Exposing the Prison Profit Centers. My First Investigative Piece.

It all started so innocently. My lady friend showed me an email confirmation she accidentally received from a company called SecurePak This confirmation was in regards to many food items being sent to a prisoner in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. These items included.
Ritz Crackers
Velveeta Cheese
Pork Rinds
Chili


My first thought was this was a phishing expedition, the sender wanted my lady to call and "confirm" a credit card. I did a search for original email recipient and no name came up, but I saw she lives is Memphis TN. The receiver of these fine foods was a prisoner in Arkansas.

When I searched the Arkansas DOC ( Department of Corrections) website, I found the prisoner who the food was being shipped. I saw that this was a legitimate mistake, and I notified Securepak that their confirmation had been received by the wrong person. My lady and the Miss X do share the same last name and first letter of their first name.

Me, being who I am was intrigued and I did a quick check of this food company. The name implies "security" and since the recipient was a prisoner, it must be connected to the DOC in some way. Since we have over 3.5 million prisoners in the prison system, and the prisons have become profit centers, I wanted to see how SecurePak was connected. I went to the home page and voila. This company serves the prison system in many profitable ways that include,

Access Securepak® is the most comprehensive custom package program in the correctional industry. Access Securepak® is a program designed to allow family members and friends to send packages to inmates. Access Securepak® was developed to eliminate contraband and greatly reduce the time and labor required to process packages.


As an affiliate of Keefe Group, you will benefit from the market and product expertise we have been offering since 1975.


For over 30 years, Keefe Group has been the industry leader in the packaging and distribution of high quality products and services to correctional facilities.

I quickly saw that this company was part of a larger group, The Keefe Group. Intrigue quickly got the better of me, and I searched for the Keefe Group.

This Keefe Group is quite diverse as you can see here

They provide many services to the prison system in many states. This Keefe group offers the "Offender Management Suite" of products and services.

What a name, The Offender Management Suite" it almost sound like a new version of Microsoft Office.

They go on to say...

Advanced Technologies Group’s (ATG) Offender Management Suite (OMS) supports all facets of offender supervision and provides officers a unified view of the entire continuum of supervision (pre-trial, probation, incarceration and parole).


The suite of applications is an integrated system of software solutions designed to improve a corrections agency’s efficiency and effectiveness. The system collects and presents information in a fashion that enables management make more informed strategic decisions. We developed these solutions by interviewing over 1,000 users from different areas of corrections, public safety and courts and by applying over 400 combined years of professional expertise.


The Proverbial light bulb went off over my head. This is some big money, a shitload of cash, and access to the prison system. Our prisons have become profit centers for many corporations. I personally believe this is wrong. For a society to make money off the backs of inmates says a lot about greed and a lack of a moral compass. I do not begrudge anyone making a profit, but to make it on the misery and suffering of criminals and victims is abhorrent at best. You can think of this way, there are people, who are actually rooting for more crime, more victims, and this is how they make their money.


One thing I have learned over the years is to follow the money, and look for the "about us" pages on business websites. Thank you to Adam Curry at NoAgenda for this tip.


The Keefe Group has their Prisoner Entertainment Package... Don't believe me?, read on....



The Access to Entertainment MP3 player and music download program is an inmate entertainment technology designed and manufactured to provide greater safety and security in correctional facilities.





The MP3 player is built for security, with clear components, no moving or removable parts, and no recording devices, microphones or speakers. It’s pre-loaded with a catalog of millions of song titles, so inmates can spend endless hours searching for music without tethering to a kiosk. Because the system operates on a private network that Access Corrections hosts, it provides a safe, easy way to purchase music.





Access to Entertainment costs your facility nothing to implement, and you’ll benefit from it in many ways:
Eliminates the time and effort required to manually sell, account for, replace or otherwise deal with cassettes and CDs
Each MP3 Player comes programmed with the inmate’s name and DOC#, so property officers won’t need to engrave it
The player will display the inmate's updated balance, reducing questions to the business office
The program can support education, meditation and worship programs.


The first paragraph includes the following quote "inmates can spend ENDLESS HOURS searching for music" This is most likely true, and quite insightful, as that is what inmates have most of all ENDLESS HOURS. The last bullet point blew my mind. The program CAN support education, meditation and worship. Shouldn't that be the focus? Or at least, Education be a standard? Why are prisoners there in the first place? Shouldn't education be a foundation for rehabilitation? I know, there goes my idealism again...


This Keefe group basically manages everything in the prison system. Folks, there is some huge cash here, I thought that the Keefe Group must be well connected to be so integrated in the prison systems around the country. I did some more searching and found that they also provide the food and personnel to make the food. When you hear stories about drugs in prison, and how easy the prisoners can get them, you have to wonder about who has the access to the system in the first place. This is just one more opportunity of access.


But wait, there's more....



SERVICES


For nearly 40 years, Keefe Group has been a leader and pioneer in bringing cutting-edge services and technologies to the correctional industry.


Through its’ affiliates Keefe Supply Company, Keefe Commissary Network, Access Corrections, Access Securepak, ICSolutions and Advanced Technologies Group, Keefe Group streamlines the way correctional facilities process and manage the flow of information and communication, financial transactions and entertainment for inmates and their families.


Keefe Group offers a host of services to the corrections industry, including:
Access Secure Data Detective®
Access Secure Deposits®
Access Secure Intake®
Access Secure Mail™
Access Secure Photo™
Access Secure Release™
Access Securepak®
Access to Entertainment®
KeepTrak™ Software System
Offender Management Suite
The Edge®
The Enforcer®


This Keefe Group basically handles all aspects from arrest to parole, and EVERYTHING in between. The bottom line, MORE PRISONERS EQUALS MORE PROFIT.

In 1975, Keefe Supply Company entered the correctional market by supplying single-serve coffee packets to a Florida prison. Keefe understood the need for improvement in correctional product offerings and pioneered the packaging evolution of products sold through correctional commissaries. Keefe began packaging instant coffee and drink mixes in sealed paper pouches and was the first to offer pouch-packaged seafood, eliminating the security threat associated with metal and glass containers.


