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@THErealDVORAK @adamcurry ''@PacificCommand: White House has issued 1st US Natl Strategy for Biosurveillance... http://t.co/NOPRqO3Q''
  Link to Article
  Source: @adamcurry - Twitter Search
  Thu, 23 Aug 2012 01:24
  DOD Has Running Start on Biosurveillance StrategyBy Cheryl PellerinAmerican Forces Press Service
  WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2012 – The White House has issued the first U.S. National Strategy for Biosurveillance to quickly detect a range of global health and security hazards, and the Defense Department has a running start in implementing the new plan, a senior defense official said.
  Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, told American Forces Press Service that many of the activities described in the strategy are ongoing at DOD.Such efforts, he said, ''have been a little bit siloed.''
  ''So much of what we're doing is integrating the efforts and working hard on the overlap between global security and global health, in what [President Barack Obama] refers to as global health security,'' he said.
  Biosurveillance is defined as data gathering, analysis and interpretation of data related to disease activity and threats to human and animal health to achieve early warning, detection and situational awareness.
  In a letter that introduces the new strategy, Obama said the United States ''must be prepared for the full range of threats, including a terrorist attack involving a biological agent [and] the spread of infectious diseases and food-borne illnesses.''
  The strategy calls for a coordinated approach involving federal, state, local and tribal governments; the private sector; nongovernmental organizations; and international partners.
  ''It challenges us,'' the president wrote, ''to take full advantage of the advanced technologies, new vaccines, the latest science, and social media that can help keep our citizens safe. It describes the core functions and critical capabilities we need to succeed.''
  Within 120 days, the White House will complete a strategic implementation plan that lays out the required actions and responsibilities of all partners in the mission, Obama said.
  As the strategy is released, 43 U.S. states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds and mosquitoes, and about 700 cases and 26 deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
  The virus was first isolated from a feverish woman in the West Nile District of Uganda in 1937, and from there it spread to Egypt, Israel, France and, in 1999, to the United States. According to CDC, the virus's spread in the U.S is a milestone in its evolving history.
  Monitoring and understanding infectious disease always has been a DOD priority, Weber said, ''because for much of our history we've been a global force, and we've had to understand what we call exotic infectious diseases.''
  Defense Department researchers developed many of the vaccines that protect against malaria, dengue fever and other diseases, he said, ''and [Army Maj. (Dr.)] Walter Reed in the 19th century did groundbreaking work on the yellow fever virus.''
  The renewed focus on biosurveillance speeds up the convergence of traditional battlefield biodefense and health surveillance, Weber said.
  ''It's all about saving lives,'' he added. ''The sooner you recognize that a biological event is happening, the greater your ability to isolate it, contain it and prevent it from spreading around the world, like H1N1,'' the novel swine flu virus whose spreading infections the World Health Organization announced as a pandemic on June 11, 2009.
  Many DOD components have long been directly involved in global biosurveillance. These include Weber's office, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System Operations, called GEIS, which is part of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center.
  ''Through our Armed Forces Health Surveillance Network and our Medical Research and Materiel Command,'' Weber said, ''we have a network of three U.S. Army and three U.S. Navy laboratories in places like Cairo, Egypt; Lima, Peru; Nairobi, Kenya; Bangkok, Thailand; and now in Tbilisi, Georgia.''
  Last week Weber, along with Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, rededicated a central public health reference laboratory in Tbilisi built with funding from the Pentagon's Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.
  ''This is a partnership with the government of Georgia, the Walter Reed Institute of Research and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that will provide a regional biosurveillance hub linked to the World Health Organization so we can map, detect and understand infectious diseases circulating in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea regions,'' Weber said.
  The other six GEIS laboratories focus on human health and disease carriers, or vectors, like birds and mosquitoes, he added, but the Georgia center will be different.
  ''From the beginning on the Georgian side, [work on the center's mission] includes their agricultural ministry, their health ministry and their national center for disease control,'' Weber said.
  ''On the U.S. side, we have participation from different parts of DOD, including the GEIS program and the Medical Research and Materiel Command, as well as other U.S. government partners like [CDC].''
  Internationally, he added, ''we're working with OIE -- the World Organization for Animal Health. '... We're also working with the Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, and '... we're discussing a new partnership with FAO as well as WHO, both their headquarters in Geneva and their regional offices, including the European regional office based in Copenhagen, Denmark.''
  With the government of Kazakhstan, he added, ''we are building a similar laboratory capability in Almaty. When it's complete, the project will involve on '... [Kazakhstan's] side the animal health authorities and their agriculture ministry, their ministry of education and science on the research side and the health ministry. On the U.S. side, the Centers for Disease Control will be a strategic partner.''
  Much of the DOD global network was developed in response to the outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 -- which spread rapidly westward in wild birds from Qinghai Lake, China, in 2005 -- and later, the H1N1 swine flu outbreaks, Weber said.
  ''There was a lot of one-time funding for pandemic flu that we were able to build on and broaden beyond the focus on one infectious disease,'' he added.
  Weber said DOD's preparedness domestically and globally increased as a result of its response first to the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in 2002, but especially to H5N1 avian flu three years later.
  ''What was important about both outbreaks is that they helped give birth to the 'One Health' concept,'' he said. ''Because H5N1 was a poultry disease that jumped species to humans, it got the veterinarian community, the animal health community and the human health community to work together.''
  One Health is an international effort by veterinarians, physicians and other health professionals to integrate health care for people, animals, agriculture and the environment.
  ''Biosurveillance is about early detection and prediction of biological events no matter what their cause,'' Weber said, ''so we can save lives, so we can continue military operations, and protect American citizens and our forces and families around the world.''
  The new strategy and the implementation plan that will come out of it, he added, ''will help us improve integration, accelerate activities and increase resources to make it an even higher priority.''
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/08/21/justice-department-recruits-dwarfs/
  Link to Article
  Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:41
  The PJ Tatler has obtained documents from the Justice Department detailing efforts to recruit attorneys and staff who are dwarfs or who have ''psychiatric disabilities'' or ''severe intellectual disabilities.'' On May 31, 2012, Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez issued a directive to affirmatively recruit people with these ''targeted disabilities.''
  This DOJ policy does not merely involve prohibitions against discrimination, but rather the documents reveal deliberate recruitment efforts to hire as attorneys and staff for the Department of Justice people suffering from psychiatric disorders and intellectual disabilities. Moreover, applicants can ''self-identify'' their disability by means of the ''Standard Form 256, Self Identification Disability.''
  Those with ''targeted disabilities'' may be hired through a ''non-competitive'' appointment. That means they don't have to endure the regular civil service competition among applicants, but can be plucked from the stack of resumes and hired immediately instead.
  According to the documents, those with these ''targeted disabilities'' may be hired ''before the position is advertised'' and even ''before the position's closing date.'' Moreover, lawyers with psychiatric disabilities and ''severe intellectual'' disabilities receive a waiver from the requirement that a new DOJ employee have practiced law for one year before being hired.
  You can read the detailed Civil Rights Division ''Hiring of Persons With Targeted Disabilities Policy'' memo here.
  You can also read PJ Media's full report on the attorneys hired for the Justice Department Civil Rights Division from 2009-2010 here in the Every Single One series.
  Speaking of preferences, here is another document, the entire ''Operational Diversity Management Plan,'' obtained by PJ Media. It should be fascinating to those interested in racial preferences in government policy.
After 352-Million-Mile Trip, Cheers for 23 Feet on Mars
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT "gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00
  It was a modest test drive: moving forward 15 feet, turning in place 120 degrees, then backing up about 8 feet. The entire trip took about 16 minutes, with most of the time spent stopped as cameras took photographs of the progress.
  But for the team behind Curiosity, the six-wheeled NASA rover that landed on Mars 17 days ago, the first tracks in the dust on Wednesday were an exciting milestone.
  ''It couldn't be more important,'' Peter C. Theisinger, the mission's project manager, said at a post-drive news conference. ''I mean, we built a rover. So unless the rover roves, we really haven't accomplished anything.''
  Curiosity is to spend at least a couple of years roving through a 96-mile-wide crater and up a 3.4-mile-high mountain at the center of the crater, exploring for signs that early Mars could have been habitable for microbial life.
  But that journey of miles started with a roll of a few feet away from Bradbury Landing, where Curiosity set down on Aug. 6. NASA said on Wednesday that the spot had been named for Ray Bradbury, the author of ''The Martian Chronicles'' and other influential science-fiction novels, who died in June. He would have turned 92 on Wednesday.
  Recently, Curiosity has been busy with other exercises, like vaporizing Martian rocks and seeing what they are made of (basalt, apparently, or something similar). On Sunday, the rover fired a laser instrument for the first time, hitting a rock with 30 bursts in 10 seconds and analyzing the atomic makeup from the resulting flashes of light.
  On Monday, it flexed its arm. On Tuesday, it wiggled its four corner wheels in preparation for the drive.
  ''Everything has been going extremely well,'' Mr. Theisinger said. ''Really extremely well.''
  Having succeeded at rock-zapping on Sunday, scientists turned the laser, which was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to vaporize small bits at six more locations. So far, most of the rocks appear to be a type, common on Mars, that forms from the rapid cooling of lava.
  Another instrument, provided by Russia, has started firing neutrons into the soil to look for hydrogen, which would point to the presence of water. The rover has also gradually started science observations.
  So far, the only broken piece has been a wind sensor that may have been knocked out by rocks kicked up during the landing, NASA said. A second wind sensor is working properly, as is the rest of the rover's weather station, which was contributed by Spain.
  The station has measured swings in air temperature from minus-103 degrees to 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Swings in ground temperatures have been even greater, from minus-132 degrees to 37 degrees.
  During the next week, as more instruments are checked out, Curiosity may conduct its first analysis of the makeup of the Martian atmosphere. When that is complete, it is to head to its first destination, called Glenelg, where three types of terrain appear to intersect.
  At first, Curiosity will move only about 30 feet at a time. As its engineers gain experience, the drives will stretch to longer than the length of a football field, relying on the rover's ability to navigate for itself.
  Mr. Theisinger, the project manager, cautioned that the early successes did not ensure future ones; so far, the mission has checked off only two of its primary goals, to launch on time and to land on Mars.
  ''We've got a long way to go before this mission meets its full potential,'' he said. ''But the fact we haven't had any early problem is, in fact, fantastic.''
Texas Judge: 'Civil War' a Possibility if Obama Re-Elected
  Link to Article
  Source: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:59
  Texas Judge: 'Civil War' a Possibility if Obama Re-ElectedPosted on Aug 22, 2012Texas Judge Tom Head is already thinking ahead to some of the worst case scenarios if Barack Obama is re-elected. Like, for example, how the president would hand over control of the United States to the United Nations, which could then result in all sorts of bad things happening! And in Lubbock, Texas, too, of course, because obviously that's the first place the U.N. would (hypothetically) invade.
  And what would that lead to? ''Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war, maybe. And we're not talking just a few riots here and demonstrations, we're talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy,'' Head said.
  The judge outlined his conspiracy theory while he was'--get this'--calling for a tax hike, which would subsequently be used to increase local law enforcement, and thus leave it more prepared for said civil war.
  Oh, and did we mention already that he's an elected official in Lubbock County?
  Posted by Tracy Bloom. Follow her on Twitter: @misstracybloom.
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Wayne Brady Does Damage Control After Roseanne Barr's Roast
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:57
  by Jacky Jasper
  Comedy Censorship?Wayne Brady has joined the list of roasting comedians who are ousted for their political incorrectness. It's a Roast, people! To be specific, Comedy Central's Roast of Roseanne Barr is where it all went down. That's what led Brady to be dubbed by critics, parents of autistic children, and conservative groups, as 'crossing the line' '' after delivering a joke aimed at fellow funny man, Jeffery Ross '' involving Sarah Palin's autistic child.
  Here's Wayne Brady's joke that rubbed many wrong:
  ''Ross, Fuck a lot of people hate you, especially Sarah Palin because you remind her of what Trig is going to look like when he's 40.''
  Here's what Jeffery Ross '' who had no problem with the joke '' had to say:
  ''Holy mackeral @waynebrady demolished me with that trigg joke. #RoseanneRoast. Great set, buddy.''
  Now, Brady is forced to take on doing damage '' saying he's sorry, the politically correct thing to do.
  Here's Wayne Brady's apology letter to Sarh Palin:
  This letter has taken me a few days to compose because of the conflicting emotions that I've experienced since the day of the Roast and it's subsequent airing. The environment of the Roast is a comedic (hopefully), tasteless (mostly always), affair that encourages everyone to out-filth each other. Not normally what I'm known for, right? But, when I was invited, I jumped at the chance to play outside of my perceived ''norm'' and have fun. The Jeff joke was written for me and at the end of the day I take full responsibility for saying it. It wasn't meant as a slam to Trig and at the time I didn't see it that way.
  I could defend it as a performer, but I would rather apologize from the bottom of my heart as a father. I understand how a parent, who loves their child, who tries to nurture and shield them when they cannot defend themselves, would take offense.. I have many times experienced this feeling. I've had awful things said about my daughter.. Violent and most times racial stabs. Being in the spotlight I have built a thick skin to these sorts of things. My daughter ( who's now old enough to understand ) is another story. That being said I write this letter with sensitivity and a strong stance of responsibility for my actions.
  I thank everyone who's expressed their opinion for reminding me that my voice is heard'... It's easy to forget sometimes in front of cameras and lights.
  To the Palins, please know that no malice or harm was meant. To the other families who were touched negatively, I hope you'll be able to accept this apology as well.
  I've always said that people in the public eye should be held responsible for what you say and I'm no hypocrite. Thanks for reading and letting me express my side.
  Take care all,Wayne
  Here's what Sarah Palin had to say to Wayne Brady after he kissed her ass and followed suit:
  ''Thank you, Wayne Brady. Trig truly is a blessing. I swear, to his family anyway, that extra chromosome he's got is a Love Chromosome! Thank you for your gracious comment today.''
  This Wayne Brady guy is holding in a lot of his emotions, and I'll to be there the day he explodes. Wayne Brady can't be happy '' he has a hard enough time being accepted by black people, to be dealing with the constant apologies he makes to white people. Did the creator's of HBO's ''Game Change'' say they're sorry to Sarah 'Con Artist of The American People' Palin? The answer is no! Wayne Brady, you are never going to make everybody happy '' I know! Brady's constant containment of negative emotions could lead him to turn into Michael Douglas's ''Falling Down'' character. Don't believe me.. Ask Jon Stewart.
  Here are some other Comedy Stadium Roast comedians crossing the line facts:
  ''Some roastees have stated that certain topics are off-limits. For example, Pamela Anderson had the topic of her Hepatitis C infection as off limits (though Andy Dick did make a joke that was cut out), and William Shatner requested the comics not mention his late wife Nerine Kidd-Shatner's drowning in his swimming pool. Others, however, have had no limits on the topics '' David Hasselhoff was one example, and according to Lisa Lampanelli (as per her Twitter feed), Donald Trump was another.[3] Although Charlie Sheen initially agreed to no restrictions on his roast, he later said during an interview with Jay Leno that he requested jokes about his mother to be edited out of the broadcast.[4] For Roseanne Barr's roast, Jeff Ross made a joke about Seth Green that was not aired: ''Seth, congratulations. This is actually a great night for you. You haven't gotten this much attention since you shot all those people in Aurora'... I'm kidding. You are not like James Holmes.
  At least he did something in a movie theater that people remember!''.[5] Anthony Jeselnik's joke, ''Roseanne, what does it say about you that when you accused your father of incest, there was an outpouring of sympathy for your father.'' was also removed.''
Lawyer James Koutoulas Tells Rick Santelli: 'We Plan To Pursue Criminal Charges Against Jon Corzine In All 50 States'
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:55
  "I will take this to all 50 states. And we will win. We will get a conviction of Jon Corzine. And the next time a sociopath CEO says 'Do I go out of business or do I cheat,' he's gonna think about PresidentObama's biggest fundraiser in an orange jumpsuit in state prison.">>
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Bullying victim wins court case forcing Facebook to unmask anonymous tormentors. (How to set a Precedent to Arrest Any and All who Comment on the Internet)
  Link to Article
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:55
  When Nicola Brookes posted a message of support on Facebook about her favorite contestant on The X Factor talent competition, she found herself the victim of incessant and constant torment from anonymous cyberbullies. But rather than take the abuse sitting down, Brookes decided to fight, taking her assailants to court. And she won.In her suit, Brookes claimed to have been the victim of a number of slanderous, malicious attacks. Her attackers created a page on the social network that branded the Brighton, U.K. woman as a drug dealer and a pedophile. The court ruled that Facebook must turn over the names, email addresses, and IP information of the trolls who tormented her.
  For its part, Facebook is not expected to fight the court order. The company will comply as soon as it is officially served papers by the court, explaining in a statement that, "we respect our legal obligations and work with law enforcement to ensure that such people are brought to justice."
  Brooks, who filed the suit after having trouble getting the police to take her problems seriously, appears to be satisfied with the court's ruling. "I want them exposed," said Brookes. "They exposed me and they invaded my life. I didn't ask for it. They wanted a reaction from me and now they have got it."
  This is not the first court case involving a victim suing a cyberbully '-- a Georgia teenager filed a lawsuit against her Facebook attackers after the girl's school and police failed to help. Previous courts here in the U.S. have similarly stripped internet users of their anonymity in response to criminal threats.
  (Source)
THAR SHE BLOWS! '... Silver Remains Super EXPLOSIVE!
  Link to Article
  Source: Untitled Feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:51
  Hello zerohedgefollowers,
  Don't know who started thisweb site, but it is first class with what they put out.About a month ago I firstappeared here saying my best sources told me gold and silver would explode inAugust. Well here we go. NEXT ... I also said that the JP MorganMASSIVE short silver position, and their manipulation of that market,was going to be exposed. STAYTUNED!!!
  August 22 ''Gold $1637.40 down$2.50 - Silver $29.55 up 13 cents
  THAR SHE BLOWS! '... Silver RemainsSuper EXPLOSIVE!
  "Keep away from people who try tobelittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great makeyou feel that you, too, can become great." ...Mark Twain
  #ff00ff;">#ff00ff;">#ff00ff;">
  GOGATA!
  It's 1:20 Dallas time and I amstarting this part of the MIDAS from scratch, saving the first sentenceonly'...
  After a couple of exciting up days,today was a quiet one, but perhaps just as exciting in a different way as far assilver is concerned.
  ***
  It WAS quiet with silver actinglike a "ten" and gold steady '... and holding yesterday's gains when I went off tomy "Cheers" hangout, the local Chili's Restaurant a block away from me to have aquick bite to eat and to say goodbye to a server whom I have known for tenyears.
  Had CNBC turned on to watch theclosing Comex action. All of a sudden, going into the close and beyond, golddropped $5. Silver followed gold down. What the heck? I then figured I lost thisbet I made right before I left with a veteran, savvy Caf(C) member'...
  Want to make a bet?
  Good morning Bill,As of 11:55AM Chicago time, gold is up $1.40/oz to $1,640/oz and silver is up $0.16/oz to$29.40/oz. GDX is down 0.36 (0.78%) to 46.02. SIL is down 0.25 (1.22%) to 20.31.Where have we seen this scenario before?
  I recently picked up my Merlin themagician hat at Wal-Mart. It was very reasonable. Want to make a bet that goldand silver take some type of hit in the near future possibly starting at 1 PMChicago time? Only Merlin the magician could figure this out.Paul
  I responded to Paul that I thoughtsilver was going to go "ballistic" soon.
  But then, just as I was finishingup my lunch, I saw CNBC's Steve Liesman on the tube talking about the FedMinutes report. All of "another sudden," gold made an abrupt U-turn and wasgoing straight up. The quiet day, then a disappointing one, turned into a funone for our camp.
  First on the Fed Minutes that hascreated a gold/silver stampede'...
  4:01 FOMC Minutes indicate manymembers say additional accommodation likely warranted unless economyimproves
  Minutes can be viewed at theattached link 4:01 FOMC Minutes indicate many members say additionalaccommodation likely warranted unless economy improves
  Minutes can be viewed at the following link:
  http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcminutes20120801.htm
  Jeepers Creepers! Gold andsilver are on fire. This is what I had HOURS ago to conclude thiscommentary'...
  "As we have discussed the key pricepoints for gold and silver to begin their launches to their all-time highs andbeyond were $1630 and $29 respectively. Mission accomplished so far. The nextlevels to conquer will probably be even more significant. They are $1650 and$30, which have been key levels in the past. Once taken out, the prices of bothprecious metals should accelerate very quickly."
  Gold just blew through $1650 andsilver is $30 offered. Yeah baby, here we go!
  OK, will put last Access Marketcloses at the conclusion of this commentary.
  Back to the originalcommentary'...
  The specs finally showed up in thegold pit on the Comex. The gold open interest rose 12,028 contracts to 398,747,still a low number. There was some minor shortcovering in silver. Its OI wentdown 600 contracts to 127,776.
  Speaking of silver, yesterday mySTALKER source reported rumors of two very large silver transactions. NedNaylor-Leyland, who presented at GATA's Gold Rush 2011 in London a year ago,reported on the The Keiser Report that there are massive physical strains in thesilver market due to two large silver purchases in London in the 5 to 10 millionounce range '... and that the LBMA is refusing to deliver them outside of the LBMAsystem. It should be duly noted that Ned is very sharp and very wellconnected....
  From the man, James Mc, inlate...
  Consecutive limit-ups
  High tick Dec. $1,658.80, or +1%.Second consecutive limit up day, cartel style. Funny too this was roughly the+2% figure I circled yesterday. Rare lately for them to need to stop 2 advancesin a row.
  JMc
  So, the dust has cleared. It wasour kind of day and one we have all been predicting and expecting. The HUI,after trading like the wimp of wimps, exploded after the Fed thing and finishedup 9.85 to 454.44, and has cleared MEGA technical resistance. This is HIGH FIVESstuff. The XAU performed well too, up 3.69 to 168.05.
  To conclude, and I know this willelicit some groans from the GATA peanut gallery, but these shots have worked thelast two times I put them up. We shall see. With many smiles from me tonight...
  The last Kitco quote on gold is$1654.90 and silver is $29.85.
  GATA BE IN IT TO WIN IT!
  MIDAS
America's Slave Labor System
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:10
  Will Grigg's Liberty Minute
  August 15, 2012
  For many years, American manufacturers have protested that China's use of slave labor gives it an artificial price advantage. While this is true, Chinais not the biggest offender; that distinction goes to the U.S. federal government, which also operates the world's largest prison system.
  CNN recently described how Unicor '' also known as Federal Prison Industries '' is driving small clothing producers out of business. Unicor employs 13,000 inmates '' some of whom receive 23 cents an hour '' to produce uniforms and other clothing for the Pentagon and other federal agencies. Kurt Wilson, who owns Alabama-based American Apparel, points out that his employees receive an average wage of $9 an hour as well as health care and retirement benefits. Not surprisingly, his company '' like others in the same field '' can't compete with federal slave labor.
  In colonial and early post-independenceAmerica, those convicted of property crimes were generally required to make restitution to those harmed by their crimes.
  Following the Civil War, a new system was devised in which opportunistic law enforcement agencies would feed non-violent offenders into a penal system hard-welded to government-favored corporations. This system differs from that of Communist China only in matters of irrelevant detail.
  Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.
Taxis Lose Their 'AXI'
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT "gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 23:46
  What's next? ''T Driver,'' starring Robert De Niro?
  Not likely, even though the new logotype for medallion taxis, which is beginning to appear on New York streets, has eliminated the word ''taxi'' in favor of a bold yellow T in a black circle; an enlarged version of the symbol first adopted five years ago.
  David S. Yassky, the chairman of the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission, sounded confident on Tuesday that the change wouldn't confound anyone. ''We have no doubt that a yellow car with a roof light with a big T will be understood as a New York City taxicab,'' he said. ''Even the greenest of greenhorns will know that it's a taxicab.''
  The streamlined design also eliminates the fare panel on the passenger door, which Mr. Yassky said was a cluttered vestige of earlier days. (It is unclear how many passengers, while opening that door, ever had the opportunity to pause and fully absorb the information: ''$3.00 initial fare + $0.40 per 1/5 mile " minute stopped or slow, $1.00 Monday-Friday, 4 '' 8 p.m., $0.50 nights, 8 p.m. '' 6 a.m. $45 flat fare between Manhattan " JFK.'')
  All that information can be placed more usefully on the video screen inside the cab, Mr. Yassky said. What the prospective passenger needs to know from the outside is that the fare is metered '-- in other words, make sure the meter is on once you climb in, unless you're going to Kennedy International Airport, in which case it would be a flat fare.
  The new logo emerged from work being done on the ''Taxi of Tomorrow'' Nissan prototype with the firm Smart Design, which was (somewhat) responsible for the current logo.
  Specifications for the new pared-down design call for eliminating the trailing stream of checkerboard shapes that were intended as a reference to the celebrated Checker cab of yesteryear. In this, Mr. Yassky confessed ambivalence.
  ''Call us old-timers, but I liked the historical reference,'' he said. ''However, the design professionals felt unanimously that the clutter didn't justify whatever meaning was in there.'' (Not to worry, Mr. Yassky. City Room spotted six cabs with new decals in the space of a half-hour on Tuesday. Two still had checkerboards.)
  The new design is a vindication of the work done five years ago by Davin Stowell and his colleagues at Smart Design. They proposed a large T, unmodified by ''axi.'' At the time, Mr. Stowell said: ''Everybody knows what it is. You don't need the words.''
  But officials grew apprehensive when they realized that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority intended eventually to run a T train on Second Avenue. Mr. Stowell was overruled. (For the record, the T train will have a teal color scheme.)
  Today, Mr. Yassky said, a T in a circle is widely understood to mean taxi.
  ''Nobody will confuse a yellow car with a 75-foot-long train car that runs underground,'' he said. ''And we like the echo that ties taxis to the rest of the transportation system.''
West Nile Outbreak on Track to be Worst Ever.
  Link to Article
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:57
  47 Deaths; Texas Especially Hard Hit
  Aug. 22, 2012 -- West Nile virus now has killed 47 people and infected an estimated 95,000 in 38 states in what is almost certain to be the worst West Nile outbreak since the virus hit the U.S. in 1999.
  "The number of West Nile disease cases in people has risen dramatically. We are in the midst of one of the largest West Nile outbreaks ever seen," Lyle R. Petersen, MD, MPH, director of the CDC's division of vector-borne diseases, said today in a news teleconference.
  It's far from over. Right now, the U.S. is in the middle of mosquito season -- and nearly all West Nile virus infections come from mosquito bites. Case counts usually rise through September.
  "The number of cases is trending upward in most areas," Petersen said, noting that 47 states have detected West Nile virus circulating in mosquitoes, birds, or people. Only Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont have not yet detected the virus.
  Half the cases and more than half of the deaths have been in Texas. David L. Lakey, MD, Texas state health commissioner, characterized the situation as a "disaster."
  "It is not just about the numbers. This disease impacts the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people, and their lives will be changed by this outbreak. Our hearts go out to them," Lakey said.
  Since 2003, when West Nile virus spread across the nation, most West Nile seasons have been relatively mild. Why is this year suddenly so bad?
  "We really don't know," Petersen said. "Many major outbreaks in Europe and Africa and now in the U.S. have appeared during abnormally hot weather. Hot weather, in lab tests, does increase transmissibility of the virus from mosquitoes, and that may be one factor."
  The CDC also is investigating whether the virus might have mutated into a more dangerous form.
  West Nile SymptomsThe good news is that only one in five people infected with West Nile virus gets West Nile fever. Symptoms appear three days to two weeks after the bite of an infected mosquito.
  So far this year, there have been 489 reported cases of West Nile fever. Many cases go unreported.
  Illness appears suddenly, says Petersen, who was infected in 2003.
  "I was out for a jog, and in one mile I went from perfectly normal to the point where I could barely walk," he reports. "That is probably the norm."
  And it's not usually a mild or brief illness.
  "Those who get more ill with West Nile fever will be laid up in bed for days or a week, followed by a period of just feeling awful. And there can be a fatigue syndrome where people remain fatigued for weeks or months. It lasts longer than we used to think," Petersen said.
Behold The "New Normal" Buyers Of First, Last And Only Resort
  Link to Article
  Source: Untitled Feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:56
  In a "new normal" "market" that has long since given up discounting fundamental news, and merely reacts to how any given central planner banker blinks, coughs, sneezes, or otherwise hints on future monetary injection plans at any given moment, it is useful to know the only market players that matter. Courtesy of Guggenheim, they are listed out below - these are no longer the major TBTF banks, Jamie Dimon and Lloyd Blankfein ambitions to rule the world notwithstanding; they are now the world's central banks, whose assets are rapidly approaching their host sovereign GDPs even as their overall leverage is increasing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis, putting such recent Investment Bank overlevered behemoths to shame. It is in this playing field where the price of any one "risk asset" is no longer indicative of anything more than monetary, and in a world in which politicians have long been made obsolete by the central planners, fiscal policies. It also means that capital markets are only whatever the various central bankers want to make them... and nothing else.
  Full Guggenheim piece can be found here
  Average: Your rating: NoneAverage: 4.8(5 votes)
Use these tips to detox after exposure to aerial or ground sprayed pesticides
  Link to Article
  Source: Dprogram.net
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:56
  (NaturalNews) '' If you live in an area which is being blanketed with aerial or ground spraying of pesticides for mosquitoes, it is virtually impossible to completely avoid exposure. However, there is plenty you can do to help get the pesticides out of your body and offset their effects.
  Most toxins are eliminated in bile via the liver. In addition to commercial cleansing products, a wide variety of foods, supplements and healthy practices can help flush and eliminate pesticides and other toxins from the liver, gall bladder, colon, kidneys and blood:
  * Glutathione is the body's natural detoxifier which enables the liver to remove toxins from the body. N-Acetyl Cysteine helps the body produce glutathione. Likewise, coffee enemas increase glutathione production and also help keep the bile ducts open.
  * One ''must have'' item is milk thistle, which is wonderful for overall liver health as well as a great detoxifier. For more liver health recommendations, see:
  http://www.naturalnews.com/031243_liver_health.html
  * Essiac Tea is a great overall cleanser which is noted for its cancer-fighting abilities. One of the pesticides commonly employed for ground spraying, permethrin, is considered by the EPA as ''likely to be carcinogenic to humans'' if consumed.
  * About one quarter of the toxins in your body are eliminated through the skin. Saunas and hot baths help sweat toxins out. To see how to use a healing and detoxing bath at home:
  http://www.naturalnews.com/033373_mineral_baths_health.html
  * Clay baths are extremely effective for pulling all kinds of toxins out of the body. The best clay for detoxification is calcium montmorillonite.
  * Pantethine is an often overlooked supplement which can be essential opening up roadblocks pesticides create which prevent the body from being able to absorb, use or deploy sufficient amounts of natural detox items.
  * Activated Charcoal is safe to consume and very potent. Take 20-30 grams a day in divided doses mixed with water for one to two weeks.
  * Citrus pectin is one of the most powerful detoxifying substances to be found and, though it eliminates toxic metals, it doesn't deplete your body of zinc, calcium or magnesium.
  * Be sure to eat plenty of alkaline foods such as fruits and vegetables. Alkaline bodies are better able to flush toxins.
  * Fiber helps your liver flush out toxins by transporting them out of your digestive system. Eat two to three servings of fiber-rich foods daily. Dietary sources of fiber include whole grain breads and cereals, flax seed, barley, beans and fresh or dried prunes.
  * Toxins tend to collect in the fat around tissues like your liver. Grapefruit contains a flavonoid called naringenin that reprograms your liver to melt excess fat, instead of storing it.
  * Garlic boosts the ability of your white blood cells to fight the effects of toxins.
  * Lemons and asparagus have proven abilities to reduce pesticide levels.
  * Eggs help remove toxins and also increase energy levels.
  * Vitamin C is essential for our ability to neutralize the effects of toxins.
  * Magnesium is essential for over 300 body processes.
  * Selenium is important for the production of an enzyme that helps to detoxify your body.
  * Dandelion root stimulates bile production and acts as a diuretic for excess water.
  * Used by Native Americans for centuries, sarsaparilla is a great tasting tea and an effective blood detoxifier.
  * Burdock Root increases urine and perspiration.
  * 10-12 glasses of clean water daily helps flush toxins from your body.
  * Skin brushing reduces the fatigue caused by pesticide exposure. It also helps the lymph drainage system flush toxins from your system.
  * Exercise 30 minutes to one hour daily to bring more oxygen-rich blood to your kidneys and liver, allowing them to eliminate toxins more effectively.
  Sources included:
  http://www.firehow.comhttp://citybugs.tamu.edu/2012/08/14/faqs-about-aerial-spraying/http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20080201.htmhttp://www.alsearsmd.com/six-steps-to-a-pure-and-clean-body/http://kojoreport.com
  About the author:''See all articles by Tony Isaacs''
  Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Life website for those who wish to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including ''Cancer's Natural Enemy'' and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year. He is also a contributing author for the worldwide advocacy group ''S.A N.E.Vax. Inc'' which endeavors to uncover the truth about HPV vaccine dangers.
  Mr. Isaacs also hosts the '' forum, where he also serves as the local moderator for the Cancer Alternatives forum. Mr. Isaacs serves as a consultant to the ''Utopia' target='_blank'>http://www.utopiasilver.com/affiliates/jrox.php?id=18'">Utopia Silver Supplement Company and he and his partner Luella May recently began hosting ''The Best Years in Life Radio Show'' on Wolf Spirit Radio.
  Source: Natural News
  Related posts:
  Cities, counties nationwide begin mass aerial sprayings of toxic 'anti-West Nile Virus' pesticidesScientists call for global ban on bee-killing pesticidesHistory shows polio caused by pesticide exposure, then was eradicated by decline in DDT useSurvival Tips For The Urbanite: Part 1 '' Nuclear Radiation36 Percent Of Fukushima Children Have Abnormal Growths From Radiation ExposureToxin From Genetically Modified Crops Detected In Canadians' BloodJapanese Professor: Where did all that plutonium contaminated water disappear to? Into the Pacific Ocean or the ground, of course '-- Who can comprehend the magnitude of radioactive contamination that threatens never to end?How Apple is using military grade aerial spy drones to build 3d maps
TSA Rifles Through Bags, Conducts Pat Downs At Paul Ryan Event
  Link to Article
  Source: Dprogram.net
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:55
  Government agents moving out of airports and into the streets
  (SteveWatson) '' For some time we have been warning that the TSA is systematically moving beyond the nation's airports and conducting operations on the streets of America.
  The latest example of this kind of activity occurred at an event organized by Mitt Romney's GOP running mate Paul Ryan this past weekend in The Villages, Florida.
  The Shark Tank blog reports that TSA officers showed up alongside Secret Service and the local Sumter County Sheriff's Office, and proceeded to do what they do like no one else does.
  ''A big WTF is in order here.'' the blog notes, adding ''We heard that the TSA was going to expand its ummm, 'reach,' but to assist in political campaigns is quite the jump in broadening their 'transportation security horizons.'''
  ''I counted no less than (6) TSA agents alongside the usual uniformed Secret Service detail-not to be confused with the 'Men In Black' looking agents.'' blogger Javier Manjarres notes, with a picture of the agents in action (below).
  As we have previously documented, airport security style checkpoints and inspection procedures are already in place at bus terminals, train stations, and are rapidly being expanded to the streets of America.
  Agents have even been spotted roaming around at public events such as sports games and music concerts, and even at high school proms.
  The TSA even moved beyond its own borders this summer as agents were dispatched to airports in London for the Olympic Games.
  The TSA has also announced its intention to expand the VIPR program to include roadside inspections of commercial vehicles, setting up a network of internal checkpoints and rolling out security procedures already active in airports, bus terminals and subway stations to roads and highways across the United States.
  These internal checkpoints, run by Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, and the TSA, involve trucks being scanned with backscatter x-ray devices in the name of ''safety'' and ''counter terrorism''.
  Homeland Security is also developing technology to be used at ''security events'' which purports to monitor ''malintent'' on behalf of an individual who passes through a checkpoint.
  Since its inception in the US after 9/11, the TSA has grown in size exponentially. The agency was slammed in a recent congressional report for wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on security theatre.
  If people think they can avoid the TSA by staying away from airports, they're going to be in for a rude awakening. TSA is clearly engaged in a total takeover of society and plans to have its agents searching, patting down, scanning and harassing Americans at all levels of society, not just at transport hubs but at public events, in the street and on highways and roads across the country.
  The implementation of 'Checkpoint USA', where citizens are routinely stopped, searched and radiated by federal VIPER teams is further evidence of how America is crumbling into a Soviet-style police state where the presumption of innocent until proven guilty is abolished and the 4th amendment eviscerated.
  Source: Infowars
  Related posts:
  TSA Backlash Prompts Move Away From Pat DownsDramatic Video: 71-year-old Taken To The Ground For Questioning Paul RyanU.S. military conducts 'realistic urban training' exercise in MiamiTom Morello to Paul Ryan: Thanks, But No ThanksBusted: Watch Paul Ryan Beg Congress For A $1 Trillion Wall Street BailoutVeep Pick Paul Ryan Is No ConservativeThe Paul Ryan DistractionWhats going on with Ron Paul I'll tell you '' Ryan Dawson
Government Hypes White Supremacist ''Racial Holy War'' in Effort to Demonize Veterans
  Link to Article
  Source: Dprogram.net
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:55
  August 22nd, 2012
  (KurtNimmo) '' Despite a lack of evidence, the establishment media claims white supremacists, skinheads and neo-Nazis are joining to U.S. military and preparing for a ''racial holy war.''
  Reuters reports that racist groups are actively encouraging members to enlist and receive military training to overthrow the ''Zionist Occupation Government,'' a term invented by the Order, a racist organization created by the National Alliance, a group controlled by the FBI.
  The latest effort by the Pentagon to ferret out violent racists follows the shooting of Sikh worshippers in Wisconsin, allegedly by Wade Michael Page, who served in the psychological operations unit at Fort Bragg.
  The Southern Poverty Law Center characterized Page as a white supremacist who fronted a ''hate rock band.'' The SPLC also connected the former soldier to the National Alliance. The leader of that group, former Green Beret David Kellerman, admitted he worked for the FBI.
  The effort by the Pentagon '' enthusiastically praised and encouraged by the SPLC and the ADL '' follows a script produced in 2009 by the Department of Homeland Security that characterizes military veterans as a domestic terror threat.
  ''Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to right-wing extremists,'' the DHS report on ''rightwing extremism'' leaked in 2009 claimed. The report said the government is ''concerned that right-wing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize veterans in order to boost their violent capacities.''
  An earlier report commissioned by the Justice Department ''found half of all right-wing extremists in the United States had military experience,'' according to Reuters.
  A colonel interviewed by Reuters, however, said he did not consider the prospect of white supremacists in the military a serious problem. ''In my 26 years in the Army, I've never seen it,'' the former company commander said.
  CNN report claims white supremacists are a problem in the military.
  As exhaustively reported by Infowars.com, the FBI has controlled violent white supremacist groups since the 1960s. Under COINTELPRO, the government ''subsidized, armed, directed and protected the Ku Klux Klan and other right-wing groups,'' Brian Glick writes. Racist groups were used to create a strategy of tension by attacking groups on the so-called left, including anti-war, Chicano and Puerto Rican activists and nationalists.
  More recently, the specter of armed and violent racists has been used to exaggerate the prospect of domestic terrorism and expand the national security state, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and myriad other federal agencies.
  Source: Infowars
  Related posts:
  FBI: Constitution Stands In Way of Government Thwarting ''Extremist'' GroupsThousands in New York March Silently Against Racial ProfilingPsy-Op Specialist Gunman in Sikh Shooting Frames Veterans, Constitutionalist and 9/11 TruthersUS government ran chemical experiments on military veterans under operations MKUltra, Bluebird and ArtichokeInsurance companies, government steals life insurance benefits from PTSD veterans who commit suicideWhite House Fuels Limbaugh Death Threats As Media Matters LiesNew Effort To Curtail Posse Comitatus After Colorado MassacreWhite House Pulls Down TSA PetitionTags: demonize veterans, neo-nazis, racial holy war, white supremacistThis entry was posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 2:16 pmand is filed under Dictatorship, Education/Mind Control, Fascism, Film/Video, Martial Law/Police State, NWO.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Neo West Nile: Obama's Epidemic
  Link to Article
  Source: Lame Cherry
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:53
  Long ago this blog did monumental work in exposing the West Nile biological attack upon these United States, which stemmed from the German biological labratories, of one Saddam Hussein, who weaponized this virus.
  This was not something which caused surprise in these United States, as there was a concerted push for a human vaccine for West Nile the year before this virus erupted in America by New York University, which for those who do not know such information, is run by the Rockefeller elite or the new world order.
  Ask yourself why the Rockefellers were researching the year before the virus showed upon America as an epidemic and you start figuring out what West Nile was, in the first biological attack upon America.
  I have absolute information on this weaponized West Nile which few have, and it dovetails into the mass of biological scientists who were sanctioned IE, murdered in that era, in the year before West Nile was supposedly in these United States, my horse, a palomino, I trained and rode for years on a ranch, started exhibiting strange shifting on it's back legs in the spring, and then all of a sudden got better, and within a month, I noted him in the corral looking God awful in his coat was rough suddenly, and that same shift stomping in the hindquarters.Within 12 hours, we had to put him down with a shot of synthetic morphine killing him, but the vet has no answer other than perhaps an artery broke in his rear section.
  If one still can find the information online, there were posts in the next few years of horses having the same symptom, and the diagnosis was West Nile.
  Now how did my horse contract West Nile the year before it arrive?
  The answer is absolute, that West Nile was salted into America for some time before the grand infestation took place. It should be noted that West Nile in those years, was spreading west to east and not north to south, as bird migrations would carry it.West Nile was deliberately spread in America by a carrier species of mosquitoes.
  The culprit for West Nile for years was spread by a specific mosquito of the Asian Tiger variety as it was striped. It only fed after dark and before dawn, so of one stayed inside, one did not contract the disease, no more than the malaria type of mosquito, Anopheles, would spread the disease if one stayed out of locally infected human populations.
  My Vet informed me that 10 years ago, almost every equine in my county was positive for West Nile, meaning they had been bitten and not died from the disease. Into this, West Nile had absolute protocols it followed in it was bad in Colorado in the September to November period as irrigation ditches for potatoes would be full of standing water, which is what this genus of mosquito reproduces in.
  I hope you wise children noticed something in the above, in the American outbreak if 2012 took place in early AUGUST, and one also might recall something of a century breaking drought and heat during this time, meaning this outbreak which is spread over different states and SHOWING UP IN CITIES CHIEFLY, is in the wrong part of the calendar and in the wrong water cycle, as there is no water for reproduction.
  I can bring up the "chance" that perhaps Texas might have had some freak Darwin natural event of evolution or transformation of the mosquito host, but when this is appearing in states thousands of miles apart and is now "showing up in daytime mosquitoes", that is not a random chance no more than it randomly murdered my horse the year before it was supposed to be in America in my sojourn there.
  West Nile virus found in daytime mosquitoes - Houston Chroniclewww.chron.com/.../West-Nile-virus-found-in-daytime-mosquitoes-3...5 days ago '' ... Services has isolated West Nile Virus in a second mosquito species ... The Aedes albopictus, or the Asian tiger mosquito, tested positive for ...In connecting the dots on this, "someone" has deliberately mutated West Nile into daytime mosquitos in American population centers starting with Texas to Illinois, New Jersey, California and South Dakota. "Someone" has deliberately made a biological stealth attack upon America.
  With Barack Hussein Obama Osseiran's AKA Barry Chin's open borders to Mexicans and terrorists it would be a simple task of transporting vials across the Mexican frontier. An Islalmocommunist from any of Obama's Muslim meddling nations, and that would mean Syria which did indeed receive a planeload of Saddam Hussein's biological weapons and Mr. Obama has been ripping apart in starting a civil war to turn it over the Muslim Brotherhood to the Iranians who Obama keeps attacking with Stuxnet viruses and then bragging about it, all could in diplomatic attache cases, carry in without search, several billion mosquito larvae to seed into water sources, to interbreed with locally collected mosquitoes.
  The mere fact that no one has raised any of this in the media points to direct knowledge that even the fringe Alex Jones media has like in all things Obama, been told to keep their mouths shut, as there is absolutely no chance that simultaneously across America, that suddenly daytime genus of mosquitoes on a record drought season spontaneously in mutation all of a sudden became West Nile carriers.
  The disease carrier platform of song birds has already been wiped out in America, as those endangered species are not in 1/4 the numbers they were a decade ago when this Saddam Hussein attack took place.
  The reality is that Barack Hussein has been exterminating nationalist Muslims and replacing them with Islamocommunist Muslims in a quid pro quo covered here in which if they agreed to not attack America, Obama would allow them to mule the world drug trade and give nation states to them to rule, starting with Egypt.America now has on it's hands a biological attack, from one of two probable sources, with perhaps the Libyan and Egyptian survivors assisting, in this is probably the missing Saddam Hussein weaponized West Nile research having been transformed inside Iran as this blog has warned that the Persian communists are not going to wait around for Obama to wipe them out after he is done with Syria and dictator Assad.
  That is where this all points to in these Obama Club Meddling Wars, and the stakes are now higher as Mr. Obama is creating a Jewish nuclear holocaust in dithering while Iran has been transforming it's nuclear arsenal to the Dr. Khan cone warhead type for 3 additional years under 3 AM no answer Obama.
  America no longer has a power ally in Egypt and asset in Libya, a stable Iraq or Afghanistan due to Mr. Obama, and now Mr. Obama is threatening Syria if she unleashes chemical weapons, whose protocols are in question as Mr. Obama's terrorists are in possession of parts of Syria and those weapons, along with missing thousands of Libyan missiles due to Mr. Obama.
  This is the reality in what was warned of here starting in 2008 in what Barack Hussein Obama Osseiran AKA Barry Chin would bring to the world. The evidence points conclusively to a biological attack upon America, mirroring the original attack on America, but now with a new weaponized genus of mosquitoes.
  The concentration in Dallas, Texas and in Chicago, Illinois, in knowing that is the home base of President George W. Bush and Bush41, along with B. Hussein Obama reveals intelligent design, meaning human targeting and spread of this virus again.
  In protocol targeting, this profiles out as having been "hatched" sometime in 2011 for a spring of 2012 seeding of this virus in the Texas area, which is why the migration into South Dakota specifically has erupted as infected birds were carrying from the Texas distribution point mosquito eggs which were deposited in mass to that region, and dispersed in lesser quantities to other regions.
  The hot spots of Chicago though point to Mr. Obama, while New Jersey and Michigan point to Muslim enclave assistance in suicide spreaders of this disease, but as most of these Muslims have been exposed to this virus for generations, they are not overtly affected by it.
  By the spikes in this West Nile weapons attack, it would seem it is mutated enough in the lab to infect humans to a greater degree, and not mammals as no reports of record equine deaths or new outbreaks are showing up in other animals.It will remain to be seen if the songbirds will be wiped out completely this time as carriers as this is being moved by migratory birds, except in the direct salting areas.
  All of this is a Lame Cherry matter anti matter exclusive, in no one is explaining what this is in details on the obvious salted areas, the timeline and the dispersion for this biological attack on America.
  This all though traces absolutely back to Barack Hussein Obama Osseiran AKA Barry Chin in his Muslim Meddling Wars and the upheaval of sound governments and the non containment of radical states as Iran.
  World War IV has started. Mr. Putin made it nuclear in the London Polonium attack, and now the Muslim competitors to secular Islamist Obama have made it a biological war, with hints after this blog noted in no new food poisoning attacks, that they too now have started.This is what WMD warfare looks like in this covert Obama thuggery. It will only spread and become worse as the Mark Levin types will not address this or discount it, and the puppy press covers all of this up, and the fringe media will not ask the questions.
  The chain of events. Saddam Hussein was weaponizing West Nile. West Nile appeared in America. Saddam Hussein exported his WMD's to Syria and Lebanon. Mr. Obama started blowing up Muslim nationalist states in 2009. West Nile transforms in 2012 for a new American Epidemic.
  This is Neo West Nile, and it is the Barack Obama epidemic. The evidence all reveals it is part of this Obama intertribal Islamic war this blog warned America not to be drawn into.
  America, you followed Obama into the abyss. You kept him around in the likes of Mark Levin who thwarted Birthers. You enabled him in the likes of Chris Matthews. Now you have another WMD attack on American soil and no one will address it, save this blog.
  The next step is going to be nuclear warfare.
  The Obama regime knows the above. There is not any way this could have not initiated without foreknowledge of key Islamic muses in this regime and it is being covered up now across the board.
  Gee how much is your life worth now, for those tight wads who would not pay this blog the sums it deserves for information. How's that White House gossip treatin' you now there shalom.
  Rhetorical
  Someone does owe me a horse though.
  nuff said
  agtG 217, 242, 230Y
  *signature sequence building
  CDC: West Nile outbreak 'one of largest' in USEmail this StoryAug 22, 1:52 PM (ET)By MIKE STOBBEATLANTA (AP) - U.S. health officials reported Wednesday three times the usual number of West Nile cases for this time of year and one expert called it "one of the largest" outbreaks since the virus appeared in this country in 1999.So far, 1,118 illnesses have been reported, about half of them in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In an average year, fewer than 300 cases are reported by mid-August. There have also been 41 deaths this year."We're in the midst of one of the largest West Nile outbreaks ever seen in the United States," said Dr. Lyle Petersen, a CDC official.Never before have so many illnesses been reported this early, said Petersen, who oversees the CDC's mosquito-borne illness programs.Most infections are usually reported in August and September, so it's too early to say how bad this year will end up, CDC officials said.They think the mild winter, early spring and very hot summer have fostered breeding of mosquitoes that pick up the virus from birds they bite and then spread it to people.West Nile virus was first reported in the U.S. in 1999 in New York, and gradually spread across the country over the years. It peaked in 2002 and 2003, when severe illnesses reached nearly 3,000 and deaths surpassed 260. Last year was mild with fewer than 700 cases.Only about one in five infected people get sick. One in 150 infected people will develop severe symptoms including neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and paralysis.In recent years, cases have been scattered across the country. Hot spots are usually in southeast Louisiana, central and southern California, and areas around Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Phoenix.Those areas seem to have a combination of factors that include the right kinds of virus-carrying mosquitoes and birds, along with large numbers of people who can be infected, health officials say.The best way to prevent West Nile disease is to avoid mosquito bites. Insect repellents, screens on doors and windows and wearing long sleeves and pants are some of the recommended strategies. Also, empty standing water from buckets, kiddie pools and other places to discourage breeding.
The2News: Child Porn, Coke Smuggling: Hundreds of DHS Employees Arrested Last Year | Danger Room | http://t.co/GUACXsSV http://t.co/V83gn7FO
  Link to Article
  Source: Twitter / The2News
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:51
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Facebook, the CIA, DARPA, and the Tanking IPO
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:49
  >>The big infusion of cash that sent Mark Zuckerberg and his fledgling college enterprise on their way came from Accel Partners, in 2004.
  Jim Breyer, head of Accel, attached a $13 million rocket to Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) , and nothing has ever been the same.
  Earlier that same year, a man named Gilman Louie joined the board of the National Venture Capital Association of America (NVCA). The chairman of NVCA? Jim Breyer. Gilman Louie happened to be the first CEO of the important CIA start-up, In-Q-Tel.
  In-Q-Tel was founded in 1999, with the express purpose of funding companies that could develop technology the CIA would use to ''gather data.''
  That's not the only connection between Jim Breyer and the CIA's man, Gilman Louie. In 2004, Louie went to work for BBN Technologies, headed up by Breyer. Dr. Anita Jones also joined BBN at that time. Jones had worked for In-Q-Tel and was an adviser to DARPA, the Pentagon's technology department that helped develop the Internet.
  With these CIA/Darpa connections, it's no surprise that Jim Breyer's jackpot investment in Facebook is not part of the popular mythology of Mark Zuckerberg. Better to omit it. Who could fail to realize that Facebook, with its endless stream of personal data, and its tracking capability, is an ideal CIA asset?
  But now the Facebook stock has tanked. On Friday, August 17, it weighed in at half its initial IPO price. For the first time since the IPO, venture-capital backers were legally permitted to sell off their shares, and some did, at a loss.
  Read More...
26 Dead in Texas Due to West Nile Virus
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:48
  U.S. health officials say there's been an alarming increase in the number of West Nile cases with Texas being hit hardest.
  So far there have been more than 1,100 cases reported through the middle of August. That's three times as many as usually seen at this point in the year. About half the cases are in Texas. Most West Nile infections are reported in August and September.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the new numbers Wednesday. They say the mild winter, early spring and very hot summer have fostered breeding of the mosquitoes.
  But, according to the Star-Telegram, the CDC numbers may be delayed compared to the cases actually detected in North Texas. Analysis by the paper claimed the numbers from the federal health officials could be underreporting fatalities by 70 percent.
  NBC 5's own record-keeping of the total number of West Nile human cases reported by local health officials brings the total number to 662 as of Aug. 21; CDC numbers only reference 537 infections in the entire state.
  >>Read More...Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
US Drone Strikes Target Rescuers in Pakistan '' and the West Stays Silent
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:48
  Source: Guardian.co.uk
  The US government has long maintained, reasonably enough, that a defining tactic of terrorism is to launch a follow-up attack aimed at those who go to the scene of the original attack to rescue the wounded and remove the dead. Morally, such methods have also been widely condemned by the west as a hallmark of savagery. Yet, as was demonstrated yet again this weekend in Pakistan, this has become one of the favorite tactics of the very same US government.
  A 2004 official alert from the FBI warned that ''terrorists may use secondary explosive devices to kill and injure emergency personnel responding to an initial attack''; the bulletin advised that such terror devices ''are generally detonated less than one hour after initial attack, targeting first responders as well as the general population''. Security experts have long noted that the evil of this tactic lies in its exploitation of the natural human tendency to go to the scene of an attack to provide aid to those who are injured, and is specifically potent for sowing terror by instilling in the population an expectation that attacks can, and likely will, occur again at any time and place:
  '''The problem is that once the initial explosion goes off, many people will believe that's it, and will respond accordingly,' [the Heritage Foundation's Jack] Spencer said '... The goal is to 'incite more terror. If there's an initial explosion and a second explosion, then we're thinking about a third explosion,' Spencer said.''
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Fast and Furious Update '' Inspector General Report Concluded. Report In ''Lockdown''
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:46
  Media just now indicating the Inspector General's investigation into the failed and deadly Fast and Furious scandal has been concluded. This investigation was initiated as far back as 2011. Here is how Townhall describes the current situation:
  ______________
  According to sources, the long awaited Department of Justice Inspector General Report on Operation Fast and Furious has been delivered to DOJ ''shot callers,'' including Attorney General Eric Holder, this morning. It will be reviewed today and in the coming weeks. No cell phones, Ipads or computers are allowed in the review room. After it is reviewed, it will be released to the public in 30 days. LINK
  ______________
  So no public/media access to the report for another 30 days. What will Mr. Holder and the Obama administration be doing over the course of that 30 days to deal with any damaging information to come from the investigation? Will Republican continue to push their legal challenge against the Obama administration for its use of Executive Privilege that is allowing them to refuse turning over documents to Congressional investigators?
  We shall see'...
  -UM
President Obama Can't Spell ''OHIO''
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:46
  You would think a swing state with 18 electoral votes that appears to be slipping from his grasp would be important enough for Barack Obama to know how to spell it correctly. Apparently not'...
  ( A word of advice to @BarackObama: it's ''O-H-I-O'' that has 18 electoral votes, not ''O-I-H-O'' )
  ________________
  A college student sent the photo of the hapless president acting as the letter ''H'' and placing himself as the third letter in Ohio. The photo was then sent to Romney's Ohio communications director, Christopher Maloney, who sent the above tweet.
  The Washington Post quickly came to the president's defense, claiming the tweeted photo to be doctored. This was quickly indicated as false. The photo of Barack Obama incorrectly spelling Ohio is legit. Obama and his handlers eventually realized the error and had the president make act out the correct letter and placement, and THAT is the photo the campaign included on its own website, to which the Romney campaign replied with this message:
  ''I'm sure President Obama would like a do-over of his first term as well '' Ohio isn't going to let that happen.''
  LINK
http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/08/the-oatmeal-internet-raise-850000-in-six-days-for-tesla-museum/
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:44
  Matthew Inman's fundraiser for a museum dedicated to Nikola Tesla hit its $850,000 goal in less than a week. While the fundraiser never received the corporate sponsorship Inman initially hoped for, it did get two sponsors who pitched in $33,333 each.
  A nonprofit group named the Tesla Wardenclyffe Project Inc. had been trying for years to buy Wardenclyffe, the site of one of Tesla's old laboratories, in Shoreham, Long Island. The company that owns the property, the Agfa Corporation, had asked $1.6 million for the 16 acres of land. The state of New York offered to pitch in $850,000 if the nonprofit could come up with that much money.
  Inman, a noted Tesla enthusiast, spearheaded a fundraiser on Indiegogo for that $850,000, pointing out that there is no Tesla museum in the United States (though there is one in Belgrade) and claiming that the Afga Corporation had received an offer from another party interested in tearing Tesla's old lab building down and turning it into a "retail establishment." The fundraiser goal was reached in six days, put over the top by $33,333 from an anonymous donor.
  The Tesla Wardenclyffe Project had successfully lobbied to place Wardenclyffe on the National Register of Historic Places prior to the fundraiser, but it could not be entered to the register without a formal nomination from the owner of the property. According to the nonprofit's website, it hopes to add "modern science center facilities" alongside what will become the "Nikola Tesla Museum, Library and Historical Archive."
Designing according to ancient principles may do more than put your home in balance '-- it may enhance your life
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:42
  I've found the basic ideas of feng shui to be quite useful in advising clients. For me, the key is not to take it too literally. Terms like "dragons" and "chi" are meant to be symbolic. Nevertheless, they communicate important ideas and make us think differently about the layout and materials of a space.A good example is the balance of elements: I can't tell you how many homes I see that are buried in dark wrought iron and dark brown leather. Everything is so hard and ominous, I swear I half-expect a Medieval knight to come riding in.
  Sure, many feng shui principles are common sense. But as I like to say, "common sense isn't all that common". If it were, we wouldn't have so many spaces -especially restaurants- that are poorly arranged.
  As to a belief that furniture placement doesn't impact how we feel, I'm afraid I must disagree. Good design is not just about aesthetics, it's also about putting people at ease. The ideas of feng shui and functionality can create an environment in which it's easier to relax, and in which you tend to linger. Both of which are beneficial in a home, or in a space where you want to attract customers.
http://www.redstate.com/breeanneh/2012/08/21/radical-islam-joins-the-dnc/
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:40
  Starting at the end of this month the Democratic National Convention will open with a focus on Islam. 20,000 Muslims are expected to attend according to the Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs (BIMA), the national Muslim American non-profit coordinating the two days of events they claim are non-political. ''Jumah at the DNC'' begins August 29 and will start with a Friday afternoon jummah prayer followed by other unnamed programs and events, leading up to the Islamic Regal Banquet. The following day will be an all day Islamic Cultural and Fun Fest which will include discussions on the topics of Islamaphobia, Anti-Shariah, Middle Eastern Crisis, Patriot Act, National Defense Authorization Act and more. The purpose, according to BIMA, is to attract national and international attention to the plight of American Muslims and to hold political parties accountable for issues that affect them. However, not all Muslims feel that BIMA represents them and M. Zuhdi Jasser M.D., Founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, has expressed serious concerns.
  It is troubling that the Democratic National Convention has decided to promote and lend its name and national political platform to the organizers of the ''Jummah at the DNC''. The leaders of this event '' Jibril Hough and Imam Siraj Wahhaj as advertised are no moderates. They are radicals. These individuals embrace Islamist supremacy and have demonstrated support for radical ideologies.
  A quick Google search by the DNC would have shown them that Hough and Wahhaj are leaders in the separatist American Islamist movement. While they may be able to get a few thousand Muslims to attend the event, they are NOT going to be mainstream Muslims. Most will likely come from Hough and Wahhaj's radical networks that have long been entrenched in the Charlotte area. Make no mistake they are part of the Islamist movement.
  This is not about their right of assembly; this group under a different name pulled the same stunt at the US capitol in 2009 claiming 20k and getting 2-3k. THIS IS ABOUT the DNC calling this an ''official function'' listing these radicals as typical of the DNC community and more importantly about this organization speaking out AS representing supposedly typical American Muslims (or ''Mainstream'').
  If that is who the DNC is consorting with then all Americans, Democrats should be concerned. There are many patriotic Muslims who are part of both parties, and when radical ideologues like this do a demonstration of ''solidarity'' in the name of our faith and choose an imam like Siraj Wahhaj who I saw with my own eyes in 1995 seditiously say it his duty and our duty as Muslims to replace the US Constitution with the Quran- then we need to speak up!
  Their jummah (group) prayer is supposedly against the Patriot Act, the NYPD, and Islamophobia and is actually NOT about our democracy but about empowering their Islamist and MB (Muslim Brotherhood) sympathetic groups into the very fabric of the political system so that Americans become anesthetized. We need American Muslims to speak up and marginalize these radicals. The DNC needs to understand and reject them because of their radical history and ideas.
  They use our American Muslim identity to speak as ''one community'' as a political unit or as a ''bloc vote'' '' a political Islamist party when in fact most us Muslims don't want that political unity and seek reform against their ideology that seeks to hijack our community. They do not represent us. (emphasis mine)
  In fact, Zuhdi Jasser is correct, Jibril Hough and Imam Siraj Wahhaj have said and done radical things in their past. Which means either the Democrats failed to utilize due diligence or they simply didn't care. In addition to the Muslims being misrepresented, Democrats and Charlotteans also have a right to know how the DNC has failed them before they even arrive in Charlotte.
