given cycle.
Given the strength of Internet rumors about impending disaster in 2012, the institute is organizing a special round table of 60 Mayan experts next week at the archaeological site of Palenque, in southern Mexico, to "dispel some of the doubts about the end of one era and the beginning of another, in the Mayan Long Count calendar."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
By MARK STEVENSON Associated Press The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's archaeology institute downplays theories that the ancient Mayas predicted some sort of apocalypse would occur in 2012, but on Thursday it acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.
Most experts had cited only one surviving reference to the date in Mayan glyphs, a stone tablet from the Tortuguero site in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco.
But the National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that there is in fact another apparent reference to the date at the nearby Comalcalco ruin. The inscription is on the carved or molded face of a brick. Comalcalco is unusual among Mayan temples in that it was constructed of bricks.
Arturo Mendez, a spokesman for the institute, said the fragment of inscription had been discovered years ago and has been subject to thorough study. It is not on display and is being kept in storage at the institute.
The "Comalcalco Brick," as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums. Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to Dec. 21, 2012 or Dec. 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.
"Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced," David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin, said in a message to The Associated Press.
Stuart said the date inscribed on the brick "'is a Calendar Round,' a combination of a day and month position that will repeat every 52 years."
The brick date does coincide with the end of the 13th Baktun; Baktuns were roughly 394-year periods and 13 was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas. The Mayan Long Count calendar begins in 3114 B.C., and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.
But the date on the brick could also correspond to similar dates in the past, Stuart said.
"There's no reason it couldn't be also a date in ancient times, describing some important historical event in the Classic period. In fact, the third glyph on the brick seems to read as the verb huli, "he/she/it arrives."
"There's no future tense marking (unlike the Tortuguero phrase), which in my mind points more to the Comalcalco date being more historical that prophetic," Stuart wrote.
Both inscriptions — the Tortuguero tablet and the Comalcalco brick — were probably carved about 1,300 years ago and both are cryptic in some ways.
The Tortuguero inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.
However, erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible, though some read the last eroded glyphs as perhaps saying, "He will descend from the sky."
The Comalcalco brick is also odd in that the molded or inscribed faces of the bricks were probably laid facing inward or covered with stucco, suggesting they were not meant to be seen.
The Institute of Anthropology and History has long said rumors of a world-ending or world-changing event in late December 2012 are a Westernized misinterpretation of Mayan calendars.
The institute repeated Thursday that "western messianic thought has twisted the cosmovision of ancient civilizations like the Maya."
The institute's experts say the Mayas saw time as a series of cycles that began and ended with regularity, but with nothing apocalyptic at the end of a given cycle.
Given the strength of Internet rumors about impending disaster in 2012, the institute is organizing a special round table of 60 Mayan experts next week at the archaeological site of Palenque, in southern Mexico, to "dispel some of the doubts about the end of one era and the beginning of another, in the Mayan Long Count calendar."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Under and Over It
This works on so many levels! Enjoy.
Yeah Go!
Did you hear the one about me being a punk?
Did you hear the one about me being a drunk?
Did you hear the one about me losing my nerve?
Or how I'm just another fucking sheep in the herd?
Did you hear about the money, how it made me change?
So funny to me, all the time that they waste.
Did you hear the one about me giving a shit?
Cause if I ever did I don't remember it.
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
Did you hear the one about me playing the game?
Selling my soul and changing my name.
Did you hear the one about me being a prick?
Did you know I don't care? You can suck my...
Did you hear the one about me trying to die?
Fist in the air and a finger to the sky.
Do I care if you hate me? Do you wanna know the truth?
C'est la vie... adiós... good riddance... fuck you!
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I, I, I'm under and over it.
I, I, I'm under and over it.
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I, I, I'm under and over it.
I, I, I'm under and over it.
Yeah Go!
Did you hear the one about me being a punk?
Did you hear the one about me being a drunk?
Did you hear the one about me losing my nerve?
Or how I'm just another fucking sheep in the herd?
Did you hear about the money, how it made me change?
So funny to me, all the time that they waste.
Did you hear the one about me giving a shit?
Cause if I ever did I don't remember it.
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
Did you hear the one about me playing the game?
Selling my soul and changing my name.
Did you hear the one about me being a prick?
Did you know I don't care? You can suck my...
Did you hear the one about me trying to die?
Fist in the air and a finger to the sky.
Do I care if you hate me? Do you wanna know the truth?
C'est la vie... adiós... good riddance... fuck you!
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I, I, I'm under and over it.
I, I, I'm under and over it.
You can be me and I will be you.
You can live just like a star.
I'll take my sanity, you take the fame.
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I'm under and over it all.
(I'm under and over it.)
I, I, I'm under and over it.
I, I, I'm under and over it.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Russian military chief warns of nuclear war risks
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia is facing a heightened risk of being drawn into conflicts at its borders that have the potential of turning nuclear, the nation's top military officer said Thursday.
Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, cautioned over NATO's expansion eastward and warned that the risks of Russia being pulled into local conflicts have "risen sharply."
Makarov added, according to Russian news agencies, that "under certain conditions local and regional conflicts may develop into a full-scale war involving nuclear weapons."
A steady decline in Russia's conventional forces has prompted the Kremlin to rely increasingly on its nuclear deterrent.
The nation's military doctrine says it may use nuclear weapons to counter a nuclear attack on Russia or an ally, or a large-scale conventional attack that threatens Russia's existence.
Russia sees NATO's expansion to include former Soviet republics and ex-members of the Soviet bloc in eastern and central Europe as a key threat to Russia's security.
Makarov specifically referred to NATO's plans to offer membership to Georgia and Ukraine as potentially threatening Russia's security. Russia routed Georgian forces in a brief August 2008 war over a separatist province of South Ossetia. Moscow later recognized South Ossettia and another breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia as independent states and increased its military presence there.
