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Steve's Blog


October 16, 2011

After a long pause, I'm back to updating my blog. The occupy wall street movement is catching fire across the glob. I'm going to chronicle it as best I can.

The following is an occupy movement resource page.

Here's a good article about how Wall Street occupies DC.

October 15, 2011

I've written an open letter to the occupiers.

April 7, 2011

I've thrown up a plot showing how silly this government shut down is.

March 29, 2011

I'm leaving tomorrow for a vacation trip and won't be back until Sunday. So this is my last entry for a few days. So I leave with videos of the rebel force fleeing east as the pro-Gaddafi forces push east along the coastal highway. So what's wrong with this picture, the images seen in the Al Jazeera report?. These rebel forces are nothing more than a bunch of guys in trucks trying to fight an army. I hit me today, after seeing these guys flee, who ridiculous this whole rebellion is. These pro-democracy Libyas are going to need soldiers from outside to come in to overthrow Gaddafi. This conflict is going to get very messy.

The only out, is for Gaddafi's inner circle to get spooked some how, which at this point I doubt. I have a feeling "the west" has completely underestimated the tenaciousness and wealth of Gaddafi. He has an endless supply of poverty stricken African youth to his south which he can hire to fill his ranks, and he has all the craziness and stubbornness he needs to hunker down in his bunker and out last a fragile NATO coalition....

I do need this vacation!

March 27, 2011


Its just past midnight and I found a FB page about Iman Al-Obeidi, the woman who as raped by Gaddafi thugs, told the press about it, and was hawled off to some place unknown.

Snipers on a roof top. Haunting video from Misrurata

My open letter to the Libyan people.

My open letter to President Obama regarding Gaddafi's future.

March 26, 2011

Events are moving along in Libya. It looks like the No Fly Zone plus is working against Gaddafi. But what got me to post something in this blog is an article of a woman who clamied to have been raped by the Gaddafi militia. It's a sad story of the horrors committed under Gaddafi's rule.

Here's a video of the incident I mentioned above.

The woman's name is Eman AlObeidy.

March 21, 2011

I've written the Gene Sharp Libyan End Game.

True or not, this photo on facebook is going viral. It claims, by showing a photo, that Gaddafi is paying his mercenaries with counterfeit money. By making this public, maybe this will be the beginning of the end for Gaddafi?

March 20, 2011

I've written an open letter to the National Transitional Council of Libya.

The most interesting tweets I've read are ones saying that Gaddafi's bunker has been hit. Smoke is now rising out of it. But it may be just a rumor...

March 19, 2011

A lot has happened since the 15th, most notably the UN passed a no-fly zone and then some resolution against Libya. I never thought that would happen. The NYTimes has a good account of how it happened behind the scenes.

Gaddafi fires back with a "I'm ceasing fire" but continues his attacks. Exactly what a 10 year old would do.

So now it's sit and wait. It seems to me that the only real way of mitigating Gaddafi's aggression is by sending UN observer troops. They should parachute into Bengazi with satellite communication equipment so that they can provide independent reports. How will the UN effort know what's a Gaddafi tank or a rebel tank? They both come from the same military wear house..

The French finally did something. The world is finally doing something!

US to take out Libyan air defences later today.

The man here, lost his life recently. He reported on Gaddafi's attacking Benghazi. The man's name is Mohammad Nabous.

Events are happening very fast now. Reports that the US has launched tomahawk cruise missiles against Gaddafi air defences are starting to surface.

March 15, 2011

As the world is focused on the nuclear disaster in Japan's Daiichi plant, I saw on twitter news that an anti-Gaddafi Libyan pilot crashed his plane, kamakazi style into Gaddafi's bunker. Here is a face book page of a picture of the man who did it. I don't know how accurate it is...

here's more on the plain crash into Baab Al Aziziyah....

"01:14 Almanara Media reports that two people of “importance” have been badly injured as a result of the fighter jet crash into Baab Al Aziziyah earlier and have been taken to Tripoli’s Burns and Reconstruction hospital. There is currently a heavy presence of security around the building and unconfirmed reports point to the injured being from Gaddafi’s sons."

