Category Archives: Independent

Vermin Supreme

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vermin Supreme
Vermin Supreme 2012.jpg

Vermin Supreme in January 2012
Born Rockport, Massachusetts
Nationality American
Education Gloucester High School
Occupation Performance artist, anarchist, and activist
Years active 1984 – present
Home town Baltimore

Vermin Love Supreme[1] is an American performance artist and activist who is known for running as an alternative candidate in various local, state, and national elections in the United States.[2][3][4] Supreme is known for wearing a boot as a hat and carrying a large toothbrush.[5] He has said that if elected President of the United States, he will pass a law requiring people to brush their teeth.[2][6][7][8] He also campaigned in 2012 on a platform of zombie apocalypse awareness (and zombie-based energy plan) andtime travel research,[9] and he promises a free pony for every American.[10] Supreme claims to mock the political system.[2][11] In 2011, he participated in the Occupy Boston protests.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Supreme, who does not disclose his birth name,[citation needed] was born in and grew up near Boston, Massachusetts[13] and is said to be the oldest of three children.[1] He graduated from Gloucester High School in the 1980s, then moved to Baltimore to attend art school, but he dropped out and began booking bands for underground clubs.[14]

In 1986, he joined the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament in protest of nuclear weapons.[1] From 1987 onward, he began running for public office.[15] He legally changed his name to Vermin Supreme in the 1990s while still in Baltimore.[1]

In 2006, Supreme donated one of his kidneys to save his mother.[1] He is married and has no children.[1]

Political views[edit]

Supreme discussed his political views in a 2008 promotional video. He stated he was registered as a Republican at that time, but that he leaned toward anarchism. He asserted that libertarians “are just about abolishing the government and letting shit fall where it may”,[16] which he called a mistake; he also asserted that Republicans want to nullify the government, but “offer no alternative to helping people other than charity”.[16] Supreme’s vision of anarchism holds no need for government, but depends on citizens to take responsibility for themselves and for others, citing “mutual aid and support and care to our fellow citizens” as key elements. To that end, Supreme called for a gradual dismantling of the government, while citizens take up the slack. He asserted that Americans do not know anymore how to be citizens, placing some of the blame on schools that teach in “very twisted and jingoistic fashion”.[16]

In the video, Supreme discussed his presidential campaign. He describes his “joke humor” campaign as a response to the lies people are fed by the media and by the government.[16]

Campaigns[edit]

File:Vermin Supreme 2012 video.ogv

Vermin Supreme working the crowds during the New Hampshire primary

2004[edit]

Supreme campaigned in the Washington, DC Presidential primary in 2004,[15] where he received 149 votes.[17]

2008[edit]

Supreme campaigned in the New Hampshire Republican primary in 2008. He received 41 votes (0.02%) in the New Hampshire primary. According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), he also received 43 votes, nationally, in the general election.[18]

2012[edit]

Supreme glitter bombs Randall Terryduring a forum at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in December 2011.

Vermin Supreme campaigned as a Democrat in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.[19][20][21]

The following are some of the milestones in this campaign:

  • April 14, 2011: Participated in the First Debate of the New Election Cycle at the IGLO Dissidents’ Convention which also includedJimmy McMillan, Jill Stein and others.[22][23]
  • October 29, 2011: He participated in a satirical debate against a representative of the campaign of deceased British occultistAleister Crowley.[25]
  • In May 2012, he visited the second largest regional high school in Maine to give a speech about his campaign style to a government class.[30]
  • August 25, 2012: Supreme announced his new political party, the Free Pony Party, and that he has chosen fellow fringe opponent Jimmy McMillan as his running mate. Conversely, McMillan stated he was still running for president on his own Rent Is Too Damn High platform, and that Supreme would be McMillan’s running mate.[33]
  • October 5, 2012: He participated in a debate hosted by Peter Schiff in the Peter Schiff Radio Show, which featured a panel of overlooked presidential candidates includingJimmy McMillan on the Rent Is Too Damn High Party ticket; Santa Claus, independent write-in candidate, and Edgar Lawson, write-in Republican presidential candidate.[34]

2016[edit]

Supreme is making another presidential run in 2016.[35] He has embarked on a tour of 20 cities to build support for his campaign and is seeking to qualify for matching funds from the Federal Election Commission (FEC).[35][36]

Film career[edit]

Supreme co-wrote and stars in the 2009 film Vote Jesus: The Chronicles of Ken Stevenson in which he poses as a right-wing political candidate to gain access into the world of American fundamentalism.[37][38]

In 2012, Supreme starred in a web series entitled Learnin’ With Vermin that uses a fictional version of his presidential campaign as a platform to teach political concepts such as voting methods.[39]

A documentary following Supreme on the 2012 campaign trail and exploring his life and work as an activist and political prankster called Who Is Vermin Supreme? An Outsider Odyssey was funded through a Kickstarter campaign and premiered at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival on April 9, 2014.[40] The film was directed by Minneapolis-based filmmaker Steve Onderick and features founder of the Rent is Too Damn High Party, Jimmy McMillan, and Boston-based singer-songwriter and comedian Rob Potylo.[41] [42]

