What Adam Curry is reading

How much more evidence do you need? DHS trains to shoot pregnant women, old men, children with guns (see photos)
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:05
  (NaturalNews) I really didn't want to cover this subject, but a warning has to be issued to Natural News readers. Infowars writer Paul Joseph Watson has uncovered proof that a U.S. based company called "Law Enforcement Training, Inc." has been selling millions of dollars worth of "no hesitation" targets to the Department of Homeland Security.These targets (see images below) are used to train DHS employees to shoot American citizens and they depict pregnant women, old men, children and even young moms with guns. The purpose of the targets, according to the company that sells them, is to "eliminate any hesitation" that U.S. government employees might normally feel in shooting to kill pregnant women, children and old men. (I'm not making this up. The government's plan to murder Americans is now right out in the open...)
  InfoWars reports they have been informed the "no hesitation" targets were "strictly for Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies."
  This puzzle isn't difficult to assemble, folks. We've got the U.S. government already on record purchasing 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition to be used domestically, inside the united states. The government is also purchasing thousands of full-auto assault rifles, calling them "personal defense weapons."On top of that, there are hundreds of thousands of multi-body coffins being stored right now at FEMA camp facilities, and there's also strong evidence that FEMA camps are being activated with core staff coming on line.
  And then we've also got the feds saying they want Americans to turn in all their guns and completely disarm themselves so that only the government has guns.
  Um... how much evidence do you need, folks? I'm just wondering how so many Americans can still be living in a state of total denial about all this. It is abundantly clear that the current occupying government of America -- which is an illegitimate occupying force of anti-constitution traitors and criminals -- literally has a plan to mass murder tens of millions of Americans by either gunning them down in the streets, or rounding them up and stuffing them info FEMA coffins (or mass graves).
  This plan was openly talked about by one of President Obama's mentors, in fact, a key member of the "Weatherman" group of communist-leaning terrorists. Bill Ayers and his cohorts planned a communist takeover of America followed by the rounding up of resistance forces who would then be "re-educated" or terminated. This is all spelled out in great detail in this video interview of Larry Grathwohl, an undercover operative working for federal law enforcement agencies. He infiltrated the Weathermen organization and learned what they really wanted to accomplish.Watch his testimony in this video:
  From the video:
  Well, what is going to happen to those people we can't re-educate? That are die-hard capitalists? And the reply was that they'd have to be eliminated. And when I pursued this further, they estimated that they would have to eliminate 25 million people in these re-education centers. And when I say eliminate, I mean kill.
  Here are the images of the cardboard targets, courtesy of InfoWars.com: (story continues below)
  I hope you understand where this is all headed. A government does not buy 1.6 billion bullets for no reason. By my calculations, this is enough ammo to wage a 7-year war with the American people.A government does not stage gun-related killings (Fast & Furious, Aurora, and elements of Sandy Hook were all staged) and then demand the complete disarmament of the American people for no reason.
  The Department of Homeland Security does not buy cardboard targets of pregnant women, young mothers and old men for no reason. They are buying these targets because this is who they are training to kill.
  The President does not issue an executive order claiming government ownership of all farms, food, livestock and farm equipment for no reason.
  Keep in mind that DHS "officers" do not take an oath of office, meaning they do not swear any allegiance to the U.S. Constitution. Their only allegiance is to their paycheck and their dangerous sense of power, and that comes from the illegitimate occupying government that is now actively plotting to murder its own citizens.
  This has all reached the point of un-deniability. All of you who have sat back and watched this murderous police state being rolled out while you were paralyzed in a state of denial now need to come to your senses and realize this is real. Our government has been taken over and "occupied" by enemy forces who are openly attempting to destroy the Bill of Rights, eradicate the Constitution and put in place a communist / fascist system of dictatorial control.The planned economic destruction of the USA is just one part of it. Another part is the continued brain-numbing poisoning of the people through fluoride, lobotomizing vaccines and brain-frying psychiatric drugs.
  The government is trying to lull everyone into a state of denial while it puts in place a militarized police state infrastructure that will soon be "activated" to start rounding people up and killing them off -- an action which has been "legalized" by President Obama under the NDAA. The Department of Justice recently issued a 16-page memo "justifying" the secret killing of American citizens on U.S. soil.
  U.S. veterans are being openly characterizes as the new "terrorists." The same designation is given to anyone who owns a gun or believes in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Democrats everywhere are practically calling for Obama to declare Martial Law, disband Congress and seize control of the entire country as an outright dictator. This is all being set up and to demonize (and then murder) anyone who resists the coming totalitarian dictatorship society.
  It's now in your face and the targets are clear: Pregnant women will be shot. Young mothers with children will be shot. Old men defending their farms will be shot. Little boys will be shot. Grandmothers defending their homes will be shot. This is what DHS is training for, and anyone who does not yet realize what's happening is a fool.
  Spread the word. Take action now, peacefully, while we still can. Fire every lawmaker who proposes "gun control" legislation. Impeach any President who does not abide by the Constitution. Demand accountability. Demand the government follow the laws of the land. Let your voice be heard and take all necessary precautions for yourself and your family. The day is coming when mass graves will be used in America, and all those citizens who sat around laughing it up on Facebook while living in denial will be marched to the edge of those graves and shot in the back of the head by members of their own government (DHS, TSA, etc.).
  History is a bitch. Help me make sure we don't repeat it, because if we cannot restore law in America peacefully, then the only remaining option is to defend America and uphold the laws of the land through the use of force.
  About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams volunteers his time to serve as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Police "Requested" Shooting Targets of Pregnant Women
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:04
Revealed: How Then Governor Goodluck Jonathan Gave Obaigbena $1 Million From Bayelsa's Poverty Alleviation Funds For Beyonce And Jay Z's Visit To Nigeria
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:59
  caption: Beyonce and Jayzee in Nigeria in October 2006
  By SaharaReporters, New York
  SaharaReporters has uncovered a document indicating that a million dollars of Bayelsa State's poverty alleviation fund was spent by then Governor Goodluck Jonathan on bringing American entertainers Beyonce and Jay Z to Nigeria in 2006.
  In a letter stamped and signed by Bayelsa officials, N150 million (approximately a million dollars in 2006) was released from the state's poverty alleviation fund for the first ThisDay Music Festival in Lagos.
  The document came to light after a controversy was ignited over how much money American ''reality TV'' star Kim Kardashian was paid for a brief visit to Nigeria.
  Ms. Kardashian, star of a US TV show about her idle rich family and who shot to international fame after a sex tape featuring her and her rapper boyfriend went viral, was reportedly paid half a million dollars for the 24-hour-visit last week.
  The sources who provided the 2006 document for Beyonce and Jay Z's visit told Saharareporters that there was a shady financial link between the producers of some high profile entertainment events and the governors and other officials who control budgets at the state and federal levels. Mr. Obaigbena's newspaper, ThisDay, is a major sponsor of entertainment events that brings US music stars as well as top public figures for flying visits to Nigeria in exchange for gargantuan paychecks.
  ''Mr. Obaigbena often lines up financial bonanzas from numerous governors, ministers and other top government officials to finance his jamborees,'' said one of the sources who is based in the UK and is knowledgeable about such deals.
  SaharaReporters obtained a letter from Mr. Obaigbena to the Bayelsa State government soliciting funds from the oil-producing state ahead of Nigeria's 46th independence celebrations in 2006. The publisher wrote, ''We invite you to partner with us as co-hosts of the festival.'' The letter added: ''With a total budget of $10 million, the co-host is expected to contribute a minimum of $2.5 million (two million five hundred thousand USD).''
  At the bottom of the letter, minuted by hand and signed by then Governor Jonathan's aides as well as the Bayelsa State accountant general are the words, ''Release N150,000,000.00 (One hundred and fifty million naira) only to be drawn from the poverty alleviation subhead.''
  One source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Obaigbena sent similar letters to other south-south states.
  SaharaReporters could not ascertain how much of the released funds was paid directly to performers at the festival. There is no indication that Beyonce, one of the few entertainment stars internationally famous enough to only need one name, was aware that her performance was being subsidized by the poor people of Bayelsa.
  But during Beyonce's celebrated rendition of the Nigerian national anthem, pictures of Bayelsa State were projected onto the wall of the Lagos concert venue.
  According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 47% of Bayelsans live in poverty. The World Bank says that per capita gross domestic product in the Niger Delta is significantly below the country's average. According to the state's own 2005 development strategy, 80% of rural communities have no access to safe drinking water, a key indicator in judging poverty. In Yenagoa, the state capital and Bayelsa's largest urban area, an estimated two out of every five residents do not have access to safe drinking water.
  In 2005, as part of its UN-approved strategy to combat poverty, the state promised to make a fund of N100 million available as soft loans and micro-credit to Bayelsans. The allocated fund was N50 million less than Mr. Jonathan approved for Mr. Obaigbena's music festival. That promise was made in the Bayelsa State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy, published by the United Nations Development Program and signed by then Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. A civil rights activist in Yenogoa told SaharaReporters that the state ''has been a woeful failure in its poverty reduction program.''
  The letter from Mr. Obaigbena to then-governor Goodluck Jonathan said the concert was necessary to show that the news from Nigeria was ''not just'...HIV/AIDS, conflicts, poverty, kidnapping, strife and riots.''
  The publisher added: ''This is the longest ever period of democracy in Nigeria, over seven years and counting! And a stable democracy means more investment and economic prosperity for all.''
  The publisher went on to give reasons why the state government should contribute to the concert.
  The stars' performances would ''tell the world, through music, that Nigeria's time has come,'' Mr. Obaigbena wrote. The letter added, ''And once the good news catches on with the young and upwardly mobile, music loving new generation it will catch on with the world of investments and bountiful opportunities.''
  In 2006, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan had just become governor of Bayelsa after his boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was impeached and convicted on corruption charges. Mr. Jonathan was then elevated to Vice President to then President Umaru Yar'Adua. Mr. Yar'Adua's death in 2010 enabled Mr. Jonathan, a zoologist whose PhD focused on tropical fish, to assume the presidency.
  Since 2006, Mr. Obaigbena's parent company, Leaders & Company, has produced a number of high-profile events that have seen such American stars as Rihanna, R Kelly, and Usher perform for Nigerians. The ticket prices for these concerts are usually out of reach of the ''average'' Nigerian. The events feature tickets that cost many tens of thousands of naira, usually reserved for ''VIP access.'' ThisDay has also hosted political luminaries like former US President Bill Clinton and former economic adviser to the Obama presidency, Lawrence Summers. At an Africa Rising concert in London, former US Secretary of State Colin Powell came on stage and danced to the popular Naija jam ''Yahooze'' by Olu Maintain.
Freakonomics >> The Downside of More Miles Per Gallon: A New Marketplace Podcast
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  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:21
  Kai RYSSDAL: Time now for a little bit of Freakonomics Radio -- that moment in the broadcast every couple of weeks where we talk to Stephen Dubner, the coauthor of the books and the blog of the same name. It is ''the hidden side of everything.'' Dubner, how you been man?
  Stephen J. DUBNER: Great Kai, thank you. Been thinking about you. You drive a lot out there in California, right?
  RYSSDAL: It's L.A. baby. Of course we do!
  DUBNER: What are you paying for gas these days.
  RYSSDAL: Oh, a lot! It's over four bucks a gallon.
  DUBNER: So people generally don't like that, even though relatively we pay pretty cheap gas. The good news, however, is M.P.G. -- miles per gallon. We are now at a point where we get more miles per gallon of gas than any time in history, about 24 miles on average for the U.S. car fleet. And that number because of federal regulations is going to go up quite a bit in coming years. So great news, right?
  RYSSDAL: Great, yes. Now, what? With you it's always good news, bad news, dude. What do you got?
  DUBNER: Well, let's go a little deeper. Fuel economy goes up, which means what? It means that the cost of every mile you drive goes down. So people have an incentive to drive more, which can lead to more congestion, more risk of accident, but there's an even less obvious problem than those. Where do we think the money to build and maintain our roads all comes from? Here is Jaime Rall from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
  RYSSDAL: Okay.
  RALL: And right now, the nation relies extremely heavily on gas taxes for transportation funding and advancements in fuel efficiency pose some real problems for transportation budgets.
  RYSSDAL: If you follow the logic train here, it's people are using less gas because cars are more efficient, and then there's less tax revenues being raised to pay for the road. Right?
  DUBNER: You got it. Revenues are hurting. But it hurts additionally because the gas tax is such a strange tax. Instead of being a percentage of, you know, whatever, two percent, five percent per gallon, it's a fixed rate. So the federal rate is 18 cents a gallon. States add their own state taxes on -- again, a fixed rate. But because it's fixed, unlike, let's say, a sales tax, you don't raise more tax revenue when the price of gas goes up. So every year, what happens is gas tax revenues lose purchasing power.
  RYSSDAL: All right, so this is one of those gotta-ask-it questions even though I know the answer. Why not just raise the gas tax?
  DUBNER: It would seem logical. Many economists have been lobbying that for years. But politically, for whatever reason, the gas tax is one of these things that's just a no-go zone.
  RYSSDAL: All right. So find me the Freakonomics way out of this then.
  DUBNER: Well, let's go down a wrong path first, shall we? I hate to pick on politicians, but the governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell has an idea that seems like a pretty bright idea, but most economists would say it's not bright at all. What he wants to do is eliminate the state gas tax in Virginia and make up for those funds by raising the sales tax.
  RYSSDAL: And that's a bad idea because ...
  DUBNER: Because a tax is most fair when it hits the people who should pay it, but leaves everyone else alone. Right? But what Gov. McDonnell is doing is flipping that logic.
  RYSSDAL: All right. So hit me with your plan.
  DUBNER: Well there is a growing movement -- I don't know how well this would work -- but the idea is this: to tax drivers the way they probably should be taxed, which is per mile driven. So that way, you'd pay the same amount for the roads whether you're driving, you know, a gas-guzzler, or an electric car that doesn't use any gas at all. Here's Jaime Rall again.
  RALL: At least 18 states have pursued pilot projects. And in the past five years, legislatures in at least 11 states have considered more than 20 proposals to establish or study state level fees of this kind.
  RYSSDAL: Yeah, you know what though? This smacks of Big Brother watching me when I drive, dude. Knowing where I'm going. Right?
  DUBNER: Yeah, people will not like this idea, in many cases.
  RYSSDAL: They'll go nuts!
  DUBNER: On the other hand, let me just say this: we've all gotten used to willingly carrying around a GPS device with us at all times, which is what a smartphone does, right? We're also getting used to the ideas of electronic tolling where we don't have to stop at the booth. So I wouldn't be shocked if we were to see some per-mile taxing in the future. If things get really desperate, if you really need to raise money for roads, we could try what they do in other parts of the world, which is this, Kai: traffic fines that are indexed to how much money you actually earn. So, in Finland for instance, if you get a speeding ticket, you're fined about 20 percent of one month's take-home pay. So, you know, the speeding fisherman is going to pay a lot less for his ticket than the speeding high tech boss or radio talk show host, for that matter.
  RYSSDAL: Yeah, ba dum boom. One cautions though, that this is America my friend. Not Finland.
  DUBNER: That's true -- not yet, Kai. Check in with me in a couple of weeks. We'll see if we're all looking a bit more Finnish around the ears.
  RYSSDAL: Steven Dubner, Freakonomics.com is the website. We'll see you in a couple of weeks.
  DUBNER: Thanks for having me, Kai.
Google Looking For 8000 People To Beta Test Google Glasses! You Have Till End Of February To Apply - YouTube
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:42
What's Billboard's No. 1? Now YouTube Has a Say
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  Source: LIVE@LEEDS
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:21
  BEN SISARIO NY Times 02/20/13
  What makes a song a hit? In the ''Gangnam Style'' age the answer often has as much to do with its popularity on YouTube as any other factor.
  This week the Billboard Hot 100, the magazine's 55-year-old singles chart, takes a evolutionary step by incorporating YouTube plays into its formula. The move comes just in time for Baauer's song ''Harlem Shake,'' the latest viral video phenomenon, which will make its debut at No. 1 this week thanks to the change.
  ''Harlem Shake,'' a bass-heavy hip-hop track with no lyrics beyond a few samples, got little mainstream attention when it was released in May as a free download. But this month its popularity exploded on YouTube, as thousands of fans uploaded videos of themselves dancing '-- some might say simply flailing '-- along to the song. By last week more than 4,000 videos were going up each day.
  Download sales and Spotify streams of the track also skyrocketed. But the remarkable trajectory of ''Harlem Shake'' led Billboard to move forward right away on its methodology update, something it had been in discussions with YouTube about for nearly two years, Bill Werde, the magazine's editorial director, said on Wednesday.
  ''The notion that a song has to sell in order to be a hit feels a little two or three years ago to me,'' Mr. Werde said. ''The music business today '-- much to its credit '-- has started to learn that there are lots of different ways a song can be a hit, and lots of different ways that the business can benefit from it being a hit.''
  The move is Billboard's latest step in modernizing the Hot 100, which besides sales and airplay now also incorporates data from streaming services like Spotify. YouTube has taken on an essential role in propelling songs to the cultural forefront, often long before they are picked up by radio programmers.
  Psy's ''Gangnam Style'' and Carly Rae Jepsen's ''Call Me Maybe'' are the most prominent examples of this trend, but plenty of other recent hits '-- like Gotye's Grammy-winning ''Somebody That I Used to Know'' '-- also owe much of their success to video virality.
  The rise of ''Harlem Shake'' is all the more remarkable because of its speed. With only 18,000 downloads the song did not make the last Hot 100 chart at all. But last week it caught fire online, and across the tens of thousands of its scattered YouTube dance videos the song had 103 million views in the United States, according to YouTube, and sold 262,000 downloads, making it the third-most downloaded track of the week. (Even without the YouTube data, ''Harlem Shake'' would have charted in the Top 15 this week, Mr. Werde said.)
  Billboard's charts are based on data collected by Nielsen SoundScan, which has also been modernizing its data. When the service started in 1991, it gave the music industry its first reliable, third-party sales data, transforming the way record labels, retailers and others did business. Now Nielsen also tracks radio plays and most major streaming services.
  ''We want to measure how much consumption is going on, in whatever form a consumer chooses to consume something,'' said David Bakula, a senior analyst at Nielsen.
  Also on the charts this week a number of acts benefited from their exposure at the Grammy Awards. Mumford & Sons rose three spots to return to No. 1 with ''Babel'' (Glassnote), the album of the year, which sold 185,000 copies last week. And a compilation of this year's Grammy nominees is No. 2 with 88,000 sales.
  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's track ''Thrift Shop'' was once again the most-downloaded track of the week, with 412,000 sales. But with the arrival of ''Harlem Shake,'' it falls to No. 2 on the Hot 100.
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  Tags: Billboard, charts, You Tube
  This entry was posted on February 21, 2013 at 12:33 pm and is filed under record industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
US senator says 4,700 killed in drone strikes - Americas
  Link to Article
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:20
  A US senator has said that an estimated 4,700 people have been killed in America's secretive drone war, the first time a government official has offered a total number of fatalities caused by nearly a decade of drone strikes, local media reported.
  Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of the drone raids, revealed the figure in a speech on Wednesday in his home state of South Carolina.
  "We've killed 4,700," Graham was quoted as saying by the Easley Patch, a local website covering the small town of Easley. "Sometimes you hit innocent people, and I hate that, but we're at war, and we've taken out some very senior members of al-Qaeda," he told the local Rotary Club.
  Graham's office did not dispute his reported remarks, but said that he had not divulged any classified information.
  A spokesman told the AFP news agency that the senator "quoted the figure that has been publicly reported and disseminated on cable news."
  US officials have sometimes hinted at estimates of civilian casualties, but never referred to an actual total body count.
  "Now this is the first time a US official has put a total number on it," said Micah Zenko, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
  'Tactical weapon'
  If there was an official death toll estimate, it would be classified as secret, he added, raising the prospect that Graham could have broken secrecy laws.
  Several organizations have tried to calculate how many militants and civilians may have been killed in drone strikes since 2004 but have arrived at a wide range of numbers.
  The figure cited by Graham matches the high end of a tally by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. It says the number killed in drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia is between 3,072 and 4,756.
  The Washington-based New America Foundation says there have been 350 US drone strikes since 2004, most of them during Barack Obama's presidency. And the foundation estimates the death toll at between 1,963 and 3,293, with 261 to 305 civilians killed.
  US intelligence agencies and the White House have refused to divulge details about the strikes, which are officially termed classified, but officials have suggested that few if any civilians have been killed inadvertently.
  In confirmation hearings this month for John Brennan, Obama's nominee to lead the CIA, senator Dianne Feinstein said she understood that the number of civilians killed was in the "single digits."
  Despite criticism from lawmakers and rights advocates who have questioned the secrecy and the legality of the drone attacks, Graham defended Obama's reliance on the unmanned, robotic aircraft. "It's a weapon that needs to be used," Graham said. "It's a tactical weapon. A drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is now armed."
  The Obama administration has insisted the "targeted killings" are "a last resort" against those plotting to attack the United States but who cannot be captured.
  Opponents, however, say drone strikes amount to extrajudicial assassinations that sow resentment among local populations and lack oversight by Congress or courts.
  500
Police called to DMV after man refuses to remove pasta strainer from head
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:12
  By Eric W. DolanWednesday, February 20, 2013 17:18 EST
  A Motor Vehicle Commission office in New Jersey called the police on a man who refused to remove a pasta strainer from his head while having his driver's license photo taken.
  Aaron Williams, 25, said his pasta strainer was a religious head covering and that he had a right to wear it, according to a South Brunswick Police Department report obtained by The Smoking Gun.
  Police informed Williams that a pasta strainer was not approved by the MVC and convinced him to take the photo without it. The incident occurred on February 2.
  Williams told Patch on Tuesday that he was a devout Pastafarian and was merely showing his allegiance to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster by wearing the pasta strainer. The parody religion took off in 2005, after Bobby Henderson mocked the Kansas Board of Education in an open letter for allowing the teaching of Intelligent Design in public schools.
  ''Had it been a turban or a head scarf, or something from a mainstream religion, then it would've been fine,'' he said. ''I guess since they hadn't heard of the religion, that's why they opposed it. But that's not really acceptable to me. They're not in a position to discriminate against religions that are mainstream, or not mainstream, just because they may not have heard about it.''
  Williams is not the first Pastafarian to claim the right to wear a pasta strainer on his head. Austria allowed entrepreneur Niko Alm to wear a pasta strainer in his driver's license photo last year, after officials requested the Pastafarian show he was ''psychologically fit'' to drive.
  '' ''[Image via Giovanni Dall'Orto, Creative Commons licensed]
Mandiant® - Detect. Respond. Contain.
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:47
  Original Date: January 24, 2013
  While there is no one-size-fits-all solution that applies to a security program, this State of the Hack webinar will address general questions organizations have when starting or updating one.
  Whether your organization has products and mechanisms in place, or is in the beginning stages of setting up a security program, this webinar will address specific concerns based on where you are as an organization and by organization type (Government, DIB, Private-Sector, etc.).
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  Original Date: January 10, 2013
  Join Ted Wilson and David Ross for this Tools of Engagement webinar for Mandiant's freeware tool: Redline'. During the webinar they will walk you through an investigation using all of the cool new features introduced in version 1.7.
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  Original Date: December 13, 2012
  2012 is drawing to a close, which means it's time for Mandiant's annual year-end review. Join us for this State of the HackTM webinar, where our own Richard Bejtlich will share highlights from the past twelve months '-- Mandiant style.
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  Original Date: November 29, 2012
  Move over Windows, you've had the spotlight for too long! Join us for this Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar where Mandiant's Devon Kerr and Jason Rebholz show you the forgotten side of incident response '' the compromise of a *NIX environment. During this webinar, they will walk you step-by-step through the compromise of a *NIX environment and show you how attackers can use your environment against you.
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  Original Date: November 08, 2012
  Join us for this month's Tools of Engagement webinar, where Kelly McCracken and Matthew Shaffer will talk about Mandiant's latest offering: Response Readiness Assessment.
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  Original Date: October 23, 2012
  Join Mandiant's Richard Bejtlich and Grady Summers as they discuss highlights from Mandiant's Incident Response Conference, MIRcon.
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  Original Date: September 20, 2012
  Incident responders spend a good portion of their time chasing down ''traditional'' backdoors: malware that establishes persistence, hides on systems, and periodically calls-out to command-and-control servers for instructions. However, such backdoors aren't the only way to get into a typical corporate environment '' and targeted attackers are increasingly relying on novel remote access techniques in lieu of typical malware. In many cases, these methods leverage a victim's existing infrastructure in ways they never anticipated!
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  Original Date: August 30, 2012
  Join Mandiant's Jeff Hamm and Willi Ballenthin on this month's Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar as they discuss NTFS INDX Buffers and their role in incident response investigations.
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  Original Date: August 01, 2012
  Join Mandiant's own Tim Crothers and David Mackey as they discuss how you can effectively optimize your incident response workflow by integrating Mandiant Intelligent Response® (MIR) with the tools you have now, such as your SIEM (Security Information Event Management) or advanced malware alerting solutions.
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  Original Date: July 19, 2012
  Join Mandiant's Michael J. Graven and Devon Kerr as they provide a mid-year update on current attacker trends, investigative techniques, and remediation strategies.
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  Original Date: June 27, 2012
  Having the confidence to admit your systems and network are vulnerable can be a liberating and positive experience! In this edition of Tools of Engagement, join Mandiant's own Yanek Korff and Wade Woolwine to discuss how that admission can open the door to truly being prepared to fight adversaries targeting your organization.
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  Original Date: June 21, 2012
  As a CISO your organization's security is your top priority. That cannot be questioned. What can be questioned is the best metrics to use when evaluating how effective your program is.
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  Original Date: May 24, 2012
  Join us for this Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar where Mandiant's Chris Nutt and Jason Rebholz will deep dive into the technical side of Mandiant's annual threat report, M-Trends', using the three case studies illustrated within the report.
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  Original Date: May 17, 2012
  Join us for our inaugural Tools of Engagement webinar, where Mandiant's Redline' team will kick things off by showing you how to organize your analysis command center, how to acquire data and how to perform deep dive analysis using Redline.
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  Original Date: April 19, 2012
  In this month's Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar, Mandiant's Doug Wilson and Will Gibb will take you on a trip through the world of OpenIOC', an open framework for sharing threat intelligence.
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  Original Date: March 16, 2012
  In this webinar Richard Bejtlich, Chief Security Officer; Michael J. Graven, Director; and Grady Summers, Vice President of Customer Success, survey the key findings from Mandiant's annual threat report.
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  Original Date: February 29, 2012
  In this Fresh Prints of Mal-Ware webinar we discuss the forthcoming book Practical Malware Analysis:The Hands-On Guide to Dissecting Malicious Software.
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  Original Date: January 19, 2012
  In this Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar, Mandiant's Chuck Willis and Willi Ballenthin discuss the types of attacks that are making headlines today. While these types of attacks are highly technical, this webinar provides exposure to a variety of concepts and answers to basic questions.
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  Original Date: October 28, 2011
  In this State of the Hack presentation Richard Bejtlich and Lucas Zaichkowsky discuss highlights from Mandiant's incident response conference, MIRcon.
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  Original Date: June 23, 2011
  During this Fresh Prints of Mal-ware webinar, Mandiant's Christopher Glyer and Jason Rebholz take you straight to the forensic frontlines of a recent PCI data breach investigation.
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Leadership | Company | Mandiant®
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:45
  Dave Merkel is Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Products at Mandiant. He has worked in the information security and incident response industry for over 15 years, including directing technical security operations at America Online, leading incident response management efforts at Time Warner, and performing computer crime investigations as a Special Agent in the United States Air Force. Dave has led numerous engineering teams in crafting scalable technology solutions for information security problems in a variety of environments.
  Read moreDave Merkel is Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Products at Mandiant. Based in Alexandria, Va., Dave focuses on shaping the strategy and direction of our technology and engineering solutions by building scalable innovation to address the rapidly evolving information security market.
  Dave has worked in the Information Security industry and within the world of Incident Response for more than 15 years, including service as a federal agent in the United States Air Force, and more than seven years directing security operations at America Online (AOL).
  At AOL, Dave led a team of technologists to protect corporate systems and network infrastructure. His department was responsible for the design, implementation, and operation of technical security defenses throughout the organization. He established AOL's first incident response team and led the formation of a company wide program for managing security incidents across Time Warner's diverse business units. Dave also played a key role in establishing AOL's security assurance program, providing technical risk assessment services for systems, networks, internal applications, and products.
  As a primary security stakeholder, he authored significant portions of both the AOL and Time Warner information security policy, established an information security management framework for the corporation, and played an instrumental role in ensuring Sarbanes-Oxley and Payment Card Industry compliance.
  Dave also managed AOL's internal security infrastructure software development initiatives. His team provided innovative solutions for protecting data centers and transit networks at scale, including technologies for intrusion and anomaly detection, incident response management, automated countermeasures deployment, and authentication and authorization.
  Prior to AOL, Dave served as a Special Agent with the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, where he focused on computer crime and digital forensics. Specifically, Dave conducted criminal and counterintelligence investigations ranging from the trafficking of digital contraband to the pursuit of international felons responsible for attacks against Department of Defense networks. Dave has participated in countless forensic examinations and is a qualified expert witness in federal and state proceedings.
  Dave earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has held security clearances at Top Secret and higher.
  Read less
White House develops new trade secret strategy
  Link to Article
  Source: euronews
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:38
  The aftermath of a missile strike on the headquarters of the main rebel force in Syria. The leader of the Liwa-al-Islam brigade was wounded in the attack. It is a blow for the group, which is behind a three-week offensive that has given the rebels a foothold inside Damascus'...
Emails Prove JPMorgan Committed Massive Mortgage Fraud
  Link to Article
  Source: The Daily Bail
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:30
  Bloomberg reports on the case.
  ---
  Emails From Dexia Lawsuit Show JPMorgan Committed Widespread Fraud
  New York Times Dealbook
  JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has tried his best to suggest that the financial crisis was someone else's fault. But a batch of court documents released this week undermine this claim, indicating that the bank knew the mortgage investments it sold were seriously flawed.
  According to the documents, which include emails and transcripts of employee interviews filed in an investor lawsuit by Europe's Dexia Bank, JPMorgan hired independent analysts to review the quality of the home loans it was packaging for sale prior to the collapse of the housing market.
  That review found that 20 to 80 percent of the mortgages did not meet underwriting standards, Bloomberg reports. These documents show that JPMorgan bundled these mortgages into complex securities anyway and then sold them to investors without disclosing their problems, according to Bloomberg and the New York Times.
  The lawsuit, which was filed by Dexia, a Belgian-French bank, is being closely watched on Wall Street. After suffering significant losses, Dexia sued JPMorgan and its affiliates in 2012, claiming it had been duped into buying $1.6 billion of troubled mortgage-backed securities. The latest documents could provide a window into a $200 billion case that looms over the entire industry.
  According to the court documents, an analysis for JPMorgan in September 2006 found that ''nearly half of the sample pool'' '-- or 214 loans '-- were ''defective,'' meaning they did not meet the underwriting standards. The borrowers' incomes, the firms found, were dangerously low relative to the size of their mortgages. Another troubling report in 2006 discovered that thousands of borrowers had already fallen behind on their payments.
  But JPMorgan at times dismissed the critical assessments or altered them, the documents show. Certain JPMorgan employees, including the bankers who assembled the mortgages and the due diligence managers, had the power to ignore or veto bad reviews.
  In some instances, JPMorgan executives reduced the number of loans considered delinquent, the documents show. In others, the executives altered the assessments so that a smaller number of loans were considered ''defective.''
  In some instances, JPMorgan executives reduced the number of loans considered delinquent, the documents show. In others, the executives altered the assessments so that a smaller number of loans were considered ''defective.''
  The court documents make clear that JPMorgan employees were well aware of these flaws and even exchanged emails about them. For example, after a review finding that at least 1,154 mortgages were delinquent, JPMorgan told investors that only 25 loans were delinquent.
  Continue reading...
  Photos by William Banzai7
  TEFLON JAMIE
  This Bankster is Too Big Too JailThe system is just too darn frailThese men are like GodWe must accept fraudOr else the whole system may fail
  The Limerick King
Dit is de beste vertraging ooit
  Link to Article
  Source: GeenStijl
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:29
  Anekdotes waar een mens blij van wordt. Verhalen die je hoop geven over de staat van de natie. Dat heeft Nederland hard nodig. Neem het verhaal wat vandaag in de Metro staat. Een machinist van de intercity Arnhem naar Nijmegen trapte bij station Arnhem-Zuid op de rem. U kunt de passagiers door uw beeldscherm heen horen zuchten. Een trein die stil gaat staan waar hij normaal volle pijp langs raast betekent vertraging. Maar dit is de beste vertraging ooit. De machinist was namelijk gestopt om in te grijpen bij een mishandeling op het perron. Uit zijn ooghoek had hij een vechtpartij gezien. En hij besloot in te grijpen. Ziet u wel. Dat gebeurt echt nog wel in Nederland. Mensen die ingrijpen als ze een vechtpartij zien. En zich niet verschuilen achter smoesjes als 'ja, ik moest mijn trein op tijd laten rijden'. Maar niet alles aan dit verhaal geeft hoop. Er zou sprake zijn geweest dat de dader met twee voeten op het hoofd van het slachtoffer is gesprongen. Ziek. Ernstig ziek. Maar helemaal actueel. Ook bij de RET en de HTM klaagt men over steeds psychopathischer geweld in het OV. Niet meer incidenten, wel veel sickere incidenten. Zij wijten het aan de 'verharding van de maatschappij'. Okee. Lekker abstract. Maar waarom verhardt de maatschappij? Simpel: omdat de gestoorde daders weten dat ze er vrijwel zeker mee gaan wegkomen en anders kunnen huilen dat ze zijn 'veroordeeld door de media'. De enige troost voor slachtoffers is dat er nog steeds mensen zijn die bereid zijn hun leven op de waagschaal te leggen door in te grijpen. Vooralsnog, althans.
  Johnny Quid | 21-02-13 | 09:34 | Link | Reageer ookJe bent ingelogd als: (Uitloggen)
  Probeer trouwens eens de totaal officieuze niet-ondersteunde third-party GeenStijl extension die compleet niet door ons ondersteund wordt en volledig op eigen risico is.
  Je bent niet ingelogd, klik hier om dat wel te doen: login of doe een CookieSync.
Eurozone crisis live: French economy set to worsen
  Link to Article
  Source: The Guardian World News
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:27
  Over to the debt markets, where Spain has sold more bonds than targeted, thanks to strong demand.
  Madrid sold '‚¬4.2bn of debt due in 2015, 2019 and 2023, compared with a target of '‚¬3bn-'‚¬4bn, and borrowing costs eased.
  The bond due in 2019 had an average yield of 4.275%, almost 2.5 percentage points lower than yields paid at its last outing in July, at the height of worries about the eurozone.
  The bond due in 2015 had an average yield of 2.54%, compared with 2.82% in February.
  The bond due in 2023 sold at a yield of 5.2%, in its first auction since it was introduced.
  But traders said the sale was helped by the amount of money central banks are pumping into markets. Lyn Graham-Taylor at Rabobank said:
  This is a strong set of results and continues the theme of decent demand for Spanish debt. We still believe this to be largely driven by the large amount of central bank liquidity in the system rather than an improvement in the fundamentals of Spain and major progress towards fiscal union being made by the eurozone.
  Ireland, meanwhile, sold '‚¬500m of three-month Treasury bills at a yiueld of 0.24% '' close to the lowest levels it has reached since Ireland returned to the debt markets last year.
EU parliament chief tells Italians not to vote for Berlusconi
  Link to Article
  Source: Reuters: World News
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:17
  TweetShare thisEmailPrintItaly's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi gestures as he appears as a guest on the RAI television show Porta a Porta (Door to Door) in Rome February 20, 2013.
  Credit: Reuters/Remo Casilli
  BERLIN | Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:30am EST
  BERLIN (Reuters) - The German president of the European Parliament, once compared to a Nazi concentration camp guard by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, warned Italians on Thursday not to back the scandal-ridden media tycoon at the ballot box.
  Martin Schulz is the latest in a line of German politicians to express fears about a possible Berlusconi comeback largely due to worries he will halt Rome's reform drive that has helped to lift investor confidence in the euro zone.
  "Silvio Berlusconi has already sent Italy into a tailspin with irresponsible behavior in government and personal escapades," Schulz was quoted as saying in German daily Bild.
  Berlusconi has been sentenced to prison for tax fraud and is on trial for having sex with an under-aged prostitute.
  In quotes not printed in the paper but sent in an advance copy of the report, Schulz went on to urge Italians to vote for continued reforms.
  "Much is at stake in the forthcoming elections, including making sure that the confidence built up by (Prime Minister) Mario Monti is not lost. I am very confident that Italian voters will make the right choice for their country."
  There is bad blood between Berlusconi and Schulz, a Social Democrat.
  In 2003, the then Italian prime minister said he would like to suggest Schulz, who had criticized his policies, for the role of a Kapo in a film on Nazi concentration camps. A Kapo was a camp inmate given privileges for supervising prison work gangs.
  Berlusconi later brushed off the comment, saying he was being ironic and had referred to a television comedy series.
  Merkel herself, who has supported Monti's austerity drive and has a difficult relationship with Berlusconi, has kept mum on who she would like to see lead the euro zone's third biggest economy .
  Monti risked embarrassing her this week by saying Merkel did not want the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) to win, following Berlusconi's remark that Monti would join forces with the PD after the election "with Merkel's blessing".
  Polls suggest the PD is likely to win control of Italy's lower house in the February 24-25 vote. Monti's centrist alliance is trailing in fourth place, but the PD may need its support to control the upper house of parliament and form a government.
  (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Stephen Brown)
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Survey Finds That Fish Are Often Not What Label Says
  Link to Article
  Source: NYT > Home Page
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:13
  SEATTLE '-- Many Europeans are fretting these days over horse meat, and whether it might have adulterated their shepherd's pie. Over here, it's all about the red snapper.
  That tempting seafood delight glistening on the ice at the market, or sizzling at the restaurant table in its aromatic jacket of garlic and ginger? It may not be at all what you think, or indeed even close, according to a big new study of fish bought and genetically tested in 12 parts of the country '-- in restaurants, markets and sushi bars '-- by a nonprofit ocean protection group, Oceana.
  In the 120 samples labeled red snapper and bought for testing nationwide, for example, 28 different species of fish were found, including 17 that were not even in the snapper family, according to the study, which was released Thursday.
  The study also contained surprises about where consumers were most likely to be misled '-- sushi bars topped the list in every city studied '-- while grocery stores were most likely to be selling fish honestly. Restaurants ranked in the middle.
  Part of the problem, said the study's chief author, Kimberly Warner, is that there are quite simply a lot of fish in the sea, and many of them look alike. Over all, the study found that about one-third of the 1,215 fish samples bought, from 2010 to 2012, were mislabeled.
  ''Even a relatively educated consumer couldn't look at a whole fish and say, 'I'm sure that's a red snapper and not lane snapper,' '' she said.
  Geographically, the study had bad news for residents of Southern California, land of the midnight sushi. They were more likely than residents in any of the other sampled regions to be eating something other than what they had been told. About 52 percent of the samples bought and sent for testing turned out to be something else.
  Salmon-crazed Seattle, by contrast, was tied with cod-country Boston as having the lowest deception rates. Still, almost one in five fish samples were wrongly labeled.
  Some types of fish fared worse in different places. In New York, for example, fish that was not really tuna was being passed off as tuna in 94 percent of the samples taken, the study said.
  What is in a name, anyway, when it comes to fish? Shakespeare might not have pondered the question exactly, but the seafood industry certainly has.
  In the real world of perception and marketing, a fish called ''slimehead'' '-- a real name, by the way '-- is probably not going to fly off the menu. Far better to call it ''orange roughy,'' a distinction allowed by the Federal Food and Drug Administration. The government also allows Patagonian toothfish, real name, to be called Chilean sea bass, invented marketing name.
  The Oceana study did not declare a fish mislabeled if the seller was following the federal guidelines.
  But what the study found pervasive was mislabeling '-- beyond what is allowed by federal food regulators '-- by retail outlets using a name that consumers are more likely to want to buy. Almost two-thirds of the ''wild'' salmon samples, for example, were found actually to be farmed Atlantic salmon, which is considered less healthy and environmentally sustainable.
  The National Fisheries Institute, a trade group representing the industry, did not respond to a request for comment on the study. But the institute has specifically criticized Oceana's work in the past as being more agenda-driven than scientific and rigorous.
  Dr. Warner said that the study did raise some red flags about health. Fish known to accumulate mercury in their flesh, in particular, should be avoided, especially by pregnant women. But in what the study called ''one of the most egregious swaps,'' in New York, tilefish '-- known for its mercury content and on federal advisory lists for sensitive populations to avoid '-- was sold as red snapper. Tilefish was also found substituted for halibut.
  She also cautioned that the study did not aim to produce a real scientific, top-to-bottom sampling of the seafood system. In Boston, for example, only grocery store fish were tested, leaving out sushi bars that might have lowered the city's honesty rate (although, in a separate effort in 2011 and 2012, The Boston Globe found widespread mislabeling in stores and restaurants).
  And the Oceana study's authors also could not determine where in the food chain the mislabeling arose '-- the wholesaler, the retailer or at the fishing dock itself '-- or whether it came about through misunderstanding or deliberate concealment.
  A common pattern, though, Dr. Warner said, was economic gain at the consumer's expense, with understudy fish '-- tilapia, in particular '-- often substituting for a menu's star, without a word to the audience.
How Can Security Companies Have This Much Access to Our Computers?
  Link to Article
  Source: Activist Post
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:10
  Activist PostWe featured an article yesterday about Obama's looming cyberwar with China. In that article is a video that deserves a post all on its own. The video shows the cyber security company Mandiant's incredible ability to shadow every click supposedly made by the Chinese hackers.
  It's really unsettling to think that a private company located in California can remotely gain full access to a computer all the way in China. Imagine how easy it must be for them to access your computer.
  Many of the comments below the video say this proxy has to be a fake hacker. Check a few of them out:
  Hackers using windows........... PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF >> AHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA fAIL
  This is bullshit! Lol!!!! A hacker providing>> a landline phone number to google and using windows wrong commands. LOL!!!
  hackers using GUIs?!?! LMAO!!!!!>> Your're doing it wrong...
  so, here's the summary:1. isn't the IP address a proxy address?-> hacked into the attackers box with reverse shell so, they got the real IP>> addr behind proxy. they got it right.2. lol what kind of a hacker uses windows xp?-> that's just the VM he's working in. host OS could be anything else. no hacker wants any kind of trace about their real OS.
  China also vehemently denied and condemned the accusation. No surprise there, somebody's lying and it's probably the guy who benefits most from their lie. The bigger story may be how this company, or any company can have that level of access to our computers.Ask yourself, how is Mandiant allowed to spy on Internet users so thoroughly? Do they have the authority to do that to Americans Who gave them this authority and with what oversight?
Lebanon may be new front in Syria's war
  Link to Article
  Source: StratRisks
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:08
  Source: UPI
  Lebanon seems to be moving closer to becoming a major new front in Syria's 2-year-old civil war after a series of deadly clashes in Syrian between rebel forces and Hezbollah, which backs the embattled Damascus regime.
  The Free Syrian Army, one of the leading groups within the overwhelmingly Sunni Muslimopposition, threatened Tuesday to strike at the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon after the Iranian-backed movement sought to extend its control of Syrian territory along the border.
  The Hezbollah offensive, which began last week, appears intended to protect vital supply routes to Syrian forces loyal to the regime from Hezbollah's heartland in the Bekaa Valley in northeastern Lebanon.
  Hezbollah also needs to maintain its own supply route from Syria along which it has been reportedly receiving advanced weapons, such as surface-to-surface missiles capable of hitting anywhere in Israel, and Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft weapons, from President Bashar Assad's regime and Iran.
  Israel views this flow of weapons with considerable alarm because, among other things, they will allow Hezbollah for the first time to challenge its air supremacy.
  This is the most likely issue to draw the Israelis into Syria's war and a Jan. 30 airstrike, supposedly against a Hezbollah arms convoy, indicated how jumpy the Israelis are getting about Iran's support for Assad, its key Arab ally.
  The recent assassination in Syria of a senior Iranian general involved in this operation demonstrated how the Syrian conflict may be expanding.
  There is still confusion over when and where Gen. Hassan Shateri of the elite Al-Quds Force, the covert action arms of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, was killed.
  The FSA claims he was killed in the Jan. 30 airstrike and may have been the target of that raid, about which Israel has maintained a stony silence. Tehran said he was ambushed Feb. 11 by rebels.
  So Hezbollah's push on the border may have wider implications. One report said Hezbollah had deployed 1,000 fighters, partly to relieve Syrian troops needed to block rebel advances in the north.
  Hezbollah has sought to expand the control it has over a cluster of some 20 Shiite villages on the Syrian side of the porous border by seizing nearby Sunni villages where the FSA's deployed.
  These have long been involved in smuggling and are an important route for arms, fighters and other supplies to regime forces around the town of Qusayr, where many Lebanese Shiites reside and where there has been heavy fighting.
  West of Qusayr lies the strategic city of Homs, a major battleground.
  There have been casualties on both sides in the Qusayr clashes, although figures are hard to come by.
  FSA spokesman Louay al-Miqdad termed Hezbollah's push as ''an unprecedented invasion '... the first of its kind in terms of organization, planning and coordination with the Syrian regime's air force '...
  ''If Hezbollah does not stop its land invasion, which is accompanied by covering fire, we are allowed to retaliate '... If they do not stop, we will retaliate.''
  That would mark a sharp escalation in the Syrian conflict and would likely ignite broader Sunni-Shiite violence in Lebanon that many have feared has been steadily coming to the boil in recent weeks as the Syrian war sharpened long-simmering sectarian animosities.
  Sunni sources in Beirut have been talking darkly of ''something big'' expected in the coming days, hinting at action by Sunni jihadists linked to those fighting in Syria, most notably the Jabhat al-Nusrah, or the Al-Nusrah Front.
  Hezbollah is widely believed to have substantial forces in Syria fighting alongside Assad's military and his murderous paramilitary force, the Shabiha, or Ghosts.
  Some 50,000 of Assad's Alawites have recently been recruited to bolster regime forces as the rebels gain ground, spearheaded by the FSA and Jabhat al-Nusrah, the most ruthless of the anti-regime groups.
  The Front reportedly demonstrated its capabilities recently, claiming it decimated a Syrian army convoy in an elaborate ambush using 50 roadside bombs detonated simultaneously in the eastern Ghotah district of Damascus.
  A Front video of the massive ambush obtained by the SITE intelligence group indicated the spectacular attack took place Dec. 6.
  The irony is that elaborate roadside ambushes like this were pioneered by Hezbollah in the 1990s in its campaign in south Lebanon against Israeli occupation forces who eventually withdrew in May 2000.
  Tags: Al Nusrah Front, Assad, Assad Alawites, Bekaa Valley, border, FSA, iran, Israel, Lebanese Shiites, Lebanon, report, Shiite Hezbollah, SITE, strike, Sunni Muslimopposition, Syria, UPI, war, weapons
Online university giant gets bigger
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Technology
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:06
  21 February 2013Last updated at03:52 ETBy Sean CoughlanBBC News education correspondentOne of the emerging giants among online universities has announced that it is signing up a further 29 universities, including institutions in the US, Europe and Asia.
  Coursera, set up by academics from Stanford University, will now offer online courses from 62 universities.
  There are 2.8 million online students registered, says Coursera.
  Co-founder Andrew Ng said this was helping universities to "raise their impact both on and off campus".
  Coursera, set up less than a year ago, has become one of the pace setters in the rapidly expanding field of online universities - often described as MOOCs (massive open online courses).
  It provides an online platform for universities to offer courses for people to study from home.
  Global reachThis latest crop of new recruits widens its reach outside the United States, with institutions including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ecole Polytechnique in France, Leiden University in Holland, Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, the University of Tokyo in Japan, National University of Singapore and the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
  US universities joining the online platform include Northwestern, Penn State and Rutgers,
  Another significant step was announced recently which will make Coursera's online courses count towards a full degree.
  Continue reading the main storyWe're in the middle of an exciting time for higher education in which anything is possible''
  End QuoteMartin BeanOpen University and FuturelearnAt present, such online courses might be as difficult as their campus-based versions, but most of them are not formally recognised as counting as course credits.
  But a first group of five courses on the Coursera platform, including a genetics course from Duke University and algebra at University of California, Irvine, have been recommended for accreditation.
  Sarah Eichhorn, from the University of California, Irvine's maths department, said this represented an "online education milestone" which would put such maths courses in reach of students around the world.
  The accreditation of online courses raises questions about the impact on traditional campus-based courses, where a degree course in the US can cost more than $50,000 (£33,000) per year.
  It will also raise questions about the charging structure of online courses, which in this pioneering stage have mostly been free or low cost.
  Coursera intends to become a financially viable, profit-making university project - but raising income from internet traffic and add-on services, rather than directly charging users.
  The rival edX online university project on the US east coast has been funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard and is not for profit.
  UK online projectThere have also been developments in the UK's fledgling online university platform, Futurelearn, announced by the Open University last year.
  Five more universities are joining Futurelearn - Bath, Leicester, Nottingham, Queen's Belfast and Reading.
  The British Library is also going to develop online courses using material from its collections.
  It means there will be 18 universities and institutions which intend to provide courses with Futurelearn.
  Martin Bean, the Open University's vice chancellor and head of the Futurelearn project, has joined Prime Minister David Cameron's delegation to India, which has been trying to promote UK universities.
  "We're in the middle of an exciting time for higher education in which anything is possible," said Mr Bean.
  Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller said online university networks could "offer a high quality learning experience to anyone who wants it".
  "One of our top priorities is to reach the people who need education the most, including those who would not otherwise have access."
Sony unveils social-focused PlayStation 4
  Link to Article
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:04
  Video game designer Mark Cerny talks about the new controler Bioshock 4 as Sony introduces the PlayStation 4 at a news conference on February 20, 2013 in New York.
  Sony is sharing the PlayStation 4 with the world. The Japanese electronics giant unveiled the new gaming system Wednesday, hyping the machine as a "supercharged PC" with the ability to effortlessly share interactive experiences, by instantly broadcasting video of gaming action or virtually handing out health potions to friends online.
  "Today marks a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation," said Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
  Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem that's "the fastest, most powerful gaming network."
  "Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.
  The PS4 is Sony's first major game machine since the PlayStation 3 went on sale in 2006. Wednesday's unveiling is Sony Corp.'s attempt to steal the spotlight from rivals Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co., at least until Microsoft unveils its next Xbox in June, as expected, at the E3 video game expo in Los Angeles.
  But one thing Sony neglected to do: show the actual device.
  Instead, the two-hour event involved executives from Sony and its video game partners touting features and showing demonstration video on stage.
  There was no word on price or availability, other than a flash on the screen saying "holiday 2013."
  When the PlayStation 3 went on sale in the U.S. on Nov. 17, 2006, the 20 gigabyte model had a $500 price tag and the 60 GB version went for $600. They are now cheaper and come with more storage'--$270 for 250 GB and $300 for 500 GB. Comparable models of Nintendo's Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox 360 both start at $300.
  Among the PS4's revisions is an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.
  Sony also boasted at the New York launch event that the PS4 would work more seamlessly with its latest mobile gaming device, the PlayStation Vita, which debuted last year.
  Among the games that were unveiled for the PS4 on Wednesday were the realistic racing simulator "Drive Club," super-powered action sequel "Infamous: Second Son," artsy puzzler "The Witness" and first-person shooter "Killzone: Shadow Fall."
  Last fall, Nintendo launched the next generation of gaming consoles with the Wii U, which comes with a tablet-like controller called the GamePad. The controller allows two people playing the same game to have different experiences depending on whether they use the GamePad or a traditional Wii remote, which itself was revolutionary when it came out because of its motion-control features.
  The original Wii has sold more units since its launch than both its rivals, but it has lost momentum in recent years as the novelty of its motion controller faded. Nintendo said it sold 3.1 million Wii Us by the end of 2012. It was a disappointing start for the first of a new generation of gaming systems.
  In some ways, notably its ability to display high-definition games, the Wii U was just catching up to the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, the preferred consoles to play popular games like "Call of Duty."
  The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 percent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract audiences who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.
  All three console makers are trying to position their devices as entertainment hubs that can deliver movies, music and social networking as they try to stay relevant in the age of smartphones and tablets. The PlayStation online network will have access to Sony's video and music services, as well as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, with paid subscriptions to those services. People will also be able to access Facebook.
  Beyond games, the PlayStation 4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller'--all in real time.
  Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
SAP billionaire: Gates duped me into donating
  Link to Article
  Source: The Local - Germany's news in English
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:53
  Published: 21 Feb 13 11:04 CET | Print versionOnline: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130221-48103.html
  It was like King Kong versus Godzilla - two of the world's richest men have got into a billionaire brawl over whether Bill Gates tried to dupe SAP founder Hasso Plattner into giving away half his fortune.
  The Giving Pledge, started by Microsoft founder Gates and US investor Warren Buffett to encourage the extremely wealthy to promise to give half their wealth to good causes, announced this week that software mogul Plattner, one of Germany's richest men, had signed up.But a disgruntled Plattner later said he had made no such commitment to give away half of his money.
  "I feel Bill Gates has gone behind my back and used me," Plattner told regional newspaper the Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten on Thursday.
  The charity had quoted from a letter Plattner had wrote praising the practically free higher education he had received in Germany, and talking about wanting to give something back to society.
  He and a handful of other billionaires including British tycoon Richard Branson, had signed up to the pledge, the letter said. A condition of joining is that the new member promises to give away at least half their wealth to good causes, although there is no stipulation of where the money goes.
  Plattner, 69, is estimated to be worth more than '‚¬5 billion. He started a foundation to promote education and health care around 20 years ago - but has not filled it with half of his fortune, much of which is still tied up in SAP, the software firm he founded.
  He said he was furious at The Giving Pledge organizers, telling the Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten that he had not signed up, would not be bounced into doing so, as he intended to retain control of both his stake of SAP and how he funded good causes.
  Yet on Wednesday evening SAP itself released a statement saying Plattner was pleased to have joined the Gates-Buffett foundation - seemingly contradicting him.
  Just a few hours later he repeated his denial that he was signing up to the foundation.
  "They can all write that I am a member of the foundation as far as I am concerned. But I know that I do not fulfil the criteria - whatever Bill Gates says. There is less than 20 percent of my fortune in my foundation," he said.
  The Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten quoted a spokesman for The Giving Pledge saying that Gates knew about Plattner's social engagement and considered that this fulfilled the criteria.
  "Gates will have to explain the rest," Plattner told the paper.
  The Local/hc
China steps up defence on hacking allegations
  Link to Article
  Source: The Daily Star >> Live News
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:52
  BEIJING: Chinese state media stepped up the war of words Thursday over allegations of sophisticated cyberattacks on US firms, branding the accusations a "commercial stunt" and accusing Washington of ulterior motives.
  American Internet security firm Mandiant earlier this week said that a Chinese military cyberspy unit had been targeting US and other foreign firms and organisations with hacking attacks.
  But an editorial in the state-run China Daily said: "One cannot help but ask the real purpose of such a hullabaloo.
  "With the US economic recovery dragging its feet, it is reasonable to think that some in Washington may want to make China a scapegoat so that public attention is diverted away from the country's economic woes."
  Defence ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said the People's Liberation Army had itself been the target of a "significant number" of cyberattacks.
  "A considerable number" of them originated in the United States, judging from the IP addresses involved, he said, but added that he did not accuse the US government of being involved. He had earlier said Mandiant's claims had "no factual basis".
  The media backlash came after the US government Wednesday vowed to aggressively combat a rise in the foreign theft of trade secrets.
  A new strategy document released by the White House did not explicitly name China, but warned that foreign governments and firms had stepped up efforts to obtain such material, threatening US economic and national security.
  In its report, Mandiant alleged the hacking group "APT1" -- from the initials "Advanced Persistent Threat" -- was part of the Chinese military's Unit 61398 and had stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organisations across 20 industries.
  Targeted companies included some involved with significant sections of the American domestic infrastructure.
  Western analysts dismissed the Chinese denials as "meaningless".
  A strongly worded commentary by the official news agency Xinhua said the Mandiant document "reeks of a commercial stunt".
  "Next time, the CEO could simply say: 'See the Chinese hackers? Hurry up, come and buy our cyber security services'," it went on.
  It said the US had a "matchless superiority and ability to stage cyberattacks across the globe", and that the US military had "established a significant cyber force, including the 780th Military Intelligence Brigade, which is a regular military unit tasked with carrying out cyber missions".
  Washington, it added, had a "habit of accusing other nations based on phony evidence".
  "Facts will eventually prove that the cyberattacks accusations are groundless and will only tarnish the image and reputation of the company making them, as well as that of the United States," it said.
  An expert quoted in China's state-run Global Times newspaper questioned US motives, saying Washington was exaggerating the cyber threat posed by China in order to garner support from other Asian countries.
  "The US is raising the profile of the 'invisible' cyber threat as a new weapon in order to balance its losses in the Asia-Pacific pivot strategy," said Hun Xudong, a professor with the PLA National Defence University.
  "The US controls the world's main servers. This has been a threat to China's cyber security," he added.
  Western academics said they were unsurprised at the rhetoric used by Chinese officials in denying the hacking allegations.
  James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said: "It's a standard Chinese diplomatic ploy to say 'it isn't us, and in any case, you do it, too'.
  "So their denial and accusations are meaningless."
Cameroon minister denies French hostages freed
  Link to Article
  Source: The Daily Star >> Live News
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:51
  YAOUNDE, Cameroon: A Cameroonian minister denied Thursday reports that a French family seized in the north of the country this week had been freed.
  "It is a wild rumour. If this was true, the Cameroonian government would have already given the information to France," said Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Earlier, a French minister went back on an initial confirmation that the family of seven had been freed.
Why this lawsuit could have HUGE impact on peaceful protests in the UK
  Link to Article
  Source: Liberal Conspiracy
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:50
  by Sunny Hundal 10:15 am - February 21st 2013
  A civil claim by EDF energy against environmental activists could have huge implications for the future of protests in the UK.
  Yesterday, the Guardian reported that EDF Energy has launched a civil claim for damages against a group called No Dash for Gas and other 'associated activists' for costs that the company claims to have incurred '' a figure it puts at £5 million.
  If the claim succeeds several of the campaigners could lose their homes, and all would face bankruptcy or be forced to pay a percentage of their salaries to EDF for decades to come.
  This is the first time an energy company has attempted such a claim. It is clearly an attempt to bankrupt and stop peaceful direct action protests.
  If successful the same tactics would likely be adopted by other organisations against all forms of direct action and protesting '' including Greenpeace, UKuncut and even the Countryside Alliance.
  This video explains what the activists are now facing.
  The amount EDF are claiming represents just 0.3% of EDF's annual UK profits, which rose by 7.5% this year to £1.7 billion.
  The claims relate to a week-long shut-down and occupation of EDF's West Burton gas-fired power station last October by No Dash for Gas.
  Sixteen campaigners occupied two chimneys at West Burton for a week in October 2012, stopping nearly 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The activists '' 21 in total '' were convicted this week of aggravated trespass at Mansfield Magistrates Court.
  Activists claim there is evidence that Nottinghamshire Police colluded with EDF against 'No Dash for Gas' by formally serving civil papers on the activists after their arrest, and by sharing their personal data with the power company.
  When the activists' lawyer wrote to the police asking to view CCTV footage from inside the station, he was told it had probably been deleted as footage was only kept for three months '' despite the fact that this three-month deadline had not yet passed.
  The case is reminiscent of the record-breaking 'McLibel' case, when the fast food chain McDonalds sued two activists from North London from 1990-1997. That case turned into a huge public relations disaster for McDonalds.
Mass Murderers: Is It Genetics Or Something In The Environment? (OR BIG PHARMA!)
