from raw replay: Ron Paul cautioned against a hawking foreign policy while speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Paul noted the count of dead Iraqis. “So, yeah, we wanted to get rid of a bad guy in Iraq but it cost - it took another one million Iraqis got killed. Believe me, they weren’t all terrorists,” said Paul. This video is from CNN.com, broadcast Feb. 26, 2009.
videos: ron paul: 'pretty sad' that limbaugh is gop leader & he's absolutely wrong
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
outside the box #191 (w/ michael j panzner & rosalind peterson)
here is the latest episode of "outside the box," hosted by alex ansary.
it was originally broadcast by portland community media on february 26, 2009.
from alex ansary: In the first half of the show, Alex talks with Michael J. Panzner (financialarmageddon.com) about the depression we are now moving into. Later he speaks with Rosalind Peterson (californiaskywatch.com) about the Navy war game drills off the coast of Washington, Oregon, and California. These drills could damage the environment and poise a risk to humans in the region.
plus you can always get the latest episodes of "outside the box" on the oracle broadcasting network...
media monarchy episode113
we had to kill a newspaper on episode113 of media monarchy w/ dying print & the new media, banks closing, stores shutting, confidence falling, tensions rising, viruses vanishing, president jesus & the team america pep talk + keyes, coffins, military charities & drills, doomsday & revolution, introverted music from broken spindles and tons more...
download/stream/im/skype/subscribe/shirts
pra/revere/myspace/twitter/itunes/archive
media monarchy is originally broadcast live on the portland radio authority & revere radio network every friday at 10am pacific/1pm eastern...plus, you can always get podcasts of previous episodes thanks to itunes, radio4all.net & archive.org
media monarchy episode112b
the b-side of episode112 from media monarchy was recorded live at the portland radio authority w/ geronimo & the dtv hoax continued, otb, ron paul, one world government, the failed war on drugs & an important newspurge + rusty music from johnny cash and tons more...download/stream/im/skype/subscribe/shirts
pra/revere/myspace/twitter/itunes/archive
Thursday, February 26, 2009
rocky mountain news, colorado's oldest paper, folds after 15oyrs
from washington times: The Rocky Mountain News, the oldest newspaper in Colorado, will publish its last edition Friday after owners failed to secure a buyer for the financially strapped daily, making it the latest casualty in an increasingly shaky newspaper industry. Rich Boehne, chief executive officer of owner E.W. Scripps Co., blamed the decision on a plummeting newspaper market hit hard by the advent of the Internet and declining readership. "Denver can't support two newspapers any longer," said Mr. Boehne in a newsroom announcement Thursday. "It's certainly not good news for you, and it's certainly not good news for Denver." The tabloid known as the "Rocky" was just two months shy of its 150th anniversary, during which time it won four Pulitzer Prizes. The Rocky lost $16 million in 2008 despite a 2001 joint-operating agreement aimed at propping up Denver's two daily newspapers, the Rocky and the Denver Post. Scripps announced Dec. 4 that it would put the Rocky up for sale. Although one buyer emerged in mid-January, the company concluded that the buyer was "unable to present a viable plan" for the paper, according to a statement Thursday.goodbye, colorado
pentagon overturns ban on coffin photos
pentagon to allow media photos of war dead
from thinkprogress: Defense and congressional officials said today that “news organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America’s war dead under a new Pentagon policy” but “only if the families of the fallen agree.” President George H.W. Bush instituted the ban on photographing flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base and the Republican-led Senate backed the policy in 2004. Last year however, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a review of the ban with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ) urging the White House to reverse it shortly after President Obama took office.
flashback: cusack: coffin photo ban 'most cowardly political act'
from thinkprogress: Defense and congressional officials said today that “news organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America’s war dead under a new Pentagon policy” but “only if the families of the fallen agree.” President George H.W. Bush instituted the ban on photographing flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base and the Republican-led Senate backed the policy in 2004. Last year however, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a review of the ban with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ) urging the White House to reverse it shortly after President Obama took office.flashback: cusack: coffin photo ban 'most cowardly political act'
miltech: crashes, viruses, future combat & body language
global warming rocket with nasa satellite crashes
from ap: A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed into the ocean near Antarctica after a failed launch early Tuesday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The Taurus XL rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2 a.m. from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later, a cover protecting the satellite during launch failed to separate from the rocket, a preliminary investigation found. The 986-pound satellite was supposed to be placed into an orbit some 400 miles high to track carbon dioxide emissions. The project was nine years in the making, and the mission was supposed to last two years. Scientists currently depend on 282 land-based stations - and scattered instrumented aircraft flights - to monitor carbon dioxide at low altitudes. "Certainly for the science community it's a huge disappointment," said John Brunschwyler, Taurus project manager for Orbital Sciences Corp., which built the rocket and satellite. "It's taken so long to get here."
anthrax spores don't match dead researcher's samples
officials: how were bird flu viruses sent to unsuspecting labs?
from canadian press: Officials are trying to get to the bottom of how vaccine manufacturer Baxter International Inc. made "experimental virus material" based on a human flu strain but contaminated with the H5N1 avian flu virus and then distributed it to an Austrian company. That company, Avir Green Hills Biotechnology, then disseminated the supposed H3N2 virus product to subcontractors in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Germany. Authorities in the four European countries are looking into the incident, and their efforts are being closely watched by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Control. Though it appears none of the 36 or 37 people who were exposed to the contaminated product became infected, the incident is being described as "a serious error" on the part of Baxter, which is on the brink of securing a European licence for an H5N1 vaccine. That vaccine is made at a different facility, in the Czech Republic. "For this particular incident ... the horse did not get out (of the barn)," Dr. Angus Nicoll of the ECDC said from Stockholm. "But that doesn't mean that we and WHO and the European Commission and the others aren't taking it as seriously as you would any laboratory accident with dangerous pathogens - which you have here."
flashback: plague-infested mice missing from new jersey research lab
US energy dept cannot account for nuclear materials at 15 locations
from global security newswire: A number of U.S. institutions with licenses to hold nuclear material reported to the Energy Department in 2004 that the amount of material they held was less than agency records indicated. But rather than investigating the discrepancies, Energy officials wrote off significant quantities of nuclear material from the department's inventory records. That's just one of the findings of a report released [2.3mb PDF] yesterday by Energy Department Inspector General Gregory Friedman that concluded "the department cannot properly account for and effectively manage its nuclear materials maintained by domestic licensees and may be unable to detect lost or stolen material."
flashback: nuke weapons lab reports another major breach
analyzing body language to detect terrorists & tourists
from itbusiness: As soon as you walk into the airport, the machines are watching. Are you a tourist - or a terrorist posing as one? As you answer a few questions at the security checkpoint, the systems begin sizing you up. An array of sensors - video, audio, laser, infrared - feeds a stream of real-time data about you to a computer that uses specially developed algorithms to spot suspicious people. The system interprets your gestures and facial expressions, analyzes your voice and virtually probes your body to determine your temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and other physiological characteristics - all in an effort to determine whether you are trying to deceive. Fail the test, and you'll be pulled aside for a more aggressive interrogation and searches. That scenario may sound like science fiction, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is deadly serous about making it a reality.
