This is from the NASDA NASS Enumerators Training Manual

We were told anyone concerned would have law enforcement protection

This sampling may be for environmental or other things. Use your Public Servant Questionnaire to find out who, what, were, and when these agencies will be looking at and acting upon your samples.  DO NOT THEM SAMPLE WITHOUT A WARRANT or have otherwise volunteered.

Your only duty is to answer the number of people in your home-period.  Do not them be friends, or persuade you into giving your freedoms up.  Some of this information gets it hands that are out of the country and to Agribusiness, to make their business better and yours looses.

10 Minute Citizen:  Save you farm.  Only tell any Census worker, Federal or Ag, I have only 1.2.3.4. or whatever in the home.  You do not need to tell them your name.  This tatic is to get you to verify your name, everything must be verified.

From the trenches,

Celeste

Watch Out America

Gregoire got into office by dead voters and vagrants with the same homeless shelter address.  She governs with dictatorial style and she is headed your way….

Gov. Gregoire appointed to Homeland Security Council of Governors

OLYMPIA- Gov. Chris Gregoire today was appointed by President Barack Obama to co-chair a new Council of Governors focused on homeland security and the National Guard.

Mandated by the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, the purpose of the Council of Governors is to strengthen the partnership between states and the federal government on matters related to homeland defense.  The need for the Council originated from questions raised in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster about the US military’s role and responsibilities in domestic disasters.

“I thank President Obama for establishing the Council, and look forward to co-chairing the Council with Governor Douglas,” Gregoire said.  “This bipartisan group of governors will help to build a spirit of partnership and trust with the federal government, respecting our role as our states’ commanders-in-chief. The issues we will take up will help ensure the safety and well being of not only the people of Washington State, but everyone across the country.”

[…]

The council is made up of ten governors from across the country, five from each political party.  Senator Jim Douglas (R) of Vermont will serve alongside Gregoire as co-chair.  Gregoire will serve a two year term on the Council.

From: www.bilaterals.org

Korean documentary film highlights the role of social media in promoting street protests

So you miss some old-school political action. Like, you want corrupt politicians in some faraway country and students protesting in the street. Also, you dig the new futility-ridden Internet political thang. Like, you want to see badass flash mobs and a bunch of socially networked kids that just click their way through a better world.

Then you will love Shall We Protest?, the documentary film about the Chotbul ( candlelight ) political rallies that paralyzed the city of Seoul from May to August 2008. Written, directed and produced by South Korean mediactivists Sungmi Cho and Dongwon Jo, the film explains with great insight and passion how a small online forum of fashion victims called the SoulDresser managed to bring 1 million citizens in the streets to protest against the South Korea/US FTA (free trade agreements).

The Chotbul protest was initially meant as an netizen initiative  against the mad cow disease  but it soon evolved into a national upsurge against Lee Myung-Bak’s government and the interference from US administration in South Korean economic policies. The emphasis is put on participants’ self-organizing and collaborative know-how, as well as on the creative side of this grassroot tactical media protests that federated a large number of online fandom networks: manga nerds, boy-band fans, and many others admittedly obscure subcultures turned their peculiar passions to good account to serve a common cause.

The UK testing breaking ground for international dog ownership reg’s.  Keep your eyes open as it goes from the UK testing ground towards incremental adoption in the US.  Livestock owners beware, what is good for companion animals is better for livestock!

From the trenches,

Celeste

Now the Government wants competence tests before you can be a dog owner

By Jonathan Petre

28th February 2010

Every dog owner will have to take a costly ‘competence test’ to prove they can handle their pets, under new Government proposals designed to curb dangerous dogs.

Owners of all breeds would also have to buy third-party insurance in case their pet attacked someone, and pay for the insertion of a microchip in their animal recording their name and address.

The following comes from the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission Report, released September 2009.  Some important words have been redefined.  Redefinition is part of the “Living Document” principle and the morphing of words.  In agriculture these days, one must always refer to the most current global glossaries to understand what the word or definition.