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:49
Bitcoin exchange gains clearance to operate as a real bank in France
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:47
  Bitcoin-Central is set to become the first Bitcoin exchange to operate as a real bank, thanks to new approvals from French regulators. Run by Paymium, Bitcoin-Central partnered with two French companies '-- the payment processor Aqoba and bank Credit Mutuel '-- to create a payment service based on Bitcoins. Customers will be able to deposit their funds into the service in either euros or Bitcoins, and they will be able to easily convert the funds between the two currencies.
  Thanks to the approvals from authorities in France, deposits made in euros will benefit from insurance provided by the Garantie des d(C)p´ts, a French version of the FDIC in the US. Bitcoin-Central accounts will also be tied into the complete French banking system, which allows for direct deposit and other modern banking conveniences. A debit card, which will allow customers to spend their Bitcoins at retails establishments, is also in the works. It's not yet clear exactly when the service will launch, though approval for it is the key first step to getting it off the ground.
  Bitcoins are a digital form of currency that have had trouble gaining traction in mainstream culture, thanks to a number of factors. Fraudulent activity with Bitcoins has caused earlier Bitcoin exchanges to shut down, the US-based Tradehill nd BitFloor exchanges being the most notable. Also, the rather nebulous way in which Bitcoins are created (they are "mined" by computers as opposed to being printed or produced by official government agencies) makes it difficult for the average consumer to put their trust in the currency. But gaining integration with traditional banking methods is an important step towards bringing Bitcoin to the masses, and it will be interesting to see if this venture by Bitcoin-Central will be able to shake off fraud concerns and become a successful operation.
Johns Hopkins Gynecologist Found Dead After Being Accused Of Secretly Videoing Patients
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:35
Dr. Manning is Going to Hawaii
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:16
Kansas Bill Would Require Teachers To Misinform Students About Climate Change
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:11
  Kansas drought.
  Last week, the Kansas House Education Committee introduced a bill that mandates teachers question the scientific basis of global warming, becoming the latest state to take up one of American Legislative Exchange Council's ''model bills'' aiming to misrepresent climate change in schools.Kansas would join Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma as the fifth state to cast climate change as a ''controversial'' topic. But climate change is only controversial in political and polluter circles, not the scientific community. 97 percent of climate scientists actively publishing in the field agree climate change is human-caused.
  As National Center for Science Education executive director Eugenie C. Scott explained, ''The only effects of enacting such a misguided bill would be to discourage responsible teachers from presenting climate science accurately and to encourage irresponsible teachers to misrepresent it as controversial.''
  Read the text of the bill:
  The bill resembles an ALEC ''model bill,'' written for corporate lobbyists. ALEC's model bill mandates ''a range of perspectives presented in a balanced manner,'' ''instruction in critical thinking so that students will be able to fairly and objectively evaluate scientific and economic controversies,'' and present climate change ''in language appropriate for education rather than for propagandizing.'' At the same time ALEC's legislation has gained ground in other states, the similarities to Kansas' bill are striking, even though the state battles a destructive drought made more likely and severe in a warming climate.
"If YOU Touch Your Wee Wee It's A Mortal Sin But If A Priest Touches Your Wee Wee It's A Mistake
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:49
Migrating to Linux (Again)
  Link to Article
  Source: Radio Artisan
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:34
  I'm no stranger to Linux. I've run numerous distributions since about 1995, even venturing into BSD territory, running FreeBSD and some other Berkeley variants. I've also used Linux quite a bit in my professional life for servers. However, I've never made the jump to using it as my primary desktop operating system at home; it's always been a novelty to play with and never a desktop workhorse that I would use to actually get things done.
  Linux Mint is a Linux distribution that has become more popular recently. It's based on the venerable Ubuntu distribution and appears to be taking some market share from Ubuntu. Ubuntu in my opinion went off the tracks with its migration to the Unity desktop. For the first time recently I hit a brick wall trying to install the latest Ubuntu within a virtual machine. While Ubuntu was quite polished and arguably had the best usability in the Linux world, I still felt that I was often fighting the operating system to make it work.
  Linux Mint seems to have taken care of those issues. Last night I made the plunge and partitioned off some space on my hard disk and installed it so I could dual boot between Windows and Linux. The installation went extremely well and within two hours I was able to browse the web, play videos and hear sound, send email, work on Kicad schematics, compile Arduino code, open Excel and Word docs, do my banking with the same program I used on Windows, and I had amateur radio logging and digital programs installed. The only speed bump was getting my wireless working. I was able to fix that in five minutes after Googling and finding one command line to run. On previous distributions, items like this would take hours to resolve and there would be several of them to deal with. For the first time I feel I have something equivalent to what I had on Windows, and it doesn't look goofy and didn't require days of tweaking with arcane command line syntax to make it acceptable. The browser actually renders things like they look on Windows. You install a program and it actually appears in the menu. Quite simply, Linux Mint isn't a compromise like previous desktop installations.
  I've often complained about the state of amateur radio open source software. I stand by my previous statements as I think we still don't have a suite of amateur radio open source software that compares with offerings in Windows, mainly in the areas of logging and contest programs. However, CQRLog has evolved quite a bit and I've decided to take a more minimalist approach and see if I can make it work. I still think Ham Radio Deluxe is the gold standard, but lately I've become annoyed with its bloat and the commercialization and marketing of it.
  I'm still keeping my Windows partition, mainly to run one particular contest program and store my documents (which I access from Linux), but I may eventually run Virtual Box on Linux and have a small Windows installation virtualized to run the contest program rather than booting back into Linux.
  Will this be the time I finally run my shack on Linux? I hope.
  Like this:LikeLoading...
'Big data' poses big problem for Pentagon
  Link to Article
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 01:11
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. '-- Data scientists are the most in demand job for the military, according to Reggie Brothers, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Research.
  The military has a problem with ''big data'' '-- the problem being that it collects too much of it. The infatuation with unmanned vehicles and the sensors mounted onto them has spurred a wave of data collected on the battlefield.
  Using that data has caused military leaders headaches. Brothers said here at the Association of the U.S. Army's Winter Symposium on Wednesday that the Army and the other services have placed their focus on PED, or processing, exploitation, and dissemination.
  He used the ARGUS-IS as an example of the major advances being made in the world of intelligence sensors. The ARGUS-IS can stream up to a million terabytes of data and record 5,000 hours of high definition footage per day. It can do this with the 1.8 gigapixel camera and 368 different sensors all housed in the ARGUS-IS sensor that can fly on an MQ-9 Reaper.
  However, the analysis of the data collected by those sensors can't keep up. Brothers, a former program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said the military needs more data scientists to mine through these mountains of data streams. The Pentagon is in competition with private industry as these scientists are sought out throughout the commercial industry.
  Military service leaders have already reached out to numerous broadcasting companies such as ESPN and National Geographic to learn ways these broadcast teams deal with the large streams of live-motion footage these companies collect.
  One of the major challenges the Defense Department faces with this influx of data is dealing with the personnel demands. Many assume that UAVs require fewer people to operate. Brothers said that would be the wrong assumption.
  ''We just don't have the personnel right now,'' Brothers said.
  Defense leaders are trying to reach the appropriate mix of autonomy in order to lessen the work load on the operators. However, balancing the amount of decision making afforded to the machines has delayed those developments.
  The goal is to get to a point where, on average, less than one person is needed to operate an unmanned vehicle. Right now, the military averages well over one person operating its unmanned fleet.
  ''We need to do better than that,'' Brothers said.
  February 20th, 2013 | Air, Drones, Gadgets and Gear | 193814 Commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fdefensetech.org%2F2013%2F02%2F20%2Fbig-data-poses-big-problem-for-pentagon%2F%27Big+data%27+poses+big+problem+for+Pentagon2013-02-20+23%3A16%3A42Mike+Hoffmanhttp%3A%2F%2Fdefensetech.org%2F%3Fp%3D19381
MAKE | A Sneak Peek at the New BeagleBone
  Link to Article
  Source: What Jamie Flarity is reading.
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:04
  By Matt Richardson , 2013/02/20 @ 1:24 pm
  The folks at Beagleboard.org are teasing us with a sneak peek of the newest version the of the BeagleBone, their embedded Linux development board. According to the post on their site, the new board comes at a lower price, touts more processing power, and has an on-board HDMI port so that it can connect directly to TVs and monitors without extra hardware. The new board will also feature more RAM and on board flash storage in addition to the microSD slot. And if you already have a collection of BeagleBone capes (expansion boards), there's no need to worry since the new hardware will be compatible with existing capes. According to a press release from Element-14, availability of the board is slated for late April. They're currently allowing you to ''register your interest'' so that you're among the first to know when they start taking orders.Like this:LikeLoading...
Gen. John Allen Retires Over Jill Kelly/ Paula Broadwell/David Petraeus Scandal
  Link to Article
  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:03
  Paul Broadwell's attachment to Gen. David Petraeus has now taken another casualty in its wake: Gen. John Allen.
  President Barack Obama is looking for a new candidate to lead American and allied forces in Europe after his first choice, Marine Gen. John Allen, bowed out Tuesday and announced his intention to retire for what he called personal reasons.
  After meeting with Allen at the White House, the president issued a brief statement praising Allen's service. He called the 57-year-old Allen "one of America's finest military leaders, a true patriot, and a man I have come to respect greatly."
  This story didn't get much attention yesterday because all the Beltway deficit scolds were carrying on about the big bad Sequester. If you've forgotten about Jill Kelly, here's a quick refresher:
  This is the woman who complained to the FBI about harassing emails from the mistress of Gen David Petraeus. Jill Kelley, 37, of Tampa, Florida, is an unpaid social liaison officer to military headquarters in the city and has a longstanding friendship with Petraeus, who quit as CIA director in disgrace last week.
  Mrs Kelley lives in a $1.3 million house with her husband Scott, a surgeon, and their three children, age nine, seven and six.She packed her bags and sped away from her lavish home on Sunday night after national news media descended on her upscale neighborhood.
  Mrs Kelley told agents that Paula Broadwell, the 40-year-old biographer who has been identified as the ex-CIA boss' mistress, sent her harassing emails telling her to 'back off' Petraeus.
  An online picture album posted by the family talks about meeting Gen. Petraeus at the family's home.'We and our family have been friends with Gen Petraeus and his family for over five years. We respect his and his family's privacy and want the same for us and our three children,' she said in a statement on Sunday.
  When the story about the Petraeus affair with Broadwell broke, many Benghazi conspiracy nuts in the GOP went ballistic, but their Bircher fantasies were quickly doused as more info about their affair became public. They not only lost a cherished military hero, but a potential 2016 presidential candidate as well. Allen's loss is a significant blow to the military high command, and even though the general was cleared of any wrongdoing in the Petraeus fiasco, he opted not to be fodder for a Senate confirmation hearing. You know he watched the lunatic Republican Sen. Ted Cruz go all Joe McCarthy on Chuck Hagel's ass because he had the audacity of being nominated by Obama, so why should he suffer the fools?
Meet the Mad Scientist Operating Pirate Radio Station KUNT out of a Denton Dorm Room - Dallas - Music - DC9 At Night.
  Link to Article
  Source: Newsmix
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:41
  The Mad Scientist is 19, his breadth of technological knowledge seems somewhat prodigious, and he wishes to remain anonymous. From his dorm room he broadcasts his pirate radio station, KUNT, which he describes as a pulpit for great local bands mixed with some regional, national and international acts. But mostly local.Attached to the head bedpost in his room is a roughly six-foot long antenna that is always on, and always live. He says that if you touch it, you'll get a wicked electric jolt, and the question seems to be: Isn't he scared that he'll shock the shit out of himself when he sleeps?
  "Oh yeah, me and my girlfriend are terrified of it," he says. "But it's for the cause, man."The Mad Scientist has been broadcasting KUNT from Denton since October of 2012 on 88.9 on the FM band. He selected 88.9 because it's the least used segment on the entire range of possible frequencies, and this serves two purposes. It doesn't alert any other broadcasters to his scent, and there's not much bleed from other stations into his frequency.
  KUNT can't be heard too far away from UNT, and that's because of the low wattages he broadcasts through, but within that range are a lot of music listeners, and he's got some fans, including Gutterth, the infamous DFW record label and booking/promotions syndicate.
  He says he gets a little flak sometimes from other radio subcultures. "There're entire cultures of people who do radio," he explains. "Like CB people and H.A.M. radio people, and AM pirates and FM pirates. FM pirates are kind of the most looked down upon by all the groups, because CBers and H.A.M.s and some AMers, they all have licenses. So when they see an FM pirate [operating] they get kind of flustered about it. I don't know why. I guess they're just jerks."
  The Mad Scientist broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, expect during school breaks, when he has to pack up and briefly return home.
  Forced hiatuses aside, KUNT plays all manner of great local bands. The Mad Scientist lists some of his favorite bands to broadcast as Two Knights out of Arlington, Empire Empire out of New Hampshire, The Angelus, Dear Human, Eccotone, Deer Vibes, New Science Projects, Big Fiction, The Harlem Renaissance, Record Hop (a band that he wishes would get back together), Fishboy and Ryan Thomas Becker ("You gotta mention him!"), just to name a few.
  A typical broadcast day for the Mad Scientist involves simply letting his computer playlist do its thing, interspersing Stephen Hawking-sounding station identification bumpers every 10 songs or so. Occasionally he'll put on his headset and mention a particularly cool song or band in his own voice, but it's not something he does often, mainly because he doesn't want to say anything that might get him into trouble with anyone.
  Rarely, KUNT will go off the air due to technical problems, but when that happens, he simply reboots his computer and the station is back on within minutes.
  The Mad Scientist agrees to do a range check with me in my car to see how far from his dorm room 88.9 broadcasts, and as we drive toward the square, the station is sometimes clear, like when we crest hills, and sometimes static, like when we drive beside tall buildings. The sound gets spotty as we pass the square and cruise toward City Hall. Once we reach the county courthouse building, a half mile east of the Square, the broadcast is nearly pure static.
  We head back to his dorm room, and as we reach the north side of the Square, the station kicks in clear again. Sarah Jaffe is playing, and The Mad Scientist says he really likes her music.
  He has goals of reaching out much farther than the Square and areas equidistant all around the perimeter of his dorm-room broadcast point, but for now, he seems satisfied enough that it reaches as far as it does, and that he is able to play the music he loves for the people in the area who care to listen.
  Keep up with DC9 at Night on Twitter or Facebook.
FBI probes 'insider trading' over Heinz deal
  Link to Article
  Source: AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (AJE)
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:03
  The FBI is looking into possible insider trading in the options of ketchup maker HJ Heinz before its blockbuster deal last week to be acquired by Warren Buffett and Brazil's 3G Capital, a bureau spokesman has said.
  Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 3G said last Thursday that they would buy Heinz for $23bn in cash.
  Almost immediately, options market players noted there had been extremely unusual activity the day before the deal was announced.
  "The FBI is aware of the trading anomalies the day before Heinz' announcement," a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday. "The FBI is consulting with the [US] SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] to determine if a crime was committed."
  On Friday, the SEC filed a suit against unknown traders who it said used a Goldman Sachs account in Switzerland to trade on purported inside knowledge of the transaction.
  A spokeswoman for the investor group declined to comment on the FBI's involvement.
  A spokesperson for Goldman Sachs said the bank is cooperating with authorities' investigations.
  Swiss authorities have already said they have not been asked to help with the US probe.
  The SEC enforcement action marked the second time in six months regulators have taken aim at alleged insider trading in a deal involving 3G.
  The first instance, last September, involved a stockbroker trading on inside information related to 3G's 2010 purchase of Burger King.
  227
Patricia Cornwell wins $50m in damages
  Link to Article
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:24
  Patricia Cornwell said the 'autopsy of my life' was over after the judge's verdict at the end of the seven-week trial. Photograph: Richard Saker
  Patricia Cornwell, the American crime writer best known for her series of books starring the medical examiner Kay Scarpetta, has been awarded $50.9 million (£33m) in damages after a court found her former financial company had cheated her out of tens of millions of dollars.
  The award could be tripled on Thursday when a federal judge sits to decide whether Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP violated consumer protection laws.
  Cornwell said the company was negligent in handling her finances and cost her millions in losses or unaccounted for revenue.
  In an interview with the Boston Globe shortly after the judgment was announced, Cornwell said that she and her wife, Staci Gruber, carried out their own investigations. Cornwell was forced to subpoena her own bank records to trace her money. "We worked our own crime scene, so to speak", she said.
  Cornwell claimed to have made more than $89 million in her four years with Anchin, only to find she was worth little more than what she had when the relationship began. She said she fired the firm in 2009 after discovering that her net worth was a little under $13 million, despite having eight-figure earnings in each of the previous four years.
  During the seven-week trial, lawyers for the New York firm, Anchin, and its former principal, Evan Snapper, said there was no money missing from Cornwell's accounts. They insisted her losses were due to the economic downturn combined with the author's taste for Ferraris, helicopters and a temporary apartment in New York City she rented for $40,000 per month.
  Lawyers for the firm and Snapper portrayed Cornwell as a demanding client who relied on them for everything from bringing her clothes to the tailor to arranging care for her mother.
  Cornwell, however, countered with claims that Anchin moved her from a conservative management strategy to an aggressive one without her permission.
  Cornwell said the firm caused her to miss a book deadline for the first time in her career when it failed to find her a suitable place to write after renovation work on her house in Concord, Massachusetts went on much longer than expected. The delay in finishing her book, she claimed, caused her to lose one year's income: about $15 million in non-recoverable advances and commission.
  She told the Boston Globe that she was horrified when her bank account revealed Anchin's lack of accountability. Checks, she discovered, had been voided, expenses were unaccounted for and a $5,000 check was written by Snapper who claimed it was for a bat mitzvah gift Cornwell had given to his daughter. "There was a lot of money that went out, and we can find no documentation for it," she said.
  Fighting the case "has been like eating arsenic for weeks" but now the judge's verdict has been delivered the "autopsy of my life" was over and "a whole mountain of rocks has been lifted off me", she added.
  Frank Schettino, a managing partner at Anchin, Block & Anchin, said the firm plans to explore its legal options, including appealing the verdict.
  "For more than 90 years, the professionals at Anchin have built a reputation for honesty and integrity," Schettino said in a statement. "The firm will endure despite today's outcome."
@southern__bread: Reading... Netflix Is A Fragile House Of Cards http://t.co/ij636Mer
  Link to Article
  Source: Twitter / southern__bread
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:14
  I recently read a book called "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder," by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Some of you might remember him as the guy who wrote "The Black Swan," in which he examines the influence of highly improbable and unpredictable events that have massive impact. In "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder," Nassim talks about something called "The Triad," which classifies things into three categories:
  Fragile: does not like volatility and disorder
  Robust: neither harmed nor helped by volatility and disorder
  Antifragile: benefits from volatility and disorder
  I will mostly focus on the two extremes -- fragility and antifragility. A simple example of antifragility is a profitable company that has billions in cash on its balance sheet and zero debt. An example of the opposite, fragility, is an unprofitable company that is heavily leveraged and with little to no excess cash. Which one of these companies will do better in a recession or volatile environment? I think the answer should be obvious to most investors.
  A real life example of an antifragile company is Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B). Right before the financial crisis of 2007-2008, Berkshire had billions in cash that it could put to work. Buffett invested tens of billions in such companies as General Electric (GE), Goldman Sachs (GS) and Swiss Re (SSREY.OB). Most academics would argue that sitting on this much cash is inefficient, and this would be very true if we could predict the future. However, since it is impossible to predict the future (contrary to what most economists and analysts believe), we must strive to be antifragile. So, as you can see from my Berkshire example, Buffett was antifragile -- he benefited from the volatility in the market. Fragile companies that were trying to be "efficient" by using a lot of leverage went bankrupt (suffered from volatility in the market). It is also important to mention that these same companies, mostly in the financial sector, were using fancy models to make forecasts and measure risks. On the other hand, Warren Buffett, a man who can hardly use a computer -- outperformed all of these models using only his brainpower and a little common sense. Buffett understood two things: the economy was becoming fragile (because of the excessive leverage), and the stock market was grossly overvalued. And as we have learned by now, fragility and extreme valuations can cause severe recessions like the one we experienced. So, as can be clearly seen, Buffett made sure that Berkshire was antifragile so that it can benefit (profit) from volatility and disorder in the stock market.
  Another company that I believe is extremely robust, and possibly one day could be antifragile, is Apple (AAPL). Say what you will about Apple, but this company has over $137 billion in cash on its balance sheet and zero debt. The company is still extremely profitable, which means that enormous cash pile will continue growing. If we have another economic downturn (which is very likely), a company with this much cash can benefit by acquiring its competitors and further strengthening its competitive advantage.
  So far I have talked mainly about robust and antifragile companies. Now I will give an example of a fragile company, and it is this company that will be the focus of this article. As the title suggests, that company is Netflix (NFLX). I will analyze three things: the company's profitability, financial health and valuation. By the end of this article the reader will see that not only is Netflix grossly overvalued, but the company is also becoming fragile. And as I have shown above -- fragility and overvaluation are not a good mix.
  Before I go on, I want to mention that I do not believe in making predictions. I am not trying to predict the exact date when Netflix will collapse and go bankrupt. I believe it is much easier to understand if something is harmed by volatility -- hence fragile -- than try to forecast harmful events. My model is quite simple, I identify fragilities and make a bet on the collapse of that fragile unit (in this case Netflix is that fragile unit).
  Recent Events
  Netflix has rallied close to 100% since reporting better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter of 2012. The domestic streaming subscriber base grew to 27.1 million (2.05 million net adds), and the international business grew rapidly (1.81 million net adds). In total, Netflix currently has 33.3 million video-streaming subscribers worldwide. This influx of new subscribers allowed Netflix to produce an unexpected fourth-quarter profit. However, as they usually tend to do, investors overreacted. They have ignored the company's deteriorating cash flow and ballooning off-balance sheet liabilities. It is these two things that are making Netflix more fragile, which will eventually lead to its demise.
  It is also important to mention that Netflix will be adding $500 million of long-term debt to its balance sheet. The news was announced after the most recent balance sheet date, and this new debt should appear on next quarter's financial statements. In my analysis I do not include this new debt because I cannot know exactly how much of it will be used to retire old debt. Management has stated that "they might" use $225 million of the proceeds to retire $200 million in 8.5% senior notes that are due in 2017. However, I want to be conservative and will wait until next quarter before including this new debt in my analysis.
  Financial Health
  First, I would like to focus on Netflix's financial health. I will attempt to examine all of the company's liabilities, including the liabilities buried in the footnotes (off-balance sheet liabilities).
  Below is a snapshot of the company's balance sheet as of December 31, 2012.
  At the end of 2012, Netflix had $748 million in cash and short-term investments (19% of total assets). As should be expected, most of the other assets consist of streaming content -- close to $3 billion worth (74% of total assets).
  Moving on to the liabilities section we see that Netflix has $400 million in long-term debt. However, the majority of the company's liabilities are streaming content liabilities, which totaled approximately $2.4 billion (76% of total liabilities).
  If we were to just focus on the balance sheet and ignore everything else, Netflix would look like it is in decent financial health. However, Netflix is one of those companies that hide most liabilities off the balance sheet. This means that it would only make sense to also analyze these off-balance sheet liabilities in order to determine whether or not the company is a worthwhile investment. What I have attempted to do is bring these "hidden" liabilities back to the balance sheet so that investors can better analyze the company's financial health.
  Here is a snapshot of what Netflix's balance sheet should look like. We will call this the "updated balance sheet." Stockholders' equity remains the same, because the balance sheet must "balance."
  In this analysis I will only focus on the most recent year. The major change that was made is the addition of $3.2 billion in off-balance sheet streaming content liabilities, of which $2.3 billion is long term. According to the footnotes in the most recent 10-K, the reason these obligations are not reflected on the balance sheet is because they do not meet the criteria for asset recognition. So what are the criteria that management speaks of? Well, in another footnote we can find the answer. The license agreements that are not reflected on the balance sheets do not meet content library asset recognition criteria because either thefee is not known or reasonably determinable for a specific title or it is known but the title is not yet available for streaming to subscribers. In other words, this is just a clever way to hide $3.2 billion in streaming content liabilities off the balance sheet.
  I have also added back "other purchase obligations" to the balance sheet. These are non-cancelable purchase obligations primarily related to streaming content delivery and DVD content acquisition. At the end of the most recent fiscal year, these obligations amounted to approximately $132 million.
  Finally, the company's non-cancelable operating lease obligations have also been included on the updated balance sheet. Operating leases should be treated as debt and brought back to the balance sheet (the FASB is also working on changing this). In order to bring these leases back to the balance sheet we must capitalize them. I chose to use Moody's (the rating agency) method of capitalizing leases, which is simply "eight" times the current year rent expense. Rent expense in 2012 was $29.7 million. This means that at the end of 2012 Netflix had close to $238 million in capital lease obligations. I also want to mention that rent expense increased by about 76% from 2011. The reason for this increase is due to certain short-term facilities leases to house the company's content delivery network equipment. However, management expects rent expense to be about the same in 2013, which probably means that this is not a short-term increase.
  Profitability
  Next, I will analyze the company's profitability, which, as you will see, has been deteriorating in recent years and making the company even more fragile.
  Netflix's earnings have experienced some significant deterioration in recent years. In the most recent fiscal year the company had negative free cash flow of $67 million, and negative owner earnings of $124 million. The main difference between owner earnings and free cash flow is that owner earnings take into account stock-based compensation expense while free cash flow does not. It is for this reason I believe that owner earnings are a better representation of Netflix's true earning power (or "cash burning power" in this case).
  In my opinion, these are huge losses and should be a red flag. Yes, Netflix did report positive net income; however, you cannot pay down debt with net income -- it is just an accounting number. I know of a lot of companies that had amazing net income and still went bankrupt. In the end it is cash that matters, and this is something Netflix is lacking at the moment.
  Let us take another look at the company's current liabilities.
  Netflix owes about $2.7 billion within a year (current liabilities). Where will this money come from? It certainly will not come from cash flow since it is negative. The company will be able to cover some of these current liabilities using the cash on its balance sheet. It will also be able to convert some of its other current assets into cash, which will also help. However, where will the rest come from? How will the company be able to buy additional content to stay ahead of the competition? There is only one rational answer to these questions -- more debt! And, as we have learned by now, more debt = more fragility.
  Here is another look at the company's long-term liabilities.
  Netflix has close to $4.1 billion in long-term liabilities. The company will not have to worry about these liabilities for now, with the exception of interest payments on the debt. However, one day soon -- these too will be current liabilities, but by that time Netflix will be in such bad shape that there is no guarantee that they will ever get paid.
  Valuation
  The final thing that I want to analyze is the stock valuation. In my opinion, valuing Netflix is almost impossible. The valuation process is made especially hard considering that the company's earnings are deteriorating. Now, some investors might argue that this "earning deterioration" is only short term and that profit margins should eventually return to normal (revert to the mean). However, my counter-argument would be that even if profit margins do return to their long-term average, the stock would still be extremely overpriced.
  As can be seen above, Netflix historically has had slim profit margins. In fact, the five-year average profit margin is less than 2.5%. I use owner earnings in the calculation instead of net income because, as I stated earlier, I believe it is a better representation of the company's true earning power.
  To be totally honest, I do not even think that Netflix can return to historical profitability. There are three main reasons why I hold this belief: first, there is heightened competition for securing content, which means a greater portion of the economic profits are shifting to the content owners. Second, the continuing decline of the high-margin DVD business will also be a drag on profitability. The third and final reason, emerging competition will keep Netflix from the significant margin expansion that usually comes with strong top-line growth.
  I will now attempt to show that even if Netflix did not have to face all of the challenges I just mentioned, even if the company's profit margins did return to normal -- the stock would still be grossly overvalued (even when taking into account optimistic and unsustainable growth rates). Again, I want to remind readers that the following analysis is simply to show how crazy the valuation really is. In no way do I believe that Netflix will be able to achieve this.
  I forecast revenues to increase at 25% on a five-year CAGR basis (exact historical growth rate). I also forecast profit margins to average around 2.5% (historical profit margins) during the five-year forecast period. In the most recent year Netflix had revenues of $3.6 billion -- multiplying that by the average profit margin of 2.5% gives us "normalized owner earnings" of $90.2 million, or what the owner earning should have been for the year if conditions were normal. As of this writing Netflix had an enterprise value of $10.5 billion (including operating leases). Dividing normalized owner earning by the current enterprise value gives us an earnings yield of 0.86%, or enterprise-value-to-owner-earnings ratio of approximately 116x. Again, I am using normalized owner earnings and the valuation is still ridiculous! Assuming that the enterprise value remains the same, 25% annualized growth over the next five years will give us a forward yield of 2.62%, or a forward enterprise value to owner earnings ratio of approximately 38x. As I have just shown, if Netflix is somehow able to return to historical profitability, if the company does not take on more debt (increasing the enterprise value and making it even more expensive), if the company is able to sustain a 25% growth rate (unlikely considering the law of large numbers), even then the stock would be richly valued. In other words, even when assuming the most optimistic (best-case scenario) it still would not change the fact that this stock is grossly overvalued.
  Buying Netflix at the current price is irrational. The upside is small (mostly relying on the greater fool theory), and the downside is huge. The company is facing many challenges in the near future; it has many obligations that it simply cannot cover, at least not without taking on additional debt. Furthermore, even as Netflix's balance sheet becomes more fragile and its earnings deteriorate -- the price that investors are willing to pay for the stock is increasing every day. This does not make sense to me. An extremely overvalued, fragile, and poorly managed company like Netflix will eventually crash and investors will lose a lot of money. There is no doubt in my mind that this will happen, it is just a matter of time.
  As Netflix continues taking on more obligations (both on-and-off-balance sheet), and as the stock continues climbing higher -- those put options are looking very attractive to me. I know that the stock will eventually collapse, and options give me huge upside with minimal risk (limited downside). I will keep betting year after year until this company goes bankrupt. Actually, I hope that the stock becomes even more overvalued -- this just means that the eventual crash will be more severe and my profits will be higher. Put another way, why am I betting against Netflix? The answer to that question is simple -- taking the other side of fragility makes you antifragile, and my whole goal in life is to be antifragile.
  Conclusion
  I have just shown that even when using the most optimistic growth forecast, Netflix would still be extremely overvalued. Even worse, not only is the stock overvalued, but the company is becoming very fragile due to the ballooning liabilities and deteriorating earnings. These liabilities (especially the off-balance sheet ones), will continue rising, and it is very unlikely that the company will ever again return to profitability. In other words, the company is becoming more fragile while its stock is becoming more overvalued. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I strongly urge all investors to stay far away from this fragile house of cards!
  Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, but may initiate a short position in NFLX over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.(More...)
For Which The Acronym WTF Was Invented
  Link to Article
  Source: The Politics Blog with Charles P. Pierce RSS Feed
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:14
  About The Politics BlogThis blog is about politics, which, according to Aristotle, a truly veteran scribe, is the result of humans being the only herd animals capable of speaking to one another. Or shouting at one another, or giving to each other the ol' bazoo, for all of that, although there is no translation for "bazoo" in the ancient Greek. Thus, for our purposes here, this blog will be about politics in its most basic form '-- to wit, how we speak to each other for the purposes of governing, or choosing not to govern, ourselves as a small-r republican political commonwealth. It will be the policy of this blog not to treat ignorance with respect simply because that ignorance profits important and powerful people. It will be the policy to operate on the principle that, while there may be two sides to every question, rarely are they both right. If this blog sees a man walking down the street with a duck on his head, it will report that it saw a man walking down the street with a duck on his head. It will not need two sources for that. It will not seek out someone to tell it that what it really saw was a duck walking down the street with a guy on its ass. It will be the belief of this blog that, as Christopher Hitchens once said, the only correct answer to the question, "Is nothing sacred?" is "No." And there will be fun.
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Market Reaction To FOMC Minutes
  Link to Article
  Source: Zero Hedge
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:10
  UPDATE: Minutes after the post - Stocks getting ugly now, catching down to VIX and USD's move
  Bonds were sold instantly as the more hawkish comments from the FOMC hit - as was Gold. The USD rallied and stocks dipped modestly. Once that initial knee-jerk settled, stocks have gone largely sideways to modestly lower, Treasury yields have pushed back towards the day's highs as the USD strength and Gold weakness are tracking each other perfectly for now. Unfortunately, this is not helping the price of Oil - which is higher post-FOMC. Notably, while this is clearly being viewed as hawkish for bonds, commodities, and the USD, stocks appear unphased - but it seems VIX is soaking up the equity uncertainty for now (VIX +1.1 vols at 13.40%) indicating considerably more concern than the market itself (for now). The 'bond-like' Utilities sector is the most pressured (as rates rise) for now.
  USD Up (inverted), Gold Down, Treasury yields Up, Oil Up, Stocks Flat...
  But VIX not happy...
  and Utes are hurting more as rates rise..
  Average:Your rating: NoneAverage: 5(4 votes)
The Art Of Photoshop? L'Oreal Spokeswoman Andie MacDowell Bares Her Makeup-Free Face
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:07
  Andie MacDowell looks flawlessly faced at 54 in her latest L'Oreal ads, but in real life she looks much more like an average person!
  The Groundhog Day star stepped out in Los Angeles on Tuesday after a workout, daring to bare her makeup free face and looking drastically different than she does promoting the makeup and skincare line's anti-aging products.
  Clad in her gym clothes, MacDowell, who is hailed for her incredibly youthful and age-defying looks, looked much more like an average fifty-something woman, complete with fine lines and wrinkles.
  PHOTOS: Bare-Faced Beauties: Stars Without Makeup!
  The actress has been a spokeswoman for L'Oreal since the 1980s and is the face of their Revitalift skincare.
99designs & a trademark ain't one, or, the surprising relaunch of Pro Tools
  Link to Article
  Source: VentureBeat » Jolie O’Dell
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:06
  Pro Tools, as many of you may know, is the industry-standard creative software suite for musicians.
  It's also the name of the latest product from 99designs, the crowdsourced spec work site for getting creative work done on the cheap.
  Pro Tools, according to Wikipedia, is a digital audio platform for Mac and Windows made by Avid and first released in 1991. It is used in just about every professional audio/video setup. Ad agencies often have in-house A/V specialists and Pro Tools experts whose only job is to edit audio using Pro Tools.
  Pro Tools, according to 99designs, is a digital software suite for ad agencies to find freelancers and work with clients. While it's unlikely that there's any overlap between the functions of the two products, we're confused as to why 99designs would choose a name '-- and not a great name, at that '-- that was already so closely aligned with another company's software.
  And that's the kind of confusion that leads to trademark lawsuits.
  ''We're aware of that product and aren't concerned as we don't see any legal or other problematic issues arising there,'' a 99designs rep wrote to VentureBeat this morning in an email.
  However, the Avid reps we contacted might see some legal or other problematic issues arising there. They're looking into the situation now and promised to get back to us shortly.
  The 99design folks did not contact Avid prior to the launch; our contact said that after discussing the matter internally, the team decided to proceed with the launch and not pursue a trademark for the name.
  99designs also would make the point that its software is for a different industry '-- ads, not music. However, given the number of Pro Tools editor positions at ad agencies, a fair argument could be made to the contrary.
  A bit more about the 99designs version of Pro Tools: The company's target audience of mid-sized to small web and marketing agencies are usually coming to 99designs to find freelance graphic design work. They are looking for fresh talent, but the site's crowdsourced contest model means they get to see a lot of work from a lot of creatives for very little money before making their decision.
  The new 99designs software suite includes invite-only contests to help agencies set a higher bar for crowdsourced submissions, presentation tools for working with clients, private and ''blind'' contests to keep IP on lock, and custom non-disclosure agreements to work better with careful clients and freelance designers.
  All in all, it's right in line with what 99designs already does. We just gotta ask: Couldn't they have come up with a better name?
  Totally objectively, ''Pro Tools'' is just a crap name for a product. It's generic and vague. Heck, my face is a pro tool. The Internet is a pro tool. A jackhammer is a pro tool. The phrase ''pro tool'' in and of itself has absolutely no meaning '-- outside its now universally acknowledged meaning related to audio software.
  And what about SEO? No search engine in the world is going to take a ''Pro Tools'' query and serve up a 99designs page.
  Huh. Maybe they shoulda crowdsourced that.
Kerry: US, allies working to prevent nuclear Iran
  Link to Article
  Source: ynet - News
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:04
  In his first official speech since taking office, US secretary of state defends foreign spending, says 'foreign assistance is not charity, it's an investment in a strong America and a free world'Yitzhak Benhorin
  WASHINGTON '' "In today's global world, there is no longer anything foreign about foreign policy," US Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, in his first official speech since taking office.
  "How we conduct our foreign policy matters more than ever before to our everyday lives," Kerry said, speaking at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
  Related stories:
  Kerry's speech focused on the domestic side of foreign policy, as well as the innate benefits it derived from foreign aid spending, which any cut in would be detrimental to some of the United States own interest, such as minimizing the chances of Iran getting its hands on a nuclear weapon.
  Foreign aid, he stressed, allows Washington to work with America's international partners to ensure that "Iran never obtains a weapon that would endanger our allies and our interests.
  "Foreign assistance is not a giveaway. It is not charity. It is an investment in a strong America and a free world," Kerry stated.
  Secretary of State John Kerry (Photo: AP)
  Kerry stressed that the US spends less than 1% of the federal government's budget on foreign assistance programs. "This figure is usually wildly overestimated by the public and often reviled by politicians looking to score points on budget restraint," he noted.
  Kerry further noted that "The amount of money spent on conflict stabilization efforts '' about $60 million per year '' is comparable to the amount of money earned by a Hollywood film, 'The Avengers,' in a single day on opening weekend.
  "The difference is the folks we have on the ground doing this job are actually real superheroes," Kerry said.
  Americans must invest more in foreign aid and diplomacy in order to protect US security and to cultivate American prosperity, he noted. "Deploying diplomats today is much cheaper than deploying troops tomorrow."
  He also said that the greatest challenge to US foreign policy is not emerging China or Middle East instability '' but Congress.
  "We can't be strong in the world unless we are strong at home," he said, calling the budget impasse President Obama is facing in Congress "a threat."
  Kerry's speech precedes his first official trip as secretary as state. He is scheduled to visit Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey before heading to the Middle East, where he will visit Egypt, Qatar the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
  Kerry will visit Israel prior to Obama's visit, in late March.
  Receive Ynetnews updates directly to your desktop
Wilders warns Australia of 'dangerous' Islam - Asia-Pacific
  Link to Article
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:03
  Protesters have scuffled with police in Melbourne during a visit to Australia by the controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
  Mounted police restored order as scuffles broke out outside a venue where Wilders was speaking on Tuesday, but authorities said on Wednesday that no arrests were made.
  A group of around 40 demonstrators blocked the gate to a function centre where Wilders made his speech, in which he said he was giving Australia a warning about "the true nature of Islam".
  During his address, which won him a standing ovation from the audience, Wilders said Islam was "not just a religion".
  "It's primarily a dangerous and totalitarian ideology," he said.
  Wilders also said that he was there to warn Australians that "what is happening in my native country, the Netherlands, that that might soon happen in Australia, too, if you fail to be vigilant".
  He added that action should be taken to defend traditional Australian values and freedom of speech, urging his audience to demand "that immigrants accept Australia's values and not the other way around anymore".
  According to the right-wing MP, the Islamic religion is incompatible with freedom.
  'Hateful speech'
  Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has urged people to ignore the Dutchman while the Islamic Council of Victoria said it trusted the community would "see through his hateful speech and dismiss it for the empty rhetoric that it is".
  But Wilders insisted that he was not attempting to incite violence or insult people during his visit.
  The MP is due to speak in Sydney on Friday, but an event in the western city of Perth has been cancelled after a venue could not be found to host the politician.
  Wilders was acquitted by a Dutch court in June of 2011 of charges that he was inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.
  He had described Islam as a "fascist ideology", comparing the Quran to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
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Aaron Swartz Files Reveal How FBI Tracked Internet Activist
  Link to Article
  Source: BlackListedNews.com
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:03
  Source: The Guardian
  A blogger has published once-classified FBI files that show how the agency tracked and collected information on internet activist Aaron Swartz.
  Swartz, who killed himself in January aged 26, had previously requested his files and posted them on his blog, but some new documents and redactions are included in the files published by Firedoglake blogger Daniel Wright.
  Wright was given 21 of 23 declassified documents, thanks to a rule that declassifies FBI files on the deceased. Wright said that he was told the other two pages of documents were not provided because of freedom of information subsections concerning privacy, ''sources and methods,'' and that can ''put someone's life in danger.''
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Is the United States Eyeing a New Military Base in Tajikistan?
  Link to Article
  Source: 101292674006572799842 - Google+ Posts
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:55
  Is the United States Eyeing a New Military Base in Tajikistan? >>Today Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake, visited with senior Tajik government officials in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to a State Department press release. T......
2/20/13 - New feature: Carting articles directly in the river.
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Jones's SOPML work feed.
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 20:53
  2/20/13 - New feature: Carting articles directly in the river.
  By davejones. Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 1:16 PM.The consistent refrain from users has been that cart'ing an article loses your place in the river. The correct way to solve that problem is to not leave the river. :-) So, now, when you cart an article it displays as a modal. For now it only works on the desktop side. Mobile still behaves the old way. I'll look into mobile next. Please give feedback in the google group if something is broken. Screenshot:
Bin Laden's Son-in-Law Arrested in Turkey Asharq Alawsat Newspaper (English)
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:21
  Bin Laden's Son-in-Law Arrested in Turkey02/02/2013
  By Mohammed Al Shafey
  London, Asharq Al-Awsat½Turkish security services arrested Al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden's son-in-law at a hotel in Ankara on Friday.Sources reported that Turkish security services received intelligence from the CIA that Osama Bin Laden's son-in-law "Suleiman" had arrived in Turkey. The Turkish security services were able to locate and arrest Suleiman at a hotel in Ankara's central Cankaya district.
  Sources close to the Bin Laden family informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Suleiman is a Kuwaiti national and the husband of Fatima Bin Laden, who is currently present in Saudi Arabia. The source added that Suleiman had intended to seek political asylum in Turkey.
  The source confirmed that Suleiman is the "final remnant" of the branch of the Bin Laden family that was being held under house arrest by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
  However Islamist sources in London informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the man arrested in Ankara on Friday is none other than official Al-Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith.
  The Al-Qaeda spokesman, along with 15 other members of the Bin Laden family, reportedly fled Afghanistan for Tehran following the collapse of the Taliban regime.
  For its part, the London-based Islamic Observatory, a human rights organization concerned with news of Islamists around the world, issued a statement asserting that, "Turkish authorities arrested the Kuwait national Suleiman Jassim Abu Ghaith" adding that "his Kuwaiti nationality had been stripped from him."
  The statement confirmed that, "Turkish security forces were able to arrest Suleiman Abu Ghaith, son-in-law of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, after the Turkish authorities received intelligence from the CIA regarding his arrival in Turkey."
  The Islamic Observatory learned that after being questioned by Ankara's counter-terrorist directorate, the courts had released Abu Ghaith into the custody of Turkey's Security General Directorate. Abu Ghaith has not committed any crimes in Turkey, with the exception of entering the country on a forged Saudi Arabian passport. The Observatory added that Abu Ghaith had entered the country with the objective of seeking political asylum and then travelling to Saudi Arabia to rejoin his wife.
  Washington requested that Ankara surrender Suleiman Abu Ghaith into its custody so that US authorities can question him about his Al-Qaeda ties, however Turkey has reportedly deemed such a move unlawful. Turkish law calls for foreign nationals who enter the country on a forged passport to be deported to the country that they travelled from and Abu Ghaith is currently awaiting deportation back to Iran.
  Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Abu Ghaith disappeared suddenly following the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent US invasion of Afghanistan. The sources added that Abu Ghaith was last seen at one of Al-Qaeda's camps in Pakistan before he travelled to Iran.
  The Islamic Observatory reported that Abu Ghaith had previously called on Iranian authorities to allow him to return to Kuwait but that Tehran had refused, forcing him to flee the country using a false passport.
  For his part, Islamic Observatory Director Yasser al-Sirri, questioned what will happen now to Abu Ghaith. He asked Asharq Al-Awsat, "Now that the UN has removed Suleiman Abu Ghaith's name from its terrorist watch-list, what position will the Kuwaiti authorities take, particularly as his inclusion on this list was one of the reasons that his nationality was revoked?"
  Kuwait stripped Suleiman Abu Ghaith's nationality in 2001, citing "national interest". A statement issued by the Kuwaiti cabinet at the time asserted, "In the national interest and according to Article 14 of the 1959 nationality law, the council (of ministers) has approved a proposed decree to withdraw Suleiman Abu Ghaith's nationality."
  In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Al-Qaeda spokesman Suleiman Abu Ghaith was quoted as saying, "The actions by these young men who destroyed the United States and launched the storm of planes against it have done a good deed. They transferred the battle into the US heartland. Let the United States know that with God's permission, the battle will continue to be waged on its territory until it leaves our lands, stops its support for the Jews, and lifts the unjust embargo on the Iraqi people who have lost more than one million children."
Het is officieel: Eurlings nieuwe KLM-topman
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:19
  Bewerkt door: redactie '' 20/02/13, 18:04 '' bron: ANP
  (C) ANP. Camiel Eurlings op Schiphol Oost
  Oud-minister Camiel Eurlings wordt per 1 juli de nieuwe topman van luchtvaartmaatschappij KLM. Dat maakte het bedrijf vandaag bekend. Hij volgt Peter Hartman op, die in 2014 met pensioen gaat.
  Eurlings zit sinds juli 2011 in het bestuur van KLM als topman van de vrachtdivisie van Air France-KLM. De geruchten dat hij het stokje van Hartman over zou nemen, gingen al langer. Hartman stond sinds april 2007 aan het roer bij de Nederlandse tak van Air France-KLM.
  De voormalige minister van Verkeer en Waterstaat maakte de overstap naar KLM omdat dit hem als logistiek ingenieur dichter bij zijn vakgebied zou brengen. Daarvoor leek hij in de wieg gelegd voor de politiek. Eurlings was onder meer lijsttrekker voor het CDA bij de Europese verkiezingen en werd later door velen gezien als de opvolger van toenmalig premier Jan Peter Balkenende.
'They Tell The French People Illusions and Lies.'
  Link to Article
  Source: Zero Hedge
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:48
  Wolf Richter www.testosteronepit.com www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter
  France is in upheaval. Arguments erupt live on TV, demonstrations block the streets, strikes shut down plants, and threats of mayhem are part of the show [French Workers Threaten To Blow Up Their Factory]. The problem: an economy where businesses are suffocating under an obese public sector. Ever larger budgets have been the only source of economic growth. But now that model has run aground.
  During the campaign last year, candidate Fran§ois Hollande forecast that the economy in 2013 would grow 1.7%. Shortly after taking office, he shaved it down to 1.2%. Late last year, for the new budget, he chopped it to 0.8%.
  And now that too has gone up in smoke. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius guesstimated on RTL that growth would instead be 0.2% to 0.3%. And the goal of a budget deficit of 3%? It hasn't been ''abandoned,'' Fabius said. But there'd be ''a delay.''
  The final vestiges of economic optimism are evaporating. Taxes have already been raised to absurd levels, and new tools are being implemented to crack down on tax fraud [read... Draconian Cash Controls Are Coming To France].
  But the deficit still isn't coming in line. Now the chopping block has been moved to the center. On it are child benefits. Instant hullabaloo.
  Child benefits are part of a gamut of social benefits and subsidies. Parents of one child receive no child benefits. Once they have two children, they receive '‚¬127 per month. With four kids, they receive '‚¬452 per month. For each additional one, they receive another '‚¬162. A household with eight kids receives '‚¬1,100 ($1,500) per month in salary-like payments. And it's tax free, regardless of income.
  But there are drawbacks: a single mom with one child and a minimum-wage job receives nothing, while a wealthy household with two kids receives '‚¬127 per month; and it's very, very expensive. Hence its sudden appearance on the chopping block.
  Three options have been mentioned: include child benefits in taxable income; reserve the benefits for lower-income parents; or cap the benefits for high-income parents. The prior Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, had already run his head into that wall. Tumults in the street forced him to retreat.
  In this context, the evening news on France 2, France's largest TV channel, had an amazing report, amazing because it showed a well-mannered, articulate, well-intentioned and rarely televised meeting of government functionaries and elected officials that, unintentionally, displayed in a microcosm what is wrong with the French economy.
  France has a shortage of daycare centers'--up to 12,000 places in Paris alone, according to the report. When three places opened up at the in-house daycare center of the H´tel de Ville (City Hall) in Paris, 16 families applied. So 13 elected representatives and bureaucrats'--some of them doctors and childhood specialists'--sat around a conference table. The director of the daycare center, after meeting with the families, had put together a dossier on each case. Hours of work. Now she was presenting the dossiers. The 13 people weighed pertinent aspects and carefully arrived at a decision. It took nearly two hours'--26 man hours (not counting the many hours put into it beforehand), paid for by taxpayers, to decide which three children should be able to enter the government-owned daycare center.
  But where the heck was the private sector? Not a single word. Despite a shortage, and hence demand. No one even seemed to think about it. Certainly not the reporters of government-owned France 2. The private sector simply didn't enter into the equation'--though entrepreneurs creating daycare centers for 12,000 kids in Paris alone would have stimulated the economy in numerous ways.
  ''We have a major, massive, heavy problem that has never been dealt with until now,'' lamented Fran§ois Bayrou, presidential candidate of the centrist MoDem, ''which is, our country has abandoned the force that it had, the force of creation, of enterprise, of production. If you don't produce, you don't have new products, new services, innovations, things to sell.'' France has abandoned the private sector.
  He estimated that growth in 2013 would be ''zero, at best.'' And the lofty growth forecast during the campaign? ''As always during an election,'' he said, ''they tell the French things that are illusions and lies.''
  But instead of falling for the latest fad of blaming German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Europe, globalization, or other specters of the French economic nightmare, he said, ''The problems of France are French.''
  And so, the French economic model with its domineering public sector is being put through the wringer. That these discussions are taking place is a positive, though whether or not they will lead to anything constructive, or just more government intervention'--and more stimulus, for ''a moment of euphoria,'' as Bayrou sneered'--remains uncertain.
  Not everything in the Eurozone is falling apart, not even in crisis-struck Italy: Ferrari booked records sales and profits in 2012. As dazzling as its cars. Not a single cloud darkened the horizon. Except in Italy where sales collapsed. And in the rest of the world, where central-bank printer ink stained the records. Read.... What Ferrari's Glorious Results Tell Us About The World.
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FBI examining possible Heinz insider trades
  Link to Article
  Source: Stuff Ain't Right » Uncategorized
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:44
  The FBI is examining possible insider trading in Heinz shares ahead of last week's buyout announcement, after US regulators identified suspicious trades from a Swiss account, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.
  ''We're aware of the trading anomalies the day before the announcement,'' said Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kelly Langmesser. ''And we're consulting with the SEC to see if a crime was committed.''
  The Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday it had identified highly suspicious Heinz trades made one day before Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A '' news) and 3G Capital (OTC BB: CGHC '' news) announced they were acquiring the condiment giant in a $28 billion deal.
  The SEC said that it had obtained an emergency order to freeze a Swiss bank account suspected of use in the trades.
  Cont'd at:
  via FBI examining possible Heinz insider trades | The Raw Story.
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VIDEO-What or Who Shot Down Russian Meteorite? '' Video - No Agenda Global Radio
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:37
  Gennady Belimov, a renowned expert on the paranormal, believes that a meteorite crashed near Chelyabinsk was downed UFO. According to him, it saved people from certain death. As evidence, he cites the video
  ''I think we, the people of Russia in particular and the Earth as a whole, once again lucky '' said Belimov. '' The video clearly shows that the'' alien Chelyabinsk ''initially reacted in the sky a UFO. And it was after that interaction luminous object begins to explode and disintegrate into small pieces. ''
  Video that ''proves'' the interference of alien forces, was sent Belimovu credible source '' living in the suburbs of military-aerospace engineer, retired. ''Some extraterrestrials have once again saved mankind from the more unfortunate consequences than those that we have,'' '' concluded the head of the Volga group to study anomalous phenomena.
Networks Promote White House Fearmongering on Sequester Cuts, Ignore it Was Obama's Idea
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:31
  The NBC, ABC, and CBS evening newscasts on Tuesday all recited the same White House talking points as anchors and correspondents wrung their hands and fretted over the upcoming sequester budget cuts set to take effect on March 1. While all three broadcasts touted President Obama using "dire language" to warn against the cuts '' only amounting to less that three percent of the federal budget '' none of them noted that it was the President's idea in the first place.
  More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.
htran RTFM? FTM! >> Top Tech Dog
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:20
  Joe Stewart, Dell SecureWorks' Director of Malware Research, and the Counter Threat Unit (CTU) research team have long been researching Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) hacking activity. Since different entities may use the term APT differently, it is important to define the term as used in this analysis. According to Stewart , APT is best defined as ''cyber-espionage activity targeted at government, industry or activists.''To date, Stewart and the CTU have catalogued over 60 different families of custom malware involved in APT activity. Stewart and the CTU have developed countermeasures and Threat Intelligence to detect this malware. During this research, Stewart discovered that the hackers using these APT malware families sometimes use a common tool in order to disguise the location of their command-and-control (C2) servers. This tool is known as ''HTran''.HTran is a connection bouncer, sort of like a simplified reverse proxy server. Hackers can install an HTran listener on a host anywhere on the Internet (most often on hacked third-party servers), and bounce incoming connections back to their real C2 server. HTran was authored by ''lion'', a well-known Chinese hacker and reported founder of the Honker Union of China (HUC), a patriotic hacking group in the People's Republic of China (PRC). The name ''HTran'' actually stands for ''HUC Packet Transmit Tool''.What led Stewart to the discovery of the common use of HTran was an error message that HTran emits to connecting clients whenever the hidden backend C2 server is unreachable. By creating a system to establish regular connections to a list of over 1,000 IP addresses known by the CTU to be associated with APT activity bouncers, Stewart was able to uncover several HTran installations that eventually reported error messages revealing the IP address of the true C2 controllers. While all of the found HTran installations were on computers in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Taiwan, all of the hidden C2 controllers they redirected traffic to were located on just a few networks in the PRC.Two of the families of malware, where variants were discovered using HTran bouncers, can be directly connected to the RSA Security breach disclosed in March 2011, based on related samples analyzed by Stewart that use C2s from the list disclosed in the CERT bulletin ''EWIN-11-077'".All of the detected HTran and hidden C2 IP addresses are listed in the full report, along with information and Snort signatures which can enable other institutions to detect HTran error messages in networktraffic and possibly uncover not only latent APT activity, but also the true destination of any data that would be exfiltrated.
  I had the opportunity to interview Joe Stewart from Black Hat about HTran.
  The research started as Joe focused on APT because of a number of reasons. He set about to classify APT, to survey the malware environment and how the APT malware is related as well as how the infrastructure they share is related. A bunch of malware samples related to but not used in the RSA attack and looking at the network traffic he saw a pattern. It was an error message from HTran saying that it couldn't bounce. So he wondered, how many of these bouncers are there and can we find out where the systems are that are on the other side of the bouncer.
  HTran basically gives away the IP address of the hosts that are on the back side. HTran came out in 2000 and is a popular bouncer used widely in hacking so this is significant because it could lend insight to how to combat HTran.
  He's got over 6,000 back end hosts identified and over 60 individual strains of malware isolated as results of this analysis. After resolving all of the host names he ended up with about 1000 IP addresses. He started to connect to them every 10 minutes with software he wrote to obtain that error message from the servers. From those 1000 he ended up with 18 back end servers.
  Joe's written 2 snort rules to detect the activity so this functionality has been rolled out to SecureWorks customers already. The snort rules were publicly posted on Wednesday so anyone running an open source based IPS can take advantage of this knowledge. Someone who has malware using the HTran network could install these rules and spot the traffic in order to protect themselves.
  The research is available in full.
US Tire Maker Titan International CEO Maurice Taylor Derides French Workers As Lazy For Putting In 'Three Hours A Day'
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:59
  The CEO of an American tire maker has launched a brutal attack in writing on productivity in France, telling the government that some French workers put in only ''three hours'' a day and that his company would be ''stupid'' to take over a troubled factory in the country.
  In a letter published in Wednesday's edition of French daily Les Echos, Titan International Inc. (NYSE:TWI) Chairman Maurice Taylor told French Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg he had no interest in rescuing a tire plant that Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (Nasdaq:GT), the largest U.S. tire maker, is closing in France.
  Taylor said in the letter dated Feb. 8: ''I have visited that factory a couple of times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but work only three hours. They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three and work for three. I told the French union workers to their faces. They told me that's the French way!''
  Goodyear said last month it was set to close the plant, which employs 1,173 workers, following five years of failed talks with unions.
  Taylor said Titan had a long history of buying and turning around troubled factories but in this case was not in any way interested. ''Sir, your letter states that you want Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you think we are? Titan is the one with the money and the talent to produce tires. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government,'' Taylor wrote.
  "Titan is going to buy a Chinese tire company or an Indian one, pay less than one Euro per hour wage and ship all the tires France needs," Taylor said. "You can keep the so-called workers."
  The communist-backed CGT union hit back on Wednesday, saying the ''insulting'' letter showed that Taylor was more of a ''lunatic'' than a person suitable ''to hold the reins of a multinational,'' according to the Financial Times.
  The CGT last year opposed a possible Titan takeover and Montebourg had hoped Titan would reconsider.
  Mickal Wamen, a CGT official, said Taylor's letter justified the union's opposition to Titan. ''He says that the union is crazy, the government is sh-- and that [President Barack] Obama is a joke and he is going to produce in China'‰.'‰.'‰.'‰What he's said today is not the way to break into [the European market].''
  Here's the whole letter (via FTAlphaville's tumblr)
  Dear Mr. Montebourg:
  I have just returned to the United States from Australia where I have been for the past few weeks on business; therefore, my apologies for answering your letter dated 31 January 2013.
  I appreciate your thinking that your Ministry is protecting industrial activities and jobs in France. I and Titan have a 40-year history of buying closed factories and companies, losing millions of dollars and turning them around to create a good business, paying good wages. Goodyear tried for over four years to save part of the Amiens jobs that are some of the highest paid, but the French unions and French government did nothing but talk.
  I have visited the factory a couple of times. The French workforce gets paid high wages but works only three hours. They get one hour for breaks and lunch, talk for three, and work for three. I told this to the French union workers to their faces. They told me that's the French way!
  The Chinese are shipping tires into France - really all over Europe - and yet you do nothing. In five years, Michelin won't be able to produce tire in France. France will lose its industrial business because government is more government.
  Sir, your letter states you want Titan to start a discussion. How stupid do you think we are? Titan is the one with money and talent to produce tires. What does the crazy union have? It has the French government. The French farmer wants cheap tire. He does not care if the tires are from China or India and governments are subsidizing them. Your government doesn't care either. ''We're French!''
  The US government is not much better than the French. Titan had to pay millions to Washington lawyers to sue the Chinese tire companies because of their subsidizing. Titan won. The government collects the duties. We don't get the duties, the government does.
  Titan is going to buy a Chinese tire company or an Indian one, pay less than one Euro per hour and ship all the tires France needs. You can keep the so-called workers. Titan has no interest in the Amien North factory.