Today, Keefe is comprised of six operating companies, each focused on distinct aspects of commissary operations:Keefe Supply Company, Keefe Commissary Network, Access Securepak, Access Corrections, ICSolutions andAdvanced Technologies Group.


Keefe Group is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, and has facilities nationwide, including seven main distribution centers and ten regional service centers. We also maintain our own manufacturing facility, where we package a variety of name brand and private-label products.


At Keefe, we focus exclusively on corrections, developing the most innovative products and services and making customer satisfaction our number one priority.

I continued to look at this Keefe Group, and wondered who they are?, who sits on the board?, who owns them? It was real strange, there was none of this info on their website. Interesting. I searched the site for a clue, and found one.


A little bit up the food chain, there is another Keefe Group, different website name, same company.


The website looks more professional, and there is a sense of some huge money here.There is bit more information here, but no name, no CEO, No President of the company.

"Keefe Group, through its affiliates, Keefe Supply Company, Keefe Commissary Network, Access Securepak, Access Corrections, ICSolutions and Advanced Technologies Group, is the nation’s leading supplier of food products, personal care products, electronics, clothing, technology, telecommunications and software solutions to the correctional market.


Since 1975, Keefe has serviced the correctional market exclusively and pioneered the evolution of products, packaging and technology"


Something was starting to smell a bit more rotten. Most companies who provide all these services and products would be out front with their board of directors and corporate officers.


I hope as you have been reading this post, you have going to the company websites. There is no hint of any one who runs the company. This intrigued me even more.


Then I found all the "associations" this Keefe Group is hooked into... Holy Shit...


Associations


In order to stay abreast of the ever-evolving trends and issues its customers face, Keefe Group participates in and provides corporate support to a host of national and state organizations, including:





National Organizations:
American Correctional Association (ACA)
American Jail Association (AJA)
Association of Correctional Employees
Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA)
Association of Women Executives in Corrections (AWEC)
FSA Jail Administrators’ AssociationNational Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ)
National Association of Counties (NACO)
National Correctional Industries Association (NCIA)
National Organization of Hispanics in Criminal Justice (NOHCJ)
National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)
North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents (NAAWS)
Southern States Correctional Association (SSCA)
United States Deputy Wardens’ Association (USDWA)





State Organizations:
Alabama Jail Association
Alabama Sheriffs Association
Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association
California State Sheriffs’ Association
Colorado Jail Association
Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency
Florida Sheriffs AssociationGeorgia Jail Administrator’s Association
Georgia Prison Wardens’ Association
Georgia Sheriffs’ Association
Idaho Corrections Association
Idaho Juvenile Justice Association
Indiana Criminal Justice Association
Indiana Sheriffs’ Association
Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ AssociationKansas Sheriff’s Association
Kentucky Jailer Association
Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association
Louisiana Wardens’ Association
Maryland Correctional Administrators’ Association
Maryland Correctional Administrators’ Association
Maryland Sheriffs’ Association
Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association
Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Minnesota Jail Administrator and Sheriff’s Association
Mississippi Jail Association
Mississippi Sheriff’s Association
Missouri Sheriffs’ Association
Montana Sheriff’s and Peace Officers’ Association
Nebraska Sheriff’s Association
New Hampshire Association of Counties
New Jersey County Jail Wardens’ Association
New Mexico Sheriff’s Association
New York State Sheriffs’ Association
North Carolina Correctional Association
North Carolina Jail Administrators’ Association North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association
Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association
Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections
Ohio Wardens and Superintendents Association
Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association
Oregon Criminal Justice Association
Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association
Pennsylvania Prison Warden’s Association
South Carolina Correctional Association
South Carolina Jail Administrators’ Association
South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association
South Dakota Sheriff’s Association
Tennessee Jail Administrators’ Association
Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association
Texas Corrections Association
Texas Jail Association
Sheriffs’ Association of Texas
Virginia Association of Regional Jails
Virginia Correctional Association
Virginia Sheriffs’ Association
Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute
Washington State Jail Association
West Central Warden’s Association
West Virginia Association of Correctional Employees
Western Regional Association


There must be payoffs or incentives going on here. The old wink and nod to these associations. Do you really wonder now why we are living in a police state? This is for PROFIT. Sickening, but true.


But as they say "wait, there's more" Another page at Business Insider with a name Thomas Keefe, and a description of what they do.


Keefe Group, Inc. engages in the packaging and distribution of food and personal care products, electronics, clothing, technology, and telecommunications for the correctional market. It offers food and snacks, such as seafood, meat snacks, ready-to-eat meals, cookies and crackers, soups, candies, cheese products, chips, and nuts; and health and beauty products, including shampoos, conditioners, lotions, shaving products, deodorants, toothpastes, mouthwashes, vitamins, and supplements. The company also provides clothing and apparel, which includes jeans and denims, shirts, shorts, sweats, underwear, hats, jackets, shoes, and boots; and electronics, such as televisions, typewriters, CD players...


I thought, this is the end of my search and curiosity, but I would be wrong. The Keefe Group is just a subsidiary of a larger group, The Centric Group. Their website is very blase and really offers no explanation of what they do, but everyone there sure looks happy. Hmmmm, something was not right.


The Centric Group did have an "about us" page, but again, no name, no CEO, no nothing. This Company "Centric Group is HUGE...


One of the companies making up the Centric Group is The Keefe Group. But then to my amazement, the Centric Group is just a part of a larger company The Bodley Group. I have learned that this is how the system works, to keep your name out of things, you just make another subsidiary, and hide int he shadows. The American way.


I finally found some names to put to this company, Douglas Albrecht , Craig Albrecht, and Ted Albrecht. I did some reading and something interesting was in the bio of Douglas Albrecht.


