What Adam Curry is reading

A Silver lining...
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  Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile
  Thu, 23 May 2013 00:31
  With Greece suffering the biggest economic depression in decades, all so a few rich men can preserve their wealth and not have their EUR-denominated savings wiped out (even if the alternative means finally being able to rebalance externally using the Drachma instead of forcing internal rebalancing via unemployment and plunging wages), it was only a matter of time before we found out just how humiliating the conversion of the entire economy to a "gray", non-tax paying one would be for the citizens of Greece.
  As the NYT reports, in just the past two years, the numbers of Greeks engaging in prostitution as a last course source of income has more than doubled: according to the National Center for Social Research, the number of people selling sex has surged 150 percent in the last two years.
  Furthermore, with every business in which there is exploding "competition" and rich client scarcity, it is not just any prostitution, but very deflationary prostitution:
  ''Five euros only, just 5 euros,'' whispered Maria, a young prostitute with sunken cheeks and bedraggled hair, as she pitched herself forward from the shadows of a graffiti-riddled alley in central Athens on a recent weeknight.
  Many prostitutes have been selling their services for as little as 10 to 15 euros, a price that has shrunk along with the income of clients afflicted by the crisis. Many more prostitutes are taking greater health risks by having unprotected sex, which sells for a premium. Still more are subject to violence and rape.
  Now a new menace has arisen: a type of crystal methamphetamine called shisha, after the Turkish water pipe, but otherwise known as poor man's cocaine, brewed from barbiturates and other ingredients including alcohol, chlorine and even battery acid.
  And with a surge in prostitution come the drugs, and the danger of an epidemic of blood-transmitted diseases, like HIV:
  A hit of shisha, concocted in makeshift laboratories around Athens, costs 3 to 4 euros. Doses come in the form of a 0.01-gram ball, leaving many users reaching for hits throughout the day. They include prostitutes, whom Mr. Tzortzinis photographed in a seedy central neighborhood of Athens called Omonia, next to a large police station.
  Shisha is most often smoked. But it is increasingly being taken intravenously; because of the caustic chemicals it contains, a rising number of users are winding up in the emergency room. Health experts say the injections are also adding to an alarming rise in H.I.V. cases around Greece, which surged more than 50 percent last year from 2011 as more people turn to narcotics.
  For Mr. Tzortzinis, who grew up in the area, seeing women give themselves for as little as 5 euros underscores one of the many horrors of Greece's drawn-out crisis.
  Unfortunately for the country which is terrified to just say no to Europe due to the indoctrinated dread of what would happen if it left the Eurozone, this is only the beginning as the problem is far deeper, and it goes to the root of everything: an entire generation going to waste.
  But while the Greek still soaring unemployment rate is no surprise to anyone, it is the youth unemployment that is the problem. And as the Telegraph reports, in some areas of Greece, youth unemployment has now hit a inconceivable 75%.
  Western Macedonia in Greece had the highest level of youth unemployment in the European Union, with the number of 16 to 24 year-olds out of work jumping to 72.5pc in 2012 from 52.8pc in 2011, according to Eurostat. Total youth unemployment in Greece stood at 55.3pc last year, more than double the EU average of 22.9pc.
  The region, located in northern Greece, has been hit hard by the economic crisis, with total unemployment rising from 12.1pc in 2007 to almost 30pc in 2012 due to de-industrialisation and the migration of labour intensive industries to neighbouring countries, where wage demands are lower.
  According to a report by the European Commission in December, more than a fifth of firms stopped trading in the region between 2008 and 2011.
  Europe's response to this pandemic of unemployment?
  Europe's leaders have called for more action to tackle joblessness in Europe. Earlier this month, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso urged Europe's leaders to come up with "a more ambitious plan to fight youth unemployment" at a next month's EU summit.
  "We must give revive hope, specially for young people," he said. "We cannot wait for long, we are all aware this is urgent."
  And when hope is not enough, and when these same young people end up as prostitutes, drug addicts or, worst, infected with HIV, maybe they should also hope that a cure for the disease is somehow discovered (and which they can afford).
  Why? Just so the 0.001% uberwealthy can continue to get richer and richer courtesy of a year after year of flawed monetary and fiscal policy, even as the real world around them burns.
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Lawmakers Back Military's Laser Weapon Programs
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 22:33
  Congressional Republicans say they support the U.S. military's laser weapons and directed-energy programs designed to protect troops by zapping apart potential threats, from incoming rockets to drones flying overhead.
  A panel of the House Armed Services Committee singled out the Army's Solid State Laser Testbed and the Navy's Laser Weapon System as ''items of special interest'' in its draft of the 2014 defense authorization bill, which sets policy goals and spending targets for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
  ''The committee stresses the importance of directed energy research and encourages the Army's continuation of those efforts,'' according to language approved May 22 by the Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, headed by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas.
  The panel similarly backed the Navy program, including the service's plans to deploy the Laser Weapon System, or LaWS, aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Ponce early next year for further testing.
  It will be the first such deployment of the system after completing test shots last summer aboard the destroyer USS Dewey. The solid-state, infrared beam burned up dummy drones in evaluations in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
  The legislation would require the secretaries of the Army and Navy to brief lawmakers on the demonstration programs and provide more information about the potential challenges of adopting the technology for wider use within the services, given its high-energy requirements.
  Separately, the bill would also give lawmakers greater oversight of military intelligence operations. It calls for withholding half of the funding for the Pentagon's new Defense Clandestine Service, or DSC, until Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel certifies that the unit, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency, will fulfill requirements ''otherwise unmet.''
  ''The Defense Intelligence Agency has made good progress in developing and explaining the rationale behind the DCS,'' Thornberry said during a brief hearing. ''But as a new organization, it should have greater scrutiny and if military resources are being used, we want to make sure that the defense intelligence priorities are being met, especially in this very tight budget.''
  The Pentagon next year plans to spend a total of $606 billion. That figure includes a base budget of $526.6 billion and $79.4 billion for the war in Afghanistan, according to figures the department disclosed on May 20. It doesn't include the next round of automatic federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, which may total as much as $51 billion.
  The full committee on June 5 is expected to vote on the bill, H.R.1960.
  May 22nd, 2013 | Lasers and Ray Guns, Less-lethal, The Defense Biz | 204061 Commenthttp%3A%2F%2Fdefensetech.org%2F2013%2F05%2F22%2Flawmakers-back-militarys-laser-weapon-programs%2FLawmakers+Back+Military%27s+Laser+Weapon+Programs2013-05-22+20%3A17%3A58Brendan+McGarryhttp%3A%2F%2Fdefensetech.org%2F%3Fp%3D20406
  Tagged as: budget, Laser Weapon System, LaWS, Solid State Laser Testbed
Federal Register | National Safe Boating Week, 2013
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:32
  Proclamation 8981 of May 17, 2013
  A ProclamationEvery year, the United States Coast Guard joins partners nationwide to raise awareness about boating responsibly. We highlight that important work during National Safe Boating Week, and we encourage all boaters to take appropriate precautions before casting off this season.
  Safe boating starts onshore. Americans planning to spend a day on the water should prepare by filing a float plan with family or a friend, getting a free vessel safety check, and participating in a boating safety course. As they embark, boaters should make sure they have checked the marine forecast and all passengers are wearing a life jacket. And to put an end to preventable accidents that claim too many lives every year, individuals should never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  Boating is an important part of our national heritage. This week, let us carry that tradition forward by following commonsense safety procedures and keeping our lakes, rivers, and oceans safe for all to enjoy.
  In recognition of the importance of safe boating practices, the Congress, by joint resolution approved June 4, 1958 (36 U.S.C. 131), as amended, has authorized and requested the President to proclaim annually the 7-day period prior to Memorial Day weekend as ''National Safe Boating Week.''
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 18 through May 24, 2013, as National Safe Boating Week. I encourage all Americans who participate in boating activities to observe this occasion by learning more about safe boating practices and taking advantage of boating education.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  [FR Doc. 2013-12399Filed 5-21-13; 11:15 am]
  Billing code 3295-F3
Federal Register | World Trade Week, 2013
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:45
  A ProclamationAs a Nation, we need to do everything we can to create good, middle-class jobs right here in America. And one of the best ways we can do that is by boosting manufacturing and expanding trade that allows us to sell more of our goods and services all around the world. We have made important progress toward meeting that goal under our National Export Initiative, and we are taking historic steps to help our businesses access new markets abroad. But we cannot stop there. We need to keep making the investments in commerce and infrastructure that drive our economic growth and bring more Americans into a thriving middle class.
  We can start by modernizing our roads, bridges, and ports. These upgrades would allow American companies to ship their goods faster and cheaper, and they would encourage businesses worldwide to set up shop here and bring more jobs to our shores. So earlier this year, I proposed the Partnership to Rebuild America'--a collaboration between the private and public sectors to break ground on our most pressing infrastructure projects.
  In the past 4 years, we have focused on opening up growing markets for our businesses through historic trade agreements and enforcing trade rights so American workers can compete on a level playing field. To build on that progress, we are joining nations in Asia and the Americas to negotiate a new, high-standard trade agreement: the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Once realized, the deal would boost our exports, support American jobs, and help our companies succeed in the global marketplace. And to ramp up trade with Europe, we also plan to launch talks for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.
  My Administration is committed to expanding international commerce that creates jobs and grows our economy. During World Trade Week, we recognize workers, growers, and entrepreneurs nationwide who share that ambition, and we rededicate ourselves to advancing it in the year ahead.
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 19 through May 25, 2013, as World Trade Week. I encourage all Americans to observe this week with events, trade shows, and educational programs that celebrate and inform Americans about the benefits of trade to our Nation and the global economy.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  [FR Doc. 2013-12401Filed 5-21-13; 11:15 am]
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Federal Register | 2013 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47
  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946), and in order to prescribe amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:
  Section 1. Parts III and IV of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in the Annex attached and made a part of this order.
  Sec. 2. These amendments shall take effect as of the date of this order, subject to the following:
  (a) Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act done or omitted prior to the effective date of this order that was not punishable when done or omitted.
  (b) Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceedings, restraint, investigation, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the effective date of this order, and any such nonjudicial punishment, restraint, investigation, referral of charges, trial, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.
  THE WHITE HOUSE,May 15, 2013.
  Billing code 3295-F3-P
  [FR Doc. 2013-12157Filed 5-20-13; 8:45 am]
  Billing code 5001-06-C
Federal Register | Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:52
  On May 22, 2003, by Executive Order 13303, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq.
  The obstacles to the continued reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and security in the country, and the development of political, administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For this reason, the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303, as modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13438 of July 17, 2007, must continue in effect beyond May 22, 2013. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to the stabilization of Iraq declared in Executive Order 13303.
  This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
  THE WHITE HOUSE,May 17, 2013.
  [FR Doc. 2013-12261Filed 5-20-13; 11:15 am]
  Billing code 3295-F3
LiveLeak.com - Beheading in Woolwich, UK - British Soldier Dead
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  Thu, 23 May 2013 00:12
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  May 22st, 2013 -PERSON DEAD WITHOUT A HEAD CONFIRMED FOR BRITISH SOLIDER. TWO SOMALIANS CRITICALLY INJURED.
  One man is reported dead and two others injured amid reports of a shooting incident close to the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich this afternoon.One witness reported seeing a man beheaded in the street in an attack by two men.
  The report also said that police officers opened fire after the attack in John Wilson Street in Woolwich.
  There were reports that shots were fired after an apparent sword attack near the army base.
  Pictures posted on Twitter appear to show two men lying on the road in Woolwich.
  The air ambulance landed at the scene and paramedics treated victims in the street.
  David Dixon, the head of Mulgrave Primary School, told the BBC that he walked out of the school gates and saw a body lying in the street. "We shut all the gates and made sure all the children were inside," he said.
  Mr Dixon also confirmed hearing gunshots.
  The Metropolitan police would only say officers had been called to reports of 'an assault' on John Wilson Street.
  Wellington Street has been sealed off and an air ambulance has arrived on the scene.
  John Wilson Street is currently shut in both directions between Artillery Place and New Ferry Approach.
  Twitter user Boya Dee writes an account of the incident online. These details have not yet been verified.
  He wrote: 'Ohhhhh myyyy God!!!! I just see a man with his head chopped off right in front of my eyes!
  'Oh my God!!!! The way Feds took them out!!! It was a female police officer she come out the whip and just started bussssin shots!!
  'Mate ive seen alot of s*** im my time but that has to rank sumwhere in the top 3. I couldnt believe my eyes. That was some movie s***.'
  The two black bredas run this white guy over over then hop out the car and start chopping mans head off with machete!!
  'People were asking whyyy whyyy they were just saying we've had enough! They looked like they were on sutn! Then they start waving a recolver
  'Then boydem turn up!! Woolwich feds didnt want it... They had to wait for armed response.. Helicopters everyting...
  'Then thats how u know they were on sutn cos they actually went for armed feds with just two machete and an old rusty lookin revolver
  'The first guy goes for the female fed with the machete and she not even ramping she took man out like robocop never seen nutn like it
  'Then the next breda try buss off the rusty 45 and it just backfires and blows mans finger clean off... Feds didnt pet to just take him out!!
  'These times i was just going to the shop for some fruit and veg and i see all that!' - https://twitter.com/BOYADEE
9/11 threat: Jude Kenan Mohammad on FBI 10 Most wanted list for anniversary plot | Mail Online
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  Thu, 23 May 2013 00:03
  This is believed to be one of the men counter terrorism chiefs say are plotting a terrorist attack in America on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11.
  An image of American-born 22-year-old Jude Kenan Mohammad is on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for previous links to terrorism.
  He has now been linked to what officials have called a credible but unconfirmed al-Qaeda threat to set off a car bomb on bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington.
  The Wall Street Journal reported Mohammad is among three al-Qaeda leaders that investigators believe pose a particular threat because they have lived in the U.S.
  Should that mission prove impossible, the attackers have been told to simply cause as much destruction as they can.
  President Obama met with his national security team on Saturday, but the White House released no new information about possible threats.
  A statement said that counterterrorism efforts were working well and would not ease in the weeks and months ahead.
  On the eve of the 10th anniversary, law enforcement agencies around the country stepped up security at airports, nuclear plants, train stations and elsewhere.
  Mohammad, who was born in Florida, dropped out of North Carolina's Fuquay-Varina High School in 2006 and left the U.S. two years later to visit Pakistan, his father's homeland.
  A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted him and seven other men in 2009 on charges that they conspired to carry out terrorist activities around the world. Two of the men have pleaded guilty, and the trial of four others is set for September 19 in New Bern.
  Federal authorities have never arrested Mohammad in the case, saying that they believe he has been in Pakistan since the indictment was issued.
  Duty: New York Police Department tactical police officers stand guard near the New York Stock Exchange
  Frank Perry, a former FBI agent in Charlotte, said: 'They were far along in their planning and he's not here, so perhaps he's done more planning since then.
  'If he's a so-called leader, it could be a leader for a particular operation. It could be a leader of a particular cell.'
  Word that al-Qaida had dispatched would-be attackers reached U.S. officials this week.
  A CIA informant who has proven reliable in the past approached intelligence officials overseas to say that the men had been ordered by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri to mark Sunday's 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by doing harm on U.S. soil.
  The informant says the would-be attackers are of Arab descent and may speak Arabic as well as English. Counterterrorism officials were looking for certain names associated with the threat, but it was unclear whether the names were real or fake.
  Heightened patrols: A New York Police Department Hercules team on patrol near Penn Station in New York
  The news comes as a massive security operation was under way in New York and Washington D.C. after U.S. spy networks intercepted communications from an Al Qaeda operative in Pakistan.
  The 'chatter' indicated plans to attack the capital and New York, a senior security source indicated.
  Thousands of anti-terror officers will flood the streets tonight and radiation detecting boats were patrolling the water as America was put on heightened alert of a terror strike to coincide with Sunday's grim milestone.
  Sources revealed the terror cell has been instructed by al Qaeda and could be targeting subways, tunnels and bridges around Manhattan, but other big cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, are also on red alert.
  Speaking on condition of anonymity, one U.S. official said on Friday there was reason to believe the threat may be linked to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
  Zawahri took the reins of al Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed in May in a U.S. raid in Pakistan.
  The intelligence received this week included possible threats of attacks targeting subways or commuter trains as well as possible car bomb attacks in New York or Washington, U.S. officials said.
  Freedom: Mayor Bloomberg said he was riding the subway as normal today to assure his residents that New York was prepared for any terror attack
  New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said: 'We have to be concerned. Terrorism is theater and this is a stage, right now probably the world's biggest stage.'
  Some senior officials however have poured cold water on the al-Zawahiri link, saying he has had only limited involvement in al Qaeda operations, knowing he is the primary U.S. target after the killings of Osama bin Laden in May and top al-Qaida strategist Abu Abd al-Rahman Atiyyat Allah last month.
  'Bin Laden was more involved in al Qaeda operations than al-Zawahiri,' a senior official said. 'He's too busy trying to stay alive.'
  Regardless, the White House believes some element of al Qaeda is behind the threat '-- just not al-Zawahiri himself.
  More dog patrols: A New York Police Department member holds his dog as he patrols near Columbus Circle
  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday rode the subway to work in a bid to assure his residents that New York is prepared for any terror attack.
  He reiterated that the threat was 'credible' but said there was 'no reason' for Americans to 'lock ourselves in our houses and lose the freedoms that the terrorists want us to give up.'
  'Are we increasing it a little more? Yeah,' the Mr Bloomberg said on his weekly WOR radio show. 'But there's a limit on how much you can have because you can't have a cop on every corner.'
  Without giving specific details of the new threat, the mayor said it was being taken seriously because it wasn't 'outlandish'.
  And after getting off the train near the Brooklyn Bridge, Mr Bloomberg urged New Yorkers to just: 'Go back to work. And leave it to the professionals.'
  His words came as Vice President Joe Biden said that while intelligence on a potential terror plot against U.S. cities came from a credible source, there is 'no certitude' an attack has been planned.
  Mr Biden said he and President Obama had been briefed on intelligence developed by the CIA that three men may have entered the country with the intent to launch a vehicle-bomb attack.
  Salute: USS New York passes the World Trade Center as it arrived in Manhattan on Thursday
  'We do have talk about using a car bomb. We've been told that was an intention... from a credible source,' Mr Biden said on Good Morning America. 'But we do not have confirmation of that. We don't have a smoking gun.'
  'The thing we are all most worried about is what they call a 'lone ranger,' a lone actor, not some extremely complicated plan like it took to take down the World Trade towers.
  However, a source told the New York Post: 'It does feel more operational than most of the others we've had that have been more aspirational.'
  The information, which came from chatter picked up overseas by the CIA, said the attack would occur on the 10th, 11th or 12th, another source told the paper.
  Federal officials said yesterday that three individuals - one believed to be a U.S. citizen - entered the country last month by air with 'intent' to carry out a terrorist plot against Washington, D.C. or New York.
  Police sources told reporters the individuals are believed to have come to the U.S. via Afghanistan or Pakistan with at lease one stop in another country, possibly Iran.
  Business as usual: New Yorkers gather outside a gallery for Fashion Night in Soho as the Tribute in Light sends twin beams to the heavens in the background
  Patriotic: One World Trade Center is bathed in red white and blue as it lights up the New York skyline
  The FBI and Homeland Security Department issued a joint intelligence bulletin last night to law enforcement around the country urging them to maintain increased security and be on the lookout for suspicious activity.
  'There is specific, credible but unconfirmed threat information,' the head of the FBI's New York division, Janice Fedarcyk, said.
  'As we always do before important dates like the anniversary of 9/11, we will undoubtedly get more reporting in the coming days.'
  Mr Bloomberg told reporters the city's observance of the attacks will go on as planned.
  In Washington, law enforcement officials said they were working 12-hour days indefinitely, and Police Chief Cathy Lanier said unattended cars parked in unusual locations risked being towed.
  U.S. INTELLIGENCE WARNS OF 'LOTS OF CHATTER' ON JIHADI WEBSITESIntelligence officials have warned of 'lots of chatter' on jihadi websites about the imminent anniversary of 9/11, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, pictured, said yesterday.
  The department will be at a heightened level of readiness as the U.S. commemorates the anniversary but, she said, nothing yet warrants raising the terrorist threat status.
  CNN reported Ms Napolitano as saying: 'We don't have something that would reach that standard, but we still have lots of chatter out there. And we take every bit of that seriously and are tracking it down.'
  She said the anniversary would likely be an 'iconic' day for al Qaeda. But despite the heightened level of threat she declined to give out details of security preparations.
  'I don't want to give those (details) out because I don't want to tell the bad guys exactly what we're doing,' she said.
  'But I think it's fair to say that in addition to asking citizens to be vigilant and so forth, that we have ourselves leaned forward and have made sure that we are doing all that we can from the DHS perspective.'
  Briefed on the threat information yesterday morning, President Obama directed U.S. counter-terrorism agencies to redouble their efforts, a White House official said.
  A White House official yesterday told ABC: 'The President was briefed on this specific threat information this morning and has been updated on it throughout the day.
  'The United States government has already significantly enhanced its security posture in advance of the 9/11 anniversary to protect the country against possible terrorist threats.
  'Nevertheless, the President directed the counter-terrorism community to redouble its efforts in response to this credible but unconfirmed information.'
  As of late last night, there were no plans to change Mr Obama's travel schedule on Sunday in light of the threat, the White House said.
  The president is scheduled to mark the September 11 anniversary with stops at New York's Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
  He also will deliver a speech on Sunday night at a memorial concert at the Kennedy Centre in Washington.
  The Department of Homeland Security, which said only last week that there was no credible information that al Qaeda was plotting an attack around the September 11 anniversary, declined to offer details on the threat.
  It cautioned that there were always threat reports before important dates like the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
  Spokesman Matt Chandler said: 'Sometimes this reporting is credible and warrants intense focus, other times it lacks credibility and is highly unlikely to be reflective of real plots under way.'
  'Regardless, we take all threat reporting seriously, and we have taken, and will continue to take all steps necessary to mitigate any threats that arise.'
  A second law-enforcement source played down an ABC News report about missing rental trucks - saying the vehicles had been recovered and there was no connection to terrorism.
  At the press conference Mr Bloomberg spoke about additional precautions being taken in the event potential threats were confirmed.
  The mayor said intelligence agencies have been on 'heightened alert' as the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches.
  He advised New Yorkers not to change their daily routines but to be vigilant in reporting anything suspicious.
  Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said heightened security measures would include increased bag inspections on the city's mass transit system, increased deployment of radiation monitoring equipment, increased focus on landmark, houses of worship and government buildings and increased bomb sweeps of parking garages and other locations.
  On alert: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department Raymond Kelly enter a news conference to discuss a new terrorist threat
  Some New York residents said they were already on high alert.
  'When I heard it this morning on the radio, it definitely made me a little bit nervous, but I think you kind of have to go on," resident Mark Clark said.
  'Your best place is stay in the house during the day. Don't come out because you don't know what's going to happen," said Quinseya Johnson .
Judge apologizes for lack of transparency in leak probe - The Washington Post
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:59
  The chief judge of the District's federal court issued an unusual order Wednesday, apologizing to the public and the media for not making certain court documents widely available online.
  The gesture of transparency by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth comes at a time when the Obama administration is under scrutiny for an unprecedented number of leak investigations, including one showing that the Justice Department had secretly probed the news-gathering activities of Fox News reporter James Rosen.
  The investigation of Rosen was first reported Monday, after The Washington Post obtained court documents containing details of the case.
  A federal judge had ordered the documents unsealed in November 2011, but they were kept sealed for 18 months and not posted on the court's online docket until last week, after The Post inquired about them.
  Lamberth blamed a series of administrative errors and said a review of the ''performance of the personnel involved is underway.'' He also said he was creating a new category on the court's Web site where all search and arrest warrants will be made public unless they fall under a separate sealing order.
  At issue were three 2010 search warrants issued as part of the Rosen probe.
  The investigation centered on a former State Department arms expert, Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, who was indicted in 2010 for allegedly disclosing national defense information to Rosen, Fox's chief Washington correspondent.
  Rosen has not been prosecuted, but the Justice Department's characterization of him in the search-warrant affidavit as a possible ''co-conspirator'' has alarmed civil libertarians as well as First Amendment watchdogs.
Global warming debunked: NASA report verifies carbon dioxide actually cools atmosphere
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:50
  (NaturalNews) Practically everything you have been told by the mainstream scientific community and the media about the alleged detriments of greenhouse gases, and particularly carbon dioxide, appears to be false, according to new data compiled by NASA's Langley Research Center. As it turns out, all those atmospheric greenhouse gases that Al Gore and all the other global warming hoaxers have long claimed are overheating and destroying our planet are actually cooling it, based on the latest evidence.As reported by Principia Scientific International (PSI), Martin Mlynczak and his colleagues over at NASA tracked infrared emissions from the earth's upper atmosphere during and following a recent solar storm that took place between March 8-10. What they found was that the vast majority of energy released from the sun during this immense coronal mass ejection (CME) was reflected back up into space rather than deposited into earth's lower atmosphere.
  The result was an overall cooling effect that completely contradicts claims made by NASA's own climatology division that greenhouse gases are a cause of global warming. As illustrated by data collected using Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER), both carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitric oxide (NO), which are abundant in the earth's upper atmosphere, greenhouse gases reflect heating energy rather than absorb it.
  "Carbon dioxide and nitric oxide are natural thermostats," says James Russell from Hampton University, who was one of the lead investigators for the groundbreaking SABER study. "When the upper atmosphere (or 'thermosphere') heats up, these molecules try as hard as they can to shed that heat back into space."
  According to the data, up to 95 percent of solar radiation is literally bounced back into space by both CO2 and NO in the upper atmosphere. Without these necessary elements, in other words, the earth would be capable of absorbing potentially devastating amounts of solar energy that would truly melt the polar ice caps and destroy the planet."The shock revelation starkly contradicts the core proposition of the so-called greenhouse gas theory which claims that more CO2 means more warming for our planet," write H. Schreuder and J. O'Sullivan for PSI. "[T]his compelling new NASA data disproves that notion and is a huge embarrassment for NASA's chief climatologist, Dr. James Hansen and his team over at NASA's GISS."
  Dr. Hansen, of course, is an outspoken global warming activist who helped spark man-made climate change hysteria in the U.S. back in 1988. Just after the release of the new SABER study, however, Dr. Hansen conveniently retired from his career as a climatologist at NASA, and reportedly now plans to spend his time "on science," and on "drawing attention to [its] implications for young people."
  You can read more details of the new NASA SABER study by visiting:http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/22mar_saber/
  You can also check out a informative, four-minute video report on the solar storm here:http://youtu.be/EEFQHDSYP1I
  Sources for this article include:
  http://principia-scientific.org
  http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/22mar_saber/
  http://youtu.be/EEFQHDSYP1I
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Bitcoin Hits the Big Time, to the Regret of Some Early Boosters | MIT Technology Review
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:43
  The first major conference for the digital currency suggests it is gaining legitimacy, but in a manner disappointing to some early enthusiasts.
  Funny money: These metal coins were minted by Utah company Casascius to make bitcoins tangible.
  This past Sunday, Doug Scribner took out five $100 bills and began feeding them into what looked like a small, white ATM in San Jose Conference Center in California. The machine swallowed the bills smartly and credited him with an equivalent value in bitcoins, an intangible, digital currency that is backed by not gold or any government, but by math.
  Scribner was one of an estimated 1,100 people who attended Bitcoin 2013, a weekend-long event in the heart of Silicon Valley and the first large conference dedicated to Bitcoin. Unsurprisingly, all those present seemed certain that the cryptocurrency was set to upend the world of finance, perhaps more. But the event also offered something new: evidence that Bitcoin is gaining traction outside its existing community of enthusiastic early adopters.
  Bitcoin's origins are mysterious. It was created by an unknown individual or individuals who used the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Cryptographic operations and oversight from a peer-to-peer network of people running Bitcoin software process transactions and protect against counterfeiting without the need for a central authority (see ''What Bitcoin Is and Why It Matters'').
  Commercial enterprises based on Bitcoin are gaining momentum in part thanks to people like Scribner, who, after buying large numbers of bitcoins early in their short history, has seen them soar in value and is in a position to invest. ''I'm going to buy one of these and put it in Mall of America,'' Scribner told me after using the dollar-gobbling machine, which has a $4,000 price tag. He described a plan for a small booth that would offer passing shoppers Bitcoin literature and the opportunity to exchange greenbacks for bitcoins on the spot. Scribner, who works in teleconferencing near Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, could probably afford to do it. He says that he bought his first 100 bitcoins when they were just $3 each, and then steadily amassed more at relatively low prices. A single bitcoin today now sells for just over $120.
  More significantly, the conference also showed that Bitcoin has begun to attract the backing of conventional technology industry investors, who have sunk millions of dollars into a handful of Bitcoin startups. ''What's going on right now is a transformation from stage one, supported by the purists that are devoted to the idea, to a period where we are asking 'What does this do for global commerce?' '' Chris Larsen, CEO of OpenCoin, told me at his company's booth, one of about 20 in the conference's exhibition space.
  Larsen previously founded two conventional finance companies, E-Loan and Prosper; his new company runs a service called Ripple that offers easy transactions between conventional currencies, bitcoins, and a math-backed currency of the company's own design. OpenCoin is backed by Silicon Valley venture funds Lightspeed Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, and Google Ventures (see ''Big-Name Investors Back Effort to Build a Better Bitcoin''). Bitcoin businesses have been started before, but OpenCoin and a few others now have access to funds, expertise, and contacts that allow a more significant, lasting assault on the status quo. The U.S. Treasury helped strengthen investor interest in March, when it clarified which financial crime regulations apply to virtual currencies.
  CoinBase, the media sponsor of the San Jose event, received the largest venture investment in a Bitcoin business to date earlier this month. The company, which originated in the incubator Y Combinator and helps individuals and businesses use bitcoins, received $5 million from Union Square Ventures, a fund better known for backing Tumblr and Zynga. In San Jose, I also met the founders of BitPay, which enables online stores'--including those hosted by Amazon'--to take Bitcoin payment. Bitpay recently received $3 million from Founders Fund, led by Facebook's first major investor, Peter Thiel.
  BitPay CEO Tony Gallippi told me that Thiel invested because he saw how the company could help ease online commerce across borders; the company already handles $5 million in transactions each month and says the figure is growing. ''Traditional payments such as credit cards don't even work in half the world, so companies just choose to not service international customers,'' Gallippi said. ''That leaves a big opportunity.'' He plans to take further investment later this year but told me it will be more for reasons of making strategic contacts than a need for cash, since he and his cofounders have significant Bitcoin holdings.
  One reason Bitcoin is interesting, says Jeremy Liew, a partner with Lightspeed Venture Partners, is that it could displace the practice of wiring money across borders, which underpins much international trade today and can be onerous. ''If I'm trying to wire a supplier in China it's a three- or four-day process with heavy fees,'' he says. ''Bitcoin transactions can be instant and free.''
  Liew and others shrug off the currency's wild swings in value over the past few years, saying that the general trend is upward and that volatility will decrease as more people use it. BitPay, OpenCoin, and others also offer services that make it possible for a business to make sure incoming bitcoins keep their value by having them instantly converted to dollars. ''Bitcoin can be used as just a transport network,'' says Liew.
  Several people from Silicon Valley involved in Bitcoin liken its potential to that of the Internet, saying it will enable money to flow as easily across the world, and between people, as e-mails and video do today. Yet mingling with the crowd in San Jose also made it clear that some of those who have supported Bitcoin for the longest don't like the approach of these startups and their investors.
  Bitcoin's earliest adopters were libertarians, cryptographers, and coders attracted by the idea of money that could operate without government oversight. They liked the idea that people could exchange bitcoins without knowing or trusting one another. Large exchanges and payments companies that operate much like existing financial institutions and follow the same regulations compromise both of those features, some argue.
  ''When those people talk about revolution, it's 'I put out a disruptive app.' That's not a revolution to me,'' said one attendee, who told me that his online handle is Alexmat and that he quit a job with Goldman Sachs's commodity desk in Tokyo to operate a private, one-man Bitcoin exchange business in Seattle. ''These companies would be happy for it to just function like Mastercard. That is not what Bitcoin is about.''
  I met Alexmat within the large crowd assembled for one of the best-attended talks of Sunday. Ian Miers, a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University, took the stage to explain that Bitcoin's design doesn't provide the ''anonymity'' many assume, and offered a possible solution: an extension to Bitcoin called Zerocoin. Bitcoin's design relies on a public log of all transactions; that log doesn't include names, but researchers have found that it can be used to deanonymize transactions, says Miers, something he believes will soon be attractive to marketing and financial companies, as well as law enforcement. ''The reality of the matter is that Bitcoin is not that private,'' said Miers. ''It's actually worse than cash.''
  Being part of the crowd clustering around Miers after his talk was like being at a very different event from that inhabited by the venture-backed startups. People talked of the likelihood that the U.S. government is already tracing all Bitcoin transactions and spoke favorably about the potential for a truly anonymous currency like Zerocoin to undermine existing financial and political systems. Coders approached Miers offering to help out with the project, and Alexmat offered financial support.
  However, if Bitcoin is to grow up and become widely used, it may have to be in a way that leaves behind some of the features that first attracted its early adopters. Liew, of Lightspeed, acknowledges the role of that community in Bitcoin's rise but says anonymity and decentralization aren't compatible with mainstream use. ''The libertarians' zeal took Bitcoin from nothing to something, and then you had people that were attracted by the anonymous nature, who mostly use it for [illegal] online gambling,'' he says. ''But the appeal of zero transaction costs is universal.''
  Looked at this way, Bitcoin could hit the big time as less an idealistic reinvention of currency and more a technology to move payments more efficiently than today's systems.
  The changing face of the Bitcoin economy is personified by Jared Kenna, a 30-year-old Bitcoin millionaire. I first met him two years ago when he ran his Bitcoin exchange Tradehill out of a shared office in San Francisco, where he and his cofounders dressed down, hacker style, in hoodies. Not long after, regulatory pressure and a lawsuit shut the company down.
  When I met Kenna in San Jose, he was wearing a suit, tie, and trim beard, and looked like a junior Wall Street worker. He talked a lot about regulatory compliance and said that a rejuvenated, 15-person-strong Tradehill now trades millions of dollars each month. Kenna brought a notary public to the conference so he could sign up new traders on the spot in compliance with U.S. financial regulations on verifying identity. ''We realized how important image is. We put the suits on and are trying to be the most professional outfit in the business,'' said Kenna. ''The libertarians don't like that we are playing ball with regulators, but it's necessary to get Bitcoin established.''
  Kenna knows Bitcoin's early-adopter crowd well, having been one of its most active members himself in the past, but he now runs with a different crowd. ''We've had multiple billionaires come in and talk to us for an hour and open an account,'' he said.
Holder: Drone strikes have killed four Americans since 2009 - CNN.com
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 23:24
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  STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledges toll in letter to Senate chairmanLatest disclosure was classified until now; Obama asked Holder to release infoAdmission comes one day before President Obama delivers speech on terror policyNEW: Holder letter reveals details on alleged bomb plots involving U.S. aviationWashington (CNN) -- Counterterrorism drone strikes have killed four Americans overseas since 2009, the U.S. government acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday, one day before President Barack Obama delivers a major speech on related policy.
  In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Attorney General Eric Holder said the United States specifically targeted and killed one American citizen, al Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, in 2011 in Yemen, alleging he was plotting attacks against the United States.
  The letter provided new details about al-Awlaki's alleged involvement in bomb plots targeting U.S. aviation.
  Holder also said the Obama administration was aware of three other Americans who had been killed in counterterrorism operations overseas.
  Holder said Samir Kahn, Abdul Rahman Anwar al-Awlaki and Jude Kenan Mohammed were not targeted by the United States but he did not add more details about their deaths.
  The letter represents the first U.S. admission that the four were killed in counterterror strikes even though their deaths had been reported in the media.
  Read Holder's letter
  Abdul Rahman Anwar Al-Awlaki was the 16-year-old son of the al Qaeda cleric and was killed in Pakistan about two weeks after his father's death.
  Khan produced the English-language magazine Inspire for al Qaeda's affiliate in the Arabian Peninsula, which included bomb-making instruction. He was killed alongside the elder al-Awlaki.
  Mohammed, who was once on the FBI's Most Wanted list, was indicted in July 2009 as part of a North Carolina-based terror ring. He was charged with plotting to murder, kidnap or maim persons overseas and provide material support to terrorists. Mohammed was never arrested and for a time reportedly was living in Pakistan.
  The Justice Department did not say when he was killed or provide any details.
  Obama will deliver long-promised remarks on Thursday at National Defense University and will speak at length about the policy and legal rationale for how the United States takes action against al Qaeda and its affiliates, including the use of drones, according to a White House official.
  Obama will discuss the administration's rationale for why those strikes are legal and necessary, the official said.
  Targeting Americans with lethal force in counterterror operations overseas was a controversy that flared publicly during confirmation hearings for CIA Director John Brennan earlier this year.
  Senators aggressively sought the administration's legal reasoning for those operations.
  Some lawmakers were critical of the practice and questions were raised about whether drones might ever be used against U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism who were on American soil.
  Holder said Obama directed him to release the latest details, which had been classified "until now." He said the unprecedented disclosure was made as a way to build on Obama's commitment in his State of the Union Address earlier this year to "continue to engage" with Congress on counterterror efforts and to "ensure that they remain consistent with our laws and values."
  Holder noted in one of his own speeches last year he had made it clear the United States would only use lethal force against an American citizen "who is a senior operational leader of al Qaeda or its associated forces, and who is actively engaged in planning to kill Americans." He also said no American would be targeted unless he or she posed an imminent threat and could not be captured.
  The senior al-Awlaki was believed by U.S. authorities to have inspired acts of terrorism against the United States. It was said his facility with English and technology made him one of the top terrorist recruiters in the world. He was considered the public face of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
  But Holder said in his letter that it "was not his words that led the United States to act against him" but his "direct personal involvement" in the "planning and execution" of terror attacks against the United States that "made him a lawful target."
  For instance, Holder said al-Awlaki "planned a suicide operation" for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a U.S.-bound jetliner.
  Holder noted al-Awlaki directed Abdulmutallab to detonate his bomb, which was hidden in his underwear, only when the jet was over U.S. soil. The plot that ultimately involved a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009 failed.
  The letter also provided new details about al-Awlaki's alleged involvement in a 2010 plot to blow up U.S.-bound cargo planes with explosives hidden in printers. Holder said al-Awlaki was so involved he even participated in the development and testing of the explosives used in the plan that was foiled.
  Calling the decision to use lethal force "one of the gravest our government" can face," Holder said the operation targeting al-Awlaki received "exceptionally rigorous" legal review and additional policy screening by the administration. Congress was also briefed on the possibility of targeting the al Qaeda figure and informed once the decision was made in 2010.
  In his letter Holder said Obama approved a policy document this week that "institutionalizes the administration's exacting standards and processes for reviewing and approving operations to capture or use lethal force against terrorist targets outside the United States and areas of active hostilities."
  CNN's Jessica Yellin contributed to this report.
British soldier beheaded, killed in barbaric machete attack (PHOTOS) '-- RT News
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 15:23
  Published time: May 22, 2013 17:36Edited time: May 22, 2013 20:14EmbedCode
  A man believed to be soldier has been beheaded in a barbaric attack by two men on a street outside Woolwich army barracks in South East London. In the shocking scene, one the killers addressed witnesses saying "you will never be safe".
  ITV news, which has shocking footage of one of the attackers running down the road carrying a knife in blood soaked hands has also reported that one of the men said to astonished bystanders who witnessed the attack: ''We must fight them as they fight us. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I apologise that women have had to witness this today, but in our land our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your government, they don't care about you."
  Follow RT's LIVE UPDATES on the story.
  One of the witness to the tragedy, called James and who was one of the first people to call the police, told LBC radio, that initially they thought the two men were trying to help the one who was on the ground.
  "We thought the two guys were helping him. We then saw two kitchen knives like you would find in a butchers shop, they were hacking at this poor guy literally. We thought they were trying to remove organs or something. One of the black guys then shouted to me and my partner to get in the car. I then moved the car down the road and dialed 999."
  James continued that they there was no way a human could take what they did to him. They then dragged the dead man into the middle of the road and then stood on the pavement waving the gun about, as if they were proud of what they had done.
  He said that some women bystanders were trying to shield the dead man from further attacks and that the men could have killed them if they had wanted to.
  James continued that the attackers had the opportunity to run away if they had wanted but they were apparently waiting for something. When the police turned up it was apparent why as both men went charging towards them.
  Armed police who responded to the incident have reportedly shot and injured the attackers, one of them seriously.
  Officers were called to the area at around 2:20 pm and the surrounding area has been cordoned off by police.
  The incident happened next to Woolwhich barracks but the Ministry of Defense has not yet confirmed whether the dead man was in fact a soldier.
  A spokesman from Scotland Yard said, ''Officers have responded to an incident in John Wilson Street at 2:20 pm today. We believe at this stage that officers were called to reports of an assault."
  The London Air Ambulance also confirmed that a doctor and a paramedic were sent to the scene at 14:27 pm.
  A Muslim resident told Reuters that "this has nothing to do with Islam. Its heartbreaking, its heartbreaking."
  Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that he had asked the Home Secretary Theresa May to chair a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency committee and that she had requested updates from MI5 and the Metropolitan Police and the government were treating the incident as suspected terrorist attack.
  The Defense Secretary Phillip Hammond and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson have also arrived at the Cobra meeting.
  The meeting lasted just under an hour and heard that security has been tightened at Woolwich barracks and increased at all London barracks, Downing Street said, the Mirror reports.
  Cameron said at a press conference with French President Francoise Hollande that there were "strong indications that it is a terrorist incident."
  Roy Ramm, a former Scotland Yard commander of specialist operations, told the BBC News Channel that the police will be looking into the background of the two men in custody to try and determine if they were part of an organized network or acting alone.
  The mayor of London Boris Johnson said that security has been stepped up at military installations across the country and that London's "incredibly resilient" communities had been here before and would pull together.
Meet the Man Who Set Off the IRS Firestorm - NationalJournal.com
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 13:56
  J. Russell George paused for just a moment before he took his seat at the witness table. He wanted to take it all in. The Treasury inspector general whose audit of the IRS had set off a national firestorm had been in this very room before'--three decades earlier.
  That was back when George was a precocious teenager who had worked his way onto the staff of then-Sen. Bob Dole, the powerful Republican chairman of the vaunted Finance Committee. Then, he'd sorted mail and made carbon copies. Now, he was about to testify before the same panel, to present the findings of an explosive audit that found wayward tax agents who had targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.
  ''I could never have dreamed [about this] as a 17, 18-year-old,'' George said in a wide-ranging interview with National Journal, one of his first since the audit. ''It's kind of moving for me in that regard.''
  Two heads have already rolled in the scandal. One of them, the outgoing acting commissioner of the IRS, Steven Miller, was seated next to George. Pictures of the two of them, their right hands raised, taking the oath, ran in papers across the nation after the scandal's first congressional hearing last week.
  All the attention was new, but George has operated in these halls of power his entire career. He worked for Dole, and then in President George H.W. Bush's White House. In between, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1988 alongside a young Michelle Obama (then Michelle Robinson).
  They weren't in the same section'--the academic groupings that Harvard uses to divide its students'--but George said they traveled in some of the same social circles, including the Black Law Students Association.
  ''I think he actually dated Michelle at one point,'' said former Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, who worked with George when he was staff director for a House oversight subcommittee in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
  ''That is overstating it,'' George said. But the two students did socialize in group settings. ''Michelle was a lovely person, and down to earth,'' he said. '''...The BLSA went out for pizza; we would go out together.''
  He paused, for a beat. ''Don't get me in trouble,'' George said.
  George, 49, has been a lot better at finding success than trouble throughout his career. He grew up in New York City, where his father worked for the transit authority and his mother was a secretary. At the age of 10, he was publishing a neighborhood paper, according to a congressional good-bye speech his old boss, former Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif., gave in 2002.
  From an early age, George was fascinated by celebrities. He'd line up outside the stage door of the biggest shows on Broadway to collect stars' autographs, ''Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton '...'' he said, fondly, ''I could go on and on.''
  He moved to Washington to study at Howard University, the historically black college, but his fascination'--he calls it a ''hobby'''--with fame followed. And in Washington, the famous were on Capitol Hill. So he decamped to the corridors outside the Senate clutching a piece of cardboard, ''with my goal to get every member of the U.S. Senate to sign a single placard,'' he said.
  That's where he met Bob Dole. ''Who are you missing?'' Dole asked George, after scribbling his name. Dole then ''went into the Senate chamber and started bringing out, one by one, all these great lions of the Senate,'' George recalled. Lions like Ted Kennedy, who would add his name to the signatures of Jesse Helms and Barry Goldwater.
  George called Dole the next day to ask for a job. Dole's staffer asked what party he was with. ''I'm 17,'' George said. ''I'm not registered as anything.'' They said he could come in once a week, unpaid. Soon enough, though, he had a full-time job.
  Two of the senators whom George would have stalked in the halls in the early 1980s (although they likely weren't high on his star list then) were among his inquisitors on Tuesday: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the panel's top Republican.
  George, a recent board member of Washington's tony University Club who can now count himself among the political celebrities he once pursued, can't remember if he got their signatures. The placard is ''at my parent's house in New York,'' he said, likely accumulating dust. ''I don't think I got all 100, because some of them snuck out the side door.''
  After Harvard Law, George had a brief stint as a New York prosecutor, before returning to Washington to work for President George H.W. Bush, as a lawyer in the budget office, then as associate director for policy in the Office of National Service. The Clinton era ushered him back to New York, into private practice.
  In 1995, with Republicans in control of the House and Speaker Newt Gingrich ascendant, George returned to Washington as chief counsel of a House oversight subcommittee, where he stayed until 2002. There, he won plaudits for his impartiality from both sides of the aisle.
  ''Russell was a straight-shooter,'' said Phil Barnett, then chief counsel to Rep. Henry Waxman of California, who was the top Democrat on the House oversight panel at the time.
  ''You can take what he does from an objectivity point of view to the bank,'' said Davis, the former GOP House member. He said George has the perfect temperament for the current IRS maelstrom. ''You couldn't ask for a more fair umpire in this,'' Davis said, ''He's not a fiery Republican type, but obviously he's not beholden to the administration.''
  The second President Bush tapped George for an inspector general role in 2002 (Dole administered the oath to George) and then his current post in 2004. At his confirmation hearing, then-Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., introduced George as a ''good friend.'' ''Credibility, integrity, and competence, those are among the very first words that come to mind,'' he said.
  With his rounded features, baritone voice and thin-rimmed glasses that rest low on his nose, George has emerged from the witness table unscathed. Of course, it helps that the toughest, most outraged questions aren't slung his way but at the IRS officials who oversaw the agency as the targeting occurred.
  Also working in George's favor: Some of his congressional questioners know him from his staffer days. George ticked off the names: Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., among them. Count Joe Scarbough, the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, as among those who worked with George in the House, too.
  It probably doesn't hurt that the communications director at George's side, Karen Kraushaar, has weathered a Washington scandal storm herself. In 2011, Kraushaar was one of the first women to be named publicly after accusing GOP then-presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment.
  ''Truth-telling requires strength of character," said Kraushaar, who has worked for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration' Office since 2010.
  As tax-administration inspector general, George manages a staff of nearly 800 employees charged with monitoring the IRS. He counts the audit his team produced as among his biggest achievements in nearly two decades as a federal government watchdog.
  ''Americans need to have trust that the agency, which has so much of their personal information'--and has an ability to affect their lives in so many different ways'--is operated with the highest degree of integrity,'' George said.
  In the last week, George has testified before three different congressional committees. That's likely just the start. At Tuesday's Finance hearing, he suggested that his office was undertaking a review of nonprofits'--known as 501(c)(4)s'--that have played in the electoral arena, an issue that Democrats have cried out to be addressed.
  In the interview, George wouldn't address that, specifically, but he said, ''As a result of the work that was conducted in preparation of this audit, we have uncovered areas that need further review.''
  Or, as he told senators Tuesday, ''Suffice it to say, this matter is not over.''
  Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.
Presidential Proclamation -- National Maritime Day, 2013
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  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 11:07
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 21, 2013
  NATIONAL MARITIME DAY, 2013
  - - - - - - -
  BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  A PROCLAMATION
  Through every chapter of the American story, ordinary men and women have accomplished extraordinary things as members of the United States Merchant Marine. When the idea of America depended on the success of a revolution, mariners took on the world's most powerful navy and helped secure our future as a sovereign Nation. In the decades since, they have sustained critical supply lines for our troops abroad -- at times enduring profound losses to keep our sea lanes open. And through war and peace alike, the Merchant Marine has driven our economic growth by shipping our products all around the world. On National Maritime Day, we honor the generations of mariners who have served and sacrificed to make our country what it is today.
  To keep America moving forward in the 21st century, we need to expand trade and commerce that creates good jobs for our people. Businesses in every corner of our country are stepping up to meet that challenge, ramping up manufacturing and selling more goods and services overseas. As they do, our Merchant Marine is making sure our products get wherever they need to go -- from ports here at home to new markets halfway across the globe. Their work is essential to growing our economy, and my Administration remains committed to getting our mariners the support they need to carry out their mission.
  Whether equipping our service members in the theater of war or guiding our maritime industry in the calm of peace, the United States Merchant Marine has helped keep America strong for more than two centuries. Let us mark this day by reflecting on that legacy of service, honoring the men and women who forged it, and saluting the proud mariners who carry it forward today.
  The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 20, 1933, has designated May 22 of each year as "National Maritime Day," and has authorized and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance.
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2013, as National Maritime Day. I call upon the people of the United States to mark this observance and to display the flag of the United States at their homes and in their communities. I also request that all ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  BARACK OBAMA
RYOT News >> Man who oversees Sandy Hook fund and One Fund among others says work is wrenching
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 10:53
  By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press
  BOSTON (AP) '-- His work has immersed him in events that read like a roster of recent catastrophes, from 9/11 to the Gulf oil spill. Now, Kenneth Feinberg is adding the Boston Marathon bombings to that list.
  The Massachusetts native and attorney is managing the payouts from The One Fund, which was established to help victims of the explosions that killed three and injured 260.
  Feinberg is experienced dealing with people facing profound loss, but he doesn't seek the work.
  ''I must tell you every time I do one, you say to yourself, 'God I hope this is the last one,'' he said.
  Feinberg handled victims' compensation after 9/11, the BP oil spill, the Virginia Tech shootings and the Colorado movie theater shootings, among other calamities.
  He's now advising a panel distributing money after the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., and mediating Penn State's settlement discussions with the sex abuse victims of former football coach Jerry Sandusky.
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  The experiences are wrenching, he said. And recipients invariably resent him, thinking he's trying to put a price on the priceless things they've lost.
  ''Don't expect thanks or appreciation or gratitude, none of that,'' Feinberg said. ''We have very emotional victims and you're offering them money instead of a limb, instead of the return of a family member. This is a no-win situation.''
  He keeps saying yes in the same spirit of those who donate, he said.
  ''Look at the amount of money that pours in from private people, private citizens,'' he said. ''How do you say no if the governor calls, the mayor?''
  The 67-year-old Feinberg is a native of Brockton, about 20 miles south of Boston, and his Washington D.C. firm specializes in mediation and dispute resolution. In 1984, a judge appointed him to distribute money from a $180 million settlement for veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. His work on that project got notice from President George W. Bush's administration, which asked him to manage the 9/11 victims' compensation fund.
  Since then, the calls have come regularly.
  Most of his work is pro bono, including the Boston Marathon job. But Feinberg is being paid for the Penn State job and was paid by BP after the oil spill '-- a job that saw Feinberg absorb significant abuse. In his 2012 book, ''Who Gets What,'' he said he became a ''human pinata.'' Residents complained about the speed and distribution of the payouts, and insults flew at public meetings. ''You are such a lying piece of (garbage),'' one person told him.
  Lawyers, meanwhile, scoffed at his vigorous declarations of independence from BP, which he still makes.
  ''The spin was that he was independent, but he was working for BP, that's just the way it is,'' said attorney Anthony Tarricone, now of the Boston firm Kreindler & Kreindler, who represented both BP and 9/11 families.
  But Tarricone called Feinberg the perfect person to manage the Boston fund, citing both his legal skills and his respectful manner with the 9/11 families.
  ''He was fair, he listened to the families, the families felt as if they were being listened to, and that he was understanding what they were going through,'' Tarricone said.
  Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who appointed Feinberg to handle the 9/11 fund, said Feinberg balances compassion with vigilance in managing the money.
  ''I can't say exactly how he handles it emotionally and psychologically. I just know that he does it professionally,'' Ashcroft said. ''I don't think the world would keep going back, knocking on his door, saying, 'Ken, we need you again,' if they were displeased.''
  The One Fund had notched more than $26 million by Saturday. Its eventual total will determine exactly who can be helped. For instance, compensation for deaths is the top priority, followed by compensation for physical injuries. Payment for psychological damages comes only if there's money left, Feinberg said.
  In Boston, Feinberg will be dealing with complex injuries, such as numerous amputations, including cases where victims lost both legs. Feinberg hopes to be ready to meet with families by June 15 and get checks out by June 30.
  By then, he'll have immersed himself in Boston's stories, and all the senseless pain and loss. The classical music aficionado will also likely have relied on the refuge offered in the music of composers he cherishes.
  ''During the day, I'm working on a project that shows you how uncivilized some people can be and how they willy-nilly, at random, kill and maim people,'' he said. ''And at night you turn on Mozart, and it's the height of civilization.''
  It helps him recognize, he said, ''that mankind isn't all bad.''
  RYOT NOTE: This guy has a tough job, and we're pretty familiar with some of the difficulties he faces. While we need never attempt to dissuade someone from donating to the one fund, RYOT has established our fund for the Boston Marathon bombing victims, and you can be certain every penny of every dollar will go to the victims. We'll even follow up with you on this very website so you know exactly where the funds went and why we chose to send them there. Just click on the gray box alongside this story to learn more and to make a donation.
Identity thieves caught by IRS after Instagraming their dinner of steak and macaroni and cheese - NY Daily News
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 10:47
  Nathaniel Troy Maye, 44, left, and Tiwanna Tenise Thomason, 39, , right, accused of stealing thousands of identities, were tracked down by Florida police after posting a picture of their steak and macaroni and cheese dinner to Instagram.
  A picture of a square meal got this Florida couple into quite the legal pickle.
  Nathaniel Troy Maye, 44, and Tiwanna Tenise Thomason, 39, accused of stealing thousands of identities, were tracked down by Florida police after posting a picture of their steak and macaroni and cheese dinner to Instagram.
  The so-called "food porn" photos ares common among discerning diners who document their meals by taking pictures and then sharing them on social media.
  Authorities had been following Maye, from Harlem, and Thomason, from Miramar in South Florida, after a tipster told IRS agents that a man named "Troy" had bragged about stealing 700,000 identities.
  The photo from Instagram was, for the first time, used as judicial evidence, as it placed Maye and Thomason at the swanky Morton's steakhouse restaurant the night of an alleged data handover.
  According to the Sun Sentinel, authorities found only 50 identities following the handover at the Fort Lauderdale steakhouse.
  But an IRS special agent continued the search online and found an Instagram profile for "TROYMAYE," which shows the steak and noodle dinner.
  The image was captioned, "Morton's."
  The couple, who appeared in federal court on Friday, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity thef and possession of unauthorized access devices.
  They face up to 12 years in prison.
Let's Fight Big Pharma's Crusade to Turn Eccentricity Into Illness | Wired Opinion | Wired.com
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 10:47
  book excerpt
  by Allen Frances''Nature has rolled the dice trillions and trillions of times and has learned to pick diversity as the best long-term bet. It would have been far less complicated to go with one species, but nature has consistently been willing to pay a hefty price to keep its options open. You never know what's coming down the pike and which genetic potential will be most needed to meet the next challenge.
  Editor's Note: The controversial fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5 (a.k.a. the manual formerly known as ''DSM-V'') was just released '' after a 14-year revision process to update its criteria for defining mental disorders. This opinion is from the former taskforce chairman and leader of previous DSM editions.
  Nature takes the long view, mankind the short. Nature picks diversity; we pick standardization. We are homogenizing our crops and homogenizing our people. And Big Pharma seems intent on pursuing a parallel attempt to create its own brand of human monoculture.
  Turning difference into illness was among the great strokes of marketing genius in our time.
  With an assist from an overly ambitious psychiatry, all human difference is being transmuted into chemical imbalance meant to be treated with a handy pill. Turning difference into illness was among the great strokes of marketing genius accomplished in our time.
  All the great characters in myths, novels, and plays have endured the test of time precisely because they drift so colorfully away from the mean. Do we really want to put Oedipus on the couch, give Hamlet a quick course of behavior therapy, start Lear on antipsychotics?
  I think not. Human diversity has its purposes or it would not have survived the evolutionary rat race. Our ancestors made it because the tribe combined a wide variety of talents and inclinations. There were leaders high on their own narcissism and followers content enough to be dependent on them; people who were paranoid enough to sniff out hidden threats, compulsive enough to get the job done, and exhibitionistic enough to attract mates. Perhaps the healthiest individuals were those who best balanced all these traits somewhere near the golden mean, but the best bet for the group was to have outliers always ready to step up to the plate as the particular occasion demanded.
  I like eccentricity and eccentrics. The word eccentric comes from Greek geometry meaning ''out of center.'' It entered English as an astronomical description of the rotational paths of the heavenly bodies. Now it is used to describe people who are different '-- mostly with pejorative connotations, not often enough with admiration for their particular genius.
  Nature abhors homogeneity and simply adores eccentric diversity. We should celebrate the fact that most humans are at least somewhat eccentric and accept ourselves as we are, warts and all. Human difference was never meant to be reducible to an exhaustive list of diagnoses drawn carelessly from a psychiatric manual.
