February 12 Birthday Horoscope!

If Today is Your Birthday: February 12

The Year Ahead

Forecast for February 2012 to February 2013

If You Were Born Today, February 12:

You are a strong-minded person who is not always tactful, even though you are gifted with expression, but generally very straightforward. You love a good competition, particularly on a mental level. Success is important to you, and you usually achieve what you set out to do. Impatience can be a problem that you gradually manage better as you mature in life. Your visual memory is excellent and artistic taste quite refined. Famous people born today: Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Christina Ricci, Judy Blume, Joanna Kerns, Arsenio Hall.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:

A trine between the Sun and the Moon in your Solar Return chart this year is a fortunate aspect. It suggests that your domestic and career needs are not in competition with one another in the year ahead. Your inner needs tend to be mirrored by external events, and vice versa. This aspect is very powerful and rewarding. It suggests that you will be on top of your game this year, for the most part, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. A comfortable level of personal popularity helps to keep conflict to a minimum. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

Your intuition runs especially high this year, and that you are able to apply this increased sensitivity to your pursuits in practical ways. You are more sensitive artistically, your imagination is stirred, and you have an increased appreciation for subtleties. You are inspired and could even inspire others with your words. Some of your hunches could be prophetic. You are thinking more creatively, and you express yourself with increased sensitivity, compassion, and warmth. At the same time, you come across with more authority and responsibility. You may be more deliberate in how you approach communicating with others, choosing your words more carefully and successfully. Improved communications is the end result, and you might be surprised at how this can improve your success in general. A trip to somewhere exotic could figure prominently this year. Bonds with important younger people in your life may be strengthened, as you tend to be more compassionate and understanding with them. As well, younger people are likely to respect you more. Advances in intellectual and mental pursuits are likely, as you make steady progress that has long-lasting results.

Again this year, when it comes to romance and your social life, you might experience compulsive attractions and attachments, or attraction to complicated love relationships. The need for deeper intimacy is present, but fear of this closeness may be just as strong. Something tiny can trigger all sorts of buried emotions, and this can be very revealing! If you find yourself bringing up old hurts, examine the emotional "slush" you've been carrying around with you. Avoid taking it out on your partner or on yourself. Major new insights into love and relationships can occur. Whirlwind changes in your love life and/or financial state are likely this year. It may be that you experience sudden changes or breakups with a friend or lover. However, the chance of a sudden new friendship is just as likely. At the root of this is a stronger taste for the unusual. What is familiar is less exciting to you than what is new and different. If a relationship seems to threaten your sense of freedom, you may have an easy time separating from it. Some fireworks in both your social and financial lives are to be expected.

You may experience some tension over your personal finances, and/or need to make a large payment that necessitates changes in your spending habits. Finances may be complicated, but creative solutions can be found.

Freedom is sought in your relationships, and your willingness to grant others the same kind and amount of freedom that you desire will be the key to success.

You are especially "tuned in" to current trends and your ability to embrace the new while honoring the tried and true can be a significant key to your success this year. A cooperative attitude also contributes to success. Your love life is likely to be very stimulating and sometimes rocky; your social life is expected to be exciting, as you are ready to try new things.

2012 is a Number One year for you. Ruled by the Sun. This is a year of action. The seeds you plant now, you will reap later. Others might find you less sociable, as you are busier than ever and you focus on your activities and your needs. Still, you are outgoing and your initiative is stronger than ever. Advice - Stand alone, take action, start fresh, express independence.

2013 will be a Number Two year for you. Ruled by the Moon. This is a year of potential companionship. It is a quiet, gentle, and mostly harmonious year that is less active than other years. Instead, you are more responsive to the needs of others. If you are patient and open yourself up in a gentle manner, you will attract both things and people. This is an excellent year in which to build and develop for the future. Advice - be patient, be receptive, enjoy the peace, collect.

http://www.cafeastrology.com/birthday/february12_2012.html

The original Pledge of Allegiance!

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic

for which it stands-one nation indivisible-

with liberty and justice for all."

On September 8,1892, the Boston based "The Youth's Companion" magazine published a few words for students to repeat on Columbus Day that year. Written by Francis Bellamy,the circulation manager and native of Rome, New York, and reprinted on thousands of leaflets, was sent out to public schools across the country. On October 12, 1892, the quadricentennial of Columbus' arrival, more than 12 million children recited the Pledge of Allegiance, thus beginning a required school-day ritual.

At the first National Flag Conference in Washington D.C., on June14, 1923, a change was made. For clarity, the words "the Flag of the United States" replaced "my flag". In the following years various other changes were suggested but were never formally adopted.