Douglas A. Albrecht retired in 2007 as Chairman, President and Chief Executive of Centric Group, a $750 million holding company. Centric Group grew from an initial Taylor family investment in Jack Keefe Coffee Bar Sales, a two-employee business in hotel/motel in-room coffee sales. Albrecht expanded the business to include food and personal product sales to correctional facilities, eventually growing the business to a 2,000 employee nationwide network of distribution and sales centers with products ranging from Victorinox brand luggage to mylar balloons to clear-case televisions (for the prison market). Albrecht, a Minnesota native, was an All-Big 8 baseball player at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Following graduation, he spent his entire 33-year business career working for the Taylor family. Since his retirement, Albrecht is serving as Chairman of Bodley Group.


This Bodley Group is huge, check out their investments page


This Taylor family connection peaked my curiosity. It did a search for the Taylor family, and lo and behold... The name Andy Taylor popped up on my radar. I did some searching for Andy, and he is the CEO of Enterprise Rent-A Car.


The Taylor family who is the Principal owner of Enterprise Rent a Car is the parent of the Bodley Group, and the Albrecht Boys. I have a sneaking suspicion that they want to keep this relationship with the prison industrial complex in the shadows. There is a big groundswell now a days that our prison system, the prison profit system is just one of the underpinnings that are bringing down the country. When profit is a motive, when raping the system for pure cash on the backs of prisoners is how to make money, then our downfall is not far off.

In closing, we are screwed. The police state will continue to grow, as these prisons have become just another way to make a dollar in this perverse country. Is what they are doing illegal? nope. Is what they are doing wrong? I think so. I think the goal of of society is to make the world a better place. There will always be prisoners who need incarceration. But we have convicts who are serving sentences of 10, 20 years for possession of marijuana. The war on drugs is an abject failure. But a great way for these companies to profit on misery.


Gitmo Gil.

A Trip to Stars?

I read a while ago that over 100,000 people signed up for a trip to Mars. A one way trip to mars.  I will take this idea, and take it one step further.

Would you sign up for a one way trip to the unknown?

A trip to the stars?  Since the nearest star is many light years in distance, you probably would not make it there, but that is just a destination.  Isn't the journey the experience?  How much money would a ship, put together in a low orbit cost? I have no idea.  That's not the point. Would you sign up for a one way guaranteed trip?  You know going, in that you will never step on Terra again.  You will never make another post on Facebook, OMFG, could you do it? You would never have to pay taxes again. There are quite a few experiences you will never do again.  Once you get past this way of thinking, imagine all the wonderful new sights and sounds you will experience.

Man has never been past the Moon, as far as we know.  If you listen to believe what the late CEO of the Skunkworks, Ben Rich said on his deathbed, then we have been out there.  It has not been confirmed as far as I know.  I will add a little intrigue at this point.  There is this little INFRIKINCREDIBLE video that might peak your interest.

You can choose to believe the video or not.  If these are our ships, then Ben Rich is right.  If they are not ours, then this trip to the stars might prove to be very interesting.

So, you have been selected as a finalist for the voyage. I wonder what types of people the crew would encompass?

Lets say for example the ship in orbit has the space for 18 people, once that crew is selected, it is off to the stars.

How old should the crew be?  Would you have all scientists and doctors?  Would you have any philosophers? I know one set of people that would not be included, Bankers and Lawyers. That should tell you all you know.  What the hell would you need a lawyer for interstellar travel?  In case someone cut their finger in the kitchen, and needed to file a lawsuit?  Doubtful.

Lets say, there a two pilots for redundancy. That leaves 16.  You would need a doctor, probably 2. I would think that any doctors would need to be cross trained in another field.  Then that leaves 14.  How about a navigator, and two engineers. I believe that the key to this whole trip is a way for the humans to grow food, recycle everything they can, and invent new ways along the way.  This leaves you with 11. I wonder what skill set the rest of the crew would need.  Botany? How about a journalist to or videographer?
You don't know how long the trip will last.  There might be a wayward meteor the size of a grape, that could basically destroy the entire ship in a millisecond. Bam, ooops...

Would you want all the crew to be orphans?  People with no family? Would you want people who were pacifists to the core?  It would be bad time for all if one of the crew "lost it" and murdered others in the crew. The boredom of a lifetime trip will weigh on the soul of everyone on board.

How about half the crew at the time of launch be children?  That would extend the initial trip by many years.  On board the ship, they would learn the systems, and in the process, they would probably invent many ways to increase efficiency. Just something to think about.

 The psychological screening would be paramount in the selection process.  The very fact that it is a trip for the rest of your life, and then your next generation could be overwhelming for many.  Could you reproduce successfully in space?  What would the effects of zero g, or minimal gravity have on the birth process?  I am quite sure there are studies that have been done on this by people a shitload smarter than me.  There is a series of books by Stephen Baxter that explore this, they are quite fascinating.

What would it be like to raise generations of families in a ship?  Maybe, the way things are going down here, that will be our future.  The destruction we a doing to the planet, may just bring around the ice age, or a hot planet in the next thousand years.  I wish I was smart enough to predict the future, I'm not.  I just know that last night I had this frikin dream, and I was on that ship to the stars, and I woke up, very bummed out.

We have seen the movies like "Alien" and "Prometheus" where the crew are in hibernation sleep, and are woken up when the ship's electronic scanners detect a radio signal or an "M" class planet.  Is this the way to go?  The possibilities are wonderful to think about.

If there were a sign up sheet, would you do it?

I would. In a heartbeat.  I would miss my kids, yes I would, but that would not stop me from travelling to the unknown.  I am not a candidate, I know that.  I would do it.

Imagine being millions or billions of miles away from anything and everything you know.  You are sitting on the deck, looking back in timewatching millions of miles ahead, and the wonder and excitement that awaits.

I have a sneaking suspicion that somewhere in the trip through the solar system, you would meet someone.  That alone, that very singular reason is why I would do the trip.  I believe in my heart that we have been visited at some point in the past. Can I prove this beyond a reasonable doubt? Nope.

Anyway, that is my little post form today. Keepin it light.

Look Over Here, It's Irish Joe.