flashback: tsa performing emotional screening of passengers
army preparing to test future combat systems
from defence talk: Soldiers and civilians with the Future Combat Systems program at White Sands Missile Range are working overtime preparing to put future Army technology to the test. Soldiers - along with technicians for the companies that produce the various systems that make up FCS - are loading up vehicles with data collection equipment that will be used to test the systems later this year.
flashback: the army's $200 billion makeover
from ap: A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed into the ocean near Antarctica after a failed launch early Tuesday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The Taurus XL rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2 a.m. from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later, a cover protecting the satellite during launch failed to separate from the rocket, a preliminary investigation found. The 986-pound satellite was supposed to be placed into an orbit some 400 miles high to track carbon dioxide emissions. The project was nine years in the making, and the mission was supposed to last two years. Scientists currently depend on 282 land-based stations - and scattered instrumented aircraft flights - to monitor carbon dioxide at low altitudes. "Certainly for the science community it's a huge disappointment," said John Brunschwyler, Taurus project manager for Orbital Sciences Corp., which built the rocket and satellite. "It's taken so long to get here."anthrax spores don't match dead researcher's samples
officials: how were bird flu viruses sent to unsuspecting labs?
from canadian press: Officials are trying to get to the bottom of how vaccine manufacturer Baxter International Inc. made "experimental virus material" based on a human flu strain but contaminated with the H5N1 avian flu virus and then distributed it to an Austrian company. That company, Avir Green Hills Biotechnology, then disseminated the supposed H3N2 virus product to subcontractors in the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Germany. Authorities in the four European countries are looking into the incident, and their efforts are being closely watched by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Control. Though it appears none of the 36 or 37 people who were exposed to the contaminated product became infected, the incident is being described as "a serious error" on the part of Baxter, which is on the brink of securing a European licence for an H5N1 vaccine. That vaccine is made at a different facility, in the Czech Republic. "For this particular incident ... the horse did not get out (of the barn)," Dr. Angus Nicoll of the ECDC said from Stockholm. "But that doesn't mean that we and WHO and the European Commission and the others aren't taking it as seriously as you would any laboratory accident with dangerous pathogens - which you have here."flashback: plague-infested mice missing from new jersey research lab
US energy dept cannot account for nuclear materials at 15 locations
from global security newswire: A number of U.S. institutions with licenses to hold nuclear material reported to the Energy Department in 2004 that the amount of material they held was less than agency records indicated. But rather than investigating the discrepancies, Energy officials wrote off significant quantities of nuclear material from the department's inventory records. That's just one of the findings of a report released [2.3mb PDF] yesterday by Energy Department Inspector General Gregory Friedman that concluded "the department cannot properly account for and effectively manage its nuclear materials maintained by domestic licensees and may be unable to detect lost or stolen material."
flashback: nuke weapons lab reports another major breach
analyzing body language to detect terrorists & tourists
from itbusiness: As soon as you walk into the airport, the machines are watching. Are you a tourist - or a terrorist posing as one? As you answer a few questions at the security checkpoint, the systems begin sizing you up. An array of sensors - video, audio, laser, infrared - feeds a stream of real-time data about you to a computer that uses specially developed algorithms to spot suspicious people. The system interprets your gestures and facial expressions, analyzes your voice and virtually probes your body to determine your temperature, heart rate, respiration rate and other physiological characteristics - all in an effort to determine whether you are trying to deceive. Fail the test, and you'll be pulled aside for a more aggressive interrogation and searches. That scenario may sound like science fiction, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is deadly serous about making it a reality.
flashback: tsa performing emotional screening of passengers
army preparing to test future combat systems
from defence talk: Soldiers and civilians with the Future Combat Systems program at White Sands Missile Range are working overtime preparing to put future Army technology to the test. Soldiers - along with technicians for the companies that produce the various systems that make up FCS - are loading up vehicles with data collection equipment that will be used to test the systems later this year.
flashback: the army's $200 billion makeover
econocrash/geopolitiks: coming together & falling apart
cia adds economy to threat updates
(or, cia + wall street = the real threat)
from washington post: The daily White House intelligence report that catalogs the top security threats to the nation has a grim new addition, reflecting the realities of the age: a daily update on the global financial crisis and its cascading effects on the stability of countries through the world. The first Economic Intelligence Briefing report was presented to the White House yesterday by the CIA, the agency's new director, Leon Panetta, revealed at a news conference. The addition of economic news to the daily roundup of terrorist attacks and surveillance reports appears to reflect a growing belief among intelligence officials that the economic meltdown is now preeminent among security threats facing the United States. "We've seen the impact of a worldwide recession occur throughout the world," said Panetta, who described the agency's newest product at his first news briefing since his confirmation. Instigated at the request of the White House, the daily report will ensure that U.S. policymakers are "not surprised" by the aftershocks from bank failures and rising unemployment, he said.
cia: secret operations, drug money
urban warfare drills linked to coming economic rage
from paul joseph watson: Urban warfare training drills are taking place across the country as top analysts as well as officials predict a potential “summer of rage” across Europe and America as civil unrest from the economic fallout builds. Earlier this month, 150 U.S. troops from the U.S. Special Operations Command in what officials described as a “training event”.whizzed around the streets of New Orleans in military helicopters and even dropped bombs. An Iowa National Guard training exercise in Arcadia, Iowa, scheduled for April was originally billed as an “invasion” before public opposition caused the drill to be scaled back. The exercise included Guard troops patrolling streets, searching houses and confiscating firearms. No less than 2,200 U.S. Marines were also involved in urban operations training in Richmond, VIrginia, throughout January, drills that involved landing troops in populated areas, allowing military pilots to “familiarize themselves with the area.”
hershey plant closes & heads down highway to mexico
clinton urges china to keep buying US debt
from afp: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday [feb22] urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis. Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad. In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasuries, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods. "By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together," Clinton said at the US embassy here.
new cbs news vp tied to abramoff scheme
get ready for mass retail closings
from yahoo finance: About 220,000 stores may close this year in America, says our guest, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz of Davidowitz & Associates. As more Americans save and spend less, it's clear there's too much retail space. Just visit Web site deadmalls.com and track retail's growing body count. And luxury retailers? They're on "life support," Davidowitz says. Among the brandname stores Davidowitz says are in trouble: Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, Jeweler Zale Corp., Saks, J.C. Penney & Sears... Plus, earlier we discussed: Retail goods on sale -- perhaps permanently. And the 'worst is yet to come:' Americans' standard of living permanently changed.
video: the crisis of credit
plan to nationalize american banks
from the australian: The Obama administration is considering a plan to temporarily nationalise US banks in a historic departure for the world's champion of free markets, prompting fears of further steep falls in US and world share markets. Despite tepid denials from the White House, there has been a steady drumbeat of signals over the past few days indicating the bank plan is under consideration, including comments from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke, who acknowledged that government takeover was a possibility.
is america ready for recession rage?
financial crisis sparks unrest in europe
from reuters: The global financial and economic crisis has sparked many protests in parts of Europe. Here are some details:
* BOSNIA -- Workers of Bosnia's only alumina producer Birac protested on Feb. 9 in Banja Luka, demanding salary payments and government support to offset falling metal prices.