  It takes all types to make a successful tribe and a full palette of emotions to make a fully lived life. We shouldn't medicalize difference and attempt to treat it away by taking the modern-day equivalent of Huxley's somapills.
  So how do we save normal, preserve diversity, and achieve a more rational allocation of scarce resources?
  Psychiatrists should stick to what they do best '-- treating people who have real psychiatric problems '-- and not expand the field to include the normal worried well, who will do just fine on their own. Primary care doctors should stick to what they do best and stop being amateur psychiatrists. Drug companies should stop acting like drug cartels, irresponsibly pushing product where it will do more harm than good. Consumer advocacy groups should advocate for their consumers, not for the group. The media should expose excessive medical claims, rather than mindlessly trumpeting them.
  Human difference was never meant to be reducible to an exhaustive list of diagnoses drawn carelessly from a psychiatric manual.
  Do we have a realistic chance to reverse diagnostic inflation, or is the die already cast in favor of a never-ending parade of false epidemics? My rational self tells me that diagnostic inflation will win and that saving normal will lose.
  But never give up on an underdog, no matter how long the odds. Every once in a while, scrawny David does pull off the seemingly impossible, and invincible Goliath does bite the dust. Who would have thought that Big Tobacco, once so seemingly invincible, could be taken down so quickly? Big Pharma is clearly riding for the same kind of fall '-- this emperor really does have no clothes.
  People and policymakers may eventually wake up to the fact that we are not a bunch of sick individuals, each of us having a bunch of psychiatric diagnoses, cumulatively constituting a sick society. This is a myth generated by an overly ambitious psychiatry and a remarkably greedy pharmaceutical industry.
  Most of us are normal enough and would like to stay that way. We can ''save normal'' only by ''saving psychiatry,'' and we can save psychiatry only by containing it within its proper boundaries. The legacy of Hippocrates rings as true today as it did 2,500 years ago '-- be modest, know your limitations, and first do no harm.
  Excerpted from Saving Normal by Allen Frances, copyright 2013, published by William Morrow.
  feature image: Radu Jianu, Brown University via Image Editor / Flickr
  profile photo: Donna Manning
New MSNBC theory: Maybe the IRS commissioner appointed by Bush targeted tea partiers because they're a threat to the GOP Hot Air
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  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 10:19
  posted at 6:41 pm on May 20, 2013 by Allahpundit
  Fun from MSNBC's early afternoon ''news'' bloc of programming via Noah Rothman. The logic is ironclad and inexorable: Doug Shulman, appointed IRS commissioner by Bush in March 2008, was so fiercely loyal to his Beltway Republican masters that he decided to risk his career to kneecap conservative insurgents' nonprofits in 2010 '... even though Bush had left office more than a year before and the GOP establishment he represented was widely loathed by pretty much everyone in America. Oh, and even though (again per Rothman) Shulman himself has donated to the DNC in the past. Say it with me, guys: This. Is. A. Republican. Scandal.
  In the same spirit of half-assed spitballing/''news,'' how's this for an alternate theory: Shulman tacitly approved of the tea-party targeting because he was eager to prove himself a loyal soldier to a new Democratic administration that might have been suspicious of his Bush pedigree. After hearing tea partiers impugned a thousand times by Dem officials and liberal media outlets '-- none more so than MSNBC '-- maybe he got it in his head that singling out these right-wing would-be domestic terrorists was the patriotic (and career-furthering) thing to do. Slightly more plausible, yes? As theories go, I'd say it's 51-percent-assed. Soon we'll get to hear Shulman's side of it when he's inevitably subpoenaed by Darrell Issa's committee. And, almost as inevitably, his testimony won't be carried live by MSNBC.
  Update: How embarrassing is this? Dude:
  Related Posts:
Insular cortex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 10:03
  In each hemisphere of the mammalianbrain the insular cortex (often called insula, insulary cortex or insular lobe) is a portion of the cerebral cortex folded deep within the lateral sulcus (the fissure separating the temporal lobe from the parietal and frontal lobes).
  The insulae are believed to be involved in consciousness and play a role in diverse functions usually linked to emotion or the regulation of the body's homeostasis. These functions include perception, motor control, self-awareness, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal experience. In relation to these it is involved in psychopathology.
  The insular cortex is divided into two parts: the larger anterior insula and the smaller posterior insula in which more than a dozen field areas have been identified. The cortical area overlying the insula towards the lateral surface of the brain is the operculum (meaning "lid"). The opercula are formed from parts of the enclosing frontal, temporal and parietal lobes.
  The insula was first described by Johann Christian Reil while describing cranial and spinal nerves and plexi.[1]Henry Gray in Gray's Anatomy is responsible for it being known as the Island of Reil.[1]
  Functions[edit]Interoceptive awareness[edit]The right anterior insula aids interoceptive awareness of body states, such as the ability to time one's own heart beat. Moreover, greater right anterior insular gray matter volume correlates with increased accuracy in this subjective sense of the inner body, and with negative emotional experience.[2] It is also involved in the control of blood pressure,[3] particularly during and after exercise,[3] and its activity varies with the amount of effort a person believes they are exerting.[4][5]
  The insular cortex also is where the sensation of pain is judged as to its degree.[6] Further, the insula is where a person imagines pain when looking at images of painful events while thinking about them happening to one's own body.[7] Those with irritable bowel syndrome have abnormal processing of visceral pain in the insular cortex related to dysfunctional inhibition of pain within the brain.[8]
  Another perception of the right anterior insula is the degree of nonpainful warmth[9] or nonpainful coldness[10] of a skin sensation. Other internal sensations processed by the insula include stomach or gastric distension.[11][12] A full bladder also activates the insular cortex.[13]
  One brain imaging study suggest that the unpleasantness of subjectively perceived dyspnea is processed in the right human anterior insula and amygdala.[14]
  The cerebral cortex processing vestibular sensations extends into the insula[15] with small lesions in the anterior insular cortex being able to cause loss of balance and vertigo.[16]
  Other noninteroceptive perceptions include passive listening to music,[17] laughter and crying,[18] empathy and compassion,[19] and language.[20]
  Motor control[edit]In motor control it contributes to hand and eye motor movement,[21][22] swallowing,[23] gastric motility,[24] and speech articulation.[25][26] It has been identified as a "central command'' centre that ensures that heart rate and blood pressure increase at the onset of exercise.[27] Research upon conversation links it to the capacity for long and complex spoken sentences.[28] It is also involved in motor learning[29] and has been identified as playing a role in the motor recovery from stroke.[30]
  Homeostasis[edit]In homeostasis it controls autonomic functions through the regulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.[31][32] It has a role in regulating the immune system.[33][34][35]
  Self[edit]It has been identified as playing a role in the experience of bodily self-awareness,[36][37] sense of agency[38] and sense body ownership.[39]
  Social emotions[edit]The anterior insular processes a person's sense of disgust both to smells[40] and to the sight of contamination and mutilation[41] '-- even when just imagining the experience.[42] This associates with a mirror neuron like link between external and internal experience.
  In social experience it is involved in the processing of norm violations,[43] emotional processing,[44] empathy,[45] and orgasms.[46]
  Emotions[edit]The insular cortex, in particular its most anterior portion, is considered a limbic-related cortex. The insula has increasingly become the focus of attention for its role in body representation and subjective emotional experience. In particular, Antonio Damasio has proposed that this region plays a role in mapping visceral states that are associated with emotional experience, giving rise to conscious feelings. This is in essence a neurobiological formulation of the ideas of William James, who first proposed that subjective emotional experience (i.e. feelings) arise from our brain's interpretation of bodily states that are elicited by emotional events. This is an example of embodied cognition.
  Functionally speaking, the insula is believed to process convergent information to produce an emotionally relevant context for sensory experience. More specifically, the anterior insula is related more to olfactory, gustatory, vicero-autonomic, and limbic function, while the posterior insula is related more to auditory-somesthetic-skeletomotor function. Functional imaging experiments have revealed that the insula has an important role in pain experience and the experience of a number of basic emotions, including anger, fear, disgust, happiness and sadness.
  Specifically, the anterior insular cortex (AIC) is believed to be responsible for emotional feelings, including maternal and romantic love, anger, fear, sadness, happiness, sexual arousal, disgust, aversion, unfairness, inequity, indignation, uncertainty, disbelief, social exclusion, trust, empathy, sculptural beauty, a 'state of union with God', and hallucinogenic state. [47]
  Functional imaging studies have also implicated the insula in conscious desires, such as food craving and drug craving. What is common to all of these emotional states is that they each change the body in some way and are associated with highly salient subjective qualities. The insula is well situated for the integration of information relating to bodily states into higher-order cognitive and emotional processes. The insula receives information from "homeostatic afferent" sensory pathways via the thalamus and sends output to a number of other limbic-related structures, such as the amygdala, the ventral striatum and the orbitofrontal cortex, as well as to motor cortices.[48]
  A study using magnetic resonance imaging found that the right anterior insula was significantly thicker in people who meditate.[49]
  Another study using voxel-based morphometry and MRI on experienced Vipassana meditators was done to extend the findings of Lazar et al., which found increased grey matter concentrations in this and other areas of the brain in experienced meditators.[50]
  Salience[edit]Functional imaging research suggests the insula is involved in two types of salience. Interoceptive information processing that links interoception with emotional salience to generate a subjective representation of the body. This involves the anterior insular cortex with the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 33) and the anterior and posterior mid-cingulate cortices. Second, a general salience system concerned with environmental monitoring, response selection, and skeletomotor body orientation that involves all of the insular cortex and the mid-cingulate cortex.[51]
  An alternative or perhaps complementary proposal is that right anterior insular regulates the interaction between the salience of the selective attention created to achieve a task (the dorsal attention system) and the salience of arousal created to keep focused upon the relevant part of the environment (ventral attention system).[52] This regulation of salience might be particularly important during challenging tasks where attention might fatigue and so cause careless mistakes but if there is too much arousal it risks creating poor performance by turning into anxiety.[52]
  Neuroanatomy[edit]Connections[edit]The anterior insula receives a direct projection from the basal part of the ventral medial nucleus (VMb) of the thalamus and a particularly large input from the central nucleus of the amygdala. Additionally, the anterior insula itself projects to the amygdala.
  One study on rhesus monkeys revealed widespread reciprocal connections between the insular cortex and almost all subnuclei of the amygdaloid complex. The posterior insula projects predominantly to the dorsal aspect of the lateral and to the central amygdaloid nuclei. In contrast, the anterior insula projects to the anterior amygdaloid area as well as the medial, the cortical, the accessory basal magnocellular, the medial basal and the lateral amygdaloid nuclei.[53]
  The posterior insula connects reciprocally with the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) and receives input from spinothalamically activated ventral posterior inferior (VPI) thalamic nuclei. More recent work by Bud Craig and his colleagues has shown that this region receives inputs from the ventromedial nucleus (posterior part) of the thalamus that are highly specialized to convey emotional/homeostatic information such as pain, temperature, itch, local oxygen status and sensual touch.
  A human neuroimaging study using diffusion tensor imaging revealed that the anterior insula is interconnected to regions in the temporal and occipital lobe, opercular and orbitofrontal cortex, triangular and opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus. The same study revealed differences in the anatomical connection patterns between the left and right hemisphere.[54]
  Cytoarchitecture[edit]The insular cortex has regions of variable cell structure or cytoarchitecture, changing from granular in the posterior portion to agranular in the anterior portion. The insula also receives differential cortical and thalamic input along its length.
  Origins[edit]The insular cortex is considered a separate lobe of the telencephalon by some authorities.[55] Other sources see the insula as a part of the temporal lobe.[56] It is also sometimes grouped with limbic structures deep in the brain into a limbic lobe.[citation needed]
  As a paralimbic cortex, the insular cortex is considered to be a relatively old structure. It plays a role in a variety of highly conserved functions that are related to basic survival needs, such as taste, visceral sensation and autonomic control (so-called homeostatic functions). There is evidence that in addition to its more conserved functions, the insula may play a role in certain "higher" functions that operate only in humans and other great apes. John Allman and his colleagues have shown that the anterior insular cortex contains a population of neurons, called spindle neurons. These neurons are also found in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is another region that has reached a high level of specialization in great apes. Spindle neurons are found at a higher density in the right insular cortex. It has been speculated that these neurons are involved in cognitive-emotional processes that are specific to great apes, such as empathy and self-aware emotional feelings. This is supported by functional imaging results showing that the structure and function of the right anterior insula are correlated with the ability to feel one's own heartbeat, or to empathize with the pain of others. It is thought that these functions are not distinct from the "lower" functions of the insula, but rather arise as a consequence of the role of the insula in conveying homeostatic information to consciousness.[57][58]
  Clinical[edit]Progressive non-fluent aphasia[edit]Progressive non-fluent aphasia is the deterioration of normal language function which causes individuals to lose the ability to communicate fluently while being still being able to comprehend single words and intact other non-linguistic cognition. It is found in a variety of degenerative neurological conditions including Pick's disease, motor neuron disease, corticobasal degeneration, frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is associated with hypometabolism[59] and atrophy of the left anterior insular cortex.[60]
  Addiction[edit]A number of functional brain imaging studies have shown that the insular cortex is activated when drug abusers are exposed to environmental cues that trigger cravings. This has been shown for a variety of drugs, including cocaine, alcohol, opiates and nicotine. Despite these findings, the insula has been ignored within the drug addiction literature, perhaps because it is not known to be a direct target of the mesotelencephalic dopamine system which is central to current dopamine reward theories of addiction. Recent research[61] has shown that cigarette smokers who suffer damage to the insular cortex, from a stroke for instance, have their addiction to cigarettes practically eliminated. However, the study was conducted on average eight years after the strokes, and the author admits recall bias could affect the results.[62]
  These individuals were found to be up to 136 times more likely to undergo a disruption of smoking addiction than smokers with damage in other areas. Disruption of addiction was evidenced by self-reported behavior changes such as quitting smoking less than one day after the brain injury, quitting smoking with great ease, not smoking again after quitting, and having no urge to resume smoking since quitting. This suggests a significant role for the insular cortex in the neurological mechanisms underlying addiction to nicotine and other drugs, and would make this area of the brain a possible target for novel anti-addiction medication. In addition, this finding suggests that functions mediated by the insula, especially conscious feelings, may be particularly important for maintaining drug addiction, although this view is not represented in any modern research or reviews of the subject.[63]
  A recent study in rats by Contreras et al.[64] corroborates these findings by showing that reversible inactivation of the insula disrupts amphetamine conditioned place preference, an animal model of cue-induced drug craving. In this study, insula inactivation also disrupted "malaise" responses to lithium chloride injection, suggesting that the representation of negative interoceptive states by the insula plays a role in addiction. However, in this same study, the conditioned place preference took place immediately after the injection of amphetamine, suggesting that it was the immediate, pleasurable interoceptive effects of amphetamine administration, rather than the delayed, aversive effects of amphetamine withdrawal that are represented within the insula.
  A model proposed by Naqvi et al. (see above) is that the insula stores a representation of the pleasurable interoceptive effects of drug use (e.g. the airway sensory effects of nicotine, the cardiovascular effects of amphetamine), and that this representation is activated by exposure to cues that have previously been associated with drug use. A number of functional imaging studies have shown the insula to be activated during the administration of drugs of abuse. Several functional imaging studies have also shown that the insula is activated when drug users are exposed to drug cues, and that this activity is correlated with subjective urges. In the cue-exposure studies, insula activity is elicited when there is no actual change in the level of drug in the body. Therefore, rather than merely representing the interoceptive effects of drug use as it occurs, the insula may play a role in memory for the pleasurable interoceptive effects of past drug use, anticipation of these effects in the future, or both. Such a representation may give rise to conscious urges that feel as if they arise from within the body. This may make addicts feel as if their bodies need to use a drug, and may result in persons with lesions in the insula reporting that their bodies have forgotten the urge to use, according to this study.
  Other clinical conditions[edit]The insular cortex has been suggested to have a role in anxiety disorders,[65] and emotion dysregulation.[66]
  Gallery[edit]Coronal section of brain through intermediate mass of third ventricle.
  Coronal section through anterior cornua of lateral ventricles.
  Coronal section of brain through anterior commissure.
  Orbital surface of left frontal lobe.
  Section of brain showing upper surface of temporal lobe.
  Horizontal section of left cerebral hemisphere.
  Human brain frontal (coronal) section
  Human brain view on transverse temporal and insular gyri
  See also[edit]References[edit]^ abBinder DK, Schaller K, Clusmann H (November 2007). "The seminal contributions of Johann-Christian Reil to anatomy, physiology, and psychiatry". Neurosurgery61 (5): 1091''6; discussion 1096. doi:10.1227/01.neu.0000303205.15489.23. PMID 18091285. ^Critchley HD, Wiens S, Rotshtein P, Ohman A, Dolan RJ (February 2004). "Neural systems supporting interoceptive awareness". Nat. Neurosci.7 (2): 189''95. doi:10.1038/nn1176. PMID 14730305. ^ abLamb K, Gallagher K, McColl R, Mathews D, Querry R, Williamson JW (April 2007). "Exercise-induced decrease in insular cortex rCBF during postexercise hypotension". Med Sci Sports Exerc39 (4): 672''9. doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e31802f04e0. PMID 17414805. ^Williamson JW, McColl R, Mathews D, Mitchell JH, Raven PB, Morgan WP (April 2001). "Hypnotic manipulation of effort sense during dynamic exercise: cardiovascular responses and brain activation". J. Appl. Physiol.90 (4): 1392''9. PMID 11247939. ^Williamson JW, McColl R, Mathews D, Ginsburg M, Mitchell JH (September 1999). "Activation of the insular cortex is affected by the intensity of exercise". J. Appl. Physiol.87 (3): 1213''9. PMID 10484598. ^Baliki MN, Geha PY, Apkarian AV (February 2009). "Parsing pain perception between nociceptive representation and magnitude estimation". J. Neurophysiol.101 (2): 875''87. doi:10.1152/jn.91100.2008. PMID 19073802. ^Ogino Y, Nemoto H, Inui K, Saito S, Kakigi R, Goto F (May 2007). "Inner experience of pain: imagination of pain while viewing images showing painful events forms subjective pain representation in human brain". Cereb. Cortex17 (5): 1139''46. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhl023. PMID 16855007. ^Song GH, Venkatraman V, Ho KY, Chee MW, Yeoh KG, Wilder-Smith CH (December 2006). "Cortical effects of anticipation and endogenous modulation of visceral pain assessed by functional brain MRI in irritable bowel syndrome patients and healthy controls". Pain126 (1-3): 79''90. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2006.06.017. PMID 16846694. ^Olausson H, Charron J, Marchand S, Villemure C, Strigo IA, Bushnell MC (November 2005). "Feelings of warmth correlate with neural activity in right anterior insular cortex". Neurosci. Lett.389 (1): 1''5. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2005.06.065. PMID 16051437. ^Craig AD, Chen K, Bandy D, Reiman EM (February 2000). "Thermosensory activation of insular cortex". Nat. Neurosci.3 (2): 184''90. doi:10.1038/72131. PMID 10649575. ^Ladabaum U, Minoshima S, Hasler WL, Cross D, Chey WD, Owyang C (February 2001). "Gastric distention correlates with activation of multiple cortical and subcortical regions". Gastroenterology120 (2): 369''76. doi:10.1053/gast.2001.21201. PMID 11159877. ^Hamaguchi T, Kano M, Rikimaru H, et al. (June 2004). "Brain activity during distention of the descending colon in humans". Neurogastroenterol. Motil.16 (3): 299''309. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2982.2004.00498.x. 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Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol46 (3): 185''92. PMID 16918202. ^Brown S, Martinez MJ, Parsons LM (September 2004). "Passive music listening spontaneously engages limbic and paralimbic systems". NeuroReport15 (13): 2033''7. doi:10.1097/00001756-200409150-00008. PMID 15486477. ^Sander K, Scheich H (October 2005). "Left auditory cortex and amygdala, but right insula dominance for human laughing and crying". J Cogn Neurosci17 (10): 1519''31. doi:10.1162/089892905774597227. PMID 16269094. ^http://ccare.stanford.edu/node/89^Bamiou DE, Musiek FE, Luxon LM (May 2003). "The insula (Island of Reil) and its role in auditory processing. Literature review". Brain Res. Brain Res. Rev.42 (2): 143''54. doi:10.1016/S0165-0173(03)00172-3. PMID 12738055. ^Anderson TJ, Jenkins IH, Brooks DJ, Hawken MB, Frackowiak RS, Kennard C (October 1994). "Cortical control of saccades and fixation in man. A PET study". Brain117 (Pt 5): 1073''84. doi:10.1093/brain/117.5.1073. 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""Central command" and insular activation during attempted foot lifting in paraplegic humans". Hum Brain Mapp25 (2): 259''65. doi:10.1002/hbm.20097. PMID 15849712. ^Borovsky A, Saygin AP, Bates E, Dronkers N (June 2007). "Lesion correlates of conversational speech production deficits". Neuropsychologia45 (11): 2525''33. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.03.023. PMID 17499317. ^Mutschler I, Schulze-Bonhage A, Glauche V, Demandt E, Speck O, Ball T (2007). "A rapid sound-action association effect in human insular cortex". In Fitch, Tecumseh. PLoS ONE2 (2): e259. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000259. PMC 1800344. PMID 17327919. ^Weiller C, Ramsay SC, Wise RJ, Friston KJ, Frackowiak RS (February 1993). "Individual patterns of functional reorganization in the human cerebral cortex after capsular infarction". Ann. Neurol.33 (2): 181''9. doi:10.1002/ana.410330208. PMID 8434880. ^Oppenheimer SM, Gelb A, Girvin JP, Hachinski VC (September 1992). "Cardiovascular effects of human insular cortex stimulation". Neurology42 (9): 1727''32. PMID 1513461. ^Critchley HD (December 2005). "Neural mechanisms of autonomic, affective, and cognitive integration". J. Comp. Neurol.493 (1): 154''66. doi:10.1002/cne.20749. PMID 16254997. ^Pacheco-L"pez G, Niemi MB, Kou W, H¤rting M, Fandrey J, Schedlowski M (March 2005). "Neural substrates for behaviorally conditioned immunosuppression in the rat". J. Neurosci.25 (9): 2330''7. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4230-04.2005. PMID 15745959. ^Ram­rez-Amaya V, Alvarez-Borda B, Ormsby CE, Mart­nez RD, P(C)rez-Montfort R, Bermºdez-Rattoni F (June 1996). "Insular cortex lesions impair the acquisition of conditioned immunosuppression". Brain Behav. Immun.10 (2): 103''14. doi:10.1006/brbi.1996.0011. PMID 8811934. ^Ram­rez-Amaya V, Bermºdez-Rattoni F (March 1999). "Conditioned enhancement of antibody production is disrupted by insular cortex and amygdala but not hippocampal lesions". Brain Behav. Immun.13 (1): 46''60. doi:10.1006/brbi.1998.0547. PMID 10371677. ^Karnath HO, Baier B, N¤gele T (August 2005). "Awareness of the functioning of one's own limbs mediated by the insular cortex?". J. Neurosci.25 (31): 7134''8. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1590-05.2005. PMID 16079395. ^Craig AD (January 2009). "How do you feel'--now? The anterior insula and human awareness". Nat. Rev. Neurosci.10 (1): 59''70. doi:10.1038/nrn2555. PMID 19096369. ^Farrer C, Frith CD (March 2002). "Experiencing oneself vs another person as being the cause of an action: the neural correlates of the experience of agency". Neuroimage15 (3): 596''603. doi:10.1006/nimg.2001.1009. PMID 11848702. ^Tsakiris M, Hesse MD, Boy C, Haggard P, Fink GR (October 2007). "Neural signatures of body ownership: a sensory network for bodily self-consciousness". Cereb. Cortex17 (10): 2235''44. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhl131. PMID 17138596. ^Wicker B, Keysers C, Plailly J, Royet JP, Gallese V, Rizzolatti G (October 2003). "Both of us disgusted in My insula: the common neural basis of seeing and feeling disgust". Neuron40 (3): 655''64. doi:10.1016/S0896-6273(03)00679-2. PMID 14642287. ^Wright P, He G, Shapira NA, Goodman WK, Liu Y (October 2004). "Disgust and the insula: fMRI responses to pictures of mutilation and contamination". NeuroReport15 (15): 2347''51. doi:10.1097/00001756-200410250-00009. PMID 15640753. ^Jabbi M, Bastiaansen J, Keysers C (2008). "A common anterior insula representation of disgust observation, experience and imagination shows divergent functional connectivity pathways". In Lauwereyns, Jan. PLoS ONE3 (8): e2939. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002939. PMC 2491556. PMID 18698355. ^Sanfey AG, Rilling JK, Aronson JA, Nystrom LE, Cohen JD (June 2003). "The neural basis of economic decision-making in the Ultimatum Game". Science300 (5626): 1755''8. doi:10.1126/science.1082976. PMID 12805551. ^Phan KL, Wager T, Taylor SF, Liberzon I (June 2002). 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Treadway, Metta McGarvey, Brian T. Quinn, Jeffery A. Dusek, Herbert Benson, Scott L. Rauch, Christopher I. Moore, and Bruce Fischl (2005). "Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness". NeuroReport16 (17): 1893''7. doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19. PMC 1361002. PMID 16272874. ^http://scan.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/3/1/55^Taylor KS, Seminowicz DA, Davis KD (September 2009). "Two systems of resting state connectivity between the insula and cingulate cortex". Hum Brain Mapp30 (9): 2731''45. doi:10.1002/hbm.20705. PMID 19072897. ^ abEckert MA, Menon V, Walczak A, Ahlstrom J, Denslow S, Horwitz A, Dubno JR. (2009). At the heart of the ventral attention system: the right anterior insula. Hum Brain Mapp. 30(8):2530-41. doi:10.1002/hbm.20688PMID 19072895^MUFSON, E; MESULAM, M, PANDYA, D (1 July 1981). "Insular interconnections with the amygdala in the rhesus monkey". 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"Progressive non-fluent aphasia is associated with hypometabolism centred on the left anterior insula". Brain126 (Pt 11): 2406''18. doi:10.1093/brain/awg240. PMID 12902311. ^Gorno-Tempini ML, Dronkers NF, Rankin KP, et al. (March 2004). "Cognition and anatomy in three variants of primary progressive aphasia". Ann. Neurol.55 (3): 335''46. doi:10.1002/ana.10825. PMC 2362399. PMID 14991811. ^Nasir H. Naqvi, David Rudrauf, Hanna Damasio, Antoine Bechara. (January 2007). "Damage to the Insula Disrupts Addiction to Cigarette Smoking" (abstract). Science315 (5811): 531''4. doi:10.1126/science.1135926. PMID 17255515. ^Vorel SR, Bisaga A, McKhann G, Kleber HD (July 2007). "Insula damage and quitting smoking". Science317 (5836): 318''9; author reply 318''9. doi:10.1126/science.317.5836.318c. PMID 17641181. ^Hyman, Steven E. (2005-08-01). "Addiction: A Disease of Learning and Memory" (abstract). Am J Psychiatry162 (8): 1414''22. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.162.8.1414. 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Selective Service System: Welcome
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:59
  IMPORTANT MESSAGE
  CHANGE TO PRE-1960 SELECTIVE SERVICE RECORDS REQUEST
  National Archives and Records Administration has sole responsibility of ownership, storage, and retrieval of Selective Service records for men born before 1960. Consequently, Selective Service can no longer access any of these records.
  All requests should be mailed directly to:
  National Archives & Records Administration
  National Archives at St. Louis
  ATTN: RL-SLP.O. Box 38757St. Louis, MO 63138-0757
  Record Request Form - Click Here
  MEN BORN BEFORE 1960
  Status Information Letters are not required of men born before 1960 ... [MORE]
  ATTENTION, UNDOCUMENTED MALES& IMMIGRANT SERVICING GROUPS!
  Selective Service does not collect any information which would indicate whether or not you are undocumented. You want to protect yourself for future U.S. citizenship and other government benefits and programs by registering with Selective Service. Do it today.
  If you are a man ages 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. It's the law. According to law, a man must register with Selective Service within 30 days of his 18th birthday. Selective Service will accept late registrations but not after a man has reached age 26. You may be denied benefits or a job if you have not registered. You can register at any U.S. Post Office and do not need a social security number. When you do obtain a social security number, let Selective Service know. Provide a copy of your new social security number card; being sure to include your complete name, date of birth, Selective Service registration number, and current mailing address; and mail to the Selective Service System, P.O. Box 94636, Palatine, IL 60094-4636.
  If you have a social security number, you can register online (click here). It's quick and easy.
LOOK AT SOME TIME CLAUSE-Bing Webmaster Tools Adds Malware Re-Evaluation & Geo-Targeting Tools
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:54
  Bing announced two new features for Bing Webmaster Tools. First, you can now see more details on malware issues impacting your site and be able to submit a malware re-evaluation request. Second, you can now geo-target specific pages, directories or your whole site within Bing Webmaster Tools.
  Bing Malware Re-EvaluationBing always had a notification of malware issues impacting your site. Bing, as does Google, will notify you if they detect malware on your site. Both search engines will also label the search results with a warning (or remove the result) so the searcher is aware and protected.
  Now, Bing has added a ''malware re-evaluation'' process to aid the webmaster in not just discovering and fixing the malware issue on their site, but also communicating the fix to Bing. After you submit the re-evaluation request, Bing will show you the status and progress inside the Malware tool. During the review period, Microsoft will perform ''several deep re-scans.'' If all is clear after those several scans, Bing will notify you with an ''all clear'' notification and remove the malware label in the search results. If Bing still finds issues, then you will be notified of the failure and Bing said ''you will not be able to submit another re-evaluation request for some time.''
  Here is a screen shot:
  This feature is available within the Reports & Data section in Bing Webmaster Tools.
  Geo-TargetingYou can now geo-target not just your whole site, as Google allows but also specific pages or sections of your site. You can geo-target your site at the domain level, subdomain level, directory level or page level.
  Bing said they do this to offer more flexibility for multinational sites. This way they ''do not need to verify each section they want to geo-target separately.''
  Here is a screen shot of the tool:
  This feature is available within the Configure my Site section in Bing Webmaster Tools.
  For more details on these two new features, see the Bing Blog.
  Related Topics:Channel: SEO | Microsoft: Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing - Webmaster Tools
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:53
  You want traffic and we can help you find it.Getting traffic to your site starts with being listed in the search results shown on Bing.Our tools can help you with this step.
  You need to know why people came to your site.Understanding what lead people to your website can help you understand what to focus on to increase traffic. Our reports can help with this.
  You want to improve your site, but don't know where to start.Knowing which items to adjust on your website can help take the anxiety out of making changes. Our tools can scan and recommend work items for you.
  You need to know what areas to expand on your website.With research tools a click away, we can help you understand exactly what people are searching for, helping you know where to expand next.
Annals of the Security State: More Airplane Stories - James Fallows - The Atlantic
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:48
  Here is the first story. Explanations of aviation terms provided in brackets, [like this]:
  I'm Larry Gaines; my airplane is a J35 Bonanza [a popular single-engine plane].
  I took off from KCPU, Calaveras County airport in San Andreas, CA about 9:00 AM local (1600 Z) Tuesday, July 17, 2012. 1200 squawk. [1200 is the code put in the transponder, as a "squawk," to indicate to air-traffic controllers following the flight on radar that the pilot is flying under Visual Flight Rules. This requires clear visibility, and it puts the obligation on the pilot to avoid hitting other planes or running into obstacles. A VFR pilot does not have to talk with controllers, as long as the plane stays out of certain controlled air space. Z is "Zulu time," aka Universal Time or Greenwich time.] Route was direct TPH VOR (Tonopah, NV), to stay north of Tonopah Test Range restricted airspace, then direct F36 (Cordell Municipal Airport, Cordell, OK). [The pilot plotted the course by certain navigation waypoints, and was careful to stay out of a military-airspace zone.] Landed F36 about 6:30 PM local (2330 Z). Total flight duration, engine start to engine shut down was 7:24.
  My friend XX met me at the airport and we drove to his home.
  I dropped my eyeglasses case on the ramp, so we returned to the airport a little before 7:00 PM local. As we drove onto the airport access road, there were 3 local law enforcement vehicles - 2 turned in ahead of us, 1 behind. All three surrounded my airplane as we drove up. I retrieved my glasses, then a Washita county sheriff began asking questions.
  "Is this your airplane?" "Yes."
  "Where did you fly in from?" "Calaveras, California."
  "California?" "Yes"
  Then I asked why he and the other officers and deputies were there. At first he ignored my question, but eventually said my flight met "a certain profile", and that the Department of Homeland Security asked his office to send a deputy out to see if an airplane was on the ramp. He said DHS wanted to talk to me. I was afraid they thought I had violated a TFR. [A "Temporary Flight Restriction," which often includes the no-fly zones that surround a president as he moves around the country.] I knew I had NOT. Unless the president had somehow had dinner in Amarillo.
  I asked for the DHS telephone number. He said I had to wait because they were flying in. While we waited, the deputy said he was supposed to "check my documents." I showed him how to conduct a proper ramp check, and produced pilot and aircraft documents. I then respectfully let him know that he really did not have authority to conduct ramp checks, as that is within the sole purview of the FAA (which I believe is correct - I do realize pilots must produce pilot certificates when requested by local law enforcement officers, but I do not believe we are required to produce any other documents.)
  I asked about the "profile". After asking again, he said the profile was a flight "from west to east, from California."
  I called my mother on my cell phone to let her know I had made it to Cordell and landed safely. When I got out my phone, the deputy moved toward me and made it VERY CLEAR I was not to make any phone calls. I told him who I was calling and why. He let me call, but listened in to make sure I was, indeed, talking to my Mom and that I was not talking about this detention.
  We waited for the DHS aircraft. 2 black Suburbans drove up at some point during this time, plus more Cordell Police and Washita County Sheriffs. All told, there were 3 police cars, 3 sheriff's cars, and 2 Suburbans with black windows from what I was later told was DEA. The officers/agents in the Suburbans were dressed in what appeared to be riot gear - body armor and helmets, I believe. They had shotguns and at least one German Shepherd dog. One of the local sheriffs was definitely in full SWAT regalia. It was over 100 degrees F. I counted 20 officers, deputies, and agents. Seven were dressed & equipped, literally, for armed conflict. The entire scene was very intimidating, ominous, and foreboding to me. I really was not in immediate fear of physical harm, but I was definitely scared that they thought I was some sort of horrible criminal, and that I would be treated as such.
  A large business jet arrived and circled overhead for the next 60-90 minutes. A King Air 200 [a sizable twin-engine turboprop plane] arrived and landed. 2 Border Patrol agents got out. I was "interviewed" again. I was lied to about a couple things. The BP agent who appeared to be senior, or in charge, said I had been tracked on radar "from Stockton".That's not true. My flight took off from Calaveras County Airport. My airplane is based at Stockton Metropolitan Airport, but that's not where I took off. He asked, "Why don't you file flight plans?" I answered, "Sir, with all respect, I DID file a flight plan this morning. I did not activate it, but I did file." I offered to show him the confirmation e-mail from the DUATS provider (Foreflight). [DUATS is an online system for filing and accepting flight plans.] He asked why I had not opened the flight plan. I said, "Flight plans are about Search & Rescue. This flight was mostly over major highways; if I crashed, the news people would be there before the flight plan expired." [If you are flying VFR, you are not required either to file or to follow an official "flight plan." People sometimes do them to provide guidance to rescuers if the plane does not arrive on time. Under Instrument Flight Rules -- which in effect apply to nearly all commercial flights and to any flight in bad weather -- pilots must file specific routes and follow detailed instructions on altitude and heading from controllers.]
  He asked why I didn't use Flight Following. I said I don't ask for services when I don't need them. ["Flight following" is a courtesy that pilots on a VFR flight can ask of controllers. The pilots can still choose and follow their own routes, but the controller watches out for them on radar and alerts them to other planes nearby, for collision avoidance.]
  The lead BP agent asked about my home town, "They grow a lot of drugs in Stockton, don't they?" I told him Stockton was famous for its imminent bankruptcy and for growing asparagus, but that I had never seen anyone growing drugs. I asked how he got the impression my home town was a drug capital. He didn't answer. I very politely (meekly, actually) asked why he was there. What had I done wrong? He said I didn't do anything wrong. I asked about TFRs. He said it had nothing to do with TFRs or any kind of airspace 'bust'. I repeated my question, "What triggered all of this?" He said the same thing the Deputy Sheriff said. My flight fit a "profile". "What profile?" "You started in California and flew from west to east." He later hinted that squawking 1200 might be part of the "profile". I chose not to mention that if I was trying to hide anything, I would have turned the transponder off. [In that case a flight would show up on radar as a little blip, without any identifying information. If it flew low enough it might not show up on radar at all.] I did not want to suggest any "druggie" strategies, no matter how obvious.
  At this point, the senior BP agent conferred with the head DEA guy. He may have gotten back in the King Air to consult with someone in the Citation, which continued to circle at about 3000-5000 feet AGL [Above Ground Level]. While he was away, the junior BP agent conducted another ramp check. I showed him my pilot and aircraft documentation, but he asked for a Weight & Balance calculation for that day's flight. [A calculation to ensure that a plane is not overloaded, and that its nose-to-tail weight balance is appropriate for safe flight.] I noted that I am responsible for assuring my airplane is loaded properly, but that I am not required to put it down on paper and carry it aboard the plane. He said I was wrong and that a W&B for each flight was required to be on board the aircraft. I asked if he was going to issue a citation and he said, no. He off-handedly noted that this requirement was little known by most pilots, and said, "We keep this in our back pocket for non-compliant suspects." That evening I looked it up and confirmed he was wrong. Part 91 flight operations rules do NOT require that a written W&B for each flight be carried on board. [Part 91 is the section of the FAA rules that governs most small-plane, non-commercial flights. Part 131 mainly governs the airlines.]
  The senior BP agent returned and asked if I would consent to a search of my airplane. I teared up and my voice broke. I told him, "My Dad fought a war so this can never happen in America. I will not dishonor my father's memory by giving up what he fought for. No, sir. With all due respect, I will not consent to a search without a proper warrant."
  All the federal agents huddled up and then the lead BP agent asked if the DEA's drug-sniffing dog could sniff my airplane. I replied, yes, but on the condition that this would be the last request I would take. On reflection, I should not have allowed that, either, without a warrant.
  A DEA agent led the dog around the plane. The dog sniffed the wheel wells and around the baggage compartment door. When he ordered the dog up onto the wing, I told him to keep the dog's feet on the black painted wing walk. He said he could not guarantee that and the dog had "soft paws". I told them that I would not allow anyone, including the dog, to damage my airplane in ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. I said he could put the dog on the wing, but only after signing written affirmation that he, personally, would pay for a new paint job if his dog scratched the paint, and only after the other 19 law enforcement people there witnessed and signed it, too.
  I was shaking from having challenged the guy. He was NOT happy. Then I offered to allow the dog on the wing if there was a blanket or mat to protect the airplane's painted surfaces. The handler had the dog sniff the baggage door once more, and the dog gave me a "clean bill of health".
  The senior Border Patrol agent stood there for a few seconds, apparently thinking. I asked if he was satisfied. He said, "Yeah. You're free to go." I said, "I assume that, until right now, I have NOT been free to go. Is that correct?" He did not answer, but repeated that I could leave. I told him that we were leaving to get dinner, and that nobody was to go near my airplane again. He nodded and we left.
  The whole episode lasted about 2 hours. While the officers who questioned me were not overtly or personally threatening, the situation was intimidating and threatening. I was never told details of the "profile", so I don't know how to prevent this from happening again, aside from talking to federal employees at all times while flying. I am concerned that DEA and DHS now have files on me. This distresses me GREATLY. I am equally concerned that my plane's tail number is now suspicious in the eyes of law enforcement.
Some Blacks Offended By Obama's Morehouse Commencement Address
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  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:38
  It's not uncommon for African Americans to criticize President Barack Obama's job performance, and the latest example of that comes on the heels of his commencement speech at Morehouse College on Sunday.
  During his keynote address at the historically black, all-male college in Georgia, Obama called for better family values among the black community and personal responsibility over complaints about racism.
  During his speech, Obama told the grads to ''recognize the burdens you carry with you, but resist the temptation to use them as excuses.''
  ''That's what being an American is about. Success may not come quickly or easily. But if you strive to do what's right; if you work harder and dream bigger; if you set an example in your own lives and do your part to help meet the challenges of our time, then I am confident that, together, we will continue the never-ending task of perfecting our union.''
  But some African Americans on Monday called that message tired and insulting, saying it was rhetoric meant to pander to white people.
  ''Trevor Coleman thinks it's time for President Obama to get a new speech for black audiences,'' The Washington Postreports. ''The personal responsibility finger-wagging, delivered most recently Sunday at Morehouse College's commencement, is getting old. '... Coleman, a former speechwriter for former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, said '... he was disappointed that Obama almost always defaults to the clean-up-your-act message when talking to predominantly black audiences.''
  The Post goes on to quote Leola Johnson, an associate professor and chair of the Media and Cultural Studies Department at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., who said Obamas' speeches ''are actually not aimed at black people.''
  ''They're actually for white people, liberals especially,'' she said.
  However, Obama's speech was different that his usual ''you didn't build that'' pro-government, pro-socialism rhetoric, as The College Fixreported Monday. If it was meant to pander to anyone, it was probably the conservatives he's been accused of harassing and targeting via the IRS. But we digress.
  The Post goes on to report:
  Kevin Powell, an activist based in New York who travels the country encouraging black men to take responsibility for their lives, said he has no problem with Obama challenging the black community, but . . .
  ''You also have to challenge the system, just as you challenge the people. It's not an either/or,'' said Powell. '...
  A. Scott Bolden, a Washington lawyer and Morehouse graduate, and Coleman, the former speechwriter and Detroit-based writer, offered finger-wagging lectures of their own.
  ''It's interesting that President Obama is always asking black people to take responsibility for themselves,'' Bolden said. ''It would be really nice if he'd take responsibility for black people in his second term.''
  Apparently, Obama's message fell on deaf ears.
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  Tagged as:blacks upset with obama,commencement speech,Morehouse College,President Obama
Roger L. Simon >> PJM EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Diplomats Report New Benghazi Whistleblowers with Info Devastating to Clinton and Obama
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  Archived Version
  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:30
  More whistleblowers will emerge shortly in the escalating Benghazi scandal, according to two former U.S. diplomats who spoke with PJ Media Monday afternoon.
  These whistleblowers, colleagues of the former diplomats, are currently securing legal counsel because they work in areas not fully protected by the Whistleblower law.
  According to the diplomats, what these whistleblowers will say will be at least as explosive as what we have already learned about the scandal, including details about what really transpired in Benghazi that are potentially devastating to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
  The former diplomats inform PJM the new revelations concentrate in two areas '-- what Ambassador Chris Stevens was actually doing in Benghazi and the pressure put on General Carter Ham, then in command of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and therefore responsible for Libya, not to act to protect jeopardized U.S. personnel.
  Stevens' mission in Benghazi, they will say, was to buy back Stinger missiles from al-Qaeda groups issued to them by the State Department, not by the CIA. Such a mission would usually be a CIA effort, but the intelligence agency had opposed the idea because of the high risk involved in arming ''insurgents'' with powerful weapons that endanger civilian aircraft.
  Hillary Clinton still wanted to proceed because, in part, as one of the diplomats said, she wanted ''to overthrow Gaddafi on the cheap.''
  This left Stevens in the position of having to clean up the scandalous enterprise when it became clear that the ''insurgents'' actually were al-Qaeda '' indeed, in the view of one of the diplomats, the same group that attacked the consulate and ended up killing Stevens.
  The former diplomat who spoke with PJ Media regarded the whole enterprise as totally amateurish and likened it to the Mike Nichols film Charlie Wilson's War about a clueless congressman who supplies Stingers to the Afghan guerrillas. ''It's as if Hillary and the others just watched that movie and said 'Hey, let's do that!''' the diplomat said.
  He added that he and his colleagues think the leaking of General David Petraeus' affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell was timed to silence the former CIA chief on these matters.
  Regarding General Ham, military contacts of the diplomats tell them that AFRICOM had Special Ops ''assets in place that could have come to the aid of the Benghazi consulate immediately (not in six hours).''
  Ham was told by the White House not to send the aid to the trapped men, but Ham decided to disobey and did so anyway, whereupon the White House ''called his deputy and had the deputy threaten to relieve Ham of his command.''
  The White House motivation in all this is as yet unclear, but it is known that Ham retired quietly in April 2013 as head of AFRICOM.
  PJ Media recognizes this is largely hearsay, but the two diplomats sounded quite credible. One of them was in a position of responsibility in a dangerous area of Iraq in 2004.
  We will report more as we learn it.
ben affleck rwanda - Google Search
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:21
  Ben Affleck, Rwanda, and Corporate Sustained Catastrophe (Part 1 ...dissidentvoice.org/.../ben-affleck-rwanda-and-corporate-sustained- catastrophe/- Cached - SimilarJan 23, 2009 ... Backed by the Obama Administration and its former Clinton allies, Rwandantroops have marched into Congo, ostensibly to save the day, yet ...Ben Affleck remembers late Rwandan politician | General News ...www.hollywood.com/.../ben-affleck-remembers-late-rwandan-politician- CachedActor and activist Ben Affleck has paid tribute to Rwandan politician AloiseaInyumba after learning of her death on Thursday (06Dec12).Ben Affleck Rwanda President - Celebslam - Celebuzzcelebslam.celebuzz.com/2013/05/ben-affleck-rwanda-president.php- CachedMay 2, 2013 ...Ben Affleck is real important Ho hum, it's just the President of Rwanda, PaulKagame, stopping by Ben Affleck's house in Pacific Palisades ...Ben Affleck Rwanda President 8 - Celebslamcelebslam.celebuzz.com/2013/.../ben-affleck-rwanda-president.php?...- CachedMay 2, 2013 ... Ho hum, it's just the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, stopping by BenAffleck's house in Pacific Palisades earlier this week. What, you've ...Ben Affleck | Ben Affleck Remembers Late Rwandan Politician ...www.contactmusic.com/.../ben-affleck-remembers-late-rwandan-politician_ 3407938- CachedDec 7, 2012 ... Actor and activist Ben Affleck has paid tribute to Rwandan politician AloiseaInyumba after learning of her death on Thursday (06Dec12).The New Times Rwanda: :: Ben Affleck: 'The US has responsibility to ...www.newtimes.co.rw/news/views/article_print.php?i=15189...- CachedBEN Affleck has urged US leaders to provide more aid to the people of war-tornEastern Congo. The Argo director is the co-founder of the Eastern Congo ...The New Times Rwanda: :: Hollywood star Ben Affleck mourns ...www.newtimes.co.rw/news/views/article_print.php?i=15201...- CachedHollywood actor Ben Affleck has paid tribute to the late Aloisea Inyumba, whohas been the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion until she passed awayon ...Images for ben affleck rwandaBen Affleck - Whalewww.whale.to/b/ben_affleck.html- CachedSave the Children and UNHCR share the Ben Affleck brand name. [2009 Jan]Ben Affleck, Rwanda, and Corporate Sustained Catastrophe by Keith Harmon ...Ben Affleck and me in Kigali, Rwanda | Flickr - Photo Sharing!Dec 16, 2007 ... I thought I'd take a break from taking photos in the mid-day heat yesterday, so Iwent to my favourite cafe in town. I wasn't alone. Ben and some ...Searches related to ben affleck rwanda
Ho hum, it's just the President of Rwanda stopping by Ben Affleck's house
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:21
  Ben Affleck is real importantHo hum, it's just the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, stopping by Ben Affleck's house in Pacific Palisades earlier this week. What, you've never seen that before?
  *15 pictures total in the gallery:
  [Bauer Griffin]
BBC News - Gif's inventor says ignore dictionaries and say 'Jif'
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:20
  22 May 2013Last updated at09:55 ETThe creator of the Gif graphics format has said that his invention should be pronounced so it starts with a "j" rather than with a hard "g".
  Steve Wilhite told the New York Times that he was "annoyed" there was still a debate over how to say the acronym.
  He added that the Oxford English Dictionary was wrong to say it could be pronounced both ways.
  The OED told the BBC that it was beyond the software engineer's control to determine how the word should be said.
  The difference of opinion coincided with Mr Wilhite being awarded a lifetime achievement prize at The Webby Awards. To mark the moment, screens at the ceremony displayed a message he had written saying: "It's pronounced 'Jif'".
  Looping animationsThe retired US-based software writer developed the Graphics Interchange Format in 1987 while working at the internet service provider Compuserve.
  The data compression technique he used allowed images to be sent over what were then slow dial-up connections at much faster speeds than had been previously possible.
  His efforts paved the way for his employer to start offering its customers the ability to download colour pictures rather than being limited to black-and-white.
  Although the Jpeg format later caught on because it is better at compressing photographs, Gif's technique remains superior at tackling images containing large areas of uniform colour when no more than 256 different colours are used in the whole picture.
  Gif's enduring popularity has also been helped by the fact it supports animations, making it easy for people to embed short clips into blogs, and copy and paste jokey looping video - such as odd actions by the actor James Van Der Beek - into discussion forums.
  The format's long-lasting appeal was underlined by Google's recent announcement that it was adding a feature to help users search for such files, saying Gifs had "become the de facto standard for short animations on the web, from pony glitter text to grumpy cat memes".
  Word rowThe Gif Pronunciation Page has long catalogued evidence that Gif sounds like Jif.
  The site suggests the reason for this was to make it sound like a popular brand of American peanut butter - "one of the principle three programmer foods (the other two being Pepsi and nacho cheese Doritos)".
  That reference would be lost on UK users, who are more likely to associate Jif with lemon juice or an abandoned brand of sink cleaner.
  The Oxford English Dictionary's chief editor John Simpson made it clear that whatever the word's roots, the fact many people used the hard "g" meant that option was acceptable.
  "The pronunciation with a hard 'g' is now very widespread and readily understood," he said.
  "A coiner effectively loses control of a word once it's out there; for instance, the coiner of quark in the physics sense had intended it to rhyme with cork, but general usage has resulted in it rhyming with mark.
  "Whichever pronunciation you use for Gif, it should of course be the same for both the noun and the verb."
  The American Heritage Dictionary also states the acronym can be said both ways.
  The White House has also weighed in on the debate when it made it clear, last month, that President Obama preferred to use the "hard g".
  Net jokersNews of Mr Wilhite's intervention sparked a flood of responses from other web users.
  "Preach it, Gif inventor," tweeted @xaxnermaclaren.
  "Finally, the Gif has been liberated! Yes!" added @themightythor.
  But others were more critical.
  "Unless we are going to pronounce graphics as jraphics he makes zero sense," posted Scathe to Reddit.
  "I will never pronounce it that way sir! Never!" wrote @CharlesTrippy.
  Next you're going to tell me it's pronounced 'gaypeg'," added TheObviousChild.
  Creative Review magazine took a more balanced stance, saying only: "Well, there you jo."
DOJ And Dept. Of Education To Colleges: Start Restricting Free Speech On Campus Or Kiss Your Federal Funding Goodbye | Techdirt
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:05
  Our nation's universities are (or were) usually considered to be places that fostered open discourse and encouraged the discussion of controversial topics in order to promote the growth of both the students and their critical thinking skills. This is no longer the case. Many universities have crafted guidelines and policies that inhibit free speech, usually as an overreaction to offended sensibilities or criminal activity.
  Much of what we've covered recently has dealt with private colleges, which have a little more leeway in crafting their speech policies. The chilling of free speech on campus is now spreading to public universities (not that some didn't have this problem already). Worse still, it's a government mandated inhibition of free speech, tied directly to federal funding.
  In a letter sent yesterday to the University of Montana that explicitly states that it is intended as "a blueprint for colleges and universities throughout the country," the Departments of Justice and Education have mandated a breathtakingly broad definition of sexual harassment that makes virtually every student in the United States a harasser while ignoring the First Amendment. The mandate applies to every college receiving federal funding'--virtually every American institution of higher education nationwide, public or private.
  The letter states that "sexual harassment should be more broadly defined as 'any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature'" including "verbal conduct" (that is, speech). It then explicitly states that allegedly harassing expression need not even be offensive to an "objectively reasonable person of the same gender in the same situation"'--if the listener takes offense to sexually related speech for any reason, no matter how irrationally or unreasonably, the speaker may be punished.
  What the OCR (the Dept. of Education's Office for Civil Rights) has done is remove the "objective" standard and opened anything said or done to be judged as harassment from a strictly subjective viewpoint. This is coupled with some very broad definitions of the sort of behavior prohibited under these new national codes. Eugene Volokh's in-depth writeup lists some of the prohibited actions.saying ''unwelcome'' ''sexual or dirty jokes''spreading ''unwelcome'' ''sexual rumors'' (without any limitation to false rumors)''engaging in ''unwelcome'' ''circulating or showing e-mails of Web sites of a sexual nature''engaging in ''unwelcome'' ''display[] or distributi[on of] sexually explicit drawings, pictures or written materials''making ''unwelcome'' sexual invitations.
  There is no longer any stipulation that the offending actions create a "hostile, offensive or abusive environment." And, again, the "objective and reasonable" yardstick has been removed and replaced with subjectivity.As FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) points out, this new OCR letter contradicts a "Dear Colleague" letter issued by the OCR in 2003, in which the office offered the clarification that any guidelines issued were not intended to inhibit free speech on campus.
  I want to assure you in the clearest possible terms that OCR's regulations are not intended to restrict the exercise of any expressive activities protected under the U.S. Constitution ...OCR's regulations and policies do not require or prescribe speech, conduct or harassment codes that impair the exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment.
  It appears the OCR is no longer interested in protecting First Amendment rights. As FIRE notes, the new OCR letter does not contain the phrases "free speech" or "First Amendment" anywhere within its 31 pages. It also contradicts the OCR's earlier guidance on harassment, where it stated that actionable (or prohibited) behavior "must include something beyond the mere expression of views, words, symbols or thoughts that some person finds offensive."FIRE also points out that the new codes cover much more than "sexual" speech, being expanded to cover "gender-based harassment," including "harassment based on a person's nonconformity with gender stereotypes." All well and good to bring more people under this "protection," but it does mean that certain protected speech will now lose its protection, at least on campus. FIRE quotes a Third Circuit Court decision [DeJohn v. Temple University, 537 F.3d 301 (3d Cir. 2008)]:
  [T]he policy's use of "hostile," "offensive," and "gender-motivated" is, on its face, sufficiently broad and subjective that they "could conceivably be applied to cover any speech" of a "gender-motivated" nature "the content of which offends someone." This could include "core" political and religious speech, such as gender politics and sexual morality.
  The OCR's letter does some dangerous conflation, in addition to its general disregard for students' First Amendment rights. By using the criminal sexual assault that occurred at the University of Montana as a springboard for its harassment policies, the OCR aims to kill two birds with stone, but only manages to injure one with its feckless toss -- free speech. The actions condemned (and meant to be prevented) by this letter remain punishable by existing laws and policies. Adding further limits to speech is simply a welcome byproduct for establishments (universities and the government) that seem to feel more and more that only subjectively acceptable speech should be protected. This new, mandated First-Amendment-as-university-doormat will only serve to make students more closed-minded as they toe these aribitrary lines and make our institutions of higher learning pale parodies of their formerly progressive selves.
The Volokh Conspiracy >> The Administration Says Universities Must Implement Broad Speech Codes
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:05
  The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is telling universities to institute speech codes. And not just any old speech codes: Under these speech codes, universities would be required to prohibit students from, for instance,
  saying ''unwelcome'' ''sexual or dirty jokes''spreading ''unwelcome'' ''sexual rumors'' (without any limitation to false rumors''engaging in ''unwelcome'' ''circulating or showing e-mails of Web sites of a sexual nature''engaging in ''unwelcome'' ''display[] or distributi[on of] sexually explicit drawings, picture,s or written materials''making ''unwelcome'' sexual invitations.This is not limited to material that a reasonable person would find offensive. Nor is limited to material that, put together, creates a ''hostile, abusive, or offensive educational environment.'' (I think even speech codes that would have these requirements are unconstitutional, but the speech codes that the government is urging would in any event not have these requirements.) Every instance of such material of a ''sexual nature,'' under the government's approach, would be ''sexual harassment'' and would need to be banned.
  Why do I say this? The explanation has quite a few moving parts, because of how the government has articulated its theory. But here's a brief summary.
  1. The OCR has long taken the view that, just as Title VII's ban on employment discrimination has been read as prohibiting speech or conduct that is ''severe or pervasive'' enough to create a ''hostile, abusive, or offensive environment'' based on sex for plaintiff and for a reasonable person, so Title IX (the educational analog) does the same for speech and conduct in educational institutions. Colleges and universities, according to the government, must therefore institute speech and conduct codes that ban such speech and conduct.