Buffer Zones have been redefined as Protection Zones

Old:

Buffer zone means a zone established to protect the health status of aquatic animals in a free country or free zone, from those in a country or zone of a different aquatic animal health status, using measures based on the epidemiology of the disease under consideration to prevent spread of the disease agent into a free country or free zone.

New:

Protection zone means a zone established to protect the health status of aquatic animals in a free country or free zone, from those in a country or zone of a different aquatic animal health status, using measures based on the epidemiology of the disease under consideration to prevent spread of the causative pathogenic agent into a free country or free zone. These measures may include, but are not limited to, vaccination, movement control and an intensified degree of surveillance.

What or who is the Competent Authority?

Old:

Competent Authority means the Veterinary Services, or other Authority of a Member, having the responsibility and competence for ensuring or supervising the implementation of the aquatic animal health measures or other standards in the Aquatic Code.

New:

Means the Veterinary Authority or other Governmental Authority of an OIE Member having the responsibility and competence for ensuring or supervising the implementation of aquatic animal health and welfare measures, international health certification and other standards and recommendations in the Aquatic Code in the whole territory.

APHIS has altered its traditional country-based import restrictions, approaching import decisions using a science-based evaluation of the risk presented by imported animals and animal products.

APHIS recognizes that risk may be tied to:

Climatological,

Geographical,

Biological factors that are not always defined by national political boundaries. This approach is consistent with our obligations under international trade agreements.

To ensure that standards for regulating imports on a regional basis and assessing disease risk within defined regions are applied on a consistent and scientific basis, we use 11 factors (defined in Title 9, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 92.2) as an [international] framework for evaluating requests to export animals or animal products to the United States from distinct or definable regions.

The following is from ChangingMinds.org

Here are some basic rules for people being interrogated. Of course any professional interrogator will know and counteract these. Nevertheless, these may provide you with some help.

Minimize harm

The basic rule for respondents in interrogations is to reduce the amount of harm that you are likely to experience, particularly in the longer term. Always keep in mind what you really want. (For them to go away)

Minimum information

Do not volunteer information without purpose. Decide on your talk strategy and stick to it. This can be to speak as little as possible or to give as much information as possible (except in those areas where you want to stay private, of course).

Conceal

Know those things that you do not want to be discovered and work hard to ensure they are buried deep. Make no hints or admissions that may lead the questioner in that direction.

If the discussions do become perilously close to the areas under concealment, hold your nerve and keep it hidden. Be careful about attempted distractions that actually give away what you are trying to hide. If you push in one direction, the interrogator may take this as a sign and go the opposite way.

Distract

Play games with them to distract them and keep them interested in safe areas. There are birds and other animals which, when predators approach their nest, will feign injury and hop slyly away from the nest.

If you can capture their attention, you can lead them down false trails and away from the areas you want to conceal.

A classic distraction is to pretend that you are collaborating, answering their questions, but in doing so causing delays and other distractions.

Delay

Find ways to slow down the proceedings, especially if you can benefit from such tactics.

Play ill. Be sick or otherwise unable to collaborate. Scream and shout.

Ask for time to think. Show that you are on the edge and just need a bit of time.

Give them information that takes a while to check out. Promise to take them to a particular location – then make it far away.

Erect barrier

Erect a psychological barrier between you and them. The simplest barrier is silence. Imagine an invisible sound-proof wall between you. Other barriers that are used include distrust and hatred.

Distort

When you have to give out information, distort it, leaving out key items or adding in distractions and other modifications. Change names, places, times, and so on. Exaggerate some areas and play down others.

Some people are so good at distortion that they even convince themselves. Work on making what you say so credible you have difficulty yourself in separating reality from fantasy.