* BRITAIN -- British workers held a series of protests at power plants, demonstrating against the employment of foreign contractors to work on critical energy sites...
* BULGARIA -- Police officers, banned by law from striking, have held three "silent" protests since December to demand a 50 percent pay hike and better working conditions...
* FRANCE -- Up to 2.5 million protesters took to the streets of France on Jan. 29 in a day of strikes and rallies to denounce the economic crisis but the strike failed to paralyse the country and support from private sector workers was limited...
* GERMANY -- Thousands of Opel workers from around Germany took part in a mass rally at the company's headquarters, demanding on Thursday that parent General Motors scrap plans for plant closures in Europe...
* GREECE -- Greek farmers protesting low product prices ended a two week blockade of a border crossing with Bulgaria on Feb. 7 when their demands for compensation were met...
* ICELAND -- Prime Minister Geir Haarde resigned on Jan. 26 after protests. The first leader in the world to fall as a direct result of the financial crisis, he was replaced by Johanna Sigurdardottir, who heads a new centre-left coalition.
* IRELAND -- Nearly 100,000 people marched through Dublin on Feb. 21 to protest at government cutbacks in the face of a deepening recession and bailouts for the banks.
* LATVIA -- A new Latvian prime minister was appointed on Thursday after the four-party ruling coalition collapsed on Feb. 20 and the president called for talks to forge a new government to tackle a deepening economic crisis...
* LITHUANIA -- Police fired teargas on Jan. 16 to disperse demonstrators who pelted parliament with stones in protest at cuts in social spending...
* MONTENEGRO -- In Podgorica, aluminum workers demanded on Feb. 9 to be paid their salaries and an immediate restart of suspended production at the Kombinat Aluminijuma Podgorica (KAP), a Russian-owned plant.
* RUSSIA -- Hundreds of angry communists rallied in Moscow on Feb. 23 in protest at the Kremlin's handling of the crisis that has rocked the Russian economy, the latest in a series of demonstrations held across Russia as the economic crisis bites...
* UKRAINE - Hundreds of Ukrainians protested at separate demonstrations on Feb. 23, with some urging President Viktor Yushchenko to quit while others demanded their money back from banks hit by the financial crisis.
will the economic crisis split europe?
britain faces summer of rage
from guardian: Police are preparing for a "summer of rage" as victims of the economic downturn take to the streets to demonstrate against financial institutions, the Guardian has learned. Britain's most senior police officer with responsibility for public order raised the spectre of a return of the riots of the 1980s, with people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings becoming "footsoldiers" in a wave of potentially violent mass protests.
warning for the west as crisis spills onto streets*
cia says drone attacks inside pakistan will continue*
greeks shut airports, services to protest economy*
mexico sending extra troops to violent border city*
after threats, juárez mayor in el paso*
ecuador says expelled US official was cia operative*
there are now more slaves on the planet than at any time in human history*
(or, cia + wall street = the real threat)
from washington post: The daily White House intelligence report that catalogs the top security threats to the nation has a grim new addition, reflecting the realities of the age: a daily update on the global financial crisis and its cascading effects on the stability of countries through the world. The first Economic Intelligence Briefing report was presented to the White House yesterday by the CIA, the agency's new director, Leon Panetta, revealed at a news conference. The addition of economic news to the daily roundup of terrorist attacks and surveillance reports appears to reflect a growing belief among intelligence officials that the economic meltdown is now preeminent among security threats facing the United States. "We've seen the impact of a worldwide recession occur throughout the world," said Panetta, who described the agency's newest product at his first news briefing since his confirmation. Instigated at the request of the White House, the daily report will ensure that U.S. policymakers are "not surprised" by the aftershocks from bank failures and rising unemployment, he said.cia: secret operations, drug money
urban warfare drills linked to coming economic rage
from paul joseph watson: Urban warfare training drills are taking place across the country as top analysts as well as officials predict a potential “summer of rage” across Europe and America as civil unrest from the economic fallout builds. Earlier this month, 150 U.S. troops from the U.S. Special Operations Command in what officials described as a “training event”.whizzed around the streets of New Orleans in military helicopters and even dropped bombs. An Iowa National Guard training exercise in Arcadia, Iowa, scheduled for April was originally billed as an “invasion” before public opposition caused the drill to be scaled back. The exercise included Guard troops patrolling streets, searching houses and confiscating firearms. No less than 2,200 U.S. Marines were also involved in urban operations training in Richmond, VIrginia, throughout January, drills that involved landing troops in populated areas, allowing military pilots to “familiarize themselves with the area.”hershey plant closes & heads down highway to mexico
clinton urges china to keep buying US debt
from afp: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday [feb22] urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis. Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad. In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasuries, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods. "By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together," Clinton said at the US embassy here.
new cbs news vp tied to abramoff scheme
get ready for mass retail closings
from yahoo finance: About 220,000 stores may close this year in America, says our guest, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz of Davidowitz & Associates. As more Americans save and spend less, it's clear there's too much retail space. Just visit Web site deadmalls.com and track retail's growing body count. And luxury retailers? They're on "life support," Davidowitz says. Among the brandname stores Davidowitz says are in trouble: Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany, Jeweler Zale Corp., Saks, J.C. Penney & Sears... Plus, earlier we discussed: Retail goods on sale -- perhaps permanently. And the 'worst is yet to come:' Americans' standard of living permanently changed.
video: the crisis of credit
plan to nationalize american banks
from the australian: The Obama administration is considering a plan to temporarily nationalise US banks in a historic departure for the world's champion of free markets, prompting fears of further steep falls in US and world share markets. Despite tepid denials from the White House, there has been a steady drumbeat of signals over the past few days indicating the bank plan is under consideration, including comments from Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke, who acknowledged that government takeover was a possibility.
is america ready for recession rage?
financial crisis sparks unrest in europe
from reuters: The global financial and economic crisis has sparked many protests in parts of Europe. Here are some details:
* BOSNIA -- Workers of Bosnia's only alumina producer Birac protested on Feb. 9 in Banja Luka, demanding salary payments and government support to offset falling metal prices.
* BRITAIN -- British workers held a series of protests at power plants, demonstrating against the employment of foreign contractors to work on critical energy sites...
* BULGARIA -- Police officers, banned by law from striking, have held three "silent" protests since December to demand a 50 percent pay hike and better working conditions...
* FRANCE -- Up to 2.5 million protesters took to the streets of France on Jan. 29 in a day of strikes and rallies to denounce the economic crisis but the strike failed to paralyse the country and support from private sector workers was limited...
* GERMANY -- Thousands of Opel workers from around Germany took part in a mass rally at the company's headquarters, demanding on Thursday that parent General Motors scrap plans for plant closures in Europe...
* GREECE -- Greek farmers protesting low product prices ended a two week blockade of a border crossing with Bulgaria on Feb. 7 when their demands for compensation were met...
* ICELAND -- Prime Minister Geir Haarde resigned on Jan. 26 after protests. The first leader in the world to fall as a direct result of the financial crisis, he was replaced by Johanna Sigurdardottir, who heads a new centre-left coalition.
