On national security, Obama routinely disregards the rule of law -- and his party remains willfully ignorant
(Salon) But, there’s also an additional way to read this...namely, as the predictable result of a political duopoly that so fundamentally agrees on extra-constitutional national security and civil liberties policies, that those policies are no longer permitted to be part of any “serious” national political discussion.
Read more...
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
The Plot Against Occupy
How the government turned five stoner misfits into the world's most hapless terrorist cell
(Rolling Stone) "The government has a responsibility to prevent harm," says former FBI counterterrorism agent Michael German, now the senior policy counsel for the ACLU. "What they're doing instead is manufacturing threatening events."
That's just how it went down in Cleveland, where the defendants started out as disoriented young men wrestling with alienation, identity issues and your typical bucket of adolescent angst. They were malleable, ripe for some outside influence to coax them onto a new path. That catalyst could have come in the form of a friend, a family member or a cause. Instead, the government sent an informant.
read more...
(Rolling Stone) "The government has a responsibility to prevent harm," says former FBI counterterrorism agent Michael German, now the senior policy counsel for the ACLU. "What they're doing instead is manufacturing threatening events."
That's just how it went down in Cleveland, where the defendants started out as disoriented young men wrestling with alienation, identity issues and your typical bucket of adolescent angst. They were malleable, ripe for some outside influence to coax them onto a new path. That catalyst could have come in the form of a friend, a family member or a cause. Instead, the government sent an informant.
read more...
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Obama's justice department grants final immunity to Bush's CIA torturers
(the Guardian) By closing two cases of detainees tortured to death, Obama has put the US beyond any accountability under the rule of law
Note how, in Obama's new formulation, those who believed that Bush officials should be held criminally accountable for their torture crimes – should be subjected to the rule of law on equal terms with ordinary citizens – were now scorned as "the forces that divide us". On the same day, Holder issued his own statement arguing that "it would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the justice department."
read more...
Note how, in Obama's new formulation, those who believed that Bush officials should be held criminally accountable for their torture crimes – should be subjected to the rule of law on equal terms with ordinary citizens – were now scorned as "the forces that divide us". On the same day, Holder issued his own statement arguing that "it would be unfair to prosecute dedicated men and women working to protect America for conduct that was sanctioned in advance by the justice department."
read more...
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Child Porn, Coke Smuggling: Hundreds of DHS Employees Arrested Last Year
(Wired) Border Patrol agents smuggling weed and coke. Immigration agents forging documents and robbing drug dealers. TSA employees caught with child porn. Those are just a few of the crimes perpetrated by Department of Homeland Security employees in just the past year.
According to a newly released DHS inspector general’s summary of its significant investigations, 318 DHS employees and contractors were arrested in 2011 (.pdf). That’s about one arrest per weekday of the men and women who are supposed to be keeping the country safe. The report lets us not only see how corrupt some agents tasked with protecting the homeland can be, it also gives us a scale of the problem. In short: There are a lot of dirty immigration and border officers.
read more...
According to a newly released DHS inspector general’s summary of its significant investigations, 318 DHS employees and contractors were arrested in 2011 (.pdf). That’s about one arrest per weekday of the men and women who are supposed to be keeping the country safe. The report lets us not only see how corrupt some agents tasked with protecting the homeland can be, it also gives us a scale of the problem. In short: There are a lot of dirty immigration and border officers.
read more...
Famous People Buy Fake Twitter "Followers" To Make People Think They Are More Popular Than They Really Are
(NY Times) Celebrities, politicians, start-ups, aspiring rock stars, reality show hopefuls — anyone who might benefit from having a larger social media footprint — are known to have bought large blocks of Twitter followers.
If accurate, the number of fake followers out there is surprising. According to the StatusPeople tool, 71 percent of Lady Gaga’s nearly 29 million followers are “fake” or “inactive.” So are 70 percent of President Obama’s nearly 19 million followers.
read more...
If accurate, the number of fake followers out there is surprising. According to the StatusPeople tool, 71 percent of Lady Gaga’s nearly 29 million followers are “fake” or “inactive.” So are 70 percent of President Obama’s nearly 19 million followers.
read more...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Psywar - Full Documentary
(YouTube) This film explores the evolution of propaganda and public relations in the United States, with an emphasis on the elitist theory of democracy and the relationship between war, propaganda and class.
Includes original interviews with a number of dissident scholars including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Peter Phillips (Project Censored), John Stauber (PR Watch), Christopher Simpson (The Science of Coercion) and others.
A deep, richly illustrated study of the nature and history of propaganda, featuring some of the world's most insightful critics, Psywar exposes the propaganda system, providing crucial background and insight into the control of information and thought.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Natural brands betray consumers over GMO labeling: NaturalNews issues boycott of Kashi, Silk, Larabar and more
(NaturalNews) It's time to defeat evil in the food industry and stop the vicious betrayal of consumers by so-called "natural" brands. They're all conspiring right now to funnel millions of dollars into a disinformation campaign to try to defeat ballot measure 37, the "GMO labeling" initiative in California (http://www.naturalnews.com/036833_GMO_labeling_YES_on_37_California.h...).
Effective immediately, NaturalNews is issuing a global boycott on the following brands:
• Kashi (owned by Kellogg, which has contributed $612,000 to defeat Proposition 37) - Kashi cereals contain GMOs!