Supreme has also collaborated with performance artist, activist, and musician Rob Potylo in the web series Quiet Desperation. [43]

Filmography[edit]

List of acting performances in film and television[44]
Title Year Role Notes
Who Is Vermin Supreme? An Outsider Odyssey 2014 himself documentary
Learnin’ With Vermin 2012 himself educational
Vote Jesus: The Chronicles of Ken Stevenson (documentary) 2009 Ken Stevenson film
2008 Uncut 2008 himself TV series
Winning New Hampshire 2004 himself documentary

See also

Guy Schwartz

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia’s quality standards. The specific problem is: Capitalization throughout and general style and flow of text; incomplete referencing. Please help improve this article if you can.(November 2014)
Guy Schwartz
Birth name Guy Donald Schwartz
Born February 17, 1952 (age 63)
Newark, New Jersey, United States
Genres Americana, blues rock, new wave, progressive rock, folk,funk, blues, jazz, indie rock
Occupation(s) Bandleader, singer-songwriter, film maker
Instruments bass, guitars, piano, drums
Years active 1966–present
Labels Space City Records, HSR Records
Associated acts Roger Tausz, Z-Rocks,Relayer, Blaze Foley, Sam ‘Lightning’ Hopkins, B. W. Stevenson, The New Jack Hippies, The Zap Rhythm Band
Website www.guyschwartz.com

Guy Schwartz (born 1952) is an American musician, bandleader,[1][2] songwriter,[3] videographer, music journalist,[4] media activist,and 2016 presidential candidate, mostly known for his collaborative involvement with other Texas musicians,[5] a couple of regional minor-hit records in the 1970s and 1980s, his three local Houston, Texas cable access TV series featuring local and regional original music, and live performances featuring set pieces plus spontaneous music and lyrics.

Career[edit]

Music[edit]

Schwartz began taking piano lessons and doing voice work on radio commercials at age five. The crew assembled to record spots for his father’s furniture store in Newark, New Jersey, included the voice of Pat Conell, a local DJ on a ‘race-music’ station (who later became the first black network announcer), and two teenagers who wrote (Don Kirshner) and sang (Bobby Darin) the jingles. Schwartz credits the witnessing of Darin’s rise on the music charts as his primary inspiration for a lifetime in music.

At ten, after his family moved to Houston, Texas in 1962, he switched to drums, then bass at 15. He attended Houston’s Memorial High School and was classmates with Vince Bell,[6] and Bill Browder. In 1966, as a fourteen-year-old, Schwartz met vocalist Ray Salazar and began gigging at Old Market Square in downtown Houston, at all-night clubs and dancehalls in Texas and southern Louisiana, and on the east Texas soul circuit.

Schwartz did some of his early basswork behind Sam “Lightnin'” Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, BW Stephenson and Blaze Foley.[7]

While a featured vocalist with Pete Samson & Roadmap in 1973, Schwartz met recording studio manager Roger Tausz and began his recording career and a lifelong association with Tausz. Using Roadmap as a studio band, Schwartz recorded four songs, including ‘Ride That Train’, which broke onto local, the regional radio, and ‘I Found God At A Truckstop’, which was recorded by many, including Pete Samson & Kinky Friedman, but only released by Samson & Schwartz. These small successes gave Schwartz the credibility and momentum on which he built his regional music career.

In 1976, Schwartz co-founded the band RELAYER, who only released one (RELAYER – 1977) of the three albums they recorded, but, found an underground prog-rock audience in the US and parts of Europe (partially thanks to the guitar work of Michael Knust from the Texas band Fever Tree, and the similarity of the band’s name with that of an album by British prog-rockers, Yes).

In 1978, Schwartz released his first solo album, featuring collaborations with two dozen Texas musicians with whom he performed live (on guitar for the first time) in a loosely-knit group called Guy Schwartz & The Zap Rhythm Band, including Knust, Tausz, Tony Braunagel and Billy Block, each of whom found careers in music.

In 1980, Schwartz teamed with Randy Soffar and formed Z-ROCKS, a new-wave power-pop band that had 3 minor regional hits[8][9] fueled by touring with the likes of Duran Duran,[10][11] Todd Rundgren and Huey Lewis and The News. After their first album was added to over 200 radio stations across the US,[12] it was reviewed as ‘too derivative’.[13]Z-ROCKS never released its second album and soon faded.

From 1987–1997, Schwartz recorded and toured as a sideman, and went back to school (University of Houston) to study video production and digital media to keep up with the new digital music business.

In 1997, Tausz & Schwartz reunited to update and remix that first solo album, and went on to record another two dozen albums together, forming a band, THE NEW JACK HIPPIES,[14] which toured the US and western Europe from 1999 until 2004,[15] and still performs regionally in Texas. Schwartz tours as a solo, and performs on tour with other bands in their locales. Schwartz’ repertiore includes rock songs, blues, funk and americana, with a bit of humor and songs about weed thrown in for good measure.[16]

Since 2001, Schwartz has settled into a 2-year cycle which includes and annual free local original music festival and TV shoot (SOUTH BY DUE EAST – now in its 14th year), production of the TV series, new films and an album of new songs every year or two, and 3–6 months of touring. He’s also looked to the past and engineered reunion shows and recordings with The Zap Rhythm Band (new songs – released August2014) and Z-ROCKS (new recordings of old songs – unreleased). In 2012, Schwartz formed a band full of Austin players (Guy Schwartz & The Affordables) to perform locally in Austin, Texas. A live album and DVD of that experience will be forthcoming in 2014 or 2015.