  Best regards, Maurice M. Taylor, Jr.Chairman and CEO
VIDEO-Rape as a weapon of war
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:55
  Was McCready's last song a suicide note?Police: This rape suspect prowled dating sitePolice: Rape suspect prowled dating siteLawrence: I can be vulnerable anytimeShe doesn't know he's about to proposeA rock and roll hamburger experienceCar loving soldier surprised by NASCARDefense on attack at Pistorius hearingDoes Pistorius defense argument hold up?Remembering Reeva SteenkampHaywood: Pistorius is 'kind and gentle"See inside Pistorius' homeParalympian: Pistorius 'inspired me'Arias describes day Alexander was killedJodi Arias phone sex tape plays in courtJodi Arias says victim was pedophileArias: I felt 'like a prostitute'Jodi Arias: I killed him, he attacked meSee Arias deny stabbing in 2008 videoCoach's winning shot pays for tuitionPlane barely misses hitting peopleMan stripped, whipped over $20 debtWatch as $40 million oil rig sinksClerk wields sword, chases robberAlleged 'fake' punch floors boxerDistraction: Baby rhino being all cuteDistraction: Pig uses wheelchairDistraction: Dog plays with cheetahDistraction: Pinwheel of dogsDistraction: Pit bull pup uses treadmillDistraction: Teensy puppy learns to walkConan's tragic 'Downton Abbey' spoiler'SNL' mocks Carnival cruise'SNL' spoofs Rubio's water breakConan: Bill Maher not a proud gun ownerConan: Comic takes aim at Lance, OprahBill Burr: Oprah surprised by Armstrong?'SNL' takeson Super Bowl blackout takes on Super Bowl blackout'Houdini horse' is an escape artistSen. Rubio drowning in 'water-gate'Canada 'dead-icated' to stopping zombiesPoliticians mock zombie drill'Mohawk Guy' returnsJudge flips out after getting flipped offBad (dog) hair day at WestminsterDrugs discovered in duct tape diapersLoose 'lion' prompts 911 callsPastor uses tithe excuse to refuse tipPastor uses tithe excuse to dispute tipMichael Jackson's son makes TV debutSykes: Odd time for Clive to say he's biAlec Baldwin's photographer feudActress: Director taped my abuseSupermodel: Don't strive to be like meWolf Blitzer parties with the NBAWatch a 'putting conga line'Upton on bikini shoot: 'I was frozen'See skier's downhill (careful at 1:21!)LeBron James: I'm not Michael JordanPatrick: 'Gender doesn't matter'Danica Patrick:British ice hockey's big battleWatch sea otter dunk basketball'Ma'am, you have an owl in your grille'Bunny's favorite snack: Car wiresRescued deer is part of the familyPuppy goes for wild ridePuppy rides 10 miles stuck in wheel wellSee cute dwarf goat knock over playmatesSoldier goes from fatigues to fabulousSaints give soldier a big 'thank you'Kid Rock surprises wounded warriorWWE star makes soldier WrestleMania VIPReservists surprise wives on live TVSoldier makes surprise proposal on TVHundreds of dolphins race tourists' boatLove, octopus styleSee orca give birth to 300+ lb. babyClose encounter of humpback kindGiant squid seen in Northern PacificWatch shark feast on giant squidTeen shot after Obama's gun speechInauguration performer killed in ChicagoChicago's violence witnessed firsthandGang members face off on the courtMom loses 4th child to gun violenceChicago's 500th homicide this yearChina security officers chase CNN crewMagdalene survivors demand apologyRape as a weapon of warFilm brings royal love triangle to lifeSingapore: More people neededExpert: Meat scandal 'social problem'See Catherine's baby bumpA look back at Catherine's first yearCatherine passes big testDancing royals: Will and Kate shake itRecapping the royal weddingKate 'shocked' by proposalWorld's largest yacht docks in NYC$445,000 Lamborghini hits streetsAmerican 'palace' on sale for $135MSee what NYC apt. is selling for $100 millionSee what NYC apt. is asking $100 millionWould you want a $10,000 smartphone?iPad becomes one pricey cat toyQuvenzhane Wallis captures Oscar's heartWill Day-Lewis make Oscar history? 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Anti-austerity strike to bring Greece to a standstill
  Link to Article
  Source: Gitmo Nation News
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:08
  ''Greek workers walk off the job on Wednesday in a nationwide anti-austerity strike that will disrupt transport, shut public schools and tax offices and leave hospitals working with emergency staff.
  Greece's two biggest labor unions plan to bring much of the near-bankrupt country to a standstill during a 24-hour strike over the cuts, which they say only deepen the plight of a people struggling to get through the country's worst peacetime downturn.
  Representing about 2.5 million workers, the unions have gone on strike repeatedly since Europe's debt crisis erupted in late 2009, testing the government's will to implement necessary reforms in the face of growing public anger.
  ''The (strike) is our answer to the dead-end policies that have squeezed the life out of workers, impoverished society and plunged the economy into recession and crisis,'' said the private sector union GSEE, which is organizing the walkout with its public sector sister union ADEDY.''
  Read more here: Anti-austerity strike to bring Greece to a standstill | Reuters.
Toch strenger toezicht op prostitutie - BINNENLAND - PAROOL
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:08
  20-02-13 13:30 uur - Bron: Het Parool
  (C) ANP
  Omdat de nieuwe landelijke prostitutiewet is gestrand, zoekt Amsterdam alvast naar eigen manieren om misstanden aan te pakken - bijvoorbeeld een verhoogde leeftijdsgrens en een taaltoets.
  Volgende week dinsdag gaat het college in gesprek over de toekomst van het stedelijke prostitutiebeleid. Het stadsbestuur wil onder andere regelen dat iedere prostituee een taaltoets moet doen, dat de leeftijdgrens wordt verhoogd van 18 naar 21 jaar en dat er een grotere verantwoordelijkheid bij de exploitanten komt te liggen.
  Een woordvoerder: 'Zo'n taaltoets is belangrijk. Dan kunnen politie en hulpverleners met hen spreken, maar kunnen zij ook zelf adequaat handelen in noodsituaties. Het is allemaal bedoeld om de misstanden in de prostitutie, zoals uitbuiting en mensenhandel, tegen te gaan en de positie van prostituees te versterken.'
  De aanpassingen zullen worden gedaan met een verandering in de Algemene Plaatselijke Verordening. Een noodgreep, omdat een nieuwe kaderwet, waarin onder andere de controversile registratieplicht voor alle prostituees was opgenomen, vorig jaar voor behandeling in de Eerste Kamer strandde.
  Lees vandaag meer in Het Parool.
  (Door: Hiske Versprille)
Goed idee: hoeren moeten taaltoets doen
  Link to Article
  Source: GeenStijl
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:07
  Het hoerenloopverbod is er nog niet, maar Amsterdam gaat wel wat strenger op haar publieke vrouwen letten. Er moet een verplichte taaltoets komen voor prostuti.. prostitio.. prutsitu.. hoeren. Fellatio is immers pas echt lekker als de zuigmevrouw weet hoe ze het moet spellen. 'VERVOEG BEFFEN, BITCH!' is het nieuwe 'ZUIGEN, KRENG!'. Overigens heeft een taaltoets niet zoveel zin als er geen taallessen aan voorafgaan. Hoe zou de gemeente Amsterdam dat gaan aanpakken? Als een role playing game? "Dan speel ik de taalnazi en ben jij het ongeletterde joodse kampmeisje." Zoiets. Het idee van de taaltoets is dat de rode lampm¤dchens over hun erbarmelijke situatie uit angst voor de pooier in correct Nederlands kunnen zwijgen. De meeste hoertjes slikken namelijk meer woorden in dan sperma als het gaat om hulp vragen. Ze kijken wel uit. Het leven van een onvrijwillige verhandelde vrouw is minder waard dan de rode gloeilamp waar ze onder staan. Helaas. De smeerbekken die vrouwen ontvoeren, verhandelen en uitbuiten gaan zeer waarschijnlijk niet sneller opgepakt worden door een taaltoets voor seksmeisjes. Maar een gemeente mag dromen, dat zeker. Afijn, iedereen weet dat het pas echt geil wordt bij de betaalvagina's als ze dingen doen die eigenlijk niet mogen. Benieuwd hoeveel spelfouten we op de Wallen kunnen krijgen voor vijftig euro.
  Johnny Quid | 20-02-13 | 16:54 | Link | Reageer ookJe bent ingelogd als: (Uitloggen)
  Probeer trouwens eens de totaal officieuze niet-ondersteunde third-party GeenStijl extension die compleet niet door ons ondersteund wordt en volledig op eigen risico is.
  Je bent niet ingelogd, klik hier om dat wel te doen: login of doe een CookieSync.
Google talks Glass, shows how it will feel and what it will do
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave read...
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:49
  Google has recently released some updated information regarding Google Glass. The goodies include a video showing what using Google Glass will feel like, a bit about what you can do with Google Glass and even how you may be able to get a pair ahead of others. On that last one though, keep in mind '-- Google is now giving these away for free. Lets begin with the first of the three, how using Google Glass will feel, for which Google has released a video.
  While we suspect there will be a world of difference between watching this video and actually wearing a pair of glasses, this appears to be a rather nice look at how it will feel and what can be done. If nothing else, this video is quite a bit nicer as compared to the original concept video. Basically, Google Glass will allow you to do things such as capture and share images and video, perform web searches and even get directions. Nothing all that new in that respect, however how you are able to do those things appears pretty nice.
  For example, based on the video it would appear as if you are able to use fairly simple terms and triggers to make things happen. Waking the headset can be done by saying ''Ok, Glass'' and taking a picture or recording video is as simple as saying ''take a picture'' or ''record a video.'' And at 22 seconds in you get a look at launching a Hangout, in this case, the command is as simple as saying ''hangout with.'' Basically, Google Glass appears as if they will be able to help you navigate through life in a way that we currently use our smartphone to do. The one catch, while Google Glass appears as if will be able to do lots of things and provide assistance '-- you will still most likely have the awkward feeling that you are talking to yourself.
  Touching back on the possibility of getting a pair, Google has opened the ability to apply. This is being done with the Explorer program and by handing over the required details such as a 50 word or less application (posted on Google+ or Twitter) along with up to five images and a video that is no longer than 15 seconds in length. The catch with being accepted into the Explorer program '-- you will need to pay $1500 and also be able to attend a special pick-up experience in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles.
  [via SlashGear]
Chairman of the MPAA: NRA Blaming Video Games And Movies 'Predictable'
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:41
  On February 15, 2013 Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) spoke at the National Press Club on the state of the motion picture industry. During the question and answer segment, Dodd was asked if it was "fair" for the National Rifle Association (NRA) to claim violent video games and movies are factors, in which he stated that their response was 'predictable'. At this time, it was not known that Lanza may have been motivated by games.
  "Well, it's sort of predictable in a way. If you go back over the years, there were people who suggested that comic books were the reason for people doing this before any of this existed. If you go back and look at the history every time some of these things happens there's kind of a lurching from time to time to suggest that this is the root cause of the problems,"Dodd says. He then goes on to say that mental health should be a main focus.Two months after the shooting tragedy, police are now saying Adam Lanza may have been acting out a scene from a violent video game when he opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary school.
aangirfan: GOLD PRICE; THOMAS COOK
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:41
  Photo by Emma Allen.Meighan Taylor, right, 12, helps her cousin, Julee Pillans, 11, to pan for gold in the Wakamarina River. www.stuff.co.nz.The gold price has fallen to a six month low - $1,592 an ounce - 20 February 2013.Gold investors are destined for heavy losses in the short-term, according to fund manager Mark Harris.
  Investors would be unwise to buy gold until its price drops to $1,500, says HarrisHarris relates: "I originally started buying gold back in 2002 when Gordon Brown - who was chancellor at the time - was selling it. We had a good 10 years of gains and it was all going one way. However, we are now in a correction phase."With sentiment towards global equity markets improving, and inflation staying at relatively low levels, Harris says gold is likely to be an out-of-favour asset for quite some time.Angelos Damaskos, manager of the £16.1m MFM Junior Gold fund, says the gold price has been in decline because of the improving macroeconomic outlook.However, he expects an inevitable correction will "spook the market, encouraging investors to turn to gold as the ultimate safe haven".
  The rising cost of holidays has helped Thomas Cook and TUI lessen losses -This is Money-7 Feb 2013
  Thomas Cook has reduced its supply of holidays and pushed up prices by 12 per cent over the winter and 3 per cent for the summer.
  Its bookings for the summer are down 5 per cent.
  TUI Travel is continuing to take market share from Thomas Cook, whose turnaround task remains 'very difficult'.
  Thomas Cook has trimmed its operating loss 24 per cent to £70million in the three months to December 31.
  Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/
VIDEO-Higgs Boson Particle May Spell Doom For the Universe - Yahoo! News
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:11
  BOSTON '-- A subatomic particle discovered last year that may be the long-sought Higgs boson might doom our universe to an unfortunate end, researchers say.
  The mass of the particle, which was uncovered at the world's largest particle accelerator '-- the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva '-- is a key ingredient in a calculation that portends the future of space and time.
  "This calculation tells you that many tens of billions of years from now there'll be a catastrophe," Joseph Lykken, a theoretical physicist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill., said Monday (Feb. 18) here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
  "It may be the universe we live in is inherently unstable, and at some point billions of years from now it's all going to get wiped out," added Lykken, a collaborator on one of the LHC's experiments. [Gallery: Search for the Higgs Boson]
  The Higgs boson particle is a manifestation of an energy field pervading the universe called the Higgs field, which is thought to explain why particles have mass. After searching for decades for proof that this field and particle existed, physicists at the LHC announced in July 2012 that they'd discovered a new particle whose properties strongly suggest it is the Higgs boson.
  To confirm the particle's identity for sure, more data are needed. But many scientists say they're betting it's the Higgs.
  "This discovery to me was personally astounding," said I. Joseph Kroll, a University of Pennsylvania physicist who also works at the LHC. "To me, the Higgs was sort of, it might be there, it might not. The fact that it's there is really a tremendous accomplishment."
  And finding the Higgs, if it's truly been found, not only confirms the theory about how particles get mass, but it allows scientists to make new calculations that weren't possible before the particle's properties were known.
  For example, the mass of the new particle is about 126 billion electron volts, or about 126 times the mass of the proton. If that particle really is the Higgs, its mass turns out to be just about what's needed to make the universe fundamentally unstable, in a way that would cause it to end catastrophically in the far future.
  That's because the Higgs field is thought to be everywhere, so it affects the vacuum of empty space-time in the universe.
  "The mass of the Higgs is related to how stable the vacuum is," explained Christopher Hill, a theoretical physicist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. "It's right along the critical line. That could either be a cosmic coincidence, or it could be that there's some physics that's causing that. That's something new, which we didn't know before."
  Strikingly, if the Higgs mass were just a few percent different, the universe wouldn't be doomed, the scientists said.
  But even if the universe is in for an unfortunate end, there is at least one reason for consolation.
  "You won't actually see it, because it will come at you at the speed of light," Lykken said. "So in that sense don't worry."
  Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz or LiveScience @livescience. We're also onFacebook & Google+.
  Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Mindy McCready's Death and Dr. Drew
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:52
  Donna Svennevik / ABC / Getty ImagesDr. Drew Pinsky (right), the host of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr.Drew, with Mackenzie Phillips and Mindy McCready, attending a special edition of "The View" called "Women and Addiction", March 17, 2010.
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) '-- The criticism of Dr. Drew Pinsky spread on the Internet almost as quickly as news of Mindy McCready's death.The country singer with the tumultuous personal life became the fifth cast member of his Celebrity Rehab series to die since appearing on the show and the third from Season 3. The previous deaths stirred up rumors of a curse and a debate about the show's helpfulness, and McCready's apparent suicide upped the pitch of the reaction.While many noted that Drew took on hard cases, others rendered stark judgment. Singer Richard Marx on Twitter compared Pinsky to Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the so-called suicide doctor: ''Same results.''
  (MORE: Singer Mindy McCready Dies in Apparent Suicide)
  Marx backed off later Monday, saying the crack went too far. But he restated his thoughts in a way that summed up much of the reaction in the first 24 hours since the 37-year-old McCready's death Sunday afternoon in Heber Springs, Ark.''It is, however, my opinion that what Dr. D does is exploitation and his TV track record is not good,'' Marx wrote.VH1'²s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is not currently on the air. Pinsky switched his focus to non-celebrities in Season 6 last fall and changed the title to Rehab. The show spawned two spinoffs, Sober House and Sex Rehab.Season 3, shot in 2009, featured McCready, former NBA star Dennis Rodman, actors Tom Sizemore and Mackenzie Phillips, former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss and a handful of lesser known celebrity types.''My heart is breaking. Rest in peace dear friend,'' Phillips said Monday on Twitter.McCready was a sympathetic character on the show and appeared to be far less damaged than her fellow cast members, some of whom experienced fairly graphic symptoms of opiate withdrawal in front of the cameras. McCready suffered a seizure while on the show, further endearing her to Pinsky and the others.
  (PHOTOS: Singer Mindy McCready's Life in Retrospect)
  She said in a 2010 interview with The Associated Press that she initially turned Pinsky down.''But Dr. Drew said something to me that just mowed me over literally, just floored me,'' she said. ''He said, 'You've been being treated for the symptoms of what's wrong with you, not the problem. And you're going to have to put your family aside for a moment, put their feelings aside for a moment and worry about you because if you don't get better, it doesn't matter what your family thinks. You're not going to be there anymore.'''Pinsky diagnosed her with ''love addiction'' during the series' run and called her an ''angel'' in the finale. In an interview with The Associated Press several months later, he said McCready had a good shot at recovery if she remained in treatment.''Like with anybody I treat, it's really up to them,'' Pinsky said. ''I never know. If they do the work they're supposed to do, yes (there can be success). If she does the work it will be great. It's up to her how much of that she does, how much she feels she needs to do. It seems like she's doing rather well right now so I hope she continues to do so.''Three years later, she's dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head. McCready walked away from treatment several days ago after her father asked a judge to intervene. Her body was found on the front porch of a home she shared with David Wilson, the longtime boyfriend and father of her youngest son who appears to have killed himself in the same spot last month.Pinsky wasn't immediately available for comment, his publicist said, but he issued a statement Sunday night that noted he'd spoken with McCready recently.''She is a lovely woman who will be missed by many,'' the statement said. ''Although I have not treated her for a few years, I had reached out to her recently upon hearing about the apparent suicide of her boyfriend and father of her younger (child). She was devastated. Although she was fearful of stigma and ridicule she agreed with me that she needed to make her health and safety a priority. Unfortunately it seems that Mindy did not sustain her treatment.''A lack of continued treatment also appears to have led to the deaths of McCready's Season 3 castmates Mike Starr, bassist for Alice in Chains, and Joey Kovar, a Real World participant. Los Angeles riots spark Rodney King and actor Jeff Conaway also have passed away. Starr and Kovar overdosed and King was found dead in his pool with alcohol and marijuana in his system. Conaway was initially thought to have overdosed, but died of pneumonia and an infection.Bob Forrest, a chemical dependency counselor who appeared on Season 3 of Celebrity Rehab and continues to work with Pinsky, said a discussion about mental health and substance abuse issues is important. But attacking Pinsky has only distracted from the real issues.''Regardless of your feelings about how we do it with the TV show, calling Dr. Drew 'Dr. Kevorkian,' what kind of dialogue is that?'' he said. ''It's a good headline. We're going through a growth spurt in regards to who we are as a country. I really feel there's something going on in America beyond Mindy McCready's death.''The most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 38,364 suicides in the U.S. in 2010 '-- an average of 105 a day. Thirty-three percent of suicides tested positive for alcohol in 2009 and 20 percent for opiates, including heroin and prescription painkillers.Experts said there is no good data on suicides after rehab in part because treatment programs vary widely and it can be unclear if an overdose is intentional. But a patient with substance abuse problems is at higher risk for a suicide attempt.
  (MORE: Is Dr. Drew More Like Charlie Sheen than He Thinks?)
  Dr. Sharon Hirsch, an associate professor in the University of Chicago's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, says patients can get trapped in the yin and yang of addiction. She was not familiar with McCready's case, but noted people abusing alcohol or drugs have a lower impulse control. And their lows when they're off drugs become more difficult to overcome, also lowering their resolve.Dealing with loss, as McCready was, also increases risk, especially around anniversaries.Hirsch said mental health and addiction issues have to be taken as seriously as a heart attack.''Depression and substance dependence are all very malignant disorders and I think people forget that,'' Hirsch said. ''They think of cancer, strokes and heart attacks killing people, but depression, substance abuse and eating disorders, too, all kill people. There are very, very high rates of deaths in those illnesses.''Pinsky's shows drew attention to the struggle. But did they help patients? Pinsky has taken an interest in cast members after the shows end and referred them to continuing treatment. But ultimately Hirsch wonders who was on call the last time McCready pondered killing herself.''One of the key components of any treatment is to talk confidentially with your treatment provider about every aspect of what is going on with you, to be able to get the best care you can,'' she said. ''I just don't know how that could occur in the context of an internationally televised show. And so it would be difficult for me to envision it as a complete treatment program. '... It just really strikes me as entertainment and not as treatment.''
Armstrong facing Wednesday deadline with USADA
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:51
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) '-- Lance Armstrong is facing a Wednesday deadline to decide whether he will meet with U.S. Anti-Doping Agency officials and talk with them under oath about what he knows about performance-enhancing drug use in cycling.
  The agency has said Armstrong's cooperation in its cleanup effort is the only path open to Armstrong if his lifetime ban from sports is to be reduced.
  Armstrong has given mixed signals about whether he plans to talk with USADA officials. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman previously suggested Armstrong would not meet with USADA before the agency's original Feb. 6 deadline. The two sides then agreed to give Armstrong another two weeks to work out an interview with investigators.
  Armstrong previously denied using performance-enhancing drugs, but in January admitted doping to win seven Tour de France titles.
Yahoo launches new homepage with 'endless' news feed
  Link to Article
  Source: CNET News
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:49
  The new page puts news at the center of the homepage's design and allows for full customization based on interests.
  A look at the new Yahoo homepage.
  (Credit: Yahoo)Yahoo has delivered a new homepage design for news fanatics.
  Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced the news on her company's blog today, saying that the new design delivers a "more modern experience."
  The focal point of the design is news. Users can head to the page and customize what's displayed based on their interests. If they prefer sports or entertainment information, for example, they can choose to see only news items related to those topics in the page's feed.
  According to Mayer, the new homepage's news feed has "infinite scroll, letting you experience a virtually endless feed of news articles." Yahoo has also added a social feature allowing users to log in with their Yahoo IDs or Facebook accounts and see articles shared by friends.
  "The new Yahoo! experience works well on the go -- we've optimized it for smartphones and tablets," Mayer wrote. "And, thanks to some under-the-hood improvements, Yahoo! is also faster."
  In addition to news, Yahoo is still offering its search box at the top of the page for those who want to head elsewhere on the Web. Yahoo's services links sit to the left of the page and a new sidebar called "Trending Now" tells folks what's popular across the Web at that moment. Yahoo homepage users can also modify their weather and stock information.
  Yahoo was secretly testing new Web designs last year, but some folks were able to see the improvements as its testing went on. In October, Yahoo added some minor improvements to the homepage, but it appears that was just the precursor to a major overhaul.
Amsterdam verkent nieuwe prostitutieregels
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:48
  20/02/13, 16:18 '' bron: ANP
  (C) ANP. Archieffoto.
  De kans is groot dat de gemeente Amsterdam de leeftijdsgrens voor prostituees verhoogt van 18 naar 21 jaar. Ook studeert Amsterdam op de mogelijkheden om vrouwen in de branche een taaltoets te laten doen om misstanden in de seksbranche beter te kunnen bestrijden.
  Zolang het totale pakket aan maatregelen uit de landelijke prostitutiewet nog niet door de Eerste Kamer is aangenomen, verkent Amsterdam welke onomstreden onderdelen alvast plaatselijk te regelen zijn. Het onderwerp staat binnenkort op de agenda van het college van burgemeester en wethouders. De woordvoerster van de Amsterdamse burgemeester Eberhard van der Laan liet woensdag weten dat de gemeente de besluitvorming nog voor de zomer wil afronden.
  Onlangs stuurde Van der Laan mede namens zijn collega's in Rotterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht, Alkmaar, Eindhoven, Leeuwarden en Den Bosch een brief aan minister Ivo Opstelten van Veiligheid en Justitie. De burgemeesters vinden dat de minister geen tijd moet verliezen met het opstellen van een nieuw wetsvoorstel. In de brief doen ze het dringende verzoek om de niet-controversile punten uit het wetsvoorstel alsnog door te voeren, zonder de registratieplicht voor prostituees en strafbaarstelling van klanten.
  'Om mensenhandel effectief te kunnen bestrijden hebben we landelijke regels hard nodig', stellen de burgemeesters.
Federal Register | Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: Development of MUC-1 Tumor Associated Antigens as Cancer Vaccines for Bladder Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Kidney Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Pr
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:17
  This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c)(1) and 37 CFR Part 404.7(a)(1)(i), that the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of an exclusive patent license to practice the inventions embodied in the following U.S. Patents and Patent Applications to Bavarian Nordic Immunotherapeutics (''BNIT'') located in Mountain View, CA, USA:
  The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the government of the United States of America.
  The prospective exclusive license territory may be worldwide and the field of use will be limited to the use of Licensed Patent Rights for development of Pox-virus based vaccines for bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer.''
  Only written comments and/or applications for a license which are received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before March 22, 2013 will be considered.
  Requests for copies of the patent application, inquiries, and comments relating to the contemplated exclusive license should be directed to: Sabarni K. Chatterjee, Ph.D., M.B.A. Licensing and Patenting Manager, Cancer Branch, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; Telephone: (301) 435-5587; Facsimile: (301) 435-4013; Email: chatterjeesa@od.nih.gov.
  Cancer immunotherapy is a recent approach where tumor associated antigens (TAAs), which are primarily expressed in human tumor cells, and not expressed or minimally expressed in normal tissues, are employed to generate a tumor-specific immune response. Specifically, these antigens serve as targets for the host immune system and elicit responses that results in tumor destruction. The initiation of an effective T-cell immune response to antigens requires two signals. The first one is antigen-specific via the peptide/major histocompatibility complex and the second or ''co-stimulatory'' signal is required for cytokine production, proliferation, and other aspects of T-cell activation.
  Dr. Jeffrey Schlom et al. at NCI have identified 7 new agonist epitopes of the MUC-1 tumor associated antigen. Compared to their native epitope counterparts, peptides reflecting these agonist epitopes have enhanced ability to generate cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL), which in turn have a greater ability to kill MUC-1 expressing human tumor cells. The agonist epitopes span both the VNTR region of MUC-1 and the C-terminus region. The epitopes encompass two major MHC alleles reflecting the majority of the population.
  Along with the method of use, the technology encompasses the use of these agonist epitopes in peptide- and protein-based vaccines, with dendritic cells or other antigen presenting cells, or encoding sequences in DNA, viral, bacterial, yeast, or other types of vectors, or to stimulate T-cells in vitro for adoptive immunotherapy protocols.
  The MUC-1 tumor associated antigen has been shown to be overexpressed and/or underglycosylated in a wide range of human cancers. The C-terminus region of MUC-1 (MUC-1C) has been shown to be an oncogene and has been associated with a more aggressive phenotype in several different cancers.
  The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing and will comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR Part 404.7. The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless within thirty (30) days from the date of this published notice, the NIH receives written evidence and argument that establishes that the grant of the license would not be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR Part 404.7.
  Applications for a license in the field of use filed in response to this notice will be treated as objections to the grant of the contemplated exclusive license. Comments and objections submitted to this notice will not be made available for public inspection and, to the extent permitted by law, will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.
  Dated: February 13, 2013.
  Richard U. Rodriguez,
  Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
  [FR Doc. 2013-03799 Filed 2-19-13; 8:45 am]
  BILLING CODE 4140-01-P
Federal Register | Flavored Milk; Petition to Amend the Standard of Identity for Milk and 17 Additional Dairy Products
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:22
  Notice; Request For Comments, Data, And Information.
  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have filed a petition requesting that the Agency amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient. FDA is issuing this notice to request comments, data, and information about the issues presented in the petition.
  Submit either written or electronic comments by May 21, 2013.
  You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. FDA-2009-P-0147 by any of the following methods:
  Submit electronic comments in the following way:
  Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
  Submit written submissions in the following ways:
  Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for paper or CD-ROM submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
  Instructions: All submissions received must include the Agency name and docket number for this rulemaking. All comments received may be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. For additional information on submitting comments, see the ''Comments'' heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.
  Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the ''Search'' box and follow the prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
  Daniel Y. Reese, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (HFS-820), Food and Drug Administration, 5100 Paint Branch Pkwy., College Park, MD 20740, 240-402-2371.
  The IDFA and NMPF jointly submitted a citizen petition (Ref. 1) on March 16, 2009, requesting that FDA amend the standard of identity in part 131 (21 CFR part 131) for milk (§ 131.110). Specifically, the petition requests that FDA amend § 131.110(c)(2) to allow the use of ''any safe and suitable'' sweetener in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk. [1] The petition also requests that FDA similarly amend the standards of identity for 17 other milk and cream products. Those standards (hereinafter referred to as the ''additional dairy standards'') are as follows: Acidified milk (§ 131.111), cultured milk (§ 131.112), sweetened condensed milk (§ 131.120), nonfat dry milk (§ 131.125), nonfat dry milk fortified with vitamins A and D (§ 131.127), evaporated milk (§ 131.130), dry cream (§ 131.149), heavy cream (§ 131.150), light cream (§ 131.155), light whipping cream (§ 131.157), sour cream (§ 131.160), acidified sour cream (§ 131.162), eggnog (§ 131.170), half-and-half (§ 131.180), yogurt (§ 131.200), lowfat yogurt (§ 131.203), and nonfat yogurt (§ 131.206). The petition asks that the standards of identity for these products be amended to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener in the optional ingredients. [2]
  IDFA and NMPF request their proposed amendments to the milk standard of identity to allow optional characterizing flavoring ingredients used in milk (e.g., chocolate flavoring added to milk) to be sweetened with any safe and suitable sweetener'--including non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame. IDFA and NMPF state that the proposed amendments would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products. They state that lower-calorie flavored milk would particularly benefit school children who, according to IDFA and NMPF, are more inclined to drink flavored milk than unflavored milk at school. As further support for the petition, IDFA and NMPF state that the proposed amendments would assist in meeting several initiatives aimed at improving the nutrition and health profile of food served in the nation's schools. Those initiatives include state-level programs designed to limit the quantity of sugar served to children during the school day. Finally, IDFA and NMPF argue that the proposed amendments to the milk standard of identity would promote honesty and fair dealing in the marketplace and are therefore appropriate under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 341).
  The petition acknowledges that the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients in milk is allowed under the existing regulatory scheme, with certain additional requirements. The regulatory framework governing the naming of standardized foods that do not fully comply with the relevant standards of identity changed with the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and FDA's rulemaking establishing the Agency's requirements for foods named by use of a nutrient content claim and a standardized term (§ 130.10 (21 CFR 130.10)). Section 130.10(d) allows the addition of safe and suitable ingredients to a food named by use of a nutrient content claim and a standardized term when these ingredients are used to, among other things, add sweetness to ensure that the modified food is not inferior in performance characteristic to the standardized food even if such ingredients are not specifically provided for by the relevant food standard. Therefore, while the milk standard of identity in § 131.110 only provides for the use of ''nutritive sweetener'' in an optional characterizing flavor, milk may contain a characterizing flavor that is sweetened with a non-nutritive sweetener if the food's label bears a nutrient content claim (e.g., ''reduced calorie'') and the non-nutritive sweetener is used to add sweetness to the product so that it is not inferior in its sweetness property compared to its standardized counterpart. However, IDFA and NMPF argue that nutrient content claims such as ''reduced calorie'' are not attractive to children, and maintain that consumers can more easily identify the overall nutritional value of milk products that are flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners if the labels do not include such claims. Further, the petitioners assert that consumers do not recognize milk'--including flavored milk'--as necessarily containing sugar. Accordingly, the petitioners state that milk flavored with non-nutritive sweeteners should be labeled as milk without further claims so that consumers can ''more easily identify its overall nutritional value.''
  As to the additional dairy standards, IDFA and NMPF state that administrative efficiency counsels in favor of similar changes. As long as FDA is dedicating resources to amending the standard of identity for milk, they argue, the Agency should also amend the standards for these products at the same time. They state that it is most efficient to consider all of the proposals together. According to the petition, the requested changes to the additional dairy standards present the same issues as the milk standard, and it is therefore appropriate to consider all of the requested changes together.
  FDA requests that interested persons submit comments, data, and information concerning the need for, and the appropriateness of, amending the standard of identity for milk and the additional dairy standards. FDA specifically requests comment and supporting data, as appropriate, on the following matters:
  1. The petition states that amending the standard of identity for milk (§ 131.100) to allow the use of ''any safe and suitable'' sweetener in optional characterizing flavoring ingredients would promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers by creating consistency in the naming of flavored milk products because flavored milk could contain a non-nutritive sweetener without bearing a nutrient content claim (e.g., ''reduced sugar'') as part of its name. Would the proposed amendments promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers?
  2. If the standard of identity for milk is amended as requested by petitioners, milk manufacturers could use non-nutritive sweeteners in flavored milk without a nutrient content claim in its labeling. Will the inclusion of the non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient statement provide consumers with sufficient information to ensure that consumers are not misled regarding the characteristics of the milk they are purchasing?
  3. The petition states that flavored milk labels that bear nutrient content claims such as ''reduced calorie'' are unattractive to children. What, if any, data are available on children's purchase habits with regard to flavored milks labeled as ''reduced calorie flavored milk,'' ''no sugar added,'' ''less sugar,'' etc?
  4. The petition states that if FDA dedicates resources to amending the standard of identity for milk, for purposes of administrative efficiency the Agency should also amend the Additional Dairy Standards because the issues presented are the same with respect to the use of non-nutritive sweeteners. Would amending the Additional Dairy Standards as requested promote honesty and fair dealing in the interest of consumers? If the labels of these products do not bear nutrient content claims, would the inclusion of non-nutritive sweeteners in the ingredient statements provide consumers with sufficient information to distinguish between the two types of products (i.e., sweetened with nutritive versus non-nutritive sweeteners) so that consumers are not misled? [3]
  5. The petition notes that ice cream is permitted to contain either a nutritive or non-nutritive sweetener without the label bearing a nutrient content claim or otherwise distinguishing the two types of products from one another. Are the considerations underlying FDA amendments to the standard of identity for ice cream [4] applicable to the requested amendments to the standard of identity for milk or the Additional Dairy Standards?
  6. If the standard of identity for milk and the Additional Dairy Standards are amended in the manner requested by the petition, what will be the effect on search costs [5] for consumers who would like to determine whether a product contains a nutritive or non-nutritive sweetener?
  After reviewing the comments received, FDA will further evaluate the need for, and appropriateness of, the amendments requested by IDFA and NMPF and will decide what further actions are appropriate. For a copy of the petition filed by IDFA and NMPF please go to: http://www.regulations.gov and insert ''Docket No. FDA-2009-P-0147'' into the ''Search'' box.
  FDA has placed the following references on display. To view the references, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number(s), found in brackets in the heading of this document, into the ''Search'' box. The references may also be seen in the Division of Dockets Management (see ADDRESSES) between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  1. International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation, Citizen Petition, March 16, 2009.
  2. '' Frozen Desserts: Removal of Standards of Identity for Ice Milk and Goat's Milk Ice Milk; Amendment of Standards of Identity for Ice Cream and Frozen Custard and Goat's Milk Ice Cream'' (59 FR 47072, September 14, 1994).
  Dated: February 14, 2013.
  Leslie Kux,
  Assistant Commissioner for Policy.
  [FR Doc. 2013-03835 Filed 2-19-13; 8:45 am]
  BILLING CODE 4160-01-P
Federal Register | Review of Gun Safety Technologies
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:26
  Following the President's Plan to reduce gun violence released on January 16, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is conducting a review of existing and emerging gun safety technologies and plans to issue a report on the availability and use of those technologies. NIJ seeks input from all interested stakeholders to help inform its technology assessment and market research of existing and emerging gun safety technologies that would be of interest to the law enforcement and criminal justice communities and others with an interest in gun safety. Representative stakeholders include, but are not limited to, law enforcement, gun safety subject matter experts, firearms manufacturers, firearms experts, manufacturing engineers, biometrics specialists, radio frequency identification (RFID) engineers, microelectronics experts, or others with relevant training and experience. Those individuals wishing to provide relevant comments or information are directed to the following Web site: https://www.justnet.org/gun_safety_technology/. Relevant comments or information may also be emailed to the following address: gunsafetytechnology@usdoj.gov.
  Relevant comments or information must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 8, 2013.
  National Institute of Justice, by telephone at (202) 307-2942 [Note: This is not a toll-free telephone number].
  Gregory K. Ridgeway,
  Acting Director, National Institute of Justice.
  [FR Doc. 2013-03884 Filed 2-19-13; 8:45 am]
  BILLING CODE 4410-18-P
Tiger Woods: Obama Has ''Amazing Touch'' On Golf Course, ''He's Got Pretty Good Stick'''...
  Link to Article
  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:33
  Reggie Love seen nodding in approval.
  Via ABC News:
  When Tiger Woods is your teammate, it's hard to lose. Still, President Obama has a pretty good game, according to the world's second-ranked golfer.
  President Obama and Woods played golf over Presidents' Day weekend, and Woods divulged on Tuesday that they teamed up to beat the other players in their foursome, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane.
  ''He was my partner, and as I said, we won,'' Woods told reporters at a press conference after a practice round at the WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship in Arizona.
  ''He hit the ball well, and he's got an amazing touch. He can certainly chip and putt,'' Woods said of Obama. ''If he '... spends more time playing the game of golf, I'm sure he can get to where he's got pretty good stick'' '-- golf-aficionados' terminology for a talented game.
Soledad O'Brien may not 'fit the direction' CNN is headed
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Blog
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:30
  The New York Post reports, based on an unnamed source, that Soledad O'Brien may be out at CNN.
  ''Soledad is talented at producing in-depth, serious pieces of journalism, and is a tough interviewer,'' NYP's source said. ''That doesn't seem to fit the direction the network is going.''
  It's the latest potential shoe to fall at CNN. Since Jeff Zucker was named president of CNN Worldwide late last year, several big changes have been made to CNN's anchor and contributor lineup.
  Back in December, O'Brien told the New York Times she was ''thrilled'' to work with Zucker, who was her boss during her tenure at NBC's Today.
Wozniak warns Apple must stay 'cool' -- or else
  Link to Article
  Source: CNET News
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:27
  The Apple co-founder said that "we kind of are losing" the idea that Apple is "always the cool guy."
  Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
  (Credit: James Martin/CNET)Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has a warning for Tim Cook and his executives: stay cool, or you'll have trouble.
  Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview published today, Wozniak said that while Apple is still "really good at setting a standard with a new device," it's starting to lose its standing as the coolest company in the technology industry.
  "We used to have these ads, 'I'm a Mac and I'm a PC,' and the Mac was always the cool guy," Wozniak told Bloomberg. "And ouch, it's painful, because we kind of are losing that."
  According to Bloomberg, Wozniak said that Apple's products are no longer able to easily trump competing devices from Amazon and Google because those companies "all have great ideas." He added that Apple should at least consider opening iTunes to Android and Windows Phone users.
  Wozniak has been surprisingly outspoken about Apple over the last several months. In October, he called the company "arrogant" and lamented that it believed it was "the only one with the right clue." In November, he said that he was worried that Apple is "just used to cranking out the newest iPhone and falling a little behind." He also took a jab at the late Steve Jobs, saying that he didn't have "to be as much of a real rugged bastard, put people down, and make them feel demeaned."
  Despite the negative talk, Wozniak told Bloomberg that he was hoping Apple would launch the rumored iWatch -- a device, he said, he would definitely buy.
All The Latest Rage
  Link to Article
  Source: The Politics Blog with Charles P. Pierce RSS Feed
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:24
  Everyone seems to be surprised -- or, in some cases, unaccountably saddened -- by the fact that some of his constituents back in Arizona yelled at John McCain because he seemed to them to be getting squishy on the status of the undocumented again. To be perfectly fair to the howling mob -- and we like to be fair to howling mobs around here, especially when they inconvenience Republicans -- this may have something to do with McCain's once again seeming to have reversed himself on the issue. This is, after all, a man who ran against his own immigration bill when he was trying to get nominated in 2008 and, when feeling threatened by a primary challenge the last time he came up for re-election. I think the folks back home are just trying to get a clarification on which John McCain is operative on this issue at the moment,
  Or maybe not.
  "There are 11 million people living here illegally," he said. "We are not going to get enough buses to deport them." Some audience members shouted out their disapproval. One man yelled that only guns would discourage illegal immigration. Another man complained that illegal immigrants should never be able to become citizens or vote. A third man said illegal immigrants were illiterate invaders who wanted free government benefits.
  If you want to know where the abandoned wrath is going to focus in the next election, this is the issue -- and there's nothing Marco Rubio can do to stop it, in case you were wondering. It is now past cliche to note that the Republican party, and the conservative movement that gives it most of its money and all of its intellectual energy, is presently reaping what it sowed, that the chickens have returned clamorously to the roost, and that crows doth sit upon the capitol. However, for that dynamic to have a material focus on the 2014 midterms, it needs a focus. Now, you might think that would be guns, but the party and most of its elected members are on roughly the same page as the NRA as nearly as I can tell. However, the Republicans have looked at the demographics of the last election and they have made a concerted -- and very public -- effort to reform themselves on this issue because they would rather not become the Whigs of the 21st Century. As is obvious from the highlighted excerpt above, guns have their salience as an intraparty issue only when they can be connected to the issue of illegal immigration, not the other way around. In this formulation, you will note, the right to bear arms is yet another "free government benefit" that the "illiterate invaders" want.
  (And, not for nothing, but some direct quotes, and not the reporter's paraphrase, would have been nice there.)
  And, of course, it is on this issue and not guns that some Republicans are more likely to have to compromise with the Kenyan Muslim Usurper in the White House, which is always what the boys on the arson squad call an "accelerant" in situations like this. Once again, it's important to remember that there really is no "Republican establishment" of any real power, and there's certainly no "Republican establishment" of which anyone has to be afraid. (Karl Rove seems to be trying to make one out of whole cloth, but that's not working out so well out in the country.) In the place of an party establishment -- hell, in the place of a party structure -- there is a constellation of powerful, well-financed independent actors battling over who will control the abandoned wrath and how they can most profit from stoking it up again. It doesn't even matter much to many of these factions if the stoking itself runs contrary to the party's ultimate goals -- which, in this case, include demographic survival. They want what they want and the abandoned wrath is one way of getting it.
  (It is unclear from the Politico piece, for example, on what specific issues the Kochs, say, are going to "collide" with Rove, whose efforts are mainly cosmetic anyway. Like any good oligarchs, the Kochs subcontract the real work of getting what they want, and the real work of the moment is the stoking, and it's hard to see how Rove stops them from doing that.)
  In any case, abandoned wrath directed at even the most tepid bipartisan attempts at immigration reform are the easiest sell. McCain is only the first one to get it in the chops. Mitch McConnell, come on down.
Wednesday morning must-reads
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Blog
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:14
  Amity Shlaes: The Coolidge lesson on taxes and spending
  Hundreds of GE workers subsidized and lionized by Obama WH
  Drunk or stoned on the job? No problem in New Mexico
  Is the minimum wage good policy?
  America's biggest banks might be bigger & riskier than you think
  Video: Remember when Obama supported the sequester cuts?
  h/t Charlie Spiering
Philip cracks Filipino nurse joke
  Link to Article
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:12
  20 February 2013Last updated at08:09 ETThe Duke of Edinburgh told a Filipino nurse her country must be "half empty", because so many of her compatriots have come to the UK to work for the NHS.
  He made the remark during a visit to Luton and Dunstable Hospital where he unveiled a £5.5m cardiac centre.
  "The Philippines must be half empty - you're all here running the NHS," the prince told the nurse, who laughed.
  A spokesperson for the hospital said the visit of the duke had been "hugely motivational".
  The 91-year-old royal, who called himself "the world's most experienced curtain puller", was said to be in a "jovial" mood during the visit and asked when the hospital would get a helipad to save him a journey by car.
  'Cosmopolitan town'The hospital spokesperson would not comment on the duke's conversation with the nurse but said the hospital had not held a recent recruiting campaign in the Philippines, which had a population of 94.8 million in 2011.
  "Luton is a very cosmopolitan town and the working staff at Luton and Dunstable Hospital reflects that," the spokesperson said.
  The Nursing and Midwifery Council said there were about 670,000 nurses in the UK, but it could not say how many came from the Philippines.
  The Duke of Edinburgh is well known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial comments.
  During a state visit to China in 1986, he told a group of British students: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed".
  In 1994 he asked an islander in the Cayman Islands: "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?"
  Four years later, speaking to a student who had been trekking in Papua New Guinea, the duke said: "You managed not to get eaten, then?"
  Responding to Tuesday's visit to Luton, Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on a private conversation.
Colombian Bank Buys HSBCs Panama Unit for $2.1 Billion
  Link to Article
  Source: Gitmo Nation News
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:06
  ''Bancolombia said on Tuesday that it had agreed to pay $2.1 billion to acquire HSBC Panama, as the bank continues to expand in Central America.Bancolombia, based in Medellin, Colombia, said in a filing that it would acquire all the common stock and 90.1 percent of its preferred shares.
  It estimated HSBC Panama's net asset value to be $700 million. Bancolombia's regulatory filing said that through Sept. 30, 2012, HSBC Panama had $7.6 billion in assets, $5.7 billion in loans and $5.8 billion in deposits.
  The deal is the latest signal of Bancolombia's global ambitions. In December, Bancolombia said that it had agreed to obtain 40 percent of Grupo Agromercantil of Guatemala. It also owns Banco Agricola in El Salavador.
  ''The financial sector in Central America has evolved in an important way in the last few years, in particular in Panama,'' Bancolombia's president, Carlos Raul Yepes, said in a statement.''
  Read more here: Colombian Bank Buys HSBCs Panama Unit for $2.1 Billion '' NYTimes.com.
Kelly Clarkson: I Refuse To Be 'Bullied' By Clive Davis
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:04
  Kelly Clarkson ripped Clive Davis, calling him a bully, after she was put off by passages about her career in his new book, The Sound Track of My Life.
  ''I refuse to be bullied and I just have to clear up his memory lapses and misinformation,'' American Idol's first winner said on her WhoSay account Tuesday. ''It feels like a violation.''
  PHOTOS: Stars Arrive At The 2013 Grammy Awards
  In the book, Davis said he had a meeting with Clarkson in which ''Kelly burst into hysterical sobbing'' because her eventual hit Since U Been Gone would be put in her 2004 album, Breakaway.
  The Grammy-winning songstress countered that Davis' story was ''not true at all'' and that ''his stories and songs are mixed up.
  PHOTOS: Kelly Clarkson Shows Off Her Shocking Makeup-Free Face
  ''I couldn't be more proud of that song,'' she wrote. ''I resent him dampening that song in any way.''
  She said she cried after Davis bullied her about her abilities as a songwriter after listening to a track called Because of You.
  ''He hated it and told me verbatim that I was a 'sh*tty writer who should be grateful for the gifts that he bestows upon me.'''
  PHOTOS: Take A Look At Kelly Clarkson's Texas Ranch
  She wrapped up saying, ''I love my job. I love my music. I love my fans,'' and that ''growing up is awesome because you learn you don't have to cower to anyone '-- even Clive Davis.''
  Davis later issued a statement through his rep saying, ''I am truly very sorry that she has decided to take issue with what I know to be an accurate depiction of our time together.
  PHOTOS: American Idol Winners
  ''Before the book was published, I had every fact checked with five independent individuals who were present on a daily basis throughout it all.
  ''The chapter as it is written was thoroughly verified by each and every one of them. I stand by the chapter as written in my book. At the same time I wish, and will always wish, Kelly's talent and her career to soar to ever new heights.''
  PHOTOS: Kelly Clarkson Flaunts Massive Engagement Ring At VH1 Divas Event
  In his tome, Davis, who's currently the chief creative officer for Sony Music Entertainment, also reveals his bisexuality, as he said he was involved in a 13-year relationship with a doctor, and a 7-year relationship with another man. (He did not name them so as to protect their privacy.)
Three million euros of gems stolen from Paris jeweller
  Link to Article
  Source: euronews
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:14
  Greece is in the grip of yet another national strike. Much of the country is at a standstill. The two biggest unions called the 24-hour stoppage to protest against existing austerity measures, and those to come. Thousands gathered before the parliament in Athens to deliver'...
Another austerity strike paralyses Greece
  Link to Article
  Source: euronews
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:14
  Greece is in the grip of yet another national strike. Much of the country is at a standstill.
  The two biggest unions called the 24-hour stoppage to protest against existing austerity measures, and those to come.
  Thousands gathered before the parliament in Athens to deliver their message that the belt-tightening policies will only deepen hardship that is already severe.
  One resident in the Greek capital, Vassilis Samidis, said: ''This is one way to make those incompetents in government leave.''
  Another pensioner, Dimitris, was more resigned. ''The strike isn't helping. Whatever will happen will happen. There's no other way,'' he said.
  It's the deepest downturn debt-laden Greece has ever seen in peacetime. The Greek government is between two powerful forces. On one side, the troika of lenders who are demanding more austerity in exchange for emergency funds. On the other, Greeks who say enough is enough.
  More about:Austerity, Greece, Protests in Greece, StrikeCopyright (C) 2013 euronews
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"Adam Lanza Carried Out The Killings Consistant With Video Gaming Changing Magazines Frequently
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:03
Minnesota town's police force to move to schools '-- RT USA
  Link to Article
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:02
  A small city in Minnesota is set to relocate its police force to the town's public schools. The move is a reaction to the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012.
  ­Jordan, Minnesota, a town of 5,500, is thought to be the first school in the country to take such a response to the Sandy Hook massacre, Minnesota's Star Tribune reports. The plan, which is estimated to cost only $20,000, calls for the town's schools to remodel their entrances so that all who enter must pass a police checkpoint. Officers will be stationed by the front door.
  The town has three schools, which are all on the same block. Its police force is only eight-strong, and generally only three officers on duty, usually during school hours.
  The move, which is expected to take effect in March, goes along with a National Rifle Association proposal that urged the placement of armed officers in schools following the Connecticut shooting. Jordan's officials believe that the sight of police officers coming and going from the schools will deter potential attacks.
  "These attacks have been going on for years and still no one has provided any hope of relief," wrote Jordan Police Chief Bob Malz in a December 27 memo outlining the program. "It's time for a change."
  Malz will take over the principal's office at the town's high school, while Jordan's police chief, detective and day patrol officer will get permanent offices, set to be built by the end of February, at the town's high school, middle school and elementary school.
  Police will carry out many duties, like interrogations and recordkeeping, at their old City Hall offices, where they will also work during school vacations and off days.
  The city will foot the bill for the remodeling, as well as the purchase of office equipment for the officers.
  "This is a win-win for our district," Deb Pauly, chairwoman of the Jordan school board, told the Star Tribune. "As a small district we could not afford to pay to have an officer full time in our schools."
  "I have not heard of another district in the state, of another district in the country, doing this," she added. "I think we could be a model for other districts."
Proposed Bill Would Force Gun Owners in NY to Buy At Least $1 MILLION in Liability Insurance or Forfeit 'Privilege' to Own a Firearm
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Stories
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:50
  Credit: Getty Images
  The anti-gun bills continue to roll in. The latest bill, introduced in the New York State Assembly by Democrat Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, seeks to force all gun owners to purchase at least $1 million in liability insurance to cover any damages caused by firearms. It would be a mandatory requirement for anyone who owns a gun, as those who refuse to comply within 30 days would have their firearms confiscated.
  ''Any person in this state who shall own a firearm shall, prior to such ownership, obtain and continuously maintain a policy of liability insurance in an amount not less than one million dollars specifically covering any damages resulting from any negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person,'' the bill, S2353, states.
  ''Failure to maintain such insurance shall result in the immediate revocation of such owner's registration, license and any other privilege to own such firearm,'' the bill adds.
  Further, even if a New Yorker's gun is stolen, they are still responsible for any damage incurred until a loss or theft is reported to the police. The bill has been reportedly been passed along to the Assembly's Insurance Committee, according to the Washington Times.
  The Examiner estimates that simple liability insurance for $1 million would cost gun owners about $1,600-2,000 annually.Lawmakers in California, Maryland and Massachusetts have introduced similar bills aimed at forcing gun owners to purchase liability insurance.
  The bill comes after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law the toughest gun laws in the nation, enacting a ban on semi-automatic rifles and limiting magazine capacity to seven. It appears that New York lawmakers still aren't satisfied.
  Featured image via Getty
UK Ambassador to Egypt, James Watt showing his Islamophelia
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:00
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
February 22: An Evening with Cory Doctorow and EFF-Austin
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:50
  Join EFF-Austin and Cory Doctorow on Friday, February 22 at the Tiniest Bar in Texas, 817 West Fifth Street in Austin, 7-10pm! We'll be jammin', talking about computers, freedom and privacy '' with music by DJ Strangevibe and conversation with NY Times bestselling author Cory Doctorow!
Missile strike in northern Syria kills 33; Mortars land near presidential palace in Damascus - The Washington Post
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:45
  BEIRUT '-- A Syrian missile strike leveled a block of buildings in an impoverished district of Aleppo on Tuesday, killing at least 33 people, almost half of them children, anti-regime activists said.
  Many were trapped under the rubble of destroyed houses and piles of concrete and the death toll could still rise further if more bodies are uncovered.
  The apparent ground-to-ground missile attack struck a quiet area that has been held by anti-regime fighters for many months, a reminder of how difficult it is for the opposition to defend territory in the face of the regime's far superior weaponry.
  In the capital Damascus, state-run news agency SANA said two mortars exploded near one of President Bashar Assad's palaces. It dealt a symbolic blow to the embattled leader, who has tried to maintain an image as the head of a functioning state even as rebels edge closer to the heart of his seat of power.
  No casualties were reported and it was unclear whether Assad was in the palace. He has two others in the city.
  The attack was the first confirmed strike close to a presidential palace and another sign that the civil war is seeping into areas of the capital once considered safe.
  ''This is a clear message to the regime that nowhere is safe from now on,'' said Khaled al-Shami, an activist in Damascus reached via Skype. ''The fact that they had to announce it means they can no longer hide what is happening in Damascus.''
  The news service, SANA, said ''terrorists'' fired the rounds that struck near the southern wall of the Tishreen palace in the capital's northwestern Muhajireen district. The government refers to anti-government fighters as ''terrorists.''
  Assad often uses the Tishrin palace to receive dignitaries and as a guest house for foreign officials during their visits to Syria.
  The capital has largely been spared the violence that has left other cities in ruins. For weeks, however, rebels who have established footholds in the suburbs have been pushing closer to the heart of Damascus from the eastern and southern outskirts, clashing with government forces.
  Rebels have claimed to fire rockets at presidential palaces in Damascus before, but this strike was the first confirmed by the government.
  In the northern city of Aleppo, anti-regime activists said a missile strike flattened a stretch of buildings and killed at least 33 people. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they included 14 children and five women.
  Amateur videos posted online showed scores of men combing through the rubble of destroyed buildings in the poor Jabal Badro neighborhood to find those trapped beneath it.
  ''Allahu Akbar,'' or God is great, they shout as a group of men lift up a body wrapped in a pink blanket.
  One man swung a sledgehammer to break through concrete while a bulldozer hauled off rubble. In another video, a man covered in grey dust struggled under pile of concrete.
  The videos appeared authentic and corresponded with other Associated Press reporting.
  The Jabal Badro district has been under rebel control for months and had been largely quiet until Tuesday's attack.
"If You Want To Protect Yourself Get A Double Barrel 12 Gauge Shotgun! You Don't Need An AR15!"
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:44
Merck vaccine fraud exposed by two Merck virologists; company faked mumps vaccine efficacy results for over a decade, says lawsuit
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:44
  (NaturalNews) Breaking news: According to two Merck scientists who filed a False Claims Act complaint in 2010 -- a complaint which has just now been unsealed -- vaccine manufacturer Merck knowingly falsified its mumps vaccine test data, spiked blood samples with animal antibodies, sold a vaccine that actually promoted mumps and measles outbreaks, and ripped off governments and consumers who bought the vaccine thinking it was "95% effective."See that False Claims Act document at:www.naturalnews.com/gallery/documents/Merck-False-Claims-Act.pdf
  According to Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski, both former Merck virologists, the Merck company engaged in all the following behavior:
  ' Merck knowingly falsified its mumps vaccine test results to fabricate a "95% efficacy rate."
  ' In order to do this, Merck spiked the blood test with animal antibodies in order to artificially inflate the appearance of immune system antibodies. As reported in CourthouseNews.com:
  Merck also added animal antibodies to blood samples to achieve more favorable test results, though it knew that the human immune system would never produce such antibodies, and that the antibodies created a laboratory testing scenario that "did not in any way correspond to, correlate with, or represent real life ... virus neutralization in vaccinated people," according to the complaint. (http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/06/27/47851.htm)
  ' Merck then used the falsified trial results to swindle the U.S. government out of "hundreds of millions of dollars for a vaccine that does not provide adequate immunization."
  ' Merck's vaccine fraud has actually contributed to the continuation of mumps across America, causing more children to become infected with mumps. (Gee, really? This is what NaturalNews has been reporting for years... vaccines are actually formulated to keep the outbreaks going because it's great for repeat business!)
  ' Merck used its false claims of "95 percent effectiveness" to monopolize the vaccine market and eliminate possible competitors.
  ' The Merck vaccine fraud has been going on since the late 1990's, say the Merck virologists.
  ' Testing of Merck's vaccine was never done against "real-world" mumps viruses in the wild. Instead, test results were simply falsified to achieve the desired outcome.
  ' This entire fraud took place "with the knowledge, authority and approval of Merck's senior management."
  ' Merck scientists "witnessed firsthand the improper testing and data falsification in which Merck engaged to artificially inflate the vaccine's efficacy findings," according to court documents (see below).
  Rather than taking action on this false claims act, the U.S. government simply ignored it, thereby protecting Merck's market monopoly instead of properly serving justice. This demonstrates the conspiracy of fraud between the U.S. government, FDA regulators and the vaccine industry.Following the unsealing of this 2010 False Claims Act, Chatom Primary Care, based in Alabama, smelled something rotten. Three days ago, Chatom filed a lawsuit against Merck. That lawsuit record is available here:www.naturalnews.com/gallery/documents/Chatom-Lawsuit-Merck-Mumps.pdfIt alleges, among other shocking things:
  [Merck engaged in] ...a decade-long scheme to falsify and misrepresent the true efficacy of its vaccine.
  Merck fraudulently represented and continues to falsely represent in its labeling and elsewhere that its Mumps Vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 percent of higher.
  In reality, Merck knows and has taken affirmative steps to conceal -- by using improper testing techniques and falsifying test data -- that its Mumps Vaccine is, and has been since at least 1999, far less than 95 percent effective.
  Merck designed a testing methodology that evaluated its vaccine against a less virulent strain of the mumps virus. After the results failed to yield Merck's desired efficacy, Merck abandoned the methodology and concealed the study's findings.
  ...incorporating the use of animal antibodies to artificially inflate the results...
  ...destroying evidence of the falsified data and then lying to an FDA investigator...
  ...threatened a virologist in Merck's vaccine division with jail if he reported the fraud to the FDA...
  ...the ultimate victims here are the millions of children who every year are being injected with a mumps vaccine that is not providing them with an adequate level of protection. And while this is a disease that, according to the Centers for Disease Control ('CDC'), was supposed to be eradicated by now, the failure in Merck's vaccine has allowed this disease to linger, with significant outbreaks continuing to occur.
  Chatom Primary Care also alleges that the fraudulent Merck vaccine contributed to the 2006 mumps outbreak in the Midwest, and a 2009 outbreak elsewhere. It says, "there has remained a significant risk of a resurgence of mumps outbreaks..."
  NaturalNews has only begun to investigate this incredible breaking news about Merck and the vaccine industry. We are pouring through the court documents to identify additional information that may be relevant to this case, and we plan to bring you that information soon.For the record, Merck denies all allegations. Is anyone surprised?
  Sources for this article:NaturalNews wishes to thank CourthouseNews.com for its coverage of this story. Original article at: http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/06/27/47851.htm
  Chatom Lawsuit against Merckwww.naturalnews.com/gallery/documents/Chatom-Lawsuit-Merck-Mumps.pdf
  2010 False Claims Act against Merck, by two Merck virologistswww.naturalnews.com/gallery/documents/Merck-False-Claims-Act.pdf
  Announcement of the lawsuit in the media:http://www.nasdaq.com/article/lawsuit-claims-merck-overstated-mumps-v...
  About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a strong interest in personal health, the environment and the power of nature to help us all heal He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body.
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By Not Distinguishing This As A Perversion By Reading Their Manifesto's WE PERPETUATE IT!"