Negotiate

When at last you have to give true information, negotiate with the interrogator. Get promises that you can be sure will be fulfilled. It is easy for interrogators to make empty promises in order to get information from you. (Make sure that you have your Public Servant Questionnaires to pass out to each person at your door)

Give only that which you are prepared to give. Test their integrity with small exchanges before giving away anything big.

They may well test anything you give them, so be careful. You can give them things that are hard to verify or things that seem useful but are not.

Here is an additional list of ideas to avoid persuasion:

Being persuaded is something that happens to all of us at various times. The problem is that many of us later regret having been taken in and wish we were more skilled at resisting the smooth talk of others. For you, here are a set of techniques that can be used to slow down the proceedings and hold your own (and for persuaders, these are just a few of the things you may face).

• Attack: The best form of defending is sometimes to attack.
• Blame: Make something their fault (and demand reparation).
• Broken record: Keep repeating your refusal.
• Can’t afford it: Show how you can’t afford what is being suggested.
• Confusion: Act confused and put them off their stride.
• Data dump: When they ask for information, cover them in detail.
• Digression: Go off on a side track of talk.
• Denial: Say that something is not true or did not happen.
• Embrace, extend, extinguish: Pretend to agree then destroy.
• Escalation: If you are pressured, get help.
• Fake anger: Get cross and let them try to calm you down.
• Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD): Sow seeds that make them less certain.
• Filibustering: Non-stop talk to prevent others making their case.
• Flight into health: Your problems magically go away.
• Fuzzing: Keep things abstract and general.
• Gaze avoidance: Do not get into a staring battle.
• Higher authority: Refer the decision to a higher authority.
• High ground: Grab the moral high ground and you are always right.
• Hmm: Small noises that distract and confuse.
• Ignorance: Profess ignorance in the topic.
• I’ll think about it: Slow things down. Give yourself time.
• Illogic: Use arguments that do not make sense.
• Impracticality: Say ‘that won’t work’ or ‘It’s only theory’.
• Interruption: Break up their flow with constant interruptions.
• Mismatching: Do not let them copy you.
• More data: Keep asking for more data.
• Name the game: Tell them the tricks they are playing.
• Not my job: Refuse work by claiming it is not your job.
• Not surprised: Don’t be impressed, whatever they do.
• Only theory: Discount ideas and explanations as ‘only theory’.
• Pre-empting: Destroy their argument before they begin.
• Procrastination: Put off until tomorrow the things you’re asked to do.
• Reversal: Turn the tables and persuade them!
• Qualifications: Counter a show of qualifications with better ones.
• Say no: Just say no. That’s all.
• Selective response: Only answer some things. Ignore the rest.
• Silence: Say nothing (and watch them squirm).
• Splitting hairs: Argue the detail.
• Stonewalling: Holding to one position, no matter what is said.
• Surprised: Be shocked that they would say such a thing.
• Tears: If you can, get upset and turn on the tears.
• Too…: Too early, too late, too expensive, etc.
• Tried it: Say you’ve tried what is being suggested before (and it didn’t work).
• Truth: Telling the truth ‘shall set you free’.
• Unavailable: When they try to see you, be unavailable.
• Unfair process: Object to the process. Say it’s unfair.
• What about: Complexify by asking ‘what about…’.
• Won’t work: Say that what is suggested will not work.
• Yes, but: Agree, then show how they are wrong.
• Yes, yes, no: Agree until you are asked to commit. Then say no.

You want to ask them questions?

Asking questions is a fundamental part of finding information and for subtle (and otherwise) persuasion. Here are various pages on questioning:

• Chunking questions: Chunk up and down for more or less detail.
• Clear questions: That are simple and unambiguous.
• Columbo technique: Asking stupid questions that get the answers you want.
• Double bind questions: Whichever way you answer, the result is the same.
• Funnel questioning: Seeking more detail or more general information.
• Group questioning: Tips for asking questions of many people at once.
• Interrogation questions: Questions that lead to answers.
• Kipling questions: Rudyard Kipling’s six servants.
• Leading questions: That may or may not be a good thing for you.
• Open and Closed questions: yes/no or long answer.
• Positive questions: Deliberately leading the other person.
• Probing: Digging for more detail.
• Probing questions: Specific questions for finding detail.
• Questioning traps: A few pitfalls you may like to avoid.
• Responding to questions: Turning questioning to your advantage.
• Rhetorical questions: Questions without answers.
• Selling with questions: how to sell by asking instead of telling.
• Socratic questioning: Socrates’ method of questioning in order to elicit learning.
• Tag questions: Some questions encourage agreement, don’t they?