Video and film[edit]

Guy Schwartz & Marlo Blue formed their SIRIUS HIPPIES PRODUCTIONS and have produced (and Schwartz has directed) several films and television series based upon the careers and live performances of Texas musicians and the Texas music scene, as seen through Schwartz’ events, concerts and ‘ad hoc’ unconventional touring. His film/video career was a natural extension of his local music journalism, and desire to promote the Houston, Texas original music scene, and his music, in the digital age.

Directing concert films on Billy Joe Shaver, Mr. Scarface and Carolyn Wonderland, as well as films about SOUTH BY DUE EAST and Schwartz’ own New Jack Hippies, Schwartz & Blue have created three successful TV series – ‘Hippies.TV’ (14th season), ‘SOUTH BY DUE EAST TELEVISION'(8th season), and ‘Guy Schwartz’ Road Journal'(4th season).

Schwartz has also created music videos for Texas artists, including Trudy Lynn (2), Steve Krase (2), Tom The Folksinger, Hogan & Moss, and Almost Endless Summer, as well as several videos for his own music releases.

Community events and activism[edit]

Guy Schwartz has served five elected terms on The Harris County Democratic Party Executive Committee, was a founding volunteer at Houston’s Pacific Radio station KPFT, founding the first ‘local music’ program on the station in 1975, and has been active in movements to legalize marijuana[17] and protect consumers and the middle class. He and Marlo Blue shoot & record bands and musicians at SOUTH BY DUE EAST (a Guerilla Marketing Experiment, Movie Shoot, & Indie Music Festival in Houston, Texas, USA.) every March since 2003,[18][19] making TV shows, indie films, radio shows, podcasts and compilation CDs, and put them out there to promote the artists,[20] and the Houston, Texas, USA original music community. They say that they “give the artists free video and mixed audio and hope it helps.” Schwartz declared his non=partisan candidacy for the U.S. presidency in August, 2015.

Discography[edit]

Title Year Artist Name Guy’s Participation
Rock Side / Rhythm Side 1977 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Relayer 1979 Relayer bandleader, songs, bass, vocals, producer
Z-Rocks 1981 Z-Rocks bandleader, songs, bass, additional guitars, vocals, producer
The Return of the New Jack Hippies 1999 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Blue Jack Hippies 2000 BluesGuy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
The Sun’s Gonna Rise Before I Get To Texas 2001 Bluesguy, Opie Hendrix & Kool B artist, songs, guitar
Little Rock Live 2002 Guy Schwartz artist, bandleader, songs, guitar, vocals
Glo & Guy – Live in Texas 2002 Gloria Edwards & Guy Schwartz and The New Jack Hippies artist, bandleader, songs, guitar, vocals
The Wandering Poets 2002 The Wandering Poets music, guitars
The New Jack Hippies Homegrown Collective 2003 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, vocals, curator, producer
earthwire blue 2003 Little Joe Washington with The New Jack Hippies bandleader, guitar, bass, producer
Blue Motel 2004 BluesGuy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Texacousticana 2004 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
What Does She Want? 2004 The Wandering Poets music, guitars, producer
Rock Onward 2004 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Chameleon v3.5 2008 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Flying Solo Over Bong Island Sound 2009 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, vocals, producer
Release & Revisit – Reissue with Previously Unreleased Material 2009 Relayer bandleader, songs, bass, vocals, producer
History – Reissue with Previously Unreleased Material 2010 Z-Rocks bandleader, songs, bass, additional guitars, vocals, producer
2010 2010 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
BluesWriter 2012 BluesGuy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
Weed at Walmart 2014 Bourbon & Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, producer
The Return of the Zap Rhythm Band 2014 Guy Schwartz artist, songs, guitar, vocals, producer

Terry Jones

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Terry Jones (pastor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terry Jones
Pastor Terry Jones before the March.jpg

Jones in March 2011
Born October 1951 (age 63)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, US
Residence Gainesville, Florida, US
Nationality American
Education High school degree, two years of college
Alma mater Central High School, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Southeast Missouri State University
Occupation Pastor
Years active 1981-present
Organization Dove World Outreach Center
Known for Koran burning
Home town Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Political party Independent
Religion Nondenominational Christianity
Spouse(s) Sylvia
Awards Honorary degree from California Graduate School of Theology

Terry Jones (born October 1951) is the pastor of Dove World Outreach Center, a small nondenominational Christian church located, until July 2013, inGainesville, Florida, USA.[1][2] He is the President of a political group, Stand Up America Now.[3] He first gained national and international attention in 2010 for his plan to burn Korans, the scripture of the Islamic religion, on the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

He was a self-declared independent U.S. presidential candidate in the 2012 U.S. presidential election.[4] He is listed as a candidate for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[5]

In 2011, he was listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as one of 10 people in the United States’ “Anti-Muslim Inner Circle”.[6]