  Jibril Hough may be a name many in Charlotte are familiar with already. He is the leader of a Sunni mosque, The Islamic Center of Charlotte, who is been known for being outspoken against Representative Sue Myrick '' a North Carolina Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee. Beyond calling her plan to fight against jihadist activity in America ''a fear campaign'' and the ''new McCarthyism (or Myrickism)'', he confronted her in a Muslim Town Hall he organized in 2010. According to Jasser, the language used by Hough as his Town Hall was strikingly similar to that of the Muslim Brotherhood when he stated, ''As citizens of a non-Muslim country and as American Muslims, we have a contract with America and not a contract on America. This means that we must abide by the laws of this state and we cannot be at war with this state.'' As Jasser points out, ''note the deep seeded separatism in this 'we' mindset. Basically he is saying that this system of laws is not his or the Muslims he represents but they will follow it-for now.'' Further, Hough commented on his support of laws that would mandate ''Muslim'' behaviors for American-Muslims, but wouldn't affect nonMuslims; again Jasser notes Hough's separatist tone that mimics political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood mindset, which supports ''separate legal paths for each faith'' instead of ''one law based in reason''. Jibril has also stated he is the North Carolina head of the Islamic Political Party of America(IPPA), based in Charlotte, who in a 2002 press release claimed the Jews were behind 9/11. As if that weren't enough, IPPA is close to another organization known as Jamaat Al Muslimeen (JAM), The Islamic Peoples Movement, who (in addition to being Holocaust deniers) had this advice for President Obama:
  He should ensure that those Muslims he talks to do represent authentic Islam. All Islamic movements oppose America's policies. If Obama talks to Muslims who support America's policies, it will be an exercise in futility.
  In response to Hough accusing Rep. Myrick of being anti-Muslim, he was interviewed on the formerly conservative radio station WBT in Charlotte. Radio host Keith Larson questioned him as to why his mosque was owned by The North American Islamic Trust (NAIT), an organization blacklisted by the U.S. Justice Department as an unindicted co-conspirator in the largest terror finance case in U.S. history. According to the government, NAIT is also a front for HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood in America. Hough, when presented by Larson with the documents, claimed he didn't realize his mosque was owned by NAIT and was also unaware that they had been blacklisted. Hough went on in the interview to defend HAMAS and accuse the U.S. and Israel of the only ''real'' terrorism.
  Imam Siraj Wahhaj is imam of a mosque in Brooklyn, New York, the leader of The Muslim Alliance in North America, a member of CAIR, and an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. As a character witness for Omar Abdel Rahman (the Blind Sheik) who was convicted of plotting to blow up the World Trade Center and other New York City landmarks, Wahhaj described him as a ''respected scholar,'' and ''bold, as a strong preacher of Islam.'' Wahhaj is also a Board of Trustee member of the North American Imams Federation (NAIF)(who's website currently features an anti-Jewish, anti-black rant), a Muslim Brotherhood front organization, who (coincidentally) held a conference in Charlotte last year on Islamophobia. Like Hough, Wahhaj is also connected to NAIT by way of his membership in the Islamic Society of North America(ISNA), which was also found by the government to be a front for HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood. While Hough has been careful to play politics in Charlotte, Wahhaj has not hidden his hatred for America. He is quoted as calling America, ''a garbage can'... filthy, filthy and sick.'' As an imam, he has stated, ''Where ever you came from, you came to America. And you came for one reason '' for one reason only- to establish Allah's deen (a complete way of life).'' He believes that the only reason to get involved in politics is to use it as a weapon in the cause of Islam. By his own admission, the question of why Wahhaj would be interested in hosting events at the DNC is obvious.
  How BIMA gained access to the DNC is more of a mystery. Muhammad Heshaam Jaaber, the Executive Director, Jibril Hough, spokesman, and Captain James Yusuf Yee, BIMA National Representative for the DNC are the only publicly identified members and each one appears to be connected to U.S. Representative Keith Ellison; the first Muslim ever to be elected to Congress and a former supporter of Louis Farrakhan. Ellison, who attended President Obama's Iftar Dinner earlier this month, made the news last month when Representative Michelle Bachmann called for him (among others) to be investigated for ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Whether or not he has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Ellison is not far from them having associates within BIMA. Jasser points out that Hough sought advice from Ellison before proceeding with his Town Hall with Rep. Myrick. Captain Yee (who will be speaking at the event) appears in BIMA's promotional video for Jumah at the DNC quoting Ellison as saying, ''If you're not at the table, then you're on the menu.'' Yee is described by BIMA as ''a chaplain in the U.S. Military'' and an ''eye witness to to the unjust treatment of military detainees and prisoners of Guantanamo Bay'' who was allegedly detained ''when he took steps to prevent the injustice.'' However, BIMA fails to mention that Yee was charged by the military with sedition, aiding the enemy, spying, espionage and failure to obey a general order; charges ultimately dropped due to national security concerns about releasing evidence in the case. Also speaking will be Hassen Abdellah, who BIMA has no problem admitting was ''a lead defense attorney for the 1993 First World Trade bombing suspects'' Ellison has also appeared alongside Wahhaj on many speaking engagements for organizations such as ISNA and NAIF, despite both organizations being fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood. If Ellison is the link between BIMA and the DNC, then can it be said that, not only does he not mind the questionable associations of those within the organization, but also the other speakers they will be bringing in?
  BIMA has stated they have smaller events planned for the Republican National Convention, however when reached out to, GOP convention staff said they have no knowledge of any events planned in or around Tampa at the time. With the Democratic National Convention only a couple weeks away, it will be interesting to see if the media chooses to cover what one would assume to be a controversial start to renominate President Barack Obama.
Christianity & gun owners in the crosshairs: Chilling tactic exposed
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:38
  Christian gun owners of America, be forewarnedIf you are an outspoken Christian in America, you need to be concerned. If you are an outspoken Christian in America who happens to be a gun owner, you need to be very concerned. And if you are a Christian gun owner who disagrees with the Progressive anti-Christian agenda in America and have a platform to inform others, you better believe that you are under intense scrutiny. Sound like paranoid propaganda? Read on.
  It's one thing to say that there is a war against Christianity and an active agenda to disarm Americans, but it's another thing altogether to watch it unfold, up close and personal. And yet another to actually document an insidious but effective tactic that is presently being used to silence and disarm Christians right here in America. In this report, I will expose a new tactic being used by the atheistic communist supporters of the Obama regime to silence Christian critics and to disarm them at the same time.
  I might have never known about this had it not been for our nightly radio program, the Hagmann " Hagmann Report. In fact, our show played a minor role in the events that transpired. Jason Ergoff, a 28-year old web designer and graphics artist from Scranton, Pennsylvania, called in to our show last week to comment on current events, including how Christianity seems to be under attack in America and across the globe. From the statements made by the CEO of Chick Fil-A regarding traditional families as defined by the Bible to the resurgence of attacks on Christians across the Middle East as a result of the ''Arab Spring,'' we conversed about how Christians are in the crosshairs now more than any other time in recent history. We talked about Barack Hussein Obama's role in what seems to be overt antagonism toward Christianity and Biblical principles. Mr. Ergoff's input to our show was a rational and welcome discourse about the events we see unfolding.
  Mr. Ergoff called our program before and has always been articulate and well informed. His call last week was equally articulate and without unnecessary emotion or hype, just like his previous calls. He made his points in a very well-reasoned, rational and non-threatening manner and said nothing with which we could disagree.
  Through our dialogue that included off air correspondence, we were delighted to learn that Mr. Egroff himself is hosting his own weekly radio program called Revelation News Radio, a show that provides his analysis of current events through the prism of the Holy Bible. As he is just getting started, he did a few shows leading up his weekly slot, including a show on August 7, 2012, a day after he called our program as a guest. After his call to our program, we moved on, and our program concluded without incident. This is when events began to get very interesting, and go very wrong for Mr. Egroff.
  Monitoring the watchmenAs Mr. Egroff was seated at his computer preparing to listen to our program that began at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, he received a telephone call from a man who identified himself as ''Officer Steve'' from the city of Scranton Police Department, who told Jason that he was calling just to check on him, to see if he was ''alright.'' Jason, who never heard of ''Officer Steve,'' or really understood the nature of the call, responded that he was fine and had no problems where he might need the police. He was taken off guard by the call and became uneasy, especially since the officer was elusive in providing a legitimate reason for the call.
  While our broadcast was playing on Jason's computer, he received another telephone call from a ''restricted'' number. It was ''Officer Steve'' again, although this time he was calling from the front porch of Mr. Ergoff's house. The officer reintroduced himself, and asked Jason to turn on the porch light and step outside as he wanted to speak to him. Knowing that he had done nothing wrong, Jason complied with the officer's request. As he stepped onto the porch, ''Officer Steve'' was there to meet him, accompanied by another law enforcement officer.
  I should note that Jason Ergoff is not stupid or naive, and sensed that had he not complied with the officer's request, things might have gotten ugly. ''It was a matter of choosing my battles,'' he told me, but he was still not quite ready for what happened next.
  The officer told Jason that the Scranton Police Department received a telephone call from a ''friend'' living in New York City who claimed to be concerned about Jason's mental health. This friend works as a physical therapy assistant at a large New York City hospital. It is important to note his ''friend's'' professional position is well outside of the mental health practice.
  According to the officer, Jason's friend contacted his department, and claimed that he was ''worried'' about him, citing his recent talk about the Bible in general, Biblical prophecy in particular, and the role of the Obama regime in the larger picture detailed by prophecy. This ''friend'' has been listening to Jason's calls to The Hagmann " Hagmann Report as well as Jason's own recently started BTR radio show.
  Additionally, Jason's friend knew that he owns a couple of guns, none that are of much monetary value or the type people intent on doing harm would possess. Despite this, his friend expressed concern that Jason could possibly use the weapons in some nefarious manner. Based on Jason's own admission, he rarely uses the guns to target practice and has little attachment to them. During my interview with Jason, he said that he did not care if he had a gun or not, they are simply not that important to him.
  ''You need to come with us''The officer told Jason that he had to go with them based on a mental health complaint that originated solely from his friend, the physical therapist assistant in New York, who claimed that he was worried for Jason's safety. At this point, Jason was under the control of the officers, and was not permitted to be alone as he entered his house to shut things down for the trip he was about to take.
  The officers took Jason to the local hospital psychiatric ward for ''evaluation.'' For the next 18 hours, he was subjected to some of the most humiliating searches, probes, and questions by hospital personnel. Questions included those specific to his religious faith and what he thought about the government and Obama. Questions that were structured in such a manner that regardless of the answer, they would result in portraying him as a dangerous, gun-owning Christian zealot. All as a result of Jason expressing his non-violent, well reasoned, and articulate views on our show as well as his own. All ostensibly from the concern of one ''friend'' from another state and well over 100 miles away.
  Jason Ergoff was indeed evaluated by two medical health professionals. Despite the manner in which Mr. Ergoff was picked-up, detained, probed, prodded and interviewed (some might call it an interrogation), he remained calm and did his best to comply. He believed that the medical professionals would find him in good mental health and realize that this was all a mistake. He could then use his experience to help others.
  Christianity: the medical diagnosis of psychosisJason was indeed released after about 20 hours of evaluation. He was given his belt and shoelaces back, and all of his personal belongings taken from him upon admission. He was released without fanfare, without apology, and without explanation. But with little additional interaction, Jason was now labeled with the medical diagnosis of ''psychosis'' and urged to take medication that he states he does not need and does not want. Additionally, Jason was released under the condition that he gets rid of any and all firearms he owns and report to a crisis counseling center upon discharge.
  This gets a bit more interesting when Jason, who felt it best to accommodate the evaluating doctors, reported to the crisis counseling center as instructed. Mr. Ergoff furnished the handful of paperwork to the crisis center worker who spent a few minutes looking over the documents. After a lengthy pause, she looked at Jason and made the following chilling observation as if it was a matter of routine: ''So, you're here because of your religious beliefs.'' As Jason tells it, this was not a question, but a statement of fact.
  As a career investigator, I've been exposed to people with mental health issues, and interviewed many. I know that it's easy to be fooled, and that a person might appear normal, say the correct things, but then turn out to be a complete lunatic. I'll admit that in Jason's case, I expected to find just that scenario. I conducted a lengthy interview with Jason, asked him some very personal questions, and demanded to see documentation related to this incident. I was not about to get fooled by Jason or anyone else. To his credit, Mr. Ergoff complied with my every request and provided me with the hospital documentation I requested.
  Watching the watchers who are watching the 'watchmen'After spending two days of constant research and investigation into his case alone, I must report here that there is something very wrong about this case, and it's not Jason Ergoff. Despite the diagnosis of ''psychosis,'' he was permitted to keep his guns, at least for now. As for his ''friend'' who was so worried about his welfare, I've got his ''number.'' You see, one thing I did not tell Mr. Ergoff is that I was able to learn the identity of the man who turned him in as a threat to himself and society. I've tracked his IP addresses and his online activity. My investigation found that this is no ordinary case of someone being concerned about a friend's welfare, but part of a larger agenda to silence the Christian conservatives and critics of this administration. I am holding that information and documentation closely, as I feel that Jason and perhaps others might need it when they come for his guns or even him once again.
  By the way, the concerned friend showed just where his concern actually lies, and it certainly does not appear to be with Jason. That was clearly illustrated in a 3:00 a.m. phone call made to Jason by his friend, where he screamed at Jason for daring to mention the incident on our program, sans names, of course.
  Lest you think this is an isolated case, I have since heard from five-(5) other individuals in different parts of the U.S. that this has happened to within the last thirty-(30) days. It appears the war against freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, openly professing one's belief in God and the right to bear arms is now sufficient to earn you a medical diagnosis of ''psychosis.''
  Christian gun owners of America, be forewarned.
  Doug HagmannMost recent columnsCopyright (C) Douglas HagmannDouglas J. Hagmann and his son, Joe Hagmann host The Hagmann " Hagmann Report, a live Internet radio program broadcast each weeknight from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET.
  Douglas Hagmann, founder " director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, and a multi-state licensed private investigative agency. Doug began using his investigative skills and training to fight terrorism and increase public awareness through his website.
  Doug can be reached at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  Older articles by Doug Hagmann
First words of safe landing on Mars
  Link to Article
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:05
  This image shows Curiosity's Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) "war room" and its staff. On the night of Aug. 5, 2012 PDT (early morning Aug. 6 EDT), 34 engineers gathered in this room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., to support the landing. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
  10:32 p.m. on the evening of Aug. 5 was turning out to be one long minute for Steve Sell. Of course, the previous six had been significantly protracted as well. When added together, the entry, descent and landing of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover had been touted as "Seven Minutes of Terror," and as far as Sell was concerned things were trending in that direction. What the 42-year-old engineer from Gettysburg, Pa., wanted more than anything in that seventh minute was to hear the words "UHF Strong."
  There had been a debate amongst Curiosity's entry, descent and landing team about what their first words to indicate that the rover had reached the surface should be. The EDL team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory knew their microphones would be "hot" and that NASA TV was beaming the landing event out live to anybody with the desire and wherewithal to watch. They also knew that landing safely on Mars meant more than simply landing on Mars - which any one of the 34 engineers present at JPL's Building 264 Room 230, also known as the "EDL War Room," will tell you at great length is not simple at all. Their rocket-propelled backpack and rover-lowering Sky Crane system were getting their first all-up test 154 million miles (248 million kilometers) away from home, and there was still plenty that could go wrong even after the rover was gently placed on the surface... plenty.
  What if the descent stage kept descending right on top of the rover? What if the bridles connecting the two did not separate? What if the algorithm used to throttle up the engines for the flyaway maneuver was not accurate?
  It was the remaining "what ifs" that made what those first words from Mars confirming the rover was on the surface so important.
  "If we said 'touchdown,' then people not intimately familiar with EDL might infer that Curiosity was good to go," said Sell. "But two more major calls had to be made before I could begin to breathe again."
  At 10:31:45 p.m. PDT, Jody Davis saw the event record, or EVR, she was looking for appear on her computer screen in the EDL War Room. She knew that the "Touchdown" EVR would only be beamed down if the rover's descent stage had throttled down -- a result which could only occur if the descent stage had offloaded half its weight. The only way the rover could offload half its weight in an instant is if it were being held up from below.
  Davis, a member of the EDL team and an engineer from NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia, gave the much reviewed, pre-scripted call -- "Tango Delta nominal."
  Tango and Delta are phonetic identifiers for T and D, which the team used to represent touchdown.
  One down, two to go, thought Sell. The next call the EDL team was looking for was "RIMU Stable."
  "RIMU stands for Rover Inertial Measurement Unit," said Sell. "The RIMU gives us the rover's orientation as well as any movement it is making. If we landed on a crumbling crater wall or an unstable sand dune, or were being dragged by a still-connected descent stage across the surface, then the RIMU would show that in its data set."
  The War Room's David Way, an engineer from JPL, was monitoring that unit's performance. Eight long seconds after Jody's call, he found the EVR he was looking for.
  "RIMU Stable," said Way.
  One more crucial milestone to go.
  Not receiving that one final call would be something of a long shot to be sure. After all, the rover was down on the ground, and RIMU indicated it wasn't moving. Their system had been proven every step of the way so far. But everyone in the EDL War Room got as far as they did not only because they were excellent engineers, but because of their predilection for concocting unappetizing entry, descent and landing scenarios - and then figuring out how to elude them.‚ And one ton of fuel-laden, rocket-firing descent stage climbing straight up, only to fall right back down on their factory-fresh landing site and an otherwise good-to-go, roving Mars laboratory was about as unappetizing a scenario as Sell could imagine.
  That final confirmation would not come from Sell's location. The final confirmation that Curiosity had landed clean would come 200 yards and one building away from the EDL War Room. There, in the Mission Support Area of JPL's Building 230, Adam Steltzner, the mission's EDL phase lead, was staring across the room at Brian Schwartz, who was not making eye contact with anyone. Schwartz, the EDL communications engineer, was staring at his screen. His task was not to check for a good-news EVR from the rover. Instead, he was waiting to see if the UHF signal became intermittent, faded away or just cut out altogether - all potential indications that the rover and descent stage had not gone their separate ways.
  Eight seconds after the RIMU call - Schwartz looked up.
  "UHF strong," said Schwartz.
  With that, Steltzner had all the data he needed. Seated directly in front of the pacing EDL Phase Lead, Allen Chen felt a jab in the shoulder. Chen, the mission's (capsule communicator), knew it could only mean one thing.
  "Touchdown confirmed," said Chen.
  *** EpilogueWith time to reflect upon the events of August 5, Curiosity's EDL phase lead states only one thing fazed him that evening.‚
  "The biggest surprise about EDL was there were no surprises," said Steltzner. "But soon after we were confirmed down, what I saw on the screen absolutely floored me."
  Months, and even years before landing, Steltzner and his team had kicked around the idea of imaging the final moments of the descent stage's short life. Wouldn't it be cool if the rover's first pic could be timed just so?
  Working with the surface operations team, they got the timing of the first images from the surface timed for about 40 seconds after landing - a little bit after the time the descent stage was estimated to impact the ground after flying away to a safe distance.
  "We thought the odds were pretty small that we would see it," said Steltzner.
  But there, right in the upper-middle of those first rear-hazcam images, was a plume of dust rising from the surface.
  A later image, taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera, or HiRISE, aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft in Martian orbit, provides the location of what Curiosity team members believe is the final destination of the powered descent stage - or Sky Crane - which was programmed to fly away automatically after safely depositing the rover on the surface.
  "With HiRISE we get the Sky Crane's distance and its compass heading with respect to the rover," said Steltzner. "The cloud seen in the distance on the Hazcam images is in perfect alignment with where we would expect to see the descent stage.
  "The inescapable conclusion is that we captured the result of what happens when about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of Sky Crane intersect with Martian surface at a pretty good clip. It is truly an amazing shot on a day full of amazing shots."
  More information: A video of imagery from the rover during EDL, including Adam Steltzner's commentary, is available at: 1.usa.gov/NffoWl .
  Provided byNASA
Bigger ads, bigger bucks? Facebook feels Wall Street heat | Internet & Media
  Link to Article
  Source: CNET News
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:20
  The ad that appears when I log out of Facebook.
  See that image above? That's a plain old giant banner ad grabbed from my Facebook page. It appeared after I logged out. Facebook actually calls them "Logged Out" ads. It rolled them out in February when it was trying to show Madison Avenue it was serious about brand advertising in advance of its IPO.A social ad? Sort of, I guess. It wants me to "like" it to get an insurance quote. But make no mistake: While Facebook can come up with whatever terminology it wants, this is the sort of ad that Mark Zuckerberg has long shunned -- the kind that splashes across the page the way one would expect to see on Yahoo, not Facebook.
  And yet there it is. Which leads to the question of Facebook's cratering stock price, and the pressure Zuckerberg must feel from his more business-minded colleagues to do more to rev up the money machine. Zuckerberg has long modeled himself after tech titans like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos, founder-CEOs who steadfastly ignored the harsh judgments of Wall Street in pursuit of their long term visions and, ultimately, incredible financial success. But Facebook is up against a tsunami-like wave of pessimism following what has been calculated to be the worst performing IPO of the last decade.
  The stock now trades around $19 a share, around half its IPO price. Facebook also got dealt a PR blow with the disclosure this week that board member Peter Thiel, the company's first outside investor, has cashed out the bulk of his holdings -- not a big vote of confidence as the din of criticism about Facebook management gets louder. And while Zuckerberg is still sitting atop the world with his billions, many employees are stuck with stock options priced far higher than where Facebook now trades. The high-minded refusal of their CEO to chase the easy money notwithstanding, they might prefer a little short-term thinking.
  A 'gigantic amount of money'No one expects Zuckerberg to veer dramatically from his strategy, which, in brief, boils down to two key components: On the one hand, the company wants to persuade Madison Avenue of the value of Facebook as a new kind of social advertising medium. At the same time, it needs to solve the $64,000 question facing all ad-driven social media sites and amp up its efforts on mobile. Facebook's story is strong: 955 million monthly users, more than half of them coming back daily; $922 million in revenue from advertising in the last quarter. But Wall Street isn't in the mood for a `story.' That's so 1999. It wants proof, in the form of higher revenue and profit growth, especially considering that Facebook, despite the plummet in its share price, still carries a price-to-earnings ratio that dwarfs those of Apple, Google and LinkedIn.
  If you think about the above ad, this Wall Street problem might actually be a simple problem to solve. Why stop at splashy ads on the logout page? Why not the home page? Facebook could expand beyond those tiny ads on the right side of your screen that force advertisers to use static graphics with separate text.
  People cry that such ads will ruin the user experience, but would they really? Every other site on the Web uses them. Facebook's could be well targeted, and it could make a lot of money sprinkling them across Facebook and stealing ad dollars now going elsewhere. Heck, with its traffic, Facebook could theoretically soak up the entire display market. Surely there's an acceptable look somewhere between the current Facebook and the messy MySpace of yesteryear. In fact, given all the additional features to Facebook over the past few years -- including Facebook Ticker and Facebook Chat -- even Facebook no longer looks likes Facebook. Google+, like it or not, is now the clean alternative to Facebook's clutter.
  How easy would this be to turn Facebook's huge reach into a cash machine? Here's what Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist and Facebook board member, told Charlie Rose in February 2009:
  Facebook is deliberately not taking a lot of the kind of normal brand advertising that a lot of Web sites will take. ...Facebook has made a strategic decision to not take a lot of that business in favor of building its own sort of more organic business model and it's still in the process of doing that and if they crack the code on that which I think that we will, then I think it will be very successful and will be very large. The fallback position is to just take normal advertising. And if Facebook just turned on the spigot for normal advertising today, it'd be doing over a billion dollars in revenue. So it's much more a matter of long-term strategy. Then Rose follows up: "So if you want to make a lot of money instantly, you could." To which Andreessen replies, "Yeah, oh, very easily. It could sell out the homepage and it would start making just a gigantic amount of money."
  Just reading that I can hear the throngs of Facebook employees and investors screaming, 'Do it! Turn on the spigot!'
  In the long run, Zuckerberg might very well be right: The types of social ads that Facebook is pushing, such as Sponsored Stories, which appear in your news feed and are less ad-like, could prove really effective. Big, splashy display ads are hardly great performers, after all. But we're not talking a long-term strategy that would replace Zuckerberg's current direction. We're talking triage in the face of a slipping stock that could color everyone's impression of Facebook -- including ad buyers who might start to look at Facebook as a damaged company.
  Testing new mobile adsThen there's Facebook's mobile challenge. Facebook is under constant attack for not moving faster to squeeze money out of its growing mobile user base. In the latest quarter, mobile monthly users climbed 67 percent from the prior year to 543 million. Facebook has been careful about how it spreads ads on mobile phones. In March, it began rolling out Sponsored Stories for smart phones, where companies can create "stories" that show up in News Feeds of a brand's fans and their friends.
  Facebook is now selling ad space on mobile News Feeds.
  (Credit:Facebook)The early signs are that this is going well, albeit slowly. A study by AdParlor found these ads to be far more effective than desktop ads, and during Facebook's second quarter conference call, Zuckerberg said that as of late June, Sponsored Stories were bringing in about $1 million a day, with half of that from mobile. That would give Facebook about $182 million in mobile revenue a year.
  Enough? Apparently not. Earlier this month, Facebook rolled out its first mobile ad units that aren't tied to a user's social connections on Facebook. The company is letting developers buy ads in mobile News Feeds as a way to help them drive more people to their apps, which sure sounds like a strategy designed to boost Facebook's mobile revenue rather than improve the user experience. Tap on the ad, and it takes you to theAndroid or iOS App Store purchase page.
  While Facebook says it's only testing these ad units with a limited number of partners, it certainly shows a willingness to try ads that have nothing to do with whether or not you 'liked' something. In fact, these ads are no different than ones that marketers buy from mobile ad networks like Tapjoy. Similarly, Facebook last week started a test in which brands can pay to have their "sponsored" posts show up in web and mobile News Feeds of Facebook users who have no connection to them -- something that, until recently, would have been hard to imagine Zuckerberg signing off on.
  "Marketers have been told for years is that Facebook is about community," says Jed Williams, a senior analyst with BIA Kelsey, a research firm focused on interactive media. "Suddenly all that changes if you can drop an ad anywhere." (A Facebook spokesperson described this latest effort as a "small test.")
  Facebook, of course, has many big advertising opportunities that it could be working towards expanding. In June, the company launched an ad exchange, called Facebook Exchange, to let advertisers better target users on Facebook by tracking what else they do across the Web. And there is plenty of speculation that Facebook will create its own third-party ad network that, through Facebook Connect, would tap into your social connections to sell targeted ads across the web.
  In the end this may come down to a question of Mark Zuckerberg convincing Mark Zuckerberg to rethink his principles and bend to the sometime brutal demands which accompany life as a publicly-traded company. And if that happens, Facebook stock may get a much-needed jolt.
LL Cool J Lays Smack Down on Late Night Burglar
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:17
  by Jacky Jasper
  Momma Said Knock You Out!Early this morning, LL Cool J was confronted by a burglary suspect in his Los Angeles home.
  Reportedly, after having heard some commotion in his home, the rapper-turned-actor went downstairs to investigate. That's when he found the intruder. LL then took matters into his own hands, detaining the suspect until LAPD could arrive to the scene.
  Here is what law enforcement had to say:
  ''The suspect entered LL's Los Angeles area house around 2AM, but unfortunately for him the actor was home.
  The suspect will be taken to jail and booked for burglary.''
What Recession?? Nike Releasing $315 Lebron James Sneaker
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:09
  by Jacky Jasper According to The Wall Street Journal, Nike is preparing to release the newest LeBron sneaker and it will cost you some serious cash mane.
  A Nike Plus-enabled version of the the LeBron X has motion sensors in the shoe to track various metrics including how high the player jumps and will retail for between $290 and $315.
  LeBron debuted the latest LJ branded kicks during the Dream Team 2'²s Gold medal ceremony of the London Olympics.
  Will you be forking out that much for Lebron James Nike sneakers?
  spotted on TheUrbanDaily
Huwelijk Trijntje definitief ontspoord? - Priv(C)
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:08
  wo 22 aug 2012, 13:53
  van onze redactie AMSTERDAM - Sander van den Eeden heeft een appartement gekocht in Amsterdam-Zuid. Bij zijn vrouw Trijntje Oosterhuis komt hij er niet meer in.
  Volgens Weekend heeft Sander ruim vier ton betaald voor het grote appartement aan een van de bekendste straten van Amsterdam. De VARA-topman kan nu genieten van twee balkons op het zuiden. Kinderen Jonas en Marijn, die hij kreeg tijdens zijn huwelijk met Trijntje, krijgen allebei een eigen slaapkamer.
  Sander verbleef al enige tijd in een huurwoning nadat hij door Trijntje op straat was gezet. De zangeres was erachter gekomen dat hij haar bedroog met zijn tv-collega Larissa van den Bemt. Even leek het erop dat Trijntje een poging wilde doen om haar huwelijk te redden, maar inmiddels is duidelijk dat het niet meer goed gaat komen.
  De coach van het populaire programma The Voice wil in hun huis in Noordeinde blijven wonen, waar ze ook haar eigen studio heeft.
  Proefabonnement, 10 weken '‚¬ 30,-!(C) 1996-2012 Telegraaf Media Nederland | Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlPrivacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
Media credibility declines again '' especially for Republicans Dvorak News Blog
  Link to Article
  Source: Dvorak News Blog
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:06
  For the second time in a decade, the believability ratings for major news organizations have suffered broad-based declines. In the new survey, positive believability ratings have fallen significantly for nine of 13 news organizations tested. This follows a similar downturn in positive believability ratings that occurred between 2002 and 2004.
  The falloff in credibility affects news organizations in most sectors: national newspapers, such as the New York Times and USA Today, all three cable news outlets, as well as the broadcast TV networks and NPR.
  Across all 13 news organizations included in the survey, the average positive believability rating'...is 56%. In 2010, the average positive rating was 62%. A decade ago, the average rating for the news organizations tested was 71%. Since 2002, every news outlet's believability rating has suffered a double-digit drop, except for local daily newspapers and local TV news. The New York Times was not included in this survey until 2004, but its believability rating has fallen by 13 points since then'...
  The believability ratings for individual news organizations '' like views of the news media generally '' have long been divided along partisan lines. But partisan differences have grown as Republicans' views of the credibility of news outlets have continued to erode. Today, there are only two news organizations '' Fox News and local TV news '' that receive positive believability ratings from at least two-thirds of Republicans. A decade ago, there were only two news organizations that did not get positive ratings from at least two-thirds of Republicans. By contrast, Democrats generally rate the believability of news organizations positively; majorities of Democrats give all the news organizations tested ratings of 3 or 4 on the 4-point scale, with the exception of Fox News'...
  Republicans have long held a more negative view of the credibility of the news media than Democrats and this continues to be reflected in current assessments of news outlets. Republicans rate the believability of nine of 13 news organizations less positively than do Democrats. Fox News is the only news organization that is rated higher for believability by Republicans'...
  The partisan difference in news providers '' to me '' is a pretty accurate reflection of what has become the predominant ideology in the Republican Party. If news sources around the world are presenting facts, information, anecdotes which contradict what they believe '' than the reporting is wrong '' not the reality Republicans believe in.
  Take away the portion of results skewed by a Republican belief system and all the news organizations are believable except Fox News.
Drought Not the Only Factor Driving Up Agricultural Prices
  Link to Article
  Source: ZapLog - externe links
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:05
  The severe drought in the US has been blamed the rising prices of agricultural commodities. But that is only part of the story: Biofuels, financial speculation and changing dietary habits are also playing a role. The global food supply faces pressure from all sides. By SPIEGEL Staff
  Farmer Mike Geske speaks with the experience of generations. "Every major drought has its very own character," he says. It's a lesson derived from his family history. His grandfather, an immigrant from Germany, established a farm in Matthews, Missouri, and his father expanded it. Both related to Geske, now 62, several stories about droughts and what they did to keep the farm going.
  This year's severe drought, says Geske, has been unusually long and hot. "It started in May of last year. First it rained like crazy. But then, suddenly, it was as if someone had turned off the water," says Geske.
  The land around Matthews is as flat as a board. Geske, together with his son and two employees, farms 850 hectares (1,870 acres). The corn harvest began last week -- and the cobs don't look good, even the ones from those plants Geske has been able to irrigate. The kernels are small and there are wide gaps between them.
  It is the same story across the American Midwest, which is experiencing its worst drought since the 1930s. One-sixth of the corn crop has been lost and the soybean plants and wheat stalks don't look much better. Shortages and rising prices for essential commodities are the result.
  Some prices have soured by almost 50 percent within just 10 weeks, and grain warehouses are beginning to empty out. Other important supplier countries also anticipate poor harvests. Because of a prolonged dry period in Russia, wheat exports are expected to be only half of what they were last year. Brazil, on the other hand, has had too much rain, which is bad news for sugar-cane farmers. "The latest crop predictions suggest that we should fear the worst," the United Nations World Food Programme warned last week. It is the third such warning in recent years, following similar crises in 2008 and 2011. Catastrophe, it would seem, is becoming the norm.
  A Key Issue
  Sudden spikes in the prices of wheat, soybeans and corn threaten the wellbeing of every individual. Economists warn of "agflation," or inflation triggered by a rise in the price of agricultural products. Poor nations, however, are disproportionately affected because people there spend a larger share of their income on food. But consumers in the industrialized world will also feel the effects.
  Mills, forced to pay high prices for wheat and other grains used in making bread, pass the added cost on to bakers. The bakers' suppliers also charge more for ingredients like nuts, poppy seeds and margarine, says Amin Werner, head of the German Bakers' Association. "This can't be ignored, which is why consumers will also notice."
  The G-20 has also taken notice, and plans to hold a meeting this autumn to address the crisis. First and foremost, the group of the world's strongest economies and developing nations wants to prevent countries from taking unilateral action. Two years ago, Russia temporarily suspended wheat exports, which only drove prices up even further. This time, countries like Argentina and Brazil could follow a similar path and curb their soybean exports, fears Bonn agriculture professor Ernst Berg. This would decrease supply even further. "The crisis will only get worse," Berg predicts.
  Securing the food supply is becoming a key issue on the international agenda, now that a global battle for agricultural commodities has erupted. "Food is the new oil," says Lester Brown, founder of the Washington-based Earth Policy Institute, "and land is the new gold." Politicians and citizens are worried about how the food supply can be guaranteed in the future -- and at what price. Four factors play a critical role here:
  CLIMATE CHANGE IS DECIMATING CROPS.
  Many climatologists predict that in a warming world, heat waves like the one in the United States this year will become more frequent and more severe. In a new study, agricultural economists at New York's Columbia University predict that, if the climate models turn out to be true, extreme heat could reduce crop yields in the United States by about 30 percent.
  The world must be prepared for the consequences of climate change varying greatly by region, with yields shrinking in some areas and growing in others. Regions of Scandinavia that were once cold and barren will likely turn into breadbaskets. The losers will include current centers of agricultural productivity like southern Spain. The vegetation belt in Africa will also shift, with the Sahara becoming greener and severe droughts becoming more common in the south.
  MORE BIOFUEL MEANS LESS FOOD.
  Since 2005, US refineries have been required to add fuel derived from renewable sources to conventional gasoline. The United States is using this approach to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. The problem is that the country is now using more corn to produce ethanol than to make animal feed.
  About 40 percent of the corn crop is converted into biofuel, and less and less farmland is available to grow other crops. Investment firm Lupus Alpha is critical of Washington's environmental strategy because by subsidizing ethanol, the government has created a "demand monster." The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) argues that the ethanol requirement should be suspended immediately so as to defuse the "food versus fuel" conflict.
  German Development Minister Dirk Niebel used a similar argument last week, when he suggested imposing a sales ban on E10. Chancellor Angela Merkel's government only introduced E10, a fuel containing 10 percent ethanol, in early 2011, against the recommendations of experts.
  Today German farmers use 2.2 million of the 16.7 million hectares they farm to grow plants for the production of biofuel. German fields are bright yellow in the spring, from rapeseed plants, while corn dominates the landscape in the fall. The amount of land devoted to such crops could grow to 4 million hectares by 2020.
  Several politicians from Merkel's conservatives are supportive of Niebel's call for a ban on E10 sales. "It's unacceptable that people all over the world are suffering from hunger, while we incinerate biomass to make inefficient energy," says senior conservative parliamentarian Michael Fuchs.
  SPECULATORS DRIVE UP PRICES OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES.
  Since the beginning of the agricultural crisis in 2008, there have been price surges that cannot be explained by normal factors. Market prices for rice, for example, sometimes shoot up by 30 percent in a single day.
  Such movement is likely the result of financial market speculation. Investors, especially investment banks and pension funds, don't trade in real goods. They have no interest in physically owning corn, soybeans or wheat. By entering into futures contracts, they are merely speculating on changes in the prices of food commodities. Trading in agricultural commodity futures almost tripled between June and July.
  Growing demand causes futures prices to rise, which ultimately affects the real market -- which is precisely the problem. Many studies show that futures contracts affect prices on real markets, and experts only disagree on how large the effect is.
  Criticism of making money in a way that ultimately exacerbates hunger has convinced a few banks to rethink their approach. Three German banks, Commerzbank, Deka-Bank and Landesbank Baden-W¼rttemberg have decided to stop engaging in speculation related to agricultural commodities. But according to aid organization Oxfam, the big players are not following suit, including German insurance giant Allianz and Deutsche Bank, which have 6.2 billion and 4.6 billion, respectively, invested in food commodities speculation.
  To undermine speculation, experts propose the establishment of a sort of central bank for grain. Under the plan, the important agricultural countries would establish a joint reserve. In the event of sudden price spikes, they would be able to throw grain onto the market to bring down prices and force speculators out of the business.
  NEW CONSUMPTION PATTERNS EXACERBATE SCARCITY.
  In emerging economies, a new middle class has developed whose members have completely different eating habits than their parents' and grandparents' generations. Meat is no longer the luxury it once was.
  China, in particular, is leading the charge. In the two decades since 1990, Chinese annual per capita income has risen from the equivalent of $341 to $5,400. In the same period, annual meat consumption has more than doubled, from 26 to 56 kilograms.
  Domestic agricultural production is far from sufficient to cover such a rise in demand, especially for animal feed, so China has turned to the world markets for soybeans and corn. Because about three kilos of feed are needed to produce one kilo of pork, the new eating habits are magnifying the supply problem.
  Doubling Production
  More than anything, the four factors affected agricultural commodity prices indicate not only that the situation is tense, but that it is also likely to stay that way. The global population grows by some 78 million people a year, and while the demand for food is constantly increasing, the supply is limited. The amount of land currently under cultivation worldwide -- about 1.5 billion hectares -- can hardly be expanded.
  Still, Bonn agricultural economist Berg is convinced that it is possible to feed every inhabitant of the earth, and will be even in the year 2050. "To be able to feed the nine billion people that will likely be living on the planet at that point, we'll have to double our current agricultural production, which is theoretically possible," says Berg. To do so, agriculture would have to increase productivity reserves worldwide, by using the best grain varieties, more efficient irrigation and powerful machinery. There is enormous potential, as evidenced by the fact that Russian farmers produce 1.9 tons of wheat per hectare, compared with German yields of 7.8 tons, or almost four times as much.
  Genetic engineering is also one of the tools that promise better crop yields in a limited amount of space, by producing more drought-tolerant plants, for example. But society still has substantial reservations about the technology.
  Moreover, not all experts are as optimistic that the agricultural crisis can be solved with more technology, biology and chemistry. On the contrary, many warn against treating the maximization of crop yields as the solution. They include the group of scientists that wrote the World Development Report four years ago.
  They conclude that the superiority of industrial agriculture is a myth, and that, in reality, it is responsible in large part for climate change, species extinction, the poisoning of the environment, water shortages and disease, which ultimately makes it responsible for hunger and poverty. The report argues that monocultures, pesticide use, artificial irrigation and synthetic fertilizer contaminate water and ruin the soil. As a result, say the authors, it is better to strengthen small farmers, who concentrate on local markets and use less water than large-scale farming operations. They also believe that these small farmers are easily capable of satisfying demand in developing countries.
  Perhaps, though, altogether different measures are necessary in the fight against hunger. Another front line runs through our kitchens: A third of all food, after all, ends up in the garbage.
  BY CLEMENS H–GES, ALEXANDER JUNG, MALTE LAUB, MICHAELA SCHIESSL and GERALD TRAUFETTER
Young Jeezy & Def Jam Served w/ $5 Million Lawsuit
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:03
  by Jacky Jasper
  A former business partner is suing Young Jeezy and Def Jam Recordings, claiming they failed to share millions of dollars in profits from hits he helped Jeezy produce and promote.
  In a lawsuit filed recently in Fulton County Superior Court, Demetrius Ellerbee said he and Jeezy, whose real name is Jay Wayne Jenkins, founded Atlanta-based CTE Music in 2001 as equal partners and later signed with Def Jam to distribute the rising rap artist's music.
  But despite the success of CTE, also known as Corporate Thugz Entertainment, Ellerbee has seen little of the millions of dollars in Def Jam advances and royalties paid to the company, according to Ellerbee's Atlanta attorney, Mario Breedlove.
  Breedlove, who said Jeezy intentionally ''misappropriated'' company funds and redirected them into his personal accounts, said Ellerbee is owed at least $5 million, but the figure is much higher when royalties and interest are figured. He said he is still awaiting an accounting of all Def Jam payments to CTE Music to find out the exact amount his client is owed.
  The lawsuit provides a glimpse into the business side of the highly competitive hip hop and rap music industry, the struggles and triumphs when artists hit it big.
  Ellerbee's suit said CTE Music struck a deal with Def Jam largely because of Jeezy's rapport with Def Jam top executive Antonio ''L.A.'' Reid and Executive Vice President Shakir Stewart, who were known for cultivating successful hip hop and rap artists. Stewart, credited with helping to make Atlanta the ''Motown of the South,'' took his life in Atlanta in 2008.
  Read the Full Story on AccessAtlanta
Is Facebook Straying From the 'Hacker Way'?
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT "gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:00
  Has Facebook lost its hacker way?
  In February, when the company filed to go public with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder, included a letter about the culture of the company that had a section titled ''The Hacker Way.''
  ''Hackers try to build the best services over the long term by quickly releasing and learning from smaller iterations rather than trying to get everything right all at once,'' Mr. Zuckerberg wrote. ''We have the words 'Done is better than perfect' painted on our walls to remind ourselves to always keep shipping.''
  That same day, Mr. Zuckerberg posted a photo on his Timeline of a poster that said ''Stay focused " keep shipping.'' Next to the image, he wrote: ''My desk.''
  But since this inspirational photo, the products Facebook has released have not exactly conveyed a hacker-style ''ship it'' mentality.
  In August, for example, Facebook announced that it was adding a new feature to the Timeline that allows people to say they are ''Expecting a Baby.'' In July there were minor updates to Facebook groups and photos.
  Perhaps the biggest update since the company announced it was going public was the release of a new mobile application called Facebook Camera. Yet even that app was in the works for over a year before it finally shipped. The company's new, speedy mobile applications for Apple iOS devices have also been delayed.
  In Facebook's defense, when you release a product to hundreds of millions of people, it's important to make sure it works properly, without any problems. But there has to be a balance. Toward the end of his letter, Mr. Zuckerberg seemed to address this issue by noting that it is important to ''move fast.''
  ''Moving fast enables us to build more things and learn faster,'' he wrote. ''However, as most companies grow, they slow down too much because they're more afraid of making mistakes than they are of losing opportunities by moving too slowly.''
  He added: ''We have a saying: 'Move fast and break things.''' The idea is that if you never break anything, you're probably not moving fast enough.''
  The problem is, by moving too slowly, as Facebook is doing, it is at risk of breaking the biggest and most important thing of all: the culture of the company and its hacker way.
Nicole Kidman halfnaakt op cover - Priv(C)
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:58
  wo 22 aug 2012, 14:59
  van onze redactieAMSTERDAM - FOTO - Het Amerikaanse blad V heeft Nicole Kidman weten te strikken voor een sexy fotoshoot.
  De 45-jarige actrice siert halfnaakt de nieuwe cover van het blad. Nicole draagt op de foto slechts een zwart rokje dat z" kort is, dat haar achterwerk er onderuit steekt...
  Klik op de foto voor een vergroting.
  Proefabonnement, 10 weken '‚¬ 30,-!(C) 1996-2012 Telegraaf Media Nederland | Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlPrivacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
Polls show US election virtually tied
  Link to Article
  Source: News 1 Stop
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:57
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  (C) The Financial Times Ltd 2012 FTand 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.Privacy policy |Terms |Copyright
Zon, Zuipen, Britt en Barbie's Baby: zo doet RTL 5 het - Nieuws
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:54
  Door: Thijs van Soest ''22/08/12, 14:13
  (C) RTL. Barbie en Michael
  Nieuw op TVDe jongerenzender van RTL 5 stort zich het komende seizoen compleet op de reality. Met beelden van zuipende jeugd in vakantieoorden, de bevalling van Barbie en een vieze, vette, vervelende verloofde hoopt het op de aandacht van zappende pubers en twintigers. En wellicht ook hun nieuwsgierige ouders...
  (C) anp.
  Britt en Imke
  1) Britt krijgt een talkshowRealitysteren Britt en Imke, vorig seizoen al te zien op wereldreis, pakken het dit najaar serieuzer aan. Ze krijgen een talkshow, vanaf oktober. Verwacht echter geen Pauw " Witteman, nee de dames willen vooral alles weten van Bekende Nederlanders, over het Bekende Nederlanderschap. Wat zijn de do's en don'ts? Britt liet tijdens de najaarspresentatie van RTL overigens weten zelf vooral uit te kijken naar het programma van de hoogzwangere Barbie (voormalig Oh Oh Cherso-ster) die vorig seizoen al haar huwelijk liet filmen en nu de camera's toelaat rond haar verlosbed. Britt: 'En het lijkt me dan gewoon zo leuk als er dan opeens een heel klein zwart negertje uit komt!'
  2) 'Ga mij dit niet mis lopen gunnen!'De eerste beelden van Barbie's Baby beloven vooral veel geruzie tussen de twee pasgetrouwden. Te zien is bijvoorbeeld hoe manlief Michael wat biertjes drinkt in de disco, maar dat de zwangere Barbie dat niet echt kan waarderen. 'Doe even normaal mongool', klinkt het fijnzinnig, waarna het stel zich al scheldend naar huis verplaatst. 'Ik drink een paar biertjes mens, ga mij dit niet mis lopen gunnen!'. In de reeks verder veel beelden van de voorbereidingen op de bevalling. Ook tijdens de geboorte blijven de camera's draaien, belooft RTL.
  3) Zon, zuipen en kotsenCamera's draaiden ook volop in diverse vakantieoorden voor het programma Zon, Zuipen, Ziekenhuis, vanaf dinsdag 28 augustus. Hierin staan drie Nederlandse artsen centraal tijdens hun werk in respectievelijk Portugal, Spanje en Bulgarije. De dokters hebben hun handen vol aan de jonge Nederlandse toeristen 'die alle remmen losgooien'. Naast vertrouwde beelden van kotsende jongeren, worden vragen behandeld als 'Wanneer is alcohol eigenlijk echt uit het bloed?' en 'Is het wel veilig vrijen als de condoommaat wordt overschat?'. Ehm...
  4) Ranzige verloofdeDan is er nog Mijn Vieze Vette Vervelende Verloofde. Een programma waarvan de originele Amerikaanse versie zo'n tien jaar geleden al goed scoorde bij RTL 5 (toen nog Yorin geheten). Lange tijd kon men geen Nederlandse versie maken, omdat het geheim achter het programma te snel zou worden achterhaald. Nu kon het wel en het resultaat is vanaf 27 augustus te zien. Deelneemster Laura Ponticorvo denkt dat ze is gecast als kandidaat voor een datingshow, maar blijkt in een realityshow te zitten waarin zij met 'mede-kandidaat' Sander Mulder hun families moeten overtuigen dat ze elkaar hebben ontmoet tijdens een datingshow en dat ze op korte termijn gaan trouwen. Ze kunnen ieder 50.000 euro winnen als de families bij het huwelijk aanwezig zijn en niemand twijfelt aan de echtheid van hun liefde. De lompe en onbehouwen Sander en zijn familieleden blijken echter acteurs...5) Expeditie Robinson en SYTYCDVaste waarden van RTL 5 keren terug: Expeditie Robinson en So You Think You Can Dance. Op expeditie gaan GTST-acteur Ruud Feltkamp, actrice Peggy Vrijens, rapper Willie Wartaal, presentatrice Tess Milne, RTL 4-tuinman Lodewijk Hoekstra, actrice/presentatrice Fajah Lourens, 'The voice of Holland'-zanger Paul Turner en oud-hockeyster Ftima Moreira de Melo. Bij SYTYCD zijn de bekende juryleden weer present en wordt de bootcamp dit keer gehouden in New York.
T-Mobile USA to offer unlimited data service option| Reuters
  Link to Article
  Source: Reuters: Technology News
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:53
  NEW YORK | Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:01am EDT
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - T-Mobile USA, the No. 4 U.S. mobile provider, will sell a new unlimited data service option to its customers for a monthly fee in a direct challenge to its bigger rival Sprint Nextel, the only other big U.S. provider selling unlimited services.
  The offer may also help T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom, stand out from the biggest U.S. operators Verizon Wireless and AT"T Inc, which have both set caps on their customers' monthly data usage.
  Today T-Mobile USA, which has been losing customers to bigger and smaller rivals, limits its customers' data speeds after they have downloaded a certain amount of data each month.
  But under the new plan, which is being launched on September 5, T-Mobile USA will allow customers unlimited data usage without any curb on their service speeds.
  The T-Mobile USA announcement came a day after smaller rival MetroPCS Communications announced a promotional offer under which it will also offer unlimited data usage without throttling back speeds.
  Customers opting for T-Mobile USA's unlimited data usage will add a $20 payment on top of their existing $49.99 a month fee, which covers unlimited phone calls and texts.
  This compares with the company's existing $74.99 plan, which comes with unlimited talking and texting and a limit of 5 gigabytes of data.
  (Deletes reference to limited data in describing $49.99 plan in 6th paragraph)
  (Reporting By Sinead Carew; Editing by Bernard Orr)
Letter from the President Regarding An Alternative Plan for Pay Increases for Civilian Federal Employees
  Link to Article
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:50
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  August 21, 2012
  TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  August 21, 2012
  Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
  I am transmitting an alternative plan for pay increases for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule and certain other pay systems for 2013.
  Title 5, United States Code, authorizes me to implement alternative pay plans for pay increases for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule and certain other pay systems if, because of "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare," I view the adjustments that would otherwise take effect as inappropriate.
  Civilian Federal employees have already made significant sacrifices as a result of a two year pay freeze. As our country continues to recover from serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare, however, we must maintain efforts to keep our Nation on a sustainable fiscal course. This is an effort that continues to require tough choices and each of us to do our fair share.
  Accordingly, I have determined that it is appropriate to exercise my statutory alternative plan authority under 5 U.S.C. 5303(b) and 5304a to set alternative 2013 across the board and locality pay adjustments. Specifically, I have determined that for 2013, across the board pay increases will be 0.5 percent, and the current locality pay percentages shown in Schedule 9 of Executive Order 13594 of December 19, 2011, will remain at their 2012 levels. This decision will not materially affect the Federal Government's ability to attract and retain a well qualified Federal workforce.
  Finally, with respect to the anticipated continuing resolution, Congress should maintain current pay rates during the period of the continuing resolution. Assuming such a continuing resolution is enacted, the adjustments described above would take effect after the continuing resolution expires.
  Sincerely,
  BARACK OBAMA
Akin Defies Calls to Step Down in TV Interviews
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT "gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:48
  Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
  Representative Todd Akin continued to defy Republican party leaders Wednesday morning, reiterating his intentions to stay in the race against Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri during appearances on morning news shows.
  In an appearance on NBC's ''Today'' show Mr. Akin said that he had received a call from Paul Ryan, the presumptive vice-presidential candidate, asking him to bow out of the race. ''He advised me that it would be good for me to step down,'' Mr. Akin said. ''I told him that I was going to be looking at this very seriously, trying to weigh all the different points on this.''
  Mr. Akin also took his message to ABC's ''Good Morning America'' saying he would not be bullied from the race. ''It makes me uncomfortable to think that the party bosses are going to dictate who runs as opposed to the election process,'' he said.
  Mr. Akin touched off a firestorm of criticism after he said in a television interview on Sunday that in instances of what he called ''legitimate rape,'' women's bodies somehow blocked an unwanted pregnancy. Since then, Republican leaders, including Mitt Romney, have called on Mr. Akin to step down.
  ''Todd Akin's comments were offensive and wrong and he should very seriously consider what course would be in the best interest of our country,'' Mr. Romney said in a statement Tuesday. ''Today, his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside, and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race.''
The Reason the TSA has to See Inside Our Pants
  Link to Article
  Source: Washington's Blog
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:57
  Painting by the incomparable Anthony Freda: www.AnthonyFreda.com.
Natalie Wood's death certificate changed to reflect new uncertainty | Film
  Link to Article
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:55
  Natalie Wood with her husband, Robert Wagner, who was on the yacht when she drowned in November 1981. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis
  Natalie Wood's death certificate has been changed to reflect some of the uncertainties and lingering questions surrounding the actor's drowning more than 30 years ago in the Pacific Ocean off southern California.
  The document was amended this month and shifts the cause of Wood's death from accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors", according to a copy of the certificate.
  The amended document states that the circumstances of how Wood ended up in the water off Catalina island in November 1981 are "not clearly established".
  The changes occurred nine months after investigators renewed their inquiry into Wood's death shortly before its 30th anniversary.
  The Los Angeles county sheriff's chief of detectives, William McSweeney, said the decision to amend the death certificate was ultimately made by the coroner's office, which has been instructed by detectives not to discuss the case. "I would just say undetermined is descriptive," he said.
  McSweeney said detectives still had work to do on the case but that doesn't necessarily mean that a major shift is coming.
  "We don't close these cases," he said. "These cases have active periods and more passive periods. We're moving toward the end of an active period."
  The changes to the death certificate were approved by the Los Angeles county chief medical examiner, Dr Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, in late June, but they were not formally recorded until 1 August.
  Conflicting versions of what happened on the yacht shared by Wood and two other actors '' her husband Robert Wagner and their friend Christopher Walken '' have contributed to the mystery of how Wood died on Thanksgiving weekend in 1981. Authorities have said Wagner is not a suspect in his wife's death.
  Investigators reopened the case last November but have released few details about its progress. They travelled to Hawaii to inspect the Splendour, the yacht the trio were aboard on the night of Wood's disappearance.
  The renewed inquiry came after the boat's captain, Dennis Davern, told 48 Hours Mystery and the Today show he had heard Wagner and Wood arguing on the night of her disappearance and believed Wagner was to blame for her death.
  Wagner wrote in a 2008 memoir that he and Walken had argued that night. He wrote that Walken had gone to bed and he had stayed up for a while, but when he went to bed he noticed that his wife and a dinghy attached to the yacht were missing.
  Wagner has said through a spokesman that he expected the sheriff's department to conduct a fair investigation.
  Wood was nominated for three Academy Awards during her lifetime. Her death at the age of 43 stunned the world and has remains one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries. The original detective on the case, Wagner, Walken and until recently the coroner's office have all said they considered her death an accident.
3rd Barack from the Son
  Link to Article
  Source: Lame Cherry
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:50
  alein obama's faux American DreamAnother Lame Cherry matter anti matter exclusive.
  If Mormon Romney is legitimate in not throwing the 2012 election to B. Hussein Obama, the following profiling of Barry Chin should be the protocols Mano Romney should engage in during the presidential debate.
  For background, John McCain spanked Barack Obama in this debates, to the extent that Obama was flushed, perspering and looked the 10 year old Chinoid he is, in being bettered by the white man.McCain was sabotaged by the Rovian circle, but the reality is Barack Hussein Obama Osseiran is ripe for the picking due to key propaganda notes published in the Politico ebook talking points of the bogus trouble inside the Obama brothel.
  There are two key areas in this, and they are the vital points, that if Mano Romney engages Obama on these points, he will shatter Barry Chin on national television and make him go into complete meltdown.
  The quotes are these by Obama Osseiran:
  Obama's trash-talking competitiveness, a trait that has defined him since his days on the court as a basketball-obsessed teenager in Hawaii, was on display one night last February, when the president spotted a woman he knew was close to Sen. Marco Rubio in a Florida hotel lobby. ''Is your boy going to go for [vice president]?'' the president asked her. Maybe, she replied.''Well,'' he said, chuckling, according to a person who witnessed the encounter. ''Tell your boy to watch it. He might get his ass kicked.''This quote reveals Obama psychopathy of being bully, in which he both afraid of minorities and finds it necessary to degrade them in anatomical terms of sexuality "to mount them" as Obama denies hisself being 3rd world, but views his 3rd world Chinoid as supeior to the 3rd world Latino.The phrasing of Sen. Rubio as "your boy" is code for Obama calling Sen. Rubio a nigger or the beaner equivalent in Obama "intellectualism". Obama remains frustrated with the bickering by Hill Democrats. During a closed-door meeting in June, he told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Republicans were trying ''to delegitimize me,'' and implored them to put his own reelection over competing political priorities.The illegitimate issue is the connective tissue in this, in Obama knows on all fronts Spiritual, physical, nativity and American, he is an absolute bastard.Obama tries to be Christ as a messiah with halo to prove he is more than mortals who threw rocks at this mentally handicapped runs like a duck boy. Obama tries to in runs like a duck overcome with the illusion he is a sports hero. Obama is the bastard son of an imported dock worker and a Filipino Chinese comfort woman. Obama is not American, but is an illegal. That is why DELEGITIMIZE which is not even a word from this Harvard affirmative action Designer Negro, exposes why Obama was telling the Filipino President that it was Philippine Americans in mixed blood who are the most important link between the two nations, because Obama knows what he is in being a bastard and has been busy trying to abort America which would not birth him nor adopt him and has been revealing in psychological slips his obsession on these issues.That is what makes Obama furious about George W. Bush in Obama can never be a true white American, and why Obama has an even greater hatred for Mano Romney, because Romney is a border buster who made it big as a Latino American. Romney represents everything Obama loathes in being a successful Latin who outperformed the more "master race" Osseiran Chin Horn of Africa merchant.Mitt Romney as was only covered here, knew very well what he was telling Obama to do in "going back to Chicago with his anger". It was clever niggerness talking in reminding Obama of his 13% black heritage Obama can not rub off and tying it to ANGRY WHITE MALE, which Obama can never be as he is racially mostly Asian crossed with the Osseiran Arabs.Barack Obama is in caste a son of traders, and that is lower than his mingled banker Ashkenaz lines who plucked this bred negro out of that pasture as service as Judas Goat to Kenya and brought him to America to herd the blacks and by chance was supplanted into the White House.This is key for Mano Romney as he is dirty backstabbing son of Salt Lake. All Romney has to do is muscle Obama around on the debate stage, disrespect him, laugh at him, cut him down verbally and trigger him with key words insulting his intelligence, his being a bastard, not being an American and stating that his caste really is lowest on the Berliner boys master race rankings.Done correctly, Barack Obama literally could be triggered to attack Romney physically, cry or force him into an emotional breakdown where the trademark Obama stuttering and twitching would be the first signs.Romney should prepare Obama for this, by engaging Obama in remarks like the "back to Chicago" comments, starting with Obama is not in the same league as Romney. All of this can be cleverly couched in statements that link Obama to "ducking " the press, to quips about Obama being "illegitimate" on all American positions and how much "help" Pelosi and Reid gave in carrying inexperienced Obama's water.By the time the debate rolled around, Obama would be seething and ready to be smash mouthed on stage to where a meltdown would occur.It is not Joe Biden who is the nut in this group. It is Barack Obama.obama blonde Stephanie Cutter meets 3rd rocks Kristen JohnsonObama couches every thing he does in thinking he is more intelligent than everyone else. He nitpicks on underlings when things go wrong, as Obama plays armchair on failed ideas in acting superior. He is on a lofty stage trying to balance all of this, and without Mummy Jarrett trying to keep Barry's tantrums from going purple face, he would already be unmasked.It is guaranteed that if Romney started seeding the above, that Obama would hear the code words and go nuts the way the niggerization host knew Romney was saying what the did, and seized upon it.The problem is Romney loosened this up in attacking Obama as a nigger, when Obama does not SEE HIMSELF AS BLACK. Obama sees hisself as a superior Chinese with royal Arab roots and Ashkenaz superior master race heritage. I told you that Obama has "big white penis envy" and he does. He needs to be reminded of that, and Romney needs to piss on Obama as a wetback and that will really send him over the nut fence in hysteria.Things even as simple in saying the Obama daughters are attractive and then picking out some Latino talent as a husband, would just drive Obama nuts as those are his dates, and Romney would be selling them off to some Cuban lower on the Obama scale.The public would hear it as a compliment, but Obama would view it as an infringement on all this sociopath views as his property.I realize this blog revealed to Barry Chin how to destroy the Romney campaign, but this blog has now revealed how to make Barack Hussein Obama a puddle or urine, snot and drool on a national stage.Barack Obama Osseiran AKA Barry Chin is just a delusional bully held captive in a 10 year old sociopaths body who is obsessed with being a bastard and not being a superior white man. If Mano Romney uses the protocols of this forensic psychological evaluation in preparing Obama, the election will be over midway through the first debate.Obama will counterpunch, and when he gets to the snarky second level as his talking points run out, Romney can just say, "That is beneath the legitimate dignity of the Office of the President".I do believe it would be very hard to make Obama cross the stage to take a swing a Romney, as Obama is a fag coward, but there are triggers which Romney could initiate in the "fight" mechanism of having Obama "muscle" him like on a basketball court.Obama in reaction makes one step toward Romney and he is finished as this is the 3 AM call boy and he just lost his cool.We will see if Romney is intelligent enough to pull this off, but it is why Romney should have picked Rubio instead of downing his plane. Obama is already bouncing off the walls over Romney and would go brain drooling out of his ears with Rubio poking at him.Lord God, how I would that Richard Nixon was alive and running in 2012 in this race, as President Nixon knew the game and even tutoring apostate Romney could get him to make Obama react in a way which would shock Americans as the Obama face paint washed off.This would be so easy to earn the 100 million dollar bounty to have Obama leak out on stage. If Mano Romney has a brain he will take the steps and if he has any Spaniard in him, he would show some gratitude as no one else has told him now to win this with a few words and victory in the first debate. but who will stop obama's confessions from leaking out of his mouth
Huizencrash is nu echt begonnen: -8,0% #huizenmarkt #zaplog
  Link to Article
  Source: ZapLog
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:49
  Complete artikel: biflatie.nl (21x geklikt)Een dag voordat het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek de nieuwe huizencijfers publiceerde, schreven we al dat de huizenmarkt het allergrootste probleem van Nederland is. Waarschijnlijk zal de huizenmarkt ook nog wel even het grootste probleem blijven. De huizencrash is nu pas echt begonnen, zo blijkt uit de laatste cijfers. De Nederlandse huizenprijzen zijn met maar liefst 8,0% gedaald ten opzichte van een jaar geleden. Dit is een recorddaling. Sinds het CBS in 1995 is begonnen met het bijhouden van de Prijsindex bestaande koopwoningen, is er nog nooit zo'n grote daling gemeten. ...Annotaties:
Walmart to start selling unlabeled insecticide-laced GMO corn from Monsanto '-- RT
  Link to Article
  Source: bertb news feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:46
  A bag containing "MON 810", a variety of genetically modified maize (corn) developed by Monsanto Company has been ripped opened by anti-GMO activists (AFP Photo/Eric Cabanis)
  America's largest bio-agriculture company and the biggest retailer in the country are joining forces, but a happy ending isn't necessarily in sight. Walmart will soon be stocking their shelves with GMO corn made by Monsanto.