* IRELAND -- Nearly 100,000 people marched through Dublin on Feb. 21 to protest at government cutbacks in the face of a deepening recession and bailouts for the banks.
* LATVIA -- A new Latvian prime minister was appointed on Thursday after the four-party ruling coalition collapsed on Feb. 20 and the president called for talks to forge a new government to tackle a deepening economic crisis...
* LITHUANIA -- Police fired teargas on Jan. 16 to disperse demonstrators who pelted parliament with stones in protest at cuts in social spending...
* MONTENEGRO -- In Podgorica, aluminum workers demanded on Feb. 9 to be paid their salaries and an immediate restart of suspended production at the Kombinat Aluminijuma Podgorica (KAP), a Russian-owned plant.
* RUSSIA -- Hundreds of angry communists rallied in Moscow on Feb. 23 in protest at the Kremlin's handling of the crisis that has rocked the Russian economy, the latest in a series of demonstrations held across Russia as the economic crisis bites...
* UKRAINE - Hundreds of Ukrainians protested at separate demonstrations on Feb. 23, with some urging President Viktor Yushchenko to quit while others demanded their money back from banks hit by the financial crisis.
will the economic crisis split europe?
britain faces summer of rage
from guardian: Police are preparing for a "summer of rage" as victims of the economic downturn take to the streets to demonstrate against financial institutions, the Guardian has learned. Britain's most senior police officer with responsibility for public order raised the spectre of a return of the riots of the 1980s, with people who have lost their jobs, homes or savings becoming "footsoldiers" in a wave of potentially violent mass protests.
warning for the west as crisis spills onto streets*
cia says drone attacks inside pakistan will continue*
greeks shut airports, services to protest economy*
mexico sending extra troops to violent border city*
after threats, juárez mayor in el paso*
ecuador says expelled US official was cia operative*
there are now more slaves on the planet than at any time in human history*
mock disaster, real lessons: exercise solid curtain feb23-27
from virginian-pilot: The Navy is conducting a massive anti-terrorism exercise this week in Hampton Roads – as well as at every base and installation in the continental United States. Fifteen months in the planning, Operation Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield is the largest force-protection exercise in the nation, said Capt. Sam McCormick, the director of fleet anti-terrorism at the Navy’s Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk.
Just how big is it? “How many sailors are there in the Hampton Roads area?” McCormick said . “That’s how many will be involved.”
McCormick went on to say that every single Navy person in the “Northcom AOR” – that’s shorthand for the Northern Command Area of Responsibility, which covers the continental United States, Canada and Mexico – will be affected by the exercise “in one way or another.”
Mostly, that means a heightened state of readiness, like tighter security at entrance gates and additional watches for ships at the pier. It also means there will be “red forces” - folks pretending to be enemy agents - attempting to infiltrate bases physically or through cyberspace.
McCormick likened the exercise to playing zone defense. “You don’t play man to man with this,” McCormick said. “You try to present a hardened appearance, you know what you can do, you create defense in depth, you center on your high-value assets and personnel, and then you create multiple overlapping layers of protection.”
He said he couldn’t put a price tag on the nationwide exercise, which is the fifth of its kind for the Navy. Military contractors are helping with the plans. Oh, and don’t expect to learn what installations were most easily breached. The results of the aptly named Solid Curtain will be classified.
flashback: military exercise 'solid curtain' from sept 14-21 2007
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
ron paul: they're working on a one world government
from fox: "And there will be a realignment and there is a struggle going on with us who believe that we should have national sovereignty, we should be out of the U.N., out of the World Bank, out of the IMF, in no world government. But that is the movement that we're going in, that's the direction we're going in. But others are planning to go one step further. They weren't satisfied with the Bretton Woods; they weren't satisfied with the dollar standard. Now, they want to probably modify the special drawing rights of the IMF which they tried and then failed, but they want to control capital and they want to control the natural resources of the world. So — and they're not — they're not nationalistic at all. They believe in world government."
tensions & questions rise after russia sinks chinese freighter
from russia today: An investigation has been launched into an incident where eight people drowned after a cargo ship fled Russian border guards in the Far East. The New Star vessel was under the flag of Sierra Leone and had brought rice cargo to the port of Nakhodka. But it left without permission or notifying the authorities. The border guards following the ship and eventually opened fire. But on its way back the vessel was caught in a storm and sank out of 16 crew, only 8 people were saved. The border guards say the ship ignored all warning signals while sailing towards the Chinese border at full speed.envirohealth: food supplies, new eugenics & more gore
confidence erodes in US food supply
from star tribune: The conclusions of a pioneering survey from the University of Minnesota's Food Industry Center and Louisiana State University's AgCenter should come as a surprise to no one. The deadly salmonella outbreak tied to peanut butter made at a filthy Georgia processing plant has caused consumer confidence in the food supply to plummet. Just one in five Americans now believe the food supply is safer than it was a year ago, according to findings from the latest Continuous Consumer Food Safety/Defense Tracking Study... Consumer confidence dipped last year with the outbreak of salmonella first linked to tomatoes but later tied to peppers. Confidence rebounded, the CFST found, only to nosedive to a new low with the peanut butter salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 500 and killed eight people, three of whom were Minnesotans. The findings should give the industry some food for thought. It's hard evidence that the peanut butter outbreak isn't simply the problem of one Georgia company. It has damaged the reputation of the entire food industry. Action is needed, lest the precipitous drop in peanut butter sales plague other products.
pope warns of proliferation of 'new eugenics'
from lifesitenews: In an address last Saturday to participants in a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Benedict XVI warned of the rise of a "new eugenics" that judges the worth of an individual based on his or her genetic makeup, as expressed in factors such as health and beauty. Despite the fact that a condemnation of imposed eugenics was enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "there are appearing in our days troubling manifestations of this hateful practice," observed the pope to participants in the conference, entitled 'New Frontiers of Genetics and the Danger of Eugenics.' "A new mentality is insinuating itself that tends to justify a different consideration of life and personal dignity based on individual desire and individual rights... There is thus a tendency to privilege the capacities for work, efficiency, perfection and physical beauty to the detriment of other dimensions of existence that are not held to be valuable."
gore pulls 'inconvenient' slide of disaster trends
from nytimes: Former Vice President Al Gore is pulling a dramatic slide from his ever-evolving global warming presentation. When Mr. Gore addressed a packed, cheering hall at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago earlier this month, his climate slide show contained a startling graph showing a ceiling-high spike in disasters in recent years. The data came from the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (also called CRED) at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels. The graph, which was added to his talk last year, came just after a sequence of images of people from Iowa to South Australia struggling with drought, wildfire, flooding and other weather-related calamities. Mr. Gore described the pattern as a manifestation of human-driven climate change. “This is creating weather-related disasters that are completely unprecedented,” he said. (The preceding link is to a video clip of that portion of the talk; go to 7th minute.) Now Mr. Gore is dropping the graph, his office said today. Here’s why. Two days after the talk, Mr. Gore was sharply criticized for using the data to make a point about global warming by Roger A. Pielke, Jr., a political scientist focused on disaster trends and climate policy at the University of Colorado. Mr. Pielke noted that the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters stressed in reports that a host of factors unrelated to climate caused the enormous rise in reported disasters... Dr. Pielke quoted the Belgian center: “Indeed, justifying the upward trend in hydro-meteorological disaster occurrence and impacts essentially through climate change would be misleading. Climate change is probably an actor in this increase but not the major one - even if its impact on the figures will likely become more evident in the future.”