Early life and education

Jones, a native of Cape Girardeau, Missouri,[7] graduated from Cape Girardeau’s Central High School in 1969.[8][9] He then attended Southeast Missouri State University for two years. Jones received no academic degree in theology but was given an honorary degree from the unaccredited California Graduate School of Theology in 1983, which sought to disassociate itself from him during the 2010 Koran burning controversy.[7][10]

Career

Jones worked as an assistant hotel manager in the late 1970s, then became an assistant pastor with Maranatha Campus Ministries in Kentucky.[1][7][11] He went to Cologne, Germany with his first wife to work as a missionary[7] and founded and led the Christliche Gemeinde Köln (CGK) in 1981, with that church growing to as many as 1,000 members over the years,[12] initially as a branch of the Maranatha Campus Ministries and a sister church to Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Florida.

On September 18, 1997, Jones spoke during the First Session of the 105th Congress at a hearing before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe in Washington D.C., concerning the religious persecution of Christians in Europe.[13]

While living in Germany, Jones was fined $3800 by a Cologne court for using the “doctor” title awarded with an honorary degree from an unaccredited school.[14] Jones appealed the German government’s ruling and later won the right to use the title there.[15]

According to the German Evangelical Alliance, Jones was released from the leadership of the Christliche Gemeinde Köln in 2008 due to his indefensible theological statements and his craving for attention.[16] The Gainesville Sun reported that he left the church in Germany after being accused of fraud.[7] A leader of the Cologne church said that Jones “didn’t project the biblical values and Christianity, but always made himself the center of everything.”[this quote needs a citation] German press agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that church members said Jones ran the Cologne church like a sect leader and used psychological pressure on members, “subordinating all activities to his will.”[17] Der Spiegel reported that Jones had been ejected by Cologne church for creating “a climate of control and fear.”[18][19] Following Jones’ departure, the CGK closed, then reopened under new, independent, leadership.

Jones came to lead the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida church by way of his association with the Maranatha Campus Ministries.[10]

In October 2010, Jones founded the political organization, Stand Up America Now.[20][3]

On October 27, 2011, Jones announced that he was running for President of the United States,[4][21] as an independent candidate, with no political party affiliation.[22] He remarked that he was entering the race because none of the candidates were adequately communicating the dire state of the U.S. economy to the U.S. citizenry.[23] His platform calls for the deportation of all illegal immigrants, withdrawal of American troops abroad, and a reduction in bureaucracy and corporate tax rates.[24]

In March 2013, Florida media sources reported that Jones, with Dove World Outreach Center, and the organization Stand Up America Now plan to leave Gainesville, Florida and move to Tampa, Florida.[25][26][27] In August 2013, the Bradenton Herald reported that the Pastor had purchased property near Bradenton and planned to move his ministry there.[28]

Jones relocated to Bradenton, Florida, breaking with most of his 15-member flock at Dove Outreach, but retaining his associate pastor Wayne Sapp. In 2015, Jones opened a Fry Guys Gourmet Fries stand at a mall in Bradenton, sellingBuffalo wings and speaking his mind until later in the week when a mall manager, concerned about potential trouble, requested him to stay out of the mall, remove photos of himself from the premises and take his name off the lease, though he remains an owner of the company.[29][30] He also owns a furniture moving company, TSC, with his brother. TSC deliveries became backlogged and received consumer complaints shortly after the January 15 Charlie Hebdo attack raised concerns about al Qaida.[30]

Personal life

His first wife, Lisa Jones, died in 1996,[8] after which he married Sylvia Jones, with whom he runs TS and Company.[10] His daughter from his first marriage, Emma, has distanced herself from his beliefs and practices.[31]

Protests

“Islam Is of the Devil”

Terry Jones authored a book titled Islam Is of the Devil.[1] In July 2009, Dove World Outreach Center posted a sign on its lawn which stated in large red letters “Islam is of the Devil,” resulting in objections from the community and media attention.[32] Students from the church attended area schools in August 2009 wearing t-shirts with “Islam is of the Devil” printed on the back, for which they were sent home.[33]

Koran burnings

Main article: 2010 Florida Qur’an-burning controversy

Jones and his followers at a march in Washington DC.

Jones believes Islam promotes violence and that Muslims want to impose sharia lawin the United States.[1] He did not become widely known until after announcing plans to burn copies of the Koran.[34]

The plan to burn Korans was first announced on Twitter on July 12, 2010, and was promoted on Facebook and on YouTube.[35] National and International discussion, objections and protests contributed to extensive media coverage.[36][37][38]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “It’s regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than fifty people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and get, you know, the world’s attention.”[39]

The commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus said, “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community.” The pastor responded to Petraeus’ statement that, “We understand the General’s concerns. We are sure that his concerns are legitimate. [Nonetheless] [w]e must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam. We will no longer be controlled and dominated by their fears and threats.”[40][41][42]