  Those courts that have considered the issue have held that such speech codes in public universities violate the First Amendment on their face (to the extent they cover speech), because they are too vague or overbroad (i.e., apply beyond the few unprotected categories of speech, such as threats or ''fighting words''). See, for instance, some of the cases cited in this guest post by FIRE's Greg Lukianoff. The government's pressuring the creation of such codes in either public institutions or private institutions would likewise violate the First Amendment. But the government takes a different view. Though it agrees that ''harassment'' codes shouldn't be read in ways that violate the First Amendment (which is tautologically true), they apparently think that a great deal of speech ''of a sexual nature'' on campuses is unprotected by the First Amendment, as suggested by the materials discussed below, and that
  2. Now, in an investigation involving the University of Montana (and see also this document, the government has apparently gone further:
  a. The government has specifically faulted the University for defining ''sexual harassment'' as being limited to conduct or speech that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile environment, or conduct or speech that would be objectively offensive to a reasonable person. ''Whether conduct is objectively offensive is a factor used to determine if a hostile environment has been created, but it is not the standard to determine whether conduct was 'unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature' and therefore constitutes 'sexual harassment.'''
  b. Instead, according to the government, ''sexual harassment'' is simply ''unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature and can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, such as sexual assault or acts of sexual violence.'' And what constitutes ''unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature''? An earlier OCR document, defining, conduct ''sexual in nature'' as ''sexual conduct,'' says that ''Examples of sexual conduct include'':
  making sexual propositions or pressuring students for sexual favors;touching of a sexual nature;writing graffiti of a sexual nature;displaying or distributing sexually explicit drawings, pictures, or written materials;performing sexual gestures or touching oneself sexually in front of others;telling sexual or dirty jokes;spreading sexual rumors or rating other students as to sexual activity or performance; orcirculating or showing e-mails or Web sites of a sexual nature.Incidentally, the ''sexually explicit drawings, pictures, and materials'' do not have to be punishable obscenity, or even displays of sex; ''pictures of nude suggestive pictures even if not nude, since the government routinely analogizes toworkplace harassment cases, in which nudity has not been required for material to be found to be unduly suggestive.
  Finally, the government does not limit such ''sexual conduct'' to conduct said directly to the offended person. Speech displayed or said to people generally may qualify if one of the viewers finds it offensive (as one can again tell by looking at hostile work environment cases, given that the government routinely analogizes to them).
  c. So ''sexual harassment'' is defined that broadly '-- and though the government concedes that such sexual harassment is legally actionable only if it is objectively offensive, and ''severe or pervasive'' (or perhaps both ''severe and pervasive,'' as Hans Bader's post on this argues), the government insists that universities should punish each such instance of conduct:
  ''The Agreement will serve as a blueprint for colleges and universities throughout the country to protect students from sexual harassment and assault.''''To resolve the concerns identified in the Letter of Findings, the University will take effective steps designed to: prevent sex-based harassment [defined to include 'sexual harassment' -EV] in its education programs and activities ....''''By July 15, 2013, the University will update its program to provide regular mandatory training ..... [that] will ... make students aware of the University's prohibition against sexual harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation.''''On May 4, 2012, the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights mailed notification to the University indicating that OCR was opening a Title IX compliance review to assess whether ... the University's implementation of [its] policies and procedures ensure the elimination of sexual harassment and sexual violence, appropriately respond to such harassment and violence, prevent future harassment, and eliminate the hostile environment and its effects that result from such harassment.''''To improve the campus climate, the University is providing more training for students that defines sexual harassment, including sexual assault, and makes clear it is unacceptable.''''Other actions [following a sexual harassment complaint] may also be necessary to address the educational environment, including special training, the dissemination of information about how to report sexual harassment, new policies, and other steps designed to clearly communicate the message that the college or university does not tolerate, and will be responsive to any reports of, sexual harassment.And I assume the government means exactly what it says here '-- that even individual instances of ''conduct of a sexual nature'' that aren't severe or pervasive or objectively offensive must be punished '-- and isn't just using ''sexual harassment'' to mean ''speech that creates a legally actionable hostile environment.'' After all, the government expressly condemned the University of Montana (see 2a above) for using ''sexual harassment'' to mean speech that creates a legally actionable hostile environment; ''sexual harassment,'' the government stressed, is simply ''unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature'' (whether or not objectively offensive ''and can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature, such as sexual assault or acts of sexual violence.'' And though some of the statements I quote above discuss what the University of Montana is about to do, it's clear from context that the government is arguing that universities must in general be doing this.
  These individual instances, then '-- sexual jokes, sexually themed posted material, sexual propositions, and so on '-- is what the government is saying should be treated as ''unacceptable,'' should not be ''not tolerate[d],'' and should be ''prevent[ed],'' ''prohibit[ed],'' and ''eliminat[ed].''
  3. In the University of Montana situation, as well as in others in the past, the core issue has had to do with alleged sexual assault of varying degrees. No specific speech-cases were discussed.
  But that's a big part of the problem: Serious problems involving alleged physical assaults, and university's potential failure to properly deal with such assaults, have long been merged '-- by the government and others '-- with sexually themed speech. The policies the government is seeking deliberately aren't limited to physical assault, but expressly cover speech. How universities should deal with alleged physical assaults by students against other students is a difficult question. But the government's demands of universities go far beyond those questions, and extend to speech that is protected by the First Amendment and that, in any event, ought not be the subject of university discipline (even if it's juvenile and rude).
  The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has more on this, as does Hans Bader (OpenMarket.org).
AFP: US teen designs compact nuclear reactor
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 09:02
  US teen designs compact nuclear reactor
  (AFP) '' Feb 28, 2013
  LONG BEACH, California '-- Eighteen-year-old Taylor Wilson has designed a compact nuclear reactor that could one day burn waste from old atomic weapons to power anything from homes and factories to space colonies.
  The American teen, who gained fame four years ago after designing a fusion reactor he planned to build in the garage of his family's home, shared his latest endeavor at a TED Conference in southern California on Thursday.
  "It's about bringing something old, fission, into the 21st Century," Wilson said. "I think this has huge potential to change the world."
  He has designed a small reactor capable of generating 50-100 megawatts of electricity, enough to power as many as 100,000 homes.
  The reactor can be made assembly-line style and powered by molten radioactive material from nuclear weapons, Wilson said. The relatively small, modular reactor can be shipped sealed with enough fuel to last for 30 years.
  "You can plop them down anywhere in the world and they work, buried under the ground for security reasons," he said, while detailing his design at TED.
  "In the Cold War we built up this huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and we don't need them anymore," Wilson said. "It would be great if we could eat them up, and this reactor loves this stuff."
  His reactors are designed to spin turbines using gas instead of steam, meaning they operate at temperatures lower than those of typical nuclear reactors and don't spew anything if there is a breach.
  The fuel is in the form of molten salt, and the reactors don't need to be pressurized, according to the teenager.
  "In the event of an accident, you can just drain the core into a tank under the reactor with neutron absorbers and the reaction stops," Wilson said.
  "There is no inclination for the fission products to leave this reactor," he said. "In an accident, the reactor may be toast, which is sorry for the power company, but there is no problem."
  Wilson, who graduated grade school in May, said he is putting off university to focus on a company he created to make Modular Fission Reactors.
  He sees his competition as nations, particularly China, and the roadblocks ahead as political instead of technical.
  Wilson planned to have a prototype ready in two years and a product to market in five years.
  "Not only does it combat climate change, it can bring power to the developing world," Wilson said with teenage optimism.
  "Imagine having a compact reactor in a rocket designed by those planning to habitat other planets. Not only would you have power for propulsion, but power once you get there."
  Copyright (C) 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More >>
Xbox One's Kinect discerns heartbeat and who has the controller | Joystiq
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 08:56
  The Xbox One's next-generation Kinect has a greater interest in your facial features, and is capable of discerning your identity, even if you hand off the controller.In a brief demonstration in one of its Kinect testing rooms, Microsoft showed press how the Kinect kept track of two player profiles, each tied to a controller in use. When Player 1 and Player 2 swap controllers, the Xbox One is able to recognize which profile is the new Player 1. The Kinect also monitors the position of players, meaning it can match portions of split-screen games to the side of the screen at which that player is looking. This may also translate to fighting games, which is good news if you're the sort to get confused when your spot in the couch isn't aligned with your character.
  Microsoft also demonstrated a few more tricks made possible by the new Kinect's enhanced sense of depth, its greater field of view - which does make closer gaming in smaller apartments a more feasible '' its ability to see in the dark via infrared, and its flattering scrutiny of facial features. By examining your face's skin color and transparency, the Kinect and Xbox One are able to estimate your current heart rate. Whether or not someone puts that information to good use in Kinect games or fitness programs is another matter, as we've learned from Nintendo's flatlined "vitality sensor."
  Valve has experimented with biometric data in games too, adjusting game difficulty, objectives and timers in response to the player's physical state. With a Kinect shipping alongside every Xbox One, and assuming the camera is relatively accurate, biometric influence over gameplay may become less esoteric in the near future.
Mayor Bloomberg's advice to students: Become plumbers '-- RT USA
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 08:37
  A college education won't necessarily fatten your pockets, but the billionaire mayor of New York City has a suggestion he wants students to consider before they sign any costly tuition checks: what about becoming a plumber?
  Yes, that's career advice courtesy of New York's Michael Bloomberg: the Big Apple's media mogul-turned-billionaire mayor who recently led an unsuccessful campaign to ban oversized sugary drinks in his city. Now after making a name for himself as the nanny of Manhattan, Mayor Bloomberg is apparently already considering another career change '-- this time as guidance counselor.
  During his weekly radio show on Friday, Bloomberg shared some words with listeners looking for career advice. It's no secret that jobs are hard to come by nowadays, and the amount of debt brought on by unpaid college loans now surpasses what Americans owe on their credit cards. Mayor Bloomberg offered his input on the issue during last week's show, and said students who aren't destined for the top of the class should consider another option that's not so costly.
  ''The people who are going to have the biggest problem are college graduates who aren't rocket scientists, if you will, not at the top of their class," Bloomberg said. "Compare a plumber to going to Harvard College '' being a plumber, actually for the average person, probably would be a better deal."
  ''You don't spend ... four years spending $40,000, $50,000 in tuition without earning income,'' the mayor added.
  Later, Bloomberg explained that some vocational jobs '-- like plumbing '-- won't ever been outsourced overseas or replaced by machines.
  ''It's hard to farm that out ... and it's hard to automate that,'' he said.
  One day later, the mayor had similar words for the graduating class of Ohio's Kenyon College. According to Fox News, Bloomberg told graduates on Saturday that ''I know that today's job market is not easy,'' and acknowledged, ''...today, if I interview a recent college grad who tells me he or she spent the summer curing cancer, bringing peace to the Middle East, and writing the Great American Novel '' I'm impressed.
  Again, however, the mayor said dreams of being successful shouldn't be dashed just because college isn't in the cards. ''I'm more likely to hire the person who spent his or her summer working days, nights, and weekends for an auto-body shop or a construction company in order to pay tuition or help with family bills,'' Bloomberg told the crowd.
  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a manual worker like a plumber in 2010 was roughly $47,000, a good $15,000 a year annually more than other occupational workers pull in. And as MSN pointed out, recent college grads aren't guaranteed much more than hefty student loans: for 2011 graduates, the average debt went up 5.3 percent from the year before. Bloomberg, on the other hand, was estimated to be worth $27 billion as of this year.
DSM-5: Caught between Mental Illness Stigma and Anti-Psychiatry Prejudice | MIND Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 08:19
  Like many psychiatrists, I have been amazed by the debates surrounding the DSM-5, the first major revision of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in nearly twenty years, which was just released. Never before has a thick medical text of diagnostic nomenclature been the subject of so much attention.
  Although I was heartened to see more and more people discussing the real-world issues and challenges'--for patients, families, clinicians and caregivers''within mental health care, for which the book offers an up-to-the-minute diagnostic GPS, I was also alarmed at the harsh criticism of the field of psychiatry and the APA. Consequently, I believe that as you read and watch this increased coverage, it's important to understand the difference between thoughtful, legitimate debate, and the inevitable outcry from a small group of critics ''made louder by social media and support from dubious sources '--who have relentlessly sought to undermine the credibility of psychiatric medicine and question the validity of mental illness..
  DSM-5 has ignited a broad dialogue on mental illness and opened up a conversation about the state of psychiatry and mental healthcare in this country. Critiques have ranged in focus from the inclusion of specific disorders in DSM-5, to the concern over a lack of biological measures which define them. Some have even questioned the entire diagnostic system, urging us to look with an eye focused on the impact to patients. These are the kinds of debate that I hope will continue long after DSM-5's shiny cover becomes warn and wrinkled. Such meaningful discourse only fuels our ability to produce a manual that best serves those touched by mental illness.
  But there's another type of critique that does not contribute to this goal. These are the groups who are actually proud to identify themselves as ''anti-psychiatry.''
  These are real people who don't want to improve mental healthcare, unlike the dozens of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and patient advocates who have labored for years to revise the DSM, rigorously and responsibly. Instead, they are against the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses'--which improves, and in some cases saves, millions of lives every year'--and ''against'' the very idea of psychiatry, and its practices of psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. They are, to my mind, misguided and misleading ideologues and self-promoters who are spreading scientific anarchy.
  Being ''against'' psychiatry strikes me as no different than being ''against'' cardiology or orthopedics or gynecology'--which most people, I think, would find absurd. No other medical specialty is targeted by such an ''anti'' movement.
  This relatively small ''anti-psychiatry'' movement fuels the much larger segment of the world that is prejudiced against people with disorders of the brain and mind and the professions that treat them. Like most prejudice, this one is largely based on ignorance or fear''no different than racism, or society's initial reactions to illnesses from leprosy to AIDS. And many people made uncomfortable by mental illness and psychiatry, don't recognize their feelings as prejudice. But that is what they are.
  We have, as a nation, aggressively taken on racism, sexism, homophobia and other prejudices. Perhaps the occasion of this new DSM revision (and in the aftermath of the passage of the Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act) is the right time to grapple with the prejudice against mental illness and its caretakers'--which every day makes it a little harder for people suffering from mental illnesses to live their lives, and makes it harder for those of us who treat mental illnesses to do our jobs.
  I do understand how anti-psychiatry ideas first developed and why they have been so difficult to combat. There is historical fear of mental illness, stemming from when these diseases were viewed first as demonic possessions and later as character or moral defects, before we had any scientific understanding for the biological basis of, say, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism or Alzheimer's disease. The brain is a complex organ, slow to reveal its secrets, and the effort to understand its myriad functions goes to the core of each individual's self-identity. Patients are challenged by the intimate aspects of their relationship with any doctor'--a caregiver for whom you have to disrobe, and who pokes and pries. But in psychiatric treatment you ''disrobe'' in an even more profound way, revealing yourself psychologically.
  And I do not overlook the checkered history of psychiatry itself. It's a relatively new discipline which branched from neurology in the 19th century, whose early practitioners were alienists and analysts, superintendents of asylums and Freudian therapists. But, at the time, asylums were little more than humane warehouses, and Freudian theory turned out to be a brilliant fiction about personality and behavior. When psychiatry did make its first forays into medical treatment, it used crude instruments like strait jackets, cold packs, fever induction, insulin shock therapy and psycho-surgery. The underlying theories for the causes of these illnesses at the time were also wrong; it was largely about blaming the parents.
  However, that was then and now is now. The scientific foundation of psychiatric medicine has grown by leaps and bounds in the last fifty years. The emergence of psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics and biology, and the disciplines of neuroscience and cognitive psychology have launched our field into the mainstream of medicine and on a course for future growth and success. Though not everyone, including ourselves, is satisfied with the rate of our field's progress, no one can argue with one simple fact; if you or a loved one suffers from a mental illness, your ability to receive effective treatment, recover and lead a productive life is better now than ever in human history. Moreover, we have every reason to believe that there will continue to be unprecedented scientific progress, which will enhance our clinical capacity and benefit our patients.
  For this reason, I am especially shocked when other clinicians'--psychologists, social workers, even, in some cases, primary care docs who would rather just dispense psychiatric meds themselves'--side with anti-psychiatry forces without realizing these people are ''against'' them, too. These strange anti-mental health bedfellows include a series of contemporary psychiatrists and psychologists who have fashioned platforms for self-promotion from their critical positions on psychiatry and DSM-5.
  But, when it comes to medical illness, the ''enemy of your enemy'' is not always your friend.
  For all the overt anti-psychiatry we see out there, I'm also concerned about the more subtle forms of prejudice among less radicalized segments of our society.
  Only recently, I was at a meeting of medical school leadership at my university, where we discussed how to counsel medical students about choosing which specialty to pursue. One senior faculty member quipped ''tell all students who get low scores on their board exams not to worry, they just need to change their career plans and go into psychiatry.''
  A few months later, the same faculty member called me late one night, asking if I would see his wife, who was having a ''psychiatric problem.''
  The urgency of his request belied any awareness that the joke he made at psychiatry's expense in that meeting undermined our ability to deliver the kind of quality care that his wife now needed. But it can, and it does.
  Image: American Psychiatric Association
Russia Issues ''Extreme Danger'' Warning As Alabama Death Toll Rises
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51
  World's Largest English Language News Service with Over 500 Articles Updated Daily
  "The News You Need Today'...For The World You'll Live In Tomorrow."
  What You Aren't Being Told About The World You Live In
  IronMountainApocalypse: The True Story Of 2013
  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)
  May 22, 2013
  RussiaIssues ''Extreme Danger'' Warning As Alabama Death Toll Rises
  By:Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers
  The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) today has issued an ''Extreme Danger'' warning for all vessels entering or nearing the United States Port of Mobile, located in the State of Alabama, as the death toll rises from what this report claims is an environmental disaster related to the flowering of genetically modified cotton crops located in this region.
  The RS is tasked with providing the safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, security of ships, safe carriage of cargo, environmental safety of ships, prevention of pollution from ships, performance of authorizations issued by Administrations and customers, while the Port of Mobile is the 9th largest US deep water port.
  According to this report, RS officials became ''highly concerned'' this past week after the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reported that at least 2 people have died, and another 5 put in hospital, due to a ''mysterious illness'' attacking the respiratory systems of those affected and causing flu-like symptoms.
  According to ADPH spokeswoman Mary McIntyre, the illness was first reported late last week and the last of the seven patients was hospitalized Monday, though it wasn't immediately clear which municipalities the illnesses were concentrated in.
  ''We're only aware of the Southeast, but we don't know '-- we haven't received reports from anywhere else,'' McIntyre said, ''That's why we're trying to get the information out.''
  RS officials in their ''Extreme Danger'' warning, however, state that the deaths and symptoms being reported in Alabama are ''identical'' to those that were reported by Indian farmers last year who were planting the latest version of Monsanto's Deltapine® genetically modified (GM) cotton seed, and which caused the single largest wave of recorded suicides in human history and resulted in India revoking the right for this most dangerous of seed to be sold.
  In Alabama, this report continues, the Deltapine® GM cotton plants (which have a long growing season of 120 - 180 days of frost free weather) are now in their flowering stage giving off massive amounts of pollen contaminated with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins used in all of Monsanto's genetically modified seeds and proven to cause the symptoms and deaths being reported by the ADPH.
  So dangerous, in fact, are Monsanto's Bt toxins, scientists from the Department of Genetics and Morphology and the Institute of Biological Sciences, at the University of Brasilia, and the University of Western Ontario warned in a new study published last week that Monsanto crops are harmful to mammalian blood by damaging red blood cells and are much more toxic to mammals than previously thought. The study was published in the Journal of Hematology and Thromboembolic Diseases.
  Scientists at the United States Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) had further warned that Indian farmers that picked or loaded Monsanto's Bt cotton reported reactions of the skin, eyes and upper respiratory tract and that 25% of sheep herds that fed on them died within a week.
  On 19 May 2009, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called on ''Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM foods when possible and provide educational materials concerning GM foods and health risks.''
  They, also, called for a moratorium on GM foods, long-term independent studies, and labeling. AAEM's position paper stated, ''Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food,'' including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.
  They conclude, ''There is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects. There is causation,'' as defined by recognized scientific criteria. ''The strength of association and consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.''
  Even though the RS is now warning Russian seaman about the GM catastrophe now unfolding in Alabama, there is no evidence the Obama regie is doing the same to protect its own citizens.
  As to why this is so was recently explained by the Infowar News Service in their article titled ''How did Barack Obama become Monsanto's man in Washington?''which, in part, says:
  ''After his victory in the 2008 election, Obama filled key posts with Monsanto people, in federal agencies that wield tremendous force in food issues, the USDA and the FDA:
  At the USDA, as the director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Roger Beachy, former director of the Monsanto Danforth Center.
  As deputy commissioner of the FDA, the new food-safety-issues czar, the infamous Michael Taylor, former vice-president for public policy for Monsanto. Taylor had been instrumental in getting approval for Monsanto's genetically engineered bovine growth hormone.
  As commissioner of the USDA, Iowa governor, Tom Vilsack.Vilsack had set up a national group, the Governors' Biotechnology Partnership, and had been given a Governor of the Year Award by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, whose members include Monsanto.
  As the new Agriculture Trade Representative, who would push GMOs for export, Islam Siddiqui, a former Monsanto lobbyist.
  As the new counsel for the USDA, Ramona Romero, who had been corporate counsel for another biotech giant, DuPont.
  As the new head of the USAID, Rajiv Shah, who had previously worked in key positions for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a major funder of GMO agriculture research.
  We should also remember that Obama's secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, once worked for the Rose law firm. That firm was counsel to Monsanto.
  Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the US Supreme Court. Kagan, as federal solicitor general, had previously argued for Monsanto in the Monsanto v. Geertson seed case before the Supreme Court.''
  Even worse for the American people, and as reported by the Planet Save News Service in their article about Obama signing a new law last month to protect Monsanto titled ''5 Appalling Facts About The Monsanto Protection Act Obama Signed Into Law (GMO Heaven)'':
  1.) ''The 'Monsanto Protection Act' effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified (aka GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) seeds, no matter what health issues may arise concerning GMOs in the future.'' (Studies have revealed severe adverse health effects related to the consumption of genetically modified foods.)
  2.) ''The provision's language was written in collusion with Monsanto'... the fact that Sen. Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri worked with Monsanto on a provision that in effect allows them to keep selling seeds, which can then go on to be planted, even if it is found to be harmful to consumers, is stunning.''
  3.) ''Many members of Congress were apparently unaware that the 'Monsanto Protection Act' existed within the bill they were voting on.'' HR 933 was a spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown.
  ''In this hidden backroom deal, Sen. [Barbara] Mikulski turned her back on consumer, environmental and farmer protection in favor of corporate welfare for biotech companies such as Monsanto,'' Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the the Center for Food Safety said in a statement. ''This abuse of power is not the kind of leadership the public has come to expect from Sen. Mikulski or the Democrat Majority in the Senate.''
  4.) ''On Tuesday, Obama signed HR 933 while the rest of the nation fixated on gay marriage as the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument concerning California's Proposition 8.'' (250,000 voters signed a petition opposing the provision.)
  5.) The precedent, the message it sends is that corporations can get around consumer protections and safety. It suggests that court challenges are a privilege, not a right.)
  As Russia has previously warned the Obama regime that global war could very well erupt over the Americans seeming hatred of the global environment, from the people in the United States itself there appears to be no notice of these things'....and for the simple reason that they aren't being told.
  May 22, 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?''.]
  Apocalypse Slams Into America, Few Notice
  You May Already Be To Late'...But It Has Begun!
  They Are Going To Come For You'...Why Are You Helping Them?
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Scientists Discover Bt Toxins Found In Monsanto Crops Damage Red Blood Cells | Collective-Evolution
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 07:51
  Studies are showing that Bt toxins found in Monsanto crops are harmful to mammalian blood by damaging red blood cells and more. RBC's are responsible for delivering oxygen to the body tissues through blood flow.
  Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) is a bacterium commonly used as a biological pesticide. It is a microorganism that produces toxic chemicals. It occurs naturally in the environment, and is usually isolated from soil, insects and plant surfaces. Prior to this study, Bt was thought to be toxic only to insects, but recent studies are proving otherwise.
  Dr. Mezzomo and his team of Scientists from the Department of Genetics and Morphology and the Institute of Biological Sciences, at University of Brasilia recently published a study that involved Bacillus thuringensis (Bt toxin) and its effects on mammalian blood. According to the study, the ''Cry'' toxins that are found in Monsanto's GMO crops like corn and soy, are much more toxic to mammals than previously thought. The study was published in the Journal of Hematology and Thromboembolic Diseases(1).
  We do not support animal testing, and think it is unnecessary. It should really be a no brainer that GMO crops cause significant damage to human health. Studies that don't require animal testing have already proven the dangers of GMO consumption. This study unfortunately required the use of Swiss Albino Mice if Bt was to be properly examined. At the same time, most of us know that the existence of GMOs is completely unnecessary.
  Advances in genetic engineering promise the expression of multiple Cry toxins in Bt-plants, known as gene pyramiding. Therefore, studies on non-target species are requirements of international protocols to verify the adverse effects of these toxins, ensuring human and environmental biosafety.
  Due to its growing use in agricultural activities, Bt presence hasalready been detected in different environmental compartments such as soil and water. Consequently, the bioavailability of Cry proteins has increased, and for biosafety reasons their adverse effects might be studied, mainly for non-target organisms. Studies are therefore needed to evaluate Bt toxicity to non-target organisms; the persistence of Bt toxin and its stability in aquatic environments; and the risks to humans and animals exposed to potentially toxic levels of Bt through their diet.(1)
  Thus, we aimed to evaluate, in Swiss albino mice, the hematotoxicity and genotoxicity of four Bt spore-crystals'...
  Scientists tested levels ranging from 27 mg to 270 mg over a seven day period, it was remarkably evident that the Cry toxins were hemotoxic, even at the lowest doses administered. Hemotoxins destroy red blood cells, disrupt blood clotting and cause organ degeneration and tissue damage.
  The number of RBC's, (red blood cells) as well as their size, were significantly reduced, and so were the levels of hemoglobin for oxygen to attach to. Every factor regarding RBC's indicated some level of damage for all levels of toxin administered and across all cry proteins. The tests clearly demonstrated that Cry proteins resulting from the Bt toxin were cytotoxic (quality of being toxic to cells) to bone marrow cells. Studies contiually show that these proteins kill blood cells bytargeting the cell membranes of RBC's.
  Cry1Ab (the protein produced in common Bt corn and soy) induced microcytic hypochromic anemia in mice, even at the lowest tested dose of 27 mg/Kg, and this toxin has been detected in blood of non-pregnant women, pregnant women and their fetuses in Canada, supposedly exposed through diet [34]. These data, as well as increased bioavailability of these MCA in the environment, reinforce the need for more research, especially given that little is known about spore crystals' adverse effects on non-target species (1)
  Dr. Mezzomo and his team are not the only group of scientists to discover the harmful effects of Bt toxins. Professor Joe Cummins, Professor Emeritus of Genetics at the University of Western Ontario has also studied it (2)(3)(4). He concluded that that there is sufficient evidence that the Bt toxin will impact directly on human health through damaging the ileum, which is the final section of the small intestine that is responsible for the absorption of vitamin B12. He also points out that the Bt cry toxin gene has not been proven to be the same as the natural bacterial gene. As mentioned in the first paragraph, it occurs naturally in the environment, usually isolated from soil, insects and plant surfaces.
  It seems that everyday brings forth new information regarding GMO's. We have so much evidence that points to just how harmful these foods are, yet they continue to be mass produced and the corporations that develop them are constantly protected. The truth still remains, you still have a choice as to what you put into your body. I encourage everybody reading this to further their research, most 'industries' we have on the planet today really aren't necessary, we are just made to believe that they are.
  Sources:
  http://gmoevidence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/JHTD-1-104.pdf (1)
  http://www.gefree.org.nz/assets/pdf/joecummins.pdf(4)
  http://www.biotech-info.net/bt_cummins.html(2)
  http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Bt-toxin.php(3)
  http://occupymonsanto360.org/2013/05/06/new-study-proves-bt-toxins-in-gmos-toxic-to-mammalian-blood/
  http://www.nationofchange.org/new-study-proves-bt-toxins-gmos-toxic-mammalian-blood-1367936953
Institute for Responsible Technology - 65 Health Risks of GM Foods
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 07:50
  Section 1: Evidence of reactions in animals and humans
  1.1 GM potatoes damaged rats1. Rats were fed potatoes engineered to produce their own insecticide.2. They developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, inhibited development of their brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver, enlarged pancreases and intestines and immune system damage.3. The cause was not the insecticide, but in all likelihood was the process of genetic engineering.4. GM foods on the market½which were created with the same process½have not been subject to such an extensive testing protocol.
  1.2 Rats fed GM tomatoes got bleeding stomachs, several died1. Rats were fed the GM FlavrSavr tomato for 28 days.2. Seven of 20 rats developed stomach lesions (bleeding stomachs); another 7 of 40 died within two weeks and were replaced in the study.3. The tomato was approved despite unresolved safety questions by FDA scientists.
  1.3 Rats fed Bt corn had multiple health problems1. Rats were fed Monsanto's Mon 863 Bt corn for 90 days.2. They showed significant changes in their blood cells, livers and kidneys, which might indicate disease.3. Although experts demanded follow-up, Monsanto used unscientific, contradictory arguments to dismiss concerns.
  1.4 Mice fed GM Bt potatoes had intestinal damage1. Mice were fed either GM potatoes engineered to produce the Bt-toxin or natural potatoes spiked with Bt-toxin.2. Both diets created abnormal and excessive cell growth in the lower part of their small intestine (ileum).3. Similar damage to the human small intestine might result in incontinence or flu-like symptoms, and may be precancerous.4. This study overturns the assumptions that Bt-toxin is destroyed during digestion and is not biologically active in mammals.
  1.5 Workers exposed to Bt cotton developed allergies1. Agricultural laborers in six villages who picked or loaded Bt cotton reported reactions of the skin, eyes and upper respiratory tract.2. Some laborers required hospitalization.3. Employees at a cotton gin factory take antihistamines everyday.4. One doctor treated about 250 cotton laborers
  1.6 Sheep died after grazing in Bt cotton fields1. After the cotton harvest in parts of India, sheep herds grazed continuously on Bt cotton plants.2. Reports from four villages revealed that about 25% of the sheep died within a week.3. Post mortem studies suggest a toxic reaction.
  1.7 Inhaled Bt corn pollen may have triggered disease in humans1. In 2003, approximately 100 people living next to a Bt cornfield in the Philippines developed skin, respiratory, intestinal reactions and other symptoms while the corn was shedding pollen.2. Blood tests of 39 people showed an antibody response to Bt-toxin, which supports½but does not prove½a link.3. The symptoms reappeared in 2004 in at least four other villages that planted the same corn variety.4. Villagers also attribute several animal deaths to the corn.
  1.8 Farmers report pigs and cows became sterile from GM corn1. More than 20 farmers in North America report that pigs fed GM corn varieties had low conception rates, false pregnancies or gave birth to bags of water.2. Both male and female pigs became sterile.3. Some farmers also report sterility among cows.
  1.9 Twelve cows in Germany died mysteriously when fed Bt corn1. Twelve dairy cows died on a farm in Hesse Germany, after being fed a diet with significant amounts of a single GM corn variety, Bt 176.2. Other cows in the herd had to be killed due to some mysterious illness.3. Syngenta, the producers of Bt 176, compensated the farmer for part of his losses, but did not admit responsibility for the cow deaths.4. In spite of demands by the farmer and even public protests, no detailed autopsy reports were made available.
  1.10 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had liver cell problems1. The liver cells of mice fed Roundup Ready soybeans showed significant changes.2. Irregularly shaped nuclei and nucleoli, an increased number of nuclear pores and other changes, all suggest higher metabolism and altered patterns of gene expression.3. The changes may be in response to a toxin.4. Most of the effects disappeared when GM soy was removed from the diet.
  1.11 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had problems with the pancreas1. Mice fed GM soy showed changes in the synthesis and processing of digestive enzymes.2. The production of alpha-amylase, a major digestive enzyme, dropped by as much as 77%.3. This, combined with other pancreatic changes, suggests that GM soy may interfere with digestion and assimilation, as well as alter gene expression.
  1.12 Mice fed Roundup Ready soy had unexplained changes in testicular cells1. The structure and gene expression pattern of testicle cells of mice fed Roundup Ready soybeans changed significantly.2. The cause for the changes is unknown, but the testicles are sensitive indicators of toxins.3. Some of the changes might possibly influence adult fertility as well as the health of the offspring.4. Mouse embryos from GM-fed mothers did show a temporary decrease in gene expression.
  1.13 Roundup Ready Soy Changed Cell Metabolism in Rabbit Organs1. Rabbits fed GM soy for about 40 days showed significant differences in the amounts of certain enzymes in their kidneys, hearts and livers.2. A rise in LDH1 levels in all three organs suggests an increase in cellular metabolism.3. Changes in other enzymes point to other alterations in the organs.
  1.14 Most offspring of rats fed Roundup Ready soy died within three weeks1. Female rats were fed Roundup Ready soy starting before conception and continuing through pregnancy and weaning.2. Of the offspring, 55.6% died within three weeks compared to 9% from non-GM soy controls.3. Some pups from GM-fed mothers were significantly smaller and both mothers and pups were more aggressive.4. In a separate study, after a lab began feeding rats a commercial diet containing GM soy, offspring mortality reached 55.3%.5. When offspring from GM-fed rats were mated together, they were unable to conceive.
  1.15 Soy allergies skyrocketed in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced1. In a single year, 1999, soy allergies in the UK jumped from 10% to 15% of the sampled population.2. GM soy was imported into the country shortly before 1999.3. Antibody tests verify that some individuals react differently to GM and non-GM soy varieties.4. GM soy also has an increased concentration of a known allergen
  1.16 Rats fed Roundup Ready canola had heavier livers1. The livers of rats fed GM canola were 12-16% heavier than those fed non-GM varieties.2. The liver is a chemical factory and primary detoxifier for the body.3. Heavier livers may indicate liver disease or inflammation.4. If this were caused by oil-soluble toxins, they may be present in canola oil.
  1.17 Twice the number of chickens died when fed Liberty Link corn1. The death rate for chickens fed Chardon LL GM corn for 42 days was 7%, compared to 3.5% for controls.2. GM-fed chickens also had more erratic body weight and food intake, and less weight gain overall.3. The study was designed so that only huge differences would be statistically significant.4. The results were therefore dismissed without follow-up.
  1.18 GM peas generated an allergic-type inflammatory response in mice1. In advanced tests not normally part of GM crop evaluations, protein produced by GM peas generated a dangerous immune response in mice.2. That "same" protein, when produced naturally in beans, had no effect.3. The GM peas produced a subtle, hard-to-detect difference in the way sugar molecules attached to the protein, which likely caused the problem.4. The response in mice suggested that the GM peas could provoke inflammatory or allergic reactions in humans; commercialization of the peas was therefore cancelled.5. This type of subtle but dangerous change in the GM protein would rarely, if ever, be detected in the safety assessments typically used to approve GM crops.
  1.19 Eyewitness reports: Animals avoid GMOs1. When given a choice, several animals avoided eating GM food.2. In farmer-run tests, cows and pigs repeatedly passed up GM corn.3. Animals that avoided GM food include cows, pigs, geese, squirrels, elk, deer, raccoons, mice and rats.
  1.20 A GM food supplement killed about 100 people and caused 5,000-10,000 to fall sick1. One brand of the supplement L-tryptophan created a deadly US epidemic in the 1980s2. The company genetically engineered bacteria to produce the supplement more economically.3. Their product contained many contaminants, five or six of which were suspected as the cause of the disease.4. Discovering the epidemic required multiple coincidences, suggesting that adverse reactions to GM foods may be hard to identify.
  Next >
Mysterious Illness Kills 2 in Southeast Alabama - ABC News
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 07:49
  A mysterious respiratory illness has left five people hospitalized and two dead in southeast Alabama, state health officials said Tuesday.
  Seven people have been admitted to hospitals with a fever, cough and shortness of breath in recent weeks, Alabama Department of Public Health spokeswoman Mary McIntyre said in a statement.
  Two of the seven have died. The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control Respiratory Laboratory are analyzing lab tests from all seven patients. McIntyre says officials hope to have preliminary results on the samples back by Wednesday or Thursday morning.
  The illness was first reported late last week and the last of the seven patients was hospitalized Monday, McIntyre said.
  It wasn't immediately clear which municipalities the illnesses were concentrated in.
  "We're only aware of the Southeast, but we don't know '-- we haven't received reports from anywhere else," McIntyre said. "That's why we're trying to get the information out."
  McIntyre said it's unclear what's causing the illness but some of the seven patients also had the flu. Authorities are urging hospital staff to wear masks when caring for patients who appear to be suffering from respiratory illnesses.
  The Centers for Disease Control referred all questions to Alabama health officials.
Appeals court won't release Osama Bin Laden photos
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 07:26
  A federal appeals court has ruled that the Central Intelligence Agency is under no legal obligation to release photos of Osama bin Laden taken after he was killed by U.S. commandoes at a hideout in Pakistan in 2011.
  The unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said the photos were properly classified "TOP SECRET" and therefore exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.
  "The CIA's declarations [filed in the case] give reason to believe that releasing images of American military personnel burying the founder and leader of al Qaeda could cause exceptionally grave harm," the appeals court wrote in a opinion filed Tuesday and (posted here). "Together, these declarations support their declarants' determinations that releasing any of the images, including the burial images, could reasonably be expected to trigger violence and attacks 'against United States interests, personnel, and citizens worldwide.'"
  The judges'--Harry Edwards, Merrick Garland and Judith Rogers'--suggested the photos at issue were so "extraordinary" that the predictions of harm seemed plausible. However, the judges passed up endorsing a suggestion from the government that the images could be classified simply because releasing them would buttress Al Qaeda propaganda.
  Many news organizations requested the photos, but the only lawsuit and appeal seeking to force their release was filed by the conservative group Judicial Watch.
  The appeals court opinion does express some concern about a practice known as "derivative classification," where information is classified based on a guide rather than by a senior official with classification authority. The court warned that without more information on the guide, it might not be able to say whether the material was actually classified properly in a technical sense. However, the court said that issue was moot in the case of the Bin Laden photos since a senior official later reviewed them and confirmed their classification as "TOP SECRET."
  Garland and Rogers are Clinton appointees. Edwards is a Carter appointee. A report on oral argument in the case is here.
  Read more about: Transparency, Terrorism, Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, Freedom Of Information Act, D.C. Circuit, Judicial Watch
US Representatives Royce and Engel Speak at Release of Simon Wiesenthal Center's 2013 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report
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  Wed, 22 May 2013 05:52
  May 8, 2013
  Washington, D.C. '' U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Committee's Ranking Member, spoke at this morning's release of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's 2013 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report.
  Read Representative Engel's opening remarks here)
  At today's briefing, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and one of the leading experts in the analysis of cyberspace extremism, detailed the report's key finding: ''The proliferation of terrorism tutorials, and the abuse of social media and online forums by extremists, portend that future Lone Wolf attacks here and abroad are inevitable.''Now in its 15th year, the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Digital Terrorism and Hate Project is currently tracking more than 20,000 hate and terror-related sites, social network pages, forums '' up 30% from 15,000 last year. The report also identifies key portals of digital hate and terror and assigns letter grades to key online providers.Read related USA Today story'....
  Photo: L-R; Rick Eaton, SWC Senior Researcher; Mark Weitzman, SWC Director of Gevernment Affairs; Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean; US Rep. Ed Royce and US Rep. Eliot Engel
  For further information please contact the Center's Public Relations Department at 310.553.9036, join the Center on Facebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent direct to your Twitter page or mobile device.'¨'¨
  The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).
Tornado Oklahoma City was forecast distraction event
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: the tap
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:46
  Late PM May 18, 2013 going into early AM May 19, 2013 '-- A series of RADAR pulses / ''HAARP rings'' / Scalar Squares appeared over Oklahoma City.. South across the state.. and East to Tulsa.Move forward 36 hours, and we see a devastating series of tornadoes form, and hit the pulsed areas.Here is a screenshot of the before and after for the area in question:Related: False Flag-O-Meter reaches the red zone: Why a government-orchestrated distraction event is highly likely to occur in the next 7 days
Could tampons be making you sick?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: the tap
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:41
  The issue of what kind of feminine hygiene products you use is rarely if ever discussed. Yet it's clearly an important topic for every woman out there.Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and also the thinnest. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates your body from potential toxins. Worse yet, your skin is highly permeable '-- especially the skin around your vaginal area, not to mention inside the vagina itself.This is why attention needs to be paid to the ingredients used in tampons and sanitary pads.Most items that come in constant contact with your skin will end up in your bloodstream and distributed throughout your body. This is why I'm so fond of saying "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to."Putting chemicals on your skin may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body.However, when chemicals come in contact with your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs. And once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down.In my opinion, the realm of feminine hygiene can be likened to a "ticking time bomb." Because when you consider your exposure over the course of a lifetime, it really adds up; the average American woman uses up to 16,800 tampons in her lifetime '-- or as many as 24,360 if she's on estrogen replacement therapy.And that's just tampons'... Many women use countless sanitary pads in place of, or in addition to tampons. When this same 'average' woman has a baby, she may also use maternity and nursing pads.What's Really in Those Sanitary Pads and Tampons?In the featured article1, Andrea Donsky, founder of Naturally Savvy and co-author of Label Lessons: Your Guide to a Healthy Shopping Cart, reveals just how little we are allowed to know about the ingredients used in feminine hygiene products.In fact, manufacturers of tampons and sanitary pads are not required to disclose the ingredients used because feminine hygiene products are considered ''medical devices.''When Andrea called Procter & Gamble directly to find out what's in their Always Infinity pads, the only ingredients the service reps could give her were: foam and a patented ingredient called Infinicel2 '-- a highly absorbent material that can hold up to 10 times its weight.In the above video, she demonstrates what happens when you burn an organic versus a conventional sanitary pad. The 100% organic cotton pad, made by Natracare, burns slow and clean, leaving virtually no sooty residue at all.The Always Infinity pad on the other hand, with its mostly undisclosed ingredients, create lots of black smoke and thick residue '-- indications that the pad may contain dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives.In fact, according to her research, each conventional sanitary pad contains the equivalent of about four plastic bags! With everything we now know about the hazardous nature of plastic chemicals, this alone is cause for concern.For example, plasticizing chemicals like BPA and BPS disrupt embryonic development and are linked to heart disease and cancer. Phthalates '-- which give paper tampon applicators that smooth feel and finish '-- are known to dysregulate gene expression, and DEHP may lead to multiple organ damage. Besides crude oil plastics, conventional sanitary pads can also contain a myriad of other potentially hazardous ingredients, such as odor neutralizers and fragrances. Synthetics and plastic also restrict the free flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in your vaginal area.The Price You Pay for 'Clean' White Tampons and PadsFurthermore, to give tampons and pads that pristine, ''clean'' white look, the fibers used must be bleached. Chlorine is commonly used for this, which can create toxic dioxin and other disinfection-by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethane. Studies show that dioxin collects in your fatty tissues, and according to a draft report by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dioxin a serious public health threat that has no "safe" level of exposure! Published reports show that even low or trace levels of dioxins may be linked to:Abnormal tissue growth in the abdomen and reproductive organsAbnormal cell growth throughout the bodyImmune system suppressionHormonal and endocrine system disruptionMeanwhile, the FDA's official stance regarding trace amounts of dioxins is that there are no expected health risks associated with trace amounts of dioxins in tampons... Naturally Savvy notes that 10 years ago, House Representative Carolyn Maloney introduced legislation that would have required research into the potential health risks of any ingredient used in feminine hygiene products, including endometriosis, cervical, ovary and breast cancers. Unfortunately, the legislation did not pass, and it does not appear that any such research has been done.More information - click linkhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/22/feminine-hygiene-products.aspx?e_cid=20130522_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130522
Gangs of 'Youths' Overrun Stockholm
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: FrontPage Magazine » FrontPage
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:39
  Husby is a neighborhood in western Stockholm which in 2007 had just over 11,000 inhabitants, fully 81.9% of whom were immigrants or the children of immigrants. The other interesting fact in the brief Wikipedia entry on Husby is that the area contains ''many runestones'...remnants from when Vikings used to live here.''
  There are, alas, few other signs of the area's Viking heritage.
  The story begins on May 14, when Stockholm police were forced to shoot a man who was wielding a machete at them. He died. The cops were immediately accused of police brutality. A ''community group'' called Megafonen urged locals to demonstrate ''for social justice and again st police violence.''
  Last Sunday evening, apparently acting upon this suggestion, Husby erupted in the kind of wide-scale ''youth'' violence that has plagued suburbs in France and elsewhere for years. A school, a garage, and almost 100 cars were set on fire. And a gang attacked a cop.
  On Monday evening, in further accordance with the Gallic precedent, things got even worse. Chaos reigned. Different reports provided different details, some of them sketchy. There were explosions. As of 9:36 PM Monday, Stockholm time, it was being reported that police officers were ''running for their lives from youth gangs.'' Twenty or so masked ''youths'' threw rocks at police officers and firefighters. A reporter for the newspaper Expressen narrowly missed being hit by a metal pipe. One report mentioned ''youths'' stealing fire hoses. When ''youths'' set fire to a parking garage, police had to evacuate fifty people from a nearby apartment house. Four or five ''youths'' beat up a cop on a bridge before he managed to flee. As he ran off, a girl could be heard laughing and shouting ''Allah akbar!''
  In Husby, at least three police cars were reported to have been vandalized. Meanwhile reports began to come in of cars on fire in other parts of western Stockholm. ''The situation is escalating constantly,'' a police spokesperson said on Monday evening. Late that night, The Localreported that over 100 cars had been set on fire in Husby and that a local shopping center had been vandalized, causing injury to three police officers.
  Although Megafonen had itself urged its readers to demonstrate against police violence, it ''explained'' the rioting, in one statement, as an expression of frustration over high unemployment. ''There is a great deal of hopelessness and powerlessness among the young people here,'' read a comment by the organization, which added that it was important to ''understand'' the root causes of the rioting ''and to find out what we can do'' to make things better. In what seemed to be a contradiction, Megafonen spokesperson Rami Al-Kamisi called the rioting a ''reaction to police brutality against citizens, our neighbors,'' and said: ''We understand that people react like this.''
  In Norway, Ragnhild Bj¸rnebekk, who works at the Oslo Police College as a ''violence researcher'' (in the otherwise stagnant European economy, there's a growth field if I ever heard of one) said that the rioting in Husby is only the latest of several ''youth disturbances'' in Europe sparked by ''suspicions of police violence.'' (Yes, you know those trigger-happy Scandinavian police.) Mentioning riots that had taken place in recent years in Greece, Gothenberg, Malm¶, Copenhagen, and various French cities, Bj¸rnebekk attributed them all to anger over police conduct. (''Allah akbar,'' of course, is Arabic for ''Down with police brutality.'') Still, Bj¸rnebekk found it important to mention that this kind of rioting is a relatively new phenomenon in northern Europe. ''Setting fire to cars and trash containers during riots is typical of countries like France and Greece, but unusual in the Nordic countries,'' Bj¸rnebekk said. (As if differences between Scandinavian and Mediterranean cultures had the slightest thing to do with any of this!)
  To be sure, Bj¸rnebekk was right in suggesting that nightly car-burnings and the like are still not a fixed part of the cultural landscape in the Nordic countries as they are on the outskirts of Paris, Marseilles, and so on. Yes, there are stabbings, rapes, gay-bashings, Jew-bashings, acts of vandalism, and other gang activity aplenty; non-Muslims who live in certain parts of Stockholm, Malm¶, Copenhagen, and (increasingly) Oslo are systematically tormented in schools and on the streets by ''youths'' who seem to grow bolder and more aggressive by the year. And yes, there have been ''youth'' riots in Scandinavia: on a couple of nights in January 2009, a violent mob of ''youths'' descended on downtown Oslo and smashed in the front windows of businesses in an area of several square blocks, effectively paralyzing the very heart of the city. The rioting, which was supposedly a response to Israeli actions in Gaza (and which has pretty much been dropped down the memory hole), stretched police resources to the limit. But no, I guess it's fair to say, as Bj¸rnebekk does, that so far regular car-burnings haven't been a major element of the Nordic mix.
  As is usual, of course, in such cases, Swedish media reports on Monday night were almost uniformly careful to avoid using any word other than ''youths'' (or some equally innocuous term) to characterize the perpetrators of the violence. Although here and there between the lines it was clear enough what was going on, there was nothing you could really put your finger on until Dagbladet '' the Norwegian one, note, not the Swedish one '' dared to mention that girl shouting ''Allah akbar!'' By Tuesday morning, the Swedish media, while providing reasonably extensive coverage of the night's events, seemed to be making an effort to suggest that it hadn't really been all that bad and to emphasize that, in any event, things had now quieted down. I did a pretty thorough online search of the major Swedish media, but couldn't find any report on the rioting that included the word Islam or Muslim or any reference to the girl who shouted ''Allah akbar!''
  The emphasis was, shall we say, on other matters. One article in Expressen, for example, focused on the fact that a policeman had actually '' gasp '' dared to draw his weapon during the hubbub. (The paper actually had a video of this horrible act.) The cop put his gun back after being informed that the rioter he was aiming at was only thirteen years old. (Police later toldVG that several of the participants in the evening's festivities were as young as twelve.) On Tuesday morning, Megafon held a ''well-attended'' press conference the obvious intention of which was to turn the criminals into victims and the police into villains. The organization accused the police of deploying ''excessive force'' against the rioters; one speaker added the charge that cops, during the rampage, had used offensive language to describe immigrant-group members. Another speaker asked: ''Who should you call when it's the police who attack? I have no idea.'' The meme that it had all been the fault of police overreach quickly established itself, with Norway's Aftenpostenstressing laments by Stockholm ''youth'' that the police are never punished for their abuse of power, while the ''youth'' are always blamed.
  Meanwhile, a police officer who has worked for many years in western Stockholm (and who apparently preferred not to be identified) toldAftonbladet that the rioting, though horrible, amounted to ''a typical day on the job.'' He added: ''People generally have no idea how serious it is, but there have been so many incidents in the past year that I'm sure it'll end up with a police officer being killed.''
  The latest reports, at this writing, confirm that all this is plainly only the beginnning. The early hours of Wednesday morning saw a new round of stories in the Scandinavian papers announcingthat Stockholm was being beset by riots for the third night in a row. Among much else, stones had been thrown at a police station and a school had been set on fire. The rioting, moreover, had spread even further, to several other parts of the city that had been previously unaffected. Brief video here. Stay tuned. There will certainly be more developments on this front in the days to come.
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New Xbox One - Kinect: Exclusive WIRED Video
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Dave says...
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:38
Texas Votes On Its Own CISPA-Like Cyber Bill
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Conscious Life News
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:36
  Posted by cln_Featured_, Cyber Security, PoliticsTuesday, May 21st, 2013RT | May 20, 2013
  The biggest thing to come out of Texas may turn out to be a blow to Internet freedoms: legislators there are considering a bill that would compromise privacy on the Web for all residents of the Lone Star State.
  Lawmakers in the State Senate are expected to vote Monday on a bill that, if passed, would compel Internet Service Providers (ISPs) anywhere in the world to fork over private Web records if that information could aid in a criminal investigation.
  Federal legislation already in place would likely trump any attempts from Texas prosecutors to pry personal ISP records or other online communications from the likes of social networking sites, but the efforts on behalf of Lone Star lawmakers to get the ball rolling on a new cyber-spy bill are indeed very real. Last week, its companion bill in the State House of Representatives passed unanimously, and similar outcome in the Senate is all now expected any moment. Now should SB 1052 proves victorious in the Senate, an Internet surveillance bill written in Texas but with international implications could be added to the law books later this year.
  Ben Sherman of the Burnt Orange Report cautioned in a blog post last week that the bill could be very dangerous to all Americans if passed because it would let local authorities seize electronic records held on servers outside of Texas.
  ''The bill requires any Internet provider to people in Texas (that is '' just about the entire Internet) to respond to search warrants for online communications in 4-30 days. That is an extremely narrow window which makes it difficult for Internet providers to keep users' other information private,'' he wrote.
  Following the failed attempts to pass cybersecurity bills on a national level, as seen most recently in the stalled Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a number of state and local governments have considered bills that would bring the tools asked for in aborted federal acts into the hands of prosecutors in Texas.
  Whereas CISPA sought to find a way to ease the sharing of potentially dangerous information between third-party businesses and the federal government, the efforts coming out of Texas would ensure that ISPs and any other businesses that operate over the Web would have to relinquish user data if a police officer argues there is probable cause it is pursuant to an investigation.
  ''Internet communications companies often hold information and data vital to prosecute an offense under state law, particularly relating to Internet crimes. Although the certain electronic communications may take place within a state, law enforcement officers must apply for a local search warrant in an Internet company's jurisdiction, often found out of state,'' wrote the bill's author, Sen. John Carona (R-Dallas). ''This limitation hampers law enforcement's efforts to obtain evidence on Internet criminals, who are able to remove or change identifying data much faster than law enforcement can obtain warrants.''
  Sherman, however, thinks the law could be used broadly to bring any sort of online evidence under the magnifying glass of prosecutors, causing a widespread fishing exhibition that will allow law enforcement to essentially request any sort of electronic communication of any business that operates online.
  ''The electronic communications at risk include all online communication '' emails, Facebook messages, tweets and messages on private list servers,'' wrote Sherman. ''Additionally, the bar is set extremely low for police officers to prove that they may find something important in a person's online communications.''
  Indeed, SB 1052 only asks that probable cause ''must be supported by the oath or affirmation of the authorized peace officer.''
  ''That is almost not a standard at all,'' insisted Sherman. ''With a bar so low and a reach so broad, such legislation will lead to widespread abuse and exposure of private information, and enable politically motivated 'investigations.' This is government overreach and Texans of all political ideologies should oppose it. If this bill becomes law, any investigation that can be brought into the Texas jurisdiction would have all the tools of CISPA, in which any private online activity can be easily seized by the government, at its disposal. That is terrible news not only for Texans but for all Americans.''
  ''The bill,'' acknowledged Sen. Carona, ''reciprocates the electronic data search warrant process with other states already implementing similar statutes, which would allow Texas to serve data search warrants directly to out of state companies as well.''
  Later in the text, the bill is described as extending ''the jurisdiction of district judges by granting them privileges to issue data search warrants beyond the physical boundaries of the state for computer data searches only.''
  The House version of the bill '-- nearly identical to Sen. Carona's version '-- passed on May 7 with no opposition. Rep. John Frullo (R-Lubbock) co-authored that bill and told lawmakers in the capital that passing the bill would be instrumental in stopping predators who stalk children online.
  ''Under current law,'' Frullo said, ''Texas judges' ability to order a search ends at the state line. In our technology-driven society, this limitation hampers law enforcement's efforts to go after the evidence needed to prosecute those who commit these horrible crimes and exploit our children.''
  ''Predators are hurting, exploiting and assaulting our children through the use of the internet. That needs to stop,'' he said in a press release earlier this year. After this week's vote, his colleagues in the Senate will decide if they are willing to join his side '-- and at what cost to privacy.
  This article first appeared at RT
  Read more from RT
Movie Studios Send Fraudulent Censorship Demands Over Pirate Bay Documentary
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  Archived Version
  Source: Conscious Life News
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:35
  Posted by cln_Featured_, Corporate Controlled Media, MediaTuesday, May 21st, 2013Cory Doctorow | Boingboing | May 20, 2013
  You'll remember last month's news that Fox had sent fraudulent takedown notices regarding my novel Homeland. This is hardly an isolated incident: the studios routinely exhibit depraved indifference to the inaccuracies in their automated censorship threats to search engines and webhosts.
  This is especially troubling when the studios' notices catch media made specifically to criticize them and their legal strategies. When that happens, they haven't caught a few dolphins in the tuna net '-- they've caught some rival activists in the net, activists who're trying to get them to take more care with their dragnet techniques.
  A case in point: TPB:AFK a brilliantly made documentary about the MPAA-directed attacks on The Pirate Bay's servers in Sweden, funded through a highly successful Kickstarter.
  [Read full article here]
Presidential Proclamation -- National Safe Boating Week, 2013
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:35
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 21, 2013
  NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK, 2013
  - - - - - - -
  BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
  A PROCLAMATION
  Every year, the United States Coast Guard joins partners nationwide to raise awareness about boating responsibly. We highlight that important work during National Safe Boating Week, and we encourage all boaters to take appropriate precautions before casting off this season.
  Safe boating starts onshore. Americans planning to spend a day on the water should prepare by filing a float plan with family or a friend, getting a free vessel safety check, and participating in a boating safety course. As they embark, boaters should make sure they have checked the marine forecast and all passengers are wearing a life jacket. And to put an end to preventable accidents that claim too many lives every year, individuals should never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  Boating is an important part of our national heritage. This week, let us carry that tradition forward by following commonsense safety procedures and keeping our lakes, rivers, and oceans safe for all to enjoy.
  In recognition of the importance of safe boating practices, the Congress, by joint resolution approved June 4, 1958 (36 U.S.C. 131), as amended, has authorized and requested the President to proclaim annually the 7-day period prior to Memorial Day weekend as "National Safe Boating Week."
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 18 through May 24, 2013, as National Safe Boating Week. I encourage all Americans who participate in boating activities to observe this occasion by learning more about safe boating practices and taking advantage of boating education.
  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
  BARACK OBAMA
Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 1071
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:34
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 17, 2013
  On Friday, May 17, 2013, the President signed into law:
  H.R. 1071, which specifies the size of the blanks to be used by the Department of the Treasury in the production of gold and silver National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins.
President Obama Announces His Intent to Appoint Individuals to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:27
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 21, 2013
  WASHINGTON, DC '' Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to appoint ten individuals to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. The Presidential Commission on Election Administration was created following President Obama's State of the Union pledge to identify non-partisan ways to shorten lines at polling places, promote the efficient conduct of elections, and provide better access to the polls for all voters.
  ' Robert F. Bauer '' Co-Chair, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Benjamin L. Ginsberg '' Co-Chair, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Brian Britton '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Joe Echevarria '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Trey Grayson '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Larry Lomax '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Michele Coleman Mayes '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Ann McGeehan '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Tammy Patrick '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration' Christopher Thomas '' Member, Presidential Commission on Election Administration
  President Obama said, ''The right to vote is one of the most essential rights provided by the Constitution. As I said in my State of the Union Address, when any American, no matter where they live or what their party, is denied that right simply because too many obstacles stand in their way, we are betraying our ideals. We have an obligation to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots without unwarranted obstructions or unnecessary delay. I am pleased that these committed individuals have agreed to offer their expertise to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and I look forward to working with them in the coming months.''