  Millions of Americans shop at Walmart, but that doesn't mean that they all know what they're getting as they check out in shopping centers across the country. The retail giant says they won't advertise which of their products are made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, which could become a big problem very soon. Zack Kaldveer explains in an editorial published by the California Progress Report this month that Walmart will soon sell a special factory-made corn manufactured by Monsanto, which while it will allow most of Americans more easy access to affordable food, will also fill them with unknown insecticides: the very GMO crop Walmart will be selling has been genetically engineered to include chemicals right inside the corn.
  Voters in California will decide later this year if retailers on the West Coast will be legally bound to correctly label all foodstuffs sold in shopping centers that are made from lab-alerted, genetically modified foods. Notwithstanding that ruling, one of the largest retailers in the world says that they won't worry about advertising their GMO foods as the product of scientists in the meantime because, simply, they don't see enough of a reason to do as such.
  "After closely looking at both sides of the debate and collaborating with a number of respected food safety experts, we see no scientifically validated safety reasons to implement restrictions on this product," company representative Dianna Gee tells the Chicago Tribune.
  Critics of that stance say that the explanation is flawed, though. With GMOs still being a relatively new science and industry, the true safety of foods made in labs has not been thoroughly tested because the long-lasting effects have yet to be analyzed. That's why people in California are rallying to pass Proposition 37, a legislation that will require that products sold in the state are labeled as GMOs if they fit the description.
  "How would you ever know if there are adverse health effects?" Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports, adds to the Tribune. "There has been a doubling of food allergies in this country since 1996. Is it connected to genetically engineered foods? Who knows, when you have no labeling? That is a problem."
  Monsanto, one of the biggest biotech companies in the world, isn't that okay with efforts to pass the bill, though. They have so far donated hundreds of millions of dollars towards a campaign established to stop the bill, No on 37. But in the latest incident to unfold in the saga, Monsanto isn't exactly offering suggestions to come to a compromise either.
  According to the New York Times, Monsantor Director of Corporate Communications Phil Angel said, ''Monsanto should not have to vouch for the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job.''
  The FDA, on the other hand, disagrees. California Progress Report reveals that, on the record, the Food and Drug Administration insists, ''Ultimately, it is the food producer who is responsible for assuring safety.''
  Now unless the Proposition 37 passes, Walmart says that they will not go out of their way to inform their customers as to what exactly they are getting either, leaving millions of Americans to shop at the country's most popular store without being aware of what risks are at hand.
  Opponents of the effort to label foods insist that passing Prop 37 will leave America's agriculture and food shopping economy in shambles because it will scare consumers, though.
  "Prop. 37 leaves consumers with the incorrect impression that there is something wrong with GE crops, when that is not true,'' No on 37 spokesperson Kathy Fairbanks tells the Associated Press.
  Walmart agrees, and now plans on letting all GMOs go onto their shelves unlabeled at the 4,000 or so stores across this country. With Walmart growing from having 6 percent to a full quarter of nationwide grocery sales in just a decade and a half, though, a win for them can eventually mean a loss for anyone in America who is concerned with what's going into their bodies.
  ''It's an epic food fight between the pesticide companies and consumers who want to know what's in their food,'' Yes on 37 media director Stacy Malkan tells the Associated Press,
Kenny The Clown Gives HSK A Sneak Peak @ Steve Jobs' Stolen IPad
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:45
  by Jacky Jasper
  Kenny The Clown Gives HSK A Sneak Peak @ Steve Jobs' Stolen IPad'...
  HSK Exclusive - It's been about a month since cops charged 35-year-old Kariem McFarlin with burglarizing the home of the late Steve Jobs. During a 15-hour overnight heist, McFarlin reportedly took Jobs' wallet and driver's license as well as iPhones, iPads, iPods, Mac computers, Cristal Champagne and $60,000 worth of Tiffany " Co. jewelry.
  Now, the Apple founder's missing IPad has been discovered in possession of a professional San Francisco clown.
  Kenny The Clown, a friend of McFarlin (another youfiverr.com user) , says he received the stolen IPad from McFarlin several weeks ago '' accepting the gadget for a $300 outstanding debt he says McFarlin owed to him. He says for two-weeks, he had no idea the IPad was stolen '' until he learned of the case against McFarlin, during a news broadcast.
  After taking a closer look into the contents of what he discovered was once Steve Jobs' personal IPad, Kenny The Clown exclusively tells HSK ''I thought Steve Jobs' IPad belonged to a black person''.
  Here's what Kenny The Clowns assistant told me:
  ''Steve Jobs was a big fan of Lil Wayne, he had a lot of Wayne's music on his IPad. He also had several pictures of black girls on there. Kenny thought the IPad belonged to a black person.
  We're launching a website for Kenny today, and one week from today we'll send out a press release. Kenny will reveal exactly what he found on Steve Jobs IPad. It's nothing bad, but people will be surprised.
  Jacky, I'm at Kenny's house right now and the CBS News truck is parked outside.''
New Silk Road: China's long, steady march into the Middle East
  Link to Article
  Source: StratRisks
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:37
  S ource: The National
  By virtually any benchmark you choose '' market capitalisation, profits, assets and deposits '' Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the largest bank in the world. Tian Zhiping is the chief executive of its Middle East regional division. Here, he talks about the bank's ambitions in the region, the prospects for the Chinese economy and what his compatriots think about bankers.
  How did ICBC come to set up a subsidiary in Dubai?
  We've been here five years now. We were the first Chinese bank to set up in the region and we did a lot of research and evaluation before we took the decision. The important thing about the UAE was its stability and safety. We found that it is one of the safest places in the world and that's one of the reasons we're here.
  There has been much talk for years about the new Silk Road. For ICBC, is it a reality or a just a slogan?
  For us it is a reality. We are building new businesses along this road. Trading goes from China, through the Middle East and through to Africa, which we regard as very important. Just go to DragonMart [a Chinese trading complex on the outskirts of Dubai] and you will see the new Silk Road working.
  What, specifically, do you see as the opportunities here?
  As a wholesale bank, we see lots of opportunities in supporting Chinese companies here, across all industrial and commercial sectors. We are very interested in telecoms and other high-tech areas and in civil engineering, construction and real estate. The energy sector is small but we hope to grow that. But all trade-related businesses are interesting for us. Chinese clients will probably remain our biggest market but others will come. We don't choose on grounds of nationality.
  Explain to me the scope of ICBC's businesses in the region.
  Dubai is our main subsidiary, registered with the Dubai International Financial Centre. Then we have branches in Abu Dhabi and Qatar. We are very interested in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and have applied for licences in both those countries.
  What about retail banking?
  We want to provide services to retail customers and we are awaiting approval from the authorities. I don't believe the region is over-banked. There are more than 200,000 Chinese nationals in the UAE and they ask us why we cannot provide retail services. Also, the growing tourist trade with China needs a retail bank presence here. We are awaiting approval from the UAE Central Bank and I hope it will come soon. We have shown with wholesale banking that we are a well-run business.
  Investment banking is having a hard time in the region. What are your thoughts?
  We have a flagship investment banking operation in Hong Kong and we want to expand that. We want to be able to give advisory services to clients, introduce Chinese businessmen to the Middle East and vice versa. Also, of course, trading in yuan, which is a very big topic. Many people round the world would like to trade more in yuan and I'm sure it will be popular here, too. If we can supply yuan to clients in the [Arabian] Gulf it will be a very important profit source.
  Do the Chinese authorities have to free up yuan trading more if it is to become a real world currency?
  Yes, there is a long way to go and the authorities should go further but it has to be step by step. We cannot do it all at once. Trade settlement in yuan will come first but it is an inevitable process that the yuan will become internationalised.
  What is ICBC's attitude to foreign investors?
  Page 2 of 2
  The investment authorities in Kuwait and Qatar bought stakes in our IPO in 2006. I don't believe UAE bodies took stakes then but individuals may have invested. We welcome investors and we are open for international investment via Hong Kong.
  Would you consider buying stakes in big local banks?
  Our strategy is to develop our business organically but we would take the opportunity if there was somebody we thought would be a good partner, at the right price.
  The Chinese economy has been the main driver for global economic growth for the past few years. Can this continue, or will we see a ''hard landing'' in China?
  This is the big question. A senior government man in the UAE asked me recently if I thought Chinese growth might fall to 5 or even 3 per cent, and I told him: 'No, we have no big problems in our economy.' For 30 years we have averaged 9.7 per cent growth per year, so if it is 7.5 this year it is just an adjustment. China is such a huge market and huge manufacturer. Even if Europe declines we can find other markets, like Africa.
  But how do you persuade Chinese consumers to spend more?
  My parents' generation were careful and thrifty, mine is willing to spend more on a house or a car, for example. The next generation will spend even more. For example, you see how the big luxury companies are doing a lot of business in China. This will keep growing.
  After 30 years of economic reform and growth, do you believe China is still a communist country?
  An Arab friend asked me this recently. I said, 'We're here to make money, if you want to talk about politics, let's do it somewhere else.' The Chinese people still have their beliefs but they also want to get on in the world.
  Banks have a bad reputation in the West. What do Chinese people think of bankers?
  Historically, the banks were not liked because they were being run for rich people, not for the poor. But Chinese banks didn't make trouble during the financial crisis. We worked in harmony to support the people, not like in the West. Now Chinese people see they need banks.
  Tags: Africa, Arabian Gulf, banking, chief, china, Dubai International Financial Centre, Europe, government, Hong Kong, ICBC, IPO, Kuwait, market, Middle East, Qatar, Silk Road, Tian Zhiping, trade, UAE, us
Irene Moors wil dagelijks op tv - Priv(C)
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:36
  wo 22 aug 2012, 12:02
  van onze redactieAMSTERDAM - Irene Moors droomt stiekem van een eigen dagelijkse talkshow waarin ze sterren stevig aan de tand mag voelen.
  "Mijn droom is om ooit in de voetsporen te treden van een vrouw waar ik veel bewondering voor heb: de Amerikaanse com(C)dienne en talkshowhost Ellen DeGeneres die de allergrootste showzbizzsteren ongegeneerd het hemd van het lijf vraagt", zegt Irenein het AD.
  Maar een dagelijkse takshow ziet Irene niet zitten in de nabije toekomst. "Mijn man Barry en kinderen Rosalie (14) en Tijn (10) vragen, in combinatie met mijn huidige tv-werk, al mijn aandacht en energie. Misschien lukt het als de kinderen meerderjarig zijn en de nog altijd succesvolle Life4You-formule ooit is uitgewerkt."
  Proefabonnement, 10 weken '‚¬ 30,-!(C) 1996-2012 Telegraaf Media Nederland | Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlPrivacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
Britney Spears straalt in bikini - Priv(C)
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:35
  wo 22 aug 2012, 11:56
  van onze redactie AMSTERDAM - FOTO - Britney Spears is weer helemaal de oude! De zangeres heeft een stralende foto van zichzelf in bikini op internet geplaatst.
  Op het kiekje, die wel enigzins is bewerkt, is Britney te zien in een witte bandeau bikini. Haar huid is goudbruin en haar lange blonde lokken zijn nog nooit zo gezond geweest.
  "Zijn jullie al klaar voor het einde van de zomer? Ik niet!", schrijft de zangeres onder de foto.
  Onlangs verschenen er foto's van Britney op internet die nog n­et waren bewerkt. De popster zag er doorleefd uit en leek alle glans te zijn verloren...
  Proefabonnement, 10 weken '‚¬ 30,-!(C) 1996-2012 Telegraaf Media Nederland | Landelijke Media B.V., Amsterdam.Alle rechten voorbehouden.e-mail: redactie-i@telegraaf.nlPrivacy | Cookies | Disclaimer
GeenStijl : Autoverkopers woest op Volkskrant
  Link to Article
  Source: GeenStijl
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:31
  Buiten zinnen is hij. Volledig over de rooie. Met de vlakke hand slaat hij op het verrijdbare kastje met Snap-on moeren en bouten. "Hoe durven ze godverdomme? Ik heb ook mijn trots! Nu zijn ze te ver gegaan!" We spreken met autoverkoper Sjors (fictieve naam) uit het midden van het land. Zijn kleine kantoortje hangt vol sigarettenrook en aan de muur siert een naaktposter van Pirelli. Buiten staan gepoetste occasions. Ongeduldig schenkt hij een bakkie pleur voor ons in. Vlug klikt hij op zijn PC dumpert weg zodat carpartsdirect.nl weer te zien is. Voor hem ligt een Volkskrant met koffiekringen. "OK, onze beroepsgroep heeft een slechte naam. En soms terecht. Er zitten een hoop beunhazen in onze sector. Van die klerelijers die een verrotte wagen aan een lief meisje verpatsen. APK'tje 3 keer zo duur maken. Of van dat schoftentuig dat de kilometerteller rustig een keertje terug draait. Klokkendokters noemen we hun". Sjors begint steeds harder te praten. Boven zijn oog komt een adertje opzetten. Bij iedere klemtoon slaat hij met zijn palm op het artikel. "Politici even betrouwbaar als autoverkopers? Mijn kloten!" briest hij. "Er zitten er louche types in onze business. Tweedehands-autoverkopers zijn toch een beetje de makelaars van de automotive industry. Luchtfietsers. Maar uiteindelijk hebben wij ook te maken met een BOVAG en zo. En de ANWB. En de Consumentenbond. Bovendien betalen klanten regelmatig slecht (of niet) en als er iets niet in orde is komen ze rustig met een mannetje of tien verhaal halen. Dat gebeurt in Den Haag nou nooit. Daar komen ze overal mee weg. Ons vergelijken met politici. Erger hadden ze me niet kunnen beledigen. Wij hebben ook onze eer!" Sjors begint driftig te zoeken op RDW.nl. "Wie is de hoofdredacteur van de VK? Phillipe Remarque? Wat is zijn kenteken? Die gaat binnenkort een verrotte vis in zijn airco terug vinden..."
  Brusselmans | 22-08-12 | 11:11 | Link |
UFO's op Mars? (video)
  Link to Article
  Source: Niburu :: Onthullend en Bewustmakend Nieuws!
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:26
  Al snel na de landing van Marsrover Curiosity op het oppervlak van de rode planeet begonnen de camera's van het ruimtewagentje foto's met vreemde objecten naar de aarde te sturen. Sommigen spreken van UFO's.
  Op (C)(C)n van de foto's zijn een viertal vlekken in de lucht te zien. Het gaat om anomalien ter grootte van een pixel. Dat meldt de Huffington Post.
  Videoanalist Marc Dantonio ontwikkelde speciale effecten en modellen voor de Amerikaanse overheid. ''Het zijn duidelijk dode pixels, alle camera's hebben ze,'' zei hij. ''In de atmosfeer van Mars vallen ze gelijk op. In een actieve atmosfeer als die van de aarde zouden ze lange tijd verborgen blijven voordat iemand ze zou zien.'' Bekijk hier de originele foto.
  Toen Curiosity in de Gale-krater landde stuurde de Marsrover een foto naar de aarde met daarop iets wat leek op een stofstorm. Ongeveer 45 minuten later was de anomalie weer verdwenen. Volgens NASA-ingenieur Steven Sell werd de wolk veroorzaakt door het gevaarte dat Curiosity afzette op Mars en vervolgens neerstortte op de planeet.
  Er zijn inmiddels ook witte objecten aan de horizon gezien, meldt WKMG-TV. Nadat Curiosity een panoramafoto naar de aarde stuurde ontdekte een journalist bovendien in de verte een cirkelvormig object.
  De afbeeldingen zijn naar het Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena gestuurd om te kijken wat het Curiosity-team ervan vindt. NASA heeft nog niet gereageerd.
  Bron: Huffingtonpost.com
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  (C) Copyright (c) Niburu.nl
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YouTube launches presidential campaign live stream
  Link to Article
  Source: Delicious/pwarnock/NANN
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:25
  YouTube is launching a dedicated presidential campaign channel that will feature live streaming video from the two parties' conventions and upcoming nationally televised debates as well as video content generated by a range of news and information partners.
  YouTube's news and politics manager, Olivia Ma, says the site will serve as a one-stop hub, a single destination people can visit that will offer both the YouTube live stream and reporting and analysis from eight news organizations. They include The New York Times, Univision and BuzzFeed.
  The 2012 conventions will be the first to be live-streamed over the Internet, and YouTube will serve as the official channel for both.
  Republicans meet next week in Tampa, Fla., while Democrats meet Sept. 4-6 in Charlotte, N.C.
  (C) 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Florida university unveils new 'Wall of Wind' hurricane simulator
  Link to Article
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:24
  Nearly 20 years after Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 wind once again shredded roofs in Miami-Dade County.
  Fortunately, there were only two test roofs involved and the wind was confined to a big steel hangar that is part of Florida International University's International Hurricane Research Center, which on Tuesday unveiled the nation's most powerful hurricane simulator - an $8 million facility that stands as a legacy of Andrew.
  Dubbed the "Wall of Wind" for its towering double-decked stack of a dozen electric fans, each 6 feet in diameter, the facility was created to test and improve building designs and materials that failed miserably under Andrew's ferocious assault - everything from nails to shingles to roof-top air-conditioning units.
  "The bottom line is the research we are doing here will not only save lives but also reduce property losses and therefore premiums," said Shahid Hamid, director of the research center's laboratory for insurance, economic and financial research.
  To display the simulator's power, an FIU crew built two mock-up structures, each about the size of a garden shed and painted the school's signature blue and gold. One used pre-Andrew construction codes. The other was put together with stronger standards enacted after Andrew that demand stronger nails, thicker plywood sheathing, heavier roofing felt, thicker shingles and other changes.
  The results were a bit surprising as video cameras captured the spiraling damage while Walter Conklin, the Wall of Wind's project manager, cranked up the massive fans. The 8,400-horsepower system howled like a jet engine on takeoff as it wound to 160 mph, at peak flow pumping as much air as - by the calculations of FIU's College of Engineering - 7,650 leaf blowers.
  As expected, the first things to go were roof shingles but pre-Andrew designs, rated for just 60 mph, held up nearly as well as heavier products rated for 130 mph. Half of the supposedly stronger shingles began peeling away as the digital wind gauge hit 109 mph, just Cat 2 strength. But as the wind increased, there was no comparison between old and new. At Cat 3, the older design lost half the tar paper intended to keep out rain. At Cat 4, a whole section of thinner plywood sheathing began buckling furiously, then flew off in a flash.
  Arindam Chowdhury, director of the wind engineering research at FIU's hurricane center, said the test confirmed the strength of the new codes. Both roofs certainly looked torn up but the new one mainly lost shingles. Its heavier tar paper and thicker plywood remained in place, which would keep out the wind-driven water that accounts for most hurricane damage. But the test also raised questions about the accuracy of current shingle wind rating claims, which are based on small-scale tests.
  "Clearly, a 130-mph rating is not really a 130-mph shingle," he said. "This is what the Wall of Wind is going to bring, really putting products to the test."
  He said no amount of computer analysis can duplicate the full-scale, real world results of the simulator, which is capable of topping 157 mph, nearly matching Andrew's estimated peak winds of 170 mph.
  The storm, which struck on Aug. 24, 1992, caused an estimated $26.5 billion in damage, but only a small portion of South Miami-Dade County felt its strongest gusts. The storm exposed shoddy building practices that contributed to the losses but also showed engineers, along with home buyers and builders, that there was a lot to learn about construction of homes and offices capable of standing up to major hurricanes.
  FIU's hurricane research center, originally established after Andrew with private funding from the We Will Rebuild campaign in Miami-Dade, has expanded over the years with state, federal and private support from the insurance and roofing industries. In addition to construction and insurance, the center also studies social and environmental impacts of hurricanes.
  The system FIU unveiled is the third version of its Wall of Wind, improving on a two-fan system first constructed in 2005 and a six-fan system follow-up in 2007. Those designs, powered by gasoline engines and airboat props, could produce 120 mph Category 3 winds and helped researchers test new construction techniques such as the "ring-shank" roofing nail that dramatically increases holding power.
  The 12-fan system is far more powerful and sophisticated and the only university-based facility capable of generating Cat 5 wind speeds. An additional new feature, a large turntable that will allow researchers to rotate structures and more closely mimic the shifting winds of a hurricane, wasn't used Tuesday.
  Though researchers are still calibrating the system, Chowdhury said FIU has already used it to test some promising new construction designs. One using reinforced fiber and epoxy, much like fiberglass boat-building, to anchor trusses and beams proved stronger than metal hurricane clips, he said. The university is hoping to patent the technique and find a company to develop it.
  Testing with the earlier versions of the Wall of Wind also helped develop metal screens that can cut wind pressures on rooftop equipment like air conditioners by 58 percent, a change quickly incorporated into Florida's latest building code, he said - the first statewide upgrade generated by Wall of Wind research.
  Chowdhury hopes the new, more powerful tool can help ensure that products billed as "hurricane-resistant" really perform that way under real-world conditions.
  "What we are doing here is more like holistic testing," he said. "You're not just testing individual components; you're testing the entire system. That's very important."
  (c)2012 The Miami HeraldDistributed by MCT Information Services
Zwitsers boos om filmpje Obama - Verkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:23
  Door: Redactie ''22/08/12, 11:29 '' bron: ANP
  Still uit de clip 'Romney Girl'
  Zwitserland is boos op het campagneteam van de Amerikaanse president Barack Obama. De Zwitserse ambassade in Washington heeft zijn beklag gedaan over een videofilmpje van Obama's Democratische partij.
  Het filmpje 'Romney Girl' toont een jonge vrouw in Zwitserse klederdracht, die zingend de Republikeinse kandidaat Mitt Romney belachelijk maakt om zijn Zwitserse bankrekening. Zij wekt de indruk dat de bankrekening is bedoeld om de Amerikaanse belasting te omzeilen. Ze speelt in op Romney's weigering om zijn belastingaangiftes te openbaren.
  Nieuwssite Swissinfo.ch meldde woensdag dat Zwitserland niet gelukkig is met het filmpje, omdat 'het de indruk wekt dat het bezit van een Zwitserse bankrekening op zichzelf al dubieus is en alleen maar bedoeld is voor zwart geld'.
RTL-baas Galjaard: 'Hoe lang kan SBS blijven roepen dat er iets nieuws komt?' - Nieuws
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:18
  Door: Thijs van Soest ''22/08/12, 11:38
  (C) ANP. Erland Galjaard, programmadirecteur van RTL
  interviewDe RTL-zenders zijn de te kloppen partij, komend najaar. De Nederlandse televisie maakt zich op voor weer een nieuw seizoen en de concurrentie wordt hevig: SBS is er weer op volle oorlogssterkte bij, de publieke omroep zit nog altijd stevig in het zadel met Boer Zoekt Vrouw en Spoorloos, terwijl RTL voortborduurt op de kijkcijferhits van afgelopen jaren. Erland Galjaard, programmadirecteur van alle RTL-zenders, blaakt ook nu weer van zelfvertrouwen: 'Al drie jaar vragen we het ons elk jaar weer af, kunnen we nog hoger? En al drie jaar blijkt dat ook het geval.' Volkskrant.nl sprak Galjaard na afloop van de najaarspresentatie 2012.
  (C) anp.
  The Golden Girls, zaterdagavonden op RTL 4
  (C) anp.
  Linda de Mol keert terug met Ik Hou van Holland, maar speelt dit najaar ook een rol in de door bedachte dramaserie Divorce over drie net gescheiden mannen.
  (C) anp.
  De coaches van The Voice 3, vanaf vrijdag 24 augustus elke vrijdag op RTL 4.
  (C) anp.
  John van den Heuvel, met het nieuwe programma Ontvoerd, vanaf november elke woensdag op RTL4.
  Tijdens de presentatie zei u niet zo onder de indruk te zijn van de nieuwe programmering van SBS. Is dat bluf?Wat ik zei, is dat ik niet zo onder de indruk ben van de lijn in de programmering. Het is nooit leuk om negatief te doen over je collega's, maar ik bespeur er gewoon echt geen lijn in. Wij kiezen voor heldere profielen voor de RTL-zenders en thema's per avond, maar dat mis ik bij SBS. En dat je als zender ervoor kiest om op je vaste filmavond op maandag toch weer andere programma's te plaatsen - ze deden het eerder ook al eens - dr begrijp ik dus niets van. Dat doen ze dan met op zich goede titels als Wie trouwt mijn zoon? en Villa Morero, maar die staan dan straks wel tegenover Radar, Spoorloos, en alle CSI's; ik vind het een groot risico.
  Maar de programma's zelf?Ik zie er nou niet echt titels tussen zitten waarvan ik denk dat we er veel concurrentie van gaan ondervinden. Wel ben ik eerlijk als ik zeg dat ik Villa Morero wel graag had willen hebben. (Een praatprogramma waarin volkszanger 'Martin Moreiro' uit Gooische Vrouwen, bekende Nederlanders ontvangt in zijn villa - red) Van die Martin Morero kun je veel zeggen, maar hij is wel authentiek. En dat werkt. Het is me echter niet aangeboden. Dit ligt niet aan Talpa (dat het programma produceert en mede-eigenaar is van SBS - red) hoor, want John de Mol is een eerlijke man die echt niet alle nieuwe programma's eerst aan SBS aanbiedt. Wij werken daar nog altijd goed mee samen.
  Toch zal SBS6 met tientallen nieuwe programma's vast stijgen in de kijkersgunst. Dat houdt jullie ook scherp.Dat is niet nodig hoor, ik hoef niet per se een goede concurrent, ik kan prima leven met minder presterende concurrentie. Trouwens, bij SBS roepen al twee jaar dat ze tijd nodig hebben om iets nieuws neer te zetten, maar hoe lang kun je zoiets blijven roepen?
  De Publieke Omroep moet bezuinigen en komt met meer buitenlandse series en films. Ook een concurrent minder?Nederland 1 blijft een sterke programmering houden, met Boer Zoekt Vrouw en Spoorloos, al is er verder weinig vernieuwing. Het nieuwe programma van Frans Bauer is dat wel, maar dat heb ik nog niet gezien - ik heb een vrij lange vakantie gehad dit jaar. Het scoorde in ieder geval wel goed, zag ik. Ik heb Frans ook hoog zitten als artiest en programmamaker - hij is authentiek - dus ik begrijp dat wel. Wat Nederland 2 en 3 doen, daar ben ik ook niet zo van onder de indruk. Je ziet dat ze daar nog heel erg aan het zoeken zijn. En dat TV Lab was helemaal een lachertje, daar keek helemaal niemand naar en dat begrijp ik wel: Het was bijna een belediging van de kijker.
  Dan de plannen van jullie grootste zender RTL 4. U gaat door met vaste waarden als Ik hou van Holland, GTST en The Voice. Waar zit de vernieuwing?Ze zeggen al jaren dat we uiteindelijk problemen krijgen met de zaterdagavond, maar we kunnen echt nog wel jaren voort met Ik hou van Holland. Desondanks zullen we ook hier moeten vernieuwen, dus volgend voorjaar komen we met nieuw zaterdagavondamusement, naast een nieuw seizoen Jongens tegen de meisjes. Ondertussen blijven we wel degelijk vernieuwen, met comedy, zoals de Nederlandse versie van The Golden Girls. Dit past in het rijtje Wat als... De TV kantine, Gek op Jack; altijd iets met humor op de zaterdagavond om 20:00 uur. Dat vinden we belangrijk.
  In veel van jullie nieuwe programma's staan kinderen en emoties centraal. Ontvoerd, over internationale kinderontvoeringen, Love is in the air, waarbij gezinnen worden herenigd in verre oorden en The Voice Kids. Is dit het nieuwe thema?Nee, het is geen thema waar we bewust op inzetten. Maar iedere ouder kan zich voorstellen hoe het moet zijn om van je kind te worden gescheiden, of om familie lange tijd niet te zien. Dat item in All you need is love, waarvan Love is in the air een spin-off is, deed het zo goed - dat had echt een ziel. Daarom hebben we ervoor gekozen om er een losstaand programma van te maken. Ontvoerd is gewoon een heel mooi programma, waarvan we het belangrijk vinden om te maken. Het is een duur programma, dat zeker, maar kinderontvoering is een heel groot probleem - groter dan ik dacht - en dan heb ik liever zo'n programma, dan vier andere middelmatige titels voor hetzelfde geld.
  Lees hier meer over de nieuwe tv-programma's komend najaar van RTL 4 , SBS 6 en de Publieke Omroep
BBC News - Egypt villagers confront minister over water poisoning
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Middle East
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:17
  22 August 2012Last updated at 05:44 ET Egypt's health minister was locked inside a hospital room by villagers on Tuesday after contaminated water left dozens of people ill.
  Mohammed Mustafa and Ashraf Hilal, the governor of Minufiya, were visiting sick residents of Sunsaft village when angry relatives confronted them.
  They were shown bottles of water and told to "drink it", and were only freed an hour later after police intervened.
  Samples of the water the villagers say is polluted is being tested.
  Mr Mustafa has ordered the closure of illegal and unlicensed sources of water in Sunsaft, while Mr Hilal has suspended government employees responsible for its main water supply, according to the Associated Press.
  The state-run news agency, Mena, said the number of those affected was more than 400, although previously officials put the figure at about 50.
  The symptoms include severe diarrhoea, vomiting and high fevers.
I Am the Secret Footballer: Lifting the Lid on the Beautiful Game - review | Books
  Link to Article
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:15
  There is nothing like a concealed identity to drive people wild. Aside from all those Shakespearean kings going among their people disguised as commoners, it's the basis of the classic murder mystery, in which the governing idea is that someone with whom you thought you were familiar is capable of lethal actions, right under your nose. Just as this unnerves, it also bewitches: what if you were able to unravel the clues and solve the mystery? What would that say about you?
  As much as I enjoy the Guardian's Secret Footballer column, which has been running in the paper for the past 18 months or so, I must confess that I get even greater pleasure out of occasionally checking in with the website whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk. It is there that the full obsessional nuttiness of football fans (and, by extension, of people in general, although that is debatable) is revealed. In this forum, each tiny piece of information, carefully tabulated and cross-referenced, about the unnamed Premier League footballer is analysed and subjected to verification, having been broken down into the categories "Main clues", "Other clues" and "Clues from his tweets". Leading candidates '' Kevin Davies, Joey Barton, Nicky Shorey, Kevin Nolan, Jody Craddock, to name but a handful '' are mapped on to this composite clue-portrait; in another corner, fans debate whether those who have been ruled out '' Jason Euell, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Robinson '' have been prematurely dismissed (what about a bit of misinformation designed to throw you off track?). We appear, it must be owned, to be nowhere near a definitive answer.
  Beyond the extremes of fandom and the general appeal of turning detective, there is an obvious reason why the Secret Footballer should provoke such huge interest (although, in rather brilliantly unlikely fashion, we discover that TSF was inspired by an anonymous column written by an estate agent). Football is not merely our national sport; it also seems to become more mysterious the more we know about it. Acres of print, wall-to-wall moving imagery, phone-ins galore, streams of player autobiographies '' and what do we really know about what takes place on the pitch, let alone in the dressing room?
  Whether all your questions will have been answered by the time you get to the end of I Am the Secret Footballer is doubtful, but you'll certainly have gained many insights into the game, including a couple that I'm not sure the writer himself knew he was sharing. These are not inadvertently dropped clues, mind you '' more unguarded moments that reveal a whole mind-set .
  The basic biographical facts '' allowing for red herrings, of course '' tell us that TSF is a Premier League player who came up through non-league football rather than the academy system. (I admit here to a moment of sleuthing when, talking about the early days, he declares: "I have always had huge problems with anyone in authority". Right, I thought. Definitely Barton. It's a position I've subsequently refined.) We also know that he has played for more than one top-flight team, and that he captained at club level, an honour that he writes about particularly amusingly when he lampoons another player whose primary response to being appointed skipper was to commission the kit man to make a bespoke version of the armband with a giant C on it. We think he is white because he talks about being made an "honorary brother" by a group of black players with whom he was friendly as a young footballer. The other thing I can tell you without much fear of contradiction is that he's fond of a J¤gerbomb or two and he doesn't like Robbie Savage (as in, really doesn't like him).
  But TSF does like football and, more pertinently, he is as curious as many die-hard fans about what makes it tick. In the course of this book, he prods away at what creates a successful manager (not sucking up to your team to make them like you, that's for sure); what stands in the way of the sport dealing for once and all with racism and homophobia; the expectations and delusions of the supporters; the effects of the vast amounts of cash that have swirled around the game for nearly two decades; and the conduct and moral responsibilities of the youthful multi-millionaires who take to the pitch every Saturday (or Sunday, or weeknight, as the TV schedules dictate).
  The cloak of anonymity allows for candour, although sometimes he's not candid enough '' as in a tantalising snippet of gossip about naughtiness in a Dubai swimming pool. And a statement such as "I am told that one ex-Manchester United player turned manager has a reputation for showing his face only on Saturday for the game" isn't that thrilling unless we know who's being talked about (though it's true that we can guess).
  There may also be raised eyebrows at our correspondent's near-defiance about players' pay '' one of the most interesting aspects of the book. "Our wages may be well out of sync with the man in the street's, but why shouldn't they be?" he asks, before saying how fed up he is with people (like me) trotting out the clich(C) about money ruining the game. I don't agree with him '' although I entirely take his point that few of us would turn down more money were it offered to us '' but I think it illustrates a possibly unbridgeable conceptual chasm. Why, when the money keeps rolling in, does your ordinary, non-prawn-sandwich-eating punter wonder where it all went wrong?
  Behind all of this, though, is a fascinating personal story, and one that doesn't want for poignancy. TSF writes powerfully of his struggle with depression and also of the gap between his upbringing and the life he's come to enjoy, a dissonance exemplified when he invites a group of his pre-football mates out for a birthday dinner and orders a £1,700 magnum of Mouton Rothschild. The evening does not go well and you feel the footballer's guilt at what he has clashing with his irritation with his friends for not joining him in his enjoyment of the finer things in life. It's a lonely place '' although his pals do invite him for a pint of Guinness afterwards. I suspect a J¤gerbomb may have been involved too.
I/O don't archive if domain not set
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's development work
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:15
  Top > August 2012 > 8/21/12 by DWIn the Instant Outline server, when a user chooses the Archive command from the right-click menu, the server will fail if the server-side archiveDomain pref hasn't been set. The URL it generates would be useless, and the user would lose data.The error message that's generated is: "Can't archive the outline because of a configuration error on the server. The archiveDomain pref hasn't been set." The remedy of course is to set the pref. :-)It should be a unique CNAME that points to the server. The io.init routine takes care of setting up the config.mainresponder.domains entry, automatically. Partsio.server.archiveOutlinePosted on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 9:01 PM by Dave Winer.
Chrome RSS breakage, part II
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:08
  World OutlineSign-inSign-upv0.64;
  Threads > 8/21/12 by DWThread started by Dave Winer 8 hours ago.There's a huge thread on the post about the way Chrome has changed its behavior with RSS feeds. A recent comment by Navarr Barnier says that Chome only triggers the new behavior for files with type application/rss+xml, and not for files with type text/xml.He's got a point. Here's a file I uploaded to S3 with type text/xml. It didn't bring up the crazy dialog that tries to send me to the Chrome store. I got a stylization of an RSS feed. Not exactly what I'd like which is the feed looking like XML. s3.newobject ("/static.scripting.com/misc/chrometest1.xml", tcp.httpreadurl ("http://scripting.com/rss.xml", 5), type:"text/xml")Here's the same file uploaded with type application/rss+xml. And sure enough it brings up the dialog.s3.newobject ("/static.scripting.com/misc/chrometest2.xml", tcp.httpreadurl ("http://scripting.com/rss.xml", 5), type:"application/rss+xml")The moral of the story is if you can set it up so you serve your feeds with type text/xml, you can circumvent the breakage in Chrome. The question is, should we do this. I'm not convinced it isn't asking for more breakage from them. View the forum thread.
Caught a Glimpse of Glympse? Either Scarily Awesome, or Awesomely Scary'... | Peter Shankman
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:06
  Have you heard of Glympse yet? I had a chance to install and use it for the first time last night on my Android. Been experimenting with the Samsung Galaxy S3 the past few weeks, and the speed and immediacy of this phone has been nothing but awesome, which makes it perfect to play with this new app called Glympse.
  In a nutshell, Glympse is GPS taken to a level that I've always believed mobile devices were born to do. My explanation of Glympse is this: You're on your way home after a business dinner and want to let your significant other know you're done with dinner, and you're on your way. You could text or call, which is what I've always done. Not taking anything away from the basics, those two options still work fine.
  But Glympse blows them out of the water. Using your phone's built-in GPS, you send a ''Glympse'' to whomever you want '' a friend, multiple people, even Twitter or Facebook. You choose a ''length'' of the Glympse '' 5 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever. You hit send, and Glympse, via your choice or SMS, email, or social network, sends an alert to whomever you choose, with your message that you're on your way home '' But here's where it gets scarily awesome, or awesomely scary: It keeps your phone GPS active for the amount of time you specify, and the recipient is given a link where they can track you, in real time, to your destination.
  Think about that for a second: It's not FourSquare or Facebook Places, where you check in to a place and you're ''presumed'' there until you check in somewhere else'... This is real-time tracking '' ''I'm headed home now,'' and the recipient can watch your little blue dot, on a map, in real-time, as you make your way to ''home,'' or to ''the office,'' or to wherever you say you're going.
  I've been using a similar device for all my races for the past several years. I call it the ''keep my Jewish mom calm'' device '' Whenever I'm running some ridiculously long race that by all rights should kill me, at least my mom can follow me in almost-real-time and see that I'm not dead. But this is an app! That changes the game. There's 50% of me that is shaking with awesomeness because this is exactly what the new world is supposed to be '' where honesty rules the day '' ''I'm on my way home'' actually means that you're on your way home, and not ''I'll be at this strip club for another two hours.'' It's real-time GPS tracking, available to anyone, from your device, for free.
  The other 50% of me, however, is shaking with questions. I speak to companies all the time, and explain that in the world we're in now, you can't lie anymore. Between surveillance cameras every five feet to everyone having a camera in their phone, the old way of doing business is dead. Glympse not only proves that, but brings it to a whole new level:
  If this app (or any of the others that are sure to follow) goes mainstream (and it probably will,) then it becomes about trusting a company to stick true to their end-user agreement, and NOT use the info we're voluntarily giving them (which is deeper and more personal than anything before it) for evil. We have to trust that any company who makes an app like this, that we willingly install, is going to be honest with us and only share our real-time movements with the people we choose to share them with, unless they tell us otherwise.
  It makes you think, huh?
  I read the end-user license to which Glympse required I agree when I installed the app, and it's logical, and not scary at all. So I gave it a shot '' And I let my wife know I was on my way home last night, and if she'd seen the text Glympse sent her, she could have tracked my movements in real-time as I made my way back to my place. And that's awesome. It's beneficial, and not only for what I used it for '' It's useful in so many ways '' ''I'll be back in the office in five minutes, I'm stuck in traffic, keep the client there!'' or, ''Show Timmy the map and let him know dad is on his way home from the airport after his business trip,'' etc'... The sheer simplicity of this app makes the benefits plainly obvious. And with just one use, I'm a fan.
  But '' I'm relying on Glympse to be honest. And I believe they will, because this app presents a major leap for the average user. It's one thing to ''check-in'' to a location, or claim a discount by posting your location on Facebook. It's something entirely different when you give an app the ability to track your movements in real-time, and, let's face it, once those movements are tracked, they're'... well, there. Just because you made it to your destination and your GPS shuts off doesn't mean that the tracking data necessarily goes away. And that's where Glympse is going to have to prove themselves. The second they don't, their credibility goes out the window. I believe that if Glympse does, and our data stays within the parameters we're told, we're looking at the beginning of a new use for our smartphones '' One that in my opinion, can be very beneficial to the end user in both a personal and professional environment.
  In a little bit of personal connection, my third book is coming out in January, and it's all about how companies that are now leading the way, those who are the most successful, are doing so because they're following the path of good '' they're telling the truth, they're caring, they're no longer following the ''eat your young and win no matter who you screw over'' mentality. If Glympse does that as well, then I'm betting this app will succeed and quite possibly become a major game-changer in the mobile space.
  What say you? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
  DISCLOSURE: I have no relationship with any of the companies I mention here. other than: Samsung sent me their Galaxy S3 free of charge for me to test out. I found Glympse through a Facebook post I happened to see from one of my friends who posted their Glympse data on their wall.
Roots of Satan in Scientology, British, American Empire & dysfunctional Hollywood A-List'ers (& Sage Stallone Drama) hollywoodilluminatidotcom
  Link to Article
  Source: hollywoodilluminatidotcom
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:47
  Some times the consensus on certain topics are so etched in stone due to long term campaigns of mis-information that I simply see no point in even trying to knock down the illusions and hype in an effort to reduce the knowledge " truth back down to its original foundation.
  Scientology is a good example. The illusion that Scientology is something different and separate from Satanism or Hollywood Illuminati is just that'...an illusion.
  The practical arm of the Illuminati, basically all of the dirty work, was indeed thought up by the British and is now being put into place by the United Nations. The mind set that humans should never be told that they are spiritual beings, reduced in IQ via oil company pollution and chemicals which were to be placed in food, medicine and drinking water or even turning off a person's conscience are indeed all agendas that some British Satanist sat around and came up with about 80 years ago.
  I didn't watch the London Olympics but I did see Radio Host Alex Jones talk about the demonic symbolism and I even heard him say that this was not British Culture but a New World Order Culture, when speaking about the towering demon that stood over little kids during the opening ceremony. I don't know how to explain that Satanism has been the non-official religion of the British Empire since the 1400'²s. Satanism is indeed British Culture.
  Queen Elizabeth (according to Prince William) favorite song is ''Evil'' by Eartha Kitt and that song talks about making evil request to Satan during a ritual.
  All of the Irish Film Makers, have to go through The British simply to get distribution from Ireland and this ''Evil'' Song by Eartha Kitt always appears to pop up in the sound tracks. Why in the hell would Eartha Kitt pop in the sound track of some young Irish Film Maker? Because this is Queen Elizabeth's favorite song " the song was based off of a demonic ritual.
  While French and German Aristocrats were more concerned with Illuminati Knowledge, secret societies and playing with the French-German Ouija Board, which is a combination of the French and German Language meaning ''yes'' it was the British Aristocrats that appeared to be only concerned with the darkest and most horrific aspects of the occult, including but not limited to, child sacrifice, child abuse rituals and using demonic communication to dictate political and even foreign policy.
  From the French and British Aristocracy of Satanism, we got the colonization of the Americas.
  It is no coincidence that the United States is entrenched with Satanic Symbolism, from the Federal Reserve (issues our paper money) Temples, to the deliberate creation of Stone Idols (Mt. Rushmore) to the Statue of Liberty (modeled after a Roman-Greek Painting of Lucifer) to the points of the US Pentagon Building.
  Christian Americans, often excuse the Satanism of the Founding Fathers by calling them worldly, curious or intellectuals and uses this to explain why many spoke multiple languages.
  The Founding Fathers of the U.S. were not Christians because they knew that the King James Bible or Holy Bible, was nothing more than a dogmatic political publication written by Kings for the benefit of the Kings. The Bible is a recycled narrative that has been used over and over and over again, to maintain control of the populations which the Illuminati wished to dominate.
  When I learned Hebrew, it wasn't due to the fact that my great grand father or great great grandmother was a Jew, it was because I wanted to study Jewish Mysticism in its original form without having to lose the meaning of words due to translated versions because most knowledge can not be translated without the meaning getting Lost In Translation.
  This is why Muslims do not translate the Islamic Text of Mysticism and why so few Muslims even understand or are aware of Islamic Mysticism. There are entire books of Islam that deal with how to manage demons and these books are banned by the Illuminati in the US and Europe because they do not want the public to even be aware of how demons and demonic magic works.
  When I decided to spend 2 years taking adult French Education in Los Angeles and to expand on the five years of French that I had at Louisiana Public School, along with trying to separate Louisiana Creole Broken French from standard France in my head, it wasn't because I had French Heritage but it was mostly due to the fact that I wanted to study old books on the French Occult.
  In other words, when one is a student of the Occult and Dark Mysteries, like the Founding Fathers, it tends to make one very worldly and even outer worldly. Americans are very uncomfortable with the fact that Christianity in the U.S. and in Europe was only a facade for the peasants but the real people that carved out American Society, were indeed Scholars of Lucifer.
  What we have in the United States and in Europe and even in Israel, are the blessings of Lucifer. If you put the US, UK, Germany and Israel together, there has never been a more concentrated evil empire in the entire history of this planet.
  The reason why I have so many Celtic rituals in my head is because the very first occult book that I picked up belonged to my great aunt from Florida, who was part Cherokee and part Scottish and even those books were older than she and simply can not be found. These books aren't even out-of-print but instead they are simply gone and the authors are unknown.
  Anything that a child learns before the age of 13 or 14 will stay in that child's head for the rest of their life and becomes ''total recall''-which is why children can pick up 4 languages and learn to speak by the age of 2 or 3 if that child is exposed to this learning early on in life.
  There is only one European ''glamour ritual'' in Witch Craft " it is no where written down in any book available to the public. I do not care if one has studied Wicca for decades and has read every book, I promise you that you still dont know shit.
  There is a way to glamour one self (Transform one's image via magic), I know it and I am one of the few people in the world that knows this ritual and that's why I am confident in what I say and write.
  I don't care what type of High Magic or Keys of Solomon people think that they know and are performing, you are still not on my level. This is Illuminati and you are Illumi-NOT.
  Now with that being said, since it seems like I have to keep establishing my authority for the public, I would simply like to say that the only difference between the United Nations, Hollywood Illuminati " British Empire (where L Ron Hubbard and Scientology hails from) is the fact that L Ron Hubbard didn't agree with eugenics or the selective killing of humans that were deemed inferior based on back ground, IQ, life style or race.
  L Ron Hubbard thought that all of human kind was worth while and worth elevating, so in essence L Ron Hubbard was one of the good guys " he fought against the dangers of chemicals,radiation and pharmaceuticals.
  On the down side, L Ron Hubbard and Scientology did embrace racist concepts (regarding reincarnation), does enforce a subtle form of white superiority and maintains what can only be called labor slavery, which is also very British.
  All of the Hollywood Studios operate with the mentality that a few people on top should rule over poor or working poor Union Slaves, which is why Hollywood has some of the poorest Union Members in the world. This is a British Model, a UN Model, a Hollywood Model and also a Scientology Model.
  Warner Bros likes L Ron Hubbard because the original Warner Brothers, would take classes with Hubbard on British Satanism " like I said, British Satanism is the darkest of all forms " there is nothing nice or fun about it.
  If one notices Warner Bros has films with Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers) and even a new film starring Sean Penn and Giovanni Ribisi called Gangsta Squad. What do Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi have in common? They were both born into the Scientology Cult. These actors didn't join Scientology but were born into Scientology " are second generation.
  Tom Cruise will often demand to film on the Warner Bros Lot even if the film isn't being distributed by that studio and he does this because Warner Bros will employ any person or actor that is connected to any occult organization due to some unwritten pact made by the founders of that studio with the Illuminati nearly 80 years ago!
  Now the idiotic Hollywood Scientologist are going to pop up at my home (they have done it before) because I am calling Scientology an occult discipline being that most Scientologist cant believe that I would dare state that their ''science'' wasn't all based off of the great mind of L Ron Hubbard, their messiah.
  Well, Scientology has a thing called ''exteriorization'' where the soul or person lives 3 feet behind their physical body. Metaphysics calls it ''Astral Projection'' but this ''Exteriorization'' is nothing more than an old occult technique, where one would split a part of their mind and place it into a vehicle of energy, which was exteriorized from the persons stomach or chest area. This is an occult skill and is nothing that L Ron Hubbard came up with from the sheer force of his great mind.
  Nothing in Scientology is original and much of it is based off of L Ron Hubbard's Occult Training with British Satanist like Alister Crowley.
  So, Scientology can be classified in the realm of the occult. There are entire books that take an occult concept and stretches it into some Scientology mumbo jumbo but the root foundation of the concept is indeed drawn from the occult or demon magic.
  Nearly all of the knowledge " technology that we have in practice today came from Fallen Demons or Angels and over time these civilization (known and unknown) get destroyed but this knowledge or the Illuminati always appears to ride above the collapse.
  A final word on Sage Stallone.
  Ya know Sly Stallone. It must be really really sad having to ask your son's friends about what was going on in your own child's life. One of the most pathetic film scenes (pathetic in a good way as far as acting skills) was in American Beauty, when Kevin Spacey's Character asked his daughter's best friend in the film about what his daughter's life was like'...''How is she?'' I believe was the line.
  How sad that in American Beauty, the daughter was so alienated from her self-absorbed parents that her father had to ask a third party about what his child's life was like?
  I recall that the Holy Bible, warns parents about not driving their children to rage against them.
  I could be a dick and leave Sly hanging but I wont. Let me give Stallone peace of mind about his own son.
  O.K. First, I feel that those two female cops that sold the Rihanna Photos to the media, should be fired and charged with a crime. This unholy alliance of systemic corruption that we have in Hollywood regarding cops, judges and paparazzi or tabloid media needs to end.
  Law Enforcement needs to realize that you are not there, sucking up tax payer's money, to track and stalk celebrities. Judges need to realize that celebrities aren't there to be dragged into court for 4 years, just for camera time, when a regular member of the public would have had their case wrapped up in a matter of 4 months.
  How in the hell can the LAPD sit around and say that Sage Stallone was a drug dealer, then change their mind and say that Sage Stallone was a drug user because he was ''kinda chubby'' (A lot women wanted to be with Sage) and that ''chubby people don't really deal drugs but use them.'' Listen, these cops in L.A. are either over weight, or they have their pants sagging off of their ass or they are jacked up on steroids. So, I fail to see how they can make comments like that.
  Secondly, I have seen those same empty pill bottles in Sage's bedroom or bathroom since 2008! I had a prescription for ambien from some quack doctor in Santa Monica, Ca. and that was back in 2003 and 2004 but yet I still have the empty bottles in my bedroom. So, simply because a person has empty pill bottles in their home, doesn't mean that they are dealing drugs or strung out on drugs nor does it mean that they took all of the pills at one time.
  Plus, I can name about 7 famous actors that have cocaine stashes in their home and if you use their lap top you see videos called ''Chicks with Dicks'' down loaded onto their desktop as Icons! There is one famous actor that makes hidden cam videos with every girl in Hollywood and they dont even know that he shows it to anyone and everyone.
  Third, there was a time when I saw Actress Julian Moore, (X-Files) walking around down town Hollywood near Sunset and Vine at night, and so high on GHB, that I had to call Sage to bring her home.
  I could have called anyone, like Shai Labeouf (thinks he's a porn star " there would have been a sex tape for sure), or Ryan Reynolds or maybe Solomon, the son of the former Warner Bros Executive that put out Paris Hilton Sex Tape but if it would have not been Sage, I promise you that this actress would have been in a sex tape all over the Internet because some other Hollywood Dude could have easily taken her to a hotel room and sold the tape for 5 million dollars in the San Fernando Valley Area of L.A., where they produce the porn films.
  So, if Sage was so bad, then why was he the one to get her home INTACT? What would have happened if the LAPD had to bring her home? She would have never made it home. She would have been all over TMZ.Com and her career ruined.
  There was yet another time when actress Kristen Dunst (Spiderman, Bring it On) was high out of her mind, doing stuff that she should have not been doing in public one night " once again Sage got her home.
  I could have a 20 million dollar bank account if I went around taping, filming and selling all of the antics that I see A-List Actors do around Hollywood or in the homes of others.
  If Sage did OD on something, then this was something isolated because it wasn't like he was walking around high and didn't have a life.
  In conclusion, there are a lot of people from Hollywood that I can embarrass like the fact that Sly Stallone's current wife has a dam near pharmaceutical corporation in her purse but Sage wasn't strung out or dealing drugs, as the LAPD and some are saying.
  Peace! I am Out!
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/53407/exclusive-juicy-dhsice-lawsuit-sexual-harassment-affidavits-more-sexual-harassment-of-men-obamas-homeland-security/
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:43
  By Debbie Schlussel
  Readers who've been following the story I broke about the employment discrimination lawsuit against Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, brought by New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes, have likely read about affidavits regarding sexual harassment by Napolitano's hand-picked ICE Chief of Staff, Suzanne Barr a/k/a Suzy ''Stripper Pole'' Barr, who is now on leave. But only DebbieSchlussel.com has the affidavits, and I'm posting them here, today, for your reading pleasure. Read Affidavit A. Read Affidavit B. There are other affidavits and lawsuits to come (I am the attorney for several ICE agents who have employment discrimination claims against ICE and am available for hire). Also, here's a letter from a supervisor in ICE's Office of Diversity and Civil Rights to the attorney of another male ICE agent who has apparently filed an administrative complaint alleging anti-male discrimination in favor of female agents by a female supervisor at ICE. It's also exclusive to DebbieSchlussel.com.
  Suzy Barr: Obama Homeland Security Official Who Treated Male ICE Agents Like The ''Magic Mike'' Casting Couch
  Partners in Harassment/Discrimination: DHS Chief Janet Napolitano " Flamboyant ICE Chief John (Moron) Morton
  One of these affidavits, Affidavit B, claims that ICE New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Ray Parmer sexted to Barr, ''I want to eat the corn out of your sh-t.'' ICK. Who talks like that? It sounds like Dan Rather talking dirty with one of his silly cornpone countryisms mixed with the uber-nasty. And who in a position of power puts something like that in writing on an electronic device where it can be captured for later use? Anyone can say anything in an affidavit, and it may not be true, but it's pretty specific language. As I've previously noted, the affidavits''from two different individuals''make allegations that Suzy Barr asked about male agents' penises and expressed her desire to give oral sex. (You know what they say about fat chicks. And this is a fat chick drunk on power.)
  Check out the ICE Anti-Fraternization Policy regarding ''Romantic or Sexual Relationships between ICE Supervisors and Their Subordinates, written by ICE Director John ''Moron'' Morton and date-stamped June 6, 2011. It clearly prohibits Barr's behavior. And yet a good deal of that behavior was conducted in front of and/or with the clear knowledge of Morton, himself. The first affidavit says he was in on Agent Parmer's impersonation of another ICE official in the sexting incident (and if that really happened, Parmer should probably be fired for sexting on an Homeland Security apparatus and for impersonation of a federal official). Morton wrote in his policy:
  Romantic or sexual relationships between ICE supervisors and their subordinate employees, to include those employees who they directly supervise or who fall directly within their chain of command, are contrary to a productive and efficient workplace. Supervisors must avoid the appearance of conflict between their professional responsibilities and any involvement that they may have in romantic or sexual relationships with subordinate employees. In order to avoid complaints of favoritism, loss of objectivity, abuse of authority, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, or gender based discrimination, supervisors should avoid situations that give rise to a conflict of interest or appearance of a conflict of interest. The very nature of these personal relationships in the workplace creates the potential for many foreseeable problems and workplace complications.
  If a romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and his/her subordinate employee does arise, the supervisor involved must immediately notify his/her supervisor of the relationship. This requirement includes romantic or sexual relationships with anyone who falls within the supervisor's chain of command (first-line subordinate, second-line subordinate, third-line subordinate, etc.).
  According to the definition as set forth in the memo, Suzy Barr is a supervisor of pretty much every agent in ICE. Had she followed the policy set forth in the memo, she'd have had to report to Morton''her immediate supervisor''about every single male agent she's hit on, given oral sex to, asked about his penis characteristics, and so on. That would be a list longer than Santa's. How much you wanna bet no such list was ever submitted nor exists? And, yet, I know for a fact other agents have lost their jobs over this issue.
  In any event, I predict that Suzy Barr won't be coming back to ICE anytime soon. Even if Barack Obama is re-elected, Janet Napolitano would have to be a complete idiot to let her back into ICE headquarters. But if she does, one thing is for sure: it will be quite difficult for Barr to get a job after the Obama administration ends, whether that's in a few months or four more years. Google her name, and her behavior is on display for the world. Who would hire her? Only a moron.
  So sad, too bad. Crocodile tears from me.
  And, by the way, John Morton''who knew or should have known all of this was going on''should be in the same shoes. Whoever hires him is an even bigger moron . . . and laying ground for future lawsuits.
  ''We're From the Govt " We're Here to . . . Sexually Harass You''Artwork by David Lunde/Lundesigns
http://www.upworthy.com/soledad-obriens-show-like-watching-cnn-but-actually-informative-and-sans-hologra
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:35
  I don't understand how this keeps happening. There's actual "follow up" questions, and an attempt at "accountability" on CNN.
  Christine O'Donnell, as you may recall, is not a witch. She is, however, out of her depth. Watch Soledad O'Brien pummel her with intelligent follow up questions.
  At 1:18 she foreshadows the upcoming moment of actual accountability. At 2:27, Christine O'Donnell claims a title that's out of her depth. At 3:11, Soledad requests some basic comprehension of political theory 101. And then at 4:30, she goes in for the easy kill. Priceless. Share it.
Lauryn Hill Refuses To Do Interview With Oprah Winfrey
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:41
  WENN
  By Radar Staff
  Her network just scored its second highest ratings ever with her sit-down interview with Rihanna. But there is one celebrity that Oprah Winfreycan't woo.
  Troubled singerLauryn Hill has turned down the media mogul's invitation to be grilled on Oprah's Next Chapter.
  PHOTOS: Take A Peek Inside Oprah Winfrey's Chicago Apartment
  The Sunday night show has already featured the Kardashians, Lady Gaga and the first interview with Bobbi Kristina following her mother Whitney Houston's tragic death.
  But the former Fugees singer, who faces imprisonment after failing to file federal taxes over three years, refuses to give Oprah a tell-all.
  PHOTOS: Oprah Gets Star Studded Farewell Surprise!
  The queen of chat revealed the news herself on Twitter. One of her followers tweeted: ''@Oprah GET LAURYN HILL ON YOUR SHOW ASAP!!!!!!''Oprah quickly responded: ''@Shawtiejay tried. She said no.''
  Hill is in hot water after pleading guilty to not paying federal taxes on the $1.8 million she earned between 2005 and 2007. The mother-of-six faces up to three years in prison.
  PHOTOS: Oprah: Through The Years
  It's the latest in a series of controversies for the singer who won five Grammys for her critically acclaimed album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Over the years she has been dogged by rumors of mental instability.
  Last summer she revealed that Rohan Marley '' the father of her first five children '' is not the dad of her sixth child. At the time there was no public confirmation that the couple had split.
  PHOTOS: The Name Game - Celebs Who've Changed Their Names
  Despite the snub, Oprah has had some good news. Her interview with Rihanna scored 2.5 million viewers according to The Hollywood Reporter.
  Her highest rated show '' with 3.5 million viewers '' was with Bobbi Kristina.
  RELATED STORIES:
  Rihanna: 'I Still Love' Chris Brown, 'Think He Is The Love Of My Life'
  Rihanna On Chris Brown: 'I Do Miss Him'Rihanna Cries To Oprah: 'I Was More Concerned About Chris Brown'Rihanna Surprises Oprah: 'I Thought She'd Be A Bad-Ass'
FDA warns about use of codeine in children
  Link to Article
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:40
  WASHINGTON (AP) '-- The Food and Drug Administration warned physicians and caregivers on Wednesday about the risks of giving the pain reliever codeine to children who have just had surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
  The FDA cited three cases where children died after being given codeine after their tonsils or adenoids were removed. A fourth child suffered nonfatal respiratory depression.
  The agency said the children were given doses of codeine that were in the typical dose range. It advised health care professionals and parents to be aware of the risks of codeine, and said children should be given the drug at the lowest effective dose possible and for the shortest possible time on as-needed basis.
  The FDA noted some people metabolize codeine much faster and more completely than others, leading to greater risks of overdose and side effects, which can include death. It said the children who died exhibited evidence of being in that group.
