I'm Sorry, but I have a Suprise!

Okay, let me answer all the emails I have been getting about my lack of postings and health. First, I have not been posting because I have been practicing and making demo podcasts, inwhich I will try my hand at via Off the Record Blog (called, the Off The Record Podcast Show) and I will have my first one up in the very near future. Also, when there is MAJOR breaking news, I will do a "Breaking News Podcast", so basically, I am trying to turn my plain blog into a News Media Center, so please bear with me as I try to get all this set up, and any help is welcome (as well as guest podcasts! Just ask and present your podcast, and I will make my decision). As far as my health is concerned, I am fine now, although I did really almost die TWICE within the past week, so its been rough, and I thank you all for your get well wishes, I read every single one. Anyway, keep checking back for the very first Off the Record Podcast Show!

My Unfortunate Leave of Absence

Hello my faithful readers!  I sincerely apologize to everyone for not updating my blog, however, i have been hospital for about a week.  Just so everyone knows, my potassium levels were so low they were terrified I was going to die before they infused (via IV) me with IV potassium (I went through 16, 1000ml bags of potassium.  Anyway, thanks for you well wishes and I hope to be back blogging in full swing shortly.  If you wish to inquire further, feel free to email me a theliberalone (at) gmail (dot) com.  I sincerely love you guys and can't WAIT to be back full time, and I am sorry I couldn't update my breaking news blog from my hospital, but I promise, I will make it up to you.

Love you all sincerely,

Chris

technorati tags:Editor, Out, of, Service, Hosptialization, Deadly, Potassium, Levels, Updates

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Whistleblowers Coalition to Testify in House

Government Whistleblowers are going to get to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. They have petitioned the new Congress to pass a REAL bill to FULLY protect Whistleblowers on National Security concerns and other just causes from repraisials from their Employer or the Government. Here is the following Press Release issued by the National Security Whislteblower's Coalition, the Coalition of Government Whistleblowers founded by Sibel Edmonds. Maybe we will finally hold our Government to account and not be able to hide evidence under the disguise of the "State Secrets Privliege":

NSWBC to Testify Before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee

The Hearing on Meaningful Legislation to Protect Whistleblowers

WHAT: The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform will hold a hearing on the need for meaningful & enforceable protection for government whistleblowers.

Where: The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. (Room Number: TBD)

When: 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 13, 2007

BACKGROUND: The National Security Whistleblowers Coalition (NSWBC), together with partner whistleblowers coalitions and supporting organizations, welcome the efforts and initiations taken up by the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform under the leadership of Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) to bring to light the ineffective and failed existing “protections” for government whistleblowers.

Recently, NSWBC led an action campaign to urge the new congress to put in place comprehensive, meaningful, and enforceable legislation to protect whistleblowers and enable congressional oversight and accountability (To read the petition signed by hundreds of whistleblower members and supporting organizations ‘click here’).

The petition specifically urged the congress to provide the following provisions in any whistleblower protection legislation; the proposed legislation should:

· Provide a cause of action for recovery of monetary damages for all employees, including those in intelligence and law enforcement agencies, federal contractors or subcontractors, and corporate employees who are retaliated against for reporting national security concerns, threats to public health and safety, or fraud, waste, mismanagement or violations of law to their employer, the Government Accountability Office, or Congress.

· Provide the right of jury trial for government whistleblowers, and appeals from whistleblower decisions in cases at law should be all courts review rather than being limited to the Federal circuit.

· Limit the effect in civil cases of the State Secrets Privilege, dubious classification of potential evidence, and any other privilege that prevents the discovery or use of evidence. If the government asserts the State Secrets Privilege, then the factual matters at issue covered by the privilege should be resolved in favor of the whistleblower. If the government asserts the privilege as the basis to dismiss a case, then judgment should be made for the plaintiff.

· Criminalize acts that knowingly initiate, further, facilitate, or cause to be carried out reprisal against employees seeking to report violations of law or for contacting or attempting to contact members of Congress.

· Guarantee the right of all employees to report, without fear of criminal prosecution or loss of security clearance, violations of law, policies that endanger national security, waste, fraud, and abuse to members of Congress.

The coalition also requested a series of congressional hearings designed to supply an integrative and comprehensive picture of retaliation against whistleblowers, the damage done to national security by allowing such retaliation to take place, the cost to taxpayers for ineffective restraints on the treatment of whistleblowers, the chilling effects of retaliation on other employees who might otherwise have been emboldened to come forward, and the costs to Congress’ duty of oversight for not having yet enacted comprehensive protection for whistleblowers.

Sibel Edmonds, the Founder & Director of National Security Whistleblowers Coalition states: ‘As it stands now, a government employee has to choose between career and conscience when confronted with agency wrongdoing. We need to adopt protections for employees that allow them to be secure in their jobs and encourage them to report waste, fraud, and abuse of power. Many lives, our national security, and the health of our democracy, may hinge on whether or not Congress is brave enough to provide meaningful and effective protection for national security whistleblowers. After three decades of half-hearted attempts to provide general protection to whistleblowers it is time to do the job right. Existing “protections” are more dangerous than no protections at all, since they often beguile people into believing that they will be safe if they report illegal activity, fraud, abuse, and dangerous policies. And national security whistleblowers are excluded from even this illusory protection. The “system of protection” is a catastrophic failure.