Holy Shitstorm Batman,
 They are everywhere, and there is more and more all the time.  That is how I am feeling at this present time.  It was just recently that I started in "tweeting" in earnest.  I have quickly come to the conclusion that I am not alone, not alone at at all.  I was wondering what to call myself and all the "others" I have discovered.  After a lot of deep soul searching I came up with this, we are what you would call "human" we are all endowed with inalienable rights, of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Yep, that sums us up.

We are united in thought, we are united in a feeling that there is something terribly wrong in the direction that this country is heading.  We have been lied to, we have been deceived by the elected leaders, by the evil banksters who are trying to pluck every penny from our pockets, by local officials who grant permits to corporations and give them tax breaks that us regular slaves of Gitmo Nation can never get.

We are surrounded by ugly strip malls, that rip the character out of any small town.  There are so many conglomerates in the mix, with this mega corp. buying that business, merging with the other company, and before you know it, Jimmy Kimmel has to apologize for a joke to the country of China, because his parent, parent parent company is building a Disneyland in some frikin town there.

When will this madness end?  I have no idea. The politicians are in bed with the Military Industrial Complex, they have armed the police state in every town with weapons of mass destruction to such a degree, that if any marginal protest gains momentum, it will be squashed like a bug, but soon there will be millions of bugs.  We have the NSA recording every sms, email, website, phone call, that any semblance of privacy is gone.  But, as Edward Snowden has shown us, there are some people who work there, who might still have their soul intact.  There just might be someone on the inside who will help us, all is not lost.

Alas, there is some hope.  It looks like there are more people waking up all the time.  The occupy movement seems to be gaining some ground this week, and next week, I have a feeling that Walmart is going to be in for a surprise.  The boycott Walmart news is starting to make some noise.  The slave wages they pay their workers is getting some traction.  Hope is alive.

I came across another blog today, and when I read the article, the first thing I thought was that I could have written it myself.  Irish Joe Harrison can write, and I am proud to link to his blog.  We need more Irish Joe's in this country.

  I cannot recall being more outraged at the police state this has become until I read the story about Steven Eckert, a man who got pulled over for a traffic stop.  What ensued is complete insanity, they fucking anal probed him for the chance he might have drugs, the chance of drugs.  Oh, by the way, they ANAL PROBED HIM 8 TIMES.  But Gil, can it get worse? Yes it can, they sent him a bill for $6,000 for that fun afternoon.  I cannot make this shit up.  The sad truth is that you don't have to wait too long, or look to far to find a new outrage.

There are banksters stealing our money, lawmen who look the other way, and allow the elites to rob us blind, and then they go after the poor waitress for not reporting her tip money in a timely fashion.  The military kills women, children, women with children, with Drones from the sky, and then our inept lying President has the temerity to jail a reporter who brings this mass murder to the world. Look up Abdelah Haider Shaye , his story was brought to the worlds attention by Jeremy Scahill.

I could go on an on with the new outrages, but that would just bore you.  I am angry, there are millions like me, someday we are all going to gather, and there will be some grand goings on.  The powers that be will have to take notice.  Right now, they are aware of us, they know we are lurking.  The sad truth is, there will be a tipping point event, someone is going to get hurt, or even die, but there will be no going back.

I hope to find more Irish Joe's out there.  I am with him. I resist every chance I get.  I write, I talk, I publish, and this Friday, I will join the line at a Walmart, and stand tall with them, as all they ask for is a living wage. Is that a lot to ask?  Really?

Is it wrong to work an honest day, and get paid fairly?  I dare you to walk around a Walmart, Best Buy, Kmart, and look for a product that was made in AMERICA. Go ahead, try it.  We have to start making things again.  We have become a service and retail country.  Pretty soon, there is not going to be any money to buy anything, no matter how cheap it is, that is a fact.

Gitmo Gil

Thank you Matt Damon, The World is Wrong.

I was hit this idea earlier today.  I watched a very good and inspiring video by Matt Damon.  He talks about the backwards world we seem to be living in. It forced me to wonder and think about what is going on all around me. I came to a conclusion very similar to Matt. Please watch the video.


After watching the video, my mind was racing with all sorts of ideas.  The one in the forefront was, how come there are not any more celebrities speaking out, this way?  If you have read anything else I have written, you know that I do believe that the mainstream news media, and media in general reports idiot news for the masses.  There are so many media whores who feel this sense of entitlement, and they tweet, and the media appear to hang on to every word they say, as long as they talk about their new movie, new cd, new video, new and refurbished vagina, new tv reality show.  Just when they start to fade from our focus, the inevitable train wreck happens, they go into rehab, they get arrested for some minor offense, or they get married just so the media can cover the eventual divorce.  This sick twisted voyeuristic world, as Mr. Damon sad, really is backwards.

How can we change this?  I really wish I had the answer.  I do not. I know that personally, I do not pay attention to them.  I do not visit their websites, I do not watch their television shows.  This is very important.  Advertisers pay the networks to push products during these shows, if you are not supporting the show, you are not exposed to the ads. It is a circle. 

I do not follow them on Twitter.  I do not visit their Facebook pages.  If this type is boycotting was to spread to the masses, then we really could get some good things done.  Just think of the possibilities if this happened, it could be wonderful.  If "we" as a people just stopped caring about Justin Bieber and the like.  

But much more importantly, what a different world we could make, if these celebrities used their 15 minutes of fame, and spoke out like Matt Damon?  Imagine that?  Sadly, I do not think that would or will happen.  Too many of the idiot celebrities are afraid of the "machine."  They are too afraid they will kill the golden goose if they spoke out about NSA spying, how Walmart underpays all their core employees, how drones are killing innocent women, men and children around the world.  They are terrified if they spoke out about the "war on drugs" being an absolute joke when the CIA ships $1Trillion of opium out of Afghanistan.  The Hollywood press would start to either treat them like pariahs like Charlie Sheen, when he had the nerve to question the official story about 9/11, or worse, the press just might start to ignore them, and to a celebrity, this is tantamount to death.  There are many a hollywood star, who when they are feeling blue, they go out in public, so the masses can bask in they greatness.  I am not making that up.