  If children given codeine suffer side effects like unusual sleepiness, difficulty in waking, confusion, or difficulty breathing, the FDA said parents and caregivers should stop giving them the drug and seek medical attention.
  The agency said it is investigating whether there have been other cases of inadvertent codeine overdoses in children. Its review will include looking for instances when the drug has been used to treat pain following other types of operations.
  Codeine is found in prescription drugs used to treat pain as well as coughs.
  PrintEmail| Tweet MORE MORE! X Digg Delicious Tumblr LinkedIn StumbleUpon Newsvine Reddit Pinterest
Entrepreneurs gather in Madison for Forward Technology Festival
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 01:37
  Midwestern entrepreneurs and innovators are gathering in Madison for a 10-day event called the Forward Technology Festival.
  The festival's signature event - the Forward Technology Conference - will be held Wednesday at Memorial Union on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Experts will discuss starting companies, acquiring customers, raising capital and other topics.
  Dave Winer, editor of Scripting News Inc., is the featured speaker. Winer is a prolific online content generator.
  The Forward Technology Festival was co-founded by Bryan Chan, president of SupraNet Communications, Nathan Lustig of Entrustet, and Matt Younkle, inventor of the Turbo Tap and founder of Murfie.com. Their inspiration for the festival came from South by Southwest, the annual music, film and interactive conference in Austin, Texas.
  The first festival took place in Madison in August 2010. This year's event will end on Saturday with the Madison Ruby Conference.
More Than Half Of All Americans Are At Least Partially Dependent On The Government
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:54
  A very large segment of the population has figured out that it can use voting as a tool to get more money and benefits from the government, and that is a very dangerous thing. Once upon a time, the free market was the one that distributed nearly all the wealth in our system. But now the federal government has become a giant deluded "Santa Claus" that distributes goodies to the American people far beyond its actual capacity to do so. In fact, we are borrowing trillions of dollars that we do not have so that our politicians can continue to buy votes with handouts. Look, we will always need a safety net. We don't want anyone in America starving to death or sleeping in the street. However, our current system has gotten completely and totally out of control. Today, there are nearly 80 different "means-tested welfare programs" operated by the federal government. As I have written about previously, more than 100 million Americans are enrolled in those programs. Sadly, that does not even count Social Security and Medicare. Tens of millions of Americans are enrolled in each of those programs as well. And when you add in more than 22 million government workers, you get one giant pile of people that are getting money or benefits from the government. In fact, at this point more than half of all Americans are at least partially dependent on the government.
  A recent Forbes article by Bill Wilson estimates that over 165 million Americans are government dependents to at least some degree....
  New research from Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee Jeff Sessions (R-AL) reveals that this reality may already be here, with more than 107 million Americans on some form of means-tested government welfare.
  Add to that 46 million seniors collecting Medicare (subtracting out about 10 million on Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, and other senior-eligible programs already included in Sessions' means-tested chart) and 22 million government employees at the federal, state, and local level '-- and suddenly, over 165 million people, a clear majority of the 308 million Americans counted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, are at least partially dependents of the state.
  That is absolutely staggering.
  So why is this happening?
  Well, for one thing our economy is not producing enough good jobs. Millions of our jobs have been shipped out of the country, and of the jobs that remain, only 24.6 percent of them are considered to be "good jobs" at this point.
  So millions of families are really hurting. In fact, 77 percent of all Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck at least some of the time.
  This week, Joe Biden declared that "the middle class is coming back", but that was a giant lie.
  The truth is that the middle class is being absolutely shredded. More Americans fall out of the middle class every single day. Right now there are more than 100 million Americans that are considered to be "poor" or "near poor", and the number of Americans on food stamps has risen by more than 14 million since Barack Obama entered the White House.
  No, the middle class is definitely not coming back. Poverty is exploding all around us and every single day even more Americans become dependent on the government.
  And that is how the social engineers like it. They don't want us to be strong and independent. They want us to be weak and groveling and dependent on them.
  So who is paying for all of this?
  Well, it sure isn't the wealthy. They have become absolute masters at avoiding taxes.
  And it sure isn't the poor people. Most of them don't even pay any income taxes.
  So who is paying for all of this?
  Hard working middle class Americans are, and our children and our grandchildren are.
  Both Democrats and Republicans see nothing wrong with stealing trillions of dollars from future generations so that they can shower their constituents with benefits that we simply cannot afford.
  What we are doing to our children and our grandchildren is beyond criminal. I am amazed that more people are not completely outraged by all of this.
  Obama, Bush, Clinton and our Congress critters have showered the American people will trillions of dollars that have been ripped off from Americans that have not even been born yet. They seem to think that it is really funny that they are going to stick them with the bill.
  I find it absolutely revolting.
  But very few of our politicians will even discuss seriously cutting back the benefits that we have promised to hand out.
  Nobody wants to be the bad guy.
  And more specifically, very few of our politicians are willing to risk their careers in order to do what they know is right.
  We are becoming a society that is completely and totally addicted to government money and government benefits.
  We expect the government to take care of us from the cradle to the grave.
  In many ways, the government has actually become a god to millions upon millions of Americans.
  And the social engineers like it that way.
  They want the government to be as large and as powerful as possible.
  In fact, they don't even want us taking care of each other.
  Earlier this year I wrote about how feeding the homeless is illegal in many major cities all over the United States.
  Sadly, this trend has gotten even stronger since that time.
  According to USA Today, more than 50 American cities have now passed "anti-camping or anti-food-sharing laws"....
  Philadelphia recently banned outdoor feeding of people in city parks. Denver has begun enforcing a ban on eating and sleeping on property without permission. And this month, lawmakers in Ashland, Ore., will consider strengthening the town's ban on camping and making noise in public.
  And the list goes on: Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, Oklahoma City and more than 50 other cities have previously adopted some kind of anti-camping or anti-food-sharing laws, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness " Poverty.
  So what are we supposed to do?
  If it is illegal to help the homeless and it is illegal to be homeless, what is left?
  The answer is obvious.
  We are supposed to let the government take care of everything because the government is our super-powerful nanny that always knows what is best.
  In the end, however, this system is going to collapse. It is unsustainable by nature and the weight of our 16 trillion dollar national debt is absolutely going to crush us.
  Millions of Americans realize that the system is failing, and that is why so many of them have started to prepare for the worst.
  This even includes members of Congress. For example, just check out the following excerpt from an article about U.S. Representative Roscoe Bartlett....
  Deep in the West Virginia woods, in a small cabin powered by the sun and the wind, a bespectacled, white-haired man is giving a video tour of his basement, describing techniques for the long-term preservation of food in case of ''an emergency.''
  ''We don't really think of those today, because it's so convenient to go to the supermarket,'' he cautions. ''But you know, you're planning because the supermarket may not always be there.''
  The electrical grid could fail tomorrow, he frequently warns. Food would disappear from the shelves. Water would no longer flow from the pipes. Money might become worthless. People could turn on each other, and millions would die.
  Remember, this is a member of the U.S. Congress that is saying these things.
  Any rational person can see that our current system is unsustainable by any definition.
  Many of our politicians continue to insist that it can be "fixed" if you will just allow them to "tweak" it a bit.
  Sadly, they are all lying to you.
  A few small changes here and there is not going to change anything.
  We need radical reconstructive surgery in this nation, and unfortunately that is not even being presented to the American people as an option in 2012.
  We are just going to keep doing more of the same and we are going to keep expecting different results.
  And that truly is insanity.
ICANN's Boondoggle - Technology Review
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:39
  Modern societies depend on systems of unique identifiers. If you're a U.S. citizen, for example, it's vital that your Social Security number be yours alone, or somebody else could start picking up your checks after you retire. Similarly, it's crucial that no two phones have the same number, no two neighborhoods have the same zip code, and no two products at the supermarket have the same bar code. When an address system expands'--say, when the phone companies introduce a new area code'--it's almost always because the community of users has outgrown the existing scheme; it means that the old identifiers either are in short supply or aren't specific enough.
  But that's not what's prompting a huge expansion of Internet domains right now. As you may have heard, the relatively manageable list of "generic top-level domains" (gTLDs) that we've all mastered over the last couple of decades, such as .com, .net, and .org, is set to expand dramatically starting next year. You could soon find Amazon at amazon.book and Google at google­.search. And there may be hundreds more new top-level domains'--the proposals now under review range from .aaa to .zulu. This expansion isn't happening because we're running out of unique Web addresses under the existing set of gTLDs. Far from it. It's happening because the body in charge of these things'--the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN'--thought it would be fun and profitable.
  That may sound flip, but it's the simplest explanation for the coming chaos. ICANN is a nonprofit organization that was created during the Clinton administration to, among other things, loosen the control that one company, Network Solutions, exercised over the domain registration process. But now ICANN is itself a monopoly. It has the freedom to mint new gTLDs and incorporate them into the "root zone file," the master list that matches human-readable URLs (such as www.technologyreview.com) with the numeric Internet Protocol addresses that are used to route packets between computers. And it's employing this freedom to orchestrate the biggest land rush in the history of the Internet.
  During a four-and-a-half-month application period that closed on May 30, ICANN collected more than 1,900 proposals for new gTLDs. As expected, hundreds of companies applied for gTLDs corresponding to their brand names'--.aetna, ­.barclays, .mcdonalds, and the like. But applicants also asked for the rights to hundreds of generic terms, such as .health, .mail, .music, and .pizza. The first such domains could be activated by next spring.
  There is no general shortage of Web addresses. If there were, we might have seen businesses flocking to other new domains ICANN has already introduced over the past decade.
  ICANN says it's opening up these domains to promote competition and choice in the domain-name industry. But confusion and profiteering are the more likely results. Say you come across a URL like shoes.buy. How will you know who's behind it? Amazon, Google, and three other companies have applied for control of the .buy domain; whoever gets it could sell subdomains to someone else. For example, Amazon could sell footwear at '¨shoes.buy and charge the Gap for the rights to shirts.buy. Or say you're planning to visit Hungary. Should you go to Budapest.hu, currently the city's official site, or risk going to a new site like tourism.budapest and hope that you don't stumble onto a phishing site in the process?
  ICANN has built some limits into the program, including a seven-month objection period during which companies will be free to challenge aspiring trademark squatters. Even so, there's a lot of money to be made now, starting with the fees that marketers, lawyers, and consultants familiar with the domain-name business have already begun to extract from big brands. Then there are the registration fees each new gTLD owner will be able to charge for access to the new domains. Corporations cite these fees as a major worry: they're concerned that they'll be forced to defensively register their brand names and related terms across hundreds of new domains.
  Through all this, ICANN could also cash in. Plenty of names are in contention'--11 companies applied for .home and another 11 for .inc, for example'--and in many cases where the parties can't settle their competing claims themselves, ICANN plans to hold auctions for the domains and pocket the proceeds. That's on top of the $357 million in application fees that the Los Angeles''based organization has already collected, at a whopping $185,000 per domain. (The organization claims it needs all that money to pay for the evaluation of gTLD applications and prepare for potential litigation.)
  What amazing new benefits will all this spending bring to consumers? None whatsoever, at least in the eyes of venture investor Esther Dyson, who served as chair of ICANN from its inception in 1998 until 2000. Dyson once supported the idea of allowing companies to create arbitrary top-level domains, but she says she came to believe that the change would be unnecessary and confusing for the public.
  "I don't think it's illegal, but it's wasteful," she says. "One version of the future is: a lot of people spend a lot of money marketing [domain names], and a lot of new consultancies are created, and a lot of lawyers are very busy protecting and enforcing property rights, and there is no net benefit to anybody."
  It's true that it's getting harder to find a great .com domain name'--hence the profusion of nonsense words like Xamarin as startup names. But there is no general shortage of Web addresses. If there were a genuine clamor for additional top-level domains, one might have expected to see businesses flocking to .biz, .info, .name, and the handful of other gTLDs that ICANN has introduced over the past decade.
  Opening up the Internet to a flood of new gTLDs might also have the unintended consequence of making consumers even more likely to stop thinking about URLs at all and turn instead to Google, Bing, or Baidu to locate the sites they need. It's already easy to surf the Web without ever typing a URL. As Dyson points out, "the search bar and the address bar are almost merging in browsers like Chrome." As fewer and fewer consumers resort to direct navigation, owners of new gTLDs could soon find that they have "spent large amounts of money on something that is fundamentally worthless," she says.
  What amazing benefits will all this bring to ­consumers? None whatsoever, says Esther Dyson, who once chaired ICANN. She says the new plan is wasteful and ­unnecessary.
  Bogged down
  Who gave ICANN the power to make this mess? The U.S. Department of Commerce, which oversees the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), the ultimate keeper of the root zone file. The story starts back in 1998, when Network Solutions, under contract to the U.S. military and the National Science Foundation, was still the sole registrar of new domain names. "It had become a giant business, and they were throwing their power around too much," says Dyson. Under pressure from the global Internet community, the Commerce Department announced that it would hand over responsibility for the IANA'--and with it, the power to co¶rdinate the whole system of unique identifiers on the Internet'--to a new nonprofit group representing stakeholders across the industry.
  "The moment they said that, all hell broke loose, because everybody wanted to control that body," Dyson recounts. The only person everyone trusted was Jon ­Postel, a researcher at the University of Southern California who had, up to then, been the IANA's primary administrator. Dyson calls him a "saint" who was widely perceived as "the heart and soul of the Internet." The coalition that formed around Postel took the name ICANN and won the contract to run the domain-name system. Dyson, who was seen as an impartial outsider, was asked to be its chair.
  But the organization got off to a rocky start, she says: "We really didn't know what we had gotten into, and were not too sensitive. None of which would have mattered if Jon Postel had not had heart surgery and up and died before our first board meeting." Without Postel as its peacekeeper, ICANN had trouble raising money and was forced to survive on fees from Network Solutions and a new crop of domain-name registrars that grew up under ICANN's oversight, Dyson says.
  Thus was born a financial conflict of interest that continues to this day: ICANN subsists on the very industry it purports to govern. Dyson says she "lost any faith, over time," in ICANN's ability to regulate the domain-name business.
  After years of planning, ICANN's board voted in 2011 to move forward with the latest gTLD scheme. The Association of National Advertisers and other corporate lobbying groups oppose the program, which is why Dyson predicts that "the whole thing is going to be mired in litigation for a long, long time."
  Meanwhile, imagine the consequences if your city council proposed auctioning off street names to companies at $185,000 apiece. It would be a creative way to fatten the city's coffers, and many companies might be interested. But others would feel forced to cough up premptively'--IBM wouldn't want an address on Microsoft Street, after all. On top of that, every resident would have to learn the new names, and every map and street sign would have to be changed. In short, it would be a loony idea with many hidden costs. Yet it is much like the scenario ICANN has penned for the Internet.
  Wade Roush, Xconomy's chief correspondent and editor of Xconomy San Francisco, is a former senior editor at Technology Review.
Bikini Babe! Eccentric 86-Year-Old Billionairess The Duchess Of Alba Hits The Beach
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:16
  FameFlynet Inc.
  By Debbie Emery - Radar Reporter
  Surf's up for Europe's most eccentric royal!
  Proving that you are never too old to wear a two-piece, the 86-year-old Duchess of Alba hit the beach this week with her boy toy husband, and RadarOnline.com has photos of their romantic summer getaway.
  PHOTOS: The Duchess Of Alba Strips Off On The Beach
  Dressed in a floral bikini and bright purple sunglasses, the Spanish aristocrat, who holds the record for the most titles, wasn't worried about the aging affects of the sun as she and Alfonso Diez, 61, enjoyed a frolic in the Mediterranean off the island of Formentera.
  As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the couple was married in an extravagant ceremony last October in her 15th century palace in Seville, Spain, despite initial protests from her children and grandchildren.
  PHOTOS: Tom Cruise And The Duchess Of Alba At Ghost Protocol Premiere In Spain
  Throughout their beach day the elderly duchess was kept safe and sound as her new husband firmly held her left hand, while a mystery friend in a pink cut-out swimsuit lent support on the other side.
  Also known as Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonso Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, the glorious grandma is famous for her eclectic style and colorful clothes, making her latest beach attire the perfect summer outfit for her.
  PHOTOS: Duchess Of Alba Weds Her Toy Boy Lover
  After they were done cooling down in the water, the newlywed covered up with a sheer flowered dress and floppy pink hat for a walk on the sand.
  Just like many Hollywood stars, the head of the 539-year-old House of Alba faced a sex scandal earlier this year when a 30-year-old photograph of the duchess as she sunbathed topless in Ibiza was splashed on the cover of the racy Spanish magazine Interviu.
  RELATED STORIES:
  Is Taylor Armstrong Turning Into The Duchess Of Alba?Eccentric Duchess Of Alba's Parisian Lunch DateHappy Birthday! Eccentric Duchess Of Alba Turns 86Eccentric Duchess Of Alba Unveils Her Life Story In Eye-Opening Memoir
WHITE HOUSE INSIDER ISSUES WARNING '' FALSE FLAG PLANNED FOR GOP CONVENTION?
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:12
  Just received following message from Insider and, as requested, passing it on to all of you:
  That Biden visit to Tampa got my wheels spinning. What the hell are they up to? How far is Biden willing to go to remain relevant? To stay on the ticket? So I put some feelers out to the WH. Got lots of people willing to talk and share these days.
  Here's the deal. Nobody has heard anything on that visit beyond it's being planned. SS had protocols in place only as recently as 72 hours ago. So this thing wasn't planned more than a week ago. At the most. That means the campaign is being damn tight lipped about it which is out of the ordinary for them. Now that has me really thinking. Something don't sit right here. Why send the #2 right down to the GOP convention? What is the purpose? Leak the trip, but don't say anything substantial regarding the reason for the trip. Just a publicity stunt? An attempt at poking the eye of the Romney team?
  That don't add up for. Not even close. So I'm asking around some more. And I'm not the only one. Nothing is coming back. Finally get a call into the Old Man. Alert him to my concerns. Within 30 minutes he gets back to me. We got legit Intel from military source. Nothing concrete. Which got our source's attention. That is a big red alert. This thing is being planned. Staged. Might be a handful of local law enforcement in on it. Apparently a related communication from DSHS within the last 24 hrs. Union thugs. Got to be a Jarrett Gerard initiated plan. Something along those lines.
  I'm giving you and your readers a heads up here. False flag. The real deal. They will try and control it but make it look uncontrolled. Dangerous. Make it reflect poorly on the Republicans and their supporters. A dangerous and desperate operation here. Even a dimwit like Biden has to know how dangerous.
  So have everyone you can reach, all your readers, let them know. Obama operatives are attempting a set up here. Dimes to dollars that's what is going down.
  Will update if more becomes available. The Old Man is on it now. Pushing heavy influence to deflect. One or two secure media sources made aware. The Romney people will be alerted, though they might have already been thinking along the same lines. Trying to confirm that now. If this thing is legit, we are going to try and shut it down within the next 48-72 hrs. Won't say more on that.
  If they do go operational on this next week, you and your readers will know what it is and what it isn't. Hoping it don't get that far, but these maniacs are getting so desperate now they are trying to pull it off.
  As promised, keeping you informed in a more timely manner. I owe you that.
  Things moving very fast now kid. Hang on. This is gonna be the most terrifying, most interesting, and potentially gratifying time of your life.
  Or, it all goes to shit???? We lose. They win.
  Welcome to my world.
  -WHI
  _________________
  My understanding of this warning from Insider points to the true intent of the visit to Tampa during the GOP Convention by Vice President Biden. There will be a staged protest or something of that nature, intended to make Republicans look bad, and though not mentioned here by Insider, create sympathy for Joe Biden who has received a slew of bad press in recent weeks that is doing harm to the Obama campaign.
  The protest is to be initiated by Obama operatives and/or forces sympathetic to the Obama campaign. Insider is suggesting those forces believe they can control the environment to ensure the safety of those involved '' while at the same time getting the intended media coverage images that will then be used to paint Republicans and conservatives as dangerous radicals.
  If I learn from Insider my own interpretation is incorrect I will update accordingly.
  -UM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2191757/A-town-hall-spy-corner-Pursuing-smokers-stalking-dog-owners--9-600-missions-council-snoopers.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-mailonline
  Link to Article
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:09
  Surveillance operations exploiting controversial anti-terror lawsOffences such as dog fouling and dropping litter are being targettedCouncil officers carried out 'test purchases' at local escort agenciesHidden cameras used to catch people putting rubbish out earlyCivil liberties campaigners say powers are being abusedBBC refuses to reveal how it traps licence-fee evaders By James Slack, Home Affairs Editor
  PUBLISHED:18:00 EST, 21 August 2012| UPDATED:18:00 EST, 21 August 2012
  Town halls have launched an astonishing 9,600 spying missions on the public in the past three years.
  The surveillance operations exploit anti-terror laws but many are targeting minor offences such as flouting the smoking ban, dog fouling and dropping litter.
  Council officers have also gone undercover to carry out 'test purchases' at local escort agencies, it was revealed last night.
  Snoopers: Town halls have launched an astonishing 9,600 spying missions on the public in the past three years
  In other cases, tactics included obtaining phone records and trapping householders putting out rubbish early by using motion-activated cameras on lampposts and inside tin cans.
  Families suspected of cheating school catchment area rules have been followed by council 'spies'.
  Civil liberties campaigners said was clear the hugely controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act was being abused.
  They urged the Coalition to stop merely 'tinkering' with the 'broken' law '' passed ostensibly to fight terrorist fanatics '' and subject it to an overhaul.
  In a painstaking report, which took months to compile from Freedom of Information Act requests, the Big Brother Watch group discovered 345 councils had been authorised to use RIPA 9,607 times since 2009 '' the equivalent of around nine spying missions a day.
  Some 26 local authorities have used RIPA to spy on dog owners to see whose animals were responsible for dog fouling.
  A further seven have used their powers to investigate suspected breaches of the smoking ban.
  Suffolk County Council conducted a 'test purchase of dating agency services'.
  Bin cam: Tactics include trapping householders putting out rubbish early by using motion-activated cameras on lampposts and inside tin cans
  Many councils are targeting minor offences such as flouting the smoking ban, dog fouling and dropping litter
  Stockton Borough Council mounted an operation to check on the 'proper movement of pigs' and to investigate a'fraudulent escort agency'. No action was taken.
  Northumberland mounted three spying operations on a 'tarmac resurfacing service'. No action was taken.
  BBW said Kent was the worst authority in the country for RIPA investigations, with 315 in three years.
  Alarmingly, seven public authorities refused under the Freedom of Information Act to disclose why or how often they have used the powers. They included the BBC and Ofsted.
  The spies are called 'covert human intelligence sources'. In many cases they will be council employees, such as dog wardens or trading standards officials, but school children are sometimes recruited to test for the sale of underage alcohol or cigarettes.
  Eric Pickles, the communities secretary, admitted councils had been misusing RIPA.
  Stockton Borough Council mounted an operation to investigate a 'fraudulent escort agency'. No action was taken
  He said: 'Under Labour, councils seriously abused and over-used such snooping powers '' for matters as trivial as spying on garden centres for selling pot plants; snooping on staff for using work showers or monitoring shops for unlicensed parrots.'
  Mr Pickles said the Coalition had changed the law so that, from November, town halls will require the permission of a magistrate before they can launch snooping missions.
  But campaigners and experts '' including the Government's own watchdog '' have questioned how much difference the change will make. BBW director Nick Pickles said: 'The current law is broken and before further surveillance powers are considered we need to fix the situation.
  'Despite nearly ten thousand investigations in three years, most resulted in no action being taken, reinforcing the need for a comprehensive review.'
  He wants the public tohave a right to know they have been spied upon. Currently, those who are found to be innocent never know they have been under surveillance.
  Sir Paul Kennedy, the Government's Interception of Communications Commissioner, said in his annual report: 'I still remain unconvinced that the Government's proposal to require all local authorities to obtain the approval of a magistrate before theycan use these powers will have much impact other than to introduce unnecessary bureaucracy into the process.'
  However, Mehboob Khan, of the Local Government Association, said that without snooping powers it would be harder for councils to tackle rogue traders.
  The BBW report also laid bare the extent to which scores of other public bodies and quangos are spying on the public.
  Job Centre Plus made use of RIPA 34,093 times between 2009 and 2012. On almost 18,000 occasions, people were put under surveillance to see if they were living as a couple.
  Women are entitled to receive more state handouts if they are classed as living as a single mothers.
  BBC REFUSES TO DISCLOSE HOW IT TRAPS LICENCE-FEE EVADERSThe BBC refuses to reveal the tactics it uses to catch licence-fee evaders
  A string of public bodies including the BBC have refused to disclose how often they have used the spying powers.
  The lack of transparency was yesterday described as 'unacceptable' by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
  Hundreds of state bodies are entitled to use the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which was introduced by the last Labour government.
  Normally, they reveal under the Freedom of Information Act how many surveillance operations they have carried out and why.
  But the BBC, Ofsted, Royal Mail, the UK Border Agency, the Prison Service, Office of Fair Trading and UK Trade and Investment all refused requests from the Big Brother Watch campaign group.
  They claimed 'disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice a range of law enforcement functions and activities'.
  In the BBC's case, this is likely to involve operations to catch licence-fee evaders.
  Unlike town halls, under a change in the law later this year, public bodies will continue to be allowed to snoop without approval from a magistrate.
  Mr Pickles said: 'For public bodies, funded by and working for the taxpayer, to be using RIPA yet so vociferously trying to avoid accountability is simply unacceptable.
  From the BBC to Ofsted, the Royal Mail to UK Trade and Investment, public bodies should be transparent about why there are using these powers.
  'It is important that the public can have faith that surveillance powers are being used only in those situations where serious crimes are taking place and when there are no less intrusive alternative routes of investigation.'
  A TV Licensing spokesman said the BBC used RIPA only to detect licence evaders 'as a last resort', adding: 'The reason we do not release more details on how and when it is used is to ensure people without a valid TV licence don't use this information to their advantage.'
Web design for tablets: Forget the desktop'--smartphone and tablet sites should come first.
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:06
  Designers: Design for my tablet first!Photo by Mathew Sumner/Getty Images.
  Every morning I wake up too early, reach for my iPad, and scan the morning's tech headlines. This is a pathetic enough existence, but the Web sites I frequent aren't helping. Take the tech-news behemoth TechCrunch, a site that almost always causes my tablet to go haywire. First, slowly, elements load in an order that makes no sense'--the body text appears first, then the site's top and right-side navigation bar shows up, and only then, after many excruciating seconds, does the headline appear. At this point I'm mildly annoyed, but look, the story's up'--so I try to calm down and begin to read. But then, a half second or so after the page loads, the story's text and headline suddenly disappear. What?! Why would the story appear and then disappear?
  If you're lucky, the disappearance lasts only a second. The story comes back, you figure there's some kind of bug, and you forgive TechCrunch's designers, because, hey, when they created their site, they were making something for traditional PCs, and here you are accessing the page on some kind of weirdo tablet. But sometimes you're not lucky, and the text will flash on, off, and on again, and then the whole site will disappear and you'll get an advertisement for TechCrunch's iPad app. In order to read the story you've got to click a tiny link dismissing the advertisement. By now you've spent nearly 10 seconds waiting for the story, your blood's boiling, and you're ready to blackball TechCrunch forever.
  But you can't do that. If you started blackballing sites because they didn't work very well on the iPad, you'd end up dismissing half the Web. TechCrunch's mobile experience isn't great, but it's not uniquely terrible. From the New York Times to TheNew Yorker to Google News to Salon and, yes, even Slate, many news sites look and feel kind of crappy when you access them through tablet devices. But it's not just news sites; even big-time Web operations like Amazon.com don't look great on the iPad.
  The problem is that much of the Web is just too overcrowded for tablet displays. When you load up a site on your iPad, you're often presented with a crush of text, pictures, and videos that are jammed up together. Sites are powered by code that's too slow and buggy for small devices, they're stuffed with buttons and links that are too small to hit with a finger, and their pictures don't look good on super-high-definition tablet displays. The basic problem is that designers have done very little to accommodate the tablet'--they may have slightly tweaked their pages for the iPad, but often only as an afterthought to a primary site that was designed for laptops and desktops.
  It's time for that to change. The iPad is three years old, and its rise seems unstoppable. And the iPad isn't alone'--Google's Nexus 7, Amazon's Kindle Fire, and soon perhaps Microsoft's Surface will become big sources of Web traffic. The Web needs to catch up with these devices. Designers should create sites that don't just accommodate tablets but prioritize them. In fact, they ought to think of tablets first when they're creating new sites. Only after building pages for 7- and 9-inch touchscreens should they tweak their sites for desktop browsers.
  Why prioritize tablets? It's not just because the iPad and its kin are quickly becoming the main way we navigate the Web. (According to several measures, mobile devices account for more than 10 percent of Web traffic, and these numbers are continually growing.) It's also because the constraints imposed by tablets'--small screens and relatively low bandwidth and processing power'--make for better websites even on desktop devices. Well-designed mobile sites are often faster, prettier, and easier to navigate than their desktop counterparts. If designers created for tablets first, the whole Web would get better.
  Note that I'm not calling on sites to merely create tablet or smartphone-optimized alternatives to their desktop versions. Lots of sites do this, but because many firms don't have the resources to maintain two or three completely separate designs, their tablet and smartphone versions often feel like poor step-cousins. They don't offer all of the functionality of the primary site'--for instance, Slate's smartphone version doesn't load reader comments'--and when designers make improvements to their sites, they often go to the desktop version first.
  This is understandable: For most sites, desktop views account for the bulk of traffic and advertising revenue. What's more, the mobile Web is new and still in flux'--there are lots of different phones and tablets with varying technological capabilities, and designers aren't used to creating compelling sites for them. Then there's the money problem. The entire Web advertising industry is built around the desktop browser, and tablet-friendly Web design isn't very accommodating of the kinds of distracting, interactive ads that now fuel the Web.
  For all these reasons, Web companies should focus on building a unified experience that can work across every gadget. In an ideal world, the mobile site wouldn't be an offshoot of the desktop site'--the desktop site would be the same as the mobile site, a clean, quick-loading page that looked good on every gadget.
  This isn't a radical proposal. Many Web designers build their sites according to this principle'--Jason Kottke and John Gruber's blogs were designed for desktop browsers, but because they load quickly and aren't cluttered by extraneous elements, they look like they were built with mobile devices in mind. As BuzzFeed's John Herrman points out, several new Web start-ups have mimicked these minimalist designs, including the blogging platforms Svbtle and Medium, a discussion site called Branch, and the subscriber-only Twitter alternative App.net. All these sites look like they were created with the iPad in mind and then ported to the desktop. Not coincidentally, they are all also beautiful and intuitive to navigate.
  Of course, it's easy for a well-funded start-up to prioritize the mobile Web. Established sites that rely on advertising can't jump to mobile devices as easily. But they ought to try. Over the next few months'--especially if Apple releases a smaller, cheaper iPad and Amazon updates the Kindle Fire'--traffic from mobile browsers will skyrocket. Soon, readers aren't going to tolerate the kind of slow, buggy tablet experience that's common today. If your page takes too long to load, if your pictures are blurry, if your links aren't easy to click, and if you keep throwing up an ad for your iPad app, I'll take my tablet somewhere else'--somewhere it's appreciated.
How Hillary Clinton Reacted to the Killing of Gaddaffi
  Link to Article
  Source: EconomicPolicyJournal.com
  Wed, 22 Aug 2012 00:04
  Very diplomatic.
Curiosity fires ChemCam laser for first time on Mars | Cutting Edge
  Link to Article
  Source: CNET News
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:59
  Curiosity rocks out: An artist's pre-mission rendition of the ChemCam in action.
  (Credit:J-L. Lacour/CEA/French Space Agency)On August 19, 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover used the ChemCam, its laser-camera combo unit, for the first time on Mars, firing an energy beam at a small rock called "Coronation."
  Having excited the atoms in a target rock into an ionized, glowing plasma with its million watt laser, ChemCam can then use its telescopic camera to watch the light emitted and analyze it with three spectrometers for information about elemental composition.
  This first firing of the laser was primarily for target practice and calibration, but the ChemCam team expects to eventually take about a dozen compositional measurements of rocks per day. The spectrometers consist of three separate units covering 240 to 336 nanometer, 380 to 470 nanometer, and 470 to 850 nanometer spectral ranges, recording intensity at 6,144 different wavelengths of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light.
  "It's surprising that the data are even better than we ever had during tests on Earth, in signal-to-noise ratio," said ChemCam Deputy Project Scientist Sylvestre Maurice of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP) in Toulouse, France. "It's so rich, we can expect great science from investigating what might be thousands of targets with ChemCam in the next two years."
  ChemCam's Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used to determine composition of targets in other extreme environments, such as inside nuclear reactors and on the seafloor, and has had experimental applications in environmental monitoring and cancer detection. "Coronation" is the first rock on any extraterrestrial planet to be investigated with such a laser test.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE87K0U620120821?irpc=932
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 23:57
  Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:25pm EDTBy Thomas Grove
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syria is preparing to complete a deal with ally Russia to secure much-needed oil products to keep its economy and military running, the head of a Syrian delegation to Russia said on Tuesday, weeks after he said an agreement had been reached.
  Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Qadri Jamil on August 3 told reporters that an agreement had been reached for Syria to export crude to Russia in exchange for refined oil products.
  "It was an agreement in principle reached during our last visit," Jamil said at a news conference, adding that sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union were biting into the Syrian economy.
  "We have to find an alternative path. I think in the near future we will complete the preparatory stage and move on to a real agreement on the delivery of oil and oil products," he said after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
  Two separate Syrian delegation have visited Moscow this month in order to bargain for crucial economic aid, including a loan, though Jamil said it was too early to go into the details of any such credit.
  Syria is one of Russia's last Middle East footholds and hosts a repair and maintenance facility for the Russian navy on its coast. Russia has adamantly opposed any foreign intervention in the country, though Moscow says it is not tied to Assad.
  Russia has remained silent on the issue of an oil-for-oil-products swap deal, which could raise questions on the extent to which it might extend help to Assad's government, whose days analysts and some western countries say are numbered.
  Earlier this month, Syria's oil minister said oil production was less than 140,000 barrels per day.
  EU governments have agreed to ban imports of Syria's oil as well as prohibit European firms from making new investments in its oil industry.
  Syria's traditional suppliers have pulled out, leading to shortages in gasoline, diesel and oil fuels, some of which are used to run Syrian tanks.
  The Wall Street Journal earlier this month reported that Syria had plans to use Russian banks as part of a scheme to get around Western sanctions on oil and financial transactions.
  Citing government documents and correspondence, the paper reported that correspondence with then Prime Minister Riyad Hijab recommended setting up offshore companies in Russia to receive payment for crude oil.
  Syria was receiving shipments of Russian diesel and gasoil regularly last winter, according to traders and shipping sources, though the supply may have dried up earlier this year.
  Venezuela also emerged as a supplier of diesel to Syria earlier this year, sending a $50 million cargo of fuel, according to trading sources.
  (Reporting By Thomas Grove; editing by Jane Baird)
  Email Article>> Next Article: Syrian forces abandon security compounds on Iraq border
Curiosity's view of Mars so far | Crave
  Link to Article
  Source: CNET News
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:56
  Curiosity has been sending images back from Mars for more than two weeks now, including this shot of its own shadow.
  (Credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech)NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, better known as the Curiosity rover, landed on the surface of the fourth planet from the sun on August 5, and it brought more cameras than even the most fanatic visitors to the Grand Canyon.
  The space agency has been sharing many of the best from the thousands of pictures being sent back by Curiosity, and I went through NASA's public collections to compile the most incredible and insightful views of the Martian surface, and of the rover itself.
  From the base of a 3-mile-tall mountain to a tiny mark made by Curiosity's onboard laser, this gallery is a taste of sci-fi made so much sweeter by knowing it's really sci-fact.
Daily Press Briefing - August 20, 2012
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:48
  1:04 p.m. EDT
  MS. NULAND: Okay. Happy Monday. I've got one thing at the top. Since we didn't brief on Friday, I just want to make a quick statement on some of the offensive Iranian comments vis-a-vis Israel.
  We strongly condemn the hateful remarks made over the past few days and weeks by senior Iranian officials against Israel. These remarks are offensive and reprehensible, and the entire international community should condemn such rhetoric. These threats are not new, and they demonstrate that Iran continues to be a threat to the region and the world, and we must continue to pressure Iran until it resolves international concerns about its nuclear program and other issues.
  Let's go to what's on your minds.
  QUESTION: I guess we could kind of stay on the Israel theme. I'm wondering if the '' your travel advice, your Travel Warning, or your Consular Information Sheets for Israel have a section on skinny-dipping in the Sea of Galilee '' (laughter) '' and if not, whether you might be willing to add such a section for certain members of Congress.
  MS. NULAND: I think I'm not going to wade into that one at all, Matt. (Laughter.) Thank you for the opportunity, however.
  QUESTION: Are you wading (inaudible).
  QUESTION: Okay. Well, let's move on to something else, but I don't have anything else. (Laughter.) So --
  QUESTION: Can we stay over on Israel, could I ask about Mr. Hale? What is the latest on Mr. Hale's activities?
  MS. NULAND: Well, I think, as I mentioned last week, you know that he did a round of consultations out in the region last week concluding with Quartet meetings '' I believe it was in Geneva '' at the end of the week. I don't have anything terribly new to report out of those, other than that he continues to do his quiet diplomatic work to try to get the parties back to the table.
  QUESTION: So what was the purpose of the meeting with the Quartet? I mean, did it have, like, an agenda? And what was hoped to arrive at, and did he arrive at it?
  MS. NULAND: Well, as you know, he saw Prime Minister Netanyahu, he saw President Abbas, he saw many members of their governments, he saw the negotiators. So we always '' at the end of those kinds of rounds of intensive dialogue, he generally meets with the Quartet to read them out, to compare notes on what they've got from their own meetings, so further coordination with the Quartet.
  QUESTION: And finally '' I know you guys issued a statement regarding the money on Friday; you responded to the question that was asked by Mr. Matt Lee the day before. I wanted to ask whether you also made conditional on the judicial process in the West Bank. Because as it seems, honor killing is on the rise, and there is a loophole in the law that basically allows the killers to go free. Do you ever make '' like, reforming the law to tackle this issue that is becoming a real problem?
  MS. NULAND: You mean linking money to this particular --
  QUESTION: Yeah. I mean, you linked it to other aspects, to other good behaviors by the Palestinians, but do you ever link it to such things?
  MS. NULAND: I don't have anything particular on that. If we have something '' I mean, in general, as you know, this money is designed to support strong institutions of the Palestinian Authority, democratic institutions increasing their services to the Palestinian people. So the degree to which we have issues there and the way governance is handled, we obviously are clear with the Palestinian Authority.
  QUESTION: Is this an issue that the State Department would raise '' the rise of honor killing?
  MS. NULAND: Obviously, it sounds like the kind of issue we would generally raise in the context of our human rights discussion, yeah.
  Please, Jill.
  QUESTION: Iraq.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. The scarf is the color of your eyes, my dear.
  QUESTION: Oh, thank you. They're '' actually, they're red, but ''
  MS. NULAND: (Laughter.) We won't ask about your Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
  QUESTION: There is a report in The New York Times about Iraq supposedly skirting sanctions with help for Iran. And I don't know whether you saw that, but in essence, what they are saying is Iraq is turning a blind eye to financial flows to Iran. Some of them are longstanding, but nevertheless, the U.S., after all, did spend a lot of money fighting the conflict in Iraq, and that these '' in spite of the sanctions, these contacts '' some of which are legal, some of which are illegal '' continue. And just wondering whether you have seen that report, whether there is concern, and whether '' the story says that they've '' that the Administration has had private talks with Iraqi officials to complain about some of these things; if you can confirm that.
  MS. NULAND: Well, as you know, Iran is trying to skirt sanctions wherever it can. It has been working in the neighborhood to try to evade U.S. sanctions and other international sanctions. That's not new. Whenever we have detected successful efforts by Iran to abuse Iraqi territory to circumvent sanctions, we have been clear and forthright with the Iraqis in trying to work through the issues. So for example, when we found issues of compliance on the Iraqi side with our sanctions regime, as we did in the case of the Elaf Bank, which is a private bank, we've raised them with Iraqi officials and tried to work through the issues so that we can close those loopholes, and we will continue to do so.
  QUESTION: Do you feel that the Iraqi Government is doing enough in that area to really clamp down on this?
  MS. NULAND: Well, I think we certainly feel that we have an open channel, that when we can bring concerns that are detailed and precise, we've had good cooperation. But this is something we all have to continue to work on.
  QUESTION: I mean, just going back to the Iran or Israel '' the comments '' does this add any weight to your argument against the possible trip to Iran by Ban Ki-moon? And do you have anything to say? Should '' do you think the President of Egypt should be going to Iran now, especially considering that his country is '' was the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel?
  MS. NULAND: Well, as we said last week, Iran is going to try to manipulate this NAM summit and the attendees to advance its own agenda, and to obscure the fact that it is failing to live up to multiple obligations that it has to the UN Security Council, the IAEA, and other international bodies. So we, frankly, don't think that Iran is deserving of these high-level presences that are going there.
  That said, these individual countries will make their own decisions at what level they choose to be represented. We would hope and expect that those who choose to go will take the opportunity of any meetings that they have with Iran's leaders to press them to come back into compliance, to use the opportunity of the P-5+1 talks to come clean about their nuclear program, and take up all of the other concerns that the international community has about Iran's behavior.
  QUESTION: Can I --
  MS. NULAND: Please.
  QUESTION: Different topic?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Wait. Can --
  MS. NULAND: Sorry.
  QUESTION: What is that? (Laughter.)
  MS. NULAND: Wow. (Laughter.)
  QUESTION: It just appeared.
  MS. NULAND: LiveAtState is one of our other platforms that we use. We're going to have a briefing on our LiveAtState platform either this afternoon, maybe tomorrow morning, on U.S. humanitarian assistance to Syria. So maybe they are playing with the logo.
  Hey guys, you playing with the logo? I don't know. They're probably getting it ready for that.
  QUESTION: On Syria?
  MS. NULAND: Anyway, we are live at State today, anyway.
  Yes, Said. (Laughter.)
  QUESTION: Syria?
  MS. NULAND: Yes.
  QUESTION: Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi '' I know you welcomed his appointment with some enthusiasm, but he made a statement that actually contradicts your position. He was saying that it is a little too early to ask for Assad to step down. Do you have a comment on that?
  MS. NULAND: Well, our position is well known. We don't think there's going to be peace in Syria until Assad steps down and the bloodshed ends. We will be clear with Special Envoy Brahimi about our views on this. But I think it's fair to let him get his feet under him and get started on the job and have the consultations that he needs to have before he makes '' draws his own conclusions.
  QUESTION: So you have confidence in Mr. Brahimi to be able to talk to all the different groups and actually get their pulse on what they want done?
  MS. NULAND: Well, as the Secretary said in her statement, he is a very experienced diplomat. He's somebody who we've worked well with before. This is an extremely difficult job, and we would welcome any support that he can bring to the international community's efforts to get back to a six-point plan, political transition, et cetera.
  That said, you know that we are relatively skeptical at the moment that we're going to have more success in the Security Council, given the blockages of some of the permanent members. So in the context of that, we will continue to try to pursue the same agenda, that is to get to a political transition strategy, to get to an end to the bloodshed, and to get to a real transition with those countries who are willing to participate, outside the UN if necessary.
  QUESTION: And finally, Mr. Morsi, the Egyptian President, is sort of leading an initiative to have the regional powers '' Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Egypt, of course '' for '' to resolve the Syrian issue. Has he consulted with you on this initiative?
  MS. NULAND: Well, you know that when the Secretary was in Egypt, we discussed, obviously, all of the Egyptian issues, all of the regional issues, but we certainly had a very thorough discussion both with President Morsi and with other leaders in that government about the situation in Syria. Egypt's been playing a strong role within the Arab League. It's also been hosting, I think you know, these conferences of the Syrian opposition where they've put forward their code of conduct, they've put forward their own transition strategy, and I think they're continuing to try to be supportive. So we have a very close relationship with Egypt and we welcome their leadership to try to bring peace in Syria.
  Please. I'm looking at you. Can you tell me who you are, because I --
  QUESTION: Yeah. This is Arshad. A question on Bangladesh.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Following Secretary --
  MS. NULAND: Before we go to Bangladesh, anything else on Syria?
  QUESTION: Just a quick one.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. Sorry.
  QUESTION: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister today again said that there's increasing evidence that the rebels are getting large amounts of Western-made arms, and this seems to be an attempt to build an argument that the West is somehow complicit in directly arming '' getting arms to Syria, as you've repeatedly said you don't support. What's the U.S. position on the fact '' or the presumption that they're getting their hands on Western-made armaments? Is that something you oppose or is that just sort of the way it goes?
  MS. NULAND: Well, Andy, our position on this one hasn't changed. We are providing nonlethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, as the Secretary has spoken about, as the President's spoken about '' communications gear but also, increasingly, training for those future leaders of the NGO sector, some of the types of groups that the Secretary met with when she was in Istanbul.
  Other countries have made other decisions about how to support them. I'm going to refer you to those countries with regard to the decisions that they have made. But again, I think Russia is deflecting attention from the fact that it has been unwilling to use Security Council mechanisms to try to hold Assad's feet to the fire on implementing agreements that he made with Kofi Annan to end the violence and proceed to a political transition, nor have they been willing to put any teeth behind the transition strategy that we all came up with in Geneva. So again, there are very important things that Russia could do if it wants to help hasten the day, as we are all trying to do.
  QUESTION: Sorry --
  MS. NULAND: Please.
  QUESTION: Which countries would you refer us to, to ask about their support for the rebels, support '' the countries that have made a different decision? Which ones? Could you list a couple of them --
  MS. NULAND: Again --
  QUESTION: -- so that we can call --
  MS. NULAND: -- some of those countries have been quite clear about who they are. I will let them speak for themselves.
  Said.
  QUESTION: On the issue with arms, there is also increasing evidence the flow of the most extremist of elements into Syria. I mean, there are all kinds of reports that al-Qaida types and even more extremist groups, a new '' sort of a new genre of extremist groups are going into Syria. Do you have any comment on that?
  MS. NULAND: Well, we've talked about this regularly here, Said, including last week. We do have concerns, and we've had concerns that extremist elements will try to exploit the violence, will try to pursue their own agenda inside Syria. This is why we've got to end the violence, because the longer it goes on, the more scope there will be for these kinds of groups to abuse Syrian territory, abuse the situation for their own agendas which have nothing to do with peace or democracy or a positive future for the people of Syria. That's why, in all of our interactions with the opposition, whether it's the political opposition, et cetera, we have stressed the importance of renouncing extremism, renouncing terrorism, refusing to work with these kinds of groups.
  You've seen a number of Syrian opposition groups, whether it is the group working in Cairo and their own code of conduct or whether it's the FSA now, with the advice that it's giving to its fighters, also calling on its people to renounce terrorism, refuse to work with these kinds of groups, and to protect the Syrian people from being abused by groups who don't share their goal of a peaceful, democratic Syria.
  Please, Jill.
  QUESTION: Just one last one on Syria. When you say there are very important things that Russia could do, do you think that Russia could actually induce Assad to step down?
  MS. NULAND: Again, they can speak to their own influence, but we still are in a situation where they have refused to cut off the arms flow definitively. They have refused to implement other kinds of sanctions that the U.S., the EU, the Arab League are now instituting against Syria. And they also blocked the effort to have a sanctions penalty if the Geneva transition plan was not implemented, let alone the Annan six points. So we'll see how they proceed going forward.
  Please.
  QUESTION: Do you have any update, Toria, about the operation and command center, which will be formed between Turkey and the U.S.?
  MS. NULAND: Well, first of all, remember what the Secretary committed to when she was in Istanbul, which was an interagency conversation, U.S. and Turkey sitting down together to share operational picture, to talk about the effectiveness of what we're doing now, and about what more we can do. So this was not a bricks-and-mortar center. I don't want you to get the wrong idea. This is a bilateral conversation across the interagency.
  And yes, we do anticipate taking this forward this week. Acting Assistant Secretary Jones will take a U.S. interagency delegation to Istanbul '' I think it's Wednesday '' to continue discussions with Turkey.
  QUESTION: You think it's Wednesday or is it Wednesday?
  MS. NULAND: It is Wednesday. She's leaving tomorrow and the meetings are Wednesday.
  QUESTION: And how long are they expected --
  MS. NULAND: I think they're scheduled to be daylong consultations, but I'll check with her.
  QUESTION: And when you say interagency, could you be specific about the agencies, other --
  MS. NULAND: On our side, we will have State Department, we'll have DOD, and we'll have intelligence representatives.
  QUESTION: How many people?
  MS. NULAND: I don't have a final count for you. I think that's probably as much specificity as we're going to give at this stage.
  QUESTION: But when you say intel representatives, from which intel? Do you know? All of them, or is it DIA?
  MS. NULAND: I think the community will be represented.
  QUESTION: By one '' it's not going to be, like, separate agents like the CIA, the DIA?
  MS. NULAND: My understanding it there'll be one representative reflecting the entire community.
  QUESTION: So this will be someone from the D '' whatever director --
  MS. NULAND: I can't speak to who it will be --
  QUESTION: So DNI.
  MS. NULAND: -- and frankly, I don't have it here.
  QUESTION: And based on informed State Department nominate a representative with Acting Assistant Secretary? I mean --
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. She leads the delegation and she leads for us as well. Yeah.
  Please.
  QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
  MS. NULAND: Yes.
  QUESTION: Hello. This is Arshad with The Daily (inaudible). A question on Bangladesh. Following Secretary Clinton's visit to Bangladesh, it appears and it is visible that Professor Mohammed Yunus of Grameen Bank is still under further investigation. Now, what is the current position of the State Department on such a vital issue, where the millions of women who are a subscriber to Grameen Bank are concerned that this bank may '' somehow this is going to be the end of Grameen Bank? So it's a matter of great concern. And would you please highlight this issue, or could you please take this question so that we can have a detailed response to this real battle? Because things are getting very, very murky in Bangladesh on this issue.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. As you know, when the Secretary was there in May, this was a intense subject of discussion with the government. And she also had a chance to meet with Mr. Yunus as well, and she was very straightforward in her public comments about our concerns here. So '' and we also put a statement of concern on August 3rd. So further to that, we remain deeply concerned about recent actions by the Government of Bangladesh to give the government-appointed chairman of the bank control over the selection of the new managing director. We are continuing to urge the Government of Bangladesh not to take any actions that would reduce the integrity or efficacy of the bank, and we are calling on the government to ensure transparency in the selection of the new managing director. This has been a very vibrant part of Bangladeshi society and has, in fact, been a model for other parts of the world. So we're watching closely.
  QUESTION: Well, thank you so much.
  MS. NULAND: Thank you.
  QUESTION: Different topic?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. Yeah, sorry, there was --
  QUESTION: Sure.
  MS. NULAND: Go ahead, Shaun.
  QUESTION: WikiLeaks.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Of course there is '' you spoke about this a little bit last week. Over the weekend, Julian Assange has made a somewhat public appearance. WikiLeaks has been calling for the U.S. to make assurances that he wouldn't be extradited or prosecuted here. I know you spoke a little bit to that last week, but is there something clearer? Is there something more that the U.S. can say about the possibility of prosecution of Julian Assange here?
  MS. NULAND: Well, let me start with the fact that he is making all kinds of wild assertions about us, when, in fact, his issue with the Government of the United Kingdom has to do with whether he's going to go stand '' face justice in Sweden for something that has nothing to do with WikiLeaks. It has to do with charges of sexual misconduct. So he is clearly trying to deflect attention away from the real issue, which is whether he's going to face justice in Sweden, which is the immediate issue. So that case has nothing to do with us. It's a matter between the U.K., Sweden, and now Ecuador has inserted itself.
  With regard to where we are in our own judicial issues following the WikiLeaks incident, I'm going to send you to the Department of Justice. I don't have anything new to add from here.
  QUESTION: Can I just '' you're '' you want to go back and qualify something, I think, because otherwise the WikiLeaks people are going to come down on you like a pound of '' many pounds of bricks.
  MS. NULAND: Well, thank you for protecting me, Matt. I depend on that.
  QUESTION: Yeah. Which is that you said that he faces charges in Sweden, when he hasn't been charged.
  MS. NULAND: Well, he's being investigated in Sweden. Right.
  QUESTION: Right. So, I mean, the issue is not whether he is going to go to face charges in Sweden. The issue is whether he's going to be extradited for questioning, at the moment, correct?
  MS. NULAND: Excellent. Thank you, Matt. Yes.
  QUESTION: And now, have you had any '' considering you think that his claim of fear '' the claim that he fears persecution in the U.S. is completely bogus, have you had any conversations with the Ecuadorians about this?
  MS. NULAND: To my knowledge, we have not, beyond what we've said at the OAS, which is that we don't think that this is an appropriate issue for the OAS to be taking up. But I don't think we've been trying to negotiate this with them bilaterally, because there's really nothing to say.
  QUESTION: No, I know. But, I mean, have you gone into them and said, ''Hey, listen, this is ridiculous. He's not going to be persecuted. People aren't persecuted in the United States in perhaps the same way that they might be in a country like Ecuador or Venezuela''?
  MS. NULAND: Well, I certainly said that he didn't face any persecution here, thanks to your question on Thursday. But to my knowledge, we've not had bilateral consultations. But we have said at the OAS, where Ecuador is trying to gin up trouble, that we don't think that's an appropriate forum.
  QUESTION: Well, in fact, what was going on at the OAS wasn't really trying to '' I don't '' not sure it was trying to gin up trouble. It really didn't have anything to do with the particulars of the Assange case. It had to do with the threat that was made '' the apparent threat that was made about revoking the diplomatic status of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and for '' and entering it. You don't think that the OAS '' that a multilateral diplomatic body is the appropriate place to bring up a question that deals intrinsically with diplomatic status and diplomatic immunity?
  MS. NULAND: We've said consistently this is a matter for Ecuador and the UK to talk to each other about. That's what the U.K. Government is also saying. And we have said regularly at the OAS that we don't see any role for the OAS in this.
  QUESTION: But you don't think that standing up for a fellow member of the OAS, who's a country '' that their diplomatic property may be compromised, that that's not something '' that that is appropriate for the OAS to stick up for?
  MS. NULAND: Again, we have --
  QUESTION: I mean, I remember you guys were all in favor of the OAS sticking up for you during the Cuban missile crisis.
  MS. NULAND: Again, we --
  QUESTION: Why is not the appropriate forum to say, no, it's wrong for a country to threaten to raid a diplomatic property?
  MS. NULAND: Again, I would call you to more recent statements from the U.K. Government with regard to its stand with regard to the mission in Ecuador. And again, we're not going to have an '' we don't see a role for the OAS in a hypothetical situation that doesn't appear to be imminent anyway.
  QUESTION: Okay. So your understanding right now is that there is no threat to raid the Ecuadorian Embassy?
  MS. NULAND: Again, I'm going to refer you to what the UK has said in the last couple of days.
  QUESTION: So are you not concerned that the Assange issue may be a polarizing issue between countries that are otherwise allies?
  MS. NULAND: We have very important business that we do in the OAS that has to do with the strength and health and democracy in the region, and this is, frankly, a sideshow.
  Okay. Please, can I get your colleague in the back? Please.
  QUESTION:North Korea.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Today North Korea issued a statement to condemn the South Korean-U.S. military drills. Are you concerned about North Korea's retaliation?
  MS. NULAND: I haven't watched this particular exercise, but my understanding is that it's routine and that it is well understood. These kinds of North Korean threats are not uncommon as well, but obviously we would call on them to refrain from those kinds of bellicose statements.
  QUESTION: This year the U.S. and South Korea and Japan has conducted a couple of military exercises. And last time they even used North Korea flag as a target. How do you argue that constant military drills would not disturb the peace '' the regional peace and stability?
  MS. NULAND: Well, we talked about this at the time. I'm going to send you to our colleagues at the Pentagon, who spoke extensively about the exercise schedule, which was absolutely normal and part of our regular effort to maintain peace and security in that part of the world. But I don't have anything new to say about exercises that happened more than a month ago.
  QUESTION: Different topic?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Still on Japan?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Or Japan-related at least. On the most recent flare-up of the dispute over the Senkaku Islands, I know the U.S. isn't going to take a side and help resolve this issue, but are you at least in touch with both governments to try to discourage this back and forth kind of --
  MS. NULAND: We have an interloper. Mr. Radia has come to visit.
  QUESTION: Ask your question. I'm sorry.
  MS. NULAND: Sorry. Go ahead. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
  QUESTION: You get the next one then.
  QUESTION: Okay.
  QUESTION: Are you in touch with either government to try to discourage this kind of back and forth, publicity stunts where someone goes to the island or some '' another official visits? And there were several people arrested and deported, and now some Japanese people have come to the disputed islands. This back and forth doesn't seem to be helping anything. So are you at least trying to get them to stop?
  MS. NULAND: We have been giving the same messages privately that I've been giving here publicly and that the Secretary has been giving, that they need to work this out through consultation and not through provocation.
  Please.
  QUESTION: (Off mike.)
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Japan actually is going to replace ambassadors in South Korea and Japan and U.S. Do you consider this as a good move to ease the tension?
  MS. NULAND: My understanding is, at least with regard to the situation here, this is a normal rotation. But I'm going to refer you to the Government of Japan.
  Yeah.
  QUESTION: Different issue?
  MS. NULAND: Please.
  QUESTION: Burma.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: The Burmese authorities announced that they're going to end prepublication censorship. How does the United States see this? Is this a positive step? There's obviously still quite a bit of self-censorship. There's state media that probably isn't the freest in the world? How does the United States see this step (inaudible)?
  MS. NULAND: Well, thanks for that, Shaun. Obviously we welcome the announcement to the Burmese '' of the Burmese Government that journalists are no longer going to need to pre-submit their articles to the Ministry of Information Censor Board. So that's positive. That said, the Censor Board itself has not been eradicated, which is obviously a step that we would like to see the Burmese Government take, because they continue to monitor the press.
  QUESTION: Can I '' just a different topic?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: Pakistan.
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: There's a young girl there who has been arrested, charges of blasphemy. Apparently, she has Down's Syndrome, according to some reports. Does the U.S. have anything to say about this, either more broadly about blasphemy laws there or about this specific case?
  MS. NULAND: Yeah. This case is obviously deeply disturbing, the arrest of a young Pakistani girl on blasphemy charges. Our understanding is that President Zardari has now asked the interior ministry to look into the arrest and has underscored that vulnerable populations have to be protected from misuse of the blasphemy law. So whether you're talking about kids or girls or '' in this case, there's some information that she may be '' have some issues.
  So we would call on the Pakistanis to have that investigation in a transparent way, and we think that the President's statement is very, very welcome. And we urge the Government of Pakistan to protect not just its religious minority citizens, but also women and girls.
  QUESTION: Is there any correct use of the blasphemy law in Pakistan? You said ''misuse.'' What would be the correct use?
  MS. NULAND: Well, I'm not in a position here to parse this law and how it might stand up to other laws around the world, but as a general matter, concerns that in this case, what is being touted as an abuse or an intentional act for religious purposes may, in fact, have been something else.
  QUESTION: Has the United States been in touch with the Pakistani authorities on this particular case?
  MS. NULAND: I don't know whether our Embassy has been in on it. I think President Zardari, to his credit, went out very quickly. So conceivably, we have been welcoming of that move in Islamabad as well, but I don't have any specifics on it.
  Yeah, please.
  QUESTION: A different topic. I have a quick question regarding the oil agreements made in Northern Iraq. I had asked this question last week during a panel to Brett McGurk. He is a special advisor to Madam Secretary, probably, as I understand it. There are some American companies who made deals with KRG directly, bypassing Baghdad government, and this is an issue between KRG and Baghdad government right now, these oil agreements. And also, Turkey and KRG '' Turkish Government and KRG mad an '' agreements between two governments, and the '' some trucks started to transfer some oil to Turkey from Northern Iraq.
  I'm wondering this '' the official position of U.S. Government on this issue, because the Baghdad government is arguing that this is unconstitutional, these kind of agreements, but KRG is arguing that no, they have license to do that. What is the official position of USA '' U.S. Government on this issue?
  MS. NULAND: I mean, our position on this has not changed. We've spoken about it many times here. We speak about it in Iraq. With regard to our own companies, we continue to tell them that signing contracts for oil exploration or production with any region of Iraq without approval from the federal Iraqi authorities exposes them to potential legal risk, and we continue to tell them '' obviously, they'll make their own business decisions, but unless and until we have federal legislation in Iraq governing these things, something that we've been urging, that there are risks for them. So that's our message to our companies.
  QUESTION: Did you raise this issue with the companies directly?
  MS. NULAND: We do. When they come to us and ask what we think, then we raise this issue with them, yes.
  QUESTION: And how about Turkey?
  MS. NULAND: What do you mean?
  QUESTION: Did you raise this issue with Turkey, I mean, in terms of this agreement made by '' between Turkish Government and KRG?
  MS. NULAND: Well, obviously, they know where we are on our view of this issue. When the Secretary was in Istanbul, I think Foreign Minister Davutoglu had just been in Northern Iraq, so obviously, they talked about that trip, and they talked about Iraq as a general matter and our interest in seeing the groups work together and get through some of the political issues that they have so that they can get back to things like working on the oil legislation that is important for everybody.
  QUESTION: Yeah.
  MS. NULAND: Okay.
  QUESTION: Well, so in honor of Kirit's presence here today --
  MS. NULAND: Yeah.
  QUESTION: -- and to make up for the fact that you missed your opportunity to comment from --
  MS. NULAND: I did.
  QUESTION: -- the podium on this case on Friday because there wasn't a briefing, do you have anything to say '' anything more to say '' about developments in the Pussy Riot case, potentially with the involvement now of Mr. Kasparov, who has been taken off and summoned for police questioning?
