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A voting rights and campaign finance watchdog group is claiming political favoritism and censorship after allegedly being denied the ability to post billboards in Mitchell and McDowell counties.

Democracy North Carolina tried to post billboards calling attention to the ongoing investigation by the State Board of Elections into the campaign finances of state Sen. Ralph Hise, a Mitchell County Republican and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Elections.

The State Board of Elections began investigated Hise has after he allegedly withdrew about $10,000 in excess loan repayments from his campaign and failed to disclose receiving more than $9,000 in donations from political action committees.

Weve been trying to let the voters in Sen. Hises district know about his problems for a month, but the billboard industry seems so worried about making him mad that they are refusing to rent us space for our message, said Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina.

Hall said in a press release he was initially encouraged to rent space by sales agents at two companies; he selected billboard locations, submitted the artwork and sent it back with modifications requested by the agents. He signed a contract with Lamar Outdoor Advertising for a billboard in Spruce Pine and a contract with Fairway Advertising for another billboard along I-40 in McDowell County.

In both cases, regional managers of Lamar and Fairway Outdoor Advertising called to cancel the contracts, saying the message proposed for the billboards was political and too controversial or too controversial and could cause problems for the company, according to the press release.

It was very clear in talking with the billboard executives that were the victim of political favoritism and censorship, Hall said. Billboard companies are involved in plenty of controversial and political advertising, but they also have high-priced lobbyists, they want favorable legislation and they dont want to anger a powerful state senator at this crucial time.

Hall claimed in the press release one of the companies has a billboard attacking Muslim on I-40.

Its very disappointing, Hall said. But well continue to shine the light on Sen. Hises campaign violations and expose whatever he is hiding.

At least one of the billboards has been posted on U.S. 19E near the Yancey-Madison county line.

As of press time Hise was more than 50 days past the May 5 deadline set to amend his campaign finance reports.

Link:
Voting rights advocacy group claims censorship - Spruce Pine Mitchell News

Greetings, all.

Before the main event, lets hit the mailbox

bob_a_booey Uh oh. Looks like somebody got triggered by my comment in reply to the other now deleted comments that the dam level isnt that hard. It isnt. The myth comes from people who have played the game maybe 1 or 2 times who havent adjusted to the different mechanics the stage uses compared to the rest of the game, and immediately declare it the hardest thing in history. Or people that saw the AVGN video and simply paraphrase it, which seems to be the case here as this dude is obviously an AVGN fan (his Friday the 13th section is almost a verbatim copy of the AVGN video). I havent played the game in 20 years and I guarantee I could go back and finish that level without too many problems.

First off, if any comments are ever deleted, I have zero hand in it. As a matter of fact, if anyone from 411mania is reading this, please never delete ANY comments from my articles. I dont play that censorship business.

You know, a lot of people told me the dam level isnt a big deal. I looked at it again on youtube, and I swear I played a different level. I thought those damn electric weeds were all over that level. As a kid though, that level was a bitch.

As for your thinly veiled accusation that I ripped off the AVGN, no. First off, Im a big fan of James, and Cinnemassacre. Hes a guy I look up to. That said, I can honestly say with no hyperbole, that Ive never laughed at an AVGN video. Not once. I absolutely do not think James is funny. Hes at his best providing information, thats where he shines. To me, he isnt funny, so Id never steal his material. Also, how on Earth would people not notice from the jump, considering how popular he is? Id have to be pretty fucking stupid.

Either way, thanks for reading, brother.

Team J-Rod Friday the 13th is way more of a complex game then most give it credit forits all about patterns, certain events trigger the appearance of other weapons. I actually love it, because its so different than almost every other game on the NES. Honestly, I absolutely agree. It was a pretty deeply stacked game, and quite different, but at the same time it sucked. John Landing the plane during Top Gunand why did we all have that bloody game.

Oh man, was that a MOTHERFUCKER or what? I remember nothing about that game over than that, and being almost in tears trying to land that fucking plane. Why I cared, I dont know. I didnt like the game, I never saw the movie. That fucking thing.