These celebrities do have a voice, sadly, many, many of them do not use it the to make a better world, they use it to promote what ever new thing they are selling. Very sad indeed.  Once again, thank you Mr. Damon.

Now, The Rest of the Story

KARMA CAN BE A BITCH

It was reported earlier today, that a local man, Joe Somebody was tragically crushed by a pallet in the warehouse of the local Walmart. Joe was visiting a client, there was a tragic accident and he was found dead. Officials could not confirm how this happened, all they can say at the present time is, it is currently under investigation. 

This is of course is complete fiction, but most of what you will read below, is all true.

I was sitting at a local Starbucks in New Milford yesterday, November 21,2013. I was enjoying a delicious dark roast coffee, sitting at a table with my laptop out, pecking away...

A somewhat scurvy looking man (from this point on, he will be known as Scurvy Steve) of about 18-24 sat down near my table,  and proceeded to take out his cell phone, and like all the youth now a days, tilted his head down, and was swiping and texting like crazy.  A few minutes later an older man, I have named him Joe Somebody, sat across from Scurvy guy, and they started a conversation.  I was not eavesdropping at all, but I could not help but over hear Joe Somebody tell Scurvy Steve that "I am pretty sure your interview is at 10 tomorrow morning".  

Very nice, a young man, looking for a job, an older friend helping out.  That is how quickly assessed the situation, and left it at that.  A few minutes ticked away, and Joe Somebody, took out his cell phone, made a call, and absolutely confirmed that indeed, the interview was at 10am, and then I learned that Scurvy Steve had an interview at Walmart.

Joe Somebody definetely had an air of superiority about him, and a man of organization.  He took out a binder, a laptop, and a notebook.  I surmised that yes, this man is a Social Worker of some type, and he is assisting Scurvy Steve in getting off the government dole, and on the payroll for good old Sam Walton and family.

Joe Something then dropped a few nuggets of informational gold to Scurvy Steve.  He told him, in no particular order..

• Look nice
• Don't wear sneakers
• Smell good
• Be on time
• I can pick you up
• They are going to drug test you

Scurvy Steve was nodding in complete agreement, that is, until the last and probably most important nugget.  The look on his face was of utter disbelief. "Fucking Walmart is going to drug test me?"  "Yes, yes they are" replied Joe. He further stated " they are going to interview you, when you get past that (he said that with some confidence, though it did appear he was hedging his bet) they are going to swab your mouth.

Now, I have to be honest, my interest had peaked a bit.  I did not give Scurvy Steve that moniker by accident. There was something about his "look" that was just a bit off.  I couldn't put my finger on it, it was just a first impression.

They both leaned a bit closer together across the table in a conspiratorial manner, and I heard Scurvy Steve ask Joe Somebody how long "weed" stays in your system, and how far back does a swab test test for?  Joe said he did not know, but he would find out.  He whipped out the laptop, hit the google, and he was off to the races.

While Joe was doing this, Scurvy Steve was texting and calling someone, and I could make out the following , "dude, you didn't tell me they drug test there"

I will admit it, I was paying more attention to their conversation, but damn, can you blame me?

Joe did his searches, and struck the mother load.  He told Scurvy Steve, that the swab test only tests back for about 24 to 48 hours.  Scurvy Steve was taking in this vital bit of information, and I swear to god, I could see the proverbial light bulb go on over his head.  He said, and I will paraphrase, but it will be damn close.

• "Does that mean I can't do any bongs tonight?
• "I can only do a few one hitters, right?
• "I guess I will only roll a small one then"
• "If I gargle and rinse my mouth with Listerine, that should erase any pot, right?

It was at that moment, that precise split second in time when I had the following vision, Spicoli.  You can basically smoke, snort, inhale, shoot, swallow any drug, for a long period of time, but if you can manage to not do it for 24 hours or so, you can pass the swab drug test and work at the Walmart. 

After the young scurvy Einstein asked the previous questions, I was waiting to Joe to say something profound, and sobering. Boy, was I wrong.  He told Scurvy Steve to "try" to not smoke anything right before the interview, and the Listerine should work out just fine.  Yep, Listerine to beat the drug test. He gargles, gargles some more, and all is fine.

Joe also reiterated that doing a few one hitters or rolling a small one, the night before, well, that will be just dandy. Our state or local Social Worker was telling the youth of America that it is cool to do the weed, as long as you can pass the test.  It was at this point when Joe Somebody's phone rang, and I could hear him say to the person on the other end, he was there with a client, and he would be back in the office in a little while.

Our young job seeker then played his ace, he asked Joe "can I borrow a few bucks to get some Listerine?" That's affirmative, he took out his wallet, plucked out a ten spot, and told our young soon to be Walmart slave, "make sure you get a receipt"

You might think that is the end of this tale, of a young man seeking the new American dream of "just getting by", but its not. 

 I will now use the line best known to come out of the late Paul Harvey during news reports, "Now it's time for the fictional REST of the Story..."  

Scurvy Steve somehow passes his drug test.  He gargles, and gargles, basically shoots Listerine into his veins, so he can earn a wage stocking the back room at "The Walmart".  He is manages to make it to work, thanks to his social worker Joe.  Since the drug test is not an issue anymore, prior to work, and during his break he loves "rolling a small one" and "doing a few one hitters."  He is trained in the warehouse, because, like me, his boss Veronica senses something is not right with the youth, he has a peculiar aroma about him, and does not look clean, a little, dare I say it, scurvy? He is not ready for the retail end of the Walmart.

Veronica is the foreman of the warehouse, and like all the high paying jobs at the Walmart, she is very insecure. One of the forklift crew called out sick this particular Tuesday, and Veronica decides that Scurvy Steve is ready to use the forklift. Scurvy Steve cannot believe his luck, this Tuesday, his social worker is coming to check up on him, and he has the ten spot he borrowed from him, last month. 