  MS. NULAND: Well, as you know, we issued a statement on Friday expressing concern about both the judicial process and the severity of the sentences against the Russian rock band Pussy Riot for hooliganism, and we expressed concern about what this means about freedom of expression in Russia and abuse of the judicial system. So we are continuing to monitor that, not only in this case, but in other cases where freedom of expression has been squelched.
  QUESTION: Do you know if there's been any communication with the Russian authorities about this?
  MS. NULAND: Yes. Well, Wendy Sherman was '' Under Secretary Sherman was in Moscow on Thursday --
  QUESTION: Oh, that was before, right.
  MS. NULAND: -- and spoke about this, and I believe that Ambassador McFaul has certainly spoken to Russian authorities about this since Friday.
  QUESTION: Right. And so the freedom of '' in keeping with the freedom of expression thing, you've seen this '' these reports that a bunch of activists, some kind of activists, are wanting to sue Madonna for --
  MS. NULAND: I hadn't seen that, no. I hadn't seen that.
  QUESTION: Well, I'd be interested to know if you '' apparently, they're '' they allege that they were offended by the fact that she was sticking up for gay rights at a concert in Moscow. So if you do have anything on it, I'd be eager to hear what it is.
  MS. NULAND: Well, you know that we're not shy, in Russia or anywhere in the world, in sticking up for the rights of LGBT people and urging countries around the world to protect their rights and not discriminate against anybody for whom they love.
  Okay? Thanks, and welcome, Kirit. We missed you.
  QUESTION: Thank you.
  (The briefing was concluded at 1:40 p.m.)
  DPB # 147
Stevie J Mate Check, Che Mack...
  Link to Article
  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:40
  by Jacky Jasper
  Made For TV, Love " Hip Hop Atlanta?''If somebody needs a tattooed girl for a movie role or something like that, I'd be perfect.'' '' Che Mack, XXL Magazine, July 8, 2011
  HSK Exclusive - After last night's Love " Hip Hop Atlanta season finale, many are left wondering who's the new chic riding on Stevie J's bus. HSK has learned the confrontation between Stevie J and Joseline over the producer's supposed 'new artist', Che Mack, was nothing more than a scripted scene.
  Sources have exclusively revealed to HSK, that the tattooed video vixen Che Mack received a last minute call from a LHHA crew member asking the woman '' who once spoke of her ink (and possibly, stardom) ''I'll take the pain because I want it that bad'', to XXL Magazine '' to show up at LHHA's shooting location ''wearing something sexy''. That's just before insiders say Che Mack followed direction in acting as Stevie J's newest jump-off. Don't believe me.. Ask Mona Scott Young.
  Here's the drop:
  ''Che Mack is from Philly '' her and Meek Mills grew up on the same block. She came to Atlanta to be a video chick, she gets around.
  Che didn't get paid for her appearance on the show, but she's using her appearance from Love and Hip Hop Atlanta to get more parties to host. She didn't know if she was going to make final cut. Che thought her scene with Stevie was going to get lost on the cutting room floor.
  Che might be a tomboy, but she gives good head.''
  Has Che Mack finally landed her biggest gig to date, now using LHHA to lead her resume of appearances alongside Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Freeway? Of course! Don't believe me.. Ask Worldstar Agency's Brent Walker.
Neal Stephenson on the State of Science Fiction
  Link to Article
  Source: Technology Review RSS Feeds
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:27
  This past spring, Jason Pontin, Editor in Chief of MIT Technology Review, conducted a wide-ranging but informal conversation with science fiction writer Neal Stephenson about his craft, preoccupations, influences, and inspirations. Enjoy a six-part weekly series of video shorts based on their conversation.
  08.20.2012Video by Kyanna Sutton and MIT AMPS
Report on Putin's 'Politburo 2.0'² A Return To Soviet Style Government
  Link to Article
  Source: StratRisks
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:25
  S ource: MosTimes
  The Kremlin is grooming influential figures such as liberal-leaning former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and nationalist Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin as possible leaders in the case of a political crisis, and President Vladimir Putin's system of governing resembles the Soviet Politburo more than the so-called power vertical, according to a new report by an influential think tank.
  The 11-page report, prepared by the Minchenko Consulting Group, headed by political pundit Yevgeny Minchenko, roiled the political establishment Tuesday by identifying the precise makeup of the government's ruling clan.
  The report calls Putin a powerful arbiter who manages relationships between members of ruling factions.
  ''Russian power is a conglomerate of clans and groups that compete with one another over resources,'' the report says.
  Putin's clan is described as Politburo 2.0, referring to the name of the Communist Party's ruling body that authored all key decisions in the Soviet government.
  Putin leads this group but is not the sole leader of the government, said one of the analysts who contributed to the report.
  ''Putin is a lighthouse keeper, but it would be strange to call him the lighthouse,'' Alexei Mukhin, head of the Center for Political Information, said by telephone.
  According to the report, the new Politburo presided over by Putin consists of eight political and business heavyweights who de-facto rule the country. The team includes Sergei Chemezov, head of state corporation Russian Technologies, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, his deputy Vyacheslav Volodin, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, oil trader Gennady Timchenko, banker and media mogul Yury Kovalchuk, and Putin's staunch ally and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin.
  The eighth member is Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who the report says lost significant support after not running for a second presidential term this year. The ''ruling tandem'' of Putin and Medvedev no longer exists, according to the report, but Medvedev still has allies among the ruling establishment and could turn into a ''center of attraction'' for competing political factions.
  The competition among various political groups is expected to grow under Putin because the new Politburo has an ''unstable balance,'' the report says.
  One example cited by the report is the competition for oversight of the oil and gas industry between Sechin, who chairs the presidential commission on the industry, and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, who oversees the same issues in Medvedev's government.
  In case of a national crisis, the report says, the ruling group might attempt to install Kudrin and billionaire former presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov as leaders of liberal-leaning groups that could take power.
  The report does not identify exactly what is meant by a crisis, but it appears to refer to a scenario in which power must be handed over to the political opposition.
  Some political analysts support the idea of making Kudrin, who has flirted with the opposition, a transitional president were Putin to resign under pressure from anti-Kremlin groups.
  ''His main advantage is being close to Putin, who trusts him,'' said Stanislav Belkovsky, an independent analyst and a Kremlin insider during Putin's first two presidential terms.
  Unlike Kudrin, Prokhorov is not considered a serious figure in opposition circles, analysts said. Prokhorov's presidential campaign was advised by several members of ''the Family,'' the inner circle of former President Boris Yeltsin.
  ''He is not an independent figure but would immediately switch sides'' to join the clan likely to gain power in a regime change, said a senior opposition figure who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn't want to unduly provoke the Kremlin.
  According to the report, ''Family'' members and several liberal politicians, including Kudrin, are among a group of ''Politburo candidates'' who are less powerful than members of the ruling team.
  ''The Family'' includes powerful players such as former Kremlin chief of staff Alexander Voloshin, business tycoon Roman Abramovich, and Anatoly Chubais, a former Kremlin powerbroker who now heads Rosnano, the state corporation.
  Also included in that group is Tatyana Dyachenko, Yeltsin's daughter who, together with her husband, former Kremlin official Valentin Yumashev, supported Prokhorov's presidential bid, according to several veteran political analysts.
  The Minchenko report says the Kremlin could also use Deputy Prime Minster Rogozin, formerly an oppositional nationalist politician who has become a Putin loyalist, to ''hijack'' the socialist platform in a crisis.
  Maxim Kononenko, a pro-Kremlin spin doctor, said Rogozin might turn into a potential presidential candidate if he successfully resolves the problems of the country's military-industrial complex, which he has been tasked with in the government.
  Despite the differences between members of the ruling clan, most of its members believe Russia's politics and economy will remain stable despite opposition protests, the report says, adding that the possibility of a reactionary, anti-Western group taking power is indeed unlikely.
  A main goal of the ruling elite, it says, is to convince Russians and the West that its assets were obtained honestly.
  The opposition has said it intends to expose the ill-gotten gains of corrupt leaders. ''We will fight them in Western courts because they fear for their reputations,'' a senior aide to opposition leader Alexei Navalny who was not authorized to speak to the media said in an interview earlier this month.
  Tags: Alexander Voloshin, Communist Party, Deputy Prime Minster Rogozin, government, Kremlin, Medvedev, Minchenko Consulting Group, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, power, Putin, report, Roman Abramovich, russia, Sergei Ivanov, Soviet Politburo, Stanislav Belkovsky, Tatyana Dyachenko, Unlike Kudrin, Valentin Yumashev, Yevgeny Minchenko
Why Did The Guardian Hire Josh Trevino? -Truthdig
  Link to Article
  Source: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:24
  Why Did The Guardian Hire Josh Trevino?Posted on Aug 21, 2012Readers of The Guardian are up in arms over the addition of former George W. Bush speechwriter Joshua Trevino to the historically progressive newspaper's American staff.
  ''We are pleased to have Josh join The Guardian,'' Janine Gibson, editor-in-chief of The Guardian U.S., said in a press release published on the paper's website Aug. 15. ''He brings an important perspective our readers look for on issues concerning U.S. politics.''
  But not every member of The Guardian's audience believes so. A letter to the editor written by a group that included international human rights activists, artists and lawmakers appeared on the site's ''Guardian'' section. The authors expressed ''shock and dismay'' at the addition of a man ''who has openly called for the killing of people on humanitarian missions to Palestine.''
  That claim refers to a tweet Trevino sent out in June 2011, when he condoned the killing of U.S. citizens and anyone else aboard the second Gaza flotilla dispatched to provide relief to inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. The trip was made in defiance of Israeli sanctions forbidding the movement of goods in and out of the roughly 40 square miles of territory that sit at the southwest border of Israel. Nine activists were killed and many more were wounded in a similar attempt in 2010.
  Trevino's tweet read: ''Dear IDF: If you end up shooting any Americans on the new Gaza flotilla'--well, most Americans are cool with that. Including me.'' The flotilla's passengers included poet and author Alice Walker, elderly Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein and several journalists, including Joseph Dana of The Nation, reported Ali Abunimah of Al-Jazeera.
  Trevino later claimed that he didn't ''urge'' the Israel Defense Forces to kill Americans aboard the fleet, but would merely approve of the killings if they took place, saying that any goods allowed to enter into Gaza would amount to material support for Hamas, the region's ruling party. The United States and Israel recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
  ''It is a sad day for responsible and impartial journalism when the opinions of such a man are sought as an 'important perspective' (the words of Janine Gibson, editor-in-chief of the Guardian U.S.) by a supposedly progressive publication,'' the letter appearing on The Guardian's site concluded.
  A few days after the paper announced Trevino's hire, Abunimah, writing at the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, blew the horn on the paper's pick, highlighting Trevino's flotilla tweet and his subsequent likening of the relief action to that of a ''Nazi convoy.''
  ''Trevino is a Republican party operative, paid political consultant and ideologue for hire,'' Abunimah wrote. ''But while some may not like those attributes, they would not make him unique among columnists. What does distinguish Trevino is his propensity to call for violence.''
  In response to Abunimah's piece, which deserves to be read in full, The Guardian demanded a correction of Abunimah's assertion that Trevino would serve as a ''correspondent.''
  ''Josh Trevino is not a correspondent for The Guardian,'' the paper wrote in a letter to Abunimah. ''He is a freelance writer on contract to write opinion pieces. His articles will appear on The Guardian's Comment is Free section of the site along with articles from many other freelance writers.''
  But as Helen Lewis at the New Stateman pointed out, The Guardian did announce the addition of Trevino as a correspondent'--in the first version of its press release. A second, unannounced, revised version said nothing about Trevino's recruitment to the ''editorial team,'' as the first version had done explicitly. The Guardian pointed to that version to make the odd claim that it merely kept Trevino'--formerly an occasional contributor to the site'--on its writing staff.
  As Lewis wrote, ''Now, there's chutzpah: silently editing your own press release, then asking for a 'correction' to reflect the new information.''
  Lewis contacted The Guardian to request an explanation of the revision. A representative meekly responded that the description of Trevino as a correspondent was ''a simple mistake'' and that there is, despite the paper's earlier announcement of his hire, ''no change to Josh's position.'' But that makes no sense.
  '--Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly. Follow him on Twitter: @areedkelly.
  Ali Abunimah at Al-Jazeera:
  A colleague suggested that, by hiring Trevi±o, The Guardian was returning to its Zionist roots - indeed it had long championed the cause of Israel and Zionist settlement in Palestine. That might be true incidentally, however the motive appears to be something more mundane, but just as worrying for public discourse.
  The Guardian has been losing tens of millions of dollars annually as its print circulation - like that of other newspapers - collapses. While it has an enormous and growing online audience, it has yet to find a way to sustainably generate revenue from it.
  '... To stop the losses that threaten to bankrupt parent company Guardian News and Media within a few years, its business plan calls for income from online advertising to double to $140 million by 2016.
  '... The solution, it seems, is to move rightwards in search of new audiences. ''If, for example, the website's American traffic reached 40 million, it would make it on to the schedules of major advertising agencies,'' [New Statesman writer Peter] Wilby explains.
  Read more
  '--Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
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The Wrong Reasons to Back Pussy Riot - NYTimes.com
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:22
  From Madonna to Bjork, from the elite New Yorker to the populist Daily Mail, the world united in supporting Russia's irreverent feminist activists Pussy Riot against the blunt cruelty inflicted on them by the state. It may not have stopped Vladimir Putin's kangaroo court from sentencing them to two years in prison on charges of hooliganism, but blanket international media pressure helped turn the case into a major embarrassment for the Kremlin.
  Yet there is something about the West's embrace of the young women's cause that should make us deeply uneasy, as Pussy Riot's philosophy, activism and even music quickly took second place to its usefulness in discrediting one of America's geopolitical foes. Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, are dissident intellectuals once again in danger of becoming pawns in the West's anti-Russian narrative?
  Back in the '70s, the United States and its allies cared little about what Soviet dissidents were actually saying, so long as it was aimed against the Kremlin. No wonder so many Americans who had never read Alexander Solzhenitsyn's books cheered when he dissed the Soviet Union later felt so shocked, offended and even betrayed when he criticized many of the same shortcomings in his adoptive homeland. Wasn't this guy supposed to be on our side?
  Using dissidents to score political points against the Russian regime is as dangerous as adopting a pet tiger: No matter how domesticated they may seem, in the end they are free spirits, liable to maul the hand that feeds them.
  How many fans of Pussy Riot's zany ''punk prayer'' in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova's erudite and moving closing statement were equally thrilled by her participation, naked and heavily pregnant, in a public orgy at a Moscow museum in 2008? That performance, by the radical art group Voina (Russian for ''war''), was meant to illustrate how Russians were abused by their government. Voina had previously set fire to a police car and drew obscene images on a St. Petersburg drawbridge.
  Stunts like that would get you arrested just about anywhere, not just in authoritarian Russia. But Pussy Riot and its comrades at Voina come as a full package: You can't have the fun, pro-democracy, anti-Putin feminism without the incendiary anarchism, extreme sexual provocations, deliberate obscenity and hard-left politics.
  Unless you are comfortable with all that (and I strongly suspect 99 percent of Pussy Riot's fans in the mainstream media are not), then standing behind Pussy Riot only now, when it is obviously blameless and the government clearly guilty, is pure opportunism. And just like in the bad old days, such knee-jerk yet selective support for Russian dissidents '-- without fully engaging with their ideas '-- is not only hypocritical but also does a great disservice to their cause.
  A former Soviet dissident and current member of the anti-Putin opposition, Eduard Limonov, knows such cynicism too well. Thrown out of the Soviet Union and welcomed in New York as a Cold War trophy, Limonov soon learned that it wasn't the dissent part that the United States loved about Soviet dissidents, but their anti-communism. A bristly and provocative anti-Soviet leftist, he got to work doing what he did best '-- taking on the establishment '-- and quickly found himself in hot water again, this time with the Americans. Limonov concluded that ''the F.B.I. is just as zealous in putting down American radicals as the K.G.B. is with its own radicals and dissidents.''
  At the core of much of the media fever over Pussy Riot lies a fundamental misunderstanding of what these Russian dissidents are about. Some outlets have portrayed the case as a quest for freedom of expression and other ground rules of liberal democracy. Yet the very phrase ''freedom of expression,'' with its connotations of genteel protest as a civic way to blow off some steam while life goes on, is alien to Russian radical thought. The members of Pussy Riot are not liberals looking for self-expression. They are self-confessed descendants of the surrealists and the Russian futurists, determined to radically, even violently, change society.
  Anyone who has bothered to see them beyond their relevance as anti-Kremlin proxies will know that these young people are as contemptuous of capitalism as they are of Putinism. They are targeting not just Russian authoritarianism, but, in Tolokonnikova's words, the entire ''corporate state system.'' And that applies to the West as much as to Russia itself. It includes many of the fawning foreign media conglomerates covering the trial, like Murdoch's News Corp., and even such darlings of the anti-Putin ''liberal opposition'' establishment as the businessman and anti-corruption campaigner Aleksei Navalny.
  Pussy Riot's fans in the West need to understand that their heroes' dissent will not stop at Putin; neither will it stop if and when Russia becomes a ''normal'' liberal democracy. Because what Pussy Riot wants is something that is equally terrifying, provocative and threatening to the established order in both Russia and the West (and has been from time immemorial): freedom from patriarchy, capitalism, religion, conventional morality, inequality and the entire corporate state system. We should only support these brave women if we, too, are brave enough to go all the way.
  Vadim Nikitin is a journalist and Russia analyst.
  AGENCE GLOBAL
Hanging out at Y Combinator demo day and I am now looking forward to Techcrunch Disrupt
  Link to Article
  Source: Scobleizer
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:24
  I'm hanging out at Y Combinator's Demo Day and I think there's a real problem here with the latest demo days. Each of 82 companies is getting two minutes and 15 seconds to talk about themselves to the audience. It's like sitting through an entire day of advertisements about new companies that we have no context upon which to decide which companies are good, which ones to show you, etc. Tomorrow I'll post my thoughts about the companies and will link to the best reports around the web from the day '-- unfortunately they aren't live streaming it. You can watch live tweets on Twitter search here.
  It's very frustrating. It almost makes me want to go home with my list of companies, and just start making interview requests and playing with their products. In fact, that's probably what I'll do after lunch. The networking here is off the hook.
  I far prefer an expo hall approach like what happens at Techcrunch Disrupt. Why?
  1. Very quickly people tell me what the interesting companies are anyway. That already happened here at Y Combinator. The companies themselves are good ''signalers'' of who is hot. This happens at every company. I remember the day when Mint.com found me before its presentation at Techcrunch Disrupt.2. I can spend a lot of time with those companies and I know where to find them in the expo hall. Here every company is wearing branded T-shirts, but it's random and chaotic.3. The folks on stage get questioned by judges, and have enough time to spend with them, so you can really learn something about those companies. Here you just get advertisement after advertisement. Which I guess is really necessary because there are 82 companies. If they took any longer than two or three minutes we'd be here for months. Which shows the value that the press and judges have. Curation is really needed here. But we're sitting through all these because its Y Combinator.
  Anyway, I've arranged to have a booth at Techcrunch Disrupt. We're arranging to interview several companies there. Please email me at scobleizer@gmail.com if you want to get on the calendar. You'll get more than two minutes to explain yourself, for sure. You can get in with a $100 discount if you use the code: Scobledsf12
Released Terrorist Ahlam Tamimi on Palestinian Public's Delight at Suicide Bombings
  Link to Article
  Source: @adamcurry - Twitter Search
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:22
American Pussy Riot | Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:13
  A call for revolution in the New York Times?
  DENIS SINYAKOV/REUTERS
  American zealots for the recently convicted Russian punk rock trio Pussy Riot don't know what they're actually supporting, says New York Times Russian columnist Vadim Nikitin. If they did, they might think twice '' Pussy Riot stands for ideals most American liberals, let alone conservatives, don't really want. The US has a long history of loving their competitors' dissidents. And Russia, either communist or oligarchical, has always proven to be the perfect foil.
  Here's what Vadim Nikitin has to say:
  From Madonna to Bj¶rk, from the elite New Yorker to the populist Daily Mail, the world united in supporting Russia's irreverent feminist activists Pussy Riot against the blunt cruelty inflicted on them by the state. It may not have stopped Vladimir Putin's kangaroo court from sentencing them to two years in prison on charges of hooliganism, but blanket international media pressure helped turn the case into a major embarrassment for the Kremlin.
  Yet there is something about the West's embrace of the young women's cause that should make us deeply uneasy, as Pussy Riot's philosophy, activism and even music quickly took second place to its usefulness in discrediting one of America's geopolitical foes. Twenty years after the end of the Cold War, are dissident intellectuals once again in danger of becoming pawns in the West's anti-Russian narrative?
  Back in the '70s, the United States and its allies cared little about what Soviet dissidents were actually saying, so long as it was aimed against the Kremlin. No wonder so many Americans who had never read Alexander Solzhenitsyn's books cheered when he dissed the Soviet Union later felt so shocked, offended and even betrayed when he criticized many of the same shortcomings in his adoptive homeland. Wasn't this guy supposed to be on our side?
  Using dissidents to score political points against the Russian regime is as dangerous as adopting a pet tiger: No matter how domesticated they may seem, in the end they are free spirits, liable to maul the hand that feeds them.
  Read the rest of the article here.
  Help us spread the word. Share it online with your friends or subscribe to the print edition.
Barry Diller's IAC offers $300 million for About.com| Reuters
  Link to Article
  Source: Reuters: Technology News
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:11
  By Peter Lauria and Jennifer Saba
  Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:53pm EDT
  (Reuters) - Barry Diller's IAC/Interactivecorp submitted an offer in excess of $300 million to buy the About.com information website from the New York Times Co, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
  IAC's bid is above the $270 million offer that the Times Co has preliminarily accepted from Answers.com, a website backed by private equity firms Summit Partners and TA Associates, said one of the sources.
  On August 8, the Times Co said it was "engaged in discussions regarding the potential sale of its About Group" but did not name any of the parties it was speaking with and said that it could not guarantee that a deal would be reached.
  The website Allthingsd.com prompted the Times Co's statement with a report saying Answers.com had signed a letter of intent to buy About.com for $270 million. Answers.com President Peter Horan previously served as head of About.com.
  A week later the Times Co announced that it had hired longtime BBC executive Mark Thompson as chief executive, filling the position vacated abruptly by Janet Robinson in December.
  About.com consists of more than 900 "topic sites," which feature articles on everything from parenting and cooking to travel and technology that are geared to appear high in search results. The portal makes its money by selling advertising against its content.
  But About.com began a steady downward spiral after Google Inc made changes to its search algorithm designed to return high-quality results. Last month, amid declining profitability, the Times Co wrote down the value of the group by $195 million. The company originally paid $410 million for About.com in 2005.
  While the Times Co has not held an official auction for About.com, a number of companies including IAC and Demand Media Inc had proactively approached the publisher, according to sources.
  Representatives for IAC and Demand Media declined comment. A Times Co representative said that the company "does not comment on potential acquisitions or divestitures."
  Calls and emails for comment to Answers.com and its private equity backers Summit Partners and TA Associates were not immediately returned.
  Given the struggles facing About.com and the Times Co's recent moves to raise cash by selling assets, much of the previous interest in About.com was at "firesale prices," said one of the sources.
  But, according to this source, "There are still interested buyers who feel that the $280 million price is low and can be easily matched."
  Despite being above Answers.com's offer, the Times Co has not yet responded to Diller's bid, said another source. And with nearly $1 billion of cash and cash equivalents on its balance sheet, IAC could easily raise its current offer should a bidding war with Answers.com or another company emerge.
  IAC wants to combine About.com with Ask.com, which has undergone a strategy shift over the last two years from generic search engine to a question-and-answer style service. The idea would be to leverage the content served up on About.com to answer questions users pose on Ask.com.
  Ask.com's shift to a Q"A style site is owed to its failure to make inroads against Google and Microsoft's Bing in algorithmic search. Instead of just providing links to relevant websites, a service Google's algorithm has mastered, Ask.com also supplies answers from its user base to search questions.
  The Times Co has been shedding assets in recent years in an effort to focus resources around its flagship newspaper and accompanying website. The Times Co once owned TV and radio stations, magazines and stakes in cable networks such as Discovery Times and sports teams including baseball's Boston Red Sox.
  In December, the Times Co agreed to sell 16 regional newspapers in a deal valued at roughly $145 million.
  The company still owns the Boston Globe, International Herald Tribune, and Worcester Telegram " Gazette newspapers. But in a report issued Monday, Barclays Capital said it expects the company "to sell other non core assets and the New England Media Group, which is primarily composed of the Boston Globe," which the bank estimates could generate between $100 million and $200 million.
  (Reporting By Peter Lauria and Jennifer Saba; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
Dozens protest against Iran strike in Tel Aviv
  Link to Article
  Source: ynet - News
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:11
  Demonstrators set up protest tent outside defense minister's home in Tel Aviv Gilad Morag
  Dozens of people demonstrated outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak's home in central Tel Aviv on Tuesday, in what has become a routine of the past couple of weeks. The protesters carried signs which read "No to a war with Iran" and "Commission of inquiry before, not after."
  They also set up a tent which they labeled as a "protest tent against the strike in Iran."
  Related stories:
  "Bibi and Barak's spin could easily drag us into a war," Rotem Melenky, one of the protesters said. "The tent is meant to wake people up. I think the war perpetuates the current relationship between the government and the business tycoons."
  Protesters in Tel Aviv (Photo: Assaf Peretz)
  Director Rani Blair, one of the leaders of the protest, described Barak as a "lunatic." "We'll sit here until he realizes that the home front isn't ready," he said.
  Tamar Zandberg, Tel Aviv city councilwoman on behalf of Meretz, said, "We've been here for 10 days. Every day we see some official speaking out against the strike, we are the voice of the people."
What Happened After Europe's Last Three Currency "Unions" Collapsed
  Link to Article
  Source: Untitled Feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 20:00
  It may come as a surprise to some of our younger readers, that the Eurozone, and its associated currency, is merely the latest in a long series of failed attempts to create a European currency union and a common currency. Three of the most notable predecessors to the EUR include the Hapsburg Empire, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia. Obviously, these no longer exist. Just as obvious, all of these unions, having spent time, energy, money, and effort to change the culture and traditions of member countries and to perpetuate said unions, had no desire, just like Brussels nowadays, to see these unions implode. The question then is: what happened after these multi-nation currency unions fails. VOX kindly answers: "they all ended with disastrous hyperinflation."
  Just in case anyone missed it, here it is again from VOX:
  In the last century, Europe saw the collapse of three multi-nation currency zones, the Habsburg Empire, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia. They all ended in major disasters with hyperinflation. In the Habsburg Empire, Austria and Hungary faced hyperinflation. Yugoslavia experienced hyperinflation twice. In the former Soviet Union, ten out of 15 republics had hyperinflation (e.g. Pasvolsky 1928, Dornbusch 1992, Pleskovic and Sachs 1994, and …slund 1995).
  So... trying to pull infinite demand from the future to the present once the ability to fund said present deferred demand ends, has consequences? Oh yes, Virginia. It does indeed:
  The output falls were horrendous and long lasting. The statistics are flimsy, but officially the average output fall in the former Soviet Union was 52%, and in the Baltics it amounted to 42% (…slund 2007, 60). Five out of twelve post-Soviet countries '' Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan '' had not reached their 1990 GDP per capita levels in purchasing power parities by 2010. Similarly, out of seven Yugoslav successor states, at least Serbia and Montenegro, and probably Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina, had not exceeded their 1990 GDP per capita levels in purchasing power parities two decades later (World Bank 2011). Arguably, Austria and Hungary did not recover from their hyperinflations in the early 1920s until the mid-1950s. Thus half the countries in a currency zone that broke up experienced hyperinflation and did not reach their prior GDP per capita in purchasing power parities until about a quarter of a century later.
  What was the catalyst:
  ...systemic change, competitive monetary emission leading to hyperinflation, collapse of the payments system, exclusion from international finance, trade disruption, and wars.
  It's all good though: Europe has a beneficial donor with an endless sack of money - Germany - and 80 some million people who will never, ever consider voting out those politicians who jeopardize their standard of living (regardless how it was obtained, but hard work is a distinct possibility). Ever. Or maybe they will? Maybe they will realize, as they should have over a year ago, that each passing day that nothing changes, and the broken status quo persists, simply means the pain in the inevitable end will merely be that much greater? If recent elections are any indication, Europe should probably be very concerned. Of course, this being Europe, and the market being the market, the fact that there is reason to worry, will provide the market with reason not to worry. After all someone else will make everything better: the central planners made risk of failure illegal.
  Then again...
  Sinn (2011) has argued that ''the Eurozone payments system has been operating as a hidden bailout whereby the Bundesbank has been lending money to the crisis-stricken Eurozone members via the Target system.'' He has alternatively proposed to cap the Target2 balances, settle them in hard assets, or transform them into short-term Eurobonds. Karl Whelan (2011) and others oppose Sinn, arguing that the Bundesbank has claims on the ECB system as a whole, not on individual national central banks. Whelan points out that limiting a Target2 balance would amount to cutting out a country from the euro system.
  Some will say that this '‚¬700 billion + contingent liability is not really a liability until what has to happen - a member country departing - finally departs. Which it will. Sooner or later. So all debate is absolutely idiotic in this regard.
  If one country (Greece) departs from the Eurozone or if its Target2 balances are capped, the current slow bank run from the south will accelerate quickly and become a massive bank run from most banks in southern Europe, and the banking system would stop working. The Eurozone payments system would stop functioning because it is centralized to the ECB. To re-establish a payments system is both politically and technically difficult. In the former Soviet Union, it took three years to do so. Currency controls would arise and a liquidity freeze would occur. If the drachma were reintroduced in the midst of a severe financial crisis, its exchange rate would plummet like a stone by probably 75%-80%. High inflation would result and mass bankruptcies ensue because of currency mismatches. Output would plunge and unemployment soar. Greece would experience a new default and other countries would follow.
  For all these reasons, Greece or any other financially weak country is unlikely to depart from the Eurozone. In the three hyperinflationary currency union collapses, it was small, wealthy counties that left first: Czechoslovakia from the Habsburg Empire, Slovenia and Croatia from Yugoslavia, and the three Baltic states from the former Soviet Union. The countries that departed early and resolutely were most successful. Hence, the main concern should be whether small, wealthy northern countries want to abandon the Eurozone.
  Finally considering the article was written by a member of the status quo who stands to lose his tenure, and his livelihood, if the voodoo he preaches is found to be hollow, the conclusion is obvious:
  The conclusion is that the Eurozone should be maintained at almost any cost. All the economic problems in the current crisis can be resolved within the Eurozone. In order to maintain the Eurozone Eurozone-wide clearing must be maintained in full. The Target2 balances should be resolved by reforms, not by capping national balances. The only reasons for a breakup of the Eurozone would be that Eurozone governance fails completely or that one nation decides to leave. If the breakup starts, it would be better to agree on a complete and speedy dissolution into the old national currencies.
  The "any cost" of course, has to be bourne by Germany. Which this time around is expected to merely stand there as its deadbeat neighbors continue to mooch off its generosity. Oddly enough, all the previous failed monetary regimes had a strong and supposedly munificent hegemon too, to pull a Realpolitik term.
  What is certainly obvious is that in none of the previous occasions of monetary union collapse did the member countries think anything else. In fact, we can say what tenured economists said about the specter of the Hapsburg, the Soviet and Yugoslav collapse with absolute certainty: "the conclusion is that these should be maintained at almost any cost."
  They weren't. And "disastrous hyperinflation" followed.
  This time will surely be different though.
  Average: Your rating: NoneAverage: 4.7(7 votes)
Mobile Phones: Police Can Activate GPS Location Tracking If It's Disabled
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:58
  Source: Information Week Can police access the GPS data on your phone? According to a recent court ruling, they can not only access it, but activate GPS location tracking if it's disabled.
  ..
  Consumers currently enjoy little privacy protection from the GPS location information broadcast by their smartphones or automatically added by latest-generation cameras to their digital photographs.
  But many legislators, consumer rights groups, as well as the Federal Trade Commission, are seeking clear guidelines about how police, application developers, online marketers, and other third parties can collect and share consumers' GPS data.
  As that suit implies, many legal questions remain unanswered, and law enforcement practices are relatively ad hoc. Here are seven things we do know about the unfolding GPS data privacy debate.
  1. Consumer Electronics Store Location InformationBy default, numerous devices store GPS data in numerous ways. "While smartphone users may realize that their devices have the capability to track their whereabouts, what they may not know is that other devices, such as new cameras, also have the capability to know their location and add location information to a photograph," according to a new report from Kroll Advisory Solutions. Known as geotagging, the location-data-tracking feature recently caught a member of hacking group CabinCr3w by surprise, when he posted a provocative photograph of his girlfriend holding a written taunt to the FBI. The bureau then reviewed the EXIF-encoded GPS coordinates in the image, which corresponded with the girlfriend's house.
  2. No GPS Sharing Notification For ConsumersCurrently, consumers enjoy few protections on their GPS data, and remain unaware when such information is shared by third parties. "Part of the problem lies in the many different entities involved--wireless carrier, operating system provider, application developer--who may all have access to the consumer's personal information," according to Kroll. "A consumer may have some control through device settings and discretion in what types of applications he or she chooses to use on the device, but these measures cannot guarantee that data will not be shared with third parties."
  3. International Approaches VaryDifferent countries have been taking markedly different approaches to GPS data privacy. "Earlier this year in Mexico, revisions to federal law--dubbed the Geolocalization Law--provided law enforcement with a powerful ability to request and utilize real-time geographic data from mobile service providers in a wide variety of cases," according to Kroll. "On the opposite end of the spectrum, the European Commission's Article 29 Working Party released an opinion stating that geolocation information is personal data." As a result, in Europe such information can only be collected, shared, or stored with people's express consent.
  4. FTC Urges Congress To Protect GPS DataWith the increased use of devices that track GPS data by default, in March the FTC released a report, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: Recommendations for Businesses and Policymakers," that urges Congress to protect mobile data, including mobile device users' geolocation data. To increase data transparency, the agency is also recommending that legislators craft a law that would require third-party data brokers to disclose to consumers all information that they hold on them.
  5. Congress Debates Geolocation DataSeveral bills have been introduced in Congress that would set clear standards for GPS data privacy. Last year, for example, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance (GPS) Act. In a statement, they said the proposed law "requires the government to show probable cause and get a warrant before acquiring the geolocational information of a U.S. person, while setting out clear exceptions such as emergency or national security situations or cases of theft or fraud." Wyden and Chaffetz later attached their bill as an amendment to the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, which earlier this month appeared to have been defeated--at least for this year--by a Republican filibuster.
  6. Malware Taps GPS DataAlways pushing the envelope, malware-coding scammers have also begun tapping geolocation data to lend their emails a greater air of authenticity. Earlier this month, for example, London police issued a warning over scamware that purported to be from the Police Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU), which locks a PC and then demands a fine for it to be unlocked. "This is a fraud and users are advised not to pay out any monies or hand out any bank details," according to an alert issued by London police. "This scam is now affecting many countries in Europe and further afield, with each email tailored to include the branding of that country's law enforcement agency."
  The FBI also issued its own warning about the scam. "This malware is doing the rounds across a lot of different countries," said Brian Honan, an independent security consultant based in Dublin, in a security newsletter from the SANS Institute. "It is coded to use geolocation to detect which country the infected computer is in and to use the logos ... of the relevant law enforcement organization for that jurisdiction."
  7. Police Can Activate Phone GPS Location TrackingCan police access the GPS data on your phone? According to a recent court ruling, they can not only access it, but activate GPS location tracking if it's disabled. That's one takeaway from last week's U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruling in a case involving Melvin Skinner, who was convicted of drug trafficking--and sentenced to 20 years in jail. Skinner argued that the GPS data tracking, which DEA agents used to track a motor home he was driving that was filled with 1,100 pounds of marijuana, violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search. In addition, according to a close reading of the court ruling, it turns out that police may not have merely tracked Skinner, but actually instructed his prepaid phone provider to activate the GPS functionality. The court, however, ruled that the DEA had acted lawfully.
  But according to Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties for the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University, the court erred--by applying the wrong statute. "The court authorized real time tracking based on a provision of the Stored Communications Act," said Granick in a blog post. But GPS data isn't stored data, which means that the DEA, which had failed to get a warrant, actually conducted "an illegal search," she said. Interestingly, "the Justice Department recommends that prosecutors obtain a warrant to get GPS location information from mobile communications service providers," according to a blog post by Gregory T. Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy " Technology. But the DEA failed to do so for GPS data, which means that Skinner might be able to suppress the evidence.
  Again, the related debate and uncertain ruling continue to highlight how, at least in the United States, important legal questions surrounding the collecting, storing, and tracking of GPS data remain unanswered.
  Vulnerability scanners can be used to help detect and fix systemic problems in an organization's security program and monitor the effectiveness of security controls. However, a vulnerability scanner can improve the organization?s security posture only when it is used as part of a vulnerability management program. In our Choosing The Right Vulnerability Scanner report, we give you tips on choosing and implementing vulnerability scanners in your enterprise. (Free registration required.)
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Obama Signs Congress Approved Bill Giving Him More Power
  Link to Article
  Source: Twitter / southern__bread
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:57
  According to news reportsPresident Obama signed the ''The Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011'' on August 10, 2012.
  Politico.com states,
  ''Democrats and Republicans came together to give President Obama more power to appoint officials jobs in his administration without seeking approval from the Senate.''
  This bill will go into effect anywhere from 0-60 days from the date of President Obama signing it. The Senate approved the bill, 79-20, in June 2011. The House approved it, 261-116, last month.
  ''In the middle of election season, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have come together to give President Barack Obama more power to appoint officials to jobs in his administration without seeking approval from the Senate.''
  Yes, you read correctly: more power. The article went on to point out just why this didn't break across mainstream media:
  Lost in the hubbub last weekend over Rep. Paul Ryan's selection as Mitt Romney's running mate was the fact that Obama signed a bill that eliminates the need to obtain Senate confirmation for about 170 executive branch posts: the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011.
  Senator Lieberman, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, which marked up and reported out the measure, said: ''This bipartisan legislation represents the Senate at its best. A problem was identified, and Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft a solution. Now, future Administrations will be able to get their teams in place more quickly, and the Senate will be able focus its time and energy on the most important Executive Branch appointments. In no way does this bill erode the Senate's role of ''advice and consent.'' Rather, it strengthens the Senate's power by freeing us up to concentrate on nominees who will actually shape national policy.''
  This is very concerning, this gives Obama the legal right to hire who he wants without approval from the senate for the following positions.
  A list of positions exempted from Senate confirmation appears below.
  Department of Agriculture
  Assistant Secretary for Administration
  Rural Utilities Service Administrator
  Directors (7), Commodity Credit Corporation
  Department of Commerce
  Chief Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  Officer Corps, NOAA (321)
  Corporation for National and Community Service Managing Directors (2)
  Department of Defense
  Assistant Secretary of Defense (Networks and Information Integration)
  Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
  Director of the Selective Service System
  Members (6), National Security Education Board
  Council of Economic Advisers
  Members (2)
  Department of Education
  Assistant Secretary for Management
  Commissioner '' Education Statistics
  Members (15), National Board of Education Sciences
  Department of Health and Human Services
  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Public Health Services Corps (2536)
  Department of Homeland Security
  Assistant Administrator, Grants, FEMA
  Administrator, U.S. Fire Administration
  Director, Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement
  Chief Medical Officer
  Department of Housing and Urban Development
  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  US Agency for International Development
  Assistant Administrator for Management
  Department of Justice
  Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics
  Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance
  Director, National Institute of Justice
  Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
  Director, Office for Victims of Crime
  Department of Labor
  Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  Director, Women's Bureau
  Office of National Drug Control Policy
  Deputy Director
  Deputy Director, Demand Reduction
  Deputy Director, State and Local Affairs
  Deputy Director, Supply Reduction
  Department of State
  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  Assistant Secretary for Administration
  Department of Transportation
  Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs
  Deputy Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
  Administrator, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
  Department of Treasury
  Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
  Assistant Secretary for Management
  Treasurer of the United States Administrator,
  Community Development Financial Institution Fund
  Department of Veterans Affairs
  Assistant Secretary for Management
  Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration
  Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
  Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security and Preparedness
  Appalachian Regional Commission
  Alternate Federal Co-Chairman
  African Development Bank
  Governor Alternate Governor
  African Development Fund
  Governor Alternate Governor
  Asian Development Bank
  Governor
  Alternate Governor
  Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development
  Members (13), Board of Trustees
  Mississippi River Commission
  Commissioners (7)
  National Council on Disability
  Members (15)
  National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board
  Members (10)
  National Museum and Library Services Board
  Members (20)
  National Science Board
  Members (24)
  More freedom for Obama, less accountability, and the ability to control.
  Note: Homeland Security, DOD, and FEMA are on this list. Scarey thought indeed. I wonder if the same people who did President Obama's background check will be doing theirs also?
D'oh! USPS Stuck With 682 Million Unsold Simpsons Stamps
  Link to Article
  Source: bertb news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:57
  By Angela Greiling Keane - 2012-08-21T08:01:00Z
  Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
  The Simpsons themed U.S. Postal Service stamps at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles.
  The money-losing U.S. Postal Service guessed that TV cartoon character Homer Simpson and his family were twice as popular as Elvis Presley when it came to sales of commemorative stamps.
  As Homer would say, ''D'oh!'' In a move that wasted $1.2 million in printing costs, the service produced 1 billion of ''The Simpsons'' stamps and sold 318 million.
  The Postal Service inspector general in a report singled out the overproduction of stamps marking the 20th anniversary of the cartoon's run on News Corp. (NWS)'s Fox network as an example of failing to align stamp production with demand.
  ''If the Postal Service can't address a simple matter such as determining how many commemorative stamps to produce, it shows they can't address the larger problems,'' Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said. ''Unfortunately, even a small item can create larger problems.''
  The Postal Service earlier this month said it posted a loss of $5.2 billion in its third quarter and may lose $15 billion in the year ending Sept. 30. It has asked for Congress's help in cutting costs by eliminating a requirement to pre-pay for future retirees' health care and letting it stop Saturday mail delivery.
  The service could save $2 million annually by ending overproduction of stamps that, like the Simpsons run, end up being destroyed when they don't sell, the inspector general said.
  Mark Saunders, a Postal Service spokesman, declined to comment on the report or why the service produced so many Simpson stamps. ''They want the response to the IG to speak for itself,'' he said in an interview.
  Homer, Marge Working from recommendations by a citizens' advisory board, the Postal Service produces about 20 commemorative stamp designs each year featuring historic events, geographic spots and pop- culture icons such as Homer Simpson.
  Commemorative stamps are bought by collectors as well as people intending to use them to mail something. Most collectors buy stamps soon after they're issued, the report said, leading the inspector general to recommend limiting initial production of stamps and printing more if demand warrants.
  The Simpson stamps, sold in 2009 and 2010, came in five designs featuring Homer, his wife, Marge, and children Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie. The stamps sold for 44 cents, 1 cent less than it costs now to mail a letter.
  Forever Stamps The inspector general criticized the process the service uses to decide how many stamps to produce, saying it's unscientific and too much of a judgment call. The July 23 audit was reported earlier by Linn's Stamp News, a weekly magazine for collectors.
  ''This process depends on manual procedures and the experience of one individual, which increases the risk for costly miscalculations,'' the report said. ''Further, such errors may be detected if an independent review and assessment of production estimates were performed.''
  The Postal Service, in a response to the report, said it addressed the problem by creating the ''forever'' stamp, which can be used to mail a letter any time in the future. The Simpsons products were printed when most stamp values were fixed, meaning they could no longer be used by themselves to mail a letter after postal rates increased.
  ''The forever stamp has gone a long way in preventing overproduction,'' said Janet Sorensen, director of marketing and service in the IG's office and leader of the audit team that produced the report. ''They need to get a better process for projecting the need, and they are implementing that type of process.''
  Marilyn, Elvis While the Simpsons stamp was the most overproduced during 2009 and 2010, the service also produced more stamps that it sold in those years featuring the lunar new year, civil rights movement figures, Zion National Park, Supreme Court justices, historic U.S. flags, film director Oscar Micheaux and a Christmas stamp showing an angel with a lute.
  The inspector general probe found no instances during 2009 and 2010 in which there was more demand for commemorative stamps than supply.
  The best-selling commemorative issued by the Postal Service was a 29-cent stamp issued in 1993 on what would have been Presley's 58th birthday. A Marilyn Monroe stamp issued in 1995 for 32 cents was another top seller.
  Stamps issued in March featuring the cherry blossom trees ringing Washington's Tidal Basin oversold initial expectations and were reprinted, Saunders said. Other stamps that sold more than their initial print runs were the 1997 Bugs Bunny series and a 2010 series featuring animal shelter pets, he said.
  Picture Sale The Postal Service has cut stamp production in line with falling demand for first-class mail, which includes letters and bills. It printed 21 billion stamps in the 2011 fiscal year. costing $43 million, down from 29.7 billion stamps. costing $56 million. in fiscal 2009, the report said.
  First-class mail volume continued to decline in the quarter ended June 30, falling 3.5 percent compared with a year earlier, as people and businesses shift to e-mail and electronic transactions.
  Simpsons aficionados who missed buying the stamps still have an opportunity to purchase mementos of them. The Postal Service on its website says its reduced prices of related merchandise including pre-stamped postcards. Framed pictures of Lisa and Marge are marked down 25 percent to $37.47.
  To contact the reporter on this story: Angela Greiling Keane in Washington at agreilingkea@bloomberg.net
  To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn2@bloomberg.net
  Enlarge imageD'oh! Postal Service Stuck With 682 Million 'Simpsons' Stamps Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images
  The Simpsons stamps, sold in 2009 and 2010, came in five designs featuring Homer, his wife, Marge, and children Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie.
  The Simpsons stamps, sold in 2009 and 2010, came in five designs featuring Homer, his wife, Marge, and children Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie. Photographer: Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images
Man forced to work in jail laundry while awaiting trial sues for "slavery"
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:56
  By Cory Doctorow at 3:27 pm Sunday, Aug 19
  In 2008, Finbar McGarry, a grad student at the University of Vermont, was arrested on gun charges. While he was awaiting trial, his jailers ordered him to work for $0.25 in the jail laundry or be condemned to solitary confinement. He's now suing for violations of his 13th amendment rights, saying that this amounted to slavery. The case was dismissed but that's been overturned by a higher court and is steaming forward. If he wins, it will have huge repercussions for America's jails, where pre-trial prisoners who have not been convicted of any charge are forced into hard labor.
  Eventually, McGarry relented and chose to work in the laundry rather than face a prolonged and brutal spell in ''the hole.'' During the course of his work, McGarry says he contracted a serious MRSA lesion on his neck'--a potentially deadly bacterial infection.
  McGarry's charges were ultimately dropped, and he was released. In 2009, he pressed a suit against his former captors in Brattleboro, Vermont, federal court for $11 million'--claiming he was made a slave in violation of his 13th Amendment rights. The Brattleboro judge ruled that McGarry's constitutional rights had not been violated, but that finding was overturned on appeal last week.
  McGarry's suit brings new life to the issue of pre-trial detention'--the incarceration of people who are awaiting trial, yet to be convicted of a crime'--which was already mired with debate and controversy.
  A recent report by corrections expert Dr. James Austin, examining the jails of Los Angeles County (which suffer from notorious violence and overcrowding), found that upward of 1,000 inmates trapped in jail pre-trial posed little to no danger to the public'--more than five percent of the county jail population. They were simply being held because they were too poor to pay for bail.
  Pre-Trial Slave Sues Jail for $11 Million'--in Vermont
  Where not otherwise specified, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution. Boing Boing is a trademark of Happy Mutants LLC in the United States and other countries.
Solyndra Glass Tubes Used as Modern Art
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:54
  The missing Solyndra tubes have finally turned up '-- in a modern art exhibit at U.C. Berkeley:
  One of the great mysteries of the 2011 Solyndra bankruptcy was: What happened to all that money? After the United States government ''loaned'' Solyndra $535 million, the money quickly vanished; the bankruptcy court later found that the company had essentially no cash on hand. They had spent it all on equipment and inventory.
  Surely, then, the inventory could be sold and liquidated, to recover some of the ill-spent cash '-- right? Well, not really. Auctions of the material at the shuttered Solyndra factory produced very little revenue, as the highly specialized machinery and proprietary photovoltaic components spurred little interest among the auction vultures, since the parts could be used only for one specific purpose: to make Solyndra's unique tubular solar panels.
  The fate of Solyndra's millions of unused glass tubes is still unknown (many of them were likely destroyed '-- we'll get to that part of the story in a moment), but luckily a pair of Bay Area artists somehow managed to get their hands on some of the surviving Solyndra tubes and put them to good use'...not to produce electricity, but as art.
  The Solyndra tube exhibit, known as ''SOL Grotto'' and designed by artist/architects Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, was installed in the University of California at Berkeley Botanical Garden as part of a larger multi-work installation dubbed ''Natural Discourse'':
  The tubes were recovered from Solyndra. The solar panels developed by the company were claimed to be unlike any other product ever tried in the industry. The panels were made of racks of cylindrical tubes (also called tubular solar panels), as opposed to traditional flat panels. Although the company was once touted for its unusual technology, plummeting silicon prices led to the company being unable to compete with more conventional solar panels. On September 1, 2011, the company ceased all business activity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and laid off all employees leaving behind 24 million glass tubes in San Jose, California destined to be destroyed.
  Deep in the garden, SOL Grotto looks from the outside like nothing more than a lopsided blue shed built next to a small waterfall.
  But inside, the artists have taken exactly 1,368 Solyndra tubes and arranged them in undulating geometric patterns.
  Each of the six-foot-long tubes passes through the grotto's wall, with one end outside in the sunshine, and the other inside the darkened room; because the glass (manufactured in Germany to Solyndra's highly technical specifications) has advanced light-conducting properties, their circular ends seem to glow magically.
  Here's a video of the glowing tubes in the SOL Grotto exhibit:
  If you're interested in a traditional review of the entire Natural Discourse installation, the Endless Swarm blog has a good overview, and has this to say about SOL Grotto:
  ''SOL Grotto'', by Ronald Rael " Virginia San Fratello, was a delightful meditation on perception. Situated above Strawberry Creek, the dark wooden bunker is pierced with hundreds of glass pipes cozened from local ex-company Solyndra. Tiny snippets of the world outside can be discerned through the tubes, making one feel like they're inside the compound eye of an insect.
  Several people throughout the afternoon came to inspect the exhibit; some may have been art lovers, but I suspect many were just curious to see for themselves the only surviving Legendary Lost Tubes of Solyndra.
  Although the tubes when viewed as the artists intended do indeed have a hypnotic phosphorescence'...
  '...when viewed from the side, the magic suddenly disappears. You're jolted back to reality and realize that you're just looking at nothing more than simple tubes of glass stuck in some plywood. Kind of a metaphor for Solyndra itself: solar technology which may have seemed magical at first, but when viewed realistically turned out to be not that special.
  The back side of the ''grotto'' shed reveals just how long the tubes really are, as the outer half of each tube reaches to catch the sunshine. I'm surprised that a curious bird or falling branch has not yet broken some of the exposed glasswork.
  There are many ironies to this postmodern repurposing of scavenged Solyndra tubes, but perhaps the most bizarre is this:
  The Solyndra loan guarantees were given largely at the urging of Steven Chu, appointed by Obama in 2009 to head the Department of Energy. Chu was recruited to the DOE from his position as director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he directed research into alternative energy sources.
  And where exactly is the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory? In the hills above the U.C. Berkeley campus, directly across the road from the U.C. Botanical Garden. In fact, Steven Chu's former office is only about a thousand yards from the SOL Grotto exhibit itself, as this aerial view reveals:
  Is it a sheer coincidence that the few surviving repurposed Solyndra tubes ended up just a stone's throw from the former office of the one person most responsible for the Solyndra debacle? Or was this detail part of the artists' subtle sarcastic commentary?
  (Answer: It's probably just a coincidence. The lead artist, Ronald Rael, is also an assistant professor at U.C. Berkeley, and is most famous for designing an alternative vision for the fence between Mexico and the United States specifically intended to mock and disparage the concept of national borders. Only someone with ''progressive'' politics could come up with an idea like Rael's ''burrito wall,'' and he's therefore unlikely to disparage a fellow progressive like Chu.)
IPS '' Northern Iraq Instead of Syria: Turkish Army's New Target?
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:52
  Arabs Rise for Rights, Armed Conflicts, Featured, Global Geopolitics, Headlines, Human Rights, Middle East " North Africa, Special Report, TerraViva United NationsANKARA, Aug 20 2012 (IPS) - With attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) multiplying and spreading to a larger number of Turkish provinces, Ankara is under increasing pressure by nationalistic parties to take tougher measures against Kurdish activism, including a full-blown land incursion by the Turkish armed forces into northern Iraq.
  Since June, the PKK has changed its operating tactics, from hit-and-run attacks against security outposts to entering urban areas in an extended geographical area. The focus is still the southeastern part of the country, where the majority of the population is composed of ethnic Kurds, but eastern and western provinces such as Van and Izmir have also been targeted.
  Indicative of these tactical changes is the occupation in late July of Semdinli, a town in the Hakkari province in southeast Turkey bordering Iraq and Syria, which the PKK held for three weeks. Regular troops eventually forced the rebels to withdraw, with heavy losses on both sides.
  The Arab Spring has provided a new source of inspiration for the PKK, according to Idris Bal, a member of parliament with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and an expert on domestic terrorism.
  The PKK sees an opportunity to foment popular rebellion in Kurdish-dominated regions of Turkey, with a view to creating a state which it can govern, Bal said.
  The occupation of Semdinli was aimed at sending a message to the world that things are spiralling out of control in Turkey, he added.
  But the Kurdish insurgents' all-out approach is not a totally new concept in this internal struggle, which began 28 years ago and has cost 40,000 lives so far. The PKK's former leader, Abdullah Ocalan, tried it in the 1990s, with limited success.
  The PKK has been declared a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the U.S.
  Ocalan, in jail for life since 1999, still influences the PKK's strategy. In a recent declaration, he predicted that 2012 would be the ''final year'' in the all-out Kurdish rebellion, which resumed in 2010, after seven years of relative calm.
  Since 2003, the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem, against fierce opposition by the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
  A series of secret talks between Turkey's national security agency (MIT) and PKK representatives were held in 2010 in Oslo, facilitated by the British intelligence services. But the process was abandoned as the result of a premature leak of the discussions.
  The response of the state was to intensify bombing of PKK bases in northern Iraq, through air force raids. This produced some results, until the end of December, when military jets killed 34 young ethnic Kurds at Uludere, near the Turkish-Iraqi border, who were mistaken for PKK members.
  The mass killing triggered nationwide indignation and inflamed anti-government sentiment in the south and east of the country.
  ''Parliament should have worked in fall 2011 on a package to provide basic rights and freedoms to Kurds in order to reach a democratic solution,'' said Mehmet Ozcan, chairman of the Ankara Strategy Institute, a think-tank in the Turkish capital.
  ''The time was ripe for reform before Uludere, but now it's the PKK that has the psychological upper hand,'' said Ozcan, who believes it is not realistic to expect an end to terror unless a democratic process addressing the needs of the Kurds is put in place.
  The evolution of the Syrian revolt seems, however, to be a stronger reason for concern among Turkish politicians and the military. The withdrawal of the Syrian security forces from the border regions with Turkey and Iraq has left a vacuum which is being exploited by the Syrian Kurdish minority and the PKK alike.
  Although they remained initially loyal to Bashar al Assad's regime, Syria's Kurds have more recently unveiled aims for independence in a post-Assad scenario, through the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a sister organisation to the PKK.
  The current lack of Syrian authority in the region also facilitates the mobility of PKK fighters between northern Iraq, Syria and southeastern Turkey.
  Meanwhile, Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the Kurdistan Region, an autonomous province in northern Iraq bordering Turkey, has made it clear that he won't enter into an armed clash with the PKK.
  Although Barzani claims he is playing a conciliatory role between the PKK and Ankara, the KRG has become the host of Kurdish separatist movements for the region.
  Large Kurdish communities live in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, totalling 30 to 38 million people, depending on whether national data or international estimates are used. Turkey accounts for half of the total. Another two million live in the diaspora, mostly in Armenia and northern Europe. The Kurds are considered to be the world's largest ethnic minority without their own country.
  The current political instability in the Middle East has revived aspirations for a Pan-Kurdish state, which could emerge as a new Muslim regional power, alongside Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
  The prospect gives Ankara the jitters. Stuck with domestic unrest, a potential armed intervention in Syria, blocked for now by Washington, and deteriorating relations with Iran, Erdogan's government is prudent but jumpy. In recent weeks, it has repeatedly accused both Damascus and Tehran of providing support to the PKK and has expressed disappointment over Barzani's passivity.
  Meanwhile, the CHP and MHP opposition parties and nationalistic public opinion are criticising the prime minister for his foreign policy and lukewarm stance towards the PKK. Last week, voices of observers close to the ruling party warned the government that contemplating military intervention in Syria, with or without American consent, was the wrong approach.
  Instead, they said, launching a full-scale, deep and lasting land forces operation into northern Iraq would be a better use of resources and soldiers' lives in order to put an end to the Kurdish separatist violence.
  Over dinner late last week with a closed group of journalists in Ankara, Deputy PM Bulent Arinc said Turkey was pondering an operation in the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq, where the PKK headquarters are located. The government has already obtained authorisation from parliament.
  This will, however, need the approval of Washington, which still retains policy rights over Iraq, and collaboration with U.S. military and intelligence, which can provide information on PKK movements.
  This may not be so simple to obtain. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had become suspicious in recent months of Turkey's reliability as an ally. Such suspicions were borne out last week, when Arinc admitted that the national security agency, MIT, had been sharing information with the Iranian intelligence agency, SAVAK. The information had been provided by American Predators, a type of drone.
  ''The challenge for Turkey, however, is to conduct this sweeping operation without alienating the local population living in scattered villages in Kandil, as well as other Kurds who have nothing to do with the violence,'' says Abdullah Bozkurt, a political analyst and expert on the government's decision-making.
  The Semdinli experience confirms that the PKK would not hesitate to infiltrate residential areas and use them as shields against attacks. Ankara is concerned that incidents as in Uludere, or Afghan- and Pakistan-like blunders by the American military, would seriously tarnish Turkey's reputation as a Muslim model for democracy.
U.S. State Department: Turkmenistan may provide India with natural gas
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:49
  Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Aug.20 / Trend, H.Hasanov /
  Turkmenistan has sufficient gas to provide India's fast-growing economy with this fuel, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told journalists.
  "We see that TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline is particularly important because it's going to join two of the most important end-points in this regional connectivity that we talk about, Turkmenistan and India," Blake said.
  He said India, of course, has gigantic energy needs because of its fast-growing economy
  "They need lots of gas. I think that is what really helped drive this project. There is now a real market in India and they can afford to pay for the gas. Turkmenistan has sufficient gas to fuel this pipeline," he said.
  Blake said the U.S. has always supported the development of multiple pipelines out of Turkmenistan and other countries as well to support their energy independence
  "The pipeline would also provide significant transit revenues for both Afghanistan and Pakistan," he added.
  The length of TAPI could reach 1,680 kilometers, with a design capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. The route is planned from the Turkmen Dovletabat fields through Herat and Kandahar (Afghanistan), via the districts of Quetta (Pakistan), to Fazlaka on the India-Pakistan border.
  The base document for the promotion of TAPI is the Ashgabat agreement of the state parties on the early implementation of the project signed at the end of 2010. The issue of security of the project passing through troubled Afghanistan is still on the agenda.
  Turkmenistan has signed a memorandum of understanding on the TAPI project with Afghanistan. At the same time the purchase agreements of Turkmen gas were signed with the State Gas Systems of Pakistan and Indian GAIL ltd.
  Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az
India may get TAPI gas by 2017
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:49
  August 18th, 20129:40pmPosted In:Pipelines, Natural Gas, News By Country, India, TAPI Pipeline ProjectGas from the ambitious Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is expected to start flowing into energy-starved India in another five years, official sources have said.
  IANS has reported that the next stage of the project is to go for a "consortium approach" to build and operate the project.
  "The consortium will go for road shows to tell international companies and financiers to invest in the project," IANS reported the source as saying.
  India in May signed the gas sales-purchase agreement for the $7.6 billion gas pipeline project that is to begin in Turkmenistan and pass through Afghanistan and Pakistan before terminating in India.
  He said that the process of selecting the consortium, funding of the 1,680-km pipeline and other aspects will take around a year.
  Asked about the fate of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, the official said the project which had begun taking shape in 2006-07, has "still not grown up".
  According to the source, one drawback in the IPI project was the involvement of countries in building the 2,775-km pipeline, rather than going for a consortium approach. He said the price negotiations with India on the gas were "not agreeable". "There have been no further talks," he said, adding "it is still on the table".
EUobserver.com / News In Brief / Russia considers pipeline in Croatia
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:49
  TickerToday @ 09:12
  By EUOBSERVERRussia's Gazprom may consider running its South Stream pipeline through Croatia instead of Hungary, according to Croatia's gas transmission operator Plinacro. "The idea of passing the South Stream pipeline through Croatia is being studied," a spokeswoman for the operator told AFP. The 3,600-kilometre pipeline will pump gas to the EU.
Russia eyes Croatian route for South Stream pipeline: report '-- EUbusiness.com
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:49
  (ZAGREB) - Russia's gas giant Gazprom is looking into having its South Stream pipeline pass through Croatia instead of Hungary, a Croatian firm said Monday.
  "The idea of passing the South Stream pipeline through Croatia is being studied. We are interested in the project but Gazprom will be the one taking the decision," spokeswoman Neda Erdeljac of Croatia's gas transmission operator Plinacro told AFP.