• Silk soymilk (owned by the nation's largest dairy, Dean Foods, which has contributed $253,000 to the effort to kill Proposition 37)
• Larabar (owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• R.W. Knudsen (owned by Smucker, which has contributed $387,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Santa Cruz Organic (also owned by Smucker, which has contributed $387,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Cascadian Farm (owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Muir Glen (also owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
read more...
Effective immediately, NaturalNews is issuing a global boycott on the following brands:
• Kashi (owned by Kellogg, which has contributed $612,000 to defeat Proposition 37) - Kashi cereals contain GMOs!
• Silk soymilk (owned by the nation's largest dairy, Dean Foods, which has contributed $253,000 to the effort to kill Proposition 37)
• Larabar (owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• R.W. Knudsen (owned by Smucker, which has contributed $387,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Santa Cruz Organic (also owned by Smucker, which has contributed $387,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Cascadian Farm (owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
• Muir Glen (also owned by General Mills, which has contributed $520,000 to defeat proposition 37)
read more...
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Why do YouTube views freeze at 301?
(YouTube) Numberphile pays a visit to YouTube and learns the secret behind one of the website's famous idiosyncrasies - why view counts on new videos often freeze at 301.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
PNAS: Higher social class predicts increased unethical behavior
(National Academy of Sciences)
Paul K. Piffa,1,
Daniel M. Stancatoa,
Stéphane Côtéb,
Rodolfo Mendoza-Dentona, and
Dacher Keltnera
aDepartment of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; and
bRotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E6
Edited* by Richard E. Nisbett, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and approved January 26, 2012 (received for review November 8, 2011)
Abstract
Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’ unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed.
read more...
Paul K. Piffa,1,
Daniel M. Stancatoa,
Stéphane Côtéb,
Rodolfo Mendoza-Dentona, and
Dacher Keltnera
aDepartment of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; and
bRotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E6
Edited* by Richard E. Nisbett, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and approved January 26, 2012 (received for review November 8, 2011)
Abstract
Seven studies using experimental and naturalistic methods reveal that upper-class individuals behave more unethically than lower-class individuals. In studies 1 and 2, upper-class individuals were more likely to break the law while driving, relative to lower-class individuals. In follow-up laboratory studies, upper-class individuals were more likely to exhibit unethical decision-making tendencies (study 3), take valued goods from others (study 4), lie in a negotiation (study 5), cheat to increase their chances of winning a prize (study 6), and endorse unethical behavior at work (study 7) than were lower-class individuals. Mediator and moderator data demonstrated that upper-class individuals’ unethical tendencies are accounted for, in part, by their more favorable attitudes toward greed.
read more...
Friday, July 20, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Ten Years After Decriminalization, Drug Abuse Down by Half in Portugal
(Forbes) Drug warriors often contend that drug use would skyrocket if we were to legalize or decriminalize drugs in the United States. Fortunately, we have a real-world example of the actual effects of ending the violent, expensive War on Drugs and replacing it with a system of treatment for problem users and addicts.
Read more...
Read more...
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Growing Power
(YouTube) Growing Power is a short story of Will Allen who is the founder of "Growing Power Inc.".
Will Allen, our Chief Executive Officer believes, "If people can grow safe, healthy, affordable food, if they have access to land and clean water, this is transformative on every level in a community. I believe we cannot have healthy communities without a healthy food system."
Grow - Projects and Growing Methods - Growing Power demonstrates our easy to replicate growing methods through on-site workshops and hands-on demonstrations. We have farms in Milwaukee and Merton, Wisconsin, and in Chicago, Illinois. Growing Power has also established satellite-training sites in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Mississippi.
Bloom - Education and Technical Assistance - Growing Power's educates folks through local, national, and international outreach for farmers and communities. We also run multiple youth programs, have an active volunteer base, and actively work on policy initiatives regarding agriculture.
Thrive - Food Production and Distribution - Food production occurs in the organization's demonstration greenhouses, rural farm site in Merton, and urban farms in Milwaukee and Chicago. We also distribute produce, grass-based meats, and value-added products through the activities of over 300 small family farmers in the Rainbow Farmers Cooperative, and the organization's year-round food security program the Farm-to-City Market Basket Program.
Friday, June 22, 2012
The FMK 9C1 9mm; California and Massachussets-Approved
(FMK) American exceptionalism is that quality, Americans possess and embrace, which defines our culture and differentiates us from cultures throughout the world. Americans believe we can accomplish anything and that we can make these accomplishments without government aid. Furthermore, Americans believe it is foundational to our culture that government shall not interfere with these just aspirations and that American individualism and aspiration are God given, where government’s only role can be to protect this freedom.
Any opposition to this concept is opposition to the ideologies the American Founder’s fought for, and in fact—anti-American.
9C1 Online Manual
Ol' Blue
A young cowboy goes off to college.
Half way through the semester, he has foolishly squandered all his money.
He calls home. "Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education is developing! They actually have a program here that will teach our dog, Ol' Blue how to talk!"
"That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ol' Blue in that program?"
"Just send him down here with $1,000," the young cowboy says. "I'll get him in the course." So, his father sends the dog and $1,000.
About two-thirds of the way through the semester, the money again runs out. The boy calls home. "So how's Ol' Blue doing son?" his father asks.
"Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you just won't believe this - they've had such good results they have started to teach the animals how to read!"
"Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue in that program?"
"Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class." The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog can neither talk, nor read. So he shoots the dog.
When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father is all excited. "Where's Ol' Blue? I just can't wait to see him read something and talk!"
"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday morning, just before we left to drive home, Ol' Blue was in the living room, kicking back in the recliner and reading the Wall Street Journal, like he usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, "So, is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives down the street?"
The father exclaimed, "I hope you shot that SOB before he talks to your Mother!"
"I sure did, Dad!"
"That's my boy!"
The kid went on to law school, and now serves in Washington D.C. as a Congressman.
Half way through the semester, he has foolishly squandered all his money.
He calls home. "Dad," he says, "You won't believe what modern education is developing! They actually have a program here that will teach our dog, Ol' Blue how to talk!"
"That's amazing," his Dad says. "How do I get Ol' Blue in that program?"
"Just send him down here with $1,000," the young cowboy says. "I'll get him in the course." So, his father sends the dog and $1,000.
About two-thirds of the way through the semester, the money again runs out. The boy calls home. "So how's Ol' Blue doing son?" his father asks.
"Awesome, Dad, he's talking up a storm," he says, "but you just won't believe this - they've had such good results they have started to teach the animals how to read!"
"Read!?" says his father, "No kidding! How do we get Blue in that program?"
"Just send $2,500, I'll get him in the class." The money promptly arrives. But our hero has a problem. At the end of the year, his father will find out the dog can neither talk, nor read. So he shoots the dog.
When he arrives home at the end of the year, his father is all excited. "Where's Ol' Blue? I just can't wait to see him read something and talk!"
"Dad," the boy says, "I have some grim news. Yesterday morning, just before we left to drive home, Ol' Blue was in the living room, kicking back in the recliner and reading the Wall Street Journal, like he usually does. Then he turned to me and asked, "So, is your daddy still messing around with that little redhead who lives down the street?"
The father exclaimed, "I hope you shot that SOB before he talks to your Mother!"
"I sure did, Dad!"
"That's my boy!"
The kid went on to law school, and now serves in Washington D.C. as a Congressman.
The Scotts Co. LLC (Miracle-Gro) Knowingly Poisons Birds, Subject of Multi-State Lawsuit
(NaturalNews) Scotts Miracle-Gro, a popular household name in gardening and lawn care products, is the subject of a new class-action lawsuit that is seeking damages for the company's willful distribution and sale of bird seed products contaminated with toxic, unapproved insecticides. Courthouse News Service (CNS) reports that plaintiffs from Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Mexico have jointly filed the new suit, which follows an earlier suit in which Scotts Miracle-Gro pleaded guilty to knowingly selling poisoned bird seed to customers for over two years.
Scotts Miracle-Gro apparently started using the two chemicals as bird seed coating to prevent insects from ravaging the product in storehouses prior to shipment and use. But neither Storcide II nor Actellic 5E are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in bird feed, and the EPA specifically recognizes Storcide II as being extremely toxic to birds, fish, and other wildlife, which means it clearly has no place being used in food given to birds.
Read more...
Scotts Miracle-Gro apparently started using the two chemicals as bird seed coating to prevent insects from ravaging the product in storehouses prior to shipment and use. But neither Storcide II nor Actellic 5E are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in bird feed, and the EPA specifically recognizes Storcide II as being extremely toxic to birds, fish, and other wildlife, which means it clearly has no place being used in food given to birds.
Read more...
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Georgia Tech Automated Pavement Crack Detector/Filler
Sealing cracks in roadways ensures a road’s structural integrity and extends the time between major repaving projects, but conventional manual crack sealing operations expose workers to dangerous traffic and cover a limited amount of roadway each day.
To address these challenges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) developed a prototype automated pavement crack detection and sealing system with funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation. In road tests, the system was able to detect cracks smaller than one-eighth-inch wide and efficiently fill cracks from a vehicle moving at a speed of three miles per hour.
Read more...
To address these challenges, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) developed a prototype automated pavement crack detection and sealing system with funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation. In road tests, the system was able to detect cracks smaller than one-eighth-inch wide and efficiently fill cracks from a vehicle moving at a speed of three miles per hour.
Read more...
Security increases around Pennsylvania nuclear disposal site
Security around a nuclear waste site in western Pennsylvania has been upgraded, with DHS armed security guards replacing private guards around the site; the reason for the elevated security is the finding, by the Army Corps of Engineers, of more “complex” nuclear materials on the site; it was originally believed that the site contains only low-level nuclear material[.]
Read more...
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Wednesday, June 13, 2012
US Claims on Russian/Syrian Arms Deals: Pot, Kettle, Black
by M. Murry
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused Russia of supplying attack helicopters to the Syrian government in support of its defense against violent attacks from foreign-backed insurgents.
Interestingly, one of the models of helicopters which the Syrian government has in its fleet is the Mi-17, which is also the same type as the 21 machines sold by Russia to US forces in Afghanistan just over a year ago, not long after the US lifted sanctions on Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms export corporation, in 2010. The US is also currently set to sub-contract Rosoboronexport for ammunition supplies.
In addition to the Mi-17, Syria also possesses several dozen Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, which are still under repair and modernization contracts with Russia. The Obama administration has not clearly identified weapons supplied in violation of these contracts, much less any violations of sovereign or international law in its recent press releases.