President Barack Obama was asked on September 9, 2010, on ABC’s Good Morning America about the Quran burning controversy. He said, “You could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who would be willing to blow themselves up in American cities or European cities.” He said, “I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan. We’re already seeing protests against Americans just by the mere threat that he’s making.” “I just hope he understands that what he is proposing to do is completely contrary to our values as Americans, that this country has been built on the notions of religious freedom and religious tolerance,” Obama said. “He says he’s someone who is motivated by his faith … I hope he listens to those better angels and understands that this is a destructive act that he’s engaging in.” Asked if the event could be stopped, Obama replied, “My understanding is that he can be cited for public burning … but that’s the extent of the laws that we have available to us.”[43]

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called Jones asking him not to go through with his Koran burning.[44]

Later on September 9, Jones announced the cancellation of the event and a plan to fly to New York to meet with the Imam of Park51, Feisal Abdul Rauf. Jones alleged that Imam Muhammad Musri, the president of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, had arranged the meeting and that a promise had been given him to move the Park 51 mosque in exchange for the event cancellation. This claim was denied by both Imams.[44][45]

On March 21, 2011, Jones and some supporters held a mock trial of the Koran and set a copy on fire as a “punishment” for “crimes against humanity.” Jones was assisted by Ahmed Abaza, an Egyptian ex-Muslim, and a Texas Imam, Mohamed El Hassan who argued for and against the accusations. Reaction to the event resulted in riots and deaths in Afghanistan.[46][47][47]

On April 28, 2012, Jones burned a copy of the Koran, protesting the imprisonment of an Iranian-American Pastor, Saeed Abedini in Iran.[48]

An arrest defeated Jones’ effort to hold a Koran-burning protest on September 11, 2013,[49] but Jones and Sapp held a protest on September 11, 2014,[50] in which the ISIS flag and hundreds of Korans were burned.

Dearborn, Michigan

On April 29, Jones led a rally at the Dearborn City Hall, designated as a free speech zone. Riot police were called out to control counter protesters.[51][52][53]

Jones led a rally at City Hall and then planned to speak at the annual Arab Festival on June 18, 2011, but on his way there he was blocked by protesters, six of whom were arrested. Police said they did not have enough officers present to maintain safety.[54]

On April 7, 2012, Jones led a protest in front of the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, speaking about Islam and Free Speech. The mosque was placed on lock down. Thirty police cars were there to block traffic and prevent a counter protest.[55]

Jones returned to Dearborn in October 2012 and led a small protest against alleged “Muslim bullying of non-Muslims” outside Edsel Ford High School.[56] School officials denied there was a problem.[57]

Obama effigy

In 2012, Jones hanged an effigy of Barack Obama in the front yard of the Dove World Outreach Center.[58] Another effigy ofBarack Obama was burned along with an effigy of Bill Clinton in January 2013.[59]

Innocence of Muslims film

In September 2012, it was reported by The Atlantic that Terry Jones was involved in the promotion of a movie vilifying Islam, titled Innocence of Muslims.[60] The movie led to protests in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia and Libya.[61] In Cairo, protesters breached the wall of the U.S. Embassy and burned the flag.[62] The U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was largely burnt and looted;[63][64] killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other American citizens.[65] Jones screened the film for his followers on September 11, 2012, a day he dubbed, “International Judge Mohammad Day”.[65]

The Innocent Prophet film

In December 2012, Belgium raised its terror alert before the release of The Innocent Prophet, another anti-Islam movie with connections to Jones.[66][67]

Legal issues

United Kingdom

Jones was invited to an English Defence League rally in Luton in February 2011 to share his views on Islamic extremism. Anti-fascist group Hope not Hate successfully petitioned the Home Secretary to have Jones banned from entering the UK.[68][69]

Gainesville, Florida

Following the April 28, 2012 Koran burning, Jones was fined $271 by Gainesville Fire Rescue for violating fire safety rules.[citation needed]

Dearborn, Michigan

Jones planned to protest in April 2011 outside the Islamic Center of America. On the day he was to attend the protest, local authorities questioned him in Court, required him either to post a $45,000 “peace bond” to cover Dearborn’s cost if Jones was attacked by extremists or to go to trial. Jones contested that requirement, and the jury voted on April 22 to require the posting of a $1 “peace bond”, but Jones and his co-pastor Wayne Sapp continued to refuse to pay. They were held briefly in jail, while claiming violation of First Amendment rights. That night Jones was released by the court.[70] The ACLU had filed an amicus brief in support of Jones’s protest plans.[71]

On November 11, 2011, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Robert Ziolkowski vacated the “breach of peace” ruling against Jones and Wayne Sapp on the grounds that they were denied due process.[72]

Terry Jones and his organization Stand Up America Now won a victory in court on August 30, 2013 over the City of Dearborn and its Chief of Police, Ronald Haddad. Terry Jones was represented by the Thomas More Law Center. Judge Denise Page Hood wrote, “The Court finds that Plaintiffs are entitled to summary judgment as to their claim that Ord. No. 17-33, requiring Plaintiffs to sign an indemnification agreement, is a violation of their First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expressive Association. The related ordinance, Ord. No. 17-28(d), requiring the chief of police to grant a special events permit only after an indemnification agreement is signed, also violates Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.” Judge Hood concluded that both ordinances were unconstitutional.[73]