Also, shout-outs to Ghost & Goblins and that bullshit ending, Tyson from Mike Tysons Punch Out, and Battletoads and that insane 2nd-player fiasco.

Alright, lets hit the main-event.

Before we get to the article, I just want to talk about how asinine TV/film censorship is in the first place. Back in the 30s, they cut a line from Frankenstein where the good Dr. says he knows what its like to be God. Back then, that was just too crazy. Then in the 80s, thanks to Regan, the way he shaped America, and things like the PMRC, horror films became one of the biggest catalyst for our youth to find themselves at the doorstep of debauchery & mayhem. So, the MPAA board hacked most horror films to absolute death. Then today youve got things passing for an R that could have had to be rated X back in the day. So, what this basically says is that censorship is pointless. We end up changing our minds in the future anyways, and deciding that this or that is no longer that bad. Mean while, pieces of art are being butchered by people who push their own thoughts & beliefs into things that they have no real concern for. The same goes for TV. In the 50s they couldnt use the word pregnant on I Love Lucy, but now shows in prime time can throw around goddamn & shit as much as they please. Things are going to constantly be pushed, and eventually accepted. Canadian TV is completely uncensored, and shockingly the country hasnt burnt down in the middle of the night. Another thing thats complete inane is how the top of a womans buttcrack has to be blurred out, yet we can show the rockin double D titties of some fat guy from the Biggest Loser. Whats more visually repugnant? A chicks ass, or a dudes massive, hairy nipple? I mean, after seeing something like that, I can barely jack-off that night. So, lets take a trip down memory lane as we learn about TVs crusade to save us, and some of its finest examples.

Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed When watching Casino, or Goodfellas on TV, its apparent that the greatest insult you can deal to one person is that the hope that they are forgotten. That theyre no longer remembered. Any time Pesci or DeNiro would get fired off, theyd spout off with a forget you!. Then, dare say that didnt hurt someones feelings, youd have to pull out both of your big-guns and fire off with a you motherlover!. Truly drawing gasps from everyone who was around to hear the personification of rage and verbal vitriol. But then again, their rage could come from the fact theyre all wearing bullskin. At least thats what I think theyre talking about, because just as often as theyre forgetting someone theyre talking about their bullshirt. To anyone who endorses this kind of censorship, I say go forget yourself.

The Big Lebowski Do you know what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass? If youve only seen The Big Lebowski on basic cable then you have no idea what the answer is. You do however know what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps. Thats right. Youre hiking up in the Alps, having the time of your life when you all of a sudden come across a stranger. You guys might strike up a convo, you may just pass by with a nod & a smile. Either way, hes going to absolutely bash the hell out of your neighbors car. Because thats what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps. Im dying to know how this all worked out. There had to be a couple of guys in the edit bay discussing it. Should we just cut out fuck?, What? Are you kidding me? You know how dumb thatll sound? No, were better than that. Were TNT. Were about quality & integrity. Man, having that job would be awesome. Youd be watching some Anne Hathaway film for a second, to get a look at her boobies, and youd wonder why on Earth her voice isnt matching her mouth, and why shes talking about some guy named Caliber Winfields dick. I seemed to get off track there. Anyway, in the film, Walter goes nuts on a man whom he believes is his target, and keeps yelling about what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass. But then again, now we know that if you fuck a stranger in the ass, or find a stranger in the alps, the inevitable consequences will be the same.