Several US Senators have voiced opposition to the Pentagon's continued contractual dealings with Rosoboronexport in recent weeks because of the previous sale as well as the possible purchase of an additional 12 helicopters, and the recent reports of the Russian arms exporter supplying Iran with rocket equipment and technology (much like in 2005/06, right before imposing sanctions).
The US position of playing both sides of the fence on arms exportation and supply while leveling accusations of misconduct against the Russians is the pot calling the kettle black. At the very least, the US government contracting with the very same corporation that the US government routinely condemns for atrocities and violations of international law and democracy sends a mixed message to the people of the nation and the world.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused Russia of supplying attack helicopters to the Syrian government in support of its defense against violent attacks from foreign-backed insurgents.
Interestingly, one of the models of helicopters which the Syrian government has in its fleet is the Mi-17, which is also the same type as the 21 machines sold by Russia to US forces in Afghanistan just over a year ago, not long after the US lifted sanctions on Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms export corporation, in 2010. The US is also currently set to sub-contract Rosoboronexport for ammunition supplies.
In addition to the Mi-17, Syria also possesses several dozen Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, which are still under repair and modernization contracts with Russia. The Obama administration has not clearly identified weapons supplied in violation of these contracts, much less any violations of sovereign or international law in its recent press releases.
Several US Senators have voiced opposition to the Pentagon's continued contractual dealings with Rosoboronexport in recent weeks because of the previous sale as well as the possible purchase of an additional 12 helicopters, and the recent reports of the Russian arms exporter supplying Iran with rocket equipment and technology (much like in 2005/06, right before imposing sanctions).
The US position of playing both sides of the fence on arms exportation and supply while leveling accusations of misconduct against the Russians is the pot calling the kettle black. At the very least, the US government contracting with the very same corporation that the US government routinely condemns for atrocities and violations of international law and democracy sends a mixed message to the people of the nation and the world.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Economy Comes Unglued
Ever since the beginning of the financial crisis and Quantitative Easing, the question has been before us: How can the Federal Reserve maintain zero interest rates for banks and negative real interest rates for savers and bond holders when the US government is adding $1.5 trillion to the national debt every year via its budget deficits? Not long ago the Fed announced that it was going to continue this policy for another 2 or 3 years. Indeed, the Fed is locked into the policy. Without the artificially low interest rates, the debt service on the national debt would be so large that it would raise questions about the US Treasury’s credit rating and the viability of the dollar, and the trillions of dollars in Interest Rate Swaps and other derivatives would come unglued.
Read more...
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012
6 Ridiculous Lies You Believe About the Founding of America
When it comes to the birth of America, most of us are working from a stew of elementary school history lessons, Westerns and vague Thanksgiving mythology. And while it's not surprising those sources might biff a couple details, what's shocking is how much less interesting the version we learned was. It turns out our teachers, Hollywood and whoever we got our Thanksgiving mythology from (Big Turkey?) all made America's origin story far more boring than it actually was for some very disturbing reasons. For instance ...
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CAUTION: "language"
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CAUTION: "language"
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Gun Owner Stops Man on Knife Rampage
SALT LAKE CITY — A man stabbed two people at the Smith's Marketplace grocery store in downtown Salt Lake City before being subdued by a bystander.
Police say a bystander with a concealed carry permit witnessed the attack and stepped in to keep it from escalating.
"This was a really volatile situation that could have gotten even worse," [Lt.]Purvis said. "(The bystander) was definitely in the right place at the right time."
Read more...
Police say a bystander with a concealed carry permit witnessed the attack and stepped in to keep it from escalating.
"This was a really volatile situation that could have gotten even worse," [Lt.]Purvis said. "(The bystander) was definitely in the right place at the right time."
Read more...
Friday, May 4, 2012
The 10 things they really don't tell you at graduation
3) When you hit a certain point in your 20s, everyone around you starts to get married, for no apparent reason and without any warning. This is first cute, then alarming, like Justin Bieber.
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Wednesday, May 2, 2012
97% Owned [HD]
This is a film about UK monetary policy, but US policy is the same. The state of Europe over the past few years is a true indicator of the accelerating consequences of modern imaginary computer money. The main reason Americans don't have a clue is because of the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency. Once countries decide to pay with and accept other currencies, what has been comfortably and conveniently on the other side of the world will be in their faces.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
5 Ways to Spot a B.S. Political Story in Under 10 Seconds
This turdstorm of pointless click-bait filler is a problem for anyone who wants to be an informed voter. To learn anything useful, you need to be able to sort through all of the garbage to find the actual information and insight. So let me just tell you right now that you can safely ignore any story if ...
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Saturday, April 21, 2012
TSA Unzips More Than Your Pants; X-rays Unzip Your DNA
[Technology Review] The evidence that terahertz radiation damages biological systems is mixed. "Some studies reported significant genetic damage while others, although similar, showed none," say Boian Alexandrov at the Center for Nonlinear Studies at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and a few buddies. Now these guys think they know why.
Alexandrov and co have created a model to investigate how THz fields interact with double-stranded DNA and what they've found is remarkable. They say that although the forces generated are tiny, resonant effects allow THz waves to unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication. That's a jaw dropping conclusion.
read more...
Alexandrov and co have created a model to investigate how THz fields interact with double-stranded DNA and what they've found is remarkable. They say that although the forces generated are tiny, resonant effects allow THz waves to unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication. That's a jaw dropping conclusion.
read more...