It was not until 1942 that Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance. One year later, in June 1943, the Supreme Court ruled that school children could not be forced to recite it. In fact,today only half of our fifty states have laws that encourage the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom!

In June of 1954 an amendment was made to add the words "under God". Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower said "In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those 

spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource in peace and war."

http://usflag.org/history/pledgeofallegiance.html

Bloggers' Rights from EFF!

Bloggers can be journalists (and journalists can be bloggers).

One of EFF's goals is to give you a basic roadmap to the legal issues you may confront as a blogger to let you know you have rights and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your legitimate speech is protected.

To that end we have created the Legal Guide for Bloggers a collection of blogger-specific FAQs addressing everything from fair use to defamation law to workplace whistle-blowing.

In addition EFF continues to battle for bloggers' rights in the courtroom:

Bloggers can be journalists (and journalists can be bloggers).We're battling for legal and institutional recognition that if you engage in journalism you're a journalist with all of the attendant rights privileges and protections. (See Apple v. Does.)

Bloggers are entitled to free speech. We're working to shield you from frivolous or abusive threats and lawsuits. Internet bullies shouldn't use copyright libel or other claims tochill your legitimate speech. (See OPG v. Diebold.)

Bloggers have the right to political speech. We're working with a number of other public-interest organizations to ensure that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) doesn't gag bloggers' election-related speech. We argue that the FEC should adopt a presumption against the regulation of election-related speech by individuals on the Internet and interpret the existing media exemption to apply to online media outlets that provide news reporting and commentary regarding an election -- including blogs. (See our joint comments to the FEC [PDF 332K].)

Bloggers have the right to stay anonymous. We're continuing our battle to protect and preserve your constitutional right to anonymous speech online including providing a guide to help you with strategies for keeping your identity private when you blog. (See How to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else).)

Bloggers have freedom from liability for hosting speech the same way other web hosts do. We're working to strengthen Section 230 liability protections under the Communications Decency Act (CDA) while spreading the word that bloggers are entitled to them. (See Barrett v. Rosenthal.)

If you'd like to spread the word about our work consider adding an EFF Bloggers' Rights Badgeto your blog or website.
https://www.eff.org/

THE FUNNY SIDE OF BLOGGER'S RIGHTS!

1. Bloggers have the right to post about any topic their heart desires. There shall be no law passed that prohibits any topic (including dirty ones) as long as excessive caps are not used.

2. Bloggers may fight spam by any means necessary including a well-regulated militia (Akismet) or even throwing rocks.

3. At any time, Bloggers are permitted to leave their original blogger or wordpress.com homes to pursue their god-given right of spending hours trying to transfer their blog to their own host and domain name.
4. Bloggers have the right to conduct as many unreasonable Google searches as they want to see how they rank with specific keywords.

5. No blogger shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except by Google. Basically Google can take away your pagerank or suspend your Adsense account whenever they please and for whatever reason they deem necessary.

6. All bloggers will be immediately forgiven for pointless ranting and raving so long as it does not exceed three consecutive posts.

7. Bloggers are permitted to have three cases of writers block per year in which they post nothing or utter nonsense.

8. No blogger is allowed to be subjected again to dialup, as it is considered cruel and unusual punishment.

9. Bloggers have the right to sell out and add as many advertisements to their blog as they want–as long as their blog is at least 3 months old. If you ignore the 3 month rule, amendment 8 is immediately suspended.

10. All bloggers are responsible to Stumble, Digg, Reddit, or whatever this Bill of Rights.

http://redstaplerchronicles.com/bloggers-bill-of-rights/

Unmarked Cop Cars & Urban Legends!

What You Really Need To Know About Unmarked Police Cars!

A 19-year old college girl named Lauren is the heroine of a sensational international urban legend. Her supporting cast includes a rapist posting as a police officer in an unmarked police car, real police officers in marked cruisers, and a police dispatcher. The location? An unlit road on the outskirts of town -- and that town could be anywhere, as this urban legend has had its location changed as it’s circled the globe via e-mail, from Virginia to Australia to Canada to Britain. (For more on this e-mail urban legend, visit Snopes.com.)

The story goes like this: Lauren is pulled over by an unmarked police car but she is suspicious and uses a special phone number to contact the local police to confirm that she is being pulled over by a genuine cop. The surprised dispatcher tells her to keep driving because the car behind her is not a real police car. Within minutes, real officers intercept the imposter who, when arrested, turns out to be a rapist.

Dramatic? Yes. True? Not exactly. While some urban legends are harmless, this tale adds unnecessary fear to the lives of solo drivers. Furthermore, it encourages readers to believe three harmful falsehoods. The first is that there is an epidemic of criminals posing as police officers. The second is that officers in unmarked cruisers can't be trusted. The third is that there are unpublished, secret phone numbers that connect cell phone users to local police agencies.Do Crooks Really Impersonate Police?