  The 3,600-kilometre (2,237-mile) long South Stream pipeline is a strategic project for Gazprom, which will allow it to pump gas to the European Union via the Black Sea and the Balkans without using Ukraine's gas transit network.
  But "some problems popped up ... in the realisation of the project in Hungary and Austria", the Croatian daily Jutarnji List quoted a Croatian official as saying.
  While Gazprom had originally planned to serve Croatia via a spur line, Erdeljac confirmed her company has worked out the "technical details" for construction of the main pipeline through Croatia.
  If the route of the pipeline is changed to go through Croatia along some 270 kilometres (170 miles) it would mean an investment of some 600 million euros ($740 million), Jutranji List said.
  Text and Picture Copyright 2012 AFP. All other Copyright 2012 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
Nabucco still in the running for Azeri pipeline: SOCAR executive| Reuters
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:48
  FRANKFURT | Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:35pm BST
  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The Nabucco project still has a chance of winning the contest to transport Azerbaijan gas to European countries, even after a rival consortium signed a funding deal, an executive of Azerbaijan's state oil firm said on Sunday.
  The partners in Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz II field are expected to decide next year on the entire route for its gas and whether it wants the last stage of the journey to take a southern route through Italy via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) or a more northern route into Austria via Nabucco West.
  The TAP project this month reached a funding deal with companies in the Shah Deniz consortium - BP (BP.L), Azeri state firm SOCAR and Total (TOTF.PA) - thus boosting its chances of winning the contest.
  SOCAR Germany boss Elmar Mamedov said on Sunday Nabucco West was still in the running and that SOCAR was cooperating further with Nabucco-West and TAP.
  "The agreement with TAP gives the partners more legal and planning security. It is not a decision against Nabucco West," Mamedov said in a statement, adding that SOCAR wanted to agree the same deal with the Nabucco West consortium.
  The pipeline decision is part of a long process of elimination to choose a new pipeline to create outlets for Azeri gas. A new pipeline would also break Russia's dominance of the European Union natural gas market.
  TAP's shareholders are EGL (EGLGF.PK) of Switzerland (42.5 percent), Norway's Statoil (STL.OL) (42.5 percent) and E.ON Ruhrgas of Germany (15 percent) (EONGn.DE).
  Nabucco's six shareholders are Austria's OMV AG (OMVV.VI), Germany's RWE AG (RWEG.DE), Hungary's MOL MOLB.BU through its gas pipeline operator FGSZ, Turkey's Botas, BEH of Bulgaria and Romania's Transgaz ROTGN.BX.
  (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Susan Fenton)
BAILOUT FLASHBACK - Sen. Inhofe: "I Could Hear The Champagne Corks Popping The Night Of Oct 1, 2008" - Home
  Link to Article
  Source: The Daily Bail
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:48
  Mountain Jim busts the U.S. bailout Troika:
  Mountain Jim Inhofe with Mike Stark in the basement of the Senate - Dec. 10, 2009.
  "I think Bernanke should be replaced. And I feel the same way about Tim Geithner. And as far as that's concerned I think the same about Hank Paulson. They are all three kind of the same. I could hear their champagne corks popping the night of Oct. 1 when they pulled that off."
US drone strike kill 5 suspected militants in North Waziristan - Khaama Press (KP)
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:48
  By Sajad - Tue Aug 21, 9:39 pm
  An unmanned American aircraft fired missiles at a vehicle in a Pakistani tribal area bordering Afghanistan Tuesday, killing five suspected militants and injuring two, Pakistani intelligence officials said.
  The officials further added the strike was carried out near Shana Khora village in North Waziristan marking the third drone attack in North Waziristan within three days.
  According to local Pakistani officials, the area of the drone attacks is dominated by anti-U.S. militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur.
  Bahadur's group is known for frequent attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but generally it does not carry out operations inside Pakistan. Several recent drone strikes have killed militants affiliated with Bahadur's group.
  This comes as at least 10 suspected militants were killed following two strikes in North Waziristan on Sunday.
  The covert CIA drone program has drawn strong criticism in Pakistan. Pakistani officials charge such strikes violate their country's sovereignty. Many Pakistanis complain that the strikes kill innocent civilians.
  Follow Khaama Press (KP) | Afghan Online Newspaper on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Stay updated via RSS
US taxpayers bail out California homeowners, as banks fail to pay their share
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:47
  Contrary to what voters were led to believe, California took the unprecedented step this month to give banks and struggling homeowners up to $100,000 in taxpayer funds to reduce underwater mortgages.
  Originally, banks and lenders were supposed to pay 50 percent of the cost of reducing the principal for those whose homes are worth less than their mortgage. But when the banks refused, California took the controversial step of paying the entire amount, up to $100,000.
  "We thought, you know, 50-50 was much more attractive and we'd have much more traction with lenders, and it just didn't turn out to work as well as we would have liked," said Diane Richardson, legislative director of the California Housing Finance Agency.
  The program, known as the Hardest Hit Housing Market fund, is part of a $7.6 billion federal effort to help underwater homeowners in 18 states. California received $2 billion. But when banks and lenders who service loans refused to write down even a small portion of the negative equity loans, California decided to use the taxpayer money to pay 100 percent of the mortgage reduction.
  Richard Green, a professor of real estate at the University of Southern California, said it's not what taxpayers signed up for.
  "I think taxpayers would be furious at the idea that everybody gets completely off the hook for this," Green said. "There are people that say, look, I've been a renter all these years, I've been paying my mortgage all these years, why am I bailing out these people who made a bad decision? I think the politics of it are very combustible."
  Back in 2009, President Obama and other lawmakers discussed the "moral hazard" such federal programs represented. If you help some homeowners, will others abuse the system because they know others will pay up the tab? How many borrowers would purposely fall behind on their payments in the hopes of getting an principal reduction is anyone's guess, but mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently rejected the idea of cutting loan balances, saying savings did not justify the cost.
  "A solution that doesn't take a little bit of flesh from both borrowers and lenders I think is problematic," Green said. "I do think there needs to be a less sum ... of taxpayer money in reducing these balances. I just think borrowers should have to pay for something and lenders should have to pay something for this."
  "I don't know where the blame belongs. I mean, we thought we were creating something that was attractive, and banks would participate," Richardson said. "But look at the magnitude of this crisis. If we just step aside and let all these homes go into foreclosure, I mean, I continue to make my mortgage payment, too. And I am acutely aware of every home that goes into foreclosure in my neighborhood, my property values are going down. So if we can help save some of these people, you know, that's to my benefit."
  As a result of paying 100 percent of the cost of each mortgage write-down, the number of troubled homeowners California can help from 25,000 to fewer than 9,000. In April, Cynthia Romero, inspector general of the TARP program, criticized the Hardest Hit fund, saying states have misused the money, and she blamed the Treasury Department for failing to require banks and lenders to participate in the program before allocating the money to states. She said states lacked leverage to recruit servicers or banks to play.
  California made two other changes to accommodate lenders and homeowners. Banks will now get 100 percent of the write-down money in the first year, not in three installments. Secondly, homeowners will not have to pay back the money if the home is sold at a profit - provided they make their payment and stay in the home for five years.
  This is a far cry from this statement Obama made in April in 2009 in Phoenix: "So this part of the plan will require both buyers and lenders to step up and do their part and to take on some responsibility."
  The Hardest Hit fund was signed to help those markets where a majority of homes for sale were actually underwater. As of December 31, just 3 percent of the $7.6 billion had been spent, and housing prices in most markets have already begun to recover. Nevertheless, the federal government is not recalling the money.
  With so few homeowners being helped some doubt the mortgage write-down will stabilize any market, nevertheless Green says spend away.
  "At the end of the day, you have a choice, do you want to be sanctimonious or do you want to solve the problem. And I want to solve the problem. Is this unfair? Absolutely. A lot of things in life are unfair. But to clear out the inventory in certain parts of the country I think it is necessary to do something like principle reduction."
Jesse Benton to Administer Ritalin to Ron Paul Delegates
  Link to Article
  Source: EconomicPolicyJournal.com
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 19:42
  The sellout is complete.A stand off between Ron Paul supporters and the Republican National Committee over convention delegates appears to be easing, and both sides are close to announcing a deal that could help avoid a potentially embarrassing moment for Mitt Romney on the day he receives the GOP presidential nomination, reports CNN.
  The deal, which is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon, will seat more Paul delegates at next week's Republican National Convention, an act that could help prevent an organized effort by Paul supporters to try and bring Monday's opening session to a grinding halt.
  The full details of "the deal" must be horrific, since Jesse Benton is now giving quotes to CNN about the deal anonymously:
  "This is a major step towards peace and good will on the convention floor," said a Paul source familiar with the negotiations. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been made public.Just why can't there be a bit of rowdiness on the convention floor against Romney, Ryan, warmongers and banksters? Hey Ron Paul delegates are you just going to sit there and take your Jesse Benton administered Ritalin?(Via LewRockwell.com)
Pakistan drone statistics visualised: TBIJ
  Link to Article
  Source: @adamcurry - Twitter Search
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:56
  July 2nd, 2012 | by Drones team | Published in All Stories, Drones - graphs | 6 Comments
  Please support our work - share this article
  These graphs accurately reflect the Bureau's data on CIA drone strikes in Pakistan to the most recent strike.
  They are designed to illustrate in the simplest possible way key statistical data from our investigation. Click on a graph to enlarge.
  You are free to download and to reproduce them, provided the Bureau is credited.
  Pakistan drone strikes: illustrating minimum reported total casualties, minimum reported civilian casualties and minimum casualties aged under 18.
  This graph illustrates the minimum reported civilians killed in drone strikes in Pakistan year by year.
  This graph shows the total number of people reportedly killed in CIA drone strikes in Pakistan.
  This graph shows the tally of total drone strikes in Pakistan between 2004 '' 2012.
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Top Army General Is Accused Of Spending Hundreds Of Thousands On Personal Luxuries
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:45
  When General William E. Ward was chosen to lead the new U.S. Army Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2007 nobody imagined he'd have sidelined his four decade career and been pulled from the post in less than four years'--but that's exactly what happened.Ward was nominated by President Bush and approved by Congress to head U.S. military relations with 54 African countries, and while his leadership appears unchallenged, his official spending is another matter.
  The general is accused of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on hotels, purchases for his family, and unauthorized access to his private plane among other expenses.
  Full details have yet to be released, but The Daily Mail breaks it down like this:
  $129,000 on an 11-day trip to Washington with his wife and 13 staff where he only had short engagements on the first three days of the trip. The cost covers the hotel and 'other' costs such as transportation.$10,000 on hotels rooms for himself and staff during a 'refueling stop' in Bermuda on the way to an engagement in Germany. He and his wife stayed in a $750 suite. The bill does not include transport or other costs.$18,500 on producing and publishing 2,000 books about the Command's plush residence in Germany and its first three years of work.One staffer stayed in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in McLean, Virginia for 49 consecutive nights in early 2010 - even though Ward was in the area for just 18 of the nights.Use of government-rented vehicles to run errands including collecting flowers, books, football game tickets and snacks.Dinner and a Broadway show - paid for by a government contractor - before meeting Denzel Washington and staying in the five-star Waldorf Astoria Hotel.Wife joined him on 52 of his 79 trips even though she had no official capacity.Ward also set officials meetings after being refused the use of military aircraft for personal travel.Spencer Ackerman at Danger Room reports that Ward also had a book printed at taxpayer expense, which detailed his lavish German home near AFRICOM headquarters.
Alhurra TV - channel free
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:32
  Alhurra's mission is to provide objective, accurate, and relevant news and information to the people of the Middle East about the region, the world, and the United States. Alhurra supports democratic values by expanding the spectrum of ideas, opinions, and perspectives available in the region's media.
  Alhurra (Arabic for ''The Free One'') is primarily news and information programming. The network hosts a number of discussion programs that examine political and social issues of interest to the audience in the Middle East, airing viewpoints not often discussed freely in the region. Through correspondents at the State Department, White House, Congress and the Pentagon, Alhurra illuminates U.S. policies and domestic debates on those policies for Middle Eastern audiences. Guests from American think tanks and interviews with U.S. officials provide a comprehensive view of U.S. foreign policy as well as a better understanding of the American people and our system of governance. In 2009, Alhurra launched Al Youm (Arabic for Today), a live three-hour daily news magazine that originates simultaneously from five countries in three continents including Dubai, Beirut, Cairo, Jerusalem and Alhurra's headquarters in Springfield, Va.
  In addition to reporting news of regional and international events, the channel provides information on a variety of subjects, including health, entertainment news, sports, fashion and science and technology. In April 2004, MBN launched a separate channel, Alhurra-Iraq, which features news and current affairs programming specifically directed at the Iraqi audience.
  Alhurra is operated by the non-profit corporation ''The Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc.'' (MBN). MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent federal agency. The BBG serves oversight and as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.
  Michael P. MeehanCo-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach CommitteeChair of the BBG Strategy and Budget Committee
  Chair of the Board of Radio Free Asia
  Chair of the Board of Middle East Broadcasting Networks
  Michael P. Meehan currently serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Venn² Communications. He also served as the first President of BGR Public Relations, LLC.
  For over two decades, Michael P. Meehan served in senior roles for U.S. Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Maria Cantwell and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, two presidential campaigns, two U.S. House offices and congressional campaigns in 25 states. Meehan earned a B.A. in political science from Bates College.
  Michael P. Meehan serves as Co-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach Committee and Chair of the Board of Radio Free Asia.
  Michael P. Meehan was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2010. By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
  In addition to serving on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, where he also chairs the Strategy and Budget Committee, Wimbush is Senior Director, Foreign Policy and Civil Society at the German Marshall Fund of the United Statesand and former Director of Radio Liberty.
  Wimbush has worked for Booz Allen Hamilton, Science Applications International Corporation, and the Rand Corporation as a consultant, strategist and analyst of international security issues, and for Runzheimer International as director of communications.
  Earlier he directed the Society for Central Asian Studies in Oxford, England.
  Wimbush is also the author or editor of seven books, including several authoritative histories of Central Asia and the Caucasus. MBN is the parent company of Alhurra Television and Radio Sawa.
  MBN is financed by the U.S. Government through a grant from the BBG, an independent federal agency charged with overseeing all U.S. civilian international broadcasting.
  As a condition of its bylaws, MBN’s board is comprised all members of the BBG including Governors Walter Isaacson, Victor Ashe, Michael Lynton, Susan McCue, Michael Meehan, Dennis Mulhaupt, Dana Perino and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
  --> Victor H. Ashe BBG Governance Committee
  BBG Strategy and Budget Committee
  Vice Chair of the Board of Radio Free Asia
  Chair of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks' Audit Committee
  Ambassador Ashe holds the distinction of being the longest serving mayor of Knoxville.
  During his time in office, from 1988 to 2003, he was the President to the U.S. Conference of Mayors from 1994 to 1995 and received their Distinguished Service Award for Leadership in 2003. Ashe served as the United States Ambassador to Poland from June 2004 to October 2009.
  In 2004, he was a Fellow at Harvard University's JFK Institute of Politics. From 1968 until 1974, Ashe served as a Tennessee State Representative.
  In 1975, he was elected as State Senator and held office until 1984. Ashe served in 1967 as a staff assistant to US Sen. Howard Baker.
  He was executive director of the Americans Outdoors Commission, 1985-1987 chaired by Sen. Lamar Alexander (then Governor).
  Five U.S. Presidents, beginning with President Ronald Reagan, have named Ashe to different federal positions. He will be the first former Ambassador and local elected official to serve on the BBG.
  Ashe currently sits on the Board of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Rivers Association, and is a former member of the AmeriCorps Board of Directors.
  Ambassador Ashe earned a B.A. in History from Yale University in 1967 and graduated from the College of Law at the University of Tennessee in 1974.
  Ashe is a member of the Governance Committee and the Strategy and Budget Committee and serves as Corporate Board Vice Chair of Radio Free Asia.
  Ashe was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2010. By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
  He is married to the former Joan Plumlee and they have two children'--J. Victor and Martha.
  Ashe resides at 3709 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919 and welcomes comments and views on BBG issues. He can be reached by phone at 865 523-6573 or email at vhashe@aol.com.
  Susan McCueCo-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach CommitteeVice Chair of the Board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  Member of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks' Audit Committee
  Susan McCue is President of Message Global, a strategic advocacy firm she founded in 2008 for social action campaigns.
  She was the founding President and CEO of The ONE Campaign to combat extreme global poverty and was Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from 1999 to 2006.
  Before that she held numerous communications positions in government and campaigns. She is currently Vice Chair of Humanity United and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
  McCue is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., with degrees in economics and journalism.
  McCue serves as Co-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach Committee and Vice Chair of the Board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  McCue was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2011. By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
  MBN Corporate officers Brian Conniff, President
  Kelley Sullivan, Treasurer
  Anne Noble, Secretary
  Hillary Rodham Clinton On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton became the 67th Secretary of State of the United States
  Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Clinton has served in the United States Senate as the junior senator from New York, a post she was elected to in 2000 and then re-elected in 2006.
  In the Senate, she served on the Armed Services Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Budget Committee and the Select Committee on Aging.
  She was also a Commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
  As a former First Lady, and previously as an attorney, Clinton was an avid advocate for human rights, democracy and civil society.
  Clinton is represented on the Board by Ambassador D. Kathleen Stephens the Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
  Michael Lynton BBG's Interim Presiding Governor
  Michael Lynton is the Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
  He is the former CEO of AOL Europe and Chairman and CEO of Pearson plc's Penguin Group.
  Michael Lynton is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Rand Corporation.
  He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and is proficient in French, German and Dutch.
  Michael Lyntonwas named the BBG's interim presiding governor following the departure of Chairman Walter Isaacson in February, 2012.
  Michael Lynton was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2012.
  By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
  Dennis MulhauptChair of the BBG Governance CommitteeBBG Strategy and Budget Committee
  Chair of the Board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  Dennis Mulhaupt is founder and Managing Director of Commonwealth Partners, Inc., a firm which provides advisory services to philanthropic institutions and families.
  He began his career working in an investment bank in London and subsequently established the West Coast international political and economic risk advisory department at a major U. S. financial services company.
  After 15 years in various corporate roles, he turned full-time to the non-profit sector.
  Before founding Commonwealth Partners, he served as Executive Vice President at KCET in Los Angeles, the West Coast flagship public broadcasting and media company.
  Other roles in higher education administration have included positions as Vice President at Claremont McKenna College; Associate Vice President at Stanford University; and Senior Associate Dean in the College of Letters, Arts " Sciences at the University of Southern California, where he also taught undergraduate courses in international relations.
  Mulhaupt received his B.A. from the University of Southern California and an M.Phil. from Cambridge University where he also did doctoral work in history and international relations.
  Mulhaupt serves as the Chair of the BBG Governance Committee.
  He also serves on the Strategy and Budget Committee and is the Chair of the Board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  Mulhaupt was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2011.
  By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
  Dana Perino Co-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach Committee
  Dana Perino is the founder of Dana Perino and Company, a strategic communications firm, a member of the Burson-Marsteller Global Strategy Team, and a Fox News Contributor.
  She is the former White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush '' the first Republican woman to hold that position.
  She is the creator of Minute Mentoring, a program helping young women entering the workforce, and a member of the ONE Campaign's Women's Advisory Board, Mother's Day Every Day, Running Start, and Pets2Vets.
  Dana Perino previously served in the United States Justice Department, was Director of Communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and worked on Capitol Hill for Representatives Dan Schaefer (R-CO) and Scott McInnis (R-CO).
  She holds a M.A. in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois '' Springfield and a B.A. in Mass Communications from Colorado State University '' Pueblo.
  Perino serves as Co-Chair of the BBG Communications and Outreach Committee.
  Perino was appointed to the board on July 2, 2010 to a term expiring on August 13, 2012.
  By law, any member whose term has expired may serve until a successor has been appointed and qualified.
EconomicPolicyJournal.com: Brandon Raub Article
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:30
  Below is an article by Brandon Raub, who was grabbed by Chesterfield County, Virginia police on Friday. These writings come via The Jeeny Us Corner. I have no idea of how reflective this is of Raub's overall writings. Raub's Facebook page is open only to friends.November 11, 2011America has lost itself. We have lost who we truly are. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. This is the land of Thomas Jefferson. This is the land of Benjamin Franklin. This is the land of Fredrick Douglas. This is the land of Smedley Butler. This is the land John F. Kennedy. This is the land of Martin Luther King. This is the land where the cowboy wins. This is the land where you can start from the bottom and get to the top. This is the land where regardless of you race and ethnicity you can succeed and build a better life for you and your family. This is the land where every race coexists peacefully. This is the land where justice wins. This is the land where liberty dwells. This is the land where freedom reigns. This is the land where we help the poor, and people help each other. This is land where people beat racism.The federal reserve is wrong. They have designed a system based off of greed and fear. They designed a system to crush the middle class between taxes and inflation. This is wrong, and it is unjust. It is wrong.
  We have allowed ourselves to be deceive and seduced by the powers of the printing press. It is not a good system. It discourages saving: the foundation for all stable economic activity. The federal reserve is artificially manipulating interests rates and creating phony economic data. This thing has deceived our entire nation.
  They created it 1913. They also created the income tax in 1913. They encouraged the growth of debt so they can tax you on it. There is interest on the debt. Your government is in bed with these people. They want to enslave you to the government so that they can control every aspect of your lives. It is an empire based on lies. They operate of greed and fear.
  There is a better way. It's called freedom. Freedom is called a lot of things. But there is a true meaning. It means very simply that you have the right to do whatever you want as long as you are not infringing on the freedoms of other people.
  I firmly believe that God set America apart from the other nations of the world. He saved a place where people could come to escape bad systems of government. This system we have created works. It really works.
  There is evil going on all around the world. The United States was meant to lead the charge against injustice, but through our example not our force. People do not respond to having liberty and freedom forced on them.
  Men and Women follow courage. They follow leadership, and courage. Our example has paved the way for people all around the world to change their forms of government.
  Force is not the way because liberty is a powerful concept. The idea that men can govern themselves is the basis for every just form of government.
  We can govern ourselves. We do not need to be governed by men who want to install a one world banking system. These men have machine hearts. Machine and unnatural hearts. They have blocked out the possibility of a better world. They fear human progress. They have monopolies on everything.
  This life can be free and beautiful. There are enough resources on this earth to support the world's population. There are enough resources on this earth to feed everyone. There is enough land for everyone to own their own land and farm, and produce their own energy.
  These people have been hiding technology. There are ways to create power easily. There is technology that can provide free cheap power for everyone. There are farming techniques that can feed the entire world.
  They are controlling your media. They have dumbed you down through your school systems. They have systematically dismantled the constitution. It is in rags.
  The bill of rights is being systematically dismantled. Men have spilled their blood for those rights.
  Your sons and daughters, your brothers and sisters, and Americas best young men and women are loosing their limbs. They are loosing their lives. They are losing the hearts. They do not know why they are fighting. They are killing. And they do not know why.
  They have done some extraordinary acts. Their deeds go before them. But these wars are lies. They are lies. They deceived our entire nation with terrorism. They have gotten us to hand them our rights. Our Rights! Men died for those rights!
  September Eleventh was an inside job. They blew up a third building in broad daylight. Building 7.
  Your leaders betrayed you.
  You elected an aristocracy. They are beholden to special interests. They were brainwashed through the Council on Foreign Relations. Your leaders are planning to merge the United States into a one world banking system. They want to put computer chips in you.
  These men have evil hearts. They have tricked you into supporting corporate fascism. We gave them the keys to our country. We were not vigilant with our republic.
  There is hope. BUT WE MUST TAKE OUR REPUBLIC BACK.
Airport-style screening to be considered for train and tube stations | UK news
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:28
  Suitcases going through the X-ray machine at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Photograph: Andy Hall
  Fresh consideration is to be given to the introduction of airport-style mass security screening at mainline rail stations and across London's tube network.
  The Home Office has launched a search for new and emerging technologies that are capable of rapidly screening huge numbers of passengers and which could be used in major train and tube stations and across the tube network.
  The new rail and tube screening technology is to be used to detect explosives, guns and knives, being carried by people and in bags, but would also need a capacity to spot chemical and biological materials. The screening equipment needs to be able to scan wheelchairs, prosthetics, crutches, pushchairs and bikes as well as people and their luggage.
  The research brief for the Home Office centre for applied science and technology project says that the high volumes of passengers on the London Underground and national rail networks mean it is not possible to use traditional forms of checkpoint screening.
  It says that while the stations can be defined as "crowded places", there are locations where crowd movement is "semi-controlled", such as at ticket barriers, queues, at the top and bottom of escalators and at platforms, which could prove suitable screening points.
  The equipment may be fixed and built into the station furniture, or portable, to be used in different areas depending on passenger flow, threat level or intelligence.
  The Department of Transport last carried out trials into the use of mass passenger screening at five mainline rail and tube stations in London in 2006 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on July 7 2005.
  But research showed that while people were largely positive about the need to carry out the checks, they were not willing to accept major delays to their journey and wanted to ensure that their privacy was protected. People also preferred the use of sniffer-dogs to being singled out to go through an x-ray machine.
  Transport ministers ruled out in June 2008 the use of airport-style screening of rail and underground systems, saying the technology then available meant it was not feasible to introduce 100% screening of such large passenger flows at the thousands of entry points on the UK rail and underground networks.
  In taking the decision, the then transport minister, Tom Harris, said the public recognised the terrorist threat to the rail network and broadly supported the need for security measures, providing they were proportionate to the threat.
  The current official UK threat level is at "substantial", which means a terrorist attack is regarded as a strong possibility. It was downgraded from "severe", which means a terrorist attack is highly likely, last July.
  The Home Office expects the academic hunt for suitable new and emerging technologies to cope with the high volume of passengers involved will start next month, with results due next March.
New Kickstarter Pitch: 'Join the Syrian Uprising' | Danger Room
  Link to Article
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:25
  Two veterans of last year's Libya conflict have put together a Kickstarter project to fund what they call a ''groundbreaking and unique film'' about the Syria rebels '-- and it's a hair's breath away from using the online crowdfunding service to fund the resistance to Bashar Assad. The unorthodox film project, blatant boosterism for the revolution, carries a risk of death for the filmmakers, who intend it to be a flint sparking revolutions elsewhere. And those filmmakers, who describe themselves as ''freedom fighters,'' are a bit iffy on whether they'll join in the fighting once they make it to Syria.
  Matthew VanDyke is a former American journalist who covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before going to Libya last year to participate in one. As he recounts in the video above '-- where VanDyke is on display manning machine guns on top of trucks and firing rifles and rockets '-- he fought against Moammar Gadhafi's forces before getting taken prisoner and spending 80 days in the Abu Salim prison, which he describes as a ''nightmare.'' VanDyke says he escaped from Abu Salim and rejoined the Libyan rebels '-- including his friend Bwisir, a songwriter who strummed songs on an acoustic guitar to keep the rebels' spirits up as bullets whizzed overhead.
  Their next project: go to Syria, an exceptionally dangerous place for journalists, activists or human beings in general. But they're not exactly journalists or documentarians. Their Kickstarter pitch: ''Two freedom fighters from the Libyan revolution join the Syrian uprising against Assad and capture it all on film.'' Wait, what?
  Is this a Kickstarter to crowdfund the revolution or to crowdfund a film about the revolution? VanDyke's answer skirts the line. ''The purpose of this project is to film in support of the rebels,'' he tells Danger Room, ''we do not anticipate participating in combat this time.''
  Do not anticipate and at this time are powerful hedges. But from the way VanDyke and Bwisir pitch their film, they'll be trading on their credibility from the Libya war, as their combat experience gives them ''a far deeper understanding and level of interaction with the Syrian rebels than journalists ever could.'' (Bwisir plans on ''entertaining and improving rebel morale with his famous revolution songs, including new ones or variations of his Libya songs modified for the Syrian revolution.'') VanDyke and Bwisir plan on distributing their film for free on the internet like Invisible Children did with their KONY 2012 campaign.
  All they need is $19,500 by Wednesday. They're about $4,000 short. VanDyke and Bwisir are hoping Americans care enough about the Arab Spring to help raise awareness for the Syrian rebels and inspire ''others around the world to protest for their freedom as well.'' It's your chance, they say in their sales pitch, ''to become part of the Arab Spring.''
  Perhaps. It's also a good way to end up dead, as Assad has killed perhaps as many as 17,000 people since the uprising began a year and a half ago. The pitch video on VanDyke and Bwisir's Kickstarter page portrays them as gunslingers. They might not plan on fighting. But they might need to fight once the fighting comes to them. (Which, in case you're wondering, would be legal for VanDyke to do. Again.)
  All this raises an interesting question for Kickstarter's future. Even if the only thing VanDyke and Bwisir wield is a camera and an acoustic guitar, perhaps the next project will explicitly seek to fund an uprising. And that will raise thorny legal and policy questions about funding extremism, as there's an uncomfortable terrorist element (of unknown size) glomming on to the anti-Assad uprising. The Patriot Act and other post-9/11 legislation gives the government wide latitude to attack the avenues of suspected terrorist finance. At what point does it start looking at Kickstarter?
  Update: As of around 11:40 a.m. EST, Kickstarter announced, ''Funding for this project was suspended.''
All Is Forgiven? Anderson Cooper & Cheating Boyfriend Cozy Up In Croatia
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:20
  INF Photo/dudbronktn
  By Radar Staff
  A new video of Anderson Cooper and his longtime boyfriend Ben Maisani on a yacht in Croatia has surfaced, stirring more speculation about the CNN journalist's love life after Ben was seen passionately making out with an unidentified beefcake in a New York park just weeks ago.
  Cooper and Maisani were then joined on the boat by Bravo'sAndy Cohen, along with some other friends, as they sailed around the exclusive island, Hvar.
  PHOTOS: Anderson Cooper And Cheating Boyfriend Set Sail In Croatia
  According to a local reporter, "They came into Dubrovnik on August 18 around 11 pm (local time). When they docked, they immediately wanted to go see the Old Town of Dubrovnick."
  But there were just too many famous faces in one place at one time, causing a media stampede, which led the group to re-board the yacht.
  Watch the video on RadarOnline.com
  PHOTOS: Stars Who Have Come Out As Gay
  As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Anderson came out earlier this summer, saying in a statement, "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be more happy."
  The well-paid CNN news anchor, 45, has been in a relationship with Maisani, a 39-year-old bar owner, for several years, and they reportedly live together in Cooper's Manhattan townhouse, a converted fire station.
Phyllis Diller obituary | Culture
  Link to Article
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:17
  'The last time I said let's eat out, we ate in the garage,' was a typical Phyllis Diller gag. Photograph: Allstar/Sportsphoto
  Phyllis Diller, who has died aged 95, was a raucous, zany comedian, with a special line in self-deprecation bordering on flat-out self-mockery. In old age she described herself as a sex symbol for men who don't give a damn, and she treasured Bob Hope's remark that she was so ugly that a peeping Tom once threw up on her windowsill.
  She patented this frank, outspoken line in female bodily imperfections well ahead of Joan Rivers but, unlike Rivers, who appeared on stage without props or wacky wigs, more or less as herself, with Diller it was all an act. She created a comic persona '' wild hair, flailing cigarette holder, splayed feet, absurd costume, loud, cackling laugh '' when in fact she was a housewife from Ohio.
  Although she made dozens of movies, including three in the 1960s with Bob Hope (who also described her as "a Warhol mobile of spare parts picked up along a freeway"), she was not really known in Britain, except by reputation. She made a splash on Broadway when she took over the lead in Hello, Dolly! for three months in the 1960s.
  Her natural habitat was the comedy and cabaret club, with stand-up appearances on US TV on the Tonight Show and later the Ed Sullivan Show, where she developed a huge cult following for her outrageous one-liners. You can still catch a flavour of it all on the YouTube clips where she auditions for the Spice Girls ("I want to be 65 again; the way I looked when I was 30") or takes part in that bizarre US television habit of "roasting" a much-loved celebrity ("Joan Collins was so popular as a teenager, she was 21 before she discovered that cars had front seats; since then, she's had 15 husbands, four of her own"). She was the past master of the addled look, the slow burn, the dry put-down.
  She did channel her distinctive comedy schtick into a popular television sitcom, broadcast in the UK in 1967, The Pruitts of Southampton (Southampton, Long Island, that is). The Guardian television critic of the time, Stanley Reynolds, noted a performer who struck him as a cross between Imogene Coca (a zany stalwart of Sid Caesar's and Carl Reiner's Your Show of Shows) and Lucille Ball. Her character was a matriarch in a family fallen on hard times: "Things are so tough, my daughter is thinking of getting married just for the rice."
  Born Phyllis Driver in Lima, Ohio, where her father was an insurance agent, she was educated at Lima central high school and studied the piano at the Sherwood Conservatory in Chicago before moving on to Bluffton College in Ohio with the intention of becoming a music teacher. There she met Sherwood Diller and they married in 1939.
  The Dillers moved to California and struggled to make a living, Sherwood in a variety of jobs, Phyllis in local newspapers and as an advertising copywriter, moving on to PR jobs and finally regaling private parties with barbed accounts of life in the kitchen. She made her professional debut at the Purple Onion, a San Francisco nightclub, in 1955. By this time she thought she could be as funny as the men she was watching on television. She achieved a national breakthrough on Jack Paar's Tonight Show in 1958, after battering at his door for a couple of years.
  The Dillers divorced in 1965 and she married Warde Donovan in the same year. While continuing as a stand-up on stage and small screen, she developed a humorous musical act as the pianist Dame Illya Dillya, appearing from 1971 for 10 years with symphony orchestras across the US. She played for laughs, but also for real, garnering fair reviews for her keyboard technique.
  Her second marriage ended in divorce within a year, and she had to settle out of court with her first husband's family over accusations that she was libelling them in her act. Her routine included a fictional husband called Fang, whose idea of a seven-course dinner was a six-pack and a bologna sandwich: "The last time I said let's eat out, we ate in the garage." From 1985 until his death in 1996, she was the partner of Bob Hastings. She is survived by her son, Perry, and daughters, Suzanne and Sally.
  Diller's later life was dogged with medical problems, including a heart attack in 1999. Her last big-time stand-up appearance was in Las Vegas in 2002, and she was asked three years later if she missed performing: "I don't miss the travel," she said. "I miss the laughter. I do miss the actual hour '... that hour is a high; it's as good as you can feel. A wonderful, wonderful happiness, and great power."
  ' Phyllis Ada Diller, comedian, born 17 July 1917; died 20 August 2012
I am Amazon's #1 non-fiction reviewer of all time, in Amazon's "Hall of Fame", (and a former CIA spy). AMA : IAmA
  Link to Article
  Source: @adamcurry - Twitter Search
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:49
  My name is Robert Steele. I am an unemployed spy turned do-gooder who in passing has become the #1 Amazon reviewer for non-fiction, reading in 98 categories, with 1831 in-depth reviews (My actual library was close to 4,000 volumes, I gave 1,000 to the local library and 3,000 to George Mason University).
  I've got time on my hands and certainly appreciate Reddit from when its front page turned someone else's six minute video of me into a hot YouTube item.
  Also an eleven-minute interview by Warren Pollock on my new book, THE OPEN SOURCE EVERYTHING MANIFESTO: Transparency, Truth " Trust.
  Picking up where the book stops, I publish a free online round-up at 2200 Eastern every day, OPEN SOURCE EVERYTHING HIGHLIGHTS, twitter hash #openall.
  So go ahead AMA!'--I am committed to short serious answers that will be useful.
  Proof
Assange, Sex, Power and Gringos | NYTimes eXaminer
  Link to Article
  Source: NYTimes eXaminer
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:48
  August 21, 2012 · 0 Comments
  Source: NYTX
  Above: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses the press and his supporters from the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Sunday. Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images
  By Murray Polner:
  Julian Assange, WikiLeaks' driving force, recently stepped out on a balcony on August 19 at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London where he currently resides as a refugee. On the next day the Times, generally critical about WikiLeaks and its founder, chose to publish an Op Ed by Anita Isaacs, author of The Politics of Military Rule and Transition in Ecuador. In it she directs the argument away from the justice or injustice of the relentless pursuit of Assange and turns instead to Ecuador's President Rafael Correa. The pursuit of Assange, she wrote, has ''little to do with protecting Mr. Assange's right to a fair trial or freedom of the press'' but rather Correa's effort to ''make a power play for a leadership role on the Latin American left'' and ''his potential for regional leadership beyond Ecuador's borders.'' So much for Assange.
  Correa, we are informed, with some truth, is no friend of unbridled liberty at home '' perhaps, I might inject, a bit more tolerant than what many of our historic Latin American friends have practiced. She adds, ''In asserting Ecuadorean sovereignty and defying [my italics] the United States, President Correa is also vying for hemispheric leadership.'' One imagines a potentially potent Ecuador might yet become another leftwing menace to American economic and military interests. (Overlooked almost everywhere in the Times and elsewhere these days is right-wing Honduras's recent coup against a democratically elected president, a coup blinked at by the U.S. and especially what Honduras is doing these days to preserve freedom of dissent). By harboring Assange, Isaacs argues, Correa is using him as an ''opportunity to settle a grudge with the United States,'' mentioning his past expulsion of the U.S. ambassador for her cable, uncovered by WikiLeaks, accusing Correa of naming a crooked and malleable police chief.
  Unmentioned is that his resentment goes back further to 2007, when he was asked if he would renew a U.S. base in Ecuador, and our latest prospective threat caustically replied, only if ''they let us put a base in Miami'--an Ecuadorian base.'' Not a way to make friends up north. Most recently, the popular Correa finds defenders in Ecuador even among some of his opponents. Al Jazeera reports Fabian Corral, a frequent critic, writing in Quito's El Comercio newspaper, ''If there's something that many people agree with [in Ecuador] it is the dislike, even the visceral hate of 'the empire.' The anti-American sentiment brings us together, the phobia of everything that is or may be 'gringo,' and by extension, European.''
  Shall we now have to begin looking for future mass media reports comparing Correa and the threat of a powerful Ecuador to Hugo Chavez and the Castro brothers?
  Crowd outside Ecuadorian embassy to hear Assange. WikiLeaks Tweeted on Aug. 20, "Photo: here is what the Guardian calls a '100' WikiLeaks supporters and the NYTimes '150'. The crowd extends back..."
  In the same issue of the Times, Ravi Somaiya's article about Assange's speech mentioned upfront the fact that he is wanted for questioning by Swedish authorities for allegedly raping two Swedish women, accusations he has denied and for which he has never been charged. In Sweden many of the more serious charges were originally dismissed, but were reinstated by a second prosecutor, facts unmentioned in the article. Nor that Swedish prosecutors have refused to interview Assange in London, leading to fears'--real or imagined'--that once returned to Stockholm he would be sent on the next SAS plane to the US to face trial. The Obama Administration, writes Somaiya quoting a White House spokesman, says it has nothing to do with the face-off in London, a remarkable statement demanding even a shred of skepticism. Which is hardly surprising given Chris Spannos' NYTX disclosure that the newspaper's website versions have extensively changed Somaiya's past articles. On June 20 for example, Somaiya reported an American Grand Jury had been impaneled to investigate Assange but the final version was altered to avoid any mention of a Grand Jury, which has been widely rumored to have delivered a sealed indictment against Assange. There are many such examples.
  Still, Somaiya or his web editors, ignored the Union of South American Nations' condemnation of a British threat that it might revoke the diplomatic status of Ecuador's embassy and legally enter the building and capture the arch-criminal. The BBC's Will Grant described USANUR's statement as significant because it rejected the UK's approach as ''colonialist and threatening.''
  At a White House meeting earlier this year celebrating courageous foreign journalists ABC's intrepid Jake Tapper asked Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary, why the U.S. did the reverse at home. ''How, he asked, ''does that square with the fact that this administration has been so aggressively trying to stop aggressive journalism in the U.S. by using the Espionage Act to take whistleblowers to court?'' The Obama administration has brought more criminal cases for alleged leaking than all other presidential administrations combined. Tapper could just as well have asked too why this administration and its echo chamber seem obsessed with Assange, the digital rebel Assange. Tapper added: You want aggressive journalism abroad; you just don't want it in the United States.''
  Happily, the Times decided to run a pro-Assange Op Ed the very next day, a rather rare instance of trying to balance Op Ed writers' views with a counter Op Ed. Written by leftists Michael Moore and Oliver Stone, it contends that if the U.S. chooses to prosecute a non-American journalist where none of his dealings occurred on U.S. territory, then '' the governments of Russia and China could, by the same logic, demand that foreign reporters anywhere on earth be extradited for violating their laws.''
  Julian Assange has been and remains an American fixation as it works hard behind the scenes to have him shipped someday to Washington to stand trial for posting secret documents. If found guilty he could face a possible life and perhaps even a death sentence while top level actors in Washington's recent administrations have been forgiven for their lies, torture, killings and eternal wars. That's a question courageous Times reporters should also be digging into.
  Murray Polner co-authored with Thomas Woods Jr., We Who Dared To Say No To War (Basic Books)
  By admin
Yes, Gary Johnson is still running for president
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Blog
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:44
  I, for one, will never understand the appeal of a third-party vote in a two-party system. I can appreciate one's disapproval of the two major parties. I can understand how voting GOP or Democratic might just seem like picking the lesser of two evils. I get that. I feel your frustration.
  That said, I don't understand why voting for a Gary Johnson-type would be a better move than choosing one of the two candidates who most closely resembles my priorities. I mean, let's face it '-- Gary Johnson has no chance of winning the presidency. And he didn't seem to mind being a Republican'... that is, until he lost the primary bid.
  So why on earth would I vote him now, given all that's at stake in this election? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
  Here's the latest from the Johnson campaign '-- the beginning of which looks more like an ad for adult diapers:
How To Retire From Politics
  Link to Article
  Source: Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA)
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:26
  You're a Senator or a member of the House of Representatives and for whatever reason, you've decided it's time to go.
  Great ways to leave Congress:
  1) Some sort of disease
  This one's hard to top, particularly if you've managed to stay in office for ten, twenty, or thirty years and in that time, have developed a reputation as an effective servant of the people and a reliable advocate for the disenfranchised. Because although it's inevitable that you will have made some bad decisions and some enemies during your time in office, anybody who chooses to bring that up before your first posthumous biography is published will look like a total dick.
  Dying from something that's inoperable sucks, no question. But there's definitely a silver lining.
  2) Cash out and burn the bridge behind you
  You spend your penultimate year in office researching and writing up a master list of every source of grift, graft, and grease that a member of Congress can legally pursue. It's a long list. Let's just say you keep your attorneys researching what you can absolutely get away with, and then you cut the list off after a year. You then spend your final year sticking your hands as deep into the till as you can get them. As a member of Congress, your sources of legal graft are similarly endless, but again, if you don't set a firm deadline for the project you'll never finish it.
  When the year's up and you're fifty times wealthier than Scrooge McDuck, you call a press conference. Have a staffer leak that you intend to spend more time with your family. Better, but riskier: leak that you've contracted something inoperable. At the press conference, curtains part to reveal you sitting naked in a huge claw-footed bathtub filled with money, on a thick platform. You are wearing a tall, bejeweled crown and an enormous gold medallion. ''Not only is it impossible to prosecute me for any of this,'' you laugh, after explaining where the money came from, ''but now I'm so goddamn rich that I've placed myself far beyond the reach of any earthly justice. So long, losers!!!''
  You and the tub and the platform roll away. During your stately loop of the press room before rumbling out into the street, cameras note that the steam engine propelling the tub is being fed by a formally-attired butler, who shovels stack after stack of hundred dollar bills into it.
  You'll leave office with a huge pile of money. And a jaded populace will say ''At least that one was completely honest about why he got into politics.'' You will be able to parlay this grudging but sincere respect into a successful local chain of Rich Bastard Congressman Steak And Ribs restaurants.
  3) The Bucket List
  Freedom's just another word for ''I'm not running for reelection.'' Spend the remaining few years of your term making fun of the Distinguished Senator's obvious comb-over. When you're on one of the Sunday morning news programs, amiably inform someone that they're completely full of crap when they are, in fact, completely full of crap. Introduce one-page bills that say ''All sick children should receive medical treatment,'' almost solely to make other Senators and Congresspeople squirm when they explain why they aren't supporting it.
  ''No, I voted against federal bailout funds for our 73-year-old roller skate factory,'' you could tell your constituents, during a Town Hall meeting. ''When was the last time you even saw a kid wearing one of these metal skates clamped onto their street shoes? It's a mercy killing. Secondly, the owners have run this damn thing so deep into the ground that I wonder if the plan was to have it re-emerge in China. But that couldn't be the case, because that would mean they were sharp enough businesspeople to realize how much cheaper these products would be to manufacture over there.
  ''Oh, and before I take your next question: let me tell you all how much extra the average American is willing to pay for a product just because it has a 'Made In The USA' sticker on the box'...'' And here you hold the microphone against your butt and punctuate your point in a dramatic and unequivocal fashion.
  Say ridiculous things like ''Sorry: we can't guarantee you that the chance of being killed by terrorists will ever be zero. You'll have to be satisfied with jillion-to-one odds.'' And ''Christ almighty! I'm your Congressperson, not your Dad. So long as I'm doing my job well, why should you even care that I cheated on my wife two years ago?'' Or ''All of these big flags in such a small space makes me uncomfortable. Doesn't this room remind you a little of the opening ceremonies of the Berlin Olympics?''
  (After a few weeks of this, you might be tempted to hire Aaron Sorkin to write some of your speeches and most of your off-the-cuff remarks. Resist that urge. Nobody will believe that an actual person would ever say any of those things under any circumstances. If you absolutely must pursue this idea, make sure that you budget and staff the project accordingly. Your regular Starbucks guy will definitely not provide you with the perfect casual setup for a two-minute monologue linking America's lack of involvement in the Syrian crisis with Reagan-era deficit spending. You're definitely going to need to put your own guy behind the counter.)
  In the end, you'll be the first lawmaker to read the opening three pages of ''Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas'' into the Congressional Record while wearing full scuba gear. Which is definitely worth something. As is pointing out that everybody involved in every level of the political process is somehow culpable for its problems.
  4) The Yoda Exit
  Hard to pull off, but worth the effort. Step One: get elected to the House or Senate. Step Two: Repeat Step One seven to twelve times without losing an election or dying. Step Three: be one of those members of Congress who can pretty much do whatever they want because they're 90 years old and kind of adorable and yes, you rarely say anything that makes any sense but everyone figures that Death has been circling your building for the past three years looking for a place to park, so why be the person who works hard to get an adorable tiny old guy out of a job?
  Three days after a Congressional page notices the change in the smell from your office, lots of people will line up to say nice things about you. They won't even bother mentioning the fact that the last time you actually appeared on the Senate floor was four years ago, and even then all you did was complain about how ''the TV clickers are much more complicated than they used to be.''
  5) Ex-Congressperson With Benefits
  Remember, you can't collect unemployment insurance if you voluntarily quit. You need to do something to get yourself fired. And that's no easy feat when you're working as a Congressman. Almost anything that would get you fired from Walmart is perfectly aboveboard (see Suggestion One).
  Furthermore, the populace has such low expectations from our elected officials these days that we just can't whack up the motivation to put together the tar, feathers, and a rail necessary to run a Senator out of town. If you were to drop your pants at a state fair and violate a butter sculpture of a goat, we'd still patiently wait for you to play the ''My lovely daughter Joycelyn needs some dental work and I've chosen to resign my seat so that I can properly focus on my family during this difficult medical crisis'' card.
  No, you really have to throw your shoulder into it. Don't go halfway. Claim that if a so-called ''rape'' victim is impregnated by her ''attacker,'' then it almost certainly wasn't really rape because women's bodies don't work that way. And that even in those freakishly-rare cases when the ''victim'' isn't lying, she should carry the fertilized egg to term anyway.
  That'll do it for sure. Have your driver take you right from your Congressional offices to the Unemployment Office and then begin your cozy new lifestyle of sitting on your sofa, rockin' the Playstation and waiting for that next sweet check to come in. Ka-CHING!
  So I can only offer my congratulations to Congressman Akin, and my sympathies to anybody who encounters ''JerkJiggler696969'" in ''Call Of Duty: Black Ops.'' The man is about to finally secure the free time he needs to become one seriously dangerous mofo.
  For the rest of us, let's take a step back and recap what's happened. A deeply stupid man in a position of great power and influence over the lives of all Americans demonstrates his codswalloping ignorance and idiocy. ''This man should be run out of office,'' you think. ''He should never, ever be allowed anywhere near the dashboard of democracy. He's such a complete moron that he shouldn't even be allowed to stand behind a commercial deep-fryer while wearing a paper 'Trainee' hat.''
  And then it turns out that the entire world agrees with you. Nobody, but nobody, is supporting him or giving him cover. Even his own political party is damn-near demanding that he drop out of politics. The lone voice of GOP support of any kind comes from a Republican congressman who has offered the use of his Dad's Chevy van on the day he needs to clear out his Congressional office.
  More than that: it's not even sufficient for lawmakers to respectfully decline comment. Politicians of all sides are lining up in front of cameras and microphones to publicly underscore the fact that as deeply divisive and ideological modern politics has become, as desperate as both parties are to appeal to every last dark, crusty corner of their respective voting base, there is in fact a line that no politician dares to cross, and a calibre of stupidity that mustn't be tolerated.
  You know what? I worry that any minute now, Woody Allen is going to look into the camera and say ''Boy, if only real life were like this!''
Porn Shutdown Over Syphilis Outbreak Confirmed (UPDATED)
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:37
  A cluster of syphilis diagnoses threatens to temporarily shut down the porn industry in Southern California.
  Adult Production Health " Safety Services, a resource for actors in the adult film industry, first sounded the alarm Thursday in a blog post about "recent unsubstantiated rumors of a syphilis incident among adult performers." Because of the rumors, APHSS opened up their semi-annual syphilis testing immediately instead holding off until the original September date.
  The Los Angeles County Public Health Department confirmed the small cluster of positive syphilis tests to the Los Angeles Times the next day. Peter Kerndt, director of the county's Sexually Transmitted Disease programs, told the Times that the department had received at least five cases in the last week, and are working to pinpoint the original source.
  CLICK HERE OR SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES.
  ''Whenever there is a cluster like that it may be the tip of the iceberg,'' Kerndt said to the Times. ''It is a concern. It is a serious health risk to workers in this industry.''
  APHSS has since called for a temporary moratorium on adult film production until all performers get tested for syphilis, and the non-profit AIDS Healthcare Foundation is also expected to hold a news conference Monday morning in response to the possible outbreak. The organization is expected to say that the current system of frequent testing and self-policing doesn't do enough to prevent STD outbreaks, reports ABC-7.
  AHF is an advocacy group known for leading the charge to collect 371,000 signatures for a ballot measure mandating condom use in porn films. Come November, LA county voters will decide whether or not film permits should be tied to the use of condoms during sex scenes.
  Statewide among the general population, syphilis rates are on the rise, according to a report from the California Department of Public Health. Syphilis infection rates jumped by 18 percent from 2010 to 2011, and there was also a five percent increase in chlamydia and 1.5 percent increase in gonorrhea cases.
  Syphilis is a bacterial STD that initially manifests itself in sores or sometimes presents no symptoms. If the infection isn't treated immediately, people who have syphilis can go on to suffer rashes and lesions, hair loss and flu-like symptoms like muscle aches, fevers, sore throats and fatigue. Without treatment, syphilis could last for years and go on to damage internal organs and cause stillbirths. If caught early, the infection is easily treated with antibiotics such as penicillin.
  The best way to prevent contracting syphilis is to refrain from having sex with an infected person. Condoms can decrease the risk, but only if the affected areas are covered by the latex, according to the Centers for Disease Control " Prevention.
  UPDATE: At least one performer has tested positive for syphilis, said Joanne Cachapero, a spokeswoman for the Free Speech Coalition. The person's sexual partners are all being notified, reports the Associated Press.
  Because of the possible outbreak, FSC has released a statement calling for a temporary moratorium on all adult film production. It's not clear how long the moratorium will be, especially considering that syphilis has a long incubation period and tests can't determine whether or not someone is contagious.
  FSC explains the syphilis tests in more detail:
  A negative test does NOT mean the performer is approved to work. It is important to note that this test has a large window period -- as much as 90 days -- and therefore cannot be relied upon to diagnose an acute (recent) syphilis infection. More importantly, a person with an acute infection can be contagious and still test negative. We cannot rely on these tests alone to determine a performer's availability to work. This test only provides our doctors a baseline from which to base further testing or treatment options. Because of the uncertainty surrounding syphilis testing, FSC is calling for all adult film workers to come forward and receive a prophylactic shot of antibiotics. Once the shot is administered, the performers can return to work in 10 days.
  The AIDS Healthcare Foundation emphasized the same need for a pause in production in a press conference earlier Monday.
  Mark McGrath of AHF brought up the possibility that the infection came from European porn shoots, reports KTLA.
  "There's strong evidence to indicate that syphilis has started in Europe from European shoots and now has come over to the United States, exposing our community, exposing our citizens," said McGrath.
  The film production moratorium won't affect LA-based Vivid Entertainment immediately. "Our next production is scheduled for mid-September," said founder and CEO Steven Hirsch to the Huffington Post. "We'll make a decision based on events at that time."
  This isn't the first time that the porn industry in Southern California has undergone self-administered moratoriums. AP has more on porn's previous public health scares:
  In 2011, major porn producers stopped filming for nearly a week after an adult film performer tested positive for HIV, which causes AIDS. The Free Speech Coalition said the case was later determined to have been a false report.In late 2010, porn actor Derrick Burts was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and his case was confirmed, briefly halting production.
  In 2004, at least five performers tested positive for HIV, prompting another brief self-imposed moratorium.
  Also on HuffPost:
  ";var coords = [-5, -72];// display fb-bubbleFloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'});});
Als de mensen maar 'echt' zijn, dt vindt RTL belangrijk - Nieuws
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:35
  Door: Thijs van Soest ''21/08/12, 18:54
  (C) RTL. Mannen van een zekere leeftijd, binnenkort bij RTL4, met echte mannen over 'echte' problemen
  Nieuw op TVKippenvel willen we voelen, zowel van verdriet als van vreugde. Het team dat verantwoordelijk is voor de televisieprogrammering van de vier Nederlandse RTL-zenders zegt, bij monde van contentdirecteur Matthias Scholten, met de nieuwe programmering vooral h­ervoor te willen gaan zorgen. Het nieuwe seizoen begint deze vrijdag met The Voice 3, maar heeft naast de bekende programma's, ook ruimte voor wat nieuws. Als het maar wel authentiek is.
  (C) ANP.
  John van den Heuvel
  Scholten zei vanmiddag bij het begin van de perspresentatie van het tv-najaar dat 'de programma's die we maken recht in het hart van de mensen terecht moeten komen'. En dat RTL het qua kijkcijfers en winstcijfers het al jaren goed doet, maakt het team naar eigen zeggen zenuwachtig noch gemakzuchtig. Er wordt dus volop ingezet op de bestaande successen, maar ook vernieuwd, al zit het hem dit jaar in enkele nieuwe formats en wat kleine formatwijzigingen bij programma's als So You Think You Can Dance en Expeditie Robinson.
  Mannen van een zekere leeftijdBij het vlaggenschip RTL 4 vallen vier nieuwe programma's op. Een nieuwe dramaserie van de makers van Gooische Vrouwen 'Divorce', de jacht op ontvoerders van kinderen in het buitenland in 'Ontvoerd', portretten van de bewoners van het woonwagenkamp in 'Gypsy Girls' en op vrijdagavonden 'Mannen van een zekere leeftijd'. In het laatste programma gaan 'iets te vlotte mannen van rond de 50' met elkaar in gesprek over typische mannenzaken, maar vooral het verval dat toch echt rond het vijftigste levensjaar onontkoombaar inzet. Joep van Deudekom, Gijs van Scholten Aschat, Viggo Waas, Peter Heerschop en andere bekende mannen in een praatgroep: het levert eerlijke en soms ontluisterend echte tv op.
  OntroeringOok echt, maar schrijnend, is het leed dat John van den Heuvel bestrijdt in Ontvoerd. Hierin gaat de verslaggever op zoek naar ontvoerde kinderen. Jaarlijks vinden er in Nederland bijna 200 gevallen van internationale kinderontvoering plaats, waarbij een van de ouders ondanks een uitspraak van de rechter een kind meeneemt naar het buitenland. Van den Heuvel spoort ze op en probeert het kind door middel van bemiddeling op een legale manier terug te krijgen. 'het zijn geen eenvoudige reisjes', erkent Van den Heuvel. 'Maar eervol om te doen; iedere ouder kan zich voorstellen hoe het is om gescheiden te worden van je kind.' De eerste beelden die vanmiddag werden vertoond van een hereniging tussen zoon en vader zorgden voor veel tranen in de met pers en RTL-sterren gevulde zaal. Dat was overigens ook het geval bij een fragment uit Love is in the Air, een spin-off van All You Need is Love, waarbij Robert ten Brink families in het verre buitenland herenigt. Vanaf 5 september op de woensdagavond.
  WoonwagenkampIn Gypsy Girls vinden we - na Bauers Zigeunernacht op Nederland 1 - opnieuw de wereld van woonwagenkampen terug op de Nederlandse tv. RTL4 volgt elke donderdagavond de 'openhartige bewoners' van zes zigeunerkampen. Ze laten zien hoe ze nu (C)cht leven binnen hun zeer hechte gemeente. Co-producente Antje Monteiro (musicalactrice en oud-presentatrice van Het Gevoel Van) bedacht het programma en bracht haar jeugd zelf ook door op zo'n kamp. 'Ik merk dat er zoveel onwetendheid en daarmee ook onbegrip is ten aanzien van mijn volk, dat ik de behoefte voelde om een tegengeluid te geven.'
  Linda de MolMet Divorce hoopt Linda de Mol een opvolger van het gestopte Gooische Vrouwen in huis te hebben. Ditmaal staat het leven centraal van drie net gescheiden mannen, onder meer gespeeld door Waldemar Torenstra en Dirk Zeelenberg. De Mol bedacht en produceert de serie, maar speelt er zelf ook een kleine rol in. De startdatum van deze nieuwe Nederlandse serie is nog niet bekend, maar zal ergens dit najaar beginnen.
  RTL-programmadirecteur Erland Galjaard denkt zo de slag met SBS - dat vanaf dit seizoen op volle oorlogssterkte terugkeert - opnieuw te kunnen winnen: 'De truc is om met vernieuwing binnen het vertrouwde menu steeds weer een stap te zetten. Soms binnen een bestaand format, maar soms ook met een nieuw programma. Ik verwacht heel veel van Divorce, maar ook van Ontvoerd. Dat is echt een van de meest spraakmakende programma's van komend seizoen, met een ijzersterke John van den Heuvel.'
  Morgen op Volkskrant.nl een interview met Erland Galjaard. Wat vindt hij van de aangekondigde nieuwe tv-programma's van de concurrentie?
  En binnenkort op deze site: de programma's van de overige RTL-zenders
  Lees hier meer over The Voice, waarvan het derde seizoen vrijdag begint en vandaag aan de pers werd gepresenteerd.
dienen media de banken? (video)
  Link to Article
  Source: Niburu :: Onthullend en Bewustmakend Nieuws!
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:28
  Wanneer ze worden benaderd voor een baan zouden journalisten op hun hoede moeten zijn. Vandaag de dag blijkt geld echter vaak belangrijker dan ethiek.
  De grote Amerikaanse publieke radio-omroep National Public Radio (NPR) werd oorspronkelijk gefinancierd door de overheid en luisteraars, maar sinds kort worden vooral de namen van andere weldoeners genoemd.
  Het blijkt dat de banken en corporaties die NPR financieren invloed hebben op de inhoud van de programma's. Bovendien is duidelijk geworden dat bepaalde programma's voor de volle 100 procent worden gefinancierd door (C)(C)n bedrijf dat al dan niet zeggenschap heeft over de inhoud van de programma's.
  Zo heeft het radioprogramma Planet Money nauwere banden met (C)(C)n van haar sponsors dan menig luisteraar zich realiseert. Mark Ames en Yasha Levine van website S.H.A.M.E. en Foster Kamer van de New York Observer delen hun bevindingen. Hebben we nog zoiets als vrije journalistiek of zijn de grote media spreekbuizen geworden van de industrie?
  Bron: YouTube/RTAmerica
  Gerelateerd:
  (C) Copyright (c) Niburu.nl
  Deel dit artikel:
No-Needle Vaccination Tech Seen Bringing Biodefense Benefits | Global Security Newswire
  Link to Article
  Source: Global Security Newswire Daily News
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:27
  An emerging line of vaccination delivery mechanisms that do not use needles could offer advantages in responding to a possible intentional release of disease material, NBC News reported on Monday.
  The systems -- now under development at various public, business and academic institutions -- could eventually offer a means of distributing treatments by postal delivery, according to NBC. They might retain their potency at room temperature, potentially making them less expensive and complicated to give out than the majority of conventional vaccinations.
  ''The early studies they have that are published give us an indication that it might result in a better response in a shorter amount of time than some of the current vaccines,'' said Martin Crumrine, a biological defense expert with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
  ''It's much easier to give a tablet or two than it is to assemble people to give them injections,'' Crumrine added.
  The California-based biotechnology firm PaxVax is pursuing a pill-based alternative to the existing anthrax vaccination, which must be administered through five shots.
Comedians Get Malarious On World Mosquito Day
  Link to Article
  Source: Look To The Stars News: Latest
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:26
  Ground-breaking comedy website CollegeHumor.com and innovative charity Malaria No More have teamed up to launch Malarious this World Mosquito Day.
  Malarious is a collection of twenty-four comedy videos featuring celebrity actors and comedians to help raise money for the fight against malaria. By giving a minimum contribution of one dollar to help Malaria No More save lives, anyone can view all of the Malarious shorts, which will live exclusively at CollegeHumor.com/Malarious.