At 9:30 the coffee truck pulls up to the big rolling doors out back, Scurvy Steve and Lenny each get a Red Bull and go behind the dumpster to finish off a some primo weed rolled to perfection by Lenny's soon to be pregnant ex-wife (he does not know this fact yet).  As Scurvy Steve gets back on the lift he sees through his haze, Joe Somebody walking towards him in the wide aisles. As Joe gets closer, just about 10 feet away, Veronica tells Steve through his headset to hurry up getting that pallet from the top shelf.  

Scurvy Steve's mind is trying to process just one too many pieces of the puzzle at one time.  He wants to show off to Joe, prove to Veronica that he can do forklift work every day, as he slides the forks into the pallet, somehow, in this moment, the fork going into the pallet is very sexual, wow, "that weed is awesome", he says to himself, but the Red Bull caffeine is kicking his heart, but the can is slipping out of his hand, he has the $10 to pay back to Joe, all this comes together to create the perfect storm.  Just as Joe arrives, the Red Bull spills, the money drops to the ground, and he is starting to get a boner that would scare the crack of dawn, and, Yep, you guessed it, the pallet of Listerine slides off the forks, and crushes Joe Somebody to a fresh minty death. 

and that, is the rest of the story, ain't Karma a Bitch? 

Living in a surveillance state

The President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Roussef told her people and the world at the United Nations and said the following.

"If there is no right to privacy, there can be no true freedom of expression and opinion, and therefor no effective democracy"

I find that quote simply brilliant and honest.  With all the spying on citizens of the United States, as well as the people of the world, effective democracy both here and abroad is dwindling rapidly.  Please watch this video of a Tedtalk in Brussels.  Mikko Hyppones sums everything up nicely in his 18 minutes. 

Please remember that President Roussef had her phone and email hacked into by the NSA. 

Gitmo Gil

How Come?

How come we cannot see the video of something hitting the Pentagon on 9/11?  There are 85 tapes confiscated by the FBI, that are supposedly in a secure place. We are told the old line "nothing to see here" How about letting us be the judge of that?

How come we cannot see the "note" or "manifesto" from the alleged LAX shooter?

How come we cannot see the video of the alleged LAX shooter? I seem to recall airports being loaded with security cameras.

How come we cannot hear the 9/11 tapes from Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?  

How come we cannot see the video of the Boston Marathon bombing, we hear that there is video of the brothers leaving backpacks in the garbage cans, where is it?

How come we cannot see the Tsarnov kid in the courtroom.  This is not 1800, we have very silent cameras now, artist rendering of courtroom participants is quite outdated in todays society.

How come there is no camera in the Supreme Court.  It does seem that most of the recent decision are in favor of big pharma, banking, big business, and the like. The slaves of Gitmo would like a look into the halls of the elites.

HOW COME OUR MAINSTREAM NEWS MEDIA IS NOT HOUNDING THE POWERS THAT BE FOR THIS INFORMATION?  YOU ARE OUR VOICE! REMEMBER, THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT! HOW ABOUT DOING YOUR FUCKING JOBS, INSTEAD OF BEING SELLOUTS TO BIG BUSINESS, BIG PHARMA, BIG BANKSTERS,BIG BLOWHARDS IN GOVERNMENT.

But, you people in news give us instead, a list of things that have been in or out of various hollywoood starlets vaginas, who is screwing who, who is divorcing who, honey frikin boo boo, kardashians up the ass, why tom cruise is unhappy this morning, what channing tatum ate for lunch or who he ate, whatever, you get the point. and you do it so well, that some or it seems like most people care about this useless garbage.   You have turned us into slaves to celebrity news. STOP IT. You are supposed to do a public service.

Gitmo Gil

p.s. sorry for the swear words kids... 

Thanks to No Agenda for revving me up tonight.

TWA Flight 800- Epic COVER-UP

We cannot be on top of all things all the time.  To keep everything in the forefront of our knowledge base is impossible. I saw a documentary last night, that will stay with me for a long time.  I cannot even come close to imagine how the families and friends of the victims of Flight 800 feel about this cover up.

 I have always been aware of the events surrounding the crash of TWA Flight 800.  I do not have any personal connection to anyone on board that flight.  What bothers me the most was and is the continuing silence of the over 200 witnesses to saw a "missile" ascending to the doomed aircraft.  

Why would the FBI intimidate and treat the witnesses with derision and ridicule.  Here we have many witnesses with no connection to each other, all seeing the same thing, yet, the government wants to keep them silent, and not include any testimony in the official record.

Here we have a direct quote from Jim Hall, the NTSB Chairman "Top intelligence and security officials were told in a video conference from the White House situation room that radar tapes showed an object headed for the plane seconds before it exploded" 

Aren't you sick of cover ups and lies from the very institutions that are supposed to uphold the law?

When are we as a people going to start to expect the truth from these assholes?  That's what they are in my eyes, assholes.  They think so little of us, that they lie, lie, and lie some more to "protect" us from the truth. I am sick of this shit.

What truth could be so bad, so damaging about the real reason TWA Flight 800 crashed on July 17, 1996? 

Did our own military shoot it down?

Did a terrorist shoot it down?

Did the  military from another country shoot it down?

On the outset, those appear to be the three possibilities.  Which one is most likely?

If it was another countries military, I cannot see why "they" would keep it quiet.  As we have learned from other attacks, our government loves to go to war.  We feed off this carcass of these nations, and gobble up their resources.  If it was Iran, Iraq, for instance, I could easily see President Clinton going in front of the nation and tell us how we must act now, and secure our freedom, and make sure this does not happen again.  How dare (insert country here) they shoot down our planes, we will crush you with full weight of our massive unchecked military industrial complex.  

Just think, how much that would have bolstered our economy, brought the people together, band us as one fighting force for good.   I know, a little over the top, but you get my point.  We would have crushed some one, I can guarantee you that.

Lets suppose it was a terrorist group.  Was there a message claiming responsibility for the shooting of the missile?  Was there an actual video of the shooting?  Was there a demand from these terrorist to release any prisoners?  Believe you me, if there was, we would have heard about that. It would have been another reason to ramp up the military, and you know how much they love that jingoistic crap.