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  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:33
Arrogant Jay Carney to female reporter: "I know you're filling in...this is complicated budget-speak"
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:14
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Hard reality '' biofuels are a loser, despite all the hope and hype
  Link to Article
  Source: Atomic Insights
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:57
  I've been spending the past hour or so reading an excellent paper written by a US Naval aviator titled Twenty-First Century Snake Oil: Why the United States Should Reject Biofuels as Part of a Rational National Energy Security Strategy. Though there is sufficient coverage of the basic chemistry and thermodynamics of agriculture and combustion processes to satisfy the geek in all of us, the paper is easy to read and understand for anyone with a reasonably broad based education.
  There is a healthy portion of history included that makes for fascinating reading. I learned quite a bit of new material, even thought I have been intensely interested in energy for many decades. For example, have you ever heard of the waterworks project for the city of Chan Chan, which failed due to a fatal planning flaw; no one surveyed the required route to realize that it inevitably required water to defy the law of gravity?
  I learned that the chemical energy added to soil by intensive ammonia-based fertilization has been directly responsible for increasing Iowa corn yields by a factor of 6 since the 1930s. It was a little depressing to find out that that adding hydrogen from natural gas to upgrade carbohydrates to useful liquid fuel releases 11 tons of CO2 for every ton of hydrogen added to the fuel and that the process is absolutely required to make biofuel compatible with the military fuel supply system.
  There is also an important passage about the Dynamic Energy Budget theory and why it highlights the importance of Energy Return on Investment (EROI) for both organisms and for society as a complex organism that requires energy to function.
  The paper's author has a solid background in a world where critical thinking skills can be the difference between success and a very short career.
  Captain T. A. ''Ike'' Kiefer is a naval aviator and EA-6B pilot with 7 deployments to the PACOM and CENTCOM AORs and 21 months on the ground in Iraq. He has a Bachelor's degree in physics from the US Naval Academy and a Master's in Strategy from the US Army Command and General Staff College. He has commanded at the O-5 and O-6 level and was 2005 action officer of the year of the Joint Staff J-7 Directorate in the Pentagon. He currently teaches strategy at the US Air Force Air War College as the CJCS Chair.
  Captain Kiefer clearly explains why no amount of genetic engineering can overcome the fundamental limitations of trying to grow fuel for vehicle propulsion and why adding biofuels into our fuel supply makes us less secure. I hope that the people who are excited about funding the Green Fleet will listen to one of their own and stop the wasteful spending program.
Background on Medal of Valor Ceremony
  Link to Article
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:53
  The White House
  Office of the Vice President
  For Immediate Release
  February 20, 2013
  On Wednesday, February 20, 2013, the Vice President will host a Medal of Valor ceremony with Attorney General Eric Holder. The Vice President and Attorney General will deliver remarks at this ceremony. Below is background information on the Medal of Valor and the recipients of the Medal at Wednesday's ceremony.
  Watch this event live on Wednesday at 1:30 PM ET atwww.whitehouse.gov/live
  THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MEDAL OF VALOR:
  The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, authorized by the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. The medal is awarded to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life. Including today's awardees, a total of 78 medals have been presented since the first recipients were honored in 2003. To receive the Medal of Valor, public safety officers must be nominated by the chief executive officer of their employing agencies, recommended by the bipartisan Medal of Valor Review Board, and cited by the Attorney General. The Attorney General designated Mary Lou Leary, Acting Assistant Attorney General in the Department's Office of Justice Programs (OJP), to serve as the Federal point of contact for the Medal of Valor initiative. OJP's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), led by Director Denise E. O'Donnell, assists in overseeing the Medal of Valor initiative. More information about the award, the Medal of Valor Review Board members, and the nomination process is available at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/medalofvalor. RECIPIENTS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER MEDAL OF VALOR: 2009-2010 Medal of Valor Recipients Officer Julie OlsonMaplewood Police Department, Minnesota On September 7, 2009, Officer Julie Olson was called to assist North St. Paul Officer Richard Crittenden. A woman had called the police concerned that her estranged husband had returned to her apartment and might be inside. North St. Paul's police department had dealt with the suspect several times in the past, including as recently as the previous night when the suspect fled before squads arrived. The woman had an Order of Protection against the suspect. Officer Olson and Officer Crittenden arrived on the scene at the same time. They initially searched a vacant apartment, knowing the suspect had hidden there in the past. They were then let into the complainant's apartment, which was next door to the vacant apartment. As they entered the darkened apartment, Officer Crittenden observed a flaming cloth advancing in his and the residents' direction. He pushed the residents out of harm's way and was struck in the face and side of the head with an accelerant-soaked t-shirt. The suspect grabbed Officer Crittenden in a ''bear hug.'' After a brief struggle, the suspect then grabbed Officer Olson in an apparent effort to disarm her. He then disengaged with Officer Olson and re-engaged with Officer Crittenden. The suspect grabbed Officer Crittenden's sidearm from his holster and fired one round at point-blank range at Officer Crittenden's head, killing him. The suspect then turned the gun on Officer Olson. When Officer Olson heard one round sail past her ear, she responded as she had been trained, and side stepping and returning fire. Another round struck Officer Olson's spare magazine on her duty belt, shattering it and causing pieces of the round to enter her strong-side arm. Now injured, Officer Olson returned fire on the suspect, striking him five times. While under the extreme pressure of the moment, she had the wherewithal to do a combat reload as she backed out of the apartment, only to find she had attempted to reload with the shattered magazine. She subsequently dropped the shattered magazine and reloaded with another magazine, as Officer Lonn Bakke entered the apartment building. Officer Olson and Officer Bakke then re-entered the apartment to disarm and handcuff the suspect, who subsequently died at the scene.'ƒOfficer Reeshemah TaylorOsceola County Corrections Department, Florida On June 22, 2009, Officer Reeshemah Taylor was assigned to the Medical Unit of the Osceola County Jail. While performing her duties, Officer Taylor was confronted by a high-risk inmate who had taken one officer hostage and changed into that officer's uniform. The inmate placed a fully loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun to Officer Taylor's head as she walked into the room where the inmate and the captive officer were located. This inmate had a history of violent felony charges and was already serving three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole within the Florida Department of Corrections. The inmate was being held at the Osceola County Jail pending trial for a violent armed robbery. The inmate was also a well-known member of the ''Los 27'' and ''La Nieta'' gangs domiciled out of Puerto Rico, who are notorious for their violent acts against law enforcement personnel. Through the subsequent criminal investigation of this attempted escape, it was determined that this inmate planned to walk out of the jail dressed as a corrections officer. The gun was factored into his plan and would be used if someone attempted to stop him or intervene. According to investigators, there was no doubt that this inmate would have used the firearm to ensure that his escape was successful. He was prepared to shoot anyone who might attempt to avert him from his plan, as he felt he had nothing to lose and did not want to return to prison. During Officer Taylor's face-to-face confrontation with the inmate, a struggle took place for the weapon. While the weapon was pointed at Officer Taylor, she immediately grabbed the weapon with both hands, diverting it from her direction, and delivered a knee spike to the inmate's groin. The inmate dropped to the floor, dislodging the weapon from his hand. The gun dropped several feet away from Officer Taylor and the inmate. Officer Taylor placed herself on top of the inmate, with one arm around his head to fashion a headlock, and her legs scissoring his lower body, to keep him on the floor and away from the gun. With her free hand, she utilized her portable radio to announce the code and summon assistance. Officer Taylor engaged an inmate that was far superior in size, strength, motivation, and intention. She successfully subdued this inmate through sheer determination, instincts, will, and courage. Her efforts, in the face of imminent death, saved the lives of many. Wildlife Officer Michael NealArkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas On May 20, 2010, Officer Neal answered a call for assistance after two West Memphis Police officers had been shot and killed during a traffic stop along Interstate 40, and engaged two suspects in the Walmart parking lot. The two suspects were engaged in a firefight with Sheriff Dick Busby and Chief Deputy W. A. Wren. The Sheriff and Deputy, armed with only handguns, were taking fire from an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun. Officer Neal used his truck to ram the suspects' van to prevent the suspects from being mobile and possibly harming innocent bystanders, and to divert the suspects' attention away from the Sheriff and Deputy. Once Officer Neal rammed the suspects' van, the suspects opened fire on Officer Neal's truck, firing several rounds through his windshield. Officer Neal avoided being hit by the AK-47 rounds and returned fire with his issued AR-15. He disabled the driver and possibly the passenger before putting his truck in reverse and backing out of the line of fire so other officers could continue the firefight. Both suspects were pronounced dead at the scene. By putting himself in harm's way, Officer Neal's actions undoubtedly saved the lives of Sheriff Busby and Deputy Wren, both of whom were injured by the suspects. Officer Neal was only slightly injured. Officer Sean HallerOfficer Rafael RiveraCalifornia Highway Patrol, California On February 25, 2010, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office attempted to serve a search warrant in the town of Minkler. As deputies attempted to breach the main door of the residence, they came under intense gunfire from within the building, which fatally wounded one of the deputies. The deputies immediately broadcast ''shots fired'' over the radio. Officer Haller monitored the ''shots fired'' call over the radio and responded to the scene. Upon arriving at the scene, he heard gun shots. Officer Haller stopped his patrol vehicle and engaged the suspect in gunfire. Fellow California Highway Patrol Officer Rivera arrived and took cover behind Officer Haller's patrol vehicle. Both officers were engaged in gunfire with the suspect for an undetermined amount of time until someone on scene gave a ''cease-fire'' command. This was followed by approximately 30 minutes with no shooting. The suspect again began firing from within the home. Fearing for their safety and the safety of the other officers at the scene, both Officers Rivera and Haller returned fire. During this exchange, Officer Rivera overheard someone say, ''Officer down!'' and moved toward the location of the downed officer. He found the downed officer on the passenger side of a marked patrol vehicle. Officer Rivera recognized the fallen officer as Officer Javier Bejar of the Reedley Police Department and attempted to remove him from the line of fire. The suspect began shooting directly at Officer Rivera as he attempted to rescue the downed officer. Seeing this, Officer Haller broke cover and moved into the line of fire. He engaged the suspect and provided cover fire to assist with the removal effort.Officer Rivera was able to move the downed officer to a location of cover. Although Officer Bejar did not survive his injuries, Officers Rivera and Haller exhibited great personal courage, while putting themselves in danger in their efforts to save Officer Bejar's life. The assailant in this incident subsequently committed suicide by shooting himself prior to the officers' entry into the residence. Trooper Robert LombardoFallen Trooper Joshua MillerPennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania On June 7, 2009, a subject arrived at his estranged wife's residence in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. After threatening his wife with a handgun, the subject abducted his 9-year-old son and fled the scene in a black Honda Civic with his son seated in the right front passenger seat. The Nazareth Borough Police Department became involved in a high speed pursuit of the subject. Troopers Joshua D. Miller and Robert K. Lombardo, as well as other Swiftwater Station members and local police department officers, assisted in the pursuit. The pursuit went on for some 40 miles and ended on State Route 611 in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, when Trooper Miller employed the PIT maneuver to bring the vehicle to a stop. The PIT maneuver is a method by which the pursuit car forces the other vehicle to abruptly turn sideways towards the direction of travel. This causes the driver to lose control and stop. Recognizing that the child was in extreme peril, Troopers Miller and Lombardo immediately approached the driver's side of the Honda in an attempt to arrest the subject and rescue the child. Troopers Lombardo and Miller both used their collapsible batons to shatter the driver's side window of the Honda. The subject then fired three shots from a 9mm Taurus, striking Trooper Lombardo once in the left shoulder, and Trooper Miller in the right thigh and neck. Troopers Miller and Lombardo returned fire, striking the assailant eight times. The force of the impact of being shot spun Trooper Lombardo to his left. Despite knowing Trooper Miller was wounded and his own left arm was now paralyzed, Trooper Lombardo did not seek cover. Trooper Lombardo chose to continue to engage the assailant with one arm. Only after the threat was neutralized did Trooper Lombardo seek treatment for his wounds. The suspect's son was rescued uninjured. Trooper Miller was subsequently flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown where he was pronounced dead. Trooper Lombardo was taken to Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was treated for his wounds. Trooper Lombard recently returned to duty. Trooper Miller gave his life and Trooper Lombardo risked his life to rescue the 9-year-old boy. They were/are dedicated officers of the law, committed to serving the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2010-2011 Medal of Valor Recipients Firefighter Peter DemontreuxNew York City Fire Department, New York On August 30, 2010, Firefighter Peter Demontreux's unit responded to a fire in a 4 story brownstone. On arrival they encountered heavy fire at the front door and up the stairway to the third floor preventing entry until a hoseline was put in place. Instead of waiting for a hoseline, Firefighter Demontreux climbed an aerial ladder to a third floor window. There he encountered a civilian who stated that his friend was still trapped inside the burning apartment. After assisting the civilian onto the ladder, Firefighter Demontreux immediately entered the apartment to conduct a search. He located the victim deep within the apartment. In the ensuing minutes, Firefighter Demontreux executed one of the most remarkable rescues ever witnessed. As he assisted the victim through the apartment, the entire third floor suddenly exploded into flames setting both rescuer and victim ablaze. According to the on-scene Battalion Chief's report, Firefighter Demontreux, now on fire, made the split second decision that he would not leave victim behind. After reaching the window, Firefighter Demontreux insured the victim was safely on the aerial ladder before diving out himself. Both men were extinguished by a hoseline and though badly burned- the civilian victim received burns over 50% of his body- both survived. Firefighter Demontreux's protective equipment was subsequently tested and found to have been subjected to temperatures in excess of 1,000 degrees. Firefighter Hope ScottBattalion Chief William ReynoldsVirginia Beach Fire Department, Virginia On October 12, 2010, the Virginia Beach Fire Department received multiple 911 calls for a house fire with people trapped in a single family dwelling. Engine 7 with Captain William Reynolds and Firefighter Hope Scott, arrived on scene. Captain Reynolds reported heavy fire from the corner of the first floor spreading to the second floor. Two family members were on the porch roof attempting to enter the structure and were screaming that a baby and was in the second floor bedroom and the great grandmother was still inside. Heavy smoke and heat conditions forced the civilian would-be rescuers to withdraw from their rescue efforts. Captain Reynolds, hearing the pleas of the family and realizing time was of the essence, made the tactical decision to enter the second floor window with Firefighter Scott without the protection of a fire hose. This tactic is known as Vent-Enter-Search in the fire service, and is considered a high risk maneuver to the personnel making the entry. Captain Reynolds and Firefighter Scott climbed a ladder and entered the second floor window without the protection of a charged fire hose (hand-line). They encountered high heat and zero visibility conditions. Captain Reynolds was equipped with a thermal imaging camera to aid in the rescue effort. However, the high heat conditions rendered the camera ineffective and they were forced the crew to crawl blindly through the assorted debris. The fire still raged underneath the bedroom, made the floor so hot that Firefighter Scott could feel the heat through her protective gear. Captain Reynolds encouraged Firefighter Scott to keep pushing on as they knew the child was located somewhere in the room. Approximately two minutes into the search, Firefighter Scott heard what she thought was a faint cry. She started sweeping the floor with her arms and located an infant lying on a mattress located on the floor covered in makeshift bedding material. Firefighter Scott scooped up the infant and handed the lifeless infant to Captain Reynolds as he was positioned near the window. Captain Reynolds handed the infant through the window to firefighters who were standing on an egress ladder. The infant was not breathing and unresponsive once she was removed from the structure. Resuscitation efforts were immediately started and EMS personnel transported the infant to Norfolk General Hospital Burn Center. The infant has since made a full recovery without any major medical issues or deficits. After Firefighter Scott located the infant, she and Captain Reynolds continued to search the second floor for the other reported fire victim. Other responding personnel found the 73 year old woman, lying on the stairs leading to the second floor. She was unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from smoke inhalation. She was removed from the structure and resuscitation efforts immediately started. Unfortunately, she died from her injuries three days later. Captain Reynolds and Firefighter Hope Scott demonstrated incredible bravery and self sacrifice in their decision to enter the floor directly above the uncontrolled fire without the protection of a charged hose-line and placed themselves at one of the greatest risks recognized in the fire service. Their fast, decisive actions and disregard for their own safety truly resulted in the saving of the life of a young infant who would have succumbed from the smoke and fire if not for their brave actions. Deputy Sheriff Krista McDonaldKitsap County Sheriff's Office, Washington On January, 23, 2011, the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office had been given information on the location of a possibly armed suspect, accompanied by an underage female who was reported as missing from Utah and a runaway. Deputies Stacy and Ejde approached the suspect and his 13 year-old companion as they sat outside the entrance to a Walmart Store in Port Orchard, Washington. These deputies were assisted by Deputy Krista McDonald who had responded as an additional back-up. The suspect refused to identify himself, and attempted to run from the location. Deputy Stacy tried to grab the suspect but missed and fell. Deputy Ejde ran after the suspect as he attempted to run across the street and into the parking lot. Halfway across the roadway, the suspect drew a semi-automatic handgun hidden on his person, turned and fired multiple shots. He struck Deputy Ejde twice, in the left shoulder and right arm. Deputy Ejde went down into a raised flowerbed. By this time Deputy Stacy had regained his footing and was running after the suspect. The suspect shot and wounded Deputy Stacy in the right shoulder. Deputy Stacy also fell to the asphalt. Deputy McDonald began firing at suspect from her position at her patrol vehicle, approximately 90 - 100 feet distance. The suspect then directed his attention toward Deputy McDonald as she started to move toward her two downed colleagues. The suspect continued to shoot at both Deputy McDonald and Deputy Ejde. Advancing toward the suspect without benefit of protective cover, Deputy McDonald stayed in the gunfight and returned fire. The suspect was struck in the left leg and dropped to the pavement where he continued to fire on the deputies. By this time Deputy McDonald had moved to within 60 feet of the suspect, placing herself in the line of fire to distract the suspect. The young girl, witnessing this, ran over to the suspect. As she approached she was shot by the suspect and mortally wounded. Moments later the suspect then committed suicide when he turned his handgun on himself.'ƒOfficer Timothy McClintickOfficer Max McDonaldOfficer Douglas WeaverSergeant Karl Lounge Jr.Fallen Sergeant Thomas BaitingerSaint Petersburg Police Department, Florida On January 24, 2011, a Federal Fugitive Task Force arrived at a residence in Saint Petersburg in an attempt to locate a violent fugitive who had been on the run from law enforcement for several months. The fugitive's wife eventually advised officers that he was hiding in the attic of the house. Additional units were called to the house to help secure the perimeter. After the fugitive failed to respond to any attempts to establish contact, Officer Yaslowitz and US Marshal Ley obtained a latter and entered the attic. They subsequently located the fugitive laying face down some 15 feet for the attic opening. The fugitive was initially compliant to direction, but as Officer Yaslowitz attempted to handcuff him, the fugitive began to aggressively resist. During the struggle, Marshal Ley deployed his Taser, and then heard a single muffled shot follow by three additional shots. Officer Yaslowitz collapsed and Marshal Ley was subsequent shot twice, causing him to fall through the attic opening onto the floor below. During the ensuing minutes, the fugitive continuously fired multiple rounds through the ceiling at the officers below. Officer McClintick saw a bloodied Marshal Ley on the floor and realized that he was wounded. He reached into the hallway and grabbed Marshal Ley's foot and tried to drag him back into the bathroom. Unable to get enough leverage, Officer McClintick came out into the hallway, directly under the attic opening and under fire, to grab Marshal Ley and pull him out of the kill zone and into the bathroom. There, he performed lifesaving measures to control the bleeding of Marshal Ley while continuing to provide cover from the assailant. The assailant then moved Officer Yaslowitz's body to the attic opening, and positioned him so that his foot protruded over the opening. This was an apparent attempt to lour responding officers out into the open. It was later learned that he had also tied Officer Yasolwitz's body in place so this it could not be moved while he continued to wait in ambush. During this time officers could hear Lacey moving around in the attic, and firing at anything he heard below. A Rapid Response Team quickly came together to rescue the officers inside the house. Sergeant Thomas Baitinger had arrived at about the same time as Sergeant Karl Lounge. Officer Max McDonald was present, along with Officer Doug Weaver. Sergeant Lounge was carrying his AR15 and a ballistic shield from his cruiser. They only knew that a suspect had shot multiple officers inside the house, that the suspect or suspects were inside the house, and wounded officers were trapped inside, perhaps as hostages. Sergeant Baitinger, a Rapid Response Instructor, recognized that he was the best qualified to handle the shield and lead the entry and assumed that role. Sergeant Baitinger and Officer Weaver moved into the hallway at the far end of the house and observed the open attic and a step stool under it. A Sergeant, positioned by the front door, warned that the assailant and Officer Yaslowitz were in the attic, and to be careful, that the assailant had been shooting down through the ceiling. Sergeant Lounge and Officer McDonald covered the hallway and attic opening from the living room. Sergeant Baitinger put the shield up over his head as he passed under the attic opening and into the threshold of the bedroom, right at the end of the hall. As Sergeant Baitinger entered the kill zone, a hail of gunfire erupted from the attic above. The other officers in the house reported that Sergeant Baitinger was struck once in the back, stopped by his vest. The impact knocked him forward and spun him around. He brought up the shield and yelled, ''I'm hit, I'm OK, I can see Yaz in the attic, get him out!'' Another burst of gunfire rained down from the attic and Sergeant Baitinger was fatally wounded by a round passing over the shield. During this extensive gun battle, all the involved officers continued to come under fire by the assailant. Sergeant Tom Baitinger, Sergeant Karl Lounge, Officer Doug Weaver, Officer Max McDonald, and Officer Timothy McClintick each demonstrated incredible courage and professionalism under very difficult circumstances. They braved heavy gunfire while attempting to rescue the wounded officers, with Sergeant Baitinger making the supreme sacrifice. Officer McClintick braved heavy gunfire, moving into the kill zone, directly under the attic opening where two officers had already been shot, and another was later killed, to rescue the wounded U.S. Deputy Marshal. The incident ended when the assailant was killed during an exchange of gunfire with the St. Petersburg TAC Team on scene. Fallen Deputy Cameron JustusFallen Deputy William StiltnerBuchanan County Sheriff's Office, Virginia On March 13, 2011, Deputy William Stiltner was at home when he heard through his scanner that two fellow officers were shot while responding to a larceny call at a local salvage yard. Deputy Stiltner headed to the scene to find that a sniper was shooting from the woods above the salvage yard, and both officers were lying on the ground. Without hesitation Deputy Stiltner along second deputy went to aid their fellow colleagues by trying to move them out of the range of the shooter and into safety. As the deputies carried fallen Deputy Rasnake to a nearby car, a shot rang out from behind them. The car window shattered and Deputy Stiltner fell to the ground fatally wounded. Shortly afterwards, Deputy Cameron Justus, who was also off duty, heard that a gunman had shot three of his fellow deputies, and that officers were trapped at the scene by the gunman. By the time Deputy Justus arrived at the salvage yard, he already knew the gravity of the situation. An unknown assailant armed with a high-power rifle had taken refuge in the tree line behind the property. This skilled sniper who had already shot three deputies multiple times, had the advantage of being perched above them on the mountainside. Deputy Justus met with Sheriff Ray Foster and both officers took cover behind their vehicle. Armed with his M-16 rifle, Deputy Justus suddenly spotted a shadowy figure in the pine trees. He called out to the sheriff that he had the man in his sights and was going to take the shot. Just as Deputy Justus pulled the trigger and the bullet erupted from his rifle, simultaneously the sniper fired from his weapon, fatally wounding Deputy Justus. After refusing to surrender, the assailant was shot and killed by other deputies on the scene. Deputy Stiltner's heroic efforts to save the lives of his fellow deputies, along with Deputy Justus' courageous actions putting him in a dangerous position in order to safeguard the lives of his fellow deputies unquestionably demonstrate performance that went above and beyond the call of duty.
NYT: Supreme Court Hears Arguments
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:51
  WASHINGTON - A freewheeling and almost entirely one-sided argument at the Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that the justices would not allow Monsanto's patents for genetically altered soybeans to be threatened by an Indiana farmer who used them without paying the company a fee.
  The question in the case, Bowman v. Monsanto Company, No. 11-796, was whether patent rights to seeds and other things that can replicate themselves extend beyond the first generation. The justices appeared alert to the consequences of their eventual ruling not only for Monsanto's very lucrative soybean patents but also for modern agriculture generally and for areas as varied as vaccines, cell lines and software.
  A lawyer for Monsanto, Seth P. Waxman, a former United States solicitor general, was allowed to talk uninterrupted for long stretches, which is usually a sign of impending victory.
  "Without the ability to limit reproduction of soybeans containing this patented trait," he said, "Monsanto could not have commercialized its invention and never would have produced what is, by now, the most popular agricultural technology in America."
  "This is probably the most rapidly adopted technological advance in history," Mr. Waxman said of his client's product, a genetically altered soybean called Roundup Ready, which is resistant to the herbicide Roundup, also a Monsanto product. "The very first Roundup Ready soybean seed was only made in 1996. And it now is grown by more than 90 percent of the 275,000 soybean farms in the United States."
  Farmers who buy the seeds must generally sign a contract promising not to save seeds from the resulting crop, which means they must buy new seeds every year.
Islam a 'dangerous and totalitarian ideology': Wilders
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:39
  Carolyn Webb February 19, 2013
  FAR-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders has called the Prophet Muhammad a murderer and used Anzac soldiers as an example of the courage needed to speak out against Islam at a speech to Melbourne supporters.
  Tight security surrounded Mr Wilders' hour-long speech to members of the ultra-conservative local group the Q Society of Australia at La Mirage reception centre in Somerton in Melbourne's north on Tuesday night.
  Fifty police, some on horseback, separated about 100 vocal but peaceful protesters standing on the Hume Highway verge outside the venue.
  Protest organiser Feiyi Zhang said: "we're here to show we will not stand for Wilders' racism and Islamophobia". She said his speech could incite violence against Muslims "and general fear of Islam".
  Protester Nadia Shamsuddin, a doctor and a Muslim, said she was "repulsed" by Wilders' visit and views. "His promotion of oppression and racism is appalling in the civilised world".
  Her husband Raj Rao said: "Wilders accuses Islam of promoting hatred and violence but I think that's what he's doing."
  Mr Rao said the message of the Qu'ran was of "peace and submission to God".
  Inside the venue, audience member Inez, a Dutch immigrant, said she had come from Ringwood to hear Wilders, "because we have built this country into something very, very beautiful but I can slowly see it getting spoiled by people who want to impose their beliefs and laws.
  "When I hear Muslim people wanted to introduce Sharia law here, I shudder. I thought it too horrible to contemplate."
  Audience members had to go through a metal detector, bag searches and identity checks. Mr Wilders spoke to a ballroom usually used for multicultural weddings and debutante balls.
  The crowd met his speech with standing ovations, laughter at his jokes and applause.
  Mr Wilders said the Prophet Muhammad was a savage leader of a gang of robbers that raped and murdered and mutilated its opponents including the Jews in 7th century Medina and violence had carried on to Islam's modern day supporters.
  He said anyone who criticised Islam "is in grave personal danger" and "we cannot continue to accept this".
  European countries such as the Netherlands are "in the process of losing our cultural identity and our freedom and I am warning Australia about the true nature of Islam."
  "It's not a religion; it's a dangerous and totalitarian ideology."
Did God Rods Cause A US Space Weapon, Not Meteors, To Hit Russia And Cuba?
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:30
  The Western media cover-up, promoted by so-called "meteor experts" planted by the military complex, tells of a fantastic meteorite striking Russia's Urals region, while trying to ignore a second spectacular space disaster in Cuba, which occurred just hours later. A pair of massive meteorites, each brighter than the Sun, has never been recorded before in the entire history of astral chronologies. Obviously, the bus-size objects that fell from the sky are man-made and not freaks of nature.
  While it is too early yet for a conclusive determination, one scenario can explain the twin disasters, and that is a free fall of a U.S. Air Force orbital weapons platform loaded with super-heavy "God Rods". A dual-cabin space-based bomber likely caused the falsely attributed "meteorite" hits on Russia's Urals region and, just hours later, on Cuban territory. In both cases, witnesses and videophone images showed "bus-shaped" objects "brighter than the Sun" falling to Earth in regions halfway around the world from each other.
  Rods from God
  God Rods are the ultimate bunker busters, which strike with Luciferian power despite their name, which came no doubt from the apocalyptic corps of evangelical graduates of the Air Force Academy. To prepare a God Rod assault on Iran's hardened nuclear bunkers, the USAF dual-chamber orbital ship would be positioned into a slower near-geostationary orbit over the Caspian Sea.
  The Rods from God are depleted uranium rods sheathed in a ceramic foam shell, which prevents friction-caused searing vaporization during re-entry. The DU rods rely on kinetic energy from gravity acceleration reaching supersonic speeds along a close-to vertical trajectory. Upon impact with the Earth's surface, the ceramic shell is shattered into powder, while the DU becomes a red-hot searing liquid fire that burns through rock and concrete. Turning into dust and gas, the depleted uranium will ignite the air inside any bunker or tunnel, creating shock waves that cause the roof to cave in.
  A test drop of a God Rod probably caused the seismic blast and destruction of an underground Iranian nuclear lab in late January.
  What Goes Up
  One problem of near-geostationary orbit, however, is the massive weight of the God Rod canisters aboard the space bus. With the slightest miscalculation of minimum orbital momentum, the space-based weapons platform tumbles into free fall.
  Plummeting to Earth along an oscillating parabolic path, the astro-soldiers aboard the USAF weapons platform would have to decouple the weapons-carrying cabin from the command module. Presumably the crew boarded an escape pod, the blue streak seen by San Franciscans, which landed at sea in the Gulf or Atlantic. Their fate will never be revealed to the public, despite the loud claims from the United States of being a democracy with information transparency in contrast to evil dictatorships.
  It was probably the weapons cabin that hit the Russian Urals, a region with a dozen nuclear research reactors around the Chelyabinsk nuclear-weapons zone and the large power reactor near Ekaterinaberg. Besides injuring 1,400 people, mainly from flying glass of windows broken by sonic booms, the vaporized DU rods will also add more radiation to the atmosphere, already contaminated by the Fukushima meltdowns, and further degrade the Siberian environment, which is highly radioactive from reckless Soviet strategic weapons testing in the past.
  If the USAF vehicle had smashed into one of the many terrestrial research reactors, a nuclear power station or a warhead facility in the Urals, there would undoubtedly have been a thermonuclear exchange between Russia and the US. A Russian "retaliatory strike" would have destroyed every US military base worldwide and most major cities in America.
  The complacent and amoral American public has tolerated the secret space-based weapons program and so would have no grounds for complaint at the loss of a hundred million or more lives inside their own territory. The rest of the world, of course, would not be so forgiving to the USA for triggering an Armageddon.
  As for the gung-ho evangelical Air Force officer corps, it seems the loss of their space toy means that God must be on the other side of the rod.
  Yoichi Shimatsu, former editor of The Japan Times Weekly, is a Hong Kong-based science writer.
U.S. Gen. John Allen to retire, end pursuit of NATO commander job
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:22
  STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  NEW: Allen says he is retiring due to concern about his wife's healthHe was the top coalition commander in Afghanistan for nearly two yearsAllen was nominated to be the supreme allied commander of NATOHe was cleared of any wrongdoing in a scandal over embarrassing e-mailsWashington (CNN) -- Gen. John Allen, the former leader of coalition forces in Afghanistan who was nominated to become supreme allied commander of NATO, is retiring instead of continuing to pursue the post, President Barack Obama announced Tuesday.
  Allen informed Obama that he will leave the service rather than move forward with the nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, a White House statement said.
  "I met with General John Allen and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family," Obama said.
  In a statement later Tuesday, Allen said his reasons for retiring were personal.
  "While I won't go into the details, my primary concern is for the health of my wife, who has sacrificed so much for so long. For more than 35 years, my beloved Kathy has devotedly stood beside me and enabled me to serve my country.
  "It is profoundly sobering to consider how much of that time I have spent away from her and our two precious daughters. It is now my turn to stand beside them, to be there for them when they need me most," he said.
  Allen, a Marine Corps general, was the top coalition commander in Afghanistan for nearly two years. He relinquished that command earlier this month after planning the end of the mission's combat operations.
  However, Allen was caught up in a scandal over embarrassing e-mails with Tampa socialite Jill Kelley that came to the public's attention during the same investigation that brought down former CIA Director David Petraeus.
  CNN previously reported that Defense Department officials said there was inappropriate language in those e-mails, but no evidence of an affair between Allen and Kelley.
  Allen's nomination for the NATO commander post was put on hold while the Pentagon's inspector general looked into the issue.
  He was cleared of wrongdoing after several months and the White House initially indicated Obama would proceed with the nomination.
  On Tuesday, Obama called the general one of America's finest military leaders.
  Allen "presided over the significant growth in the size and capability of Afghan National Security Forces, the further degradation of al Qaeda and their extremist allies, and the ongoing transition to Afghan security responsibility across the country," Obama said in the statement.
  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in a statement on Tuesday that Allen's leadership in Afghanistan "will be long remembered as pivotal" to the mission.
  "The strategy he developed and implemented has put us on the right path towards completing this mission, with Afghan forces now on track to step into the lead for security nationwide this spring and to assume full security responsibility by the end of next year," Panetta said.
  Panetta, who also is stepping down, previously acknowledged that Allen has "been under a tremendous amount of pressure," and advised him to take his time in deciding whether to continue pursuing the NATO commander position.
  In July 2011, Allen succeeded Petraeus to inherit the largest-ever NATO force in Afghanistan and spent 19 months directing his forces against Taliban insurgents and preparing for the first phases of a hand-over of provincial security to local and national forces.
  About 150,000 ISAF members were deployed at that time, including just under 100,000 U.S. troops. There are 66,000 U.S. service members currently deployed to the region, and Obama announced last week his intention to bring home 34,000 of them within a year.
  Less than a month after he assumed command, the United States suffered its deadliest single attack of the Afghan war when insurgents downed a CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Wardak province, killing 30 U.S. service members. The toll included 22 Navy SEALs.
  Allen later faced additional diplomatic crises that followed controversial incidents that included the accidental burning of Qurans by U.S. service members, U.S. airstrikes that resulted in civilian deaths and the killing of 16 civilians in a massacre allegedly carried out by a U.S. service member.
  An uptick in "green-on-blue" attacks -- in which Afghan forces or trainees turn their weapons against U.S. counterparts -- is also believed to have hampered the training of Afghan forces and contributed to increased public discontent at home over American deployment to the region.
  A graduate of Georgetown University and the National War College, Allen also drew distinction for his counterinsurgency work in Iraq, particularly in the country's volatile Anbar province in 2008, where he helped isolate a growing insurgency.
  CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
U.S. Air Force developing terrifying swarms of tiny unmanned drones that can hover, crawl and even kill targets
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:18
  Air Vehicles Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, is already developing prototypes of tiny drones that can hoverThe Micro Air Vehicles will work in swarms to provide complex surveillance of a battlefieldThey can also be armed with incapacitating chemicals, combustible payloads or even explosives 'for precision targeting capability'By Michael Zennie
  PUBLISHED: 19:11 EST, 19 February 2013 | UPDATED: 19:29 EST, 19 February 2013
  The U.S. Air Force is developing tiny unmanned drones that will fly in swarms, hover like bees, crawl like spiders and even sneak up on unsuspecting targets and execute them with lethal precision.
  The Air Vehicles Directorate, a research arm of the Air Force, has released a computer-animated video outlining the the future capabilities of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs). The project promises to revolutionize war by down-sizing the combatants.
  'MAVs will become a vital element in the ever-changing war-fighting environment and will help ensure success on the battlefield of the future,' the narrator intones.
  'Unobtrusive, pervasive, lethal - Micro Air Vehicles, enhancing the capabilities of the future war fighter.'
  Scroll down for video
  Hovering: Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) are the future of the unmanned drones program, according to a new video from the Air Force. The Air Force has already developed a drone capable of hovering like a moth
  Perching: The video, released by the Air Vehicle Directorate, shows a pigeon-like drone that can draw power from an electrical wire while its camera watches a target
  Crawling: The drones will be equipped with legs so that they can crawl through tight spaces like an insect
  The project, which is based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, was revealed in the March issue of the National Geographic magazine.
  Air Force officials said they have already produced tiny remote-control prototypes - but they consume so much power that can only operate for a few minutes. Researchers estimate that it will take several years of advances in battery technology to make the designs feasible.
  Still, the Air Force has a clear concept of what it hopes to accomplish with the program.
  The promotional video begins with a swarm of tiny drones be dropped on a city from a passing plane.
  The drones will work in concert to patch together a wide, detailed view of the battlefield - singling out individual targets without losing sight of the broader scene.
  'Data will be communicated among the MAVs to enable real time, reliable decision-making and to provide an advanced overall picture for other platforms or operators,' the Air Force says.
  Killing: The video demonstrates how MAVs could be used to sneak up behind unsuspecting targets and kill them with a single, lethal shot
  Lethal: The drones could be equipped with incapacitating chemicals, combustible payloads or even explosives 'for precision targeting capability'
  As the drones fall, they begin to fly - not like planes, but like insects. High frequency flapping wings allow the drones to hover and maneuver in tight spaces.
  The military has already produced a drone patterned after a hawk moth that can flap its wings 30 times a second. However, the activity exhausts the drone's tiny battery in just a few minutes, according to National Geographic.
  Another drone type soars like a pigeon and perches unobtrusively on a power line to observe a surveillance target with a camera.
  The Air Force is working on technology that will allow the drones to steal electricity from power cables and other sources - so they can continue to operate for days or weeks on end.
  Swarming: The drones couple be dropped en masse over a battlefield or a city and would work together to create a complex surveillance network
  Working together: The drones would use advanced software to navigate by 'sight,' rather than GPS - which can be blocked by buildings or by jamming from the enemy
  The Air Force training video shows a winged MAV following a target as he drives through the streets of a dense city.
  Advanced sensors will enable 'optic flow,' which will allow remote pilots to fly by 'sight' - rather than flying by GPS, which can be disrupted by buildings or deliberately jammed by enemy forces.
  The video depicts three drones following the target into a house, where they maneuver hallways and rooms undetected.
  'Small size and agile flight will allow MAVs to covertly enter locations inaccessible by traditional means of aerial surveillance,' the narrator says.
  The video follows the drones as they fly through an open door and sneak up behind a man who is aiming a sniper rifle.
  'Individual MAVs may perform direct attack missions and can be equipped with incapacitating chemicals, combustible payloads or even explosives for precision targeting capability,' according to the video.
  On screen, a small, hovering vehicle pauses before shooting the man directly in the back of the head.
  Play VideoLoading video...
Remarks by the President on the Sequester
  Link to Article
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:16
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  February 19, 2013
  South Court Auditorium
  10:50 A.M. EST
  THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. (Applause.) Please have a seat. Well, welcome to the White House.
  As I said in my State of the Union address last week, our top priority must be to do everything we can to grow the economy and create good, middle-class jobs. That's our top priority. That's our North Star. That drives every decision we make. And it has to drive every decision that Congress and everybody in Washington makes over the next several years.
  And that's why it's so troubling that just 10 days from now, Congress might allow a series of automatic, severe budget cuts to take place that will do the exact opposite. It won't help the economy, won't create jobs, will visit hardship on a whole lot of people.
  Here's what's at stake. Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce our deficits by more than $2.5 trillion. More than two-thirds of that was through some pretty tough spending cuts. The rest of it was through raising taxes -- tax rates on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. And together, when you take the spending cuts and the increased tax rates on the top 1 percent, it puts us more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances.
  Now, Congress, back in 2011, also passed a law saying that if both parties couldn't agree on a plan to reach that $4 trillion goal, about a trillion dollars of additional, arbitrary budget cuts would start to take effect this year. And by the way, the whole design of these arbitrary cuts was to make them so unattractive and unappealing that Democrats and Republicans would actually get together and find a good compromise of sensible cuts as well as closing tax loopholes and so forth. And so this was all designed to say we can't do these bad cuts; let's do something smarter. That was the whole point of this so-called sequestration.
  Unfortunately, Congress didn't compromise. They haven't come together and done their jobs, and so as a consequence, we've got these automatic, brutal spending cuts that are poised to happen next Friday.
  Now, if Congress allows this meat-cleaver approach to take place, it will jeopardize our military readiness; it will eviscerate job-creating investments in education and energy and medical research. It won't consider whether we're cutting some bloated program that has outlived its usefulness, or a vital service that Americans depend on every single day. It doesn't make those distinctions.
  Emergency responders like the ones who are here today -- their ability to help communities respond to and recover from disasters will be degraded. Border Patrol agents will see their hours reduced. FBI agents will be furloughed. Federal prosecutors will have to close cases and let criminals go. Air traffic controllers and airport security will see cutbacks, which means more delays at airports across the country. Thousands of teachers and educators will be laid off. Tens of thousands of parents will have to scramble to find childcare for their kids. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will lose access to primary care and preventive care like flu vaccinations and cancer screenings.
  And already, the threat of these cuts has forced the Navy to delay an aircraft carrier that was supposed to deploy to the Persian Gulf. And as our military leaders have made clear, changes like this -- not well thought through, not phased in properly -- changes like this affect our ability to respond to threats in unstable parts of the world.
  So these cuts are not smart. They are not fair. They will hurt our economy. They will add hundreds of thousands of Americans to the unemployment rolls. This is not an abstraction -- people will lose their jobs. The unemployment rate might tick up again.
  And that's why Democrats, Republicans, business leaders, and economists, they've already said that these cuts, known here in Washington as sequestration, are a bad idea. They're not good for our economy. They're not how we should run our government.
  And here's the thing: They don't have to happen. There is a smarter way to do this ''- to reduce our deficits without harming our economy. But Congress has to act in order for that to happen.
  Now, for two years, I've offered a balanced approach to deficit reduction that would prevent these harmful cuts. I outlined it again last week at the State of the Union. I am willing to cut more spending that we don't need, get rid of programs that aren't working. I've laid out specific reforms to our entitlement programs that can achieve the same amount of health care savings by the beginning of the next decade as the reforms that were proposed by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission. I'm willing to save hundreds of billions of dollars by enacting comprehensive tax reform that gets rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well off and well connected, without raising tax rates.
  I believe such a balanced approach that combines tax reform with some additional spending reforms, done in a smart, thoughtful way is the best way to finish the job of deficit reduction and avoid these cuts once and for all that could hurt our economy, slow our recovery, put people out of work. And most Americans agree with me.
  The House and the Senate are working on budgets that I hope reflect this approach. But if they can't get such a budget agreement done by next Friday -- the day these harmful cuts begin to take effect -- then at minimum, Congress should pass a smaller package of spending cuts and tax reforms that would prevent these harmful cuts -- not to kick the can down the road, but to give them time to work together on a plan that finishes the job of deficit reduction in a sensible way.
  I know Democrats in the House and in the Senate have proposed such a plan -- a balanced plan, one that pairs more spending cuts with tax reform that closes special interest loopholes and makes sure that billionaires can't pay a lower tax rate than their salary -- their secretaries.
  And I know that Republicans have proposed some ideas, too. I have to say, though, that so far at least the ideas that the Republicans have proposed ask nothing of the wealthiest Americans or biggest corporations, so the burden is all on first responders or seniors or middle-class families. They double down, in fact, on the harsh, harmful cuts that I've outlined. They slash Medicare and investments that create good, middle-class jobs. And so far at least what they've expressed is a preference where they'd rather have these cuts go into effect than close a single tax loophole for the wealthiest Americans. Not one.
  Well, that's not balanced. That would be like Democrats saying we have to close our deficits without any spending cuts whatsoever. It's all taxes. That's not the position Democrats have taken. That's certainly not the position I've taken. It's wrong to ask the middle class to bear the full burden of deficit reduction. And that's why I will not sign a plan that harms the middle class.
  So now Republicans in Congress face a simple choice: Are they willing to compromise to protect vital investments in education and health care and national security and all the jobs that depend on them? Or would they rather put hundreds of thousands of jobs and our entire economy at risk just to protect a few special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations? That's the choice.
  Are you willing to see a bunch of first responders lose their job because you want to protect some special interest tax loophole? Are you willing to have teachers laid off, or kids not have access to Head Start, or deeper cuts in student loan programs just because you want to protect a special tax interest loophole that the vast majority of Americans don't benefit from? That's the choice. That's the question.
  And this is not an abstraction. There are people whose livelihoods are at stake. There are communities that are going to be impacted in a negative way. And I know that sometimes all this squabbling in Washington seems very abstract, and in the abstract, people like the idea, there must be some spending we can cut, there must be some waste out there. There absolutely is. But this isn't the right way to do it.
  So my door is open. I've put tough cuts and reforms on the table. I am willing to work with anybody to get this job done. None of us will get 100 percent of what we want. But nobody should want these cuts to go through, because the last thing our families can afford right now is pain imposed unnecessarily by partisan recklessness and ideological rigidity here in Washington.
  As I said at the State of the Union, the American people have worked too hard, too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause yet another one. And it seems like every three months around here there's some manufactured crisis. We've got more work to do than to just try to dig ourselves out of these self-inflicted wounds.
  And while a plan to reduce our deficit has to be part of our agenda, we also have to remember deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. We learned in the 1990s, when Bill Clinton was President, nothing shrinks the deficit faster than a growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs. That should be our driving focus -- making America a magnet for good jobs. Equipping our people with the skills required to fill those jobs. Making sure their hard work leads to a decent living. Those are the things we should be pushing ourselves to think about and work on every single day. That's what the American people expect. That's what I'm going to work on every single day to help deliver.
  So I need everybody who's watching today to understand we've got a few days. Congress can do the right thing. We can avert just one more Washington-manufactured problem that slows our recovery, and bring down our deficits in a balanced, responsible way. That's my goal. That's what would do right by these first responders. That's what would do right by America's middle class. That's what I'm going to be working on and fighting for not just over the next few weeks, but over the next few years.
  Thanks very much, everybody. Thank you, guys, for your service. (Applause.)
  END 11:05 A.M. EST
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/19/2013
  Link to Article
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:15
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  February 19, 2013
  James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
  11:59 A.M. EST
  MR. CARNEY: Good day, everyone. Thanks for being here. Welcome to your White House briefing. I have no announcements to make, so we'll go straight to the Associated Press.
  Q Thank you. The President outlined some pretty dire consequences for the economy today if the sequester takes effect. I'm wondering, though, if those consequences are so dire why has he not picked up the phone to talk to Senator McConnell about supporting the Senate Democrats plan, and why are the two staffs not in any communication about this deadline.
  MR. CARNEY: Well, we are in regular communication with Congress about a variety of topics that are high priorities for the President, including the need to ensure that Washington does not manufacture a crisis that puts hundreds of thousands of people's jobs at risk, as you heard the President talk about today.
  This is a simple thing. Over all, it's a complicated subject, but it's a simple thing: Congress needs to act to make sure we do not allow the so-called sequester to take effect. It's wholly unnecessary and would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy.
  There are ample ways to do this. The Democrats in the Senate and the House have tabled legislation that -- put forward legislation that would buy down the deficit -- buy down the sequester, postpone it to the end of the year in a balanced way. And as the President made clear, there should -- we've done this before, just a few months ago. Republicans supported it then. There's no reason why we can't do it again in order to allow Congress to have the time to work on the regular budgetary process so that we can achieve the larger goal, which is further significant deficit reduction in a balanced way. It can't be --
  Q But that doesn't really answer the question about why he's not, or his staff is not apparently in communication with the top Republican in the Senate on this issue.
  MR. CARNEY: Well, look, we are in regular communication with Congress on a variety of issues, including this.
  Q Are you in communication with McConnell on this?
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have any calls or communications to read out to you. But this is not a complicated piece of business. The broader issue of further deficit reduction in a balanced way will require time, and that's why it's so important for Congress to move forward with a temporary postponement of the sequester, because the consequences of not doing that would be catastrophic, as the President made clear in his event just this morning.
  Q Should the sequester take effect -- and we are only 10 days away -- I know the President and the government have outlined some severe consequences, but does the White House think the economy could handle the sequester?
  MR. CARNEY: No, we believe that the economy would be negatively affected. Outside economists have made clear that the economy would be negatively affected. There is no question that this would set back the recovery and slow down job creation. If we have one fundamental goal here in Washington, it should be to work towards growing the economy and increasing job creation, not doing unnecessary, arbitrary things to halt or reverse that process.
  So we, having calculated specific effects of the sequester if it were to take effect -- a lot of others outside have done that and I don't think you can find anyone that I've seen anyway that suggests that the effects would not be negative.
  Q And quickly on immigration. Does the White House have a target timeline for when you would put forward the President's immigration bill?
  MR. CARNEY: We haven't identified a specific date, Julie. The President has made clear that he is focused on the Senate moving forward on a bipartisan effort to enact comprehensive immigration reform. He supports that effort. He's also made clear that if that effort stalls or fails, if progress halts, that he is prepared to submit his own legislation for the Senate to act on. But his preference overwhelmingly is for the good progress that's been made by that bipartisan group to continue; for it to move forward to a point where a bill is produced that can be voted on and can win support of Democrats and Republicans, move to the House, win support of Democrats and Republicans and get to his desk for his signature.
  One of the things we've seen over the last weeks and months is that there's a real convergence of positions between the President and both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate about how we should move forward. The blueprint that the President has had online since 2011 that outlined his principles for comprehensive immigration reform is reflected very much in the proposals and ideas that Senator Rubio, for example, has discussed and the so-called Gang of Eight, the bipartisan group in the Senate has been working on.
  So the President remains hopeful that the Senate will move forward because is it absolutely his preference that that's what happens.
  Q There had been some talk -- I think the President even raised this and some of his senior advisors have raised early March as a possible benchmark for when he might move forward -- when he wants to see the Senate at least move forward. Is that not the deadline you're seeing?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, we have not actually set a date because we're looking for progress. I think that what we have seen and I think you have seen is reports that the senators themselves who are involved in this effort have talked about March. That would certainly be a good thing and a welcomed thing, because the President is very interested in progress being made and interested in this process moving forward quickly, even though it is important and significant work that needs to be done.
  But we have not set a deadline. We are focused on working with the Senate, working with those members who want to put together a package that can earn broad bipartisan support. And as long as that progress continues, we will remain hopeful that it will produce a bill that the President can ultimately sign and we can get this very important piece of business done.
  Q Simpson and Bowles struck again. (Laughter.) Today, they rolled out a new, updated plan for $2.4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years and that includes spending cuts and health care reforms and tax reforms. And where does the President stand on this new package?
  MR. CARNEY: Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, the chairmen -- the co-chairmen of the President's fiscal commission, today, once again, obliterated the argument put forward by Republicans that we should pursue further deficit reduction in an unbalanced way. Nobody who has addressed this issue credibly and seriously has come up with a plan that does not include the essential balance that the President supports. And that certainly includes Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, and it includes both the work they did on the commission and what they put forward again today.
  So the President believes, outside economists believe, bipartisan panels and commissions and groups and gatherings and salons agree, that we need to do this in a balanced way, that that's the responsible way to reduce our deficit, to reach that goal of at least $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years that stabilizes our fiscal situation, puts us on a fiscally sustainable path in terms of the relationship between deficits and debt to GDP.
  And that's why the President, in every effort with the Speaker of the House and in his budgets and in his submission to the super committee, has put forward a balanced deficit reduction plan that includes more spending cuts than revenues, but insists that we do this in a way that's fair to senior citizens and middle-class families and others so that we don't ask those groups of Americans to bear the burden solely of deficit reduction while saying that wealthy individuals and corporations can be held harmless.
  That, unfortunately, is the approach that Republicans have taken all along, and it's the approach they're taking right now with regards to the sequester. They would rather, if their position holds, see hundreds of thousands of Americans have their jobs threatened, have our national security endangered, than ask wealthy corporations and individuals to forsake some loopholes in the tax code. That is a very tough position to sell, we believe.
  Q Does the President support the specifics of this updated Simpson-Bowles plan?
  MR. CARNEY: The President has his own plan, and it has been very clear, again, going back to the submission to the super committee, the submission of the President's budget, the proposals and counteroffers that the President made in his negotiations with the Speaker of the House late last year, the leftover portions of which remain on the table and are available for action today, including the very tough choices the President was willing to make when it came to further spending cuts and entitlement reform. But there has to be balance. It has to include the kind of tax reform that produces revenue that Speaker Boehner himself embraced just a few months ago but suddenly now has decided is bad policy or unnecessary -- that they would rather seniors foot the bill, or middle-class families trying to send their kids to college, or in the case of the impact of the sequester, see first responders lose their jobs. That's just bad policy, and the President doesn't support it.
  Q I understand your not wanting to announce anything about -- any calls to announce, but I want to make sure I understand what the President is willing to do to help get a deal done. He said his door is open. What kind of direct presidential involvement does the White House think would be helpful here? Phone calls, meetings, getting the Vice President involved? I just want to see what's in the universe of possibility.
  MR. CARNEY: The President, the Vice President, the senior members of the administration both in the Cabinet and at the White House are actively engaged with Congress, with congressional offices and congressional members, on a variety of legislative priorities, including the need to avoid the sequester, including the need to achieve significant further balanced deficit reduction, including comprehensive immigration reform, including reducing gun violence, and those efforts will continue. We don't read out every phone call or every meeting, but we are working with Congress on all of these priorities.
  When it comes to avoiding the sequester, there are really -- we are down to 10 days here. The options here are pretty clear: Do what Senate Democrats and House Democrats have proposed, which is postpone the sequester by a certain amount of time through reductions in the deficit that are achieved in a balanced way through both revenues and cuts; or embrace the Republican position that they have held thus far, which is to say that it's better for all those negative effects to take place when the sequester is implemented than to ask corporate jet owners or oil and gas companies to give up their special tax breaks that average Americans don't enjoy. And that's just bad policy.
  Q Well, why not say the President is going to have a meeting or going to call Speaker Boehner or Senator McConnell?
  MR. CARNEY: But we will -- the President has made clear his door is open. What we've heard from the Republicans thus far is a categorical refusal at least at the leadership level to accept the basic principle that balance is necessary. They would rather adopt a position that says seniors have to bear the burden, middle-class families have to bear the burden, the wealthiest individuals and corporations will be held harmless; and if you don't adopt that extremist position, then the sequester goes into effect with all of the harmful impacts that the President detailed today.
  The door is open, but balance is absolutely essential. Balance is what -- again, going back to Matt's question -- is what bipartisan panels have always recommended. It's what economists say is necessary. We should not allow our economy to be held hostage to sort of reckless partisan agendas. That's bad for the economy. It's bad for the middle class.
  Q And lastly, everyone agrees that the sequester is a bad idea, but didn't it originate -- the idea for the sequester originate here at the White House?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, we've been through this a lot -- I know you're filling in -- but here's the fundamental fact. During the deficit reduction of the debt ceiling negotiations, because the Republicans refused to embrace balance, refused in the end to join hands with the President and pursue a grand bargain, there was an absolute necessity to avoid default, and both sides were looking for trigger mechanisms -- this is complicated budget-speak -- to help make this package possible.
  The sequester was something that was discussed, and as has been reported, it was an idea that the White House put forward because it was put forward by Republican Senator Gramm and Rudman back in the '80s as part of the Gramm-Rudman deal -- there is a history here to this. But let's be clear: Republicans embraced it. Every member of the House Republican leadership voted for it. Nearly two to one in the House Republicans voted for it over Democrats. And on the day it passed, the Speaker of the House said he got 98 percent of what he wanted and that he was pretty happy.
  The issue here is the sequester was designed never to take effect because it was supposed to force Congress to do responsible, difficult things, make choices about how we reduce our deficit in a way that would allow us to avoid the sequester, the indiscriminate, across-the-board, devastating cuts that the sequester represents.
  Unfortunately, Republicans have thus far all along the way refused to go along with the fundamental principle of balance, that we need to do this with spending cuts -- tough spending cuts, with entitlement reforms and with revenues.
  I want to jump around. Lynn Sweet in the back -- how are you?
  Q Fine, thank you. There was another tragic shooting in Chicago just a few days ago. It was a young girl whose sister was at the Obama speech last week. I'm wondering if there's any reaching out from the White House to her family. The funeral hasn't happened yet. Any particular message in the wake of another horrific shooting with this close connection to the Obama speech with her sister being there?
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have any communications to report to you, Lynn. This is another example, tragic example of a young life being taken away by the scourge of gun violence in this country, and is a reminder of why we need to act together here in Washington to do everything we can to reduce gun violence, to do it in a way that, as the President has insisted, respects our Second Amendment rights, but to take necessary action to reduce this scourge, because it is taking too many young lives in America.
  Q Is there some communication since there was --
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have anything on that right now.
  Jackie.
  Q Back to the sequester. When you say, and the President says his door is open, that's a rather passive construction. Is there anything -- why doesn't he go to their door, knock on their door? And also --
  MR. CARNEY: We've been clear, Jackie, about what our position is. We have supported the bills that have been put forward by Senate Democrats and House Democrats. And when we talk here about leadership and doing the responsible thing, let's be clear, as the President said if you accept the basic premise that Democrats are more resistant than Republicans to savings from entitlements or spending cuts, and Republicans are more resistant to savings through revenues, what have the Democrats done? What has the President done? Consistently put forward proposals that include not just revenues; they haven't put forward proposals that reduce our deficits solely through raising taxes or increasing revenues or tax reform. No. The President has put forward proposals that have cut spending, including through entitlement reforms, by more than two to one.
  Thus far, the President -- and Senator Simpson and Erskine Bowles noted this I think today in their presentation -- the President has overseen more than $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction. It hasn't always been pretty, but the fact is this President has signed into law more than $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction. And thus far, more than two-thirds of that has come through spending cuts.
  We need balance. And the President's door is open. What we haven't seen from Republicans thus far is a proposal that reflects the essential ingredient of balance. We know that they want to voucherize Medicare. We know that they want to ask seniors to bear the burden, or middle-class families to foot the bill. But that is bad policy. And it's bad for the middle class. And it's not acceptable to this President.
  What they should do is take their cue from Senator Simpson and Mr. Bowles and from others who have said balance is the way we have to move forward. And we would welcome that in the short-term buy-down of the sequester and in the overall tackling of the problem.
  Q You also said, we're working with Congress on all these priorities. That just means congressional Democrats, right?
  MR. CARNEY: No.
  Q Like last week's meeting with Senate Democrats? Where have you worked with Republicans?
  MR. CARNEY: We have been -- going to the question I had earlier about immigration reform -- we've been working with every member's office that's involved in the Gang of Eight process. The President, as you know, met with the Democrats associated with the Gang of Eight on immigration reform. Our communications with every interested party in that group will continue. And we are engaged with Congress, members of both parties, offices from both parties, on a variety of issues and all of the priorities that the President has put forward.
  But let's be clear. The problem here isn't a lack of meetings around the table in the Roosevelt Room or the Cabinet Room. We saw that in the summer of 2011, when the Speaker of the House decided not to pursue the grand bargain. We saw it again in December in the exhaustively reported fact that the Speaker walked away from what was, by any measure, a fair compromise that the President put forward that represented a willingness to come more than halfway towards the Republicans on both revenue and spending, and unfortunately, the Speaker walked away from that effort.
  So we have put forward a number of proposals. We will continue to work with members of Congress. The Senate needs to act. The House needs to act. We need to avoid this sequester because those who are affected most are middle-class families across the country.
  Jon, then Major.
  Q You said that you've talked to the members of -- the Republicans on immigration. Senator Rubio's office just put something out saying, ''Senator Rubio's office has never discussed immigration policy with anyone in the White House.'' Who's telling the truth?
  MR. CARNEY: We have been in contact with everybody involved in this effort on Capitol Hill.
  Q So they're not telling the truth?
  MR. CARNEY: You're reading to me from a BlackBerry. I can tell you what I know about the White House's efforts. Actually it's an iPhone.
  Q It's an iPhone.
  MR. CARNEY: Is that a 5? (Laughter.)
  Q It's a 4S. On the question of the sequester, has the President had a single face-to-face meeting with Republican leaders since January 1st about averting these spending cuts?
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have any meetings to read out to you. Again, we don't report every meeting, every conversation. I would note that in the summer of 2011 and again at the end of last year, the negotiations and consultations that took place with Republican leaders, in particular the Speaker of the House, some of which were secret, were secret not because we called for them to be secret, okay? Let's just be clear about our history here and about how --
  Q You're suggesting there have been meetings.