ORIGINAL:

TV EDIT:

Bulletproof We all know that for a man, theres nothing worse than being forced to sing & dance for another dude. In the underrated classic Bulletproof, Adam Sandler is a car thief named Archie Moses whos best friends with fellow thief Rock Keetz. Well, Archies been making some money on the side of their car stealing operation, and he decides to let Keetz in on it. So as Archie is having Keetz meet the big man, Colton, played by James Caan, hes told to search him because Colton doesnt trust him. Archie then makes a major proclamation that if Keetz is a cop, hell sing & dance. So, you can imagine Archie is praying Keetz isnt a cop, because who wants to get up and have to sing & dance? No self-respecting man, of course. Its a fate worse than death. Later, a big drug-trade goes wrong, and Colton blames Archie due to the fact Keetz was a cop. Well, its a little weird, because he mentions Archies promise regarding Keetz being a cop, and then has Archie get on his knees and tells him to enjoy his last meal. What? If you want a guy to sing & dance, you want him on his feet, and you dont want him sluggish from a big meal. So, you can see right there such foolishness. Later at the end of the film, Archie gets some payback on Colton for trying to make me sing & dance. Perfectly understandable. I mean, Ive heard of tons of guys in prison who damn near kill, or do in fact kill guys who have tried to make them sing & dance. Like I said, no male wants to do that. Hell, Id rather suck a dick.

Die Hard 2 In the pantheon of action films there are many facets that have to meet quality standards in order for it to bust someone right in the mush. On of them, is a rockin catchphrase. Our hero, John McClane, has one of the more well known & classic catchphrases. In Die Hard 2, its Christmas time again and John is chilling in an airport. He notices some no-good-knicks up to no good, or perhaps theyre not, whatever, because hes got the 12 days of Christmas forem. A 12 round clip, that is! Now, hes out to dispatch these baddies and pick up his wife because he has a rockin Die Hard-On. When youre as bad-ass as John McClane, you dont get boners. Because to get a boner, would imply that at one point you didnt have one. So, much like when your stupid girlfriend has people over and you want to watch G Is For Gianna in the living room, uninterrupted, what do you do to a plane full of terrorists? You blowem the hell up. So, as is customary in each case, before you deal the death blow you giveem the catchphrase. McClane gets all cocky and letsem have it. Yippie-Kai-Yay, Mr. Falcon! Who the hell is Mr. Falcon? Theres no Mr. Falcon on the terrorists plane manifest. I mean, theres nothing even close. How the HELL could they justify this? Im dying to know. Not to mention the guy who says Mr. Falcon isnt even close to sounding like Bruce Willis. Plus, it sounds like it was recorded with a motherfalcon sofa.

ORIGINAL:

TV EDIT:

Any questions, comments, drunk-ramblings, feel free to send them my way, I always dig hearing from you, the beautiful people. Twitter: @CaliberWinfield Instagram: @CaliberWinfield I post almost daily with workout related stuff to help you cats out, along with whats coming down the pike via the MME, and general pop culture from the 80s and 90s that I cant seem to let go of. Email:[emailprotected] If you just cant wait until next week, you can also find me at these fine places: The Man Movie Encyclopedia: The Hall of Burly Vol. 1 A collection of the first 19 MME articles written for 411. You get all the classics like Commando, Robocop, and Die Hard, not to mention bad-assery such as Point Break and They Live. Beyond that, you also get two new articles. My Top 5 favorite action movies, and what I believe to be the Top 5 most over-the-top scenes in action movie history. I wont lie, its the greatest self=help/martial arts instruction book of all time.

My Summer Vacation At Camp Crystal Lake My brand new ebook thats become so popular its charting on the album sales charts. I cover the Friday The 13th franchise in Man Movie Encyclopedia fashion, followed up by a few list-based articles, chronicling my favorite kills, moments from the franchise, and a few other subjects. $3 via amazon, or simply email me and get it for $2, either way, itll probably change your life. Caliber Winfield On The Facebook Anything new that I do you guys can find here. Last I checked I was at 54 likes, which is pretty fucking solid in my book. However, I saw Joe Lee and A Bloody Good Time were over 110. Cmon now, we cant let them beat us, can we?! Mercy Is For The Weak Podcast Along with my co-host, we cover everything from movies, music, TV, video games and pop-culture, to pro-wrestling, and all things burly. Were on hiatus at the moment, but theres a decent catalog to go through. All Things Caliber I merged my wrestling website into my long standing website thats been up for over 6 years. Anything under the sun, Ive written about it.