This was from http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/march-15-updates/

March 12th, 2011

Yesterday an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan followed by a massive Tsunami killing thousands. A building at a nuclear power plant exploded this morning. But the mess in Libya goes on. Robertson from CNN got ruffed up by Gaddafi thugs.

Another important diplomatic step taken, the Arab League endorses a no-flight zone over Libya.

A very interesting audio report from Tripoli describing who the Gaddafi supporters are. Basically paid people bussed in from the south.

March 5th, 2011


An unofficial translation of the Declaration of the Establishment of the National Transitional Temporary Council for Libya. This is an important step. Smacks of Gene Sharp's call to establish a grand strategic plan.

This is major, oil price wise, Saudi's are now threatening to "crack down". Oil prices are going to go kaching!.

March 1st, 2011


Found on twitter a link to an English translation of Gaddafi's green book.

Created the Libyan Foreign Intervention Poll.

Feb 27, 2011


video of Gaddafi's bunker in Bengazi.

The big news this morning is pro-gaddafi toops switched sides in Zawiya, a city just 30 miles west of Tripoli.

Gaddafi's nurse made it home.

Gaddafi music video spoof. Here is another link reference in the NYTimes.

I wrote a an article on Gene Sharp's "From Dictatorship to Democracy" and its relationship to the Internet.

Saif Gaddafi giving orders to attack protestors.

Feb 26, 2011


Someone posted a link to a film trailer on Gene Sharp.

A great artile in the New York Times by David Kirkpatrick detailing his invited trip into Tripoli by Gaddafi's son Saif.

For some reason, Gaddafi's personal nurse described as a "voluptuous blond" named Galyna Kolotnytska, has surfaced through several tweets I've read. Rumors are that she's both a nurse and lover and travels by his side everywhere. It's now reported that she is leaving Gaddafi's. This could be significant....

And now for a bit of much needed comedy. Charlie Brooker rants...

Video of an 8 year old girl shot in Libya.

A battle at an airport in Libya. Not sure which one.

Proposed changes to Egypt's constitution.

The security council voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Gaddafi.

Gaddafi's son lies about the situation in Libya.

more ranting by Gaddafi's son Saif. He claims that Libyans in Bengazi are afraid of the opposition.

One of the most important videos I've seen of the revolution in Libya. A computer guy set up a satellite link which bypassed the Libyan national networks and was able to get video and photo's out to the world. The man who did this a hero.

An interim government is forming in Bengazi headed by former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdul Jalil.

Protests in North Korea? OMG here we go!

Gaddafi downfall utube parody.

Feb 25, 2011


The Tripoli cleanup. It was reference from the following tweet from @sunnkaa.
"Snipers in LandCruisers take away dead body "cleaning" the streets of #Libya Tripoli"

Some Naval officers announce their alegance to the #feb17 movement. According to sluma56 he says "to answer the call of the Libyan people we are the navel fleet of Benghazi and we support the feb 17th revolution"

Horrible video of a man being shot while videoing protests.

Some twitterers have said that Gaddafi's wife and daughter are staying at the Imperial Hotel in Vienna. Some photos...
Imperial Hotel Street View Imperial Hotel Google Map View
Another page with full sized photos.


Feb 24, 2011


Stories of people getting out of Libya by air.

Rumours has surfaced that he was shot. Oil prices did drop.

Gaddafi's cousin has fled to Egypt looking for asylum. I can't find a link, but just heard it on Al Jazeera live streaming.

Underground prison utube in Benghazi.

A report suggesting Gaddafi's youngest son has defected and joined his fathers opposition. This is significant if true.

I predict that by Monday, this will all be over. Is Morocco next?

Feb 23, 2011


I read in the NYTimes a Reuters report on a woman in Morocco who set herself on fire because she was excluded from a social housing project for being an unmarried mother. Very tough.

The following book on Libya was recommend on twitter.

Great video of a man destroying a picture of Gaddafi.

This one shows the supposed mercenaries hired by Gaddafi. Lots of rumours regarding the mercenaries but so far no proof I believe.