japanse scientists: global warming isn't man-made
from star tribune: The conclusions of a pioneering survey from the University of Minnesota's Food Industry Center and Louisiana State University's AgCenter should come as a surprise to no one. The deadly salmonella outbreak tied to peanut butter made at a filthy Georgia processing plant has caused consumer confidence in the food supply to plummet. Just one in five Americans now believe the food supply is safer than it was a year ago, according to findings from the latest Continuous Consumer Food Safety/Defense Tracking Study... Consumer confidence dipped last year with the outbreak of salmonella first linked to tomatoes but later tied to peppers. Confidence rebounded, the CFST found, only to nosedive to a new low with the peanut butter salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 500 and killed eight people, three of whom were Minnesotans. The findings should give the industry some food for thought. It's hard evidence that the peanut butter outbreak isn't simply the problem of one Georgia company. It has damaged the reputation of the entire food industry. Action is needed, lest the precipitous drop in peanut butter sales plague other products.pope warns of proliferation of 'new eugenics'
from lifesitenews: In an address last Saturday to participants in a conference sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Benedict XVI warned of the rise of a "new eugenics" that judges the worth of an individual based on his or her genetic makeup, as expressed in factors such as health and beauty. Despite the fact that a condemnation of imposed eugenics was enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "there are appearing in our days troubling manifestations of this hateful practice," observed the pope to participants in the conference, entitled 'New Frontiers of Genetics and the Danger of Eugenics.' "A new mentality is insinuating itself that tends to justify a different consideration of life and personal dignity based on individual desire and individual rights... There is thus a tendency to privilege the capacities for work, efficiency, perfection and physical beauty to the detriment of other dimensions of existence that are not held to be valuable."
gore pulls 'inconvenient' slide of disaster trends
from nytimes: Former Vice President Al Gore is pulling a dramatic slide from his ever-evolving global warming presentation. When Mr. Gore addressed a packed, cheering hall at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Chicago earlier this month, his climate slide show contained a startling graph showing a ceiling-high spike in disasters in recent years. The data came from the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (also called CRED) at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels. The graph, which was added to his talk last year, came just after a sequence of images of people from Iowa to South Australia struggling with drought, wildfire, flooding and other weather-related calamities. Mr. Gore described the pattern as a manifestation of human-driven climate change. “This is creating weather-related disasters that are completely unprecedented,” he said. (The preceding link is to a video clip of that portion of the talk; go to 7th minute.) Now Mr. Gore is dropping the graph, his office said today. Here’s why. Two days after the talk, Mr. Gore was sharply criticized for using the data to make a point about global warming by Roger A. Pielke, Jr., a political scientist focused on disaster trends and climate policy at the University of Colorado. Mr. Pielke noted that the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters stressed in reports that a host of factors unrelated to climate caused the enormous rise in reported disasters... Dr. Pielke quoted the Belgian center: “Indeed, justifying the upward trend in hydro-meteorological disaster occurrence and impacts essentially through climate change would be misleading. Climate change is probably an actor in this increase but not the major one - even if its impact on the figures will likely become more evident in the future.”japanse scientists: global warming isn't man-made
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
obamessiah gives team america a pep talk
here's a couple of telling takes on the big speech: first a sports analogy, as if it's all a big game...
from time: Rarely has a pep talk come with so much pomp. The setting, for starters, was no high school locker room at halftime, with sweaty teenagers scratching their gym socks. Robed Supreme Court justices and barrel-chested generals sat in the front row in the U.S. House Chamber, a gold encrusted place overflowing with political power. For a quarter mile around, police stood shivering in the cold, watching in clumps on street corners, stopping anyone who looked out of place. And the coach commanding everyone's attention in the center of the room was no amateur part-timer looking to relive his glory days on the court. He was none other than the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, the most watched man in the world, who had come before his country and its government during primetime to say, "Come on team, we can play better. When the buzzer sounds again, we're going to go out there and play our game, like the champions we know we are." He didn't use those words exactly. But he came pretty close. "We will rebuild. We will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," he announced upon taking the podium Tuesday, at his first presidential address before a joint session of Congress.
the next one assures us that this admin will continue the fraudulently catastrophic war of terror...
obama ushering in "new era of engagement" with world
from dpa: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that his administration is ushering in a 'new era' of diplomacy, vowing to strive for Middle East peace and assuring the nation that he will not back down in the war on terrorism. In his first major address before Congress, Obama said he will strengthen alliances and seek new ones throughout the world while emphasizing the importance of negotiations to resolve differences. "We are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America," Obama said. "We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand."
and then the kicker, the one about getting out of iraq [insert bridge-for-sale joke here] ...
obama to withdraw most troops from iraq by august 2010
from thinkprogress: President Obama is expected to announce this week that he will withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010, 19 months after his inauguration. Obama’s plan will initially leave a “residual force” of 30,000 to 50,000 troops. “A further withdrawal will take place before December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all American troops.” Obama was also considering 16-month and 23-month timetables; the 19-month time frame was reportedly a “compromise.”
and all the blahbittyblah about jindal, home aid, etc &
here's the full text of obama's speech
updates:
video: is obama doing the right thing?*
video: obama's youth flock*
lawyer says guantanamo abuse worse since obama*
obama to seek new assault weapons ban*
cia signals continuity with bush era*
obama lays out his vision for america*
obama’s war machine needs $800b for 2009*
from time: Rarely has a pep talk come with so much pomp. The setting, for starters, was no high school locker room at halftime, with sweaty teenagers scratching their gym socks. Robed Supreme Court justices and barrel-chested generals sat in the front row in the U.S. House Chamber, a gold encrusted place overflowing with political power. For a quarter mile around, police stood shivering in the cold, watching in clumps on street corners, stopping anyone who looked out of place. And the coach commanding everyone's attention in the center of the room was no amateur part-timer looking to relive his glory days on the court. He was none other than the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, the most watched man in the world, who had come before his country and its government during primetime to say, "Come on team, we can play better. When the buzzer sounds again, we're going to go out there and play our game, like the champions we know we are." He didn't use those words exactly. But he came pretty close. "We will rebuild. We will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," he announced upon taking the podium Tuesday, at his first presidential address before a joint session of Congress.the next one assures us that this admin will continue the fraudulently catastrophic war of terror...
obama ushering in "new era of engagement" with world
from dpa: US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that his administration is ushering in a 'new era' of diplomacy, vowing to strive for Middle East peace and assuring the nation that he will not back down in the war on terrorism. In his first major address before Congress, Obama said he will strengthen alliances and seek new ones throughout the world while emphasizing the importance of negotiations to resolve differences. "We are showing the world that a new era of engagement has begun. For we know that America cannot meet the threats of this century alone, but the world cannot meet them without America," Obama said. "We cannot shun the negotiating table, nor ignore the foes or forces that could do us harm. We are instead called to move forward with the sense of confidence and candor that serious times demand."