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The Man Movie Encyclopedia: 4 Instances Of Terrible TV Censorship - 411mania.com

But it is already near impossible to hold a private conversation with anyone in the Chinese capital who takes an interest in politics without talk turning to Mr. Guo and his unverified insider tales of elite corruption and power plays. People here have followed each unveiling of Mr. Guos often long-winded allegations by creeping around Chinas barricade of internet censorship.

I dont think the party has ever had a big businessman so boldly challenge it like this, said Bao Tong, a former senior aide to Zhao Ziyang, a former party leader who was toppled from power during the 1989 protests. How to respond is a dilemma.

Mr. Guo, who also goes by the name Miles Kwok, has delighted in doling out his allegations on a lively Twitter feed as well as in hourslong talks and interviews broadcast, sometimes live, on YouTube and Mingjing, a Chinese news website based in the United States. All those sites are blocked in China.

During a broadcast in mid-June, which went on for more than four hours, Mr. Guo seemed to enjoy teasing the interviewer.

I dont get how youre just sitting there. Are you made from flesh and blood? Mr. Guo said as he laid out pictures and diagrams that he said proved his claims. Such huge news. Why dont you take off your clothes and get excited?

Mr. Guos stories have caused a stir in part because he socialized with security officials before he left China several years ago and has shown a familiarity with whos who in elite party families. But many of his recent claims are unverified and disputed, and Mr. Guo has sometimes left out important details needed to test the accusations.

Yet even without confirmation, the allegations appear vexing for Mr. Xi.

Mr. Guo has described himself as a paladin defending Mr. Xi and even acting indirectly on his orders. But the billionaire has also asserted that Mr. Xis plans for choosing a new leadership team for his second five-year term at the coming congress are mired in conflict. There is little evidence of that, but Mr. Guo has thrown a firecracker into the careful choreography of the lead-up, some experts said.

No matter whether these allegations are bogus or exaggerated, they have become a distraction, said Deng Yuwen, a current affairs commentator in Beijing. People who dislike Xi the democratic opposition, cadres unhappy with his policies are also finding something to focus on in Guo Wengui.

Much of the speculation has focused on the future of Mr. Wang, one of the most powerful men in China and the primary target of Mr. Guos ire. Party insiders have said Mr. Xi may want Mr. Wang to stay in office, bucking the established retirement rules.

But Mr. Guo wants Mr. Wang out and has claimed again and again that his extended family has amassed staggering wealth through a web of companies. At a minimum, the pounding has bruised Mr. Wangs reputation among members of the urban elite who have heard Mr. Guos claims. The state news media has long presented him as an incorruptible graft buster with the courage to catch tigers corrupt officials in the partys high echelons.

What if the tiger hunter turns out to be a tiger? asked Mr. Bao, the former senior aide. How do you explain that?

Still, Mr. Guos claims are uncorroborated and have been challenged even by some critics of the party.

Much of what Guo Wengui says is incorrect or speculative, said Zhang Lifan, a businessman and liberal intellectual in Beijing who has jousted online with Mr. Guo. Hes just letting off fireworks to create a ruckus.

Asked about Mr. Guos allegations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he was a crime suspect whom China had put on an Interpol list, and it referred questions to the legal authorities. The State Council Information Office, the government agency that deals with such inquiries, did not respond to faxed questions.

Leaders in Beijing face a quandary: Openly disputing Mr. Guo would give him more prominence, while ignoring him could be read by some as a sign that he is telling the truth, several experts said.

You cant give him attention, but you cant ignore him, either, Mr. Bao said. You might have been able to entirely ignore Guo Wengui before, when society was shut off and had no access to information. But that doesnt work now. You cant act dumb.

Mr. Guo, his business and his employees have been assailed by a wave of lawsuits in China and the United States claiming unpaid wages and debts, fraud and libel. The authorities have also channeled vitriol against Mr. Guo through Global Times, a tabloid that the party often uses to attack its foes.

Hes lied so much that the lies dont match up, and Guo Wengui has totally given up on logic, the newspaper said this month.