  MR. CARNEY: I'm not suggesting anything about what's happening now. I'm just saying that we don't always read out every conversation or meeting we have with members of Congress. And in taking that approach, we're mindful of the requests of others as well as our own interests.
  Our interests here, the President's interest here is making sure that Congress acts to avoid the wholly unnecessary, indiscriminate, across-the-board cuts that are represented by the sequester; that Congress do the responsible thing, adopt a balanced package that postpones the sequester so that Congress can then work on a broader deficit reduction plan that is part of the budget process.
  And there is no reason to do this in a different manner. There is no reason to inflict this wound on our economy unnecessarily. This deadline is manufactured. It can be postponed as it was in December, and by doing that, we would allow ourselves more time to pursue the ultimate goal, which is achieving -- finishing the job of at least the $4 trillion goal outlined for many years by many economists as what we need to do over 10 years in terms of deficit reduction. We can do that.
  The President has put forward a plan that does that. The President has put forward a plan that includes revenues and also spending cuts and entitlement reforms. What we have not seen from Republicans is a plan that includes revenues, as well as spending cuts and entitlement reforms. I mean, you guys have to understand the basic nature here. If you're talking about compromise and leadership, and you accept the premise that it's harder for Democrats to go along with entitlement reforms and harder for Democrats to go with cuts to spending programs -- let's just accept that premise -- what has the President done? What have the Democrats done? They have put forward and embraced proposals that have more spending cuts -- more savings from cuts than they have increases in revenue. What we haven't seen from the Republicans in anything like a commensurate action by them. And the American people insist that we compromise here in Washington.
  Q But when we hear about these draconian cuts in Border Patrol agents being furloughed, FBI agents, and kids getting thrown off Head Start, is there really no way to find $85 billion in cuts in a $3.8 trillion budget without those kind of draconian cuts?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, let's be clear, as Danny Werfel was when he briefed you guys last week. There is no way to do this -- $85 billion over that short window of time -- there is no way if you follow the law written by Congress, that implementation of these cuts would not have the draconian, drastic effects that the President talked about today, and that everybody who has written about this has talked about, or everybody who has spoken about this has made clear will happen.
  The fact is that the sequester was written, as I've noted, precisely because the cuts would be onerous and unacceptable to both sides -- to all sides. And they were supposed to -- the looming nature of the sequester was supposed to compel Congress to act responsibly and to compromise, and to achieve the kind of deficit reduction through compromise that is necessary to help put us on a fiscally sustainable path.
  The obstacle thus far to compromise has been the adamant refusal by Republicans to agree to a balanced approach to deficit reduction, a balanced approach that the American people support, that Democrats, independents and even Republicans outside of Washington support.
  Major.
  Q Reaction to the Speaker. He released a statement right after the President spoke: ''The American people understand,'' quoting him directly, ''that the revenue debate is now closed.'' That's from the Speaker. ''We should close loopholes and carve-outs in the tax code, but that revenue should be used to lower rates across the board. Tax reform is a once-in-a-generation operation to boost job creation in America. It should not be squandered,'' the Speaker's words, ''to enable more Washington spending. Spending is the problem. Spending must the focus.''
  MR. CARNEY: Well, the Speaker is I guess misunderstanding the proposition here, which is to use tax reform and revenue gleaned from it to help reduce the deficit, which, as I understand it, at least in the aftermath of a Republican President holding power, is the number-one goal of Republicans in Congress.
  What the Speaker put forward or said he was willing to put forward at the end of last year was up to $800 billion in revenue that would go towards deficit reduction, achieved from the wealthiest Americans and businesses by tax reform, closing loopholes, capping deductions. The President agrees with him that we ought to close those loopholes and cap those deductions and reform our tax code in a way that makes it more balanced and more fair, that ends some of these taxpayer subsidies to companies and individuals that have, because of their armies of accountants, have a different relationship with the tax code than average Americans and small businesses.
  The goal here is deficit reduction. The goal here is achieving it in a balanced way. The President has signed into law over $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction. The ratio of spending cuts to revenues, more than two to one. If you take the President's proposal that's still on the table to Speaker Boehner, if he were to take that, if Speaker Boehner were suddenly to embrace the consensus that has built around the idea of balance and say, I'll take that deal, that would, again, be more spending cuts than revenues.
  We need to get this done. And we need to do it in a way that the American people support, that bipartisan commissions support, that everybody -- even Republicans who aren't elected and sent to Washington -- seems to agree is the right way to go.
  Q I'm also going to read you something from Alan Simpson. He said many things this morning, but this is a direct quote, regarding entitlement reform: ''It will happen in four years, or he'' -- meaning the President -- ''will have no legacy at all. If he'' -- the President -- ''can't cut the mustard in the solvency of Social Security under honest appraisals of the trustees and he can't get a handle on automatic pilot rate of health care spending, he will have a failed presidency.''
  MR. CARNEY: What's your question?
  Q Do you agree or disagree?
  MR. CARNEY: The President has put forward entitlement reforms. He has passed an Affordable Care Act that --
  Q This is Alan Simpson talking about what's already been proposed by the President. Sounds to me like he doesn't think it's enough.
  MR. CARNEY: Well, what he has said -- you're quoting to me from something that I will take at your word for it is accurate. But the President agrees we need to pass further entitlement reform. We need to do it in a way that reduce, when it comes to our health care entitlements -- which, by the way, everybody agrees is the main drive of our long-term deficit and debt challenge -- that does it in a way that reduces our health care costs, doesn't just shift costs to seniors. I mean, that has been the approach through voucherization or other proposals by Republicans that is wholly unfair to seniors and doesn't make sense economically.
  We need to take actions that reduce health care costs. That's what the Affordable Care Act does. In the second 10 years after its implementation, as you know, or after its passage, there are enormous savings, as scored by CBO, from the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. And one of the purposes of that priority that the President successfully signed into law in his first term was addressing the need to reduce our overall health care costs going forward. More work needs to be done.
  The President again -- let's go back to the simple principle, when it comes to further deficit reduction, the President hasn't just proposed revenues. In fact, he's signed into law two-to-one more spending cuts than revenue increases. He has proposed in his various submissions to Congress and his negotiations with the Speaker of the House entitlement reforms, including decisions that represent very tough calls for Democrats. But he is leading on this issue because he understands that it's important.
  But he also understands that we need to do it in a way, as he said today, that ensures that our economy can continue to grow, that ensures that our economy is receiving the necessary investments in education and research and development and innovation and infrastructure that make sure that five, 10, 20 and 40 years from now, we still have that powerful economic engine in this country that has been the envy of the world for so many years and so many decades.
  As you know, because you and I both covered it in the '90s, when we achieved as a nation budget surpluses for the first time in decades, it was a result of tough choices, leadership by President Clinton, tough choices by Congress, and significant economic growth. And that's why we cannot lose sight of the overall goal here, which is a growing economy and an economy that's creating good, middle-class jobs.
  Q On immigration, Senator Rubio said if what was released or leaked this weekend were sent to Congress, it would be DOA, and that its very release politicized the process and damaged the possibilities of achieving reform. Would you react to both of those?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I would say a couple of things which I think most of you should be aware of, which is that this was not an intentional release. That was clear by the fact that the White House reached out to the offices of those who are leading the effort on immigration reform in the Senate to make clear that our focus continues to be and our hopes continue to lie with the bipartisan effort underway in the Senate to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. It is by far the President's preference that the Senate process move forward, that the bipartisan Group of Eight have success and that they produce a bill that wins the support of Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, then in the House, and that it arrives at his desk for his signature.
  What I would note is that in the blueprint the President has had on WhiteHouse.gov for a couple of years, there is a remarkable convergence of policy specifics between what the President supports and has supported since there was legislation in the Senate and what the Group of Eight has been working on, including the Republican senators who are part of that group.
  So we're very hopeful that, as Denis McDonough said this weekend, the Senate will move forward. We believe that's the best way for this to happen. We've also said -- made clear that we will prepare legislation and submit it if that process in the Senate fails. But we want the process in the Senate to succeed.
  Q Will you release and propose legislation that includes what was not visible this weekend which was any mention of a future legal immigration system also dealing with guest workers and a lot of the complex areas of immigration reform that are unrelated to dealing with legalization or border security?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, our goal is, as Denis McDonough said on one of the shows this Sunday, to not propose -- to our own Jon Karl -- to not propose or submit legislation --
  Q Are you committed to future flow reform?
  MR. CARNEY: I think we've said that we will work with Congress, and with the Senate in particular, as they undertake this effort on those issues.
  If you look at the blueprint, the President's ideas on this are pretty detailed and specific in terms of broader comprehensive immigration reform. But further to my point, in answer to your first question, our interest is in seeing the Senate process, the bipartisan process succeed.
  Ed.
  Q Did you have a nice weekend? (Laughter.)
  MR. CARNEY: I had a great weekend sledding with my children.
  Q Where?
  MR. CARNEY: Up where there's snow.
  Q A couple questions, one on cybersecurity. There's an independent report out today suggesting that there are billions of trade secrets that we're losing to China. The President addressed this in the State of the Union, put out an executive order last Tuesday as I recall. Can the White House assure the American people that this executive order is going to actually put a dent in that so that we're not losing billions of trade secrets a year?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, we're aware of the Mandiant report that you are referring to and we're aware of its contents, but I am not going to talk about assessments -- intelligence assessments that we make or may be making. But you're correct in noting the President's keen focus on this issue. It is a major challenge for us in the national security arena.
  The United States has substantial and growing concerns about the threats to U.S. economic and national security posed by cyber intrusions, including the theft of commercial information. As the President said in the State of the Union, ''We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets.'' The President also said, ''We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy.
  That's why the United States government is taking an active approach to addressing the issue of cyber theft. We have urged Congress to pass legislation, and the President is taking all steps he can through the executive branch to make sure that we're safeguarding government networks and providing helpful and useful and relevant information to the private sector to help them safeguard their networks.
  Q On the sequester, we went back and checked the record. On November 21, 2011, the President, after the super committee failed, came into this room -- and Republicans on the Hill were talking about coming up with other cuts to deal with, as the President calls it, draconian cuts from the sequester -- they were trying to come up with other ways to deal with this. The President came in this room and immediately said he would veto such a bill to come up with other cuts. So how does he now have the credibility to say the sequester would be so awful if the Republicans were saying over a year ago let's find another way to deal with it, and he said I'll veto that?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, Ed, I know, because you were here, that you know that's not an actual account of what he was talking about. There were efforts underway by Republicans in Congress to replace the sequester, which was half defense, half nondefense, with cuts only in nondefense. And that was basically saying Republicans were crossing their fingers when they all voted overwhelmingly for the sequester, when every Republican leader in the House voted for the sequester, including Chairman Ryan, Speaker Boehner, and others -- Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy. The fact is that that is an unfair and unbalanced approach. So, yes, we do not support undoing the sequester in a way that says, you know what, we'll throw double the number of kids out of Head Start; we'll make double the amount of cuts to education, to investments in research and development; we'll cut double the number of security guards on our border. That is completely inappropriate to the task and the need here.
  The President believes that Congress needs to act in a balanced, responsible way, first to buy down the sequester so that it can then move forward with broader, balanced deficit reduction. But it's a canard, and we've been through this -- that Republicans use this quote as though it represents something that everybody in this room knows it does not represent.
  Q So if you do want a balanced approach, the last time the President had a chance on deficit reduction was the fiscal cliff talks just a few weeks back, and he signed into law $600 billion in tax increases and something like $10 or $15 billion in spending cuts. So does the White House really -- can you tell the American people that's balanced?
  MR. CARNEY: Ed, you were here. The President put forward a proposal that represented significant compromise that was judged by outsiders as coming and meeting the Republicans more than halfway on revenues, more than halfway on spending cuts and entitlement reforms, and the Speaker of the House walked away from that deal -- walked away from it. But guess what, that deal is still on the table, and it includes, as you know, very tough choices by this President for Democrats when it comes to entitlements and spending cuts.
  So, again, we have -- the President has always sought a bigger deal, has always sought a bill or legislation that's balanced, that would achieve that goal of $400 [sic] trillion-plus over 10 years. He continues to have hope that Congress, that Republicans will take him up on the remainder of that proposal that he offered to the Speaker that the Speaker walked away from.
  In the meantime, we need to make sure that we don't let this sequester take effect with all of its devastating effects on first responders and kids in Head Start and our national security. It's just mindless and reckless -- it's a mindless and reckless approach to policy in Washington for Congress not to do the responsible thing.
  Q Okay, last thing I do want to ask you about is access around here to the President. There's obviously been a lot of commentary about the golf situation. This Friday, though, the President has -- I think it's Friday that he has the Japanese Prime Minister coming in for a meeting. There's a lot going on with the Japanese economy that obviously has international implications. There are island disputes between China and Japan that have a lot of people nervous. When the President meets with the Japanese Prime Minister, will the White House Press Corps come in and get a chance to actually ask questions of the President? Is that your plan on Friday?
  MR. CARNEY: Look, Ed, I am completely sympathetic, having covered two White Houses, to the difficulties of the job covering any White House, and the desire for more and more access. And I am -- we work every day with you and others to provide that. And we will continue to do that. I don't have a scheduling announcement for an event on Friday.
  Q But you're sympathetic to us as a former correspondent, do you think the President should take questions --
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I would note that -- and this is important to note, given some of the coverage of this issue -- that when it comes to solo news conferences where the President of the United States stands up and for 40 minutes, 50 minutes or an hour takes your questions, allowing reporters to go deep on issues -- President Obama has given 35 of those. President Bush, his immediate predecessor, gave 19. So also, when it comes to interviews, the President has given 591 interviews since he took office. So I think that it is clear that we are making an effort to provide access to make sure that the President is being questioned by reporters, and anchors, and others, and we'll continue to do that.
  Q And what reporters? That's the question. You're saying interviews -- there's 500 interviews.
  MR. CARNEY: A hundred and four of those interviews were with major networks -- television networks.
  Kristen, did you have anything?
  Q Yes, Jay, does the President have a reaction to the criticism that his administration has not been transparent?
  MR. CARNEY: He deputizes me to have that reaction. And I would say, again, having been where you are, I understand -- and I doubt that there's ever been a White House press corps that's ever been wholly satisfied with the level of access that they've been afforded -- but we work very closely with all of you to try to provide access to the President. I would note that when I was covering President Bush -- George W. Bush, I was on his first trip on Air Force One. It was a short trip down to Norfolk, I believe, and he came back and spoke to the pool. That was his first trip. For the next three years that I covered the President, he never came back again.
  Q What did you ask? (Laughter.)
  MR. CARNEY: Very hard questions, tough questions. But the point is -- my only point is that I've been there. When I covered President Clinton, there were periods of immense frustration. When I came to this room in the spring of 1993, the White House Press Corps, as those of you who were here remember, was in a state of rebellion over the situation here in terms of press relations. This is not uncommon. I certainly don't think we have that here, and we are working every day to provide the kind of access that we believe is an essential part of the work you do.
  Q Well, and I guess more broadly, did the events of this weekend make you rethink the level of transparency within this administration? And can we expect to see --
  MR. CARNEY: You mean the events of this weekend -- the fact that the President wanted to play golf with a golf pro?
  Q Well, and some of the criticism that you got in the wake of not just what happened this weekend, but also some of the meetings that haven't been read out to the press as of later that we haven't been made aware of in advance.
  MR. CARNEY: Well, again, you would have to be more specific about the question on the issue of this weekend. I mean, the President had some downtime; he was playing golf. I understand that there was a desire to have access or a photograph of that, but the President was having --
  Q Well, a confirmation of what was happening --
  MR. CARNEY: We did provide you the first official confirmation of that --
  Q It took several hours.
  MR. CARNEY: The first official confirmation that anybody in this room received of that event and the people that the President was playing golf with was from the White House press office. We don't control everybody who's around and purporting to be reporting on the event. But nobody -- no reporter had any access that was different from the White House Press Corps on that matter.
  Q Just shifting to Simpson and Bowles --
  MR. CARNEY: Go ahead, Kristen.
  Q One more on Simpson-Bowles. Specifically to look at the issue of entitlements, they're calling for $600 billion in entitlement reform, which I believe is about $200 billion more than what you have said you're willing to offer. So will the President move on that issue of entitlements? Will he give more?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, first of all, the President has put forward -- unlike any Republicans -- a balanced approach to deficit reduction that includes entitlement reforms, tax reform, and spending cuts. He has signed into law over $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction thus far with a ratio of more than 2 to 1 -- spending cuts to revenue increases.
  The President agrees with outside economists that have been saying this for a number of years now that we need to achieve in deficit reduction the target of $4 trillion over 10 years that will help put us on a fiscally sustainable path that will reduce the size of our deficits and debt as a ratio to GDP that will give us that fiscal sustainability.
  Obviously, this is an issue that, as a country, we will continue to have to deal with. But the President believes that the proposals he's made -- he knows that the proposals he's made, if Congress were to adopt them, would achieve that goal and would do it in a way that allows our economy to continue to grow, that doesn't punish seniors or ask seniors or middle-class families to bear the burden of deficit reduction alone, and that makes our tax code fairer and simpler for everyone in the country.
  Q I've spoken to some economists who say it appears likely at this point that the sequester is going to kick in. Does the administration share that view that it's likely it will kick in, at least for a week or two?
  MR. CARNEY: I don't have a prediction to make. What the President made clear today is that it should not happen. There is no reason for it to happen. Congress has within its power, Republicans have it within their power to agree to the basic principle that we should buy down the sequester for a certain amount of time to allow Congress to then move forward with broader deficit reduction through the budget process.
  If they do not do that, they will be making a choice -- Republicans will be making a choice to allow the sequester to take effect with all of the negative impacts that we've talked about, rather than accept the principle that corporate jet owners should give up their tax break; that oil and gas companies should no longer be subsidized through the massive amount that they're subsidized by the taxpayer anymore, that that doesn't make good policy; that we ought to do things in a way that are balanced -- in ways that are balanced so that we don't ask seniors and others to bear the burden of deficit reduction alone.
  Stephen, and then Roger.
  Q The President says often when he meets with Chinese leaders that China should submit to the rules of the road of the international economy. If the government is sponsoring a PLA unit to steal U.S. company secrets, does that suggest that approach is not working? And does the White House countenance having any firmer measures?
  MR. CARNEY: First of all, I don't have any comment on that report and the specific allegations. I can tell you that we have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cyber theft with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so. This is a very important challenge. It is one the President has been working on and urging Congress to take action on for quite some time, and he'll continue to do that.
  The United States and China are among the world's largest cyber actors, and it is vital that we continue a sustained, meaningful dialogue and work together to develop an understanding of acceptable behavior in cyberspace.
  Roger.
  Q Same topic. The President did his executive order on cybersecurity on February 12th. The New York Times reported today that the administration is going to be taking a more aggressive defense beginning today. Is there more that you --
  MR. CARNEY: I have no initiatives to announce today. This is an issue that has the attention of the President and senior levels of the national security team. It's something that we are working on constantly, and we will of course take necessary measures to enhance our cybersecurity and to assist the private sector in enhancing their cybersecurity. But I have no new measures to give you.
  Q Will there be any reaction at all to the report from the --
  MR. CARNEY: Again, it's a private report. I've given you an assessment of our view of the problem and the fact that we, when it comes to China, regularly raise this issue with Chinese officials, including officials in the military.
  Scott.
  Q Jay, Senator McConnell put out a statement after the President's event this morning suggesting that he could move money around to hold first responders harmless by maybe hitting green energy programs or something like that. That seemed to be at odds with what Danny Werfel said about the government's flexibility. Is he mischaracterizing how much flexibility the government has to --
  Q I haven't seen the statement. There is not the flexibility that some would suggest exists because the law is written the way it is, and it's a lot of money in a short period of time not dealing with our entire $3.4 trillion, as Jon said, but with just defense and nondefense discretionary spending.
  The fact of the matter is you cannot do this in a way that would not have tremendously harmful effects. Again, I haven't seen the quote that you've mentioned. But let's say you were to do that, does that mean you add another 50,000 people -- kids that you're going to throw off of Head Start? Does it mean another 100 border security -- Border agents that you furlough? The fact is the impacts are highly harmful to the economy. They would result in hundreds of thousands of people having their jobs put at risk and would, by outside economists' assessments, do severe harm to the recovery that's been underway now for quite some time from the Great Recession.
  Q Just aside from the merits of whatever you might substitute, it sounded like from what Werfel said, the money is by account, and you can't even move it among accounts.
  MR. CARNEY: Well, Scott, I think I would rely on the experts here, and Danny Werfel is an expert.
  Mark.
  Q Jay, the whole point of the sequester, if I'm not mistaken, was to come up with a plan that was so painful that no way would anybody want it to go into effect. Does it now look as though it's not painful enough?
  MR. CARNEY: Well, I would point you to numerous statements by numerous Republicans, including leading Republicans last year, about the devastating effect of sequester and how it would have -- we should avoid it at all costs.
  And then I would point you to an article in The Wall Street Journal in which recently the Speaker of the House boasted that he had the support of Republicans in the House to allow sequester to take effect with all of its harmful impacts, and that he ''has it in his pocket,'' as a play, a political play in his negotiations with Democrats and the White House.
  The leverage that he's discussing in that article sounds abstract and esoteric. It's about the political battle here in Washington. But the leverage really has to do with people in the country who will lose their jobs, people -- families in the country who will be affected if our economy stops growing. That's the leverage. Those are the -- that's the collateral damage to the kind of reckless partisanship that allowing the sequester to take effect represents; and partisanship in the service of trying to achieve an ideological goal, a goal that is not supported by the country, that was much debated during the election campaign last year, and an issue on which the American people spoke very clearly.
  Q Thanks, Jay.
  MR. CARNEY: Sam Stein, last one.
  Q Yes, can you give a little bit more specific on how the White House defines a balanced replacement to the sequester? If it's not 50/50 revenues, taxes, what percentage would you qualify as balanced? And on the spending cuts side, if some of those cuts didn't include defense, would the White House consider that balanced?
  MR. CARNEY: Balanced means revenues as well as cuts, spending cuts, first of all. And then I would note that we support the proposals put forward by Senate Democrats and House Democrats, and you can evaluate them in terms of ratios.
  But balance here means adopting the basic principle that was reiterated again by Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson today, that is embraced by bipartisan groups, by outside economists and by average Americans across the country regardless of their political affiliation, and that is that we should not ask seniors alone to bear the burden of deficit reduction. We should not ask middle-class families alone to bear the burden of deficit reduction; that everybody ought to do their fair share. And the way to achieve that is through balance. Balance that, in every one of the President's proposals, has included more in spending cuts than in revenues.
  Again, going back to the fundamental disconnect here between what Republicans have demonstrated themselves willing to do and what the President has shown himself willing to do and the leadership that he has shown in putting forward plans that represent significant spending cuts, represent significant savings through entitlement reforms.
  Q But there's no specific ratio of spending cuts to tax revenues that you would consider is balanced versus not balanced? Same with cuts as defense and nondefense?
  MR. CARNEY: There is an overall approach here to the broader package of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that the President has talked about. When you're talking about the buy-down, we support the legislation put forward by Senate and House Democrats.
  Thanks, guys.
  Q What's the quantitative number of job cuts possibly lost through the sequestration?
  MR. CARNEY: I think we'll have to get that for you.
  END 12:50 P.M. EST
LANZA, BREIVIK, ISRAEL
  Link to Article
  Source: aangirfan
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:13
  Adam Lanza - faked photo?"There is ZERO online fingerprint of him, there is ZERO video evidence, there is ZERO car insurance, tax information, phone history..."The neighbors haven't seen him in years, nobody who lives around the Lanzas seems to have seen him, and the last time there is any record of him at all was 3 years ago."The FBI apparently can't retrieve the information from his computer it was so well destroyed (how convenient)."
  Has Adam Lanza Even Been Alive The Last 3 Years?
  Adam Lanza at the Saturday Night Live studio.
  "What is more likely.. that a computer nerd would leave ''No digital footprint for 3 years'' (which would be practically impossible) or that he has been dead for 3 years?
  "No record of this kid after 2009...
  "His mom was supposedly 'so badly disfigured they couldn't tell if it was her or not' Maybe it wasn't her. Maybe she's in Belize right now and this whole thing is a scam?"
  Has Adam Lanza Even Been Alive The Last 3 Years?
  Video showing media fakery.The Norway Shootings were not done by Anders Breivik.
  Have you ever seen Breivik's mother live on TV? Of course not.
  Why did the security services not want this photo of one of the Norway shooters released?1. The 'Breivik' in court did not look like the real 'Breivik'.
  (BREIVIK'S DOUBLE)2. It is possible that Breivik or his double had been brainwashed?
  Breivik3. Witnesses to the shootings said that there was more than one shooter.
  "The witnesses described the second man as a 180-centimeter tall, dark-haired man with Nordic appearance with 'a pistol in his right hand and a rifle on his back.'"
  'Breivik' and mother (right)4.Just hours before the Norway attacks, the Norwegian government was carrying out a simulation exercise similar to the actual attacks.
  Norwegian Police Confirm Drill Identical to Breivik's Attack.
  Aftenposten reported: Police sources have confirmed that, hours before the attack on Ut¸ya island, police had conducted a drill for a 'practically identical scenario.'
  According to Bruce Riedel, 'Breivik' wanted to create a clash of civilisations.
  Professor Ola Tunander is an expert on security politics, naval strategy, submarine operations, geopolitics, the dual state, psychological operations (PSYOP) and Cold War history. 10. There is a connection to Israel.On 14 Dec 2011, we read that a Swedish professor has written about an Israel link to the 'Breivik attack'Swedish-born Ola Tunander is a professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
  Ola Tunander has written an article suggesting that Israel played a part in the 22 July 2011 massacre in Norway.
  Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift, an academic journal, published the article.
  In the article, Tunander writes that such terrorist acts are usually carried out by government agents, "and we can't rule out that being the case this time too."
  Tunander details the diplomatic relationship between Norway and Israel in the months before the massacre.Norway indicated it would be willing to recognize a Palestinian state.
  Tunander notes the significance of the date of the attacks.
  He mentions 22 July 1973, when Mossad spies were arrested after an operation in which they assassinated the wrong person on Norwegian soil.
  He mentions the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem by the Zionist terrorist group Irgun.
  The King David Hotel attack took place on 22 July 1946.
  Tunander writes: "We have discussed the right-wing extremist Israeli and Judeo-Christian side of Breivik's network, Israel's interest in disciplining Norway, and Israel's celebration of bomb attacks."In this respect, Breivik's attack appears to resemble a new king David Hotel attack: July 22nd."
  Norwegian writer yvind Str¸mmen, writing in Minerva, says of Tunander: "Does he insinuate that Israel was behind July 22nd, or was in some way involved? The answer.... is yes."
  (http://www.thelocal.se/37926/20111214/)
  Tunander helped develop the concept of the 'dual state' - made up of the ordinary government and the hidden'deep state' run by the CIA and its friends.The 'deep state' controls the government, when it comes to certain issues, such as carrying out coups in Greece or Italy.
  The 'deep state' carries out acts of terrorism as part of the "strategy of tension".
  Ola Tunander - Wikipedia
BBC News - Huge blaze at Kansas City, Missouri shopping district
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 04:07
  19 February 2013Last updated at21:58 ETPlease turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
  Keith King, reporter for KSHB, said the explosion was "a huge fireball"
  At least 14 people have been injured after a suspected gas explosion triggered a huge blaze in a shopping district in Kansas City, Missouri.
  Kansas City Manager Troy Schulte said officials did not know if anyone was killed in the fire, which destroyed a restaurant and other businesses.
  Local TV showed flames shooting out of the Country Club Plaza retail area.
  Mr Schulte said officials believed the explosion may have stemmed from an utility contractor accident.
  A doctor with St Luke's Hospital told reporters two of the injured being treated there were in critical condition, one with "pretty severe burns".
  Six others walked into the hospital with minor injuries.
  The Kansas City Star reported a total of 15 patients across three area hospitals, including St Luke's Hospital.
  A manager of the restaurant destroyed in the blaze, JJ's, told police three people were unaccounted for but it was unclear if they had left earlier.
  Images from the scene showed firefighters and other emergency teams battling a massive blaze that appeared to have engulfed an entire block.
  The initial blast was felt beyond the shopping area.
  "I thought something had exploded in my house," Peggy Zilm, who lives about seven blocks from the fire, told the Star.
  The shopping area, established in 1922, is based on the architecture of Seville, Spain, and includes retail, restaurants, apartments and offices.
  There were signs utility work was being done in area ahead of the blast, and one man told told the Star he saw Missouri Gas Energy workers inside JJs with gas detectors.
  Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you canupload here.
  Read the terms and conditions
  Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you canupload here.
  Read the terms and conditions
US ready to strike back against China cyberattacks | Business & Technology
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 02:39
  WASHINGTON '--As public evidence mounts that the Chinese military is responsible for stealing massive amounts of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets, the Obama administration is eyeing fines and other trade actions it may take against Beijing or any other country guilty of cyberespionage.
  According to officials familiar with the plans, the White House will lay out a new report Wednesday that suggests initial, more-aggressive steps the U.S. would take in response to what top authorities say has been an unrelenting campaign of cyberstealing linked to the Chinese government. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the threatened action.
  The White House plans come after a Virginia-based cybersecurity firm released a torrent of details Monday that tied a secret Chinese military unit in Shanghai to years of cyberattacks against U.S. companies. After analyzing breaches that compromised more than 140 companies, Mandiant has concluded that they can be linked to the People's Liberation Army's Unit 61398.
  Military experts believe the unit is part of the People's Liberation Army's cyber-command, which is under the direct authority of the General Staff Department, China's version of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As such, its activities would be likely to be authorized at the highest levels of China's military.
  The release of Mandiant's report, complete with details on three of the alleged hackers and photographs of one of the military unit's buildings in Shanghai, makes public what U.S. authorities have said less publicly for years. But it also increases the pressure on the U.S. to take more forceful action against the Chinese for what experts say has been years of systematic espionage.
  "If the Chinese government flew planes into our airspace, our planes would escort them away. If it happened two, three or four times, the president would be on the phone and there would be threats of retaliation," said former FBI executive assistant director Shawn Henry. "This is happening thousands of times a day. There needs to be some definition of where the red line is and what the repercussions would be."
  Henry, now president of the security firm CrowdStrike, said that rather than tell companies to increase their cybersecurity the government needs to focus more on how to deter the hackers and the nations that are backing them.
  James Lewis, a cybersecurity expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that in the past year the White House has been taking a serious look at responding to China, adding that "this will be the year they will put more pressure on, even while realizing it will be hard for the Chinese to change. There's not an on-off switch."
  The Chinese government, meanwhile, has denied involvement in the cyber-attacks tracked by Mandiant. Instead, the Foreign Ministry said that China, too, is a victim of hacking, some of it traced to the U.S. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei cited a report by an agency under the Ministry of Information Technology and Industry that said in 2012 alone that foreign hackers used viruses and other malicious software to seize control of 1,400 computers in China and 38,000 websites.
  "Among the above attacks, those from the U.S. numbered the most," Hong said at a daily media briefing, lodging the most specific allegations the Chinese government has made about foreign hacking.
  Cybersecurity experts say U.S. authorities do not conduct similar attacks or steal data from Chinese companies, but acknowledge that intelligence agencies routinely spy on other countries.
  China is clearly a target of interest, said Lewis, noting that the U.S. would be interested in Beijing's military policies, such as any plans for action against Taiwan or Japan.
  In its report, Mandiant said it traced the hacking back to a neighborhood in the outskirts of Shanghai that includes a white 12-story office building run by the PLA's Unit 61398.
  Mandiant said there are only two viable conclusions about the involvement of the Chinese military in the cyberattacks: Either Unit 61398 is responsible for the persistent attacks or they are being done by a secret organization of Chinese speakers with direct access to the Shanghai telecommunications infrastructure who are engaged in a multi-year espionage campaign being run right outside the military unit's gates.
  "In a state that rigorously monitors Internet use, it is highly unlikely that the Chinese government is unaware of an attack group that operates from the Pudong New Area of Shanghai," the Mandiant report said, concluding that the only way the group could function is with the "full knowledge and cooperation" of the Beijing government.
  The unit "has systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations," Mandiant wrote. A terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes. The most popular version of the new iPhone 5, for example, has 16 gigabytes of space, while the more expensive iPads have as much as 64 gigabytes of space. The U.S. Library of Congress' 2006-2010 Twitter archive of about 170 billion tweets totals 133.2 terabytes.
  "At some point we do have to call the Chinese out on this," said Michael Chertoff, Homeland Security secretary under President George W. Bush and now chairman of the Chertoff Group, a global security firm. "Simply rolling over and averting our eyes, I don't think is a long-term strategy."
  Richard Bejtlich, the chief security officer at Mandiant, said the company decided to make its report public in part to help send a message to both the Chinese and U.S. governments.
  "At the government level, I see this as a tool that they can use to have discussions with the Chinese, with allies, with others who are concerned about this problem and have an open dialogue without having to worry about sensitivities around disclosing classified information," Bejtlich said. "This problem is overclassified."
  He said the release of an unclassified report that provides detailed evidence will allow authorities to have an open discussion about what to do.
  Mandiant's report is filled with high-tech details and juicy nuggets that led to its conclusion, including the code names of some of the hackers, like Ugly Gorilla, Dota and SuperHard, and that Dota appears to be a fan of Harry Potter because references to the book and movie character appear as answers to his computer security questions.
  The White House would not comment on the report expected Wednesday.
  "We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cybertheft with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council. "The United States and China are among the world's largest cyber actors, and it is vital that we continue a sustained, meaningful dialogue and work together to develop an understanding of acceptable behavior in cyberspace."
  Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the report reinforces the need for international agreements that prohibit cybercrimes and have a workable enforcement mechanism.
  ---
  Associated Press writers Christopher Bodeen, Gillian Wong, Charles Hutzler and Joe McDonald contributed to this report.
Obama Threatens Public Servants Livelihood Instead Of Taking On Billionaire War Profiteer Buddies
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 02:37
Lijk van Russisch politicus gevonden in ton cement - De Standaard
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 02:20
  Het lijk van de 36-jarige Micha¯l Pachomov, lid van het regionaal parlement van de stad Lipetsk (438 km ten zuiden van Moskou) stak in een met cement gevulde metalen ton. Die stond in de kelder van een priv(C)garage in Oboechovo, op ongeveer 30 km van de hoofdstad. De speurders kwamen tot de vaststelling dat het om een 'gewelddadige dood' gaat.
  Pachomov, die volgens het Russische staatspersbureau Ria Novosti lid is van de regeringspartij Verenigd Rusland, verdween op 11 februari in Lipetsk. De politie startte meteen een onderzoek naar ontvoering en moord.
  Het Russische ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken liet maandag weten elf mensen te hebben gearresteerd in verband met de misdaad, alsmede de vermoedelijke opdrachtgever, een veertigjarige man uit Moskou.
  De onderzoekscommissie deelde mee een ex-minister van Huisvesting en Collectieve Diensten van de regio Moskou in staat van beschuldiging te hebben gesteld als opdrachtgever voor de ontvoering van Pachomov.
  Hij zou op het ogenblik van zijn ontvoering omgerekend 10.000 euro op zich hebben gehad. Media berichtten dat hij in illegale zaakjes bij het inrichten van nieuwe woningen was verwikkeld.
"Meteorite rush" begins as Russian scientists find fragments - Yahoo! News
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:58
  MOSCOW (Reuters) - A meteor that exploded over Russia's Ural mountains and sent fireballs blazing to earth has set off a rush to find fragments of the space rock which hunters hope could fetch thousands of dollars a piece.
  Friday's blast and ensuing shockwave shattered windows, injured almost 1,200 people and caused about $33 million worth of damage, said local authorities.
  It also started a "meteorite rush" around the industrial city of Chelyabinsk, 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow, where groups of people have started combing through the snow and ice.
  One amateur space enthusiast estimated chunks could be worth anything up to 66,000 roubles ($2,200) per gram - more than 40 times the current cost of gold.
  "The price is hard to say yet ... The fewer meteorites that are recovered, the higher their price," said Dmitry Kachkalin, a member of the Russian Society of Amateur Meteorite Lovers. Meteorites are parts of a meteor that have fallen to earth.
  Scientists at the Urals Federal University were the first to announce a significant find - 53 small, stony, black objects around Lake Chebarkul, near Chelyabinsk, which tests confirmed were small meteorites.
  The fragments were only 0.5 to 1 cm (0.2 to 0.4 inches) across but the scientists said larger pieces may have crashed into the lake, where a crater in the ice about eight meters (26 feet) wide opened up after Friday's explosion.
  "We just completed tests and confirm that the pieces of matter found by our experts around Lake Chebarkul are really meteorites," said Viktor Grokhovsky, a scientist with the Urals Federal University and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
  "These are classified as ordinary chondrites, or stony meteorites, with an iron content of about 10 percent," he told RIA news agency.
  He did not say whether the fragments had told his team anything about the origins of the meteor, which the U.S. space agency NASA estimated was 55 feet across before entering Earth's atmosphere and weighed about 10,000 tons.
  The main fireball streaked across the sky at a speed of about 30 km (19 miles) per second, according to Russian space agency Roscosmos, before crashing into the snowy wastes.
  TREASURE HUNTERS
  More than 20,000 people took part in search and clean-up operations at the weekend in and around Chelyabinsk, which is in the heart of a region packed with industrial military plants.
  Many other people were in the area just hoping to find a meteorite after what was described by scientists as a once-in-a-century event.
  Residents of a village near Chelyabinsk searched the snowy streets, collecting stones they hoped would prove to be the real thing. But not all were ready to sell.
  "I will keep it. Why sell it? I didn't have a rich lifestyle before, so why start now?" a woman in a pink woolen hat and winter jacket, clutching a small black pebble, told state television Rossiya-24.
  The Internet filled quickly with advertisements from eager hunters hoping to sell what they said were meteorites - some for as little as 1,000 roubles ($33.18).
  The authenticity of the items was hard to ascertain.
  One seller of a large, silver-hued rock wrote in an advertisement on the portal Avito.ru: "Selling an unusual rock. It may be a piece of meteorite, it may be a bit of a UFO, it may be a piece of a rocket!"
  ($1 = 30.1365 Russian roubles)
  (Additional reporting by Ludmila Danilova and Gabriela Baczinska, Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Andrew Heavens)
Canada Student Loans Program - Privacy Breach
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:56
  Please be advised that the electronic storage device containing personal information of 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) from 2000-2006 also contained personal information of affected clients who fall outside the 2000-2006 period. Of the individuals affected, 2,800 fall outside the 2000-2006 period and of those 2,600 are in 2007. The department has already communicated with over 1,600 of these affected borrowers. Efforts continue to locate current contact information for all affected borrowers.
  UpdateFebruary 8, 2013: HRSDC has sent letters to all affected individuals for whom we had current contact information, in order to advise them of the incident and what steps to take to help protect their personal information. Although the technical issue is now fully resolved, less than 100 people may have received in error a letter addressed to another client as the result of a printer error. The letter did not include any personal information beyond name and address. Pre-paid envelopes have been sent to the concerned individuals so that they may return the copies of letters sent to them in error.
  New - Your credit file can now be protected by Equifax at no costFebruary 1, 2013: HRSDC has purchased a customized package from Equifax Canada, which is a unique solution tailored specifically to this incident, and is available to everyone who may have been affected. This credit protection is a reliable and appropriate strategy that will assist in preventing misuse of personal and credit information.
  Equifax will safeguard credit files of affected individuals with notations that information may have been compromised and alert messages will be placed on those credit files. Through its agreement with Equifax, HRSDC is able to offer, free of charge, its customized package to affected individuals who provide their consent to receive this service by calling our toll free line at 1-866-885-1866 within North America. For calls from outside of North America, affected citizens can call 1-416-572-1113 and dial 0 to speak to an operator in order to reverse the charges. Callers with a hearing or speech impairment and who use a teletypewriter (TTY) can call at 1-800-263-5883.
  The notation will stay on credit files for a period of six years unless affected individuals choose to have it removed. This flag will alert credit grantors that data may have been compromised, and lenders will then take additional steps to verify the person's identity before granting credit or opening or using accounts.
  "In taking this proactive initiative, HRSDC is adopting a proven safeguard against identity theft," said Carol Gray, President of Equifax Canada. "The system of placing notations on your credit files, which we will do through this agreement, is an industry standard in protecting the personal and credit information of Canadians. Placing alerts on your credit file can help ensure that your credit and financial well-being are sound and safeguarded."
  Important: the credit file notation does not impact your credit rating.
  At this time, HRSDC has no evidence that any of the information on the hard drive has been accessed or used for fraudulent purposes.
  Read the new Minister's statement on this new credit protection service.
  Additional Information is available if you wish to request this free service or if you suspect your personal information may have been compromised.
  January 11, 2013: Please be advised that an electronic storage device, also known as an external portable hard drive, containing personal information on 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) from 2000-2006 has been lost from an HRSDC office in Gatineau, Quebec.
  While there is no evidence at this time that any of the information has been accessed or used for fraudulent purposes, this incident is being taken very seriously and the Office of the Minister has engaged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Extensive and thorough search efforts have been undertaken and continue.
  The external portable hard drive included:
  personal information on 583,000 Canada Student Loan borrowers who were clients of the CSLP from 2000-2006. Student loan borrowers from the province of Quebec, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories during the same time period are not affected;Student names, Social Insurance Numbers, dates of birth, contact information and loan balance of Canada Student Loan borrowers;Personal contact information of 250 HRSDC employees;No banking or medical information was included on the portable hard drive.HRSDC is sending letters to individuals affected, for whom we have current contact information, to advise them of the incident and what steps to take to help protect their personal information.
  A toll-free number has been set-up at 1-866-885-1866 (or 1-416-572-1113 for those outside of North America) for individuals to verify if they are affected by this incident, and to ask additional questions regarding this issue. Hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST, 7 days a week, starting Monday, January 14, 2013, for as long as needed.
  People with a hearing or speech impairment and using a teletypewriter (TTY) can call 1-800-263-5883. This toll-free number will also be operational 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.EST.
  Additional Information if you suspect your personal information may have been compromised.
  Read the Minister's statement on this incident.
Meteor warning system in the works '-- but not ready yet - Science
  Link to Article
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:27
  Yekaterina Pustynnikova / AP
  In this photo provided by Chelyabinsk.ru, a meteor contrail is seen over Chelyabinsk on Friday, Feb. 15, 2013.
  By Suzanne Choney
  There aren't yet any advance warning systems that could give Earthlings a heads-up before an untracked space rock hits. But a telescope project in Hawaii aims to change that, and potentially provide a chance for those in threatened areas to evacuate. A meteor alert might have made a difference to Russia's Chelyabinsk region on Friday.
  Read: Nuclear-like in its intensity, Russia meteor blast is largest since 1908
  "There are excellent ongoing surveys for asteroids that are capable of seeing such a rock with one to two days' warning, but they do not cover the whole sky each night, so there's a good chance that any given rock can slip by them for days to weeks. This one obviously did," astronomer John Tonry of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii told NBC News Friday.
  Tonry is one of the key players in a NASA-backed effort to build ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System), two observatories in Hawaii that can simultaneously scan the entire visible sky twice a night.
  "If ATLAS were up and running we might very well have seen" the meteor that hit Russia, he said, and "could have provided one to two days' warning."
  However, he adds, the success of detection "depends on a couple of assumptions." One is that it's not cloudy. Another is that the asteroid doesn't go over the South Pole, "where ATLAS cannot see."
  Telescopes, Tony said, "can only see the sky above the horizon, obviously. A telescope that's sited in the northern hemisphere (which ATLAS will be) cannot see all the way to the South Pole of the sky." And, "if the asteroid were coming from that direction, there's a good chance that it would never rise above the horizon for a northern telescope before it hits."
  While it would "easy to build multiple copies of ATLAS and put some in the south, and spread them out so they see different weather patterns ... that's for the future," he said.
  Dozens were hospitalized and nearly 1,000 residents suffered minor injuries from fallen debris and the impact of the meteor's powerful landing. NBC's Tom Costello reports.
  The ATLAS telescopes are "just now" being built, Tonry said; ATLAS should "start running around the end of 2014 and be fully operational by the end of 2015." NASA has provided $5 million in funding for ATLAS.
  At one time, NASA considered launching an asteroid-hunting probe, but that didn't go forward because of the cost, estimated at $500 million almost a decade ago.
  Other private efforts are in the works, too.
  Last year, leaders of the nonprofit B612 Foundation, including Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, started a campaign to fund and launch a space telescope that will hunt for potential killer asteroids over the course of five and a half years.
  Another venture, from a group called Planetary Resources, ultimately wants to do asteroid mining, but says its first step is to "launch an orbital fleet of 'personal space telescopes' capable of looking out into the heavens or back down on Earth," wrote Alan Boyle, NBC News.com's Science editor last year.
  More about cosmic hits (and near misses):
  Suzanne Choney is a contributing writer for NBC News.com. You can follow her on Twitter.
  NASA looks at the flyby of asteroid 2012 DA14 from several amateur observatories across Australia.
CNN Relays Gov't Hysteria Over Sequester Cuts
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:41
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Matthews: Republicans Are Using 'Cold War CIA Tactics To Destabilize Our Own Country'
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:40
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
VIDEO-Strange brain illness strikes US women; vaccination as a possible trigger (Video) - Miami healthy living | Examiner.com
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:35
  Women in the United States and their doctors have been struggling with a newly discovered braindisease that attacks mainly young women. It has been recently reported that hospitalized women in Philadelphia have had seizures and appeared possessed, crying or laughing hysterically one moment and turning catatonic the next. The women have been diagnosed with an autoimmune illness discovered six years ago called Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis.
  One doctor explained that the illness strikes the brain with antibodies and causes it to swell. A woman who was hospitalized for weeks says, "He told them her brain is on fire." A spinal fluid test can spot the disease and immunotherapy can treat it. There is no known cure, however, and all patients face possible relapses. A former patient is trying to get the word out that, "there could be people in comas right now or people stuck in psych wards that have this disease and aren't being treated properly."
  Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis was first recognized as a paraneoplastic syndrome in young women with ovarian teratoma. Studies have shown that about 40% of the patients with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis do not have a clinically detectable tumor, and that men and children are also affected. What may trigger the disorder, especially in patients without an associated neoplasm is unknown.
  A 15-year-old female patient was diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis after receiving a booster vaccination against tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis and polio (TdaP-IPV). The unique pattern of clinical symptoms led to the consideration of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of anti-NMDAR antibodies in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. Other possible causes of encephalopathy including intoxication, infectious and metabolic diseases were ruled out and repetitive brain scans showed no abnormalities. After the diagnosis was confirmed, an extensive tumor search took place and a biopsy of a prominent ovarian cyst revealed no teratoma. The onset of prodromal symptoms shortly after the immunization suggests that the vaccination was a possible trigger of the anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. See: (http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/07/anti-nmda-receptor.html)
  Source: http://www.newser.com/story/162541/mystery-brain-disease-strikes-women-in-us.html
  Receive Healthy Living articles to your inbox FREE by clicking on the blue word 'Subscribe' underneath the article title and entering only your email address. ...know of any passionate, knowledgeable writers? Give them this link for an application form: http://exm.nr/LZjwsN.
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Is Your Local Police Department Using Pictures of Pregnant Women and Children for Target Practice? - Hit & Run : Reason.com
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:08
  What if I told you police in your town could desensitize themselves to the idea of shooting an (armed) child, pregnant woman, or young mother, for just a couple of bucks? The "No More Hesitation" series from Law Enforcement Targets Inc. offers exactly that. For less than 99 cents per target, police can shoot at real-life images "designed to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training."
  Update: The marketing team at Law Enforcement Targets, Inc. sends along this helpful explanation for the "No More Hesitation" series:
  "The subjects in NMH targets were chosen in order to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training. I found while speaking with officers and trainers in the law enforcement community that there is a hesitation on the part of cops when deadly force is required on subjects with atypical age, frailty or condition (one officer explaining that he enlarged photos of his own kids to use as targets so that he would not be caught off guard with such a drastically new experience while on duty). This hesitation time may be only seconds but that is not acceptable when officers are losing their lives in these same situations. The goal of NMH is to break that stereotype on the range, regardless of how slim the chances are of encountering a real life scenario that involves a child, pregnant woman, etc. If that initial hesitation time can be cut down due to range experience, the officer and community are better served."
  Law Enforcement Targets, Inc.
  Law Enforcement Targets INC
  The series contains seven targets in all, titled Pregnant Woman, Older Man 1, Older Man 2, Older Woman, Young Mother, Young Girl, and Little Brother. Each of the depicted subjects is armed.
  I've reached out to Minnesota-based Law Enforcement Targets, Inc., for comment on what inspired the series and whether it's popular with law enforcement groups (see comment added above). Considering that the company has landed $5.5 million worth of contracts with the federal government, it might also be interesting to know if these targets are being used by federal law enforcement agents.
  Mike Riggs is an associate editor at Reason magazine.
Statement from the President on General John
  Link to Article
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:38
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  February 19, 2013
  Today, I met with General John Allen and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family. I told General Allen that he has my deep, personal appreciation for his extraordinary service over the last 19 months in Afghanistan, as well as his decades of service in the United States Marine Corps. General Allen presided over the significant growth in the size and capability of Afghan National Security Forces, the further degradation of al Qaeda and their extremist allies, and the ongoing transition to Afghan security responsibility across the country. He worked tirelessly to strengthen our coalition through his leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and to improve our relations with the Afghan government. Above all, he cares deeply for the men and women in uniform who serve our nation '' as well as their families '' and I am grateful for the sacrifices made by his family in supporting him during his service. John Allen is one of America's finest military leaders, a true patriot, and a man I have come to respect greatly. I wish him and his family the very best as they begin this new chapter, and we will carry forward the extraordinary work that General Allen led in Afghanistan.
Watch CNN Freak Out Over 'Draconian' Spending Cuts
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:36
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
About Us | OnGuard Online
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:27
  OnGuardOnline.gov is the federal government's website to help you be safe, secure and responsible online.
  The Federal Trade Commission manages OnGuardOnline.gov, in partnership with the federal agencies listed below. OnGuardOnline.gov is a partner in the Stop Think Connect campaign, led by the Department of Homeland Security, and part of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
OnGuard Online
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:26
  February 14, 2013
  Consumer Education Specialist, FTC
  What's not to like about the convenience of free public Wi-Fi? It's nice to be able to connect to the internet when you're away from home. Unfortunately, these hotspots often aren't secure. If you go online using public Wi-Fi '-- like at an airport...Read More
Working to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence in the United States
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:24
  February 05, 2013 at 10:02 AM EST
  The American public increasingly relies on the Internet for socializing, business transactions, gathering information, entertainment, and creating and sharing content. The rapid growth of the Internet has brought opportunities but also risks, and the Federal Government is committed to empowering members of the public to protect themselves against the full range of online threats, including online radicalization to violence.
  Violent extremist groups '-- like al-Qa'ida and its affiliates and adherents, violent supremacist groups, and violent ''sovereign citizens'' '-- are leveraging online tools and resources to propagate messages of violence and division. These groups use the Internet to disseminate propaganda, identify and groom potential recruits, and supplement their real-world recruitment efforts. Some members and supporters of these groups visit mainstream fora to see whether individuals might be recruited or encouraged to commit acts of violence, look for opportunities to draw targets into private exchanges, and exploit popular media like music videos and online video games. Although the Internet offers countless opportunities for Americans to connect, it has also provided violent extremists with access to new audiences and instruments for radicalization.
  As a starting point to prevent online radicalization to violence in the homeland, the Federal Government initially will focus on raising awareness about the threat and providing communities with practical information and tools for staying safe online. In this process, we will work closely with the technology industry to consider policies, technologies, and tools that can help counter violent extremism online. Companies already have developed voluntary measures to promote Internet safety '-- such as fraud warnings, identity protection, and Internet safety tips '-- and we will collaborate with industry to explore how we might counter online violent extremism without interfering with lawful Internet use or the privacy and civil liberties of individual users.
  This approach is consistent with Internet safety principles that have helped keep communities safe from a range of online threats, such as cyber bullies, scammers, gangs, and sexual predators. While each of these threats is unique, experience has shown that a well-informed public, armed with tools and resources to stay safe online, is critical to protecting communities. Pursuing such an approach is also consistent with the community-based framework we outlined in Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States and the Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States.
  A New Interagency Working Group
  To more effectively organize our efforts, the Administration is establishing a new Interagency Working Group to Counter Online Radicalization to Violence, chaired by the National Security Staff at the White House and involving specialists in countering violent extremism, Internet safety experts, and civil liberties and privacy practitioners from across the United States Government. This Working Group will be responsible for developing plans to implement an Internet safety approach to address online violent extremism, coordinating the Federal Government's activities and assessing our progress against these plans, and identifying additional activities to pursue for countering online radicalization to violence.
  Raising Awareness through Existing Initiatives
  In the coming months, the Working Group will coordinate with Federal departments and agencies to raise awareness and disseminate tools for staying safe from online violent extremism primarily through three means.
  First, information about online violent extremism will be incorporated into existing Federal Government Internet safety initiatives. Internet safety initiatives at the Department of Education, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies provide platforms that already reach millions of Americans, and relevant departments and agencies will work to add materials related to online radicalization.
  The primary government platform for raising awareness about Internet safety is OnGuard Online, managed by the Federal Trade Commission and involving 16 departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Education. OnGuard Online'-- in addition to other Federal Government Internet safety platforms like Stop.Think.Connect and Safe Online Surfing'-- will begin including information about online violent extremism. This information also will be posted on the Countering Violent Extremism homepage on the Department of Homeland Security's website and updated to reflect new best practices and research.
  Second, the Federal Government will work with local organizations throughout the country to disseminate information about the threat. One reason for the success of Federal Government Internet safety awareness efforts is that they work closely with local organizations '-- such as school districts, Parent Teacher Associations, local government, and law enforcement '-- to communicate to communities. Law enforcement is a particularly important partner in raising awareness about radicalization to violence and is already developing materials with support from the Department of Justice. Law enforcement departments and agencies have established Internet safety programs and relationships with community members and local organizations that can reach multiple audiences with critical information about the threat of online violent extremism and recruitment. Departments and agencies will provide the latest assessments of this threat to our local partners and encourage them to incorporate this information into their programs and initiatives.
  Third, departments and agencies will use our preexisting engagement with communities to provide information about Internet safety and details about how violent extremists are using the Internet to target and exploit communities. U.S. Attorneys throughout the country, who historically have engaged with communities on a range of public safety issues, are coordinating these Federal engagement efforts at the local level, with support from other departments and agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. U.S. Attorneys and others involved in community engagement will seek to incorporate information about Internet radicalization to violence into their efforts, as appropriate. At the same time, the Federal Government will engage with State, local, and tribal government and law enforcement officials to learn from their experiences in addressing online threats, including violent extremism.
  Going Forward
  As the Federal Government implements this effort in the coming months, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who use the Internet to recruit others to plan or carry out acts of violence, while ensuring that we also continue to uphold individual privacy and civil liberties. Preventing online radicalization to violence requires both proactive solutions to reduce the likelihood that violent extremists affect their target audiences as well as ensuring that laws are rigorously enforced.
  For a fact sheet on Countering Online Radicalization to Violence, click here.
Heads Up, Online Radicals -- You're Next
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:24
  By Jeffrey P. Hermes
  For me, thinking about one of the Obama administration's latest initiatives to keep us all safe online is like one of those pattern recognition puzzles (you know, like "What is the next term in this sequence: O, T, T, F, F, S, S, E, N, __?"). Here, the sequence is:
  cyber bullies, scammers, gangs, sexual predators, ________?
  The pattern, you see, is perceived online threats against which the White House has taken action. In a February 5 post on the White House Blog , we get the administration's answer to what goes in the next blank: "online radicalization to violence."
  Huh.
  The White House explains its concerns this way:
  Violent extremist groups '-- like al-Qa'ida and its affiliates and adherents, violent supremacist groups, and violent ''sovereign citizens'' '-- are leveraging online tools and resources to propagate messages of violence and division. These groups use the Internet to disseminate propaganda, identify and groom potential recruits, and supplement their real-world recruitment efforts. Some members and supporters of these groups visit mainstream fora to see whether individuals might be recruited or encouraged to commit acts of violence, look for opportunities to draw targets into private exchanges, and exploit popular media like music videos and online video games.
  Al-Qa'ida, violence, music videos AND video games? I'll get my pitchfork.
  Except, see, I'm pretty sure I remember reading something along the following lines:
  [T]he constitutional guarantees of free speech and free press do not permit a State to forbid or proscribe advocacy of the use of force or of law violation except where such advocacy is directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action. "[T]he mere abstract teaching . . . of the moral propriety or even moral necessity for a resort to force and violence, is not the same as preparing a group for violent action and steeling it to such action."
  Ah, yes. That's right -- it was Brandenburg v. Ohio , the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case that held that the First Amendment required the reversal of the conviction of a Ku Klux Klan leader under an Ohio statute that prohibited "advocat[ing] . . . the duty, necessity, or propriety of crime, sabotage, violence, or unlawful methods of terrorism as a means of accomplishing industrial or political reform" and "voluntarily assembl[ing] with any society, group, or assemblage of persons formed to teach or advocate the doctrines of criminal syndicalism."
  Basically, you're allowed to talk about violence in the United States. You're allowed to be "divisive." You're even allowed to argue that violence is an appropriate response to the ills you perceive in the government or the world at large. You are certainly allowed to publish and to play violent video games , even realistic ones where you can choose a side opposing the United States. Only when your speech gets to the point of "inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action" do you leave the protection of the First Amendment.
  The White House isn't (yet) attempting to pass laws to ban this content, which would pretty clearly be unconstitutional, but it's certainly considering normative and technological measures:
  As a starting point to prevent online radicalization to violence in the homeland, the Federal Government initially will focus on raising awareness about the threat and providing communities with practical information and tools for staying safe online. In this process, we will work closely with the technology industry to consider policies, technologies, and tools that can help counter violent extremism online. Companies already have developed voluntary measures to promote Internet safety '-- such as fraud warnings, identity protection, and Internet safety tips '-- and we will collaborate with industry to explore how we might counter online violent extremism without interfering with lawful Internet use or the privacy and civil liberties of individual users.
  Two problems: First, norms and technological tools are blunt instruments when it comes to chilling speech. Even if the White House were focused on preventing Brandenburg-style incitement (which I don't get from this blog post, but which would seem to be essential to avoid "interfering with lawful Internet use or the ... civil liberties of individual users"), it would be virtually impossible to fine-tune the "practical information and tools" that it intends to deploy at a community level so that they would not be applied more broadly.
  Second, and perhaps more important, is the fact that the White House is attempting to accomplish its goals without overt or direct state action. The government will of course attempt to wash its hands of any industry overkill, because these would be "voluntary" measures undertaken by private parties. The First Amendment danger of indirect state action is, if anything, more pernicious than direct legislation subject to scrutiny by Congress and the courts.
  To get back to the pattern puzzle with which I opened this post, the White House states that the above approach "is consistent with Internet safety principles that have helped keep communities safe from a range of online threats, such as cyber bullies, scammers, gangs, and sexual predators." But threats of physical violence, fraud, organized criminal activity, and sexual crimes all pretty clearly fall outside the First Amendment; radical speech doesn't really fit in this list.
  Also note that the government platform tapped to lead this charge is OnGuard Online , managed by the Federal Trade Commission. True, the Department of Homeland Security and several other agencies are involved with the site, but the FTC? A quick look at OnGuard Online reveals information about phishing and online scams, evaluating consumer products online, protecting online privacy, protecting children online, and securing computers and networks -- all of which could be interpreted as falling within the FTC's remit. Protecting "the homeland" against "violent radicalization"? Not so much.
  I'll end with another pattern puzzle:
  Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, Brandenburg v. Ohio, Texas v. Johnson,Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, ________________?
  ---
  Jeff Hermes is the Director of the Digital Media Law Project.
  (Photo courtesy of Brandeis University 's Radical Pamphlet Collection pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.)