and then the kicker, the one about getting out of iraq [insert bridge-for-sale joke here] ...
obama to withdraw most troops from iraq by august 2010
from thinkprogress: President Obama is expected to announce this week that he will withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2010, 19 months after his inauguration. Obama’s plan will initially leave a “residual force” of 30,000 to 50,000 troops. “A further withdrawal will take place before December 2011, the period by which the U.S. agreed with Iraq to remove all American troops.” Obama was also considering 16-month and 23-month timetables; the 19-month time frame was reportedly a “compromise.”and all the blahbittyblah about jindal, home aid, etc &
here's the full text of obama's speech
updates:
video: is obama doing the right thing?*
video: obama's youth flock*
lawyer says guantanamo abuse worse since obama*
obama to seek new assault weapons ban*
cia signals continuity with bush era*
obama lays out his vision for america*
obama’s war machine needs $800b for 2009*
hidden cameras in dtv converters? youtube hoax taps conspiracy fears
as i said on the show: even if this is a hoax, they reality is there. but now this hoax can be used as a strawman to attack/dismiss the whole idea of the pervasive panopticon. so, there is no surveillance, nothing to see here, go back to worksleep...
from threat level: Ever wonder what the government is really up to paying for all those digital TV converter boxes? Last week a Spokane, Washington man claimed he'd discovered the horrifying truth, and he produced a YouTube video to prove it. In a 90-second video that's popping up on tin-foil-hat sites everywhere, 28-year-old software engineer Adam Chronister is seen cracking open his government-subsidized Magnavox converter, and revealing to the world the tiny video camera and microphone hidden inside... The video instantly went viral, tapping into a current of DTV conspiracy theory that's been building online since the government started issuing $40 converter box coupons last summer... Last week Chronister's video was promoted on the conspiracy-friendly Alex Jones radio show, and as of Monday the clip has chalked up almost 200,000 views and over 850 comments, many skeptical, but an equal number expressing alarm. "This is nuts! I had an odd feeling when the government planned to pay for everyone [to] get one of these," wrote one viewer. "Yup, that's a camera, and a mic. Holy shit. I am taking my DVR apart tonight," added another.
ground zero lounge: panopticon: the pandemonium configuration
In an interview with Threat Level, Chronister admits the whole thing was a hoax, concocted in about five minutes with a hot glue gun and parts from an old cell phone. The reaction surprised even him. "I was listening to the Alex Jones show ... and I heard him mention the video," Chronister says. "I just about fell out of the shower." Chronister says the video is partially true: A friend really did share the rumor about hidden camera in the DTV converters. "I originally opened up the device with the intention of proving him wrong," says Chronister. "At which point the thought popped in my head, wouldn't it be funny if I proved him right instead?"
ground zero lounge: panopticonII: wetwired: converting to tunnel vision
Observers in more technical forums like BroadbandReports.com have dissected the video and easily discerned that it's a hoax, with some taking apart their own converter boxes to provide proof. But even as posts debunking the clip roll into his YouTube comments, some remain convinced of its veracity. "There are still people defending the video," he says. As a sometimes-believer of conspiracy theories himself, Chronister is sympathetic. But critics charge that Chronister's prank only provides a smoke screen for genuine government wrongdoing. He's more worried about a different kind of backlash. "I've seen videos go viral before, but I never thought some stupid little video I did would get popular like that," he says. "I'm waiting for the Magnavox police to come and haul me off or something."
flashbacks: did u go digital last nite? u should open yr converter box, comcast cameras to start watching you? & apple files patent for a camera hidden behind the screen
from threat level: Ever wonder what the government is really up to paying for all those digital TV converter boxes? Last week a Spokane, Washington man claimed he'd discovered the horrifying truth, and he produced a YouTube video to prove it. In a 90-second video that's popping up on tin-foil-hat sites everywhere, 28-year-old software engineer Adam Chronister is seen cracking open his government-subsidized Magnavox converter, and revealing to the world the tiny video camera and microphone hidden inside... The video instantly went viral, tapping into a current of DTV conspiracy theory that's been building online since the government started issuing $40 converter box coupons last summer... Last week Chronister's video was promoted on the conspiracy-friendly Alex Jones radio show, and as of Monday the clip has chalked up almost 200,000 views and over 850 comments, many skeptical, but an equal number expressing alarm. "This is nuts! I had an odd feeling when the government planned to pay for everyone [to] get one of these," wrote one viewer. "Yup, that's a camera, and a mic. Holy shit. I am taking my DVR apart tonight," added another.ground zero lounge: panopticon: the pandemonium configuration
In an interview with Threat Level, Chronister admits the whole thing was a hoax, concocted in about five minutes with a hot glue gun and parts from an old cell phone. The reaction surprised even him. "I was listening to the Alex Jones show ... and I heard him mention the video," Chronister says. "I just about fell out of the shower." Chronister says the video is partially true: A friend really did share the rumor about hidden camera in the DTV converters. "I originally opened up the device with the intention of proving him wrong," says Chronister. "At which point the thought popped in my head, wouldn't it be funny if I proved him right instead?"
ground zero lounge: panopticonII: wetwired: converting to tunnel vision
Observers in more technical forums like BroadbandReports.com have dissected the video and easily discerned that it's a hoax, with some taking apart their own converter boxes to provide proof. But even as posts debunking the clip roll into his YouTube comments, some remain convinced of its veracity. "There are still people defending the video," he says. As a sometimes-believer of conspiracy theories himself, Chronister is sympathetic. But critics charge that Chronister's prank only provides a smoke screen for genuine government wrongdoing. He's more worried about a different kind of backlash. "I've seen videos go viral before, but I never thought some stupid little video I did would get popular like that," he says. "I'm waiting for the Magnavox police to come and haul me off or something."
flashbacks: did u go digital last nite? u should open yr converter box, comcast cameras to start watching you? & apple files patent for a camera hidden behind the screen
Monday, February 23, 2009
US lawmakers honor geronimo in the midst of skull & bones lawsuit
from afp: The US House of Representatives on Monday approved by voice vote a measure honoring legendary Apache warrior Geronimo's bravery 100 years after his death. The nonbinding resolution honors his life, "his extraordinary bravery, and his commitment to the defense of his homeland, his people, and Apache ways of life." Geronimo - known as Goyathlay in the language of his Chiricahua Apache - died in 1909 at nearly 90 years of age at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He had been held as a prisoner of war for more than 20 years after surrendering to the US military on the understanding he would be allowed to return to his homeland and people. The resolution also "recognizes the 100 anniversary of the death of Goyathlay as a time of reflection of his deeds on behalf of his people." On Febuary 17, twenty of Geronimo's descendants filed suit in a US federal court seeking "to free Geronimo, his remains, funerary objects and spirit from 100 years of imprisonment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the Yale University campus at New Haven, Connecticut and wherever else they may be found." The remains would be returned to Geronimo's wilderness birthplace in the western United States for a true Apache burial, a key facet of the native American tribe's culture.and still more on the new lawsuit... bush secret society sued for return of geronimo’s remains
from raw replay: CNN’s Debra Feyerick reported that the relatives of the late Apache warrior Geronimo are suing Yale and the secret Skull and Bones society for the return of Geronimo’s remains.