Makarov warned that the planned pullout of NATO forces from Afghanistan could trigger conflicts in neighboring ex-Soviet Central Asian nations that could "grow into a large-scale war."
In its military doctrine, Russia has also described U.S. missile defense plans as another major security challenge, saying it could threaten its nuclear forces and undermine their deterrence potential.
Moscow has agreed to consider NATO's proposal last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should operate. Russia has insisted that the system should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.
Makarov also said Russia is struggling to get enough recruits for the 1-million military, as the number of draftees has shrunk dramatically because of demographical changes.
He said that the military is aiming to gradually increase the number of contract soldiers and eventually form an all-volunteer army. He didn't mention a specific time frame.
The statement marked a sharp change of course for the top military brass who previously insisted that Russia needs to maintain the highly unpopular draft because an all-volunteer military would be too costly.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, cautioned over NATO's expansion eastward and warned that the risks of Russia being pulled into local conflicts have "risen sharply."
Makarov added, according to Russian news agencies, that "under certain conditions local and regional conflicts may develop into a full-scale war involving nuclear weapons."
A steady decline in Russia's conventional forces has prompted the Kremlin to rely increasingly on its nuclear deterrent.
The nation's military doctrine says it may use nuclear weapons to counter a nuclear attack on Russia or an ally, or a large-scale conventional attack that threatens Russia's existence.
Russia sees NATO's expansion to include former Soviet republics and ex-members of the Soviet bloc in eastern and central Europe as a key threat to Russia's security.
Makarov specifically referred to NATO's plans to offer membership to Georgia and Ukraine as potentially threatening Russia's security. Russia routed Georgian forces in a brief August 2008 war over a separatist province of South Ossetia. Moscow later recognized South Ossettia and another breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia as independent states and increased its military presence there.
Makarov warned that the planned pullout of NATO forces from Afghanistan could trigger conflicts in neighboring ex-Soviet Central Asian nations that could "grow into a large-scale war."
In its military doctrine, Russia has also described U.S. missile defense plans as another major security challenge, saying it could threaten its nuclear forces and undermine their deterrence potential.
Moscow has agreed to consider NATO's proposal last fall to cooperate on the missile shield, but the talks have been deadlocked over how the system should operate. Russia has insisted that the system should be run jointly, which NATO has rejected.
Makarov also said Russia is struggling to get enough recruits for the 1-million military, as the number of draftees has shrunk dramatically because of demographical changes.
He said that the military is aiming to gradually increase the number of contract soldiers and eventually form an all-volunteer army. He didn't mention a specific time frame.
The statement marked a sharp change of course for the top military brass who previously insisted that Russia needs to maintain the highly unpopular draft because an all-volunteer military would be too costly.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Hello Officers.
No doubt if you're reading this, it's because tensions have recently been heightened and authorities have become involved in something that should have been looked into last year. Let me see if I can help to clear things up.
I have been going head to head online against a group calling themselves Real Life SuperVillains, or RLSV for short. Some are merely online personas that are about as dangerous as playing a Roman in a Easter play about crucifying Jesus. Others however have been less than harmless. Taking private information like names, locations, even addresses of people that harass them and posting it, only to erase it a few hours later, Attacks online of oneself and on others close to you, it appears to be a game. A game to make the enemies of the RLSV know that they can get to you any time, do whatever they want and get away with it because they hide behind the law and its loopholes. Veiled threats, harassment of people that have mental conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts and other such maladies. These people claim that they are trying to warn against vigilantism in the Real Life SuperHero community when in fact, these same individuals have been instigating, provoking such actions. Recently the FBI upgraded the fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse known as Juggalos and Juggalettes are now on their watch list of dangerous gangs. I submit to you when someone in the community admits to acts like violence, gang activity, drug use and trafficking, a disregard for the laws and rotating attacks on people, I believe members of the RLSV and some RLSH should both be examined further.
Everything I've ever said on this blog, on my show Creature Feature and performed in action has been in reaction to actions of attacks and threats against my person or others. Have I lost my temper in the past? Yes, and when it was discovered that such events were due to an interaction of over the counter pain relievers and sleep aids, I stopped taking both items in order to regain self control. But still, constant attacks and harassment do tend to wear one down. I have in the past been targeted by stalkers who have driven by my home late at night, tearing up my front yard, screaming, firing gunshots. And in my blogs, people such as Jacob DuPree, AKA Malvado and his friends/fellow gang members, know about it. I also have reason to believe they have instigated it in others by revealing my identity and address. Because of this, my extreme behavior on this blog has been the equivalent of a cyber 'No Trespassing' sign. Was I upset? Yes. Was I at the time willing to kill? Oh yes. But, I knew that such a thing was wrong and illegal. I was however, prepared to defend myself with lethal force, because these same individuals have made it clear they are prepared to do whatever they want, damn the laws, and get away with it or use legal loopholes to cover themselves. This is more than one individual, it is an organization of many members who all use the same tactics and have a history of escalation. They claim to be a regulatory group of citizens who try to keep people from being harmed by vigilantes, while at the same time trying to attack, goad and whip people into a frenzy to make such attacks.
At the height of this activity a few months ago, attacks were made against myself and my friends. I wanted it to stop, and my patience was nearly at an end. I wanted to snap and repay these people, but instead I let them believe that I was a single comment away from going on the offensive. And at the time, without the help of counseling and the same friends these bastards continue to attack, I could very well have. But I didn't know where they were, in some cases, who they were. I am legally armed, don't worry, I'm not stockpiling like Waco, to defend myself. I have been attacked on my property, and these people have led me to believe by publishing or broadcasting my identity and location that any such encounter will be considered a lethal threat, and I will respond with lethal force. Supposedly a consensus among the RLSV was that they would leave me and my friends alone in light of fear that this would escalate into violence. But several people in the community have ignored this, using excuses to target me and others. The single most active individual is Jacob DuPree, AKA Malvado.