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
First Ever Video of Solar Tornado; 5x the Size of Earth
[Wired] Discovered using NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory satellite, this colossal twisting mass is made up of superheated gas at a temperature of between 90,000 and 3.6 million degrees Fahrenheit.
Over the course of three hours, this behemoth reached up from the sun’s surface to a height of 125,000 miles, or roughly half the distance between the Earth and the moon. The hot gases were whipped up to nearly 186,000 miles per hour.
read more...
http://users.aber.ac.uk/xxl/tornado.htm
http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/meetings/nam2012/pressreleases/nam14.html
Over the course of three hours, this behemoth reached up from the sun’s surface to a height of 125,000 miles, or roughly half the distance between the Earth and the moon. The hot gases were whipped up to nearly 186,000 miles per hour.
read more...
http://users.aber.ac.uk/xxl/tornado.htm
http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/meetings/nam2012/pressreleases/nam14.html
Witness the Power of an Idea: Ron Paul Massive Rallies 2012
Apparently tens of thousands of people haven't received the Ron Paul Can't Win memo.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Mike Wallace Interviews Eugenicist and Planned Parenthood Founder Margaret Sanger
September 21, 1957
[22:25]
Wallace: Do you believe in sin?
Sanger: Well I think the greatest sin in the world is bringing children into the world...that have disease from their parents, that have no chance in the world to be a human being practically...delinquents, prisoners, all sorts of things; just marked when they're born. That to me is the greatest sin that people can commit.
p.s. the Philip Morris schtick is even more hilarious the 2nd time
[22:25]
Wallace: Do you believe in sin?
Sanger: Well I think the greatest sin in the world is bringing children into the world...that have disease from their parents, that have no chance in the world to be a human being practically...delinquents, prisoners, all sorts of things; just marked when they're born. That to me is the greatest sin that people can commit.
p.s. the Philip Morris schtick is even more hilarious the 2nd time
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Sy Hersh: US Funded and Trained Iranian Group on State Dept. Terror List
Seymour Hersh, the venerable investigative journalist, dropped another bombshell this morning in the New Yorker: the US military trained members of an Iranian terrorist group in Nevada in 2005.
What’s more, American intelligence continues to be transferred to the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) for use in operations that include the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
What’s more, American intelligence continues to be transferred to the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) for use in operations that include the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The General's Son
[YouTube] Miko Peled is a peace activist who dares to say in public what others still choose to deny. Born in Jerusalem in 1961 into a well known Zionist family, his grandfather, Dr. Avraham Katsnelson was a Zionist leader and signer of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. His Father, Matti Peled, was a young officer in the war of 1948 and a general in the war of 1967 when Israel conquered the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai.
Miko's unlikely opinions reflect his father's legacy. General Peled was a war hero turned peacemaker.
Miko grew up in Jerusalem, a multi-ethnic city, but had to leave Israel before he made his first Palestinian friend, the result of his participation in a dialogue group in California. He was 39.
On September 4, 1997 the beloved Smadar, 13, the daughter of Miko's sister Nurit and her husband Rami Elhanan was killed in a suicide attack.
Peled insists that Israel/Palestine is one state—the separation wall notwithstanding, massive investment in infrastructure, towns and highways that bisect and connect settlements on the West Bank, have destroyed the possibility for a viable Palestinian state. The result, Peled says is that Israelis and Palestinians are governed by the same government but live under different sets of laws.
At the heart of Peled's conclusion lies the realization that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace as equals in their shared homeland.
Rick Steves: Reflections on Israel and Palestine
I've been duped.
Do you know the frustration you feel when you believed in something strongly and then you realize that the information that made you believe was from a source with an agenda to deceive?
Do you know the frustration you feel when you believed in something strongly and then you realize that the information that made you believe was from a source with an agenda to deceive?
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Ron Paul is Clearly Wrong: Why Bailouts Work and the Dangers of Libertarian Economics
Stimulus packages and bailouts are required to maintain the stability of a society. If the wealthiest and most powerful people in a society make a mistake, it is the responsibility of everyone in that society to collectively and financially forgive them of their mistakes. If it were not for this collective financial forgiveness of the bad decisions made by the elite, they would not be able to continue to impose the necessary policies on society.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Solar power station in Spain works at night
A unique thermosolar power station in southern Spain can shrug off cloudy days: energy stored when the sun shines lets it produce electricity even during the night.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Borderland
Borderland from California is a place. on Vimeo.
Terrorism is used to justify perpetual warfare and sexual harassment or assault against men, women, children, seniors, and the handicapped in dozens of airports across the country, but thousands of miles of borders are ignored or neglected.
How many national defense policy-makers demand their neighbors be searched when entering and exiting the neighborhood but leave all the doors and windows open in their own homes? How many of them recommend that strategy as a common-sense safety precaution to their own friends and family? None of course...because that would be stupid.
Scrapertown
Scrapertown from California is a place. on Vimeo.
In Oakland, some kids are mixing creativity with cruising as a way to have fun, develop a hobby, and stay out of trouble.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Underwear Bomber Witness Kurt Haskell's Victim Impact Statement to Court
*Corporate news outlets have largely omitted Haskell's testimony, and are currently omitting this statement or references to it from their coverage of Abdulmutallab's recent sentencing.