Still, the editorial nodded to Mr. Guos acumen as a showman: It must be said that hes a spectacle, and at home and abroad there are those who loathe Chinas political system and get a kick out of political rumors enjoying taking in this spectacle.

Though some opponents of the partys rule inside China and abroad have embraced Mr. Guo as a folk hero, others warn he is an opportunist who could drag democracy advocates into perilous undercurrents of party infighting.

Mr. Guo has denounced some of these critics, accusing them of lacking the backbone to support him.

Hes become a divisive force in the democratic movement abroad, said Li Weidong, a former Chinese magazine editor living in New Jersey who has fought with Mr. Guo. Theres a clash of views over whether to back him or keep a distance.

Much of the whispering in Beijing has fixated on Mr. Guos claim that he still has powerful patrons inside the party, including an old leader whom he has not named.

But no Chinese leader is likely to make common cause with a volatile, talkative exile like Mr. Guo, said Minxin Pei, a professor at Claremont McKenna College in California who studies Chinese politics.

Those attempting to do that must be mad since they can get caught easily and suffer the consequences, he said.

Professor Pei added that Mr. Guo was unlikely to derail Mr. Xis plans for the next leadership. For his allegations to disrupt these preparations, there need to be at least a critical mass of senior officials who demand an investigation, he said. Under the current conditions in Beijing, it is inconceivable that there are people in Beijing who dare to take such risks.

Michael Forsythe contributed reporting from New York, and Adam Wu contributed research from Beijing.

See the original post here:
Tycoon's Claims Reverberate in China Despite Censorship and Thin ... - New York Times

YouTubeIn a federal lawsuit filed last week, a group of Jewish plaintiffs allege that San Francisco State University has systematically turned a blind eye toand in some instances actively facilitatedcensorship and harassment of Jewish students and speakers on the public university's campus. The lawsuit points, in particular, to the 2016 disruption of a speech by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, numerous incidents of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel speech on campus, as well as an incident in which the Jewish student organization Hillel was allegedly banned from a student fair.

Opinions about the lawsuit fall along predictable dividing lines. The editorial board of J., the Jewish News of Northern California, praised the suit and argued that the protesters at the Nir Barkat event had "trampled the free speech rights of Jewish students." On the other hand, Dima Khalidi of Palestine Legal called the Barkat protest "political speech that is protected by the First Amendment" and said that "the complaint is going to fail."

Both sides have a point. The lawsuit raises real concerns about the treatment of Jewish students at SFSU. But the plaintiffs seem to want it both ways: Even as the suit contends that SFSU is violating the free speech rights of Jewish students, it also demands that the university censor protected speech by Palestinian students and their allies, citing anti-Jewish harassment.

As Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote, "the freedom to speak and freedom to hear are inseparable; they are two sides of the same coin." If, as the lawsuit alleges, SFSU officials told campus police to "stand down" while anti-Israel protesters disrupted Nir Barkat's speech, the university may indeed have violated students' First Amendment rights to invite and hear a speaker of their choosing.

Video footage of Barkat's attempt to speak at SFSU last year shows protesters engaging in loud, sustained chanting while students attending the speech huddle around a seated Barkat in an attempt to hear him. While protest is indeed protected by the First Amendment (as is a normal level of "booing" and brief interruptions from the audience), the right to protest does not extend to the right to be so vocally disruptive, for such a prolonged period of time, that the speaker cannot be heard.

And if, as the suit alleges, the university allowed the Hillel student group to be excluded from tabling at a university-sponsored fair because of the organization's viewpoint, that too could constitute a First Amendment violation at a public university like SFSU.

Moving from the First Amendment to the harassment claims, some of the speech cited by the plaintiffs may have crossed the line from protected speech into unprotected threats, such as counter-protesters allegedly yelling "get out or we will kill you" at Jewish students participating in a Hillel-sponsored peace rally.