Jacob has been a person who admits to violence, drug use, mental instability and has a history of escalation. He also has a history of knowing I am more than prepared to use lethal force in defense, and still, wished to goad and harass me. Recently a threat of arson was made, and on Halloween weekend, three homes in Orange County caught fire, police believed it was arson. Given this appeared in a neighborhood that by the news helicopter indicated to resemble my own, I grew concerned and made a report.
Jacob continued to target me specifically while I tried to go about my business, getting back into character or reminding the RLSV community that their communication and attacks were unwanted. Then, Jacob decided to attack my friends due to the death of one of the Skiffytown League of Heroes. A few months ago Jason Gormally, AKA The White Skull, was reported deceased. Some in the community tried to begin charity events in his name, I reminded them of his attacks on them and was met by anger and expulsion from two message boards. It was later revealed that the entire incident was a bad practical joke in which his wife, some RLSV and RLSH who manage those same boards were in on the joke. It was just another sign that some of the RLSH, people who claim to want to stop crime and distance themselves from the true troublemakers in the community not only turned a blind eye to this and other actions by the RLSV, but encourage it.
When my news of my friend's passing hit the web, he decided to capitalize on it and make a blog attacking Skiffytown, its reputation and myself. This blog has since been slightly removed, its text gone but a video resembling my friend's alter ego remaining at this time. It was provocation attempting a reaction. And given my anger issues with Jacob, it seemed he was targeting me. He knew I had no love for him and warned him I would not appreciate any attack on my friends. He has been increasingly erratic, unstable, and escalating once again. It's almost as if he wanted me to attack him, he's been goading me for months while everyone else has left me alone.
I'll be honest, if I were in the same temperament and mind-set as I was a few months ago, without the aid of friends and counseling, I would have been sorely tempted. But I've been trying to get better, letting go of anger and getting on with my life. But despite it all, Jacob was targeting me, trying to push my buttons, knowing I've had issues with depression, suicide and goading me into becoming a vigilante himself. It is my opinion that he has exhibited signs of continued mental instability, anger and destructive tendencies. In the past when he wished to leave the community and get help, he tends to crash hard. For all I knew or suspected, he was wishing to go out online in a blaze of glory, or lethal cocktail. Either way, perhaps it takes someone whose been that low to know one. I hope he gets the help he deserves.
I have tried to get legal action to look more closely into this case before. Many of the RLSV claim that it's pointless, the police have better things to do. Once again, it appeared to be a sign of attacking, harassing, targeting people with a history of escalation and seeing how far they can get away with it. I'll be happy to answer questions of any authority, showing any screen captures or information I can provide such as police reports. If you wish to patrol my area, thank you, I welcome it. Please consider a night patrol due to the usual time of my drive-by assailants is between Midnight and 4 AM.
Everything I have done, including threats of lethal force in self defense, have been in response to the actions of several members of the RLSV. I perceive these to be very real threats, being just a matter of time before things escalate to violence, injury and possibly death. These people came close to causing it with me, and Jacob and his friends whom I'll be happy to name if asked, know it. If I have my druthers, I want no further contact with any member of the RLSV. However, when I started this, I did so to monitor both the RLSH and RLSV to determine actual threats to people. Although I have not been as active in the past nor do I see becoming more active due to other real world issues that require my attention, I do not wish to cease monitoring both sides to keep a potential fiasco and attack from happening.
No false police report was filed, it is my opinion and belief that all the actions building up over the past two years, and recently inflamed over the last few months that Jacob was, and is, becoming more and more a real and tangible threat to himself and others. Given the history, I hope people see that I'm correct. Also, please be mindful of any further harassment like police calls, etc. focused on my area. I believe that if not cause by, called in or issued by Jacob DuPree, he has many contacts in the RLSV that may act in his behalf, continuing the harassment, and making you the tools of those attacks. I've stated it time and time again. Things in the community continue to build and escalate, when things become to inflamed, a period of a few weeks to months occurs when nothing happens, just to start up all over again. As a person who has had issues of depression, suicidal thoughts and moments of lessened control due to drug interactions that I have ceased, it is my wish to cease the aggravation and stop the potential threats. Please continue to monitor this feud and RLSH/RLSV communities and give it the just attention that any growing issue of cyber crime and gang violence deserves.
I have been going head to head online against a group calling themselves Real Life SuperVillains, or RLSV for short. Some are merely online personas that are about as dangerous as playing a Roman in a Easter play about crucifying Jesus. Others however have been less than harmless. Taking private information like names, locations, even addresses of people that harass them and posting it, only to erase it a few hours later, Attacks online of oneself and on others close to you, it appears to be a game. A game to make the enemies of the RLSV know that they can get to you any time, do whatever they want and get away with it because they hide behind the law and its loopholes. Veiled threats, harassment of people that have mental conditions such as depression, suicidal thoughts and other such maladies. These people claim that they are trying to warn against vigilantism in the Real Life SuperHero community when in fact, these same individuals have been instigating, provoking such actions. Recently the FBI upgraded the fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse known as Juggalos and Juggalettes are now on their watch list of dangerous gangs. I submit to you when someone in the community admits to acts like violence, gang activity, drug use and trafficking, a disregard for the laws and rotating attacks on people, I believe members of the RLSV and some RLSH should both be examined further.