FULL TEXT:
Exclusive: Personal Statement from Kurt Haskell, Delta 253 Passenger
Kurt Haskell
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Every victim of a crime in Michigan is entitled to make a statement in open court regarding the impact of the crime on their life. The statement is limited to the victim’s physical, emotional and financial well being as it relates to the crime. Keep that in mind as you read my statement. Below is a copy of the victim impact statement I gave today at the Underwear Bomber sentencing hearing. When reading my statement, keep in mind that I am a practicing attorney in the State of Michigan. In addition, I regularly practice in the Court the hearings are taking place at and therefore, I am somewhat limited as to what I can say. We were limited to 5 minutes each.
I wish to thank the Court for allowing me these 5 minutes to make my statement. My references to the government in this statement refer to the Federal Government excluding this Court and the prosecution. On Christmas Day 2009, my wife and I were returning from an African safari and had a connecting flight through Amsterdam. As we waited for our flight, we sat on the floor next to the boarding gate. What I witnessed while sitting there and subsequent events have changed my life forever. While I sat there, I witnessed Umar dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, being escorted around security by a man in a tan suit who spoke perfect American English and who aided Umar in boarding without a passport. The airline gate worker initially refused Umar boarding until the man in the tan suit intervened. The event meant nothing to me at the time. Little did I know that Umar would try to kill me a few hours later as our flight approached Detroit. The final 10 minutes of our flight after the attack were the worst minutes of my life. During those 10 minutes I sat paralyzed in fear. Unfortunately, what happened next has had an even greater impact on my life and has saddened me further.
When we landed, I was shocked that our plane taxied up to the gate. I was further shocked that we were forced to sit on the plane for 20 minutes with powder from the so called bomb all over the cabin. The officers that boarded the plane did nothing to ensure our safety and did not check for accomplices or other explosive devices. Several passengers trampled through parts of the bomb as they exited the plane. We were then taken into the terminal with our unchecked carry on bags. Again, there was no concern for our safety even though Umar told the officers that there was another bomb on board as he exited the plane. I wondered why nobody was concerned about our safety, accomplices or other bombs and the lack of concern worried me greatly. I immediately told the FBI my story in order to help catch the accomplice I had seen in Amsterdam. It soon became obvious that the FBI wasn’t interested in what I had to say, which upset me further. For one month the government refused to admit the existence of the man in the tan suit before changing course and admitting his existence in an ABC News article on January 22, 2010. That was the last time the government talked about this man. The video that would prove the truth of my account has never been released. I continue to be emotionally upset that the video has not been released. The Dutch police, meanwhile, in this article (show article), also confirmed that Umar did not show his passport in Amsterdam which also meant that he didn’t go through security as both are in the same line in Amsterdam. It upsets me that the government refuses to admit this fact.
I became further saddened from this case, when Patrick Kennedy of the State Department during Congressional hearings, admitted that Umar was a known terrorist, was being followed, and the U.S. allowed him into the U.S. so that it could catch Umar’s accomplices. I was once again shocked and saddened when Michael Leiter of the National Counter terrorism Center admitted during these same hearings that intentionally letting terrorists into the U.S. was a frequent practice of the U.S. Government. I cannot fully explain my sadness, disappointment and fear when I realized that my government allowed an attack on me intentionally.
During this time, I questioned if my country intentionally put a known terrorist onto my flight with a live bomb. I had many sleepless nights over this issue. My answer came shortly thereafter. In late 2010, the FBI admitted to giving out intentionally defective bombs to the Portland Christmas Tree Bomber,the Wrigley Field Bomber and several others. Further, Mr. Chambers was quoted in the Free Press on January 11, 2011 when he indicated that the government’s own explosives experts had indicated that Umar’s bomb was impossibly defective. I wondered how that could be. Certainly, I thought, Al Qaeda wouldn’t go through all of the trouble to plan such an attack only to provide the terrorist with an impossibly defective bomb.
I attended nearly all of the pretrial hearings. At the hearing on January 28, 2011, I was greatly disappointed by the prosecution’s request to block evidence from Mr. Chambers “as it could then be able to be obtained by third parties, who could use it in a civil suit against the government”. It really bothered me that the government apparently was admitting to wrongdoing of some kind as it admitted that it was concerned it would be sued. It further upset me to know that the government was putting its own interests ahead of those of the passengers.
When I attended the jury selection hearings, I questioned why versions of the same two questions kept coming up, those being:
1. Do you think you’ll be able to tell whether something is actually a bomb? and 2. Do you realize that sometimes the media doesn’t always tell the truth?
I continued to be greatly saddened at this point as I felt the truth continued to be hidden.
When Umar listed me as his only witness, I was happy to testify, not on his behalf, but on behalf of the truth. I never expected to testify, as my eyewitness account would have been too damaging to the myth that the government and media are putting forward. A mere 5 days after I was announced as a witness, there was an inexplicable guilty plea which exasperated me as I no longer would be testifying.
In closing I will just say that regardless of how the media and government try to shape the public perception of this case, I am convinced that Umar was given an intentionally defective bomb by a U.S. Government agent and placed on our flight without showing a passport or going through security, to stage a false terrorist attack to be used to implement various government policies.
The effect this matter has had on my life has been astounding and due to this case, I will never trust the government in any matter, ever.
In regards to sentencing, nothing I’ve said excuses the fact that Umar tried to kill me. He has waived his valid claim to the entrapment defense. Umar, you are not a great Muslim martyr, you are merely a “Patsy”. I ask the court to impose the mandatory sentence.