Write and call your Representative and Senators until they have to hire a personal assistant just to deal with your mail, email, and phone calls (and personal visits if at ALL possible). Urge protection for those who risk EVERYTHING (career, life, family, going to prison) just to expose something that puts US, the American people, at risk. And on behalf of everyone, let me say THANK YOU Sibel Edmond's and all other Whistleblowers, I am fully confident that you can and will get Congress to pass this NECESSARY law.

technorati tags:NSWBC, Sibel, Edmonds, United, States, National, Security, Whistleblowers, Hearings, Testify

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BREAKING: Drugs found with Anna

According to multiple sources that are close to the investigation, there were both illegal narcotics as well as prescription medication found in her room; An employee pulled back the sheets and found Anna, who had apparently choked on her own vomit.....DEVELOPING

technorati tags:Anna, Nicole, Smith, Drugs, Death, RIP

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Anna Nicole Smith Dead at 39

Playboy Playmate, actress, and Worldwide Celeberity Anna Nicole Smith was pronounced dead at a hospital in Hollywood, Florida after being found unresponsive on her sixth floor hotel room at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.  An in-depth look at the Shakesperian Tragedy tomorrow.  Off The Record sends our condolences to Anna's family and let everyone know we are truely saddened by her loss ourself.

technorati tags:Anna, Nicole, Smith, Dead, RIP, Hollywood, California, Hard, Rock, Casino, Hotel

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How Rich are YOU?

You may be suprised to find out, I know I was:

How rich are you? >> I'm loaded. It's official. I'm the 557,241,151 richest person on earth!

Bird Flu is the New Terrorism

It's sort of like saying pink is the new red. Now that our dear precious Government who would NEVER do anything just to cause general fear and panic to the general public, has figured out they can no longer work us up on the danger of terror on Main Street, USA, so they have found a new (well, old, but they are just now starting full blast) way to get us worked up and terrified: The Avian (Bird) Flu. The Center for Disease Control issued guidelines today in case of the "Great Flu" outbreak of 2007. Here are a few of the guidelines issued by the CDC (WHO in the hell hires people to come up with these points, I could have done this list):

• Cities and towns could close schools for up to three months. “No one’s arguing that by closing all the schools, you’re going to prevent the spread,” says Dr. Merkel, "but if you can cut cases by 10 or 20 or 30 percent and it’s your family that’s spared, that’s a big deal.” (before you kids go getting all giddy, other experts think differently, such as Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health: “We’ll be facing the same problem, but without the teaching,” referring to the kids (as well as adults) who often behave in ways that are nearly as contagious as being in school, such as being sent to a day care center and gathering at the mall. Dr. Redlener added expertly (to the groans of children around the world): "They might as well be in class."
• All ball games and movies are urged to cancel until the "wave" (a normal flu "wave" lasts about two weeks, experts tell me) is over.
• Stagger the working hours of the general public so that the subways and buses aren't as congested.
• All families, sick and well, are urged to stay home for 7 to 10 days (this one really irks me, if a family member of mine gets the flu, I want to help them out and make them feel better, but to be "quarantined" with them and those germs for 7 to 10 days....sounds like population control to me).
• It is urged, in case of a pandemic, to NOT close state borders or airports, otherwise you would cut off delivery of critical supplies (medicine, food, etc.).
• This year's guideline's put forth by the CDC did not suggest using the United States Military for enforcing the quarantines (it seems even the CDC is trying to "check and balance" Bush's power, it was Bush who suggested back in 2005 that he would consider using the military to enforce quarantines when he first mentioned the avian (bird) flu.)
• Dr Levi stated that it may not be a bad idea to have the National Guard help set up temporary medical clinics and/or moving pharmaceutical supplies to the needed location, as many of them are well trained at doing. Unfortunately, however, Dr. Levi pointed out “But they’re not there, the people who know how to run field hospitals are in Iraq.”

Now, at first glance, these guidelines may seem helpful and innocent, however it would not be hard (AT ALL these days) to see some (not to mention any names/agencies like the United States Government...oops!) one/agency taking advantage of the situation if it got this bad. Anyway, more to come your way today, and to let everyone know, I'm working on a vblog (video blog), to be posted on YouTube, about who exactly Sibel Edmonds is, whats so facinating about her, and why she is the definition of a patriot if there ever was a living example.

Exclusive: Tony Blair on his way OUT!

EXCLUSIVE: British officials, who are in a position to know such things, say there is an "operation" underway, by Tony Blair's Labour Party, to oust him as Prime Minister, possibly within weeks, (and electing Gordon Brown to succeed him) because of the cash for honours scam, in which Prime Minister Tony Blair has been questioned twice (the is the first time a sitting Prime Minister has EVER been questioned by police in a criminal investigation). There has been no comment from the Prime Minister's office as of publication time. More on this story as it becomes available.