Canada

On October 11, 2012, Jones was denied entry to Canada, where he was scheduled to attend a debate on free speech, because of a previous legal infraction in Dearborn, Michigan, and because the German government had fined him 20 years before for using the title of “Doctor”. The Dearborn charge was challenged and overturned in November 2011, and Jones had held an honorary doctorate, but the Canadian government refused to allow him entry without documentation of the cases, effectively barring him from the event.[74][75][76][77][78]

Polk County, Florida

In April 2013, Jones announced plans for a Koran burning event to be held on September 11, 2013.[26][79][80] In Iran, Pakistan, and at an Interfaith Conference in Vienna there have been calls for the United States government to stop this event.[81][82][83] Army General Lloyd Austin III, commander of US Central Command called Jones on September 9, 2013, to ask him cancel the event, however Jones declined.[84] Police arrested Jones on September 11, 2013, before he could burn 2,998 Korans soaked with kerosene at a park in Polk County, Florida. He was charged with unlawfully conveying fuel and openly carrying a firearm.[49] The charge of unlawfully conveying fuel, made against both Jones and Marvin Wayne Sapp, who was driving, was dismissed in October, 2014 by Circuit Court judge Roger Alcott, who wrote “For purposes of the legal analysis, the nature of the books in the grill does not matter… It would not matter if the materials in the grill were books, oak wood or BBQ briquettes. The material facts simply do not demonstrate a violation of Florida statutes.” This dismissal was upheld by the Second District Court of Appeals in June, 2015.[85]

Death threats

Since July 2009, Jones and his church have received hundreds of death threats by phone and mail, while some have been published on websites overseas.[37][86][87]

In March 2011, the Pakistani radical Islamist group Jama’at-ud-Da’wah issued a US$2.2 million reward and fatwa calling for Jones’ death.[88][89][90][91]

After the 2012 Koran burning protest, an Iranian cleric called for Jones to be executed.[92][93]

In November 2012, an Egyptian court convicted Jones in absentia and sentenced him to death on charges linked to theInnocence of Muslims film along with 7 Egyptian Coptic Christians.[94]

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula featured Jones on a ‘Wanted Dead’ poster in its tenth edition of Inspire Magazine in March 2013.[95][96][97] As of 2015, three of eleven persons on this list have been the target of terror attacks: Stephane Charbonnier, Lars Vilks, and Kurt Westergaard.[98]

Zoltan Istvan

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zoltan Istvan
Zoltan Istvan BIO PIC.jpg

Zoltan Istvan
Born Zoltan Istvan Gyurko[1]
1973
Los Angeles, California, United States
Residence Mill Valley, California
Nationality American
Alma mater Columbia University
Occupation Writer
Known for Transhumanist politics
Notable work The Transhumanist Wager
Political party ‘Transhumanist Party’
Spouse(s) Lisa M. Memmel, MD

Zoltan Istvan Gyurko,[1] born in 1973 in Los Angeles, is an American writer,[2]futurist,[3] philosopher and transhumanist.[4] He writes transhumanist-themed columns: “The Transhumanist Philosopher” a blog for Psychology Today[5] and “Transhumanist Future” for Vice’s Motherboard. He has also worked as a reporter for the National Geographic Channel[6] and is a blogger of futurist, transhumanist, and atheist topics for The Huffington Post.[7]

He is the author of The Transhumanist Wager, a philosophical science fiction novel.[8][9]

In late 2014, he announced his intent to run for President of the United States in the 2016 elections to raise transhumanist politics issues.

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Graduate of religion and philosophy at Columbia University, age 21 he began a solo, multi-year sailing journey around the world.[11][not in citation given] He has explored many countries as a journalist for the National Geographic Channel, writing, filming, and appearing in dozens of television stories, articles, and webcasts.[12][13] His writings have appeared in a blog of The San Francisco Chronicle,[14] Outside,[15] and The Daily Caller.[16] His work has been covered in publications such as The Huffington Post.[17]

Istvan’s coverage of the war in Kashmir was made into a documentary, Pawns of Paradise,[18] distributed by Janson Media. Australia’s The Age has acquired nonexclusive Australian rights to the show.[19]

According to Istvan, he invented,[20][21][22] pioneered, and popularized the extreme sport of volcano boarding.

Istvan was a director for the international conservation group WildAid, helping armed patrol units stop the billion-dollar illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia.[23]

Futurist career[edit]

After publishing The Transhumanist Wager, Istvan began actively promoting transhumanism and other futurist issues via speeches, media interviews, activism, and his writings.[24][25]

Istvan’s writings and ideas on transhumanism, philosophy, atheism, and futurist issues have been featured in Yahoo News,The Daily Telegraph,[26] Huffington Post UK,[27] The Daily Beast,[28] Business Insider,[29] and other media sites. Istvan and his ideas have been featured on Fox News Channel‘s Stossel show,[30] CNN‘s Inside Man, RT’s television show Desde La Sombra,[31] and the Joe Rogan Experience.[32] Istvan has also written for Gizmodo,[33] Singularity University’s Singularity Hub,[34] and Slate.[35]

Istvan is a member of the World Future Society, a volunteer Ambassador for The Seasteading Institute,[36] an advisory board member of the India Future Society,[37] a member of the Young Professionals, an advisory board member of A-Team for Wildlife,[38] and is on the Futurist and Space Settlement boards of the Lifeboat Foundation.[39]