FULL TEXT:
Exclusive: Personal Statement from Kurt Haskell, Delta 253 Passenger
Kurt Haskell
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Every victim of a crime in Michigan is entitled to make a statement in open court regarding the impact of the crime on their life. The statement is limited to the victim’s physical, emotional and financial well being as it relates to the crime. Keep that in mind as you read my statement. Below is a copy of the victim impact statement I gave today at the Underwear Bomber sentencing hearing. When reading my statement, keep in mind that I am a practicing attorney in the State of Michigan. In addition, I regularly practice in the Court the hearings are taking place at and therefore, I am somewhat limited as to what I can say. We were limited to 5 minutes each.
I wish to thank the Court for allowing me these 5 minutes to make my statement. My references to the government in this statement refer to the Federal Government excluding this Court and the prosecution. On Christmas Day 2009, my wife and I were returning from an African safari and had a connecting flight through Amsterdam. As we waited for our flight, we sat on the floor next to the boarding gate. What I witnessed while sitting there and subsequent events have changed my life forever. While I sat there, I witnessed Umar dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt, being escorted around security by a man in a tan suit who spoke perfect American English and who aided Umar in boarding without a passport. The airline gate worker initially refused Umar boarding until the man in the tan suit intervened. The event meant nothing to me at the time. Little did I know that Umar would try to kill me a few hours later as our flight approached Detroit. The final 10 minutes of our flight after the attack were the worst minutes of my life. During those 10 minutes I sat paralyzed in fear. Unfortunately, what happened next has had an even greater impact on my life and has saddened me further.
When we landed, I was shocked that our plane taxied up to the gate. I was further shocked that we were forced to sit on the plane for 20 minutes with powder from the so called bomb all over the cabin. The officers that boarded the plane did nothing to ensure our safety and did not check for accomplices or other explosive devices. Several passengers trampled through parts of the bomb as they exited the plane. We were then taken into the terminal with our unchecked carry on bags. Again, there was no concern for our safety even though Umar told the officers that there was another bomb on board as he exited the plane. I wondered why nobody was concerned about our safety, accomplices or other bombs and the lack of concern worried me greatly. I immediately told the FBI my story in order to help catch the accomplice I had seen in Amsterdam. It soon became obvious that the FBI wasn’t interested in what I had to say, which upset me further. For one month the government refused to admit the existence of the man in the tan suit before changing course and admitting his existence in an ABC News article on January 22, 2010. That was the last time the government talked about this man. The video that would prove the truth of my account has never been released. I continue to be emotionally upset that the video has not been released. The Dutch police, meanwhile, in this article (show article), also confirmed that Umar did not show his passport in Amsterdam which also meant that he didn’t go through security as both are in the same line in Amsterdam. It upsets me that the government refuses to admit this fact.
I became further saddened from this case, when Patrick Kennedy of the State Department during Congressional hearings, admitted that Umar was a known terrorist, was being followed, and the U.S. allowed him into the U.S. so that it could catch Umar’s accomplices. I was once again shocked and saddened when Michael Leiter of the National Counter terrorism Center admitted during these same hearings that intentionally letting terrorists into the U.S. was a frequent practice of the U.S. Government. I cannot fully explain my sadness, disappointment and fear when I realized that my government allowed an attack on me intentionally.
During this time, I questioned if my country intentionally put a known terrorist onto my flight with a live bomb. I had many sleepless nights over this issue. My answer came shortly thereafter. In late 2010, the FBI admitted to giving out intentionally defective bombs to the Portland Christmas Tree Bomber,the Wrigley Field Bomber and several others. Further, Mr. Chambers was quoted in the Free Press on January 11, 2011 when he indicated that the government’s own explosives experts had indicated that Umar’s bomb was impossibly defective. I wondered how that could be. Certainly, I thought, Al Qaeda wouldn’t go through all of the trouble to plan such an attack only to provide the terrorist with an impossibly defective bomb.
I attended nearly all of the pretrial hearings. At the hearing on January 28, 2011, I was greatly disappointed by the prosecution’s request to block evidence from Mr. Chambers “as it could then be able to be obtained by third parties, who could use it in a civil suit against the government”. It really bothered me that the government apparently was admitting to wrongdoing of some kind as it admitted that it was concerned it would be sued. It further upset me to know that the government was putting its own interests ahead of those of the passengers.
When I attended the jury selection hearings, I questioned why versions of the same two questions kept coming up, those being:
1. Do you think you’ll be able to tell whether something is actually a bomb? and 2. Do you realize that sometimes the media doesn’t always tell the truth?
I continued to be greatly saddened at this point as I felt the truth continued to be hidden.
When Umar listed me as his only witness, I was happy to testify, not on his behalf, but on behalf of the truth. I never expected to testify, as my eyewitness account would have been too damaging to the myth that the government and media are putting forward. A mere 5 days after I was announced as a witness, there was an inexplicable guilty plea which exasperated me as I no longer would be testifying.
In closing I will just say that regardless of how the media and government try to shape the public perception of this case, I am convinced that Umar was given an intentionally defective bomb by a U.S. Government agent and placed on our flight without showing a passport or going through security, to stage a false terrorist attack to be used to implement various government policies.
The effect this matter has had on my life has been astounding and due to this case, I will never trust the government in any matter, ever.