That leaves us with the last option.  Our own military shot it down.  Once you rule out the impossible, whatever is left, no matter how improbable, must be true.  

As that what the FBI and the NTSB is hiding?  

How come the mainstream media did not dig into this with fervor?  

I have a hunch they were told to shut up, ridicule the witnesses, play ball, and good things will come your way.  The media has long been compromised, and this would be no different.  Its sickening, but its true.

I saw the documentary on Netflix last night, and I could not sit down while it was on, the pure gall, and the hubris that these FBI and NTSB officials have is beyond contempt. As it was playing, I learned that the families of the victims had to sue the FBI, CIA,NTSB for information of how their loved ones were killed.  This is sickening,disgusting, and downright smells of a cover up of massive proportions.  Then at the end of the film, they went through all the people who refused to be interviewed for the movie.  In my eyes, they are cowards, plain and simple.  There was one FBI official who said that all the witnesses suffered from "mass misperception" .  He looked like Martin Short when he was the scurvy lawyer on SNL years ago. 

We must get our country back, one cover up at a time.

One Conspiracy to Rule Them All....

To listen to the mainstream media and swallow the garbage they are able to pump out at astounding levels, you would think that two people NEVER GOT TOGETHER TO COMMIT A CRIME.  The very word "conspiracy" is now such a derisive term, I think we should look for a new definition.  Those in the seats of power in the government and media want us to believe that every felony, is of the "lone wolf" variety.  I personally take offense to that.  I will grant that there are some crimes like that, but a scant few. Conspiracies do exist. Lets start with the one that was in the forefront of the news when I was a child, and coming into my formative years.

WATERGATE- There was a break in at the Watergate Hotel that was a CONSPIRACY. Many people were involved in the planning and carrying out the crime.  How come the word CONSPIRACY is NEVER INCLUDED in the headlines or any stories about Watergate?  Because, the mainstream media does not want that "C" word associated with a real proven crime, that's why...

You have Erlichmann, Halderman, Hunt, Liddy, and of course, Nixon.  What has gone largely unnoticed over the years is the "why" to the crime.  We were fed the line about Nixon wanting to know the democratic strategy to the upcoming elections.  I personally think that is a bunch of crap.  There is talk that the democrats had uncovered some very interesting information about one of the "3 hobo's" that were rounded up behind the picket fence on November 22, 1963.  One of the men in that photo was none other than E. Howard Hunt.  A long time employee of the Central Intelligence Agency, and an aide of Tricky Dick Nixon himself.  Fast forward some years, and E. Howard Hunt, on his deathbed, confessed to pulling one of the triggers on that fateful day in Dallas.  The 50 year anniversary of JFK's MURDER is approaching.  There are still thousands of files on the investigation that has never been released for us mere slaves of Gitmo Nation to read. Why do think that is?  

How many Presidents were in Dallas that day?  How many Presidents went out of their way to make a phone call to give themselves an alibi for that day?  How many Presidents were working for the Central Intelligence Agency at the time of the assassination?  These are some very interesting questions.  There is a photo, a very curious photo that was taken the seconds before JFK was shot, and in that photo, Lee Harvey Oswald is standing outside the front door of the Texas School Book Depository. Please look very closely, and you will see him clearly in the picture.  The question I have to ask, why was this photo not included in the Warren Commission Report?

Now I have a question that was put to me by my brother, Gitmo Glen a couple years back.  How is it possible that the new CIA building in Virginia came to be named after George H. W. Bush?   According to his bio, he only worked for the "agency" for a year and a half, then why the fancy moniker?  I would deduce that Poppy was very instrumental in the killing of JFK.  He was there, no question about that.

Poppy Bush-Dallas November 22, 1963

He went to make a phone call, to place himself "not in" Dallas that day, but clearly this photo taken in front of the Texas School Book Depository on November 22, 1963, places him squarely in the middle of the mayhem.  Then there is the amazing coincidence that 2 of the "hobo's" from Dealy Plaza are the 2 of the same Watergate burglars.  You cannot make this shit up.  When confronted with this information, we are just supposed to ignore it. 

Frank Sturgis, and E. Howard Hunt, Dallas, November 22, 1963

The bigger the lie, those more people will believe it.  You have Poppy Bush, working for the CIA, and Hunt and Sturgis, working for the CIA, two of them disguised at hobos, and this is all in our imagination?  Wake the hell up.

Here is another coincidence we are supposed to ignore, Poppy's father Prescott Bush (who financed Adolph Hitler's rise to power) also groomed Richard Nixon, and Jack Ruby.  But, nothing to see here...

Nixon, Ruby, Bush

I have said it before, and I will say it again, the Bush family has done more to destroy this country than any other family.  Can you think of a worse one?  I honestly believe they are the personification of evil.  The sheer scope of their lust for power and wealth, is beyond what  many can think of.  Prescott Bush saw a way to make money with Adolph Hitler.  Think about that one for a while.  Prescott Bush employed and groomed Richard Nixon and Jack Ruby.  The sheer odds of those people, in that time, connecting and carrying out their plans defies the odds, yet we are supposed to ignore those connections.  

Any good detective, worth their salt always looks for "connections" between the suspects and victims of crimes.  Jack Ruby was granted access to the Dallas Police underground parking lot, with a gun.  How did those strings get pulled?  There are so many unanswered questions about JFK, and September 11, 2001, and we slaves of Gitmo Nation are supposed to shut up and take it.  I am sick of taking it, its time we turned the table on pure evil.  Until we do, we will never get our country back.

Want another very under reported news story?  If I wrote the following story for a movie producer, they would toss me out on my ass.  Lets say that there is a presidential shooting assassination attempt.  

Lets say that the family of the shooter and the man who would take office if the President died were very close over the years.

Lets say the vice presidents son was going to have dinner with the father of the shooter the very next day.

That would be crazy right?

IT HAPPENED, AND HARDLY ANYONE KNOWS ABOUT IT.