  Filmed throughout the summer in New York City and Los Angeles, Malarious features more than thirty celebrities in outrageous and hysterical minute-long videos to benefit Malaria No More, the charity that seeks to end deaths from the mosquito-borne disease. Malarious marks the first time CollegeHumor.com has produced a series of original pay-to-view content for charity, making it possible for viewers to watch and enjoy funny videos on the internet, while at the same time providing an opportunity to treat a child for malaria.
  The celebrities featured in the Malarious shorts include past Malaria No More supporters David Arquette, Elizabeth Banks, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci of Garfunkel and Oates, Rachael Harris, Ed Helms, Ellie Kemper, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer and Scott Wolf, along with new supporters Rhys Darby, Brooklyn Decker, Gilbert Gottfried, Tony Hale, Takeru Kobayashi, Josh Lawson, Nick Offerman, Penn " Teller, Aubrey Plaza, Ben Schwartz, Kenan Thompson, Reggie Watts, Joss Whedon, Allison Williams, Rainn Wilson, Josh Wolf and Weird Al Yankovic, plus additional appearances by Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Thomas Middleditch, Chris Pratt and Adam Scott.
  ''Malarious is quite simply one of the coolest things we've ever done. It sits at the intersection of talent, production, and technology'--three things CollegeHumor is already great at'--and adds charity, something we've never done before,'' says Sam Reich, President of Original Content at CollegeHumor Media. ''Malaria No More has been a great partner, and it's moving to see so many stars come out to do crazy things for this cause. On one hand, this is a very modern experiment, but on the other, it has the nostalgic feel of a high school talent show.''
  Every minute, a child dies from malaria, but it can be stopped. For a minimum contribution of just one dollar, users can see celebrities performing in ridiculous sketches'--getting pied in the face, attempting to swallow a sword, reciting slam poetry and more'--and every contribution will help treat a child for malaria. Anyone can have a laugh and help save lives at www.collegehumor.com/malarious.
  ''Our organization has played in the comedy space before, but never with the simple one-to-one ratio of Malarious,'' says Dr. David Bowen, CEO of Malaria No More. ''With ease and a little pocket change, viewers can watch their favorite celebrities and save a life in the matter of one minute. It doesn't get much better than that.''
  For more information, and to contribute and watch the Malarious videos, visit www.collegehumor.com/malarious. Follow Malarious on Twitter at @CollegeHumor and @MalariaNoMore, #malarious.
No Agenda Mailing List Signup Here Dvorak News Blog
  Link to Article
  Source: Twitter / THErealDVORAK
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:26
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Osprey Aeromechanics and Pilot Error
  Link to Article
  Source: Defense Tech
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:23
  Bryant Jordan at our sister blog DoD Buzz wrote about the Headquarters Marine Corps' explanantion behind what happened last April when an MV-22 crashed during an exercise in Morocco that killed two crewmembers. Here's an excerpt from Bryant's post:
  The accident occurred as the Osprey was taking off, turning to avoid a busy landing field even as it was rotating its proprotors to transition from helicopter mode to fixed wing.
  As it did that, the center of gravity moved forward '' pointing the Osprey's nose down '' and a strong tailwind pushed the plane forward and downward. The co-pilot, he said, failed to adjust the nacelles during the turn to overcome the effects of the nose-down altitude.
  ''The aircraft is now committed and it flies into the ground,'' said Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Robert E. Schmidle Jr., deputy commandant for Marine Corps Aviation. The Osprey only reached an altitude of about 50 feet above the ground before it crashed, killing two Marine aircrew members, Cpls. Robby A. Reyes and Derek A. Kerns.
  Had the pilots kept the aircraft in helicopter mode until they had gained speed and altitude, the accident probably would not have happened, Schmidle said.
  Longtime DT readers may remember a post back in 2006 where I predicted there would be six Class A V-22 mishaps within the first three years of fleet introduction. Among my itemized flight scenario predictions was this:
  The test pilots (both active duty and civilian) did amazing work during the High Rate of Descent (HROD) phase of developmental test at NAS Patuxent River back in 2002 and 2003. They validated the V-22's vortex ring state (VRS) envelope. (DT readers will remember that VRS was what caused an Osprey to crash near Marana, Arizona back in 2000, killing 19 Marines.) Improvements have been made in the vertical speed displays and aural warning systems. But the fact remains that '-- while there are no ''unknown unknowns'' about VRS and that there is a buffer between the operational rate of descent limit of 800 feet per minute and where VRS occurs '-- the rate at which the V-22 develops a high rate of descent is unique to the V-22. Basically, the crew has to hawk the VSI gauge constantly during a descent. A moment's inattention can result in the vertical speed getting out of hand. (The test pilots actually had an inadvertant VRS entry during HROD testing because they got distracted for a second.) So imagine junior pilots during high op-tempo periods (deployed) at night, on goggles, and operating with not enough sleep (never happens if you follow NATOPS, right?) Yes, this is a training issue in that crews can be taught to watch the VSI readout on the display, but in spite of the comprehensive understanding Osprey crews have of the phenomenon (thanks to the Developmental Test Team at Pax River), somebody's going to be tired and distracted (and maybe under fire) and will enter VRS close to the ground. The outcome won't be good.
  And in the case of this Morocco crash the outcome wasn't good. Doubtful VRS was the issue, but vertical speed obviously was.
  The comments with Bryant's post vividly show the two camps most interested parties fall into: Those who believe that pilot error will always be part of the equation as long as humans are in the loop, and those who believe the V-22 is inherently flawed because of its design, etc.
  No airplane is crash-proof. If a pilot wants to fly a JSF into the ground he can. Even drones crash on occasion. But sometimes airplanes have aeromechanic tendencies that make them crash''prone. (Along with having worked in the V-22 Joint Program Office for three years as the spokesman, I have 2,800 hours as a Tomcat RIO; talk to me about inducing yaw rates at high angles of attack with that airplane.)
  The V-22's operational mishap rate would suggest the airplane is NOT crash-prone. However, certainly relative to conventional rotary wing aircraft, the Osprey has '-- literally '-- more moving parts, and that can bite a pilot when operating near the ground. As Gen. Schmidle said, had this co-pilot done everything but program the nacelles forward at that time he probably wouldn't have hit the ground.
  A couple of flight adages come to mind:
  There are no new mishaps; just new pilots causing the same old mishaps.You can only tie the record for low flight.'' Ward Carroll is the editor of Military'‹.com. During his 20-year Navy career Ward served in four different F-14 squadrons. After his retirement from the Navy, he served as the the public affairs officer for the V-22 Osprey program at the Naval Air Systems Command.
  August 21st, 2012 | Grand Ole Osprey | 1 Comment
Fewer circumcisions could cost the US billions: study
  Link to Article
  Source: bertb news feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:20
  AFP - As debate rages over the ethics of infant circumcision, a study published Monday said falling rates of the once-routine procedure in the United States could cost billions of dollars in health costs.
  "We find that each circumcision not performed will lead to $313 of increased expenditures over that lifetime," said senior investigator Aaron Tobian, of the Johns Hopkins University team that did the study.
  The number pits health care costs if the boy is circumcised -- about $291 for the procedure -- against the projected cost of treating infections or cancers that studies have shown are more likely if he is not.
  In all, the nearly 25 percent drop in circumcisions since the 1980s could run up a tab of about $2 billion in health care costs, the study found.
  And if US circumcision rates were to drop as low as one in 10, the average across Europe, the research team estimated the associated rise in medical expenses would total $4.4 billion over the lifetimes of a decade of babies.
  Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, about 79 percent of all baby boys were circumcised in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
  But in 2010, that number dropped to just below 55 percent.
  The decrease comes amid an outcry from so-called "intactivists" who argue that circumcision is an unnecessary mutilation of baby boys who have no ability to consent.
  And circumcisions may become even more rare as a number of states stop covering the procedure in their Medicaid programs -- the public health insurance programs for low income Americans.
  Most recently, Colorado and South Carolina joined 16 other states that decline to fund infant circumcision.
  In a memo announcing the change in December 2010, South Carolina said it was part of a package to save money, adding that "medically-necessary circumcisions" will still be covered with prior approval.
  In California, where the Medicaid program has declined to pay for circumcisions for more than a decade, activists recently tried to get a measure on November's election ballot that would ban circumcision entirely -- a move blocked by the state's governor, with a law outlawing the ban.
  But Tobian said that science indicates all circumcisions are medically "very beneficial and valuable."
  "If there were a vaccine to prevent HIV acquisition, genital herpes, HPV, penile and cervical cancer, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis, the medical community would rally behind this intervention as a game-changing tool to reduce sexually transmitted infections."
  And that is just what circumcision, a procedure to remove the foreskin, does, according to three randomized trials, "the gold standard of medical evidence," he maintained.
  Critics argue circumcision is medically invasive and less effective than safe sex practices, such as using condoms, at reducing sexually transmitted infections.
  Tobian agreed that condoms are highly effective, but contended they are not used enough.
  "In the United States, we've had three decades of safe sex education, but just last year, there were 19 million new sexually transmitted infections that cost our health care system $17 billion."
  He could not say whether Europe, with its long-standing lower rates of male circumcision, has a correspondingly higher rate of the sexually-transmitted infections and their associated medical costs.
  It is too difficult a comparison because "we have very different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds and different transmission dynamics," he said.
  He also took issue with opponents who argue the procedure is a form of genital mutilation.
  He cited a study in Kenya that asked men who were circumcised as adults to compare their sexual satisfaction before and after the procedure. More than half said they noticed "increased penile sensation and enhanced ease of reaching an orgasm with a circumcision."
  Tobian and his team urge all state Medicaid programs and private insurers to cover male circumcision. They also suggest that the American Academy of Pediatrics should include a recommendation that all infant boys be circumcised.
  The World Health Organization has recommended male circumcision as an "efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence," according to its website.
  The study was published Monday in the "Archives of Pediatrics " Adolescent Medicine."
New insight on Mars expected from new NASA mission
  Link to Article
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:19
  This artist's rendition illustrates the formation of rocky bodies in the solar system - how they form and differentiate and evolve into terrestrial planets. Image credit: JPL/NASA-Caltech
  (Phys.org) -- On Aug. 20, NASA announced the selection of InSight, a new Discovery-class mission that will probe Mars at new depths by looking into the deep interior of Mars.
  "We are certainly excited, but our veterans on this team know the drill," said Tom Hoffman, project manager for InSight from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Which is fortunate, because one of the great things we'll get to do on Mars is drill below the surface."
  Drilling underneath the red Martian topsoil will be courtesy of InSight's HP3, or Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package - one of the four instruments the Mars lander will carry. Made by the German Aerospace Center, or DLR, HP3 will get below Mars' skin by literally pounding it into submission with a 14-inch (35-centimeter), hollowed-out, electromechanically-festooned stake called the Tractor Mole.
  "The Tractor Mole has an internal hammer that rises and falls, moving the stake down in the soil and dragging a tether along behind it," said Sue Smrekar, deputy project scientist for InSight from JPL. "We're essentially doing the same thing any Boy or Girl Scout would do on a campout, but we're putting our stake down on Mars."
  The German-built mole will descend up to 16 feet (five meters) below the surface, where its temperature sensors will record how much heat is coming from Mars' interior, which reveals the planet's thermal history.
  "Getting well below the surface gets us away from the sun's influence and allows us to measure heat coming from the interior," said Smrekar. "InSight is going take heartbeat and vital signs of the Red Planet for an entire Martian year, two Earth years. We are really going to have an opportunity to understand the processes that control the early planetary formation."
  InSight stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. The mission is led by W. Bruce Banerdt of JPL. InSight's science team includes U.S. and international co-investigators from universities, industry and government agencies. Along with DLR, the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, or CNES, is also contributing an instrument to the two-year scientific mission.
  InSight builds on spacecraft technology used in NASA's highly successful Phoenix lander mission, which was launched to the Red Planet in 2007 and determined that water ice exists near the surface in the Martian polar regions.
  Along with providing an onboard geodetic instrument to determine the planet's rotation axis, plus a robotic arm and two cameras used to deploy and monitor instruments on the Martian surface, JPL performs project management for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Discovery Program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver will build the spacecraft. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
  Provided byNASA
Jay Leno Snipes at Comcast Over 'Tonight Show' Cutbacks
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT "gt; Most Recent Headlines
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:17
  On Friday, the NBC network, part of Comcast, imposed budget cuts at ''The Tonight Show,'' which included layoffs of between 20 and 25 staff members. The host, Jay Leno, took a pay cut, according to a person with direct knowledge of the cuts, in order to limit the number of layoffs. On Monday, Mr. Leno joined the long line of late-night hosts who use the monologue to take aim at the boss: ''As you may have heard, our parent company has downsized 'The Tonight Show.' And we've consistently been No. 1 in the ratings. And if you know anything about our network, that kind of thing is frowned upon.''
  Earlier
http://dailycaller.com/2012/08/17/who-does-the-government-intend-to-shoot/
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:06
  By Major General Jerry Curry, USA (Ret.)
  The Social Security Administration (SSA) confirms that it is purchasing 174 thousand rounds of hollow point bullets to be delivered to 41 locations in major cities across the U.S. No one has yet said what the purpose of these purchases is, though we are led to believe that they will be used only in an emergency to counteract and control civil unrest. Those against whom the hollow point bullets are to be used '-- those causing the civil unrest '-- must be American citizens; since the SSA has never been used overseas to help foreign countries maintain control of their citizens.
  What would be the target of these 174, 000 rounds of hollow point bullets? It can't simply be to control demonstrators or rioters. Hollow point bullets are so lethal that the Geneva Convention does not allow their use on the battle field in time of war. Hollow point bullets don't just stop or hurt people, they penetrate the body, spread out, fragment and cause maximum damage to the body's organs. Death often follows.
  Potentially each hollow nose bullet represents a dead American. If so, why would the U.S. government want the SSA to kill 174,000 of our citizens, even during a time of civil unrest? Or is the purpose to kill 174,000 of the nation's military and replace them with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) special security forces, forces loyal to the Administration, not to the Constitution?
  All my life I've handled firearms. When a young boy growing up on my father's farm in Pennsylvania Dad's first rule of firearms training was, ''Never point a gun at someone, in fun or otherwise, unless you intend to shoot them. If you shoot someone, shoot to kill.'' I've never forgotten his admonition. It stayed with me through my Boy Scout training, when I enlisted in the army as a Private to fight in the KoreaWar, during my days as a Ranger and Paratrooper and throughout my thirty-four year military career.
  If this were only a one time order of ammunition, it could easily be dismissed. But there is a pattern here. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has ordered 46,000 rounds of hollow point ammunition. Notice that all of these purchases are for the lethal hollow nose bullets. These bullets are not being purchased and stored for squirrel or coyote hunting. This is serious ammunition manufactured to be used for serious purposes.
  In the war in Iraq, our military forces expended approximately 70 million rounds per year. In March DHS ordered 750 million rounds of hollow point ammunition. It then turned around and ordered an additional 750 million rounds of miscellaneous bullets including some that are capable of penetrating walls. This is enough ammunition to empty five rounds into the body of every living American citizen. Is this something we and the Congress should be concerned about? What's the plan that requires so many dead Americans, even during times of civil unrest? Has Congress and the Administration vetted the plan in public.
  I fear that Congress won't take these ammunition purchases seriously until they are all led from Capitol Hill in handcuffs. Why buy all this ammunition unless you plan to use it. Unknown to Congress, Does DHS plan to declare war on some country? Shouldn't Congress hold hearings on why the Administration is stockpiling this ammunition all across the nation? How will it be used; what are the Administration's plans?
  Obama is a deadly serious, persistent man. Once he focuses on an object, he pursues it to the end. What is his focus here? All of these rounds of ammunition can only be used to kill American citizens, though there is enough ammunition being ordered to kill, in addition to every American citizen, also every Iranian, Syrian or Mexican. There is simply too much of it. And this much ammunition can't be just for training, there aren't that many weapons and ''shooters'' in the U.S. to fire it. Perhaps it is to be used to arm illegal immigrants?
  We have enough military forces to maintain law and order in the U.S. even during times of civil unrest.
  We have local police, backed up by each state's National Guard, backed up by the Department of Defense. So in addition to all these forces why does DHS need its own private army? Why do the SSA, NOAA and other government agencies need to create their own civilian security forces armed with hollow nose bullets?
  Were I the JCS, and if I wasn't already fully briefed on this matter, I'd stop the purchase of hollow point bullets, ask the secretary of Defense why all this ammunition is being purchased and spread around the country? If I got answers like the ones Congress got during the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious '' I'd start tracking all ammunition deliveries nationwide to find out what organizations and units are using them, for what purpose and, if it is not constitutional, prepare to counteract whatever it is that they are doing.
  This is a deadly serious business. I hope I'm wrong, but something smells rotten. And If the Congress isn't going to do its duty and investigate this matter fully, the military will have to protect the Constitution, the nation, and our citizens.
  Jerry Curry is a decorated combat veteran, Army Aviator, Paratrooper, and Ranger, who for nearly forty years has served his country both in the military and as a Presidential political appointee.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/08/m-will_obama_keep_power_by_any_means_necessary.html
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:01
  Let's go there: if Obama thinks he's losing, will he allow safe and fair elections on November 6? And if he does lose, will he peacefully turn over power to Mitt Romney on January 20, 2013? Or will he cling to power "by any means necessary," as a highly placed insider alleges?
  Now, I'm truly sorry to raise such disgusting, un-American, crazy-sounding questions, but, alas, they're not crazy, and I've got a disquieting amount of evidence. The Democrats have already accused Romney of murdering a woman with cancer, financial felonies, and not filing taxes for ten years -- the last charge delivered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the Senate floor, on the basis of absolutely no evidence whatsoever.
  By Democrat standards, I've got enough proof to put away Obama, et al. for life without parole.
  Whatever chicanery Obama and his investors may be contemplating, it will probably unfold against some gargantuan crisis, manufactured or otherwise. So cast your mind back to September 11, 2001, the day of the New York mayoral primary.
  In the chaos after the attacks, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who was term-limited from running, pleaded that his leadership was essential and that he should be granted an extra three months in office after his term ran out on January 1. Giuliani's unprecedented power-grab was rightfully scorned by his eventual successor, Michael Bloomberg. So what did Bloomberg do when he ran into term limits? He deployed his multi-billion-dollar fortune to manipulate the law and buy himself a quasi-legal third term, claiming that only he had the expertise to handle the 2008 financial crisis.
  My point? Politicians a great deal more conventional than Obama have loathed giving up power, and they have used crises and unethical machinations to try to keep it.
  Now, let's look at just some of the disturbing evidence that indicates that Obama and his investors are plotting something big:
  Super-High-Level Trial Balloons
  USA Todayreported that on September 27, 2011, Governor Beverly Perdue, Democrat of North Carolina, told a Rotary Club audience, "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two yearsand just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover[.] ... You want people who don't worry about the next election." When outrage greeted her suggestion, she retreated to the standard defense: she was just joking. What a kidder!
  Meanwhile, that same month, Peter Orszag, Obama's former director of the Office of Management and Budget, published an article in The New Republic titled "Too Much of A Good Thing: Why We Need Less Democracy." In it, he posited that the country was too polarized; hence, "radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic."
  Please note that these suggestions to suspend elections and radically reduce democratic control did not come from basement-dwelling bloggers. They came from the governor of the very state in which the Democrats are holding their national convention and from one of Obama's most prominent Cabinet members. Their close timing suggests that these ideas were circulating at the highest levels of the Democrat power elite.
  "Whom Does the Government Intend to Shoot?"
  That's the question recently posed by retired Major General Jerry Curry in the Daily Caller, in light of horrifying reports that the Social Security Administration is buying 174,000 rounds of hollow-point bullets for distribution to 41 locations in the U.S.
  According to Major General Curry, Social Security's ammo spree follows the purchase by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of 46,000 rounds of hollow-point ammunition. Will they be shooting fish in a barrel?
  Most terrifying of all, Major General Curry reports that the Department of Homeland Security ordered 750 million rounds of hollow-point ammunition in March, then subsequently ordered an additional 750 million rounds, including bullets capable of penetrating walls.
  "This is enough ammunition to empty five rounds into the body of every living American citizen," writes Major General Curry, who wonders what plan might require "so many dead Americans."
  I strongly suggest that you read Major General Curry's article for yourself, so you can appreciate the full horror of what he describes. After pointing out that Congress has done nothing to investigate these weapon purchases, Major General Curry, a 40-year veteran, concludes with these chilling words:
  This is a deadly serious business. I hope I'm wrong, but something smells rotten. And If the Congress isn't going to do its duty and investigate this matter fully, the military will have to protect the Constitution, the nation, and our citizens.
  900-plus Executive Orders
  Obama may not be fond of governing, but he certainly does enjoy issuing executive orders -- more than 900 so far. As American Thinker's Warren Beatty points out, these little-reported edicts reveal an all-too-predictable pattern: concentrating all national power and resources in Obama's hands, in case of "emergency."
  So far, Obama has granted himself the right to control all transportation, including highways, airports, seaports, and railroads, and all modes of communication, storage facilities, electrical power, gas, petroleum, fuels, and minerals.
  Not so coincidentally, he's also given himself the right to control you. Executive Orders 11002, 11000, and 11004, respectively, give government the right to register all persons, assign them to work brigades, and relocate them.
  Should you resist your work brigade assignment or relocation orders, rest assured that the U.S. government is now well supplied with bullets.
  Openly War-Gaming against American Citizens
  A recent issue of the well-respected Small Wars Journal featured an article titled "Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A 'Vision' of the Future." Written by retired Army Col. Kevin Benson of the Army's University of Foreign Military and Jennifer Weber, a Civil War expert, the article helpfully game-played, in full operational detail, how the Army would destroy a local Tea Party insurrection.
  The authors claim that should Tea Party rebels take over a City Hall, "Americans will expect the military to execute without pause and as professionally as if it were acting overseas"; therefore, "the Army cannot disappoint the American people, especially in such a moment."
  The brazenness of this scheme for the U.S. military to kill Americans created a small, temporary stir. The Washington Timeseditorialized, "This is a dark, pessimistic and wrongheaded view of what military leaders should spend their time studying." The Washington Times also noted:
  A professor at the Joint Forces Staff College was relieved of duty in June for uttering the heresy that the United States is at war with Islam. The Obama administration contended the professor had to be relieved because what he was teaching was not U.S. policy. Because there is no disclaimer attached to the Small Wars piece, it is fair to ask, at least in Col. Benson's case, whether his views reflect official policy regarding the use of U.S. military force against American citizens.
  Active Partnership with America's Foreign Enemies
  Many spectacles have enlivened presidential elections over the years, but 2012 marks the first time that high-level military personnel have felt compelled to publicly tell the president to stop leaking national security secrets.
  A group of former U.S. intelligence and Special Forces operatives created a 22-minute video, "Dishonorable Disclosures," to shame Obama into shutting up about priceless intelligence related to bin Laden's death, British-Saudi penetration of al-Qaeda, and the Israeli-American Stuxnet virus attack on Iran's nuclear program.
  Normally, presidents don't want to endanger American citizens and military personnel by leaking top-secret information -- but aiding and abetting the enemy is apparently all in a day's work for Obama.
  And so, if he wants to stir up trouble before the election, either at home or abroad, he'll have plenty of enemy partners to help. First, he's got the Russians, to whose president he was caught whispering on a hot mic about missile defense, "This is my last election[.] ... After my election, I have more flexibility."
  Second, Obama is this close to the Muslim Brotherhood, who are world-class experts on unleashing political violence. Obama helped the Muslim Brotherhood ascend to power in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Libya, and he's placed its operatives in the highest levels of the American government. Surely, such clever characters as Huma Abedin, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's deputy chief of staff, and Mohamed Elibiary, a Homeland Security Advisory committee member, can be trusted to think up some exciting turmoil to apply where needed.
  And finally, close to home, Obama can rely on the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico, whom he supplied with thousands of guns. Gratefully, they used their American taxpayer-funded AK-47s to wipe out rival drug gangs and to murder Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Attorney General Eric Holder is presently in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents on Operation Fast and Furious, and Obama ("President Transparency") has claimed executive privilege to withhold them.
  Sending hordes of expensively armed drug gang members across our border should be a snap, now that Obama has crippled our Border Patrol. Just think of all the headline-grabbing distractions these energetic young men can unleash!
  Active Partnership with Domestic Criminal Groups
  When Louis Farrakhan met Ahmadinejad: now there's a romance made in the bowels of hell. Toss in the head of the New Black Panthers and fifty radical imams, and you've got the "Beast Axis" that was forged in a Manhattan hotel on September 27, 2010, according to The Blaze.
  New Black Panther Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz boasted on Black Panther Radio thathe "stands on solid ideological ground" with "His Excellency, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," who understands "the dynamics and the politics of world revolution."
  Apparently, Obama approves of these antics, because his attorney general, Eric Holder, dropped charges against the New Black Panthers, even though they were caught on tape allegedly intimidating Philadelphia voters in the 2008 elections. Naturally, Holder's Department of Justice then lied about its actions, covering up its political motivations.
  Holder specifically protected King Samir Shabazz, who now serves as national field marshal for the New Black Panthers. Shabazz spearheads the Panthers' ambitious new plan to "create inner city militaries that would go into nurseries and kill white babies and murder white people in the street."
  Let's hope this "inner city military" is not what candidate Obama mysteriously referred to in 2008 when he pledged, "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security forcethat's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."
  Imagine, for one monstrous moment, the destructive potential of this burgeoning alliance between the Obama-protected New Black Panthers, Obama's old Chicago associate Louis Farrakhan, and the genocidally obsessed Ahmadinejad. If your blood didn't run cold, you weren't imagining hard enough.
  A Tsunami of Voter Fraud
  On June 15, 2012, Obama bypassed Congress and issued de facto amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. Suddenly, whole new vistas of voter fraud opened up to the Democrats. Admittedly, they've got to ramp up quickly for November, but this gang should prove up to the challenge.
  Helping matters along, Holder is busy suing states that require photo ID to vote and attempting to disenfranchise the military. Together, these well-coordinated efforts should provide Obama with the means to pull off staggering amounts of voter fraud.
  "By Any Means Necessary"
  If all else fails, Obama and his investors may be prepared to keep power "By Any Means Necessary." This information comes from an uncannily predictive website called The Ulsterman Report. Those who have followed its fascinating interviews over the last couple of years with two anonymous sources, Wall Street Insider and White House Insider, have seen its scoops confirmed again and again.
  Well over a year ahead of any other media, The Ulsterman Report was informing readers that Valerie Jarrett ran the White House and that Obama was strangely disengaged from the actual tasks of governing. It predicted the emergence of obscure figures -- Kamala D. Harris, who's now attorney general of California, and her brother-in-law, Tony West, the newly named acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice, who's being groomed as Holder's successor.
  Most crucially, shortly after the bin Laden operation, the Ulsterman Report revealed that Valerie Jarrett had canceled three previous bin Laden raids. That information now has been confirmed by Richard Miniter in his book, Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him.
  Recently, a source known as Military Insider (MI) met with Ulsterman (UM) at the urging of Wall Street Insider (WSI) to issue a warning. A section of their conversation follows below:
  MI: Approximately two years ago...not quite two years ago...I received information pertaining to an election contingency plan. For 2012. After the 2010 elections there were particular operatives...specific to the Obama administration and Democratic Party leadership...indicating an overwhelming need to secure a second term for President Obama. That document's title was...(pauses)
  WSI: He can be trusted - I give you my word. Please proceed.
  MI: That document's title was "By Any Means Necessary". It was unofficial - but we know it came directly from channels specific to the administration. We confirmed that.
  UM: What channels? Who are you talking about?
  MI: We believe it to have been authored by Mr. Sunstein. Reviewed and approved by Valerie Jarrett. Preparations for implementation are being done in part by Mr. Leo Gerard coordinating with...with high ranking officials within the Department of Justice, Homeland Security...and...the U.S. military.
  We could dismiss the anonymous Military Insider's warning as overheated, unsourced hysteria. Or we could examine it as one more piece of evidence to place alongside all the evidence I've described above.
  The greatest asset of Obama and his investors has been their warp-speed audacity. We're too stunned to believe what's happening in front of our eyes, and too embarrassed to mention it. Who wants to speak up and be ridiculed as an unhinged paranoid, marching with the tinfoil hat brigade?
  But our best bet -- perhaps our only bet -- is to frankly confront this ugly reality. As Iran prepares to go nuclear and the global economy teeters, any number of "national emergencies" can suddenly erupt, demanding unprecedented measures by Obama to "save" us. We must be prepared with skepticism, outrage, and defiance of any actions to deprive us of our Constitutional rights.
  America remains the last best hope on earth. And We the People must keep our power, by any means necessary.
  Write Stella Paul at stellapundit@aol.com.
Military Insider Interview Revisited By Other Media Sources
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:00
  Pleased to note the dire warnings of a figure with longstanding ties to the United States Military continue to reverberate throughout the alternative media. A fascinating and very well thought out article has been published in American Thinker this morning. It is well worth the read as it does excellent work of doing what many of you have provided this blog '' ''connecting the dots.''
  Please take a moment to read the American Thinker article, and then if you wish, go back and revisit that interview with Military Insider. And above all, continue to be vigilant, and providing the wealth of information and perspectives that has allowed myself and others to push the truth of the Obama agenda to an ever growing audience of patriots. We are quickly coming upon crunch time folks.
  WILL OBAMA KEEP POWER BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY?
  MILITARY INSIDER: President Obama '' ''By Any Means Necessary''
The Danger of Laughing at Todd Akin | The Nation
  Link to Article
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:40
  US Representative Todd Akin, R-MO (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
  The Twittersphere went nuts yesterday after a video was posted of Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin expressing some jaw-dropping views on rape and abortion in an interview with local news:
  ''First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,'' Akin told KTVI-TV in an interview Sunday. ''If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.''
  The short-term consequences of such an incendiary remark are predictable: Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill will trumpet the remark to her own political advantage, donations will spike to her campaign and the party committees will offer the remark as one more proof point of the GOP's war on women. But the impact of Akin's effort to redefine the terms of this debate reaches beyond this one race. In the multidimensional chess that shapes public opinion, the game is less about individual elections and more about a sustained effort to mainstream radical ideas. In the case of denying women control over their lives, there's evidence that the bad guys may be winning the long-game.
  Akin was Paul Ryan's co-sponsor on a House bill just last year banning the use of federal funds for abortion except in cases of ''forcible rape.'' This term seemed laughably redundant since all rape, by definition, is forced. But this redefinition of rape was deceptively sinister. Statutory rapists often use coercion but not physical force. If the measure had passed, a 13-year-old emotionally manipulated into having sex with an older friend or relative would no longer be able to use Medicaid to terminate a resulting pregnancy. Nor would her parents be able to use their tax-exempt health savings fund.
  While the measure was defeated, conversation around it introduced skepticism about whether all rape is created equal and what distinctions should be recognized by law. Instead of making him politically toxic, Ryan's support of the pioneering forcible rape measure likely made him a more attractive vice presidential candidate to a Romney campaign needing to energize the right-wing base.
  And whether or not Akin loses this cycle, his comments have already escalated the stakes. In his world view, the rape victim's body will be the ultimate judge of whether a crime has taken place. If she gets pregnant, by Akin's standard, her reproductive organs consented to the pregnancy, so she must have consented to the sex. This bizarre standard of innocence is reminiscent of medieval Europe, where the men in authority held the similarly scientific view that women guilty of witchcraft floated in water while innocent women would drown. Being cleared of witchcraft was of course not much consolation to the drowned women, though they at least got to skip being burned at the stake.
  Akin's comments appear an awful lot like step one in the GOP's favorite two-step tactic to redefine the world around us: first, more extreme figures voice opinions that would never fly from more politically palatable ones. The right-wing echo chamber picks up those opinions in the guise of news coverage. Then, the more politically acceptable candidates shift their rhetoric to acknowledge the newly accepted opinion as reality.
  Consider our seemingly uncontrollable slide towards climate catastrophe: in 2006 and 2007, the link between human activity and climate change was almost incontestable. Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth was a breakout hit; and the former VP was rewarded for his leadership on the global issue with a Nobel Prize in 2007. In 2008, both McCain and Obama openly acknowledged the existence of the threat and the need for action. Scientists breathed a collective sigh of relief that the US might finally exert some leadership on this existential issue.
  But when the Obama victory made the idea of a clean-energy economy a potential reality, the climate deniers kicked into high gear. Cash from the Koch brothers poured into bogus organizations to promote climate skepticism and cast doubt on the scientific consensus. Senator Inhofe called climate change ''the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.'' A 2009 Chamber of Commerce ad buy brutalized House Democrats who voted for the climate legislation. In the lead up to the climate summit of 2009, someone even hacked into a University server and published highly edited e-mails from climate scientists to make them appear to be fabricating their results. While the scientists were exonerated, the damage was done.
  The resulting shift in public opinion was almost immediate. Between 2008 and 2010, the number of Americans who believed media accounts of climate change were exaggerated jumped from 35 percent to 48 percent. Among self-identified Republicans, it went to 66 percent. By last year's Republican presidential primary, right-wing contenders made seemingly inane statements that flew in the face of scientific consensus, and even the ones like Romney who had previously acknowledged the threat were forced to recant to maintain their viability.
  While the political dynamics around these two issues are different, there are striking similarities in the right-wing strategy of capitalizing on extreme statements to shift the spectrum of what's possible. And the wary will take heed: in the span of four short years, we went from having two presidential candidates who openly advocated action to stop climate change to having no GOP candidates in 2012 who could or would affirm its existence and a Democratic president who seems to wish the issue would magically disappear. The consequences of inaction are already being felt.
  The same process is underway to undermine women's voices in our own destiny. Mitt Romney has already flip-flopped from a pro-choice Senate candidate and a governor who promised to be ''a good voice'' among Republicans on reproductive health to his new incarnation as Paul Ryan's running mate and an anti-choice leader. While Ryan allows lesser candidates like Akin to carry the water on extreme views held by the right-wing patriarchy, his equally radical views become mainstreamed as his anti-woman credentials are embraced by the party leadership. If we don't stop laughing and start drawing hard lines around scientific reality, how many Akin's will it take before we see a President Romney ordering rape victims thrown into the water to see if they float?
  For a take on how to fight back against rape culture, read Jessica Valenti's ''How to Out a Rapist.''
President Obama: 'Rape is Rape'
  Link to Article
  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:37
  After all the gnashing of teeth and pearl-clutching last week by Chuck Todd and other White House reporters, President Obama joined today's press briefing to answer a couple of questions about Todd Akin's remarks yesterday.
  He was asked whether he thought Rep. Akin's views represented the views of the Republican party in general. Here is his response:
  Let me first of all say the views expressed were offensive. Rape is rape. The idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me.
  So what I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn't have a bunch of politicians -- a majority of whom are men -- making health care decisions on behalf of women.
  And though these particular comments have led Governor Romney and other Republicans to distance themselves, I think the underlying notion that we should be making decisions on behalf of women for their health care decisions or qualifying forcible rape versus non-forcible rape...I think those are broader issues and I think that's a significant difference in approach between me and the other party.
  But I don't think that they would agree with the Senator from Missouri in terms of his statement, which was way out there.
  I might have a bone to pick with that last statement, since Paul Ryan and all the Republicans now backing away from Akin teamed up with him to redefine rape.
  Also, if you don't read this entire piece over at The Nation by Ilyse Hogue tiny spiders will bite you. Not really, but it's the smartest analysis I've read yet.
  While the political dynamics around these two issues are different, there are striking similarities in the right-wing strategy of capitalizing on extreme statements to shift the spectrum of what's possible. And the wary will take heed: in the span of four short years, we went from having two presidential candidates who openly advocated action to stop climate change to having no GOP candidates in 2012 who could or would affirm its existence and a Democratic president who seems to wish the issue would magically disappear. The consequences of inaction are already being felt.
  The same process is underway to undermine women's voices in our own destiny. Mitt Romney has already flip-flopped from a pro-choice Senate candidate and a governor who promised to be ''a good voice'' among Republicans on reproductive health to his new incarnation as Paul Ryan's running mate and an anti-choice leader. While Ryan allows lesser candidates like Akin to carry the water on extreme views held by the right-wing patriarchy, his equally radical views become mainstreamed as his anti-woman credentials are embraced by the party leadership. If we don't stop laughing and start drawing hard lines around scientific reality, how many Akin's will it take before we see a President Romney ordering rape victims thrown into the water to see if they float?
  Read and heed.
Vernieuwing bij The Voice zelfs voor coaches geheim - Tech & Media
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:28
  Door: Thijs van Soest ''21/08/12, 17:46
  (C) RTL. De coaches van The Voice 3
  Aan de succesvolle tv-talentenjacht The Voice wordt niet veel gesleuteld, aanstaand derde seizoen. Maar los van de komst van een nieuwe coach, Trijntje Oosterhuis, heeft het programma vooral tijdens de liveshows nog wel wat vernieuwingen in petto. Welke dat zijn, weten zelfs de coaches nog niet, zei Marco Borsato vanmiddag tijdens de persconferentie rond The Voice 3, dat aanstaande vrijdag weer van start gaat.
  Veranderingen hingen al langer in de lucht voor het inmiddels wereldwijd uitgezonden programma van John de Mol's Talpa. Want waar de draaiende stoelen van de auditieronde en de battles voor hoge kijkcijfers zorgden, werd dat opvallend genoeg minder gedurende de liveshows. Die leken te veel op andere talentenjachten. De Mol heeft daar nu samen met internationale medeproducenten iets op bedacht, maar dat krijgen de coaches Borsato, Oosterhuis, Nick " Simon en Roel van Velzen ook pas binnenkort te horen.
  'Zelfs wij weten dat nog niet. Waar we nu nog niet geheimzinnig over hoeven doen is dat de draaiende stoelen ook zullen worden ingezet bij de battle-ronde', onthult Borsato. 'We kunnen ze daar gebruiken om onze hulpcoaches raad te plegen'. Hoe de vernieuwde liveshows er straks uit zullen zien, zullen we pas ver in het najaar te zien krijgen.
  De eerste beelden van de vertrouwde auditieronde die vanmiddag werden vertoond aan de pers waren dan ook een d(C)j vu van de eerste twee uiterst succesvolle seizoenen. Snelle montage, veel gegrap tussen de coaches, veel muziek, de bekende beelden van de draaiende stoelen, en - ook dit jaar weer - opvallend zangtalent. 'Bakken vol', aldus Simon van Nick die daar vantevoren nog een hard hoofd in had.
  VakvrouwBorsato: 'Authenticiteit speelt een belangrijke rol bij de keuze voor een talent'. De komst van Oosterhuis bracht wel meer concurrentie met zich mee, want veel deelnemers bleken te kiezen voor haar als coach gezien haar ook door de andere coaches genoemde vakkennis. 'We missen Angela (Groothuizen, red) - ze was toch wel een beetje The Coach of Holland - maar we hebben er een vakvrouw voor teruggekregen. Ze brengt enorm veel vakkennis mee, waar zelfs wij nog wat aan hebben.'
  RTL 4-programmadirecteur Erland Galjaard stelt tijdens de bijeenkomst in Hilversum vanmiddag dat het derde seizoen van The Voice 'nog beter is', en 'nog meer klopt' dan de eerste twee. Ook John de Mol is uiterst enthousiast, vertelt Galjaard: 'Ik kreeg tijdens mijn vakantie op Ibiza een sms'je van John waarin hij schreef dat dit het beste is wat hij ooit had gemaakt'. De gewiekste marketingtaal van de heren kan worden getoetst vanaf aanstaande vrijdag, 24 augustus, half negen op RTL 4.
tabs.mediahackers.org
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:26
  Loading text from JSON file.'...
  The design and implementation of the first beautiful River2 template was a community project. Credits.
  "Day after day, alone on a hill. The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still."
Rotary Dial (Ftrain.com)
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:20
  Image: Telephone Desk Stand, U.S. patent #180,081 (palindromic!). Image research: Anil Dash.
  Necessary IntroductionSo-called ''people'' on the Internet are writing about how no one blogs any more. I am one of these no-ones, by which they mean those of us who used to write things on the Internet and post them to our own servers, but have now instead gone over to decentralized services like Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook, where we spend our time'--the diaspora of the alienated transformed by convenience into an aggregation of the aggrieved, or something like that. And they think it's a shame, and it is a shame. So I took the Blogging Challenge and tweeted:
  That's some context for you, because this is not some descent-from-Olympus nonsense like I usually pull. This is straight-up blogging, amateur prose written quickly and with neither guiding stricture nor sober editing. I am going to tell it like it is, right from the heart, and I am going to tell it about telephone dials, because a man has to live by a code, and my code is unary loop disconnect dialing.
  DialsLet's get to it. There aren't as many dials in this world as there used to be, but once there were tens of millions. The rotary dial (or ''calling dial'' if you look at the patents in the 1920s) represented a big change in how a person approached the Bell System network. Prior to dials you picked up the phone and the suddenly broken circuit animated some light in an unseen switching station; soon would come an operator, a real woman (they tried men but they talked back and wanted too much advancement) and the operator would say: ''Number please?'' Or something along those lines. Get me Baltimore! you might say. Or: ''Murray Hill 5-9975.''
  ''Right away, Ma'am.'' Or Sir. Then the operator, who had to signal to ask permission to wipe her brow, would move some plugs around to make the connection. Now you were emperor over leagues of copper string.
  Decades pass and here, finally, comes the calling dial: pick up, a live circuit is offered up; start dialing. Ringring.
  When you dialed somewhere on the other end of that wire was a relay'--a large heavy ozone-smelling device that heard the clicks. Or rather it didn't hear as much as register modulating electric pulses. These are beautiful, abstract, incredibly dumb devices that clack. Anything that they could do a matchbox-sized computer can do today.
  ''Detail of back side of a Western Electric 6-wire 100-point crossbar switch (model 324-N) showing 'banjo' wiring.'''--Wikipedia; photo by user Yeatesh copyright CC BY-SA 3.0.
  Western Electric was the manufacturing arm of the telephone monopoly. They made everything: Phones, switches, equipment for the linemen. Sometimes you have to marvel at the audacious monopolistic excitement of it all. The Bell System employed a million people in thousands of different positions and traded on the stock exchange under the letter ''T,'' the ultimate in financial domain-name shortening. Sure, Wal-Mart employs 2.2 million people (two hundred thousand to stock the shelves and two million to keep them from unionizing). But Glen Campbell won't show up and sing ''The Michigan Greeter'' about Wal-Mart, will he?
  The rotary dial was a building block of civilization, the key that unlocked the phone system for millions of people. It was an integral part of your parents' lives. Imagine your father stuffing his dirty fingers into the waiting greasy dialpits, over and over and over again, over and over and over and over again, ringing your mother's bell until finally she shudders and reaches'--for the phone and says: ''Hello? This is [YOUR MOTHER'S NAME].'' ''Hey,'' says your father, ''this is [YOUR FATHER'S NAME].'' ''Well, how do you like that?'' asks your mother even though she likes it very much. He asks her out to dinner. ''Let me check my busy calendar,'' she says. She goes so far as to coyly ruffle pages of the nearby phone book. ''As it turns out,'' she says, ''I've had a cancellation.'' Not much later your father drives by and picks her up and off they go. And usually they would have just had dinner, but this night'--this night initiated by dialing on a rotary phone'--they have a couple of nice chops and too much red wine, and, maybe it was the pretty moon, they find themselves engaging in penetrative sexual intercourse, your mother and father. Both of them. You can hear the smushing-together of bodies, soft and moist like warm gingerbread, their skin traversed with thick bristles of interlocking hair, hair like the hair of wild boar. Never forget the both of them, eyes half-lidded, hairy-gingerbread bodies glistening on a bed with maroon sheets. The smell of stacks of damp pennies. Your mother and father. Pennies.
  And now here you are! And you're amazing. All thanks to that beautiful rotary dial. Let's open one up and take a look inside:
  Mechanism-wise you can intuit quite a bit about the whole system by watching that video. Note for example the way the rotary action causes a coil-uncoil with the middle whirrer, which uninvolves the pen gear, in turn causing the quirt to devilate, which itself leads to the essential pulsing grombus before the return hose coil inductor is repronged. Couldn't be simpler, and yet something so elegant brought millions of people (like your parents) together'--just as, years later, the iPhone would bring people together to hate Android. After all, it wasn't the phone itself but the network that mattered. That's a trite statement in this age of Big Social, but the phone people invented the idea of the network as we understand it, the idea of connecting people together whenever they wanted. ''Social'' is just a riff on the metaphors and understanding around ''phone.''
  The phones connected folks, but the phone book described a town. In even a mid-sized town the phone book was heavy, printed on cheap paper. The paper was so cheap that ink would bleed and spread during printing, so much so that they used special fonts''Bell Centennial starting around the 1970s, and before that Bell Gothic)'--that had various little divots, called ink traps, within the letters so that less ink was transmitted during printing, and thus the ink-bleed could be put to service'--and the effect was sort of peculiar to the phonebook, the way the numbers and letters were slightly blurry, with the grain of the paper essential to the form of the type.
  The phone book at its essence was a practical tool for translating names into numbers; it was a symptom of the Bell System, not a cause. But I have odd, fond memories of poring over it to learn a great variety of things irrelevant of whether I'd ever make a call or not; there was of course just looking through the names to see who was who; there was discovering the addresses of friends or enemies'--and there was a map of the town itself, in the front section, and, oddly, there was often a perpetual calendar. You could engage in an enormous variety of fantasies and plots just by flipping through the flimsy paper, or learn about your crushes, and about the people your crushes were dating while you stayed home and read the phone book.
  Those were the white pages, the fattest part, everyone named and listed. Then came a slender striation, the blue pages, the list of government and community services. You could find out in the blue pages what all of the offices were at a college or a hospital, all the different divisions of the mayor's office or the high school. Like a lot of people I like to know how things sort themselves out, and who is in charge of what. This information was urgent to me, and otherwise unavailable without asking an adult, which I hated to do. They were always so suspicious. Why do I want to know how the hospital works? Because I am momentarily interested in hospitals. I hate this town and I hate you. Leave me alone.
  If ever there were something to make an information architect's heart sing it was the index of goods and services of the yellow pages, the great swath of color'--smaller than the white pages in breadth but way more varied. A list of places that could clean out gutters? A collation of all the pizzerias within a five mile radius, with sketches of fat Italian chefs? Check, twice. And coupons, so many coupons. You could plan a life there, or a good couple of weeks. Once a year they'd do that, the people, just send you a big list of all the people and addresses and businesses and offices in your town, and trust you to do the right thing by it.
  Progress was a phone book released every year, a cycle of civic rebirth. It grew thicker as more people moved to town, and people commented on that. ''I can remember when it was half that size,'' a parent would remark, nostalgic for their own lost and smaller world. Is there anything like that today, any single document with creators so na¯ve as to believe that they could deliver all that humans had to offer in black Bell Centennial on white, blue, and yellow paper, indexed, tagged, and sorted? And will there ever again be humans so na¯ve as to believe, as I did, that when they held a single book they held the whole white, blue, and yellow world?
  Image: Trundle Toy, U.S. patent #196,737, 1963.
  . . . . .
  EditsA tweet from Rick Prelinger pointed out that the typeface Bell Gothic preceded Bell Centennial. I edited the piece to clarify.
  And a tweet from Alan Gutierrez explained that exchange codes were not pronounced in any special way. I removed a sentence accordingly.
  I appreciate people who help.
Wildfire nears Idaho resort town as some residents refuse to leave| Reuters
  Link to Article
  Source: Twitter / BreakingNews
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:53
  By Laura Zuckerman
  SALMON, Idaho | Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:15pm EDT
  SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - A 91,000-acre (38,800-hectare) wildfire in the Boise National Forest closed in from three directions on an Idaho mountain town on Monday as authorities worried about the safety of roughly 30 residents who have refused to evacuate.
  The Elmore County Sheriff's Office ordered evacuations over the weekend as thick smoke from the Trinity Ridge Fire posed a health hazard and limited visibility on the single road to Featherville, a popular summertime resort at the foot of the Trinity Mountains on the South Fork Boise River.
  "It puts everyone in higher danger. Firefighters will have to worry about the safety of people who are left behind instead of fighting the fire and saving homes," U.S. fire information officer Mary Christensen said.
  Fire crews prepared to defend hundreds of homes in Featherville, where second homes and rental cabins cause the summer population to swell to roughly 1,000, as well as structures in the nearby community of Pine.
  "We hope those residents will reconsider and get out of there," Christensen said.
  Weather forecasters predicted a blanket of thick smoke that has lowered temperatures and slowed the fire's march to Featherville would lift.
  The fire has burned over 90,000 acres of sagebrush and timber in south-central Idaho since it was ignited on August 3 by an off-road vehicle that caught fire, authorities said. It was only 5 percent contained on Monday.
  Flames also threatened a critical stretch of the North Fork Boise River drainage where fire managers had hoped to cordon off the blaze to prevent its spread eastward toward the historic mining town of Idaho City.
  Crews sought to construct fire lines by hand in the steep, rugged terrain ridging the river, Christensen said.
  So far this season, wildfires have consumed roughly 6.9 million acres (2.8 million hectares) across the United States, over 1.5 million acres more than the 10-year average for this time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.
  The Idaho fire was one of dozens burning across 10 parched western states, with Nevada, Idaho, and California each seeing hundreds of thousands of acres charred.
  In California, a fire has burned across 15,000 acres in the north-central part of the state, destroying seven houses and threatening 3,500 others. Dubbed the Ponderosa fire, it was only 5 percent contained as of Monday afternoon.
  In the northeast corner of the state, a fire burned near a major natural gas line and transfer station, as well as power lines that serve Reno, across the border in Nevada, according to fire officials.
  That blaze, named the Rush fire, had burned through more than 270,000 acres and was 50 percent contained on Monday.
  (Writing and additional reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Jim Loney)
BBC News - US seizes $150m 'linked to Hezbollah money-laundering'
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Middle East
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:52
  20 August 2012Last updated at 21:24 ET The US authorities say they have seized $150m (£95m) from a bank allegedly linked to a money-laundering scheme of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
  Last year, US officials accused the Lebanese Canadian Bank (LCB) of helping the group launder profits from drug trafficking and other crimes.
  The funds were allegedly used to ship cars from the US to West Africa, with the proceeds smuggled back to Lebanon.
  The US classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.
  "As we alleged last year, the Lebanese Canadian Bank played a key role in facilitating money laundering for Hezbollah-controlled organisations across the globe," the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Michele Leonhart, was quoted saying on Monday by the AFP news agency.
  In December 2011, US prosecutors filed a lawsuit alleging that the LCB and two other firms used $300m (£193m) in drug-trafficking and criminal proceeds from Lebanon to buy used cars in the US and sell them in West Africa.
  Money from the sale of the cars, along with the proceeds of Colombian and Mexican cartels, was then funnelled to Lebanon through Hezbollah-controlled money-laundering channels, according to the US Attorney's Office.
  At the time, Hezbollah dismissed the allegations as US propaganda.
  "Our relentless pursuit of global criminal networks showed that the US banking system was exploited to launder drug-trafficking funds through West Africa and into Lebanon," Ms Leonhart said.
  "DEA and our partners are attacking these groups and their financial infrastructure, while establishing clear links between drug trafficking proceeds and terrorist funding."
  Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist movement, was designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US government in 1997.
Craig Murray >> Blog Archive >> Naming Anna Ardin on Newsnight
  Link to Article
  Source: Craig Murray
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:51
  Anna Ardin herself went to the media, under her own name, as long as two years ago to publicise her allegations against Assange. From the New York Times, 25 August 2010:
  Anna Ardin, 31, has told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that the complaints were ''not orchestrated by the Pentagon'' but prompted by ''a man who has a twisted attitude toward women and a problem taking no for an answer.''
  The furore that I ''revealed'' her name on Newsnight is a pathetic spasm of false indignation by establishment supporters.
  A google search on ''Anna Ardin'' reveals 193,000 articles, virtually all relating to her sexual allegation against Julian Assange. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation last week broadcast nationwide a documentary investigating Ms Ardin's allegations and not only naming her repeatedly, but showing several photographs of her and Assange together; it is a documentary everybody interested should watch. Literally thousands of newspapers and magazines all over the world have named her, including the New York Times and the Times of India, aside from those near 200,000 internet entries. The Twittersphere numbers are astronomical.
  Gavin Esler, Joan Smith and I all knew her name '' what special rights do we three enjoy that entitle us to know that, but would intend to debar the viewers from knowing that? I am willing to bet that virtually all those tweeting and pretending outrage that I named Ms Ardin, already themselves knew her name. They just somehow think nobody else should be allowed to. There is virtually nobody in Sweden '' which is after all where she lives '' who does not know her name. It is a cause celebre there.
  If what I did was illegal, as is being claimed, then somebody had better come and arrest me. As however there are no legal proceedings on this issue in the UK and no prospect of a prosecution here, I know of no lawful reason I should not have named her. I suspect that the number of Newsnight viewers who heard the name for the first time is very small indeed. It might, of course, give some a tool to research further for themselves the facts of the case. That would be very useful indeed.
  As for the interview, I was sorry that Aaronovitch was not there (as I had been told he would be) as I might have been more robust '' I felt rather constrained arguing with Joan Smith as I generally like and respect her. Strangely enough, as I did the interview I was much less worried about it than I was on subsequently hearing it, because I did not realise the extent my microphone had been turned down compared to Gavin's and Joan's when they were speaking across me '' which was most of the time I was speaking. It would be interesting if someone with the patience could tot up how many seconds I had speaking with nobody speaking over me, compared to Joan.
  To sum up, I was insufficiently assertive and allowed myself to be shouted down, than which I really should know better. But I did succeed in getting over the fact, with examples, that whistleblowers are routinely fitted up with unrelated charges. And all the manufactured fury at my naming Anna Ardin might well lead people to research her claims and behaviour, which would be a good thing. So I am reasonably relaxed.
Climate Commission: global climate action gathers momentum
  Link to Article
  Source: The Conversation
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:49
  US development of wind energy is lowering emissions without reducing economic growth. Sam BeebeNinety countries representing 90% of the global economy are committed to reducing their greenhouse emissions and are taking action to do so.
  This is one of the take-home messages from the Climate Commission's report ''The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change'', released today. The report is based on a comprehensive survey of what is being done in Australia and the rest of the world to reduce carbon emissions.
  The report explodes the myth that Australia is going it alone on climate change, or is leading the world in taking action. Not only are the world's wealthy countries taking action, but large developing countries like China and India are moving on emission reductions.
  Although China's overall emissions are still growing, they have already come a long way in decoupling their emissions from economic growth. The country is also positioning itself to become a world leader in renewable energy technologies, and by 2011 had more installed renewable energy generation capacity than any other country in the world.
  Many of the world's wealthiest countries have been taking effective action on climate change for more than a decade. Over that period 12 of the world's wealthy countries '' Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Sweden and the United States '' have all reduced their emissions of carbon dioxide while their economies have continued to grow.
  China is positioning itself to be a world leader in renewable energy. Danish Wind Industry Association
  While a variety of low-carbon technologies '' including hydropower, biomass and nuclear '' are playing a role in emission reductions around the world, the rise of renewable energy technologies like solar and wind has been spectacular over the past few years.
  Global investment in renewable power and fuels has increased six-fold since 2004 and totalled $US257 billion in 2011. The uptake of renewable energy is happening faster than most experts had expected, and the costs are also dropping faster. Over the past four years the cost of photovoltaic solar cells dropped by 75%, and by 45% in just the last year.
  The United States is making major contributions to the development and implementation of renewable energies. In the second quarter of 2012 wind energy in the US reached 50 gigawatts of electric capacity.
  Germany is meeting its emission reduction targets at the same time it is phasing out nuclear energy by making renewable energy the centerpiece of its strategy. It already has 50 gigawatts of installed wind and solar power, and it installed more solar photovoltaic units in 2010 than the entire world did in 2009. Interestingly, Australia's worst region for its solar energy resource (southwest Tasmania) is still better than Germany's best region for solar energy.
  Germany is installing solar at a rapid rate, despite having little sunshine. Fabian Kurz/Flickr
  With the implementation of the carbon pricing scheme and a number of other measures to reduce emissions, Australia is now joining this rapidly growing group of countries that are taking effective action on climate change.
  It is certainly appropriate that we do so. Australia is one of the world's carbon heavyweights '' the group of 20 countries that contribute 75% of the world's greenhouse has emissions. In fact, we sit 15th on that table, emitting more than 180 other countries do. On a per-person basis, we are the largest emitter in the developed world.
  Our action is important globally as it supports those countries that are already taking significant action on climate change and encourages those that are still lagging behind. It also puts us in a stronger and more credible position to help shape a more globally coordinated response to climate change.
  Domestically, our moves to reduce carbon emissions put us on the front foot to deal with the global response to the climate change challenge. Rather than being in a reactive position, we can better manage the risks and capitalise on the opportunities that are emerging on the global stage.
  The world is entering the clean energy era and the momentum is growing. This is the critical decade to turn the global carbon emissions trend downwards.
  11 Comments TagsClimate change, Renewable energy, Carbon price
  Related articles20 August 2012 Shade cloth over reefs? Scientists call for 'last resort' measures20 August 2012 Help needed: can you fix the science/ society divide?20 August 2012 When the media won't report the environment, it's time to rethink news17 August 2012 Ocean winners and losers revealed in Marine Report Card16 August 2012 On the move: corals migrate south into NSW's warming waters
US Desperation Surfaces in Syria
  Link to Article
  Source: Land Destroyer
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:48
  Obama's bizarre threats indicative of losing strategy and increasing desperation. by Tony Cartalucci August 21, 2012 - US-led NATO forces armed, funded, trained, and even provided air support for Libyan terrorists emanating out of Libya's eastern Cyrenaica region - most notably Benghazi which had served as the premier international terrorist recruiting ground in the world, according to the US Army's Combating Terrorism Center, producing a percentage per capita of militants outstripping even that of Saudi Arabia.
  Operating under the banner of the "Libyan Islamic Fighting Group" (LIFG), a US State Department, British Home Office, and United Nations-listed international terrorist organization, and officially merged with Al Qaeda in 2007, its commanders including Abdul Hakim Belhaj and Mahdi al-Harati led NATO's military proxy forces on the ground as US, French, and British planes destroyed the nation from the air.
  These very same commanders of this very same listed-terrorist organization would then turn its cash, weapons, and fighters on Syria, as early as November 2011, arriving on the Turkish-Syrian border to enjoy yet another NATO safe haven and logistical networks overseen by Western intelligence along with US funding and arms laundered through Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) members such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
  Image: Libyan Mahdi al-Harati of the US State Department, United Nations, and the UK Home Office (page 5, .pdf)-listed terrorist organization, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), addressing fellow terrorists in Syria. Harati is now commanding a Libyan brigade operating inside of Syria attempting to destroy the Syrian government and subjugate the Syrian population. Traditionally, this is known as "foreign invasion." In essence, just as Al Qaeda had served as an "Arab Foreign Legion" for the US in Afghanistan in the 1980's during its inception, it once again is serving as a foreign legion inside Syria, fighting Washington's proxy war against the Syrian government.
  It appears however that unlike in Afghanistan where Al Qaeda fought alongside a sizable indigenous force against foreign Soviet troops, the tactical environment is revered - where Washington's proxy terrorist forces are foreigners facing a highly motivated, well organized, and better armed indigenous Syrian Army.
  US Machinations Unraveling - Shareholders Face Liquidation
  Coordinated attempts by NATO and its proxy forces to invade and overrun the cities of Damascus and Aleppo in July and early August have failed, with proxy forces being expelled after suffering sizable loses. An attempt to decapitate Syria's leadership in a bombing in central Damascus also fell flat, with high ranking officials quickly replaced, followed quickly by a cohesive military counter offensive.
  The bombing was also followed by the mysterious disappearance of Saudi Arabia's Bandar "Bush" Bin Sultan, who if confirmed assassinated, may indicate that NATO's plans are suffering at even the highest levels of organization.
  Compounding the West's attempts to overthrow the government of Syria, is the increasing support Syria has been receiving due to Iranian efforts to assemble international forums representing half of the world's population, condemning the support of foreign interference and promoting alternatives to the violent destabilization being carried out by the West. A 30 member conference was held ahead of the annual Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Tehran, Iran - and another meeting will be held again on the sidelines of NAM toward the end of August.
  Image: An impressive counter to the so-called "Friends of Syria" confabs held by Wall Street and London corporate-financier interests in an attempt to sway global opinion toward a repeat of Libya's destruction at NATO's hands, the International Consultative Conference hosed by Iran seeks to end the flow of foreign arms into militant hands and resolve political differences through more civilized means. With the tactical situation inside Syria deteriorating for Western proxies and international consensus shifting in unprecedented directions against Washington and London, shareholders in the West's latest adventure appear to be making tacit moves to divest their support and protect their own interests, lest they be left with the ignominious results of an increasingly compounding failure.
  Obama's Recent Threats
  With this in mind, the US has been making increasingly unhinged "Bush-esque" remarks regarding "weapons of mass destruction" in Syria and attempting to expand the pretexts under which it could "militarily intervene." Even the very "movement" of Syria's "unconventional weapons" in a "threatening manner," US President Barack Obama claimed in a recent statement, would constitute a "red line."
  Obama claims that the US "fears" Syria's unconventional weapons "falling into the hands of the wrong people." If the US is willfully arming, funding, and threatening to back militarily, listed Al Qaeda terrorist organizations, then whose hands is the US referring to? And while the US struggles to foment victory in Syria, it seems to have stretched its support for terrorism all the way to Russia's Caucasus Mountains, reigniting violence there, linked to Al Qaeda as well.