In regards to sentencing, nothing I’ve said excuses the fact that Umar tried to kill me. He has waived his valid claim to the entrapment defense. Umar, you are not a great Muslim martyr, you are merely a “Patsy”. I ask the court to impose the mandatory sentence.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Democracy? What Democracy?
Establishment election fraud field-tactic exposed: Nueces County, Texas, 2008. It almost couldn't get any more brazen than this. When grassroots democracy pushes hard enough, the true authoritarian face of government and the two-party system is revealed.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Romney "Wins" Maine By Less Than 200 Votes With Only 84% Reporting, GOP Says Some Votes Don't Count
There are so many examples of voter fraud and election fraud, so many party officials and government employees that have been convicted, that I refuse to bother with sourcing enough to bludgeon doubters with that point here. Look it up yourselves. I've always known, even before I became interested in what goes on in the world, on some level, that voting is generally pointless; "electable" candidates always seem to be the same people and their families over and over and/or in some way pre-selected by other filthy-rich, filthy-powerful, uppity-ass crooks. That's why I've only voted twice, and I only viewed my actions in a something-is-better-than-nothing light, not as something real and effective that would likely make any difference. I felt no sense of accomplishment, only a strange mix of both duty and resignation.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Is Voting Irrelevant?
Winners are "projected" with 0% of votes counted or precincts reporting by every media outlet using the same exit polling data while pretending it is their own independent data.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
World's first manned flight with an electric multicopter
(YouTube) On October 21st, 2011, Thomas Senkel of e-volo made the first manned flight with an electric multicopter at an airstrip in the southwest of Germany. The flight lasted one minute and 30 seconds, after which the constructor and test pilot stated: "The flight characteristics are good natured. Without any steering input it would just hover there on the spot". This could be the future of flight, piloting a device as easy as a car.
More information: www.e-volo.com
Israel's Mossad trained assassins of Iran nuclear scientists, report says
Mossad officials are training Iranian dissident activists to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists, a NBC News report citing U.S. officials said on Thursday. The report noted, however, that Washington was not directly involvement in the alleged attacks.
Just days following the bombing, Foreign Policy, quoting U.S. intelligence memos, reported that Mossad agents posed as CIA officers in order to recruit members of a Pakistani terror group to carry out assassinations and attacks against the regime in Iran.
Just days following the bombing, Foreign Policy, quoting U.S. intelligence memos, reported that Mossad agents posed as CIA officers in order to recruit members of a Pakistani terror group to carry out assassinations and attacks against the regime in Iran.
Theorizing Bruce Lee
(YouTube) The Fight Nerd spoke with Dr. Paul Bowman of Cardiff University to discuss his extremely fascinating book, "Theorizing Bruce Lee: Film-Fantasy-Fighting-Philosophy" . Dr. Bowman also appears prominently in the new documentary film by Pete McCormack, "I am Bruce Lee."We spoke about the cultural importance of Bruce Lee from the 70′s to today and why he remains so relevant and important, as well as breaking down where many of Bruce's philosophies on martial arts stemmed from and just what they actually mean. This is a truly unique interview on this site and one that all students of Martial Arts philosophy should listen to!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
H.S. Valedictorian Slams Public Education
Full text of the beginning of the speech:
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast - How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
How To Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account
Facebook makes it incredibly difficult for you to really permanently delete your account. Deactivation and Deletion are two different things. Deactivating a Facebook account matches temporarily hiding your information on Facebook. To permanently remove your all your information you have to permanently delete it. This option is much harder to find, you can find the link below.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Risk Recruiters Don't Mention
(YouTube)WARNING: Graphic and disturbing photos between 38:47 and 40:00.
U.S. Army Ranger John Needham, who was awarded two purple hearts and three medals for heroism, wrote to military authorities in 2007 reporting war crimes that he witnessed being committed by his own command and fellow soldiers in Al Doura, Iraq. His charges were supported by atrocity photos which, in the public interest, are now released in this video. John paid a terrible price for his opposition to these acts. His story is tragic.
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Counter Terrorist: Front Sight Defensive Handgun
Perhaps you are a seasoned professional, well trained and cut from the finest of warrior cloth. That’s a simple deduction since you are reading The Counter Terrorist. Your experience may have prepared you well to defend yourself, when the need arises. However, when you are overseas fighting for this country, or across town serving a warrant, who is watching over your loved ones?
Who is protecting your daughter as she eats breakfast at an IHOP in Reno? Who is watching out for your son when he is in class at Virginia Tech? Who has your wife’s back as she makes a withdrawal from the ATM?
The answer is probably “nobody” and the solution is simple: give your wife a Glock and a couple of loaded magazines and hope for the best. Sound ridiculous? This happens more often than you can imagine. There is nothing wrong with “hope” as long as it is part of the formula “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” Preparing your loved ones to win a potentially lethal encounter is the mission of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Las Vegas, Nevada.
read more...
Who is protecting your daughter as she eats breakfast at an IHOP in Reno? Who is watching out for your son when he is in class at Virginia Tech? Who has your wife’s back as she makes a withdrawal from the ATM?
The answer is probably “nobody” and the solution is simple: give your wife a Glock and a couple of loaded magazines and hope for the best. Sound ridiculous? This happens more often than you can imagine. There is nothing wrong with “hope” as long as it is part of the formula “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” Preparing your loved ones to win a potentially lethal encounter is the mission of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Las Vegas, Nevada.
read more...
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
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