Feb 22, 2011

According to one tweet, the Egypt/Libyan broader is now open to everyone.
"
Wa2elMansour Wael Mansour
by mriad83
Egypt opened its boarders with #Libya ..no visas, nothing.."media, food, medicine & blood suppliers, u have a GREEN light to enter !". RT!
"

NYTimes The Lede posted this utube which shows the Gaddafi thugs terrorizing the citizens of Benghazi.

Feb17voices has an audio saying Gaddafi supporters given 17000 kinars each to demonstrate for them.

I'm not sure how reliable Time magazine is these days, but this article plots Gaddafi's next moves, sow chaos in Libya.

Also on the news, Libya's former interior minister defected.

Finally, NYTimes has some wikileaks gosip on the Gaddafi family.

Feb 21, 2011

According to tweets tagged with #libya, Gaddafi is in full repression.
"
yassayari AYARI Yassine
RT @LibyaFeb17_com: OFFICIAL: Heavy artilliery beginning NOW in Tripoli! #feb17 #libya
"

some video from Voice of America web site.

Democracy now has a video cast about Libya's uprising.

A #libya tweet pointed to the Hamma Massacre wiki page.

Other tweets are trying to confirm that Gaddafi has fled to Venezuela. Maybe its Venezuela's turn for an uprising?

"
WrongingRights Wronging Rights
by acharya_dude
British FM Hague says Gaddafi on way to Venezuela? #Libya
"

"
Jnoubiyeh Sarah Abdallah
by christophesokal
Al Jazeera BREAKING: Eyewitnesses confirm military aircraft are conducting a bombing campaign against #Tripoli protesters. #Libya #Feb17
"

utube out of libya some guys asking for help.

It looks like Libya is in total blackout.

"
RamiMansour Rami Mansour
Telecommination in Libya of all sorts are disconnected ! Libya is in Total blackout! #libya
"

I've been tweetinformed of two new web sites, feb17.info and libyafeb17.com. Here's what's on libyafeb17.com as of 12:09pm today EST.
"
All updates in Tripoli Local Time

18:57 AJArabic reporting protesters in Tripoli are being strafed and targeted by ground artillery shelling too

18:49 Libya’s Ambassador in Britain resigns

18:44: All all connections cut. Landlines and and all mobile phone networks cut!

18:31 Al Jazeera Arabic confirms protesters being gunned down from planes in Tripoli.
Earlier people reported planes or helicopters circling above Tripoli.

18:25 – Al Jazeera Arabic confirms that a million march is currently in process in Tripoli but is being crushed with heavy artillery by mercenaries.

18:18 – A witness has just confirmed that a fleet of 30 cars are roaming around different parts of Tripoli full of 4 mercenaries each holding AK47s.

A correspondent from Tripoli has just confirmed to us that low heavy artillery has started in Tripoli right now. We have also been told that Fashloom and Noofliyeen are witnessing heavy fighting right now!
"

A very disturbing video of supposedly burnt soldiers who refused to fire on their own people in Libya.

Go Dutch! They set up a dial up service for Libyans.
"
sunnysingh_sw6 Sunny Singh
For #Libya only: Dutch ISP provider XS4ALL has an internet dial-up service. Dial +31205350535 username: xs4all password: xs4all #Feb17
"

Libyan Jets that landed in Malta. Pilots defected from Libyan army.
They refused to shoot on Libyan citizens

Audio report from Tripoli

An idea why the west acts like a deer in headlights.
two bozos

I've learned of Gaddafi's babe brigade. The "babe" standing behind Gaddafi is one of them.
Gaddafi's Girls

Feb 18, 2011

According to NY Times Kristof, he recounted what a nurse said of the police clearing out Perl Square writing, "She said she then watched as they executed him at point-blank range with a gun." This was in reference to a man who was hand cuffed and beaten during the crack down. If that had been videoed and uploaded to You Tube, that would have had an explosive effect on the uprisings. I couldn't read the whole editorial, its horrible what happened in Bahrain's Perl Square.

I found Gene Sharp's face book page.

