It’s right there in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution:

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Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, do not parse, do not fold, mutilate, spindle, tear, gut, burn or shred.

In keeping with policies and procedures consistent with gutting the foundational principles of our Constitution and democracy, the Bush Administration’s Department of Homeland Security has proceeded to ignore the care and handling advice and has engaged in the very actions verboten by those instructions.

Above the fold, two surreal videos. Below, a quick mention of some of the past week’s pieces on ePluribus Media that you may not have seen and will probably find very interesting.  Opening volley: Surreal Videos — “The Googling” Part 1 and Part III:

After the flip, a brief preview of some of the great pieces currently on ePluribus Media.

For the first five years of my marriage, my wife and I cared for her mother — “Mumsie” — who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. I was her primary caretaker. Reading through the entries of ~another~ son-in-law who served as his mother-in-law’s primary caretake, I came across a powerful video by SheltonFilms about caring for Alzheimer’s patients called “My Name is Lisa.” It struck me so powerfully that I had to share it with folks.

“You want to have some idea what it is like to be a care-provider for someone with Alzheimer’s or other age-related dementia? Watch it.”

            — Jim Downey

Before reading the rest of this essay, watch the following piece.

My Name Is Lisa

The rest of the essay, plus the director’s video log, is over on ePluribus Media if you’d like to check it out.

The video alone is more than worthy of its own space on a page.

I’ve been working on a project — a pseudo-fictional story based in contemporary American history and current events — that I’ve hoped to complete for a while now.  Given the current state of affairs nationally, the fast-approaching July 4th weekend, the crumbling economy and growing time constraints, it makes more sense to announce the accompanying stuff now and make it available if anyone wants it.

I’ve created a section to a CafePress store that has postcards and prints that folks might find interesting or useful, particularly the postcards if they want to do any kind of message-to-Congress thing.  Some folks have seen some of the images created that I’ve put into comments, so I’m posting this here to let ’em know that they can now pic up something with the images on them — a physical, tangible item that could be used in activism. Here’s an example of one, meant to inspire new Patriots of today and hopefully encourage them to work toward the defeat of the corruption that is undermining our Constitution and betraying the nation:

Stealth Patriots — postcards and prints

More after the flip, if you’re so inclined…

Posted simultaneously on ePluribus Media, DailyKos, Docudharma and Below Boston.

There are words that comprise paper tigers and those which ignite fires; some words are worth fighting to protect, others are not.

Some words forge new nations and ideals amid the forge-fires of conflict, while others are relegated to the dustbins of history as naught but a footnote at most.

There are words, on the page following, which have worth that appears to vary across the depth and breadth of the nation today.  Once — long ago, perhaps — they were words that could inspire and entice the people of a nation to do great things. Now, however, their fate appears uncertain.  I ask, fellow Netizens, just one simple question: Whither the words necessary to marshal a hue and cry of outrage and demand for restoration, restitution and accountability?

Crossposted from ePluribus Media.

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My country ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing…

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What happens when the checks and balances of our government are compromised, and justice is undermined?

What happens when the most criminally corrupt group of criminals rule with nearly complete control of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government for nearly two full Administrations, and the media fails to oppose, to challenge and to expose them?

Criminal malfeasance. Negligence. Dereliction of duty. Failure — multiple failures: failure to uphold the law, failure to act, failure to uphold the duty and responsibility of office.

Actively undermining the just due process of the law and Constitution. Actively interfering with the proper operation of government.

War crimes.

Eight years of crimes, unaccountable to anyone and protected by the entire Republican party — and Joe Lieberman.

I was surprised to learn on Tuesday about the dismissal of Barry Nolan by Comcast for his quiet, persistent protest against the selection of Bill O’Reilly for the Governor’s Award by the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), Boston/New England Chapter.

As fortune would have it, I was able to touch base with Nolan as well as read up on the events surrounding his dismissal. The result is a piece appearing over on ePluribus Media today called Newsman Fights Clown As Thieves and Pimps Look On.

Feel free to check it out over there. If you’d like to comment here, or learn where the title is derived from without having to go read the piece, make the jump below the fold.