Everything I've ever said on this blog, on my show Creature Feature and performed in action has been in reaction to actions of attacks and threats against my person or others. Have I lost my temper in the past? Yes, and when it was discovered that such events were due to an interaction of over the counter pain relievers and sleep aids, I stopped taking both items in order to regain self control. But still, constant attacks and harassment do tend to wear one down. I have in the past been targeted by stalkers who have driven by my home late at night, tearing up my front yard, screaming, firing gunshots. And in my blogs, people such as Jacob DuPree, AKA Malvado and his friends/fellow gang members, know about it. I also have reason to believe they have instigated it in others by revealing my identity and address. Because of this, my extreme behavior on this blog has been the equivalent of a cyber 'No Trespassing' sign. Was I upset? Yes. Was I at the time willing to kill? Oh yes. But, I knew that such a thing was wrong and illegal. I was however, prepared to defend myself with lethal force, because these same individuals have made it clear they are prepared to do whatever they want, damn the laws, and get away with it or use legal loopholes to cover themselves. This is more than one individual, it is an organization of many members who all use the same tactics and have a history of escalation. They claim to be a regulatory group of citizens who try to keep people from being harmed by vigilantes, while at the same time trying to attack, goad and whip people into a frenzy to make such attacks.
At the height of this activity a few months ago, attacks were made against myself and my friends. I wanted it to stop, and my patience was nearly at an end. I wanted to snap and repay these people, but instead I let them believe that I was a single comment away from going on the offensive. And at the time, without the help of counseling and the same friends these bastards continue to attack, I could very well have. But I didn't know where they were, in some cases, who they were. I am legally armed, don't worry, I'm not stockpiling like Waco, to defend myself. I have been attacked on my property, and these people have led me to believe by publishing or broadcasting my identity and location that any such encounter will be considered a lethal threat, and I will respond with lethal force. Supposedly a consensus among the RLSV was that they would leave me and my friends alone in light of fear that this would escalate into violence. But several people in the community have ignored this, using excuses to target me and others. The single most active individual is Jacob DuPree, AKA Malvado.
Jacob has been a person who admits to violence, drug use, mental instability and has a history of escalation. He also has a history of knowing I am more than prepared to use lethal force in defense, and still, wished to goad and harass me. Recently a threat of arson was made, and on Halloween weekend, three homes in Orange County caught fire, police believed it was arson. Given this appeared in a neighborhood that by the news helicopter indicated to resemble my own, I grew concerned and made a report.
Jacob continued to target me specifically while I tried to go about my business, getting back into character or reminding the RLSV community that their communication and attacks were unwanted. Then, Jacob decided to attack my friends due to the death of one of the Skiffytown League of Heroes. A few months ago Jason Gormally, AKA The White Skull, was reported deceased. Some in the community tried to begin charity events in his name, I reminded them of his attacks on them and was met by anger and expulsion from two message boards. It was later revealed that the entire incident was a bad practical joke in which his wife, some RLSV and RLSH who manage those same boards were in on the joke. It was just another sign that some of the RLSH, people who claim to want to stop crime and distance themselves from the true troublemakers in the community not only turned a blind eye to this and other actions by the RLSV, but encourage it.
When my news of my friend's passing hit the web, he decided to capitalize on it and make a blog attacking Skiffytown, its reputation and myself. This blog has since been slightly removed, its text gone but a video resembling my friend's alter ego remaining at this time. It was provocation attempting a reaction. And given my anger issues with Jacob, it seemed he was targeting me. He knew I had no love for him and warned him I would not appreciate any attack on my friends. He has been increasingly erratic, unstable, and escalating once again. It's almost as if he wanted me to attack him, he's been goading me for months while everyone else has left me alone.
I'll be honest, if I were in the same temperament and mind-set as I was a few months ago, without the aid of friends and counseling, I would have been sorely tempted. But I've been trying to get better, letting go of anger and getting on with my life. But despite it all, Jacob was targeting me, trying to push my buttons, knowing I've had issues with depression, suicide and goading me into becoming a vigilante himself. It is my opinion that he has exhibited signs of continued mental instability, anger and destructive tendencies. In the past when he wished to leave the community and get help, he tends to crash hard. For all I knew or suspected, he was wishing to go out online in a blaze of glory, or lethal cocktail. Either way, perhaps it takes someone whose been that low to know one. I hope he gets the help he deserves.
I have tried to get legal action to look more closely into this case before. Many of the RLSV claim that it's pointless, the police have better things to do. Once again, it appeared to be a sign of attacking, harassing, targeting people with a history of escalation and seeing how far they can get away with it. I'll be happy to answer questions of any authority, showing any screen captures or information I can provide such as police reports. If you wish to patrol my area, thank you, I welcome it. Please consider a night patrol due to the usual time of my drive-by assailants is between Midnight and 4 AM.
Everything I have done, including threats of lethal force in self defense, have been in response to the actions of several members of the RLSV. I perceive these to be very real threats, being just a matter of time before things escalate to violence, injury and possibly death. These people came close to causing it with me, and Jacob and his friends whom I'll be happy to name if asked, know it. If I have my druthers, I want no further contact with any member of the RLSV. However, when I started this, I did so to monitor both the RLSH and RLSV to determine actual threats to people. Although I have not been as active in the past nor do I see becoming more active due to other real world issues that require my attention, I do not wish to cease monitoring both sides to keep a potential fiasco and attack from happening.
No false police report was filed, it is my opinion and belief that all the actions building up over the past two years, and recently inflamed over the last few months that Jacob was, and is, becoming more and more a real and tangible threat to himself and others. Given the history, I hope people see that I'm correct. Also, please be mindful of any further harassment like police calls, etc. focused on my area. I believe that if not cause by, called in or issued by Jacob DuPree, he has many contacts in the RLSV that may act in his behalf, continuing the harassment, and making you the tools of those attacks. I've stated it time and time again. Things in the community continue to build and escalate, when things become to inflamed, a period of a few weeks to months occurs when nothing happens, just to start up all over again. As a person who has had issues of depression, suicidal thoughts and moments of lessened control due to drug interactions that I have ceased, it is my wish to cease the aggravation and stop the potential threats. Please continue to monitor this feud and RLSH/RLSV communities and give it the just attention that any growing issue of cyber crime and gang violence deserves.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
RIP Lord Phlegmis
I heard the news this morning. Lord Phlegmis, a friend in Skiffytown that was a 'villain' in name and fictional stories only, passed away. No, this is not another White Skull debacle. He will be missed. In his honor, I've done a good deed today to commemorate his memory. Rest In Peace my friend.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Welcome to The Pride.