Gold Is Money: Central Bank Actions Send Investors a Clear Message
  Link to Article
  Source: Dprogram.net
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:19
  (DailyReckoning) '' Germany recently made big news by announcing its plan to bring home part of its massive gold reserves. By retrieving 300 tons from New York and all 374 tons from Paris, 19% of its holdings '' $36 billion worth '' will be repatriated. By 2020, Deutsche Bundesbank expects to have 50% of its gold reserves stored in its Frankfurt vaults.
  While Germany's announcement is no longer front-page news, it is important to consider the reasons behind this move, and the message being sent to investors by central banks around the globe '' gold is money. So fasten your seatbelt, this around-the-world tour is about to begin.
  GermanyThe reason given by the German central bank for its recently announced repatriation plan was to ''build trust and confidence domestically, and the ability to exchange gold for foreign currencies at gold-trading centers abroad within a short space of time.'' Keeping reserves in London and New York '' both international markets with great liquidity '' affords Germany the ability to complete transactions quickly. Furthermore, Bundesbank has made it clear that this is not to be taken as a sign that it will be selling gold. Quite the opposite, as it also stated that this move is a ''pre-emptive'' measure ''in case of a currency crisis.''
  VenezuelaYou'll likely recall Hugo Chvez's repatriation of Venezuelan gold in late 2011 '' a decision that was widely believed to be motivated by fears of US sanctions and frozen assets. Chvez, however, said the move was to ''safeguard against volatility in financial markets.'' Admittedly, Chvez's decision did not hold the same weight as Germany's in the eyes of the world. Germany is an ally of the US, after all. However, having repatriated his gold just months before Europe's debt crisis took hold, it's hard to dismiss the foresight demonstrated by the 15th-largest gold holder in the world.
  RussiaRussia, with the eighth-largest holding of gold in the world '' almost 938 tonnes (over $50 billion) '' has been increasing its gold holdings hand over fist in recent years. In 2012, its gold reserves increased a hair shy of 55 tonnes, more than 6%. The reason given, according to Reuters, is ''to diversify its foreign reserves away from paper assets it views as risky.''
  SwitzerlandIn 2011, an alarm was raised as many realized that more than half of the Swiss national gold had been sold off. This gave rise to the ''Gold Initiative: A Swiss Initiative to Secure the Swiss National Bank's Gold Reserves.'' Launched by four members of the Swiss parliament, the goal of the initiative is clearly identified in the name; to keep gold reserves secure through three requirements.
  1. The gold of the Swiss National Bank must be stored physically in Switzerland.
  2. The Swiss National Bank does not have the right to sell its gold reserves.
  3. The Swiss National Bank must hold at least twenty percent (20%) of its total assets in gold.
  Two of the main reasons given for desiring to secure these reserves are: ''the United States Federal Reserve and the European Union (with the European Central Bank ECB) are in the process of a de facto devaluation of their respective currencies, by printing tremendous amounts of Dollars and Euros''; and ''These actions strongly affect the Swiss National Bank, as the Swiss franc runs the risk of being devaluated as well.'' As is stated clearly, ''The greater the risk, the more important it is to maintain a sufficient gold stockpile!''
  The NetherlandsOf the Netherlands' 612.5 tonnes of gold, only about 11% is in Dutch vaults. Over half is in New York, with the rest divided between London and Ottawa. While recently the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal Party has made an official appeal to repatriate Netherlands' gold reserves, interestingly, this is nothing new. In January, 2012, Willem Middelkoop warned that ''The Netherlands should repatriate its gold as soon as possible.''
  ChinaWhile the World Gold Council reports China as owning just over 1,054 tonnes of gold, it's a well-known fact that the Asian powerhouse is very secretive about its true holdings until it sees an advantage in reporting. Even then, speculation abounds as to the verity of its claims. Some have estimated that, in light of the 1,054 tonnes being reported in 2009, by the end of 2013 China may hold as much as 4,000 tonnes of the yellow metal. Even if this is true, it would still only represent approximately 8% of its total reserves. However, the gold market could react quite strongly if China announces reserves anywhere near these levels.
  As the world's largest gold producer for the past six years, China is perfectly capable of building reserves under the radar. Furthermore, due to its secrecy regarding its holdings, don't hold your breath waiting to find out how much gold it's holding. It seems somewhat incongruous that, unlike most central banks, the People's Bank of China encourages citizens to buy precious metals and pursues means of making them readily available. In light of gold's value as a hedge against currency devaluation, one can't help but wonder why.
  TurkeyBoasting the first known coin '' the slater of Lydia (6th century BC) '' Turkey has a rich and ancient relationship with precious metals. A great deal of speculation abounds regarding how much silver and gold the people have stashed as personal reserves. Turkey's central bank has launched an all-out campaign to persuade citizens to deposit these hoards in their vaults. This is the result of two changes in the banking system. The first was that gold's monetary stability was recognized more fully when banks were allowed to increase their gold reserves from 10% to 30%. Second, as of the fall of 2011, banks were also allowed to include any gold deposited by customers as part of their reserves.
  AzerbaijanWhile it's entirely possible you've not read about Azerbaijan in the headlines recently, it's interesting to note that the largest of the Caucasus states bought almost 15 tonnes of gold last year as part of a two-year goal to acquire 30 tonnes for its reserves. Recently it's begun taking delivery of the gold, formerly stored in JP Morgan's London vaults, moving it to Central Bank of Azerbaijan vaults in Baku.
  An Old Relationship Renewed
  It's quite evident that the relationship between the world's central banks and gold has been changing in recent years. Just fifteen years ago, many were selling gold reserves at rock-bottom prices, seeing no real value in maintaining such vast quantities in their reserves. Today these same countries are facing public outcry as the citizenry realizes, albeit too late, that the real sovereign wealth of their nation has been squandered by myopic monetary policies. Other central banks are aggressively increasing their gold reserves.
  You, the Investor
  As investors, we should take note. After a couple decades of shunning gold as a useless relic, banks are refixing their sights on the yellow metal for many reasons. Central to these is the reality that gold represents the world's true money. Whether we're attempting to diversify our portfolios or hedge against inflationary fiscal policy, true money is one of the few tangible monetary investments backed up by its own intrinsic value.
  Devaluation of fiat currencies highlights the importance of maintaining a sufficient gold stockpile Central banks are embracing policies of anywhere from 5% to 90% gold reserves. Carefully consider their reasons, and whether you are sufficiently diversified.
  J. Keith Johnson
  Original article posted on Daily Resource Hunter
  This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2013 at 4:20 am and is filed under Dictatorship, Economic Crisis, Education/Mind Control, Fascism, 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.
China's Army Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S.
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:15
  On the outskirts of Shanghai, in a run-down neighborhood dominated by a 12-story white office tower, sits a People's Liberation Army base for China's growing corps of cyberwarriors.
  The building off Datong Road, surrounded by restaurants, massage parlors and a wine importer, is the headquarters of P.L.A. Unit 61398. A growing body of digital forensic evidence '-- confirmed by American intelligence officials who say they have tapped into the activity of the army unit for years '-- leaves little doubt that an overwhelming percentage of the attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around the white tower.
  An unusually detailed 60-page study, to be released Tuesday by Mandiant, an American computer security firm, tracks for the first time individual members of the most sophisticated of the Chinese hacking groups '-- known to many of its victims in the United States as ''Comment Crew'' or ''Shanghai Group'' '-- to the doorstep of the military unit's headquarters. The firm was not able to place the hackers inside the 12-story building, but makes a case there is no other plausible explanation for why so many attacks come out of one comparatively small area.
  ''Either they are coming from inside Unit 61398,'' said Kevin Mandia, the founder and chief executive of Mandiant, in an interview last week, ''or the people who run the most-controlled, most-monitored Internet networks in the world are clueless about thousands of people generating attacks from this one neighborhood.''
  Other security firms that have tracked ''Comment Crew'' say they also believe the group is state-sponsored, and a recent classified National Intelligence Estimate, issued as a consensus document for all 16 of the United States intelligence agencies, makes a strong case that many of these hacking groups are either run by army officers or are contractors working for commands like Unit 61398, according to officials with knowledge of its classified content.
  Mandiant provided an advance copy of its report to The New York Times, saying it hoped to ''bring visibility to the issues addressed in the report.'' Times reporters then tested the conclusions with other experts, both inside and outside government, who have examined links between the hacking groups and the army (Mandiant was hired by The New York Times Company to investigate a sophisticated Chinese-origin attack on its news operations, but concluded it was not the work of Comment Crew, but another Chinese group. The firm is not currently working for the Times Company but it is in discussions about a business relationship.)
  While Comment Crew has drained terabytes of data from companies like Coca-Cola, increasingly its focus is on companies involved in the critical infrastructure of the United States '-- its electrical power grid, gas lines and waterworks. According to the security researchers, one target was a company with remote access to more than 60 percent of oil and gas pipelines in North America. The unit was also among those that attacked the computer security firm RSA, whose computer codes protect confidential corporate and government databases.
  Contacted Monday, officials at the Chinese embassy in Washington again insisted that their government does not engage in computer hacking, and that such activity is illegal. They describe China itself as a victim of computer hacking, and point out, accurately, that there are many hacking groups inside the United States. But in recent years the Chinese attacks have grown significantly, security researchers say. Mandiant has detected more than 140 Comment Crew intrusions since 2006. American intelligence agencies and private security firms that track many of the 20 or so other Chinese groups every day say those groups appear to be contractors with links to the unit.
  While the unit's existence and operations are considered a Chinese state secret, Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview that the Mandiant report was ''completely consistent with the type of activity the Intelligence Committee has been seeing for some time.''
  The White House said it was ''aware'' of the Mandiant report, and Tommy Vietor, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said, ''We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cybertheft with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so.''
  The United States government is planning to begin a more aggressive defense against Chinese hacking groups, starting on Tuesday. Under a directive signed by President Obama last week, the government plans to share with American Internet providers information it has gathered about the unique digital signatures of the largest of the groups, including Comment Crew and others emanating from near where Unit 61398 is based.
  But the government warnings will not explicitly link those groups, or the giant computer servers they use, to the Chinese army. The question of whether to publicly name the unit and accuse it of widespread theft is the subject of ongoing debate.
  ''There are huge diplomatic sensitivities here,'' said one intelligence official, with frustration in his voice.
  But Obama administration officials say they are planning to tell China's new leaders in coming weeks that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between Washington and Beijing.
  The United States government also has cyberwarriors. Working with Israel, the United States has used malicious software called Stuxnet to disrupt Iran's uranium enrichment program. But government officials insist they operate under strict, if classified, rules that bar using offensive weapons for nonmilitary purposes or stealing corporate data.
  The United States finds itself in something of an asymmetrical digital war with China. ''In the cold war, we were focused every day on the nuclear command centers around Moscow,'' one senior defense official said recently. ''Today, it's fair to say that we worry as much about the computer servers in Shanghai.''
  A Shadowy Unit
  Unit 61398 '-- formally, the 2nd Bureau of the People's Liberation Army's General Staff Department's 3rd Department '-- exists almost nowhere in official Chinese military descriptions. Yet intelligence analysts who have studied the group say it is the central element of Chinese computer espionage. The unit was described in 2011 as the ''premier entity targeting the United States and Canada, most likely focusing on political, economic, and military-related intelligence'' by the Project 2049 Institute, a nongovernmental organization in Virginia that studies security and policy issues in Asia.
  While the Obama administration has never publicly discussed the Chinese unit's activities, a secret State Department cable written the day before Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008 described at length American concerns about the group's attacks on government sites. (At the time American intelligence agencies called the unit ''Byzantine Candor,'' a code word dropped after the cable was published by WikiLeaks.)
  The Defense Department and the State Department were particular targets, the cable said, describing how the group's intruders send e-mails, called ''spearphishing'' attacks, that placed malware on target computers once the recipient clicked on them. From there, they were inside the systems.
  American officials say that a combination of diplomatic concerns and the desire to follow the unit's activities have kept the government from going public. But Mandiant's report is forcing the issue into public view.
  For more than six years, Mandiant tracked the actions of Comment Crew, so named for the attackers' penchant for embedding hidden code or comments into Web pages. Based on the digital crumbs the group left behind '-- its attackers have been known to use the same malware, Web domains, Internet protocol addresses, hacking tools and techniques across attacks '-- Mandiant followed 141 attacks by the group, which it called ''A.P.T. 1'' for Advanced Persistent Threat 1.
  ''But those are only the ones we could easily identify,'' said Mr. Mandia. Other security experts estimate that the group is responsible for thousands of attacks.
  As Mandiant mapped the Internet protocol addresses and other bits of digital evidence, it all led back to the edges of Pudong district of Shanghai, right around the Unit 61398 headquarters. The group's report, along with 3,000 addresses and other indicators that can be used to identify the source of attacks, concludes ''the totality of the evidence'' leads to the conclusion that ''A.P.T. 1 is Unit 61398.''
  Mandiant discovered that two sets of I.P. addresses used in the attacks were registered in the same neighborhood as Unit 61398's building.
  ''It's where more than 90 percent of the attacks we followed come from,'' said Mr. Mandia.
  The only other possibility, the report concludes with a touch of sarcasm, is that ''a secret, resourced organization full of mainland Chinese speakers with direct access to Shanghai-based telecommunications infrastructure is engaged in a multiyear enterprise-scale computer espionage campaign right outside of Unit 61398's gates.''
  The most fascinating elements of the Mandiant report follow the keystroke-by-keystroke actions of several of the hackers who the firm believes work for the P.L.A. Mandiant tracked their activities from inside the computer systems of American companies they were invading. The companies had given Mandiant investigators full access to rid them of the Chinese spies.
  One of the most visible hackers it followed is UglyGorilla, who first appeared on a Chinese military forum in January 2004, asking whether China has a ''similar force'' to the ''cyber army'' being set up by the American military.
  By 2007 UglyGorilla was turning out a suite of malware with what the report called a ''clearly identifiable signature.'' Another hacker, called ''DOTA'' by Mandiant, created e-mail accounts that were used to plant malware. That hacker was tracked frequently using a password that appeared to be based on his military unit's designation. DOTA and UglyGorilla both used the same I.P. addresses linked back to Unit 61398's neighborhood.
  Mandiant discovered several cases in which attackers logged into their Facebook and Twitter accounts to get around China's firewall that blocks ordinary citizen's access, making it easier to track down their real identities.
  Mandiant also discovered an internal China Telecom memo discussing the state-owned telecom company's decision to install high-speed fiber-optic lines for Unit 61398's headquarters.
  China's defense ministry has denied that it is responsible for initiating attacks. ''It is unprofessional and groundless to accuse the Chinese military of launching cyberattacks without any conclusive evidence,'' it said last month, one of the statements that prompted Mandiant to make public its evidence.
  Escalating Attacks
  Mandiant believes Unit 61398 conducted sporadic attacks on American corporate and government computer networks; the earliest it found was in 2006. Two years ago the numbers spiked. Mandiant discovered some of the intrusions were long-running. On average the group would stay inside a network, stealing data and passwords, for a year; in one case it had access for four years and 10 months.
  Mandiant has watched the group as it has stolen technology blueprints, manufacturing processes, clinical trial results, pricing documents, negotiation strategies and other proprietary information from more than 100 of its clients, mostly in the United States. Mandiant identified attacks on 20 industries, from military contractors to chemical plants, mining companies and satellite and telecommunications corporations.
  Mandiant's report does not name the victims, who usually insist on anonymity. A 2009 attack on Coca-Cola coincided with the beverage giant's failed attempt to acquire the China Huiyuan Juice Group for $2.4 billion, according to people with knowledge of the results of the company's investigation.
  As Coca-Cola executives were negotiating what would have been the largest foreign purchase of a Chinese company, Comment Crew was busy rummaging through their computers in an apparent effort to learn more about Coca-Cola's negotiation strategy.
  The attack on Coca-Cola began, like hundreds before it, with a seemingly innocuous e-mail to an executive that was, in fact, a spearphishing attack. When the executive clicked on a malicious link in the e-mail, it gave the attackers a foothold inside Coca-Cola's network. From inside, they sent confidential company files through a maze of computers back to Shanghai, on a weekly basis, unnoticed.
  Two years later, Comment Crew was one of at least three Chinese-based groups to mount a similar attack on RSA, the computer security company owned by EMC, a large technology company. It is best known for its SecurID token, carried by employees at United States intelligence agencies, military contractors and many major companies. (The New York Times also uses the firm's tokens to allow access to its e-mail and production systems remotely.) RSA has offered to replace SecurID tokens for customers and said it had added new layers of security to its products.
  As in the Coca-Cola case, the attack began with a targeted, cleverly fashioned poisoned e-mail to an RSA employee. Two months later, hackers breached Lockheed Martin, the nation's largest defense contractor, partly by using the information they gleaned from the RSA attack.
  Mandiant is not the only private firm tracking Comment Crew. In 2011, Joe Stewart, a Dell SecureWorks researcher, was analyzing malware used in the RSA attack when he discovered that the attackers had used a hacker tool to mask their true location.
  When he reverse-engineered the tool, he found that the vast majority of stolen data had been transferred to the same range of I.P. addresses that Mandiant later identified in Shanghai.
  Dell SecureWorks says it believed Comment Crew includes the same group of attackers behind Operation Shady RAT, an extensive computer espionage campaign uncovered in 2011 in which more than 70 organizations over a five-year period, including the United Nations, government agencies in the United States, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam were targeted.
  Infrastructure at Risk
  What most worries American investigators is that the latest set of attacks believed coming from Unit 61398 focus not just on stealing information, but obtaining the ability to manipulate American critical infrastructure: the power grids and other utilities.
  Staff at Digital Bond, a small security firm that specializes in those industrial-control computers, said that last June Comment Crew unsuccessfully attacked it. A part-time employee at Digital Bond received an e-mail that appeared to come from his boss, Dale Peterson. The e-mail, in perfect English, discussed security weaknesses in critical infrastructure systems, and asked the employee to click a link to a document for more information. Mr. Peterson caught the e-mail and shared it with other researchers, who found the link contained a remote-access tool that would have given the attackers control over the employee's computer and potentially given them a front-row seat to confidential information about Digital Bond's clients, which include a major water project, a power plant and a mining company.
  Jaime Blasco, a security researcher at AlienVault, analyzed the computer servers used in the attack, which led him to other victims, including the Chertoff Group. That firm, headed by the former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, has run simulations of an extensive digital attack on the United States. Other attacks were made on a contractor for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, a lobbying group that represents companies that make components for power grids. Those organizations confirmed they were attacked but have said they prevented attackers from gaining access to their network.
  Mr. Blasco said that, based on the forensics, all the victims had been hit by Comment Crew. But the most troubling attack to date, security experts say, was a successful invasion of the Canadian arm of Telvent. The company, now owned by Schneider Electric, designs software that gives oil and gas pipeline companies and power grid operators remote access to valves, switches and security systems.
  Telvent keeps detailed blueprints on more than half of all the oil and gas pipelines in North and South America, and has access to their systems. In September, Telvent Canada told customers that attackers had broken into its systems and taken project files. That access was immediately cut, so that the intruders could not take command of the systems.
  Martin Hanna, a Schneider Electric spokesman, did not return requests for comment, but security researchers who studied the malware used in the attack, including Mr. Stewart at Dell SecureWorks and Mr. Blasco at AlienVault, confirmed that the perpetrators were the Comment Crew.
  ''This is terrifying because '-- forget about the country '-- if someone hired me and told me they wanted to have the offensive capability to take out as many critical systems as possible, I would be going after the vendors and do things like what happened to Telvent,'' Mr. Peterson of Digital Bond said. ''It's the holy grail.''
  Mr. Obama alluded to this concern in the State of the Union speech, without mentioning China or any other nation. ''We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets,'' he said. ''Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, our air-traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing.''
  Mr. Obama faces a vexing choice: In a sprawling, vital relationship with China, is it worth a major confrontation between the world's largest and second largest economy over computer hacking?
  A few years ago, administration officials say, the theft of intellectual property was an annoyance, resulting in the loss of billions of dollars of revenue. But clearly something has changed. The mounting evidence of state sponsorship, the increasing boldness of Unit 61398, and the growing threat to American infrastructure are leading officials to conclude that a far stronger response is necessary.
  ''Right now there is no incentive for the Chinese to stop doing this,'' said Mr. Rogers, the House intelligence chairman. ''If we don't create a high price, it's only going to keep accelerating.''
Blowjobs Reduce Depression in Women (and Men)
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:09
  Popsicles can be used for practice
  It's great that blowjobs can be used as a cure for morning sickness but this blowjob news will blow* you away. The State University of New York has been studying the mood altering effects of chemicals in semen. Their results, shocking:
  Blowjobs are good for a woman's health.
  In case you didn't get it the first time, I'll repeat myself:
  This may sound like a male conspiracy to get more blowjobs (which it very well could be) but luckily the team from State have provided the credentials from the study.
  Semen has a lot more to offer than just little guppies, also known as sperm. It contains several chemicals that can elevate mood (esterone, oxytocin, serotonin, and a thyrotropin-releasing hormone), increase affection (cortisol), and induce sleep (melatonin) making semen a mind-altering cocktail.
  Researchers (Gallup, Burch, and Platek) interviewed 293 female college students from the Albany campus and got the women to give them blowjobs and compared their sex lives with a survey on depression. They found that women who never used condoms had fewer depression symptoms than those who always used condoms or abstained from sex entirely (not factoring the risk of not using a condom). Women who were abstinent or promiscuously practicing safe-sex were equally depressed meaning that women who are having sex aren't happier. It is the seminal fluid and its antidepressant qualities that make women happier.
  The study also showed that women have better concentration and are better at cognitive tasks when exposed to semen.
  So why blowjobs specifically? Because an accidental pregnancy can cause depression. Be safe and be happy by swallowing as much semen as you can.
  *Get it?
Jimmy Iovine discusses Beats Music Discovery
  Link to Article
  Source: LIVE@LEEDS
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:08
  http://video.allthingsd.com/video/producer-jimmy-iovine-at-d-dive-into-media/B135580F-2DC6-47CD-8BAD-924E07AB6C21
  Like this:LikeLoading...
  This entry was posted on February 18, 2013 at 9:15 pm and is filed under Executives, Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Why Is Mexico Asking the U.S. Senate for a Registry of U.S. Gun Owners?
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Stories
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:41
  shutterstock.com
  Mexican lawmakers will ask the U.S. Senate to create a registry of all commercialized firearms in border states, which includes California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico says it will make it easier to trace guns used in violent attacks.
  The measure was reportedly approved on January 9 by Mexico's Permanent Commission, a government entity that meets when Mexico's Senate and the Chamber of Deputies is in recess. Gun owners in Arizona are calling the proposal ''foolish'' and an ''invasion of privacy.''
  Watch KPHO-TV's report below:
  CBS 5 '' KPHO
  A number of the gun owners interviewed by KPHO-TV also referenced the Obama administration's disastrous gun-running operation known as ''Fast and Furious.''
  The operation, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), allowed illegal straw buyers to walk across the border with nearly 2,000 firearms, including semi-automatic rifles. The weapons ultimately ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartel members and were used in a number of crimes, including murders and kidnappings.
  Further, a gun from Fast and Furious was found at the murder scene of U.S. Border Agent Brian Terry in December of 2010.
  Democrats in Congress have been calling for a ban on semi-automatic rifles and universal background checks for all firearms sales, some even calling for a national gun registry. Further, Democrats in Missouri and California have proposed bills that would result in the possible confiscation of semi-automatic rifles.
  TheBlaze has reached out to several members of the U.S. Senate and will update this story as new information becomes available.
MSNBC Panel Sits Around And Tells Race Jokes
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:06
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Tavis Smiley: Obama Lying When He Says 'The State Of Our Union Is Strong'
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:05
  TAVIS SMILEY: The reason that we started those annual State of the Black Union symposium is because I was so disappointed every January in what the President had to say and more often did not have to say about the real state of our union, this lie that's told every year that the state of our union is strong.
  CORNEL WEST: You heard it again.
  TAVIS SMILEY: You heard it again this year.
  CORNEL WEST: Another lie another lie.
  TAVIS SMILEY: Exactly, so what do you make of, how are you defining strong and how does that definition apply to people of all races and all colors and all creeds? The state of our union is strong for poor people who are growing exponentially in this country? So I never put a bunch of stock in the speech and President Obama is masterful speech giver and in the terms of the ascetic in terms of the delivery in terms of the guest who he had seated in the gallery with Mrs. Obama.
  It was beautiful speech, wonderful delivery I think you're right he titillated us by putting stuff out there. But, I'm watching this and I'm trying to juxtapose what's coming out of his mouth with his policy, his rhetoric with the record. And so you can talk about Congress being aware about what the drones are doing, but I'm thinking Eric Holder they wrote this memo ha ha that's allowed this to happen. So I hear what you're saying, but I see what's happening. I'm thinking of the innocent women and children. I'm thinking of how much more robust your use of those drones has been vis-a-vis or vs George Bush.
EU-US trade deal 'will dismantle GM health protections'
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:03
  Earth Open Source has warned an EU-US free trade deal would weaken safeguards on genetically modified (GM) crops.The proposed deal wants to tie health issues related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to 'accepted, science-based standards' and 'harmonize regulations and standards that can hinder transatlantic trade and investment'.
  "This is doublespeak for watering down the EU's already weak GM regulatory system to the level of the almost non-existent regulation in the US" said Claire Robinson, research director at Earth Open Source.
  "The US system assumes that GM foods are no different from non-GM foods and so do not require special regulatory oversight or safety tests."
  "If the new trade agreement goes through, it will be illegal under World Trade Organisation rules for the EU to have a stronger regulatory system for GMOs than the US system. It will be a race to the bottom in which public health will be the loser."
  "The proposed agreement fits neatly with ongoing attempts by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Commission to water down the EU's GMO regulatory system to the US level."
  EU laws on GMOs aim at a high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment.
  But they have been undermined by weak guidelines for risk assessment of GMOs developed by the GM industry-funded International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) and adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
  In September last year Earth Open Source warned that the EU's GMO risk assessment methods would be further weakened by a draft Regulation currently passing through the Commission's opaque comitology process.
  The draft Regulation is scheduled for a possible vote in a meeting of the Commission's standing committee on the food chain and animal health on 25 February.
  The draft Regulation does not require long-term animal feeding trials on GMOs, such as that carried out by Prof GE S(C)ralini's team at the University of Caen, which found serious health effects in rats fed GM maize over a long-term 2-year period.
  Currently, industry often carries out a short 90-day animal feeding study on a GMO it hopes to commercialise.
  But the draft Regulation fails to make even this type of study mandatory and enables it to be waived in the future.
  It also allows the GM food to escape a full risk assessment and safety testing if it is deemed equivalent to a non-GM food in a process that is based on assumptions, rather than scientific testing.
  Robinson said: "The system laid down in the draft Regulation is not based on science but on a US-inspired 'don't look, don't find' attitude among industry and regulators. It's now clear that the draft Regulation and the proposed free trade agreement are working in tandem to dismantle the EU's public health protections on GMOs."
  The draft Regulation has reportedly been frozen in its progress through the Commission's comitology process, pending agreements on proposals to allow EU member states to place national bans on growing GMOs.
Meteor falls at Russia near Chelyabinsk. Filmed in Magnitogorsk
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:02
USA TODAY
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:59
  by Liz Szabo, USA TODAY
  Published: 02/18/2013 11:33pm
  Country singer Mindy McCready, whose troubled personal life often overshadowed her music, made several suicide attempts using pills in the past decade. She died this time when she used a gun.
  The role of guns in suicide is receiving renewed attention in the national debate over firearms violence after the shootings in Newtown, Conn. About 19,000 of the more than 31,000 gun-related deaths in the USA each year are due to suicide '-- far outnumbering gun-related homicides.
  While guns are involved in just 5.6% of suicide attempts, they account for 55% of suicide fatalities. That's because 85% of suicide attempts involving guns result in death, making firearms the leading method of suicide in the USA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In comparison, taking pills results in death in 2% of cases.
  "It's access to weaponry that turns desperate people into suicides," says psychiatrist Kenneth Duckworth, medical director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, interviewed before McCready's death.
  McCready, 37, died in her Arkansas home Sunday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. McCready, who had attempted suicide in 2006 and 2008, went into rehab last month after her boyfriend, record producer David Wilson, fatally shot himself.
  Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Scoop the nuts - m.NYPOST.com
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:58
  The city is making a major push to sweep the streets of dangerous, mentally ill New Yorkers '-- and has even compiled a most-wanted list, The Post has learned.
  The measure follows a pair of high-profile subway-shove fatalities from December allegedly involving mentally ill individuals.
  The city has already drawn up a list of 25 targets, sources said.
  ''After the Queens subway attack [of immigrant Sunando Sen], the [city] decided to take a proactive approach to track down the most dangerous mental-health patients that currently have mental-hygiene warrants'' out for them, a law-enforcement source said.
  Those warrants mean that the patients are not wanted for a crime but instead are being sought because they are not getting their court-ordered treatment.
  There are a handful of cops assigned to the detail, which began working in the past few weeks, the source said.
  Cops in the NYPD's Real Time Crime Center are using high-tech methods to first track down the individuals, and detectives on the street have been assigned to then go after them and take them to hospitals, law-enforcement sources said.
  In the past, the city Department of Health would ask cops for help finding mentally ill people who aren't taking their court-mandated meds so they could be taken to clinics. But that only applied to those who had known addresses '-- and patients who went off the grid were rarely pursued, the sources said.
  The city is now concerned it could be liable if one of those people goes off the rails and hurts someone '-- or themselves, the sources said.
  And that's prompted the Health Department to seek more help from the NYPD. These patients could, of course, be dangerous, health officials noted.
  Now, ''you have a family member who goes to the Department of Health and gives them the information. Then they go to the Police Department, and together, the DOH person and the police go out and try to track down these people,'' said a city official. ''They're just trying to get these people help.''
  ''All of these patients are receiving treatment for mental-health conditions,'' said Department of Health spokesman Sam Miller. ''If they do not receive sustained treatment . . . they could pose some risk to themselves, family members or others.''
  But tracking them down won't be easy. ''There's no rhyme or reason to their craziness,'' said a law-enforcement source.
  ''You might find yourself looking all over the place for one of these kooks who rides the subway back and forth.''Such craziness includes homeless man Naeem Davis' alleged Dec. 3 fatal subway push of a Queens father '-- Davis has claimed voices guided his deadly act '-- and the horrifying shove of Sen allegedly by accused Muslim-hating maniac Erika Menendez.
  Menendez told The Post in a rambling jailhouse interview that she likely would not have killed the hard-working man had she smoked weed that day '-- she uses it to self-medicate for bipolar disorder.
  She also has allegedly told authorities that she killed Sen, a Hindu, because of 9/11 '-- not because so many people died, but because of the destruction of the buildings.
  She has been found fit to stand trial.
  Additional reporting by Josh Margolin and Dan MacLeod
'Orwellian': Proposed Gun Law in Washington State Calls on Police to Inspect the Homes of 'Assault Weapon' Owners
  Link to Article
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:52
  Holly Blevins holds an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle December 5, 2012 in Berryville, Virginia. Credit: AFP/Getty Images
  With each proposed anti-gun bill put forth by Democrats across the U.S., the demands appear to be getting more and more restrictive on gun owners. While the Obama administration pushes for a ban on so-called ''assault weapons'' and universal background checks, Democrats in both California and Missouri have proposed legislation that would result in possible confiscation of semi-automatic rifles.
  Now, Democratic lawmakers in Olympia, Wash. last week introduced legislation that would allow county sheriffs to inspect the homes of semi-automatic rifle owners once a year. Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat describes the move as ''Orwellian.''
  The proposed bill, Senate Bill 5737, would ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons that use detachable magazines and magazines that contain more than 10 rounds. It would also subject law-abiding gun owners to random searches by a county sheriff.
  ''In order to continue to possess an assault weapon that was legally possessed on the effective date of this section, the person possessing shall '... safely and securely store the assault weapon. The sheriff of the county may, no more than once per year, conduct an inspection to ensure compliance with this subsection,'' the bill states.
  ''They always say, we'll never go house to house to take your guns away. But then you see this, and you have to wonder,'' Seattle trial lawyer Lance Palmer told the Seattle Times.
  ''I'm a liberal Democrat '-- I've voted for only one Republican in my life,'' Palmer added. ''But now I understand why my right-wing opponents worry about having to fight a government takeover.''
  He also said it's this type of radical bill that ''drives people into the arms of the NRA.''
  One of the bill's sponsors, State Sen. Adam Kline (D-Seattle), told the Seattle Times that he didn't properly vet the bill prior to jumping on board. He claims he didn't realize the bill authorized police searches.
  ''I made a mistake,'' he said. ''I frankly should have vetted this more closely.''
  The legislation's main sponsor, Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle) also blasted the search provision written in his bill, saying it is likely unconstitutional.
  ''I have to admit that shouldn't be in there,'' he said.
  Murray also explained that an assault weapons ban isn't likely to pass anyhow and the bill was intended to be a blueprint for gun legislation in the future. With the search provision included, the bill has very little chance of passing.
  It wasn't immediately clear which lawmaker wrote the search provision into the bill.
  To read the entire bill, click here.
  ''
  UPDATE: Following up on a tip from a reader, TheBlaze has discovered that Democrats in Minnesota are also pushing for a gun confiscation bill using almost identical language as the bill proposed in Missouri.
  From MN H.F. No. 241, as introduced '' 88th Legislative Session (2013-2014) Posted on Jan 31, 2013:
  10.20 Sec. 7. PERSONS POSSESSING ASSAULT WEAPONS ON EFFECTIVE DATE ACT; REQUIRED ACTIONS.
  Any person who, on February 1, 2013, legally owns or is in possession of an assault weapon has until September 1, 2013, to do any of the following without being subject toprosecution under Minnesota Statutes, section 624.7133:
  (1) remove the weapon from the state;
  (2) surrender the weapon to a law enforcement agency for destruction;
  (3) render the weapon permanently inoperable; or
  (4) if eligible, register the weapon as provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 624.7133, subdivision 5.
  EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
  This story has been updated. Featured image via shutterstock.com
More Cash for Covers
  Link to Article
  Source: LIVE@LEEDS
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:50
  Those cover videos on YouTube could start generating some more revenue for the music industry.
  VivendiSA's Universal Music Publishing Group has struck deals with Maker Studios Inc. and Fullscreen Inc., two of the biggest ''multichannel networks'''--a new breed of digital entertainment companies that distribute, promote and sometimes produce videos specifically made for Google Inc.'s YouTube. Under terms of the deals, Universal will get an undisclosed percentage of revenue from ads that run alongside cover videos of the publisher's songs on YouTube.
  Music publishers control the copyrights on musical compositions and lyrics, unlike record companies, which typically own specific recordings of those songs.
  Cover videos are among the most popular on YouTube, perhaps because they combine the appeal of established hit songs with the allure of new performers putting their own spin on the songs. Such cover videos can be an career steppingstone. Justin Bieber's path to stardom began with posting covers of pop songs on YouTube, where his manager spotted them.
  But until now, little if any of the ad revenue from those cover videos went back to the band members, producers and songwriters who composed the song, or the music publishers who represent them.
  Take, for example, the music video for Maroon 5'²s hit song ''Payphone.'' The pop band's original video has garnered over 90 million views on YouTube, a valuable source of advertising revenue for Universal, the band's record label and music publisher.
  Meanwhile, dozens of amateur and aspiring musicians have posted videos for their own renditions of the song. Individually, none of these cover versions has come close to the official video's tally. But as a group, 10 of the most popular covers'--from a cappella renditions to versions backed entirely by music played on iPhones'--have racked up a combined 89 million views.
  In some cases, royalty payments that were supposed to flow to Universal Music Publishing Group and its songwriters instead were collected by the multichannel networks, or MCNs, which typically share the ad-sales proceeds with the videos' creators. Under agreements with YouTube, MCNs were responsible for making royalty payments to music publishers and other content owners. In many cases, however, they weren't making those payments.
  Universal Music Publishing Chairman Zach Horowitz said he first approached the multichannel networks because he had noticed how much online exposure they were generating for his company's songs. ''I'm thinking I've discovered this great way of tapping into all this money,'' he said. ''And instead I find out we're not getting paid.
  Terms of the new deals weren't disclosed. Courtney Holt, chief operating officer of Maker Studios, said, ''the goal is an equitable arrangement where the network, the artist and the publisher are all able to generate income.''
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  Tags: Universal Music, You Tube
  This entry was posted on February 18, 2013 at 11:44 pm and is filed under Publishing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Russia to spend billions on asteroid defense
  Link to Article
  Source: News RSS : Today
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:04
  Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
  Moscow believes an operable national defense against threats from outer space can be built within 10 years' time. The 500-kiloton explosion of a space bolide above the Urals region has sped-up allocation of some $2 billion to prevent future threats.
  Russian scientists have presented a federal program designed to counteract space threats. Elaborated by the Institute of Astronomy at Russia's Academy of Sciences and the Central Engineering Research Institute, Russia's leading space industry enterprise, the program has already been approved by Roskosmos, the national space agency.
  The program has nothing to do with Hollywood sci-fi movie scenarios; no lasers, annihilators or Bruce Willis drilling a huge peace of rock rushing towards Earth.
  The system will consist of a network of robotic telescopes monitoring space around our planet, some of them delivered to orbit, others operating from the surface.
  Destruction of an asteroid in emergency cases may be performed by a rocket with a powerful megaton-class thermonuclear warhead. If the threat is detected early, more advanced means of changing an asteroid's orbit may be considered.
  The program costing 58 billion rubles (over $1.9 billion) has already been handed over to the head of Russia's defense industry, Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin who is expected to present it to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
  Lidia Rykhlova from the Institute of Astronomy (RAS) who presented the project, reported that Russia will need to modernize and fully computerize the 60 cm lens telescopes it already has. Several larger telescopes with 2 meter lens will have to be additionally installed.
  Rykhlova announced that an analytical center will be created to collect the data from various sources and analyze it in real time mode.
  Professor of the Moscow State University, head of the laboratory for space monitoring Vladimir Lipunov told Interfax news agency that it will take about two years to modernize all Russia's existing nine telescopes with the diameter of the lens of 40 centimeters and unite them into one network. A network of larger telescopes across the globe could be ready in five years.
  ''It will cost a mere trifle. What [Russian billionaire] Roman Abramovich paid for Chelsea [football club] would cover all the costs of the project,'' Lipunov said.
  According to Forbes during the eight years of owning Chelsea Abramovich spent $1.3 billion on the football club.
  Lipunov stressed that tracking and forecasting space threats is more real and efficient than engaging air defense systems to deal with meteorites in the atmosphere, as people could be evacuated from an impact zone in advance.
  Asteroid threat is growing by the year''There are a lot of asteroids orbitingclose to Earth and every year up to 1,000 more are being discovered,'' Lidia Rykhlova said, specifying that three years ago the number of known asteroids passing close to our planet was about 7,000 and now their number has grown up to around 9,400.
  Most of the relatively large asteroids, with a diameter of one kilometer and larger are already known.
  ''We know about 90 per cent of kilometer-class asteroids, their orbits are well known and predictable. As for the smaller 40-50 meter ones '' we still have insufficient observation apparatus. The more we observe '' the more of them we find,'' Rykhlova acknowledged.
  If the space object is discovered beforehand, at least a month prior to possible collision with Earth, there is time to find out its size and consider various measures of its elimination.
  The execution of a really complicated operation will require at least a year, Rykhlova pointed out.
  ''Therefore our emergency aid is a rocket with a nuclear warhead,'' she concluded.
Obama's Big Pipe
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:49
  Just an amazing coincidence that a number of United States refineries just happened to shut down for "scheduled maintenance" in February driving up gas prices, in stealing billions from American consumers again.
  Of course this has to do with blackmail, in that Keystone XL pipeline is being held up in the northern tier of states while full construction goes on in Texas.It is a reality in coordination as Obama just loves high fuel prices which rewards his green cronies and the oil barons who Limbaugh shills for, just love raping the American consumer in this game of getting that big pipe laid.
  This is all to increase the trauma on the American people, and it is pure criminal. It was coordinated to shut down these refineries, and as this blog only reported, the right wing Carlyle Group could not bail out Barack Obama's 2012 election theft in saving a Pennsylvania refinery before the election, which would have doomed Obama as the Romney campaign intended, but now suddenly after Obama is in office, these refineries all shut down.........which they should have done in August to create the voter backlash that Obama could not overcome in electronic voting.
  The amazing thing in this is there is not one Google search result exposing any of this as no one in the media cares a whit a bout this. The source on this was Scott Pelley of CBS News which is acting extremely bizarre in hounding the Christopher Dorner murder and burning, and now it has stated there is an organized effort to drive gas prices up in America.
  Those prices are going to gouge consumers to the core of all they have left.
  What difference does any of this make really as this goes on, as Americans are being raped economically all the time, and the government, industry and law enforcement is involved and contentedly is knowing they will get away with these crimes.
  Chris Dorner was an excellent example for Americans. Fight back and you will be hunted down like an animal, shot and then burned alive as your mum guzzles wine and crams chips down her throat.
  Nothing like stoking a revolution and not giving a damn that people are suffering and mountains of them will be dead.
  CBS who would have thunk it...........
  nuff said
  agtG
Colorado Dem on Why Women Don't Need Guns on Campus: You Might 'Feel Like You're Gonna Be Raped' But 'You May Actually Not Be'
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Stories
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:56
  While trying to explain why women in college don't need firearms for self-defense on campus, Colorado state Rep. Joe Salazar said even if women feel like they might be raped, their suspected attacker might not actually have intent to rape. So please, put the guns away ladies.
  ''It's why we have call boxes, it's why we have safe zones, it's why we have the whistles. Because you just don't know who you're gonna be shooting at,'' he said during a legislative hearing. ''And you don't know if you feel like you're gonna be raped, or if you feel like someone's been following you around or if you feel like you're in trouble and when you may actually not be, that you pop out that gun and you pop '-- pop a round at somebody.''
  The flaws in Salazar's argument are obvious. No gun-free zone has stopped a deranged killer, just like a ''safe zone'' wouldn't stop a rapist from assaulting a woman.
  Watch the video of Salazar's remarks, provided to TheBlaze by Revealing Politics:
  Salazar has since apologized if he offended anyone with his remarks. However, he still maintains that guns don't make people safer on campus.
  ''I'm sorry if I offended anyone. That was absolutely not my intention,'' Salazar said, according to KDVR-TV. ''We were having a public policy debate on whether or not guns makes people safer on campus. I don't believe they do. That was the point I was trying to make. If anyone thinks I'm not sensitive to the dangers women face, they're wrong.''
  ''I am a husband and father of two beautiful girls, and I've spent the last decade defending women's rights as a civil rights attorney. Again, I'm deeply sorry if I offended anyone with my comments,'' he added.
  The folks over at RedState provide some self-defense statistics that are relevant to the issue:
  In the vast majority of those self-defense cases, the citizen will only brandish the gun or fire a warning shot.
  In less than 8% of those self-defense cases will the citizen will even wound his attacker.
  Over 1.9 million of those self-defense cases involve handguns.
  As many as 500,000 of those self-defense cases occur away from home.
  Almost 10% of those self-defense cases are women defending themselves against sexual assault or abuse.
  In somewhat related news, the University of Colorado (the same state that Salazar represents) is offering some advice to students who may get attacked on campus, at home or on the road. You can ''tell your attacker that you have a disease or are menstruating,'' vomit or urinate or you can kick off your shoes and run away.
  Here's the full list:
  1. Be realistic about your ability to protect yourself.2. Your instinct may be to scream, go ahead! It may startle your attacker and give you an opportunity to run away.3. Kick off your shoes if you have time and can't run in them.4. Don't take time to look back; just get away.5. If your life is in danger, passive resistance may be your best defense.6. Tell your attacker that you have a disease or are menstruating.7. Vomiting or urinating may also convince the attacker to leave you alone.8. Yelling, hitting or biting may give you a chance to escape, do it!9. Understand that some actions on your part might lead to more harm.10. Remember, every emergency situation is different. Only you can decide which action is most appropriate.
  None of the University of Colorado's advice mentions legally obtaining a firearm and the necessary training, even if just for home defense.
  (H/T: Twitchy)
"He Was Obsessed! OBSESSED! With Violent Video Games!" Was Adam Lanza Competiting W/ Anders Breivik?
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:16
CBS News: Adam Lanza Saw Himself In Direct Competition With Anders Breivik!
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:15
CNN: Is It Possible Adam Lanza Saw Himself In Direct Competition With Anders Breivik?
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:15
Yale Helps DoD Train Soldiers By Interrogating Non-Whites
  Link to Article
  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:14
  This is the kind of thing that would have been a reason to shut down the campus, back in the old days. Now? I'd be surprised if the majority of students gave it more than a yawn. But at least the student newpaper reporters are paying attention -- as they should:
  The Department of Defense and Yale University have partnered up to train U.S. soldiers in the art of interrogation techniques with the local immigrant community acting as test subjects, reports the Yale Daily News.
  As early as this April, Yale plans to welcome a training center for interrogators to its campus.The center's primary goal would be to coach U.S. Special Forces on interviewing tactics designed to detect lies.
  Charles Morgan III, a professor of psychiatry who will head the project, calls these tactics ''people skills.'' These techniques would be honed using New Haven's immigrant community as subjects. Morgan hopes that by having soldiers practice their newly acquired techniques on ''someone they can't necessarily identify with'' (read: someone who is not white), they'll be better prepared to do 'the real thing' abroad.
  The authors of the article, Nathalie Batraville and Alex Law, provide many reasons for why this training center is a terrible idea, one of which includes a lack of transparency. Apparently, students didn't learn about the new program until now, just two months before the center opens. As Batraville and Law point out:
  There was no conversation with the city about how this might impact its immigrant community. There was no conversation with students and faculty about how it might impact campus culture. And there was no conversation at all about the ethics of a project like this. It's hard to understand where this project came from; the university's motivations are wholly opaque.
  They also argue that Yale could be indirectly involving itself in immoral practices by training soldiers whose skills could be used to, for example, determine whose name is added to President Obama's kill list.
  Most importantly, the authors offer some insight into the racist aspect of this program:
  Morgan's research and, by extension, this proposed center target people of color '-- brown people exclusively. According to a Yale Herald article, Morgan listed ''Moroccans, Columbians, Nepalese, Ecuadorians and others.'' Is there an assumption in Morgan's desire to use more 'authentic,' brown interviewees as test subjects, that brown people lie differently from whites '-- and even more insidiously, that all brown people must belong to the same ''category'' of liar?
  How might training on lie detection be perceived if it targeted blacks, or if it aimed to answer the question, ''How do Jews lie?'' That Morgan's test subjects are compensated does not resolve the ethical questions his project raises. In fact, their participation highlights the structural inequality that this research capitalizes on and that the center would ultimately exploit.
  As Nathalie was working on this piece, her phone rang. At the other end of the line was her 7-year-old nephew Rocco, who wanted to wish her a happy Valentine's Day and send her many loud kisses. He now lives in Montreal, where Nathalie is from, but until about a year ago, he lived in Haiti.The U.S.' involvement in Haiti, from its occupation between 1915 and 1934 to its support '-- financial, logistical (and ''moral'') '-- of Fran§ois and later Jean-Claude Duvalier's brutal dictatorships in the 60s and 70s, informs much of her outrage surrounding the establishment of this center, and her understanding that people often lie to protect their lives, their families, their country and the very freedom that Americans so dearly cherish.
  Well said! But even without the the sickening immigrants-as-test-subjects aspect, the training center is still unsettling because it further solidifies the unholyalliance between physicians and the US war machine given that a professor of psychiatry is running the project. This should come as no surprise since we mostly ignored revelations that psychologists and medical doctors helped run the torture program at Guantanamo Bay (look forward, not backward!)
The Pirate Bay Is Suing an Anti-Piracy Group for Copyright Infringement
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 04:13
  By Casey Chan, Feb 18, 2013 9:00 PM
  You read that right. The Pirate Bay is the one doing the suing over copyright infringement this time. Even more hilariously, The Pirate Bay says it will sue CIAPC, an anti-piracy group, for copyright infringement. The Pirate Bay is completely serious! It has already asked the policy to investigate its claim that CIAPC has copied The Pirate Bay.
  The issue stems from CIAPC copying The Pirate Bay's website and CSS file, complete with sinking ship. It's a violation of The Pirate Bay's usage policy which specifically "prohibits organizations' use of any site material without permission." And though CIAPC is quite obviously mocking The Pirate Bay in its parody website, 'parody' apparently doesn't apply in Finnish law. Here's what the CIAPC website looks like: The Pirate Bay says:
  "While The Pirate Bay may have a positive view on copying, it will not stand by and watch copyright enforcing organizations disrespect copyright... CIAPC is like an ugly high school bully without friends. It's time to take a stand. Cyber bullying is a serious matter to us all."
  If you think The Pirate Bay is selling out here and forgetting where they came from, you'd be wrong. The Pirate Bay, bless their heart, will donate any awarded damages to a nine-year-old girl who had her laptop confiscated by the police (who were alerted of her 'pirating' files by, yup, the CIAPC). So as hilarious as it is to see The Pirate Bay sue somebody for copyright infringement, it's really about the evils of anti-piracy groups who refuse to get off their high horse and/or enjoy having a stick permanently lodged in their ass. [TorrentFreak]
  Next story >>
UAE to buy US-made drones in military expansion
  Link to Article
  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:11
  A defense official in the United Arab Emirates says the Gulf nation has signed $1.4 billion in military contracts that include purchases of U.S.-made drones.
  The deal, worth nearly $200 million and confirmed by Fox News, suggests Gulf Arab states are looking to boost surveillance capabilities to match claims by rival Iran of growing drone technology.
  The UAE says the Predator drones, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, will not be outfitted for weapons capabilities, but used for reconnaissance.
  Still, the use of drones has become a major and controversial topic since Americans learned last year that President Obama was secretly and personally ordering the use of missile-loaded ones to kill Americans living abroad and suspected of terrorism.
  The issue resurfaced last week when the president agreed to give House and Senate intelligence committees access to a classified legal opinion on such strikes, which has resulted in Senate Republicans disagreeing over whether the solution is a federal drones court.
  Iran has claimed it has developed its own sophisticated drones and managed to reverse-engineer a CIA drone seized in December 2011 after it entered Iranian airspace.
  UAE military spokesman Maj. Gen. Obaid al-Ketbi also said the deals include 750 U.S.-made mine-resistant vehicles.
  The contracts were announced Monday at a defense show in Abu Dhabi.
  The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Man defends his 2 year old son; shoots and kills 2 home intruders
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:10
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Chinese cyberattacks on US traced to this 12-story office building
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:05
  The location of the "overwhelming percentage" of Chinese cyberattacks on US corporations and government agencies is believed to have been found, and it's a People's Liberation Army base in Shanghai, reports The New York Times. According to a 60-page study from computer security agency Mandiant, the hacking group, referred to as "Comment Crew," could not be placed inside the 12-story office tower, the home of PLA Unit 61398, but there is no other explanation how so many of the attacks could have come from such a small geographical area. The alternative, says Mandiant, is that "a secret, resourced organization full of mainland Chinese speakers with direct access to Shanghai-based telecommunications infrastructure is engaged in a multi-year, enterprise scale computer espionage campaign right outside of Unit 61398's gates, performing tasks similar to Unit 61398's known mission."
  The 'volume and sophistication' of the attacks threaten the relationship between the two countries
  In the past weeks, major media outlets like The Washington Post,Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times have been hacked. The latter reported that it believed the Chinese military was involved in the four-month-long attack on its systems; a charge that China staunchly denied. According to The Times, representatives of the Chinese embassy in Washington denied the charge again on Monday, insisting that the Chinese government does not engage in illegal computer hacking. Obama administration officials are quoted as saying that they plan to tell the Chinese leadership that the "volume and sophistication" of the attacks threaten the relationship between the two countries.
  To counter the attacks, President Obama signed an executive order last week that allows the government to share more of its information on cybersecurity threats with private companies. The Pentagon also just approved a major multiyear expansion of its cybersecurity force aimed at protecting national infrastructure, an increasing focus of the attacks.
Two Other Large Meteorites Seen Passing Close To Earth Last Night
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:02
Leak Found In Tank Containing 500000 Gallons Of Radioactive Nuclear Waste In Washington State
  Link to Article
  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:01
Obama Talks Off Record With Press on Flight Home
  Link to Article
  Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:56
  Returns with Reggie Love.
  President Obama has returned to Washington, from his solo vacation. He finally talked with the press on the ride back.
  Via the pool report:
  AF1 wheels down Andrews at 7:45pm. POTUS came back to have a 10-minute off the record talk with pool at the end of the flight.
  Reggie Love departed AF1 soon after POTUS, apparently a guest for the weekend.
  Marine One wheels up 7:55 pm
CNN Wonders If Rubio's Sip of Water a 'Career-Ender?'
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:52
  CNN's Wolf Blitzer teased on the February 13 The Situation Room, the day after Senator Marco Rubio's Republican response to the State of the Union: ''So, can a drink of water make or break a political career? A U.S. Senator, possible presidential candidate. We're going to find out, whether he likes it or not.''
  As Blitzer spoke, CNN's chyron displayed: ''Career Ender?''
Rosneft to rival Gazprom in LNG market
  Link to Article
  Source: News RSS : Today
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:28
  (RIA Novosti / Ivan Rudnev)
  Gazprom's monopoly on Russia's Liquified Natural Gas exports may soon end as Russian oil major Rosneft is seeking to rival the gas giant in the LNG market.
  ­The head of Rosneft Igor Sechin has held talks with Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan on potential LNG cooperation. His company is looking for LNG rights and tax breaks for offshore exploitation and possible markets like China for future supplies. They also discussed the potential for boosting oil supplies to China and joint cooperation in research, extraction and development of crude in both Russia and China.
  The LNG market is expected to grow fast and amount for around 220 million tons, Russia's Energy Minister, Aleksandr Novak told RT Business.
  ''The LNG market is developing fast and we forecast the consuming power to grow by 4-6% annually, while traditional gas consuming market is expected to grow by 2% until 2030,'' Aleksandr Novak said. ''New technologies allow liquidizing gas and shipping it to any part of the world. This only means, the market is globalizing.''
  Russia has already lost a number of market opportunities because of limitations of its LNG exports, Igor Sechin has warned. Rosneft and partner Exxon Mobil have now joined the queue of domestic and foreign companies that will benefit if LNG rights are granted by the Kremlin. Together the two are considering a possibility of building an LNG facility in Russia's Far East as part of the projects in the Cara Sea.Russia's second largest gas company Novatek supports the idea of stripping Gazprom of its monopoly on LNG exports. It will be good for the gas sector, the head of Novatek, Leonid Mikhelson told German media in an interview, Reuters reported.
  The possibility of breaking Gazprom's monopoly on exporting LNG came to light at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
  ''Available independent gas suppliers make breaking Gazprom's monopoly potentially possibly, but we should not lose from that,'' Russia's Premier, Dmitry Medvedev said, speaking in Davos in January 2013.
  Russian President Vladimir Putin backed the idea and wants officials to ''think through step-by-step liberalization'' of the LNG exports.
  Russia is the largest producer of natural gas, but has only one active LNG plant, operated by a Gazprom-led consortium. While competitors announce one project after another, Gazprom has put on hold its ambitious Shtockman LNG project. According to the Russian government, the country plans to produce up to 60mln tonnes of LNG by 2020 '' a six-fold increase from the current volumes. Experts suggest the only way to achieve this may be by the phasing out of Gazprom's monopoly on Russian LNG exports.
US is major recipient of humanitarian aid from UAE
  Link to Article
  Source: News RSS : Today
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:31
  Reuters / Jumana El Heloueh
  In an attempt to sway Americans' low and undecided opinions about the United Arab Emirates, the UAE is providing millions of dollars of foreign aid to the US to rebuild schools and donate to nonprofits in storm-ravaged regions.
  While the US is the largest provider of foreign aid, the UAE is writing checks for the US to help out where its own government does not provide enough assistance, the Washington Post reports.
  ''Tell me what you need,'' a UAE embassy staffer working in Washington told a school official in Joplin, Mo., where a devastating tornado killed 161 people and destroyed six schools in 2011.
  By building soccer fields and schools, donating to hospitals and nonprofit organizations, and helping in the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, the UAE is hoping to gain a better image among Americans.
  After a 2006 UAE embassy survey found that 30 percent of American respondents had an unfavorable view of the emirates and 70 percent had no opinion, the country decided to change that. UAE ambassador to the US Yousef al Otaiba in 2008 began an initiative to create favorable opinions of his country among those who remain undecided.
  ''We had a responsibility to educate Americans about who we are,'' Otaiba told the Post. ''We have been in Afghanistan with you. We went into Libya. We're the largest export market for the US in the [Middle East] region.''
  But despite being an important American ally, US citizens overwhelmingly know little or nothing about the UAE. So in addition to lending a helping hand abroad, the UAE is bringing its assistance directly into American communities.
  ''We spot needs and we try to help,'' Otaiba told the Post. And wherever the embassy believes financial help is needed, the UAE makes a generous humanitarian donation. During the past two years alone, the UAE government has funded the construction of all weather-artificial turf soccer fields in low-income neighborhoods across Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Chicago '' and plans to build three more this year. The embassy also provided 2,200 Joplin children with their own MacBook laptops, spent $5 million to build an intensive-care unit at a Joplin hospital, and provided $150 million to the Washington, DC-based Children's National Medical Center.
  The UAE has also made hefty donations to numerous other hospitals and now plans to donate to food banks. Otaiba has also promised to provide about $5 million to each of the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New York and New Jersey.
  While other countries primarily donate money to the US to promote their own languages and traditions through programs like study-abroad grants, the UAE has taken an unusual approach by donating millions of dollars to disaster relief and construction efforts that don't directly benefit the UAE.
  And even despite the country's generous initiatives, some Americans have kept their misconceptions about the predominantly Muslim region. When public schools in Joplin accepted $1.5 million worth of donations, some conservative radio commentators and Joplin residents accused the school system of accepting ''Islamic blood money''.
  Still, the UAE has not given up its attempt to change American misconceptions '' and US organizations continue to receive generous donations from the UAE, while their own government spends money elsewhere.
  ''Back then, we were getting a lot of calls from people willing to help '' but nothing like this,'' Joplin public school system's Superintendent C.J. Huff told the Post. ''I thought somebody was pranking us.''
Drivers stoned on marijuana test their driving skills
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:47
Historic oversight corrected: Film 'Lincoln' inspires look into slavery vote | The Clarion-Ledger
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  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:39
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Burger King's woes continue after Twitter account gets hacked | Technology
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave Winer's linkblog feed
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:06
  The Burger King Twitter hack happened at 5.01pm GMT on Monday
  Burger King's Twitter feed was hacked on Monday afternoon, apparently by hackers affiliated with the Anonymous collective, who quickly took it over and rebranded it with rival McDonald's logo and name, and began using it to tweet McDonald's special offers.
  The hack happened at 5.01pm GMT on Monday, with a tweet announcing that "We just got sold to McDonalds! Look for McDonalds in a hood near you @DFNCTSC" '' the latter referring to a Twitter user set up on the same day which hadn't tweeted.
  The hackers then changed the name and began advising those watching the feed to eat at McDonald's, and began retweeting comments from other users complaining about Burger King.
  The hack, which happened while the US is on a public holiday for George Washington's birthday, will intensify the need for Twitter to introduce better security on the passwords used to protect accounts. The Guardian revealed earlier this month that the microblogging site aims to introduce "two-factor authentication", which would require any new login to also enter a code sent separately to a mobile phone. Similar systems have been offered by Google for some years now. That would have meant that the hackers' attempts to log into the Burger King account, even with the correct password, would fail unless they also had its owner's phone.
  With Twitter looking to attract more high-profile clients '' such as McDonald's and Burger King '' the need for better security is becoming urgent. In January an intern at HMV took over its Twitter account to tweet about the fact that the staff were being fired.
  The concerns are real for many companies: a social media consultant for fast food chain Wendy's tweeted: "My real life nightmare is playing out over on @BurgerKing".
