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.

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

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?

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.

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Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, www.ohio.com

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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.

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.

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.