Greetings and Salutations, my creatures of the night! And to those of you Krampi that are new or new to here, welcome to the Pride. You have your orders.
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Johnny Cash and PBR, Jack Daniels, NasCar
Facebook, Myspace, iPod, Bill Gates
Smith and Wesson, NRA, Firewater, Paleface
Dimebag, Tupac, Heavy Metal, Hip hop
I am what you fear most, I am what you need
I am what you made me, I am the American dream
I'm not selling out, I'm buying in
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Disneyland, White House, JFK and Micky Mouse
John Wayne, Springsteen, Eastwood, James Dean
Coca Cola, Pepsi, Playboy, Text me
NFL, NBA, Brett Favre, King James
I am all American, I am living the dream
I am what you fear most, I am anarchy
I'm not selling out, I'm buying in
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Since the dawn of time only the strong have survived, I will not be
Forgotten
Welcome to the pride
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeahOhh
Only the strong survive
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Welcome to the pride
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never Favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Johnny Cash and PBR, Jack Daniels, NasCar
Facebook, Myspace, iPod, Bill Gates
Smith and Wesson, NRA, Firewater, Paleface
Dimebag, Tupac, Heavy Metal, Hip hop
I am what you fear most, I am what you need
I am what you made me, I am the American dream
I'm not selling out, I'm buying in
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Disneyland, White House, JFK and Micky Mouse
John Wayne, Springsteen, Eastwood, James Dean
Coca Cola, Pepsi, Playboy, Text me
NFL, NBA, Brett Favre, King James
I am all American, I am living the dream
I am what you fear most, I am anarchy
I'm not selling out, I'm buying in
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Since the dawn of time only the strong have survived, I will not be
Forgotten
Welcome to the pride
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeahOhh
Only the strong survive
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah, Hey ey ey yeah Ohh
Welcome to the pride
I will not be forgotten, this it my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it, only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying, everyone has their time
I've never Favored weakness, welcome to the pride
Saturday, November 12, 2011
When the social structure fails
I've often said that in regards of December of 2012, I do not believe it will be the end of the world. However, it's those that DO believe it's the end, and thus the rules of man no longer apply, that you should watch out for. We've seen it in riots, natural disasters, one of the more despicable in recent years was during the aftermath of Katrina, when people in boats would go to those signalling for help, only to find out it was a ruse, then people attack the would-be rescuers, robbing, even killing them.
I'm sure those of you here gifted with precognition or a gut instinct can tell the same thing I can. The Occupy movements, riots in the UK and Europe, all are symptoms a way to voice concerns when it is difficult to put a finger on an exact cause for distress. I feel that within the next two years, not just 2012, something big is coming. Natural disaster, economic collapse, a man-made disaster, it's difficult to put a finger on, or in my case, a claw. But something big is coming. Bigger than the riots after the Rodney King's attackers were found not guilty, larger than Katrina, something that may well affect many of us.
So what do we do when it seems an emergency of such a scale were to erupt? How do we deal with it? What I'm asking is, do you have a plan? Is there anything currently in place in your area or amongst your people in or out of the RLSH community that has something prepared to do so as not to lose one's mind in such a crisis?
Recently during a special on zombies, I witnessed many areas have their own Zombie Defense groups and parties. As scoffable as it may be, the idea is the same: have a plan, have supplies, necessities and if need be, an escape route. Many city councils actually applaud this effort. Not to promote zombies, but to be prepared when shit hits the proverbial fan.
So what do we have in place? And if the answer is nothing, what are we to do about it?
I'm sure those of you here gifted with precognition or a gut instinct can tell the same thing I can. The Occupy movements, riots in the UK and Europe, all are symptoms a way to voice concerns when it is difficult to put a finger on an exact cause for distress. I feel that within the next two years, not just 2012, something big is coming. Natural disaster, economic collapse, a man-made disaster, it's difficult to put a finger on, or in my case, a claw. But something big is coming. Bigger than the riots after the Rodney King's attackers were found not guilty, larger than Katrina, something that may well affect many of us.
So what do we do when it seems an emergency of such a scale were to erupt? How do we deal with it? What I'm asking is, do you have a plan? Is there anything currently in place in your area or amongst your people in or out of the RLSH community that has something prepared to do so as not to lose one's mind in such a crisis?
Recently during a special on zombies, I witnessed many areas have their own Zombie Defense groups and parties. As scoffable as it may be, the idea is the same: have a plan, have supplies, necessities and if need be, an escape route. Many city councils actually applaud this effort. Not to promote zombies, but to be prepared when shit hits the proverbial fan.
So what do we have in place? And if the answer is nothing, what are we to do about it?
Friday, November 11, 2011
Another good argument for vigilantism
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio have accused a man of beating his 5-year-old daughter because she was having trouble with her alphabet homework.
Akron police say the kindergartner was struggling to recognize the letter D on Tuesday when 39-year-old Christopher D. Curry became angry. According to police, he picked the girl up by the neck and struck her in the head repeatedly.
The Akron Beacon Journal reports the child was treated at a hospital for bruises and cuts, including a left eye nearly swollen shut.
Curry has been charged with felonious assault, child endangering and domestic violence. He was being held in the Summit County jail with bond set at $100,000.
Jail officials say they don't know if he has an attorney, and none is listed in court records.
———
Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, www.ohio.com
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Akron police say the kindergartner was struggling to recognize the letter D on Tuesday when 39-year-old Christopher D. Curry became angry. According to police, he picked the girl up by the neck and struck her in the head repeatedly.
The Akron Beacon Journal reports the child was treated at a hospital for bruises and cuts, including a left eye nearly swollen shut.