flashback: geronimo's kin still suing skull & bones over remains
Sunday, February 22, 2009
media monarchy on the corbett report: the new media
a big thanks to james corbett for having me on the show!
corbett report: episode075 - the new media
from corbett report: A new media is rising to displace the old corporate controlled media paradigm. But what is the new media, what is it replacing, and what challenges does it face. This week we talk to radio hosts, webmasters, activists and infowarriors to find out more about the new grassroots internet-based citizen journalism phenomenon.
you can also listen to my full interview with james corbett...
corbett report: interview063 - james evan pilato
from corbett report: The voice of the MediaMonarchy radio broadcast and webmaster of MediaMonarchy.com joins us to discuss his online work and the significance of the internet-based citizen journalism movement.
corbett report: episode075 - the new media
from corbett report: A new media is rising to displace the old corporate controlled media paradigm. But what is the new media, what is it replacing, and what challenges does it face. This week we talk to radio hosts, webmasters, activists and infowarriors to find out more about the new grassroots internet-based citizen journalism phenomenon.you can also listen to my full interview with james corbett...
corbett report: interview063 - james evan pilato
from corbett report: The voice of the MediaMonarchy radio broadcast and webmaster of MediaMonarchy.com joins us to discuss his online work and the significance of the internet-based citizen journalism movement.
investigation shows army charity hoards millions
from ap: The biggest charity inside the U.S. military has been hoarding tens of millions of dollars meant to help put fighters returning from Iraq and Afghanistan back on their feet. An Associated Press investigation shows that between 2003 and 2007, the Army Emergency Relief grew into a $345 million behemoth. During those years, the charity packed away $117 million into its own reserves while spending just $64 million on direct aid. That's at a time when many military families were struggling with long war deployments and increased numbers of home foreclosures. The Fort Bliss-based charity is tax-exempt and legally separate from the military but really operates under close Army control. The massive nonprofit is funded primarily by the troops themselves. It allows superiors to squeeze soldiers for contributions, forces struggling soldiers to repay loans and often violates its own rules by rewarding donors. AER executives defend their operation, insisting they need to keep sizable reserves to be ready for future catastrophes.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
police state int'l: skype, shop, cyber katrina & operation arcadia
eu agency supports wiretapping skype conversations
from eu observer: EU's judicial cooperation agency Eurojust will take the lead in finding ways to help police and prosecutors across Europe to wiretap computer-to-computer phone conversations enabled by programs such as Skype. "We will sit together with all member states to see how this can be done technically and legally," Joannes Thuy, Eurojust spokesman told this website. Mr Thuy stressed that the wiretapping would not affect "normal users", but would have to be carried out only as part of a criminal investigation.
big brother likes to watch you shop
from ahmenra2012: Mall ads watch shoppers... Cameras inside ad displays gather advertising data about shoppers. KSDK’s Kasey Joyce reports. More blatant invasions of privacy!
chicago mayor vows surveillance cameras on every street corner
from chicago sun-times: Mayor Daley has argued that security and terrorism won’t be an issue if his Olympic dreams come true because, by 2016, there will be a surveillance camera on every street corner in Chicago. But even before that blanket coverage begins, the "Big Brother" network is being put to better use... In 2004, City Hall used a $5.1 million federal homeland security grant to install 250 cameras at locations thought to be at high risk of a terrorist attack and link them and 2,000 existing city cameras to the 911 center. Chicago then launched "Operation Virtual Shield," by linking 1,000 miles of fiber cable to a unified "homeland security grid" — complete with hundreds of additional cameras and sensors to monitor the city’s water supply and detect chemical and biological weapons. On Thursday, Orozco refused to say how many cameras are currently linked to the 911 center. But, he reiterated Daley’s earlier promise. “We’re going to grow the system until we eventually cover one end of the city to the other,” he said.
vampire cops to draw blood at dui checkpoints in florida
from wpbf: Drunken drivers beware: If you drink and drive, especially during the last weekend of February, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and other area law enforcement will be out for blood. PBSO deputies plan to set up driving under the influence checkpoints. If they suspect a driver is under the influence, they'll offer an on-the-spot Breathalyzer. If drivers refuse, deputies will ask to draw blood from their arms. "I think that's really personal and I think that if you deny a Breathalyzer and you say that you don't want that, I think that's outrageous if they take blood without your consent," driver Courtney Liddle said. Attorney David Olson said that "would only be lawful if a warrant is issued by a judge." That's just what deputies plan to do. They'll actually drive to a judge's home for a signature and return to the checkpoint. Olson said drawing blood from drivers is usually done in extreme cases like homicides and fatal collisions. Olson said he's not sure a judge would actually sign a warrant.
flashback: forced dwi blood samples challenged in texas
fearing 'cyber katrina,' obama candidate for cyber czar urges a 'fema for the internet'
from businessweek: For all the fears of sophisticated digital intrusions preoccupying many computer security professionals, President Obama’s leading candidates for “cyber czar” also are focusing on an all-too-human vulnerability: The nation’s inability to respond to a full-fledged Internet-borne crisis for lack of a central cyber commander. Former White House cybersecurity official Paul B. Kurtz, in his first public remarks since becoming an advisor to President Obama’s transition team following the election, describes his biggest worry: A “cyber Katrina” in which fragmented bureaucracies and companies fail to share critical information and coordinate responses to cyber intruders attempting to disrupt power grids, financial markets, or any number of now-plausible scenarios involving a Web shutdown. One recent fear is the cascading effects of even a partial Internet blackout that could add to economic anxieties. There’s such electronic insecurity afoot, some are even beginning to suggest building an entirely new global computer infrastructure. “The bottom line is, is there a FEMA for the Internet? I don’t think there is,” Kurtz told an audience of security professionals at a Feb. 18 Black Hat security conference in Virginia. Kurtz’ solution: A trio of key agencies - the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Communications Commission - but overseen by a new national cybersecurity center.
faa breach heightens cybersecurity concerns
from fcw: The Federal Aviation Administration was doing such a good job at protecting data in its computer systems that the Office of Management and Budget chose it in January to be one of four agencies to guide other federal agencies in their cybersecurity efforts. Just a month later, FAA officials had to admit that hackers breached one of the agency’s servers, stealing 48 files. Two of the files contained information on 45,000 current and former FAA employees, including sensitive information that could potentially make them vulnerable to identity theft. The security breach, although significant and potentially far reaching, is not necessarily a reflection on FAA’s security measures. Rather, it demonstrates the problems of securing federal computer systems and difficulty in evading every potential attack.