  President Obama announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to the Presidential Commission on Election Administration:
  Robert F. Bauer, Appointee for Co-Chair, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationRobert F. Bauer is currently a partner at Perkins Coie LLP and General Counsel to the Democratic National Committee. He previously served as General Counsel to Obama for America and served as White House Counsel from 2009 to 2011. In his 30 years of practice, Mr. Bauer has provided counseling and representation on matters involving regulation of political activity before courts and administrative agencies for national party committees, candidates, political committees, individuals, Federal officeholders, corporations and trade associations, and tax-exempt groups. He received a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
  Benjamin L. Ginsberg, Appointee for Co-Chair, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationBenjamin L. Ginsberg is currently a partner at Patton Boggs LLP where he represents campaigns, candidates, members of Congress and state legislatures, Governors, corporations, trade associations and individuals participating in the political process. He was formerly General Counsel to the Republican National Committee, and currently represents the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. He also serves as Counsel to the Republican Governors Association. Mr. Ginsberg recently served as National Counsel to the Romney for President campaign and previously served as National Counsel to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2000 and 2004. He received an A.B. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
  Brian Britton, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationBrian Britton is currently the Vice President of Global Park Operations and Initiatives at Walt Disney World Company. He joined Disney in 1999 and was previously the Vice President of Labor Operations, Operations Strategy, and Operations Support. He is a board member of Community Based Care of Central Florida, a non-profit organization that manages Central Florida's foster care program, and a board member for the Florida Attractions Association, a tourism industry trade association. Mr. Britton is a Navy veteran and a former Naval Aviator. He received a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master's degree equivalent in the theory and operation of avionic systems in Naval Flight Officer School, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
  Joe Echevarria, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationJoe Echevarria has served as Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte LLP since June 2011. Mr. Echevarria joined Deloitte in 1978 and became an audit partner in 1988. Since that time, he has held a wide range of leadership positions, most recently as U.S. Managing Partner for Operations. As part of his current role, Mr. Echevarria chairs the U.S. Executive Committee, and is a member of the U.S. Board of Directors, the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Board, and the Americas Executive Committee. Mr. Echevarria serves on the Board of Trustees and chairs the University of Miami School of Business's Board of Overseers. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Miami.
  Trey Grayson, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationTrey Grayson is currently the Director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Mr. Grayson previously served as Secretary of State for Kentucky, elected in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. Prior to his election, Mr. Grayson practiced law at the law firms of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald and Keating Muething & Klekamp. Mr. Grayson has served as the president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), chair of the NASS Elections Committee, and vice chair of the NASS Committee on Voter Participation. He received an A.B. from Harvard College, and a J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Kentucky.
  Larry Lomax, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationLarry Lomax is currently the Clark County Registrar in Nevada, a position he has held since 1999. Mr. Lomax serves as Nevada's representative to the Election Assistance Commission's Standards Board, was elected by the board's members to the Standards Board Executive Board, and served on a Pew Foundation Committee focused on modernizing our nation's system of registering voters. He previously served as Assistant Registrar in Clark County from 1998 to 1999. Prior to working in Clark County, Mr. Lomax was a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at the Air War College. As a former Air Force pilot, he accumulated over 4,000 hours of flying time in a 30-year career. He served two tours on the Joint Staff in Washington D.C. and was chosen to serve as the Air Force Colonel on the staff group supporting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Lomax received a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the University of North Dakota. He is a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School.
  Michele Coleman Mayes, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationMichele Coleman Mayes is currently Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary for the New York Public Library (NYPL). Ms. Mayes joined NYPL in August 2012 after serving as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Allstate Insurance Company since 2007. She served as a Senior Vice President and the General Counsel of Pitney Bowes Inc. from 2003 to 2007 and in several legal capacities at Colgate-Palmolive from 1992 to 2003. In 1982, Ms. Mayes entered the corporate sector as managing attorney of Burroughs Corporation. After Burroughs and Sperry Corporation merged, creating Unisys Corporation, she was appointed Staff Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Worldwide Litigation. From 1976 through 1982, she served in the U.S. Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney in Detroit and Brooklyn, eventually assuming the role of Chief of the Civil Division in Detroit. Ms. Mayes received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
  Ann McGeehan, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationAnn McGeehan is currently the Assistant General Counsel of the Texas County and District Retirement System. Previously, she served 22 years in the Elections Division of the Texas Secretary of State's Office, including as the Director of Elections from 1995 to 2011 and the Director of the Elections Legal Section from 1991 to 1995. Ms. McGeehan is a past president of the National Association of State Election Directors, and a former member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Standards Board and Technical Guidelines Development Committee. Ms. McGeehan also served on an advisory group to the Pew Center on the States' Election Initiative. She received a B.A. from the University of Texas and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
  Tammy Patrick, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationTammy Patrick is currently a Federal Compliance Officer for the Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona. In 2013, she became a voting member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' working group on developing standards for a universal format for election results reporting. She is also a representative on the Mailer's Technical Advisory Committee to the U.S. Post Office and serves as the co-chair of the Postal Task Force for the Election Center. She has previously served as a member of the Election Assistance Commission's working group on Language Assistance for Unwritten Language, as an organizer of the 2007 Native American Voter Outreach Summit, and as a member of the Election Center's National Task Force on Education and Training. Ms. Patrick received her B.A. from Purdue University.
  Christopher Thomas, Appointee for Member, Presidential Commission on Election AdministrationChristopher Thomas is the Director of Elections in the Michigan Department of State, a position he has held since 1981. Mr. Thomas also teaches election law as an Adjunct Professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. From 1977 to 1981, Mr. Thomas served as Director of Campaign Finance Information and Director of Campaign Finance Operations for the State of Michigan. Mr. Thomas served as the Director of Public Communications at the Federal Election Commission from 1975 to 1977. He began his election administration career in 1974 in Washington, D.C. where he was a Staff Assistant responsible for managing campaign finance filings in the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Thomas is a founding member of the National Association of State Election Directors and currently serves as President. Mr. Thomas has served on the Board of Advisors to the Election Assistance Commission since 2005. He received a B.A. from Michigan State University, an M.A. from St. Louis University, and a J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
Executive Order -- Amendment to Executive Order 13639
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:27
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 21, 2013
  EXECUTIVE ORDER
  - - - - - - -
  AMENDMENT TO EXECUTIVE ORDER 13639
  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
  Section1. Amendment to Executive Order 13639. Section 2 of Executive Order 13639 of March 28, 2013 (Establishment of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration), is amended by striking subsection 2(a) in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
  "(a) The Commission shall be composed of not more than ten members appointed by the President. The members shall be drawn from among distinguished individuals with knowledge about or experience in the administration of State or local elections, as well as representatives of successful customer service-oriented businesses, and any other individuals with knowledge or experience determined by the President to be of value to the Commission."
  Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
  (i) the authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or
  (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
  (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
  BARACK OBAMA
CHARITIES RUN BY THE SPIES?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: aangirfan
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:26
  Are charities being taken over by the spies?In 1991, in the UK, Duncan and Jenni Dyason watched a TV documentary about street children in Guatemala being shot dead by the police.They set up the Toybox Charity to help street children.
  Toybox now works in Guatemala, Bolivia, Peru and El Salvador.However, Toybox appears to be changing.Duncan and Jenni no longer work for Toybox.1. The new boss of Toybox is Lynne Morris.Lynne worked for World Vision for over 12 years
  2. Jeni York is now a Toybox Trustee.Jeni was Human Resources Director at World Vision for 21 years.3. Ian Gray is now Toybox's International Programmes Director.Ian was Associate Director, Policy and Programme Innovation at World Vision.World Vision is alleged to be a CIA-front organisation."USAID is 'the humanitarian arm of the CIA' and Americares has been singled out as well. "World Vision is also a CIA front." Many Faces of the CIA
  Bolivian President Evo Morales orders expulsion of USAID - CNN
  It appears that large international charities such as World Vision are in fact intelligence cut-out operations for clandestine mind-control operations and other counter-intelligence activities around the world.
  "World Vision employee, Mark David Chapman, worked at their Haitian refugee camp in Ft. Chaffee, Arkansas.
  "He was later to gain infamy as the assassin of John Lennon in New York City.
  "World Vision works with refugees worldwide."At the Honduran border, they are present in camps used by American CIA to recruit mercenaries against Nicaragua.
  "They were at Sabra and Shatilla, camps in Lebanon where fascist Phalange massacred the Palestinians.
  "Their representatives in the Cuban refugee camps on the east coast included members of the Bay of Pigs operation, CIA-financed mercenaries from Omega 7 and Alpha 66.
  "Are they being used as a worldwide cover for the recruitment and training of these killers?
  "They are, as mentioned earlier, working to repopulate Jonestown with Laotians who served as mercenaries for our CIA."
  CIA Cults and the Global Brainwashing Experiment: The Untold Story ...www.sott.net
  Many charities are fronts for the CIA and its friends.
  1. In early September 2012, Pakistan ordered foreigners working for Save the Children to leave Pakistan.Pakistan stated that Save the Children was being used by Western spies.A doctor accused of assisting the CIA claimed that Save the Children had introduced him to US intelligence officers.Child actors? Propaganda for the CIA? A Save the Children film.2. On 25 September 2012, Save the Children produced what appears to be a piece of propaganda for the CIA.The charity has released Untold Atrocities, a collection of alleged 'first-hand accounts' from children and parents allegedly receiving help from Save the Children after fleeing Syria."The six-year-old son of an anti-government activist is abducted, then starved and beaten to death. The new report by the UK charity Save the Children documents these and other alleged atrocities."
  Save the Children has been refused permission to enter Syria.
  Save the Children is on the ground on Syria's borders.
  Justin Forsyth (left) with Andrew Mitchell (Andrew Mitchell 'plebs' comment)Justin Forsyth became chief executive of Save the Children in July 2012.
  Forsyth is a former adviser to Tony Blair.
  He is also a former communications director to Gordon Brown.
  The former boss of Save the Children was Jasmine Whitbread, who previously worked for Oxfam. 3. Oxfam, like several other charities, has been accused of being a front for the UK security service MI6."In the early 1970s, the Tamil Tigers began establishing training camps and secret arms caches under the cover of a chain of Refugee and Rehabilitation Farms of the Gandhian Society."Funds for the farms came from Oxfam, one of the most powerful and secretive British intelligence organizations acting under non-governmental organization cover...
  "John Glover, a British feature writer, wrote to the Western Mail in Wales about the ongoing and future training programs for Tamil youth by British mercenaries.
  "A band of mercenary soldiers recruited in South Wales is training a Tamil army to fight for a separate state in Sri Lanka.
  4. Reporter Andrew Geoghegan visited his 14 year old sponsored child in Ethiopia.The girl has "been part of a World Vision program all her life" yet said "until recently, I didn't know I had a sponsor."
  And when asked about her knowledge of World Vision sponsorship she said "Last time they gave me this jacket and a pen."
  Geoghegan was disconcerted to find that despite being "told by World Vision that the girl waslearning English at school, and was improving... she speaks no English at all."
  (Geoghegan, Andrew "Ethiopia - The Endless Famine", Foreign Correspondent, 25 November 2008, series 18, episode 22, Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  Sabra and Shatila.
  World Vision reportedly is a front for the CIA.
  (http://www.oilempire.us/reagan.html)World Vision "ran the refugee camp in Sabra-Shatillawhere the fascist Phalange were allowed in to kill the Palestinians...
  "They ran the Cuban and Thai refugee camps in the United States.
  "Mark David Chapman, who eventually shot John Lennon, worked at the Thai refugee camps out in Arkansas that World Vision operated there.
  "They ran these camps brutally, forcing people into political education against Castro, refusing to feed people, beating people...
  "The chairman of the board for some period was John W. Hinkley Sr..
  "The son worked at Fort Chafey at the Thai refugee camps."There were pictures of him after the Reagan shooting running in his World Vision T-shirt around the edge of the camp...
  "Scott was already doing the wheeling and dealing and was tight with Neil Bush..."
  Jonestown - linked to the CIA and World VisionAnd what about the Jonestown Massacre and World Vision?
  (Source: Jonestown Massacre by Fiona Steel, published at Court TV's Crime Library)Allegedly Jonestown was part of a CIA mind-control program: the CIA infiltrated The People's Temple, to carry out their experiments.
  CIA theorists claim that Jim Jones had many questionable associations with the CIA throughout the years he was establishing The People's Temple.
  The Temple had a strong association with the World Vision organisation that many believe to be another CIA front.
  (http://www.crimelibrary.com/8)
  "Jim Jones had a very interesting past which was overlooked by the media: Jones was ... sent to Brazil where his house, transportation and groceries were provided to him by the U.S. Embassy, and he frequently traveled to Belo Horizonte, the CIA headquarters in Brazil.
  "Jones had been contacted in Ukiah by 'Christian missionaries' from World Vision(World Vision is a CIA controlled front operation), an evangelical order which had performed espionage work for the CIA in Southeast Asia."
  (http://www.subversiveelement.com/Firefromsky20.html)
  Duncroft School, run by Barnardos
  5. Barnardo's is a UK children's charity.Sir Jimmy Savile used to abuse children at one of their children's homes called Duncroft.Serious child abuse took place at a number of Barnardo's homes over the years.Some children's homes in the UK, such as Kincora and Bryn Estyn, have reportedly been used by the security services as boy brothels.JIMMY SAVILE - USA AND EUROPE - DUTROUX, BONACCI ...6. Larry King got children for his child abuse ring from Boys Town, Omaha.
  Child victims said that King took part in the satanic ritual murder of children. (Franklin Credit Union Child-Sex Scandal)The "Washington Post", "New York Times", "Village Voice" and "National Law Journal" referred to the accusations.
  King was linked to Iran-Contra.
  King was said to have provided the CIA with information gained from the users of the child sex ring.
  Several of the Omaha child victims testified that they had traveled to Washington with King in private planes to attend political events and sex parties.Omaha's top daily newspaper reported, "One child, who has been under psychiatric care, is said to believe she saw George Bush at one of King's parties."
  (Franklin Credit Union Child-Sex Scandal)David Miliband, whose brother Ed is expected to be the next prime minister of the UK.
  7.David Miliband was the UK government minister responsible for the UK spy service MI6.Now he is to head the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a charity based in the USA, with operations in over 40 countries.
  The IRC provides "emergency relief, post-conflict development and resettlement services."
  The IRC is reported to be a CIA front organisation."Ford Foundation archives reveal a raft of joint Foundation-CIA projects."The most prominent of these CIA fronts are the Eastern European Fund, the Congress for Cultural Freedom, and International Rescue Committee."international rescue committee The Most Revolutionary Act
  Anonymous comments:
  A quick look a wiki page of this so called charity told me what they were. This charity was where the US-trained death squads were active in the 80s and 90s.
  Oh, and those loving humanitarians Albright and Kissinger are involved; while on the board sit the great and good of the corporate world: representatives JP Morgan and American Express!
Readout of the President and Vice President's meeting with Dreamers and Family Members of Undocumented Immigrants
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Wed, 22 May 2013 00:18
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 21, 2013
  This morning, the President and the Vice President met in the Oval Office with young immigrants who received deferred action and with the siblings and spouses of undocumented immigrants. This meeting was an important opportunity for the President and the Vice President to meet with families who are directly affected by our nation's broken immigration system.
  The President and the Vice President were moved by the stories of courage and determination of these young immigrants and their families. The Dreamers shared how their lives have been positively affected by the deferred action process and emphasized that they and their families need a permanent solution that will allow them to fully contribute to the country they call home.
  At the meeting, the President reiterated his commitment to passing a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill this year. He made clear that while the current bill is not perfect, it does represent an important step towards the broad principles that need to be part of any immigration reform package.
  The President underscored that their stories are a good reminder that immigration isn't just a policy issue, but it's about our families, our communities and it's about our common future. The President and the Vice President thanked participants for their leadership, courage and on-going efforts to move immigration reform legislation forward. The President also encouraged them to continue to share their stories with the American public to move the hearts and minds of individual leaders and to propel the immigration debate forward.
  The following people participated in the today's meeting. Participants are visiting Washington to speak to their elected representatives as the Senate considers immigration reform legislation:
  ' Diana Colin. Diana is a legal permanent resident who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. One of her brothers received deferred action.' Kate Kahan, Legislative Director, Center for Community Change. Kate is the Legislative Director for the Center for Community Change, a national social justice organization that is a member of the Alliance for Citizenship coalition in support of commonsense immigration reform.' Angie Kim. Angie is a South Korean immigrant who resides in New York, New York; she received deferred action. ' Miguel Leal. Miguel is a U.S. citizen who resides in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He is an Iraq war veteran. Miguel is an immigrant from Cuba; his wife in undocumented.' Kevin Lee. Kevin is a South Korean immigrant who received deferred action. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Both of his parents are undocumented.' Mehdi Mahraoui. Mehdi came to the United States from Morocco when he was 7 years old. He is a legal permanent resident and lives in New York, New York. His parents and his older sister remain undocumented.' Melissa McGuire-Maniau. Melissa's husband is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Melissa is a U.S. veteran; she and her husband reside in Winter Park, Florida.' Justino Mora. Justino received deferred action; he currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Readout of President Obama's Call with Prime Minister Letta of Italy
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: White House.gov Press Office Feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 21:31
  The White House
  Office of the Press Secretary
  For Immediate Release
  May 20, 2013
  President Obama spoke by phone today with Prime Minister Letta of Italy to congratulate him on his new office and to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds that the United States and Italy share. The President expressed support for Prime Minister Letta's focus on reducing youth unemployment and looked forward to further discussions about promoting economic growth at the June G-8 Summit in Lough Erne. The two leaders also discussed, as allies and as friends, mutual cooperation on North African security and addressing the conflict in Syria, and they affirmed their mutual support for moving forward with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Group Seeks Help From Social Networks to Combat Hate Speech
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 20:00
  By: Larisa Epatko
  Photo of a Facebook user by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images.
  Social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter have helped users mobilize around a common cause like never before. But what if their message is one of hate?
  The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Los Angeles-based group working against global racism, has compiled a list of hundreds of websites it deems hateful and is pushing their host sites to remove them. They range from a white supremacist motorcycle group's blog, to the sale of a Nazi-era ring on eBay.
  The group's associate dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, recently spoke at a briefing on Capitol Hill, where he described the group's efforts and what they're up against.
  After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, said Cooper, many experts were concerned about U.S. homegrown militants -- such as neoNazis and KKK members -- adopting al-Qaida-like tactics, but instead al-Qaida has co-opted theirs by using the Internet to spread its message of violence and to recruit members. The ease of communication that the Internet brings is supplying groups seeking to do harm with a tool to inspire bad behavior in others, he said.
  Cooper and his organization are hoping to convince social networks, which have their own guidelines and standards, to become more proactive in taking down objectionable content, rather than waiting for users to flag it.
  Rick Eaton, senior researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said Facebook personnel "do a pretty good job and are very receptive to our concerns," but they allow some sites like "F--- Religion" to stay if they consider it a "discussion." Twitter, on the other hand, has not agreed to a meeting with the center, he said, and continues to let troubling users have accounts, for example Jabhat al-Nusra, whom the State Department has identified as a terrorist front.
  Facebook declined to be interviewed for this article and Twitter did not respond to our interview request.
  Facebook has a page that explains how to report an objectionable page and what the company does in response. It also lists types of prohibited content, such as threats to public safety and pornography, that it can remove.
  Twitter also prohibits direct threats of violence, and describes when it can suspend user accounts.
  YouTube starts its user guidelines with a message of trust and outlines its grounds for permanent banning.
  Individuals can continue to point out objectionable pages, but the social networking companies have the expertise and could be more effective at it, Cooper said.
  Liz Heron, director of social media and engagement at the Wall Street Journal, said all three social networks have enormous amounts of content that make it hard to regulate. Facebook and YouTube have teams of people looking for and taking down harmful content, but it's not always a perfect process, she said.
  She cited as an example a nude painting of actress Bea Arthur that was sold at an auction earlier this month for $1.9 million. News organizations that covered the sale were blocked from posting their stories on Facebook.
  Twitter has taken a more hands-off approach, Heron said. "I think free speech is really important to them and because of that they tend not to get involved in what should or should not be taken down."
  Twitter posts a transparency report twice a year on the number of requests it gets via court order or from government agencies around the world to remove objectionable material. In its latest report, from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2012, Twitter got 42 such requests and withheld access to one account in Germany and to 44 tweets in France. There were four requests in the United States and none were blocked.
  In the case in France, where making anti-Semitic remarks is illegal, a student group had objected to anti-Semitic tweets. So Twitter blocked access to those particular tweets in France.
  The technology to detect a user's country of origin does exist, but it's up to the social networking sites to use it, said Paul Schiff Berman, a law professor at George Washington University. The websites then could filter content according to what kind of speech is illegal in each country.
  "It's hard when you're talking about millions of tweets, but it's not necessarily impossible," he said. And the companies that want to do business in other countries might find themselves taking on that massive effort.
  In the meantime, groups concerned about hate speech can continue going to the intermediaries, such as search engines and social networking sites, rather than the person who posted the material or the end user who is downloading it, because those individual people are harder to find.
  Cooper admits it is an uphill battle. He said he approached Facebook to ask why it removed the "F--- Muslims" page but not those lambasting other religions. Facebook ended up restoring the Muslim page.
  What do you think the social networking companies should do, if anything? Let us know below in the comments section.
Revealed Government Documents Show Vaccine Injured Children in Small African Village Used Like Lab Rats
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 19:05
  Children vaccinated in Africa were severely harmed by vaccines.
  In December 2012, vaccine tragedy hit the small village of Gouro, Chad, Africa, situated on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Five hundred children were locked into their school, threatened that if they did not agree to being force-vaccinated with a meningitis A vaccine, they would receive no further education. These children were vaccinated without their parents' knowledge. This vaccine was an unlicensed product still going through the third and fourth phases of testing.
  Within hours, one hundred six children began to suffer from headaches, vomiting, severe uncontrollable convulsions and paralysis. The children's wait for a doctor began. They had to wait one full week for a doctor to arrive while the team of vaccinators just carried on vaccinating others from the village. More children became sick.
  When the doctor finally came, he could do nothing for the children. The team of vaccinators, upon seeing what had happened, fled the village in fear.
  Fifty children were finally transferred to a hospital in Faya and later taken by plane to two hospitals in N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad. After being shuttled around like cattle, these sick, weak children were dumped back in their village without a diagnosis and each family was given an unconfirmed sum of £1000 by the government. No forms were signed and no documentation was seen. They were informed that their children had not suffered a vaccine injury. However, if this were true, why would their government award each family £1000 in what has been described as hush money?
  Interestingly, during the time the children spent in the hospital, two more children joined them from another village.
  To read the full stories of this tragedy, please see references at the end of this article from previous Vactruth world-exclusive reports. [1,2,3,4]
  Since this time, Vactruth has been passed a series of secret documents, which fill in some missing gaps in this story and expose just how corrupt the organizations behind this tragedy really are.
  The Exclusive, Heartbreaking DetailsOn January 14, 2013, arrangements were made for seven female patients between the ages of 8-18 to be evacuated from the Hospital of Mother and Child (HME) and the General Hospital of National Referrals (HGRN) in N'Djamena and transferred by air to a clinic in Tunisia. This was scheduled to take place between January 16 and 22.
  The documents in our possession state that the Chadian government arranged for the patients to be accompanied by Dr. Joseph Mad-Toingue, Chief Service of Infectious Diseases of the National General Referral Hospital; Dr. Moumar Mbaileyo, anesthesiologist employee of the National General Referral Hospital; and Mr. Dihoulne Kakiang, state-certified nurse, employee of the National General Referral Hospital.
  On January 29, 2013, a letter passed between The Chief Service of Infectious Diseases of HGRN-N'Djam(C)na and Mr. Director General of the National General Referral Hospital, stating:
  ''Mr. Director General,
  Herewith I have the honor of putting into your hands the report of the mission completed in Tunisia between 15 and 22 of January 2013 regarding the medical evacuation of 7 patients.
  The Chief of Service.''
  Vactruth now has this report.
  A Parent's Worst NightmareThe report states that seven female patients between the ages of 8 and 18 had suffered adverse reactions after receiving the meningitis A vaccination during a national campaign, which took place on December 11, 2012, for the prevention of this illness. These patients had originally been taken to the Regional Hospital of Faya, before being transferred on December 26, 2012, to the Hospital of Mother and Child (HME) and the General Hospital of National Referrals (HGRN) in N'Djamena.
  Arrangements were later made for a medical evacuation to transfer these patients to Tunisia for further tests and treatment.
  According to the report, the departure took place in N'Djam(C)na on January 15, 2013, at 10:50 pm after a long wait at the Hassan airport in N'Djamena because of the late arrival of the plane.
  The journey took place on board a Tunisian plane chartered by the International Medical Society (SMEDI). The party consisted of seven patients, three members of the medical team and seven parents (two men and five women) who accompanied the sick children.
  Interestingly, the document states that the party did not fly alone.
  The government report states that twenty other passengers traveling to Tunisia for the same reason (medical evacuation) also joined the party. Sadly, there were no further details on these patients in the report.
  Were these patients also vaccine-damaged by the meningitis A vaccination, and where did these twenty other sick patients come from?
  Just before the plane took off, an 18 year-old patient had what the report describes as a 'shaking episode,' and was given a 10 mg vial of diazepam before boarding the plane. Other than this incident, the flight went well.
  The Specialists Say ''Case Closed''The group arrived in Tunisia on January 16, 2013, and was received by SMEDI agents who took care of the police formalities (entry visa) before dividing the group into three parties. The patients were transported by ambulance to the clinic, the medical staff was taken to a hotel, and the patients' parents were taken to a center.
  On the afternoon of January 16, the three medical staff were introduced to SMEDI's Director General, M. Ghazi Mejbri, to get acquainted. This was followed by a work session with the medical coordinator, Dr. Folla Amara. In the course of this meeting, the condition of the patients was discussed and plans were arranged for their care.
  The patients were taken to the neurological department of SMEDI's La Sourka clinic. The clinic had received the children's medical records in advance and was reported to have conducted their own clinical and biological tests on the patients before meeting with the medical team that had accompanied them.
  On January 17, a meeting took place with Professor Rachid Namai (''chef de clinique''), Dr. Kefi and Dr. Mabet. It was concluded that the children's 'shaking attacks' or convulsionswere of no consequence. On the paraclinical level, the report stated that the liquor tests of five patients did not reveal any anomalies, nor did the EEG of six patients.
  The EEG of the seventh patient showed minor anomalies in the immediate post-critical phase, but was reported to have stabilized. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) was to take place of all seven patients. After the meeting, the team visited the patients who were all reported to be well, except for one child who had developed tonsillitis and had to receive appropriate treatment.
  On January 19, a second meeting took place at the La Soukra Clinic during which they examined the patients' medical records that gave the results of all the medical tests that had taken place. Among the biological perturbations there was reported to be one case of persistent thrombopenia (a lower than normal number of blood cell fragments called platelets), two cases of of elevated immunoglobulines E (Ig E) and five cases of gram negative bacteria directly upon examination '-- culturing has not been contributory.
  The report stated that, generally speaking, the patients showed a raised tendency for hypoalbuminemia (swelling), hypo creatininemia (renal dysfunction), and hyper glucorrhagia (no definition found).
  The MRI results showed no anomalies, and the HIV and hepatitis serologies were negative. The medical team found the children's health to be satisfactory. The report states that the children had no infectious cause for their illness and the hypothesis of an immuno-allergic reaction was deemed to be more probable.
  At this point, it was decided to close the investigation due to the advice from specialists and followed up with epidemiological and pharmacodynamical studies.
  No Reason For Concern?On January 21, the mission members visited the clinic at La Soukra for a last time. They found all patients waiting for their stay to end. The report states that a short meeting took place with the chief of service who promised to give his medical report shortly. The mission ended with a visit to the Dr. Naoui Mohamed N(C)jib's laboratory where the biological tests of all the patients had been performed.
  The mission members left Tunisia on January 22, 2013, around 2:00 pm and arrived in N'Djam(C)na at 4:00 pm.
  They concluded that the medical evacuation to Tunisia had given them the opportunity to investigate more thoroughly seven patients who had developed post-vaccination reactions during the national vaccination campaign against meningitis.
  It was stated that, generally speaking, the clinical state of the patients did not give any reasons for concern and that the paraclinical balance of the majority did not show major perturbations.
  The mission was deemed a success.
  The report was signed by Dr. Joseph Mad-To¯ng(C) in N'Djam(C)na on January 28, 2013.
  Determined Parents Won't Give UpThe parents tell a very, very different story. According to parents and relatives, these children were locked into their school, threatened with no education and forcibly vaccinated without their parents' knowledge.
  They state that the children are still desperately ill and that they have no way of getting any medical care. After the mission, they were left in Faya and had to make their own way back to the village.
  The children are still suffering severe convulsions. One relative told me:
  ''The children drop suddenly to the ground and shake violently before going paralyzed. We do not know what is wrong and we want answers. No one will help us. Our children were well and fit, we have never had meningitis in our area, so why did they vaccinate our children with this vaccination?
  Our children have since become aggressive in their behavior and have a rash all over their bodies. They are having terrible frightening convulsions. Why won't anyone help us?''
  I have been informed that the parents have formed an activist group to put out their plea to the world.
  Unanswered QuestionsThe parents ask:
  Were the vaccines used on our children out-of-date?
  Had some of the batches used been spoiled in the heat?
  Did the vaccinators vaccinate our children inadvertently with an unsafe product?
  Was the maximum duration of four days without refrigeration respected and adhered to?
  Were the vaccinators adequately trained?
  They state:
  ''All this disturbs us and makes us fear the worst effects for the future. We do not know what is going on behind the scenes and what the Minister of Health, the organizations involved with the tragedy (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH WHO, MVP and UNICEF) are saying or are going to do. As parents, our priority is to get back the health our children. We feel that it is very sad that [our] entire city is paralyzed and is suffering from epilepsy. We were hoping that our government would make a stand and save our children but it has so far failed to do so. Therefore we call assistance for everyone in the world to intervene.
  Our needs as listed below:
  A health specialist, an organization or an individual to assist the sick children, who are innocent victims and help them to get their health back.Human rights organization or an individual lawyer who could help the parents' association with legal issues and get justice for the children against the Chad government, WHO, MVP, PATH, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Indian company Serum Institute of India Ltd.Parents need independent and freelance journalists to help them to get media coverage and tell the world what has happened to the children of Gouro, Chad.''ConclusionThe parents' requests are simple and the same as any other parent left in this impossible situation. They feel deserted and betrayed by the Chadian government, who have left their children to die, while at the same time announcing the vaccination program to be a success. All the parents are very angry and are pleading with the world to help. They state they need lawyers, doctors, medication and above all, support.
  This whole debacle has been a coverup from the very beginning. One of the children's relatives has told me that there has never been a case of meningitis in this part of Africa. So, why vaccinate children needlessly for a disease that does not exist in this area? Worse still, according to my source, this particular part of Chad is not even on the meningitis belt, and yet this vaccine was given to these children. He could be right, as according to a map attributed to the Gates Foundation, it is not. [5]
  The abnormal tests demonstrate that the vaccines caused these problems (especially the abnormal immunoglobin levels). Had the doctors done more specific tests proving vaccine damage (especially anti-myelin antibodies), they would have found abnormal levels, which indicate vaccine injury. Did they avoid doing these tests on purpose?
  It seems very likely that these children, who are now sick and vulnerable, were used as lab rats and have since been left to die by some of the biggest organizations known to mankind. Five months have passed and a lot of covering up the truth has gone on and still, the world waits for answers. The children of Gouro and their parents want the following organizations '' PATH, WHO, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation '-- to make a public apology and to own up to what has happened. They want and need accountability.
  This is a violation of the Nuremberg code and these government ''officials'' are guilty of crimes against humanity.
  AcknowledgementVacTruth wishes to thank medical research journalist and author Desiree Rover who translated all reports and documents from French.
  Photo Credit
High-Ranking Mexican Drug Cartel Member Makes Explosive Allegation: 'Fast and Furious' Is Not What You Think It Is
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24
  A high-ranking Mexican drug cartel operative currently in U.S. custody is making startling allegations that the failed federal gun-walking operation known as ''Fast and Furious'' isn't what you think it is.
  It wasn't about tracking guns, it was about supplying them '-- all part of an elaborate agreement between the U.S. government and Mexico's powerful Sinaloa Cartel to take down rival cartels.
  The explosive allegations are being made by Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, known as the Sinaloa Cartel's ''logistics coordinator.'' He was extradited to the Chicago last year to face federal drug charges.
  Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla (Source: MSNBC)
  Zambada-Niebla claims that under a ''divide and conquer'' strategy, the U.S. helped finance and arm the Sinaloa Cartel through Operation Fast and Furious in exchange for information that allowed the DEA, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies to take down rival drug cartels. The Sinaloa Cartel was allegedly permitted to traffic massive amounts of drugs across the U.S. border from 2004 to 2009 '-- during both Fast and Furious and Bush-era gunrunning operations '-- as long as the intel kept coming.
  This pending court case against Zambada-Niebla is being closely monitored by some members of Congress, who expect potential legal ramifications if any of his claims are substantiated. The trial was delayed but is now scheduled to begin on Oct. 9.
  Zambada-Niebla is reportedly a close associate of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin ''El Chapo'' Guzman and the son of Ismael ''Mayo'' Zambada-Garcia, both of which remain fugitives, likely because of the deal made with the DEA, federal court documents allege.
  Based on the alleged agreement ''the Sinaloa Cartel under the leadership of defendant's father, Ismael Zambada-Niebla and 'Chapo' Guzman, were given carte blanche to continue to smuggle tons of illicit drugs into Chicago and the rest of the United States and were also protected by the United States government from arrest and prosecution in return for providing information against rival cartels which helped Mexican and United States authorities capture or kill thousands of rival cartel members,'' states a motion for discovery filed in U.S. District Court by Zambada-Niebla's attorney in July 2011.
  A source in Congress, who spoke to TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity, said that some top congressional investigators have been keeping ''one eye on the case.'' Another two members of Congress, both lead Fast and Furious Congressional investigators, told TheBlaze they had never even heard of the case.
  One of the Congressmen, who also spoke to TheBlaze on the condition of anonymity because criminal proceedings are still ongoing, called the allegations ''disturbing.'' He said Congress will likely get involved once Zambada-Niebla's trial has concluded if any compelling information surfaces.
  ''Congress won't get involved in really any criminal case until the trial is over and the smoke has cleared,'' he added. ''If the allegations prove to hold any truth, there will be some serious legal ramifications.''
  Earlier this month, two men in Texas were sentenced to 70 and 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to export 147 assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition to Mexico's Los Zetas cartel. Compare that to the roughly 2,000 firearms reportedly ''walked'' in Fast and Furious, which were used in the murders of hundreds of Mexican citizens and U.S. Border Agent Brian Terry, and some U.S. officials could potentially face jail time if they knowingly armed the Sinaloa Cartel and allowed guns to cross into Mexico.
  If proven in court, such an agreement between U.S. law enforcement agencies and a Mexican cartel could potentially mar both the Bush and Obama administrations. The federal government is denying all of Zambada-Niebla's allegations and contend that no official immunity deal was agreed upon.
  To be sure, Zambada-Niebla is a member of one of the most ruthless drug gangs in all of Mexico, so there is a chance that he is saying whatever it takes to reduce his sentence, which will likely be hefty. However, Congress and the media have a duty to prove without a reasonable doubt that there is no truth in his allegations. So far, that has not been achieved.
  Zambada-Niebla was reportedly responsible for coordinating all of the Sinaloa Cartel's multi-ton drug shipments from Central and South American countries, through Mexico, and into the United States. To accomplish this, he used every tool at his disposal: Boeing 747 cargo planes, narco-submarines, container ships, speed boats, fishing vessels, buses, rail cars, tractor trailers and automobiles. But Guzman and Zambada-Niebla's overwhelming success within the Sinaloa Cartel was largely due to the arrests and dismantling of many of their competitors and their booming businesses in the U.S. from 2004 to 2009 '-- around the same time ATF's gun-walking operations were in full swing. Fast and Furious reportedly began in 2009 and continued into early 2011.
  According Zambada-Niebla, that was a product of the collusion between the U.S. government and the Sinaloa Cartel.
  Soldiers and police officers guard packages of seized marijuana during a presentation for the media in Tijuana, Mexico. (AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)
  The claims seem to fall in line with statements made last month by Guillermo Terrazas Villanueva, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state government in northern Mexico who said U.S. agencies ''don't fight drug traffickers,'' instead ''they try to manage the drug trade.''
  Also, U.S. officials have previously acknowledged working with the Sinaloa Cartel through another informant, Humberto Loya-Castro. He is also allegedly a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel as well as a close confidant and lawyer of ''El Chapo'' Guzman.
  Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka "El Chapo" (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
  Loya-Castro was indicted along with Chapo and Mayo in 1995 in the Southern District of California in a massive narcotics trafficking conspiracy (Case no. 95CR0973). The case was dismissed in 2008 at the request of prosecutors after Loya became an informant for the United States government and subsequently provided information for years.
  In 2005, ''the CS (informant Loya-Castro) signed a cooperation agreement with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California,'' states an affidavit filed in the Zambada-Niebla case by Loya-Castro's handler, DEA agent Manuel Castanon.
  ''Thereafter, I began to work with the CS. Over the years, the CS' cooperation resulted in the seizure of several significant loads of narcotics and precursor chemicals. The CS' cooperation also resulted in other real-time intelligence that was very useful to the United States government.''
  Under the alleged agreement with U.S. agencies, ''the Sinaloa Cartel, through Loya-Castro, was to provide information accumulated by Mayo, Chapo, and others, against rival Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations to the United States government,'' a motion for discovery states.
  In return, the United States government allegedly agreed to dismiss the charges in the pending case against Loya-Castro (which they did), not to interfere with his drug trafficking activities and those of the Sinaloa Cartel and not actively prosecute him or the Sinaloa Cartel leadership.
  Taken directly from the motion filed in federal court:
  ''This strategy, which he calls 'Divide & Conquer,' using one drug organization to help against others, is exactly what the Justice Department and its various agencies have implemented in Mexico. In this case, they entered into an agreement with the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel through, among others, Humberto Loya-Castro, to receive their help in the United States government's efforts to destroy other cartels.''
  ''Indeed, United States government agents aided the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel.''
  The government has denied this and says the deal did not go past Loya-Castro.
  Zambada-Niebla was arrested by Mexican soldiers in late March of 2009 after he met with DEA agents at a Mexico City hotel in a meeting arranged by Loya-Castro, though the U.S. government was not involved in his arrest. He was extradited to Chicago to face federal drug charges on Feb. 18, 2010. He is now being held in a Michigan prison after requesting to be moved from Chicago.
  ''Classified Materials''
  During his initial court proceedings, Zambada-Niebla continually stated that he was granted full immunity by the DEA in exchange for his cooperation. The agency, however, argues that an ''official'' immunity deal was never established though they admit he may have acted as an informant.
  Zambada-Niebla and his legal council also requested records about Operation Fast and Furious, which permitted weapons purchased in the United States to be illegally smuggled into Mexico, sometimes by paid U.S. informants and cartel leaders. Their request was denied. From the defense motion:
  ''It is estimated that approximately 3,000 people were killed in Mexico as a result of 'Operation Fast and Furious,' including law enforcement officers in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, the headquarters of the Sinaloa cartel. The Department of Justice's leadership apparently saw this as an ingenious way of combating drug cartel activities.''
  ''It has recently been disclosed that in addition to the above-referenced problems with 'Operation Fast & Furious,' the DOJ, DEA, and the FBI knew that some of the people who were receiving the weapons that were being allowed to be transported to Mexico, were in fact informants working for those organizations and included some of the leaders of the cartels.''
  Zambada's attorney has filed several motions for discovery to that effect in Illinois Federal District Court, which were summarily denied by the presiding judge who claimed the defendant failed to make the case that he was actually a DEA informant.
  In April, 2012, a federal judge refused to dismiss charges against him.
  From a Chicago Sun Times report: ''According to the government, [Zambada-Niebla] conveyed his interest and willingness to cooperate with the U.S. government, but the DEA agents told him they 'were not authorized to meet with him, much less have substantive discussions with him,''' the judge wrote.
  In this courtroom artist's drawing Jesus Vincente Zambada-Niebla appears before U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Verna Sadock)
  In their official response to Zambada-Niebla's motion for discovery, the federal government confirmed the existence of ''classified materials'' regarding the case but argued they ''do not support the defendant's claim that he was promised immunity or public authority for his actions.''
  Experts have expressed doubts that Zambada-Niebla had an official agreement with the U.S. government, however, agree Loya Castro probably did. Either way, the defense still wants to obtain DEA reports that detail the agency's relationship with the Sinaloa Cartel and put the agents on the stand, under oath to testify.
  The documents that detail the relationship between the federal government and the Sinaloa Cartel have still not been released or subjected to review '-- citing matters of national security.
  (Editor's note: The impetus for this article came from author Reed A. Williams, whose upcoming book ''The Weed That Just Won't Die'' delves deeply into the Zambada-Niebla court case. Get more details on the book here.)
  Follow Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) on Twitter
thecollegefix.com by Mobify
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:53
  It's not uncommon for African Americans to criticize President Barack Obama's job performance, and the latest example of that comes on the heels of his commencement speech at Morehouse College on Sunday.
  During his keynote address at the historically black, all-male college in Georgia, Obama called for better family values among the black community and personal responsibility over complaints about racism.
  During his speech, Obama told the grads to ''recognize the burdens you carry with you, but resist the temptation to use them as excuses.''
  ''That's what being an American is about. Success may not come quickly or easily. But if you strive to do what's right; if you work harder and dream bigger; if you set an example in your own lives and do your part to help meet the challenges of our time, then I am confident that, together, we will continue the never-ending task of perfecting our union.''
  But some African Americans on Monday called that message tired and insulting, saying it was rhetoric meant to pander to white people.
  ''Trevor Coleman thinks it's time for President Obama to get a new speech for black audiences,'' The Washington Postreports. ''The personal responsibility finger-wagging, delivered most recently Sunday at Morehouse College's commencement, is getting old. '... Coleman, a former speechwriter for former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, said '... he was disappointed that Obama almost always defaults to the clean-up-your-act message when talking to predominantly black audiences.''
  The Post goes on to quote Leola Johnson, an associate professor and chair of the Media and Cultural Studies Department at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., who said Obamas' speeches ''are actually not aimed at black people.''
  ''They're actually for white people, liberals especially,'' she said.
  However, Obama's speech was different that his usual ''you didn't build that'' pro-government, pro-socialism rhetoric, as The College Fixreported Monday. If it was meant to pander to anyone, it was probably the conservatives he's been accused of harassing and targeting via the IRS. But we digress.
  The Post goes on to report:
  Kevin Powell, an activist based in New York who travels the country encouraging black men to take responsibility for their lives, said he has no problem with Obama challenging the black community, but . . .
  ''You also have to challenge the system, just as you challenge the people. It's not an either/or,'' said Powell. '...
  A. Scott Bolden, a Washington lawyer and Morehouse graduate, and Coleman, the former speechwriter and Detroit-based writer, offered finger-wagging lectures of their own.
  ''It's interesting that President Obama is always asking black people to take responsibility for themselves,'' Bolden said. ''It would be really nice if he'd take responsibility for black people in his second term.''
  Apparently, Obama's message fell on deaf ears.
  CLICK HERE to Like The College Fix on Facebook.
  Tagged as: blacks upset with obama, commencement speech, Morehouse College, President Obama
Amygdala - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30
  The amygdalae (pron.:/ÉËmÉªÉdÉliË�/; singular: amygdala; also corpus amygdaloideum; Latin, from Greeká¼Î¼Ï…Î"Î´Î±Î>>Î®, amygdalÄ', 'almond', 'tonsil',[1] listed in the Gray's Anatomy textbook as the nucleus amygdal...) are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans.[2] Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing of memory and emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.[3]
  Anatomical subdivisions[edit]The regions described as amygdala nuclei encompass several structures with distinct connectional and functional characteristics in humans and other animals.[4] Among these nuclei are the basolateral complex, the cortical nucleus, the medial nucleus, and the central nucleus. The basolateral complex can be further subdivided into the lateral, the basal, and the accessory basal nuclei.[3][5][6]
  Anatomically, the amygdala[7] and more particularly, its central and medial nuclei,[8] have sometimes been classified as a part of the basal ganglia.
  Connections[edit]The amygdala sends projections to the hypothalamus, the dorsomedial thalamus, the thalamic reticular nucleus, the nuclei of the trigeminal nerve and the facial nerve, the ventral tegmental area, the locus coeruleus, and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus.[5]
  The cortical nucleus is involved in the sense of smell and pheromone-processing. It receives input from the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex. The lateral amygdalae, which send impulses to the rest of the basolateral complexes and to the centromedial nuclei, receive input from the sensory systems. The centromedial nuclei are the main outputs for the basolateral complexes, and are involved in emotional arousal in rats and cats.[5][6][9]
  Emotional learning[edit]In complex vertebrates, including humans, the amygdalae perform primary roles in the formation and storage of memories associated with emotional events. Research indicates that, during fear conditioning, sensory stimuli reach the basolateral complexes of the amygdalae, particularly the lateral nuclei, where they form associations with memories of the stimuli. The association between stimuli and the aversive events they predict may be mediated by long-term potentiation, a sustained enhancement of signalling between affected neurons.[3]
  Memories of emotional experiences imprinted in reactions of synapses in the lateral nuclei elicit fear behavior through connections with the central nucleus of the amygdalae and the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BNST). The central nuclei are involved in the genesis of many fear responses, including freezing (immobility), tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), increased respiration, and stress-hormone release. Damage to the amygdalae impairs both the acquisition and expression of Pavlovian fear conditioning, a form of classical conditioning of emotional responses.[3]
  The amygdalae are also involved in appetitive (positive) conditioning. It seems that distinct neurons respond to positive and negative stimuli, but there is no clustering of these distinct neurons into clear anatomical nuclei.[10] However, lesions of the central nucleus in the amygdala have been shown to reduce appetitive learning in rats. Lesions of the basolateral regions do not exhibit the same effect.[11] Research like this indicates that different nuclei within the amygdala have different functions in appetitive conditioning.[12]
  Memory modulation[edit]The amygdala is also involved in the modulation of memory consolidation. Following any learning event, the long-term memory for the event is not formed instantaneously. Rather, information regarding the event is slowly assimilated into long-term (potentially lifelong) storage over time, possibly via long-term potentiation. Recent studies suggest that, while the amygdala is not itself a long-term memory storage site, and learning can occur without it, one of its roles is to regulate memory consolidation in other brain regions.[13] Also, fear conditioning, a type of memory that is impaired following amygdala damage, is mediated in part by long-term potentiation.[14][15]
  During the consolidation period, the memory can be modulated. In particular, it appears that emotional arousal following the learning event influences the strength of the subsequent memory for that event. Greater emotional arousal following a learning event enhances a person's retention of that event. Experiments have shown that administration of stress hormones to mice immediately after they learn something enhances their retention when they are tested two days later.[16]
  The amygdalae, especially the basolateral nuclei, are involved in mediating the effects of emotional arousal on the strength of the memory for the event, as shown by many laboratories including that of James McGaugh. These laboratories have trained animals on a variety of learning tasks and found that drugs injected into the amygdala after training affect the animals' subsequent retention of the task. These tasks include basic classical conditioning tasks such as inhibitory avoidance, where a rat learns to associate a mild footshock with a particular compartment of an apparatus, and more complex tasks such as spatial or cued water maze, where a rat learns to swim to a platform to escape the water. If a drug that activates the amygdalae is injected into the amygdalae, the animals had better memory for the training in the task.[17] If a drug that inactivates the amygdalae is injected, the animals had impaired memory for the task.
  Buddhist monks who do compassion meditation have been shown to modulate their amygdala, along with their temporoparietal junction and insula, during their practice.[18] In an fMRI study, more intensive insula activity was found in expert meditators than in novices.[19] Increased activity in the amygdala following compassion-oriented meditation may contribute to social connectedness.[20]
  Amygdala activity at the time of encoding information correlates with retention for that information. However, this correlation depends on the relative "emotionalness" of the information. More emotionally-arousing information increases amygdalar activity, and that activity correlates with retention. Amygdala neurons show various types of oscillation during emotional arousal, such as theta activity. These synchronized neuronal events could promote synaptic plasticity (which is involved in memory retention) by increasing interactions between neocortical storage sites and temporal lobe structures involved in declarative memory.[21]
  Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ''unique responses'' to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, "Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity."[22]
  Neuropsychological correlates of amygdala activity[edit]Early research on primates provided explanations as to the functions of the amygdala, as well as a basis for further research. As early as 1888, rhesus monkeys with a lesioned temporal cortex (including the amygdala) were observed to have significant social and emotional deficits.[23]Heinrich Kl¼ver and Paul Bucy later expanded upon this same observation by showing that large lesions to the anterior temporal lobe produced noticeable changes, including overreaction to all objects, hypoemotionality, loss of fear, hypersexuality, and hyperorality, a condition in which inappropriate objects are placed in the mouth. Some monkeys also displayed an inability to recognize familiar objects and would approach animate and inanimate objects indiscriminately, exhibiting a loss of fear towards the experimenters. This behavioral disorder was later named Kl¼ver-Bucy syndrome accordingly.[24] Later studies served to focus on the amygdala specifically, as the temporal cortex encompasses a broad set of brain structures, making it difficult to find which ones specifically may have correlated with certain symptoms. Monkey mothers who had amygdala damage showed a reduction in maternal behaviors towards their infants, often physically abusing or neglecting them.[25] In 1981, researchers found that selective radio frequency lesions of the whole amygdala caused Kl¼ver-Bucy Syndrome.[26]
  With advances in neuroimaging technology such as MRI, neuroscientists have made significant findings concerning the amygdala in the human brain. A variety of data shows the amygdala has a substantial role in mental states, and is related to many psychological disorders. Some studies have shown children with anxiety disorders tend to have a smaller left amygdala. In the majority of the cases, there was an association between an increase in the size of the left amygdala with the use of SSRI's (antidepressant medication) or psychotherapy. The left amygdala has been linked to social anxiety, obsessive and compulsive disorders, and post traumatic stress, as well as more broadly to separation and general anxiety.[27] In a 2003 study, subjects with borderline personality disorder showed significantly greater left amygdala activity than normal control subjects. Some borderline patients even had difficulties classifying neutral faces or saw them as threatening.[28] Individuals with psychopathy show reduced autonomic responses, relative to comparison individuals, to instructed fear cues.[29] In 2006, researchers observed hyperactivity in the amygdala when patients were shown threatening faces or confronted with frightening situations. Patients with more severe social phobia showed a correlation with increased response in the amygdala.[30] Similarly, depressed patients showed exaggerated left amygdala activity when interpreting emotions for all faces, and especially for fearful faces. Interestingly, this hyperactivity was normalized when patients went on antidepressants.[31] By contrast, the amygdala has been observed to respond differently in people with bipolar disorder. A 2003 study found that adult and adolescent bipolar patients tended to have considerably smaller amygdala volumes and somewhat smaller hippocampal volumes.[32] Many studies have focused on the connections between the amygdala and autism.[33]
  Studies in 2004 and 2006 showed that normal subjects exposed to images of frightened faces or faces of people from another race will show increased activity of the amygdala, even if that exposure is subliminal.[34][35] However, the amygdala is not necessary for the processing of fear-related stimuli, since persons in whom it is bilaterally damaged show rapid reactions to fearful faces, even in the absence of a functional amygdala.[36]
  Recent research suggests that parasites, in particular toxoplasma, form cysts in the brain of rats, often taking up residence in the amygdala. This may provide clues as to how specific parasites may contribute to the development of disorders, including paranoia.[37]
  Future studies have been proposed to address the role of the amygdala in positive emotions, and the ways in which the amygdala networks with other brain regions.[38]
  Sexual orientation[edit]Recent studies have suggested possible correlations between brain structure, including differences in hemispheric ratios and connection patterns in the amygdala, and sexual orientation. Homosexual men tend to exhibit more female-like patterns in the amygdala than heterosexual males do, just as homosexual females tend to show more male-like patterns in the amygdala than heterosexual women do. It was observed that amygdala connections were more widespread from the left amygdala in homosexual males, as is also found in heterosexual females. Amygdala connections were more widespread from the right amygdala in homosexual females, as in heterosexual males.[39] Current evidence suggests that formation of an individual's sexual orientation occurs during fetal and neonatal development.[39][40]
  Social interaction[edit]Amygdala volume correlates positively with both the size (the number of contacts a person has) and the complexity (the number of different groups to which a person belongs) of social networks.[41][42] Individuals with larger amygdalae had larger and more complex social networks. They were also better able to make accurate social judgments about other persons' faces.[43] It is hypothesized that larger amygdalae allow for greater emotional intelligence, enabling greater societal integration and cooperation with others.[44]
  The amygdala processes reactions to violations concerning personal space. These reactions are absent in persons in whom the amygdala is damaged bilaterally.[45] Furthermore, the amygdala is found to be activated in fMRI when people observe that others are physically close to them, such as when a person being scanned knows that an experimenter is standing immediately next to the scanner, versus standing at a distance.[45]
  Aggression[edit]Animal studies have shown that stimulating the amygdala appears to increase both sexual and aggressive behavior. Likewise, studies using brain lesions have shown that harm to the amygdala may produce the opposite effect. Thus, it appears that this part of the brain may play a role in the display and modulation of aggression.[46]
  Fear[edit]There are cases of human patients with focal bilateral amygdala lesions, due to the rare genetic condition Urbach-Wiethe disease.[47] Such patients fail to exhibit fear-related behaviors, leading one to be dubbed the "woman with no fear". This finding reinforces the conclusion that the amygdala "plays a pivotal role in triggering a state of fear".[48]
  Alcoholism and binge drinking[edit]The amygdala appears to play a role in binge drinking, being damaged by repeated episodes of intoxication and withdrawal.[49] Alcoholism is associated with dampened activation in brain networks responsible for emotional processing, including the amygdala.[50]Protein kinase C-epsilon in the amygdala is important for regulating behavioral responses to morphine, ethanol, and controlling anxiety-like behavior. The protein is involved in controlling the function of other proteins and plays a role in development of the ability to consume a large amount of ethanol.[51][52]
  Hemispheric specializations[edit]There are functional differences between the right and left amygdala. In one study, electrical stimulations of the right amygdala induced negative emotions, especially fear and sadness. In contrast, stimulation of the left amygdala was able to induce either pleasant (happiness) or unpleasant (fear, anxiety, sadness) emotions.[53] Other evidence suggests that the left amygdala plays a role in the brain's reward system.[54]
  Sex differences[edit]The amygdala is one of the most well understood brain regions with regard to differences between the sexes. Larger male than female amygdalae have been demonstrated in children ages 7''11,[55] in adult humans,[56] and in adult rats.[57]
  Hemispheric differences[edit]In addition to size, other differences between men and women exist with regards to the amygdala. Subjects' amygdala activation was observed when watching a horror film. The results of the study showed a different lateralization of the amygdala in men and women. Enhanced memory for the film was related to enhanced activity of the left, but not the right, amygdala in women, whereas it was related to enhanced activity of the right, but not the left, amygdala in men.[58]The right amygdala is also linked with taking action as well as being linked to negative emotions,[59] which may help explain why males tend to respond to emotionally stressful stimuli physically. The left amygdala allows for the recall of details, but it also results in more thought rather than action in response to emotionally stressful stimuli, which may explain the lack of physical response in women. This physical response could also, however, be the result of increased muscular strength in males after puberty.
  Anxiety[edit]There may also be a link between the amygdala and anxiety.[60] In particular, there is a higher prevalence of females that are affected by anxiety disorders. In an experiment, degu pups were removed from their mother but allowed to hear her call. In response, the males produced increased serotonin receptors in the amygdala but females lost them. This led to the males being less affected by the stressful situation. As the experiment was run with degu pups it is difficult to extrapolate to human beings, but it is well known that males have higher levels of serotonin in the brain than females.