Senator McCain To NBC '' ''MASSIVE COVER-UP'' (WHI RELATED)
  Link to Article
  Source: The Ulsterman Report
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:04
  =rFRalB)/ )%[rZnT`@L6U|H>etÆ(Gv^*LOOOwOwO/ì'ŒÓ‰OxDPQ.ß¾;5Ur R/(O$"4+t:mNf[aRNk5NH'yo'~Wz uk~?a)%XSfo2z(=|9Dlq7R6U8a#Ù--RVzN`M|o?^@.CCç...®iWWßŸ^\<59xcC"1#/$e98=VD[ Ç¾&ã¹%}1 1Ð´‰2ä¼"Xb^$i'Db%~K%rgL."rXJÛ·Bg3zY:~?w5oPM?x>E-bp16`t8 .T'Z[2 oX#?JR 2(B`"\mUK"""22J4ojÏ¼ Ò')bCdUDToa#Oc%i8Ì¹x",L4jFlOkPx ;=_\J[ Ëbcyen;ÈRhÍd,%vP 0kÖ=db^Ö•+zMS5{{{S/pis#]QRfg'WTZte' 'Qnr%f&Fox!S/=IJ^TMB.ÎŸF0\--Ô›3,,"$,TpkÄ´ivUPT]Lg$yb0#i(-Ohx H=Z.#lMjn#_Mt}N&Q ARjiThxÎ°1eWT06@#Ï'Wi%%(wÏ†gq9__`_~pM!(0Ç£ ?[*8&XÔ›.e'a)q&cL~8 {nXaFE@ctAS23W:NStt@V*WDA94=_rKPA~gJMW:r0MaE2uC?uiÐ3OÖšfSkrsu>>y JÕ'N)xa3w.z@Ê¶:wÇ-+gE8`,X,ÔŸBqeIk~Qy|'hmUT((%Goz}5'L:3+kC[6%g`6G,&pY~d+~hL ;khs XjvÙ¯-?Ù…`*-½wÍ¶azm'E'-3f(U+k'ZL{}gØ£I{9(Rx7dpftŸñ¬½½OQ\4\ð›ƒŸID@ UU3o4N}4t:p z/jnÞšT3f6p]8gK"^ê':x}pBc0RPÖ ,cÍ^t7~_zVV Ri.7~av/Þªíƒƒ<á½=&+4bÈŸK@.\B_Iw]4q+1[:Z/CJÇ Ö†qÉ¤9y;l"sECRF5#É T8á‘90+K'B]A"$e\#mQV)adIi,j$av w8X"R
McCain accuses Obama administration of 'massive' Benghazi cover-up
  Link to Article
  Source: News RSS : Today
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:57
  Sen. John McCain (Alex Wong / Getty Images / AFP)
  With information about the deaths of four Americans still forthcoming nearly half-a-year after a terrorist attack in Benghazi claimed their lives, Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) is suggesting that the truth is being concealed by a ''massive cover-up."
  Sen. McCain, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and a former presidential hopeful, made his remarks during Sunday's edition of the CBS television program Meet the Press. Sen. McCain was asked about the confirmation hearings for defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel on the show when he opened up about the September 11, 2012 incident in Benghazi that left four Americans dead, including US Ambassador Chris Stevens. Sen. McCain has expressed contention in confirming the Obama nominee because in part of Mr. Hagel's lack of explanation regarding the attack. When asked by Meet the Press host David Gregory to divulge more into what exactly he wanted to know about the incident, Sen. McCain fired back with skepticism about how the attack has been handled.
  ''At the end of the day here on Benghazi, if the worst thing is true, what is that truth about how the president handled this crisis?'' asked Gregory.
  ''Well I don't know the answer to that question,'' responded the senator. ''I do that there are so many answers we don't know.''
  "We've had two movies about getting bin Laden and we don't even know who the people were who were evacuated from the consulate the day after the attack. So there are many, many questions. And we've had a massive cover-up on the part of the administration."
  ''But a massive cover-up of what?'' fired back Gregory, cutting off an impassioned McCain who appeared adamant to make his point.
  "I'm asking you, do you care whether four Americans died?" McCain said. "And shouldn't people be held accountable for the fact that four Americans died?"
  Gregory, relentless, attempted to egg McCain on and have the lawmaker open up as to what exactly he thinks is being withheld from the public. ''But a massive cover-up of what?'' he asked again.
  "Of the information concerning the deaths of four brave Americans," McCain fired back. "The information has not been forthcoming. You obviously believe that it has. I know that it hasn't. And I'll be glad to send you a list of the questions that have not been answered, including 'What did the president do and who did he talk to the night of the attack on Benghazi?'"
  The truth regarding the Benghazi assault has continued to raise questions since the incident and matters have only been made worse by conflicting accounts coming from the White House, the US ambassador to the United Nations and the American intelligence community. Last week, Republicans in Congress halted the confirmation process for Hagel, by waging the first defense secretary nomination filibuster in the history of the country. Along with McCain, other Republicans have stressed that Hagel and other Obama nominees need to do more to explain the Benghazi attack before they could be confirmed.
  ''I don't think we should allow . . . Hagel to be confirmed as secretary of defense, until the White House gives us an accounting,'' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said days earlier on CBS' Face the Nation. ''Did the president ever pick up the phone and call anyone in the Libyan government to help these folks? What did the president do?'' Graham said.
  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has defended the president's choice by saying, "Chuck Hagel had nothing to do with the attack in Benghazi.'' After his appointment was put on hold last week, Sen. Reid called the Republican Party's efforts ''unfortunate,'' adding, "It is tragic that they have decided to filibuster this qualified nominee.''
  US President Barack Obama remains confident that his pick will be approved, however, and said, "My expectation and hope is that Chuck Hagel, who richly deserves to get a vote on the floor of the Senate, will be confirmed as our defense secretary."
Roy Lichtenstein: too cool for school?
  Link to Article
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:57
  Whaam! goes the painting, as the rocket hits, and the enemy fighter explodes in a livid, comic-book roar. Thud! goes the exhibition catalogue, with its earnest appraisals of Roy Lichtenstein's achievements, and its diligent chronicle of his life and works, all the awards and all the shows. Pheww! goes the critic, approaching the end of this retrospective at Tate Modern.
  Roy Lichtenstein: a RetrospectiveTate Modern,LondonStarts20 FebruaryUntil27 MayVenue websiteLichtenstein's show just keeps on coming: from early pop-art reworkings of comic-book strips, via stiffened up and Benday-dotted versions of Monet's Rouen Cathedral, Picasso's Femme d'Alger and Matisse's glum goldfish; from art-packed, implausible interiors and empty mirrors, to nasty reworkings of Chinese landscapes and awkward scenes of girl-on-girl bedroom lassitude.
  It all starts off so well. The exhibition opens with a room of mid-1960s drooling brushstrokes, rendered flat and graphic, the charge of all that writhing, painterly splatter caught in mid-stroke, outlined and frozen. The brushmarks, or rather their cartoonish equivalents, just hang there, suspended between accident and invention, and between life and its depiction. These paintings are a sort of mime, a parodic acting-out. A few years earlier, in the late 1950s, Lichtenstein was himself making brushy, rough and jumbly abstractions, but even then he never quite let go. In the early 1960s, he learned detachment, and with it came a different kind of sophistication.
  When the American pop artist took all the heroism out of abstract expressionism's lunges and swipes, and repainted them with a flattened, graphic panache, he cauterised all the blather and mystique of an earlier generation of American artists, voiding it of all its posturing masculinity. I think he began to question the whole idea of authenticity and self-created myth. But what started out as salutary ended up a sort of trap.
  I would have been happy to have lingered in those first few rooms. The second room takes us back to early pop, with paintings derived from comics and adverts, the charming vernacular of mis-registered blocks of colour, wonky line and hokey imagery lovingly blown up, edited and repainted. These paintings have a fond regard: a woman's hand sponges down a yellow wall and wipes away the grime. A shapely female leg and foot operate a labour-saving fliptop bin; a manicured hand wields an aerosol can. Pphhhht. Is it fly spray? Air freshener? Is it a phallic symbol?
  I don't know if Lichtenstein had much use for the psychological implications of his work. Everything is in and on the surface. There's a sort of blankness to his regard. Emotions, as well as his surfaces, are kept unerringly flat. Unlike Warhol's studied and affectless gaze, or Claes Oldenburg's humour, or James Rosenquist's weird excessiveness, Lichtenstein stays cool. He is ever the mannerist, even in his painted explosions and through all that comic-strip weeping.
  A detail from Artist's Studio No. 1 (Look Mickey), 1973. Photograph: (C) Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/DACS 2012. In 1961, he repainted an illustration from one of his infant son's books, an image of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse fishing, the duck catching a hook in his jacket and thinking he's hooked a big one. It's a dumb joke. Mickey laughs at the duck's mistake. If we laugh, it's because we recognise how dumb it is: what a daft subject it is for a painting, which then becomes a joke about art and the status of imagery, and what's fit to paint. This became perhaps the most familiar trope and strategy of pop: its elevation of the commonplace, the unregarded. The gag kept doing the rounds, from Warhol's soup cans to Richard Prince's reworked Esquire cartoons and beyond. Artists are still at it now. We live in an age of multiplied ironies and dead echoes. The depletion of meaning is a work that's never done with.
  Lichtenstein went on to paint the covers of notebooks and car tyres, liver salts fizzing in the glass and sparkly engagement rings, sunsets and beaches. All these are genial, funny paintings. What he is best known for, however, are his paintings derived from comics, almost all of which have a sort of subtext. "Why, Brad darling," says the blonde, as they stare at a painting whose back we see, various meaningless shapes grinning through the canvas, "This painting is a masterpiece! My, soon you'll have all of New York clamoring for your work!" Brad wears an "I know" expression. This work, Masterpiece (1962), whose image and speech bubble he borrowed from elsewhere, might have mirrored Lichtenstein's own career ambitions (that year, he held his first show with top New York dealer Leo Castelli), while also being ironical about success and the socio-sexual status of the hot young artist.
  A detail from Whaam!, 1963. Photograph: (C) Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/DACS 2012After this, it was all downhill for me. We encounter the first of Lichtenstein's several unfortunate forays into sculpture '' their brass shapes harking back to the high days of New York art deco '' and an increasing preoccupation with the work of other artists. There is a sense that this is all both homage and critique, though I don't think he adds anything to Picasso, to Matisse, or to any of the other artists he appropriated and reworked. Picasso kept evolving, and never degenerated into style. With Lichtenstein, it's pretty much all style and manner, never mind the multitude of references he plays with. I felt bludgeoned by his arch-sophistication; his detachment becomes an icy, stylish chill.
  Whenever I pass one of Lichtenstein's paintings in a museum I keep my distance. Why get close? The stencilled dots and lines and fillings-in don't get more interesting when you do, and in any case the shrill insistence of the colour and tempo are so shouty you want to hang back. There is a sculpture in Barcelona's Port Olympic that has annoyed me for 20 years. Before it says anything else, it shouts "I am a Lichtenstein!" In his later work, where he plays on various kinds of abstraction, the paintings look like the props used to dress stage sets. What he is doing here is as arty and contrived as the very things he's taking a pop at. His versions of Chinese landscape painting, with their dotted mists, self-conscious and unconvincing swirls of weak brushy colour, their tiny comic-book boats and coolie-hatted people are just horrible. You want to run away and look at the original works he is referring to.
  At his height, Lichtenstein was never afraid of the vulgar. He just dealt with it with a very long pair of tongs, and used his style as a form of quotation marks. He bleeds the inner life dry. His work makes you wonder if you have one. Warhol's work never had that effect. Everything turns about style in Lichtenstein, and for some reason this saddens me. The cumulative effect of seeing so much of his work together is to inure me to his undoubted gifts. Before the end, my spirit had sunk so low I wanted to creep away, all exclamation marks spent.
Hundreds of thousands line up for new mail app
  Link to Article
  Source: Reuters: Technology News
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:52
  By Natasha Baker
  TORONTO | Mon Feb 18, 2013 1:13pm EST
  TORONTO (Reuters) - More than 800,000 people are waiting to access a new iPhone app that aims to transform their email experience by helping them achieve the elusive "inbox zero" -- a fully processed and empty inbox.
  The Mailbox app, which launched this month, is slowly rolling out invitations to people waiting in line. The excitement, according to its creators, is a testament to their frustration with existing, out-dated methods of dealing with email.
  "The big shift is away from a mobile email client that is a shrunken version of a desktop email client towards a mobile email client focused primarily around processing and triage," said Gentry Underwood, the CEO and co-founder of Palo-Alto-based company Orchestra, which created the app.
  The ability to "snooze" an email, which is to defer it to another time, whether later in the day, on the weekend, or until the following week, is one of the main features of the app.
  "We want to decide 'do I need to reply now', 'can I deal with this later', or 'should I get it out of the way and never deal with it again?'" he said.
  The other strong point is its use of gestural swipes for quickly archiving, deleting and filing messages, or adding them to lists, such as "to read", or "to buy".
  The company, which also created to-do list app Orchestra, pulls inspiration from author David Allen's "Getting Things Done" system. The system outlines a rule of "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" to help people maintain empty inboxes.
  "That creates a very different experience and peace of mind where you know that everything is in its place," said Underwood.
  However, one problem with this system, according to Underwood, is that it requires discipline to constantly review folders where tasks are stored for future reference. To overcome this, the Mailbox app provides push notifications for emails that have been snoozed on the day when they are relevant.
  "All of a sudden you can have the blissful experience without developing the ninja-like discipline and that's the secret sauce behind this more euphoric experience," he said.
  The company is rolling out invitations for the app daily, but cannot provide specific timelines. The wait, according to Underwood, is in place to maintain stability of their system, which he said presents more of a challenge than standard apps.
  "Scaling something like an email service is really hard because it involves handling a lot of data and strange edge-cases -- email, file attachments, content in all sorts of languages," he added.
  In the meantime, a countdown in the app keeps people in line up-to-date on where they stand.
  The app provides many new features over the native iPhone mail app, however it lacks the ability to multi-edit or multi-delete emails.
  While the app currently only works with Gmail, the company plans to expand to other types of email and platforms in the future. It is available worldwide.
  (Editing by Paul Casciato)
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CNN reveals that driving stoned isn't a good idea
  Link to Article
  Source: TheBlaze.com - Blog
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:52
  Check out this piece of fine investigative journalism from CNN. KIRO-TV, a Seattle-based CBS affiliate, set out to see what would happen if you got people high on marijuana and then put them behind the wheel of a car. In a groundbreaking new report, CNN reveals that driving stoned can be dangerous:
  WATCH:
White House Press Corps Outraged at Being Shut Out of Obama's Entire Weekend | TheBlaze.com
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:35
  President Barack Obama arrives in Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on February 15, 2013 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The White House press corps. is expressing 'extreme frustration' at not having seen him since. (Photo: Getty Images)
  The White House press corps has been almost entirely shut out of President Obama's weekend in Florida, and the journalists who make a living recording the president's every move aren't happy about it.
  The Washington Post relates (all subsequent emphasis added):
  [Obama] disappeared late Friday evening behind the gates of the Floridian, a lush golf and residential compound off limits to the public. Neither the public outside those gates, nor the media, has seen him since.
  [...]
  A photo of Obama on the course with someone as famous as Woods is commonly a moment the ''traveling pool'' of about a dozen journalists is allowed to witness. White House officials declined to allow that Sunday.
  For the long weekend, the pool has been permitted just inside the Floridian gates, where reporters have used as their ''filing center'' a mirror-ceilinged party bus, the kind used for shouldn't-be-driving evenings of bacchanalia like bachelor parties.
  Because the president's motorcade has not left the compound, White House officials have explained, there is no reason for the pool to track the president's activities or to know who he is spending time with on a personal vacation.
  White House Correspondents Association's president Ed Henry released a statement condemning the lack of transparency Sunday:
  ''Speaking on behalf of the White House Correspondents Association, I can say a broad cross section of our members from print, radio, online and TV have today expressed extreme frustration to me about having absolutely no access to the President of the United States this entire weekend. There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency.''
  But White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest maintains:
  ''The press access granted by the White House today is entirely consistent with the press access offered for previous presidential golf outings. It's also consistent with the press access promised to the White House Press Corps prior to arrival in Florida on Friday evening.''
  ''
  Related:
Scale Implosion
  Link to Article
  Source: Clusterfuck Nation
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:45
  Back in the day when big box retail started to explode upon the American landscape like a raging economic scrofula, I attended many a town planning board meeting where the pro and con factions faced off over the permitting hurdle. The meetings were often raucous and wrathful and almost all the time the pro forces won -- for the excellent reason that they were funded and organized by the chain stores themselves (in an early demonstration of the new axioms that money-is-speech and corporations are people, too!). The chain stores won not only because they flung money around -- sometimes directly into the wallets of public officials -- but because a sizeable chunk of every local population longed for the dazzling new mode of commerce. "We Want Bargain Shopping" was their rallying cry. The unintended consequence of their victories through the 1970s and beyond was the total destruction of local economic networks, that is, Main Streets and downtowns, in effect destroying many of their own livelihoods. Wasn't that a bargain, though? Despite the obvious damage now visible in the entropic desolation of every American home town, WalMart managed to install itself in the pantheon of American Dream icons, along with apple pie, motherhood, and Coca Cola. In most of the country there is no other place to buy goods (and no other place to get a paycheck, scant and demeaning as it may be). America made itself hostage to bargain shopping and then committed suicide. Here we find another axiom of human affairs at work: people get what they deserve, not what they expect. Life is tragic. The older generations responsible for all that may be done for, but the momentum has now turned in the opposite direction. Though the public hasn't groked it yet, WalMart and its kindred malignant organisms have entered their own yeast-overgrowth death spiral. In a now permanently contracting economy the big box model fails spectacularly. Every element of economic reality is now poised to squash them. Diesel fuel prices are heading well north of $4 again. If they push toward $5 this year you can say goodbye to the "warehouse on wheels" distribution method. (The truckers, who are mostly independent contractors, can say hello to the re-po men come to take possession of their mortgaged rigs.) Global currency wars (competitive devaluations) are about to destroy trade relationships. Say goodbye to the 12,000 mile supply chain from Guangzhou to Hackensack. Say goodbye to the growth financing model in which it becomes necessary to open dozens of new stores every year to keep the credit revolving. Then there is the matter of the American customers themselves. The WalMart shoppers are exactly the demographic that is getting squashed in the contraction of this phony-baloney corporate buccaneer parasite revolving credit crony capital economy. Unlike the Federal Reserve, WalMart shoppers can't print their own money, and they can't bundle their MasterCard and Visa debts into CDOs to be fobbed off on Scandinavian pension funds for quick profits. They have only one real choice: buy less stuff, especially the stuff of leisure, comfort, and convenience. The potential for all sorts of economic hardship is obvious in this burgeoning dynamic. But the coming implosion of big box retail implies tremendous opportunities for young people to make a livelihood in the imperative rebuilding of local economies. At this stage it is probably discouraging for them, because all their life programming has conditioned them to be hostages of giant corporations and so to feel helpless. In a town like the old factory village I live in (population 2500) few of the few remaining young adults might venture to open a retail operation in one of the dozen-odd vacant storefronts on Main Street. The presence of K-Mart, Tractor Supply, and Radio Shack a quarter mile west in the strip mall would seem to mock their dim inklings that something is in the wind. But K-Mart will close over 200 boxes this year, and Radio Shack is committed to shutter around 500 stores. They could be gone in this town well before Santa Claus starts checking his lists. If they go down, opportunities will blossom. There will be no new chain store brands to replace the dying ones. That phase of our history is over. What we're on the brink of is scale implosion. Everything gigantic in American life is about to get smaller or die. Everything that we do to support economic activities at gigantic scale is going to hamper our journey into the new reality. The campaign to sustain the unsustainable, which is the official policy of US leadership, will only produce deeper whirls of entropy. I hope young people recognize this and can marshal their enthusiasm to get to work. It's already happening in the local farming scene; now it needs to happen in a commercial economy that will support local agriculture. The additional tragedy of the big box saga is that it scuttled social roles and social relations in every American community. On top of the insult of destroying the geographic places we call home, the chain stores also destroyed people's place in the order of daily life, including the duties, responsibilities, obligations, and ceremonies that prompt citizens to care for each other. We can get that all back, but it won't be a bargain. ____________________________________
Dr. Ben Carson: God Might Tell Him To Run For President
  Link to Article
  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:45
  The pediatric neurosurgeon who shocked Washington by using his speech at the non-partisan National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month to suggest that the Bible calls for a flat tax now says that God might tell him to run for president in 2016.
  In doing so, he joins a long list of Republicans who claim to converse with the Almighty and take their marching orders from above.
  As President Barack Obama sat just a few feet away, Dr. Ben Carson went on a 27-minute rant about political correctness and how Biblical "tithing" would make a better tax system. Fox News quickly heaped praise on Carson, while other conservative outlets like The Wall Street Journal and World Net Daily called for a presidential bid.
  In a Sunday morning appearance on ABC News, Carson suggested that a White House run wasn't out of the question if that was what God wanted.
  "It's not my intention to do that," Carson told ABC's Jonathan Karl. "But as I always say in every part of my life, I'll leave that up to God."
  Karl also asked the famed doctor what he thought of President Obama "as a leader."
  "I think he's a very talented politician," Carson hedged after a short pause. "There are a number of policies that I don't believe lead to the growth of our nation and don't lead to the elevation of our nation."
  "But what I would like to see more often in this nation is an open and intelligent conversation, not just people casting aspersions at each other," he remarked. "I mean, it's unbelievable to me the way that people act like third graders, and if somebody doesn't agree with them, 'they're this' or 'they're that' -- and it comes from both sides and it's so infantile."
Boy George onherkenbaar
  Link to Article
  Source: Telegraaf.nl - prive
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:28
  Boy George onherkenbaar - Priv(C) | Het laatste Priv(C) nieuws leest u op Prive.nl van De Telegraaf [prive]Uw browser ondersteunt geen javascript of javascript staat uitgeschakeld. Hierdoor kunnen er cookies geplaatst worden waar u geen toestemming voor heeft gegeven.
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Richard Marx Shockingly Compares Dr. Drew To Jack Kevorkian In Wake Of Mindy McCready's Suicide
  Link to Article
  Source: Radar Online
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:23
  Richard Marx took a shocking jab at Dr. Drew Pinksy in the wake of Mindy McCready's death Sunday, comparing the TV doctor to suicide doctorJack Kevorkian, as Mindy's death marks the fifth casualty from of the 41 famous faces to seek treatment from Pinksy's VH1 series, Celebrity Rehab.
  ''Such a drag to hear about Mindy McCready. Her poor children,'' the Right Here Waiting singer tweeted Sunday. ''I think 'Dr' Drew Pinsky should change his name to Kevorkian. Same results.''
  PHOTOS: Celebs Involved In Murder
  Other stars who have died from the Celebrity Rehab cast include Alice in Chains musician Mike Starr and Real World star Joey Kovar, who appeared on the third season with Mindy; and season two stars Jeff Conaway and Rodney King.
  Dr. Drew issued the following statement on Sunday: ''I am deeply saddened by this awful news. My heart goes out to Mindy's family and children. She is a lovely woman who will be missed by many.
  PHOTOS: Mindy McCready Through The Years
  ''Although I have not treated her for few years, I had reached out to her recently upon hearing about the apparent suicide of her boyfriend and father of her younger children. She was devastated. Although she was fearful of stigma and ridicule she agreed with me that she needed to make her health and safety a priority. Unfortunately it seems that Mindy did not sustain her treatment.
  ''Mental health issues can be life threatening and need to be treated with the same intensity and resources as any other dangerous potentially life threatening medical condition. Treatment is effective. If someone you know is suffering please be sure he or she gets help and maintains treatment.''
  PHOTOS: Rihanna & Chris Brown Go Public At Lakers/Knicks Game
  It's the second controversial tweet from the soft rock singer this month, as he previously called out Grammy organizers for trying to sanction a dress code while welcoming convicted felon Chris Brown with open arms.
  He tweeted: '''Risque' clothing banned at Grammys but guys who beat up women? Come ooonnn downnnnn'.....#goodcallgrammys' '... Technically that tweet was about ANY d**kbag who hits women.''
BBC strike: presenters join walkout
  Link to Article
  Source: The Guardian World News
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:22
  BBC strike: Lauren Laverne was replaced by the Charlatans' Tim Burgess on 6 Music. Photograph: Tim Whitby/Getty Images
  BBC 6 Music host Lauren Laverne and Newsnight's Paul Mason were among thousands of corporation staff to go on strike on Monday, forcing several flagship news programmes off the air and playing havoc with radio and TV schedules.
  Laverne's refusal to cross the picket line caused the BBC to reshedule an appearance from former the Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. The Charlatans frontman, Tim Burgess, stepped in to present her 10am show.
  Mason, Newsnight's economics editor, joined about 15 BBC staff on the picket line outside the corporation's New Broadcasting House headquarters in central London.
  The 24-hour strike over job cuts caused noticeable disruption to the BBC's morning schedules, with presenters John Humphrys and Evan Davis replaced by pre-recorded shows on Radio 4 as Today went off the air.
  Michelle Stanistreet, the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said the strike sent a "really significant" message to BBC managers about union members' opposition to planned compulsory redundancies.
  "From members that I've spoken to the panic from managers in the last few days has been palpable in the newsrooms as they've tried to prepare for today," Stanistreet told MediaGuardian.
  Speaking outside New Broadcasting House, Stanistreet said the huge payoffs to BBC executives in the past year had angered rank-and-file journalists who had borne the brunt of cost-saving measures. She cited the £670,000 recouped by former chief operation officer Caroline Thomson when she left the BBC shortly after losing out on the director general's job to George Entwistle, who quit at the height of the Jimmy Savile scandal.
  "It's absolutely hardened opinion and the frustration and anger among NUJ members at the BBC has really been building in recent months," she said.
  "Not only has the impact of the cuts been felt now '' we're seeing the effect on quality journalist and programming '' but they're having to sit by and hear revelation after revelation at the reality of executive pay, the payoffs that have been given to people like [former chief operating officer] Caroline Thomson. All the time they're supposed to accept that journalism at the BBC is being compromised as a result of the cuts '' they've simply had enough."
  The NUJ said it has 4,000 members at the BBC and that there were picket lines from Southampton to Shetland. The Chinese state broadcaster, CCTV, sent reporters to cover the strike the BBC's New Broadcasting House.
  Tory Blair, an NUJ representative at the BBC, said she had been outside the corporation's new London headquarters since 5.30am and that turnout had been strong. "A lot of people have stayed away. There was a big walkout last night and there was no Today programme this morning."
  Another striker, David Gallagher, complained about the pay of BBC executives enforcing the cutbacks. "There are too many senior managers, they are too highly paid, and there are too many people who have lost a real sense of public service. I hope [new director general] Tony Hall will restore some of that when he comes in," he said.
  Meanwhile, one of the main causes of the strike, BBC Scotland, has been warned by politicians that some of its cuts could potentially put it in breach of the BBC's Royal Charter.
  In a letter to BBC Scotland chief Ken MacQuarrie, the Scottish Parliament's cross-party education and culture committee has questioned plans to merge the education and local government reporter roles.
  The committee said it had concerns about the move, adding: "The committee has noted the terms of sections 4 (a) and (b) of the royal charter for the continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation under which the public purposes of the BBC include "sustaining citizenship and civil society" and "promoting education and learning".
  It went on: "It would be helpful if you could confirm how under a single post-holder you envisage these purposes can be maintained. As an aside, the committee notes that, in the week of the committee meeting, the local government reporter covered stories ranging from business to energy and adverse weather conditions."
  The committee has asked MacQuarrie to respond by 22 February.
  In addition, some members of the National Union of Journalists have reacted angrily to an email sent to staff at the end of last week by acting director general Tim Davie reminding them of "BBC policies around industrial action" and saying big strides have been made, "ensuring those facing redundancy get a chance to apply first for nearly all new vacancies".
  One NUJ member sent Davie a reply, which has been circulated internally and seen by the Guardian, which claimed: "We never get the chance to apply before anyone else; that would be a good starting point if it were possible. Instead, we have our CVs loaded in a priority pool which HR are supposed to check before advertising '' but it simply doesn't happen!
  "I have highlighted to HR a number of occasions where my CV was not pulled from the priority pool for jobs where I was at least a partial '' if not a full match. I would be happy to go through this evidence with you and Lucy Adams if you want; you might then see why it is so hurtful and difficult to be in our position."
  ' To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@guardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
  ' To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/mediaguardian and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mediaguardian
Vatican bank president's links to warship manufacturing blindsides Holy See
  Link to Article
  Source: Global Geopolitics
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:20
  In the Vatican there's a German pope, a German bank president with connections to German aristocratic families as well as a German military connection. Is history repeating itself?
  ATICAN CITY '-- The Vatican was drawn into a new controversy Friday after acknowledging that its bank's new president is also chairman of a shipbuilder making warships '-- a significant conflict for an institution that has long shunned ties to military manufacturing.
  The Vatican announced to great fanfare that Pope Benedict XVI had signed off on one of the last major appointments of his papacy, approving Ernst von Freyberg as president of the Vatican's bank, officially known as the Institute for Religious Works.
  The Vatican spokesman was caught off-guard, though, when a journalist noted that the German shipbuilder von Freyberg chairs, Blohm + Voss, is known for its military ship construction.
  The Rev. Federico Lombardi demurred and defended the selection. He later issued a statement saying von Freyberg chairs a civilian branch of Blohm + Voss, which repairs and transforms cruise ships and builds yachts '-- but that the company is currently part of a consortium that is building four frigates for the German navy.
  '...
  Michael Brasse, spokesman for Blohm + Voss in Hamburg, said that von Freyberg is chairman of the executive board of Blohm + Voss Shipyards, a unit that concentrates on building civilian ships.
  But before Blohm + Voss Shipyards and other non-military units of Blohm + Voss were sold in 2011 to Star Capital Partners, its military shipbuilding unit, Blohm + Voss Naval, had contracted with the German Defence Ministry for four new frigates. Blohm + Voss Naval subcontracted the actual construction of those vessels to Blohm + Voss Shipyards.
  Though Blohm + Voss Naval is now known as ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH, and is entirely separate from the other Blohm + Voss units, the Shipyards unit is still constructing the frigates under the legacy contract.
  '...
  Lombardi pointed out that Blohm + Voss is not engineering or designing military equipment, just involved in steel welding and docking. Germany's navy has contributed frigates and other ships to the EU's anti-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa.
  The revelation dominated what was supposed to have been the Vatican's triumphant appointment of a new president for the bank after its last president, Italian banker Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, was fired nine months ago for incompetence.
  Gotti Tedeschi's stunning ouster came just as the Vatican was submitting its finances to a review by the Council of Europe's Moneyval committee in a bid to join the list of financially transparent countries.
  The Vatican last summer passed the test of the Moneyval committee, which seeks to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. But the IOR and the Vatican's financial watchdog agency received failing grades.
  The new president will be tasked with bringing the IOR into compliance by Moneyval's next review.
  The Vatican stressed von Freyberg's Catholic credentials, noting that he was a member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, an ancient chivalrous military order drawn from European nobility. He himself is a member of one of Germany's aristocratic families.
The great Portuguese sell-off
  Link to Article
  Source: Global Geopolitics
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:20
  First Greece was subjugated and forced to yield (still is) national sovereignty, now comes Portugal. One country at a time, the European continent is being captured via economic warfare. Be it the Troika or the EU itself, all roads lead back to Europe's powerhouse, Berlin, and it's Fourth Reich making the capture. With the Vatican undergoing a leadership transition and possible candidate elected this St. Patrick's Day, we could likely soon see the revived Holy Roman Empire.
  Little by little, the Portuguese state is going down in defeat. In April 2011, when the country got a loan of '‚¬78bn from the troika (EC, ECB and IMF) to avoid bankruptcy, it committed itself to privatisation. But under the leadership of Passos Coelho, a model student of the fiscal discipline demanded by the troika, the sell-off of the ''crown jewels'' '' what's left of them, that is '' has sped up.
  '...
  For the 80,000 or so inhabitants of Viana, like for the rest of the country, the powerful wave of privatisation is causing a lot of worry. ''Some of these state enterprises are gems, others are junk buckets, but they're all strategic assets. And we're losing them forever,'' worries Bernardo S Barbosa, head of the local weekly Aurora do Lima. The Socialist mayor, Jos(C) Maria Costa, shares a growing national concern: the feeling that the country is losing its sovereignty. In a vast room at City Hall, this engineer by training reacts very angrily to the policy of the executive: ''By taking away our public assets, which are so vital, to the benefit of foreign companies, and private interests at that, we're losing control of our own destiny. I even fear that in the end it will affect our freedom and democracy.''
  Around the area, it's the fate of the naval shipyards (ENVC) that is causing the most anxiety. After the public hospital, the municipality and the German company Enercon (which employs 1,200 people manufacturing wind turbines), ENVC is a major employer in the Upper Minho region. Especially since, once orders do come in, the work at the shipyards has a multiplier effect on all the peripheral businesses '' from transport companies to SMEs manufacturing assembly parts, to local businesses. ''Since the yards have shut down it's been a depression around here,'' laments hotelier Lucilia Passos Cruz. ''When they're sold off, foreign workers will fill up the restaurants and hotels. All that will be left to us will be tourism and our surfing beaches.''
  Full article: The great Portuguese sell-off (Presseurop)
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TV fees: Is Germany getting its money worth?
  Link to Article
  Source: The Local - Germany's news in English
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:18
  Published: 18 Feb 13 14:40 CET | Print versionOnline: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130218-48033.html
  More than half of Germans feel their public television isn't worth what they pay in licence fees. Is German TV worth '‚¬17.89 a month or must broadcasters up their game? Have your say.
  Polling group YouGov asked Germany what it thought about the telly on offer, and 51 percent said that they ''absolutely did not agree'' that the selection of programmes was worth the price tag. Just seven percent said that they ''absolutely agreed.''In fact, two thirds of those asked said that they felt ARD and ZDF state broadcasters had plenty of room for improvement.
  German public television is known for its staid shows without evening advert breaks, but foreign sitcoms are often shown on private channels with lots of commercials.
  For decades, many people dodged paying the obligatory GEZ TV fees for public broadcasting. Yet at the beginning of 2013, German law changed meaning every single household had to pay for a licence, regardless of whether or not it has a television or radio. The price has remained the same from before the switch, prompting 78 percent of those YouGov asked to say they thought it was too high.
  Should Germany lower its fees in order to appease unhappy viewers, admitting defeat to increasingly popular foreign sitcoms?
  Or should Germany's public broadcasters think about changing what they air, perhaps using money from the TV license payments to more engaging television? Have your say.
  Registered users of The Local may add their comments in the field below. If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so here '' it's free and only takes a moment.
  The Local/jcw
Saxo Bank CEO Says Euro Is Doomed as Currency Woes Resurface.
  Link to Article
  Source: WT news feed
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:17
  Lars Seier Christensen, co-chief executive officer of Danish bank Saxo Bank A/S, said the euro's recent rally is illusory and the shared currency is set to fail because the continent hasn't supported it with a fiscal union.
  ''The whole thing is doomed,'' Christensen said yesterday in an interview at the bank's Dubai office. ''Right now we're in one of those fake solutions where people think that the problem is contained or being addressed, which it isn't at all.''
  The euro has gained 8.2 percent versus the dollar in the past six months and reached as high as $1.3711 on Feb. 1, the strongest since Nov. 14, 2011. The European Central Bank forecasts the euro-area economy will shrink 0.3 percent this year and ECB President Mario Draghi said on Feb. 7 that the currency's gains pose a risk for growth and inflation.
  While the euro has strengthened, the economies of Germany, France and Italy all shrank more than estimated in the fourth quarter. Ministers from the 17-member euro area met during the week to discuss aid to Cyprus and Greece as a tightening election contest in Italy and a political scandal in Spain threaten to reignite the region's debt crisis.
  ''I'd be a bigger seller of the euro at anything near 1.4,'' according to Christensen, who said he isn't making any speculative bets against the currency.
  The euro declined 0.2 percent to 1.3332 against the dollar, falling for a fourth day.
  Shrinking InvestmentFrance is grappling with shrinking investment, job cuts by companies such as Renault SA and pressure from European partners to speed budget cuts. While Germany expanded 0.7 percent last year, France posted no growth and Italy probably contracted more than 2 percent, the weakest in the euro area after Greece and Portugal, according to the European Commission.
  The economy is on the brink of its third recession in four years and the highest joblessness since 1998. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Feb. 13 the country won't make its budget-deficit target of 3 percent of gross domestic product this year as the economy fails to generate growth and taxes.
  ''Another possible fallout is getting rid of some of the countries that are being ruined by being in the euro, notably the southern European economies,'' Christensen said. ''People have been dramatically underestimating the problems the French are going to get from this. Once the French get into a full- scale crisis, it's over. Even the Germans cannot pay for that one and probably will not.''
  Cyprus ElectionCyprus has been shut out of debt markets for nearly two years with lenders including Bank of Cyprus Plc and Cyprus Popular Bank Plc losing 4.5 billion euros ($6 billion) in Greece's debt restructuring last year. The nation is holding a presidential ballot today where the economy is the main issue rather than reunification of the divided island.
  Spanish and Italian bonds rose last week as debt sales allayed concern the nations may struggle to raise funds before Italy goes to the polls to elect a new prime minister. Yields on Spain's 10-year bonds fell for the first week in five as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the country had achieved ''enormous progress'' in its reforms. The spread between Spanish 10-year bonds and comparable German securities decreased two basis points to 354 basis points.
  Spain, which plans to sell three- and nine-month bills tomorrow and bonds maturing in 2015, 2019 and 2023 on Feb. 21, faces a sixth year of slump. Output is forecast to contract for a second year in 2013 with unemployment at 27 percent amid the deepest budget cuts in the nation's democratic history.
  Record DebtPublic-sector debt is at record levels, having more than doubled from 40 percent of gross domestic product in 2008. The European Commission, which is due to update its forecasts this week, sees it rising to 97.1 percent of GDP next year.
  ''It's the political world that has been extremely supportive of the euro, not for economic reasons but for political reasons,'' said Christensen, a long-time critic of the single currency who now lives in Switzerland.
  TPG Capital, the private equity firm started by David Bonderman, bought a 30 percent stake in Saxo Bank in August 2011 for about $560 million. Christensen and co-founder and co-CEO Kim Fournais maintain majority ownership of the company.
  The Hellerup, Denmark-based bank said in August that first half profit dropped to 44 million kroner ($7.8 million) from 346 million kroner a year earlier.
  To contact the reporter on this story: Mahmoud Kassem in Abu Dhabi at mkassem1@bloomberg.net
  To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dale Crofts at dcrofts@bloomberg.net
  Saxo Bank A/S co-Chief Executive Officer Lars Seier Christensen said, ''Right now we're in one of those fake solutions where people think that the problem is contained or being addressed, which it isn't at all.'' Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
  The European Central Bank forecasts the euro-area economy will shrink 0.3 percent this year. Photographer: Ralph Orlowski/Bloomberg
One in twenty hospital deaths preventable - Health News - NHS Choices
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:10
  Friday July 13 2012
  An estimated 12,000 hospital deaths a year are preventable
  Poor hospital care is ''needlessly killing 1,000 NHS patients a month'', The Daily Telegraph headline reads. It says that the largest ever study of errors in British hospitals has found that one patient in 10 is affected by potentially serious medical errors, with half of them dying as a result.
  This study was a review of the patient records of 1,000 adults who died in 10 hospitals across England in 2009. Medical reviewers who examined the records considered that one death in 20 had a greater than 50% chance of being preventable.
  The researchers defined a ''preventable death'' as:
  caused by a failure in correctly diagnosing or treating a conditioncaused by treatments that should never have been considered because of safety concernsA recent example of a preventable death, highlighted by the Telegraph, was the tragic death of Kane Gorny. His inquest found that he died from dehydration due to a combination of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
  Most of these ''possibly preventable'' deaths occurred among elderly, frail patients with multiple other medical problems. This raises debate over whether these deaths were actually ''preventable''.
  Based on these figures the reviewers estimated that almost 12,000 (11,859) adult deaths would have been preventable in England during 2009. These are important findings, but are estimates only '' the reviewers only examined the records of 1,000 patients from a sample of hospitals.
  While a single preventable death is one too many, the researchers actually found that the number of preventable deaths was far lower than previously thought. Some previous estimates put the number of preventable deaths occurring every year in England as high as 40,000. The researchers were keen to stress, ''this does not mean that preventable deaths should be ignored and no attempt made to improve our understanding of their causes''.
  Where did the story come from?This study was conducted by researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the National Patient Safety Agency, Imperial College London and the University of Newcastle. The study was funded by the National Institute of Health Research, Research for Patient Benefit Programme. It was published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal Quality & Safety.
  The media coverage is generally representative of this research, but the Independent's headline states that doctors are to blame for the deaths. While doctor-related factors such as misdiagnosis or treatment errors were considered to have contributed to some of the deaths, the study has not reported the specific errors, or implied any responsibility for the errors.
  What kind of research was this?This was a review of the medical records of adults who died in hospitals in England during 2009. The researchers say that previous national and international studies have given wide estimates of the number of preventable deaths that occur in hospital, with estimates for England ranging from 840 to 40,000 deaths a year. However, these studies have not assessed whether adverse events could have contributed to death. This is what the current review aimed to assess.
  In the current study, trained medical reviewers examined the records and identified issues with care that could have contributed to the deaths. The researchers say that a retrospective review of medical records is the most sensitive approach in determining the proportion of hospital deaths that are preventable. They based their study design on previous similar reviews that have been performed in the UK, the Netherlands and the US.
  As only a random sample of hospitals and patient records was examined, the number given of annual preventable deaths across England is only an estimate. Also, though the researchers ensured all medical reviewers were fully trained, and checked their assessments, the review will unavoidably contain an element of subjective judgement.
  What did the research involve?The researchers identified deceased patients from 10 randomly selected English acute hospital trusts. The random sampling had been stratified to ensure it contained:
  a spread of hospitals representative of each region of Englandhospitals containing different numbers of bedsboth teaching and non-teaching hospitalsThey chose to sample 1,000 patient deaths based on their estimate of the number of deaths they expected to be preventable (6%). From each of the 10 hospitals the medical records of 100 patients who had died in hospital during 2009 were randomly selected using the hospital administration system in each trust.
  The researchers wanted to focus on general medical and surgical admissions, so excluded paediatric, obstetric and psychiatric hospital admissions.
  Judgement of preventable deaths was carried out in two stages. First, the reviewers were asked to judge whether there had been any problem in care that had contributed to the patient's death. Such care problems were defined as:
  errors of omission or inaction (for example, failure to diagnose and treat when needed)errors of commission or actions (for example, giving incorrect treatment)harm as a result of unintended complications of healthcareSecond, for each case where a problem in care was identified, the reviewers then judged whether the death could have been prevented.
  This two-stage process was used because some care issues that contributed to death may not necessarily have been the result of poor practice. For example, if a patient with a heart attack was appropriately given an anti-clotting drug, but giving that drug then caused them to die from a brain bleed, the death would not be considered preventable. Reviewers judged preventability on a six-point scale ranging from one (definitely not preventable) to six (definitely preventable). Deaths were judged to be preventable if reviewers gave a score of four, five or six on the scale. That is, there was a more than 50% chance that the death was preventable.
  The reviewers were general medical doctors recruited through the Royal College of Physicians, who received training in the review process. To validate their assessments a sample of 25% of the notes was examined by another reviewer, and each case that was considered to be a preventable death was discussed with the principal investigator and an expert reviewer.
  What were the basic results?In the first stage of review, 131 patients were identified as having experienced a problem in care that contributed to their death. In the second stage of review 52 of these deaths (5.2% of the total sample reviewed) were judged to be preventable (95% confidence interval 3.8% to 6.6%). This was 39.7% of the 131 cases identified to have had a problem in care contributing to death. These 52 deaths had received a score of four to six suggesting there was a greater than 50% chance the death was preventable. There were no significant differences between the proportions of preventable deaths found at each of the 10 hospitals.
  Patients with preventable deaths were more likely to have been admitted under surgical specialties, and most of the problems occurred during ward care. In 73% of preventable deaths more than one problem in care was identified. The most frequent problems were related to:
  clinical monitoring (such as failure to act upon test results or monitor patients appropriately) '' identified as a problem in 31% of preventable deathsdiagnosis (such as problems with physical examination or failure to seek a specialist opinion) '' identified as a problem in 30% of preventable deathsdrugs or fluid management '' identified as a problem in 21% of preventable deathsMost preventable deaths (60%) occurred in elderly, frail patients with multiple other medical problems who were judged to have had less than one year of life left to live.
  The researchers considered that if 5.2% of deaths in hospital are preventable, there would be 11,859 preventable adult deaths in English NHS hospitals each year (based on 228,065 adult deaths in hospitals in England in 2009).
  How did the researchers interpret the results?The researchers conclude that the incidence of preventable hospital deaths in England is lower than previous estimates, though the burden of harm from preventable problems in care is still substantial. They say that ''a focus on deaths may not be the most efficient approach to identify opportunities for improvement given the low proportion of deaths due to problems with healthcare''.
  ConclusionThis was a well-conducted study that has important findings. Around 5% of the 1,000 patient deaths examined were judged to have been preventable due to issues with healthcare. The reviewers used this figure to calculate that almost 12,000 deaths a year are preventable '' the 1,000 a month figure quoted in the media.
  The main thing to be aware of is that these are estimates based on a relatively small sample only. The researchers reviewed only 1,000 deaths from 10 English hospitals. However, the researchers did make careful attempts to ensure that their selection was a representative sample of hospitals from across England.
  The researchers also ensured that the medical reviewers were fully trained in the review process, and they also validated their assessments by performing a second review of a sample of 25% of the notes. Additionally, each case that was considered to be a preventable death was discussed with the principal investigator and an expert reviewer. Despite this, there will still have been some subjective analysis, and a different set of reviewers may have come up with different figures.
  Related to this is the use of the six-point scale. Scores of four to six were considered to be preventable deaths, though the researchers say that using a more stringent definition of preventable (scores of five and six only) gave an estimate of 2.3%, rather than 5.2%. Though, similarly, using a more relaxed definition of preventable (scores of three to six) would raise the proportion of possibly preventable deaths to 8.5%.
  Despite the alarmist media headlines, the researchers conclude that the number of preventable hospital deaths is actually much lower than previous estimates. They consider that ''given the low proportion of deaths due to problems with healthcare'', focusing on patient deaths may not be the best way of finding ways to improve healthcare. This seems to be a sensible conclusion.
  Of interest is the fact that the independent National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death (NCEPOD), an independent charitable organisation, commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Pathway (HQIP), performs regular reviews of medical and surgical practice in UK hospitals and makes recommendations for improving the quality of healthcare. It does this through extensive confidential surveys and research covering many different aspects of care, including the review of medical and surgical records of patients who have died, and interviews of the treating consultants. NCEPOD produce several reports a year focusing on specific aspects of healthcare. These typically involve the review of several thousand records. It would be well worth comparing NCEPOD's findings with those of this study.
  Analysis byBazian. Edited byNHS Choices. FollowBehind the Headlines on twitter.
John Brennan: From Mecca to Washington
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:10
  Editor's note: The graphic on the left is created by our IllustWriter Bosch Fawstin. Visit his site here.
  In 1853, the British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton visited Mecca. Since Mecca was and is off limits to non-Muslims on pain of dearth, Burton passed himself off as a Muslim by undergoing circumcision and disguising himself as a Pashtun. ''Nothing could save a European detected by the populace, or one who after pilgrimage declared himself an unbeliever,'' Burton wrote.
  350 years earlier, the Italian adventurer Ludovico di Varthema became the first non-Muslim to enter Mecca since the Muslim conquest. Ludovico had enlisted as a mercenary and succeeded in passing as a Mamluk, one of the white slave soldiers of the Sultanate, who had been converted to Islam. Ludovico was eventually caught out as a Christian, but escaped after a love affair with one of the Sultan's wives.
  Other Christians had visited Mecca, but always disguised as Muslims. The British cabin boy Joseph Pitts, captured by Muslim slavers and forcibly converted to Islam, visited Mecca, before managing to return home and return to his religion. Similar accounts were told by other European Christian slaves.
  In 1979, hundreds of Islamists using weapons smuggled in a coffin seized the Grand Mosque of Mecca. The Saudi military, commanded by the sons of important men, rather than by competent men, proved absolutely hopeless in fighting them. So instead they turned to the French.
  The French commandos of GIGN were expert at dealing with terrorist crises, but they were not Muslim and so could not be allowed into Mecca. The solution was simple. The Frenchmen underwent a rapid conversion to Islam and the siege of the Great Mosque commenced. The conversion did not take hold, but the principle remained. An infidel could not enter Mecca, even to save the House of Saud.
  During his time as the CIA Station Chief in Saudi Arabia, John Brennan spoke of marveling ''at the majesty of the Hajj and the devotion of those who fulfilled their duty as Muslims by making that pilgrimage.'' If Brennan did indeed visit Mecca during the Hajj, then he could have only done it by converting to Islam, like John Pitts, or pretending to have done so, like the GIGN commandos.
  John Guandolo, a former FBI agent and Islam expert, has alleged that the conversion took place during Brennan's time in Saudi Arabia. And he also alleges that this conversion has been confirmed by other American officials who were in Saudi Arabia at the time. These allegations are especially explosive as Brennan has moved up through the ranks to become Obama's nominee to head the CIA.
  Guandolo's allegation goes beyond the question of religion. Rather he alleges that the conversion was part of an espionage recruitment process. In an interview with Tom Trento of The United West, he said, ''Mr. Brennan did convert to Islam when he served in a senior official capacity in Saudi Arabia. His conversion to Islam was the culmination of a counter-intelligence operation against him to recruit him.''
  The Soviet Union recruited spies by convincing them of the virtues of Communism. Saudi Arabia might well recruit its infidel agents by convincing them of the worth of Islam. There is of course no way to know what is in Brennan's heart. But while we may not know what Brennan believes, as John Guandolo has pointed out, we do know what he has done.
  Brennan's supposed conversion to Islam was only the third of two other points that the former FBI agent argued make him unfit for duty. The first is that Brennan has developed links with the Muslim Brotherhood and that he has brought ''known leaders of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood into the government in positions to advise the US Government on counterterrorism strategy as well as the overall quote unquote War on Terror.'' And the second is that Brennan reduces the War on Terror to Al Qaeda.
  While Brennan did not innovate either of these two approaches, if he was indeed recruited by the Saudis, then they may be more than mere cluelessness. It's not unusual for military and intelligence officials to visit Saudi Arabia and then leave it repeating the classic Saudi talking points about Islam as a stabilizing influence on the region and Israel as a destabilizing influence.
  There are countless generals and diplomats who robotically insist that Bin Laden must not be referred to as a Muslim to diminish his influence and that the Muslim Brotherhood and other political Islamists are the only hope for countering the violent Islamism of Al Qaeda. The fundamental question is whether such disinformation is spread out of ignorance, or out of knowledge.
  That is the final question that Guandolo raises about John Brennan. ''The fact that foreign intelligence service operatives recruited Mr. Brennan when he was in a very sensitive and senior US Government position in a foreign country means that he is either a traitor, which I'm not saying, but that's one of the options, and he did this all unwillingly and unknowingly ,or he did this unwittingly, which means that he is naive and does not have the ability to discern, to understand how to walk in those environments, which makes him completely unfit to be the Director of Central Intelligence.''
  What is problematic in a general or a senator is even more troubling in the Director of the CIA. Military men are expected to be somewhat direct and take things as they are. But the director of an intelligence agency is expected to see threats where no one else does, to test the waters and look past the obvious. And if he cannot do that, then he is simply not qualified. And that is the larger point that John Guandolo makes.
  Whether or not Brennan had a moment of submission on the road to Mecca or whether he is simply acting as a useful idiot for the people who perpetrated the attacks of September 11, he is not qualified to be the point man in the War on Terror. As the military side of the war draws to a close with a defeat in Afghanistan, the Central Intelligence Agency will take on a greater degree of importance in the fight against Islamic terrorism.
  During the Cold War, the CIA was often infiltrated by the KGB, nullifying America's intelligence capabilities in the Cold War. It would be a terrible shame if history repeated itself with Islam in the War on Terror.
  Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.
Brit Taken by Kidnappers with Ties to Al Qaeda
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:43
  A British worker is among seven foreigners taken hostage in Nigeria after gunmen thought to be linked to al-Qaeda stormed a construction compound in the remote north of the country.
  The workers, who also include an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese, were snatched after their kidnappers killed a security guard at the compound in Bauchi state.The incident is the latest in a series of kidnappings in Africa's most populous country. It comes just weeks after more than 40 foreign hostages - including two Scots - were killed when terrorists attacked an Algerian gas plant, and will heighten fears for thousands of western workers in the region.
  While no-one has claimed responsibility for this latest incident, it is thought the al-Qaeda-aligned Ansaru, which has become increasingly active in recent months, may be to blame.The kidnapping, which took place on Saturday night, is the worst case of foreigners being taken captive in Nigeria's Muslim north since an insurgency by Islamist militants intensified nearly two years ago.
  Bauchi police chief Mohammed Ladan said the gunmen attacked a police station and a prison before storming the compound belonging to construction firm Setraco in the town of Jama'are.
  "We repelled the attack on the police station and the security men at the prison yard also repelled the attack, but they burnt two vehicles in Jama'are police station," Mr Ladan said."They then attacked Setraco construction, killed a local security guard and they succeeded in kidnapping people."
  Local government chairman Adamu Aliyu and security sources confirmed a Briton was among those taken. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was unable to give further details.
  The Italian news agency Ansa later said authorities confirmed an Italian had been kidnapped in the attack. It quoted foreign minister Giulio Terzi saying the safety of the hostage must be given "absolute priority".
  Western governments are increasingly concerned about Islamists in Nigeria linking up with groups outside the region, including al-Qaeda's North African wing al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).Last year, Ansaru claimed responsibility for a dawn raid on a major police station in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, during which it said hundreds of prisoners were released.
  Last month, it attacked a convoy of Nigerian troops en route to deployment in Mali.It is also believed to be responsible for the kidnap of 28- year-old British engineer Chris McManus, who was snatched in February 2011 along with Italian Franco Lamolinara.
  The two men were held for ten months before being shot dead by their captors as British and Nigerian troops prepared to launch a rescue attempt.Ansaru is understood to have some links with another Islamist group, Boko Harm, which has sought to exploit Nigeria's weak central government through a bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.Boko Haram, whose name means "western education is sacrilege" in the Hausa language of Nigeria's north, is blamed for killing at least 792 people in 2012 alone.
  Foreigners, long abducted by militant groups and criminal gangs for ransom in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta, have become targeted in Nigeria's north as the violence has grown. However, abductions of foreigners in the north have seen hostages regularly killed.In May last year, gunmen in Kaduna state shot and killed a Lebanese and a Nigerian construction worker, while kidnapping another Lebanese employee.
  Later that month, kidnappers shot a German hostage dead during a rescue operation.In December, more than 30 attackers stormed a house in the northern Nigeria state of Kaduna, killing two people and kidnapping a French engineer working on a renewable energy project there.Chinese construction workers also have been killed by gunmen around Maiduguri, the northeastern city in Nigeria where Boko Haram first began.
  In the most recent attack, two North Korean doctors working for a hospital in Yobe state were stabbed to death and a third beheaded. No group claimed responsibility for that attack.Foreign embassies in Nigeria have issued travel warnings for northern Nigeria for months.
  The most recent advice from the FCO is to avoid all travel to some parts of the country and to avoid all but essential travel to Bauchi, where Saturday's kidnapping took place.Worries about abductions have increased in recent weeks with the French military intervention in Mali, as its troops and Malian soldiers try to root out Islamic fighters who took over the north in the months following a military coup.
  Last week, the US embassy in Abuja put out a warning following the killing of polio workers in Kano and the killing of the North Korean doctors.A spokesman for the FCO said it was working with the Nigerian authorities following Saturday's incident.
  (C) Copyright 2013 The Scotsman. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://m.aljazeera.com/story/201321811139502626
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:47
  Arms sales drop for first time since 1990s
  Last updated: 1 hour ago
  Sales by 100 biggest weapons makers fell by five percent compared to last year, according to new think-tank report.The world's largest arms manufacturers are expanding their cybersecurity businesses as sales of traditional weapons slump for the first time in decades.
  Arms sales by the 100 biggest weapons makers fell for the first time since the mid-1990s in 2011 as economies slowed and purchases of equipment were reduced, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday.
  The end of the US war in Iraq, and the ongoing drawdown in Afghanistan, also pushed down sales, which ammounted to $410bn last year, a five percent drop [adjusted for inflation] from 2010.
  SIPRI, which has been compiling the list since 1989, does not include Chinese-based firms due to a lack of available data.
  "Austerity policies and proposed and actual decreases in military expenditure as well as postponements in weapons programme procurement affected overall arms sales in North America and Western Europe," it said in a statement.
  "The drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan and the sanctions on arms transfers to Libya also played a role."
  US and Europe leaders
  Spending fell for the first time since the mid-1990s, when defence spending was falling after the Cold War, Susan Jackson, a researcher at SIPRI, said.
  Sales growth had already slowed in 2010, to 1 percent from 8 percent in 2009, as the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq held back demand.
  Of the firms monitored by the group in 2011, 74 were based in the US and western Europe, generating 90 percent of the sales, roughly unchanged from 2010.
  The top spots were little changed from 2010 with US firm Lockheed Martin still the biggest, with $36.3bn in sales. Boeing placed second, with $31.8bn in sales, followed by British BAE Systems with $29.1bn.
  SIPRI said a strong recent trend among big arms makers was diversification into cyber-security - protecting computers and networks against intrusions and attacks - as public spending in this area remained a privileged area in Western countries despite budget austerity.
  "Cyber-security has become a top national security issue and there has been a lot of discussion about that over the last years," Vincent Boulanin, a cyber-security expert at SIPRI, said.
Dutroux hoort of hij cel uit mag
  Link to Article
  Source: VK: Home
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:43
  Bewerkt door: redactie '' 18/02/13, 04:40 '' bron: ANP
  (C) epa. Dutroux op een archieffoto uit 2004.
  De Belgische kindermoordenaar Marc Dutroux krijgt vandaag te horen of hij onder elektronisch toezicht vrij komt. Een speciale rechtbank maakt het besluit om 14 uur bekend het paleis van justitie van Brussel.
  Dutroux, die geldt als de bekendste misdadiger van Belgi, werd in 2004 veroordeeld tot levenslang en tbs voor onder meer moord, ontvoering, marteling en verkrachting van minderjarige meisjes. Hij zit zijn straf uit in de gevangenis van Nijvel.
  Volgens de Belgische wet kunnen veroordeelden hun straf buiten de gevangenis ondergaan. Zij worden dan onder meer door elektronische middelen gecontroleerd en moeten over een adres beschikken. De kans dat Dutroux met een elektronische enkelband uit de gevangenis mag, wordt door kenners zeer klein geacht.
  Dutroux' handlangster en voormalige echtgenote Michelle Martin kwam eind vorig jaar voorwaardelijk vrij. Zij vond onderdak in een klooster.
Philosophy under attack: Lawrence Krauss and the new denialism
  Link to Article
  Source: The Conversation
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:40
  Scientist Laurence Krauss has said the philosophy of science is hard to justify. World Economic Forum/FlickrI really shouldn't let myself watch Q&A. Don't get me wrong, the ABC's flagship weekly panel show is usually compelling viewing. But after just a few minutes I end up with the systolic blood pressure of Yosemite Sam and so fired up I can't get to sleep for ages afterwards. Good thing it's on when the kids are in bed, or they'd pick up all sorts of funny new words from Daddy yelling at the screen.
  I'm expecting more of the same this week when physicist and author Lawrence Krauss is on the panel. Krauss is an entertaining commentator and science populist '' if often quite provocative, especially on matters of religion. He should be fun to watch.
  But Krauss has also been at the forefront of what looks like a disturbing recent trend among media-savvy scientists. There has rightly been a lot of concern lately about ''science denialism''. But many of those sounding the alarm themselves seem to be engaging in what we might call philosophy denialism.
  The subtitle of Krauss' 2012 book A universe from nothing: why there is something rather than nothing is tantalising, offering to answer one of philosophy's fundamental questions. Not everyone liked Krauss' answer, however.