iowa national guard rolls back arcadia invasion
from kurt nimmo: According to Drew Zahn, writing for WorldNetDaily, the Iowa National Guard has “scaled back” its “training exercise” planned for April in Arcadia, Iowa, population 443. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, told Zahn and WND that the operation has now been “scaled back” and no longer involves an “invasion” of Arcadia. “And while Hapgood confirmed the Guard had been inundated with objections from citizens concerned about soldiers patrolling the streets of an American town, he said most came from people out of state and unfamiliar with the operation. Iowans, he explained, typically cooperate with the Guard. The change in plans was based on troop evaluation, he said, not public outcry.”
states rediscover 10th amendment to combat stimulus strings
from washington times: Worried the federal government is increasing its dominance over their affairs, several states are pursuing legislative action to assert their sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution in hopes of warding off demands from Washington on how to spend money or enact policy. The growing concerns even have a handful of governors questioning whether to accept federal stimulus money that comes with strings attached. The sentiments to declare themselves legally independent from Washington have swept across as many as a dozen states, renewing a debate over so-called unfunded mandates that last raged in the 1990s. The states question whether the U.S. government can force states to take actions without paying for them or impose conditions on states if they accept certain federal funding.
firestorm brewing between the states & the feds
video: glenn beck again predicting doomsday & revolution
from raw replay: President Obama has been criticized for warning of economic “catastrophe” but Glenn Beck’s prediction is far more dire. Beck says the military is preparing for a revolution. This video is from Fox’s Fox & Friends, broadcast Feb. 20, 2009.
from eu observer: EU's judicial cooperation agency Eurojust will take the lead in finding ways to help police and prosecutors across Europe to wiretap computer-to-computer phone conversations enabled by programs such as Skype. "We will sit together with all member states to see how this can be done technically and legally," Joannes Thuy, Eurojust spokesman told this website. Mr Thuy stressed that the wiretapping would not affect "normal users", but would have to be carried out only as part of a criminal investigation.big brother likes to watch you shop
from ahmenra2012: Mall ads watch shoppers... Cameras inside ad displays gather advertising data about shoppers. KSDK’s Kasey Joyce reports. More blatant invasions of privacy!
chicago mayor vows surveillance cameras on every street corner
from chicago sun-times: Mayor Daley has argued that security and terrorism won’t be an issue if his Olympic dreams come true because, by 2016, there will be a surveillance camera on every street corner in Chicago. But even before that blanket coverage begins, the "Big Brother" network is being put to better use... In 2004, City Hall used a $5.1 million federal homeland security grant to install 250 cameras at locations thought to be at high risk of a terrorist attack and link them and 2,000 existing city cameras to the 911 center. Chicago then launched "Operation Virtual Shield," by linking 1,000 miles of fiber cable to a unified "homeland security grid" — complete with hundreds of additional cameras and sensors to monitor the city’s water supply and detect chemical and biological weapons. On Thursday, Orozco refused to say how many cameras are currently linked to the 911 center. But, he reiterated Daley’s earlier promise. “We’re going to grow the system until we eventually cover one end of the city to the other,” he said.
vampire cops to draw blood at dui checkpoints in florida
from wpbf: Drunken drivers beware: If you drink and drive, especially during the last weekend of February, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and other area law enforcement will be out for blood. PBSO deputies plan to set up driving under the influence checkpoints. If they suspect a driver is under the influence, they'll offer an on-the-spot Breathalyzer. If drivers refuse, deputies will ask to draw blood from their arms. "I think that's really personal and I think that if you deny a Breathalyzer and you say that you don't want that, I think that's outrageous if they take blood without your consent," driver Courtney Liddle said. Attorney David Olson said that "would only be lawful if a warrant is issued by a judge." That's just what deputies plan to do. They'll actually drive to a judge's home for a signature and return to the checkpoint. Olson said drawing blood from drivers is usually done in extreme cases like homicides and fatal collisions. Olson said he's not sure a judge would actually sign a warrant.
flashback: forced dwi blood samples challenged in texas
fearing 'cyber katrina,' obama candidate for cyber czar urges a 'fema for the internet'
from businessweek: For all the fears of sophisticated digital intrusions preoccupying many computer security professionals, President Obama’s leading candidates for “cyber czar” also are focusing on an all-too-human vulnerability: The nation’s inability to respond to a full-fledged Internet-borne crisis for lack of a central cyber commander. Former White House cybersecurity official Paul B. Kurtz, in his first public remarks since becoming an advisor to President Obama’s transition team following the election, describes his biggest worry: A “cyber Katrina” in which fragmented bureaucracies and companies fail to share critical information and coordinate responses to cyber intruders attempting to disrupt power grids, financial markets, or any number of now-plausible scenarios involving a Web shutdown. One recent fear is the cascading effects of even a partial Internet blackout that could add to economic anxieties. There’s such electronic insecurity afoot, some are even beginning to suggest building an entirely new global computer infrastructure. “The bottom line is, is there a FEMA for the Internet? I don’t think there is,” Kurtz told an audience of security professionals at a Feb. 18 Black Hat security conference in Virginia. Kurtz’ solution: A trio of key agencies - the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Communications Commission - but overseen by a new national cybersecurity center.faa breach heightens cybersecurity concerns
from fcw: The Federal Aviation Administration was doing such a good job at protecting data in its computer systems that the Office of Management and Budget chose it in January to be one of four agencies to guide other federal agencies in their cybersecurity efforts. Just a month later, FAA officials had to admit that hackers breached one of the agency’s servers, stealing 48 files. Two of the files contained information on 45,000 current and former FAA employees, including sensitive information that could potentially make them vulnerable to identity theft. The security breach, although significant and potentially far reaching, is not necessarily a reflection on FAA’s security measures. Rather, it demonstrates the problems of securing federal computer systems and difficulty in evading every potential attack.
iowa national guard rolls back arcadia invasion
from kurt nimmo: According to Drew Zahn, writing for WorldNetDaily, the Iowa National Guard has “scaled back” its “training exercise” planned for April in Arcadia, Iowa, population 443. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood, told Zahn and WND that the operation has now been “scaled back” and no longer involves an “invasion” of Arcadia. “And while Hapgood confirmed the Guard had been inundated with objections from citizens concerned about soldiers patrolling the streets of an American town, he said most came from people out of state and unfamiliar with the operation. Iowans, he explained, typically cooperate with the Guard. The change in plans was based on troop evaluation, he said, not public outcry.”
states rediscover 10th amendment to combat stimulus strings
from washington times: Worried the federal government is increasing its dominance over their affairs, several states are pursuing legislative action to assert their sovereignty under the 10th Amendment of the Constitution in hopes of warding off demands from Washington on how to spend money or enact policy. The growing concerns even have a handful of governors questioning whether to accept federal stimulus money that comes with strings attached. The sentiments to declare themselves legally independent from Washington have swept across as many as a dozen states, renewing a debate over so-called unfunded mandates that last raged in the 1990s. The states question whether the U.S. government can force states to take actions without paying for them or impose conditions on states if they accept certain federal funding.
firestorm brewing between the states & the feds
video: glenn beck again predicting doomsday & revolution
from raw replay: President Obama has been criticized for warning of economic “catastrophe” but Glenn Beck’s prediction is far more dire. Beck says the military is preparing for a revolution. This video is from Fox’s Fox & Friends, broadcast Feb. 20, 2009.