  See also[edit]References[edit]^amygdala '' Definitions from Dictionary.com^University of Idaho College of Science (2004). "amygdala". Archived from the original on 31 March 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2007. ^ abcdAmunts K, Kedo O, Kindler M, Pieperhoff P, Mohlberg H, Shah N, Habel U, Schneider F, Zilles K (2005). "Cytoarchitectonic mapping of the human amygdala, hippocampal region and entorhinal cortex: intersubject variability and probability maps". Anat Embryol (Berl)210 (5''6): 343''52. doi:10.1007/s00429-005-0025-5. PMID 16208455. ^Bzdok D, Laird A, Zilles K, Fox PT, Eickhoff S.: An investigation of the structural, connectional and functional sub-specialization in the human amygdala. Human Brain Mapping, 2012.^ abcBen Best (2004). "The Amygdala and the Emotions". Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2007. ^ abSolano-Castiella E, Anwander A, Lohmann G, Weiss M, Docherty C, Geyer S, Reimer E, Friederici AD, Turner R (2010). "Diffusion tensor imaging segments the human amygdala in vivo". Neuroimage49 (4): 2958''65. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.11.027. PMID 19931398. ^See Amygdala in the BrainInfo database^Larry W. Swanson and Gorica D. Petrovich (August 1998). "What is the amygdala?". Trends in Neurosciences21 (8): 323''331. doi:10.1016/S0166-2236(98)01265-X. ^Michael McDannald, Erin Kerfoot, Michela Gallagher, and Peter C. Holland (February 2005). "Amygdala central nucleus function is necessary for learning but not expression of conditioned visual orienting". Behav Neurosci119 (1): 202''212. doi:10.1037/0735-7044.119.1.202. PMC 1255918. PMID 15727525. ^Paton, Joseph; et Al. (25 November 2005). "The primate amygdala represents the positive and negative value of visual stimuli during learning". Nature439 (7078): 865''870. doi:10.1038/nature04490. PMC 2396495. PMID 16482160. ^Parkinson, John; Robbins, Trevor; Everitt, Barry (9 Oct 2008) ^See recent TINS article by Balleine and Killcross (2006)^Maren (Dec 1999). "Long-term potentiation in the amygdala: a mechanism for emotional learning and memory". Trends Neurosci22 (12): 561''7. ^Killcross S, Robbins T, Everitt B (1997). "Different types of fear-conditioned behaviour mediated by separate nuclei within amygdala". Nature388 (6640): 377''80. doi:10.1038/41097. PMID 9237754. ^Blair HT, Schafe GE, Bauer EP, Rodrigues SM, and Ledoux JE. Synaptic plasticity in the lateral amygdala: a cellular hypothesis for fear conditioning. Learn Mem 8: 229''242, 2001^"Researchers Prove A Single Memory Is Processed In Three Separate Parts Of The Brain" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202182107.htm^Ferry B, Roozendaal B, McGaugh J (1999). "Role of norepinephrine in mediating stress hormone regulation of long-term memory storage: a critical involvement of the amygdala". Biol Psychiatry46 (9): 1140''52. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(99)00157-2. PMID 10560021. ^"Cultivating compassion: Neuroscientific and behavioral approaches" a talk given by Richard J. Davidson found online at http://ccare.stanford.edu/node/25^Lutz A, Brefczynski-Lewis J, Johnstone T, Davidson RJ (2008) Regulation of the Neural Circuitry of Emotion by Compassion Meditation: Effects of Meditative Expertise" PLoS ONE 3(3) e1897. http://brainimaging.waisman.wisc.edu/~lutz/Lutz_al_Compassion_expertise_Plos_One_2008.pdf^Hutcherson, C.A., Seppala, E.M., & Gross, J.J. (2008). Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion, 8(5), 720''724.http://spl.stanford.edu/pdfs/Hutcherson_08_2.pdf^Par(C) D., Collins D.R., Pelletier J.G. (2002). "Amygdala oscillations and the consolidation of emotional memories". Trends in Cognitive Sciences6 (7): 306''314. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(02)01924-1. PMID 12110364. ^Asari T, Konishi S, Jimura K, Chikazoe J, Nakamura N, Miyashita Y (2010). "Amygdalar enlargement associated with unique perception". Cortex46 (1): 94''99. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2008.08.001. PMID 18922517. ^Brown, S. & Shafer, E. (1888). "An investigation into the functions of the occipital and temporal lobes of the monkey's brain". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences179: 303''327. doi:10.1098/rstb.1888.0011. ^Kluver, H. & Bucy, P. (1939). "Preliminary analysis of function of the temporal lobe in monkeys". Archives of Neurology42: 979''1000. ^Bucher, K., Myersn, R., Southwick, C. (1970). "Anterior temporal cortex and maternal behaviour in monkey". Neurology20 (4): 415. PMID 4998075. ^Aggleton, JP. & Passingham, RE. (1981). "Syndrome produced by lesions of the amygdala in monkeys (Macaca mulatta)". Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology95 (6): 961''977. doi:10.1037/h0077848. PMID 7320283. ^http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/40/9/37.full^Donegan et al.; Sanislow, CA; Blumberg, HP; Fulbright, RK; Lacadie, C; Skudlarski, P; Gore, JC; Olson, IR et al. (2003). "Amygdala hyperreactivity in borderline personality disorder: implications for emotional dysregulation". Biological Psychiatry54 (11): 1284''1293. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(03)00636-X. PMID 14643096. ^R. J. R. Blair (23 April 2008). "The amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex: functional contributions and dysfunction in psychopathy". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society363 (1503): 2557''2565. doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0027. PMC 2606709. PMID 18434283. ^Studying Brain Activity Could Aid Diagnosis Of Social Phobia. Monash University. 19 January 2006.^Sheline et al.; Barch, DM; Donnelly, JM; Ollinger, JM; Snyder, AZ; Mintun, MA (2001). "Increased amygdala response to masked emotional faces in depressed subjects resolves with antidepressant treatment: an fMRI study". Biological Psychiatry50 (9): 651''658. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01263-X. PMID 11704071. ^Blumberg et al.; Kaufman, J; Martin, A; Whiteman, R; Zhang, JH; Gore, JC; Charney, DS; Krystal, JH et al. (2003). "Amygdala and hippocampal volumes in adolescents and adults with bipolar disorder". Arch Gen Psychiatry60 (12): 1201''8. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.60.12.1201. PMID 14662552. ^Schultz RT (2005). "Developmental deficits in social perception in autism: the role of the amygdala and fusiform face area". Int J Dev Neurosci23 (2''3): 125''41. doi:10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.12.012. PMID 15749240. ^Williams, Leanne M.; Belinda J. Liddell, Andrew H. Kemp, Richard A. Bryant, Russell A. Meares, Anthony S. Peduto, Evian Gordon (2006). "Amygdala-prefrontal dissociation of subliminal and supraliminal fear". Human Brain Mapping27 (8): 652''661. doi:10.1002/hbm.20208. PMID 16281289. ^Brain Activity Reflects Complexity Of Responses To Other-race Faces, Science Daily, 14 December 2004^Tsuchiya N, Moradi F, Felsen C, Yamazaki M, Adolphs R (2009). "Intact rapid detection of fearful faces in the absence of the amygdala". Nat Neurosci12 (10): 1224''12225. doi:10.1038/nn.2380. PMC 2756300. PMID 19718036. ^Vyas et al.; Kim, SK; Giacomini, N; Boothroyd, JC; Sapolsky, RM (2007). "Behavioral changes induced by Toxoplasma infection of rodents are highly specific to aversion of cat odors". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.104 (15): 6442''7. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608310104. PMC 1851063. PMID 17404235. ^Gazzaniga, M.S., Ivry, R.B., & Mangun, G.R. (2009). Cognitive neuroscience: the biology of the mind. NY: W.W.Norton&Company.^ abhttp://www.pnas.org/content/105/30/10273.full^http://www.bprcem.com/article/S1521-690X(07)00033-4/abstract^Bickart, Kevin C., Wright, Christopher I., Dautoff, Rebecca J., Dickerson, Bradford C., Barrett, Lisa Feldman (Dec. 2010). "Amygdala volume and social network size in humans". Nature Neuroscience14 (2): 163''164. doi:10.1038/nn.2724. PMC 3079404. PMID 21186358. Retrieved 2010-12- 27. ^Szalavitz, Maia (28 December 2010). "How to Win Friends: Have a Big Amygdala?". Time. Retrieved 30 December 2010. ^Bzdok, D., Langner, R., Caspers, S., Kurth, F., Habel, U., Zilles, K., Laird, A., Eickhoff, S.B., 2011. ALE meta-analysis on facial judgments of trustworthiness and attractiveness. Brain Struct Funct 215, 209''223.^Buchanan, T.W., Tranel, D. & Adolphs, R. in The Human Amygdala (eds. Whalen, P.J. & Phelps, E.A.) 289''318 (Guilford, New York, 2009).^ abKennedy DP, Gl¤scher J, Tyszka JM, Adolphs R (2009). "Personal space regulation by the human amygdala". Nat Neurosci12 (10): 1226''1227. doi:10.1038/nn.2381. PMC 2753689. PMID 19718035. ^T.L. Brink. (2008) Psychology: A Student Friendly Approach. "Unit 4: The Nervous System." pp 61 [1]^http://www.cell.com/current-biology/retrieve/pii/S0960982210015083^http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com/2013/02/extreme-fear-experienced-without.html^http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/363/1507/3169.long^Marinkovic K; Oscar-Berman M, Urban T, O'Reilly CE, Howard JA, Sawyer K, Harris GJ (November 2009). "Alcoholism and dampened temporal limbic activation to emotional faces". Alcohol Clin Exp Res33 (11): 1880''92. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01026.x. PMID 19673745. ^http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WP9-4NKXWJX-4&_user=2251208&_coverDate=06%2F30%2F2007&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000056758&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2251208&md5=c865afb9018b406bda26bb7c7ef964da&searchtype=a^Lesscher et al, Amygdala protein kinase C epsilon controls alcohol consumption http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122210376/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0^Lanteaume, L. et al. (Jun 2007). "Emotion induction after direct intracerebral stimulations of human amygdala". Cerebral Cortex17 (6): 1307''13. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhl041. PMID 16880223. ^Murray, Elizabeth A., et. al. (2009). "Amygdala function in positive reinforcement". The Human Amygdala. Guilford Press. ^Caviness VS, Kennedy DN, Richelme C, et al. The human brain age 7''11 years:a volumetric analysis based upon magnetic resonance images. Cereb Cortex 1996;6:726''36^Goldstein JM, et al. (2001) Normal sexual dimorphism of the adult human brain assessed by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging. Cereb Cortex 11:490''497.^Hines, M., Allen, L.S., Gorski, R.A. 1992. Sex differences in subregions of the medial nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the rat. Brain Research. 579(2): 321''326.^Cahill, L., Haier, R.J., White, N.S., Fallon, J., Kilpatrick, L., Lawrence, C., Potkin, S.G., and Alkire, M.T. 2001. Sex-related difference in amygdala activity during emotionally influenced of amygdala involvement in emotionally influenced memorymemory storage. Neurobiol. Learn. Mem. 75: 1''9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11124043^Lanteaume, L. et al. (Jun 2007). "Emotion induction after direct intracerebral stimulations of human amygdala". Cerebral Cortex 17 (6): 1307''13.^Braun, K., Ziabreva, I., Poeggel, G., Schnabel, R. 2003. Separation-Induced Receptor Changes in the Hippocampus and Amygdala of Octodon degus: Influence of Maternal Vocalizations. The Journal of Neuroscience, 23(12): 5329''5336;External links[edit]
YouBeauty - The Science of a Beautiful You
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:28
  Dr. Viren Swami is a Reader in Psychology at the University of Westminster in London, England. Malaysian-born and British-educated, he is internationally recognized as an expert on interpersonal attraction and appearance-related issues. Much of his work adopts a cross-cultural perspective and he has developed a particular interest in perceptions of ideal body size in different national and cultural settings. His research also focuses on body image, particularly the promotion of healthier self-perceptions, and he currently serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Body Image. Dr. Swami's other research interests are eclectic and he has previously published peer-reviewed articles on, among other things, conspiracy theories, tattoos (of which he has several), mental health literacy and aesthetic preferences. He has published some 150 peer-reviewed journal articles, has edited two volumes of chapters (''Evolutionary Psychology: A Critical Introduction'' and ''Body Beautiful: Evolutionary and Sociocultural Perspectives''), and is the author of ''The Missing Arms of Venus de Milo'' and (with Adrian Furnham) ''The Psychology of Physical Attraction.'' He lives in London with his partner Amy and their dog Brick.
viren swami - Google Search
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:27
  Swami, Dr Viren - About us - University of Westminster, Londonwww.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/.../swami-dr-viren- CachedThe profile of Dr Viren Swami who is a member of staff at the University ofWestminster.Viren Swami, Ph.D. - YouBeauty - The Science of a Beautiful Youwww.youbeauty.com/authors/viren-swami-phd- CachedDr. Viren Swami is a Reader in Psychology at the University of Westminster inLondon, England. Malaysian-born and British-educated, he is internationally ...Images for Viren SwamiDr Viren Swami on physical attraction - Wellcome Collectionwww.wellcomecollection.org/.../packed-lunch-with-viren-swami.aspx- Cached - SimilarHe talks to the Wellcome Trust's Daniel Glaser about the secrets of physicalattraction, how body image differs across cultures, and why who you fancy can ...Wiley: Evolutionary Psychology: A Critical Introduction - Viren Swamiwww.wiley.com/WileyCDA/.../productCd-EHEP001548.html- CachedViren Swami trained as an evolutionary psychologist, and for his doctorateexamined the roles that body shape and weight play in judgements of physical ...Amazon.com: Viren Swami: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks ...www.amazon.com/Viren-Swami/e/B001JP3UV6- CachedVisit Amazon.com's Viren Swami Page and shop for all Viren Swami books andother Viren Swami related products (DVD, CDs, Apparel). Check out pictures ...The Psychology of Physical Attraction: Viren Swami, Adrian ...www.amazon.com/Psychology-Physical...Viren-Swami/.../0415422515- Cached - SimilarThe Psychology of Physical Attraction [Viren Swami, Adrian Furnham] on Amazon.com. *FREE* super saver shipping on qualifying offers. People have long ...Viren Swami | Facebookwww.facebook.com/virenkool- CachedViren Swami is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Viren Swami andothers you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the ...Viren Swami - Google Scholar Citationsscholar.google.com/citations?user=uGoJwWcAAAAJ&hl=en
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  Rating: 4 - 1 voteViren Swami is the author of The Psychology of Physical Attraction (2.80 avgrating, 5 ratings, 1 review, published 2007), Evolutionary Psychology (0.0 a...Searches related to Viren Swami
Maggie Koerth-Baker - Boing Boing
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:23
  I have a personal Facebook account, which I use to keep up with friends and family. Like many of you, I've also discovered that this gives me a peek inside the psyche of those friends and family '-- and one of the things that I saw was an interest (and sometimes belief in) conspiracy theories. It wasn't limited to the Right or the Left. And it definitely wasn't limited to people I love but consider a little "off", if you know what I'm saying.* Over and over, I saw perfectly rational, sane people, supporting and spreading ideas that, to me, seemed a little nuts.
  And that made me curious: Where do conspiracy theories come from? The answer, according to psychologists and sociologists, is not "Glenn Beck's fevered imagination." In fact, the category "people who believe in conspiracy theories" can't even really be separated into The Other in a nice, neat way. If you look at the data, the people who believe in conspiracy theories are us. And those theories grow out of both historical context, our feelings about ourselves and the wider world, and the way that our brains respond to feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty. Here's a short excerpt from my most recent column for The New York Times Magazine:
  While psychologists can't know exactly what goes on inside our heads, they have, through surveys and laboratory studies, come up with a set of traits that correlate well with conspiracy belief. In 2010, Swami and a co-author summarized this research in The Psychologist, a scientific journal. They found, perhaps surprisingly, that believers are more likely to be cynical about the world in general and politics in particular. Conspiracy theories also seem to be more compelling to those with low self-worth, especially with regard to their sense of agency in the world at large. Conspiracy theories appear to be a way of reacting to uncertainty and powerlessness.
  Economic recessions, terrorist attacks and natural disasters are massive, looming threats, but we have little power over when they occur or how or what happens afterward. In these moments of powerlessness and uncertainty, a part of the brain called the amygdala kicks into action. Paul Whalen, a scientist at Dartmouth College who studies the amygdala, says it doesn't exactly do anything on its own. Instead, the amygdala jump-starts the rest of the brain into analytical overdrive '-- prompting repeated reassessments of information in an attempt to create a coherent and understandable narrative, to understand what just happened, what threats still exist and what should be done now. This may be a useful way to understand how, writ large, the brain's capacity for generating new narratives after shocking events can contribute to so much paranoia in this country.
  Read the rest
  *This joke is totally going to get me into trouble. Dear friends and family: Trust me, you are not the one I'm referring to here.
  Image: December 21st...., a Creative Commons Attribution No-Derivative-Works (2.0) image from clawzctr's photostream
Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories - NYTimes.com
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 12:17
  In the days following the bombings at the Boston Marathon, speculation online regarding the identity and motive of the unknown perpetrator or perpetrators was rampant. And once the Tsarnaev brothers were identified and the manhunt came to a close, the speculation didn't cease. It took a new form. A sampling: Maybe the brothers Tsarnaev were just patsies, fall guys set up to take the heat for a mysterious Saudi with high-level connections; or maybe they were innocent, but instead of the Saudis, the actual bomber had acted on behalf of a rogue branch of our own government; or what if the Tsarnaevs were behind the attacks, but were secretly working for a larger organization?
  Crazy as these theories are, those propagating them are not '-- they're quite normal, in fact. But recent scientific research tells us this much: if you think one of the theories above is plausible, you probably feel the same way about the others, even though they contradict one another. And it's very likely that this isn't the only news story that makes you feel as if shadowy forces are behind major world events.
  ''The best predictor of belief in a conspiracy theory is belief in other conspiracy theories,'' says Viren Swami, a psychology professor who studies conspiracy belief at the University of Westminster in England. Psychologists say that's because a conspiracy theory isn't so much a response to a single event as it is an expression of an overarching worldview.
  As Richard Hofstadter wrote in his seminal 1965 book, ''The Paranoid Style in American Politics,'' conspiracy theories, especially those involving meddlesome foreigners, are a favorite pastime in this nation. Americans have always had the sneaking suspicion that somebody was out to get us '-- be it Freemasons, Catholics or communists. But in recent years, it seems as if every tragedy comes with a round of yarn-spinning, as the Web fills with stories about ''false flag'' attacks and ''crisis actors'' '-- not mere theorizing but arguments for the existence of a completely alternate version of reality.
  Since Hofstadter's book was published, our access to information has vastly improved, which you would think would have helped minimize such wild speculation. But according to recent scientific research on the matter, it most likely only serves to make theories more convincing to the public. What's even more surprising is that this sort of theorizing isn't limited to those on the margins. Perfectly sane minds possess an incredible capacity for developing narratives, and even some of the wildest conspiracy theories can be grounded in rational thinking, which makes them that much more pernicious. Consider this: 63 percent of registered American voters believe in at least one political conspiracy theory, according to a recent poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University.
  While psychologists can't know exactly what goes on inside our heads, they have, through surveys and laboratory studies, come up with a set of traits that correlate well with conspiracy belief. In 2010, Swami and a co-author summarized this research in The Psychologist, a scientific journal. They found, perhaps surprisingly, that believers are more likely to be cynical about the world in general and politics in particular. Conspiracy theories also seem to be more compelling to those with low self-worth, especially with regard to their sense of agency in the world at large. Conspiracy theories appear to be a way of reacting to uncertainty and powerlessness.
  Economic recessions, terrorist attacks and natural disasters are massive, looming threats, but we have little power over when they occur or how or what happens afterward. In these moments of powerlessness and uncertainty, a part of the brain called the amygdala kicks into action. Paul Whalen, a scientist at Dartmouth College who studies the amygdala, says it doesn't exactly do anything on its own. Instead, the amygdala jump-starts the rest of the brain into analytical overdrive '-- prompting repeated reassessments of information in an attempt to create a coherent and understandable narrative, to understand what just happened, what threats still exist and what should be done now. This may be a useful way to understand how, writ large, the brain's capacity for generating new narratives after shocking events can contribute to so much paranoia in this country.
  ''If you know the truth and others don't, that's one way you can reassert feelings of having agency,'' Swami says. It can be comforting to do your own research even if that research is flawed. It feels good to be the wise old goat in a flock of sheep.
  Surprisingly, Swami's work has also turned up a correlation between conspiracy theorizing and strong support of democratic principles. But this isn't quite so strange if you consider the context. Kathryn Olmsted, a historian at the University of California, Davis, says that conspiracy theories wouldn't exist in a world in which real conspiracies don't exist. And those conspiracies '-- Watergate or the Iran-contra Affair '-- often involve manipulating and circumventing the democratic process. Even people who believe that the Sandy Hook shooting was actually a drama staged by actors couch their arguments in concern for the preservation of the Second Amendment.
  Our access to high-quality information has not, unfortunately, ushered in an age in which disagreements of this sort can easily be solved with a quick Google search. In fact, the Internet has made things worse. Confirmation bias '-- the tendency to pay more attention to evidence that supports what you already believe '-- is a well-documented and common human failing. People have been writing about it for centuries. In recent years, though, researchers have found that confirmation bias is not easy to overcome. You can't just drown it in facts.
  In 2006, the political scientists Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler identified a phenomenon called the ''backfire effect.'' They showed that efforts to debunk inaccurate political information can leave people more convinced that false information is true than they would have been otherwise. Nyhan isn't sure why this happens, but it appears to be more prevalent when the bad information helps bolster a favored worldview or ideology.
  In that way, Swami says, the Internet and other media have helped perpetuate paranoia. Not only does more exposure to these alternative narratives help engender belief in conspiracies, he says, but the Internet's tendency toward tribalism helps reinforce misguided beliefs.
  And that's a problem. Because while believing George W. Bush helped plan the Sept. 11 attacks might make you feel in control, it doesn't actually make you so. Earlier this year, Karen Douglas, a University of Kent psychologist, along with a student, published research in which they exposed people to conspiracy theories about climate change and the death of Princess Diana. Those who got information supporting the theories but not information debunking them were more likely to withdraw from participation in politics and were less likely to take action to reduce their carbon footprints.
  Alex Jones, a syndicated radio host, can build fame as a conspiracy peddler; politicians can hint at conspiracies for votes and leverage; but if conspiracy theories are a tool the average person uses to reclaim his sense of agency and access to democracy, it's an ineffective tool. It can even have dangerous health implications. For example, research has shown that African-Americans who believe AIDS is a weapon loosed on them by the government (remembering the abuses of the Tuskegee experiment) are less likely to practice protected sex. And if you believe that governments or corporations are hiding evidence that vaccines harm children, you're less likely to have your children vaccinated. The result: pockets of measles and whooping-cough infections and a few deaths in places with low child-vaccination rates.
  Psychologists aren't sure whether powerlessness causes conspiracy theories or vice versa. Either way, the current scientific thinking suggests these beliefs are nothing more than an extreme form of cynicism, a turning away from politics and traditional media '-- which only perpetuates the problem.
  Maggie Koerth-Baker is science editor at BoingBoing.net and author of ''Before the Lights Go Out,'' on the future of energy production and consumption.
Godlike Productions is a scam to steal your money
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 10:03
  Yes you read that right. Godlike Productions(GLP) is a a fraud! While disguised as an alternative media website operating on the edge of disclosing news the mainstream media keeps quiet about, they are actually all about only one thing: To get into your wallet as fast as possible.Let me tell you what happened when i tried to sign up there for the first time in my life: I registered an account, which went fine. After activating the account through the activation email I set out to fill out my profile there and while I was in the middle of doing to I got hit with the banned page. Apparently my IP address was banned, even though it was my very first visit to their forums.
  Oh well while signing up I already read about automated software they had running on the site in order to keep spammers at bay, so I thought that it was just a software glitch. So the next step was filling out their unban request form and request my IP to be unbanned.
  Here is the email that followed after my unban request:
  Your unban request was denied.We're sorry but the IP address you are using to access this website has been banned. If you wish to immediately bypass this ban, you can choose to become an upgraded member. Follow the instructions and links for this option on the "banned page" you receive when trying to view godlikeproductions.com. If you are already an upgraded member, you can log into your account from the ban page and you will be able to access the site immediately. If you choose not to become an upgraded member of GLP you will have to wait for the ban to be lifted before you will be able to view this website. Please check back later.
  As you can see they are unwilling to lift the ban even though they provided no reason for it(How could they I haven't even made one post there), but if I shell out some cash to become an "upgraded" member it's all good and the ban will immediately be lifted! I don't know about you but I read that as an extortion email to get me to shell out money.The money they are after is a subscription based fee at $ 10 monthly, $37 annually or $ 100 per year!!! That's a nice scam they got going there! Extort a few suckers a day in to paying up and it will add up nicely for the owner of GLP!
  Of course I sent them a "nice" email back telling them to stick the account where the sun doesn't shine, but I do find it important to spread the word through the alternative media community throughout the Internet.
  So people, beware when you are looking at GLP it is a scam site designed to part you with your cash as fast as possible. My next step is going to be to file an official complaint at Paypal whom they use to get the extortion money to their accounts!Read the full article on the blog.
WikiLeaks hearing focuses on classified evidence
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 10:00
  FORT MEADE, Md. '' The Army private who gave more than 700,000 secret U.S. documents to WikiLeaks is returning to Fort Meade for the last scheduled hearing before his military trial next month.
  The pretrial hearing Tuesday for Pfc. Bradley Manning concerns classified material that would be used as evidence during the trial starting June 3.
  The court met in a closed session May 8 to test alternatives to courtroom closures. The alternatives could include unclassified summaries of classified material. Or the lawyers and judge could use code words to refer to classified information.
  Manning has pleaded guilty to reduced charges that could send him to prison for 20 years. Military prosecutors aim to convict him of the greater offenses, including aiding the enemy, which carries a maximum life sentence.
Christopher 'Kid' Reid & Bill Maher: Get High Buddies?
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  Source: Jacky Jasper's Diary of a Hollywood Street King
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:59
  by Jacky Jasper
  Cocaine Cowboys?HSK Exclusive - It may have been almost 20-years since the movie 'House Party' was released, but Christopher 'Kid' Reid seems to still be living his party days. That's because the now 49-year-old actor was spotted at West Hollywood's House Of Blues trying to score some blow, before we're told he paired-up with HBO's Bill Maher to do some bumps.
  Witnesses say it happened Saturday night, during the Big Boi concert. We're told Kid was asking randoms for cocaine before he eventually scored and headed to the men's bathroom, with 57-year-old Bill Maher, to get high.
  Here's the drop:
  ''Chris and Bill were lookin' all bugged out, standing in the corner watching Big Boi doing Outkast songs without Andre 3000.
  Big Boi was suppose to be doing songs from his new album, but he kept on doing Outkast songs. Big Boi had Sleepy Brown and C Bone doing Andre 3000'²s parts. Does Andre know?''
The audacious plan to end hunger with 3-D printed food '' Quartz
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48
  Anjan Contractor's 3D food printer might evoke visions of the ''replicator'' popularized in Star Trek, from which Captain Picard was constantly interrupting himself to order tea. And indeed Contractor's company, Systems & Materials Research Corporation, just got a six month, $125,000 grant from NASA to create a prototype of his universal food synthesizer.
  But Contractor, a mechanical engineer with a background in 3D printing, envisions a much more mundane'--and ultimately more important'--use for the technology. He sees a day when every kitchen has a 3D printer, and the earth's 12 billion people feed themselves customized, nutritionally-appropriate meals synthesized one layer at a time, from cartridges of powder and oils they buy at the corner grocery store. Contractor's vision would mean the end of food waste, because the powder his system will use is shelf-stable for up to 30 years, so that each cartridge, whether it contains sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein or some other basic building block, would be fully exhausted before being returned to the store.
  Ubiquitous food synthesizers would also create new ways of producing the basic calories on which we all rely. Since a powder is a powder, the inputs could be anything that contain the right organic molecules. We already know that eating meat is environmentally unsustainable, so why not get all our protein from insects?
  If eating something spat out by the same kind of 3D printers that are currently being used to make everything from jet engine parts to fine art doesn't sound too appetizing, that's only because you can currently afford the good stuff, says Contractor. That might not be the case once the world's population reaches its peak size, probably sometime near the end of this century.
  ''I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can't supply 12 billion people sufficiently,'' says Contractor. ''So we eventually have to change our perception of what we see as food.''
  There will be pizza on MarsThe ultimate in molecular gastronomy. (Schematic of SMRC's 3D printer for food.)SMRC
  If Contractor's utopian-dystopian vision of the future of food ever comes to pass, it will be an argument for why space research isn't a complete waste of money. His initial grant from NASA, under its Small Business Innovation Research program, is for a system that can print food for astronauts on very long space missions. For example, all the way to Mars.
  ''Long distance space travel requires 15-plus years of shelf life,'' says Contractor. ''The way we are working on it is, all the carbs, proteins and macro and micro nutrients are in powder form. We take moisture out, and in that form it will last maybe 30 years.''
  Pizza is an obvious candidate for 3D printing because it can be printed in distinct layers, so it only requires the print head to extrude one substance at a time. Contractor's ''pizza printer'' is still at the conceptual stage, and he will begin building it within two weeks. It works by first ''printing'' a layer of dough, which is baked at the same time it's printed, by a heated plate at the bottom of the printer. Then it lays down a tomato base, ''which is also stored in a powdered form, and then mixed with water and oil,'' says Contractor.
  Finally, the pizza is topped with the delicious-sounding ''protein layer,'' which could come from any source, including animals, milk or plants.
  The prototype for Contractor's pizza printer (captured in a video, above) which helped him earn a grant from NASA, was a simple chocolate printer. It's not much to look at, nor is it the first of its kind, but at least it's a proof of concept.
  Replacing cookbooks with open-source recipesSMRC's prototype 3D food printer will be based on open-source hardware from the RepRap project.RepRap
  Remember grandma's treasure box of recipes written in pencil on yellowing note cards? In the future, we'll all be able to trade recipes directly, as software. Each recipe will be a set of instructions that tells the printer which cartridge of powder to mix with which liquids, and at what rate and how it should be sprayed, one layer at time.
  This will be possible because Contractor plans to keep the software portion of his 3D printer entirely open-source, so that anyone can look at its code, take it apart, understand it, and tweak recipes to fit. It would of course be possible for people to trade recipes even if this printer were proprietary'--imagine something like an app store, but for recipes'--but Contractor believes that by keeping his software open source, it will be even more likely that people will find creative uses for his hardware. His prototype 3D food printer also happens to be based on a piece of open-source hardware, the second-generation RepRap 3D printer.
  ''One of the major advantage of a 3D printer is that it provides personalized nutrition,'' says Contractor. ''If you're male, female, someone is sick'--they all have different dietary needs. If you can program your needs into a 3D printer, it can print exactly the nutrients that person requires.''
  Replacing farms with sources of environmentally-appropriate calories2032: Delicious Uncle Sam's Meal Cubes are laser-sintered from granulated mealworms; part of this healthy breakfast.TNO Research
  Contractor is agnostic about the source of the food-based powders his system uses. One vision of how 3D printing could make it possible to turn just about any food-like starting material into an edible meal was outlined by TNO Research, the think tank of TNO, a Dutch holding company that owns a number of technology firms.
  In TNO's vision of a future of 3D printed meals, ''alternative ingredients'' for food include:
  From astronauts to emerging marketsWhile Contractor and his team are initially focusing on applications for long-distance space travel, his eventual goal is to turn his system for 3D printing food into a design that can be licensed to someone who wants to turn it into a business. His company has been ''quite successful in doing that in the past,'' and has created both a gadget that uses microwaves to evaluate the structural integrity of aircraft panels and a kind of metal screw that coats itself with protective sealant once it's drilled into a sheet of metal.
  Since Contractor's 3D food printer doesn't even exist in prototype form, it's too early to address questions of cost or the healthiness (or not) of the food it produces. But let's hope the algae and cricket pizza turns out to be tastier than it sounds.
VIDEO: EU summit debate
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: BBC News - Europe
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39
  EU governments have been criticised by the European Commission and many MEPs for failing to do enough to tackle the problem of tax evasion and tax havens.
  The debate on 21 May 2013 took place a day before a summit of EU leaders that has been called to try and stem the flow of money lost to tax avoidance.
  Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said the problem cost the EU around '‚¬1tn a year, "nearly double the 2012 annual budget of all member states, and more than the total spent on healthcare across the EU".
  He said he welcomed a focus from EU governments on tackling tax avoidance "that frankly wasn't there before".
  Liberal group leader Guy Verhofstadt called for "concrete measures" to be put forward, such as a formal blacklist of offshore tax havens, and an EU-wide common corporate tax base.
  But Ukip leader Nigel Farage accused critics of tax avoidance and tax havens of taking "a high moral tone".
  He continued: "Tax avoidance is legal. Tax havens exist as we have a statist mindset in the EU that we need to get as much tax from people as we possibly can."
  Energy
  The week's EU summit is also due to cover energy policies, and moves towards completing the single market in the energy sector by the Commission deadline of 2014.
  Mr Barroso warned that Europe's dependence on imported energy was increasing, and could reach 80% by 2035.
  He said that the EU needed to take tough decisions, pointing to the boom in energy production in the US following the exploitation of shale gas - something opposed by some environmentalists in the EU.
  He added that the EU was spending '‚¬5bn of the next long-term budget on improving energy infrastructure and connectivity.
LIVE. 500 miljoen euro extra naar Brussel
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: GeenStijl
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:39
  Morgen Eurotop, dus vandaag voorbereidend Kamerdebat. Brussel wil 500 miljoen extra van Nederland omdat Rompie z'n begroting niet op orde krijgt. Logisch, met 10.000+ EU-ambtenaren die meer verdienen dan Rutte en allemaal 's morgens al aan de gratis gintonic willen. VVD'er Verheijen riep heel stoer: "We leggen ons er niet bij neer!" Dijsselbloem (PvdA), dezelfde dag: "Nou, die knaken zijn we kwijt hoor." Het wordt dus dat laatste. Het nieuwe Brusselse Paleis van de Hemelse Eenheid moet namelijk nog af. Dat zou 240 mio kosten, maar het wordt iets meer: 327 miljoen. Oeps. Nog iets meer 'oeps': de bailouts die Cyprus vorige week gestort kreeg. Daar is wat mee. Dijsselbloems Eurogroup van EU MinFins liet voor er tot betaling werd overgegaan door EU-instituut Moneyval (samen met Deloitte) onderzoek doen naar witwaspraktijken op het eiland. Publiek geheim dat Cyprus een Russisch witwaswalhalla is, maar Moneyval bleef positief: de bankensector werd publiekelijk gezond verklaard, het rapport bleef geheim en de bailouts zijn betaald. Nu is het rapport alsnog uitgelekt en het blijkt vernietigend. Het lek is Jeroen Dijsselbloem zelf, die tegen de EU-regels in een samenvatting naar de Kamer stuurde. Daarmee heeft hij de Kamer zelfstandig ge¯nformeerd, en niet gewacht tot die via de media moesten vernemen wat er in staat (zoals het bij Weekers ging). Maar met het openbaren van het rapport erkent Diesel Boom ook dat zijn Eurogroup officieel wist dat de witwasmaffia het Cypriotische bankenstelsel in haar greep had v""rdat de bailouts werden overgemaakt. Daarover willen verschillende Kamerleden nog een paar vragen stellen. En daarna stemmen ze alsnog in met het weggeven van 500 miljoen euro extra zuipgeld aan Brussel. Sprekerslijst hierrr (pdf), debat (zodra Schulz uitgebabbeld is) op EUROPAMEISTER24.
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Airbnb Illegal In New York City
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:21
  An administrative law judge has found Airbnb to be illegal in New York City, reports Fast Company.Airbnb, the site that lets you rent out your apartment or house like a bed-and-breakfast, violates the New York City hotel law that prevents you from renting out your property for less than 29 days.
  The law was originally put in place as a means to stop landlords from running illegal hotels from their property.
  Those of you running your black market Airbnb housing operations in the city right now, don't panic just yet '' this law is only actionable as a secondary offense. For example, if the police show up after a noise complaint and then find you renting out your place, only then are you in extra trouble.
  Would-be slumlords better run a tight ship. At the time of this writing there are over 1,000 places available in New York City through Airbnb.
George Michael's car problem
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:14
  Clunk-click every trip '... George Michael. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
  Age: 49.
  Appearance: Retired gigolo.
  We all know what George Michael looks like. And that he would make a rather work-shy gigolo. Although he's looking a bit rough at the moment.
  Been out partying all night, has he? Rougher than that. He's covered with cuts and bruises.
  It might have been quite an adventurous party. It wasn't. He seems to have fallen from a moving car.
  Ow! On the M1.
  OOWWWW! Apparently at 70mph.
  Holy shi '... But he's OK. He suffered head injuries, and was flown to hospital by air ambulance, but is now said to be "fine" after sustaining only "superficial cuts".
  What happened? That remains unclear. The Sun has an interview with a woman who claims to have been right behind his Range Rover when he tumbled out of the passenger door.
  May I say "ow" again? You may. The woman says she heard that he was trying to quickly open and shut his door because it wasn't shut properly, but then fell out.
  Can I ask you something? Of course.
  What is it with George Michael and cars? That, my heavy-typefaced friend, is one of the great mysteries of pop. This is now the eighth vehicular incident of his career.
  Refresh my memory. Four crashes '' in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010 '' into barriers on the A20, a bollard, a lorry and a north London branch of Snappy Snaps respectively.
  Sometimes you're just in a real hurry to get your pictures developed. And sometimes you're stoned off your bonce. There was also the time when he hit three parked cars while trying to get out of his space in 2006, plus two slumped-at-the-wheel incidents in the same year.
  And now this. And now this.
  Is it actually illegal to fall out of a moving car? It must be quite hazardous to other people. I'm not sure. I don't think it's one of those things that ever needed banning.
  At least he's trying something new though, eh? Erm, yes. I suppose you could say that.
  Do say: "Perhaps an extra seat belt might be a good idea?"
  Don't say: "Have you considered travelling in the boot?"
MSNBC Ratings Hit 7-Year Low As Obama Scandals Pile Up'...
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:03
  Feel good story of the day.
  Via Deadline Hollywood:
  The scandals of the Obama administration seem to be hurting not just the White House but MSNBCas well while Fox News Channel scored its second-best week of the year. After double-digit gains during last year's presidential election, May 13-17 saw the progressive-aligned ''Lean Forward'' news network hit new lows as the IRS scandal erupted and revelations that the Justice Department secretly obtained AP records became public. With 350,000 viewers on average and 94,000 among the adults 25-54 demo, MSNBC had its least-watched and lowest-rated total-day results of the year last week. That was also the lowest total-day demo result the network has had since the week of June 26-July 2, 2006, when MSNBC pulled in just 83,000 viewers among adults 25-54, according to Nielsen data.
  Last week's total day results were down 17% in viewers and 22% among the demo from the comparable May 14 to May 18 week of last year. In primetime, the numbers were even worse for MSNBC as a steady decline from the beginning of the year continued. The network had 570,000 total viewers and 159,000 in the demo from 8 PM to 11 PM from May 13 to May 17, 2013. That's the lowest rated week of the year so far for MSNBC in terms of viewers and the third lowest of 2013 in the demo. The week of May 6 to May 12 was worst in the demo with 148,000 viewers when the network had 604,000 viewers on average. These latest results come as the news network's recently launched and struggling All In With Chris Hayes hit a new viewership of 396,000 and its second lowest demo audience of just 88,000 on May 14. It also comes on the heels of MSNBC falling in April ratings from its second place ranking of the year before.
  Keep reading'...
Nederland eist helderheid over EU-salarissen
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 09:03
  21/05/13, 15:32 '' bron: ANP
  (C) epa. Minister Timmermans van Buitenlandse Zaken met zijn Luxemburgse collega in Brussel.
  Nederland wil helderheid van de Europese Commissie in Brussel over de hoogte van de salarissen van de ambtenaren die voor de Europese Unie werken. Minister Frans Timmermans van Buitenlandse Zaken heeft daarover later deze week een gesprek met verantwoordelijk Europees commissaris Maros Sefcovic.
  Dat zei Timmermans dinsdag in Brussel. De hoogte van de personeelskosten van de duizenden EU-ambtenaren in Brussel is Nederland al langer een doorn in het oog.
  'Ik wil geen appels met peren vergelijken. Maar ik wil wel een eerlijke vergelijking kunnen maken met de salarissen van mensen in Nederlandse overheidsdienst', aldus Timmermans. 'Ik wil bijvoorbeeld precies weten wie er in Brussel meer verdient dan de Nederlandse minister-president.'
  Timmermans benadrukte al herhaaldelijk dat de EU-salarissen omlaag moeten. Volgens de sociaaldemocratische bewindsman is de hoogte van de EU-salarissen en vergoedingen niet meer van deze tijd en lopen ze uit de pas met die in de EU-landen.
  Eerder dit jaar bleek dat zeker 3000 EU-ambtenaren bruto meer verdienen dan premier Mark Rutte. De Duitse krant Die Welt meldde dat 11.117 ambtenaren door toelages en zo aan het einde van de maand meer overhouden dan de Duitse bondskanselier Angela Merkel. Als die cijfers kloppen, zou dat betekenen dat (C)(C)n op de vier EU-ambtenaren met zijn salaris boven dat van de Nederlandse premier zit, berekende CDA-parlementarir Pieter Omtzigt.
Why Did Gold Recover More than $53 an Ounce in Yesterday's Markets?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Zero Hedge
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:34
  Consider this blatant, and what I consider to be deliberate, deception of this UK Telegraph article, in which journalist Nick Squires reports that newly appointed Pope Francis blamed ''free market capitalism'' for the economic tyranny spreading across the globe today. Upon reading this, I thought to myself, ''Well, we may have yet another religious leader with influence over millions that has no clue as to how the global banking system operates and consequently is going to mislead millions into adopting the belief that free-market capitalism (a market theory that is not practiced by any country in the world), and not the global banking system and bankers, are responsible for conditions of global economic misery.'' But my second thought was, "Did the Pope really say what Nick Squires said he stated?"
  Whether you are religious or not, it is undeniable that the Pope's public statements have an incredible amount of influence over people. However, religion aside, the key point I want to make is that people in extremely influential positions must be very careful to spread truth instead of falling victim to banker propaganda. In fact, Pope Francis's alleged statements sounded eerily similar to the disinformation favored by former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who also blamed free markets and the lack of ''regulation'' for spreading global economic misery instead of the true source - fractional reserve banking and Central Banks.
  However the truth to Greenspan's massive banker propaganda is that the idea of a Central Bank, an authoritarian entity that centralizes the control of a nation's credit and reports to no one but its owners, is 1 of the 10 major planks of Communism. Therefore, the very existence of a Central Bank means that no free markets can co-exist at the same time. Greenspan further deceived the people by blaming a lack of ''regulation'' as the central cause of our current global economic crisis, thereby implying that Central Banks should be granted more power to ''regulate'' the financial markets. However, most people that read Greenspan's statements don't understand that Central Banks never ''regulate'' capital markets, but only manipulate capital markets for their own benefit and to the detriment of the nation's people. Only people that understand Greenspan's propaganda understood that when he used the word ''regulate'', one should instead substitute the word ''manipulate'' to understand the truth.
  What does this have to do with being able to grasp the real reasons behind falling and rising gold and silver prices in the past month? Stick with me for a second and I will arrive at this point in just a moment. As I always do whenever I read something in the mainstream media, I decided to perform my own fact-checking, questioned the objectivity of Nick Squires, and went directly to the source of Nick's article '' the transcript of the Pope's speech. The below is what the Pope REALLY stated versus the Telegraph's lies that the Pope had blamed ''free market capitalism'' for the proliferation of economic tyranny worldwide:
  ''Certain pathologies are increasing, with their psychological consequences; fear and desperation grip the hearts of many people, even in the so-called rich countries; the joy of life is diminishing; indecency and violence are on the rise; poverty is becoming more and more evident. People have to struggle to live and, frequently, to live in an undignified way. One cause of this situation, in my opinion, is in the our relationship with money, and our acceptance of its power over ourselves and our society. Consequently the financial crisis which we are experiencing makes us forget that its ultimate origin is to be found in a profound human crisis. In the denial of the primacy of human beings! We have created new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal'...While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good.''
  Nowhere in the Pope's speech does he blame free market capitalism for conditions of economic tyranny as Mr. Squires reported. Instead, the Pope referred to ''the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation'' as to blame, but he never referred to these markets as ''free'' nor did he ever refer to these markets as ''capitalistic''. The reality today, of course, is that every major global capital market is unfair, rigged and manipulated by Central Banks and their participant commercial banks. The deduction that the Pope meant ''free market Capitalism'' in his reference to ''markets'' and ''financial speculation'' was one entirely conjured up out of thin air by Squires. That said, I absolutely disagree with the Pope that the right of control should be granted to the State, as the natural equilibrium of the State is to gravitate towards tyranny and the disenfranchisement of the people. Power should be granted to the people instead through the re-establishment of free markets, but this is an argument for a different day. Still, Squires absolutely misled people in his article by implying that the Pope blamed "free market capitalism" for our current plague of economic tyranny, when the Pope clearly blames the immorality of those that control markets and engage in the "manipulation and subjection of people."
  So now to gold and silver. Just as one can never trust the mainstream media to report any truth about the real reasons behind the rapidly growing economic suffering of people all over the world, one can never trust the mainstream media to report any truth about gold and silver markets as well. This is the point of this article. If you develop your beliefs about gold and silver by sourcing mainstream media news, everything you believe about gold and silver will always be wrong.
  Here is a portion of the text from a Reuters article released early yesterday, with an obvious anti-gold bias filled with many lies: ''Gold fell on Tuesday for the eighth of nine sessions, hurt by a firm dollar and persistent outflows from exchange-traded funds, pointing to more downside pressure on the metal'...Gold has been hit by a shift in investments into higher-yielding equities as fears grew that the U.S. Federal Reserve could soon end its bullion-friendly bond buying program'...'We can still see some selling pressure this morning. We don't see too much physical demand from the market,' said Peter Fung, head of dealing at Wing Fung Precious Metals in Hong Kong.'' Let's count the lies in that article:
  (1) A firm dollar? Nope. The USD is projecting the illusion of rising because it merely is falling less rapidly than two other major fiat rubbish currencies it is measured against, the Yen and the Euro. Since we know the US Federal Reserve is still creating massive amounts of USD out of thin air, we know that in reality, the USD is merely devaluing less quickly than other major fiat currencies at the present time.
  (2)Shift in investments to equities? By whom? Middle Eastern and Asian physical markets have been on fire as of late, and there is a huge rush to unload dollars for hard assets right now.
  (3) Not much physical demand for gold right now in Hong Kong? Really? Then why were net flows from Hong Kong to China of physical gold a massive 223 tonnes in March, well over twice the amount from the previous March. Furthermore, as I noted in my interview with Max Keiser several weeks ago, physical gold buying in Hong Kong has exploded as bankers have artificially discounted gold prices. Haywood Cheung, president of the Hong Kong Gold & Silver Exchange Society, stated, "In terms of [physical gold buying] volume, I haven't seen this gold rush for over 20 years. Older members who have been in the business for 50 years haven't seen such a thing."
  Thus, the Reuter's article emphatically reinforces the modus operandus of the mainstream media to spread banker propaganda and the fact that you must seek out alternative media if you want to know the truth, especially in regards to financial matters and the true origins of our current global economic crisis. Consider that when I released my article "Why the Western Banking Cartel's Gold and Silver Price Slam Will Backfire" to another mass media distribution outlet, Outbrain, in which I disclosed the facts about this current gold and silver banking cartel-initiated and artificial price slam, Outbrain refused to distribute my article for the following reason, even though tens of thousands of other news sites found enough interest and factual content in the article to link to it.
  ''Unfortunately, we can't accept and amplify your content across our publisher sites. We've had a several complaints about this category/type of content from our audiences, editors and publishers.'' - Outbrain
  I might have thought that perhaps this was one isolated case, but when Outbrain rejected another one of our articles about bitcoins for distribution that thousands of internet news sites again chose to link to, you may conclude for yourselves if Outbrain is just another mass media distribution site that has an agenda other than spreading truthful financial news. Given this pattern, we're quite sure that if GATA ever attempted to use Outbrain, that every one of their articles would likewise be rejected, even though they are the first organization to publicly speak out against banker manipulation of gold prices of which I am aware, and their documented accusations that were once accused of being "conspiracies" have now long been vindicated as fact.
  Articles about gold and bitcoin, rejected for distribution from Outbrain, but distributed by thousands of other news sites
  In any event, an individual that seeks out banking truth will never receive the truth about the real source of this massive and intensifying global economic crisis (Central Banks and the fractional reserve banking system) if his only source of information is the mainstream media. One needs to source alternative media news sources if one ever wishes to understand the truth about this monetary crisis and the reasons for gold and silver's enormous volatile movements as of late. Gold and silver's recent price fall has zero to do with, as the above Reuter's article claims, fears that the US Federal Reserve may end its ''bullion-friendly bond buying program'' or a lack of physical gold and silver purchases.
  Gold and silver's recent price fall occurred not because either precious metal was ''overbought'', not because of a ''stronger US dollar'', and not because the Federal Reserve may stop intervening in the Treasury bond market and stop artificially propping up the US treasury market. Gold and silver's recent price fall was 100% created by artificial banker manipulation of bogus paper derivative markets as I've explained in the article above. Furthermore, the price surge yesterday in gold (from a low just above $1340 in Asia to a close above $1395) and silver (closed about 8% higher than its low in Asia yesterday) yesterday was simply due to the fact that gold and silver remain in a strong bull market due to the race of competing Central Banks across the world to devalue their fiat currencies, and in the process, bankrupt the wealth of their citizens. Yesterday's large surge higher in the paper gold and silver markets was merely a counter-movement to the recent massive banking cartel manipulation and an attempt of paper prices to meet the real and considerably higher physical prices. Though gold and silver paper prices are likely to remain choppy and volatile in the short-term, this will not change the fact that physical gold and physical silver markets remain in a strong bull market. Any continuing volatility in paper gold and paper silver prices will also not change the fact that very significant premiums will continue to exist for real physical silver and gold over their paper prices.
  For information about the real reasons behind gold and silver's paper price volatility over the last several weeks, reference the below articles:
  "Indisputable Proof Paper Gold Markets are Massively Manipulated"
  Why the Western Banking Cartel's Gold and Silver Price Slam Will Backfire
  About the author: JS Kim is the Founder and Managing Director of SmartKnowledgeU, a fiercely independent research & consulting firm that focuses on the best ways to buy gold and buy silver as well as the provision of information about banking manipulation of paper gold and paper silver prices that allows investors to make rational, intelligent decisions versus irrational ones driven by emotion. For those that believe JS to be a gold and silver permabull, our clients were instructed to sell out of an Ultra Short Silver ETF we employed as a hedge at an average price of $85.53 a share in yesterday's markets, right before silver rocketed higher and the ETF plunged to $75.50. We will continue to hedge further volatility with new hedges as necessary.
  Average:Your rating: NoneAverage: 4.2(6 votes)
Yahoo's Tumblr Deal Is a Bet on a Shift in Social Media
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: NYT > Home Page
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:34
  By Ben Werschkul, Pedro Rafael Rosado and Alyssa Kim
  Yahoo Acquiring Tumblr: What It Means: The Times's Jenna Wortham on the reaction to Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr and what it means for users.
  Yahoo's $1.1 billion proposed acquisition of Tumblr is a huge coup for the young founder of the even younger start-up and a splashy move by Marissa Mayer to shake up her company.
  It also heralds a larger shift in social media. Facebook arguably invented modern social networking, and is still the king. But increasingly its approach is seen as passive and outdated as people flock to sites like Tumblr where they can be more actively engaged in creating personal, expressive content to share '-- and which could potentially translate to advertising dollars.
  ''People love a stage or a pulpit from which they can broadcast,'' S. Shyam Sundar, a director of the Media Effects Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, explained. ''The genie is out of the bottle. Everyone loves it and it's very seductive for users to get online and be a source of content, rather than just consuming passively.''
  This is behind the appeal of sites like Tumblr, where millions have created signature blogs; or Reddit, the news aggregator, which is encouraging users to make and upload video content to share; or video sites like YouTube. Also, Vine, a Twitter app that allows people to easily make and post six-second videos has been wildly popular since its debut in January. One of Vine's creators, Dom Hofmann, said its initial success was ''rooted in the simplicity of the tool.''
  Snapchat, the messaging application, which lets people add text or draw cartoons on top of photos and videos, is processing upward of 150 million images each day. And Instagram, which Facebook acquired last year, has attracted more than 100 million users in its short life span '-- letting people add vintage effects and other filters to their photos.
  The more services like Vine and Tumblr can ''come up with ways to let people control and generate content and project identity,'' Mr. Sundar predicted, the more successful they will be.
  Still, these newer sites have not yet proved they are moneymakers, which makes Yahoo's move a big bet. And as much as Tumblr's sale can be seen as a success story for the small company, it also hints at the darker struggles of a social media service that is rich in users and nothing else.
  Plus, Facebook is still a force to be reckoned with. The company has a billion-plus users and generated $5 billion in revenue last year. But except for the Instagram acquisition, Facebook has been slow to introduce tools to let members make and create interesting content beyond uploading photos and videos.
  The result is that it has evolved more into a social directory, a kind of yellow pages of the Internet, where people spend time tending to their public image and endlessly tweaking security settings to keep their party pictures private. And signs have begun to emerge that users are becoming bored and disenchanted with the site.
  A recent report by Piper Jaffray that surveyed 5,200 American teenagers on their online use found that while Facebook was still the most important media destination for teenagers, its popularity slipped by 9 percent from spring of 2012.
  Gene Munster, one of the lead analysts on the survey, said that if anything, the results showed that the taste and interest of Web users, particularly younger ones, was fickle and fleeting.
  ''It's not a question of whether or not Facebook will stay relevant,'' Mr. Munster said. ''On the margin, they will still be relevant. It's about the potential for declining engagement and what that impact is over the longer-term for making money.''
  People have so many news feeds, sites, apps and in-boxes competing for their time, said Kim Celestre, an analyst with Forrester Research, that the sites and services where they are active participants are more likely to hold their attention for longer, attracting advertising dollars. Tumblr says its members spend 24 billion minutes on the site each month.
  ''Big marketing campaigns are looking to bring people into their brand and immerse them,'' she said.
ROBBING DEPOSITORS
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: VENITISM
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:33
  Taxpayers and savers must be the last people called upon to bail out bankers, says Parliament's negotiating position, approved by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Monday on draft rules on how to save struggling banks. The text rules out using deposits below '‚¬100,000 or deposit guarantee funds, and says that even deposits above '‚¬100,000 should be the last to be called in. It also sets out strict conditions for using taxpayer's money.
  The negotiation position was approved with 39 votes in favour, 6 against and no abstentions. "I am very happy that the committee has given its broad support in clarifying the responsibility of shareholders and investors as well as for the tools which will provide stability to the financial markets in times of systemic crises", said rapporteur rapporteur Gunnar Hokmark (EPP, SV).
  Protecting depositors
  Under the draft rules, a struggling bank's own assets and liabilities would be the first used to resolve a crisis or wind it down (the "bailing-in" system). The recent Cyprus case clearly demonstrated the need for clear procedures to ensure that shareholders, bondholders, and only then depositors, foot the bill.
  The approved position broadly retains the Commission's proposed order of bank creditors to take a hit.. However, it also inserts clauses stipulating that insured deposits of below '‚¬100,000 can never be used, and that uninsured ones, i.e. those above '‚¬100,000, may only be used as a last resort.
  The text also deletes the possibility, suggested by the Commission, of diverting funds from deposit guarantee schemes to help pay for bank resolution measures.
  The "bail-in" scheme should be up and running by January 2016 at the latest, says the text, i.e. two years earlier than the Commission proposed, but one year later than the directive's other provisions, so as to allow some time for adaptation.
  Using public money
  The approved text details on how and when taxpayers' money could be called upon. The rules stipulate that this would be a last resort measure, to be taken only after all capital has been written down to zero and taxpayer intervention is necessary either to prevent "significant adverse effects on financial stability" or "to protect the public interest where the bank would have previously received extraordinary liquidity assistance from the central bank".
  Taxpayers' money may be used in three specific ways: to guarantee liabilities or assets, to take a stake in the bank, or to institute temporary public ownership.
  Strong resolution funds
  Each country is to set up its own resolution fund, financed by the banks themselves. Within 10 years of the directive's entry into force, each fund must have a capacity equal to 1.5% of the amount of deposits of the participating banks. The text also stipulates that resolution funds will not be duty bound to lend to each other.
  Next steps
  The Council must now adopt its position, after which MEPs and the Council Presidency will begin negotiations to hammer out a deal.
  Meanwhile, the Commission is expected to table a further proposal supplementing this system with an EU recovery and resolution authority and fund.
  Correspondents of http://venitism.blogspot.com report that EU plans a new law to grab the excess of a hundred-thousand-euro deposits if a bank fails! Barroso ordered the drafting of a directive on bank safety which would incorporate the issue of investor liability in member states' legislation. Your bank account can be cyprused! Dijsselbloem says the rescue program agreed for Cyprus - the first to impose a levy on bank deposits - would serve as a model for future crises, a trademark template of eurozone.
  Olli Ren says: The upcoming directive assumes that investor and depositor liability will be carried out in case of a bank restructuring or a wind-down. But there is a very clear hierarchy, at first the shareholders, then possibly the unprotected investments and deposits. However, the limit of 100,000 euros is sacred, deposits smaller than that are always safe. ECB's talk on Thursday about both standard and non-standard measures is very important because the ECB may have a role in making the situation easier.
Why don't schools and families build tornado shelters anymore?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: News 1 Stop
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:32
  Mike AdamsNatural NewsMay 21, 2013
  A mile-wide tornado with 200mph winds tore through the suburbs of Oklahoma yesterday, killing 51 people and broadcasting a rude reminder of the fragility of human life and human civilization. Here at Natural News, our hearts go out to the family members of those killed in the storm, and we hope some lessons can be learned from this that will save other lives in the future.
  But wait a second, you can't stop a tornado, right?
  Of course you cant. But you can prepare for a tornado, and here's where we get into a discussion that the mainstream media won't dare touch because it's not ''politically correct'' to have an intelligent discussion about any of this.
  But here's the question we need to ask if we're going to save lives: How many of those who were killed in the tornado knew there was a tornado warning in place but did nothing to move to a safe shelter? Obviously this question doesn't apply to all the children who were killed, as they are not responsible for their own actions. (Their parents are.) But how many adults actually took the tornado warnings seriously and sought adequate shelter?
  Because here's the simple, raw, undeniable truth of the matter: People who seek shelter vastly reduce their chances of becoming fatalities during any disaster. Tornados and hurricanes, in particular, come with advance warnings. They aren't like earthquakes that suddenly appear without any warning at all. Tornados usually give you minutes or even hours of advance notice. Hurricanes give you days of advance notice.
  And yet, even when huge hurricanes are approaching their target, many people deny the danger and take no precautions at all!
  Survivability vs. tornadoes is 80% preparedness and 20% luck
  To be clear what I'm saying here, you can never control 100% of your risk or outcomes in a natural disaster, but through smart preparedness strategies, you can very often control 80% or more.