Curry has been charged with felonious assault, child endangering and domestic violence. He was being held in the Summit County jail with bond set at $100,000.
Jail officials say they don't know if he has an attorney, and none is listed in court records.
———
Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, www.ohio.com
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Irreversible, unforgivable
It's enough to make someone consider picking a subspecies of humans and letting them know how it feels.
GENEVA (AP) — The Western Black Rhino of Africa has been declared officially extinct, and two other subspecies of rhinoceros are close to meeting the same fate, a leading conservation group said Thursday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature said a recent reassessment of the Western Black Rhino had led it to declare the species extinct, adding that the Northern White Rhino of central Africa is now "possibly extinct" in the wild and the Javan Rhino is "probably extinct" in Vietnam, after poachers killed the last animal there in 2010.
A small but declining population of the Javan Rhino survives on the Indonesian island of Java, it added.
"A lack of political support and willpower for conservation efforts in many rhino habitats, international organized crime groups targeting rhinos and increasing illegal demand for rhino horns and commercial poaching are the main threats faced by rhinos," the group said in a statement accompanying the latest update of its so-called Red List of endangered species.
About a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction, IUCN said, adding that some species have been brought back from the brink with successful conservation programs.
The Southern White Rhino numbered just 100 animals at the end of the 19th century, but has since flourished and now has a population of over 20,000.
The Przewalski's Horse, a type of wild horse from Central Asia, has come back from extinction after a successful breeding program in captivity.
The Red List now contains almost 62,000 species of plants and animals, whose status is constantly monitored by conservationists.
————
Red List: www.iucnredlist.org/
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
GENEVA (AP) — The Western Black Rhino of Africa has been declared officially extinct, and two other subspecies of rhinoceros are close to meeting the same fate, a leading conservation group said Thursday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature said a recent reassessment of the Western Black Rhino had led it to declare the species extinct, adding that the Northern White Rhino of central Africa is now "possibly extinct" in the wild and the Javan Rhino is "probably extinct" in Vietnam, after poachers killed the last animal there in 2010.
A small but declining population of the Javan Rhino survives on the Indonesian island of Java, it added.
"A lack of political support and willpower for conservation efforts in many rhino habitats, international organized crime groups targeting rhinos and increasing illegal demand for rhino horns and commercial poaching are the main threats faced by rhinos," the group said in a statement accompanying the latest update of its so-called Red List of endangered species.
About a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction, IUCN said, adding that some species have been brought back from the brink with successful conservation programs.
The Southern White Rhino numbered just 100 animals at the end of the 19th century, but has since flourished and now has a population of over 20,000.
The Przewalski's Horse, a type of wild horse from Central Asia, has come back from extinction after a successful breeding program in captivity.
The Red List now contains almost 62,000 species of plants and animals, whose status is constantly monitored by conservationists.
————
Red List: www.iucnredlist.org/
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Question of the day
With the Fifth of November quickly descending upon us, I can't help but wonder. In celebration of Guy Fawkes Day, are there any idiots planning on celebrating by blowing up any buildings?
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
Don't you Remember,
The Fifth of November,
'Twas Gunpowder Treason Day,
I let off my gun,
And made'em all run.
And Stole all their Bonfire away.
The fifth of November, since I can remember,
Was Guy Faux, Poke him in the eye,
Shove him up the chimney-pot, and there let him die.
A stick and a stake, for King George's sake,
If you don't give me one, I'll take two,
The better for me, and the worse for you,
Ricket-a-racket your hedges shall go.
Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
Don't you Remember,
The Fifth of November,
'Twas Gunpowder Treason Day,
I let off my gun,
And made'em all run.
And Stole all their Bonfire away.
The fifth of November, since I can remember,
Was Guy Faux, Poke him in the eye,
Shove him up the chimney-pot, and there let him die.
A stick and a stake, for King George's sake,
If you don't give me one, I'll take two,
The better for me, and the worse for you,
Ricket-a-racket your hedges shall go.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Fascinating reading
While doing some research into an ongoing project, I came across some interesting information on the Chinese Triads. Fascinating, really. It shows how the best of original intentions can become twisted, dark, not just criminal but downright evil.
According to the judicial interpretation of the Supreme People's Court, “organizations with characteristics of a criminal syndicate” have the following characteristics: “ (1) a highly structured organization with a leadership, basically stable membership, and relatively strict discipline; (2) pursues economic benefit through illegal activities and possesses a certain economic strength; (3) seeks to shield itself through bribes and threats; (4) its criminal activities bring serious harm to economic and social order. “ [Source: the lawyer Zhou Litai, journalist Wu Wei, Beijing News, Danwei.org, October 18, 2009]
Precursors
The roots of the Triads are found in centuries-old secret societies that date back to 1000 B.C., when peasants were often preyed on by evil leaders and protected themselves by forming "self help" groups. According to legend the first Triads were founded by Chinese monks committed to fighting injustices. Over time these groups, it is said, became so politically powerful they were able to prop up or bring down emperors at their whim.
The earliest triads started as resistance/rebel forces who opposed Manchu rule in China during the Qing Dynasty, as the Manchu ethnic group were regarded as foreign invaders in the predominant Han Chinese society of China then. In the 1760s, the Heaven and Earth Society (天地會) was founded, with its objective to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore Han Chinese rule in China. As the society's influence spread throughout China, it branched into several smaller groups with different names, one of which was the Three Harmonies Society (三合會). These societies adopted the triangle as their emblem, usually accompanied by decorative images of swords or portraits of Guan Yu. The term "triad" was first coined by British authorities in colonial Hong Kong, as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery.[1] While never proven, it is "highly probable" that triad organizations either took after or were originally part of the revolutionary movement called the White Lotus Society. The bosses of the Triads are called "dragonheads."