He regularly gives talks on futurist and transhumanist topics, which include speeches at the World Future Society‘s annual conference,[40] Transhuman Visions in San Francisco,[41] Brighter Brain’s Future of Emotional Health and Intelligence Conference at University of California, Berkeley,[42] and TEDxTransmedia in Geneva, Switzerland.[43][44]

Transhumanist Party[edit]

In October 2014, Istvan announced that he was “in the very early stages of preparing a campaign to try to run” for U.S. President in 2016. He stated that his goals would be to support scientists in “overcoming human death and aging within 15-20 years”, to encourage Americans to embrace “radical technology and science”, and to set up safeguards against dangers including potential abuse of such technology.[45][46][47]

In October/November interviews, he explained that he aimed to unify the transhumanist community which otherwise was splintering, and to establish a single voice.[48] He said great changes in society could happen and that Transhumanism could provide ideas, safeguards and policies. He said the aim for a Transhumanist Party would be to get onto as many state ballots as possible.[49]

In March 2015, Istvan reported progress in organizing a campaign, and explained his wish to get major candidates to address issues. He hopes to be included in some debates, at least with third parties. He himself had funded nearly all of his campaign’s expenses to date, however, and he noted donations are needed.[50]

Internationally, Istvan aims to help foster other transhumanist organizations and is active in humanitarian outreach programs.[51] Transhumanist writer and former University of Texas professor, John G. Messerly, on the subject of the Transhumanist Party, wrote “I thus applaud Istvan’s potential foray into politics and I think we should support him.”[52] Some transhumanist critics, however[who?], have questioned whether the Transhumanist Party adds value to the overall goals of transhumanism.[53][54][55]

The Transhumanist Wager[edit]

Book front cover

Istvan’s novel The Transhumanist Wager introduces the philosophy TEF (Teleological Egocentric Functionalism), his Three Laws of Transhumanism, and the concept of individuals making a Transhumanist Wager.[56][57] Istvan is quoted:

“TEF is predicated on logic, a simple wager that every human faces:

If a reasoning human being loves and values life, they will want to live as long as possible—the desire to be immortal. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to know if they’re going to be immortal once they die. To do nothing doesn’t help the odds of attaining immortality—since it seems evident that everyone will die someday and possibly cease to exist. To try to do something scientifically constructive towards ensuring immortality beforehand is the most logical conclusion.”

Istvan’s Three Laws of Transhumanism are:

  1. A transhumanist must safeguard one’s own existence above all else.
  2. A transhumanist must strive to achieve omnipotence as expediently as possible—so long as one’s actions do not conflict with the First Law.
  3. A transhumanist must safeguard value in the universe—so long as one’s actions do not conflict with the First and Second Laws.

Istvan states that in the 21st Century, everyone faces a Transhumanist Wager.[58]

These views by Zoltan have been characterized by transhumanist Peter Rothman as representing “a very individualistic strain of transhumanism” and Rothman notes that “not all transhumanists accept these laws or agree with Zoltan’s suggestions about the best approach to social management and control.”[54]

Personal life[edit]

Istvan resides in Mill Valley, California with his daughters and physician wife.[9] He identifies as an atheist.[59]

In February 2015, he helped launch BiZoHa, the world’s first ‘free-thinker’ orphanage, in Mukhoya, Kasese district, westernUganda.[60] Istvan’s promotional article on the topic in ViceMotherboard, helped a GoFundMe campaign to achieve success in raising $5,820 to provide funding for the orphanage.[60][61]

Dan Bilzerian

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dan Bilzerian
Born Dan Brandon Bilzerian[1]
December 7, 1980 (age 34)[2]
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Residence Hollywood Hills, California[3][4]
Other names “Blitz”[5]
“Instagram King”[3][6]
“Instagram’s Playboy King”[7][8]
Ethnicity Armenian (father)[9]
Occupation Professional poker player[10]
Years active 2007–present[4]
Net worth $100 million (December 2013)[3]
Parent(s) Terri Steffen (mother)
Paul Bilzerian
Relatives Adam Bilzerian
Website www.danbilzerian.com

Dan Brandon Bilzerian (born December 7, 1980) is an American professional poker player, actor, and internet social media personality.

Early life, family, and education[edit]

Dan Bilzerian was born in Tampa, Florida, to Paul Bilzerian and Terri Steffen, and has a brother, Adam. Half of the Bilzerian family were killed during the Armenian Genocide.[11] His father, who is ofArmenian descent,[12][13] was a successful corporate raider on Wall Street and set up large trust funds for each of his sons.[14][15][16]

Bilzerian entered the Navy SEAL training program in 2000.[17] After several attempts, he did not graduate the program. According to Bilzerian he was “admin dropped for no real good reason”. The reporter who conducted the interview of Bilzerian for SOFREP.com confirmed his participation in the SEAL program and stated that according to his research Bilzerian was dropped “for a safety violation on the shooting range”.[17] After his military career, Bilzerian enrolled at theUniversity of Florida, majoring in Business and Criminology.[18]

Career[edit]