  Taking tornados as an example, there is a reason why Oklahomans have, for generations, built ''storm shelters'' where they could retreat to survive an approaching storm. The photo on the right, for example, shows a low-tech, high-survivability storm shelter that can easily be installed in almost any yard.
  Storm shelters offer almost 100% survivability against tornados. Tornados cannot penetrate underground, after all. If YOU are underground, even in a small, cramped storm shelter that's just two meters wide and two meters tall, you have an almost 100% chance of emerging from the storm completely unhurt.
  Most fatalities in tornados happen because people are killed from flying debris. You might even call it ''wind shrapnel.'' Take a bunch of lumber, aluminum siding, bricks and roof trusses and accelerate them to 200 mph and you have a deadly weapon that will kill almost anyone it touches. But put your body just three feet underground '-- in a tornado shelter '-- and all that debris flies right past you, harmlessly above your shelter.
  America has become a culture of short-term thinkers
  Investing in a storm shelter, however, requires forethought. It requires long-term planning, and the culture of America has radically shifted away from long-term planning to short-term thinking. This is evident in our national debt spending, national politics, consumer behavior, education system and everything else.
  Housing companies that build homes in Oklahoma, Kansas, Northern Texas and other ''tornado alley'' zones don't even offer storm shelters. Most home buyers don't want storm shelters because they aren't long-term thinkers. But consider the facts: If you live in Oklahoma, you have to realize the area is going to be struck by devastating tornados sooner or later.
  People who buy homes in pine tree forests, similarly, would be insane to believe that forest won't one day burn up all around them. (All forests burn sooner or later.)
  People who live in Los Angeles have to be aware they're living in an earthquake zone, and folks who have homes in Florida must certainly realize they are sooner or later going to get hit with category 5 hurricanes.
  This isn't rocket science. No one who lives in Kansas, Oklahoma or Texas can claim to have been ''caught by surprise'' when these repeating natural disasters strike. To live in these areas is to live with the ever-present knowledge that such risks will never go away. My hope is that more and more of these people will take seriously the importance of personal preparedness so that more lives can be saved as these repeating disasters continue to unfold.
  Americans rarely seek shelter from storms, but they gladly ''shelter in place'' when government warns them about terrorists
  If you really want to get Americans to take cover and seek shelter, tell them there's an armed teenager running loose in their city, tossing pressure cookers everywhere. The people will immediately and obediently follow orders and seek cover in their homes.
  But tell them there's a category 5 hurricane about to strike their city, and they'll ignore the warnings while calling a bunch of friends over for a ''hurricane party.''
  Making matters worse, local governments rarely invest in the construction of buildings that can serve as effective shelters against oncoming storms. Many of the children killed in Oklahoma yesterday, for example, were killed by collapsing roofs of schools.
  Read this description from Fox News:
  Television footage on Monday afternoon showed homes and buildings that had been reduced to rubble in Moore, which is south of Oklahoma City. Footage also showed vehicles littering roadways south and southwest of Oklahoma City. At the Plaza Towers Elementary School, students were hugging and clinging to the walls of the school as the tornado passed over, KFOR reports. An Associated Press photographer saw several children being pulled out of what was left of the school. The school's roof appeared mangled and the walls had fallen in or had collapsed.
  Dare I ask the question: Why didn't that school have a basement for sheltering the children?
  The answer is devastatingly simple: Because even local governments in Oklahoma '-- where tornados are a predictable repeating threat '-- often don't think long-term enough to invest in basement shelters for their own children. If they had, those children could have simply been led into the basement and they would all still be alive today. (Tornados don't rip apart properly-constructed basement shelters.)
  Sometimes more people die than should have
  My message in all this? In every natural disaster, more people die than should have died. I'm not blaming everyone who died for their own death, because there's always that 20% ''luck'' factor when it comes to storm and disasters. Sometimes people are literally killed due to no fault of their own. Sometimes people who prepare still get caught by unexpected random events. But across the board, at least 80% of your ''risk'' in a natural disaster is under your own control.
  Is the TV news warning about an approaching tornado? Seek out an underground shelter and stay there until the storm passes.
  Is the National Weather Service warning about an approaching hurricane? Evacuate early and get out of the way of the storm.
  Worried about earthquakes? Carry emergency supplies in your car, in your basement and even simple items on your person (like a flashlight and seatbelt cutter).
  No matter what risks you face in your particular geographic area, there are smart, effective ways to drastically reduce your risk of being victimized by disasters.
  Nearly all ''natural'' disasters are repeating, predictable events that occur over and over again in the same geographic areas. People who build homes in flood plains should never be surprised when their homes flood. People who build homes in forests should never be surprised when those forests burn. People who live in Oklahoma should always be prepared for tornados.
  Did you know that the simple act of crawling into a roadway culvert can save your life from a tornado? Even lying in a ditch is often a far better strategy than hiding inside a building that can't handle the wind loads. There are many, many ways to protect yourself and your family members from tornados, hurricanes and other natural disasters. But you've got to take the idea of preparedness seriously'...
  '... and most people simply won't do that. It takes too much effort to plan ahead.
  This article was posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 5:38 am
  Tags: domestic news, government corruption, weather
Has Drug-Driven Medicine Become A Form of Human Sacrifice?
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:32
  "Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution the time willcome when medicine will organize itself into an undercoverdictatorship. To restrict the art of healing to doctors and denyequal privileges to others will constitute the Bastille of medicalscience. All such laws are un-American and despotic."
  ~ Attributed to Dr. Benjamin Rush,Signer of the Declaration ofIndependence
  Benjamin Rush accurately foretold a grave possibility facing Americans today, namely, that the art and science of healing be restricted to a select class of allopathic physicians, who have the sole legal right to recommend and administer medicines, and whose pharmacopeia excludes '' as a matter of principle '' all the healing foods, vitamins and herbs which have been used safely and effectively for countless millennia in the prevention and treatment of disease.
  We have entered an era where medicine no longer bears any resemblance to the art and science of healing. The doctor no longer facilitates the body's innate self-healing capabilities with time, care, good nutrition and special help from our plant allies. To the contrary, medicine has transmogrified into a business enterprise founded on the inherently nihilistic principles of pure, unbridled capitalism, with an estimated 786,000 Americans dying annually from iatrogenic or medically-caused deaths.*
  Many modern diseases are, in fact, created by fiat (not unlike modern currencies): age-old symptoms of nutritional deficiency or chemical poisoning are repackaged and renamed in Latin and Greek as would-be monolithic disease entities, and subsequently rolled out to the consumer as new markets; each disease representing a veritable gold mine of "treatable" symptoms; each symptom providing justification for the prescription of a new set of patented, toxic drug-commodities.
  The "medicines" themselves are often devoid of intrinsic value, being nothing more than rebranded and re-purposed chemicals, intended (though all too often failing) to be administered in sub-lethal concentrations. Indeed, many of these chemicals are too toxic to be legally released into the environment, and should never be administered intentionally to a human who is already sick. You need look no farther than a typical drug package insert to find proof that the side effects of most drugs far outnumber their purported beneficial effects.
  These chemicals, in fact, are so highly leveraged against their true value (or lack thereof), that they can sell for as much as 500,000% percent from cost! Only medical/pharmaceutical and financial institutions (e.g. Federal Reserve) are legally empowered to generate the illusion that they are creating something of value out of nothing of value, on this scale. This manipulation of perceived value, which is the basis for the global dominance of the drug-based medical model, is not unlike how financial institutions created toxic derivative products (e.g. Credit Default Swaps), essentially creating the illusion of financial wellbeing and prosperity, at the very moment that they were planting the seeds of death within the global economy; ruining the lives of countless millions in the process.
  The Undercover Medical Dictatorship
  Within our present dominant medical system, healing has not simply been forgotten but intentionally exorcized as it represents the antithesis of perpetual profitability which requires the incurability of the human body. Were the truth be told, and the body's self-regenerative capabilities acknowledged, the entire superstructure of drug-based medicine and hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue it generates annually, would crumble overnight. When a handful of turmeric has more chemotherapeutic activity than any drug yet to receive FDA approval, or an enzyme from pineapple is superior to a 40 year old blockbuster chemotoxic agent, one begins to understand why the hundreds of studies proving natural substances can destroy cancer are never discussed. You can't compete with free, effective and safe in a medical marketplace dominated by expensive, ineffective and unsafe drugs.
  If this degeneration into quackery and snake-oil salesmanship which is modern drug-driven medicine were simply a lesson in what bad things can happen when health care is no longer a basic human right but strictly a profit-driven commodity, perhaps Americans could find it within themselves to once again free themselves from the shackles of oppression. After all, do we not consider ourselves the very originators of freedom, independence and democracy? Have we not such great faith in these principles that we practically trip all over ourselves (crushing entire countries as we fall) in our Promethean effort to export these values overseas whether we are invited to do so or not? Would we stand for less, when it comes to our own health freedom?
  Sadly, the "undercover dictatorship" Benjamin Rush foretold is not simply a homegrown one we can root out from the inside, as it were. Although the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) behave as if they are at the top of this pyramid of power relations, they serve far lower on the hierarchy. While the government of the United States and American corporate lobbying groups may appear to be behind the FDA's shameless pandering to the interests of the drug companies, transnational corporations and organizations -- and a hand full of elite governing them -- are in fact pulling the strings.
  The United States no longer enjoys global economic and cultural hegemony. We are now embedded in an international playing field where multinational and transnational organizations like the drug company Pfizer, or the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), have power and influence that overshadows the US or any other particular government or nation-state. These larger organizations blur the divisions traditionally drawn between public and private institutions, insofar as their agendas and mandates are consistent with global economic imperatives which do not account for the self-proclaimed sovereignty of any particular nation-state's constitution or laws above its own.
  For example, the United States may soon no longer be able to allow the over-the-counter sale of many dietary supplements, due to our membership in the World Trade Organization and its ratification of the Codex Alimentarius. We already have prescription-only-vitamins on the US market, and a very dangerous precedent has already been set with the criminalization of herbs like cannabis, and more recently ephedra.
  What is so remarkable about the present state of affairs, is that it may have been predicted long ago, as evidenced by this passage in Revelations:
  At the end of times the merchants of the world will deceive the nations through their Pharmacia.(sorcery) -Rev 18:23
  Some believe we are now on the precipice of a medical end-of-times or "Pharmageddon," if you will, where medicine is no longer directly associated in any way with healing, rather, is a form of mass control and a highly organized means of defrauding the public of both its wealth and health, simultaneously.
  After all, is there any greater absurdity than a medical model that treats the symptoms of disease with sub-lethal dosages of toxic chemicals and in which there is no attempt to uncover, understand or remove the causes of those imbalances?
  After all, what disease has ever been found to be caused by a lack of a drug?
  Is acid reflux caused by a lack of proton-pump inhibitors?
  Is heart disease caused by a lack of statin drugs?
  Is osteoporosis caused by a lack of Fosamax?
  Is cancer caused by a lack of chemotherapy?
  Is depression caused by a lack of Paxil?
  Absolutely not! Then why would anyone consider it sound practice to use potentially toxic chemicals as a first-line treatment for conditions that are not caused by a lack of a chemical? To the contrary many diseases are caused exactly by culminative exposures to chemicals that not unlike drugs are biologically alien to the body. i.e we are treating poisoning with poisons!
  Can we dignify this approach by calling it medicine? Or, is it more accurately described as a form of sorcery?
  The sole reliance on Pharmaceuticals reveals quite a lot about the largely subconscious agenda underpinning modern medical practice. The Greek word Pharmakon has a wide range of meanings, with "drug" being the most widely recognized one. But the root of this word usage goes back much farther:
  "A Pharmak"s (Greek: Ï†Î±Ï�Î¼Î±ÎºÏŒÏ‚) in Ancient Greek religion was a kind of human scapegoat (a slave, a cripple or a criminal) who was chosen and expelled from the community at times of disaster (famine, invasion or plague) or at times of calendrical crisis, when purification was needed." [Source]
  The sacrificial dimension of the Pharmak"s carries on in the nostrums and potions later named after this ritualistic object:
  The term "pharmakos" later became the term "pharmakeus" which refers to "a drug, spell-giving potion, druggist, poisoner, by extension a magician or a sorcerer."A variation of this term is "pharmakon" (Ï†Î¬Ï�Î¼Î±ÎºÎÎ½) a complex term meaning sacrament, remedy, poison, talisman, cosmetic, perfume or intoxicant. From this, the modern term "pharmacology" emerged, [Source]
  Calling pharmaceutically-based medicine sacrifice-based, is not just metaphor. Animal sacrifice, in fact, undergirds the entire evidence-based model of drug development and testing, requiring millions of animals be tortured and destroyed every year. In juxtaposition to Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and countless other traditional, nature-based medical systems, which used living, healthy bodies as the model for preventing and treating disease in the sick, Western medicine took another, quite radically different path in an obsession with pathology.
  The karma, if you will, of this divergent path often leads patients, especially later in life, to be cut open themselves on an operating table, or poisoned to death, with the very same chemicals and procedures that the animal testing once done in their name, justifies.
  The reality is that medical practice, and the science that informs it, is as much mythos as logos, and one no longer has to look to religion for the absolutist claim to truth. Medical science has laid claim to the body in the same way that religions once laid claim to the soul. The physician today -- albeit a glorified "applied pharmacologist" -- has become the "priest of the body," capable of influencing the course of life or death by the quality, or combinations, of nostrums (s)he is able to apply to the problem (i.e. patient) at hand.
  Just as monotheism depends on there being "one God," modern medical science depends on the "evidence-based" concept that there is one truth, and one right way to apply it. This, by implication, gives absolute power to those who would claim to know the difference.
  In Benjamin Rush's time the medical dictatorship of which he spoke had not yet come to pass, and though magical potions like mercury and questionable techniques like bloodletting were used in colonial times, herbs were still considered and employed as legitimate medicines. Even if many wise women herbalists were eliminated as competition by being branded witches and sometimes murdered, the herbs themselves were not categorically demonized because no vast armory of pharmaceutical drugs had yet been created to supplant them.
  The herbs and foods themselves have now been both vilified as dangerous and lampooned as completely ineffectual, generating the ridiculous contradiction that we are supposed to be dumb enough to accept as truth: namely, that they are both impotent and unsafe.
  Given these circumstances confidence in the safety and efficacy of natural substances in the prevention and treatment of disease has not only waned, but the positive association between food and healing has been outright denied by medical authorities. It is illegal for non-doctors to make health claims for natural substances even if thousands of years of use in folk medicine and a vast emerging body of scientific research now confirms their benefits. You can't say cherries cure gout even if its true. (truth is no longer the criteria that decides what you can or cannot say).
  I started the website GreenMedInfo.com in August 2008 in order to provide free and convenient access to the massive amounts of research that have accumulated on the health benefits of natural substances over the past 50 years. The government database known as Medline (which is freely searchable) contains over 20 million biomedical citations from over 5,000 scientific journals, many of which focus specifically on the therapeutic action of foods, vitamins and spices on serious, even life-threatening disease.
  I believe that it is only through the free, uncensored and democratic dissemination of health information that we can secure our health freedom and through speaking truth to power, expose the fraud which is strictly profit-driven pharmaceutically-based medicine.
  Feel free to explore the 19000 + biomedical citations posted on GreenMedInfo.com that vindicate the safety and efficacy of natural substances in the prevention and treatment of disease.
  *Gary Null, PHD recently estimated that 786,000 Americans die annually from iatrogenic or medically caused deaths.
  Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.
Celeb Bono Partners with Monsanto, G8, to Biowreck Africa.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:32
  Rady AnandaFood Freedom News
  Last year, at the G8 Summit held at Camp David, President Obama met with private industry and African heads of state to launch the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, a euphemism for monocultured, genetically modified crops and toxic agrochemicals aimed at making poor farmers debt slaves to corporations, while destroying the ecosphere for profit.
  And Bono, of the rock group U2, is out shilling for Monsanto on this one.
  It's phase 2 of the Green Revolution. Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia are the first to fall for the deception, with Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and other African nations lining up for the "Grow Africa Partnership," under Obama's "Global Agricultural Development" plan.
  In Obama Pitches India Model of GM Genocide to Africa, Scott Creighton writes:
  But African civil society wants no part of this latest Monsanto aligned 'public private partnership.' Whatever will the progressives do now that their flawless hero has teamed up with their most hated nemesis to exploit an entire continent like they did to India not that long ago?
  With a commitment of $3 billion, Obama plans to 'partner up' with mega-multinationals like Monsanto, Diageo, Dupont, Cargill, Vodafone, Walmart, Pepsico, Prudential, Syngenta International, and Swiss Re because, as one USAID representative says 'There are things that only companies can do, like building silos for storage and developing seeds and fertilizers.'
  Of course, that's an outrageous lie. Private citizens have been building their own silos for centuries. But it's true that only the biowreck engineers will foist patented seeds and toxic chemicals on Africa.
  Creighton continues:
  Bono says that there has to be a 'public private partnership' in order to get this done and that they are going to be using the ideas of the African people and farmers. Really? This is what the African farmers say to that...
  'We request that: '' governments, FAO, the G8, the World Bank and the GAFSP reconsider their promotion of Public/Private Partnerships which, as they are now conceived, are not suitable instruments to support the family farms which are the very basis of African food security and sovereignty.' African Civil Society OrganizationsI wonder if that could be any clearer. They don't WANT the public private partnerships involved in this process.... It's not enough that huge mega-corporations are bleeding the nations of Africa dry by sucking the valuable mineral resources out of their hills. No. As Bono says about the development in Africa:'They're future consumers for the United States. The president is talking business. This is good. It's a whole new development paradigm today. The old donor/recipient relationship... it's over.'
  Volatility chimed in:
  The history of corporate agriculture and its 'Green Revolution' is a perfect example of the unfulfilled promises, and therefore proven lies, of corporatism. What was the Green Revolution? With a huge one-off injection of fossil fuels, and building upon ten thousand years of agronomy, corporate agriculture temporarily increased yields within the monoculture framework.
  But, in the Green Revolution, writes Volatility:
  The soil is stripped of all nutrition and zombified by ever-increasing applications of synthetic fertilizer. Monoculture is ever more dependent on the increasing application of ever more toxic herbicides and pesticides. Deployment of GMOs escalates these vulnerabilities. Factory farms can exist only with ever increasing use of antibiotics. All these systems are extremely tenuous, vulnerable, not robust, not resilient. They're all guaranteed to collapse. Hermetic monoculture, and industrial agriculture as such, is one big hothouse flower which requires perfect conditions to survive....[T]he Green Revolution was a scam to use cheap fossil fuels to increase monocrop yield, drive tens of millions off the land, and use the stolen land and food to render food temporarily artificially cheap for Western consumerism.
  Like with Monsanto's Bt cotton deployed in India, at first yields improved and farmers profited. Now, however, according to a leaked Advisory from the Minister of Agriculture obtained by the Hindustan Times last month:
  Cotton farmers are in a deep crisis since shifting to Bt cotton.... In fact cost of cotton cultivation has jumped...due to rising costs of pesticides. Total Bt cotton production in the last five years has reduced.
  The Advisory definitively links farmer suicides to debt-enslavement enabled by the synthetic food model spawned by Monsanto, Dupont and other ecocidal corporations: "The spate of farmer suicides in 2011-12 has been particularly severe among Bt cotton farmers."
  That's not all the harm wrought by the petrochemical synthetic ag industry, as this 2012 superweed map by the University of Wisconsin shows:
  Over half of US states are now plagued by agrochemically-induced superweeds. An industry sponsored study of pesticide use predicts that by 2016, nearly a billion pounds of these toxic chemicals will be poured on US soils.
  READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE ON ACTIVIST POST...
  Rady Ananda is the creator of Food Freedom News. Her work has appeared in several online and print publications, including four books. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from The Ohio State University's School of Agriculture. She is LinkedIn and tweets her own work from @RadysRant; while tweeting other work from @geobear7.
  Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.
Michael Jackson promoter 'worked without a contract'
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Culture | guardian.co.uk
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30
  Remember the time '... Michael Jackson rehearses for the This Is It tour in LA in 2009. Photograph: Kevin Mazur/AP
  As the trial into Michael Jackson's ill-fated This Is It tour continues, it has been claimed that AEG promoter Kenny Ortega was working without a contract.
  The late singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, is attempting to show in court that the promoters were negligent in hiring Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter over Jackson's death in June 2009. But in the latest development AEG's general counsel, Shawn Tell, has told jurors that Ortega, the tour's director, was working on the basis of an agreement solely laid out via emails.
  Ms Jackson claims that AEG failed to properly investigate Murray before hiring him to serve as her son's tour physician, and that the company ignored or missed warning signs about the singer's health. AEG denies that it hired Murray in the first place.
  In court, Ms Jackson's lawyers presented emails sent a month before the death of her son in which Murray's contract terms were laid out. But Trell claimed that the evidence did not demonstrate an employment relationship '' a crucial factor in the case. And while Trell acknowledged that Ortega was paid for his work on the shows, he claimed that this was only on the basis of the terms laid out in a series of emails. "Kenny Ortega is different from Conrad Murray," he said.
  Michael Jackson died before signing a $150,000-a-month contract for Murray to serve as his doctor on the series of concerts, planned to take place at London's 02 arena in the summer of 2009. AEG's lawyers say Jackson's signature was required to finalise Murray's contract.
  An email displayed in court showed Murray's contract terms. Other documents indicated AEG budgeted $300,000 to pay Murray for his work with Jackson in May and June of 2009.
  Another email said executive Paul Gongaware informed colleagues that Murray would be "full-time" on the tour by mid-May. Plaintiff's attorney Brian Panish asked Trell to agree with a statement that Murray was working for AEG.
  "I would totally disagree with that statement," Trell said, noting that Ortega and Murray were considered independent contractors. He also testified that the company obtained an insurance policy that covered the possible cancellation of some of the shows after the singer was evaluated by doctors. Trell testified that five days before Jackson's death, top AEG executives were informed the singer was in poor health. By that point, Ortega had sent executives an email titled "Trouble at the front", detailing Jackson's problems. "There are strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior," Ortega wrote to AEG Live's CEO, Randy Phillips.
  Now into its fourth week, the trial continues.
George Michael 'kept in hospital'
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:29
  21 May 2013Last updated at08:16 ETSinger George Michael is being kept in hospital for treatment after sustaining head injuries on the M1 in Hertfordshire, his spokeswoman said.
  The former Wham! star, aged 49, was a passenger in a Range Rover involved in an accident on Thursday at junction 6A, near St Albans.
  Michael, whose real name is Georgios Panayiotou, was airlifted to a specialist trauma centre in London.
  A spokeswoman for the star said he was "making good progress".
  Michael was found on the road by paramedics at the scene of the accident on Thursday afternoon.
  'Bumps and bruises'His spokeswoman said: "Following the traffic accident on Thursday, we can confirm that he is still in hospital.
  "We are keen to stress it's purely as a precaution for observation.
  "He did suffer a couple of bumps and bruises to the head and that's why they are keeping him in - to keep an eye on him.
  "He is doing better. He is making good progress and is looking forward to getting out."
  An ambulance service spokesman confirmed the patient, a man in his 40s, was "fully conscious" throughout the incident.
  "The patient was on the road when paramedics arrived," said Gary Sanderson, of the East of England Ambulance Service.
  "The patient required further assessments at a specialist trauma centre after he received a head injury.
  "He was fully conscious throughout his treatment at the scene and flight to hospital and the injuries were deemed non life threatening."
  A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said officers were unaware of any damage to the Range Rover and confirmed no other vehicles were involved.
69 miljoen voor 86 wetenschappers
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:28
  21/05/13, 13:28 '' bron: ANP
  (C) reuters. Een foto eerder uitgegeven door Nasa, van een zwart gat
  Wetenschapsorganisatie NWO heeft aan 86 wetenschappers in totaal 69 miljoen euro toegekend. Dat meldde NWO dinsdag. De onderzoekers krijgen elk tot 800.000 euro om een eigen onderzoekslijn te ontwikkelen en om een eigen onderzoeksgroep op te bouwen. Het gaat om wetenschappers die al enige tijd geleden gepromoveerd zijn en al een aantal jaar onderzoek hebben gedaan. Met de beurs kunnen ze 5 jaar lang onderzoek doen.
  De zogenoemde Vidi-beurzen gaan naar onderzoek naar onder meer hartfalen, psychopathie en sociale angst, minuscule enzymfabriekjes, nanodeeltjes voor de behandeling van kanker, steencirkels in Nicaragua, het verslaafde brein, zwarte gaten, online-privacy, aardbevingen en handel met voorkennis.
  432 onderzoekers dienden een Vidi-aanvraag in. Onder de gehonoreerde wetenschappers zijn 27 vrouwen.
  De Vidi-subsidies maken deel uit van de Vernieuwingsimpuls, een samenwerkingsprogramma van NWO, het ministerie van OCW, de Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen KNAW en de universiteiten. Naast de Vidi-beurzen bestaan binnen dit programma ook de Veni- en de Vici-subsidies, respectievelijk voor pas gepromoveerden en zeer ervaren onderzoekers.
Rijke Britse geldwisselaar jaagt op Nederlandse advocaat
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: FTM - Follow The Money
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26
  Thabiso van den Bosch, advocaat van geldwisselaars Felix en Stefan Grovit, heeft vandaag aangekondigd dat hij een kort geding gaat aanspannen tegen Hendrik Jan Bos, advocaat van de Nederlandse zakenman Henk Jan Janssen.
  De aanleiding is een artikel in het Financieele Dagblad waarin Bos toelichting geeft op de schuldeis van zijn client Janssen. Bos deed in het artikel enkele pittige uitspraken over de 'mysterieuze' en 'schimmige indruk' die de bedrijfsvoering van de Grovits maakt. Felix Grovit richtte in 1974 Chequepoint op, een geldwisselketen met 75 kantoren in negen landen.
  Conflict om 12,5 miljoen
  De client van Bos eist bijna 12,5 miljoen van de twee Britse zakenmannen, een schuld ontstaan vanuit een vastgoedtransactie met Carigna, een onderdeel van het imperium van de Grovits. Chequepoint is indirect aandeelhouder van Carigna en volgens het Britse House of Lords is Grovit de feitelijke beleidsbepaler van Chequepoint. Bos legde op basis van deze eigendomsverhouding zijn claim neer bij vader en zoon Grovit ten bedrage van 12.476.447,04 miljoen euro.
  Ongefundeerde rectificatie-eis
  In het artikel in het Financieele Dagblad spreekt Bos onder andere over de geheimzinnigheid rondom Felix en Stefan Grovit. Uit een onderzoek van een priv(C)-detective bleek volgens de advocaat dat er geen woon- of verblijfplaats bekend was, bezittingen gevestigd zijn op Curacao en de Kaaimaneilanden en is er ook geen enkele foto te vinden van vader en zoon. Dit ondanks het enorme vermogen van de Grovits, met schattingen varirend tussen de 400 en 650 miljoen pond.
  Felix Grovit eist nu een rectificatie van Bos vanwege onjuistheden in het vrijdag verschenen artikel. Bos vertelt aan FTM dat hij verrast is door het kort geding. 'Voorafgaand aan het artikel is de advocaat van de Grovits om commentaar gevraagd. Hier heeft hij echter geen respons op gegeven. Mogelijk hebben zijn clinten hem terechtgewezen, waarna hij besloten heeft een kort geding aan te spannen.'
  Bos acht de kans klein dat het kort geding succesvol zal zijn.'Al mijn uitspraken in het artikel worden ondersteund door vonnissen en arresten. Ik baseer me ook op uitspraken van het Britse House of Lords, ik zie geen enkele reden waarom ik dat zou moeten rectificeren.'
  Volgens Bos procederen de Grovits regelmatig in Europa tegen mensen en bedrijven. Momenteel loopt er een procedure tegen de Nederlandsche Bank. DNB besloot in 2004 de kantoren van Chequepoint in Nederland te sluiten, omdat 'de betrouwbaarheid van de eigenaren niet meer buiten twijfels stond.' Dit zou onder andere blijken uit onjuiste belastingaangiftes en foutieve informatie over het eigendom van Chequepoint. De zaak in Nederland loopt nog steeds. Het Britse Court of Appeal verklaarde de bezwaren van de Grovits al eerder niet ontvankelijk.
  Bos hoopt dat de mannen ditmaal wel op de zitting zullen verschijnen. 'Het is erg dubbel. Ze verwijten mij dat ik uitspraken doe over de schimmige indruk die ze maken, maar verschijnen zelf nooit bij zittingen of rechtszaken,'
  Wanneer het kort geding tegen Bos zal spelen is nog niet bekend.
Moon meteorite explosion visible from Earth.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:26
  NASA has recently released video of a spectacular meteorite slamming into Earth's moon.
  Scientists said it hit the surface of the moon at 56,000 miles an hour.
  The impact was so powerful it could be seen without a telescope.
  NASA has been monitoring the moon for explosions like this for the past eight years as part of a program designed to find and monitor space debris that could hit earth.
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Barbara Walters' Daughter Jacqueline Danforth Arrested
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  Archived Version
  Source: Radar Online
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:24
  Barbara Walters' daughter Jacqueline Danforth was arrested in Naples, Florida in connection with suspicion of DUI Sunday, and RadarOnline.com has the mug shot for you.
  Danforth, 44, was arrested, and subsequently released after paying $1,000 bond, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said, adding in their report its' her first such infraction as an adult.
  PHOTOS: Celebs Who Have Battled Drinking Problems
  Danforth is Walters' adopted daughter with her former husband Lee Guber; She's had somewhat of a tumultuous past, once having run away from home during her teens, the media legend told Dateline in 2003.
  Walters said she kept the news hush to avoid a media uproar, which she thought ''might have made things worse.''
  PHOTOS: Sexy Stars Who Have Been Arrested
  The 83-year-old Walters has made plenty of headlines of her own this month, as she announced that she's retiring from broadcasting next year.
Nikki Sixx Irate With Kim Kardashian's Bronzer Plugs During Tornado, Asks, 'Aren't Your 15 Minutes Up?'
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Radar Online
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:22
  Nikki Sixx took exception to Kim Kardashian's timing Monday night, when the reality TV queen plugged one of her beauty products as news spread of the tornado in Oklahoma City that killed at least 51 people, 20 of whom were children.
  Here's how it all unfolded: After Nikki posted an ad for Red Cross relief on his Instagram, Kim wrote shortly thereafter, ''Love that I can gradually build the perfect bronzed glow I want with #Kardashian Sun Kissed Tan Extenders.''
  PHOTOS: Denise Richards & Nikki Sixx On A Movie Date
  The Motley Crue wildman, perhaps fed up with the vapid vibe the socialite gave in the face of calamity, shot back on his own account, ''Pick your priority or pick your poison. Pretty embarrassing screenshot Kim.
  ''Aren't your 15 minutes up?''
  PHOTOS: Celebs Who Are Most Popular On Twitter
  We decline to answer that, but rather let the numbers do the talking: Kim has 17.8 million followers on Twitter to Nikki's 463K.
  To pledge to victims of the tornado, go to www.redcross.org.
Washington Post
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:16
  By Ann E. Marimow, Published: MAY 19, 8:43 PM ET Aa When the Justice Department began investigating possible leaks of classified information about North Korea in 2009, investigators did more than obtain telephone records of a working journalist suspected of receiving the secret material.
  They used security badge access records to track the reporter's comings and goings from the State Department, according to a newly obtained court affidavit. They traced the timing of his calls with a State Department security adviser suspected of sharing the classified report. They obtained a search warrant for the reporter's personal e-mails.
  The case of Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, the government adviser, and James Rosen, the chief Washington correspondent for Fox News, bears striking similarities to a sweeping leaks investigation disclosed last week in which federal investigators obtained records over two months of more than 20 telephone lines assigned to the Associated Press.
  At a time when President Obama's administration is under renewed scrutiny for an unprecedented number of leak investigations, the Kim case provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one such probe.
  Court documents in the Kim case reveal how deeply investigators explored the private communications of a working journalist '-- and raise the question of how often journalists have been investigated as closely as Rosen was in 2010. The case also raises new concerns among critics of government secrecy about the possible stifling effect of these investigations on a critical element of press freedom: the exchange of information between reporters and their sources.
  ''Search warrants like these have a severe chilling effect on the free flow of important information to the public,'' said First Amendment lawyer Charles Tobin, who has represented the Associated Press, but not in the current case. ''That's a very dangerous road to go down.''
  Obama last week defended the Justice Department's handling of the investigation involving the AP, which is focused on who leaked information to the news organization about a foiled plot involving the al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen. AP executives and First Amendment watchdogs have criticized the Justice Department in part for the broad scope of the phone records it secretly subpoenaed from AP offices in Washington, Hartford, Conn., and New York.
  ''The latest events show an expansion of this law enforcement technique,'' said attorney Abbe Lowell, who is defending Kim on federal charges filed in 2010 that he disclosed national defense information. A trial is possible as soon as 2014. ''Individual reporters or small time periods have turned into 20 [telephone] lines and months of records with no obvious attempt to be targeted or narrow.''
  The president said press freedoms must be balanced against the protection of U.S. personnel overseas. According to the office of Ronald Machen Jr., the U.S. attorney for the District, its prosecutors followed federal regulations by first seeking the information through other means before subpoenaing media phone records. Machen's office is investigating both the Kim and AP cases. The Justice Department said in a statement that in both cases it had abided by ''all applicable laws, regulations, and longstanding Department of Justice policies intended to safeguard the First Amendment interests of the press in reporting the news and the public in receiving it.''
  The Obama administration has pursued more such cases than all previous administrations combined, including one against a former CIA official charged with leaking U.S. intelligence on Iran and another against a former FBI contract linguist who pleaded guilty to leaking to a blogger.
  The Kim case began in June 2009, when Rosen reported that U.S. intelligence officials were warning that North Korea was likely to respond to United Nations sanctions with more nuclear tests. The CIA had learned the information, Rosen wrote, from sources inside North Korea.
  The story was published online the same day that a top-secret report was made available to a small circle within the intelligence community '-- including Kim, who at the time was a State Department arms expert with security clearance.
  FBI investigators used the security-badge data, phone records and e-mail exchanges to build a case that Kim shared the report with Rosen soon after receiving it, court records show.
  In the documents, FBI agent Reginald Reyes described in detail how Kim and Rosen moved in and out of the State Department headquarters at 2201 C St. NW a few hours before the story was published on June 11, 2009.
  ''Mr. Kim departed DoS at or around 12:02 p.m. followed shortly thereafter by the reporter at or around 12:03 p.m.,'' Reyes wrote. Next, the agent said, ''Mr. Kim returned to DoS at or around 12:26 p.m. followed shortly thereafter by the reporter at or around 12:30 p.m.''
  The activity, Reyes wrote in an affidavit, suggested a ''face-to-face'' meeting between the two men. ''Within a few hours after those nearly simultaneous exits and entries at DoS, the June 2009 article was published on the Internet,'' he wrote.
  The court documents don't name Rosen, but his identity was confirmed by several officials, and he is the author of the article at the center of the investigation. Rosen and a spokeswoman for Fox News did not return phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.
  Reyes wrote that there was evidence Rosen had broken the law, ''at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator.'' That fact distinguishes his case from the probe of the AP, in which the news organization is not the likely target.
  Using italics for emphasis, Reyes explained how Rosen allegedly used a ''covert communications plan'' and quoted from an e-mail exchange between Rosen and Kim that seems to describe a secret system for passing along information.
  In the exchange, Rosen used the alias ''Leo'' to address Kim and called himself ''Alex,'' an apparent reference to Alexander Butterfield, the man best known for running the secret recording system in the Nixon White House, according to the affidavit.
  Rosen instructed Kim to send him coded signals on his Google account, according to a quote from his e-mail in the affidavit: ''One asterisk means to contact them, or that previously suggested plans for communication are to proceed as agreed; two asterisks means the opposite.''
  He also wrote, according to the affidavit: ''What I am interested in, as you might expect, is breaking news ahead of my competitors'' including ''what intelligence is picking up.'' And: ''I'd love to see some internal State Department analyses.''
  Court documents show abundant evidence gathered from Kim's office computer and phone records, but investigators said they needed to go a step further to build their case, seizing two days' worth of Rosen's personal e-mails '-- and all of his e-mail exchanges with Kim.
  Privacy protections limit searching or seizing a reporter's work, but not when there is evidence that the journalist broke the law against unauthorized leaks. A federal judge signed off on the search warrant '-- agreeing that there was probable cause that Rosen was a co-conspirator.
  Machen's office said in a statement that it is limited in commenting on an open case, but that the government ''exhausted all reasonable non-media alternatives for collecting the evidence'' before seeking a search warrant.
  However, it remains an open question whether it's ever illegal, given the First Amendment's protection of press freedom, for a reporter to solicit information. No reporter, including Rosen, has been prosecuted for doing so.
  In the hours before Rosen's story was published, Kim was one of more than 95 people who saw the intelligence report through a classified database, according to court documents.
  Kim's phone records showed that seven calls lasting from 18 seconds to more than 11 minutes were placed between Kim's desk telephone and Rosen's cellphone and desk phone at the State Department, according to the court documents. Investigators pulled at least two months of phone records from Kim's desk and found 36 calls with numbers associated with Rosen.
  Investigators also scrutinized computer records and found that someone who had logged in with Kim's user profile viewed the classified report ''at or around'' the same time two calls were placed from his desk phone to Rosen, according to the documents.
  Two months later on an August evening, diplomatic security secretly entered Kim's office and found a copy of Rosen's article next to his computer. Kim, who worked in a secure facility, was subject to daily office inspections. The Fox News article was also in ''plain view'' during follow-up visits in late September.
  Kim initially told the FBI in an interview that month that he had met the reporter in March but had not had contact since. Later, Kim admitted to additional contacts, according to the affidavit.
  Related: See the court affidavit
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Eurovision song contest, prelude to WWIII? : Russian foreign minister wades into voting row.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: TheCandyman's news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:07
  Russia's Dina Garipova performs during the final of the 2013 Eurovision song contest. Photograph: John Macdougall/AFP/Getty Images
  Russia's foreign minister has taken time out of a busy schedule that includes defending arms sales to Syria and criticising US policy around the world to wade into a growing scandal over the Eurovision song contest.
  Sergei Lavrov issued a stern warning over the contest on Tuesday following reports that the Russian contestant, Dina Garipova, had been deprived of 10 points allegedly issued by the country's ex-Soviet ally Azerbaijan.
  "That 10 points were stolen from our contestant during the Eurovision 2013 contest does not make us happy regarding the organisation of the event," Lavrov said during a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov. "The outrageous action at Eurovision regarding the Russian contestant will not go unanswered," he warned.
  Garipova, who sang a ballad called What If, finished fifth with 174 points in the contest's final in Sweden on Saturday. She was 17 points behind fourth-placed Margaret Berger of Norway, so the extra 10 points would not have made any difference in the overall ranking.
  Mammadyarov said on Tuesday that "a significant part of the Azeri population voted for the Russian singer", and said a full investigation would be carried out to see where the "stolen votes" went.
  Azerbaijan's ambassador to Moscow, the renowned Soviet-era crooner Polad B¼lb¼loÄŸlu , told Russian television that it was impossible that Garipova had not scored any points in his country. In its own voting, Russia gave the Azerbaijani entry the maximum 12 points.
  The gaudy Eurovision song contest is known for its highly politicised voting, particularly as it has grown in popularity in eastern Europe and Russia, where the event is taken very seriously.
  A fan of competition and eager to show off its global standing, Russia has evidenced growing love of Eurovision since the pop star Dima Bilan won the event in 2008. That same year Ireland sent a turkey puppet to compete in the event.
  This year Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won with 281 points for her song Only Teardrops, well ahead of Azerbaijan's Farid Mammadov who came second.
The Military's Suicide Scandal.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:06
  What a drag it's been these past few weeks to watch the military brass'--those kings of accountability, at least when it comes to other people's behavior'--huffing and bluffing and outright lying about what they knew and when they knew it. First we had to endure the sight of them gaping over the news that the sexual-violence crisis they've done nothing to squelch since the assault of 83 women and seven men at the Tailhook Air Force convention in 1991 has worsened. Now those same Pentagon officials are shocked, simply shocked, by the military's spiking suicide rates, despite the fact that those numbers, which have been rising steadily for the past 12 years, come from their own reporting system (and some claim are still an undercount).
  The only thing worse than the Pentagon's faux surprise has been the complicity of news organizations willing to echo its talking points. Shame on The New York Times for last week's ''Baffling Rise in Suicides Plagues the U.S. Military.'' Disturbing, yes. But there's nothing ''baffling'' about the news that more active-duty troops killed themselves in 2012 than were killed in combat in Afghanistan in the same year, and that the number of suicides has doubled from a decade ago.
  As the Government Accountability Office (GAO)'--Congress's nonpartisan investigative wing'--and a variety of media outlets attest, there's been only one thing better documented than the military's unwillingness over the past 25 years to throw any real muscle into ending its culture of widespread sexual assault. And that's the military's unwillingness to acknowledge the prevalence of post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD) and other mental-health issues plaguing service members and to enact serious reforms aimed at curbing and treating mental illness in its ranks. The military's systemic incompetence on this issue continues despite years of analysis and criticism, not only from service member advocacy organizations, but also from within the Beltway.
  Consider the drubbing administered to both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Veterans Administration (VA) by the GAO last November. The report cited ''a lack of leadership, oversight, resources, and collaboration'' as contributing to the military's ''inability'' to ''address a host of problems for wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers as they navigate through the recovery care continuum.'' All of those issues came under greater congressional scrutiny in the wake of the public uproar that followed the Washington Post's 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning investigative series on conditions at Walter Reed Army Military Center, the VA's flagship in D.C. The GAO concluded that the military had utterly failed to rectify the conditions the series had cited: Mold-stained and cockroach-filled outpatient facilities; byzantine paperwork mazes and overlong wait times to receive care; inadequate resources for soldiers with diagnoses of PTSD.
  Despite the fact that Walter Reed has the largest psychiatric department in the Army, the Post's reporters found it still lacked ''enough psychiatrists and clinicians to properly treat the growing number of soldiers returning with combat stress.'' Earlier that year, the head of psychiatry had ''sent out an 'SOS' memo desperately seeking more clinical help. ... Individual therapy with a trained clinician, a key element in recovery from PTSD, is infrequent, and targeted group therapy is offered only twice a week.''
  But surely these are problems that money can solve. So did the $2.7 billion dollars that Congress poured into the Pentagon's maw in the three years following the Post's series do anything to change the way that the DOD and VA address treatment and research for ''the signature wounds of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq'''--psychological health (PH) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment? That's hard to say, because the GAO's January 2012 report found ''that DOD programs supporting P.H. and TBI treatment and research are poorly coordinated, and the department has failed to provide reliable and comprehensive data on how more than $2.7 billion in funds for such programs have been used in recent years.'' In other words, there's no way of knowing what, if anything, went into patient care.
  There is, by the way, no good reason why the DOD or VA should have been caught flat-footed by the waves of veterans that flooded their facilities in 2006, more than a third of whom reported symptoms of stress or other mental disorders as they returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least two of its own top people'--the chief of psychiatry at Walter Reed and the Executive Director of the VA's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'--had publishedpieces in a 2004 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine predicting the crisis.
  That same year the GAO published a report titled, ''More Information Needed to Determine If VA Can Meet an Increase in Demand for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services,'' which it followed five months later with another report, this one unsubtly titled, ''VA Should Expedite the Implementation of Recommendations Needed to Improve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Services'' (emphasis mine). In it, the GAO notes the VA's lack of full compliance with any of the 24 recommendations in its earlier report, including 10 that were carryovers from the very first recommendations issued by the Special Committee on PTSD within the VA nearly 20 years before.
  Clearly a military in the midst of a recruiting crisis, and with no end to the war in sight, was not looking closely for signs of mental illness in prospective and active service members. Nor was it willing to acknowledge what it found, especially if that meant removing another warm body from an over-stretched unit, letting the public see the negative consequences of an already unpopular war, or paying for treatment or compensation.
  The same month the GAO's follow-up report was released, in February 2005, Army Spec. Jeffrey Henthorn, a young father and third-generation soldier, killed himself in Balad, Iraq. The M-16 he used was so powerful that "fragments of his skull pierced the barracks ceiling." According to the Hartford Courant, which featured Henthorn's story in a series called ''Mentally Unfit to Fight,'' he "had been sent back to Iraq for a second tour even though his superiors knew he was unstable and had threatened suicide at least twice, according to Army investigative reports and interviews.''
  Henthorn was 1 of 22 soldiers who killed themselves in Iraq or Afghanistan in 2005'-- nearly double the rate of the year before. Three others whose stories were featured had been kept in combat and given potent psychotropic medications'--with little supervision and despite the potential of these drugs to increase suicidality.
  So enough with the military's alleged bafflement over the rising service member suicide rates. If they really want to address the issue, here are three places they could start. First, stop impeding the rapid transfer of veterans from the DOD system to the VA system. Under the current ridiculous system, even though a service-member's paper file is transferred automatically from the former to the latter, but she cannot access VA services until she enrolls online or in person. The DOD and VA have already wasted a billion dollars worth of taxpayer money ineffectually trying to combine their data systems according to a June 2012 GAO report. So the time has come to recruit the first random kid who walks through MITs long corridor to take the task on: surely she could do better.
  Next, comply with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy, which requires that all first-time patients requesting mental health services receive an initial evaluation within 24 hours, and a comprehensive diagnostic appointment within two weeks. As Stars and Stripesreported, the Inspector General already busted the VHA in April 2012 for saying that 95 percent of its new patients were seen in that time frame, when in fact the average wait time is closer to two months. Hire more staff. And curb the habit the military has developed over the past decade of spending more than $4.5 billion handing out antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety drugs. That money could buy a lot of one-on-one therapy and support groups. Consider actually treating the service members in the military's care rather than dosing them into oblivion.
  Finally, remove the systemic disincentives that have for decades discouraged service members from coming forward: Being separated from buddies; kept for weeks or months of evaluation, and prevented, by the letter that goes into a reporting service-member's file, from any career advancement in the military or any future employment as a police officer, a firefighter, or an emergency medical technician. The military could also demonstrate its belief in the core value of addressing mental health issues by integrating it into the Soldier's Manual of Common Tasks. If recognizing and addressing signs of mental distress is meant to be as natural and vital a task as performing first aid to restore breathing or pulse, then let it be taught right alongside the other rudiments of basic training.
  Let's face it: it takes a potent combination of media attention and public outrage along with a strong dose of presidential and congressional will to exert the kind of pressure it takes to force the military to actually change its entrenched culture. The DOD's latest sexual assault report might have died in the 24/7 news cycle if the release of the study revealing a new spike in those numbers hadn't been followed by multiple arrests of some of the same (male) officers in charge of ending sexual assault for ... sexual assault.
  It's plenty exciting'--now that the president has finally spent some political capital and sat down with Hagel and the brass'--to see the branches of government start pressing the military to clean out its Augean Stable as far as sexual assault goes. But what will it take, if not the suicides of hundreds of men and women, to warrant the same kind of attention for the military's mental-health crisis?
Obama DOJ Formally Accuses Journalist in Leak Case of Committing Crimes.
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  Archived Version
  Source: DaDenMan news feed
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:03
  It is now well known that the Obama justice department has prosecuted more government leakers under the 1917 Espionage Act than all prior administrations combined - in fact, double the number of all such prior prosecutions. But as last week's controversy over the DOJ's pursuit of the phone records of AP reporters illustrated, this obsessive fixation in defense of secrecy also targets, and severely damages, journalists specifically and the newsgathering process in general.Fox News chief Washington correspondent James Rosen had his emails read by the Obama DOJ, which accused him of being a co-conspirator in a criminal leak case. (Photo: screen grab)
  New revelations emerged yesterday in the Washington Post that are perhaps the most extreme yet when it comes to the DOJ's attacks on press freedoms. It involves the prosecution of State Department adviser Stephen Kim, a naturalized citizen from South Korea who was indicted in 2009 for allegedly telling Fox News' chief Washington correspondent, James Rosen, that US intelligence believed North Korea would respond to additional UN sanctions with more nuclear tests - something Rosen then reported. Kim did not obtain unauthorized access to classified information, nor steal documents, nor sell secrets, nor pass them to an enemy of the US. Instead, the DOJ alleges that he merely communicated this innocuous information to a journalist - something done every day in Washington - and, for that, this arms expert and long-time government employee faces more than a decade in prison for "espionage."
  The focus of the Post's report yesterday is that the DOJ's surveillance of Rosen, the reporter, extended far beyond even what they did to AP reporters. The FBI tracked Rosen's movements in and out of the State Department, traced the timing of his calls, and - most amazingly - obtained a search warrant to read two days worth of his emails, as well as all of his emails with Kim. In this case, said the Post, "investigators did more than obtain telephone records of a working journalist suspected of receiving the secret material." It added that "court documents in the Kim case reveal how deeply investigators explored the private communications of a working journalist."
  But what makes this revelation particularly disturbing is that the DOJ, in order to get this search warrant, insisted that not only Kim, but also Rosen - the journalist - committed serious crimes. The DOJ specifically argued that by encouraging his source to disclose classified information - something investigative journalists do every day - Rosen himself broke the law. Describing an affidavit from FBI agent Reginald Reyes filed by the DOJ, the Post reports [emphasis added]:
  "Reyes wrote that there was evidence Rosen had broken the law, 'at the very least, either as an aider, abettor and/or co-conspirator.' That fact distinguishes his case from the probe of the AP, in which the news organization is not the likely target. Using italics for emphasis, Reyes explained how Rosen allegedly used a 'covert communications plan' and quoted from an e-mail exchange between Rosen and Kim that seems to describe a secret system for passing along information. . . . However, it remains an open question whether it's ever illegal, given the First Amendment's protection of press freedom, for a reporter to solicit information. No reporter, including Rosen, has been prosecuted for doing so."
  Under US law, it is not illegal to publish classified information. That fact, along with the First Amendment's guarantee of press freedoms, is what has prevented the US government from ever prosecuting journalists for reporting on what the US government does in secret. This newfound theory of the Obama DOJ - that a journalist can be guilty of crimes for "soliciting" the disclosure of classified information - is a means for circumventing those safeguards and criminalizing the act of investigative journalism itself. These latest revelations show that this is not just a theory but one put into practice, as the Obama DOJ submitted court documents accusing a journalist of committing crimes by doing this.
  That same "solicitation" theory, as the New York Times reported back in 2011, is the one the Obama DOJ has been using to justify its ongoing criminal investigation of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange: that because Assange solicited or encouraged Manning to leak classified information, the US government can "charge [Assange] as a conspirator in the leak, not just as a passive recipient of the documents who then published them." When that theory was first disclosed, I wrote that it would enable the criminalization of investigative journalism generally:
  "Very rarely do investigative journalists merely act as passive recipients of classified information; secret government programs aren't typically reported because leaks just suddenly show up one day in the email box of a passive reporter. Journalists virtually always take affirmative steps to encourage its dissemination. They try to cajole leakers to turn over documents to verify their claims and consent to their publication. They call other sources to obtain confirmation and elaboration in the form of further leaks and documents. Jim Risen and Eric Lichtblau described how they granted anonymity to 'nearly a dozen current and former officials' to induce them to reveal information about Bush's NSA eavesdropping program. Dana Priest contacted numerous 'U.S. and foreign officials' to reveal the details of the CIA's 'black site' program. Both stories won Pulitzer Prizes and entailed numerous, active steps to cajole sources to reveal classified information for publication."
  "In sum, investigative journalists routinely '-- really, by definition '-- do exactly that which the DOJ's new theory would seek to prove WikiLeaks did. To indict someone as a criminal 'conspirator' in a leak on the ground that they took steps to encourage the disclosures would be to criminalize investigative journalism every bit as much as charging Assange with 'espionage' for publishing classified information."
  That's what always made the establishment media's silence (or even support) in the face of the criminal investigation of WikiLeaks so remarkable: it was so obvious from the start that the theories used there could easily be exploited to criminalize the acts of mainstream journalists. That's why James Goodale, the New York Times' general counsel during the paper's historic press freedom fights with the Nixon administration, has been warning that "the biggest challenge to the press today is the threatened prosecution of WikiLeaks, and it's absolutely frightening."
  Indeed, as Harvard Law Professor Yochai Benkler noted recently in the New Republic, when the judge presiding over Manning's prosecution asked military lawyers if they would "have pressed the same charges if Manning had given the documents not to WikiLeaks but directly to the New York Times?", the prosecutor answered simply: "Yes, ma'am." It has long been clear that this WikiLeaks-as-criminals theory could and would be used to criminalize establishment media outlets which reported on that which the US government wanted concealed.
  Now we know that the DOJ is doing exactly that: applying this theory to criminalize the acts of journalists who report on what the US government does in secret, even though there is no law that makes such reporting illegal and the First Amendment protects such conduct. Essentially accusing James Rosen of being an unindicted co-conspriator in these alleged crimes is a major escalation of the Obama DOJ's already dangerous attacks on press freedom.
  It is virtually impossible at this point to overstate the threat posed by the Obama DOJ to press freedoms. Back in 2006, Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales triggered a major controversy when he said that the New York Times could be prosecuted for having revealed the Top Secret information that the NSA was eavesdropping on the communications of Americans without warrants. That was at the same time that right-wing demagogues such Bill Bennett were calling for the prosecution of the NYT reporters who reported on the NSA program, as well as the Washington Post's Dana Priest for having exposed the CIA black site network.
  But despite those public threats, the Bush DOJ never went so far as to formally accuse journalists in court filings of committing crimes for reporting on classified information. Now the Obama DOJ has.
  This week, the New Republic's Molly Redden describes what I've heard many times over the past several years: national security reporters have had their ability to engage in journalism severely impeded by the Obama DOJ's unprecedented attacks, and are operating in a climate of fear for both their sources and themselves. Redden quotes one of the nation's best reporters, the New Yorker's Jane Mayer, this way:
  "It's a huge impediment to reporting, and so chilling isn't quite strong enough, it's more like freezing the whole process into a standstill."
  Redden says that "the DOJ's seizure of AP records will probably only exacerbate these problems." That's certainly true: as surveillance expert Julian Sanchez wrote in Mother Jones this week, there is ample evidence that the Obama DOJ's seizure of the phone records of journalists extends far beyond the AP case. Recall, as well, that the New York Times' Jim Risen is currently being pursued by the Obama DOJ, and conceivably faces prison if he refuses to reveal his source for a story he wrote about CIA incompetence in Iran. Said Risen:
  "I believe that the efforts to target me have continued under the Obama Administration, which has been aggressively investigating whistleblowers and reporters in a way that will have a chilling effect on the freedom of the press in the United States."
  If even the most protected journalists - those who work for the largest media outlets - are being targeted in this way, and are saying over and over that the Obama DOJ is preventing basic news gathering from taking place without fear, imagine the effect this all has on independent journalists who are much more vulnerable.
  There is simply no defense for this behavior. Obama defenders such as Andrew Sullivan claim that this is all more complicated than media outrage suggests because of a necessary "trade-off" between press freedoms and security. So do Obama defenders believe that George Bush and Richard Nixon - who never prosecuted leakers like this or formally accused journalists of being criminals for reporting classified information - were excessively protective of press freedoms and insufficiently devoted to safeguarding secrecy? To ask that question is to mock it. Obama has gone so far beyond what every recent prior president has done in bolstering secrecy and criminalizing whistleblowing and leaks.
  Goodale, the New York Times' former general counsel, was interviewed by Democracy Now last week and said this:
  AMY GOODMAN: "You say that President Obama is worse than President Nixon."
  JAMES GOODALE: "Well, more precisely, I say that if in fact he goes ahead and prosecutes Julian Assange, he will pass Nixon. He's close to Nixon now. The AP example is a good example of something that Obama has done but Nixon never did. So I have him presently in second place, behind Nixon and ahead of Bush II. And he's moving up fast. . . ."
  "Obama has classified, I think, seven million '-- in one year, classified seven million documents. Everything is classified. So that would give the government the ability to control all its information on the theory that it's classified. And if anybody asks for it and gets it, they're complicit, and they're going to go to jail. So that criminalizes the process, and it means that the dissemination of information, which is inevitable, out of the classified sources of that information will be stopped."
  JUAN GONZ�LEZ: "What about the'--"
  JAMES GOODALE: "It's very dangerous. That's why I'm '-- I get excited when I talk about it."
  That was before it was known that the Obama DOJ read James Rosen's emails by formally labeling him in court an unindicted co-conspirator for the "crime" of reporting on classified information. This all just got a lot more dangerous.
  Even journalists who are generally supportive of Obama - such as the New Yorker's Ryan Lizza - are reacting with fury over this latest revelation:
  Lizza added:
  The Daily Beast's Eli Lake said this:
  Any journalist who doesn't erupt with serious outrage and protest over this ought never again use that title to describe themselves.
  (C) 2013 Guardian News and Media
Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxes
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:03
  Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxesJavascript is currently disabled in your web browser. For full site functionality, it is necessary to enable Javascript. In order to enable it, please see these instructions.53 minutes ago by Marcy GordonA Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world's most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays "an extraordinary amount" in taxes to the U.S. government.
  Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to testify Tuesday to Congress to explain the company's tax strategy.
  The Senate investigation, results of which were disclosed Monday, found Apple employs a group of affiliate companies outside the United States to avoid paying taxes.
  Apple is holding overseas some $102 billion of its $145 billion in cash, and an Irish subsidiary that earned $22 billion in 2011 paid only $10 million in taxes, according to the report issued Monday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
  The strategies Apple uses are legal, and many other multinational corporations use similar tax techniques to avoid paying U.S. income taxes on profits they reap overseas. But Apple uses a unique twist, the report found. The company's tactics raise questions about loopholes in the U.S. tax code, lawmakers say.