Migration to Hong Kong
When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and tough governmental crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to Hong Kong, then a British colony.[citation needed] It was estimated that in the 1950s, there were about 300,000 triad members in Hong Kong. By 1951, there were nine main triads operating in Hong Kong and they had divided the land according to their ethnic groups and geographical locations, with each triad in charge of a region. The nine triads were Wo Hop To, Wo Shing Wo, Rung, Tung, Chuen, Shing, Sun Yee On, 14K and Luen. Each of them had its own headquarters, its sub-societies and public covers. After the 1956 riots, the Hong Kong government introduced stricter law enforcement and triads became less active.
Recent developments
Triads have been engaging in counterfeiting since the 1880s. Between the 1960s and 1970s, triads were involved in counterfeiting Chinese currency, often of the Hong Kong 50-cent piece. In the same decade, the gangs were also involved in copying books, usually expensive ones, and selling them in the black market. With the advent of new technology and the improvement of the average person's standard of living, triads have progressed to producing counterfeit goods such as watches, film VCDs / DVDs and designer apparel such as clothing and handbags.
Triads currently engage in a variety of crimes from extortion and money laundering to trafficking and prostitution. They also are involved in smuggling and counterfeiting goods such as music, video, and software as well as more tangible goods such as clothes, watches, and money.
Triads use numeric codes to distinguish between ranks and positions within the gang; the numbers are inspired by Chinese numerology based on the I Ching. "489" refers to the "mountain" or "dragon" master, while 438 is used for the "deputy mountain master". "426" refers to a "military commander", also known as a "Red Pole", overseeing defensive and offensive operations, while "49" denotes a "soldier" or rank-and-file member. The "white paper fan" (415) provides financial and business advice, and the "straw sandal" (432) functions as a liaison between different units. "25" refers to an undercover law enforcement agent or spy from another triad, and has become popularly used in Hong Kong as a slang for "traitor".
Initiation
Similar to the Italian mafia or the Japanese yakuza, Triad members are subject to initiation ceremonies. A typical ceremony takes place at an altar dedicated to Guan Yu, with incense and an animal sacrifice, usually a chicken, pig or goat. After drinking a mixture of wine and blood of the animal or the candidate, the member will pass beneath an arch of swords while reciting the triad's oaths. The paper on which the oaths are written will be burnt on the altar to confirm the member's obligation to perform his duties to the gods. Three fingers on the left hand will be raised as a binding gesture.
Hmm...there's that three again. Other interesting connections to three is the Wiccan Rede or the Christian Divine Trinity. Or even the points of a pitchfork, perhaps? My current project involves another possible reason behind the three, but I digress.
Overseas activities
Triads are also active in other regions with significant overseas Chinese populations, apart from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Triads are known to be operating in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Argentina. They are often involved in helping immigrants enter countries illegally.
Criminal gangs are found throughout China but are most active in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Guangzhou as well as Hong Kong. The number of people involved in organized crime on the mainland has risen from around 100,000 in 1986 to around 1.5 million in 2000. New members are often recruited among the 120-million-strong "floating population" of migrant workers.
Triads are the most well-known organized crime group in China, Hong Kong and Macao. In addition to them are other large organized crime gangs. The Big Circles is a loose alliance of criminal gangs founded by former Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. Their individual names refer to the detention centers where they were "re-educated." They are active in snakehead human trafficking and other criminal operations.
Organized crime gangs are known as “black societies.” The private intelligence firm Stratfor said that, unlike in Russia and Italy, organized crime was “extremely localized.” Many criminals work in small, loosely-knit gangs that are involved in armed robbery, racketeering, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, gambling and even contract murder. When groups began to outgrow their local area, the government cracked down with harsh penalties.
Organized crime is growing in China, thanks to factors including economic liberalization, increasing migration, growing inequality and official corruption. People trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal gambling and extortion are all lucrative. “Gang-related crimes have become a threat to social stability and the economy,” a Public Security Bureau official told China Daily last year. “Murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, assault ... they dare do anything.” One indication of their presence and power in China is the increasing number of bound and gagged bodies that are pulled from the Yellow River and other Chinese waterways.
One of Henan Province 's worst gangs roamed the countryside unchecked for 13 months, robbing farmhouses and killing 76 people. Seven members of the gang, including its leader Peng Miaoji, who personally cut the throat of 40 victims, were captured and executed in December 1999.
Some gangs have close relations with the police and are even run by the police. In March 2007, 10 members of a police-run gang in Inner Mongolia were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for robbery, rape, gambling and bribery. The gang had been active for more than 10 years.
The Triads are believed to control an empire worth many billions of dollars. The largest and most powerful Triad, Sun Yee On, is believed to have 40,000 members. The unnamed "Dragon Head" of Kong Sun Yee On, was named on Asiaweek’s list of the 50 most powerful people in Asia.
Sun Yee On is believed to be particularly well connected with the Hong Kong tycoons and Communist party elite. One high-level Communist official even referred to them as "patriotic." The second and third largest Triads respectively are Who Sing Who and 14K (14 stands for the road number of a former headquarters and K stands for Kowloon).
Fascinating reading indeed.
According to the judicial interpretation of the Supreme People's Court, “organizations with characteristics of a criminal syndicate” have the following characteristics: “ (1) a highly structured organization with a leadership, basically stable membership, and relatively strict discipline; (2) pursues economic benefit through illegal activities and possesses a certain economic strength; (3) seeks to shield itself through bribes and threats; (4) its criminal activities bring serious harm to economic and social order. “ [Source: the lawyer Zhou Litai, journalist Wu Wei, Beijing News, Danwei.org, October 18, 2009]
Precursors
The roots of the Triads are found in centuries-old secret societies that date back to 1000 B.C., when peasants were often preyed on by evil leaders and protected themselves by forming "self help" groups. According to legend the first Triads were founded by Chinese monks committed to fighting injustices. Over time these groups, it is said, became so politically powerful they were able to prop up or bring down emperors at their whim.