Gambler[edit]

As a professional poker player, Bilzerian’s most notable cash was in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, for which he appeared on six episodes of the show’s television broadcast. He finished in 180th place and won $36,626.[19] He is also a co-founder of Victory Poker, an online poker room.[20] In 2010, he was voted one of the funniest poker players on Twitterby Bluff Magazine.[21] On March 9, 2011, Bilzerian raced fellow race car enthusiast and Supreme Court Litigator Tom Goldstein for a wager of $385,000 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with Bilzerian racing a 1965 AC Cobra and Goldstein behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia. Bilzerian won the race.[22]

In November 2011, Bilzerian, along with ten others including actors Tobey Maguire, Nick Cassavetes, and Gabe Kaplan, were asked to pay back winnings that they had won in poker games against Ponzi scheme operator Bradley Ruderman after Ruderman was sentenced to prison, to help pay back some of the victims Ruderman had stolen from over his criminal career.[23] That same year Bilzerian defended Alex Rodriguez publicly against accusations that he had gambled illegally, claiming that he was present when the alleged gambling event had taken place and Rodriguez was not present.[24]

Acting[edit]

Bilzerian appeared as a stuntman in the 2013 film Olympus Has Fallen[25] and as Sr. Chief Healy in the 2013 film Lone Survivor.[26] The following year he appeared in the films The Other Woman, The Equalizer and Cat Run 2.[27] Bilzerian will appear in the 2016 Bruce Willis film Extraction.[28]

Promotions[edit]

Bilzerian was signed by online casino company bgo to front their TV advertising campaign alongside Verne Troyer.[29]

Personal life[edit]

Starting in 2013, Bilzerian gained media attention from photos posted on his Instagram account. Although as early as 2012, website TheDirty.com founder Nik Richie began to document Bilzerian’s lifestyle via his website.[30] Because of his lavish lifestyle and heavy drug abuse, he reportedly suffered three heart attacks before the age of 32.[31]

In 2014, Bilzerian sued the producers of the film Lone Survivor. His lawsuit states that although he loaned the production of that film $1 million in exchange for a minimum of eight minutes of screen time and 80 words of dialogue, his role was reduced to less than one minute and has just one line. His lawsuit demanded $1.2 million (the original loan amount plus a 20 percent penalty).[26]

In December 2014, Bilzerian was embroiled in a legal matter with pornographic actress Janice Griffith, whom he threw off the roof of a house and into a pool as part of a photoshoot for Hustler magazine in April 2014. She fell short of the pool, hitting the edge, and broke her foot. Then, 18-year-old Griffith asked Bilzerian for $85,000 for her injuries, which was rejected. Later, Griffith filed a lawsuit against both Hustler and Bilzerian to which Bilzerian’s attorney responded that Griffith was under contract for the event by Hustler, that Hustler hired Bilzerian for the event, and that Bilzerian was not at fault.[32]In January 2015, Hustler’s attorney claimed that the toss was an “act of God” and stated that it was not the publisher’s fault that Griffith suffered injuries as a result.[33]

In August 2014, Bilzerian was banned from a Miami nightclub for kicking model Vanessa Castano in the face during a brawl. Bilzerian stated that Castano and another woman attacked Bilzerian’s female companion. Castano stated, “There were two girls standing next to me at the table that were fighting. People started getting shoved and I tried to separate them. Then Dan pushed me off the banquette and once I fell he kicked me in the face.”[34] Castano later filed a lawsuit against Bilzerian for her injuries.[35] It was also reported that Castano has asked Bilzerian for US$1 million to settle the suit citing the possibility of greater punitive damages based on his income if the suit went to trial.[36]

On December 9, 2014, Bilzerian was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on unrelated bomb-making charges.[37]According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Bilzerian was arrested on a fugitive warrant from Nevada and was booked at the LAPD’s Pacific Division around 10 pm; “Bilzerian has been charged with violating a law making it a crime to possess an explosive or incendiary device with the intent to manufacture it.”[38][39] He was released from LAPD custody on the day of his arrest after charges were dropped but is scheduled to be arraigned in January 2015 in Clark County, Nevada.[40] In February 2015, Bilzerian pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge of “negligently failing to extinguish a fire in the open” and was fined $17,231.50.[41][42]

Defamation lawsuit[edit]

In August 2015, The Money Zone (tmz.press) reported that Dan Bilzerian had filed a defamation suit against a gossip website known as TheDirty.com and its operator Nik Richie. TMZ.press also reported that Bilzerian is complaining about a comment a woman made on the site, “I ended up getting super drunk and sleeping with Dan. I got tested two weeks later and lucky me I found out he gave me chlamydia.” Bilzerian insists that he does not have any sexually transmitted diseases.[43]

Philanthropy[edit]

In 2014, Bilzerian financially assisted Las Vegas foster parents Brian and Nicole Hammond. The Hammonds are foster parents to six special needs children. Bilzerian learned of their plight via a YouTube video.[15]

Presidential candidacy[edit]

In June 2015, Bilzerian announced his bid to run for the President of the United States in the 2016 election.[44][45] Bilzerian will be eligible to serve because he will be thirty-five by the 2016 election day.