  Image: The Washington Consensus' shrinking legitimacy is proportionally matched to its increasingly untenable perpetuation. Its unjustified, disastrous military adventure in Libya seems to have resulted in a Pyrrhic victory, hobbling the institutions and legitimacy it needed to likewise undermine and overthrow the Syrian government in a timely fashion. Overstretched, it appears the West is even trying to strike at Russia with terrorist proxies that now span from North Africa all the way to the Caucasus Mountains. To say that the US is overstretched is an understatement. It is overstretched politically, economically, and tactically. It risks a historically unprecedented collapse that would destroy all shareholders invested in its increasingly unhinged and transparently illegitimate ambitions. Nations, in particular GCC members, are beginning to realize with acute alarm that their support of Washington's agenda is now threatening their very self-preservation. A victory even at this point would still likely be Pyrrhic.
  No matter how well Syria goes for the West from this point on, the mechanisms it has used to get here, including its "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine, the legitimacy of the UN, the West's so-called commitment to "human rights," and the narrative of the so-called "War on Terror" have been undermined beyond salvage.
  One can only imagine the mountains Washington is promising to move in order to keep its allies lined up behind them, particularly the ruling governments of Turkey and the GCC. For an elitist clique that has prided itself in "realist" political discourse, it has become increasingly surrealist. Whether or not Washington's allies mirror this surrealism all the way to their own demise, remains to be seen.
UN's New Syria Envoy Condemned by Both Sides -- News from Antiwar.com
  Link to Article
  Source: News From Antiwar.com
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:48
  With Syria's government determined to rout the rebels militarily, the rebels determined to conquer the nation through sheer strength of arms, and a good chunk of the international community openly backing, the job of UN Special Envoy to Syria, charged with trying to end the fighting, is one of the toughest jobs imaginable.
  Former Secretary-General Kofi Annan couldn't do it, and after the rebels repudiated a ceasefire he negotiated, he resigned in failure. His replacement hasn't started the job yet, but has been named as Lakhdar Brahimi, a long time Algerian diplomat.
  And he's already being condemned by both sides. Brahimi stated the obvious in a television interview with France 24, saying that ''what we need to do is to stop the civil war and that is not going to be easy.''
  The regime is furious at him for terming the civil war a ''civil war,'' insisting that there is too much foreign meddling to call it that. The rebel Syrian National Council also condemned him, saying his comments disregard the ''right of self-determination.''
  Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
Who Is Behind Pussy Riot?
  Link to Article
  Source: EconomicPolicyJournal.com
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:47
  Daniel McAdams discusses:[W]ho is pushing this Pussy Riot on us? What face is behind the propaganda? We have already seen more than a few US government ties to the organization and its supporters, including NED funding. We can see that its methods are straight out of Gene Sharp's CIA playbook for regime change. We see that the organization's logo is identical to those of the previous US-government funded regime change outfits.We also see an interesting connection between the US government supported human rights NGOs and this crusade. Take Amnesty International USA, for example. Click onto their home page and you will be assaulted by image after image of Pussy Riot, begging for money to help support them, breathlessly launching campaign after campaign for the organization. Just who is in charge of Amnesty International USA? As the Voltaire Network first pointed out last year, this "independent" human rights organization is headed up by Suzanne Nossel, a former assistant to Richard Holbrooke in his capacity as UN Ambassador and until her appointment last year to Amnesty, Hillary Clinton's Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs. Before that she worked for another US government connected organization, Human Rights Watch. Getting the picture? A public-private partnership for regime change under the cover of "human rights."
  As former FBI agent Coleen Rowley points out in this important piece, organizations like Amnesty International act as a non-governmental front to push US government regime change policies.
  From Rowley's piece:
  Nossel would have worked for and with Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Samantha Power and Susan Rice, and undoubtedly helped them successfully implement their ''Right to Protect (R2P)'' '' otherwise known as ''humanitarian intervention'' '' as well as the newly created ''Atrocity Prevention Board.
  She was heavily involved in the lies told to the UN Human Rights Council to agitate for the eventual UN Security Council resolution that sealed the fate of Libya under a rain of NATO bombs and total destruction.
  Yet again another international campaign is launched by the Potemkin Village of "NGOs" who are in fact shills for the US government interventionists on the Left and the Right. Monster after monster must be created to keep the machine rolling forward. Government must join with corrupted PR firms and the NGO world to dupe the population into screaming for the head of the monster of the month.
  But who are the real monsters?
Dood regisseur Tony Scott omgeven met raadsels - film
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:46
  Door: Redactie ''21/08/12, 04:27
  (C) reuters. De Vincent Thomas-brug in Los Angeles, waar regisseur Tony Scott zondag zelfmoord pleegde.
  Het is nog steeds een raadsel wat Hollywoodregisseur Tony Scott zondagmiddag bezielde toen hij zelfmoord pleegde door in Los Angeles van een 55 meter hoge brug te springen. Het gerucht dat hij aan een ongeneeslijke hersentumor leed, wordt door zijn naaste familie met kracht tegengesproken.
  (C) ap.
  Scott in 2010 in Los Angeles bij de premi¨re van de film Unstoppable.
  (C) ap.
  De havenpolitie van Los Angeles zondagmiddag, kort na het opdreggen van het lichaam van Tony Scott.
  Dat meldt de New York Daily News. De mededeling werd bevestigd door het bureau van de gemeentelijke lijkschouwer. 'Een woordvoerder van de familie heeft ons laten weten dat Scott geen hersenkanker had of een niet-operabele tumor', aldus Craig Harvey, patholoog-anatoom en gerechtelijk lijkschouwer van het district Los Angeles.
  Medische geschiedenisGisteren is een begin gemaakt met de sectie. 'We bekijken zijn medische geschiedenis', aldus een assistent-lijkschouwer. 'Op dit moment is medisch nog niets bevestigd.'
  De 68-jarige Scott, regisseur van films als Top Gun en Crimson Tide, liet in zijn op de brug geparkeerde auto een briefje achter met namen en telefoonnummers. In zijn kantoor werd naderhand een afscheidsbrief gevonden.
  StuntOoggetuigen verklaarden dat hij, voor en tijdens het beklimmen van het hekwerk op de brug, een paar maal gedurende enkele seconden had gepauzeerd en vervolgens sprong. Sommige omstanders dachten dat het om een stunt ging. Om 12.35 uur werd de politie gebeld. Drie uur later werd het lichaam van Scott opgedregd.
  Twee jaar geleden had de regisseur vlak bij de brug nog opnamen gemaakt voor zijn film Unstoppable, met acteur Denzel Washington.
"So You Say You Want A Revolution" - The Real New Normal
  Link to Article
  Source: Untitled Feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:45
  This month marks the 50th anniversary of Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, one of the landmark philosophical texts of the last century. The central thesis of the book is that science advances in fits and starts, clustered around the advent of new 'Paradigms' - a term that Kuhn introduced in the book and much of academia subsequently coopted as their own. This was a novel thought for the times, since the conventional philosophy held that science advanced through the ages in plodding but rigorous steps. Kuhn's observation about science is equally applicable to capital markets, for the range of 'Paradigm shifts' underway goes a long way to explaining everything from why companies refuse to invest to why earnings multiples on U.S. stocks remain so low. Today, in celebration of Kuhn's opus, ConvergEx's Nick Colas offers up a list of the 'Top 10 Paradigm Shifts' currently underway.
  Nick Colas, ConvergEx: So You Say You Want A Revolution
  To those of us whose careers can now belly up to the bar and have a drink, the last +21 years of life interpreting the capital markets have seen remarkable change. I managed to analyze the automotive sector for well over a decade in the 1990s/early 2000s without ever reading a speech given by a Federal Reserve chairman. Now I review everything Chairman Bernanke says, no matter how trivial. I was indoctrinated into the school of thought that U.S. equities return 8-11% annually, on average. Now I blush at that laughable simplicity of the claim. And many, many years ago, single stock research ruled the intellectual roost at virtually every asset manager with two nickels to rub together. Now, between high correlations and supercomputers, most daily stock trading has little-to-no linkage to fundamental analysis.
  One of the most influential books of the 20th century '' Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions '' celebrates its 50th anniversary this month, and there is much in this landmark text that helps explain how change occurs in complex human systems. Since its initial publication, the book has become one of the most widely cited academic works in modern history and sold over 1 million copies. Even 50 years on, Amazon currently has the anniversary edition listed at #12 in books about the philosophy of science and math and in the top 1,500 of all books currently for sale on the site. I first read ''Structure'' in business school in an introductory strategy class and still have my dog eared copy on my bookshelf at home.
  The message of Kuhn's opus is simple: mankind's scientific knowledge advances in fits and starts, centered on rival theories of how the world works. These belief structures, which he called 'Paradigms,'' start life when existing theoretical models have run their course and no longer yield new insights. They are, at first, actually inferior at explaining the world around us versus their aged counterparts. But with time, adherents to the new paradigm refine it to the point where it succeeds the old models. Most activities that pass for ''Science'' actually do nothing more than try to prove the currently accepted ''Paradigm.'' For mankind's knowledge to advance materially, some renegade scientist must propose a ''Paradigm shift'' '' a set of novel ideas which attempt to explain where the old model gets things wrong. He or she may be initially shunned by the adherents of the old paradigm, but eventually they gather up followers interested in doing the research to prove the new models correct.
  For me, this description also neatly describes how prevailing investment themes develop, mature, and then die in capital markets. Granted, economics and stock market analysis are not as rigorously scientific as physics (Kuhn's specialty), chemistry or other natural sciences. The structure of how ideas become ''Paradigms'' is largely the same, however '' as well as how those same notions eventually die off and get replaced by new ones. In fact, what strikes me as most telling about the current investment climate is just how many ''Paradigms'' are currently in flux.
  Here's a quick ''Top 10'' style list of ideas which are undergoing noticeable change:
  U.S. equity market structure. The Securities " Exchange Commission's list of approved Alternative Trading Systems contains the names of dozens of venues where investors can buy or sell U.S. equities. Keeping all these ATS's in sync requires market participants who both put their own capital to work arbitraging price differences and spend the money to write computer code quick enough to beat the competition trying to do the same thing. This structure is wildly different from that used before 1998, when the SEC formally approved the first regulations for these venues. Old paradigm: Human traders at a few locations. New Paradigm: Computerized systems coordinating many locations.Fragility of the global financial system. While it may seem impossible in today's world, the last +20 years have seen large institutions fail and markets whipsaw without it meaning financial Armageddon. Remember the names Drexel Burnham and Lincoln Savings, or the date October 19, 1987? If you don't, it's because the global financial system could absorb the shock seeing a major investment and/or commercial bank fail and a 22.6% one day decline in the stock market without wondering about the end of Western civilization. Now, the market's belief structure (''Paradigm'') seems to believe that the failure of any large institution is just the beginning of a long chain of falling dominos. Old paradigm: smaller institutions, fewer common linkages. New paradigm: large mission-critical institutions, intertwined by common ownership in similar financial assets.Reliance on political decision makers to maintain European currency union. No one ever wondered if the French Franc or Italian Lira would survive. Or the Drachma, for that matter. Elected governments '' or dictatorial ones, for that matter '' were inextricably tied to their national currencies. Now, the euro needs a friendly pat on the back from policymakers pretty much every day, or it goes off to sulk. Old paradigm: single-country currencies, beholden to local fundamentals and political systems. New paradigm: currency blocks, managed across multinational boundaries by unelected officials.Sustainable long term stock market returns. About the same time I was reading ''Structure,'' I was also learning that U.S. stocks rose an average of 8-11% on a compounded basis over a 10-15 year time frame. Since the year 2000, the S"P 500 has been to 1,500 twice, only to fall back again in the following years to 800 or below. Investors of all stripes have taken notice, pulling almost $500 billion from U.S. stock mutual funds since 2007 and doing less trading of individual stocks. Old paradigm: Buy and Hold. New paradigm: Better safe than sorry.Exchange Traded Funds versus stocks. While the belief in the U.S. stock market has taken a hit, ETFs continue to grow. Some of the most successful launches over the past year are in low-volatility products, which buy stocks that exhibit below-average levels of price movement. Dividend-oriented investing has also been popular. Old paradigm: ''Widows and orphan stocks'' like utilities. New paradigm: ''Widows and orphans ETFs'' like emerging market dividend products and a good ''Min-vol'' fund. How to perform single - stock research. Twenty years ago, most public companies didn't even do quarterly earnings conference calls. You got the press release faxed to you, you called the investor relations rep or the chief financial officer, and prayed they would call you back that day. If you wanted an annual report, the company would mail it to you. Now, the Internet makes all this look silly, of course. But it also means that getting an investment edge is all that much harder. Old paradigm: Call the company, its competitors, its suppliers, the analysts that follow it, and go to trade shows and conferences. New paradigm: let someone else do the work '' just buy a diversified index.Volatility. Wild and whippy action in stock markets is nothing new, and we didn't need market structure problems to have a 22% one day crash in 1987. The difference is that the S"P 500 still returned 6% in that year. Now, volatility means the risk of losses that might take years to replace. Old paradigm: Buy and hold. New paradigm: Buy the dips, sell the rallies.Substandard economic expansion. From low consumer confidence to still-high unemployment to structural underemployment, the current U.S. economic ''Recover'' is extremely weak versus historical norms. Old paradigm: +5% GDP growth for a year or two off the economic ''Bottom.'' New paradigm: Recovery? What recovery?Unusual central bank policies and tools. The job of a central banker used to be pretty simple. Lower interest rates in a recession, increase them in a recovery. Fight inflation by never letting your local economy overheat. Now, you need to have a full-fledged fixed income desk and portfolio management system to track the billions '' if not trillions of dollars/euros of bonds you need to buy in order to execute on your policy decisions. Old paradigm: quiet, unknown central bankers toiling in relative obscurity. New paradigm: central banker as rock-star hedge fund manager.Corporate reinvestment policies. Used to be that well regarded growth companies all took great pains to expand their businesses. Maybe they integrated vertically, buying up customers or suppliers. Or perhaps the company in question grew their international operations, launching their brand into large developed markets high-growth emerging economies. Now, most companies seem to have dividend/buybacks closer to the top of their lists. Can you imagine the response most CEOs would get if they announced a new initiative to expand in Europe right now? Old paradigm: winning companies reinvest and grow as quickly as is prudent. New paradigm: slow and steady may not actually win the race, but it won't likely get you fired, either. The bottom line here is that a lot has changed in 20 years or so. And it's not just a few ''Big'' concepts; it's practically everything from what makes for winning corporate strategy to how investors of all stripes consider basic asset allocation. In the language of Kuhn's opus, there are many ''Paradigm shifts'' all occurring at once. That doesn't necessary spell disaster. But it does mean that a whole range of ''Old'' ideas are heading out the door as an equally expansive set of new paradigms are moving in and setting up shop. Remember that new paradigms don't often have as much to them as the old ideas they replace. They are often actually inferior. Over time they get their bearings, yes. But the transition is rough.
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Back to school - Time for drugs?
  Link to Article
  Source: NaturalNews.com
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:14
  (NaturalNews) The school year is about to begin for America's children and drug prescribing will be back in full swing after the lull of summer vacation. Parents are being informed that their children will not be admitted to school without their required vaccinations. As parents rush to their pediatricians for completion of school forms, vaccine boosters come fast and furious. Whooping cough, measles, and hepatitis vaccines are now administered to schoolchildren in record numbers.Parents are not informed that these vaccine boosters are not actually needed for school entry. Quite the opposite. Parents are pressured into giving vaccines even against their wishes. But in all states vaccine exemptions are readily available to parents. Nearly half have philosophical exemptions so that parents can merely submit a note stating that vaccines are contrary to their personal beliefs. In the remaining states parents can obtain a religious exemption, which can also be determined by a personal belief.
  Vaccines are controversial for many reasons, not the least of which is the risk of serious adverse reactions. The association between vaccines and autism and ADHD has many parents worried about their children's safety. But if the increasing number of required vaccines for children is causing an increase in learning disorders and attention problems parents can be assured that other drugs will be prescribed for these problems.
  Prescriptions for ADHD have skyrocketed to record numbers. Children are expected to sit quietly and passively in classrooms regardless of their individual learning styles. If a child learns best through exploration and active participation, they may be seen as disruptive. Lack of conformity to the expected norms of behavior can land children in the pediatrician's office for prescriptions to calm them down. These prescriptions for supposed ADHD behaviors attempt to manipulate brain chemistry and neurotransmitters, sometimes with disastrous results. Side effects of these medications may include insomnia, tics, sedation, and suicidal thoughts. And yet children are routinely medicated with antidepressants, amphetamine-like stimulants, and other ADHD drugs at the request of teachers and schools.
  There are alternatives for parents to all of these drugs. If children have a resilient immune system, then they may not need vaccines to artificially stimulate antibody production. A whole foods diet and a few nutritional supplements will produce a healthy and vigorous immune system with the strength to resist and control infections. Herbal supplements like Astragalus, elderberry, and medicinal mushrooms all have the ability to activate and balance the immune system. Nutritional supplements such as whey protein, vitamin D, and probiotics also support and activate the immune system.
  There are supplements also that can improve children's attention functions and sharpen mental processes. The Omega three fats in fish oil promote healthy communication between nerves that results in efficient mental processing. Other supplements can safely develop more alertness and focus in children. Holistic pediatric specialists are well-trained in using these supplements. However, taking a different perspective on children's behavior helps to keep a sense of balance when viewing these symptoms. For example, a child who is impulsive and easily distracted will flourish in an environment that encourages active learning. And of course these active, inquisitive, and restless children become the stars on the soccer field and basketball court. They become the innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders in their future careers. It's a matter of perspective.
  It is time that we re-evaluate the use of drugs to control symptoms in children when safer, more effective methods are available.
  About the author:Dr. Randall Neustaedter, OMD, has practiced and taught holistic medicine for more than thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area, specializing in child health care. He is a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine, author of The Holistic Baby Guide, Child Health Guide and The Vaccine Guide. Visit his website, www.cure-guide.com, to register for a free newsletter with pediatric specialty articles and follow him on Facebook, at Dr. Randall Neustaedter, OMD.
  people have commented on this article.
Newsweek On Barack Obama '' 'We Need A New President''
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:41
  This week's cover of Newsweek is certainly an entirely out of place moment for the longstanding and avid supporter of Barack Obama. Not sure what the ''story behind the story'' actually is, but for all of us who long ago realized that Barack Obama must not be allowed a second term of damage upon the United States, we'll take it'...
  EXCERPT:
  '...Yet the question confronting the country nearly four years later is not who was the better candidate four years ago. It is whether the winner has delivered on his promises. And the sad truth is that he has not.
  '...Welcome to Obama's America: nearly half the population is not represented on a taxable return'--almost exactly the same proportion that lives in a household where at least one member receives some type of government benefit. We are becoming the 50''50 nation'--half of us paying the taxes, the other half receiving the benefits.
  '...The failures of leadership on economic and fiscal policy over the past four years have had geopolitical consequences. The World Bank expects the U.S. to grow by just 2 percent in 2012. China will grow four times faster than that; India three times faster. By 2017, the International Monetary Fund predicts, the GDP of China will overtake that of the United States.
  '...''This is what happens when you get caught by surprise,'' an anonymous American official told The New York Times in February 2011. ''We've had endless strategy sessions for the past two years on Mideast peace, on containing Iran. And how many of them factored in the possibility that Egypt moves from stability to turmoil? None.''
  '...Mitt Romney is not the best candidate for the presidency I can imagine. But he was clearly the best of the Republican contenders for the nomination. He brings to the presidency precisely the kind of experience'--both in the business world and in executive office'--that Barack Obama manifestly lacked four years ago. (If only Obama had worked at Bain Capital for a few years, instead of as a community organizer in Chicago, he might understand exactly why the private sector is not ''doing fine'' right now.) And by picking Ryan as his running mate, Romney has given the first real sign that'--unlike Obama'--he is a courageous leader who will not duck the challenges America faces.
  The voters now face a stark choice. They can let Barack Obama's rambling, solipsistic narrative continue until they find themselves living in some American version of Europe, with low growth, high unemployment, even higher debt'--and real geopolitical decline.
  Or they can opt for real change: the kind of change that will end four years of economic underperformance, stop the terrifying accumulation of debt, and reestablish a secure fiscal foundation for American national security.
  I've said it before: it's a choice between les ‰tats Unis and the Republic of the Battle Hymn.
  I was a good loser four years ago. But this year, fired up by the rise of Ryan, I want badly to win.
  LINK
Barack Obama Calls Cuban-American Senator ''Boy''
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:41
  A just- published Politico report details the racist and over emotional tendencies of a president who is nothing like the image presented to voters that was carefully created for him back in 2008 '' including dismissing one of the most prominent minority politicians in the nation as a ''boy''.
  EXCERPT:
  President Barack Obama's campaign team, celebrated four years ago for its exceptional cohesion and eyes-on-the-prize strategic focus, has been shadowed this time by a succession of political disagreements and personal rivalries that haunted the effort at the outset.
  Second-guessing about personnel, strategy and tactics has been a dominant theme of the reelection effort, according to numerous current and former Obama advisers who were interviewed for ''Obama's Last Stand,'' an e-book out Monday published in a collaboration between POLITICO and Random House.
  '...Obama's trash-talking competitiveness, a trait that has defined him since his days on the court as a basketball-obsessed teenager in Hawaii, was on display one night last February, when the president spotted a woman he knew was close to Sen. Marco Rubio in a Florida hotel lobby. ''Is your boy going to go for [vice president]?'' the president asked her. Maybe, she replied.
  ''Well,'' he said, chuckling, according to a person who witnessed the encounter. ''Tell your boy to watch it. He might get his ass kicked.''
  _______________
  Barack Obama knows well the insult intended by calling another man ''boy'' in any context. It is the kind of insult, if he were to repeat such an insult minus his current security protection to a typical Hispanic or African American, that would result in the frail and thin Obama picking his own ass up off the floor. Barack Obama is certainly many things, but a man capable of ''kicking the ass'' of another man is not one of them. Add to this the fact it is the Obama administration that killed hundreds of Mexican civilians via its failed and deadly Fast and Furious program and you have the very troubling glimpse into how little regard Obama holds for segments of voters who he believes will support him regardless any damage his own policies might inflict upon them.
  The Politico book promises to be a fascinating read '' but a here is a summary that points to the real fear that now grips Team Obama '' a Romney victory will ensure that all of the socialist Big Government gains Barack Obama has made over the course of four years could be undone within the the Romney's first term, and so to then would the longer term Obama legacy be dismantled as well:
  The two things Obama fears most about a Romney victory: A 7-to-2 conservative Supreme Court within a few years. And the equally unbearable possibility, in his mind, that Romney will get to take a victory lap on an economic rebound Obama sees as just around the corner. ''I'm not going to let him win '... so that he can take credit when the economy turns around,'' Obama said, according to an aide.
  LINK
WHOA '' Mitt Romney Calls For Audit Of Federal Reserve (WSI Related)
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:40
  Leaving little doubt regarding his feelings on the growing influence of the Ben Bernanke led Federal Reserve, GOP candidate Mitt Romney says its time for an audit investigation into the FED:
  EXCERPT:
  Borrowing Rep. Ron Paul's presidential campaign push, Mitt Romney said Monday he thinks the Federal Reserve should face an audit.
  ''Very plain and simple, the answer is yes. The Federal Reserve should be accountable. We should see what they're doing,'' Mr. Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said at a town hall in New Hampshire.
  Mr. Paul, the Texas congressman who is still technically in the running for the Republican nomination, though he does not have the delegates to win it at next week's convention, made an audit of the Fed a chief part of his campaign.
  The GOP's platform committee begins meeting later Monday, and Mr. Paul is seeking to have a Fed audit included as an official position of the party. Gov. Bob McDonnell, the platform committee's chairman, told The Washington Times last month that he supported accountability at the Fed, and said the committee was looking at a number of Mr. Paul's ideas.
  LINK
  ________________
  Our own Wall Street insider, over the course of numerous interviews, pointed both to the need to do battle against Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve, as well as demanding I and others maintain respect for many of the ideals represented by the Ron Paul campaign.
  It certainly appears something has taken place behind the scenes to bring those ideals into the Romney campaign and the GOP platform.
  That kind of ''something'' normally takes influence '' and that kind of influence normally only comes from those with considerable resources.
  Indeed'...
WikiLeaks and the Global Future of Free Speech
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:37
  WE have spent our careers as filmmakers making the case that the news media in the United States often fail to inform Americans about the uglier actions of our own government. We therefore have been deeply grateful for the accomplishments of WikiLeaks, and applaud Ecuador's decision to grant diplomatic asylum to its founder, Julian Assange, who is now living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London.
  Ecuador has acted in accordance with important principles of international human rights. Indeed, nothing could demonstrate the appropriateness of Ecuador's action more than the British government's threat to violate a sacrosanct principle of diplomatic relations and invade the embassy to arrest Mr. Assange.
  Since WikiLeaks' founding, it has revealed the ''Collateral Murder'' footage that shows the seemingly indiscriminate killing of Baghdad civilians by a United States Apache attack helicopter; further fine-grained detail about the true face of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; United States collusion with Yemen's dictatorship to conceal our responsibility for bombing strikes there; the Obama administration's pressure on other nations not to prosecute Bush-era officials for torture; and much more.
  Predictably, the response from those who would prefer that Americans remain in the dark has been ferocious. Top elected leaders from both parties have called Mr. Assange a ''high-tech terrorist.'' And Senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who leads the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has demanded that he be prosecuted under the Espionage Act. Most Americans, Britons and Swedes are unaware that Sweden has not formally charged Mr. Assange with any crime. Rather, it has issued a warrant for his arrest to question him about allegations of sexual assault in 2010.
  All such allegations must be thoroughly investigated before Mr. Assange moves to a country that might put him beyond the reach of the Swedish justice system. But it is the British and Swedish governments that stand in the way of an investigation, not Mr. Assange.
  Swedish authorities have traveled to other countries to conduct interrogations when needed, and the WikiLeaks founder has made clear his willingness to be questioned in London. Moreover, the Ecuadorean government made a direct offer to Sweden to allow Mr. Assange to be interviewed within Ecuador's embassy. In both instances, Sweden refused.
  Mr. Assange has also committed to traveling to Sweden immediately if the Swedish government pledges that it will not extradite him to the United States. Swedish officials have shown no interest in exploring this proposal, and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt recently told a legal adviser to Mr. Assange and WikiLeaks unequivocally that Sweden would not make such a pledge. The British government would also have the right under the relevant treaty to prevent Mr. Assange's extradition to the United States from Sweden, and has also refused to pledge that it would use this power. Ecuador's attempts to facilitate that arrangement with both governments were rejected.
  Taken together, the British and Swedish governments' actions suggest to us that their real agenda is to get Mr. Assange to Sweden. Because of treaty and other considerations, he probably could be more easily extradited from there to the United States to face charges. Mr. Assange has every reason to fear such an outcome.The Justice Department recently confirmed that it was continuing to investigate WikiLeaks, and just-disclosed Australian government documents from this past February state that ''the U.S. investigation into possible criminal conduct by Mr. Assange has been ongoing for more than a year.'' WikiLeaks itself has published e-mails from Stratfor, a private intelligence corporation, which state that a grand jury has already returned a sealed indictment of Mr. Assange. And history indicates Sweden would buckle to any pressure from the United States to hand over Mr. Assange. In 2001 the Swedish government delivered two Egyptians seeking asylum to the C.I.A., which rendered them to the Mubarak regime, which tortured them.
  If Mr. Assange is extradited to the United States, the consequences will reverberate for years around the world. Mr. Assange is not an American citizen, and none of his actions have taken place on American soil. If the United States can prosecute a journalist in these circumstances, the governments of Russia or China could, by the same logic, demand that foreign reporters anywhere on earth be extradited for violating their laws. The setting of such a precedent should deeply concern everyone, admirers of WikiLeaks or not.
  We urge the people of Britain and Sweden to demand that their governments answer some basic questions: Why do the Swedish authorities refuse to question Mr. Assange in London? And why can neither government promise that Mr. Assange will not be extradited to the United States? The citizens of Britain and Sweden have a rare opportunity to make a stand for free speech on behalf of the entire globe.
  Michael Moore and Oliver Stone are Academy Award-winning filmmakers.
my heart attack
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Tue, 21 Aug 2012 04:36
  the light bouncing off the flat hudsonmish is sitting next to melast week i had a heart attackwhile walking in a parking lot in nyacki heard a loud commanding voicemore of a demand than requesti turned and saw an enormous womanstruggling to get out of her car''can u help me? she asked again''oh u r rosie odonnell''the ghost of christmas futurethere r no accidents i thoughtas i braced myself and lifted hershe was up and on her waya few hours later my body hurt i had an ache in my cheststrained or pulled tissuemaybe this is a heart attacki googled womens heart attack symptomsbut really? '' i thought '' naaaai took some bayer aspirin50% of women having heart attacks never call 911200,000 women die of heart attacksby some miracle i was not one of themthe next day i went to a cardiologistthe dr did an EKG and sent me to the hospitalthey call this type of heart attacklisten to the voice insidethe one we all so easily ignorexxx
WHITE HOUSE INSIDER: Obama Preps Media For ''Surprise'' Press Conference
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:50
  A quick on-the-road communication from a longtime D.C. political operative rips the cover off of what is being reported as a surprise visit by President Barack Obama to the daily White House press briefing. This was no surprise visit '' it was a carefully planned and staged event with the complicit cooperation of White House approved media figures all intended to gain political points by reigniting the now old and tired ''war on women'' ploy.
  You asked for more real time updates, so thought you might like to know the following. If you haven't seen it yet, president staged a surprise visit to the WHpc today. WH handlers had made contact with at least three members of media beforehand. They wanted to ensure question on the Akin rape comments was asked. Prepared notes for response by president were rehearsed. The moment was to provide campaign with a ''soundbite backdrop'' to fire up the war on women tactic they believe provided a bump in the polls couple months back. This kind of thing isn't new. Pretty common with administrations to have some media folks they can cherry pick during a p.c.
  Thing on this though is that WH staff divided on whether or not to run with this one. They are not sure some guy running for Senator is right to try and make a national campaign issue out of it and they fear the Romney team has a prepared response to create backlash. This shows a couple things. One, Romney and Ryan are totally in the Obama team's head. Got them biting each other up pretty regular now. Second, they are losing confidence in how to run a national campaign big time.
  I'm not going to share which side of the argument I think is the right one on this. Don't want to give an assist to the Obama folks. I'll just say that the final decision came down to ''get him out there'' and that is what happened. Obama was pushed out onto the stage with some crib notes and instructions to wait for the abortion question. The question came and the president read from his notes. If you find a video of it, you will notice him looking down at those notes. I had to laugh when Obama tries to manufacture outrage when he gets to that word. You can see the little rodent in his head spinning around the wheel telling him to ''act outraged'' but the guy just can't pull it off anymore. What Akin said was clumsy but it sure as hell wasn't what the media and Obama are trying to spin it off as. That's the game being played there though, so that is that. They are gonna try and make this a national issue, move some swing state numbers, we'll see about that.
  Oh, and one other thing. BC is negotiating the content with the Obama team for the convention. They are trying to tell Clinton what he can and cannot talk about. BC told them to go f-ck themselves. That they need him not the other way around. Pretty sure Bill is gonna get his way on this one. Not sure what the payback for him is on this but there has got to be one. More than just the national spotlight. No, he's gonna squeeze Obama for everything he can. A Clinton never forgives. Never.
  Did you catch that Newsweek cover? The Old Man must of added another zero on the check for that one.
  Almost forgot. There was a big to do over FnF inside the Republican leadership. One of them, I didn't get a name, but one of them threatened either the Speaker or the Senate minority leader. The threat was to go public now with information instead of waiting it out. Apparently the leadership is telling him they must roll it out careful, that the timing is good for the election, etc. This guy has had it with that sh-t. He is telling them politics shouldn't have anything to do with it. That it needs to be an all or nothing moment. That tells me some kind of information got out during the investigation. Or somebody told them there is something in those docs that are being covered up when Obama declared Executive Privilege. That's me guessing but nothing else makes sense. This guy has been pretty quiet following the party line lead on all of this for months and now he's extremely pissed off. When that kind of in-house defection happens, look for leaks. They often soon follow. Will follow up if I get specifics on who it was screaming at the leadership. Republicans don't normally carry on like that, so it's got to be something significant.
  -WHI
  _____________________
  And here is video of that Obama press conference WHI discusses. Sure enough, check out the president reading notes prior to his response:
Official: British director Tony Scott dead after jumping from California bridge
  Link to Article
  Source: robertleather news feed
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:05
  By Chelsea J. Carter and JD Cargill, CNN
  August 20, 2012 -- Updated 0646 GMT (1446 HKT)
  Director Tony Scott dead at 68
  Director Tony Scott dead at 68
  Director Tony Scott dead at 68
  Director Tony Scott dead at 68
  Director Tony Scott dead at 68
  STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  NEW: "The family asks for privacy at this time," a publicist says"There's nothing to indicate it is anything else" than suicide, an official saysScott, 68, jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, an official saysThe death is being treated as a suicide, the official says Los Angeles (CNN) -- Director Tony Scott, best known for the films "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," died in an apparent suicide Sunday when he jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California, an official with the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office told CNN.
  "There's nothing to indicate it is anything else at this time," said Lt. Joe Bale of the coroner's office.
  Scott, 68, jumped from the bridge at about 12:30 p.m., Bale said. The bridge spans the Los Angeles Harbor, connecting San Pedro and Terminal Island.
  A passerby who saw Scott jump from the bridge called 911, according to a statement released by the coroner's office late Sunday.
  "The L.A. Port Police recovered the body from the water," the statement said.
  The coroner's office declined to comment or confirm a Los Angeles Times report that authorities found contact information in Scott's car parked on the bridge, and later found a suicide note in his office.
  Born Anthony D.L. Scott in North Shields, England, in 1944, Tony -- as he was known -- got his start as a teenager in front of the camera, starring in his older brother Ridley Scott's film "Boy and Bicycle." In 1995, the two joined forces to create the production company, Scott Free Productions.
  Simon Halls, a publicist who represents the Scott brothers, confirmed the death.
  "The family asks for privacy during this time," Halls said.
  Tony Scott became a household name in 1986 as director of the mega-hit "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. He followed that up with the Eddie Murphy action movie, "Beverly Hills Cop II" in 1987.
  In the 1990s, Scott cemented his reputation for big-budget action films with 1990's "Revenge" starring Kevin Costner and "Days of Thunder" with Tom Cruise. In 1998 he directed "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith and Gene Hackman.
  Reaction to Scott's death poured out through Twitter, with directors, actors and fans mourning news of his death.
  "Tragic day," director Ron Howard said via Twitter.
  Actor-director James Gunn posted" "RIP Tony Scott. He was a huge inspiration. Very sad."
  Scott directed his last film, the train thriller "Unstoppable" starring Denzel Washington, in 2010.
  In 2002, the Scott brothers won an Emmy for the television movie "The Gathering Storm."
  JD Cargill reported from Los Angeles; Chelsea J. Carter, from Atlanta. CNN's Greg Morrison, Holly Yan and Ed Payne contributed to this report.
Bakery Refuses to Serve Biden: Angry over 'You Didn't Build That'
  Link to Article
  Source: pg.chrys news feed
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:04
Curiosity rover's laser instrument zaps first martian rock
  Link to Article
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:03
  This composite image, with magnified insets, depicts the first laser test by the Chemistry and Camera, or ChemCam, instrument aboard NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. The composite incorporates a Navigation Camera image taken prior to the test, with insets taken by the camera in ChemCam. The circular insert highlights the rock before the laser test. The square inset is further magnified and processed to show the difference between images taken before and after the laser interrogation of the rock. The test took place on Aug. 19, 2012. In the composite, the fist-sized rock, called "Coronation," is highlighted. Coronation is the first rock on any extraterrestrial planet to be investigated with such a laser test. The widest context view in this composite comes from Curiosity's Navigation Camera. The magnified views in the insets come from ChemCam's camera, the Remote Micro-Imager. The area shown in the circular inset is 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) in diameter. It was taken before the rock was hit with the laser. The area covered in the further-magnified square inset is 8 millimeters (about one-third of an inch) across. It combines information from images taken before and after the test, subtracting the "before" image from the "after" image to make the changes in the rock visible. Curiosity's Chemistry and Camera instrument (ChemCam) inaugurated use of its laser when it used the beam to investigate Coronation during Curiosity's 13th day after landing. ChemCam hit Coronation with 30 pulses of its laser during a 10-second period. Each pulse delivered more than a million watts of power for about five one-billionths of a second. The energy from the laser excited atoms in the rock into an ionized, glowing plasma. ChemCam also caught the light from that spark with a telescope and analyzed it with three spectrometers for information about what elements are in the target. This initial use of the laser on Mars served as target practice for characterizing the instrument but may provide additional value. Researchers will check whether the composition changed as the pulses progressed. If it did change, that could indicate dust or other surface material being penetrated to reveal different composition beneath the surface. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP
  (Phys.org) -- Today, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity fired its laser for the first time on Mars, using the beam from a science instrument to interrogate a fist-size rock called "Coronation."
  The mission's Chemistry and Camera instrument, or ChemCam, hit the fist-sized rock with 30 pulses of its laser during a 10-second period. Each pulse delivers more than a million watts of power for about five one-billionths of a second.
  The energy from the laser excites atoms in the rock into an ionized, glowing plasma. ChemCam catches the light from that spark with a telescope and analyzes it with three spectrometers for information about what elements are in the target.
  "We got a great spectrum of Coronation -- lots of signal," said ChemCam Principal Investigator Roger Wiens of Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M. "Our team is both thrilled and working hard, looking at the results. After eight years building the instrument, it's payoff time!"
  ChemCam recorded spectra from the laser-induced spark at each of the 30 pulses. The goal of this initial use of the laser on Mars was to serve as target practice for characterizing the instrument, but the activity may provide additional value. Researchers will check whether the composition changed as the pulses progressed. If it did change, that could indicate dust or other surface material being penetrated to reveal different composition beneath the surface. The spectrometers record intensity at 6,144 different wavelengths of ultraviolet, visible and infrared light.
  "It's surprising that the data are even better than we ever had during tests on Earth, in signal-to-noise ratio," said ChemCam Deputy Project Scientist Sylvestre Maurice of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP) in Toulouse, France. "It's so rich, we can expect great science from investigating what might be thousands of targets with ChemCam in the next two years."
  The technique used by ChemCam, called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, has been used to determine composition of targets in other extreme environments, such as inside nuclear reactors and on the sea floor, and has had experimental applications in environmental monitoring and cancer detection. Today's investigation of Coronation is the first use of the technique in interplanetary exploration.
  Curiosity landed on Mars two weeks ago, beginning a two-year mission using 10 instruments to assess whether a carefully chosen study area inside Gale Crater has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life.
  ChemCam was developed, built and tested by the U.S. Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory in partnership with scientists and engineers funded by the French national space agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and research agency, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).
  Provided byJPL/NASA
Obama Government On Ammunition Purchases '' Move Along Now, Nothing To See Here'...
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:01
  http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/48863
  Dishonorable DisclosuresThe Tragic Real Life Violence in Obama's Hollywood Movie
  - Judi McLeod
  Aside from the clear and present danger the Obama regime places the military and their families in by ongoing intelligence leaks, the most telling part of the video Dishonorable Disclosures is how Obama invited Hollywood to the White House for a briefing days after the killing of Osama bin Laden.
  Still shots in the film depict the lanky frame of Tom Hanks sprawled over a front row seat, with director Steven Spielberg at the other end of the front row of the White House Movie Theatre. Today Hanks and Spielberg play pivotal roles in the reelection campaign of President Barack Hussein Obama.
  The highly controversial OPSECDishonorable Disclosures: Why Congress must hold Obama accountable for national security breaches is going viral on the Internet.
  ''America's politicians need to recognize that the right and proper role of the U.S. military is for defense and national emergencies only, not political gain,'' writes the Washington Times. ''While politicians in air conditioned rooms jockey for electoral capital, someone's father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter is wearing the uniform and is in harm's way on behalf of those politicians.''
  Dishonorable Disclosures finishes the true story that not only did Obama take full credit for the Navy SEAL raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, but that the world-viewed photograph of a casually dressed Obama posing with VP Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton watching the raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan in the White House Situation Room, was merely the forerunner for a coming Hollywood film intended to lionize Obama as bin Laden's killer three weeks before the November 6 election.
  Following the raid, Obama refused outright to release any pictures of bin Laden's corpse'--but had already granted full access to 'the vault''--a CIA installation where some of the planning for the bin Laden raid took place to Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal for a film, titled Zero Dark Thirty.
  The only good news in the entire staged saga is that the film has been forced back from an October 12 release to a December 19 one.
  Without the brilliant investigative work of Judicial Watch, whose documents were obtained through a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act, the Obama/Hollywood movie deal would never have seen the light of day.
  Without the courage and savvy of the OPSEC Intelligence and Special Operations Team, the public at large would never have known about the current administration's sellout of intelligence for sheer political gain.
  According to the Daily Mail Reporter, ''The CIA and Pentagon have said that there was nothing unusual about their dealings with the filmmakers''.
  Speaking in Dishonorable Disclosures, retired CIA officer Fred Rustmann points out, ''Days after the raid, Hollywood was invited into the White House so that they could receive a briefing on exactly how the raid took place. What kind of sources we had, what kind of methods we used all for the purpose of making a Hollywood movie.''
  ''What was done was stupid. But it was more than stupid because it was done with malice of forethought. It was done for a political purpose.
  Bill Cowan, Lt. Col. USMC (Ret,) said, ''And somewhere in this administration, perhaps at the highest levels there are people who don't understand what the requirements are that are put on anybody else when we divulge national security information such as the identity of the organization that killed Osama bin Ladin.''
  ''We have now put all of those men, all of their families, everybody around them at some sort of risk. When is the payback going to come?''
  Loose lips sink ships and claim the lives of the very people out on deadly missions to protect the freedom of citizens.
  While Obama has come on like a modern day version of Billy the Kid bragging that he ''killed Osama'', Shakeel Afridi, the Pakistan doctor whose intelligence led the Navy SEALS to bin laden rots in a Pakistani jail.
  In the end Dishonorable Disclosures sends a vital message to America: There's a Marxist activist squatting on the White House and until he's gone the lives of our bravest are at risk.
How police tracked down Steve Jobs' stolen iPads
  Link to Article
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:43
  The digital breadcrumbs left behind when people use Internet-connected gadgets are what led California investigators to recover iMacs, iPads and other items stolen from the home of the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
  Based on the police report, obtained by the IDG News Service, here's how they did it.
  BACKGROUND:Steve Jobs' home robbed for $60,000 in computers, personal items
  The burglary took place while the Jobs family home, in a leafy and quiet area of Palo Alto, was being renovated and was unoccupied. Sometime between the construction crew leaving the site at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, and arriving just before 8:00 a.m. the next morning, someone entered the house and stole several personal effects and Apple gadgets.
  Within several days, the Palo Alto Police Department had enlisted the help of the Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, a San Jose-based organization formed by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies that specializes in computer-related crimes. Local police wanted assistance tracking down the Apple computers and iPads that were reported stolen from the house.
  The REACT team reached out to Apple's own investigators, who had access to the company's computer systems, and supplied them with a list of serial numbers of stolen devices. Apple was quickly able to determine that one of the stolen iPads had connected with Apple's servers soon after the burglary.
  The iPad was trying to reinstall its operating system and was recorded connecting from an AT"T U-verse Internet IP address from 7:22 a.m. to 7:31 a.m. on July 18, the morning after the house was broken into and minutes before the returning construction workers would discover the break-in.
  Upon searching logs for the IP address, Apple investigators discovered a different iPad had connected from the same address at 8:10 a.m. on July 17, before the burglary took place, and again at 1:56 p.m. on July 20, after the break-in was reported to police. That iPad wasn't suspected stolen, but the iTunes account information gave investigators a lead.
  Tied with information from AT"T U-verse about the Internet connection, investigators were led to an address in Alameda, on the east side of San Francisco Bay. At that address Kariem McFarlin, the suspect in the case, was paying for AT"T Internet service, according to investigators.
  While police were building their case there was more activity on the stolen devices.
  Over a five day period, Apple investigators recorded activity on McFarlin's iTunes account linked to the iPad that originally connected to restore its operating system, a second iPad stolen from the Jobs' home and an iMac computer that was also missing, according to police. One of the iPads later connected from a Comcast Internet connection in Alameda using a different iTunes account.
  Investigators say they searched McFarlin's Facebook page and discovered their suspect and the owner of this new iTunes account were friends.
  Before investigators made their move there was one final check that had to be made.
  The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.
http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/19/us-drone-strikes-kill-pakistan?cat=world&type=article
  Link to Article
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 14:17
  A flurry of US drone attacks pounded northern Pakistan over the weekend, killing 13 people in three separate attacks, officials and witnesses said on Sunday.
  The attacks came as Pakistanis celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.
  A drone killed five people and injured two in North Waziristan early on Sunday morning, an intelligence official said.
  He said the death toll was based on intercepted conversations between the militants.
  Later on Sunday, another drone attack killed two people and injured two others near the site of the previous attack, said two intelligence officials.
  On Saturday, a drone attack killed six people and injured two.
  The dead were local Taliban and fighters from the southern province of Punjab, said security officials and a tribal source.
  Drone strikes are controversial in Pakistan, where many politicians condemn them as a violation of sovereignty.
  But the United States sees them as a key tool in the fight against terrorism.
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/financial-crime-as-events-unfold-senior-tories-regret-approaching-matters-with-an-open-mouth/
  Link to Article
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:49
  Julian Assange, Newscorp and Standard " Chartered were all dismissed too quickly by the Government. It shows no signs of learning from such mistake.
  People have often asked me in the past why the 'powers that be' are so keen to stitch up Julian Assange. And stitch him up they have '' be in no doubt about that. I have posted many times before about my sincere belief that Assange is a disturbed and controlling megalomaniac, but there can be no doubt that his invention of Wikileaks was an act of genius that has evoked a massive Establishment backlash.
  However, we must be very clear about the specific Establishment involved here.
  Whether those of Right or Left like it or not, it was the financial nature of actual and promised leaks from Assange's site that first fired up the Powers of Darkness. And Hague '' who turned left to America rather than right to the EU on the day he took office '' is taking his orders from Washington and Wall Street, not Brussels'...the last of that trio being a City he rarely visits. (In policy terms since 2010, let's face it '' it shows).
  Hague would've made a first class Chancellor, but the job was of course given on the basis of the Bullingdon Leg-Up into Camerlot. Sadly, the Mekon is a washout as Foreign Secretary. Having done the business up every American backside, he now compounds the crime by knee-jerking to classic US 'let's storm the place' by issuing a truly childish ultimatum to Ecuador. He has now, as the legal advice has finally been heard, been forced to back-pedal into 'wanting talks' about it.
  Last week, first Boris Gobson and then Gobeon Osborne had a crack at New York regulator Ben Lawsky'...only to watch 36 hours later as the 'entirely innocent' Peter Sands fessed up to 250 BILLION bucks of wrongdoing'...as opposed to 14 MILLION. I take the point of critics that SCB is stupid rather than malignant: but if that be entirely true, why feel the need to lie at all?
  Now a genuinely tragic dimension has entered the not entirely Standard behaviour of SCB and its advisors Deloittes, as news breaks that the family of a senior Deloitte partner has called for answers after he apparently committed suicide days after the auditing firm was linked to the Standard Chartered Iran dollar trades scandal.
  There is a great deal more to come out about this yet. But aproaching tricky issues with an Open Mouth has become a near-generic feature of the Coalition in general and the Conservative Party in particular. David Cameron himself led the way with his dismissive drivel about first Andy Coulson and then Rebekah Brookes, while his arch-enemy Boris dsimissed the entire Newscorp scandal two years ago as ''Left-wing poppycock''.
  Surely we deserve better people in charge of the Nation's affairs? People like'...and'....um, also'....and then there's, er, '.....
  Like this:Be the first to like this.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2190391/Panel-rules-MMR-jab-girl-deaf--payout.html
  Link to Article
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:40
  By Mail On Sunday Reporter
  PUBLISHED:17:09 EST, 18 August 2012| UPDATED:17:09 EST, 18 August 2012
  Loss of hearing: Katie Stephen was left deaf by an MMR jab
  A woman has won her fight to prove she was left deaf by the MMR jab '' only the second time it has been linked to disability.
  But a medical assessment panel ruled Katie Stephen, 21, will not receive compensation because she is not considered disabled enough.
  Katie was given the measles, mumps and rubella jab in 1991 when she was 15 months old.
  But she developed a fever and irreparable damage to the nerve between her brain and ear, and is deaf on her left side.
  Officials at the Vaccine Damage Payment Unit accepted the vaccine was the likely cause of her hearing problems.
  But the body, run by the Department for Work and Pensions, ruled out compensation as she was only '20 per cent disabled'.
  Katie, of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, said: 'If my disability can be cast aside so easily, why have I sufferedso many difficulties in my life as a consequence? This has put me in a negative place.'
  Injection: Katie had the measles, mumps and rubella jab when she was just 15-months-old
  She was part of a group action. However, her case was never heard because the lawyers only pursued cases involving children with autism.
  An alleged link with the condition has since been discredited.
  The family is now involved in a new group action being brought by Blacks Solicitors, pursuing their ex-lawyers for professional negligence.
  A spokesman for the DWP would not comment on the case.
Hitte trekt alle energie uit het festivalpubliek... Maar daar is de supersoaker! - Lowlands
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:19
  Door: Robert van Gijssel ''19/08/12, 14:20
  (C) anp. Festivalbezoekers nemen deel aan een watergevecht tijdens de twintigste editie van het muziek- en cultuurfestival Lowlands.
  We wisten dat het warm ging worden. Tropisch, zoals dat dan heet als we in Nederland de dertig gradengrens passeren. Maar de hitte die zaterdagmiddag over het evenemententerrein bij Biddinghuizen trekt, valt nauwelijks in te calculeren.
  (C) anp.
  (C) anp.
  Hij legt lam, trekt alle energie uit het festivalpubliek, dat vanaf een uur of twee vrijwel uitsluitend bezig is met het zoeken naar een schaars schaduwplekje. En naar de paar schamele watertappunten bij de toiletten, waar de kranen drie dagen lang non-stop openstaan.
  Lowlands kijkt dus uit naar een semi-spontaan evenement, dat op zaterdagmiddag festivalgeschiedenis moet gaan schrijven: het waterpistolengevecht. Aangekondigd op Facebook, rondgepompt op Twitter: om vier uur 's middags, op het heetst van de dag, moet Lowlands de strijd aangaan met zichzelf, de tropenmanie en de landerigheid, bij de wc-blokken naast hoofdpodium Alpha. En zo verzamelt zich rond de afgesproken tijd een man of tweeduizend bij de toiletten, worden de supersoakers en waterballonnen tot de rand gevuld, en begint het wachten.
  Want hoe werkt zoiets eigenlijk? De festivalorganisatie heeft niets met dit randverschijnsel van doen, en er wordt dus geen startschot gegeven, geen vlaggetje omhoog gestoken. De royale opkomst van fotografen en cameraploegen staat er ook maar een beetje doelloos bij. Komt er nog wat, krijgen we ons beloofde perfecte plaatje?
  Soort startschotMaar dan suist er, kwart over vier, een goedgevulde ballon richting drie heren, die zich uit voorzorg hebben verschanst onder een Jip en Janneke-paraplu. Toch een soort startschot: de hel breekt los, en binnen de minuut verdeelt het pistolenpubliek zich in twee kampen. Het slimste heeft zich opgesteld bij de kranen. Groep twee zal in de aanval moeten, en organiseert inderdaad een stevige charge. Wie er middenin staat, heeft een prachtig uitzicht. Loeiende menigte, waarboven een moesson lijkt uitgebarsten. Een waterige omarming van festivalgangers die ondanks de strijd even erg van elkaar lijken te houden.
  Filmpje maken met de iPhone? Beter niet doen: een meisje krijgt ruim een liter tegen haar apparaat gekwakt. Dag iPhone.
  Ook vandaag laat Lowlands zich van de creatiefste kant zien. Niet in het bezit van supersoaker of ballonnenpakket? Geen probleem: pak zo'n gele Lowlandsvuilniszak, laat hem halfvol lopen en smijt de bal met vijftig liter verkoeling in iemands nek.
  Zo kunnen we er weer tegen. Toch maar even naar de Bravo, waar het onder het tentzeil inmiddels plus veertig moet zijn.
Webster Tarpley Set You Free News
  Link to Article
  Source: Set You Free News
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:17
  by PressTVGlobalNews
  Syrian security forces have retaken control over more areas in the country's northern city of Aleppo, as neighborhoods are being cleared of insurgents.
  A Syrian Army official in Aleppo said on Thursday that after two days of a major operation in the city's Sayf al-Dawla neighborhood, Army troops managed to inflict heavy losses on the insurgents fighting the Syrian government, and forced many of the anti-government elements to surrender.
  The official added that there were foreign nationals among the insurgents.
  Security forces also engaged the insurgents in Aleppo's other neighborhoods, including al-Sukkari and al-Hellok.
  Press TV has conducted an interview with Dr. Webster Griffin Tarpley, an author and historian from Washington, to further discuss the issue.
Government minister among victims of Sudan air crash
  Link to Article
  Source: euronews
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 13:06
  At least two people were killed and two others wounded when three car bombs went off in the centre of the Libyan capital Tripoli.Both the dead were civilians.The blasts happened near to the Interior Ministry and women's police academy which has been used recently by'...
LIVE! Politici vs uitgeput Lowlandspubliek
  Link to Article
  Source: GeenStijl
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:52
  Zondag. De beruchte Derde Dag van Lowlands. De kater is erger dan ooit. En wat de alcohol niet heeft vermoord, is wel gesloopt door de coke. Bovendien is het snikkelheet en wordt dat vandaag alleen maar erger. Gesloopt. Verwoest. Verzombificeerd. Kortom, ideaal publiek voor een stevig politiek debat in een snikhete tent. Om 11:00 gaan diverse politici met elkaar in debat in een poging de zielen van de doorgesnoven en kapot gezopen lowlandshipsters voor zich te winnen. Geinig. Gewoon geinig. Wij verheugen ons met name op leadgitarist Halbe Zijlstra die door drie half doorgebakken hippies en een paardenkop uitgejouwd gaat worden in de India. Verder, on the bassgitar, Volksmennertje DiederIKKUH Samsom. *beleefd applaus*. On the drums... ARROGANDER SMEAGOLD! *krekelgetjirp*. Ladies and gentlemen, our backing vocals, Sharon G-Houses, Mona Kaiser and, all the way from de zelfkant of Limburg, Jolande Juice! *geil gefluit, na opkomst een zucht van teleurstelling*. Deze band, genaamd FINROW (Fuck It's Not Roemer Or Wilders, vanwege de algehele reactie als men ze in de line-up ziet staan), zal hits ten gehore brengen als "Everything I Do... I Do It For Your", "You're Beautiful" en natuurlijk "Free Beer For Everybody". Ook zal FINROW een brute cover van 'Fight For Your Right... to Party' ten gehore brengen, genaamd 'Vote For Your Left... Party'. Afijn, bedelende politici met de cultuurbezuinigingen als Leitmotif voor een hardzwetend publiek dat bereid is met volle bierglazen te gooien. Must see Sundaymorning TV. Kijk doet u via Polifreak24 of LowlandsTube, waar u de rest van de dag ook live concerten kunt zien.
  Johnny Quid | 19-08-12 | 10:29 | Link |
Mail. Tesco buys its bottled water from UK blogger.
  Link to Article
  Source: the tap
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:50
  PA | Posted: 18/08/2012 08:55 Updated: 18/08/2012 08:55 Water cheek: The Daily Mail claims that some supermarket bottled water is from a tapTwo supermarkets have denied claims that the economy-price own-brand bottled water they sell is in fact tap water.The Daily Mail reported that bottles of Tesco Everyday Value Still Water and Asda Smartprice Still Water were sitting on shelves alongside big brands of mineral water such as Evian and Perrier.But it claimed they were simply a filtered version of what is supplied to almost all domestic homes and that there was no labelling on the bottles saying so.It was likened to the fictional situation in the sitcom Only Fools And Horses where protagonists Del Boy and Rodney Trotter start selling "Peckham Spring", which is in fact water from the taps of their London council flat.Both supermarkets denied misleading their customers in any way, saying the bottles gave customers a clear idea of what they were buying.Tesco profits have been well down this year as the campaign to boycott them for supporting middle east terror, particularly in Palestine and selling foods stolen from the occupied territories"Tesco sells a wide range of waters to suit all tastes and budgets. All of our products are clearly labelled so customers know what they are buying."Jeanette Longfield of campaigning ethical food group Sustain told The Daily Mail: "I hope people return to trustworthy tap water - saving money, saving energy and saving waste in the process."TAP - sorry about the awful joke in the title. I couldn't resist the opportunity. If the water is from the tap and filtered, that might be OK, but the filtration needs to be down to half a micron to take out toxic metals. I would be surprised they go down so low as it slows down the process. They should admit what they're doing and explain about filtration. How many microns, Tesco? The point about bottled water is that the water is permitted to have higher levels of toxic substances than tap water. These do not have to be declared on the list of ingredients. Filtered fresh water from the tap is actually safer than bottled water, as you all the toxins are taken out. The water in bottles has to contain preservatives as it sits in bottles for weeks before being consumed. It also absorbs plastic from the bottles. Get glass filled bottles if you have to drink bottled water.Tesco should sell half micron-filtered flowing water which people can bottle in the store. Then I'd allow them to use this blog's trademark, but not otherwise!
BBC News - Jay Leno takes pay cut to save staff
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:48
  19 August 2012Last updated at 06:11 ET US TV host Jay Leno has taken a pay cut to save the jobs of other members of staff working on the popular late night talk show The Tonight Show.
  Some 20 staff reportedly lost their jobs on Friday, as broadcaster NBC moves to reduce the show's costs.
  "Jay's foremost concern is for the wonderful people who work with him at The Tonight Show," said Bruce Bobbins, a spokesman for Leno.
  Reports suggest his salary will drop by more than $5 million (£3m) to $20m.
  "He did what was necessary to ensure their well-being," said Mr Bobbins.
  Leno's current salary is between $25 million and $30 million (£16-19m), and it is understood he volunteered to take a pay cut if it would save some jobs.
  Reports suggest his annual pay will now be closer to $20 million (£12.8m). He reportedly brings home another $15-$20m annually through personal appearances as a stand-up comedian.
  Other senior staff on The Tonight Show are also believed to have agreed to pay cuts.
  Weekly budget
  While the show remains the most watched late night show in the US, it struggles to make any money, according to experts inside the industry.
  The job cuts and salary reductions - first reported by Deadline.com - are believed to be part of a restructuring programme that will see the show's weekly production budget, estimated to be around $2.3 million, cut by 25% to $1.7m.
  NBC Universal has declined to comment.
  Leno has presented the talk show since taking over from host Johnny Carson in 1992. However, he briefly left in 2009 for a primetime slot on the network, and was replaced by Conan O'Brien.
  But ratings for both shows slumped and NBC took the decision to move Leno's new show to his original 23:35 slot and move O'Brien and the Tonight Show to after midnight.
  Following an acrimonious dispute, O'Brien evenutally quit with a $33m (£20m) pay-off after eight months, and Leno returned as host of The Tonight Show in March 2010.
Philippines widens sea search for missing interior minister| Reuters
  Link to Article
  Source: Reuters: World News
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:47
  MANILA | Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:07am EDT
  MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines has widened a search for the interior minister and two pilots a day since they went missing after a twin-engine light plane carrying them plunged into the sea off the central island of Masbate, the navy commander said on Sunday.
  Five navy and coastguard ships, nine aircraft and eight teams of divers searched waters off Masbate for the wreckage of a six-seat Piper Aircraft Seneca plane carrying Interior Minister Jesse Robredo on Saturday.
  Security officials said Robredo, 54, was aboard with his bodyguard and two pilots. Only the bodyguard is known to have survived. Fishermen found him floating about 300 meters from the shoreline.
  A U.S. military aircraft, equipped with infrared and Sonar, has also joined the search after one navy ship detected some metal on the seabed.
  "The process is that if something is detected, it will have to be checked by divers," Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, the navy chief, told reporters in Manila. "There is still no confirmation. We don't want to call it search and recovery."
  Pama said there is still hope for a miracle to find the minister alive, but he told Reuters the search area has been widened every hour that passed because of the strong currents in the sea around Masbate.
  President Benigno Aquino and his defense minister Voltaire Gazmin, flew to Masbate on Sunday to monitor developments in the search and rescue.
  Robredo visited the police training centre in Cebu on Saturday and was returning home to Camarines Sur province when his plane malfunctioned, forcing the pilots to seek the nearest airfield on Masbate.
  Witnesses told police they saw the plane crash into the sea, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the airport runway.
  Robredo is Aquino's close political ally and was presented with a Magsaysay Award, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel prize, in 2000 for reforms introduced as mayor of Naga City in the central Philippines.
  (Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing by Ed Lane)
Drugs are behind the Bushes, the Clintons and Obama
  Link to Article
  Source: the tap
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:45
  Let's see...Bush Sr. starts an illegal drug operationand one of its centers is in Arkansas.Then - out of the blue - an Arkansaspolitican comes out of nowhere andbecomes President. The operation continues unimpeded.Bush Jr. starts an illegal drug operation. One of its centers is in Chicago.Then - out of the blue - a Chicagopolitician comes from nowhere tobecome President and the operationcontinues unimpeded.Am I seeing double, or is there apattern here?Video:- BrasscheckMena Connection: Compromised: Clinton, Bush and the CIA, Drug smuggling
There's a war on for your mind!
  Link to Article
  Source: News 1 Stop
  Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:34
  jeff4justicesays:
  August 19, 2012 at 4:13 amAt least Richard Belzer made a pro-gay reference on his recent visit to the Alex show as Alex continues his anti-libertarian attack on LGBT people.
  I've never been ashamed of Alex until now.
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