While there are certainly cases of people posing as police officers, when we asked some real police officers about this, they said that the probability of being pulled over by an imposter is remote.

Officer Clarence Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department said, "We have had complaints of officer impersonations during my years on the force. Normally the criminal pulls over a citizen, quickly flashes a badge, and then commits some type of robbery. They steal the citizen's wallet or purse."

Working in a suburb on the border of Detroit, Michigan, Officer Frank Zielinski of Grosse Pointe Farms said, "The crime of impersonating an officer is rare. What we usually see is that when it happens in the suburbs, it tends to be somebody on a power trip. They might pull somebody over, act like a police officer, give the citizen a warning, and then send them on their way. In urban areas, the motivation is usually theft or potentially a car-jacking."What If You Are Stopped By An Unmarked Police Car?

Many states and municipalities commonly use unmarked police cars for conducting traffic stops. Unmarked cars are valued because they blend in better with other traffic, helping the police nab speeders and other traffic law violators.

AOL Autos has covered the deployment of many non-standard cruisers, so you can be up to date on what most "plain brown wrapper" enforcement vehicles look like. While modern unmarked police cars can easily hide in traffic, with lights blazing it's hard to mistake a stealth cruiser for anything other than cop car on official business. Lights on law-enforcement vehicles are white, red and blue.

But what if you're pulled over by an unmarked vehicle that doesn't have red and blue lights? Maybe the driver is not in uniform? If you suspect that you're being pulled over by an imposter, follow these tips and the traffic stop will go more smoothly and be less tense for you and the officer:

1. As soon as you realized that you're being pulled over, activate your vehicle's four-way hazard lights. This tells the officer that you are aware that they are there and that you are complying with his or her request to pull over. Do not drive erratically, speed up, or attempt to elude the officer.

2. Drive safely to the nearest public area or police station. These are locations where police impersonators are less likely to engage victims. If it is nighttime, make sure the area is well lit.

3. If you have a cell phone, dial 911 and ask the dispatcher to verify that an officer attempting to pull you over. If the 911 operator verifies your vehicle description and your location, stop immediately for the officer.

4.If the unmarked cruiser is operated by a plainclothes officer, you may request that a uniformed officer respond to the scene. Remember to be polite and non-threatening.

For more tips on what to do during a traffic stop, AOL correspondent Kevin Ransom recently interviewed an experienced officer.

Know The Law
It pays to know your local laws and policies regarding unmarked police vehicles. For example, in Los Angeles, the LAPD's official policy is that unmarked vehicles may not perform a traffic stop. If an officer in an unmarked vehicle wishes to pull over a citizen, they must radio for a "black and white" with a uniformed officer to perform this task.

The LAPD's Officer Williams said, "A marked cruiser makes it obvious to the citizen that they are being pulled over by an official police vehicle. They can't then use the excuse, 'I didn't know' or 'I was afraid to stop.'"

Lauren's urban legend claims the young woman dials 112, #667, or #77. These numbers are claimed to be unadvertised, direct-dial speed dials that automatically connect a caller to the nearest police dispatch operator.

None of these numbers work nationwide. However, some states do have unique, specific phone numbers that motorists can use to contact law enforcement. A list can be found here.

Generally, police agencies recommend drivers just dial 911 to confirm that they are being pulled over by legitimate officer.Modern Unmarked Traffic-Enforcement Cars

Officer Zielinski showed us an unconventional patrol car that Grosse Pointe Farms recently put into service. The Mustang GT is a 2009 model with a 4.6-liter V-8. The Mustang's gray paint, aluminum wheels, black racing stripes and hood scoop make the car look totally civilian, until its special lighting package fires up.

High-intensity LED lamps are mounted behind the windshield, in the grille, and on the exterior mirrors. Additional LEDs are mounted in the rear window and by the rear taillights to alert traffic approaching from the rear. The colors are brilliant blue, red and white.

Unlike the four-way flashers that are standard on civilian vehicles, the lights on police vehicle flash alternately between the left and right sides. Civilian hazard flashers blink in parallel, with the left- and right-side lamps flashing together. Additionally, the lights on modern covert police vehicles are much brighter than standard automotive lamps.Officer Zielinski is one of the officers assigned to the Mustang GT. "We wanted to make our patrol car identifiable from up close. Because of that, we added the 'police' ID to the hood scoop so that people can easily read the word when we pull them over." How courteous.

Media Source: http://autos.aol.com/article/unmarked-cop-cars/