Other parts of the lawsuit, however, point to examples of clearly protected speech and expression as grounds for the claim that a "hostile environment" exists for Jewish students on campus. In alleging that the university has been deliberately indifferent to a racially hostile environment, the plaintiffs point to examples of constitutionally protected political expression such as posters featuring a picture of a dead baby with the caption "Made in IsraelPalestinian Children Meat, Slaughtered According to Jewish Rites Under American License," as well as students holding placards proclaiming "my heroes have always killed colonizers" and "resistance is not terrorism" alongside portraits of Leila Khaled, the first female airplane hijacker. It is not difficult to see why such speech would offend many students, but asking a government institution like SFSU to police this kind of political rhetoric in the name of preventing a "hostile environment" is a prescription for both First Amendment violations and political side-choosing.

In short: it's complicated. If the truth of the allegations is proven in court, the plaintiffs have some very real grievances about some of the university's conduct and, certainly, about what J. refers to as the "selective outrage" when it comes to the university's response to Jewish students on campus versus other students who claim to feel silenced or threatened. But in other ways, the suit goes too far, citing constitutionally protected political speech and expression as examples of harassment.

This fight should never have had to go to court in the first place. A university campus should be a place where people who disagree about important issues can discuss their differences openly, not a place where opposing views are shouted down, threats are tossed across protest lines, and both sides work to suppress the speech of their opponents.

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'Get Out or We Will Kill You': Jewish Students Allege Censorship and Harassment in Campus Lawsuit - Reason (blog)

Channel 7's logo on display at a digital fair. BBTV's Channel 7 and Channel 5 have set up their own censorship association, disgruntling the Advertising Association of Thailand. (Photo by Jiraporn Kuhakan)

The Advertising Association of Thailand (AAT) has asked BBTV's Channel 7 and Channel 5 to explain why they have established their own censorship association, given the waste of time and money that such a group would represent.

Having two standards of censorship presents additional expense and procedural hurdles for advertising agencies and brands and will also affect the ad industry as a whole, said AAT president On-Usa Lamliengpol.

She said the creation of a new censorship association led by Channel 7, Channel 5 and some digital TV operators, and without any obvious explanation, would result in a double standard for the ad industry.

Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 is owned and operated by the army. Channel 7 officially is owned by Bangkok Broadcasting Television. It was originally acquired by the army in 1967.

"We urge these channels to explain this move clearly and as soon as possible," Ms On-Usa said, adding that otherwise it will lead to complications for the ad industry.

The AAT has been operating for more than 23 years. The association is a non-profit coordinator between ad agencies and digital TV operators and allows the industry to run smoothly, Ms On-Usa said.

The Radio and Television Broadcasting Professional Federation and the Association of Digital Television Broadcasting also voiced displeasure with the establishment of the second standard. The entities pushing for the second standard must stop or at least provide clarification, they said.

Ms On-Usa said the censorship procedure will run as usual on the AAT's side, but brands and agencies must know that they will run into trouble if their TV spots are assessed by both associations.

"Ad agencies need to help the AAT clarify the issue for their own sake," she said.

AAT vice-president Niwat Wongprompreeda said that while he does not know Channel 7's and Channel 5's intentions, he knows that having another censorship commission will complicate matters.

Agencies and brands will struggle with the rising costs of TV ad production, Mr Niwat said, since they still need to broadcast on Channel 7 -- the most influential channel in the country. He said Channel 7 receives 30-40% of total TV ad expenditure.

The censorship process normally has no cost. It takes one day to know if a TV spot is rejected or not; if it is, it must be modified and presented again to the association for approval.

Palakorn Somsuwan, assistant managing director for programming and advertising at Bangkok Broadcasting & TV Co, the operator of Channel 7, said the new censorship association will uplift censorship standards and benefit TV operators by creating stronger networks.

On the other hand, Col Natee Sukonrat, vice-chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said media regulations are sensitive and whether the self-censorship measure established by the private sector will help the NBTC to regulate the media industry will need to be looked into in close detail.

"The NBTC supports the latest establishment of a censorship association, as it will help create stronger measures for broadcasting suitable ads in the future," Col Natee said.

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Advertisers protest as military TV sets separate censorship - Bangkok Post