  The spotlight on Apple's tax strategy comes at a time of fevered debate in Washington over whether and how to raise revenues to help reduce the federal deficit. Many Democrats complain that the government is missing out on collecting billions because companies are stashing profits abroad and avoiding taxes. Republicans want to cut the corporate tax rate of 35 percent and ease the tax burden on money that U.S. companies make abroad. They say the move would encourage companies to invest at home.
  Apple's chief financial officer and its tax chief are also scheduled to testify and explain the company's tax strategy.
  They are expected to face tough questions. The subcommittee's chairman, Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, and other panel members could hold up Apple as an example of a powerful company using its privileged position to avoid taxes while ordinary Americans must pay them. The subcommittee last year derided executives from other technology giants over similar allegations.
  Apple refuted the subcommittee's assertions in testimony prepared for the hearing and released to the public Monday evening. Apple said it employs tens of thousands of Americans and pays "an extraordinary amount" in U.S. taxes, citing the roughly $6 billion it paid in fiscal 2012.
  Apple "complies fully with both the laws and the spirit of the laws," the testimony says. "And Apple pays all its required taxes, both in this country and abroad."
  "Apple does not use tax gimmicks," the statement says.
  The company has made clear that given current U.S. tax rates, it has no intention of repatriating its overseas profits to the U.S. Apple reiterated in its testimony its support for comprehensive tax reform as a way to support economic growth and boost U.S. companies' competitiveness.
  The subcommittee also has examined the tax strategies of Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and other multinational companies, finding that they too have avoided billions in U.S. taxes by shifting profits offshore and exploiting weak, ambiguous sections of the tax code. Microsoft has used "aggressive" transactions to shift assets to subsidiaries in Puerto Rico, Ireland and Singapore, in part to avoid taxes. HP has used complex offshore loan transactions worth billions while using the money to run its U.S. operations, according to the panel.
  The subcommittee's report estimates that Apple avoided at least $3.5 billion in U.S. federal taxes in 2011 and $9 billion in 2012 by using the strategy. The company, based in Cupertino, California, paid $2.5 billion in federal taxes in 2011 and $6 billion in 2012.
  Apple uses five companies located in Ireland to carry out its tax strategy, according to the report. The companies are located at the same address in Cork, Ireland, and they share members of their boards of directors. While all five companies were incorporated in Ireland, only two of them also have tax residency in that country. That means the other three aren't legally required to pay taxes in Ireland because they aren't managed or controlled in that country, in Apple's view.
  The report says Apple capitalizes on a difference between U.S. and Irish rules regarding tax residency. In Ireland, a company must be managed and controlled in the country to be a tax resident. Under U.S. law, a company is a tax resident of the country in which it was established. Therefore, the Apple companies aren't tax residents of Ireland nor of the U.S., since they weren't incorporated in the U.S., in Apple's view.
  The subcommittee said Apple's strategy of not declaring tax residency in any country could be unique among corporations.
  "Apple wasn't satisfied with shifting its profits to a low-tax offshore tax haven," said Levin. "Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere."
  The subcommittee's inquiry and hearing are intended to shine a light on "offshore tax-avoidance tactics" by Apple, Levin said at a news conference Monday with Sen. John McCain, the panel's senior Republican. Companies' use of such loopholes has the effect of raising the taxes of ordinary Americans and increasing the federal deficit, he said.
  McCain said that while Apple claims to be the biggest U.S. corporate taxpayer, it is also "among America's largest tax avoiders."
  He called Apple's strategy "an egregious and really outrageous scheme that Apple has been able to orchestrate to avoid paying taxes."
  Levin and McCain are proposing legislation to close loopholes in the tax code.
  The subcommittee report also noted that Apple has been setting aside billions for tax bills it may never pay. As previously reported by The Associated Press, the overlooked asset that Apple has been building up could boost Apple's profits by as much as $10.5 billion. However, Apple has been lobbying to change U.S. law so it can erase its tax liabilities in a less conspicuous fashion.
  In its second quarter ended March 31, Apple posted its first profit decline in ten years. Net income was $9.5 billion, or $10.09 a share, down 18 percent from $11.6 billion, or $12.30 a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue increased 11 percent, to $43.6 billion.
  Apple said in April that it will distribute $100 billion in cash to its shareholders by the end of 2015. The company is expanding its share buyback program to $60 billion, the largest buyback authorization in history, and is raising its quarterly dividend by 15 percent, to $3.05 a share.
  In Monday's regular trading session, Apple's stock rose $9.67, or 2.23 percent, to close at $442.93.
  President Barack Obama has proposed using the tax code to encourage companies to move jobs back to the U.S. and discourage them from shifting jobs abroad. Many in both parties say they want to overhaul the entire tax code, but there are vast differences in how they would do so.
  Explore further:Panel says Apple uses firms outside US to avoid taxes (Update)
  (C) 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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  (C) Phys.org' 2003-2013
  Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxesJavascript is currently disabled in your web browser. For full site functionality, it is necessary to enable Javascript. In order to enable it, please see these instructions.53 minutes ago by Marcy GordonA Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world's most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays "an extraordinary amount" in taxes to the U.S. government.
  Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook is scheduled to testify Tuesday to Congress to explain the company's tax strategy.
  The Senate investigation, results of which were disclosed Monday, found Apple employs a group of affiliate companies outside the United States to avoid paying taxes.
  Apple is holding overseas some $102 billion of its $145 billion in cash, and an Irish subsidiary that earned $22 billion in 2011 paid only $10 million in taxes, according to the report issued Monday by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
  The strategies Apple uses are legal, and many other multinational corporations use similar tax techniques to avoid paying U.S. income taxes on profits they reap overseas. But Apple uses a unique twist, the report found. The company's tactics raise questions about loopholes in the U.S. tax code, lawmakers say.
  The spotlight on Apple's tax strategy comes at a time of fevered debate in Washington over whether and how to raise revenues to help reduce the federal deficit. Many Democrats complain that the government is missing out on collecting billions because companies are stashing profits abroad and avoiding taxes. Republicans want to cut the corporate tax rate of 35 percent and ease the tax burden on money that U.S. companies make abroad. They say the move would encourage companies to invest at home.
  Apple's chief financial officer and its tax chief are also scheduled to testify and explain the company's tax strategy.
  They are expected to face tough questions. The subcommittee's chairman, Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, and other panel members could hold up Apple as an example of a powerful company using its privileged position to avoid taxes while ordinary Americans must pay them. The subcommittee last year derided executives from other technology giants over similar allegations.
  Apple refuted the subcommittee's assertions in testimony prepared for the hearing and released to the public Monday evening. Apple said it employs tens of thousands of Americans and pays "an extraordinary amount" in U.S. taxes, citing the roughly $6 billion it paid in fiscal 2012.
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  "Apple does not use tax gimmicks," the statement says.
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  The subcommittee's report estimates that Apple avoided at least $3.5 billion in U.S. federal taxes in 2011 and $9 billion in 2012 by using the strategy. The company, based in Cupertino, California, paid $2.5 billion in federal taxes in 2011 and $6 billion in 2012.
  Apple uses five companies located in Ireland to carry out its tax strategy, according to the report. The companies are located at the same address in Cork, Ireland, and they share members of their boards of directors. While all five companies were incorporated in Ireland, only two of them also have tax residency in that country. That means the other three aren't legally required to pay taxes in Ireland because they aren't managed or controlled in that country, in Apple's view.
  The report says Apple capitalizes on a difference between U.S. and Irish rules regarding tax residency. In Ireland, a company must be managed and controlled in the country to be a tax resident. Under U.S. law, a company is a tax resident of the country in which it was established. Therefore, the Apple companies aren't tax residents of Ireland nor of the U.S., since they weren't incorporated in the U.S., in Apple's view.
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  McCain said that while Apple claims to be the biggest U.S. corporate taxpayer, it is also "among America's largest tax avoiders."
  He called Apple's strategy "an egregious and really outrageous scheme that Apple has been able to orchestrate to avoid paying taxes."
  Levin and McCain are proposing legislation to close loopholes in the tax code.
  The subcommittee report also noted that Apple has been setting aside billions for tax bills it may never pay. As previously reported by The Associated Press, the overlooked asset that Apple has been building up could boost Apple's profits by as much as $10.5 billion. However, Apple has been lobbying to change U.S. law so it can erase its tax liabilities in a less conspicuous fashion.
  In its second quarter ended March 31, Apple posted its first profit decline in ten years. Net income was $9.5 billion, or $10.09 a share, down 18 percent from $11.6 billion, or $12.30 a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue increased 11 percent, to $43.6 billion.
  Apple said in April that it will distribute $100 billion in cash to its shareholders by the end of 2015. The company is expanding its share buyback program to $60 billion, the largest buyback authorization in history, and is raising its quarterly dividend by 15 percent, to $3.05 a share.
  In Monday's regular trading session, Apple's stock rose $9.67, or 2.23 percent, to close at $442.93.
  President Barack Obama has proposed using the tax code to encourage companies to move jobs back to the U.S. and discourage them from shifting jobs abroad. Many in both parties say they want to overhaul the entire tax code, but there are vast differences in how they would do so.
  Explore further:Panel says Apple uses firms outside US to avoid taxes (Update)
  (C) 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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5 new tech ideas that will scare you silly. Or not
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: ccampeador
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00
  Read the ''Drones'' one'... ''The upside is far too strong''
  May 20, 2013
  1. 3-D printers
  Why you might be scared: Now that we can just print guns, they'll be raining down like biblical frogs in no time. In fact, more than 100,000 gun-printing blueprints were already downloaded earlier this month. Innocents will be gunned down in theaters. Grammar schools will no longer be safe. Nuclear bombs will be faxed like resumes between warring countries, and the world will implode in a wave of violence before you can spell Xerox.
  Why you shouldn't be: Don't we already have (most of) that? Will the availability of these guns move the marker on shootings? Maybe, but it's not like lack of availability is much of an obstacle now. It's still a whole lot easier, safer and more affordable to waltz down the street and pick up your very own metal gun than it is to pay $8,000 for a machine to print a sketchy plastic one. That's not going to be changing anytime soon.
  2. Self-driving cars
  Why you might be scared: Computer glitch, the brakes go out, the steering override fails, you Thelma and Louise your way off a cliff leaving a trail of squashed pets and old ladies in your wake. Handing over the reins to a computer and going 65 m.p.h. will be hard for just about everybody.
  Why you shouldn't be: The technology is already here for cars to park themselves and even navigate tracks. It's just a matter of time before this reaches widespread adoption, and we can finally enjoy coffee, newspaper and a morning commute that moves in perfect harmony. As for the fears of mounting accidents, for every malfunctioning cyberchauffeur, there are thousands of humans who have no business being behind the wheel.
  3. Drones
  Why you might be scared: As Americans, we've been on the outside looking in to drone attacks from the safety of our living rooms. But, eventually, the bad guys (or even our neighbors) are going to get them, and when they're not blowing us up or showering our children with chemical weapons, they'll be perving out on us in the bathroom. And just wait until they inevitably become self-aware and reproduce.
  Why you shouldn't be: Let's not fixate too much on the carnage and privacy concerns. The upside is far too strong. Good drones will make thugs easier to catch, farms more profitable and deliveries more timely. Patrolling drones will also help stop the poaching of endangered species. Need a bucket of chicken and some gravy, stat? The Colonel-copter will be at your door in no time. Embrace the drone.
  4. The Hadron Collider
  Why you might be scared: For some reason, the idea of smashing protons together at light speed, thereby creating a black hole capable of devouring the world as we know it, frightens some people. Even if it means unlocking the mysteries of space and time. Then there's the wormhole theory in which aliens invade us through some sort of star gate.
  Why you shouldn't be: The brainy debunkers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research were quick to reject such theories, and it's been open since 2008. We're still here, aren't we? And it's a good thing, as potential discoveries from the collider, aside from those aliens, range from a cure for cancer to the discovery of the God particle.
  5. Google Glass
  Why you might be scared: Hi, I'm a mental patient and I'll be chatting with me eyewear: ''Hey Glass, take a video. Vine it. Facebook. Like.'' Yes, the complete and utter dork-ification of society is upon us, but that's a minor quibble. The real issues freaking people out are more about privacy and distraction. The last thing we need is another lens with which Google /quotes/zigman/93888/quotes/nls/goog GOOG +0.27% can peer into our lives. And lord help each and every one of us if this ushers in a new era of wearable technology.
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Facebook review 'at all levels'
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  Archived Version
  Source: BBC News - Technology
  Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00
  By Jonathan BlakeNewsbeat technology reporterFacebook has admitted it does not always make the right decision on whether to ban violent content.
  The social network is reviewing its policy "at all levels" after criticism of videos showing people being beheaded.
  This month Facebook removed the videos after one of its safety advisors spoke out.
  Facebook has told Newsbeat: "Making those decisions can be a close call and we don't always get it right".
  Director of policy in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Richard Allan, said the site was keen to give users better guidance.
  "We want to be really clear with people... so they know what they can and can't post," he said.
  'Quite shocking'The videos, which were spread among users on Facebook in April, showed a woman and two men having their heads cut off.
  Sixteen-year-old Donald Turvill told Newsbeat that he viewed one of the clips.
  "I did see a couple of seconds and as you can imagine what I did see was quite shocking and it sort of stuck with me."
  Donald Turvill says the clip he saw on Facebook 'crossed the line'He said he was concerned younger users of the site could stumble across the videos.
  "This definitely crossed the line, a video as extreme as this, there should be exceptions made to be honest," he added.
  Facebook now has the task of defining what is acceptable for users to post.
  "Describing that line is tough," Richard Allan said.
  "A lot of people in the company now are focused on trying to really clarify that.
  "It is a complex debate, it is happening at all levels within the company, we have a very experienced team trying to get these nuances right."
  'More scrutiny'The advisor who criticised Facebook's initial stance said the organisation is taking the right approach.
  "I obviously thought they had crossed the line," said Stephen Balkham, head of the Family Online Safety Institute (Fosi), in the US.
  Continue reading the main storyI'm sure that Twitter and Tumblr and Snapchat and a number of the other sites and apps are going to be looked at with more and more scrutiny
  Stephen BalkhamHe added that Facebook has "a genuine public interest issue".
  He thinks other social networks will face similar challenges relating to violent content.
  "I'm sure that Twitter and Tumblr and Snapchat and a number of the other sites and apps are going to be looked at with more and more scrutiny."
  Facebook has not said when it will publish its new rules on violent content.
  "We don't want to rush it," said Richard Allan.
  Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter
DOJ Instructs All Managers To Be Vocal Advocates Of Gay Pride'...
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  Archived Version
  Source: Weasel Zippers
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:59
  The DOJ (and the Obama administration as a whole) has no problems with trampling on First Amendment liberties.
  Via NRO:
  When the Department of Justice is finished violating journalists' First Amendment rights, perhaps it should look into this: Liberty Counsel, an international Christian litigation organization, has obtained a brochure entitled, ''LGBT Inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers, distributed to DOJ managers by DOJ Pride, the department's in-house LGBT association, in advance of ''LGBT Pride Month'' (a.k.a. ''June'').
  Under each of the seven habits is a list of DOs and DON'Ts '' but they are not just the usual diversity shtick. Argues Matt Barber, vice president of Liberty Counsel Action, ''[The document is] ''riddled with directives that grossly violate '' prima facie '' employees' First Amendment liberties.'' Among the helpful hints:
  DO assume that LGBT employees and their allies are listening to what you're saying (whether in a meeting or around the proverbial water cooler) and will read what you're writing (whether in a casual email or in a formal document)'' . . .
  DO talk in staff meetings about why diversity is important to you as a manager, and make it clear you define diversity to include both sexual orientation and gender identity. . . .
  DO provide explicit, verbal reassurance that advancement and development opportunities are based strictly on merit.
  The fifth habit of highly effective managers? ''Come out'' as a ''straight ally.'' [...]
  For DOJ Pride, there is no longer a place even for private, unexpressed disapproval of homosexuality in the workplace. Regardless of personal beliefs, every manager ought to be a vocal advocate for the LGBT cause. If you are not an outspoken supporter, you must be an enemy.
  Keep reading'...
Oklahoma twister spawns political firestorm in Washington
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  Archived Version
  Source: USA RSS
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:40
  A political storm has already broken out over the Capitol as Democrats and Republicans attempt to advance their agendas in the wake of the devastating tornado that ravaged parts of Oklahoma on Monday.
  After the mile-wide tornado '' which focused much of its fury on the town of Moore, on the outskirts of Oklahoma City '' cleared, a bipartisan battle erupted in Washington in what appears to be political posturing at the worst possible moment.
  What do you get when you take one monster twister, drop it into a staunchly conservative red state and mix it up with the political ideology of a Democratic leader at the helm in the White House? A lot of self-righteous politicizing at a time when people are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
  Tom Coburn, a Republican senator of Oklahoma, said his tornado-ravaged state, where at last count 91 people had died, should not receive federal emergency aid until an equal amount of budget cuts are made in Washington.
  According to CQ Roll Call, Coburn said it is too early to put a price tag on the Oklahoma disaster, but that he ''knows for certain'' he will oppose any disaster funding that the federal government offers until he knows that it is paid for.
  Coburn, incidentally, was one of 36 Republican senators who voted against disaster funding for superstorm Sandy in October 2012, which caused $71 billion in damage across 24 states.
  Coburn's spokesperson John Hart said the Republican representative "makes no apologies for voting against disaster aid bills that are often poorly conceived and used to finance priorities that have little to do with disasters."
  While Republicans continue to dance around the polarizing issue of climate change, Democrats are taking advantage of each devastating storm to chastise conservatives.
  Some would argue they have a case: In 2011, the United States witnessed its second-deadliest tornado season in history, when some 1,700 tornadoes killed 553 people. The Joplin, Missouri, monster was the single deadliest tornado in US history, killing 158 people and causing $2.8 billion in damage.
  The following year, 2012, saw tornado season starting earlier and busier than usual. Through April there were twice as many tornadoes as normal, after which the twisters suddenly disappeared. Canada, meanwhile, experienced an unusual number of tornadoes in 2012.
  Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse took to the Senate floor to rail against his Republican colleagues for denying ''the science of climate change,'' telling the GOP senators that when it comes to natural disasters ''we are in this together.''
  ''So, you may have a question for me,'' Whitehouse said. ''Why do you care? Why do you, Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, care if we Republicans run off the climate cliff like a bunch of proverbial lemmings and disgrace ourselves? I'll tell you why. We're stuck in this together. We are stuck in this together.''
  ''When cyclones tear up Oklahoma and hurricanes swamp Alabama and wildfires scorch Texas, you come to us, the rest of the country, for billions of dollars to recover,'' he continued. ''And the damage that your polluters and deniers are doing doesn't just hit Oklahoma and Alabama and Texas. It hits Rhode Island with floods and storms. It hits Oregon with acidified seas, it hits Montana with dying forests.''
  The Democrat then delivered a thinly veiled attack on the Tea Party, referring to them as the ''extremist'' faction of the GOP base: ''I don't want a Republican Party disgraced, that let its extremists run off the cliff, and an America suffering from grave economic and environmental and diplomatic damage because we failed, because we didn't wake up and do our duty to our people, and because we didn't lead the world.''
  The political posturing displayed by Coburn and Whitehouse at a time of national disaster shows that with each new deadly storm there will continue to be heat in Washington.
Flickr revamp unveiled by Yahoo
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  Archived Version
  Source: BBC News - Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:52
  21 May 2013Last updated at08:31 ETYahoo has redesigned its Flickr photo-sharing service, offering users up to 1TB of storage without a fee.
  The revamp also allows users to host longer video clips and higher-resolution photos, and a new app has been launched for Android devices.
  The news came hours after the company confirmed it was taking over blogging platform Tumblr.
  One expert said Yahoo's chief executive had "thrown down the gauntlet" to her former employer Google.
  "Marissa Mayer is trying to realign the business to focus on a core set of high-traffic properties," said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at consultants Davies Murphy Group Europe.
  "The 1TB of ad-supported free storage is the big thing," he said.
  "It puts Flickr back on the agenda making it relevant to both hobbyist and professional photographers alike, but it also reignites the whole storage capacity war that started with Gmail and that we are now seeing with cloud file sharing services."
  Google offers users a total of 15GB of free storage across its core cloud services. Facebook does not impose such a limit but downgrades the quality of high-resolution photos.
  Mr Green added that several industry watchers had been caught by surprise by the announcement as they had believed Yahoo might fold Flickr's technology into Tumblr rather than continue to run the two platforms as separate services.
  Activity FeedYahoo bought Flickr in 2005, taking it over from a husband-and-wife development team who had also been approached by Google.
  Although Yahoo increased the site's number of users, it was widely seen to have failed to have reached its full potential, as rivals, including Instagram, Facebook and 500px, rolled out superior social features.
  Yahoo is now seeking to address this with a number of features, which now include:
  a 1TB upload limit - enough to store more than half a million six-megapixel photosa redesigned user-interface that fills more of the page with pictures at the expense of white spacea new Activity Feed allowing users to see their own recent uploads mixed together with those of their friendsa new Android app offering a more photo-centric design than the previous version, bringing it closer in line to an iOS update released at the end of last yeara larger 200MB limit on the size of each photo - previously, paid-for accounts had a 50MB limit and free accounts 30MB.a three-minute cap on playback of video clips rather than the earlier limit of 90 seconds.Ms Mayer told a New York press conference that the effort was intended to make the service "awesome again" - a reference to Sean Bonner, a tech writer who used the same phrase last year in a blog that pleaded with the chief executive to save the service.
  Abandoning 'unlimited'Not all the changes may be welcome.
  Those wishing to have an advert-free interface now face a $49.99 (£33) annual charge - double what they needed to pay before.
  In addition anyone wishing to double their storage limit to 2TB needs to pay $499.99 a year.
  In the past $24.99-a-year Pro accounts offered "unlimited" space.
  That potentially offers an advantage to competitors such as Imgur, Shutterfly and 500px that continue to offer packages without storage limits, although they do operate other restrictions.
  But one industry watcher said Yahoo had done enough to woo back enthusiasts,
  "It will bring back people who left Flickr for other sites," said Chris Cheesman, news editor at Amateur Photographer magazine.
  "Offering the ability to host large images in full resolution is a huge benefit over services like Facebook, where they are compressed.
  "When that happens, they might still look OK on a phone, but if a pro or enthusiast photographer is showing the images to a client or even friends they would want the best quality - especially when laptops and tablets are introducing higher-quality screens."
Musical world hails Wagner birthday
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  Source: BBC News - Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:51
  21 May 2013Last updated at08:08 ETThe musical world is coming together on Wednesday to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer Richard Wagner with a series of programmes and events.
  The controversial German musician is considered to one of the most revolutionary musical thinkers of the 19th Century.
  London's Royal Festival Hall will pay tribute with a Wagner birthday concert by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
  Led by conductor Andrew Davis, it will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.
  Other activities at the Festival Hall include balcony fanfares and a performance of Vitali Bujanowski's arrangement of Ring.
  There will also be a performance of the Siegfried Idyll by students from the Royal College of Music and an exhibition of illustrations from Barry Millington's new book Richard Wagner: the Sorcerer of Bayreuth.
  Wagner 200The events have been organised by the London-based festival, Wagner 200, with support from BBC Radio 3, which is broadcasting a series of programmes throughout the week to showcase Wagner's work.
  On Wednesday, during the afternoon programme Composer of the Week, Donald Macleod will discuss how Wagner struggled to make ends meet as a young man in Paris and "fell under the spell" of French Grand Opera, and in particular, the influence of Giacomo Meyerbeer.
  Wagner would later violently reject Meyerbeer's work in his hate-filled, anti-Semitic tract, Jewishness in Music.
  Meanwhile Katie Derham will present music from Wagner's last opera, Parsifal, and the Symphony No 7 by Anton Bruckner.
  Born in Leipzig in 1813, Wagner was an acknowledged anti-Semite, providing anti-Jewish inspiration for the Nazis.
  He was also Adolf Hitler's favourite composer.
  Rounding off the week on BBC Radio 3, a new production of Wagner's epic Lohengrin by the Welsh National Opera will be broadcast live from the Wales Millennium Centre.
  Described as the composer's "Romantic opera", Lohengrin is set in the 10th Century where themes of chivalry, love and redemption collide.
  In the run-up to this week's bicentenary, leading opera houses including the Met in New York, La Scala in Milan and Vienna State Opera, have unveiled new performances of Wagner's 16-hour-long, four-part opera, Ring Cycle.
  Daniel Barenboim will conduct the first ever complete Wagner Ring Cycle in the UK as part of the BBC Proms' eight-week festival in July, with Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel among the guest singers.
Police arrest 4 after second night of riots in Stockholm suburb triggered by police shooting
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:49
  HUSBY, Sweden '-- Police have arrested four people after a second night of escalating riots in a Stockholm suburb, during which some 200 youths hurled rocks at police and set cars ablaze in anger over the police shooting death of an elderly man.
  Local police spokesman Jorgen Karlsson says seven youths were detained early Tuesday, but three were released after questioning. The four in custody are suspected of rioting and violence toward public servants.
  Karlsson says seven police were injured in the riots in the low-income, mainly immigrant neighborhood of Husby.
  The youths set around 10 cars and several containers on fire and smashed dozens of windows. There were also fires in another Stockholm suburb, Fittja.
  A prosecutor is investigating the May 13 police shooting death of the 69-year-old man in Husby.
  Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Washington Post
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:48
  By Associated Press, Published: TUESDAY, MAY 21, 7:17 AM ET Aa HUSBY, Sweden '-- Police have arrested four people after a second night of escalating riots in a Stockholm suburb, during which some 200 youths hurled rocks at police and set cars ablaze in anger over the police shooting death of an elderly man.
  Local police spokesman Jorgen Karlsson says seven youths were detained early Tuesday, but three were released after questioning. The four in custody are suspected of rioting and violence toward public servants.
  Karlsson says seven police were injured in the riots in the low-income, mainly immigrant neighborhood of Husby.
  The youths set around 10 cars and several containers on fire and smashed dozens of windows. There were also fires in another Stockholm suburb, Fittja.
  A prosecutor is investigating the May 13 police shooting death of the 69-year-old man in Husby.
  Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Vissers gooien netten uit bij kerncentrale Fukushima
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  Archived Version
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:46
  Bewerkt door: redactie '' 21/05/13, 13:57 '' bron: ANP
  (C) reuters.
  Vissers hebben voor de oostkust van Japan, niet ver van de in maart 2011 verwoeste kernenergiecentrale Fukushina 1, hun netten uitgegooid. Ze hopen dat hun vangst niet door radioactieve straling is aangetast, want ze willen weer aan de slag.
  De krant Asahi Shimbun meldde dinsdag dat vissers met de boot Akira Maru 12 van de vissersco¶peratie van Iwaki ten zuiden van de getroffen kerncentrale hebben gevist. De hoeveelheid vis was veelbelovend, maar de vissers verzamelden slechts negen vissen van elke soort en gooiden de rest terug. Ze wachten nu het stralingsonderzoek af.
  Veel vissers hebben sinds de ramp van 11 maart 2011 geen werk. Na een enorme zeebeving werd de oostkust van Japan destijds getroffen door een tsunami. De noodkoeling van de reactoren begaf het. Dit leidde tot een serie ongelukken inclusief kernsmelting. De kustwateren ten zuiden van Fukushima 1 hebben door de stroming meer te kampen met straling dan die ten noorden van de centrale.
Tweede nacht van rellen in voorstad Stockholm
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  Archived Version
  Source: VK: Home
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:45
  Bewerkt door: redactie '' 21/05/13, 13:49 '' bron: AP
  (C) epa. Brandweermannen ruimen de rommel op die maandagnacht veroorzaakt is door de relschoppers
  In Husby, een voorstad van de Zweedse hoofdstad Stockholm, zijn groepen jongeren maandagnacht voor de tweede achtereenvolgende nacht relschoppend door de straten getrokken. Zij gooiden met stenen naar de politie en staken auto's in brand. De jongeren waren kwaad over het doodschieten van een man door de politie, eerder deze maand.
  Volgens de politie waren bij de ongeregeldheden rond de tweehonderd jongeren betrokken. Zeven jongeren werden gearresteerd, van wie er drie na verhoor werden heengezonden. De resterende vier blijven vooralsnog in hechtenis, zei een politiewoordvoerder dinsdag.
  In Husby wonen voornamelijk immigranten. Bewoners verklaarden dat zij zondag bijeen waren om tegen het doodschieten van de 69-jarige man op 13 mei in Husby te protesteren, maar dat de politie de ME met honden op hen af had gestuurd.
  De politie heeft na een intern onderzoek naar het voorval verklaard dat agenten de man uit noodweer hadden neergeschoten omdat hij met een mes op hen afkwam nadat zij de deur hadden opengebroken van een flat waar de man zichzelf met een vrouw had opgesloten. Inwoners verwijten de politie dat zij in eerste instantie berichtte dat de man naar een ziekenhuis was gebracht, terwijl iedereen had kunnen zien dat hij uren na het voorval door een lijkwagen was opgehaald. De politie heeft later toegegeven dat de eerdere verklaring onjuist was.
You are your data: The scary future of the quantified self movement
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Tue, 21 May 2013 07:28
  By Michael CarneyOn May 20, 2013
  Few if any consumers who fell behind on their credit card payments in the early 2000s thought that half a decade later employers would use their credit score to determine their job worthiness. Few avid social media users must have realized that insurance companies, the IRS, law enforcement, and credit agencies would soon use their their data to investigate fraud, determine creditworthiness, and monitor other potentially illegal activity. History suggests they should have.
  This pattern is repeating itself, with countless consumers today casually sharing highly personal health data through wearable computing hardware, cloud-based quantified self platforms, and even retail loyalty programs without so much as a thought to the potential implications. My argument isn't one against the quantified self movement. But if history is any guide naive, blind participation without considering the implications of your data being recorded and shared with third parties is reckless.
  As we document and share more of where we go, what we do, who we spend time with, what we eat, what we buy, how hard we exert ourselves, and so on, we create more data that companies can and will use to evaluate our worthiness '' or lack thereof '' for their products, services, and opportunities. For those of us who don't measure up compared to the rest of the population, the outcome won't be pretty.
  It will also be our own fault. Consumers are signing up to collect and share personal data at an alarming rate via sleep monitors, pedometers and activity trackers, dietary logs, brainwave monitors, grocery and restaurant loyalty cards, credit cards, Foursquare and Facebook check-ins, and photo geotagging, among other means. As insurers, lenders, and others attempt to manage risk, they will inevitably turn alternative data sources to round out the picture of each consumer applicant '' in fact, they already are.
  According to a sales rep for a midwest data co-location and analytics startup who asked to remain anonymous, regional hospitals, insurers, and grocery retailers are already investigating ways to work together to translate consumer purchase data into health risk profiling insights. Kevin Pledge, CEO of underwriting-technology consultancy Insight Decision Solutions told the Economist last year that he has forgone the use of supermarket loyalty-cards and begun paying cash for his burgers to avoid this very type of profiling. The same article mentions a life-settlements firm declining to purchase an insurance policy based on social media activity that contradicted the supposed poor health of the policy-holder.
  These are far from the only example of companies reaching further into our personal data '' consumer reports has a rundown of many others '' but they should be enough to make us all rethink that package of bacon, those dozen Krispy Kremes, or those Marlboros. One day, the same analysis is likely to be applied to how often we exercise, the length and quality of sleep we get, our eating habits, and possibly even the health of our sex lives.
  CVS, for example, has started to require its employees to submit their weight, body fat, glucose levels, and other vitals monthly or pay a fine to cover increased health insurance premiums. If that data was available for the majority of its employees via a quantified self company (or several), CVS and other employers might not even have to ask '' and the seemingly fit employee with a secret pound of bacon a day habit may never know why his health insurance premiums are double those of co-workers.
  For the last year, State Farm Insurance has been taking a similar approach by offering auto insurance customers discounts for installing real-time monitoring devices into their vehicles coupled with safe driving. Again, if a real-time location smartphone app '' or GPS and accelerometer enabled wristband or glasses '' is already tracking this data, the insurance carriers might skip the asking, and the discount, and go straight to the database to pass judgment.
  One of the most frightening companies in the entire sector is LexisNexis, whose ambition, if I were to paraphrase it, is to have a comprehensive record of every piece of available information on every person in the world '' including their current and past residence, spending history, banking information, health information, etc., after scary, etc. And they're not as far away from this goal as you might think.
  Perhaps most troubling was the 2009 merger between VeriChip and Steel Vault (now PositiveID), which combined the first ever human-implantable RFID microchip and the credit-scoring and identity-theft-protection website NationalCreditReport.com. We haven't heard much from the company since and its website indicates that PositiveID has shifted its focus toward medical applications, but the concept behind the merger remains frightening yet entirely possible.
  Many expect the government to protect consumers from this type of potential privacy invasions, but the legislature has demonstrated a pattern of ignoring the ethics of bleeding edge technological issues until the line has been crossed, and then typically bungling things badly on the first few attempts, before, in some cases, arriving at a generally-tenable solution. Peer-to-peer file-sharing, net neutrality, software patents, stem cell research, and the recent SOPA, CIPA debates are all areas where Congress has appeared badly out of step with the world of technology. As such, it's foolish to leave such matters in the hands of the government.
  Really, it all comes down to each individual protecting his own data by virtue of the Terms of Service, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policies that he agrees to with each application. In general, the hardware manufacturers and service providers in the quantified self space seem to have taken a fairly consumer-friendly stance initially (see select highlights below), but it's not unheard of for company's privacy policies and terms of use to change '' see Instagram. Also, it's rare to see a pitch from quantified self startup that doesn't point to data monetization as part of its long term business roadmap. As consumers grow more comfortable with the idea of sharing personal information online, it's likely these ethical boundaries will be eased.
  It's not only just the first tier company that has the potential to share consumer data, but every dashboard, analytics platform, gamification service, social sharing tool, and other related product that is granted access to the underlying service. Your personal data security is only as strong as the weakest link in your quantified self ecosystem.
  It's easy to come off sounding paranoid, and many would argue that the value received from quantified self devices and services justifies the risk. But it's not those who consciously make that decision I'm worried about. It's those who buy a Jawbone Up because it's sold at the Apple Store then connect it to several Web apps because their trainer recommends them without considering long-term implications. Data is powerful, and just as it has the power to enhance our lives, in the wrong hands it can also harm us.
  Below are select excerpts from the privacy policies of several popular quantified self platforms.
  Jawbone Up's TOU read:
  We may share your Information with third parties to provide services on our behalf such as to process payments, or to store information collected through our site, app, and services. We may share information with a parent company, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under common control with us. We may share your personal information for the purposes of a business deal (or negotiation of a business deal) involving sale or transfer of all or a part of our business or assets. These deals can include any merger, financing, acquisition, or bankruptcy transaction or proceeding. We may disclose your personal information to (a) comply with relevant laws, regulartory (sic) requirements and to respond to lawful requests, court orders, and legal process'...Even though we have taken steps to protect your personal information, you should know that neither we nor any company can fully eliminate security risks.
  Nike's Digital Privacy Policy reads:
  We may transfer your information to NIKE Family service providers to conduct our business. For example, they may handle credit card processing,shipping, data management, email distribution, market research, information analysis, and promotions management. We may also share your information to administer features (e.g. music download, race registration, or workout routine)'...Information that is publicly shared may be used by Nike for promotional purposes'....However, like other companies, NIKE cannot guarantee 100% the security or confidentiality of the information you provide to us.
  FitBit's Privacy Policy reads:
  Fitbit may disclose non-personally identifiable aggregated user data, such as aggregated gender, age, height, weight, and usage data gathered from Fitbit devices (without the inclusion of a user's name or other identifying information) to:
  Organizations approved by Fitbit that conduct consumer research into health and wellness;Users of the Service for purposes of comparison of their personal health and wellness situation relative to the broader community; andAdvertisers and other third parties for their marketing and promotional purposes.WellnessFX's Privacy Policy reads:
  We share your information with third parties when we believe the sharing is permitted by you, reasonably necessary to offer our services, or when legally required to do so. For example, we may disclose certain Member Information, Health Provider Information and Visitor Information:
  To third party vendors who help us provide the Service or the Site or who provide additional goods and services through the Site, including without limitation, testing laboratories, phlebotomists, billing providers and benefits administrators;RunKeeper's Privacy Policy reads:
  There are certain circumstances in which we may share your Personal Data with certain third parties without further notice to you, including as set forth below:
  Business Transfers: As we develop our business, we might sell or buy businesses or assets. In the event of a sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar event relating to all or a portion of our business or assets, Personal Data may be part of the transferred assets.Service Providers, Agents and Related Third Parties: We sometimes hire other companies to perform certain business-related functions. Examples include mailing information, maintaining databases and processing payments. When we employ another company to perform a function of this nature, we may need to provide them with access to certain Personal Data. However, we only provide them with the information that they need to perform their specific function, and these third party service providers will only use your Personal Data to perform the services requested by us.Legal Requirements: We may also disclose your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, (ii) protect and defend our rights or property, (iii) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Services or the public, or (iv) protect against legal liability.Safeway's loyalty program Privacy Policy reads:
  Safeway Club Card information and other personal information may be used to help make Safeway's products, services and programs more useful to its customers. Additionally, Safeway may use personal information to provide you with newsletters, articles, product or service alerts, new product or service announcements, saving awards, event invitations, personally tailored coupons, program and promotional information and offers, and other information, which may be provided to Safeway by other companies.
  [Image courtesy sinor favela / fotos voladoras]
The KA7OEI FT-817 page
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  Tue, 21 May 2013 00:35
  The KA7OEI FT-817 pageThe KA7OEI FT-817 pages
  The Yaesu FT-817 is an extremely portable HF through UHF all-mode transceiver, capable of operation on all amateur bands from 160 meters through 70 cm (excluding, unfortunately, 222 MHz.) It is also considered to be a QRP transceiver - being capable of only 5 watts output maximum. In addition to transceive operation on these amateur bands, it also is a capable general-coverage receiver providing continuous coverage on all modes from 100 KHz through 56 MHz, 108 through 154 MHz, and 420 through 470 MHz. It also provides "Wide FM" receive coverage from 76 through 108 MHz.
  Note: I do NOT own an FT-817ND and have not had the opportunity to examine one carefully to note the subtle differences between it and the original '817, especially when it comes to CAT programming and memory locations.
  This page is divided into several several sections to make digesting the material more manageable:
  Repeater coverage analysis using the FT-817 and GPS- This page describes using the FT-817 to accurately measure signal strength, interfacing the '817 with a computer, and using GPS to determine the coverage of an amateur repeater.
  About the RF Power Amplifier Updated- This page talks a bit about the design of the FT-817's power amplifier section, and its properties. Also included is info on how you can replace the final board yourself - if that becomes necessary!
  The NiCd/NiMH page- This page describes in some detail the care and feeding of NiCd and NiMH cells and batteries. This explains how to keep NiCd cells going, and what that "memory" affect really is! (Hint: It's not the "memory" effect at all!)
  "Customizing" the FT-817- There are a lot of accessories that you can get for your FT-817 - some external and others internal. This page talks about the "internal" accessories installed in my FT-817...
  FT-817 Correspondence- Occasionally, someone who peruses these pages will email a question or comment. Sometimes they are intelligent - other times they are not. This page contains random bits on various topics that have been brought up. Note: This is not an online discussion board, but points of possible interest from email correspondence relevant to the '817.
  The FT-817's 'Soft Calibration' Menu- This page describes in some detail (as much as is known) each of the 76 "Soft Calibration" parameters found in the "hidden" menu on the FT-817.
  The FT-817's Schematics- These are the schematic diagrams of the FT-817. These are the diagrams that had been found on the FCC Type-Acceptance web site (see the link below) and converted to a more manageable (and smaller) raster format.
  Quirks of the FT-817- Does the '817 do something that, in your humble opinion, is neat, odd, or just plain weird? How about some "feature" that you like (or hate) that just isn't covered in the manual? Go here to read about it - and if you have something to add, let me know!
  The Receiver- This page contains the results of sensitivity tests over the receiver's entire frequency range. It shows the Minimum Discernible Signal (MDS), S meter sensitivity for S1 and S9 for both SSB/CW/AM and FM, as well as the FM 12 and 20 db SINAD sensitivity of the receiver. Further information is given on image response, IF rejection, and how the front end filtering is implemented in the '817, as well as a possible reason why the 222 MHz band wasn't covered on the FT-817.
  VSWR/Reflected power metering on the FT-817- This page details how the "SWR" metering on the '817 works and how the meter readings reflect the quality of the antenna match.
  A Detailed circuit description of the FT-817- This page describes in (hopefully) more detail the inner-workings of the '817 than the service manual.
  Current Consumption of the FT-817- This page breaks down the reasons for the current consumption of the FT-817 as well as which features affect the current consumption and by how much.
  Optimizing the power consumption of the FT-817 when using battery power and a switching supply- This page discusses a technique (using a buck-type switching regulator) by which power consumption may be optimally reduced - an important factor when operating the FT-817 on battery power.
  Operating the FT-817 from Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) cells- This page is a followup to the one on optimizing power consumption (above) and describes how Lithium-Ion batteries (which have a better power/weight ratio than either NiCd or NiMH) may be used to power the FT-817.
  Operating the FT-817 from other types of cells- This page describes how NiCd, NiMH, and Alkaline cells (to name a few) may (or may not) be used to power the FT-817. (Does not include Lithium-Ion cells - see above.)
  CAT (tm) Interface Programming with the FT-817- This page details interfacing with the FT-817 using the serial interface. "Undocumented" commands and capabilities are also mentioned allowing greater control/monitoring of the FT-817. For a program that utilizes the CAT commands (both documented and undocumented) to a very large extent, look at HB9DRV's FT-817 Commander program. Up-to-date links for downloading this program may be found on the "FT-817 Commander E-Group."
  FT-817 Bugs, Manual Errata and Omissions, and Birdies...- Anyone who has read the FT-817 operator's manual or tried to use the service manual has noticed that there are a few errors and omissions. (Note: Noise blanker modifications have been moved from this page to the "FT-817 Radio modifications" page below.)
  "What's the difference between the original FT-817 and the FT-817ND?"
  Not having the "ND" version, I've had to go by what people tell me, but here are a few things:
  - The addition of "ND" after "817"- Inclusion of 60 meters: No modification required.- A "Violet" backlight setting. This is a mix of both Orange and Blue being illuminated simulaneously or multiplexed.- Modification to the PA deck to improve ruggedness, using newer devices to replace the original RF transistors that have been phased out by their manufacturer.- Modification to the main board to minimize "birdies" (especially the "7240" birdie found on early '817s.)
  Please send email if you know of any other differences.
  FT-817 Radio modifications - This page describes some minor modifications that can be made to the '817. Such modifications include the "Green Wire" mod - and its hazards, improving the operation of the noise blanker, and (maybe) more. Please read the first few paragraphs of this page! (Note: This page includes material transplanted from the "Manual Errata and Omissions" page.)
  Work continues on these pages - please revisit soon!
  Important Notice: The information contained on this and related pages is believed to be accurate, but no guarantees are expressed or implied. The information on this and related pages should be considered to be "as-is" and the user is completely responsible for the way this information is used. If you find information that you believe to be incorrect, missing, or should not be here, please report it (in detail)via email. Anonymous or vaguely-worded reports will likely be ignored.
  Other FT-817-related web pages and groups:
  Yaesu's own web page about the FT-817 - This page has some pictures and official specifications. This page actually refers to the FT-817ND, which is pretty much the same as the "original" FT-817 except that it includes 60 meter operation "out of the box."
  K6XX's FT-817 pages - This page has a lot of technical information about the '817 and accessories.
  The Yahoo FT-817 E-group - This is a link to a group of those people interested in the '817.The "Ham Radio Deluxe" page - Simon Brown, HB9DRV, has written some excellent freeware programs that allow you to remotely-control your FT-817, manage memories, modify and save radio configuration, provide access to the DX cluster network, PSK31, do some fancy scanning, and much more! "Ham Radio Deluxe" also allows computer control of many other models/makes of radios as well.
  FT-817 FCC Type-Acceptance Documents - The FCC database contains various datum about the FT-817, including photographs, test reports, and preliminary service manual information. Note: The schematics have apparently been removed from the FCC site and this link is for archival purposes only.
  While you are here, take a look at these other pages at this site:
  Decreasing Intermod on the Kenwood TM-733A dual-band mobile transceiver - This describes a modification that can greatly reduce the suceptibility of this (otherwise fine) mobile rig to intermodulation response due to strong signals.
  Updated (With software version 2.0x) - Circuit and software description of the PIC-based PSK31 MedFER Transmitter. (Note that FSK31 operation is also possible!) - Operation via a 1200 baud serial port is now possible, and the intermod has been greatly reduced!
  "Optimizing the 'Simple Beacon' Transmitter" by Mark Mallory - This article originally appeared in the Western Update (#59, September, 1988). This is the original article describing a high-efficiency Class-E LowFER transmitter.
  The "CT" LowFER Beacon Archive - Some pictures/info about the "CT" LowFER beacon of the late 1980's. (Includes QSLs and sounds from some other beacons of the time.)
  A Line-Synchronous noise blanker for VLF/LF/MF use - This blanker produces very little intermod, compared to many others...
  "QRSS and You..." - Using absurdly low-speed CW for "communications"
  Using your computer to ambush unsuspecting NDBs - A brief description of how Spectran may be used when trying to receive NDBs.
  Any comments or questions? Send an email!
  This page maintained by Clint Turner, KA7OEI and was last updated on 20070601. (Copyright 2001-2007 by Clint Turner)
  Since 12/2010:
  The KA7OEI FT-817 pageThe KA7OEI FT-817 pages
  The Yaesu FT-817 is an extremely portable HF through UHF all-mode transceiver, capable of operation on all amateur bands from 160 meters through 70 cm (excluding, unfortunately, 222 MHz.) It is also considered to be a QRP transceiver - being capable of only 5 watts output maximum. In addition to transceive operation on these amateur bands, it also is a capable general-coverage receiver providing continuous coverage on all modes from 100 KHz through 56 MHz, 108 through 154 MHz, and 420 through 470 MHz. It also provides "Wide FM" receive coverage from 76 through 108 MHz.
  Note: I do NOT own an FT-817ND and have not had the opportunity to examine one carefully to note the subtle differences between it and the original '817, especially when it comes to CAT programming and memory locations.
  This page is divided into several several sections to make digesting the material more manageable:
  Repeater coverage analysis using the FT-817 and GPS- This page describes using the FT-817 to accurately measure signal strength, interfacing the '817 with a computer, and using GPS to determine the coverage of an amateur repeater.
  About the RF Power Amplifier Updated- This page talks a bit about the design of the FT-817's power amplifier section, and its properties. Also included is info on how you can replace the final board yourself - if that becomes necessary!
  The NiCd/NiMH page- This page describes in some detail the care and feeding of NiCd and NiMH cells and batteries. This explains how to keep NiCd cells going, and what that "memory" affect really is! (Hint: It's not the "memory" effect at all!)
  "Customizing" the FT-817- There are a lot of accessories that you can get for your FT-817 - some external and others internal. This page talks about the "internal" accessories installed in my FT-817...
  FT-817 Correspondence- Occasionally, someone who peruses these pages will email a question or comment. Sometimes they are intelligent - other times they are not. This page contains random bits on various topics that have been brought up. Note: This is not an online discussion board, but points of possible interest from email correspondence relevant to the '817.
  The FT-817's 'Soft Calibration' Menu- This page describes in some detail (as much as is known) each of the 76 "Soft Calibration" parameters found in the "hidden" menu on the FT-817.
  The FT-817's Schematics- These are the schematic diagrams of the FT-817. These are the diagrams that had been found on the FCC Type-Acceptance web site (see the link below) and converted to a more manageable (and smaller) raster format.
  Quirks of the FT-817- Does the '817 do something that, in your humble opinion, is neat, odd, or just plain weird? How about some "feature" that you like (or hate) that just isn't covered in the manual? Go here to read about it - and if you have something to add, let me know!
  The Receiver- This page contains the results of sensitivity tests over the receiver's entire frequency range. It shows the Minimum Discernible Signal (MDS), S meter sensitivity for S1 and S9 for both SSB/CW/AM and FM, as well as the FM 12 and 20 db SINAD sensitivity of the receiver. Further information is given on image response, IF rejection, and how the front end filtering is implemented in the '817, as well as a possible reason why the 222 MHz band wasn't covered on the FT-817.
  VSWR/Reflected power metering on the FT-817- This page details how the "SWR" metering on the '817 works and how the meter readings reflect the quality of the antenna match.
  A Detailed circuit description of the FT-817- This page describes in (hopefully) more detail the inner-workings of the '817 than the service manual.
  Current Consumption of the FT-817- This page breaks down the reasons for the current consumption of the FT-817 as well as which features affect the current consumption and by how much.
  Optimizing the power consumption of the FT-817 when using battery power and a switching supply- This page discusses a technique (using a buck-type switching regulator) by which power consumption may be optimally reduced - an important factor when operating the FT-817 on battery power.
  Operating the FT-817 from Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) cells- This page is a followup to the one on optimizing power consumption (above) and describes how Lithium-Ion batteries (which have a better power/weight ratio than either NiCd or NiMH) may be used to power the FT-817.
  Operating the FT-817 from other types of cells- This page describes how NiCd, NiMH, and Alkaline cells (to name a few) may (or may not) be used to power the FT-817. (Does not include Lithium-Ion cells - see above.)
  CAT (tm) Interface Programming with the FT-817- This page details interfacing with the FT-817 using the serial interface. "Undocumented" commands and capabilities are also mentioned allowing greater control/monitoring of the FT-817. For a program that utilizes the CAT commands (both documented and undocumented) to a very large extent, look at HB9DRV's FT-817 Commander program. Up-to-date links for downloading this program may be found on the "FT-817 Commander E-Group."
  FT-817 Bugs, Manual Errata and Omissions, and Birdies...- Anyone who has read the FT-817 operator's manual or tried to use the service manual has noticed that there are a few errors and omissions. (Note: Noise blanker modifications have been moved from this page to the "FT-817 Radio modifications" page below.)
  "What's the difference between the original FT-817 and the FT-817ND?"
  Not having the "ND" version, I've had to go by what people tell me, but here are a few things:
  - The addition of "ND" after "817"- Inclusion of 60 meters: No modification required.- A "Violet" backlight setting. This is a mix of both Orange and Blue being illuminated simulaneously or multiplexed.- Modification to the PA deck to improve ruggedness, using newer devices to replace the original RF transistors that have been phased out by their manufacturer.- Modification to the main board to minimize "birdies" (especially the "7240" birdie found on early '817s.)
  Please send email if you know of any other differences.
  FT-817 Radio modifications - This page describes some minor modifications that can be made to the '817. Such modifications include the "Green Wire" mod - and its hazards, improving the operation of the noise blanker, and (maybe) more. Please read the first few paragraphs of this page! (Note: This page includes material transplanted from the "Manual Errata and Omissions" page.)
  Work continues on these pages - please revisit soon!
  Important Notice: The information contained on this and related pages is believed to be accurate, but no guarantees are expressed or implied. The information on this and related pages should be considered to be "as-is" and the user is completely responsible for the way this information is used. If you find information that you believe to be incorrect, missing, or should not be here, please report it (in detail)via email. Anonymous or vaguely-worded reports will likely be ignored.
  Other FT-817-related web pages and groups:
  Yaesu's own web page about the FT-817 - This page has some pictures and official specifications. This page actually refers to the FT-817ND, which is pretty much the same as the "original" FT-817 except that it includes 60 meter operation "out of the box."
  K6XX's FT-817 pages - This page has a lot of technical information about the '817 and accessories.
  The Yahoo FT-817 E-group - This is a link to a group of those people interested in the '817.The "Ham Radio Deluxe" page - Simon Brown, HB9DRV, has written some excellent freeware programs that allow you to remotely-control your FT-817, manage memories, modify and save radio configuration, provide access to the DX cluster network, PSK31, do some fancy scanning, and much more! "Ham Radio Deluxe" also allows computer control of many other models/makes of radios as well.
  FT-817 FCC Type-Acceptance Documents - The FCC database contains various datum about the FT-817, including photographs, test reports, and preliminary service manual information. Note: The schematics have apparently been removed from the FCC site and this link is for archival purposes only.
  While you are here, take a look at these other pages at this site:
  Decreasing Intermod on the Kenwood TM-733A dual-band mobile transceiver - This describes a modification that can greatly reduce the suceptibility of this (otherwise fine) mobile rig to intermodulation response due to strong signals.
  Updated (With software version 2.0x) - Circuit and software description of the PIC-based PSK31 MedFER Transmitter. (Note that FSK31 operation is also possible!) - Operation via a 1200 baud serial port is now possible, and the intermod has been greatly reduced!
  "Optimizing the 'Simple Beacon' Transmitter" by Mark Mallory - This article originally appeared in the Western Update (#59, September, 1988). This is the original article describing a high-efficiency Class-E LowFER transmitter.
  The "CT" LowFER Beacon Archive - Some pictures/info about the "CT" LowFER beacon of the late 1980's. (Includes QSLs and sounds from some other beacons of the time.)
  A Line-Synchronous noise blanker for VLF/LF/MF use - This blanker produces very little intermod, compared to many others...
  "QRSS and You..." - Using absurdly low-speed CW for "communications"
  Using your computer to ambush unsuspecting NDBs - A brief description of how Spectran may be used when trying to receive NDBs.
  Any comments or questions? Send an email!
  This page maintained by Clint Turner, KA7OEI and was last updated on 20070601. (Copyright 2001-2007 by Clint Turner)
  Since 12/2010:
France's Growing Islamist Problem
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: FrontPage Magazine » FrontPage
  Tue, 21 May 2013 00:23
  The reaction to a recent Muslim robbery of a priest in France is a sad indication of where the country is headed. A Catholic official pointed out, ''If it had been an imam or rabbi, he [the Interior Minister] would already been on the spot.'' This is no surprise, as Socialist President Hollande's pandering to the Muslim population played a large role in his election.
  The incident began when four Muslims surrounded the priest and told him to hand over his cell phone. One thief knocked him unconscious. The attack may have been motivated by criminality and not jihad, but the two are part of a common trend.
  There are over 750 government-designated ''Sensitive Urban Zones'' in France, referred to as ''No-Go Zones'' by Dr. Daniel Pipes. About 5 million Muslims live in these areas of France where law enforcement doesn't exercise decisive control. When the authorities do have to step in, a violent backlash quickly arises. There are many videos of Muslim worshippers holding illegal prayers in the streets when their mosques overflow without any response from police.
  On New Year's, about 1,200 cars were set on fire and police clashed with residents in the Muslim-majority districts of Strasbourg and Mulhouse. In August, a two-day rampage was sparked when a Muslim was arrested for driving without a license around the time of a funeral. Massive riots have broken out in these no-go zones because of the hostility to reasonable law enforcement. Over half of the French prison population is Muslim, where many are radicalized.
  A lack of integration is the most common factor in Islamic terrorists. These unassimilated areas are not just breeding grounds for criminals, but for extremism as well'--particularly when foreign Islamist governments and organizations get involved.
  The Saudi Arabia-based Muslim World League, described by Andrew McCarthy as ''the Muslim Brotherhood's principal vehicle for the international propagation of Islamic supremacist ideology,'' is helping finance the construction of 200 new mosques. The French Council of the Muslim Faith wants to eventually double the 2,500 mosques in the country.
  Qatar, the supposed U.S. ''ally'' that subsidizes the Muslim Brotherhood, is also active in France's Muslim community. It is financing mosques and the Union of Islamic Organizations in France, the Muslim Brotherhood's main branch there. It demands the government to pass a law against ''Islamophobia.'' The Qatari government is also investing $65 million in the suburbs where over 1 million Muslim immigrants live.
  This isn't purely an act of humanitarianism or a business investment. The Qatari constitution is based on Sharia Law. The Christians in Qatar, almost 6% of the population, are allowed to practice their faith but cannot proselytize to Muslims. Hypocritically, Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani publicly pledged in December 2011 to ''spare no effort'' to proselytize the Islamic teachings of Muhammad al-Wahhab, the founder of what is often called ''Wahhabism.''
  In 2011, a secret French intelligence report warned of extremist trends in the city of Marseille, thanks to ''self-appointed'' and charismatic imams. Only a ''relatively low'' number of the 250,000 Muslims living there support violent jihad, but ''Islamic fundamentalism has progressed to the point where it has won over the majority of the Muslim population.''
  French President Sarkozy was not afraid to challenge the Islamist trend, even if it opened him up to false charges of ''Islamophobia'' and bigotry. In the months leading up to the election, his government instituted new requirements for citizenship, including language fluency, passing tests on history and culture and pledges of allegiance to ''French values.''
  On the one hand, Soeren Kern, who has closely watched the underreported Islamist trends in France, said Hollande's victory over Sarkozy was ''the first time that Muslims have determined the outcome of a presidential election in a major western European country; it is a preview of things to come.''
  Hollande's government has endorsed 150 new mosque projects including a mega-mosque in Paris that was touted as a step towards ''progressively building a French Islam.'' Hollande also promised to grant amnesty to all 400,000 illegal Muslim immigrants and to modify the laws so non-citizen Muslim residents can vote in the municipal elections in 2014.
  On the other hand, Hollande's government has taken some action to encourage assimilation.
  In August 2012, the French government re-designated 15 of the no-go zones as ''Priority Security Zones.'' Soeren Kern reported that this was part of a plan to reassert authority over the most crime-ridden zones. Aware of the resistance ahead, the French government deployed riot police, detectives and intelligence personnel. If the campaign is successful, another 40 of the no-go zones will become ''Priority Security Zones.''
  The Islamist trend in France must be reversed. Pew found that the current 6.5 million-strong Muslim population in France, which is 7% of the population, will grow to about 10.3% by 2030. That's nowhere near a majority, but it's enough to swing elections, politically Balkanize the country and create a cesspool for criminals and terrorists.
  This article was sponsored by the Institute on Religion and Democracy.