And…

• The power of questions: How questions are just so very useful.

What tactics will they use?

• Interrogation tactics are many, and include:
  • Already know: Say that you already know what is required.
  • Authority and power: Play on symbolic authority.
  • Dire consequences: Exaggerate the bad things that may happen.
  • Direct question: Just ask the question.
  • Easiest way out: Exchange required information for release.
  • Extreme tactics: Used in military and other areas.
  • False replay: Repeat their story incorrectly.
  • Friends and family: Leverage emotional relationships.
  • Good cop, bad cop: Classic hurt and rescue.
  • Informality: Being their friend and catching them in vulnerable moments.
  • Inquisition: Sustaining an ideology through confession.
  • Lie detectors: Using a polygraph or other machines to detect lies.
  • News: Allow them filtered contact with the outside world.
  • Nobody cares: Show them that they have been abandoned.
  • Only way out: There is one choice: confession or some form of extinction.
  • Rapid fire: Ask many questions, quickly.
  • Silence: Just wait. That’s all.
  • Story reverse: Get them to tell you their story backwards.
  • Sympathy: Be sympathetic to their situation.
  • Truth switching: To identify lies.

Get your plan together, your Constitutional No Trespassing Sign, your Public Servant Questionnaires, media devices, laminated Constitution and Bill of Rights, and stick these great ideas and principles in the pack next to your door.

From the trenches,

Celeste

REGULATORY Hearing Today, Feb. 26, 2010

“During the 2009 legislative session, WSDA was given authority to issue notices of and enforce civil infractions, for any person found transporting imported livestock on the public roads of this state without a valid health certificate or permit and to any person who knowingly transports or accepts delivery of live nonambulatory livestock. WSDA is considering developing a new WAC within Chapter 16 that would describe the department’s penalty schedule for violations of Chapter 16.36.116, and the monetary amount per violation.”

10 Minute Citizen: Submit your Memorandum of Opposition

FAO report: Livestock contribute 40% of the global value of agricultural output and support the livelihoods and food security of almost a billion people.

“The rapid transition of the livestock sector has been taking place in an institutional void,” said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf in the foreword of the report. “The issue of governance is central. Identifying and defining the appropriate role of government, in its broadest sense, is the cornerstone on which future development of the livestock sector must build.”

The Have’s and Have Nots

By global decree: The report warns that “a widening gulf is emerging between those who can take advantage of growing demand for livestock products and those who cannot.”

Broader rural development strategies creating off-farm jobs should help those that may be unable to adapt and compete in a rapidly modernizing sector.

Environment

FAO Crystal Ball for your future: Market-based policies, such as taxes and fees for natural-resource use or payments for environmental services, would encourage producers to ensure that livestock production is carried out in a sustainable way.

Health

Since new pathogenic agents will continue to emerge, investments in national animal-health and food safety infrastructure are required to reduce the risks of animal diseases to humans.

Efforts are needed to ensure that this rapidly growing sector contributes fully to food security and poverty reduction, moving towards a ‘more responsible livestock sector’, Diouf said.

The US cattle herd continued its contraction with the 1 January 2010 figure falling 1% below year ago levels to 93.7 million head the smallest cattle inventory since 1959 (Daily Livestock Report)

No duh…farmers are figuring out that intrusive global regulation cut into their profits. When you think about what the US uses and what we export, that isn’t many cows. We headed down from here.