Crack down was severe in Bahrain, a pair of UTubes here and here show the gruesomeness of the march on Pearl Square (or circle?). UTubes gotten off of The Lede on the NYTimes web site.

The Dow Jones index closed at 12391.25, charging away at an extremely fast growth rate. The last time the DJ index was this high was somewhere between May 30th and June 6, 2008, right before the throws of the unregulated mortgage disaster. Everything that's happening in North Africa and the Middle East is completely irrelevant to the US economy.

Feb 17, 2011

The equivalent of Tahrir square in Bahrain was stormed by police at 3am Bahrain time. The square was cleared of people sleeping there over night. Rubber bullets and tear gas were used, at least 3 killed.

Feb 16, 2011

Found out about Lara Logan's sexual assault in Cairo the night Mubarak stepped down. Horrible.

Learned about the Tor anonymous network. Twitters were tweeting on the #libya tweet channel(?) encouraging its use.

Nice PBS news hour on the spread of dissent in the middle east and north africa. Libya is now catching the fever.

The NYTimes strikes again with a great article on Gene Sharp. He wrote "From Dictatorship to Democracy" which supposedly influenced demonstrators in Tunisia and Egypt. He's currently 83 years old. Here is a link to his book which he put into the public domain. (I guess before copyleft existed.) I love this guy!

Feb 15, 2011

I learned about bambuser.com. People can broadcast directly from their mobile phones and their location is tracked. I strongly suggest protesters turn off the GPS tracking option.

A very disturbing video of the Iranian parliament changing "Death to Mousavi & Karroubi". The thing to note is how blindly the members crowd the center and chant, as if they were not there chanting, they would be considered to oppose the central authority and the chants would be against them. Very "Lord of the Fly"'ish.

An article in the NYTimes about the State Department looking to spend 30 million for "free Internet" solutions to bolster freedom of speech.

Libyan demonstrations found on facebook.

I found a Facebook page, 25 Bahman, which is organizing the Iranian effort. I can't read any of it really since its in Persian....

Through a conversation on Facebook I was suggested the following reading 'Edward Said's "Covering Islam" and/or "Orientalism"'

Feb 14, 2011

NY Times has an article on the US Policy to Address Internet Freedom. Getting this right is very important.

Reports from Bahrain, Yemen, Iran of demonstrators fighting police.

Small group of revolutionary leaders meet with military in Cairo. Looks like military is genuine in putting a civilian government in place. New constitution will be written and voted on in 2 months.
youth council meets with military
photo from NYTimes.

Feb 13, 2011

Tracking Mubarak's wealth.

Ideas for a new Egyptian constitution/Government.
I put in the idea of term limits under the pen name of netizen... ;)

An account of how the Egyptian opposition force managed to out smart the riot police on Jan 25.

In Italy, women are coming out against Berlusconi.

Found an Iranian FB page looking to demonstrate on Feb 14th.

Feb 12th, 2011

the start of the Algerian revolt

Feb 11th, 2011

Mubarak's Hide Out in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Stock market reaction to Mubarak's resignation news.

Feb 10th, 2011

My open letter to the Egyptian People

Feb 9th, 2011

Who should lead Egypt poll.

Feb 8th, 2011

My open letter to April 6th Youth Movement.

Circa Jan25.

Comments on the Egypt uprising.

April 10th.

My trip to Peru blog is now starting to take place. So far I've just added one video.

March 26th.

I've added two more videos. Actually its one, but it was too long and I had to split it into two. It's my bike ride down to the Mall in Washington DC to experience first hand the passing of the health care bill on Sunday March 21st.


I'm still working on setting up the blog section of my web site, so for now, I suggest you check out my original net journals which I published back in 1999-2000 in the Archive section.

But in the mean time, here is a new "blog" posting, or actually a "vlog" posting. I just recently got Verizon's Fios service installed in my house. I figured it would be a good chance to document the experience. Click here to see the vlogs...

And for the addendum to my Verizon installation-thong, I've done some side by side comparisons of internet bandwidth service between Comcast and Verizon. Click here to see the comparison vlogs.