The earliest triads started as resistance/rebel forces who opposed Manchu rule in China during the Qing Dynasty, as the Manchu ethnic group were regarded as foreign invaders in the predominant Han Chinese society of China then. In the 1760s, the Heaven and Earth Society (天地會) was founded, with its objective to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore Han Chinese rule in China. As the society's influence spread throughout China, it branched into several smaller groups with different names, one of which was the Three Harmonies Society (三合會). These societies adopted the triangle as their emblem, usually accompanied by decorative images of swords or portraits of Guan Yu. The term "triad" was first coined by British authorities in colonial Hong Kong, as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery.[1] While never proven, it is "highly probable" that triad organizations either took after or were originally part of the revolutionary movement called the White Lotus Society. The bosses of the Triads are called "dragonheads."
Migration to Hong Kong
When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and tough governmental crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to Hong Kong, then a British colony.[citation needed] It was estimated that in the 1950s, there were about 300,000 triad members in Hong Kong. By 1951, there were nine main triads operating in Hong Kong and they had divided the land according to their ethnic groups and geographical locations, with each triad in charge of a region. The nine triads were Wo Hop To, Wo Shing Wo, Rung, Tung, Chuen, Shing, Sun Yee On, 14K and Luen. Each of them had its own headquarters, its sub-societies and public covers. After the 1956 riots, the Hong Kong government introduced stricter law enforcement and triads became less active.
Recent developments
Triads have been engaging in counterfeiting since the 1880s. Between the 1960s and 1970s, triads were involved in counterfeiting Chinese currency, often of the Hong Kong 50-cent piece. In the same decade, the gangs were also involved in copying books, usually expensive ones, and selling them in the black market. With the advent of new technology and the improvement of the average person's standard of living, triads have progressed to producing counterfeit goods such as watches, film VCDs / DVDs and designer apparel such as clothing and handbags.
Triads currently engage in a variety of crimes from extortion and money laundering to trafficking and prostitution. They also are involved in smuggling and counterfeiting goods such as music, video, and software as well as more tangible goods such as clothes, watches, and money.
Triads use numeric codes to distinguish between ranks and positions within the gang; the numbers are inspired by Chinese numerology based on the I Ching. "489" refers to the "mountain" or "dragon" master, while 438 is used for the "deputy mountain master". "426" refers to a "military commander", also known as a "Red Pole", overseeing defensive and offensive operations, while "49" denotes a "soldier" or rank-and-file member. The "white paper fan" (415) provides financial and business advice, and the "straw sandal" (432) functions as a liaison between different units. "25" refers to an undercover law enforcement agent or spy from another triad, and has become popularly used in Hong Kong as a slang for "traitor".
Initiation
Similar to the Italian mafia or the Japanese yakuza, Triad members are subject to initiation ceremonies. A typical ceremony takes place at an altar dedicated to Guan Yu, with incense and an animal sacrifice, usually a chicken, pig or goat. After drinking a mixture of wine and blood of the animal or the candidate, the member will pass beneath an arch of swords while reciting the triad's oaths. The paper on which the oaths are written will be burnt on the altar to confirm the member's obligation to perform his duties to the gods. Three fingers on the left hand will be raised as a binding gesture.
Hmm...there's that three again. Other interesting connections to three is the Wiccan Rede or the Christian Divine Trinity. Or even the points of a pitchfork, perhaps? My current project involves another possible reason behind the three, but I digress.
Overseas activities
Triads are also active in other regions with significant overseas Chinese populations, apart from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Triads are known to be operating in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Argentina. They are often involved in helping immigrants enter countries illegally.
Criminal gangs are found throughout China but are most active in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Guangzhou as well as Hong Kong. The number of people involved in organized crime on the mainland has risen from around 100,000 in 1986 to around 1.5 million in 2000. New members are often recruited among the 120-million-strong "floating population" of migrant workers.
Triads are the most well-known organized crime group in China, Hong Kong and Macao. In addition to them are other large organized crime gangs. The Big Circles is a loose alliance of criminal gangs founded by former Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution. Their individual names refer to the detention centers where they were "re-educated." They are active in snakehead human trafficking and other criminal operations.
Organized crime gangs are known as “black societies.” The private intelligence firm Stratfor said that, unlike in Russia and Italy, organized crime was “extremely localized.” Many criminals work in small, loosely-knit gangs that are involved in armed robbery, racketeering, smuggling, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, gambling and even contract murder. When groups began to outgrow their local area, the government cracked down with harsh penalties.
Organized crime is growing in China, thanks to factors including economic liberalization, increasing migration, growing inequality and official corruption. People trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal gambling and extortion are all lucrative. “Gang-related crimes have become a threat to social stability and the economy,” a Public Security Bureau official told China Daily last year. “Murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, assault ... they dare do anything.” One indication of their presence and power in China is the increasing number of bound and gagged bodies that are pulled from the Yellow River and other Chinese waterways.
One of Henan Province 's worst gangs roamed the countryside unchecked for 13 months, robbing farmhouses and killing 76 people. Seven members of the gang, including its leader Peng Miaoji, who personally cut the throat of 40 victims, were captured and executed in December 1999.
Some gangs have close relations with the police and are even run by the police. In March 2007, 10 members of a police-run gang in Inner Mongolia were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for robbery, rape, gambling and bribery. The gang had been active for more than 10 years.
The Triads are believed to control an empire worth many billions of dollars. The largest and most powerful Triad, Sun Yee On, is believed to have 40,000 members. The unnamed "Dragon Head" of Kong Sun Yee On, was named on Asiaweek’s list of the 50 most powerful people in Asia.
Sun Yee On is believed to be particularly well connected with the Hong Kong tycoons and Communist party elite. One high-level Communist official even referred to them as "patriotic." The second and third largest Triads respectively are Who Sing Who and 14K (14 stands for the road number of a former headquarters and K stands for Kowloon).
Fascinating reading indeed.
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