  In response to a critical review by philosopher of physics David Albert, Krauss called Albert a ''moronic philosopher'' and told the Atlantic's Ross Andersen that philosophers are threatened by science because ''science progresses and philosophy doesn't''.
  Krauss' gripe with philosophy seems to be, as Massimo Pigliucci eloquently points out, that philosophy hasn't solved scientific problems. The same charge is levelled even more bluntly by none other than Stephen Hawking, who in 2010 declared philosophy was dead.
  According to these scientists, philosophy and physics were chasing the same prize '' an understanding of the ultimate nature of reality '' and physics simply got there first.
  Yet this misses the point of what philosophy does, and how it relates to and differs from other disciplines. ''Is 2 to the power of 57,885,161 minus 1 a prime number?'' or ''Did Richard III murder the princes in the tower?'' are questions for mathematics and history.
  ''What is a number?'' or ''Does the past exist?'', however, are not. It's when these fundamental conceptual questions arise that the philosophical rubber hits the road.
  So when Krauss complains that philosophy of science is unjustified because it doesn't influence the way physicists do physics, he's assuming both that philosophy only matters if it helps to answer the same questions scientists ask, and that questions only matter if they can be answered in a certain type of way. Those assumptions need to be argued for '' and that's a philosophical task.
  In fairness, Krauss has walked back a lot of his rhetoric in the months since, even expressing admiration for some forms of philosophy '' but he still insists that when it comes to his question of why there is something rather than nothing, the claims made by philosophers are ''essentially sterile, backward, useless and annoying". The empirical exploration of reality, he tells us, changes ''our understanding of which questions are important and fruitful and which are not".
  But what makes an explanation sterile or fruitful? Should an explanation's being ''annoying'' (or elegant for that matter) matter, and in what way? Don't look now, but in asking questions like that we're doing philosophy, even if Krauss doesn't seem to think we need to. And he's not the only one.
  It's usually assumed that science is descriptive rather than normative; it tells you how the world is, not how it should be. But recently Sam Harris and Michael Shermer have each argued that science can indeed answer moral questions, with Shermer lamenting that science has ''conceded the high ground of determining human values, morals, and ethics to philosophers". Both start from the rather Aristotelian assumption that the object of morality is securing the flourishing of conscious beings, and that science can tell us how to do that. But this simply puts off the question of why we should value flourishing at all, rather than answering it.
  But, you might ask, does any of this really matter? After all, if scientists are too busy trying to cure cancer to wade through Heidegger's Being and Time, do we really care?
  I don't want to overplay the gulf between scientists and philosophers, or between disciplines like theoretical physics and metaphysics; equally, there's no question many philosophers (including me) could do with greater scientific awareness. But when prominent scientists start dismissing the questions philosophy asks as irrelevant '' not just scientifically irrelevant, but irrelevant as such '' I think we do have a problem.
  Harris and Shermer are right that moral decisions need to take empirical data into account. Our ability to be effective moral beings depends upon our capacity to understand and respond to the world around us. Moral philosophy, in that sense, cannot ignore science. But science, equally, needs to be aware when it is straying beyond its own borders in problematic ways. Those who are concerned to defuse the charge of ''scientism'' need to watch out for precisely this sort of overreach.
  If it seems from the outside like philosophy doesn't make progress, perhaps that's because our questions haven't changed that much since Socrates' day: what is the nature of existence? What do we know, and how do we know that we know it? How are we to live?
  These aren't questions we can simply answer and move on. But equally, they don't go away just because we ignore them.
  Sign in to Favourite7 CommentsTagsPhysics, Philosophy, Science, Philosophy of science
  Related articles 15 February 2013 Explainer: quarks 7 February 2013 Is an ethic of biodiversity enough? 25 January 2013 Climate change signals the end of the social sciences 11 January 2013 Explainer: what is an isotope? 18 December 2012 What my tomatoes taught me about quantum mechanics
REPORT: Another Secret Bailout For Bank Of America
  Link to Article
  Source: The Daily Bail
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:34
  The NY Fed secretly bailed out Bank of America last Summer, and it's just coming to light now.
  ---
  Don't Blink, Or You'll Miss Another Bailout
  New York Times
  By Gretchen Morgenson
  Many people became rightfully upset about bailouts given to big banks during the mortgage crisis. But it turns out that they are still going on, if more quietly, through the back door.
  The existence of one such secret deal, struck in July between the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Bank of America, came to light just last week in court filings.
  That the New York Fed would shower favors on a big financial institution may not surprise. It has long shielded large banks from assertive regulation and increased capital requirements.
  Still, last week's details of the undisclosed settlement between the New York Fed and Bank of America are remarkable. Not only do the filings show the New York Fed helping to thwart another institution's fraud case against the bank, they also reveal that the New York Fed agreed to give away what may be billions of dollars in potential legal claims.
  Here's the skinny: Late last Wednesday, the New York Fed said in a court filing that in July it had released Bank of America from all legal claims arising from losses in some mortgage-backed securities the Fed received when the government bailed out the American International Group in 2008. One surprise in the filing, which was part of a case brought by A.I.G., was that the New York Fed let Bank of America off the hook even as A.I.G. was seeking to recover $7 billion in losses on those very mortgage securities.
  Let's recap: For zero compensation, the New York Fed released Bank of America from what may be sizable legal claims, knowing that A.I.G. was trying to recover on those claims.
  It gets better.
  What did the New York Fed get from Bank of America in this settlement?
  Continue reading at the New York Times...
  Photos by William Banzai7...
Resignation of Benedict XVI Highlights Crisis in Catholic Church, European Civilization
  Link to Article
  Source: TARPLEY.net
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:29
  Webster G. Tarpley, Ph.D.PressTVFebruary 17, 2013
  Benedict XVI resigned as Roman Pope last week. Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, at the height of the Iraq war. Papal names often reflect a symbolic message, and his choice of Benedict XVI was widely seen as being in this tradition.
  A century ago, Benedict XV was an energetic and courageous man who mobilized the Vatican diplomatic corps to end World War I and to arrange a negotiated peace. Benedict XV was hated especially by the British, who considered him a sympathizer of the Central empires.
  Something of the spirit of Benedict XV lived on in Wojtyla, the Polish pope. When the Panamanian leader Noriega took refuge in Panama in 1989, the Vatican resisted enormous US pressure to turn him over immediately. John Paul II opposed the first [Persian] Gulf War in 1991. In January 2003, John Paul II, referring to Iraq, told the Vatican diplomatic corps that war is not just another tool of statecraft, but must be ''the very last option.'' In March 2003, two days before Bush's attack on Iraq, John Paul II argued that it is never too late for negotiations to bring about peace. Pio Laghi, the Vatican's nuncio in Washington, told the press that this war was ''unjust'' and ''illegal.'' In June 2004, Wojtyla '-- although crippled by illness and old age '-- told Bush to his face that the Holy See opposed the Iraq war, and according to some accounts berated him quite strongly.
  Benedict XVI thus took office with an anti-imperialist overtone, implicitly tasked with working to end the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and preventing new aggressions and destabilizations. In this regard, the German pope has accomplished very little. Cardinal Ratzinger told the Italian Catholic magazine 30 Days in April 2003 that he supported the Pope's position on the Iraq war '' a routine position, and hardly a surprise. After becoming pope in 2005, Ratzinger said almost nothing about Iraq, except to pray for peace. Benedict XVI has not been effective in preventing the wars in Libya and Syria, nor has he raised his voice convincingly against the Obama policy of making Africa into a fire free zone for killer drones.
Ability-to-Repay Rule Ensures You Can Afford Your Mortgage Payments - USA.gov Blog
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:20
  When you apply for a mortgage, it can sometimes be hard to understand how much of a monthly payment you can afford. Oftentimes you have to factor in additional fees and property taxes that add to the base cost of your monthly payment.
  You can't always rely on a mortgage broker or lender to ensure that you're getting a responsbile loan that you can afford.
  That's why the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) introduced the Ability-to-Repay rule.
  Under the new rule, lenders have to ensure that you can pay back the loan plus interest over the long term.
  According to CFPB, in order to do that, lenders will need to verify the following before they can issue you a loan:
  Current income or assets;Current employment status;Credit history;The monthly payment for the mortgage;The monthly payments on any other loans associated with the property;The monthly payment for other mortgage related obligations (such as property taxes);Other debt obligations; andThe monthly debt-to-income ratio or residual income the borrower would be taking on with the mortgage. (Debt-to-income ratio is a consumer's total monthly debt divided by their total monthly gross income).These rules will help protect you from lenders who might try to sell you an irresponsible mortgage that you can't afford.
  Learn more about the Ability-to-Repay rule.
  View the discussion thread
  We welcome your comments if you are 13 or older, and hope that our conversations here will be polite. You are responsible for the content of your comments.
  We do not discriminate against any views, but may delete any of the following:
  violent, obscene, profane, hateful, or racist commentscomments that threaten or harm the reputation of any person or organizationadvertisements or solicitations of any kindcomments that suggest or encourage illegal activitymultiple off-topic posts or repetitive posts that are copied and pastedpersonal information including, but not limited to, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, mailing addresses, or identification numbersIn short: be nice and add to the discussion. If you continually violate this policy, we may limit your ability to comment in the future. If you have any questions or comments about this policy, please e-mail us.
Everything You Need to Know about President Obama's Plan to Ensure Hard Work Leads to a Decent Living
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:28
  Megan SlackFebruary 15, 201301:15 PM EST
  "America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. And that's why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb them." President Barack Obama, State of the Union, February 12, 2013
  In his State of the Union Address, President Obama laid out a plan to build on the progress we've made over the last four years to expand opportunity for every American and every community willing to do the work to lift themselves up. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges we face. It will take a collaborative effort'--between business and federal, state, and local officials; faith-based and non-profit organizations; kids and parents'--to ensure that hard work leads to a decent living for every American. Read more about his plan below.
  Reward hard work by raising the minimum wage
  The President believes that no one who works full time should have to raise their family in poverty. But right now, a full-time minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year '' which leaves too many families struggling to make ends meet. A family of four supported by a minimum wage worker still living below the poverty line, even counting tax credits for working families. That's why the President is calling on Congress to raise the Federal minimum wage to $9.00 and index it to inflation thereafter, so that working families can keep up with rising costs.
  Raising the minimum wage to $9 would directly boost the wages of about 15 million workers by the end of 2015, and a range of economic studies show that raising the minimum wage increases earnings and reduces poverty without jeopardizing employment. For a working family earning $20,000 - $30,000, the extra $3,500 per year from raising the minimum wage would cover:
  The family's spending on groceries for a yearThe family's spending on utilities for a yearThe family's spending on gasoline and clothing for a yearSix months of housingRead more about President Obama's plan to raise the minimum wage here.
  Helping communities rebuild and put people back to work
  Working with local leadership, the President is proposing to align a number of existing initiatives to make sure federal programs and resources are focused intensely on 20 communities hardest hit by the recession.
  These targeted investments can help transform high-poverty communities into places of opportunity that can attract private investment, improve education, and create jobs. For example, leveraging Department of Housing and Urban Development grants in high-poverty neighborhoods can help attract private investment to tear down distressed public housing and build new mixed income homes, while ensuring that low-income residents do not get displaced. Using Department of Education funding to expand early education, after school and summer instructional time can help make sure students in these communities graduate high school prepared to enter the workforce or start college.
  Additionally, President Obama's proposal would provide tax credits for businesses that hire or invest in targeted communities can help stimulate growth, white helping local leader navigate federal programs can make sure they are able to use federal resources more effectively.
  Creating pathways to jobs
  The President's plan helps low-income youth find summer and year-round jobs, teaches our kids the real world skills they need to find a job, and offers incentives to companies that hire the long-term unemployed. This includes supporting job and work-based training opportunities for long term unemployed and low-income adults, as well as summer and year-round jobs for low-in­come youth.
  President Obama also recognizes that the opportunity to acquire the skills to get and keep a good job starts early and through education, which is why he's announcing a new competition to redesign our nation's high schools to emphasize real-world learning. His plan rewards schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on technology, science, engineering, and other skills today's employers are demanding to fill jobs open now and in the future.
  Providing high-quality early education
  For America to succeed in the 21st century, we must have the most dynamic, educated workforce in the world, and that education has to start early in life. But today, most four-year-olds aren't in a high-quality public preschool program. That's why, in his State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to make high-quality preschool available for every child, while incentivizing states to expand access to full-day kindergarten. Read more about his plan for early education here.
  Strengthening Families
  The President will also continue his commitment to support healthy marriages for all families, including removing deterrents for low-income couples to get married and supporting the critical role that fathers play in enhancing the intellectual, emotional, and financial well-being of their sons and daughters.
VFW Wants New Medal Ranked Lower | Military.com
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:40
  Barely 24 hours after the Pentagon announced its new medal for cyber warriors and drone pilots, the Veterans of Foreign Wars is demanding the decoration's ranking be lowered. The Distinguished Warfare Medal is ranked above both the Bronze Star with Combat "V" and the Purple Heart '' medals typically awarded for combat in which the servicemember's life is at risk.
  "The VFW fully concurs that those far from the fight are having an immediate impact on the battlefield in real-time, but medals that can only be earned in direct combat must mean more than medals awarded in the rear," VFW National Commander John E. Hamilton said in a statement released Thursday. "The VFW urges the Department of Defense to reconsider the new medal's placement in the military order of precedence."
  Hamilton said the new medal and its ranking "could quickly deteriorate into a morale issue."
  Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, who announced the new award on Wednesday, said the military needed a medal that recognizes that post-9/11 warfare is different with servicemembers at consoles in the U.S. directly affecting the outcome of enemy engagements. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who previously served as CIA director, said in a statement that he had "seen first-hand how modern tools like remotely-piloted platforms and cyber systems have changed the way wars can be fought, changed the course of battle even from afar." But there had been no way previously to honor the efforts of the technicians with a military decoration. "For that reason, I formally approved establishing the Distinguished Warfare Medal," Panetta said.
  The award has been in the works for some time. Nearly a year ago, an MQ-18 Hummingbird instructor pilot and AC-130U pilot argued for a combat medal for drone operators in Air & Space Power Journal.
  Maj. Dave Blair dismissed the argument that fighting a war from a computer monitor is not the same as the traditional interpretation of combat -- that "it is not honorable."
  "[We] might say the same for firing a missile beyond visual range from a fighter cloaked with stealth technology," he wrote. "It would be hard to imagine that the same individual would feel compelled to activate his radar transponder upon contact with the enemy, just to restore honor to his kill by mitigating his technological defenses."
  He also said drone pilots are in danger, just like pilots flying aircraft over the combat theater.
  "Recall that the individuals killed in the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 on the Pentagon received the Purple Heart, a combat medal," he wrote. "This war is global, and our enemies have global reach as well. If we found ourselves in our enemies' position, would we spend the time and attract attention attempting to purchase a high-profile missile when a terror attack on RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] operators in the continental United States would produce better results?"
  (C) Copyright 2013 Military.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The 911 Truth Movement Goes to Court in the UK. | Global Research
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 02:40
  On February 25, in the small town of Horsham in the United Kingdom, there will be a rare and potentially groundbreaking opportunity for the 9/11 truth movement. Three hours of detailed 9/11 evidence is to be presented and considered in a court of law where the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will be challenged over the inaccurate and biased manner in which it has portrayed the events and evidence of 9/11.
  Over the last 16 months, BBC has been challenged strongly by individuals in the UK over two documentaries that they showed in September 2011 as part of the tenth anniversary of 9/11, namely '9/11: Conspiracy Road Trip' and 'The Conspiracy Files: 9/11 Ten Years On'. Formal complaintswere lodged with BBC over the inaccuracy and bias of these documentaries, which, according to 9/11 activists, was in breach of the operating requirements of BBC through their 'Royal Charter and Agreement' with the British public.
  This document requires BBC to show information that is both accurate and impartial. These complaints were supported by the US-based educational charity Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (AE911Truth), which submitted detailed scientific evidence to BBC to buttress the complaints. The evidence focuses in particular on the confirmed free-fall of WTC 7 and NIST's 2008 admission of this fact. In addition, over 300 AE911Truth petition signers supported these complaints by sending letters to BBC, requesting that BBC show this evidence to the public.
  As a continuation of this process with the BBC, documentary film maker Tony Rooke has decided to take a personal stand on this issue. People in the United Kingdom are required to pay an annual TV licence fee which is used to fund BBC's operations. Tony has refused to pay his TV licence fee on the basis of specific anti-terrorism legislation.
  Section 15 of the UK Terrorism Act 2000, Article 3, states that it is offence to provide funds if there is a reasonable cause to suspect that those funds may be used for the purposes of terrorism. Tony's claim is that BBC has withheld scientific evidence which demonstrates that the official version of the events of 9/11 is not possible and that BBC has actively attempted to discredit those people attempting to bring this evidence to the public. According to Rooke, by doing this, BBC is supporting a cover-up of the true events of 9/11 and is therefore potentially supporting those terrorist elements who were involved in certain aspects of 9/11 who have not yet been identified and held to account.
  Rooke has been charged with a crime for not paying his TV Licence Fee. However, he has lodged a legal challenge to this charge and has now been successful in being granted an appearance in a Magistrate's court, where he has three hours available to present his evidence to defend himself against the charge. Tony has put together a formidable team to support him in presenting the evidence, including the following two outstanding 9/11 researchers:
  Professor Niels Harrit
  Dr. Niels Harrit is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen and is one of the world's leading experts on the scientific evidence that contradicts the official story of 9/11. Professor Harrit's team of scientists in Copenhagen proved that there was nano-engineered thermitic residue, both ignited and unignited, throughout the dust of the three WTC towers. He led the team and published the peer-reviewed study in an official scientific journal. He is also an expert on the other aspects of scientific evidence indicating controlled demolition of the three towers.
  Professor Harrit was interviewed for a major documentary with BBC in 2011 where BBC clearly attempted to harass and discredit him rather than look at the scientific evidence, which was devastating to the official story of the destruction of the Twin Towers. Professor Harrit's team took the precautionary step of recording this interview, as well as the interaction before and after the interview, which clearly shows the harassment and highly inappropriate conduct by BBC
  Tony Farrell
  Tony Farrell is a former Intelligence Analyst for the South Yorkshire Police Department. He was fired in 2010 because he felt compelled by his conscience to tell the truth in his official report and state that, due to his extensive analysis of the events of 9/11 and the 7/7 London bombings, he considered that the greatest terrorist threat to the public did not come from Islamic extremists but from internal sources within the US and British establishment. He is now dedicating his life to helping to expose the evidence and he is challenging his dismissal through international court.
  Other members of Rooke's presentation team include:
  Ian Henshall: Leading UK author on 9/11 and founder of the UK group 'Re-investigate 9/11'
  Ray Savage: Former counterterrorism officer who demonstrates the official 9/11 story is not true
  Peter Drew: UK AE911Truth Action Group Facilitator
  In addition to these presenters, there are detailed written testimonies of evidence and support from four other 9/11 researchers which will be deployed to bolster to Tony's defence:
  Richard Gage, AIA: Founder/CEO of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 TruthDwain Deets: Former NASA Director of Aerospace ProjectsErik Lawyer: Founder of Firefighters for 9/11 TruthJake Jacobs: Veteran US airline pilot and member of Pilots for 9/11 Truth
  The evidence about 9/11 that will be presented by the various individuals above has rarely, if ever, been seen in any court of law in the United Kingdom, so this court case represents a unique and valuable opportunity for the 9/11 Truth movement.
  We encourage all AE911Truth supporters and petition signers in the UK to attend this court hearing '' the more the better. An outpouring of support will strengthen the message that the 9/11 truth movement needs to be heard and that there needs to be a new and independent 9/11 investigation.
  The date and location of the hearing are as follows:
  February 25th at 10:00 am
  Horsham Magistrates' Court [Court 3]The Law CourtsHurst RoadHorshamWest SussexEnglandRH12 2ET
  For further information, please contact Peter Drew, AE911Truth UK Action Group Leader, attruthfor911 [at] hotmail.co.uk
Unlock Old School Arcade Games in Your Mac's Terminal
  Link to Article
  Source: Dave read...
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:29
  We here at Lifehacker are all about staying productive, but sometimes you just need to take a break. For those times, there's this old-but-fun tip: with a few terminal commands, you can open up games like 5—5, Pong, Solitaire, Snake, Tetris, and others in your Mac's terminal.
  To start them up, just open your Terminal app (in /Applications/Utilities) and type emacs into the prompt. Press Enter to open it up, press Esc then x. Next, just type the name of the game you want to play and enjoy (note that different versions of OS X have different games, so see what you have first!). The games are simple and the graphics are not great but it is a perfect way to power down and relax without getting so engrossed in a game that you end up spending hours on it. Hit the link to read more, and have fun (but don't forget to work)!
  How to Activate Hidden Mac Games in Terminal | Make Tech Easier
BBC News - Nigeria foreign workers abducted in Bauchi state
  Link to Article
  Mon, 18 Feb 2013 01:26
  17 February 2013Last updated at12:55 ETSeven foreign workers have been seized and a security guard shot dead by gunmen who attacked a construction company site in northern Nigeria, officials say.
  One of the workers seized was Italian, one was Greek and two others Lebanese.
  But UK officials could not confirm a report that another was British.
  No-one has admitted the abductions but the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has staged a series of attacks in northern Nigeria.
  A security guard was killed as the attackers targeted the workers' camp at Jama'are in Bauchi state.
  Correspondents say it is the biggest kidnapping in northern Nigeria in recent times.
  However, there have been a number of smaller incidents in the region, including the kidnapping of a French national, Francis Colump, in the northern state of Katsina.
  That abduction was claimed by a second militant group, Ansaru, which emerged in June 2012.
  The kidnapping of foreigners and wealthy Nigerians is common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, in the south of the country, and has become a lucrative trade for criminals.
  Oil workers and other foreign nationals are often targeted because companies pay high ransom money to secure their employees' release, correspondents say.
  Police station attackedLebanese foreign minister Adnan Mansour said two of those held were from Lebanon.
  An Italian and a Greek national were also abducted from the site run by Lebanese-owned firm Setraco, the foreign ministries in Rome and Athens confirmed.
  Another of those seized was a Filipino, a union leader at Setraco told the BBC.
  The Italian ambassador in Abuja said, "Italy's absolute priority is the safety of its compatriot," Ansa news agency reported.
  A UK foreign office spokesman said it was investigating reports of a Briton being kidnapped.
  The raid was preceded by an attack on the local police station, when two vehicles were blown up, in the town of Jama'are, some 125 miles (200km) north of the state capital, Bauchi.
  The attackers then moved on to a camp belonging to Setraco, killing a guard and seizing the workers. Setraco is currently expanding a major road in the area.
  The state capital has itself been attacked several times by Boko Haram, which wants to impose Sharia (Islamic law) across Nigeria.
  Earlier this month, nine polio vaccinators were shot dead at two health centres in northern Nigeria.
  Some Nigerian Muslim leaders have previously opposed polio vaccinations, claiming they could cause infertility.
  Boko Haram has emerged as one of the most prolific militant groups in West Africa, carrying out a large number of low-level attacks but also some more sophisticated attacks.
Did the G-20 Just Signal Further Global Easing?
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:43
  Instead what came out of the G-20 meeting was a statement that sounded strongly pro-growth.
  "We recognize that important risks remain and global growth is still too weak, with unemploymentremaining unacceptably high in many countries," the final communique said. "Advanced economies will develop credible medium-term fiscal strategies '... by the St. Petersburg summit."
  Meanwhile, the IMF seemed to bless further monetary easing in the euro zone, with Christine Lagarde telling reporters that there was further room to cut "interest rates in the euro zone, [which are] clearly higher than in many other regions including the U.S., U.K., and Japan."
  Those words are likely to provide a boost to France, which has been urging further stimulus for the euro zone in the face of German calls for austerity.
  France's finance minister, Pierre Moscovici, who last week said the euro may be too strong, told CNBC in Moscow: "We can't neglect growth, the figures in the last trimester of 2012 are bad, they're bad for Britain, bad for Germany, bad for Spain, they're bad for France. This is why we need to reflect altogether on how we can move on."
  (Read More: What Currency War? Move Along, G-20 Leaders Say)
  Further stimulus by major economies, especially the euro zone, will in turn lead weaker currencies.
  You might be asking yourself: Isn't that the same thing as a "currency war"?
  But policymakers will likely take comfort from last week's statement from the G-7 which drew a distinction between monetary easing to stimulate domestic demand and deliberate targeting of a currency level.
  And according to Goldman Sachs analysts, there's another key difference between the two.
  "Whereas competitive devaluation remains a zero-sum game, "competitive monetary easing" is net positive for global growth and effectively helps narrow the world's output gap. At a time of low inflation and high unemployment in many countries, competitive monetary easing is therefore a welcome policy," Goldman analysts wrote in a note to clients on Friday.
Sandy Hook Tragedy: Corporate Media's ''Lone Gunman'' Storyline Losing Ground | Global Research
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:42
  A cross section of kill-to-injury ratios of major mass shootings suggests that if Adam Lanza acted alone in carrying out the Sandy Hook Elementary School carnage he was among the most accurate killers in modern history, exceeding even the lethal damage meted out by Al Capone's machine gun-wielding henchmen in the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
  Incident, # of shooters, weapon(s) usedShotKilledWoundedKill-to-wounded ratioSANDY HOOK (2012) 1 shooter, AR-15, .2232726 (96.2%)1 (3.8%)26:1Aurora, CO (2012) 1 shooter, AR-15, .2237112 (16.9%)59 (83%)1:5Tucson, AZ (2011) 1 shooter, Glock 9mm146 (42.8%)8 (57.1%)1:1.2N. Ill. U (2008) 1 shooter, 9mm265 (20%)21 ((80%)1:4Virginia Tech (2007) 1 shooter, 9mm pistol4932 (68%)17 (32%)2:1Columbine, CO (1999) 2 shooters, 12 ga., 9mm3312 (36%)21 (64%)1:2U. Iowa (1991) 1 shooter/.38 spec.65 (83%)1 (16%)5:1Stockton, CA (1989) 1 shooter AK-47355 (14%)30 (86%)1:6‰cole Polytechnique/Montreal Massacre (1989) 1 shooter, Ruger Mini 14 .2232714 (52%)13 (48%)1.1:1Cal. St. Fullerton (1976) 1 shooter .22 LR semi-auto97 (78%)2 (22%)3.5:1U. Texas Tower (1966) 1 shooter4816 (33%)32 (67%)1:2St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1929) 2 shooters, .45 submachine guns76 (85.8%)1 (14.2%)6:1
  Never mind the facts, however. The public has been repeatedly told by corporate news media that the December 14, 2012 incident was exclusively carried out by the awkward 20-year-old man with virtually no firearms or military training.
  ''The debate over gun violence gained urgency after a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six adults on December 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut,'' Reuters observed as recently as February 7. ''The killer, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, used a Bushmaster AR-15 type assault rifle to shoot his victims before killing himself.''[1]
  Over the past seven weeks mainstream media have spoken in one earsplitting voice to drive home the now familiar ''lone gunman'' storyline ostensibly proffered by law enforcement while dismissing a multitude of important evidence indicating a far more complex scenario.
  Indeed, as information recently pointed to by Digital Journal indicates,[2] in a widescale rush to judgment major news media have neglected vital information and statements from Connecticut state authorities suggesting that Lanza may have had accomplices.
  In a December 26 court plea to postpone release of contents yielded through five search warrant, Connecticut State Attorney General Stephen Sedensky argued that unsealing such findings might ''seriously jeopardize'' the investigation by divulging evidence heretofore known only to other ''potential suspects.''
  Pointing to ''information in the search warrant affidavits that is not known to the general public,'' Sedensky also argued that opening the warrants would ''identify persons cooperating with the investigation, thus possibly jeopardizing their personal safety and well-being.''
  The prosecutor's statement came less than two weeks after Connecticut State Police Lieutenant J. Paul Vance told reporters how there were ''some cards that we're holding close to our vest.''
  In light of the above and alongside a wealth of additional evidence calling the ''official story'' into question, the corporate news media's long-running and continued emphasis of the ''lone gunman'' narrative appears increasingly fraudulent. The question remains whether this is merely a case of slipshod reporting or part of a more intentional mass deception against the American public.
  Notes
  [1] Thomas Ferraro and Richard Cohen, ''House Democrats to Unveil Gun Control Package; Mirrors Obama's,'' NBC/Reuters, February 7, 2013.
  [2] Ralph Lopez, ''Sandy Hook DA Cites 'Potential Suspects,' Fears Witness Safety,'' Digital Journal, February 5, 2013.
France Ratchets Up the War on Cash
  Link to Article
  Source: The Circle Bastiat
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:35
  France's state auditing bureau, Cour des Comptes, informed the French government that it was ''dreaming'' in forecasting that the French economy would grow this year by 0.8 percent, which would enable it to meet its budget deficit target of 3 percent of GDP. The bureau told French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault that a growth rate of 0.3 percent was more like it, which would not be sufficient to meet the deficit reduction target. This was the case despite''or more likely because of''the fact that a broad based tax increase had just been imposed that would extract another '‚¬32 billion euros from overburdened French businesses and households this year. So would a desperate Ayrault finally open his eyes to economic reality and slash the budget of the bureaucratic and bloated French State, a budget that is liberally larded with fascistic corporate welfare subsidies and bailouts? No way, no how. Instead Ayrault convened a meeting of the National Anti-Fraud Committee to crack down on tax cheats and presided over it himself''''A first for a head of government,'' he crowed.
  Tax fraud in France has been estimated to be in the range of '‚¬60 to '‚¬80 billion annually. Buried in Ayrault's proposal to crack down on tax cheats and further squeeze more revenue from its ''fiscal residents''''those citizens and foreigners who have not been driven into part-time exile to escape French taxes''is a draconian provision that would lower the maximum cash payment per transaction from '‚¬3,000 to '‚¬1,000. Under the new limit a French citizen would not even be able to buy a used car for cash. The provision would not apply, however, to citizens and foreigners wealthy and savvy enough to have placed their income beyond the clutches of the rapacious French State by becoming fiscal residents of other countries. They would be subject to a limit of '‚¬10,000 per purchase in cash, down from the current limit of '‚¬15,000 per purchase. This may come to be called the Depardieu exception because French actor Gerard Depardieu recently caused a public stir by obtaining a Russian passport in order to take advantage of Russia's flat-rate income tax of 13 percent.
  One commentator perceptively summed up the inextricable link between the war on cash and the war on personal liberties:
  With this law, the French government will be able to tighten the vise on its people one more turn, restricting their freedom of choice (how to pay), wiping out any privacy in those transactions, and imposing another layer of government control. Once people have gotten used to the '‚¬1,000 limit'--based on the great principle of incrementalism with which restrictions of freedom come to pass in democracies'--the vise will be tightened further, until the government can document every purchase made by ''fiscal residents.''
  HT to Nick G.
Can People Safely Eat Cat Food? | Popular Science
  Link to Article
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:30
  Our experts turn up their noses at nothing in their quest for the truth
  By Bjorn CareyPosted 02.10.2009 at 1:39 pmFeline FeastThe occasional kibble is fine, but don't make it a habit.iStock
  Let's take a look at the ingredients in a typical can of cat food: meat by-products, chicken by-product meal, turkey by-product meal, ash, taurine. Nothing too horrible, but in general, these things don't constitute a healthy human diet, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association. "That said, I'm fully confident that your body can handle kitty chow."
  Your liver, kidneys and skin do a terrific job of removing foreign substances from the body, especially mild ones like those found in cat food. "Technically, you could safely digest a baseball," Blatner says. Perhaps the worst stuff in cat food is the high mineral content in the ash, but your body would clear that out quickly.
  Actually, the ingredients listed on the organic blends of cat food sound pretty tasty. Newman's Own canned beef formula uses only free-range beef from Uruguay, is 95 percent USDA-certified organic, and is chock-full of vitamins. Pass me a spoon, right? "Those are better," Blatner says, "but they too are developed with cat nutrition in mind and aren't formulated to keep humans healthy. It's OK to satisfy the occasional craving, but you shouldn't make it a staple of your regular diet. It's cat food for a reason."
  Want to learn more about breakthroughs in electronics, medicine, nanotech, and more?Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
Dr. Ben Carson on Whether He'll Run for President: 'I Will Leave That Up To God'
  Link to Article
  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:26
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Former Tory faces child sex arrest - Mirror Online
  Link to Article
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:25
  Police are ­preparing to arrest a former Tory Cabinet minister after a woman came forward to claim she had been raped by him as a girl.
  Detectives are also investigating claims that he abused boys.
  We can reveal that the former minister is suspected of being part of a VIP ­paedophile ring that was regularly handed boys by child rapist and killer Sidney Cooke for vile sex orgies.
  The former high-ranking MP, who we cannot name, is under investigation by Scotland Yard's paedophile unit.
  Sources close to the probe gave details of the new allegations to the Sunday ­Mirror and investigative news website ­Exaro.
  A former detective who worked on the original investigation into Cooke told the Sunday Mirror that the minister was among those alleged to have been ­photographed in a 1986 police surveillance on premises where boys had been dropped off.
  Others allegedly included Jimmy Savile, MP Cyril Smith and top judges '' though none of them were ever arrested.
  Cooke, 85 '' dubbed Britain's most notorious paedophile after he tortured and killed 14-year-old Jason Swift in 1985 '' would pick the unsuspecting teenage boys up off the streets around Kings Cross.
  He would drive them to locations across North London where paedophiles lay in wait to repeatedly rape them.
  Last week the former officer, who worked on Operation Orchid which convicted Cooke and his gang, said they had taken pictures of the minister.
  Sick Jimmy Savile was 'part of the gang'
  (C) 2009, Roger Moody, all rights reserved
  The former officer said up to 16 high profile figures were due to be arrested. But the day before they were to be carried out detectives were told the operation had been disbanded.
  The revelation means Scotland Yard knew about allegations concerning the Cabinet Minister and Savile in 1986 but did nothing about it, instead choosing to cover up the claims.
  A source told Exaro last week that senior officers, including Commander Peter Spindler, the head of the Paedophile Unit, have had a secret briefing on preparations to arrest the ex-minister.
  It is understood that the investigation is at an early stage but there is a plan to arrest him in the next few weeks.
  After the 1986 operation into Cooke was disbanded the former officer went to check the file '' only to find the pictures had disappeared and any mention of the men involved had also vanished.
  The former officer said: ''It was clear a cover-up had taken place.
  ''The investigation showed that Cooke would pick up rent boys and take them back to flats or garages where large groups of men were waiting to abuse them.
  ''These paedophiles, which included a lot of high-profile figures that were said to include the former Cabinet Minister, Savile and MP Cyril Smith, all knew each other and all operated together. They would lie in wait and Cooke would turn up with the boy who wouldn't know what was going to happen.
  ''We had photographic evidence of these high-profile figures entering or leaving buildings where the abuse was taking place. Everyone knew Savile was a paedo but nothing was ever done.
  ''Cyril Smith was photographed going into one of the properties with a high-profile film director.
  ''All of the others were pictured and were going to be arrested before the plug was pulled. I was sickened and to this day I wonder how many children we could have saved if we had been allowed to arrest those men.
  ''I feel guilty they weren't arrested but there was nothing I could do at the time as the evidence had gone.''
  MP Cyril Smith was spotted in surveillance
  Mirrorpix
  The Sunday Mirror knows the identity of the paedophiles in the gang but has chosen not to name them.
  In 1993 Detective Superintendent Ed Williams tried to track down the Orchid file on Cooke to see if there were any similarities with the abduction and murder of nine-year-old Daniel Handley, but he struggled to find the folder.
  He eventually found it in the basement of Arbour Square Police Station in Stepney, East London.
  While there were references to a ''wider paedophile ring'' there were no photographs or names.
  Mr Williams said: ''I was very upset about the way the Met treated paedophile cases but I was a voice in the wilderness at that time and people thought I was being over-emotional.
  ''I found the Orchid files where they had been put for storage purposes and somebody had completely forget to send it back to the Yard. I was trying to look for paedophiles and connections with other cases as I was trying to build up a profile of the offender.
  ''The report spoke about boys being passed around from paedophile to paedophile.
  ''There were no pictures on the file. It did mention that there was a wider ring of individuals but did not mention Jimmy Savile or a cabinet minister.''
  Child killer: Rapist Sidney Cooke
  Enterprise News
  Sidney Cooke, along with three accomplices '' Leslie Bailey, Robert Oliver and Steven Barrell '' was found guilty of the manslaughter of Jason Swift in May 1989. They have been linked to up to 20 murders.
  Cooke was believed to have murdered seven-year-old Mark Tildesley but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring charges as he was already serving 19 years for Jason's death.
  He was released in 1998, to a public outcry, but was rearrested the following year for systematically abusing two boys in the 1970s and jailed for life.
  Savile was exposed last year as one of the UK's most prolific paedophiles, with 450 victims. Police said he ''groomed a ­nation'' by avoiding justice while ­abusing hundreds of children over 54 years.
  Officers on Operation Yewtree, which investigated the claims, have also ­arrested celebrities including Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis, publicist Max Clifford and comedian Jim Davidson. All have denied any wrongdoing and not all the allegations involve under-16s.
  Scotland Yard said they would not comment on an on-going investigation.
  Visit the Exaro website for more on this story.
McCain Attacks Gregory For Questioning Benghazi Conspiracy Theories
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  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:22
  [h/t Heather at VideoCafe]Another Sunday, another appearance by Senator John McCain, another bunch of Benghazi nonsense. David Gregory put a straightforward question on the table and Senator McCain just did not like that one bit. Gregory asked, in essence, why they're continuing to beat the dead Benghazi horse to death, even going to the extreme of holding up a cabinet nomination when Chuck Hagel has absolutely nothing to do with Benghazi!
  McCain's first round of answers is a litany of irrelevant details, followed by the allegation of a "massive coverup." When Gregory pressed his original question again, McGrumpy got a little bit testy, asking Gregory whether "he cared that four Americans died in Benghazi."
  For McCain, it boils down to this question: "What did the president do and who did he talk to the night of the attack on Benghazi?" And if you let him ramble on further, he will go on to suggest that the details of the Benghazi were covered up in order to bolster President Obama's campaign in the last two weeks, because surely Romney would have won if the truth had been out there, right?
  A careful listen to McCain's list of unanswered questions reveals that they don't amount to any kind of "coverup," particularly when he misstates facts such as what the president said during the debate with Romney, and what has transpired since.
  Perhaps the followup question for John McCain here is whether he cared about getting to the bottom of why 3,000 Americans died on September 11, 2001, or why over 4,000 Americans died in Iraq in a quest for weapons of mass destruction which never existed? In particular, why doesn't he care about all of those soldiers who gave their lives in Iraq because Bush and his cronies lied to the American people, the United Nations, and the world?
  McCain is just a mean, bitter, spiteful man going on Sunday television to continue to be mean, bitter and spiteful in public. Even though Gregory at least didn't give him a pass on his allegations of a coverup, the larger question is why bookers continue to put this man on Sunday commentary shows week after week after week.
  As for Benghazi, McCain's outburst directed at David Gregory proves what thinking people already know: There is no "there" there.
John McCain Asks NBC's David Gregory 'Do You Care Whether Four Americans Died?'
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  Source: MRCTV - News & Politics
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:20
  MRC TV is an online platform for people to share and view videos, articles and opinions on topics that are important to them -- from news to political issues and rip-roaring humor.
  MRC TV is brought to you by the Media Research Center, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit research and education organization. The MRC is located at: 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For information about the MRC, please visit www.MRC.org.
  Copyright (C) 2013, Media Research Center. All Rights Reserved.
Police Confirm Christopher Dorner Shot Himself In The Head
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  Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:49
Jenner & Block | Mary Ellen Callahan
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:13
  Mary Ellen Callahan is a nationally recognized privacy attorney, with an extensive background in consumer protection law. As the longest-serving former Chief Privacy Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security '' the first statutorily mandated privacy office in any federal agency '' Ms. Callahan has a unique and broad knowledge of and experience with the interface of the protection of privacy, civil rights and civil liberties with cybersecurity and national security issues. During her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, Ms. Callahan also served as Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, responsible for centralizing both FOIA and Privacy Act operations to provide policy and programmatic oversight and support implementation across the Department. Ms. Callahan is the founder and Chair of Jenner & Block's Privacy and Information Governance Practice.
  Ms. Callahan has been recognized by Chambers USA with a ''Band One'' Nationwide ranking, Chambers' highest ranking, in privacy and data security and by Legal 500 as a ''Leading Lawyer'' in technology: data protection and privacy. In 2011, she received the select Federal 100 Award, which recognizes individuals in government and industry who have played pivotal roles in the federal government information systems community. Ms. Callahan's work on integrating cybersecurity, transparency and privacy at the Department of Homeland Security was cited as the reason for her Federal 100 recognition. She is a prolific writer and speaker on privacy issues, including having testified before Congressional Committees numerous times in her capacity as Department of Homeland Security Chief Privacy/Chief FOIA Officer. Ms. Callahan has served as Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association's Privacy and Information Security Committee of the Antitrust Division; Co-chair of the Privacy Committee of the CIO Council, the principal interagency forum for improving agency practices related to the design, acquisition, development, modernization, use, sharing, and performance of Federal information resources; and Co-chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the Information Sharing and Access Interagency Policy Committee.
  Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security in 2009, as a partner in the DC office of an international law firm, Ms. Callahan focused on privacy, security, data protection, consumer protection, e-commerce, antitrust and competition issues across a wide variety of industries including retail, technology, entertainment, financial services, health care, telecommunications and government contracts. She advised businesses, including multinational companies, on a variety of privacy and information governance issues, including privacy and security policies; performed audits of clients' privacy and security policies as related to relevant state and federal legislation and created and implemented requisite compliance strategies and programs; and drafted website privacy policies and terms of use. Ms. Callahan is also experienced as a litigator and has represented clients before federal administrative agencies, in federal and state courts in the District of Columbia and in federal courts in Virginia and New York.
  Prior to law school, Ms. Callahan worked at the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress as part of the Special Task Force on the Development of Parliamentary Institutions in Eastern Europe.
'Biggest Climate Rally In History' In D.C. Today
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  Source: Crooks and Liars
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:50
  Livestreaming here.
  Frances Beinecke:
  The National Resources Defense Council, 350.org and Sierra Club are hosting the biggest climate rally in history this Sunday in Washington, D.C.. We expect tens of thousands of people to join us in calling for immediate climate action. I urge you to add your voice to the growing chorus.
  The time is right for this rally.
  President Obama underscored his commitment to fighting climate change in both his Inaugural Address and his State of the Union Address. Now he has two critical opportunities to turn those words into deeds. We want him to know that when he takes these bold actions to stabilize the climate, the American people will support him every step of the way.
Hilarious Velveeta "HAM Radio Guy" ad
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:49
NC GOPer: Slap A Little Duct Tape on Your Nipples!
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:44
  North Carolina has a new bill that will make it a felony for a woman to expose her nipple or areola.
  But not to worry! If you're concerned that your summer camisole might slip and propel you into prison, Republican state Rep. Tim Moore says wimmenz can protect themselves from a life of crime by slapping a little duct tape on the business end of their womanly feed bags.
  The state House Judiciary Committee C approved House Bill 34, which makes it a Class H felony to purposefully expose "private parts" for the "purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire."
  The bill expands the state's definition of "private parts" to include a woman's "nipple, or any portion of the areola."
  Democratic state Rep. Annie Mobley said she worried that women wearing "questionable fashions'' could be prosecuted under the new rules.
  But Committee Chairwoman Rep. Sarah Steven (R) suggested that women could use pasties or nipple coverings just to be safe.
  ''They'd be good to go'' with nipple coverings, Stevens said.
  "You know what they say, duct tape fixes everything," Republican state Rep. Tim Moore agreed.
  Republican state Rep. Rayne Brown told lawmakers that she was co-sponsoring the bill because activists had held a topless women's rights rally in Asheville last summer, where as many as a dozen women bared their breasts (NSFW video here).
  Although Brown's district is 100 miles from Asheville, she felt it was important to act before women tried to assert their rights again by going topless at another rally.
  ''You've got local governments passing ordinances to protect themselves from just this thing,'' she explained. ''These folks don't need to be doing that, but they do it because they're not sure about the law."
  Under the proposed law, women could spend up to six months in jail for a first offense. "Incidental" nipple exposure by breastfeeding mothers would be exempt from the law.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper to name Canada's first religious freedom ambassador
  Link to Article
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:59
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper to name Canada's first religious freedom ambassador
  Facebook | Twitter | Email | Instapaper
  Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia NewsSaturday, Feb. 16, 2013
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper will unveil the government's long-awaited Office of Religious Freedom on Tuesday. Grant Black / Postmedia News Files
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper will unveil the government's long-awaited Office of Religious Freedom and name Canada's first religious freedom ambassador at a Toronto-area Ahmadiyya Muslim community centre on Tuesday.
  The announcement at Tahir Hall in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan will fulfil a two-year-old promise that has seen its fair share of controversy since it was first proposed during the 2011 federal election.
  The government has pointed to a growing body of literature linking religious freedom with democratic rights and societal well-being to justify making the safeguarding of religious minorities abroad a key tenet of Canadian foreign policy.
  But critics have worried about the government picking and choosing which religions the $20-million office defends, and using the institution as a tool for domestic political gain.
  The government has not officially confirmed the prime minister's presence at Tahir Hall, which was opened by the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim community last July and can hold 800 people.
  Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird's spokesman Rick Roth would only say the office ''is a priority for our government, and is a part of our principled foreign policy.''
  However, numerous organizations have confirmed receiving invitations to the prime minister's event, which was first reported by Ottawa-based foreign policy newspaper Embassy.
  Those interviewed expressed cautious excitement about the religious freedom office's official launch.
  They say the need to protect religious minorities and freedom is as critical now as when the government promised the initiative two years ago.
  But the fact the office has taken so long to come together, and that the details remain largely unknown, provides reason enough to temper expectations.
  ''We will have to see what happens with the office and what the mandate is,'' said Gerald Filson of the Baha'i Community of Canada. ''We haven't seen the mandate and we don't know who the ambassador is.''
  The ambassador's identity could be a key indicator of how the Harper government sees the office functioning, which may explain reports it had a hard time finding someone to take the position.
  ''It's probably a difficult appointment, a delicate appointment,'' Filson said. ''Anything to do with religion is delicate. It's a very tough appointment.''
  Similarly, it remains unclear exactly what the office will do, or how it will fit into Canada's dealings with the rest of the world.
  ''The potential (for the office) is great,'' said Kathryn White, executive director of the United Nations Association of Canada. ''But there remain lots of potential pitfalls in terms of how the office actually conducts its mandate.''
  The Conservative government has said it is planning to spend $5 million a year on the initiative over the next four years.
  Documents obtained through access to information show $500,000 will go to the office; where the rest will go is unclear.
  The government does plan to include Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canadian foreign aid agency, CIDA, in the initiative.
  This implies visas or refugee settlement as well as money to individuals and community organizations representing religious groups enduring discrimination.
  There is precedent for such an office; in 1998, the U.S. administration of President Bill Clinton signed off on a similar initiative, which had been unanimously approved by Congress after nearly two years of fractious debate.
  But while boasting successes, the U.S. effort has been accused of bias against Muslims, championing Christianity, and using taxpayer dollars to pursue pet projects.
  Similar concerns have been raised over the past two years as the Harper government has moved to create a Canadian office.
  Some Muslim groups have complained they were excluded from consultations, while a recent study found a surge in the amount of Canadian foreign aid money channeled through religious groups, many of them Christian.
  The government has also defended its decision to channel foreign aid money through an evangelical group, Crossroads Christian Communications, that posted anti-gay messages to its website.
  NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar noted the government discussed the office with international religious leaders, such as leaders of the Coptic Orthodox church, that boast a large number of members in key ridings across Canada.
  However, the government refused to meet with international human rights groups.
  Dewar said this raises concerns the office will simply be an extension of the Harper government's ongoing effort to court certain ethnic groups.
  ''There is nothing wrong with the issue of promotion of religious freedom,'' Dewar said. ''But this seems to be more about domestic politics than about international affairs.''
  Posted in:News Tags:Canadian Politics, Canada, Religious Freedom And Discrimination, Stephen Harper
Internet surveillance bill scrapped, new law to be unveiled
  Link to Article
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:58
  The Canadian PressPublished Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 4:48PM ESTLast Updated Monday, Feb. 11, 2013 10:50PM EST
  OTTAWA -- The Conservative government is scrapping its controversial and much-maligned Internet surveillance bill in favour of modest changes to Canada's warrantless wiretap law.
  Justice Minister Rob Nicholson says Bill C-30, the so-called Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act, will not go ahead.
  The law, which sparked a public outcry when it was first introduced, had been sought by police who said they needed it to go after child pornography, but it quickly met stiff resistance from privacy and civil liberties advocates.
  The legislation would have forced Internet service providers to maintain systems that allowed police to intercept and track online communications.
  "We will not be proceeding with Bill C-30, and any attempts we will have to modernize the Criminal Code will not contain the measures in C-30 -- including the warrantless mandatory disclosure of basic subscriber information, or the requirement for telecommunications service providers to build intercept capabilities within their systems," Nicholson said.
  "Any modernization of the Criminal Code ... will not contain those."
  Nicholson said the government was responding to Canadians "who have been very clear on this."
  Public Safety Minister Vic Toews set off a public firestorm last year when he told parliamentarians they could either stand with the government on Bill C-30 or stand with child pornographers.
  The comment infuriated a wide cross-section of opponents, including many small-c conservative libertarians who opposed what they called Big Brother oversight in the legislation.
  The government will instead take one small element of the legislation and create a new law that will address Supreme Court concerns over the use of police wiretaps without a warrant, Nicholson said.
  Another piece of legislation, Bill C-12, remains before Parliament. It would make it easier for Internet service providers, email hosts and social media sites to voluntarily share personal information about customers with authorities, possibly including private security firms.
  The changes announced Monday, however, will nonetheless ensure police will once again be able to tap people's phones without a warrant in cases of emergency or imminent harm.
  Nicholson said under the new rules, anyone whose communications have been intercepted in situations of imminent harm must be notified by police within 90 days.
  There will also be an annual report compiled on the use of imminent harm wiretaps, and only police -- and not other peace officers -- will be able to use them.
  The government's proposals fall in line with recommendations from the Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously that warrantless wiretaps would constitute a breach of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
  The high court gave the government a year to come up with changes to address its concerns.
Russia Puts Nuclear Bombers On High Alert Over American UFO Attack
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  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:56
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  A ''must have'' book for those seeking to understand the true events surrounding the most troubled years of our modern times. (Continued)
  Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military SuppressionBy: Sorcha Faal ''In the span of less than 3 months gasoline prices will rise 500%. The prices of both food and shelter rise over 300%. (Continued)
  Partisans Handbook:By: Sorcha Faal ''Essential Survival Guide For Resisting Foreign Military Occupation, Escape And Evasion Techniques, Surviving Interrogation, Facing Execution, Wilderness Survival (Continued)
  February 16, 2013
  RussiaPuts Nuclear Bombers On High Alert Over American UFO Attack
  By:Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers
  A truly unsettling Space Forces Command (VKS) report circulating in the Kremlin today states that President Putin had ordered a fleet of Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers equipped with Kh-55 nuclear armed cruise missiles to ''prepare for strikes'' against US targets in the Pacific should Russia be attacked by the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), whom military analysts in Moscow had detected this past week were preparing for a ''Bessel Beam'' test against at least one of the estimated 40 ''celestial objects'' traveling towards our Earth and accompanied by Asteroid 2012 DA14.
  2012 DA14, this report says, is a near-Earth asteroid with an estimated diameter of 50 meters (160 ft) and an estimated mass of 190,000 metric tons that was discovered on 23 February 2012, and yesterday (15 February) passed 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from the surface of our planet, which is a record close approach for a known object of this size.
  A ''Bessel Beam'', this report continues, is a field of electromagnetic, acoustic or even gravitational radiation whose amplitude is described by a Bessel function of the first kind, and in a NASA funded research paper published last year, New York University physicists David Ruffner and David Grier proposed they could build a ''working tractor beam'' which, among other uses, could be used to gather samples of from space.
  The ''test'' USSTRATCOM was preparing for, and which caused ''grave concern'' among top Russian space scientists, this report says, was an American attempt to use their High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HARRP) facilities located in Alaska, Norway and Guam to create a ''tractor beam'' around the ''celestial objects'' traveling with 2012 DA 14 with the ''goal'' of having at least one of them ''crash land'' in the remote barren regions of either the Alaskan or Canadian Arctic.
  The value of being able to capture an asteroid cannot be overestimated, VKS scientists say in this report, as one single asteroid in our solar system, 241 Germania, alone has an estimated mineral wealth value of $95.8 trillion, which is nearly the same as the annual GDP of the entire world.
  Two of the Tu-95 nuclear armed strategic bombers put on alert by Putin, US news reports say, traveled towards Guam immediately prior to this USSTRATCOM ''test'' utilizing ''multiple refuelings'' and causing both American and Japanese fighter aircraft to take flight to block them.
  Aside from Putin's anger over this USSTRATCOM ''test'', this report says, Foreign Minister Lavrov became so ''incensed'' over the Americans ''space lunacy'' he refused to return the calls made to him this past week by US Secretary of State John Kerry, though Russian diplomats say they may meet in March.
  To the grim outcome of the USSTRATCOM ''test'', this report continues, was the Americans first ''tractor beam'' attempt on 13 February which failed when the ''celestial object'' they were trying to ''direct'' towards the Arctic plunged into the atmosphere and exploded with great destructive effect over the Cuban town of Rodas, Cienfuegos.
  The second, and most catastrophic, ''tractor beam'' attempt occurred over Russia when military defense forces fired upon the ''celestial object'' causing it to explode with a force estimated to be equivalent to a 300-kiloton nuclear warhead causing over 1,200 injuries, and which we had reported on in our previous report titled ''Russia Goes On High Alert After UFO Shoot-Down Injures Hundreds''.
  The third, and final, ''tractor beam'' attempt, this report says, occurred last evening when the ''celestial object'' trying to be retrieved by USSTRATCOM erupted in a massive fireball that lit up the night sky throughout Northern California terrifying many residents already uneasy after the Russian explosion earlier in the day.
  Though under strict orders from Putin not to ''publicly discuss'' anything related to these USSTRATCOM ''tests'', this VKS report says, nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky defied the President (once again) telling RIA Novosti reporters in Moscow that the catastrophic blast over Russia was, indeed, a ''US weapons test''.
  Curiously, though not mentioned in this VKS report, Zhirinovsky further stated to RIA Novosti that US Secretary of State John Kerry had ''wanted to warn Foreign Minister Lavrov about the ''provocation'' on Monday, but couldn't reach him.''
  Equally important to note is that within a few hours after the catastrophic blast over Russia, President Obama privately called Putin, after which the G-20 summit, which the Russian President had been hosting in Moscow, declared there would be no global currency war, the significance of which we reported on in our 9 February report titled '''World War C' Warned To Crash US Economy By April''.
  To what the ultimate consequences of these US ''tractor beam tests'' will be it is not in our knowing, other than to note (of course) that the last people to know the truth about them will be the American people, who continue to fail to monitor the madman they have elected to run their despotic and cruel empire and whose latest actions do, indeed, put our entire world in danger.
  February 16, 2012 (C) EU and US all rights reserved. Permission to use this report in its entirety is granted under the condition it is linked back to its original source at WhatDoesItMean.Com. Freebase content licensed under CC-BY and GFDL.
  [Ed. Note: Western governments and their intelligence services actively campaign against the information found in these reports so as not to alarm their citizens about the many catastrophic Earth changes and events to come, a stance that the Sisters of Sorcha Faal strongly disagrees with in believing that it is every human beings right to know the truth. Due to our missions conflicts with that of those governments, the responses of their 'agents' against us has been a longstanding misinformation/misdirection campaign designed to discredit and which is addressed in the report ''Who Is Sorcha Faal?''.]
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President Harrison J. Bounel : Personal Liberty Digest'
  Link to Article
  Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:53
  PHOTOS.COM
  Who is Harrison J. Bounel? According to the 2009 tax return submitted by President Barack Obama, he's the President of the United States. All nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices are scheduled to discuss this anomaly today.
  The case in question is Edward Noonan, et al v. Deborah Bowen, California Secretary of State, and the Justices are finally looking at it thanks to the dogged determination of Orly Taitz. The case calls into question many of the documents Obama (Bounel, Soetoro, Soebarkah, etc.) has used and/or released as authentic since he came on the national scene. The case contends that the documents '-- birth certificate, Social Security number, Selective Service registration, etc. '-- are fakes or forgeries. If that's the case, Obama should not have been on the California ballot in 2008 and, therefore, should not have received the State's electoral votes.
  Four of the nine Justices must vote to move the case forward. We'll see.
  Meantime, on Feb. 4, Kathleen O'Leary, presiding judge of the 4th District Court of Appeal, reinstated the appeal of Taitz v. Obama et al filed by Taitz when she ran for Senate. That case involves evidence of 1.5 million invalid voter registrations in the State of California. The appeal also involves Obama's lack of legitimacy to hold the office of President based on his forged IDs, stolen Connecticut Social Security number, the fact the last name he's using is not legally his and his fraudulent claim to be the U.S. citizen.
  Evidence in the case includes:
  A certified copy of the passport records of Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, showing her son's legal last name to be Soebarkah, not Obama.Obama's school records from Indonesia, showing his citizenship to be Indonesian.Sworn affidavits of top law enforcement experts and investigators, showing Obama's birth certificate and Selective Service certificate are forgeries and that the Social Security number used by Obama on his 2009 tax returns as posted on WhiteHouse.gov was fraudulent. (The SSN failed when checked through both E-Verify and the Social Security Number Verification Service.)On another legal front, Obama defaulted in the case of Grinols et al v. Obama et al on Jan. 30 when he failed to file a response within 21 days of being served notice of the suit. This case also involves Obama's phony SSN.
  The suit states:
  [I]nvestigator Albert Hendershot found in the database of http://www.acxiom.com/identity-solutions/acxiom-identity-batch-solutions/ the name of the individual whose Social Security Obama is using. Acxciom-batch-solutions showed (Exhibit 1) that Harry J Bounel with the same Social Security number xxx-xx-4425 at 5046 S Greenwood Ave in Chicago, home address of Barack Obama, Database shows Bounel with the same address and Social Security number as Barack Obama himself. According to the databases last changes to the information on Harrison (Harry) J Bounel were made in and around November 2009 by Michelle Obama, who is listed as Bounel's relative. Database changes can involve entering the information or deletion of information. It appears that changes made by relative Michelle Obama included deletion of information, which was done at a time when Taitz brought to Federal court in the Central District of California before Judge David O. Carter a case of election challenge by her client, former U.S. ambassador Dr. Alan Keyes and 40 state Representatives and high ranked members of the U.S. military.
  Recently obtained results of the 1940 census, Exhibit 2, provided the last missing link, link (sic) between Harry J. Bounel and the date of birth of 1890. Exhibit 2 shows the printout of the U.S. census, showing Harry J Bounel, immigrant from Russia, residing at 915 Daly Ave, Bronx, NY, age 50 during the 1940 census, meaning he was born in 1890, as shown in the affidavit of Investigators Daniels and Sankey.
  There is a pattern of Obstruction of Justice and tampering with the official records and falsification/forgery of the official records related to Obama. This happens in particular when [George W.] Bush employees leave their positions and are replaced by Obama appointees.
  Taitz has asked for expedited default judgment and post judgment discovery in this case out of fear that any records on hand at the Social Security office will be destroyed when George W. Bush-appointed Commissioner Michael Astrue leaves office in February. Records that might have proven Obama's Selective Service registration was a forgery were destroyed in 2009 after Bush-appointed Selective Service Director William Chatfield resigned, Taitz alleges.
  Bob LivingstonBob Livingston is an ultra-conservative American who has been writing a newsletter since 1969. Bob has devoted much of his life to research and the quest for truth on a variety of subjects. Bob specializes in health issues such as nutritional supplements and alternatives to drugs, as well as issues of privacy (both personal and financial), asset protection and the preservation of freedom.