Please look it up.  John Hinckley's family and Bush family were close friends for years, and tried to kill Reagan, and who would have been President, yep, that evil name again, Bush.

I will say it again, I cannot make this shit up.  

What I find most curious about the whole Watergate CONSPIRACY is why the FBI chose to give this information to Woodward and Bernstein to publish in the paper, instead of investigating the CONSPIRACY themselves?  W. Mark Felt, a former FBI Special Agent came out of the closet a few years ago, prior to his death, and the infamous "Deep Throat"..  This just opens up a shitload more questions about the FBI and their agenda.

I could go on and on, but I must stop now.  Please do yourself a favor and investigate, really look into the past, it is a great predictor of the future.  

The biggest CONSPIRACY by definition, is of course September 11, 2001.  I will only parrot what the mainstream media and the "official" story.  If 19 people get together and plan a crime, that is a conspiracy.  How come the mainstream media NEVER includes that word, when referencing that crime?  It just makes me wonder just how powerful the forces are at the top of the food chain.  

Gitmo Gil

Just Another Thursday, Part 2

Good Evening all,
Last night I posted a story about the pro's and con's of working on Thanksgiving.  I wrote it after seeing on the news that Kmart is opening up at 6:00 am on Thanksgiving morning.  I was at work today, the background noise was creeping into my head, and I heard on the news, another story about stores on Thanksgiving.  It appears that more retail outlets will be opening earlier than ever on this once sacred holiday.

I work in the Human Services field, and working on the holidays has been a part of my entire adult life.  My guys do not become magically competent to be alone, because there is a holiday.  They need our care, and I can honestly say that in the last 25 years, I have never worked with anyone who was forced to be there, that day, or Christmas, for that matter.  There is usually a diverse age and family status among the group home employees.  This allows anyone who really wants to work(double time pay) the chance to make a few extra dollars.

Increasing sarcasm here....But that cannot be, Gil.  The country is in such a boom right now, that hardly anyone needs to work an extra day if they choose. Business are doing so good, why would they need to destroy an American family tradition.  Its raining high paying good jobs... stopping sarcasm now.... I have other family that also works in the medical field, and nurses are needed in hospitals.  But, these are retail stores.  I ask you, do you need that cheap chinese toy on Thanksgiving?  Are you really so addicted to the "holiday shopping" experience, that you will be lining the stores on Thanksgiving? Really?

I am a little irked at these mega corporations that feel nothing towards their core employees.  If you force people to work retail, they will not be happy, that will clearly be passed on to the people who are in the store, and that will not be good for anyone.  Let people volunteer, some may want to work, instead of sitting at the table and hearing drunk Aunt Muriel ramble on about that trip to Everglades last summer.  I am well aware that the economy sucks, just look out the window.  If these stores need to open their doors on just another Thursday, that is their right to do so.  I also am not going to frequent any stores, as usual on Thanksgiving, that is my right.

As a matter of fact, my brother and I were having this conversation last year at this time.  I predicted that within 4 years, the once sacred holiday, Thanksgiving would be taken over by retail.  To his credit, my brother said "a couple of years".  Once again, Gitmo Glen pretty much nails it.  What a sad reality.  My question to you is, how many years until Christmas is just another day too?  

Gil

Its Just Another Thursday....

Well, it happened.  You can mark this Thanksgiving as the one that broke the camels back.  I turned the pc on this morning, hit the news, and there it is, Kmart will open at 6:00 am on Thanksgiving morning.  We truly live is a sick society. The real truth in the sadness, is that I can argue both views, and come to an agreement with myself.  The bottom line for me, it just feels wrong.  

In the traditional prose I can wax poetic about Thanksgiving being about family, togetherness, the warm home, surrounded by family all having a good time.  The football game is at halftime, but that is just on in the background, those Ipad Air's you just got for the family are filled with Angry Birds, and Netflix.
 The beer is tasting might good, looking forward to the turkey and all the trimmings.  The smell of the home just brims with the warm aroma of the bird in the oven, and the potato's are getting mashed. Your sisters and brothers are all talking about the huge bonuses and incredible healthcare they get at their jobs.  The grandparents hosting this traditional family gathering are basking in the wonderful glow of all the grandchildren. Everything here is perfect, Normal Rockwell could not have drawn a more perfect scene.
All the adults around the table are gainfully employed, all in the fields of their college study.  This family is typical with the bright, rich successful families that this country is loaded with.  The kids get straight A's in private school, and the wives love spending their days at the spa on Monday, the tennis club on Tuesday, and all those charity events, just gobble up the rest of their week.  Life is wonderful.


Do you know one of those families? 

I sure as hell don't.  I am sure that there is 1% of the country that has a Thanksgiving like that one. Those numbers are dwindling, but the worse part it, the bottom 20% is getting bigger and poorer at the same time.  

I can also talk about the families where both parents are lucky to have the job at Kmart or any other retail store. They will enjoy time and a half, all the while, forfeiting that time at home with the kids. Sadly for most people in today's America, that is the sad truth.

Please do think for one minute that these retail chains that will be opening their doors even earlier this year, have not done the market research.  The are well aware that the true unemployment number in the country is about 25%.  Inflation is rising fast.  Have you been to the grocery store lately?  Its frikin insaane.  They know there will be a small hue and cry from some people, but in the end they will make their money.  Greed drives America.  If you want another view of how things are, or should be, this guy has some great ideas.

But the bottom line, that perfect Thanksgiving is gone forever. It is just another Thursday.

Three Friends Art Studio Paintings

Hi Ladies, its time to name a few photos.  We had a naming convention this morning and here are the options.  Please leave your answers in the comments section.  Thanks

Barstact or Picasso face?

Brighten my Day or Fallen

Full Figure or Little Black Dress

Growth Spurt or Vintage Flower

In The Clear or Lonely Deer

Java or Coffee With Friends

Leave Together or Fall Trees

Purple Poppies or Nectar

Patience or Blue Kitty

Cheers or Pimento Paradise

Summer-ade or Quench