The Fourth Scandal
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: JustOneMinute
  Tue, 21 May 2013 00:22
  The Times updates us on the fourth scandal of Hell Week:
  Potential Donors to Enroll America Grow Skittish
  By ROBERT PEAR
  WASHINGTON '-- The Obama administration's efforts to raise private money to carry out the president's health care law have provoked such a strong partisan uproar that potential donors have become skittish about contributing, according to several people involved in the fund-raising program.
  White House officials said they did not sign off on the fund-raising calls made by Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, but were generally aware that she would be seeking support from outside groups.
  Two House committees have begun investigating the solicitations. Five senior Republicans from the Senate and the House have asked the comptroller general of the United States, Gene L. Dodaro, to investigate the actions of Ms. Sebelius to determine if she was improperly circumventing spending limits imposed by Congress.
  Having Ms. Sebelius raise money from the companies she regulates never sounded like a great idea. Let's flash back to the WaPo's seemingly straight-faced explanation of how she could it within the letter of the law:
  Federal regulations do not allow department officials to fundraise in their professional capacity. They do, however, allow Cabinet members to solicit donations as private citizens ''if you do not solicit funds from a subordinate or from someone who has or seeks business with the Department, and you do not use your official title,'' according to Justice Department regulations.
  No use of her job title? She's just another private citizen! Jeffrey Andersen of The Weekly Standard expounds:
  When possibly the second-most powerful person in Washington comes and suggests that perhaps you should make a donation to her administration's favorite cause, it's hard to say no '-- especially when she holds almost unchecked power over the business sector in which you compete.
  That seems obvious to me, but evidently not to Barry (who is no doubt planning to emulate Bill Clinton and raise money for his future library from the Oval Office as a "private citizen").
  UPDATE: And then there were five: Fox News reporter James Rosen is described as a co-conspirator for a warrant in a leak investigation? Kidding?
BBC News - Climate slowdown means extreme rates of warming 'not as likely'
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 14:36
  19 May 2013Last updated at13:31 ETBy Matt McGrathEnvironment correspondent, BBC NewsScientists say the recent downturn in the rate of global warming will lead to lower temperature rises in the short-term.
  Since 1998, there has been an unexplained "standstill" in the heating of the Earth's atmosphere.
  Writing in Nature Geoscience, the researchers say this will reduce predicted warming in the coming decades.
  But long-term, the expected temperature rises will not alter significantly.
  Continue reading the main storyThe most extreme projections are looking less likely than before''
  End QuoteDr Alexander OttoUniversity of OxfordThe slowdown in the expected rate of global warming has been studied for several years now. Earlier this year, the UK Met Office lowered their five-year temperature forecast.
  But this new paper gives the clearest picture yet of how any slowdown is likely to affect temperatures in both the short-term and long-term.
  An international team of researchers looked at how the last decade would impact long-term, equilibrium climate sensitivity and the shorter term climate response.
  Transient natureClimate sensitivity looks to see what would happen if we doubled concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere and let the Earth's oceans and ice sheets respond to it over several thousand years.
  Transient climate response is much shorter term calculation again based on a doubling of CO2.
  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007 that the short-term temperature rise would most likely be 1-3C (1.8-5.4F).
  But in this new analysis, by only including the temperatures from the last decade, the projected range would be 0.9-2.0C.
  "The hottest of the models in the medium-term, they are actually looking less likely or inconsistent with the data from the last decade alone," said Dr Alexander Otto from the University of Oxford.
  "The most extreme projections are looking less likely than before."
  The authors calculate that over the coming decades global average temperatures will warm about 20% more slowly than expected.
  But when it comes to the longer term picture, the authors say their work is consistent with previous estimates. The IPCC said that climate sensitivity was in the range of 2.0-4.5C.
  Ocean storageThis latest research, including the decade of stalled temperature rises, produces a range of 0.9-5.0C.
  "It is a bigger range of uncertainty," said Dr Otto.
  "But it still includes the old range. We would all like climate sensitivity to be lower but it isn't."
  The researchers say the difference between the lower short-term estimate and the more consistent long-term picture can be explained by the fact that the heat from the last decade has been absorbed into and is being stored by the world's oceans.
  Not everyone agrees with this perspective.
  Prof Steven Sherwood, from the University of New South Wales, says the conclusion about the oceans needs to be taken with a grain of salt for now.
  "There is other research out there pointing out that this storage may be part of a natural cycle that will eventually reverse, either due to El Nino or the so-called Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and therefore may not imply what the authors are suggesting," he said.
  The authors say there are ongoing uncertainties surrounding the role of aerosols in the atmosphere and around the issue of clouds.
  "We would expect a single decade to jump around a bit but the overall trend is independent of it, and people should be exactly as concerned as before about what climate change is doing," said Dr Otto.
  Is there any succour in these findings for climate sceptics who say the slowdown over the past 14 years means the global warming is not real?
  "None. No comfort whatsoever," he said.
  Follow Matt on Twitter.
FT 817 10 Watts output
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00
City Government_Predictive Policing
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 10:23
  The Alhambra Police Department has rolled out cutting-edge technology using Predictive Policing known as PredPol that will predict and forecast future crimes.PredPol technology gives officers the best chance to be in the right place, at theright time, to stop crime before it occurs while at the same time helping to reducecrime, cut costs, and increase accuracy when officers patrol their beats. Alhambrawill be the first City to implement this technology department-wide in all of SouthernCalifornia. The Los Angeles Police Department is currently utilizing PredPol insome of its divisions, but not yet across the entire City.
  ''PredPol does not replace the experience and intuition of our great officers, butis rather an invaluable added tool that allows our police force to use their patrol timemore efficiently and helps stop crime before it happens,'' said Chief Mark Yokoyama. ''This technology offers an excellent crime-fighting solution that will ultimately make Alhambra safer.''
  Faced with a trend in rising crime, specifically involving burglaries and car theft,the Alhambra Police Department sought new technologies to add to their arsenal ofcrime fighting strategies in an effort to be proactive in addressing crime issues.
  Within the first 3 weeks of using PredPol an Alhambra officer was patrolling anidentified area for car burglaries and found a car burglary in progress, which led toan immediate arrest. The department has also found crimes occurring in theidentified areas as had been forecasted, thereby validating the predictions and havealso made associated arrests for other crimes while in the forecasted areas.
  ''We are thrilled to be partnering with Alhambra,'' said Jeff Brantingham, PredPolco-Founder and UCLA Professor of Anthropology. ''When we designed PredPol,we wanted to create an affordable tool that would be easy to use by a police officerand assisted law enforcement in an already challenging job. PredPol does justthat and allows Alhambra to utilize technology that was once only accessible tolarge cities.''
  Developed over a period of six years by cops, mathematicians, criminologistsand anthropologists, PredPol is a predictive policing program that looks at burglariesand car thefts and other crimes in a similar manner as predicting aftershocks froman earthquake. Agencies that have deployed the PredPol tool have seen marked reductions in targeted crimes. PredPol gives medium sized cities like Alhambraaccess to complex, large analytic capabilities normally only available to big citiesor massive corporations. The inputs are straightforward: previous crime reports,which include the time and location of a crime. The software is informed bysociological studies of criminal behavior, which include the insight that burglarsoften ply the same area.
  About PredPol:
  PredPol is a cloud-based software company headquartered in Santa Cruz, California,that builds on computer science and anthropological research carried out at SantaClara University and the University of California, Los Angeles. It increases the rateof accuracy in predicting crime, and has helped significantly reduce crime in cities that have implemented the technology. For more information, visit www.predpol.com.
DDoS-for-hire service works with blessing of FBI, operator says | Ars Technica
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20
  A website that accepts payment in exchange for knocking other sites offline is perfectly legal, the proprietor of the DDoS-for-hire service says. Oh, it also contains a backdoor that's actively monitored by the FBI.
  Ragebooter.net is one of several sites that openly accepts requests to flood sites with huge amounts of junk traffic, KrebsonSecurity reporter Brian Krebs said in a recent profile of the service. The site, which accepts payment by PayPal, uses so-called DNS reflection attacks to amplify the torrents of junk traffic. The technique requires the attacker to spoof the IP address of lookup requests and bounce them off open domain name system servers. This can generate data floods directed at a target that are 50 times bigger than the original request.
  Krebs did some sleuthing and discovered the site was operated by Justin Poland of Memphis, Tennessee. The reporter eventually got an interview and found Poland was unapologetic.
  "Since it is a public service on a public connection to other public servers this is not illegal," Poland was quoted as saying. He continued:
  "Nor is spoofing the sender address [illegal]. If the root user of the server does not want that used they can simple disable recursive DNS. My service is a legal testing service. How individuals use it is at there [sic] own risk and responsibilitys [sic]. I do not advertise this service anywhere nor do I entice or encourage illegal usage of the product. How the user uses it is at their own risk. I provide logs to any legal law enforcement and keep logs for up to seven days."
  Poland went on to say:
  "I also work for the FBI on Tuesdays at 1 PM in Memphis. They allow me to continue this business and have full access. The FBI also use the site so that they can moniter [sic] the activitys [sic] of online users.. They even added a nice IP logger that logs the users' IP when they login."
  An FBI spokesman would neither confirm nor deny the claim, but Krebs said security researchers have found the site bizarrely includes the ragebooter.net user name in the flood of data directed at the target websites. Even more intriguing, someone hacked the site in March and leaked the users table, spilling the usernames of e-mail addresses of people who used the service. The list could contain a fair amount of data, since Ragebooter.net appears to average more than 400 attacks per day.
Pixelmator - Company
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 10:06
  Founded in 2007 by two brothers, Saulius Dailide and Aidas Dailide, the Pixelmator Team develops the most practical, fun, innovative, and easy-to-use software for Mac OS X.
  Our flagship application for the Mac is an astonishing image editor called Pixelmator. We've enjoyed putting our hearts and our time into creating Pixelmator. Check it out and find out for yourself how cool it is.
  In 2011, just four short years after we began, the Pixelmator Team was honored with a beautiful Apple Design Award for Pixelmator. To make it even clearer that Pixelmator is well on its way to being the best image editing app in the world, Apple named it Mac App Store App of the Year in December 2011.
  Check Out Our BlogCheck out our blog for more on Pixelmator development and the occasional surprise announcement.
  Company AddressPixelmator Team Ltd,Suite 368, 2 Lansdowne RowLondon, W1J 6HL, UK
Ham-Com | The Biggest Hamfest in Texas
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:59
  Current News & Information2013 Ham-Com Brochure Now Available!Download the PDF version of the 2013 Ham-Com Brochure. Get a layout of the convention floor, vendors listings, presentation schedules, and a whole lot more! Download It Here.
  2013 DFW Contest ForumThe DFW Contest Group announces the 2013 DFW Contest Forum to be held on Friday, June 7 in conjunction with Ham-Com at the Plano Center in Plano, Texas. For more information visit the DFW Contest Group web page.
  CQ CQ CQ Volunteers for Ham-Com. The Easiest Way to AttendHamCom For FREE!We are still in need of volunteers to help produce a highly successful HAMCOM 2013. We need help to deal with the extra task and crowds that we expect. All volunteers receive free admission to the event which includes a ticket for the prize barrel, and the all-familiar ball cap!READ MORE and/or SIGN UP
  DX Dinner Tickets Are Now Available You're in for a treat this year. Come enjoy some great food, meet your fellow DX'ers and listen to Gene K5GS talk about a great DXepedition to Campbell Island. Sign up now.
  Ham-Com 2013 Tickets, Swap Meet Tables, and Other ItemsAre Now AvailableHam-Com 2013 general admission tickets, swap meet table space, boy scout badge registration and other events are now available for purchase.
  We're giving away some GREAT PRIZES at HamCom 2013.Here is just a sample of the few things we will be giving away at this years convention. Check back as the list continues to grow.
  Online-Prize - Heil Pro-Set Elite WOW! The Friday Grand Prize will be an Flex 3000! MORE WOW! The Saturday Grand Prize will be an ICOM IC-7600. Plus... Many other gifts from our Sponsors.
  Ham-Com 2013 Exhibitor Booth Rentals Are SOLD OUT!Ham-Com 2013 Booth Rentals are completely sold out, however, you can still fill our form and be put on the waiting list.
blender.org - Get Blender
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:56
  Support Blender development by purchasing DVDs or Books in the Blender shop:
  You can download daily builds from the latest Blender svn version here.
  Regression files are .blend examples showing systematically all features we test before doing a release. This is a good reference for bug hunting, but also a valuable demo overview for new users.
  New! Blender 2.60 regression suite (70+ demo files).
  Blender 2.57 Bullet Physics tests
  To install Blender, download the appropriate package for your platform to your computer. The Windows version comes with an optional self-extracting installer, for other operating systems you can unpack the compressed file to the location of your choice.
  Provided the Blender binary is in the original extracted directory, Blender will run straight out of the box. No system libraries or system preferences are altered.
  Blender 2.67 is the latest release from the Blender Foundation. To download it, please select your platform and location. Blender is Free & Open Source Software.
  Blender 2.67 was released on May 7th 2013.
  Note: Mirrors are currently syncing.
  Note: If the application reports an error on startup, please install the Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package
  Blender 2.67 Installer (47 MB)Requires Windows XP/Vista/7/8 - 64 bits
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  Blender 2.67 Zip Archive (65 MB)Requires Windows XP/Vista/7/8 - 64 bits
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  Note: If the application reports an error on startup, please install the Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable Package
  Blender 2.67 (69 MB)Requires glibc 2.11, includes Python 3.3, FFmpegSuits most recent Linux distributions
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  Blender 2.67 (70 MB)Requires glibc 2.11, includes Python 3.3, FFmpegSuits most recent Linux distributions
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  Blender 2.67, Intel 64 bits (83 MB)Requires Mac OS X 10.6+ 64 bits
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  If the 3DConnexion device fails, you need 3DxWare 10 Beta 4 (Mac OS X) or later!
  Blender 2.67, Intel 32 bits (68 MB)Requires Mac OS X 10.6+ 32 bits
  USA | Germany | NL 1 | NL 2
  If the 3DConnexion device fails, you need 3DxWare 10 Beta 4 (Mac OS X) or later!
Sweden: Youths burn 100 cars in north Stockholm riots
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:38
  Published: 20 May 13 08:10 CET | Print versionUpdated: 20 May 13 11:49 CETOnline: http://www.thelocal.se/48006/20130520/
  Youths rioted in northern Stockholm on Sunday night, setting fire to cars and throwing rocks at police, in what is believed to be a protest against the fatal police shooting of a machete-wielding man in the suburb last week.
  "At 10pm we sent out staff to an address in Husby," explained Lars Bystr¶m of the Stockholm police to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.IN PICTURES: See the damage from the Husby fires
  "My colleagues were met by young people who threw stones at them. It continued with a couple of violent riots and extensive damage."
  The riot kicked off when young people set fire to cars in Husby, a suburb in the far north of Stockholm. Witnesses claim at least 100 vehicles in the area were in flames. Another fire was lit in a nearby garage, resulting in the evacuation of the apartment block. Around 50 residents were taken care of and sheltered in buses that were on hand.
  The local shopping centre was also vandalized, and three police officers were injured in the fracas. Police estimate that the riots involved somewhere between 50 and 60 youths.
  RELATED STORY: 'Husby is usually a very peaceful place'
  Forty emergency workers from both police and the firefighting service were on hand.
  The protests come in response to a fatal police shooting of a 69-year-old man in Husby last Monday, according to the youth organization Megafonen. The man had been threatening police with a machete before he was shot.
  Initially, police told the press that the man had died from his injuries at hospital, but it later emerged that the 69-year-old died at the scene.
  Many neighbours questioned why police used such extreme violence to deal with the situation.
  "This was an old man with a knife facing a whole gang of specially trained armed police officers. Did they really have to kill him?" a neighbour said to the Aftonbladet tabloid the day after the shooting.
  A community-based organization that aims to organize residents of Stockholm's northern suburbs to fight for social justice claimed Sunday night's disturbances started as a "reaction to police brutality against citizens, our neighbours".
  "We understand that people react like this," Rami Al-Khamisi from Megafonen said in a statement.
  Calm was restored to Husby by 5.30am. Police did not, however, make any arrests.
  "We've not made any arrests, but we'll try to during the day. We'll take a look at security footage and speak with witnesses so we can take legal action against the people who are guilty of crimes," Bystr¶m told DN.
  TT/The Local/ogFollow The Local on Twitter
Why Feeling Anxious About a Vaccine Makes It More Effective (And Other Benefits of Short-Term Stress)
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Dave says...
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:37
  Source: CDC, via Wikimeda Commons
  SAN FRANCISCO'--Standing at a podium in front of an audience of psychiatrists, clinicians and scientists, Firdaus Dhabhar brings up a video of his infant son on a large projector screen and presses play. Smiling and wriggling, Dhabhar's son rests on his back in a doctor's office'--perfectly content. ''Watch for the immediate reaction,'' Dhabhar tells the audience. A nurse expertly injects his son's thigh with a vaccine. For half a second, nothing changes. Then the child stops moving; his eyes widen; his face twists into misery as he begins to cry. Meanwhile, the nurse has not missed a beat, injecting several more vaccines. As she leaves she turns to the camera and says, ''Sorry I couldn't make him cry more.''
  Dhabhar likes to film babies crying when they get their shots; he knows that the wailing is a good sign'--so do the nurses in the hospitals he frequents. A Stanford University researcher who studies how stress changes the body, Dhabhar and his colleagues have discovered that subjecting mice to minor stress before they are vaccinated boosts the immune system and makes the vaccines more effective. Mice that were stressed out prior to their inoculations had an easier time overcoming a subsequent infection than mice that the researchers left in peace before their shots. Something similar seems to happen to people. In a study of knee surgery patients, for example, Dhabhar and his teammates found that anticipating surgery increases the number of immune cells circulating in the bloodstream in the days preceding the operation. Studies like these have convinced Dhabhar that stress does not entirely deserve its bad reputation, which was one of the main messages of his recent presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco. Some kinds of short-term stress'--as opposed to chronic stress'--can improve health.
  From an evolutionary perspective, the fact that short-term stress revs up the immune system makes sense. Consider a gazelle fleeing a lioness. Once the gazelle's eyes and ears alert its brain to the threat, certain brain regions immediately activate the famous fight-or-flight response, sending electrical signals along the nervous system to the muscles and many other organs, including the endocrine glands'--the body's hormone factories. Levels of cortisol, epinephrine, adrenaline and noradrenaline rapidly increase; the heart beats faster; and enzymes race to convert glucose and fatty acids into energy for cells. All these swift biological changes give the gazelle the best chance of escape. At the same time, Dhabhar and others' research suggests, the brain's recognition of a threat prompts the immune system to prepare for potential injury. The spleen and other organs release immune cells specialized for identifying and destroying invaders and healing damaged tissues. After all, even if the gazelle escapes with its life, it may need to heal wounds sustained during its flight and prevent them from becoming infected.
  Somewhat paradoxically, cortisol'--one of the hormones released during the fight-or-flight response'--has long been known to suppress the immune system. Likewise, many people who are continually stressed over long periods of time have unusually low levels of immune activity. But then again, chronic stress can exacerbate allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders in which the immune system is already overactive. So does stress excite or repress the immune system? Here's where things get even more complicated, as they so often do in biology. The condensed answer is that it all depends on the situation and on the individual. Often, short-term stress activates certain parts of the immune system, but not all its components; in general, chronic stress stifles the immune system, but it may also make it more likely to attack benign tissues. In the study with knee surgery patients, people's immune systems did not all respond to anticipation of the operation in the same way. Some people showed an adaptive response: the number of immune cells in their bloodstream increased in the days before the operation, then decreased as those immune cells migrated to the skin, lymph nodes, mucus membranes and other important sites of battle and repair. Other patients had a maladaptive response: their levels of circulating immune cells hardly increased or even dipped below their baseline level. As you might expect, people with an adaptive immune response recovered from surgery more quickly and more fully than people with a maladaptive response.
  In recent decades, it has become increasingly clear that stress changes people's health in subtle and obvious, temporary and enduring ways. In fact, depression and related illnesses may be'--at least in part'--disorders of handling stress. We all come into the world having inherited genes that partially determine how well we deal with stress. As we grow, our experiences bolster or weaken our innate resilience. For some people, a series of mildly stressful events may be enough to trigger depression or another illness; others will remain resilient through years of chronic stress. It will likely take decades of new research to understand such differences in detail. For now, though, we can at least be sure that it's okay to feel stressed when you get a shot'--in fact, it's a good thing.
After crushing Mali Islamists, France pushes deal with Tuaregs.
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:36
  By David Lewis
  BAMAKO (Reuters) - After winning adulation across Mali for a five month military offensive that crushed al Qaeda fighters, France is now frustrating some of its allies by pushing for a political settlement with a separate group of Tuareg rebels.
  A standoff over how to restore Malian government authority to Kidal, the last town in the desert north yet to be brought under central control, is sowing resentment with Paris and could delay planned elections to restore democracy after a coup.
  Mali's army has moved troops towards Kidal, a stronghold of the MNLA Tuareg separatists, but missed a self-imposed deadline this week to retake the Saharan town. France, which has its own forces camped outside, does not want Malian troops to march on the town, fearing ethnic bloodshed if it is taken by force.
  "Paris blocks army at the gates of Kidal," read a headline in Le Matin, a weekly in Mali's capital Bamako.
  Elections are planned for July in Mali to finally restore normalcy after a chaotic 18 months that saw Tuaregs launch a revolt, the military carry out a coup, al Qaeda-linked Islamists seize the north and 4,000 French troops arrive to dislodge them.
  Many in government and on the streets of Bamako blame the January 2012 uprising by the Tuareg MNLA for unleashing the other calamities that nearly dissolved the country. Nationalists now want the army to march into Kidal to disarm the rebels.
  France is instead backing secretive talks being held in neighboring Burkina Faso, designed to allow the July elections to take place, while urging Bamako to address Tuaregs' long-standing demands for autonomy for their desert homeland.
  Clashes between Arabs and Tuaregs have shown that ethnic tension remains high.
  GOODWILL FRAYING
  The former colonial power, France won enthusiastic public support across Mali for its decision to send troops in January to crush the al Qaeda-linked fighters. French flags still flutter in parts of the dusty riverside capital, and President Francois Hollande was cheered as a liberator by huge crowds when he visited in February.
  But goodwill is giving way to frustrations over Kidal, with many Malians questioning why France would not boldly confront the MNLA as it had done the coalition of al Qaeda-linked rebels.
  Within the army, whose morale evaporated in a string of defeats last year, anger simmers over foreign interference.
  "Our men are ready but we have not received the orders to enter the town. It is a political decision," said a senior Malian officer, who asked not to be named.
  Mali's interim President Dioncounda Traore, whom Paris has defended from military pressure, voiced support for dialogue with the MNLA on Friday in Paris ahead of a meeting with Hollande. He said plans for decentralization should satisfy the MNLA's demands.
  But many in Mali, particularly those close to the army, are hostile towards dialogue. The official Twitter feed for Mali's presidency refers to the MNLA as terrorists.
  Hollande rejects that label, saying the MNLA fought alongside French and African forces against the Islamists, providing intelligence on Islamists' positions.
  "We have said we will are willing to aid the return of Malian civilian administration to Kidal to organize elections," Hollande said this week, appearing to rule out a military alternative. "We want a political dialogue, and I think that will happen."
  "KIDAL WILL VOTE"
  The MNLA stole back into Kidal after France's air and ground assault scattered the Islamists. The town has since been under awkward joint occupation by the MNLA with French troops and, for a time, their Chadian allies.
  Defence Minister Yamoussa Camara promised parliament this month that Mali's forces would be in the town by May 15. Residents in northern Mali have reported movement towards Kidal for weeks, but the force has yet to arrive.
  The Kidal region is home to just 0.5 percent of Mali's population - by far its least populated area - but the authorities say the national vote cannot take place without it.
  "Kidal will vote like the rest of the country ... That's what Malians want," said Gamer Dicko, spokesman for the territorial administration ministry, tasked with organizing elections. "Not holding an election there would be a de facto split of the country."
  Diplomats say talks are quietly underway in Burkina Faso to find a way of allowing the elections to proceed in Kidal, as a stepping stone to political talks with the MNLA and other armed groups once a permanent, elected government is in place.
  "It is about finding a gentleman's agreement so the elections can take place in Kidal," a West African diplomat said, asking not to be named. "The transitional government will not find a definitive solution to the problem."
  President Traore has named a former minister, Tiebile Drame, as special envoy to coordinate talks with northern groups.
  Traore wrote in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Drame had been named so that "Mali can keep control of the process", an apparent sign of frustration with the role played by a panoply of U.N. and African mediators.
  Another diplomat said recent discussions in Bamako had revealed divisions between the Western position that more regional autonomy was needed to resolve the conflict and African nations' support for a tougher line on the rebels.
  "African nations didn't criticize France directly but they were very critical of the MNLA," said the source.
  Part of the difficulty of talks with the Tuaregs, diplomats say, is the divisions within their armed groups. The MNLA alone has 21 representatives on its negotiating commission.
  A spokesman for the MNLA in Paris confirmed that contacts had been made with the Malian government through Burkina Faso mediators, but he said they were not official talks. He would not comment on the conditions needed for elections to go ahead.
  (Additional reporting by Daniel Flynn in Dakar, Tiemoko Diallo in Bamako and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Peter Graff)
Five new mental disorders you could have under DSM-5
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: The Conversation
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:29
  Sufferers of internet disorder might find it starts to impose on real life, such as causing difficulties in socialising. Flickr/FleSince it was first published in 1952, the DSM has been the has been the diagnostic bible for many psychiatrists. Each time the manual is updated, new conditions are introduced, often amid much controversy. DSM-5, the latest edition published on Saturday, is one of the most controversial yet.
  Many conditions we're now familiar with were codified in the DSM, including body dismorphic disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar.
  Inclusions and removals can be hugely controversial. Autism is in the manual, for example, but Asperger's isn't. Homosexuality was only removed in 1974.
  Below, five experts explain some of the most noteworthy new additions, and why they've been included.
  Hoarding disorderDavid Mataix-Cols: Most children have collections at some point and approximately 30% of British adults define themselves as collectors. This is a pleasurable, highly social and benign activity, which contrasts with another disabling form of object accumulation: hoarding disorder.
  The symptoms include persistent difficulty in discarding possessions due to a strong perceived need to save items and distress in discarding them. This results in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that fill up and clutter key living areas of the home, to the extent that their intended use is no longer possible.
  Symptoms are often accompanied by excessive acquiring, buying or even stealing of items that are not needed or for which there is no available space.
  Using DSM-5, hoarding disorder can only be diagnosed once other mental disorders have been ruled out.
  With a prevalence of at least 1.5% of the UK population, the disorder is associated with substantial functional disability, family conflict, social isolation, risk of falls and fires, evictions and homelessness.
  Hoarding syndrome can leave key living areas unable to be used. Shadwwulf
  Binge eating disorderChristopher Fairburn: The inclusion of binge eating disorder in DSM-5 was expected and uncontroversial for the deciding committee. It's already listed as a provisional diagnosis in DSM-IV.
  The disorder is characterised by recurrent over-eating episodes and a sense of loss of control at the time. Sufferers don't have the extreme dieting, vomiting and laxative misuse seen in people who have bulimia. It is the loss of control over eating that is the distressing feature of binge eating disorder, or BED.
  BED is very different from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. These disorders are largely confined to young women and they share many features including highly distinctive concerns about shape and weight and extreme weight control behaviour, such as dieting. None of this is present in people with BED.
  BED is typically seen among those who are middle aged. Men make up about a third of cases. The disorders also differ in their response to treatment. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, people who suffer from binge eating disorder respond well to a variety of treatments.
  Skin picking disorderJon Grant: Skin picking has been documented in medical literature since the 19th century but only now has it been recognised in DSM-5.
  Skin picking disorder affects around 2-5% of people in the US. It is not simply a harmless habit nor merely a symptom of another disorder. Skin picking may result in significant tissue damage and often leads to medical complications such as local infections and septicemia.
  Sufferers of the disorder are diagnosed according to five criteria including recurrent skin picking that causes skin lesions; repeated attempts to cut down or stop, and that the skin picking causes significant distress or problems in social situations, work, or other important areas in life.
  Skin picking also can't be because of the physical effects of a substance or a medical condition, or linked to another mental disorder '' for example because someone has body dysmorphic disorder. These criteria separate people who pick only their skin occasionally.
  Data from multiple researchers around the world consistently show that skin-picking disorder has distinct characteristics, important neurobiological links, and documented responsiveness to treatments '' both Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and medication can work.
  Skin picking disorder can cause significant distress or problems in social situations. Flickr/Chris@APL
  Somatic symptom disorderChristopher Lane: Somatic comes from the Greek word for ''of the body'', the focus of the disorder. DSM's earlier family of medically unexplained ailments grouped together problems as different as hypochondria and body dysmorphia and so the American Psychiatric Association proposed somatic symptom disorder.
  It's a new, stand-alone disorder for people who experience a ''disproportionate'' sense of anxiety about their health and at least one physical symptom, such as a persistent headache.
  People can be diagnosed with the new disorder if their physical symptoms are distressing and/or disruptive to their daily life for at least six months, and they also have one of the following: disproportionate thoughts about the seriousness of their symptoms; or a high level of anxiety about their symptoms or health; or they devote excessive time and energy to their symptoms or health concerns.
  There have been concerns because the threshold of ''disproportionate'' and ''excessive'' is difficult to quantify and the disorder could be used as a catch-all for many people.
  Internet addictionKaren M Von Deenen: While not yet officially codified within a psychopathological framework, internet addiction is growing in prevalence and has attracted the attention of psychiatrists, educators, and the public.
  Internet addiction is a newly identified condition associated with loss of control over internet use. It leads to negative psychosocial and physical results, such as impairment of academic failure, social deficits, criminal activities and even death. The consists of three main subtypes: excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations, and e-mail/text messaging.
  The DSM-5 now includes a newly-created category of behavioural addictions, in which gambling will be the sole disorder. Internet addiction was considered for this category, but work group members decided there was insufficient research data to do so, so they recommended it be included in the manual's appendix instead, with the goal of encouraging additional study.
  Present treatment has included electric shock therapy and internet rehab, but these have not been satisfactory. More research needs to be done to understand the underlying mechanisms of this addiction.
  Sign in to Favourite Post a CommentTagsMental health, Psychiatry, DSM, Eating disorders, DSM-5, Psychiatric disorders
  Related articles 20 May 2013 DSM-5 tells us more about psychiatry than psychiatrists 20 May 2013 Explainer: what is the DSM? 20 May 2013 Under new psychiatric guidebook we might all be labelled mad 19 May 2013 Despite the critics, psychiatrists need guidelines like the DSM-5 17 May 2013 Sexual assaults in psych wards show urgent need for reform
A worldwide undersea gold rush is coming
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Global Geopolitics
  Mon, 20 May 2013 09:13
  An undersea gold rush could be coming soon with the rising cost of minerals and advancements in technology opening the seafloor to mining '' environmental concerns not withstanding.
  The United Nations International Seabed Authority (ISA) last week published a study on what frameworks would be necessary to ensure that mining is done responsibly. Commercial mining operations could begin as soon as 2016, but ISA acknowledged that there will be ''inevitable environmental damage'' and identified a ''Catch-22'" where firms have not demonstrated appropriate competency and skills but must first start mining to gain them.
  '...
  Mining would take place in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. ISA licensees include well-known industrial giants including Lockheed Martin, BBC News's science editor David Shukman wrote in his report on the study. The ISA has identified vast undersea mineral deposits and will ensure that developing nations will receive a share of the profits from mining operations under its auspices.
  This undersea gold rush is prompting the ISA to rapidly prepare a regulatory regime. ''Doing so requires the development of a strategic framework that allows the Authority to have in place the necessary mandates, organizational capacities (technical and administrative), policies and regulations (implementing rules and regulations) and capacities (fiscal, manpower and specialties,'' the ISA noted in its executive summary.
  Full article: A worldwide undersea gold rush is coming (Smart Planet)
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Inventor of ADHD's deathbed confession 'ADHD is a fictitious disease'
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: WT news feed
  Mon, 20 May 2013 08:54
  Saturday, 18 May 2013 10:54
  'The alarmed critics of the Ritalin disaster are now getting support from an entirely different side. The German weekly Der Spiegel quoted in its cover story on 2 February 2012 the US American psychiatrist Leon Eisenberg, born in 1922 as the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, who was the ''scientific father of ADHD'' and who said at the age of 87, seven months before his death in his last interview: ''ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease''
  Since 1968, however, some 40 years, Leon Eisenberg's ''disease'' haunted the diagnostic and statistical manuals, first as ''hyperkinetic reaction of childhood'', now called ''ADHD''. The use of ADHD medications in Germany rose in only eighteen years from 34 kg (in 1993) to a record of no less than 1760 kg (in 2011) '' which is a 51-fold increase in sales! In the United States every tenth boy among ten year-olds already swallows an ADHD medication on a daily basis. With an increasing tendency.'
  Read more: Inventor of ADHD's deathbed confession 'ADHD is a fictitious disease'
China, Tajikistan establish strategic partnership
  Link to Article
  Archived Version
  Source: Global Times
  Mon, 20 May 2013 07:55
  Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon at the signing of a joint announcement to establish a strategic partnership, after their talks in Beijing, capital of China, May 20, 2013. Photo: Xinhua
  China and Tajikistan established a strategic partnership on Monday, pledging to boost bilateral cooperation.The announcement was made during talks held between President Xi Jinping and his visiting Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon, who is visiting China from May 19 to 20.
  China and Tajikistan share the need to consolidate cooperation, safeguard common interests and address common challenges, Xi said, adding that China will maintain a friendly policy stance toward Tajikistan.
  Xi highlighted the significance of the strategic partnership, which he said will cement cooperation in multiple fields.
  He said both sides should step up their mutual support on issues concerning sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.
  The two sides should also effectively use cooperation to boost economic growth and intensify coordination on significant international and regional issues, Xi added.
  Rakhmon said Tajikistan and China have set an example for other countries by working together as candid and trustful strategic partners, adding that Tajikistan is willing to offer firm support for China on key issues.
  Rakhmon expressed hope that the Chinese dream of the renewal of the Chinese nation could be realized at an early date. Rakhmon pledged commitment to maintaining high-level exchanges and cooperation with China.
  After the talks, the two heads of state also signed a joint declaration concerning the strategic partnership and witnessed the signing of a series of agreements on cooperation.
  According to the declaration, China and Tajikistan will support the development paths chosen by their citizens and support each other's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity as well as measures to maintain social stability, boost economic growth and expand foreign exchanges.
  The two countries also agreed to push bilateral economic cooperation forward and accelerate the implementation of aviation and cross-border railway and highway projects.
  Both sides will jointly explore mineral, and oil and gas resources and discuss cooperation in power infrastructure, wind and solar energy, the declaration said.
  Both sides will carry out agricultural technology cooperation projects and set up a China-Tajikistan agricultural technology demonstration center and agricultural industrial park in Tajikistan to raise the country's capability for grain production.
  China and Tajikistan will offer financial support for bilateral trade and cooperation, as well as for Chinese enterprises to invest in Tajikistan and settle bilateral trade in their own currencies.
  The two nations also pledged to expand cooperation among law enforcement and judicial departments and jointly crack down on terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug-related crimes and new threats and challenges.
  Both sides decided to boost cooperation in the fields of culture, education, tourism, health and sports. China welcomes Tajik students to study in the country and the Tajik side welcomes more Confucius Institutes to be established in Tajikistan.
  The significant role played by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in promoting regional peace and development was emphasized in the declaration. The two countries will work with other SCO member countries to ensure the success of the SCO summit to be held in Bishkek later this year.
  China will offer full support for Tajikistan after the country assumes the SCO rotating presidency following the Bishkek summit, the declaration added.
  Both sides also pledged to enhance cooperation under the multi-lateral frameworks including the United Nations to jointly cope with global and regional challenges so as to promote world and regional peace, security and development.
Daniel Pfeiffer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  White House Chief of StaffWhite House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy
  Rahm EmanuelPete RouseWilliam M. DaleyJacob LewMona SutphenNancy-Ann DeParleRob Nabors2009-102010-112011-122012-2009-112011-20132013-National Security AdvisorDeputy National Security Advisor
  Jim JonesThomas E. DonilonThomas E. DonilonDenis McDonoughTony Blinken 2009-102010-2009''102010-132013- White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations White House Deputy Chief of Staff for PlanningSenior Advisor to the President Counselor to the PresidentJim MessinaAlyssa MastromonacoMark B. ChildressDavid AxelrodDavid PlouffePete Rouse2009-112011-2012-2009''112011-2009-Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and AfghanistanDeputy National Security Advisor for Strategic CommunicationsDouglas Lute' Ben Rhodes 2009''2009''Senior Advisor to the President and Assistant to the President for PublicEngagement and Intergovernmental AffairsValerie Jarrett 2009'' Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland SecurityJohn O. Brennan2009''Director of Public Engagement Christina TchenJon Carson2009''112011--Deputy National Security Advisor and NSC Chief of Staff Denis McDonoughBrooke Anderson2009-102011-Director of Intergovernmental AffairsCecilia Mu±oz2009''White House Communications DirectorDaniel Pfeiffer2009-Director, National Economic Council Lawrence SummersGene Sperling2009''102011-Deputy White House Communications DirectorWhite House Press Secretary Jennifer PsakiRobert GibbsJay Carney2009''2009''112011-Deputy Director, National Economic CouncilDiana Farrell2009''Deputy Press SecretaryBill Burton2009''11Deputy Director, National Economic CouncilDeputy Director, National Economic CouncilJason FurmanBrian Deese2009''2011-Director of Special ProjectsStephanie Cutter2010-11Chair of the President's Economic Recovery Advisory BoardPaul Volcker2009''Director of SpeechwritingJon Favreau2009''Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors Christina RomerAustan Goolsbee2009''102010-White House Counsel Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Robert BauerKathryn RuemmlerPhil SchiliroRob Nabors2009''112011-2009''112011-Member of the Council of Economic AdvisorsKatharine Abraham2011-Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative AffairsLisa Konwinski2009''Member of the Council of Economic AdvisorsCecilia Rouse2009''Executive ClerkGeorge T. Saunders' 2009''Director, Office of Management and Budget Peter R. OrszagJacob Lew2009''102010''12Director, Office of Political AffairsChief Technology OfficerPatrick GaspardAneesh ChopraTodd Park2009''112009 20122012-Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director for Management, Office of Management and BudgetJeffrey Zients 2009''Chief Information OfficerDirector, Office of Presidential PersonnelSteven VanRoekelNancy Hogan2011''2010''Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey LiebmanHeather Higginbottom*20102011-Director of Scheduling and Advance Director, White House Military OfficeAlyssa MastromonacoDanielle CrutchfieldGeorge D. Mulligan, Jr.2009-112011-2009-United States Trade RepresentativeRon Kirk2009''Cabinet SecretaryChris Lu2009''Director, Domestic Policy CouncilMelody Barnes2009''Deputy Cabinet SecretaryLiz Sears Smith2009''Deputy Director, Domestic Policy CouncilHeather HigginbottomMark Zuckerman2009''112011-Staff SecretaryLisa Brown2009''Director, Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood PartnershipsJoshua DuBois2009''Director, Office of Management and AdministrationBradley Kiley2009''Director, Office of Health ReformNancy DeParle2009''11Director, Oval Office OperationsMicaela Fernandez2009''Deputy Director, Office of Health ReformJeanne Lambrew2009''Personal Aide to the PresidentReggie Love2009''Director, Office of Energy and Climate Change PolicyCarol Browner2009''11Personal Secretary to the PresidentKatie JohnsonAnita Decker2009''112011-Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate ChangeHeather Zichal2009''Special Projects Coordinator and Confidential Assistant to the PresidentEugene Kang 2009''Director, Council on Environmental QualityDirector, Office of National AIDS PolicyNancy SutleyJeffrey Crowley2009''2009''Chief of Staff to the First Lady Jackie NorrisSusan SherChristina Tchen20092009-102011-Director, Office of National Drug Control PolicyGil Kerlikowske2009''White House Social SecretaryDesir(C)e RogersJulianna SmootJeremy Bernard2009''102010''112011''Director, Office of Urban AffairsAdolfo Carri"n, Jr.2009''Director, Office of Science and Technology PolicyJohn Holdren2009''
Why Was A Sunday Times Report On US Government Ties To Al-Qaeda Chief Spiked? -
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  Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds
  By Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed911 BloggerMay 19, 2013
  The government has denied the allegations yet gone to extraordinary lengths to silence her. Her critics have derided her as a fabulist and fabricator. But now comes word that some of her most serious allegations were confirmed by a major European newspaper only to be squashed at the request of the U.S. government.
  In a recent book Classified Woman, Sibel Edmonds, a former translator for the FBI, describes how the Pentagon, CIA and State Department maintained intimate ties to al-Qaeda militants as late as 2001. Her memoir, Classified Woman: The Sibel Edmonds Story, published last year, charged senior government officials with negligence, corruption and collaboration with al Qaeda in illegal arms smuggling and drugs trafficking in Central Asia.
  In interviews with this author in early March, Edmonds claimed that Ayman al-Zawahiri, current head of al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's deputy at the time, had innumerable, regular meetings at the U.S. embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, with U.S. military and intelligence officials between 1997 and 2001, as part of an operation known as 'Gladio B'. Al-Zawahiri, she charged, as well as various members of the bin Laden family and other mujahideen, were transported on NATO planes to various parts of Central Asia and the Balkans to participate in Pentagon-backed destabilisation operations.
  According to two Sunday Times journalists speaking on condition of anonymity, this and related revelations had been confirmed by senior Pentagon and MI6 officials as part of a four-part investigative series that were supposed to run in 2008. The Sunday Times journalists described how the story was inexplicably dropped under the pressure of undisclosed ''interest groups'', which, they suggest, were associated with the U.S. State Department.
  Shooting the MessengerDescribed by the American Civil Liberties Union as the ''most gagged person in the history of the United States of America,'' Edmonds studied criminal justice, psychology and public policy at George Washington and George Mason universities. Two weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, her fluency in Turkish, Farsi and Azerbaijani earned her an FBI contract at the Washington DC field office. She was tasked with translating highly classified intelligence from operations against terrorism suspects in and outside the U.S..
  In the course of her work, Edmonds became privy to evidence that U.S. military and intelligence agencies were collaborating with Islamist militants affiliated with al-Qaeda, the very forces blamed for the 9/11 attacks '' and that officials in the FBI were covering up the evidence. When Edmonds complained to her superiors, her family was threatened by one of the subjects of her complaint, and she was fired. Her accusations of espionage against her FBI colleagues were eventually investigated by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General, which did not give details about the allegations as they remained classified.
  Although no final conclusions about the espionage allegations were reached, the Justice Department concluded that many of Edmonds' accusations ''were supported, that the FBI did not take them seriously enough and that her allegations were, in fact, the most significant factor in the FBI's decision to terminate her services.''
  When she attempted to go public with her story in 2002, and again in 2004, the U.S. government silenced Edmonds by invoking a legal precedent known as ''state secrets privilege'' '' a near limitless power to quash a lawsuit based solely on the government's claim that evidence or testimony could divulge information that might undermine ''national security.'' Under this doctrine, the government sought to retroactively classify basic information concerning Edmonds's case already in the public record, including, according to the New York Times, ''what languages Ms. Edmonds translated, what types of cases she handled, and what employees she worked with, officials said. Even routine and widely disseminated information '-- like where she worked '-- is now classified.''
  Although certainly not the first invocation of ''state secrets privilege'', since the Edmonds case the precedent has been used repeatedly in the post-9/11 era under both the Bush and Obama administrations to shield the U.S. government from court scrutiny of rendition, torture, warrantless wiretapping, as well as the President's claimed war powers.
  Other intelligence experts agree that Edmonds had stumbled upon a criminal conspiracy at the heart of the American judicial system. In her memoirs, she recounts that FBI Special Agent Gilbert Graham, who also worked in the Washington field office on counter-intelligence operations, told her over a coffee how he ''ran background checks on federal judges'' in the ''early nineties for the bureau'... If we came up with shit '' skeletons in their closets '' the Justice Department kept it in their pantry to be used against them in the future or to get them to do what they want in certain cases '' cases like yours.''A redacted version of Graham's classified protected disclosure to the Justice Department regarding these allegations, released in 2007, refers to the FBI's ''abuse of authority'' by conducting illegal wiretapping to obtain information on U.S. public officials.
  Incubating TerrorFive years ago, Edmonds revealed to the Sunday Times that an unidentified senior U.S. State Department official was on the payroll of Turkish agents in Washington, passing on nuclear and military secrets. ''He was aiding foreign operatives against U.S. interests by passing them highly classified information, not only from the State Department but also from the Pentagon, in exchange for money, position and political objectives'', Edmonds told the paper. She reported coming across this information when listening to suppressed phone calls recorded by FBI surveillance, marked by her colleague Melek Can Dickerson as ''not pertinent''.
  In the Sunday Times expos(C), Edmonds described a parallel organization in Israel cooperating with the Turks on illegal weapons sales and technology transfers. Between them, Israel and Turkey operated a range of front companies incorporated in the U.S. with active ''moles in sensitive military and nuclear institutions'', supported by U.S. officials, in order to sell secrets to the highest bidder. One of the buyers was Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) '' which often used its Turkish allies, according to the Times, ''as a conduit'... because they were less likely to attract suspicion.''
  The Pakistani operation was, the paper reported, ''led by General Mahmoud Ahmad, then the ISI chief'' from 1999 to 2001, when the agency helped train, supply and coordinate the Afghan Taliban and gave sanctuary to their Arab allies brought together in the coalition named al-Qaeda. Ahmad, as the Times noted, ''was accused [by the FBI] of sanctioning a $100,000 wire payment to Mohammed Atta, one of the 9/11 hijackers, immediately before the attacks.''
  According to Indian intelligence officials, they had assisted the FBI in ''tracing and establishing'' the financial trail between the General and the chief hijacker. The discovery was, they allege, the real reason behind the General's sudden retirement in October 2001. The Pakistani daily, The News, reported on 10th September 2001 that the ISI chief held several ''mysterious meetings at the Pentagon and National Security Council'' that week, including with CIA director George Tenet.
  In an interview with this author in March, Edmonds raised the question of whether U.S. officials' liaisons with an espionage network overseen by Ahmad, and the FBI's suppression of related intelligence, played a role in facilitating the attacks.
  ''Following 9/11, a number of the foreign operatives were taken in for questioning by the FBI on suspicion that they knew about or somehow aided the attacks'', reported the Sunday Times. The paper related that according to Edmonds, the senior State Department official received a call from a foreign agent under FBI surveillance asking for help to ''get them out of the U.S. because we can't afford for them to spill the beans.'' The official promised ''he would 'take care of it'.''
  Edmonds told this author that high-level corruption compromised the ability of the U.S. intelligence community to pursue ongoing investigations of those planning the 9/11 attacks. ''It was precisely those militants that were incubated by some of America's key allies'', she said. Corruption helped guarantee Congressional silence when that incubation strategy backfired in the form of 9/11. ''Both Republican and Democratic representatives in the House and Senate came up in FBI counterintelligence investigations for taking bribes from foreign agents'', she said.
  Al-Qaeda: Enemy or Asset?In her interview, Edmonds insisted that after its initial expos(C), the Times' investigation had gone beyond such previous revelations, and was preparing to disclose her most startling accusations. Among these, Edmonds described how the CIA and the Pentagon had been running a series of covert operations supporting Islamist militant networks linked to Osama bin Laden right up to 9/11, in Central Asia, the Balkans and the Caucasus.
  While it is widely recognised that the CIA sponsored bin Laden's networks in Afghanistan during the Cold War, U.S. government officials deny any such ties existed. Others claim these ties were real, but were severed after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1989.
  But according to Edmonds, this narrative is false. ''Not just bin Laden, but several senior 'bin Ladens' were transported by U.S. intelligence back and forth to the region in the late 1990s through to 2001'", she told this author, ''including Ayman al-Zawahiri'' '' Osama bin Laden's right-hand-man who has taken over as al-Qaeda's top leader.
  ''In the late 1990s, all the way up to 9/11, al-Zawahiri and other mujahideen operatives were meeting regularly with senior U.S. officials in the U.S. embassy in Baku to plan the Pentagon's Balkan operations with the mujahideen,'' said Edmonds. ''We had support for these operations from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, but the U.S. oversaw and directed them. They were being run from a secret section of the Pentagon with its own office''.
  American-Conservative-Nov-2009-Sibel-Edmonds-Ceasefire-MagazineEdmonds clarified, ''the FBI counterintelligence investigation which was tracking these targets, along with their links to U.S. officials, was known as 'Gladio B', and was kickstarted in 1997. It so happens that Major Douglas Dickerson'' '' the husband of her FBI co-worker Melek whom she accused of espionage '' ''specifically directed the Pentagon's 'Gladio' operations in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan at this time.''
  In testimony under oath, Edmonds has previously confirmed that Major Doug Dickerson worked for the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the weapons procurement logistics division on Turkey and Central Asia, and with the Office of Special Plans (OSP) overseeing policy in Central Asia.
  Gladio BEdmonds said that the Pentagon operations with Islamists were an ''extension'' of an original 'Gladio' programme uncovered in the 1970s in Italy, part of an EU-wide NATO covert operation that began as early as the 1940s. As Swiss historian Dr. Daniele Ganser records in his seminal book, NATO's Secret Armies, an official Italian parliamentary inquiry confirmed that British MI6 and the CIA had established a network of secret ''stay-behind'' paramilitary armies, staffed by fascist and Nazi collaborators. The covert armies carried out terrorist attacks throughout Western Europe, officially blamed on Communists in what Italian military intelligence called the 'strategy of tension'.
  ''You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game'' explained Gladio operative Vincenzo Vinciguerra during his trial in 1984. ''The reason was quite simple. They were supposed to force these people'... to turn to the State to ask for greater security.''
  While the reality of Gladio's existence in Europe is a matter of historical record, Edmonds contended the same strategy was adopted by the Pentagon in the 1990s in a new theatre of operations, namely, Asia. ''Instead of using neo-Nazis, they used mujahideen working under various bin Ladens, as well as al-Zawahiri'', she said.
  The last publicly known Gladio meeting occurred in NATO's Allied Clandestine Committee (ACC) in Brussels in 1990. While Italy was a focal point for the older European operations, Edmonds said that Turkey and Azerbaijan served as the main conduits for a completely new, different set of operations in Asia using veterans of the anti-Soviet campaign in Afghanistan, the so-called ''Afghan Arabs'' that had been trained by al-Qaeda.
  These new Pentagon-led operations were codenamed 'Gladio B' by FBI counterintelligence: ''In 1997, NATO asked [Egyptian President] Hosni Mubarak to release from prison Islamist militants affiliated to Ayman al-Zawahiri [whose role in the assassination of Anwar Sadat led to Mubarak's ascension]. They were flown under U.S. orders to Turkey for [training and use in] operations by the Pentagon'', she said.
  Edmonds' allegations find some independent corroboration in the public record. The Wall Street Journal refers to a nebulous agreement between Mubarak and ''the operational wing of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which was then headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri'... Many of that group's fighters embraced a cease-fire with the government of former President Hosni Mubarak in 1997.''
  Youssef Bodansky, former Director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, cited U.S. intelligence sources in an article for Defense and Foreign Affairs: Strategic Policy, confirming ''discussions between the Egyptian terrorist leader Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and an Arab-American known to have been both an emissary of the CIA and the U.S. Government.'' He referred to an ''offer'' made to al-Zawahiri in November 1997 on behalf of U.S. intelligence, granting his Islamists a free hand in Egypt as long as they lent support to U.S. forces in the Balkans. In 1998, Al Zawahiri's brother, Muhammed, led an elite unit of the Kosovo Liberation Army against Serbs during the Kosovo conflict '' he reportedly had direct contact with NATO leadership.
  ''This is why'', Edmonds continued in her interview, ''even though the FBI routinely monitored the communications of the diplomatic arms of all countries, only four countries were exempt from this protocol '' the UK, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Belgium '' the seat of NATO. No other country '' not even allies like Israel or Saudi Arabia, were exempt. This is because these four countries were integral to the Pentagon's so-called Gladio B operations.''
  Edmonds did not speculate on the objectives of the Pentagon's 'Gladio B' operations, but highlighted the following possibilities: projecting U.S. power in the former Soviet sphere of influence to access previously untapped strategic energy and mineral reserves for U.S. and European companies; pushing back Russian and Chinese power; and expanding the scope of lucrative criminal activities, particularly illegal arms and drugs trafficking.
  Terrorism finance expert Loretta Napoleoni estimates the total value of this criminal economy to be about $1.5 trillion annually, the bulk of which ''flows into Western economies, where it gets recycled in the U.S. and in Europe'' as a ''vital element of the cash flow of these economies.''
  It is no coincidence then that the opium trade, Edmonds told this author, has grown rapidly under the tutelage of NATO in Afghanistan: ''I know for a fact that NATO planes routinely shipped heroin to Belgium, where they then made their way into Europe and to the UK. They also shipped heroin to distribution centres in Chicago and New Jersey. FBI counterintelligence and DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) operations had acquired evidence of this drug trafficking in its surveillance of a wide range of targets, including senior officials in the Pentagon, CIA and State Department. As part of this surveillance, the role of the Dickersons '' with the support of these senior U.S. officials '' in facilitating drug-trafficking, came up. It was clear from this evidence that the whole funnel of drugs, money and terror in Central Asia was directed by these officials.''
  The evidence for this funnel, according to Edmonds, remains classified in the form of FBI counterintelligence surveillance records she was asked to translate. Although this alleged evidence has never made it to court due to the U.S. government's exertion of 'state secret privilege', she was able to testify in detail concerning her allegations, including naming names, in 2009.
  CensorshipIn recent interviews, two Sunday Times journalists confirmed to this author that the newspaper's investigation based on Sibel Edmonds' revelations was to break much of the details into the open.
  ''We'd spoken to several current and active Pentagon officials confirming the existence of U.S. operations sponsoring mujahideen networks in Central Asia from the 1990s to 2001,'' said one Sunday Times source. ''Those mujahideen networks were intertwined with a whole range of criminal enterprises, including drugs and guns. The Pentagon officials corroborated Edmonds' allegations against specific U.S. officials, and I'd also interviewed an MI6 officer who confirmed that the U.S. was running these operations sponsoring mujahideen in that period.''
  But according to Edmonds, citing the investigative team at the paper, the last two articles in the series were spiked under U.S. State Department pressure. She recalled being told at the time by journalists leading the Sunday Times investigation that the newspaper's editor had decided to squash the story after receiving calls from officials at the U.S. embassy in London.
  A journalist with the Sunday Times' investigative unit told this author he had interviewed former Special Agent in Charge, Dennis Saccher, who had moved to the FBI's Colorado office. Saccher reportedly confirmed the veracity of Edmonds' allegations of espionage, telling him that Edmonds' story ''should have been front page news'' because it was ''a scandal bigger than Watergate.'' The same journalist confirmed that after interviewing Saccher at his home, the newspaper was contacted by the U.S. State Department. ''The U.S. embassy in London called the editor and tried to ward him off. We were told that we weren't permitted to approach Saccher or any other active FBI agents directly, but could only go through the FBI's press office '' that if we tried to speak to Saccher or anyone else employed by the FBI directly, that would be illegal. Of course, it isn't, but that's what we were told. I think this was a veiled threat.''
  Saccher's comments to the journalist never made it to press.
  A lead reporter on the series at the Sunday Times told this author that the investigation based on Edmonds' information was supposed to have four parts, but was inexplicably dropped. ''The story was pulled half-way, suddenly, without any warning'', the journalist said. ''I wasn't party to the editorial decision to drop the story, but there was a belief in the office amongst several journalists who were part of the Insight investigative unit that the decision was made under pressure from the U.S. State Department, because the story might cause a diplomatic incident.''
  Although the journalist was unaware of where this belief came from '' and was not informed of the U.S. embassy's contact with the paper's editor which the other journalist was privy to '' he acknowledged that self-censorship influenced by unspecified ''interest groups'' was a possible explanation. ''The way the story was dropped was unusual, but the belief amongst my colleagues this happened under political pressure is plausible.'' He cryptically described an ''editorial mechanism, linked to the paper but not formally part of it, which could however exert control on stories when necessary, linked to certain interests.'' When asked which interests, the journalist said, ''I can't say. I can't talk about that.''
  Edmonds described how, due to the U.S. government's efforts to silence her, she had no option left except to write her story down. The resultant book, Classified Woman, had to be submitted to an FBI panel for review. By law, the bureau was required to make a decision on what could be disclosed or redacted within 30 days.
  Instead, about a year later, Edmonds' lawyer received a letter from the FBI informing them that the agency was still reviewing the book, and prohibiting her from publishing it: ''The matters Ms. Edmonds writes about involve many equities, some of which may implicate information that is classified'... Approval of the manuscripts by the FBI will include incorporation of all changes required by the FBI. Until then, Ms. Edmonds does not have approval to publish her manuscripts which includes showing them to editors, literary agents, publishers, reviewers, or anyone else. At this point, Ms. Edmonds remains obligated not to disclose or publish the manuscript in any manner.''
  The block was another example, Edmonds said, ''of the abuse of 'national security' to conceal evidence of criminality.'' She said that this forced her to release the book herself in March 2012, as no publisher would risk taking it on.
Hamvention: Tokyo Hy-Power's XT-751 5W HF HT | Q R P e r
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  Sun, 19 May 2013 20:31
  I was very surprised to find this handy talkie, the Tokyo Hy-Power XT-751 HF handheld transceiver, at the Dayton Hamvention. This radio will cover from 40 meters to 6 meters in both SSB and CW. It will also have an internal ATU. It is only a concept radio at this point.
  Tokyo Hy-Power hopes to have this radio in production mid 2014.